[center][h3][u]Mauville City[/u][/h3][/center]
[center]A colab with [@c3p-0h][/center]

Fan-tucking-fastic. For a day that had started off on such a positive note, it was really starting to take a turn for the worst. As if digging through the trash for a meal wasn't bad enough, detting [i]caught[/i] doing it was magnitudes worse. Rai wasn't entirely sure if the same Ranger who'd stopped him earliler was the one now on his tail, screaming for him to stop at the absolute top of their lungs, but he wasn't terribly keen on stopping to find out. A night in a jail cell was only marginally more comfortable than spending the night out under the stars somewhere, but magnitudes more inconvenient when it came to finishing up his business in the city itself.

The Rangers really must not have been expecting a whole lot of trouble, Rai decided ducking into another alley to try and lose the lone lawman on his trail. Had he been back home? The Goldenrod branch would have been swarming like someone kicked a Durant nest. Not to mention they would have been infinitely better trained. Rai could hear the footsteps begining to falter behind him, and the yelling was quickly becoming increasingly breathless. Pathetic really. How did these people not have every gang, crook, and thief in a thousand miles all flocking to bleed this whole region dry? He had to mentally scold himself to stop complaining about being able to outrun the Ranger. It might have been on its way out to the trash, but that didn't mean what he was doing wasn't still technically stealing.

Rai picked up the pace a little more, glancing down for a moment just to make sure that Kye was still running alongside him, as they twisted through every possible turn the city would allow. He didn't hear the sounds of the Ranger still following him, but he wasn't looking to take the chance thet there weren't going to be more of them lurking around the next corner. They might be better off heading back down Route 110 for the night and finding a place to camp rather than deal with the city's nightlife, even if it did mean a longer walk before they could enjoy their pilfered dinner. 

Rai was still weighing options when Kye squawked in warning about a half second before he realized there was another body standing in the alley. He tried to twist out of the way to sidestep the unexpected obstacle, but still managed to plow straight into the unfortunate soul. He tried to put on the breaks to keep his momentum from carring both of them face first into the wall or straight into the pavement. The result was an awkward kind of dance that had Rai and his impromptu partner twisted around one another until he managed to come to a stop still upright and on both feet, which he considered quite the victory in itself. He could practically feel the waves of shock rolling off of the petite girl he'd inadvertantly knocked into and opened his mouth to apologize, when her fist quite literally beat him to the punch.

His awkward position, and the unexpected force packed behind the swing had him off his feet before he had time to realize what had just happened. Rai tasted copper almost instantly as his lip split back open, and his hand flew up to cup his face, while his rear hit the ground. Height was no longer a factor, as he found himself looking up at his scrappy road block dazedly trying to assess whether or not she'd managed to break his nose at the same time.

[color=b3f7ad]"What the fuck?! It was just a damn accident"[/color] He swore, even with his words muffled from his attemtps to stem the bleeding. His lip and nose throbbed in time with his heartbeat, which was already thumping along after his little jog from the authorities and certainly wasn't helping matters. He glared at the girl he'd run headlong into, fully intending to rip into her for putting the proverbial cherry onto the top of his night, until he realized she looked like a cornered Deerling rather than the Geodude that he assumed had just decked him. Her hands were clasped over her mouth as she stared down at him with wide, startled eyes. Whatever tirade he wanted to let loose on her for hitting him died entirely on the end of his tongue as his initial anger melted into concern.

[color=b3f7ad]"Hey. Are you ok?" [/color]
 
Haven felt a surge of emotions rise up as soon as she realized the situation – the residual fear, the relief that she'd been wrong, the [i]mortification[/i] that she'd been wrong, the guilt at punching an unsuspecting stranger, the bizarre swell of pride that she'd been able to [i]floor[/I] the guy – and found herself frozen at his words. At his [i]voice[/i]. The familiar timbre of home was the last thing she'd expected. She opened her mouth and lowered her hands a bit to offer excuses or apologies but what came out instead was –

[color=coral]"Y'know this part of the city is off limits, right?"[/color] Not the most ridiculous thing she could've said. But it was up there. The light smatter of hurried footfalls behind her made her look down to see Cloak skid to a stop beside her, glancing quickly between Haven and the stranger. He was carrying Lace in his arms, who in turn was glaring her darndest at this would-be assailant. Haven dropped a hand to brush against them, letting them know she was alright. With her other hand, she stretched out to the stranger, an apologetic offering. 

