united_one | [ action ] The Heinous Plot part 3

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[ action ] The Heinous Plot part 3

Miror B. paced along the edge of a campsite tucked away in the trees of Lostlorn Forest. He lacked his usual rhythm, and appeared to be deep in a rather annoying line of thought. A Combusken followed behind him, occasionally stopping to glare off into the woods and raise his claws menacingly whenever a Pidove or other equally harmless woodland creature made a noise. This wasn't helping Miror's mood. He rolled his eyes at the overeager Pokemon and turned randomly back towards the tents, leaving Combusken scrambling to catch up.

Kidnapping Paprika had been a stroke of genius, he thought, grinning a bit as he remembered his increasingly amusing conversations with N. Treating her like a guest rather than a hostage had been laziness. He didn't have to keep her locked up or extend any energy to prevent escapes; all he had to do was lie, which was as easy as breathing, really. The problem was, he realized as he stood tapping his foot impatiently near his tent; the problem was, no one was taking him seriously! N was taking far, far too long to comply, and why shouldn't he? Paprika was doing fine. There was no hurry.

Well, then! Today would be the day. Today he'd make sure everyone knew he was oh-so-serious. Putting his hands on his hips, he smiled deviously and called out: "Paprika! Get over here. Resix, you, too."

((I only realized I wrote this in prose after I finished so I HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T MIND PROSE LOL. This will in all probability be the final part of the Heinous Plot -- aka feel free to jump in any time, N and co.))

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[Proto Man gives her a quick shake.] Do you honestly think you're in a position to be asking questions? [Hostages these days, honestly.] Hey, boss. What're we going to do with them? [No one was getting hurt on his watch, and that included Pokemon.]

[Miror slips the Pokeballs into his pocket, giving Paprika an amused, sarcastic look that doesn't conceal his true ire at the question very well.] Fuhohoho! Oh, darling; how incredibly naive of you! No, no; that's not it at all! [He frowns slightly. He knows exactly why N annoys him so much. In a brand new world where everything was looking up, where all his past failures were forgotten and everyone he met seemed so willing to do his bidding, N was the only one who threatened to tear it all down.

Oh, yes, he'd almost definitely blown the small amount of resistance out of proportion, but the self-righteous brat he'd heard on the Xtransceiver all those months ago reminded him so much of Michael that it had made him a bit obsessive. And he knew all that, but that definitely wasn't something you could go admitting aloud.] I'm just proving a point here. I mean, really, like I care about the silly League. [Okay, he does care a little.

He turns to Proto Man.] What are we going to do with them! Oh, it has to be good. Oh, oh, I just wish I could make Shadow Pokemon properly! That would be oh-so-perfect. Oh well. I suppose I'll just have to, I don't know. Kill them? Seems pointless. [He starts to wander off, talking aloud about his options.] I mean, what good are dead Pokemon? Useless! No, no; I won't kill them. Well, not all of them, anyway. Fuhohoho!

[Thoroughly rattled, Paprika would probably be crying if she wasn't too scared to even think of it. She's already completely forgotten that there are any alternatives to freaking out over the abrupt downwards spiral this series of events has taken, but it's not too likely that anyone's just going to pop up to rescue her in the middle of some creepy forest. Still, a jolt of alarm goes through her when Miror B suggests killing her Pokemon--she's been a crappy Trainer to them, but that doesn't mean they should get hurt for it.]

Woah, dude, t-they're living things man you're totally off your rocker they didn't even do anything!

[She's babbling, and it's pretty obvious she doesn't really know what she's getting at, but the idea that Miror B would seriously consider killing her weird super-monster-animals is just plain horrifying to her.]

[Just as Paprika finishes her sentence, there is a sudden, fast rustling in the trees above her. The violence of the movement is enough to send a shower of leaves scattering over the group below. Before there is too much time to wonder about what exactly is up there, it shows itself: a Darmanitan. A very angry Darmanitan.

She leaps out of the trees, surprisingly nimble considering her size, and crashes down to the forest floor before Paprika and Resix. She gives a deep, vengeful bellow in Miror B.'s direction. In a moment, her comrade shows up-- a Sigilyph-- which floats down from the trees with a bit more grace, and flies in a quick circle around Paprika and Resix, making affirmative chiming sounds. It doesn't take long for Darmanitan to make a first move, lunging at Miror B. with a fist alight with flames. Darmanitan used Fire Punch!

Looks like a mini cavalry has arrived. What was that about a rescue being unlikely?]

[This was unexpected. As he looks from the monkey attacking Miror to the bird circling him and Paprika, he's faced with two options: fight or flight. Not much of a choice. He drops the girl and makes a straight dash for the cover of the trees.]

