The World as it Is (Pokemon RP; NSFW)

[Sethron]

Ilana was eager to be out, ready to make a name for herself. The young girl had spent most of her life in her brother's shadow, and had been planning for the day she would step out into the world on her own to prove she was better than him--or anyone. After all, what other motivations did people have in this world they abided in?

The advantage Ilana had, though, was one her brother could never share. In his day, when he came to be the best in his gym, they had not yet seen Team Plasma's hope for the future. This hope, however ill-chosen, had moved the playing field for everyone. While most Pokemon had a level of sentience with them, their communication with humans were limited and their abilities controlled by their construction. Ilana had been gifted with the true, next generation of creature by her father before she set upon her perilous task to prepare to even try for the challenges she wanted to defeat. Her first pokemon was a pokemorph by the name of Evangeline.

A pokemorph was the end conclusion of an experiment to give the race the ability to speak for themselves, but it hadn't changed the world the way Team Plasma had hoped after. People were still the way they were before, and a different race, no matter how closely they resembled humanity, were held in contempt. Ilana had little mind for the politics of the situation, more innocently driven than mindlessly cruel, but she kept Evangeline by her side when convenient, and tucked away in her ball when it was necessary. Today, though, they were going to go out and get themselves more teammates--and that could only come the way it always had, by capture.

Evangeline had trained carefully with other pokemon, but had never seen another of her own kind. Ilana's desire for a team made completely of Pokemorphs, despite their rarity, was perhaps impractical. The Espeon girl walked two steps behind her master with a demure walk, her large blue eyes turning each way as she noticed movement in the grass. Most of the things her keen eyes caught were regular pokemon, as she expected. She kept thinking on how she might be able to subdue another Pokemorph that had not been kept in such lavish comfort as she had, able to rest in her ball and comfortably wile away the hours. It was foolish to doubt herself, she thought. She was powerful, and well-trained thanks to her master.

The two of them were an interesting pair to look at. Evangeline stood half a foot taller than her master, lavender hair pulled back into a carefully kept braid with ears that stood tall and forward while she tried to listen. Her clothing was tight, the pants she was wearing hanging off her hips so her tail could fall over the waistband without any hindrance. Her breasts were just a bit bigger than Ilana's, kept in a tee shirt that didn't cover her flat stomach and a jacket that was shorter than her shirt.

Ilana had black hair that fell in curls around her face. She didn't wear any hat, but a ribbon kept the curls from flowing forward too far into her face to obscure her vision if she was moving too much. Her slender body was contained in a tank top and capri pants, with boots that were meant for hiking. Her breasts, although smaller than Evangeline's, were more noticeable. Her small frame made them stand out in comparison to Evangeline's curvier one. Her eyes were an ice blue, complimenting her pale complexion.

"I'm sure it's here. Someone said they saw one." Ilana assured Evangeline over her shoulder as she walked ahead on the path. They had come out today specifically because someone in town had said they had seen a Pokemorph around. It had been a panicked kid who was dragging his pokemon back to the center--an image that Ilana scorned with all her being. There would never be a time where she would rush her pokemon back to a center for healing, because she refused to ever lose.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

The sun was bright and hot in the sky over the Kanto Region which had not changed much in the years since Team Plasma's plot to recreate pokemon into equals had begun and ultimately failed. Being so far out of Team Plasma's reach at the time, Kanto had been relatively unaffected by the events of the transformations. Sure, the resident syndicate, Team Rocket, now sought to capture and control these powerful new pokemon and Professor Oak had taken a huge interest in the events that could only be summarized as the greatest scientific breakthrough in the history of pokemon, but there were so few of these rare creatures in the region that either hardly mattered.

Though their sightings in Kanto were rare, it was not completely unheard of for one of these rare creatures to be seen there. In fact, Professor Oak had managed to get his hands on a small number from the professors in the other regions where they were more common, that he had been handing to new trainers in hopes of seeing how these new pokemon functioned as companions. It was cruel, yes, to expect a creature just as equally sentient as mankind itself to fight and obey as a regular pokemon was expected to, but Professor Oak was a scientist and there were certain aspects of these new beings that had to be discovered and made known. While some people criticized the professor for these actions, most could at least credit his caution. Only strong-willed trainers were issued these new creatures and even then, they were issued only those that seemed to take orders well.

Perhaps that is why Ilana, a fresh-faced trainer just leaving her home town of Pallet to start her own pokemon journey, believed the rumors that she had heard about one of these rare creatures hanging around on Route One connecting Pallet to the neighboring Viridian City. If she could get her hands on a second one of these creatures before she got there then she would be able to secure her fist gym badge in Viridian City for sure!

Fortunately for Ilana, the rumors of this rare creature were as true as the sun in the sky. Even more fortunate for Ilana, her quarry wasn't too far ahead of her now, resting on a rock not too far off of the footpath that winded its way through the route connecting her home town to the city. Unfortunately for Ilana, however, she wasn't looking for your average, every-day rattata or pidgey that were all-too common in the area.

Just ahead of Ilana, and just out of sight from the path, the large six-foot tall frame of a humanoid-shaped arcanine was laying down with it's eyes set on the sky as it soaked up the warmth of the sun. Unlike many wild pokemorphs, this one had managed to get its hands on some articles of clothing that fit its form; probably stolen from one of the hikers that frequented the area. Blue denim pants with a multi-pocketed satchel hid its unmentionable areas from sight while a matching denim jacket hung from his arms and torso. The jacket wasn't fastened up; most likely so that the beast did not overheat in the mid-day sun.

If only Professor Oak had known what was out here, he would have been out looking for this rare creature himself. Not only was he a pokemorph, but he was an arcanine to boot. Growlithe were fairly commonplace and were used by most of the police forces in the pokemon world but for some reason arcanine were exceedingly rare. For Team Plasma to have released such a rare breed of pokemon after making it even more unique truly spoke for their intentions in this whole ordeal.

Team Plasma didn't matter now, however, and hadn't mattered for a long time. This particular Arcanine, whom did not choose a name for himself beyond that, had all but left mankind as a whole behind when he was released. He hadn't had a bad life with humans before he was awakened as a pokemorph, but he hadn't had a particularly good one. Before Team Plasma stole him and made him into this near-man pokemon, he had belonged to a young rich girl with no interest in battling or contests. He had been little more than a pet as a growlithe and a showpiece to be bragged about once he had evolved. He was loved, pampered, and kept inside of the house at nearly all times. Since being freed, he had seen and done more in these few short years than he had in all of the rest of his life put together. It had been glorious and he had no plans of returning to such a life.

