A Peaceful Forest. Akuroma Meets an Old Friend of Avaria's?

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Akuroma shuffled through Pecha Forest silently. Just an hour ago he was at the Dojo training, yet he was already going to train the new move he learned, Thunder Punch. Thankfully the rain had stopped a few minutes after he left the dojo. As he made his way into the forest he pulled out an Oran berry and ate it. He had forgotten to eat after training, so the berry would have to make due. The forest sounded like it was still raining with all the water that was previously trapped by the trees now falling freely.

(33/28 Energy)

"I don't really see a need to be hostile to others unless they're hostile to you first. After all we share a world together, no point in making unneeded enemies," shrugged the Roselia at Akuroma's comment as he caught up. She didn't know who Mirage was, but Avaria being hostile didn't particularly surprise her. She wasn't always happy to acquaint herself with new people after all.

"Actually I never said I didn't believe the label was correct. I guess I just feel like it doesn't define me in a single word. I steal things, yes, but not all the time. A label like that suggests to others that you are nothing but what the label describes. I prefer to think of myself as just plain free; I do what I want and enjoy myself whilst doing it," she replied with a small smile as she continued to wander off through the forest, leaving the carnage of the previous battle behind her.

"If only more Pokemon thought of the world in the same way," he said as he walked beside the Roselia.

"Try explaining that to other Pokemon. You're not the first to have commented on me taking items from the Pokemon who live in dungeons. Plus there was one instance with a Noibat that a friend of mine didn't agree with. Well it was actually several instances," he said, thinking back on his journey through Serene Cave. He began to think about the home he was planning on having built in the Black Spear Mountain Range since he planned on meeting Enzu there for their climb of Black Mist Mountain.

"Hey Vesper, ever heard of Black Mist Mountain?" the Ralts asked, not knowing what else to talk about.

(20/29 energy)

"Heard of it, yes. But I've never been there," she replied, glancing back over to Akuroma as they continued to walk, "Why do you ask?"
As she spoke, the Roselia also cast glances around her, as if double checking to see that they weren't being followed. She didn't expect the group of Pokemon to recover quickly, but you could never tell. That or they could have more allies within the forest. She hadn't lived here for long so she didn't know the ins and outs and inner workings of the place.

"I plan on heading over there with a friend of mine to climb and study the mountain. The last couple of times we went there, there were some unique items and a good number of rock types. If you're interested, you can come along," he said. Unlike Vesper, who needed to stay on guard, Akuroma's horns kept him in the know of where Pokemon were within a certain range. At least those who weren't dark types. It was definitely a useful ability, and it would only grow stronger as he did.

Vesper shrugged before replying with another small smile, "Sure why not. I could do with something interesting to do." Hanging around in the same forest all day every day wasn't exactly the most entertaining thing after all. Exploring somewhere else might be a nice break, though Pecha Forest did feel like the perfect living environment for a Pokemon such as herself.
"So what's this friend of yours like then?" she asked out of curiosity.

Akuroma shrugged, "Truth be told I don't know much about him. He used to be the owner of the dojo in Grassveil before he left on some journey for a year. He appears kind, and if given the chance he'd rather try diplomacy than fight. He's a Pawniard and I think he has a fear of heights cause he once gave me these when I learned Teleport and accidentally teleported us into the sky," he said, patting the scars on his sides. Being most immune to Akuroma's emotion sensing, Enzu was difficult for him to read, unless the Pawniard was under enough stress. That and Akuroma never did really pry into Enzu's past, and decided the Pawniard would rather introduce himself to Vesper instead of have Akuroma do it without him even around. The most worrying part would be how Enzu would react to Vesper's liking towards thievery. Akuroma was surprised he never brought up the subject on outlaws with Enzu.

"Owner of a dojo huh?" commented Vesper initially, wondering if he was as skilled in combat as that title made him appear. She also paused for a moment to consider the idea that this Pawniard had scarred Akuroma. She couldn't help but chuckle slightly, though it was hidden from view with a supposedly harmless smile.
"Well he sounds like quite a stand up guy," she commented eventually, "I guess i'll have to try and stay away from my usual thieving tendencies," she smiled, not particularly wanting to make an enemy out of this Pawniard friend of Akuroma's if she could help it. A decent and respectable pokemon like that probably wouldn't take too well to her trying to steal things, at least if the Ralts's other stories were to be believed.

