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 grins broadly, pleased with the proceedings. Nothing like a bit of rain to really pump up the tempo! Why, it's almost like being back in Orre's Colosseums! Well, except without being a double battle. And being surrounded by angry Pokemon is new, too.

Lombre takes the hit, though he attempts to spin away from the attack as if it were a part of his mad dance. The motion causes Zoroark's claws to slide across without gaining much purchase, and the trickery inherent to the move does not seem to affect him much. Still, he's knocked back a few steps and appears angrier for it; his cackling laughter is replaced with a silent focus. He may have the upper hand now, but with the damage from Zoroark's attacks adding up quickly this needs to be over soon. He takes a deep breath and quickly glances at Miror, waiting for the go-ahead. Miror laughs and waves his hand in approval.] Fuhohoho! BubbleBeam again! Lay into that nasty little sneak, darling. [Lombre immediately releases his breath, launching another spiraling BubbleBeam at Zoroark.]

[This... Doesn't look so good. Paprika crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her damp bangs out of her eyes, appraising the battle with a look of clueless (albeit sincere) concern.]

My money's still on N.

[She's still talking to the Claydol, whose response goes right over her head.]

Well, I mean, I kinda have to be rooting for him, y'know? Since your guy's, like, a total douchebag.

((Paprika that icoooonnnnn nooooooo))

[Hilda's still irritated at her accident having caused such a scene. If it ends up costing N the round, she's going to feel awful... She gets up slowly, eyes fixed on the battle and the trainers. Though she isn't paying attention to them, the Plusle seems to have quickly learned from the Minun the gist of the situation - or what it must have appeared like to them, anyway. Bad guy, kidnapping, heroic rescue mission! Or something like that. The two little electic-types cheer wholeheartedly, flailing about like they're begging for a good outcome, as Hilda urgently watches.]

[Apparently the two Electric-types' cheering isn't quite enough this round. The BubbleBeam hits Zoroark dead on, and she is again sent skidding backwards, eventually collapsing at N's feet. N drops to his knees to make sure she hasn't been injured badly, and receives some weak struggling and protesting whines.] Stop that-- stop. It's alright. [Zoroark ceases her attempted thrashing with a dismayed whimper. N offers a reassuring smile.] No, friend, you did very well. [Zoroark seems to sulk before she disappears back into her Pokeball.

Once Zoroark has been returned, N gets to his feet. His clothes are pretty much ruined now, soaked through and covered with mud. Still, it looks like he doesn't even notice. He glances at the now weakened Lombre, then tilts his head at Miror.] I suppose this means we must have a tie-breaker then, hm?

[His eyes move past Miror to Sigilyph and Darmanitan, the latter of which does not look very pleased about the pouring rain. N tilts his head back, staring up at the still darkened sky and blinking back raindrops. How many turns did Rain Dance's effect last? Five. How many turns has it been in effect this battle? Four. He'll just refrain from Fire-type moves for that last turn.]

Well, Darmanitan? I believe your turn has come. [The Fire-type looks up, suddenly energetic again despite the rain. With a quick nod to Sigilyph, she takes off, rushing through the mud and leaping to the spot on the battlefield before N.] I'm sorry about the rain-- [She just raises a hand to give a thumbs up. SHE'S GOT THIS. N smiles.] Good, then.

[Miror applauds rather sarcastically at Zoroark's defeat, finding much amusement in N's disarrayed appearance. He gives a nonchalant shrug at the question of a tie-breaker, although he does peer up at the sky with some amount of worry. The clouds are beginning to break up, and a quick glance at Lombre is enough to tell that there's no way he could last another round. He could send in his second Lombre... but he hasn't had time yet to teach the thing how to properly Rain Dance. And Claydol is busy being blabbered to by Paprika! Damn it!

With an impatient sigh, he gives in to impulse and recalls Lombre, switching out one Pokeball for another with a quick twist of his fingers. Time to release the secret weapon, then, even if the match-up is not exactly ideal. This was a perfect time to test his progress!

