lost woods [alder]

[cheren]

[cs=3][atrb=width, 350][style= font-family: georgia; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; line-height: 90%; letter-spacing: -1px; color: FFFFFF]i'd rather forget and not slow down,[/style]
[atrb=style, padding: 10 0 0 0, btable][atrb=style, margin: 0 10 0 0][atrb=valign,top][atrb=width, 100][style=border: 2px solid #FF7711; padding: 5px][/style] [style= font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px]TAGS absolutely anyone COUNT 481 NOTES cheren's just sitting around doing nothing.[/style]	[atrb=bgcolor, FFFFFF][atrb=cellspacing, 7, btable][atrb=width, 3]	[atrb=width,350][style=float: right; font-family: tahoma; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px]It was someplace large enough not to be discovered. That was exactly what Cheren wanted. He trained in privacy. There was no need for prying eyes to be studying his battle techniques. In fact, he preferred that they stayed between himself and his Pokémon. He absorbed all information that crossed his paths, even including a bit of Bianca's battling style into his. The useless flips and twirls that he'd seen her Pokémon perform were usually for show. Cheren had no interests in Pokémon contests or musicals, but there was a very fine line between dodging and dancing. But today, Cheren was not training, and instead, lounged against a grand tree of White Forest. Ustina was curled in a ball in his lap, paws crossed over one another as she rested her chin upon them. With the weather getting warmer, they could afford to rest outdoors without freezing. He liked White Forest. There was the occasional traveler that passed through, but he kept out of their sights. They were often a little too eager for a battle, and after battling for so much and so long, he didn't want right now. He'd even switched his Xtransciever off to ensure that the tranquility would not be disturbed. He was entirely alone. Ustina purred throatily as Cheren massaged the skin between her purple ears. Opening one eye, the cat Pokémon glanced over her shoulder to stare at her trainer. Cheren raised a brow at the Liepard. "What?"

[/color] he asked the Pokémon. Ustina simply narrowed her eyes and yawned as if to suggest that there was no particular reasoning behind her actions. But Ustina had been with Cheren for nearly as long as Enil. He knew her better than that.

Every waking hour, he denied that he was running away. This was training. It was his alone time. He was getting to know his Pokémon better. One would have figured their mutual trust was enough, but he'd learned that it wasn't just battling when it came to Pokémon. They were comrades, but more importantly, they were his friends. Briefly, he wondered why his Pokémon hadn't ditched him years ago before Alder opened up his eyes to the flawed goal that he had blindly chased after. There went something of a whole year from his life that he'd never get back. Might as well make the most of all the years to come.

Ustina rolled out of her trainer's lap and stretched her back. Eyes shut contentedly, the Pokémon occupied herself with grooming her fur. She licked at a paw with a sandpapery tongue before running it through her fur. Under normal circumstances, Cheren would have considered this to be a very good way to waste time. But he was in a particularly pensive mood today. For now, he had no problems with sitting around and meditating.[/style][/td]

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[alder]

White Forest.

Serenity, peace, calm, quite...it was all of those things and more. Alder could not think of a more peaceful place than White Forest, and he loved the place; thankfully, it had, so far, been untouched by the war. As he strode along like a baws he thought about Black City, and the fight that happened recently there; Thalia had been assaulted.

This was...troubling, to the man, because he loved Unova, all of it, and for fighting to erupt in Black City when it wasn't under either side's control...well, that spelled trouble for the whole region. If Black City could have something like that happen to it, what was stopping similar things from happening in other cities in the region?

The simple answer...there was nothing to stop such a thing from happening, and that was what disturbed Alder the most, how easily people could just lose themselves in the moment. He had often wondered how it was Nox was able to do what they did, but the simple answer was that the truth was laying right in front of him, and that answer was mob mentality; it was easier to do things when you were part of a collective whole, a part. It was difficult to do things when you were an individual player.