If he had known that Ilana was closing in on him, he would have gotten up and ran off into the nearby forest where he would have easily evaded the young trainer. The sun had made him groggy, however, and he wasn't listening for approaching footsteps as he usually did.

 

[Sethron]

Evangeline paused, her ears tilting to the side and slightly forward as her blue eyes fell on a tuft of beige hanging over a rock. The Espeon reached out, halting her master with a slight touch to her wrist that conveyed her point very clearly. Ilana's eyes turned back to her and strayed forward to where she was looking.

The young girl had to use every ounce of willpower not to shout for joy and wake the groggy beast up from its midday nap. Her pretty ice blue eyes sparkled with her excitement as she stared at what had to be one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. He was tall, broad, and beautifully humanoid--an Arcanine. To think, her second pokemon would be such a fantastic and rare creature. She had to be very careful not to mess this up.

The fact that he was drowsing away on a rock made him an easy target, and Ilana wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. She refused to fight a war she couldn't win, and there was no guarantee that Evangeline would beat him if she didn't take advantage of his state. Ilana's bright blue eyes turned back to her pokemon and gave a silent nod that gave Evangeline the go-ahead she knew she needed.

The young woman tilted her head down, the gem on her forehead glowing dimly as she meditated. Her lips moved in silent chants as she waited for her power to build. She slowly stepped around her master, the building energy lifting her bangs away from her face and fluttering the edge of her shirt. Evangeline's eyes never left the resting Arcanine, carefully assessing him to be sure he was not aware of her presence while she stacked the game against him unfairly.

Ilana took out a collar and a ball. She hadn't collected a lot of standard types of pokeball, because she had no intention of catching standard Pokemon. It was another benefit of being Daddy's little girl that she was able to use his money and connections, not to mention the left-overs he had lying about. The best ball she had, her prize posession, a Master Ball. She would have to go out of her way a great deal to reclaim another, but this was the perfect time to use it. The collar was a back-up, but the piece was a rather finicky new invention for Pokemorphs specifically. It didn't activate until the Pokemon had been caught, otherwise acting like a standard strap of leather. After the collar activated within the ball, though, it fused its energy with a ring the owner of the collar wore. One that she was calmly screwing into the circle around the button on the pokeball. Afterwards, the collar would harden to an unbreakable point, adjusting with the size of the Pokemorph in question, and it would make sure they stayed within 50 feet of the ring.

This invention was specifically because Pokemorphs had a nasty habit of breaking even the best Pokeballs into useless hunks of metal after elongated periods of unrest within them. She didn't want her prized possession to get broken, so she would much rather catch him and have him caught, then let him walk free if that was what he wished, and only call him back in if he was particularly naughty. She held the collar out in front of Evangeline, waiting patiently for the Espeon to finish her preparation before she took it.

A minute later, Evangeline was sure that anything she struck would be incapacitated, especially from a relaxed position. The Espeon woman took a deep breath, not an ounce of regret wavering her resolve as that gem lit up like a star and she aimed her Psybeam at the sleeping Arcanine, her fingers wrapping around the leather held out to her and preparing to charge in moments later to lock him in before the pokeball would be thrown.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Though an attack like Psybeam did not cause any effects that human senses could pick up, save for the beam of visible light that was now erupting from the gem on Evangeline's forehead, it did cause several that many breeds of pokemon could sense. In this case, the release of such a powerful energy caused the air to crackle and pop on an inaudible level as it became charged by the psychic energy. While Ilana had no chance of hearing it, the half-sleeping Arcanine had been made aware of the attack by the high-frequency sounds the moment that it had been launched. Though knowing that the attack was coming would hardly be enough to avoid it given the state that he was currently in.

Despite knowing that he was about to be slammed with an attack from somewhere, Arcanine pulled his legs back until his knees were nearly at his chest and launched himself forward onto his feet. Once he had made it to his feet, he crouched down and prepared himself to make an escape at breakneck speed. For a second it looked as though he would be able to dodge the attack until the full brunt of the beam caught him in the back right between the shoulders. Evangeline had aimed her attack at a lying form. If he had remained standing, perhaps the blast would have only knocked his legs out from under him or, if he was lucky, missed. Crouching, however, put his body right back in the path of the attack. How was he to know? Evangeline had made sure to take every advantage possible, which meant hitting him from behind.

The humanoid canine went flying off of the rock as a result of such a strong attack. Evangeline had hit her target, and she had hit him hard, but it became clear very quickly that she hadn't hit him quite hard enough. When the arcanine slammed into the ground on the other side of the rock, he used the momentum of the attack to kick himself off of the ground and landed right back on his feet and turned his attention toward his attackers. Through half-glazed eyes, the arcanine barely registered who had attacked him. As far as he could tell at that time, there were two humans standing just beyond the rock upon which he had been resting. The look in his eyes would have been a sure sign to any experienced trainer that the necessary damage had been done.

Arcanine had already been groggy from the relaxing rays of the sun. The extra force of the attack on his body made it feel heavy. He knew, without even trying, that the Extreme Speed techniques that had made his breed of pokemon infamous would be of no use to him right now. He would never be able to move that fast feeling like this. That didn't mean that he was helpless, of course. Arcanine were known far and wide as a near-legendary pokemon due to their rarity and their power. This one was ready to show these two humans why his breed had earned such an honor.

It took only seconds for him to ready an attack that would have put the espeon morph's psybeam to shame. For mere moments, flames seemed to leak and drip from his muzzle before he opened his mouth as wide as it could go. In that instant, a great stream of flame erupted from the arcanine's maw and flew toward the girl and her pokemorph companion. At first, it seemed as though Arcanine had used a standard Flamethrower technique but while the stream was in route, headed straight for Ilana, it formed into the shape of a large five-pronged star - a Fire Blast.

 

[Sethron]

He should have been unconscious.

A grave miscalculation on Evangeline's part.

Ilana saw that fire start at his lips and was already attempting to move out of the way, the danger of the situation settling in like a sudden sleep in an icy water. All that confidence she had contained--every ounce of her self assurance melted away in that simple moment where she realized: a miscalculation could cost her everything.

Evangeline's eyes went wide and she felt a rush of fear overcome her as she saw his aim moving for Ilana instead of her. The woman watched Ilana scramble, but it wasn't enough to be anything less than absolute of her safety. The Espeon's meditations had left her abilities incredibly powerful for this encounter, which gave her a distinct chance. She stepped in front of the path and shot again, the psychic power crackling before slamming into the star in the air as she drove forward with the collar in hand.

