…*Does card tricks for no apparent reason*
Flow: Ah, sorry, I didn't see you there. Hmm… arguably, a bit close to Serpent's Ballet's OCs… Yeah, with what I've got planned, I don't think I can fit them in, however tempting Vigil is…
Moonlight's Shadow: Sorry, OCs can't have any history with Pace. I've got his all planned out. Also, every single eeveelution has a role, and I don't feel like I can fit any others in.
the book master: …I doubt your sanity. Very, very soon.
Insan: Well, I didn't ask you for more description. Question though, would he tolerate violence used by others? And I how could I consider a guy like that a villain? Would he stay away from the good guys and constantly ask for negotiations during battle?
Skroy Horitz: What made you think I was implying you? By the way, "Diglett" comes twice, not three times. *laughs evilly*
ShadowDragoon32: You've been seeing is the calm, collected Clay who enjoys annoying others. However, after getting stuck in a hole, falling through a dozen feet, left to deal with a swarm of evil diglett, and any other misfortunes that may have occurred before the chapter even started, anyone would lose their cool. Though, now that I seriously look at it, I suppose you're right. I've made adjustments. …Brine isn't a level-up move. I don't really think much about the canon movesets, instead, going by what the pokémon logically should be able to learn. Also, if you're thinking Pace is low level, I'll just say that no one on the team is below 20 (though I'd rather not attach numbers to anyone), and Pace certainly isn't the weakest.
Writer of Random Stories: By better perspective, I mean better perspective. You've only given me a few odd habits; I need something more in-depth. Does she act like that to weird everyone out, or is she just simply childish and naive? Does she have any motivation for whatever she does? Etc. Come on, I need to see how she thinks to write how she acts.
Jeanne Reveur, CIaD, Serpent's Ballet, Evil*Pichu, DelinquentDuo, and EkaSwede, thanks for your reviews!
I claimed all rights to the Pokémon franchise by switching to Geico… Okay, so I lied.
Dalton and Kaoru faced the buizel, who was snarling at them. "What the hell was that for?" He growled out, turning to face them.
"We could ask you the same!" Dalton shouted, holding out his staff. "Why are you attacking those two?"
"Simple. They tried to mug me. Are you done with your interrogation?" the buizel snarled, the heavy rain dripping from his soaked hat.
"Then there is no need to attack them anymore," Kaoru stated loudly. "They have been defeated, and are unable to fight back."
"So?"
The two of them blinked in surprise. "S-So!? What do you mean 'so?'!?" Dalton shouted.
"So what if they're defeated? Do you suggest I simply let them go to assault the next hapless passerby? Or perhaps turn them in to a prison and wait for them to serve their sentence, then start again as soon as they're out?" the buizel asked. "Pah, like hell! I plan on making sure they learn a lesson. Speaking of which…" He turned around, where the nidorino was trying to drag the immobile glameow away. He let out a gasp when he realized he'd been caught. "Do you seriously think you can just get away from me?" The buizel suddenly dashed forward, gathering orbs of water in his paws.
"Hold it! Vacuum Wave!" With a shout, Dalton swung out with his staff while Kaoru ran ahead of him. The pulse from the staff blurred through the rain, flying straight at the buizel. He glanced backwards and haphazardly chucked one of the brines, swollen in the heavy rain, backward. It collided with the vacuum wave, canceling the attack with a splash. "No!" Dalton grunted. At that speed he's going, Kaoru can't get to him in time, but she's too close to fire another wave!
Suddenly, just as the buizel caught up to them, the mud around the two retreating thugs rose up and pulled the two thugs in with hardly a sound. "What?!" All three of the remaining pokémon shouted. Kaoru ran up by the buizel to where they disappeared, and Dalton arrived soon after.
"Dig."
"Nani?" Both of them asked, looking at the buizel. He glanced at them oddly (Oops. I spoke Japanese too, Dalton thought), but he shook his head.
"Someone from outside used dig to rescue these two," he explained briefly.
"Someone from… but the nidorino could've used it, couldn't he?" Kaoru asked.
"Dumbass," he snarled. "If he knew it, he would've used it before trying to run. And before I forget…" There was a flash of movement. Before they knew what was happening, the buizel had grabbed both of them by the face.
"W-What are-!?" Dalton shouted, his hands flying up to the paw gripping his head. Before they reached, the buizel slammer the two into the mud face-first. "P-Pht- Pah!" Dalton coughed, spitting out the mud. "Wh-What was that for!?" He shouted, wiping at his face. Kaoru, meanwhile, snarled and lashed at the buizel with the massive jaw on the back of her head. He fell backwards, avoiding the gnashing teeth, and rolled back on his feet, out of range.
