victory_road | Marik's Hisui Catch-all

Entry tags:

Marik's Hisui Catch-all

Who: Marik and whoever wants to join him! (Kaiba for an assigned mission.)
Where: Hisui
When: July
Summary: Catch-all for the month
Rating: This is a 4kids anime zone. (PG at most.)
Notes: I'm fine with either prose or brackets.

When they first arrived, Marik was trying his best to wrap his head around the most recent development in this crazy place. Getting thrust into the future, okay. Whatever. It was similar enough to his own world that it wasn't a huge adjustment for him but this - this was... well, it was like he was back in the tomb.

Maybe not so bad now that he thinks about it but he was worried about Chenzira. When he realized the Yamask wasn't with him at all, it took everything in his power to not tear the entire camp apart looking for him. (And to not threaten people.) It seemed everyone else's current day Pokémon were missing too though so... maybe, just maybe, Chenzira was okay. Frozen in time perhaps? He could only hope.

To say it had been an interesting week would be an understatement. First, all of this. Second, bumping into Kaiba. What he assumed was bad luck turned out to be a good thing as the two reconciled, Marik explaining what he could to the poor guy and even giving him some of his supplies to work with until they could both work up funds.

Hopefully someone sold kohl though because he was pretty certain his kohl stick was ruined after having fallen in the river.

Things went pretty smoothly for him thankfully and he could generally find something to keep himself occupied so he wouldn't worry too much about his pokémon team back home.

[Meeting by the mission board - Open to All]

Marik, having managed to salvage his makeup somehow, stood at the mission board, browsing over the various things he could do. Every night he offered to patrol the camp for a few hours, every morning he cooked up various simple rice dishes, and every afternoon he made sure to at least gather a couple loads of supplies.

By himself mind you, as Usi, his Gastly, couldn't really carry anything due to the lack of hands.

Still. It gave him a purpose and a goal to strive for, not to mention a good workout.

"What should we do today, Usi? Hm... Maybe the coastline? We haven't been there yet."

[Observation: Gastrodon - Closed to Seto Kaiba (blue_ice)]

P600 and 3 shadow ball was a pretty good reward for something that seemed so simple. Watch and observe Gastrodon. Marik had no idea what a Gastrodon was but it probably wasn't anything crazy like those Alpha pokémon he kept hearing about, right?

The guild had approved his and Kaiba's request to undertake this particular mission. So after checking their supplies, the blonde does his best to lead the way to the area they've been shown on the map. They manage to avoid any trouble and make decent time, eventually arriving at a wider part of the river.

Boy, they sure do find themselves involved with rivers a lot here, don't they?

Marik looks around before asking Kaiba, "So. What do you think a Gastrodon is?"

He probably should have asked before they left but he didn't want to look stupid. And you know. No pokedex.

[Around the Camp (July 15th-Current) - Open to All]

Marik's been settling in pretty well. Usi is getting stronger, Anippe is being... slimy. He and Kaiba have formed a pretty good friendship all things considered. The two even have their tents set up close to each other.

He spends most of his time focusing on missions no matter how mundane it might be. When he isn't out harvesting, he's either soaking up the sun (you don't need to get any more of a tan!), cooking up breakfast or lunch, or patrol during the night while everyone's asleep.

The Egyptian is more then happy to socialize during any of these, of course! Just be careful Anippe doesn't get slime all over you.

[Glowing Eye in the Woods (Night of July 21th) - Closed to Kaiba blue_ice]

On a particularly beautiful night, the moon high in the sky and shining brightly, Marik finds himself wide awake. There's something... calling him? The voice sounds familiar... although he can't quite place it. Ishizu...? No, it can't be...

He mutters "Stay here, okay?" to Anippe before getting out of his sleeping bag and climbing out of his tent.

Then he sees it, out in the distance. Something glowing... Usi hovers closer to his trainer's head, immediately sensing something ominous. They shouldn't go. It's wrong. And while Marik can sense his Gastly's vibe, he ignores it, transfixed on that glow. He needs to find out what it is. Why it's calling to him. It sounds similar enough to his sister but slightly off.

A thought occurs to him. Is it... his mother? She died giving birth to him so he doesn't know what she sounds like... Why would she be here though? It's obviously a trap but... he needs to see what it is.

The teen does his best to be quiet as he leaves the campsite, heading towards the woods, Usi following after him.

[ooc: Feel free to contact me if you'd like to plot or want a specific starter that I didn't include here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kaiba is ready to finally earn some good money! Granted, they have to share it...but observing a Pokémon doesn't sound so bad. They just have to be careful to make sure it doesn't go aggro on them.