Another miscalculation.

A moment ahead of time, she was able to brace herself, a flash of the future in those blue eyes as she realized her beam would be destroyed by the flame that had come toward them. The fire consumed the beam and kept forward, hitting Eva and scorching a burn into her stomach that melted away the fabric of her shirt and scorched the top of her pants. It was a pain that Evangeline hadn't experienced before, and so her forward momentum slowed. Her sprint turned into a run, her feet stopped in front of him with his crouched nose point-blank to her burnt stomach. The echoes of Ilana's cries of terror chorused her stance, staring down at him with those almost-glowing blue eyes. Her ears were tilted forward, her lips slightly ajar around those sharp canine teeth as she contemplated him in that instant of time that didn't seem to move forward.

Ilana had a good view of them from the side, her eyes catching the minute shaking in Evangeline's legs and tail as if the world quaked with her. She could see that moment in time where her Eva would fall to this pokemon, dashing her dreams completely and destroying her in the process. She pressed that button on the ball and let it fly without care of whether he had a collar on him or not, desperate enough to sacrifice it for a more careful opportunity, an irrational consideration at best, considering they would get no better chances than this one.

Her fingers swung, the collar flipping to wrap around his neck and lock in one swift motion that was a flick of the wrist. The movement was isolated, the rest of her body stood completely still, even her two-pronged tail dared not swish and mess this up.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Just as Ilana and Evangeline had made more than their share of miscalculations in the second before that precise second in time when Ilana let her Master Ball fly toward Arcanine and Evangeline's wrist snapped in an attempt to collar him, so too had Arcanine. From a distance, through groggy and shaken eyes, he had mistaken the espeon woman to be human. In fairness, Arcanine had not seen many other pokemorphs besides himself and of the ones that he had seen, Evangeline was without a doubt the most human. Still, it was a mistake that was about to cost him his freedom.

Evangeline was surprisingly fast in her advance across the field as she positioned herself in front of the canine pokemorph that had attacked her trainer only moments before, but she was not at Arcanine's level. Even shaken from the espeon's powerful psybeam attack, he managed to keep the female morph from making her mark.

In the instant that Evangeline's wrist snapped, so too did Arcanine's arm. The collar flipped forward, aimed at and ready to clasp itself around the fire pokemorph's neck but it instead clasped around his wrist as he moved to block whatever it was that Evangeline was doing. The collar would have the same effect no matter where it was placed on a pokemorph's body, so Arcanine had not truly stopped the espeon from doing what it was that she was doing. He believed that he had stopped her, however. He did not know that this thing was, after all. All he knew was that he had prevented it from touching his neck.

Almost as if it were all one fluid motion, Arcanine rose to his feet in that same second that his arm snapped to stop the collar. For only a few seconds, Arcanine towered over the espeon woman at his full six foot and four inch height. His gaze, no longer looking out through shaken eyes, glared intently into Evangeline's. There were no words to be said - no words that could surmise what Arcanine felt. This 'woman' had attacked him as he dozed. Following that, this 'woman' then took the full brunt of Arcanine's most powerful fire technique and afterward dared to stand over him in triumph. Evangeline had made quite the display of bravery and power in these actions and while Arcanine wanted nothing more that to release another Fire Blast right here and point-blank range and cripple this espeon morph. On the other hand, he had never felt more attracted to any other being in his entire existence as either a pokemon or a pokemorph.

Moments after Arcanine rose to tower over this elegant and beautiful creature, something struck his shoulder. There was no more time to consider whether he was going to burn this creature or kiss her as the whole world turned red and, not a second later, turned black.

Arcanine had been so enthralled by Evangeline's performance that he had completely forgotten about Ilana. Her Master Ball had made its mark and there was no way that even a pokemorph could break out of the world's most advanced form of pokeball. Ilana had caught her first wild pokemon and it was a pokemorph created from a rare breed! Oh how her friends back home would be envious. Now could she control such a powerful creature fresh out of the wilds?

 

[Sethron]

The snap was in place and Eva felt a rush of relief followed immediately by intimidation as the Arcanine man stood up to his full height, looking down at her with jet black eyes that were angrier than anyone had ever looked on her before. Her stomach turned, those blue eyes flashed with regret for that instant before he disappeared, transformed into energy and then condensed into his carrier. She stood, motionless, a moment before she dropped to her knees in the grass, her unstable legs giving out on her as the pain she had ignored overcame her with a furious vengeance.

Ilana's black hair danced about her face as she rushed forward to grab her best friend tightly, tears boiling over her cheeks as she rushed to pull the lavender haired vixen to her chest and pet those ears back carefully. Every part of Eva shook in violent tremors while Ilana held her tight, her ice blue eyes travelling her partner's form and observing the burning damage that had been done to her midsection. She pulled from her belt the ball that was Evangeline's home and held it out in front of the shuddering girl so the Espeon was aware of what was about to happen. "It's okay, Eva," She crooned, her voice muffled by the hair she had pressed her lips to, "Let's get back to the center." She pressed the button and the Espeon disappeared into the ball, Ilana's eyes swinging down to the Master Ball with a mix of pride and horror.

She picked up the twitching sphere from the ground, the inevitability of his escape weighing heavily on her mind. Since this was incredibly standard with Pokemon, Ilana had not considered the dangerous repercussions for a fully sentient creature being boffed upside the head and captured; it would be a very long discussion that would require the utmost finesse if she didn't want to be crisped, and it would certainly require Evangeline's protections. Ilana headed back to town. Despite all these worries, she couldn't shake the adrenaline and joy she felt from capturing a Pokemorph Arcanine. She rushed to the Center, where she loaded Evangeline's ball onto the healing slat and considered carefully before placing the Arcanine's as well.

---

Evangeline hadn't considered what it would be like to be in a combat with another like her for something like this. She was torn between her loyalty to Ilana and her disturbed feelings about the look that boy had given her right before he disappeared. What would happen if he refused to be a part of their team? Ilana would surely let him go? Or would she? Would it change anything? She shivered at the thought of that glare settling on her again. Her healed stomach still remembered the pain of that flame kissing her flesh. It wasn't like she hadn't been hurt before, but Eva had never come nearly so close to losing any sort of battle prior. Of course, this was the first tango she had ever had with a Pokemorph and not just a standard Pokemon.

