Steve turns, and does a bit of a half smile. He looks from Raymond to Robyn, sighing abit. "I don't know if I am or not, to tell you the truth." He approaches them again, wondering what he should say. His eyes shift their gaze again, the green pools looking more and more burdened all of the time. He thrusts his hands into his pockets and just stands a thinks. "Trying to decide what to do with my life, which has turned out to be tedious and frustrating."

Grayson, sitting on a bench next to a blanket-wrapped Robyn with Edward lying on the ground close by and Sid around his neck, shrugs. "Might be as well to leave me out of the conversation," he smiles gently, "Since you're trying to get him used to who you are now." He nods to Steve, then shrugs. "Me, I'm going to get a lot more experience as a trainer and then try for a Breeder's license. But I'm older, I'm supposed to have an idea of what I want to do. You don't have to have that yet, you know?"

Robyn sniffles a bit, the cold causing her congested nose to run. Beside her, on the side opposite Grayson, floats an Abra. She nods at the Rocket's words. "Good idea. Maybe once he's come to accept who and what I am, he'll be able to be polite to you." As the man continues, telling Steve his plans, she looks a bit surprised. "Wow, a breeder? That's so cool!" For an instant, she seems the happy, cheerful girl she always used to be.

Here it is. Gorgeous Celadon City, one of the biggest cities most people have ever heard of. "C... Certainly is a fair bit larger than, um, than Pewter, right, Apple?" A teenage girl asks her Charmander companion, peering around the park with eyes filled with awe behind those glasses of hers. The girl is none other than Pewter's own Melissa Barlette, but what is she doing in the hustling and bustling Celadon City? <Look! Look! Look!> The Charmander skips out ahead of her trainer, pointing frantically at everything her bright eyes will find. Flowers! Trees! Kids! This park is absolutely perfect for a - "Apple... D-don't be getting any ideas of running off or something. I'd never find you in such a... a... big place." Big, for lack of a better or more creative word. The fire-type, muttering bitterly under her breath, stamps her foot on the ground, but the gesture is unnoticed by her trainer. Melissa doesn't give her Pokemon a second look as she ventures further into the park.

Steve smiles, and nods. "Yeah, but that's what you want to be. I don't go out and about fighting gym leaders, getting eight badges, fighting in the Pokemon League. It's been done, my parents both did it, and there sitting around at home, bored. I don't want that." His face wrinkles in concentration. "Forgive me if this sounds like a little kid dream, that is outragous but; I want something that will give me a sense of fulfillment, no matter what it is. The norm for most trainers, if for most trainers. As you know, I'm just a bit odder than the rest." He just sighs again, realizing the rambling isn't going to get him anywhere.

Purple, gold, and vermillion clouds grace the western sky as the sun descends toward the west.

Grayson chuckles softly. "Well, I like pokemon, and raising Sid and Nell have been such rewarding experiences. Have to make my name as a trainer before I'll be able to have much success as a breeder, though." Melissa and her Charmander don't go unnoticed, but they do go unremarked, the wary old Rocket's eternal paranoia alerting him to yet another pokemon and trainer in the area. At Steve's words, he chuckles. "If you're just a bit older than the rest, what on earth does that make me?" the old Rocket smiles. "If you're going to fulfill a dream, best you find one first. What do you want to do with your life? Who do you want to be when you hit my age?"

Robyn looks thoughtful at the old trainer's words. Suddenly, though, her Abra once more informs her of the entrance of another trainer. *Human girl and fire-type pokemon,* he thinks at her. Nodding, she hands the Abra a fruit roll-up without him even having to whine. "Do note, Kasim, that that is the last one. I will buy some more though, if you continue to behave." She gives the psychic pokemon a hard look. "Understand?" Kasim nods slightly, more interested in tearing open the wrapper. Tiny bits of plastic float downward as he opens the treat. Robyn sighs. "Make sure you clean that up when you're done," she says, and turns back to the conversation. Her brow furrows as she thinks. "Hmm...what do I want to do with my life?" she asks herself quietly.

Steven continues to think, he doesn't pay much attention to Melissa. It isn't like there aren't other people around. "I don't have a goal, I just wanna do something. I need an idea, some form of inspiration." He turns, looking at a larger rock amongst the others, and in a second, sends it flying through the air with a kick. "This isn't right. All of my friends back in Viridian have something to show for themselves, and they left the same time I did."

A sudden burst of wind lifts separates Melissa's hair from her neck, but it goes unnoticed by the girl. The Charmander, more uncomfortable in the breeze for obvious reasons, chrips a frantic little "Char!" and scrambles to safety behind her trainer. As a late and slow response to the gust, Melissa slowly lifts a hand up to her face to keep her glasses from being thrown into the moving air, but her other hand does nothing about her ruffling hair. Apple, now nice and safe behind the wonderful barrier she calls a "trainer", notices three humans up ahead. Three humans! <Oo! Oo! Look! Will they play? Do you think they can run fast? As fast as me? Melissa? Do you think?> Melissa's reply is a relaxed and uncaring one. "Huh?" Sure doesn't help that she doesn't understand the Charmander anyway.

