World Tree MUSH

To say Ash has had a lousey day would be a /VAST/ oversimplification. To Recap, because that's been what he's been mentally doing after he made sure his two passengers were where they needed to be and walking ash's day has had the following happen:

Gettign attacked by a wolf-deer-little-girl-spirit-thing. Having his warframe trashed /by/ said spirit-thing leaving him effectivly without most of his defenses, and the fact he felt every single injury said warframe sustained which still leaves one feeling out of sorts.

Rushing an associate that tried to jump in and help against said spirit-girl-thing get hurt even worse because unlike him she didn't have any sort of surrogate body to take the beating for him.

When trying to get help for said friend he accidentilly set off an empath attempting to do healing things by attempting to brace them. Which caused him to be thrown about his ship like a pinball, smashing most of it in the process. 

And to top all of that off the whole thing angered the ship's AI, his guardian and friend by the by, into essentially refusing to pick him up for who knows how long while repairs are being made.

So ash wasn't feeling all that grand, or in a mood to talk wit hthe princess over tea. This is why he picked a random direction and started walking. This is why he was in the woods when he finally decided to sit down. GIven Tenno rarely experiance true exhaustion he managed to walk a decent ways from anything resemblign thefriendly comforts of civilization, andthat suited him Just. Fine.

    Meanwhile, Luke can't quite complain about his recent outings, even if oen of them involved a run with ugly undead and a lich!. But, in any case, he wanted a chance to explore more locations without... being in some epic quest or have a life or death situation hang from the results!. Mushroom kingdom raised his interest after learning about it!, especially hte mention of the local fauna, magic, and even the crazy sport events!. 

    At this moment, he was doing the one thing he usually does, camping a bit away from a town, taking stock of what he has, and preparing a good meal for his pokemon, before doing some training with the 'younger' ones. 

    In fact, Ash might smell the food being cooked, and find a sleeping bag, Luke fiddling with a pot on an electric stove, and a big lump of an electric tiger carefully 'wired' to the appliance, acting as a living battery to power the thing. Next to Luke, a ghost panda and a stuffed bear look eagerly at the pot.

Ash did indeed smell the food being cooked which caused a loud gurgle noise from his stomach. Sure he could ignore small things like hunger for a good strech of time, but it'd been over a day since he had a decent meal. So he followed his nose, and then quirked an eyebrow before letting out a whistle. "Mind if I join you?" He wasn't sure luke would remember either him sparring with his little friends, or him being there when Miwa was being tutored. He shrugged. Either he would be welcome or he wouldn't.

    Dynamo perks one ear and lazily glances at the arrival, chuffing loudly and stretching, just enjoying the warm weather. "Hey Dynamo, just a bit longer.". The tiger seems quite content to just be there. The other pokemon hear the arrival as well, turning to face Ash, distracted from the food, while Luke takes a bit longer to notice him, before finally glancing in his direction, "Hey Ash!" he says happily, clearly remembering the guy. "Sure, come around!." he says cheerfully. The Ghost panda approaches the Tenno, bouncing a few times and levitating up slowly to hug the 'human', clearly pleased.

Ash walked like he was a bundle of frayed nervs and patted the ghost panda gently before taking a seat. "Sorry if I'm not a bundle of sunshine and roses." He gave a tired smile. "Busy day, ended up with me messing up pretty hard. Not really wanting to talk about it."

He then lookedat what Dynamo was powering and hmmed softly. "That's... honestly pretty clever. Normal to use electric typs like that or would most just blow up whatever you try getting them to power?" It's almsot like OOo mystery CLING!

    Luke glances back at Ash, "Anything I can do to help?" he asks softly, seeming concerned about his... friend? acquaintance?. He nods at the mention of a bad day, "No need to explain anything." he says softly, offering a small juice package, seems to be some kind of berry, likely from his world. 