The comfortable little space she relaxed in flooded suddenly with light and the soft sound of Ilana's calling voice. Eva's eyes opened from her thoughtful reverie and she responded, taking her space in the dimly lit room with nobody but she and Ilana and the ominous promise of a third from the shivering Master Ball on the table. Ilana's narrowed eyes as she watched the twitching ball answered the Espeon's previous question.

She won't let him go.

The young girl stood with her hands crossed over her chest, her black hair wet from a shower she had stepped out of a few minutes prior to asking Evangeline to join her. She was wearing a jean skirt and tank top with naught but stockings on her feet. A bit underdressed, but she had been eager to get this done before he broke her best toy forever. The room was a thick basement room that she occasionally used for training Evangeline with other friends' pokemon. It was their base of operations, and it had everything. Including a very state of the art sprinkler system, which Ilana stepped over to press the button outside the door to activate. She closed the door then, the water raining down on her and Evangeline as the silent chants and mutters started up again from Evangeline's lips.

Two minutes of preparation, and every possible protection had been laid. Eva's jacket was closed and buttoned, the scorched shirt sticking out only on the sides and on the back now, since the front did not extend so far. Ilana's clothes clung to her body like a second skin, and she took a deep breath before she picked up the quaking ball and hit the button, tossing it near to the other side of the room. Every entry and exit of this room was built to take any damage put out to it, but even if they couldn't hold him up, the collar around his wrist would stop any unwanted dashes away. Ilana watched on with determination, Evangeline standing a few feet behind her with concern in her eyes.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

When the button on his new pokeball was pressed and the ball safely tossed across the room, Arcanine emerged in a cloud of crimson energy before fully materializing. Aside from being dazed, he had not suffered any notable injuries in the confrontation earlier that day. This sudden attack had been the sole source of the rage that had fueled his attack on Evangeline and her trainer, Ilana. That murderous fury had been given more than its fair share of time to settle, however, had had simmered to passive contempt. Arcanine wasn't one to hold a grudge after a fight had been resolved, but their fight hadn't been resolved at all. He had been captured, not defeated, and until Ilana and Evangeline could defeat him, he would never view Ilana as his trainer, not now that he was free to make his own decisions.

The form of the fire pokemorph emerged from the ball, standing tall over both of the other beings in the room and immediately becoming soaked from the sprinkler system. Fortunately, arcanine were not like charmander and their family. There was no flame to keep burning and no chance that these sprinklers would kill him. Of course, it could be certain that all of that wet fur wouldn't smell too pleasant but that was probably at the bottom of Ilana's list of concerns right now.

Once free, Arcanine merely glanced between Evangeline and Ilana as he brought his arms up to cross over his chest and lean back against the wall. Though he hated being in this situation, he was not stupid. He knew that he had been captured and he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it. Of course, that did not mean that he had to like it, nor did it mean that he had to necessarily obey this little human. If anything, he could at least make the best of an otherwise bad situation and try to see what this espeon's story was. She might have been very human looking, but that did not change what she was - a pokemon just like him.

 

[Sethron]

Without a loud roar or any angry snaps, nor any fire flying through the air, he emerged. The lack of response startled the two girls, watching him carefully across the rain meant to hinder any attacks he decided to throw their way that weren't simply physical. It didn't matter to Ilana that his fur got a little wet for the precaution. The trainer looked not at all imposing with her arms crossed over her chest and the sprinkler sending rain down on their heads, but her expression was serious.

The Espeon girl stood unmoving slightly behind and to the right of her master, watching the relaxed Arcanine with a measure of curiosity and respect, tempered with worry. Her braid was heavy with water, the sprinklers causing her to blink far more than she would have pleased. While Espeon didn't get disparaged from water, it made her uncomfortable to be soaked through, and she desired nothing more than to be in front of a warm fire, lazily drying out from the heat emanating from it.

Ilana's hands dropped to her hips and she took an extra step forward, causing a nervous glance from Evangeline as she watched his movements incredibly closely. The smaller trainer's ice blue eyes locked cleanly with his, careful to be sure she had his attention and it was not waning.

"Good afternoon," Ilana's voice carried despite it's lilting nature, easy to hear for anyone without particularly good ears like he had, "My name is Ilana Darrius. It would be redundant of me to explain that I caught you this morning, but the reason why is that I'm looking to build a very strong team of Pokemorphs to the championships. Toward that end, I captured you." She didn't know how to sound anything but demanding, and it probably wasn't going a long way to seal friendships, "This is Evangeline--she is my partner." The word was said with a great deal of protective fondness, "And yours, as well, from here on out." She nodded her head, content with her speech and feeling no ends were left untied. "Questions?"

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Arcanine was silent for several moments while he considered what this 'Ilana Darrius' had to say. It didn't take him long to decide that he was not overly impressed with anything about her - not her physical presence, not her words, and certainly not her tone. That demanding little voice telling him, as if there was no question in the matter, that he was now her partner whether he liked it or not. She reminded him of that spoiled child that he had belonged to as a growlithe.

"Respect is not given, child. Respect must be earned," Arcanine retorted once he had collected himself and taken note of his surroundings. His voice was deep and it held a notable growl. It didn't sound as though he spoke the human tongue often. "You have done nothing to earn my respect and everything to earn my contempt. You attacked me from behind and forced me to return to your human world where I do not belong. You, child, have not earned the right to call me your partner."

With that said, Arcanine was all but done with the human girl and he turned his attention back to his fellow pokemorph. In the few short hours that he had spent inside of that forsaken pokeball, Arcanine had thought of little else. Evangeline had enthralled him with her performance only hours before. She had demonstrated remarkable bravery and fortitude in her little stunt to take his Fire Blast head on as she had done. Beyond that, she was quite physically appealing.

Yes, now that they were fully sentient, even pokemon were susceptible to the arts of seduction - whether they be intentional or, as in this case, unintentional. It was the one thing that Arcanine despised about his new-found freedom. He felt drawn to Evangeline and wanted nothing more than to just be with her but he couldn't exactly explain why. Until two years ago, when he was freed, these feelings simply did not exist to him.

"You owe me a rematch," Arcanine spoke again, this time talking to Evangeline. It probably wasn't the best thing to say if he wanted her to feel the same strange feeling for him that he felt for her, but Arcanine had spent his new sentient life running from the arms of humans as apposed to being embraced by them. One certainly couldn't expect him yo understand human behaviors such as flirting.

