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Post by KANE on Jan 20, 2012 22:42:39 GMT -5
Alyssa groaned inwardly and let no more than a sigh escape her lips. She had figured Aris would react like that, and that she had more pokemon. However, the inexperience Alyssa spoke of was not seated simply on the fact that she was only sixteen, and that she didn’t have many pokemon, nor that they were fully evolved. No, instead Alyssa was referring to the girl’s heart and mind. Hardships could have already occurred in her life, though few could compare to what one would witness on the front lines of a civil war, where pokemon and people alike died fighting for what they believed in.
”Your experience with training and working with your pokemon matters comparatively little to what I’m actually saying. A pokemon, fully-evolved or not, is perfectly capable of fighting in battle to their fullest potential if their trainer realizes how to unlock said potential. Some people would even argue that the unevolved forms of certain pokemon are more powerful when fully evolved.” Alyssa sighed again, this time more audibly. How to explain this in a way that would not confuse somebody by spewing how her mind worked.
”The faith and trust you have in your pokemon is something good, and I respect you for that. I see too few people that don’t. However, I am not saying that you lack experience battling. Lux is unforgiving. They kill pokemon and people that get in their way, splattering the blood of fallen soldiers on their comrades and pokemon. If they’re merciful, they’ll take their killed opponent’s pokemon. If not, the pokemon may wind up dying as well...simply because you’re on the wrong side.
A person as young as yourself doesn’t need to witness something like that. If you have already witnessed death, you have my condolences. However, it is different on the front lines of the war. Your heart and mind need to be strong when you witness your comrades fall around you, when you find the barrel of a gun staring you in the face, when you stand...torn between surrendering or watching your pokemon die, or worse – watching your pokemon die without warning from an unrestrained attack or Lux member.”
She sighed once again, this time more at Daybreak who had urgently sent thoughts in the direction of her trainer. Alyssa had not turned from admiring the multi-colored charm catching sunlight, and she spoke more quietly. ”Unfortunately, training your heart and mind isn’t all that hard, if you’re forced to watch battle rage before you and everything that comes with it. I don’t want you to train more or less, truthfully. I want you to know what you’ll really be facing. There is more to this war than who is a more experienced pokemon trainer and more efficient battler.”
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Post by KANE on Jan 21, 2012 0:08:41 GMT -5
Did...Alyssa truly, really, not see? Of course Aris wasn't prepared for what was to come, no one could prepare for what they would see on a battlefield. A true battlefield; not the kind where pokemon fought fairly against one another, but where the pokemon and trainers were willing to do anything to win. Aris had not experienced that, yet, but she would eventually; she knew that much. What would be the point of waiting? Alyssa herself had said as much just now; as long as a pokemon's full potential was unlocked, it didn't matter what stage of evolution they were in. "Alyssa...no one will ever be ready for war until they step onto the battlefield themselves. I realize that; I really do. There's no way to prepare for what might happen; the dangers, the unpredictable factors, the number of things that can go wrong, either because of one mistake you make or one brilliant plan an enemy comes up with. There are a multitude of things that can happen on a battlefield, and truthfully, I'm not ready for them," Aris said; how was this helping her case, the case she had for wanting to fight with the Nox forces? It was...strange. Before she had been content to simply be an observer on Nox's side, rooting for them; but now she wanted to actively become one. That would mean getting involved in things, getting involved in danger; her thoughts momentarily went back to her parents before she spoke again. "However, like I said, no one is ready for their first time on the battlefield. You can train all you want, preach all you want, but in the end, you have to trust your own heart, resolve, and head the first time out there. I'm not stupid, young, or naive; nothing of the sort, Alyssa. So why do you keep treating me like I am?" Aris' tone wasn't defensive or offensive, it was more of a...contemplative one, as if she were utilizing all her experience, all her knowledge, to forge her words. They were like a carefully crafted blade, meant to cut through the words Alyssa was saying and reveal the truth of what Aris was trying to get across. She was young, but she wasn't stupid or naive. She was anxious to help Nox fight Lux, but she wasn't dangerously overconfident; perhaps arrogant, but not overconfident. "Besides...I have to do this for someone, a friend I had a long time ago it seems like. Your words aren't going to convince me to stop seeking this out, to help Nox more in this war. Besides...there has to be something I could do for Nox, right?" Aris added a moment later, her intense tone from earlier dropping. The Froslass in her arms had actually woken up this time and, irritably, walked away from the intense noises come out of her trainer after having fled her trainer's arms; sometimes, the girl could be silly. After Aurora decided she was far enough away, she did something rather...ungraceful; she dropped to the floor and resumed sleeping. |
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Post by KANE on Jan 21, 2012 0:41:41 GMT -5
Alyssa sighed silently and rolled her shoulders a bit, silent thoughts being transferred between herself and Daybreak. The Sun Pokemon had moved before her trainer and sat, looking up at Alyssa. Her deep violet eyes sparkled with the sunlight and her purple fur practically glowed. She raised a paw and gently taped at Alyssa’s pants repeatedly, silently conversing with her trainer while Aris spoke. Daybreak’s thoughts were straightforward yet Alyssa found them highly amusing. She almost heard Daybreak’s words more than Aris’, though she made a point to still hear the younger girls words.
