Training or Vengeance?

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Hidon couldn't shake his nerves as he took step after step deeper into the dark wood surrounding him. Part of him could hardly believe that he had come here again so soon after his last...less-than-favorable attempt to traverse the trees. Just the thought of what that Ariados and Venomoth had done before caused him to shiver slightly in anticipation and nervousness. But the Charmander quickly shoved the thoughts aside with a swift shake of his head. He couldn't be so needlessly unnerved by one bad encounter. So he had managed to find a couple of particularly powerful Pokémon out here. So what? Now that he knew the Pokémon out here weren't to be underestimated, he knew better. He knew not to let down his guard for anything. And he couldn't let them scare him this time. No...now, he had a teammate. And he couldn't let that Taillow out-do him.

Besides. This time, he had a weapon to utilize. Since his last visit, he had acquired a TM. So now, he wasn't lacking a Fire type weapon to utilize against those Bug Pokémon if he ever saw them again. He'd make absolutely sure that they were ready to get knocked out. In fact, another part of him actually wondered if vengeance might be part of the reason he returned. Did he simply want to take down that Ariados himself? It was certainly a possibility, and he wouldn't put it past himself. After all, he could hardly deny that he was furious for losing to them.

Well whatever the case, he had come here for one other reason in particular. He needed to get stronger faster. He couldn't just sit around now that he'd been defeated so many times. This time, he was going to win every fight he came to. No matter how tired he was...he refused to lose in this place again! If he was going to put his team on the top of the Guild, he was going to have to start getting to work. And what better place to demonstrate his improvement than to conquer the same forest that had kicked him around like a plaything?

His mind set, Hidon took a quick, deep breath...and bellowed.

"HEY! Come on out and stop hiding already! I'm ready to take on anybody! Unless you're all just scared of my new strength!"

His challenge issued, he decided to stand around for a couple of minutes; see if there were any takers nearby. There was no better way to train than to engage in fight after fight, after all.

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Perched in the branch of a nearby tree, almost completely concealed in shadows thanks to the forest's lighting and his type, Dismas' heart sank. He had been half-halfheartedly following this Charmander, as per usual- one of his hobbies was observing Pokémon that looked interesting or useful. Despite his confidence in his stealth, this Charmander had somehow sensed him! Granted, he'd been sort of lazily following him, not exactly focused or paying too much attention to the little newt, other things weighing on his mind, but still. His posture froze and the dark-type's fight-or-flight instinct kicked in hard. If this Charmander was not only observant and astute enough to recognize his presence so quickly, but also going so far as to brazenly-- foolishly, had it been any other Pokémon-- call him out without the slightest hesitation in his frame... well, it spoke of strength. Dismas wasn't entirely sure if he could do the same, if someone were to tail him like he was this Charmander.

It could have been heightened senses, perhaps... the Charizard line was famous, after all. He didn't know any of their specific abilities aside from the usual dragon hype, like flying, breathing fire, and terrifying presence on the battlefield... but they were an incredibly powerful species. He certainly would not be surprised if that was the case.

Either way, the cat was out of the bag. The question now, was whether or not to flee or do as the Charmander demanded. The way this Charmander called him out, so bold and confidently, spoke of strength. If he could sense him so easily, then he'd probably be able to catch him if he ran. The safest option was to drop down and plea for forgiveness-- or take whatever punishment the Charmander had in mind. But if he fled, he'd be able to escape without consequence--  but if he was caught...

Sighing deeply, the dark imp dropped from the high branch deftly, landing on the soft forest floor behind the Charmander. He raised his claws non-threateningly, head tilted down submissively, but amethyst eyes still casted upwards towards Hidon.

"My, oh my... are you vigilant. My apologies for following you, good sir. I couldn't see well in this forest-- hadn't the slightest inclination that you were of the Charizard line of all species-- ... I was merely curious as to what I saw. But now... now I see." A friendly grin played about his mug, sharp canines carefully not shown, and his claws still raised, the dark-type bowed briefly. "I am named Dismas."

Hidon crossed his arms and stood around, deciding that it would be best if he stuck around here for a few minutes. That would give any Pokémon within earshot of him plenty of time to find him. After all, what was the point of issuing a challenge if he wasn't around for any Pokémon to find him as a result? And as it happened, he was not standing around for very long before one Pokémon seemed to let out a sigh and drop to the ground not far from him.

Dismas' sudden appearance caused Hidon to turn around, taken by surprise when somebody had arrived so quickly. But he got his reason quickly enough. After all, the Sableye had been the one to initiate the conversation. Apparently, the Dark Ghost hybrid Pokémon had been following him, claiming to have not known what exactly he was. He wasn't sure how much of that he actually bought, but he was more curious as to why he had been tailed in the first place. But perhaps that was a question for another time.

