An Ice Day at the Beach (Amanda + Annie)

[Annie Prince]

Annie was genuinely surprised to hear that Amanda thought it might have been better to be more like her. The irrepressible Michael aside, nobody ever thought that it was good to be like Annie, and Michael was just... Michael. Amanda didn't have that excuse, so why would she be talking like this?

Amanda's apology helped Annie's discomfort abate somewhat, as whatever had been going on faded away into a more peaceful atmosphere. She let her attention wander, seeing the Pokémon wandering around the beach. Tomislav tried to climb into her lap, but was hampered by the overlarge hat that he was still wearing. With a smile, Annie removed the hat and offered it back to Amanda. "Here... I believe this is yours."

The Duskull was so strange. Annie had never seen a Pokémon so obviously actively malicious. She might have agreed with the more abstractly bizarre things he had said earlier, but this was obviously just cruelty. "Why does he talk like that?" Annie asked Amanda curiously. "He ought to know it's not acceptable to say things that aren't true."

[Amanda Dupomme]

Amanda accepted the hat gingerly, offering it to her large bodyguard Pokemon for safekeeping. To her mild amusement: the Pokemon decided the best way to do so was to wear it.

The blonde cracked a smile, feeling her lingering ennui lift, somewhat. Fisto certainly looked silly, the hat making the Pokemon seem effectively headless. Whether it looked more ridiculous on the shiny, or on the Pokemon that had previously worn it: Amanda couldn't say.

''I'm not sure why he behaves like he does...'' Amanda admitted, not turning to face the other girl, right now: she couldn't bear it. ''...I actually caught him for it, ironic as it may be: he was harassing me at the cemetery, and I thought capturing a Pokemon so vile could be a good test towards my skill as a trainer.''

The young blonde looked down, idly tracing lines in the sand with her feet, feeling rather detached from everything. ''Maybe I was stupid, maybe I'm not as good a trainer as I thought... he's certainly done nothing but make life worse for everyone.''

Tilting her head, Amanda peeked at the silver-haired girl with one single sad eye. ''Besides, a horrible creature though he may be... he usually speaks some semblance of the truth, I do think I have been dining too much on my own foot, lately. So to speak.'' Looking up, Amanda stared at the darkening sky, sadly. ''Who knows, perhaps he will be right about other things? Maybe I am doomed!''

Amanda laughed. It was a bitter laugh.