"I think too much, Accelam..." he said to the Accelgor just...floating next to him; he grunted his acknowledgement and truth of that statement, and Alder chuckled. Even his pokemon realized how heavy the situation now was...of course, that wasn't solely because of them; he had made sure they knew what they were getting themselves into by joining Lux.

A world of hurt...but it was a Catch 22; no matter what he had chosen, he still would have ended in a volatile situation. Side with Lux, and make enemies with Nox, or side with Nox, and make enemies with Lux. Either way, he would have had to end up opposing some side. Alder resisted the heavy, heavy urge to sigh; he disliked the war so much.

His melancholy thoughts, however, were interrupted by a sight; Cheren, to be more specific. Cheren...that boy, he was like a son that he never had, or at the least, another apprentice like Marshal. When was the last time they had spoken? Shortly before or after the whole incident with Team Plasma? "Cheren," Alder called out, offering the man a friendly wave, for he was indeed a man now; too much had happened recently for him to not be.

Alder cast a glance to his Accelgor, who was gazing at the Liepard; even with trusted friends, the pokemon was always cautious. "It's been a bit. The last time we talked was around the end of the Team Plasma incident. How has the war treated you?" he questioned curiously, offering him a smile. Of all the people in Unova, Cheren was one of the ones he trusted the most; White was a close second.

The both of them were really amazing people, now that he thought about it.

[cheren]

[cs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=width, 350][style= font-family: georgia; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 20px; line-height: 90%; letter-spacing: -1px; color: 66CCCC; text-align: center]i'd rather forget and not slow down,[/style]
[atrb=style, padding: 10 0 0 0, btable][atrb=style, margin: 0 10 0 0][atrb=valign,top][atrb=width, 100][style=border: 2px solid #FF7711; padding: 5px][/style] [style= font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px]TAGS noka as ALDER COUNT 446 NOTES yo Noka[/style]	[atrb=bgcolor,66CCCC][atrb=cellspacing, 7, btable][atrb=width, 3]	[atrb=width,350][style=float: right; font-family: tahoma; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px]Here was a man that Cheren didn't mind too much to be disrupted by. The young man blinked as he glanced in Alder's direction. He'd recognize that mane of fiery red hair anywhere. It was as recognizable as Black and White's baseball caps or Bianca's green beret. "It's been awhile, Alder,"

[/color] he said with a nod, standing from his post beneath the large tree. It was only polite, and the Unovan champion did command some respect from him. Cheren admired his wisdom, though he refused to place anyone upon a pedestal. If he had learned anything from Black, White, or Bianca, it was to become his own person.

He remembered Team Plasma very well, the way that N had overcome the Unovan champion, the way that Alder had been left in shambles after his loss. To this day, Cheren was still left in the dark about the man's past. What he had heard though was that the Champion was not without his losses. Whoever his first Pokémon was, Cheren had the sneaking suspicions that it was no longer walking the earth with its trainer. He thought it'd be quite rude to inquire further so he avoided the topic. Cheren never liked stepping on eggshells. He was, at times, a bit of a reckless battler but by nature, he was cautious.

"I've managed to mostly keep my distance from the war,"[/color] Cheren admitted, though he wasn't sure how long he'd manage to stay out of it. The only reason why he'd successfully stayed away was because he'd generally avoided coming into contact with people. Thinking was best done while alone and in the stillness. He would have been lying if he said that he had been looking forward to seeing Alder, because he wasn't. On the upside, it was good to see an old friend, a familiar face.

Cheren remembered the Team Plasma incident very well. Ghetsis had been so close to completing his goal of creating a second world through his puppet son, N. Cheren had nearly sympathized with the man, keyword being nearly. It was a noble goal, but of course, not physically possible. "Yes, I remember Team Plasma very well,"[/color] Cheren mused, almost as if he were speaking to himself. Ustina mewed quietly and rubbed her claws together as if agreeing with her trainer's statement. "They're long gone though and I try not to dwell in the past."[/color]

That, of course, was a lie.

