Tavern Brawl!

[emsiecat]

Mewtwo had been trying as tactfully as possible to ignore the clingy female who seemed so enamoured with his human illusion. He reminded himself numerous times that as a group they were effectively undercover from the monsters that Thanatos had called up and that they needed to stay incognito. Such thoughts were the only thing that prevented the peeved clone from forcibly dropping the illusion and turning on the woman right there and then. It seemed only a miracle would avert Jessie's attention.

Said miracle just happened to be the Meowth whom Liana had dragged off some time ago. Mewtwo had been watching them, his sharp hearing picking up pieces of the conversation they were having. The noise of the outpost proved to be too much to let Mewtwo decipher the gist of their discussion though.

Meowth walked back over to the table and managed (after some poking) to gain Jessie's attention and led her over to a quieter corner of the room to talk with her. Liana sat down in Jessie's spot occasionally glancing towards the pair.

"What's that all about?" Mewtwo questioned.

Liana smiled benignly, looking as innocent as summer skies, the overly girlish gesture did nothing to dissuade Mewtwo from his questioning.

"Are you going to answer me or will I have to pick your brain some other way?"

"You'll find out soon-"

Liana was cut off as the fiery red-head screeched so loudly and indignantly that it drew half the outpost's attention.

"HE'S A WHAT!?"

She was quickly hushed by Meowth practically wrapping himself around her face to quell the ranting.

Liana turned back to her beer seemingly unaffected. Reality dawned on Mewtwo.

"You told Meowth about our situation didn't you." It was a statement not a question.

"How could I not? Incase you've forgotten Pokémon can see through that illusion of yours. He can speak English. If I'd left well alone half this place would know by now." She gestured to the mass of humans that inhabited the barn.

"Did he have to let those two imbeciles know?"

Mewtwo glared over at Meowth who had calmed down Jessie and was now explaining matters, as they stood, to a bewildered looking James who kept throwing Mewtwo furtive looks.

"They're his friends. They have a right to know what he does."

Liana bit her own lip guiltily. Meowth's words had struck a chord with her. It would be the act of a friend to let Mewtwo know what she'd found out about his past. However from an emotional viewpoint could she really dredge up the clone's past yet again only to upset him? She didn't want that hanging over her head once more.

***

As the day finally turned into night there was a feeling of general camaraderie in the air. Jessie had calmed down after the shock of finding out that her current crush was in fact a Pokémon; she stayed well away from Kohaku but seemed to get along nicely with the females of the party. Rhys and James had instantly found brotherhood in one another. They were over-dramatic, witty and prone to bouts of silliness, but both quite deep thinkers who could discuss various topics until they were blue in the face.

The group plus three new additions had migrated over to the bar. A few punters politely cleared the way as they climbed up onto the bar stools.

Liana instantly recognised the woman who was serving alcoholic beverages behind the bar. She was a pretty, curvy woman from their village in her early thirties. She was wearing an apron over her blouse and skirt, her blonde hair piled haphazardly atop her head. She had a pleasant motherly air about her and a cheerful grin with eyes that glinted with mischief.

"This is the ever lovely Elaine." Rhys introduced the woman with a flourish, mainly for the benefit of Mewtwo, Jessie, James and Meowth.

Elaine waved Rhys's words off adding "Call me Ellie. Goodness I haven't seen you lot in ages. It's wonderful to have you here at the outpost."

Mewtwo nodded politely. Something about her reminded him of Mew. She had a strong sense of fun and cheer about her that was apparent in the ever-present smile and rosy cheeks. He mulled over the idea that perhaps if Mew took on a human illusion it would be something a lot like this.

Ellie seemed to be busy. She was flitting from one end of the bar to the other serving drinks and chatting with customers with seemingly boundless energy. Eventually she turned to Rhys. "Rhys dear, couldn't give me a hand could you?"

Mewtwo was slightly surprised as Rhys stepped up onto his chair and with one lithe movement hoisted himself over the bar. Like a long-time employee, Rhys immediately found the list of orders and began moving expertly around the bar as if he owned the place.

The other humans smiled as Ellie rambled on enthusiastically about any topic that came to mind before pottering off to another set of thirsty patrons.

Lucinda leant in towards the newcomers and mischievously whispered "Rhys fancies Ellie."

Rhys rolled his eyes. "She's a family friend that's all."

James, ever up for fun was sniggering at Rhys's expense and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Lucinda's not-so-quiet comment.

"Is that really all? Hey Ellie, what do you think of Rhys here?"

Rhys was making something like a desperate cutting motion across his neck from behind Ellie to try and shut James up, but the stubborn ex-Rocket carried on regardless. Liana shrugged apologetically to her beet-red friend behind the bar. It seemed there was no stopping James once he got going.

