[X] My Assistant

[Living Arrow]

Theft wasn't a stranger that Ivy had caution to let into her life. No. Theft was one of her best friends. Ever since she had been a pup, thievery had been a key partner in her fight for survival and the fact that she had decided to remain friends with her old comrade meant that she was always partial to a five-finger discount or two.

"C'mon!" Ivy protested at the ticket kiosk. "I needs ta get into Weavile! It's important, Silly!!!"

The spotty clerk at the front desk sucked chips out of his brace and squinted at the girl squealing at him. He had no time for those with no ticket. He had no time for those with no money. He especially had no time for those who had neither of the above.

"If you don't have a ticket, you're not coming in."

"Gimme a ticket then!"

"There are no more tickets left."

"Then just let me in and I'll sit on the floor!"

"We don't sell tickets for the floor."

"Never said I wanted to buy one, did I? Just gimme!"

"We can't just give out tickets. You've got to pay."

"How about a fist full of fives!?" Ivy roared, throwing herself through the tiny square hole in the counter with all her might. Miraculously her tiny lithe form was able to slither through with ease and before the clerk knew it, two fists, a foot and a full set of teeth were abusing his body with rabid ferocity.

*-*-*-*-*

Ivy dusted of her hands on her blood-spattered dress and trotted into the cinema complex, searching for the room where Catlady and Jay-man would have gone. She whistled a merry tune as she sauntered past a bunch of teenagers who worked there - obviously not caring if patrons had a ticket or not. That was the way it should be! At least these greasy pimple-heads weren't so silly!

"Now, Saggie likes action movies..." Ivy tapped her lip slowly, frowning at the large electronic announcement board that highlighted the current movies. She blinked a few times. "Silly me! I can'ts read! But good ol' Beta can help out!"

The Electrike flashed from his ball as Ivy clicked it open and asked him to find Sagira with his super-sensitive Odor Sleuth. After a few intakes of breath, the puppy was plodding directly towrads a room where the poster outside displayed a man with long sharp claws.

"Oooo Saggie like the clawz! Well, done Beta! Back in bally!"

*-*-*-*-*

Frederick Jones was a simple man. His life had been calm and without drastic event, slowly driving him towards the end of his life on autopilot. He was content to live that way - happy that the few years before his retirement had led him to a job he loved. Fitting the movies to their reels was not only easy but it meant he could watch all the latest releases for free. He was a very happy man. That was, hoever, until a certain little girl entered his life. Well, the film room above the auditorium, anyway.

"Hey, Silly!" Ivy grinned, her little hands balling into fists. "I need you to sleep so I can keep an eye on Jay and Sagira with no interruptions, mkay? Their date needs to be perfect."

Frederick didn't have time to voice his support for the little girl's plan. It seemed she didn't want to hear his warm opinions in helping couples get together. Nor did she want to hear how he could help her by showing her how to control the lighting. No. Instead, she wanted to take the empty movie reel case and use it as an oddly-shapped baseball bat. Frederick barely had time to whimper as the metallic disk came down...

"No interruptions..." Ivy's cold voice muttered over the old man's body as she stepped over it and squinted out of the small viewing window to find her favourite couple sitting down near the center of the room. "I'll make it perfect... You'll see..."

[Master Houndoom]

Despite the fact that he was still quite young, Jay Lange had gone through quite a few firsts in his life. None of them, perhaps, were as exciting as later firsts would be, and some of them were more exciting than most people saw in a lifetime. From his first experience being away from home to his first (and hopefully last) gunshot wound, a lot of those firsts came from Noverus itself.

This was not Jay's first date, nor was it his first time holding hands with a girl. What it was for Jay was the first time he had felt nervous holding a girl's hand.

She'd made a production of getting the armrest between them, which he'd half heartedly tried for. In truth, he usually made good with the outside rest, when he was with his family. The only people who fought for the arm rest were his parents, and they made a game out of it.

He hadn't thought Sagira was the type for games, so when he let her win (and it wasn't all letting; The girl had a bony elbow!), she surprised him by grabbing his hand and resting both their arms firmly on the armrest.

Was he blushing? Probably, if the heat on his face was any indication, he was near glowing. But he didn't care. Sagira was holding his hand, and it was like the sudden drop on a roller coaster. The good time you endure the long, clacking climb to the top for. Her hand was warm in his, even through the lavender gloves, and he knew she was the best looking girl in the theatre; She'd attracted enough wonton stares, and he was still a product of Jublife. His smug smile as they walked into the theatre was proof enough of that.

And now the movie was starting, and he sat back, determined to relax, holding firmly to Sagira's hand.

-----

He is here.

There are times when not being able to talk is a detriment. Not just talk, but communicate at all, even with my fellow creatures. Some have grown to tolerate me here, but most simply walk away, disgusted or bored when I try to communicate with them.

But he is here. I've found him again.

He found me first, of course. There's no doubting that, because I couldn't have found him in my predicament. But he seemed drawn to me.

I didn't know what he was, but now I do. I saw what he did, and there is no denying it.

He's here, but he doesn't know I am. And I will keep him safe until he's ready. Ready to learn, and ready to train.

-----

The first half of the movie was everything he'd hoped it would be. Oh, not many enjoyed Weavile's backstory, and he'd heard and read all too much pining for the "old" days, when no one knew Weavile's past, and he was simply a mysterious guy who could heal and had huge metal claws ripping from his forearms. But Jay didn't care much about back story. So long as he could see Weavile tear through some things, he was happy.

(He did agree with his father about how they'd massacred the Dark Ho-oh saga in the third movie, but overall it was still better than, say, the Daredevil movie.)

He and Sagira were thoroughly enjoying themselves, until the movie came to a sudden and complete halt.

The projector's light still shone from the back, but was now a blinding white with no film to filter through. The audience sat, stunned, some blinking, others beginning to complain. The complaints came more frequently and louder as nothing was done to rectify the situation. Then a man in a dark blue and red homemade costume stood up, extending both arms with a loud, primal scream.

"You want a piece of me, Bub," he snarled in a poor impression of the actor, pointing in Jay's direction. He closed his eyes, moaning. If he could, if it wouldn't make him lose face, he'd have sunk in his seat.

A larger guy stood up behind Sagira. "Come and get me, whelp!" Jay looked up, blinking. The man was dressed in a dark overcoat and shirt, his hair a rough approximation of Absol's, Weavile's longtime nemesis. Jay turned back around and rolled his eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Sagira, too, had looked up and was also facing forward as the two continued to harangue each other from across the theatre. Nearest the wanna be absol, a smirking blonde fellow stood and said "Ladies and Gentlemen, Magma proudly presents the Weavile players!

