[Intelligence] is not an option.

[Riley Skybane]

OOC -- First post with Riley on here, anyone's welcome to join in the madness.
Word Count -- 1, 227

“Go! Go! Go!” Riley hissed under his breath while herding his Vaporeon out of the apartment door. “Can’t you move any faster Shiri?” Dark blue eyes kept glancing back at him as she swished her finned tail. “Why Riley? I don’t understand.” Her voice was high pitched and innocent, almost songlike as she struggled to walk forward and look back at her trainer at the same time. “Because I want to be old enough to drink someday,” Riley almost growled at her, but he kept his tone as civil as possible. A roar sounded out from his room two stories up, and clenching his teeth, Riley scooped the Vaporeon up in his arms and ran for it. Breath whooshed in and out of his lungs as he tore off down the street. A couple of insults were thrown his way, but he ignored them to escape the wrath of his furious Typhlosion. He had tried to sneak out to the park with Shiri and most of his pokemon without Kulvir noticing, but that was tougher said than done. He would swear to anyone that Kul had ears better than any bird or cave pokemon. Shiri giggled joyfully at the sights flying by her. She leaned up, her little pink tongue moistening Riley’s face. “This is fun!” She squealed, and Riley could only roll his eyes. Finally he skid to a stop in the park, the lush shade of the trees a welcoming factor. Gently he set Shiri on the ground, and flopped down into the grass. She nuzzled up against him affectionately, and he wouldn’t have been surprised in the least if she’d started purring or something ridiculous like that.

Why was he running from his own pokemon? Well that was a simple question. He was ditching work. It was such a beautiful day, and the last thing that Riley wanted to do was be cooped up in some sweaty café, serving people. He wanted to be outside where it was nice out. The last time he’d tried to ditch, Kul had caught him and literally dragged him to work, the stupid six foot tall monster. So this time around, he’d attempted to escape without notice. So much for that. Riley would bet every cent in his pocket (about fifty two cents actually) that something expensive in his room had just been severely torched. Sighing, he ran a hand through his messy dark red hair. He’d make it up to his pokemon later, but how was a question worth some serious thinking. He stood up, brushing the grass off his simple blue jeans. “Ready for a day of fun, Shiri?” It really did warm his heart when the Vaporeon’s eyes lit up excitedly. “Yes! Yes!” She hummed, spinning in a circle as if to add some extra effect to her comment. Riley reached into his pocket and pulled out a round, red and white pokeball. He tossed it effortlessly into the air, and after a quick red flash his Staraptor was on the ground beside him. Tucking the pokeball away, he watched Keaton yawn and shake out his feathers. After a moment, the pokemon seemed to almost be stunned by the silence. He glanced around warily, having a ninety percent expectancy of getting mauled at any moment. When he saw that the coast was clear, he laughed loudly, shaking his wings. “You escaped, eh? Way to take a hit for the team.” Riley ignored the comment, not wanting to fuel any rivalries. Meanwhile, Shiri was staring all wide-eyed at Keat. It was almost funny at how much she admired the bird pokemon considering his immense and obvious stupidity in battle. Hey, they were working on it. Riley rubbed his hands together as if he was making some devious plot, and the two pokemon immediately turned their full attention on him. “You two ready for some entertainment?” He asked, loving how their eyes glowed with anticipation. Oh yes, one trait that he and his team all shared was their love for battling.

It wasn’t more than a couple moments later that the Staraptor and Vaporeon were facing each other twenty feet apart. Shiri was jumping up and down excitedly, her energy uncontainable. Keat was playing the calm and cool mood, his eyes fierce and determined. That wouldn’t last long though. Keat was not smooth and collected in battle, on the contrary, he was the complete opposite. The bird pokemon was a blockhead in battle, charging in head first without even thinking about it. Riley was working on changing that, but it was a process. The trainer leaned up against one of the many scattered trees. A person on a bike flew by behind him, but he didn’t so much as notice it. Instead, he started talking slowly, but loudly enough for his pokemon to hear him. “Okay, this is a lesson remember? No killing each other.” Keat threw him one of those “uh huh” looks while Shiri simply ignored him. It felt like one of those perfect face palm moments,and it sort of went all downhill from there. “Keat, use Fly, but remember that you have to wait before you can attack.” The bird puffed up his feathers in annoyance before flapping up high into the air. He was nothing but a dark speck in moments, and Riley covered his eyes with one hand in an attempt to watch his pokemon through the sun’s glare. Shiri waggled her tail and jumped up and down a few times before it dawned on her what was about to happen.

