[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

She was being stupid.

"Alyssa, let me in!" Jay yelled, banging on the locked door.

"I don't know anyone named Alyssa!" she snapped angrily.

Really stupid.

They were back in the hotel room. It wasn't a mutual decision to return. Sagira had stalked back to the hotel and, like an inescapable shadow, Jay had followed.

That pissed her off even more.

She'd told him to meet her at the Rhydon paddock in an hour. When he hadn't shown, she'd waited for ten minutes, and then gone looking for him. She'd found him sitting on a bench with an Aqua member - a pretty Aqua member - chatting about dinner and foot rubs.

She wasn't jealous of dinner; she didn't like fancy to-dos. She wasn't jealous of the foot rubs, either, as she hated people touching her feet. For one, she was insanely ticklish on her feet, and for another, it just made her feel vulnerable. She didn't like to be touched.

Except by Jay, sometimes...

NO! she shook her head vehemently, biting back tears that wanted to spring forth. She wasn't jealous of dinner or foot rubs or movies. She didn't care about stupid trivialities like that.

But then, what was bothering her?

She liked him. Fine. She'd admit it, but only to herself. She liked him. He was handsome, he was... kind. He had protected her on more than one occasion and even Serenity had grown fond of him (the Ekans had willingly touched him, for Goddess' sake!). So yes, she liked him and sometimes... sometimes she thought about after this, after Aqua... the two of them...

But it was stupid. Of course he wouldn't want... her.

"Idiot," she mumbled.

But she wasn't jealous of those things he had discussed with the girl, so what was it? It wasn't that she was jealous of her, but... but that he was so willing to be near her. To sit beside her.

To just talk.

Could it be that simple, really? Was she really so dependent upon him? She was jealous because he was willing to talk to another girl about simple, stupid things, when every time they spoke, they were either bickering or planning their escape... and bickering.

An image of Mattie flashed before her eyes and she sat down on the bed, feeling weary. Not long after meeting Jay, she had likened him to both her father and Mattie, and that hadn't changed. He was like both of them on some levels. Jay was funny, easy-going, and was easy to be around; like her father, his presence was... comforting. But he was also protective, of her, like Mattie. Kind and friendly, but he had hidden strength that he never revealed unless necessary.

Sagira loved her father, of course, and she loved Mattie. The two were closer than friends. They might have been something more, in another life, but they were too close, even for that. There were other limitations, too, but it had only strengthened their friendship. Mattie had been an outcast, too, if for a different reason.

Being with Jay - around Jay - made the longing for her friends and family more tolerable, because she was comfortable around him. This, though... seeing him so willing to talk to another girl, but them never sitting down and talking about something without any other purpose than just to talk... it hurt.

Sagira didn't like to hurt.

She'd been hurt a lot in the past, by people who pretended to be her friends and then stabbed her in the back when she was turned away. She'd had enough experience in the area of betrayal that she didn't trust anymore. Even though she tried - and oh, she tried so hard - she couldn't break the habit of watching out for that gleaming knife, just waiting for the plunge.

Even she hadn't been aware of how observant she had been toward Jay's behavior, just waiting for the moment when he would turn on her. And she was hurting now, and anyone who hurt her was a threat. So her mind, perhaps in a state of semi-delusion, even, was picking apart his actions and rearranging them to prove that he was a threat.

And the first thing that came to mind was that he had been talking in private to a member of Aqua. Aqua. The current enemy. And she had heard mention of Elite II Dawson. That girl - Melanie? Marina? Madeline? - had called him her boss, and she was working for him. That... man had tried to... to do unspeakable things, and the girl was working for him. Searching for Sagira.

Jay had been talking to her.

And in her mind, twisted by paranoia, delusion, and utter, uncontrollable fear of pain and betrayal, Sagira saw him as working with the girl, playing Sagira for a fool, waiting for her to let her guard down. And she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't. Couldn't. WOULDN'T!

When Jay sauntered into the room, he was swinging around his finger the spare key he had retrieved from the lobbyist after explaining that his wife, in a fit of disagreement, had locked him out of the hotel and no doubt fallen asleep after drinking too much Vodka. Unfortunately for him, his less-than-speedy actions had given Sagira's mind ample time to come up with reason after reason that he was the enemy.

She had no idea who he was.

She didn't know if Jay Lange was his real name. What kind of name was Jay anyway? Was it short for something? Jamie? Jacob? Jared?

Where did he come from? He never spoke of his family. He could be Dawson's son, for all she knew! He could be the spawn of a Magma - the cause of her father's disappearance.

She didn't know anything about his past. He could have been trained an assassin for years. Maybe he was a hired mercenary. A serial killer looking for his next hot cut.

Even when her psychic powers, as limited as they were, fluctuated without her consent (particularly when she was deeply asleep, or he was asleep and projecting) and she read his thoughts, he always had a heavy shield up around the deeper thoughts. Did Hinata teach him that, or was he taught to hide secrets? The perfect spy? The world's greatest liar?

Didn't know. Didn't know. Didn't know. Didn't know.

She. Didn't. Know.

So when Jay swaggered into the room like Captain Jack Swellow onto the deck of the Black Pearl, knowing that all women wanted him and all men wanted to be him, he started prattling in amusement about how Sagira was jealous, having had time to think this over.

He'd expected some playful banter, maybe a few decent whacks to the head. He expected her crossed arms and cocked hips and a sneer. He expected that hot fire-eyed glare she gave him that always made him think of a panther getting ready to pounce.

He'd expected many things, but expectations can lead to many a broken-heart and disappointment.

When he'd sauntered into the room like he wasn't Jay Lange, but The Fonz, he'd been utterly shocked to find himself almost immediately slammed up against the wall, with an angry, hissing, spitting Sagira in his face, her hands digging into his throat as she held his shirt collar tightly and demanded, with the rage of a nervous back robber, to know who he was. Who he was and why the hell he was here.

And for one terrifying moment of indecision, he didn't know which was worse: her believing he was a traitor, or her knowing the truth.

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: May 16 2009, 12:15 AM

[Pumpkin King]

"Umm... Well..." Victor released the four of his Pokemon. "Spoink- I mean, Mercury just learned Odor Sleuth. He can help sniff out Smythe and Lange. Aurum loves to search for shiny things and shiny things only. Oxys and Hydro can't do much either, but they can still search the old fashioned way."

Ivy, Victor and the seven Pokemon scanned the area, looking for any evidence of the couple they were searching for. "We haven't found anything!" Ivy said. the group had been serching for a while with no results. "Let's go into the city!"

"Shut up!" Victor whispered. He pulled Ivy into a large bush. Crossing the bridge were two Magma Grunts on patrol duty. Victor was ready to return his Pokemon to their Pokeballs. but realized the bright light of their energy might be too noticeable. "Guys! Hide!" Victor whispered urgently. Aurum, Oxys and Mercury quickly concealed themselves, but Hydro the Poliwag meandered around. "Hydro!"

"We can take on those losers!" Ivy said, standing up so the Grunts could see her. "Hey you!"

Victor's right palm loudly met Victor's forehead. "Ivy!" He too stood up since their cover had already been blown.

"What is your business here?" The Magma Grunts demanded of them.

Victor smacked his forehead again. We could've come up with an excuse earlier but hiding only makes us more suspicious! Victor thought angrily. I'm so stupid! "We're playing hide-and-go-seek with our Pokemon."

Just then, Victor's walkie-talkie went off. "Grunts Lagos and Kylarian! Report your status!"

"Let's battle!" Ivy said enthusiastically.

Victor accepted the inevitability of a battle and prepared himself. "We're kinda busy!" he responded into the communications device.

[Master Houndoom]

"What'd I do this time?"

"Shut up!"

"Catseye, you have to tell me what I did wrong, otherwise I can't fix it!"

Glare.

Sigh.

"Was it not meeting you?"

"No."

"Was it because I forgot to get you a soda?"

"No."

"Was it that I look so damn good in this outfit?"

GLARE. "Shut... UP."

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous."

Oh, now THAT glare was different. THAT glare had a twitch to it.

"Oh, Arceus. You're JEALOUS. This is too good."

She turned then, glaring as fiercely as she could, before reaching to the side... and slamming the door in his face. They had, obviously, fixed the lock, because he heard the click.

Jay pounded on the door, remembering, almost too late, that he wasn't Jay right now, in public. "Open the door, ALYSSA!"

"I don't know anyone named ALYSSA," shouted Sagira. He nearly kicked the door down, but was stopped when an elderly man opened the door across the hall and looked out timidly.

"So sorry to bother you, old chap," Jay said. "Bit of a spat. I'll just go and get the key, shall I?" Jay sighed, making his way downstairs.

"Is there a problem, Mister Devereaux?" The woman who was at the front counter was older than the woman they'd gotten the room from, but she also didn't bat an eye at the young couple who claimed to be married.

"Well, it's a bit embarrassing," Jay started, sliding right into his accent as if it were second nature. "You see, the wife's had a bit much to drink and taken a strictly off handed comment to heart. As a result, I find myself locked out." He put on an expression of mixed embarrassment and sadness. "I'm sure the vodka's caught up with her by now, and she's quite asleep. Would there be a spare key I can use?"

"Of course, Mr. Devereaux." The woman smiled, and was obviously amused by the situation. She patted his hand as he reached to take the key. "Ah, to be young again..."

Jay smiled thinly. "Yes, well... Thank you," he said, making his way up to his room and unlocking the door. He grinned. She thought she was so clever. He bet she hadn't even thought of the spare key. If he could see her face now...

Ouch. Two hands grabbed him, slamming him into the wall and gripping his collar tight enough to cut off his air. Her face wasn't the sneering, angry mask he'd come to expect, but a look of fear and rage and slight madness. Her eyes were crazed, but piercing, and her hands shook against his throat and collarbone. "Who ARE you? Who are you and what are you doing here?!" When an answer wasn't coming right away, she pulled him off the wall and slammed him back to it, her fear lending her strength. "ANSWER ME!"

Jay met her stare with one of his own. He wasn't choking, but breathing was difficult. He knew, if he did anything, Paladin would attack, and that would lead to a chain reaction. Videl was looking confused, but Hinata had already shifted in his mind from a startled to a cold presence. He sent her a mental command, and, surprisingly, she did not argue.

"I said," Sagira snarled, her voice trembling. She was shaking still, both from strain and whatever adrenaline drove her to this, and her hair mixed with the sweat on her brow, plastering it to her forehead. "ANSWER. ME."

