Friendly Firsts or Sloppy Seconds? [Damien]

[Tora]

Well this is Tora's introduction thread that is to be played out with NPC Damien of Aether. This should be more than entertaining no matter how it plays out. ^^

The sun was still rather high in the sky, casting a warm radiance across the land and approaching cityscape and ruins. Ulrich, Rayvon, and Morrigan had all returned to their Pokéballs as the grand ship drew nearer to port. Tora pulled out his Pokégear as a voice echoed throughout the S.S. Lillian. “Attention passengers! We are now pulling into Enganno Wall port! We thank you for joining us on this voyage and hope to see you again soon! And welcome to Nevoa!” Tora grinned jubilantly and turned to Leon, Fawkes, and Rothelden motioning them to come on.

“Enganno Wall? Alrighty! Let’s go have some awesome adventures!” the trainer cried excitedly. Rothelden barked in response with Fawkes landing on the Growlithe’s head and chirping in compliance. Leon nodded and the three Pokémon fell into line behind Tora as they disembarked the ship.

The smell of ocean air was carried on a soft breeze that ruffled the youth’s verdant hair and the fur and feathers of his entourage. The docks were bustling with both merchant ships, fishing boats, sailors, and just other people out to enjoy the beautiful day. Toratetsu’s wide smile did not falter in the slightest as he marveled at the combination of city, dam, ruins, and beaches while bidding a friendly hello to everyone he passed. The boy trotted along with his three Pokémon in tow and entered a more downtown district of the city. Skyscrapers reached for the heavens, while many shops and kiosks lined the streets beside them. Cars would pass by, bird Pokémon perched on power lines, and the population of the city seemed just as welcoming as any previous city the teen had visited throughout his travels.

“I’m liking this place alre-’ His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rumbling in his stomach that startled him and caused a faint flush to his cheeks. Leon tugged on Tora’s pant leg and pointed towards a nearby café. Fawkes was nestled snugly on Rothelden’s head, her head hidden underneath one wing as she dozed slightly. Rothelden on the other hand was undoubtedly eager to see all the sights just as much as Tora, his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth and panting excitedly.

“Are you guys hungry?” Tora asked curiously. Leon nodded and Rothelden barked in agreement so the boy pulled out his wallet. He pouted slightly at the little funds he currently possessed, but then again he did leave a good portion collected in his travels at home in a savings fund that his mom had kindly started for him way back.

“Oh well, come on guys. Let’s get something to eat” the boy said in a kind tone and crossed the street with his Pokémon. The café itself was rather fanciful looking, perhaps a little too fanciful for the young, green eyed trainer; all with its outdoors dining area, indoor buffet, tables and chairs crafted expertly from trees. Though the scent of food wafting out the open entrance enthralled the teen and he practically floated in on the smell.

The sign in the entrance read ‘Please take a menu and seat yourself. A waiter will be with you shortly’. Without hesitation, the ninja-garbed teen snagged a tri-folding menu and walked towards the outdoor dining area. He picked a vacant table with four empty chairs, although only Leon would occupy one alongside his trainer. The Meowth reclined in the chair and folded its paws across its stomach and relaxed while Rothelden, still with Fawkes on his head, curled up next to Tora’s chair. The boy giggled slightly before opening the menu and reading through the café’s selection.

‘Oooh! Peach tea! And pineapple pizza! Yesssss!’ Tora mused with joy. They had some of his favorite food items available, and he knew that his Pokémon enjoyed them just as much. The boy placed an order for a peach tea and two large pineapple pizzas to his female waitress who seemed quite kind in spite of the trio of Pokémon accompanying Toratetsu. When the waitress left to put in the order, the verdant haired youth called out both Ulrich and Morrigan who would surely enjoy a late lunch as well.

The heterochromatic Lucario sat calmly in one of the remaining vacant seats, while Morrigan seemed to float about aimlessly, although she was more frightened about being around so many people at once and consequently didn’t know what to do. Tora called out to his Duskull and smiled warmly at the ghost type who chirped and spun around happily. The boy laughed while Leon and Ulrich struck up a conversation between themselves about whatever it is they did talk about, since Tora couldn’t understand them that is.

The waitress returned with the tea and told the boy his pizzas would take a few minutes. It was quite alright and he thanked the woman for his drink before she scampered off to tend to another customer. Unfortunately, Morrigan had disappeared during the minor distraction, and Toratetsu could only hope she wasn’t bothering anyone…at least not too much.

[Blitz]

I will be playing the part of NPC Damien Adders of Team Aether for player Toratetsu Kouken.

-Administration

“And I'm sure you understand our agreement, sir. My underlings have already taken care of your 'problem', so if you don't cooperate, I'll be left with no other options. Do you understand? … Good.” Click. Beep beep beep. The line went dead.

The cellphone made a small click as it closed, finding its way to the inside pocket of a dark green business coat. A large hand tousled brown hair slightly; the man felt he was still too young to be dressed do formally, but hey, it was his job. Not that he had any complaints; of course. He had an entire organization of powerful (and some not so powerful) people for disposal at his fingertips. Damien Adders sat at an outside seat at a cafe, taking a break. He'd just recently met with an executive of a company he was currently taking over, and had to look the part of the “friendly” businessman. Was it for money? No, Damien had no need for it. His current occupation left him rich, and able to fund the projects that his corporation undertook.

And just what was this corporation that Damien Adders ran so well? The notorious Team Aether. Lucky for him, the people of this city were blinded and stupid. Eganno wall was a prosperous city. However, the gang activity there meant that people weren't worried about the movements of Team Aether, nor really aware of them. In truth, Aether owned the largest franchise building in the city, and it served as a base as well as a business. Looking upward, Damien could see the building from where he sat. However, his attention diverted back to the small Reuben sandwich, what was left of it, on his plate. It would be time to leave soon; he had more important things he could be doing. And he really hated to wear a suit.

Sharp green eyes picked up on a slight commotion, and he noticed a young man with mossy green hair file in, surrounded by what appeared to be his Pokémon. Damien didn't understand why trainers would carelessly let so many of their Pokémon walk around freely like that. It was like they were begging to be stolen or run off. The man himself looked to be between eighteen and twenty, and had a cute appearance. A demeaning smirk crossed the man's lips; was this kid a joke to society? Really. Ninja cosplay? It aroused his interst some, but not enough to make him act upon it. However, what caught his interest more was the Pokémon that were with the teen. More specifically, the heterochromic Lucario. That wasn't something very common, even more rare than a “shiny” Pokémon. To top that, Lucario weren't native to the Névoa Region, meaning this guy was from a different region. His finger twitched, pondering taking his Skarmory out from the balls in the inside pocket of his jacket; that Lucario would make a fine addition to his collection. It looked powerful.

