Chapter 9
Friendly Clashing


"Hey Snivy?" I ask, floating on my back in the middle of the pond.

"Sup?" they reply, also floating.

"What happens with names when there are two pokemon of the same species? Like, how do people know which one you're talking about?"

"Oh, that's what nicknames are for! I have two older siblings, both Servine. To tell them apart, they decided to have their nicknames be Red and Blue, after their favorite colors."

"Ah, that makes sense. What about when you evolve? What's your favorite color?"

"Oh, well, my favorite color is also red, but..."

"So maybe I should start calling you Red then?"

"Nope, no way, not happening, never. I am not gonna be called by their name."

"Okay then... Oh yeah, so, can't I just have my nickname be Jamie then?"

Snivy grins. "No."

"And why is that?"

"Two reasons. First, what kind of nickname is 'Jamie'? That's not even a word, just some nonsense string of sounds. Second, do you see any other Mudkip around here? Because if not, then there's no need for a nickname. Simple as that."

"Can't I just have one anyway? Like, for fun? Or, I don't know, out of basic respect for my wishes?"

"Sorry Mudkip, I don't make the rules~"

"I didn't think it was your style to follow rules so obediently."

Snivy opens their mouth to respond, but stops. "... Touché."

"Anyway, I think we should get moving again." I swim to the shore and start collecting my bags.

"Uuugh, but we've already walked for hours! Can't we just stay in this pond and relax a little longer?"

"Aw, come on, where did your sense of adventure go? Wouldn't it be boring to just stay here? Don't you want to find that new mystery dungeon?"

"Uuuuuugh, touché." Snivy reluctantly joins me at the shore, and we get moving.

We continue North in our search for the dungeon. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it might be; I knew the Enchanted Forest was, well, a forest, but all I know about this one is that it's... blue? "Hey Snivy, what can mystery dungeons be? Like, Circuit Cavern was a cave, and we just got through a forest dungeon. Can mystery dungeons just be any space of land?"

"Pretty much, yeah; a cave, a forest, a mountain path, I've even heard of a dungeon that was practically just an open plain. But usually it keeps you on a path somehow; tunnels, dense vegetation, rough terrain, or even just super thick fog. Something that makes you stay on the path."

"That's weird. Why do they do that?"

"Because that's the way these things work, that's why."

"You're really satisfied not knowing why?"

"It doesn't matter why! You really need to let go and stop asking that, or you'll never learn to enjoy exploring dungeons."

Well that was disappointing in multiple ways. I still have no idea what the blue dungeon might be, considering it could be literally anything. I'll just have to look out for blue.

The rest of the day passes uneventfully; we keep walking, with frequent breaks to rest, eat, and play. We run into a river that conveniently heads North, so we decide to follow it. As the sun sets, we find ourselves on a cliff that overlooks a lake, and after enjoying the view for a bit, we start setting up camp.

After eating dinner, we decide to do some sparring so I can get some practice fighting. Snivy decides not to use their vines for the sake of fairness, but even then I don't do very well; if we were competing, I would be losing. Fortunately, pokemon are very durable. Unfortunately, I'm now getting very familiar with that fact. Despite all that, its good practice.

But good practice is tiring, so now I'm lying down, and the grass feels really comfy. After a minute of rest, I'm tapped on the shoulder, and I open my eyes to find Snivy presenting a water bottle. "Need some water?"

"Yeah, thanks." I take a long drink from the bottle. How does Snivy manage to keep going like this? Is it some kind of dark magic that siphons the life energy of the planet to let them keep playing all day? It's not fair. After my drink, I get up and- "Whoa, when did it get so dark?"

"Huh? Oh wow, you're right! Hm... no stars quite yet. You up for one more round?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Sweet! Oh, and I was thinking I could use my vines this time. You know, for better practice."

"I don't know, I've gotten hit by a super effective attack before and I'd rather not repeat the experience."

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. If you only get practice against regular attacks, you won't be very prepared."

"Alright, fine. Let's get started."

As we'd done before, we take a few steps back and Snivy starts the countdown. On zero, I open with a water gun, which Snivy easily sidesteps. They leap into the air, ready to crash onto me, but I lunge forward and avoid it. But as I turn to face Snivy, a vine suddenly smacks me on the head!