So he quickly changed the subject. "Where have you been, Alder?"[/color][/style][/td]

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[alder]

A while...oh dear how true that was. Alder definitely did not know the last time he and this man had met, but it had been a while ago, ages in fact. He knew it hadn't been as long, but it felt like the times he saw his sister and then left her, only to see her again years later. It had felt like years had passed since their last meeting; was it because of recent events?

Oh almost certainly it was; Alder knew that much to be true. Recent events were probably weighing heavily on everyone's minds, they just didn't want to say so. Heck, Alder himself didn't want to admit that dark times seemed to be reaching even Unova; he idly wondered if Cheren had heard of the incident in Black City.

"Yes, it definitely has been a long while...and that's good. Wars...they're just never good, for anyone," Alder didn't talk about how he didn't like seeing young people involved in it. They were their own people now, capable of making their own decisions; that extended to Cheren.

Alder knew it was ridiculous, mostly because of their ages and the fact that they looked nothing alike, but he thought of the bespectacled boy as a son. Or an apprentice, like Marshal. Ah, Marshal...but Cheren was different; he had managed to overcome his beliefs with only a little encouragement from Alder. Yes, someday, this boy could truly be something incredible. Or rather, someone incredible.

Then Cheren said some more things, and Alder nodded his agreement. "They are in the past, especially with Ghetsis gone now," Alder wanted to stress that part, mostly because he had seen N in Black City too, and the boy had been...well, different as well. He was not under the spell and whim of his father anymore, that was for certain; he seemed better for it. There was no reason to bring up old memories and cause Cheren to act in an unpredictable manner.

Despite encouraging the boy, Alder did not know many things about the dark-haired young man.

And then the question came...what had he been doing? Or rather, where had he been...that was an excellent question. "All across Unova, actually. Spreading awareness of the fact that it's inevitable for the war to reach here," he spoke with scorn in his voice here. It was, after all, well-known that he loved the Unova region a lot.

"While I was away doing that, it seems Lux couldn't keep track of me and just decided to install a pseudo-Champion in my stead. With luck, that whole mess will be sorted out," Alder glanced at the Liepard and offered it a smile; his Accelgor did much the same...if they could smile, that is. "What have you been up to, Cheren?" he asked of his friend. The man was curious to hear what he might have to say.

[cheren]

[cs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=width, 350][style= font-family: georgia; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 20px; line-height: 90%; letter-spacing: -1px; color: 66CCCC; text-align: center]i'd rather forget and not slow down,[/style]
[atrb=style, padding: 10 0 0 0, btable][atrb=style, margin: 0 10 0 0][atrb=valign,top][atrb=width, 100][style=border: 2px solid #FF7711; padding: 5px][/style] [style= font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px]TAGS noka as ALDER COUNT 460 NOTES it is getting too difficult to RP in casual threads orz[/style]	[atrb=bgcolor,66CCCC][atrb=cellspacing, 7, btable][atrb=width, 3]	[atrb=width,350][style=float: right; font-family: tahoma; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px]So he figured. Alder had never seemed like a man who liked conflict. That was why he'd made it his personal mission in life to stop Team Plasma. Turmoil in Unova was the last thing that he'd wanted, which was probably why Alder was staying out of the war. But that was not to say that the man wasn't afraid to fight. When the coalition between Pokémon and human shad been threatened, it was Alder that had stepped up to the plate in order to defend it. It was something that Cheren admired about the Unovan champion. And if Lux had installed a pseudo-Champion, then it meant that Alder was either not with Lux or had managed to successfully stay out of the war. He gave the champion the benefit of a doubt. Alder wouldn't side with Nox. It had to be the latter. He couldn't imagine the Unovan Champion siding with anarchists. How absurd. Alder was meant to be a role model for Unova. It wouldn't do any good if he was going to be trouncing about, stirring up trouble where he went. If it ever came to that point, Cheren himself would have stepped in and declared it unacceptable. "No one truly knows what became of Ghetsis,"

