World Tree MUSH

     It's mid-morning, on a weekday, so the beach on the east side of Ula'ula Island is fairly quiet, with just a few people here and there. Being fall on a tropical island, the temperature is still warm, but not anywhere approaching hot. Away from most of the few people on the beach, a Primarina is relaxing, laying in the wet sand near the edge of the breaking surf, with each wave washing over her tail but leaving her upper half dry while the Alolan sun warms her skin as it rises further into the sky. Her eyes are closed, but she is awake.

 
 Its a good thing that there aren't that many people on the beach currently, otherwise what is about to happen might cause quite the panic. The cool waters of Alola beach begin to stir more so than usual, these aren't simply waves being blown by the tranquil wind, something beneath the waters is moving fast and moving quickly. A torrent of water splashes upwards and a defiant indignant scream accompanies it as a somewhat humanoid shape seemingly erupts from the water. "GAAAAAAH!!!" Frankly, this looks like it could be a monster. It's on the smaller side, about a foot smaller than the average human, but so much wider, impossibly broad shoulders, a barrel chest and thick as tree trunk limbs giving the appearance of a short and squat primate. Its all black encased in what appears to be some kind of armor, and a single crystal-like large eye is place squarely in the center of its face giving the appearance of some kind of cyclops. Yes, a monster, most assuredly. 
 
 Or it's a short person wearing a very old school diving suit. The ones with the big helmets and heavy metal gear intended for walking on the ocean floor rather than swimming. 
 
 More pressingly, this.. fellow.. has a Tentacool attached to his face. The man wearing the old school diving suit hurriedly walks up to the shore trying to pull the pokemon off his face. "Get the sod off me, will ya!? Bloody critter!" A gruff man's scream comes from under the helmet of the diving suit as he finally manages to pull the Tentacool off him and punts him back into the water. 
 
 Well.. that's one way to start the morning. 
 

     Miwa's eyes quickly open wide and she starts to sit up on her tail as she hears the splashing, looking to see what's causing it. Wouldn't be the first time she saw a kid drowning and went to the rescue. Today it was something altogether different though. That hearty yell as the creature from the deep broke the surface with a Tentacool wrapped to its head left the Primarina not sure whether she should laugh or be scared. When she hears the short and stout man speak though, albeit with an accent that she hasn't heard before, she relaxes and grins a bit. She was about to help encourage the Tentacool to let go when the dwarf pulls it off and punts it into the ocean. She winces but at least being a jellyfish-like Pokemon it didn't have any bones to break, it'd probably be fine if something doesn't eat it while it's stunned. She offers the fairly obvious visitor from another world a wave of her flipper and a warm greeting. "Alola! Welcome to my favorite slice of paradise. I'm Miwa, and this is Ula'Ula Island, in the Alola region."

 
 After all that, Muradin was half expecting to be attacked. It would be just his luck after all, minding his own business whilst he walked the ocean floor, only to get waylaid by.. whatever that squid creature was and forced him back to the surface. Fortunately, it seems like his luck is finally taking a turn for the better, and let me tell you, its about time. "Wot??" The short man in the diving suit speaks once again with that thick accent of his as he hears a female voice clearly addressing him. Muradin will take a kind greeting over getting charged on by Naga tridents or the like, so rather than tense up and call upon his magical weapons, the dwarf relaxes. "Is that what this place is called?" He says to himself. 
 
 It'd be impolite to not introduce himself back, and so, the Mountain King reaches for his helmet and pops it off, his long bronze hair spills out, pony tail flowing down to the middle of his back and his long braided beard show in all its glory. "Name's Muradin, Muradin Bronzebeard. Eh.. sorry about that entrance there, but I appreciate the warm welcome... lass..?" It is then that Muradin realizes who he's talking to. The dwarf blinks as he sees Miwa. His initial thought is that this is some kind of Naga, but she's so much cuter than those snake men and far friendlier. "Whoa, uh, wot.. exactly are ye, if ye donna mind me asking. I ne'er quite seen someone like ye before." 

     Miwa nods and smiles as Muradin returns her greeting. "Not a problem, I thought you were a drowning kid when I first heard the splashing, was pleased to see it was a visitor instead, and a friendly one is even better. I feel a little sorry for that Tentacool, but they do like to latch onto things, and I can't say I haven't blasted one myself that got a little too clingy, it'll probably be fine anyway, and there are tons of them out in the ocean either way. That was a Pokemon, and so am I, Tentacool is a water and poison type. I'm a Primarina, a water and fairy type. Most Pokemon don't speak, but I really wanted to learn so I could sing songs with words, and had the time, help from my former trainer, and determination to make it happen."

 
 "A kid??" Muradin strokes his beard thoughtfully when Miwa confesses she initially thought he was a drowning child. Now, Muradin is perfectly aware he's a short fellow, but he seldom has been confused for a child of any species, after all, the facial hair and the huge musculature kind of compensate for being vertically challenged. Nevertheless, this is a new strange world after all, and he realizes that he was wearing a suit, not to mention that this lady is not even human nor humanoid! It does make sense that at a glance Miwa thought he might be a child. Either way, ultimately not important, and if anything it gives Muradin an idea of what to expect around here, he's clearly not in Azeroth anymore and though it's been a while since he came to the Tree he has yet to adjust. "Right, right, I see..." Muradin gives a thoughtful hmmm, pursing his lips and stroking his beard some more, his helmet held under his arm. Miwa begins to bombard him with information, but he really rather he had lots of info rather than none at all and so he begins to process it as best he can. "Pokemon, aye? I reckon I've heard that word thrown about here and there, nice to finally get to see some o' ye, though I reckon I'd rather meet yer type than that grabby tentacle git from back there." Muradin narrows his eyes and looks behind him towards the direction where he kicked that Tentacool. "Not all ye Pokemons are as friendly as ye, but hey, I've always said generalization is bad." Unless it comes to Horde scum, in which case, they are all bad of course. 
 
 Muradin exhales some air and pauses for a bit, looks like his morning treasure hunt is a bust, but there's no reason to simply pack up and go back home, particularly now that he's met friendly company. "Oi, Miwa, was it? Ye know if there's any good pubs around here?" 

     Miwa nods again, a little impressed that he's heard of Pokemon but has yet to see one, but she supposes that word travels fast across the tree and Pokemon are... fairly special. "Yes, all Pokemon CAN be friendly eventually, at least to their trainer, but wild ones are much more unpredictable, even some that are commonly friendly might be a little more aggressive if you catch them at a stressful time. Though I suppose that's not unlike animals on other worlds. I was raised from an egg by a trainer, so I'm pretty used to being around people, especially after performing in front of huge crowds. As for a pub? Hmm, might be a few in Malie City. Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the island. I could swim around to there fairly quickly, maybe even with you..." Though she looked a little unsure how much he'd weigh her down in the water. "There is a path through a meadow, around a lake, and through a forested route, but..." She holds up a flipper. "I can walk but I'm not exactly going to win any races on land."

