[X] My Assistant

[Ganymede]

Hearing the animated chatter from his impromptu rescuers gave Cameron a chance to space out for a minute. Leaning back in his chair, he exhaled slowly and focused on his breathing, trying to keep it even. Terry had told him about meditation after one particularly stressful fight with his father, and, with nothing else to do but practice guitar or do vocal warm-ups, the teenager had taken quickly to the practice. It wasn't as relieving as a long bath or a good massage, but he'd have to make do until the search party picked him up.

Runner's ears perked as he caught on to Cameron's plan, closing his eyes and flopping in a heap on his friend's lap. Young as he was, the meditation quickly lapsed into sleep; the Pichu's chest rose and fell softly to compensate for the bandage. Peeking at Runner with on half-open eye, Cameron's mouth flicked into a smile. From the way his leg was twitching, he knew the electric rodent was dreaming of Grepa berries. Once we get in the helicopter or whatever I'll phone ahead and ask Terry to get a bowl ready for him, he decided, returning to his concentration. Raven and Tag's conversation (he was thankful that he finally knew their names; tattoo guy and that girl were starting to get old) did slice into his non-thoughts a little, making his focus shift.

Cameron tapped his foot against the dingy floor lightly, beginning to hum to cover the noise. It was an old song that had been sung to him as a child; Terry knew nothing about it and since Damian couldn't sing, Cameron assumed it had been a lullaby from his mother. The words had been lost to time and the grief from Elia's death, but he did remember parts of the chorus. Something about demons and rivers; not really the stuff of lullabies, but the feeling of being safe emerged when he heard it nonetheless. Meditation all but forgotten, he focused on the melody and let it sweep it back to before he realised his father hated him, back to when his mother was alive and he didn't have to worry about public appearances or getting murdered in an abandoned city.

"Mr Ramirez, a word with you, if you please."

Tag's voice broke through the tune, bringing Cameron's humming to a sudden stop. Runner's ear twitched and he complained quietly as the teen stood, holding the drowsing Pokemon carefully. Judging from the looks on his and Raven's faces, they really didn't want to talk to him. Like I care. Come morning and I won't have to look at them, either. Hoisting Runner up – the Pichu had begun to slip from his arms – Cameron looked between the two.

“What is it?” He hoped he didn't sound too annoyed. He'd already made a bad enough impression, and now that he was indebted to these two, he didn't want to make it worse. The thing was, he hated owing people. Especially if they didn't want money.

“If this is about helping me, then...well, thanks.” Now that that was out of the way, he had to think. What do you give people like this? Fame? No, they didn't seem like the type to want news coverage on their heroic rescue. Besides, casting him in a helpless light would enrage Damian, no matter how many sympathy fans Cameron would get. Rare Pokemon? He glanced down at the Pokemon at their feet and crossed that option out. He was still thinking (and probably looking like an idiot, just standing there with a drooling Pichu) when the flustered Nurse returned.

She was holding out a tray with two labeled bowls – one marked 'Electrike', the other 'Pichu' - filled with the same sort of food Cameron had seen in advertisements for PokeChow. Next to the bowls was a scrap of paper and a pen that looked like it was in serious danger of exploding in a shower of ink. Gingerly Cameron picked it up and signed his name with a flourish, turning the tail of the Z into a curved lightning bolt underneath his name.

“Oh, thank you, Mr Ramirez!” the Nurse squealed breathlessly, taking the paper and relevantly putting it into the pocket of her apron. “Is there I anything else I can help you or your friends with?”

“Not right now, thanks.” Cameron said smoothly, hitting the release on Shep's ball. Before the flash had even finished forming the Electrike's shape the Pokemon was gorging his meal, sending bits of Chow everywhere. Cameron stared at him for a second before a thought struck him. “Actually, call me Cameron. You guys, too.” Joy nodded happily and drifted off to help a teenage boy who had just walked in, clutching an enormously fat Stunky. Cameron looked back at Tag and Raven. “I'm not on the best terms with my father. He makes the crew call me Ramirez, even though I hate that name. Anyway, we were, uh, talking.” Runner had woken up and Cameron set him down in front of the tray, watching as he sleepily popped a piece of Chow into his mouth.

☼

Teranika Ingress – better known as Terry – was standing in the middle of Petropolis' Volunteer Rescue Services, colloquially called the corps. She was talking to the leader of the private corps – a more militarised unit devoted to rescuing high-risk people and Pokemon from dangerous areas. Normally Terry would have gone to the normal corps (as Eron was always doing stupid things, although this took the cake), but Damian would have blown a casket if she did. To him, Cameron meant money and a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his aging father, a man so wrapped up in himself it made Damian look like a saint. Terry did not approve of him using her nephew in such a manner, but Elia had specified that once she died, his upbringing would be left to her husband.

If Arezou was here, we'd be having a lot less problems, she thought, smiling as she thanked the squad leader for his efforts. Arezou had been Elia's Gardevoir – Terry had always thought it pathetic that the Pokemon understood Elia better than Damian. Shortly after Elia's passing, the Pokemon had simply vanished. Terry sighed and beckoned to her Blissey, the plump pink-and-white Pokemon following her out of the building and into the night, where Damian's limo waited for them; a sleek black Persian growling softly in the street. Cameron had been close enough to Elia for Arezou's powers to work on him as well; the Gardevoir could prove Damian's neglect and abuse in court and help Terry take Eron away from the Ramirez family.

She'd have to settle for this, though – if Damian did send Cameron straight to Gigarte to continue the tour as she thought, it would be proof enough for a decent lawyer. And if they made a convincing enough case, then Terry could do to Eron what Damian, with all his power and money, could not – protect him, and make him happy again.

[Tymid]

"...leaving that Abra and the suit man for last." he concluded, and as he had been explaining his plan, Raven's smile only got bigger with the realization that this was actually going to happen...if everything went to plan, of course. "Sounds like a plan to me. Can't wait." she said idly, reaching into her bag to pull out a piece of beef jerky. She liked to nibble when she was content...plus, she hadn't eaten much of anything since she'd gotten off of the bus, and that seemed like it had been forever ago. Her chewing slowed as she watched his face fall at the mention of Cameron. She wasn't too fond of the boy herself, but seeing as to how they seemed to be stuck with him, she'd rather bring it up now, than in the morning. Looking up at the happy, swinging tail Meowth clock on the wall, she realized that it already was morning. Huh. Time had flown. As she chewed the tough, dried jerky and swallowed a piece, she reached into her back, offering a piece to Tag. She rather enjoyed jerky...not only the flavor, but the chewing seemed to ease her nerves. Besides, it was a bit too wet to consider smoking a cigarette...and she was trying to quit. Really. She was.

She listened with a knowing gaze as he spoke about being indebted to someone after a rescue, and cocked an eyebrow at the mention of the increase in firepower. She leaned back, the corners of her mouth creeping upwards in a lazy grin. "Hey, you're preachin' to the choir here about being indebted to someone. You've gotta' think, I do have half a brain in this head of mine." she stated with a chuckle, sarcasm ringing through her voice. She was trying to lighten the man's spirits a small amount; it seemed they had darkened after the mention of the boy. She now crossed her arms in front of her, a small piece of jerky still in her hand. "As for getting him to the outskirts of the city, that's fine by me. Th' only reason I even know who the kid is is because his face is plastered all over Petropolis. That, and you hear his music in every store you could even think about goin' into. As for firepower, I know we could use any help we could get...but I'm kinda' worried about the safety of his poke'mon. I just hope the kid, if he even wants to help, doesn't end up making the ordeal more of a cluster-fu-...mble than it needs to be." she stated casually, showing that she had no qualms to the boy helping if he so desired--he could definitely stand to earn back some points in her book. But, she understood and recognized that Tag had more experience, and she knew that any help, even a very confusing immature kind of help, would still be help. She wouldn't place permanent judgement just yet. She knew better.

As Tag called out to the kid, she could faintly hear the sarcasm in his voice, and she turned to face Cameron, leaning forward, her left elbow resting on her knee, her palm cupping her chin. A bemused gaze rested upon her countenance, and as he responded with a "What is it?" she scoffed to herself, not out of a 'better-than-thou' mindset, but rather, a 'here-we-go-damn-it' type of mindset.

Cameron reluctantly thanked the two of them, and his uncomfortable expression spoke more volumes than he knew. She watched his eyes dart to her poke'balls, to Tag's poke'mon, to their clothes, and then to their faces. He was trying to discern what they wanted from him. Typical. The only reason she knew what he was doing...was because, long ago, she had done the very same thing. A bubbling of regret touched her thoughts, but she wouldn't think about that now. She combed her fingers through her hair, a small, poutish smirk coming on to her face as she recognized his discomfort. At least the feelings of having a long conversation were mutual. She said nothing, considering that this conversation was between him and Tag for the moment, however, she did lift a brow as Nurse Joy came and got an autograph. Her lips pursed together as she tried to decide if she wanted to laugh, or just make an 'Ummmm' sound. She idly watched the Pichu eat the Chow, and watched a piece of chow from the Electrike's ravenous feasting land on the tip of her shiny boot. She exhaled calmly through her nose, picking up the piece of chow and calmly placing it in the Pichu's bowl.

Next, it seemed introductions were in order. Her eyes half-lidded, she listened as he went into the talk about his father. Her parents had known his father. As well known as the Amaranth's had been...when they were alive, they had co-mingled at some top-hat affair at some point. As with most of her other secrets, she kept her last name to herself, shortly stating her name before falling back into silence. She wondered why the boy felt the need to go into a monologue about his name, but she kept her mouth closed, waiting for Tag to speak to the waiting Cameron.

[Kamaitachi]

Tag watched Raven's slow smile spread across her face. He seemed pleased with her response to his plan, even though it really wasn't much of one.