Miror tosses the Pokeball to the ground, then takes a quick step back out of range. The Pokeball sits still for an ominous moment before snapping open, its glowing energy rapidly transforming into nearly eleven feet of angry Serperior. She rises up on her coils, serpentine tongue flicking in and out as she sizes up the situation. She seems incredibly agitated. In fact, someone sensitive to the auras of Pokemon, (and such a person may or may not be present), would notice a faint tinge of darkness emanating from her -- she's not completely enveloped by it, but then, Miror hasn't quite figured out the secret to Shadow Pokemon yet. It's been quite the side project, experimenting with this stolen starter.

With the raindrops beginning to fade, Miror knows Darmanitan's full power will return only too quickly. He gestures dramatically towards Serperior.] Serperior! Slam! [With a hiss, the snake arcs her head towards the ground, moving in a wave that sends the end of her tail slicing through the air like a bullwhip towards Darmanitan.]

[Paprika doesn't know too much about Pokemon, but something about this one looks kind of freaky--aside from the part where it's a giant, red-eyed snake.]

Holy crud, why d'you work for this guy again?

[Claydol doesn't answer, and so Paprika wonders if it's just a thing that Pokemon have to deal with, a total luck of the draw as to whether they get a douchebag like Miror B, a moron like her, or a cool guy like N. It kind of makes her stop and think--what if her Pokemon all secretly hate her, even if they'd never be better off with Miror B?]

[Hilda regards the Serperior curiously. It seems kind of different, from the one she's seen up close before - the one that belonged to a childhood friend. Pokemon tend to end up mirroring their trainers sometimes, so she figures maybe it's just because this Serperior belongs to that jerk. She doesn't think much more into it.

She doesn't really care about the rain anymore, and doesn't bother to keep under the trees. The hunt for Miror through Lostlorn Forest had already done a number on her clothes and tidiness anyway (and that's without even counting what N's Growlithe and his doggy kisses). So, eyes on the new set of combatants, Hilda steps closer to N. She doesn't say a word, as to not distract him.

Minun and Plusle scuttle closely behind her feet, one of them consoling the other. In little time they both seem plenty ready to cheer again.]

[Despite the ideal match-up-- Grass versus Fire-- N looks immediately very unnerved by the Serperior's appearance. He takes a fearful step back, subconsciously closer to Hilda, as he sizes up the Grass-type. He'd dealt with the violence of mistreated Pokemon many times before, but... this was something different.

His expression turns from frightened stare to a vengeful snarl as he looks to Miror.] What have you done to her?

[No time to investigate; the Serperior is already attacking. Darmanitan takes a blow from the whiplike tail, but quickly recovers and grabs hold of it to try holding her opponent in place.] Now, Fire Punch! [As she keeps hold of Serperior's tail with one hand, Darmanitan lunges forward with the other, which is quickly enveloped in flames. They're weaker than would be preferred due to the rain, but Darmanitan's other moves are too risky, especially now that N's seen his opponent.]

Well, I'm not a scientist... [Miror grins a little as he watches Serperior in motion.] But I don't think I've done nearly enough to her. It's oh-so-difficult, you know; I'm working on just little snippets of information.

[Serperior hisses furiously as Darmanitan grabs her tail. She thrashes against the hold, managing to force her tail out of her opponent's grasp just in time to be struck by the Fire Punch. Taken off guard by the attack, her only reaction to the singeing wound is to descend further into a berserker rage. Without waiting for any kind of instruction, she coils back and strikes again with her tail.

Miror frowns at the break in discipline. That wasn't a good sign -- he must be further from a perfect Shadow Pokemon than he thought. She was still acting too instinctively, which completely defeated the purpose, to his mind. He glances somewhat nervously over his shoulder at the still-vigiliant Sigilyph just as the clouds overhead break up, allowing sunlight back into the clearing. This is not looking good.]

[Raising an arm to shield her eyes from the ray of sunlight conveniently shining right in her face, Paprika squints out at the battle, having no clue whatsoever as to what anything Miror B just said might mean.]

Wait, what was all the rain even about in the first place? Was that just, like, some freak weather?

