Work Text:
Technical Machine #199 - Lash Out
Dark-Type - 75 Power
The user lashes out to vent its frustration toward the target. This move's power is doubled if the user's stats were lowered during this turn.
There was a sort of sick irony in this mess, Carmine thought darkly.
Kitakami was technically separate from any of the regions surrounding it, and maintained its own culture above that of Sinnoh or any other nearby mass. This also meant, however, that it became something of an attraction for other regions, as they grew and advanced and Kitakami…didn’t.
Even from a young age, it rankled her in a way she didn’t have the words for then. The way people would come bumbling into her hometown, gawking like a Sableye in a jewelry store. Always pointing at their rice fields or temples, calling them “quaint” or “rustic,” and wearing the same kinds of clothes that she’d known since she was a kid like they were some kind of costume.
Of course, the leaders encouraged this, talking about the extra funds tourism brought in. All they had to do was the same thing they always did, just sell to tourists instead.
It made Carmine sick.
She discovered early on that she had a secret weapon, that being her mouth. She was always a bit too blunt as a child, and while those in the village learned to deal with it, the tourists always seemed shocked when a little girl would mouth off at them. When she realized why everyone was getting upset, she began to weaponize it. Soon, tourists learned to avoid her, sometimes they’d even run away just to avoid dealing with her.
People would glare at her, tourists would scoff in offense, but none of them got it, did they? She’d tried to explain to her grandparents once, but both of them had just shaken their heads the same way she did when her clothes came back covered in dirt from playing with the Poochyena.
Like she’d done something wrong, and it was so obvious they didn’t have to say anything. She hated it when people didn’t just spit what they were thinking out.
After a while, the venom became like second nature. She didn’t even have to think before spitting out more corrosive words. And without even noticing, it’d bled into her personal life. She’d always teased and poked at little Kiki, but somewhere along the way, she’d become harsher and harsher, cutting a bit deeper every time.
Once, Kiki had poked out from behind her, after she’d had to scare off a tourist that was bothering him. “They were just asking questions, sis. You didn’t need to do that.”
She’d just scoffed. “Please, Kiki. People like that won’t listen unless you get a little mean. Sometimes you need to get a bit stronger and say what they need to hear.” Kiki had gotten a weird look on his face and walked away. Carmine hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
(Why, oh why hadn’t she just said something else? Anything else? Better yet, why couldn’t she have listened to him?)
(why couldn’t she have noticed it then?)
When she was accepted into Blueberry Academy, she was almost afraid to leave. As Kitakami slowly modernized, she was worried she wouldn’t recognize her home when she returned. That some fundamental shift would happen, and she’d never truly be home again. Even as her grandparents assured her the world wouldn’t end while she was at school, she couldn’t stop the fear.
Even with Kiki at her side, she was worried for her home. At one point, Kieran had timidly voiced the opinion that some changes were good, and could be good for Kitakami too. Carmine had only scoffed at this notion and changed the subject quickly. She didn’t want her baby brother knowing how much it bothered her after all, it wasn’t his problem.
(why couldn’t she have let him help? why couldn’t she have listened then?)
She made friends among the battle club. She made a name for herself. She even befriended one of the school’s Elite Four. But the fear lingered.
And suddenly, a trip was coming around. A joint venture with Blueberry and its sister school in Paldea.
With their heritage, Carmine and Kiki were shoo-ins to make the trip. They arrived to a Kitakami that was, thankfully, mostly unchanged, though that one glove-maker had started mumbling to herself about cryptic currencies, whatever those were supposed to be. And that’s when she met those two.
First, it was Juliana, wandering around wide-eyed, clearly trying to find someone or something. Another tourist treating her home like an attraction.
And with a kind smile and wave, she lashed out. She told the girl in no uncertain terms to get lost from her home, and challenged her to a battle before the Academy student could even stutter out an explanation.
And she lost. Pretty badly.
Eventually the misunderstanding was cleared, and she received something of an earful for her act of Kitakamian hospitality from her grandparents. Well, what did they know?! She was just trying to help!
Well…she could now admit she was wrong. She’d ended up paired with the Paldean student for the duration of the trip, while Juliana’s twin, Florian, ended up with Kiki. No matter how much she tried to push Juliana away, to make her sick of the visit, she just pushed on, and insisted on befriending her. And the worst part? It actually worked.
