World Tree MUSH

Raven had spent a LOT of time working. Researching, looking around, running around, finding all these different magical artifacts, helping Ash study, practicing her magic... Sometimes she just had a LOT to do. So... sometimes... she needed to unwind.

And it wasn't that she hated the sun.... Okay, she did. But she didn't hate beachs. She actually liked them a little. They were nice, and warm, and if the sand didn't burn it was comfortable... So she'd gone looking for a place to relax and just... Calm herself. And so she found herself outside a grotto, having traveled across the dimensions before coming to this calm, relaxing place.

Once she was certain she was alone, she felt comfortable. She moved into the shade and took off her cloak and then, slowly, dipped her toes into the water. She gave a shiver before... Kicking the water and relaxing back. She closed her eyes and kicked the water again, splashing around a bit and giggling. She seemed... Relaxed. And not some emo goth death chick for once. She seemed almost normal.

Well, or a ghost. She was REALLY pale.

Miwa was currently engaging in one of her hobbies, which is scouring the ocean floor looking for pretty shells and sea glass, and sometimes even a pearl or two, storing her findings in a small pouch hanging from her neck. Of course, every so often she has to come up for air, and when she does, she happens to look back toward the small island where her hidden grotto is, and spots a familiar looking young woman. She smiles softly and begins swimming over to say hi, and it doesn't take her long to get within earshot. "Hello there, Raven was it?"

Raven had been in mid kick of the water, splashing a bit... When suddenly MIWA! The girl froze and-- FWOOM! Darkness covered her. A moment later, she was wrapped in her cloak and hovering up in the air. "Hello... Miwa, correct? I am Raven, you are correct." She looked very calm. Collected. Except...

Her cheeks were burning. "Is... Ash with you?" Oh gosh. She did NOT need HIM seeing her at the beach. Willingly. On her own. He might think she WASN'T a big emo goth... She couldn't allow that.

Miwa blinks a bit as Raven suddenly cloaks herself in shadow, which becomes an actual cloak, clever. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I'm Miwa though, yes. Only talking Primarina you're likely to find, and no, Ash is not with me. I was just out for a swim and collecting things off the ocean floor. It's something I do to pass the time sometimes. But, Alola, welcome to Ula'Ula Island. What brings you to visit? Did you just want to relax a bit, or did you come to find me?"

Raven stared at her for a while. Finally, she spoke up. "I... why would I come searching for you? We barely know each other," she said. "... Err. No... offense. I just mean that... I do not know you. There is no reason for me to bother you, and I am sorry for bothering you. I merely came here because... Ummmm..."

She wanted to frolic and splash around a bit like some child? Oh no. No no no. She wouldn't EVER do that. After all, she was mature and responsible. Borderline an adult.

"I sensed dark energies on this world and I came to investigate. And once I finished, it turned out it was nothing. So I decided to rest before returning home." Liiiiiar.

Miwa nods. "Sorry if I assumed to much. It's just that we met back and the Mushroom Kingdom, even if it was just briefly and we didn't really get to know each other. I mean, I wouldn't even know your name if I hadn't heard Ash say it. But now here you are, relaxing on the small island where my home is, but I guess that's just a coincidence. Anyway, if you'd rather I left you alone, I can go. I was just being friendly since I saw you up here."

Raven opened her mouth to tell her no... Then... "No. Not really. I mean... I didn't realize it was your island. But... I don't mind if you wish to stick around. It... does no harm to me." She was silent for a few moments, then... "I... do not mind speaking with you. After all, you are my... student's... girl friend." She still seemed to be struggling with that... idea. "So perhaps I could... try to be your friend as well... So... tell me... what do you like to do?"

"Well, it's technially not 'my island' I just live in the island's hidden grotto. I don't mind if any people or other Pokemon use the island as long as they don't make a mess of things." Miwa clarifies as she swims over and pulls herself up onto land, coming to sit near Raven with the end of her tail hanging off into the water.

 She looks over at Raven as she continues "I would be happy to have us get to know each other better and possibly become friends, you can never have too many friends. As for what I like to do, well, I love to sing, particularly when others are around to enjoy my performance. I also like exploring and meeting interesting new people, but sometimes it's nice to just lay on the beach and relax without a care. I also think I'm starting to enjoy sparring. Might be Ash rubbing off on me."

