Pokemorph Liberation Force: Kanto

[Silhouette]

Denx was watching the scenery shift rapidly. From trees, to buildings, to grassland, to trees again, until he was eventually asleep, the silent lullaby of the tires to the ground sending to sleep. The Hummer bumped up and down once, waking him up. He was being transported to Parsifir town, right on the outskirts of Saffron. Denx saw that it was nighttime, now, and the guard in the passenger seat was drifting off to sleep. Suddenly, the bright lights of Saffron lit up his face, through the fog and darkness of the night of tonight. Denx saw numerous holes in the road, and could even swear that he saw two bodies lying in the distance. He shook his mind off, as the Hummer came to a screeching hault.

"Stay here," said the driver. He stepped out and pressed something on his remote-keys. Denx heard a loud and stiff 'click'. He reached for the door, but it wouldn't open. He watched through a small opening between the hood and the car what the man was doing. He though he saw him insert something. The man walked off, leaving Denx and the sleeping guard. Denx thought he saw a Kadabra tail from the rear of the driver as he walked off. Oh well, he thought, he must be getting supplies. He heard the guard snore, but the guard didn't move. Not even to breathe. He tried the door again, but nothing. He put his head in between the two front seats and nudged the guard. He was ice cold, though. Denx saw a small sound device fall from his pocket, which made a snoring sound. Lastly, he saw that the guard's neck was split, ear to ear. Then, he stopped moving. A murdered guy, a man with a Kadabra tail, himself being locked in a car, and Saffron City. Putting the pieces together, he thought the worst: The man was a spy for Sabrina.

Denx panicked. Was he going to be murdered? he thought. He started to throw his body against the armored vehicle's door, but to no avail. Even a fully charged ThunderPunch would do little to no effect to this thing. He grabbed the door handle, and shook until the entire Hummer was rocking back and forth. The dead guard fell to the ground beneath the dash board. Denx saw headlights through the tinted back windows, and could see a rather large man step out. The large man looked almost excited through the window, and helped Denx out.

"Thanks.." he said, holding out his arm, waiting for a name.

"Paul," said the fat man, excitedly shaking his arm.

"Um.. Why did you help me out, if I can ask?" he asked bluntly.

"Well, I know how famous you PLF guys are, and I thought you might need help with fixing your Hummer," he said, his voice almost shaking, still holding Denx's hand with his hot and sweaty one. The two stared awkwardly at eachother for a moment, when suddenly. . .

Ka BOOOOM!!!

Denx and Paul were sent to the other side of the street as the Hummer bursted into white hot flames, turning dark orange, and engulfing Paul's minivan in the inferno. Suddenly, the streetlights went out, and Paul's car exploded. A streetlight fell, and crashed into a building.

Denx felt someone shaking his body violently. He looked up to see a combined vision of blurriness and darkness. He could tell it was Paul by the shakiness and panic of his voice.

"Kid, wake up. That was amazing! You and I, we would make a damn great team! Pulling off that 007 crap like that more often would get us--"

"Shut up for a second!" Denx said, listening. He looked around, seeing that he was sent further than just across the street. He and Paul were sent across the city!

"Where is 'Parisifier Town'" asked Denx, struggling with the pronunciation of the town's name. Paul looked at him, almost with a defeated look, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but seriously, there's more important things than Double O Seven. Can you help me?"

Paul's face lit up as he heard that he could help Denx. "Parsifir Town? Of course! It's about ten minutes this way! We'll have to walk, however, as my car kind of.." he said. Denx nodded, knowing what he was going to say.

Denx wondered if Paul was even phased by the explosion, of if he even cared his car was no more. He sighed, and followed the fat man, who was proud in step. He followed the fat man, until he reached the edge of Parsifir town. It was dark, cold, and bugs were buzzing around his wet shoes. Paul, knowing his journey was at an end, begged Denx to continue with him.

"Do you even have a Pokemon to morph with?"

"I have a Skitty that stays at home.. That enough?"

Denx sighed, "Tell ya what, give me your number," he said. Paul told him, and Denx put it into his phone, "Now, get yourself a car, a life, and do me a favor.. Never fall prey to these Gym 'Leaders'. If I ever need you for a ride, I will get a hold of you with my phone. Now, get yourself back to Saffron, and get home," he finished. When Paul was out of sight (which was quickly because he was excited), Denx flipped his phone back open, and got out Clove's old number. Hopefully, they still had the same number. He sent a text message.

This is '007', Clove. Where are you guys? I'm at the edge of Parsifir, and need to get going. These bugs are getting to me.

 

[Kansas]

ooc: Silhouette it was so small you probably missed it, but Clove broke his communicator on impact when he crashed into the forest. Its lying in 2 pieces out in the middle of the forest somewhere. You'll have to text another member until he gets a new one.

IC:

"Me? But why?" she quickly piped up, "I guess so, where did you have in mind?"

"Just outside, don't look so concerned." he replied, chuckling. He waved his hand, beckoning her to follow as he stepped out into the night air. He walked a distance out into the dirt road, looking up into the starry night as the moon bathed the buildings in white light. He waited for her to walk behind him, giving her time since he hadn't forgotten she was still injured.

"So when you saved me... you reached speeds that were almost impossible to hit for a normal anything, let alone a morph. I was wondering if you'd let me teach you the same high speed assassination fighting style I use. Combining your claws with Extreme Speed would be a lethal combo and a great asset to the team. You would be training with me tonight, and staying by my side for the next battle. But I can promise you mastery of your Extreme Speed and the ability to move even faster than I do... The only cost is that the assassination style is one you can't look back on. Its knowing lethal spots on the body and hitting them without hesitation. My hands are stained with blood, and yours would soon be as well. Theres no turning back once you accept the ways of assassination. So the decision is yours... would you like to become my pupil?"


ooc: Shadow this is just an opportunity to make Aisha stronger for Lavender, since we all have to get strong some way and we're up against pretty stacked odds again... right? If you choose to accept just pm me for what i have in mind :) And i apologize for the length, everyone. It was an awkward scenario to write for since i can't write Shadow's part haha...

 

[Shadowfaith]

"Just outside, don't look so concerned." Clove chucled making for the door. Aisha simply looked back at her team mates for any sort of hint as to what Clove wanted but no one seemed to give any sign of what was going on. She shrugged and continued on.

Aisha followed Clove outside curiously. She took a little longer to get to the destination because of her injuries but never the less she followed just to find out exactly what it was Clove wanted to talk to her about. She was only a rookie and to be called out by the leader after they're first missions was a little weird and unbelievable to her. Upon being greeted by the cool night air, she gave a small shudder and wrapped her arms around herself in a lame attempt to warm herself up, her tail also followed the arms in curling around her legs in the same vain attempt. She watched as Clove looked up at the night sky and looked rather peaceful considering the state of current affairs.

