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(no subject)

Who: Litchi and Yoko
Where: (A/The) Bathhouse in Violet
When: Evening
Summary: ~~tits~~ Litchi and Yoko do some old-fashioned R&R after training.
Rating: PG-13 for fanservice
Log:

Today had been full of hard training for Litchi and Yoko. While it had been nothing less than enjoyable, neither of them could find it within themselves to wind down as they had usually done. It had also been decided that the both of them were also in desperate need of showers (for womens' standards, anyway) so the two of them agreed to meet at Violet's bathhouse within the hour. Yoko had spent the time seeking out some quality shampoos and bodywashes to spoil herself and her friend with.

Yoko finds herself entering the bathhouse just a few minutes earlier than an hour, surprised to find that it was actually pretty empty. She decides to have a seat in the changing room, waiting for Litchi to show up.

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It isn't long before Litchi arrives, looking exhausted but still offering her friend a smile in greeting. It's been such a long day... she's really looking forward to just relaxing.

"You haven't been waiting too long, have you?"

Yoko shakes her head with a smile. "Not at all."

She gestures to the collection of bottles by her side. "These are what I went out for. I picked what I thought smelled the best, but you might want to try them and see if you agree."

In the meantime, Yoko stands up and begins undressing, leaving her articles in a neatly-folded pile on the bench.

Litchi picks up one of the bottles, giving it an experimental sniff before nodding and smiling. "I think you made an excellent choice. My word, it's been far too long since I've had a nice shampoo to use."

The free one she was given on arrival was fine and all, but Litchi does spend a lot of time on hair care. Generic shampoo just doesn't cut it, thank you.

Satisfied with the shampoo choice, she also gets started on taking off and folding up her own clothes. It's a bit of a long process.

"It's a shame we'll have to be back on the road again and away from amenities like this..."

"That's why we've got to enjoy it while we can!" Yoko starts tying her hair up into a messy but functional bun to sit on top of her head, securing it with her hairsticks.

"Besides," Yoko adds, turning to face Litchi when all her clothes are said and gone, "We're not rushing to meet up with people this time."

Litchi, midway through putting her own hair up into a bun, fumbles and ends up with a large loop of hair rather than what she was aiming for. Oh well. It still works.

"W-well. Once we do head out, I want to try and find him as fast as I can." She gives a half-sigh, unhooking her Pokeballs from her hair tie and setting them on top of her clothes. "...Although I have to admit, I'm not even sure where to start."

Yoko shoots her a skeptic look. "You know, you can call him by his name." She gathers up the bottles and pushes aside the curtain to the bath, gesturing for Litchi to go on ahead.

Yoko's Larvitar is already headed toward the water excitedly. Yoko's eyes follow the green pokémon with a look of surprise. "Are you sure you want to..." sigh. "Whatever."

Litchi can't help a soft chuckle as the Larvitar waddles towards the water. Her Butterfree has already dreamily drifted out to perch on the edge, so there's at least something there to keep an eye on the rock-type.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what to call him," she admits, heading out into the bath herself. "He looks like his old self, but the way he's acting..."

She may as well stick with the human name, though. It seems to slip out without her even noticing lately. She shakes her head and forces a smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be such a downer. We're here to unwind, after all."

"You're not being a downer."

Yoko lets the curtain close behind them. "No, you bring up a good point. Do you think if you asked him what he'd like to be called, he'd tell you?" She takes a step toward the water, testing it with her foot first before crawling in. "...Then again, he won't even tell you where he is, won't he?"

Litchi sinks into the water with a long sigh, letting her eyes drift shut. Not even all that old yet and still everything aches so badly at the end of a long day. Thank heaven for warm water.

"...No, I'm afraid not. I've asked, but he hung up on me. I suppose he would be in New Bark Town, but... by now, he should have caught up to us."

She frowns thoughtfully. "Although he did get sick... maybe there's still a chance..."

Yoko shakes her head. "No, I don't think he's in New Bark Town. I saw the video that went up when he was sick; it didn't look like any place I saw there. And I've been hearing that some people show up in different places than New Bark."

Larvitar had found a shallow part of the bath, where the water level comes up to just her shoulders. She closes her eyes and blows bubbles into the water occasionally.

"Really? I... didn't even notice." She was far too focused on him, after all. Honestly, now, Litchi, you should pay attention to these things.

She gives a small, sheepish cough. "But that's strange... I thought everyone woke up in the same place. Hopefully wherever he ended up won't be too far."

"And it would be all too easy for him to hide forever, or be able to keep a good distance from us..." Yoko mumbles thoughtfully, then looks at Litchi. "We'd ought to come up with some sort of incentive for him to try to meet up with us somehow, or at least stay put."

Litchi sits in thoughtful silence for a moment, trying to think of what exactly would work.

"You know, I've been trying to get him to stay in one place for over two years, and I've never once been able to get him to. And I still can't think of anything that would make him come to us... aside from maybe flat-out lying and saying we have something he's looking for."

Which... she doubts would work at all. Telling him they have the Azure would just not work on several levels.

"Lying is never the answer."

Yoko falls silent, squirting water through her hand as she thinks.

"...I'm not sure what to suggest," she admits. "I've never been in a situation like that. Maybe, if he's recovering from--whatever--maybe he just needs a little more time..."

