The Princess
Lloyd rubbed his eyes as he awoke. Immediately, his mind started to make out his surroundings. No light was shining in through the window, so sunrise hadn't happened yet. Honestly, it would have been easy to poison princess Sharl if he chose with toxic. Magic Bounce wouldn't do anything if he used toxic on needles then poisoned her. He had them prepared already. But why would he do that? She trusted him to battle her at full power, and he wanted to taste her strength as well. He knew enough about Espeons to know that they slept through almost the entire night normally, and based on the darkness, it was still a good hour and a half before the sun would rise.
He got up and stretched, then did some training exercises before practicing some sword moves. This one will go right through her, just above her stomach. No organ damage, clean knockout. One stab, a clean finisher. His demon blade Persephone would do the rest. Persephone had been given to him by his master six years ago when he had started his training. Its obsidian blade was infused with diamonds, allowing it to pierce through flesh easily. Of course it had its horrifying other powers…
He put on his cloak and went down the stairs, his blade in hand. One of the maids offered him some water, which he took with a nod. He gave the empty glass back to her then walked out to the center of the garden. The sun looked a lot closer to rising now, so he sat down and waited for the Espeon. Become her mind… what will she think when she first sees me? He closed his eyes. She's sexually attracted to me, based on her behavior. Therefore, I know she will wear that distracting dress again. It's all part of her plan. Prey on my male instincts. "Clever… but I'm prepared for her."
Sharl was sneaky and graceful, and just as smart as him. He knew that he biologically was stronger and faster than her, but her psychic powers were superior to his, and she was much more graceful. He hated to admit it, but she was able to sneak up on him much too easily. He needed to be more graceful and pick her up easier. There was no doubt that she was the smartest and strongest he'd faced so far. One mistake could be the end of him; the more he thought about it, the princess' punishment if he lost was pretty dismal.
"Heh, you looked sad just now."
Fuck… she snuck up on me again. "Good morning, princess Sharl. Rather early for a sun Pokemon, isn't it?"
She shrugged. "A little. But I can still beat you here and now." She held out her staff, which began glowing. "Alright, let's go!"
He held out a hand, and she paused. "What's the problem?"
Gotcha. "It's clear you're pumped up right now, wanting to beat me so badly. I hope you don't make a mistake."
The Espeon chuckled. "The moon is cool, while the sun is fiery. I'll burn you in that case!"
Lloyd pulled out Persephone. "Well, let's start shall we?" The moment he finished, a bright flash of light erupted from her staff.
Lloyd immediately jumped back. Shit… she planned it. Lloyd knew only he was blinded, since Espeons were typically immune to light flashes. I need to disappear… He closed his eyes. I'll have to reveal one of my tricks now. Vanish into the night. When Lloyd opened his eyes, the Espeon was standing there, looking around.
"Tsk. You sure got out of the way quick. That light could have caused damage, know what I'm saying. I know you're around here, Lloyd."
Lloyd stood still. Sharl was still staring right through him. Persephone had some magic powers, and one of them was the ability to hide oneself in the shadows, provided the wielder stood still. But in the direct sunlight… The Espeon quickly dashed behind some bushes, and Lloyd reappeared. Clear mind… let's track her down. Lloyd stealthily followed where she had vanished into the brush. A large number of trees made it hard to follow where she had gone, but Lloyd was a skilled tracker and found her eventually.
Lloyd looked to the sky cautiously. Once the sun came up, he'd be at a big disadvantage. It would be rising soon, no doubt. Lloyd sighed, and a moment later, a blast of energy came flying towards him. He barely moved out of the way in time.
"What a mistake," said the Espeon. "A sigh? Really?"
"Oops," he said, raising his blade. "That was a big mistake."
"Hmph. Fight me now!" She held up her staff, and a blast of light emerged from it. Lloyd blocked it with his sword, Persephone absorbing the light. Once the light vanished, Lloyd was launched back by a kick.
He pulled himself to his feet, and spat out some gravel. "Not bad," he said, wiping some blood from his cheek.
