It seemed the Iono Hype Squad was an inescapable hivemind. They had flooded the battle court in numbers, all of them with their hands in the air, waving signs and wearing shirts with their idol's likeness… and Astrid was simply wide-eyed at it all with her hood and Blu's feathers obscuring as much of her face as she could manage. Igor certainly strutted his stuff for the onlookers and Toast seemed perfectly happy being surrounded by energetic figures, while Mimi looked rather quizzical at it all. Maybe the camera crew was gone, but that certainly didn't stop Iono from streaming on her phone, hardly even regarding Astrid as she approached and took her place on the court. Maybe that was for the better, the shy lass figured.
"Ladies and gentlemens!" Iono said to her phone's camera. "Are you readyyyyy?"
Several shouts of "MISS IONO!" and "YES!" and "LET'S GOOOOOO!" erupted from her fans.
"Your eyeballs are MINE now- caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit?! Iono!"
Astrid shook her head dismally, looking down at the ground. "Gods help me…" she croaked.
The gym leader's words that followed were accompanied by waving hands and a spin. "'Ello, 'ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour! It's time for the Iono Zone, everybody!" Much to Astrid's displeasure, she then turned around and directed her phone's camera at her, getting a nice shot of Astrid recoiling from it. "Today's challenger is flyin' high like a Wattrel! Iiiiit's Sage! Yayyy!"
It shortly became very obvious that she had enlisted the Rotom in her phone to be part of the hype squad too, for she turned loose of it, and it practically rushed Astrid like an angry ghost trying to possess someone. The shy lass couldn't help the shriek that escaped her as she fumbled backwards, but Blu, on the other hand, had other ideas. The fluffy bird instead jumped off her human and clutched the phone in her feet like a bird of prey sinking its talons into a hapless victim, delivering a swift Peck to the camera. Iono too let out a cry and rushed over, Blu keeping a firm hold even as the hapless Rotom in the phone tried to dart away, and though she was happy to see Blu interrupting the camera feed, Astrid too couldn't help but to be a bit startled. The shy girl reached for the Swablu, and Iono reached for her phone, to which the bird tried to peck Iono's fingers too.
"That bird is nuts!" someone in the crowd called.
"We got a vicious Swablu attack on camera!"
"Iono's getting cancelled by a bird! Let's goooooo!"
"A-ah…!" Astrid exclaimed.
"Hey! Hey!" Iono cried, trying to yank her phone free.
At hearing Astrid's voice and realizing her human's hands were grabbing her, the Swablu let go, immediately easing up and trying to delicately preen Astrid's fingers instead as she held her. It was as if nothing had happened- one moment she was attacking, and the next, she was pleasant as could be. Astrid, of course, couldn't see the vicious look in her eyes that had come about the moment the camera got even remotely close, but the viewers sure did, and the crowd was nonetheless enthralled.
The shy girl gave Blu a concerned look, then glanced at the camera, saying softly, "A-ah, I'm s-sorry-!"
Iono, however, went right back to grinning. "Did everyone see that?!" she exclaimed, throwing one hand in the air. "This bird wants to kick some butt!" She turned to Astrid. "And I do too! Let's get this show on the road!"
Astrid couldn't mutter much of a response, only stammering, "Ah, I, er…"
Iono nonetheless darted back to her side of the court, giving a look at her screen again and saying sweetly, "Awwww, thank ye muchly for the donation, Electro King! This first move will be for you!"
Astrid sighed, placing Blu on her shoulder. "…I never even challenged them, but I miss Johto gyms."
Her opponent grinned as she took a Poké Ball out of her jacket, exclaiming, "How strong is our challenger?! I'unno! Let's find out! Gimme a battle that'll electrify all my viewer pals!" She tossed her ball onto the court where a Wattrel came out, giving a happy flap of his wings.
Astrid thought for a second, at first looking to Mimi who shared her glance with a knowing look… but while the Pawmo may have been the best choice, being able to resist the Wattrel's electric attacks while also giving out damage with her own on account of his Flying-type attributes, it seemed Blu in particular had other ideas. The Swablu screeched and darted off Astrid's shoulder, giving as nasty of a look as a small fluffy bird could manage. The other bird on the field gave a jolt of fright, clearly unsure what to think of his opponent, while Iono and Astrid both got surprised looks. The shy lass, of course, couldn't see her bird's vicious glare, but Iono certainly could, her eyes twitching slightly as the Swablu stared both of them across the court down.
Astrid blinked. "B-Blu!" she exclaimed. "Are you sure about this?! She's a gym leader!"
The Swablu turned back to her and, with dreamy eyes and a sweet voice, chirped, "Blu.~"
"Moooo…" Mimi's voice trailed off, the Pawmo eyeing the one on the court.
Iono, however, wasn't going to waste any time, hollering, "Wattrel! Give 'er a Spark!"
"Dragon Breath, Blu!" Astrid called, getting ahold of herself again.
Wattrel's body became cloaked by dancing bolts along his feathers as he flapped his wings, and though he dove at Blu, he still looked slightly hesitant on account of the devilish look she flashed him even with an advantageous type matchup. Blu herself didn't even flinch despite the obviously horrendous position she was in, instead simply opening her beak and releasing a Dragon Breath that elicited a squawk from her foe. He didn't make contact, instead sprawling on the ground while Blu took a step backwards to avoid him without a care.
"Hit him again!" Astrid cried.
"Quick Attack!" Iono called.
Blu didn't have much time to react when Wattrel practically turned into a blur, but he certainly saw her devilish eyes staring down at him when he scrambled back to his feet and when he slammed himself into her. Maybe it was a maneuver meant to get him advantageous positioning again, to use his speed and bowl her over so he wouldn't be sprawled and easy to hit for very long… but Blu didn't seem to care at all as he hit her, instead giving him a swift peck atop the head when he did, then another, and another, and another, in a screeching, flailing Fury Attack. Before long, Wattrel was laid out on the ground again, eyes dazed and body unmoving while Blu still let him have it, albeit less aggressively after it became obvious he wasn't actually fighting back.
"Oh noes, this bird is gonna raise my subscriber count at the expense of my clout!" Iono exclaimed, holding out Wattrel's ball again to recall him. "I can't become cringe!"
The Swablu still bopped him with her beak, contentedly chirping with a sweet yet firm voice every time she did. "Blu.~ Blu.~ Blu.~"
"Savage!" one of Iono's fans hollered.
"That bird knows how to turn up!"
"H-hey, Blu, you know you can-!" Astrid exclaimed.
