Sizing up the comp.e.tition [OWL

[Samantha Morino]

Being compared to Pravus, even in an indirect way, made Samantha balk at the very prospect. "My goal is simply... eradication. Pravus may be driven much like us, but that's where the similarities end. World domination is a silly goal if they only plan on ruling the scrap heap they turn the world into. " Her eyes took in Barkwish as she said this. At this rate, they, Pravus, would become the Rulers of Everything...and, at the same time, the Rulers of Nothing. Were they too blind to see that the new world they were creating would have little use for cash and experiments?


"That's not truly important....I didn't get to hide in a little refugee camp."

"More secrets? I can't say I'm surprised~" she commented, a sing-song lilt accompanying the words. The likely situation was that the guy just like keeping secrets in general, whether or not they were worthy of such evasive remarks. But if that wasn't the case, well, then he genuinely must have something to hide. The sing-song tone didn't quite match the suspicion and dislike filling her thoughts. Fine. If he insisted on this immature charade, she wouldn't stop him... yet.

An android? What was that? She frowned, but masked any further signs of confusions. His previous statement basically acknowledged the fact he was a twisted bastard , so the android comment was probably some nitpicky analysis the boy was so fond of.

"...you act as if murder didn't exist before they did. W-They didn't poison Eve. All of that nasty things you blame Pravus for existed long before they were an idea in the molecules of the universe..."

Samantha was unprepared for the comment, having expected him to simply flat out deny her accusations like he usually did. Caught off guard, she had to pause for a moment. Unwilling to let Enigma feel he had scored a hit, the silence only helped to frusterate the hell out of her. "S-so? That doesn't justify it. And besides," she snarled scathingly, cursing herself for the stutter. "Every biblical reference usually has a reoccurring moral: the murderers, traitors -- they all go to hell. The Rangers are around to speed up the process."

Samantha personally didn't find it very rude to be a hypocrite, but unlike the boy did not try to press her own opinions on something so trivial. She only nodded slightly, still ruffled from his earlier comment.

***

Samantha couldn't blame the little imp-like creature for his dark ideas. With a master like Enigma...

" Mr. Enigma 30314 needs to be nice to poor little Janx.. ghosties have no tongues to cut out.."

Something inside her stirred, catching onto the fact that this was probably very important. Enigma 30314? "Enigma" was an odd name by itself, but why was it accompanied by a string of numbers? Her thoughts immediately strayed to some kind of military serial number, but the only 'military' in these lands was ruled by...

She looked to Enigma for anything, any sort of emotion that could be used as a confirmation of sorts. Nothing? Well, then...

Bending down to knee level, she stroked Janx's head almost lovingly. Time to be a manipulative bastard herself. Duke seemed almost ready to explode in annoyance. His tail thrashed, jaws snapping together and feet tearing up the ground. Flames seemed ready to be released, an occasional flicker of orange and yellow lighting up his mouth.

"Yes, it's quite a shame that your master is so... uncouth. It's so sad he treats you like filth..." she simpered, caressing the creature's rough, broad head. "Tell me, why would your master want to cut out your tongue? He seems to have a lot of secrets for a young, dark soul like himself." She didn't look at Enigma, not once, and tried to stop the ghost from doing so by keeping eye contact.

Though Janx was a ghost, it would be important that the little imp himself not be spooked into silence.

[E.nigma]

" Allow me to admit when I was wrong, there are more similarities. Complete eradication does sound a bit extreme. "
The Pravus member resisted the urge to smile, according to what he had heard from other rangers, this girl's beliefs were rather extreme. How did such a driven, angry, girl end up in the society built to slowly change the world? It was rather ironic actually, no doubt on her side she was a freak, in Pravus she would have been a necessity.
"....Where does it say that Pravus set out to turn the world into a scrap heap. Rather odd that the clones are now completely eliminated from the war archives."
Great and powerful, or not, it took more than just Pravus to turn Remoor into this third world country. Golden eyes scanned the horizon, pausing at certain points and checking off the devastation in his mind. In that direction was the ruins of Starbright, over there were the toxic jungle of a swamp , and somewhere behind him the ground was nothing more than desert tore to pieces by large scale pokemon battles.

Pravus didn't do all this, no doubt this misguided fool just needed something to lash out at, child abuse of some sort might have done this to her? Pravus no more wanted to rule over a junkyard, than they wanted to join arms with religious fools and sing songs of friendship. Mewtwo had snatched their real prize away, they were trying to rebuild it, and this girl blamed them.
-

Enigma paid no attention to her childish taunts, and instead pointedly turned to the flowers at his feet. Figures jumped across his head like those on a super-computer, and he murmured something about the ratio of petals to flowers, before he finally turned back toward Samantha.
" .. some people appreciate their privacy. A select few , myself included, dislike the sound of off-key singing."


--

The wonderful hymns of idiocy and irony were quickly joined by Enigma's hysterical laughter.
"The murderers and the traitors go to hell, so you would join them by sending them there."
What kind of hogwash was that? Didn't people realize that by committing murder and starting wars in the name of their gods they were doing the very things they were never supposed to? The funny thing was, the girl was using a religious based argument, and after a moment Enigma's eyebrow raised.
"So..Miss..how does this apply in the real world? Or at least, to the atheists and the agnostics beyond your religion fettered doorstep?"
Threatening people who did not believe in hell with a trip to the inferno was rather silly.
"...by the way there is no need to get frustrated we are merely two people having a meaningful conversation."
Something in his tone seemed to imply that the girl was obviously poor at it, which her stuttering went a long way to proving.

His niece had a social disorder, and more likely than not made faces lie the one Sam was currently displaying.

-------

The Pravus member managed to maintain his facade of calm, Janx had slowly been losing his mind, but divulging real names and serial codes was truly one of the last straws. Luckily, his appearance would more than likely throw Samantha off the trail. In fact, he could do so himself if the little imp decided it was time to open up his trap.

The ghost's mind briefly flashed with horrifying, and grotesque images. No doubt those were beamed directly from Enigma, an unspoken threat. Eyes slowly began to swivel toward the Pravus member, only to be caught by Sam's eyes and pause. The light cast by Duke's anger lent his face a ghoulish glow.
"....dark.. dark.. wicked.. evil.. bastard......."
How far could he push it before Enigma snapped?
" .....he doesn't like people who talk too much, he has a thing for cutting out tongues and shutting people up.."
The ghost winced, so what if it was just a metaphor? Enigma himself had never cut out any tongues, but it was close enough.
"...you would not believe some of the things I've seen him do.. throw people out of windows."
It wasn't Enigma who snapped first.


"HAHAHAHAHAHA! OH LORDY! Janx you are such a delightful little actor, but please explain to me how our little master here could lift anyone up over a window? Much less throw them into the sea, or outside?"
The Xatu smiled at the much smaller Sableye, wings spread open , and in direct contrast to his closed mind. The bird's beak still trembled with laughter, but underneath the black band his brow was furrowed in anger.
“ ……”
The Sableye was momentarily at a loss for words, and turned to nuzzling into the callused palm laying upon his broad forehead.

---

On his end, ENigma was doing his best to ignore the Sableye, and was instead trying his best to hold a staring contest with Duke. Bright eyes stared unerringly into the jaws of the inferno and seemed to smile.

The man was truly smiling at the foolishness of this whole situation. A young girl confronting him, and trying to ascertain his secrets! It was ironic, a spy for a spy as they say.

[Owl]

Samantha's jaw clenched, fingers curling into fists and removing themselves from the Sableeye's head as she turned her dark, terra-cotta eyes away from the blabbering Sableye to glare at the boy.

"There are no parallels." she growled, voice steely and flinty. The tone in her voice was serious, seemingly hell-bent on driving away any comparison to those... monsters.

Eradication, though, wasn't the most pleasant of words. Nor did it describe the usually activities of someone looking out for the greater good. It seemed, with only a twist of fate, that Samantha had fighting on the side of 'good'; with her morals and sometimes downright cruelty, it was surprising she was.

But there was a line somewhere. She crossed it fluently in talk, but talk didn't always precede action. She might entertain the idea of eradicating Pravus, but Pravus was only a name for a group of many, many people. Samantha applied herself in tearing down the orginization, but where the individuals came into play she felt torn by a rift. Killing. It was somewhere where she crossed the line, for it seemed the only perpetual line that you couldn't cross back again. From this topic, it was easy for her to understand how the other Rangers struggled with what was really the right thing. Usually, though, when the time finally thrust you into a point where you would have to decide once and for all then there really was no decision left to it. Best to leave it be, in the gray area. Let people think what they want, or rather... what she wanted. Sometimes the very impression people had that she would be willing to cross this 'line' saved her from actually having to.

The clones. They were another gray area, one she didn't mess with. "Pravus hasn't exactly helped in calming their anger." she explained, "It takes two to tango... or destroy the world, I suppose."

The boy, for the most part, seemed to ignore her and she, in return, ignored him when he went on about off-key singing and flowers. Stupid things like petty blows to singing that wasn't even intended to be on-key were easily shrugged off.

"The murderers and the traitors go to hell, so you would join them by sending them there."

"I never said I was a saint." she commented, raising an eyebrow. "That would be stupid." Too much like those many Rangers who claimed they were creatures of pure good. A.K.A dead weight. At this point, he seemed to have mistaken her for someone religious -- on the contrary, Samantha was the opposite. She knew that Pravus was doomed for the deepest, darkest pits of oblivion but had never claimed that she was using this fact to prove that what she was doing was completely right. No force from above could tell her what she should or should not do.

"So..Miss..how does this apply in the real world? Or at least, to the atheists and the agnostics beyond your religion fettered doorstep?"

"I'm hardly religious, boy, so don't jump to confusions." she began with a sharp bark of laughter. "If you need something more literal, let's just straighten this out; bad things happen to bad people. Sooner or later, karma--" she paused, realizing the boy would accuse her of being nonliteral again, "...or I, or their tiny little conscience, or whatever it is will catch up with them. They may never come to regret their actions..." the passionate gleam was back in her eyes. "But they will pay for them."

She turned back her attention to the imp, attention seeming to snap to and fro easily. Her intense but undoubtedly short attention span didn't even seem to register the boy's advice to keep her tone more civil. He had already struck out; bothering to keep things civil wasn't worth the pain anymore.

" .....he doesn't like people who talk too much, he has a thing for cutting out tongues and shutting people up.."

A shiver racked down her spine, looking at the boy again and trying to imagine him doing such a thing. The image didn't fit... except for in the boy's creepy tone and his cryptic words. It was stupid, the imp was insane, but -- no, she wouldn't deny it, there was something here.

"...you would not believe some of the things I've seen him do.. throw people out of windows."

Things came quickly to a halt, however, as Inn tried to interject with the voice of reason. The bird seemed amused, but Samantha had realized that both avian and master were less vividly, truthfully emotional as she and Duke. She nodded, smiling herself at the birds explanation, and lightened the tone of her voice with an equally cheerful reply. Something in that last phrase wasn't right.