 

[Sethron]

Ilana's eyes burned with contempt, the racism between the two rising to a pique. She didn't like being talked down to, although she rationalized it would be the direct course of action. Even if she bested him, he was barely acknowledging her. Pokemorphs didn't play by the rules that had been established. If he would speak directly with Evangeline and demand things of her, he would never even acknowledge Ilana as a person. She could not fight him, personally, and that was obviously what it took to earn his attention. The young trainer slowly allowed her anger to seethe beneath her skin as she considered her predicament.

All sympathy left Evangeline in an instant, her blue eyes becoming hard as jewels as she glared at him while he dismissed her master. The worry about taking from him that she had grappled so vehemently with for the hours that had passed washed away in the abrasive sound of his voice. She didn't like being spoken to directly, she realized. It made her uncomfortable and upset the dynamic in which she had lived her life all her years. She gave a glance to her master, Ilana's head tilted down in contemplative thought, and remained silent while she waited.

The small ebon-haired girl's head snapped up as she felt the stare level on her. She supposed taming Pokemorphs would take a different kind of finesse--one that might require a chain of command. If he would only answer to Evangeline, and Eva answered only to her, it accomplished her goals. The rain would dampen his fire attacks here, and it was a controlled environment. She could walk up the stairs and across the road to the Center, so there was no risk at a loss. If they were ever going to fight head on, this would be the place. She spared a glance to her partner, recognizing that angry look on her face and dashing her worries about whether or not Eva would be willing to the side. She would have never asked Evangeline to fight a pointless fight if she wasn't eager, but she seemed to be more than happy to oblige at the moment. A nod from the shorter girl and a wave of her hand as she turned her back and walked a few steps backwards, changing positions with her Espeon before turning back with a proper glare from those ice blues.

The Espeon turned her eyes back up as Ilana stepped behind her, giving her leave to speak and do as she wished. "I don't owe you anything." Her voice was soft-spoken and carried not at all like Ilana's. It required his attention to catch each word in the soft downpour. "I bested you by Ilana's planning and cunning, but if you need to discard those elements from the field to feel more evenly matched, I will give you what you ask." She knew that against him, in a situation that was even footing, she would lose. Even now, if he didn't rely on fire moves, she would probably be destroyed. Eva didn't have any pride riding on this fight, though. She didn't mind losing, as long as it was clear that their race being the same did not mean that the Espeon drew loyalty on his side.

She was her master's. That was all there was to it.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

The determination that Evangeline now displayed was just as attractive on her as her bravery and power had been earlier that day. It was strange, Arcanine thought, that knowing that he would be working with such a companion made his current situation more bearable. Returning to the world of humans was akin to enslavement, but knowing that such a radiant female would be there to bear it with him was... comforting. Damn these human emotions!

"The fact that you risked your own safety to ensure that your little Master was able to capture me and that I am here right now means that the two of you want my cooperation, does it not?" Arcanine was still speaking to Evangeline, whom his eyes had not left even as she and Ilana traded places in the small basement room. "If that is true, then you owe me a rematch - not here and not now. I will allow you to select the time and place, but you must choose a situation in which you and I would be playing on even ground. Handicaps have no place on the battlefield."

His attention then snapped to Ilana and his arms unfolded from his chest. "You are not to interfere with our rematch in any way. Before our evolution into these forms, we needed our trainers to give us orders on the battlefield but we are now capable of thinking for ourselves. Until Evangeline can best me on her own, then I will not acknowledge you as my trainer. Self-conscious thought or not, it is still belief that a pokemorph's power is a reflection of their trainer's skill is it not? Why should you be permitted to take the easy way out and just capture a pokemon beyond your own skills?"

The arcanine morph then held his right arm up to display the collar that now adorned his wrist. "Before you answer that question, I am more interested to know exactly what this device is. I understand the concept of your pokeballs but this is foreign to me. I can only assume that it is something new - something designed for your kind to use against ours. What is the matter? Was humanity afraid of our free will after it was granted to us?"

 

[Sethron]

Ilana barked out a laugh of contempt as he gave her an order. She was irritated enough as it was, but his complete disregard for her as a person caused her a growing knot of anger in his stomach that made her want to slap the stupid beast right across his self-righteous nose. She knew Eva could pick up that she was bristling, and was taking that anger into herself, molding her own opinions of the man before them and that wasn't really helpful for either of them right now. Ilana tapped her foot on the ground, deciding against deriding him for his idiotic orders and instead dealing with him with the patience of a teacher with an ornery child.

"They are pokecollars. Generally they go on your neck," Ilana explained, gesturing to Evangeline's collar, a pretty thing done up to look much like a choker necklace than a restrictive item, "But it doesn't matter that Eva wrist-watched yours, because it means you can't leave. You've 50 feet of leash before it runs out, so you are locked within 50 feet of me. This was developed because Pokemorphs tended to break the balls they were in--even a Master Ball cannot hold one that doesn't enjoy his time there long. This cannot be broken, and solves the problem of keeping a Pokemorph in a ball they do not find comfortable."

"Now, as for the question: you aren't beyond my skills, or I wouldn't have caught you. It wasn't easy, but it was done. No sense being a spoiled sport over it. If you want to have a wrestling match with Evangeline, that's your prerogative. It's perfectly natural for two pokemon to practice and play with one another." She was a bit condescending, but it was returned like for like by the giant Arcanine that even Evangeline only stood up to the chest of. Ilana would have her nose buried somewhere around his belly-button standing at 4'11". She waved her hand to the side in dismissal of some unspoken thought.

"Evangeline wears hers for show, as she honestly prefers her ball and I run no risk and question not at all her loyalties." Throughout the whole of the conversation, Evangeline had stood perfectly still in the drenching sprinkler-induced rain. Her eyes hadn't left him, but she had made no move to speak or interrupt her master's words. This boy wouldn't be a benefit to their team, she suspected gravely. If he needed her to best him one-on-one, it would be a great amount of time before she could even think to try and no doubt he would stop being lazy and begin practicing to assure her ultimate defeat. Eva was a powerful pokemorph. She had no doubts in her own abilities, but if both were to practice, he would surely stay ahead of her.

