markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .028

[So today? Katara cuts short her usual routine with a cheerful wave and ducks out on her housemates. Aang showing up pushed so many things out of her mind, and now they were all crowding back in, along with the strangeness of Zuko's return.

She misses the Straw Hats. Going camping right now sounds wonderful. And she really wants Aang to meet them! She thought about trying to contact them over the journals, but... didn't really want to interrupt. Besides, it was better... to get used to people being gone.

She can handle this by herself. Katara is not given to introspection, but at her favorite spot by the South bridge, Katara has gathered a fair amount of smooth stones, and is alternating between stone-skipping and staring at her conversation with Nephry. She only knows one way to deal with this, and that's facing it straight on and adapting.

Water is the element of change. Water adapts.

And so, to find some way to remind herself of this and gather up the courage and mental clarity to sort things out, Katara will eventually step off the bridge and walk a ways beside the river. Once there, she closes her eyes and very slowly begins to practice basic forms, the water streaming about her in constant change and accompaniment to her thoughts, until she can almost see it in her mind's eye, overwhelming the flames.

Much, much later, she takes a seat, and makes a filter. She only hopes that she truly means what she says.]

Nephry, it's Katara. If you'd like to meet sometime today, or later this week... I'm ready now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well, fortunately, Katara has recently been introduced to a Leviathan.]

You mean... things like animals and monsters?

Yup!

[You're quick.]

Huh. We have animals that bend in my world too. The badger-moles were the first earthbenders and the air bison were the first airbenders. What kind of things do the animals in your world do?

[...FINALLY SOMEONE WHO MAKES SENSE ;A; I have no clue what either of those even are but they sound like something amazing]

It's sorta like what you call "bending"...but lots an' lots'a different kinds. Some can make whirlpools an' the kind of thing ya were doin', an' some breathe fire, an' some are part plant an' use those to attack...

Wow. That sounds pretty amazing! [And a little scary, but...] Do they work with people in your world, or do you have to fight them?

Pokemon an' humans are partners...usually! But that's more often than not!

That's how it is with yar benders too, right? If they were the first...?

Maybe that's how it was... a long time ago. But right now I only know one earthbender who's ever trained with badgermoles. Although the airbenders partner with the air bison, so maybe?

I'm Katara, by the way.

Oh.

[Well, damn. That's kinda depressing.]

...an' I'm Sapphire. It's nice to meet ya.

Nice to meet you too. Are you new here?

Got here about two weeks ago.

[And what an eventful few weeks it has been...]

Are you settling in all right?

Jus' fine! Found my senior, an' my partners - it ain't home, but I could stay here for a while!

Your 'senior?' Is that like... your master or your teacher?

Not really a teacher...the Seniors are the ones who've been Pokedex holders for longer than we have; an' we're their Juniors, an' someday we might have our own juniors ta welcome to the group!

...It's kinda tough to explain at first.

So it's like... an apprenticeship? Like, in my world, there are people who have a certain technique for making clothes, and they'll take on one person who'll become like a part of their family as they learn the technique, and then they do the same thing after they become masters of it.

It's not really the same thing...fer one, senior Gold's only a few years older than I am. It's kinda like...like havin' a big brother or sister, but not really as close as ya would be - ya watch each others' backs in battle!

Oh, I see.

...Do you have to fight a lot in your world? Is there a war?

Ehh...not a war, but there's people the region needs protectin' from.

[This grin is sort of...wry?]

...but, battle is a sport, too! The greatest test of a human an' Pokemon's partnership!

I see. [Blink blink blink.] You mean you fight... for fun? Like... sparring or to actually hurt your opponent?

Well, ya're not supposed ta hurt for the sake of hurtin' someone in League battles. Ya fight until a forfeit, or until one team is disabled.

...It's good ta be prepared for people who don't play by the rules, though.

[Katara nods solemnly.] It's always good to be prepared for people who don't play by the rules.

[And then she processes the rest of what Sapphire was saying to her. At first it sounds... almost barbaric. But then she remembers her many sparring sessions in the North Pole, and the earthbending tournament where they found Toph.]

I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to practice here, too - you said your partners were here, right? Are your partners those... Pokedex?

"Pokemon", yup! It took a while...but three have shown up!

Pokemon. [It's an unfamiliar word to her, and she nods as she says it, committing it to memory.] That's great! I'd love to meet them sometime.

They're hangin' around somewhere, but when we see ya again I'll introduce ya!

[....so]

Ya were askin' me if I was "new"...how long have ya been here, Katara?

Since winter. [She shrugs.] It's not as long as some people, but it feels plenty long enough. So if you have any questions about this place, I'm a pretty good person to ask.

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