She Walked Away (Mod/SG)

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance was flying on Lucifer on their way to the Shadow Pokemon Laboratory thanks to the surprisingly accurate directions given to them by Nathan. The desert sands stretched endlessly in all directions as they flew and Vengeance found herself glad that she was flying instead of walking.

As they flew, an oasis appeared in the distance. Vengeance could feel Lucifer faltering a little and decided that they should stop and rest if only for a few moments until he gathered his strength again.
"Lucifer, land in the oasis." she said in a monotone voice.

Lucifer wanted to object but he knew as well as Vengeance that at this pace he would be exhausted by the time they reached their destination. Changing course for the oasis, Lucifer reached it in a matter of moments before landing by the water.

Vengeance slid off Lucifer's back and pat him on his middle head.
"We'll rest here for a while, you need your strength."

Lucifer nodded and sighed before going to relax in the shade underneath a nearby tree.

Vengeance looked around at her surroundings and decided to join the Sazandora under the tree. Sitting down, she leaned her back against the tree and closed her eyes, planning to rest for only a little while before taking off once again.

[Admiral Striker General]

At first, things seemed to be rather quiet, serene, peaceful. There seemed to be little movement other than the desert wind, and maybe the faint rustle or splash of a wild Pokemon in the distance now and then. However, some half a minute or so after Vengeance had settled down, there was a rather loud splash indeed, and suddenly the woman would find herself soaked as a Kingdra emerged from the oasis's large pool to spray her with a light Water Gun. The Kingdra then seemed to... laugh? heartily, and a few moments later there was a smaller splash as a young man emerged.

"Pistol!" he scolded frantically, causing the Kingdra to cringe and pout. "Don't just spray random people..." he sighed. Turning his attention to Vicki, he went on in his shockingly deep voice, "I apologize for him, m'lady. Are you all right?" He seemed not to notice the Sazandora, despite the reaction it had most likely had.

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance found herself awoken, rather rudely from her nap with a water gun. Sighing, she got to her feet and brushed the sand off her before starting to wring out her hair, seemingly unfazed by what had just accured. When the man asked if she was all right, she stared at him with a blank expression before continuing to wring out her hair. This was the second time somebody had asked if she was well...
"I am fine..."she replied in a monotone voice as she looked down at her sopping wet clothes and sighed,"Just wet..."

Lucifer started when he was splashed by water and growled at the Kingdra, annoyed that he had not been keeping a better eye out for pokemon like this one.
<"Stay away from my trainer..."> he growled at the Kingdra before looking over at the man that had appeared. The man seemed harmless enough, but even so he would keep a careful eye on him; there was no way he would let Vengeance be harmed again.

Vengeance heard Lucifer growl and put a hand on his head, shaking her head once before walking calmly over to where a patch of sun was and sat down. She would sit here for now until her clothes and hair dried; there was no sense in taking off now and be cold on account of wet clothes.

[Admiral Striker General]

Alaric watched the girl with interest. Tough case, wasn't she? Well that certainly made his day more interesting~ Pistol, meanwhile, just rolled his eyes. <She looked like she could use a little fun..> he mumbled, but didn't press it. Alaric thought now to join the girl on the shore, but--... Oh. Right. He grinned sheepishly to himself upon remembering his rather.. inappropriate circumstances and glanced up to the treetops. "Glydre?" he called out, and some moments later a Gligar spiraled down. Alaric then whispered something to the bugbat, who in turn glanced down with an awkward yet contented blush before nodding profusely as he tried to pretend he hadn't.

Rushing off to the other side of the pool, he returned some time later seemingly carrying something stuffed in one claw, a Luxray now following along the water's edge with a bag in her mouth. Reluctantly dipping his claw into the water, he released whatever it was to Alaric, who took it before diving under completely briefly. Upon re-emerging, he swam much more confidently toward the water's edge and climbed up onto the sand. Taking his bag from the Luxray, he found a PokeBall and recalled the Kingdra, the pet the lioness in gratitude, much to her annoyance at his wetness.

This settled, Alaric moved some ten yards or so from the young woman and sat down in the sand himself, smiling lightly at her. "So what brings you this far out in the desert?" he asked casually, just hoping to strike up conversation.

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance watched as the man returned the Kingdra in silence and stared at the Luxray for a brief moment before looking back at the water. Sighing when the man asked why she was here in the first place, Vengeance glanced at the man before once again returning her gaze to the water.
"I was traveling...Lucifer needed rest. I hadn't planned to stay long, but now I'm wet. Flying while wet isn't the most pleasant of things..."she said in a monotone voice as she watched the small waves the water caused.

Lucifer looked at the Luxray with a wary eye before he decided she wasn't a threat and relaxed, nodding his head in greeting to her before eying the man with his trainer once again.

[Admiral Striker General]

Hm.. Well then... "You prefer heat to cold, then?" he asked. That would only make sense given her reasoning, as the wind would dry her quickly if she didn't mind the cold. "If that's the case.. Well, it may be less than ideal for the desert, but it's actually fairly cool here in the shade by the pool, neh?" By which he meant he could stand it. Alaric much preferred the cold himself.