"And we are all caught up and know everything we need to know about one another." Ilana concluded with a step toward the door, ignoring any other questions that might arise for the moment as she unsealed the lock with a key she pulled from her hair. Leaning out, she flipped the sprinklers off, the water draining out through the small holes in the floor of the basement's room. "I'm going to go retrieve a change of clothes for myself and Eva. Try and play nice." It was a simple statement, Ilana more than aware that if Eva had wanted it, she could simply retreat back into the ball and seal the case it was settled in. The only indication it was hers was a small E carved lovingly into its red paint in a calligraphy that was less than perfect. The young master made her way up the stairs toward her room, releasing the leash out to a further point without making anyone aware so she didn't tug on either of them while moving through the house.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Even before Ilana had left Arcanine and Evangeline alone in the basement, the fire-typed pokemorph could tell that arguing his perspective of the situation with either of them was quite pointless. This girl was as much of a spoiled brat as his previous human 'master' had been and Evangeline was clearly one of those morphs that never tasted freedom. Perhaps she was captured immediately after being released. Perhaps she had never truly been released in the first place. It wasn't Arcanine's place to guess or ask and, frankly, he did not care. Neither would understand that he, as a being of free-will, wanted merely to be free and left alone.

Still, he knew that he must try to make Evangeline understand him. He didn't know why that it was necessary, but he truly felt that it was something that needed to be done. Call it infatuation; call it love at first sight; call it what you will, but some emotion that Arcanine could not understand made him want this espeon to understand him.

"Your master is presumptuous," the tall fiery creature said as he turned his attention back to the other pokemorph. "I can tell by that look in your eyes that you aren't anymore pleased about me being here now than I am. It speaks for your ignorance on what you and your master are trying to do."

Unlike Ilana, Arcanine was not trying to sound condescending. The matter at hand, however, needed to be stressed and it needed to be made quite clearly. "If you and your master cannot deal with my attitude with a little more patience and finesse then you should stick to capturing and training your standard pokemon. Most of our kind that are in the wild are there because that is where they want to be and they will fight to the last breathe to stay there."

As Arcanine spoke, he moved across the room until he was standing in front of Evangeline, towering over her as he had done earlier that day on the battlefield. "The humans who changed us changed all pokemon equally - both trained and wild. Most of the trained pokemorphs, as I can only assume you were by your demeanor with your master, returned to humans after their transformation. The wild ones remained wild, of course. The difference now is that those wild pokemon no longer live off of instinct. They now live off of true free will and they won't just submit if they choose not to. Your goal puts your master's life in significant danger."

 

[Sethron]

Left alone, Evangeline was looking across the room at a towering mass of muscle and power. His fur was wet as hers, and the clothing he wore clung to every curve of him in much the same way hers clung to her. Evangeline listened to his words and carefully considered each of the potent threats and pieces of information as someone picking up clues to a large puzzle. He crossed the room as he spoke, and the Espeon girl was curious as to what his goals were as he spoke. She was curious until he closed the distance between them and stood within her personal space. Her eyebrows knit together in curious concern, and she considered stepping back but held off for the moment.

"You're very right." She spoke plainly and calmly, a smile painted on her lips to hide the nervous energy that was crackling between them, her breasts mere centimeters from being pressed against his abs with how close he had decided to stand, emphasizing his height as she had to tilt her head back to look upward at him, her ears pinned backward, "I don't find it pleasant that you are here." Her eyes closed and she sighed softly, "But it was my Master's wish, and I will not question it."

She almost felt bad for him, but the seed of guilt would not take root--not against Ilana. His freedom, equality, joy and pleasure meant nothing to her when held up against Ilana's goals. When weighing the needs of this stranger, no matter how handsome, against her most valued connection in life, morality and kindness drifted away like dust in a strong breeze and left her with no ambiguity. It was a terrifying thought, but in that moment, she realized she would torture another creature if it meant Ilana's wishes were fulfilled.

When her eyes opened again, it was with a sparkle that could only be called menacing. Her smile, unwavering, took on a hostile glint around sharp canines as she locked eyes with him. "But, since you are being so kind as to inform me of my ignorance, allow me to inform you of yours." Her tail swung behind her in a tell-tale sign of her irritation. "Ilana is not weak, nor am I. And if you harm her, I will find you while you sleep deeply." It was almost a seductive tone that came from her mouth as she leaned up on her toes to whisper quietly, "No matter how long it takes... and I will kill you."

When she rocked back on her feet, she was smiling warmly. Her entire body language hid every hint that she had just threatened him. Evangeline was not often violent--she preferred not to be--but any threat, even the most harmlessly intended, on Ilana's life made the Espeon's hackles raise. She did not want to imagine a life without Ilana, and she would die trying to kill anyone who took that away from her. She turned from him and began a short walk across the floor, putting distance between the sparking air between them.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Arcanine could only smirk at Evangeline's threat once she had turned her back to him. She had a fire unlike any female that he had encountered - bravery, strength, determination, beauty, and a protective spirit that rivaled his own. She would have made an absolutely outstanding mate if it weren't for the fact that she was very clearly put-off by the male pokemorph. Of course, that did not mean that Arcanine would stop trying. Quite the contrary, he had one more thing that he wanted to try to catch her interest before he retreated back into his pokeball to dry off.

If Evangeline's human emotions were going to obstruct her from seeing Arcanine as a suitable mate, then he would need to tap into her raw instinct. This would, in all reality, have been the way for him to go from the start. Evangeline was a captive pokemorph, and Arcanine was wild. He simply lacked certain etiquette that a tamed pokemon would like. Evangeline, however, would still have all of the instinct that she was born with. Repressed or not, they would still be there. No amount of training or genetic experimentation could change the creature that she had been born as.

Knowing that it was crucial for a perspective male to demonstrate and establish a clear chain of dominance when first encountering a female, there was only one thing to do - establish himself before Evangeline retreated to either her pokeball or to the stairwell where Ilana had gone. With that in mind, Arcanine's right hand shot out and made a grab for the espeon's braid. If he managed to grab her, then he would pull her back into him until her back was against his torso.

 

[Sethron]

The Espeon wasn't going to leave him alone down here initially. She had just wanted space between them so she wasn't barely a centimeter away from his body with her own absorbing his heat like it was drinking a fine wine. It was with no lack of surprise that she felt her braid fall into his grasp and pull at the back of her head with a force that snapped her head back and caused her to stumble back into him.

He hadn't seemed upset when she had turned, so she hadn't expected any sort of assault. If Evangeline had noticed even slightly that he had been attracted to her and not just trying to intimidate her, she would have perhaps connected the dots and been prepared for him to use his physical prowess against her slender, much more specialized to her magics, form. Her hands swung out to catch herself, landing against his hips and catching the jeans to keep herself from falling as she thought she might. Her tail fell between his legs, her head against the bottom of his chest and his crotch was nestled against the small of her back.