"I hope you've more than half a brain." It was a rather weak joke, but at this point he was a bit too tired to draw upon the reserves of dry wit he'd accumulated over the years. He raised a hand to gently decline her offer of jerky. Perhaps he was part android, because Tag never seemed to eat anything. (At least on screen.) "It's a risk, unfortunately, that I'm willing to take. His pokemon seem inexperienced at best, but with a little guidance, I'm sure they'll do just fine. What I'm most interested in, is their ability to use Thunder Wave. It's a rudimentary move for most electric pokemon, but it will serve to further our efforts greatly. Combined with Suzu's Supersonic, or Tobi's Disable, we could hamper their counter-offensive..." Tag stopped himself before he got too wrapped up in micro-strategizing. "Tomorrow morning, I will send Suzu out on reconnaissance. She can scout out their location by air, as I'm sure they've moved by now."

He stopped himself once again, realizing that he'd begun to plot with Cameron's pokemon in mind. Once the kid arrived the proceedings unfolded as the two previous authors had described. He half expected for the teen to drop a tidbit about his family life, but was quite surprised when he heard it slip out. He did, however, watch with great fondness as the two pokemon tore into their meal. After their earlier ordeal, it was only natural that they were famished. He listened as Raven once again merely stated her first name, then launched into his own introduction.

"I'm Tag" he blazed through said introduction with all the verve of someone with something more important to say, which he did. Never one to mince words, Tag naturally went straight to the point.

"You owe us." he stated matter of fact-ly. "So I have a proposal. Take a look at Tobi, my vulpix" he indicated the pokemon in his lap "He is clearly mistreated. I rescued him today from black market traders. The condition of the pokemon there are obviously not good. We're going to rescue some black market pokemon tomorrow by force." He looked to Raven and then Cameron, "unless one of you simply wants to buy them all." It was a half joke, but it would be an aversion to the potential harm about to befall all their pokemon. On top of this, the Abra would pull the same trick, meaning any one pokemon would be just within their combined finances. Tag's meager remaining 200 pokedollars seemed mere pittance to what appeared to be their sums, as Tag had obviously eavesdropped on Raven's dealings with Nurse Joy ((Woo retcon)). "My proposal is this: Aid us with your pokemon comrades. You are, of course, free to decline, and we'll escort you beyond the boundaries of the city, wherein you'll be safer and more visible to your search party." He did hope that the kid kept in mind that Tag and Raven had saved his life, and hopefully just the sight of the malnourished Vulpix would tug at his heartstrings. Both of these things were incredibly manipulative, but Tag figured that the ends of rescuing maltreated pokemon would justify the means of manipulating a rich brat. "Your battle style is...panicky...at best. I'm willing to give you a brief tutorial on the art of pokemon battle, if you felt you needed it."

[Tymid]

Raven nodded as she listened to the plan he had, and as he concluded, she nodded her agreement. "I suppose you're right. Thunder Wave could be very beneficial to us, as well as the other moves you mentioned. As for my guys, Aria's pretty basic, only knowing Tackle and Leer. She is just a kitten after all. As for Totodile, he knows Tackle, Leer, Water Gun and Rage. He was pretty pissed earlier, seeing that Vulpix the way it was; so Rage and Water Gun at least should come in handy. His Leer today worked out pretty well regarding the Rattata." she stated, frowning a bit at the thought of the poor creature. She 'tsk'ed softly, offering a sad smile up to Tag. "It's a small win."

As Tag launched into Cameron, she kind of stopped listening at the words "You owe us." While she nodded in agreement, Tag's words seemed to be becoming hazy and soft in her mind. She wasn't sure if it was because she was tired, overwhelmed, or a little bit of both, but her focus was lapsing. It wasn't that she was uninterested, it's just the looming sounds of the thoughts she usually got to think about by herself were creeping in and assaulting her tired brain. Her ears caught Tag's mention to buying them all, and her head snapped up, her eyes shooting him a harsh glare. She had not wanted the boy to know that she had money...at all. She knew how this caste system worked. Though she did take note of the joking lilt to his voice at the statement, it was obvious that she was affronted by it.

"We will do no such thing." she stated dangerously, shifting her satchel to the side. "For every poke'mon we would buy and rescue, another 40 would be bought and subjected to the same fate as those. This is a pretty poor division in Lenolia, but with our generous "contribution", half of the money would go to the scumbags, the other half would go to purchase more poke'balls, in which more poke'mon would be caught. Do you know what they do with the poke'mon they don't sell? They're transferred to bigger divisions, who use them as training fodder for their poke'mon. They use them so that their poke'mon can sense blood, crave it...and so that their investment will not be poorly spent. I have seen the discarded corpses of these creatures in dumpsters, their sole purpose in life fulfilled, and I would sooner fight them than to give them more means to abuse poke'mon."

Her tone was low, and calm, not in the least bit insulting, but dangerously informative. She had not meant to insult or embarrass Tag, nor did she plan on divulging how she knew this information. She understood the tone in Tag's voice, and knew that he had only been partly serious, but she had wanted to make it clear to Cameron that while it was the easy way out, like she knew would be the choice he picked, it was not the best choice, by a long shot. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment, and exhaled through her nose, an obvious attempt to calm the stirring memories...the poke'mon she couldn't save. She would explain to Tag later why she had been so coarse, but for now, she would only say one more thing, in an attempt to let Tag know that she was not angry at him, nor did she think less of him for buying the Vulpix...and that she was not trying to embarrass him (though he seemed quite incapable of becoming embarrassed).

"...Tag is right, however. We could use your...help in getting these poke'mon to a good home. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: 'How did I get dragged into this? I should be at a show, or at home, being lazy and listening to music.' But what we're trying to say is this: Without our help tonight, your Electrike and your Pichu would be in the same state as that Vulpix had been. You would never get to see them again. You would never know if they lived, or fell to the same circumstances that others have. You're lucky, they would probably sell or be given to a grunt who treated them just as badly as that Vulpix. We don't want to be heroes. We want to help these poke'mon, these potential friends...and get rid of the guys who wanted to kill you, at least temporarily. I, personally, want to try and get Tag's money back, too." she said softly, at the last phrase offering Tag an almost apologetic smile. It was obvious that she wasn't trying to offend anyone, even though she was still miffed at the fact that Tag had divulged that she had money. She liked Tag, so far. He seemed to be a very down-to-earth fellow, and she hadn't been able to find that in a person in a good while. He could be a good friend, if the social climate permitted. Again, even if he was upset at her now, she would attempt to explain why she had said what she said. Maybe he already understood.

The sudden spurn of memories had drained Raven, and in showed as her mouth split in a wide yawn. However, she didn't know if there would be any sleeping tonight, and she was okay with that. She'd spent many nights, dog-tired, unable to sleep. The probability of this being one of those nights was high.

[Ganymede]

Blue eyes wandered down from Tag's face to the Vulpix in his lap. Now that he really looked, he could see that its fur was a bit ragged and it looked quite a bit thinner than Shep. Even next to Raven's beat-up Pokemon it looked worse for the wear. Cameron felt a frown tug at his face - Pokemon were really nothing more than a distraction to him - save Shep and Runner - but the almond-coloured eyes of the Vulpix poked a part of the teen heart that had fallen into disuse years ago. A slight tug at his wet pants alerted him that feeding time was over and that he was still rather damp. He quickly bent over to pick up Runner, watching as Shep wandered over to Raven's Pokemon, tail wagging.

But, still. He needed to get home, fire everyone who'd gotten him into this mess, and get back on the tour schedule, no matter how much he wanted a reprieve. After all, the captive Pokemon were probably like the one he'd seen in pictures of shelters - sad and sometimes a little injured, but mostly fine and always adopted to good owners. And there was the tour problem - as much as he was loathe to do anything aside from going home to rest, Damian would find some excuse to keep him going. He'd invested way too much money into Cameron's tour to simply let his son stay at home to recover from being mugged and nearly murdered. He was about to take up Tag's offer on bringing him to the outskirts (as Petrol was no doubt already waiting outside) when Raven's harsh voice overpowered his.

"We will do no such thing." Her expression was stormy; Cameron half-expected a cloud to appear above her head and start firing Thunderbolts at everyone nearby. He hoped the little cloud wouldn't start any waterworks - he was still mostly wet and not very fond of the fact. Runner tugged at Cameron's collar as the girl ranted, the Pichu looking more confused by the second.

"- I have seen the discarded corpses of these creatures in dumpsters, their sole purpose in life fulfilled, and I would sooner fight them than to give them more means to abuse Pokemon."

"What?" Nearly dropping Runner from shock, he blinked at Raven. "They kill the Pokemon? That's..." ...wrong, he thought. Really, really, wrong. Why haven't I heard about this? I watch TV; I walk around Pteropolis...granted, it's the upper-class neighbourhoods and only pre-selected channels, but I still should have heard something. From Terry...unless Damian's keeping her lips sealed.

Snapping back in time to hear Raven's suggestion that Shep or Runner could be next, Cameron turned and faced the wall, counting to ten. Slowly. Another trick, courtesy of Auntie Ingress. He could hear Shep barking at the Shinx in a friendly way; Runner was squirming in his unconsciously tighter grip, his small tail beating at the hem of Cameron's black-and-blue shirt. True, he wasn't that fond of Pokemon. But killing them? Hurting them without reason? Even he could see that that was wrong, and his father scammed people and used his son for a living. His mind went to where the benefits from his tour would go - the false Save the Wailmer Foundation. A front for Damian to channel more money into Ramirez Music. He hadn't thought of it much before; Damian was always pulling crap like that. But now...

For the first time, Cameron actually began to wonder why the Wailmers needed saving.

It was a tiny thought in the very recesses of his mind; the part that had long since faded when he was told what to think and where to go. Critical thinking was not a skill needed for aspiring pop stars - all they needed was a good voice, some instrumental skill, and the ability to keep popping out senseless lyrics.

It was a small seed of worry, but it was the snowflake that would, maybe someday, start an avalanche.