"Why thank you!"
The light wasn't meant to hurt him, though a dark type like him probably could feel some pain from it. It was designed to blind him. Not a moment later did another flash erupt from her. Gritting his teeth, he ran into it, feeling the burn of the attack against his skin. He thrusted his sword straight towards the center of the light, and felt it connect with something, most likely her staff, and felt satisfaction as she was pushed back in surprise. "Gotcha." As I anticipated.
"Not bad," she admitted. "I thought you'd try jump back, not into my attack. It looks like you've taken some damage though."
"I've got you too."
"I don't see any blood on me," she commented.
So you think. "You're assuming that. And assuming is dangerous."
"Tsk, you're wasting time taking. Look, the sun is coming up now."
Lloyd tightened his fist. "So be it. You'll need all the help you can get."
She chuckled. "Tough talk. Don't forget the consequence if you lose, hehe."
"No need to worry, I've got this one." He held out his hand. "Dark Pulse!"
The little sphere of darkness flew at the Espeon, who jumped out of the way at an unnatural speed. "Predictable. I-" Lloyd landed a punch to the stomach as she was partially blinded by the explosion. Heh, I… "Too late," she said, pulling herself up. Lloyd's entire body was shaking as he stared into her eyes. "That punch hurt, but I think it was worth it to distract you."
How… "How did you do that?"
"How do you feel about me? It's simple. You already find me attractive. A simple Attract will totally throw off your thinking. Remember how we talked about love being illogical? It sure is, and your decision making will be messed up."
He couldn't move. She's so beautiful… how can I ever hurt her…? She's perfection… Lloyd completely lost his focus. He couldn't think about anything but her. He didn't move as she kicked his feet from under him, causing him to fall forward. Anything for you… Sharl… Deep within him, a voice screamed to wake up out of it, but he couldn't.
The Espeon planted a foot on his head. "I thought you'd be more interesting than this," she said disdainfully. Then she blinked, as if something was wrong. "I…" She paused. "Hang on…" She moved her foot, then held her palms to his skull. Then she jumped back. "You…" She looked to her right arm. "A poison needle…"
Poison needle… That was just enough for the Umbreon to reawaken, if only slightly. "Not one, but two. Maybe a proper dress that covered your midriff would have helped," She looked at her stomach, an inch right of her navel. She pulled it out, wincing slightly. Then she fell to her knees.
"Two toxic needles…" She flinched. "I didn't expect that."
Lloyd's mind reverted. "You've got nice legs, you know."
She was unable to pull herself back up. "Two toxic needles…"
"Two times the speed," he murmured, still dreamily staring at her. "Don't worry… it won't kill. Wouldn't ever kill you…"
"But it would still put me down…" She looked at him, respect in her eyes. "You were ahead of me all the way. When did you land them?" She pulled out a Red Flute from within her staff, and played it.
Lloyd instantly snapped out of it. "Eh? I… oh, so I did beat you. I remember… hitting you, then… then I fell in love, and…"
"Answer me! When did you poison me?" she asked hastily.
"When… when I jumped into your light attack, I threw it before trying to slash you. And I held it between my fingers when I punched you."
"I see… So it's true… you did have me on the ropes. I thought Attract would be what would finish you, what would immobilize you. But… your poison. That's… cunning…" Then she shook her head. "I should have finished you right there. I already feel the poison eating away at me."
Lloyd blinked. Her curiosity had save him, and she had actually cured him of attract. No more messing around! I'll beat you! Fair and square!
"I'll beat you Lloyd, even though you've poisoned me!"
Lloyd pulled out a vial from his cloak, and tossed it to her. "You negated your attract, you take this antidote."
She shook her head, and tossed it back. "I'll beat you even with this disadvantage! I don't need your help!"
He flipped it back to her. "You drink it or I won't fight you."
She sighed. "Fine, I'll drink the damn antidote." She threw the empty vial back to him, and he tucked it away. "Alright, come at me with your best now! We're even!"
Alright, reset. So no more! "Eat this!" He hurled a dark pulse.