Her mood changed entirely, and she crouched down to the ground and whimpered. “I can’t do it Riley. Keat is unbeatable. He’s amazing and I’m nothing compared to him. I shouldn’t even be on his team.” Riley slid from leaning against the tree to sitting on the ground. It was going to be a long day. “Aw, come on Shiri. Snap outta it, you know you’re great. When he comes down smash ‘em with a good iron tail and you’ll feel better.” The Vaporeon glanced at him nervously, but looked up at the sky and tried to put on her brave face. Keaton dropped down then, folding in his wings to become as aerodynamic as possible. He fell like a stone, twisting a few times and pointing his sharp beak toward his next victim like an arrow. On the ground, Shiri watched him come and prepared her iron tail. The fins and long blue scales glowed a brilliant white as she readied herself, tensing up like an atomic bomb was about to hit. The Staraptor thrust out his wings at the last moment, gliding so that his talons just barely tickled the grass. A white blur edged his wings as him aimed for a knock out. The iron tail fizzled out as the Vaporeon yelped and dodged to the side. Keat screeched angrily, slowing down before landing on the ground. “The hell was that?” He shouted as Shiri rushed over and jumped into Riley’s arms. He gave her the bear hug she was looking for, running his hand down her spine comfortingly. She glanced at him, her big blue eyes starting to fill with tears. “I’m sorry! I couldn’t do it, he was coming way too fast.” Riley smiled gently as he looked down at her. “You’re a winner in my book, Shiri.”

[Madd]

Hot.

The sun streamed through the dome-city's expansive glass roof without mercy. Light rays bounced from plate-glass windows to warming street lights. The graffiti ridden city was cast in light, all of the little imperfections pulled out for all to see. Little waves of heat shimmered above sewer grates, and the garbage practically boiled in its own stench.

It was extremely hot. Hot enough to make most people miserable--at least those who were decked out in business suits, or double layers.

That nice little fact was likely the reason city-goers cast glances at the young woman currently walking down the street. While most had abandoned pants for shorts, she was clad in a fur trimmed pair of jeans. The normal summer standard of flip flops were replaced with high-rimmed steel boots. A feathered vest in olive green overlaid a black t-shirt. Half the people dripped with sweat, but Madd was completely dry. The girl's bright orange eyes peered out from behind a thick pair of crimson goggles. The girl's pale lips were pulled back in a lopsided smirk, and while everyone else drudge through what they found a oppressive heat--she merely strolled.

--

The park loomed to her right, with a quick look from the direction she had came from, she ran across the street. A large truck with a bed full of fruit, beeped loudly as the thug like girl jaywalked right into his path. The squeal of brakes followed, and by the time he stopped, the girl was already at the outer boundary of the park.

Instantly the temperature cooled, the ceiling of bright blue slowly shifted to one of brown and dappled green. Shadows danced across her face as the girl disappeared down a graveled path. It seemed Madd had no rhyme or reason to her stroll, as she followed all the curves and random switchbacks of the spidery walkway. Eventually, the broad trees thinned to shrubs, and the sky opened up again. A few yards to the west the playground creaked under the weight of many happy children. Sprinklers occasionally spurted cold water across the grass.

Ignoring the high-pitched squeals of children at play, the girl instead turned toward a open patch of grass where young Riley was at work. With a quiet grunt, Madd slid herself to the ground, curling her knees back toward her chest. A pair of muscled hands removed the goggles from her eyes--ash er bangs were brushed away from her face. In complete silence she watched as the battle (or training) began. A weird blue dog with a mermaid tail -- Vapan , or something like that, was currently fighting a bull-dog faced bird. A plume of red jutted out from it's head . . .and frankly she had no idea what it was. It seemed a lot bolder then the weird dog thing though, who currently cowered on the ground like a beaten cur. Madd watched as the giant bird gradually turned into a speck-- listening with annoyance as the dog thing began to whine.
Shut the hell up mutt . . .sheesh--it's not life or death. Chill--and stop making us girls look bad.
It was pampered little princesses like this Shiri that gave females the stereotype of "weak".

White light fizzled around Shiri's muscled tail, casting light on the manicured grass. The muscles brimming in the thick fluke became more obvious as the bird-thing dove closer. Being hit with that thing was gonna seriously hurt. With her amplified hearing, Madd was able to catch the sound of Keaton's wings pulling open, and could practically imagine those deadly talons raking blue flesh. Time seemed to slow as the pair neared, and Madd smirked.

Maybe that mutt was just nervou--oh come on.
"Oh come on-- I thought bird's were related to chickens not dogs!"
Madd muttered to herself. The sight of the Vaporeon worming out, made her squirm, and well she had to speak her mind!
"That tail woulda swatted birdy-boy outta the sky--!"
The gruff voice faded into silence. Keaton's voice joined in, and Madd nodded in agreement.

What the hell was that indeed! Then the wimpy boy had to go and tell her it was alright ! Please! Would he tell her it was alright if it had been an enemy attacking? Heh.

--

Rising to her feet, Madd dusted off her pants--before laying her vest on the ground at her feet.
"Since I have nothing better to do . .let's see if we can't get that mutt of yours to stand her ground . ."
The smirk on her face slowly grew as she imagined the scene at home.