Calmly, Jay raised his hand and pointed to his throat. Sagira looked at it, then pulled her hands back, a fraction of an inch. It was enough.

"Let go."

"Who ARE you?"

Jay fought to keep himself calm. The ralts were looking between their trainers (friends? Adopted parents?) and each other, worry in each eye. There was obviously communication between them, and Jay hoped that they were not about to become enemies.

"Sagira, let me go." His voice was calm, but roughed by her knuckles still against his throat. "Let's talk this out." She didn't move, so Jay pitched his voice to be as soothing as he could. "Sagira, I'm the same guy you've been with all this time..."

"The only person I've been with is someone I was assigned, I don't know you. Who ARE you?!" She pulled his away from the wall, but instead of slamming him into it again, she let go, backing up like a cornered animal. "You could be anyone... you've proven it! Why were you talking to that agent? Why were you being so friendly? She works for him!"

Jay was stunned, which was, despite his efforts, turning into anger. "Oh ARCEUS," he finally shot out, causing her to look at him, wide eyed. "Are you serious?! After everything we've been together, I'm just some spy? Go to hell, Smythe!" He very nearly turned and ran away, except that Sagira was throwing a punch (not a hit, not a slap, a punch) and he had to duck. The door locked itself, but neither human noticed.

"TELL ME!" Sagira threw another punch, and jay ducked it as well. "Tell me who the fuck you are!"

Jay caught her wrist with the next wild swing, and pinned her arm against her, stopping the other arm before it had time to move. He glared at her, contempt in his features, then pushed her away, fear just beginning to creep into his face.

All the fight went out from her then, and she sat on the chair near the table. She sniffed, once, twice, then her voice came out in a whimper. "Why won't you tell me? I'm so tired... I'm so tired of having to look over my shoulder... Please, just... just tell me..."

Jay watched her, breathing heavily. It wasn't... FAIR. She was crying, and he couldn't handle crying. He walked to her, pulling out his wallet. Without a word, he pulled out the one picture in it, dropping it in front of her on the table. It landed face up.

Sagira heard the flutter of paper on wood, and looked to see a picture of a family. In the front was a young girl with strawberry blonde hair, a smattering of freckles, and a smile so beatific that she reminded Sagira of an angel. Next to her, standing but with a hand on her shoulder, was Jay, a year or two younger, but with the same (lovelycute) cocky ass smile. Behind them...

Behind them were Alyssa and Monty. From the shows, almost exactly. Sagira picked up the picture and looked up at Jay. "A-Alyssa and... and Monty..?"

"Yeah... I call them Mom and Dad."

Under better circumstances, Jay would have wished he had a camera. The look on Sagira's face, of stunned disbelief, was priceless. She looked at the picture, then closer, as if to find a flaw that would prove it was doctored.

"I live in Jublife. I have... all my life. Sometimes I do stunt work for my mom's films." She looked up at him, and Jay moved closer, pointing. "That's Amber," he said, wistfully. "My little sister." He looked at her, his face blank. "She's a psychic, and a powerful one."

"She looked at the picture, and then them. "Why..?" Her voice choked off, but Jay was already answering, as if the words were flooding out now that a tiny hole had been put in the dam.

"Because! I mean... Dad's a producer! Everyone knows him! Mom's a director, and everyone knows her! My baby sister is such a powerful psychic... she's going to be someone, help people! And what can I do? I hit things, and I run well, and I can fall down without hurting myself! BIG WHOOP!" He was panting now, and his hands were clenching and unclenching. "I just... I wanted to help someone... and here... I can! I can..."

He'd turned away, but Sagira's voice stopped him from continuing anyway. "Why... why were you talking with that girl."

Jay sighed. Her voice was blank. Cold..? Too much blood was rushing in his ears to be sure. "I overheard her talking to a partner... she knows your CO, and evidently where she works has info on his stealing pokémon from the zoo... They're going to destroy it tomorrow.. if we can get in there..."

Sagira sobbed, once, but it was in relief. "You're an idiot, BlueJay," she said, shakily. She stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Why did you hide that? About where you're from?"

"You already think I'm an idiot, Catseye... well... how much more of an idiot would you think me if you knew I came from a town of vacuous, selfish starlets?"

Sagira regarded his back, swallowed thickly, and looked at the picture. "They don't know, do they?"

"Amber knows I left, but not where. Just that I'm off to do something I think is important."

She walked to him, then, put her arms around his waist, from behind, and whispered two words she wouldn't have been able to to anyone else, emotional roller coaster notwithstanding. "I'm sorry, Jay." When he relaxed, she let go, reached up, and turned him to face her.

"We have to let them know you're all right."

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: May 18 2009, 03:57 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Are you crazy?!"

Ow. Sagira resisted the urge to rub her ears. Surely, Jay was an Alto.

"There is no way I'm telling them! They'll just come... pick me up and take me home." He sighed then, shoulders sagging. "They won't understand."

"So they'll understand better if you let them wonder if you're hurt or not?"

"I'm not-"

"Jay, look." Sagira heaved a weary sigh. Too much was happening all at once. She needed a break. She needed sleep. She was tired... bouncing from one extreme to another. She needed to sit down and meditate, before she fell down and had a seizure.

She put her hands on his shoulders, looking right into his face to make him see that she was serious about this. She was probably more serious about this than she was about most other things.

"You can't let them just wonder, Jay. It's not right."

"I'm not telling them!" he snapped, his temper momentarily escaping his hold and his voice coming out like a snarl.

She let go, then, taking a step away from him, only to slap him across the face. It wasn't a hard slap. Rather soft, actually, considering that she'd hit him before, but it got her point across. "Don't be an ass, Jay! You need to tell them that you're okay!" She moved her hand back, as though to slap him again. He didn't even flinch (though he did glare) and, rather than follow through with the action, her hand hovered over his slightly-reddening cheek. Her face was inches from his and though her eyes were directed at him, her gaze was unfocused, staring off into the past. "They shouldn't have to wonder," she whispered, almost wistfully.

"No!" he growled, grabbing her wrist to keep her from losing her temper and hitting him again, even though it looked like she didn't intend to. "I'm doing something important. I don't need them to show up and drag me home!" His grip on her wrist wasn't tight enough to hurt her, but he still let go as though he had burned her with his touch, taking a step away. "Shit... I'm sorry," he whispered, sounding so sincerely apologetic that Sagira was momentarily stunned into speechlessness.

Unfortunately, the tears that had been gathering in her eyes from the memory brought on by her words did not halt with her voice. She stared at him through eyes growing more blurry by the second. The look on her face was one of incredulous confusion. "I told you why I joined Aqua, Jay," she said, trying to explain to him why he needed to contact his family. "To find my father. To find the bastards that took him away. Because I know that's what happened. I know he was forced away from us, but that's not what other people say. They say he ran away. That he left us, because he didn't love us. For years, Jay - YEARS - I have put up with people telling me and my mother that we were delusional fools for believing that he didn't leave us of his own accord. And though I never believed it, it still hurt. Every. Damn. Time. I know what it feels like. Do you REALLY want your parents to go through that type of hell?" She shook her head, and twin tears slipped down her pale cheeks. "Jay, I wouldn't wish that kind of loss on Ezira."

Jay sighed, shaking his head. He reached out to touch her face, running his thumbs over her cheeks and smoothly wiping away the river tracks left by her fallen tears. "Not now," he whispered, his voice soothing but filled with pain. "After this, but not now. I can't have them see me... as a failure."

"Who cares if you're a failure, Jay?! Did you ever wonder what they would think? Sure, they say they think you ran away..." She scoffed at his look of surprise. "They showed that foolish sap news story more than once on TV, Lange. I just never realized that it was you they were talking about. Thick of me, but..." She shook her head. "You're a child of actors, Jay. Brilliant actors. If anyone could fool an entire population of news watchers, it would be Monty and Alyssa Leppenhouser." Her facial expression faltered, turning somber. "What if they know you didn't run for no reason, BlueJay? Do you think they don't know you? What if they know something's going on, but don't know what. What if they think you might be hurt, or worse? Do they really deserve to suffer like that?"

He hung his head. "You know what your problem is?" he asked, sounding defeated.

"The fact that I am always right?" she offered, complete with an arrogant smirk. Move over, Narcissus. Sagira takes the throne.

"You make too much sense," he corrected, trying futilely to verbally remove that smirk from her gorgeous face.

"Ah, yes. Then there's that," she said thoughtfully. Sagie smiled softly at him. "Look, BlueJay. I need to call my mom and assure her that I haven't disappeared into thick air, too. You don't need to even tell your parents where you're at. Actually, it's probably better if you don't." She shook her head, muttering, "Who knows if they've tapped the phones." She sighed. "Just tell them that you're okay." She smirked. "Actually, they should know that once they see you, Monty."

"See, that's just it... I look like Dad," he tried. Stall stall stall.

"And that's stopping you from making a video call how, exactly?" she asked in exasperation.

"He... might get confused," Jay mumbled.

"Jay, if you don't call them, your WIFE will." She gave a rather sadistic smirk, which caused him to falter.

"... Okay," he said slowly, calling her bluff, "but they'll never believe you're my wife."

She smirked, giving him a conspiratorial wink. "Did I ever tell you, my darling Montague," she said, her voice lathered in that think London English accent, "that I am an exquisite actress?" Flashing her teeth at him, almost as a challenge to continue the verbal battle, she headed for the door.

He raised his finger, too amused to stop her. "I've lived with them, you know," he said... he must be a little upset, he sounds like John Cleese.

"Indeed you have," she admitted, as she walked down the hall, content that he was following her. "And now, I should like to meet them."

"Yes, well, I want you to kiss me, but that's not happening today, either, is it?" he muttered darkly. Unfortunately, Hinata heard it and, being the little trouble- matchmaker that she is, sent it to Paladin.

The newly-met Ralts looked at Jay with exasperated eyes. He shook his head sadly, his voice echoing through Jay's head: "A woman should not have to act. She should be flattered and treated like a queen. You should kiss her."

"Every time I go to kiss her, Aquas show up..." Hey, wait aminiit...

Paladin and Hinata laughed together, their giggles audible only to Jay's ears, as Sagira froze in place, stopped just outside of the room. She turned to look at him in surprise. "Wh-what?" she asked.

