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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[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.

[So much for that, then. Paprika thinks she's just going to stay put for now and let the people who actually have their shit together do all the cool stuff. Nervously, she eyes the Baltoy, realizing she's pretty much stuck playing Princess Useless McGullible of the Land of Holy Shit how Didn't I See this Coming?.]

Well, uh... Shit.

[Well, shit, indeed. Paprika had been so close too. Hilda eyes her own Ditto - of course she's not going to ask it to Selfdestruct, but, now she knew it could use Stealth Rock too. How that was even useful at all though, she wasn't sure of... She frowns, wishing she had her team to try taking on the afro dude herself.

The way things are looking now, though, maybe N beating Miror straight-up might be their best chance. It's not a bad chance at all, she feels. N isn't going to lose to some kidnapping afro jerk, nope.]

[He winces. So much for that side plan. He gives Paprika his best attempt at a reassuring look... but it probably looks pretty weak.

When the Pikachu is released, he takes a small step backward, as if expecting those sparks to jump out and hit him. But he quickly steels himself, the sight of the Pikachu ultimately giving him some more courage. He can't allow Miror to use any more Pokemon to accomplish his unjust deeds.

N's eyes dart over to Darmanitan, a powerhouse, first. But she's already been attacked once, and is now serving as a guard with Sigilyph. Minun offers himself up with an enthusiastic squeak, but N instead chooses a Pokeball from his belt. When it's tossed forward, it snaps open to reveal an Absol. It stands tall, glowering silently at the Pikachu.

N briefly kneels, ushering Minun off his shoulder. Following N's lead, it scampers off toward Hilda, likely to do what it does best: cheer. N quickly straightens and glances a final time at Hilda, expression unreadable, before turning his focus to the battle.]

No. We are ready.

[Pikachu-- Electric. Static. Paralysis. Few of his Pokemon have non-physical moves, and that puts him at a disadvantage. The attacks he makes will have to count.]
Absol, Swords Dance. [Absol's fur bristles, and the sickle on the side of its head is enveloped in a bright glow. It moves, slinking catlike in a semicircle around the Pikachu and brandishing the scythe-like appendage like a sword.]

((OOC - Haha, to be fair, I totally flipped a coin to see if he'd notice or not.))

[Miror leans back on his heels, smiling to himself. Oh, this was a very annoying situation, to be sure; but now everything seemed to be more under control. In fact, he's itching to turn on some proper battle music, but with the two guards behind him he decides not to press his luck.

Somewhat impressed by N's choice of move, he waves a hand towards Pikachu.] Fuhoho! Double Team, Pikachu; let's show this little hood how it's done!

[Pikachu, down on all fours and tensed up like a coiled snake, immediately loosens and hops to the side, then back. Quick, sporadic dashes in different directions seem to merge its image together, then split it up into hazy after-images. Its illusory doppelgangers set up, Pikachu gives out a squeaky little chuckle, taunting Absol.]

[With not much else to do, Paprika is left to stand in her little cage and watch Miror B and N go at it. Knowing absolutely nothing about how to actually battle, she has to say it looks pretty cool--if she ever gets out of this mess, maybe she should actually learn how to battle herself, since it seems like a more viable alternative to pepper spray when it comes to deterring creeps.]

[Like Paprika, Hilda decides to watch the battle carefully for now, because there's no reason to panic just yet. She picks up the Minun when he scurries close to her, and lets him climb up her arm and perch on her shoulder. Gauging both combatants at first glance, they seem pretty evenly matched: both of them fast and agile. She can't tell the Pikachu doubles apart, and the speed is a little dizzying. She murmurs lightly to her new spectator companion.] So, which one do you think it is? [And receives a spirited but clueless little head-shake.] Yeah, I don't know either.

[She glances at both trainers. How different people always seemed, when they were commanding their Pokemon in battle.]

[Absol's eyes dart from side to side, trying in vain to follow the Pikachu's movements. Growing frustrated, it lowers its head to give a threatening growl.]

Keep calm, friend. Razor Wind! [Absol straightens, and the sickle glows anew. As Absol raises its head, a sudden gust seems to accumulate, twisting in a whirlwind around the Pokemon. N raises a hand to keep hold of the bill of his cap, to ensure the wind doesn't blow it away.

Razor Wind is the only non-physical technique Absol knows, and a risky one at that, requiring time to build the whirlwind. But, N thinks, Absol can withstand a hit when it's still this early in the battle. Perhaps its worth that time, especially if he can manage to get a critical hit in...]

[Pikachu's doubles flicker in the sudden gust of wind. Miror folds his arms in disapproval, having to steady his admittedly top-heavy self against the gale. Already growing impatient, he calls out to Pikachu.] Right, then; Thunderbolt.

[The real Pikachu lowers its head, mirrored with some amount of delay by the steadily hazier doubles. Little bolts of electricity spark from its cheeks as if it were revving up an internal engine, and the static builds up in the air around it, making its fur stand on end, before it takes a deliberate hop back. With a crack of thunder, a jagged bolt of electricity arcs towards Absol.

Miror, meanwhile, considers his options. He feels rather bound to a kind of honor among thieves contract here; battles are simply outside the realm of criminal activity. Even the most hardened criminal tended to honor the sanctity of a Pokemon battle. He is, therefore, reluctant to use it as a distraction to escape. Plus, with four of his Pokemon outside of their balls, it'd take a lot of coordination to just pack up and make a run for it. For now it would seem he is committed to battling it out.]