A angry Skarmory bashing at the door -- as a Macargo stared calmly on. For once , the Skarmory was alone in its never-ending bitching-- Yakuza was somewhere else.

In fact . . .

A red light glittered around Madd's feet, and a shaggy mutt made his presence known.
" Teh hell !?"
Ice blue eyes glanced around the park--settling on rusty swings. The wide muzzle curled back in distaste.
" I hope you don't expect me to babysit! HELL NO!"
Madd merely chuckled, and the Mightenya swiveled toward Shiri his snout wrinkled.
" Got a fuckin' powow going on?"



Language aside--there was no better creature to go to when someone needed to be taught to be a stubborn ass.


(Eeew, I know there's not much to reply to. If you have any issues, I'll fix em. If anyone else wants to join they are free to, and I'll delete mine. I monopolized Kyzz last time --so .. my apologies and all that. Just say soemthing if ya have any issues)

[Riley Skybane]

OOC -- Sorry for the wait, and the really weird/terrible post. Wasn't feeling the Riley muse tonight xP
Word Count -- 990

Shiri wiggled in Riley’s grasp, glad that he was there for her when she was feeling unsure of herself. She felt so awkward being the only member of the team who would chicken out of things, and who usually didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t that she didn’t try; it was just that Shiri was a bit simple minded when it came to some things. She was also born with a much gentler nature then the others, and hated the thought of hurting another creature. The fact that she loved the rush of battling though made her feel unbalanced and foolish. She probably would have long been booted from the team if Riley hadn’t been so understanding and patient with her. She didn’t deserve a trainer like him. As the Vaporeon moped, across the grass Keaton was flapping his wings angrily. He’d always liked Shiri out of battle because she was an interesting part of their team. You could never predict what she was going to do next, but he hated fighting against her. She gave pokemon a bad name cowering like that. He wasn’t going to injure her that bad. Riley probably had some potions or something that could fix her up if she’d just take a hit every now and then. The bird pokemon rustled his feathers and calmed down slightly. He glanced around, dark eyes taking in the sight of someone who’d intruded upon their training session. Riley, the ever-diligent trainer had obviously not noticed. Meanwhile the stranger had stood up, and after an unexpected flash of red light a large Mightyena had appeared at her side. Keat’s eyes narrowed as their gaze zeroed in on Riley and Shiri. "Got a fuckin' powow going on?" Foul-breathed creature and its freakishly tall human was the only think running through Keat’s mind. An idea shot through his head, and naturally he went with it. Leap before you look? The bird opened his massive wings and dove into the air. He flew up high above the park, tangling himself in the hot updrafts and morphing into a dark speck.

Riley rubbed a hand through his dark hair and sighed, glad to see that his Vaporeon was feeling a bit better. It was hard being patient with her since all his other pokemon would have ground Keaton’s face into the dirt mercilessly for pulling crap like that on them. Shiri was different though. She’d always been different, and maybe that’d been what had drawn him into owning a pokemon like her in the first place. That and the fact that she was a water type. For someone wanting to have a relatively balanced team, for most of his time with pokemon he’d been severely lacking in types, particularly water and grass types. In fact, he still didn’t have a grass type. Oh well. He really had never found one that he’d particularly liked. Besides that point, Shiri really was great most of the time; she could be considered low maintenance compared to all his other pokemon if you excluded her lack of skill. “I think I’m ready to try again.” Shiri said to him, but Riley’s attention was drawn slightly off to the side. Keaton had… flown into the air again? Oh jeez, was he really that oblivious? It was only then that he noticed that he wasn’t the only human in the small clearing. A rather abnormally tall girl who practically leaked the word trouble was watching him with her devious looking Mightyena at her side. Uh, had he done something wrong or strange to attract such attention? He took a second to think back over his morning. Well, besides almost getting hit by a car fleeing from his own pokemon, nothing had really happened out of the ordinary. Unless it’d been the little drama between Shiri and Keaton that had drawn attention, which was both surprising and not at the same time. The Vaporeon took that opportunity to peer over his shoulder. “Hey, do you know them Riley?” She asked, her voice soft and sweet.

When Shiri didn’t get an answer, the small pokemon decided that it was up to her to investigate. She hopped forward delicately, pacing a few steps and waggling her light blue tail. Her little eyes were alight as she cocked her head to the side and spoke in her high pitched, little voice. “Hi, my name’s Shiri. What’s your names?” Well, Riley had to give it to her, she wasn’t lacking in the socialization department. He rose to his feet, covering up his eyes with one hand and looking up in hopes to find Keaton before the bird did something exceptionally stupid. It was a vague hope, but he couldn’t help but have it. He thought that he could make out a distant, bird-shaped shadow, but with the sun’s glare he was unsure. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but he was a bit more worried about his pokemon trying to kill someone than being sociable. Meanwhile, Shiri was still being nothing but herself. She waggled her tail and started babbling a bit. Hey, she was young and couldn’t help herself. “This is Riley, he’s my trainer. It’s so nice outside today, don’t you think? I wish every day could be this pretty; hot weather doesn’t bother me at all. What are you doing here? Are you enjoying the weather too?” Had she been any of his other pokemon, Riley would have given her a swift kick to the side to get her to shut up. How did she even spit that all out on one breath? Shiri glanced back at her trainer, she was once again being a bit hyperactive. She too raised her head to the sky. “What happened to Keaton, Riley? Do you think he’s gunna come down?” Riley looked at his pokemon and ran a hand through his unruly red hair. “I sure hope not.” He muttered darkly.