"That was for getting in my way," the buizel spat, adjusting his hat and turning away. "Thanks to you, there's no telling where those thugs are now." He began to walk away.
"H-Hey!" Dalton called out. "Where are you going now?!"
"I'm feeling pissed this evening and I don't feel like wasting anymore time with you," he said without so much as a backwards glance. "Let's not meet again." The rain quickly consumed his figure.
"…That… that guy…" Dalton growled. "I can't believe he just… he did that to those guys and acted like it was nothing…" His tail, which had been long put out by the rain, was beginning to steam as his inner flame was stoked by his anger. "Just… just who does he think he is!?" he shouted, before gripping his temple. Come on… calm down… he thought to himself. It wouldn't do to lose his temper here. Think about something else… He glanced down. Now my goggles are all muddy. Maybe the rain can be good for something. He pulled them off and let the falling water rinse them. He glanced at Kaoru and flinched when he saw that she was, if anything, more angry than he was. Her glare was searing holes into the ground in front of her and her fists were clenched so hard, they shook.
"…Kaoru, forget it," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That was just a fluke. He was a water-type in the rain. Ordinarily, he wouldn't stand a chance against us."
He sighed in relief as her rage subsided. "Sou deshou ne…" the mawile mumbled, looking off. "But I want to meet him again," she continued, a determined gleam setting in her eye. "We will meet again, whether or not he wants to."
Dalton looked at her, then faced forward. "Maybe… Come on, let's hurry up and get out of this rain. The team should be here somewhere."
Kaoru nodded, and the two set off again through the drenched streets.
000
"Fools."
The two thugs lay prostrate before a single figure, who looked down on them from where she leaned against the wall of the alley.
"We… We're truly sorry… we…" the nidorino gasped out, not looking up.
"You were quite idiotic. Attacking a buizel in the rain. A foolhardily, witless, daft, ludicrous maneuver. You were lucky I don't mind the rain, otherwise, I wouldn't have been remotely nearby to aid you two."
"Yes! We apologize for inconveniencing you! Please forgive us!" he shouted without hesitation.
The lopunny clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Honestly, do believe I make my way by torturing any subordinate who displeases me? Your lack of foresight is forgiven," she said with a wave of her arm.
"Th-thank you!" the nidorino shouted. "But… he…" He glanced at the glameow worriedly. He was laying flat down, not out of fear of the lopunny, but because of the poison running through his body.
"He won't die, you fool," the lopunny said, in an annoyed tone. "Battle poisons are only fatal in extreme cases. Speaking of which, I would've assumed you'd keep an appropriate berry in case of such an event."
"Um…"
Suddenly, a pokémon rose from the ground beside them, and after a quick glance around, the aron did a quick salute at the lopunny (at least, as well as a steel-covered rodent could salute). "Yes Ma'am!? You called for me!?"
"Take this glameow back to the base, and have his poison treated," she dismissively said with another wave of her arm. "Take the nido too," she added. "I doubt he could get any income tonight."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am."
"Stop apologizing. It's becoming repetitive."
"Sor- Yes Ma'am." After this, the aron gave her another salute, before draping the glameow over his back and digging into the ground, with the nidorino crawling after.
The lopunny was left alone in the alley for a few seconds. Then she grinned. "Hm… that buizel… things may've become interesting…"
000
"Psychic!" Valas yelled, creating a tide of light-bending energy to surge through the restaurant. It grabbed an empty circular table, and slammed it upside-down on top of a breloom.
"Ow! That hurt!" he shouted, his breath short from the weight on top of him.
"And that's what happens when you ruin my still life!" the kirlia shouted back at him.
"That's all!?" Obsidian shouted at him, dodging a kick from a machop. "They're trying to squash me! Like a pancake! And you're worried about a sketch!?" The machop threw a punch, which Obsidian quickly ducked under, disappearing into his shadow as he did so.
"Hey! Get out here and fight, coward!" the machop yelled out as the sableye crawled out of Valas's shadow. Meanwhile, the breloom used his tail to knock the table off himself.
"Yeesh, you two!" a loud voice shouted from the counter of the bar. "Can't you clean up the mess faster!?" The toxicroak growled, leaning against the counter on his elbows.
"Yes, right away, Boss!" the machop eagerly shouted, throwing a quick salute.
"But…" the breloom muttered, before sighing and unhappily turning towards the two. Obsidian and Valas both began their own attacks.
"Metronome!"
"Icy Wind!"
What appeared to be a glowing green rope suddenly materialized in Obsidian's hands. He grinned, and dashed toward the machop. He flicked his wrist slightly, and the cord extended, lashing out at the machop. "Vine Whip!"