Vesper
Energy: 26
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Akuroma shrugged, acting as if he couldn't sense the glee Vesper felt at the idea of Enzu scarring Akuroma. He had noticed a steady increase in his horn's sensitivity to other's emotions. Though he still couldn't sense the emotions of a pure Dark type unless it was high or drunk like Mirage once was, ever since his training climb with Enzu on Pricklemist Hill he had been able to sense the emotions of non-pure Dark types ever so slightly.

"He wouldn't mind if it were taken off the unconscious body of a Pokemon living in a dungeon. In fact one time we defeated a Poliwhirl in Cattail Marsh and he got a Joy ribbon off the Pokemon. Later on the Poliwhirl's mother and he had found us and she apologized for her son for battling us and let Enzu keep the ribbon as a gift," he said. Akuroma stopped for a second, his horns twitching on his head.

Dracorexion carried out 3 launched of one Pecha Forest :

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Vesper shrugged at the idea of taking items from the unconcious body of a fellow Pokemon, though Akuroma could probably sense that she wasn't as enthusiastic about taking items from an unconcious body when compared to the method she explained next.
"Personally I prefer the idea of stealing from right under someone's nose, but them never knowing you were there until it's too late. The thrill I get from that sort of thievery is definitely more fulfilling than the find-someone-with-something-you-like-and-beat-them-up-before-you-take-their-stuff method," she grinned cheerfully, pausing for a short moment before continuing, "Though I wouldn't say no to the latter option. However if your somewhat respectable friend can do that without feeling some sort of guilt it suddenly doesn't seem as fun anymore," she added.

Akuroma chuckled, "So you can only feel something is fun if someone disapproves?" he asked, his arm beginning to glow with psychic energy as he prepared a Psyshock. He swung his arm backwards and the wave of psychic energy released from the swing slammed into a Ledyba that was trying to sneak it's way to them from behind. Akuroma glanced at the Pokemon, who was knocked out just from the one hit.

"Disappointing, I'm growing too powerful for the Pokemon in this forest to even provide a challenge without being in groups," he said, looking at his arm before he glanced down and noticed the Oran berry and Swift seed in his path. He picked the two items up and placed them in his bag.

(15/29 energy)

"Not necessarily, but thieving doesn't feel as fun if people don't disapprove," she replied with a small chuckle of her own. She glanced back as Akuroma charged his Psyshock, releasing the energy to quickly defeat the Ledyba.
The Roselia rolled her eyes with a small shake of her head, "If you want it to be a challenge, try holding back a little bit," she commented.
"Well anyhow. How's your Thunder Punch going? You said you were here in the first place to 'perfect it's use' after all."

"Holding back makes it even more boring. If I want a challenge, I want the pleasure of being able to go all out against it," he said. He looked over at Vesper and smirked, though the shadow of his hood hid it."It's just like you with thieving and someone disapproving it, if I can't have a challenge while going all out, it's no fun. Though sometimes weak opponents can provide challenges if they surprise me," he said. His smirk disappeared when Vesper asked about his Thunder Punch."Still takes a bit of focus to use, but not as much as when I was using it in our battle," he said. "Probably just a bit more practice and I'll be able to use it on the spot. Anyways, you said your parents would call you a thief. Does that mean they weren't thieves themselves?"

"I suppose when you put it that way I can understand that," she replied. She then nodded to herself as the Ralts said about only needing a little more practice. Apparently Akuroma was a fast learner in that respect. Vesper blinked as Akuroma asked about her parents.
"Nope. They were probably about as normal and boring as anyone gets. They highly disapprove of my thievery but I've decided that I don't care. They're not here to stop me after all," she smiled brightly. Her conversation with Avaria a few days previous had definitely done wonders for her attitude towards her parents' thoughts about her. She didn't feel the need to dwell on it so much anymore.

"Heh, I wonder what my parents would say about me hanging around a bunch of outlaws. I was supposed to take over the village I lived in once I had come of age," he said. Akuroma never thought much about his parents or his old village since he had accidentally arrived in Grassveil. It hadn't bothered him much that he had left his parents unannounced, especially since he had never planned on it, though he guessed he should probably return there at some point. "So how'd you go about becoming a thief, if I may ask?" the Ralts asked. Ever since he took down the Ledyba in one hit, his horns hadn't sensed anything too close, so talking to Vesper was the most interesting thing going on.

Vesper glanced back over to the Ralts with a small shake of her head and a sly smile, "You already asked me a question, it's my turn to ask you one," she grinned, pausing to think for a short moment before continuing.
"So how do you know Avaria?" she asked, her curiosity genuine. Akuroma had mentioned her at least twice since she'd met him and hadn't really provided an explanation other than vague comments. Then again Vesper hadn't asked about it until now.