Jaret King is owned by aggies2015
Viola Almach is owned by Ariesbird
Juliet Grey is owned by DolceBrio
Ryuu Sinclair is owned by Tendou Souji
Seria Day is owned by Kittynip
Cody Frost is owned by HodgePodge 97'
Victoria Reed is owned by Lord Farquaad
"What do you know about Marus?" Victoria's grin remained, somehow gaining more of an edge than Seria thought possible.
"Nothing at all, but..." Juliet's hand found its way to her waist in preparation. "He said he could help me get whatever I want. You know, the usual for a lowlife thief like me." She gave another confident shrug. "I guess that's just the way it is." Seria's eyes flicked over to Cody, suppressing a familiar rage and an even stranger sense of fear.
He was younger than her and had no qualms with whom he called "sister".
"Cody," His face lit up with an acknowledgement. He was smiling jovially.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you travel with her?"
"What do you mean?" His grin fell at her question; Juliet and Victoria both turned their sights on Cody at his response. Seria asked again, her voice growing more firm with every word.
"Why? Why do you let her control you? This can't be who you really are. Even after our first meeting, I refuse to believe you really wanted to kill me." Seria looked to Victoria and Juliet noted for the first time since they met, she had seen a defiant fire in her eyes. Victoria's grin remained still. "It's people like her that I believe-"
"Shut up." Seria ceased then, taken aback a little at Cody's blunt response. A poke-ball was already in his hand at the ready. His thumb grazed over the center. "I do this because I want to, not because my sister influenced me. I do it because I want to help her. If I had a problem with it, I would've been against her a long time ago." Seria frowned.
"Cody-"
"Seria, save it." Juliet said cutting in. "I know you have a heart and it's bigger than mine, or Virgil's or anyone I really know. But some people are not worth the time." Juliet mirrored Cody and a ball was from her waist and in her hand. Seria was like a little sister to her now, even though they were or close to being the same age.
"I don't take too kindly being put down in front of people who know better of me." Victoria gave a mocking sneer and Juliet responded in turn with a false smile.
"I really don't think anyone would want to pick you up." Victoria did the expected rise and fall of her shoulders a third time, accented with nonchalance. She took a step forward but Juliet firmly held her ground. Victoria frowned and took another step forward; Juliet still held firm. Victoria stepped even closer and was soon standing only a nose's length from Juliet, who hadn't noticed how tall Victoria really was until then. Her height made her reminisce of Virgil; the two were probably the same in height.
Virgil was on her mind, and it was more than likely the reason Juliet found herself on the ground then. She rubbed the side of her face that had been struck, bouncing back from the blow quickly. Victoria snickered.
"The rich girl can take a hit I see. Well then, let's see if you can take another one." Victoria shifted then, her knees bent a bit as her hands held themselves in front of her, her left hand leading a little ways out. Juliet sighed inwardly. Not only was Victoria great at thievery, not only was she skilled in Pokemon battling, but the girl even knew some form of formal fighting.
"Shit…" Victoria stuck forward and Juliet braced herself in preparation to jump away from Victoria, but the thief suddenly shifted her footing, throwing a sloppy dodge to her right. Cody rushed in then, the ball in his hand flickering to life and a familiar Arcanine rushed to the scene.
"Get whatever it is away from her!" Arcanine barked a response before blurring into only a haze. There was a solid thump of impact and a Dewott was sent sliding on his side before his trainer. He snarled ferociously, abhorred by the very appearance of the Arcanine. Arcanine materialized at Cody's side, earning a quick scratch behind the ears. Victoria straightened her form then.
"Virgil? You mean you're still trying to fight?" Virgil passed her a scowl: A refusal to respond. He looked over to Juliet with a pessimistic looking grin.
"I really hate friends. You guys make each other all soft." He gave another grunt and Dewott took his place before Virgil. The Pokemon let out a feral growl all the while brandishing his scalchop. It was round two. The last time he had been ambushed; he would not let this Arcanine fraud or his trainer claim such an underhanded victory.
There was yet another click, surprising Virgil a small ways as well as ruining his cool guy façade, whirling in the direction to find Seria and for once a Pokemon that wasn't her Eevee, instead opting for a Pokemon with flawless white fur.
