[FIN] Ladies of the--cold!--Lake

[Tori Honoo]

"Finally!" Dove exclaimed, all but throwing herself out of the mass of trees toward the edge of the lake. She sighed in relief as she turned her face up to the sun, basking in it for a moment; after being lost in that forest for as long as they had been, she couldn't care less that exposure to UV rays might cause premature wrinkles. The forest had been cold and hard to navigate... and empty, aside from the few wild pokemon they had encountered.

She shook her head, pushing her hair back over her shoulder and kneeling to dig into her bag for something to eat for herself and for her pokemon. Once that was done, she pulled at the first two pokeballs on her belt, releasing both Lovey and Sparky, laughing as Lovey immediately tackled her onto her back. Sparky sat by protectively, grinning at his two charges.

"Think you can give us a little warmth, Sparky?" the trainer asked, smiling as the typhlosion nodded and craned its neck, flames erupting around its shoulders. She smiled and patted its head, careful to avoid the now-controlled flames. "Thanks, friend..."

As his trainer looked through her bag to divvy up the food for the team and pull out her map for reference, the fire type curled next to her, keeping both her and the little eevee warm as he watched their surroundings carefully, wary of anything that moved.

"So... This looks like Elemi lake, I guess... I just don't know which side of it we're on..." the young woman admitted, brows knit in concern and concentration.

Sparky sighed and closed his eyes. His Dove never had been great with directions... at least they now had time to rest and stretch.  

[Tymiko]

"Hello?" a voice called from the water. A girl's head peered out above the lake surface and watched Tori with curiosity. "What'cha doing?" Moments later, a second head - this one belonging to a Vaporeon - emerged with a small Remoraid between its jaws.

The girl glanced over at him. "Oh, nice job, Fathom!" She turned back toward the trees, directing her attention to a small bunch of bushes by the base of one near the edge of the lake. "Distance! Your daddy brought you dinner!"

A purplish dark little eevee came darting out of the foliage with a travelling bag around her furry neck. "Eevee eve!" she called happily, hopping about the shore as her father emerged onto land and dropped the flopping Remoraid at her feet. She sniffed at it a bit before jumping back, the tail of the fish pokemon slapping the air.

Tymiko laughed as she waded into the shallower end of the lake, but did not yet step onto dry land. "Don't worry, Distance. We're going to cook it first."  

[Tori Honoo]

Sparky opened his eyes at the voice, growling a soft warning growl to Dove even before the younger trainer spoke out. He had seen this one before, he thought as he watched the girl and her pokemon clamber up onto the shore. As he could recall, they hadn't been a threat at all, though he still spared an extra glance at the vaporeon; water-type pokemon always held him on edge, even if they were friendly.

"Tymiko?!" Dove called, rising to her feet. "Are you crazy? What are you doing in the lake? It's freezing out here!!! she cried, jogging over to meet her at the water's edge. She knew the other trainer was young, but to be swimming in a lake in the middle of winter! And with her head under the water, even! "Come over here and warm up! Turning to Sparky, she added, "Could you start a fire for us? A big one?"

With a nod, the large Typhlosion rose to its feet and started back to the edge of the forest to gather some larger logs and twigs for kindling, glancing back every so often at his friends.

Lovey, now aware of the the other eevee's presence, scrambled to her feet and raced toward Distance, calling excitedly to her friend. "Eeeeve! Eve eeeeeeeve!!!!!  

[Tymiko]

The young girl blinked at the young woman a couple of times before laughing aloud. "I asked you what you were doing first, silly! No fair!" She playfully splashed some water in Tori's direction, though the spray of water was more of a gesture. The droplets came nowhere near reaching the other trainer and her pokemon.

Fathom had noticed Sparky, too, which was one of the reasons he had left the water rather than tossed the fish onto dry land and gone back for more. He didn't feel comfortable leaving his little kit alone for long, particularly not with so large a pokemon nearby, and although its trainer seemed to know his, he wasn't at all familiar with either Dove or Sparky. He eyed the fire-type warily, knowing how Ty felt about fire, and seated himself so that he was facing Distance, placing himself between her and the Typhlosion with his back to the latter.