[color=coral]"I'm fine – I'm not the one bleeding on the pavement."[/color] She [i]was[/i] the one with the residual quiver in her voice, though. 

[color=b3f7ad]"Yeah and whose fault is that?"[/color] Rai huffed, trying to hide his bruised pride that this girl a stiff breeze could have taken for a ride had managed to deck him hard enough to land him on his ass. He wasn't above admitting it was impressive though. She could throw one hell of a punch, but it wasn't going to stop him from chastizing her for it. [color=b3f7ad]"The Rangers deputize you or something? 'Cause you aren't exactly supposed to be here either."[/color]

Haven raised an eyebrow. [color=coral]"Yeah, I'm the official City Hooligan Puncher. Consider this a warning."[/color]

The waver in her voice seemed to dry up entirely, as Rai returned the unamused look, though his eyebrow twitched at hearing the tilt in her voice that closely mirrored his own.  Kye loped up alongside him, looking his trainer over, chattering away the same way a mother would scold her child as if Rai had been the one doing the hitting himself. It felt like every pair of eyes in the alley were fixed on him for one reason or another. The glares the girl's pokemon were giving him were certainly less than welcoming, especially since he'd already managed to scare their trainer. When Kye wasn't rambling on in a way Rai was sure was the fire-type's way of scolding him, he was chirping and carrying on at his speed bump's pokemon. The glare Kye turned on him clearly demanded that Rai apologize sooner rather than later for the sudden intrusion. 

[color=b3f7ad]"Just who's side are you on, you traitor?!"[/color] Rai balked as he gestured to his bloodied nose, [color=b3f7ad]"She hit me! She should be the one apologizing!"[/color] Haven dropped her offered hand to her side. Let him get his own ass up, then. She slipped both hands into her front pocket, fingers fiddling with the four pokeballs there. The steady drum of her heart in her ears still pounded away as she tried to slow her breathing, her fried nerves, as she glanced back down at her loyal pokemon. She was [i]so[/i] done with the past 24 hours.

[color=b3f7ad]"Char."[/color] Kye growled at him firmly, headbutting him as if that were the end of the matter.

Rai opened his mouth to argue further with his pokemon, until he realized why Kye was being so insistant. He'd been entirely focused on the ache in his face to notice the way she shifted uneasily from foot to foot, as if she'd rather be anywhere but here. Compared to the usual company he kept, this girl lacked the kind of confidence that was almost endemic in his world. It wasn't entirely absent – her dry humor and apparent lack of remorse were plenty of evidence to that. Rather it was overshadowed by something else. She wasn't just small physically, but she almost shrank further behind the protective guard of her pokemon. Just the way she seemed to hold herself was like she might break at any moment. And with adrenaline from the situation wearing off quickly, Rai could see how she just looked...tired? Situation aside, she hadn't exactly denied that she wasn't supposed to be roaming the alleyways either, which begged the question of what she was even doing there in the first place? 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of more voices, echoing off the walls a bit closer than his comfort zone allowed for. Kye was already barking something at the girl's pokemon, uging them to get moving. Rai surged up to his feet, ignoring the sudden head rush, and cast a hurried glance behind him in time to see the glow of flashlights growing quickly against the brick and mortar of the ajoining street. 

[color=b3f7ad]"Hit me again and you can deal with the Teddiursa Scouts alone,"[/color] Rai warned his newest companion, before he caught hold of her left wrist and pulled her after him as he pelted back down the alley. Immediately pain started shooting from his grip, tight as it was around her freshly healed arm.