Something about this guy, though, gave Hidon the creeps. Perhaps it was merely the fact that he was both a Dark and a Ghost type here in Shadowhue Forest in combination with that strange, jeweled gaze of his? Well, since the Sableye seemed rather submissive and nonthreatening, he quickly dismissed the uneasiness as just his nerves. He clearly had no intention to fight.

"Eh...?" Hidon murmured back, turning to face Dismas completely. "You were following me?" he asked, but quickly paused when he realized that that could make him seem less impressive. "That is...yeah, of course I knew you were following me. I mean, when you're as good as I am, it's kind of hard not to know...y'know?" He put his claws to his waist, puffing his chest lightly in pride as he laughed. "So, you're Dismas, huh? Well, I can't say I care much. But I guess I'm not doing anything interesting right now anyway. The name's Hidon. And you'd better remember it. I'm going to be the strongest team leader in the Grassveil Guild one day. And when that time comes, you'll be able to look back on today and say 'Yeah, I met that guy!'"

He then let out another prideful laugh. He did not seem to take any issue with Dismas yet. But he certainly didn't return the favor and bow back in his introduction. He merely stayed upright, standing tall and strong, trying to look as dominant as possible. First impressions were everything after all, right?

Despite himself, Dismas couldn't help but let out a small chuckle after Hidon finished speaking. Here he had been worried that this little newt was good enough to notice him. But alas, not only was he heedless enough to not notice him, he was also dumb enough to let slip he didn't. And apparently he didn't care. He'd been worried, before, that the Charmander was confident enough in his power to brazenly call out his pursuer. Instead, it seemed he was dumb enough to shout at the forest trees, hoping for something to breathe fire at. Pfft... dragons.

Amethyst eyes cast over Hidon discreetly, weighing his upright and firm posture against the dumb sounds that were coming out of his jaws. Studying the sharpness of his claws, to the brightness of his tail-flame, Dismas had to conclude that he appeared quite hardy. He seemed secure enough in his own strength, if he wasn't exactly bright. Then again, it's not like he had to be, being a Charmander and all. Ignoring the twinge of jealously he felt, the dark-ghost instead moved towards communicating with the baby 'zard.

"Well, you certainly seem confident enough. I'm glad that I'm good enough to soak up a few minutes of your time, then." Inside, he really felt like raking his claws across the foolish prat's face- but he'd learned that not everyone who seemed weak was weak. Besides, this Charmander had to be bragging about something. He was probably stronger than him. "I must ask, however, if you didn't know I was up in those trees... who were you calling out to, exactly?"

When Dismas' question came to him, Hidon couldn't help but allow a grin to cross his face. Sure, the Sableye had obviously caught on to how he didn't actually know he'd been there, but now he had yet another chance to show off. Another chance to demonstrate how cool, strong and confident in his own abilities that he truly was. He made a quick gesture behind him with his head, indicating the vast expanse of shadowy forest around them. "Nobody in particular," he answered him. "See, I'm out here to train. Like I said, I'm going to become he strongest team leader in he entire Grassveil Guild. I've been in these parts before, and it's chock full of strong Pokémon. And what better way to get better and stronger than fighting powerful Pokémon and getting some real battle experience out here in the wild, huh?"

He let out a small laugh before turning away from Dismas for a moment. "...So basically, I just yelled out my challenge to anybody who was nearby. I hoped to get the attention of some wandering feral Pokémon to fight, but I guess I've got no such luck so far. Except for you, of course." At that, an idea suddenly seemed to strike the Charmander's mind. As he quickly turned back around again and immediately began moving his head up and down, visibly sizing the Sableye up. It was probably rather obvious to him what he was considering.

"Say, speaking of which, how tough are you?" he asked. "I mean...since you're here and all, and you were the first to respond, you think you're good enough to give me a bit of a workout?" He then grinned. "And I've never seen a Pokémon like you before. It could be fun fighting a Pokémon I've never seen before. Of course, if you're not strong enough, then I wouldn't want to hurt you too bad or anything."

"Ah... not very. I can defend myself, of course, but against someone of your caliber... well, meeting a dragon on the battlefield would give any fighter reason to pause." Dismas made a show of shivering slightly, purposefully drawing his eyes towards Hidon's more (perhaps only) battle-oriented traits, like his claws and fangs. "Especially one of my species. I'm a Sableye, and a dual Dark-Ghost type. Unnerving, I know, but I'm not quite as scary as I look. Even less so when you consider that we're not all that strong, good sir.

