Always so begrudging.[break]
Always so in denial.[break][break]

”And yet, you still agreed to come along, to begin with~...” he cooed with a touch of ongoing amusement, his gaze shifting towards his wrist once more. ”All things considered, I’d say you’re the one that put yourself in this predicament~.”[break][break]

He hummed, shifting his attention towards her, once more.[break][break]

”...Not that I mind~,” he added with a leisurely, ever sing-songy tone to his words. ”Every time spent with you always ends up being a reminder of how red is a fitting color for you, so I’ve no complaints~.”[break][break]

A chuckle left his lips as he tapped one of his cheeks in soft gesture and teasing alike, soon turning towards the bustling nightlife surrounding them, instead. Another hum escaped him as he peered through the numerous lights illuminating the pathways, clicking his tongue softly in thought, all the while.[break][break]

”...That aside, do you have anything you’d recommend~?” he mused, inquiring. ”At the end of the day, these sort of things aren’t exactly my personal forte.”

FIORA HYE-JIN YUN [break]

☉

”Oh, no, no— I understand why you’d do it,” he hummed, a spark of amusement igniting further within hues of gold. They narrowed faintly as he eyed her, raising a brow. ”After all, it’s a natural thing for anyone to do~.”[break][break]

Once more, his gaze drifted towards his wrist as he lifted it further into view, an idle sense of admiration clear upon his face before he peered towards her once more.[break][break]

”...I’m more curious about why you’d do it~.” He chuckled, eventually pulling his arms into a soft cross upon his chest. ”You always seem so vehemently against and begrudging of me, after all.”

FIORA HYE-JIN YUN [break]

☉

”Oh, believe me— I know~.”[break][break]

It’s endearing in a way, truthfully speaking, to see someone so vehemently in denial of their own intentions when it bleeds through, regardless. The heart always did seem to advocate for what it truly wanted to express.[break][break]

In the case of a particular officer, it simply seemed that everything she tried to hide had been all too eager to be witnessed, even if it was always to her chagrin.[break][break]

”And come, now— I wouldn’t say poor...” he mused on, raising a brow of amusement towards her. ”We went over it earlier, no~? I’m nothing but a joy to be around~?”[break][break]

(tl;dr: skipping)

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

”Far from it,” he chuckled, narrowing his eyes. ”If anything, it makes me glad that you’re enjoying yourself so~.”[break][break]

A tone to match her own, however sarcastic it may have seemed to be as a result. The lightness of it all seemed to imply that the words were spoken with true intent, but at the same time, a smarter person likely couldn’t help but to question where the words truly came from.[break][break]

Nevertheless, they were spoken with some tone of amusement as he guided her along.[break][break]

”...The irony of that, though, mmn? Being robbed blind by a blind person~?” He chuckled once more, side eying her as they walked along. ”I almost feel sorry for what we’re about to do~.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: a diamond in the rough

☉

He listened to her words as they left her lips.[break]
He gradually smiled more in tandem to them.[break][break]

Such a stuttering mess— and one so in denial, on top of it. A soft, nearly inaudible hum left his lips as he simply remained a gaze upon her, crossing his arms upon his chest as the same tug of the lips lingered upon his expression. His head tilted faintly as she went on.[break][break]

He inhaled deeply, a sigh of faux exasperation leaving his own lips before long.[break][break]

”...You thought it’d suit me, mmn~?” he mused, raising a brow. ”So you deliberately took me into consideration~?”

FIORA HYE-JIN YUN [break]

☉

Oh, dear, that was a word he never thought he’d hear from her lips.[break][break]

It was a bit ridiculous, truthfully speaking— though the sheer degree of how uncharacteristic it had been prompted a sudden, singular huff of a cackle to leave his chest as he tented his brows in what most would consider to be concern.[break][break]

In the case of him, however, it was more of amusement.[break][break]

”...Oddly enough, yes~,” he mused, smirking a faint bit more as his gaze trailed idly after the passing Pokemon before tossing a Pokeball out towards howl's the moving castle. ”Specifically from a friend of Fiora’s. …Her roommate, to be more exact.”[break][break]

(tl;dr: catch attempt on sandygast)

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉

”Then you’d be in your rights,” he started off humming, ”but that’d be if you could prove I was a criminal~.”[break][break]

And of course, he’d worked his ass off to ensure that his record had been clean up to that very day.[break]
It was necessary with the amount of things he’d done in the past, after all.[break][break]

His eyes drifted towards the ember atop her head—a faint flicker, truthfully speaking, though still easy enough to bear witness to within the dimness of the evening around them—as he continued to lean softly against the Gallade next to him. All the while, the Zoroark by the woman simply departed once more through the use of a second Shadow Sneak, though hadn’t seemed to reappear after the fact.[break][break]

Meanwhile, upon noting the tongues of flame begin to erupt and enlarge, the man simply smiled as he tapped the dual type accompanying him, promptly disappearing into a brief Teleport— though not without noting a brief noise of what could only be assumed to be pain prior to transport.[break][break]

