bottlecaplogs | JUNE CATCH-ALL

Who: Flowey, Shoka, Possibly YOU!
What: A meeting, a reunion
Where: Oran Berries Spire and Training Grounds
When: Nebulously June
Warnings: Added as needed. Likely discussion of nightmare coma.

a. do or do not (for flowey)

[This body frustrates him more than he'd care to admit, as if Dark Heart is in the habit of admitting to anything. It's small and fallible and, what's more, doesn't have the capabilities of power that he's used to. All in all, it's made him rather disinclined from trying. What few quests he's taken on have been ones he can coast, watch the others do the heavy lifting while he reaps the rewards. Any effort toward bettering himself physically feels like admitting defeat, that this is all he can ever be. Dark Heart has been sticking to observing the other Pokemon as they train, watching as if above it all (god willing).

Today is different. Today he's trying-- a deeply embarrassing, shameful venture. To exert oneself is to prove that you care, just enough, and that's something no one should see. Dark Heart is practicing under cover of night, trying to land a heavy blow as consistently as possible. If he does this enough, it might just look like this came easily to him.

So it perhaps vexes him to go from Watcher to Watched. By the time Dark Heart realizes he's not alone, he's fallen face-first into the dirt.]

You-- [Cough, spit--] show yourself!

b. a familiar face (for shoka)

[If anyone's been spending a great deal of time near Dark Heart the past month, they might be shocked to realize that his bed is empty. Some Pokemon might not care (good for them), but other Pokemon just seem to give a shit after all, don't they? Funny!

Maybe said Pokemon is there to witness Dark Heart stumble back into his den, shaky on his feet. Or, perhaps, they would find him stumbling down the hallway, leaning against the wall for balance. No matter how you slice it, that Nickit is awake.]

wildcard.
[a placeholder for those nebulously interested in threading with daaark heaaart this month! feel free to dm me here or pp me

liveralone]

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Hee hee... what, you think I'm the suspicious one? You're the weirdo training in the middle of the night. [This, of course, ignores the fact that he's also alone out in the training grounds at night.] Or did you think that nobody would watch you back?

[A Sunkern- small for its species, but otherwise average- hops out of the shadows. He's wearing a smile, clearly laughing at Dark Heart's current state.] Aww. Cranky because you fell down in the dirt? No wonder you're out here at this hour, trying to hide this shameful display!

[Dark Heart may have seen him before-- he's a newcomer who immediately threw himself into training nearly every moment that he can. Usually, Sunkerns try to limit their movement to save nutrients and build up energy for evolution... but this one has been throwing himself against training dummies again and again like he has something to prove.

To his credit, his abilities have improved, albeit only somewhat. He's clearly learned how to put down roots again with Ingrain, and his Absorb isn't half-bad. He's still, of course, just a Sunkern. Weak. Pathetic, even in this new body, as if the universe thinks he's some kind of cosmic joke.]

[Hey! No one's supposed to be able to read him for filth-- that's his thing! Vulnerable as he's feeling right now, Dark Heart can't even do much more about it than sputter.

This Sunkern. He's seen him here and there, sure, but re-gaining his bearings after his month-long slumber is proving to be slow. Dark Heart likes to make a good first impression, present himself a certain way. This? Not what he had planned.

Dark Heart shakes the dirt off of his fur, gritting his teeth.]

Cranky because of this irritating noise I'm hearing.

Aww, that's too bad! I'm sure you'll get used to the sound of your own voice eventually! Personally, I would've cut off those big stupid ears if I were you, but it looks like you couldn't cut through a wet sheet of paper!

[That's one of the worst parts about being him: not only is he good at being annoying and cruel, but he enjoys it. He likes figuring out how to press people's buttons. He likes tearing off masks and revealing what he thinks is the bitter truth underneath.

He's already in for a penny, now-- might as well go in for a pound.] Tell you what. How about a friendly sparring match? If you win, I'll say sorry. And when I win... hee hee. Maybe I'll just keep you pinned in the dirt until everyone comes to laugh at you come daybreak...?

[As Dark Heart painstakingly makes his way down the hallway, shaky and unsteady, someone uncharitably comments:]

Walk much?

[It's Shoka, shuffling over to investigate (and help, though her usual mocking tone doesn't make that intention obvious). She seems not to recognize him at first—or, more accurately, she assumes it can't be him and must be some other Nickit, because he's been gone for so long, asleep with no sign of waking. The same as A.B.A is, too, now. Unknown disease, might be contagious; limited visits only. No one told her that there was any change or any real hope for either of them.

As she closes the distance between them, wondering if the guy just got back from a particularly tough quest or is just drunk or something, she suddenly realizes: it's not just any Nickit. The ears of her disguise perk straight upright in shock.]

Wait... Dork Heart? [It is, unless she's seeing things (again)! Why didn't anyone tell her?!] What the—? You're here! When did you—? You... [She doesn't know where to start. You're better now? You were passed out this whole time?] You look like hell.

Bwuh?

[He does, in fact, look like hell. Sure he's awake but at what cost? Dark Heart's head is spinning but all in all he's feeling better than he was before, those first moments when he woke up. Now it's just about gaining his bearings, getting used to this body he's never gotten used to.

Dark Heart turns to face her fully. Oh, it's--]

Shoka? [He looks her over, but mostly just at the edges of her disguise. Focusing is hard, but he's getting there. Dark Heart looks up.] What are you talking about?

You, dummy. And how you look like you've been passed the hell out for like a month? [Was it only a month, or was it longer?] Yeesh... You're still really out of it, aren't you?

[Should he even be here? Maybe he should still be at the Pokéclinic, getting another checkup and making sure he can at least walk... But he's been there long enough, she's decided, and he's already here anyway. She might as well get him to the dens.]

Ugh. Okay, just... [She shuffles closer, hesitantly, to offer him some support. It's awkward, especially considering how small she is, but the head of her disguise at least gives her some additional height and something soft to help keep him upright if he stumbles.] Lean against me or something, all right? Promise I won't let you eat floor.

[The fact that it takes Dark Heart as long as it does to even think of a reply is evidence enough that he is still out of it. From that point of realization, the silence is intentional. All of the questions at the front of his mind feel silly to voice, so he pretends not to have them at all.

Dark Heart does as he's told, leaning against Shoka for support. He's not sure how it will feel, given that her disguise often has an unsteady quality to it, but it feels solid enough.]

Promises, promises.

JUNE CATCH-ALL

do or do not

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a familiar face

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