Ambush! Scatter!

What! No! [Somewhat shocked by the unexpected intrusion, Miror B. merely takes a few, uncertain steps away from the attacking Darmanitan. Luckily for him, his Combusken is loyal to a fault and rushes in to dramatically push Miror aside and take the Fire Punch himself. The Pokemon is thrown back by the force of the attack, only its resistance to fire keeping it from fainting outright. After sliding painfully on the ground, it shakily attempts to get back to its feet, but is suddenly recalled to its Pokeball.

Miror B. quickly trades out Combusken's Pokeball for two more, and releases both of his Lombre to stand between him and Darmanitan.] Lefty, Righty; Fake Out these two wretched intruders. [With a furious glare towards the retreating Proto Man, Miror quickly moves toward Paprika. He grabs her arm roughly and drags her toward him.] Oh, no; you're not going anywhere.

[As the two Lombre rush toward Sigilyph and Darmanitan to carry out their orders, Miror tries to make sense of the chaos. These can't be wild Pokemon! So what was happening? The police? Where was the trainer? He begins to back up towards the woods, himself, holding Paprika in front of him like a human shield.]

Wait, I--

[She's cut off abruptly when Miror B yanks her to the side, his grip on her arm surprisingly painful coming from someone she's previously presumed to have no physical strength whatsoever. The weird bird thing that had been flying around her seemed kind of familiar, but she's not exactly in a state to think about it hard enough to remember if she's seen the thing before. Still, even Paprika can realize she's pretty much a meat shield right now, so she's just not going to move, barely even registering Miror B's backwards steps as an indication that she's supposed to be going with him.

((OoC: And if any of N's companions (Hilda, and Dragonite and Thomas if they followed N instead of splitting up at Nimbasa) want to get involved, send me a message or something and we can work something out?))

[Darmanitan gives a frustrated roar when the Combusken takes the hit instead of her target. She's about to lunge forward again, but hesitates when she sees that Miror has gotten a hold of Paprika. Can't use Flare Blitz when the girl is in the way. Taken off guard, she staggers back as the Fake Out hits her. The Sigilyph does the same, unable to escape the attack. As it tumbles back through the air, it makes a series of shrill chiming cries-- like an alarm.

As Miror B. steps back, he might notice another flash of movement-- something in the trees-- before a figure emerges from the dark. It's N, looking a bit out of breath after running after his Pokemon, with a Minun perched on his shoulder. He looks over the Miror and Paprika, and smiles in relief for a fraction of a second. There is Miror B., and Paprika is alive. It's almost laughable, finally seeing Miror's appearance. It's so very... flashy. Draws the eye. It almost reminds him of his father's extravagant manner of dress. The next moment, his expression is vengeful.]

My friends have surrounded you. A foolish decision-- to make your hideout here. [He gestures with one hand to the forest around him, and the Minun gives an affirmative "Mi-nun!"] Release her. Now.

[Miror turns toward N, instinctively moving Paprika between him and the newcomer. But as he looks over N's appearance, he actually calms a bit. He recalls how Emmet described this most annoying of persons -- long, green hair, casual dress. Why, this was none other than...] N!

[He straightens, feeling a bit more confident as his two Lombre move back near him after attacking Darmanitan and Sigilyph. He pulls Paprika to the side but doesn't let go of her arm, then waves his free hand dismissively as if he couldn't possibly be less concerned about N's claim. Still, as covertly as he can behind his shades, he's searching the surrounding trees for signs of more people and Pokemon.] Oh-so-rude of you to show up like this; I did say to call beforehand. Still, if you're here to pay up we can solve this quite peacefully!

N!

[Admittedly, after hearing what Miror B had said, she'd thought that maybe N had a point in ditching her--heck, she wouldn't have blamed him, really. She's not really sure why he bothered to show up again, but at this point, she doesn't really care. Besides, even when she's scared shitless, Paprika knows how to appreciate a well-executed heroic entrance.]

This guy's, uh, well, he's totally off his rocker, s-so watch out!

[Hilda emerges from the trees a few steps from where N did, just as breathless. Miror could probably see her coming as he scanned, since she pretty much charged in without bothering to try concealing herself. She recognizes Paprika immediately from the illusion form N's Zoroak had taken - so the other man had to be the criminal. He looked extremely out-of-place, she thought, for a criminal. But she was too focused on the scene to pay it much mind.]

Nope! No one came here to "pay up" anything, and you're not taking anyone's Pokemon.

[She's holding an Oshawott, and there's Pokeballs on her belt - they're nothing more than a bluff since the only Pokemon inside them is a Ditto, but it's a bluff nonetheless.]

