victory_road | [closed] February Catch All

"I didn't think grass was such an important thing!" Dimitri protests, ushering them into the darkened building. It's extremely dark, but, fortunately, Dimitri is well prepared. Activating a flash light function on his Gear, Dimitri hands it up to Gremlin. It makes for a rather eerie sight, such a burnt out husk of a building... but it's still standing.

"And you agreed at the time, didn't you?"

"I did." Felix looks around--blinking in surprise at the sudden bright light coming from Dimitri's Gear. Well, that's convenient. "I still think that groundskeeper overreacted. Claiming that grass isn't meant to be walked on is ridiculous."

He walks around a little as he fiddles with his own Gear until he finds the light function and holds it up to see more. "Interesting place."

"If it was long grass, I would have understood, but..." Well, Dimitri had learned his lesson, regardless. Still, just plain short grass doesn't seem worthwhile. He will have to change that when...

Dimitri smiles at Felix, even as Gremlin focuses on the floorboards before them. They know weak ones when they see them, and his steps are cautious as he tests out each foot in front of the other. There are the remains of some stairs and supports; those would be his goal. "There are apparently Ghost types which occasionally hang about here, or so I've heard. While humans may not longer live here, Paliens still seem rather satisfied with the place."

Felix shoots Dimitri a look. "Ghost types. And you still think it's a good idea for us to be here?" For you to be here, is really what he's saying.

"We will have to go up against the gym that's here, won't we?" Dimitri suggests, even as he reaches back for Felix's hand again. It's better if they stick together.

"And they're far from the only Paliens here! Certainly not the most prevalent. I have heard that there are quite a few Rattata and Zubat here, along with others. I think we should be fine."

Felix takes Dimitri's hand and uses the other one to point his Gear light at the ruined stairs they're approaching. "I honestly wasn't sure whether you would challenge the gym here." Then he gives Dimitri another, different look. "Did you bring me here so you could catch more rats?"

"Ghost Paliens are different then ghosts," Dimitri says, sounding more like a reminder to himself than an answer to Felix. At least his next words are definitely more the latter, judging by the huffy face he makes. "And it is not to get more rats! I could certainly do that any time. Besides, I have to think carefully on the Paliens that are under my care right now."

At the stairs, he carefully presses himself against the wall as he makes his way up them. Some of them are rather ruined, or steps are missing... So best to stay near where there's the most support.

"This is for something else. I'm hoping that the two of us can reach the top..."

Felix isn't sure they actually are all that different, but if that's how Dimitri makes his peace with them then he won't argue. "What do you mean, think carefully on them?"

He tucks his Gear away again to leave a hand free when they start climbing the stairs. This, he thinks, would be a lot easier without Dimitri clinging to his hand; he's much lighter on his feet. But the whole point of this outing is to spend time with his boyfriend, so he accepts this pace for now.

"Pff. As if there's any chance we won't."

"I mean-" Dimitri pauses, testing one of the wooden blankets with a faint frown before he skips one step entirely. "I have so many Paliens to care for as it is, Felix. I tend to them all when we arrive in town, of course, but I can only travel with six. When it comes to training, I only have enough time for a small number of them since I am busy working."

There, the second floor. Dimitri gets up there, and pulls Felix along. "I am worried that as I accept responsibility for even more, I will not be able to give them all the attention they deserve. So I am trying to be careful in who I accept as a companion."

"I see." Felix ponders that, as he hops lightly over the stair Dimitri skipped and follows him up to the second floor. "There's wisdom in that. Particularly since you need several specific Pokemon with you at all times. Fortunately for you, your rats are quite versatile. With only one weakness and a large variety of techniques they can learn through disks, limiting your team doesn't have to affect your effectiveness in gym battles."

"Indeed, although I will not be able to indulge in those discs for some time," Dimitri acknowledges, following the beam of light from his Gear as Gremlin moves it around.

Unfortunately, it's an actual that seems to disrupt one of the denizens of the tower. The light flashes over a dark form hanging from one of the ruined beams of wood, and a Zubat screeches in outrage from where it was munching on a berry. It flaps towards them, and Dimitri ducks. From his shoulder, Gremlin yells in outrage.

"Ah - would you like to?" he asks Felix, nodding to the Zubat.

Felix ducks, too, as the Eevee riding along with him squeaks out a warning. Instinct brings his hand to the hilt of his wooden sword, but he soon lets go and straightens back up, nodding. "Go on, Ordelia," he tells the Eevee. "Quick Attack."

It's familiar enough to Gremlin, of course; he's practiced getting the jump on most of Felix's Pokemon with the move at one time or another, and several of Felix's have returned the favor. Ordelia's moving almost before Felix finishes talking, streaking from his shoulder into a flying leap almost faster than the eye can follow with a cry of Vee! to crash claws-first into the Zubat, getting in a good swipe before landing lightly again and turning to face her opponent.

The bat opens its mouth wide, making a sound that doesn't hit the humans' ears until after Ordelia flinches back, ears flattening against her head, and stumbles--confused. Felix frowns. "Listen. This way. Bite and Covet. It's over here." He guides the Eevee toward her foe, and after a clumsy scuffle in which she manages to injure both the Zubat and herself, she lands a decisive slash of her claws and brings the bat down to earth, swiping the berry it was carrying in the process and holding it up in her mouth triumphantly.

Felix gets the injured Zubat into a pokeball without much trouble, then scoops Ordelia up in one arm while he fishes in his bag for a few potions--one to heal her wounds and one to clear her head. She munches her prize berry happily while he mutters quietly, giving her pointers and praise in equal measure. That done, she resumes riding on his shoulder, and he reaches out to take Dimitri's hand again.

