Story Notes:
This is a story I started some time ago after I finished up Pokemon Emerald. I wrote it then tossed it to the side for two reasons mostly; one I had no media to post it within, and two I had lost the spark to do so. Now that the fire is back and I have found my forum I hope you enjoy this simple tale I bring to you. I am not promising a path to the promise land but I hope I can at least keep you entertained for as long as you read.-Fenris42P.S. It is highly improbable that sex will be included in this story but who knows. It might find its way in if the opportunity presents itself.
Equilibrium
It had been a rather calm day, slightly cloudy in the morning but after the sun had taken its rather regal throne in the midday sky all cover had been evaporated. There was a frequent breeze that graced the land; light, as if a magnificent menagerie of feathers had brushed by all at once. The air held the heavy scent of flowers and water, the subtle markings of blooming spring and coming rains. To him it was as if the present scenery, from grand sky to lowly dirt, had been crafted specifically for him. Of course he couldn't hold such a narcissistic thought forever and it passed quickly with the winds, this world was not only for him but for all those that surrounded him on this magnificent blue marble.
He softly smiled to himself as he felt whatever short, trampled grass that grew along the path softly glide against his feet. His athletic running shoes offering him comfort and when most needed, a good grip for a high speed sprint. His shorts quietly swished as he walked, the deep greenish gray material being pleasantly light but at the same time exceptionally durable for a long trip and warm for those cold nights.
His fingerless gloved hands were in his pockets, gently touching several marble sized orbs every so often drawing a small smirk and hearty chuckle from his mouth. He wore a light and breezy, deep blue, t-shirt beneath a solid, if a bit worn, black long sleeved button up. On his back, in smooth and calm gray, was the faint outline of a canine face; two striking steel triangles below a pair of deep crimson eyes. Resting upon his head in a crooked manner was a faded brown bucket hat, tilted in such a way that one of his eyes was covered completely in its shadow. Cast over one shoulder and down to his opposite hip was the strap of a back pack, a comfortable bag that everyone in his position possessed.
He was an adventurer, a grand explorer and sculptor of how we see and perceive the world. Born in the relatively nameless town of Silverhill he was a native of the land of Hoenn and like most young people his age, he was a Pokemon trainer. Trotting along side him with proof of that fact, a great beast that measured up to the trainer's chest as it walked with its master. Most of its long and shaggy fur was a dark slate gray save for two great lines of inky black hair that reached from the top of its head to its very tail turning it too into a midnight hue.
The beasts supernatural amber and bloody crimson eyes stared out into the world with an obedient intensity, waiting for its master to give the order to jump so it could quickly question, "How high?" The creature was a Mightyena, a Pokemon with a severe attachment to loyalty and service to the alpha of its pack. Long ago, when he received the then Poochyena as his very first Pokemon he called it Volk, a strong ancient word that seemed to fit the rough and powerful male Pokemon. Ever since then Volk has been his partner, his best friend and close companion for the eight years he has been traveling.
He sighed softly, to think it had already been eight years; it only seemed like the other day that his mother kissed him on the cheek and handed down the family's silver fang for him to carry around the world. Speaking of which, he slowly grinned and gave a small glance to his companion, the gleaming metal tooth hanging around his furry neck proudly for all to see. It had been a tough battle with a gym leader, Brawley if he could remember correctly. Volk was nearly defeated, but he pulled through and with one last all or nothing bite upon the gym leaders Makuhita he ensured himself and his trainer the victory. That last minuscule bit of energy and experience caused Volk to suddenly evolve, turning him from a puppy with an oversized jaw into a prideful and powerful adult.
His trainer chuckled lightly to himself, Volk was surprised to see his master reward him with such a treasure and ever since then Volk has been by his side no matter what the condition or danger. Without warning Volk suddenly hunched down, his lips baring his teeth and growling low as the trainer's thoughts and fond memories were shattered. He quickly turned his attention to the road ahead of him, promptly becoming aware of the odd person running straight for them.
Had it been someone simply jogging toward him, like most trainers would upon catching each others eyes, he wouldn't have thought twice but this person was pouring on the gas, speeding toward him with such velocity that a Ninjask would've found it hard to follow. "Stop!" came a shout that made his attention turn a little bit backwards. Following the speeding being was another and from the sharp shriek of, "Stop thief!" He could easily tell that it was a young woman. He shrugged gently and calmly spoke to Volk, "When whoever it is gets here use Tackle." Volk gave a sharp growl and nod in understanding, the orders were set and he was to accomplish them without fail. It was only a few seconds before the thief climbed the side of the hill and it made them wish they had never gotten out of bed in the morning.
Barreling into the thief's gut was all 102 pounds of Volk, his muscular and heavier build crashing into the humans belly and sending them sprawling. Volk landed expertly and prepared to give chase to the rolling carcass but his trainer stopped him with a gentle, "Halt Volk." Volk nodded but kept his eyes trained upon the thief, the glowing yellow and grim crimson never leaving the groaning pained form.
The trainer slowly turned to the side just in time to see the young woman whom the thief had stolen from come up the crest of the hill. The first thing he saw was dark reddish-brown hair, twined into a massively thick braid that lay to the side and over her left shoulder. Wrapped around the gigantic braid was a deep forest green ribbon, tied at the end and holding the practical hairstyle together. The ribbon accentuated her eyes nicely, bright emerald orbs that sparkled even when she bent over and huffed in exhaustion.
She wore thick indigo jeans spattered with a variety of natural stains, from berry juice to grass, and an old pair of hiking boots. She wore a sleeveless dark blue top with white floral designs that ended just above her belly button and over that was a hooded green vest, matching the ribbon in her hair, that covered right down to the top of her pants had she kept it closed. She had a pack much like his own but it seemed smaller, as if she weren't expecting as much as he was. Suddenly her gasping breath rose up, "Th-thank...you..." He smirked, "No problem ms..." A few slower calming breaths later she righted herself, smiled brightly, and held out her hand, "Roslyn and you are?" His lips pulled up a little bit more as he grasped her hand, "Cyrus."
Roslyn opened her mouth, intending on saying something, but sharp bark and growl from Volk turned their attention to the Thief at hand. "You...damn...mutt," the thief, obviously a he, growled bitterly. Standing to his full height the criminal stood head and shoulders above even Cyrus but he was rather thin, almost sickly when compared to his tremendous height. He wore an entirely black hooded uniform, the only colors being a crimson R that was presented upon his chest.
Cyrus had seen that symbol many times before, "Hm, I didn't know Team Rocket branched out into Hoenn." The thief gave off a smug smirk from his shadows hood, "Slowly kid, we're gonna take over the world." Cyrus chuckled, "So says you and about a thousand other of you guys that I whooped." "What!" the thug growled but Cyrus ignored him in favor of asking Roslyn a question. "What'd he steal from you?" Roslyn glared angrily at the criminal, "My Pokemon, and my father's invention." The thug scoffed, "The invention was my true target; your Pokemon are just a bonus to my boss." Without warning the thief reached to his belt, pulled off his two Pokeballs, and tossed them into the air releasing brilliant flashes of light that soon came to form a Crobat and Sableye.
Cyrus smirked, reaching into his pocket he fished out a single marble sized ball before swiftly tossing it over to Roslyn, "Use her, once she sees Volk out on the field she'll figure it out." Roslyn expanded the Pokeball, its smooth black and white surface filling her hand before she tossed it out into the battlefield revealing the Pokemon Cyrus had loaned her. After a flash of stunningly bright white light there stood a simply incredible Absol.
With a short glance around a sense of understanding washed over the creatures face; the expression accentuated by her master calling out, "Kira! Follow Roslyn's orders!" The Absol gave Cyrus a curt nod before turning to Roslyn, the females mind working at a furious pace to deal with the stunning creature before her and the attacks it could possibly know. "Um...um..." Roslyn stuttered, her mind attempting to process Absol's attacks at lightning speed thinking which would be best for this dire situation.
Suddenly the Rocket member called out his own attacks, "Crobat, wing attack on the Absol! Sableye, Shadowball the Mightyena!" Cyrus chuckled in a low tone to himself, "Volk, lightning fang." Volk nodded sharply, a harsh bark exploding from his mouth the same way a soldier would affirm the orders of a general. Volk's grey lips peeled back revealing rows of razor sharp fangs, each one of them glistening in the midday sun. With a flash a small spark leapt from one fang to another, an electrical charge filling the air as more flashes appeared, hopping from one ivory spire to the next. In no time the entirety of Volk's mouth was filled with crackling electricity, his deadly and dangerous growl being amplified and warped by the sharp snaps springing from his wicked maw.
The Crobat swooped down sharply, its wings glowing with white hot light and on a collision course for the magnificent Absol known as Kira. Roslyn's thoughts were moving a mile a minute, thinking, praying, but no matter what she just couldn't come up with what possible attacks Absol had in its vast arsenal. "Kira, dodge it!" with a swift, almost invisible, leap to the side Kira avoided the Crobat's vicious wing attack giving Roslyn some time to dig up Absol's attacks from the depths of her mind.
Volk was swift; showcasing his incredible agility despite his tremendous bulk surprising the would-be criminal in no small manner. When a fully charged Shadowball, courtesy of Sableye, was thrown to the agile canine Cyrus wasn't in the least bit surprised when it missed him by a mile. Sableye didn't even have time to react after it had thrown the vicious attack; Volk was right in its face with a mouthful of fully charged fangs.