"... I'm gonna throttle a pair of Ralts'. You go call my parents." He turned, mock evil-eyeing the two psychic gigglers.

This, of course, only made Paladin giggle more loudly, pointing a shaking paw at Jay as he rolled on the bed, almost immobilized by his mirth. He managed to gasp, "Hin-Hinata... made me!"

Sagira thought it was safer just to get to the video phone. When she got downstairs, she put a couple coins into the phone and dialed the operator. Managing to talk her way into the getting the number of a pair of celebrities, she sat waiting for the call to go through, mildly annoyed at feeling the poking of Hinata's presence against her mind.

Thanks to some help from Paladin, however, as well as a better understand of the world of lines and colors, she was learning to erect a type of mental shield, which managed to keep a not-really-trying Hinata out of her more private thoughts. Like the ones about Ja- okay, back to the phone call...

She was sure that Paladin was lecturing Hinata now, though she wasn't quite sure how she knew that.

Finally, Sagira thought, as the phone began to ring. She heard footsteps come up behind her and, sure that it was Jay, decided to have some fun. So, when a young freckle-faced girl came into view, Sagira put on a wide smile and said, in her Londoner accent, "You must be Amber! Oh, your dear brother's told me so much about you!"

"Um..?" The girl blinked, then her eyes widened, and she looked behind her. "You know where Jay is," the girl whispered, half terrified, half excited.

"I'm afraid I don't know any Jay, darling. As it is, the bird seems to have flown the coop. But Monty's told me so much about his family and said he hasn't seen them in ages, and I knew I just had to call and let them know that we're both doing marvelously here, but Jay misses you terribly."

She was pretty sure that she could hear Paladin giggling in her head, as she continued. "He was worried about calling you. Seems he was afraid someone might overhear him telling his little sister that he loves he so much. But I knew we couldn't let his family think we'd run off and eloped."

Amber's brows knitted together, and then she whispered "Oh!" She seemed to be trying to peer past Sagira, and when Jay stuck his face over her shoulder, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah. No. Of course not. Hello, Uncle Monty..."

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Jun 6 2009, 11:54 PM

[Living Arrow]

“We’re kinda busy!” Victor hurriedly muttered into the comm set. Ivy whipped it off him and put on her most serious voice, keeping her voice low.

“This is Grunt Kylarian. We are about to engage Magma forces at the Noverus Southern Bridge. Back up is not necessary but protocol suggests you send a shadow team to secure the location once the threat is exting… ecksming? Stopped.” She had a little trouble with the longer word, but otherwise Ivy had managed to successfully recall the request completely from memory and almost letter by letter from ‘the book’.

<Understood, Grunt Kylarian. Shadow Team Sixteen is being dispatched. Please provide an update once the area is clear.> The Operator’s voice came back down the ear piece.

“Right!” Ivy clicked her fingers, cutting the connection. She looked at Victor who was giving her a wide-eyed stare of disbelief. She titled her head. “Come on, Silly! Time to go over the top!”

Ivy threw herself over the bush as though she was emerging from a trench in a warzone, rolled on her shoulder and came up on her feet, all three of her Pokemon were instantly at her side. Alpha’s growl was the only utterance from the trio although the static charge of anticipation building in Beta crackled warningly.

“It’s a kid!” One of the Magmas laughed, pointing at Ivy and her team. “Do we even need to waste time with that sort of trash?”

“Er… she is wearing the Aqua Band… So I guess so…”

“TRASH!? Why you!” Ivy shook a fist at the first one to speak – a man of around twenty years wearing the familiar red and black uniform of Team Magma. He had an easy smile and seemed somewhat laid back, his eyes large and framed by wrinkles that said he laughed a lot. His partner looked more worried, her own features soft and thoughtful. She chewed at the knuckle on her right forefinger with worry and her eyes darted from Ivy to her Pokemon to the bush she had jumped from.

“Oh, it speaks…” The male said again, this time a bit more thought creeping into his sarcasm.

“Ivy is not an ‘it’, you vulgar mass!” Victor stepped primly from the bush, a twig was stuck in his otherwise tidy hair but Ivy thought it the wrong time to start worrying about how her teammate looked. “I am afraid I am going to have to punish you for that!”

“Ooooh!” Ivy’s child-like eyes widened. “Vicky’s gone all grown-up!”

“Kane, let’s go…” The girl urged her partner to retreat but the male seemed a bit more on guard now that Victor had made his presence known. His eyes shifted carefully, weighing up the pair of Aquas.

“Stay put, Selene… We can take ‘em…” He mouthed confidently. “Just keep to the plan we came up with, OK?”

“I… erm… yes, Kane.” The girl called Selene did not seem very confident at all. Ivy wondered why the clearly insecure girl was even a part of Magma but put the thought out of her head as quickly as it arrived. Rules were rules and she had to defeat and Magmas. Those weren’t only the rules dictated by her own faction, but also by her own decision. This was the reason she joined Aqua – to take down Magma at all costs…

“Right, let’s go, Raticate!” Kane released his Pokemon much to the delight of Ivy.

“Oooh! Look at it!” She bounced on the spot, pointing at the giant rat and its twitching nose. “It’s twitchin’ and stitchin’!!!” She ran over to come nose-to-nose with the Pokemon. “Why’s you so spacky for?” She asked and was rewarded with a gnash of teeth, she dodged the blow easily and back-flipped back to her team.

“Hey! Don’t you insult my Raticate!” Kane yelled, fire finally reaching his voice.

“Not my fault it’s all Silly!” Ivy stuck her tongue out at her opponent. “I’m gonna beat it anyway, right Kappa?”

Ivy’s Buizel put a hand to his chest in question and asked a simple “Bui?”

“Yep! Time for you to have a go!”

Kappa grinned and jumped over Alpha and Beta, his brow turning down with focus. He was enetering his first battle for Team Aqua and Ivy knew how important it was for self-esteem for him to win the first one so she’d have to give him great orders.

“OK, Vics – you beat up that girly and we’ll get out of here!”

[Master Houndoom]

"Hullol, luv," he said, softly, more softly than just a joke or an accent would allow. "How are you faring?"

Sagira couldn't contain her snort of laughter. Uncle Monty... that's almost adorable...

"Reporters suck." Jay actually grinned, and Amber gave him a soft, unsteady smile on the phone. Her brow furrowed in what seemed to be concentration, but she relaxed after a time, looking vaguely disappointed.

"I would have to agree, darling," Sagira said, winking at the girl. "Unfortunately, we've got our own paparazzi to deal with. It seems that your dear uncle here is quite the charmer. He even has this big ugly man in a uniform running after his blood. Seems he stopped quite the incident from happening to his *wife*."

'Wife', the girl mouthed, and then Jay saw his opportunity for a little payback. He leaned down and kissed Sagira softly on the corner of her mouth. Of course, from his angle, he couldn't kiss her properly and got more cheek than anything, but it was as close as he could get. "Your new auntie is a wonderful looking chippy, dove, but unfortunately hasn't the sense it takes to not walk alone at night."

Sagira's lips had formed a very thin line and she was contemplating the pros and cons of murdering Jay in front of his sister. He decided not to scar her for life and instead chose a more... *appropriate* form of punishment. That being telling Paladin that Jay just insulted her, to which the Ralts began to instruct, quite loudly, the proper etiquette to use when courting a lady. Fortunately only Jay was subject to this honor, and so Sagira turned back to Amber and smiled sweetly. "My dear husband has a problem with keeping his hands still, but I suppose that could be remedied by cutting them off." She winked at her reassuringly. "Now, fetch your mum and dad for me, would you, love?"

"You got married before telling Mom and Dad? Uncle Monty, they're going to kill you..." Unfortunately, 'Uncle Monty' was busy trying to remind a certain telepathic ralts that it was HIS suggestion for JAY to kiss HER.... his head rose, and he growled in her ear, deep and seductive, if not for the anger, "I'll get you for this..."

"Now, now, love," Sagira admonished him with a smirk, "I'm on the telly. I know she's your niece, but show some decorum, wouldn't you?" She smiled rather sadistically at Jay, mentally praised Paladin, and then turned back to the video scream, just as an extremely familiar man and woman appeared. Sagira couldn't help it. She grinned widely and declared with much eagerness,

"Robert! Samantha! Oh, how wonderful it is to finally meet you!"

It broke Jay's heart to see his mother put her hand to her mouth as if she'd seen a ghost. It scared him to see his father shocked and angry. Still, appearances had to be kept. He smiled and leaned closer to the screen. "Robert! Samantha! I was telling *Alyssa* about you and she insisted we phone right away!"

"Of course," Sagira said, smiling at the pair. "Robert, Samantha, 'tis a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry it's taken us so long to call, but unfortunately, we're been doing a lot of running." She met the man's eyes as best she could through a video screen. "Robert, I daresay, you taught your baby brother well." She let her expression soften from the act for a moment, revealing her sincerity "I promise you, he has been more kind than most would in his position. I am grateful to have met him." She looked at Jay for a moment before turning back. "I'm only sorry it took us so long to call." The smile was back, the false pleasurable tone. "Of course, we won't be making a habit of that. I'm afraid we won't be staying here long enough for a visit, but rest assured, things should settle down soon." I hope, she added mentally.

Jay smiled, shakily. He wasn't so much a good actor as a good improvisationalist at need, and he was starting to want to go home. "Rest assured, Robert, when there's time, I will call again." He spared a glance to his mother, who cleared her throat.

"Montgomery," she said, in a commanding tone, "You'd best find a time to call sooner rather than later, or there will be hell to pay. Alyssa, it is lovely to meet you. I wish we could have done so under better circumstances." Her lip quivered, but her head was high.

"As do I, Samantha, as do I. Rest assured, though. If all goes well and the paparazzi finds a better story to follow, we'll be able to contact you without all the glamor in place." She smiled. "Call me a commoner, but I've always been better suited to meeting someone without the suit and black tie."

Samantha's lips pressed together. "Not at all, darling, not at all. Do make certain we can be properly acquainted. I'm not very happy with my brother-in-law for springing a sudden marriage on us, but it is a relief to at least know he's well..."

Robert's smile came, easy, and a perfect match for Jay's. "Robert, lad, you should come to Jublife soon. I'd love to thrash you at a game of chess."