[If Claydols were capable of sighing, Paprika's poor guard might well be doing so.]

[In all her travels she'd never seen a Pokemon like that - completely on the rampage, attacking on its own. Sure, Cheren had overworked his Serperior, but it had never looked quite like that. Hilda cringed - it was hard not to feel really sorry for it.]

…Wait, what do you mean, an experiment? That's awful!

[N probably would have answered Paprika's question about the rain, but he's too busy looking on in horror at the Serperior. Darmanitan tried to leap back out of range of the Grass-type's tail, but still winces as it lashes at her side. She moves away as far as she can, back closer to N. She looks him over with concern; he looks both horribly saddened... and startlingly angry.]

You're repulsive...! People like you give reason for Pokemon liberation-- I despise people like you! [For a moment, it seems he's reverted back to the king he used to be. Before him, Darmanitan has already started to charge up her next attack, her fur blazing brightly in the returning sunlight.] We shall have to crush your ideals here. [He gestures to the battlefield with a sweep of his hand.] Flare Blitz!

[With a roar, Darmanitan rushes forward, hurtling toward Serperior like a comet. N's expression is uncharacteristically cold as he watches. For a moment, his pacifist nature falters. While Darmanitan's target is clear, it isn't the Serperior that N wants to see injured. Should Miror B. get burned a bit by the attack's aftermath, he decides... so be it.]

Lib...? Fuhoho! Liberation!? Oh, that's interesting. [Miror only gets a moment to be amused by N's unexpectedly dramatic reaction, though. Darmanitan's renewed vigor recaptures his attention.

Ignoring all sense of order, Serperior slithers forward to meet the charging Fire-type head-on. She's quickly engulfed by the flames and is knocked back by the wave of heat and fire to land in a coiled mass at Miror's feet. Miror has to step back and raise an arm to shield himself from the force of the flames. He winces as, for a brief, panicking moment, he imagines the Darmanitan not stopping at the boundary of the battlefield and plowing right into him, flames and all. But the Pokemon stops, and Miror slowly lowers his arm to look down at the fainted Serperior. Well. Shit.]

Hmm. [Not looking up -- What now? -- Miror silently recalls Serperior to her Pokeball. Should he just run? He puts the Pokeball back in his pocket -- Could he even get past that Sigilyph? Psychic Pokemon were incredibly difficult to deal with. He glances up after a moment.] Well. [He straightens, then; trying to appear nonchalant again. His normal response to this type of situation would be dramatic, angry; but, then, he usually doesn't have a proverbial gun to his back.] It appears you have beaten me thoroughly, Champ! [Claydol turns slightly towards its trainer, expecting an order, but Miror does not address it immediately.] Bravo.

[A wide grin spreads across Paprika's face, and she lets out a little cheer.]

Dang, N! That was so legit!

[That twisting, wildly coiling Serperior was really unsettling to Hilda. Everything suddenly seems a little quiet at the end of the battle. Paprika's cheer breaks it to her, though. This means they won! She gives a big, relieved sigh.]

Ah, we did it! [Still, some caution can't hurt.] Zekr– er, I mean, Ditto. Make sure the bad guy won't get away now.

[And her Claydol nearby uses Stealth Rock, summoning pointed stones just like Miror's had. They swivel around in circles, and come to enclose the man in question within them. It's looser and more merciful than Paprika's cage had been, but it's enough that escaping would be difficult.]

[Darmanitan huffs and back away a little from Miror. As if she was going to attack the guy when he's still got Paprika's Pokeballs in his possession.

N's anger mostly fades as he gives a relieved sigh of his own. He watches as the Ditto sets up the Stealth Rock, then makes his way over to Miror.]

Now, you will release Paprika and return her Pokemon. As was decided. [And then he's going to liberate Miror's Pokemon, part of the deal or not.]

[Miror watches furiously as the Stealth Rocks encircle him. Of all the nerve! The Lombre that still uncertainly stands guard behind Miror hops away from the pointed stones and peers nervously through them, wondering if it was expected to do something about this particular situation.

