Jaret King belongs to aggies2015

Viola Almach belongs to Ariesbird

Juliet Grey belongs to Dolcebrio

Seria Day belongs to Kittynip

Ryuu Sinclair belongs to Tendou Souji

Cody Frost belongs to Hodge Podge '97

Victoria Reed belongs to Lord Farquaad


Juliet caught Cossette's grimace and was surprised she didn't enter her mind right away. Her focus seemed elsewhere, drifting to Victoria; Juliet's eyes followed. The fickle girl appeared strange with actual emotions written into her face.

"Just my luck…" Victoria shook her head.

"I'm not here to fight you." Her voice lagged uncharacteristically when she saw Juliet's reaction; a skeptical brow raise and a sarcastic roll of the eyes.

"Yeah, sure. And then you stab me in the back. You think I'm that stupid? Look, I don't have time for you, so just butt out and get out of my way!" Juliet would've appeared intimidating, but Victoria caught the shift in her eyes. She was nervous and in a rush to get somewhere. It more than likely had something to do with the Holy Land that Marus was also trying so desperately to get to.

"She's nervous, just like Cody was on his first heist…" Juliet poised herself as if she were actually preparing to run by here. "It's not really worth it," Victoria remarked flatly. Juliet tightened her stance. "I'm serious. This path is way too narrow."

"You'd be surprised at how quick I can be."

"I'm warning you." Juliet let out a noise of mockery.

"Yeah, because that ankle of yours is prime for catching someone like me." The girl of question shrugged and Juliet wrinkled her brows with genuine intrigue. "You shrugged? Really? I thought people like you knew everything." Juliet watched the downcast response and felt a slight twinge of guilt there. She knew those eyes Victoria wore. They were the same she had donned when Eve had died.

Victoria pursed her lips in thought for a moment and Juliet once again attempted to read her through her eyes and again she had failed miserably. It was much harder than she had initially thought. To think Virgil had such a talent was a bit overwhelming. She looked to Cossette, hoping that she's give some insight to Victoria's thoughts

"You must want her back…" Juliet blinked a few times at that in surprise. It hadn't quite registered and seconds later, Cossette was inside her ball and sitting in Juliet's hand.

"You're giving her back? Just like that…?" Victoria's voice came out in a sheepish squeak.

"You...She cares about you a lot. And...I couldn't..." Victoria grimaced and Juliet caught, for once, a genuine break in Victoria's person. It was different from her borderline persona of violence and not quite her out of place adoration of Ryuu. It was almost like she had been in peace for only moments. Juliet soon found herself recalling what Seria had learned about Ryuu.

She was trying so hard to break her thieving habit, so hard to show him that she was able to change, all because she held him so dear. She loved him in such a way that she'd run through hell and back for him, that she would even align herself with the likes of Marus in order to make amends. Such devotion was astonishing in its own right.

"I have a purpose…" she said meekly.

That was right. She did have a purpose, was operating for some goal that centered around Ryuu, at least, that was what it seemed, no matter how asinine the methods. She saw the thief's eyes file to the space next to her. "A Larvitar…" The Pokémon's age was apparent as it slipped behind Juliet and from her vision. "You must be 'mom'." Juliet glared but Victoria only responded with a wistful smile.

"You're not taking him." Victoria ignored the words.

"From what I can tell, you two have only just met, and not under the best circumstances…" The look on Juliet's face gave her away, and Juliet knew it as well.

"So what? Even if he is just a wild Pokémon, I'm not just gonna let you take him." Victoria shrugged again. Juliet's voice curbed some as a response. "You've been angst-y lately."

