Unnamed Master: Chapter 21
With those few words, the challenge had been set, and accepted. There was nothing else to do but the actual battling, both sides completely sure in their abilities to see things through to a victory for their side.
Well, one side was a bit more sure than the other.......
With the stormy eyed guy still leaning against the wall, the Meowth at his feet slid to an obvious position of protection with only a glance to the trainer for confirmation.
Giovanni could only lift an eyebrow in admiration at the willingness of a pokemon with such an independent personality to enter into a fight on behalf of a human. Normally, all pokemon had to be ordered in, unless they had the offensive attitude to begin with.
As their opponent's pokemon was a Meowth, and subject to its feline whims and catty attitude, they certainly hadn't expected it to have such a ruthless look in its eyes.
Giovanni reached for his belt to where his own trove of pokeballs were found as well as eyeballing the cowardice of the team's Evee.
"Get your lazy ass out there and defend the honor of your organization," he snapped, and didn't stop glaring until the cream and tan fuzzball slinked out into a standard offensive position in front of the humans.
Only when the Evee locked eyes with the Meowth that had infuriated it earlier did he forget how much he loathed his human masters.
Why, one might ask, did Evee forget? Because he knew that if he didn't concentrate RIGHT NOW on the muscled form covered in velvet knap cream fur, he would get his overly fluffy tail handed to him shishkabobbed.... With his spine.
Oh, and did he forget to mention that the iced over honey brown eyes were also sparking minutely just like the abnormal human still leaning against the wall? What kind of a trainer professes such loyalty to his pokemon and yet doesn't seem to care when it goes into battle for his sake? The trainer didn't seem to mind at all that the Meowth would be going into a high stakes battle with no input from the supposedly wiser human counterpart, since he never forsook his slouched position.
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Well, Evee's answer came just a moment later, when Giovanni broke one of the first standard battle rules with Carlita soon following. Most standard battle practices do not allow multiple opponents when none had been agreed upon.
As two flashes of red light appeared to either side of the Evee, the Meowth BLURRED into motion, almost like a Teleportation from a psychic pokemon. He never got a chance to react. A crushing blow of pain on his head sent the Evee tumbling head over heels backwards and into a wall.
Just as the world went spinning, Evee only had enough time to realize why the trainer looked so unconcerned at the battle's beginning. He needn't worry... The Meowth was a feral warrior.
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When the dark eyed thief and the sunset haired chick made a quick tossing motion in Dian's direction, Ranma subtly shifted his aura in the practiced signal to begin combat. An invisible curl of power extended from Ranma to his partner and flickered, further indicating that this fight was up to Dian's judgement. Anyway the cat wanted to react was fine with Ranma.
Dian, who was locked momentarily in a staring contest with the little changer felt Ranma's aura shift with his own fledgling energy network and took that as permission to engage the enemy. Shooting forward in an advance to test out his opponent's skill, Dian was inwardly shocked when the Evee's brown eyes glazed over in incomprehension and a loud THWACK echoed down the small side street.
When the dust that had been kicked up by Dian's initial advance settled, the lineup of sides had changed a bit. A small trench had been dug by the sheer velocity of the Evee's moving body leading over to a crumpled heap at the base of a wall.
Dian hadn't moved a centimeter from his point of impact, thanks to his intense months long training by Ranma. However, on either side of the feline, two other pokemon had made their appearance, and they weren't looking too happy. Well, neither were they looking too angry...
If Dian had to say anything to describe their facial impressions, or what passed for them, he'd say they were amazed and confused, which quickly turned to accusing when they looked back at their masters as if trying to say, "And you want us to beat THAT?!?!?!"
One of the new opponents was an un-evolved waterstar. To the other humans, however, the orange gold carapace and central ruby would make them call it a Starmy. At the moment, however, it had a little sweatdrop on the side of its jewel and the arm spikes were drooping just the slightest. Its companion, a Squirtle, also had a sweatdrop, but it was more disciplined than its saltwater teammate. Squirtle kept an eye on the Meowth. It proved to be the only thing that kept them from an embarrassing descent into Morpheus's embrace to match that which the Evee experienced.
The Meowth made that first shifting motion that preceded his burst of inhuman speed.
Giovanni caught it a split second later, and called out to his Squirtle.
"Hydro-pump you idiot, spray everywhere at once. Its too fast to get with single shots of water-gun."
Then the team's leader turned to Carlita while his own pokemon tucked limbs and head in preparation for his all out water move. Why its master wanted to skip to the finale, it didn't know, but orders were orders.
"Get that oversized piece of jewelry moving. Have it spin under Squirtle so if the Meowth gets closer it'll have its legs knocked from under it."
Before he could finish his command to Carlita, the Meowth had already blurred again. The only thing saving the opposing pokemon was that Squirtle was quick on the uptake.