Sagira couldn't help but chuckle. "From what I've seen, Monty's quite the fighter. I think I'd rather see a game of strength than a game of wit. I daresay I'm running low on it at this point, and don't fancy having to use it for a long time after all of this is over. I do assure you, though, Robert, that your dear brother is quite the *Knight*. Has a habit of rescuing damsels in distress, I can promise you."

Robert regarded her, then nodded. "You two have a good night. And Alyssa... thank you."

"Of course, Robert." She nodded politely. "Samantha." She smiled. "Sleep well."

Samantha gave a shaky smile. "You as well. Good night, Montgomery, Alyssa..." The phone went black, and Jay, rather than stick around, turned and walked straight back tot he room.

Sagira watched him walk away, regarding his stiff back. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to do and decided that it would be best to give him some alone time. Turning back to the video phone, she dialed a number and waited a few moments, before a woman picked up. Sagira smiled. "Hello, Mum."

-----

Jay walked into the room, sat on the cushy chair and put his face in his hands. he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. Hinata floated to him, hugging his head softly, laying her cheek on his hair. Paladin, she whispered mentally, careful to only talk to her fellow ralts, maybe we went too far...

No, Paladin spoke back to Hinata, he needed to tell them. My friend was right.

We forced it, though. He's hurting because of it... She sighed. I hate hurting Trainer Jay.

Paladin looked at Jay this time and spoke to him. Sagira misses her family, too. Jay looked up, nodded, but still said nothing. Instead he raised himself and stripped off his vest, shirt, and undershirt, going to a corner of the room and performing slow, methodical exercises.

Of course she does. And Trainer Jay will help her find her family. I just... hate hurting Trainer Jay.

I know. And my friend and I will help Jay see his family again. He looked down at his paws, unsure if he was allowed to say this, but continued anyway. She wants to meet them, too.

Oooh... well, THAT was interesting. Perk perk. She dooooeees?

Weeeeeeell, Paladin continued, sensing Hinata's excitement, she's been obsessed with Catch as Catch Can since she was little and had a crush on Monty. He smiled devilishly. She thinks your Trainer Jay looks reeeaaaalllly handsome.

He does, doesn't he, she sighed. It was a crush, and she knew it... but she still admired him. Then she pouted Not that I'd even know for really reals...

You don't have to have working eyes to see. He shrugged, knowing she would hear the action and probably tell it from his voice. I can't really hear Sagira or your Trainer Jay, but when I mind-listen, their voices sounds the same. Well... Sagira says they do.

How would she know? She can hear us, sure, but not Trainer Jay.

Paladin looked down, wondering if he should say anything. But this was Hinata and Sagira liked Hinata. She trusted Hinata, and the other Ralts could help. Don't tell your Trainer Jay, okay? I don't think Sagira wants anyone to know, but she's psychic. He said the last word with some spooky tone of voice. Sagira didn't mean to read your Trainer Jay's thoughts, but sometimes she can't help it, like when he's sleeping and projecting. Or when she's sleeping. I'm trying to help her. I'm teaching her to make a mind shield.

Hinata gaped. That explains so much!

The two ralts continued talking, heedless of Jay, who continued to exercise.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: May 18 2009, 03:59 PM

[Pumpkin King]

Victor felt uncomfortable. He already hated that Kane guy, but the female Grunt Selene seemed afraid. She was the kind of person who didn't really belong in a criminal team, like Victor himself. Or at least, that was the impression he got from her. She hadn't called out any Pokemon as of yet. "Aurum! Fury Swipes on Raticate!" Victor commanded of his Meowth.

Selene the Magma Grunt reached for one of the three Pokeballs on her belt. "D-Dustox! G-Go!" She hesitantly tossed a ball in the air and a moth materialized on the battlefield.

A light bulb instantly appeared over Victor's head. Dustox= Poison, he thought. Spoink= Psychic! "Meowth, get back!" Victor recalled his Pokemon. "Go, Mercury!"

"Oink oink!" The psychic piglett bounced into the battle.

"Dustox, use-"

"Psywave!" Victor commanded. Selene, startled by Victor's interruption, did not finish her command. Mercury fired its wave of psychic energy and directly hit the enemy Dustox.

"Dustox use-"

"Follow it up with another Psywave!" Selene once again failed to issue a complete command and Dustox was suffering. The Poison Moth however was not about to lose a battle because of its trainer's ineptness. Dustox took measures into its own wings. It used Protect and shielded itself from Mercury's attack. Selene seemed shocked that her Pokemon was fighting on its own. "Splash!" Confused about Victor's orders, Mercury hesitated for a moment, then splashed in the river water, getting Dustox's wings wet. The moth could no longer sustain itself in the air because of the added weight of the water. "Great! Now- Mercury!"

"Ooiink!" The piglet yelled in surprise. Kane's Raticate chomped down on the Spoink with a Hyper Fang. It must have been a critical hit because Mercury was struggling to maintain its bounce.

"Oxys! Finish that Dustox!" Victor sent out his Trapinch. "Dig!" The Dustox was shaking the water off its wings while Selene vacantly watched the scene. Trapinch's attack was right on target and the moth could not take any more. Victor walked over to his opponent and dropped a handful of coins in her hand.

"Wha-"

"Take it." It was traditional for the loser to hand over a sum of money to the victor, but Victor felt money was the last thing he would need. "Go!" he told her, noticing the obvious rage on Ivy's face. What's her problem? Victor did not know about her hatred for Team Magma. Selene fled the scene, leaving her partner, Kane to fend for himself.

[Living Arrow]

When the girl called Selene had sent out her own Pokemon, Ivy had been somewhat relieved that Victo had the chance to focus on her rather than take away some of Kappa's fight. She really wanted her Buizel to do well in his first real battle and the fact that it was against Magma made it all the more important that he win.

"Raticate! Go Quick Attack!" Kane sent his giant rodent into battle, its bulky form surprisingly fleet of foot. It dashed erratically towards Kappa, gnashing its teeth with excitment.

"Beat it up with your Aqua Jet, Kappa!" Ivy growled, her hands cleching into tight fists. "Kick its ass!"

The two Pokemon collided with force, a spray of water bursting from the pair as they rebounded and Kappa's water-shield fell. Neither one seemed any worse for wear - evenly matched hits testing the other's strength.

"Sonicboom!" Ivy yelled, her hands methodically opening and closing with a steady rhythm. Kappa jumped into the air and swung his tail in neats arcs, flinging razor-edged sonicwaves at his opponent. They tore into the cobbled ground, tearing chunks out of the cement and stone as they raced towards the foe.

"Break it down with Hyper Fang!" Kane ordered, his Raticate bracing itself for the incoming blade of air and clamping its jaws down on the crescent blade as it came. The white arc of highly pressurised air shook violently as it forced its way onward, puching the rat back a few inches before its powerful jaws shattered the attack into harmless fragments that scattered into the breeze.

"Gun it down!" Ivy ordered, urging her Buizel's attacks to hit a weak spot. Kappa landed on all fours and blasted out a hard Water Gun, its powerful stream surging towards the Raticate who was already standing prepared. Kane called for an Ice Beam that the rat used to freeze the incoming water. It leapt up and landed on the hardened water, running and freezing the water ahead as it went. In now time at all it was right on top of Kappa, those teeth flashing towards him.

"BUI!" Kappa yepled, the Raticate's teeth clamping on his harm with a ferocious Hyper Fang. With a mighty flick, the Raticate threw Buizel into the air and shot him with an Ice Beam before he had chance to recover.

"Kappa, no!" Ivy cried, running towards her fallen Pokemon. With new orders from its master, the Raticate turned and ran towards where Victor was battling. Ivy, too upset to think about her opponent's disregard of her and her Pokemon, cradled Kappa in her arms. He looked up at her weakly, his breathing fast and shallow.

"Bui... bui..."

"It's ok, Kappy." Ivy crooned, kissing him sweetly on the forehead. "You don't have to battle anymore..." Kappa instantly started struggle to be let free, complaining and twisting with some force that Ivy didn't know he had left in him. "You... you want to keep going? To win?" Ivy asked, releasing her Pokemon slowly.

"BUI!" Kappa announced, patting his chest and pointing at the Raticate who had just attacked Victor's springy little piggy.

"Then let's go!" Ivy punched the air. "We'll all work together!" Alpha and Beta snarled their agreement and flaked their master quickly, Kappa running out in front. "GO!"

Kappa's body surged with water, becoming the perfect hydromissile as Aqua Jet took form. The foe Raticate turned to late to find the Buizel rocketing towards it with frightening speed.

"Raticate!" Kane gasped, his Pokemon being slammed in the face by the rushing Sea Weasel.

"I'm your opponent!" Ivy yelled at Kane as she ran at him on all fours, Alpha and Beta leaping onto her back as she closed in. "You don't get away with hurting my friends!" Alpha and Beta growled nastily as they got closer, keeping low on Ivy's back so they wouldn't fall. Kane's face was a picture of utter shock, confusion and terror as Ivy flew at him, her two partners jumping from her at the very last moment before she threw out her legs and turned the gallop into a sliding tackle. At the point of impact, she kicked up to strike Kane's sternum with her foot. The wind was stolen from him instantly and he was lifted clean from the ground with the sheer power of her attack.

Once in the air, Kane was defenseless. Alpha came down on one arm and Beta on the other: Bite and Thuder Fang finding their marks.

"FANG OVER FANG!" Ivy screamed, her two friends pile driving the man into the gutter. A sickening crack was hard as his head hit the floor and a pool of blood quickly began to form from the impact zone. A Buizel's cry announced an incoming Raticate that screamed as it flew, a razor-arced Sonicboom throwing it to land on its trainer.

Ivy panted with exertion, the rage in her rapidly fading. Kappa returned to her side, his sides heaving desperately with fatigue. Ivy bent down and petted him, congratulating him on the job and calling him back to the bubble ball to rest. He did so without complaint and Ivy was left with Alpha and Beta obediently watching her as she scowled at the unconscious man and his rat.

"Filthy Magma..." She whispered, leaving his body and regrouping with Victor. She quickly replaced her child-like demeanour and wide smile, conscious that keeping her serious face on might make her friend feel uncomfortable and grabbed his wrist, leading him away from the river and into the city.

"C'mon Victor! Times wastin'!" She forced the silly enthusiasm as they moved on in their search for Sagira. It would be a while before she truly calmed down and even then it would never be 100% pure. After all, that had been not only Kappa's but her own very first battle against Magma and it had felt... good.