However, his musings fell short when he found himself face-to-face with the eerie mask of a Duskull. It came completely out of nowhere, and it was enough to startle him. He jumped back in his seat, away from the nuisance. He took a swipe at it, growling in annoyance when his arm passed harmlessly through the ghost-type's body. What's worse? It apparently seemed to think it was a game. Damien recalled seeing the Pokémon arrive with that trainer. He eyed the Lucario again. It would be polite to return the Duskull to its owner, right? Putting down enough money to pay for his order, Damien left his seat, heading towards the trainer. The Duskull remained by his head, floating about, much to his chagrin and relief both. There was an annoyed look on his face by the time he crossed the short distance to the boy.

“Is this yours?”

[Tora]

The verdant haired youth sipped his flavorful peach tea thoughtfully while his Pokémon happily relaxed around the table. Tora worried about Morrigan as he knew she was probably, albeit unintentionally, causing a ruckus somewhere nearby. The boy could only hope it wasn’t anything too problematic and nobody got offended by his friendly ghost type. He was about to get up and search for the Duskull when his waitress arrived with the two large pizzas and plenty of plates. Tora thanked her and the waitress bowed asking if anything else was needed. The teen politely declined and thus the waitress went on her way to cater to other customers.

The verdant eyed trainer passed plates around to Leon and Ulrich, then setting another two down by the dozing Rothelden and Fawkes. “Hope you all are hungry. There’s plenty to go around” Tora stated cheerfully and took two slices from one pie. Leon and Ulrich both helped themselves to a slice each and Tora placed three down on the plates for Rothelden and Fawkes. The boy giggled at his Growlithe whose nose twitched at the scent of the pizza and gradually the half-dozing Pokémon’s head inched towards a slice and began to nibble on it. Things were looking alright for Tora and his companions when both Leon’s and Ulrich’s eyes drifted to the side to gaze intently at the approaching man.

“Is this yours?” the man stated.

Tora looked up and was both relieved to see his Duskull and frightened that person accompanying her looked quite annoyed. The verdant haired boy gave the fellow a good once over with his eyes as subtly as he could, and judging from his appearance, this fellow was a big CEO or somebody really important or powerful. Rothelden had lifted his head up rather suddenly, dislodging the poor Fawkes on his head. The Pidgey squawked in surprise and hopped to curl up next to her friendly fire type. Leon and Ulrich were studying the man intently with their forepaws crossed across their chests.

“Oh! Heheh…yes sir” , Tora chuckled nervously, “She is my Duskull. Morrigan would you come here please?”

The Duskull rolled around in the air and floated towards Tora while waving one of her arm-like appendages at her ‘playmate’. The teen pat Morrigan, who had given her body a little more substance in the presence of her trainer. She bounced and rested on top of Tora’s head. The boy smiled happily, almost forgetting the older man who was very irritated standing before him.

“I’m so sorry sir! Morrigan is a good girl, and rather playful. I hope she wasn’t causing you any trouble? Would you like some pizza sir?” Tora inquired rather timidly. Rare was it that he conversed with a ‘big man’ and he figured that politeness was more than a necessary component.

[Blitz]

Look! Look! Blitz can has response tiemz, too! *Raging dinosaur Tokyo smash* Short post is short.

Damien raised a brow when the trainer called back his Pokémon and proceeded to justify her actions, followed by offering him some of the pizza. Truthfully, he just ate, and the pizza had been crawling with his Pokémon not one minute beforehand. The kid looked like he thought Damien was going to eat him, and two of the Pokémon, the Meowth and the Lucario, looked at him in contempt. Obviously, he was not trusted.

Well, if he wanted to get his hands on that Lucario, he'd have to lure the team away. As of current, the trainer had all of his Pokémon on standby, and they were in a crowded area. While it would be good for causing confusion normally, the situation seemed to call for a more covert plan. First, he had to gain the idiot's trust, and make his Pokémon a lot less wary. Well, that would mean that Damien wouldn't reveal himself to be a user of Pokémon. His balls were stored safely away in the inside of his jacket, all black with a green A etched into the surface. Instead, he smiled sweetly. “Oh, no thank you. I've already eaten. But, you look like an intelligent young man, very talented with Pokémon. Would you like to come with me? You can bring your... pizza.” Passing the Pokémon, Damien put his hand on the Lucario's head in a seemingly good-natured way, ruffling the ears and the black and blue fur. The animal suspiciously watched Damien's movements with dual-colored eyes. He looked to Tora for a moment before turning back to the Pokémon. “This guy is a... Lucario, right? Good natured fella, huh? What's your name, tough guy? My name is Damien.”

[Tora]

The verdant haired boy nibbled on his slice of pizza with a joyful hum and pleased expression on his face while eyeing the older man hoping he’d accept the offer. The Pokémon belonging to Tora were either occupied with filling their bellies with the delicious pineapple pizza or staring at the CEO-like fellow. The man smiled sweetly and it was at that moment that the young trainer noticed how handsome the man was. Unbeknownst to the teen, his cheeks grew a tad flush in response to the smile.

“Oh, no thank you. I've already eaten. But, you look like an intelligent young man, very talented with Pokémon. Would you like to come with me? You can bring your... pizza.” the man said eliciting a disappointed frown from Tora before he began to move. Tora’s eyes followed him in tandem with Leon’s and Ulrich’s, both Pokémon watching him with a mixture of caution and contempt, simply because of his attitude directed towards their trainer. Tora wasn’t sure why his Pokémon were so untrusting as this man didn’t seem in the least bit dangerous or threatening.

The man reached out in a good-natured way and pet Ulrich on his head. Tora’s heterochromatic Lucario watched him suspiciously with his forepaws folded across his chest. On the other hand, Leon visibly tensed at the older man’s intrusion, but did not move other than his claws extending somewhat and simply watching with protective mistrust. Tora blinked curiously at his companion’s actions and smiled though as he found it amusing that this man seemed interested in his Pokémon and he was friendly enough it seemed. The man looked at him and Tora smiled as he looked back towards Ulrich.

