4.0 Dedicated to its Members and Fans of Pokemon A Pokemon Sandbox RP
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elcome Adventurer to EPOCH! A Pokemon Sandbox Rp set in the original region of Nue. Everything you need to know will be in the Guidebook and PokeDex 101!
EPOCH uses the Manga and is built on the Original ideas suggested by our members.
We are more than just a Pokemon RP, we're a friendly community with a goal on being a memorable experience for those that look in.
Golden Rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated. If you find yourself content with being an asshole EPOCH and its members will not tolerate you.
RULES
Understand We're All Human. Respect the staffers as well as your fellow members and guests. We all have flaws, tempers and quirks. Be patient with one another, but if issues involving other members come up please don’t just grin and bear it. Contact a staff member, informing them of what's going on so they can address and resolve the situation. The staff won't know what's bothering you unless you tell them.
EPOCH is PG-13. Proboards’ Terms of Service:
Sex; When you get under the clothes, fade to black.
Violence; Do not go into extreme nauseating detail.
Cursing; This is so fucking allowed, but don't go overboard.
Suggestive Content; In avatars, signatures and templates can attract the wrong kind of attention. So be careful.
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Jan 31, 2015 16:18:06 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
Yumi looked up from her tire black dragon as he slowly seemed to return to his old form. The armored plates that adorned his head and around his shoulders seeming to return in a flash of light, almost as if they were given physical form once more with the mega stone they contained. Yumi thought for a moment if she should really tell the truth about what he charizard was doing. Sure mega evolution was becoming more public, but it was always enforced on her in the tower of mastery that it wasn't information to be given out lightly...though...seeing as Josh had helped her out.
"Heh. Yeah. Ol' Enzo here went into a mega form as we call it." She scratched a little more enthusiastically between the dragons horns, clearly much more at ease as he'd returned to his old form. "Mega charizard would be the official name for him, or more accurately, mega charizard x..." She chuckled a little, turning to her dragon and scratching beneath his chin instead now. "Cause you can do two mega evolves can't you my handsome enzo?~" SHe chuckled a little as he began stamping his foot at the attention, slowly pulling away from him after giving him one last look over to make sure he was okay.
"He's a real power house like that...still" She smiled, looking back to Josh. "He couldn't have taken those two out without your help...so thanks." She gave a more genuine smile, giving a light little chuckle before her mind returned to the task that she'd had when first setting foot on this island. "As much as I'd like to treat you to a meal though...I got something...or someone I'm looking for out here...you mind sticking around? Something tells me I may not be out of the woods yet so to speak."
Post by Josh Dragomir on Jan 31, 2015 17:05:58 GMT -5
Josh would listen as Yumi described what kind of Mega Evolution this Charizard was. Mega Charizard X she had called it... Perhaps, was there a Mega Charizard Y as well? The Charizard would suddenly return to it's old form, and Josh tilted his head. He hadn't realized it wasn't a permanent change. But... It was an interesting one, regardless. An advanced form that only stayed on during the battle, that could be triggered when the Trainer saw fit. Interesting...
Josh would examine the stones on the strange plate on the Charizard. One of the stones resembled the color of the "Mega Charizard X" while the other... Josh felt like he'd seen that stone before, but couldn't recall where. It was true though, Mega Evolution had begun to increase in popularity as of late. He had already attempted to go to the Tower with Izumi when she told him all about Mega Evolution... Unfortunately, they had come up short.
Josh would smile at her thanks, and chuckled a bit. "Hey, like you said, I'm sure you would have been fine" He teased cheekily. "But I'm glad I was there to help" He would add. Yumi would then mention she was looking for something... Someone. Josh would tilt his head, and nod.
"I figured you weren't just derping around like you claimed" He would respond, smirking faintly. "I'll stick around, but are you willing to at least tell me what's going on?" Josh would ask.
It was impossible to tell when she showed up, but there she was, standing just behind the two trainers. Gnarled hands gripped a cane than gave her the curved stance she currently had as she stared at the strange Charizard for a moment, recalling the last time she had seen one of that species. The short elder looked at the battlefield and casually hobbled by the trainers as if they were an afterthought; she could address them when she chose to. This was her conversation to have, after all.
"Hmph. You two are sloppy, with no coordination between you - was this your first time fighting together? No matter. You are young. You will simply have to improve." At this, the old lady had made it to the passed out Arbok and Gengar, lightly prodding them with her cane. "Hmph. These two were wild - no coordination, no effort. If these were mine... eheheh."
Lifting herself out of her days of youth, the old lady spun on her heel and slammed her cane down, staring down both Yumi and Josh. "I know of you, little lady. I'm willing to wager I know why you're out here. You don't get to be my age without keeping tabs on everything, after all..." Her shadow twisted slightly, then melted upwards into the silhouette of a Gengar that formed beside her, silently snickering in the way that their species does. "Yes, I keep my eyes on that entire organization."
Moving forward, the old lady's face seemed to take on the shadows themselves for a moment, the Gengar behind her splitting off into three - or perhaps there were a trio of Gengar all along behind this harmless old lady. "I am Agatha. What is it that you want from me?"
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Mar 20, 2015 16:52:24 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
Yumi was about to move, but the sound of an eldery voice hit her ears. The words didn't register at first, believing it may have just been an elderly woman on holiday...but recalling who exactly she was looking for, those words took far more importance. She turned quickly, pupils shrinking, both Ko-ken and Enzo still out beside her, each one locking eyes with the elderly woman as she made her way around them, Ko-ken remaining silent as Enzo released a defensive growl. "And here I hoped I'd been at least somewhat vague..."
Yumi could only listen as, from the very start, Agatha was insulting their efforts and congratulating herself through the failures of the wild pokemon. It was filling her with frustration, and Enzo felt especially insulted. He let out a mighty roar, but the pain splits had taken their toll, he coughed and wheezed, unable to maintain that intimidating volume, and forcing Yumi to realize her own pokemon really weren't in the bes shape...Agatha wasn't about to approach them without pokemon. She was world class, elite four level stuff, perhaps even stronger than certain champions. If Yumi wasn't in top condition...even with Josh, this would be impossible. She was right afterall...as good as they may be together personality wise, teamwork was not gonna be listed as their strong suit.
