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(((OOC: [Xer0] is confused. It might hurt itself in its confusion!

So that's why I don't mess with you . . . :P))

"Ready when you are," Micheal replied, faking a smile. The boy, of course, was right - double-battling was difficult to come by, yet when, or if, the thief was found - no, when, Micheal corrected himself strongly - a double battle was likely to transpire.

"Let me start off, then." With a small flick of his wrist, two pokeballs went flying onto the meadow's open stage. Opening up midflight, the red plasma beams soon formed Micheal's two choice pokemon - Hetchness and Fancifowl.

~

I know that kid. . . . Romulus thought, annoyed at his lack of memory. But. From. Where? Obviously fine watching the battle from afar - perhaps the Trainer's battle style would jog his memory - Romulus settled down in the underbrush, thinking rapidly.

((OOC: Actually, Hetchness is pure Steel type. Just so you know. ))

It took the bewildered Micheal a few precious seconds to realize the gravity of what had just been done. In that time, the Farfetch'd had already been Tackled forcibly. Shoot, he thought wildly. This guy is a real competitive Trainer, isn't he?. Eyes gleaming suddenly, he added to himself; Good. He'll be great for practice.

"Fancifowl! Use Charm - one of them has got to be a boy! And Hetchness - " he added, glancing worriedly towards the other pokemon, whose brute power and inability to listen made him quite unpredictable, " - just do what you do best." The chickling, not quite "in" to the battle yet, decided to start off with a non-physical Sand-Attack.

((OOC: One of them is a boy, right? You really should post on the Trainer Post, y'know, though in the end it's your choice.))

~

Romulus, watching from afar, still couldn't quite grasp who the boy was. In any case, he knew he'd probably get pulled into the battle somehow - Anthony had a knack for such things. Alright, he thought. Using his pokedex, he quickly switched out his Caterpie and Bellsprout - almost everyone he knew had seen that tactic, so it was likely they weren't going to help if a battle did ensue. Instead, he pulled out Agunni, the Fire-type he had yet to even use. Still content to watch from afar - perhaps his memory would spark soon - Romulus had to admit, almost half-mindedly, that Anthony was turning into quite the Trainer.

((OOC: *facepalm* Of course they're boys, stupid question. And your post was really fun to read, EP. XD, 'evasion noobs'.))

Smiling almost happily - this was going to be easy after all - Micheal called out to his pokemon: "Both of you! Peck the Nidoran, now!" For once, the brutal Hetchness listened to his master, attacking in sync with Fancifowl while - hopefully - Bro was distracted by the Sand-Attack.

((OOC: Remember, it's not an even battle - that was the point of Rom entering, to even things out.))

Micheal remained stoic throughout the series of events, knowing that he still had the upper hand. Nonchalantly, he sent out his next pokemon: "C'mon out, Budew!" Appearing in a flash of red plasma, the plant pokemon shook itself slightly, and turned to face its opponents, already battle-ready. Even assuming both pokemon he had out currently fainted, Micheal knew he still had his starter left . . .

~

Watching from afar, Romulus finally gave up being the silent judge; the boy's battle stratagey hadn't jogged his memory, so, if he was to remember him at all, he'd have to face the boy directly. Besides, it looked like Anthony might need a little help. Getting up from his crouching position, he calmly strode into Anthony's sight, and, holding up an arm, he silently asked if he could help finish the battle.

~

Micheal was about to call out his next move when he saw him. An emeciated, ruffled teenager strode into view, his unkempt brown hair fluttering slightly in the wind, his clothes ripped and worn. Completely caught off-guard, Micheal could only gape for a moment or two as the teen's appearance regestered in his brain.

It's him, it's the theif, it's him, it's Perro! Micheal's thoughts went into overdrive, and, despite all his planning, he could only watch soundlessly, not quite sure what to do. Completely forgetting the pokemon battle, Micheal raised his fists threateningly. Forget all the training he'd done - for once, logic didn't mater to Mciheal Tiber. Only revenge.

And then he stopped, lowered the fists, knowing that nothing like that could help avenge what had happened to him because of Perro. So he remained speechless, motionless, and waited for the thief - or Anthony, the traveling companion, he realized now - to speak.