"I don't believe anyone mentioned anything about the sea, Inny. Where did you pull that from?" she let the words hang in empty air just long enough, as though to point out that she wasn't buying it yet. Then her cheerful response was back in full gusto, "But yes, Inn, of course you're right. It's highly unlikely the boy has the physical, er, complexion to do such a thing..." she trailed off, starting to rub the Sableeye's ears in a distracted manner much like she usually did with Duke. She turned to the Sableeye.

"So Janx, hypothetically, just how would your master throw people out windows, then?"

If Inn's justification was simply that Enigma couldn't throw someone out of a window, it just wouldn't do. A life in the city had taught her that when you killed someone, it was very easy to do so without lifting a finger. Assassin, anyone?

Something was wrong, very wrong.
Duke's ears swiveled at the sound of Samantha's fingers snapping. With a small swish of his tail, he broke up his silent battle with Enigma and trotted close to Samantha's side. He sniffed the Sableeye curiously, and tolerate Janx's presence reluctantly as he resumed his nervous habit of pacing around the pair. From body language alone, Duke could see the lack of trust. He had known Samantha long enough to become familiar with the strange, foreign body language of people and nothing was pointing to signs of friendliness. Ears tilted down slightly, Duke shook his coat lightly as though to dispel the worries clouding over their heads.

[E.nigma]

--------

Bright eyes followed the girl’s anger as it trickled down her limbs in rivers. Enigma’s gaze hovered on her ghost-white knuckles for just a moment, before flickering back up to her tightened lips. The boy only needed one word.
“Really.”
It was not a question , merely a statement of fact. It rang with astonishment, condescension, and of insufferable boredom. A single eyebrow was now raised, and nearly invisible beneath the wide brim of the hat perched upon his brow. Pale lips were turned slightly upward in a mockery of a smile. It was robotic, and cold as much as it was legitimately happy. The Administrator watched the girl’s clenched fists, and tensed muscles with anticipation.

All it would take was a single swing to prove him right. Who else but Pravus would attack someone for a few hurtful, unwanted words? Some deep, or not so deep, part of him wanted it to escalate to violence. It had been quite some time since he had “cut out tongues” as the quivering little Imp so poorly put it.

-

“That statement in itself is flawed, one can tango by oneself. Besides, no worlds were destroyed, it would take much more than a few skirmishes to do that. In fact it would take , approximately [*insert scientific figures here].”
The girl obviously knew little about the clones. Would she rather be a slave at the feet of Mewtwo, or under the shadow of Pravus ? The clones would have taken no quarter, there was no real way to calm down the other side. It was either kill, or be killed. Pravus was not the kind of organization to lay down and take it. Some things, like this misinformed ranger’s brain, were unable to comprehend the motives of the enemy.

Enigma nodded. The girl was obviously no saint, he doubted that she had the ability to send entire armies to war over a few acres of land, and some words on an ancient sheet of vellum. It was unlikely that she could even pretend to uphold their morals. The girl was almost saint-like on her level of hypocrisy though.
“Who exactly keeps track of this moral checkbook? You say you’re not religious, but obviously you believe in some form of higher power, even if is yourself. ”
The administrator never doubted he would pay for some of his actions, but he did not for a moment believe it would be this twig of a girl making him do so. It was almost laughable imagining her even trying to do so.

In fact, the image provided him with a wonderful way to discredit the constant mutterings of the kneeling Sableye.

The steady ache now taking root in his cranium slowly lifted, and his eyes narrowed. For just a moment the smirk was replaced with a true smile. A rough tongue slowly rolled along the backs of his fang like teeth, and he let out a growl. Beneath a hooded gaze his irises seemed to glow, and with each word that spilled from the blade-lined mouth of the ghost type. Eyes flashed a bright blue, and words began to hiss through the skull of the nearby Xatu. It was a tone familiar to the flying type. It was one he had heard in Enigma’s bloodiest interrogations, but never one that had been directed at him. The tone was downright giddy, and it made his blood freeze.
Innuendo, it appears I will have to fix the mess you made. I am most displeased with you, but make your excuse, and allow me to nail shut the coffin of our spectral friend.
The administrator slowly rolled his head away from Duke, and fixed it on the quivering Sableye at Samantha’s feet.


--------

The Xatu remained where he was standing, beak slightly ajar, and face crinkled beneath the mask. The master's constant condemning of this young lady was making him underestimate her, a mistake he would not make twice. The deer in the headlights expression faded as quickly as it appeared, and the bird grinned at Samantha.
"Sea? Didn't the delightful little imp say that first? Or are my old water-logged ears hearing things again?"
The words were said with some amount of hesitation, and just a bit of nervous laughter. It was not that big of a mistake, and an explanation was found easily enough, but it was not often he found someone who could pick apart his lies.
" We were watching ..or listening...to Titanic this morning, probably pulled it from the movie. Or at least I was, it's rather useless watching tear-jerkers with the others."
That much was true, he had been listening to Titanic, Enigma had been evaluating the possible conspiracies behind the ship's malfunctioning. It was hard to envision a sad movie with someone murmuring the numerical dimensions of screws and steel panels in your ears.

Hopefully that rather poor explanation would get the blood-hound of a sunshine cadet off his trail.

The Xatu tried his best to focus on Samantha [ignoring the unheard threat of Enigma] and let out a quick chuckle.
“Yes, he has a hard time lifting the toaster, it’s inconceivable that he could pick someone up, much less throw them.”
The administrator was still silent as death, and seemed oddly opposed to speaking at the current moment. When the Sableye began to speak, he made no move to stop him, and the Xatu watched the truth slowly trickle into the open.

--

The Sableye tried his best to ignore the ball of rage that was his master, and instead peered into the naiive friendly eyes of the ranger, who was currently scratching at his ears.
“Hypothetically …he has super-powers….well…not super powers.. what do you call it.. levimation? Something like that, and he’d pick them up with his mind and throw them out the window. Either that, or explode their brains from the inside.”
The ghost type did not understand why his master started laughing, or why he felt his entire story crumbling to ashes in front of him.

--

The Xatu watched Duke with apprehension, why was the hound so uneasy? Could it be that the big lummox could smell the truth, could smell the fact that Enigma was not quite normal?

“Oh yes. I am also the head administrator of Pravus, and a horrible creature feared by all. Completely logical. Isn’t there some sort of comic-hero with the same type of powers Janx?”
The administrator was now smiling, his own acting skills were now be tested.
“ .. I have no idea why you listened to his inane babbling Ms. Samantha, as Innuendo said he fancies himself a dramatist.”

[Samantha Morino]

“Really.”

(ooc; YARLY. (: Okay, I'm better now.)

ic; What did he mean by that? Eyes narrowed, chin jutting out defiantly but no words challenged the simple yet highly provoking statement. Loathing, unadulterated loathing, burned in her dark eyes. Why did he behave like this? It was most infuriating to stab out at someone as agonizing at Enigma, to try to harm him, to challenge him to retaliate, and only have him dance around jabs with the light, stinging retaliations; they never left any real harm, but further irked her with every passing comment from his smirking lips.

***

"Are you always this charmingly literal or do you save it only for when you're trying to prove some kind of superior intelligence?" challenged Samantha, after the boy picked apart the expression and coupled the counter with some useless statistic that was never used practically unless you were trying to look smart.

So they hadn't completely destroyed the world, yet. A giant dent in it wasn't particularly attractive either, as-if-he-didn't-know. Playing dumb and smart at the same time -- it was a talent of Enigma's, certainly.

“Who exactly keeps track of this moral checkbook? You say you’re not religious, but obviously you believe in some form of higher power, even if is yourself. ”

Moral checkbook. Samantha smiled, sure the boy must have thought himself quite the master of words for using such fancy terms for such a simple concept. "It's called an opinion, Enigma-dear. Surely you've heard of such a thing? Personally, my opinion --along with those against Pravus-- says that those monsters have done terrible things and deserves to be punished. Not some higher power, ha! Clearly you've lived under someone's thumb for much too long~ It's no surprise, though. After all, you're only a child." She spat the last word as though it was a bad thing, seeming to dislike the very concept. Not being in control of one's own life, being herded through the oppressive canals of the public school system -- it was no wonder many children pined for the freedom of adulthood. Samantha, though her childhood was by no means bad, had always looked forward to the freedom to stretch her arms.

She watched Enigma closely following the comment, however. It was the first time she had tried out the name the little imp gave her. If he didn't seem shocked by the title then... well... that proved that something out of the panicked imp's mouth could be taken as truth. She doubted her attention to this one small 'test' would be noticed. After all...

The boy must be used to get several queer looks. His appearance was strange to begin with, his word choices even stranger, and his personality downright maddening. Ugh. With a snort of disapproval and a slight roll of the eyes, Samantha turned to the bird.

Duke's staring contest with Enigma was suddenly and abruptly cut short as Enigma's attention turned to the golden imp. With an angry snarl, Duke unexpectedly moved to cover the Sableeye from Enigma's new view. Not in means of showing some kind of protectiveness, oh no, but to show he did not appreciate the boy merely ignoring the clear conflict. He would not just walk away from the hell hound.

Samantha smiled dryly. "Duke does not like being ignored. He only wants to play~" she explained sarcastically. Playing with teeth, claws, and thousands degrees of fire maybe... Duke could almost be seen nodding in the toss of his head that followed.

The bird, if anything, seemed shocked. That strange creature, however, never seemed to place a big emphasis on emotion especially with that black band wrapped around the occasionally tell-tale eyes. Samantha didn't seem totally convinced by the explanation -- the Titanic, really? But, since she had no evidence against it, she could not deny the claim. "Mhmm~" she nodded to show that she had heard the explanation, not that she agreed with it.

“Hypothetically …he has super-powers….well…not super powers.. what do you call it.. levimation? Something like that, and he’d pick them up with his mind and throw them out the window. Either that, or explode their brains from the inside.”

"O-oh... is that all~?" Samantha stammered out, shocked and slightly skeptical of the imp's new explanation. Maybe she wasn't right about the creature after all... "And... uhm... just how did he get those powers of levitation? Magic?" she asked, not sure whether it was a good idea to keep pursuing the creature. The poor thing looked highly distressed as it was.

“Oh yes. I am also the head administrator of Pravus, and a horrible creature feared by all. Completely logical. Isn’t there some sort of comic-hero with the same type of powers Janx? .. I have no idea why you listened to his inane babbling Ms. Samantha, as Innuendo said he fancies himself a dramatist.”

Samantha smiled condescendingly herself, giving Janx a pat on the head. Trying to appeal to both parties... how political. Normally, Samantha would have stuck her nose up in disgust at her own behavior, but...

"There's no harm in letting him... excessive his dramatic but still creative juices."

Too many mysteries. Too many... enigmas. Samantha gave a choked laugh at the irony, while considering bring out the company of another pokemon on her party. One who she could freely talk to, yet still secretly, and not with the sly gestures and body language that Samantha and Duke had to depend on to communicate with eachother. She knew that her other pokemon's presence couldn't solve everything, but another opinion seemed attractive.

Maybe there was a way to bring out Lilith... The idea formed in her head, and after rolling the concept around for a bit she finally came to a decision. With a decided air about her, she explained her proposal to the boy.