She froze in confusion as her eyes snapped upward to his face. She thought it was a fight she had been dragged back into, and she was fully prepared to defend herself if necessary.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

The assault that Evangeline had been prepared to defend herself from did not come. In fact, the male seemed to be taking a more protective stance over her than anything. While his right hand remained tightly clasped around her braid, his free hand rose to about the height of Evangeline's midriff and his wet, muscular arm wrapped itself around her much smaller frame. Meanwhile, he had lowered his gaze so that their eyes could meet. If his intentions had been construed before, there was no mistaking them now.

"I was not threatening your little master, Evangeline. I am merely warning you of the dangers that the two of you will face in your quest for this 'perfect team'. I did not attack the two of you when I was released in this room because I once belonged to a small human child myself back before this change. I know that most humans mean well and while I would prefer to still be out on my rock, I know all too well that I am stuck here and that I will have to make the most of it. You can rely on me when it is absolutely necessary." Arcanine's voice was much softer than before. There was still a growl lining every word of his speech but it wasn't an aggressive one. Perhaps it was just a side effect of a pokemorph speaking the human tongue so rarely.

"You can tell your master yourself that she is welcome to call on me when there is an immediate danger to you or herself, but otherwise I will not just accept this situation for what it is. I liked being free. If you can understand and respect that, then there is no reason that you and I cannot get along. You can pass that on to your master as well."

 

[Sethron]

Evangeline listened to his words lined with a growl that sounded like an almost seductive purr now that she had suddenly been made aware that this was flirtation. The girl's cheeks turned a bright red and her eyes got wide, the hard look in them melting immediately into an embarrassed and slightly giddy nervous glance back and forth between his eyes and his lips. She moved her hands from his hips to in front of her and turned her head down suddenly, unable to escape the closeness of her body next to his with him holding her braid captive.

"I see. My apologies. I mistook you." She muttered, tail sliding between her legs and away from between his. Her hands clasped together in front of her as she stared at her feet, her voice becoming light and demure again, "Ilana is a strong girl, and smart--much smarter than me--I do not fear anything while we are together." She nodded her head, "And I will tell her.. um... what you said. Or you can tell her. Whichever you prefer."

She reached her hands up over her shoulder to grasp his hand around her braid and begin loosening his fingers around it, gently coaxing him to release his hold on her so she could now escape up the stairs to Ilana's room and away from this intensely strange situation. Evangeline had never had anyone really attracted to her. She certainly hadn't had any Pokemorph express attraction for her. She didn't know how to react, and as such, she was wanting desperately to excuse herself from the situation.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

Evangeline's reaction to this situation was exactly what Arcanine had been hoping for. Bringing her close to him, establishing a degree of protective control over her, and appealing to her natural submissiveness had melted that stone-cold wall of bitch that the espeon woman had put up and had turned her into a confused and conflicted little companion ripe for turning into a mate. Now was not the time to continue, however. Even if Arcanine could fully tap into the espeon's raw instinct and make her want him as though she were in heat, Evangeline wasn't an ordinary pokemon. Her instinct could be overridden by free-will and rational thought just as easily as her it could override them. He had her attention now. If he pushed too hard, he could push her back away.

With that in mind, Arcanine allowed the espeon girl to loosen his grip on her braided hair. In turn, he removed his arm from her midriff to allow her to move away from him again, as he was sure she desperately wanted to do. It seemed like the best course of action, given the circumstances. The male pokemorph had managed to appeal to Evangeline's instinctual side but now he would also need to repair some of the damage that had been done to her rational opinion of him.

It was then that Arcanine realized just how big of a pain in the ass it was going to be to 'court' a pokemorph. He had a basic understanding of human relationships due to his time as the pet of that rich little girl who had become a rich young woman by the time that Team Plasma had stole him. Still, he wasn't courting a woman. No matter how much Evangeline liked Arcanine on a human level, her instinctual side would need to be just as invested in him. He desperately hoped that this female was going to be worth the effort.

On top of needing to conquer both of Evangeline's natures, Arcanine would also need to tolerate Ilana. Putting up with a self-entitled little bitch of a trainer like Ilana had made herself out to be wouldn't be easy for him. For a being so accustomed to doing things his own way, pursuing Evangeline would be a living hell.

"You tell her," Arcanine spoke as he removed his hands from Evangeline. "My interest in you will not change my opinion of your master. She might make you happy, but I have made my point on how important my freedom was to me. Until she gives me good reason to trust and respect her, she will need to speak to me through you."

 

[Sethron]

With a breath of relief, Evangeline escaped his grip. Freed to her own space, she straightened her stance and put a few more feet between them as her ears kept their full attention on the Arcanine behind her. She shrugged a shoulder in response to him, amused by his distinction that Ilana had took his freedom and leaving no blame with the Espeon who had assisted. She decided that she didn't mind if he justified her actions outside of Ilana's, as long as it made this relationship bearable for all of them. If Ilana was alright with him talking to her through Evangeline, then she was alright with it, and that would be the end of that. If not, well, he'd have to be put out again.

"That's fine, then." She confirmed, simply, her obvious allegiances clear. The girl slipped out of the room to the stairs and trotted up it, leaving a trail of water in her wake. She gave only one last glance over her shoulder at the man in the basement before disappearing.

--

Ilana had packed up clothing of hers and dried herself with a towel. She had abandoned the wet clothes in a hamper and replaced them with a pair of shorts and a simple tank-top. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail so it didn't soggy her white shirt and make her lack of a bra at the moment obvious, as she was in a hurry and didn't want to leave Eva standing wet for any longer than she had to. An exploration of her clothes found her a skirt and another tight tank top that she picked up along with a towel. It wasn't that Eva didn't have her own clothing, only that the two of them never were organized enough to keep them apart from each other, and in a pinch it was hard to tell what was hers and what was the Espeon's.

The black haired girl had arrived at the top of the stairs when Eva was coming up, her cheeks red and her breath a little fluttery from frustration. Ilana's eyebrows raised in curiosity, which only sent the poor Espeon into a fit of nervous laughter and a bunch of silly excuses as to why she was rushing away so fast. The good news was, Ilana was as obtuse as her partner to the ways of attraction and she had no idea why Eva was acting the way she was acting. The bad news was that Eva was acting like a fool, and it caused Ilana to question if something bad had happened to her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Fine, fine, fine! Hahahaha!" Eva waved her hands in front of her while Ilana pranced around her a moment to check for any bruises, only noting that her hair was slightly loosened.

