PMDU: Frozen Celebrations- Part 1

"Wow..." Sun-Sun breathed in amazement, her bright blue eyes sparkled in wonderment. "Can you believe it, Kamina? We've only been members of the Explorer's Guild for just a few months and we're already invited to a big party from the Ianponese Ambassador herself!" 

"Let's just hope she's not another Ninja in disguise." Kamina replied seriously but couldn't help but smile a little at Sun-Sun's excitement. As big of a deal as this party was, everyone, from every guild was invited. Wheither or not you chose to go was up to you, but in Sun-Fist's case, attending was a must!

Sun-Sun wanted to go simply for the fun and games, and of course for the story-telling party, where she would hope to dazzle everyone with tales of her parents's explorations and the legends she grew up believing in and still did.

Kamina on the other hand, decided to tag along to keep Sun-Sun in check of course, but also because he felt that he could use a breather. Apprehending Ninjas, intimidating delinquents, stealing back trade carts then racing them across town, and dealing with a hyperactive Chimchar who was capable into getting into who-knows-what kind of trouble on top of that! Yes. Kamina deserved this time to relax (and prehaps sample some of the food).

But if Team Sun-Fist had one common goal in mind, it was to try and meet other teams. Make allies that could potentially aid them in future explorations. Both pokemon exchanged looks and smiled at one another. They were going to make the best of this night.

Team Toxishade arrived on the scene, taking in the frozen building and all the 'Mon bustling about. It was a cold-loving extrovert's paradise! Tyr was pretty sure he'd nearly died when the invitation was placed up. This was his kind of event! Socializing, mingling, meeting new faces! He just had to go! . . .

. . . Too bad Hikari wasn't an extrovert. At all. She seemed interested by the architecture, but put off by all the extra 'Mon.

"Why did you bring me here?" The introvert turned to her hedgehoggy partner, waiting for his response.
"Hikari, come on. We were invited by th' Guild an' th' Ambassador 'erself. Both 'f us. It'd be rude if ya didn't go! 'Sides, maybe ya will enjoy yerself anyway. Ya gotta try, ya know? There's lots ya can d'. Ya don't even hafta socialize!" Tyr pointed out, then sighed. "Jus'... Try t' enjoy yerself, try? Fer me?" He gazed at her with rounded, begging eyes.

Kamina continued to look around and it didn't take long for him to spot the poison-type duo. "Hey, Sun?" The Pancham said, grabbing Sun-Sun's arm and pointing to Toxishade. "It's our old friends."
"Ooh! I see them!" Of course, when Sun-Sun took notice to Toxishade, she made a scene trying to wave them over. "Tyr! Hikari! Over here!" The Chimchar shouted across the way, getting a few weirded out looks from Pokèmon who were passing by.

Tyr looked up, surprised. How could they possibly keep running into each other like this?! There were hundreds of teams, yet the same one managed to find them every time as of late! Hikari looked over, glancing back like she was trying to pretend that she didn't notice the Chimchar. After a few more calls, Tyr turned to face Hikari.
"Come on. Don't give 'er th' . . . Cold shoulder." A smirk spread across his face at his own clever wordplay. Hikari let out a sigh. "C'mon, let's go see what Sunkissed wants," she said. Tyr nodded in agreement, and turned to head over to the two. He offered a bit of a smirk.

"Hey! Ya guys came t', huh!" He called out as he approached. "Not t' cold t' stop ya?"
Sun-Sun chuckled getting the gist of Tyr's little joke. "The cold never bothered me anyway," She said with a grin.
"You guys're like a bad star coin and keep turning up." Kamina piped in with a rare genuine smile that was against the norm of his normally stoic disposition. "So what brings you guys to the party?"
"I came to see what it was all about, I guess. I didn't expect so many other 'Mon to be here though," Hikari said, not understanding the expression as she looked around at all the ice.
"The party itself, 'course! Socializin' an' havin' a good time is what I'm fer!" Tyr responded. It gave him chances to really interact with others, study reactions, learn more about how others acted . . . Of course, festivities were nice, too.