[N just nods in agreement with Hilda.

Still, what Paprika said is absolutely correct: he has to be careful.] I am well aware of that, Paprika. [He glares at the two, eyes darting about as he tries to formulate a plan. He would just attack outright-- scare Miror away-- but he can't while Paprika is in the way.

Meanwhile, Sigilyph and Darmanitan recover from the hits they took, but don't move too far, only following after the Lombre so they surround Miror on the side parallel to N.]

I already said that I have no intention of following your orders, Miror B. Let Paprika and her Pokemon go... or my friends and I shall have to force them from you. [The Minun on his shoulders bristles, and Darmanitan and Sigilyph both give corresponding battle cries.]

[Miror warily watches the Sigilyph and Darmanitan circling around him. Now there was another person involved, some girl. Another trainer. Damn it! He could handle one trainer; he and N's teams couldn't possibly be too different in level. Being outright attacked by Pokemon is making him uneasy, though; he'd dealt with that kind of thing before, back in Orre, but even in that hive of criminals it wasn't something that occurred too often. He certainly hadn't expected it from the kind of person he'd made N out to be in his head.

Trying to keep a handle on the situation, he shrugs nonchalantly, despite being unnerved by the battle cries of the beasts beside him. The Lombre look back to their trainer, not sure how to proceed. Miror adjusts his grip on Paprika's arm, and moves his free hand to his pocket with the rest of his teams' Pokeballs.]

Now, hold on, darling; no need to get violent. How about we talk this out, hmm? There's no way you attack me while I've got Paprika here. [He feels in his pocket, trying to think what Pokemon could possibly help him out of this situation. Deftly, he pulls out a Pokeball and threw it to the ground, releasing Claydol.] And especially not when Claydol will Selfdestruct if I feel things are getting out of hand!

[Oh, wow, seems like things are looking up and IS THAT A POKEMON BOMB WOAH SHIT NOT COOL. Not terribly interested in exploding, her brain kickstarts back into a better semblance of functionality, and she begins to struggle against Miror B's grip.]

Holy shit, dude, okay, this is just crazy!

[Hilda winces, and glances toward N. That's unexpected and kind of horrible. It wouldn't be hard for the guy to use the Claydol's Selfdestruct as a decoy to flee himself, and that wasn't good at all. She had been thinking a good Water Gun, if nothing else, could at least flatten that afro... But that was out of the question now.

She holds up a hand in front of herself, with an open palm.] Paprika, wait. Please don't struggle- We can't have you get hurt.

[N grits his teeth and continues to glower, puzzling over numerous plans in his head. Here, they seem to have a stalemate. He can't attack, but neither can Miror, when he's surrounded by N's Pokemon.]
Tch. Forcing your Pokemon to destroy itself so you can make a getaway... Disgusting and cowardly.

[Behind Miror, Darmanitan growls lowly and raises a fist, readying Hammer Arm--] Darmanitan, no! [Reluctantly, she stops herself. N sighs, trying to collect his thoughts. Hearing Miror call him "violent" is like an insult. N's threats are weak; he still abhors violence. But in what circumstances was it necessary? None, he would have answered. Now, he's unsure. And that disgusts him.

His gaze darts upward, meeting another pair of eyes glowing turquoise in the canopy above him. There's always that-- Zoroark, poised to attack from above. But N looks back ahead.]

Very well. Speak. [He pauses, expectantly, then adds quickly:] No trickery, or I will not stop Darmanitan's next attack. [Darmanitan makes a sound that is something like a gruff laugh. Yeah, she'd like to just smash this guy and get it over with. But that's clearly not going to happen, with that Claydol there.]

[Miror maintains his grip on Paprika's arm, sparing a second to give her an angry look when she begins to struggle. Yes, of course this is crazy! He's been backed into a corner! Well, a metaphorical corner made of a pointy psychic bird and a vengeful fire ape -- the most dangerous corner of all, really, when you think about it.

That is, of course, his mindset when faced with being called cowardly. Personally he thought the Claydol distraction was perfectly brilliant! He glances over his shoulder at Darmanitan, keenly aware that the thing is ready to rip him apart if it gets the chance. True, his Lombre could probably take care of it, but could they do it before he actually got hurt? Just as he's beginning to think he's actually going to have to make Claydol Selfdestruct (which, honestly, would not be ideal) N surprises him by agreeing to talk.

With an unprecedented opportunity to try and wrangle the situation back in his favor, he allows a small smirk at the 'No trickery' addendum.] Wouldn't dream of it, darling!