"Maybe I am a little crazy, but I'm just taking a swim," the water trainer assured Dove, shrugging with a giggle. "Don't even non-crazy people go swimming every now and then? And the water's not so bad once you get used to it. It's refreshing!" Cold water wasn't much of a hindrance to someone who spent the majority of their time outdoors. Even if winter wasn't the best season to go for a swim, as a child, Tymiko wasn't too concerned about what was practical or bad for her over what seemed like fun.

"U-uh, that's okay," she said, shivering a little as a small breeze blew against her exposed skin above the water. "I think I'll stay in here a little longer..." She watched anxiously as the fire-type pokemon began to gather wood to burn.

Distance, meanwhile, was curiously peeping around the edge of her father's profile. When she caught sight of the other eevee, she hopped up with delight and responded with a happy yip, wagging her star-speckled tail. "Eeevee Vee!"  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove opened her mouth to tell the girl to get out of the water, but bit back her tongue with a soft giggle, not wanting to sound like a worried mother. "I'm taking a breather after being trapped in that forest all day... and night." she smiled, stepping closer to the water's edge. "You know you'll get sick if you stay in there too long..."she added afterward, allowing obvious concern. "And where would that leave you, in the midst of all your adventures?"

Lovey, paying little attention to Fathom or Ty, leapt over the other eevee, yapping happily as she landed and rolled onto her back, legs wagging in the air as she waited for Distance to play with her.

At Tymiko and her pokemon's uneasy look toward her Typhlosion, Dove turned halfway back to watch his progress. The fire type had succeeded in finding a few larger logs and was now bringing them back to make a pile a few yards from the water--nothing to worry about. The model glanced at Fathom, tipping her head at his stance between his kit and the larger creature...

"You guys... haven't met Sparky, have you?" She shook her head, smiling and waving her hands to gesture no harm. "He just got sent back to me, from home. My...family didn't want me traveling without him. He's pretty powerful, but he won't hurt you! Promise." Though the pokemon looked rather intimidating, Sparky wouldn't attack unless seriously provoked.  

[Tymiko]

"Trapped?" the water trainer repeated, sounding surprised. "What's got you trapped?" At the suggestion that she might get sick, Tymiko laughed and waved a hand. "Don't worry about me. I don't get sick that easily." She ducked her head down under the water once more before coming up for air a few feet away.

Fathom watched the two young pokemon play together with a certain fondness, happy that his daughter had someone else her age to have fun with. Distance, for her part, was enjoying herself immensely. She pawed at Lovey and jumped away, crouching down on her front legs with her tail up in the air. she happily yipped.

the Vaporeon remarked with mock resentment.

Distance giggled, but otherwise made no response to Fathom. she eagerly asked the other normal-type.

"Um...no, I don't think so," Tymiko replied to Tori's question, eyeing the Typhlosion skeptically. "Sorry, Tori...it's not his size. I'm just not all that comfortable around fire-types. I never know when they'll flare up."  

[Tori Honoo]

"I...don't quite now my way around yet." she sighed, watching with fond concern as the younger girl continued to swim. It had to be under freezing here... She was honestly surprised that parts of the lake weren't frozen.

Lovey paused near the water's edge, nodding to the vaporeon politely before addressing his daughter again. she wuffed softly, tipping her head back to the larger water evolution in amusement.

Though Lovey was smaller than most eevee, and certainly just as playful, she was older. Matching the pose the kit held, and grinning once to the water type, the older eevee winked. She hoped Fathom wouldn't mind her soft jest.

Sparky did have Dove well under watch, though he continued simply stacking the logs and timbre, stepping back a few paces before setting them ablaze with a controlled burst of flame once they were arranged to his liking.

Dove glanced back at the sudden flare, then looked back to Ty for her reaction. "S-Sorry!" she called, alarmed and worried the girl would panic. "Thanks, Sparky... Can you tone it down a little now...? No one here is in danger. Ty is a friend."

With a slight tip of his head, the typhlosion dulled the flames at his neck, eyeing both the vaporeon and its trainer. The little human was scared of him... wasn't she? Quietly, he sat next to the fire, lying along his long belly and touching his chin to the ground as if to make himself as small as possible... and still be able to watch the other pokemon. Just in case.  

[Tymiko]

"Oh, so you're loooost," Ty answered understandingly. "Yeah, it's easy to get lost in forests if you don't know your way around."

Distance asked, tilting her head in confusion. Glancing at her own fur, she commented, the purplish Eevee chattered.