“This guy is a... Lucario, right? Good natured fella, huh? What's your name, tough guy? My name is Damien.” the man stated. Tora finished up his slice of pizza while he watched Ulrich’s differently colored eyes drift up to meet Damien’s. The green eyed trainer smiled happily as the Aura Pokémon’s telepathic voice echoed in the minds of both Tora and Damien.

“If I may speak for myself, I am called Ulrich, and might I add that you, Sir Damien, are one of questionable intent” Ulrich spoke with a hint of dryness. Tora wiggled his nose and frowned slightly. Leon’s mouth curled into a rather smug grin knowing that he could trust Ulrich to relay their own thoughts into comprehensible words to their trainer.

“Aww. Ulrich? Is something wrong?” Tora inquired with a pout. The Lucario turned it’s muzzle to Tora, his piercing green and red gaze boring into Tora’s own and establishing a privately mental link.

“It is just that Leon nor myself feel too comfortable with this Damien fellow. I believe he is hiding something, but I do not know what” the Lucario’s voice echoed. Tora replied with a mental nod, but still did not seem to feel threatened by his elder companion, if that’s what he would be called for the time being. Damien was a handsome big shot who seemed quite friendly, and although he trusted his Pokémon with his life, Tora wanted to try and get to know Damien better. Maybe having a friend or at least source of high prominence in Nevoa could prove fun if not at least useful in this foreign region.

“I’m sorry Mister Damien. It’s just that we’re a kind of family on our own so to speak and every one of my Pokémon tries to look out for each other and me just as much as I try to for them” the green eyed youth stated cheerfully though apologetically. He procured a few bills from his pocket and placed them on the table to pay for his meal. Tora stood up and took two Pokéballs out to recall Rothelden and Morrigan.

The Growlithe was still half-asleep and half-eating when he returned to his ball while Morrigan had decided to playfully spook a couple a few tables over. The ghost type was thoroughly enjoying herself much to the couple’s irritation, and when the Duskull was recalled, they shot angry glares in Tora’s direction. Tora bowed embarrassedly and called out a simple apology before turning back to face Damien and scratching his head nervously.

“I’m sorry Mister Damien. I’d like to accompany you if you’d still let me. You see…I just arrived in the Nevoa region so I’m a little lost” the youth giggled shyly. He bent down to scoop the rousing Fawkes from her spot cuddling where Rothelden was moments ago and cradled the Pidgey in his arms with a smile.

“I hope you don’t mind if I bring Fawks, Pidgey, and Ulrich with us outside of their Pokéballs” Tora said with an innocent smile. Fawkes chirped and fluttered her wings to fly atop Tora’s head and nestle comfortably in his long, verdant locks. Leon stuffed the remaining pizza into a box that the waitress had procured when she made a quick run by, and then hopped down from his seat, sidling up next to Tora. Ulrich did the same, although he grabbed and brought the pizza box with him as they all awaited Damien’s response.

[Blitz]

Damien remembered once reading of this “aura” power that the Lucario species possessed, but had never experienced it first hand. It was only mildly surprising when the anime breached his mind and spoke to him, and it rubbed him the wrong way with its wise intuition. Questionable intent, indeed. Still, Damien had an ignorant facade to keep up with, so he dropped his narrowed gaze for a genuinely surprised expression.

“Dear god, it can talk! How extraordinary. He must be a... psychic type, yes? Those are the only ones that can talk, right?” Psychic, Psychic... Damien's eyes flitted about to the Ghost type and the others; it would be no good if one of them could read minds, the last thing he needed was this naïve trainer to be forewarned. The less Damien seemed to know about Pokémon, the less the trainer would think that his team would be in danger. Damien looked over to Tora with a half smile and a puzzled expression; so, its name was Ulrich... disgusting. Naming tools and forming an attachment. Even more disgusting when they speak the human language. The Meowth seemed about as comfortable with him as the – Ulrich – did. Damn beasts with their keen intuition.

“I’m sorry Mister Damien. It’s just that we’re a kind of family on our own so to speak and every one of my Pokémon tries to look out for each other and me just as much as I try to for them.” “Very understandable.” As if. Luckily, this trainer pulled out some Pokéballs and put half of his Pokémon away. Damien was relieved to see the Lucario stay free; it would have been a nuisance later to try and find which ball it was in. “I’m sorry Mister Damien. I’d like to accompany you if you’d still let me. You see…I just arrived in the Névoa region so I’m a little lost.” Damien ruffled the youth's hair. “Of course! And I can show you around. I finished my business this morning, and my schedule is free for the rest of the day. I was about to head back to my office to change out of this suit. If you don't mind waiting, I can take you back and then show you around the city.” Indeed. This could get the kid's trust, and he could take off this stifling suit. He'd have to make a phone call to the base first; since the kid will probably expect a normal office, meaning that his clothes will have to be moved to the public office. Plus, he can get the kid some candy or something. The secretaries on the lower floors were out of the loop; they love Pokémon and are very friendly. The Aether organization set up in the top three floors and the basement. The secondary office was on the fourth floor; right below Aether's area.

“I hope you don’t mind if I bring Fawks, Pidgey, and Ulrich with us outside of their Pokéballs.” Damien stroked the tiny bird in the young man's arms. For all he felt about Pokémon, even he thought the young ones were cute. “Not at all!” Damien pointed to the building that stood over the town, the one he had taken control as soon as he gained his position. It read 'Adders Shipping Corp.'. “See that building? We'll make a pit stop there. We get a lot of trainers coming by for some thing or another, and the secretaries just love Pokémon. If you don't mind waiting for me, you'll probably be able to escape with a few gifts.” He laughed, patting Tora's shoulder. Yea, except that trainers didn't go past the second floor. Anything higher meant that the organization had some beef with them, or they are being targeted. And those trainers usually knew it, so they would get goaded. Having loose Pokémon wouldn't be safe, especially not that Lucario. If they knew the boss had their eyes on it, they'll back off.

“I have a car around front; it's black. I can drive us there. But, please give me a moment, I need to make a quick phone call, a'ight?” Taking out his cell phone, Damien dailed and showed the way before going to where the trainer (Or those Pokémon) counldn't hear him. “Hello? This is Damien. Listen, I got a kid coming in...”

