[RP]Thanks Kibby!

It was anything but a quiet day in Brookfell, with the arrival of spring came their tradition, one that Haku has only gleamed a few times in his life. He was from Rivertide with colorful festivals and almost child-like nature play with water balloons and the like. Here their festival was much different and a bit more violent than chucking a balloon at one another. He soon found himself at such an arena.

Boisterous sound of hooves beat against the ground, the crowd cheered loudly for the runners that entered into the rings to take on the Tauros they had. The festivity wasn’t one Haku enjoyed too much - mostly for the fact he felt bad for the Tauros being ‘tormented’ so to speak by humans. He sighed and turned his eyes down to Kazame, the small Torkoal/Shurtle hybrid he had with him. “I should pick you up before someone steps on you.” He was quick to whisk the small turtle up into his arms, turning his eyes back onto the ring. He wasn’t close enough to see anyone inside, but he could enjoy it to a degree. 

“It must be good for the pokemon to get out its anger and frustration,” he noted, knowing only his pokemon could understand him, but that was enough for him. “Shall we go watch?” Kazame gave a slow, but wary nod, what were the humans making so much noise about?

Haku walked up to the crowd, finding a spot where there was room so he could get a look down in the ring. It looked like the Paldean Tauros to him, or perhaps it was a fusion of both breeds - which would be very terrifying! It looked pissed, puffing out air and kicking up a small dust cloud as it did so. It took off, and Haku lightly gripped Kazame a little tighter. It was always scary when it took off at a charge, and seemed to only get faster the longer it could run without needing to turn or stop. 

“I wonder if anyone’s been injured by now? Surely those who challenge the Tauros don’t end up too scarred,” he grumbled.

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Gabriel always looked forward to spring. Brookfell was a nightmare in the winter, not just because of the sandstorms that plagued the city, but because of everyone's attitudes. Springtime came round and everyone let loose a little, coming out of their little hovels and reintegrating back into society as things stabilized a little. The bull runs were no different, the hundreds of Tauros let loose in the lower rings of the old mine to stampede through the city on set courses, chasing down anyone brave enough to jump onto the track. For once the people of Brookfell could get all their pent up aggression out by running for their lives, and the pokemon got some of their energy out by chasing trainers and pokemon around - a win win!

Gabriel was sat atop Kibby, towering over much of the crowds as they watched wave after wave of Tauros run past, trainers running around and either darting into or out of their path as they tested their bravery. Sometimes it was a bloody affair, and Gabriel sipped his fizzy drink, chuckling as he watched someone get thrown out of the course and back into the crowd. A collective 'ooooh' echod out as onlookers helped the man up, sending him off to the medical tents set up around the rings for attention. 

"Fool," Gabriel said under his breath with a smirk, leaning forward to prop his head in his hand as he watched some others walking towards the edge of the course. They looked like they were up to no good, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes as he watched them. Sure enough, once they got close enough they pushed the people nearest the barrier, shoving them onto the course just as another stampede of Tauros rounded the corner. The practice wasn't entirely unknown, people being dicks even while everyone was having a good time, and Gabriel rolled his eyes as those who'd been pushed cursed and shouted, scrambling back off the course just in time to avoid being trampled. 

"This is why you're here," Gabe said down to Kibby, patting the Synthenine's big head, who just purred in response. No one could push him in if he was on his pokemon, and he had no intention of getting down. 

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Haku had come to realize being in Brookfell was never an easy task, catching the sound of those scuffling due to being pushed in the path and the Tauros that stampeded through, barely missing those lucky to scramble back in. He was worried about having brought Kazame with him, he did have the little turtle’s pokeball, but there was also the risk of him losing it and the pokeball getting destroyed. Both options had pros and cons. He looked around the crowd, to see if anyone he knew was around, the only thing he saw was a pokemon he thought he somewhat recognized. The large Sanyatto hybrid.

Haku was about to walk in the direction of Kibby, noticing the owner was with the fusion, he could properly introduce Kibby to Kazame instead of Temaki, he was sure the little Tatsugiri was not happy with meeting a feline pokemon. He trudged through a few members of the crowd, it wasn’t easy to try not to push anyone and just move around them, but Haku did make a mistake, when he maneuvered around one group, his shoulder caught theirs, jerking them by accident.

