route_1065 | Down on the Farm... er, Ranch.

Down on the Farm... er, Ranch.

Who: Ash, Konata, Smoker, Kazooie, Kairi, Vash and OPEN (Also Open to Backlogging)
Where: Pokemon Ranch (Violet City-Route 31)
When: Midday, June 16th (Or other time, since I've been gone, if you want to backlog, just let me know we can do it here. That's anyone who wants to battle, talk, or get a Pokemon Egg.)
Summary: Ash is putting up Konata in the Barn, Vash is starting his new career, and Smoker is ready for a Magikarp battle. Later, Kairi joins in to train in prep for the Violet Gym battle. (And other stuff if someone wants to join in.)
Rating: PG-13

The sun gleams off the snow-white metal roof of the Pokemon Ranch's barn. It sits against a small lake, and the doors face an open field of green and tan-colored grass. Several clouds drift lazily off overhead, a pleasant sight after the recent storms. A few berry plants can be seen to the edge of the field, near a small patch of forested area, where several bird Pokemon can be seen flying about from it into the blue sky.

The wide, red barn door opens on the right side, Ash coming into the sun as he walks with the door. A bright-yellow Mareep trots out happily, finding it's way into the field to nip at grass for the remainder of the day. Ash stands and looks out over the Ranch, a smile crossing his face at the result of his hard work. He wipes his sweat-beaded brow with his sleeve and moves off to the side where there is a large trough, and flicks a switch, which fills it with water. He kneels to wash his face in the fresh water, taking care to view his reflection for dirt and grime from the day's work. After cleaning, he turns and stands, looking out to see if anyone is nearing the gate, about 40 yards away.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She nodded simply, and mentally stumbled over how to explain the next part - and ultimately, which she was - without sounding like the monsters all Hollows were painted as. "Hueco Mundo is referred to as the world of Hollows, though if the Shinigami had their way, they would not have one. The truth is, most Hollows never even live to see its white sands and eternal night. Because..." First hurdle, get.

"...well, all Hollows of any significance start as a soul with an eroded Chain of Fate. This Chain ties the soul to something holding it back - its fetter, if you will. A loved one, a heartfelt trinket, whatever was held closest to the deceased's heart. If they aren't held back, it is not connected to anything. Over time, and especially if targeted by an existing Hollow, the Chain will erode. If it erodes completely, a hole forms and they become a Hollow. If a Shinigami gets there before hand, usually they are sent over. Shinigami hunt down and 'purify' these new Hollows."

Is that a slight bitter sting? Nel's not telling. Either way, she knows a lot about the workings of Hollows. "Sometimes they escape, and eat the souls of others. Many of the wandering Hollows find their way to Hueco Mundo as a solace. There they likely just get eaten by something older. I think the expression is... there is always a bigger fish?"

[The terms Nel used were completely alien to Ash, but she did come from another world, so that was to be expected and accepted. Ash nodded thoughtfully as she explained, trying to translate the things she described to similarities of his own understanding.]

So these Hollows aren't evil... Just, victims of the Chain of Fate?

[Ash had a feeling of what "Purify" meant. If it's anything like an exorcism, he knows what happens to the exorcised spirit during the process.]

In a way. Some are evil, and in the eyes of many, they are monsters.

[She sighs.] No Hollow can look human, you see. A mask forms over their face to "hide" their instinct. Every Hollow is controlled by that. Nevermind who or what they used to be... they are seen as mindless killing machines. When, and if, they manage to reach an almost evolutionary stage in their lives, they actually do lose their sense of self.

[She pauses for another sip of water. Larvitar doesn't understand what she's saying, but he does notice the faint memory on her face. Her Gilligan days haunted her, though she hated to admit it. They haunted all Arrancar. That loss of everything...]

I am trying to condense it, here. Hollows as a species are complex and twisted. The true opposite side to the war, are the Arrancar; the Broken Masks. Hollows who have, by some force of will or outside influence, broken free of the dog-eat-dog life and regained both human form and reason. They are the true adversaries of the Shinigami. Able to think for themselves for the first time since their masks formed.

[Can you see whee she's going with this yet, Ash?]

[He can and does. He knew the feeling all too well. The two did have something in common beyond Johto, even if they are from different worlds entirely. Ash felt a little happier, and a little closer to her, knowing this.]

So, you are an Arrancar, right? You don't seem to have any evil in you Nel, why were you involved in the war? I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt you.

Edited 2010-06-30 09:58 (UTC)

Correct.

[Of course, on Nel's end, she still thinks Ash is just a human. It is like a burden off her chest, knowing that someone else knows her tale, now.]

