Earth, Wind, and Fire [Vesta/Catching]

[Zernebog Romanov]

Golden light, tunnel white. If I run to you, would you stay? I might be a prototype, but we’re both real inside.

It’s been a while. Golden eyes looked at the vast expanse of brown and green, teeming with life that could just barely be seen within the tall grass. He hadn’t felt the need to be back here since he had obtained his Gible from Ramona. Perhaps it was the satisfaction of getting one of the pokemon that he wanted to obtain the most, or maybe it was just because he was busy with other things in life. Well, now there was a certain pokemon –well, two really- that sparked his interest. One of them was some sort of pokemon that specialized in digging and excavation, even moreso than Diglett or Gible and their lines! That was a creature that could potentially make his archaeological digs infinitely easier, not to mention all of the battle strategies he could think of with a burrower on his team. It sounded like a wonderful dream~ The other one was a pokemon that he was more familiar with- Beldum. He had heard that this particular steel-type pokemon had been spotted around the Safari Zone, and he wanted to get his hand on one of those. In fact, he had wanted once since hearing about Steven’s Metagross back in Hoenn all those years ago. Seeing Elinda’s Metagross in action only cemented that desire. Besides, he liked the challenge of raising a pokemon with only one move. He only had one pokeball and not a lot of time, so he guessed that he’d better hope that Arceus and Lady Luck were with him on this trip. In fact, to better his chances he actually had Diomedes out with him in order to detect more pokemon faster. Prometheus might’ve been a better tracker, but his powers were blocked by Dark-types and he wasn’t sure what the other typing of that mysterious digging pokemon was. Besides, Diomedes was a better fighter and needed to get out more anyway. ”Here we go….” He muttered to himself and began walking with his Lucario alongside him, unaware that there was another person in the area as well….

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GANGNAM STYLE

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: |||||PKMN6 The Safari Zone… purposely almost completely untouched by technology and man, leading to nature being nearly uncontrolled within the gates; a veritable jungle within a jungle just from the several different types of habitats specifically grown for the Pokémon here. Impressive, to say the least; not only for the fact that it housed some rare and powerful Pokémon, but simply from the expansive terrain completely ruled by nature and Pokémon. The day on top of the area made it rather fitting for a romp through dangerous territory as well. It was a warm day, overcast with gray clouds. It was a bleak afternoon for many, but for Vesta, it was just fine. She wasn’t the type to care about her surroundings much, beyond the layout itself for security/battle potential. She wasn’t raised to be appreciative of a sunny or rainy day, nor complain if it was too humid or too cold or too hot. “Alright, Oscar, keep a lookout.” The feminine voice of one Vesta Dressler broke the relative silence of the area, if one could say the random cries of Pokémon and animals alike was ‘quiet’. The creature that answered her with a simple nod was a Mightyena, one of Vesta’s closest companions and her best means for security. He was trained just for this very situation; he kept his eyes, ears, and nose on the surroundings, paving the way for Vesta to safely romp through the foliage. Just what sort of Pokémon was Vesta interested in finding? That was called an unknown. From what Vesta was told, there was plenty of potential Pokémon in the Safari Zone that were profitable or simply powerful, most of which she didn’t even know. She didn’t have a particular target because of this… at the very least, it was a chance to explore and find out just what Pokémon resided in the Safari Zone for future reference. Vesta was broken out of her thoughts with Oscar’s coarse barking, bringing her attention to an approaching man with white hair. Vesta eyed the man, immediately whistling to Oscar, “Heel.” The dog immediately ran back to his trainer, moving around her to stand parallel to her left leg, still eyeing both the man and his strange Pokémon… Actually, as Vesta thought about it, it was recognizable… it actually looked like the one that Richelle woman had. The memory was still fairly fresh in her mind, though she never got any information on the Pokémon. Oscar kept his eye on the Lucario, but Vesta kept her attention on its trainer. Possible connections to the Jace woman came to mind, but the chances of that were probably slim at best. Vesta’s eyebrow raised, but she said nothing to the man. She would allow him to make the first move; to be perfectly honest, she didn’t expect to meet anyone to begin with.