"I have an idea, Mister Enigma. I propose a little game~" she said, standing up off her heels and turning her attention to Enigma. "A friendly sparring match, two on two. This unfriendliness builds up constant steam, and I'm afraid things could turn quite uncivil. A little break of fun surely couldn't hurt~" She rolled Lilith's pokeball between her fingers whilst saying this. Surely the purple pig would have an opinion, one that wasn't automatically biased to match her own. Duke gave a bark of approval, tail even waggling side to side in a sudden burst of happiness.

[E.nigma]

[*so just realized that Enigma has a reason to hate Arcanines..*]

The administrator ignored the scathing sarcasm, and brushed it off as some sort of childish rebellion. No doubt the girl felt inadequate, or unappreciated and was striking out because of that. The words were answered, once again, in his no-nonsense, monotonous voice, each word finished with clipped precision.
" I prefer the term honest, and I feel no need to prove anything."
It was hard to tell if he was still trying to infuriate her, just being himself, or disinterested in anything else the fool girl had to say. The administrator merely replied due to the flow of the conversation, not because the girl had inserted his real name, in all truth he responded to about 100 different names, as long as the addressee was polite. The words were met with a dead-pan statement, and a quick shake of his head.
"Opinions are useless. “
Enigma’s inner desire to correct the ignorant [except when it was potentially harmful to himself, or revealing] reared its ugly head when he spoke next.
“ To be precise, I don't live under any thumbs metaphoric or literal, and when I do listen it is a choice, not because of brainwashing,. much like the reasoning behind your choices."
If one will notice, he did not touch on the fact that he was or did resemble a child. Playing the game of truth-telling did not require that he corrected someone.

Only control kept Enigma from uttering a growl of his own in responder, but his gloved hands slowly closed into a fist, the fabric straining as features changed underneath. Well manicured nails temporarily grew, and curved downward, the knife-like edge picked at the silken gloves, but with a deep breath he managed to still his raging instincts. One of the issues of being a poke morph was all the animalistic qualities it gave you, it was hard to back down from a threat.
“I’d gladly oblige, but as you can see he is scaring Janx.”
The imp was shivering behind the giant wall of fur, not only with surprise but from the coldness in his own trainer’s voice. It appeared he had done something extremely displeasing, Samantha would no doubt take it as anger at Duke’s aggression, but the Sableye knew a threat when he heard one. Especially one given with all the sympathy of a rock. The Imp backed away from the giant wall of fur, standing inches from his gnarled feet, and clung tighter to Samantha.

The ghost type was not losing his audience to the amateur currently holding a pissing contest with an Arcanine.
“ Yes. I swear on my own grave it’s the truth!”
How had he gotten them? Well, the pest had been born with a great deal of them, able to levitate branches, and small children; but the rest? The imp’s wide mouth contorted, his lips disappeared into the sharp cage of blades before he began to mumble:
“Something scientific ..some calibration ..or something…….but not magic ..there‘s no such thing as magic.. unless you believe in the plight of poor Mr. Claus.”
The Sableye tilted his head, and glared daggers at Enigma through the husky body of Duke. It was sad that even when he tried to tell the truth that no one believed him.

Enigma merely rolled his shoulders in a shrug.
“No, no harm, except when he starts horrid rumors.”
For a few months, it had been passed around Pravus that Enigma was actually the father of some secret love-child, and she was trying to assassinate him. The things people would believe was ironic, as was the fact that they usually could not pick the truth from a line-up of falsities.

--

The Pravus member had now shuffled so to have a clear view of Samantha.
“ A friendly game, yes, sounds fun.”
In Enigma’s mind it was anything but friendly. It was a very bloody distraction, and much more entertaining than this foolish posturing.
“ By two versus two, do you mean tag, or two sets of one vs. one?”
No doubt this country lass was only familiar with one type, rangers did not seem the types to promote “friendly” sparring.

Without waiting for an answer, Enigma slowly ran his fingers around his belt. It was the first time he had touched the simple band. It was made of ancient, chocolate brown leather, and patched with rough edges and scuff marks. It was truly made up of two belts, one around each hip. A set of odd looking clips wrapped around the sides, each hung with a tiny little oval of metal. With a deft movement he removed a poke ball from his belt, and rolled it about in his palm.

It was obviously an old asset, the edges around the button were clogged with rust, and grass stains coated the bottom of it. The administrator smiled at Janx[ or at duke] and made a beckoning motion with his fingers.
“ Innuendo is not viable for this match…..so he gets to referee.”
“In a most unbiased way I assure you~”
The reason the bird was ineligible? No one was to be killed, and this match needed to last more than a few seconds to quell the boredom branching through Enigma’s brain. It might have also been related to the bird's lack of sight, but that was a big might.

[Samantha Morino]

" I prefer the term honest, and I feel no need to prove anything."[/i

A pause, then a snort of laughter. "Whatever you say~" she trailed, knowing that the boy's previous comment was the biggest understatement of the year. But, of course, the boy would never show his agreement to anything she said so a response like this had become the norm; only thing left to do was go with it. She would humor the child, much like parents humored their own offspring when they animatedly exclaimed that they had seen a sleigh pulled by flying Stantler, the front steed's nose glowing a ruby red. Let him have his little fantasies over the smart, sophisticated boy he held himself up as.

"Opinions are useful,"

"Opinions bring change. It's a necessary part of world, honey~" she simpered, "Some are less vocal about them than others, but I believe it was you who said that opinions can be dangerous in these times~" she trailed off, brow furrowing as though to consider her own thought on the value of the mentioned subject. Shrugging, she rolled her eyes at his next statement. Saying that he didn't live under the rule of another was like saying he was never born -- impossible.

"Excusez moi, Monsieur Bonaparte, I will be sure to refrain from making the mistake again~" she mocked, injecting a scathing bow with a great sweeping of her free hand. He thought himself an emperor or something, a king among his childhood toys perhaps?

“I’d gladly oblige, but as you can see he is scaring Janx.”

It was Duke who responded first to this comment. The hackles of his fur seemed to lay flat for a moment, skin on his nose running smooth and lips relaxing down to cover pearly whites. His tail continued its metranome-like swining momentum, weight rocking back from its previously forward stance.

"Janx is one who hardly needs to worry," Samantha commented, the great dog trotting to her side and shoving his massive head under the arm that wasn't resting on the trembling Janx's own head. His actions were a show of piece, but his eyes glowed and bulged, a flash of teeth screaming across his features when he looked back to Enigma. But then it was gone, all gone. The spotlight returned to the imp.

"Regardless, swearing on your own grave when you're already ghost doesn't do much, Janxy-pie."

She didn't comment on the next statement. Scientific research had come a long way, maybe even long enough to entertain a story like Janx's, but the only people with the resources to do that were...

She paused, bending down as though to share a secret with the imp's massive ears. "Very possible, fine. But -- Can you prove it?" Then she was rocking back onto her heels, then to her feet as though the exchange had never passed.

“No, no harm, except when he starts horrid rumors.”


"I'm sure someone must appreciate your... deep, inner beauty." she jeered, bouncing on her heels. Adrenaline sparked through her like wildfire with the introduction of the pretense of battle. No backing out now -- things were just heating up. She discarded her bag to the ground in a plume of smoke.

"A tag battle, if you please~" she trilled, Duke pulling forward even as she moved back to make room for a battlefield. "Of course, I'll start the game in your favor by choosing first."

She paused, frowning suddenly. She hadn't forgotten the true reason for this game; it was a test, a hope that Lilith would provide a second opinion. Lilith and Duke got along fine, but they weren't meant to battle alongside eachother. Also, Duke was her deputy -- if, by some strange chance, the dog became hurt she would be shit outta luck. She bit the inside of her lip, knowing that someone wouldn't be very happy at all.

"Duke~ I'm afraid it's time to give some of my other pokemon a stretch. Take the back burner, will you?" Samantha called. Duke looked back, looking as though all hope in the world had been crushed. He waited a moment, as though hoping for a "Just kidding!" to rise up, but when disappointed let out a low whine.

"...now."

Ears pulled back not in hostility, but submissiveness as the canine crawled back to the sidelines. Face showed an expression of hurt, massive body collapsing under his limbs as he lay at Samantha's feet, looking sultry.

Now she was ready to start.

Two balls hurled through the air, crossing eachother before exploding in a doubled wave of crimson beams that slowly thinned to form the shapes of two pokemon. One, Lillith, was a mass of purple and black. A spiraling tail could easily support the pig's body as it fell back on it, pale pink hands grabbing identically hued toes in a rather immature, childish way. Though wise in speech and mind, Lilith was only a baby compared to the veterans like the beast beside her. This pokemon was covered in this plates, a mixtures of silver and dark brown with the texture of sandpaper, all covering the beige bullhide of his body. His head was massive and flat, a huge shield that had evolved from the species learning to protect their young by forming a walling. The defensive giant, Bastiodon, took the stage with mournful, pacifist eyes that didn't at all match his formidable frame.

Who have we here~? Friends? Lilith's voice wound through Samantha's thoughts like a river, paving a way through the suspicious thoughts currently congesting it.

Doubtful.[/i] Samantha replied simply, finding it odd to only have to -think- about the thought for the purple pig to understand. The boy is... strange, secretive. The little imp thinks he's some kind of powerful monster or something~ Just wait, you'll pick up on his charming personality rather fast.[/i]

Lilith's eyes darted to the Sableye quickly, then returned to the battle at hand. She didn't make any verbal comment, ignoring Enigma all together. Though the Bastiodon's eyes trailed around the decrepit town taking it all in, he wasn't the kind to comment.

"Lilith and, er, Bastiodon~" Samantha introduced, respectively. "Your move, Master Enigma."[/size]

[E.nigma]

[ I wager you aren't reposting this like last time, by the way that "Monsieur Bonaparte" line is being added to my signature]
[ Sorry about the length of the very crappy post...]


Why did the girl insist on sounding so chipper, and submissive?
" ..hmm. I never said opinions were not dangerous, just that, in a debate they are easily dismissed."
The administrator blinked at the next comment, and allowed himself to smile. The more confused and frustrated the girl became, the happier Enigma seemed to become. The French seemed odd when spilling from his mouth, especially with the lack of true difference between the two languages. The bored, clipped tone remained such as he easily flowed back into English.
"J'espere que non, and mayhap I was being a bit over-zealous. What I meant was, I do prefer to think for moi. I do thank you for comparing me to Monsieur Bonaparte Mademoiselle. What an amazing fellow, a great general, pity how he died though."
Enigma preferred to think of himself as the shadow-general, the leaders who proclaimed themselves as such were assassinated. Those who reaped the benefits, and avoided death were those to be admired.


------------

Enigma watched through lidded eyes as Samantha went through the steps of an odd dance. Like an approaching wave her body lifted up, and forward before falling back. Golden orbs followed in a similiar fashion, marking each time a limb fell out of line ,or a hair moved in the wrong direction. It would have been a very graceful series of movements if not for the occasional discordance, and poor execution. The Pravus member was excited for battle, but did not show it by acting like a child who needed a restroom. Instead it was found in rhythmic little jerks of his fingers, and the wicked gleam slowly enveloping his odd eyes. An odd feeling was gnawing at his stomach lining, something akin to anticipation, it gnashed its teeth as the girl spoke. What was the point of all these words, battling had nothing to do with witty banter. The voice that spoke was colder than before, and robotic in nature, somewhere underneath though lurked an animalistic urge to fight. The words were steadily becoming tedious, when compared to the promise of battle, and the words were spoke with clipped speed and precision:
"If that is what you wish. It truly doesn't matter to me."
Truly, it did not matter what pokemon she picked. ENigma already had his team formatted, and it did not matter what weaklings the girl assembled that team would not change.