"I could say the same for you. You fell from your high horse." There wasn't the cringe Victoria expected, but a single nod of acceptance; it prompted a smile from her. She took a ball in hand, scanning over it with her thumb. "Sometimes, this ball can be like a prison to them. The light that encompasses them when we call them back or capture them changes their structure into light, and the ball acts as a black hole, pulling the Pokémon's 'light form' into the ball. Once a Pokémon is struck by the light, there is no chance of escape until inside the ball where they can break free. The poke-ball utilizes a fingerprint system as well, linking the Pokémon to the prints of the trainers, making the Pokémon obey them no matter what unless the trainer is unskilled or weak-minded…"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's very much like our own minds, the human mind. We're human. We think, we feel and sometimes those very emotions pull us in with nearly no chance of escape. Are we ever really in control of ourselves?" Juliet refused to answer. "If you hadn't fallen from grace, then you'd more than likely be the same way as any other member of the higher class. Your mother and father were that way, and you took great care to ensure that Eve didn't share that trait. When you lost her naivety, you nearly lost everything."

"How…do you know about that?"

"Because, you and I are pretty similar…" Normally, Juliet would've scoffed as she did at Ecruteak but Victoria was strangely serious, making her assumption extremely off-putting.

"We're nothing alike. I…I care about people and not just my interests. I actually try to not kill someone."

"But are you really? You did gain a bit of a reputation in the Veilstone underworld, and Sinnoh in general. You were cunning, manipulative, and you had all the makings to rise to underbelly greatness in another's blood. At least, that's the story…"

"But…Eve…" Her voice was weak.

"I understand that pain." Juliet looked at her again with unabashed skepticism.

"You?" Victoria nodded.

"You essentially raised her. She was among the most important pillars in your life, to you. I can tell; to lose someone who's so much a part of you as your own limbs and still the pain like a fresh wound…well, I know the feeling." Her voice flagged again.

"Ryuu was really that important to you?" Victoria was nearly crying, but she managed a terse nod.

"You have no idea. He was…so important to me… and Cody…" She grumbled in annoyance at her weakness. "He was the only one who really gave this condemned thief a chance, that decided to look at me more than just a savage wolf running around trying to fill its stomach. He…actually saw us…and I messed it up because I couldn't cut stealing… It's my fault that I'm even like this…" There was an awkward silence.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Juliet felt foolish for repeating her words, but Victoria simply did so as well.

"Because, I told you: You and I are alike." She chuckled, despite her slightly annoyed expression. "I don't like repeating myself, so make sure you're listening. Juliet shifted uncomfortably.

"And you're sure Marus will give you Ryuu back?" Victoria nodded bashfully; her girlish response caught Juliet's eye,

"You love him." Victoria casted her an expression, more so embarrassed than appalled.

"I…do not…!" It was outright denial and Juliet felt the similarities between them run home. Victoria's sad expression deepened. "To be honest, I don't know why we didn't meet earlier, and under these circumstances…" She paused again. "Conner always did say you were a quick study."

"What?" There was a somber curl of the lips.

"Your brother. He's told me about you before."

"I don't have a brother."

"You're a bad liar." Juliet's words caught in her throat. "Conner told me a lot about you, so much so that I really wanted to meet you, hoped that you'd be able to accept me like Ryuu and he did. He told me of how you did whatever you set your mind to, how you could be a complete brat and…also how he wouldn't trade you for the world." Juliet stammered.

"But…I don't…have a—" Juliet frowned then. "Have you seen him recently? Victoria shook her head.

"Ryuu was good friends with him. That's how I met him." Another pause. "Juliet, why can't we be friends?"

"Why would we ever be friends?" Juliet retorted venomously. There was visible hurt on Victoria's face then.

"I just…thought we…had a lot in common…" Victoria felt a familiar burning creep into her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she would do no such thing, not again. Nearly every mention of Ryuu sent her spiraling into tears. It wasn't going to happen this time. "Fine then!" Her hand went for a ball and Juliet responded in turn to defend the Larvitar. There was the click of the poke-ball then.


"Shaaaaah!" Memory caught her off guard for a moment, but a moment was all Cloyster needed. His breath emanated frostily, despite the heat within the cave. His grin was already there as he looked onto the both of them. He was going to rip both her and the Larvitar apart. "Hyaaaah!" He charged.