I was involved in the war for the reason most other Arrancar were. Allegiance to Sosuke Aizen, the one Shinigami who did not wish all Hollows destroyed. He came to Hueco Mundo, looking for the strongest of the Hollows...

[She looks downcast. Her deal had been freedom, if memory served. Freedom from the cycle of dog-eat-dog.] He formed the Espada - the ten strongest Arrancar, ranked one to ten in order of strength. He gave us our Fraccion... subordinates, if you will. We had Las Noches, and a lord who did not fear and hate us. We did not know until later that he and his two companions were traitors in the Shinigami's eyes. Nor that he was building an army.

Victims by association. It did not help that I am a minority in the Arrancar. Most of my kind... do not better the image others see. [Siiiigh.]

The rest of my story is rather boring, I'm afraid. The Octava Espada - the eighth - during my time hated how a woman was ranked higher then himself, along with a general contempt for my moral code. He constantly challenged me to duels to the death, and every time he would lose. And every time, I refused to kill him. He conspired with an ex-Espada with scientific inclinations, and they... [Kicked her out. Smashed her pride. She looks at Larvitar as she says this, the movement shifting the middle part of her fringe to reveal the jagged scar down from her scalp.] ...broke my mask remnants. The resulting action to my power would best be described like trying to hold a bucket of water with a hole in the bottom.

I was kicked out without my memories, left to be cared for by my Fraccion, who styled themselves as my brothers to protect me. The war started in the years that passed, and I was replaced. Eventually a human who had gained the powers of Shinigami and Hollow alike stormed Las Noches to save a friend whom Aizen had taken. I, unknowing, lead him through the sands and followed him. He and his friends found the girl, and the Octava-turned-Quinta ...er, fifth... found us.

After that, I was forced to awaken. That's all. [She realizes how long she rambled, and offers a smile.] I apologize if I had bored you.

[Ash stands upright and takes a sip from his bottle, returning her smile.]

Not at all, Nel. I really enjoyed hearing your story. Thank you for sharing.

[Ash finished the water after he spoke, thinking that it must have been hard for her to have shared her story. He was right about her in some respect, that they may have been different, but they shared and experience in unlife... But that would mean that her humanity was restored in Johto, as his was.]

You are welcome.

[She couldn't help imagining that a burden had lifted after actually telling her story. Even in her own world, only Nnorita and Nel's two 'brothers' knew the full thing since they had been there. Someone else, especially a friend, knowing gave her a feeling of security.]

[Ash wouldn't offer his own tale unless she asked, for the simple reason of being as humble and genuine as she. Though after hearing hers, Ash saw that she had done her share of fighting. He will find some other way to help her with her Pokemon. Which made him realize how he acted, which, in turn, made him feel a bit upset.]

I understand why you wish to avoid fighting now, Nel. My apologies for issuing a battle without even asking you...

[Her constant past of bloodshed did have a large part of why she struggled with Pokemon battles, but her philosophy on life really didn't help either.]

You didn't know at the time, so there is no harm done. [She is a bit curious about his world, now, but she's too polite to outright ask.]

"Thank you Nel. If you don't mind me asking... Do you favor this world from your own, too?"

[He looked up, with an interested expression. She may get his story, though he would tell her only because she chose to share with him. Even Marona knew very little about his life, so if he told Nel... She'd be the first.]

I do. It is not a desert, for one thing.

[Ok, so maybe she was trying to be funny, but she did mean it. Sand dunes as far as the eye can see, in an eternally black sky, made for a very dull world. Las Noches hadn't been much better: only change night for fake sun, and desert for stone white walls.]

I only wish the others could see it.

"Others? You mean your friends from home?"

Ash leaned off the desk and bent over to pat Larvitar on the head. It was probably enjoying some quiet time with cool water and no Spinarak... After Ash gave the little guy a reassuring scratch or two, he sat next to Nel on the couch, still listening intently.

Larvitar was indeed enjoying time without his insect tormentor around, though he was wary about the water cup. Rock/ground type and all that. But, since Ash seemed nice, and his trainer wasn't wary (truth be told, she hadn't worked out his dislike of water) he'd been poking at it. At the headpats he looked up, and blunk. Bwuh...?

Nel was a bit amused, but nodded wistfully at the mention of her friends. "Yes. Pesche and Dondochakka, for one. I do not recall if they have ever been outside of Hueco Mundo at all." She sighed. "They would likely enjoy it the most."

Ash tilted his head at the very foreign-sounding names, but smiled when she spoke about them.

"It is very different from home, I can imagine. So much plant life... Though I can imagine what Hueco Mundo must look like. It sounds like Desert Island back home."

