SOMK: Halloween

“Alright, Snocone. It appears we've reached our last stop on our route.” 

They stopped, feeling it before they really saw it. This part of the mountain was well-paved, with the path outlined with these shaved, shaped stones that were square and wrought with lines, making out the faces of what they both assumed were Pokémon. The way they were painted--inside the lines, with details otherwise--made them appear to glow warmly with reds, yellows, blues and greens. Snocone walked over to one and sat a broad foot on it. It seemed to pulse with a sort of primal energy, though there was no telling what that meant. All she could tell was that it was a little warm.

Up on the smooth circular arena, where more of the blocky figures stood in relief as tall, wooden totem poles, there was a singular figure pacing and muttering. They couldn’t make out the words, but it wouldn’t be long before they both got an earful of it.

“Hey, you two!” The half-charred Snivy came tapping over to them, looking none too pleased.

“You want a job? How about you two watch this place?” She cocked an eyebrow at them. “What are you here for, anyway? You don’t have any totems.”

“Truthfully, we’re not sure,” Vark answered. “We’ve been given vague instructions to…” he rounded a foot, “...‘check in’, so to speak.”

“We want candy, too,” Snocone interjected. “Y’got any Jolly Ranchers? Or Reese’s? Keep the malter milk balls, I hate ‘em.”

Hatred didn’t seem to have any time for their shenanigans.

“You know what? I don’t care. Just…keep an eye out for that Cyndaquil, Fiery. I don’t care what you do to him. Don’t let him near my stuff! Got it?”

Snocone nodded sagely. “Sure thing.”

Off the little lizard was, muttering about how that darned Cyndaquil better get it for the nonconsensual burning, leaving off with a sort of tittering about nothing good.

The two gave each other another round of glances.

“Weird. Agh, well, if I get my fix, it’s whatever.”

The two started to pace intermittently around the arena for what felt like the better part of an hour. Nothing happened besides a moment where Snocone’s candy-stick ear twitch, and she lept up to the cliffside, shot an icicle into the distant to a resounding howl. Vark only watched her, seeing her disappear before returning, jumping down, her face a little more darkly flushed.

“Turns out guessin’ what a guy looks like ain’t the best idea. I…might be owin’ a fee to someone.”

The rest of their time was uneventful, and upon her return, the two received a generous helping of treaties, plus something extra. 

Snocone pulled the little idol from her bag, noting that same warmth from before.

“The hell’s this?”

But before she could look over, a raucous ringing of screams, curses, whips and flaming lashing rang out. 

The two opted to just scoot right along.