Doing it Right

[anima]

Marik had arrived in Nirven, and moved quietly through the streets, until the city opened up to the path leading up to Nirven's lab. It had been a while since he had first come to this place, so long ago as a budding trainer who was only concerned with winning the league and becoming a top trainer. The thought made him a little sick. But here he was, yet again.

This time, it wasn't with eager anticipation of future victories and grandeur than he approached the beginning of this journey. It was a hardened resolve that pushed him forth. A calling that he should have taken on the first time, but could only make due with doing it now. The Grim was rising forth, spreading their demon plague across Laokia, and he had to stop it.

Still, he had his doubts about going to the lab. Is it really necessary? I have Hecate, and we're out to cure demons. Marik thought, knowing that his... his brother's friend was out there, listening in on everything going through his head.

Indeed, Mordryd was around, though he moved discreetly over the rooftops and through the alley ways, covered in a black cloak, under which he could pass for human so long as he remained at a distance. <This isn't going to just be a demon's fight, and you'll need the power of more than just the demons you cure to stand up to the Grim. Take all the help you can find.> The Demon Mewtwo responded back telepathically.

Marik flinched a bit as the Mewtwo's deep voice pierced his mind, urging him forth. He supposed the legend had a point, but he couldn't feel eager about it. Any pokemon he chose would have to take on this campaign against the Grim along side him. He didn't look forward to imposing such a quest on any pokemon.

Nonetheless, Marik reached the entrance of the Nirven Lab, and knocked on the door. Whatever was to happen, this was going to be the very beginning of it.

[Ash]

The first thing that greeted Marik was... a crash. A rather loud one at that. "Watch out!" a woman's voice yelled from within the building. Obviously she was not speaking to Marik, and as the noise had happened right around the time of young man's knock she did not even know he was there. However, someone inside the lab had heard the knock, and the door swung inward a moment later, glowing with the power of the Beautifly's phychic attack.

"Oh, wait, Bealli, don't open that!" Tarei called, but it was more than a little too late. Now that the door was open, Marik would be able to see inside the lab... at the utter chaos that filled the place. One shelf had fallen over, and pokeballs were rolling across the floor, some even managing to roll their way out the now open door. Probably why the professor hadn't wanted it open...

Or, that could also have been because of the demon Minun, who was now running toward the young man. An odd blue and white Plusle was racing after his sister, looking worried but otherwise happy.

[anima]

<There's something going on inside. I'm sensing a demon.> Mordryd suddenly warned, this time appearing on top of the lab's roof, glancing down at Marik.

Unfortunately, this warning only came after the knock, and sure enough, Marik could hear ruckus sounds through the door, as if something was tearing up the place. He almost barged in of his own accord, but the door swung open on it's own before he could, and he was met with a shower of poke balls and other debris coming for him.

The next thing that caught his eye, was a small, black and red shape coming toward him. So Marik jumped back, allowing the demon outside, before pulling a pokeball from his belt. "Hecate, pin that demon down!" He ordered as the Demon Skarmory was released from her ball. The bird's eyes locked on the rabbit, and became focused on it. She then rushed forward, intent on pinning the demon down beneath her claws.

Knowing Hecate would do everything she could to subdue the demon, and also aware of Mordryd keeping an eye on the situation, Marik felt comfortable enough to poke his head back into the lab to check on the professor and her pokemon. "Professor Tarei, are you guys alright?" He asked, uncertain if they would even recognize him. A fair amount of time had passed since the first time he began his journey, and he wasn't really the same kid he was back then either.

[Ash]

The demon Minun ran outside, but paused as soon as she registered Marik's reaction. She tilted her head in confusion, even looking slightly sad that the trainer had jumped away from her. She just wanted to say hi, why were people so cautious around her? She was a touch naïve about her own nature.

The little Demon was about to say something, but it came out as a squeak as Marik released his Skarmory and ordered her to subdue the small rabbit-like Pokemon. She had always been somewhat afraid of birds, and man, that Skarmory looked like a metal beast. The Minun did not react fast as she was momentarily frozen in fear, and Hecate was fairly quick about following her orders. Before the small Pokemon could react, she was pinned beneath a large metal claw.

Tarei had been struggling to keep a shelf nearby the first upright, so she was not immediately aware of the situation. She glanced back in time to see the Skarmory fly ontop the Minun, and turned and ran toward the door, pausing only to grab a pokeball from the shelf. It was still unstable, but Bealli caught it and began righting it with her psychic capabilities. The Beautifly wasn't all that worried about the situation because she realized that it was simply a misunderstanding, however she did not know that Tarei believed they were under attack, else she would have said something.

Of course, Marik poked his head in and called out his concern before Tarei had gotten very far, and the woman stopped in her tracks. She blinked, vaguely recognizing the young man but not yet able place him. "Don't hurt her, she's just... hyper. She's not dangerous, well, not in the sense of her being a Demon at least. They were playing and things got a tad out of control..." the professor said awkwardly.

Meanwhile the strange blue and white Plusle had stopped and stood nearby his sister pinned beneath the Skarmory's claw. <You know, this is your own fault sis,> he chided. Had he been worried that the Skarmory or human would harm his sister his reaction would have been very different, but as it was he figured it might be a good lesson for her. If she understood it... she was naïve, afterall. The plusle sensed another demon's presense and glanced to the roof of the lab to see the creature in the trench coat. He couldn't make out what exactly the Pokemon was, but he knew it was no human. The plusle decided not to say anything. He could tell that neither the mysterious Pokemon nor the Skarmory were rabid senseless uncured demons so it wasn't much of an issue.

[anima]

Marik stopped dead the same time as Tarei, at first in confusion, only for the professor to inform him that the demon that had turned the lab into a disaster area, actually wasn't dangerous. Marik's face went a bit red in embarassment. "Oh, sorry." He apologized before turning around. "Hecate, it's alright. Let it go!" He called out the the Skarmory.

Hecate, who's claws had dug pretty deeply into the dirt, had spent a good moment examining the Minun, expecting it to put up some kind of fight. It was an electric type after all, and if it fired off an electric attack, it'd certainly hurt. However, the little rabbit didn't so much as snarl at her, and it took seconds to realize -- it was scared. Uncured demons didn't get scared. She was actually about to call over to Marik, but by then he too had already figured it out, and she lifted her claw away from the Minun.

Hecate then headed straight for her trainer, resting her head in his arms. <Don't be sorry. You have too many scars already to be getting careless when demons come rushing in> The Skarmory crooned softly. There the tiniest note of guilt in the bird's voice.

Marik's gaze softened as he ran a hand over Hecate's armored head. Indeed, if one were to roll up his sleeves, he indeed was heavily covered in scars. Taming the Skarmory had been no easy feat, but despite the amount of punishment he had taken from the demoic bird in her uncured state, he still had every bit of sympathy for her. For every demon out there plagued by this horrific disease. "Thanks Hecate. You did great." He praised her, before returning the Skarmory to her poke ball.

Turning back to Professor Tarei. "Anyway, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Marik Dren. I had started my journey quite some time ago, but..." Marik trailed off awkwardly for a moment, not actually having been prepared to say much about what had happened. "...Well, I ended up quitting some time ago, and ended up giving away my pokemon from that journey to some trusted friends. It's been a long time, but I'd like to get started again, and was looking if I could find some help here starting again."