The Dark Forest and Its Leaves [[Open]]

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The dark forest leaves rustled quietly as the wind passed by the trees from above, below the trees, near the trunks, lay a houndour. He had been up all night and was now sleeping quietly on the forest floor in peace. Zera had left Grassviel for the night, desiring to be alone for once in what felt like his life. Naps were a favored pass time of his, so being disturbed would not be wise if any pokemon were to pass by. The hound's ears twitched along with his legs slightly as he dreamed of ruling his own territory, and being the leader of a large and strong pack.
The houndour howled in triumph in his dreamland as his fire swallowed those who opposed him. His laugh did not last long as a tsunami seeming to originate from nowhere put out the flames and whisked him away. The canine was shocked awake from the wall of water smashing into him, and remembered that it had just been a dream. He was both relieved and slightly disappointed, he wanted the first half of that dream to be reality, but he would have to work in order to do that. The houndour huffed, looking up at the leaves that obscured his view of the sky, it must have been night time from how excessively dark it was. The hound smiled, the cover of darkness was comforting, as was the absence of other company. There was less sound, and he was in peace an quiet.
One problem, being alone meant he was more vulnerable. There was nobody to watch his back if he were attacked. The hound's ears flattened upon the realization, and suddenly he didn't like being so along anymore. The hound stood up, sniffing the air as he did so.
He smelled nothing as the wind carried scents away from him, he quite liked Shadowhue, compared to that wretched Pecha Forest with that horrid sweet scent of pecha berries. It was quieter, darker, more befitting for a pokemon of this type. He would have claimed a bit of the land here if not for the chilly nights. He wanted someplace warm, someplace comfortable. He would have to move on soon, he needed to find a certain poochyena at some point and he doubted the pooch would have gone too far. The houndour huffed, and began his walk around the forest.

The houndour was surprised at the Pawniard's offer, "Wait...you're willing to take a completely random stranger into your own territory just because they're still searching for a place to stay?"
The houndour could not tell if it was stupidity that brought this offer up, or just kindness, or maybe the pawniard did not actually want to bring in the houndour and was just offering out of politeness. Zera would never have invited someone into his territory, unless it was someone that was really strong, but weaker than him of course. He began to wonder if he might be able to take over the pawniard's territory...he thought against it, remembering that the pawniard had spoken about living near grassveil. That place was too noisy and filled with pokemon that would retaliate more if he tried to defend his territory.

"Well I don't really think of it as my territory." Enzu said, Zera really was an odd houndour he thought. "I mean yes its my home, but it used to be a dojo so its always been open to all. And even though it is no longer operating as a dojo, I would still like to keep its doors open to all who need them." Enzu then turned to Zera with a smile, "And you need a home, so even if it is for a short while your welcome to make my home yours as well."

The houndour remained silent, seeing the idea of letting strangers into a territory one owns as a bit redundant. What's the point of owning a territory, if pokemon can go in and out as they please? Zera merely snorted, "Well, I guess I have no choice unless I'd rather sleep in the open"
Although, something inside Zera was a bit pleased to be able to be with someone else. He would be able to defend the Pawniard's territory, and maybe and quite possibly take it right from him. Then again, Grassviel was noisy. The hound could not decide whether or not he wanted to attempt his little plan, but decided to wait until he saw it before he decided on it.

"Glad to hear it," Enzu said with a smile, "But just so you know this isn't exactly a free stay. I have been away traveling for a year, and my home has become overrun with vines. So you will need to help me with clearing the vines away and cleaning up the house." he said.

The hound snorted, "Not very nice of you to invite someone to your house and then demand them to clean it!" he was a bit outraged by the idea, "I'd rather spend another night here!" THe hound huffed. He looked away, disgusted. Although the brawn pup may have been strong, he could still be fooled. He was not the brightest of his siblings, seeing strategy as a cheap tactic. All it would take was a simple fool's play to trick the hound into coming to the Pawniard's home and assisting him, perhaps there was a way to twist the words to make it sound as if the hound was being weak but not accepting the job?