But first, of course, they have to find the Gastrodon. He thinks Pokémon might have a good sense of these things, and they're near the river to keep Kingyoku well hydrated, so he lets his partner out. King gladly spins in a circle and zips ahead while Kaiba thinks.

"Gastrodon...kinda sounds like gastropod...maybe we're looking for some sort of snail?"

He looks at King. Don't they already have one of those? King seems to have an idea and tries to make a break for it, but Kaiba has to yank him back into the tall grass. They can't just alert all the Shinx in the area and get zapped.

"Snails, huh? At least... that should be easy?"

He hopes. They are pokémon, after all. For all they know, they're big and violent or something as equally as ridiculous.

"Can you keep an eye out, Usi? Provided you don't go charging off like King," Marik comments to his Gastly.

It takes some time (and after a very smooth trip - almost too smooth...) but they're successful in finding a small nest of some slug-looking pokémon. Marik, much like an obnoxious child, points at them and looks over at Kaiba.

"Think that's them?"

Good job at being subtle there, Marik. The Shellos and Gastrodon look over at the group for a few moments... and then go back to what they were doing before. At least, most of them. A few of the Shellos are slowly making their way towards them.

Very... slowly.

"Er... should we be... writing anything down? I didn't buy a notepad or anything now that I think about it..."

Edited 2022-07-12 03:08 (UTC)

Kaiba looks at Marik in disbelief as the smaller creatures approach. They seem friendly...is it interfering with the wildlife to offer them a berry? Well, he'd rather not get mauled, so he cautiously rolls two berries out anyway.

"...I was stockpiling healing supplies, not ink and paper. We'll have to just rely on our memories and give an oral report, so pay attention."

He sits back and watches as the small ones approach. The bigger ones are wary, but...no hostilities yet. That's a relief.

"The Gastrodon...are probably the adults right? They hover around the beach, they're not aggressive...and their young are very curious. There's some observations."

The blonde shrugs and crouches down to watch them from a lower perspective and hopefully to be less threatening to the adults. It seems to work, the Gastrodon only looking up from time to time to check in on their babies which have slowly all migrated to Marik and King.

Sorry, Kaiba. No slugs for you. (Probably for the better. They're less Goomy slime and more mucusy.)

Marik falls back in his butt to just sit down as he rummages through his pack and provides some berries to the small gathering of Shellos. He laughs as they crowd in, all trying to get a piece of food from this strange purple man. "I'd say they're more than curious. They're downright friendly. The food might have something to do with it too."

One in particular has made her way on to his lap and just sits there.

Marik smiles up at Kaiba. The older teen can see there's no malice or darkness behind those people eyes. Just wonderment and joy. Like a child without a care in the world.

Perhaps this is the Marik Ishizu spoke of wanting to get back.

"This place is amazing, isn't it?" He asks, giving a pat to the Shellos lounging on his lap.

Edited 2022-07-12 13:31 (UTC)

Kaiba sits back and watches, though the slightest of frowns crosses his face. What, his berries aren't good enough for the little guys? They swarm Marik and King chirps happily, weaving around them all in circles. Hello, new friends! It's pretty great here, right? Let's play!

The lonelier teen glances over at the Gastrodon once more...they're peacefully drifting along the beach, with the occasional wary eye. Everything's fine.

But then Marik says that and Kaiba squints at him, prepared to issue a retort...and it dies on his tongue. The blond looks so utterly peaceful and happy with his new pal. Eventually, Kaiba speaks again.

"Don't know if I'd go that far...but sure, they're cute. Now we just wait---we should probably get a read on their abilities before we go back, but I don't want to attack them."

It's due to the bright purple coloring of Marik's clothes and the fact that he's sitting down that have them swarming. There's still plenty of room for Kaiba to join them though.

"I meant this world in general," he says as he looks up at him. "I know you've... got a lot more to look forward to and are responsible for back home but... I really like this place."

Just wait until they get back to the present. Maybe then Kaiba will understand when he meets Chenzira as to why the blonde is so attached to this strange world.

Back to the mission though. Hmm...

"Maybe... I can ask this little fellow to show us what it can do? Or we can ask King to translate for us in case they aren't... exactly familiar with human speech."

"The Pokémon aren't so bad when they aren't trying to kill you," Kaiba concedes.

He carefully lowers himself to sit near them...a short distance away, so as not to startle them. King responds with a happy chirp and zooms over to him, signaling to the Shellos that it's okay, he's safe too! Let's all have fun together!

He smiles a little at Marik and the Shellos. "That's probably our best chance. King...can you help show them what we mean?"

