From Out Of The Depths [OPEN/MOD]

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{Walk away from the sun, come slowly undone
I can see in your eyes I've already won
I could bleed for a smile, I could cry for some fun
Walk away from the sun, and tell everyone....}

Far from home, alone, and caught in the hottest part of the day, Nyroc was far from happy. The Gang Leader, known to many as "The Bloodhound" and known to more as "The High Tyto" was however, also far from lost. For days now, she had been away from her home base on a scouting mission. She'd sent four to the north, four to the east, four to the west, and decided to venture out herself to the South. She didn't need any of her pawns to be with her at every moment. No, she was powerful and manipulative enough on her own.

"Buru, bank left, and make it steep," she growled. The shiny Flygon let out a cry of recognition at the command, and then, folding in its polygonal wings, dived straight down like a missile. Holding herself to the dragon, Nyroc relished the feeling of the wind and speed she was obtaining, that is, until they were close to the ground. At that point, Buru opened her wings, and spiraled through the air just above the ground, leaving dust in its wake as it continued to fly at top speeds.

At last, Scorch City came into view, and with a quick kick to the flank, Buru landed and allowed Nyroc to climb off. A warm wind blew tumbleweeds in front of the High Tyto, and with a smirk crossing her features beneath the bandanna veiling her face, she took her fist steps into the South.

[Rarity]

A dark-haired, tall female was leaning against a building and looking about the city through slitted violet eyes. She appeared to be disinterested with everything those eyes touched on, and as if to punctuate this, the lady yawned wide. Riku was wearing a much skimpier outfit than she would normally wear to compensate for the desert's heat; a not WAY too short black skirt and a deep violet half-shirt, plus intricate sandals with a slight rise in the backs..

Next to her, an equally unamused Ampharos lounged against the same wall, leaning back so that her ears were parallel to the wall and holding her tail in front of her, making it glow bright now and again. The glow wasn't much in the harsh sunlight, but it was enough.

Riku's eyes caught a glimmer in the sky; light catching on the scales of a Shiny Flygon, by the looks of it when Riku focused on the glimmer. She smirked; perhaps something interesting might happen? At any rate, she remained where she was, as did Angel..

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{There's so much left in the air
So much to tell from a stare
There's so much left to defend
But I am no fun...}

As Nyroc entered the city, she recalled her Flygon, realizing that she really didn't want extra attention. No, she only wanted attention from those that seeked her out. Anyone that approached her, she would test. If they passed, she would invite them to become a Pure One, and then if they refused.

The smirk that had graced her features earlier only widened as the thoughts of bloodlust filled her head. She almost hoped she would find someone inferior, just so she could dispose of them. Yes, death to the impure. Soon, the only race of humans left would be under Nyroc's command, and there would be a world of riches, peace, and most importantly, purity. No more nobles, rebels, or any other division. Just.... The Pure Ones.

Nyroc came to a stop suddenly, feeling eyes boring into her from the side. With a snort, she looked over to see Riku, and then with seemingly innocent eyes, beckoned her over with her mind. If Riku felt the calling, then the first test would be passed. If she chose to ignore, then she was impure, and therefore trash.

((OOC: Crazy bitch is crazy))

[Rarity]

Riku forced herself not to watch the Flygon save for out of the corner of her eye.. when it landed, she could tell that a long-haired person got off of it and returned it, but otherwise there were no details she could tell. She spared her eyes the strain and flicked her gaze over for a short moment, noting only that the person was a female and.. highly attractive. The glance lasted but a moment, though, and she closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall.

...What was this? Riku, the headstrong creature that she was, suddenly felt a strong compulsion to go to the newly-landed trainer.. Why would she feel the need to do that? Her mind struggled with.. itself.. but it caused a mild headache to try resisting, so with no hesitation she smoothly went from leaning to standing and turned to walk towards the attractive lady, looking confident but with a mere hint of confusion in her eyes. It wasn't lust acting this time.. what was this? She shook her head to clear her mind, hiding the motion by flipping her hair..