"Hm. I think Jinx would like to train a bat." He tucks the pokeball away in his bag. "Oh. Right. Your mysterious project. If you need to teach your rats a new technique or two for the gym challenge, I can pick the disks up in Goldenrod. I'm warping there to find a few other things soon as well."

Being able to watch Felix battle without being the focus is a delight; Dimitri sometimes doesn't get to see it too often. He's always the focus, after all. So he smiles, and makes out what he can through the dark and with the help of Gremlin manning the flashlight.

The Zubat's capture is a surprise, but it's one made clear when Felix speaks up. "I was wondering why you would capture a Zubat," Dimitri comments, chuckling. Felix's favor towards Jinx is always a delight to see.

Still, with the Zubat taken care of, Dimitri crouches down and lets Gremlin scurry onto the floor. "If you wouldn't mind, perhaps I will take you up on that, although I feel terrible for imposing so much on you... That reminds me, have you heard of the ability Return?"

Felix rolls his eyes. "Quit agonizing. Obviously I don't mind and it's not an imposition when it was my suggestion to begin with." Then he shakes his head. "I haven't. What is it?"

"It is a Normal type move with an interesting condition to it," Dimitri says, letting Gremlin scurry across the floorboards. The completely broken ones are easy enough to avoid, but what about the others? Best to have a rat scout it out.

"The stronger the bond between the trainer and the Palien, the stronger the move becomes."

"Is that so? I can see why such a thing would appeal to you." He watches Gremlin's course carefully, making note of the rat's progress. "Is that one of the disks you want to find?"

"No - I already got it when we were in Goldenrod, before I made the decision to start building up my funds." Dimitri watches Gremlin too, proud of how the Rattata carefully tests out the various boards to make sure they pass muster. "I thought you might find it interesting as well. It is apparently quite suitable for Normal types especially."

Dimitri rolls his head from side to side. "There are some TMs here as well, although I haven't looked into them too deeply... However, it doesn't seem as though there are any that Gremlin could learn. Goldenrod has the most."

"Hm. Something to look into, perhaps. Particularly for the Eevees and the cats." Ordelia makes a small chirping sound of interest. "Did you know that some Pokemon can only evolve when they build up enough trust with their trainer?"

Felix nods, beginning to pick his way across the room, following Gremlin's indicated trail of safe places to walk and tugging Dimitri after him, since the man seems intent on climbing this entire tower while holding hands. "Then let me know what you're looking for. I'll probably go tomorrow."

Dimitri is absolutely lovestruck as Felix grabs his hand and tugs him along again - and it absolutely shows on his face, even with the dim lighting. When they reach Gremlin and the rat scurries up onto his shoulders once again, it's even more obvious. "I have heard of it, to some degree," Dimitri murmurs. "Dedue's Budew needs to grow closer to him, or so I've heard."

It'll be interesting to see what his friend's partner becomes. Dimitri knows that he could look it up, but, well... It's more fun to see it as a bit of a surprise, instead.

As he inspects the state of the stairs they reach - even more busted up than the ones they've just climbed - Dimitri hums. "Well... If they have the TM for Toxic in Goldenrod, perhaps that? I was recommended it."

"Mm. Some of Eevee's evolutions are the same. Ordelia chose to evolve as an Umbreon, so we'll have to get to know each other better." The Eevee nods with resolution.

When they reach the rat, Felix turns to say something only to stop at the look on Dimitri's face. "...what? Why are you looking at me like that."

Oh, so he noticed. Dimitri doesn't stop smiling, instead tugging Felix close to bump their foreheads together. "I was just thinking that I love you so much, it's unbelievable," Dimitri murmurs. "You are good to me, Felix."

Felix's face floods with red. You can't just spring this stuff on people out of nowhere, Dimitri!

"You're what's unbelievable," he mutters, but he follows it up by pushing up onto his toes to kiss Dimitri, his free hand coming up to rest on the other man's chest. This date of theirs really is shaping up to be a lot like the "adventures" they used to have when they were young, tugging each other around the hidden corners of Fhirdiad by the hand and giggling whenever they went somewhere they weren't supposed to be...

No, Dimitri's right, sometimes it is hard to believe that somehow, they managed to get this close again. It's different, of course, in more ways than one, but...being with Dimitri no longer feels like a painful tug of war between the halves of his heart. He can let himself love this man without reservation.

Still, this man is being awfully embarrassing right now. Felix clears his throat, trying not to smile like a giddy child.

"Come on, before this place comes down around our ears."

Perhaps being 'unbelievable' isn't such a bad thing, not when it earns Dimitri a kiss like this, that hand over his heart. Dimitri smiles into it, allowing his eye to slip shut. A year ago - less - and he would have thought Felix would sooner drive a sword into his heart instead of this.

Sometimes, Dimitri had wondered if even forgiveness from the Goddess would do him any good. It turns out that he never needed her.

All he needed was the same thing from Felix.

"Of course," Dimitri says softly when Felix pulls away, still smiling down at him. "Do you want me to give you a lift up to the landing? We can avoid dealing with the stairs entirely that way."

"I'll get up there myself." Give him a lift, psh. Who does Dimitri think Felix is? "Besides, if you do that, you still have to deal with the stairs. What's the point?"

"I could jump!" Dimitri offers, not entirely aware of if he could reach it or not. He has decent height on himself, he could reach up. Probably. Still... "If you're certain, then. Hopefully everything holds well enough..." It will certainly be embarrassing if they crash through the floor and have to explain injuries to the Nurse Joy in town.

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