King bobs up and down happily and starts spraying bubbles---soft and harmless, of course. Then he follows it up with a cold breath---again, harmless. He chirps at the Shellos, daring them to challenge him!

Edited 2022-07-13 04:07 (UTC)

"I think you'll like Johto more once we're transported back."

He doesn't want to day 'if.' 'If' means he never gets reunited with Chenzira and the thought eats at him if he lets it.

A few Shellos break off to check out their new friend. That one on Marik's lap is not budging. It seems... she's fallen asleep. (The mucus soaking through his clothes is going to take some getting used to. He'll need a bath and to wash his clothes after this.)

Once King starts showing off some attacks, the group of slugs seem to snap to attention for a moment before they just imitate him with Water Pulse aimed into the air. Although some would rather imitate his jiggly little dance.

The Gastrodon turn their attention to all of them but as it seems the babies are just doing this for fun rather than being attacked, most go back to minding their own business, but a few use Water Pump to put on their own show which seems to delight the Shellos.

Marik grins at the sight. "Probably safe to assume they'll blast you with that if they feel threatened. It's nice that they seem to trust us though." He pauses. "You know, this is good practice for me. I was going to check out these Ruins back in Johto that are home to Yamask. Now I'll kind of know what to do when encountering them."

Oh, the Shellos are cute. Kaiba rolls his berries to the few that surround him, and he watches as they eat happily. He peeks over at the one sleeping on Marik's lap and smiles a little---how cute. He watches calmly as the Shellos and Gastrodon show off their abilities. They're such interesting creatures.

And as the excited Shellos swirl around them, he takes a few mental notes.

"You said your partner is timid, right? Do you think the rest are similar?"

"Maybe? I'm not sure. According to their pokedex entry, they're ancient souls and their masks are a remnant of their previous life. It's... concerning. They were human once..."

He frowns. A fitting pokémon for him though, considering his life's duty.

... He really hopes the little guy is okay.

"I make sure to keep Chenzira's mask as well taken care of as possible and try to keep him from looking at it for too long."

Marik remembers the gift he received after the festival. Treats for his pokémon and polish for Chen's mask. It seemed Jirachi read his wish.

"I'm hoping... maybe I can get more of an understanding for him by going to the Ruins."

The blonde looks over at Kaiba's adorable Goomy and the Shellos around him and smiles a little. "I think King will get along with him. Outgoing pokémon seem to get him to come out of his shell more."

"No wonder you miss him so much."

Kaiba looks vaguely Concerned about this. He's heard far too much nonsense about soul theft, death, and lingering on for a lifetime. How unfortunate...

"It's a good idea. I hope you get to go with him soon. And...I'm sure King wants to meet him."

King answers with an affirmative happy noise. He allows Kaiba to pet and feed the Shellos around him, then crawls back over to Marik and gives him...a jiggly nod. Yes, they'll take care of Chenzira.

Marik smiles sheepishly. He knows his connection with Chenzira is strong. So the fact that Kaiba hasn't given him any sass or made fun of him for it is... much appreciated. He sometimes wonders himself if he's gotten too attached but the little guy really needs a positive influence.

He reaches over and gives King a few good pats on the head. "Thanks, you two."

With the serious topic wrapped up, he looks down at the Shellos then back up at Kaiba.

"... How long should we observe them for?"

Seto is glad that everything's all right. He gives King an approving nod---what a good pal! And then he looks over at the Gastrodon that they were sent here to observe.

"Maybe...we should just check on the adults one last time."

With that decided, Kaiba fully sinks to kneel on the ground. He reaches for a few more berries and after feeding the babies, rolls a few further out toward the adults. A peace offering, to promise that they meant no harm to the family.

He smiles as he watches them slide across the ground. They're interesting little creatures.

"I wish we could get a better look at them, you know? I'm sure the Shellos are similar enough in behavior but there might be some differences... Do you think the guild will be satisfied with our observations mostly just being the babies?"

There really is no other way to describe their behavior other than... just chilling. He worries that won't be enough but he'd rather not upset the Gastrodon.

Marik goes to gently move the Shellos from his lap but... she just pulls his clothes upwards.

"... I'm stuck."

Kaiba sighs as he considers this. "I think the most important thing to the Guild is knowing how to navigate around them safely. Don't attack them or threaten the babies, they're docile enough."

As he says this, a wandering Luxio gets too close---and Kaiba winces, remembering how one of the electric lions nearly took him out the other day. But the Gastrodon respond quickly, and a warning rumble hits the ground. It races across toward the Luxio---and spikes of earth shoot upward, quickly scaring the Luxio away from the area.

