[ It wasn't that long ago that Credence had been in Cherrygrove. At least it was somewhere he recognized. He couldn't afford to be nervous. He needed to keep an air of at least semi-confidence which should be easier once he found Newt.
He hoped.
Tina was sitting proudly next to him while Rocky, his weakly named Rockruff was sniffing around the Pokemon Center lobby. It only took a few moments before he started trying to drag away someone's bag because it was filled with Poffins and Credence was having to scold him and apologize to the trainer that was nearly robbed accidentally. ]
Ms. Newt will hardly trust me if you're making trouble, Rocky. You're supposed to be keeping an eye out. Where is Modesty..?
[ Tina looked a little sheepish at that, ears lowering. She hadn't noticed Modesty wander off.
The Lillipup had left the Pokemon center to actually go searching for Newt. She was certain she would be able to find her in short order and bring her back to Credence. ]
[Newt meanwhile has finished her duties for the day, they won't let her work at long as the adults which is annoying, but at least they're letting her work at all. She's not working now though. She's sitting at a table off in a secluded corner. Her bag is on the table and she's looking up things on her gear and writing them down on the paper next to her.
She's also talking to Ripley who is laying at her feet, keeping watch but listening.]
So I just have to memorize what each type is weak and strong to.....I suppose that's like school. But I'm good at school....was good at school.
[ Ah! The Lillipup runs over, barking. She sits down next to Ripley, looking up Newt then back to the Growlithe. Remember her?! Of course! She barks lightly again, then prances in a circle before turning and running off to lead Credence over.
Credence follows Modesty over but doesn't try to invade Newt's space uninvited. ]
Ms. Newt..! I'm glad you made it. Hello..
[ He offers his hand out to her, trying to keep that confidence going. ]
[Ripley bristles a bit before realizing the other pokemon isn't a threat. Instead, getting up to poke Newt's hand to get the girls attention and then sitting next to her, just in case.
Newt looks up from her work. And tilts her head for a moment before looking a bit surprised.]
Oh, yes! Hello. You're ...Credence. I wasn't sure if you'd actually show up.
[Trusting people when they promise things is hard still.
Wait, did he want to shake her hand. She pauses and puts her own hand out in response?]
[Ripley just looks at the other Pokemon, batting him away carefully. Not wanting to start a fight, but more interested in making sure Newt is okay with the stranger.
Newt meanwhile nods, moving to show her paper.]
Uh-huh. I'm going to get all the badges, so I have to know what all the types are weak and strong against. If I memorize them it'll be easier.
[ Rocky borfs and shoves his nose into Ripley's tail now before Modesty gives him a firmer shove. It turns into a puppy tussle, the two rolling around on the floor in a sudden play match.
Credence leans to look over the paper, nodding with proud approval. ]
All of them? There's Johto, which is.. here. It's here, right?
[ Tina nods her head. ]
And then there's Kanto, which is harder. That's across the ferry... So you would go back towards New Bark I think.. There's a lot of forests and caves on the journey too.
[ He was giving her information but also seeing how she reacts to it. Would it frighten her, the idea of traveling alone in these strange places? ]
[Newt however just nods and writes it down. Seemingly unconcerned by the difficulty or of the caves and forests she's have to go through to get there.]
All of them. Some people were giving me advice and said badges are proof of how strong your team is. My team is going to be strong so we can protect each other. And when I get badges, it'll be proof.
[She looks up at him. The look in her eyes is one that a seven year old should not have. It's the look that comes from seeing everything, everyone you ever knew and loved destroyed in front of you and not being able to do anything. ...it's a haunted look in short.]
[ Credence meets her eyes. This little girl held more strength than he could hope to achieve in his entire life. It was clear things happened to her in the past and it would take her a long time to come to accept this place as safe. ]
Your team will become very strong. While I want to tell you that you don't need proof of it I understand the desire. To.. see that you've achieved the strength you set out for.
[ He hesitates before offering a tidbit he'd learned so far. ]
The.. the Normal type ones. They can learn a lot of moves, different types. They're good for filling in holes on the team... You know, I came out here to offer to take you back to the cottage with me, to keep you safe but.. I think what you're doing is very important for you.
Thank you. I met a man, he said he taught his ghost pokemon a move that was strong against ground types because the pokemon was weak against them. I have to learn things like that.
[She pauses for a moment. Looking at her notes and then back up at him.]
I don't think anywhere is really safe....not really. I thought the ship with Ripley was safe but then I got taken here. And....it is important....because....
[She looks over at pokemon Ripley and then back over to Credence.]
[ Credence nods, knowing that he should be learning things like that too. It would help around the cottage. He was just a slow learner. He always had been. Gullible and stupid was Credence. ]
I haven't heard of anything really that says it isn't safe but just because people tell you those things doesn't mean anything really...
[ He could understand that. He agreed with her. He found himself panicked and afraid of a lot of things here but nothing had hurt him. Maybe when she was an adult she would be facing things here head on. Credence was certain of it. ]
I had a dad and a mom ...and a brother. Timmy. He was the only one who always refused to call me Newt. We lived on a colony that a company put together. I was the first baby born there.
Only this year....dad was told to go look at a place and found some salvage. They thought it was valuable but it was a weird ship thing and....had eggs in it.
[She's looking at you, because she's giving you one chance to back away now. This is not a nice story. And you seem like a nice person. And you know what the eggs appearing mean. But maybe this will get you to understand why she's ....her.]
[ Credence wouldn't back out. She needed someone to talk to. He laces his fingers together, resting them on the table as he listens to her, eyes for once meeting someone else's. If she could be brave and tell the story he could be brave and listen. ]
The eggs you mentioned before. The ones.. that had the monsters in them?
