[X] My Assistant

[Master Houndoom]

This RP is already fully staffed and will not accept applications. Furthermore, any bunnying done to characters or pokemon is done with permission by the owner of the character/pokemon.

"And then, Jaima's mother comes home, and no one's there. Well, she's in a towering fury, she says, but she goes out to the back yard, and there they are, with a blanket draped over the clothesline, roasting marshmallows over Ember's behind!"

Tuesday and Meiko burst into fits of girlish laughter, and Jaima smiled, slightly flushed. Darryn also smiled, almost a smirk. "I've heard that before."

Meiko grinned at him, then back at Jaima, winking and pointing at him. Jaima raised a brow, then gave a smirk of his own.

"Well, this one is new to you. It's Meiko's 8th birthday, and it's supposed to be a surprise party..."

Meiko gasped. "Noooooo," she wailed, reaching for Jaima, who dodged nimbly.

The story never actually got told, but things were learned by the traveling companions. For example, Tuesday and Darryn learned that Jaima was actually ticklish, and that Meiko knew where, and vice versa. Meiko and Jaima learned that one should not get into a tickle war while there was a certain mischievous riolu around.

No one understood exactly how it happened, or where Zorro had gotten the rope, but before it could be stopped, Jaima and Meiko had ended up with their hands tied behind the other's back, facing each other, wide eyed and blinking in surprise.

With a laugh, Tuesday scolded Zorro, Darryn moved to untie the pair, and Meiko took the opportunity to drop a kiss on Jaima's nose.

* * * * *

The camp was set up with now expected efficiency, and supper had been eaten. The four trainers lounged around the fire, sleepy eyed, several pokemon (several being twenty, but no one was counting) lounging in different groups, and smiling. The previous leg of their journey, which had ended with the group taking refuge with Tuesday's uncle, had provided a time of rejuvenation, and the group had fallen into a kind of contentment that was the aim of many people, the kind of contentment one would love to look back in their life and say they could feel for the majority of it. The kind of contentment that, usually, preceded a storm or quake.

There was talking, and laughter, and soon the wishes of good nights. The morning would bring more travel, and perhaps a practice battle, but for now, sleep was called for.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

“Es a hole in el bucket, el bucket, el bucket. Es a hole in el bucket, el hermano, a hole!”

Tempest groaned loudly as Zorro started singing (badly in her opinion), as he walked across the branch of a tree. She rolled over onto her back from where she had been curled up and glared at him, but when she opened her mouth to yell at him, she hesitated.

Blue had said something about her being too rash and too prone to just looking at him and not taking into account the others’ reactions to his antics. Although she hated the idea of being wrong in that he was so incredibly childish and annoying… she respected Blue Crest.

So she just watched. Zorro actually stopped singing not long after that, his steady paws carrying him across the tree branch without fear of falling. His eyes scanned the area and Tempest watched as his gaze narrowed and he seemed to study the world around them.

Is he… scouting?

“He’s making sure there isn’t any threat, since last time.”

Tempest’s ears twitched at Mercury’s mental analysis. I thought he had simply gotten over it, she admitted. Zorro certainly hadn’t seemed as though he was bothered at all by all that occurred, and it had annoyed Tempest. Tuesday had been so distraught…

“Zorro is, apparently, much better at hiding things than one would originally have thought. Think on that, Tempest.” Tempest curled up again as she felt Mercury’s connection to her mind pull away. As she watched Zorro continue to study the area, she had to admit that, whether or not she wanted to, she would think on it.

It was funny, though. As she closed her eyes and felt sleep begin to take her away, she realized that she felt a lot safer with him near.

Not that she’d ever tell him that.

~*~

Fire-type pokemon are weak to ground, rock, and water-type pokemon, Tuesday recited internally, her eyes staring at the ceiling of her tent. Contrarily, grass-type pokemon are weak to flying, poison, bug, fire, and ice-type pokemon. Psychic-type pokemon are weak to bug, ghost, and dark-type pokemon. Tuesday sighed, then groaned softly in annoyance and rolled over. It wasn’t helping; she still couldn’t keep from thinking about Brone, and about Eowyn, who she left with DeBrody only just after hatching. It didn’t seem right. Yes, she had registered a pokeball with the albino eevee so that DeBrody could send her over the poke-transmitter, but it just didn’t seem right…

Lying there, staring at the wall, Tuesday thought for a while, and then tried to “reach out” to Cassandra, as Brone said he often did. She didn’t quite know how, so when her eyes started to cross and her head began to hurt, she just screwed up her face and mentally screamed CASSANDRA!

”My spoon, little one, do hush.”

Cassandra?

I am most certainly not the Boogeyman. You don’t have to yell quite so loudly, little one. I’m always listening for you.