[i]Why the hell were people always pushing and pulling her around?[/i]

Jets of pain arced down her arm, from her wrist to her elbow, trailing up towards her shoulder. Her mouth parted in a silent, strangled gasp but all she could do was try to run after the stranger, lest he yank on her arm more and cause more pain. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Cloak's light footsteps tapping after them, and the Rangers' somewhere behind them. Haven grit her teeth against the pain as they ran down one alley, and then another trying to lose their tail. Finally, as they turned a third corner, Haven dug her heels into the ground, wincing at the pain of her arm being yanked harder.

[color=coral]"[i]Stop stop stop stop stop![/i]"[/color] she said in a rush of air. Haven wrenched her arm from his grip, almost slamming it into her chest as she huddled over it. She hissed in a breath as she straightened and held her arm in front of her. It still ached, but it helped to not have someone – a surprisingly [i]strong[/i] someone – grabbing and pulling on it anymore. She was panting. Her eyes burned with building, unshed tears. Haven turned her hand in front of her. Her fingers were shaking. She curled them into a fist and relaxed them several times, each time bringing a sting through her veins. She tried to hide her pain behind the unimpressed look she shot Rai. He came skidding to a halt, annoyance chisled into every line on his face at coming to such an abrupt stop [i]again[/i]. Who did that? Surely she'd heard the Rangers? So why the hell had she-

Her Scrafty was hovering over her, sharp eyes intent on the stranger that had apparently hurt her, while Lace gave a series of distressed little chirps as she inspected Haven's hand. Rai had managed to miss the bandages before, but he certainly saw them now, as she kept her arm cradled against her chest with her pokemon orbiting her anxiously. Whatever had torn up her arm hadn't given her an easy time of it, for damn sure, but she was doing her best to hide the discomfort it had to be causing her.
 
[color=coral]"I'm fine."[/color] Her shaking breath seemed to contradict that. Cloak let his eyes leave Rai for a moment to huff at her, before he was back to watching Rai. [color=coral]"It's [i]fine[/i]."[/color] No response. Haven rolled her eyes. Forcing herself to straighten up, she reached back into her pocket with her uninjured hand and held brought out two pokeballs. Her left arm was still cradled close to her chest. A flash of light appeared as her Corsola was recalled at the same time her Granbull was released. Cloak relaxed a bit at seeing his partner in crime, while Dagger's eyes darted around, taking in the scene. When both of them were looking at her, Haven nudged her chin towards the mouth of the alley. The lights and footsteps were growing nearer. 

[color=coral]"Make some noise. Meet by the ice cream shop later?"[/color] The two pokemon looked at each other. Sly smiles curled their mouths. Then they both took off, Cloak darting straight out of the alley, and Dagger turning right as soon as she could. A crash followed. Several crashes. The rangers shouted and hurried to chase down the sounds, moving right past Haven and Rai's hiding spot. Rai found himself grinning a little. Clever. It was a trick he and Kye were well used to pulling, but he hadn't expected her to be quite that sneaky. Something tugged at the corner of his brain, screaming at him that she seemed oddly familiar somehow. More than the way she slanted her words the same way he did. He wondered what on Earth she'd managed to get herself into if she was sporting some extensive bandage work and adept enough to avoid the Rangers.

The corner of Haven's mouth quirked up. Glancing up at Rai, she reached into her back pocket to pull out her phone. She clicked the button and looked down at the too-bright screen, squinting. Maybe it was his familiar accent, maybe it was that he reminded her so much of the other ne'er-do-wells back home, maybe it was just that Haven had had a goddamn shitty day and she was [i]tired[/i], but she could feel herself slipping into her old, bratty ways like she slipped on an old jacket. The edges that she thought had been smoothed by years of travel perhaps hadn't lost their sharpness after all. 
 
[color=coral]"Oh wow, look at that,"[/color] she said, holding her phone out so he could see the screen, the time clear across the front, [color=coral]"amatuer hour's over."[/color] Haven slipped her phone back into her pants pocket and brushed past him to continue walking down the alley. 