It had already begun its hydro-pump and a couple of lucky shots deflected the feline's course.
It is practically a universal law that when cats and water mix, the cat gets annoyed fairly quickly.
With a swallowed hiss of anger, Dian used the force of his deflected vector to pogo off the walls of the adjacent building, losing none of his momentum and being able to go on the offensive from a surprise angle. As Dian descended, he brought all of his limbs together in preparation of landing and stiffened them to maximize the force on a single targeted area.
Dian's pounce landed him just on the tip of one of the waterstar's points at a certain precise vector. The introduction of this weight overbalanced the whirling pokemon. As a result of this new change in forces, the Squirtle was sent flying, well, shell over shell, since it was all tucked in, directly at Carlita's face.
It would have hit her too, except that Giovanni found himself doing something he had sworn never to participate in. Chivalry.
THWACK! Went the hard shelled turtle, TOPPLE went the hard hearted man, and SMOOSH went the soft - er - mountains as Giovanni had a comfortable landing.
The bag of stolen crystallized goodies that the dark eyed male was holding was released into the air, the string of the pouch snagging on a finger. With its release, a wave of glittering jewel-like stones scattered over the street, their minor impacts chiming, and their facets reflecting light in a dazzling array.
The cerulean eyed male narrowed his eyes at his swirly eyed opponent being propped up by the sunset haired girl.
Great, now Ranma had to reassess the situation a bit. The guy had honor... of a sort.
Throughout each of the exchanges, never did the opposing trainer speak. Even if he had wanted to direct the battle, or taunt the other humans, words did not pass his lips.
Of course, that isn't to say that Ranma never had any input in Dian's fight. Unfortunately for Gio and Carlita, all of his cues were of the silent and invisible type.
But as he watched his opponent take the hit for the girl, he couldn't help a tiny flame of admiration that rose up in response. He leaned down to pick up an evolution stone near his foot, contemplating things while he looked at the beautiful refractions of blue light and a curious wave-like squiggle buried deep within its core.
For the first time after battle had been enjoined, Ranma spoke.
"Honor suits you."
Gio sat up on his own, rubbing the rapidly darkening bruise forming on his jawline and extending up his cheek.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"It's what brings one group to soar over another, separates the truly great from the mediocre. I just think that you could do better with yourself."
Giovanni pushed Carlita's fluttering hands away from his owchie before speaking.
"What do you know? I AM going to improve, and when I get a group of the best evolved pokemon, I'll show you just how much 'better' I can be!"
Ranma just nodded, his eyes taking on a spark of mischievousness as his lips quirked up in a smile.
"I look forward to that time. I find myself in need of a human rival to test myself against, as my previous one is... er, directionally challenged."
Well, he was ABOUT to say 'in another world, grieving over the one we both loved', but that would be like placing a placard around his neck saying 'crazy person here! I have delusions, and live at the Tendo Dojo in Nerima, Neverland 90210'.
Giovanni narrowed his eyes as he gazed across the six feet, two downed pokemon, and one triumphant Meowth that separated them. It seemed the trainer was willing to smooth things over. If played right, he and his Meowth could be very useful resources in the right conditions, despite the disastrous beginning Carlita had helped initiate.
"My name's Giovanni. No last name," was offered as the beginning parley.
The blue eyed one nodded again, this time in greeting.
"Name's Ranma. Also of no last name," and with a nod at his pokemon he was about to introduce, Carlita chose just that moment to plunge back in to the stupidity pool and drown, taking any and all bystanders with her.
"NOW Pokey!"
Another flash of red light streaked away from a red and white sphere she held in her hand and out popped something that Ranma only had two words for.
"Stupid Cactus!"
Of all the things, of all the species... Carlita had a Cacturne for a backup pokemon which she rarely used, as it wasn't as pretty looking as her jewel-like Starmy. Instead, it was a brownish greenish shade, and was just all... pokey!
Also, it acted before the predator duo could get over their respective shudders of remembered pain from their ill-fated journey into the desert.
Pokey, the poor neglected, um, ugly pokemon just sighed and brought its arms forward to shoot out a barrage of its... well, its POKEY thingies! Lots of sharp filaments that are prone to break off when embedded and then ITCH like crazy! Truly, can you blame Dian when he was effectively put out of the match? He ITCHED!
Ranma could only blink at his friend's scurrying antics, rubbing his back along the street and the walls and any convenient corner, just trying to get those prickly THINGS out! He shot a questioning look first to Giovanni, an eyebrow raised, who only shrugged at the imbecility of his own partner.
When the trainer took a step forward in an attempt to help his furry ITCHING downed partner, Carlita once again took a swan dive (read: belly flop) into said previous pool and thought the blue eyed youth's actions were more offensive than medic in nature.
"Pokey! Get HIM too! He looked at me funny!"
At this, Ranma became tensed again, ready to dodge or pluck the needles out of the air as the case may warrant.