"If the heat wouldn't bother you too much, I could let out my Ponyta; it could help you dry off a little faster." He smiled lightly. Of course, he didn't seem at all concerned with drying off himself: his golden hair still weighed down and water-filled with no attempt to ring it out, small beard still dripping, and full body- bare save for a pair of dark red shorts- still just generally soaked. Honey shook her head at this, swearing he'd catch a cold but saying nothing, just taking a spot a little off from them to lay, where she could catch the sun's rays as she basked. The Gligar, meanwhile, took back to the treetops.

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance looked back at the man, not sure what to make of him. Why was he even talking to her...much less offering to help her dry off. Staring blandly at the man, she nodded finally before looking back at the water.
"Heat doesn't bother me...I...used to live in Orre after all...I'm quite used to it."she said in a monotone voice, pausing for a moment before continuing,"Why...are you helping me...you don't even know me..."

Lucifer continued to watch the man talk with Vengeance with a wary eye. He had become very good at judging his trainer's moods over the years, even with the little to no emotion she showed. For the moment it seemed that Vengeance didn't seem to mind the man's company, and that was enough for Lucifer.

[Admiral Striker General]

Alaric blinked and tilted his head, seeming blissfully oblivious. "I need a reason?" he asked, then laughing lightly and finding a certain PokeBall. Tossing it out, he released a rather odd Ponyta, incredibly thick and bulky for his height with abnormally large hooves. Looking about for the reason he'd been called, Alaric just nodded toward the ground, and upon seeing everyone else just relaxing, Boxer did the same, heat from his flames drying out the air around them a bit.

Alaric then smiled back at Vengeance, a bit of a wry twist to it this time. "If you insist, though..." he started, tone taking on the slightest hint of a tease. Yes, if kindness threw her off, this was going to be fun indeed. "Because I don't know you," he replied with a light shrug. "And I think I'd like to~"

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance closed her eye and sighed as the Ponyta lay down beside them. The heat felt wonderful, almost as if she was back in Orre again.
After hearing the man speak, Vengeance looked back at the man with a blank look on her face.
"Why do you want to know me...I'm nobody special...not even what most would call...pretty..."she replied in a monotone voice.

Lucifer looked a little leery when the Ponyta came out but realized that he wasn't harming anyone, in fact, Vengeance seemed to be enjoying the heat from the Ponyta's flames.

[Admiral Striker General]

Contrary to what most should expect, Alaric gave a wicked grin in response. "Of course not!" he replied almost coyly. "I'm afraid I'd have to argue with anyone who would~" From her place nearby, Honey gave a light, annoyed sigh and mentally facepawed, knowing full well where he was going. God, it never changed... ONE GIRL. Could they meet ONE. GIRL. that he didn't do this to? Oy vey... He winked then, not seeming to notice the she-cat. "A girl like you deserves to be called nothing less than beautiful~"

[Maid Melody]

Vicki smiled slightly, not out of happiness but because of the annoyed tick she had developed over the years. Looking at Alaric with a blank stare, Vengeance took off her eye patch, revealing a nasty, rather hideous scar over her right eye.
"This isn't the face of beauty...nobody would find me beautiful with this..."
she replied in a monotone voice before putting the eye patch back over her right eye,"You're just wasting your time..."
With this said, her smile disappeared and she leaned back on her elbows, falling silent as she allowed herself to enjoy the heat coming from the Ponyta.

[Admiral Striker General]

He gave half a smile and barked a syllable of a laugh, one hand moving to run down the gnarled scar down his chest; while he left it alone, another was not far from it. "We all carry scars, princess," he replied, calm and warm. "To do so visibly only shows strength." He shifted a few feet closer, as much by leaning in as actually moving, though notable distance remained between them. "So tell me: what could look better than a woman who's both beautiful and strong?

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance looked at Alaric as he laughed and saw him run his hand down down a scar that she had somehow missed before. Staring at him blankly, her annoyed tick showed again as he called her princess...but then he had called her strong too...and was he...coming closer to her...?
Vengeance looked away from him and stared at the water once more, choosing to say nothing about his comment of her being strong.

Lucifer fluttered his wings absentmindedly and narrowed his eyes. The man was trying Vengeance's patience, he could tell. Looking at the Luxray it appeared that she was every bit as annoyed as he was.
<"What is your trainer planning...?">he asked in a low voice,<"He is beginning to try my trainer's patience...and that is not a wise decision.">

[Admiral Striker General]

Honey gave an exasperated sigh as she looked to the first person she'd heard in so long who made sense. <That depends on her, honestly. He's harmless, though, for the most part. Just...> She leered at him and shook her head before laying back down listlessly. <Obnoxious,> she sighed. <And at times a little bit stupid.> A hiss was heard in the treetops in response to this, but it passed without further incident.