[Pumpkin King]

"Ivy! Could you stop pulling me everywhere?" said Victor. "I can lead myself places ya know." However, Ivy did not let go until the river was completely out of view. "So I'm guessing your battle went well?"

"Yeah! Kappy did great!" Ivy said enthusiastically, but the tone did not carry the same enthusiasm it usually did.

"I think I'm getting better at this battling thing," Victor said as they walked through the streets of Noverus. "And Mercury's Splash actually did something for once! I thought it was a completely useless move, but it brought that girl's Dustox down and then Oxys finished it off. That girl... Selene. She seemed so scared. So fragile. I felt so bad for her. I really wonder why she's part of Magma." A low growl came from Victor's partner. "What?"

"Oh, nothing!" Ivy said with a smile. "I didn't say anything, Silly!" she added.

"Even though I won the battle, I gave her some money," Victor continued. "That's the only reason I see for someone like her to join Team Magma." Or she could be in a situation parallel to mine. "What are we supposed to do after we win a battle? I just gave her them money and let her go."

"You did WHAT?!" Ivy growled angrily. Victor was startled. He hadn't been expecting such a tone from her. Ivy blinked twice and put on a happy masquerade. "I don't know," she answered Victor's question, ignoring her previous outburst.

Victor waited a few moments before going on. Ivy's little outburst had scared him to pieces. He looked at the Noverus scenery and quietly asked, "What did you do with the Grunt?"

"Catlady!" Ivy darted into a Pokemart on their left, leaving Victor in the dust.

Victor stood alone in the street. I don't think I've seen Ivy act this way. Did I do something wrong? He stepped into the shop to find Ivy grazing through the aisles. "Did you find Smythe?" Victor inquired.

"No," she responded, picking up a Hyper Potion. "It was just some girl."

Victor stood next to his partner and picked himself a Potion. He dared not look Ivy in the face. "Is everything all right?"

"Yup yup! I'm as happy as can be!" Ivy said. Her statement seemed almost rehearsed.

Victor decided to let her be. He walked into the next aisle and whipped out his cell phone.

[Victoria, meet me at the Noverus mall. I'll be in Barnes & Noble.]

"Ivy," Victor said, turning into the aisle she was in. "We should check out the mall. Lange and Smythe may be there thinking they could blend into the crowd. It's worth a shot." Victor's phone buzzed.

{See you there.}

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira hung up the phone with some reluctance. She missed her mother. She wouldn't argue that fact. A good part of her wanted to go home.

The other part of her knew better.

She had a job to do. It would be hard, but she'd known it would be from the start. She didn't know that it was going to entail all of this - the attacks, the being named criminals, the running, going in disguise - but she'd known it would be hard. She wasn't the type of person to back down and she had no intention to, but... at times like this, it was difficult.

Sighing, Sagira pushed herself to her feet and headed back toward the room, her thoughts on where they were going to go from here. They needed to find a way to prove that her CO was corrupt, and that she and Jay were far from traitors to Aqua. Jay had a good idea... something about files, an covert, illegal operation, and records. Sagira didn't remember a whole lot about it. She'd been too worked up to truly take in what he had been telling her.

She stopped walking and leaned heavily against the wall, rubbing her face wearily with a hand. Goddess... she had really laid him out, hadn't she? She didn't remember much about that, either, but she distinctly recalled throwing him up against the wall and yelling. Her throat hurt a bit from the yelling. She was more of a hiss quietly and darkly and try to freak people out with cat-like fury. Jay, though... Jay didn't spook like most people. In fact, he was distinctly unlike most people, and it threw her off. It made her fear him a little, and that fear made her a bit crazy.

She wasn't sure why. She just didn't... she didn't trust people. She hadn't for so long, it was second nature to doubt a person's intentions. In her mind, a friend was nothing more than someone who thought you useful for the moment. When you'd served your purpose in their eyes, they'd stab you in the back like everyone else. Friendship, love... it was all a lie. That was what she had come to believe.

Could she be wrong?

A part of her sternly demanded that no!, she wasn't wrong. People weren't to be trusted. They were deceitful, cruel, and cared nothing for anyone but themselves.

Still, that other part of her... that smaller part that hid deep within her subconscious, like a child hiding under the bed covers from a monster, begged that she was wrong. She wanted to be wrong so bad...

Right or wrong... right or wrong, she needed to talk to Jay. She needed to apologize to him. Even if he was using her, she had been cruel. She had thrown him against the wall, she'd hit him, she'd forced him to do something that he clearly didn't want to do. Sure, he'd eventually followed her, but only because she gave him no other choice. She thought he should have spoken to his parents (and still, she thought that had been the right thing for him to do), but he hadn't wanted to and she'd forced him to do it.

She felt... well, she felt bad.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, as she started to walk down the corner again. "Just tell him you're sorry and then go to bed. Goddess knows, you need the sleep."

She had stuck the original key in her pocket when she'd locked Jay out in the hall, so she slipped it into the lock and quietly pushed the door open. She was still musing over exactly how to bring up her apology, when she stepped into the main area of the room and caught a glimpse of Jay.

Her brain wasn't quite functional enough to allow her two thought processes at once. That being said, her nervous system was too busy screaming BLUSH! BLUSH! BLUSH!, to tell her to be embarrassed for blushing.

Jay was standing away from the beds, his back to her as he faced the wall. He had removed his shirt, displaying his bare back, and Sagira could see his taut muscles, as his stood with his legs spread, moving his arms in slow, methodical increments. Distantly, somewhere deep within the recesses of her brain that hadn't gone into overload, Sagira recognized the martial arts form as Tai Chi, but the conscious part of her self didn't really give a damn. Rather, she was taking in those taut muscles, the slight sheen of sweat, and the mussed brown hair with the observation of a Staraptor, or a bomb specialist.

When he made a sweep with his leg, his body turning, Sagira's brain jump started into semi-functioning, and she ducked her head quickly before he could catch her staring... or drooling.

"Could you, um... put a shirt on?" she asked, unable to focus enough to think up which name she was supposed to be calling him. She wasn't mad enough to use his surname, but comfortable enough to call him Jay. He didn't seem birdlike at all at this moment, so BlueJay was out of the question, and Monty never really fit the rugged look. Maybe "pretty boy" would sound good right about now, but some part of her was sternly declaring that he had surpassed pretty by a long shot.

"What's the matter?" he asked cockily, but as he pulled on his shirt. "You act like you've never seen a guy without a shirt on before."

"I always tend to catch the guys who look better with it on," she said, but then realized that that sounded suspiciously like a compliment. "I mean... never one quite so... umm..." She bit her lip. "... N-never mind."

He smirked at her, but she pointedly looked away. "Look... Lange... Jay..." She searched the carpet as though it held all of the answers. "I have to tell you something," she began. Wow, what a way to begin an apology. Because I have to do it.

"Yeah," Jay said somberly, causing Sagira to look up at him. His face was serious as their eyes met. "I think we need to talk."

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Jun 7 2009, 12:04 AM

[Master Houndoom]

After his pronouncement, the two stared at each other for what seemed like hours, Jay with a tight lipped expression, and Sagira looking a little bit lost and slightly trapped. Finally, she slumped and said, softly, "I'm sorry." At the same time, Jay ran his fingers through his hair, looked at the wall, and said, "Thank you."

Both looked at each other, Sagira slightly shocked and Jay starting to grin. "Come again," Sagira said, swallowing thickly.

"I said, thank you." Sagira continued to gape, and Jay started looking down at himself self-consciously. "What, did my shirt fly off or something?"

"I slammed you against a wall! And yelled at you!"

"Yeah, OK, but you were upset, and you finally stopped so we could get through it.

"I hit you!"

"No, you swung at me..."

"I... I forced you to call your parents!"

Jay grinned at that, nearly laughing. "Yeah, that's what I'm thanking you for." The expression on Sagira's face didn't waver from its confusion, and Jay gestured with an open palm. "You were right, you know? It wasn't fair to them, and it sucked watching them on TV. I mean, they were all upset, and because of me. You had the right idea." He grinned wider, his eyes sparkling. "And it was fun, too. If it wasn't for the veiled threats, I'd be laughing."

Sagira's eyes narrowed. "I don't understand you, Jay Lange."

"I'm pretty simple," he said, then pointed at her, half smiling, eyes wide in an 'oh no you don't' expression. "Don't."

Sagira's grin nearly matched his, if not for her lingering confusion. She mock-sighed, rolling her eyes. "You caugt me."

"Seriously, Catseye, I'm not that complicated. I'm just a guy." And you're a girl. And man, are you a great girl.

Sagira's head lowered, and her bangs, shorter now, still managed to cover her eyes. "I think you're wrong. I think there's more to you than you let on." She choose her words carefully, not wanting to seem the crazed, paranoid hell cat she'd been when she attacked him. "I'd like to get to know you better."

She'd deal later with the fact that she sounded so sappy saying it.

"Yeah, well," Jay said, giving half a shrug and suddenly finding the wall away from her extremely interesting, "I'd like to get to know you, better, too." Sagira looked up, blinking, and began to smile shakily. "Think of it as a bit of quid pro quo." Jay's voice changed slightly, taking on a slight British accent. He lowered his head and looked up at her, past his eyebrows, a smarmy smile taking over his features. "You will tell me when the Mareep stop screaming, won't you, Clarice?"

"That is a horrible thought," Sagira cried with a shudder. In truth, she'd enjoyed the movie, and Jay joking with her was a relief. A part of her, one she hadn't been ready to acknowledge, had been afraid that her outburst would drive him away.

Jay, instead, grinned and sat on the bed, then motioned for her to follow suit. She did, but sat well away from him, facing him more or less openly.

"OK, so... I know about your father... tell me about your mom..."

And so began the conversation, ranging from the trivial to the deep. When it began to get too personal, Sagira always steered the conversation away, and Jay let her; He had little in that area, and she, if he was any judge of character, wasn't ready to tell him. So he talked about movie viewing habits ("I've seen everything,"), movie preferences, ("Don't get me wrong, I like a good horror, but Johto horror movies have it all over Sinnoh. Check out Ju-On: The Grudge..."), while she touched on literature, music, and art. They talked for hours, so much so that when the conversation ran out, both were surprised to see that it was dark.

"You look tired, Catseye."

"We have to press on," Sagira said, pulling her head up.

