[PRP] Something in common

[Venti Mico]

Aija followed after, listening attentively. That kind of work seemed a little dangerous- or, actually, it seemed like it could be very dangerous. "Wow, that is a lot to do! It is big of you, volunteering for that- heheh, not intending pun. Your friends do this too? So there must be many people doing the volunteering... Team Rocket is big threat then, it seems. And you are helping to fight them! That is brave." Aija said, nodding. She knew of Team Rocket, though she hadn't given them a lot of thought before. They'd never been an issue for her, so why would she? But having a whole volunteer department just to deal with them, they must be worse than she'd guessed.

"I am not bored, no! Also, not dead! Tints, yes, that is him. I am sure he would not mind to battle, maybe just once though," Aija glanced down at the little Zorua, who blinked up at her in response. He'd see how he felt after one battle. "Performing, but not so much for contests! It is more like... gymnastics! We know some tricks, but it is mostly for fun."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Heh, I guess so," Dith shrugged, "I got caught up in it all accidentally at a contest they attacked and... well, I can't give up now, you know? It's got personal, and anyway I can't stand a bully. I hope not to have to do it forever though, one day we'll drive them out for good." Maybe. Well it was worth hoping right?

"I have even less familiarity with gymnastics than contests," he continued with a grin and a shake of his head; "I'm really not built for it, you know? It sounds like fun though; I enjoy physical things in general but ah, not anything that requires much in the way of grace. And, sure, just one battle is good by me! I can set the others in teams against one another afterwards." And he still needed to address the lack of balance on his team. One day he would get around to it, really he would.  

[Venti Mico]

"People who give up always lose," Aija nodded, "You must be very strong if you can keep fighting them! I would think, if there are enough people, one day you will be able to beat them. Especially with a lot of hard working people!"

Aija laughed, "It is not so much fun, gymnastics. I do not like it in traditional sense, but it is fun if you are not having huge expectations to be the best at it. You though, you might fall on your face and behind a lot," she said playfully. She was balanced and practiced in gymnastics and still ended up on her rear sometimes! "I am sorry I do not have stronger team, or bigger team! Perhaps another time, if I get more Pokemon, I will be able to be better opponent for you." Aija said hopefully; she didn't like to admit it, but she and her pokemon weren't that strong. She only had Tints, and he was obedient and well behaved, but he was her only pokemon and she didn't battle often.  

[TawnyAngel]

Humm, that didn't sound like so much fun at all. Pushy parent? Pushy coach? Probably something like that, and really who did that to a kid? If he'd ever had children - he still wished that could have worked out somehow, with someone - he certainly wouldn't have pressed what he wanted them to be on them!

"That doesn't sound fun," Dith replied sympathetically but was soon giving a wry smile and adding; "and I think that me falling over things, including my own feet, would be a guarantee. I am good at lifting things!" he flexed one enormous arm slightly, "but grace is not my forte to say the least.

"And you needn't apologise!" he added as they approached the cafeteria. "There's no obligation for anyone to go into battling just because they have a pokemon, or several pokemon even. They're partners, and friends; fighting is only something you should do if you and your pokemon both want to... and of course everyone has to start somewhere, nobody is tough just right off the bat."

Mmmmh, food! Whatever was cooking smelled excellent; Dith started scanning for a menu or menu board or something.  

[Venti Mico]

A pushy father had been one of the reasons Aija had left home. Sure, she fought against him at home too- but it was difficult to feel like she had any freedom when she had to argue with him over small things. Do this, do that, don't do that! As much as she loved her father, she couldn't stand being around him for very long.

The pink haired girl giggled, imagining Dith falling on his butt trying to do a somersault. "You are funny! But you know, I cannot do much lifting things! Most things that need lifting weigh more than me. See, perhaps we would make great team, I will do fancy jumps, you can lift the heavy things!" She laughed. What kind of team would need that kind of combination, she had no idea. But it'd be fun.

"You are right, yes. I think we would both like to battle more, but it is hard! I do not like to lose, and practicing means there will most likely be losing," she admitted, cheeks pink. "It is not so good for getting better." Aija would rather not enter into a battle she didn't stand a chance in, even if it gave her practice. With Dith she felt a little more comfortable, having some heritage in common, some kind of mutual understanding of where each other came from; still, she didn't want to lose against him.