[Madd]

It appeared the boy was either deaf, or ignorant. Judging by his handling of the wimpy little water-dog it was probably the second. Underneath the shining goggles, her bright eyes trailed Keaton's movements across the sky. Madd watched the bulky bird until he was little more then a speck of dust in her vision. Turning slowly back toward Riley and the cowardly dog, she scrutinized them with narrowed eyes. The girl's arm la draped over her Mightenya's side, her hand discreetly holding him to the ground.
" .. try again? Gonna fail this time too ?"
Madd inquired as Shiri spoke up again, briefly tilting her head to return Riley's glance. The sweet tone--used on strangers no less--made the girl sick to her stomach. The reply was polite enough though.
"No, he doesn't know us. We just needed something to do . . figured watching a little training would be better then trying to break the swings."
Pausing, she jabbed her free thumb at her Mightenya.
"or letting Yakuza scare children."
A growl rumbled through the mutt's barrel chest, and with a surge of strength he lurched upward. The canine's muzzle wrinkled in a wince--his eyes widening in pain. A few dark hairs now lay in Madd's palm, and he was certain he had a bald spot on his belly.

With a snarl, he turned on his trainer. Saliva splattered her thick goggles, as warm air with a hint of rotten meat streamed across her face. Yakuza's large muzzle now hovered mere centimeters from her nose, bright fangs glittered in the sun.
" You owe me an apology bitch."
The mutt growled, shifting position so he had two paws on either side of his trainer's muscular legs. Danger gleamed in his bright eyes, muscular claws furrowed the dirt, the coal colored hair along his spine stood up straight.
"Come on out with it!"
The girl lifted a palm, and tightly gripped the pokemon's crinkled jaws, before pushing his head away from her.
" I apologize for the last person to smell your breath."
With the little canine only a few feet away, the Mightenya finally noticed Shiri's presence. The Mightenya's nostrils widened, and he twisted his head around to look at the mutt.
"Daddy's busy you whiny little brat--go away."
The Mightenya spilt to the ground in a undignified manner, as his trainer rose to her feet.

"Ignore the idiot--I'm Madd, and this mutt --"
The girl prodded her mutt with a heavy boot.
"Is Yakuza--Yaku for short."
The girl's words trailed into silence. Words assaulted her ears as Shiri began to speak, questions being shot more quickly then they could be answered. It was enough to make a normal woman's head spin. To Madd it was just a tad annoying. To Yakuza on the other hand it was downright irritating.

The Mightenya's snout wrinkled in distaste as Shiri continued. The gruff voice was obviously strained as he politely attempted to answer her questions.
"Good for him. It's hotter then the fuckin' sun!"
The canine's eyebrows twitched, his jaws tensed with the effort of being friendly.
" Well we're . . "
The friendly image shattered, as his mouth ripped free with a growl:
"About to tell you to shut the fuck up you annoying little puppy! Take a breath between questions--and quit walking up to strangers with your tail wagging!"
Powerful legs pushed the Mightenya forward, his shaggy head glowering down at the much smaller Vaporeon, his tail unresponsive at his rear. Both of his ears lay flat against his head, the hoop earring in the right swinging back and forth with invisible muscle twitches.
"Who the fuck's Keaton? Is he that ugly ass chicken--damn bird took off ages ago..while you were talking your damn mouth off!"
Frankly, he wished the damn bird would have taken this pest with him!

Madd however, had a different reaction--kicking the mutt in the backside, and quickly pulling her foot back.
"It ain' her fault she made the mistake of being excited to meet a lazy fat ass, who also happens to be rude!"
In all truth, she really didn't care how rude her mutt was--but the poor kid had just asked a few questions . .he needed to check his temper at the door.
"Heat doesn't bother me either..it is a ncie day."
The girl then turned skyward.
"Your . .. Keaton . . .flew away . .probably cause loudmouth wouldn't shut up."

The Mightenya stewed in rage, he could feel the imprint of a boot on his side--little crosses danced around his head, as he snapepd at his trainer's foot.

By then, Madd had already shifted it back to its original position. Skirting around the dark-faced dog, she moved closer to Riley and the Vaporeon.