He was quick to try and apologize, to try and keep moving - he has learned a bit better than to stand there and try to help someone understand it was an accident, but the group didn’t seem to be having it. Being grabbed, he narrowed his gaze toward him, almost feeling nauseous - either from the feeling he gained from them or perhaps it was a stench, he could pin-point. Unfortunately, he dropped Kazame as the next thing he realized, he was on the path of the Tauros and blocked from scrambling back to the crowd.

Kazame, having been dropped to the floor and lucky on all fours instead of on his shell moved quickly - thanks to being a one-stage pokemon, his shell wasn’t too heavy, he could move quicker. He was easier to maneuver around and timidly was at the large pokemons’ heels his trainer was going toward. Nervously he bumped his head against the creature’s large leg, speaking to it, since Trainers could not hear them. C-Can you help? M-My Trainer, Kazame did his best to crane his neck to show. Got pushed into the Tauros ring!

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Gabriel was honestly growing a little bored with the events occurring, debating whether or not he should leave the bull run and look for some of the more isolated parties happening further down in the mines. He knew there'd be something exciting going on, or at least good drink to partake in, and it would probably beat sitting here watching people get trampled, or nearly trampled, by Tauros. 

Perhaps it was just his personality that made him get bored of this so quickly, but Gabriel just didn't find this part of the festival as fun anymore. Maybe he was just getting older, too. He was about to instruct Kibby to start weaving away from the sidelines and out of the crowd when there was a scuffle not too far from him - another poor sap shoved into the course. Gabe tilted his head as he watched, a sense of familiarity he couldn't quite place as he caught sight of the man that'd been thrown to the bulls. Odd. 

More odd was the tiny pokemon banging it's head up against Kibby's leg, though. Unbeknownst to Gabriel of course, he couldn't see that far down in the crowd like that, nor hear the pokemon over the cheering of the crowd as they waited for the next wave to come around the bend. 

Kibby tilted his big head down at the pokemon, blinking slowly before looking up and out at the track. His long tail flicked once or twice, indicating his decision-making process before he leaped straight out of the crowd and into the open space of the course. Gabriel hadn't been prepared in the slightest. His drink was knocked from his hand as he shouted in alarm, both hands coming down to grab onto the big cat's harness as they were launched through the air. 

"What the fuck?!" Came his shout as they landed on the course, Gabriel looking around in a panic before fixing his eyes on the man Kibby trotted them up to, "Kibby, out, now." His stern command did nothing to dissuade the pokemon, who stopped next to the other man with a happy little prance. The men preventing him from leaving looked on with varying expressions of disgust and fear - Kibby was a large pokemon and he was certainly giving them the stink eye for blocking the way out. 

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Haku’s heart raced, he tried to get back into the crowd, not knowing where Kazame had went, but at least the little pokemon didn’t look to be knocked into the fray like he was. It seemed the men were chuckling, which narrowed his gaze at them. He was about to say something, being thrown off by the quivering ground beneath his shoes. That was not going to be a good sign. He had turned to see the noise, to judge how far the Tauros were away from him so he could try and figure out the best place to get back in the sidelines was.

That was when a shadow loomed ovver him, his head whipped around when the shadow cast over him and the stern voice of another male reached his ears. That tone was familiar. 

Haku looked to see fur at his eye level and rose his eyes to travel along the fur and up toward the face of the pokemon, being rather relieved that it was a pokemon he had met before! Oh he would have loved to shower Kibby with attention, but now was not the time, and the pokemons’ owner did not look pleased in the slightest. 

“H-Hey Kibby,” He smiled a bit, looking around the large pokemon the best he could. “If your trainer doesn't mind, care to give me an escort back into the crowd? I need to find Kazame, he’s a small shurtle fusion.” He explained the Synthenine fusion, using his hands to estimate the size of Kazame. Haku knew he was just directly talking to the pokemon - mostly because Kibby was much nicer than his trainer seemed to be.

“Sorry about this,” Haku finally addressed Gabriel, barely being able to see what looked like hooves and fur rounding the corner. “Let’s get going before Kibby becomes a target.”