"That's what we're here for too." Sun-Sun replied happily.
"Plus we needed a break. It's been nothing but hectic since we joined up with the Explorers." Kamina added.
"Hey, I got an idea!" Sun-Sun suddenly exclaimed. "Why don't we do some things together since we're all here?"
"Things have gotten hectic since we joined too," Hikari said. She looked at all the other Pokémon running around. Though they look even more hectic...
"Sure, why not? Anythin' ya guys have in mind?" Tyr asked.

Kamina looked over at his partner who was already looking around at the numerous activities going on all around them. The Chimchar considered partaking in the ice-sculpting contest but something else had quickly caught her eye. Right at the enterance of the Avalodge Bar was a stand where pokemon seemed to be painting other's faces different, festive colors that we're not their own and her eyes immedietly lit up as she grabbed Kamina's arm. "Let's get our faces painted!" Sun-Sun exclaimed, pointing at the face-paint stand.

Hikari watched Sun-Sun, turning to Tyr with a smirk. "Do you want your face painted?" she asked.
Tyr glanced back at  Hikari at her comment, and at first, he scowled . . . Then shrugged. "Eh, why not. What bout ya, huh? Bet there's a way they can paint ya up," He added with a smirk.

At their approval, Sun-Sun immediately ran for the face painting stand, dragging along Kamina who accidentally grabbed Tyr's ear, and without realizing it, the Chimchar dragged both pokemon behind her as she high-tailed it, before any Pokémon could get there before her.
Hikari quickly rushed after Tyr, pushing the slower Pokemon forward so he didn't get his ear ripped off by a crazed fire monkey and her strawberry panda partner.
Tyr was pushed and dragged along effortlessly by his partner and the strange, wild Explorers. His ear ached by the tugs and he grunted several times. He struggled to keep his spines on his ears down to avoid accidentally poisoning the Pancham. He could see a pair leaving the station, a young Charmander and a . . . Blue Nidoran? Wait . . . Blue was for females, but females didn't have horns . . . That one looked like a male, but he or she was blue. He considered making conversation with the interesting 'Mon, but a particularly sharp yank pulled him away before he could have the chance.

Sun-Sun skidded to a stop just as she came into a foot or two within the stand. Oddly enough, the Chimchar didn't appear phased when Kamina stumbled into her back and then again when Tyr did the same to Kamina. She wasn't even phased by the grunt that left Tyr's mouth as he slammed into the Pancham and nearly fell onto his face.

One pokemon, a Smeargle, noticed the quartet of pokemon and greeted them with a friendly smile. "How can I help you?" He asked in tone as warm his smile.
"Four face-paintings please." Sun-Sun chirped in which the Smeargle replied. "Coming right up." And with that, at a snap of his fingers, 3 other smeargles appeared, each one had a different color at the top of their tails.

Hikari raised an eyebrow at the Smeargle. They were going to paint her face. With their tails. Their tails that were attached to their butts. Something attached to another 'Mon's butt was  going to come near her face. No. Tyr eyed the Smeargles silently for a bit, and wondered briefly where the other three came from, and how they got there so fast. He offered a small, friendly smile to the four of them.

"Double team works wonders for jobs like this." The original Smeargle said as he dipped the tip of his tail into a small cup of water. Ah, that explains it. . . Tyr thought. The Smeargle continued.
"Is there a design you all had in mind?"
In response to the Smeargle's question Sun-Sun motioned for him to come over and she whispered in his ear what everyone assumed to be her request.
"Certainly!" The painter pokemon agreed. Kamina raised an eyebrow at this, what was so secretive about Sun-Sun's request that she couldn't just up and say it?

Hikari seemed to mull it over a bit. "Uh... Not sure..." she said. One thing came to mind, though she wasn't sure why. "Maybe an Iaponese Lucario pattern?" She would have shrugged if she could.
Tyr raised his eyebrows at Hikari's specific choice, but said nothing. He thought over his own choice silently, uncertain. "Uh, I'd like those facial markin's of a Zoroark, but could ya make 'em a dark purple?"

