Yeah, I'm doing a ZTS update. Yeah, it's been a while.
This chapter, as I didn't have the time to write it all myself, was co-written with a personal friend of mine. Some of the content is not mine, and I apologize for the quality if it is sub-par. She won't see any reviews, so if you don't want me to do this in the future, please don't hesitate to mention it, but know that the upload speeds might be a little slower.
The sun had already begun slowing in its approach of its zenith point, nearing the highest portion of its journey, when the two set out from their hotel room. They, together, cast an appreciative smile in the direction of the Pokemon working the desk, a different one from when they had come in, one who probably had no idea that one of those people were staying in one of the rooms. Said Ampharos gave them a less-than-friendly death glare as they walked out, electricity crackling odiously from it in audible fashion. Picking up their pace, the two pilgrims headed out and into the world.
Much more friendly and inviting was the city during the day than was it during the night. Neither of them were entirely certain what they were looking at. Ben had, obviously, grown up in a metropolis, and so was likely to recognize one's characteristics, but couldn't fit them with the obvious Pokemon influence. Delaney, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. As they wandered the much less terrifying streets, they couldn't help but notice that they were catching a number of odd gazes. Some of the looks said "Wow, look at them," others "What the fuck are those," and others still grumbled with a southern accent "Not in my town". Delaney took a step closer to Ben, falling into his exact stride as though he was a security blanket. Ben, who was hoping that she could be such for him, looked to her uneasily and kept walking.
After a few minutes of wandering and an uncomfortable exchange with a less-than-pleasant Snubble to get directions, the party reached their desired destination: a department store. The sliding glass doors were marked with a big red target, which the two decided must have been the brand's identification. They had stopped out front to take a peek inside before actually entering, and so a Vigoroth who wasn't paying attention ended up all-too-literally knocking Ben flat on his ass. Instinctively, Ben cried out an indignant "Hey!" This enticed the normal-type into turning around, staring at the human male on the ground. He lumbered over, looming above the downed human before turning to Delaney. His lips turned upward in a sneer. "We don't like your kind around here," he said while grabbing hold of Delaney by the ears. An embarrassed, irritated blush rose to the bunny-girl's cheeks. While she was considered to be the most powerful in her little forest village, she didn't know whether or not she could hold her own around other rough-and-tumble Pokemon, and so she decided that it was probably in her best interest not to get involved with this douche.
It was at that moment that Ben, who had gotten up, moved back over in the direction of the two. He had watched the giant oaf grab Delaney, and he didn't like that one bit. Reaching out with both hands in what he considered to be a relatively forceful motion, he shoved the brute in the upper portion of his back near his shoulder. The white-furred beast didn't seem to notice the weak display of defiance, other than to turn his head slightly to look over his shoulder, then back to the bunny who he had entrapped in his claws. Hoisting her up by the ears, a few inches off the ground. He leaned in close, and Delaney could smell that he was all too familiar with the gum disease known as gingivitis. "You'd better keep your little pet on a leash, mutt." He smirked, as though that was the most clever thing that anyone had ever said in the history of both worlds, and then tossed her on her furry little ass a few feet back.
Ben wasn't familiar with the nomenclature of insults of this Pokemon world, but he was listening to some of the things that the crowd that had gathered was muttering under their breath, and was thankful to hear that the same terms that were insults in his world were also offensive here. He walked over to the pissed-off bunny girl on the ground, helping her up with one hand while he said, loud enough for the Vigoroth to hear, "Let's just go inside, Delaney. Clearly tiny-dick here is just trying to show off for his boyfriend." He hadn't actually noticed any other Pokemon in the surrounding area that he would identify as male, but he assumed that there had to be someone to whom that comment could be directed.