[Zernebog Romanov]

Rise Rebel Resist I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages, rouges, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels... { tags: Vesta } { words 312 } { short notes: Dogs ho~ } “Bark! Bark! Bark!” Golden eyes immediately zeroed in on the large black and gray lupine figure that was barking at them. Instead of fear, it was amusement that twinkled in his eyes. Why he certainly hadn’t expected to see a Mightyena here of all places, he wasn’t afraid of some mutt. Either he or Diomedes can take care of it with very little problem if absolutely necessary. “Heel.” As it turned out though, neither of them needed to. Both of them simply watched as the Mightyena ran towards the source of the voice- a red haired girl with sharp gold eyes. Both her and the black-furred canine seemed to be eyeing both of them up like they were a pair of museum exhibits. It was kind of annoying, but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to since he used to sport a red Mohawk and go around shirtless in the middle of winter, which garnered him much more intense stares than that. The staring match between the two gold-eyed trainers and their canine pokemon continued for over a minute before the silence became too stifling and uncomfortable for Zernebog. He wasn’t the type to stay quiet if he didn’t need to be, and he preferred noise and liveliness if he could help it. He had enough of the silence growing up anyway. Besides, Diomedes was getting a little antsy with the silence as well. In fact he could already see him starting to go into a meditative half-trance just so he wouldn’t do something stupid or rude. Well, at least he was handling it better now that he taught him a way to keep calm and curb his extreme childlike exuberance while in the company of others. ”Nice dog.” Zernebog commented dryly as he gave her a half-smirk. ”Taking him out for a walk in the wilderness, I take it?” MADE BY KIROUKO OF GANGNAM-STYLE

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: Who let the dogs out? |||||PKMN6 One would be surprised how much you could learn about someone simply by looking at them, simply by waiting for them to react first. It was a basic tactic to learn about the other of a meeting, but it was one she was fairly intimate with, since it was based on reading the unreadable, or at least a sister to that talent. Vesta watched and waited, looking over the man, studying him. His outfit was, to say, simple, and obviously one of an explorer or traveling trainer; when one wore what more or less equates to jeans and a t-shirt, especially in an area such as the Safari Zone, they were most likely a Pokémon trainer. Oscar, while Vesta was watching the man with her eyes, was, in a manner of speaking, watching him with his nose. From the soldier’s side, the dog was sniffing discreetly, using that oh-so-versatile move Odor Sleuth to increase its already impressive nose; granted, even with that, it was somewhat difficult to get information at this distance. With a little work, though, he did manage it; he was getting hints of seawater… smoke… grass, and deodorant. The man has been on or near the beach for quite some time, apparently, and took some time to train some Fire-type Pokémon. Vesta was noting a growing sense of discomfort in not only the man, but in his Pokémon. So, they were the type that preferred to talk, to do something, as opposed to being content with silence. His Pokémon actually seemed to be going into some sort of trance… truly a sign of an impatient Pokémon if that was the actual case. Finally, the silence was broken with the man forced himself to talk. His comment was dry, likely simply finding any excuse to get her to talk. “Nice dog. Taking him out for a walk in the wilderness, I take it?” She got a half-smirk from him, but she still gave him a neutral look, though it did shift to mild interest as she answered, “Thank you, sir. I suppose you could say that, though Oscar often walks with me wherever I am. Considering that this is my first time in the Safari Zone, it’s a good idea to keep my guard dog out, don’t you think?” Her voice held an air of dryness itself, matching the man’s quite well, but it had an added hint of uncaringness towards the man.

[Zernebog Romanov]

Rise Rebel Resist I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages, rouges, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels... { tags: Vesta } { words 400 } { short notes: woof woof~ } Zernebog was used to meeting fired-up hotheads, smug snakes, and even the occasional normal person. This redhead though wasn’t living up to the stereotypes levied on those with her hair color. In fact… she seemed to be like ice. Or at least a rock anyway, with how flat and uncaring her tone was. It almost reminded him of what he used to see in a mirror before he left that region, actually. Despite the disconcerting reminder that she represented, it was still refreshing to see someone like her after people like Elinda, Ricki, and Gold. Only other person he’d met that seemed to be as calm and composed as her was James and his blood still boiled when he remembered the memories associated with that man though he himself had no fault. It was his little venture into those ruins that made him so… so angry! Why that stupid low-down- Golden eyes blinked when he felt a paw on his arm, calming him instantly. Right. He was losing track of himself again. Ever since that little exploration gone wrong, he’d been in his headspace a lot more often than he’d like. In fact, he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Diomedes narrowing his eyes at the Mightyena and giving him a warning glance after it used Odor Sleuth. Nor was Diomedes inclined to inform him of that. He could deal with a measly Dark-type by himself if it came to it, so he wasn’t worried at all. But he wasn’t here to think about that now. No. He won’t give in to the anger now. Not yet. Or ever, if he could help it. He was here to have a good time out here in the wilderness and maybe find a new friend with Diomedes. ”Of course.” He replied after a few moments’ pause, as if he hadn’t just gone to a very dark place inside his head. ”Whatever makes you feel more confident out here. Not everyone’s comfortable with the wilderness after all.” He shrugged and was about to continue with his train of thought when Diomedes suddenly towards the bushes. Rustle rustle. ”…Who’s there?” Zernebog’s eyes narrowed at the bushes while inwardly relieved at the fact that someone up there sent him a distraction. ”Come out, come out… you can’t hide from us.” Diomedes would make sure it can’t. MADE BY KIROUKO OF GANGNAM-STYLE

[P✿pple]

A WILD POKEMON HAS APPEARED!