"Certainly, certainly~!" The original Smeargle said in a sing-song kind of tone, before turning to Kamina. "And for you, young 'Mon?"
Kamina seemed as unsure as Hikari was as he chewed his leaf in thought, "Maybe a Gallade...?" He said not sounding to certain about his choice, but it was all he could think of. They were a pretty badass type of pokemon anyway. So why not?
"Alrighty, let's get to work!" And with another snap of the Smeargle's fingers, his 3 other doubles  crowded around the two teams and went to work, while the original went to paint himself Kamina.

Tyr shut his eyes while the Smeargle clone painted his face. From time to time, his nose would scrunch and wrinkle as the brush tail ran along his skin. Hikari almost backed away as the Smeargle's double went to paint her face with his tail, but noticed the others letting him do it and stopped herself. She had to admit though, the fur tickled a bit. Sun-Sun tried her damnedest not to squirm. She let a giggle escape her, feeling the tickle of the Smeargle's red tail stroke her cheekbones while Kamina managed to stay completely still. The only form of movement he displayed was when the corners of his mouth would tug into a smile upon hearing his teammate's giggle.

Tyr was the first among them done, his choice simple and easy to paint. He admired the work for a few seconds, pleased, while he waited for the others to finish up. From time to time, he'd glance at Hikari as the Smeargle clone painted her face, an amused smirk tinted dark purple at the ends spread from cheek to cheek. Some time past before he heard one of the Smeargle's speak.

"Almost done..." The Smeargle clone with the red-tipped tail muttered as he painted the final touches on Sun-Sun's face. The Chimchar felt the final stroke of the brush/tail before finally opening her eyes to a small mirror the Smeargle had presented to her. A smile couldn't help but appear on her face as she admired her newly painted face. A deep red arch was painted above her eyes while above and around the arch was painted white, giving the appearance she had elegant white sideburns. Two golden swirls were even painted under the corners of her eyes to add that pop of color. She looked just like an Infernape.

Hikari looked at herself in the mirror and eyed the pattern. Gentle curves and sharp edges, a soft blue and harsh black. Certainly, painting it was no easy task, especially considering her current state. Noxious gases didn't make it easy for non-Poison-types to get close. Nonetheless, the handiwork was impressive, but the pattern gave her a strange sense of nostalgia. . .

"Ya look good," Tyr commented once the Smeargle with the blue-tipped tail backed away and he could clearly see her painted face. She wore it well, in his opinion.
"Thank you," Hikari said. "You look good too . . ."

Kamina was the last to be finished. His face was painted completely white and then the tuft of fur on his head and and sides of his face was painted a deep forest green. It would of been nice if they could paint the red parts if his body the same green but this was only face-painting. When the Smeargle painter showed him the mirror all the Pancham could say was,
"Not bad..."

"Wow, Kamina, Gallade is a good look for you." Sun-Sun breathed in amazement, which caused the Pancham to blush faintly. He silently hoped that the white paint didn't make it too noticeable.
"Thanks, um...you look really good too, Sun." Kamina cleared his throat before looking in the other direction. He wasn't lieing though, she really did look good. Seeing it, Kamina couldn't help but wonder what Sun-Sun might look like as an Infernape. The difference between her current form as a Chimchar and her evolution would be astonishing. . .and probably even. . .attractive. . .

Hikari looked around a bit, an odd feeling gathered inside her. She tried to push it aside. to tell herself it was nothing. "So... Where do we go now?" she asked.
"Well, I think I wanna g' d' tha' ice sculptin' contest," Tyr commented. He looked to Team Sun-fist. "What 'bout ya two?"

"Depends on what Sun wants to do." Kamina replied before turning to Sun-Sun.
"I think we're gonna do something else." Sun-Sun answered with a small smile. "I wouldn't be much help since I'm a fire type."

Hikari looked at Tyr. "Well... I'll follow you," she said, a bit uneasy.
Tyr nodded. "'K. See ya guys later," he called over his shoulder before he headed off towards the ice sculptures.