"Well like you just said," Enzu said, "Its an invitation, but nothing is free in this world so your going to have to earn your right to stay here." Enzu turned to look forward in the dark forest as he continued to speak, "When I was growing up my father allowed plenty of people to temporarily stay in the dojo, and they all did some form of work to earn their stay. And I don't plan on changing that tradition now or any time soon." he said. Enzu was speaking the truth, the guests had always done some form of work, whether it was cleaning, cooking, or aiding in the training of dojo students. All of the guests helped in some way, and they were all welcome to leave at any point.

"Nothing is free? HAH!" the houndour laughed, as if the very thought of it was preposterous.
"Everything is free, pokemon just MAKE you think its not free. The berries in the markets? Those are free if you refuse to pay. Territory in a certain land? Just drive out the pokemon! No need to do something in exchange for something else when you can just take what you want." The hound huffed, "Its why I favor to stay out of grassviel, they're too noisy and make too much of a fuss about little things that don't even matter!"
The hound stopped walking, since it seemed as if he would not be going with the pawniard to his house or dojo or wherever he lived.

"Do you honestly think that everything is free?" Enzu asked. "It's wrong to think that you can do anything you want and ignore the pokemon it effects?" Enzu shook his head after he had finished his sentence. "How would you feel if somebody just took something you put all your efforts into working on?" he asked Zera. Enzu figured that he could show Zera what he meant by putting him on the other side of a situation.

"I'd accept it. If they are stronger than I, then I don't deserve what they took from me. It's the survival of the fittest, nature's way. I would not like it, but there would be no other option but to accept it, perhaps grow stronger and then take back what was once mine."
The hound stared at the pawn pokemon, daring the pawniard to challenge his way of thinking. The houndour took a seat where he stood, his ears giving off an irritated flick as he sat followed by a huff.
Zera wondered if the pawniard would take back his offer after the answer, he knew he was probably being rather rude in the standards the other pokemon set, but he did not care, even with his statement about making guests work being rude. He was not about to help the pawniard do something it could easily do itself, especially with those sharp blades of his.

Enzu turned to look at Zera as he sat down in the forest. It was difficult to see the dark hound in the woods, but Enzu could make out a slight shape. "Well I guess if you willing to accept it that is one thing," he said, "but not all other pokemon see it that way, and you need to try and see it from their eyes. I admire how you see that situation as a drive to get stronger, but again I have to say that you need to try and see it from someone else's eyes." Enzu said. He was starting to give up trying to convince Zera of the error in his thought process. If Enzu couldn't convince him then he might have to retract his offer.

This dice is not existing.

The hound huffed, he WAS seeing it through someone else's eyes wasn't he!? The houndour was about to speak before he heard a rustling in the bushes. The hound's ears perked as his head whipped to the side just in time to see the red and yellow glaring eyes of a hound rushing towards him. The hound's eyes could only widen as the fierce pokemon's jaw locked onto his small but broad shoulders and clenched down onto him.

The hound howled and screeched in pain as the teeth dug into his skin and drew red liquid from his shoulders. The mightyena skidded to a halt, having leaped at the hound from the side. The mightyena lifted up its catch, who luckily was still alive, and tossed it into the air. Zera flailed a bit, trying to escape, but was caught in the mightyena's jaws again as the sharp long teeth dug into his back. The teeth clenched down harder as the mightyena looked to the pawniard, smirking as if to say, "When this one's done, you're next." It seemed to be thinking that the pawniard would be too scared and surprised to move.

Zera, meanwhile in the jaws of the mightyena, was unable to move as the pain shot through his nerves to his mind, trying to tell him he was taking damage and was in pain, but he was unable to do anything but flail. He was unable to bite the mightyena, his head not being close enough to the mightyena itself, and he was unable to move much by the time he thought to use ember. He felt a liquid begin running down his back to his paws and eventually dripping off as the mightyena continued to attempt to intimidate the pawniard with its show of strengrh.