 
 Pokemon are indeed very special, and as a consummate adventurer, it bears to reason that Muradin had heard at least a little bit about them. Any adventurer worth their salt does at least some research about the local fauna and flora before barrelling into unexplored lands, and while Muradin has a penchant for going into things head first, he does like doing some research. Thus, he's not -too- taken back with all of Miwa's information and quickly begins digesting it all. An adventurer has to hit the ground running after all, the more time Muradin wastes trying to figure out Pokemon, that's less time spent looking for treasure and looking for fights. "I figured as much." Muradin grins at Miwa as she kindly explains the nature of her kin and her own background. "something 'bout ye says yer all prim and proper, well, besides the ability to talk that is, that other bloke clearly was in no talking mood." Huffs the dwarf, still annoyed at the Tentacool getting too clingy with him. His bad mood seems to be quickly cured with Miwa's presence though, finding her rather charming at her willingness to help out. "Hah! Well, I was hoping ye'd say ye wanna come with. I gotta say I rather spent me drinks with pleasant company, and yer certainly pleasant alright, me lady." Chuckles the Mountain King. As for how to get there, that doesn't seem to be a big issue for Muradin who simply shrugs, straps his helmet to his belt and offers his arms towards Miwa, suggesting he wants to pick her up bridal style. "No big deal. If ye can lead the way I can carry ye there, if ye donna mind my forwardness that is." 
 

     Miwa enjoys having a friendly spar to keep her battle skills sharp, though she was not the sort to rush to challenge someone she's just met. She grins and nods as he responds positively to her wanting to go with him to the city. "Well I didn't really have any plans today, and hanging out with someone new sure beats laying on the beach alone. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about any Pokemon you see, or the world as a whole." She offers, then listens as he answers about the problem of how to get there, only to blink in mild surprise as he offers to carry her. "Just as long as you don't carry me to the market as your catch of the day." She answers with a laugh. "Oh, and watch my frills, they're a little delicate."

 
 "HAHAHA! I ain't the kinna dwarf that'd do something like that!" Cackles Muradin good naturely as Miwa asks him not to double cross her. Thankfully for all involved, this particular dwarf values his honor greatly as he does his friendships, he wouldn't betray Miwa for putting her trust in him, something about the way this dwarf carries himself can assure her of it. And, speaking of carrying, that's what Muradin goes to do. "Upsie daisy!" He huffs as he wraps his thick arms under Miwa and lifts her up bridal style, carrying her as if she weighted nothing at all. He begins walking in the direction of the city whilst nodding at the Pokemon. "That's good that ye donna mind, I do ask a lot of questions and I'm a pretty chatty dwarf to begin with, so I might yammer on whilst on our way there." He chuckles as he heads into the city proper, asking Miwa for directions every once in a while to make sure he's going the right way. "Wot goes on around 'ere anyway? Some lass I ran into a while back said there's fightin' to be had, but I haven't ran into any problems that needed solving with a hammer." He asks idly. 

     Miwa does her best to stay fairly still as Muradin carries her, though he probably won't have too hard a time keeping his grip as she does have very fine fur similar to a sea lion, making her much less slippery than a fish or dolphin, even if she's still a little damp. "Well, this world is generally pretty peaceful these days, the fighting you heard about is probably Pokemon Battles, they are 'just for fun' sparring I guess you could say." As they pass through Ula'Ula meadow, a few Cutiefly and Ribombee fly past them, as well as a Ledian, looking like bees and ladybugs respectively, but decidedly cuter and significantly bigger. There are also a few Roselia basking in the sun, looking like a tiny green person with blue and red roses for hands, they're about a third the height of the gnomes Muradin would be familiar with. When they reach the path to the next route on the north side of the meadow, Miwa gives a warning. "We can go a little further this way and take a shortcut through the forest, but don't go much further north unless you want a fight. At the north end of Route 17, is Po Town, which has been completely taken over by Team Skull, they use it as their base and are known for harassing travelers foolish enough to get too close. I did say 'mostly peaceful' for a reason."

 
 Muradin looks around giving wary glances everywhere, not because he's nervous, but because he's in sheer awe of being surrounded by so many strange and magnificent creatures, he sees the Pokemon flying about or lounging freely and he's clearly quite taken back at all the interesting fauna that is in this place. "Whoa.. Brann would have a field day here.." He mutters quietly to himself as he walks around, still having Miwa firmly and secure in his grasp but with his eyes wandering all around him. He thinks of his younger brother and if he might end up seeing him again, if there's another dwarf besides Muradin who'd tumble their way into the Tree, it would have to be Brann Bronzebeard. As he walks though, it's Miwa's warning that gets him to focus back on the road, and as Miwa mentions Po Town and its current predicament the dwarf gets a devious look in his blue eyes, almost as if they crackled with lightning. "Team Skull?? Why, that sounds like a gang of brigands it does. Certainly the type of problem that needs fixin' with a hammering! HAH!" For a moment, it looks as if Muradin is about to run straight north, until he remembers that he has a passenger in his arms and looks down at Miwa. "I donna ever mind a fight, lassie, but I guess the question here is do -ye- want to get stuck in a brawl right now?" Muradin is reckless, but he has enough good manners to ask his traveling companion if she feels like accompanying him into battle. 

     Miwa nods at Muradin's assessment of Team Skull. "They haven't been involved in any really serious crimes like some of the criminal groups I've heard about in other regions, but they do like to claim areas that are supposed to be for the public, and harass other residents of Alola, especially young Pokemon Trainers that are undergoing the Grand Trial, a tradition of adventure and growth that children in Alola embark on when they turn 11 years old. Many of Team Skull's members failed or gave up on the trial, and now they get their amusement by making others miserable. I would happily accompany you into battling them, someone needs to since the Police don't seem to be able to get them to leave, but I will have to be careful. Many of them use poison-type Pokemon, which have a type advantage over me, being part fairy type, basically means their attacks hurt a lot more. Fortunately, they also use a lot of dark-types, which I'm strong against."

 
 Muradin listens carefully as Miwa explains the nature behind Team Skull. Yep, sounds like a bunch of hooligans that need to get their heads bashed in alright. The dwarven warrior furrows his eyebrows in annoyance, his jaw clenching slightly, and his eyes widening in righteous fury. The drums of battle beat strong in this dwarf's heart, and he abhors people that would prey on the weak, that these punks would attack children makes their acts unforgivable. Except... Muradin hesitates ever so slightly when Miwa informs him that some of Team Skull are those that failed their own trials. If that if the case, they can't be much older than the kids they're attacking.. could these be a juvenile gang?" Hmmm..." Muradin muses slightly, a rare moment where he actually stops and thinks about things rather than rushing into a fight. "I'll be honest with ye, lassie, it sounds very tempting to go in there and give 'em the business." He admits. "But I ain't exactly good at pulling my punches.. the usual way I deal with bandits and the like is to kill 'em.. and this place.." He looks about again, seeing the Pokemon flying and lounging about. "It's a mite too peaceful to have the roads soaked with blood..." Perhaps.. he needs to think about this more.. ideally over a drink. "How about we have that drink I promise ye first, then ye can tell me how ye folks usually deal with blighters like these Team Skull, aye?" It might look cowardly to run away from a fight, but Muradin just doesn't think killing Team Skull to the last man is the right way to go. This isn't Azeroth. 
 