[Tora]

The young trainer grinned ecstatically at Damien’s response, and grew even more excited as the handsome man pointed out which building he was affiliated with. The Adders Shipping Corp. building towered above all the other city infrastructure that comprised Enganno Wall. Tora swooned in awe as he believed Mister Damien to be the CEO of such an impressive corporation. If he could become friends with Damien, Tora figured his time in Nevoa would be even more fun than he first imagined.

“See that building? We'll make a pit stop there. We get a lot of trainers coming by for some thing or another, and the secretaries just love Pokémon. If you don't mind waiting for me, you'll probably be able to escape with a few gifts.” the man laughed while patting Tora on the shoulder. Awesome. A place that loved Pokémon and the sheer concept of possible gifts or cool items excited the green haired boy even more. “Really? I think that’s really kind of you Mister Damien! Thanks so much!” Tora replied jubilantly.

“I have a car around front; it's black. I can drive us there. But, please give me a moment, I need to make a quick phone call, a'ight?” the man stated while dialing on his cell phone. It seemed he didn’t have a Pokégear like the trainers Tora knew, but that didn’t matter. He could still register his number sometime later, right? With a grin, Tora trotted off towards the place where Damien pointed out his car would be. Ulrich and Leon followed although they exchanged glances and cast a trailing look at Damien who was disappearing out of earshot. They still suspected something, but their trainer seemed more than happy in this Damien fellow’s company. Perhaps they were being overly cautious, but the only way to know for sure would be to either wait or have talked Morrigan into reading his mind to see what he was really after. Unfortunately, since the Duskull had been recalled, they were forced to regretfully go with the former.

‘What do you think of this fellow Leon? Fawkes?’ Ulrich asked through his telepathy. The heterochromatic Lucario sauntered along at a steady pace with its long-legged gait that forced the shorter legged Meowth to take three steps for every one of his.

‘Hmph, I don’t like him, but Tora does make a valid point that we’re new to Nevoa so maybe this is a good move. My fur bristles with anticipation though and tells me otherwise though…we’ll have to wait and see I guess’ Leon sighed, holding out his paws to take the pizza box from Ulrich. The Lucario ‘hmm’ed in response to his close friend and handed off the pizza box, not wanting to admit that the scent of the food was making his stomach grumble.

‘…heeeaaaaaahhhhmmm…’ Fawkes yawned and stretched her wings atop Tora’s head, ‘I’unno, he seems alright to me…’ the Pidgey commented from her perch before tucking her beak under one wing and beginning to doze off again. The two bipedal Pokémon rolled their eyes and shook their heads as they reached the parking lot.

Tora’s eyes scanned the present cars for a black car, which was rather silly as there were several black cars parked in the lot. Damien didn’t give him a model or style or anything, so the verdant haired youth assumed he’d have to guess which one it was. If he was wrong, Damien would be with them soon enough. The dark green pools came to rest on a Mercedes-Benz McLaren model car that simply screamed rich and CEO status. The young teen started to drool unbeknownst to himself and seemed to float on over to the vehicle. Tora admired every detail of the vehicle, from its sporty, sleek black paint job to tan leather interior, and even bent over to study the intricately designed silver rims of the wheels.

‘This HAS to be Damien’s car. There’s not another one that would suit him in the parking lot!’ Tora mused delightfully. The teen waited for Damien to come while patiently whistling to himself while doing so with his three Pokémon waited with him.

Suddenly the car alarm went off when the boy accidentally leaned against the door and caused Tora to jump nearly four feet into the air with a jolt that dislodged Fawkes from her comfortable perch on his head. The teen started to frantically scramble about trying to figure out a way to shut it off or at least prevent him from being accused of stealing, when the loud and irritating beeping finally ceased. Tora turned around to find Damien standing their smiling as handsomely as before with a key ring in his hand. The boy blushed and his lower lip started to protrude in a guilty pout.

“I-I…erm…setting off your car alarm Mister Damien” Tora said apologetically and bowed his head.

After the small escapade, the teen and his three Pokémon climbed into Damien’s rich, fancy, sexy, awesome car and they were off for Adders Shipping Corporation. A large grin had pervaded Tora’s expression at that point and he was smiling cherubically the entire ride.

[Blitz]

“What the hell is that, Damien?”

Damien whipped his head around to the lot, and scowled when he saw the kid freaking out slightly when he set off the alarm. “Kid found my car. Gonna go.” He snapped the phone shut and pocketed it, jogging out to the car, replacing the scowl with a bemused expression. “I-I…erm…setting off your car alarm Mister Damien.” Damien laughed, shutting the alarm and popping the locks with the remote. “Damien is just fine; you don't have to be so formal. And you guys,” Damien gestured to the Pokémon, “do mind your claws on the leather seats. This car is a rental; I'd hate to return it scratched up.” Damien held the back door open for the two larger Pokémon to get in, before holding the passenger door for Tora and closing it behind him.

After getting in and starting the car, Damien noticed the kid's near-ecstatic expression; apparently he'd never been in an expensive car. It was cute how the young man smiled, looking excitedly out the windows at the buildings, and checking out the interior of the vehicle, although he had to slap some fingers when they started reaching for buttons. He kept fairly quiet, tuning the radio to a station that soothes Pokémon, answering a question here or there that Tora might blurt out. In between, he thought of how he might snatch the Lucario. He couldn't just throw a ball; that didn't even work in the wild. It would take too long to fight it and wear it down... Staging it would be best. Either tonight.... or he could keep the kid around until tomorrow. He seemed to like Damien, and trust him, so it might work. And Damien needed a fresh face around for a little while, anyway.

It didn't take them long to reach the building. Letting his passengers get out on their own, he led them into the lobby. “Oh, Mr. Adders! Welcome back! I trust your meeting went well? Ooh, who's this? His Pokémon are adorable!!” Damien waved to woman off, leaving the young trainer to fend for himself. “I'll be back in a few minutes, Tora-kun! Enjoy yourself with your Pokémon. Hitomi here will take you to an area where your Pokémon can play while you wait.” He turned away, dropping the grin from his face and heading towards the elevator. At the second floor, a colleague stepped into the elevator. “I heard about that kid with the Lucario from someone downstairs. Naïve, but the Lucario is interesting. Never seen eyes like that before.” Damien shifted aside, glancing at the numbers on the wall, indicating they'd just passed third floor. “Kid's innocent. I'd almost feel bad taking the thing from him.” He snickered. “Doesn't mean I won't, though.” The pair walked out of the elevator when it dinged, signaling a stop on their floor. “I'll have to use a different tactic, though. I'm almost getting attached to the kid.” His coworker scoffed. “You've known him all of half an hour, though!” A cold emerald gaze met the other man. “Long enough. You weren't the one out there, were you? The kid's pretty damn likable...” The man chuckled before parting ways. “Don't get in over your head, Damien.”