Ground attacks. Just as Kirishma had described. He mentally notes that, and then...well, Marik seems to have a sleepy baby clinging to him. That's. A problem. Although there's a possible, if unorthodox solution...

"...did you buy any Poké Balls yet?" Kaiba suggests.

... Ask and you shall receive, it seems. Marik's definitely surprised by how quickly the Gastrodon respond to the approaching danger. Even the Shellos seem to cluster together and... wiggle. Threateningly? Still. They made an effort.

That's definitely more than enough information for the guild to be satisfied though! That's good.

Marik looks from the Shellos to Kaiba. "I haven't. Shouldn't it... she...? Shouldn't she go back to her family?"

He supposes... he could just ask her if she'd like to come with him. That's what he did with his Spinarak. Although he sometimes wonders why the spider agreed because she's so aloof about everything.

"Hey..." The blonde says softly, gently patting the Shellos who finally stirrs. "We need to get back to our camp, okay? If you... want to come with me, you can, but if you want to go back to your family, that's fine too. It's your choice."

The Shellos tilts her head from side to side, seeming to debate the options then... just remains there. Marik looks up at Kaiba with a bemused smile. "... I guess she's joining us."

He manages to get her to pop off of his clothes and sets her next to him, then stands up and... tries to dust off some of the mucus. It doesn't work. Oh well.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Kaiba," Marik walks over and holds out a hand to help him up.

Kaiba watches this exchange with a little smile. The Shellos seem so young, but he doesn't know all that much about Pokémon. Maybe she really is ready to go off with a trainer. He accepts Marik's help with a little smile, happy for him that he's made a new friend.

"I don't know if the scrubbing techniques I use for Goomy slime will help you there, but it might not be hopeless yet," he snorts. He then looks down at King, who is thrilled with this new development! The little Goomy is chattering excitedly at Shellos, assuring her that everything's going to be okay and they'll have fun together.

Looks like they'll have proof to show the Guild that they did well. Kaiba stretches a moment to get the stiffness out, and then he starts slowly leading the way back to camp. They have a report to make soon.

"I would... appreciate that. I don't want to have to wash my clothes every time I handle her." Marik laughs nervously.

This is a strange situation, isn't it? Although he and Kaiba didn't directly interact all that much, he was able to see how his darker half tormented the man's tournament during the later half of it. To say they'd someday wind up becoming allies, friends even... well, he wouldn't have thought that ever possible.

He knows furthering his company, developing new technology, and defeating Yugi are his main goals. He assumed they didn't have much common ground outside of playing Duel Monsters- perhaps they still don't but... Marik finds himself respecting the other teen.

This place, no matter how bad things get, seems to bring out the best in people from what he's seen.

The Shellos chitters happily as she tells King she's excited to go exploring with them!

Marik follows after Kaiba's lead, looking back to make sure they have everything and everyone's accounted for. Usi, King, and the Shellos. They're good.

The walk is mostly quiet until the reach further into the plains, then the Egyptian stops. Something feels off. Even the pokemon seem to sense it.

"Hold on. Something doesn't seem right... it's too quiet."

Shellos sticks close to Marik's legs.

"You think it's that lion pokémon from before...?"

That's when he notices the flames moving in the distance. "Kaiba, look." He points in the direction. "... I've... never seen one of those before... You think it's hostile?"

Kaiba is glad to have had a partner on the mission. Together, they maximized their observations and should have enough to give the Guild.

But...oh, what's that creature up ahead? Kaiba doesn't waste time crouching into the grass. He gently grabs Kingyoku and urges him to stay still....they need to observe before they move.

He shifts in the grass to get a better view. It's...a horse, no a bit smaller. A pony. And its mane appears to be made of red flames.

"It's likely a fire type," he whispers. "Fire Pokémon are weak to water attacks, right? King and your new Shellos both know water moves, so we should be able to handle it if it's aggressive."

As they watch, a stray Buizel wanders onto the scene. The pony skips back a few steps....hm, it must be skittish. He waits for the Buizel to move along, and then....

"I'm going to go for it." He removes a berry from his pack and gently rolls it out onto the grass. He has to hold King back from trying to dart out and take it....but just as he hopes, the sweet scent attracts the pony's attention. It cautiously trots closer, sniffs at it, and gently roasts it with a small flame. There! Crispy and sweet and perfect for munching.

Kaiba watches this, and when the pony is done with one berry, he carefully rolls out another. It faces away from them to eat...and as they do, Kaiba readies one of the few Poké Balls he's managed to save up for.

He aims carefully and tosses it right at her, and in it goes! The ball jumps around a bit, sparking...

