victory_road | mall rats gym rats (closed)

Entry tags:

mall rats gym rats (closed)

Who: Marco, Jean & Armin/Marco & Annie

Where: Goldenrod Mall

When: 12/13 and 12/21/18

Summary: Christmas shopping, post-Gym talking, trekking and more!

Rating: PG?

Log:

Gym Rats, 12/13

Just outside Violet City, there's the familiar sounds of battle on one of the routes. There's the very excited sounds of a Meowth working her way through some Pidgey's, and the sound of Marco congratulating her when she defeats them.

He scratches behind her ears, getting a little purr. Sushi is still touch and go some days, but today is a good day. Viola is tucked into his backpack, paws on his shoulder, and she gives a bark as she sees someone.

Marco looks up, and immediately smiles, because he recognizes them. "Annie!"

Mall Rats, 12/21/18

After picking up their eggs from Connor and Hank, the three have ended up in the Goldenrod mall. Marco is trailed by Viola, who has her tail up high and proud from her recent Gym victory, and his new Pikipek, who has taken an interest in Armin's hair and keeps poking at it.

Marco keeps shooing Niles away and giving Armin and Jean odd looks. It might be because he has an idea he wants to float with the both of them, but he's not bringing it up yet. For now, they're stopped in front of a fashion store, mostly by virtue of Viola, but Marco points at one of the travel jackets.

"You think that would work for when it gets colder?"

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That is probably a wise decision on Armin's part, as Jean would absolutely debate the fact that they were bothering him, by keeping him on a cold, lonely beach as they bickered over rocks.

"It was cold water."

But then Armin asks his opinion, and Jean goes quiet for a moment. For the first time, he senses that something is amiss, that there is A Plot of some kind going on around him, and his shoulders tense up a little.

To his credit, though, he answers honestly. "Yes. Traveling is great. That's why FCAB moves around and goes to different parts of the world all the time."

Oh, there is definitely A Plot going on around Jean. Marco wants to be subtle with this, but he and Armin are only teenagers - plus, Marco is inclined to be gently blunt a lot of the time.

He just also has a hard time saying no.

"FCAB does move around and travel a lot. But you enjoyed travelling before you were able to use FCAB, right?"

It is too late. The trap is set and is slowly closing around Jean. No getting away now, except by chewing off his own leg.

Please don't chew off your own leg, it'd be messy and they'd never be allowed back in this place.

"Well, I'm not sure if travelling with FCAB is exactly the same. It goes a lot quicker, and you are inside, so you miss out on a lot of the views. Plus, you don't run into any wild pokemon." Armin smiles a bit. It's the kind of smile you smile at a horse that is looking a little antsy and ready to bolt. "Well, not that we ever had much trouble with wild pokemon. Not with Blitz around. But you know what I mean."

It's the smile from Armin that does it. Jean knows that smile. That's the I'm Up To Shit smile, and he sets his burrito down and takes a deep breath.

"Okay, spill it. What're you two getting at?"

He knows Armin isn't just going to start praising Blitz out of nowhere.

"We're just talking about how much fun it is to travel."

Marco is attempting an innocent look. Marco is failing. Especially when Viola chatters and lifts up her paws to bat at his face. Why do you look like that, trainer?

Marco's innocent look wouldn't convince a blind man. He's actually less believable than Armin right now, which is saying something.

Armin glances at Marco, then glances at Jean, and all right. The jig, as they say, is up. Jean has always been one for blunt and honest truths, right? Perhaps he'll respond best to that then. Not that they have been lying to him up until now. Just... trying more subtly.

"Marco wants to go travelling. The old-fashioned way." You know, on foot and not in a walking coffee shop. "And I think he should."

You're so full of shit, Marco; Jean can recognize when you're lying from a mile away. Mostly because you don't practice and are terrible at it.