Damien scoffed. The other man didn't know of Damien's ...preferences... but he had a damn sharp intuition; much like the damned women that seemed to be around Damien. At any rate, he'd better hurry. It wasn't quite noon yet; he had plenty of time to gain that trainer's trust. Opening the door to his secondary office, he flung the suit jacket onto the guest chair, rummaging and taking the Pokéballs out. Setting the six balls on his desk, he changed out of the suit and into his usual uniform. The kid was new to Névoa, so he probably wasn't aware of Team Ather... the “A” on his suit could just be company logo for all that damned brat knew. He'll know by the end of the heist, though. If not, it won't take long to figure out. Damien stated to tuck in his shirt before fastening his belt, glancing at the balls on his desk. Hmmm... the balls usually went on his belt, but he was making this trainer believe he didn't use Pokémon... Checking the balls, he opted to keep three with him: Skarmory, Ditto, and Seviper. Inserting a small screw in a hole in the back of each, he fastened them to look like keychains (As the balls were still in their condensed state, and they were custom, so they didn't look like normal balls) and attached them to a belt loop. They looked more decorative than usable. Perfect. The company happened to sell keychains that looked similar, and his younger niece had simply insisted he get Pokéballs that matched. It was a good thing she did. Hanging his suit up on a hanger, Damien pulled his boots on and tucked the bottom of the pants in. Ready to go. He put the suit in the tall closet-locker, and locked his other balls in the desk. Only a select few had access into this office, so he wasn't worried they'd be stolen.

Greeting a few people on his way back to the elevator, Damien made his way out to Tora. Seeing him occupied in the activity area by another trainer and their Pokémon, Damien cupped a hand around his mouth and waved, semi-calling out to him. “Oi, Tora-kun! Let's go, shall we? I have to return my car by noon!” That much was true. Any place they were going could be reached on foot or by taxi, and frankly that car was too expensive to have those dirty animals tromping about inside. When the two met up, Damien smiled apologetically, gesturing to the black balls clanking together at his hip. “I hope you don't mind this strange decoration; my niece fashioned it for me after one of our products, and I wear it for good luck.” Well, it wasn't entirely a lie. “Let's get going, shall we?”

[Tora]

The two bipedal Pokémon watched Damien with indifferent expressions as he asked them politely to not tear up the interior. Ulrich and Leon exchanged glances and were tempted to actually do the opposite to spite the older man simply because they didn’t like him and he talked down to them. Once again they looked at each other and then to their trainer with frowns playing at their mouths. Tora seemed too taken in by Damien, but then again, he hadn’t really done anything wrong bar acting like a haughty CEO. That was his job though…so it was understandable. The Lucario and Meowth climbed into the back seat and sat quietly while observing Damien carefully.

Tora sat with Fawkes nestled in his lap in the passenger seat and was eagerly taking in the sights of Enganno Wall’s cityscape. Occasionally he went to press some buttons on the car’s dashboard, but was swatted by Damien who scolded him. The teen pouted, but he had to respect the man’s wishes because it obviously wasn’t his car. Damien had put on one of the more soothing radio stations, one of Tora’s preferred in fact, and answered the few questions the teen occasionally asked. Primarily only a few because Tora was too preoccupied with taking in the sights.

The green eyed trainer ‘ooohed’ at the prominent sight of the Adders Corp building when they finally did arrive. Tora fell into step behind Damien with Fawkes now perched on his shoulder with Ulrich and Leon following behind him. They entered the building and were quickly greeted with an overtly friendly secretary, whom Tora took an immediate liking to. “Oh, Mr. Adders! Welcome back! I trust your meeting went well? Ooh, who's this? His Pokémon are adorable!!” the woman inquired cheerily. “I'll be back in a few minutes, Tora-kun! Enjoy yourself with your Pokémon. Hitomi here will take you to an area where your Pokémon can play while you wait.” Damien quickly responded and left Tora with the kind woman named Hitomi.

The woman led Tora and his Pokémon to a small waiting room lobby where she then proceeded to speak happily with him about Pokémon and play with them. The trainer grinned ecstatically and happily conversed with Miss Hitomi while they played with Fawkes together. Ulrich and Leon were more interested in taking in the sights of the Adders Corp interior, but they returned Hitomi’s kindness as she seemed very nice to them. Time passed so quickly that Tora didn’t even realize Damien had come back until the handsome CEO called out to him.

“Oi, Tora-kun! Let's go, shall we? I have to return my car by noon!”

Tora immediately jumped to his feet and bowed to Hitomi, bidding her farewell and beckoned to his companions who all bade farewell to the secretary also. The verdant haired trainer caught up the Damien and returned a smile, immediately intrigued by the trinket the man gestured to around his waist. “I hope you don't mind this strange decoration; my niece fashioned it for me after one of our products, and I wear it for good luck. Let's get going, shall we?” Tora nodded cheerfully as Hitomi hollered out for Tora to wait a moment.

“Tora-kun! Please! Take these with you, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them” the woman cried and shoved some things into the boy’s hand. Green eyes traveled downwards to identify three succulent lollipops as a gift from the secretary. Tora‘s eyes widened and a grin spread across his face joyously. “Thank you very much Hitomi-san!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her and hugging her gratefully. The lollipops varied in the three colors, red for cherry, blue for blue raspberry, and white for cream soda. Tora licked his lips eagerly as they were his three favorite flavors before saying goodbye once more and returning to Damien’s side.

“So…where are we going Damien?” Tora asked as he unwrapped the cherry lollipop. He followed Damien willingly, eager to see what this ‘big man’ had to show him, while sucking pleasantly on his candy. Occasionally he would tug the sucker out of his mouth causing a tiny ‘pop’ and then proceed to stick out his tongue and lick the hard candy, swirling his tongue playfully while humming happily. If Tora wasn’t so naïve, he could’ve been sure as sh*t implying things.