"Absol? I never would've thought she'd get her weak little hands on that…"
"Don't give me that look!" Virgil rolled his eyes in response and Juliet giggled.
"What's so funny!?"
"It's just that I roll my eyes. You're not getting dumb on me, are you Virgil?" Her voice was thinly coated with coy flirtation. Virgil looked as if he were going to respond, but he felt Dewott's position shift as the otter leapt just before Virgil and slashed.
His hydro-blade clashed against another familiar torrent of water. Virgil raised a brow and stepped from the line of fire. Dewott struggled in place for only a little bit longer he was swept back against a tree but managed to deflect most of the pressure on his shell blades; Dewott slid down, shaking the water from his fur. He chattered something to Arcanine who, along with Cody, responded with a smirk.
"You might want to stop your rat before he gets himself killed."
"Cody!" He glanced to Victoria. "The other way!" He was quick on his feet and pivoted to face his opposite direction to find Seria's Absol. The Pokemon swung her neck once. Cody backed away, just barely out of reach of the blade. He stumbled from his feet and Absol pursued doggedly, coming within inches of his throat.
"Starlight, stop!" The Pokemon halted in place. She hovered over Cody with a blatant expression of dislike. She hadn't seen much of this particular boy, but his demeanor reminded the Absol of her "circus days", moments in her life which she abhorred. Seria had saved her from that. She hissed at Cody, indicating her protective nature of her trainer. Starlight took a single step back but her eyes kept to him. Cody was unperturbed, though his demeanor had changed again. He seemed almost as fickle as Victoria at times.
"Tch."
"What's so funny?" Juliet cut in.
"Seria, you're so dumb." Seria felt an inward pang as she realized her helpful nature had been turned against her yet again but she couldn't just kill him. Cody's foot snaked out and jabbed Starlight in her nose. The Pokemon pulled away, yowling at the sharp pain.
"Arcanine! A little help here!" The dog reappeared suddenly, knocking away the Absol and held his ground as Cody climbed back to his feet. There was again another challenge from Dewott, and Arcanine turned to meet the Pokemon, crouching at the ready. Cody smirked and turned away from the Pokemon. "He's all yours. I have someone else in mind for Seria." Arcanine only leapt into action at his words, engaging both Virgil and Dewott on his own.
"He should be alright on his own for a little while…"
"Cody!" He turned at Seria's call, which was barbed with distaste.
"You know what? I can get under your skin pretty easily, can't I?"
"People like you and Virgil do that." Juliet, who had remained vigilant as Victoria had noticed the same change that she had seen in Seria when the legends of Johto had come to mention.
"Well, I consider it a talent." He retorted. Seria let out a frustrated sigh.
"Juliet says I can't change someone like you, but there's still some part of me that believes otherwise." Juliet noted her words as well, which were the same, yet completely different in manner. Had she gotten through to her at all? She heard Seria sigh again.
"You two are both frustrating. There's no hope for Victoria, but you… I don't understand why you follow her!" Starlight stepped up next to her, shaking off the dregs of pain from Cody's kick. Seria noted that her gaze had set in a new level of intimidating and Seria wondered if she would kill the boy despite her orders not to.
"I told you. She's my sister. I'm here to help her." Seria was silent; Juliet's eyes flicked back to Virgil, who was running up to join them. He had forced Arcanine back to his trainer's side. Cody gave a scratch behind the Pokemon's ears before returning him, promptly taking another ball from storage.
Another sigh. Seria figured they were wasting time. Juliet had even said that he had sounded urgent, though Juliet's reference to him as "creepy" slightly annoyed her. She was too nice to tell her otherwise.
"If I can't change you for the better, then I can at least fight my way to Ryuu!" The air seemed to change then and Juliet turned to Victoria, whose expression had slipped back into passive observance littered with a mixture rage and complete hurt.
"Like earlier…" It was an interesting truth. Victoria and Ryuu really had been romantically involved.
