Under The Moonlight [OPEN]

[Da Smiffinator!]

^{I don't want to be a soldier, that the captain of
Some sinking ship would stow, far below....
If you love me, won't you let me go?}

It had been quite a long time since Zack had come home to Central, though, it was a bittersweet reunion as he walked the streets he had once called home. With a solemn sigh, the young man stuffed his hands into his pockets, curiously looking for the house that used to be his parents. Had the city sold it to someone else? Or was it still the run-down-of-the-mill he had grown up in? Raking his thoughts for old memories of where his street was, Zack turned a corner.

"So much has changed," he thought aloud. "Angeal, this is only a shadow of the place I once loved. It's so..." he trailed off, unwillng to let the next words roll off his tongue. He couldn't say his first home had been awful, but he couldn't remember it being quite like this. "Zero, come on boy."

"Scep!" a voice called from above. At once, the lizard Pokemon came crawling down the side of a building, which he had only gone up to get a good view of the city. This was the first time the Sceptile had seen Central Capital, and Zack had suggested he get a better view than the one he was seeing on the ground.

"How's the city look?" he prompted. Unfortunately, Zero only responded with a nod, to which Zack sighed. He understood why his Pokemon was so serious all the time, but considering how close they had become over the years, Zack couldn't help but wonder why Zero wouldn't open up.

Turning another corner, Zack found himself in an unfamiliar alleyway, and the mere presence of it sent chills down his spine. Something was lurking back there, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to find out what.... and yet.... Grabbing the hilt on his huge sword, Zack walked forward, ready to strike if need be.

[Jay]

Watching from above, a Rotom stared down at the world below. It had taken into the form of a roof-light and was staring down waiting to see if it would be noticed. Sitting on top of a roof not far away from his Rotom, its trainer sat with his legs crossed and his shoulders back as he stared up at the sky with an easy smirk on his face. "You seem tense," Black Jack Spade said aloud not even looking down as he said the words. His Rotom was watching for him. "I guess the city pretty much brings it on itself though. How are you today?"

What are you up to Jack? one of BJ's other personas that lacked a name at all. Usually you let me do the planning.... However, Jack shoved the thoughts from his head and silenced the voices before they got too strong in his mind.

[Da Smiffinator!]

^{Dead man laying on the bottom of the grave.
Wondering when savior comes, is he gonna be saved.
Maybe you're a sinner into your alternate life.
Maybe you're a joker, maybe you deserve to die....
They were crying when their sons left. God is wearing black.
He's come so far to find the hope he's never coming back.
They were crying when their sons left. All young men must go.
He's come so far to find the truth he's never going home....}

"Sceptile!" Zero exclaimed suddenly. Zack, who had been looking back and forth like a paranoid man waiting for a monster to pop out, turned his attention to his Pokemon. Though they were both very tuned into what was going on around them from years upon years of harsh training, Zack was always out shined by his Sceptile.

Zero jerked his head up, his reptilian eyes narrowing at the rooftops above. Zack nodded, realizing that this was where the source of his feeling of unease was coming from... but it was just a gut feeling. He had to stop himself from charging up blindly into a battle that may not even be a battle. He had, after all, been wrong many times before. The clothes on his back were a reminder of the most terrible mistake he had made.

Angeal, he thought to himself. What should I do?

[Jay]

"It's not nice to ignore a conversation starter," Jack smirked to himself as he continued to lean on the rooftop. "Let's try again 'hi my name is BJ'." Are we going to kill this guy? Jack the Ripper's voice mused against BJ's own psyche, and for a moment, he breathed inwards and made no comment.

No not right now... BJ finally answered back before making a shove of his other psyche towards the back of his mind. He didn't want any annoyances or distractions, and having three split personalities constantly talking in your head was a very annoying distraction to say the least of things. "The air is nice out isn't it?" Jack continued smirking to himself and staring up at the sky.

Rodo continued to stare downwards as though keeping an eye out for any move that the other man might make to attack his trainer. He was not about to let any damage come to Jack.

[Da Smiffinator!]

^{Welcome to the soldier side, where there's no one here but me.
People all go to die. There is no one here but me.
Welcome to the soldier side. There is no one here but me.
People on the soldier side. There is no one here but me.}

When Black Jack spoke again, this time, Zack was a bit surprised. Asking about the air? He would hardly call it nice, at least, not after being out in the wilderness for so long. This was his first time experiencing the city after... well, he had lost count some years back.