Grayson pats Robyn's shoulder gently. "I've something in mind that might suit you down to the ground," he smiles confidently. "I'll talk to you about it when you've sorted yourself and Foam out and made friends again." He shrugs at Steve. "Look on the bright side - where on earth do you think all the people of my age group are? They certainly aren't starting trainers. You could have had it a lot worse, trust me."

<OOC> Steve says "I can hear everything, right?"

<OOC> Steve says "Amongst you two..or can I not?"

<OOC> Grayson would think that first couple of sentences were quiet.

<OOC> Steve sighs. "Damn, alright."

The changing of the guard occurs as a new Farfetch'd swoops down to protect the (data)base. (Saving)

He looks at Raymond for a moment, and then sighs. "I do trust you, believe me. You're content where you are at as well, from what I have seen. I'm not even close; I'm just wandering about. That isn't much of an accomplishment, I wish there was just more of a challenge to training than I have felt recently." He looks down for a moment, and just sighs. "I hate it, I despise it." Without warning he goes off and kicks another larger rock on the sidewalk, sending it flying into the grasses beyond.

Curiousity sparks in Robyn's eyes. "Really? Okay, I'll make sure to look for you after Foam and I have made up," she replies quietly, looking a bit excited. She watches the girl and the Charmander that Kasim pointed out for a moment, then returns her attention to the conversation between Grayson and Steve.

Perhaps Apple should boil it down to the most simple terms she can in hopes that her trainer will actually understand a word or two. It's not like the Charmander's speech is overly complex, but when dealing with silly people, you have to do silly things. <Look! People! Play?> Dun dun dun. "People?" The antisocial girl stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes stop peering at lemonade stands and tall department stores, and focus upon the three people ahead of her. "Uh, um, uh... Do you, um, do you want to take the long way around?" The girl's eyes roll up to her forehead for a moment, before fixing themselves on Robyn, Raymond, and Steve once again. "The, uh, the grass looks greener over there." <No!> The Charmander instantly and stubbornly barks, jumping forward a few steps. <I want to play! Maybe they can race!> Despite quiet and nervous pleas from her trainer, Apple steps boldly forward to approach the humans. Melissa just sighs, and timidly steps forward a few steps.

Grayson shrugs. "Well, I can't give you a new goal, Steve. But tell me, why did you start training in the first place? There has to be a better reason than 'everyone else was doing it'." He smiles at Robyn, ice-blue eyes apparently warm, then turns to look at Apple and her trainer, angular features still smiling.

Sly has arrived.

Robyn smiles back, apparently feeling better. Seeing the girl and the Charmander approaching now, she smiles, and snaking an arm out of the blanket, waves briefly before returning it to the warmth.

The orange-red sun sinks below the western horizon, leaving a darkening tapestry of purple and red-gold clouds behind it.

Steve smirks, his origonal goal? "Hah, yeah, I had one. It was to get away from, from the dullness of my family and home, seeking adventure, pokemon, that sort of thing. Find a life for myself." He sighs sadly, looking up at the setting sun. The boy yawns once, almost sadly. "Not much of anything, is it? I though I could do something at first, but that enthusiatic energy faded out long ago. I don't even know what to do anymore. I just stay out here so I don't have to go back home."

Great. Just great. Melissa was kind of hoping that Apple would just be ignored, but her Charmander has already been noticed. Summoning up all the courage she has, the shy girl quickens her pace, but only slightly. "H... Hi," Melissa mumbles softly, her voice not much louder than the wind, her vision set mostly upon Grayson. The teenager's face is already becoming pink. "I... I, um, I'm sorry, is my Charmander annoying you? Sh-she's... a hassle." The fire-type rolls her eyes violently, making it a needlessly obvious gesture. The Pokemon's eyes bounce from target to target, picking out the perfect one. Which one seems the fastest? <Eeny, meeny, miny...>

Grayson shrugs to Steve. "You'll just have to find something to aim for instead of away from, hmm?" He turns back to Melissa with a smile. "Not at all," he says quietly, his voice welcoming. He and Robyn are sitting next to each other on a bench, Edward at their feet, the Ponyta's flames keeping them warm. Sid the Ekans is around the old Rocket's neck as usual, black-slit yellow eyes cold and forked tongue flickering out on occasion. With the coming of the darkness, Sly arrives on the scene. No fog, and the sun is only just finishing setting, so he cannot be as invisible as he had last night. He tries though. Sly sticks to the outer edge of the park, avoiding any and all people. As usual, Shade the Haunter is with him, just invisible. The boy's gaze finds Grayson, and after a final scan of the area he heads for the older Rocket. As usual, the teen is not smiling. He never seems to be parted from his own storm cloud of frowniness.

