Did they even make portable fish tanks?  They fucking should.  Mike would strap one to his stomach in a goddamn baby carrier if he had to, because this horsea?  This horsea was the shit.

< I'll have another fry, > the tiny water pokemon was saying, splashing around in a fountain in the Casseopeia market square.

With a laugh, Mike obliged and tossed another fry in Gin's direction.  It flew past the horsea, who belatedly jerked his head in the direction of the following splash.  He dove after it, resurfacing with the fry still sticking crooked out of his mouth.  (Something about the way Gin ate was weirdly endearing.  Mike couldn't put his finger on it.)

The little dude had also gotten into a rapidly escalating fight with Kickstart the second he'd introduced them -- and, shit, Mike thought that was funny, too.

"We gotta' get going, dude, do you think I could carry you?"

With his good eye, Gin scowled at him, fry still dangling from his mouth.

"Sounds like a yes to me," Mike replied, dangling another fry in front of Gin's face.

When he snapped it up, Mike scooped the horsea out of the water.  He fit so neatly into Mike's hand, like a--

"Dude, dude, I promise you'll go back in the ball, but-- use water gun!"

Gin considered the request, chewing through his fry, and eyed Mike.  < Why? >

Mike was moving out of the marketplace now, his backpack overloaded with two heavy glass incubators.  They clinked together slightly as he walked.

"Because," he replied, "You're like a living water pistol, and it'd be fuckin' great."  Imagines of dual (water filled?) holsters at his hips ran through Mike's imagination, a horsea peeking out of each.  He guessed that maybe this wasn't what the adoption lady had in mind when he signed off on the rehoming paperwork.

It seemed enough of a reason for Gin.  His nose scrunched up for a second as he drew on his water reserves, then blasted out a cold stream across the road --

And directly at the back of some kid's head.

"Shit-"

Gin let another water gun rip, and Mike fumbled for his pokeball.  He recalled the horsea, but not in enough time to run and pretend he hadn't been involved...

^{words 377. tag @orion
egg thread for corphish and horsea}