"...I'll help." Shep looked up from his little conversation and gave a happy yip. Cameron turned back and looked Tag in the eye, dropping his voice back to a semi-apathetic tone. "For now, at least. Once we're done, I want out of the city. And..." A pause. The boy shifted Runner to one arm and ran a hand through his soaked dyed hair, wincing and shaking out his hand. "I guess I'll take up on your training offer, Tag. I don't think I'll make my concert date in time, unless Damian magically bought a Celebi or a really fast helicopter." Maybe you're just jumping to conclusions, he reprimanded himself. It can't be that bad, can it? Raven was probably exaggerating when she said they were killed. He looked back at the older girl - her face was set in stone. ...Doubt it.

"Uh," he began - the sentence never came out. It was at that moment that Raven yawned, and it was contagious. Shep echoed the sentiment from the floor, and Cameron felt one tugging at his throat. Unable to resist he gave into the yawn, his shoulders shuddering. Runner began to giggle, his ears twitching and tickling Cameron's throat. "Stop that," he murmured. The Pichu's frame still shook, but he was simply smiling now. Soon he'd drift back to sleep - something Cameron really wouldn't mind having right now. Even if it was a choppy rest, broken up from the nightmares he knew he'd start having.

[Kamaitachi]

The slew of events that followed had caught Tag almost completely off guard. He had only half-joked at the thought of purchasing the pokemon, but evidently had touched a very sore chord within Raven. She obviously wore her emotions on her sleeve half the time, but nonetheless, he was surprised when she launched into her monologue. With her voice low and calm, not in the least bit insulting, but dangerously informative, she had managed to stifle the thought once and for all in Tag. However he secretly worried about the stakes of the battle: If they lost, their pokemon would be next on the auction blocks and in those horrible kennels, and the trainers in question would be nothing but distant memories. He couldn't say that he'd dealt with such black market folk before, but he could only imagine that it would be his corpse strung up at the city limits. Tag was, as Raven guessed, not embarrassed. He did, however, take mental note as to not breach upon that subject in the future. It was obviously none of his business, and it would remain that way until she chose to divulge it, if ever. He would later come to understand Raven's aversion to the knowledge of her wealth, but that was another story for another time. He took the moment to read her apologetic smile, offering what appeared to be a nod of pure contrition of his own. He mouthed a silent "thank you" in her direction. Naturally, he couldn't show weakness in front of Cameron; he couldn't have the boy think any less of him at the moment.

That was when Cameron threw him for a loop.

"...I'll help." This alone seemed almost like a monumental blow to Tag; not a harsh one mind you, but rather just a shock. He had half expected the boy to merely retain their services as escorts. To say the least, he was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps there was a ray of hope for the boy after all.

Tag's pokemon all looked at one another, then in unison up to their trainer, the look of grim determination on their faces was enough to soothe his troubled worries on tomorrow's battle. They would not lose with so much at stake. Tobi, certainly wanted to aid his comrades, and his other pokemon, loyal to him almost to a fault, were prepared to throw themselves in harm's way once again.

"Tomorrow morning, I will send Suzu to scout, while I give the two of you a crash course." He looked over the unlikely alliance, Tattoo-Girl Raven, Tattoo-guy Tag and Idol Cameron. They sounded like happenstance opponents in a video game. Yet here they were, banding together for a cause. Life had funny moments like that. "Your pokemon, what are their names?" Tag asked gently, indicating the electrike and the pichu.

* * *

Sleep was an easy affair. With the Chanseys on guard duty, and the pokemon center essentially a sanctuary, they seemed to be quite safe. Tag, unlike his two 'allies' found sleep a simple task. He needed rest for the battle, so his body and mind rested, completely in unison. His pokemon rested next to him, out of their pokeballs for the the time. He could afford them the small luxury in exchange for their full abilities the next day.

* * *

When morning rolled around, Tag had risen just before the others, straightening himself out in the bathroom. He traveled often, so when he had the opportunity for hygeine, he took it. Without touching the other two, he somewhat gently woke them (if they weren't already awake from nightmares, etc), giving them some time to stir and attend to their various needs. He indicated to Suzu with a nod of his head, and she dutifully floated over to him, gently alighting on his shoulders, hanging there like a backpack. Stepping outside, he issued the order to find the black market trainers, most notably a man in a suit. He would stick out like a sore thumb. Returning inside, he would wait until the two were ready before taking up a position at one end of the pokemon center. The Chansey nurses moved about, clearing them a practice space, hurriedly modeling the couches and benches into a cluttered area, not at all open for battle. It appeared to make some sort of maze, though the pokemon would easily be able to move about on top, through, and around. Bachi trudged into the center outside of his end of the array, standing proudly in front of Tag, while Kyoko disappeared into the maze, and Tobi stood almost casually on one of the benches.

"The terrain will never always be an open field." Tag began. "If you're lucky, it will be, but in this case, let's prepare for the fact that it might not be. Your best asset to this battle will be Thunder Wave, a move both of your pokemon should know. However, with so many obstacles, its accuracy will be questionable. Your objective in this match will be to paralyze all three of my pokemon with Thunder Wave. Whenever you're ready." Tag's hands slipped into his pockets as he waited for Cameron to begin. Hopefully, Raven was ready and taking notes as well.

[Tymid]

Raven nodded at Tag's mouthed Thank You, showing she understood. However, as Cameron said that he'd help, her shoulder lifted, as did her chin, giving her the appearance of her ears piquing with interest. She smiled a tiny smile towards the boy, and even though it was small, it was the closest thing to a genuine smile she had given to him all night. She extended a hand towards him, even though she had already introduced herself. It was meant to be a thanking gesture, more than anything, an extension of the meager introduction she had given earlier. She looked over to Tag's face, noting that he only bore the slightest bit of surprise at Cameron's response. However, as she was beginning to note, Tag didn't show much emotion, she highly doubted that he was as stoic as she seemed. True, she did maintain a variety of emotion, and her lack of a balanced attention span kept her from hiding her emotions as well as most. But she was a rather strong individual, and would probably be the last one to cry in any given situation, unless it involved her poke'mon, in which case, the first emotion would probably rage, then sadness. Regardless, while it was obvious that she was full to the brim with emotion, the only emotions she could recall showing so far was confusion, happiness, mild embarrassment and mild sadness.

She listened as Cameron introduced his poke'mon, then proceeded to rise from her seat, stretching with a groan. She had only slightly dried off, but this wouldn't stop her from getting a good night's rest. Many nights in the alleys of Petropolis she had been rained on with naught but a newspaper to keep her dry, so, being a little damp didn't endanger her any. She picked up her jacket, which had dried out nicely...another reason she liked leather. "Well, fellas'..." she began, tossing the jacket over her shoulder, "...I'm callin' it a night. I'll see you two bright 'n' early. No funny business, y'hear?" she stated with a chuckle, winking towards the two. She turned and walked over to the trash can of all places, recalling her poke'mon from their poke'balls, the two looking just as drowsy as she. As she laid down, facing the wall, her brown hair fell down in front of her face, blotting out the light of the poke'center, and she fell into an easy sleep.

~*~
The cameras, the damn cameras...stop the flashing...
~*~

Her eyes snapped open, a bead of sweat trickling down into her eyes. Requiem was growling menacingly, his teeth bared. She looked up to see Tag's face, and offered him a sleepy smile. She would have risen at first light regardless, but she was glad for the awakening anyway. Her pulse was accelerated, and the first light of dawn was creeping through the clear door of the poke'center. She hadn't shifted much from where she fell, and Aria was still dozing, nestled in the crook of her tummy. She sat up, her jacket falling off of her body as she did so. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Aria mewled as she was awakened, but Requiem was already standing at her side. She reached out and poked his nose, to which he happily returned the favor. She needed a bath...or a shower. The rain outside had stopped, the droplets from last night falling like diamonds from the rooftop. She slowly stood up, stretching, creaking and popping like an old house. Aria finally roused from underneath the fallen jacket, sticking her nose out, her mouth in the shape of a sleepy 'o'. Raven smiled, picking up her jacket, and and slowly went outside. There was a water basin outside, for any poke'mon that wandered by needing a drink. While Raven was sure that there were showers available inside, she was acting on instinct. With Requiem looking excited to dive in, she knelt by the basin, placing Requiem inside. He gurgled and splashed happily in the cold rainwater. Picking out a few bugs from the water, Raven cupped her hands and dipped them into the crystalline pool, splashing the water onto her face. She gasped with the chill and shock of the water, but simply tilted her head back to the sunlight, the water droplets trickling down the contours of her face. As she licked the droplets away from her lips, she turned her head over, dunking it, remaining submerged for a while.

As she tossed her head back, her wet hair followed suit, sending droplets of water shimmering into the orange sunrise. She reached her hands back, squeezing out the excess water. With her hair slicked back and shimmering in the sun, chin still dripping water, she seemed quite happy with her current state, a small smile resting on her lips. She then shook her head brusquely, causing her damp hair to splay out, it's natural wavy locks clinging together with the moisture. Her green eyes sparkled spectacularly in the morning sun, and as she reached down to remove Requiem from his bath and place Aria in the basin (who positively squeaked with the cold, her fur bristling on end), she reached into her satchel, pulling out the pack of cigarettes she had bought. Removing the plastic and the foil, she delicately pulled one out, savoring the scent. Placing it to her lips, she pulled out the lighter she had brought, and clicked it. Nothing. Clicking at it furiously a couple more times, she finally got a flame, but made note to let the lighter dry out before she attempted to use it again. The Totodile uttered a grunt of wanting, but she shook her head at him. It really wasn't good for him, after all. The smoke trailed from her lips, snakelike and unpredicatble into the air, and the burn of the cigarette actually woke her up a bit more, and she leaned up against the pillar of the poke'center. Just then, Tag's Ledian, Suzu, she remembered, fly out the door to scout, like had been mentioned the night before. She waited again to inhale, redirecting the smoke away from the sensitve bug poke'mon. She nodded respectfully, a soft statement following the Ledian's back- "Be safe out there, friend."