((OOC; Sorry if I didn't do this the best I could, I'm a bit tired, as I'm packing for vacation. Because of course one of the most important posts has to come when I'm physically and mentally taxed. >.< Speaking of vacation, I should have wi-fi there, though no promises, so I may be able to respond normally while I'm away.

And if it isn't obvious, Romulus's stealing from Micheal kinda caued other things to happen (to be explained) which is why this is such an emotional reaction.))

Romulus watched the stranger calmly, remaining quiet - even up close, the teenager was familiar, but not remembered. Talking hesitantly, Romulus asked - as politely as possible, as he knew it was a horrible thing to ask someone who so clearly remmbered Romulus himself, "Erm . . . Uh, w-what did you say your, er, name was?" Quickly - and visibly - cringing, Romulus prepared himself for the coming verbal onslaught he was sure would come.

Come it did. Micheal, overly furious about Perro's obvious lack of knowledge, nearly screamed. "Does the Anchore Pokemon Center ring a bell? Because I was the kid in the hand-me-downs, minding his own business, whose wallet - " At this, Micheal held up a raggedy piece of cloth folded in  on itself, obviously the object in question, " - was obviously too full for his own good? Lucky for me you were there, eh, Perro?"

And now Romulus realized why the boy had remained so unrecognizable. While his clothes and his unkempt appearance remained the same, the meak, over-excitable boy did not. Now, now he was different - more worn, more weary, more driven, than before. Yet Romulus couldn't help feel that the boy was over reacting - he had stolen, what, 1000, max? Sure, stealing was wrong; sure, the boy's pride had been hurt; and sure, he obviously had needed the money. But it was still an over-reaction for that little amount of money. Turing to Anthony, Romulus said calmly, "How about we finish the battle, and then - " he added, glancing at Micheal, " - we'll get the, erm, niceties aside. Alright?" he finished, directing the question to Micheal.

"Fine by me," Micheal said grimly. "This'll be fast." Romulus, in response, sent out a single pokemon - his newest, Agunni.

((OOC: Wait, did I tell you what happened with Micheal afterward, or not?))

((OOC: Daw, Ditto ish strong too! *cuddles it*))

Good, Romulus thought, almost happily. He was in his comfort zone again - battles he could deal with, new pokemon he could deal with, but arguments were something he'd never been great at. And now they were battling - with a huge advantage, no less. "Okay, Agunni! Use Pound on Budew!" Basic but effective, Romulus thought grimly. It was either that or Growl.

~

Micheal, seeing an opening, cried out to his pokemon. "Alright! Budew, er, dodge to the side!" Budew, weakened and slow from Crys's assault, was nevertheless able to dodge the Fire-starter's attack. "Now!" Micheal added. "While it's unguarded! Stun Spore!" Agunni, indeed caught with its guard down, was blasted full-force, paralyzed on the spot. Micheal, turning to his Fancifowl to follow up, found the pokemon weak and near-un-responsive. "Okay, Fancifowl! One more time! Peck!" he cried, hoping that Fancifowl could take at least one more hit. The bird pokemon, now near-KO'd, was slow, but wasa ble to begin its charge. Speed doesn't matter when your opponent can't dodge, Micheal thought.

~

I'm losing already, Romulus thought unhappily. I should be able to take this guy! "Agunni! Use Growl! Stop that birdbrain from getting near you!" Then, turning to Anthony, he added pointedly, "You're going to want to cover him until he can start moving completely again, when Paralyze wears down a bit. He's not vital for winning this, but I'm not giving up any ground to this kid!"

((OOC: And yes, I know paralyze doesn't wear off over time, but it's the idea that he can't move some turns (like now) and can on others (like later). Or something like that. :/ ))

((OOC: You forgot a comma after "know" in your dialogue, so I thought he was telling Micheal he 'knew Rom', or something, and I got really confused when I kept reading. :P But is better now, I got the message.))

For a second, Romulus's glare nearly mimicked Micheal's own as he looked at Anthony. "I'm just trying out a new pokemon, okay? And I admit I'm not doing my best, but I could do without the condicendment." Despite this, Romulus didn't look too hurt, and inside he was greatful for his Trainer partner.