And like that, any moment of comraderie Rai had felt was gone. Her flippant, condescending tone rubbed him entirely the wrong way and he bristled angrilly as she brushed past him with as much care as the trash at their feet. He growled deep in his throat after her and thought about giving her that piece of his mind after all. It was only the looming fact that he didn't trust her pokemon to do as thorough a job as his own to draw off their pursuers that stopped him, and he settled for jamming both hands into his pockets. Her problems were her own. He didn't want to get involved, and she certainly didn't seem to want him to anyway.

[color=b3f7ad]"Right. The main event's going to be so much more fun to watch when you deck a Ranger for minding their own business. I look forward to reading the arrest record."[/color] Rai snorted in amusement. Unfortunately, he found himself having to shuffle along behind her since the way they'd come meant running right back into the Rangers. Not to mention, he had no clue where exactly he was thanks to the twists of the alleys. He thought about just waiting until she was gone to find his way out, but with the night pressing in closer in the powerless sector, it was more important to get back to the main roads.

Logic didn't make it feel any less like he was being led along on a leash as he plodded along behind her, scowling at the back of her head with a headache starting to creep up on him. His lip still hurt like hell, even if the bleeding had stopped. He reached back into his pack for the small bottle he kept at arms'a reach at all times and popped it open to shake a few small white pills into his hand and swallowed them dry. They wouldn't quite take the ache away entirely, but they were good for dulling the pain for a while at least. He frowned at how light the bottle felt, moorsely realizing he'd need to get more sometime soon. Rai started to put the bottle back, when he glanced back up at Haven in front of him. The pained look on her face from earlier as she'd nursed her arm was hard to banish from his thoughts, no matter how irritating she was.

[color=coral]"Y'know,"[/color] Haven said in a dry voice as she walked, looking up at the shop signs, [color=coral]"despite my intimidating physique, well-defined muscles, and [i]killer[/i] right hook, the last fight didn't go too well for me, so I think that's more of a last resort."[/color] It felt… odd to talk about her (attack? assault? would-be murder?) experience so casually, like she was outside her body, watching someone else. There was another shout, further behind them this time. 

[color=b3f7ad]"Oy. Pint Size."[/color] Rai called out after her before lobbing the bottle in her direction, [color=b3f7ad]"Catch. That arm looks like it hurts."[/color] Haven spun just in time to give a little yelp and fumble to catch the bottle in her hands. She turned it to look at the label. Some kind of painkiller. Haven looked up at him and opened her mouth to make a crack about how her arm hadn't hurt as much [i]before[/i] he'd started dragging her around, but instead what came out was:

[color=coral]"Thanks."[/color] She undid the cap, shook a pill out, and tossed it back after closing it again. Popping the pill in her mouth, she finally gave him a good look. 

It was obvious from his accent he was from Johto. He was maybe around her age, and from the look of him, Haven guessed those painkillers were close friends of his. Even without the bloody face, he looked a little roughed up. There was a sort of harshness and control in the way he carried himself that made Haven wary, even without the near-death experience. He reminded her of the rougher edges of Goldenrod that Haven had usually avoided, unless she'd felt particularly daring. Heck, he even kind of [i]looked[/i] like some of the guys she'd seen there.

This stranger seemed dangerous… but not feral. Not like the men from last night. 

[i]Lightning flashed along the razor edge of blades, white teeth cutting a gleeful sickle of white in the darkness, pain, blood, pain pain [u]pain[/u]–[/i]

[color=coral]"Sorry about your lip,"[/color] she finally said, looking away. [color=coral]"Shitty day. Kinda jumpy."[/color] Haven looked down at her feet for a moment. Then she turned again to continue down the street, looking for landmarks to lead her out of the blacked-out section of the city. [color=coral]"Haven, by the way,"[/color] she said over her shoulder with forced lightness. [color=coral]"Deputy Teddiursa Scout."[/color]

[color=b3f7ad]"Hooligan Puncher, Deputy Teddiursa Scout..."[/color] Rai muttered with his voice deadpan, ticking off her self-appointed titles on his fingers, [color=b3f7ad]"Is there anything you [i]can't[/i] do?"[/color]