Yumi was about to suggest an escape plan as the Gengar showed up, but then, Agatha brought up something Yumi had long since hoped to forget about. Every muscle in her body tightened and her pupils shrank to a point of fear. She tried not to look at Josh in case he saw it. Ko-ken displayed rage at even the word "organisation", while Enzo seemed to cringe, almost curling his neck around the deep scar that rested there. Yumi would have to explain that one away later...but for now she needed a new reason for being here...something she could actually handle...
"We...came for information..." She felt uneasy, just gazing between the three gengar that had appeared with a nervous sweat, yet still somehow held confidence in her next few words, trying to forget Josh was there for a second so she didn;t have to explain it later, stepping forward and gazing to Agatha, pushing down her nerves. "...What do you know about legendary pokemon?" Sure...it wouldnt be as helpful or as redeeming as bringing in Agatha to her...but if she could bring something like this back, info about the legendaries the rocket documents tried to hide, she could count a success.
Post by Josh Dragomir on Mar 20, 2015 21:49:37 GMT -5
Before Josh could get an answer out of Yumi, a voice had interrupted their little celebration conversation. He felt like he recognized the woman, as she would appear from the shadows, from somewhere... But where? Something he had read or watched on TV, perhaps? It was a faint memory, not a recent one, but it was there, in his head somewhere... But her words.. He felt they seemed a little arrogant. But he could almost sense some kind of strength from her that told she had the firepower to back up her words. Her words of course, effected him none. While confused about her presence, he would realize quickly that this just might be the "someone" that Yumi was looking for. But why? He had never managed to get the answer out of her before this woman had made her presence known. The insults and criticisms bounced off him. He knew he had lots to learn, as did Yumi. But didn't anyone their age? He doubted Yumi was much older then him, if she wasn't younger than him entirely. They still had years ahead of them, after all.
His gaze would move to Yumi, and he noticed that something about this woman was bothering her deeply, as were her Pokemon... Especially when she referred to an organization. An eyebrow raised... What organization, exactly? What was Yumi trying to hide? Still... He couldn't help but feel the faint traces of a smile cross his lips, a subtle one, but one alas... He knew there was something odd about Yumi. Something that didn't add up. There was something different about her an aura, as if there was something she tried to hide. But he could never tell what it was. His fault for never truly getting to know Yumi, huh? Perhaps he would change that in time... Although he doubted Yumi was a fan of social outgoings, or small talk, inviting her for coffee sometime couldn't hurt... If she accepted. Still, the thoughts of her being a part of an organization was an... Interesting hint, indeed. He noted that Yumi wouldn't look at him. Not a look to try and explain what was going on, or even a comfort to say she had this under control. She was avoiding him... But why? He didn't quite understand.
As he watched the Gengar, he noted that his Pokemon, as were Yumi's, were too tired out to fight if things got messy. Hopefully, they could get out of this without unnecessary bloodshed. Still, he felt Lightning tense on his shoulder, seeming prepared for whatever may happen, and Fawkes stared down Agatha, not letting his guard down after the battle he had just gone through.
She said her name was Agatha... Huh... Where had he heard that name before... A tv show, a billboard, radio? Something... He knew it hadn't been in person. Rumors, perhaps?
He would watch as Yumi would finally step forward and ask about... Legendary Pokemon? It seemed she was looking for information... And Agatha had it. But for what? Josh was fascinated with the idea of legendary Pokemon, ever since he was a child... But why was Yumi looking for information on them?
Agatha was eager to get under their skin. It would make her life easier.
A sly grin painted her face as she watched Yumi and her Pokemon react to what she had said. Mm, so an old woman could still feel a bit of joy at unbalancing others! The young man would take a bit more prodding to get at, it seemed, but that wasn't what she was interested in. Agatha waited patiently, both hands resting on top of her cane, as Yumi explained why she had come out so far. The trio of Gengar moved behind her, as if rotating turns, all the while laughing to themselves in a silent, eerie way.
The redhead asked if she knew about legendary Pokemon! The sly grin turned to a smirk and Agatha spoke up. "Do I know about Legendary Pokemon? Do I know about them? My child, you wouldn't be asking me if you didn't know something about me." She tapped her cane on the ground for emphasis and grunted, turning away and muttering to herself for a moment before turning back to face her. "Of course I know. I keep in contact with many, many confidents, my child. I have approximate knowledge of many things. You, however, might want something a bit more... tangible."
Agatha waved her Gengar off and they danced around her, leaving her shadow to become corpereal next to her. The old lady took a few steps towards Yumi, staring up at her before swiftly - but gently - poking at her midsection with the tip of her cane. "For you, I do have some information. You show some promise. A tad like myself when I was younger." A nod of approval before she continued on. "I don't have anything specific, mind, but here is what I know: Go to the southeastern islands of Nue. Find the burned temple - people have found it before, although I cannot promise it will be easy to find or that you will get a warm welcome. If you are worthy of finding a legendary, your hunt will begin there."
Another pause for thought, then she continued. "Tell me, child - why are you wanting this information from me?"
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Mar 23, 2015 6:43:32 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
Well she certainly knows she has the power, Yumi thought. Agatha was a strong trainer and it was clear she knew it, from her tone to the way she belittled Yumi's question to her, forcing an aggravated sigh from the red head as she knew a single slip up in her own words could cost her anything Agatha was willing to give up. Heck, she had to bite her tongue on her original reason for being here most of all, lest those chuckling Gengar's turn her and Josh into ectoplasmic paste.
"Tangible would be nice..." Even speaking then she felt like she had to grit her teeth. The way Agatha spoke made Yumi feel like every word she spoke should be followed with some sort of praise like "your honour" or "majesty", but at the same time, saying that out loud would likely come off more as sarcasm no matter how sincere she wanted to be. Though, truth be told, it likely said something about Yumi that, despite standing before someone as powerful as Agatha, "fear" wasn't the first thing on her mind. She really had come a long way since Albedo, even if she still got chills at the memory...
When Agatha stepped forward to prod Yumi, her Pokémon knew not to get too aggressive in her defense, Yumi just covering her midrift with a blush, and also squirming a little at the image of her turning out like Agatha when she was older. "Trust me, from what I've heard, you and I are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum..." Patting down her stomache, cleaning the faint bit of dirt from the end of Agatha's Cane, Yumi crossed her arms over her chest, closing her eyes and clearly struggling with her next choice of words. Even without looking she could feel the cocky smile on Agatha's face. The old trainer knew exactly who Yumi was, and likely knew how much Yumi didn't wanna let other people in on that.