[Oh, hey, a Pikachu! Paprika likes those things because she actually remembers them from way back when she used to watch the Saturday morning cartoons. She just hopes that not all Pikachus are Ash's Pikachu, because that thing seriously never lost a fight. Like, ever.]

[So that's the one that was real. Hilda flinches a little at the spark of thunder, since it happened so close, and quickly looks at Absol to make sure it's holding up okay. Right about now, Absol's attack should happen - she stares fixedly at it. With the Pokemon's already innate ability to land critical hits, it'll be quite a sight to see the move.]

[The Thunderbolt hits its mark, catching first in the sickle, then enveloping Absol in electricity. It stands its ground, silently bearing the hit. N makes a small sound-- something of an empathic whimper. He's about to ask if the Pokemon is alright, and he receives an answer in form of a zealous roar.

Absol shakes off the sparks of electricity and again brandishes the glowing sickle, this time sending forth the whirlwind in the movement. Each arc of the sickle sends out a blade-like crescent scattering into the whirlwind-- and it's all heading toward the Pikachu and its doubles. The range of the attack is wide-- a bit wider than N predicted, judging by his baffled expression. It tears up grass, cuts at the bark of the nearby trees. No serious damage of course, but still alarming to at least N. He takes a step backward, forced to squint when the gale whips at his hair.]

Edited 2011-12-15 04:17 (UTC)

[The Absol's wide scattering of the Razor Wind is what does it; overconfident in its agility and the confusing nature of its Double Team, Pikachu dodges several of the projectiles before being struck dead-on by one. The moment the crescent strikes Pikachu, its doubles flicker out and it is tossed sharply into the air. Landing rather clumsily, its fur tousled by the assault, it tenaciously turns back to Absol and lets out a few weak, crackling sparks from its cheeks.

Miror silently removes his shades and wipes off the dust kicked up by Absol's attack with his scarf. Replacing them, he turns back to the critically injured Pikachu and lets out a disappointed, thoroughly unimpressed sigh.] Well, go on; Thunderbolt again.

[Steadying itself by spreading its forepaws on the ground, Pikachu's fur bristles once again as it charges up another Thunderbolt. With less energy than before, although not for want of trying, it shoots another bolt at Absol.]

[Figuring this maybe means N's winning, Paprika turns to the Baltoy holding her captive and scrutinizes it for any sign of expression. Since nobody's really paying attention to her, she supposes it's worth a shot to see what the Pokemon thinks about this whole mess.]

So what if you just, like, let me go or something? I mean, Miror B's kinda a dick, y'know.

[The Baltoy makes a string of sounds that come off as mildly unimpressed; Paprika shrugs, nearly nicking her shoulder on one of the rocks.]

Hey, it was worth a shot, okay?

[Hilda should probably have been looking at Paprika, or at Miror's other Pokemon, but at that moment she's completely absorbed in the battle. She has to hold her hat, too, in the middle of the Razor Wind gale. She finds the Minun decides to help her, by holding the bill in place on its other end.

Paprika taking her rightfully owned Pokemon back during the commotion of a battle was one thing, Hilda thought. But doing anything to help free her now was beyond possibility, since it would mean dealing with Claydol... while its trainer was occupied. And that was just, no. So she cheers for now, stomach clenching at the second Thunderbolt hit, and hands balling into fists the instant right after it.]

Just a little more! N, Absol, both of you, hang in there!

Evade! [Absol stays still for a moment, trying to judge the trajectory of the attack, then sidesteps and leaps aside, avoiding what seems to be the brunt of the attack--] Now, Pursuit! [-- but it's not so simple. The attack is unavoidable and seems to rebound after Absol, striking it again. Taken off guard, the Pokemon gives a catlike yowl. Still, the succeeded hit seems to spur it forward with rage; it keeps on with the Pursuit attack, surging forward through the sparks left by the Thunderbolt.

N winces. If this attack doesn't succeed, this round will be over for him. Absol leaps at Pikachu, readying a downward arc of its sickle.]

[Pikachu, surprised by Absol's rage, takes a second too long to react to its attack. The blade hits its side as it attempts to hop out of range, resulting it in being catapulted several feet away. A brief spark flashes as the sickle makes contact, the build-up of Pikachu's Static transferring through the attack with a crackle. It tumbles gracelessly in the grass and begins to pick itself back up before collapsing and lying still.

Miror frowns, his eyes narrowed angrily. Useless thing. If he can't get a hold of a Thunderstone soon he'll have to find some kind of replacement.] Lucky break; you win round one! But I don't think the next two will go quite so well for you, Champ.

[He recalls Pikachu, pausing before he reaches for another Pokeball. Instead, he turns his head to the side to nod abruptly at one of the Lombre standing guard behind him. Surely N was not so enterprising as to take advantage of a decrease in his defenses? By now Miror is fairly sure he's got N pegged. That other girl is a bit of a wildcard, though; clever, with the Ditto and all. Oh well. With Claydol occupied indefinitely, and Combusken nearly fainted from Darmanitan's punch, he only has one Pokemon left that N doesn't know about. Better save it for last.] Lefty, go on and take care of this, darling.

[One of the Lombre quickly shuffles around Miror and makes its way to the center of the clearing, right across from Absol. It raises its claws and grins darkly, eager to start.]

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wrong icon, hurf

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pfffft, it's not like Paprika is exactly a skilled pickpocket or anything xD

nahhh, Miror is too fabulous and sharp not to have noticed!

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