Jay looked at her, his head tilted. He was worried. Her outburst hadn't slipped his mind so much as he'd chosen not to dwell on it, and now that he had nothing else to talk about (for now), he was worried. "We have a couple of hours. Why don't you get a little sleep, I'll grab us some dinner, and we can go out there..."

The word dinner caused her to raise a brow, and when she spoke, her throat seemed to be dry. "Don't... don't you have a date."

Jay looked down. "Yeah... no. I said I'd be there, but I was just saying that to get the address." He sighed. "I feel like an ass, but... desperate times, and all, you know?"

Sagira regarded him, then ducked her head.

"Sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Liar. Sleep."

"We really should prepare."

"I can brief you on the way, if you want. Sleep"

Sagira looked up at him, huffed, and rolled back. "Fine. Wake me in an hour and a half."

"Three hours."

"An hour and a half."

Jay smirked. "Two and a half hours."

"An hour. And a half."

"Fine." She closed her eyes, but Jay spoke up again. "Two hours."

She smiled, or maybe just wanted to, because her breathe was already slowing and she was falling asleep.

[Living Arrow]

"It's worth a shot."

Ivy shuddered. She did not like the mall. It was cramped and crowded and it was very easy to get lost in when people were pushing at you from all sides. Ivy's nose was always blocked by the smell of sweat and greasey food from the food court when she went anywhere near there so she found it hard to believe Alpha or Beta would have any more luck in such a setting. They would be limited to only their eyesight and for someone of Ivy's size, all shoulders and elbows looked pretty much the same.

Even so, it did make sense to hide where there were a lot of people. Hiding in plain sight had been one of Ivy's talents when she was younger, living on the streets and having to steal food to eat. Despite he initial discomfort, she had to agree with Victor - the mall was as good a place to search as any.

"C'mon, guys. Keep your noses sniffin' while we go to the mall and see if you find any trace of Catlady, mkay?" Alpha and Beta barked their agreement and licked at Ivy's hands before dashing ahead of the two Aqua members to sniff alongside the road.

Their walk took the deeper into the center of the city, bustle and noise growing in waves until Ivy and Victor found themselves in the shopping district. Ivy noticed how often Victor looked at his own reflection in shop windows and rolled her eyes. Some people could be so Silly when it came to their appearances!

A man jostled past the pair, nudging Ivy with a thick elbow and she staggered back, carefully avoiding knocking into someone else. Unconsciously she edged closer to her Aqua partner and gripped his shirt from behind, white knucles squeezing so that she wouldn't lose him in the crowd. Alpha and Beta came scampering back through the throng, whimpering with disappointment since they had not found anything and thankfully getting back into their Pokeballs to avoid being stepped on. Ivy envied their Pokeballs for the first time ever - wishing that she had her own to get back into when she was forced into situations like this.

"Let's hurry up, Vicky..." She moaned, squeezing to his shirt tighter. "I don't like it..."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Sagiiiiiiiiira. Wakey, wakey."

Slumber began to fade away, leaving consciousness in its wake. Sagira opened her eyes slowly, to see Paladin hovering over her with a grin on his face.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Paladin," she murmured, yawning. "Where's Jay?" He was supposed to wake her up, after all.

"Weeeeeeell," Paladin said, a large grin on his face. He pointed to the right of Sagira.

Frowning, she turned to look, and bristled, jerking backward. Jay was lying on the bed next to her, facing her, his expression peaceful in sleep. Sagira swallowed. "And... what is he doing?"

Paladin blinked. "Sleeping?"

"With me?"

She could feel Paladin's amusement and was certain that he was projecting it just for her benefit. "Do you want him to be sleeping with you?"

"Paladin," Sagira growled warningly, finally coming out of her flustered daze enough that she could move. She crawled off of the bed, stumbling sleepily until she managed to catch her balance.

"I was just asking," Paladin said, rolling his eyes. "The way you're acting, I'd think you did want him to sleep with you."

"Paladin!" she snapped.

The Ralts floated away, giggling incessantly, and Sagira growled as she swiftly changed her clothes. She didn't know why she bothered, since the clothes she changed into were just as dirty as the ones she was changing out of. They hadn't yet been able to get to a laundromat, but then, Sagira had no intention of wandering around Jay in the nude while her clothes were washing.

But she preferred the long black jacket to the shorter one, though both were nice. She was more the trench coat type, though, even if the shorter one made her look like a hot-ass biker chick.

And maybe she was a little vain, but damn, she was hot.

Sagira looked at the clock on the wall and cursed. Three hours. Damn. Jay got what he wanted.

What the hell else was new?

Sagira walked over to the bed and stared down at Jay. Scowling, she reached over and abruptly shoved him to the floor.

Said boy subjected to the wonders of gravity sputtered indignantly and sat up. He looked around for a moment, confused, before his eyes settled on Sagira. "Oh, hey, Catseye," he said, giving a lopsided grin.

Sagira pursed her lips. "We're leaving, BlueJay, and this time, we're not coming back." She hefted her bag. "You got that address, so let's get going."

And with that, she turned and headed out of the hotel room, Paladin floating after her with a grin on his face. Both were confident that Jay would hurry after them.

"After all," Paladin offered with a large smile on his face, "he wouldn't miss the chance to stare at your ass."

"PALADIN!"

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: May 20 2009, 03:40 PM

[Master Houndoom]

When Jay felt himself tumbling off the bed, he panicked. It lasted for the three seconds it took to register that there was feminine and masculine giggling going on in his head. He looked up and saw Sagira, and, despite his annoyance at being so rudely awoken and the fact that he had been played by pokémon, he grinned. "Oh, hey, Catseye."

Her lips pursed, but he thought he saw the barest hint of a smile. Or perhaps she was still sleepy. "We're leaving, BlueJay, and this time we're not coming back. You've got that address, so let's get going." She tossed him his bag as she spoke, and Jay took the time to change his shirt while her back was turned. He had to jog a bit to catch up, but he managed.

And just in time to watch her butt!

Lay off, Hinata.

Any comment either of them would have made was cut off by Sagira's shout of, "PALADIN!" Jay and Hinata both laughed, and Paladin, grinning sheepishly, fell back a bit.

You two set me up, didn't you? Made it so it looked like I crawled into bed to sleep with her?

Paladin's head drooped a bit. It was a bad thing to do... I don't know what came over us...

Hinata turned and looked at him with hooded eyes (more hooded than just by her crest, that is. It was my idea.

As I was saying, it was an excellent idea, and it worked, didn't it?

Yeah, well, you two can get into pokéballs. I have to deal with her. He sighed. "Look, Catseye, I just wanted a nap. That's all. I didn't think I'd sleep that long."

"You were supposed to wake me at an hour and a half." She didn't turn, but stopped in front of the elevator without pressing the button. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" Jay opened his mouth, ashamed, but caught it as her words replayed in his mind. A subtle hint of amusement. A bit of mockery in an otherwise plaintive tone.

"What? So I let you sleep a little longer."

"And now it's late. An hour and a half. How is that hard?" She pushed the button to the elevator and waited.

"If we'd left an hour and a half ago, we'd have gotten there when the girl that gave me the address got off of work, expecting me to pick her up." He couldn't hold back the bitterness in his voice. "I was going to wake you half an hour later, when she likely would have given up, but... I fell asleep."

Sagira looked back at him, over her shoulder, then turned when the elevator dinged. He sighed and followed. There must have been something in his expression. Though she didn't touch him or look at him, she smiled at the door. "Well, all right, then."

-----

When they got off the bus, after getting directions to the general area from the girl at the front desk, they walked down the street. Jay's mood had grown cautious, and Sagira seemed to be echoing it. They didn't talk, and they recalled all of their pokémon (causing Hinata to worry about her headpaint, only to remember she wasn't wearing any).

Jay stopped short as soon as the building was in sight. The front door would have, of course, been foolish to try to enter, so they had decided to find another access point. Unfortunately, they found Melissa, who Jay had gotten the address from, standing at the door. Her arms were crossed and her expression was stormy at best.

"Stay back," Jay said. "Maybe I can convince her I was late, and you can go in and find something..." Sagira, though she tried, couldn't find a better plan, and he stepped forward.

"Hello, Melissa."

The girl's head turned, and though she didn't smile, she did straighten. "Hello, Don."

"Sorry I'm la-"

"Or should I say... Jay?"

Jay stiffened in shock, and Sagira hissed. Jay began to back up, but Melissa's hand came up.

"I'm not going to catch you. Tell your friend she can come out now."

Jay looked at her. Melissa's eyes were a bit sunken and ringed in dark circles, and Jay sighed. He motioned behind him for Sagira to come out.

Melissa peered at her and sighed. "You're his type." When Sagira bristled, she continued. "Dawson's. You're his type, all right." She seemed to find the ground interesting. "Pretty. That's his type." She looked up, not at Jay, but at Sagira. "He tried the same thing with me. That's why I'm stuck at a desk job."

"When Don was late, I decided to check my e-mails. There he was, red hair, but still him. And it said that you'd both been downgraded to "Capture If Possible" status. I put two and two together."

"I'm sorry," Jay started, but Melissa waved it away.

"Forget it. I wish I'd stood up to him. You must have really ticked him off." She stepped away from the door. "It's unlocked. The files are in his office, which is on the second floor. I never saw you." She walked down the alleyway, then turned around, looking between Sagira and Jay. "You must really like her to get pulled into this." She smiled, sadly, and left.

"Dammit," Jay said, softly, but Sagira put a hand on his shoulder. Her expression wasn't unsympathetic.

"Come on, BlueJay," she said, as gently as she could. "Let's get what we came for."

[Pumpkin King]

Victor marveled at the manikins on display in each store window. He took in a deep breath as he passed by Abercrombie & Fitch. That distinct scent of the store was like medicine to Victor's soul. "Don't you just love the mall?"

"No."

"So alive and full of things just waiting to be bought!"

"No."

"It's like an eclectic paradise of commercial wonder!"

"No."

"Would you stop being so negative?" Victor snapped at Ivy, not realizing how much it pained her to be in such a crowded place. "We've got a mission to complete!" A scarf on display caught Victor's eye. "Ooh! I think the mission can wait. And would you get your face out of my shirt? People are starting to stare. Besides, you'll never find a sale with our face covered.

There was a muffled "No." Ivy was NOT happy. She tugged on Victor as he entered a store.

"What? They might have hidden H&M. I most certainly would've," he justified his actions.