Miror ignores the Lombre in favor of glaring at N as he makes his way towards him.] Now, really; all these theatrics! You two are the most ruthless little heroes I've ever seen. And that's counting an ex-criminal -- interesting story, that one! You and Wes are actually -- ah. [The stones shift ominously, causing Miror to find them a bit more interesting than reminiscing about the past. He gives a sharp sigh of resentment and tilts his head towards Claydol.] Let her go.

[The Pokemon chimes, its tone as unreadable as always, but it wastes no time banishing the Stealth Rocks. They fall towards the ground, fading away before making an impact. Claydol floats back a few feet from Paprika, its many eyes watching her with what could be construed as curiosity.

Miror turns back to N. He slowly pulls Paprika's Pokeballs from his pocket, lifting them near his face and showing them somewhat tauntingly to N.] If you want these, darling, you'll have Hilda over there drop these rocks and then you'll let me go. Threats really don't suit you, you know that?

Uh, thanks, I guess.

[This is to the Claydol. Stretching out a bit tentatively, Paprika takes off her hood and glances at N and whatsername, Hilda. The one that looks like Rose, even if she sure doesn't act it. Not quite sure how do go about all of this, Paprika turns back to Miror B and shrugs.]

Who, me? Nah, not really. But, like, what if you just run off and stuff? I mean, we all kinda know for sure now you're a total douchebag, so wouldn't really put it past you.

[When the Claydol hovers a little closer to her, Paprika gets one of those things that pop into her head every once in a blue moon--which is to say, a good idea.]

Hold up, what if we did a trade or something? So she gets rid of the pointy rock cage, you gimme my Pokemon, and then I give you back this guy.

["This guy" being the Claydol, who has some sort of comment that Paprika doesn't understand in the slightest.]

Or, er, this gal? Whichever.

[N's friend - Paprika, right? - Is so nonchalant at having been captured and released. In spite of it all, it makes Hilda smile a little to see her safe.

She's not going to order her Ditto to drop the Stealth Rock just yet, though, at least not until there's a consensus. And there's something else that's bothering her. She walks to where everyone is, her expression becoming worried as she addresses Miror.]

Uh, and first, I also want to ask something. What exactly were you doing with that Serperior?

[Ex-criminal? N looks oddly affronted by that comparison. Did Miror know something about Team Plasma? He doesn't say anything in protest; only scowls when Miror tauntingly shows off the Pokeballs. He doesn't even spare more than a glance in Paprika's direction, more preoccupied with reclaiming her Pokemon.

He is, however, ready to speak about the Serperior.] A cruel, unnatural process. It seems you meant to strip away everything but violence. You intended to turn her into a soldier-- a weapon, didn't you? [His gaze drops briefly to the ground as he reflects on the battle.] I've seen countless Pokemon mistreated by humans-- but I have never seen such an aura as that Serperior has. I... could not read her. As if she was... closed off by something-- a shadow. Pokemon are not meant to contain such darkness. [He frowns, apparently very disturbed by the concept.

He looks back up and takes a small step forward, bringing himself as close as he can get to Miror without cutting himself on the Stealth Rock. His eyes are back on the Pokeballs, and he's tensed, ready to reach out and grab them if Miror tries something funny.] ... Paprika's plan sounds reasonable. However... I cannot allow that Serperior to go much longer in your care, either, Miror B. What you've done to her is wrong, I... I will not allow it.

[He laughs dismissively at Paprika's idea.] Claydol isn't yours to give, though; it's my Pokemon. It follows my orders. I could simply recall it. [That is, if he wasn't in danger of slicing his arm open on Stealth Rocks in order to get at Claydol's Pokeball.

But he sounds less confident as he notes N's reaction to being compared to the traitor, Wes. Had he touched on something? That is a bit unnerving. Wes had, after all, planted a bomb in Team Snagem's headquarters and completely destroyed it. He'd just been amusing himself, comparing N to Wes. Hmm.