"That all you got?" the machop grinned, snatching the end of the rope moments before it hit him. Obsidian gasped as he gave the cord a great tug, pulling the sableye over to himself. As Obsidian flew forward, the whip disintegrated as quickly as it had appeared, and the machop began his next move. He swung his arm forward, neatly karate chopping the Obsidian into the dirt ground of the room. The sableye groaned weakly at the abuse. "Now, to finish you!" the machop grinned wickedly, raising his both of his arms in the air.
"Magical Leaf: Dance of the Pines!" A barrage of small green needles slammed into the machop, throwing him off his feet. He flew backwards, crashing into another table.
"Valas!" Obsidian exclaimed, looking at the kirlia. "Already!? You're done!?"
"He was a real nothing," he shrugged. "No bark, no bite, at all."
Obsidian glanced back at the breloom, who was, again, under the table. This time, it was in two halves and encased in a layer of ice. "I see…" he muttered, rubbing his head.
"Though I'm curious, how did he land a hit on you? Couldn't you just phase through the assault like usual?"
"Useless," the sableye mumbled, getting to his feet. "He used foresight. No phasing past that."
"What!? You beat Keno!? I'll get you for that!" the machop shouted at them, struggling up from the remains of the table he had crashed into. He suddenly let out a strangled choke as Obsidian appeared in his shadow and grabbed his neck from behind.
"Your turn," he grunted, tucking the machop's head under his elbow so that his hands were free to use metronome. "Will-o-Wisp." The machop gasped as a blue flare consumed his body. Obsidian let him go, allowing him jump away and roll across the ground in an attempt to put the ethereal flames out. Somehow, although he felt no heat, his skin was racked with scorching pain. Within a few seconds, the flames died out, leaving him with painful burns all over his body. He stood up, panting.
"He's still looking for a fight?" Valas muttered. The machop glared defiantly back at him. "He doesn't seem to know when one must give up," he sighed, stretching his arms out in front of himself. "I'll finish this up quickly."
"Please do," Obsidian mumbled. "This is dragging on. It's been forever."
Red slips, shaped like maple leaves, began to circle around his hands before coming to a stop, forming a pair of weapons reminiscent of ninja stars. "Magical Leaf: Dance of the Maple," Valas muttered, before dashing forward and swinging the red leaves. They spun like buzz saws as he shoved them straight into the machop's torso. No blood was spilt, but the force hurled him straight into the wall, leaving a slight crater in the brickwork.
"That does it."
"Oh, yeah, we forgot about you," Valas muttered, letting the spinning leaves fade away.
The toxicroak roughly sat up, toppling the stool he was sitting on. "Looking down on Team Lowblow like that. Looks like I'll have to deal with you miscreants myself."
"Miscreants?" Valas chuckled. "I must admit, that's a term I myself have never heard used to describe us. By the way, you may want to take a look behind you."
"Huh?"
Valas used psychic to pull the stool from behind the toxicroak, smacking his face on the way. It flew neatly into the kirlia's grasp.
"Now that's-!"
The psychic force interrupted him, hurling the stool back into his face. It noisily bounced away as he reeled back.
"Why you!! I'm getting tired of this!" the toxicroak growled dangerously.
"Hey, behind you. For real," Valas said blankly.
"If you think I'm going to-"
"Nuclear launch detected."
"…What?" The toxicroak glanced backwards. Standing on the counter was Obsidian, who was holding Tadayo, inflated to twice his usual size, by the sides.
"This is not a drill. I repeat, I do not have a drill," the drifloon continued, growing in size again, still in Obsidian's grasp. "Please relocate yourself under a solid object and, if practical, place your hands or any appendage over your neck if you have one…"
"If this is some sort of joke, it's a bad one," the toxicroak finally growled. "I'll shut you up myself!" With a roar, he swung an arm, the claw on his hand glowing a purple color. Tadayo inflated again just as the toxicroak struck him, and the fist sunk into his rubbery skin before it bounced right out. "What the-?"
Obsidian grinned, just barely gripping Tadayo, who, at this point, had grown larger than himself. "Eat this."
"And have a nice day." Just like that, the small yellow bandages on Tadayo's face flew off at one end, revealing the tiny mouth underneath them. Out of that tiny mouth, came a ridiculously large white beam. The ridiculously large white beam slammed into the toxicroak and sent him sailing into the wall next to the door, perfectly unconscious.
"Heh," Obsidian grinned, "stockpile and spit up. Awesome moves."
"Nice performance, Hobbes, Valas," Clay slowly clapped from a table.