"Yes, I feel the same way. I... honestly haven't ever lied to him before and I don't mean to now."

Sinking a little lower in the water, she pauses, thinking carefully.

"Maybe you're right... maybe he just needs a little more time before he'll remember everything."

She glances over at Chinhou, who idly flicks her wings and watches her trainer with curious multifaceted eyes.

"...I really, really hope that's all it will take."

Yoko watches Litchi with concerned eyes. A few seconds pass, and Yoko leans back with an optimistic smile on her face as she places a comforting hand on Litchi's shoulder.

"It'll work out."

An innate ability of every member of the Dai-Gurren Dan: Highly infectious optimism.

Litchi can't help a small smile. "I'm sure it will. This place is our second chance. It has to work out."

"Exactly!" Yoko says with a slight laugh, "I can't have my man and you without yours."

Yoko reaches for the shampoo bottle and holds it out in offering to Litchi. "So, would you like me to do your hair?"

"Only if it's no trouble. I know it can be a bit of a handful." It's the length more than anything. It takes forever to wash hair that's nearly a foot longer than you.

"It'll be no trouble at all. I'm used it." Though Yoko's hair may be a few feet shorter, once you get past the two-foot marker it doesn't really make a difference. She undoes Litchi's bun-loop-thing, dunking a nearby bucket into the water and pouring the contents onto what remains dry of Litchi's hair.

Just to keep them from washing off into the water, Litchi pulls her glasses off and motions for Chinhou to come over and hold them. The Butterfree complies.

"Hmm. Thank you, Yoko. I really appreciate this."

"I'm more than happy to do this for you," Yoko responds earnestly. Most of it was because Litchi had put up with Yoko for the time they spent traveling here...and stuck with her even after the fact. She really did value Litchi's friendship.

Yoko watches Chinhou take Litchi's glasses as she pours herself a handful of shampoo. "How bad is your vision, anyway?" she asks, her fingers weaving into Litchi's hair and working up a lather.

Oh, boy. Where to even start? Litchi gives a sheepish laugh.

"It's pretty terrible, to be honest. It never was all that great even when I was a child, but it's only gotten worse over time." Her time in Sector Seven made her eyesight even poorer, after all, but that's an entirely different story.

She gestures vaguely in her Butterfree's direction. "I can barely even see Chinhou like this."

Yoko nods as Litchi explains. "I'm supposed to have a pair of glasses myself, but I wasn't given them when I came here. It's all right, though, they're only for reading."

"I'm sure we could find some reading glasses for you in one of the bigger cities here."

She pauses for a moment thoughtfully before adding, "Which reminds me... has Mr. Kamina mentioned any plans to move on from here?"

"Ah, it's not that important..." Besides, it's not like she had any books on her that she wanted to read.

Yoko almost wants to laugh at Litchi calling him "mister Kamina"...it's almost inappropriately formal for such a man. "Nothing specific about moving, no. He's bringing one of his new partners up to snuff, and besides, the group's pretty much scattered at the moment."

Litchi gives a soft sigh, sinking lower into the water. No plans to move on... as much as she wants to stay with her newfound friends of the Dai-Gurren, she also has been fighting down uneasiness, wanting to get moving to find Arakune. He can't be far... and she's gotten a lead on the right kind of Pokemon to give curing him once and for all a try. All that remains is finding it and catching it. And then finding him, of course.

Chinhou quirks her head off to one side at her trainer, who shakes her head.

"I've been thinking of heading out to see if I can find one of these 'Natu' Pokemon anywhere around here. I don't think I'd go very far from town, but... I should probably at least look."

"Oh..." Yoko mumbles thoughtfully as she starts working a lather farther down her hair.

"Have you seen if you can contact anyone on the network to see if they'd be willing to trade with you?"

"I haven't had a chance quite yet. Besides, I don't know what I would trade, unless someone was in the market for that Drifloon."

She pauses, unconsciously making a small contented noise as Yoko works through her hair. "Maybe I should catch something else..."

"Couldn't hurt. What if you went out and caught a bunch of them that others might be interested in, then put up an offer on the network? Someone will be bound to bite, I think."

Yoko works her way farther down. "What's so special about this Natu, anyway?"

"Someone on the network told me that they're capable of seeing through time. It's a bit of a long shot, but... I think that would let me help Lotte find himself again."

She hugs her knees absently. "...I realize it sounds ridiculous, but the problem is, he remembers too much. He can't remember what timeline he's standing in because he can see all the possible timelines he could have existed in. I think -- I hope -- that a Pokemon capable of finding what different realities his mind has wandered to would be able to help lead him back to one place."

"I see..." Yoko responds. "That sounds like a real headache, not knowing what time you're in..."

"It's... absolutely terrifying. I went through it myself and honestly... I've never felt so frightened in my life."

Just one more reason to be grateful she's here now.

Her tone hardens with determination. "But knowing that... I have to try to save him. And from escaping it myself, I know it's possible here. It's just a question of how."

Yoko meets her determination. "I'll see you with him. Whatever it takes on my end." Then, she nods. "And once I tell Kamina what's going on, he'll be that much more inclined to move on."

Yoko gathers up the water bucket once more, filling it with water. "Watch out, she says, as she begins to pour the water to rinse out Litchi's hair.

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