[color=coral]"Make my momma proud."[/color]

He crammed the pill bottle back into his pack, his brow knitted together in thought. Haven. The name struck a chord. He'd definitely heard the name before, and it had been more than once. Couldn't have been one of his old gang. She wasn't the type and there was no way he would have forgotten someone like that. He hadn't stuck around in one place long after leaving Johto, so there weren't may people he had vivid menories of while he traveled. So where the hell did he know her from? He could almost swear he would remember if he could see it drawn out in front of him-

[color=b3f7ad] "Wait a sec... Haven? Haven, responsible for that massive mural behind the old Goldenrod gym, Haven?"[/color] It was a shock to the system as the memory clicked fully into place. It wasn't like she had a terribly common name, and she certainly spoke with the tilt of a Johto native. Haven spun to look at him with surprised eyes. That was unexpected [color=b3f7ad]"You are from Johto, yeah? Your accent? I used to live in Goldenrod myself. I think I remember some of your work! You used to do street paintings!"[/color] One of her eyebrows raised as a small, almost shy smile found its way to her lips. 

[color=coral]"Yeah, I did."[/color]

It was strange. Rai didn't reminisce much, but how often did he stumble across someone from his part of the world while traveling a thousand miles from home? He felt a little bit like a fanboy tailing behind her like he was, but there wasn't much he could do about that. His previous irritation with the whole situation they were in alost melted away, as he jogged to catch up some without getting quite as intimate as his previous encounter. When he reached her, Haven turned again to walk alongside him, looking up at him as he chattered.

[color=b3f7ad]"What the hell brought you all the way out to Hoenn? Last I remember, you always had a decent crowd watching you paint."[/color] Rai shook his head, still trying to make sense of his strange luck, [color=b3f7ad]"Name's Rai, and my buddy here is Kye. And I am sorry I plowed into you like I did. Had just a few other things on my mind than watching where I was going."[/color] 

Haven gave a little laugh. Rai and Kye? Seriously? Though, she supposed she wasn't really in any position to judge. She'd named two of her pokemon Cloak and Dagger. 

[color=coral]"Hey, no worries. The sound you made when you hit the floor was apology enough."[/color] There was a teasing playfulness to her voice that softened any bite her words might've had. [color=coral]"I dipped out of Goldenrod six years ago. Wandered around Johto for a bit, then Kanto. Now I'm wandering around Hoenn. Still painting. Most of the time I don't give the Rangers anything to worry about, but,"[/color] she glanced meaningfully around the deserted streets, the sounds of Cloak and Dagger's mischief echoing further and further away. She shrugged. [color=coral]"Old habits."[/color] Rai peaked a single eyebrow looking down at her with a face that clearly said he didn't believe she was avoiding trouble quite as much as she claimed.Haven pressed her lips together as her eyes searched his face. The way she scrutinized him made him suddenly uneasy. 

[color=coral]"I remember you,"[/color] she finally said. The bottom fell out of Rai's stomach as the color in his face followed suit. [color=coral]"You used to hang around the old refinery."[/color] With the other gang members. Criminals that anyone sensible tried to steer clear of. As a child Haven had never been described as [i]sensible[/i]… but even she'd known what was out of her league. [color=coral]"You got tall."[/color] It was an open secret that they'd had some kind of organized fighting ring, on top of whatever else they did. Haven remembered the wild, angry look Rai'd had, like he'd been desperate for an excuse to end someone. A white, hungry smile flashed in her mind again. She clenched her left hand against the pain. Her pulse quickened.

How in the [i]hell[/i] did Haven keep on finding members of organized crime? This was, what, the third one in twenty hours?

Arceus, he really should have just let her go on about her business, instead of tailing after her like a lost lillipup. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead of him, worried that if he looked back at her or met her eyes, she'd remember any more than she already had.

