Superbowl weekend was, surprisingly, a very good time to get work done. Everyone was generally off watching the game or having parties, and even the breakroom tended to fill during those days, and the offices were usually very quiet. To Archer, this was ideal; he was able to play his nerd music as loud as he wanted without anyone judging him, and he was able to mostly avoid interruptions altogether. So there he was, that Sunday evening, working diligently without a care in the world, filling out all manners of forms and papers as a well-oiled machine.
He hadn't been expecting the door to his office to creeeaaak open slowly, and he hadn't expected his little cousin to march into the room, muscles tense and face twisted into a snarl. Something was wrong; Tabitha had never looked at him with that expression, before. "Tabitha," the executive greeted carefully, "is something the matter?"
"You tricked me." The words spat out were full of not only anger but hate, loathing, and it was startling. Archer placed his pen down, focusing his attentions entirely on his little cousin, as he no longer knew what to expect from this situation. "Ye groudondamn dosser, ye tricked me!"
"I'm sorry, you'll have to explain a little more than that, I'm afraid," Archer sighed, and he motioned calmly to one of the chairs in front of his desk; Tabitha growled angrily and abruptly upturned it, the chair hitting the floor with a resounding crash, causing the elder to flinch the tiniest bit.
"Téigh trasna ort féin!" With an angry bellow, Tabitha kicked the chair out of his way and stomped forward, slamming his hands flat onto Archer's desk. "I told ye! I told ye, ye fuckin' scumbag! I told ye I was only gonna be here long enough te git back on me feet!"
"Yes, you did," Archer agreed, "I fail to see the problem."
"Ye never told me I couldn't leave! Dammit, Kane!" Tabitha whirled around, seething as he began to pace, hands clawing at his hair as he tried to calm himself down. "Ye promised! Ye promised me I'd be able te git home!"
"Is that what this is all about?" Tabitha turned back to snarl something else, but Archer merely shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh, and the words caught in his little cousin's throat, confusion mingling with the brutal anger in his eyes. "Look. I don't know who you've been speaking with, but I can assure you, your case is... different. You know, from the average grunts."
"Oh, oh yeah?" Tabitha gave a high, breaking laugh. "Yeah? Why, 'cause ye gonna make Proton run me through with a knife, er 'cause yer gonna let Petrel fuck me over?! I can't stay here, Kane, I jes' can't, I can't function, I can't work, I. Jes'. Can't."
"I know!" Archer stood from his chair, and though Tabitha took an unstrusting step back, he came around the desk and placed his hands on his little cousin's shoulders, staring him dead in the eye. "I know, Tabitha," he continued, voice soft, "and it's fine. You were never here. You kept asking for promotions and never received any, yes? Not because you were not qualified, but because you have no files here."
"I—I what? No files, what?" his cousin repeated, and Archer nodded solemnly.
"No files," he said, "just as I promised you, you should be able to leave." And instantly, Tabitha relaxed, shoulders drooping and fists unclenching as a relieved look passed over his face. Awkwardly, he reached to upright the chair he'd thrown over. Archer smiled.
"I... I'm sorry, Kane, I jes' thought—Squishy said—"
"He's not wrong, per say." Archer shrugged. "Just... you are not a Rocket. You never were. Of course, that doesn't mean you are just free to leave. You still owe the organization money, after all; you'll need to remain and work until such time as your debts are paid."
"I can do that," Tabitha agreed. Wearily, he sunk down into the chair. "Ain't no stranger. I can do that. How much do I still owe?" Archer sighed and turned to his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard for a good moment before he found the figure–and truth be told, he had to do a double-take.
"You still owe us about half a million," he announced. Tabitha's eyes shot up, a mix of pure, unadulterated fear and anxiety swirling within them.
"Morgan, bird! Merry Christmas! I got somethin’ fer ye, I hope ye like it…. Straight from the big ol’ lava bath back home, an’ young enough fer ye to be a horrible influence on its small, impressionable mind."
"Omigosh. Another little buddy. Another fire-type. More warmth for me because fuck snow am I right. Aaaaw, but look at that faaace."
