Bane breathes heavily, chest heaving, nostrils flaring. He's snapped his bamboo stick in half and it dangles now from his lips. The heat is getting to him and wearing him down, thick fur more accustomed to wind and kinder temperatures.

Fortunately, he is not the first to fall. He reclines on his heel, taking a step back to brace himself and catch his breath. He watches, expression placid, as the Ninetales attempts to come up with another attack. It dies in the beasts throat, and is followed immediately by her fall. He grunts, satisfied, before glancing back at Remi.

Remi, on the other hand, is looking at Xander. She sucks in a breath as if she's been holding it, and her face lights up with genuine relief and a little bit of giddy happiness. It wasn't that she had come in here expecting to lose- but she definitely hadn't come in here expecting to win, either.

Roman had always been the winner. The bigshot. The brains and the brawn. He had the power, the drive, the hunger.

She had merely been watching him succeed, and now here she was, following him and making him proud.

"Y-yes! Sure. I, uhh-- I've never had a painting done of me before."

But it feels good to think about it, her face on a wall in an art gallery. So she retains a sort of subtle, smug, proud little look on her face as she approaches him for this photo. She turns the badge over and over in her hand, tracing its shape with her thumb. She squeezes it, and, when Xander isn't looking, she glances up at the sky to mouth something.

This is for you, Roman.

Xander Belmont

☉

Once at least partially dried off and purposefully ignoring the smell of wet bear and wet people and wet God knows whatever else in this tiny, cramped cavern they were all squatting in, and ignoring this huge run-on sentence, Remi notices something particularly luminescent. Frankly, the only reason she ventures into the deep is because light might mean heat, and her teeth feel like chattering into dust.

What she finds, however, is a small blind kid gushing about how cute these sprinting Morellul are. If she's being honest, and she always is, quite vocally, they're "actually kind of disgusting. Fungi that glows, yuck."

And then, as if on cue for disgusting, a cold trickle of dread and absolute dry mouth hits her in the back of the head. Ah yes, that's right, how could she have forgotten? Angelo fuckin' Vestri was still here. It's a wonder he hadn't drowned, too busy grinning ear to ear and talking big game.

He brushes or bumps against her shoulder, probably the latter because she leans in to try and jostle him. But he leans in quite close, reaches behind her, and plucks two leaf stones while staring her right in the face. The woman's face contorts into one of dry disgust, and she slow-blinks at him until she realizes that he's stolen what was hers.

Finder's keepers didn't exist in these parts, only blood, sweat and tears. And she was all out of tears, lost them years ago when she was a baby.

"Woah there, Vestri."

She pursues him immediately, spurring into competitive action and sorely lacking in a special green stone and some pride. But first, the cavern is rumbling again with another swarm of unhappy campers. She hesitates momentarily to direct her Pangoro to respond to the threats, but given everyone else has done a good enough job already, she reaches out to snatch his wrist. Her grip is not the least bit friendly, about as sharp as his smile from earlier.

"I'll be back for that."

She then pushes his hand away sharply before walking away. Picking a fight right here in front of everyone and their mother wasn't proper. Ritual though. Ritual was the spot for fighting.

Jesy8A2x

tldr: - bumps into angelo
- fuck u angelo
- gimme back my ROCK angelo
- i hate your GUTS angelo
- meet me at RITUAL after work, ANGELO

angelo vestri

☉

With a grunt of effort, the Pangoro leans forward to slow his momentum, watching with satisfaction as the Ninetales is thrown into the wall. While it all seems a bit cruel, one had to remember that this was Pokemon, and they were born and bred to battle like this. All part of God's plan.

Bane takes a step forward, chewing on his piece of bamboo absently while he sizes the Ninetales up. Although he breathes heavier and seems a bit battered, he holds his head high and squares his shoulders. Remi didn't raise no pansy.

"That's it, big boy, show 'em how tough we really are!"

They were well-dressed and here to impress. She'd chosen him not only because he was her most trusted partner, but because his black and white fur when properly groomed (which she had done, yes she puts in effort) looked very much like a suit. His slicked back fur was a bit ruffled now, unfortunately, but the effort had been there.

More exhausting SOLAR BEAMS are fired at him, or at least one, and he immediately moves to side-step it. Admittedly, this was an excellent plan. He is distracted by avoiding the most obvious attack that he doesn't have the reaction time to see the FLAMETHROWER. He only has time to lift his arm up and bellow as super-heated flames kiss his sorry hide. Fortunately, he is well-insulated and fire-proof enough that he isn't set on fire.

