Showdown at Sunset

[beforethedarkness]

Who: Sasuke Uchiha (beforethedarkness), Bowser (kingbowser), Lightning Farron (soggypastry), Obito Uchiha (itsjustdust), Tenten (usedswift), "Evan" (Riku Replica) (falseshore), Ren Jinguji (saxsongs), Hope Estheim (eagletalons), and anyone else who happens to be in Olivine City at the time
Where: Olivine City, near the gym
When: March 15th, early evening
Summary: Being in hiding doesn't stop Sasuke from going out to try and get his third badge, but on the way back home he's interrupted by an unwelcome surprise visitor.
Rating: PG
Log:

That was an easier battle than he had expected; although Getsukage was still weak from the bout, but Hiruzen and Senshi still did amazingly well. Obito, Evan, and Tenten had insisted on joining him, and it was hard to turn them away -- especially when Lightning thought that the additional company and protection was a good idea. Sasuke couldn't win against the argument, so all three of them ended up spectating for Sasuke's battle.

Still, something felt unsettling as he began to walk back, and in an attempt to not think about it he kept his eyes focused on the badge in his left palm, walking back towards the house alongside the others and no longer paying close attention to his surroundings. Unfortunately, that lack of attention paid was going to bet the start of a rather untimely event.

Comments

[eagletalons]

Hope waves Evan in, but doesn't round on the boy. Not yet anyway. He still doesn't know Evan's contribution to this whole fiasco, and reserves his mouth until he knows.

"Sasuke risked his Pokémon to create a smokescreen and yet you still did not use that to your advantage? No one would have been able to see through a Smokescreen move unless they have Pokémon with special abilities such as a Luxray."

But he's not done yet. Not at all. In fact, given enough time, Hope's temper may just get worse-- which startles even himself, considering he hasn't been like this since he was younger. Hope takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I repeat, this is not your home world. The rules are different here-- which means you cant do anything you would have done at home. None of us can, so don't think it's only you who are being backed into a corner by these rules."

[soggypastry]

While Evan's entrance doesn't do much more than earn him a glance from Lightning, the anger in Tenten and Obito's voices makes her raise a brow. They want to pull that card? Okay, fine. They can pull that card.

"What I was expecting you to do was listen and take advantage of a distraction while it was still there." She raises a hand, ticking things off on her fingers as she continues.

"You had cover with that smoke. From the sounds they made, none of Bowser's team were Pokémon with the ability to see through it and neither he nor they could have followed you away. You had backup, and I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the Pokémon that Hope and I have are both higher leveled than the majority of yours. We've both been here long enough that we don't need to be reinforced, Tenten." She lowers her hand, recrossing her arms.

"I don't know what kind of training you've all had on your world, but around here? None of it counts. Not your training, or what Hope and I have had. Attacking other trainers or their Pokémon yourself only earns you a warrant out for your arrest, and Bowser has the whole of Team Rocket behind him if he wants to hide and wait it out. All you three have in this mess is this house and the two of us. The faster you understand that, the better."

It's not a threat, but cold hard statement of fact. She won't kick anyone out, but they need to understand the stakes here. Need to understand that this isn't their home world where throwing weapons into eyes is a valid and actually good idea.

[usedswift]

Excuse you, Obito. Not that she doesn't appreciate the support, but she can stand up for herself. A step forward to stand beside him, not about to cower behind someone of allegedly higher rank.

"With all due respect, neither've of you are listening." She's trying to keep her voice steady, but the tone and volume kept increasing until she was nearly shouting by the end. "We were using the Smokescreen until you lot showed up! Are you trying to say that we're useless? We were attacked first! And if I hadn't thrown that knife, a hundred pounds of razorbird would've fallen on me and Obito-kun here. Would you rather that, Hope-san, Lightning-san? Huh?!"

[itsjustdust]

Obito reached out and touched Tenten's arm, a staying gesture as his demeanor, which had been angry before, yes, but hot anger, rapidly cooled to a veneer of ice. His tone was entirely controlled. "They're not listening Tenten. It doesn't matter what happened, and they're not going to ask for any kind of report before they assume their facts are the right ones."

Obito never looked away from Lightning, his eyes hard and unreadable, not a hint of friendliness in them. "If we're still welcome to stay here until the warrant is expired, I believe we're finished, and me and mine will take our leave of the conversation."

[beforethedarkness]

He knew it.

The words were like a knife twisting in his gut, and his fingers tightened in his shirt to the point where it made his arm shake. He wasn't needed then at all -- he was too weak. Even though Hope had said it before, it just seemed to hurt so much more when it came from Lightning. His training and effort meant nothing at all, even after all this time.