Robyn is on the bench, listening to Steve and Grayson talk. On the side of her opposite Grayson, her Abra floats. Strangely enough, there is no sign of Foam. At Melissa's apology, Robyn shakes her head, smiling. "Oh, no, she's not bothering us. Do you know what she wants?" Kasim nudges his trainer. <Are you sure there are no more fruit roll-ups?> he asks in a whine. The trainer rolls her eyes. "No, Kasim, there aren't." <Fine then. I won't tell you what I just sensed.> Robyn looks sternly at the psychich. *Kasim, tell me, or I won't buy you any more fruit roll-ups!* Grumbling the Abra complies. *Fine. A boy from last night and a ghost.* "Thank you," Robyn says to him outloud, then returns her attention to Melissa.

Grayson's words, though they were most likely not ment to, cut. The boy sighs, looking over at Melissa and her charmander, gazing at the flaming lizard for a moment before turning to look off in the direction of the city. Quietly he speaks, not caring who hears him. "I'm gonna get out of here, and just do something to make me content for once." His green eyes hardening, the boy turns towards Grayson and he nods politely. "Thanks, for your words of wisdom. I truely do appriciate it.". He then looks over towards Robyn, who is still cuddled under her blanket. "I'll see you later Robyn, you really turned out to be a sweet girl from what I've known. Don't change." The boy turns towards Melissa with a nod, and begins to make his way slowly past everyone. Hands thrust into his pocket he just walks along, and away.

The fact that Grayson isn't pointing and laughing at the shyness of the girl does help her to exhale softly and release some of Melissa's built-up anxiety. Talking is just such a stressful thing when most of your friends are books. "Y-You're sure? I wouldn't want to be..." Gulp. "Interrupting something. Wants? No, she just wants to... um..." The girl blushes even more, her hand now lifting up to nervously scratch her neck. "Probably to... um, to race. She's quick." That must have sounded so stupid. Wonder if Celadon has a hole you can crawl into and die in? Down to the much more cheerful Charmander, she waves cheerfully as Steve leaves. <Bye! Maybe we can race someday!> Ha! Perfect! Now there are only two people to choose between! ... But who knows how she'll react if Sly, the next candidate, steps into the scene.

>> Oo, Sly looked at you. Why not write a book about him? <<

Long distance to Sly: Melissa hasn't changed her description in a while. Sorry if it's a little out-of-date. :)

Sly pages: Is she cute? Normal? Ugly?

You paged Sly with 'Cute as a button! And the beautiful brown hair blowing in the breeze makes her look even more so! Well, if you can get by the glasses. :)'.

Sly pages: Cool.

The fingers of Grayson's right hand twitch in the old Rocket's lap at Steve's words, but Grayson makes no other obvious or angry reaction, instead simply nodding a quiet, "Good bye," to Steve. Again, Sly's presence is caught by ice-blue eyes as they glance around, Grayson's paranoia keeping him alert to the presence of others. He nods to Melissa, smiling. "You're not interrupting anything at all," he says quietly, "But I might have to go and get some dinner with my nephew in a minute or two."

The fair weather clouds in the west turn orange, gold, carmine, and purple as the sun sets. A chill wind blows from the west.

Though Steve and Robyn get a look, it's the blushing Melissa who holds Sly's attention. The teen's head lifts as he studies her, hands ready at his side. Aside from her glasses, the girl is cute. The younger Rocket's eyes move from her face, following her long hair down, then back up her front. Grayson gets a nod of greeting from the teen (though his eyes stay on the trainer), and though the D-word was used, the Rocket doesn't look ready to leave for dinner. Robyn never had seen exactly who Sly was the night before, so she is quite disgusted when she realizes who must be approaching. She sighs, then focuses on Melissa and Apple, not wanting to deal with "Jason" today. "She wants to race? Well, I happen to have a Doduo that I'm sure would love to oblige her." With that, Robyn's arm appears with a pokeball, the typical red light flashes, and out appears a Doduo. "Hey, Boaz, I think the Charmander would like to race you," she grins. <A race?> <We're all for it!> the big bird exclaims happily, looking at his opponent. Sly gets one glance as he gets closer, then Robyn ignores him.

Brindled clouds conceal a few patches of starlit sky.