[Blitz]

Damien smiled at the trainer as he was showered with the promised gifts. Hitomi really did love Pokémon. He chuckled when the green-haired boy promptly hugged the secretary, who didn't seem to mind at all. Kids these days... Damien was lucky the quarry in question was owned by such a naïve individual. The gifts in question seemed to be candy; not as extravagant as some gifts he'd seen given out, but the trainer looked more than pleased.

When asked as to where they were going, Damien gestured towards the car. “Like I've said, I have to bring the car back. After that, we can walk around. The car rental place is right near the park here. I can take you through there afterwards. How's that sound?” Smiling at the response but not really paying attention to it, Damien lagged a little behind the trainer as they walked back to the car. He'd been watching the kid too long, it seemed... rubbing the redness away from his ear, he shoved the way the boy licked the sucker out of his mind and refocused at the task at hand. The Pokémon were still out, so that would make his next move a little tricky, but if there was some sort of calamity, that would be enough... luckily, the owner of the rental place had recently hired a new worker – said worker being clumsy as hell. Damien'd just have to wait until the employee knocks something over or causes enough of a ruckus that he could go unnoticed. It happened quite often, as it was. The new kid causing some sort of disaster, that is. The Aether leader would have fired the incompetent fool long ago, but this would work for him.

After getting into the car, Damien checked his passengers. “Mind your claws – and your candy – I need the car to be in good condition when we get back. After that, it's only a short walk to the park.” Damn, being this cheery was getting annoying. It was only a couple miles to Zeke's Motor Rental, and the group got out of the car. Almost on cue, Newbie-In-Training, Mr. Ritsu came out to greet the customers. “Welcome cust- D-D-Damien! Uwah...” Damien sent a sharp glare and the kid shut up, who was a little blue in the face. Unlike Tora here, these people knew who Damien was. He responded cheerfully, without missing a beat. “I'm here to return the car. Catch, Ritsu!” Said employee fumbled when Damien threw the keys at him, diving to catch them when Damien deliberately threw them a little too far. Almost on cue, the newbie collided with a pamphlet stand, snapping it and scattering the papers everywhere. “Argh!” It was enough to bring Zeke himself out, who started scolding the trainee. The action had started a few other people, someone else knocking something else over.

Success: Tora was preoccupied.

The Pokémon with him were busy trying to not get stepped on, and Damien backed out the door. Glancing at his hip, he found Seviper's ball and released her. He hissed under his breath. “Go to the park. Remember what I told you before we left the office. Quickly!” “Vipeer!” Damien peeked sheepishly into the building. “Ah, Tora-kun! We should get going!” The group fled to escape the trouble. He laughed after they almost reached the park. “Guess I threw the keys too hard... poor kid... heh. Well. We're here. Let's go.” His Seviper should make an appearance after they reach the more wooded area. It was crucial that the snake bite the Lucario. Damien had a medicine specifically for this purpose, anyway. The animal definitely wouldn't die from poisoning. That would completely destroy the point, now, wouldn't it? Putting his hands in his pockets, Damien took the lead down the path, noting that there weren't too many patrons at the park today. That made it easier; since there was a good chance that someone could recognize his uniform. However, the kid seemed stupid, and probably wouldn't believe any accusations. And Damien would play right along. All according to plan. –Inner Damien taps fingers together in an especially devilish way–

[Tora]

“Like I've said, I have to bring the car back. After that, we can walk around. The car rental place is right near the park here. I can take you through there afterwards. How's that sound?” the man said as he gestured towards the car. The verdant haired teen could only ‘hrm’ and nod in agreement as his mouth was too occupied with the lollipop he constantly licked playfully. Despite this, the boy still managed a smile towards his guide and trotted alongside him with the three Pokémon in tow. Damien reiterated himself as they got back into the car before he started the engine and drove them to the dealership. Tora finished his first sucker and had moved on to the cream soda one, humming happily all the while.

The ride wasn’t too long and both Tora and his Pokémon remained silent for the ride’s entirety; Tora because he was sucking his candy, and the Pokémon who still chose to remain vigilant and cautious. The verdant haired youth followed along behind Damien when they reached the dealership with his hands clasped behind his back and his head bobbing side to side as he admired all the other sleek models. “Welcome cust- D-D-Damien! Uwah...” someone greeted as they entered. The teen was unaware of the glare Damien shot said employee who’s tag read Ritsu. The boy seemed very nerve-wracked and clumsy; no doubt a detriment to his employer, but Tora found him amusing and funny which was easily exemplified by the large grin spread across his mouth.

“I'm here to return the car. Catch, Ritsu!” Damien hollered and tossed the keys. What the teen didn’t expect was poor Ritsu to smack into a pamphlet and send papers everywhere with a yelp. Chaos started to erupt as more things fell to the floor and everyone, including Tora and his Pokémon were a bit caught up in the moment.

A man, presumably Ritsu’s boss, came out and started scolding the young boy while Tora and his Pokémon vouched to help out and started picking up things for Ritsu. Leon groaned in his native tongue. ‘Geeez…what a klutz’ Fawkes chirped a giggle and Ulrich nodded in agreement before finishing up with helping pick things up.

“U-Uh…t-thanks…” Ritsu said with a sulky tone. Tora grinned at him and pat him on the shoulder. “I was happy to help Mr. Ritsu. You just be care-” “Ah, Tora-kun! We should get going!” Damien called from the doorway. Tora bowed apologetically to the other teen and darted after Damien with his Pokémon reluctantly following. The man wasn’t lying when he said the park was rather close as he gave off a laugh. “Guess I threw the keys too hard... poor kid... heh. Well. We're here. Let's go.” Tora nodded cheerfully and followed the man into the park.

“Mister Damien? Do you like Pokémon?” Tora inquired as they took one of the more scenic paths. Tora’s big, green eyes watched Damien carefully the excited innocence sparkling in the sunlight behind his long forest green locks. Tora was so caught up in admiring the beautiful foliage that he did not realize Damien stopped and the boy bumped into and tripped over the taller man. “O-O-Ow…” the teen groaned, unaware that his Pokémon were very tense and trying to spot something lurking in the brush.