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Gabriel scoffed as his pokemon so resolutely betrayed him. He did his best to tug on the harness and get the big cat moving, but to no avail. He finally leaned around his partner's head to look down at the man when he heard him speaking, a glare set on his features, born out of annoyance more than anything. 

"Why'd you go gettin' yourself in this mess in the first place?" He asked in a gruff tone, snorting as he turned to watch some Tauros coming around the bend and straight for them. They'd likely avoid Kibby since he was pretty big, and they weren't mean pokemon, but he didn't want to risk it. "C'mon, then," He reached a hand out to the man to pull him up, or at least drag him bodily from the course, preferably before the Tauros were upon them. 

Kibby growled at the men who'd done the pushing, or at least the ones most likely to have done it, which got them to back off just a little. This was Brookfell after all, they weren't exactly easy to scare even if you were a big threatening cat with elongated fangs and enough electricity to power a house in you. 

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Haku let out a nervous laugh at the glare, nodding to Gabriel, he took the hand that was offered so they could get out of danger. His eyes cast to the crowd and he sighed inwardly. Why did he decide to live in Brookfell for? He could be enjoying the carefree festivals held within Rivertide. But passing by some who may have had children with them or younger pokemon, he lowered his gaze. He wouldn’t change where he lived, not now and probably not ever.

“Sorry that you keep having to rescue me,” Haku apologized, despite whether Gabriel saw it as rescuing or not. This was the second time and he hoped not to make a habit out of it in the least.His free hand did pat Kibby, his smile soft at the pokemon. “Thanks for the lift Kibby, I can see if I have some treats for you before Gabriel gets too snappy at you.” 

He didn’t figure Gabriel would actually hurt Kibby, there seemed to be a strong fondness for the oversized fusion, but Haku still didn’t like the thought of Kibby getting in trouble because of him. Once they were back at safety, and Haku being placed down, he felt a familiar warmth and a little head bump, his smile immediately softened as he picked up the small shuttle. “There you are Kazame, I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

He took a moment to look over his pokemon, making sure the shell wasn’t cracked, that he still had coal to burn and that everything was alright. Once the check of Kazame was done, he reached for his pocket to see if he had a small bag of poketreats that he usually kept on him. “I’ll try not to keep you long, I just want to thank Kibby.” He paused once he found them and looked back to Gabriel, knitting his brows a little in an apologetic way. “Thanks for the help.” Part of him wanted to ask for Gabriel’s name, but he did promise not to keep him long this time.

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Gabriel grumbled as he lifted the man up onto Kibby's back, but he wasn't so rude as to outwardly say anything mean or anything. Chances are he'd have helped the guy out even if Kibby hadn't been so stubborn in his refusal to move, but at least like this, he got to keep some of his reputation and street cred in check. He held on to the harness as Kibby bounded over the crowd, picking a place to drop off their damsel in distress. 

"Ehhh," Gabriel waved off the thanks for rescue as he looked away, ears pinned back against his head and tail twitching, "It was Kibby's idea." The pokemon in question seemed eager for some snacks, bumping his large head into Haku's chest as he looked for some poketreats, purring and awooing at regular intervals. Unbecoming behavior for a pokemon that'd just intimidated a crowd of people, but that was the nature of cats - so fickle. 

"What're you doing so close to the races anyway? It's dangerous," For a guy like you, Gabriel thought to himself, looking down at the man with a raised brow, "People are more than happy to spill a little blood for the sake of a good time." A harsh reality of Brookfell maybe, but one that Haku seemed to be struggling to grasp, a little. Gabriel didn't know how long the man had been here, but he acted like a fresh newborn every time they encountered each other. Though, that could've just been Gabriel's point of view. Everyone that wasn't a hardened criminal tended to remind him of his little brother, which just made him worry. 

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“Kibby,” Haku laughed lightly, hand pressing itself to the creature’s cheek, giving a soft pet with his thumb circling over the fur. “I have some right here,” he admitted, using his other hand to carefully place Kazame on the ground. “Stay close Kazame.” He opened the bag, placing the torn piece in his pocket so as not to litter the city. With a few in his hand, he held them for Kibby to take from his palm so they wouldn’t get dirt and dust on them from the ground. 