In the blink of an eye Volk had attached himself to Sableye's ghastly arm, the beast's long teeth sinking into the ghostly flesh and electrifying the dark Pokemon from the inside out. Sableye reared back and let out a piercing scream, the pain from the attack overriding its senses to the point of absolute agony. It had never been bitten before, being able to turn untouchable by controlling its molecular density helped with that. However despite that massive advantage, these electrified fangs had actually pierced its flesh causing a great amount of pain to Sableye, enough to make it faint on the spot.
Meanwhile Kira was dodging with the agility and skill of a goddess among Pokemon, her form twisting and turning to avoid the ever increasing barrage of strikes provided by a rather agitated Crobat. Despite this graceful display Roslyn had yet to formulate an attack plan, at best she could only think of a simple Tackle attack. If only she had paid more attention to the Absol lectures in Trainer Academy. "Volk, Hyper Beam!" came a voice of such power, such command, strength and conviction that Roslyn felt a shiver race through her body.
In the blink of an eye the Mightyena called Volk was within her line of vision, his body radiating monstrous waves of energy as his snarling mouth began to glow an eerie white color. The Crobat froze in its tracks, Volk's incredible intimidation shattering its conviction to attack. Kira seemed to, in a Pokemon's odd sort of way, smirk and quickly vacated the immediate area, horrified Crobat and all, allowing Volk as much room as he possibly could to 'work.'
In a brilliant explosion a gargantuan shock wave of white aura energy blasted from Volk's mouth, the beam engulfing the still frozen Crobat in a tide of iridescent power. Moments after the attack had begun it ended; Volk returning to his normal, obedient and slightly grumpy status while the white gleam from his open mouth subsided into nothingness. As the shine from the Hyper Beam dissolved it revealed the Crobat, burnt, crushed, and utterly defeated upon the ground several yards away from the initial point of impact.
There was complete silence for a while, Roslyn and the thief both had their jaws upon the ground while Cyrus smirked at the outcome. He crossed his arms with a soft chuckle, "I believe that means we win." The thief growled low, rage thick within his voice as he recalled his damaged tools, "Crobat, Sableye, return." Twin beams of crimson light engulfed the fainted Pokemon, returning them to their Pokeballs for a long rest before their punishment. "Here," the thief hissed with enough venom to kill as he threw a bag towards the two trainers. Roslyn raced for the parcel, coming to catch it moments before it slammed to the ground possibly breaking the precious cargo within. "I'll be back," and with that last cliché snarling remark the thief turned tail and ran, retreating with gusto while he still had the chance.
There was a long pause...drawn out by the slow rolling winds that blew across the land...
Without word or warning Volk was felled, his strong stance and body being toppled by a very amused and entertained Kira, bouncing him off balance with a simple shove to his side. Cyrus chuckled and turned to Roslyn, cradling her bag gently and watching Kira pounce upon Volk in a playful manner. "So Roslyn," Cyrus began, his smile widening and turning warmer as Roslyn faced him, "would you like to join us for lunch?"
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"So how long have you had Volk?" Roslyn questioned; the bag of Pokemon and technology slung over her shoulder as they walked. "He was my very first Pokemon," Cyrus replied, his hand reaching down and patting Volk's head affectionately, "he's been my best friend since I began my journey." "Your first Pokemon?" Roslyn questioned, curiosity tugging at the back of her mind wondering how. Cyrus nodded, "Yep. I know it's odd, most people's first pokemon in Hoenn is Torchic, Treecko, or a Mudkip but...well I've got connections and I pretty much grew up with Volk." Roslyn's eyebrow rose automatically, "connections? Like...what connections?"
Cyrus sighed in resignation; it was obvious Roslyn's curiosity wouldn't be squashed until she got her answer so he responded truthfully, "My cousin Sidney is in the Elite Four." Roslyn's face showed surprise but nothing more outstanding than that, "Really? That's pretty amazing." Cyrus stared at her for a moment, seemingly waiting for something that was undoubtedly to come. "Uh...is something wrong?" Roslyn questioned causing Cyrus to slowly shake his head side to side, "No it's just...every time I tell someone that they decide to be my 'best friend' and ask for autographs left and right." Roslyn giggled in a light and bubbly way that left Cyrus's heart to speed a bit, "Oh don't worry about that. My dad's a Pokemon researcher so I know how annoying it is when someone you barely know comes up to you asking for a favor or something like that."
Cyrus released that same Machiavellian grin that seemed to be his trademark, "I think I'm going to like you Roslyn." Roslyn smiled shyly, her cheeks turning a slight pink hue as she quickly commented, "So Volk is a strong breed but what about Kira." Cyrus smirked and turned to Kira who walked right beside Volk, their bodies so close that with every other step she bumped the annoyed male slightly off balance. "Kira...well to understand Kira you'd have to understand how my family views Pokemon catching and training," Cyrus began, scratching the back of his head slightly.
"You see my family doesn't see the point in catching Pokemon and keeping them like slaves," Cyrus said with a not so subtle frown, "nothing good can come of keeping creatures in little balls and only bring them out to fight until they pass out from injury." It was an unfamiliar concept to Roslyn but despite the concepts oddity in society she at least had the decency to blush. "But Cyrus," Roslyn decided to interject ignoring the mortified heat in her cheeks, "don't you train Pokemon?"
Cyrus nodded slowly, "Yes, I have about thirteen Pokemon in my care counting the ones I have on hand and the ones my family looks after but that isn't really the point. The way my family views it is if the Pokemon is unhappy with you after a week of being captured you let it go and never look back." Another of those quick smirks dressed Cyrus's lips as he spoke, "Aside from the ball I have for each of my on hand Pokemon I only have one extra ball. It doesn't register with any network and it doesn't keep a permanent tab on the Pokemon I catch with it so if I decide to release the Pokemon from the ball then it would be as if I never caught them in the first place. I only keep a Pokemon in that ball for one week, using them on and off for battles and at the end of the week I release them. If they come back for some reason then I have a ball specifically crafted for them."
Cyrus could feel Roslyn's stare; it wasn't an uncommon occurrence but he decided to continue on with his explanation, "It was how I and everyone else in my family was raised. Even my cousin Sidney does that with his Pokemon and he's in the elite four." Roslyn continued to stare...then did something that was wholly unexpected, she smiled at him, "Wow!" Cyrus had to stop for a moment, everyone else in the little traveling group catching up to his frozen form a few steps later as he asked with a raised brow, "Wow? That's all you're going to say, wow?"
Roslyn blinked in confusion, "Well...yeah pretty much. I'm not going to fight against your family's traditions; it actually seems very rational if you think about it. I'm not going to fight you on who's right or wrong either so all I can really say is wow!" Cyrus simply stood there for a good long while, his frozen form watching Roslyn with a careful eye that was so calculating Volk nearly growled out to the newly perceived 'threat.' "Roslyn," Cyrus began, taking a slow step toward the nervous girl, "I am REALLY going to like you!" In a surprising burst Cyrus's lips cracked into a healthy smile, his arms wrapping the poor girl up in a hug that she couldn't, nay wouldn't dare, break free from.
It took some time and a bit of gasping for air but Cyrus finally released Roslyn, the newly formed friends walking and talking a little bit more before settling in a wide open field in which they could enjoy a peaceful lunch. After setting up a bit, laying a large blanket along the ground and retrieving some food from his pack, Cyrus reached into his pocket and pulled out the remaining three balls in his arsenal. Tapping each in turn they expanded, flying from his hands as he spoke, "Break time."
The first ball to snap open was a vivid, silvery metallic ball. From its depths came a bright shining beam eventually solidifying into the form of a stately and steely Magneton. The next to crack its walls was a soft brown orb, its surface split down the center with a brilliant crimson zigzag. Bursting from the globe was a lightning bolt of light, coming to rest into...nothing. The last orb, an aquamarine sphere of immaculate beauty, spilled from its center a marvelous and stunning Vaporeon who took to sitting, an amused smile upon its lips seeing three balls and only two Pokemon. The Magneton, a statue of metal and magnetism, had the sense of mind to roll its three eyes in exasperated gesture while at the same time letting loose a soft sigh in its customary metallic drone.
Throughout the clearing there was a complete and immaculate silence, only the soft sounds of Magneton hovering pierced the air as all eyes were turned to the vacant spot where a Pokemon should have stood. Some time ago Volk had chased Kira, irritated and annoyed by her near constant attempts to topple him as they walked, some ways away and into the darkness of the forest. Cyrus didn't fear much would happen to them, knowing his partners as well as he did he was certain that nothing could harm them as long as they stuck together...
Shattering the silence with the force of a ten ton hammer came the surprised and enraged howl of Volk, his embarrassment ringing clearly in his tone while Kira's siren howls of laughter floated along side the violated call. The Vaporeon's watery mirth echoed with the hollow chiming of Magneton's amused chuckles moments after the split second scream was heard, an inside joke more entertaining than any other hitting them head on.