"Even so, heartbreak doesn't justify thievery or killing…"
"Ryuu? Did you say Ryuu?" Victoria pushed herself up from the side of the tower building where she had been leaning. There was a lump in her throat for a quick moment, but Seria reaffirmed her will. She was nice, but not a fool. She would prove that to Cody. Victoria stopped a few feet away. "What do you want with him? In fact, what do any of you want with him?" Seria looked to Virgil and then immediately to Juliet. Neither one of them were going to say anything if they didn't have to, Juliet because he unnerved her and Virgil because… well, he was not the nicest of people.
"Ryuu considers us friends." She received a scoff from Virgil. She swallowed down the tide of rage and pressed on. She still didn't understand what it was about Virgil that made her so fiery. It was normally only contest battles that would do such a thing.
Victoria followed Virgil in the ridicule.
"I think the dumb one's got a point."
"Who're you calling dumb!?" Dewott stomped Virgil's foot there, nearly making him fall from the surprise of it.
"What I'm saying is that he is my business and my business until I'm done with him."
"From what I can tell, you don't want to be done with him." Juliet's unprecedented assessment caught her off guard and she looked away, essentially vulnerable for a quick moment. Seria saw the inside of Victoria's shell.
Ryuu was at the core of the mystery of Victoria and Cody. The details of their relationship were still a mystery even to her.
For some reason, she frowned at that. Had she been hoping that she'd never see emotion from her? Seria threw the notion aside. That was far from the truth. It was mainly her attachment to Ryuu. Something like a pit seemed to form within her if she even gave the slightest thought to Victoria and him as a pair. How could someone so gentle be attracted to someone so ruthless?
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
A solid thump pulled her from her thoughts. Blinking a few times, the scene focused in front of her. She found Virgil standing before her. He turned back to her with an agitated smirk; a solid bruise was forming under his eye. Seria looked around him to find that Victoria had lashed out, but Virgil had intercepted her and took a hit where the bruise was now forming. He had managed to lock her in place but he looked as though he had spent his strength in an attempt to hold her. Soon enough, Virgil was tossed over Victoria's shoulder and onto the ground beside her. She turned her attention to Seria.
"Now, as I was saying…" Seria caught the glare on Victoria's features and a part of her had nearly shuddered. For every step Victoria took forward, Seria found herself making double the number of steps backwards. She could only describe the glare as murderous. Seria saw Starlight poised and tensing in anticipation and Seria was certain she would leap in to attack.
But Juliet stepped in between them. Victoria's glare softened then, only to become an expression of intrigue and ridicule. She found herself awaiting Juliet's move. Cody did the same.
"Seria, I want you to make a break for the tower. We're gonna' be kept here for a while and Ryuu said he could use some help or that he needed us here…"
"But we saw how good she is at the Charicific Valley. How are you going to manage against her? And what if Cody jumps in?" Seria felt herself growing frantic at the very idea of leaving her behind alone, but Juliet placed a finger to her own lips and she made a motion toward Virgil.
"I still got him, don't I?" Seria looked to the ground.
"Yes, but Jaret-"
"Seria, calm down. I'm not going to let her kill me." Seria closed her eyes, inhaling slowly before she opened them again. It was the best course of action, though a part of her felt left behind between the five of them as well as the presence of Victoria and Cody. She needed to get better at battling. For a moment, Seria stared back at Juliet hoping she'd change her mind, but instead it was her who ended up looking away and returning her Pokemon.
"Okay, you win." And Seria darted off inside the tower.
Juliet made a sigh of relief. She was surprised that Victoria had even let her go so easily. Juliet turned her complete attention to the siblings in front of her, a ball sitting calmly in her hand.
"Hey, you're pretty gutsy." Juliet showed no sign of acknowledging Cody's comment. Cody shrugged. "I guess all I'm saying is that you don't really find 'sexy' with 'gutsy'. It's a nice little gem." Juliet was seemingly locked onto Victoria. Cody, like Seria before him, sighed. "Well, I thought I'd just let you know." He clicked open the ball, releasing his Magmortar and Victoria's Kingdra hovered in front of her, though she seemed a bit unruly. Juliet gave an annoyed look; the Pokemon must've deemed her below her level, though it was more than likely a truth of the situation. Victoria understood the Kingdra's defiance and with a mutter, she switched battlers, bringing out a Pokemon in which none of them had seen yet.