He just kept his head bowed, listening quietly for nothing more than the signal to leave, otherwise losing himself in his own emotions behind that completely cold face of his.

[falseshore]

As a somewhat passive participant in the battle, and someone who had fled when most of his Pokémon couldn't stand up to the higher-level attacks, some of what was being described was news to him. And while he does agree with what Lightning and Hope said, he agrees with the ninja trio slightly more.

"So what would we do if something happened to one of you two? If the reinforcements failed and we had to face Bowser's team anyway?"

[eagletalons]

"You think we would have failed that easily?" For that, Evan gets a frown.

"Being here for years, we know how this world works. Like Lightning said, we know this world and have prepared for it better than anyone else in this house. And neither Lightning nor I aren't such civilians," he remembers those words, kids. He knows, "that we don't know how to defend ourselves. throwing knives or fighting Bowser isn't the problem.

"The problem right here, right now, is your attitude. How do you expect me to agree with you when logically, your thoughts and actions make no sense? Hypothetically, if you were to go to the police and argue your case against Bowser, they would take all of you to jail anyway-- belligerence gets you nowhere. Stop and think of your actions as if you were a spectator or even the police, watching someone throw a knife at another in such a public place, even if the latter began the fight. I know I wouldn't want all of those people to roam around if I were the third party."

[soggypastry]

Evan gets double frowns, one from Hope and one from Lightning, but the lady keeps her mouth shut tight. They don't get it. They're. Not. Listening. Her vision doesn't flare red with anger, she's long past that kind of rage, but Hope's words say more than she ever could at this point. Best to leave that to him since he's had actual time to calm down.

"And what's that knife throwing gotten you but a warrant and Bowser probably nursing an even larger grudge against all of you? This isn't something that's solved with taking out someone's eye, Tenten. Not here."

Not in a world that punishes those who take matters into their own hands, but that's a discussion for another time. She turns to Obito, not so much as blinking an extra time at the look on his eyes. On some level, she gets it. He's protecting his own and if their situations were reversed she'd be doing the same thing. That doesn't mean there aren't consequences for their behavior now.

"You'll be staying until the warrant expires, and until I say otherwise, you three are to stay in this house unless accompanied out by Hope or myself. Am I clear?"

Whether she is or isn't, there will be Pokémon stationed at every door and window in the place from now on, to be sure they can't sneak out in the night.

[usedswift]

A muscle clenched in her jaw as she looked first to Evan, almost surprised that he'd made it, before turning her attention to Hope. "Sure, maybe you can defend yourselves, but so can we."

They're not listening, these civilians. She'd dearly like to just scream, but her anger is starting to chill into a hard, sinking coolness in her gut. If they were right, and she'd endangered Sasuke and Obito, then...

"I protected my comrades the best way I knew how. I'm not going to apologize for that, whether it's legal or not. A spectator would have seen Bowser attack us first." Her eyes flashed, but she clamped her lips shut and crossed her arms, glaring away from all of them. If Sasuke and Obito were following Lightning's order, then she would, too, but she wasn't going to be the first to say so.

[itsjustdust]

"Then we will remain until the warrant is expired Lightning-san." Obito pivoted in place catching Tenten's elbow to spin her around, though the touch stayed light, and put his hand at the small of her back to get her moving forward before padding in the direction of Sasuke.

"Come on Tenten, I think it's time to end this discussion." It was a murmur, and he looked to Sasuke, studying his face. "Come on, you too. Evan, we're going to go out that way, you can stay in here or come with, course."

[beforethedarkness]

He didn't say a word, any will to fight against Hope's words having been drained right out of him with Lightning's. It wasn't any good. It didn't matter what he said anymore, if he said anything at all. One very quiet word left his lips, and when he rose his head to meet Lightning's eye, a trace of unmistakable hurt finally cracked his expression. It only lasted for an instant however, and the next he had already replaced it with his own cold and distant mask -- the one he was most comfortable showing everyone else to hide what he was really feeling.

"Clear."

Without pause or even facing Obito and Tenten he turned to head upstairs and to his room, still limping a little from the injury but making it up just fine without the intent to stop regardless of what else was said. More than anything, then and there, he wanted to be alone.

[falseshore]

He starts to say something in response to Hope and Lightning, opening his mouth, but closing it quickly. He had originally come in to see what the argument was about, not to join in in the argument, and come to find out, most of it wasn't even about him anyway. So he didn't really have anyone to defend or attack.

He watches Sasuke leave, raising an eyebrow, then turns to Obito.

"I'm staying here. And you should probably leave him alone."