[/color] Cheren finally said. "Looker hasn't managed to find him and the Seven Sages haven't slipped any words. If they had, I would have heard so myself."[/color] He shrugged as his eyes wandered down to the floor where Ustina stood at his heels. He couldn't imagine a world of humans separated from Pokémon. Then again, Ghetsis had been using the utopian society as an excuse to become the sole controller of Pokémon. Cheren would never be able to condone the man's actions.

"... I have joined Lux,"[/color] he said, taking his chances, hand curling into a fist. "Figured the day would come when I had to pick a side. Alder, anarchy doesn't sit well with me."[/color] He gave Alder another shrug, as if it was no big deal about which faction he'd aligned himself with. It didn't matter if he potentially made enemies with Black or White, maybe even Bianca. He rarely saw any of his friends anymore. Alder had simply chanced upon him. He was ready to declare Alder alienated if it came to that. "And if you're Nox, you're my enemy."[/color]

Ustina seemed oblivious to the internal struggle that Cheren was having. For all she knew, the Accelgor was an acquaintance. She purred a greeting to the bug type Pokémon before licking at one of her paws, tail flicking idly from side to side.[/style][/td]

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[alder]

That was what scared Alder the most, the fact that no one had any idea at all what had happened to Ghetsis after their fight with him. Ghetsis could be doing anything, anything at all, and none of them would have any idea what that might be. Ghetsis was a madman.

He had thought he could just become the king of a new world, and he was using the guise of saving pokemon as his ruse to do so; he had even used N, his own son, to pursue his mad goals, goals that never would have reached fruition as long as Alder was around. The Sages also weren't speaking about him and Looker had yet to find him...in short, they had no idea where Ghetsis was.

"It's troubling, that Ghetsis hasn't turned up. He could be pulling something similar like what he did here somewhere else, in one of the other regions, and we'd have no idea. Or he could be doing just about anything," Alder said, obviously troubled by such implications. Who knew what Ghetsis might do? He just might decide to try and destroy the world, since the chosen pokemon, Zekrom and Reshiram, were now in the hands of his enemies, which in Alder's mind, included N. Then Cheren was speaking up about factions, and Alder listened, even though eh disliked it when people discussed factions, because they were related to the war.

But this was Cheren, the boy that he had taught so much to, and so, Alder was patient as he listened to Cheren...at least until Cheren said something about if Alder was Nox, he was an enemy. At that, Alder just laughed a bit before settling down, calm eyes gazing at Cheren. "Me? Nox? That's ridiculous, Cheren. They're just a bunch of anarchist rebels. Some of them are lost and confused, like Marshal, but overall, they're just a downright dangerous bunch of children," Alder stated, a light smile on his face. How humorous, that Cheren would say such a thing without even any proof that Alder was Nox.

"Anarchy doesn't sit well with me either, Cheren, and to be honest, I'm glad you don't support Nox. I'm not sure I could bring myself to seriously fight you on the opposite side in a war." Alder said to the male, watching the two pokemon as they interacted with each other. If only the entire world could be like this, where two old friends could just meet each other one day and have a peaceful meeting. It seemed to Alder that everyone and their mother had picked opposite sides on the war; brother against brother, father against son...he disliked it. This war was tearing people apart, slowly but surely, and not many really seemed to realize this.

His Accelgor sort of...hovered over to the Liepard, and settled on the ground next to it; it did take a lot of work to hover, despite what some humans might say.