"I am going to love my new little Numel to pieces, yes I am~! <3"
"Okay featherhead, attack me with everythin' ya got. Don't worry about hurtin' me; we all know I can handle it."
Perhaps the breakroom wasn't the best place for sparring with a Combusken, but as long as Proton's coffee machine was left unharmed Morgan knew it would all be just fine. Besides, it was deathly cold outside, and there was no way she was going out to freeze her ass off. At the very least, it wasn't snowing just yet, but she felt like it just might as well be.
Cold weather wasn't going to stop her from training. Not in a thousand years was that going to happen. If she couldn't do it outside for fear of frostbite or hypothermia (or both knowing her luck), then she'd just do the same stuff as usual, only inside where the risk of freezing was low.
Moegami didn't seem to mind the change of scenery, though he would have much preferred to be outdoors, as the cold didn't bother a fire-type like himself. Since his trainer lacked feathers and a self-heating system, he would have to make do with the only option presented to him. Not that he was complaining. If he still got to do his thing, why should where he was matter. He was all fired up and ready to go.
The shiny Combusken attacked first, a swipe of his claws which his trainer blocked. He then jumped backwards and sprung forth once again, at the exact same time that Morgan did. One aiming a punch and the other aiming a kick, but since the fire-type was swifter, it was his blow that hit the bluenette in the gut and sent her flying at the wall with the wind knocked out of her.
Just as her back slammed hard against the wall beside the open door, someone else walked in just in time to witness it. Great, just great. That's all she needed, having to explain the racket was the result of a firechicken kicking the crap out of her.
"It was the fuckin' chicken, I swear." She wheezed once she caught her breath again, "little fucker got a lucky hit an' now he's gettin' all cocky about it. Ahaha... shit I thiiiink he might've busted one of my ribs..."
It had been year, centuries, since she had a vessel strong enough for her to have this much essence in. Most were simply overtaken by the sheer power and driven to insanity, no fun to work with at all. It had everything to do with strength of the mind, Kyogre mused to herself as she stalked down the dark, empty hall. Children truly had the strongest and most flexible mental strength, the ability to understand, to believe what adults would and could not. Children made the perfect vessels.
And if they lived to adulthood, she could pull shit like this without them (usually) dying.
The gems had been shattered, true, but there was enough of the shards still lodged in Sapphire’s body for (her, him, it? Gender made no difference to the legendary beast) Kyogre to be able to see through her eyes, control the body like a puppet—it worked best when there was no resistance, no fighting back. Nighttime was the perfect opportunity to catch Sapphire of guard; while she was sleeping it was much easier to slip into her head unbidden. She had only had little bits and pieces to work with until now, the personality split had been the perfect opportunity- simply overtake it, and push her own consciousness forward. Human minds were such funny, complex things, she had forgotten how much fun it could be.
Kyogre certainly had an idea for something entertaining tonight.
She found herself stalking down the halls, searching for one person in particular. A former Magma admin, the one who had found Sapphire after the night she had fully wormed her way into the girl’s head. Tabitha, that’s what Sapphire had called him. He would be the perfect human to mess with on her first night in so many years toying in a human mind. She turned the next hall and was rewarded with the aura of the human she was looking for only a few doors down. Perfect. She stalked over to the correct down and was pleasantly surprised when the door simply opened when she tried the knob.
Bright yellow eyes crinkled in amusement as she made her way into the messy room, her target asleep in his bed. The soft glow of nightlights illuminated the room, highlighting the faint blue glow across Sapphire’s body—barely noticeable, but etched into the visible skin nonetheless. Now Kyogre had to wonder, what would be the best way to mess with this one of Groudon’s little pets? He smelled so strongly of her rival it made her want to retch, but she simply wrinkled her nose and thought further. He had been rather flustered when he had found Sapphire naked on the lakeside, and it had nothing to do with attraction. A mischievous grin stretched across her face as a thought came to mind, sure to fluster him thoroughly and simply her presence would strike fear into the young man.
Kyogre padded quietly over to the side of the bed before climbing gently onto the mattress and positioning herself over the young man in a straddle. Surprised that he hadn’t woken up yet, Kyogre let out a chuckle and poked his face once, twice, three times before speaking.