Jay and Sagira looked at each other, eyes widening. Jay's jaw was clenched. Things couldn't possibly get worse.

And that was when 'Absol' yanked Sagira up by her arm.

Jay stood quickly, even as Sagira spun, sending a splay palmed slap to her captor's face. There was little doubt that she was attacking on instinct, her fingers flexed as if the claws she usually wore were on her hands. The man, as it stood, was stunned, and moved to grab her again. Jay's own hand shot out and struck the man in the wrist, and he barked in pain.

"Interfering with a Magma function, eh?" The man grinned, looking more like Absol than he had while play acting with the fake Weavile. "Maybe we should take you to the Thumb..."

Jay's eyes darted side to side. With Sagira in the fancy dress, there wasn't much that could happen, and of course none of their teams were with them. He could see a dozen openings he could take if he were alone, but there was no way he'd abandon Sagira, even if he wasn't interested in her romantically. So he did the one thing he could think to do, as long a shot as it was.

"Is that Hugh Jackman?!" he cried, pointing over the large Magma's shoulder.

The man spun, and Jay blinked. "Really?"

Sagira was not one to look a gift girafarig in the mouths, however. She pulled Jay to the opening created, and they dashed to the doors. Both were so intent on escaping, they did not see the blurs coming from either side toward the Magma ersatz actors.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jul 13 2009, 02:39 PM

[Living Arrow]

Ivy liked movies. She liked them a lot. Ever since she had learned how to break into the local theatre in Lilycove, she had managed to sneak in to see so many different types of movie that she didn't think there were any sorts left for her to try. Action was one of her big favourites along with comedy. Period dramas, however, were on her "Hate List". She lounged in the filming booth, watching the Weavile movie with wide-eyed awe as the story unraveled. Well, until the film reel itself unraveled, anyway.

"Balls!" Ivy cursed, grabbing at the flapping film as it ended and white light poured onto the screen below. Immediately, moans and shout began to emanated from the viewing room and Ivy panicked. With now idea what film was meant to go where and what way around it should be, she did the only reasonable thing... She ran...

"Oooh, silly Ivy!" She muttered to herself, charged out of the film room and back into the foyer where she raced for the movie theatre in which Sagira and Jay were sitting. She would have to hide somewhere in the dark and continue surveillance before anyone realised she had been the one to put the old man down....

She slipped into the darkened room full of comfy seats and slid into a darkened aisle several rows back from the dating pair. That was when Magma decided to show. One of them announced their presence while another grabbed Sagira by the arm. A third, dressed up like it was halloween, began to close in from nearby.

Ivy tensed and growled angrily.

*Get off her!*

A timely distraction provided by Jay gave the pair enough time and room to slip by the Magma members and rush towards the door. That was when Ivy sprang into action. Her Pokeball was clicked open silently and her attack was only commanded once the couple were safely out of the room.

"KYLARIAN CANI-FANG COMBO!" She roared as she pitched Beta right at the dark-clad fool. She zipped and dashed and flipped all around the Magma, hurling and catching the ferocious Electrike as his Thunder Fang ripped and sliced into the human's flesh. She caught Beta on his final attack and jumped atop the seats, scanning for her next target... But the other two were down already... A dark figure dashed after Jay and Sagira, its bipedal form darrting through the shadows before Ivy could get a proper look at it.

"Hey, that kid set her Pokemon on that dude!"
"Oh my God! He's bleeding!"
"Someone call an ambulance!"

"Good moves Beta!" Ivy congratulated her partner as they fled the movie theatre. "We've got to focus - Magma could really spoil this mission if we aren't careful!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

It was pouring.

That was the first thing that Sagira noticed when they burst out of the theatre, the swinging doors flung open wide to expel them like some great monster that decided they tasted horrible and wanted a refund.

The second thing she noticed was that she was laughing.

She hadn't realized it, to be entirely truthful, which was odd. Usually, she was far more perceptive than that. Of course, she wasn't quite sure why she was laughing.

They were running down the middle of the street (which was a dangerous hobby, even if the street was empty), the rain coming down in sheets to soak them thoroughly, their hands clasped together tightly.

This was the last thing that Sagira realized, though she didn't know how she could have failed to notice before. She was in the lead (how, with those shoes, she had no idea), pulling Jay behind her, her hand squeezing his tightly - not painfully so, but noticeably. His hand was so warm and firm in hers.

And she was still laughing.

Maybe it was a hysterical laugh? It didn't feel hysterical. Yes, they had just been confronted by at least three Magma members, two of which may have been drunk, but that was besides the point. Usually, this didn't bother Sagira, but she was... defenseless. What a horrid word.

Her pokemon were all at the hotel and she was clawless.

But no, the laugh didn't sound hysterical. She had no churning need to look behind her to see if they were being followed. She wasn't worried, frightened, or prepared for a fight. She was oddly... content.

She realized suddenly that she was having fun. Despite the ruined movie and the pouring rain, she had no desire to pull her hand out of Jay's grip or stop either her laughter or her running, no longer retreating now as simply... running in the rain. Such an innocent act. She felt suddenly... normal.

How strange.

She caught Jay looking at her, eyeing her reaction and then the dress. "Let's get out of this rain," he said. He sounded disappointed. He must have really wanted to see the ending of that movie. Sagira smiled inwardly. Maybe she'd have to get some tickets and take him out next time.

And she realized, of course, that she wanted to go out with him again. And yes, again, after that.

They dashed to a nearby coffee shop open all hours. They stepped onto the linoleum and Sagira cursed her shoes when she slipped on the rainwater. Jay caught her (of course he would), and she resisted the urge to blush profusely. "Okay, that was embarrassing," she muttered.

Jay mumbled something and Sagira turned to him. "Sorry, Jay, what?"

"I'm sor-"

"Hi, welcome to The Croconaw Coffee Shop!" a cheery waitress supplied, interrupting Jay and calling their attention. "What can I get for you today?"

The girl didn't seem perturbed about them dripping all over the floor, so Sagira decided that sitting down in the little cafe area, with a cup of hot coffee and the music in the background sounded lovely.

The two ordered their coffees and went to sit down, to wait out the rain and any dangerous, possibly-drunken Magma members that might come looking for them when they were done seeking out Hugh Jackman.