"That organisation...yeah. I was part of it." Keep it vague Yumi. You can fill in the blanks for Josh later. "But I quit...I wanna make up for my time there. Be it to the world...or to myself..." She sighed a little as she tugged at her sleeves, feeling completely on the spot as she spoke. "I wanna feel like I've done something with my years. Something not for the rockets. I wanna say "I saw a legendary", or better yet, that I caught one. I want to be able to show a scientist how to find more, maybe even summon them...but..." Yumi got a small smirk, finally opening her eyes. Agatha was rather proud in herself, maybe a little bit of undermining her own skill was the trick to this. "Something tells me you forgot how to do that. Still. What you gave me is definitely helpful."
With a soft bow of her head, Yumi felt much more confident. Staring down poison expert of Kanto's old elite four without so much of a shiver in her spine. "Is that a fine explanation for you, Miss Agatha?"
Post by Josh Dragomir on Mar 26, 2015 16:37:44 GMT -5
While Josh really wasn't all that phased by the woman and her antics, it was pretty obvious that he was the third wheel here. He would simply listen then, standing beside Yumi as he allowed her to speak to this old lady. He was interested in this talk of legendary Pokemon, and it seemed that Yumi wanted information that this woman seemed to have. Perhaps this trek and battle could prove to be worth all the effort after all, besides the original intention of just jumping in to try and save Yumi's skin. But what did Yumi mean by something tangible? Did she want to see a legendary Pokemon in person, then? It seemed to be the case, though why she would want to, he couldn't see why. He just remembered all the stories that his family would tell him as a kid, of legendary Pokemon and their mystical powers, how rare and unique they were... And he had taken to all of these stories. Especially of a certain one that he was mesmerized by... But he had never seen it before, or any other legendary Pokemon for that matter.
Josh could almost sense Yumi's frustration throughout this, the aggravation, the irritation. This woman was getting under her skin. If she would lash out... Well, they would have to see. Still, he was confident in Yumi's abilities. But yet... He would almost instinctively start to reach a hand out to rest on Yumi's shoulder, to comfort her... But he would stop before he could complete the motion, allowing his hand to return to it's side. No, he could feel it... This was Yumi's battle. Whatever it was that she needed, this was something she needed to do, and for her to do alone. While he was interested in this legendary Pokemon business... This woman was obviously here for Yumi, and seemed to be testing her all the same. It wouldn't look good on Yumi if he was to try and help her. He knew it best to stay quiet for now, and listen. He would raise an eyebrow when the crazed old lady would prod Yumi, but he didn't act. If she proved to be dangerous, he would step in; in Yumi's defense, but it wasn't needed right now.
He listened as they spoke, as Yumi would talk about quitting this organization... But one thing caused him to raise an eyebrow so high that it threatened to fall off his face. The rockets. It had likely slipped out by accident, but Josh had caught onto it.
Rockets... Rockets... An organization... Rockets... Where had he heard that name before....
No way.
Josh would look at Yumi with a look of astonishment in his eyes, shock... Horror. Yumi had been a part of Team Rocket. But why? Why would someone like her join a band of criminals like Team Rocket? Who had done so many horrific things... It made no sense to him. But yet... It made sense in a way that he always felt that Yumi was never who she seemed, but... This? This was crazy. But yet... Perhaps it didn't matter now. He would question her later, but.... To him, she was still Yumi. She was no longer a part of the Rockets, that part of her life, apparently, was over now. Or at least, he hoped so. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been a part when they had met... Another question he would have to ask later. Still, regardless, she was still the girl that he knew. A strong Trainer, a great Trainer, and a great gal to be around. He had always wished to get to know Yumi a little more... Perhaps he should have been careful what he wished for. He relaxed a bit after the initial shock was over, and he would continue to listen. She wanted to possibly help someone summon a legendary Pokemon... Interesting. But why?
Yumi seemed to think they were very different people. Perhaps on the moral spectrum she was correct - Agatha privately mused over what she had once been willing to do, and likely still willing to do. But that wasn't what she had meant. Yumi would find out in due time the answer to that question.
For now it was a matter of prodding Yumi in the right direction. She was more than willing to give her just enough but no more than that. It was with a quiet smile she heard Yumi out, closing her eyes and nodding. The girl seemed to mean well, of course, but would that be enough to keep her from wrecking the region with what she might unleash? That would be for others to deal with. Agatha would shoulder no burden of responsibility over what this ex-rocket would do. It wasn't until she was insulted - doubted - that her expression changes to that of an elderly frown.
"Hmph. Were I five years younger, I would humble you for that! . . . but there's no need. If you really want to throw yourself at the forces of nature for such an early death, I'll do us all a favor and grant it! Rocket has gone soft if they let you leave - I thought Giovanni was made of tougher stuff! Guess even old age catches up to the greats." Agatha snapped her fingers at one of her Gengar. "Go and get the - yes, that! Go and get it." She grunted as the Gengar faded, and shortly thereafter reappeared.
The Gengar handed it off to Agatha, who then thrust it upon Yumi and her sidekick. "Here. Its a smaller version of what we used to control the birds. It won't run on badge power, but it isn't as reliable. Still, if you're near the islands, it'll bring him coming." Agatha turned away and took a few steps. "Oh yes. It'll come."
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Apr 8, 2015 12:14:44 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
Yumi winced a little as the rockets were brought up directly, giving a cautionary glance to Josh over her shoulder as Agatha dealt with her Gengar. Yumi had missed her own slip up, but this was definately giving it all away to Josh. She'd have to explain this later she was sure, and already she was dreading it. Still, what she was about to get thrust upon her may actually be worth it. Agatha wasn't exactly a "good guy" but Yumi knew from some experience that most of the high level "villains" in this world had at least some value to their word, if Agatha said this thing would work, by hell it was gonna work.
"Heh, don't know what else I can say other than thanks." Taking the device, Yumi looked it over curiously in her hands. She'd heard about the other "badge powered" version Agatha hinted at from the rocket files on her past antics, With the device safely tucked away in her bag, she smiled a tad as Agatha walked away, While she was still feeling a tad fearful in the presence of the more experienced woman, she did find an odd sense of respect welling up too. As much as she disagreed with her that they were nearly one in the same, she did have to say, she wasn't as bad as she was lead to believe. "I wouldn't worry abotu Giovanni. Old age certainly turned him soft a while ago..glad to see it hasn't caught up with you though."