Shaking himself out a little bit, Dismas knew he was probably about to get his butt handed back to him. He had very little experience fighting, a weak set of moves, and the bad tendency to lose his cool when he fought. Perhaps his only good traits were always going for his opponents weak-spots, physical and mental, and clever, predator-like mindset. Even then, those would only carry him so far. And while Hidon was still a charmander, he was very much still a part of the Charizard line. No matter what, he would prove at least capable on the battlefield.  

"Still, if you want a little work-out, I may be able to suffice... if you give me your word you won't tear me to shreds, that is." His grin turned nervous, and he made sure that when he took his stance, Hidon would be able to see reluctance and perhaps a little bit of fear. While being underestimated was always useful, Dismas wasn't sure if he even wanted to win this little mock-fight. "I very much like being in one piece."

"Not very, huh?" Hidon repeated, listening to what Dismas had to say. He watched the Ghost-type talk and look uncertainly at his body. He could feel his own pride swelling with word. He allowed everything the Sableye said to soak into his mind and absorb it like some kind of compliment sponge. And just as the Ghost-type claimed, Hidon had to admit that this Dismas guy was not looking very tough or intimidating. One look at those slight shivers and glances toward his claws told him all he needed to know. This guy was probably not quite what he was looking for in a battle partner.

But it was at that point that another neat idea crept into his own head. The thought caused him to grin, even as the Sableye continued to talk and consider becoming his sparring partner for now. But at this point, Hidon had another idea. Whether it also ended up with the two of them fighting or not, he wasn't sure. But it would certainly make him look a lot better and stronger. Dismas' nervous grin already told the story that this guy was not very confident in his battle skill. And that was all the better for him.

"Nah, that's alright," Hidon replied, his grin not yet faded away. "I prefer to fight Pokémon that can give me a good fight. And if you're not sure you can give me that, I'd rather save my energy for a more intense fight." He then made an attempt to meet the Sableye's gaze. "...But, I do have a question for you. D'you want to be as strong as me? Because...well, I was just thinking. I always love helping out Pokémon in need, so maybe you might be interested in learning a thing or two from me?"

And there it was. He'd just laid out an offer to train Dismas of his own accord, without even thinking about what this guy's deal really was...

And there was his in.

This poor little newt had no idea what he was getting into. Associating itself with Dismas the Sableye, of all the wandering Pokémon in the forest, and offering to train with him. Of course, the dark-ghost hybrid was interested in seeing how strong this little dragon was, but he couldn't be that strong. Oh, it would be a terrifying, staggering creature someday, soaring the skies of the world scorching all that lay in its path... if he survived through all of the fights that would lead up to his final evolution, but until then he was as normal as the rest of them. But if this baby dragon-- this little moron, who could one day grow up to become so powerful, wanted to show him a thing or two in the ring? Well, how could he say no?

If he managed to weasel his way into Hidon's good graces, secure a favor or two-- because there was no way he'd be able to contain the might of a drake. Servitude was out of the question-- then, well, all the better. Dismas smiled, excitement and glee seeping from his mug, completely genuine... if a little twisted. He'd thought before that he would be lucky to escape the forest without taking a beating, but making friends with a Charmander? He was having such good luck lately.

"Oh, really?! You'd really deign to teach- someone like me? Someone like you?" His form shook excitedly, and Dismas looked to the Charmander with stars in his gemstone eyes. "Of course- of course! You must know all sorts of things about fighting-- what, being a dragon and everything!"

Hidon grinned at Dismas' reaction. He could see all of the pure excitement about learning from him, even in those gemstone eyes of his. though something about him caused another slight chill to run down his spine, but he dismissed it as just a Ghost- and Dark-type hybrid having a creepy smile. After all, he had no real reason to suspect this guy of any wrongdoing. Well...sure, he'd been followed by the guy, but that didn't really matter all that much, did it? He certainly couldn't blame him for wanting to see him in action. Especially with how strong he was. He had a feeling that this was going to be pretty fun. Not only was this Sableye eager to learn from him, but he apparently looked up to him quite a bit already, as if he were some kind of star. And that only made the Charmander all the more eager.

Hidon nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I know all kinds of things about fighting. My dad trained me from when I was just a little squirt," he stated, grin widening slightly as Dismas began to shake slightly. It was a bit of an exaggeration, since his dad had really ever only shown him the basics and how to properly use Dragon Rush, the move he had inherited from him. "But just so you know, it's not going to be easy. If being this strong was easy, everybody would be. You sure you can handle it, Dismas? I certainly don't want to end up getting you hurt out here. And you'll have to be tough to handle training with me."