Raven stared at the girl. "That... sounds... Delightful?" she tried. She honestly was becoming distinctly aware of something else about this girl. Something that put her ill at ease.

"... Singing. I remember he said you... perform concerts. Is that common in this world? are there a lot of pokemon who... Sing? And mingle with human-ish people?" she asked as she sat down on the water, her hands on her lap. "I am not... familiar with all the worlds and I'll admit there is still plenty that confuses me. Is this world dangerous? Or do... you enjoy fighting? I heard that is a very pokemon thing to do." Her words were oddly stunted, as if she was really trying, and struggling, to figure out what to say.

Miwa is a little taken aback as suddenly Raven hits her with a barrage of about five questions, even if some of them were related to each other. She laughs though before starting to formulate her answers as she goes.

 "Hmm, that's a bit to cover, but let's see. Many Pokemon sing, but most use it as a defensive tactic, putting other Pokemon or people to sleep, only a few sing for the enjoyment of others, and as far as I know, I'm the only Pokemon who has learned to sing in English, though I also can speak and sing in Alolan too. This world can be dangerous if you run into an aggressive wild Pokemon, or some criminal gangs, but mostly it's pretty safe. Many Pokemon do enjoy battling, and though I didn't really do that much back when I was a performer in a traveling theater troupe, since going out on my own and meeting others like Ash, I have started trying to train myself to be a stronger fighter, and I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes along with that. Hope that helps."

Raven went wide eyed and looked away. "A-ah. My... apologies. I don't... I tend to... function best by... studying things. Learning how they function. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable..." she mumbled. "Is.... there anything you'd like to know?"

 She idly drew in the sand with her fingers. Nothing really... important. Just letters, random ones it seemed, that were buried under new sand soon enough.

Miwa smiles and shakes her head at Raven's apology. "Oh no, you aren't making me uncomfortable at all, I'm happy to answer questions, it was just a lot at once. But... something I'd like to know about you? What do you like to do I guess, and anything else you think might be relevant or interesting about you or the world you come from."

Raven hummed and then nodded. "I like the arcane arts. Old magical relics, ancient, cursed artifacts, enchanted pies... I'm a connoseur of ancient magics and the like. And... There's nothing about my home world worth talking about," she said with a sigh. "I am just no longer there. That is all there is to it."

"So ummm... How.... did you and Ash meet?" she asked. She was trying oh so hard to make conversation and a friend. Ish. Sorta.

"So you're into magic stuff huh? Interesting. I'd like to learn more about the magic of other worlds sometime. From what I've seen others do, it seems like many of the abilities Pokemon have are similar to certain kinds of magic, but I'm sure it's not exactly the same." Miwa offers in a pondering tone. 

"As for how Ash and I met, well, it was nothing terribly exciting, we just ran into each other a couple times on another world, and slowly grew to be closer friends the more we spent time together. I guess the time he and Bewul helped me take care of some Team Skull thugs on the beach here who were causing trouble was an early catalyst to strengthening our friendship."

Raven blinked and then glanced over, suddenly interested. "Team... skull? What... are they a gang? Oh dear. They didn't try to stab you, did they?" Ummm... her idea of... violence is;... a bit different from hers. "It's probably good, you two. Then. You seem a lot less.... Erratic and reckless than him. Maybe you'll rub off on him."

She then shook her head. "I don't think it's magic... The pokemon I've fought were..." She thought back to her fight with Lukas. "Different."

Miwa nods to the question about Team Skull. "They are a gang of sorts. Many of them are Pokemon trainers who failed the island trials and decided that they were pointless. They often try to interfere with other trainers on their trials, and cause other trouble around the Alola region. A few of them pretty much tried to take over the beach and were hassling anyone who tried to use the beach. They didn't stab me, they did even worse. One of them had a Salazzle, a powerful fire and poison type. One of my main weaknesses is to poison type attacks, and they used one of the strongest poison attacks on me. Let's just say I'm lucky there is a Pokemon Center nearby." The mention of having fought a Pokemon gets a curious look out of her also. "You also said you fought Pokemon before? Were they wild, or with a trainer?"