Almost visible was the steam that was radiating off of the Vigoroth, a byproduct of his excessively masculine appearance's jeopardization. He turned around, one claw raised, ready to absolutely slice to high heaven that slutty little bunny bitch and her dumb fucking human, but when he looked where he had heard the voice come from, the space was empty. Empty, that is, except for the ominous hovering black figure glaring at him. It took a few seconds before he actually managed to realize at what he was staring, and what was staring right back at him: Darkrai. If there is a level of shitting oneself in terror just below actually doing so, Vigoroth achieved that level at that moment. With wide eyes of terror, he backed up slowly, the crowd parting to make way for him. Once he cleared the ring of bystanders, he took off at a full, four-limbed sprint in the opposite direction. All eyes gradually turned from the asshole to Ben and Delaney. They didn't see the Darkrai… It was just… the two of them. Confused. "Come on Delaney," Ben muttered and tugged her by the hand into the department store.
It took longer than Ben had actually expected, but after a while Delaney came to realize exactly what it was that Ben had feared: Shopping was "Fucking amazing". Once the poor, innocent male had introduced the bunny to the concept, she went absolutely nuts. She dragged him back and forth across the store between clothing racks and fitting rooms for the next three hours, trying on this, looking at that, feeling these, admiring those. The only thing that kept Ben somewhat sane, however, was the trips to the fitting rooms. Ben had to be there at first to explain to her, of all things, the concept of underclothes ("Why would you wear clothes on top of clothes? That's just wasteful!"). But following, he accompanied her because, well…In her naïveté she took off every shred of clothing she had on in order to try on the next pair, and Ben had to admit that was something that he enjoyed. She even made him do the same a handful of times, dressing him up like he was her own personal dress-up toy or doll, which was another thing he didn't mind.
With clothes both on (Ben being choked to death in "Sunday's best," black dress pants, a white button-up, and a red bowtie; Delaney looking very comfortable and sporty in a neon-pink sports bra and black spandex shorts with a pink trim, both of which hugging her figure tight enough to be explicitly lewd and boast every curve of her womanly figure. There was no way any of it was actually her size) and draped over their arms, the two headed in the direction of the checkout counter, where a very bored-looking Mismagius dressed in a brown skirt, white blouse, and black sweater stared unblinking at them. Delaney, bubbly and excited, very pleased with their purchases almost bowled Ben over when he stopped abruptly and swore. "What," she questioned him, immediately concerned by the spontaneous deflation of his mood. He sighed deeply, dropping his head toward the ground and shaking it in disdain. Raising his arms up to either side in a gesticulation that communicated his distress, before dropping them again. "We still don't have any money," he replied, depressed. The bubble of Delaney's emotion popped as well. She dropping her bags to the floor. Ben draped his now-empty arm around her shoulders, turning her away from the checkout desk and starting to walk away. Something black moved in the periphery of his eye. "Maybe if we don't say anything, they'll let us wear these clothes out," he whispered in sad hopefulness.
"Did you two pay for those clothes?" The sound of the deep, masculine voice of a Machoke who was serving as a security guard made them both visibly flinch, stopping on a dime a few feet from the door. They looked to one another, debating whether or not they should just make a run for it. They were already apparent outcasts in this city, so why not fugitives? Delaney shook her head, and Ben sighed agreement. They turned and headed ignominiously for the checkout counter, eyes on the floor. Still feeling the eyes of the Machoke on them as they did so. "Then why don't you pick them up and get out of here?" Another callout from the fighting-type, in a slightly higher pitch? Another freeze. Confusion. They look together back to him. Was he wearing black the last time they had seen him, just a few moments ago? His arms were folded across his chest, watching them with raised eyebrows. Nodding toward their dropped bags.
Ben looked at Delaney. Delaney looked at Ben. Ben looked at Mismag- where did the Mismagius go? Delaney's ears folded in halves. Something didn't feel right about their situation, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "We should go," she whispered to her human companion, picking up some bags and motioning for him to do the same. They stalking silently past the Machoke by the door, shooting him a glance. He slowly produced a very disturbing-looking grin. They hurried out and back to their rented room.
Can you feel the mystery yet?