Nothing is worse to a shy girl than being examined. Melissa anxiously bites her lower lip as Sly studies her, and the girl shakes softly. Who knows what the boy is thinking? It's probably about how nerdy she looks, or how ugly she is? Robyn gives Melissa an escape route, but it is poorly used. "I, um, I..." The teenager can't even speak, and her foot nervously scrapes back and forth on the ground. Hopefully, Apple proves enough of a distraction. <Oo! Oo! What's that? Can he race? Is he fast?> With a hop, skip, and jump, the little fire-type bounds up to the wingless bird, giggling softly. "Char!" she greets, her paw waving vigorously in the air.

Steve looks back for just a moment, honestly wishing he would of been stopped by Raymond or Robyn. Oh well, they didn't. He sighs again and turns a corner, sitting on another bench and sighing. "Make myself content? Hah." He leans back, breathing deeply in frustration before looking up at the clouded sky. A poem runs through his mind: Star bright, star light, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might...ahh well, nothing but a dumb poem.

>> Oo, Steve looked at you. Why not write a book about him? <<

Steve heads for Celadon City: City Square.
Steve has left.

Grayson settles back on the bench with a soft sigh, one hand reaching up to caress Sid's soft purple scales. When Sly's ready to move, or when the conversation returns, he'll take part again, but for the moment he has nothing to say, nothing to add. Edward is quite content to stay where he is, having had a good run just recently, and Grayson too is quite content to sit there and watch the world around him.

Sly moves around the bench between himself and Melissa, stopping on the other side of it, behind Grayson's and Robyn's backs. There he stands, watching the long-haired girl. Well, perhaps 'staring at' might be more correct. The dark teen says nothing, the only change in his expression a sharp brightness to his eyes.

(look sly)

The Doduo cocks one head curiously at the Charmander. <I'm Boaz. I'm a Doduo. I'm very fast. I'll race you to the other side of the square!> Barely giving the lizard a chance to absorb this challenge, he goes racing away. At Sly's movement behind the bench, Robyn shifts uncomfortably. She turns to Foam, to exchange an uneasy look with him, but the fish is not there. Sighing, she looks at Kasim. *Keep an eye on him, will you? I don't trust him.* The Abra nods.

Apple has the same kind of social skills that Melissa wishes she has. That's the prevailing thought running through the teenager's mind as she stands there, freezing in the night, being stared at by a boy a lot more handsome than she is pretty. Melissa, glancing at Sly, opens her mouth to say something, but abruptly shuts it. The embarrassment the girl is feeling is almost enough to make her eyes damp, and the only thing keeping her from spinning around and running into the night crying is the fact that Apple has finally found a racing partner. The Charmander is off, not crying a word at the Doduo's lack of a ready, set, or go. As is to be expected, the Charmander is probably a fair bit slower than the Doduo, but that doesn't slow down the fire-type at all.

The changing of the guard occurs as a new Farfetch'd swoops down to protect the (data)base. (Saving)

Grayson catches the embarrassment in Melissa's eyes and turns to look up at his young partner, then smiles just a little and leans back against the bench again, shaking his head. Sid shifts around his trainer's neck to watch Grayson's back, not specifically against Sly - but something has made Grayson a little more wary than before.

Sly's lips move, forming something that might be able to be called a smile if you stretch the definition quite a bit. It's a confident look, nearly more of a smirk than a smile, almost aggressive in nature. Sid, Grayson, Robyn, and the racing pokemon are mostly ignored, the lion's share of the teen's attention on the long-haired girl. He cocks his head in silent question, his eyes seeking to hold hers. He advances another step, then stops.

Boaz, seeing the Charmander fall behind, slows down enough that he'll stay just a bit ahead of the lizard. <Come on,> <Faster, faster now!> he calls. The silence from all four trainers begins to weigh on Robyn. "So, I don't think we've met before. I'm Robyn. You are?"

Ideas race through Melissa's head. What should she do? Point behind Sly and yell, "W-what is that?!"? No, she probably wouldn't be able to form the words. "Melissa!" the girl says quickly, almost unwillingly, as she turns to Robyn. She blushes even fiercer at the sudden outburst, and continues on to say, in a much softer voice, "M... Melissa Barlette. Fr...from... Pewter City. Nice to meet you... Robyn." The girl's gaze lifts slightly, just enough to see her Charmander lagging behind the Doduo. <I'm trying, I'm trying!> The Charmander's squealing is not exasperated, or tired, or angry. She's having the time of her life, despite having to choke on the faster bird's dust.

Sid hisses something softly to his trainer, but Grayson's face alters not at all, despite the sudden flicker of anger in hastily-lowered eyes. He takes a moment, then looks back up at Melissa. "I'm Raymond," he says quietly, then nods to Sly's dark and silent form, "And this is my nephew, Jason."

Sly's head lowers into a slight nod of approval of her name. Melissa. Melissa Barlette. One more step closer to her is taken, nearly removing all the distance between them. One pace remains. The Rocket's left hand lifts to her, palm up. Dark eyebrows raise in question and offer. At Grayson's words his head is inclined once more, acknowledging that that is his name.