As she finished the cigarette, she picked up the bedraggled shinx, who still didn't look very happy about her bath, giving Raven a small shock of dislike. "Don't be like that. You were stinky." Raven said playfully, pulling out the towel she had been going to use for herself and wrapping Aria in a tight, warm bundle. All was forgiven as the shinx nestled into the towel, purrs ensuing. Raven then brushed her teeth, covering up the spot she had spit upon with a pile of dirt; no one wanted to see that. Feeling all minty fresh and clean, she re-entered the poke'center, she saw that the whole place had been rearranged. She gracefully leapt onto a couch, the early morning energy filling her body. "I'm just going to watch and take notes, if that's fine by you." she told Tag from her perch, slipping on her jacket. She turned and greeted each of Tag's and Cameron's poke'mon by name, dipping her head respectfully to each. She then leapfrogged from couch to couch, gracefully balancing herself and making dancer like strides, until she was far out of danger. In Raven's mind, she was pretending they were rooftops. She turned to see Aria following her just as gracefully, and Requiem choosing to take the path less travelled, meandering between the couches on the floor. Raven held up a hand until he got close to her, and then picked him up, giving the thumbs-up that all was clear on the field of battle. She turned to Cameron, Aria having jumped up to her shoulder to watch, Requiem still nestled in her arms.

This post has been edited by Tymid: Sep 17 2010, 08:50 PM

[Ganymede]

"Oh," Cameron muttered. "Uh, the Electrike is Shep." At the sound of his mane, the Pokemon stood and thrummed the floor with his tail, nuzzling Cameron's muddy pant leg happily. After shooing the Pokemon away (the Nurse had cleaned the mud and grime off of his fur, and Cameron really didn't want him to get dirty again so soon) he held Runner up. "And this is Runner. He gets scared easily...but I think you already knew that." Before he could say anything else, he noticed Raven giving him what he guessed was a smile. It was a little too small to tell for sure. When he saw her outstretched hand he yet again moved Runner to one arm and shook Raven's hand, his wrists seeming too small for his calloused hands. Playing the guitar without a pick - like what Cameron preferred, despite the drop in volume - had caused his fingers to bleed and scab over continually when he first learned how to play. He'd tried going to picks at one point, only to break two strings within three notes. He swore by hand picking, even though it caused a great deal more in medical bills.

"Well, fellas'..." Raven said, tossing her jacket over her shoulder. "...I'm callin' it a night. I'll see you two bright 'n' early. No funny business, y'hear?"

Funny buisness. Right, Cameron thought, watching as she moved off...and settled down next to a trash can. He blinked a few times, wondering why she hadn't chosen a couch or something marginally more comfortable than the floor. Still mostly wet, Cameron himself made a beeline for a couch and flopped onto it, scooting over to the end when Shep jumped up next to him. The Electrike was as hyper in his sleep as he was awake, kicking and tossing all night. In stark contrast, Runner looked dead when he slept, unable to be jolted awake from anything less than the sun on his face.

At this point Cameron wished he slept that deeply. He was wet, the couch was threadbare and hard, and there were no pillows or blankets in sight. He'd had some rough nights - the weeks after his mother died had been the worst - but this was definitely going to be up there.

At least I know I won't get stabbed in my sleep in the penthouse. Cameron's head tipped back, his hair splayed behind him. He'd need a haircut soon; his hair always went from bearable to way too long about a week after a trim. The last thought in his head before he drifted off was imagining what the look on Damian's face would be if he dyed his hair black.

☼

The voice was firm but patient, repeating Cameron's name until the teen felt compelled to launch a pillow in its direction. At the last second he realised that the pillow was actually Runner, who was protesting loudly to being thrown. Leaping from his seat the teen quickly grabbed his Pichu, clutching the electric mouse to his chest as he tumbled onto the floor. Expecting to simply roll across the floor (and make a fool of himself in the process), Cameron was not-so-pleasantly surprised when his forehead connected to a long, dented steel-and-wood bench he was pretty sure had been outside last night. Standing up and rubbing his head, he watched as a small army of Chansies bustled around, moving everything in the room in what resembled a very badly-planned maze. Tag stood on the other side of the room, his Nidorino at his heels. Cameron noticed his Vulpix on one of the benches; aside from that, he had no idea where the rest were.

"The terrain will never always be an open field. If you're lucky, it will be, but in this case, let's prepare for the fact that it might not be." Two Chansies pushed past Cameron, grabbing the couch he'd been tossing and turning on all night and carrying it into the maze...with Shep still on it. A sharp whistle from Cameron sent the Electrike rolling off the couch and onto the floor at his feet, wagging his tail. "Your best asset to this battle will be Thunder Wave, a move both of your Pokemon should know. However, with so many obstacles, its accuracy will be questionable. Your objective in this match will be to paralyze all three of my Pokemon with Thunder Wave. Whenever you're ready."

"What, no breakfast?" Cameron said, the word eliciting a very loud growl from Runner's stomach. The Pichu's ears drooped. Cameron quickly placed him on a large, bedraggled potted plant nearby and patted the top of his head. "Remember, when we get home, you get all the Grepa berries you want. Got it?" Runner sighed and nodded, his ears perking as the doors to the Centre opened and Raven entered. So that's where she's been, Cameron thought, watching her acrobatic display as she crossed the maze, ending up not too far from where he stood. He gave her a short nod, briefly wondered why she smelled like tobacco, and turned to look across the maze.

"...Alright. We're ready." With an excited bark Shep launched himself into the tangle, sending off sparks every which way. Runner took a more cautious approach, leaping carefully from platform to platform, soft brown eyes scanning the area.

"Uh, okay. Shep, don't waste so much energy. Look for the Gloom and use Thunder Wave on it. If you miss, uh...try again." A bark issued from the depths and Cameron frowned. How was he supposed to know what was happening if he couldn't see where Shep was? Groaning, he clambered onto a wobbly bench, pretending it was one of the props he used in a show. If I die, I'm going to sue them, he thought.

This post has been edited by Haunted: Sep 25 2010, 02:19 PM

[Kamaitachi]

Tag watched closely as the little team assembled. His pokemon seemed quite pleased that Raven had remembered their names, and sounded out in their own replies; Tobi's a short bark, Bachi's a short growl, and Kyoko's a long drawn out, oddly melodic sort of sound. Tag wasn't quite sure if Kyoko would be used to her new form yet, so this would be quite a good training session for her, as well as his newcomer Tobi. He nodded over to Raven, who had taken up a perch a safe way from the battle, which was good. He did not want her to become collateral damage in a training session, nor did he want any injury to befall her two pokemon.

"Uh, okay. Shep, don't waste so much energy. Look for the gloom and use Thunder Wave on it. If you miss, uh...try again." Tag found himself slightly amused at the length of the command. At least with Bachi and Kyoko, he would show how a short command and trust his in pokemon's ability (as well as the pay-off of their hard training) could trump the more descriptive commands. He understood that Raven had such a bond with her pokemon, but was still in the habit of spelling out the commands.

"Kyoko, Worry Seed." That command alone seemed satisfactory to Tag, who stood there, hands in pockets, waiting for the outcome. As Shep rounded the corner of a couch, he was met with the drooling face of the rafflesia pokemon. Surely the Electrike and his finely tuned sense of smell could've smelled the notably stinky pokemon. However, before the Thunder Wave could even initiate, Shep was met with a seed in the face, causing a small, pale white flower to bloom between his eyes. Tag had not seen whether or not Shep possessed the Static or the Lightningrod ability, but had already prepared for it with Worry Seed, making sure that Shep's ability was now Insomnia. As soon as Kyoko had appeared, she ducked away behind the cover of a propped table, the thunder wave fizzing gently on its surface, rather than on the plant pokemon.

"Tobi, Disable." The command echoed out through the room, and the Vulpix swiftly moved over top of the conflagerated maze, hopping down to face the probably irritated Electrike. His eyes glowed a bright blue, indicating that almost nothing had happened. With that, Tobi jumped back up onto the 'walls' of the maze, hopping back with relative grace back towards her trainer. Tag took a half second to admire the ease at which Tobi moved, and the aplomb with which he executed his attacks. This revelry was short lived, however, as Tag returned his attention to the battle tactics at hand. If Cameron attempted another Thunder Wave from Shep, he would find that disable had...well...disabled the use of the move for the time being.

"A simple, fast command is all you'll need." Tag lofted the critique over the battlefield. He had figured that Cameron already knew he wasn't going to go easy on him, but hopefully this was a wake up call. Now the kid potentially only had the cowardly Runner to use Thunder Wave with. Now, Tag had not stated anywhere that Cameron ONLY had to use Thunder Wave, so hopefully the kid would come up with a solution to work around the current paradigm.

[Tymid]

Raven shifted Requiem in her arms, and Aria calmly sat on her shoulder. The fact that Aria was calm showed that she was paying attention...what a good girl. Raven watched as each party dispersed into the "maze", and already she was thinking what she would do in this position. Now, while Aria was an electric type poke'mon, she possessed the ability Intimidate, which, while greatly beneficial, was a detriment to her current lack of electrical attacks. Raven knew full well that the top bonus of being an electric type poke'mon was it's ability to paralyze opponents, but Raven would simply have to wait for that to happen. Aria would grow, and would be able to use her electric abilities with aplomb. Now, as for Requiem, who had the Torrent ability, he would be able to power-up when close to fainting. However, Raven didn't plan to let him get like that.

She found herself tactically planning against Tag's poke'mon, not really paying attention to Cameron's weaker poke'mon, who were just now beginning to ascend into the maze. As Tag called out commands, she found herself nodding in agreement to his commands. She found it quite unusual, in a good way, that he was using all non-offensive commands at the beginning; she had made good use of both Requiem and Aria's 'Leer' move. She watched the Worry Seed from Kyoko hit Shep, as well as the Vulpix. For a moment, she couldn't really tell what the Vulpix was doing, exactly, until she witnessed the slight brightening of his eyes. Oooh, Disable. Very clever.