She actually liked talking to the other girl, hearing stories of Gyms and titans and whatever other shenanigans she got into. It was clear she’d been mistaken from the start; Juliana wasn’t a tourist. She was interested in her culture, but didn’t treat it like some strange, mysterious thing. Even as Carmine bragged and laced every story with some cutting reference to the Paldean tour group, it rolled right off her.
Meanwhile, Kiki and Florian ended up embroiled in something…mythical.
And…maybe Carmine made a mistake, telling the twins to not tell Kiki about the ogre, and the teal mask they found. Maybe it would’ve hurt him less had she just said it outright instead of trying to hide it. Instead, she kept up the old facade, not even considering how poorly he’d feel when he realized.
(kiki was always more observant than she gave him credit for.)
And after that final battle for the right to train Ogrepon (kiki calling her “his” still made her nauseous to think about), something snapped in him. He barely spoke a word on the way back to Blueberry Academy, only sat there, anger simmering in his eyes.
It wasn’t until they’d returned that Carmine realized the depths of his hurt. He went about the Terrarium with a fire she couldn’t understand, catching Pokemon, running through strategies, wearing his team down until they couldn’t even stand. He’d always been a rather fringe member of the League Club, but suddenly, people whispered about the threat he held to their Champion.
Carmine tried to break through once. She’d been counting his Pokeballs every time she saw him, and noticed a few discrepancies. She managed to corner him in his dorm while he resolutely ignored her, doing schoolwork at his desk. “Hey, Kiki? Where are Cramorant and Furret?”
“Left them in Kitakami.”
Carmine blinked. She’d never heard her quiet little brother sound so cold. “Left them in… But didn’t you say they were your partners? You were so excited about finding Cramorant-“
“They’re liabilities, Carmine.” He glared down at the paper in front of him, pencil straining under his grip. “I can’t accept anything but the best if I want to beat Florian next time.” He finally looked at her, his eyes steely. “Get out of my room already, I need to work.”
And she did.
And he took the throne.
She could see the hatred boiling in Drayton’s usually-calm posture as he shook the younger Trainer’s hand. He wasn’t happy to lose, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it now. And with Kiki at the helm, the League Club turned for the worst.
Kiki was constantly berating Trainers if they couldn’t put up a good enough fight against them. The Champion did have rights to remove club members if he thought they weren’t good or right for the club, something he made a point of reminding them every time they didn’t meet his standards. And it did work, many of the Trainers reached new levels under his “tutelage,” but just as many quit outright, stating their distaste for the Champion as they went.
Amarys kept her updated on everything. Her friend was rather stiff and could be hard to read, but Carmine knew the signs of her displeasure at this point. The tension in her shoulders, the downward turn of her lips, the way she kept adjusting her glasses despite them never shifting as she spoke.
It was wrong, it was all so wrong. She cursed herself over and over for ever wishing that Kieran would get stronger. This was never what she wanted, it was never what she meant.
Her only chance was a long shot. There was an exchange program upcoming with the Paldean Academy, and Carmine put in a rather…insistent word on behalf of Juliana and Florian. Even kindly Cyrano, who never expressed frustration with a student, seemed to get a little worn out of her insistence.
She didn’t care a bit. If it would help Kiki and the rest of the League Club, she’d do whatever it took.
And for once, her plan worked. The Paldean students arrived in a rush of activity and excitement due to their unusual status. Almost immediately, the two camps sought each other out. It stung what was left of Carmine’s pride to ask their help (and generally annoyed her that they needed to work with Drayton at all), but she’d do whatever it took to help her little brother.
She’d had enough of pushing people away for one lifetime. It was time to let them in.
(She’d love to meet the rest of their friends, someday.)
(she’d never forgive herself for what happened to kieran)
She could only watch from a distance as Florian marched across the field to meet Blueberry Champion Kieran, determination shining in his usually blank expression. She couldn’t help but yank on strands of her own hair, stomach twisting like Hydrapple’s heads, as the two began their battle.
Something tugged on her arm. She looked down to see Juliana, looking equally grim at her side. She met Carmine’s gaze and silently nodded. As Florian drew his own Pokeballs, Kieran roared from across the field, burning jealousy in his eyes.
Kiki was lashing out in his own right, and she couldn’t help him this time. She could only hope she would be there to pick up the pieces, and bring back her little brother.