[cheren]

[cs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=width, 350][style= font-family: georgia; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 20px; line-height: 90%; letter-spacing: -1px; color: 66CCCC; text-align: center]i'd rather forget and not slow down,[/style]
[atrb=style, padding: 10 0 0 0, btable][atrb=style, margin: 0 10 0 0][atrb=valign,top][atrb=width, 100][style=border: 2px solid #FF7711; padding: 5px][/style] [style= font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px]TAGS noka as ALDER COUNT 538 NOTES I have 0 muse for this thread. Any chance we can wrap it up soon?[/style]	[atrb=bgcolor,66CCCC][atrb=cellspacing, 7, btable][atrb=width, 3]	[atrb=width,350][style=float: right; font-family: tahoma; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px]"Or he could be dead,"

[/color] Cheren replied with a rather blasé shrug of the shoulders. That would be the end to the majority of their problems. For Cheren, personally, he wanted to see the man behind bars, ask how someone so twisted could possibly use and manipulate their own son like a factory worker does to a machine. Cheren had seen the man work before. It was as easy as pushing buttons. Surely, the damage had to go back far into N's past.

But this was N, and both were people whom Cheren would never forgive for the amount of damage they nearly wreaked on the Pokémon world. Cheren was a reasonable person, but he also held monstrous grudges.

Good. Alder truly had not changed. The man would never stand for anarchy. That role had previously been fulfilled by Team Plasma, the very organization that Alder had fought against. "That's... reassuring to hear,"[/color] he mused to himself. "Maybe not, though isn't a Pokémon battle similar?"[/color] Sans the killing of Pokémon, of course. That was something that Cheren had yet to do. Not that he ever wanted to kill a Pokémon.

Cheren raised a brow at Alder's mentioning of Marshal. "Like Marshal? Has he joined Nox?"[/color] It was odd how the three-letter word had suddenly become a kind of taboo around them. For the first time in quite awhile, Cheren began to wonder whatever had happened with Black, White, and Bianca. Had they joined with Nox? Black and White wouldn't stand for that. They had fought so hard to preserve the order in the Pokémon world. As for Bianca, Cheren was convinced that she would, most likely, join the faction that her friends did. It was up to Black and White then.

His hand unconsciously found its way into his pocket as he fiddled about with his Xtransciever. It was off, cold from lack of use. There just wasn't any need for it. Occasionally he called home, each time pleading his parents to keep his location a secret, and even if they didn't keep their promises, Cheren was never in one area for too long. It would have been nigh impossible for any of his friends to track him down. That had been why he was so surprised at bumping into Alder. After all, this was a meeting that had been arranged by chance.

He had taken a breath to speak again, to ask Alder what he was doing way out in White Forest. But he was reminded that the Champion had a tendency to wander. It was a habit of his. Cheren had heard that there was a gym leader somewhere in the recesses of Kanto with the same habits. Did being tied down to one place cause such restlessness? If so, then what was his problem? Cheren had always been free to roam, but he was not satisfied with where his feet took him.

"I don't stay in one place for too long,"[/color] Cheren said to Alder. "It... makes me feel safer when I'm traveling."[/color][/style][/td]

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[alder]

Ghetsis, dead. Alder hoped that was true, dreamed it was true, but in his core, he knew it couldn't be. A man like Ghetsis just dying? He couldn't picture that; people like him usually just crawled into a hole only to be a thorn in your side when they resurfaced later. If there was one thing Alder was sure of, it was the fact that Ghetsis would show himself again. And when that time came, Alder would make sure he didn't escape a second time; Ghetsis didn't belong out free in the world. He, at the very least ,deserved to be put behind bars for what he had nearly done.

And how had he managed to brainwash his son like that anyway, with no regard for what might happen to N? It was disgusting and cruel in Alder's mind, and as much as he liked humanity, he thought of Ghetsis as some kind of monster.

"People like him...they usually just don't vanish so easily, Cheren. No, if anything, he's probably somewhere else now, trying his hand at some other nefarious scheme," Alder sighed wearily; despite the war, Ghetsis would continue his plans, and Alder didn't need worries from both the war and Ghetsis on his plate. Hopefully Looker would be able to track the former sage down. "As for Nox...Marshal has indeed joined them," Alder didn't speak much on that subject, because it hurt, more than he had ever thought it might. Marshal had wanted Alder to leave Lux and join Nox too, but he just...couldn't.