And this time, unlike the Bell Tower incident with Charizard, she moved. Cloister went by and Juliet felt shallow cuts open up along her arms then. Juliet fell back with a stumble and a glare. Victoria's somber manner was gone and her usual ferocity was back into place, mirroring her Cloyster. She seemed so angry. Had there really been truth to her words? Even so, Juliet had no time delve back into a bad crowd, not when she had seen friends die right there before her eyes. She never wanted to see that again.

"Shah!" Juliet snapped to attention and Cloyster appeared before her. The Pokémon uttered another cry before setting upon her again. Juliet went to the left, but the Pokémon ran by her again, the grooves of his shell catching her shirt and she was suddenly yanked after the Cloyster.

"Cloyster, clamp down!"

"Yaaaah!" His rush slowed and he tugged his armor shut, leaving Juliet spiraling directly for the sharpened shell.

"I gotta do something! Gotta think of something—"She saw the Larvitar dart by her, faster than she would've thought with a cry of fury, bashing into Cloyster. The bivalve was thrown askew and backed away a few feet. He blinked a few times before his bloodthirsty expression grabbed hold of him again. A steely glint settled over the Pokémon. The dim torchlight skittered from Cloyster's shell and Juliet shielded her eyes, who had also been thrown aside from the impact when Larvitar had saved her. She rubbed her head as she looked on.

Cloyster attacked again and Larvitar dashed clumsily to the side, responding in turn with another barrage of Stone Edge. The shards of rock ran home, kicking up a plethora of dust and debris. For a quick second, everything stopped and nothing could be seen, but Cloyster wasted no time. Parting through the debris with a cry, he sped directly for the infant Pokémon. He was going to be first. He held half a mind to go after the girl, but he scoffed at her. She was human and he could kill her whenever he wished. The baby was first.

"Razor Shell!" Cloyster grinned. A combination of Iron Defense and Razor Shell could only mean that Victoria wanted them dead. An attack like that usually killed whatever it struck. It didn't help when it made his impenetrable shell even more so. He struck forward. Juliet went for a command but stopped herself. The Larvitar wasn't her Pokémon just yet. He had just stumbled upon it by mere chance. For now, she was just "mom" and it was proving to be a small blessing and a heap of worry.

"Parenthood," she muttered under her breath. She watched as Larvitar moved to the side at the last moment and away from Cloyster. The den seemed to creak under the massive reverberation. There had even been a tremor that seeped through the earth as well. "You've got to be kidding me…" Cloyster lifted himself and his eyes followed to the Larvitar. He was greeted again by another hail of shards that skittered harmlessly from his shell. He leveled his stare at the Pokémon. Did he really think he stood a chance?

His shell fell over his grinning face slowly before disappearing behind it completely. He laughed, the noise escaping from him in a kind of exalted emanation of breath.

"Heh heh heh…" Cloyster shook slightly as if his anticipation was too much for him to bear. It was unsettling to Juliet, who looked to Victoria. How had she felt about her Cloyster running amok when she had asked if they could just be friends? Then again, Juliet didn't trust her words in the slightest, even if the best way to describe Victoria's expression was hurt.

"…Why can't we be friends?" Juliet shook her head and blinked, finding that Cloyster's attention shifted to her. He casted away Larvitar for a moment, running after her.

"Damn!" Larvitar squeaked, rushing to her aid, leaping head first into Cloyster. The bivalve yielded for only a moment before he won out, his power pulsing through the Larvitar's effort and crushing the Pokémon underfoot.

"Shahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Juliet felt her legs weaken. How could Victoria, or any human for that matter train a Pokémon to be so ruthless, to actually enjoy killing another? How could someone bring a Pokémon to be so strong, only to purge others with it? Juliet reaffirmed her stance. She refused to freeze up this time.

She pushed away the thought and was moving, moving to her hand to her waist for a ball. She saw Cloyster's eyes follow her hand with arrogance, laughing at whatever futile effort she could hope to muster. His shell clamped shut again and Juliet froze when she saw the two massive spikes shift from his flanks and forward towards her.