The smell of food got Aija's attention as well; when the cafeteria came into view she scurried forward to see what they had. "I am thinking just sandwich for me." Aija said to Dith, her tummy growling at the sight of food. She could eat plenty more- she was a growing girl(that hadn't gotten an inch taller than when she was 11)! But right before practice, something light was best.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Sounds good to me!" Dith agreed. "Teams of people with different skills are much better than everyone being good at the same thing, right?" Mmmmh, fooood. It looked like they had baked potatoes ready to take with a variety of toppings... maybe that and a sandwich? "I take rather more fuelling that most," the gigantic man grinned as he took a tray and a plate, onto which he put a large potato, cheese, lots of chilli from a waiting covered pot, and a large mound of salad. Moving past the chiller part he grabbed a bottle of cola and a ham sandwich to go with it, pondering the packets of crisps on offer but settling on an orange instead given he'd already had cake today.

"I can understand not liking to lose," he said as he waited in line to pay, "but as you say, if you don't try things you might fail at you won't get better.... Humm, if you like though for a start Tint can just practice his moves on one of mine rather than having a full on battle? Luna mostly knows defensive moves, so he could have a good go at her without her being hurt by it." It would be a good start, right? He was no expert trainer himself but so far as he saw it getting fitter and honing skill with attacks had to be beneficial.  

[Venti Mico]

Aija looked at Dith and nodded, thinking he probably weighed at least twice her weight. You didn't get that tall eating like a rabbit! "Hm! Maybe if I eat more, I will get as big as you!" She teased, though a small part of her said yes, yes eat more, become a giant. Sadly, she wasn't sure it was possible for someone her age to grow much taller, if at all. Aija got her tray and followed after Dith, picking up a turkey sandwich, some sliced up fruit, and a bottle of orange juice. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a little woven, brown wallet, decorated on the edges with a red, white, and yellow pattern. After training maybe she'd come back and buy a muffin, she thought.

"I think that would be nice," Aija said, nodding. Tints was fast and agile, but not the most powerful. Practicing his moves might be best for now, maybe get some feedback from Dith as well. "Tints would like this too, I think! Not getting beat up first time we come here is great, hm?" She gave her Zorua a wink, who replied with a haughty squeak. "So for your volunteering, do you have to be quite strong? Strong enough with pokemon battling, and also as person, I would think."  

[TawnyAngel]

"I wouldn't advise it," Dith replied with a snort, "you will be forever hitting your head on things, and also clothes never fit! Still, I can always reach the top shelf and open jars so there is that trade off I suppose." He was happy enough in his own skin these days - other than the eye thing, which wasn't much fun - but he'd hated being so big as a teen... though as a teen he had been all skin and bones which hadn't helped matters of course.

At that point Dith reached the front of the queue, paid, and waited for Aija to pay too before turning away to find a table.

"And... well, I suppose so," he shrugged a bit as he spotted a free table, gestured to it and set off. "There's no need for you personally to be physically strong, but you do need to be fit. You need to be fairly confident with your pokemon though I suppose. I'm not sure if they have some kind of entry test for volunteers actually, I will have to find that out.... But yes, you definitely need some mental toughness." He gave another shrug, a slightly stiffer one. "Sometimes bad things happen, you know? It's not safe. Last time my friends and I were out in the desert trying to capture some rockets fleeing their destroyed base. We found them, fought them, and then one of the Rockets blew up the truck they were driving as they were making their escape, and two of my friends were badly hurt... So yes, there are certain risks you have to accept if you do join up."

The whole incident was emblazoned brightly across his memory, right up until the point when it all went blurry and faded out anyway. Luke, Dove, not knowing how close help might be or how bad the damage really was to his friends. The blackness where his field of vision to the right should have been, the hot wetness streaming down his face... and yet he was volunteering to risk it all again, they all were. He wished they wouldn't; if his friends gave up then perhaps he could excuse doing so himself.  

[Venti Mico]

"See, but this is much better than being down here! I cannot always reach even the first shelf!" She laughed, though whenever she couldn't manage to reach things she hated having to ask for help. She'd climb up the racks at grocery stores than get someone to help her. At least if she wore the right shoes, she managed to get to 5 feet tall.