Roslyn blinked in confusion while Cyrus covered his eyes with his hands, a low sight rising from his throat as he calmly spoke, "Oh for the love of." "What happened?" Roslyn questioned nervously, her eyes staring out into the forests where the mortified bellow emanated. Cyrus paid her no mind as he whipped around to the forests, his hands cupped to his mouth as he shouted, "Zipper! Get back here Zipper, we have food!" Roslyn was about to question what in the world he was doing...until a small brown cannonball bowled Cyrus over, planting the youth on his rear end with its incredible momentum.
"Cyrus!" Roslyn shouted, rushing over to the fallen trainer and crouching down to his height, frantically asking, "Are you alright?" Cyrus coughed slightly; nodding his head he spoke, "Yes...once my stomach and intestines trade places again I'll be just peachy." Roslyn was about to question what had caused his great fall but she found her answer in Cyrus's arms, his limbs wrapped protectively around a cute little Zigzagoon. Its fur was rather dark for its kind, deepened on its darkest stripes to a rich oaky brown, as it nuzzled heavily into Cyrus's clothed chest.
The little ball of fuzz instantly found a fan in Roslyn, the coloring was so rare and with such a tiny little body like that Roslyn might as well have had hearts in her eyes. "Ok Zipper," Cyrus coughed, still not fully recovered from the full on tackle from the little beast, "get off of me!" Roslyn blinked her eyes and opened them only to find the little ball of fuzz moved, sitting beside Cyrus and lightly nudging his side in a prodding attempt to get him up. Cyrus grumbled indignantly as he rose to his feet, brushing himself off as he said, "Alright you little spastic ball of fur, go sit on the blanket and I'll get the food." In another blink of an eye the fuzzy creature was seated upon the blanket several meters away eagerly awaiting its meal.
Roslyn watched all of this in fascination, her eyes wide as she observed the incredible movement exhibited by the runty Zigzagoon. "How does it do that?" Roslyn asked dumbly, the question meant for her own consciousness but instead it was uttered through her lips and into the open air. "Zipper," Cyrus began with a slight edge of pride, that smirk showing on his lips with the knowledge that he had gone through this routine many times before, "is a very unique little Zigzagoon. She knows Extreme Speed and can use it all day long without wearing herself out."
Roslyn's attention was quickly on Cyrus, her eyes wide as she spoke, "Do you realize how amazing that is? Most Pokemon who use Extreme Speed can only do it in short sprints before becoming tired. A 'shiny' Zigzagoon that can use it consistently without exhaustion, that's just incredible!" Cyrus blushed slightly at the words, scratching the back of his head as he spoke, "Heh, I know my little Zipper's special. Every other Pokemon I have with me I befriended and caught. Kira was the first, then Magnum, and after him I got Haze as a gift from a family friend. Zipper, she stalked Volk and I for ages before joining us."
Cyrus smiled brightly as he went over to his pack, fishing through it for the food he always carried, "Zipper was the very first Pokemon other than Volk I saw when I stared out on my journey. She used to bring us berries or anything else she'd find in the woods but any time I took out a Pokeball for her she disappeared on me only to come back the next day with a little something for the team." Roslyn looked surprised, an impressed expression on her face, "She sounds like she really likes you and your Pokemon." Cyrus chuckled, pulling out a few containers of food he brought them over to a bouncing Zipper, a cool and calmly reserved Haze, and a stationary but proud Magnum.
"She loves us; at least that's what I like to think. She just doesn't like the idea of being stuck in a ball all the time, that's why she didn't want to be captured at first," Cyrus said with a sigh, shivering slightly as he spoke, "it was only after she got really hurt by another trainer that she let herself be captured by me." Roslyn's concern was instant, while the three Pokemon dug into their feast Roslyn was on the question attack, "How was she hurt?"
Cyrus smiled brightly to his Pokemon, a charming grin letting them know all was well and good, but the moment he turned his back his smile faded to the might of a rage twisted snarl, his single visible eye burning with wrath as he calmly hissed out, "He nearly killed her. He broke two of her legs some how to stop her from being too fast to capture, beat her until she had internal bleeding, and she had cuts all up and down her body." In a flash his anger was replaced by sorrow, both for Zipper's past pain and for the horror that now dressed Roslyn's features. He sighed and turned away, half smiling to his Pokemon but his one eye, out of their direct sight, held a mournful shine to it, "If I hadn't come along and taken that X-scissor for her then I don't know if she'd still be alive today."
Roslyn's fists tightened over and over again, her face turning nearly red from her own restrained anger as she quietly seethed, "Did you happen to get a name?" Cyrus sneered, contempt on his features as he responded, "Doesn't matter, I cleaned him up well enough so I don't think he or his Ninjask will be messing up any other Pokemon soon." Roslyn let loose a small smirk, something Cyrus found didn't fit her face, but the distinctly evil aura behind it made him grow one of his own cunning grins, "You know...if you have a name and adequate proof that he abused a wild Pokemon then I'm sure my father can pull a few strings to get his license revoked." Cyrus's grin turned even darker as he began to speak...
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"Come on Fuzzle Butt," echoed a smooth melodious call, symphonic and siren-esque in its very nature, "you'll never catch me like that!" "Kira!" howled another voice, rough and gravely with a sharp, almost blade-like bite to the tone, "Get back here and take your punishment!" Kira leapt from highest grass, her body an immaculate white; glowing in the faintest light with an almost vaporous brilliance as she sounded her siren call, "Make me you damn dirty dog!" Her single ebony horn, shining bright with the sparse light of the forest, cut through the cool air sounding a nearly silent whistle. Her blade like tail, long with an onyx shine, shimmered in the sparse light along side her blurred black claws. Her charcoal face with split by a bright horizontal line of pure white, her pearly fangs locked in an indomitable grin. Her scarlet eyes watched the forest rush by, the ruby pools filled with wild mirth and unruly joy. On her crown shone the most amazing jewel, a rarity in solid crimson hue, black in all but the brightest of lights.
Bursting from the brush came Volk, his body thick and stocky but with an unnatural speed and grace to his movements as he blazed toward the fleeing Absol, "Oh that I will you cotton puff ball of an Absol!" Kira, in an act of immense skill and grace, leapt skyward; her slim but powerful legs ricocheting her from a thick trunked tree sending her flying over Volk's neigh-unstoppable form, "I happen to take great pride in my fur thank you very much!" In Kira's mind she had already won this little game of cat and mouse, with her superior agility there was no way Volk could catch her no matter how incredibly swift and nimble he was.
She had seen him pull the very same trick she had just done with the exception that his springboard happened to be a moving Onix, there was a great deal to be said about such a risky and athletic feat. However no matter how good Volk became she was always better, twisting and leaping in the air as if she was meant to be a flying type rather than her darkness-bound, disaster-laden body. She knew in a straight out sprint Volk could over and out run her, there was no question in her mind about that, but the simple fact was that in the close quarters of the forest she had an upper hand he couldn't even hope to win against.
Volk growled low in his throat, leaping up in a near exact manner as she had, springing from the tree causing the massive trunk to crack from the pressure exerted upon its ageless pine. Volk quickly closed in on Kira's slower moving form, while she may have been more agile, his legs were a great deal stronger and with that incredible push he easily caught up to the flighty Absol. A grin dressed his furry lips as they opened; rows of glistening fangs out in the open air as he growled, "gotcha!" His maw leapt out and grasped for Kira's neck, aiming for her furry scruff for an eloquent but harmless take down on the feisty femme fatale. With a clash of white on white Volk's teeth sunk into the airy illusion of a decoy, Kira's Double Team agent serving her well as it dissolved leaving Volk to sail helplessly through the air.
From her sentinel vantage point Kira laughed lightly, her crimson orbs watching the falling Mightyena with a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. It was not every day she got the upper hand on the powerful Pokemon; almost every other time he had the speed and agility to catch her but not today. Today the chase was on her terms, in the forest; a place where a tireless long distance runner had no chance against an agile sprinter. Kira giggled a little bit louder watching Volk close in on a particularly old and decayed tree. She had seen the mighty canine tackle Golem's with ease, she knew he'd be perfectly fine, but no matter how you looked at it this was going to be very enjoyable.
In a flash all of Kira's hopes were dashed, Volk rammed right into the rotten trunk but rather than crashing like some rag doll dummy he traveled through the perished elm, vanishing in the same manner her Double Team clone had only moments ago. She silently cursed, looking around with only her eyes as she searched for the crafty canine. She should have known there was no way it could have possibly been that easy.
The stark silence of the forest was instantly shattered; a bone chilling howl swept the forest floor sending shivers down Kira's spine and causing many birds to take flight in terror. It wasn't one of Volk's joking howls; this was not one of his overly frustrated and irritated bellows, no. This howl was accompanied by a sharp spike, a wave of energy extending from everywhere and no where all at once. A cold chill akin to being dumped in glacial water settled onto Kira; Volk was not playing games, he intended to find her with any means necessary. It was quiet, almost unnoticeable, but with her senses on high alert Kira heard it. The soft sniffing sounds of a Pokemon following its nose down the odor trail, sleuthing out anything that could be hidden. With the speed of a snail Kira slowly turned, her head gradually coming to swivel around and face the muted sound.
Her bright scarlet irises were greeted by the intense glare Volk could so effortlessly make, a wild and frightening grin on his face as he took a slow inhalation of breath. Kira couldn't move; locked in position with those haunting red and boiling golden orbs of Volk's. They were so deep, so mind meltingly hypnotic, but so frightening her consciousness was put in a death grip, tightening until her physique froze. Her mind screamed for her to run, the game of cat and mouse was still on and he had yet to capture her. Despite her mental orders she couldn't find the correct connections to move, her muscles twitching but unwilling to do anything more than simple spasms.