[color=coral]"So, why'd you leave?"[/color] Haven was suddenly desperate for Cloak and Dagger again. Why the shit had she sent them away? She looked up at the dead streetlamps. [color=coral]"Get tired of the city lights?"[/color] Her breathing was starting to get shallower as she fought to control it.

[i]Well, I beat someone to death who was directly involved with my mother's murder and sister's subsequent kidnapping, burned down the refinery, I've got a bounty out on my head by people you wouldn't want to share a zip code with, and I'm here to probably do a lot of the same motions.[/i] Yeah. That didn't make him sound like a world-class psycho in the least, did it? Rai tried swallowing the knot formed when his heart jumped up into his throat, but it was stubbornly refusing to move so he could either breathe or speak properly. No, he just needed to calm down. She'd been away from home for six years, right? If she was asking, then she hadn't heard or at least didn't think he'd been quite that involved. She'd helped draw the Rangers off instead of bringing them down on their heads like any sane person would if they knew the things he'd done. So he was just going to hope she'd been too busy to keep up with the news and hope for the best.

[color=b3f7ad]"Needed a change of pace, I guess."[/color] Rai lied, doing his best to keep the sudden uncertainty out of his voice and his face passive, [color=b3f7ad]"Had to cut the whole traveling thing short when I was younger, so it seemed like as good a time as any to get out into the world again."[/color] Haven couldn't seem to hear him over the pounding in her ears.

It wasn't all a lie, but that didn't make the words any less bitter on his tongue. The newfound company was suddenly stifling. He needed to go before things got any messier than they already were. Bad enough Dicky had his number, but he didn't need the entire region to know he was here either, or this was all going to be for nothing. Screw it. If he ran into the Rangers again, so be it. He needed to bail.

[color=b3f7ad]"Look, sorry again for running into you like that. If you get to feeling like you need to go to the doctor or something, let me know and I'll pay for it."[/color] How, he had no idea, but he felt like he at least needed to offer, [color=b3f7ad]"But I really ought to head out, before it gets too late- hey. Hey, are you ok?"[/color]

Now that was a stupid question. She'd stopped walking, every muscle tense. Haven looked like she didn't even remember how to stay standing on her own two feet. Her chest was fluttering like a flock of pidgeys had decided to roost in her lungs, and power outage or not, the glow from Kye's tail was enough to illuminate the thin shine her skin had taken on when he hadn't been looking. She looked like she was going to pass out but her body hadn't quite caught up to the rest of her yet.

[color=b3f7ad]"Haven? Hey, Haven. Look at me."[/color] Rai tried stepping in front of her, instinct telling him to grab her before she fell over, but he worried that would just make things worse. [color=b3f7ad]"Haven, come on. You need to take a breath, or sit down, or something?"[/color] He had to bend over to get to her eye level, but he could have been standing on his head for all the good it did him. He might as well have been two streets over from the way Haven looked straight through him.

[color=b3f7ad]"Kye! Go get her pokemon!"[/color] Rai snapped. He didn't like sending away their only light source, but if she did this often maybe her pokemon would know how to help snap her out of it? Kye didn't hesitate and rushed down the alley and zipped out of sight entirely in a matter of seconds. Rai hoped they weren't too far away, because he was woefully ill-equipped to deal with this sort of thing.

The sharp crack of his voice slammed into her and Haven gasped. It was like her consciousness finally came crashing back into her body and suddenly she was a ball of energy and frantic activity. She brought her hands up and shoved at Rai, wild eyes and wicked smile transposed on his face. The force of it sent her stumbling backwards too, until her back collided with the alley wall and a pained sound escaped her, hissed through clenched teeth. She felt phantom blood, sticky against her dry back, flow from the Scyther's cuts as venom burned her arm like fire. 
 
Tears stung at her eyes as she squeezed them shut. She sank to the ground, her head curled down so her dark hair fell in front of her face. Her left arm was held tight against her chest, her other hand gripping it too tightly with claw-like fingers. Panic curled around her, freezing her in place, filling her throat as she struggled to breathe. Rai was only marginally relieved that Haven had finally found her way a little closer to the ground, but the way she curled in on herself as if she could hide from the world made him ache with helplessness. She wasn't just scared, she was [i]distraught[/i]. Just the way she moved made him wonder what in the hell kind of "shitty day" she'd had to suddenly break down like this.