Sharl launched a blast of light, and a large explosion occurred when they connected. Lloyd took a deep breath. Let's go. Clear your mind… move with the shadows. The instant he saw movement, he launched himself towards it with speed that resembled a Jolteon. He saw the princess' eyes open wide; she barely had time to block the attack, though she was only launched into the air. She landed gracefully, but he knew he had overpowered her just now. She was panting, likely due to the poison from earlier. "That was quick," she said. "My turn."
A large ball of light formed at the tip of her staff, and in an instant, she whipped her staff, causing it to fly at him. Lloyd absorbed it with his sword and launched a Dark Pulse at her. She jumped out of the way; Lloyd assumed that she was getting some power from the rising sun. She quickly raised her staff, and brought it down, hitting his blade hard. Lloyd immediately saw she was using both arms in a heavy strike. Mistake, princess! With his greater physical strength, he absorbed the shock with his right arm and launched a nerve strike towards her sternum. Once he felt it connect, he recoiled his arm and pushed her backwards. She fell on her butt, dropping her staff. "What… what was that?"
Lloyd studied his hand. "A nerve strike. Not a move, obviously."
She clutched her chest. "I… what will happen now? I… I don't feel right…"
He stood over her. "Feel that buzzing all throughout your body? You will have a hard time moving when I hit you like that." He chuckled. "But you-"
He leaped back in surprise as she jumped to her feet and launched an attack at him.
"I guess it wears off quickly, then."
Huh, she recovered from that quick. I thought I'd be able to finish her there. But it's okay. Soon… The Espeon launched a barrage of blasts in succession, Lloyd nimbly dodging them.
Then once misstep happened. He ever so slightly lost his balance. Shit, I- He looked at the Espeon, whose eyes shined dangerously.
"Gotcha. Dazzling Gleam!"
The burning light surrounded him before he could even react. It singed his skin more than any fire attack would, though the damage wasn't physically. He couldn't breathe as the agonizing light raged through him. Think quick… this is it if you pass out here! What… "Dark Pulse!"
Immediately, an explosion occurred, launching Lloyd away from the light. The pain from the blast was far less than the super-effective attack. He rolled on the ground a little bit before stopping. He felt his arm sting, and realized he must have reinjured it. Shit… Lloyd knew he was in trouble; nobody he had faced had ever pushed him this far. It was actually a satisfying feeling. Hehe… this pain… it's… great! Finally a worthy opponent! By now, the sun was fully up; Lloyd didn't even notice. Persephone… I'm not going to lose this!
The Espeon walked over near him. "You don't look too good," she teased. "I guess you're the best around though. I'm just better."
Lloyd laughed, then spat out some blood. "Just getting started. I knew you were going to be a tough opponent, so I had to take a few hits in order to get into your mind."
She blinked. "What?"
"By taking some hit from you, I've leaned your fighting style. Diversions and grace. Your moves are Psychic, Dazzling Gleam, Attract, and Calm Mind. I've seen you boosting yourself between Dazzling Gleams. But me, you know three of my moves. I've already won. I know your fighting style, and your moves." He grinned, thinking about every move she had made. Her sneakiness, her nimbleness, and her strategy. "I'm in your brain. Not only that, but my sword feeds off danger and blood. The more damage I've taken and given, the stronger and quicker I get."
"I've got the sun though! Dazzling Gleam!"
Lloyd cut his hand a little bit. Drink up, Persephone. His demon blade glowed an eerie purple, and Lloyd felt power surge through him. He stepped back into the shadow of a tree, easily sidestepping the attack, and launched himself at her at top speed. "Double Team."
The illusionary copies of himself ran at her in sync, and the Espeon narrowed her eyes. "So that's your last move." She blasted away the copies, but Lloyd knew she'd leave the center one, the actual him, for last. You're mine now!
She realized he was coming too quickly, and moved to try block his attack, but Lloyd overpowered her. He launched a flurry of slashes, radiating dark energy. The Espeon was matching his attacks, but she was being slowly pushed back. "Come on! Give me more!"