"Your dog-thing needs some help Ril."
Saying his full name was obviously way too much trouble--and with her everyone had a nickname. Fishing in her pocket, the girl pulled out a thin white box with silver corners. The annoying sound of cellophane filled the silence, as Madd unwrapped her newest pack of cigarettes. Removing one of the little sticks from its wrapping, Madd stuck it onto her bottom lip--holding it in place as she spoke:"Why don't ya want Mr. Fly-high to come down eh?"
That bird seemed a lot less annoying then jabber-Jaws here, he at least had some kind of backbone!

[Riley Skybane]

OOC -- Oh jeez, tried to not quote everything your characters say for once so that my post wouldn't be all quotations. I think I epic failed.
Word Count -- 1,026

Was Shiri going to fail again? Oh, the answer was undoubtedly yes. Riley listened to the other person carefully, a bit nervous that Shiri was going to piss them off. She just had that kind of effect on people. The snide comments were rubbing underneath his skin, but for once he didn’t feel like getting into a fight he couldn’t win. Especially with Shiri being his only pokemon with him at the moment. What he really wanted was to go back to his apartment and fetch Kulvir. The Typhlosion would have no problem pummeling any freak who decided to mess with his odd family. He threw the other trainer a glance, biting his tongue against commenting at the absolutely wonderful language her pokemon was using. However it was a bit relaxing, in a creepy sort of way, to see that she fought with her pokemon just like Riley did his own. He couldn’t count how many times Kul had tried to smash his face in, or how many times he’d been electrocuted and so on. Of course, he couldn’t tell whether the two were fighting seriously or not. He was more distracted by Keaton, wondering when the pokemon was going to make its dashing debut. No doubt the stupid bird would be coming down with a powerful attack at any moment. He sure hoped that Shiri was as ready to try again as she claimed. She was most likely going to have to try and bat the other pokemon out of the sky. "Daddy's busy you whiny little brat--go away." Shiri’s eyes widened, and she backed off for a moment. Concern was written all over her webbed face, but she pulled herself together and continued to babble despite the monster screaming at her.

"Ignore the idiot--I'm Madd, and this mutt is Yakuza--Yaku for short." Riley opened his mouth slightly to say something, but Shiri burst in with her own words. The little Vaporeon blabbered on about all manner of ridiculous and unimportant things that no one cared about. Oh, and she even bothered to introduce her trainer. Riley wondered if he should be pleased that he almost ranked about the weather. The Mightyena obviously had less patience than either trainer as he burst forward and glowered over Shiri. The little pokemon’s mouth opened into a little “o” and she backed up, finned tail curling beneath her legs as her ears flopped down. Belly nearly rubbing in the dirt, she scrambled backward to Riley. Then she shaped back up again, glancing back at her trainer and asking where her ever-famous idol was. Leave it to the over affectionate Yakuza to answer her at the same time as Riley muttered out his own reply. He glared at the mutt, starting to get offended at the language and the way it talked about his pokemon. At least Madd was a bit more sensible, punishing her pokemon and at least making an attempt at being civil. It didn’t take a genius to see how happy Shiri was that a stranger was being nice to her. Sometimes Riley thought she got bored of him and his pokemon. She liked to be over praised and pampered, which was something that he just couldn’t supply her with enough of. Needless to say, he tried, but since none of his other pokemon needed praise it felt a bit awkward. Okay, well more than awkward since all of his pokmeon except Kammi and Shiri out flat rejected any praise. They wanted to be blatantly showed their faults so that they could improve. Such thoughts made him wonder what Kulvir and his other pokemon were doing at the moment. Stopping Kulvir from torching the apartment? Chasing him down like freaking bloodhounds? Who knew? One thing that he did know was that he was glad they were somewhere else. Part of him was itching to beat the powerful and cranky Mightyena, but he also knew that his pokemon would go way overboard after Shiri babbled to them about all the rude things the creature had said. It was a never ending battle it seemed.

"Your dog-thing needs some help Ril." He looked over at the trainer as she nonchalantly pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He tried to keep the disgust off his face. “It’s Riley.” He said, firmly annunciating his name before continuing. “and yea I know, that’s why I’m here.” He glanced up again for Keaton out of habit, wishing the bird would just come down. He was getting impatient. "Why don't ya want Mr. Fly-high to come down eh?" Riley chuckled softly at her nickname for Keaton, thinking of how perfectly well it fit him in so many different ways. “Because he’s got a brain like a sack of rocks, and when he comes down someone here has a ninety percent chance of getting hit with said sack of rocks.” Shiri pawed at his right leg, so he leaned over and scooped her up into his arms. “I’m trying to teach him how to think, heh, and it isn’t goin’ too well.” Shiri wiggled into a more comfortable position in his arms, her cool skin felt really nice in the heat. “and as you saw, I can’t really expect Shiri here to be much use.” The Vaporeon paused for a moment, thinking through what Riley had said a few times. A smile curled deviously up his face as she wiggled violently and he dropped her. “Hey!” She shouted. “I could so hit him if I wanted too!” Her little spins bristled up angrily at her trainer. How could he doubt her like that? In front of another trainer no less? He never insulted Kulvir or any of his older pokemon except to his own pokemon, but he could make fun of Shiri and her idol all he wanted? “Yea, ‘cause you did a great job earlier, Shiri.” Riley smiled, and he was glad to see his Vaporeon glare back at him. He turned the other trainer, move back a bit to avoid the pale smoke leaking out of her cigarette. “Hmm, so what do you think the solution to my problem is?”