"Now don't go embarrassing my helper. He won't come to the outpost anymore if you keep that teasing up." Mewtwo caught the wink that Ellie sent Liana over Rhys's head as she moved around him to serve someone else.

James proceeded to make an arse of himself by continuing the childish mockery towards Rhys for a few minutes more, complete with kissy faces and faux-French exclamations of 'l'amour'.

That just about did it for the mortified man. Rhys vaulted right over the bar and took his new found friend down in a proper flying tackle that upset a dish of candies and three chairs – one of which still had someone sitting in it. Liana was instantly up and scrambling to a seat on top of the bar and well out of the way of swinging arms. Lucinda was laughing madly at the tussling pair and had already purloined one of their drinks (Ellie had ignored Alan's request that they only have one each). Meowth and Mew were standing on the bar stools commentating on the fight with righteous enthusiasm, a pair of dessert spoons served as microphones.

James’ girly screams were quite unmanly and very loud as Rhys put him in a fierce headlock, the both of them tangled up under an occupied table, but he was valiantly holding off the other boy's aggravated attack as best as one could.

Mewtwo wasn't sure when it had happened, when the idiocy had started to become contagious, but there was something decidedly humorous about watching the two humans practically throttle each other. He hopped up onto the bar next to Liana and grabbed himself a bottle of beer as he watched them. Humans had interesting beverages.

[emsiecat]

Liana rightly noted the face he pulled upon tasting the weak beer. "Now either that's the face of someone who's never tasted alcohol before, or you're a complete snob who likes a more refined drink."

"It's not often I lower myself to drinking human beverages. However if I have to I'd rather it didn't taste like a dog had used it to bathe in."

Liana nearly choked on her own drink in amusement. "My second guess was right then, you are a snob!"

She turned to Meowth who had finally joined them flushed in the face after declaring the fight 'officially over' and handed the feline a glass of water to cool his strained throat.

Ellie had returned and was busily righting the mess that her former 'helper' and his friend had created. She tried to look stern but the expression was lost as her eyes danced over the pair who were decidedly dishevelled after their fight; Rhys's clothes were completely filthy from the barn floor and James's hair looked like it had come into contact with a Pichu spark. Ellie had always been partial to mischief even if it did damage her bar.

At some point during the tussle a few people had been talked (and paid) into playing the musical instruments they had with them. To one side of the barn there were now violins playing an energetic tune accompanied by a couple of flutes and one lone trumpet. A few people were dancing and clapping their hands.

Meowth had instantly grabbed Mew (still Aipom-ified), Pikachu, and his clone, dragging them up to dance. Not to be outdone by his companion, James-of-the-big-hair pulled Jessie up with him to join them. Ellie soon engaged Rhys and Lucinda in a conversation about the village. Liana and Mewtwo were left at the bar.

"The monsters, those things that attacked us. Were they in the book we read?" Mewtwo queried as Liana watched her friends have fun, tapping her own feet to the fast paced merry music.

Liana furrowed her brow in thought. "I can't recall seeing them in there. We can look them up when we get to New Island if you like."

Mewtwo nodded and added. "If we meet them again, keep away from the tails. I have a suspicion they may do more than just look like a scorpion's. I would assume they are poisonous."

Liana tapped her chin with a forefinger thoughtfully before nodding back in agreement.

"You have a good aim."

"Sorry?"

"When you fire, you hardly missed a shot today."

Liana grinned at the compliment that was hidden beneath the nonchalant words. "My grandfather taught me how to use a bow. He's an excellent shot too you know."

"A bow is all well and good. What do you do when you're up against an enemy in close combat though?"

Liana blushed and shook her head. "To be honest I've never really been in that situation. I hope never to be, but if it happens I could be in trouble. Lucinda's good at hand to hand combat, I prefer long range."

Mewtwo said no more on the subject and Liana pondered the situation herself as she went outside to bid the Rapidash goodnight. What would she do if she ever lost her trusty bow, or an enemy got too close for a good shot?

She forced the thoughts from her mind as she spoke briefly to the horses. They were a bit put-out at not being allowed in to witness the fun.

True to his word Alan had found rooms for the group and their new companions. The males in one room and the females in another, the Pokémon slept wherever they wanted.

Liana listened to Jessie and Lucinda chatter sleepily as the lights in the outpost were shut-out. It was nice here in the outpost, a pleasant distraction from the problems they had yet to face.

Deciding that she'd had quite enough depressing thoughts about Thanatos, monsters, and world domination, Liana threw herself into the conversation. Discussing one another's lives as the girls got to know each other better before they quieted down one by one and fell asleep.

(If anyone's interested inspiration for the music I mentioned after the fight was taken from 7:22 of this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kww5FmhjgaI )