Angel opened one eye lazily to see that her trainer.. was making her way directly towards someone else? Odd.. Riku usually made people come to her, rather than the other way around.. Angel decided she didn't want to interfere, but she stopped leaning against the wall to look towards the two meeting trainers. She felt a slight tug to join them, but knowing how Riku would react to being interrupted if this was another of her overnight friends, she held herself back.

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{So turn away from the ones who hurt everyone
I can tell by your smile you're coming undone
I could bleed for a smile; could die for a gun
Walk away from the sun and kill everyone...}

A curious look passed over Nyroc's face as she watched Riku approach. To be quite honest, she was sure that Riku would prove herself inferior on the first test. A disappointed flash appeared in the High Tyto's eyes for only a moment, but it was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. This was, after all, a possible recruit. Maybe only Fodder in the end, but possibly also a Deadly Sin. A Ryb. She could easily be formed into a strong warrior to her cause.

"What's your name?" she asked bluntly. She gave no explanation of herself. Only stared at Riku with hard, but not exactly cruel eyes. She was searching Riku for more potential... another inkling to prove that she was worthy of being a Pure One. With a glance over the girl's shoulder, Nyroc noticed an Ampharos watching them. Hers, most likely. Impressive, she thought. A fully evolved Pokemon of any kind is useful to my cause.

With a smile hidden beneath her bandanna, Nyroc said, "I apologize for my rudeness. I should introduce myself. I am Nyroc, the High Tyto of Central City."

[Rarity]

"Riku." said Riku in her equally blunt reply. She was still puzzled by her sudden compulsion and by the fact that this lady hadn't thought it odd to be suddenly approached that way, but she brushed it off as something to worry about later. Her violet eyes locked on to the other trainer's blue ones, unblinking and half-lidded.

Angel realized that the trainer Riku was speaking with was looking at her and looked back, giving an expressionless stare with a slight message of 'don't mess with me', but otherwise she didn't move. She was still standing close to the wall, though, and her tail continued glowing brighter then dimmer, brighter then dimmer..

Riku was almost startled when Nyroc spoke again to introduce herself. A lovely name, that.. The violet-eyed female dipped her head slightly without removing her gaze from Nyroc's.

"A pleasure to meet you.." she purred, smiling lightly in return to the hidden smile. She had seen the facial movements indicating a smile, of course.

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{I don't think that you wanna be a part of me.
I don't think you wanna see the deeper, darker side of me.
I don't think that you're ready for reality.
I don't think you wanna see the deeper, darker side of me.}

"Riku," she repeated, the word rolling off her tongue. The name even sounded pure. Yes, this woman had potential. She could easily become a Pure One, and there would be no reason to change her name. A grand addition to the Tyto Race she would make, if only the right persuasion were used. "A lovely name."

She paused, casually putting her hands into her pockets and staring up at the sky, "I am unfamiliar with these parts of Era. Do you know your way through Scorch City? I am on a quest, and far from home. A guide would be... of great use, if you are willing to help me, Riku."

As for what I am looking for, she thought. Is a sense of loyalty. Loyalty. Do you hear my thoughts, Riku? Should you become a Pure One, would you be willing to serve me without question of my intentions and motives? If she asks what my quest is, it is questionable, and if she doesn't then she knows when to keep her thoughts to herself....

[Rarity]

Riku thought a moment, then nodded, smile growing slightly more confident.

"Yes, of course.. I know my way around this town just fine~" She was about to ask what exactly Nyroc was needing in this town, but something stopped her. Another compulsion, just like before, where her mind couldn't seem to fight back and the words died on her lips before they could come out.. How strange of a feeling that was to someone as headstrong and stubborn as Riku..

"I can show you the whole town, if you like, unless there's something specific you need to find.." She trailed off, not actually asking where Nyroc needed to go but agreeing to take her there. She was curious as to this woman's origins and motives, but the compulsion to keep quiet with those questions remained..