[Madd]

The little retreat of Shiri was met with a grateful snort from Yakuza. Finally! The pest had stopped babbling like a fucking brook! Rolling his blocky head around, the canine eyed his trainer with more then a bit of smugness obvious on his face. The emerald grass furrowed beneath his tail, which slowly swung side-to-side behind the Mightenya. A chat hadn't cheered him up, but being a outright jackass set his endorphins raising. With a wiggle of dark eyebrows, the canine swiveled his bright eyes back to Shiri--who to his disappointment--was no longer cowering like a kicked puppy. Once again, the wide smirk on his face dissolved into annoyance, and he flopped down amid a cloud of freshly cut grass. Rolling his eyes , he allowed his shaggy head to drop to his crossed front paws, managing to look like a very moody sphinx.

Madd on the other hand was not truly annoyed, unlike her mutt she had the ability to ignore loudmouths (thus why she could put up with him). The constant shots of nicotine to her brain did assist in the process. Taking in a deep breath, the girl twisted her head skyward, blowing out a few rings of sulfurous smoke into the robin blue sky. For a few seconds it stood out dark and greasy--before a soft breeze tore the tendrils of smoke apart. Removing the cigarettes from her lips in a pincer like gesture--Madd swiveled her bright eyes downward to look at Riley. The look seemed condescending, but it was merely a way to stare at him without overexerting herself.
"Rile or Riley-- at least you know who I am talking about. I knew a girl named Riley once . . man was that one bonefie' Bitch."
Blinking, she lowered her head to the padded vest--scrutinizing Riley's face.
"Why do ya look like you swallowed a lemon? Sorry if honesty bugs ya mate."
Madd tapped the cigarette against the sole of her boot, before sticking it back in her mouth-- fingers of smoke grasping for Riley.
"Yes-- you seem to be doing a knock-up job . .but don't let her run back to you like that--otherwise she'll think she can do that in battle."
Which would likely turn into a very bloody situation--if someone was intent on skewering the little runt, then Riley would receive the blow. What, with her cowering behind his legs and all.

" . .huh . . sack of rocks .. "
Madd let out a gasping chuckle, smoke (and just the smallest bit of flame) scorching her nasal passages and the inside of her mouth.
" That sounds like someone I know--"
Lifting one of her clod-hopper boots she prodded Yakuza's matted side, a silly grin plastered on her face. Briefly glancing upward, she shrugged.
"Well .. if he comes anywhere near here--beak face will find himself lookin' like an ostrich."
Waving a hand above her head, the gray cloud above her smoke dissipated in a wave.
" You can't teach a sack of rocks how to think--maybe knock some sense into his head?"
The boot thudded into Yakuza's side--the Mightenya began to look less like an oddly colored rock , and more like the beast he was , as he started to shake with disguised rage.
"If only I could teach mutt here to think . .we might actually get somewhere in a conversation."
Yanking her foot back-- the Mightewnya found his jaw full of sod and grass. Spitting the earth back out he rubbed his muzzle on the grass, both of his eyes shooting daggers at his trainer.
"Damn Bitch . . ."

Not wanting to look foolish . . . he decided to leave biting her wretched toes off until later.

Madd chuckled.
"Well--ya gotta teach her to stand her to be of use . . poor undisciplined pup .. "
What the hell was she talking about? Dude. She had never even trained a damn pokemon--hers were an unruly bunch, trained through a hard knock life. It was then that Shiri turned into a little ball of sass--and Madd grinned.
"That's the spirit--show him what ya can do! Can't let the boys have all the fun."
Madd liked Spunk. A lot. It seemed that under all the layers of baby fat their was a fighter after her own heart trapped in that blubbery little blue body.

Was he actually asking her?

Madd clicked her tongue against her teeth-- snapping her fingers against her tightly clothed hip.
"Come on Yakuza-- we'll show you what your problem is."
The mightenya rolled his eyes, but rose to his feet.
"I beter get to beat the shit out of something--"
Under his breath he added:
"Preferably . .you. ."
Strolling to his trainer's side, he glowered at Shiri with a devilish grin, which revealed all his prealy whites.

"Hmm. Well-- if you run away, you run the risk of the attacker hurting your trainer . So being stubborn, stand your ground, and only dodge when they have no chance to change direction, then bop 'em."
Staring at the small young canine, Madd's lip pursed. It was not a good idea to alow Yakuza to attack her--no idea what he would do with the summer heat strangling his mind.