With a nod from Kamina and a wave good bye from Sun-Sun the two teams headed off in separate directions, eagar to see what else at this extravagant party awaited them.

---

After they had left Team Sun-Fist, Team Toxishade had started heading for where the ice-sculpting was. There were a few teams there amongst the blocks and figurines of ice, among which stood a jagged Meowth with a Misdrevus hovered around, and a rather grumpy-looking Crawdaunt that chipped away at the ice.

All was not well, though. Hikari started to tense up as they went on. She could feel 'Mon looking at her, and she looked at them too. All around her, going about the festivities, their faces covered in paint. . . A strange sense of foreboding filled her.

"Tyr," she said a bit quietly. She felt eyes drilling into her. "Maybe we should go. . ."

Unlike Hikari, Tyr was relaxed as he headed towards the ice-sculptures. He glanced back when Hikari spoke, a bit exasperated. "Why? We haven't ev'n been 'ere tha' long!" He whined.
"It. . . It doesn't feel right," Hikari whispered. If she had a heart it would be racing. "We need to get out of here. Now." Someone was following them, someone was definitely following them, but she didn't know who. Someone was after them, someone was going to hurt her they were going to hurt Tyr.
"Hikari, don't be s' ridiculous. It's jus' a party. Nothin's goin' on 'ere t' worry 'bout. Lighten up." Tyr responded. He was beginning to lose patience with her. He didn't want to leave yet, they'd barely been there for more than an hour!
"Or ya can leave on her own. I'm not leavin' yet."

Hikari's gases wavered, became less static in their movements. Leave him? Alone?!
"No, no, we can't stay," Hikari whispered. She winced a bit, letting out a small hiss as if in pain. Tyr shook his head, though his gaze reflected hints of shock and concern when the Ghost-type hissed slightly and winced.

She could faintly hear a voice.

"Hikari! Karera wa kite iru!"

Hikari quickly opened her eyes, looking around franticly. What? Where?! Where were they?! "Tyr, we have to leave," she hissed urgently.

"I'm not leavin', Hikari. D' ya ev'n realize what this kind 'f event means t' me? Th' chance t' talk t' s' many diff'rent 'Mon, enjoy myself in others' company? Ya know I love tha' kind 'f stuff! Now, ya want me t' leave jus', jus' 'cause ya have a bad feelin'?" The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got. Why should he have to give up the things he loved for her?! Why couldn't she just go home alone if it was such a big deal to her? A crowd had began to form around the toe, as a few noisy party-goers began to wonder what was going on and what would happen next.

Hikari grit her teeth. The more they wasted time talking, the closer their to-be attackers got! "I know you like these kinds of things, but we're not safe! We need to go now or you're gonna get hurt," she said.

"I'm not gonna get hurt, Hikari!" Tyr narrowed his eyes, frustrated. Furious, even. He wasn't compromising this time! A thought suddenly came to mind.
"Ya, ya need t' stop it, Hikari! Fer cryin' out loud, yer bein' paranoid ov'r nothin'! Jus' have a lil' faith in th' rest 'f th' city, why don't ya?!" His voice grew louder with his frustration. "Ya g' 'round, nev'r trustin' others. Well, what if trouble does eventually come?! Who'd help us if it was ov'r our heads, when ya can't ev'n walk 'round a party without feelin' like someone's out t' get ya! Ya wonder why ya've been pushed away before, an' 'ere ya g', distrustin' ev'ry 'Mon ya see! 'Lot 'f 'em are in our own guild, an' ya can't ev'n trust 'em!" He glared at her, then sharply turned away.

"S' fine. Run 'ff, hide from to' rest 'f th' world, leave if ya wanna, but I'm. Not. Goin'."

Hikari was silent, motionless. An odd noise came from her, one that caused Tyr to turn his head back to face her. The paint below her eyes began to run, her gaze locked on Tyr. Hurt was evident in her face. Betrayal, confusion, fear, grief... They all mixed in her eyes. Cold droplets hit the ground and began to freeze. Without a word, the Gastly turned and rushed off, quickly disappearing in the crowd.