Sagira stifled a giggle, forcing her expression to a neutral stance. It was hard, though. She was just having so much fun!

[Master Houndoom]

Jay stared broodingly into his coffee. His was, in truth, more hot chocolate than coffee by the time he ordered it the way he liked it, but it still counted, and it was still there, just waiting to be brooded into. He looked up, once, as Sagira sipped noisily at her cup (an accident, judging by her blush), and tried to smile. Too much, however, had gone wrong. She had deserved a better date, a real date, and everything had just turned into a fiasco.

It was almost like some outside force was ruining the date for them.

She reached out and touched his hand, and he looked up at her, blinking. There was a genuine smile on her face, soft, and small, but there, right along the concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong, BlueJay?" Her voice softened, noticably, at the nickname she had for him, and her hand squeezed his lightly.

"It's nothing, Catseye," he began, and her expression, though no less fond, hardened a bit.

"Are you actually going to lie to me, tonight," she said, an edge of pure steel in her otherwise honey voice. Jay's shoulders slumped.

"Ok. Fine. I wanted tonight to go better than this." He motioned to his jacket, thoroughly soaked. His mouth twisted just thinking of her dress. It was probably ruined.

"You wanted it to be perfect," she said, not a question. It was almost an accusation.

"Not perfect," Jay placated, then looked out the window. "Just... As wonderful as my date is."

The silence stretched on, Jay peering out the window, Sagira peering at him, a look of near wonder and a hint of incredulity on her blushing face. The only sounds for a short time were that of the rain, and Phil Collins in the background.

"This Love, This Heart, These Arms To Hold,"

Sagira squeezed his hand again. The table they were at was tiny, barely large enough to hold their coffees, let alone put any distance between them. Jay looked up and met her eyes.

"To You, So Tight, I Won't Let Go,"

Sagira slowly leaned forward, smiling as her eyes slowly closed. Jay's eyes closed as well.

"Can This Be Real, Or Just Some Dream That Can't Come True..."

-----

Hinata was content. She and Paladin were resting on a couch in a common room area, Paladin's head in Hinata's lap, her hand stroking his hair. They were in a mindscape together. Here, she could see and he could hear. Here, they were as human as they felt. As human as their respective trainers treated them.

"This is nice," Hinata cooed.

"Mmm," Paladin said, agreeing. "I wonder how Milady and her Knight fare."

Hinata's voice was near pouty. "He's brooding, but I don't think it's because of Sagira."

Paladin looked up at her. "I envy your your range."

Hinata smiled down. "When you're blind, you compensate with your other senses. Besides, you could do it, too. Simply follow your link to her."

"Wouldn't that be an invasion," Paladin asked, torn. Hinata had an answer ready.

"We're pokémon! We protect our trainers! It's your duty, Sir Paladin," she said with a giggle.

Despite the cautionary look he gave her, he did indeed open up to Sagira. He instantly wished he hadn't. "Oh!"

Hinata wasted no time checking on Jay. "Yes! Good going Jay!" She giggled again, then cast a sly look at Paladin. "Want to see what the fuss is about..?"

Paladin's eyes widened, but he nodded, slowly. Hinata licked her lips, leaning down as he leaned up.

A twinge through both links stopped them short.

"Oh, come ON!" Hinata stood, breaking the mental illusion and seeing the room they were really in. Her face was cloudy with anger.

We must go to them, Paladin said, a growl in his mental voice signalling he, too, was not happy.

They didn't tell us where they were going!

Paladin smiled, a smile a lot like Sagira's when she was itching for a fight. Then I get to show you something, too, tonight.

He took her hand, guided her, and they both disappeared from the room.

-----

They had been so close. SO CLOSE! And then the goons from the theatre had barged in, complaining loudly about the ones who'd gotten away.

Then 'Weavile', still supporting his bleeding buddy, pointed at Jay and Sagira. "But THOSE two won't get away!"

Jay's hand slammed on the table. "That's. IT!" He stood, dropping a foot back into a stance that made no mistake what he intended. "Which of you is first?"

The sound of six pokéballs snapping open gave him pause. "Well, mankeyfucker."

Two other pops sounded in front of him, and Hinata, with fresh body paint on her crest and Paladin sea blue eyes glowing were between their trainers and the attackers

It is impolite to interrupt a Lady on an evening out, snarled Paladin, mentally projecting to their foes.

Come on, boys, cooed Hinata, also projecting. Let's dance!

The kirlia looked at the grouping of pokémon, normal and fire types, looked at each other, and disappeared. It was only a second before they reappeared, Hinata with her hand on a perturbed Siryn, and Paladin letting Calypso gently down to the floor.

You could have waited for Siryn to go with you the first time, fussed the ghost.

"Siryn," Jay commanded, "Screech!"

Siryn grinned, opened her mouth, and screeched at the opposing pokémon. The battle was joined.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jul 13 2009, 02:40 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Paladin was decidedly unhappy.

He had been about to show his love to Hinata, to show her how he truly felt about her, when they were interrupted, quite rudely. Now, he wasn't mad at either Sagira or her would-be-knight, Jay, no. He was very displeased with their attackers, who both interrupted he and Hinata, as well as Jay and Sagira.

And, of course, anyone who dared to attack his friend was in for an unpleasant experience.

Three fire-type and three normal-type pokemon stood in opposition against them.

A magmar, torkoal, and numel would be the main focus of Hinata and Paladin, since Calypso's fire attacks wouldn't do as much damage against them. She would, instead, focus her attention upon the vigoroth and aipom. Siryn would no doubt dart back and forth, working on every pokemon at once, though perhaps she could draw the ditto's focus onto her. It wouldn't do to have it mimic the form of either Paladin or Hinata.

Though, he wondered idly if the ditto would also be forced to mimic his deafness, or Hinata's blindness? That might be something to keep in mind at a later time.

For the moment, however...

"Paladin, you're on the magmar! Psychic!"

"Would you be amused if I told you I knew you were going to say that?"

Though she didn't say anything in reply, Paladin was pretty sure that Sagira had smiled at that. He darted forward swiftly and focused his attention upon the large, humanoid fire creature. Opening his eyes wide, he lowered the shields that he and his type-brethren held wrapped tightly around their minds. His innate mental abilities, rather than being forced outward, needed only to be released. Like water held behind a dam that was suddenly removed, the waves of psychic power exploded outward, slamming in a concentrated force against the magmar and sending the pokemon staggering back.