"He can move those!?" He let loose and Juliet stepped by it much to her surprise. The shot carried onward until she heard it crash into rocks faintly. Juliet tensed and kicked off toward Cloyster. She wasn't sure what she could do, but there had to be something. Cloyster loosed another shot and Juliet, running by it, slid next to Cloyster, who turned to her with an arrogant chuckle. Her hands were moving and he watched them, goading her. What could a fragile human like her do?

Her hand was extended to his left, closing in near his shell. Was she going to hit him? No, her hand seemed to disappear for a moment and he bucked, moving back a bit. She smirked and pressed in, empty-handed. Cloyster raised a brow at that but a slight smirk spread across his face. It appeared that her plan hadn't gone to plan. He stopped then as he heard the slight clunk of a poke-ball. He caught wind of a ball that was skyward. It clicked open and he tensed.

There was no Pokémon.

"Cloyster, in front of you!" He heeded Victoria and his eyes fell back down, finding Juliet's open palm heading directly for him. Again, he smirked. Human hands would do nothing. He felt the menial impact on his shell and he cackled when he saw her wince in pain. Still her smirk didn't leave, which prompted his to fade. There was another click, but then time, he felt a strong burst on the surface of his shell and it forced him back a few inches. He would've never taken a poke-balls release to be strong enough to move anything.

"Angel, Iron Tail!" Cloyster felt another impact, leagues stronger than the poke-ball and he was soon sliding into the dirt. Cloyster collected himself and he saw Victoria's expression. She was relatively impressed by whatever Juliet had done. Was it mastery? He was quite surprised that Victoria hadn't told him to employ any of that. Instead, she was fighting on the equal ground.

"That was pretty interesting." Juliet wiped her hair from her eyes; Angel landed expertly next her with a toss of her tail. Juliet however, had no such demeanor. She was entirely serious about this encounter.

"Thanks. Sleight-of-hand is my specialty." Victoria gave a warm smile, but Juliet's mind was strong and her expression didn't change. "But if you're going to fight to kill, then pleasantries can wait. I'm not going to let you distract me."

"Your mind is made up? But you seemed so uncertain moments ago…"

"Yeah, but I'm ready for you now. I was just…caught off guard by such a sudden question." Victoria's sullen eyes lit up a bit.

"Well…at least you acknowledged it…right?" Juliet shrugged, but her attention was grasped by Cloyster, whose spikes shifted again, reappearing on his flanks. Victoria gave an order for another Razor Shell. He spun himself slowly at first, accelerating to become a mesh of blades. He shifted attention again, aiming for Glaceon. He crashed into nothing, cursing the Pokémon for being so nimble.

"Return Attack!" Glaceon tensed herself and Juliet cringed as she caught wind of the Pokémon's leg. It had given way a very slight bit before she went in on the offensive. She cursed. Cloyster must've gotten lucky and caught her somehow, but the brute couldn't tell himself. "Angel—!" Glaceon had already cut forward. Cloyster had already picked himself up and he watched the Pokémon approach him and grunted under his breath. He struck again, his body shining in silver again in comparison to the translucent aura around his opponent.

His speed seemed to double then and against her better judgment, Angel faltered and her body exploded with a sharp, burning tear. Juliet choked back a sob of horror.

"Is this what Virgil was feeling…? He had to watch…this…?" she was reliving the same scene from the Charicific Valley, where Ampharos had been strung up in the grooves and crevices of Cloyster's shell. Now, it was Glaceon.

Except she was without Viola. Without Grovyle.

"Angel…" She had no Pokémon which could navigate the situation delicately. Her Glaceon was by far her most graceful Pokémon she carried, but she had no Pokémon that could navigate such a delicate situation delicately. Cloyster snarled and his shell creaked open slightly. Angel bit down hard, terrifyingly hard but even then, could not keep from crying in pain.

Again. Her will was slipping again. She had said that she wouldn't crack anymore under any circumstances. She was supposed to have been ready for something like this. Instead, she wanted to cry again. She knew she was a great trainer. She had fought to the semi-finals in the Lily of the Valley conference, placing only behind her brother of all people. She had won numerous contests at that throughout Sinnoh.