As he had said, Nox was disorganized, and a bunch of rebels. At that time, his reasons had seemed flimsy, even to him, but now, after Village Bridge, there was no doubting his loyalty to Lux. At least they hadn't nearly killed his sister. "It hurts, knowing my disciple went off to join them, and that at this very moment he could be fighting Lux, that he could be...dying. But he chose his path, and I chose mine; there is no turning back," say what you would about him, but Alder was very driven by a code of honor, and leaving this organization for another one...?

That didn't seem very honorable, even if Lux did suspect things. Nox likely did suspect things too though...this was a war, such things were to be expected from both sides.

Alder had never really been in a war before, but he was intelligent, and he knew that underhanded tricks were always present when it came to wars. "I know what you mean...I travel for a different reason though. I love Unova, and I want to see all of it safe, with my own eyes," Alder glanced upwards at the trees, smiling softly. He loved this forest too, even if it was a bit out of the way, it was still a lovely place to just sit, relax, and talk with old friends. "Before the war, it was simple, my reason for traveling. I just felt restless sitting at the Elite Four all the time, not really doing much, and I wanted to see Unova for myself again, from my new perspective." he said to Cheren, the faint smile still on his face as he relayed his thoughts to his friend.

SPOILER: Click to show

Uh, it's up to you when to end it, really. I don't think Alder would really be the one to initiate a departure right now, in any event. ^^

[cheren]

[cs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=width, 350][style= font-family: georgia; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 20px; line-height: 90%; letter-spacing: -1px; color: 66CCCC; text-align: center]i'd rather forget and not slow down,[/style]
[atrb=style, padding: 10 0 0 0, btable][atrb=style, margin: 0 10 0 0][atrb=valign,top][atrb=width, 100][style=border: 2px solid #FF7711; padding: 5px][/style] [style= font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px]TAGS noka as ALDER COUNT 330 NOTES lol so late. It was fun threading though.[/style]	[atrb=bgcolor,66CCCC][atrb=cellspacing, 7, btable][atrb=width, 3]	[atrb=width,350][style=float: right; font-family: tahoma; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px]Alder was right about that. People like Ghetsis wouldn't just vanish immediately, but after time, they'd fade away. When no one was around, alert, they'd be back. As long as the green-haired man wasn't bothering him or anyone else around him. It didn't take an expert to notice the hurt in Alder's expression. However, Cheren was an observant one so he picked it up right away. "Well Alder, Marshal is a grown man. I think he can take care of himself."

[/color] As was Cheren. He wasn't the same, rash sixteen-year-old from two years prior. Perhaps his words were too harsh though. He paused, before continuing once more. "Free will, the freedom for Pokémon to befriend human beings and fight alongside them, wasn't that what we'd fought for? If Marshal wants to fight for Nox, so be it. He will reap the consequences later."[/color]

The young man pushed his orange-framed glasses up his nose. Alder had not changed at all. He was still the sentimental man from back then, soft spots everywhere (metaphorically speaking, of course). And most of all, he truly did love Unova. Cheren cared for his region too, but Alder's concern for it ran much deeper. He gave the Unvoan Champion a slight shrug. "You can still travel and examine Unova from all different angles."[/color] Of course, the question that stood was whether or not Alder wanted to examine a potentially war-torn Unova.

He gestured for Ustina. The Liepard departed from the Accelgor's side, bounding back to her trainer. "It was nice bumping into you,"[/color] Cheren said, also giving Alder's Pokémon an acknowledging nod. "I've stayed in this forest for too long. If I stick around more, I might go insane."[/color] So the bespectacled teen bowed out, giving Alder a final respectful nod before disappearing further into the forest.[/style][/td]

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