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{Walk away from the sun, come slowly undone
I can see in your eyes I've already won
I could bleed for a smile, I could cry for some fun
Walk away from the sun, and tell everyone....}

"Very good!" Nyroc exclaimed, both as an answer to Riku and as an exclamation of excitement regarding the potential she was seeing. Yes, yes, yes. The High Tyto was almost foaming at the mouth with anticipation, like a starving dog finding its first piece of food in weeks. Gesturing to Riku, she let her take the lead. For a while, Nyroc was content with just watching her graceful movements. Every thing about her screamed "Pure One" to Nyroc, and once they had traveled several blocks, she couldn't help but say, "I noticed that you were curious as to what I am looking for. I lead a group called "The Pure Ones" back in Central City. You see, I have sent scouts to the farthest reaches of Era to seek out Pure Ones like myself. Together, we hope to bring Era into an eternity of peace."

And then Nyroc's gaze turned dark, "But the road is bumpy. I fear things will turn for the worst in the coming months. The time to find the Pure Ones is now, and I am desperate to gather them."

And now is the time to ask, Riku. Ask what us Pure Ones are, ask if you can help. Serve me....

((OOC: .... is it bad that im creeping myself out a bit with this character?))

[Rarity]

Curiosity made Riku wish to ask what the Pure Ones were, and she waited for a compulsion to tell her not to ask, but there was no push of coercion from whatever source was controlling the impulses.. She opened her mouth to speak and was not blocked, and so with an amused smile she asked what she wanted to ask.

"What are the Pure Ones?" she inquired, and was glad to not be reprimanded for it by her own mind. She felt a push to ask to help the Pure Ones, but she could resist that one until she knew what exactly they were, or so she hoped..

As the pair of trainers had begun to walk, Angel realized that they were moving and followed, but not too closely. She had to keep an eye on her dear Riku, after all, and she couldn't do that with the trainers moving around so much..

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{There's so much left in the air
So much to tell from a stare
There's so much left to defend
But I am no fun...}

"The Pure Ones," Nyroc started, her voice slipping into a dream like tone. Yes, the Pure Ones, the brilliant, beautiful Pure Ones. Nyroc strongly believed in her little organization of sorts, and soon, she knew she would win this war. First on the streets, and then in all of Era... and then... and then the world.

"The Pure Ones are a band of trainers that are trained to unlock their full potentials. You hone the power of an emotion to purity, or perfection if you will, and use it to your advantage. I have learned that it is stronger than any weapon, and with enough of us, I plan to restore peace to Era one day," she explained. "It is my duty as the High Tyto to carry out my former leader's goal. He was killed some years ago as a result of the fall of the Royalty."

Of course, that last part was a blatant lie. Nyroc had planned very carefully how she would get the old High Tyto out of the way. Her and her companion, David, though he too, soon fell to her will. Realizing that she had paused for a long time, Nyroc spoke up again, this time saying, "I have been training as a Pure One for many years. I have obtained more than, which is a difficult feat; however, it is easier the longer you train to do it. With more and more members mastering different kinds of Purity's, I have been able to learn their skills, and them mine. It is a beautiful thing to learn to evolve in such a way."

[Rarity]

Riku appeared to be mesmerized by Nyroc's reply to her inquiry, and ended up gazing at the High Tyto for some moments while she listened to the description.. She nearly sighed at the mental picture it created, but she held herself back.

"I.. wish to be a part of this." Riku spoke with confidence, only using a small dramatic pause for emphasis. She gave Nyroc a sly smirk, almost a confirmation that she meant serious business. "It sounds.. lovely~"

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{Walk away from the sun, come slowly undone
I can see in your eyes I've already won
I could bleed for a smile, I could cry for some fun
Walk away from the sun, and tell everyone....}

YES! Nyroc screamed in her own mind. Mission success. Now was the final test to see where Riku needed to be placed. It was a beautiful thing, enlisting others into her gang. Like giving birth to new life, or at least it was to the High Tyto.

"I would be honored if you joined us," Nyroc started. "I however, cannot place you in fairly without giving you a test of strength. Strength of mind and strength in battle. One on one would be quite enough for me to make my final decision, Riku, though I am sure the Pure Ones have a spot available to you...."