Raven nodded. "Luke's pokemon. I fought his... Fat tiger and bear. There was... It was odd. I did not expect the way they fought. It was a good learning experience. I... Think I came close to losing control for a minute, but... I kept my cool this time," she said with a smile. "It was... rather encouraging. Perhaps I can maintain my cool when I fight after all," she said with a smile.

She frowned. "You were poisoned? I'm so sorry to hear that. But ummm... Is a pokemon center like... A hospital?" she asked. "Or an alchemist?"

"Yes, I was poisoned from toxic smog, and then hit with another poison move called Venoshock, which is twice as potent when used on a Pokemon who is already suffering from poison. I fainted after that, so I only heard what happened from Bewul and Ash when they visted me the next day in the Pokemon Center." Miwa further explains before switching subjects to explain what a Pokemon Center actually is. 

     "You're right, they are a sort of hospital for Pokemon. They often also have room for Pokemon Trainers to spend the night, and a cafeteria, so they also often serve as a gathering place for trainers. I'm curious though, would you want to have a battle with me sometime?"

Raven looked a bit taken aback by that. She opened her mouth, then... stopped. Just because the girl looked overly... Bright. Didn't mean she wasn't worth taking seriously. She gave a nod. "As a matter of fact, I would..." She the got to her feet and dark energy wrapped around her right hand.

"Why don't we do it here, and now? I have time, so do you it seems. And we are both here. There is not telling when next we'll meet. So... perhaps some training would be useful for us," she offered, before rising up into the air, her cloak billowing as she floated.

Miwa smiles as Raven not only accepts her offer of having a battle, but even suggests they do so right now. She takes a moment to take off her sea treasures pouch and put it aside for safety, then offers her response to Raven. "Sure, why not. It's certainly one way to get to know each other. Do you want to restrict this to land, or can we go anywhere? I mean, you can float in the air right?"

Raven nodded, and then glanced to the sea. "Yes. If you'd like to attack me from the waves, I imagine if you can get me into the deep, you'll get victory," she said. "It should be... good experience for me." She moved out into the water, hovering over it.

"Though... I have no intention of making this easy for you. It is warm enough, I should dry quickly."

Miwa nods. So, even Raven was saying that if she could get her into the water it would pretty much be over, though she says she won't make it easy for her. "Sounds good. You can't grow stronger if you don't challenge yourself. This should be fun, as neither of us really knows what each other is capable of." She offers as she slides back into the water and swims out from the island a short distance. "How shall we decide who will start things off?"

Raven eyed her for a moment, before motioning to the other girl. "How about... Attack me when you're ready," she said curtly. "I'll allow you to dictate the terms. So please, do not hold back past the notion of... Well. Attempted murder. I assure you, I am far more durable than I appear. My magic guards my body to an extent."

"Alright, not holding back beyond not trying to actually kill each other sounds like good terms to me. If you end up hurting me more than expected, there is a Pokemon Center northwest of the beach over there." She says as she points toward the shore. "If things go the other way, I'm sure I can get you to a hospital, but hopefully neither option will be necessary. 

 But anyway, if you're ready, I guess we can get started then!" She offers as she prepares to attack. Starting things off with Hydro Pump, she draws upon the water both around her and inside her, she aims a powerful blast of water at Raven, the stream having the volume of a blast from a fire hose, and pressure like an industrial waterjet cutter.

Raven nodded. "Of course," she said. "I don't think that'll be required, however." She eyed the other girl before holding both hands at her...

Then water. She sighed. Really? She had seen that pokemon attacks were... odd. But she expected more. She flashed out her hands, forming a quick wall of shadow that...

Shattered. To a hundred pieces. She had only about a second to realize MAYBE it was more dangerous than it looked. About three seconds before the blast struck her side and sent her soaring back and... She actually bounced off the water a few times, before finally sinking.

Raven laid there, under the water and sinking, just staring at the sky... Slowly she floated up, however... and said a single, obvious word.

"O-ow..."