She cut herself off when Blu turned to look at her as Iono recalled Wattrel, her eyes happy but… somehow burning with cocky combativeness beneath the surface. She'd seen looks similar to it before, particularly back home from a certain Scrafty who loved solving problems with his fists, or a certain Garchomp with her body covered in battle scars, or a certain Delphox who just couldn't help but to burn bases and forests down. And here it was again, in an adorable fluffy Swablu of all places.
"Mo," Mimi said flatly, giving Astrid's pant leg a tug.
"Igo," Igor concurred with her.
"Douuuuughhhh…" Toast's voice trailed off, his head tilting to the side as he studied her.
Astrid blinked. "…How do I always end up attracting the crazy ones?" she mused, expression unamused.
The Swablu gave a wink and let out a contented "Blu~!" before turning back to Iono with a devilish look her human couldn't see.
Iono, though, ignored the vicious expression the Swablu made and cried, "Well then! Let's give 'em something electrifying! Come on out, Bellibolt!" while tossing another ball onto the field.
As the gym leader's next teammate took his squishy, wobbly form after the ball opened, Astrid tensed up slightly at the idea of the Swablu staying on the field. Her fiendish look apparently startled Bellibolt too from the way he gave a slight jolt the moment his grinning face got a look at hers, but that hadn't stopped Wattrel from going for an attack, and a creature with a body practically built to absorb shock wasn't going to be stopped either. Perhaps there were a few possible abilities for a Bellibolt to have, but Astrid had to figure that Electromorphosis was the most likely… and if his Electric-type attacks would get more charged with each hit he took, it simply was not prudent to have a small bird, no matter how vicious she was, on the court. A switch wouldn't hurt even if such wasn't the case, but it wasn't worth the risk to find out with Blu.
Mimi apparently thought so too, for she gave Astrid's pant leg another tug. Astrid gave her a glance down and nodded before looking back to Blu and calling, "Blu! Get back here! Mimi needs a turn!"
The little Swablu gave a happy chirp and flapped her wings to perch on Astrid's shoulder again, and Mimi scurried onto the court. Astrid gave the bird a little nuzzle with one hand, but though she couldn't see it, Blu was still shooting the opposition a horrendously dirty look. Iono, though, had her own reactions. "Smooth, challenger!" she exclaimed. "She's sending out her own Electric-type so she won't have to worry about Bellibolt's Electromorphosis! But that won't stop us, right, Bellibolt?!"
"Bolt!" the rotund creature cried in affirmation, giving his belly a pat to which sparks briefly danced inside it.
Astrid shook her head. "You know, I still would've had to confirm that my guess was correct, but go ahead, make dramatic statements that make this easier," she remarked mostly to herself. "Alright, Mimi, let's use one of those other moves you've been practicing. Go for an Arm Thrust and aim for his belly!"
"Mo!" Mimi affirmed, flexing her tiny fingers and scurrying towards her foe.
"Bellibolt, hit 'er with a Water Gun!" Iono called.
The rotund figure opened his mouth where a small stream of water took form, and Mimi gave a flurry of thrusts with her palms right at at the yellow organ in his belly. She couldn't avoid the hit at such close range, but it hardly seemed to bother her after Bellibolt's belly started sparking. Any other member of Astrid's team would've gotten quite a shock, but Mimi started grinning, her Volt Absorb practically nullifying any damage she would've taken by absorbing the sparks. But before she could go for another hit, Bellibolt jumped back while spitting another Water Gun. The Pawmo dropped onto all fours to let it mostly sail over her, but she still shook one ear when it was caught by the stream.
"Keep goin' at it, Bellibolt!" Iono cried, throwing one hand in the air.
Astrid, though, had other ideas. "Quick Attack!" she called.
Mimi too went for it, turning into a blur as she slammed into Bellibolt, yet again catching some sparks that made her smile. Whatever Water Gun he was going to shoot didn't hit for how fast she moved, and though the move didn't topple him over on account of his squishy body bending around her as she collided with his belly, he still stumbled a bit.
"She's using our Electromorphosis against us!" Iono declared, a flustered look gracing her face as she looked to her phone camera. "Chat, are you ladies and gentlemen seeing this?!"
"Miss Iono's getting owned on livestream!" someone called out from the crowd.
"We believe in you, Miss Iono!"
Astrid shook her head, shrugging. "It's a legal strategy," she mused. "Arm Thrust again, Mimi!"
Mimi did so, letting loose with another flurry of strikes that made her opponent jiggle and stumble some more. Another Water Gun followed as he stumbled backwards, waving his arms for balance, but with one cry of "Mo!" and one more strike later, he was falling backwards in a wobbly heap.
Iono's face fell slightly. "Well then, friendo!" she exclaimed, recalling Bellibolt. "Let's see if this one doesn't shock you! Get 'em, Luxio!"
Sure enough, the feline figure of a Luxio took form on the court, her sharp eyes immediately locking on Mimi. The Pawmo shrank up a bit under the Intimidation, albeit still returning the gaze.
Astrid, though, glanced down at Toast, who was wagging his tail nonetheless, and said, "Mimi, come back here and let Toast have a turn."
Shortly, the Pawmo was skittering back to her side, Toast bounding onto the field and yapping happily all the while. Luxio too gave him a scary look… but the Fidough was simply too chipper to have it bother him. She blinked a bit as he wagged his tail at her, clearly seeing her more as a playmate than an opponent.
"Spark, Luxio!"
"Play Rough, Toast!"
The two of them ran at each other, Luxio sparking and giving an aggressive hiss, while Toast was cloaked with a pink glow and looked perfectly happy. A noticeable whump could be heard as their attacks collided, Toast giving a slight grunt as he was thrown back and Luxio stumbling a bit to regain her footing. Still, even if the dark-furred feline had more force behind her attack on account of being twice Toast's size, Toast was back on his feet and still wagging his tail in moments, albeit with sparks dancing along his body that he shook himself to disperse.
"Covet, Toast!" Astrid called.
"Don't let that pipsqueak hog the limelight!" Iono hollered. "Bite 'em!"
Luxio hissed and bared her fangs, but when Toast traipsed directly up to her and looked up at her with his big, cute, pleading puppy dog eyes… she hesitated. He tilted his head to the side and made a slight whining sound, sitting down with his tail still thumping the ground. His opponent blinked, mouth open but fangs not on blatant display anymore. Several of Iono's fans took notice and gave cheers of their own, while Iono herself looked flustered.
"Awww, look at him!" one fan cried.
"Cute puppy on stream!"
"He can be the Hype Squad mascot!"