Even know he was panting beneath a thick covering of fur.

" I'll show ya-- Yaku .. let's go!"
Swinging her back leg to a position farther back, she allowed herself to crouch down--beckoning with an open palm at her Mightenya.

With a chuckle, the mutt backed up a few steps--before steamrolling across the clearing, grass parting beneath his blunt claws. Muscles bunched along his spine, as he leaped--sailing over the ground, slobbering jaws snapping at the open air. Large plate like paws swiped at his trainer--grazing her arm, as she jumped to the left.

Lifting her foot--she gently kicked yakuza in the head.
" Best outta three?"

[Riley Skybane]

OOC - Meh, dead muse. Let me know if you need me to change something.
Word Count - 1,042

The smoke was really irritating Riley, and he was immensely glad for the light breeze that pushed it away from his face. He was trying not to choke on it while having a conversation at the same time. It made him wonder how she managed to talk, breathe it in, and spew it out at the same time. How, he’d never know. "Rile or Riley-- at least you know who I am talking about. I knew a girl named Riley once . . man was that one bonefie' Bitch." Well that’s just great. He hoped that he wasn’t being compared to the other Riley too much, or he’d be screwed over. Last time he’d checked, he wasn’t a total jerk. "Why do ya look like you swallowed a lemon? Sorry if honesty bugs ya mate." He chuckled softly, rubbing a hand through his messy hair. “Yea, well. Sometimes honesty stinks.” He waved the smoke away from his face, blinking his eyes against the stinging sensation. "Yes-- you seem to be doing a knock-up job . .but don't let her run back to you like that--otherwise she'll think she can do that in battle." Shiri leaned over from her place in Riley’s arms. She peeled back her lips a bit, showing that she had some fangs, despite their small size. “I would never endanger Riley that way.” Riley patted her back, and she curled back into him as if she’d never said anything at all. He had known from the moment he’d gotten her that one day he’d have to take a few hits because of her lack of spine. He had before, and he would in the future. Hopefully the future ones wouldn’t be life shattering though. The conversation continued about how Yakuza and Keaton were kind of similar in the fact that they didn’t do much thinking. Riley couldn’t help but agree, who couldn’t? You didn’t need to look at the Mightyena for more than thirty seconds to see that it was nothing but anger and trouble all roiled up in a supreme package of brute force.

Shiri snapped back at Riley’s comments, her tail thrashing angrily. She knew that she wasn’t perfect, but who was? Why did everyone think her a coward just because she loved hugs? "That's the spirit--show him what ya can do! Can't let the boys have all the fun." She snorted before flopping down on top of Riley’s foot. She couldn’t beat Keaton, not ever, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t hit him. She just hadn’t been ready before. That’s it. She hadn’t been ready. Little blue eyes looked up between the trees. She wanted him to come down so that she could prove herself. Meanwhile, Riley watched Madd and her pokemon move off a bit. Was she actually going to encourage the thing to attack her? He nudged Shiri gently with his shoe, and she glanced up at him. He nodded toward Madd and smiled a bit, encouraging her to watch. “Pay attention.” He said, hoping she’d actually learn something while the thought beat inside him. Why’d you ask her? Obviously she can’t even keep her own pokemon in line, what makes you think that she has any useful tips. "Hmm. Well-- if you run away, you run the risk of the attacker hurting your trainer . So being stubborn, stand your ground, and only dodge when they have no chance to change direction, then bop 'em." Riley and Shiri watched at the Mightyena barreled toward its trainer. Dripping with sweat and drool, the beast really did look like it was charging with the intent to injure her. As Riley thought about it, with the way the creature acted, he probably was. The girl dodged her pokemon fairly well though, much to Riley’s surprise, and even managed to give the dog a good tap on the head for measure. Shiri thrashed her tail, and Riley couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Just then a shadow blurred over Riley’s head, he glanced up to see Keaton flinging himself down from the sky like a rocket launched demon. Around the bird’s body erupted a blue and white light. It trailed slightly behind him, blurring his sharpened features as it crackled around him. Brave bird was a move that fit Keaton rather well, as it required a head first leap straight into a fight. One swift movement, no thought, and no going back. The bird passed over Riley’s head in an instant, swooping around the clearing. “Haha! Got you now you bastards!” He screeched, whirling around and giving his powerful wings a flap to propel himself forward. His intentions were obvious as he skyrocketed toward the Mightyena. Riley bent down and pushed Shiri forward. “Go for it.” He told her, shoving her again. The Vaporeon scrambled to her feet. Fear soaked into her eyes, and she glanced back at Riley. “He’s completely open, and not watching you. Just hit him out of the sky.” She nodded, obviously sucking it up, and ran forward. Her tail began to glow, a fiercely pale light that reflected against its nearby surroundings. Keat’s eyes were narrowed in on his prey. He had no more room for thought. No room to see his eminent doom approaching. The pokemon skimmed the grass, twisting the highly preened grass into a trail behind him. Shiri stayed off to the side, in front and off to the left of the Mightyena. She could see Keat’s intense concentration. She knew that she could hit him easily. He was so vulnerable. There was no way he could stop or move away in time. It all happened in a quick blur. Keaton beat his wings for one last burst of speed, and Shiri jumped. Her glowing tail swung behind her as she curled into a flip in mid air. Not a moment later her iron tail struck Keaton firmly between the shoulder blades. He smashed into the ground with enough force to scoop up the grass into little rivulets of dirt. “Ha! Take that!” Shiri shouted, jumping up and down in excitement while still managing to glare at everyone who’d doubted her. From his hole in the grass, Keat twitched and released a small moan.

