Emma Kuzunoha Case 2, ft. Laurent Hessel & Jackson Crane
Burning Hate - Part 2
Current Team - Jackson:
Current Team - Laurent:
Current Team - Emma:
Current Location : Santalune Forest
"Who are you?!" Emma demanded, as she slowly rised back on her feet. "...Identify yourself!"
"Fiend!" Laurent shouted angrily, jabbing a finger in the direction of Emma's assailant. "Bernard!" Without any further words the Bulbasaur - having just shook off the shock of being so near a gunshot - empowered it's vines and whipped them straight towards the man with the gun.
The man in the suit didn't even flinch as the vines flew towards him, the attack looking to be a dead on strike if it weren't for what happened next. Like a flash a dark shadow of a pok?mon, adorned with flames and bone, ripped through the foliage with flames enveloping its body, the vines struck against it but it seemed unfazed as it landed before the one whom presumably acted as its trainer. "Honestly..." The attacker stepped forward and clipped the gun to his belt, shrugging a little before running a hand down his pok?mons neck. "Kids like you really make me sick, it's worrisome to see you so poorly educated. The whole forest is burning down around you and as soon as the guy with gun makes himself known, you throw more flowers at him. That's kind of funny, actually."
Jackson wasted no time in geting off of Emma as the newly revealed opponent stepped into the clearing. He snarled, his lip curled as he stared the individual down. His short, greasy black hair and lazy expression pissed Jackson off... and the black suit with red tie seemed way too out of place for the scenario they were in. "So you're the one... bastard."
"You're responsible for this fire, are you not?" Emma asked in a more calm manner. "This forest has always been peaceful, with many of Pokemon making their habitat in here. Now it's all being destroyed. Tell me, for what reason?"
Laurent remained silent, simply glaring venomously at the man in the suit and his pok?mon.
The man smiled darkly and shook his head in response. "I don't know kiddo. Maybe I just don't like forests?" He gave a soft chuckle before swiftly and suddenly turning to kick one of the weaker burning saplings, knocking it down with ease. "Maybe the idea of all those gross little insects and ****ty little birds hanging around in some pretty little oak tree pisses me off. I don't suppose that's a good enough answer? No? I thought not."
He grinned and gave a nod, only for his houndoom to stand in front of him and growl menacingly on command. "I guess at the end of the day it matters as much as anything else in this fantasy world you all live in... in other words, it doesn't count for ****. Team Cinder won't mind a handful of kids added to the body count anyway... and hell I'm crazy, but I don't waste time explaining myself to corpses."
"Team Cinder...?" Emma repeated to herself. "Then he's not with the Emerald Dragon smuggling ring... "
Teddy had been shivering on Jackson's shoulders in fear since the approach of this strange and violent man, but Gaspar was busy moving behind the scenes. While the others spoke and exchanged taunts, he darted between the shadows cast by the roaring flames, until he found himself in range. "Now! Gaspar!" Jackson cried out, signalling the to the ghost to make its move, it leaped forth towards the houndoom, ready to use its lick attack, tongue lolling behind it.
However, it would seem that things weren't going to be that easy.
In a flash the Houndoom turned in place, shadowy fangs tearing a spectral gash through Gaspars form and sending him flailing backwards, his gaseous body dusting along the ground. Jackson bit his lip in rage until it leaked red into his mouth and he tasted iron. He took a single step forward, the Houndoom staring him down, but he couldn't risk moving too close.
"Oooh? What's wrong? Didn't like me talking ill to the lady? Damn shame I don't have another bullet, I'd put her down like the last one that stepped out of line." As those words hit Jackson's ears he almost exploded then and there. He used every ounce of strength to prevent himself from leaping forward and even then that was mostly to keep Teddy safe. "You son of a *****! Who the **** do you think you are?"