Distantly, Paladin could hear Sagira call for Calypso to use her flamethrower attack against the vigoroth, but he was already busy casting a confusion attack on the magmar, and then letting his mind craft the illusion that allowed him to appear as two separate pokemon. Double-team, they called it - the humans. It was a move that had been born by evolution, used long ago as a defense mechanism, allowing time for a swift escape from danger. Now, he used it as an attempt to draw the magmar's attention, while he attacked from an unseen side. He lowered his shields again, blasting the magmar with another confusion attack.

The magmar pulled back a fist and slammed it forward in a fire punch attack. Paladin's eyes widened, and he abruptly disappeared.

Paladin had his suspicions that being sucked through a straw would be more comfortable than teleporting. He felt as if the air itself was condensing into a physical force and pressing against him from all sides, while he was being pulled from one place to another. He couldn't physically move, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see or speak... he wondered, if he traveled too long a distance, would he reappear as a soulless corpse somewhere, having suffocated along the way?

Just as he thought that he was going to die, he reappeared on the other side of the magmar, facing its back. Paladin staggered suddenly, though he wasn't dizzy, simply disoriented. He could breathe fine, but he had the sudden desire to wheeze for air, like he had been drowning and someone had pulled him out of the water, away from death.

He was sure that, halfway across the room in her own battle, Hinata could feel his fear, rolling off of him in waves of diress, but he didn't have time to worry about himself. He needed to end this battle, for Sagira!

He let down his shields, and unleashed another psychic attack.

[Living Arrow]

I apologise now if this next post gets a little confusing.... :p

"Whys is everyone wanting to spoil my mission, huh?" Ivy ranted from the rooftop, watching the battle rage below through the windows of the coffee shop between her favourite couple and the Magma scum that had ruined the moment at the movies. Ivy's eye twitched... Her neck itched and her hands were sweating... Emotions were bubbling up in her that simply could not be held in. Magma were continuously stepping into her life and hurting those who she was sent to protect...

"If they don't back of soon... I.... might... LOSE IT!!!"

*****

With Pokemon clashing in the doorway, Ivy rushed along the street atop Alpha's back - a shadow of a ghost that sped through the night on silent paws. The cool air rippled through her slowly untangling hair but did nothing to chill the flames that ignited her soul.
From where Jay and Sagira stood, the Magma furthest back in the open doorway seemed to be picked up and swallowed by the night, his cry of "woooarh!" turning into a blood-curdling scream in the darkness.

Ivy removed her thumbs from the Magma's eyes and panted slowly... Everything was under control... The mission was still on track...

*****

Kappa, hidden behind a dustbin in the street had his orders to help the batle discretely from a distance. Well-timed water gun attacks flew in through the open door to hit into the backs of the Numel and Torkoal, hissing off their hot bodies as its effective power struck them down. Within milliseconds, Jay and Sagira's Pokemon were on the offensive once more...

*****

Alpha's large form padded from the night, his eyes glowing wetly. Concern dwelled in those pools - concern that his sister was actually losing control rather taking hold of it. Fear and anger rolled off her in waves, almost choking him as her scent filled his flaring nostrils. She had never gone this far while battling another human being... she had never had anyone other than him to care for... Where her misplaced feelings bringing this disturbing change about in her?

"Trike..." Beta emerged from the gloom next to the Mightyena, both of them watching as Ivy dragged the Magma's body into an alleyway.

Alpha growled low and nodded. His adopted brother of storms was right. It was about time they spoke up and stopped their Prime from losing herself to her wild emotions. If they did not then the results would be catastrophic... Regretfully turning his back on Ivy, Alpha turned from the battle and ran out into the night, his destination already in mind. Without Mother there to calm Ivy, there was only one that had been able to treat her in the way that she needed...

[Master Houndoom]

Hinata, secretly, loved to battle. The more she did it, the more she felt like she wasn't just a poor blind kirlia anymore. She was powerful, and strong, and an object to fear.

Especially when she was angry. Which was right now. These three, with their stupid costumes and their stupid hair and their stupid being stupid-ness, had interrupted something she had wanted for a long time, and something she'd only felt she wanted for a long time. Jay was going to be happy, and Hinata was going to be kisses. So she was really, really mad at them.

"Hinata, the tor-," Jay stopped, blinking, then pointed another way. "The num- what the duece?" Both of the fire/ground pokemon had fallen in a steaming mass. The aipom evidently felt that Hinata was to blame; she could feel it's animosity as it leapt at her, tail first. Hinata popped out of existance in front of it and reappeared behinding it, giggling with a joyful "lililililili!"

She loved teleporting, she'd have to properly and thoroughly thank Paladin for the lesson.

She felt Paladin releasing his power, felt that he knew it was not a build-and-expel, like it might be for lesser psychics, (Hey!) but a releasing of energies already at their peak. It was quaint that he envisioned it as a lowering of a shield. To her, however, it was slightly different.

To her, it was a parting of floodgates.

The aipom reeled under the attack, and Hinata spared a thought for her companions. Siryn was having fun, the cutie, and Calypso, annoyed in her haughty way, was haranguing the vigaroth furiously. Paladin was...

He 'ported to dodge a gout of flame, and Hinata could feel his panic, breathless, heart pounding panic that drive her breath away as well. Visions floated through her mind; dark rushing water, around her, crushing her as it pulled her away. She could see, in this vision, but her points of reference for the sights were vicarious. An arm, hauling him (wait, him..?) Out of the water, wrapping him in a towel. His head feeling like it was still in the water, sounds muffled and fading. And finally a large, red headed man sneering in contempt. S/he could no longer hear his words, but s/he could feel his thoughts and put meaning to the shapes his mouth and tongue made.

Pathetic.

It all took a second, after which the aipom shrieked as it launched itself to attack, before it was grabbed in a telekinetic fist and thrown out the door, through a window in the next building, and dashed against a wall.

Hinata didn't do sad well. But anger she was a master of.

She turned to the magmar and hit it with a psychic blast just as Paladin did. As they fought, together, she sent Paladin a vision off her own. Of being blind, but loved by a loyal trainer. Caught by his own friend as she fell. Of him, in a placid lake, bobbing because of a black, white, green, and red Hinata shaped lifevest.

You're not alone anymore, My Paladin...

-----

Siryn thinks you are so slow
you are a sucky ditto
changing into Siryn, you're out of luck,
you're nothing but a weakling muk!

Siryn swopped around the ditto, not allowing it a long enough look to copy her properly. It was working, except for one thing.