Volk took a few slow steps toward Kira's frozen form, his eyes never leaving hers. Her breaths came in short gasps as her muscles convulsed in an effort to run as fast and far as she could; locked into his piercing stare hook, line, and sinker. In the back of her mind Kira could see the entire advancing beast, how differently his broad and husky form looked from her lithe and trim body. His fur was long and shaggy but beneath she could see powerful, trained muscles pulling his heavy essence along. His thick undulating shoulders, his potent crunching jaws, the gleaming silver fang dangling from his neck, the way his stance and stature commanded his presence with intense authority. Despite all this observation it was wiped clean; all thought being washed away with those eyes. Those eyes were so deep, so deliciously hypnotic, but so blood chillingly frightening when fixed into that glare...
"Gotcha," Kira was suddenly released from her entrancing spell of paralysis, her eyes for once being able to focus on something other than Volk's mysteriously alluring vision while her muscles instantly released from their locked state. Volk's tongue, long and pink, flickered from his mouth and with one graceful swipe gave Kira a gentle lick on the nose. Kira's eyes opened wide, her voice nearly sputtering as she asked, "H-hey! W-what was that for?" Volk smirked, amusement clear in his tone as he spoke, "I captured you Kira. I get to do whatever I want with my prey, law of the pack."
A very interesting thought flashed through Kira's mind, something very time consuming and rather fun Volk could do with the prey he had snagged. The dirty thought was ruthlessly shoved away with a fierce shake of the head and a deep throated growl, a healthy reddish color tinting Kira's cheeks only to be clouded by the black fur of her face. Volk offered Kira a concerned look, tilting his head to the side as he spoke, "Kira, are you alright?" Kira jumped slightly, facing Volk only to encounter those eyes of his once more.
Not being able to help herself she stared, her vision caught by those dual rubies floating in a soothing pool of unearthly gold. "Kira?" Volk questioned, even more concern building in his tone as he looked over his own shoulder, breaking eye contact sharply, "Is there something behind me?" Kira roughly shook her head and turned her gaze to the side, the pink of her cheeks beginning to break through her opaque ashen fur, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just stop using that Glare attack damn it!" Volk instantly turned, facing his striking Absol companion with a curious gaze, "Glare? I never used Glare; Mightyenas can't develop that skill."
Kira huffed in an exasperated motion, not once looking at Volk as she leaped away, a meager growl announcing her parting words, "Whatever Fuzzle Butt." Volk smirked slowly, following Kira as he called out, "You're just angry you were cornered!" "Oh really now Fuzzle Butt," Kira called back, a smirk working its way into her tone as she landed upon the solid forest soil, "you want to try the Absol Express again?" Volk chuckled, leaping down several meters and coming to rest right before Kira's path of escape, "This Mightyena wouldn't mind going for another ride."
Kira let loose her own grin, "If Volk wants to play then who am I, the Beautiful Kira, to deny?" Volk's eyes snapped open and he quickly ducked, just barely missing the real Kira as she rebounded from another tree, landing in the shadow of her optical illusion clone. Volk grinned, staring into Kira's eyes as he growled, "Let's go..."
"uuuuuuUUUUUZZLE BUUUUUTTTTT!"
"What in the world? HOLY HELL!!!"
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The clearing's peaceful, if a bit twisted in some places, aura was suddenly shattered by a horrifying howl that rocked the very ground they stood upon. In a flash four pairs and one tripod of eyes swiveled to the source of the sound, an incredibly irate, and muddy, Volk. His crimson gold orbs were livid, their furious focus placed directly upon the innocent looking Zipper who sat with a clueless smile and a few stray crumbs on her lips. Slowly Magnum floated upwards, his magnetic current pulling him a fair distance beyond the danger zone while Haze began to melt, her Acid Armor maneuver serving her well as she vanished in a puddle of water.
Behind the cantankerous canine stood Kira, her lips pulled back into an incredible grin as her body shivered; an aftereffect from her attempts to withhold her laughter no doubt. A small snicker escaped her strangle hold, Volk whirling around with a vile glare before turning back to face Zipper. What a horrible mistake that was.
The moment he returned his vision he found it cluttered by the fuzzy fur of Zipper, her form flying at him in speeds that some could find deadly had the projectile been made of steel. Volk could only recoil and yelp in horror as he was, once again, bowled over in a muddy pile of fur and dirt. In the midst of this wild tackle at mach speeds Kira found herself tripped by her own two paws, the mass of Volk and Zipper falling atop and assimilating her into their ball of fur and mud.
A wild and uncontrollable struggle later the three found themselves in what two could consider a comfortable, if a bit awkward, position while the third merely wished to kill them all and curl up in mortification. On the top of the heap was Zipper, happy and filled with glee as she seemed to dance upon her post, covered in mud from tail to snout. On the bottom was Volk, pressed to the earth on his back as more mud was ground even deeper into his fur. Sandwiched between the two, on her stomach, was Kira, her nose centimeters from Volk's as their bodies pressed up against one another. While Volk was busy trying to glare a hole into the head of the little ragamuffin who had caused their predicament Kira couldn't help but feel the tightening in her chest as a small cooing growl rose from her throat.
Despite Volk's anger, Zipper's entertainment, and Kira's....warm, shall we say, reaction to the positioning it wasn't something new. In fact if one were to add up all the times Zipper had pulled a stunt like this on the duo where they ended up in a congealed mess of limbs and fur then there would be at least one incident per grain of sand on the beaches of Slateport City. Zipper seemed to take great pleasure in both annoying Volk and assuring that the crabby Mightyena and the lovely Absol were in some way or another stuck together be it from gravity or, in one case, actual glue.
Almost every time the reaction from the trio was the same; Zipper was always happy and entertained by the situation because she always ended up on top and, in a manner of speaking, dancing on the defeated. Volk was in a blinding rage most of the time but he could find the time to laugh at him self...a long time after the actual even happened mind you but still he could see the fun for what it was. Kira...Kira was a mystery.
During every situation she would laugh and laugh until the inevitable would occur, being stuck to Volk in some way, and then she would fall deathly silent. Volk never questioned this, his focus on something else, and Zipper appeared to be too lost in her fun to notice but it was always there. Kira's silences were accompanied by stares, long wide eyed observations of the Mightyena she was invariable attached to. Afterwards she would always seem to wander off or at the very least avoid Volk for a short while.
It made sense seeing as the cranky canine held onto his anger towards the little puff ball of a Zigzagoon as if it were his final life line but there were times that Kira would avoid Volk for days on end, long after his seething would cool. The mysterious Absol would seem to vanish from Volk's roster of companions; only interacting with Zipper or Haze on some basic level before returning to the grumpy and slightly confused Mightyena's side with the same level of comfort and joy she had in the past. It was a mystery...
"Zipper!" Howled Volk, his gruff voice cutting through Zipper's grand victory song, "Get off of us!" Zipper smile and turned to Volk, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tiny little tongue, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt has to make Beautiful Zippy release him and Pretty Kira!" Volk's eye began to twitch, his anger boiling closer and closer to the overflow point as he hissed, "When I get my fangs on you I will exterminate you Zipper." Zipper giggled and began to dance again, bouncing and hopping on Kira's back as she cooed, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt just doesn't like Pretty Kira on top of on him!"
Volk's eye twitched faster and faster, "That's a damn lie and you know it you putrid idiotic vermin! Now get off me so I can destroy you!" Suddenly Zipper broke out in a loud giggle; stopping her dance she announced in her shrill and childish voice, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt forgot Beautiful Zippy isn't the only one in mushy mess!" Volk's growling grew to a paramount, rage rolling off of his body in waves as he snarled out, "Get off me damn it!" "Volk?" said a voice that was so soft Volk almost didn't hear it past the blood rushing through his ears.
His ocular attention snapped to what were only millimeters away from his snout, Kira staring at him with those ethereal crimson eyes. Returning her gaze for a moment he questioned why she had that peculiar awestruck look on her face...and why her cheek fur had the smallest hint of pink in them. Like a puzzle snapping into place Volk realized what he had just said, embarrassment starting to sink in as a red hue clouded the grey of his face.
"Um...Kira," Volk began, his eyes attempting to find any direction other than Kira. His ears had tuned out Zippers giggling and her taunts of love; instead they were focused, intentionally or otherwise, upon Kira's large luminescent ruby eyes. "Volk," Kira began sounding meek, something that did not fit her in the least, "did you really mean what you said?" Despite his strength, despite fighting against nearly every sort of Pokemon imaginable, Volk couldn't find his tongue. His throat closed up and went dry, Kira's deep gaze seeming to pierce his body and soul. "Kira...I," those were the only words Volk was able to form because at that moment Haze, under direct orders from Cyrus, went to 'cool off' the trio and 'get them clean' in the process.
