[BATTLE] VARNOCK VS ADAR

[lou]

ROUND 1
VARNOCK VS. ADAR
BATTLE COMMENCE

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You say it's all a crisis
You say it's all a
blur

There comes a time you've gotta face it face it

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Varnock

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You aren’t dressed for the battlefield. Perhaps because you know you don’t belong on one.

Tight black slacks, worn black shirt. You looke like a mall-goth prepared to raid the nearest hot topic, you look like a teen just old enough to rebel against plaid skirts and hair ribbons, but not yet at the point of pulling out the neon hair dye. You have your ears pierced, but the tiny holes aren’t noticeable to the naked eye. You’ve been shot before, but your clothes hide that. They hide the scar. They don’t hide the walk you walk, the way you stop, the way you shudder at movement. The way you curl in on yourself, curl in over your still-aching scar, lest someone think to re-open.

You don’t belong on a battlefield, but the funny thing is, you don’t jump at the sound of gunfire in the distance. Well, you do, but no moreso than you did before you were shot. You- you can’t quite make yourself aware that this is real. You know how battles work. You know what it feels like to be shot, to bleed. You know it’s possible- likely, even- to happen again.

But you made it through, didn’t you? You struggled on, you coped with the pain, you made it to safety and you made it to a place where they patched over the hole, and you moved on, you kept going. All the factors that made you join the war are still there. The warn that might ward you off hasn’t quite… registered. Bad things happen. Horrible, miserable things you can’t possibly survive. But you do, because sometimes there’s no way out, no escape, and it’s not in your nature to give up, is it?

Of course, it’s not in your nature to fight back, either. That’s why you have Thirza, who stands solemnly at your side and directs the actions of your pokemon with mutters and waves of her vines. Knee-deep in mud, the grass type looks quite at home, in fact, her leaf is perky and held straight up towards what little sun pours in through the trees. She’s enjoying her slog through the water. You’re worrying about your boots, whether they’ll be ruined, whether mud will get in and soak your feet, whether you’ll step out of one if you have to run.

Scout and Kyprioth were in the air, Acantha’s huddled behind a tree several feet away, but you can’t see Cathair. Perhaps that’s a sign of Thirza’s tactical skill, but frankly, you find it unnerving. Seviper are goddamn enormous, and the realization that he could be- up in a tree? Curled up somewhere out of sight? You don’t know where he could even hide, so finding yourself without him is… strange.

You don’t think to check the mud around you, the marsh beneath your feet.

“I don’t like this,” you say, but the funny thing is you’re not referring to the battle, and you’re not referring to the bullets. You don’t like the marsh. You don’t like the mess, and you really don’t like Pastoria, actually. Even the parts that aren’t practically underwater.

Thirza spares a moment to slide a vine against your arm reassuringly, but then she goes back to directing everyone to find an advantageous position. You stand, slouching, a little confused and a lot lonely, and wait for the distance screams to come closer.

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[varnock]

It had been a long time since he was last here, in the marsh. It was where he had caught Alfred back when he was a Croagunk. Needless to say Alfred was happy to be home. Or Varnock figured he must be. He hadn't seen the little bugger in ages. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen much of his team at all in some time now. Feral, Alfred, and Scorpius had all slipped into the marsh and turned nearly invisible in what was as close to a natural habitat they could all share. It was a tad worrisome honestly, but he knew they were all close by. He still had his other three with him anyways.

He thought about letting Ran loose to warm him up a bit while he was wading through all this marsh that came up to his knees, but who knows what might see the flickering light and come calling? He was better off suffering through it and letting his pants get ruined. It briefly crossed his mind that the methane in the swamp might just caused an explosion of grand proportions... He would have to remember that if things got dangerous enough to warrant it.

It was strange really, being here. It was probably because he wasn't here for Nox. For the first time after his betrayal he was actually actively helping Lux. What else could he do when they planned an assault in his own region? He was already annoyed over Veilstone. He had been to late to help there.