"Vicky-"

"O.M.G." Victor interrupted. "I NEED those pants!" He dashed through the store, practically dragging Ivy behind him, but a terrible, dark thought dawned on him. "I can't use my credit card," Victor muttered gravely. A tragedy indeed. He visualized the Poké in his pocket and counted how much he had. "I have just enough for these pants and maybe lunch, but how can I make it out of the store with only one item? That's insanity!"

"Vic-"

"I'm going!" Victor grabbed the pants and tried his hardest to focus on the register. He wore imaginary blinders, attempting to block out the merchandise available for purchase. He barely made it to the cashier without any more articles of clothing in his hands.

"Is that all?" the teenage cashier asked pleasantly. Victor swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. Having bought the pants, Victor solemnly left the store.

"That was painful." Victor checked the tme. "Hey Ivy?"

"...Yes?" She was still holding Victor's shirt with an iron grip.

"We're gonna go into Barnes & Noble. It's nice and quiet in there. Would it be possible for you to give me just a bit of privacy?"

"NO!" Ivy gripped even tighter, if that was possible.

The gears in Victor's head started turning. He walked into the bookstore, which was considerably quieter, and found an empty corner in the fiction and literature section. Victor thought back to his situation back in Kyogre's Maw when Ivy refused to let go. "Ivy, I have to go potty."

"Icky!" She immediately released her powerful grip and Victor stepped away.

Continually stepping backward, Victor instructed, "Just stay right there, Ivy. I'll be right back. Maybe you can pick out a book or something, but keep on the lookout for Smythe and Lange." He turned on his heel, leaving Ivy all alone without a second thought. Victor made his way through the aisles to find the Starbucks. There at the second table to the right was a familiar girl in a luxurious dress. The girl flipped her hair. It was te exact same shade as Victor's. She turned her head and the two pairs of congruently cerulean blue eyes caught each other.

"Victor!" "Victoria!" They said simultaneously.

[Living Arrow]

Ivy's body trembled with fear as Victor deserted her in between Science Fiction and Comedy and small tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She watched him walk away but her whispered plea of "Please don't leave me..." fell on completely deaf ears. One moment her teammate was there, the next he had faded into the crowd and got caught up in the torrent of bodies within the mall. Ivy's lip quivered but she knew that she had to be brave now that she had joined Team Aqua. Being frightened of the mall was just plain Silly and big girls did not cry.

"Alpha, Beta, Kappy..." Ivy mumbled, stroking their stickered Pokeballs and chewing her lip with worry. "I really wish you could come out here but the sign on the door said no Pokemon... I'm so lonely..."

Ivy attempted to browse the bookshop but it was smelly and everything looked so neat that touching something threatened to throw everything into chaos. She was quite aware of the potential mess she could make, so she stood as far away from any solid object as possible and waited... and waited... and waited...

"Oh Vicky..." Ivy whined to herself, checking her timer on her Aqua Comm. Device to see how long she had been Victor-less. She grumbled and stuffed the device back into her bag as soon as she remembered that she had never been taught how to tell time and fidgeted nervously.

"Little girl? Are you lost?" A tall slender lady with a long nose and wire-framed glasses peered at her from over a low bookshelf. Ivy merely stared back at her in silence. What was the right thing to say?! "If you're lost I can call for your parents on our speaker system?"

"I don't have parents." Ivy said simply, feeling particularly exposed without Alpha's friendly tongue licking her fingers for support. "And my Vicky just told me to stand here but he's been gone a long time now..."

"I see." THe woman tapped her twig-like fingers against her lips. "If that's the case then maybe I should call Officer Jenny..."

"No Polices!!!" Ivy yelled, fear jumping into her body like an unwelcome poultergeist. The police had tried to make her leave her PokeMama when she was little. They wanted to make her forget! "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

The woman, startled by Ivy's outburst gasped and teetered against the bookshelf, knocking several tomes loose from their positions to plonk at the little girl's feet. Ivy sprang back fluidly and landed on all fours, growling at the woman menacingly. Was she being attacked? Could the woman be with Magma? Paranoia set into Ivy's bones firmer than any concrete foundation and before she knew it, she was calling for her pack to fight by her side.

"Poochy!" Alpha asked Ivy questioningly, peering around for the source of Ivy's frustration but not finding an opponent for him to fight. Beta and Kappa, completely confused sat down and titled their heads, waiting for their next instructions.

"We need to get out of here!" Ivy wailed, turning tail and loping out of the bookstore on all fours, her friends all trailing behind her.

"Wait! Young lady, you shouldn't go off on your own!" The store clerk's shrill voice called after Ivy but the frizz-haired, bare-footed youth was already into the food court and racing for the escalators. Beta leapt to the nearest table, sending a kid's meal flying and barking his defiance at the family there before surging after Ivy, springing with Quick Attack from table to table to keep sight of her above the sea of bodies in the mall.

Ivy's fear and confusion pulled together into a massive ball of intense emotional stress that urged her on to escape from the infested tunnels of white and blue and out into the streets where she could see the sky and breathe the fresh air. Bodies pressed in on all sides as she threw herself down the metal moving stairs but were quickly moved away from her as Alpha's Howl scared them into leaping aside. Kappa dashed alongside his master, shouting for everyone to keep away from her but the growled call of "BUI BUI BUI!" just sounded like the angry cry of a rabid dog... weasel...

On they ran, knocking people aside and sending heavy bags flying in the process. Ivy hurtled past Starbucks where a blonde haired boy was drinking coffee with a smartly dressed girl, both of their faces looking out of the window with shock and confusion.
Ivy's hopes for freedom were rapidly rewarded with the bright lights of the exit signs positioned over the many doors that led into the massive building. She whistled for Alpha to run ahead and clear a path while Beta and Kappa flanked her sides, screaming at people to move from their runway to escape the mall. Ivy ploughed after Alpha and crashed through an exit door, an old woman's zimmer frame knocked completely from her grasp as the girl's flailing limbs struct out at anyone who dared come near her. Kappa managed to catch the metal walking-aide and push it back towards the granny's hands before he raced for his master, into the streets of Noverus.

Out of the mall, Ivy's fear rapidly began to dwindle, her confidence in the outdoors much greater than that in a confined space. She slowed her run slightly and aimed herself for an open alley at the edge of a market square she had found herself in, a four-directionl signpost over her head. She stopped there, drawing in deep ragged breaths to compose herself but all the breathing could not stop the screaming tears of relief from flowing and her bawling began. All three of her friends clustered around her as she collapsed to the floor and curled up in the foetal position, rocking herself just like her PokeMama used to.

Onlookers made to move in her direction but Alpha and Beta's menacing growls kept them at bay. A worried Kappa held her head in his paws and stroked her frizzy mane but Ivy was lost to them for now and it would take more than a simple hug to quell her runaway emotions.

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: May 23 2009, 10:49 AM

[Pumpkin King]

"You've got explaining to do!" Victoria demanded, putting on a stern face. It was astonishing how much the two cousins looked alike. If one hadn't known their relationship, they might seem to be twins. The only difference between the two was their maleness and femaleness. Victoria looked deep into Victor's eyes.

"Ok," Victor conceded. "Just let me get some coffee first. I've been deprived of Starbucks for much too long." The two quietly stood in line. The silence between them was awkward and uncomfortable.

"You have your coffee and your scone, now explain."

Victor took a deep breath and prepared himself for the narrative being demanded. Victoria did have a right to know what had happened. However, she was interrupting every other line. "If you want to hear what happened, then quit butting in!" Victor told his story from the time he assaulted his Magma guard up to their current mission as part of Team Aqua. "I'm not a hostage, Victoria. I'm a Grunt. I know that this could have been avoided if I had just gone back home, but I'm in too deep. I just can't leave Aqua, especially now that I've met Ivy. She's pretty lonely."

Victoria was silent. She did not know how to respond. "So you're really in Team Aqua?" Victor solemnly nodded. "Won't your dad find out? He's the head honcho at Team Aqua headquarters right? Like my dad with Team Magma? He can get you out."

"Yeah, but I didn't use my real name. I'm using Vitalis' name."

"So? I'm sure if you explain things to your superiors and take it all the way up to your father, you can get out."

Victor was silent. "Victoria... I don't know how to explain this to you, but I'm actually having fun. Do you remember when both of us were trapped inside our own little bubbles? We were secluded from the world. Now that I've gotten a chance to get out of that bubble, I like it. Besides, it's not like I'm doing anything wrong. I've just caught some Pokemon for Aqua and now I'm trying to clear somebody's name. Is that so wrong?"

"Don't say that," said Victoria. "You know just as well as I do that Team Aqua and Team Magma are out to conquer the world. You know very well that Aqua would kill for their underwater utopia and that Magma would kill for their terrestrial utopia. You may be doing small things right now, but what's gonna happen when you get promoted? You'll be killing for that utopia that your team is working so hard for. You need to get out right now while you still can. I don't want to see you turn out like Archie or Maxie... or even our fathers... and I know you don't want to be like them either."

Both cousins were silent. Victor thought long and hard about what they had just discussed, but as he looked out the glass, he saw a familiar girl running through a throng of people with three familiar Pokemon.

"Ivy!" Victor's face looked panicked. "Victoria, I have to go! I'll talk to you later!" He dashed out the door, leaving his cousin.

"Oh no you don't!" Victoria took of her high-heeled shoes and dashed after him. "Victor! Victor get back here!" she yelled.

Victor shoved his way through the crowd, keeping his eye on Beta. The bright green of the electric dog was eye-catching and easy to follow. When he made it outside of the mall, he frantically searched. He had lost sight of the group. "Ivy! Alpha!" He searched every nook and cranny that Ivy might have forced herself into. "Beta! Kappa!" He started singing Ivy's song that she had composed for her sea weaseal... lake weasel. "There you are!" He found Ivy huddling in an alleyway with her three Pokemon. Victor released Aurum, his Meowth, hoping that another familiar face could comfort her. "I am so sorry Ivy! I didn't mean to be so long!"

Under some sniffles, Ivy muttered, "Vi- Vicky?"

"Victor! What was that all about?" Victoria had entered the alley as well.

"Victoria! Go away!"

"No!"

Victor and Victoria started bickering while Ivy clutched onto Aurum. Ivy's three Pokemon were on their guard, not recognizing Victoria.