"I suppose it's nice tonight," he responded at last. He narrowed his eyes to slits as he tried to make out the features of BJ towering above him. It wasn't that the light was bad, but more that he was silhouetted against the moon. It made Jack no more than a shadow to Zack, and that unnerved him. In fact, everything about this situation unnerved him to bits.

Zero, sensing his trainer's unease, wasted no time in climbing the side of the building so he could get a better look at the man and his Pokemon. With movements swifter than an eagle in mid-flight, Zero got to the top of the building with ease, and flipped onto the roof next to BJ with suspicious eyes analyzing him, "Scep... Sceptile...."

"Zero!" Zack called from below. He hated it when his Pokemon rushed ahead without him. Almost at once, Zack followed his Pokemon up to the roof, though with a bit of a different tactic: wall jumping. He caught the edge of the roof at last, and heaved himself up with muscles well toned from years of practice. He shot up to his feet quickly, dusting his pants off and looking at BJ. Okay, so maybe he had worried for nothing, at least over this man... but maybe not for the night. The ominous feeling at the pit of his stomach was still lingering, and Zack knew to be wary.

Regardless, he smiled in greeting and said, "Nice to meet you BJ. The name's Zack. Zack Fair, first class TRAINER." With that, he put his hand out, awaiting a handshake.

[Jay]

Jack rolled his shoulders and forced himself to stand as the man named Zack introduced himself. Shaking his hand before looking back at the man, BJ put his hands behind his head and leaned back a bit with the easy smirk on his face. "My name's Jack but most people call me BJ anyways," he half smirked a bit to himself looking at the man before him again. "I'm a..." he leaned back again and stared at the sky. "A first class magician," he smirked and half laughed as though even saying it himself made Jack relax.

Rodo was half staring out from his position in the light pole with some wonder at what type of man had just jumped up nearly two stories with what appeared to be ease. Indeed, Rodo was curious, yet the Rotom made no move to come forwards. He'd wait to see if Jack called him or not.

[Da Smiffinator!]

^{If I rest my head, would I have to lay above the stone.
If I rest my head, would I lay the rest alone.
If I climb those stairs, would I find my way back to home.
If I climb those stairs, would I find my way alone.... alone....}

"Magician huh?" Zack repeated after finishing his handshake. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Jack an inquisitive look. "I'm not sure I believe in magic, but my mom always loved tricks. Can I see a few?"

He was genuinely curious, after all, and somehow, the thought of his mother being happy with anything made him feel a bit more like he was home.... as if he was closer to once again feeling her warm embrace and his father's hardy laugh. Yes, he was twenty three, but one never stopped missing their parents.

"Sceepp," Zero growled. Zack sighed in response, but decided to ignore whatever it was that his Pokemon was getting worked up about. Surely it wasn't BJ. It had to be something else. Well, if that something else came to them, then they would deal with it. For now, Zack was just interested in Jack's tricks, and possibly making a new friend.

Zero however, found himself walking over towards what appeared to be a lamp. Of course, he knew better. Zero was a very cunning, and very smart Pokemon. Usually when his gut told him something was not as it seemed, he was right... and this was precisely the case with Rodo being disguised as a light fixture. The Sceptile let out something akin to a hiss, and then crossed its arms, wondering if Rodo would reveal its true form to him.

I know you're there, Zero stated seriously. What exactly are your intentions by disguising yourself? We're clearly no threat to you, so don't give me a reason to think you're a threat to us, or I'll cut you up with my leaves.

[Jay]

"How about this then?" Jack said bringing his hands together for half a second, twisting his wrist a few degrees, and appearing to produce several startled Pidgey broke into the air and flapped upwards into the night sky. Jack laughed a bit to himself as he did it, and his smile was rather genuine in the idea of having fun. You should try that more often on girls.. I'm sure they'd love a show.... Casanova Jack's words nearly started the real BJ who froze for half a moment and finally shook his head before smirking and sighing outwards. "Or this," Jack finished bringing one hand up, twisting his fingers a bit, and producing a bouquet of flowers in an instant. "Just some easy parlor tricks for now," Jack grinned a bit more. "My full show isn't till the morning."

If anything else, Rodo was surprised to have been noticed. The startled Rotom blinked before finally starting to pull his head out of the light pole and grinning at Zero. But it's so much more fun to watch and play... Rodo grinned back at the grass pokemon. See? with that, the Rotom fazed back into the light pole and began to turn the light on and off before finally pulling away from it again and laughing with electrical impulses.