Armin, at least, is telling the truth, and it hits Jean like a gut punch. He actually feels like he can't breathe for a moment, and when he does, he sucks in a great gasp of air. It's enough to concern Gulliver, who pops out of his pocket and starts jingling at his shoulder.

"But... but you just got here." And I waited so long for you...

No one ever said Marco was a good liar! Least of all Marco himself.

Viola gives a concerned chatter at Jean's reaction, worried about him. Marco puts a hand on her back, trying to soothe her.

"I know," he says softly. He knows that Jean is worried about him and has every right to be. "I realize you have concerns and I am not trying to dismiss them... but I'd like to explore this place, on my own."

It is not that he doesn't appreciate Jean's help. God knows that he does. There are just some things one needs to do themselves.

Gulliver has A Concern! He is jingling up a storm, clearly very distraught at this turn of events, and Jean reaches up to put a hand over him, guiding the Pokemon underneath his chin. Jean doesn't have Fiddleford's luxurious beard (yet), but the position soothes Gulliver, and he settles into the occasional concerned jingle.

"But..." Jean shoots a terrified glance at Armin, even though he knows Armin won't be much, if any, help in this situation. "What if something happens? What if another legendary shows up and starts causing problems?"

Marco doesn't know what Legendary is, though it sounds pretty intimidating.

"I have a lot of Pokemon to protect me," Marco points out gently. "If I am really in trouble, I can head back to the nearest town and meet up with you guys."

He reaches down to pet Viola's head, scrubbing her hair softly.

"And, I don't plan on travelling alone. Someone's offered to accompany me."

Armin won't be of much help, but at the same time, the terrified glance Jean throws into his direction does make him sympathetic to Jean's worries. Not that those should hold Marco back, but he also understands why Jean worries.

"I know you are worried, but we never ended up in any trouble while we travelled. And Marco's pokemon will already be stronger than ours were at the time." And apparently, Marco has a travel companion already lined up. Which surprises Armin a little, but then, Marco had always made friends easily. "And he won't be alone."

"Who?"

Jean is going to seize on this; if it's someone he doesn't trust, he's going to fight even harder to put a kibosh on this whole plan.

"Annie offered to let me travel with her. She's already been exploring."

Annie was one of the best back home, and they both know that (although one of them knows more than that). She's also been around since her arrival, so she's familiar with the roads.

"Annie?!"

Armin's voice is pitched high with surprise, though he almost immediately flushes once the name is out his mouth. He had been encouraging Marco to travel, and he still thinks he should, but knowing he'll be travelling with Annie? The one who had his gear and who is the Female Titan? That certainly makes something coil tight in his stomach.

But he can't say that. He can't let them know what he knows. He made a promise and seeing as that Annie has been living up to her part of the bargain so far, he should do the same thing. But can he let Marco travel with her? She had said that she didn't mean trouble, especially when that was meaningless in this world, but could he depend on that?

And crap, Jean and Marco are undoubtedly looking at him right now, what with his high-pitched outburst of surprise. He needs some way to cover his reaction. Anything.

"I-- I'm surprised! Annie always was such a lone wolf. I expected she'd be travelling alone."

Please just buy the lie, please just buy the lie.

Yeah, Jean is definitely looking at Armin, with one eyebrow raised. He hasn't forgotten the talk he and Armin had, a long time ago, about Armin's suspicions regarding Annie. But then Annie had showed up in this world, and Armin hadn't said a word about her. Jean knows Armin well enough to imagine he'd confronted Annie, and since he's said nothing to Jean, Jean assumes that nothing came of that conversation, and that Armin's reaction is probably embarrassment.

Well. Armin did always act like he had a bit of a crush on her.

"Annie's pretty capable. The most capable out of all of us, really." Jean turns back to Marco. "But you're taking Polo with you. Team Rocket has been quiet lately, but I don't want any of your Pokemon getting stolen by them."