     Miwa winces a bit when Muradin explains his usual way of dealing with bandits and such, as it reminds her of how an old friend of hers came close to doing that when she tried to drive some Team Skull grunts off the beach that they were claiming as theirs, and they beat her, badly. He scared one of the boys so badly that he left flowers for Miwa at the Pokemon Center along with a note asking her to call him off. On the bright side it also scared him straight. "Yeah, I'm sure the local police would appreciate help rounding them up or driving them out of Po Town, though it's so vandalized now I doubt anyone would want to live there... But killing them? I don't think Officer Jenny would take too kindly to that. They are mostly just teenagers, which I guess I am too, though Pokemon don't age exactly like humans..." By now they're at the southern end of Route 17, and Muradin could probably make out a few of the kids from Team Skull further up the route, they do look like teenage thugs, wearing black and white clothes they think make them look cool, and their hair dyed in bright colors, with hats that have black spots that look like the vacant eyes of a skull, and black masks. "We can turn right into the forest here to Route 10 which leads directly to Malie City."

 
 Muradin looks ahead to see the so-called brigands of Team Skull. Yep, sure enough, even from where he stands, Muradin can tell that those are definitely human kids up ahead, they look scrawny, thin, not too tall, and more importantly, he can tell none of them have facial hair whatsoever! That's the only real way Muradin can tell human children from adults with at least a little bit of certainty, rule of thumb, if they don't have beards at all its safe to say that they are not adults. Far from the most effective way of telling age with humans, but it beats the alternative of treating them all like adults and just killing them. "Aye, that seems fair." Maybe after this they can go talk to this officer Jenny and ask them how best to approach this Team Skull business. Muradin seems reluctant to killing them but he doesn't seem keen on just letting them wander free to vandalize and harass people as they will. Team Skull! Your days are numbered! Right after this quick trip to a bar.... standard dwarven approach to warfare anyway, first drinks, then combat.. then more drinks. Muradin shoots an ugly look at the vanguard of Team Skull before turning right all subtle like and heading into the forest towards Route 10. Hopefully no one tries to harass them or try to ask him why he's carrying a Primarina as if it were his bride, though at this point, Muradin is just kind of itching for a fight anyway so it'd be a blessing in disguise-- at least for him! 

     The Team Skull grunts closest to the Dwarf and Primarina pair seem to be having a Pokemon battle amongst themselves, and so they fail to notice the two, despite Muradin's obviously off-world appearance, and Miwa's brightly colored form. After a short trip through the forest, where Muradin might catch sight of some of the arachnid Pokemon, Ariados, and perhaps some Rattata which look very much like big rats, there are even some strange-looking pine cones at the bottom of a few trees that he probably wouldn't even realize were also a kind of Pokemon. Soon they emerge onto Route 10, which is mostly empty, though there is an occasional passerby who gives the pair an odd look, and Miwa just waves a flipper and smiles and they keep going. Muradin will surely notice that this dirt path passes between two mountains, the shorter of the two on the left, the tallest on the right. Miwa blinks a bit with surprise as she looks to the latter. "Oh wow, what a sight. It's not often that it's clear enough you can really see much of Mount Lanakila from down here. It's the tallest mountain in the entire island chain of Alola." So tall in fact, that even though it's in the tropics, there is snow near the peak.

 
 Wow, is everything a Pokemon here?? Muradin gets cautious when he sees one of those pine cones move and almost adjusts into a fight stance, carrying Miwa with one arm and holding his battle hammer with another, until he realizes that the pine cones don't seem hostile. It's such a strange world, and yet it has its own share of familiarity too. As the two walk through the forest and towards the city, Muradin turns to look where Miwa is pointing with her flipper and he catches sight of two magnificent mountains off in the distance. Proud, and stoic like giant dwarves, he takes a moment to stand and get a good look at them, bringing a smile to his face. "Reminds me of Khaz Modan." He admits, wondering if he'll get the opportunity to scale those mountains at some point. "Albeit much warmer." He adds after a moment, Muradin is still wearing his diving suit and he holds Miwa with one arm to pull slightly on the neck of his diving suit to get some air in, he has to be hot wearing all that, not to mention being as hairy as he is. "Woof! I should get a change of clothes soon, maybe I can find some propa' gear in the city before we head into the bar." He adjusts Miwa in his arms and gives a nod to Mount Lanakila, every mountain is a friend to a dwarf after all, then he sets off again on the road. 

Miwa notices Muradin's reaction to the Pineco moving and chuckles a bit. "I wouldn't recommend hitting one of those with your hammer. They have a very... explosive personality you might say." She says with a grin. She then gets a curious look at the mention of Khaz Modan. "Is that where you're from? A bit more snow on the mountains than here I'm guessing. That snow cap actually completely melts in the summer because it's so warm here. I've only been up to the peak once since it's not exactly easy for me to climb a mountain." She also gives a nod at the mention of clothes. "Yeah, I guess if that suit you've got keeps the water out it wouldn't let much air in either even with the top open... Well you're pretty big, but if they have clothes that fit Kahuna Hala, then they probably have something that'll fit you if we look." Before long the city is in view as they approach the end of Route 10. It looks more like a large village than a true city, and has architecture based on the Johto region, so it has a very Japanese look. Probably would still remind Muradin somewhat of Pandaria.

 
 "Heh! I wasn't planning on, lest it tried to attack me." Muradin chuckles as Miwa warns him not to try and smash the Pokemons with his hammer as if he were playing whack-a-mole. The dwarf is pretty aggressive, but he isn't mindlessly violent that he'd attack anything that moves, if anything, he thinks that a lot of these Pokemon are pretty adorable, and might even make great friends considering he has a Primarina in his arms. "Aye.." He responds wistfully to Miwa as she asks if Khaz Modan is where he's from. "Imagine an area just like them mountains over there, but full of snow, far as the eye can see. It's a beautiful sight, me kin and I make our homes deep in the mountains where its warm, digging and forging all day long. Twas a good life." He smirks as he carries on. "But it doesn't beat adventuring! Many dwarves are content spending all their lives hammering at the forge or picking at the earth. Not me, mate, I wouldn't get to see sights like yer mountains if I never left. And I do intend to see as much as I possibly can." He's doing good in that regard considering he's in Tree- Muradin has a good chance of seeing more than any dwarf has before. "Oi.. I forgot.. yer place is probably full of humans." He sighs and realizes most of the clothes are not going to be his size, he's awfully short for a human but sooo much wider. "Maybe I can find something that's extra large and just roll it up a bit, wouldn't be the first time." Muradin is nothing if not practical after all. Before long, they do reach the city, and the dwarf has to whistle in surprise. "Whoa.. would ye look at that! There's buildings like this in my home planet, but wouldn't yet know it? It was full of Pandas! Ye got any of those 'ere, Miwa?" 
 

Miwa nods as she listens to Muradin speak about his home. "That does sound really pretty. I've only seen snow like that a few times in my life, and I've never been to an underground city, much less one built into a mountain. That sounds incredible, and yeah, just humans and Pokemon here, and most clothes made for Pokemon are for the smaller, cuter kinds. But Kahuna Hala is about your size I think. He lives on Melemele Island, but I heard he shops here because the selection is better." She says before pausing a bit as she looks around. 

     "As for pandas, well, there is a kind of Pokemon I've seen that look like the pandas from other worlds I've heard about. The first evolution is more like a cub, and looks rather cute, it's called Pancham, the evolved form, Pangoro is one of the biggest and strongest fighting types around, at nearly seven feet tall and three hundred pounds." They soon pass a clothing store and Miwa points it out. "Oh, let's try and see if we can find you something in there. Hopefully you like the island style." She says with a grin.