But the man in the suit just sighed and gave a small shrug. "Still askin questions, you people are always obsessed with questions... but you're fun, so I'll humor you." He grins widely again and opens his arms wide before taking a bow. "Gabriel, Gabriel Artece right here and at your service. It's nice to be the last introduction someone will hear before I put them in the ground, I should do this more often."
"You should, because the next time will be during your incarceration!" Emma pleaded. "Gabriel Artece... you're under arrest!"
"...haha..." He placed an open palm to his forward and turned to look skyward, seemingly in disbelief. "HahahaHAHAHAHA! Why are you so
STUPID?! What is with people like you? Why the hell are you acting so tough when there's no way out for you?!" He dropped his hand to his side and glared, suddenly rage painted his expression and he stared with an overpowering hatred, his gaze cutting right through the girl in front of him, as if she was barely even there from his perspective. "You're pissing me off! Little ****s like you should stay out of other people's business! Houndoom, burn them all to ashes! Inferno!"
Jackson made another dash towards Emma, but even he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop this in time, the powerful flames began to coalesce into the Houndoom's open maw. It seemed moments away from laucnhing and just by looking at whatever attack this was, it was going to be powerful enough to wipe them all out regardless... there was nothing he could do. He shut his eyes and braced himself, for what little good it would do.
"Mal..." His thoughts echoed to his little sister.
"I'm sorry."
"DOOOM!" The opposing pok?mon roared but no flames engulfed the group. As Jackson slowly opened his eyes he saw the houndoom shaking violently in place, its paws gripping its head in pain... a spectral nail drove itself into the Houndoom's skull, the ethereal weapon phasing into the enmies mind and causing it great pain. Jackson's head darted over to where he had left Gaspar and the little ghost type was grinning and cackling maniacally as a similar object embedded itself in his gaseous form, within seconds he lost consciousness, dissipating into a cloud of purple gas clinging weakly to the floor That move, it was new, Gaspar must have unlocked the potential to utilize it just in time. Dashing back over to his partner, Jackson recalled the ghost type to his pok?ball while Teddy jumped down to stand in front, ready to fight.
"What are you doing you mutt?! Kill them!" Gabriel screamed in rage and anger as the Houndoom slowly started to pick itself up, the last ditch attack by Gaspar had bought them time, but the window of opportunity wouldn't stay open forever.
Laurent hated the thought of making poor Bernard go anywhere near that Houndoom, but Vine Whip would do too little damage to it. "Bernard, use Tackle, and then a vine-vault escape!" The plucky Bulbasaur charged at the domineering hellhound and took advantage of its momentary unbalance to slam into it as hard as he could. The Houndoom staggered a bit from the impact and Bernard immediately pushed against the ground with his vines as hard as he could. Laurent's forethought paid off seconds later when Bernard launched over his opponent's head just as it snapped viciously at him, hate glinting in its eyes.
"Are you ready, Vida? Now go!" then said Emma, holding out her partner's pokeball. She threw it, and as it opened, her Budew materalized from the energy released, and blopped down on the barren ground with her trademark smile. "While Houndoom is a Fire-type, we have something in store for even the toughest fire-type pokemon, don't we? Budew has the power to use the moisture around the atmosphere to coagulate to a move that weakens fire-type moves! Water Sport!" Budew agreed, as it splashed around the ground, releasing water vapour up in the air. It turned into water droplets, as it all came to the scene at once, simulating a light drizzle of rain.
"That should help out against his fire attacks!" Emma declared. "Now's your chance! Use your Leaf Storm!" Vida the Budew then glowed, releasing multiple barrages of leaves from its prospect. The attack dealt small damage, but quickly added up as pile upon pile of leaves swarmed the Houndoom, hitting it with every second. All performed under Vida's cheerful glee.
