[PRP] Over the River...

[BlackFireKitsune]

Nerius was trotting along at a decent pace, getting further away from the pair of humans as he went, and that, coupled with his heightened sense of hearing, made him the first to hear the distressed sounds. He immediately paused, his head fins splaying as he listened, then took off like a shot in the direction from whence they came.

Inigo had been content to go at a leisurely pace, but when his Vaporeon suddenly stopped, looked alert, then bolted in roughly the same direction they were already headed, he paused briefly. "Whoa," he said, brows raised. "I haven't seen him run that fast before.." He said with a frown as he continued, his pace quickening a bit. The sounds finally reached his ears, and he quickly turned to the young girl beside him. "D'you hear that?" The splashing caught his attention more than the crying, and despite the fact it meant water, he found it in him to start moving as quickly as he could towards the source of the noise.

As soon as Nerius broke through into the clearing, his dark gaze zeroed in on the Eevee, and he dashed over to the pond and surged in, swimming towards the normal-type as fast as he could. Though Inigo emerged a few seconds later, he couldn't bring himself any closer than a good 12 or so feet from the water, where he halted and watched on anxiously. "You said he was a Vaporeon, right?" That was an Eevee, not a Vaporeon...  

[lZAYA ORlHARA]

Tymiko, surprised at Inigo's remark, frowned and hurried after the other Vaporeon. Her eyes widened as the young man brought the sounds of distress to her attention. "Oh no...Distance?" She had been so concerned about Fathom having run off, she didn't even stop to consider that Distance might have not been in her pokeball either!

Coughing and sputtering, the purple-hued Eevee squeaked in surprise at the appearance of the unfamiliar water-type before slipping under the surface once again.

"Yeah, but I have an Eevee also. I didn't know she was missing too!" the girl answered, concerned. She looked about a bit before spotting Nerius going after the flailing normal-type. "Oh, Distance!"

Just then a second Vaporeon materialized from the water and snatched the Eevee by the scruff of her neck fur, watching Nerius inquiringly with his pale eyes.

"Fathom!" Tymiko called, jumping into the water to join the three pokemon. "There you are! I was worried sick, you guys! Thank you, Nerius!" She reached for the Eevee, who Fathom hesitantly released to Ty's care before glancing to Inigo on shore. Then he turned back to Nerius.

he wanted to know. Fathom might have expected his trainer to have come looking for him, but who were these other people?

Distance, meanwhile, was wet but alive and happier than she had been a few seconds ago. As she caught sight of Inigo, however, she yipped and barked to get his attention, happy to see him. That was the boy under the sheet! She remembered him from the Halloween party just this past year. Did he remember her?  

[BlackFireKitsune]

While Tymiko ran in to join the pair of water-types and the single normal-type, Inigo stayed rooted to his spot, not wanting to get any closer. If he weren't so focused on the fact that there was a dangerous, probably lethal, bottomless pond in front of him, he might've contemplated the fact that the girl had barely even thought of a small Eevee that might have trouble caring for itself, unlike an evolution. He also might've remembered the Eevee, too.

When the unfamiliar Vaporeon picked up the Eevee - Distance, it seemed - Nerius was content with the outcomes of both problems. Vaporeon found, Eevee saved. All was well now. His head fins perked at the other water-type's question, and he offered a vaguely bemused smile. he explained, he finished in positive tones.  

[Tymiko]

Fathom apologized. he explained.

Tymiko brought the wet little eevee to shore and set her down, allowing her to run to Inigo. "Have you two met before, your Majesty?" she asked with a curious smile. At least until she noticed the state Inigo was in. "...Inigo?"

Distance sat at the young man's feet, barking at him in concern. "Eevee eve!" Pawing at his leg, she tried to get his attention.

Fathom, catching on to the source of his daughter's and trainer's worries, glanced to shore. <...Is something wrong with your trainer?> he asked Nerius.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Nerius offered a flick of one headfin in a vague shrug since they remained in the water for now, not that he minded in the slightest.

"Ah," Inigo started very uncertainly, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the water and to Tymiko and the Eevee at his feet. "Ah, yeah, I'm fine," he said - though it was a lie, he didn't intend for it to be, because if he said it and willed it, perhaps it would make it true. It was quite obvious that he wasn't alright; his face had paled a little and his entire body was tense. Thankfully, though, both Tymiko and Distance had startled him out of his reverie enough to make him back up a few paces before he knelt down to rest a slightly shaky hand on the wet Eevee to ask, "You okay?"

Nerius turned his head to look back at the shore, though he didn't see much beyond his trainer kneeling down. the water-type explained as he turned to look back at Fathom.  

[Tymiko]

"...You don't look fine," the girl told him, sounding concerned as she got out of the water and fetched a towel to dry both herself and Distance off. She recognized the signs, but she couldn't be entirely sure about the reasoning behind them.

In response to his question, Distance pressed herself against him affectionately, sopping wet fur and all. Ty came over to the pair to rub the Eevee down with the towel and sit beside Inigo. She peered into his face inquisitively. "Want to talk about it?" she asked.

Fathom answered, his own earfins wilting. Tymiko was afraid of fire, but that hadn't made her change him into a Flareon.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Inigo shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, instead petting the soaking wet Eevee until Ty moved to dry her off. "Ah," he hesitated, moving to sit down as well, "not really..."

the Vaporeon said, then frowned lightly as he debated how best to phrase an explanation. he explained, hoping that it made sense.