 
 "Oh yeah, it's amazing if I say so meself." Chuckles the dwarf. "Mayhap one day I can show ye. I donna know how things work 'round 'ere, but Azeroth has this knack fer attracting problems from all over the Multiverse from wot I understand. In fact, we have a corps that's supposed to handle that stuff. Anyway, I donna doubt that I'll manage to stumble me way there again somehow, and when I do, I'd be glad to show ye me home, mate. It's the least I can do fer ye showing me yers." Muradin doesn't know if Miwa would like Khaz Modan since it's quite different from Alola, but it'd be an experience alright, and she does seem like the adventurer type, maybe she'd appreciate it. "Och! Good! Always glad to see some short stocky humans around, makes things easier fer me." The dwarf knew there was a reason why he liked this place, other than the beautiful sights that is. "Hmm.. so the pandas are Pokemon too, aye? Interesting." He says with some thought as Miwa explains the Pancham and Pangoro forms of Pokemon. "In me world they are a whole faction within themselves, they call themselves the Pandaren. They build houses much like these ones 'ere and wear big conical hats and these uniform looking things called qipaos.. and they practice martial arts. A very interesting people, bonus points cuz they like some good brews! That's always a plus in my book, 'tis a shame that there's so many Horde sympathizers amongst them, but I guess no one's perfect." Muradin leads Miwa's lead to a clothing shop and he soon finds a big ol' Hawaiian looking shirt and pants and sandals that look like they're about his size. "Excellent! This will do nicely! Oh.. I guess there's no need fer me to keep carrying ya, aye? Unless yer really liking being carried around like a princess." Muradin laughs before setting Miwa down on the ground. 
 

Miwa would probably need to dress warmly for that visit, but she'd be happy to have a tour of Muradin's home and would love to meet the more friendly denizens of Azeroth. She nods at his assessment of the panda Pokemon. "Almost everything here is a Pokemon. There of course are normal plants that aren't Pokemon, and some really small basic insects that live in the ground like worms which birds eat, but even nearly all of the bugs are Pokemon." She explains, then smiles at the clothes Muradin picks out and giggles at his comment about carrying her. "I could get used to it, certainly. But no, I can walk just fine on my flippers, just would rather not do any land races, much less a marathon." She says as she points to one side of the store. "The dressing rooms are over there, why don't you tear off the tags and give them to me, I'll pay while you get changed. Consider it my welcome gift. Then we can find a place to get some good food and drink."

 
 "I'm starting to realize that." Says Muradin in regards to how nearly everything in this world seems to be based around Pokemon. There's just so many wandering the place that for an outsider like him its difficult to think that there are basic insects and animals like in his world. In fact, to him, it almost looks like the Pokemon are the dominant species, its surprising to see that human industry has advanced as much as it has with all these Pokemons running around. He'd thing that the humans might still be using swords and shields, though then again... these Pokemon are awfully friendly and apparently work well with the humans, so maybe that's why humanity has had so much wiggle room to evolve. Anyway! Muradin focuses back on the task at hand and rolls his shoulders. "Heh! Well, I donna mind giving ye a ride whenever ye need it, I might start calling ye princess fer it though." He cackles a bit before Miwa offers to pay for his clothes. "Wot!? Really?? Thank ye kindly, lassie. That's very generous of ye, but donna forget! Drinks are on me! Hah!!" Muradin does as instructed and tears the tags letting Miwa handle the buying process as he scoots over to the changing rooms. A while later, Muradin walks out dressed very much like a local, a big hawaiian shirt, his pants and sandals, with his diving suit folded and tucked in his pants and his helmet still hanging on his belt. Along the way he grabbed a straw hat too, making him look very Hawaiian. "How do I look? Not too silly I hope?" Frankly, if he had darker skin he might actually look like a native. 
 

It is a wonder how humans survived long enough to tame some of the Pokemon in order to help them build toward civilization, but Miwa is no history expert, when she got back to the time Pokemon were used in warfare she lost interest in learning about the past. At the counter, she hands the tags over to the cashier, having carefully balanced them on her nose as she walked over, she then carefully uses her mouth to fish out a credit card from a small bag she has hanging from her neck. The person at the counter is the owner and recognizes Miwa as the local celebrity she is and decides to let her friend have the straw hat free of charge. "You'll fit right in I think!" She replies with a smile to the question of how he looks. "Shall we go?" She asks as she heads toward the door, and if Muradin will get the door, she'll lead the way to a place she has in mind once they're outside.

 
 "Heh! Thanks!" Muradin rubs the back of his head at the compliment. The middle child of the Bronzebeard royals is used to cutting an impressive figure, but he has to admit that being complimented by Miwa feels nice, something about her honesty makes it all the better- after all, she doesn't know that he's royalty either, just like he doesn't know that she's a celebrity. Sometimes, its good to be in a place where no one knows you and you don't know anyone, it makes you feel like you can really be yourself. Muradin's true self is, of course, that of a natural gentleman, so he opens the door for Miwa and follows her outside. "Aack! Gotta say, feels nice getting out of the diving suit, now I can feel all these fresh air on me beard!" He strokes his magnificent beard with a grin before glancing around. "So! Where to now? Pub I reckon, maybe one of 'em karaoke bars that I've been hearing so much about, aye?" 

"It is a really nice looking beard, if the opinion of a Pokemon who can't grow any hair on her face counts for anything... well, unless you count my fur. Though I think my ponytail is enough hair for me." Miwa admits as she runs a flipper over her cyan locks tied up with two strings of pearls. "But yeah, I bet you do feel lots better now that you can feel the nice island breeze. It feels even nicer this time of year when it's a little less warm to begin with." She offers as she makes her way along, walking on her tail and flippers, sticking to the grass at the edge of the path since it's softer. When Muradin mentions a karaoke bar, she grins and giggles a little. "You must have read my mind. I think I know just the place, it's up a bit further on the right." Sure enough, even from here in the daylight, you could make out a place with neon instruments in the window and the sign depicts a Primarina with a microphone on one flipper and a tall blue drink in the other garnished with a toothpick skewering two pieces each of pecha berry and pinap berry.

 
 "Why, that means a lot to me, actually!" Says Muradin as Miwa compliments his beard. "Particularly 'cause yer species canna grow facial hair. That must mean me beard looks universally good, hah!!" The dwarf cackles a bit more as he runs his hand across the length of his beard. Muradin is an exceptionally hairy dwarf it seems, as he then runs his hand over his equally long pony tail. "Yep, got one of those too." He cracks his neck a little, still limbering up after being stuck in the diving suit for so long. "Aye, momma Bronzebeard always used to say that there's no such thing as bad weather, but by me hammer do I appreciate island weather! Something about the salt in the air just makes everything feel fresher." He sucks in air deeply from nostrils, honestly, Muradin could see himself making a little spot for himself in Alola, he likes this place! Maybe after he's dealt with Team Skull... "Well, everyone I run into seems to talk about Karaoke bars. They seem incredibly popular all across the realms." Explains Muradin before Miwa points them in the direction of a place that is obviously a pub. "There's the ticket! Oh, this is gonna be good! Let's goooo!!!!" Not wanting to waste any time, Muradin picks Miwa up and sits her on his broad shoulder before jogging over to the entrance of the bar, Pokemon once again being given a ride dwarven style. 

