The Twins At Paldea Univeristy (Pokemon Scarlet and Violet)

Now or Never

The two titan slayers were currently in the False Dragon Titan's cave. It was a half-empty victory for them. Darn thing was just that strong. Juliana was focused on what she could have done differently, but it all came up empty to her. She focused on drying her hair, and her rotom phone. Which was fortunately alive but still probably best not to leave it soaked for too long. Arven was funnily enough, the same. He had a weird towel on his head to dry his lengthy mane of hair. Which was even longer than hers due to the fact that he never really lets anyone cut his hair and he honestly doesn't know what to say to the barber.

The lad was currently making some sandwiches from the spicy herba mystica they found. As that happened, floragato and greedent were currently resting by the campfire from the experience. They knew the titans were strong but they didn't expect a literal tidal wave to hit them whenever the titan used an aqua tail attack. Or whenever it moved, rather.

The two remained silent and have been so for the past whatever-the-time has passed, a bit too weirded out about what had transpired earlier. Juliana feels disgusted with herself, she's crossed a line. Her brother would probably tell her something like "you're over-catastrophizing things" and what not to smooth out the situation, but it just didn't mesh well with what she was feeling right now.

She glances once more at Arven, who'd made a fine pile of sandwiches for their post-match picnic. He unwraps the towel around his head, and sends out his other trusty pokemon. Juliana followed likewise as she got up and ready to eat. The moon was already up, and night had swallowed up the sky. Spicy sandwiches for dinner, not a pleasant idea for her, but she'd eat anything at this point.

"J-Juliana" Arven called out to her. Not "Jules" or "Julz" or "Julie" or whatever other pet name they've branded each other with. She could feel her stomach twist already. The lad offers her a sandwich, "here you go" he said with a smile. She catches on, seeing that he doesn't want to dwell on it. She takes him up on it as she grabs the sandwich from his hands.

"Well... that's the last of the titans then, huh?" Juliana says, not noticing Miraidon leave its pokeball on its own. The dragon was a bit irritated that it was not sent out alongside everyone else. The two ignore the futuristic bike-dragon, with Arven replying "yes. That's it. All five herba mystica. I can only hope this works."

Juliana nods. She could see Arven walk up to his mabosstiff, which laid there on the soaked ground of the cave. It was weakly licking the water, trying to hydrate itself a bit, before rising up a small bit upon hearing its trainer's footsteps splash along the cave floor.

"Mabosstiff," Arven said softly, kneeling down, careful not to drop the sandwich onto the ground this time. "Come on buddy, eat up. This is the last one."

The dog obeys. Juliana couldn't see the dog's eyes but she could sense its body straighten out, pulsing with a hope to match its trainer's. While Arven hoped that Mabosstiff could be healed, Mabosstiff hoped that it could triumph over its condition. The dog takes a bit out of the spicy sandwich, not reacting to the typical sensations one would have when eating it. The bite itself was larger than the previous first bites of preceding sandwiches. It took a few minutes for the dog to finish eating the sandwich, but as it did finish, the dog rested its head down onto the ground. The straightening and pulsing fading back into stillness.

Arven sighs before gritting his teeth. Failure. That was it. A brief tinge of strength, and then nothing. Arven got up, turned around, and walked silently back to the picnic table.

Juliana tried to call out, "Arv-"

The sound of a pokeball fell from Arven's pokeball belt, as it does, the girl notices the dog's head rise once more. She could see it move in a struggling and shivering fashion, and soon standing as if on stilts. Juliana remained silent as the dog barked out to its trainer, causing Arven to turn around and freeze at the sight of it.