To herself, she pondered her Totodile's speed and defense against that of the Vulpix. If Tag and she were to battle, the Totodile vs. Vulpix match would truly be the only one worth watching, at her current level. Requiem's Water Gun, while it would be highly effective, could easily be Disabled by the Vulpix's speed, and then he would have to rely on Rage until Water Gun came back. Nevertheless, she turned her focus to the flowered Shep, who's new Insomnia ability was sinking in, and who's Disabled Thunder Wave was probably becoming apparent. If he had Thundershock, he could use it, she thought. That had a chance, if small, of paralyzing the target. Then again, the Pichu that was cautiously moving through the maze had the Static ability, and if it made contact with either of the poke'mon currently in the maze, could easily paralyze one of them, if not both. That is, if the Gloom didn't plant another Worry Seed. She wasn't sure if the Electrike had learned Spark...she highly doubted it.

Stroking her chin in thought, she noticed the focused look on her Poke'mon's faces, their eyes darting around almost as quickly as hers had been. She was proud of their study, and Aria looked particularly interested to find out how the electric Poke'mon would end up faring. Raven noticed that Bachi was still calmly stationary--Cameron's poke'mon still had to get to the rather intimidating looking Nidorino. As she heard Tag offer the same advice to Cameron as he had given her, she smiled, having already been thinking about ways to direct her poke'mon in a short concise way. In the depths of her mind, the thought was already brewing about non-verbal communication...but that was a way off, yet. She had to make sure she could fight before she could think about more complicated things.

Raven slowly leaned up against the counter, the gears in her mind still turning and whirring, going a million different, but relevant directions. She was learning, yes, but her imagination was also conjuring. As most things did that have to do with her, this could either be a really good, or a really bad thing.

[Ganymede]

Shep blinked, confused. He'd been a little sleepy from waking up; now he was wide awake. To a very uncomfortable degree. Growling, the Electrike sent out a wave of sparks, only to watch them fizzle out harmlessly on a table. With a whine Shep sprinted after the Gloom, remembering Cameron's command to hit it again. As he skidded around a corner he saw himself face-to-face with a Vulpix. He hadn't been ordered to attack it and simply sat there, wondering vaguely why its eyes were glowing. Without a word the Vulpix turned and leapt back onto the walls of the maze, leaving Shep trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

"A simple, fast command is all you'll need." Tag said from across the room. Cameron watched in frustration as Shep was Disabled, most of the action blocked by the twisting walls of the maze. Without Thunder Wave, he couldn't paralyze Tag's Pokemon, and was therefore almost useless. His only moves now were Tackle and Leer, and neither were going to be that helpful in a maze. But still, he had to try.

"Shep, go after the...uh, wait. Use Leer on anything you see." The blond inched himself higher onto the bench, scanning to walls to see where Runner went. He saw the Pichu perched next to an overturned couch, gazing across the room with a look of anxiety on his face. If he stayed like that, he was as good as knocked out. Cameron began to shuffle across the bench; not an easy feat when you only have an inch and a half to use. Using a potted plant as a handhold, Cameron leaned over the bench and let out a soft whistle. Runner's ear twitched and he turned, brown eyes wide with fear.

"It's okay," Cameron stage-whispered. "Listen. Try to get through the maze as fast as you can. Don't be seen." The command's too long. "Uh, Charm and then Thunder Wave the Nidorino if you can." Runner nodded, took a deep, shuddering breath, and disappeared under the couch. Cameron didn't quite know what Charm did, but he hoped it'd do something to improve his chances. Not likely, but still.

Shep, on the other hand, wasn't really worrying about anything. Sure, the thing on his head was annoying, and he couldn't spark anymore, but it was better than last night's battle. His sprint had slowed to a crawl, black eyes searching for any sign of movement. As he entered a small, U-shaped dead end, he noticed a flicker of red above him. Looking up, he saw Tobi perched on a table nearby. Lowering himself to the ground, Shep's eyes began to glow a faint green as he growled, the short fur along his back bristling.

[Kamaitachi]

First order of business: Further cripple Shep. Tag initiated his next set of attacks without even bothering looking at the field, almost as if to drive his point further home. He made sure to square his eyes over his shoulder towards Raven. As he issued the commands, he could almost imagine seeing the gears in her head turning. Perhaps it was his imagination; she was clearly taking good notes, considering he'd given her the exact same advice just the day before.

"Tobi, Confuse Ray." Tobi reared back a little bit, his fur standing on edge from the chilling leer. However, the Vulpix's eyes swiftly glowed a bright white! Before long, a pair of sinister beams shot out, striking Shep right in the eyes, addling his perception of reality altogether. Now not only was Shep disabled from Thunder Waving any of Tag's pokemon, it was in danger of hurting itself.

Next order of business: Scare Runner. Having taken the Pichu's cowardly nature into consideration, Tag devised a brief little plan. He watched his Nidorino's ears twitching, attempting to locate the the others in the maze based by the sound. Suddenly, the poison pin pokemon emitted a low growl, and Tag's hand sprung up.

"Bachi, Horn Attack." The Nidorino burst forward, slamming its horn into the table in front of it. This essentially destroyed the little 'barrier' between the Nidorino and Pichu, hopefully scaring the living daylights out of the electric rodent. The Charm attack would still launch, the little heart that popped out would pop between Bachi's eyes, causing him to dampen up on his attacks a bit. Tag's great hope was that the tremendous stature of the Nidorino would frighten the Pichu back into the maze. However, Cameron's slightly shortened command had been more effective, an the Pichu managed to fire off a Thunder Wave at Bachi, who stepped backwards. The Pokemon roared in pain as the paralysis overtook his trembling body. With a smile, Tag recalled Bachi to the pokeball.

Perhaps Cameron expected some praise for finishing the first third of the task, but Tag would only offer the following words: "Kyoko, Sleep Powder." Once again the Rafflesia like pokemon would appear from within the maze, shaking her body rapidly in order to release the pink spores into the air towards Pichu.

[Tymid]

Raven watched the antics with a light smirk on her face. The whole event truly resembled a circus, more than a true battle. While Cameron's poke'mon had managed to paralyze one of Tag's pokemon, the bruiser of a Nidorino called Bachi, the status effect inflicting Gloom and Vulpix were still out there. Worse for Cameron, they were very good at doing what they did, and the poor Electrike was struggling through this whole mess. The eyes of her poke'mon resembled her own, mildly curious. If she were to feel pity for the boy, now would be the time. However, she found it quite a waste of energy to pity those who could help themselves, nor did she know the boy enough to pity him. From what she could tell, he was a boy, trying to teach pets to battle. Not only was he trying to teach them to battle, he was trying to complete an objective against a team of poke'mon that far outmatched his, not only in bond, but in strategy and efficiency. She took the time to ponder if she looked that silly battling, but she shook her head. No...she wasn't a bad battler. The bond with her poke'mon was there, as well as her knowledge of their limits and abilities. She was just used to talking them through it. It was her speed that needed help, not her strategy.

As Kyoko's pink, sleep inducing spores filled the air, she and her two poke'mon yawned broadly. The hazy pink cloud was headed towards the Pichu, and with how discombobulated the mouse poke'mon was, it would stand little to no chance. However, maybe the Pichu would get lucky...or maybe it would scamper over to Cameron, and they would both be put to sleep. Regardless, things were not looking good for the little electric-type team.

Raven was exceptional at unintentionally finding songs that fit the mood; her brain worked in constant shuffle. As she started to sing the upbeat tune, her poke'mon seemed smile and nod their heads with the tempo. A smile rested on her lips as she softly sang the tune, mainly for her own sake; she didn't care if Tag and Cameron were listening or not. She was in a good, excited mood, and she sang in accordance to her mood. She obviously wasn't belting to get attention, but the bouncy melody was definitely a better change to the sounds of decimation she was currently hearing.

...City fog and brave dialogue converge on the frontier...

She continued the song quietly, her pretty voice being the source of head-turns since she was young, but no longer did she sing for people, she sang for herself. Music was still a huge part of her life...but she would never make a career of it again, for reasons that Cameron and Tag had no reason to know, just yet. However, these memories were distant in her mind as the sun peered through the glass, resting warmly on the impromptu maze assembled in the floor. The day was going to get much more hectic from now...so she might as well enjoy the peace at hand by taking the time to savor a melody and taste the sunshine. Maybe this vacation wasn't such a bad idea after all...even though she wasn't doing what she had intended to do in the first place, she had made a new acquaintance, and was slowly coming to understand a spoiled pop-singer. There was hope for him yet, but she would continue to reserve judgement.

She of all people knew that she shouldn't judge. He'd probably been brought up like that his entire life, didn't know any better. She'd been the same way at one point. Unfortunately, it took a moment as traumatic as the one that had happened to her so many years ago to actually change her ways, transforming her into the person she was now. He was still just a kid, she couldn't be too critical. She knew people twice his age that still weren't through growing up. She could only hope that he would find himself before he hurt himself or the people he cared about.

As for Tag, he seemed pretty sure of himself, and Raven liked that immensely. She often pondered if the entire human race had gone completely soft, and here was an exception, much like she was. She already felt a sense of security with the man, which was something she thought was impossible to gain from people anymore. She felt it wholeheartedly with her poke'mon, but people were too manipulative and cruel and selfish...poke'mon were pure friends.

She concluded her song and even though her toe kept tapping to the melody going inside her head, the room fell silent again, save for uttered commands and the sounds of poke'mon battling. She was learning, alright...and she couldn't help but feel excited for what was to come.

[Ganymede]

Grimacing, Cameron unclipped Shep's Luxury ball and returned the Electrike before he could do any damage to himself. He knew that the Confusion and Disability would eventually fade, but he knew how disoriented the Pokemon could get in that amount of time. He'd much rather have him safe in the ball than tearing through the maze, probably injuring himself - and scaring Runner further. Cameron couldn't see the Pichu anymore; he was obviously exercising the belief that if he stayed out of sight, he wouldn't become a target. Something that was not an option, now that he was the last of Cameron's team on the field.