Gabriel reached a hand to his face, half covering it as he let out another sinister laugh under his breath. "If you honestly think these little tactics are going to leave a dent then you're somehow even more idiotic than I thought!" He continued to sneer until he turned to look at his Houndoom, whom under the water pouring down and the attacks he had taken was looking pretty beat up, even as Gabriel watched that spectral nail plunged itself deeper causing the pok?mon further grief to the point where it almost sumbled. "Houndoom...? No! Don't let them even have the opportunity! Finish them off with a fire blast! Do it!"
The Houndoom flared its nostrils in anger, gather more roaring flames into its mouth, the fire forming and sizzling in the slight drizzle of water, the droplets reflecting the orange light of the surrounding burning woods, and catching a glint of light from the growing fire in the hellhounds maw. It formed a five pointed star as it launched outwards towards Vida, its size positively intimidating, but it shrunk significantly in the seconds it moved through the moist air, upon hitting the grass type it was no bigger than she was.
The attack connects with Vida, sending it upwards, covered in small scorch marks. It landed nearer to Emma. "Vida!" Emma called out to it. Thanks to the drizzle from Water Sport, the attack wasn't as effective, but for a Grass-type like Vida the Budew, it was still very strong. Vida managed to get up, but clearly, it got hurt from the blow.
"Teddy!" Jackson cried out as the Houndoom panted in exhaustion after its last attack. Running in from the side and almost tripping over its own feet, Teddy the Teddiursa jumped up and smacked the Houndoom directly in the jaw with its claws. The fire dark type, with fury in its eyes, glared towards the small pok?mon whom proceeded to turn tail and run crying back towards its trainer.
Gabriel grunted and clenched his fists, his eyes held wide open with rage. "Why... won't... you... DIE?!" He screamed, before hurling another cry out to the wobbling Houndoom. "Enough of this, Houndoom, it's time to burn them away! Inferno! This time, don't mess it up!" With a pained howl the Houndoom opened it's maw, the nail plunged deeper into its skull, but in a manic fit or rage it no longer seemed to care, it charged and charged, ignoring the growing fire as the core of flame held in its fangs grew to twice the size of the fire blast from before. "Now, divide and conquer these brats!" With the command given, the Houndoom slammed its jaws shut and divided the Inferno into three equal blasts, one flying towards Laurent, another to Emma and the final one directly in Jackson's direction.
Laurent didn't bother calling out to Bernard, it was faster to just grab the little Bulbasaur and dive out of the way himself. All the sweat on his face was evaporated at once, then quickly replaced by more when a wave of heat washed over him just from the Inferno passing by. "Vine Whip!" Bernard's plant limbs stretched out to snap at Houndoom from both sides at Laurent 's order. He got a few good, if weak hits in, but that was all he managed before the beast's jaws closed on one of the vines.
"No!" Bernard was ripped violently out of Laurent's arms and sent sailing towards the Houndoom. Every image the scene brought to mind gave birth to horror and panic. "Bernard, use Leech Seed, now!" Laurent's desperate cry came too late, Bernard had only time to tuck in his legs and twist in the air. A silver lining revealed itself when it was not Bernard's head caught in those vicious claws, but his bulb.
Gabriel laughed maniacally as the small grass type was at his mercy, he grinned with a sadistic insanity and pointed directly to the Bulbasaur now presented before his Houndoom. "Finally... hahaha! Something gets to die! Hold him there... and incinerate him with Inferno!" The houndoom grinned with glinting white fans, its eyes crazed with bloodlust as it opened its maw and began to charge the fiery blast of blazing flame.
Laurent's mind raced to think of a way for Bernard to escape, but just Before His Doom could Be sealed, A Miracle Happened. Bernard twitched strangely just as the Houndoom's mouth lit up with a deadly blaze, and right before the attack was released a sparkling purple powder burst from Bernard's bulb and covered the hellhound. The Houndoom began to flail in both anger and discomfort as it inhaled some of the powder and the rest began to settle in its fur. Before Laurent could celebrate, Bernard was flung at a frightening speed from his opponent's mouth. Laurent intercepted, but the Bulbasaur merely slammed into him so hard they both flew backwards and slammed into a charred tree, where the trainer slumped and lay silent for the moment.