The next order surprised even Enigma. The administrator turned toward the fiery canine, an eyebrow raised in question. The girl's canine was a strong enough beast, and already pumping with adrenaline would be a perfect candidate for a passionate battle. Why would Samantha pull him away from the main battle, and leash him like some lap dog?

The animal inside Enigma stirred with sympathy. The administrator watched the canine as it collapsed onto the floor among a storm of leaves, its spirit seemingly crushed. The Pravus member knew the feeling, but did not feel sympathetic for more than a few brief seconds, the dog had to obey its master.

With a calculating watched the balls arc through the air, brain rapidly determined their trajectory and speed before they opened in a burst of crimson light. The first beast was of psychic origin, a not too common resident of Pravus, but the gem dominating its forehead was a common tool in experiments. The behemoth beside it was a hulking creature, built to be a shield against the tearing teeth of Juraptix, and Cranidos.
" GRUMPIG --

[Samantha Morino]

Opinions, no use in debate? Not if you didn't dress them up, of course, but most everything came from someone's opinion. Opinions built up the straw house they called fact, but a theory debate was not something Samantha desired right now [or ever]. Living with such an assured sense that fact was immovable and stronger than the opinion was the boy's own issue, not one to point out.

"J'espere que non, and mayhap I was being a bit over-zealous. What I meant was, I do prefer to think for moi. I do thank you for comparing me to Monsieur Bonaparte Mademoiselle. What an amazing fellow, a great general, pity how he died though."

So now he speaks french, too? How am I not surprised~ Samantha thought, internally rolling her eyes in exasperation but stopping just short of showing it physically apart from the slight tense in already rigid shoulders. The boy didn't seem to mind the intended jab, seeming to consider it more compliment than anything else. "Hm~ yes, your admiration is very cute." she replied coolly, preferring to dodge to the subject of Napoleon. If she encouraged the boy, no doubt he'd spend a long while discussing ancient history that had nothing to do with anything she cared about. "Everyone dies, incase you weren't aware," A bitter comment, snarky and full of venom. "...But, as a general note, the more successful or 'out there' you are the shorter you tend to live~"

The boy didn't show emotion very often, or at all, but there were was a subtle air of anticipation. His fingers were the most noticeable, twitching around like a pianist fingering a run. Good. She was tired of his aloof ramblings; it was about time he acted human for the world. Time to coax that twisted child out of his carefully uninterested shell.

The release of her two pokemon put her more at ease. Lilith and Bastiodon were common partners in battle, and though her Bastiodon was never one for talking they didn't seem to hate each other. Lilith seemed concerned in understanding everything at once, the instant gratification of information clear by the constant flickering of her eyes and the telepathic communications with Samantha. The Bastiodon, on the other hand, seemed nonplussed by everything and looked rather uninterested in his characteristic melancholy state. When the creature was a Shieldon, Samantha had known him to be full of much more mirth than his current form, but the pacifist creature didn't much like the chaos and destruction of things right now. She sympathized with the creature, occasionally, but unlike him she was always looking forward; sighing about the past was very unlike her.

The boy should consider a future career as a pokedex.

Samantha might not have memorized the dex entries -- what a useless trick to show off, anyhow -- but she did know her fair bit about pokemon. She waited for the own boy's choices with a bored slash in her lips but a gleaming interest in her eyes.

" If you're going to use titles, please use Mister, and I do remember asking politely to be called Thomas, not Enigma."

"Whatever you say, Mister En--Thomas," she drawled, the slip up probably an intentional feint at the boy. Why did he always insist on hiding? A name, an identity. He packaged himself up and stowed it far, far away from here determined to keep it away from everyone. Didn't he realize it was much more fun in the open? A game was no fun without some risk [especially in these times, where the Casinos and alcohol industry seemed to be prospering surprisingly well].

She raised an eyebrow when Enigma called the Sableye to battle. A rather cruel move on the boy's part; the creature was strange and equally as dark as his master, but she doubted it was really up to fighting. Some kind of punishment, no doubt, for the creature going on and on about things that sounded part insane, part truth but all looking unkindly upon Napolean Jr.

The second creature to appear was a grass type, a Sunflora. For a creature who was stereotypically plastered with a stupid smile, the creature was rather hostile right off the bat. She bantered with.. well... she didn't seem to have an opponent, but just blabbered right into open air till silenced by a look from the one-and-only twisted bastard child. Samantha smirked at the spirit; the boy was as interesting as a rock, but his pokemon were amusing. Compared to Rosalie and co, her own pokemon seemed to have the same social skills as the boy: nada. They had there own means of getting their point across, however. Down by her feet, Duke whimpered pleadingly at the sight of the grass pokemon. Everything, from the hopeful tilt in his head to the slight teeth showing begged to be released, to take out such easy prey as Rosalie. With a small shake of her head, Samantha returned to the battle.

Her two pokemon didn't seem to enjoy the Sunflora's spirit as much. The Bastiodon's large eyes strayed to the creature. He didn't smell... apart from the smell of earth, something that a plant creature should get accustomed to. A low rumble, almost too base to be really registered as words, seemed to emanate from somewhere. Surely not the Bastiodon -- his eyes had already moved on as though he hadn't heard. Obnoxious weed... the ground seem to rumble with the deep base, words barely discernible.

The Grumpig seemed much less bothered by the comment, however. Her head tilted lightly to the side, felt-like ears flopping lightly. A good, clean fight is nothing to apologize for~ she responded lightly, My fat prevents me from burning to a crisp, an advantage I'm sure you've wished you've had before, hm~? There was no threat, only innocence. Lilith acted beyond her years in some aspects, but equally as many she was only a baby. Samantha realized that Lilith revealing her ability, Thick Fat, might have been a rather harmless tidbit but on the other hand, she would need to learn some ground rules soon.

Inn's wings slowly lowered, surely meaning the start of the battle.

"All right! About time~" trilled Samantha, opening up communications with Lilith once again and sending two orders. One, for the pig herself, and the other to be bounced to the Bastiodon.

Both creatures tensed, waiting for the moment the wings lay perpendicular to the ground before springing into action. Lilith literally did so, taking one preparatory hop before bouncing on the loaded spring of her tail high into the air. Simultaneously, Bastiodon's armored trunk of a leg smashed into the ground, shaking the earth as the smaller pebbles on the ground were bounced up and down with a great clattering. The earth rumbled and roared, but from her vantage point in the air Lilith seemed out of harm's way.

The humans [or atleast, partially human] bystanders weren't completely safe from the Earthquake. Samantha's balance tipped dangerously, but Duke's heavy frame was up on all fours again and used as a support. The ruins of Barkwish groaned in disapproval, a crash from somewhere not too far off suggesting that the move might have done more harm than originally intended. Samantha had learned to fight with Ranger training, wild pokemon and city battles. None of these encouraged the strict, white lines of a battlefield that gym leaders and others used. Her style of battling was highly old fashioned -- back when trainers didn't mind getting their hands dirty, even organized battles were fought with the trainer's safety taking the back-burner in comparison to his or her pokemon's success.

[E.nigma]

What did Samantha admire? Ancient greek heroes, the ones who were the result of incest? Napoleon was documented, and real, not some unbending hero that she likely wanted to be. Copying her tone, but not her voice, the Pravus administrator shot back with:
" As are your ideals."
It may have been childish, but when you were dealing with the enemy, who thought you a child, why act yor age?
The next comment made Enigma chuckle, albeit in a taunting, non-friendly manner. With a few quiet coughs he turned toward Samantha with a small smile on his face.
" ...so your life is rather short...being a radical idealist with a hero complex?"
Enigma may have been a radical, at least when compared to the scared mice that made up the majority of Remoor, but he was no more radical than the young girl in front of him. In fact, if one thought that way, he was merely rolling with the statistics.

Pravus was on top, it had the power, the brains, the brawn, and the science to back it up. The rangers had pretty words, and flower chains.

---

Enigma watched Samantha from across the field, his golden eyes were now all business, but at the same time hungry. It was always fun to pit brain and power against petty ideals. The Grumpig was the biggest annoyance, not because of its power, but due to the fact that it strangled his ability to communicate....

Unless he was tired of these little hiding games. What was the big deal if his Sableye was proven right? The girl would only be more aggressive in battle, more interesting to toy with, why not show her exactly what she was dealing with?

Fear smelt better than that annoyance pouring off from her anyway. Not just yet, surprise was a tool to be used at the proper junction. The very idea did not stop him from smiling though, his normal painstaking logic now replaced with years of honed instinct and strategy.

To be honest, there were very few combinations that would work out worse than the headstrong Sunflora with the pain-cautious Sableye. The Sableye would be little more than a convenient play-thing, and toy. Normally, Enigma would not send the two out together, but what better way to punish the big-mouthed imp than throw him to the prickly plant?

In all honesty though, there was not much to punish. It was almost solely principal, and the vicious little voice that snarled in the back of his mind. The little bulb that had devoured, and allowed his powers exponential growth, it could smell the hated smell of graveyard soil, and it wanted to see it painted across the ground in a violent mural. Ghosts were the enemy, they were the hated, the barrier, they had to be punished. Punished for raising a hand to the master, and for losing the battle, the verbal one.

That didn't stop his logical mind from pursing his lips, and observing the whimpering Sableye. What a useless creature, was punishing him really worth a blow to his record?

Hmmm.
----

The Sunflora kneeled, and fixed the Arcanine with a devilish smile. The voice was high-pitched, the words were degrading to say the least, goading to be more accurate:
"What's wrong, the neutered little puppy kicked by his big ol' mean master? Does he want to barbeque the little flower, held back by a girl, big strong brute like you...pitiful."
Behind her Enigma merely smiled, there was no doubt that his little flower could whip the hide from that whimpering mutt, and it was a good experiment in the creature's loyalty.
"...I'll take you on when I finish off Piggy and Smelly' over yonder."
It was always fun to wipe the floor with fire-types, especially big muscular ones.

The current battle was much below her refined tastes, a few tossed pebbles, and psychic attacks? A date with a Magikarp was more entertaining.
"....did the Bastiodon say something? Speak up sweetheart."
The constant smile did not match her venomous words, nor did it seem to match her master's lack of expression.
" ....good and clean....please...this is like taking candy from little tykes. "
The Sunflora looked down at her own spindly middle, before turning toward Lilith with a shrug.
"Well....I just hafta be careful to not leap into any bonfires~"
Playful banter was over, wings seemed to glow in the falling sun, and the Sunflora let out a final cheer.

The discordant waves of notes crashed into his head again, and he scowled as a migraine began to pulse at his temples.

Large golden eyes watched muscles quiver, as the Grumpig launched into the air, and could feel the earth tremble as the Bastiodon unleashed his earthly rage.
"Janx, up. Rosalie, Ingrain."
The ghost turned a questioning eye to his trainer, even as he leapt for the nearest tree, and scurried up the trunk like some sort of primate. Long gnarled claws clung to the trunk, even as the earth shook the tree like some sort of toy. Eyes gleaming in the bright sunlight, the Sableye watched as Lily became a dot in the sky.