"Luxio!" Iono herself hollered, a disbelieving look on her face. "Don't fall for his cuteness!"
Toast, though, stood up on his hind legs and opened his own mouth- whether to lick Luxio for added affection before the inevitable strike or to give her a bite of his own while she was perplexed at his antics was impossible to determine- which seemed to snap Luxio out of it. She hissed again and delivered a swift Bite to his neck, eliciting a yelp from the little canine.
Perhaps Astrid had somewhat been enjoying the sight of a fierce feline being confused by a begging puppy, but when Toast yelped from the hit, her face fell. "Go for a Lick!"
He did so, giving the side of Luxio's face a Lick to make her let go. The moment she did, he scurried backwards, maybe not wagging his tail and with some jerky movements, but still giving her an expression that said he'd still be friends if she wanted to be as well. Luxio, on the other hand, looked at him as if non-verbally asking if he was serious. Clearly, she wasn't as affectionately inclined.
"Hit 'im with another Spark!" Iono called, waving her hands in the air. "You got this!"
"Play Rough!" Astrid too called to her own.
Luxio hissed and Toast yapped, the two of them charging again, this time with a much more noticeable WHUMP as they put more force behind their hits. Maybe Luxio was twice as big, but Toast put enough enthusiasm behind his attack that his Play Rough bowled her over… though the Fidough himself went sprawling in a sparking heap several meters away nonetheless. A tired groan escaped him, even if his tail did give a slight wag, and Luxio's tail twitched and her claws flicked for a few moments. Astrid and Iono both had eyes glued to them, seeing if one of them would get up, and after a few moments, Luxio went motionless while Toast shakily got to his feet again. A rather weak yap escaped him, but he still wagged his tail, if shakily.
Astrid wasn't going to waste time in letting him rest. "Good job, Toast," she said, grabbing his ball and recalling him.
Iono's expression turned a bit panicked as she recalled Luxio too, the gym leader crying, "Oh noes! This isn't good!"
Her fans voiced their own thoughts too. "Can you feel the cancel coming, Miss Iono?!" one cried.
"I believe in you!"
"Iono Hype Squad forever!" another shouted.
Astrid rolled her eyes at them, giving Toast's ball a pat before stowing it away. "Rest easy for now, alright?" She looked to Mimi, who again gave her pant leg a tug. "Mimi, you wanna be the finisher here?"
The Pawmo nodded, then took to the court, playfully punching one fist into the palm of her other hand. Blu gave Astrid a quizzical look out of the corner of her eye, to which the shy girl nuzzled her a bit to ease her. Maybe the shy lass wasn't quite sure of the look's exact meaning, but she guessed it had to do with wanting to battle too… and any way she looked at it, even if she had a penchant for getting into fights, sending a small fluffy bird out against an Electric-type gym leader's stronger team members was a bad idea.
Iono, on the other hand, tossed another ball onto the court, crying out, "Loyal fans! I need to hear you cheerin'- gimme all you got!"
There was certainly a flurry of cheers that erupted from her fans as the Pokémon inside took form- the ghostly flowing form of a Mismagius, one who immediately got a smirk upon being sent out. Her eyes stared straight through Mimi, who gave a little grunt of determination. Maybe a floating Ghost-type wasn't the best of matchups for a terrestrial Electric- and Fighting-type… but Astrid had to figure that one of those things wouldn't be an issue for much longer.
"Do it!" one of the fans cried.
"Let your light shiiiiiine!" cried another.
Iono, however, didn't seem so convinced, eyeing Astrid and her Pawmo. "If I let my light shine, you'll just hog all of it with that Volt Absorbing Pawmo of yours!" she declared, waving her arms.
…She certainly wasn't wrong, Astrid figured. Maybe the shy lass had indeed been expecting her to Terastallize her Mismagius, but even if she didn't, it was still manageable. Mimi could still hit a ghost with Electric-type attacks, after all. "That's fine," she said indifferently, giving a shrug. "I'll just let mine shine instead."
At that, Iono's eyes shot wide as her opponent reached for her Tera Orb. "Now, wait a just second, you-!"
Astrid didn't care. Mimi clapped her hands excitedly at Astrid activated her orb, the Pawmo becoming cloaked in glittering crystalline particles before they dispersed to leave her with a crystalline shimmer and a sparkling crystalline light bulb perched atop her head. The shy lass couldn't help but to smirk a bit at the flustered look on Iono's face as she did it, for surely, the gym leader was thinking that she was being outshone in front of her fans by a complete stranger. Maybe Mimi couldn't hit Mismagius with an Arm Thrust or a Quick Attack, but that didn't mean she couldn't pull off a Spark or even a Nuzzle if she got lucky, and even if Iono did Terastallize Mismagius… maybe Electric-type moves from Mimi were a moot point, but Mismagius still couldn't use her own while being opened up to Mimi's other moves. Astrid was hardly worried.
Apparently Iono opted to not be outshone, for she too reached for her Tera Orb, hollering, "Fine! Come fooorth, shiny li'l lightbulb! I'm not done yet! Iono power, goooooo!" And shortly, Mismagius too had a crystalline shine and a bigger smirk on her face, more cheers erupting from the onlookers. Astrid couldn't help but to chuckle at the principle- it certainly wasn't useless to Terastallize Mismagius, but the shy lass couldn't help but to think it was less for strategic purposes and more for clout than anything.
Instantly, Iono was on the offensive. "Confuse Ray, Mismagius!"
Just as quick, Astrid's face fell- that proposed its own unique problem she hadn't quite anticipated. "Close your eyes, Mimi!" she hollered.
The Pawmo did so, hurriedly covering her face with her hands for good measure too as Mismagius' eyes emitted a sinister ray of light. Maybe Mimi was right in its path, but without seeing it, she was fine, even if flicking her ears a bit in apprehension. One of the ghost's eyes twitched, clearly not thrilled at her attack not having its desired effect.
"Quick Attack!" Astrid called next.
"Do it again!" Iono likewise called, pumping one arm in the air.
Maybe Mimi practically turned into a blur and was quickly slamming the wispy figure into the ground after pouncing on her, but Mismagius only used that to her advantage. The Pawmo tried to shut her eyes after making contact, but she simply wasn't fast enough, Mismagius letting the Confuse Ray go before Mimi could get her footing again. The ghost threw her off, and Mimi seemed rather wobbly as she got to her feet again as if she couldn't tell what direction was up or down.
"No," Astrid flatly said to herself.
"Hex!" Iono called without wasting any time.
Astrid certainly wasn't thrilled, but she wasn't going to waste any time either. "Mimi! Quick Attack!"