Miwa actually winces in empathy as she watches Raven's shield shatter like glass and the girl goes flying, bouncing off the water like a skipping stone before finally sinking. She quickly swims over, but instead of taking advantage of the situation, she just looks to make sure Raven isn't seriously hurt. "Are you alright? Sorry, maybe I overdid it a little... If you want to keep going, do whatever you need to recover and hit me with whatever."

Raven took a small, soft breath. She flew up... And gripped her side. Blood was soaking through her uniform... Yeah. "You... hit far harder than I expected," she mumbled softly. "I severly underestimated you. Perhaps... We should fight again later. This wound will take a bit to recover."

Of course... She couldn't help being a little thankful the fact she was now soaked meant the girl couldn't see the tears in her eyes. "I am fine." She was thankful she didn't just... go crazy.

Miwa was about to prepare herself to receive an attack from Raven when she saw the blood, and now she really felt awful. With a frown, she swims closer now. "Oh, you're bleeding! I'm so sorry, I thought with the magical defenses you mentioned that... Well I did use one of my most powerful attacks..." She didn't want to say that she thought it would be harder to injure Raven, as that just felt like she may as well say 'I didn't think you'd be so weak.' "I would heal you if I could, most Pokemon can only heal themselves, and I can't even do that... Are you sure you'll be OK? Or do we need to find a doctor?" Miwa asks with a clear tone of concern.

Raven shook her head. "It's... fine. That attack was far more pressured than I thought. I wasn't even aware that water could move with such force. It... was impressive." Oh, her magical defenses had worked wonders. Had she not had them, a hole would have likely been blown through her side. As it was. A bit of a glancing slash across her side. Not so bad.

"It's fine, really. I've endured far, far worse, I promise. I haven't even gone into a coma, so my power will heal it just fine," she said with a nod. "It is my own fault, had I not been so over confident, I would have avoided it, rather than assuming I could easily block it."

Miwa nods, still feeling bad about it, but glad to hear that she hadn't seriously injured Raven, or at least, that she's lived through much worse. "I guess this is what we get for going in blind to each other's abilities. If I'm really pushing myself to the edge, I can actually manage an even stronger blast of water than that. It's a move I only recently learned. I also can do a blast of ice, and even harness an explosive ball of light, it's one of my abilities drawing from my fairy typing. Anyway, uh, if you don't mind getting a little wet again, I can show you my home, or we can just hang out on the beach some more, or we can go get something to eat on the main island."

Raven nodded and relaxed back. "Yes. Going to your home should be fine. After all, I'm already completely soaked," she said with a chuckle. "You really are a lot more powerful than I thought. I had imagined you to be some... delicate flower," she said with a shrug. "No... offense. I just... Figured as a performer, you likely didn't have as much power. Water, ice, and light... Is fairly impressive. Your powers far exceed what I expected and it is only natural I would pay the cost."

"So, tell me, where do you live?"

Miwa can't help but chuckle a bit at Raven perceiving her as being weak because she was a performer. "Well, if you had met me back around the time I first met Ash, that would have been true. Before that point I had never trained to use my attacks in an actual fight, only for show in performances. Back then I could still use the same move I just used on you, but it certainly wouldn't have packed the same punch, and my aim would probably have been worse too. I've really grown a lot since then, and while I would be lying to say that it was all thanks to Ash, he has trained with me more than a few times." She says before pausing to take a breath and collect her thoughts a moment. 

 "He's helped me grow stronger, and I have helped him in certain situations keep from making really dumb decisions." She says with a giggle, thinking back to when he brought her along to meet Wolf, or when she helped stop him from completing an assassination job that he really regretted taking in hindsight. It was really tense back then, but now it was somehow amusing to think back about it. "As for where I live, it's actually very close. This island we've been hanging out on, has a hidden grotto. The entrance is underwater."

Raven nodded, listening and... then giving a nod. "Yes. Ash has been helpful to me, in that regard. Temulin was more helpful, he... Helped me to understand I do need to understand how I could control my magic. I... Used to be afraid that if I was hurt at all, I would turn into a raving maniac and start trying to destroy everything around me. But... It has helped me to learn to focus," she said with a nod.