<OOC> Robyn is confused. "So you're in front of the bench now, Sly?"

<OOC> Sly is behind it. Isn't Melissa coming at it from behind?

<OOC> Robyn is confused now, and resolves to pay more attention to what's going on. "I have no idea."

<OOC> Sly says "Behind it or at the side, either works for the RP thus far (since the pokemon have been asked to watch)."

<OOC> Robyn says "I just need to be facing Melissa if I'm going to be talking to her. :)"

<OOC> Melissa may have been unclear in her entry poses. "Excuse me. I'm more approaching from the side, so I don't think it would interfere with the posing thus far."

<OOC> Sly says "So Robyn and Grayson are on the bench, Sly and Melissa at its side. Sly moved behind it to get to her. Likely he approached it from the other side then."

<OOC> Robyn is enlightened. "Okay, sorry about that confusion."

Boaz makes it to the other side of the square, and halts, waiting for the lizard. <Yeah!> <Come on, you can do it!> he cheers the fire pokemon on. "From Pewter? Cool. I'm from the Seafoam Islands. Have you been training long?"

"H-Hello... Raymond," Melissa says softly, managing a light smile as she looks in the old man's direction. The butterflies in her stomach intensify as Sly steps forward, and Melissa's thoughts scatter in every direction. Step back? Step forward? Run to the bathroom and purge? The confusion in her head scrambles more when Sly lifts his left hand. "H-Hi..." The girl practically squeaks, her fist clenching and unclenching in an attempt to relieve some of the stress. Her hand does not lift in response to Jason's own. "Ja-Ja..." She can't form the word. Is it love? Is it nervousness? Or has her jaw just frozen from the wind? Whatever the case, Robyn is unintentionally ignored, her gaze completely settled upon the Rocket's face. In a much more frantic world, Apple emits a loud "Maaander!" and her velocity increases, though the cute reptile doesn't even seem to be even remotely tired. It shouldn't be long before she catches up with the stopped Boaz.

Grayson fights his inclination to smirk, settling back and folding his arms as he watches Sly and Melissa with some amusement, though his wariness is unabated. Sid continues to watch his trainer's back as a slight smile does break out onto Grayson's face.

Sly's eyes narrow as Robyn keeps trying to make conversation. He takes a step to one side, putting himself between the two girls, his back to Robyn and Grayson. His hand remains in the air between himself and Melissa, his gaze becoming more intense. The darkness gathering in the park matches the color of the teen's eyes, and they're fully directed at her. His "smile" returns, the confident expression seeming intended to will her to take his hand. Take it. What could it hurt? The lines of the smile deepen, angles becoming sharper.

Both of Boaz's heads break into big grins as the Charmander catches up. <All right!> <You made it!> <Wanna race again?> the heads take turns saying. Robyn, ignored, and now blocked, falls silent, and goes back to fingering a certain pokeball on her belt. *Poor girl,* she thinks to the Abra, watching Sly's back cautiously. *I sure wouldn't want to be the object of his attention.*

The only proof that Melissa hasn't totally spaced lies in the fact that her hand is raising up to meet Sly's. With slow, mechanical, and smooth movements, Melissa's right hand begins to ascend slowly. The look in her eyes is one showing one word - captivation. When the girl's hand reaches the height of Jason's, it stops, though it does not touch the Rocket's.

Grayson's smile fades, the watchful air about him intensifying as he keeps his eyes on Sly and Melissa, watching for something in particular. A fragment of his attention remains with Robyn, but it is on the standing pair that ice-blue eyes are fixed, intent, nothing showing on the old Rocket's face.

Sly's expression changes as Melissa's hand raises. His smile increases a notch or two, but only on the very surface of it is it encouraging her -- underneath it's a more selfish emotion: Satisfaction that he got her to do this much. He keeps his eyes directly on hers, like some bestial hunter hypnotizing his prey into standing still for the kill. His own hand crosses the small distance between theirs. His fingers close around her hand surprisingly gently, the contact sending a charge through the Rocket. Dark eyes brighten further, his breathing becoming slower and quieter.

The Doduo pauses for only a moment before taking off after the Charmander. Then he runs, easily catching up to the reptile, but rather than racing ahead, keeps pace with her, long legs running easily. <Wow,> <You're a good runner!> the bird says, pretending to have to pant a bit. Robyn watches what she can of the pair, somewhat intrigued by the strange interaction. It's somewhat reminiscent of a bird being hypnotized by a snake.