"Stay calm, Vida. Use Leaf Storm! You can do it!" Emma commanded her Budew, as an attempt to guard themselves against the upcoming Fire Blast. Vida gathered her willpower, to perform a brilliant Leaf Storm, trying to push back the blast. The two attacks collided into a mini-explosion, pushing Budew back. "He's strong... in power we're outclassed... that leaves us with one thing left to do..!."
Jackson threw himself down into the burning brush, further agonising his shoulder as it crashed into the ground. Teddy has thankfully been too short to be hit by the blast. The pain was almost surreal as Jackson felt himself fading in and out, his skin was badly blistered and most of the shoulder on his shirt had been burned away to scar his skin. Damn it... things weren't looking good.
As he heard Laurent crash into the tree behind him, his injured Bulbasaur in his arms, Jackson could also pick up on Gabriel's piercing laughter, echoing in his ears. Who the Hell... did this guy think he was...? He tried to get up, but his body was rapidly losing response due to the pain and the smoke he had inhaled up to that point. He felt the forest flames licking at his clothes and everything started to turn fuzzy and fade to black, like he'd been punched out in Veilstone city again.
---
"Jackson... are you hurt?" Malorie's voice rang out across the Veilstone appartment, she was lying in her bed with the last of her medicine for the month.
"Naw Mal... I'm fine, it's nothin' haha." Jackson lied through gritted teeth as he stood over a sink in the bathroom, washing the blood away from the open wound on his cheek. A small bag of pok? sat beside the porcelain bowl. Just enough for more meds and food for the coming weeks. He had gotten hurt earning that money, but living the life he did, he'd picked up a few things about applying stitches, so he'd be fine.
"Jackson... you're lying to me." At the sound of her soft voice, he froze in place.
"I know you do so much for me, you give up everything you deserve to see me safe. I have no right to ask more of you... but..." She trailed off and he held back a choked reply. "You've got to make sure you come back, when you walk out that door... that's what's most important to me."
---
Jackson's clenched fist punched the scorched earth as Teddy desperately tugged on the collar of his shirt and despite the pain and weakness he pulled himself to his feet. He barely heard the voice of his opponent through his ringing ears. "Are you kidding me?! Why won't you assholes just drop dead already?!"
As his vision cleared Jackson saw the Houndoom struggling with the nail in his head, all the while coughing up smog and painful looking purple smoke. Then Laurent had managed to weaken him after all, there was still a chance. Jackson had to keep the enemy distracted for a little longer, while praying to Arceus and back that Emma or Laurent could finish him off. With a bitter hate in his voice he spoke. "People like you... are what's wrong with the World..."
Gabriel laughed and sneered at Jackson. "That so?! What's a punk like you know about the Wor-"
"I know that ****heads like you with no morals are scum!" Jackson interrupted with a higher volume and anger than the man in front of him, causing him to hold his tongue. "Maybe I'm an asshole who doesn't make the right decisions... but even someone like me can say it... when I meet a guy who sinks as low to the ground as you do... so low that your basically chompin' up dirt... it's easy to feel good about myself when compared to the bottom of the barrel!"
"The Pokemon who made their home upon this peaceful region... The children who aspire to learn and grow... how many of them are you willing to trample upon? How many dreams are you going to crush just for personal satisfaction?" Emma added with a slow, calm, yet firm tone. "No matter what it takes... I will bring you to justice!"
Gabriel's eyes almost popped out of his head, seems that the group had finally managed to hit a nerve. "You wretched... worthless... insignificant little rats! I'll crush you! HOUNDOOM!" With the very last ounce of his strength, the Houndoom turned away from the rest of the group, its maw flaring with burning flame and hate. Its eyes were fluttering in and out of consciousness and barely holding on to the hatred its trainer sent flowing through it. Still, it managed one last charge of flame. Jackson swallowed his fear and curled up his fist, running towards Gabriel with it raised, keeping the attention just a little bit longer, for just a few more seconds, he just needed a few more seconds...!