In a last ditch effort to evade the dreaded 'B' word Zipper jumped from Kira's back. Pushing on an unfortunately soft spot of the Absol's dorsal side the energetic Zigzagoon lost her balance and toppled stomach first upon the only solid object she could see, Kira's scythe-like horn. With that small jolt Kira's head was pushed down, closing the distance of those last few inches before connecting her muzzle with Volk's, their lips pressing against one another in a soft and innocent kiss. Just as their eyes snapped open in realization of their unintentional act the pair, Zipper in tow, were subjected to the coldest shower known throughout all of history and time.Chapter End Notes:I hope you enjoyed. It took some time to get this up and even then there might be errors here and there so please excuse those little messes. If you liked the tale please leave a comment and if you didn't then I have no qualms against reading flames. Have a nice day
He softly smiled to himself as he felt whatever short, trampled grass that grew along the path softly glide against his feet. His athletic running shoes offering him comfort and when most needed, a good grip for a high speed sprint. His shorts quietly swished as he walked, the deep greenish gray material being pleasantly light but at the same time exceptionally durable for a long trip and warm for those cold nights.
His fingerless gloved hands were in his pockets, gently touching several marble sized orbs every so often drawing a small smirk and hearty chuckle from his mouth. He wore a light and breezy, deep blue, t-shirt beneath a solid, if a bit worn, black long sleeved button up. On his back, in smooth and calm gray, was the faint outline of a canine face; two striking steel triangles below a pair of deep crimson eyes. Resting upon his head in a crooked manner was a faded brown bucket hat, tilted in such a way that one of his eyes was covered completely in its shadow. Cast over one shoulder and down to his opposite hip was the strap of a back pack, a comfortable bag that everyone in his position possessed.
He was an adventurer, a grand explorer and sculptor of how we see and perceive the world. Born in the relatively nameless town of Silverhill he was a native of the land of Hoenn and like most young people his age, he was a Pokemon trainer. Trotting along side him with proof of that fact, a great beast that measured up to the trainer's chest as it walked with its master. Most of its long and shaggy fur was a dark slate gray save for two great lines of inky black hair that reached from the top of its head to its very tail turning it too into a midnight hue.
The beasts supernatural amber and bloody crimson eyes stared out into the world with an obedient intensity, waiting for its master to give the order to jump so it could quickly question, "How high?" The creature was a Mightyena, a Pokemon with a severe attachment to loyalty and service to the alpha of its pack. Long ago, when he received the then Poochyena as his very first Pokemon he called it Volk, a strong ancient word that seemed to fit the rough and powerful male Pokemon. Ever since then Volk has been his partner, his best friend and close companion for the eight years he has been traveling.
He sighed softly, to think it had already been eight years; it only seemed like the other day that his mother kissed him on the cheek and handed down the family's silver fang for him to carry around the world. Speaking of which, he slowly grinned and gave a small glance to his companion, the gleaming metal tooth hanging around his furry neck proudly for all to see. It had been a tough battle with a gym leader, Brawley if he could remember correctly. Volk was nearly defeated, but he pulled through and with one last all or nothing bite upon the gym leaders Makuhita he ensured himself and his trainer the victory. That last minuscule bit of energy and experience caused Volk to suddenly evolve, turning him from a puppy with an oversized jaw into a prideful and powerful adult.
His trainer chuckled lightly to himself, Volk was surprised to see his master reward him with such a treasure and ever since then Volk has been by his side no matter what the condition or danger. Without warning Volk suddenly hunched down, his lips baring his teeth and growling low as the trainer's thoughts and fond memories were shattered. He quickly turned his attention to the road ahead of him, promptly becoming aware of the odd person running straight for them.
Had it been someone simply jogging toward him, like most trainers would upon catching each others eyes, he wouldn't have thought twice but this person was pouring on the gas, speeding toward him with such velocity that a Ninjask would've found it hard to follow. "Stop!" came a shout that made his attention turn a little bit backwards. Following the speeding being was another and from the sharp shriek of, "Stop thief!" He could easily tell that it was a young woman. He shrugged gently and calmly spoke to Volk, "When whoever it is gets here use Tackle." Volk gave a sharp growl and nod in understanding, the orders were set and he was to accomplish them without fail. It was only a few seconds before the thief climbed the side of the hill and it made them wish they had never gotten out of bed in the morning.
Barreling into the thief's gut was all 102 pounds of Volk, his muscular and heavier build crashing into the humans belly and sending them sprawling. Volk landed expertly and prepared to give chase to the rolling carcass but his trainer stopped him with a gentle, "Halt Volk." Volk nodded but kept his eyes trained upon the thief, the glowing yellow and grim crimson never leaving the groaning pained form.
The trainer slowly turned to the side just in time to see the young woman whom the thief had stolen from come up the crest of the hill. The first thing he saw was dark reddish-brown hair, twined into a massively thick braid that lay to the side and over her left shoulder. Wrapped around the gigantic braid was a deep forest green ribbon, tied at the end and holding the practical hairstyle together. The ribbon accentuated her eyes nicely, bright emerald orbs that sparkled even when she bent over and huffed in exhaustion.
She wore thick indigo jeans spattered with a variety of natural stains, from berry juice to grass, and an old pair of hiking boots. She wore a sleeveless dark blue top with white floral designs that ended just above her belly button and over that was a hooded green vest, matching the ribbon in her hair, that covered right down to the top of her pants had she kept it closed. She had a pack much like his own but it seemed smaller, as if she weren't expecting as much as he was. Suddenly her gasping breath rose up, "Th-thank...you..." He smirked, "No problem ms..." A few slower calming breaths later she righted herself, smiled brightly, and held out her hand, "Roslyn and you are?" His lips pulled up a little bit more as he grasped her hand, "Cyrus."
Roslyn opened her mouth, intending on saying something, but sharp bark and growl from Volk turned their attention to the Thief at hand. "You...damn...mutt," the thief, obviously a he, growled bitterly. Standing to his full height the criminal stood head and shoulders above even Cyrus but he was rather thin, almost sickly when compared to his tremendous height. He wore an entirely black hooded uniform, the only colors being a crimson R that was presented upon his chest.
Cyrus had seen that symbol many times before, "Hm, I didn't know Team Rocket branched out into Hoenn." The thief gave off a smug smirk from his shadows hood, "Slowly kid, we're gonna take over the world." Cyrus chuckled, "So says you and about a thousand other of you guys that I whooped." "What!" the thug growled but Cyrus ignored him in favor of asking Roslyn a question. "What'd he steal from you?" Roslyn glared angrily at the criminal, "My Pokemon, and my father's invention." The thug scoffed, "The invention was my true target; your Pokemon are just a bonus to my boss." Without warning the thief reached to his belt, pulled off his two Pokeballs, and tossed them into the air releasing brilliant flashes of light that soon came to form a Crobat and Sableye.
Cyrus smirked, reaching into his pocket he fished out a single marble sized ball before swiftly tossing it over to Roslyn, "Use her, once she sees Volk out on the field she'll figure it out." Roslyn expanded the Pokeball, its smooth black and white surface filling her hand before she tossed it out into the battlefield revealing the Pokemon Cyrus had loaned her. After a flash of stunningly bright white light there stood a simply incredible Absol.
With a short glance around a sense of understanding washed over the creatures face; the expression accentuated by her master calling out, "Kira! Follow Roslyn's orders!" The Absol gave Cyrus a curt nod before turning to Roslyn, the females mind working at a furious pace to deal with the stunning creature before her and the attacks it could possibly know. "Um...um..." Roslyn stuttered, her mind attempting to process Absol's attacks at lightning speed thinking which would be best for this dire situation.
Suddenly the Rocket member called out his own attacks, "Crobat, wing attack on the Absol! Sableye, Shadowball the Mightyena!" Cyrus chuckled in a low tone to himself, "Volk, lightning fang." Volk nodded sharply, a harsh bark exploding from his mouth the same way a soldier would affirm the orders of a general. Volk's grey lips peeled back revealing rows of razor sharp fangs, each one of them glistening in the midday sun. With a flash a small spark leapt from one fang to another, an electrical charge filling the air as more flashes appeared, hopping from one ivory spire to the next. In no time the entirety of Volk's mouth was filled with crackling electricity, his deadly and dangerous growl being amplified and warped by the sharp snaps springing from his wicked maw.
The Crobat swooped down sharply, its wings glowing with white hot light and on a collision course for the magnificent Absol known as Kira. Roslyn's thoughts were moving a mile a minute, thinking, praying, but no matter what she just couldn't come up with what possible attacks Absol had in its vast arsenal. "Kira, dodge it!" with a swift, almost invisible, leap to the side Kira avoided the Crobat's vicious wing attack giving Roslyn some time to dig up Absol's attacks from the depths of her mind.
Volk was swift; showcasing his incredible agility despite his tremendous bulk surprising the would-be criminal in no small manner. When a fully charged Shadowball, courtesy of Sableye, was thrown to the agile canine Cyrus wasn't in the least bit surprised when it missed him by a mile. Sableye didn't even have time to react after it had thrown the vicious attack; Volk was right in its face with a mouthful of fully charged fangs.
In the blink of an eye Volk had attached himself to Sableye's ghastly arm, the beast's long teeth sinking into the ghostly flesh and electrifying the dark Pokemon from the inside out. Sableye reared back and let out a piercing scream, the pain from the attack overriding its senses to the point of absolute agony. It had never been bitten before, being able to turn untouchable by controlling its molecular density helped with that. However despite that massive advantage, these electrified fangs had actually pierced its flesh causing a great amount of pain to Sableye, enough to make it faint on the spot.