POKEMON Axew GENDER Female ABILITY Rivalry

○ Scary Face ○ Slash ○ False Swipe ○ Dragon Claw

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: We're both passing the Axew, so it's okay. |||||PKMN6 Oscar’s eyes returned the glare of the Lucario’s. His duty was detection, security; if that Pokémon thought that he would allow some random person be near Vesta without being checked, he had another thing coming. With that said, however, the white-haired traveler did not smell like a threat, especially since battling was banned within the walls of the Safari Zone. He smelled like he swam in the ocean for a week and tried to cover it up, but Oscar didn’t smell any danger from him, so he soon turned his attention back to his surrounds, and growled into the brush. Vesta’s eyes narrowed and turned to the bushes just as they started shaking. The traveler immediately turned to it, demanding whoever or whatever was making the noise to reveal themselves. The redhead knew better, though; it was subtle, but the shaking was far too small for any human to make. The fool was talking to a Pokémon and he didn’t even know it; though admittedly his mind was in the right place. If you assumed the worst, you were prepared for it. With that mentality, Vesta put her hand on the hilt of her knife behind her back, reading to strike if needed as a tiny green Pokémon wandered out of the brush, blinking at the two humans and their Pokémon. For a moment it just stared, visibly sweating, then it turned around and ran back into the brush, moving as fast as it could as far as it could. With a disgusted snort, Vesta looked away from where the Pokémon used to be. Pathetic thing deserved to be fearful, considering the circumstances, but it was still a waste of her time. She was annoyed, but in a few short moments, she swept that aside. A Pokémon like that wasn’t worth her time; she was here in servitude to Steinhart. She needed a Pokémon with good potential to train in order to make herself stronger; more useful. Letting go of her blade’s hilt, Vesta put her hands behind her back as her preferred posture, Oscar relaxing as well, though only enough to be out of a battle stance. She then began to walk towards the traveler, passing him before calmly speaking to him, eyes front, “Pokémon don’t talk, sir. That said, you have little to worry about; Oscar can smell any human or Pokémon for a distance far beyond that which they can surprise us.” A twig snapped under her boot as she jumped a large root.

[Zernebog Romanov]

Rise Rebel Resist I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages, rouges, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels... { tags: Vesta } { words 438 } { short notes: woof woof~ } Adorable. That was the very first thing that came to Zernebog’s mind when the small green creature came out of the bushes. There was just something about its red eyes that tugged at his heartstrings in exactly the right way, making him want to pet it. The last time he felt something like that, it was when Iris was born all those months ago. There was just something about adorable little reptiles that got to him almost as much as winged creatures did, okay? Of course, Zernebog didn’t let any of that show on his face. Instead, he just kept his smirk on his face even as he watched the little green thing stare at them both and sweat before running back to the brush. Pity. It was a coward. He had no interest in cowards, because frankly they wouldn’t last a day in the company of most of his pokemon. Erebus and Perses would have a field day with cowards, and Arceus knows what Akmon or Zeus might do to the poor thing. Although the pokemon didn’t really need the derisive snort from the redhead. Poor thing needed a confidence boost, not a put-down, because otherwise it was going to be eaten alive out there… or it was going to grow up into something big and vicious and hunt the redhead down for revenge if it was the vengeful sort. He’d had that happen several times already and it was not fun at all. Oh well, he’ll just let her learn that lesson eventually, if it ever happened. It was more fun that way and besides he didn’t think that she would listen to him anyway. Gold eyes blinked as they simply watched the woman walk by him. Was she going to ignore him? A few seconds later he got his answer- apparently not. He had to say, that was the first time that he had been called sir outside of one of his missions or in the latter part of his stay in Arcane. It was weird. ”If that’s what you want to think.” Zernebog didn’t deem it necessary to pull out Prometheus just to prove her wrong, so he just continued to smirk as he followed after her and easily skipped over the root without landing on a twig or making a sound aside from his voice. Diomedes trailed after him, shaking his head in amusement as he followed with the same light and quiet steps that his trainer used. He let a few moments of silence pass as he followed after her. ”So….” He began. ”Does that work on shapeshifters too?” MADE BY KIROUKO OF GANGNAM-STYLE