The SUnflora stood her ground, the petals that formed her feet slowly grew outward, and became one with the ground. Swaying like a dancer she managed to avoid any true damage. A few drops of sap dotted her cheeks, where a stray pebble had torn at her rather ironic grin.
"Leaf storm...."
Enigma's voice faded even as she hunched forward. The trees themselves seem to roar, green appeared where it had once died. The leaves tore from the trees with a violent hiss, and streamed across the battlefield, jagged little blades. The Sableye disappeared beneath a veil of greenery, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Grass knot...please show Lilith the meaning of Gravity."
Enigma was not one for turns, battles were not about manners. A single vine grew from the Sunflora, and it whipped toward the sky, parting leaves with its thorns. A single loop rested at the end of it, the hungry mouth quested for the shape of the flying pigs.
"....oh lordy 'ma...when we finish this...I have a joke for you!"


Cracks slowly spread out from beneath the behemoth creature, Enigma's eyes followed. The ground trembled beneath his feet, the earth rose up like a tidal wave, but the devastating fall never came. The child did not stumble like the ranger. The man had a lower center of gravity, and the balance of a psychic type, he merely adjusted his bod position to stay standing. The man smiled at Samantha, seemingly amused by such a small thing as an earthquake. An odd pressure caused him to look down, nearly invisible pupils expanded taking in the sight, hardy little weeds were now wrapped about his ankles like some sort of anchor. It appeared he had not been the only one seeing to his welfare. The hat atop his head had not so much as moved, it did so however when he turned and nodded at his grass type.
"I would be much obliged Rosalie, if you allowed me to handle such a little thing as Earthquakes by myself."
With a final caress the vines disappeared from the ground, the Sunflora was released from her embrace with the ground , and she leapt backward.

A second vine snuck from her other hand, and lifted her trainer from the ground, stopping at an inappropriate spot before returning to its origins with a pokeball in its grasp.

So what if she was going to be beaten for it later? It was too much fun to leave her master alone.

--

Enigma showed no anger, at least with his expression, but the temperature around him seemed to drop about a season.
"...Rosalie...please, no games. You will listen to me now, or you will feel the consequences now."
The Sunflora showed no signs of listening, the pokeball was tossed into the air with a flagrant twist of a vine.

Enigma watched it disappear in a flash of sunlight.

The Xatu didn't see it....

Which meant he wasn't about to catch it....

The ball stopped, blue fire licking around its edges, Enigma's head was currently bent, but that didn't completely disguise the fact that his face glowed.
--

The Sableye knew that it was supposed to attack the Bastiodon, but now hunched upon the branch hesitantly. Unlike the rest of his team he was very poor at thinking up his own strategies.
"...woe....woe..."
With a sigh, he seemed to fade into the tree bark, and drop to the ground.

Claws grew at the ends of his hands as he approached the hulking ground type. Using Roist for a distraction, and hoping to regain his master's favor, he drove the jagged edges toward the Bastiodon, even as he popped back into visibility.

[....eeeeeeeew.....I am so sorry....my Niggy battle muse needs some work.....I feel like an idiot.]

[Samantha Morino]

ooc; ugh. Can't even begin to apologize for my hiatus... that was an unusually atrocious amount of inactiveness.

ic; " As are your ideals."

Ah, how wonderful it would be at this point to break the restraining chains that humanity put in place to put themselves above evolutionary counterparts. Like now, for instance, Samantha would have much preferred launching herself at the boy and just trying to harm him somehow. Wipe that self satisfied smirk off his face. Make him regret, or even fear the consequences of his goads. But no, this broke the tight laws of society. Funny how shooting someone in the head seemed less primal, less barbaric than breaking someone's nose with your own fist. Silent fury, white fury, the unadulterated loathing -- the more of it that consumed her, the less that seemed to show on her features. She didn't respond, unusually, and didn't show any emotion. But, of course, every storm had its calm moments. Perhaps Enigma had just reached the eye of the it.

" ...so your life is rather short...being a radical idealist with a hero complex?"

It was almost too hard to summon words.
"Maybe. I wouldn't be placing bets just yet~ And I wouldn't call it a hero complex, either. That sounds much to moral-bound and glorified."
Samantha was a 'radical idealist' because she wanted the deed done, not for the glory of doing the public's dirty work in spandex plus cape.

***

Duke was just about done with this sunflower; with each word from the weed's mouth, the wrinkles of hostility in his nose deepened. It was so easy... and Samantha didn't like them either... And he certainly wasn't going to let Samantha's other two pokemon get the first bite. He was the alpha, after all.

"...Pitiful."

The dam broke. One fluid motion of sinew and bone had the creature on his feet surprisingly fast, not wasting time with a single growl or bark as flames flooded the beast's mouth. Each thunderous pawstep closed the distance between the weed and himself surprisingly fast; a reminder that, though their species was formidable in size, Arcanines could pride in their considerable speed. A great eruption of fire, one already formed in his mouth; it would be all it took to completely eliminate, disintegrate, the Sunflora. Reason was beyond him, a small voice in the back of his mind justifying that, though Samantha would act mad, she wouldn't really mind in the long run. The flamethrower reached out greedily, devouring the air with each tongue trying to outrace the other, snapping and hissing. Thundering behind it came Duke, murder in his eyes.

Samantha knew Duke was beyond control -- it was the matter of whether she did something about it. Their was something contemptuously enjoyable about his outburst, as though he had finally lashed back for the both of them. But, no, Samantha doubted the Rangers would approve. She hadn't come here to have her hell hound go berserk. Still, you had to admit the Sunflora deserved it...

The flames were too late to stop, but a beam of light could easily out speed anything, even Duke. The carmine light on impact spread over Duke's body like a plague, his momentum slowed by the incredibly strong pull of light. It spread over his snarling mouth, the stream of flames shushed as the creature unwillingly was returned to his ball.

Samantha was done with words. She did not apologize, nor tried to defend her dog's outburst. She merely returned him to his ball -- a very uncommon residence for the creature -- and seemed ready to continue as though nothing had happened. As you were, sir...

The exchanges finished between the two side's pokemon, it seemed things were truly ready to get started. Samantha's eyes strayed from Duke's ball, back the the scene that had exploded from the beginning of the battle.

The Sunflora had laid its roots to stop the true effect of the Earthquake, the impish Sableye taking cover in a tree. Rosalie didn't seem to want to wait out the shaking, however. Green seemed to take over the scene, creating a literal storm of sharp leaves. While Lilith seemed safe with her height, Bastiodon would need to bear it...

The Bastiodon's large, shield like face usually protected him from the blunt damage of frontal attacks. However, the unpredictable path of the leaves seemed able to penetrate his larges defense, bouncing harmlessly off the darker plates around his legs and face while the tough bullhide took a larger beating than the tiny leaves barraging it. In this case, it seemed like offense would have to be the best defense in stopping the storm. The Sunflora might hold control over the leaves, but the very ground she was rooted to was his element.

The ground was littered with large boulders mixed with scrap heaps, the ground loose from battles fought. It was a pretty good field for the fossil...

While the Sunflora conducted the storm of leaves, perhaps vision wasn't at its finest. Boulders began hurling through the air, but would they be noticed too late? A few fell short, exploding into fragments with the force they slammed into the ground. A Rock Blast, hopefully enough to stop the leaves that were digging into the creature's stamina.

Lilith, however, was in a bad spot. It was easy to see the grass knot coming, but there was little was to stop it. She tried, twisting in midair and aiming a kick at the noose onto to have it secure easily over her leg. A tug, it was all that was needed to throw off the intended bounce and increase the velocity that she approached the ground. Mind already whirring, the jewel set into the grumpig's head began to glow, trying to form a psychic cushion.

Don't bother~

Lilith looked over, surprised. Samantha wasn't even making eye contact, but the 'command' had clearly come from her. There was no time to doubt the request -- the psychic concentration had broken, and there wasn't enough time to reestablish a new one before she crashed into the ground, a plume of unsettled debris welcoming her return. There was no time to be annoyed, only to counter...

The little imp had shown his face, the Bastiodon realized. Knowing the plant to be the bigger adversary, his attention was only momentarily sapped before it returned to Rosalie. A few moments later, a sting of pain rewarded his lack of attention. The Bastiodon, once again, seemed crippled by the lack of close-quarters combat skill.

"Cover Lilith."

Samantha wasn't one for many words in battle, but a quick glance towards where Lilith had fallen could explain most everything. Payback had doubled in power after the hit the Grumpig had taken, but rather than directing it back at the plant it was coming for Janx, switching targets. A black glow covered the Grumpig, who lashed out first to kick the Sableye away from Bastiodon before following with an arm strike. Bastiodon, meanwhile, took advantage of protective instincts; a barrier materialized, preventing the Sunflora from interfering with the exchange of physical blows.

Rosalie seemed busy with her own little game, however. A second extension of her arm crawled up the boy's body, pulling out a pokeball. The corners of Samantha's mouth twitched as the plant seemed to consider something, pausing at a certain area of the boy's body. You won't find much there~ she thought immaturely, wondering what the Sunflora wanted with a pokeball. The battle had barely begun, it was too soon to be calling it quits.

The ball arced through the air, towards Innuendo. The blind bird didn't see anything... well, of course not. But the ball stopped. Blue flickered around the sphere, but the bird showed no signs of having reacted. The boy, on the other hand...

Samantha--

It was Lilith, who had noticed it too -- though not by watching but rather the transfer of psychic energy. The plant clearly hadn't summoned it, and the boy's bent head just may have been fringed by a pale blue glow.

Samantha cut off the telepathic communication, however, and decided to test the waters openly.

"I'm starting to develop a little faith in you, Janx." she commented lightly, "I'm getting the feeling you're not the biggest liar here~"

Lilith, curiosity consuming, stopped attacking the imp long enough to look curiously towards Enigma, ears twitching. What new oddities did the world have in store for her today?

ooc; bleh. battling isn't my thing either.

[E.nigma]

The man moved in an absurdly innocent way. When Samantha gave no initial reply he allowed his arms to spread outward in a questioning arc. Large golden eyes made no movement, but he could practically feel the anger pouring off of Samantha. The girl may have an exterior that appeared cooler than ice, but no doubt her insides burned hot with rage. The Pravus member resisted an urge to smile. In an owlish maneuver, surprisingly childish mind, Enigma tilted her head when she replied, almost copying the mannerisms of a puppy.
"What would you call it Miss Samantha? I'm quite curious."
The voice hadn't changed, it was still quiet and monotone. It stood juxtaposed to his tilted skull and "sweet" smile.
"My bet still stands."
The man added as an afterthought, but for some odd reason he did not seem to be referring to Samantha at all. It was spoken not to her, but through her into the forest beyond, his eyes were slightly narrowed at some invisible foe. The cause of the odd statement was nowhere to be found, and judging by his closed face he was not about to point anyone in the right direction.