"She actually kept it?" Standing before her tall enough to have even dwarfed her remembrance of nearly seven foot Casanova, stood a Charizard of the Charicific Valley. She was faintly aware of Virgil's presence next to her.
"Is she serious?" Juliet nodded, too stricken by the sheer size of the Pokemon to say too much more. Virgil rubbed the back of his neck.
"What does that one mean?"
"Huh?"
"You normally scratch your head when you're nervous or agitated,"
"Shit, she knows?"
"So, I was wondering what that gesture meant." Despite the situation, Virgil found himself struggling to stifle his laughter, bringing himself under control once he saw the grave expression in Juliet's face.
"It means…we're kinda shot."
The blade had severed some of the hairs from Ryuu's head but nothing more. Ryuu let the blade swing by him effortlessly, closing in to land a few solid blows against Marus, who stumbled back a bit. Ryuu lashed out with a kick then but Marus rebounded faster than he thought and he responded with another slash of his blade.
Ryuu slid forward suddenly and his kick connected into Marus, knocking him on his back. Ryuu bounced in place for a moment, wiping his hair from his eyes. A small little grin was strewn across his face. There was a scowl on Marus's face then which soon dissipated into a distant expression of approval.
"So you do fight." His eyes found his Sigilyph floating behind him; she had probably interfered at the last moment to prevent Ryuu's leg from being hacked off.
"I will keep my word." Ryuu settled himself then. There was a small part of him that did enjoy being able to fight on his own every once in a while. It was his way of showing his partner Pokemon that he desired to be their equal as closely as possible.
"Then be warned: I may not." Morty felt his breath catch a bit.
"Ryuu, isn't this a little reckless?" Ryuu made no outright response, but sighed.
"I am aware. However, in non-official competitions, there are those who will seek to win in the most effective manner, and that is to kill the trainer." Ryuu held his ground then. He leaned forward on his toes, the tension wired into them as though they were springs. Marus stepped forward. The tension snapped forward, launching Ryuu like an arrow. Ryuu had expected Marus to simply strike forward again.
Marus stepped farther forward than Ryuu had expected and dropped low. Ryuu grimaced at the sudden change but brought his knee up as a counter. The blow clipped Marus's cheek, sending him in a spiral towards the ground. Marus hit the ground, but again rebounded, using his hand as a pivot. Ryuu suddenly felt a blow digging behind his legs. Ryuu grimaced again as he fell to his knees.
"I've got to find some weakness…!" Ryuu leaned forward in a harried attempt to shoot back to his feet and away from Marus but saw the attempt dashed as he felt Marus's arms clasp around his head, an arm pressing against his throat and the other reaching up and pressing his head forward against his arm. Marus forced him back onto his knees; there was a chuckle from Marus then.
"So that's it, huh?" Ryuu struggled to speak as Marus continued to tighten his grasp. His vision began to slip away from him and into obscurity. He felt his body slackening. For a moment, Ryuu only sat there in strained contemplation before he thought of something.
Rising slowly to his feet, Ryuu lifted his foot in an attempt to stomp onto Marus's foot who, in response, slid his foot away. For a split moment, Ryuu felt Marus's grip weaken and mustering what will he could, he twisted a slight bit and drove his elbow into Marus's ribs.
Marus's face twisted in pain, but he did not let go.
Ryuu struck him a second time; Marus refused to let go then as well.
And then a third time.
The grip slipped even more and Ryuu followed up again, managing to toss Marus up and over his shoulder and onto the ground before him. Ryuu stood shakily before slipping back onto the ground. It was hard for him to balance. His heart hammered in his head. He managed to look up, only to find Marus's blade leveled to his face.
"I gotta say, I'm quite impressed with your ability, but you're sloppy." Ryuu's breathing was heavy as he went to stand, but was struck with the flat side of Marus's blade and Ryuu fell back down. "So, are you going to keep fighting hopelessly or are you actually going to bring someone worth my time?" Ryuu shook his head. "Good. At least you learned how to kneel before dying." Marus raised the blade in preparation but halted himself as he looked in Morty's direction. There was another mind focusing on him intensely, as though vision were a tangible feature. They wore eyes of rage and desperation, almost like a young child's. The blade fell back at his side and Ryuu caught his gestures and he followed suit, turning to find Seria, who had arrived on the scene. Almost immediately after, the heard the roar of a dragon break the skies. For threw a glance over the railing of the tower to find a Charizard, seemingly under the command of Victoria overshadowing both Juliet and Virgil.
