Apparently, ghosts are bad luck on a ship. Most captains trembled beneath the idea of them being anywhere near their precious vessel. It took quite some time for Lex to find a captain willing to ferry her back and forth from Sea Mauville. Rumor had it, the abandoned stations was crawling with ghouls of all sorts, just her kind of place. Of course, she had other intentions as well. Ghosts were just a perk.

The sea was fairly calm for them today. Steady, long rolling waves bounced the craft in a rather predictable manner. It made being outside quite pleasant, especially with the Spring sun blazing overhead. The salty air provided a rather soothing breeze. The thief’s amber eyes turned away from the horizon, glancing back towards the helm. Last time she was on a ship, she wound up nearly killing the Captain. It was his fault for not being compliant. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a similar situation today, especially with others aboard the vessel.

A few steps bring her closer to the bow and another redhead. It’s not often there are two in one place. Leaning over the railing she glances down at the dark waters churning beneath the keel.

Yvaine Varron
water/ghost spawn!

Immediately, she knew she shouldn’t have lied. It was a gut response, an attempt to hide a weakness. Everyone on the planet and their mother knows he weakness. It’s always him.

Her head tilts slightly when Gavin admits to knowing. Of course, he did. Many know now, especially since the events inside the Tree of Life. Lex has no doubt Gavin was told personally prior to their trip through the tree. Lex doesn’t blame him. She’d probably go to someone like Gavin too. Hell, her first instinct was Lulu and she hated that bitch.

“Did he tell you it tried to kill me?”

Cillian Quinn

The silence is worse. It leaves room for doubt and fear to ingrain themselves deeper into her heart. Their tendrils reach for her throat, moving the knot further up until she feels like she can’t breath. Amidst the silence, her lip quivers. She bites down against it, choking back what’s trying to break through, but she forgets to breath.

With the gasp of air comes the first wave, a quiet shudder that breaks the budding moisture at the corners of her eyes. A few slow tears roll down her cheeks. Her fingers seek comfort in the familiar soft fur of Loveless as she offers solace.

Lex doesn’t expect Killian to have an answer, but the uncertainty only drives the nails deeper into her chest. She tears her gaze away from Loveless to look towards him when he makes a promise he knows he can’t keep as long as they don’t understand each other. Lex shakes her head, “I’m not worried about me, what about you?”

Killian Decker

Her amber eyes burn holes into his. An ultimatum? Her jaw clenches, her voice almost a growl, “That’s not what I said, Killian,” and not an ultimatum she would force upon him.

Why? Why wouldn’t she?

Perhaps not as deep down as it should be, she thinks, no, she knows, he would choose it over her. That’s not a pain she’s willing to put herself through.

Now that her back leans against the wall, she stops. Some of the anger has faded into pain, no doubt a result of the choice she believes he would make, “I just – I’m just-“ she’s too overwhelmed to make any sense of it at all. Why?! Why would he let it inside him?

What does it want?

What happens when it’s finished with him?

“I just don’t know what to do,” she draws her knees closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them defensively, “What do we do?” It tried to kill her. That’s not ok.

Killian Decker

“Where the hell did you drop us, Sahir?!” it near takes all her strength to fight against the powerful winds whipping around them. The Psychic-type is baffled, staring blankly at the world around them. He’s barreled with energies he doesn’t understand and is easily overwhelmed. That’s how they wound up here in the first place. His TELEPORT was highjacked by the powerful distortion. It drew them in like a tractor beam. Now, they’re trapped.

“Get your head outta your ass, c’mon!” her fingers curl around the yellow fur of the Alakazam and she tugs the pokemon along through the alien world. It’s like dragging a sack of potatoes. Sahir is basically useless in whatever weird place it is they are trapped. He’s too much of a liability at this point. The vicious snarls of rabid pokemon are clear all around them but so far they have evaded them successfully.

With a flash of light, she trades the Alakazam for the first available, her reliable Zororak.

Nova hisses violently at the air surrounding them, “I know, I know, keep your cool, we gotta go,” Lex forges a path towards a cluster of trees they may be able to find shelter in.

The progress is impeded by an eerie howl from close behind her. She knows it’s from Nova before as she looks. Pain creeps into the howl as the dark-type’s face distorts into something horrifying, “Nova!” Lex rushes to her side but is hesitant to touch her. A dark energy seems to be leaking from her very core, oozing out of every orifice as he Zororak slowly falls to the ground, “Nova!” it's more a desperate cry as she fumbles to return the pokemon to her pokeball.