Now, let's see. Say I do give you back Paprika, hmm? How do I know this over-sized Mankey won't attack me anyway? This isn't exactly a great environment for negotiations, you know; you must be new at this. No, what I need is a bit more of a guarantee.

[Miror thought quickly about the variables that might assist him: the remaining Pokemon of his own team, the outside chance that Resix would defy all expectation and provide assistance (Miror didn't expect much from a Cipher Peon, though.) There was also the fact that N didn't know that Paprika's Pokeballs were currently in his possession... maybe he could work with that. But first to try and get rid of the looming threat of injury.] Call off your goons here and I might consider doing what you ask.

[Reluctantly, Paprika eases off a bit at the advice of the girl with the ponytail, mostly because, for a split, weird second, she'd thought the other girl was Rose. They certainly look a lot alike, though there are obvious differences to set one apart from the other. Not really sure what she's supposed to do with herself when she's being haggled over, Paprika takes a moment to calm herself down--no need to keep freaking out, this is the rescues scene, and those usually go down fine. Well, except for in, say, The Dark Knight, but that movie wasn't as good as everyone said it was. Yeah, no, she's definitely not going to blow up or anything, so it's all good. She's contemplating just kicking Miror B in the nads and running for it while he and N talk, but she remembers her Pokemon with a start. They shouldn't have to deal with this guy just so she can escape! Gingerly, hoping Miror B cares more about N and the not-Rose girl with the huge ponytail, Paprika sidles over to her captor's side and awkwardly eases her hand towards his pocket.]

[Because she had been looking at Paprika when she addressed her, by chance Hilda notices the odd movement of her hand. It takes a moment, but then it clicks in her head. The afro dude has her Pokemon in there! And this Paprika girl is gutsy enough to try to get them back. She looks like just might succeed if they can give her a distraction! ... And what could be a better one than a Pokemon battle?

Hilda crosses her arms and leans on a hip, addressing Miror.] "Call off your goons," you say... We can't do that, you might just run away. [And then she shakes her head, and tilts it to face towards N.] We can't trust this guy, N. We can negotiate, but he's not going to honor it anyway. Don't bother with him.

Let's settle this with a battle, alright? As trainers, it's the only way to solve this. You versus N. That means we won't attack you directly - and if you win, we'll meet your demands. But if N wins, we'll arrest you.

And just one more thing. That Claydol... [She reaches for her only occupied Pokéball, opening it gently in her hand to release Zekrom - or, rather, not really!Zekrom - and places a hand on its side, speaking quietly to it.] You're a Ditto, right? So, do you think you can take the form of that Claydol guy there? [She smiles in relief when her Pokemon obeys without a hitch, its shape morphing back to a Ditto and then to a Claydol, but she quickly attempts to pass it off as a smug grin when she turns to face Miror again. It's not like she didn't know if it would work, or anything.]

Now we've got one too, see. So don't try anything funny.

[Keeping his eyes trained on Miror in a sharp glare, N does take notice of Paprika's movements, and comes to the same conclusion Hilda does. The courage in that movement is a bit surprising to him, especially considering what he had seen of Paprika's interactions with her Pokemon before.

He's about to submit to the demand of calling off Darmanitan and Sigilyph at least, if only to give Miror a false sense of security, but Hilda's words stop him. She's right; he can't trust Miror with that advantage.

N looks at Hilda sidelong, uncertainly. He's impressed with the confidence and ideas she has, but he of course still doesn't approve of the threat of Selfdestruct, even if it would be for his technical benefit. It's a barbaric move, he thinks.

After a moment, he steps forward. A battle-- now that is what he's used to.] That is negotiation enough, isn't it? My friends and I shall battle you. Fair and square. [Still, some uncertainty shows in his eyes. If this match does happen, it would be quite a bit of a gamble.]

[Miror glances furiously at Hilda for having the audacity to interrupt his carefully constructed attempt at negotiation. He'd been so close, too! He could tell that N had been just about to call them off. Damn girl. As Hilda goes on to suggest the battle, Miror returns to watching N, noting, with some amusement, that the two meddling heroes don't seem to be entirely on the same wavelength.]

Oh, that's cute; I win the battle and N has to give me his Pokemon? How nice of you to offer them up for him! [He isn't sure what to make of this new situation. Offering to battle is the usual way of things, sure; especially among nosy little do-gooders like these. He immediately decides to call bluff on their Claydol threat: N has already made it clear that he wouldn't let that come to pass, if only for the Ditto's sake. But N agreeing to a situation where he might lose his Pokemon? That doesn't hold up. N has been nothing if not consistent. What is their angle?