Turning on her heels, she gave a wave without looking back, calling back one last remark. "I'll be back if I ever run out of challenges back in Nue...~" With a smile she never thought she'd be leaving with, Yumi rushed over to her charizard, climbing on his back with Ko-ken and giving Josh a litle ruffle of his hair while up above him. "Ready to get movin?"
Post by Josh Dragomir on Apr 12, 2015 13:43:40 GMT -5
Josh would listen with a curious eye raise as they would talk about Rocket a little more. But he would remain quiet as they spoke. Finally, Yumi would get what she was apparently seeking from Agatha before she took her leave. He had to admit, Agatha had a... Rather intimidating presence to her. He didn't know if it was intimidation for her that kept him quiet, or just knowing that this was Yumi's situation to handle, and he had no real place for speaking at the moment. He was the third wheel, it seemed. Being a third wheel irritated him greatly, but there wasn't much that he could do about it.
What was this device for, exactly? The old one was apparently badge powered... Was this thing for summoning a legendary Pokemon, perhaps? This was all guesswork on his part, of course. As far as he knew, it could just be some kinky tool that Yumi was looking for and had to be all secretive to get it from some kind of dealer. It would certainly explain why Yumi hadn't told him one bit about it, though it wouldn't explain why the Rockets had to be mentioned, for sure. That ruled out the kinky possibility.
Josh came back down to earth from his thoughts as he felt Yumi ruffle his hair from her Charizard. "Yeah... I'm ready" He said quietly, scratching his head as he would quickly climb up onto Fawkes. He would be surprised to find he had company, as Lightning had decided to let himself out of his ball while they were talking to Agatha and had already climbed onto Fawkes and was waiting for Josh to join him. Josh smiled faintly and ran his fingers through Lightning's fur. "You sneaky little mouse, how did I not know you let yourself out?" He would crack softly toward the Electric Mouse, who would just let our a "Pikachu~" In response. Josh would set himself up and be ready for takeoff with Lightning hanging on tight, though Fawkes bucked a bit. "Whoa! Calm down, can we just get along for more then five minutes?" He would complain toward the Charizard, who would let out a huff before seeming to agree to fly.
He would look over at Yumi and nod. "... Ready when you are" He said, biting his lip, still trying to process all that had been said, all that had happened. He had questions, for sure, but didn't know how to phrase them to Yumi...
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Apr 15, 2015 10:33:16 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
Even as Yumi's charizard spread his wings ready for flight, the red head could tell the "revelation" of her old occupation was sitting heavy on the head of her blonde comrade. She never planned for him, heck, anyone to get that part of her life brought to their attention. She relied both on her own ability to not talk about her past much and the rather exceptional work of the Rocket's themselves to put down all her time working with them as some part time work being a bar maid in some run down casino back in kanto. Saved her having to explain why she wasn't working for two years when getting a job.
"...Follow me kay?"
With that Yumi didn't give another word, loaded up, Enzo took to the sky, giving an impressive take off with his much more powerful mega form as he flew over the small island, glancing around both looking for a spot to land and to ensure Josh was still following behind on his own charizard. Yumi made sure he didn't fly too far ahead as he got a gentle pat between the horms, Yumi pointing out a spot amongst the rocky terrain to land on that seemed high enough to keep them safe from wildies.
With a quick dive over, and Enzo coming to a far better land than her Noivern could ever achieve, which in turn made her wonder why he was usually her go to for long trips. Regardless, the moment Josh caught up, she sat herself on a nice little boulder before laying things out for her blonde companion.
"Okay. We're safe, away from town, likely somewhere no passerbys will walk up on us, and im pretty sure that guy down on the beach below us is too busy backing up into the sea to try and get a shot of my ass that im pretty sure he'll drown before he gets even the faintest idea whats going on...so..." She took a brief moment to hold her breath, her hand bobbing up and down as if trying to wind up the energy to speak, until all she could say in the end was...
Post by Josh Dragomir on Apr 22, 2015 14:19:10 GMT -5
This whole thing was swimming in a current through Josh's mind, spinning, simmering. It was still quite a lot to take in. Where did he start? What in the world could he ask a woman that he liked, respected, trusted? Just to find out that everything that he thought she was... Was a lie? That at one point in her life, perhaps even recently, she had been... One of those? It took a special kind of evil to be a part of Team Rocket. They hurt people. They hurt Pokemon. They used Pokemon as tools, for money. They didn't care who they hurt, who they imprisoned or tortured... They didn't care about the families they hurt or tore apart with their cruelty. They were selfish, only out for themselves. Power, money... Personal gain. That was their M/O. That was Team Rocket.
But... Yumi? He couldn't wrap his head around it. He always thought she had loved Pokemon just as much as he did. He could see it in her eyes. He could see her passion for what she did, the care she held for her Pokemon. He had always thought she had seen them as her partners... Not her tools. Not her means to an end. He always thought her more like him... He thought this as he would uneasily run his fingers through Lightning's fur, causing a "Chaaa~" sound, a coo from the Pikachu who always loved affection from his Trainer. Lightning was his partner. His trusted friend. He wasn't a tool to him, or a means to an end. He would protect Lightning with his life if he had to, and earlier on, he had shown Yumi just that. He had always figured she would be the same for Ko-ken, her Sawk... The care she put in with that Sawk, who followed her everywhere she went... It was admirable. Thinking about it always made him smile. Ko-ken was her partner, he had always thought. She loved him, she would protect him with her life just as Josh would for Lightning. He respected her for that. She was an admirable, respectable Trainer who loved what she did... And would never use her Pokemon for evil, or for selfish gain.. As tools, as expendable tools...
Or so he thought...
Despite them not getting along, Fawkes could sense Josh's discomfort, and tensed a bit. Lightning's fur was already standing up on end. He could sense the distress that seemed to radiate from his Trainer. It was just a part of their bond... A bond that Josh figured Yumi held with her own Pokemon like he did. He just couldn't understand it... Why would Yumi join Team Rocket? Why would she serve their evil ends? It was obvious by the way it was spoken of that she had done so willingly, that she had been there for quite some time. It was her decisions... Sure, decisions, she likely regretted now, but... What did that say about her? That she was willing to commit so much evil for her own means? Could he trust her anymore? Would Yumi stab him in the back if it meant personal gain for her? He was just so unsure... He didn't know if he could trust her, as much as he wanted to. The main concern wasn't the fact she was formerly in Rocket and not in it anymore... It was the fact that she was capable of such acts. And willing to do such acts. Perhaps even endanger his safety or the safety of her Pokemon if it meant making a quick buck, or some other sort of personal gain for Yumi.