It was eying Hinata.

This would not do. So Siryn began to sing, but she couldn't sing like a jigglypuff. Not yet. Instead, she sang like a snide, stuck up human child, and teased the ditto.

It made a face (how one could tell, Siryn didn't know) and oozed after her. Finally, she stopped and stuck her tongue out at the ditto, blowing a raspberry.

The Ditto scowled (Siryn thought it was a scowl, anyway) and concentrated. The ghost had stopped. Whatever fell under it's eyes was his shape for a while...

She had disappeared, and he was transforming..! into... into...

A hamburger.

Siryn cackled. See! DUMB!

It was then that she felt the fear, the utter terror, coming from two directions. She turned and saw Paladin, shaking a little, ashamed, sweating, but fighting on, joined by Hinata, who was trying to comfort him. She hurt for him. She'd *fed* from that, and wanted to cry now. She had hurt Paladin, somehow... she just knew it!

Let Siryn help..! she wailed plaintively. She wanted to help Hinata make him feel not-bad.

And Hinata let her.

Siryn turned to the vigaroth and, with happy tears in her eyes, began to screech it's defenses down.

-----

Jay knew it was a matter of time. Once the pokémon were bested, Magma had a tendency to use fists. Well, that was fine. Jay wanted to take out a little anger right now, anyway.

Like clockwork, the man dressed as Absol charged, roaring. A small part of Jay admired the man's dedication; He was charging in a close approximation of the character he was trying to portray. However, the rest of Jay, the part that had been eager to kiss Sagira, that had wanted the date to be perfect for her, launched a fist into the man's chin so hard that it stopped, then reversed his momentum.

He turned and saw Sagira looking at him, unaware of 'Weavile' rising behind her, claws up to slash into her.

For a split second, he forgot that they were fake. For a split second, he could only see the possibility of Sagira's bloody death.

"LOOK OUT!" He cried, thrusting a hand forward to push the man, even though he was feet away and out of reach.

There was a bright blue flash, and the man catapulted over a table into a wall.

Sagira's eyes widened and she looked from the man to Jay. "What... what did you JUST DO?!"

"I don't know..!" Jay turned away from Sagira, thrusting his hand forward experimentally, but nothing happened.

Sagira looked around, calming her breathing. Then she turned to Jay, puzzled.

"BlueJay..."

"I toldja, Catseye, I don't know," Jay said, a little shakily.

"No... where's the other one..? There were three of them, weren't there..?"

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jul 16 2009, 01:20 AM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira was still a bit flustered by Jay's... what was it? Telekinesis? Wind control? Jedi prowess? Did he train under Qui-Gon Jinn and simply fail to mention that? Was he Obi-Wan Kenobi reincarnated? Could a fictional character be reincarnated?

Despite her puzzlement and growing concern, Sagira hid her emotions and sought out the third man that she knew had been here moments before. Hinata, Paladin, Siryn, and Calypso were finishing off the lingering enemy pokemon as Sagira scanned the room, but she couldn't find the third Magma.

Sagira let out a soft growl, her eyes narrowing. "I don't like loose ends," she hissed between her teeth.

With a sigh, she turned to Jay. "So, JayBird, do we sit down and finish our coffee, or would you like to join me in a little hunting trip?" She flashed him a devilish grin, forgetting that her teeth were filed down. Old habits do die hard.

~*~

With Calypso taking care of the last standing pokemon, Paladin floated over to Hinata's side. Gently, he took her hand in his own. She turned her blind eyes to face his direction, but instead of letting her stand their in the dark, he opened his senses to her. Not just his six senses of smell, touch, taste, sight, sound, and psychic awareness, but also his emotions.

He let her feel his utter gratitude at not only what she had said, but simply for her presence. He let her feel his happiness at being with her, at being her friend, and of knowing that he had friends. He let her feel every good emotions that curled through his body like happy, purring Persians, slinking through his veins and leaving behind furballs of delight.

Okay, that was a horrible, inappropriate metaphor, but he didn't want to waste anymore brain power on trying to think of a good one. He wanted to spend his time telling - or showing - Hinata how he felt. His emotions ranged all over the place, from happiness to gratitude to love, and he let her feel it all. He smiled softly at all, knowing she couldn't see it but also knowing that she could feel it.

Softly, he leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. "Thank you."

Sorry about the crappy post, guys. For some reason, I totally can't writing anything this weekend.

[Master Houndoom]

"hunt," growled Jay, sighing. "I've got enough adrenaline in me to rival a dozen cups of coffee." He reached for Sagira's hand, but did not take it. The night wasn't going remotely as planned, was, in fact, going opposite to the desire he had, and he was afraid if he was beset by a wave of anger, he'd end up squeezing her hand too tightly.

The pair went outside, scanning, nearly back to back as they looked up and down the street. Jay found that if he thought about it, really hard, he could just sense Sagira behind him, facing away, scanning the alley. He attributed it to being used to living with psychics, both pokémon and human.

It was Sagira who found him, the cocky blonde that had announced the play acting in the theatre as a planned event. He was face down in a pile of garbage, and looked as if he had been savaged by a rampaging meowth. Sagira bent down, reaching for him, but pulled back when he breathed in slowly. He was, at least, alive.

"Probably hit his head before he got inside," Jay muttered, but even he had misgivings. Sagira stood, the cheongsam falling back over the one exposed leg her crouch had caused, and nodded once. "We should leave. When they wake up, they'll still want a fight."

Jay stepped to the curb and hailed a taxi, a yellow minivan version of which pulled over. He was surprised when there was already someone in the backseat.

"You don' mind sharin' a fare, do ya? We're all booked, see, 'causea the movie bein' out early." The cabbie looked at them expectantly. Sagira rolled her eyes, but shrugged, and Jay let her into the cab, mentally calling for Hinata.

"'Ey," the cabbie said when the four pokemon appeared. "No pokes allowed outside them pokieballs. I don' want no fightin', an' I don't want no vulpix pee in my cab!"

Calypso looked affronted, but Hinata giggled. Don't worry, Jay. We'll take them back home... do try to stay out of trouble.

With some slight hesitation from Paladin, the two popped out of sight, carrying Calypso and Siryn with them.

Sagira was sitting stiffly in the seat, which was turned to face the other seat, presumably so that passengers who were together could talk to each other. Her eyes were hard and wary, and Jay looked at her, then at the passengers.

There, in a black suit, was the young dark haired man they had battled in the Aqua building while they tried to clear their names. Next to him, in a forest green spaghetti strap dress, was the short, bespectacled girl who'd been his partner that day.