Since Runner was playing the hiding game, Cameron clambered down from his perch atop the bench, letting out a barely audible sigh of relief once he hit the ground. He'd never done well with heights; living in the penthouse was a constant nerve-wracking experience. Terry had all the picture windows in his half of the house knocked out, replaced with smaller, higher panes of glass that let light in without triggering any vertigo. Damian had been furious, saying that it ruined the aesthetics of the building and that Cameron had better have a good concert to repay him for the 'damages' to his beloved skyscraper.

Back in the maze, Runner's heart was beating so rapidly in his small chest that the rodent feared it would overwork and stop. The short battle against Bachi had been a small victory; there was no way Runner would be able to complete the task at hand...especially now that Shep was gone. The Pichu sat down under the upturned bucket that was his hidey-hole and pressed his paws against his closed eyes, shuddering and fighting the urge to cry. He should just go out there and give up - how did he expect to win this?

...Cheer up and dry your damp eyes
And tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you
And shoot it through your veins...

An ear perked up. Runner's paw slowly slipped from his left eye, the teary brown orb staring at the bucket wall. The sound was muffled, but his ears were sensitive enough to still hear it.

Slowly, his heart began to calm.

...Your nerves gather with the altitude
Exhale the stress so you don't come unglued...

The voice was really pretty; Runner was briefly reminded of a recording Cameron had of his mother, before her illness had ravaged her lungs. He could hear a muted voice ordering a Sleep Powder, but Runner wasn't that scared anymore.

Without a single twitch, Runner tipped the bucket over and shot out.


Cameron groaned as Runner squeaked and dived underneath a bucket. "We're never going to win this," he flatly told Shep's ball. "Not with Runner. I swear, he's a off-coloured Whismur or something, all the other Pichus I've seen at least have some courage-"

A melody had started to filter through the air, seemingly wrapping around the room. Cameron had always prided himself on being fairly accurate at telling how musically talent someone was, but this took the cake. The music hit him almost like a physical blow - Raven hadn't mentioned anything about being able to sing earlier, and he could hear why - people with a voice that good rarely wanted others putting their fingers all over their lives. The strangest thing was, Cameron swore he'd heard her sing before, albeit the song he'd heard had been at a slightly higher pitch. Not from Damian; if that bastard had known Raven, then she would've been tangled in the complicated web that was Petropolis' music industry. Not Terry, either; she didn't listen to anything that Cameron didn't ask her to. Maybe Elia's music collection? Just the thought of the dusty, shelf-lined room next to the nursery sent shivers up Cameron's spine. The room had been abandoned after his mother's death, the vast cache of music left to rot.

A yellow bolt jolted Cameron from his deepening thoughts. Runner had burst out from under the bucket, weaving between the obstacles in the maze with frightening speed. Blinking, Cameron studied the look on Runner's face - not the usual fright, but a weird look of determination. His ears were pressed flat against his head to minimize drag, but Cameron could tell from the way they were held that the Pichu was listening intently to Raven's song. The most shocking thing of all was where Runner was heading - he was going straight for Kyoko.

"Uh, Thundershock!" Cameron managed to shout, watching in awe as Runner leapt onto a potted plant, zooming underneath the pink cloud of spores. The Pichu's eyes began to droop, but he fought sleep. The song had replaced his fear with adrenaline, but he knew it wouldn't last long; he could only do so much before he was utterly exhausted. He'd rest after the challenge was done (but first, he'd try to get Raven to sing again. He hoped she knew how to speak Pichu.).

As soon as he saw the yellow-spotted petals, the tiny electric mouse let out a jumble of sparks. His cheeks glowed yellow as the miniature lightning bolts zeroed in on the Gloom, moving behind a chair without waiting to see the results.

[Kamaitachi]

Tag seemed, as always, unnervingly calm. He paid the music Raven sang absolutely no heed: why bother with yet another distraction? With Bachi out of the picture, he was down to two pokemon. Of course, he hadn't intended to use a single combat move the entire time, to take it easy on the two electric pokemon. However, this would not be the case when the actual battle occurred. This battle, in his mind, was already won. The real battle, later, would be much harder, and he was already formulating strategies.

For instance: There were at least Nine men. Hopefully the three he had met outside the meeting point were merely transporters, and not involved in the sales aspect. However, he had to plan for the potential of Nine men, each with potentially six pokemon. That meant there was a chance that the 8 pokemon team he'd assembled with Raven and Cameron would be up against what could be Fifty-Four opposing pokemon. Luckily, he had a good stock of healing supplies, and would need to use them generously. But if he could conserve them, especially earlier on, he and his lot would be at an advantage.

What was he working with: Requiem and Aria were spirited, if inexperienced. That would count for something. At the very least, the way the Totodile's protective nature towards fellow abused pokemon was something he'd have to rely on. Aria seemed the far less mature of the two, and Tag figured that a Shinx of her level probably did not know any electric moves to be of benefit. The two would serve as de-buffers. Leer would more than likely be their most helpful asset.

Runner and Shep. Two inexperienced electric pokemon. Tag had already long since decided that their battle usefulness would come in terms of Thunder Wave. Here, he was attempting to teach Cameron how to make use of it, while showing him just how easily it could be shut down. He doubted that the other trainers were as tactically gifted as himself, but even still, the possibility would arise. Something of a grim smile appeared on his face when he heard the command for Thundershock. He had hoped the kid would use Thunder Wave to guarantee the paralysis.

Kyoko merely shrugged as the weak jolt of electricity ran over her. As a grass type pokemon, she boasted a strong resistance to electrical assault. Her pink spores washed over the Pichu, potentially ending the training routine, but the little mouse pokemon seemed adamant in staying awake and fulfilling his duty. A rare moment of courage from the normally cowardly Pichu. Tag's heart glowed at the thought of Cameron's pokemon turning out to be a fantastic battler. Meanwhile, Kyoko showed little signs of the thundershock having any effect whatsoever.

"Kyoko, Retreat. Tobi, Hypnosis."

Tobi, perched up on the maze walls, moved swiftly over to the area where the pink spores had floated up. With a swish of his tails, he fanned away some offending spores, and leapt down onto the ground in front of Runner, on the same side of the chair as he was hiding, covering Kyoko's somewhat...waddly...retreat. His eyes glowed a soft blue, shooting out a ring of blue light. If the sleep powder hadn't taken over him yet, the hypnosis would hit first before those eyes closed, sealing the deal. If not, it didn't matter. The battle would be over either way, and Tag was merely saving his last two pokemon from the pains of paralysis.

With that done, Kyoko leapt into the air, only to be struck by the recall beam from Tag's pokeball, and the Vulpix leapt back up onto a couch to be struck by a similar beam. Tag looked across the field to Cameron and nodded.

"Not bad. Short simple commands are the best. It was a wise move to recall Shep, and your Runner was much braver than I'd given him credit for. Well done."

With that, he handed the three pokeballs in his possession to the Nurse Joy. Tag would reach in and pick up the now more than likely asleep Pichu and hold him in his arms whilst the Chansey Army moved about, returning all the furniture to their original positions. The chair that Bachi hit had not been destroyed, but would more than likely be a little creaky for the rest of its life in the Pokemon Center.

Tag's mind continued plotting a strategy for the upcoming battle...and suddenly an idea dawned on him.

"Nurse." He turned to the Joy before she left. "Do any of your Chansey know the moves Aromatherapy or Heal Bell?"

"...um yes, a few do, actually." Nurse Joy smiled "It's almost required here, since there a many pokemon who get poisoned due to the pollution."

"Allow me to borrow one for the battle. She will more than likely just be a field medic for our own pokemon."

Joy signalled to one of her Nurse Chanseys, who immediately moved over to Tag, smiling brightly and hopping up towards Tag, chiming in her ever pleasant Chansey tones.

Once the 'battle arena' had been cleared, Tag walked over to Cameron, gently handing him the sleeping bundle in his arms "Heal them up. Their main job is to paralyze as many of the oponents pokemon as they can. Runner will work with Suzu, Shep will work with Tobi." He turned to Raven "I want Requiem and Aria to focus on using leer, to lower the enemy defenses. Requiem will pair up with Kyoko, and Aria with Bachi. Suzu will more than likely carry Runner around while she flies, granting him mobility, and generally keeping him from harm. Her Supersonic and his Thunderwave will easily cripple opponents. Shep and Tobi are both swift pokemon. They can inflict the same statuses, but they will have to move quickly on the ground. Requiem and Aria are more mobile than Kyoko and Bachi, so Requiem will leer, Kyoko will inflict Status. They'll have to work together to defend one another. Same with Aria and Bachi. Bachi will protect Aria while she lowers defenses, then let him smash through their guards: He's very good at that. I'll have Chansey on full time Aromatherapy and Heal Bell support, to make sure our team isn't crippled by statuses as well."

He looked to the two trainers to see if they were following. "We are up against, potentially, nine trainers with six pokemon each. That could mean we're facing up to fifty-four enemies. However, with proper strategy, we'll take them down. Not to mention, there's the slight chance that Clem, Petrol and Stretch will be out for revenge too, so we must be on our guard. We'll take them all in as small of groups as we can. If we can catch one or two outside on their own, it would be ideal to thinning them out..." Once again, he paused to see if Cameron and Raven were following along. It was odd. He felt like a general issuing out orders like this before a big battle, which essentially, he was.

"I'm sorry. This was as good of a plan as I can think of. Any thoughts?"

As if on cue, Suzu came floating in through the doors, alighting gently at Tag's feet. She nodded in what appeared to be a grim gesture, indicating that she'd found them. With a pat on her insectoid head, Tag recalled her to her pokeball, tossing it over to Nurse Joy.

"As soon as our pokemon are ready, we head out."