[ Tina's ears went down because she only knew eggs to have Pokemon. This was a sad story, Credence... ]
They were babies but they had lots of legs and a tail and they....jumped on your face and wrapped it's tail around your neck. ....My dad must have....looked at an egg, or it got out at him but we were in the truck and we waited and waited but then mom came back screaming on the radio for help and dad.....dad had that thing on his face.
Everyone was scared but we thought he'd gotten better because the thing came off. Timmy and snuck into the vents to see him in the medbay and we got there....and...he was alright.
[She wipes an eye.]
Dad was okay, there was nothing on his face but....then.....then....
[There's a long pause and she closes her eyes for a moment. Ripley leaning up to press against her side. As Newt's hands go to her chest.]
I didn't know it then but that baby wasn't really a baby...or maybe it was, but it put another baby inside him. And it grew there and then it ....burst out of his chest. They didn't know we were there so we ran back to our rooms. It got away though....and that's when everything went bad.
[ Credence swallows. He watches her as she tells the store then.. slides a hand across the table to offer to her, if she needed something to hold. Or simply to just see that he was still there. He wasn't going to leave so easily.
He'd never heard of such a thing but he knew that magical creatures could exist in the world. Hadn't Mr. Graves told him enough times about the strange creature he was looking for? ]
It killed your family.
[ Tina presses her face against Credence's side. It was strange that she was seeking comfort from Credence. But how often had the young man met orphans with terrible stories? Not quite chest bursting aliens but... ]
[Action] cw: alien canon for like the next x comments
[She takes it, because she needs something right now.]
It became lots. It must have taken people back to the eggs. ...They get really big. Bigger then a person. With long tails and mouths in their mouths and no eyes and they're green and have acid for blood....
[It's okay Newt, you can drop that now.]
People tried to fight back but they kept getting killed or dragged away....they had us locked away. Mom said we'd be safe.....she was wrong. They got in....
She was going to shoot me and Timmy so the aliens didn't get us but we convinced her we could get in the air vents....but then an alien got her and....Timmy...Timmy jumped out to attack it with the gun. He left me! He left me alone and the acid got him....and he died just like everyone else who promised we'd we safe!
[And she's angry and sad and this is the first time she's said any of that about her brother and it hurts. Because he left, they could have hidden together but he left her alone! The anger dies pretty quickly though, along with all the emotion in her voice.]
And then I was the only one left until the marines showed up weeks later.
[Action] cw: alien canon for like the next x comments
[ Credence gives her hand a small squeeze. He couldn't imagine what she was describing. His head just couldn't wrap entirely around it. Mouths in mouths and long tails. It sounded truly like a monster beyond his scope or frame of reference.
And they seemed intelligent as well. To know to drag people away to create more of themselves... ]
He wanted to protect you and your mother. And your mother didn't want either of you to worry. I .. .. I won't tell you I understand though. I can't. It's not something... that I can understand, that hurt.
[ He holds her hand in both of his, gently rubbing the back of it as he looks at her earnestly. ]
You survived. And it will be hard. I can't promise you anything except that I will try my best to help you where I can.
[Action] cw: alien canon for like the next x comments
Ripley said that. She survived them once...before. But it was only one she said. And it killed her entire crew. ...She came with the marines.
There were a lot of them. But .....they all died. They thought they could just go in and kill them and save the day but they died....well most of them at first. Their leader was....stupid and Ripley had to save some of them and she wasn't even a marine. She was just smarter then him.
[Pride in her voice, this is her mom....not really but she became her mom.]
Ripley promised to never leave me ....and she kept it. She was there when the evil company man Burke locked us in with the monsters from the eggs. The three smart marines helped too but she was there with me.... and she came and saved me when...
when....I got taken away by an alien.
Re: [Action] cw: alien canon for like the next x comments
[ This poor child had been through so much already in her life. This world would be a relief to her once she adjusted. She would undoubtably take a simple place like this by storm.]
You were blessed to have Ripley. I can only imagine how disappointing I must be in comparison but I will do my best to take care of you however I can in her stead.
[She just looks at him confused for a moment then shakes her head.]
Nobody is like Ripley. But that's because there's only one Ripley.
[Ripley the pokemon looks up and Newt smiles and pets her head.]
One human Ripley I mean.
I don't know how much help I'll need, I'm still getting used to this place but....you told me you'd come and see me and you did. Why would I be disappointed? I would be if you lied to be, but you didn't.
You don't have to take care of me. But ...we could be friends. I'd like that.
[ It was nice to hear that Newt wanted to be friends. And the fact that she seemed to be unaware of what Credence saw as very obvious defects of character. Children always were good at seeing the more positive aspects of Credence despite everything. Though he hardly believed in them himself. ]
Then I will do my best to never make a promise I can't keep so I don't disappoint you.
[ He smiles, giving her hand another squeeze. ]
Then, I will trust in you to handle what you're able and be willing to ask for help from your friend from when things become difficult. Can we promise that of each other?
[That makes Newt smile as well, because see she can be responsible too. Even by herself.]
Okay.
I'm probably going to stay here to earn some more money and until it gets warmer. Then I'll probably travel to the next city. I still have to try and figure this place out.
[ Credence cautiously takes her gear for a moment to program in the coordinates, setting it back once he was finished on the screen she was working on. ]
It doesn't seem too bad of a place. You'll figure it out faster than I did, I'm still confused on a lot of things. But I live with someone who understands everything very well, his name is Newt too actually... I can ask him for you when you have questions..?
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