But it turns out he didn't have to.
Instead, a nice toasty wall of flame flowed down from the building's roof, incinerating each and every evil instrument of itchiness.
When the flames died down, Carlita and Gio could only blink at the rabid snarling red-furred form spitting and writhing between the two teams.
Giovanni gingerly rose to his feet, making sure not to provoke the obviously diseased creature in front of him. For the sake of his team, and preserving the fledgling alliance with this Ranma trainer, it was up to him and (Heaven forbid) Carlita to put it down.
Now Vulpix's are primarily a fire based pokemon. As a seasoned thief of the as yet currently nameless crime syndicate, as well as a trainer, Giovanni knew the advantages of having pokemon with opposing elements. The opposite of fire is water, and between the dim-bulb and himself, they had plenty of fire-power.... Or is that water-power?
Between the two humans, they had a good amount of useful pokemon. Three actually. Carlita's now recovered Starmy, Gio's Squirtle who had gotten over his dizziness, and a Mudkip he had in reserve, which was fresh from the pokeball.
As the thieving duo readied their mission of 'mercy', Ranma had given a relieved nod at Pio for the quick save. He DEFINITELY didn't want to share Dian's fate. It looked, itchy...
To this point, he turned around and scooped up the wriggling tawny furred body and proceeded to pick out the spines. He didn't see Giovanni and Carlita array their forces, and Pio didn't want to disappoint her human by calling for his help at such an opportune time to shine.
Even though she felt like eeping and hiding behind his legs. She had been water-crazed in the desert, but this was overkill.
The water brigade only were able to get one shot in.
Pio's choice of extra crispy flame thrower did not quite dissipate all three waterguns, and she let out a shrieking yelp as she painfully felt her energy and aura become violently decreased. On the outside, the Vulpix just got soaked, but the workings of her fiery biological nature were affected greatly.
At his student's exclamation, Ranma's head jerked upward, almost giving himself whiplash while dropping Dian to land safely. His eyes narrowed to intense glacier chips as his senses registered a drastic dip in Pio's aura. His fists clenched, unknowingly causing the forgotten stone to slice his hand, embedding itself into his palm.
A thrumming roar was heard, and a green, brown and black blur interposed itself between the water and the supposedly 'rabid' Vulpix. With Ranma's back turned to the onrushing combined spray, all they were able to see was an explosion of furious blue light which settled into a corona of arcing and sizzling bolts that extended out three feet.
Giovanni slashed a hand through the air, indicating that the pokemon halt the barrage, almost as soon as he realized Ranma wanted to protect the Vulpix.
Well, too little too late.
The thief had awakened a very mad, very powerful warrior.
Slowly, the figure turned around. Cradled in powerful arms lie the Vulpix, its once luxurious fur hanging in sopping mats and a miserably pained woebegone expression in her eyes as she panted, her tongue lolling just the slightest.
Giovanni looked up from the pitiful mew, wincing, before freezing as he noticed something extremely...different about Ranma.
No, he didn't first notice that he was now a she.
He was more shocked about the fact that Ranma was a) glowing blue, b) shooting out controlled yet random arcs of electricity, c) floating a foot off the ground, and most importantly, 4) glaring evilly at Carlita and him.
Oh shit-ake mushrooms.
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A.N. Hey ya'll. Finally decided that there's no use in beating the dead horse that is my fight scene skills. What you see is what you get, and if they suck, well... Write to me, and see if you can do better.
On a different note. I was a little disturbed to read a review on my EE series. The person used an anonymous type of name and called itself 'SierraFalls clone'. While I partially believe that imitation is the highest form of flattery, somehow I didn't get that feeling from the content of his/her review.
What I think happened was that I read someone's personal work, and didn't have the time to finish it. Instead of consigning the story to the abyss of my mind of 'never-will-finish' readings, I left a review with something along the lines of 'this is a placement review. Don't mind me.' What I meant by that is that I have a horrible memory for names, and once I leave that story's site, I won't be able to get back to it.
Since I apparently wanted to read it all the way through, the only option left for me was to leave sort of a bookmark. What I call placement reviews. I can get back to my account from any computer, and I can find in my review history the title and link to the story I wanted to review. As a bonus, the reviews also tell me which chapter I was last on. That way I can go back and start from where I left off.
So, SierraFalls clone, I meant nothing untoward in the review. In fact, I found your story interesting enough to go back to it, after I got done with whatever I had to do. I am sorry if it was misconstrued. If you don't want me to read your story and review anymore, that's fine, but please, don't leave reviews like that. I have an email address if you care to use it.
Also, as a note to the wider audience. I really like going to the sites of the ppl who review for me, and I'll sometimes read your work. Any reviews I give that are similar to that of the above placement reviews, I just mean that I'll get back to them later. Please please please don't take offense.