[Living Arrow]

Ivy clutched to Aurum with a deathgrip and used the back of the Meowth's head to wipe her running nose and dab her teary eyes. The cat Pokemon struggled in vain to escape but Ivy was too strong for him to get free.

"I had to run!" Ivy wailed, rubbing her face into Aurum. "There was this woman and she wanted to get me!"

"Ivy... calm down..." Victor urged her, but Ivy hardly spared him a glance. She was too busy squeezing Aurum like some sort of stress toy.

"The lady..." Ivy began, fixing Victor with wide eyes. "She was going to call the police! They were going to try and make me forget my PokéMama again!"

"It's OK, Ivy." Victor reassured her. "No-one is calling the police."

"Promise?" Ivy's grip on Aurum was practically strangling the poor thing and his eyes rolled in his head as he struggled for breath.

"I promise." Victor said fondly, reaching out to prize Aurum from Ivy's little hands. The Meowth gasped and panted its relief at being released and prompty punched its Premier Ball on Victor's belt, disappearing back inside with a slump.

"Who's the skirt?" Ivy frowned up at Victoria who was hovering close by, fixing them both with a stern glare. "She's stinky." Ivy added that last with a sniff and a pout.

"What did she say?!" Victoria demanded, but Victor moved quickly between them.

"Stop it, Victoria and just leave us alone - I'll give you a call later, OK?" Victoria seemed to take that as enough this time, haughtily stomping her foot and marching away, her golden hair blowing out behind her for dramatic effect. Ivy stuck her tongue out at the girl's back and fumbled over to Victor, grabbing onto his shirt again and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for finding me again, Victor..." She said quietly, her three Pokemon all pawing at their feet. Alpha put up his front paws on Victor's legs so he could reach the tidy boy's fingers and lick them happily. Victor grimaced at the feel of hot wet and rough tongue on his digits but managed not to wipe them off straight away lest it upset Ivy or even her Pokemon.

"That's what teammates are for." Victor assured her, patting her on the head. "Now, let's get to finding Lange and Smythe then we can-"

"TRIKE!" Beta barked wildly from the corner of the alley, his tail wagging hard and fast. "TRIKE TRIKE!"

"Beta's got their scent!" Ivy clapped happily and bounced on the spot. "C'mon Alpha - help him out with Odor Sleuth!"

"You too, Mercury." Victor clicked open the Premier ball and all three Pokemon rushed to the corner where Beta was sniffing a signpost. All three Pokemon rushed around the corner and along the street, their noses to the ground as they woves around peoples' legs. Ivy put Kappa back in his ball and ran along with Victor, following their Pokemon out of the shopping district and into the more residential areas.

*We're on our way, Sagi-Cat!* Ivy thought to herself as they went, relying on three noses and the traces of scent that had been left behind. *I'll save you, no matter what!*

[Umbrae Calamitas]

His type.

She had been scared when it first happened, of course, but that later developed into anger. Anger at what than damn CO had done to her... or tried to do. What would have happened if not for Jay's interference.

Learning now, however, that there was someone else who had been a victim of his crude actions and... desires... well, pissed off didn't cover half of it.

She felt a little bad for Jay, who seemed deeply disappointed about the girl finding out the truth. Of course, he hadn't wanted to hurt her. That wasn't his... he wasn't like that. He was almost... chivalrous. Almost. An Old Soul.

So few of you left, BlueJay. So few.

She'd offered him a sympathetic look as they entered the building, silently admitting that she was sorry that it had to happen this way. She wished that she could say she felt bad that the girl and Jay couldn't have been something, but... well, she had to admit, at least to herself, that she would have been ten kinds of jealous if he and Melissa had been... anything.

Sagira swallowed the lump in her throat and the thoughts in her head. Now was not the time.

They were moving silently through dimly lit corridors, hoping that they didn't run into too many guards. Hinata and Paladin were both seeking other presences with their outward senses, and neither of them had alerted them to any upcoming dangers. Briefly, Sagira considered the small handicaps both Ralts' had: Hinata being blind and Paladin deaf. But, she knew, the two had lived that way all of their lives. They weren't weak by any means.

Everything would be fine.

And then, abruptly, Sagira staggered.

She collapsed, hard, against the wall, as something slammed painfully into her head. She heard Paladin cry out to her mentally, not risking a verbal cry even in his panicked concern. Sagira didn't have the strength to reply, however, as she was berated with... with cold.

Flashes... flashes of not-quite-light and cold cold cold emotions... fear. Fear, panic... raise the defenses, attack attack attack!

"What's going on?!"

She heard Jay demand it as though from far off. It sounded like he was shouting at her from the other end of a long tunnel, his voice muffled and echoing... not really there...

"She's channeling," Paladin provided. "Something... someone is in danger."

They were running. Whoever it was, they were running. Escaping. Fleeing. Sagira willed them on, not really knowing why or even who it was, but she knew that she... she cared whether or not the person escaped. They needed to escape. To be safe. Safe... safe...

The panic faded to the lingering traces of fear, which danced around the edges of sorrow. Sagira thought she could taste tears, but her face was dry. She thought she could feel someone holding her head, but she could sense her companions and only Jay was near enough to touch her. His hand was on her arm, his other wrapped around her back, holding her up. She had collapsed against him.

Eventually, the sorrow lessened to a degree that the feelings faded away completely, whatever link had been created cut. Sagira swallowed, blinked her eyes, shook her head slightly, and then pushed lightly against Jay. She didn't fight him when he helped her back to her feet, and she was secretly grateful. She didn't think she could have stood on her own. She was shaking.

"You okay?"

She nodded, swallowing that lump still in her throat. It had felt as though she was the one trapped in fear, panicking, trying to escape. If she'd had the strength, she was sure she would have bolted the moment the... vision began. As it was, for the sake of their clandestine mission, she was glad that she hadn't been able to.

Nodding again, more firmly this time, she spoke softly. "It's gone... wha-whatever it was."

"You were channeling," Paladin replied helpfully. "I believe it was your dog girl again."

Jay gave her a curious look, but Sagira shook her head as they began to walk again. "Another time, BlueJay. L-Let's... get this over with." Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to be far away from this base, somewhere... safe.

She knew, suddenly, that this place was the furthest from safe that they could possibly be.

She swore loudly, feeling a tingling in the back of her mind that was very unlike the sense of Paladin reading her. The words who are you flickered through her brain like a flash of candlelight, just before they turned a corner and saw three figures standing over two unconscious grunts.

They grunts were Aqua.

The three figures were Magma.

They turned, spying the two of them, and their eyes narrowed. The words she had heard in her head were reiterated by a tall, beautiful woman with a hellfire gaze.

"Who are you?"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

His type.

She had been scared when it first happened, of course, but that later developed into anger. Anger at what than damn CO had done to her... or tried to do. What would have happened if not for Jay's interference.

Learning now, however, that there was someone else who had been a victim of his crude actions and... desires... well, pissed off didn't cover half of it.

She felt a little bad for Jay, who seemed deeply disappointed about the girl finding out the truth. Of course, he hadn't wanted to hurt her. That wasn't his... he wasn't like that. He was almost... chivalrous. Almost. An Old Soul.

So few of you left, BlueJay. So few.

She'd offered him a sympathetic look as they entered the building, silently admitting that she was sorry that it had to happen this way. She wished that she could say she felt bad that the girl and Jay couldn't have been something, but... well, she had to admit, at least to herself, that she would have been ten kinds of jealous if he and Melissa had been... anything.

Sagira swallowed the lump in her throat and the thoughts in her head. Now was not the time.

They were moving silently through dimly lit corridors, hoping that they didn't run into too many guards. Hinata and Paladin were both seeking other presences with their outward senses, and neither of them had alerted them to any upcoming dangers. Briefly, Sagira considered the small handicaps both Ralts' had: Hinata being blind and Paladin deaf. But, she knew, the two had lived that way all of their lives. They weren't weak by any means.

Everything would be fine.

And then, abruptly, Sagira staggered.

She collapsed, hard, against the wall, as something slammed painfully into her head. She heard Paladin cry out to her mentally, not risking a verbal cry even in his panicked concern. Sagira didn't have the strength to reply, however, as she was berated with... with cold.

Flashes... flashes of not-quite-light and cold cold cold emotions... fear. Fear, panic... raise the defenses, attack attack attack!

"What's going on?!"

She heard Jay demand it as though from far off. It sounded like he was shouting at her from the other end of a long tunnel, his voice muffled and echoing... not really there...

"She's channeling," Paladin provided. "Something... someone is in danger."

They were running. Whoever it was, they were running. Escaping. Fleeing. Sagira willed them on, not really knowing why or even who it was, but she knew that she... she cared whether or not the person escaped. They needed to escape. To be safe. Safe... safe...

The panic faded to the lingering traces of fear, which danced around the edges of sorrow. Sagira thought she could taste tears, but her face was dry. She thought she could feel someone holding her head, but she could sense her companions and only Jay was near enough to touch her. His hand was on her arm, his other wrapped around her back, holding her up. She had collapsed against him.

Eventually, the sorrow lessened to a degree that the feelings faded away completely, whatever link had been created cut. Sagira swallowed, blinked her eyes, shook her head slightly, and then pushed lightly against Jay. She didn't fight him when he helped her back to her feet, and she was secretly grateful. She didn't think she could have stood on her own. She was shaking.

"You okay?"

She nodded, swallowing that lump still in her throat. It had felt as though she was the one trapped in fear, panicking, trying to escape. If she'd had the strength, she was sure she would have bolted the moment the... vision began. As it was, for the sake of their clandestine mission, she was glad that she hadn't been able to.

Nodding again, more firmly this time, she spoke softly. "It's gone... wha-whatever it was."

"You were channeling," Paladin replied helpfully. "I believe it was your dog girl again."

Jay gave her a curious look, but Sagira shook her head as they began to walk again. "Another time, BlueJay. L-Let's... get this over with." Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to be far away from this base, somewhere... safe.

She knew, suddenly, that this place was the furthest from safe that they could possibly be.

She swore loudly, feeling a tingling in the back of her mind that was very unlike the sense of Paladin reading her. The words who are you flickered through her brain like a flash of candlelight, just before they turned a corner and saw three figures standing over two unconscious grunts.

They grunts were Aqua.

The three figures were Magma.

They turned, spying the two of them, and their eyes narrowed. The words she had heard in her head were reiterated by a tall, beautiful woman with a hellfire gaze.

"Who are you?"