Kyle and Misty.

Misty's mouth was open in an O, that was just beginning to widen into a genuine grin. Kyle looked up through his bangs, sighed, looked out the window, and muttered, "awkward..."

"Jay," Sagira hissed, motioning the fact that they were once again without pokémon. Jay nodded, jaw clenching. Misty, however, seemed to have no intent to fight, especially after hearing Sagira call Jay by name.

"You are! I thought you might be, but I couldn't tell when we first met!" She giggled. "Kyle, that's Jay Lange!"

"Who," sneered the young man, and Misty smacked him, lightly, on the arm.

"That's Robert and Samantha Lange's son, goofball!" Kyle seemed interested now, sitting up straighter. Jay fought a groan. Fans of Catch as Catch Can, it seemed.

Misty was staring at him, glossy eyed, and Sagira reached over and took his hand, causing Jay to blink at her. Misty's fervor faded a bit, but not completely. She smirked, a happy, I know something about you smirk that Jay had learned to dread.

"So," she said, drawing the word out. "Happy Birthday!"

Kyle blinked as Jay paled and Sagira shot him an accusing, almost hurt look. "What? How can you possibly know that?"

Misty rolled her eyes, beaming. "It's only on his fansite!"

Jay's mouth fell open. "I have a frickin' fansite?!"

Sagira's eyes narrowed. "It's your birthday?!"

Misty's eyes widened. "You didn't tell her?"

Kyle just slumped back, looking out the window again, but this time he was smirking. "Awkward."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira had always had a temper. It was "just part of her charm," her father had always said. Usually, her temper led to her being pissed off at people who didn't do what she thought that they should. Right now, she was beyond pissed; she was seething.

It was Jay's birthday, and he hadn't told her. It was his birthday, and he was taking her out to dinner and the movies and coffee, when she should be treating him. Worse, though, was the fact that she had to learn that this was his birthday from a complete stranger!

Well, no, not a complete stranger, but close enough.

He should have told her!

Thinking about it was only pissing her off more, and Sagira was sitting tensely in the seat, her teeth clenched tightly together, pointedly not looking at Jay. She could see his regret, worry, embarrassment, rolling off of him in colored waving lines. She ignored him.

"So, what're you two doing?" Misty asked, either oblivious to the tension or very good at pretending not to notice.

"Heading back to our hotel," Sagira said, trying not to sound as pissed off as she was. Considering that she was speaking through clenched teeth, she didn't think she managed too well.

"So did you go out for your birthday, Jay?" Misty asked, turning to him.

Jay, looking decidedly uncomfortable, made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat. "We went out," he admitted.

Misty gave Sagira a sympathetic look, before shaking her head at Jay. "You were stupid not to tell her, Jay. Anyone could have figured it out if they just looked at your fansite."

Jay groaned. "I can't believe I have a fansite!"

It would have been funny, had Sagira not been so pissed off. She had, of course, been on the fansite of Monty Leppenhouser. Not Robert Lange, of course, since he was an awesome actor, but still separate from his character, Monty. She had seen links to the website of Robert and Samantha's son, but had never looked. That being the reason why she had never known that Jay was the son of her two favorite actors.

It would have been funny, and in some corner of her mind, she was laughing, but she mad at Jay. Very mad. And she wanted to remember that she was mad. Angry. Pissed.

The taxi pulled off to the side of the road, the door sliding open.

"Well, this is our stop," Misty said. Kyle stood up and climbed out of the van, but Misty turned to Sagira. "Linda got demoted big time after Dawson got arrested and skipped out on us. We've been working on our own for a while." She smiled and handed her a slip of paper. "Call me sometime, all right? We should get together."

"Sure," Sagira said tersely, slipping the paper with Misty's phone number into her purse with the intention of forgetting to call. "Have a good night."

Misty smiled as she climbed out of the van. "You too," she said. The door slid shut behind her and Sagira gave the driver the name of their hotel. Then, she sat back in the seat and, still glaring, continued to ignore her very-much-in-trouble date.

[Master Houndoom]

Clack clack clack clack clack...

The cabbie had been most apologetic when the van had stopped no where near the hotel they were using as a base, steaming from under the hood. Jay sat back as Sagira lurched out of the cab, walking as quickly as she could in her heels on the wet ground.

"Ya gotcher hands full with that one, buddy," the cabbie chuckled. Jay sighed, unable to even work up a glare. Besides, he didn't like to glare at people for being right. He paid the man and followed Sagira as quickly as he could.

When he finally caught up, however, he had no idea what to say. He was trying to stay calm as he'd always been taught, trained, even, but something about seeing Sagira seething mad made his blood boil. And not always an angry boil.

But wasn't it his business who he told what? Who cared if he celebrated his birthday with his... Whatever Sagira was to him? Who cared if he decided he wanted a quiet, fun evening that he was willing to pay for, as long as it was what he wanted? What right did she have to get angry.

"Why do you always hide things from me..?" It was Sagira speaking, in the whip-crack voice that excited him and filled him with dreas. Her eyes were blazing as she wheeled, somehow managing to keep her balance. He couldn't help it, however. He opened his mouth to retort.

Just as the calm came over him. His training kicked in. He sighed and bowed his head. "I don't get why this is a big deal, Sagira-"

"Because," she hissed, "it's your Birthday. Because I had to hear it was your Birthday from someone I barely know, one of the enemy, no less!"

"She's not that bad," Jay mumbled, and Sagira looked at him.

"She's Magma, Lange," she snarled. "And that's not the point! What's so hard about saying, 'my Birthday's coming up'?"

"I just..." Jay sighed, but Sagira was not to be placated by melodrama.

"You just didn't trust me."

"No," Jay said, his brow furrowing. "It's not that-"

"Then what?" Her glare wasn't even levelled at him. She was looking away, and that was what finally set him off.

"EVERYBODY knows it's my birthday back home! EVERYONE! I can't get away from it! And there's this... this... HUGE party, and all these people, who... and there's reporters and people I don't even know there, and they're all 'happy birthday, Jay!' And I don't know them and so I'm saying 'gee, thanks Frank!' 'No, it's Steve, hahaha!' 'Gee, thanks Billy,' and no one gets that I don't want to be there, they just keep on going because, yay, we're celebrating a director's kid's birthday! I just wanted to spend a QUIET, FUN evening with someone I'd rather be with more than ANYTHING, and here I've gone and pissed her off... how? BY AVOIDING MY BIRTHDAY!... just... just kill me now." He sat heavily on the bench and bent forward, rubbing the back of his neck roughly.