Miwa is a little surprised when Muradin scoops her up again without much warning, but she laughs it off. She could tell her new friend really wanted some drinks and this way they'd get there a fair bit quicker. When they enter the bar, it looks about like you'd expect for a beach bar on the inside. The bartop is held up by a wall of lacquered bamboo, barstools are also bamboo with tan seats, the whole interior actually is a mix of wood and bamboo. At one end of the bar is a couple of Team Skull grunts that look to be in their later teens, older than the ones they saw back near Po Town, and a man that looks to be in his early twenties, with a gold chain necklace, shades with the top edge of one side flattened off, and a baggy outfit. Miwa blinks at the sight of them, wondering what they're in here for, but silently motions to Muradin that they should sit at the other end of the bar. Once they have a seat, Miwa starts looking over the menu a bit.

 
 Normally Muradin would be perceptive enough to realize that there's a couple of Team Skull goons here accompanied by someone that could very well be their ringleader. Unfortunately, a thirsty dwarf is not a very perceptive one, and Muradin has been going on without a drink for too bloody long!! The Mountain King barrells through the door, making sure that he doesn't hurt Miwa while she's riding his shoulder of course, and focuses on Miwa's instructions, unsure why she's being so quiet all of the sudden, but ultimately uncaring. "Finally!" Exclaims Muradin who is all too eager to try out what Alola has to offer in terms of booze. He sits at the far end of the bar along with Miwa and waves his hand at her as she starts looking through the menu. "Donna bother with that, lassie. Here's the best way to make sure ye get the best of the best. Oi barkeep!" The dwarf calls over to the bartender and he pulls out a sack of golden coins, freshly fished out of the sea, no doubt one of Muradin's underwater ventures. "Get me and the lady here the best drinks ye got, and make it snappy!" The gold coins all but spill into the bar counter, threatening to spill onto the other side of the counter if the bartender isn't quick enough to go scoop them. 
 

The clatter of coins on the bar does draw some attention, especially with the accompanied glint of gold. The barkeep blinks in surprise but recovers in time to catch some of the coins that fall off the side of the bar. He nods and rushes off as Miwa calls after him. "And a big plate of fish and shrimp tacos please!" She then looks up at Muradin with a grin. "I'm hungry, AND thirsty. Should be enough to share though if you could use a bite as well." She explains why she had been looking at the menu. Otherwise for now she tries to ignore the fact that they're sharing the bar with a few of Team Skull's elite. She eyes the karaoke machine but decides to wait till she's had a bit to whet her appetite and quench her thirst before she puts on a show.

 
 "Aye! Make it the jumbo platter! HAHAHA!" Laughs the rowdy dwarf as he sees the bartender dash for the back. "And bring me some good spicy sauce with that! I wanna feel me eyebrows sweating!!" Thirsty AND hungry indeed, considering that he had been walking underwater for who knows how long, Muradin had built up quite the appetite, and he normally ate a lot to begin with. "Good thinking there, lassie, I was so focused on getting some drinks that I dinnae realize we could get something to eat too." Looks like this is going to be covering a lot of spots, drink, food, and judging by the way Miwa is eyeing the karaoke machine it looks like there will be some entertainment too. "Oooh! I see where yer looking, lass! Yer gonna sing us a song, aye?? I dinnae that I was in the presence of a veritable mermaid! HAHAH!!" Muradin's roaring laughter quiets when he finally realizes the -other- thing that Miwa was staring at. Some Team Skull gangsters and some fancy dressed git that looks like the big honcho. "Oi, wot are those blighters doing 'ere??" Muradin clenches his fist, knuckles whitening and teeth bared as he stares daggers at her. If Miwa doesn't do something, her new friend might try to pick a fight with them before they get their drinks and food! 
 

"We can get dessert later also. They have malasada here, which is an Alolan specialty." Miwa teases with a smile, which turns to a frown as she catches the look on Muradin's face when he realizes who she was trying to make sure they didn't sit next to. She flashes a glance toward the Team Skull group, then back to Muradin, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I know, they're bad news, but if those guys are with Guzma, they probably have some strong Pokemon of their own, and I know Guzma has at least a few himself. Do you really want to pick a fight with them, in here? We'll flatten the place before it's all said and done." She liked this place already, and even if she could cover the damages, she didn't want to see it get wrecked in the first place. By the time Miwa has finished saying her piece, the bartender is back with a tray with six pint glasses on it, each with a different beer from the brewery next door. There's two different IPAs, a golden ale, an island lager, a pecha berry amber ale, and a pinap berry pilsner. Miwa blinks a bit as she catches a whif of the drinks, she'd never had beer before. She cautiously pulls the pecha berry ale toward her between her flippers and takes a sip, eyes widening a bit at the unique taste.

 
 Some dessert does sound nice, and if Muradin wasn't currently staring daggers at Guzma and his minions he might suggest that they get some of this ice cream he's been hearing about so much. Problem is, Team Skull really is drawing all of Muradin's ire right now and as Miwa implies that they might have some strong Pokemon to protect them, that only gets Muradin more incensed. "I ain't scared of no strong Pokemon!" He hisses under his breath, his muscles rippling under his Hawaiian shirt, lighting crackling all around him as he begins channeling the magics of the storm. Not killing Team Skull's rookies was one thing, but these guys look older and certainly in dire need of a beating. Muradin is all ready to jump off his stool when Miwa reminds that if there is a fight here, they will likely wreck the place, and Muradin in particular was already thinking about punching the guy with the tacky gold chain through a wall. He'd be a poor guest if the first thing he does is wreck a bar. "Huff... they get away scott free again..." He settles back on his stool, the lighting around him fading as he relaxes. The bartender makes a fortunate intervention just then as he brings a massive plater of drinks and that's really all it takes to pry Muradin's attention away from the goons. "AW YEAH!! HERE WE GO!!" Muradin thanks the bartender and grasps one of the drinks he recognizes first, Golden Ale. He takes a whiff first and nods approvingly before he clinks Miwa's own glass. "Cheers mate! This how we do it in Khaz Modan!!" He says and takes a big gulp down of his ale. "Ooof! That's wot I'm talking 'bout. I was going on too long without a pint there, know wot I mean??" 

Miwa smiles as her words and to a greater extent, the arrival of the ale serves to stave off Muradin's thirst for giving Team Skull what they deserve, for now. She didn't want this to turn into a fight just yet, ruining her chance to enjoy some food and drink with a new friend, not to mention her plans to show off a little by putting on a bit of a performance. "Can't say that I do, never had any of this before. I think I saw a few of the members of the musical theatre troupe I was with drink this kind of thing sometimes, but they never offered any to me or any of the other Pokemon." She then lowers her voice once again to a whisper. "Maybe we can meet up with them out on the trail later." She says with a quick wink, trying to imply that they could wait till the Team Skull guys leave and then challenge them outside. Soon the platter of tacos is set down on the bar top next to the tray of beers, and Miwa grabs one, munching at it between sips of beer, which she drinks by singing a few notes and making small bubbles of the drink to rise and float into her mouth.