Mismagius shot forth a burst of purple ghostly energy, and though Mimi clearly couldn't tell where her actual target was based on how she Quick Attacked the ground to her south with truly haphazard motions, it at least got her out of the way. Astrid knew how it was- getting struck with confusion in a battle was a surefire way to have chaos ensue. The chances of actually hitting a foe were slim, but if they could just wait until it wore off…
"Keep at it, Mismagius! She can't avoid you forever!" Iono cried gleefully.
"Mimi! Quick Attack right behind you!" Astrid called, hoping that might work.
It seemed the Pawmo didn't quite understand, or maybe thought it was a bizarre figment of her imagination speaking to her, for her ears flicked and she looked around as if wondering where she was and who she was with. It was a prime opportunity for Mismagius to hit her with a Hex, the Pawmo letting out a squeak of discomfort and stumbling a bit as she did. However, it seemed she either snapped out of it or had a moment of clarity, for she looked to the Mismagius while rubbing her cheeks, letting out a cry of protestation.
And if it was only temporary, Astrid wasn't going to waste the moment. "Go for it again, Mimi!"
Iono, though, wasn't letting up. "Hex, Mismagius!"
Maybe Mismagius sent another ghostly barrage, but Mimi was faster. Quick Attack was not a hard-hitting move by any means, but it did some things well- get its user out of the way of something precarious or strike a foe right before they could fire off an annoying move. The Pawmo turned into a blur before leaping at the ghost, making her sprawl out on the ground with a grating shriek of annoyance as she smashed into her, and though it likely wasn't intended, Astrid and several of the onlookers flinched a bit at the sound she made while Mimi pinned her ears against her head to lessen the sound. Such was likely to be expected- the Misdreavus line was known to startle and torment most living creatures that could hear with their wails and cries, after all.
"Arm Thrust, Mimi!"
"Confuse 'er again!" Iono called, waving her arms. "Show 'er how bright you are!"
With Mismagius effectively pinned to the ground, Mimi didn't particularly need to keep her eyes open as she let loose with a flurry of strikes, try though Mismagius might to disentangle herself. Astrid couldn't help but to grin at the situation unfolding before her, and Iono looked flustered as Mismagius just couldn't manage to get away for the barrage of strikes Mimi hit her with.
"How?!" the gym leader cried, waving her arms some more.
The shy lass chuckled. "You know, if you hadn't Terastallized her, she could probably use her Ghost-type attributes to phase through the floor right about now," she remarked slyly. "And Mimi wouldn't be able to use Quick Attack to hit her in the first place to put her on the floor. So we would've been stuck using only Spark and Nuzzle with a hypermobile opponent that outmaneuvers my Pawmo." She shrugged. "Considering you wouldn't use whatever ace Electric-type move you have against a Pokémon with Volt Absorb anyway, why would you ever give up that advantage? Giving your Levitating Mismagius no weaknesses by Terastallizing her into an Electric-type is smart, but given the context, seriously? You could've messed with us a little before doing it, at least- make sure I don't have a super effective move that would make it necessary."
Iono's mouth fell open and she stared in disbelief at the girl on the other end of the court. "You baited me, didn't you?!"
Astrid grinned. "A good tactician doesn't give an opponent insight to their strategies, and they certainly don't announce that their Bellibolt has Electromorphosis so their opponent can tell their Volt Absorbing Pawmo to aim straight for the belly. Is the clout clouding your judgment?"
The realization hit Iono like a ton of bricks, and Astrid only hoped that her phone's camera captured her expression. Her bulging eyes and beet red cheeks were truly a sight to behold.
"Iono's cancelled!"
"Everyone go home! Our queen is cancelled!"
"I don't care if she's cancelled! Iono Hype Squad forever!"
Nonetheless, Iono cried out, "Hex, Mismagius!"
"Keep going, Mimi," Astrid called, still grinning.
Maybe the fact that Mimi was Arm Thrusting with her eyes closed to ward off any chance of confusion made it easier for Mismagius to do just that, but even after taking the hit, she didn't back down. Mismagius was noticeably thrashing less to get away, likely tired out from the onslaught she could've avoided without the Terastallization, but after a loud cry of "PAW-MO!" that accompanied one last strike, the ghost was unmoving and her crystalline shimmer breaking. Mimi's too gave way as Iono recalled Mismagius, the gym leader blinking with a stunned expression again before finally easing up. Another chuckle escaped Astrid as Mimi darted back towards her, the shy lass kneeling down to scoop her up.
"Igo," Igor said, giving the Pawmo a nod of acknowledgment.
"Blu," Blu said, gleeful fire in her eyes.
Toast came out of his ball and yapped happily, albeit still a bit wobbly on his feet, and Astrid gave them all strokes and nuzzles… but she couldn't help a slight cry of surprise as Toast's body glowed white and started to change around. Mimi gave some happy chatters and Igor watched intently, the figure of a Dachsbun standing before them shortly thereafter.
Astrid grinned. "Good for you, Toast," she said gently, giving him a nuzzle under the chin.
"Dachs!" he barked, his voice noticeably deeper.
"You guys did great," she said, glancing between Blu, Toast, and Mimi. "And you kept me company on the sidelines," she said to Igor.
Her phone buzzed and a message from Raijin appeared on the screen as it flew out of her pocket. "You were absolutely the wrong opponent for her to send that Mismagius out against," he said. "And no, I didn't think she was supercharged, at all."
Astrid grinned. "I've spent too much time as a ghost myself and too much time with you," she said, keeping her voice down. She perked up a bit and straightened herself out when she saw Iono approaching, still holding Mimi in her arms with Blu on her shoulder.
The shy girl couldn't see it, but Iono certainly could- Blu shooting a 'go to hell' glare again that made her hide her phone in case of another Swablu attack. The gym leader looked a bit awkward as she said, "You're as bright as a 10,000,000-volt Thunderbolt, friendo! I hate to say it, but I lost!"
Astrid could only muster up a flat look, and even if there was no camera in view, still shielded her face and looked anywhere but Iono's eyes. "Y-you aren't still streaming, a-are you…?"
The exuberant one flinched a bit, replying, "N-no, so your Swablu can chill! I gotta give you your prize for beatin' me- a gym badge and a Tee Em! Woo hoo!"