She forced herself away from the sight, turning back to Ryuu, who himself looked onto her with surprise and a flicker of what she thought to be relief.
"Ryuu!" Morty's arm suddenly formed before her.
"We're not allowed to interfere." Morty turned to see the bewildered expression on her face.
"Why not!?"
"Ryuu requested a one-on-one fight with Marus, essentially, a duel. As the name suggests, none of us are able to interfe-"
Seria was already out of earshot then, rushing to Ryuu side.
"Stay back!" His words were forceful and Seria attempted to slide to a halt. Marus's eyes locked onto her and she saw his eyes run over her body before letting out a small 'tch' and soon she found his blade rushing toward her. Ryuu cursed and leapt to his feet, throwing himself in between the blade's path and Seria.
Cody was ecstatic but Victoria's expression dwarfed his comparatively. Her smirk was not there, instead replaced by a sadistic wide smile.
"I normally don't get my hands dirty. I just try to get the job done…" She pointed a finger forward and Charizard spread his wings, pressing against the ground for mere seconds before bursting toward the pair.
Juliet felt herself freeze.
"Can… can Pokemon really be this strong…?" Victoria was unnatural. Juliet had heard somewhere that Charizard grow in size with their strength. The Charizard had to be at least nine.
She was suddenly on the ground. She quickly got to her feet, shaking off the stun but she cupped her hands over her mouth in horror.
The Charizard had struck Virgil, and the dragon held him into the earth. The dragon's maw was parted wide, a fire forming within. Juliet felt herself tremble violently before she sank to her knees. It was happening again. A friend was going to die and there was nothing she could do. What could she do against a monster of that size?
"Well, that certainly didn't last long." Victoria's words cut deep. "Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna watch?" Victora snapped her fingers and the Charizard went to finish him off. The Charizard halted for a moment, turning back behind him to find Virgil's Dewott standing valiantly. His scalchop was leveled at the fire dragon. There was a scoff and the lizard turned back to Virgil.
There was a moment of impact against the Pokemon's back. Charizard gave a flap of its wings, sending Dewott soaring away. The otter Pokemon refused to quit and charged in again, only to be swatted away again. Charizard then narrowed closely to Virgil's face.
"I…can't move…" Virgil inwardly scoffed at his situation. "Tch…stupid…girl…" He could see Juliet as only a measly blur. The impact of the blow had actually ripped away his consciousness for a moment and brought him back only to find himself under the hand of the Charizard. The fire was rushing to the fore of Charizard's maw; Virgil could see the flames reaching up toward him. The first bit of fire stung him and he felt the spot go numb in an instant.
"Stop it!" Cody raised a brow to the rich girl.
"Eh, don't worry. For now, that Charizard is just toying with him." Cody grinned as he watched Juliet stare on. "Can't you do anything besides sit there and be 'the damsel in distress'?"
"Don't bother with her Cody," Victoria commented. Victoria knelt before Juliet, taking note of the tears streaming down her face.
Victoria wiped them away.
"Geez, you really do like him, don't you?" Juliet looked to the ground. She must've been a mess but the woman in front of her was not, could not, be human. Not to mention that she was entirely wrong about romance between her and Virgil. "But Cody's right," Victoria lifted her chin, something she still found frustrating and something that she, oddly, remembered Virgil doing the same when they had met earlier on. "I've thought that Charizard some manners," Her smile fell back into her much more intimidating smirk. "He'll kill him slowly."
Something in Juliet broke then, and she was suddenly on her feet and swinging uncontrollably but was quickly subdued and sitting under Victoria's weight. Victoria was cruel and placed her in a position where she could see the Charizard killing Virgil, slowly but surely.
"I want you to watch." Juliet gasped as she attempted to lift Victoria from her back who only ridiculed her at her pitiful effort and forcing her back into the dirt. "How does it feel rich girl? How does it feel to taste the dirt that you figure you'd never stoop to!?" Cody only watched passively, feeling nothing but a single pang of guilt for a split moment.