Rai dropped down to his knees with her, trying to do his absolute damndest to be as non-threatening as possible. It worked for wild pokemon, and right now she very much put him in the mind of one that had been beaten and cornered with nowhere to run. Except the passive approach wasn't working. She didn't seem to see or hear him at all in whatever world she'd suddenly built around herself. He had no clue where Kye was or how long it would be until he got back with the other pokemon, and Haven was somehow managing to choke on the very air around her. Rai steeled himself, knowing full well he was probably going to regret all of this in just a moment, but she had to breathe and he had to make sure she didn't suddenly bolt either.

He took advantage of her absence from the waking world and planted himself right in front of her, and braced both hands firmly on her shoulders. There was a sharp flinch at the contact. He could feel every muscle twisted into hard knots that refused to relax, as she sat hunched in a tiny ball. 

[color=b3f7ad]"Haven."[/color] His voice gentled some, as Rai pushed his own panic at the situation down where he could deal with it later. [color=b3f7ad]"Breathe. You're ok. Nothing's going to hurt you. [i]I'm[/i] not going to hurt you. But you have to take a breath for me right now, ok?"[/color]

[color=coral]"The fuck do you think I'm trying to do?"[/color] came her weak, strangled voice from behind her hair. Her breathing didn't ease. The panic didn't grow any less solid. [color=coral]"Get off me."[/color] The command was fragile, but it held any force Haven had left. She opened her eyes to blackness before squeezing them shut again, shrinking back even more, if that was possible. Frustration mixed with her fear. She hated this – she didn't [i]want[/i] this. 

The echoes of a thunderclap crashed in her mind and Haven shot a fist out to slam against the wall beside her.

[color=coral]"Son of a bitch,"[/color] she muttered, her words thick. She brought that hand to tangle in her hairline as her other one clasped tight over her mouth. Her chest was painfully tight, like there wasn't enough room for her pounding heart.

Arceus above, Rai was out of his depth with this. It was all in a day’s work to reduce the person opposite to a crumpled, sniveling mess for him, but this just felt wrong. She wasn’t some punk in the pits looking for a fight. Hell, she didn’t even look like she had a mean bone in her body. Sharp tongue in her head, maybe, but no one ended up with enough bandages to supply a hospital unless they’d been on the receiving end of a beating instead of giving one…

Oh.

Dumbass. He should have seen it sooner.

[color=b3f7ad]“This is all you’ve got?”[/color] Rai snarled at her, [color=b3f7ad]“You want me to get off, then make me.”[/color]

Coddling her wasn’t going to help. If she’d been hurt, then promising her that she was going to be just fine or some other useless bullshit would be nothing but empty lies. It happened once, it could happen again. She’d have to be the one to reconcile that and figure out how to deal with it. And he’d never been one to hand out a crutch.

[color=b3f7ad]“How can you call yourself a trainer? How can you have so many that look up to you for love and protection and still manage to fall apart like this?”[/color] She’d already snapped at him once, so if all he needed to do was prod her a little bit further, then he was sure he could figure out what buttons to press. [color=b3f7ad]“Is that how you made it through your ‘shitty day’? Curled up into a ball and just waited for it to pass, or did you fucking fight back?”[/color]
 
Something clicked inside Haven. She froze and looked up, her dark eyes focusing on Rai from behind her hair. They were bloodstained – but clear.

[color=coral]"Are you [i]fucking[/i] kidding me?"[/color] came an uneven whisper. She held up her left arm, showing him the bandages that were beginning to loosen. [color=coral]"I got these [i]because[/i] I fought back."[/color] Her voice was soft, but with a new harshness to it. [color=coral]"Because a couple of [i]thugs[/i],"[/color] she shoved hard against Rai's shoulders, [color=coral]"wanted something and I decided I couldn't let them have it."[/color] She grew louder, anger staining her voice as frustrated tears streamed down her cheeks. [color=coral]"But I'm not some pit fighter, ok? I almost died – my [i]team[/i] almost died! I was bleeding out in the rain and mud over some stupid egg, so don't [i]tell[/i] me I didn't fight!"[/color] She'd grown to a full on shout.