"So uh, what's up Clove?"

"So when you saved me... you reached speeds that were almost impossible to hit for a normal anything, let alone a morph. I was wondering if you'd let me teach you the same high speed assassination fighting style I use. Combining your claws with Extreme Speed would be a lethal combo and a great asset to the team. You would be training with me tonight, and staying by my side for the next battle. But I can promise you mastery of your Extreme Speed and the ability to move even faster than I do... The only cost is that the assassination style is one you can't look back on. Its knowing lethal spots on the body and hitting them without hesitation. My hands are stained with blood, and yours would soon be as well. Theres no turning back once you accept the ways of assassination. So the decision is yours... would you like to become my pupil?"

Aisha's eyes widened for what seemed the hundredth time that night and she felt her heart beet rapidly against her chest. She was a little lost for words and it certainly wasn't helping the condition of her chest. "Uh...ehehe, I hate to break this to you Clove but I'm not really a killer y'know. I mean that Kadabra was hell bent on destroying me back there. "She flicked a finger over her shoulder in the direction she thought Saffron would be. "But you know what, I let him live anyways because I don't have the guts to do anything to drastic y'know. Heck I'm a Poke ranger I wasn't an assassin in my past life y'know?" She rubbed the back of her head in frustration and groaned. "Man...I don't know where that burst of power came from y'know. I just saw you falling and I just couldn't let ya die, y'know? It's complicated I don't think I could do that again..."

Still she thought, she could master her speed and take down any opponent she wanted to and it would mean that the team had another powerful ally...She couldn't be selfish in this day and age. The team needed all the help they could get even if she was a bit hesitant. She had never killed anything in her entire life. This was a huge step for her and was being offered to her right off the bat. She didn't doubt Clove's skills and knew that with some time and practice she could be he perfect killing machine, swift and too the point. The only problem was her personality.

"...Okay...I'll do it Clove. I'd give anything to have life back to the way it was and if it means killing these guy's then so be it. I'm sick of living this way and even though I'm not the...bravest of morphs...I can handle it I know I can." She turned her eyes to the sky and gave a sigh, her amber eyes closing in concentration. "I'll be your Pupil Clove. It would be an honour...but it's gonna take me some getting use to..."

She knew for a fact she wasn't gonna be the same person after this...

 

[Kansas]

"Alright then... I want you to be sure of this, once you cross this path, there's no turning back." Clove explained softly. "This style of fighting utilizes sharp weapons with high speeds to deal lethal blows in very specific spots to end your targets life quickly. The way I utilize this, is combing the quick burst of speed my body is capable of reaching by using Faint Attack and using Needle Arm and Pin Missle to hit my marks. Yours however is different. Extremespeed has the ability to reach higher speeds and therefore be more lethal to stronger targets. If i remember correctly, you know how to use the physical move, Crunch, correct? If you can find a way to use that with your Extremespeed, theres no telling what kinds of combinations you could creat. It will be a merciless and very powerful but hard to completely master way of fighting. The spots you need to aim for while moving at high speeds are here, here, here, here..." Clove began to point to specific points around the body mostly around the throat, heart, and lung area. He could see Aisha's feelings still probably wavering about the whole idea and just explaining wasn't going to cut it. If he was going to get her in the right mindset, she would have to see how serious it is. He stopped talking and looked her in the eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Theres a small clearing through those trees to the south of town. The gloom nectar should have you in good enough condition to spar. We're going to. You and me against each other with everything you've got." Clove could definitely already see a retort mustering behind her lips but he quickly spoke again. "I don't care about any reason you have. I'm aware i have a type disadvantage and that you think i'm probably stronger than you. I'm going to show you how to make all of that not matter." Clove finished, looking her in the eyes. He turned quickly without waiting for an answer and headed towards the trees to the south, talking over his shoulder as he went.

"You've got about an hour to rest up, we'll do it after that." he called back. Slowly, he disappeared into the dark trees, headed for the moonlit clearing for a sparring match with Aisha. Teach her how to use Extreme Speed to its full potential and maybe give them the edge they need in Lavender tomorrow...

 

[billie_lightning]

"...Wild Rapidash couldn't keep me away, sir." Jack directed this to Clove, giving him a wink and then winced at his present pain.

Aisha, the Arcanine Morph, said many things after clamping Clove in a hug and made even Jade wince. Not only was their leader in pain, he didn't seem like the hugging type. Jade was immediately reminding of her rookie self, always trying to start conversations and epically failing at everything social. Seeing someone else who was eager like she was made her smile momentarily. Aisha was definitely adorable. Her next comment gave her more cool points.
"Eheheh...you know I'm with you all the way Clove!"

Plum made her way inside, rather loudly, and kind of ruined the moment. "Listen! I only agreed to help the PLF since they promised to back me up when I return to Johto. So I ain't letting some rogue mission screw my chances," her tone softened, "Sorry Jade, but I have people I have to protect too... Heh, hard to believe huh?" she made a face, "I'm no help in this condition anyway, but I'll be rooting for you. So don't go and die or else I won't forgive you!"

Jade was upset about this, there was no way around those feelings. Plum was a powerful fighter and would be highly useful in Lavender. Before she could say anything to anyone, Clove had some words for Plum.
"Hmpf. Quitting early again, aye? I wont stop you. But I don't really know how its going to look to the rest of the world when we're telling the story of when the PLF, heroes to the innocent, saved Lavender. And have to talk about the Scyther morph who boasted so much strength and ability, chose to stay home because she didn't have faith in anyone's strength. Like I said. I wont force you, but it just seems like you have a habit of giving up on things before you have a definite answer," and with that he made his way outside.

Half of Jade hoped that Clove's words would affect Plum, taunt her to the edge, and make her want to prove him wrong. But the other half of Jade hoped she stayed because she didn't want someone fightning for Lavender if they weren't putting their heart and soul into it. Clove came back in momentarily to talk to Aisha but before the door closed behind them Jade spoke up.

"Thanks you guys. I know this is risky and you're hesitant, but this is what we're about. Saving innocent people," she smiled in the sweetest possible way a girl with fangs could. She, too, walked back outside to get some fresh air. She must have interupted something intense between Aisha and Clove because they both stopped talking when she appeared.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to interupt anything..." she mumbled, and moved toward the back of the building. Slowly, Jade pulled out her phone. At first she just stared, hesitating as the number repeated over and over in her head. What would she say? How could she not say anything? If she was lucky, Oliver could make it out of Lavender before the danger erupted.