Blu still eyed her as she reached inside her hoodie and pulled out two somethings that were metallic and sparkly- a badge, alright, with a lightning bolt on it, and a yellow disc. Iono held them out, and Astrid reached out to take them, but the moment their hands even got remotely close to each other, Blu leaped off of her shoulder-perch and went after Iono, making the gym leader drop them and jump back. Astrid gave a jolt, and her other Pokémon did too, Igor going to pick up the badge with his beak and Mimi jumping from Astrid's arm to get the TM while the shy lass herself reached out to grab Blu.
"S-sorry!" Astrid exclaimed, taking hold of Blu before she could Fury Attack Iono too. "Sheesh, Blu! You can calm down now, alright?"
"That Swablu is cray-cray!" Iono cried, shrinking up in fright. "I'll put you in an Electroweb if you attack me again, you hear?!"
Blu, though, stood down whenever Astrid grabbed her, fluffing up peacefully in the girl's arms while still giving Iono a glare. Mimi in turn gave the Swablu a disapproving look, giving one of the long blue feathers on her head a tug to get her attention. All the Pawmo received was a perfectly content look and a peaceful chirp, while Blu's expression went right back to devilish the moment she turned her head away.
"S-sorry, I'm sorry," Astrid panted, clutching Blu tightly. "She, er… She's a little aggressive."
"She's a lotta aggressive," Iono remarked, still eyeing her before easing up again and carefully taking her phone out again. "Let's take a selfie! My subscribers spiked like no battle before, and I wanna save this in my brainspace forever!"
Astrid gave a jolt, for the phone screen showed that she was indeed still streaming unlike what she'd said… and there she was, in view of the camera again, with approximately twenty-thousand viewers. There wasn't any point trying to weasel out of it with a viewer count like that… thus she put on her best smile, leaning in close to Iono and sticking an arm around her shoulder in an amiable display that certainly surprised everyone after her anxious stammering and fumbling. To Iono, she certainly appeared to be coming out of her shell, at long last happy in the limelight after hesitating… but when Astrid's eyes narrowed and the shy girl opened her mouth, the icy words that came out were just quiet enough for no one else to hear the blatant disdain.
"If you ever stick a camera in my face again, you'll see what 10,000,000 volts looks like, and you won't like it."
Iono gave a jolt as the camera snapped a picture, capturing Astrid's peaceful smile but a perturbed look on her own face. "E-eyyyy…?!"
The chat on Iono's stream instantly lit up with several variations of "WHAT DID SHE SAY?!" or "ANYONE CATCH THAT?"
Astrid still smiled, holding Blu in one arm and reaching out for a handshake with another. "Good battle."
Between Blu's deathly stare and the poisonous look in Astrid's eyes, Iono looked like she didn't wanna shake hands, but nonetheless did, replying, "I-if you ever wanna collab again, Sage, hit me up!" She turned to the onlookers. "And if you like that, smash that subscribe button! I'll catch you all in my Electroweb next time, and-" she turned to Astrid, "-I'll catch you later!"
Without another word, Iono was darting off into a group of cheering fans, leaving Astrid by herself, which was certainly a welcome relief. The shy lass let out a heavy breath, turning to Igor and Mimi to collect the items Iono had dropped, then stowed them away in her bag before heading off herself, preferably to a significantly less populated area.
"Well, Raijin, I might have just- a-ah-…!" she started to say but cut herself off.
…However, the moment she turned around, she immediately noticed a woman with eyes that, though obscured by a pair of shades, stared right through her with a grin on her face. Messy blonde hair with orange highlights tumbled down her back, and a black leather backpack with a lead pipe sticking out hung haphazardly off of one shoulder. Judging by her uniform, the scarlet summer variation of Guayaba Academy with black tights under her shorts, she was a student, and her hands looked as though they wanted to clench tightly around something but only got halfway to a fist with nothing held in them. A Weavile stood next to her, eyeing Astrid likewise with less of a smirk and more of a questioning look as if knowing something was… not quite right. Astrid froze, but the woman, on the other hand, strode right up to her like she owned the entire street and got uncomfortably close while tilting her shades up to reveal her scrutinizing bright red eyes.
"…They're calling you 'Sage' now, huh~?" she said, looking Astrid straight in the eyes with her own mere centimeters away. "You can hide from everyone else, but me? Oh, Astrid, you should know better."
Maybe her visage was a bit different, and maybe it had been a while, but her voice was easy to recognize- Salem. Salem, the human-turned Delphox that had gained the utmost notoriety back home for using unnatural abilities, ending the careers of seasoned expeditioners, and not once coming close to losing a fight even while being horribly outmatched. Salem, the host- no, strongest weapon- of a Nihilego bent on dominating the universe. Salem, who she'd been in a bitter duel with and very nearly lost to. And Salem… who, when freed from her symbiont's influence, turned out to still be crazy, sure, but not malicious at all. Salem, the human-turned-Delphox-turned-human that had dragged her to karaoke cafes and, by the grace of the gods (and some shielding of the shy girl's eyes), got her to do screaming, growling renditions of upbeat songs in front of the other customers. That Salem.
…And that Salem was supposed to be in Kanto, not thousands of miles away in Paldea. Either it was the most ridiculous coincidence of all time that Astrid ended up in her home world after the wormhole malfunction and Salem just happened to be in the same place at the same time, or Salem, much like her formerly ruthless Delphox self, was exorbitantly good at hunting Astrid down no matter what body she was in or world they were on. Why she would do such a thing if the latter were true, however, made Astrid's mind race.
The shy girl's eyes went wide, and she stammered out haplessly, "S-Sa- ah-!"
Whatever she was going to say was cut off when Salem stuck an arm around her neck, cackling happily. "I'm not sure if you're happy to be here, but I sure as hell am happy to see you! I thought you were gone for good!"
Astrid's phone buzzed in her pocket and flew out, and even within her backpack, she could feel Raijin's ball twitching. "Who is this? Are they safe company?" was displayed across the screen.
Mimi had similar thoughts, tugging Salem's pant leg and crying an unhappy "Mo! Mooooo!"
"Igo!" Igor hollered, taking a battle pose.
"Dachs!" Toast too barked, looking uncharacteristically unenthused.
Maybe the red-eyed one meant well, but being put in a headlock wasn't the most pleasant of things, and Astrid tried to stammer such out while haplessly trying to pry Salem's hands off. Blu certainly flew into action in a much more direct way than any of Astrid's other team members, perching atop Salem's head and Pecking her with reckless abandon, and though Salem herself wasn't too fazed by it, it seemed to get the message across.
Salem released her stranglehold on Astrid, and when the shy lass could speak, though she herself wasn't exactly protesting Salem's presence, exclaimed, "What is WRONG with you?!"