"INCINERATE HIM, HOUNDOOM!"
An opening! Emma declared, stretching her arm out.
She pointed directly towards the enemy Houndoom. "Stun Spore!" she then ordered. Vida then spun around multiple times, releasing yellow spores from it towards the enemy's fire-type pokemon. The Houndoom inhaled on instinct, immediately doubling over in pain, and from numbness. Emma knew that Stun Spore was a move that paralyzed the foe, and with the right split-second distraction, it worked without much problem.
"Now that its paralyzed, it will have even more trouble acting as you wish..." Emma explained. "Now we can land a more advantagous blow! Full power Leaf Storm!" Vida hopped in closer to its foe, until it reached right to its face. It then pivoted towards the Houndoom's side, taking a deep breath as it glowed once more. When it exhaled, it released all the power it could muster in one final Leaf Storm attack - right on point blank.
It seemed even more effective than firing the attack from afar Emma calculated, as the Houndoom was pelted with even more leaves. The leaves then turned into a tornado, carrying the Houndoom up in the air, then landing right on the trunk of a burnt tree. The trunk snapped in half upon inpact, leaving the Houndoom to crash to the ground, appearing to be unconcious.
As the trunk fell to the ground Gabriel panicked. His prized Houndoom defeated by amatures, how was this possible?! He fumbled for the pok?ball on his belt and returned the fire dark pok?mon, now fully unconscious, to its pok?ball. He had to get back to base, he had to- But as he turned to run he saw a steep incline behind him, tumbling down into the smoke and fiery debris. He had to escape but how could he-
"Hey! Asshole!" He turned to see Jackson move in for the finisher.
Jackson had taken full advantage of Emma's attack and the Houndoom's removal, taking a step up onto the now fallen log behind him and Gabriel he leaped upwards, his fist pulled back into a prepared attack. As he moved closer, be it his injuries or the intensity of the moment, things slowed down just enough for his thoughts to finalize and his resolve to grow in strength. People like this, people who threatened everyone, for Mal's sake... he'd remove them, no matter what happened to him next, he'd fight this man.
Because that's what he needed to do to keep her safe.
"Go rot in your own lil' hell, asshole!" As he landed he sucker punched Gabriel directly in the jaw, throwing the man off balance as he let out an enraged cry, his eyes caught Jackson's as he stumbled backwards against his will. Gabriel looked at him, at Emma and Laurent in turn. He'd remember their faces. There was no way in hell he'd ever let this go.
With that his foot caught a burning root, sticking out of the sullen Earth...
Gabriel fell down the incline and disappeared into the darkness below with not another sound.
An eery calm overcame the clearing as Jackson slowly and sluggishly turned. He couldn't see Laurent clearly through the now lessened smog, but he hoped that he was breathing. He didn't like the guy, but he didn't deserve to go down here... not to mention he had just found someone he hated even more. He took a few pained steps forward, his vision blurring gently at the sudden movement, until he spotted Emma standing with her Budew, Vida.
Emma rushed to the foot of the steep hill, trying to view where the miscreant landed. With all the smoke however, she couldn't see nor approach much due to the smoke. Her Budew followed behind, following her recent victory. The two looked upon each other and nodded. Budew released another barrage of leaves due to her Leaf Storm, attempting to blow away some of the smoke. The smoke started to clear a bit, until the bottom of the hill was noticable.
However, what she saw... was nothing. "Damn, he get away... Huh?" She then noticed something that gleamed at her foot. She picked it up to read it - it seemed like a card that had text on it. "Team Cinder ID.... Gabriel Artece, Admin Rank. So, he was an admin of this group, huh?"