She dialed.
It rang three times and Jade was about to hang up when finally he answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey..." she answered, her voice just above a whisper.
"Jade?" Oliver's sweet voiced coated her ears and she felt like he was there, whispering in her ear, and not miles away in their home town.
"Yes. Look, I can't talk long, Oliver, but I need to tell you something..." she choked a bit, afraid of what could happen to him, the love of her life.
"What is it babe?" the thick, sweet voice turned concerned.
"Lavender is going to be attacked," between each word was a large pause, as if it took a great deal of air to say.
Silence. He was still there, his breathing was become faster and she could practically see him trying to mold this over. "What?"
"Agatha and Bruno...they're attacking Lavender. Tomorrow. Oliver, please, pack your things and get out. Now," she didn't mean to be commanding and it wasn't until then that she realized she was shaking.
"Jade..."
"Please, don't argue, just do it! I can't go on not knowing if you're safe or not...." said Jade.
"Where will I go?" Oliver asked. She heard him shuffling things in the background.
She didn't have an answer to that question. "Anywhere but there. There's a town between Celadon and Saffron that's pretty safe but that's kind of far..." beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "Please, Oliver, leave Lavender. And take Vince with you," she refered to his Sandslash. "I have to go, please do this Oliver."
"Jade-"
"No, I have to-"
"I love you," he managed.
"Ah God, I love you too," Jade closed her eyes as she said this. The call was disconnected.

"Did you hear that? I think we might be able to get some leverage in this situation. They're brought emotions into the game, " Agatha smirked in a most evil manner. "I think I will have to intercept this 'Oliver'" she said to no one in particular, and disappeared into the shadows.

 

[Shadowfaith]

Aisha watched as Clove walked away towards the sparring area, she was more than a little worried at the entire predicament and felt her heart pounding against her rip cage. "Man...this...this is gonna be a challenge." Of course she as nervous! She had just been asked by they're leader to go and spar with him in order to make her a killing machine! She clutched her chest in a cheap attempt at calming her heart beat and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this...I'm sure Clove wouldn't mind if I..." She made to walk off after they're leader to tell him the bad news but she stopped in her tracks completely. Her black tinted orange ears lay back against her head in sadness at the thought of everyone's faces if they found out she was too afraid to take out an enemy. She couldn't handle the look of disappointment that would be on they're faces, not to mention the fact that she would probably be let go due to her being to merciful. "Argh, who am I kidding! I've gotta do this, if I don't things are just gonna get worse and I'll be sent back to living in a corrupt world." She kicked a twig that lay on the floor and watched half heartedly as it rolled away down a small bank. "Hmph."

Turning back towards the entrance to the ward she stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked towards it. 'On one hand I'll be a trump card for the team to use in Lavender...on the other hand I'll be a murderer.' So many thoughts were going through her head and she was terribly confused as to what she was meant to do. 'But then again...how many people have these guy's killed? How many of my friends and team mates have they made suffer?' Her ears perked up a little then and she dug into her jeans pocket to remove a wallet. She flicked it open to a picture of her little sister who had also been a Pokeranger. She was only a year younger than her and had died at the hands of a morph who had been chosen to aid the gym leaders in they're take over...she had died trying to protect her Pokemon.

Aisha snorted and closed the wallet yet again, shoving it back in her pocket in disgust. "No wounder everyone fears us." She mumbled.
'Your not like them, Aisha.' Jake's voice perked up in the back of her head. 'Those people chose to murder.'
"Yeah and now I'm going to be doing the exact same thing.' She growled, obviously annoyed with herself at being so weak.
'No, don't you see? you'll be avenging those that died trying to protect the world from those monsters. You'd be avenging your Sister.'
At the very thought of her sister being slain by those damned morphs, a burst of courage set in her heart and she clenched her fists at her side. "Your right Jakey..." Her gaze turned and set on the heavens and a smile graced her features. "I'm gonna avenge you lil sis! I'll make them pay for what they did to you!"
'That's the spirit. Now do you remember where Clove told you to meet him?'
Aisha's thoughts came to a complete halt as she stared blankly at the door in front of her. She raked her brain for the answer but it did not come. She giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her head stupidly. "Umm...here?"
She could almost feel Jake role his eyes at her and she huffed. "How am I suppose to remember? I was too taken by the fact that I was gonna end up training with him!"
Jake snorted in the back of her mind and Aisha snorted back. She opened the door and walked inside to where her bed was. The effects of the nectar were surly kicking in and she was feeling ten time better than she had a few hours ago. "So?"
'So what?'
She growled, her large canines bore at no one in particular. "Where am I meeting him?!"
'The clearing in the trees. Remember?'
Realization dawned on the your morphs features and she grinned. "Oh yeah! I remember! Good thing I have you, eh Jake?"

For the next hour she did as Clove said and simply rested in bed. By the time the hour was over, the Nectar had successfully healed her wounds and she was feeling better than ever. The scar on her arm stood in complete contract with her black stripes but she would forget about it sooner or later. Gathering her leather jacket she slung it over her shoulders and made towards the clearing that Clove had mentioned earlier. She found him simply staring at the stars looking rather dashing and brave simply sat and staring. She cleared her throat in order to gain his attention and threw her jacket to the floor, knowing full well that she would not be needing it. "Hey Clove."

 

[Gumshoe Satyr]

[FONT=&quot]Grimacing at its taste, Jack drank the Gloom potion, and after a few moments, felt his legs steady themselves a bit and knew that in a few hours he'd feel a lot better. Sitting on the floor with his back still against the wall, he carefully tried to light one of his wrist but only got a little bit of smoke. He'd just about used up the last of his fire when he'd shot the Flamethrower at Sabrina, and he felt strangely cold inside and vulnerable. Yawning a little, he dozed off for a little while, and when he awoke again, he saw Clove and Aisha heading off somewhere together. He tried to go back to sleep but found himself unable to relax himself. Too many problems and issues were bouncing around in his head, plus, he felt overcrowded and needed some time to himself.

Going outside, Jack figured out the direction that Aisha and Clove had gone by their footprints and purposely went in the opposite direction. He just didn't feel like talking to anyone tonight, no matter who it was. Since the fire inside him felt a little warmer now, he tried again to light one of his wrists but to no avail. Cursing under his breath, he continued walking slowly until he came to a tree with a low branch that had a clear view of the night sky. Stretching a bit, he felt satisfied that a little hop- in Blaziken terms- would hurt him and leaped nimbly onto the branch. His body complained a bit at the exertion, but he felt that it was worth the effort and sat down on the branch, his back against the trunk.