Meanwhile Kira was dodging with the agility and skill of a goddess among Pokemon, her form twisting and turning to avoid the ever increasing barrage of strikes provided by a rather agitated Crobat. Despite this graceful display Roslyn had yet to formulate an attack plan, at best she could only think of a simple Tackle attack. If only she had paid more attention to the Absol lectures in Trainer Academy. "Volk, Hyper Beam!" came a voice of such power, such command, strength and conviction that Roslyn felt a shiver race through her body.
In the blink of an eye the Mightyena called Volk was within her line of vision, his body radiating monstrous waves of energy as his snarling mouth began to glow an eerie white color. The Crobat froze in its tracks, Volk's incredible intimidation shattering its conviction to attack. Kira seemed to, in a Pokemon's odd sort of way, smirk and quickly vacated the immediate area, horrified Crobat and all, allowing Volk as much room as he possibly could to 'work.'
In a brilliant explosion a gargantuan shock wave of white aura energy blasted from Volk's mouth, the beam engulfing the still frozen Crobat in a tide of iridescent power. Moments after the attack had begun it ended; Volk returning to his normal, obedient and slightly grumpy status while the white gleam from his open mouth subsided into nothingness. As the shine from the Hyper Beam dissolved it revealed the Crobat, burnt, crushed, and utterly defeated upon the ground several yards away from the initial point of impact.
There was complete silence for a while, Roslyn and the thief both had their jaws upon the ground while Cyrus smirked at the outcome. He crossed his arms with a soft chuckle, "I believe that means we win." The thief growled low, rage thick within his voice as he recalled his damaged tools, "Crobat, Sableye, return." Twin beams of crimson light engulfed the fainted Pokemon, returning them to their Pokeballs for a long rest before their punishment. "Here," the thief hissed with enough venom to kill as he threw a bag towards the two trainers. Roslyn raced for the parcel, coming to catch it moments before it slammed to the ground possibly breaking the precious cargo within. "I'll be back," and with that last cliché snarling remark the thief turned tail and ran, retreating with gusto while he still had the chance.
There was a long pause...drawn out by the slow rolling winds that blew across the land...
Without word or warning Volk was felled, his strong stance and body being toppled by a very amused and entertained Kira, bouncing him off balance with a simple shove to his side. Cyrus chuckled and turned to Roslyn, cradling her bag gently and watching Kira pounce upon Volk in a playful manner. "So Roslyn," Cyrus began, his smile widening and turning warmer as Roslyn faced him, "would you like to join us for lunch?"
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"So how long have you had Volk?" Roslyn questioned; the bag of Pokemon and technology slung over her shoulder as they walked. "He was my very first Pokemon," Cyrus replied, his hand reaching down and patting Volk's head affectionately, "he's been my best friend since I began my journey." "Your first Pokemon?" Roslyn questioned, curiosity tugging at the back of her mind wondering how. Cyrus nodded, "Yep. I know it's odd, most people's first pokemon in Hoenn is Torchic, Treecko, or a Mudkip but...well I've got connections and I pretty much grew up with Volk." Roslyn's eyebrow rose automatically, "connections? Like...what connections?"
Cyrus sighed in resignation; it was obvious Roslyn's curiosity wouldn't be squashed until she got her answer so he responded truthfully, "My cousin Sidney is in the Elite Four." Roslyn's face showed surprise but nothing more outstanding than that, "Really? That's pretty amazing." Cyrus stared at her for a moment, seemingly waiting for something that was undoubtedly to come. "Uh...is something wrong?" Roslyn questioned causing Cyrus to slowly shake his head side to side, "No it's just...every time I tell someone that they decide to be my 'best friend' and ask for autographs left and right." Roslyn giggled in a light and bubbly way that left Cyrus's heart to speed a bit, "Oh don't worry about that. My dad's a Pokemon researcher so I know how annoying it is when someone you barely know comes up to you asking for a favor or something like that."
Cyrus released that same Machiavellian grin that seemed to be his trademark, "I think I'm going to like you Roslyn." Roslyn smiled shyly, her cheeks turning a slight pink hue as she quickly commented, "So Volk is a strong breed but what about Kira." Cyrus smirked and turned to Kira who walked right beside Volk, their bodies so close that with every other step she bumped the annoyed male slightly off balance. "Kira...well to understand Kira you'd have to understand how my family views Pokemon catching and training," Cyrus began, scratching the back of his head slightly.
"You see my family doesn't see the point in catching Pokemon and keeping them like slaves," Cyrus said with a not so subtle frown, "nothing good can come of keeping creatures in little balls and only bring them out to fight until they pass out from injury." It was an unfamiliar concept to Roslyn but despite the concepts oddity in society she at least had the decency to blush. "But Cyrus," Roslyn decided to interject ignoring the mortified heat in her cheeks, "don't you train Pokemon?"
Cyrus nodded slowly, "Yes, I have about thirteen Pokemon in my care counting the ones I have on hand and the ones my family looks after but that isn't really the point. The way my family views it is if the Pokemon is unhappy with you after a week of being captured you let it go and never look back." Another of those quick smirks dressed Cyrus's lips as he spoke, "Aside from the ball I have for each of my on hand Pokemon I only have one extra ball. It doesn't register with any network and it doesn't keep a permanent tab on the Pokemon I catch with it so if I decide to release the Pokemon from the ball then it would be as if I never caught them in the first place. I only keep a Pokemon in that ball for one week, using them on and off for battles and at the end of the week I release them. If they come back for some reason then I have a ball specifically crafted for them."
Cyrus could feel Roslyn's stare; it wasn't an uncommon occurrence but he decided to continue on with his explanation, "It was how I and everyone else in my family was raised. Even my cousin Sidney does that with his Pokemon and he's in the elite four." Roslyn continued to stare...then did something that was wholly unexpected, she smiled at him, "Wow!" Cyrus had to stop for a moment, everyone else in the little traveling group catching up to his frozen form a few steps later as he asked with a raised brow, "Wow? That's all you're going to say, wow?"
Roslyn blinked in confusion, "Well...yeah pretty much. I'm not going to fight against your family's traditions; it actually seems very rational if you think about it. I'm not going to fight you on who's right or wrong either so all I can really say is wow!" Cyrus simply stood there for a good long while, his frozen form watching Roslyn with a careful eye that was so calculating Volk nearly growled out to the newly perceived 'threat.' "Roslyn," Cyrus began, taking a slow step toward the nervous girl, "I am REALLY going to like you!" In a surprising burst Cyrus's lips cracked into a healthy smile, his arms wrapping the poor girl up in a hug that she couldn't, nay wouldn't dare, break free from.
It took some time and a bit of gasping for air but Cyrus finally released Roslyn, the newly formed friends walking and talking a little bit more before settling in a wide open field in which they could enjoy a peaceful lunch. After setting up a bit, laying a large blanket along the ground and retrieving some food from his pack, Cyrus reached into his pocket and pulled out the remaining three balls in his arsenal. Tapping each in turn they expanded, flying from his hands as he spoke, "Break time."
The first ball to snap open was a vivid, silvery metallic ball. From its depths came a bright shining beam eventually solidifying into the form of a stately and steely Magneton. The next to crack its walls was a soft brown orb, its surface split down the center with a brilliant crimson zigzag. Bursting from the globe was a lightning bolt of light, coming to rest into...nothing. The last orb, an aquamarine sphere of immaculate beauty, spilled from its center a marvelous and stunning Vaporeon who took to sitting, an amused smile upon its lips seeing three balls and only two Pokemon. The Magneton, a statue of metal and magnetism, had the sense of mind to roll its three eyes in exasperated gesture while at the same time letting loose a soft sigh in its customary metallic drone.
Throughout the clearing there was a complete and immaculate silence, only the soft sounds of Magneton hovering pierced the air as all eyes were turned to the vacant spot where a Pokemon should have stood. Some time ago Volk had chased Kira, irritated and annoyed by her near constant attempts to topple him as they walked, some ways away and into the darkness of the forest. Cyrus didn't fear much would happen to them, knowing his partners as well as he did he was certain that nothing could harm them as long as they stuck together...
Shattering the silence with the force of a ten ton hammer came the surprised and enraged howl of Volk, his embarrassment ringing clearly in his tone while Kira's siren howls of laughter floated along side the violated call. The Vaporeon's watery mirth echoed with the hollow chiming of Magneton's amused chuckles moments after the split second scream was heard, an inside joke more entertaining than any other hitting them head on.
Roslyn blinked in confusion while Cyrus covered his eyes with his hands, a low sight rising from his throat as he calmly spoke, "Oh for the love of." "What happened?" Roslyn questioned nervously, her eyes staring out into the forests where the mortified bellow emanated. Cyrus paid her no mind as he whipped around to the forests, his hands cupped to his mouth as he shouted, "Zipper! Get back here Zipper, we have food!" Roslyn was about to question what in the world he was doing...until a small brown cannonball bowled Cyrus over, planting the youth on his rear end with its incredible momentum.