“Oh Uhh,” he felt himself flush a little in embarrassment, watching the mans’ ears as they twitched and folded. “I haven’t actually seen the running of the Tauros all that much, actually. I wanted to get a better view of the races.” He admitted, eyes shifting back to the path. “I didn’t expect the crowd to be… so willing to harm another for entertainment. But… I’m starting to get used to that here in Brookfell.” It was a thought that saddened him, so much unneeded bloodshed.

“I’m usually at Rivertide watching the… well the colorful festivals there, splashing one another with rainbow-colored water balloons and whatnot. Violent… things don’t really appeal to me. I was afraid at the end the Tauros would be put down,” he admitted to Gabriel, moving his hand that was on Kibby’s cheek a bit more to try to reach the pokemons’ ears to give them a few scratches. “Do you…want a payment of any kind? I didn’t mean to distract you from the festivities here.”

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The big cat happily took the treats from Haku's hand, purring loudly despite the environment. Gabriel rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile at play on his lips as he watched his partner act so happy. He had a few soft spots, Gabriel, and Kibby was definitely one of them. The pokemon happened to be a pretty decent judge of character, too, so Gabriel felt pretty safe letting him interact with this man who was still mostly a stranger. 

"Yeah we Brookfellians are just...built like that I guess," He said with a chuckle, shaking his head and looking back out to the course where a team of trainers had just rounded the bend ahead of a wave of Tauros. They were screaming for their lives but also very clearly enjoying themselves, weirdos. "Most of the people at least do it of their own volition, if they get hurt that's on them," He shrugged, it didn't really bother him at all but he could see how from the outside it might be a little twisted. 

"I've heard of that festival, seen it on TV a couple a times. There's big clouds of colored dust all over too, yeah? Seems like a huge pain to clean up after," He smirked as he thought about it, something like that would never fly in Brookfell. No one would clean it up, and there would probably be hallucinogens or something in the dust. Gabriel looked down at the man with a slightly alarmed expression at the mention of the Tauros being put down, lifting his hands in surprise. 

"Gods no, they're just set free back out into the paddocks. Some of them probably out into the Deadlands or something. We might be monsters to each other here, but not perfectly innocent pokemon," He grimaced a little before amending his statement, "At least not most of us. Keep your money, I don't need it and it wasn't a huge deal." 

Kibby chose that moment to slink to the ground, stretching out into a sploot so he could get some better ear scritches from the nice man, effectively bringing Gabriel down a peg as he exclaimed in surprise. "Whatever weird hold you have over my pokemon needs to cease," He said with an accusing glare as he crossed his arms over his chest, his cheeks puffing out a little as he was suddenly much shorter and therefore much less intimidating. 

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“It’s actually quite fun, it’s not too hard to clean up I don’t think, I never… really thought about how the city cleans it up. Probably with the help of the Dragonkites and other pokemon that wouldn’t mind to aid in keeping the port city safe and pristine.” He smiled, glad that Kibby had eaten the treats so he could pocket the rest of the trash. Haku blinked a few times at Gabriels’ alarmed expression and the words that followed. Maybe he was just thinking a bit too hard on the matter then? He wasn’t sure how Brookfell even got their Tauros, or what they did to them, honestly. But as long as they weren’t tortured or hurt, that’s all that mattered to him. 

“O-oh perhaps I was thinking a little too harshly about some of the folks here,” he laughed a little rubbing the back of his neck a bit embarrassed by such a thought. As Kibby stretched and splooted, moving his hands a bit more firmly against the fur of Kibby’s face. He almost chuckled at the look on Gabe’s face, was he pouting? Haku thought to himself, shaking his head for a moment. “I don’t have any weird hold over your pokemon. Kibby just seems really friendly towards me. Besides, I can’t help but to make sure the good boy know that,” he admitted, letting his other hand move down to the fusions’ chin, giving it a few gentle scratches as well.