Sly's breathing may be very quiet, but Melissa is barely breathing at all. The girl is completely mesmerized, and it doesn't seem like anything can break the trance. At first sight... is it? Is it... ... It can't be. One word flashes in the girl's mind, causing her to gasp and snap back into reality. The girl's surprised look is that of someone waking up from a nightmare: wide-eyed and shocked. "I... I... I'm sorry, I, um, I'm... I'm..." The girl attempts to yank her hand away, and only if Sly reacts quickly and tightens his grip will he be able to keep the female teenager's hand from slipping out of his own. "I... can't, I-I-I... can't..." Her mind is now focused on somebody else, but it's a foggy and unclear imagine.

Grayson pulls the cuff of his coat back and looks at his watch, then clears his throat. "Much as I hate to break this up," he says quietly into the night, the barest hint of steel in his tone, "Jason and I have to be moving." He stands in one graceful, flowing movement, eyes glittering in the shadows cast by his hat, something subtly different about him now. As gentle as Sly's fingers had closed about Melissa's hand a moment ago, when she tries to jerk away the trap snaps shut. Though his fingers are hard and unyielding, and his grip firm to the point of painful if that's what it will take to keep her there, his expression changes little. Nearly black eyes become more intense, changing from trying to convincing her to stay to staring her down and giving the girl no choice in the matter. That she "can't" or that she's "..." appears to matter nothing to the younger of the Rockets. Sly's back is to Robyn and Grayson, and so his eyes out of their view. Does that mean they have nothing to see? Depends how sensitive and observant they are. At Grayson's words (and his only reaction to them), the teen's weight shift minutely closer to Melissa, the action a possessive one. The vibes he gives off are strong, almost the the point of being visible: Dangerous.

One of Boaz's head shoots a wink in Robyn's direction, though she isn't watching the bird. <Yeah,> <You're winning!> he encourages. Robyn jumps a bit as Grayson suddenly speaks again, then grins sheepishly. "I actually ought to be going, too. I need to apologize to a friend...," she trails off a bit uncertainly. Her hand nervously begins to pat the pokeball again. "It was nice meeting yoy, Melissa." She turns to "Raymond" again. "I'll be seeing you soon," she says, and stands up. "Sorry to interuppt, but you need to come on, Boaz," she calls to the giant bird. She says nothing to Sly.

The changing of the guard occurs as a new Farfetch'd swoops down to protect the (data)base. (Saving)

Like a rebound from holding her breath during the moment, Melissa's heartbeat increases, and her breathing becomes rapid. The sudden activity of the girl's body intensifies further as the boy comes closer, though her first motion is to try and pull her right hand away once more, though it should almost certainly fail due to the boy's superior strength. "Ah..." the girl squeaks, though she does not squeal out in fright or pain. Her left hand does clench, however, and she takes a short step back. Her eyes glance once more back up at Sly, and a new phrase enters her mind, taking the place of whatever she was thinking about before. Too good to be true. Her mouth forms the words "Let go", but she makes no noise.

Grayson's fingers lift in a signal to Edward, who gets to his feet as clumsily as any Ponyta must. The old Rocket himself strides forward, closing the gap between himself and Sly, one long-fingered hand reaching towards the back of the boy's collar. Robyn and Melissa are paid little attention, the girls listed only as 'little threat' in Grayson's suddenly-altered view of the world. His face remains utterly expressionless, but his eyes narrow and glitter with anger. "Jason," he snaps. "Time to go." There is no room for argument in his tone.

A chilly wind blows from the west, driving dark clouds before it and blotting out the stars in patches overhead. The air is clear and elsewhere they glitter brightly in the dark sapphire sky.

The girl is permitted to retreat the small step, but her held hand will keep her from going any further... and Sly can draw Melissa back in any time. The knowledge of that sharpens his expression further. The smile has become a more toothy look, the "smile" aspect of it so thin that the evening breeze might blow it right off his face, leaving nothing but the dangerous appearance behind. Though newfound, Melissa's words hold no magical powers; Sly does not obey them.

Maybe it's the sound of Edward's rising that draws Sly's attention behind him, or maybe he hears some hint of Grayson's approach, but as the older man's hand reaches for his collar, Sly breaks off his stare into Melissa's eyes to turn to face the other Rocket, narrowed eyes glaring at him. This does not mean that he frees Melissa's trapped hand.

Boaz grins. <Congrat,> <ulations!> he tells the lizard. <I have to go now,> <My trainer is calling me.> Being much more observent (he has two heads after all,) he has noticed the little scene with Melissa and Sly. <You probably ought to,> <go back to your trainer too,> he suggests quietly, then races off to Robyn's side and beyond. <Can't catch me,> he teases the girl. "Thanks for keeping me warm, Edward," Robyn tells the Ponyta, then with a gesture to Kasim to follow her, she heads off after Boaz, blanket flapping like a cape in the wind.