He rolls his eyes at N's little lecture, but he can't help but smile a bit when the word 'shadow' is actually used.] Oh, you noticed that? That's interesting! Usually you need a Snag Machine to actually see the shadow. Fuhoho! Oh, oh; fine, you Unovans are so out of the loop. I'm trying to remember the whole Shadow Pokemon process. Cipher invented it, back in Orre. Incredibly useful. It's not easy when you don't have a lab to work in, but I've been making do. Not exactly perfect yet, but if you could see a shadow I must be close!

[His smugness fades and he narrows his eyes when N steps forward and starts blathering about what he will and will not allow.] Well, that's just too bad, darling. Look, take this silly thing. [He tosses one of Paprika's Pokeballs through the barrier at random.] I can give you the rest and be on my merry way.

[Stumbling, Paprika actually manages to catch it, not particularly caring that she kind of looks like a moron. Cautiously, she presses the button, and out comes Old Man, looking a little drowsy but otherwise no worse for the wear. Taking in his surroundings, he blinks slowly and plods over to Paprika's side, lipping at her hand in what seems to be either concern or reassurance. In spite of the tension, she can't help but smile at her weird midget camel for not wanting to shoot fire in her face and go off on account of her being a pretty awful Trainer.]

So, wait, could you say that again in English or Pokemon-ese or whatever we're all speaking?

I don't really understand, either. Shadows…? Cipher? You want to turn Pokemon into weapons?

[Hilda cringes. In another reality, in another land, there were people who did that in larger scales?]

Why would you do something like that? Aren't they good enough as they are?

[She looks at N, who seems about ready to just forcibly take the kidnapper's Pokemon. Hilda wasn't sure she approved of that, but if all of this about experiments and shadows was true… She wasn't sure she would feel like stopping him. So as a last resort, she tries to get through to the afro guy somehow.]

Unlike N, I can't see auras or darkness or anything. But even I could still tell that Serperior was restless and hurt. Don't you care that this process is hurting it?

Shadow Pokemon... [He repeats it to himself, additionally making note of the other terms. Orre. Cipher. Snag Machine. N has never heard of Cipher, or of a "Snag Machine", but that's not surprising. He has, however, heard of Orre-- some distant memory from a book back in his castle. A desert, barely any wild Pokemon; it repelled him. Now, he wonders, how many Shadow Pokemon are there in such a region?

He flinches when one of the Pokeballs is thrown, but follows it with his eyes, making sure it gets to its trainer. He glances over the familiar Numel with some relief, but redevelops his careworn stare when Hilda speaks.]

To some people, Pokemon are never good enough as they are. You remember it, don't you, Hilda? What I stood for? Some do not care at all for Pokemon-- they only care that they have prime tools for their own gain, and they will do whatever is necessary to achieve that. Even if it means causing such pain. After all, it's not as if they can see it like you can, or hear it as I do. People like that do not even try to understand. [He glances back at Paprika briefly; this is a lecture he wants her to hear as well. Getting through to Miror? Apparently, N has given up on that.

He turns his attention back to Miror.] Reasoning with people such as you is pointless. Should I allow you to leave, you will replace Paprika's Pokemon with others. And even if you do not, you would still be forcing that Serperior to suffer. [Perhaps he could gain leverage with threats if Miror decided to warp any more Pokemon, but, as Miror said, threats really don't suit him.] Unless there is some goodness in your heart, I do not see any reason to simply let you be. Even if you escaped, I would have to find you again. And I have yet to see any good come from you. Am I wrong?

[Miror keeps a steady glare focused on N throughout his speech, feeling an odd mix of deep-seated amusement at the naivete of the outlook, and a foreboding sense of deja vu. It's as if he's heard this all before! Although there's a slightly different note to this one: carefully veiled references to some kind of personal history. Maybe N really is an ex-criminal! Why, if only Miror had known; he would have tried to dig up more dirt on him before starting this little escapade.

He crosses his arms -- carefully, to avoid the rocks -- when N readdresses him. Taking care to appear flippant, he tries to figure out just how far this little hero on a power trip is willing to go when he has the upper hand.] Are you wrong? Well it's hardly my fault if you feel you have to trail me like a hungry Poochyena. But, I'm curious, darling; just what is it you plan to do to me, if not let me be? Hmm?

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