"I… this… this is fun…" A smile crossed both their faces as they blocked each other's attacks. He had never felt happier though. It turned out that he hadn't completely got inside her mind, since she was able to block most of his attacks. But she was unable to come close to hitting him too. It was a complete stalemate… and Lloyd loved it. He was loving every moment of this challenge, this girl who could match him move for move.
But Lloyd felt it. It was exhilarating… yet he wouldn't lose. He couldn't lose to her. Not to her of all Pokemon.
The Espeon was losing; he was quicker and stronger and at close-range combat. That had been his original strategy; keep constant pressure on her and don't give her separation.
"I can't let you win!" she panted. She jumped back quickly and began glowing pink. "This is it! Dazzling Gleam!" Then she collapsed. She was breathing hard. "Wh-what… I… no…"
Lloyd knew what it was. "When I hit you, it caused some nerve damage, which I can fix. You were able to react out of it, but you've pushed your body hard enough to the point where the damage is felt again."
"I, I can't! I won't lose!"
Lloyd held his sword to her neck. "I've won. I got you."
She sighed, then the Espeon looked up at him, admiration in her eyes. "You really are impressive. That nerve strike… you knew. It was a safety net. The poison… it was a plan. You really did plan it out all along."
"So… you admit defeat?"
She sighed, then said, "I don't have much choice. You've got me."
Lloyd smiled. "Obviously." He gently rubbed where he had hit her with the nerve strike, and she stood up once he undid it.
"Thanks." All the hostility and rivalry they had during their battle had vanished. "Lloyd… I'll join you in your quest then. That was part of our deal, and I shall honor it."
He nodded. "Yeah, definitely." One down, three to go.
"However, we're both rather beat… I say that we rest up the next few days. You… whoa there, careful."
Lloyd staggered a little bit; now his left arm was stinging badly, and he knew he'd lost a lot of blood. "I'm alright…"
The Espeon sighed. "Come one, let's get you back. I'll attend to your wounds personally." Teasingly, she added, "You're a lot more physically damaged than me right now."
"Don't tempt me, I can beat you again."
"I don't doubt that," but Lloyd couldn't tell whether she was sarcastic or not.
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"You know… I know the council probably is unhappy with me since I'm missing a meeting and am going to be leaving… but I feel happier with you." The princess was treating his wounds on his bed. Sharl had switched dresses yet again to her conservative one. She dabbed at his arm with a towel. Earlier, she had stitched it up.
"Yeah, well… it is to help your people. The plants aren't growing, so you've got to do something."
"You're right, Lloyd." She dipped the towel in some water, then continued to clean his arm. "I want to go with you. But I hope my people will be alright." She lay upon the bed next to him. "How is your face? There's a little cut."
"It's alright. I've been through worse."
"You know… losing. It's a strange feeling."
They looked up at the ceiling. A cool breeze came through the window, and it was just past noon now. Across the green fields, Lloyd could see the distant mountains where he would travel next. That was the edge of Sharl's rule. "What's strange about it?"
"Just… happiness. Knowing I've got room to improve. Now I've got a goal, and it's to beat you."
"That's interesting. I suppose losing does motivate you." Lloyd shrugged. "You were the most powerful Pokemon I've face so far, so thanks."
"Thank you as well." Then she did something completely out of character for somebody of her intellect. She kissed him on the cheek.
He turned to her, at a loss for words. "I… eh… uh…" For the first time, he had been caught off guard. Not just surprised; this was beyond surprise. The princess rubbing her breasts against him was natural; just biological desires. But kisses… and therefore, affection… those were different. Love was not logical.
"So apparently even the ultimate assassin can be caught off guard, huh. Hehe."
"It's not funny! I wasn't caught off guard! I was…" Lloyd took a deep breath. Don't panic. "I was merely surprised that a princess would do something so indecent."
The Espeon giggled. "I've never flirted much before. How am I doing?"
Huh. So she can be cute. "You're making me uncomfortable."