In response to Lovey, Fathom smiled amicably and lay himself down on the soft, loose, sandy soil of the shore. He relaxed as Distance listened attentively to Lovey. she inquired, feeling like she had missed something.

She paused. Distance's tail wagged excitedly. do you do, then? Just play with your trainer all day?>

the Vaporeon responded lazily, stretching himself out and closing his eyes.

At the burst of flame from Sparky, Distance jumped and Fathom sat up, wet fur bristling. Tymiko's eyes were wide and she involuntarily shrunk back farther into the water. Despite Dove's words to her pokemon, the girl dove back under the lake surface. As long as she kept her body moving, she figured she would keep warm enough. The foolish child planned to stay all night in the lake if she had to.

Fathom, meanwhile, was watching Sparky. He noticed the large pokemon's attempt to make himself seem smaller. Getting up, the Vaporeon slowly padded his way over to the fire and settled himself comfortably. he told the other male.  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove sighed and looked up into the sky, unable to contain a surrendering laugh. "Alright, alright. So I'm lost."

Lovey shook her head, laughing in small yips. The pokemon stopped a moment, tipping her head, to the side to think. she winked, amused at the younger pokemon's rapt attention.

She craned her neck to look over to Dove; the girl certainly had a lot on her mind and it was the least she could do to at least try to be good company...

When the others jumped in reaction to Sparky's fire, Lovey, tipped her head, then watched Fathom rise to go talk with him and sighed. Her ears drooped as the fire type sunk to the ground in resignation. she told the kit.

The trainer's shoulders drooped as Tymiko dove back into the water. This wouldn't do... the girl needed to get out and warm herself before she caught a cold or worse. After a quick sweep of the shoreline to locate her team, she stepped closer to the water, looking for the girl to break the surface again. If needed-- as much as she hated to contain him-- she could call Sparky back. He was probably tired from following her all day, anyway... "Ty? Tymikoooo...."

Sparky lifted his head and tensed a little as Fathom approached, though he remained lying by the fire he had built for his trainer and Lovey. He nodded once in greeting as the vaporeon settled himself close by. he noted, voice smooth and cool. Still, it didn't help that the girl didn't seem to want to get out of the water. Sparky knew Dove wouldn't want the younger human getting sick... His trainer had strong maternal instincts...

He looked to the vaporeon once more, then over to Lovey and Distance, looking for a more sturdy, less personal conversational piece.  

[Tymiko]

Distance wanted to know. have to anyway, right?> She neared the fire and her father, starting to like idea of the blazing heat to keep the chill away. she said finally.

the younger Eevee told Lovey when Sparky was mentioned. she teased.

The Vaporeon remarked fondly, watching the pair of Eevee. He laughed uncertainly at the Typhlosion's words. <'Poses no threat', mm...?> he repeated thoughtfully. His playfulness faded. Fathom's tone became more serious than ever.

he reaffirmed. He still remembered when Distance was still an egg and he had worried for his baby's saftey. His trainer had almost smashed it in her rage, and though he knew she probably hadn't meant any harm toward Distance...the idea was still frightening.

"RAWR!" the water trainer cried, bursting out of the woods from behind Tori. She had taken the time to slink into the water in order to come up on a darker edge of shore and take the long way around. It seemed she had gone out of her way specifically to surprise the young lady.  

[Tori Honoo]

" Lovey replied.

When Distance giggled about her age and made a tease towards Sparky's name, Lovey shook her head, yipping once in a laugh of her own. she said, moving to lie down closer to the fire. Once comfortable, she looked over to the kit, nodding for her to come curl up by her as they waited for their trainers to come back.

Sparky huffed softly in amusement, still watching the small kit. Of course the child didn't pose any threat to his trainer--she was a child. When the vaporeon mentioned emotional problems, however, the fire type grew more solemn. Interesting, he thought, looking around for the girl.

When asked if he would harm a child, Sparky drew back, looking over to his own trainer. He looked back to the other pokemon, interested.

Though the typhlosion seemed to be enjoying his conversation with Fathom, the moment he heard Ty's cry, he turned sharply, the flames on his back rising once more.

Dove simply jumped, laughing as she realized what had startled her. "You silly girl! How did you do that?"