Salem laughed some more, backing up and giving Astrid a playful (albeit still hard) slap on the shoulder. "Oh, a lot of things, but you know that already!"
A heavy sigh escaped Astrid, and she quickly grabbed Blu to ease the bird before slipping her bag onto one shoulder. She fished out Raijin's ball and quickly said, "It's alright, Raijin, she's safe. This is Salem and Amber."
At the very mention of the name 'Raijin,' Salem's eyes shot wide and she backed a few steps away, albeit still grinning with a bit of hesitation in her countenance. In her Delphox body, she wouldn't have cared at all, but clearly, human Salem knew better than to potentially piss off a Xurkitree, even if unbeknownst to her, there was very little chance of him coming out of his ball and giving her the shock of her life. "Arceus above, you're carrying him around," she said through gritted teeth.
At that, Raijin's ball stood perfectly still, but the text that appeared across the screen of Astrid's phone was anything but calm. "SALEM?! IT'S HER?!"
Maybe the Weavile wasn't as familiar with the name 'Raijin' as her human was, but Amber nonetheless flashed a set of claws and stuck close to Salem at seeing her reaction.
"Don't zap me," Salem said with a tense but still assertive voice, eyeing the ball and reaching for the pipe sticking out of her bag.
"S-Salem, it's not like that," Astrid stammered.
"If I recall correctly, you had met her before as a human and enjoyed her company, but the way she acts definitely doesn't make it look like she's a friend," a message from Raijin flashed across her phone screen again. "But if you say she's safe, I'll believe you."
"R-really, Salem," Astrid said gently. "I've told him about you and he's… not like that."
Salem eyed his ball, but after studying it for a few moments, seemed to ease up and got up in Astrid's personal space again. She edged right up next to her and stuck an arm around her neck again, albeit not in a stranglehold. She grinned again as she inquired, albeit still eyeing Raijin's ball in her periphery, "Then what do you say we watch the sunset at Levincia Lighthouse? I've missed you.~"
Astrid couldn't help but to blush awkwardly at Salem invading her space, but nonetheless replied, "S-sure."
Salem's grin grew even bigger, and she shouted "Yes!" while taking hold of Astrid's arm.
Before Astrid could protest, Salem was dragging her away, nearly making her drop Raijin's ball as she ran to keep up (and still couldn't quite manage to). If ever there was one constant… it was Salem's ability to show up completely unprompted and bend things into what she wanted, be it flippantly burning forests down or dragging her shy company off to quiet place away from the general populace.
[***]
When Astrid and Salem reached the lighthouse, it seemed a young man and a young woman on a romantic walk had been looking forward to watching the sunset on top of the lighthouse too… until Salem started playfully waving her lead pipe around and loudly narrating a fight she'd supposedly gotten into back in Kanto whilst casting the two of them a devilish glance. Suddenly, the lighthouse wasn't too appealing for a date, and though Astrid was certainly glad to not have unfamiliar company around, she couldn't help but to flush bright red and stare at the ground at Salem's antics. Maybe she wasn't loudly narrating how she planned to burn someone alive or any other number of horrific direct threats on someone's life, but the ones hearing her certainly felt threatened, nonetheless. There wasn't anyone else already on top either after climbing the ladder that seemed to stretch upwards forever, but had there been, Astrid couldn't help but to imagine Salem loudly talking about how funny it would be to shove someone over the side.
Once they reached the top, Astrid piped up a gentle, "Hang on a second."
Salem gave her a funny look. "What're you-"
The shy lass glanced around below, then darted over to the opposite side of the platform. "I'm making sure the coast is clear!" she called back, her eyes darting around the ground below as she scanned their vicinity. "Ultra Beasts are illegal to keep unless you're a member of Interpol, an Aether Foundation employee with special permits, or the champion of Alola! I'm none of those things, so me walking around with my Xurkitree friend in plain view might get us both in trouble! I'll get questioned for illegal possession of an Ultra Beast, he'll get confiscated, and they'll figure out I'm a missing person in Johto!"
Salem blinked for a second, then started laughing. "'Illegal possession of an Ultra Beast?!'" she cackled. "That's the thing- he's an Ultra Beast! You seriously think anyone will come after you with him at your side, assuming they even know what he is in the first place?! The general populace would probably just think you had a Rotom possessing an amalgamation of cables and a disco ball!"
Astrid darted back around to Salem's side, pointing one finger at her with an intent look on her face despite her somewhat awkward eyes. "Say what you will, but analyzing every possibility is the reason I won and you didn't," she said quickly before darting back to the rails and checking the area below.
Salem blinked again, then laughed even harder. "Oh, Astrid…! I've missed you…~!"
Astrid only rolled her eyes, then stepped back from the rail and said gently, "Coast is clear." She gave the rest of the balls on her belt a pat and said to them too, "Come on out, guys. Just be careful around the rails."
Shortly, there were quite a few more figures on the top of the lighthouse stirring. Blu, of course, had to perch atop Astrid's head while eyeing Salem and Amber, Toast had to check out his new company, Igor perched himself on the railing where he could get a good view of the city's flashing lights and signs, and Mimi stuck closer to Astrid's side much like Amber was to Salem. Raijin too stuck close to Astrid, and the moment he came out of his ball, Salem's eyes immediately darted to the red markings of 'UB03-0067' on one of his arms as if to make sure it really was the Raijin and not just some random Xurkitree. He studied her too, tapping his fingers together pensively.
"…So this is you," the Xurkitree said softly.
"And Arceus above, it really is you," Salem remarked, still eyeing his identification. She immediately got an awkward grin, not waving her pipe but one hand apparently instinctively reaching for it again. "And, you know, I can't really drag you into an alley and stick you in a headlock like I can Astrid, so let me just say upfront that I'm really sorry about the whole… y'know…"
Raijin held perfectly still for a moment before he replied, "Oh, I know- you destroyed what little resistance there was left against Void on Ultra Space, you sent your fully evolved goons after Astrid and Arashi while they were still small and inexperienced, you burned a forest down just to hear them screaming in it, you backed Ultra Necrozma into a corner until they burned out, and just for good measure, your Charizard goon busted my head open and melted me because why the hell not."
Salem's eyes got wider and wider the more he went on, her feet taking a few hesitant steps backwards as her hand touched her pipe but didn't quite grip it. Astrid too couldn't help but to be a bit surprised, but all the same, she didn't interfere just yet. Salem had been a victim of Void too, no doubt about it, and though the Xurkitree was quick to forgive other former members of her faction, maybe it was a bit harder to do that when Void's right-hand weapon was right in front of him. Still, Astrid knew the tone of voice he used wasn't hostile- it would've been much harsher and bordering on static if it was.