"Walk it off, Bane. We've got this."

With a slash of both sets of claws, Bane charges with a NIGHT SLASH that extends dark energy in slices toward the Ninetales.

Xander Belmont

☉

Given the fact that her two Spinda look pretty much the same completely healthy versus beaten up, it's impossible to tell if their erratic dancing suggests they are close to expire. Their rhythm is nonsense, completely unusual and confusing. But it's perfect.

And as both of Melody's Pokemon go down, Remi can't help but woop woop! to cheer them on. It seems to excite them and they mewl in unison, overjoyed by their stupefied efforts. Unfortunately, two nearly identical teddy bears quickly become three. Remi rubs her eyes, blinks rapidly, squints and then grimaces.

"Another one?"

A safeguard goes up to protect Melody's side of the field from her own Spinda's teeter dance. Convenient, and concerning. One single bead of sweat drips down Remi's temple as she weighs her options. Her Dragonair were doomed to become an unbreakable knot if she sent them out against that damn teddy bear.

"Okay, whew. Okay. Yeah, we can do this."

Drunk dancing maneuver, great. Not that it mattered currently, as neither of her Spinda seem bothered by the confusion inducing dance. She certainly feels a bit woozy, though.

"Wait-- copycat! The-- the safeguard!"

She points too, as if that might help. Miraculously, it does. One of her Spinda pulls out of its funky little dance to replicate the Chimecho's SAFEGUARD using COPYCAT. The exact same barrier glimmers and would hold even after these two fainted. And, given they hadn't been physically attacked, it was time for some pain.

"Hypnosis, but not your buddy!"

Remi is very fortunate that Pokemon are a lot smarter than humans. Her idle Spinda does as it's told, wobbling back and forth with eyes that seem to spin in a mesmerizing pattern, HYPNOSIS attempting to lull the Spinda into sleep.

Melody Miro

☉

Fear fixes itself upon her face momentarily. She is stunned into silence, watching wide-eyed in horror as the monster from the sand veil shows itself. Although her bear companions are efficient in clearing him out of the way, the Garchomp has a lasting, bone-chilling effect on the woman. Her eye and cheek ache with the reminder.

But with their attention solely on the Garchomp and the distance between them and the wandering little angel, it is nearly inevitable what comes next. They aren't close enough to react, not close enough to act as physical barriers. The THUNDER strikes the waiting FLOWER SHIELD. It also makes the baby bear cry.

That in and of itself is enough to enrage the both of them as they come barrelling back to protect their child. On the off chance it breaks any rules, Pangoro and Beartic each take one arm of the Teddiursa to swing her forward while they run. There is urgency both in the voice over the intercom and in the sunny day that dissipates the hail. Remi hurries to keep up as well, keeping her eyes peeled for more attackers.

"Keep moving! Don't stop for anything, just prepare yourselves. We're almost to the end, I can taste it."

And by that she means a stiff drink and a cigarette.

Beartic prepares another BIDE, fully prepared to put herself in harms way again to act as a body shield. Pangoro does the same by sending out a PARTING SHOT as a warning.

Greyson Connors

☉

Her pockets are lined with fresh Gardevoir for the picking. The officer is properly distracted fending off an ultra beast, and Remi is tucked moderately close to Theo Beckett and waiting for them ot be whisked away to safety.

Naturally, she grimaces as the officer's Salamence comes barreling toward them. The chances of her getting her pokeball out fast enough to block with one of her bears giant paws is slim to none, but thankfully a PROTECTIVE barrier deflects the attack. It wouldn't last though if they kept stalling.

She had to wonder if Theo liked being in the heat of battle and beating people up.

"I'm ready. Beam me up, cheekbones."

Greyson Connors THEO BECKETT

☉

Something big enough to block out the sun approaches from her good side. The woman glances, at first disinterested and fleeting, only to do a quick double-take. Her hands drop from her cheeks and her face is rosy with the cold. Surprise is written in the quirk of her brows and she looks him up and down.

"Is it safe for you to be out on the ice? For the rest of society, I mean?"

She smirks, keeping surprisingly steady on her skates in spite of her lack of experience. She can't slip up now, that'd be humiliating.

mission: break the ice

GABRIEL BLACK

☉

"Man-eaters? Like the Megalopolans?"

For a moment, she conveniently forgets that Hoenn had been at war with the creepy cannibals from outer space. Were they even cannibals? It wasn't like eating people was the same as eating themselves. We weren't Megalopolans.

Whatever.

"Wait, what?"