And it settles down. He lets out a breath and gently picks up the ball.

"It's an old catching technique I heard about from the others," he explains. "Think we should let it out and have a chat? They are tame after you catch, right?"

Marik's about to make a fuss when Kaiba decides he's going to try to tame the thing but he only gets as far as hissing their his teeth before the other teen is already going for it.

Mad lad, really.

He crouches down, keeping the Shellos tucked next to him and Usi hovers over his shoulder. Things have been going too smoothly today. There's bound to be something that will happen to make this pony attack them. They might have water types but... Marik isn't great at battling. He's too afraid of pushing his pokémon.

He watches intensely as Kaiba attempts to capture it and...

Of course he's successful. The blonde exchanges looks with his Gastly, at a loss for words. Marik slowly rises up.

"... You're ridiculous, you know that? I... I guess I trust your judgement. If you think it'll be tame, be my guest. I'm afraid this... isn't my area of expertise."

He's never actually properly caught a wild pokémon. Chenzira was his starter, Layla fell out of a tree and on to his head then asked if she wanted to come with him, the rest he got from breeders.

Kaiba knows how important it is to project confidence. He gestures for King to come stand beside him, and together they stand in front of Marik, Usi, and the Shellos. It's important to be confident, but not threatening...right? The poor pony had been skittish.

"Alright, ready King? Let's say hello."

He grabs for a berry with his free hand, then gently tosses the ball. Out pops the fiery pony, eying them warily.

"It's all right...we want to be your friends," Kaiba whispers as gently as he can. King backs him up with happy chatter, bobbing up and down. "Here. See?"

He crouches carefully, placing the berry on the ground between them. The pony sniffs at it for a moment, then toasts and eats it just like the last one. Delicious. Kaiba waits for her to finish eating and steps closer with his palms open.

"Is this okay?" He carefully reaches back and pets her side, away from the flame. She trots closer, the flame brushing his clothes---he tenses, but they don't burn. How strange. He brings his fingertips closer, and it's just pleasantly warm. Everything's fine.

"She's tame," he calls back to assure Marik. "I realized she was skittish, and I was afraid she'd run if I tried to engage her in battle."

The little pony peeks around Seto's side to look at the rustling grass. Who's there?

The Egyptian just watches in silence at Kaiba work his magic. That's certainly one way to tame a beast, that's for sure. He grinds his teeth and stares in mild horror as the other teen goes to pet the fire. Oh Gods, he's going to need to grab a bucket or something-

Wait. He's fine? It's like the flames aren't even there. That's weird to think about. Add another thing of how this world works and how he doesn't even want to try to understand.

Marik very cautiously steps forward, holding up his hands to show that they're empty until he's a bit closer but he doesn't reach out to attempt to touch the Ponyta.

"I'll admit. I'm surprised. You've got a knack for this," he says, taking a moment to get a better look at Kaiba's new pokémon. "I get the distinct feeling as soon as we get back to Johto that you'll have no problem taking on the different gyms."

Kaiba laughs a little at the comment. Once he's sure his pony is comfortable, he turns back around to face Marik, still gently petting her.

"Thanks. I still have a lot to learn about battle, but...if I have to stay, I'm going to make a name for myself. As long as they're okay with it."

He looks down at King, who's spinning around in an excited circle, and smiles. It's funny how attached he is to these creatures already.

"But we should go ahead and turn in our research, right?"

It's very easy to get attached. Marik instantly imprinted onto his Yamask. There's just... something about pokémon. Makes them feel more... special when connecting with them.

"I'm sure they'll be okay with it. You've already got a good instinct on how to handle them. Like I said before, they'll let you know if they don't want to do something or are uncomfortable." He smiles down at his Shellos then up to Usi before returning his attention to Kaiba.

"Yeah. I think we got enough information. Even got a live example of their behavior," Marik laughs. He certainly didn't think he'd be getting another pokémon, not like this.

The blonde pauses for a moment. Kaiba has goals. That much is obvious. Maybe...

"... Why don't we split the prize money 25/75? I've already saved up a decent amount so... you should take more."

Kaiba idly stretches in place, relieved that it's worked out so well. Everyone's fine, and they each have a team of two. That should make navigating the wilds a little easier. He starts to head back toward the hill that will lead them to camp, letting Zephyra stay out to walk at his side. They have some bonding to do still.

He pauses when he hears Marik's offer, though...and his jaw drops.

"But you did the bulk of the work. I'm not leeching off of you," he shakes his head. "Fair's fair, right?"

Marik's Hisui Catch-all

Gastrodon time!

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