"So I guess it's a good strategy if we even battle again."
"Now I know what you'll try to pull next time."
"Hehe." She winked at him. "I hope you know that I don't open up to others often. You're now my second best friend."
"Who's your best friend?" Lloyd's mind started working. What if her friend is as powerful as her?
The Espeon didn't respond, and Lloyd shrugged. He had an inkling of who it could be.
"Your friend must be smart for you to trust her."
"She is smart. You'll meet her soon."
"Huh, I definitely will. You don't need to tell me who she is."
She smiled. "So you do know."
"Of course." He looked back at the ceiling. "Just who do you think I am?"
The next breeze was very cold; it came directly from those Northern mountains. "I don't know." Still staring at the ceiling, she added, "Who are you?"
"The most cunning Pokemon you'll ever meet."
"No, stop joking." She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "Just tell me a little bit about yourself."
Lloyd knew it wasn't wise to tell a possible enemy his past, but he figured he could trust Sharl enough… or maybe just a bit. "Fine, I'm swordsman who was trained in the far West. My parents were killed when I was seven. Since then, I trained with an expert swordsman to challenge the legendries in order to avenge them." Lloyd felt that was enough and didn't say anything.
"And…?"
He turned to her. "What do you want me to say?"
"You know…" She shrugged. "I guess that's good enough."
Lloyd was tempted to add a few more things, but decided against it. "There's not too much else to talk about."
"I'm sure," she scoffed. "But if you're not comfortable, then it's okay," she added a little softer. "I'm just happy I got to meet someone like you
"Me too," he admitted. "Definitely."
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Not long after, Sharl stood up and said that she needed to check up on the town.
"What for?"
"They're my people. I envy your relaxed life," she said before leaving.
Lloyd continued to lie down on the bed. He held his hand up to the ceiling, surrounding it in a miniature dark pulse. He had not been feeling himself recently; he hadn't been as sharp in his battle with the Espeon, and even afterwards… letting her treat his wounds… that was risky.
But even though he didn't want to admit it… he had trusted her. He felt it; he knew she wouldn't hurt him. Whether she intended to challenge him later or some other reason, he knew that she was his ally. He clenched his hand into a fist, launching a weak blast at the ceiling, leaving a black mark. He sat up, and looked outside towards the mountains. Somewhere, in a palace hidden among the tops of the mountains, was his next adversary.
He reached for his sword and quickly got dressed. After looking at himself in the mirror and seeing his recently re-injured arm, he put his hood up and walked outside the room, down towards the main part. Lloyd was about to round the corner when he heard some voices. He slowed down and peered around the corner. It was some of the council.
"Do we know who he is?"
"He could have seriously hurt princess Sharl…"
"I don't know why she's so smitten with him."
Lloyd knew they were talking about him, but he decided to listen in on what they had discovered about him.
"We've heard that he went into a small town South of here and proceeded to blow up some thieves, and took over the town before mercifully leaving."
A little exaggerated, he thought. He chuckled inwardly before listening to what they said next.
"He's dangerous for the princess to be around, much less be sexually attracted to. We must take action!"
Oh shut up. She could probably outsmart you all combined! And probably beat you in combat too. Lloyd quietly walked past them, reminded of why he was better than pretty much everyone else out here. They didn't even notice him.
He made his way to the town again, eyes watchful as the first time. He didn't have to be quite as cautious since it was daytime, and it'd be a lot more difficult for someone to attack him. He considered looking for Sharl, but decided against it. Talking to others a lot was more difficult, especially when they knew they were in an inferior position.
Lloyd pulled out the apple that he had bought two nights ago, and bit into it. The apple was surprisingly tart; Lloyd actually enjoyed the sourness of it. It was a kick to the mouth, and Lloyd always enjoyed stronger flavors. During his training, he had always loved eating the tartest grapes, and he would often throw peppers into his cooking. Last night's meal had only sweeter fruits, which was partially why he didn't eat it. That was to be expected when eating with royalty though.