Suddenly, a form lashed out and went straight for Ulrich with a series of bites and stabs with its tail. A Seviper attacked out of the blue, but Tora couldn’t help but notice how beat up the poor thing looked. One fang was snapped off quite considerably and overall the snake looked like someone had brutally beaten it up or its trainer was cruel beyond measure. Ulrich dodged back several times with Double Team as the Seviper continued to attack failingly, not to mention that it was a bad type match up. Ulrich was a fighting and steel type Lucario whereas the Seviper was poison. Tora’s Pokémon had a distinct advantage thankfully because those fangs still looked murderous regardless.

Ulrich’s right paw got caught in Poison Fang and the Aura Pokémon winced in pain, but retaliated with a Force Palm. The scarred Seviper was blasted away, but quickly regained its composure and hissed furiously. Tora by now had sprung to his feet and was ready for issuing battle commands like a good trainer while at the same time trying to figure a way to capture the Seviper or at least subdue it until he could get it to the Pokémon Center for help. The teen called in Leon to throw a Shadow Ball out at the Seviper which scored a good hit and the aggressor was seemingly down for the count. As Tora produced a Pokéball and tossed it at the Seviper, the snake Pokémon quickly regained its composure and swatted the ball away with a swipe of its damaged tail. Sadly, the Seviper slithered away into the brush and disappeared before Tora could have any of his present Pokémon go after it.

“D’aaawww…darnit…” Tora whined with his lower lip protruding in one of his typical, adorable pouts. The boy then trotted over to Ulrich who was examining his paw that had gotten a little stained with some blood, but it looked superficial. “You okay Ulrich?” Tora inquired scratching his Lucario behind its ears. The dog-like Pokémon shrugged off the bite wound like nothing as was typical of him. Nevertheless, Tora still produced a bit of bandaging to wrap around the wound to prevent infection. Not like one had to worry about poisoning with a steel type as they were immune to such effects.

Once everything was back on track, Tora waved over to Damien. “Mr. Damien! Did you see that Seviper? Who could’ve done such a thing to that Pokémon?! That’s so cruel and it breaks my heart that it got away. I would’ve taken good care of it” the boy’s tone gradually waning as he sulked at the failed attempt. The man beckoned to Tora and mentioned something about ice cream or something that really struck the teen’s fancy as he quickly stood up. Tora jogged towards Damien, but did not count on a little divot in the path that caused him to lose his balance and tumble into Damien, taking them both to the ground in a very scandalous position.

All the verdant haired teen was aware of in that moment was two things, (a) he was on top of Damien in a very scandalous position and (b) their faces were quite close together…and then Tora realized that (c) he was blushing furiously as he gazed into Damien’s eyes shyly. The three of Tora’s Pokémon watched with raised eyebrows of intrigue and worry. They trusted their trainer with their lives as he did them, but this was a whole new experience. “I-I-I…I’m…s-sorry” the boy stammered from his scandalous positioning, unaware that his hand was resting awfully high on Damien‘s thigh.

[Blitz]

“Mister Damien? Do you like Pokémon?” Damien looked back over his shoulder to assess the kid. He was quite innocent, and Damien found himself getting attached to him like one might get attached to a dog. “Why, yes, very much so– ” Damien froze, his instinct kicking in. He slightly relaxed, realizing that the sound he heard was probably his snake. Good girl. He lurched forward a bit as the teenage with him knocked into him and stumbled. Damien grabbed his collar, yanking Tora back in balance on his feet. All the Pokémon were tensed, too. “Hey, Tora, do you hear–“ And right on cue, a black-and-red blur shot out form the brush, heading straight for the blue Pokémon. Damien got out of the way; the Seviper knew that she wasn't going to be receiving any orders, and that her hide would be on the line if she acted familiar with Damien. Instead, the snake Pokémon focused on her goal: Injure the Lucario. Obviously, the type disadvantage would mean it wouldn't be poisoned, but it would be enough for her to cause a flesh wound. Lunging, the unbroken fang managed to pierce the animal's paw, that seemed to be enough. Damien kept a watch on the kid, all things said and done, the kid was STILL a trainer, wil several Pokémon on hand, with a seemingly wild Pokémon attacking. The Seviper pressed on even as the others started to attack. Failure wasn't an option, but neither was capture. Damien was pleased at the work; when Tora threw the ball, her tail whipped around, the jagged scythe at the end deflecting the ball. Using that momentum, the Pokémon launched herself back into the brush. She'd trail far behind and meet back up with Damien when he was alone. She wouldn't be in to much danger; wild Pokémon didn't generally mess with the trainers in this park, and Sevipers weren't indigenous to this area.

The kid pouted when the catch got away. It was rather cute, the older man had to admit. He almost wanted to pet his “dog” for the effort. When Tora went to assess Ulrich, it was confirmed that the animal did, indeed, get wounded, especially when the trainer pulled out a bandage to wrap the wound. Damien patted his pocket; he had the medicine with him. Obviously the Pokémon would be fine, but someone who wasn't supposed to know much about Pokémon wouldn't know that. Slipping his hand into said pocket, he was about to suggest the 'medicine' when the trainer went into a fit. “Mr. Damien! Did you see that Seviper? Who could’ve done such a thing to that Pokémon?! That’s so cruel and it breaks my heart that it got away. I would’ve taken good care of it.” Tch. It's just a tool, no reason to get so upset. It's a little worn out, but still plenty useful, and that was good enough for Damien. He took his hand out of his pocket; he'd have to calm the trainer down first.

“Tora-kun! There's an ice cream vender further up this walk. How about I treat you guys to a cone?” That seemed to spark interest. Damien turned around, heading up the path some more. What he didn't count on, however, is the kid's apparent inebriated style of running. He grunted as the teen collided with him, knocking him to the ground and onto his back. Damien found his hands frozen, almost gripping Tora's waist in a natural response to catch the thing that collided into him. Damien struggled to keep his face rather blank, seeing his eyes reflected in the emerald eyes of his compant, the teen's face rapidly turning red. And there was no way the man couldn't notice the awkward placement of the teen's hands. Well, what the hell kind of situation was this!? A vein popped in annoyance, and he grunted, very pointedly maintaining eye contact after the stuttered apology. “It's fine. Are you alright?” Damien was damn glad the park was under populated. It would be a blow to his ego to be caught in such a position. Even if he himself wasn't recognized, the uniform would be. Pushing the other male off of him, Damien sat up, ignoring the looks of the Pokémon accompanying their trainer. Looking away, he covered his mouth for a moment. The trainer was more attractive close-up than he'd initially thought. Wait, this was no time to get distracted! Focus, Damien Adders! Keep your head in focus. He could easily toy with the trainer later if he liked.