 
 "Wellp! I just hope there ain't a reason for why they weren't offering ye any drinks." Says Muradin as he downs another mug, already working on his third one as Miwa explains her own brief experiences with beer. Hopefully Pokemon aren't like cats and dogs or something that their livers can't handle processing alcohol, but somehow Muradin really doubts that and it was more than likely that Miwa's past crew just didn't think she'd enjoy the taste. Guess they'd find out, though if Miwa was going to have a negative reaction to the drinks she would have done so already, so the dwarf thinks they're in the clear. As it is, Muradin can't help but keep an eye on Team Skull's goons sitting on the other side of the bar, just waiting to make eye contact so he can barrel towards them and slap them around. He also would hate to wreck the bar, but some things are inevitable, such as trying to keep him from giving some villains a proper smack down. Fortunately, Miwa knows that Muradin is going to beat these guys up one way or another and suggests an alternative. "Aaah, now yer speaking me language, lassie." He winks back at her and looks more relaxed, knowing that eventually he's going to bash some heads. He eats the tacos heartily, dipping them in hot sauce and taking bites of them along with gulps of beer. Having a good time in general. "Alright, alright, wot's so special 'bout this karaoke business anyway?? I was told blokes could do something 'ere other than eating and drinking, not that those ain't fine ways of spending an evening on their own!" Apparently Muradin is eager to see Miwa putting on a show! And truly, who could blame him? It's been basically the main event aside from beating up Team Skull. 

Miwa finishes off a couple of tacos and her first pint ever, starting on a second pint, the pinap berry pilsner, she'd had other drinks before with each of these flavors so she was pretty sure she'd like them, and while the beer had a powerful new flavor she wasn't accustomed to, she didn't find it unpleasant. There are Pokemon that are similar to cats and dogs so maybe for some drinking alcoholic beverages could be an issue, but Miwa is about the size of a slender human woman, and a water type so hopefully will be fine. Another taco and pint down moments later she is feeling quite tipsy though.

 "Well, I was thinking I could put on a show for you. I like to welcome new friends that way when the opportunity is there." She says with a smile as she heads over toward the karaoke machine, her gait on her flippers is slightly off but she doesn't stumble or fall. She hits a random song on the machine, she knows them all, then grabs the microphone stand between her flippers as she rises to stand on her tail, she begins to sing along to the music and the lyric prompts on the screen. As she sings, she forms several small water balloons each in a different color of the rainbow, and they dance around her as she continues the song, dancing under the control of her voice.

 
 True enough, Miwa seems just fine after a whole pint. If there was going to be an issue she would have doubled over already, so from Muradin's expertise with Pokemon (which is to say none) she is deem capable of drinking alcohol! Hooray! Muradin downs his third pint and tears into another shrimp taco, dripping with spicy salsa as he listens to Miwa. Ooh! A show!? Now this is what he was hoping to see. "Aye, me lassie!! Show me wot ye got, ey!??" He's good and tipsy now too, Muradin's mood, like most any dwarf, improves greatly with alcohol. He is an excitable man as it is, but now that he's had a few drinks in him he's positively thrilled about just about anything. When he was enthusiastic before now he is almost jumping and down in excitement and he bangs his mug on the bar counter as Miwa approaches the stage. "Show! Show! Show! YEEEEAAAAH!!" He cackles and spills some of his drink as he cheers Miwa to the stage. 
 
 And he's not disappointed. Even if Miwa is slightly tipsy she is one heck of a performer. Muradin leans back on his stool and watches as the Primarina sings all for him, thoughts of cracking Team Skull.. well.. skulls.. are all but forgotten. There's no one in the bar right now but him and Miwa's music. For once, mesmerized enough into silence. 

It's pretty clear that Miwa is very familiar with being on stage and performing. She's been in front of large crowds, so performing for a nearly empty bar was a breeze, perhaps even refreshing as she could really see how Muradin enjoys her showing her stuff. Her smile grows, showing through as she sings, clearly the Primarina is enjoying herself as well. The Team Skull guys do give her a glance, but then go back to talking amongst themselves while they drink their own pints. Miwa doesn't pay them any mind, her voice rising as she reaches the energetic final chorus. The final note of the chorus comes out like a ringing bell and suddenly all of those rainbow water balloons burst explosively into mist as if each had contained a firecracker. Before the mist can settle, Miwa follows up with Icy Wind, a chilling breath coming from her mouth like an arctic gale and freezing the mist into a glittering drift of rainbow-colored snow which blows around the room for a moment before settling and quickly beginning to melt as Miwa finishes the song and takes a bow.

 
 "WOOOOO!! YEEEEEEEEEEEH!!!" Bang!Bang!Bang!! Muradin erupts into wild cheers and bangs his mug enthusiastically on the counter as Miwa finishes up. That was amazing! He had travel wide and far in Azeroth and he had seen few shows that matched Miwa's singing prowess, she seemed like a veritable mermaid- and not those crazed Naga sirens that would shoot a lightning bolt at you once they were done singing, like a good proper one that focused on her music and made everyone happy. Indeed, rather than getting shot with a lightning bolt from a trident as it would have happened if Muradin was in the presence of a Naga witch, instead he witnesses an elaborate display of water balloons exploding colorfully and being turned into icy rainbow colored mist before the room is filled with cool air. "Encore! Encore!!" Claps Muradin again, always eager to see more, even if the threat of Team Skull continues to linger in the back of his mind. What he doesn't know is that is not unlikely that Miwa will ask him to go to the stage. After all, Karaoke usually doesn't mean a one man show even if Miwa has this more than covered.

Miwa laughs happily, a broad smile showing at Muradin's energetic response to her performance. She's only had a few fans cheer at her like that. "That was fun. It's been too long since the last time I really had a good concert, not that singing karaoke at a bar counts as one, but it's still nice to put on a performance even if it's just for a small crowd." She says happily, only to grin at the request of encore, her deep blue eyes falling to glance over the song list, there were more than a few that were meant to be sung by two or more people. Still standing on her tail and leaning a little on the mic stand, she briefly lets go with one of her flippers to wave Muradin toward her. "Why don't you join me for the next one? We can do a little duet, it'll be fun!"

 
 "Wot!? Me!!?" Muradin?? Singing!? Why.. he's not sure he's drunk enough to try that yet. Muradin is no slouch on a lot of things, he can fight, he can dig, he can dungeon crawl. Singing though... let's just say that the line of the Bronzebeards has never been known for their abilities to perform. Even the most charismatic of their lot (which is arguably Muradin himself) are only known for taking on exploring and maybe archeology? Singing...is just... the penalty on charisma for the dwarves -really- hurts their performing abilities! 
 
 But oh well, Muradin has essentially been called out now so he has no choice to comply. "Alright! Let's do this!" He sets his mug down with another bang on the counter and walks up to the stage, his steps as solid as ever, it takes a lot more than three pints to make him falter in his step. He even hops to the counter with a short jump, for such a stocky, heavy looking guy he is surprisingly light on his feet- like a boxer perhaps, and he spins to stand next to Miwa, adjusting his Hawaiian shirt a little. Ok, here it goes.. 
 
 "Let's see.. maybe if we can find something I actually know-AHA!!" He spots one that he actually has heard of since he started wandering around the Tree. So famous in fact that Miwa herself has probably heard it before. "Alright, and a One and a Two and--" 
 
 "I am a Dwarf and I'm digging a hole o/~ Diggy diggy hole! o/~ Diggin a hole! o/~" Muradin is.. not great at singing.. but at least he knows the lyrics! And he's pretty enthusiastic about it as he essentially starts headbanging it. 