Of course... He had always thought her strange to begin with. Not that he thought something like this was possible... But there was a certain aura to her. An air of secrecy. Maybe it was her refusing to say a single thing about her past. He knew next to nothing about Yumi... Only her personality, only about her as a Trainer... Well, he thought he had anyway. Something about her had always bugged him, but it had slowly faded away as he got to know and respect Yumi more and more. He trusted her. But now... He wasn't sure.
Josh would nod weakly when Yumi requested he follow her? What was going to happen now? Would she kill him now that he knew what had appeared to be a closely guarded secret before Agatha (And Yumi by accident) had spilled it so that it couldn't get out? Would she and her Pokemon suddenly turn on him and attack when they were no longer in sight of anyone that could stop her, or witness it and have it get around? He was obviously uneasy as Fawkes would take to the sky after the black Charizard, who Fawkes, admittedly, was kind of jealous of the power it held. His pride dictated that, obviously. How could one of his kind get so powerful? He had to know... Josh was amazed by Enzo as well, especially by how the mega evolution had improved its flying abilities. They flew over a small island, before Yumi seemed to find a proper place to land.
As Yumi would land in a rocky spot, likely away from wild Pokemon, Josh would direct Fawkes to land behind them. Normally, Fawkes would probably give a fuss about taking orders, but... He could sense that the situation was grave. He would bear with it for now. Once they landed, Josh hopped down, giving Fawkes a pat on the head. The Charizard would give a little snort in response, as Josh would sit down beside Yumi, looking over at her. Lightning sat nearby them on another boulder, curious.
As she spoke, he would peek over at the aforementioned guy that was trying to get a peek at Yumi's ass down on the beach, before looking back at Yumi. "I don't blame him" He would remark softly, with the faintest twitches of a smirk crossing his lips. She was trying to keep the mood light, at least, and he tried to do so as well, despite the conflict raging on in his head.
Finally, she would speak, and lay out what she wanted him to do.
"Ask whatever ya like about it."
That's what she had said. The blonde would bite his lip, his eyes falling from wherein they had been staring into hers, descending, as did his gaze, toward the ground, toward the stones below. Where did he start?
"I... I..." He trailed off, scratching his head. It was hard for him, but... This might be the only chance he had to find out the how, and the why...
"I.. I don't know where to begin..." He admitted, with a sigh as he would finally look Yumi dead in the eyes. "Just... You. In Team Rocket. Why, Yumi?" He would ask her quietly, the hurt obvious in his eyes. He felt lied to, deceived. Sure, he could see why she hid it... But with the circumstances around it, it was hard to blame him for feeling a little betrayed in trust, not knowing if the Yumi that he knew was the real Yumi at all.
"It's... It's not so much the fact you're a former Rocket member who left that gets me. It's that... Well..." He trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Team Rocket is evil, Yumi... They're criminals. They use Pokemon as tools, as a means to an end, as expendable patsies to help them gain money and power. They don't care about the people they hurt, the families they tear apart and the lives they take.... Or the Pokemon that they hurt. They just want their own selfish means. They're evil... Like I said, and I'm sorry I keep repeating myself... I... I just... I don't understand how you could have thrown your lot in them" He said quietly.
He let out a sigh. "I'm going to be straight with you. I like you. Not in the kissy kissy mwa mwa, let's go play a round of Happy Fun Time in the closet fashion. But I trust you. I can't say that about very many people, and I probably never will. I respect you. You're a hell of a girl, Yumi. And you're a hell of a Trainer. I admire the dedication you put into training your Pokemon, the care you have for them. Its something I've always felt we had in common, a love for what we do, a love for our Pokemon who we hold a special bond with" He said as he patted Lightning on the head. "It's just so hard to believe that someone like you could have done the things they did. Gone out and made peoples lives miserable, and for what? For money and power? I... I guess I thought better of you"
He brushed the hair from his face, noting that he had bit his lip to the point of bleeding. A trail of blood started to slide down the cut on his lip. Lightning would note this and start fishing through Josh's pack, finding a bit of kleenex that had been shoved in there for colds, and handing a piece to Josh to dab it away. "Thank you" He said quietly toward the Pikachu as he would dab the blood away. "Pikachu~" Lightning chirped in response as he would close the bag, seeming happy to help. It was just another example of the bond between them.
"I've always admired the bond you seemed to share with Ko-ken. I always thought he was your partner, like Lightning is mine. Was I wrong?" He would ask her, tilting his head. "I.. I guess I can't imagine you only seeing Ko-ken as an expendable tool like the rest of Team Rocket. It just seems unbelievable. I've always thought highly of you. And I know you know that, my mother told me she told you about that. It's no bloody secret. I guess then you can see why this is effecting me. Why it's just so hard to form all this into words..." He trailed off, taking a breath.
"I guess all I can do is ask... Why, Yumi? Why did you join Team Rocket? Why did you throw your lot in with them?" He would ask, as the questions would begin. "How could you do the things that they did? Hurting people, hurting Pokemon, robbing, stealing, hurting, cheating... All in the name of money and power? Why did you do these things with them? I always thought you the type to jump right in and take down people who would do these horrible things... But to join them... I can't fathom it..." He said quietly.
"Just... Just... How long were you with them? How recently? Were you a member of Team Rocket when we met?" He would ask her, an exasperated and hurt look on his face. "I guess most importantly... Is this the real Yumi? This woman who I liked, who I respected and admired, who loved her Pokemon more then her own life who would lay her own down to protect them.. Who held such strong bonds with her Pokemon that I could almost be envious.... Is this nothing but a charade? Is the Yumi I knew, who I trusted... Just a cover-up of someone who is willing to do such evil acts? How do I know you won't sell me down the river the first chance that you can find a benefit in doing so? How can I trust you anymore? I... I guess, I just thought I knew you. Sure, you were always kind of ambiguous of your past, but I thought I knew who you were, what you were.... Was I wrong? I never thought you'd be capable of things like what the Rockets did, and that's what disturbs me the most. That you'd be willing to do things like that for your own ends. Maybe I was just naive and couldn't see the writing on the wall, I don't know. But... How do I know you aren't actively still doing these kinds of things? The Rockets are gone now. How do I even know you had a choice in leaving? Are you still doing these things without me knowing, without our friends knowing?"