Sorry.

“No need to apologize. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

You and I both know I don’t need to tell you anything.

There was a gentle chuckle that seemed to echo. “Humor me.”

Tuesday fiddled with her fingers as she looked down, despite the fact that Cassandra was miles away at DeBrody’s ranch. I… did I do the right thing, leaving Br- leaving Eowyn with Uncle DeBrody?

“Which question is it, Tuesday? If you did the right thing leaving Brone, or leaving Eowyn?”

Tuesday whimpered softly, unwilling to answer, and Cassandra sighed gently, a sound and feeling that reached through their link. “Hold to me, little one.”

There was a gentle brush of something against Tuesday’s consciousness, and she closed her eyes as a feeling, like a sudden tingling sensation, tickled her mind at her forehead. She felt a pull, like someone was tugging her through water, and then everything went really quiet.

Tuesday opened her eyes slowly, surprised. She wasn’t in her tent anymore, but floating in a vast expanse of nothing. Colors and shapes drifted by, but they were blurry and out of focus. Tuesday rubbed her eyes.

“You cannot see here as you do in the conscious world, little one. Do not try.”

“Cassandra?” Tuesday turned to see the kadabra, only to find her in the form she took mentally, with short golden hair and a slim form. Her eyes were the same, though – observant, fox-like. “Where… am I?”

“This is the Psychic Plane,” Cassandra explained, gesturing with a hand. “It looks different to you than it does to others, because you are not a psychic and have no such talents. I’ve brought you here on my own will, because it makes it easier, at times, to communicate.” She made a motion with her hand at Tuesday herself. “The Psychic Plane has the additional effect of revealing a person as who they really are, and that doesn’t change whether you have psychic capabilities or not.”

“What are you- oh.” Tuesday had looked down at herself, her golden hair falling into her face. A large tuft of pale hair stuck up in the center of her head, wisped backward sharply. Tuesday looked down at her hands, her fingers ending in white claws. She glanced behind her and gasped as she saw a large pale-colored bush of fur that was probably supposed to be a tail, but looked more like some dead Persian that never had its fur brushed in all its life.

She looked back at Cassandra sharply. “What is this?”

“This is who you truly are, on the inside, revealed on the outside – at least here on the Psychic Plane. However, you are still growing into this form, and so it is not sharp or clear.”

“Or clean,” Tuesday said, studying her “tail” again.

“Or clean,” Cassandra agreed, “but that will change as you come into who you are. Eventually, you may come to realize whose form it is you share. In the meantime, however, allow me to answer your question.

“Your leaving Eowyn with Marcus was a wise idea. The young eevee is an albino and you know how rare and temperamental albinism can be. Marcus will take good care of her, and then he will send her to Professor Oak. Fear not that you will see Eowyn again, when the time is right.” Cassandra smiled. “She has a part to play, after all.

“As for your leaving Brone, yes, that was also a wise idea, though I know you don’t believe me. Just as you have to grow into who you are, Tuesday, so does Brone. Wise beyond his years he my be, he still has much to learn. The only way he will learn is the same way in which you will learn – by experience. That will come in time, if I have anything to say about it, though I’m certain that he will not argue for long.”

She reached out and tapped Tuesday’s chin, making the girl look up at her. “You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, little one, and you need your rest.” Tuesday opened her mouth, but Cassandra continued on before she could interrupt. “I will not Suggest sleep to you; you find no rest when you are stuck in such a state. I will, however, calm your nerves as much as I would your brother’s in the same instance. I offer this up for all of you, for you will need it.

“Now rest, little one, and remember that even in the moments of your darkest doubt, you can find light.”

The world of blurred shapes and colors faded from around Tuesday and she found herself back in the tent, her eyes drooping. As she let them close, she could feel a gentle wave of calm enveloping her and the rest of the camp, as Cassandra cast a layer of peace over them all to help them sleep.

It would be the last bit of peace they would have for some time to come.

[Living Arrow]

Darryn flipped the pages of his portfolio slowly, the dimmed light of his torch illuminated his tent with a warm yellow glow. The photos stuck down and annotations that went with them depicted Darryn’s journey so far and brought back so many memories. It made him smile to read how much he had focused on the power attributes of his Pokemon in the beginning and how it had gradually changed to fit in with Contest battling rather than straight forward trainer-types.

Lady shifted in the crook of Darryn’s armpit, turning her nose upwards to nuzzle his bare neck.

“Yeah, I’ll put the light out soon.” He whispered to his partner, kissing her forehead. “Just a few more minutes.”