Jackson slowly trudged a few steps behind her, peeking over her shoulder at the card with moderate interest. He found it hard to read, not just because of his inability to do so either. After all, he hadn't noticed the streaks of blood running down his arm from his badly injured shoulder. The pain was striking him in waves despite his efforts to hold on, he stumbled back a few paces before glancing up at Emma with his signature sneer, only managing a single pained grin, as he spoke. "Either way... I think I... got 'im..."
And with that Jackson collapsed to the floor unconscious, leaving Teddy to panic and tug desperately at his sleeve.
The sound of shuffling, charred leaves broke the momentary silence as Laurent limped back into sight from the smoke, hugging Bernard to his chest with what little strength he had left. He didn't get very far before his legs tried to give out underneath him and he barely caught himself, kneeling with a pained grimace on the floor. Now that the fight was over, Laurent's constant smile was back with only a slight cringe, and his visage marred by a trickle of blood flowing off of his bangs and down his forehead. He gently lowered Bernard to the ground, and tapped him on the head with his pokeball, transforming the Bulbasaur's body into that familiar red beam and encapsulating it. With Bernard safe, Laurent dragged himself over to the unconscious Jackson and hooked an arm under his elbow, gripping it as tight as he could and slowly forcing himself back to a standing position.
"My dear Emma, that was marvelous, I'm so glad I could help and that you've found a new investigation...but might you fancy helping a pair of gentlemen out?" His smile became open-mouthed as he grit his teeth, his point emphasized by one leg starting to show signs of buckling beneath him with Jackson's added weight.
Emma sighed, putting the card into her handbag. She then grabbed Crane's free arm, putting it over her shoulder. "Normally I would lecture you two about how much of a fool you both are," Emma began. "However, I do owe him for saving me. And you helped as well. In return, I'll at least take you two to the rangers - there's a medical tent near the entrance of this forest."
"How very generous." Laurent said smoothly, keeping begrudgingly in character.
---
Jackson blinked awake slowly at the feeling of a cold sensation on his right shoulder, turning his head towards that area he saw a woman with blue hair and some sort of upright ponytail rubbing an ointment to his burns. With a grunt he tried to shake her off, but she remained resolute. "Don't resist, this salve is made of Rawst berries, it's the only way to heal a burn quickly and if the wound sets fully they it'll leave permanent scarring and take much longer to fix." Jackson glared groggily at the woman treating him, before noticing the styler at her belt and the emblazoned red jacket on her top. She was a pok?mon ranger. He stopped complaining at that realization coupled with his rapidly healing burns and the swift return of his coherent state. In just a few moments of the salve being applied the burns were mostly gone bar some painful looking scabs, but with a quick layering of bandages it was barely noticable.
Standing up from the bed and thanking the ranger begrudgingly, he pushed the flap of the tent open to look outside. He saw Emma sitting with one of the rangers, an empty chair beside her, and Laurent exiting a different section of the tent at roughly the same time with a bandage around his forehead. The sun was setting low in the orange evening sky... and from what he could see of the Northern forest, the fires had finally been put out, leaving nothing but charred remains. With a sigh, Jackson sunk into the chair the ranger had occupied in front of Emma, moments after said ranger had stepped away.
"What a mess..." He muttered. "Why the Hell would anyone do somethin; like this ****?"
"Easy now tough guy," Emma suggested. "How are you holding up?"
Jackson shrugged tiredly in response. "This is more of a setback than I would've liked... but the rangers know their stuff." He nodded in Laurent's direction. "What about you fancy pants? How many brain cells were lost?" He said with a sneer, all the while subtly releasing a now fully healed Gaspar from his pok?ball, whom promptly sunk back into Jackson's shadow with a low cackle.
Teddy had not once left his side.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Laurent asked dumbly, staring with an empty expression at Jackson for a few seconds before a smile slowly crept back onto his face. "Me? I'll be fine before long...my clothes however, are another story. At this point I'm wishing for a reward purely so I don't have to gallivant about on the rest of my journey naked. Regardless, I'm glad everyone's safe and sound."