However, after another moment, the Xurkitree drooped a bit like a wilting flower, saying in a much gentler voice, "Oh, Necrozma have mercy, I am so glad you're free from her. Being one of Void's underlings in general was ugly enough, never mind being her host. It must've been terrible…"
At that, Salem's eyes went even wider, but her hand reaching behind her for the pipe dropped. "H-… huh?!" she stammered out. "You're not mad?!"
"No," Raijin answered easily, perking up and tapping his fingers together again. "That wasn't you. It was her using your body to do all those things, not you doing them on your own."
Salem blinked a few more times, her Weavile companion eyeing both her and the Xurkitree, before she let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a screech. Her face turned awkward again, and she laugh-screeched, "Raijin doesn't wanna blast me to hell! I'm not screwed, ahahaaaaa…!"
The Xurkitree gave a twitch, Astrid eyed her with a funny look, and Amber gave her human a few nudges with uncertain intonations. Mimi too gave Astrid's pant leg a tug as if not quite sure what to make of the red-eyed woman, but when Toast bounded over to give Salem a reassuring lick, she didn't protest. Clearly Salem hadn't expected their interaction to go that way… but her reaction was still a bit odd.
"Did… did you think I would do that?" Raijin inquired uncertainly, shrinking up a bit as if hesitant at the idea.
Salem's gaze turned to him. "I didn't know for sure," she replied, awkwardly hapless. "I mean, Astrid wasn't all that fond of me when I met her the first time in this world, but she can't fry me in sixteen milliseconds and I could beat her in a fistfight anyways, so I didn't really care!"
"That's because you put me in a headlock and dragged me into an alley before I even spoke a full sentence to you," Astrid flatly noted, blushing a bit at Salem's assertion.
Salem ignored her. "I mean, not that I wouldn't bust out my pipe and get into a fight with a Xurkitree if I had to, or that it's impossible to set everything on fire in this form, but c'mon!"
Raijin studied her, tapping his fingers together pensively but not saying anything for a second. "…Maybe you're not poisoned, but you really aren't all that different, are you?" he mused matter-of-factly.
At that, Salem broke into a grin and gave a playful wink, exclaiming, "Necrozma picked me first for a reason~!"
Astrid rubbed her brow a bit in exasperation, but nonetheless broke into a slight grin as she did so. "Salem, you're absolutely crazy."
"I sure am!" Salem brushed her off, leaning against the lighthouse wall and sliding down into a sitting position. She gave a playful pat of the floor next to her, saying, "Now c'mon! Tell me what you're doing back on this god-forsaken world and how long you've been at the academy!"
Astrid didn't protest, strolling over next to Salem and sitting down herself with Blu still perched on her head, and Raijin too followed suit, taking up next to Astrid in as close to a sitting position as a creature made of cables could get. Mimi traipsed over to Amber and made a few intonations with the Weavile eyeing her inquisitively for a bit before following the Pawmo to the railing where Igor was situated. Toast gave a happy yap at their company, and Amber reached out to give him a very careful scratch between the ears on account of her sharp claws. Maybe the Weavile wasn't ordinarily part of their group, but Astrid's bunch seemed mostly content nonetheless, Toast happy as could be with a new face, Igor begrudgingly accepting, and Mimi peacefully inquisitive. Blu, on the other hand, seemed dead set on keeping her perch even when Mimi or Toast tried to beckon her over, the fluffy bird chirping beautifully and engaging from afar between the occasional eye narrowed at Salem or Amber.
"That Swablu has an evil eye," Salem remarked with a laugh as Astrid got situated.
Astrid perked up, reaching up and grabbing Blu to look at her with a somewhat concerned countenance. "Blu? Are you okay?"
At that, whatever evil eye she might've been making disappeared. "Blu~!" she chirped, happy as could be.
Astrid blinked, and Salem only laughed some more, shooting the fluffy one a devilish look herself when Astrid carefully placed her back atop her head. If looks could kill, the Swablu's probably would have, absolute hellfire in her one narrowed eye that she stared at Salem with as if angry that someone else would dare to get close to her human.
"Seriously," Salem piped up, sticking her hands behind her head and eyeing Astrid in her periphery, "You didn't wanna come back here." Her gaze shifted upwards, eyes narrowing. "Don't tell me they went back on their word again."
"N-no," Astrid replied. "It was… an accident."
"The Cosmog that Void sent Arashi back to us with joined our team- his name is Gemini and he's a Cosmoem now, by the way- and the last wormhole he opened caught some interference, so we ended up here," Raijin clarified. "The energy interacted strangely with Astrid and Arashi and turned their forms human, and we ran into another group that apparently opened their wormhole at the same time we did. None of us were aiming for this world."
Salem chuckled, shaking her head. "You guys can't catch a break."
"Well, considering everywhere else we could've ended up, we got lucky we landed on a beach near civilization," Raijin mused.
"On my home world, no less, if you're here," Astrid concurred, shaking her head haplessly.
Salem eyed them quizzically, inquiring, "What's stopping you from going home? You have a Cosmoem- can't you just let him rest a little while and ditch this place again?"
"He's been resting since we got here and still isn't responsive," Raijin replied. "And since Cosmoem- without Void's influence, anyway- tend to store energy for evolution and not release it to open wormholes, we're probably gonna be stuck here a while."
Salem seemed to understand, but still narrowed one eye in inquisition and asked, "So why can't one of the Light Trio get you guys home? Did Arceus yell at them or something?"
Astrid got a slight smirk as she replied, "W-well, yes, they did yell at Necrozma." She shook her head, getting more of a frustrated countenance than anything. "But we're capable, so we don't need their help or something like that. We're just holding out until Gemini can get us back where we came from."
The red-eyed woman couldn't help but to laugh. "You really think that's why?" she inquired sarcastically. "You've been here at least a few weeks if you've got three gym badges! Necrozma, paragon of virtue and truthfulness that they are, should've realized that you needed to get home way sooner than that! There's no way they're too busy to hear their chosen one and their emissary wanting to go home!"
"I-I mean, they gave me this nifty phone," Astrid said, reaching in her pocket and pulling out the Prism Phone. "S-so I've got a piece of their power… I-it's not like they're just abandoning us…"
Salem only laughed even more. "You wouldn't need a piece of their power if they just sent you home!"
The two sitting with her both studied her uncertainly, but Raijin couldn't help but to pipe up, "Just what are you getting at?"