Lloyd nimbly climbed up the side of a large building, placing his hands and feet in the perfect spots for climbing. Less than a minute later he stood on the top, admiring the view. He bit into the apple again. "Hmm… not bad." He could see all the streets and buildings below, and beyond the edge of the city was a river and some pastures.
Lloyd peacefully ate his apple, then wiped his mouth, leaving the core on the roof. He stretched, and put his hands on his hips. "Let's have some fun." Ropes connected some of the buildings, with clothes handing from a lot of them. To most Pokemon, it'd be insane, but to Lloyd, it just looked like an obstacle course. For him, gaps under ten feet were nothing; it was amazing what confidence empowered him to do. Lloyd summersaulted into the air, landing cleanly on one of the ropes. He flipped backwards, twisting around before dashing on the rope, then launched himself onto the next building. "Hehe…"
"Hey! Who's that guy up there?" Down below, a large crowd was gathering.
"That looks dangerous…"
"Hey, get down from there!" A tough looking Ursaring pointed. "Thief! As part of the princess' guard, I order you to come down!"
Lloyd yawned. "Come and get me, then!" Might as well play around a bit. Not much else to do otherwise. Wait, thief? I never… Lloyd immediately took off, running from rooftop to rooftop.
"Grr… get him!" He raised a hand, and immediately, a bunch of bird Pokemon took to the skies, and flew right at him. Lloyd didn't want to hurt her guard, so he decided against using his sword and ran. One confident Pidgeotto decided to dive bomb him; a poor choice. Lloyd immediately jumped up to the flying type's surprise, and kicked him straight down. Lloyd hopped off cleanly, sticking the landing on the roof. He held his arm a little; he had forgotten about it again. When he looked up, he barely had time to roll along the ground to avoid getting hit. Dammit! He rolled back to his feet, grabbed a Staravia, and slammed him to the ground, out cold. He jumped onto the next rope, turned around, and launched a Dark Pulse back at the crowd.
His feet tapped the next building as he landed, breathing a little harder.
He saw shadows circling on the rooftop, and cursed a little. "No matter."
Lloyd's mind instantly counted out the number of bird Pokemon. Twelve… They were all fairly heavily armored.
"End of the road here! You've been causing lots of trouble around here, stranger!"
"I haven't been doing any stealing though."
"We know it's you!" The Ursaring's voice echoed behind him, and Lloyd barely jumped out of the way of a Hammer Arm. "You've been causing princess Sharl all sorts of trouble!"
Lloyd now saw he had an eyepatch over his right eye. "Listen up, I've just came here. I'm not looking for a fight…" Lloyd realized that what he had anticipated as a simple game could become very dangerous. "I'm an honorary guest of the princess."
"Bullshit!" hissed one of the bird Pokemon. "We've seen you here, stealing and just being a total pain in the ass! Thief!"
Lloyd's palm glowed black with a Dark Pulse. That Ursaring giving orders was clearly pissed off about something; most likely involved with that eyepatch. It was clouding his judgment. "I don't want any trouble." Lloyd drew his sword, eyes glinting dangerously. "If you want a fight, then you can have it." He laughed. "Alright, I'll fight you all!"
He got into a fighting stance, then… they all collapsed. Lloyd whipped around instinctively, and immediately felt a blade to his neck.
"Ack…" Lloyd had already been snuck up on by Princess Sharl… but this…
"Who are you?" Much like Lloyd and Sharl had done, this Pokemon covered their face. A silver mask didn't reveal any eyes, or anything that could reveal their identity. "Pull your hood down." Lloyd slowly did as he asked, then put his hands up. "Huh. Umbreon. State your name."
"Lloyd."
In a flash, the masked Pokemon swept Lloyd's legs from under him, causing Lloyd to fall. Immediately, the masked Pokemon dashed across the rooftops at speeds Lloyd had never seen before. Lloyd got ready to chase, then realized he was way too far away. He pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off, embarrassed. He turned around, looking at the defense force; all of them were unconscious. "Pathetic," he muttered, though it was mostly at himself than the royal guard.