[Madd]

"Huh. I didn't know a nou' could smell."
Madd murmured to herself, rolling her eyes as she spoke. Really now, wasn't it better to know what someone really thought then to pussyfoot around life like a mine-field? Hell! If she had known that Bug thought she was nothing more then a paycheck--she wouldn't be a glitchy mutant freak--she woulda left his silver-haired ass on the street corner she met him on! The girl's voice was slightly wistful upon the addition of some personal beliefs:
" Honesty can bne hurtful . .but at least it keeps someone from stabbing ya in the back."
Well, not all the time--but close to! Jolted out of her reverie by movement, Madd watched Riley's hand bat the smoke away.
"If it bothered you, you should have said something."
One could practically imagine, a clenched fist sliding down toh er rather wide hips, her bright eyes narrowed to slits.

Of course, that's what one imagined--her eyes however remained unchanged, her expression shockingly neutral. The girl's smile slanted into a smirk as the Vaporeon lifted her blue lip in anger.
"Look now sweetheart--I am not accusin' ya of abandoning him. Like the moxy--but it COULD happen."
Plenty of psychos lived in the world, who would think nothing of attacking Riley--and if Shiri ran away instead of protecting him .. well .. a fulfilled prophecy. Maybe Madd wanted to help the kid, but she was more then likely just bored--twisting fate was a fun pastime. It was obvious the poor little mutt was discouraged.

Reaching forward with a muscled hand, Madd air-poked the little beast.
"No need to act like that--you can do it--if you try , ,"
Eew. This sentimental bullshit made her want to hurl, but it was kind of true. Having low confidence never helped anyone after all!

--

Madd was in her zone--and completely oblivious to any and all comments made by the peanut gallery. The girl was only focused on the shifting of pistons beneath the Mightenya's skin, and the flight path of his movements. Nothing else mattered.

With her dominance asserted (once again), the world crashed back down, the breeze once again tussled her hair, and the smell of a nearby sewer assaulted her senses. The presence of Riley and Shiri was brought back with a crash. This little fiasco had something to do with them! Oh yes, she was supposed to be teaching them.

With her morph enhanced ears--she could hear the sound of crackling as brave bird took effect. With a rapid movement of her neck--the girl turned to stare , watching as Keaton thundered toward them--his body lit up like an American flag. The Mightenya was not truly paying attention, so adsorbed in his plans for the next assault on his trainer. The crackling was brushed off--just a distraction. Maybe he could paw at those devilish legs of hers, then rip her face off with flaming fangs. Maybe that was a bit extreme for the kid.
"HEY YOU DAMN IDIOT! MOVE!"
Madd's voice caused a change in his rather walled body language. The slouched spine, snapped straight--his jaws turning to point toward the cruel ass girl that was his "trainer".
"SHUDDUP BITCH IMMA --THINK--"
A flash of blue glittered at the edge of his vision, just as Keaton shouted out his battle cry.

Damn chicken. (Both of em--girl and bird alike!). Rotating so he faced Keaton, the Mightenya hunkered down--focusing on the bright crimson beak pointing his way. Muscles in his hind rippled as the bird surged forward. It had been a long time since he had chicken for dinner! The canine's tongue brushed briefly at his lips, before he too surged forward, mouth brimming with white hot flames.

Madd back stepped out of Keaton's path--her eyebrows raising in surprise as Shiri seemed to take control. In the blink of an eye the hard headed bird was a moaning pile of feathers on the ground.
"Well--not half bad midget."

The Mightenya felt the air whistle in front of his blunt snout, the flukes of the Vaporeon's thick tail slid by in a blur of silver. Flames leapt from his wide jaws, his plate like feet backpedaled as he tried to stop himself. Getting hit with an object the size of that tail would not be pleasant!

Grass lay turned up where his paws had furrowed the dirt--but he had stopped himself from tripping over the chicken, or getting his head bashed in.

" Coulda given a warnin' ya little fuck."
The Mightenya growled, remnants of his fire fang jetting from his mouth like dragon fire.

Madd? Well she merely laughed.