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He had thought about telling Gabriel that he was a Dragonkite fused, but he hadn’t said anything yet, perhaps that was part of the reason that Kibby took up with him so fast in such a city. Dragonkites weren’t known for ill or malicious intent, and oftentimes would help those that needed some kindness in their life. After some time of being quiet, he looked back up to Gabriel. “Could I possibly catch your name,” Haku inquired, his smile widening some. “We may end up keeping meeting in unfortunate circumstances, and I would feel bad referring to you as the ‘sanyatto man’.” The near thought almost caused him to laugh, but he managed to hold most of it back.

Gabe seemed to mellow out a little as time went on, his prickly attitude and demeanor becoming slightly, well, less. He certainly wasn't an overly friendly guy when caught out in an interaction he hadn't planned, but that didn't mean he was mean either. He leaned forward to lay against Kibby, ruffling the pokemon's fur gently as he contributed to the pets and scritches. 

"He's a sucker for attention," The man said with a pout, his tail flicking over his head in a hilarious mimicry of Kibby's on the ground, "Most people around here avoid him, so you giving him attention is probably like catnip." Aside from Gabriel and his brother, there weren't many people around that took the time to just sit and...pet their pokemon. Which made sense, busy lives and dangerous criminals and all that, but it meant Kibby was a little starved for attention sometimes. 

 Gabe snorted at the moniker the other man had come up with for him. Sanyatto Man had a ring to it, and happened to be descriptive of him at least. He sat up and smiled, his sharp teeth flashing a little. "Gabriel," He said simply, "Though Sanyatto Man isn't terrible, in case you forget." 

Kibby had apparently gotten his fill of attention, yawning widely and moving to stand again - hoisting his trainer with him as he did so. Gabe rolled his eyes as if to say 'finally', before looking down at the man with a curious look. "What's yours?" Brookfell was a big place, but the fact they'd met twice now made Gabriel a bit curious. He might as well have the other man's name in case there was a third time. 

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Pouting some when Kibby seemed to be done, Kohaku did move away from him a bit so he wouldn’t be in Kibby’s way, picking up Kazame once more who had just been laying by his foot and watching Kibby and the two trainers interacting with one another. “Aren’t most feline pokemon?” He asked with another joking grin, he knew a lot of pokemon loved attention and he had no objections giving it to them as long as they were nice and the trainer didn’t complain too much. “At least it’s not catnip or I think you and the crowd would both be in trouble. Then again, I’d wonder if catnip would affect him since he’s also part Synthenine.” 

There was another thought that came to his mind, did catnip affect Gabriel? Nah he wouldn’t ask that question, that one he would tuck away for when they knew one another better - if that day ever came that is. “Gabriel huh?” he asked almost, not that he had to test the name, it wasn’t too uncommon to be heard. “Alright, that’s two things I can call you, I doubt I’ll forget your name though.” 

There was a bit of a pause, and he looked at Kazame who seemed to yawn, showing that he was tired. “It’s Kohaku, but mostly I just go by Haku,” he answered Gabriel, lightly petting the Shurtle’s head a little. “I should get him back home before he runs out of coal to burn for his Torkoal half.” Not that he wanted to go, to a degree, but he was sure fate would have them bump into one another again more than likely. “I owe you one, Gabriel, thanks for the help again and letting me give Kibby attention.”

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Gabe chuckled a little at the sudden interest in catnip, knowing full well that his pokemon had an intense interest in the stuff. He didn't mind it too much himself, though he'd never admit to it while he walked this mortal plane. Kibby seemed to get the jist of the situation, backing up to give Haku and the little shurtle some space. The man nodded, introductions over. 

"Nice to more formally meet you then, Haku," He said with a grin, tail flicking behind him as he slowly started to get Kibby turned around. "Try not to get yourself pushed back onto the course. And if anyone invites you to a party in the lower rings, do me a favor and reject them," He shot the man a wink, waving off his repeated thanks once again. 

"Until next time!" He called out as Kibby finally decided to get moving, jumping clear of the crowd and up onto a lower roof carved out of the stone walls surrounding them. The cat was agile and fast, so in no time at all they were out of sight and making their way lower into the rings. He might have warned Haku against going down there, but that didn't mean he felt he couldn't.

"What a strange guy, hm?" He said down to Kibby, who just made a loud drawn out cat sound in response, "I knew you'd agree." 

Kibby did not in fact agree. 

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Umbra’s Word Count: 2304

Livard’s Word Count: 2173