Sagira wasn't moved. "Oh, you poor little rich boy."

Jay groaned, but Sagira wasn't finished. "I remember Birthdays, before my father was taken. They were nice. After? Most of the time it was Mother and I. No one else wanted to go to the girl who's father left her's house. Sometimes I'd see Mattie, but not often. And no one, no one bothered to tell me or invite me to anything as important as a birthday...So spare me! You had people crawling over themselves to be associated with you..." She trailed off, jaw clenching angrily, and sat at the opposite end of the bench. "It's like I don't even matter."

'You- you don't matter..? Arceus, Sagira, you're...' Jaima sighed. 'You are the only person I wanted to spend today with. Well... you and my family. I just... it... it gets out... and I... I forgot you're not the kind to go... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." It had hit him, then. He had lumped her in with the rest of the Bluescreen Bombshells, despite knowing that she was head and shoulder beyond them.

Jay sighed. He was mortified. Sure, he'd had bad times, but it was a party once a year, and then it was OK. Once again, life in Jubilife wasn't as horrible as he could have had, and once again he hurt for her sake more than he ever could for his own.

"I don't... understand." She sighed, the anger finally drained from her. "No one ever cared when my birthday was other than my family. Why would you keep it a secret from people if they cared?"

He slipped off the seat and moved in front of Sagira, squatting so he could see her face beyond her hair. He turned to face her fully. "Because only three people in my life have ever *really* cared about me. Everyone else is... they're faking it. And..." Shame poured from his features, spilling into his lap as he looked down. "I forgot that now there's four." She looked at him, then, eyes bright. "I'm sorry, Catseye. You deserve better." He looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

She reached out hesitantly to touch his face, then pulled her hand back. "I... Don't hide stuff from me, okay?" she asked, her voice quiet. "I want to know... everything... about you. Everything," she whispered.

Jay looked into her eyes, and he did reach out, wiping her cheek with the back of his forefinger knuckle. "OK. Ask me, and the truth is yours."

Sagira bit her lip. "Anything..?"

If Jay had not looked her dead in the eye, she wouldn't have believed it, but he did, and something came through to her: conviction. Determination... And something very very strong that she'd forgotten the name of. "Anything."

Her eyes said it all, and that he wasn't a natural telepath didn't keep him from reading it as if it were words on a page. Stupid Jay. She already knew when his birthday was. What did he think she was going to ask? ... what did she want to know? She straightened, fidgeting a little and looked him in the eye. "If... If I asked you to k-kiss me, would you..?"

Jay smiled, the weight in his chest rising so fast he almost floated away. "You don't even have to ask. Just... let me know you want to..."

She moved a little closer, and he did as well.

And that's when it happened...

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jul 22 2009, 06:59 PM

[Living Arrow]

Ivy didn’t understand what she was doing, really. Well, she knew very well what acts she was committing – they were ruthlessly planned and perfectly executed. What she didn’t understand was the associated consequences that came with her actions. For example, she didn’t understand that no matter who you were - faction, rank or otherwise – pressing the broken edge of a roof tile to a young boy’s throat was a felony and probably worthy of some sort of incarceration.

“Do’s it.” Ivy hissed, her arms and legs wrapped around the boy’s torso like a Seviper ensnaring her prey.

The boy whimpered, tears streaming down his face as wide eyes silently pleaded for his little Oddish to flee. The tiny grass type, also just a baby, watched on in horror as the wild human wearing a dress threatened her friend with a sharpened stone weapon. Ivy had found the child walking on his own near to the hotel where Sagira and Jay had stopped and as soon as she saw the small grass Pokemon, she knew what the mission needed. Without it, the mission would fail. This would be the final detail…

“Bui!” Kappa pleaded from a distance, waving to Ivy for her to let the child go but his calls went unacknowledged.
“Trike!” Beta also urged, scared to jump into action and separate the humans lest Ivy cut the boy by accident.

“Do’s it or I cut ‘is neck open!” Ivy hissed again, pressing the shard deeper. The boy emitted another strangled whimper and the Oddish immediately leapt into action. It jumped high into the air, spinning as it rose and firing off hundreds of tiny pink petals that swirled into the evening air and began to fall, fluttering like a shattered mirror of mother nature down and over the couple below. One sat on a bench, the other leaned forward… and forward…

Firm pressure wrapped around Ivy’s wrists and pulled her quickly away from the child before she had time to think about reacting. Strong arms clamped the girl’s arms and legs close to her body as she was lifted clear from the ground and the boy rolled free, weeping openly and running to his Pokemon. Adults moved in to comfort him, clad in blue uniforms while the immense unseen force restrained Ivy utterly and completely.

Of course, Ivy kicked and snarled and thrashed herself into a frenzy, ultimate intent on completing the mission. Making sure that Sagira was happy. She had to! She HAD to!!!

“Shhh, quiet little one.” Officer Crichton’s bumblebee drone hummed into her ear. “It’s time to come home…”

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira's anger didn't last long once Jay began talking. Sure, at first she stayed pissed at him, but that was mostly because she wanted to be mad. Once he started to explain, though she didn't understand, her anger began to fade, because he seemed to think he had done nothing wrong. Maybe he hadn't. Maybe Sagira had just been fooling herself and she only wanted him to like her enough to trust her. Maybe she was nothing more than something good to look at, like a crystal figurine on a shelf. Pretty, looks expensive, and sits there gathering dust.

But she didn't get it, because he wasn't talking like he didn't care what she thought. He kept ranting about big parties and how he hated them, but why? She never had anyone celebrate her birthday except her parents, and Mattie when he could come, but sometimes it was safer if he didn't. The others left him alone if they thought he didn't care about Sagira, either. Sure, he sent a present through the mail every year, but it wasn't the same. Birthdays were nice, if a little lonely, for Sagira since she was young, but once her dad left, there was hardly any reason to celebrate them.

If Jay had people who cared, who wanted to celebrate his birthday with him, then why did he hide it? Sagira would have given almost anything to have friends. Anything.

But she wasn't just another face to him, he said. And his eyes... those electric eyes held such truth, such conviction, that she couldn't doubt him.

So when he said she could ask anything, she asked for the one thing that she had been terrified to give him.