Lady lowered her head in silence to lay it delicately across her paws. Those chestnut eyes rolled closed but Darryn knew she wouldn’t actually sleep while she was awake. He turned back to the book and flipped another page. A cut-out of a magazine had been stuck there, the image showing a teenager holding up a shiny golden pin with white and crimson ribbons. The boy was smiling broadly, his Butterfree, Cranidos and Jolteon all gathered around closely for the photo.

“Well, that’s one… just three more to go, Daz.” He muttered to himself, clicking out his biro and flipping to the next bare page. He scratched a few notes on the development of Bravo’s skills after battling DeBrody and made a note to stick in a photo of the latest advance in the Pidgeotto’s Featherdance.

He was just finishing up as the clicking buzz of someone opening his tent flap door. Lady’s head lifted automatically, completely in time with Darryn, as he looked over his shoulder to see who was paying him a visit. The door flap, however, was barely open a few inches and whoever was outside was struggling to lift it further.

“Meiko?” Darryn whispered questioningly, turning around and reaching toward the door. Lady pranced onto his lap protectively and watched as her master unzipped the door to halfway.

“Piny?” Eggheart’s round face poked into the tent. Darryn blinked.

“Oh… It’s you… Meiko’s tent is the next one over.” Darryn made a ‘shooing’ motion with his hand. “Go and get some sleep.”

“Pi pi hap hap?” Eggheart ignored Darryn and walked right into the tent, a little paw in her mouth which was being sucked at with a frown on the egg Pokemon’s face.

“Lady?”

Darryn’s Vulpix moved back to her sleeping position and sniffed. <It’s hungry and can smell your Pecha Berries.> There was a short pause… <Get rid of it.>

“Lady!” Darryn gasped in mock offense. “How dare you! Deprive this poor child of a few sweet berries! I really think you should sleep outside because of that!”

Lady’s eyes flared. <Excuse me?>

Darryn inwardly grinned. This was priceless. True, it was funny to see Lady get flustered but it was actually a serious matter when it came to tempering her personality. She was still consistently rude to the others in the adoptive family and he felt it necessary to try and break the walls between her and the others whenever opportunity arose.

“Out.” He nodded to the door, holding the flap open. Lady stared at him.

<But Prince Dar->

“Out, Lady.” Darryn nudged her with his foot. “Go sleep with your teammates.”

With a haughty lift of her nose, Lady stalked past Darryn and into the night. He dropped the flap behind her and suppressed a laugh. Eggheart, however, didn’t. With a shrill giggle, the Happiny collapsed on her back. Darryn lifted her fondly and sat her square in his lap so that he coud reach past her and get at the berry pouch in his backpack.

“Not too many though.” He hushed the baby as he passed her two of the sweet pink fruits. One disappeared immediately into Eggheart’s pouch and the other found itself being sucked on ferocisouly. “And when you’re done, go find Meiko.” He added as he made himself comfortable. “Or she’ll worry about you.”

Eggheart, once more, ignored Darryn and settled down next to his head on the pillow. She grinned and rocked herself to lie into his neck.

“Hap!”

Darryn chuckled. “Or you could just sleep there.” He whispered as he drifted off.

*****

“Oh, look who’s come to join us!” November crooned as Lady stalked toward where she sat next to Tempest. “Not so good you can’t sleep out here with the rest of us, then?”

“No way on Furoh she’d be doing this unless Mr Slick told her to.” Tempest surmised, leaning back against November’s warm flank. She opened one eye to look at the approaching Vulpix. “Did Pwince Dawwyn kick you out?”

November snorted a laugh and nudged Tempest’s head with her nose – the closest they could get to a high-five.

<Peasants.> Lady spat, strutting past them quickly.



Romeo lifted his head instinctively as Lady approached. Unlike the majority of Darryn’s Pokemon, Romeo had no trouble making friends and had found himself snuggled inbetween Ashleigh, Fang, Ember, Cosette and Grondir.

“’Ello, Lay-lay!” He cocked his head to the side. Ashleigh’s head came up, too and cocked itself into the exact same angle. His tongue lolled out wetly. “You comin’ to sleep with us? That’s nice! We’ll make space!”

“Oo! Space here!” Fang edged himself sideways, budging Grondir to the side. The Ivysaur glanced at him with annoyance. “Lying by me is awesome – I’m all soft and warm and-”

<I’m not that desperate.> Lady sniffed. Fang blinked at her.

“No need to be rude, wee missy.” Odysseus said calmly from nearby. His and Tsunami’s eyes watching her impatiently. “We’re all friends here.”

<Speak for yourself.> Lady muttered, stalking on and up to where Mercury rested with Shadow, and Desertdancer. They watched her approach, somewhat surprised that she had decided to join them but none said anything. Sitting a little apart from the others, Lady lowered her head. A few minutes later, a slender blue arm lifted a small blanket onto the firefox’s back and the Vulpix finally relaxed.