     Dynamo yawns and moves slowly, glancing back at Ash, nodding slowly and winking. Luke nods, "It can be tricky, need to train to use the proper ammount of power, otherwise they can short out things with ease." he begins, "Having a special adapter to handle fluctuations helps as well." he says, "Electric pokemon get used like this a lot, even as emergency power for pokemon centers.". A close look reveals Dynamo is wearing a collar around its neck, blinking green lights visible, and wires emerging from it.

    Luke smiles, "Dynamo is a bit special, most electric pokemon build up power slowly, but have a large... battery." he says, "He is kind of the opposite, he builds up power quickly, but can't hold back as much as other electric types." The boy glances at the electric type, "The problem is, unless I let him use that power, he can get sick from building up too much energy."

Ash listened to the explainatinon as he fiddled with the juice pack, somehow managing to gt the straw in without making a mess. "THt's... actually really interesting." He flexed the fingers of his right hand. "If we were to look at me in those terms I guess you could say i have an extraordinary storage time, but discharge is quick and recharge is slow." A small smile crossed his lips. "Then again I imagine physical conditioning and useage might help on that front... but I dunno how it works really. Part of the reason i hang around Alola is because all these pokemon very obviously are drawing power from Somewhere. you simply can't take in enough calories to do many of the grander scale things pokemon can... So I figure maybe somethign will click. I dunno."

    Luke stirrs the cooking pot, making sure to check on it now and then, while the 'plush' bear inches closer to the food, one stubby paw raising towards it. "Not yet, it is too hot, you will burn your paw." he warns, before glancing back. "I... am not an expert, so I can't really explain how they work like that." he says softly, nodding a bit. "Maybe you should try to find one of those pokemon professors, they might be able to explain things better." he says softly. 

    The ghost panda vanishes for a moment, before returning with a round pastry, whihc it offers to Ash. "Where did you get that..." the trainer begins to say, only to glance at his bag, "Ah, right, you really have to stop picking things from my bag." he says with a chuckle. "That does sound interesting, your abilities I mean.", rubbing his chin, "Some pokemon recharge from the enviorement, if they can, like actually gathering under a thunderstorm and grouping up to draw a lighting bolt, which they spread in the group as a way to get more power."

Ash nodded, and absently took the pastery before patting the panda's head. "I'm glad to see you too little one." He smiled warmly at the ghost panda. "I've just had a rough day." He then looked to the stufful, "And you, tough guy. How've you been?" In spite of himself he felt happy with this small group as he looked to Luke. "Any new misadventures?"

    The bear seems pleased, licking his paw from some fo the dusted sugar from it, nodding a few times and making some happy noises, leaning against Ash at the mention of rough day. The plush bear seems to be reaching as far as it dares, the stubby limbs almost touching the pot, before he hears the question, glancing back and making some noises, bringing one forepaw to the ground with a resounding noise and... Ash might feel the ground tremble slightly. "He has been training, learned a TM." he says, smiling. Luke starts to serve the food to a couple of dishes, "Well, let's see, I visited a wizard's tower... apparently abandoned, and fought undead... also helped a village evacuate, and I am planning to help Zelda handle a situation with a dragon soon."

Ash nodded slow, grinning at the Stufful making the ground shake. "Very good. Just make sure to be aware of yoursurroundings when you do that Kay? Otherwise you might make things rattle and fall on your head." 

He looked to Dynamo there and hmmed thoughtfully. "Well I don't really fancy going back to the Void unshielded anytime soon," A rueful shake of his head, "Or at all really." 

"A dragon?" He quirked his head before looking at Luke. "Big lizard, leathery wings, kinda likea charzard but lots bigger and meaner? That a dragon?"

    The plush bear looks around, before it nods slowly, sitting up and waiting for his bowl of food, "Stufful." comes a reply, while Luke chuckles, "He is right."

    Dynamo carefully walks closer, purring contently as it first brushes against Ash's side, and then flops down to eat some food himself, tail twitching, one ear aimed at Ash. "Anything we can do to help you recover?" comes from the trainer, handing Ash some stew and rubbing his chin, "Actually, I am not sure, I know they said dragon, and that it is really big, but didn't get to ask more details, but I think so."