Salem looked at them both intently, still grinning as she replied, "You two are too nice for your own good! I don't think they're leaving you stranded just to be a jerk, but there's no way they're not intentionally making it take forever for you to get home. Arceus probably paid them a visit because something's wrong here and they're hoping you, the star expeditioners that you are, will fix it." She shrugged. "I mean, they won't let anyone into Area Zero.~ I wonder what they're hiding down there.~"
At that, Astrid's eyes shot wide. "H-hold on!"
Raijin too gave a twitch. "Necrozma wouldn't-…" Whatever he was going to say, he didn't finish it.
The shy lass and the Xurkitree both shared a glance, the former completely deadpan, while Salem kept grinning. It sounded ridiculous when said so simply, but Salem had a point- her remarks of Necrozma being a 'paragon of virtue and truthfulness' was pure sarcasm given what had unfolded with Astrid already, and it had been much longer than anyone was anticipating…
"They didn't tell me about this either," Raijin said flatly.
Astrid let out a tired sigh, looking up at the sky with unamused eyes. "I guess I did decide to be an expeditioner on my own free will and accepted all the shenanigans that come with it, but… this is not what I had in mind." She shook her head. "So it's not the fate of my friends they're dangling over my head this time, it's…"
"Us wanting to get this all over with as soon as possible so we can go back where we came from," Raijin flatly finished the thought, his gaze drifting upwards too. "I have nothing against this world, holding Astrid's smaller Pokémon companions makes me happy and seeing human society is interesting and all, but I wouldn't exactly call this a vacation."
"Agreed," Astrid concurred. "I'm liking the gym challenge and being a trainer and all, but… I'd much rather be an expeditioner and a Decidueye again. Being a human isn't all that great." Another thought crossed her mind, and her gaze snapped to Salem. "H-hold on!" she cried. "We're over here spilling our guts, and you haven't said a single thing about what you're doing here! The last time I saw you, you were living on your own in Kanto! Why are you here, and why are we wearing the same uniform?! I've been at the academy for months and I haven't seen you! Explain!"
"She's right!" Raijin quickly chimed in, his own gaze likewise snapping to her.
At that, Salem couldn't help but to chuckle some more, piping up, "No need to freak out! I just decided that going back to school wouldn't hurt anything, and this place seemed like a good fit! I missed the deadline to transfer at the start of the semester so I've only been here for a little while, but I took a job at the academy that would let me stay there until classes resumed after the Treasure Hunt." She winked at Astrid. "Plainclothes security.~ Technically I'm not a full-fledged student yet, but I need to look like one."
"A-ah…" Astrid's voice trailed off. "So that's why…"
"Is that why you're carrying a weapon?" Raijin inquired, studying the pipe peeking out of her bag.
"No, no!" Salem brushed it off. "I mean, I do carry weapons for my job, yes, but the pipe isn't one of them! That's just because I like swinging around a lead pipe when I'm off running errands or messing around! It sends a message!" She stood up and slid her backpack off before running her hands down her sides and front to flatten out her clothes against her body. There were odd lumps and shapes visible as she did so to indicate several somethings strapped to her, and she grinned while Astrid's eyes got slightly wide. "I might be a human, but don't think for a second I'm hiding behind my Weavile to protect me."
Apparently, Amber overheard from her position chattering by the rails amongst Astrid's team, for a cry of "Vile!" escaped her as she looked over, accompanied by her claws flashing.
Astrid blinked, and Raijin gave a twitch. Maybe they couldn't tell exactly what she was carrying by the shapes alone, but they didn't exactly have soft, welcoming outlines, and even while she was moving, Astrid never would've guessed there was anything nefarious hidden under her clothes. Surely, flagrant lead pipe brandishing notwithstanding, getting into a fight with Salem was a bad, bad idea.
Nonetheless, the red-eyed woman slid back down against the wall, remarking, "So if anyone ever wants to start something, you just give me a call.~" She reached into her pocket. "Let's exchange contacts again, alright?"
Astrid nodded, reaching into her own pocket. "A-alright."
While they registered each other, Salem inquired, "And you said Arashi's here too, yeah?"
"M-hm," Astrid affirmed. "He's off, w-well… dismantling Team Star with some shady figure named Cassiopeia."
Salem looked up and locked gazes with her, mouth straight as a ruler but amusement in her eyes. "I'm sure I'll run into you both at some point so I can introduce myself again, but pass him my number if you want. He might need me to bust a few heads."
"Just promise me you won't put him in a headlock," Astrid said softly, saving Salem's info. At that, Salem started to grin. "I'm not Necrozma- I don't make empty promises I can't keep.~"
Astrid blushed. "A-ah, Salem, y-you…"
The red-eyed woman only chuckled some more, stowing her phone away and leaning against the lighthouse wall with one arm snaking around Astrid's shoulders. "Anyways, why don't you guys tell me about your goings-on and I'll tell you about mine~? I've busted a few heads and you guys have probably been up to wild stuff, too.~"
Astrid tensed up for a second at the gesture, thinking Salem was about to put her in another headlock, and Raijin eyed their company too like she might, but after a second, the shy girl took it for what it was and didn't protest. They did as Salem said, exchanging stories until the sun drifted below the horizon and Levincia's skyline turned into lights that flickered brighter than faraway stars in the night sky.
Author's Note
Azakael: It felt oddly good to write 'UB03-0067' again, hehehe. It brought me back to the days of staring at my Starstorm master document and going back and forth on whether or not to permanently axe Raijin after the grand head-busting, cable-melting scene… which, in the wild world of Azakael, is a twisted sign of affection. Funny enough, I had actually gone through several plans for Team Starstorm, as a trio, to encounter Salem again either around chapter 40 or right before the final Void fight, but those got scrapped for one reason or another so Salem and Raijin never actually ended up confronting each other. I suppose that's a bit odd in hindsight, but I'm still perfectly happy with what I ended up with (and that I didn't actually end up killing my high voltage tree boi after all bwahaha).
…One of these days, I'll get around to writing Starstorm 'postgame.' I have ideas, I just tend to want to sleep on things for quite some time before actually doing it.
Also, much like Tempest, Blu's behavior is taken from my own birds, specifically my feisty gremlin of a pigeon. She is convinced I am her mate and will delicately 'preen' my hands while also being prone to attacking everyone and everything that isn't me. I have come to accept that my role here is to give her something to be affectionate towards, lest she burn the world and everyone in it.
TheDragonSaver: I can confirm, her bird is crazy. Have to lock her up whenever I pop over to Azakael's house. Also Salem dropping some foreshadowing for things to come ;)