Aija paid after Dith and hurried after him, plopping her tray on the table and sitting down. "It sounds like hard job, but you look like you are strong enough for it, having the toughnesss!" She nodded, glancing at his eye patch before unwrapping her sandwich and taking a bite. She couldn't imagine how it must have been to lose an eye, and dealing with an exploding car? Wow. Aija tried to keep a somewhat solemn expression as Dith spoke, not wanting to be rude and excited about his story. "Is definitely sounding like it has risks, but someone has to do it, yes? It is kind of like, you are the superheroes for the normal people! Do the hard, dangerous work, keep the people safe! I believe that is very admirable, of you and your friends."

Her line of work, at the pokemon daycare, hadn't been nearly as dangerous. Sure, she'd dealt with her share of unsociable, cranky pokemon, but nothing like exploding cars and chasing down criminals. She broke off a corner of her sandwich for Tints, then looked up at Dith again with a grin. "Maybe someday, they will make big movie about you and your friends!"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ha! Now that I like!" Dith couldn't help but grin both at the compliment and the hilarious idea of being a character in a movie, though obviously for different reasons. "They had better properly represent my hair," he said as he cut into his potato, "I don't want to have a buzz-cut or something!" And she was right, it was the right thing to do and they were all okay now bar some scars and - in his case - one eye. It could have been worse and... well, it was nice to have somebody react as Aija had that was all.  

[Venti Mico]

"Yes yes, the hair is very important! There would be big lawsuit if they do not do the hair right!" She giggled, the idea of him with a buzz-cut was so silly, even if she'd only met him. "The hair is very important, I can understand," she paused to tug at one of her braids, "They cannot be misrepresenting such things. Though, I wonder if they will be able to find actor that is tall enough!" Aija ut a hand to her chin, looking up at Dith and nodding, "Maybe they will hire short person like me, but put them on the things, the, um... the long sticks, they stand on them? The... stilts! Those!"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Very important," Dith agreed firmly, hair was important! Well it was to him, a part of his identity like his favourite drink was; not essential but something he would feel lacking without. "And they could hire a big wrestler or boxer," he continued, making a couple of light jabs at the air for emphasis. "Or, if not that, they can do really clever camera tricks these days. With that and some big shoes - or stilts! - I am sure they would manage."

The chilli, as it turned out, was rather good; Dith made a noise of appreciation and set to work on devouring it.  

[Venti Mico]

"A boxer! Definitely a boxer," Aija chirped, laughing at his little punching display. "It will be very good movie, maybe even people from Hollywood will make it. Lots of big, fancy effects, you will be international superstar! When it happens, you will have to invite me to movie premier, got it?" She teased cheerfully, opening her orange juice and taking a sip. With the help of a Zorua who was definitely fond of sharing lunch, finishing off her own lunch was easy. She felt more confident attempting a practice battle then too, though she was more interested seeing all of Dith's team in action than in trying to show off. She didn't get the opportunity to see more experienced trainers often!  

[TawnyAngel]

"Of course," Dith grinned, "least I can do, right?" It was good just to be silly sometimes. He always thought it was a shame when people said that they were too grown up to do that kind of thing and suspected that they either didn't really mean it but felt they should mean it, or were seriously miserable.

"I used to do a lot of boxing," the large man commented after a bite of potato, "so I suppose it would be kind of fitting too, right?" Maybe he should take it up again, as in against other people not just the exercises.... Oh who was he kidding, that wasn't going to do him any good! Maybe he should just learn to handle a gun like Dove had, no matter how much the idea made his skin crawl.  

[Venti Mico]

"Ah! You did? Really?" Aija sat up straighter and leaned in, eyes wide, "That is amazing! I see it, you have right build for boxing! Bet you were best guy around!" She marveled, "It would be most fitting! Did you have your hair long when you did boxing?" She imagined Dith as he was now in the ring, punching out an opponent in one blow- he must have been amazing! "I would much rather learn boxing than gymnastics, much more useful, more punching, less spinning! Maybe you can teach me some things? What is it called, the 'good old one and two'?"