"Well the problem is my frame is trashed. like... some spirit of the wild hunt popped up and went after this kid jogging in a park." He didn't knwo Deku well enough even though he had seen the kid a few times. "Had a logo set of sweats going. One of those hero acadamy kids. SPirit thing was strong, Mean. Wasn't afrade to fight dirty. Red in tooth and claw andall that." he waved a hand dismissivly. "Me and a lady knight drove it away. She's being tended to now. I just hurt like ..." What? Like he got used as a pinball? Like he had his throat ripped out?

A shrug before eatign th pastery finally. "You were there when Miwa managed to learn hydropump or... sorry not sure on the name. big giant water nozzel. Anyway little girl thing managed to hurt me worse than that. Had antlers, wolf ears. Creepy voice."

    Luke nods as he hears the story, and he seems to grow a bit pale as he hears teh description of the person that caused that damage, "I think I met that Deku, and a girl that goes to that school, I was back there helpign clear out some rubble." he says. 

     "I... might have met that person... she seemed annoyed at me and my pokemon... but didn't get in a fight." he says, shuddering as he explains how strong she was. "I... that sounds horrible..." he mumbles, glancing back at his pokemon, "If she is that... bad..." he says softly, "Yeah,that move... I will try to remember about that weird girl."

Ash nodded at Luke's words, "She can be driven off. But she's tough, and mean, and seemed more annoyed that I'd gotten between ehr and that kid than mad at me specific." A shrug as he streched, causing several loud pops to come from hisright shoulder. "Also if you see an ultra pail girl with a gem in her forehead wearing a dark cloak? Whatever you do, even if you mean well, please do not touch her. She's...." He let out a long pained sigh. "She'san empath and she's still trying to adjust and get used to using her power so a lot of emotional clutter throws her off."

Luke Gray nods slowly, "Raven." he says softly, "I met her, she launched a huge boulder at some people just because she got startled." he begins, "I'll try to avoid touching her... at least seh was fine petting Pangshi there." he says, "I think she mentioned that.. reading emotions?" he asks.

Ash gave an affirmitive grunt. "My past is... well it's got a lot of baggage to it, and she was opened up so that she could heal someone and i'd moved to try steadying her.Hindsight I should have had Ordis use drones to do it since we were in my ship." Ashrug. "She's a lot like a few folk I'd met. Trying ot figure herself out, terrified of all the maybes, and having heard a lot of how she's this horrible thing just for existing because blah blahblah blah." It was clear by his tone Ash didn't care 'why' people kept saying Raven ws bad, just he didn't beleive any of it. "So yea after all that I go for a walk to clear my head. Ordis is up there," He pointed skyward, "Probably a couple hundred kilometers up in orbit patching himself back together. I could probably shiv off and take a vinte to wherever, but I was asked to stay here. I made a mess of things so here i wil lstay until he's ready for usto be off." SHrug. Did... did Ash, this guy that commanded a biomechanical suit of death and horror, just say that he's been Grounded?

Luke Gray nods a few times, and reaches one hand to pat Ash's shoulder as he handed him some warm food, "Well, you can stick around with me for a while, perhaps Ordis might forgive you and let you back to the ship soon." he says. The discussion about how she is kind of nervous about herself, and the tone gets a nod, "I hope she manages to work things out." he says softly, "Guess it is a good thing I ran into you here." he says. The toy bear seems to be furiously eating from the bowl, while the panda is a bit more calm.

Ash laughed at the stufful stuffing himself full. "Hungry guy there." A genuine smile as he watched the pokemon eating. "I'm glad he seemsto like traveling with you.

Then a look at Dynamo and he reached to pat the cat like pokemon. "I'm glad you take them places, have them do more than just train. Knew a few tenno like that. Mission to mission to mission and never bothering to just... stop for a minute. Always trying to get stronger or better for its own sake rather than ask 'why' Y'know? That's an important question."