Miwa smiles as Muradin agrees to join her, and she watches as he moves to stand next to her, still a little surprised by how well he can move for being such a big guy. She blinks a bit at the song he chooses, that being a bit more of a surprise, she does feel like she's heard that title somewhere, but didn't remember it being on this machine, must be a new addition since she was here last, it has been a while after all. When the song starts to play, and Muradin begins to sing, her smile grows even bigger, it was indeed the perfect song for him, and while the dwarf isn't likely to be winning any awards, his enthusiasm helps to make up for his less than stellar vocal prowess. This song wasn't really Miwa's usual style, but she is happy to join in and shows off that she has a lower register that she can really pound out despite the fact she hasn't really used it in her usual public performances. She also fires off a long-lasting Dazzling Gleam, creating a bright light above them that serves as their 'light in the tunnel' as they dig. The Team Skull group seems much less enthused than the Dwarf and Primarina duo, and work to finish their drinks and pay while the duet finish their song. By the time the song is over they are starting to make their exit.

 
 If anything its a great fit for Muradin. Miwa truly has no trouble keeping up, it feels like her ability to sing helps her with just about any genre of music, and to be fair, the song Muradin picked was originally intended for amateurs, so even he can figure out an easy rhythm! It also helps that its genuinely a good song for digging so there's a familiarity to it despite his less than ideal singing skills. With the Primarina's abilities to put on a dazzling show on top of her melodic voice, it is a pleasant experience for Muradin as he certainly enjoys himself. 
 
 Not so much for Team Skull though who apparently had enough of the dwarf and the pokemon hogging the stage and begin moving out of the bar with a visible huff. It just so happens that as they begin departing, Muradin and Miwa finish up with their duo and the Mountain King notices the goons trying to make a silent exit. "Oi, donna look now, but those blighters are making a run fer it." Muradin leans towards Miwa's side so he can whisper to her ear. If they move quickly they might be able to catch up to them. 

Miwa nods, she had seen that it looked like they were getting ready to leave while they were going through the song. Honestly, she had a score to settle with Team Skull after their grunts are often acting like they own the more accessible of the two main beaches on the island just because it's south of Po Town, and just generally being horrible to young Pokemon trainers and Pokemon they don't like. Rather than keep fighting against the grunts themselves, why not take a shot at their bosses. She wouldn't take them on by herself, that'd be suicide, but with Muradin at her side, she felt good about their chances to come out on top. Muradin had already more than paid for their orders so they should be able to easily leave and catch up with Guzma, Plumeria, and the elite grunt they had with them. At Muradin's words, Miwa heads for the exit and casually makes her way outside, looking around in an aimless fashion while she's really looking to see which way the Skull group went and how far they got. Turns out they're just a bit down the path heading in the direction Miwa and Muradin had come, seems they intended to go back to HQ.

 
 Muradin is quick to the draw. He may not have any personal scores to settle with Team Skull -thankfully for them, earning a dwarf's animosity is making an enemy for life- but the Mountain King just dislikes bullies in general. Knowing what he does now he would have gone and attacked this Guzma fellow on his own anyway, so why not do it now that he has Miwa backing him up? He probably won't get a better opporunity since waiting would mean have it to slug it out with all of Guzma's goons, and now he has a perfect chance to avoid the fodder and head straight for the boss. Perfect! The dwarf hops off the stage, again with that surprising lightness to his feet.. he's so heavy on his feet and yet seems capable of jumping like a grasshopper... and he's following Miwa out the exit, not without downing another pint on the way there and downing another taco. Can't fight with an empty stomach after all, hah!! As they exit and catch up to Guzma and his henchmen, Muradin just moves faster to get close to them. Hopefully Miwa doesn't have any specific plan of attack because Muradin, as usual, is just going to go in headfirst and pick a fight with them. 
 
 "Oi!! Where ye blighters goin'!? Ye dinnae like our singing or somethin'!?" When it comes to bar fighting, Muradin is an expert in starting a scrap for no particular reason. 

Miwa sticks with Muradin as he joins her in exiting and heading toward the Team Skull group. When Muradin approaches them and asks where they're going about as bluntly as possible without being outright mean, Miwa tries to hold back a grin, as no, they probably didn't like their singing. They probably expected the place to be quiet as it's still early. It's Plumeria, the admin of Team Skull who speaks up in response to the dwarf. "Where we're going is none of your business. Now, why don't you take your little singing pet there and go home, or go back to the bar and sing for someone who cares." 

 This gets Miwa riled up too, she doesn't belong to anyone, not anymore. The fact that she wears her Pokeball on a necklace is meant to be both a reminder of the old days and also a bit of a message that she controls her own destiny now. Besides, she was a partner, never a pet, to her trainer. "Why don't you tell your goons to stop bothering people trying to enjoy the public beaches that are there for everyone, and to stop bullying trainers that have barely begun their journey and can hardly defend themselves against more experienced Pokemon? Also, I'm not a pet, my name is Miwa!" 

 Guzma finally speaks up. "The strong dominate the weak, as it should be. If you can't grow to face those that came before you, then you deserve to be crushed as the weakling you are. If you two want a fight, we'll give you one!" Guzma sends out Golisopod, a six-foot-tall large bug and water type with a thick white shell covering most of its body, with only its abdomen and the undersides of its arms exposed. It has two long claws at the end of each of its main arms, and four smaller arms each tipped with another claw each. Plumeria sends out Salazzle, a four-foot-tall black lizard with purple along its belly and thighs, and pink flame patterns extending from the belly to upper chest, it also has a pink tail and purple eyes. The grunt sends out Pangoro, a seven-foot-tall very angry-looking panda with large fists, big claws on its feet, and the fur at its back almost seeming to form a cape. A small bamboo shoot extends from its mouth. 

 Guzma motions for the others to go after Muradin, as he feels he can take Miwa on his own. The grunt yells "Pangoro, Hammer Arm!" One of Pangoro's arms glow white as the hulking panda charges the dwarf before swinging to slam his arm into Muradin like a sledgehammer. At the same time, Plumeria calls "Salazzle, Poison Fang!" The large and very quick-moving lizard rushes Muradin while its fangs glow purple, and it leaps, aiming to sink them into the dwarf's legs. 

 Miwa doesn't wait to start attacking herself. She begins to sing as she prepares to use Sparkling Aria, but Guzma quickly calls "Golisopod, use Throat Chop!" The huge bug type leaps towards the Primarina while its hands are enveloped in a purple glow before jabbing Miwa in the throat. She lets out a cry as she is knocked back, and takes a moment to recover, doubled over and holding her throat with one of her flippers. She strikes back with Moonblast, with the moon faintly showing in the light of the early evening sky while a pink orb forms in front of her mouth before flying toward Golisopod and striking with explosive force. Unfortunately, Golisopod uses the armor plates on its arms like shields, absorbing the move without taking too much damage.

 
 Muradin makes perturbed expression once he gets a good look at the Team Skull's leader and his posse, specifically the girl accompanying him, Plumeria. By the Light, what in the world is she wearing? It's like a kid who idolizes gang member and has no supervision whatsoever just put on whatever she thought looked the most intimidating and dark, though in reality it only makes her look very trash. The dwarf can't help but shake his head a little, not sure still just how old these humans are supposed to be, though something tells him they themselves are pretty juvenile. Well, it was alright, he had already made a promise to Miwa that he wasn't going to kill anyone. He's just going to knock some sense on their heads. 
 