A crack of lightning blocks the stream from capturing the pokemon as she slowly sinks to the ground, limp.

The darkness of her fur fades, seeping into the earth along with the dark energy that she was bleeding. The life in the pokemon’s eyes fade, leaving empties, “No,” Lex whimpers, running a hand through the now ivory fur of the Zororak. Tears well at the corner of her eyes. What the fuck is this place?

Before the tears actually fall, the body beneath her stirs. It’s still cold to the touch, no life beneath her fingertips. But it still moves, flexing. Nova’s eyes blink, replacing the lifeless dark orbs with crimson eyes to match the blood-tinted tips of her ivory coat. She rises, changed. Lex stares in disbelief, salck-jawed.

What the hell is this place?!

Lex’s Zororak FORME CHANGES into Hisuian Zororak (-1 Forme change from inventory)
H!Zororak learns BITTER MALICE, forgets Night Daze (-1 level tutor from inventory, move modifications below)

Most of the people she recognizes are above them, just watching. As many converse with various displays of comradery, Lex remains silent and observant. There are so many new faces, many she doesn’t recognize. Another current beast is among them, oscar clayton. It’s nice to see she’s not the only Beast participating. But most of the familiar faces are above. It’s a little unsettling being among the strangers, especially as they all begin to team up and unite in preparation. Much like what’s buried deep, she’s alone.

Well, not entirely.

From the dark air around her, long, ivory clawed fingers reach out, curing around her broad shoulders. The wraith leans forward through the void, whispering in her ear through sharp teeth. It’s nothing comprehensible, merely a hiss, but they’ve been together long enough to at least understand each other in certain ways. She’s hungry.

Having already proven herself in countless ways, Lex accepts the FOCUS BAND. She has no intention of dying in a simple exercise when there are important mission on the near horizon.

The new Beast snaps the bracelet onto her right wrist, glancing down at it momentarily as it molds to her shape, “Let’s go,” Lex steps forward towards the clusters of participants. The SHADOW GARDEVOIR phases into their plane, hanging at her hip closely. Her dress billows ominously in the still air, pale red eyes trained forward. The coolness of her protoplasm brushes against the back of her neck, raising goosebumps beneath the tight, black jumpsuit.

Lex stands amongst the other participants alone but towards the front, inviting those without a group to join her if they wish.

And it looked like someone did.

The Shadow Gardevoir turns her head first, piercing red eyes glaring down at the young woman. Lex turns next, craning her head to let amber eyes trace the potential ally’s figure. Typically, she would refuse, but part of this exercise did require team work. Lex isn’t delusion enough to think she could do this on her own, “I don’t think you will get in the way,” is that a hint of a small smile at the corner of the thief's lips?

Her eyes flash to the FOCUS BAND. She’s pleased to see it. It shows the girl is at least not an idiot. A simple exercise isn’t worth risking your life over, “I’m Lex,” she leaves the invitation open for her to introduce herself.

Teaming up with chryssa glasgow
Shadow Gardevoir makes an appearance
Lex ACCEPTS the Focus Band
Let’s goooooooo

Devil? Yes. It makes her smirk, pushing away from the counter to cross the small kitchen area towards the Eevee settled in the bed. The pokemon lifts its head, large eyes peering expectantly at her trainer.

“Well, it would be their fault for being so trusting,” she’s referring to the Gavin’s agents assigned to missions. Rocket is a cutthroat beast, you had to watch your back around here.

Kneeling down, she scratches the Eevee’s chin. She mews happily, leaning into it.

Lex’s head tilts, amber eyes glancing back towards Gavin. She nods in agreement, “Yeah that was . . .” it’s hard to describe what happened in the tree. Shape shifting, gaining pokemon powers, smashing giant Seviper heads . . . In a way, she missed being part ghost. It was a small taste of what it must feel like to be an avatar. Except, there was no deity looming over you, controlling you. She was beginning to see the appeal, but far from seeing it as acceptable.

Standing, she scoffs, brushing long red hair out of her face, “Yeah, this place is a shit show,” now there were weird space-time distortions flaring up throughout the region. It made her worry about their future.