"Cyrus!" Roslyn shouted, rushing over to the fallen trainer and crouching down to his height, frantically asking, "Are you alright?" Cyrus coughed slightly; nodding his head he spoke, "Yes...once my stomach and intestines trade places again I'll be just peachy." Roslyn was about to question what had caused his great fall but she found her answer in Cyrus's arms, his limbs wrapped protectively around a cute little Zigzagoon. Its fur was rather dark for its kind, deepened on its darkest stripes to a rich oaky brown, as it nuzzled heavily into Cyrus's clothed chest.
The little ball of fuzz instantly found a fan in Roslyn, the coloring was so rare and with such a tiny little body like that Roslyn might as well have had hearts in her eyes. "Ok Zipper," Cyrus coughed, still not fully recovered from the full on tackle from the little beast, "get off of me!" Roslyn blinked her eyes and opened them only to find the little ball of fuzz moved, sitting beside Cyrus and lightly nudging his side in a prodding attempt to get him up. Cyrus grumbled indignantly as he rose to his feet, brushing himself off as he said, "Alright you little spastic ball of fur, go sit on the blanket and I'll get the food." In another blink of an eye the fuzzy creature was seated upon the blanket several meters away eagerly awaiting its meal.
Roslyn watched all of this in fascination, her eyes wide as she observed the incredible movement exhibited by the runty Zigzagoon. "How does it do that?" Roslyn asked dumbly, the question meant for her own consciousness but instead it was uttered through her lips and into the open air. "Zipper," Cyrus began with a slight edge of pride, that smirk showing on his lips with the knowledge that he had gone through this routine many times before, "is a very unique little Zigzagoon. She knows Extreme Speed and can use it all day long without wearing herself out."
Roslyn's attention was quickly on Cyrus, her eyes wide as she spoke, "Do you realize how amazing that is? Most Pokemon who use Extreme Speed can only do it in short sprints before becoming tired. A 'shiny' Zigzagoon that can use it consistently without exhaustion, that's just incredible!" Cyrus blushed slightly at the words, scratching the back of his head as he spoke, "Heh, I know my little Zipper's special. Every other Pokemon I have with me I befriended and caught. Kira was the first, then Magnum, and after him I got Haze as a gift from a family friend. Zipper, she stalked Volk and I for ages before joining us."
Cyrus smiled brightly as he went over to his pack, fishing through it for the food he always carried, "Zipper was the very first Pokemon other than Volk I saw when I stared out on my journey. She used to bring us berries or anything else she'd find in the woods but any time I took out a Pokeball for her she disappeared on me only to come back the next day with a little something for the team." Roslyn looked surprised, an impressed expression on her face, "She sounds like she really likes you and your Pokemon." Cyrus chuckled, pulling out a few containers of food he brought them over to a bouncing Zipper, a cool and calmly reserved Haze, and a stationary but proud Magnum.
"She loves us; at least that's what I like to think. She just doesn't like the idea of being stuck in a ball all the time, that's why she didn't want to be captured at first," Cyrus said with a sigh, shivering slightly as he spoke, "it was only after she got really hurt by another trainer that she let herself be captured by me." Roslyn's concern was instant, while the three Pokemon dug into their feast Roslyn was on the question attack, "How was she hurt?"
Cyrus smiled brightly to his Pokemon, a charming grin letting them know all was well and good, but the moment he turned his back his smile faded to the might of a rage twisted snarl, his single visible eye burning with wrath as he calmly hissed out, "He nearly killed her. He broke two of her legs some how to stop her from being too fast to capture, beat her until she had internal bleeding, and she had cuts all up and down her body." In a flash his anger was replaced by sorrow, both for Zipper's past pain and for the horror that now dressed Roslyn's features. He sighed and turned away, half smiling to his Pokemon but his one eye, out of their direct sight, held a mournful shine to it, "If I hadn't come along and taken that X-scissor for her then I don't know if she'd still be alive today."
Roslyn's fists tightened over and over again, her face turning nearly red from her own restrained anger as she quietly seethed, "Did you happen to get a name?" Cyrus sneered, contempt on his features as he responded, "Doesn't matter, I cleaned him up well enough so I don't think he or his Ninjask will be messing up any other Pokemon soon." Roslyn let loose a small smirk, something Cyrus found didn't fit her face, but the distinctly evil aura behind it made him grow one of his own cunning grins, "You know...if you have a name and adequate proof that he abused a wild Pokemon then I'm sure my father can pull a few strings to get his license revoked." Cyrus's grin turned even darker as he began to speak...
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"Come on Fuzzle Butt," echoed a smooth melodious call, symphonic and siren-esque in its very nature, "you'll never catch me like that!" "Kira!" howled another voice, rough and gravely with a sharp, almost blade-like bite to the tone, "Get back here and take your punishment!" Kira leapt from highest grass, her body an immaculate white; glowing in the faintest light with an almost vaporous brilliance as she sounded her siren call, "Make me you damn dirty dog!" Her single ebony horn, shining bright with the sparse light of the forest, cut through the cool air sounding a nearly silent whistle. Her blade like tail, long with an onyx shine, shimmered in the sparse light along side her blurred black claws. Her charcoal face with split by a bright horizontal line of pure white, her pearly fangs locked in an indomitable grin. Her scarlet eyes watched the forest rush by, the ruby pools filled with wild mirth and unruly joy. On her crown shone the most amazing jewel, a rarity in solid crimson hue, black in all but the brightest of lights.
Bursting from the brush came Volk, his body thick and stocky but with an unnatural speed and grace to his movements as he blazed toward the fleeing Absol, "Oh that I will you cotton puff ball of an Absol!" Kira, in an act of immense skill and grace, leapt skyward; her slim but powerful legs ricocheting her from a thick trunked tree sending her flying over Volk's neigh-unstoppable form, "I happen to take great pride in my fur thank you very much!" In Kira's mind she had already won this little game of cat and mouse, with her superior agility there was no way Volk could catch her no matter how incredibly swift and nimble he was.
She had seen him pull the very same trick she had just done with the exception that his springboard happened to be a moving Onix, there was a great deal to be said about such a risky and athletic feat. However no matter how good Volk became she was always better, twisting and leaping in the air as if she was meant to be a flying type rather than her darkness-bound, disaster-laden body. She knew in a straight out sprint Volk could over and out run her, there was no question in her mind about that, but the simple fact was that in the close quarters of the forest she had an upper hand he couldn't even hope to win against.
Volk growled low in his throat, leaping up in a near exact manner as she had, springing from the tree causing the massive trunk to crack from the pressure exerted upon its ageless pine. Volk quickly closed in on Kira's slower moving form, while she may have been more agile, his legs were a great deal stronger and with that incredible push he easily caught up to the flighty Absol. A grin dressed his furry lips as they opened; rows of glistening fangs out in the open air as he growled, "gotcha!" His maw leapt out and grasped for Kira's neck, aiming for her furry scruff for an eloquent but harmless take down on the feisty femme fatale. With a clash of white on white Volk's teeth sunk into the airy illusion of a decoy, Kira's Double Team agent serving her well as it dissolved leaving Volk to sail helplessly through the air.
From her sentinel vantage point Kira laughed lightly, her crimson orbs watching the falling Mightyena with a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. It was not every day she got the upper hand on the powerful Pokemon; almost every other time he had the speed and agility to catch her but not today. Today the chase was on her terms, in the forest; a place where a tireless long distance runner had no chance against an agile sprinter. Kira giggled a little bit louder watching Volk close in on a particularly old and decayed tree. She had seen the mighty canine tackle Golem's with ease, she knew he'd be perfectly fine, but no matter how you looked at it this was going to be very enjoyable.
In a flash all of Kira's hopes were dashed, Volk rammed right into the rotten trunk but rather than crashing like some rag doll dummy he traveled through the perished elm, vanishing in the same manner her Double Team clone had only moments ago. She silently cursed, looking around with only her eyes as she searched for the crafty canine. She should have known there was no way it could have possibly been that easy.
The stark silence of the forest was instantly shattered; a bone chilling howl swept the forest floor sending shivers down Kira's spine and causing many birds to take flight in terror. It wasn't one of Volk's joking howls; this was not one of his overly frustrated and irritated bellows, no. This howl was accompanied by a sharp spike, a wave of energy extending from everywhere and no where all at once. A cold chill akin to being dumped in glacial water settled onto Kira; Volk was not playing games, he intended to find her with any means necessary. It was quiet, almost unnoticeable, but with her senses on high alert Kira heard it. The soft sniffing sounds of a Pokemon following its nose down the odor trail, sleuthing out anything that could be hidden. With the speed of a snail Kira slowly turned, her head gradually coming to swivel around and face the muted sound.
Her bright scarlet irises were greeted by the intense glare Volk could so effortlessly make, a wild and frightening grin on his face as he took a slow inhalation of breath. Kira couldn't move; locked in position with those haunting red and boiling golden orbs of Volk's. They were so deep, so mind meltingly hypnotic, but so frightening her consciousness was put in a death grip, tightening until her physique froze. Her mind screamed for her to run, the game of cat and mouse was still on and he had yet to capture her. Despite her mental orders she couldn't find the correct connections to move, her muscles twitching but unwilling to do anything more than simple spasms.