Juliet felt more tears leak out despite her refusal.
"Why am I crying…?" Juliet knew pain all too well. Eve was taken from her, her brother gone and her parents in a drunken stupor. One of the few friends she had before had died there in the Sinnoh underworld and she had just started her recovery.
And she was losing what little she had once again. Seria had gone up the tower, something Juliet felt foolish for letting her do alone. Viola had disappeared and hadn't been back since, and here she was watching Virgil, the most similar person to her die. She was helpless.
Just as she was with Eve.
"If only I had been there…if only…" Juliet felt one of them, more than likely Victoria, deal her kick toward the ribs, but Juliet only grimaced, keeping sure that her face was obscured. Why couldn't she do anything? Why couldn't she protect anything or anyone?
Tux.
She had held his poke-ball at the Pokemon center in conflict with herself. She had been so close to letting him roam for once since Eve's death but what if he killed someone? It had been his species which had caused her so much pain. Nonetheless, he was her absolute most skilled Pokemon. She should've kept Angel out from the ball but she was always weary of keeping the Pokemon out for too long; it would damage the sheen and ultimately put a rain on her contest image. It seemed that little habit had become a method of ambush, much to her dismay.
But that didn't matter now.
"I think she may have passed out sis,"
"If we're lucky, that kick could've broken something off into her lung or something." Victoria shifted. "Alright, Charizard," she said with a bored tone. "Kill him and get it over with." The Charizard removed his nail from Virgil's arm, and then shifted away completely peering down at Virgil as though he were an insect waiting to be squashed. "Another Dragon Rush will do the trick, well, anything really, but just use that one. We need to make sure he's dead."
The Charizard took position, stomping one foot into the ground for leverage as his wings spread a second time. Juliet picked her head up to see the Charizard take off. Adrenalin surged through her, blotting out the pain as she went to her feet.
"I won't lose anything ever again!" Victoria shot her another look of intrigue, her lips parting into yet another smirk as she realize an open poke-ball sitting aloft in her trembling hand.
"And where would that Pokemon happen to be?" She felt a tap from Cody.
"What is it Co…" It was a rare moment whenever Victoria felt her breath hitch and this had been the first time in two years that had happened. Her smugness dissipated into something more focused as she looked on.
The Pokemon's eyes scanned the area. He hadn't seen the environment for a while. For a moment he simply stretched before quickly leveling his eyes at the Charizard before him. He somehow knew of the plight of his trainer. He was Tux, Luxray of the Grey prestige or as he liked to put it, the wild one. He crouched and Charizard prepared himself too late.
Tux launched himself forward and into the Pokemon's open stomach. The pressure alone nearly toppled the large dragon, who responded back in an indignant rage. Juliet wiped her hair from her eyes as she watched Tux feel his way through the battle. She hadn't even given a single command yet, and he simply ran circles around the dragon.
Juliet noticed that Victoria had gave no orders either, and simply kept her eyes on her Luxray. Juliet had been so caught up in her bad memories that she had forgotten how strong the Luxray really was.
Cody went to his waist for a ball, but Victoria stopped him.
"That's Luxray's worth a lot of money. It's very strong."
"But do you really think we could stop him?" Victoria gave him a glare and he immediately shut up. There was always Kingdra and well as a few others. Charizard howled in fury, beating its wings in an attempt to add to its already menacing presence, but Tux remained unaffected, simply leveling Charizard with a grin eerily similar to Victoria's. Juliet, visibly hesitant went to give a command, but Tux was already ahead of her and with a prop of his head, she could see traces of ice swirling amidst his fangs before snaking forward as if Luxray were attempting to bite him up close.
"Step by it!" Charizard heard his trainer and begrudgingly listened, swiftly dodging the Ice Fang. The Luxray had definitely caught Victoria's eye.
"Was that Ice Fang? I've never seen it done like that…" The Luxray was frowning again and Victoria felt her skin tingle. For a moment, she felt as though she would shudder under the Pokemon's gaze. "I think I've found my sixth member."