Yet, Victoria still trumped her, in nearly every way possible and crushed whatever will she had amassed. Had she been chasing some delusional ideal? Had she really thought she could get away from her life? She was destined to be hunted by misfortune. She was only a thing that the fates found amusement in toying with. How could she have forgotten how strong Victoria really was? Her Kingdra had easily beaten Jaret, who after seeing his strengths and weaknesses, she concluded that he could beat even her.

What hope did she have?

"Juliet," She didn't dare to look at Victoria. There was too much on her mind, old and new, some of which had never settled from her past. "Do we really have to be at each other's throats like this?" Victoria was genuine, so absurdly genuine when her bloodthirsty Cloyster was tearing Glaceon to shreds, when she had ordered her dead so very shortly before.

And deceivingly fickle. It was always a task to read her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Angel either. Her Glaceon was strung between the two prominent spires on Cloyster's shell and numerous other smaller spikes jutted outward and into the Pokémon, making her appear to have quills. She had to do something. Anything.

Her hand went desperately to her waist and she immediately noted the vast difference in her arsenal. Cossette was too fragile to fight something like Cloyster. It would've a risk casting Casanova into the scene, but his appearance may have caught the attention of a Pokémon as hot-blooded as Cloyster. But he had left to the valley. She needed him so very desperately indeed. There was always Tux, but fear tightened in her chest. She was strong, but he could never bring himself to risk having Angel killed on the spot. But he was all she had. Her hand wrapped around the ball just as she heard Larvitar cry out in fury.

Each of them turned, Cloyster meeting a feral looking Larvitar. Its body was encased in a flamboyant charge of red. His eyes were fury incarnate. The Larvitar ran home, striking into Cloyster. There was a long, agonizing crack that resounded through the den halls. Juliet couldn't help but gasp and Victoria gawked at the sight.

Larvitar fell to the earth in exhaustion, rolling onward until he slammed into the rock wall. He was far too burnt out to even move. He looked onward to Juliet, only vaguely aware that Cloyster turned to him with a burning rage. He tried to move in vain. His body had frozen up and all he could do was cry. He cried for Juliet, but all she did was remain rooted.

Cloyster poised himself but stopped suddenly when he felt the cool breeze against his face. He became painfully aware at that moment that he was cold. Where was his shell? He turned to Victoria who seemed as confused and shocked as he was. He caught wind of his shell then and he looked on it with disbelief.

His shell was there, at his side splintered into numerous pieces. He pulled back to Victoria's side in fear. How had this happened? How was something like that even possible? An infant had shattered his shell. His shell of all things when so many Pokémon hadn't been able to so much as even dent it. Victoria gave a wry smile.

"Heh. Calm down Cloyster." Almost immediately, his expression seemed to mellow. Her voice had been soothing, something of a rarity to him these days. She had been somber as of late, but never soothing as she had been in that moment.

Juliet seized the opportunity and took Angel into her arms and upon doing so, her eyes widened in recognition. There was very little blood, not even enough to stain her already ruined shirt. She felt life brimming from Angel. She could still move and fight; her wound was nothing near serious. Juliet stepped back with a confident smirk and Victoria raised a brow, without a doubt watching her Glaceon, who should've been incapacitated if not dead. Victoria shivered involuntarily.

"It's colder…" it was only a second later that Victoria noted that Juliet was setting up for something big. Cloyster was still far too disoriented from the loss of his shell. However, Larvitar was unable to move. It counted for something at the very least. She kept her eyes on Glaceon, who stepped away from her trainer. Victoria saw it then as a small bit of ice pelted her arm.

The Glaceon's wounds were closing, albeit slowly, but recovery nonetheless.

"How did I forget about that?" It was Ice Body.

Victoria brushed the crumbs of ice from her hair. Juliet had once again impressed her, setting her up nicely. But what she didn't know was that Cloyster would just form a new shell from the very ice she was benefitting from. Still, it made her smile. Juliet had quite a bit of her brother's style; it got Ryuu every time.