"And a sun that is not fake." Pure luck was the only thing stopping Nelliel from getting sunburn, really. "All the colors, too... everything is not predominately white and black here."

But the mention of his home got her wondering. "An island dedicated to being a desert?"

Maybe it would be okay for Ash to talk about home. Nel did, so it would be fair to return her kindness by telling her about himself.

"Yeah. The whole island is one big desert. The sun is so unbearable there that people can only live on the edge of it where they can get supplies from other continents, like Windmill Promontory or Monetopia."

Ash gazed up at the ceiling as he spoke, thinking back to his homeworld.

Nelliel wasn't entirely sure what a windmill was, and she intended to find out one day. But since she had probably baffled him with names from her world, it was only fair that she didn't outright poke and prod at the one's he said.

All the same, it was her turn to settle in and listen. "So... they share?" Simple terms, but it was a new concept, as far as different lands went.

"Trade. 'Money makes the world go 'round', as they say. One nation trades with another for goods, money, or credit."

Ash decided to forgo the explanation of the money-centered way of his world and all its intricacies, unless she asked him specifically.

"Since Desert Island is so hot, they will trade the minerals they mine there for things like ice from Fridgidia, or household goods from Monetopia, or food from Verdant Guardiana... Hehe, maybe I should start from the beginning, huh?"

Ash offered a polite smile to her.

....Yeaaah that would probably be a good idea, since Nel looks rather lost. She's too kind to say she doesn't understand, but she's confused all the same.

"That would be appreciated." She looked apologetic. Sob, this is why being from a desert is annoying.

"Home for me... Is a world called Ivoire. It is the opposite of Hueco Mundo, in a sense, because the majority of the world is endless oceans. Hundreds of islands are sprinkled throughout the world, and life of all kinds thrive on these islands..."

Ash paused to let Nel speak if she wished, or to simple allow her time to imagine the world, as she had let him do.

Before arriving at Johto, Nelliel would have struggled to imagine that. The most water she had seen was the rare oasis, or the facilities in Las Noches. Seas and oceans were in the odd book taken from the transient world. Luckily, the beaches at Cherrygrove and New Bark gave her a better idea of what it might be like.

She wondered how it would be like to be surrounded by water. "Interesting..."

"The islands are populated by various races. There were the Humans, Owls, Hogs, Sharks, Wolves, and Scrabbits. Some places were inhabited by one or two races, but most places had a healthy mix of all of them. Some islands were uninhabited, or only contained really small settlements, like Desert Island. As for some, such as Marona and myself, we lived on our own private Island. It wasn't much, it was just large enough to fit a house and mailbox on it, but Phantom Island was our home."

A faint whiff of homesickness crossed Ash's heart. Then again, Ash was recalling fond memories so far, he had yet to detail any reasons for wanting to remain in Johto...

The thought of various races living in what appeared to be harmony was another confusing idea for Nel. But the story itself outweighed her curiosity about minor details, and the ex-Espada continued to listen intently. No witty comments this time, just fascination about new worlds.

"I guess... I should start with my story, then?"

Here comes the hard part.

"I was raised from Island to Island, working as a Chroma as far back as I can remember. In Ivoire, a Chroma is... Like an Adventurer. People hire them to do quests, like exterminate monsters, protect ships from pirates, fight for others, investigate dangerous areas... A Chroma isn't a mercenary, though. We generally don't fight in large battles. Those are called Ravens. Chroma's sometimes compete for work with Ravens, so there is a rivalry between the two. Then there are the Chroma-Oxides, who hunt down Chroma's, defeat them in battle, and steal their work or their rewards for their work."

A break here, since that was the gist of his job description, and his early life.

Nel still kept quiet, mulling over what she's told as she hears it. This was something she understood a bit better; every Espada was given missions, and while each of the ten had their strengths, it was varied.

The Chroma-Oxide made her frown faintly, though she maintained her neutral expression. "But... if the Chroma help people, why steal the work?" Does not compute, wut.

Really? also tl;dr

Unless it's a "Rules" page, I read al!l Nel's story is for mun and muse, both are interested! :D

:D Bleach is hidiously long, so I'm trying to condense/make it cool here

EDIT sry... | I totally understand, A buddy of mine is getting me into the series XD

You should read it! It may be long, and Kubo might be weird, but it's still good~ | TL;DR again ;;

Borrowing the books soon! My friends keep telling me I am like "Gin". dunno if that is good/bad....

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Sometimes the humbleness of our characters is a curse XD

Tell me about it -_-; XD

dunno why im action-tagging. this is a log lol

Reflex?

Possibly. :P

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Sorry for the delay; had to help with something

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