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emsiecat
April 27th, 2008, 03:08 pm
It was strange to Liana but she seemed to have gone from cleaning lady of the castle to Mewtwo's ward or apprentice. She had no idea what had caused the sudden change in her standing with him, but he was now willing to teach her any kind of combat either of them could think up. She had wondered once or twice to what ends it would serve him. Mewtwo still appeared to hate humans in general and Liana was hardly anything special save for her druid abilities, so why train her?

Liana was surprised to learn that he didn't just think combat training was important. Shortly after the lessons in fighting had started Mewtwo had began teaching her about other things as well. Although Liana was an adept healer one could always learn more and Mewtwo had some of the best books on healing she had ever read. There were many a session spent pouring over the books that described in detail human, animal and Pokémon anatomy as well as both conventional and druid or psychic ways of healing.

Liana also noted that although she'd never be anywhere near as strong as her tutor, she was becoming stronger in herself. Mewtwo was finding it harder to throw the girl so effortlessly and her combat skills were increasing steadily. Although Liana did not usually think on her looks she had often lamented her lack of curves in the past. She was tall and had a boyish figure. Lucinda had called it poor genetics, and one girl at school had said (rather unkindly in Liana's opinion) that if Liana cut her hair and wore men's clothes she would easily pass as the male of the species, though her facial features were feminine. However with this new regime she'd never been gladder of her figure than now. She guessed that 'womanly attributes' as Rhys often called them would get in the way of such combat and prove bothersome with some skills. Lucinda who was short in stature and had curves to die for, repeatedly complained of them during her glaive training sessions as she'd matured (if Liana remembered correctly).

Another strange addition to the training appeared one day when Liana ran to the dojo late, and out of breath due to a wrong turn she'd taken further back.

Mewtwo sighed exasperatedly as Liana jogged to the centre of the room and wordlessly handed her a pen and some paper. Liana was slightly confused they rarely wrote during these sessions, he expected her to memorize things, so why the need for writing material now?

"What's this for?"

~Most people use that to write with and this to write on.~ Mewtwo explained in a sarcastic, slow voice as if he were speaking to someone particularly young or dense.

"Oh for the love of – I know that but what am I doing with them?"

~A new lesson today if you please. You will be mapping the castle.~

"You're joking right? This place is like a labyrinth!"

~All the more reason to map it. You seem to find it hard enough to make it to this room successfully and on time-~ he let the last part of the sentence hang for emphasis.

Liana knew deep down he was dodging the subject. She wanted to know why she was mapping out the layout of the castle. She was damn positive it had nothing to do with her wrong turn.

"Fine, I get it. Ask no questions and get told no lies. I'll do it."

Liana huffed a little before turning and trotting back out the door.

The other humans had noticed the change in Liana. She'd disappear for a while each day and return looking as if someone had dragged her backwards through a hedge (or at least that's how James had worded it). Sometimes she'd leave after wrapping up a conversation with them and come back tired and puffing as if she'd run a marathon. Each time she did this she'd take some paper and pen with her, usually Mew or one of the clones would follow. They never said a word to Liana about it but often mulled over the matter amongst themselves when she was out of earshot.

If her friends were confused then so was Liana. She could see the need for combat training and practice in the art of healing, but she couldn't for the life of her deduce what use learning the layout of the castle was. Unless there was some point in causing her a number of headaches and a shortage in paper supplies world over!

She rubbed her temples and studied the scribbled mess of a map she'd made. "So this is the west wing? No wait that's the west wing over there. I can see the sun setting through the window. Damn… this is crazy!"

~Actually talking to oneself is crazy. You seem to be accomplishing that very well.~

Liana started. He'd snuck up behind her unnoticed yet again.

"I'm not talking to myself now though am I? Will you please tell me what this is all about? It seems like a lot of trouble for nothing."

She glanced at the map and cringed. She was positive it had been more legible than that a few moments ago.

~Simple really. Your brain could use a workout. Humans are a rather dangerous and stupid species. I'm merely trying to make sure you don't suffer as much as the rest.~

Liana made a frustrated sound and threw her hands up in the air in defeat. She could tell he wasn't being entirely truthful and she could tell he wasn't going to divulge why she was traipsing around learning this place off by heart. He didn't have to insult her and her race at the same time though.