~

"FARFETCH'D!" Micheal nearly screamed. "Dodge! Stop!" Anything! his mind finished helplessly. Even after all this time, he was weak. His mind flashed involuntarily to the day, weeks ago. Had his parents been right? Had he - ? But then he stopped, midthought. All was not lost. Budew was still healthy, and his Starter was at full health - though now that he thought of it, his Starter wasn't much. Swearing - quite loudly, this time - Micheal watched as his bird pokemon hit the ice-strengthened Harden and fell down, defeated. "Return," he called out, obviously already imagining his defeat. Looking at his feet, he thought hard about it - he could keep fighting, but no, he wasn't ready. His Starter was useless, really, now that he thought of it, and Budew was at a disadvantage. Looking back up, he returned both his pokemon. "I surrender," he called out unhappily.

((OOC: And, I know you're busy, EP, but when are you going to
'Cuz it should be done, soon.))

((OOC: I'm taking the unresponsiveness as a cue for me to go on? Alright, then: ))

While a part of him was happy for the small victory, the majority of Romulus was unsettled by the boy's sudden unwillingness to go on. Now that the battle was over - one of Romulus's worst in living memory - the talking would begin, something he didn't especially enjoy. And while he had been affronted by the boy's overly hate-filled nature, he would have chosen that attitude, filled with grim hope and so driven, over the crushed persona he saw before him now. Obviously the boy had wanted to fight him, and win - the loss must have been crushing to the new Trainer. Arceus help me, Romulus thought grimly, I'll have to speak first.

"L - look," he stammered, hoping he sounded sympathetic. "I'm r - really sorry for stealing from you. I . . . I regret what I did that day, and I'll try to help make up for it in any way I can." Deep in his mind, a part of Romulus thought sardonically, almost grimly: Look at me, such a wonderful person. I'm growing up.

~

Micheal tried his hardest to maintain a cold facade, but his eyes must have given his inner hurt away. "You can't make up for what you did! Even if you had the money, right here, right now. . . . Even if it hadn't been stolen from other innocent Trainers, like me, in your immoral lifetime. . . . It wouldn't fix what happened to me because of you! My family," he recounted after a pause, calming down slightly and taking on the vocal edge that comes when one remembers a personal tale, "was poor. Poorer than you'd know. Took them years to get enough money for me to join Idaho's Trainer School, months to buy the necessary items for my eventual becoming a Trainer. All because of me, they toiled, did jobs no sane people would take." He looked at Romulus coldly.

"We were desperate for money, yet somehow they came through for my, for my dream. Then you showed up." And he stopped, as if to catch his breath, almost breaking into tears again. "You took their earnings, took it as your blood moeny, andm y family finally said 'No.' It took them years to amass that moeny, and the little extra left over for my food and personal pleasures was taken the first day of my journey. Even if I went out again without replacement money, they thought, how long before something else is taken? His clothes, his Pokedex, his Running Shoes, that we had paid so hard for? You put my soon-to-be adventure in a hugely negative light, Perro, the straw that broke the camel's back. They said that I wouldn't be going. That I'd stay at Anchore Town with them. I had to sneak out to continue my journey, for Arceus's sake! Because it had been my dream, and I wouldn't let you ruin it. And now I'm alone, my parents won't answer the phone, and I'm as good as disowned, in their eyes." 

His voice nearly cracked, Micheal finished his tale: "So I made it my first priority as a Trainer to get you.back, in any way I could. Prove i was a better man, better Trainer, than you. But I failed. And now I learn that even scum like you can have more friends than a poor boy," he finished sardonically, pointing angrily at Micheal.

Don't get over-reactive. It's not so bad, not this bad that you should scream whenever you mention it! a voice in his head thought edgily. And, it added, it's not directly his fault that it happened, is it? But the bulk of Micheal didn't care if it was only an indirect connection - it had happened, with only Romulus to blame. Enough to devote your days of Training in the small hope you could weild vengeance against him.

Micheal clutched his head for a moment, thinking rapidly. He had been wrong, all this time, to blame Romulus Perro?

((OOC: Bit over-dramatic, yesh. I may redo it soonish when I'm more in the mood, to make it more believable. And just a not - I don't (usually) like it when characters use "Arceus" instead of "God", but whatever.))