"I... I've never gotten a chance to thank you for saving my life Crane," Emma began in a more timid tone. "You could of... died in turn though. I should of been stronger... I'm sorry."
Jackson looked at Emma for a good moment in return to that statement, his gaze then flickered to Laurent for a moment, before he finally responded. "Tch..." He gave a single tut as he stood up from his seat and flung his jacket over one shoulder, holding it there as he placed a cigarette in his mouth, only for Gaspar to float up and light it on instinct. "I didn't get out of a stretcher for somebody to kill me with kindness, so let's cut the sappy **** yeah?" He turned from the two of them as he blew a line of smoke into the open sky, to mingle with the rising smog.
"I only did what anybody shoulda done in that moment, I'm an asshole... but unlike some people I got morals." He tapped the ash off the end of the cigarette in his fingers, before placing it back between his lips. With a small nod to himself he stepped out of the tent and started to walk away, but he turned back for a quick moment to address the two he was leaving behind one more time. "I can't say I like either of you goody two shoe types, pisses me off t'be honest." He sneered again, to hold back what might have been an actual smile. "But you were strong, I'm headin' to Santalune at last... but if this Team Cinder lot show their heads again? I'm gonna be expectin' you two bein' there... AND bein' ready to put t'shower of assholes in their place, capiche?" He finally dropped the butt of his smoke and stamped it into the ground, before turning again to walk away. "Don't go gettin' yourselves killed without me, especially you Hessel, I can't kick your ass if you're dead."
"Stop right there!" Emma demanded. She rose quickly from her seat, apporaching Jackson while he had his back turned. "Listen, as a detective, it's my job and duty to protect the innocent against scoundrels like the one we met today. But you two... do yourself a favor and stay away from Team Cipher! Today was just the handiwork of one of their members. Even I shudder to think what the rest of them are capable of..."
She then clenched her fist and held it against her chest. "Listen. In this world, you've got to realize there are far more dangerous and far crueller people than Mr. Artece. We got lucky today, but next time might not be so fortunate. The Professor from our school taught us to live our life to our fullest in this world, but what he didn't tell you, is that you only have one life. You can die anytime, and when you die, that's the end of it. What about your future as a trainer? And your loved ones who adore you... are you willing to leave them behind?"
Jackson froze a moment, only to then turn his head ever so slightly. "Nice speech." He shrugged. "To be frank, it'd be appreciated if you kept your advice to yourself. I don't have any intention of dyin'... and you don't have any inkling of what my goals are, nor if there'd be anyone to miss me either way." He turned his head fully and grinned darkly. "So, **** off, Kuzunoha." Without another word he turned again, walking onwards as he had before.
"...You impertinent bastard..." Emma said in her breath, arms crossed, while shaking her head.
Normally Laurent would be burning to chastise Jackson just then for speaking that way to a 'lovely lady who's just concerned for him' but instead he found himself smiling, simply glad that they could be back to normal so quickly after such an ordeal. He even chuckled just a tad before he turned properly towards Emma. "You shouldn't worry about him. That fool will charge into danger until the day it kills him, guaranteed. However, I don't think that day's coming anytime soon, trust me when I say he's one of the most driven people you'll ever meet. As for my own thoughts...well, not to follow a trend or overstep my bounds but..." He waited until Emma faced him so he could look directly at her before he continued. "Take care of yourself as well. Being a pokemon trainer, especially one out to challenge the league is as dangerous a life as most people could imagine on its own without added responsibilities. I don't know what happened, but I sincerely hope the next time we meet I won't have to see the same sadness in your eyes I saw today."
Emma started to walk away. She then stopped, as she opened the tent's flap leading to outside. She turned to Laurent. "...I hope to give you a warm smile then, the next time we meet."
Finally, she got out, and strolled along the distance.
"I'll hold you to that!" Laurent called after her, waving zealously for a few joyous seconds before wincing and holding his arm to his chest.