She paused, and then with a thoughtful look said, "As the leader, I have to be fair. You do understand, I'm sure. Tell me first though, before we start this battle, what emotion drives you? What courses through your veins and can give you strength beyond that of any physical power? It does not matter if it is what one would consider a 'good' or 'bad' emotion, or a sin, or any of that. Every emotion can be used to an advantage. Love and hate, greed and fear, I could go on...."

[Ryder]

(Note: Benjamin is played in Gray and on some Skins might have a hard time showing up.)

BENJAMIN WICKED

The sun beat down, and glared into bright blue eyes for a few seconds. Swearing under his breath as the sun caught his eyes, he turned his head quickly away from it. He had just entered the city, compelled to do so, since he was sick of the cold weather in which he grew up in. Flicking his hair out of his face, his hair was in a fact an odd color, since it was colored gray. It should be noted that not only was his hair gray, but also all of his clothing was gray as well, making his bright blue eyes stand out even more. He height was small only a mer 5'8, but that had never bothered him before. Wicked was fine with his height, since his build made up for the lack of height on his end.

Walking into the city, he smirked, feeling his own darkness in him, the darkness that now controlled him. For today most of his other personalities were silent, only Circus sounded in his head, laughing and pointing things out, that made Disturbed scowl. Besides this man walked a shiny Absol, its red tainted fur, and his bright blue eyes like Wicked's. Nightmare only looked around the area, as it stayed at Wicked's side today. He smirked watching his pokemon, but when it let out a cry he looked up. Seeing two people a little ways off, both female. To him it looked like they were going to have a battle, and he smirked. Walking up to him, he saw the Ampharos in the shade, and only smirked thinking about his own Ampharos.

[Rarity]

The violet-eyed lady hardly had to think at all before yet another smile spread across her lips and she spoke in reply to Nyroc's question.

"That would be.. lust." she purred, gazing at her new leader with respect and a slight amount of her chosen emotion.

Riku was happy to send a Pokemon to fight her new leader, and she turned her head to look for Angel, who was still fairly close. She beckoned the electric-type with a tilt of her head, and the Ampharos came bounding over with a look of confusion.

"Ampha?" she asked. Riku motioned to Nyroc and spoke to her yellow Pokemon.

"It's going to be a battle." she purred, and Angel seemed pleased by this fact, turning towards Nyroc as if she would fight the woman herself. She looked happy to battle.

[Da Smiffinator!]

_{Walk away from the sun, come slowly undone
I can see in your eyes I've already won
I could bleed for a smile, I could cry for some fun
Walk away from the sun, and tell everyone....}

"Excellent," Nyroc nodded in approval. "An impressive Pokemon, but let us see how you do in battle..." the High Tyto trailed off, picking the second Pokeball off her belt, but before letting out her Pokemon, looked up to see that another guest had arrived, an Absol at his side. "How ironic," she whispered.

"Chaos, from the dark," she called as she threw her Pokeball forward. Forming from the beam of light was indeed, another Absol, though this one was not oddly colored. Regardless, its eyes looked wild, and it seemed ready to battle with every ounce of its power. "Watch carefully, Riku. This is what the power of Purity can do. Chaos, Faint Attack!"

[Rarity]

Riku had noticed the newcomer herself, but paid him no heed as her attention focused on the battle at hand. Angel braced herself as the High Tyto gave her Pokemon a command and the canine rushed forward with a Faint Attack. Though the Ampharos couldn't dodge an attack like that, she was ready for it when it struck, and it didn't hurt her quite so badly as it might have if it had been a surprise attack. Even with that, Angel's Static ability had a chance to perhaps paralyze the opponent Absol when he struck, which was even more reason to allow a hit.

"Angel, use Cotton Spore. Then.. Signal Beam." Riku's pleasant smirk twisted into a wicked grin as she realized that the enemy Pokemon was Dark-typed and chose an attack to exploit this fact. The large yellow ewe nodded at Riku even as she began her turn, sending large blobs of cotton to hinder Chaos' movement and then carefully aiming her forehead gem at him to unleash her Signal Beam.