Volk took a few slow steps toward Kira's frozen form, his eyes never leaving hers. Her breaths came in short gasps as her muscles convulsed in an effort to run as fast and far as she could; locked into his piercing stare hook, line, and sinker. In the back of her mind Kira could see the entire advancing beast, how differently his broad and husky form looked from her lithe and trim body. His fur was long and shaggy but beneath she could see powerful, trained muscles pulling his heavy essence along. His thick undulating shoulders, his potent crunching jaws, the gleaming silver fang dangling from his neck, the way his stance and stature commanded his presence with intense authority. Despite all this observation it was wiped clean; all thought being washed away with those eyes. Those eyes were so deep, so deliciously hypnotic, but so blood chillingly frightening when fixed into that glare...
"Gotcha," Kira was suddenly released from her entrancing spell of paralysis, her eyes for once being able to focus on something other than Volk's mysteriously alluring vision while her muscles instantly released from their locked state. Volk's tongue, long and pink, flickered from his mouth and with one graceful swipe gave Kira a gentle lick on the nose. Kira's eyes opened wide, her voice nearly sputtering as she asked, "H-hey! W-what was that for?" Volk smirked, amusement clear in his tone as he spoke, "I captured you Kira. I get to do whatever I want with my prey, law of the pack."
A very interesting thought flashed through Kira's mind, something very time consuming and rather fun Volk could do with the prey he had snagged. The dirty thought was ruthlessly shoved away with a fierce shake of the head and a deep throated growl, a healthy reddish color tinting Kira's cheeks only to be clouded by the black fur of her face. Volk offered Kira a concerned look, tilting his head to the side as he spoke, "Kira, are you alright?" Kira jumped slightly, facing Volk only to encounter those eyes of his once more.
Not being able to help herself she stared, her vision caught by those dual rubies floating in a soothing pool of unearthly gold. "Kira?" Volk questioned, even more concern building in his tone as he looked over his own shoulder, breaking eye contact sharply, "Is there something behind me?" Kira roughly shook her head and turned her gaze to the side, the pink of her cheeks beginning to break through her opaque ashen fur, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just stop using that Glare attack damn it!" Volk instantly turned, facing his striking Absol companion with a curious gaze, "Glare? I never used Glare; Mightyenas can't develop that skill."
Kira huffed in an exasperated motion, not once looking at Volk as she leaped away, a meager growl announcing her parting words, "Whatever Fuzzle Butt." Volk smirked slowly, following Kira as he called out, "You're just angry you were cornered!" "Oh really now Fuzzle Butt," Kira called back, a smirk working its way into her tone as she landed upon the solid forest soil, "you want to try the Absol Express again?" Volk chuckled, leaping down several meters and coming to rest right before Kira's path of escape, "This Mightyena wouldn't mind going for another ride."
Kira let loose her own grin, "If Volk wants to play then who am I, the Beautiful Kira, to deny?" Volk's eyes snapped open and he quickly ducked, just barely missing the real Kira as she rebounded from another tree, landing in the shadow of her optical illusion clone. Volk grinned, staring into Kira's eyes as he growled, "Let's go..."
"uuuuuuUUUUUZZLE BUUUUUTTTTT!"
"What in the world? HOLY HELL!!!"
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The clearing's peaceful, if a bit twisted in some places, aura was suddenly shattered by a horrifying howl that rocked the very ground they stood upon. In a flash four pairs and one tripod of eyes swiveled to the source of the sound, an incredibly irate, and muddy, Volk. His crimson gold orbs were livid, their furious focus placed directly upon the innocent looking Zipper who sat with a clueless smile and a few stray crumbs on her lips. Slowly Magnum floated upwards, his magnetic current pulling him a fair distance beyond the danger zone while Haze began to melt, her Acid Armor maneuver serving her well as she vanished in a puddle of water.
Behind the cantankerous canine stood Kira, her lips pulled back into an incredible grin as her body shivered; an aftereffect from her attempts to withhold her laughter no doubt. A small snicker escaped her strangle hold, Volk whirling around with a vile glare before turning back to face Zipper. What a horrible mistake that was.
The moment he returned his vision he found it cluttered by the fuzzy fur of Zipper, her form flying at him in speeds that some could find deadly had the projectile been made of steel. Volk could only recoil and yelp in horror as he was, once again, bowled over in a muddy pile of fur and dirt. In the midst of this wild tackle at mach speeds Kira found herself tripped by her own two paws, the mass of Volk and Zipper falling atop and assimilating her into their ball of fur and mud.
A wild and uncontrollable struggle later the three found themselves in what two could consider a comfortable, if a bit awkward, position while the third merely wished to kill them all and curl up in mortification. On the top of the heap was Zipper, happy and filled with glee as she seemed to dance upon her post, covered in mud from tail to snout. On the bottom was Volk, pressed to the earth on his back as more mud was ground even deeper into his fur. Sandwiched between the two, on her stomach, was Kira, her nose centimeters from Volk's as their bodies pressed up against one another. While Volk was busy trying to glare a hole into the head of the little ragamuffin who had caused their predicament Kira couldn't help but feel the tightening in her chest as a small cooing growl rose from her throat.
Despite Volk's anger, Zipper's entertainment, and Kira's....warm, shall we say, reaction to the positioning it wasn't something new. In fact if one were to add up all the times Zipper had pulled a stunt like this on the duo where they ended up in a congealed mess of limbs and fur then there would be at least one incident per grain of sand on the beaches of Slateport City. Zipper seemed to take great pleasure in both annoying Volk and assuring that the crabby Mightyena and the lovely Absol were in some way or another stuck together be it from gravity or, in one case, actual glue.
Almost every time the reaction from the trio was the same; Zipper was always happy and entertained by the situation because she always ended up on top and, in a manner of speaking, dancing on the defeated. Volk was in a blinding rage most of the time but he could find the time to laugh at him self...a long time after the actual even happened mind you but still he could see the fun for what it was. Kira...Kira was a mystery.
During every situation she would laugh and laugh until the inevitable would occur, being stuck to Volk in some way, and then she would fall deathly silent. Volk never questioned this, his focus on something else, and Zipper appeared to be too lost in her fun to notice but it was always there. Kira's silences were accompanied by stares, long wide eyed observations of the Mightyena she was invariable attached to. Afterwards she would always seem to wander off or at the very least avoid Volk for a short while.
It made sense seeing as the cranky canine held onto his anger towards the little puff ball of a Zigzagoon as if it were his final life line but there were times that Kira would avoid Volk for days on end, long after his seething would cool. The mysterious Absol would seem to vanish from Volk's roster of companions; only interacting with Zipper or Haze on some basic level before returning to the grumpy and slightly confused Mightyena's side with the same level of comfort and joy she had in the past. It was a mystery...
"Zipper!" Howled Volk, his gruff voice cutting through Zipper's grand victory song, "Get off of us!" Zipper smile and turned to Volk, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tiny little tongue, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt has to make Beautiful Zippy release him and Pretty Kira!" Volk's eye began to twitch, his anger boiling closer and closer to the overflow point as he hissed, "When I get my fangs on you I will exterminate you Zipper." Zipper giggled and began to dance again, bouncing and hopping on Kira's back as she cooed, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt just doesn't like Pretty Kira on top of on him!"
Volk's eye twitched faster and faster, "That's a damn lie and you know it you putrid idiotic vermin! Now get off me so I can destroy you!" Suddenly Zipper broke out in a loud giggle; stopping her dance she announced in her shrill and childish voice, "Ugly Fuzzle Butt forgot Beautiful Zippy isn't the only one in mushy mess!" Volk's growling grew to a paramount, rage rolling off of his body in waves as he snarled out, "Get off me damn it!" "Volk?" said a voice that was so soft Volk almost didn't hear it past the blood rushing through his ears.
His ocular attention snapped to what were only millimeters away from his snout, Kira staring at him with those ethereal crimson eyes. Returning her gaze for a moment he questioned why she had that peculiar awestruck look on her face...and why her cheek fur had the smallest hint of pink in them. Like a puzzle snapping into place Volk realized what he had just said, embarrassment starting to sink in as a red hue clouded the grey of his face.
"Um...Kira," Volk began, his eyes attempting to find any direction other than Kira. His ears had tuned out Zippers giggling and her taunts of love; instead they were focused, intentionally or otherwise, upon Kira's large luminescent ruby eyes. "Volk," Kira began sounding meek, something that did not fit her in the least, "did you really mean what you said?" Despite his strength, despite fighting against nearly every sort of Pokemon imaginable, Volk couldn't find his tongue. His throat closed up and went dry, Kira's deep gaze seeming to pierce his body and soul. "Kira...I," those were the only words Volk was able to form because at that moment Haze, under direct orders from Cyrus, went to 'cool off' the trio and 'get them clean' in the process.
In a last ditch effort to evade the dreaded 'B' word Zipper jumped from Kira's back. Pushing on an unfortunately soft spot of the Absol's dorsal side the energetic Zigzagoon lost her balance and toppled stomach first upon the only solid object she could see, Kira's scythe-like horn. With that small jolt Kira's head was pushed down, closing the distance of those last few inches before connecting her muzzle with Volk's, their lips pressing against one another in a soft and innocent kiss. Just as their eyes snapped open in realization of their unintentional act the pair, Zipper in tow, were subjected to the coldest shower known throughout all of history and time.Chapter End Notes:I hope you enjoyed. It took some time to get this up and even then there might be errors here and there so please excuse those little messes. If you liked the tale please leave a comment and if you didn't then I have no qualms against reading flames. Have a nice day