Marco also jumps a little, looking at Armin in confusion. But, like Jean, he always thought Armin had something of a small crush on her, and he assumes it's in relation to that as well.

"She is very strong," he says with a smile.

Marco turns to Jean after he starts speaking. Honestly, he could put up a fight about Polo - but he knows how important Polo is to Jean and how important he is as well.

"I'd be glad to have Polo along to keep us safe. I won't be using him to battle, though."

Not that Polo would listen, Marco's well aware, but he feels it needs to be stated.

On the whole, Armin'd rather they think he has a crush on Annie than ask him about why he reacted so strongly to her name. Not that he has a crush on her, mind you. There are no warm fuzzy feelings here. Confused, kind of sticky weird feelings, yes. But no warm fuzzies. An attraction, at best. But again, no crushes.

None.

"I doubt Jean means you to. Still, it is a good idea to have a strong pokemon as a back-up."

It'll keep Jean from fussing too much, but it'll also help calm Armin's nerves. If Polo is there, Annie can't do anything to Marco, right? Her own pokemon are not strong enough to take Polo on if it came down to that.

Edited 2019-03-18 01:07 (UTC)

That sounds like a crush, Armin. You should be glad there aren't any psychic Pokemon around to give your game away.

"Oh no, he won't battle for you. If anything, he'd plop down and start grooming himself instead."

Have you ever seen a cat the size and shape of a man lick his balls, Marco? It is... unsettling.

Jean shifts in his chair, and then admits something that's pretty hard to say. "It would make me feel a lot better if I knew you had a really strong Pokemon there to watch your back."

Not that this world is dangerous, because it isn't, especially not compared to their world, but because Jean wants to know Marco is safe, and has support. He can't stand the thought of losing him again.

He has not, and he is not looking forward to the first time Polo does clean himself.

Jean's admittance is definitely something Marco does not expect, but he appreciates how difficult it must be for him to say so. His expression softens, and he reaches out to touch his hand to Jean's wrist.

"I understand, Jean. Polo is one of your strongest Pokemon, and I'd be happy to travel with him. And we are not planning to leave just yet - so I will have time to train my Pokemon more as well."

Viola gives a little soft yip, putting her paws on the table. Yeah, if anyone tries to hurt her or Marco, she'll beat them up!

Armin allows his eyes to flick away, suddenly very deeply, utterly invested in his burrito when Marco touches Jean's wrist. It is a minor thing, but it is still something personal, and he doesn't want to just stare at it like they are in some sort of zoo.

Once the moment passes, and he's cleared his mouth of burrito again, he turns to Marco. "Do you have any plans on when you are leaving? Even just rough ones?"

Don't make it weird, Armin. This is just a pair of bros being bros, without any underlying sexual tension or repressed desires whatsoever.

Besides, if the roles were reversed, Armin would be just as upset and fussy over Eren, and make one of his strongest go with him.

"I know you'll keep an eye on him, little lady." Jean reaches out a hand to pet Viola--the one that wasn't touching his burrito, so it's clean--and the fraught, fragile moment has passed. Marco's easy agreement to take Polo has helped smooth matters over significantly, and while Jean is still upset, he's not frantic.

"Yeah, where are you guys going?" Not the harder routes, hopefully. Stick to the easy ones at first!

"We are thinking we will walk from Blackthorn back towards Violet, so that I can get the warps available to me later. I also want to take on the Gyms we pass by if I can. Other than that... I just want to learn what this world is like out in the wild."

Listen, it is not much of a plan, but it is one, and it should keep them on the roads.

Have you met Eren? Marco is a dependable, modest guy who would definitely do fine travelling on his own. Eren would pick a fight with the first Fearow he'd meet outside of town. Armin would go with him, yes, but mainly because Eren sure needs the babysitting more than Marco!

"It'll be a bit rough starting at Blackthorn. The pokemon in the surrounding areas are stronger than they are around Violet city and such."

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mall rats gym rats (closed)

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