He got to his feet, brushing the dust off and trusting that the mossy-haired teen could get up on his own. Damien had almost slipped out of character; that wouldn't be any good, now, would it? IT didn't stop the tips of his ears from turning red, though. It had... been a while... since he'd been in such a... predicament, so to speak. Well, whatever. Reaching the ice cream vender, he bought four strawberry cones. If the vender knew the uniform, he didn't really care. Money was money, after all. Passing one cone to Tora, Damien handed both Leon and Ulrich a cone, making sure to mind Ulrich's injured paw. Corralling the group over to a park bench, he fished the bottle from his pocket. “Ne, Tora. I have some medicine with me, if you'd like. I keep it with me from the company. If it's alright, may I give it to Ulrich? It'll help heal his paw so it doesn't get infected, and it's filled with vitamins for growth. It can also heal poisonings.” Of course, all of that was true. It was blended with a universal antidote, as well as iron and calcium supplements and some oral antibiotics. However, it was also laced with a powerful, slow-reacting sleeping drug fashioned from a Butterfree's pollen, a separate drug that Damien had added himself. All little Ulrich had to do was drink it. He'd get sleepy later, depending on how fast the animal's metabolism was. That would be the Seviper's cue to snatch it and pull it out of sight, and Damien's Ditto would replace it. It would stay asleep long enough for Damien to finish his job. Now, all he had to do was get the trainer to agree to administer the drug. The real fun would begin from there.

[Tora]

“It's fine. Are you alright?” Damien asked. Tora whimpered and nodded meekly in response, caught up in admiring Damien’s handsomeness that sent a strange feeling through his gut. Inside of him, the teen felt pained when Damien pushed him off although he had every right to do so. Tora was laying on top of him and it was undoubtedly uncomfortable.

The teen got up himself and brushed his outfit off and grinning meekly to his Pokémon. Fawkes seemed rather amused whereas Ulrich and Leon were giving him questionable glances. Damien called out and they all followed him up to the ice cream vendor where four cones were purchased and all, but Fawkes received one which Tora happily shared his own with because she seemed so sad. The Pidgey perched on her trainer’s shoulder and pecked at bits and pieces of the yummy ice cream with Tora sitting on the bench next to Damien.

“Ne, Tora. I have some medicine with me, if you'd like. I keep it with me from the company. If it's alright, may I give it to Ulrich? It'll help heal his paw so it doesn't get infected, and it's filled with vitamins for growth. It can also heal poisonings.” Tora’s large dark green eyes shining with innocence wandered to meet Damien’s emerald gaze.

“Uh…I was gonna’ take Ulrich to the Pokémon Center later. I-I mean…he’s a strong Lucario and since he’s part steel type, we don’t have to worry about poisoning” Tora said, as his lips protruded in a thoughtful pout.

‘I do not trust him still and don’t believe I need any medicine. ‘Tis just a mere flesh wound that will heal in time…but…’ Ulrich pasued and Tora could feel his telepathic voice sigh, ‘…if you wish, I will have some of his medicine’ Tora knelt down and scratched Ulrich behind one of his large ears.

“That’s okay Ulrich. Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you let me know if it starts getting bothersome later then and then we can ask Mister Damien if he’ll give you some of the medicine” Tora said with a bright smile. Leon was observing the older man carefully and caught a glimpse of his features quickly changing away from a scowl he obviously intended to hide. Damien’s attitude really set the scratch cat Pokémon’s fur in a bristle. He was up to something and Leon didn’t like it one bit, but it aggravated him that Tora seemed so oblivious to it. Then there was the way the boy smiled at Damien…there have only been a few people who Leon recalled Tora had ever smiled like that to other people. There had been a few people way back in Kanto that Tora had built an attraction with, but only to be heartbroken for various reasons.

“M-Mister Damien? C-Could you p-possibly show me a little more of the city?” Tora stammered nervously, hiding his eyes behind his long, verdant locks. The underlying fact was that Tora was really enjoying his time with Damien and really didn’t want to leave so soon, but if the man declined he could understand as he was the CEO of a big, important organization.

Damien seemed not against Tora’s request as he lead them through and out of the park into what seemed more like a shopping district. The teen trainer’s eyes lit up with sparkles of joy as they ventured from place to place, spending time so quickly, it was already evening before they knew it. Occasionally, Tora would point out one place or another that he found rather interesting and politely asked Damien if they could go there. One such place was a cosplay café where they could dress up alone or with other people and have pictures taken. At first, Damien quickly declined without giving a reason, but as the night continued on and after some diligent prodding, begging, and puppy-dog-eyed pleading much later; the man gave in even if he was more or less dragged inside.

Upon leaving, Tora clutched an ample amount of photographs he purchased that had all his Pokémon, himself, Damien, and other customers all in various outfits doing various things. Some of them Tora found more appealing than others, some more embarrassing, and some quite funny; such as one where he and Damien were posed together as a pair of male fashion models or some other more…questionable content pictures. Tora’s Pokémon also seemed to have fun too, although a few more than others for the sake of their own personalities.

“Ooooohh thank you soooo much Mister Damien! I really had a lot of fun! You’ve really made my-” the teen who was bubbling over with excitement abruptly stopped as his eyes were focused on a shining set of neon lights not to much farther down the street. Without waiting for a response…or rather, a protest, Tora locked his hand in Damien’s lacing his fingers between the older man’s and drug the Damien over to the front of the brightly illuminated building. Tora’s eyes shimmered with amazement and he ‘ooh’ed and ‘aah’ed at the appearance of the building.

“Mister Damien! C-Can we pleeeeaaaaaassssseeee go in? This place looks like a lot of fun!” Tora said bouncing in his shoes. Damien seemed quite abrupt to decline, although he seemed flustered, which confused the trainer. Then of course, he didn’t realize that said building was actually a strip club…and a gay strip club at that. Tora stuck his lower lip out in as pathetic and adorable a pout he could muster because he really wanted to go inside. He continued to pout and give Damien begging eyes until the man would give in. Unfortunately, that would also require Tora to put his Pokémon away for the time being (Ulrich and Leon were beyond grateful at the rules since they realized what the place was; whereas Fawkes was quite disappointed). Maybe they could get more pictures inside that Tora could send home to his family or at least keep with him to remind him of the great time Mister Damien gave him!