pidge_out | Victory Road IC Inbox

[Does he know you, or does he know you, Pidge?]

All right. Just ... let me know what you decide. Maybe we can do some training.

[Maybe he'll let her win, even.]

[As Rover hops about, distracted. Big hands reach down. Hello Rover. Have you met Shiro's Incineroar?]

[How dare you, Space Father.]

..Well, I guess training's not a bad start. Even if we don't do the whole gym circuit thing.

[Rover does whatever the Rowlet equivalent of screaming and flailing is. Because he definitely didn't expect Big Hands to come down around him, and oh no is the game over he doesn't want to stop playing but THAT IS A VERY BIG CAT.]

[Shush you love him.]

Nah, it's not. It's a lot of fun for these guys too. They like the whole battle thing.

[They really like it. Or most of them do, anyway.]

[Like the Incineroar currently holding Rover like a particularly curious football. Turning him over and around in her hands. What is this weird orb??]

[She does. Behold her suffering.]

Yeah... I know Rover really does.

[Speaking of Rover, he's struggling to break free of Big Cat Hands. How dare you Rowlet-handle him and roll him around and around like a ball. Rude! RUDE!!

He's flapping his wings wildly and trying to fly up to freedom, making all sorts of wild indignant noises. Who are you, cat?! You are no Luna!]

[And upon hearing all this noise, Pidge just looks toward the living room area with a slight frown.]

...Since it sounds like he's always picking fights with every other monster in the house.

[Shiro's head whips around at Rover's noises. But as soon as he realizes who it is that's holding the owl, he relaxes. It's just one of the muscle cats. They're showoffs, they're big on fights and wrestling, but... they're also careful around the smaller pokemon.]

He's welcome to try. She could probably chuck him.

[But Red does not. The Incineroar only sets Rover down. Gently. and pats him on his little orb head.]

[The whole way down the floor he's huffing, feathers fluffed and body trembling, and as soon as he's on the floor he's still bouncing in place and trilling indignantly at the big cat. So what if he's literally 1/8 her size?! He can take her. Absolutely.

And Pidge just looks on with a little sigh, eating some more cake.]

I don't think that would even slow him down.

[Rover can bounce around all he wants. The problem with that is he's surrounded by cats. Who like orb-shaped objects rolling and bouncing around. Two pairs of eyes poke from under the couch. And the Incineroar's eyes do that huge "i can see the universe" thing.]

[Run, Rover.]

... you'd be surprised.

[Pidge sighs around a mouthful.] We'll see about that.

[Because Rover isn't even deterred. So it's a big group of big cats. So what? He can fly. That is clearly an advantage.

He'll even reassert that advantage by fluttering up into the air until he's eye-level with the Incineroar, making all sorts of noise right in her face. Come at me! Come at me!]

Let me hope.

[Luna is slowly stalking out from under the couch. Shiro's Umbreon is right behind -- acting way more like a cat than a fox... rabbit... thing.]

[The Incineroar, however, just stares. Her eyes are huge. And then, quickly, she reaches out one huge paw-hand. To bat at Rover. Hopefully she pulls her strength back.]

[Pidge doesn't say anything to that. Just hums around a new mouthful of cake while she watches Rover with the other Pokémon.

Rover, who decides to immediately dodge that reach with a dive at Incineroar's face. And then starts stamping his feet repeatedly at her nose. He's not using the talons, at least. But see how mighty he is! So threatening! So powerful!]

[Rover no.]

[The Incineroar just chuffs at him. And moves to literally snatch Rover out of the air. Come here. Let her hug you tiny owl man.]

[Okay Rover is maybe not quite agile enough to dodge that reach. So he's maybe getting pulled into the Incineroar's grip with several loud squeaks of alarm and surprise. Rude!! He was being so mighty, how very dare!!]

[Pidge can only sigh.]

He really has no idea how small and round he is.

[Shhh no, don't try to escape, little orb. She thinks you're adorable!! Let the muscle cat hug you forever. You can come hang out with the other ones, and they'll play with you for days.]

... I guess he's fitting for you, like that.

[Because you don't care about your size, Pidge.]

[That's true, Shiro. She doesn't. Which is why she's going to knock into him lightly by way of protest.]

Rude.

[But again, she also doesn't care, and that comes across in the deadpan tone of voice.]

[Rover, on the other hand, has a much more violent way of protesting. Squabbling and wriggling and trying so hard to flap his wings. He doesn't know the Big Cat! He likes the littler cat, and the dark one. Big Cat has caught him and clearly this is against some rule.]

You know I'm right.

[He nudges her back. Grinning. It's her birthday, so he's going to needle her a little. Like true family.]

[Look, Rover. You're not as buff as Red is. She's probably ten times your level, buddy. Just settle down and accept this affection.]

[She makes a face, but she does know he's right. And honestly she wouldn't have it any other way. Rover is a unique beast, and as much as he wears Pidge out, she does care about him a lot.]

He's still worse.

[What is affection. Can it be beaten into submission? Will it make him stronger?

He's totally looking to the other two Pokémon and making a noise in their general direction. Was this all a trap?! He thought they were bonding!]

[Make faces all you want, Pidge. You know he cares -- this is how you know. He teases. You're not really a member of Team Voltron unless you're teased a little.]

Okay. Yeah. But I do remember you going after a few people five times your size before.

[And winning.]

[The two other pokemon just hop up on the Incineroar's shoulders, with Luna purring. Yes, see? It's bonding!]

[Okay, she can't help it; Pidge preens a little at the memory. Her chest puffs up a little as she swallows another mouthful of cake.]

To be fair, all the Galra are pretty huge.

[Shiro doesn't even know who all she's taken down by now.]

[Rover just stares at them for a moment with those big owl eyes. He still feels betrayed! But of course now that he's not wriggling around to break free it's easier to see that he's being held the way Pidge does sometimes. And that's not so bad.

So with a sigh that's more like a low trill, he settles down. Fine. Bond away.]

[He actually laughs a bit.]

Yeah, okay. You've got me there. Are any of them on the small side?

[He does not think so.]

[Meanwhile, the cat pile decides to flop down on the floor. And release Rover enough to curl up in a big old purr pile. With Luna perched on top, Nebula somewhere in the middle, and all of them using the Incineroar as their pillow.]

[Deal with it, Rover.]

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