"Hey Cody," He turned to her in acknowledgement. "Luxray's the target." He grinned; he knew what she was getting at.
"Are we going to do the Serpent thing?" Victoria nodded, strangely returning the Charizard before he could finish off Virgil; she took a smoke bomb from her belt. Juliet's eyes sharpened in observation. Was she attempting to get away?
"Stop!" But the smoke swirled around them, and soon she could see nothing. She went forward a few steps before realizing she was in no position for a pursuit.
"Virgil!" She turned back to where he had been laying, but even he was completely obscured by the mist. There was no way that she could've used an ordinary smoke bomb.
"Tux!" She saw a trace of electricity a little ways in the haze. With no other choice, she moved closer. Victoria was going to try and take him so she was bound to appear near him.
"I won't lose anything again…" Eve burned in her mind as well as other memories. They were still there, but they made her who she was. She slowed as she heard some noise, almost as if the earth had been broken. Tux yowled in fury and that was followed by cackles of electric. She went in the direction she had heard him but found nothing. He sounded again, this time seemingly even closer with the same cracks of electricity. She halted on her first step.
What was she doing being so reckless? She couldn't see, which also meant Victoria or Cody couldn't either.
She understood Tux's idea. He was using the thief's own item to his advantage. Does that mean the strike she had heard earlier was just a potshot?
She heard the earth shatter again, and this time, Tux was flung within her view, sliding a stop on his side before her. Juliet knelt down to him to tend to him; it reminded him of his Shinx days.
"Are you hurt?" The Pokemon shook his head and a part of Juliet expected him to wince afterwards but he stood unshaken. A bit of his skin had been broken from whatever attack they had struck him with but Juliet saw his face. He was without a doubt enjoying it. He tensed up again, crouching low as if he were going to charge back into the fray.
Victoria stepped into view. Her face was the same, which meant that she probably hadn't changed her goal into killing him instead. She was tossing a knife through the air, catching it as though it were second nature.
Was there anything about her that wasn't a weapon?
"So Ryuu likes them rough? Seria doesn't stand a chance."
"Hand him over." Her tone was deadpan, unlike her normally abrasive and sometimes frenetic tone. "I believe I've found a fourth to my 'elite'. So, hand him over." Juliet shot her a glare, but Victoria's features were solid.
She turned her back and disappeared into the fog.
"That. Can't be good…" Juliet felt the ground shake beneath her again. The ground crumbled and suddenly she was slipping forward. She wiped away some of the gravel from her face. She heard a voice then.
"Below you, hurry before he gets you!" Juliet didn't question it and followed suit, finding a Sandslash rushing her, its claw after her throat. But how was she supposed to move when she was sliding directly towards it. A ball of hers clicked open and Angel was quick on the scene, freezing the earth below the Sandslash's feet. The Pokemon lost its footing and slipped down into the earth.
The Pokemon suddenly burst into nothing more than smoke. Juliet heard the same voice again, thickly accented in a way that only she would know.
"Sounds like poor French..."
"Above you! It's a feint. One of them will aim behind Tux!" The voice knew her Luxray. Cossette was helping her in some way, even when she had lost the Pokemon back in Violet City. Had she found her way back to her? Juliet stepped away. Another Sandslash flew by her, landing into the pit and dispersing as the one before it did.
She glanced over to Tux, managing to catch Sandslash's same familiar shade of brown.
"Tux! Behind you!" The lion turned and Sandslash was already in mid-air, before dispersing yet again. The Luxray growled in annoyance. He didn't know where they would attack from next or if they would attack Juliet. He could pursue them through their scent but it was more than likely what they wanted.
Juliet could feel the Pokemon's frustration. Again, Juliet had deciphered exactly what was going on. It was a taunt to get Tux out there but it was his devotion that kept him rooted to Juliet's side. Cossette was out there as well, although it was much easier to have the Pokemon next to her in situations like this. For the longest moment, Juliet remained in place as well as Tux.
But Victoria nor the Sandslash attacked. It wasn't until then that Juliet realized she had been holding her breath for some time. She let out a sigh of relief stepping toward Tux.