"Does Ko-ken mean as much to you, as do your other Pokemon, as I thought they did? Or is that a lie too?" He would ask, biting his lip again despite the Pikachu pulling and tugging at his sleeve in a silent beg to stop doing that. "What else have you been hiding?"
He hated being this confrontational with Yumi... He really did. But it had to be done. He wouldn't have any piece of mind until he did.
Post by Yumi Tasukai on Apr 22, 2015 16:09:04 GMT -5
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"YES OUR TEETH AND AMBITIONS ARE BARED! BE PREPARED!"
"..."
Yumi sat through it all. With Enzo at her back, and her own back resting into his stomache, the red head listened to every word that Josh had to say. Her eyes never changed, they didn't seem to well up, her firsts didn't clench and her body didn't shake. Just the same, slight frown as she listened to all the assumptions and the questions, answers rattling through her head a s aburning desire to shout them out welled up inside of her, but she knew that wasn't to be done here. She let it build and build, thinking on how best to answer these questions in one single flow of her own much like how Josh was giving them to her.
It was only towards the end whent he possibility of the love she had for her pokemon was a lie was brought up again that she seemed to lower her head, her red bangs hiding her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, her nails digging into her jacket just a little. Ko-ken, her ever present guardian, simply looked between his own shaking trainer and the questioning blonde, taking a single step forward that would have lead into a stride, to lead into a punch, to lead into a beatdown. He didn't care what the questions were, but he had only seen Yumi get like this twice in their past together, and he was not going to sit back and watch a third. He never sat back, and he never would. Not even for Josh, the first person in this situation he believed to be a friend.
But that one step would be the only one he took.
"I hardly think you beating the crap out of him will make this go away Ko-ken..."
With a light sniffle she lifted her head, light signs of tears in her eyes pushed back with a single deep breath, kicking off the floor and to her feet, dusting off her hands as she paced back and forth. So many emotions were clashing through her from the questions. Anger that he asked, pain at the memories, sadness and desperation at her own answers, but one emotion powered through them all. Understanding. Yumi had always avoided her past and now she was paying for it. Not only that, but even the parts Josh was getting wrong...he was getting wrong for a reason. It kept her calm, almost unnaturally calm, but the shaky tone of her voice remained constant, and the light sign of tears always showed the threat of her braking down entirely.
"Why did I join...well you got it half right." Even as she answered she kept pacing, her arms now crosse around her as if to comfort her. There was a look on Ko-ken's face as he watched her that there had never been before...at least, he had never let Yumi se it. it was calm...a small frown and a saddening of the eyes...a deep worry for his trainer. He had never let her see it before, and even as her pace turned to face him, he wouldn't let her see it now. His usual, grim glare replaced the sad look, the same glare that showed both determination and confidence, and at times, anger and rage. He was the pillar that supported this red head, and he would never let her see him falter. Not even as she teatered on the brink.
"You wanted to know about my history? Well here it is." She turned on her heels, facing Josh down with her face seeming surprisingly strong, a hint of her inner anger shining through. "Not all of us had caring mothers who listen to their kids tell them about their new friend like yours. Some of us were born into an orphanage, no clue why or who their parents were. Some of us maybe didn't mind it, maybe some of us made the most of it. We used that freedom having no parents gave us, and they explored woods and caves and trees, and they got hurt, and they got bruises and scabs and they loved every damn second! But maybe, just maybe, the people who run orphanages can't handle crazy little "i wanna be a trainer" scamps. They ship them accross the sea all the way to bloody Unova!"
She turned to her side, pacing again as the tears had begun to build up to threatening levels, a single one trailing down her cheek, Ko-ken tensing up as he saw that one line trailing down her face, gritting his teeth hard as he felt the urge to hit something. Not even Josh. He just felt biased, uncontrollable rage, but resisted it, for her. Even Enzo, the mighty blue flame spewing mega dragon he was, lowered his head as she passed, giving a sympathetic whine. A father figure in the pokemon group, he hated seeing one of the "young'uns" like this. With the biting of her knuckles stopping her from letting out any more tears, she soon calmed down, stopping again, but not turning to face Josh this time, a few calming breaths setting her up to continue her answers.
"I was shipped off to school there and I ran away...I hated feeling confined...I was only twelve you know. Parentless. Homeless. I threw my eucation out the window on a whim because I had this fancy idea of being a trainer. You know how hard it is to get a trainer's license when you don't even have a phone number to call your own? let alone parents who can help you apply for it? I spent weeks. No. Months on those Unovian streets looking for a pokemon i could befriend, or a person who could pretend to be my Mom and help me get my license. In both cases they both ran away, probably afraid of the filthy red head with mud on her cheeks...some weren't afraid though. No."
She found herself nibbling a little on her knuckles again, a memory of fear making her wince, but soon smiling as the better part of that memory came. "Thirteenth birthday...heh, managed to steal a cupcake from some supermarket, some matches, a candle, the works." At this point she didn't even care how off topic this may have seemed...she was feeling an odd sense of weightlessness as she spouted her memories...it was nice. "Two houndour caught me just as i blew my little birthday wish. Heh, got so scared i lost my cupcake before I could take a bite...I wished for a friend and I remembered thinking how much the world must hate me to send two mean houndout after me instead..."
Turning her head, she gave Ko-ken a soft smile. "Thank god I was wrong. Before I even knew what was going on, a blue blur that was the mighty Ko-ken swooped in and kicked those houndour to the curb..." She walked over to Ko-ken, speaking a little more to him than he was to Josh, crouching down to just a little below his height, staring over him with amazement in her expression. "To this day I have no clue why he helped me...or why he stuck with me for the weeks...months...the years that followed even without a pokeball sticking him to me." She leaned up, pecking the bald dome of her Sawk and petting him as she finished her memory. "My little guardian weren'tcha?" Ko-ken only replied with a small smile and a quiet "Sa." Brushing Yumi's hand away almost bashfully and gesturing to Josh, showing Yumi she wasn't quite done.