An old memory of his Blaziken flashing through his mind, he muttered softly, "This is something we used to do together all the time, isn't it, old friend? Climbing a tree and gazing at the stars..... When I was younger I felt like I could even touch them on some clear nights, but you always thought I was being silly...." He chuckled freely at that thought, more comfortable now that he was alone. He was still just a Torchic then.... He received no answer from Blitz, not that he expected any. He'd heard from other morphs that it was possible to speak to the Pokemon you morph with, but Blitz had never spoken to him. Massaging his right shoulder thoughtfully, he gazed up at the stars.

His mind drifting again, Jack remembered a dream that he'd had while he was still unconscious:

'Floating around in a black void, he noticed fragments of his past moving around him of their own accord. Drawn to one in particular, he followed it until the area around him brightened, and he found himself in a Pokemon Center, though everyone around him ignored him as if he was a ghost or invisible. It was then that he realized that this was a memory that he'd always tried to forget but always stayed with him.

In a bed, his human self lay, apparently unconscious, his right shoulder bangaged. A pink-haired lady stood near the side of the bed, her eyes full of worry. When Past Jack began to stir, she gave a sigh of relief, walking closer to his bedside.

His eyes focusing on her, Past Jack whispered weakly, "Nurse Joy?....What happened?.....Where's Blitz, my Blaziken?" He looked around the room, but his best friend wasn't in sight. "Is he alright?"

Tears forming in her eyes, Nurse Joy took several minutes to answer. Meanwhile, Present Jack shook with agitation. He knew how this would turn out, but somehow he couldn't turn his eyes away from this pitiful scene or wake up. To him, this was a nightmare.

Recovering her composure a bit, Nurse joy sadly said, "Well, Blitz will be alright physically soon, but I'm afraid he refuses to eat anything or say a word. I know I'm not an expert on the matter, but I think he's lost his fighting spirit, which is crucial for a fighting-type Pokemon. I'm not even sure how you did it, but you managed to do it, but you managed to drag the both of you here even though you were badly injured yourself. I was even more surprised when you said that you'd been fighting Misty.... Y-you refused to go to the hospital and leave Blitz, so the doctor ended up coming here, and...... He doesn't think you'll ever be able to use your right arm again, Jack. T-there was so much nerve damage....." Crying bitterly, Nurse Joy drew back the curtain around a nearby bed and excused herself, leaving Past Jack alone, stunned.

Before he could even fully comprehend the implications of what Nurse Joy had said, Past Jack noticed a battered Blaziken lying in the other bed. "Blitz!" he cried joyfully, wishing that he had the strength to jump out of bed and give his friend a hug. A hard lump formed in his throat when the Pokemon gave his trainer a glance but made no move to greet him or even to really acknowledge his existence. He could have easily just been another piece of furniture in the room. "Blitz?" This time the Blaziken didn't even stir...

By this time, Present Jack was in a rage. "Fool!" he roared at his younger, human self. "Don't just give up! He's not going to feel better in the morning! You have to talk to him now! Let him know you understand! You can still fix this!" He attempted to punch the boy in the bed but passed though him as if he was nothing more than a fine mist. Feeling even more frantic, Jack watched in dismay as the scene started to dissolve back into the black nothingness. As the dream ended, Jack yelled one last time. "You-I could've helped him get through that! I didn't have to let Misty end our friendship as easily as that!" The last thing he felt was a gut-wrenching feeling of lonliness that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a long time....

Sighing as the memory ended, Jack massaged his right shoulder again and took his flute from his backpack, playing softly into the cool, clear night air. Despite the fact that he despised the feeling of regret, that was one scene that he'd always felt that he could've handled better. You always did like the sound of a flute, didn't you?......
[/FONT]

 

[Silhouette]

Denx was still holding his old phone with the numbers on it. He waited and waited for a reply from Clove.

...

Nothing. He sent the message again, wondering if he had just never got it. Sent, it said clear across the screen of his phone.

"Damn," he muttered, throwing it across the opening to the town. He instantly assumed that they all got new numbers. He started to pace, knowing they were somewhere in this town. He began to make his way through the dirt streets. He knew full well that it could take until morning even to find them. And he didn't know when they were suppose to leave. He could be screwed if they left without them. He didn't know if Clove knew he was suppose to meet up with them, but HQ would surely have his hide. He continued to walk the dirt roads of Parsifir, wondering if he would be with the same teammates. What if he did find the place they were resting at? Would he just walk in, them all staring at him awkwardly? No, he thought, it won't be that--

He heard the beautiful tune of music, something fairly high-pitched. It whistled throughout the air, but he couldn't decipher the tone. Was it angry, or happy? Denx was never one to really pick apart music. He covered his ears for a split second, staring at the sky. Would his grandfather be looking at the same moon he was looking at? Of course he would be, but he didn't know what was happening three regions away from here.

Denx followed the noise, but he started to cough irritably. He coughed for what seemed like ten minutes. After the wrenching coughs, he continued on his way, following the music, his body drained from the effort of coughing. His abs and throat hurt, but he didn't mind. The medicals said he would out for four months after he fell off the building in Pewter, but he was still fighting in Vermillion. Damn he thought I hate my determination. He coughed twice more, and stopped to take a drink out of the water bottle in his pack. It didn't help much, as he coughed while drinking, and the water went all over the front of him. He shivered a bit.

The flute noise was gradually getting closer. Soon, it was right above, darkness conceiling the donor of the melody. Denx, figuring it was eerie, hurried away from the tree that the noise came from. He was hasty in step, as he hurried to find his PLF companions. Then, he saw two figures. One was anonymous. But the other..

"Clove?" he said out loud. He recoiled back, remembering about his first.. encounter with Clove. He squinted in the dark, and sure enough, it was Clove. But.. who was the other one?

 

[Kansas]

The time passed slowly as Clove waited. The moonlight poured into the clearing, more than enough visibility for what was about to happen. Clove didn't really believe that Aisha had the proper mindset for what she was about to become but for the time being he needed to have faith...

"Hopefully this will be enough to at least show her the ropes..." A voice interrupted his thoughts and broke the silence.

"Hey, Clove."

"Hm, right on time, good good. We might as well get right down to business then. To use this style, you must use your high speeds to be both fluid and rigid at the same time. You have to be able to attack any spot you lay eye on in the blink of an eye and have enough force to do the required amount of force to make the blow lethal. Its a mixture of very precise Karate and... gymnastics? Its kind of hard to under stand. I think once you get the hang of what it feels like to maintain high speeds and fight someone. But lets not delay any longer... time is short..." Clove finished, after his short explanation.

