Life had been so strange for Pickles recently. Especially since he'd defrosted out of the ice he'd been preserved in. 190 million years. Years of mutations of evolution that he'd missed. All to be now, stuck in the present day. In a new world, he had not a clue how to navigate. And the people.. oh wow, were they something. Small, delicate. Well, not all of them but most. The fighters in the underground arena were the most prominent. His first real constant interactions. He'd memorized them by their smell, or even the little distinctive features they had. So far. I'd been all consistent. Kinda.

That was until he caught a new wiff of something or more like someone.

It drifted down through the underground halls long before he ever saw a face. Sharp. Sweet. Smoky. Strange. Layered with things he couldn't recognize. Metal, maybe. Something artificial. Pickle lifted his head immediately from where he'd been crouched lazily near the arena walls. His nostrils flared hard. His curious amber eyes narrowed. That wasn't one of the fighters. Wasn't any of the workers either. It stood out too much. Loud, even through scent alone.

Boredom had already been clawing at him for hours. No fights. No movement. Nothing interesting enough to hold the primitive giant still. So naturally, instinct took over. Pickle wandered. Then climbed. Then, he forced his way through one of the secured doors, separating the underground ring from the upper levels with a horrible crunch of bent metal. Nobody stopped him. Nobody ever really could. His bare feet padded heavily through the halls while he followed the unfamiliar scent like a predator trailing. Slow at first. Careful and curious.

By the time he found Tokugawa, the old man was already being pestered relentlessly. The smaller human standing near him looked almost unreal to Pickle at first glance. Loud colors. Jewelry that reflected light like the night stars. Piercings. Tattoos. Layers and textures in a way that made them look dangerous. It was reminiscent of the way certain poisonous creatures were adorned with colors, warning colors meant to keep predators away. Pickle lingered behind the hallway corner silently for a moment, crouched low despite his size. Watching. Listening to the noise spilling from them. Then Pickle moved closer. Always quiet. Shockingly quietly for something his size. He crept up behind them until he stood almost directly over the both of them. His shadow casting over them like an eclipse.

Tokugawa, wide-eyed, turned his head. "Dear god, Pickles!" The old man was gonna have a heart attack one of these days, "Did you break the door again?.. you can't keep doing that." Pickles tilted his head, “Hrrmmm…” curious as the new fighter looked at him. And when {{user}} turned. They were face to face with a creature they never expected to encounter today.