Her kiss was death in her dreams. Her kiss killed him. If she initiated the touch of their lips, his heart failed every time. But if she asked... if he kissed her, that would be different. That would be all right. He would still be alive...

She leaned forward on the bench and he leaned forward to meet her. Her eyes slipped closed and everything she had ever wanted was about to come true, and then a familiar sent on the wind caught her attention.

Her eyes snapped open and she had just enough time to see the petals dancing on the wind and think Goddess damn the world, before she sneezed.

Sagira jerked back on the bench, Jay looking at her, startled. She sneezed again, brought her hands up to her mouth, and sneezed again. She felt the tingling in her throat, the clogging of her nose, the itching in her eyes, and she would have sworn as fluently and colorfully as she knew how if she wasn't too busy sneezing.

Someone's pokemon had used petal dance. The extremely beautiful, very colorful grass-type move that Sagira was completely and utterly allergic to.

"Fuck," Sagira managed to snarl, before between the sneezing and the sniffling of her clogged nose, she couldn't speak.

[Master Houndoom]

Jay had almost no warning. A scent of flowers, rustling of petals, and Sagira's sudden intake of breath. Their lips had been a millimeter apart when she did it; She sneezed, right in his face.

Jay fell backwards with a cry, and very nearly yelled when he saw Sagira sneezing harshly, overcome by whatever allergen was in the air. He didn't have to look far. Some grass pokémon has sprayed petals into the air. Judging by their light green color, it wasn't one of the more colorful ones.

Sagira looked at Jay on the ground, managed to grind out, "Fuck," and fell into another cascade of sneezes and sniffles, overcome momentarily.

Jay began to laugh. He put his head back and roared with laughter, causing Sagira to look at him, scowling and drippy.

"DOT," she yelled, coughing as her roughened throat caught her words, "FUDDY!"

Jay didn't say anything, just stood, grinning and chuckling, and handed Sagira a very slightly wrinkled and rain damp handkerchief. She took it with a harsh snap, and he led her down the street again, trying to hold in his chuckles and not succeeding.

"It's dot fuddy, Jhay," she bit out, a little better able to speak now that she was outside of the immediate effect of the vegetation storm.

"It kinda is, Catseye," Jay sighed, still smiling. "After the whole night, it's just... the perfect ending." The words were said with strong irony, but Jay then surprised Sagira. "Now that I'm not dwelling on how the night isn't going right, I have to admit... this has been the best birthday I've had since I was ten."

Sagira was curious. "What happened when you were ten..?"

"I realized all the people at my big huge parties weren't there for me, they were there to impress mom." He looked at her, then winked. "Kinda dragged the party down."

Sagira looked at him, brow furrowing, but could say nothing, as a new fit of sneezes racked her.

When they finally got to the hotel-base, Jay waited outside as Sagira washed her face, both to get rid of the pollen and to, hopefully, clean up a bit. When she came out, her makeup had been washed off, but her face was scrubbed and no longer puffy. She was clearing her throat, and her voice was kind of scratchy, but she seemed much better. She was, under her breath, hissing something about "fuck all oddish", but Jay chose to ignore it.

"May I walk you home, madame?"

Sagira stopped short, surprised. "You didn't have to wait," she said, in a tone that was meant to be annoyed but somehow came out too soft and too grateful.

"Yeah, well, since I already went through the trouble of setting up my own birthday present, I figured I'd see it through." He smiled at her. "Besides, who wouldn't want to spend time with this beautiful face.

She'd have snorted at him, but she realized he was motioning at her and not himself, and blushed instead. Oddly, she didn't want him to die in a fire for making her blush.

They walked to her room, conveniently next to his, and she opened the door. The radio had been left on, since Jay had walked in during the commotion of her accidental tossing of Paladin, and the taxi had arrived. In the confusion, she had left it on.

"Thank you," Jay said, softly, taking hold of one of her hands (gloveless since she was washing her face) and stroking it lightly. His face was turned down. "You made the night..."

"Bearable?"

"Better. Wonderful." He smiled shyly up at her, and her heart pounded. He seemed unwilling to finish what they had started at the bench. She was pondering how to show him that she wanted to when the radio's song changed.

This love, this heart, these arms to hold
So tight to you, I wont let go
Can this be real, or just some dream that feels so true
I wish you love, I wish you more
You are all that I live for
Ill never hurt you believe me
My heart beats just for you
It only beats for you

"Imagine that," Sagira whispered, stepping closer to Jay. He blinked at her, and she smiled, flushing again and not caring. "They're playing our song."

Jay took the hint. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The surge of electricity between them did not spend itself at once, but floated to and fro from one heart to the other, leaving them breathless when they finally parted.

"Wow," Jay whispered, smiling slowly. Sagira smiled back, and instead of ducking into her room, as she intended, she stepped forward for another kiss.

-----

It was fifteen minutes before Jay entered his own room, dancing on air, knowing he'd be unable to sleep. He ignored Videl, who only got up to dance with him and did not need active participation to do it, and Hinata was safe with Paladin, and Siryn slept in her pokéball. It wasn't until he spun and happened to see it on his bed that he saw the package. It was wrapped in plain white paper and a dark blue ribbon, one that, oddly, had been accented with a nearly-black purple ribbon intertwined. On his birthday usually, his family would give him a white package with a blue ribbon, and he'd know it was from them.

He opened it, and was surprised to find two luxury balls nestled in dark foam inside the box. A plain piece of paper was resting on top of them, and Jay recognized his mothers neat, thin handwriting.

Jay Lucius Lange,

Your father has convince me that coming to take you from that horrible city would be a Bad Idea (the capitalization is his, luv, not mine) and so I have, despite my instinct, decided to leave you be, especially since you are of age today. A nice man by the name of Bryce, however, contacted me last week and informed me of how to get your present to you. I know you prefer to catch your own, however this is a special case, as my family's breeder has found this pair and needed to find it a good home quickly. The one on the left is yours, and I do hope you enjoy her.

Your mother, who fears for you daily,

Samantha Lange,

P.S.: The one on the right is for the lovely young lady you've taken as your wife. Happy Birthday!

Scrawled underneath, in blocky writing, and pink ink, was Amber's handwriting.

Jay,

I tried to stop her! Honest! Happy Birthday. I'll miss you when you get killed by your friend.

Amber

Jay sat on the bed, torn between laughing again and crying. "Oh, man, I'm gonna die!"

Jay was gifted a level 33 Shiny Eevee. Sagira was gifted a 33 eevee (not shiny)

This finishes Winding Down! Please Lock!