[Tymid]

Raven continued to sing, all the while tilting her head curiously at the transformation she witnessed from the Pichu. She had known that music was a universal language, but she couldn't help but smile as the yellow blur sent a beam of tiny sparks towards the Gloom, which seemed to bounce off like water off of a duck's back. As the Pichu fell into slumber from the Vulpix's Hypnosis move, Raven came to realize that the battle was over. Shifting the Totodile in her arms, she clapped, moving towards Cameron, just as Tag was bringing over the sleeping Pichu. She weaved through the Chansey-powered furniture to stand next to Cameron, slightly in front of him, so that when Tag made it over, they made a small triangle. "Not bad, not bad at all..." she said, hesitantly patting him on the shoulder. She knew how rough it could be to watch your poke'mon get hurt, and know there's nothing you could do about it. In this case, she was mildly sympathetic.

As Tag began to speak to her, she turned to him with a "Hm?" before listening to what he had to say. Aria was worriedly sniffing up at the sleeping electric fellow above her, but when she heard her name, she responded with a "Shi?" Requiem, with his stoic look, eyed Tag suspiciously as he handed over the Pichu, but snapped up his eyes when he heard his name. A low growl emitted from the Totodile, his top, scaly lip curling back in a leery snarl. Raven stroked the top of his head to calm him, and slowly, the growling stopped.

Requiem had no problem working with other poke'mon...he actually preferred it, other than working with his darling Raven of course. But...here was this...man, presuming he could order around his wonderful, charming Raven with such haughtiness. This man with the oddly marked face should consider himself lucky that his Raven was holding him back.

Aria was preoccupied with a piece of string on the floor. Raven would tell her what to do when the time came. Yup. No need to worry about it now.

Raven listened to the strategy, nodding her head at certain parts she particularly agreed with. Yeah, it sounded like a good plan. Her poke'mon would stay safe, and she'd still be helping. Short, simple, and with a (hopefully) happy ending. She stayed quiet up until she heard "I'm sorry. This was as good of a plan as I could think of. Any thoughts?"

Raven, while setting the Totodile down and reaching for her poke'balls to recall them, seemed to be thinking. She knelt down by her poke'mon, and looked up to Tag, holding up a finger in pause. "Hold that thought." she said softly, before turning to her two poke'mon who were waiting for orders. Both looked at her, each in their own, loving ways. "You guys will do great." she began, smiling at the two of them. "Did you both hear what the nice man said about what to do?" Aria responded with an excited "Shi!", and Requiem, giving her a look as though contemplating about whether nice was the proper word, reluctantly grunted his assent. "Okay, good. Do what he said. I'll be right there with you. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" she said quietly, a very earnest look in her eyes. Both nodded eagerly; they were obviously ready to do whatever needed to be done to help those poke'mon. Raven first recalled Aria, and then pulled out Requiem's poke'ball. Requiem seemed to be shuffling in place, looking quite conflicted with himself. "You've gotta' trust me on this one, Req'." she whispered, reaching out to touch his nose with her fingertip. Without pause, he mimicked the move, turning his head so that his seeing eye was facing her, showing he understood.

Raven recalled Requiem, and rose to her feet to face Tag. She clipped the two poke'balls to her hip, before giving him a placid, calm look. "Firstly, don't be sorry. It's a good idea. Going into battle with apologies is never a good idea. Secondly, I understand everything you're saying, and just so you know, I'm clear on the plan of action. I'll do the best I can." she stated calmly, before walking away from him, without waiting for a response. She stood by the door, looking outside with an air of inner calm that belied her previous emotions. This was the true Raven, the Raven that knew she had to fight, the Raven that knew, somehow, she had to win. After a while of self-contemplation, she finally turned back to Cameron and Tag.

"Ready when you are, boys."

[Ganymede]

Cameron watched rather dejectedly as Runner finally fell into sleep under Tobi's gaze. As Tag recalled his Pokemon the boy had the sudden, intense urge to fire him, even opening his mouth before realising how phenomenally stupid that would be. For one, Tag wasn't even an employee. Force of habit, I guess. Kicking at a pebble on the floor, Cameron thought about what would happen next. Once the nurses took care of his Pokemon - and the maze - they'd probably be off to rescue the captured Pokemon. Although leery to go outside (Petrol was out there waiting, after all), he knew that he'd have to leave the dusty old Pokemon Centre sooner or later, especially if he wanted a decent shower soon.

"Not bad. Short simple commands are the best. It was a wise move to recall Shep, and your Runner was much braver than I'd given him credit for. Well done."

The words tugged at Cameron, bringing a soft smile to his lips. Damian had never had the time to play battle with him, and Terry's Pokemon were more concerned with preventing injury than helping Cameron train. A Chansey not busy moving furniture came over and took Shep's ball, waddling over to where Tag's Pokemon were also being treated. Just a quick touch-up - no extensive injuries; not like the previous night.

Leaning down, Tag picked up the slumbering Pichu and made his way across the rapidly disassembling maze, holding out the yellow Pokemon once he got over to Cameron and Raven.

"Heal them up. Their main job is to paralyze as many of the opponent's Pokemon as they can. Runner will work with Suzu, Shep will work with Tobi. I want Requiem and Aria to focus on using leer, to lower the enemy defenses. Requiem will pair up with Kyoko, and Aria with Bachi. Suzu will more than likely carry Runner around while she flies, granting him mobility, and generally keeping him from harm. Her Supersonic and his Thunderwave will easily cripple opponents. Shep and Tobi are both swift Pokemon. They can inflict the same statuses..."

Holding Runner close, Cameron nodded where he felt it necessary. He was used to being the one giving orders, not taking them, but he had next to no battling experience, and there was a hell of a lot more than an angry audience or a broken speaker to worry about this time. One slip up, and...well, Petrol's knife had looked very sharp. A Nurse - her bubblegum-pink hair streaked with grey - took Runner and handed Shep back to Cameron. He immediately released the Electrike so the electric hound could get in on the plan. Shep panted and wagged his tail, but Cameron could tell from his stance that he was paying attention to Tag. Shep had always been on the dim side (Cameron remembered the time he'd run into the glass door after a romp in the rooftop gardens), but when it came down to the wire, he could almost be a genius. As if one cue, Shep turned and barked at his tail, growling softly when it kept wagging. Almost.

"Here you go, dear." Cameron felt a familiar weight on his shoulder and turned to see the elderly Nurse smile at him before moving off. Tag was just finishing his battle plan.

"I'm sorry. This was as good of a plan as I could think of. Any thoughts?"

"Firstly, don't be sorry. It's a good idea." Raven looked strangely calm, her Pokemon now clipped to her belt. "Going into battle with apologies is never a good idea. Secondly, I understand everything you're saying, and just so you know, I'm clear on the plan of action. I'll do the best I can."

Cameron nodded, absentmindedly scratching behind Runner's ears. "I've got it. And..." He glanced at Raven. "...I'll do my best, too."

☼

The helicopter idea had been scrapped, much to Damian's anger. A tropical thunderstorm had drifted up from the southern coast, effectively cutting off the sky route from Petropolis to Lenolia. Even the buses had been canceled, stating that the safety of their passengers was more important than maintaining their perfect schedules. After an argument that lasted nearly an hour, Terry had convinced Damian to hold off the rescue for another day and that when it was finally launched, they'd use the large, nondescript vans the private corps had commissioned years ago.

"He could be dead by now! Do you know how much Ramirez Music would lose if-"

"Eron is not your pawn!" Terry shouted, slamming her fist on Damian's desk. Her accent, normally hidden by her soft voice, came out in full force. "He's not some puppet for you to make money off of; he's a human and-"

"I don't think you understand, Ingress," Damian hissed, ice-blue eyes narrowing. Terry mimicked the movement - if Damian was using her last name, he was about to go nuclear. "He is my son, and if I remember correctly, Eria assigned me as his legal guardian when she died-"

"Because she thought you'd take care of him!" Terry exploded. "She thought you'd love him and try to make him happy, but instead you use him like a damned toy!"

Damian's Persian paced behind the desk, fur standing on end. Her master's anger subsided, turning into an eerie calm. "Well, then. I guess I'll have to show you that I do care." The tall, gaunt man swiveled around, facing the picture windows that gave him a view of the whole of Petropolis. A flash of lightning lit up the darkened southern sky and a chill went up Terry's spine. Whatever Damian Ramirez was planning, it couldn't be good. Her options were quickly running out.

Excusing herself in the most mocking way possible, Terry left the room and stood in the hallway, taking a deep breath. Her Blissey stood nearby, a worried look on her face. Opening her eyes, Terry stared straight ahead, blue-green eyes narrowed.

"Blissey, go get Togekiss. I need to send a letter."

[Kamaitachi]

Tag felt a slight surge of hope for the oncoming battle. The training session with Cameron had been brief, but the boy was already beginning to show very rudimentary grasps at how to battle. This remained the main reason why Tag had made sure to pair each of his pokemon with one of Raven's or Cameron's; he could not let the two and their inexperience hinder their plan. He could use their fire power, but only if they could use it effectively.

Nurse Joy returned shortly thereafter with the now healed pokemon and nodded to the party, clenching her fists and giving them a determined nod.

"Knock'em Dead!" Perhaps the Nurse Joy had a lot at stake in this too. Tag figured that the poor Nurse rarely saw any victories in her end of the world; Lenoilia was a depressing place, and surely the Joy had lost her fair share of her own various battles. Not like, Pokemon Battle, but rather battles against infections, malnutrition, various maladies, and downright cruel treatment to pokemon. She needed this to be a victory. It would more than likely be all the worse for her morale if they failed. Tag silently hoped that they wouldn't disappoint her.

Tag summoned Suzu from her portable home, greeting her with an extended arm, hand balled into a fist. The Five Star pokemon fist-bumped him softly with one of her white little hands, then turned, heading out the door. The thought that Petrol and his Motley Crew would be the first thing he saw bothered him, simply because he did not have the energy or time to waste on that fight right now.

Suzu floated forward, buzzing excitedly in the air as she began to lead the team towards their destination. Tag and his temporary Chansey Ally were leading the two, following as close behind the floating Ledian as they possibly could. Hopefully, Raven and Cameron could keep up with the pace...it didn't seem too particularly quick, but it was still something of a light jog.