They'd run into a whole pool of them? Just who was supervising these kids? No one? How were they still alive? Remi glances to the girl's Luxray pressed close to her side and she purses her lips and nods. Ah yes, it's called Pokemon. Pokemon supervise the children, probably a hell of a lot better and more efficient than a parent. Maybe.

There was probably a time where her mother would have ripped someone asunder if they'd messed with her kids. Arguably, a Luxray's claws were probably considerably more efficient.

"Kids these days, absolute crackheads."

But she jumps to attention, sitting up straight and even going so far as to swing her legs under her to take off running for the girl. Fortunately, not only is Luxray right there to assist, it turns out to be not a mermaid of whatever abomination Eris was probably thinking up, but a Misdreavus who thinks shes quite funny. It giggles, materializing briefly before slipping back over the other side of the boat. Remi exhales, relieved.

"They're probably friendly. And they have no teeth."

Eris Halla

☉

Somehow, someway, she had gotten paid for her last job in free spa day coupons as opposed to cold hard cash or wired transfer. Maybe she was feeling generous, or maybe the spa in question was top of the line and well worth the trade off. Whatever the case, she comes fully-prepared to spend pretty much the entire weekend basking in the warmth of good vibes, feet massages, hot rocks on her back, wine in hand. Y'know, the whole shebang.

What she isn't expecting, however, is for her to be paired up at some point in her escapade for some sort of couples session. She was arguably drunk enough to say yes to anything they had to offer, drunk off mushy muscles and wrinkly skin and the booze in her left hand. New year, new Remi. Not really.

"Huh-huh--" she chuckles, probably burps, and points at the young man in the water. Blonde hair, blue eyes, virtually unrecognizable outside of every similar white boy. Nothing out of the ordinary.. except.. "You're the boy toy from the news network, aren't you? God, I hate you guys."

But she plunks herself down in the water across from him, sighing heavily as the hot water rises to kiss her chin.

BARNABY FINCH

☉

"Oooo--" she breathes out, gasping in appreciation at the glint of a silver flask. "It's better than a martini."

Remi reaches for it as it's held out to her. She flashes a devilish grin and a wink before taking a long swig before sighing, cheeks rosy. God, virgil roach never held back with the good stuff.

At some point, the beachball being tossed around is no longer an air-filled plastic sleeve, but a very put-upon and distressed Azumarill. It cried and protested until it was ultimately disregarded. The Cubchoo sheepishly seem to apologize, and the Dragonair do their best to sweep the Pokemon away. Unless, of course, Maeve decides to show any interest.

"So, what's the occasion, sweetheart? What made you come all the way out here with little old me?"

@marvelous

☉

Remi has a particularly faraway look in her gaze and, at first, doesn't seem to notice that the van has come to a halt. Not until Barnaby speaks up, breaking the white noise of the radio. She breathes in, coming back to life, and tilts her head to face him.

"I was born ready."

And then she wastes no time in popping out of the passenger seat and swinging the door closed with a satisfying bang. She rolls her head around on her shoulders, sighing with the satisfying crack and pop. She exhales, her breath a bit frosty given the wintry weather afoot in Hoenn, and weighs her options.

The woman reaches for a couple of pokeballs, releasing not one but two Beartic. Ground-types were weak to ice, right? Probably. She'd worry about that later. She had a water bazooka too on standby if need be.

"You got a plan, hotstuff?"

BARNABY FINCH

☉

There was something downright aggravating about this kid. It left her itchy, sweaty, knuckles clenched and heartbeat thrumming. There was blood in the water and she was wild with the hunt, with the fanatical thought of driving her fist into his perfect teeth. But why? What the fuck had he even done to warrant this sort of feral response.

He had something she wanted, and she wanted it bad. He was a tasting morsel, dangling just out of reach, taunting her into tripping.

It takes all of her strength to respond to him with flashing teeth and coy remarks; to hide the snarl and the twitching eyebrow. She's better than that, she won't stoop to his level, she won't feed his insufferable need to be a righteous prick.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? You got some mommy issues, kid?"

Another twitch of the lips, another glance over her shoulder. He's still pursuing her, still edging her nerves, hungry for the last word. The last thing she needs to sour an already dried up afternoon is a punk breathing down her neck begging her to throw the first punch. Normally, she'd gladly go about it.

Perhaps she should. Maybe a good scrap would teach him a lesson. Maybe if she knocked some teeth loose, he'd shit his pants and she could take that smug look off his face and the Unown along with it.

"The fuck're you following me around for, anyway? Surely you have someplace else to be."

pass

angelo vestri

☉