She nodded a few times and... "Really? If it's under here... Hmmmm... Would you like to... Is it directly under us, in this island? If so... I think I could get us under faster."

"So, you've been helping each other then? That's great!" Miwa says with a warm smile. She was glad to hear also about Raven being able to better control her powers. Turning into a raving maniac was something to be avoided, for sure. "As for my grotto, well, probably not so much under us, as that would put it underwater mostly." She says as she moves over to the roughly cone shaped rock rising up from the base of the island. "It's probably beyond this wall of rock. I know there is a lare open area above, with an opening at the top that lets some light in."

Raven nodded and moved to it. She then... "Then please. Allow me." Darkness would enshroud the girl and she turned into a black, massive raven... Before then a talon of the giant raven shout out and wrapped around Miwa, drawing her out of the water. Then flew INTO the wall. Or... Rather...

Darkness would envelop the other girl and then they'd go directly THROUGH the wall, enshrouded for a moment in complete darkness. Darker than the night and... It was...

It felt almost evil. As if this was where monsters were born. And then she was out. Inside the cavern, the giant black raven reforming back into Raven. "I hope that was all okay?"

For a moment, Miwa isn't sure what happened, one moment she was in the water, the next moment she was being grabbed and then a moment later they were inside her grotto. It was something about the time inbetween that unsettled her though. "Did we just go somewhere else for a brief moment, while we were passing through the rock? It sent chills down my spine..." She says with a shudder. "Anyway, this is my home. It's not much, though Ash said he'd help me upgrade it a bit soon." At the moment the grotto was a pretty quaint little cave. There was a natural shelf on one wall where Miwa has arranged her collection of shells, sea glass in all different shapes and colors, with a handful of pearls mixed in with it all. There were cushions on the floor to sit on, and a large cooler to keep food cold. One might wonder how she got the food in here, or anything else. "Well, anyway, make yourself at home. If you need anything let me know."

Raven glanced around and nodded. Sea shells. Quant. Natural pearls and all manner of shiny, colorful things. Raven felt... Right at home. That's what we'll call it. "I... see," she said softly. Your room is... Nice," she said, trying to force herself to sound nice. She was hoping it'd be more dark, dank and drab. Goth girl wants, sigh.

She glanced for somewhere to sit before tak8ing the darkest cushion she had. "It... is about what I expected. It seems to be plenty to me." Wayyy too much, to be honest. "I wouldn't object to something simple to eat. And no. I just enveloped you into my magic, it... Ah. It can be a bit... cold. Since there is no light there."

Miwa looked at Raven, feeling that something about how Raven voiced her praise for her grotto did seem to come across like she was just trying to be nice to avoid hurting her feelings. "I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's quiet here, and after living out of hotels and tour buses for most of my life, I wanted to, get back to nature, so to speak." She explains as she moves over toward the cooler, opening it up to check what she had to offer in the way of food. 

 "Well, I wasn't really expecting company, so I hope you like fish sandwiches." She offered as she pulled out a couple of them, each in a sealed plastic bag. She offers one for Raven, and uses her teeth to help pull open the bag for her own, and begins to eat it. "If you like, I can call in a delivery for dessert, malasadas, they are an Alolan specialty."

Raven nodded a few times. "Yeah. If... I ever get a place of my own, I imagine it wouldn't suit most people," she offered encouragingly. "Living out of... Ah. as a performer I imagine you must have had an... interesting life," she offered. "I am... happy you have managed to find such happiness in it," she offered.

She took the sandwich and smiled. "Thank you," she said before taking a small bite out of it. She didn't seem to mind it, at least. "And no, thank you. I've had more than enough dessert to last me a while. So.... do you often do things with your mouth likle that? Do you ever struggle with things like that, not being a... human and all?"

"The life of a traveling performer did have it's moments, that's for sure, and it did keep life interesting for a while. After years of it though, I grew tired of constantly living on the road. I mean, I don't mind traveling, but I don't want to be doing it all the time, particularly when it's the same places over and over. So I left all that for a quieter life where I could perform on my own terms, and pick the venues myself to an extent. Though, that was before it was discovered that there were other worlds beyond my own, and now my life still isn't exactly quiet, but it's never boring either." Miwa offers with a laugh. 