Her response to Gavin is very lack luster, “I’m fine,” the stiffness in her posture, the sharpness of her tone, and reluctance to meet his gaze says otherwise. She’s not great at lying.

Cillian Quinn

It’s fair he doesn’t want either of them inside his head. Lex wouldn’t either. She also wouldn’t want a pokemon inside her, controlling her, haunting her. As he continues with his resistance, her eyes grow wider. She can’t believe what she is hearing. He actually wants this alien inside him.

The surprise phases into anger. It just tried to kill her, nearly succeeded.

Of course, she’s scared. She’s terrified. What does this mean? For Killian? For them? For their life? When she touched him, she touched it. When she kissed him, she kissed it. When she slept beside him, she slept beside it. When she marries him, she marries it.That’s not something she agreed to. What if it wasn’t willing to share its new host? What if it lashed out again and he couldn’t control it?

Heat flares inside her chest as her heart tightens into a knot. The tightness swells, spreading to her throat, “I-“ it chokes her, not letting the words form as she shakes her head, “This isn’t what I want, Killian,” it’s forced out as a hushed whisper as she moves a little further away. A quick glance towards the porch is a familiar tactic, not one she’s used in a while.

It’s an easy escape, an easy way to run. Not from him, from it.

Killian Decker

REDEEMING

from inventory

1X free evolution (1->0); Honedge evolves into Doublade! (0 PD)
3X level tutor (12->9); Aegislash forgets tackle, retaliate, slash and learns sacred sword, swords dance, and shadow sneak (0 PD)
1X egg tutor (11->10); Aegislash's open 6th becomes Wide Guard (0 PD)

PURCHASING

From shop

1X type 3 evolution; Doublade evolves into Aegislash! It learns King's Shield!(50 PD

TOTAL

do come again!

50 PD

Deoxys.

The name elicits and immediately violent response. Visible tension grows through her body, manifesting as clenched fists, a tight jaw, and shift in her posture.

That fucking alien again.

Killian had been hunting for so long, messing with thing he didn’t understand. Now look at him. He’s infected.

There’s a silence that sink between them as her eyes scan over his body slowly, head to toe. There’s apparent judgement behind the glare and perhaps a hint of disgust as she processes the information. Killian has long known how she feels about Deoxy’s and his hunt for the alien.

“Killian –“ she can’t believe she’s about to say this, “We need to call Lulu or something,” she shakes her head, the words taste bitter in her mouth, “Maybe Darkrai can exorcise this thing out of you.”

Not her Killian. It can’t have her Killian.

Killian Decker

She’s late. Like, very late. Oops.

She was fucking busy. Whatever.

The thief slips into the arena with the other PARTICIPANTS quietly and without much flair. Amber eye scan over the crowd that’s built. They’re talking, laughing, shooting the shit. She lets the gaze drift up towards the spectators, Killian Decker is among them. They don’t linger particularly long on any certain higher-up.

An eerie presence surrounds her, bathing her in a ghostly, dark haze. The Shadow Gardevoir phases through planes, watching, waiting, hungry.

Lex is fashionably late #comeatmebro
Open for interactions ^_^
Has S!Gardevoir out with her but faded into the phantom plane

Lex laughs, nodding in agreement. She glances at Gavin with an edge of mischief in her small smile as well, “I’m sure it was – I don’t use weak shit,” she steps towards the greased pan and begins pouring the smooth batter into an even layer, “I heard it was . . . Quite the time,” rumors spread fast and she got a firsthand report from Killian after the fact.

With one swift motion she slides the pan into the oven and shuts the door tightly before fiddling with the timer beside the stove. The device beeps as she shrugs her shoulders, “For whoever wants some, I guess,” first come first serve. It wouldn’t be difficult to get rid of them at headquarters. Rocket likes to party.

The mischief returns to her smile as she sets down the timer, “Probably a good idea but . . where’s the fun in that?”

Lex turns her back to lean against the counter. The mischief is replaced with curiosity, “How you doin’, Gavin?” It wasn’t a secret that Chu-e passed. Lex barely knew him, but the time she spent with him was pleasant. She can imagine Gavin and him worked closely and it must not be easy to have lost him.

Cillian Quinn

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X Salac Berry (50 PD)

HARVESTING

be sure to visit the pretty petal flower shop near rustboro!

1X Salac Berry, planting another! (Ready 03/15)

TOTAL

do come again!

50 PD