"Yeah I know..." She gave a weak smile as another tear rolled down her cheek, a happier one this time. "Sorry if it seems like I'm rambling but...I had me and Ko-ken to feed...and no license. I couldn't register for a free night at the pokecenter, or even some food to feed me and Ko-ken. I had no education, no work experience, no home, no job...and then one day I see a headline. Kanto Gang recruiting. There was some bull paragraph about how everyone should be afraid that the rockets seemed to be coming back, but I didn't see that. I saw a group who accepted everyone and anyone, especially if they were a nobody to begin with...you said I joined them for the money and the power...and I said you were half right." Her hands slipped into her pockets, letting out a long sigh as she hung her head once more, getting back into the true mess.
"It was for the money. I moved to Kanto when I was sixteen, with Ko-ken, and two other pokemon that had followed with him. Gavin my scrafty and Edwardo my slowbro. Both of them stuck with me as i searched out the rockets and became one of their number...They...they were so nice to me." Even through the dark memory their was a small smile on her lips as she sat down, resting back once again into Enzo's stomache, the dragon sitting down and wrapping his arms around her for comfort, Ko-ken standing by her side as he rested back against the dragon too. "There was this guy, Murdoc. he was filling in for Giovanni...heh...old boss had gone missing...and he seemed so caring. He set up a background for me, told me how i'd get paid...they got me a real trainer's license. Before I knew it I had my own apartment and I was travelling the world for them..."
Raising a hand, she used the back of it to wipe away the faint signs of tears that remained. "Ya see. This is what you guys don't get...the rockets aren't that bad! I-I mean yeah! They're fucking evil! But when you have Magma wanting to dry up oceans, and Galactic destroying the universe? All rockets did was expand like some publicly open mafia!" A small chuckle slipped through her as she realized that none of this would likely fall well with Josh at all, but its how she felt, and she'd put out how it was the lesser of all evils till the very end. "You thought rocket was gone all these years? Nu-uh. They just kept quiet, and did there thing. No harming trainers, no infiltrating businesses. They just battled other crooks for territory. I never even did that...I just traveled the other regions looking for places they could set up shop, and everytime I'd come back telling them "No one wanted to sell property to us"...I never even asked a single person."
Taking another deep breath, she hoped her story was slowly opening up for Josh to see. She hoped and hoped she would see her motivation, and the reason she stayed. "I never really did anything...but...when they saw I could battle? When they saw me in the league tournament last year, reaching the semi finals? They wanted to bump me up to a special agent. I was tested by this masked guy...Albedo...he was an admin, heading up operations in Hoenn..." She reached up a single hand, lightly resting her fingers on the deep scar that was still present in Enzo's neck. Even in his mega form, the wound he had recieved that day remained. "I left soon after I became a special agent. There was no big fuss, they justlet me leave...probably realized they couldn't stop a semi finalist even if they wanted to." she gave a soft smirk at that, holding enzo's arms around her. Even the dragon was smiling a little. The memory of albedo was never a painful one. In fact, he was proud he could push through the pain he felt in his neck that day to protect Yumi. Ko-ken seemed agitated...that day was the first day he had attacked a trainer directly. That day he had launched himself at Albedo in a fit of rage for Making Yumi cry...he still wished he hadn't missed.
"But...I knew, even though I hadn't done anything I knew I had to make up for my time there...the reason I know about Agatha is because i stole as much info as I could before leaving. Nothing the rockets would care about. Third parties they'd messed with in the past and lost contact with, like Agatha herself. I wanted to bring her in today...see if I could beat her..." She lifted the small device she had left beside were she sat. "But instead, I left with this."
Feeling as though she may be getting off topic, she patted enzo's arms, the dragon releasing her as she stood again, getting the last of the questions out of the way. "I was with them for three years, and left when I wasn 19. I didn't know you when I was with them, and left before I met you...and as for loving my pokemon?"
There was a moment of silence, and then, as if reaching an unspoken agreement, every pokemon on Yumi's belt appeared in a flash of red light. Tranz the kadabra, Goku the Flygon, Gavin the scrafty, Edwardo the Slowbro, Enzo the Charizard, and Ko-ken the Sawk. All stood behind her, arms crossed over their chests and standing strong behind their trainer, as if defending her honour in an unspoken manner.
She could only smile as she raised her head, hoping that on some level, Josh trusted her enough to believe everything up until now...and knowing full well that, even if he believed he had lied till now, what she would say next was a fact he couldn't deny.
"You really think they'd stand by me like this if I didn't?"
Post by Josh Dragomir on Apr 27, 2015 15:10:05 GMT -5
It had pained Josh greatly to ask those questions, make those accusations, and question his faith in a woman who he trusted. But... It was necessary. This hadn't been the first time he had dealt with someone he had trusted greatly turning out to be someone they weren't. The last time he had made this mistake, it had nearly been fatal. It had nearly cost him his life, as well as the lives of Lightning and Vulcan. That mistake had transformed him into what he felt was a monster during this period of time... Ruthless, no hesitation to put a knife in a man's throat if it meant protecting himself and his Pokemon. He couldn't make that mistake again, he couldn't risk the ex Rocket member to suddenly turn around and put himself and his Pokemon in danger... He couldn't fathom Lightning being put in danger again, he wouldn't stand for it. The poor thing had been through enough while sticking by his side all throughout it. He had to protect him, no matter what it took. He had shown that time and time again, and if there was even the oft chance that he was at risk, Josh would do all in his power to protect him, even if that meant being distrustful of his friends. Even someone who he respected, trusted, and in some fashions, cared about, in Yumi.
He bit his lip, not knowing how Yumi would react. Would she get angry? Would she turn her rage on him, along with her party, and force him to fight? Or would she try to lie her way out of it with an unconvincing justification that would likely lead to a fight, or at least a falling out between them? Or even fake tears, in an attempt to get this thing settled and lull him into a false sense of security? No, she gave none of those things. Instead... She spoke, and he listened carefully to every word. He watched her, every facial expression, every tear, every word, he watched and listened cautiously. There could be no chances taken. Even the faintest hint of a lie, he knew he'd have to be ready for whatever may come. It wasn't a prospect he enjoyed, as he enjoyed Yumi's companionship, but... Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made to protect the ones you love. And before all of this, Josh would have gladly put himself on the line to protect Yumi, even. That was how far he'd go, and that showed how much it hurt him. Yumi's expressions seemed genuine, every word seemed like it was from the heart. He'd studied psychology, counselling, he'd undergone training and knew how people ticked. It was with that training that he carefully analyzed Yumi's every move, every word, and every expression. Her tears were genuine, from the heart as were her words. She didn't seem to be lying to him for the moment. But if it was all true... Well, he supposed he'd just have to find out.