He stood for a moment, removing his black dress shirt and once again leaving the tattered white shirt that he wore underneath. The green spikes on his body extended slowly to their maximum length, pushing through holes already created from their previous extensions. Clove hopped up and down, loosening his muscles before speaking again.

"I'm going to be coming at you with all I've got. If you want to learn quickly, you'll have to learn how to maintain complete focus while being conastntly pushed against the limits. We'll stop every time I would have landed a killing blow on you. Beginning now."

Clove vanished without warning into a whisp of darkness and shadows and appeared behind Aisha back to back with his right arm extended and a long green spike from his forearm extended dangerous close to her neck.

"And that would be death #1... you'll have to be much quicker than that." He said in a low mellow tone, he had clearly just made the matters quite serious. A moment passed before Clove proceeded with the match, disappearing again and leaving Aisha in silence to make a move...

 

[Shadowfaith]

Aisha gasped as Clove grazed her neck, indicating that he would have already lost the battle if this had been real. She gave a loud gulp and was ready to reply before Clove vanished once again and readied himself for his next attack. Aisha stooped low and looked around her, trying to determine where Clove would appear next. She tuned her head now and again to cover her back, but found it extremely difficult to concentrate on multiple areas of the battle ground. She felt a breeze from behind and as she turned her head to attack or defend herself, she saw that cloves needles were extended towards her neck yet again. She did not jump, but her eyes grew wide and the mere though that she would have died twice in the space of thirty seconds if this had been a proper battle. She growled inwardly and watched as Clove disappeared from view. He knew that he didn't even have to change his tactics and it annoyed her. Instead of stooping low, Aisha proceeded to get down on all fours, finding it easier to move in this position due to the fact that she had canine blood flowing through her. Concentrating she pounced off to the side and lay her back against the trunk of the tree in order to prevent Clove from sneaking up behind her. This Proved to be useless as another breeze over came her and her gaze flew upwards coming face to face with another of Clove's needles before he disappeared again.

'Three deaths!' She cursed, banging her head against the trunk of the tree in frustration. This was too hard and Clove had pretty much mastered the art of assassination, she hadn't even considered this style of fighting before. Either way she was not about to give up now and was determined to get at least one death out of this if it took her all night. Throwing herself off to the side she got onto all fours and started to run, faster and faster until she had entered into her extreme speed, it was at this point that both of them had pretty much disappeared due to the speed they were moving at. Combining this with Double team she was able to create doubles of herself in order to confuse Clove further. Noting quickly that Clove was taking out her doubles fast with the combination of faint attack and his pin missile, she panicked and dove at the figure the next chance she got....only to completely miss and leave herself vulnerable. She growled, but quickly composed herself, combining her extreme speed and double team yet again. Only this time, to further lessen Clove's sight, she let loose a flame-thrower to create a sort of fire whirlwind effect. This time when Clove appeared, she dove at him, claws extended and aiming for his neck...

(OOC-Sorry about the shortness and lateness XP)

 

[Kansas]

Clove vanished from behind her once more, he dashed around the tree tops with ease, using the darkness as an extra advantage, to move freely around the tree canopy with faint attack. He was now racking up more and more deaths on her, but he could already tell that she was training her eyes to counter him. She had started utilizing her full arsenal of attacks with combinations of flamethrower, double team, and short spurts of extreme speed.

"She's battling with her usual style...but starting to be able to predict where I'm going to appear... She's getting the hang of tracking fast paced movement but..." Clove thought through his mind he reappeared, preparing to attack again. Aisha was ready for him, charging at full force, ready to try and win the match. But that was the thing, she was only trying to win. As Aisha's extended claw drew nearer, Clove quickly reached his hand out, grabbing Aisha by the wrist, and in one fluid motion, he stepped out of the way, tripping her and sending her tumbling across the ground into a tree on the edge of the clearing. He quickly followed up, sending a single pin missile screaming through the air and landing into the trunk of the tree, inches from Aisha's face.

"That's four." Clove said quietly. He could see the obvious frustration in Aisha's face as he looked down at her. "You're getting the hang of gauging your opponents strength and speed and using it in relation to the battlefield to predict attacks. But that's just the first step. You don't have killing intent. You simply want to win. If you just want to win, you're going to lose your life. And in order to do that. Your attacks are going to have to meet mine. Every time i try to make an attack, you should be there with a counter or an attack of your own. High speed assassination takes a level of awareness beyond normal. You need to be able to predict, counter, and attack, all in the same motion. Every moment counts, every opening could spell death. The only way to stop someone else who has intent to kill you. Is to kill them first. Now stand up." Clove said in a low voice.

He waited for Aisha to stand up, but she still looked a bit unsure, the conflict in her mind was definitely visible even in the moonlit clearing. He shook his body out, loosening his muscles and limbering up before extending his spikes out once more and jumping backwards, vanishing into the night once more. Aisha stood readying to fight as Clove moved in quickly at the opportunity.

"No time for getting ready!" Clove snapped as he appeared above Aisha, ready to claim his 5th kill. Slicing down with his Needle Arm, Aisha quickly vanished from the path of the needle arm, letting it crash into the ground. Clove looked in confusion for a moment, but quickly smirked. Turning around with spikes extended as Aisha appeared above him, throwing down a crushing claw of her own. He quickly deflected her attack using his spikes. The two of them paused for a moment after the clash of attacks before they both vanished without a sound. The clearing was silent for another moment before they both appeared in the center of the arena, exchanging another heavy clash and disappearing again.

"So she's stepping it up a bit... but its not enough yet. lets see what she can do when I add the final step..." Clove thought with a clever grin across his face.

The two of them reappeared again, clashing attacks heavily. This time after the attack, there was no down time. Clove took advantage of the second where they were both off balance, jumping into the air and placing a firm kick right into Aisha's chest. She stumbled backwards coughing a moment before Clove appeared behind her once more. She continued stumbling slightly before bumping into Clove who had spikes and needles ready once again.

"That's five. You're finally getting it... but you need to know that there are no wasted moments. It takes endurance and accuracy, you need to always be on the offensive no matter what. That's how you're going to live through this. Now... let's do this for real. I wont be holding back anymore."