 "As for struggling with certain things because I'm not human, yes, sometimes." She says as she holds up one of her flippers. "My flippers do sort of have three small fingers, but they lack the dexterity a human enjoys, and I can't grip anything with them either, so if I have to hold something, I have to either use my mouth, or hold it between both of my flippers."

Raven nods a few times, listening intently. "How did you become a performer?" she asked. "I mean, you said before there were a lot of singing pokemon, so what made you become so famous?" she asked. "Or are you the only one of your kind?" She then blinked a few times. "No, that seems unlikely. but... how common is a situation like this?" She asked. "I mean,... Humans are the more... common people in this world, correct? Or do humans not sing in this world? Your entire situation seems... unique."

Miwa smiles softly at Raven's next few questions. "Oh, I wasn't always a singer, no, but you could almost say it was my destiny. You see, used to be the personal Pokemon of the owner of a traveling musical theater troupe. I assume he bought my egg, or it was given to him, I never actually thought to ask him about it later, but not long after I hatched as a baby Popplio, I was trained to participate in the performances. At first it was more of a matter of 'Oh, look at the adorable little Popplio, isn't it adorable how she tries to dance with the other performers and barks along with the music. But as I grew, and evolved into my second stage, Brionne, my dancing ability became more graceful, especially as Kaleo, the owner, who was also my trainer, provided some pools of water on the stage for me to swim around and leap between." 

 She pauses for a moment to eat more of her sandwich before continuing. "Eventually, I evolved into Primarina, the final stage, as you see me now. It was then that I really started to take center stage. Primarina are somewhat rare, female ones even more so, and lots of people think we are rather beautiful. I was also by then able to use my various abilities to enhance the show, everything from floating balloons of water that I could control the movement of by singing, and even cause to explode on queue, freeze with ice beam, and even make balloons large enough that I could ride them around in a sort of aerial dance. It wasn't long before I decided, having watched and listened to humans singing, and how the audience's reacted to their songs differently than they did when I sang, I wanted to learn to sing in their language, so I learned to speak, it wasn't easy mind you, but I was determined. That is what makes me rather unique. I don't think I'm the only Pokemon who can speak in human languages, but as far as I know, I'm the only one who sings in them."

Raven nodded as she listened to each word. Her sandwich, a few bites removed, was resting in her hands. Finally... "I take it back. I haven't underestimated you. I have SEVERLY underestimated you. And for that I am sorry. I... Was unsure why you seemed different than so many other pokemon. Why yiu were treated so differently. But... I think I'm starting to understand why you became famous and ummm... other things." She coughed a bit, red. "You're quite the amazing person, Miwa. Your abilities seem spectacular. I may need to try and view one of your concerts one day. Are they hard to get tickets to?" She idly wondered how often the pokemon had guests by....

Miwa nods. "I learned to sing with language so I could put more expression into my singing, and that really made me a star. When I eventually decided I wanted to leave the troupe, I think Kaleo thought it would only be temporary, so he let me go. It's a story I can maybe tell another time, but let's just say that what he did to try and get me to come back was horrible and we aren't speaking anymore, he's actually probably in jail... But, I am now free to do whatever I want. I've actually only done a couple of concerts since going solo. My first was on the beach here, well, on shore, and many of my friends came to see it. I also more recently did a sort of charity one for the Aether House, it's a sort of orphanage here for both children and Pokemon, run by the Aether Institute, a company based here in Alola that researches Pokemon medicine and genetics. If I do another one, I'll be sure to let you know, friends are always welcome to attend."

Raven blinked a few times at THAT. "I... see. Imprisoned..." she mumbled gently. "I've met... more than a few people who... are like that. They like to take and take and take, regardless of what their target wants," she mumbled softly. She sighed and... "Do... you mind if I take this? I'll eat it later, but it would be rude to toss it aside." She got to her feet.

"But... I really do have some things I need to attend to. It was wonderful talking with you. Thank you for your time. It was... It has been very eye opening. And I am happy I've gotten to know you better. It has answered so many questions." She then held out her left hand and, after a few moments, a black portal appeared. "Good bye, Miwa. I will see you later."