Mewtwo smirked as Liana stomped off towards the west wing. Mew floated up behind him and spoke once Liana was out of earshot.

"So why are you making the girl learn all this?"

~Is that really any of your business?~

"True, it isn't. I just hope you're not using her for some selfish gain."

Mew knew the comment would rile him into talking. If Mewtwo disliked anything it was someone impugning on his honour.

~I had a vision, a dream. It would be prudent that she learns these skills.~ he snapped.

"Ah, I see. You are concerned for her safety, the safety of the other humans here."

~I am concerned for the safety of my kin, the other Pokémon on this island. Nothing more than that I can assure you.~

Mew's heart ached suddenly as she recognised the disappointment that usurped it. For a brief moment she had thought that perhaps there was something more to her clone than she had originally thought. That maybe he cared for something else other than his own skin and fellow clones. That maybe he was driven to protect more than those he had created himself.

emsiecat
April 27th, 2008, 03:09 pm
Jessie and James had begun to fit in quite well. Meowth had been accepted by the clones from the start as he was a Pokémon. They were interested to find out that he was their clone Meowth's original and queried the obliging feline about his life often. Jessie and James as humans were less welcome. However the happy-go-lucky cat they were friends with put in a good word for them from time to time and slowly the clones became less hostile towards the ex-Rockets and generally friendlier.

Jessie was currently sat at the table in the entrance hall; she was pouting slightly and staring at the company that surrounded her. Her eyes wandered over to Liana who had excused herself from James and Rhys as she trotted off to Goodness-knows-where again.

What were they doing here anyway? Always ready for some action and adventure Jessie had fantasised that they would be plotting the various monsters demise by now. Setting up a Pokémon army to rid the world of evil! She had day-dreamed about becoming a heroic warrior battling to save the human race. She had day-dreamed about the Pokémon leaving the castle and that she would keep it for herself, her own castle imagine that!

She hadn't expected to be glared at by genetic mutations for days on end as they sat around doing nothing! They had barely researched the monsters since they returned and the other red-head in the vicinity seemed to appear and disappear so often Jessie was beginning to wonder if she wasn't some weird ghost.

Jessie stood up abruptly, brushing invisible dirt and creases from her jeans, and walked over to where James was chatting animatedly to Rhys and Lucinda as they played cards.

"Are we going to do something about these monsters or are we just going to sit around growing old?" she snapped.

"Relax Jess. We'll get our moment of glory in battle." James was grinning ear to ear like the Cheshire cat as he set down a royal flush.

The smile was wiped from the man's face and Rhys, smirking subtly, set down his winning hand "Read 'em and weep!"

"Hey no fair you're psychic!"

"Pfft as if I'd waste my powers on something so bland as cards." Rhys's voice was superior and sounded uncannily like Mewtwo's.

Jessie rolled her eyes and smacked James upside the head as she was prone to do the others had noticed. Lucinda and Rhys settled back for what they expected to be an entertaining squabble between the pair.

"I can't believe you're so lazy James! We have to seize the day! Go out and make a name for ourselves. Team Rocket may be dead and buried but we can still cause some trouble."

"And make it double." James looked mildly amused as he picked up his old cue subconsciously.

Meowth appeared from across the room to shut them both up. The clones weren't sure whether to be amused or disgusted by the Rocket display.

"Forget the motto. What I was trying to say was why are we letting the human hunter call the shots here? Mewtwo probably doesn't give a flying Mankey if the monsters eat humans or not, so he's stalling us. The twerp-ette doesn't seem to care either. She just keeps vanishing. So why don't we take matters into our own hands?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call one of my best friends a 'twerp-ette'." Rhys muttered as he shuffled cards.

"She has a point though," Luce piped up, "Mewtwo and Liana haven't really been doing anything productive since we got back. Maybe we should research the monsters ourselves."

Rhys abandoned the cards in favour for the conversation and looked at them critically. "Well I can't see what harm it would do. C'mon then let's go research some freaks."