 

[Shadowfaith]

So Clove wanted her to be fast, eh? He was messing with the wrong morph then. She knew she was the fastest member of the team and knew that if she just had enough training she could probably best Clove when it came to speedy attacks, perhaps not in accuracy but her speed bested his, she knew it…she just had to find it with in her to match his attacks or at least dodge them. "That's how you're going to live through this. Now... let's do this for real. I wont be holding back anymore."
"Then neither am I." She growled, her features darkening like never had done before. She crouched low and successfully dodged a pin missile thrown at her head, she grew rather cocky then and a grin spread across her face, it soon disappeared when Clove appeared behind her and kicked her in the small of her back, sending her to her knees. Taking Clove's words into consideration she quickly flipped herself forward and back onto her feet just in time to block Clove's next attack. Granted it was a bit of a fluke, but Clove needn't know that. She watched as Clove disappeared once more from view and she quickly followed suit, using extreme speed to seemingly disappear from view. During her disappearing act, she used double team and watched as her doubles pounced off in different directions.

'So, I've gotta want to kill him and not win then? Hmm, I kinda get it.'
Another of her doubles disappeared before her and she knew Clove was closing in on her real form, only this time she was ready for him. As soon as Clove came for her from behind, she crouched down low and let herself fall back behind Clove by sliding through his parted legs. She rose quickly and made to slice his neck, but it was parried by growing needles. Not hesitating she immediately created more doubles and sprang off in a different direction. "Argh! He's too good, he knows all the tricks, he knows what to expect as if he has foresight! How am I suppose to match that?!"
'Your not suppose to win, Aisha. You just need to keep up. Stop playing to win and start playing to kill!'
"Jakey? You were listening too?"
Jake didn't have time to reply as Clove appeared from above, falling from a tree and slicing her cheek with a needle before disappearing. Aisha raised a clawed hand to her cheek and saw a pool of blood form atop her black claw. She looked at it in both shock and horror when she realised that Clove really wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't holding back anymore.
"Blood?" She whispered.
'Now do you see?" Jake piped up in the back of her mind. 'If you loose concentration your only going to get beat. Start planning your moves before you even know what they are.'

Aisha growled and nodded, understanding now that she needed to be aware, all the time.
She blocked another attack from Clove and countered it with her own swipe only to have that blocked again. She sprang off, now learning to always use extreme speed to cloak herself. She dug her nails into a nearby tree as she felt the Cacturne approach from behind and swung herself around, finally, successfully delivering a kick to Clove's stomach. She immediately released herself from the tree and followed it up with a flamethrower aimed directly at Clove's being.

 

[billie_lightning]

Jade was about to head back inside when she felt a presence. She turned swiftly but only caught a dark whisp of whatever had previously been there. She crouched down, using her hands as well, and felt for any sign of movement. To her right, where Clove and Aisha had gone to train, she felt a great amount of movement. Like there was more than two people dueling, but she figured Aisha was using her Extreme Speed or Double Team.

Giving up on her suspicion, Jade leaned against the wall of the building and slid down into a sitting position with her knees curled up against her. Her teammates were healing, resting, and preparing for Lavender. And what was Jade doing?

Nothing.
Worrying, waiting, and hoping. But when it came down to it, she was doing nothing. What could she do? There was no one to spar with and she was unsure how to train without toppling buildings and clearing massive amounts of trees.

She felt vulnerable. Her home town was being attacked. It wasn't a matter of strength or hope, both of those she had more than enough of. She was afraid she'd lose focus, that her emotions would get in the way. Even though Jade had told Oliver to leave town, she couldn't help but feel she'd be saving him within the next 48 hours.

Jade looked down at her feet and immediately gasped, and closed her eyes. What she had just seen was...odd. Maybe she needed some sleep; she'd have to open her eyes at some point. Slowly her eyelids opened and again she saw the marvel that shocked her before.

Several pebbles were encircling her, none any bigger than her thumbnail. They stopped in midair when she focused on them. What the hell? She narrowed her eyes and the pebbles began to circle again slowly. The more she concentrated the faster they moved. When the ruckus became loud from the clearing, interupting her trian of thought, the pebbles fell to the ground. Jade glared Thanks Clove... When she tried levitating the pebbles again, nothing happened.

Jade stood, brushing herself off, "What was that all about?" she whispered. The Tyranitar morph made her way inside; a nap would do her good and since she wouldn't be able to tell Clove about what she had discovered right now, what better way to prepare than get some rest?

 

[Gumshoe Satyr]

Sighing, Jack put the flute back in his backpack. With a battle tomorrow, he needed to stop reminiscing and start preparing. He looked at his wrist and again tried to ignite it and to his joy, it burst into flames. Lifting his other wrist, he ignited it as well. He extinguished both of them and proceeded to light them again, pleased that his fire had returned. Well, time for a little training now!

After he'd extinguished the flames again, he leaped from his perch onto the ground. Looks like the potion did its job. Jack twisted his body in every which way, testing for any weaknesses. There was no doubt that he felt a lot better. Calming his breathing, he began to move his body into various forms or Kata, as it is also called. He slipped into different attack and defense postures, moving faster and into more difficult forms as he felt more confident and ready for more vigorous exercise

After doing this for a while, he stopped, panting for several seconds. Standing perfectly still now, he cleared his mind and seemed to be almost into a meditative state. He could hear Hoothoot and various other Pokemon in the forest, but he took no notice of them, keeping his mind focused on the task at hand.

"Haw!" he yelled as he jabbed his hand quickly through the air at a pretend enemy in front of him. Dancing aside, he dodged an invisible blow from his right, countering with a sweeping kick. For several minutes he fought his invisible foes without the use of his attacks, but slowly he started to incorporate them. Activating his Agility, he weaved in and out of trees, imagining that he was fighting a high-speed foe. "Come on! You're too slow!" he yelled to himself. "There are people who need help! You're got to do better than this!" Charging forward with a Sky Uppercut, he slammed his fist through a tree, quickly sweeping his other arm forward to block another blow. "Is this really all the power you have!? How are you going to defeat a Gym Leader much less one of the Elite Four with such a pathetic display!? You have to push harder!"

Lashing out with a Blaze Kick, he leaped back and quickly followed it with a strong Flamethrower. "That's more like it!" He continued with this training until he was exhausted. He decided to climb back into the tree to sleep since it was a pleasant night, and he still felt like he needed to be alone. Drifting off to sleep on his perch, his last thought was of his home in Hoenn.

(Sorry I had to rush through that. My mom was yelling at me to get off.)

 

[Kansas]

Aisha was quickly gaining the ropes and it was becoming obvious as the fight progressed.