A small smile pulled at her lips and she looked down at Daybreak, crouching to gently stroke her Espeon’s forehead, her thumb brushing lightly over the beautiful red gem placed there. ”Your answer is all I need, Aris...” Alyssa said silently. ”My words were true, yes, but they were also a test. Not to judge your reaction. To know it, yes, but to know more where your heart lies rather than where your tongue and mind will take you.”
Alyssa smiled a little more, glancing up at Aris finally to meet her eyes. Her answer then had been true as well. Although she believed younger trainers should stay clear of the field of battle, she would not stoop to the level of Lux supressing rights and free will. She’d be considered a disgrace in her own eyes and morals if she did that.
”You’ve answered well, Aris. Your answers were true and that much is all that really matters. However, I’ll give you the same warning I give to other young trainers. Do not let your confidence become arrogance. There is an incredibly fine line between the two, and it is hard for anybody to see where it is drawn in a person.”
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Post by KANE on Jan 21, 2012 21:49:25 GMT -5
She...she hadn't seriously been asking her questions; she had merely been asking them to gauge her reactions. As that dawned on her, she felt two things; indignation and admiration. Indignation because Aris would have truthfully answered anything Alyssa asked of her; there was probably nothing she knew that was of value to the woman anyway. Admiration because she had fallen completely into it hook, line, and sinker; there was no way it could have gone any more smoothly for the older, similarly white haired girl. "I...I realize that, Alyssa," Aris said, once more truthful. She, of all people, walked a fine line between arrogance and confidence all the time; more often than not, she tended to lean towards the arrogant side of that. It was rare if she was ever confident instead of arrogant; she tried her best, but she just couldn't help but feel superior over others. "Aurora...I'm sorry for shouting," she suddenly said to her small Froslass, who judged her for a few moments by warily staring at her before climbing up from her spot on the floor and returning into the teenager's arms. "I'm arrogant. I know I am, and I can't help it. I try to mitigate it as much as possible, but..." she trailed off with a shrug of her shoulder. Here Alyssa was giving her some rather important advice, and she couldn't follow it that well because she realized just how arrogant she was. "So, is there anything I can do for the Nox cause, Alyssa? I want to...well, help them. I've been doing nothing for a long time now; just secretly supporting you all, and that isn't going to help the world change, help it heal." Aris questioned of the woman. She hadn't known why at first she had wanted to talk to this woman, save for their similar hair colors, but now she did; the two of them were so very much alike, with so very similar view points. |
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Post by KANE on Jan 21, 2012 21:50:35 GMT -5
Aris had taken the hooks Alyssa left out for her, and the answers had pleased Hoenn’s Leader. The fact that she was able to garner the reactions without being suspected of merely testing the younger Nox female proved that her skills of deception were growing. ”The first step to making sure your confidence does not become arrogance is knowing that youre arrogant to begin with.” she murmured, more to herself than Aris. She, too, had once been arrogant, though a defeat at the hands of a Gym Leader had helped her realize it first.
”For Nox...like I said before, train your pokemon.” That part was not something used to guage an answer ”You may be strong, and they may be strong, but there will always be stronger trainers and pokemon.” she sighed. ”The Champions and Elite Four members from all Regions are involved, and you may face them on the battlefield...and off of it. You need to be ready for anything.” Sighing, she continued. ”Even if you think you’ve reached your training limits, keep training. Train day and night if you want or need, and stay optemistic.”