Tabitha fidgeted for a long moment, wringing his hands anxiously. His gaze move from the ground, to his shoes, and finally up to Damian’s face. He honestly had no idea how to put this, and he wasn’t sure if this was even something worth worrying about. He was really just hoping that Damian wouldn’t be upset with him for whatever reason, because he honestly had no idea what to do abut the situation.
"Uhm… well…." Another moment longer of awkward shifting, and then Tabitha beckoned his friend closer, leaning up to whisper into his ear. "Mate…. she’s tainted with somethin’ bad. I got near her the other night, an’ she was all glowy and shit an’… she feels…. unholy. An’ holy. At the same time. She…..” He backed away, slowly turning this way and that as if to start pacing but unable to do it. “There’s somethin’ wrong with her.”
Damian's eyes widened as he took in Tabitha's shifting movements, the small shuffling and twitches. When the words settled in his head, he could feel the rage building, but kept it under mask, lest he frighten Tabitha. He had to know one thing, if what Tabitha said was true (and he had no doubts his brother-in-arms was telling the truth, they had seen the beasts with their own eyes--)
He kept his hold on Tabitha's shoulders and tried to keep him in place, but he made to move back and Damian let him. The unsettled look in the other's eyes had him on edge, and he had to know one thing to confirm his suspicions.
"Tabitha." He kept his voice firm, but not angry. "Tabs, I'm not gonna get angry with you, but I need to know-- if she felt unholy... did she feel like great beasts? The ones from home, from the battle at Sootopolis?"
If he was correct in his assumptions, there would be hell to pay for the girl. He had had information withheld from him. He always got the answers he wanted.
It had started out a pretty normal day. Damian had woken up, eaten some of the food he had stashed in his room and went to go check his pokeballs like he did every morning. Except something was off, one of the capsules had opened and the pokemon in question was nowhere to be seen. It wouldn’t have been anything to worry Damian, Kess tended to pop out of her pokeball to demand snuggles during the night—for all that his puppy was tough as nails she was still a hopeless cuddler. It only got worse when she was in heat, more cuddly and overprotective than ever—so when Damian didn’t see her in the immediate vicinity of his room the worry started.
He kept Kess on a tight proverbial leash when she was in heat, simply due to the fact he both didn’t want to deal with the inevitable fights she would start or having her end up with eggs and make him deal with someone he wouldn’t have had to deal with otherwise. He had noticed the signs of her starting earlier that week, and figured she would just have made a blanket nest in his bed and demanded attention like she always did.
But from the way the door looked, slightly ajar with barely noticeable claw marks near the handle—she had gotten out. Joy. This was bound to be trouble.
He had no idea how long she had been out, and grabbed Zion’s pokeball, releasing the lithe psychic type. As Zion stared at him with slightly curious eyes he heard her soft inquiry in his head. Has something gone wrong? Has the girl disobeyed, shall I find her for you? Damian shook his head, rubbing a hand to his temple as he spoke. “Nope. Kess got out, she’s in heat and there is a disaster waiting for us somewhere. Can you find her?” Ignoring the chuckle it elicited from the Gardevoir, Damian waited as she shut her eyes and began to glow blue for a few seconds before she reopened her eyes.
She’s simply down a few halls. One of the bunks. I shall lead us to her.
Damian thought of all the possible scenarios Kess could have gotten herself into while he followed his pokemon down the hall, letting out a soft groan. When he refocused on Zion, he noticed she had stopped, a few halls over, just like she had said. The door looked familiar, slightly ajar and he heard shuffling around from inside. Damian recalled Zion to her pokeball, the psychic looking unusually chipper as he did. He could have sworn he even heard a laugh. And he soon figured out why. The door looked familiar for a reason, and as Damian looked inside the room he recognized Tabitha’s familiar mess.
Oh. Oh she did not—his train of thought was cut short as he looked over into a blanket pile near the side wall of the room and spotted Kess. Curled up next to Tabitha’s Mightyena Jaspar. Curled up around three eggs. Motherfuck yes she did.
Well. Now he knew why Zion had been practically laughing.