"Just as I thought. Her natural knowledge as a Pokemon Ranger and the combination with her Arcanine mixed for the perfect candidate for this style... she's almost to the point where she can use it effectively..." Clove thought as he dashed around the tree tops, the sliced down at Aisha, narrowly slicing her cheek as blood slowly trickled down. He landed on the ground gracefully, crouching low and vanishing into the shadows once more. Wasting no time he started his assault again, as he slowly moved her towards the edge of the clearing. Coming in for another quick finish, Clove appeared only to be greeted by Aisha's foot, thudding into his chest and sending him stumbling backwards. He coughed, losing his breath and quickly looked up, preparing to move again for an attack but was greeted with a very unwelcomed sight.

"Flamethrower... I knew this was coming... and I don't have the same counter capabilities I would in the daytime... This is gonna hurt bad..." Clove's thoughts echoed through his mind as time seemed to freeze for him.

"Hey boss... just let go..."
"Cacturne?"
"All you gotta do is let go... I'll take over from there..."
"Alright Cacturne... its in your hands..."

Clove's eyes quickly hollowed out, the whites of his eyes fading to black and his yellow iris' glowing like moonlight. The black aura quickly shrouded his body as his spikes retreated into his body. He threw a heavy punch into the center of the massive column of fire, parting the flames and sending them to either side of him until the attack finished. Clove stood for a moment, completely consumed by the darkness around him, with a malicious grin. His hand smoked with burn wound as he shook it off and shifted his gaze to Aisha. The grin spread even farther as their eyes met.

"Cacturne. That's enough."
"Just a while longer, boss..."

Clove bounded towards Aisha, tearing the earth from where he stood with incredible force and zoomed straight to her face, meeting inches apart and staring into her eyes before vanishing with incredible speed and appear at the opposite end of the clearing. He could feel the power consuming him and controlling him. He dashed straight for Aisha, tearing earth as he traveled at break neck speed.

"Cacturne! Stop! NOW!" Clove screamed in his head, snapping himself back to reality and gaining control of his body, moment before he arrived at Aisha, punching beside her head and putting his fist into the tree behind them. He removed his fist from the wood, hearing it splinter and crackle as he pulled it out. He shook the splintered chips from around his hand, breathing heavily and looking to Aisha.

"...I think...I think we can be done for now...You'll need rest for the mission tomorrow. Don't let me down... but then again it doesn't look like you will. And Denx! We're all stationed over at the inn, I'll give you your debriefing over there." Clove called across the clearing into the bushes. He had seen Denx while traveling through the trees fighting Aisha but had to wait until they had finished to acknowledge his presence. He didn't want anything interfering with Aisha's concentration. He walked through the trees, heading back to town and ignoring the fact that he no doubt needed to explain himself.

"Superpower... again... but I can't control my body. I could have destroyed her... I need to learn to control it. But its not me doing it. Its not Cacturne's fault though, I shouldn't have let him be able to do that. But it does seem my body doesn't hurt nearly as much. Koichi did say that the side effects wouldn't be as bad when Superpower is turned off willingly... I'll just need rest tonight after debriefing Denx. Tomorrow's battle is going to be a big one... I hope Jade is handling this okay..."

 

[Silhouette]

Denx was watching the horrific battle scene between Clove and.. some Fire type morph. His eyes were widened at the mere strength of both. Well.. he thought, seems as if I wasn't the only one doing some training around here. I had no idea Clove possessed so much power. He knelt behind the bushes, not sure what to do. Was this a real match? If so, it seemed to be in Clove's hands. He stayed behind the bushes, and continued to watch until both stopped. He could hear panting, but couldn't see much. He poked his head out a little, just enough to see both of them standing hand-shake distance from eachother. Denx looked at his own hand, clenched in a fist. He released his fist, and a crackle of electricity sparked out. He could tell that Clove was definitely.. different, somehow.

"I.. I think we can be done for now.." Denx heard Clove say. He nearly shocked himself at the surprise. Clove must've been training someone. But.. did it work? He was about to sink back into the bushes when he heard his name.

"And Denx!" Clove said. Denx bristled, standing up slowly as if he had been standing the whole time, "we're all stationed over at the inn, I'll give you your debriefing over there." Denx nodded, and joined his hands behind his back.

"Yup," he said simply and shortly. He circled the battle scene, not sure what to do when he got there. He walked a bit to the inn, and opened the door. Nothing special. He sat down at the table off to the side of the rather small lobby, and started to rummage through his pack. Still nothing special. He pulled out a pack of chewing gum, and started to chomp away. He threw the wrapper at a waste basket, bouncing in then out of the full garbage can. He pulled out a deck of cards, and began setting up a game of solitaire. He sighed, then stretched, feeling awfully comfortable here. Well, I had just woken up, he thought. He remembered the scene of him sitting in front of the window in the moving Hummer. He yawned. He leaned his chair back, and rested his feet on another chair. He wondered why he was so comfy here. Maybe it was that there were no enemy morphs? Or he was finally used to his morph-stage? Whatever he thought, and continued playing his card game.

He remembered something his grandfather told him.

"You know Denx," said the old man, "Solitaire is my favorite game. It's only second to my favorite hobby; setting up traps. Someday you will understand."

Young Denx looked up with endearing eyes, and asked, "What's Solitaire?"

"Well," staggered his grandfather, "It's a game for people who like to play with themselves. Wahahaha!" He started to laugh histerically. Denx still looked up puzzled at the joke.

"I get it now! Ha!" he said out loud, "You never cease to amaze me, old man!"

 

[billie_lightning]

Jade was waiting in the inn for Clove. She needed to tell someone about what had just happened and she knew their fearless leader would be more than interested at her recent finding. Could it be a clue to her fifth move? The Tyranitar's mind was racing and her eyes were glued to the door, waiting for Clove's arrival. Surely he and Aisha were done by now. They both needed rest before tomorrow morning...

The door opened and Jade jumped in her seat, but it wasn't Clove. It took her mind a moment to register who exactly she was seeing. Deja vu was a familiar sensation and her entire being was tingling from it. The tail, the orange skin, orange hair...

"Denx?" by the time the words made their way out of her mouth, the Raichu morph was already into a game of solitaire. Before he could react, Jade jumped off her resting place, ran across the room, and embraced her morph friend. She hoped her rough skin didn't harm him. "Denx, dude, I missed you!" she practically squealed into his shoulder. She and the Raichu morph had kicked some serious ass together back in Pewter. They were both rookies then. But now both of them were polished and pristine fighting machines. She could tell just by looking him over that he'd trained while he was away.

She continued to hug the morph, figuring that catching up with an old friend would pass the time.

 

[Silhouette]

Denx had just gotten into a fierce game of this solitaire, when he was tugged off of his chair, nearly planting his face on the ground. He was surrounded by a rugged toughness that he had never felt before.