A vein throbbed in the sableye's head. "It's not Hobbes, it's Obsidian!" he shouted, aiming the deflated Tadayo at him.
"And we could do without sarcasm!" Valas yelled with him.
"You're shouting again…" Lynn mumbled, almost inaudibly.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't help," Luma muttered to Jaden, in Land Forme, while the others began a shouting match. A mostly one-sided one.
"Oh, we could've," he grinned, "but we didn't need to."
"Man, what have you guys done this time?"
All heads in the bar, besides the ones that couldn't, turned to the open door, where two, soaked figures stood.
"Dalton! Kaoru! You're back!" Jaden shouted cheerfully, hopping off the table to run up to the pair as the door was slammed shut. Lynn gave her own greeting, quickly following.
"You're quite late, too," Valas muttered, rearranging a candle and a flower vase on a small table. "It's been- like- nine, ten days since you left on that mission? You should've met up with us back at Jigsaw," he said as he sat down near the table, repositioning a bowl and a box with various watercolor paints inside. He picked up a paintbrush and a clipboard with a half-finished painting, and got to work.
"Felt like a month, actually," the monferno mumbled, scratching his collar. His tail made a few flicks, flinging away excess rainwater, before igniting into a crackling flare.
"Konbanwa. It is good to see you again, Jaden-sama," the mawile said softly as she made a low bow, water dripping from the two large locks of steely hair. "And the rest of you," she said with another bow.
"Hey, hey! No need to be so formal with us!" Jaden smiled as he came to a stop in front of the two. "But it's good to see you too!" Lynn agreed by wrapping herself around the two newcomers in a hug.
"Yay! I'm really glad to see you two again!" She laughed, writhing around and between the two.
"Calm down! We're happy too, okay?!" Dalton shouted as they tried to shove her off. She chuckled an apology as she drifted away, her tail rubbing a spot Kaoru had "accidentally" bitten. The mawile was less than enthusiastic about physical contact. "So…" the monferno muttered, looking at the dazed toxicroak, the burnt machop and the frozen table, "what did happen here?"
"Hobbes was…" Clay started to explain.
"It's not Hobbes, it's Obsidian."
"I know you're Hobbes. Anyways, he was playing poker with the toxicroak, when suddenly, he started shouting about Hobbes cheating," Clay continued, grinning at the sableye's reaction.
"Cheating?"
"Yeah. There were five jacks out at the same time," Obsidian muttered, leering at Clay. "I don't cheat. Seriously. He was just pinning it on me."
"Anyways, he sent the machop and the breloom, the one under that table, after him, and while they were fighting, they messed up Valas's sketch, so he got involved. Eventually, Hobbes had Tadayo finish them off," Clay finished.
"Just another evening, huh?" Dalton chuckled, swinging off his backpack and the staff attached to it.
"Yup!" Jaden said proudly.
"Dalton!" Valas suddenly called. "May I make use of your tail? To dry the paints more quickly?"
"Fine, fine," the monferno sighed, walking next to Valas. He turned around with his tail aloft, and Valas grabbed it, well away from the tip, to guide the flame.
"So… How was it? Did you two get the bounty?" Obsidian asked.
The two of them were silent. The glanced at each other, and Kaoru finally sighed. "We… failed to," she said.
"Failed?! How come?" Jaden asked, surprise crossing his face.
"Gomen… The thieves were… too fast for us. We couldn't keep up with them long enough to subdue them," she explained hesitantly.
"Not even Dalton's attacks?" Kaoru shook her head. "Wow, they must be something else then…" Jaden mused, his voice trailing off.
"Yeah, they really were," Dalton muttered, scratching his furry collar again. "We'll need backup to catch them."
"Huh? You're still trying?" Lynn asked.
"Of course! When I take a mission, I finish it!" He said with a dramatic fist pump.
"Careful!" Valas shouted. "Your tail nearly singed my face when you said that!"
"Ah, sorry!" Dalton chuckled. "I'll be more careful with it." His burst of enthusiasm likely caused his tail flame to flare up. Valas let out a grumble as he shoved the tail away and got back to painting. "Anyways, we stopped pursuing the thieves not far from here, so we can get back on their trail quickly."
"Around here?" Clay asked, raising a brow. "That's convenient, isn't it?"
"Who are those two? Do you know them?" Luma finally asked.
"Huh? Who's she?" the monferno quickly asked, pointing at her.
"Oh yeah, we forgot to tell you!" Jaden exclaimed. "We got two new Watchers on our team while you were gone! This is Luma, Luma, this is Dalton and Kaoru!"
"Ah, Hajimemashite," Kaoru said, giving her a bow.