Once more, the two reappeared upon the rooftop’s edge once more, though the Rocket, himself, cast a brief gaze towards his companion for no other reason than to examine the condition of his beloved companion. His brows furrowed with a touch of disdain, and though the tug of his lips remained consistent, a softly disgruntled hiss of a sigh escaped him. He brought his gaze back down into the alleyway before long.[break][break]

”...All things considered, the phone could be chalked up to simple accident— and mind you, I fully intend to pay for a replacement,” he called down, narrowing his eyes. ”But in the grand scheme of things, what would you report to the police, mmn?”[break][break]

He eyed the Litwick atop her head, then gestured down into the scorched alleyway beneath them.[break][break]

”The only proof you have a charred alleyway when you were the only one with a proven fire-type Pokemon.”[break][break]

He flicked a hand over towards her, next.[break][break]

”You could throw me under the bus by name, but you’d be framing a man who, to an authoritative eye, has no reason to carry the allegations.”[break][break]

He gestured to himself, though that time, his actions and tone, alike, carried a sharp sense of annoyance and frustration as he went on to gesture up towards the Pokemon by him.[break][break]

”All things considered, all we’ve done is disarm you— though even then, you’d have no proof of that,” he added on, his voice raising gradually and faintly. ”Between the two of us, who was the only one that’s attacked with the intent to injure?”[break][break]

His eyes drifted towards the creature by him yet again, his brows tenting within a further sense of brewing frustration upon noting his discomfort amidst the burns he’d sustained.[break][break]

”You’re a child playing a self-proclaimed hero, and if you used that genius brain of yours and looked around, you’d see you’re doing more damage than righteousness right now,” he called down once more, crossing his arms. "You're saying you're apprehending a criminal, but who exactly is more of the criminal between the two of us right now? You're blind and no different than how you were before, right now."[break][break]

---

[break][break]

TL;DR:

[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade, Atk. x2) uses Teleport to take Dal and himself to the roof[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade, Atk. x2) is burned by Burning Jealousy[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark, Sp. Atk x6) uses Shadow Sneak to move away[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark, Sp. Atk. x6) is currently hidden due to Illusion (Ability)

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: slateport showdown

☉

”When you decided to undergo the whole persona change— when else~?” As he remained upon the edge of the rooftop, he hummed softly to none other than himself, narrowing his eyes with a dwindling, lingering smile as he propped an arm against a knee, and his chin within the corresponding hand. ”Denial or no, you’ve obviously been trying to change how you are, and from what I’ve seen, you’ve actually made good progress~...”[break][break]

He tapped his fingers against his cheek, his smile faltering faintly.[break][break]

”...Even if you don’t want my opinion, you’d be no better than Brody if you’re really willing to be so reckless— and you know how she is.”[break][break]

Lowest of the low, from how he viewed it. Although he respected her drive to do whatever she wanted to do, even he had to admit that she was another level of fucked up— and at the very least, he had a fairly heavy hunch from recent conversations and observations that the woman before him wanted to be better than that.[break][break]

But maybe he was wrong, though.[break]
All in all, it wasn’t his problem.[break][break]

And before long, he’d found himself moving past both comparisons and words, alike; a second, more wistful sigh leaving his lips as he stood up. He gave a swift, sharp whistle, prompting the appearance of a Gallade in the process of his descent atop a nearby crate. As his trainer scanned the wall beneath him and began to scale down a series of boxes and the like, he simply made his way down to meet him.[break][break]

Once more, he used Swords Dance while simply eying the awaiting Gengar in turn, all while the Zoroark appeared—courtesy of a Shadow Sneak—behind the woman, attempting to swipe not at her, but rather, the device within her hand.[break][break]

”Technically speaking, too, you’re the aggressor here, anyways,” he mused, quirking his lip as he stood by the Gallade with him. He shifted his weight slightly, touching his arm lightly and barely against that of the creature by him. ”I’d say anything that comes after this is just in self defense~.”[break][break]

---

[break][break]

TL;DR:

[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade) uses Swords Dance (Atk. up x4) in preparation[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark, Sp. Atk x6) uses Shadow Sneak to get behind Marisol // tries to knock the phone away

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: slateport showdown

☉

”She says, being the one that literally set the alley ablaze~...”[break][break]

In comparison to their common interaction, a touch more vitriol clung to his words as they dripped clear with venom. His chest lifted and fell slowly as a breath gradually found its way in and out, a sigh manifesting as it escaped, altogether. His gaze lingered lazily upon her as a hidden Gallade began his own Swords Dance somewhere near a further edge of the rooftop, all while the Zoroark that masked him prepared a final Nasty Plot alongside him.[break][break]

”If you insist on asking, though, I think it’s obvious enough that I’m just out for a stroll, though~.” Hues of gold narrowed faintly as they remained upon her, and in an act of exasperation, he propped an elbow upon one of his knees before resting his chin against his palm. ”Nothing more, nothing less. Definitely not out here to meet a client~.”[break][break]