"Denx, dude, I missed you!" he heard. His arms were down at his sides, as he struggled to remember who this was. He then remembered, and jumped out of his seat, and hugged the Tyranitar morph back. He knew it was Jade. He was relieved to see that he was in the right inn, because he wasn't sure if this was the right place. Not only that, but he was relieved to see that he had the same team.. or did he? At least there was someone he knew. Maybe that's why this place was so comforting. He swiped his cards off the table, and shoved them into his pack.

"Jade! I missed you, to! Holy crap! How long has it been.. a few months?" he pondered out loud. Without giving her time to answer, his inquisitive side got the better of him.

"Do we still have the same team? Is there anyone new? Where is everyone else?" he shot out, one after another. He was nearly out of breath from the adrenaline he had. His stamina had really been taken down by his sickness, and he was training to over come it, but it didn't work well. Although, he had learned some new moves and become stronger. He looked at Jade, and could tell she had certainly done some training. He remembered Clove's fight, and wondered if Saffron had really helped their training that much.

"You probably don't want to come too close to me, I think I have a cold," he said, sniveling a bit. He glanced around the dimly lit room, noticing its silent tranquility. There obviously were no enemies here as far as the PLF knew. Or at least as far as he knew. He didn't have his phone anymore, so he couldn't find out what was going to happen. He didn't care, though. Now, he was by a familiar face. He never really realized how much he missed the PLF.

 

[Shadowfaith]

Aisha stared, horrified at the enlarged needle before her. She had gone cross eyed just to keep the sharpened pick in view. Her heart had momentarily stopped and her eyes had taken on dinner plates. After noting that Clove was indeed not going to kill her she looked up at him with wide eyes and her chest rose and fell rapidly. She saw Clove's eyes widen at the realization of what he had been about to do. She wanted to say something but found she couldn't instead to proceeded to push the pin like weapon away from her body.

"...I think...I think we can be done for now...You'll need rest for the mission tomorrow. Don't let me down... but then again it doesn't look like you will. And Denx! We're all stationed over at the inn, I'll give you your debriefing over there." Clove had said, steeping back from where Aisha was still a little shocked laying on the floor where she had been hit down.
She managed a tiny nod and pushed herself up slowly from the floor and brushing off her clothes from the mud and gravel, ignoring the spills of blood on her outfit. "Umm…th-thanks Clove." She muttered as she picked up her coat from under a tree and gave him a weak smile before making off back to they're lodgings. She passed Denx and frowned at him, not sure of who he was exactly.

As she approached the entrance to the lodge, she reached out for the handle but stopped just shy. She sighed and pulled away and instead headed out into the nearby forest again to take some time to think of what it was she was doing, and why exactly Clove had lost control like that. She walked passed a tree which had an old swing hanging from it, it looked as if this lodge had been home to someone before them and she didn't want to imagine what had happened to the family that had once lived here. She ignored it, feeling an uncomfortable twang in her heart and carried on deeper into the forest, keeping track of what direction she was travelling in so as she could find her way back later on.

Coming to a small opening, much like the one her and Clove had sparred in, she sprawled out on the floor with a huff and placed her hands behind her head to act as a cushion. She stared up at the night sky and noted that it was a full moon. They always managed to make her smile.
"Now then, why exactly did Clove want to KILL me?" she muse aloud.
'Perhaps his companion was not the nicest of fellows?' Jake piped up in the back of her mind.
"You think so? I mean, Clove doesn't sound like a bad trainer."
She could almost feel Jake shrug. 'Maybe he wasn't and only now his partners true colors are showing.'
"Maybe…but why would it want to kill me? I've never really done anything to Clove to deserve it…"
'Who knows…maybe he just doesn't like you.'
'…'

 

[Kansas]

ooc: just a tiny tidbit, Shadow. Clove's spikes don't extend when he's under the effect of Superpower.

Clove walked back alone through the light of the moon as it bathed the small town in its glow. He stepped into the inn to see Jade and Denx already there, catching up from the looks of things.

"Glad to see you're healthy and well, Denx. And you've been busy... You don't feel like a rookie anymore." Clove responded, looking at Denx one more time. He had definitely gotten stronger since the Vermillion incident.

"Unfortunately though..." Clove quickly interjected. "You may be about to put yourself to the biggest test you've had. We have intelligence on Agatha attacking Lavender tomorrow at Noon. We're going to intercept. Of course its also voluntary for you... it isn't a PLF mission and is incredibly dangerous. Lieutenant Plum has already backed out. I'll give you the night to think about it. We'll be rendezvousing at the underground tunnel near Celadon at 08:00 and going underneath Saffron to Lavender. I'll need your answer by then. Get some sleep though. You too, Jade. Its been a long day for all of us and an even longer day tomorrow." Clove finished, walking to the back of the inn and vanishing into the darkness of a single bed room where he plopped down and quickly fell asleep from the day's exhaustion.

* * *

The morning came with a bright sunny day and few clouds. The morning birds chirped happily as the sunlight peaked through the window. Clove struggled with his eyelids to push them open. He sat up, looking out the window to see the sun not quite above the mountains in the east near Lavender.

"hmpf... I guess today is the day when we find out if we stand a chance in this ridiculous war..." Clove muttered to himself as he grabbed his black dress shirt riddled with holes from the back of a chair, slinging it over his back and buttoning up the front as if attempting to look casual even though his clothes were in tatters. He walked from his room silently, not a sound could be heard in the inn except the peaceful slumber of who was most likely his team members. He let the calm flow around him for a moment before breathing deeply and smiling.

"Enjoy the peace while you can... If anyone deserves it, its you guys..." Clove said silently to himself before heading out the door into the morning air. It was roughly 7am, the morning mist lay over much of the woods as dew dropped silently from tree leaves. He continued to walk for a short amount of time before coming across an old abandoned building behind some trees.

"This tunnel must not have been used at all since the Morph Rebellion... the towns people must be too afraid...there isn't even a guard" Clove thought to himself as he approached the run down building covered in vines and shrubs. He found a small area under a tree to wait for his team mates before removing the black shirt from his back once again and setting it in his lap. He pulled a small spool of white string from inside his right pocket then pulled a small Pin Missile from his arm and tied one end of the string to it. He began to quickly and efficiently sew up the various holes in his shirt, patching them up with the opposite color string but it was all he had. He didn't care though, if there was any way to calm him before a mission, this was it. He continued to repair his shirt in the solitude of the morning, waiting for the other team members to arrive. For in a matter of hours, they would be fighting for their lives once again.