--

One would expect Enigma to leap to his Sunflora's defense, to utter a sound of fear, or to stop the attack. Instead he merely tilted his head in the other direction, and watched the angry flames devour air and space without prejudice. The flames grew in his eyes, and he was smiling, it was nice when the enemy didn't play fair. The administrator turned his eye to the flower, ignoring the urges that screamed at him from some primal place inside his DNA. The Pravus member may have found the ideas enjoyable, but he was not one to cave to the blind, ignorant, or base:
protect the pack, kill the dog, you must not let him violate your turf!
What was the fun in beating up a poor , goaded beast? It would be more interesting to watch the plant eat her words; which would not happen now. That was merely wishful thinking. Enigma knew it, and for just a moment looked slightly crestfallen.



The flower's surprise faded to wicked pleasure when Duke surged forward, the permanent smile grew into a grin, and she let out a very unladylike cackle:
"The big strong puppy wants to pick on a defenseless littl' Southern belle? He'll find himself fighting more than a silly liddle marigold~"
The heat blistered her stalk, but she didn't move. The flower of the south was not backing down before some lumbering oaf of a dog! The vine that she was so fond of seemed to double in length, and with a fluid movement she hit the deck, the lasso flying out toward Duke's feet, hoping to ensnare and pull the dog into his own wild inferno. The flower was in her element, staring danger in the face and dancing right into it. The dog behind the flames was her goal, she wanted to manipulate and control, it was part of the family tradition.

The flames scorched the tips of her petals, she could hear the popping as fire and smoke met with a gnashing of heated fangs. The lasso snapped closed on open air, and the flower let out an exasperated sigh:
"You missy are no fun at all! We onl' wanted to play."
The plant glared at the empty space where DUke had been, why did people always protect the lady in distress? Why couldn't she be allowed to be a petite little belle, while she was a rosy knight? This entire situation stank of sexism. Pain radiated downward for her skull, and she gently extinguished the candle like flames devouring her petals. With a growl the Sunflora turned back toward Samantha.
“That doggy deserves a good ass-whooping, burnt my poor liddle petals to ashes. It will take days to go back! I can’t go around looking like a heathen like you young lady, does your mutt have no chivalry? Never touch a lady’s face!”
That wouldn’t stop her from pummeling that little piglets, and from flattening Duke’s nose if she ever saw the idiotic little heathen again.


The Pravus member could still feel the heat wash over him, and he had to admire the flower’s tenacity. Her ability to fight no matter what the enemy, and her narcissism were what made her such a good team mate. Pity that her actions had ended any confrontation the dog might start with him.
A bright flickering caught his golden eyes, it beat like a hero’s heart, the little flame refused to disappear into the abyss like its brethren. It was a true hero, a heart of courage in a sea of cowardice.

A finely polished shoe descended, and with a puff of smoke the little flame disappeared forever.

“…that was an interesting distraction. Rosalie, please refrain from picking on bystanders, it is not very sportsman-like.”
“ ‘ Ma darlin’ this whole business is not very sportsman-like, I’m not the one picking on a poor girl.”
The Sunflora said as she shifted position, and grinned at her master with an air of taunt.
“ Since when did you care about fairness?”
“ When you did.”
With a high-pitched chuckle the Sunflora threw herself into the battle, it was her element, her chance to shine like a movie star. No one was going to take it away from her!

The Sunflora watched with glee as knife-like leaves hammered into the Bastiodon. Something as simple as a few inches of armor would not stop the female, or her forest from asserting their superiority. The biting leaves gently caressed her, and with a grin the Sunflora let loose a twirl, just in time for a rock to smash into the back of her head.
“ Eyes on the battle Rosalie.”
Green liquid streamed down the back of her skull, and she shook her head before turning back to the rock type.
“Downright dirty dirty trick~! You sir are no knight!”
The vine in her other hand continued its pulling, and she could practically feel the ugly little fat pig falling through the sky like a clumsy meteor. Juggling a few numbers the flower let loose of the pig, turning her thorny arms toward the giant hunkering beast before her.

The leaves had fallen to the ground, not from distraction, but from the fact that the Sunflora was now motivated to take the battle to him.

“Don’t look at that useless little imp! This is MY BATTLE! MINE!”
The flower screeched as the Bastiodon turned toward the Sableye and Grumpig. How dare he! Why would he look at such an ugly beast when a beauty like her approached?

That was not a crime that would go unpunished!


Enigma merely watched the situation unfold.
---

The Sableye was shocked when he felt his claws connect, sinking into the muscular flesh of the prehistoric beast before him. The feeling was something that only a poet could accurately describe, it was guilt but some deep part of him felt exulted. What better way was there to pull him into the spotlight? It was empowering, he was no longer the back-up for the farmer in the tragedy, he was the man atop the ladder calling out to his beloved. Taking the opportunity he stuck a single arm into the air and began in a dramatic baritone:
“JULIET THOU ART THE LIGHT OF MY LIF~”
“….Janx. Behind you.”
The comment was whispered, and slow. It lacked any urgency, and it was obvious that Enigma had not meant the
Ghoul to dodge, only for him to stare death in the eye. Not to mention the bright lavender nose, and jaded little hoof. The kick connected in an area that made him glad he lacked any reproductive organs, the ghost crumpled to his knees, even as the punch sent him tumbling backwards, into the path of Roist.

The flower kicked at his body with distaste, and went so far to toss him with the poke ball, the ghost rolled to a stop inches from his trainers booted feet.

Without a sentimental thought the flower took a deep breath, and with a look of disgust spurted sludge from deep inside her body, coating the ground. With a creak it began to chew at the metal, acrid green smoke flew from it, even as it rained down toward the Bastiodon and Lilith.
“ Armor, what’s armor against erosion? You have jaded a lady big boy, time to pay!”
A vine sliced through the air, dunking itself in a puddle of the mud colored goo, before continue toward the Bastiodon’s face.

The flower paid no attention to the girl’s words, or the results of her little escapade into Enigma’s pants.

She had more important things to do.

-----

The blind Xatu listened to the sounds of battle with a variety of expressions, and even extended a hand to help cusion the fall of the Sableye.

When Enigma stopped talking, and the air turned cold did he begin to realize something had happened. A miniature sun of psychic power hovered nearby, and his master was practically wreathed in its light. The administrator did not speak, even as the shape dropped into his gloved hand.

Only after it was clicked back into its former position did he deem Samantha important enough to pay attention to. The words were not a denial, or ever ashamed. In fact, the words had nothing to do with the accusations, besides confirming them.
“ Your poorly harmonized psychic communications are giving me a headache. Please stop using them until you can do it properly Ms. Morino."
The man tilted his head back up, his eyes glowing blue, his teeth slightly elongated in the flickering light.


The ghoul smiled from his place on the ground, even as he rose back to his feet.
“I told you he was a monster Ms. Samantha! I told you!”

The administrator smiled, before quietly adding:
“Please.”

[[What do you think of the ending? I hated ROIST's piece but...I think the endign works well enough.....]]

[Samantha Morino]

Tch. The boy thought he was so coy, you could read it on every line of his face. The questioning sweep of his arms, the puppy dog tilt to the head -- all would be easier to accept as part of his age, if he didn't failed to act in proportion to his appearance and body language with his snide comments and 'innocent' questions. But, she would digress; at this point, the boy didn't even have to do anything to raise her hackles.

"What would you call it Miss Samantha? I'm quite curious."

What would you call the entity that drove Samantha to be so ferociously passionate towards her cause? She couldn't say it was because she liked doing the right thing -- though her principles were black and white when it came to what's what, her morals and actions could slip into the grays. Heroism didn't seem to coin it, but it wasn't as though anything in particular really drove her but herself; she never did things for others' sake, or their own ideas and opinions. It would be almost selfish, if she didn't just happen to agree with a group of people looking for a similar conclusion. That was usually what brought people together, right? Looking in the same direction, but usually for very different reasons.

[b"It's called hell-bent determination, sweetums. One doesn't need a hero complex to get good things done,"[/b] Samantha replied cheerily, sick of this game of smoke and mirrors but determined to adopt the same smarmy facade of calm.

"My bet still stands."

Was there a third person here Samantha wasn't aware of? Sometimes his comments seemed meant to fall on no ears at all, his statements fading away. Creepy weirdo.

***

The Sunflora was a nice package of spirit, though her tactless taunts perhaps deserved something of a consequence. Samantha's face seemed briefly as surprised as Rosalie's own when Duke first lunged, shocked that the flower wished for her own death sentence. She hardly even flinched, only sending out that vine, hoping to stop Duke perhaps? Based on Duke's outburst, Samantha doubted any leafy tentacle could have stopped his rampage.

The plant was even disappointed when Duke was stopped, her southern drawl almost accusatory towards the Crusdaer.

""You missy are no fun at all! We onl' wanted to play."

Didn't the weed have any common sense? Did the expression about playing with fire and getting burned ring no bells in that giant, empty head?

"You have your own battle to attend to." she reminded curtly, then with less politeness: "I apologize, but Duke shouldn't be allowed to waste his energy getting his fur ruffled by every minor annoyance." The latter statement she could easily justify referring to Rosalie's goads, but more likely was intended that the Sunflora was the "minor annoyance" she had mentioned.

“That doggy deserves a good ass-whooping, burnt my poor liddle petals to ashes. It will take days to go back! I can’t go around looking like a heathen like you young lady, does your mutt have no chivalry? Never touch a lady’s face!”

A heathen? Samantha's thin line of a mouth curved into a wry smile. Jabs to her physical appearance were hardly sticks and stones to her. The flower had spunk, but her fragile little body would burn to a crisp or wither away if she wasn't careful.

"Duke can be quite the gentleman, when the chance arises, but I'm afraid that a couple of burnt leaves won't help the fact you hardly count as a lady in his book~"

Despite her intended insults, Samantha didn't quite mind the overgrown flower as much as her master. The plant was fun to watch banter with her master, but a nuisance in the end.

That was enough on the creature's interesting personality, however. As the falling rocks landed a successful hit, Enigma's reminded to the southern pokemon was heeded by the ranger as well -- a battle was no time to let the mind wander. The flower did like to blabber...

“Downright dirty dirty trick~! You sir are no knight!”

The words were like the buzz of a particularly annoying insect on the Bastiondon's ears. A deep chuckle resounded, scratchy baritone voice forming words barely within an octave to be able to understand. "You, little plant winch, are no princess yourself..." he rumbled, seeming almost amused. Any amusement faded from him quickly, however, as the plant began screeching, seeming to have gone over the edge if she hadn't already previously. She was shrieking in a most unladylike way, matching the accusation of her being a 'plant witch' rather well...

Lilith, her attack successful, was at the Bastiodon's side in another instant. Her breathing may have became heavier, but the fight had only just begun -- there was much more left to win with. Though the shrieking, attention-seeking sprout was rather distracting, the boy's sudden psychic presence seemed to have captivated Lillith's attention. Thankfully, the only danger at the moment seemed determined to dish revenge out to her fossil compadre, not take advantage of her lack of attention.

"Watch out!"

The warning from Samantha had Lillith snapping to attention in time to spring out of the way as acid seemed to rain from the Sunflora's body. It didn't seem that harmful, until you looked at what it did to the scrap metal littering the ground. The smell... her flattened nose wrinkled uncomfortably. Best not to get hit by that.