The smile upon his lips shrunk faintly.[break][break]

”And you, though? With that call to set fire, I could’ve mistaken you for Brody.”[break][break]

It fully disappeared as a lower tone encaptured his words.[break][break]

”I thought you’d turned a new page; ditched the blatant disregard for safety. Have you already given up on your redemption so easily~?” [break][break]

---

[break][break]

TL;DR:

[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade) uses Swords Dance (Atk. up x2) in preparation[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) continues to use Illusion (Ability) to hide herself and Gagseong while moving to the roof's edge for a better vantage point[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) uses Nasty Plot (Sp. Atk. up x6) in preparation

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: slateport showdown

☉

...This insane bitch~.[break][break]

He hadn’t even needed to make the command before finding a familiar arm atop his shoulder, and as he glanced to the side to see another lay upon the shoulder of the Zoroark masking the three of them, he breathed a soft sigh before feeling himself be transported away by another Teleport. Before long, he found himself atop the roof of a nearby, lower building bordering the alleyway.[break][break]

Clicking his tongue, he stared at the trainer down below enough to further confirm recognition prior to walking out of the illusion that both of his own remained beneath.[break][break]

”Oi. Girlie,” he called out, pulling the mask upon his face down to reveal a familiar smile directed towards none other than the newcomer and her Pokemon. There had been no effort to mask his voice and however he’d do with other assailants as he crouched down by the edge. ”You’re fucking insane, you know that~?”[break][break]

He narrowed his eyes as his Pokemon skirted along the rooftop, still hidden, and as the selfsame illusionist prepared another Nasty Plot in movement.[break][break]

”Coincidences aside, you could’ve killed some homeless bum that was sleeping out here. You know that, right?” [break][break]

---

[break][break]

TL;DR:

[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade) uses Teleport to port Kumi, Dalyong, and himself onto a roof and out of the path of Inferno[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) uses Illusion (Ability) to hide herself and Gagseong while moving[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) uses Nasty Plot (Sp. Atk. up x4) in preparation

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: slateport showdown

☉

”It wasn’t judgment~,” he cooed lowly, hues of an aurelian spark narrowing faintly in amusement as they gazed upon the menu. ”You’re the one that assumes it is~.”[break][break]

He hummed, a chuckling following the words as he continued to peruse the texts. Before long, however, he clicked his tongue softly and idly, finding himself gazing upon a particular title with a shrug.[break][break]

”...The steak looks enticing tonight, though,” he mused on, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers.[break][break]

He eyed her with a faint smirk under his breath, noting how intently she seemed to be looking his way.[break][break]

”And you~? Aside from the pie, that is.”

FIORA HYE-JIN YUN [break]

☉

It hadn’t taken too long after their trainer’s departure for something to happen.[break][break]

The two Pokemon waited and glared idly as the newcomers passed along the alleyway. With hues of burning crimson trailing in tandem to the very same newcomers, the psychic type had almost wound itself within some form of attack, only to be stopped by the ashen pelted creature next to him. He glared towards the vulpine form by him.[break][break]

After a minor bout of thought, he stifled a small groan of distaste before opting to simply use Teleport.[break][break]

Their trainer, on the other hand, had only managed to find himself down a few of the corners needed to reach his destination before a faint flash of magenta met his eye, and with an idle raise of the brows, he simply gazed on as the forms of his watchers manifested before him. A soft, ”Oh?” of equal parts amusement and intrigue had been the only thing to leave his lips before the Zoroark manifesting her illusory capabilities once more, all while the Gallade with him gestured the two of them closer to the nearest wall.[break][break]

The man looked on as the faux appearance of the selfsame wall behind them masked their presences. Hues of gold glared through the shade of the night as he eyed a subtle glow of violet shining upon one of the walls he’d passed by, breathing a soft request to use Nasty Plot to the ghost type by him all the while.[break][break]

---

[break][break]

TL;DR:

[break]
--Gagseong (Gallade) uses Teleport to port Kumi and himself to Dalyong's location[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) uses Illusion (Ability) to hide herself, Gagseong, and Dalyong[break]
--Kumi (H!Zoroark) uses Nasty Plot (Sp. Atk. up x2) in preparation

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
mission: slateport showdown

☉

”Even if it did, I doubt you’d be able to catch wind of it~.”[break][break]

Whether it had been from pure, honest thought, or some means of spite, had been something less than easy to ascertain. In any case, however, it was a statement said in confidence, paired with naught more than a soft chuckle within the midst of the words, themselves.[break][break]

”After all, the way you phrase it makes me think you’re in it for the entertainment,” he hummed, eying the flashing capsule within an idle manner. ”I can’t just give you the satisfaction of spilling every single happening of my life so easily, after all, no~?”[break][break]

Not when the opposite was always all he’d known to do.[break][break]

(tl;dr: skipping)

MARISOL SIMONE [break]
notes

☉