Before long, they arrived at a fairly nondescript alleyway. Trash lay around everywhere, and probably had been there for quite a long time. Tag gently ignored the stench, the flies and even what the corner of his eye thought were writhing pieces of rice in one particular trash can. These would all be distractions.

"Hmph." He grunted as he stared down the alleyway. Suzu pointed, indicating that the 'enemy' was in the adjoining clearing just at the end of this alley. "How many" He held out an open hand, awaiting an answer. Suzu floated down, alighting in front of him and tapping his hand 8 times. "All in the courtyard?" She nodded. "Any inside?" She held her hands in what was suspiciously an "I don't know" pose. Tag nodded, frowning. "Alright guys, pokemon at the ready, let's try and draw one or two into the alleyway before we engage them."

* * *

He gave the team a moment to quietly assemble, letting them work up their nerve or resolve. In his case, he almost couldn't contain his excitement. The planning of this battle had been rather slap-dash, running almost purely on instinct, and here it was, the culmination of said slipshod planning. He would see if this worked at all, and to be honest, it really got his blood running. This uphill battle with two fairly new trainers would be one of the more challenging things to date. He looked at the four teams assembled, and signaled for Tobi to move towards the courtyard clearing. "Tobi, Ember, then retreat." The adorable fox nodded and bounded forward towards the end of the alleyway.

Fire swirled up in his mouth before he even broke into the clearing. Sure enough, there were 8 men in the outdoor 'courtyard'. It looked like it was once the entryway to an office building, with all sorts of once magnificent overhangs and long dried out fountains overgrown with weeds and tanglebush. The Vulpix let out a little bark, spraying little bullets of fire in all directions. There was a general yelp of panic as the 8 turned to see the Vulpix tails disappeared into the alley. Two of the grunts yelled and gave chase. One wore a blue bandana around his right arm, the other a red bandana around his neck. They each summoned a pokemon as the ran; a Murkrow and a Houndour, both looking rather mean, albeit slightly unkempt. It was clear that they had not been treated much better than the captive pokemon in the cages.

As the two entered the alleyway, Tag motioned with a raised hand. "Let's go. Suzu, Supersonic the Houndour. Tobi, Confuse Ray the Murkrow." His two pokemon sprung into action, firing off their attacks with gusto. The Murkrow and Houndour reeled back, hit dead on by the ambush of confusing attacks. "Cameron, get to work. Raven, remove Houndour."

This would be interesting, issuing commands to both his pokemon, and to his fellow teammates. He had assumed the role of squad leader, and was now determined not to let them down.

[Tymid]

Raven continued her silence, remaining statuesque until the sliding glass doors opened, and she followed Tag and Cameron outside. She stayed to the rear, following at a close and steady trot, the lackadaisical expression on her face defying her ever-alert senses. From experience, she knew that any sort of expression around this kind of folk would lead to trouble, so naturally, lack thereof would confuse them.

As they arrived at the alleyway, Raven idled by kicking aside a beer bottle, keeping her eyes on the Ledian and her "conversation" with Tag. The smell and the trash didn't seem to bother her in the least; in fact, it seemed that she was moving around a bit more than she had been in the Poke'center. She stopped pushing around a piece of crumpled paper with her toe as she heard Tag speak. Yet again, she did not respond vocally, she simply gave him a clipped nod, before placing her hand at the two poke'balls at her waist. She stroked them gently, before removing each one and releasing the Poke'mon inside.

Requiem and Aria both looked up at her, a glimmering eagerness in their eyes. Requiem looked more serious than normal, and even Aria was resisting the urge to pounce merrily upon a shiny something. They both had a sincere focus in their eyes, and to this, Raven's lips curled upwards in a tiny smile. There was no need to speak, Raven just knelt down and touched Requiem's nose with her fingertip, and he reached out a claw and touched hers. In a soft, low purr, she "spoke" to the Shinx, who responded with what seemed like a nod, and a determined Shinx-smile. This was where she could implement the part of her training that Tag or Cameron had not yet seen, something that she had reserved for just such a tense occasion.

Raven snapped her fingers once, and pointed to Kyoko, the Gloom. The almost silent command sent Requiem over to the Gloom, standing at the ready. Raven then made a clicking noise with her tongue and cheek, and pointed to the intimidating Bachi, to which Aria bounded over energetically. As Tobi dashed and startled the first group of villains, Raven, in the din of the rush of flame, the startled yells, and the shuffling of feet, Raven whistled twice, two, clipped, high pitched sounds that while piercing, didn't draw too much attention to herself. As soon as the last whistle sounded, both of her poke'mon assumed what looked to be a battle stance; they both planted their feet firmly, leaning forward slightly in an offensive stance.

Yeah. This was going to work.

For a while, Raven had been working with non-verbal communication in training her poke'mon. Now, she knew that in a formal trainer battle, this would not be fair to use. However, in emergency situations, she knew that it was better to keep the enemy guessing. It would be a tactical advantage, at least.

As soon as her eyes fell upon the Murkrow and Houndour, she smiled. Not a bad matchup, to say the least. If only Aria had electric moves. Oh, well. She was young. She would learn. Raven snapped, and she saw Requiem's foot stomp to show that he heard. She was still surprised that he could recognize the tambre of her finger snapping; she had tested it a few times with some of her street friends, with them snapping at him. She mixed it up each time, never falling in the same order, and somehow, the 'Dile recognized her every time. Perhaps it was due to his blindness that his hearing was so keen--or maybe he was just that smart. Either way, she had gotten the confirmation that she needed, and proceeded to produce a keen, trilling whistle, followed by a vocal "Houndour!". Requiem launched a powerful jet of water towards the Houndour, the force of it so strong that the mist from the corners of his mouth sprayed gently upon the Gloom's body. This was when she heard Tag state his command to her, after she had already dispatched the attack. She turned her head to him, and hollered "Don't worry about me, Tag! I know what I can handle and what I can't. If I need you, I'll let you know. Focus on your team and Cameron's."

She didn't wait for a response, and instead turned to Aria, making the loud, popping sound with her tongue and cheek. Aria's tail waved back and forth in confirmation, and Raven proceeded to emit a cry that sounded like "He-EY!", with a lower pitched first syllable, and a higher pitched, louder second syllable, followed by a vocal "Murkrow!". The little Shinx narrowed her eyes, and proceeded to Leer menacingly at the Murkrow, baring her little teeth and bristling the fur on her back. Raven smirked to herself as the Murkrow, who had recently been hit with Confuse Ray, shook it's head in confusion before it's rolling eyes settled on the Shinx. With a shaky "Krow!" it staggered back in it's lack of coordination, stumbling over it's own tailfeathers and landing squarely on it's rump. As Raven checked to see the status of the Houndour...well, it simply looked like a steaming pile of...Houndour.

At this slight moment of reprieve, she looked over to see how Tag and his team was doing. She hoped that by telling him not to worry about her, he would actually follow through, considering the fact that simply because her poke'mon were young, she, herself knew how to manage battle tactics very well. Also, she knew about poke'mon battles, how they worked, type balances and other facts, due to hours and hours of studying. She was only limited by her poke'mon's effort and moves. She would continue to stick to Leer, like he had directed, unless there was an obvious type-difference, such as the case of Houndour and Totodile. However, she was knowledgeable enough to know when to use her type advantages, and when to stick to the plan.

Raven's eyes and visage remained focused, directed on the task at hand. So far, so good. She could only hope that they would continue to be so lucky.

[Ganymede]

Cameron jogged after Tag, Shep at his heels and Runner on his shoulder. The Electrike's expression was both serious and excited - Cameron hoped, for Shep's sake, that he wouldn't get confused again. That seemed to be happening a little too often. His thoughts, however, soon turned to scanning every potential hiding place in the area. Cameron had no doubts that if he strayed from his impromptu guardians even for a second, Petrol's knife would be at his throat. Gritting his teeth, Cameron moved closer to Tag, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Raven was still behind him.

Suzu rounded a corner and stopped, wings keeping her aloft. She had led the trio and their Pokemon to a foul-smelling alley. Shep whined softly and covered his nose with one paw; Runner made a small noise and moved closer to Cameron, his short, crackling fur brushing Cameron's cheek and sending a tingle through his body. The teenager cringed - he was rich and famous, why did he have to slog through that crap and battle a bunch of dangerous men?

Because it's the right thing to do, the voice in the very back of his head whispered, soft as snow. It sounded eerily like Cameron's mother's voice. Steeling himself, he nudged Shep in the side and gently brushed Runner's fur down.

"Steady," he murmured. Eight. Eight men and their Pokemon had to fall before they could make their way inside. And even more could join; for Cameron, this was already looking like a no-win situation. If it wasn't for the threat of Petrol, Clem, and Stretch lying in wait, he would've bolted.

"Alright guys, pokemon at the ready, let's try and draw one or two into the alleyway before we engage them."

Then there was a whirl of fire, and chaos broke out.

Raven's Pokemon were already on the attack, and Cameron could tell that Tag's weren't far behind. Blinking, he hung back for just a moment - enough for a knife to come whizzing out of nowhere, slicing through the shoulder of his shirt. Runner, on the other shoulder, gave a start and nearly fell off, clutching at Cameron's shirt tightly. Shep barked and darted into the haze of water and fire, searching for his battlemate, sending out small waves of electricity as he ran. A Buizel rushed to the scene, a small jet of water pouring from its mouth - right at Tobi. Leaping in the way, Shep took the brunt of the attack, the water simply sliding right off his fur. Glancing down at the wet splotch on the ground, the Electrike's mouth pulled into what was a close resemblance to a smirk, and sent a Thunder Wave down it. The Buizel shook violently as his muscles seized, and stood there helplessly as the battle raged on.

"Cameron, get to work. Raven, remove Houndour."

"On it," Cameron shouted, surprised at how shaky his voice sounded. With a nod he felt Runner's paws dig into his shoulder before the electric mouse leapt off, making a beeline for the Ledian.

"Uh, Shep! Stay with Tobi! Watch his sides!"