Anyway, agreeing to a battle would probably get Darmanitan and Sigilyph off his back...] Fine, if that's really how you want to settle this. How shall we battle, then? You got a free hit on one of my Pokemon, earlier, you know -- hardly fair and square. [All this thinking and negotiating -- Miror doesn't notice Paprika's attempt to get at the pocket containing her Pokeballs.]

[Considering that Paprika isn't the most subtle at this, it's probably for the best that everyone's distracted. It's kind of hard to miss where the Pokeballs are when the guy you're stealing them from is wearing a tight jumpsuit, but that hardly makes the task more appealing. Actually, it just downright decreases the appeal, and so Paprika's face as her hand slides into Miror B's pocket looks somewhat akin to the expression most people wear when picking up particularly repugnant garbage. She's keeping an ear out on the conversation, but most of it is all Pokemon gobbledeygook to her.]

[As Miror talks, Hilda looks as discreetly as possible at Paprika, anxious to see how her brave efforts are coming along. But the face she's wearing makes the corners of Hilda's mouth crack. She has to use a lot of willpower to keep the smug grin intact - hopefully Miror will continue to think it's him she's smirking at, and not wonder what behind him is so funny. She just wants to give Paprika a big, sympathetic pat on the back.

The gravity of the situation comes back to her, though, when she notices N's tense posture. They're treading dangerous waters and she knows it's a horrible gamble, but they need to be flashy and stall somehow, so Paprika can succeed. Maybe they can even think of something to do about Miror's Claydol in the meantime... but that's probably too much to hope for. Still, if Paprika can have her Pokemon back, that's already a big enough gain of territory.]

...Don't worry about what he says, N. I'm sure he's no match for your Pokemon.

[N flinches slightly at Miror's words, and looks past the man to Darmanitan and Sigilyph. Darmanitan nods, and Sigilyph chimes; they're both alright with being put on the line as Miror says. They won't obey his orders anyway, Sigilyph tells N. Still, his gaze drops to his shoes as he considers the deal. It's not fair.

He looks back up suddenly, his expression caught between anger and worry. He sees Paprika move again, and gives a narrow-eyed stare; Make it quick.] A free hit... But did you not as well? Your Lombres' Fake Out dealt damage to both Sigilyph and Darmanitan. That makes us even.

[Again, he glances over at Hilda uncertainly. Her encouragement gives him some much-needed confidence, but he's still unsure. How strong are Miror's Pokemon? He won't be able to really tell until they battle; by then, it might be too late. He takes a steadying breath.] A regular battle. [None of that rotation or triple battling stuff he saw in his own Unova. He pauses, thinking.] Three one-on-one battles. How about that? Or perhaps you would prefer only one? [That would definitely be faster, but more of a risk.]

[Miror grits his teeth. This is all becoming so much more involved than he'd wanted. Why did nothing ever go the way he planned!? It was hardly fair. He shakes his head at the suggestion of a single match-up -- it was far too risky. He's beginning to see that his enemies are surprisingly resourceful, and that brief glimpse of Zekrom wasn't lost on him.]

Three one-on-one's, then. Doubles are really more my style, you know, but I'll be accommodating. [He flashes a confident grin, enjoying N's discomfort at being set up to battle. It was a small thing, but he has to take what he can get at this point.

Unfortunately, his attention returns to his side of things now that he must choose a Pokemon to use. The first thing he notices is, of course, Paprika's hand halfway down his pocket.] Hey now, none of that! [Miror grabs the errant hand and, now holding both of Paprika's arms, scowls at the inconvenience of it all. Were they trying to trick him just now!? How... rude! He angrily pushes Paprika to the side and nods towards his Claydol.] Claydol, darling, make sure Paprika stays put, would you?

[The Pokemon turns, glowing an ominous purple color as it summons up large shards of pointed stone. It manipulates them into a tight circle around Paprika; a cage made of Stealth Rock. Miror dusts off his hands and turns back to N, rather annoyed.] Well!? Let's battle, then! Or do you have any other clever little plans you'd like to get out of the way first? [He snaps his fingers and his two Lombre move in closer beside him, facing Darmanitan and Sigilyph respectively. Now that he's separated from his human shield he does feel a bit vulnerable.

Miror pulls out a Pokeball and tosses it between him and N. A Pikachu is released, its fur bristling and shooting off sparks.] Your move, Champ.

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/slides right on in here

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is it now N->Miror B->Paprika, or is anyone else stepping in?

That sounds good, + Proto Man if he wants to get involved again.

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just gonna go ahead and tag back, but if anyone else wants to jump in, feel free!

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order is Hilda --> N --> Miror --> Paprika! c:

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wrong icon, hurf

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