 That is, of course, the plan, Team Skull appears to be quite ready to battle themselves, Muradin will give them credit that they have much in common with actual gang members. 
 
 He sees all three call out their Pokemon servants and Muradin has to admit he might have to take this fight seriously after all. These are obviously very well trained Pokemon and there's now a couple of them coming his way as he has to take on the goons while Miwa faces off against Guzma's creature. 
 
 Maybe if it was just one he would -attempt- to pull his punches. 
 
 Maybe.. if there were two of them on one. 
 
 Maybe then he would try to hold back and make this look fair.. 
 
 But you know what? He's not even going to give them that. He's not even going to give them satisfaction of watching him struggle. Muradin will in fact, give them nothing. 
 
 "HRRRRRRRRUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" 
 
 Just as Pangoro's strike is about to connect, the Pokemon will find that suddenly he's the short one, as the dwarf grows to a hulking height of 15 feet tall. Muradin taps into the might of the dwarves of Khaz Modan to turn into a stone giant made from living rock. The blow connects solidly in Muradin's palm as he catches Pangoro's strike. Then he scoops down low and grabs Salazzle by the neck just before it can bit him- probably did the Pokemon a favor there as it would have broken its fangs had it actually connect. 
 
 "Sodding curs!!!" Bellows the dwarf turned stone giant as he SLAMS Pangoro and Salazzle together before picking them up high up and PILE DRIVING them on the ground back of the head first with a double choke slam! 
 
 The Mountain King is pissed off for sure. 

>> GAME >> Muradin spends an Edge for: Not So Short Now!!

     Miwa isn't paying much attention to Muradin's fight as she's got enough on her flippers with Guzma's Golisopod, though from the sound of things it's going quite well. Miwa would have more of an advantage over the large bug/water type if this was happening in the water, but she has a few tricks up her sleeve to make up for being less agile on land. Using Aqua Jet, she is suddenly enveloped in water before rocketing toward Guzma's beast and slamming into it, curling her flippers like fists and using them to take the brunt of the impact. Golisopod staggers backward a bit, but then grabs Miwa, lifting her into the air. "Use Poison Jab!" Guzma calls out, and Golisopod's claws take on a purple glow before it jabs them into Miwa. She winces in pain, and her snout takes on a purple tint in spots as she's poisoned. She isn't giving up though even after a super effective attack, and turns her head toward Golisopod and quickly charges another Moonblast, which hits Golisopod in the head at point blank range, causing him to drop Miwa and stagger backward, and Miwa takes the opportunity to back up and regain her composure a bit before firing back with Ice Beam, aiming for Golisopod's legs, trying to freeze it in place. 

     The Pokemon fighting Muradin weren't expecting him to suddenly grow and turn into a stone creature, Salazzle actually shows a bit of fear before it's grabbed, and as the two are slammed together the poison type accidentally bites its team-mate, and they fall to the ground, laying still, fainted. Plumeria and the grunt recall their Pokemon and Plumeria moves closer to Guzma, suggesting maybe they should retreat.

 
 The thing about Muradin is that he isn't just a mindless brute. As a veteran of countless wars, a commander and king of his people, he knows what to do when the tide turns. It may look a bit reckless of him to play out his trump card immediately, but he had effectively feigned weakness by walking up to these gang members unarmed and dressed in simple clothes and a straw hat. They came at him with full power and paid the price by falling on his stony mits which landed them a couple of hard blows to the head, and a bit of friendly fire thanks to our pal Salazzle going and biting its Panda teammate. 
 
 As the two Pokemon he was fighting fall and are pulled back by their trainers, Muradin shows why he's more than just your average foot soldier. He has enough presence of mind to fight two high level Pokemons AND keep track of Miwa's battle. He saw from the corner of his eye how Miwa was struck and how she retaliated by freezing he Golisopod's legs in place. Not a finishing blow by any means but rooting someone in place might as well be death in an all out street brawl like this one. In essence, Muradin only needs Golisopod to stop moving for just a little bit to finish him off. 
 
 "DOWN WITH YE!!" Comes the cry of Muradin as he wastes absolutely no time. As soon as the two Pokemon he was fighting are defeated, he twists his massive body to the side, summons his mighty hammer Mirithos, grasping the handle with both hands, and SLAMS the warhammer a top the momentarily immobilized Golisopod. All almost with the same fluid movement. 
 
 Muradin doesn't really care for resistances or Pokemon types. No matter who you may be, aiming for the head is -usually- super effective. 

     Golisopod indeed tries to move when it sees Muradin charging toward it, but with its legs frozen to the ground, it is truly stuck. A loud sickening crunch is heard as the hammer cracks the bug type's hard exoskeleton and immediately the big bug type slumps over, maybe just severely injured, possibly dead. Guzma, wide-eyed that this short man became a giant and mopped the floor with three of their strongest Pokemon, recalls Golisopod and nods to Plumeria, and the trio flees back toward their base, but not before Guzma calls out a threat. "Watch your backs!" 

     Miwa is looking much worse for wear after that fight than Muradin as the poison continues to sap her strength. "Muradin, in my bag... there are some pink berries... Bring me a couple please?" She asks as she collapses to lay down in the grass. Sure enough her bag is a short distance away, she had dropped it before the battle started, not wanting it or its contents to get destroyed in the fight.

 
 Oopsie daisy. Muradin hadn't mean to hit Golisopod -quite- that hard. In fact, this time he pulled back on the blow by quite a bit or he would have otherwise level a big chunk of the street along with the Pokemon. Alas, when you have a hammer THAT BIG and so and so forth. Hopefully, Guzma's Golisopod isn't quite dead, Muradin didn't smear him into paste after all, which is what usually happens to enemies he hits with his hammer whilst in Avatar mode. "Nay! Ye best watch yerself, lad! Next time it's yer teeth that are getting kicked in!!" The Stone Lord makes a rude gesture to the fleeing Guzma and his crew as he allows them to retreat. 
 
 He has no choice in the matter, pursuing would mean abandoning his friend and Muradin is not the type to do that. "Miwa! Hold on! I got ye, lassie!" The dwarf returns back to his normal form, his warhammer disappearing from his hands, and he goes to retrieve Miwa's bag before running back over to her. "Ere we go, ye did good! I think that's a fight they won't be forgetting for a long time, aye??" Despite everything, Muradin grins as he holds Miwa's head on his lap and feeds her the berries she asked for. Hopefully that's enough to bring her back to good health. %

     Miwa gives a weak smile and nod, laughing a little as Muradin praises her efforts in the battle. "Glad you were here, hopefully those goons don't catch me alone next time..." She says as she eats the pecha berries, the sweet berries properties working to neutralize the poison and soon the purple coloring on Miwa's face subsides and she moves to stand on her flippers again. "Thanks, I always carry a few of those with me, they taste good anyway, and having an antidote doesn't hurt when you have a type weakness to poison. Shall we head back to have that dessert now?" She asks with a smile. She's not back to one hundred percent, but she's not too wiped out to spend a bit more time with her new friend before having a good rest later.

 
 "Aye mate. Let's go celebrate!" No worries at all that Miwa isn't back to full yet. That's why she has her personal carrying dwarf! Muradin slips his arms underneath the Pokemon again and carries her off back to the bar. Dessert awaits!