Once optemism was lost, all else was as good as lost as well.
”Go on missions – that’s what I’d recommend to you the most. It will give you experience, and they may be dangerous...maybe even moreso than the front lines. But that’s the main way you can get more involved.”
Looking back down at Daybreak, she gently stroked the Espeon’s cheeks, and her violet eyes closed.
”If you want to protect any of your pokemon out of love, I suggest retiring them to the status of ‘companion’ for the most part...that’s what I’ve done with Daybreak here...she very rarely fights now, because I’ve asked her to accept my actions.”
She glanced at Aris. ”What else?”
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Post by KANE on Jan 22, 2012 0:35:05 GMT -5
Have her pokemon be companions? But would they really want to be? Her pokemon cared for her just as much as she cared for them; they wouldn't like being unable to do something if she were attacked, which is what would happen if one or two were made into companions. Even her Growlithe, the one she wanted to see fight the least, was probably the most fiercely loyal to her, the one most likely to defend her if anything went wrong. Could she really take the advice Alyssa was giving her? She...honestly, she didn't know if she could do that; but Alyssa was the regional leader. Her ideas had to have some sound thought behind them, some sound backing that wasn't fragile; so Aris nodded her head a little. "This talk...I wasn't expecting too much coming into it, to be honest. But I've learned a bit from you, which is more than I thought would happen," Aris was saying as she looked down at her Froslass, rubbing its head a little. The ice on its head made that difficult, of course, but Aris made sure to keep her hand right in the middle. Did she really want to see Froslass fighting in a war situation, where she might be vulnerable to human weaponry? More often than not, weapons made by humans were more deadly than any pokemon attack could be, if simply because of the ranges involved in human weaponry most of the time. She knew she didn't want to ever see her pokemon get hurt, but...that thought, that belief, was not feasible in a wartime situation. In such a situation, anyone, civilian or not, could be involved in a battle at anytime, simply by their city being the battleground. "I...I don't think I have anything else to ask of you, Alyssa. I'll take your advice to heart. I know that there will almost always be someone better than me, which is why I have to better myself each and every day. Not only myself though, but my pokemon as well," Aris stated once more, letting the hand that had been rubbing Aurora's head drop a little, stopping once Aris was holding Aurora as she had been before, with both arms wrapped around the small pokemon, "Is there...anything you wish to ask or say to me, Alyssa?" she asked, meeting the twin's eyes; she still found it odd that the only obvious difference between the two was their eye color, and even then, the color was fairly similar. Her light purple eye color compared to Alyssa's light blue eye color. |
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Post by KANE on Jan 22, 2012 0:35:40 GMT -5
Alyssa stood from her crouched position to pet Daybreak and turned to look at the younger Nox member. ”I expected as much of an answer from you based upon what little I’ve gathered.” she looked at the girl, who’s eyes were level with hers, the only difference between them standing as their eye color. It truly was a funny thing, finding a ‘twin’ in the Pokemon world.
”The only thing I can think to tell you is to keep my words in mind as you train with your pokemon. Do not forget, though, that as you train your pokemon, you should work on your bond with them as well.” She chuckled a little. ”I’ve spent sixteen years devoted to my pokemon, and my newer ones I do not have a bond even sensibly comparable to Daybreak, my first pokemon, and Swampert, who was my starter. Even pokemon I’ve caught since then I still feel my bond can be furthered.”
She paused and picked her pokeball off her belt, holding it out to Daybreak. Moments later the Sun Pokemon vanished as a flash of energy into the pokeball, which was soon shrunk and returned to its small size. ”I have nothing I need to ask or tell you more now.” she gave a kind smile to the trainer. ”I have a strong feeling that we’ll be seeing each other in the near future. We can speak then, if needed. For now though, I’ll let you get on with your meal. It was a pleasure to meet you.” She gave the girl a light pat on the shoulder. ”We will see each other soon.”
Walking out of the small area, she gave a backwards wave and exited the building, calling forth Flygon and leaping upon his shoulders before taking off, flying across the water simply to fly.
We will meet again, doppelgänger ..
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