"Here, take these." Ilana handed the clothes to Evangeline and started down the stairs with a frown.

"No, no! It's alright. He says he'll work with us just fine, but he doe... I mean.." Evangeline stopped as Ilana looked over her shoulder, realizing that she was just about to basically order her Master to stop. It was well-intended, but it would only inflame their tempers toward each other, "My apologies. I am acting odd. He says he will be available to be called upon in dire need and will assist." Her calm voice made Ilana's worry subside for a moment, before she nodded and continued her trek.

Ilana re-entered the room with a simple task in mind. It would be painless as long as he could manage not to be an ass, "Do you want to stay in the ball or would you like a room?" She paused before explaining, "It's a big house with a wing dedicated for me and mine. At least until we start travelling, nobody needs to be uncomfortable. Of course, if you'd rather not be forced to interact with us, I understand. But I need to know your preference."

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

By the time that Ilana had made her way back downstairs, Arcanine had made his way across the basement room and retrieved the pokeball that he had been captured in. Disgust pooled in the pit of stomach as he stood there, staring down at the master ball that rested in his hand. He had been freed by Team Plasma. He had been made an equal to humanity so that he would never again have to serve as someone's pet or put on display. Yet here he was, captured by a human child. The only highlight that could be found about his situation was Evangeline, whom was easily the most radiant creature that he had ever seen. She might have been his species exactly, but she was a pokemorph.

When Ilana entered the room, the male pokemorph turned his attention from the ball in his hand to the small human girl. Before he could think of anything to say, however, Ilana had began speaking. It was for the better. Before the human girl had offered him and sense of freedom in that moment, whatever would have come out of his mouth would have been venomous. Arcanine knew that to get close to Evangeline, he would need to hold his tongue to this girl.

When Ilana was finished, Arcanine held his right arm up to her, again displaying the collar that had been put on his wrist. "If you are interested in making me comfortable then remove this accursed device. There is no need for you to concern yourself with where I sleep. I will make my own arrangements outside." The pokemorph's tone had returned to the cold demure that it had held before now that Evangeline was gone.

"Before you argue, I'll have you know that this is actually my second preferred option. I think that my first would have even less of a chance of being acceptable in your eyes."

 

[Sethron]

Ilana shook her head, her wet hair swaying behind her with the action as she crossed the room and picked up the gently handled standard ball in the open case that belonged to Evangeline. Her feet were cold against the still-damp floor as she placed the ball between her hands almost lovingly then moved over to him, reaching her hand out for the ball in his hand, "That's not the way the world works, and you know it." Her pretty blue eyes turned up toward him and flashed almost apologetically. She had far too much to do to be allowing him to get away, even if they couldn't work together without Evangeline nearby.

"But you can sleep outside if you want." She shrugged, tossing the ball up and catching it out of the air in front of her. She observed how large he was with a bit of awe now that she was standing close to him. It was a lot more intimidating when her straight look forward came to his well-formed abs. She had only ever interacted with Evangeline as she had grown up with her, and a male pokemorph made her question how one might interact with someone--not to mention someone who insisted that they were equals, which they were, they were different, though. He had super powers, which made him better than a human, and she had technology to catch him, which made her better than a Pokemorph. Equals. Just different. That was the way the world was.

It's so wierd. She couldn't say he wasn't attractive, but he was strange. He was at least distinctive--not like Evangeline. She hadn't ever realized that the Pokemorphs and humans could very well be attracted. Now that she thought about it, she had overlooked glances at Eva prior. She shooed the thought out of her mind and distracted herself with a question that would inevitably set her teeth on edge again, "What do you mean your first would have been unacceptable? Did you want to sleep on the kitchen counter or something?" She had just chosen the most awkward and weird possibility that she could think of.

 

[PredatoryFantasia]

The arcanine scoffed at Ilana when she rejected his request to have this forsaken collar removed from him. The collar was an even bigger insult to his freedom than being captured was and it would serve as an unmanageable source of animosity between he and Ilana. At least being captured meant that he still had room to run, to explore, to do as he saw fit with the time granted to him outside of his pokeball. This collar, however, robbed him of even that. He was bound to this human child's very physical proximity. That might have been well and good for Evangeline but it would not settle well with the arcanine and would settle even worse with any truly wild pokemon that Ilana caught.

"I have little interest in escaping, child," the arcanine stated in defense of his request, ignoring Ilana's question. "If I was interested in getting away from here at any cost then it would take no effort for me to break that pretty little neck of yours and walk out of here with or without your consent. Fortunately for you, I am no killer and I do not believe that this course of action would sit well with your Evangeline."

Again, he held his arm up, this time thrusting it out so that the collar was right in front of Ilana. "I am asking simply for the ability to roam and do as I wish with the time allotted to me outside of that accursed ball. If you are looking for some sort of guarantee that I will not leave, I cannot give you one that would mean anything to you."

With that, the arcanine waited there with his arm before the girl. His attitude toward her would be greatly affected by what she did with this opportunity. She could free him and he would think much more highly of her while staying willingly in the hopes of finding a mate in Evangeline. On the other hand she could deny him and only make things more bitter between herself and her new pokemon who would stay by force and still pursue Evangeline.

 

[Sethron]

"If you were a danger, I'd not come near you." She remarked, the threat sitting irritably in her stomach. "And if you reached out for me, I'd press a button and you'd be gone." She held the ball up, reminding him of the advantages on both sides of the playing field, keeping her thumb on the button just in case he decided to strike out at her.

"Why should I trust your promise to come back? It was a task to catch you, and what if someone else catches you while you're out sleeping in the grass, hm? There would be nothing to stop them from taking you--at least this," She pointed to the collar he wore as a wristband, "will keep you from being run off with." She looked frustrated as her hand moved up into her hair. She didn't want to fight with her damn team constantly, and she wanted to offer up some good will to make him stop being such a jerk.

But if she lost the damn Arcanine Pokemorph the day she had caught it because she decided to be a damn softy, what would she do?

"Agree to sleep in the wing for now, and I'll remove it. Once I've caught another wild like you, you can go in pairs so one can watch the other when you sleep. I don't mind you running free when you are awake; I just want you to bed down where it would be difficult to be snuck up on." Ilana thought the compromise was pretty good--a show of good faith on both sides with no hostile intention from her. It was better if he was happy--it was proven repeatedly that unhappy Pokemon were weaker for arguing with their trainers.