Hm.. Lack of protest was good; silence so early, not as much. What to say, then? He weighed a few options, then finally smiled lightly. "You know, with today's technology you don't have to carry your scars.. Back it with enough money, and no one would be able to tell anything had ever happened. ...Depending on the damage, restoring lost sight is even an option, really." He shrugged a bit at this as his smile turned a bit more to a smirk. "Question is: would you if you could?" From the way she carried herself, he quite suspected one answer over the other here. Then again, in the event she surprised him... well, he could take care of that, couldn't he~

[Maid Melody]

Lucifer nodded and glanced at Vengeance and Alaric.
<"Harmless or not...if he even touches so much as a hair on her...">he began, growling a little before looking back at Honey,<"She's been hurt too much already...I won't let it happen again...">

Vengeance heard what the man was saying and wished that he would just be quiet. The scars were a small price to pay for the past...after all..she had failed, hadn't she...
The fog at the back of her mind pushed forward and Vengeance found herself remembering what she had long ago wanted to forget...
Crying...searing pain...screaming...blood...
For a moment Vengeance was lost in the memory of the worst day of her life until Alaric's voice brought her back to reality.
"Shut up...I don't even know your name and you're offering me advice on my appearance...who do you think you are..."she said in a monotone voice with just a hint of anger.

Seeing Vengeance angry alarmed Lucifer and he rose to his feet, growling deep in his throat in warning.

[Admiral Striker General]

Honey sighed, fur raising just a bit as Lucifer rose. <You and I may have a problem, then. As much as I agree he's an idiot, he's my idiot. If you can refrain from touching him, though, I'll try to step in myself if he goes too far.>

Alaric tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Mm? ..Now what part of that was advice?" It seemed he'd struck a nerve, words revealing more than tone. Not that anything to chip at the ice wasn't a positive in the long run, but neither could he just leave it. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I do any more than state a few facts and ask a question based upon that?" With the slightest hint of a smile, he added, "The name is Alaric, by the way."

[Maid Melody]

Lucifer looked back at Honey and nodded though he obviously wasn't pleased with the current situation.
<"Fine...I won't touch him...but if this continues it won't end well...">he replied in a low, rumbling voice as he lay back down again although it was apparent that he wasn't happy about the situation.

Vengeance made a tsch sound and turned her head away.
"You wouldn't understand even if I did tell you...not that I can remember anyway..."she replied in a monotone voice,"If you care about names...I go by Vengeance..."
Saying this, she fell silent, refusing to say anything else in way of explanation of the name she had given.

[Admiral Striker General]

He blinked and held back a smirk. 'Vengeance', was it? This just became more and more interesting~ "Well that depends on what you mean I wouldn't understand," he mused with a shrug as he shifted to lay propped on his side. "But in the event we're still on 'would you get rid of your scars if you could', I never had to keep mine.." He smiled and rolled onto his back, hands behind his head as he just stared up at the shading leaves overhead. "Your story and reasons are your business, of course. Not that I wouldn't listen. But," he shrugged awkwardly with a small 'nyeh' sound. "Either way, I think it's nice to keep reminders. They help keep us from repeating our mistakes, neh?" Well.. Most of the time anyway. Alaric could probably do a little better job learning from his, but.. Ah well.

[Maid Melody]

Vengeance looked down at the ground and formed a fist in the sand. For a moment, she contemplated whether to throw the sand at Alaric...but he had done nothing than state the facts as he had said earlier. Still...that didn't mean she had to like what he said...releasing the sand, she looked back at the water.
"Like I told you before...I don't remember...but...I'm not sure I want to remember..."she replied in a monotone voice before hissing at the searing pain in her back.
Hoping that he hadn't noticed the reaction, she lay down, putting both hands behind her head in such a way that it looked normal. In reality, she was pulling at her hair, trying to distract her mind from the pain.

Lucifer recognized the signs immediately and stood up again, wanting to race over to Vengeance before remembering Honey and looked over at the Luxray with a concerned expression on his face.
<"Distract him...get him away from her...please..."> he said in a worried voice, glancing over at Vengeance for a moment before looking back at Honey,<"It's important...">

[Admiral Striker General]

Honey's gaze snapped to the dragon. <Nothing escapes these eyes, dragon,> she responded sharply, almost scolding him for the insult. <I could see every physical scar on both of you the moment you landed; I can see her subtleties now. Your girl can't run forever, you know. It will only hurt worse the longer it takes.> In truth, this was one of the few things her trainer did that redeemed his other behaviors in her mind, and for the moment, she was quite on-board. Despite this, she did give him a sharp sniff and cautious leer, though no more.

Alaric's attention was drawn by this a moment; Honey thought he should back off, then? Well, it was rare enough for her to bother speaking up, so he nodded ever so slightly to her before turning his attention back to Vengence. "I see," he replied, a bit more lightly. "Well, I'm admittedly a history geek, so I may be a little biased. But 'those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it'," he quoted, then shrugged. "Still, it's obvious you aren't wandering around completely blank, mm? I imagine as long as you can learn from what you have the rest shouldn't really matter." His tone remained light, casual, and- most importantly- as far from pressuring as he could make it. He didn't want to make her too uncomfortable, especially if Honey had noticed something he hadn't, but neither could he just give up without trying.