James looked like he wanted to complain. He was ever Jessie's shadow. That's why he'd followed her and Meowth to New Island. That and he'd remembered an old saying upon looking at Mewtwo's stern face: 'the closer you are to danger, the farther you are from harm'. However he had no interest in the 'glory of battle' or saving the human race. James simply wanted to live his life peacefully, have fun, and grow old and grey with lots of little Jameses running around him.

Gathering up his deck and pocketing it, he sloped off after the other more enthusiastic humans.

***

Liana walked through the entrance hall looking this way and that for her friends. She stopped Hitmonlee and Sandslash as they passed to ask where they were. The clones directed her to the room they'd seen the humans enter. It was a large lounge of sorts that adjoined the main hall.

She absently rubbed the gem at her throat as she walked, wondering what they were doing in here. She was surprised to see them all discussing passages from various books and writing notes. They were studying the monsters that belonged in the Gods Realm.

Jessie was lounging on her stomach on the sofa, kicking her calves in the air as she read aloud for James. James was currently cringing at the gruesome description amidst teasing from Meowth who was pretending to skulk around like one of the monsters.

Rhys was dictating to Lucinda, Rhys felt they should take notes on some of the monsters weaknesses and strengths so they'd know what they were up against should they meet them. At the moment he was arguing with Lucinda who wasn't taking her role as note-taker very seriously. She was sat cross legged with her back to Rhys's chair, munching on cookies, and dropping crumbs on the paper whilst trying to write with her left hand. She was muttering obscenities at her friend between bites of her snack.

Liana smiled at them but felt a little left out. She's always got along better with animals or Pokémon than she had humans. Probably something to do with being a druid she'd decided. Meowth turned as he felt her presence before the humans and waved her over.

"Hey, youse comin' to help us Li?"

"Um, sure, if you don't mind that is." She sidled further into the room and plopped onto a cushion beside Meowth.

They spent some time discussing the monsters as a group, occasionally someone would point out a passage of particular interest and the others would gather round to read it. They had found out that the monsters they had battled before were called Scorpyres. They were evil, malevolent creatures that fed off human flesh and used the skin to line their nests. James wondered why anyone would want to side with such vicious beasts but obviously Liana's uncle had. Rhys had divulged this to him a few days ago.

At one point during their studying, Liana leant over the back of Rhys's chair to read, the motion causing her necklace to swing forward from under her shirt.

"Hey, what's that?" Lucinda pointed to the trinket. "It's pretty, where'd you get it? I didn't think you were particularly into jewellery Liana."

Liana blinked and ran a thumb absently over the cool surface of the jewel. "I'm not. I just found it, thought it might be worth keeping."

Rhys gave the necklace a quizzical look before reaching out and taking the gem between his thumb and forefinger. He almost instantly let go with a slight yelp.

"Ouch!" he cried, startled. "Well, label me impressed and ship me to Sinnoh!"

"What's wrong?" Liana looked concerned. What if the necklace had been malicious all along? "Did it harm you?"

"Not at all, there's serious power in this thing though."

Lucinda looked suspicious. "Are you sure you don't know where you got it Liana?"

Liana shook her head adamantly. "No. Seriously I just found it. I have no idea where it came from."

"Maybe you shouldn't wear it." Lucinda wrinkled her nose distrustfully. "If you don't know where it's from it could be trouble."

"I don't think its trouble Luce. That amethyst is powerful but not evil. I can sense it." Rhys shrugged his broad shoulders. Sensing things was second nature to a psychic; Lucinda may not buy it though.

"I never sensed anything bad from it either." Liana agreed before tucking the necklace back into her shirt.

She'd kept it hidden out of a strange wish to keep it private, a protective whim. She didn't know why but she had the feeling the less people who knew about it the better.

"Well if you don't want it just give it to me." Jessie was peering from over the top of her book; she was never one to say no to jewellery.

Soon forgetting the oddity that Liana wore around her neck, the group got back to the task at hand. James quickly started cringing again as Jessie read aloud once more and Rhys bemoaned at the state of the paper Lucinda was writing on; 'Look at it it's all crumb-ified!' whilst Liana regaled Meowth with the tale of the Ancient Battle and described their fight with the Scorpyres.