 Right next to why are we here?'

Luke Gray grins and nods a bit as he sees Ash a bit more relaxed, his smile fading for a moment as he speaks of that sort of thing, "Yes, I know the kind of people you mean... seen some trainers like that, they are terrible... treating pokemon like machines, hurting them, abandoning them when they feel like it.". He reaches to pet the Ghost panda, since the pink plush bear is not quite a fan of such yet. "Yeah, he is actually a very nice guy." he says with a grin, watching the Stufful licking his paws. 

    There is another pause and a nod, "I like that, yeah, it is fun to explore and just spend time with them!" he says, "Training is not everything, sometimes you just enjoy things."

Ash had noticed the stufful was not a fan of physical contact. He wondered why. Then again if he looked like an adorabl huggable stuffed animal he'd et rather annoyed with people huging him constantly so yea maybe that? "For me Ioften went to Cetus, would swing by Myconia and occasionally see some of FOrtuna to keep a reminder on why I did the whole rest of it." A small smile as he watched the pokemon. "Lotta good out in the verse."

Then a smile, "Ordis isn't mad at me... it's just I only realize I did a thing I wans't supposed to about five seconds /after/. I mean fine rush rush go go. I'm a big fan of wedging into a thing becuase Surprise. I'm going to ninja everything, but.. well maybe slow down a bit? I dunno how to do that. You?"

Luke Gray nods again, placing his dish down and glancing up at the sky, "That is always nice, remember what is driving you, I mean guess my goal is just to be the best at what I do." he says with a chuckle, "I know many have... other goals, but I also like to help people." he says. He glances around, the small plush bear inching to a lazy Dynamo, trying to check if there was any leftover food there.

    The final note about Ordis gets a chuckle, "If I would ninja things, I think I'd Ninja everything."

Ash smiled at the Stufful's attempt at stealing leftovers. "Well take yesterday. My warframe can create smoke clone projections that can stab things i specifically mark. In hindsight why don't I use those more? Stay at range and or invisible and just spam that?" He gave a small laugh before draining the juice pouch in one go. "It's honestly one of my less used abilities outside of when I'm feeling vindictivly mean but it's probably almost as useful as being invisible."

    Spends a few moments daydreaming about what he'd do if he would do stuff like that, maybe not 'stab', but perhaps use them to just shove random Skull gang grunts, or annoying people. He returns to reality as he asks that, "Well, I guess you might prefer not to use it, to eb fair to others or just... don't quite like it!" he says gently, smiling at the mention of being 'mean', "Guess some people do deserve to be treated in a mean way." he says. The Electric pokemon basically blocks the bowl with it's snout, licking it thoroughly, while the plush pokemon tries to nudge the big round cat away from it. "Hey, here, have more food, stop trying to steal from Dynamo.". He adds more stew to the bear's dish, and of course, to Dynamo's.

THe problem is Ash can't really alter the warframe's powers. It's either stab or Nothing. Ash watched Luke manage to keep the pokemon happy, "Speaking of there was a team skull kid I ran into and scared pretty bad a few months back. Was in the gang that tried kidnapping Miwa and. Well he was the unlucky winner of 'hi let's stand in front of the annoyed guy witha shotgun who's friend you're trying to kidnap.' There was a joking tone to his voice then it faltered. "I get why most of them do it. They're bored, they got told off on how not good they are, they see no other Path. Helping those kids out would be a wonderful thing."

Luke Gray seems quite content in that spot, nodding to the story about the grunt, "I hope he learned his lesson." he says, smiing at the joking tone, "I heard similar things... lost teens, low of funds... unable to do their pokemo journeys, united by a smart, charismatic leader in that group.." He shakes hsi head and smiles, offering another dish of food to Sam as they relax for a while and keep talking.

This is how the night passed. Ash able to relax around, well not a campfire so much as just a night under the stars. It gave him hope that better was ahead. He savored moments like these, but eventually he would have to take his leave. THe land was peaceful, but the walk backinto town was long.