The Bastiodon made an attempt to dodge, but speed was never on the beast's side especially without momentum starting to catch up. Flecks of acid spattered part of him, a roar of pain booming from his lungs as it started to eat away at the metal. The vine approaching was bad news, and even as the Bastiodon tried to form another barrier he knew the second, significantly weaker, wouldn't be enough to completely block the first.

A glowing shard of light cut through the air, released from Lillith several paces away. It shot through the air easily, streamline and sharpened. Instead of aiming directly at Roist, the gem's path aimed to cut straight through the acid-dipped vine. The vine was the biggest issue now; neither Bastiodon nor Lilith were great distance fighters, and the vine kept them at bay.

"Dilute the acid, Lillith." Samantha commanded curtly, pulling arms through the sleeves of her windbreaker even as she said so. The pig seemed to take a moment to realize what she was asking, then nodded affirmatively.

The Grumpig's body moved through the motions of a well-practiced dance of sorts, body contorting surprisingly easily through a set of motions while the gem set into her forehead glowed. Up ahead, the darkening sky seemed to become even grayer, a few drops of water the only foreshadowing of the heavy downpour to follow. Even as the first drops fell, Lillith continued the dance till steady sheets of rain fell from the sky.

The acid, though still dangerous, would not be nearly as much so with the water able to thin it out. The Bastiodon might not have been a fan of the rain, but it didn't physically harm him; on the contrary, it relieved some of the pain from where the acid struck. The sky rumbled with a foreshadowing of thunder and lightning brewing in the clouds. The Bastiodon looked up towards the darkened sky, rain spattering on his face and running down his body. It might have been a nuisance with his typing, but soon he would be able to conduct the magnificent symphony brewing above. For now, though…

The acid still pooled on the ground, deluded by water but still possibly harmful. No time doubting the safety of his next move now, however. The large shield that was his head already achieved a faint silver glow, his feet already preparing for the charge. He wasn’t particularly fast, but enough that the Iron Head would have an effect if it hit. He charged forward, conditions made more difficult by the softened ground but merely tearing up chunks as he went. Head bent slightly, eyes half closed against the rain, it appeared the charge would have to be blind, and he would have to depend on knowing he started in the right direction and his bulk to protect himself.

The boy created another problem. Almost captivated by the levitating ball, Samantha watched its lazy progress carefully even as it sailed into the gloved palm of the boy. Lillith, too, was still clearly interested – her thoughts valiantly tried to stick to the leafy opponent in front of her, but the presence of another psychic, a human, had created an almost ADD sense of distractedness.

Well, this was an interesting twist. It probably had some justification for the adult-like mannerisms of the boy; Samantha was no expert, but she could assume that perhaps something about this psychic twist had something to do with the way a ten-year-old spoke beyond his years.

It was also disconcerting, and it wasn’t only the elongating of fangs that disturbed her. A secretive boy with psychic powers sounded like trouble, especially with the screeching of the imp at the psychic’s feet, yelling about the boy’s identity being revealed: a monster. A small bit of prejudice struck a suspicious chord in her too – Samantha didn’t entirely trust the unnatural, and maybe there was a bit of predetermined suspicion for anything that wasn’t entirely human. And, well, from the sound of it this boy wasn’t some innocent boy with a couple of levitation tricks under his belt. He spoke, but the voice seemed like it was from a different person; all was very much the same, but her view of the boy had changed completely.

“ Your poorly harmonized psychic communications are giving me a headache. Please stop using them until you can do it properly Ms. Morino."

It was all the confirmation she needed.

What do you think? Samantha asked Lillith warily, taking some sweet pleasure in deliberately ignoring the boy’s request. It was like when a child was told not to touch something, yet the reached out and pointedly touched the object with a single finger. Perhaps it was immature, foolish. But, despite this new development, there was a savage desire not to seem intimidated by the boy and his creepy powers.

It’s not good news~ Lillith responded simply, still staring at the boy as though he might suddenly reveal more hidden talents. Be careful, Sam…

”Let’s just review here…” Samantha had switched from the short telepathic communications to her usual loud and confident speech. ”You’re a secretive little boy named Enigma – how fitting, did you think of that yourself? – whose pokemon claim he’s a monster and I find no evidence denying it. There’s no question that you could be my enemy—you’ve been an annoying little prick from the start--so just spit it out already. Are you?” The last part didn’t come off as strong as she had hoped, with almost a hint of faltering. The rain had started to plaster thick locks of mahogany hair to her face, arms drawn tightly around her chest as much for warmth as hostility. Enigma didn’t like to reveal things, but Samantha was done with him dodging questions and the simplest way to get a straight answer, in her mind, was to throw a blunt question looking for an equally blunt answer. Come to think of it, he was a lot like that Cheshire Cat in that macabre book that she had nightmares about as a child. The cat’s answers would always seem to suggest something in a very roundabout way, but before the characters could try to confirm his hinting, he would fade away.

There was more than one way to skin a cat. She would find what she wanted, there was no doubt anymore.
[/size]

[E.nigma]

Enigma listened to the girl speak, just a bit surprised she had answered the question at all.
" Determination is not a motive, it is a means toward an end. One doesn't need a brain either, to accomplish good things. A rock can save someone from drowning as effectively as a human dear Ms. Morino."
The administrator was not calling all do-gooders brainless, but what sort of reason was determination? What sort of thinking was required for doing something because someone else said it was "right"? Beneath the cordial words Enigma could sense the tension, it was easier to pluck than the strings of a guitar.
" I do advise caution, curiosity is not the only thing that can kill a cat. Blind determination and poor thinking can do so just as well. Which you might soon find out."
The bet he had made with himself, was not the only thing he was willing to gamble on. No doubt others would agree.

--------------------

"But I don't want to fight the liddle piggy, and the fossil~ they don't seem to have that oh so delicious fire! Passion! The flickering flame from deep in the sou--oh deary me, I do believ' I have been spending a bi' too much time with Janx. "
The plant ended with what seemed an empty-headed little titter, but the innocent "belle" disappeared the second Samantha opened her mouth again.
" MINOR annoyance? How dare you miss! I have more battle experience in me liddle root than that big oaf has in his empty, fur covered skull!"
The Sunflora knew her master did not start battles with anyone who was not an enemy, surely he wouldn't mind this girl getting a nice welt across her ugly, slop, of a mouth? No, no, she could hold it in. What would a civilized lady do after all? Surely not slap a foolish girl. It appeared that this SAM [[what an ugly name]] did not know her place, and continued to talk even as the Sunflora turned a nasty magenta.
"Who cares about his book? He is an animal, a downrigh' four-legged, furry beas' of burden. I doubt he can read, which I can assure most gentleman can."
The flower's face wrinkled, and that girl's face became the very picture of insolence, a thorny vine curled backward. They pulsed with the Sunflora's heartbeat, the tips turning a deadly fuschia.

Maybe it would be nice to carve a nice wide smile across her splotchy little cheeks? The Sunflora shivered in delight as the vine rocketed toward the girl, only to be pulled back when an amused, but quiet, voice interjected:
" Rosalie, enough bickering. No need to hurt Ms. Samantha, she was only speaking her mind."
Enigma smiled at the flower, both eyes however glinted with aggression. Had not one warning been enough? Would the plant push the envelope until Enigma was forced to take action? Tension crackled between the pair until the Sunflora sighed, muttering under her breath:
"If you can call that a mind."
Prostrating one arm before her, she bowed from what some would call her waist, fluttered her eyebrows at Samantha, before she said:
"My utmost apologies, even if you are a heathen women who seems to have odd relationships with animals, I spoke out of line."
Whoever said she had to be nice?

The flower scoffed, taking a few steps backward when the Bastiodon spoke. His very words continued to reverberate through her flesh, and her face crumpled. The flower seemed to be crying, but when her face tilted upward it was slowly revealed for manic laughter, when added to the screech it made one thing clear, but the words she hissed afterwards:
"...but whoever said I wanted to be a priss' liddle princess?"
The plant was rather insane, at least when her blood boiled. Normally she was a flirt, but when battles arose she was nothing sort of a man eater. A crazy little bitch with the thorns to back up her crazy ideas.

The flower paused when she caught sight of Lilith. The little pig looked quite knightly when she slid toward her large partner, almost martyr like when she stood her ground when the vine attacked.

For just a moment she seemed hesitant to attack, before she nodded with a demure little smirk.

What was wrong with one more to the party?

---

The steel beneath their feet seemed to disappear, the acrid smell of scorched metal filled the air, and the fleshy exterior of the building slowly gave way to the metal-skeleton beneath. The acid let out a joyful little bubble as it continued to devour its fill.
The flower murmured beneath her breath, even as Samantha shouted the order to dodge. The plant's permanent smile grew when the acid splattered the Bastiodon.
"Nothing more powerful than a woman scorned darlin‘..."
The muscles in her arm twitched with glee. This soon abated when she realized that poison did not effect steel types, and that the acid would not devour his face to reveal the ivory beneath. A rather depressing fact. The flower grinned when the Grumpig began to move, the vine quickly changing direction to wrap around the ugly little thing’s snout.
" ...Little piggy.....you're just too cute."
The Sunflora murmured as the gem's beam shivered her vine with an ugly sounding squelch. The severed end fell into a purple buddle where it was quickly devoured, the plant turned her ebony eyes toward the Grumpig, the smile on her face creepier than her words:
" That hurt.....wonder what happens if I rip your arm off...."
Pulling the injured limb back to herself, crooning in pain, she turned toward Janx, jerking her head upward. The ghost closed his eyes [[or would have if he could have]] and pretended to be prostate. No doubt the thorny beast of the plains would use him as some sort of divine spear against her enemies. That would probably hurt.

It was better not to rise at the current moment, his curtain call would come after his master and Samantha finished their posturing. An early appearance resulted in poor reviews, not too mention poor little ghosties with cracked little skulls.

Rain pattered her body, and was gleefully devoured by her dry limbs. The acid remaining on her severed arm dripped off in lavender drops, the stream of ichors that poured from it began to lessen. A puddle the color of limes lay before her, and the flower wrinkled her face in distaste. Where was the nice man to spread his coat over the puddle, did she really need to step in that?

The ache in her arm soon dissolved, and with a few contortions the thorny vine regrew. The sunny little petals unfurled from her wide face, as she began running to meet the Bastiodon's charge.
"YEEE~HAH~"
The discussions of her master and Samantha faded into the background, along with the hesitant movement of the Sableye. A single seed grew in her palm, and she was careful not to use the aching arm, cool as a cucumber she flicked the seed at the charging Bastiodon, before leaping in the air.

The plant despised leaving the ground, she felt alien up in the air with the creaures of the sky. Her roots grasped for the ground, whined to their mistress about the lack of delicious soil, but she focused on the lumbering beast before her, a "leg" swung in front of her, as she crossed her "arms" over her torso in a fighting stance. One could see the maniacal gleam in her eyes as her and her seed fell back toward the earth, the wind gently tugging at the bonded pair.