His mouth was gaping as his shock still showed on his face, he was not dead, but he looked like it after a few moment of flailing and wasting what little energy he had. His thoughts rang with how strong the mightyena was, at how it was able to knock him down a few pegs in one hit. His thoughts eventually began to flow towards...perhaps joining the mightyena? It was stronger after all, it was certainly fit for being an alpha. His thoughts began to grow confused and conflicted, as his inner Houndour fought against his nature on whether or not to ask to join the mightyena, if it decided to spare his life that is. The houndour fighting to join, while his nature fighting for resisting and being the alpha instead.

Enzu was shocked that at the Mightyena that had come charging out of the bushes from the pairs flank. It was traveling so quickly that Enzu hadn't sensed anything about its movement. And before Enzu could even react the large wolf's appearance, it had already begun attacking Zera.

While Zera was flailing about in the jaw of the Mightyena, Enzu thought about what the best plan of action would be. Since they were caught off guard Zera was already injured enough and would not be able to fight very much. When the Mightyena told Enzu that he would be next, he knew that he needed to act soon so that Zera would not become so injured that he would be near death.

Enzu decided that his best plan of action would be to try and at least distract the Mightyena with his Psycho Cut, that way it might leave Zera alone for a short while. At least long enough for Zera to try and get away. Enzu then began to charge up a Psycho Cut and shouted out, "Why don't you try and fight someone who at least has a chance." he said to the Mightyena.

The confusing and conflicting thoughts were soon erased from the houndour, as the mightyena's smirk grew wider, and tossed the houndour aside. The hound bumped harshly into a tree with a sharp yelp and fell to the forest floor. The hound tried to get up, deciding to ignore his instincts of joining the stronger for now, and focus and just trying to live. Sadly, he only succeeded in flipping himself, so he was only able to lay there and watch the match, if any was to occur.

The mightyena laughed, and began to speak aloud, "You really think that's going to affect me? That there is a psycho cut, correct? The Purple mist it radiates gives away its psychic abilities, that of which I am immune to, a dark type of all pokemon should know that."
The mightyena gave a hard laugh again, it seemed to be a more experienced Mightyena. As if it had gone through many fights and won a great majority of them or lost so much it began to learn from its mistakes. The hyena lifted a paw as it began to radiate a pink aura, the power of a fairy type, and so with a smile, the hyena attacked.

((Mightyena move list - Play Rough, Bite, Howl, Sand Attack))

Enzu retreated backwards as the Mightyena launched forward with its attack. Unfortunately for him the Mightyena was able to guess the nature of the attack he was hoping to use. Even though this didn't change the effectiveness of the attack, it still removed any hope Enzu had of surprising his foe.

Enzu figured that his best bet at getting any possible opening in the Mightyena was to launch the Psycho Cuts he had charged up into the trees. That way the attack might momentarily distract it, and if Enzu was lucky enough some heavy branches might fall and damage it.

With this plan of action in mind, Enzu swung the blades of his Psycho Cut up towards the trees directly above him. He didn't risk following their movement because as soon as he would look away the Mightyena would have the advantage, and Enzu couldn't risk that.

The mightyena, instead of chasing after the pawniard, turned and began to dig furiously into the ground in the direction of the Pawniard. Dirt flew from between the canine's legs and flew towards the Pawniard, using a sand attack. The canine had not noticed the branches falling, and yelped as a branch slapped its rump. It glared at the pawniard, and lifted a paw as it glowed pink and dashed towards the pawniard once more.

Zera, meanwhile, was watching uselessly from the sidelines. He was unable to move without pain, and he figured that moving would only distract the fighting pokemon. He was not too happy when the pawniard brought down the branches onto the pokemon, seeing that as an unfair fight. He would have called it out on the pawniard, but decided to keep his trap shut since the mightyena had also used a dirty move, sand attack.