Sandslash burst from the ground then, throwing another slash and managing to catch the girl in the arm. The force of the blow made her head as she was knocked onto the ground. In response, there was a growl from Tux that elevated into a shattering roar of rage.
"T-Tux…?" The Pokemon's eyes narrowed. Juliet knew then that nothing else existed to him. It was him and this Pokemon that had harmed her. There was another roar and a current began to surge through the Pokemon. It was then that Juliet saw the strangest thing.
The yellow hue of the lightning was slowly but surely shifting into a deeper color. Juliet rubbed her eyes with her free hand, finding then that only blue electricity flowed around the Pokemon.
Everything seemed to deafen out then. All she saw was Tux. It seemed as though he had taken her pain and personalized it. He was wounded whenever she was. She was one of the biggest forces in his life. He wouldn't lose her. He would not let anything harm her. Juliet had never seen it or understood it before until then.
Virgil wasn't the only person similar to her.
The burst of electric cut forward, slicing through the earth as though it were water. The Sandslash stood his ground reverently as the Thunder attack ran home. The Sandslash stood there smirking and taunting the Luxray. A few seconds later, the current snapped to a halt and Tux held himself up still, though visibly weakened and shaken. The Sandslash seemed to laugh then, triumphant. A searing wave of pain convulsed through the Pokemon then, ceasing up before falling to the ground motionless, a bit of its body was smoldering.
Juliet, who was nearly back to her feet, suddenly felt drained. She had to get away now. But Cossette was still out there. She had heard the Pokemon's voice.
"Cossette, I'm sorry…" Juliet fought her exhaustion and stood tall, even managing a decent pace with Tux lagging only slightly behind her. Juliet bumped into someone then, and that was nearly enough to knock her over. She looked up.
It was Victoria. Her face was the same, a bit more accented with observation. Cody had also appeared with her but he was drawn to the Sandslash, wallowing about the loss of the Pokemon.
"Oh man! She fried my Sandslash! What the hell! It took three weeks for him to learn the Serpent Tremor Formation! Damn it!" Victoria left Cody on his own, instead focusing her attention on Juliet.
"Don't mind Cody; he's not serious. That Sandslash was more of an experimental thing anyway. He's probably more bent out of shape that it was wiped out so fast. Oh well. He can always catch a new one, and with better genes." She paused. "But you… Are you telling me you did it too?" Juliet was too exhausted to speak. Whatever had happened, it had nearly wiped her out then and there. "Well, I guess that means the Luxray out of the bag. So, I guess that means I'll have to kill you and the Pokemon now." She sighed. "A real shame. At least I lucked out on some Gardevoir."
"Gardevoir?"
"Yeah. I had found it looking around Violet City. Once I get a Psychic type up to par, Ryuu's as good as dead." She smiled at the thought, even becoming slightly girly over it. Juliet remembered then.
The fight at Violet City.
Swellow's blistering speed.
The loss of Cossette's ball.
"You have her…" Juliet's voice was seemingly frail. What happened that made her so weak? Victoria leaned it smugly.
"I figured it was yours. Putting all the pieces together only someone like you could have a Gardevoir like this." Victoria took a ball from her belt. On it was Wallace's signature, something that Cossette had constantly pecked at her to get on her Hoenn contest stint.
It was definitely Cossette.
"Give her back!" Victoria turned away from her then, a Pokemon materializing. It wasn't the titan Charizard but instead a smaller Pokemon in multiple ways similar to a Kingler.
"Crawdaunt are usually brutal, but he's a little whiny, so he might not be able to kill you in one go. Sorry about it if he doesn't." Victoria gave a snap of her fingers and the Pokemon scurried off towards Juliet, a vicious demeanor painting over its ruffian looking features.
Juliet's Glaceon stepped in between them then and the Pokemon was determined to stop the crab Pokemon from reaching her trainer.
"Angel, do you really think you can do it…?" Juliet's vision was going out then and she pressed herself to stay awake. There was no way Angel would be able to fight off two Pokemon if Victoria decided to hasten things. Angel prepared herself but another interfered then. A Lucario entered the fray, kicking the Pokemon into a small brush a little ways away.
"You guys look really banged up." Juliet traced the voice and found the boy with his arm in a sling.
"Jaret!?"