As the tears fell, he had the urge to just walk over and wipe the tears away. It hurt him to see her like this.. And it hurt even more to realize that this was his doing. It was his words, it was his actions, it was what he had done to her that had caused this. But while it pained him... It was a necessary evil. And deep down, both he and Yumi knew this. If they didn't cover this... They might never be able to trust one another again. There would never be peace. There would always be a dark cloud hanging over their head until this was handled. There was no going back now.
He listened while she spoke... Remained calm despite the emotions running through them both. He couldn't identify with Yumi on being an orphan. Perhaps to a degree, throughout much of his early life, all his parents were... Were an inspiration that gave him house, food and home, and a platform to learn. From there, he was on his own, they weren't around much of the time. It might explain actually why Serena was so overbearing. She'd spent all this time away from her son, really only being there to help with educating him on what to do for working on the ranch, while she handled her own affairs. When he left for school, she had begun to regret it, and it welled up inside of her for years until they ended up in Hoenn, where she became the mother who while she could be very overbearing at times, perhaps reckless in the amount of care she gave... In her eyes, she was making up for lost time. Yumi didn't even have that. He was lucky in comparison, and he knew it... Of course, Yumi never really struck him as someone who was orphaned, who had... Well, nothing. She always seemed so... Happy. So excited to see what adventures came next. She was hiding so much, he had no idea. But... Of course, so had he. It wasn't that unbelievable now that he looked back at it. He had done the same, hid his pains until they finally came out all in one moment... Like he had with Izumi not long ago. It had been pent up, held in... And then released. And that seemed to be what was happening to Yumi now. He could tell by every facial expression, tone of voice, every word... She had held this in for a very long time. But Yumi didn't have a family to house her, feed her or give her a place to learn. Like him, she'd wanted for so long to become a Pokemon Trainer, and she too had been kept from it, for different reasons. His family had kept him from it for his safety, while Yumi wasn't able to at all without someone to sign it. It hurt to think about, as he tried to picture himself in her shoes.
He began to understand her reasons for joining Rocket as she explained it was for the money. She had been desperate, she needed it. In many ways, with nowhere else to go, Yumi just plain didn't have a choice. And he could understand that. He very much doubted that Rocket wasn't near as bad as he thought. Sure, they might have been kinder to its members, but that was one of the ways that they kept it together. Without morale, they wouldn't have lasted for as long as they did. Without morale, you lost your backbone in your organization rather quickly. Her story about Ko-Ken though, told why they were the partners they were. It explained a lot, including why he appeared so overprotective of Yumi. His behaviorisms, including when Josh had noted he stepped forward during his questioning, confirmed that part of Yumi's story, especially as the Sawk hadn't interjected.
Sure, they might not be as destructive as the other teams... But they themselves were evil, and willing to bring harm to people for their own selfish means. That was something all these teams had in common. Their intent was similar, in his eyes. If anything, they seemed more sane then the other teams. All these genocidal teams were likely led by psychopaths... Sociopaths. Troubled people with misguided goals and brainwashed followers. These guys... Rocket... They were sane. Just evil. They knew exactly what they were doing.
Having not really done anything besides playing scout girl was hard to believe at first, but her attitude, and... Well, just the Yumi that he knew, brought favor in that regard. It was a little easier to relax knowing that, along with the history and reasoning. He noted the... Odd, tense tone that was taken, both by her and Ko-Ken when this "Albedo" was mentioned. Something in him made him seethe just a bit at the prospect, but tried to keep it hidden from Yumi. That care within him was welling up again, and he had this urge to punch someone in the face, in particular this Albino, or Albeetle, or Albedo, whatever his name was. Her talk of Agatha, which told Josh the name of the woman they had met... That was the Trainer, the woman, the competitor that Josh knew, and he smiled faintly. Agatha... He knew that name from somewhere...
Wait a moment...
Agatha? From one of the Elite Fours? That Agatha was the crotchety old woman they had met? Still, that didn't explain the talk of Legendary Pokemon or the device she gave her... He would question Yumi after this, though, as she kept going. He had a weird feeling that she was lying, or just forgot, when she said that she was no longer with them when they met. Something about her had given this... Aura, when they had met, that he didn't see from her anymore. Now, it was like she was... Free, like something was off her that once casted a deep shadow over the redhead. But perhaps he was mistaken. He would leave it at that.
After a moment of silence, all of Yumi's Pokeballs would open, bringing out her remaining Pokemon. Every one of them stood behind her, almost as if in steady agreement in their bond... He could feel it, sense it... He wasn't an aura user or psychic of any kind, but they conveyed this air of unity. It was akin to the bond he had with his own Pokemon... If he had any more doubts of Yumi's story, they were gone now.
He finally took a deep breath. She was right, in that last bit. They wouldn't have stayed by her if she didn't love them with all of her heart. She had suffered... She had done what she needed to do, just as he would, to protect herself and her Pokemon, to feed them and give them a roof over their heads. She obviously regretted it, but... That was behind her now.
He would nod slowly, before he would do something that Yumi likely hadn't expected. He would slowly walk over to Yumi, his hair over his eyes, his expression unable to be told as his head was low. Once he had reached her, he would wrap his arms around her, and pull the redhead into a tight hug, holding her close.
"... I'm sorry..." He whispered softly in her ear as he hugged her tight. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened... For not trusting you... Your story, or your love for your Pokemon... I'm sorry for thinking you were someone you weren't, but... I had to" He whispered quietly. "I've been deceived before... I put my trust in someone, and they turned out to not be what they said they were... It almost cost me my life... Lightning's life... I couldn't risk that again.. I'm so sorry, Yumi..."
He wished he had trusted her. But it was necessary. He would squeeze a little tighter, before leaning over a bit and gently placing a peck on her cheek, just an instinctual reassurance, something to make up for all that he'd said and done, perhaps. He would let a silence fall for a few moments, holding the hug just a little while before letting go.