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: |||||PKMN6 Vesta made little effort to hide the noises that came from her movements; she wasn’t making any and all noise possible, kicking rocks, snapping branches under her boot, cutting down foliage and yelling to the air, but neither was she daintily choosing her steps, silencing her movements to even the cleverest of ears. There was no need; Oscar’s nose picked up both the approaching and the fleeing, so there wasn’t any point in acting like a moron in a china shop, or to make extra effort in hiding herself. She ignored the man’s response to her own comment, but he did betray the fact that he was following her, intentional or not. Briefly, thoughts of preferring to be alone crossed Vesta’s mind, but in all honesty, they subsided quickly for one simple reason: lack of information. This was the Safari Zone, an area supposedly filled with rare and powerful Pokémon. The cowardly Axew was likely not even the tip of the iceberg… in the simplest of terms, there was safety in numbers. Besides that, that blue Pokémon the traveler had was a Pokémon owned by Richelle Jace; someone Vesta knew was likely to be a skilled trainer. Teamwork was a powerful force, and between two humans it could be far greater than the teamwork she usually used. After a few seconds of silence, the traveler spoke again, “So, does that work on shapeshifters too?” Vesta’s head tilted back to the traveler, not enough to show him her eyes; only enough to turn her ear to him. For a second, she paused, surprised by the sudden, out of the blue question, but it took just as long for her to realize what exactly he meant, where she turned her eyes to him. “I wouldn’t know, sir,” she said, her tone as business-like as ever, “I have never encountered one.” Again she paused, considering her next words, looking away from the traveler again. She wondered if this was some sort of fishing attempt for information. Vesta wasn’t aware of Steinhart’s full abilities, after all, nor anything of the group that they were combating. There was the very possibility that he was a spy for the group, or some sort of test from Saber. Knowing the weaknesses of Oscar’s nose would inevitably work for him if he were of the group, and if it was a test, blatantly throwing away important information could very well get her fired for stupidity… not that she was stupid. So, she left her answer as it was. Simple and to the point was the way she preferred things anyway.

[Zernebog Romanov]

Rise Rebel Resist I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages, rouges, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels... { tags: Vesta } { words 252 } { short notes: woof woof~ } Oh hey! It looked like Zernebog’s question threw the redhead off if she actually stopped! Well, at the very least he was glad to see that he hadn’t lost his touch. He’s still got it after all even though he removed the Mohawk and dyed his hair so that it was purely stark white instead of its natural white and red state. Still, it was surprising to hear the girl bluntly admit that she wouldn’t know how to deal with a shapeshifter. She had seemed like the type to be prepared for anything, like those glorified boy scouts that the Leagues hire to police their lands or the rare soldier and veteran types like the famed Lt. Surge from Kanto. He knew that detecting shapeshifters like Zoroark and Ditto were very important considering that they could fool a lot of people, so it actually amazed him that she hadn’t taken that into account yet if he pegged her right. Perhaps he was wrong about her or something; after all it was too soon to make any conclusions based on surface behaviour and body language. ”Heh, maybe you’ll get to test that here soon.” Zernebog pointed out with an amused grin as he continued to follow her while surreptitiously glancing at Diomedes and noting that he was glancing off to the side with a frown. Maybe it would be sooner than they thought or not, depending if what Diomedes was sensing was correct. But they’ll just have to see, now won’t they? MADE BY KIROUKO OF GANGNAM-STYLE

[Lyro]

A WILD POKEMON HAS APPEARED!

POKEMON Lapras GENDER Female ABILITY Shell Armor

○ BODY SLAM ○ SAFEGUARD ○ WATER PULSE ○ RAIN DANCE

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: |||||PKMN6 Find out? If Vesta didn’t know any better, she would have thought that the traveler was implying something. But, no, they were in the Safari Zone, so it was more likely that he was merely pointing out the possibility, something that she couldn’t really hold against him. Preparing for all possibilities was a mentality that Vesta had long since adopted, and in all truth, she wasn’t worried about a shapeshifter at all. Just from the name itself, Vesta figured that it wouldn’t be able to hide its scent, at least immediately; scents tended to stick to someone or something far worse than glue, and even if something could change its visual appearance, its scent would stay for some time. Oscar barked a few times, alerting Vesta. His barking wasn’t alerting her to a danger, over; from the tone, he was simply alerting her to a new area, and that there was something in that area. Perhaps a Pokémon better suited for service…? She found out soon enough as the jungle gave way to grassland. The view was much more open… it was a veritable sea of grass, even, the term even more apt as a gust of wind made the tall grass wave like the ocean. Oscar was more appreciative of the scene than Vesta; the breeze filled his nose with scents from a larger distance, including the one of the Water-type that was floating peacefully in the nearby lake. With the directional bark, Vesta turned to look at the Pokémon. It appeared to be taking a nap while it floated. She looked it over, debating catching it. It didn’t seem all that strong, more suited to be a ferry or boat than a battler… so she decided against it. Steinhart needed strong Pokémon; a Pokémon like this could be replaced with nearly any Water-type. As she walked past the lapping shore, Vesta spoke again, “It would seem, sir, that the test will have to wait.” Her posture continued to be perfect as she walked, her tone the same as usual; respectful, but detached, perfect for conversing with a stranger.