As Grayson barely notices Melissa, nor does she really notice Grayson. Gathering her strength, the girl whispers, in a low, pleading voice, "Let go." Too good to be true, her head tells her. Too good to be true. For all Melissa knows and remembers, she's in the middle of a dark alley in the wrong side of town at the wee hours of the morning. The girl's left hand begins to raise, perhaps to slap or punch the boy, but it just drops after a second of struggling in vain. It's a surprise Melissa can even still stand; her muscles feel weak.

Grayson's hand doesn't stop just because one target is there - it heads for Sly's jacket instead, intending to fist at the boy's throat, the arm ready to lock to keep Sly away from his partner. Grayson moves around Sly towards Melissa, his other hand seeking one of the bunches of nerves that will force the boy's hand to open. There is nothing in his eyes or face, his expression utterly and callously blank. Edward looks from one to the other, unsure of what to do.

The words didn't work the first time, and they don't work any better the second time. If Sly had offered his recently broken right hand to her, Melissa's chance of escape would be much higher; his left hand is whole and unbroken, and very, very strong. The aforementioned right hand lifts to try to push aside or block Grayson's grab for his jacket's collar, but his attempt will likely be as ineffective as Melissa's words. Magic words failed to open his hand, but Grayson's magic touch does not. Though Sly tries to avoid that reach for the sensitive collection of nerves, his movements are even more hampered than Melissa's. Unwillingly the boy frees her hand. Anger flares in his eyes, and he bares his teeth at the other Rocket.

Grayson comes to Melissa's rescue, but the girl does not thank him. Her first thought is that Sly has taken pity, but logic soon comes into play. She was saved. She immediately recalls her hand, glancing at it only for a split second before peering back up into the boy's face. Too good to be true, her mind echos. Too good to be true. Melissa pauses for a moment. Will she spit in the boy's face? Punch him in the chest? Kick him where it hurts? No, she does not do any of these things. Slowly, her eyes become wet, an inevitability. As she bites her lower lip - hard - the girl removes her glasses, and wipes only her right eye, ignoring the left one even though it is just as close to tears as the right one is. She slips the glasses back on, and takes a step back. The bitten lip quivers as much as Melissa's body does. Still, besides the small step back, Ms. Barlette does not make any frantic attempts to remove herself from Sly's sight.

Robyn has disconnected.

Grayson's teeth bare back, icy rage flaring up in his eyes as his shoulders set. The hand in Sly's collar twists and the elbow bends as Grayson makes a start on lifting the boy by his jacket, still maintaining a grip on Sly's left arm. Whatever is standing in Grayson's place bears little resemblance to the calm, smiling man who was sitting on the bench just a few moments ago - it's more akin to the newly-revealed Sly than anything human, and it's bigger, older, wiser and stronger. Rage surges around the old Rocket, almost a palpable force, Melissa going ignored in this battle of wills provided she makes no move towards either of them.

At this exact moment in time, Melissa is ignored. It is not because Sly wants to or because he has lost interest in her, but Grayson has made himself into a larger issue. A much larger issue. Much shorter than Grayson, Sly is lifted off the ground by his jacket's collar. This is leaps and bounds better than being picked up by the throat, which is the more usual way this happens. With plenty of air and little pain making it through his cloud of rage, Sly fights back. His arms may be too short to reach Grayson's body, but his legs are not. Kicks are aimed at sensitive spots, which his hands lift to Grayson's. The thumb is sought, and if gained will be attempted to twist backwards to try to get the hand to release him.

The teenage girl's mind still echoes the phrase over and over. Too good to be true. Melissa is almost paralyzed with fear, but she still has enough of a grasp of the danger she's in to realize that this is the time to escape. Without a word, the girl turns 90 degrees, and begins marching right through a flower garden. The beautiful plants are stomped into the ground. Melissa doesn't dare contemplate the symbolism. Now that her body is turned away from the two men, Melissa's tears flow freely, though the only noise she makes is a light sob that the two males probably will not hear. The sentence repeats itself in her mind, and now even the cold night's wind can keep the girl from having a hot face. The warm tears dripping freely from her eyes don't help, and her quickly fogging glasses are icing on the cake. Apple, thankfully, notices her trainer heading out of the park. She keeps her distance, though, in a game of seeing how long it takes until Melissa realizes she forgot the Charmander. The silly pokemon doesn't see the pain her trainer is in.

Grayson releases Sly, his sensitive areas unhurt but the grip on his thumb forcing it. His hand twists in Sly's grip to catch hold of the boy's wrist and in turn try to twist the arm so that Sly will be forced to move around and put his back to his partner. Melissa's leaving simply allows him to devote more of his attention to the menace he's brought into being, the closest thing he'll ever have to a son. Even his rage does not rob the canny old Rocket of his fighting ability as he tries to neutralise the threat Sly poses to himself.