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"What's wrong, Lloyd?" asked Sharl gently. "Your mind is blank… but I'm sensing… frustration."
The two of them were sitting in the hot spring again, Sharl rubbing Lloyd's back. "I met…"
"I'm sorry about my guards, by the way…" A little bit of anxiety edged her voice. "Recently, there's been an unknown figure stealing from the people. I've been trying to catch them, but…"
"Don't worry," said Lloyd. "Sorry for hurting your guard."
She shook her head. "It's my fault. I didn't let them know…" She wrapped her arms around his stomach, her breasts pushing against his back. "You took care of them though."
"Mmm. Is there a reason you're trying to entice me into making love to you?"
She kissed the back of his neck. "You're such a strong, confident male. Handsome, powerful… you're my kind of guy. And be honest with yourself. You're sexually attracted to me aren't you?"
"Well-"
"I've seen you looking at my chest. It's okay. It's natural."
"I didn't need you to tell me that," he grumbled. "That's all true, but we both know that. We both are attracted to each other, so why isn't that enough?"
She sighed, then released her grip on him, and sat next to him, the warm water rippling from her movements. "The council has been pushing me to take a husband; become a true queen, if you may."
Silence ensued. "Listen, I…"
"I'm sorry, that was a little hasty," she said, rubbing her arms with the water. "But I think it's fair to let you know that I think you're really impressive."
"You're pretty impressive too."
"Should've just left it at pretty, hehe."
"Well… you are pretty." Lloyd couldn't make eye contact, but the silence after was all he needed. "We'll just leave it at that."
"You're a good guy, Lloyd." Lloyd stood up, water droplets trickling down his bare body. Sharl covered her mouth, giggling. "Thanks for the view, Lloyd."
He pulled himself out of the water, and dried off before dressing himself. He sighed, feeling the Espeon watching him. "Is there something you want to say?"
"Never mind." Huh… this is the second time I'm getting that feeling from her.
"Whatever. We'll leave tomorrow, right?"
"Oh, yeah… I already talked with the council. They aren't happy about it, but they'll take care of it since they're loyal to my parents." She huffed, a little annoyed. "Well you go back to your room. You just made me remember them."
"Sorry…" Lloyd picked up Persephone, then started heading back. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, goodnight Lloyd." The Espeon narrowed her eyes a little as Lloyd left.
Lloyd hurriedly left. He had something important to do.
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Lloyd wandered the streets, hood up. He kept his eyes peeled for the masked figure, ready to challenge him again. It hadn't been a true defeat, but Lloyd was very excited about the chance to face him again.
Lloyd hid in the shadow of a small tavern, Persephone's magic cloaking him. All around him, there were Pokemon rushing. "The thief! Stop him!"
How convenient… Lloyd slowly looked to his left, just in time to see the flash of a Pokemon come past. He's quick… quicker than I ever expected. It's no wonder I couldn't catch him. But… Much to his surprise, he turned into an alleyway. Mistake. Lloyd walked from the shadows; none of the other Pokemon had seen him turn the corner.
Sitting on a crate was the masked Pokemon. He held his mask in one hand, but he was turned away from Lloyd. Long blonde hair covered most of his face.
Lloyd set his stance, ready to launch himself at the Pokemon.
But he was prepared. "As if life isn't short enough." He hopped down, and looked up at Lloyd. "I've been expecting you for the past hour."
Lloyd paused. Wait… "You have?" Lloyd had not expected this at all.
One of the Pokemon's eyes were covered due to the length of his hair; he brushed it out of his face. "Of course. Only one with confidence could outsmart Sharl's guard the way you did; you would have made short work of them if I hadn't interfered."
Lloyd put his sword back into its sheath. "What's your name…"
"I'm a Jolteon, if you couldn't recognize me due to my hair… it's used to conceal my identity when I don't use my mask. My name… I am Kai."
"Kai…" Lloyd blinked. "I'm Lloyd."
"You didn't need to tell me that. I've been tracking you ever since I saw you. I know your name and about your battle with Sharl. She's quite…"
"Impressive." Lloyd mirrored the comment he had said to her.