[Zernebog Romanov]

Rise Rebel Resist I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages, rouges, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels... { tags: Vesta } { words 367 } { short notes: woof woof~ } Zernebog was simply content with watching the Mightyena bark and alert his mistress of something up ahead. He wasn’t sure if it was the same thing that Diomedes was sensing, but he thought it was best to think that they were the same until proven otherwise. It was simpler that way. As the forest gave way to grassland, Zernebog’s and Diomedes’ footsteps became surer and heavier. There were less twigs and other vegetation underfoot to worry about in making noise, and if they ever engaged in combat then they would be more open to doing so since grasslands provided far more space to work with. At the very least, it was a terrain they were both far more comfortable and familiar with than a forest. As Zernebog idly followed the redhead, they spotted what the canine had been barking at. A Lapras sleeping on a lake. The white haired trainer actually stopped for a moment just for the sight to really sink in. Those majestic creatures were extremely rare because of poaching, and just to see one out in the wild at all was definitely a treat! For a second, he was sorely tempted to try his hand at catching it, but his conscience actually won over his desire for a profit for once so he just turned around, shook his head, and left it alone. Diomedes was surprised that his trainer left such a pokemon alone, but one look at his face was enough to tell the young Lucario why he had done that and so he just left the matter alone. However, that wasn’t the dangerous pokemon he had sensed –far from it- and he needed to inform his trainer that their two new companions were about meet with it head-on. ”Pretty much.” Zernebog said once he caught up to the redhead, but before he could say anything else Diomedes suddenly shook his arm. ”What is it?” Zernebog frowned as he looked at his Lucario, who was pointing ahead of them, before pointing to his head. He immediately figured out that whatever was ahead of them was what Diomedes actually sensed. Interesting. Let’s see if the other dog picked it up as well…. MADE BY KIROUKO OF GANGNAM-STYLE

[Slate]

A WILD POKEMON HAS APPEARED!

POKEMON Eevee GENDER Male ABILITY Run Away

○ TACKLE ○ TAIL WHIP ○ SAND ATTACK ○ GROWL

[Nigenteki Reikon]

I'M HERE TO WORK, NOT FUCK AROUND

SONG: NOTES: Hurray for the Run Away ability! |||||PKMN6 Oscar arguably smelled the Pokémon that approached them as soon as they entered the grassland area. With this helpful wind, he smelled things for an incredible distance, especially when he added the steroid of Odor Sleuth. The scents that wafted into his noise were incredible various, but that was where is training kicked in. He picked and studied them as they entered, differentiating between strange new Pokémon. One of them was getting closer. Before the other dog got the attention of his trainer, Oscar was already moving ahead of his own. His hair bristled, he crouched low, and he growled as the trainers were able to spot the newest Pokémon nature offered them, one that Vesta was able to identify as an Eevee. Vesta’s eyes widened slightly with surprise; Eevee was an incredibly rare Pokémon, and both useful and valuable beyond the inherent rarity. They had nice potential with battling, and even if she didn’t want to battle with it, it could go for an incredible profit if she wanted to sell it. The Eevee in question seemed to be defending its territory or something of the like; it, too, was kneeled, growling at Oscar in an attempt to keep him at bay. It was a foolish effort; the Evolution Pokémon soon found itself sweating under Oscar’s Intimidate ability. Growling deeper, Vesta’s dog jumped towards it, snapping his jaws threateningly, forcing the furball to run away quite easily. Vesta had a bit of a disappointed face, but she soon shrugged it off. It was just as well, really; Eevee was tempting, but not enough so. Vesta needed something more useful than a Pokémon that was mere money. The redhead walked up to Oscar, patting him on the head, giving him a simple, “Good work,” before continuing through the green ocean. Oscar looked briefly back at the traveler and his Pokémon before following the soldier.