Though Sparky watched the two carefully, he relaxed again, the flames dying down slowly.  

[Tymiko]

Fathom watched Sparky, his ear twitching a bit at the Typhlosion's response. It didn't seem to be the one he thought appropriate. he tried again. the Vaporeon shouted, interrupting his own sentence,

The baby eevee had come closer to the fire like her father and Lovey, but instead of settling down near it, she pawed at it instead. It was rare she ever got to encounter such a phenomenon, let alone be close enough to feel and touch it. She swiped a paw through it, but it was too fast for her to feel anything. Before she could try again, though, Fathom had grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and carried her toward the other side of the camp fire.

he told her, wrapping her tightly with his tail so she couldn't escape. As the Eevee fidgeted and complained loudly under the weight of his heavy tail, he looked across the fire at Dove's pokemon. Maybe he hadn't gotten finished explaining to Sparky what he had meant, but he wasn't really certain how to go about explaining it anyway. This was probably just as well. With luck, neither the fire-type nor Dove or the rest of her team would have to know.

Distance protested loudly, whining for all she was worth.

Fathom suggested. is pretty late. Finish your supper for now. You can play later.> It was tough being a single parent, but at least he only had one of his four kids to keep an eye on.

When Sparky spoke up again, Fathom's earfins perked and he offered a half-grin in reply. child, or a human in general? I didn't make you out to be such a pacifist.> He cocked his head.

The water trainer, for her part, whipped around to stare down Sparky when his flames flared up. She didn't make a sound; not to Dove or otherwise. After about half a minute, Tymiko darted for her travelling bag and quickly scaled the tree it had sat under. She removed a towel from it with which to dry herself off, ignoring the fish that Fathom had caught.

The Vaporeon sighed and got up to fetch it, freeing Distance for the time being. If his trainer wasn't going to cook it, someone might as well do so. He picked up the fish in his mouth and went back to toss it near the camp fire.  

[Tori Honoo]

Sparky's eyes trailed the girl as she climbed the tree, his gaze firm. <...I would not hesitate to harm your trainer if she were to become so much of a threat to Dove.> he answered the vaporeon firmly. Though his learned instincts would lead him to try to stop the girl more gently at first, the typhlosion knew that if there were no other choice, he would not hesitate to harm that which might hurt his trainer. He continued to watch the girl in the tree, even as Dove moved closer to its base, her expression that of concern.

"Ty..?" she called, leaning on the trunk to look up into its branches. "Tymiko, are you alright? Sparky was just playing. I promise he won't hurt you... come down and have something to eat..."

The model sighed, glancing back at her protector. Though she again thought of calling him back, she couldn't bring herself to act; it wouldn't be fair to him, nor would it set her very much more at ease, being in the open with no fighter at her side. She looked up the tree again, silently begging for Tymiko to respond.

Lovey watched as Fathom moved away, then rose to step between the smaller eevee and the fire, just in case the young kit got any ideas while her father was tending to their dinner. She lay down quietly, nodding to invite the other to snuggle against her side, if she wished to.  

[Kitomyx]

Fathom replied quietly, as if concerned that Distance might overhear and get curious.

Tymiko did not look at Dove. Instead, she had her head craned back so that she was gazing directly up at the darkened sky. "Look at the stars coming out," she spoke in low tones. "They're so beautiful...as always. But it's always nicer to see them away from the city lights, wouldn't you agree?" She didn't budge an inch.

Distance looked at Lovey. she wanted to know.

Fathom interrupted, eyes on Dove, Ridiculous human girl, drifting into daydreams during the least opportune moments.  

[Tori Honoo]

Sparky sat silently, seeming to ignore the vaporeon, though his words rang clear. Had he been speaking of his own trainer or of Dove? Either way, the fire-type's eyes remained on his own mistress as she continued to worry over the girl.

The younger trainer's response puzzled the young woman, so much so that she stepped back, taking her hands from the bark of the tree as she glanced to the open sky and back. "I suppose so..." she said, just loud enough for the other girl to hear. "Aren't they always, though?"

Lovey shook her head at Distance, rising to her paws. she explained gently, nudging the kit away from the dancing flames with her nose as she padded past.

The older eevee sighed, making her way to stand next to Fathom. she told him, tilting her head at her trainer, before looking back to the kit behind her to make sure she wasn't disobeying her warning.