Varnock gave a happy sigh and let his thoughts trail off as he finally left the watery section he was walking through to move towards a more solid looking area. It wasn't as solid as he had hoped, but - wait. What was that? In the distance? A person? He crouched down a little and aimed for a better look. He just couldn't tell from here.
"You three better be nearby..."

He scowled and moved closer to the person in the distance. A girl if his eyes didn't deceive him... She looked... familiar? No. Not a chance. He wouldn't accept this. He didn't want to fight a teenage girl, let alone one he knew. His scowl faded as he got closer and finally decided to call out.

"Adar? Is that you?"
He sounded surprised even to himself. He just hoped this wouldn't end up being the worst mistake he had ever made. She didn't look like she was here to fight though. Sure she had the Bayleef with her, but she had had her back at the river too. Maybe she had just gotten roped into this while exploring the marsh when the fighting broke out? He could only hope as much.

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Tell me who’s your boogieman?
That’s who I will be
You don’t have to like me for who I am
See what you’re made of by what you make of me

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Varnock

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This wasn’t an opportune time to run into a near-stranger, standing alone in the midst of the marsh, waiting for- what, exactly? Waiting for Lux, yes, but she wasn’t sure how she’d react should they arrive.

‘Thankfully,’ she thought, ‘they haven’t.’

Though she couldn’t remember the man’s name, Adar smiled at him, beckoned for him to come over. “Lux will be here any minute,” she warned, with a shiver. Kyprioth had slipped into her shadow, and the strange sensation that caused made her spine tingle in a rather unpleasant fashion.

In a sense, it was almost a relief to run across Varnock again. Adar had the self-awareness to recognize the cause of this, too. She was so used to running to her father for help, so used to relying on him to aid her with her problems, and now that she was so far away, she missed his presence. This older, taller man was a comfort, just his presence made her feel as though she had someone to go to if she needed advice.

And then it occurs to her- "What are you doing here?"

Far more jaded than her trainer, Thirza watched the man with suspicious eyes. Her vines were half-raised, her knees bent as if to leap, to attack. Though he wouldn’t understand if she told him to stay back, she barked the order at him anyway. Tactically speaking, there was a pit of rather sticky mud between them and this intruder, but nothing more substantial. A cliff, a pit, a volcano- she would have preferred a more intimidating obstacle, but she could settle for the minor hindrance the mud would provide.

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[varnock]

His eyes narrowed slightly as a troubled look covered his face.

'Lux will be here any minute.'

She was here to fight then. Of all the people though, why had he been paired with her? What sick creature twisting fate wanted this? Still though his mind couldn't stop itself from accessing the situation. She had pokemon out, he had seen at least two of them so far, and he doubted they were all she had in the area. Still he couldn't blame her for planning ahead. He himself had sent his own pokemon into the marshy swamp around him to surprise any would be attackers.

Then she asked why he was here. He had already tried to come up with a reason for being here though. It wasn't going to hold well to those who hadn't met him before, but it would make sense to those who knew him. Nevertheless it was the only option he had.

"I was looking for rare plants in the marsh when I heard the fighting break out. I've been moving steadily away from it as time went by, but this damned swamp is really slowing me down."
A pause as a question entered his eyes.
"Why are you here though? Surely you don't mean to fight?"

And there goes that crazy grass type again. It hadn't been fond of him last time either if memory served. Still there it went barking something at him that sparked a noise from nearby. One of his pokemon perhaps? Or was it one of hers? He kept his attention on the Bayleef as it moved though. It looked as if it was trying to threaten him, or at least ward him away from her trainer.

He hoped they didn't have to fight, but why would they? Unless she chose to strike first she shouldn't have any reason to find his claim false. A darker side of his mind was in a near constant state of telling him to gain her trust then strike when she isn't watching. He had the pokemon hidden and ready after all. It would be all to easy for Alfred or Scorpius to take down the Bayleef. He just kept shaking the thoughts away as best he could.

[abyss]

VICTORY: VARNOCK

+200 WEP to Lux