"Yes. I've never been able to defeat her, just flee. Her magic is very strong. She wants my head." Kai's hair stood up as his body crackled with electricity.
"Thanks Lloyd for saving me the effort of finding this thief." The Espeon stood next to Lloyd, eyes glowing pink. "You're going to run again, Jolteon?"
"Fufu…the dagger is my day to day weapon. But if given a chance to face the most powerful Pokemon… I'll finish them with style. You see this mask princess?" For the first time, Lloyd realized how horrifying it was; it resembled that of a skull, though it appeared to be made of silver. "It's known as the death mask Loki. When I wear it normally, it makes me stronger… but if I choose…" He put on the mask, and covered it with his hand. "Watch princess." The Jolteon's hair stood on end, an aura of electric energy surrounding him. His eyes glowed through the mask's eyeholes, an eerie purple. His dagger grew larger, until it became a double-ended blade, cackling with voltage.
Sharl close her eyes, and exhaled. "See Lloyd, my powers were severely limited against you due to your inherent type advantage. But now you'll see how I can play defense." She held her staff up, a pink glow surrounding her.
The Jolteon laughed, then jumped up into the air. "Perfect. Let's dance, Sharl!" He spun around the sword until it was a blur, and slammed it down onto the Espeon's shield.
She clenched her teeth, pushed back a little, but her shield still glowed strongly. "Strong…"
Lloyd was hesitant; he definitely wanted to battle Kai, but Sharl wouldn't take kindly to his interference. She waved her arm, launching a blast of psychic energy at the Jolteon. He seemingly teleported behind her, though Lloyd recognized he was moving too quick for any of their eyes. "Look out!" he shouted, and Sharl immediately spun around, launching a blast that caught Kai in the stomach.
"Nngh…" He was launched backwards, summersaulting in the air, though he landed cleanly. The Jolteon didn't have any time to react as another barrage of Dazzling Gleams and Psychics were launched at him.
"Is this all you've got, thief?" He deflected the attacks with his blade, then launched out a bolt of electricity. It ricocheted off of Sharl's barrier, and flew back at him in an explosion. "How stupid… forgetting my ability!"
Once the smoke cleared, the Jolteon stood there, looking annoyed. "How stupid… forgetting my ability…"
Sharl blinked. "So…"
No! Her shield weakened from surprise for just a moment, and it was then that Kai struck with a slash. Lloyd saw it, and knew he had to save his friend.
He launched himself at Kai's attack, blade parrying his. "You won't hurt her…"
Kai hissed something that Lloyd couldn't make out, while Sharl shouted. "This is my fight!"
"Pull off the mask!"
While Kai was distracted with Lloyd, Sharl caused a bright flash of light, blinding both of them.
Lloyd couldn't see, but he heard Sharl mutter, "Gotcha."
"Huh…" The Jolteon's eyes stopped glowing returning to their normal color. "You got me."
Then Sharl threw the mask onto the ground as the light vanished, and kicked it away. "Damn right."
The Jolteon fell to his knees, breathing hard. The blade had reverted back to a dagger.
Sharl turned to Lloyd. "Why did you interrupt?" She placed her hands on her hips angrily.
"I…" Lloyd shook his head. "I thought your shield was going to break."
"I had him. It was an illusion. I was ready to parry him."
"I…"
She huffed, then turned to Kai. "What do we do with him? He's wanted here."
Lloyd thought, then said, "I suppose the mask has heavy physical stress when in use, hence why he doesn't always use it." He aimed the question at Kai. "Right?"
The Jolteon's nose bled a little as he looked up, then grinned. "Yup. I would've gotten her if you hadn't interrupted Lloyd. Planned my ass, princess. You were vulnerable."
She stiffened, then shook her head. "You lost to a girl. Admit it."
"I lost to a girl. Now…" He pulled himself to his feet, and picked up the mask, which he put in his cloak. "I've heard that you're looking to defeat the four rulers and get them to take you to see the legendries."
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