"It's nice to meet you," Dalton grinned, holding out a hand to the shorter pokémon. Luma, after looking at Kaoru confusedly, turned to blink at Dalton's outstretched hand. Then she remembered she was supposed to shake it and promptly did so, rather energetically. "Hey, don't pull my arm off!" He protested, pulling the limb back.
"Aren't you supposed to do that?" Luma asked, tilting her head.
"Bear with her," Clay sighed before Dalton could shout. "She's been living in isolation until less than a week ago."
"Isolation?"
"She spent her life in a mystery dungeon, according to Pace," Obsidian explained.
"Pace?" Kaoru asked.
"Yeah, he's the second new member," Obsidian shrugged. "Well, technically, he's the first by a few seconds…"
"Where is he, then?" Kaoru asked, looking around the small restaurant.
"He's just taking a walk, I suppose," Clay explained. "I'm not sure when he'll get back."
"Taking a walk? In this weather?" Dalton asked incredulously.
"Not everybody keeps the end of their tail on fire," the larvitar stated shortly.
"Ah, yeah… but still, who enjoys taking walks in the rain?"
"Take a guess."
"A water-type…?" Kaoru murmured, looking up thoughtfully.
"Bingo," Obsidian said. "A buizel. Specifically."
The two of them flinched. "A… buizel?"
"Um, yes," Lynn confirmed. "Is… Is there something wrong?" she asked, looking between them.
"Well…" Dalton mumbled, fiddling with his goggles. Kaoru cut him off.
"It's not important," she said dismissively.
Clay raised a brow. "Whatever you say, princess," he finally shrugged. He grinned as she clenched her fist in irritation. A loud noise interrupted all thought.
"…Ah, that's right! You two haven't eaten yet!" Jaden grinned, in response to Dalton's stomach.
"Yeah, no, we haven't," He replied, rubbing his head.
"Right!" Obsidian said. "Hey! Chef! Two more customers! Make something! Chop chop!" He called, sitting down at a table.
"And for me!" Luma promptly shouted after him.
"Hey. No more. You already ate," Obsidian sweat-dropped, looking at her.
"Oh, so after you wreck my shop, you ignore me for ten minutes, and now, that you're hungry, you want me?" The chef, a disgruntled rotom, growled.
"…Yes."
It suppressed an eye twitch, and turned to a refrigerator behind the counter, possessing it.
"We'll take black noodles if you have them!" Dalton called as a few items were shoved out of the fridge. "So, anyways, we want to get back to the pursuit as soon as possible. Like, tomorrow soon as possible," He said to Jaden as they sat down at the table. "And we'll need an extra hand. Probably Hobbes."
"It's not Hobbes, it's Obsidian."
"No," Clay said, "if they're as fast as you say, Hobbes will only be able to keep up with them, but be unable to slow them down. Besides, it's hard to depend on metronome when you need it the most."
Obsidian bristled with annoyance at the remarks. "Don't underestimate luck," he practically growled out.
"Obsidian, please calm down..." Lynn said.
"Actually," Jaden muttered, looking up in thought, "I think it may be a good idea to let you have some experience with the new guys," he mused.
"The new guys?" Dalton asked, glancing back at Luma. "Are you sure about sending new guys after the thieves we couldn't catch?"
"You should not make such presumptions before witnessing their abilities," Valas suddenly stated. He had pulled his painting off the easel and was inspecting it critically. "If speed is your problem, than it won't be for much longer with them."
"You're really sure about these two, aren't you?" Kaoru said, taking another look at the pachirisu.
"Of course!" Jaden grinned.
Yes, Tadayo's main purpose is as a weapon of mass destruction. In a pinch, somebody can swing him around and use him both as a shield and a cannon. He doesn't really mind; in fact, since he's not much more than a balloon, aiming attacks alone is difficult for him. Besides, he's so much more fun like that.
Yesz! Finally got some OCs in! Even if they didn't really do anything but get the crap beaten out of them! Thank you, DelinquentDuo, for the three members of Team Lowblow.
000
New Japanese Vocabulary
Nani? - What?
Sou deshou ne - I suppose
Konbanwa - Good evening
_-sama - A highly respectful honorific
Gomen [nesai] - Sorry
Hajimemashite - Nice to meet you
000
By the way, finals are over! And now I can spend my summer going to summer school! Yeah!... Bleagh. I also have a few weeks of vacation coming up, so don't hold your breath.
Review!
Edited 9-14-09
Wow, now it's a pretty darn long chapter. Like, almost 5K words long. Changed the first scene into a continuation from last chapter as well as splitting into two scenes. No one's at the inn, and yeah. Oh, and Dalton also knows some Japanese, but apparently, he doesn't use it half as often as Kaoru.