She frowned just as Juliet looked onto Cloyster with a face of surprise. It was right on cue and Victoria turned to her Cloyster. His shell was refurbished, but a key difference in his countenance was that he was not smiling. In fact, he frowned just as she did.

It was subtle, but he was in fact, livid. He turned to the Larvitar with a savage bellow then, charging him in reckless abandon. Angel took to her feet.

"Angel!" The Glaceon was moving quickly but Larvitar made a loud growl, more than likely telling Glaceon to stay out of it. The Larvitar pushed himself, standing to his feet sloppily. There was a faint shadow of the red aura from earlier. Glaceon snarled irritably. He was actually going to try and take on Cloyster again? Even when Superpower had completely locked up his body?

Angel leapt into action. Maybe Juliet hadn't noticed with how things had been messing with her mind lately, but she was very annoyed? Why did this Larvitar grab so much attention as of recent? In fact, she hadn't had a chance to even bask in the attention of contest spectators in a while. They had taken off from the contest hall in Violet City so fast that she never got her fill. The least she could do was keep Juliet's attention.

Glaceon tucked the thoughts away as she brought a silver-coated tail onto Cloyster. She bounced away pitifully but caught herself. Cloyster turned to her. His face was stoic, but the rage in his eyes was staggering. Angel went under the ivory spike he responded with, dashing in again this time with a Return attack, but that bounced away as well. Cloyster roared and turned to her.

The onslaught threw her on the defensive and she was soon moving around, under and by him. His offense had been so overwhelmingly that Angel found it difficult to hold up her defense. But she wasn't going to quit just then. She had to at least hold on long enough for that Larvitar to understand that he needed to get away whatever the cost.

Her hopes were put down effectively the very next moment when that same Larvitar had followed through with his own attack, bouncing from Cloyster's shell more pitifully than she did. Glaceon cursed. Why the hell was he so stubborn? Cloyster gave a hiss and he spun vehemently, nearly goring Angel and took aim for the Larvitar. Angel cursed again. She was never going to have any children. Dealing with one baby Pokémon was trouble enough, and it wasn't even hers. She kicked off, and knocked the Larvitar to safety, only for her to be run through instead.

Black obscured her vision for what seemed to be an eternity. She blinked a few times, her vision coming to her as an unfocused blur before sharpening. She winced in pain.

"Shaaaaaaaah!" She recognized that cry. That savage, spiteful rage of a cry. It was fainter than normal, but she knew it to be Cloyster. She turned her head narrowly in her trainer's direction, whose mouth was moving hysterically in silence. Angel laughed inwardly. They were probably commands for Hail. She couldn't tell. Cossette had been meaning to teach her to read lips. It wouldn't have necessarily done any good; Spike Cannon had ripped her from her feet and stabbed into her, holding her in place. All she could do was watched as her consciousness slipped away as Juliet's face reprised the role of horror, disbelief and defeat all at once.

"Shaaaaa!" Glaceon tensed against her will. She had never felt so helpless and vulnerable, even when Juliet did sometimes. She could only hope that Cloyster would hurry it up. She caught him nearing her with his same glint from earlier. His livid features were thrown from her eyes then and Cloyster was repulsed for a slight second. Glaceon's vision was nearly gone now and all she saw was a faint blue outline, accented by regal elegance draped about him as if it were some tangible robe, and he and Tux were probably going to be the last line of defense for Juliet. She couldn't stand the thought of Cossette fighting to the death. She heard Juliet's voice before letting go

"Argo!" Then, everything was strangely still.


A/N: Ugh. This computer thing is really killing me. The story has now been up for officially for one year I wanted to do something to celebrate. My initial plan had been to get you guys up to date but I see that'll have to wait. I apologize for the roughly month long wait and do hope you guys enjoy this chapter better than the last. Twas' full of unintentional spelling errors and whatnot (thanks wordpad...)

Anyway, until next time,

~Reknownst