Sly is a better fighter than many folks, but Grayson is not one of them. The teen gets better with each of their encounters, but the older Rocket still has many, many advantages over him. His wrist caught, arm quite handily turned, and Sly ends up not only in a painful hold, but forced to watch Melissa escaping. A silent snarl twists his face, and he plants his boot's heels and thrusts backwards, trying to break free through brute force.

The changing of the guard occurs as a new Farfetch'd swoops down to protect the (data)base. (Saving)

Melissa is a fair distance from Sly, but she doesn't turn around to look. She probably would not be able to see far through her foggy glasses and teary eyes anyway. A poorly placed rock marks the end of Melissa's retreat, however. Unable to see the obstacle, the girl's foot bashes into the rock, sending her crashing to the ground with only a late sob as a cry. Her body slams - thankfully - into the grass, but she makes no attempts to get up. She lies on the ground and sobs her heart out, not caring that she is still within Sly's range of vision. Apple, noticing that her trainer has fallen and has not gotten up, frolics over to her trainer, her cheerful voice a complete opposite of Melissa's mood. <Come on, Melissa! Get up!> she chirps happily. She gets a broken sob in reply, leaving the Charmander to draw all kinds of puzzled conclusions.

Grayson refuses to be budged, though he is forced to lean into the impact. He hisses a few soft words to Sly, jerking the arm up higher, his free hand moving to help keep the hold in place. Ice-blue eyes glitter in the shadows cast by his hat, the headgear not even a little dislodged by the ongoing battle.

Sly, his arm twisted behind his back by Grayson and a snarl on his face, is spoken quietly to by the older man. Whatever the words are, they have no effect on the teen. Force only got his arm twisted higher, and if the boy was thinking he'd try a more fancy move instead of the same thing again, but rage prevents that. His right arm is held, but his left one is free. The knife at his waist is on the right side, but there's still the one at the small of his back. He shoves backwards again, then makes a grab for it.

Melissa is currently on the ground, a good distance away from the two Rockets, sobbing quietly into the grass. Her Charmander is at her side, completely perplexed by her trainer's actions. <Melissa? Meliiissa? Melissa, is something wrong? Melissa? Why are you crying? Melissa? Are you okay?> The Charmander has burst into a series of panicked and frantic questions, arms flailing about in a hyper panic. All nerves not given in to fear or sadness work together as Melissa does a pushup, bringing her up to her knees. Her palms are flat on the ground in front of her. Her glasses tumble off onto the ground, but they do not break. Melissa just continues crying softly. Her Charmander stops her barrage of questions, and does perhaps the only thing that would help Melissa right now. She takes a few steps forward and embraces her trainer's outstretched left arm lovingly, whispering words the girl cannot understand.

Grayson's free hand moves down to grab Sly's wrist, hoping the push that arm up behind Sly's back and force immobility from the boy while Sly's other arm is pushed upwards even further. No more words are forthcoming, Grayson intent on simply immobilising Sly. Rage still roils off the old Rocket, an almost palpable aura about him.

Sly's wrist is caught, both arms out of play now. As ever, Sly doesn't give in easily, even when his defeat is obvious. His last ditch effort is a backwards kick, the heel of his boot aimed for Grayson's shin -- the hope is to cause the man enough pain that he'll loosen his holds on Sly for a moment. Even as the attempt is made, the boy's anger is abandoning him; his instincts know better than his higher thought process.

Melissa glances down at her pokemon through clouded vision for a moment or two and, despite a quiverring lip, manages a faint smile. "I'm... okay, Apple," the girl whispers softly. She pulls herself into a squatting position - no easy accomplishment, with her knees so weak from fear - and gives her Charmander a light pat. The girl picks her glasses up from off the ground, and proceeds to wipe her face gently. She has stopped sobbing.

Grayson doesn't release Sly just yet, evading the kick with a simple movement of the targetted leg, knowing before it arrives by the shifting of Sly's muscles. The old Rocket simply waits for his partner to calm, his own rage fading swiftly as Sly too cools.

Sly gives a few last jerks, trying to avoid the taste of defeat once more, but the fight is over. Sly's anger drains away, leaving nothing but loss behind. Loss and protesting shoulder. The teen holds still, no longer tense, no longer struggling. All he can do is wait for Grayson to release him.

Melissa stands straight up, slipping on her glasses while she ascends. "I'll be okay, Apple," the girl says softly, almost contradicting the statement earlier than claimed she already is okay. Melissa cannot help but give one glance back toward the two Rockets, but, unfortunately, her vision is too cloudy. "Let's... go, Apple." The girl sets her gaze forward, and the wind lifts her hair. Her steps are surprisingly smooth, her eyes rather dry, her movements considerably normal. If only she can keep this up until she reaches the Pokemon Center. The girl, followed closely by her Charmander, hair and tail respectively blowing in the breeze, makes her way out of Bellsprout Park. Mud on her shoes. Hand red. And mind bursting with thoughts.