With whipping vines the seedling burst, attempting to land on the face-plate of the Bastiodon, a pair of nasty barbed roots grew from its base, and a stray vine wrapped around the Sunflora’s waist even as it searched for a nice place to grow. With a fake expression of apology the plant whipped a free vine toward Samantha. The air parted before it like peasants before royalty, one could hear the high-pitched wail of the wind, followed by the crack of the vine as it unfurled into its full lengths.

Enigma wouldn’t care, no matter what he said.
----

The Pravus administrator currently had his head thrown back, relishing in the feel of cool water on his face. Drops streamed down his arms, and dotted his eyes like crocodile’s tears. Where the liquid touched white you could make out an odd texture, and a slight change in body shape, the gloves clung to his jagged knuckles, and wrapped around his claws in a loving embrace. The man did not seem like he would answer Samantha as seconds slowly ticked into minutes, her poor communications driving nails into his brain and driving the relief away. No water could wash the growing anger away.

The man could almost make out the childish behavior propelling the continued use of psychic communications. No doub t they were also dancing in rosy-circles, and making rasberries while they spoke. It was nothing more than a display of rebellion, one that a military mind like Enigma would not tolerate, and truly despised. The one who was used to being minded did not enjoy his words being thrown back into his face.

The discordant cords of psychic power shaved at his patience, chewed at it like some persistant pest. They pulled at his strings, his face , water dripped down his mouth in shadowed streams, resembling blood when looked at in the correct manner.

The silence was broken when Enigma decided to speak, his tone obviously controlled.

It was not a reply to her question, but rather something from his own agenda:
“ I did say please Ms. Morino. I would appreciate if you would honor that request, I would prefer not making you do so. Well, to be honest I would enjoy it quite a bit, but I don't like getting my gloves dirty.”
With a few deep breaths he answered her first question, ignoring any childish protests his concealed threats would call for:
“ My name is not Enigma, that is merely a twist on an old name. But it is quite an interesting word.” [3N14MA--00678-3304]]
The man chuckled, and in slowly haughty words asked:
“ Am I what? Your enemy? I couldn't be your enemy unless you thought of me as such.. so the question is, are you?”
The Pravus member made no move to correct any of her poor assumptions, and turned a water strewn face to her with a toothy grin. One could hear the growl beneath the words, even as he took a bold step toward the battle, hand outstretched with an open palm.

It took two not only to tango, but to make war as well. What would the little fire-cracker do?

Experiments in fucking with the human mind were always fun, especially when they were beginning to get on your nerves. Was their really a correct reply to his question? Was it even really a question?

--

The Xatu stood off to the side, saying nothing. The field was outlined in flickering blue, but he knew that his master was having too much fun.

Without opening his beak he offered his own opinion on the matter:
Can't we just go back to a friendly battle? It's much more entertaining than war, you do that everyday Niggy~
The master's mind was closed, but the bird's words slipped in through a spidering little crack.
Friendly? Since when is war friendly? I know you want to see her reply as much as I do....you don't have to act around me my friend.
The bird turned toward Samantha with a shrug:
"He just hasn't had his nap....does he look like a monster to you? Why does anyone need to be anyone else's enemy?"
On that train of thought, why not?

---

The sounds of battle were a rather fitting back-drop for the potentially disastorous conversation.

The hiss and crackle of acid echoed beneath each one of Enigma's words, a sort of warning to Samantha, one that whispered to watch her steps.


[[[Eeew...you make me feel so inadequate in comparison.]]

----

[Samantha Morino]

" Determination is not a motive, it is a means toward an end. One doesn't need a brain either, to accomplish good things. A rock can save someone from drowning as effectively as a human dear Ms. Morino."

He couldn’t settle for simple correcting her, could he? Sure, a rock might not need brains to stop someone from drowning but neither did an avalanche need extreme intelligence to crush someone’s skull in. ‘Dear Ms. Marino’, pah! He was revolting.

" I do advise caution, curiosity is not the only thing that can kill a cat. Blind determination and poor thinking can do so just as well. Which you might soon find out."

Another threat. Were they all empty, or the worse alternative?

“I’ll take my chances…” she growled, stopping short of threatening the boy back. That would be succumbing to his immature, empty threats. She almost wanted him to try something, to show that he actually tried to carry weight behind his childish punches. A game of chicken was no fun if he only talked his way through.

"But I don't want to fight the liddle piggy, and the fossil~ they don't seem to have that oh so delicious fire! Passion! The flickering flame from deep in the sou--oh deary me, I do believ' I have been spending a bi' too much time with Janx. "

”The word you’re looking for is hatred, Rosalie.” Samantha corrected curtly. “There is hardly an passion involved in destroying a weed.” All of her hatred towards the boy seemed to look for the quickest outlet possible, other than the child himself – in this case, that arrogant plant. The Sunflora had rubbed her the wrong way by forcing Duke to return to his ball. The sunflower wasn’t ready to go down without a fight, however.

" MINOR annoyance? How dare you miss! I have more battle experience in me liddle root than that big oaf has in his empty, fur covered skull!"

Samantha smiled, uncrossing her arms and bending them with the palms up. She exaggerated a shrug, sighing and closing her eyes as though in exasperation, like a mother dealing with a particularly stubborn child. ”Whatever you say, ma’am.” I’ll let those burnt stalks of yours do the talking.”

"Who cares about his book? He is an animal, a downrigh' four-legged, furry beas' of burden. I doubt he can read, which I can assure most gentleman can."

Samantha flared for the sake of her old friend, nails now digging into the side of her arms. For a moment, there was an almost uncontrollable urge to harm the weed till it was snuffed from existence. The violent thoughts stirred up a war cry in her head, begging for blood, before fading with an icy residue left behind.

A vine snapped toward her, but before any of it could register Enigma’s cool voice seemed to stop the pokemon. Part of her felt relieved, but the emotion was rallying against so many others it was quickly lost among the anger and disappointment that their fun had been stopped right when push came to shove. Killjoy.

"My utmost apologies, even if you are a heathen women who seems to have odd relationships with animals, I spoke out of line."

Hrm. It was a touch more than speaking out of line, from nearly attacking Samantha to her uncalled for shit raising with Duke. At this point, it was her queue to apologize right back, not that the prickly plant deserved such.

”I’m afraid I was holding you to much too high standards, Sunflora. You are clearly as out of control as you believe Duke to be~ I apologize for the miscalculation.” She remembered the pokemon had a nickname, Rosalie, but it seemed almost more degrading to choose the species name over the southerner’s own.

Lilith was not part of the exchange going on, doing her best to stay in the fight. For a while, she’d been riding easily behind the Bastiodon simply for the plant’s scorching loathing of the fossil. Now, though, the vine snapped towards her, wrapping tightly around her pale pink snout. A gasp of surprise reminded her that half her breathing was cut off from the strangling hold of the vine. The power gem sliced straight through the appendage, thankfully, and her stubby paws quickly pulled off the length of vine. The plant was insane, grinning as though enjoying the severing of her extended arm.
" That hurt.....wonder what happens if I rip your arm off...."

Lilith was much easier to scare then Samantha, who was always happy to call of a bluff whether or not it was one at all. Her eyes widened, and she drew her arms closer to her body just to be sure the Sunflora wouldn’t be able to try anything. Her eyes seemed to grow bigger – if at all possible – when the arm grew back again just like that. What kind of monster was this façade of happy smiles and pretty petals?

The charge was dodged by Rosalie’s take to the air, and action that didn’t seem to surprise the Bastion more than to please him. He stopped, not even needing the order to begin conducting a great deal of electricity around the metal inlets over his body. Up ahead, the sky rumbled with the excitement of meeting the charged energy below. Even as vines crawled over the Bastiodon’s body, the electricity from the Bastiodon sprinted upwards, using the vines as poor leads to their target who was conveniently belted in for the ride by her own greenery. The strikes almost seemed to come from two different directions, first from the Bastiodon but then followed almost immediately by one above, splitting down the sky in efforts to meet the crackling, yellow bolt below. Between point A and point B, there was only one obstacle; a savage little plant who had just uprooted herself, with nowhere for the electricity to go. In the rain, the thunder strike seemed nigh impossible to miss its intended target.

Samantha allowed a small smirk of braggadocio to taint her blank face. Sure, she might have been riding on the hopes of the attack’s success too early, but the rain wasn’t going anywhere at least for a while. It was only the opening number, after all.

Then there was the vine.

It snapped out towards her so fast, and the crack of lightning nearly blinding her, that Samantha hardly noticed till the vine was just feet away. She tried to stop the vine instinctively, reaching out to grab it, shove it out of the way, something. The movement was nearly too late, her hand swatting out at the vine to veer it slightly off course even as a burning sensation streaked through her hand as the vine whipped by, like a leafy rug burn. The vine missed her whole face, but one cheek was slashed by the vine as it whipped past her head. It probably hurt a lot more than it looked, a searing pain that spread far beyond the streak it had made over her cheek. A hot, burning sensation was next, and the hand that wasn’t throbbing with similar feelings moved up to her face to touch the mark the vine left, even as it sent another jolt of pain through the tender skin.

”…bitch.” she growled, and if her feelings had seemed murderous before it was nothing compared to now. She ached to personally get her hands on Roist, but for now her pokemon would have to do.

Are you all right? Lilith’s voice only added to the pain, it seemed, or perhaps she was less tolerant of the intrusion with the vine’s kiss marring her thoughts.

m’fine. Do me a favor and pound the crap out of that thing. she answered venomously, noticing Lilith flinch at her response. Lilith was a decent battler, but she didn’t like thinking about what she really might be doing to her opponents. Nevertheless, a second power gem formed and was fired, perhaps half-heartedly, at Rosalie. Janx, it seemed, wasn’t even worth the duo’s time any more.

Rain didn’t help the ominous, dark nature the boy’s hand had revealed. He seemed to almost enjoy the change, fingernails elongating to points much like the sharp incisors in his mouth. He was warning her again against the use of telepathic powers which – bummer – she had managed to ignore again.

”Sorry, Enigma, but I don’t see why you get to own all the psychic communications. Don’t you want to play on an even field?”

The fact that the boy had the same advantages she did just made her quicker to exploit them. The sharpened things she might not be able to duplicate, but a psychic connection was one step closer.

”My enemies are Pravus and the weak-minded people who support their ‘ideas’. So I guess I’m asking, to clear things up for you, are you one of Pravus’ little freaks? Unnatural DNA ready to unravel at any second?”

My, wouldn’t that be nice if the boy’s genetic makeup could just collapse. Now. Sadly, that didn’t seem to be happening any time soon. While the boy moved forward, egging her on, a voice from the peanut gallery finally got a turn.

"He just hasn't had his nap....does he look like a monster to you? Why does anyone need to be anyone else's enemy?"

With the fangs and the long fingernails and the chilly smile… well, yes, he was starting to resemble a horrible little monster. The second question seemed to strike deeper, but with a small shake of her head she seemed able to dislodge it. It seemed that people were unable to be happy without unhappiness, whether it be the pathetic dramas they watched on TV or the pointless bickering raised between friends. Face the facts; humans have been fighting since day one, and that wasn’t changing.

”Sorry, Inn, but that’s the way things go.”

As long as there were two sides, there would always be many, many enemies.

Ooc; pah! What are you saying? D: I don’t even begin to compare to you.