The impact isn't very strong, yet I cringe from the pain shooting through me. It felt like a full-strength hit even though Snivy was clearly holding back. "Don't look away from your opponent!" Snivy reminds me. I'll be sure not to make that mistake again.

Snivy rushes at me with a tail swipe, but I step back, and they end up off balance. I punish it with a tackle, knocking them away, then follow up with a water gun and land a direct hit! Snivy springs back up, unfazed, and charges with their vines ready.

I barely manage to sidestep the strikes; the first grazes me, the second I avoid, but the third catches my foreleg, and I fall to the ground. I get up as fast as possible, but not fast enough, as a strike from Snivy's tail sends me tumbling.

As I recover and stand, I see Snivy leap into the air, readying their tail for another strike. I lunge forward to avoid it- Wait no! I made that mistake again! My mind races as I hear Snivy land behind me. They'll try to attack like last time, maybe I can use that as an opening? If I can attack behind me... Got it!

Instinct takes over, and I dig my hind legs into the ground and kick with all my might, sending a spray of mud and dirt into Snivy's face! As Snivy stumbles back and wipes their eyes, I take advantage and charge forward, landing a headbutt that sends Snivy rolling!

A hit like that usually signals the end of a fight. I walk over and offer a hand, er, foreleg. "You okay?"

Snivy grabs my arm, and I help them up. "Yeah. I've fallen down stairs that hit harder than that."

"Ah yes, one of the three most vicious weapons; swords, spears, and stairs."

"They all start with 's' too. It's a conspiracy; they were presented as innocent architecture, but their true purpose is to spread violence and suffering, sneaking a deadly weapon into every building."

"And now that they're so common, people let their guard down around them, and never expect such a convenience to hold such malice. It's the perfect crime."

"Precisely. Anyway, what was that back there? Did you just learn a new move?"

"Huh? I just kicked some mud..." And yet it felt like something more. I try again, kicking backward and watching a blast of mud erupt from the ground! It feels so powerful, and between that and the fact that there's mud even though the ground isn't wet, I think this is a special move. "Huh. I guess I learned mud-slap."

"Talk about fighting dirty! Speaking of, could I get a water gun here? You kinda covered me in mud."

"Oh yeah, sure."

After cleaning off Snivy, they fall to the ground, laying on their back and staring at the sky.

"Are you gonna sleep out here, or did we set up the tent for a reason?"

"Yeah, yeah, just gimme a minute. It's been too long since I've done some stargazing. Wanna join me?" Snivy pats a spot on the grass beside them.

"Um... Sure, that sounds nice." I'm exhausted, the stars look pretty, and the grass feels comfier than ever beneath my feet. I lay down beside Snivy-

PPPPFFFFFFFFTTTTT!!

I reach underneath me and stare in awe at the whoopee cushion I find. "When did you even have time to set this up??"

"Heh heh heh, a master prankster never reveals their secrets!"

"Sheesh, you're such a weirdo."

"Thanks! Anyway, how about those stars? You have seen the stars before, right?"

"Yeah, we have stars on Earth too. Though, these look... different." Maybe it's just the lack of light pollution, but the night sky seems brighter here, and more colorful. I let myself get lost in the starlight, staring even as I talk. "Is it always like this? The night sky?"

"Well, unless there's clouds in the way. Back home, I used to sneak out of my room at night all the time to just lay on the grass and stare. And I usually didn't even get caught!"

I let out a chuckle, but actually that reminds me. "By the way, how old are you?"

"13 and a half."

"Wait, what?! But I'm 13!"

"Really? Cool, we're twins!"

"No, that's not the issue here!"

"What? Are you mad 'cause I'm older than you by a few months~?"

"No, I mean if you're 13, then how are you still this immature?!"

Snivy falls silent for a few seconds, their gaze dropping to the ground. "I'm going to bed now." They get up and start toward the tent.

"Huh? Wait, what's wrong? Snivy?" But they don't react, and just continue to plod over to the tent before disappearing inside. Well that was... unexpected. And tonight was going so well, too. I'll wait a bit before going to bed; Snivy seems like they might want some alone time.

For now, at least I can stare at the stars awhile.




Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, and critiques are encouraged and appreciated!