Then the energy she'd built up seemed to leave her. Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back, her head resting against the wall. Her breath was coming out in heavy, even pants.

[color=coral]"I fought and a I lost."[/color] She brought the heels of her palms up to press into her wet eyes. [color=coral]"Now I'm crying about it in a fucking alley."[/color] Haven brought her hands down to swipe futilly at the stains on her cheeks. They were filled with fresh tears soon after. She sniffed and looked to the side, her eyebrows bunched together.

Rai retreated to the other side of the alley and found a seat for himself against the far wall. He wasn't quite as worried now that she remembered how to yell at him. It was better than her choking on air at any rate. This whole episode suddenly made a lot more sense now. Why her pokemon were so protective of her; why she'd been so jumpy and tense. It was the same reaction any sane person would have after living through something like that.

It bothered him that someone had attacked her over an egg though. What the hell was so special about a mere egg that was worth killing a trainer and her team over? Eggs were unpredictable. Someone might know what kind of pokemon was inside, but its nature, its potential? They were all wild cards. Most just waited until the pokemon hatched to take it, just to make sure it would even be worth the time and effort. He wondered if Dicky knew what this whole mess was about. The man seemed connected enough. Maybe he'd at least heard rumors?

[color=b3f7ad][i]"Oh, what the hell do I care? This isn't my problem. If she doesn't know how to take care of her own damn self by this point, it's not my fault. I've got my own things to take care of."[/i][/color] Rai scolded himself as he calmly watched Haven try and fail to collect herself. He hadn't wanted to just let her pass out alone in the middle of some dark alleyway, but her burdens were her own.

[color=b3f7ad]"No. You didn't."[/color] Her eyes darted to him. He really needed to just keep his mouth shut. Why the hell was that so hard for him to do? [color=b3f7ad]"This isn't what 'losing' looks like."[/color]

The thin smile on Rai's face was bitter and humorless, but he couldn't chase it away. 

[color=b3f7ad]"You got hurt. Your pokemon got hurt. Yeah, I get it. It sucked."[/color] Rai said very matter-of-factly, [color=b3f7ad]"Welcome to reality. It'll do that to you. But as much as all that shit hurt? You're still the one who came out on top, the way I see it."[/color]

Rai pointed at the bag near her feet. He could see even in the failing light the way it swelled with the egg that had to be inside. [color=b3f7ad]"They tried to take it, but did they? Looks to me like you're the one still holding the egg. They almost took out your team, but they all looked strong and healthy again to me. They almost killed you, but you still managed to nearly break my damn nose."[/color] Haven let out a short huff of air, darting her eyes away again, her hands balling into fists where they were crossed over her knees.

Rai could hear something coming down the alleys now. Pokemon. He hoped it was Kye with the others Haven had sent away. He slowly got up to his feet, not wanting to be caught sitting down just in case her pokemon suddenly decided he'd been the one responcible for their trainer's state. Kye had likely explained what was happening, but there wasn't any need to take the chance.

[color=b3f7ad]"I've seen people 'win' who've lost limbs. I've seen them sacrifice their pokemon. Their friends. Their reputation. Hell, even their lives. So you know what? Cry about it. Be angry, sad, scared or whatever, but at least recognize that you're still alive to be able to."[/color] Rai scowled at her, hearing whatever was coming drawing closer, [color=b3f7ad]"But you'd better damn well remember you're here because you did fight back. And if you can put up a fight with fucking death staring you down, then you sure as hell can when it's nothing but the demons you can pull out of your own head."[/color]

Haven was still for a long moment as the echoes of their pokemon drew closer. She kinda hated him for how much sense he made. That was the only emotion or thought she was willing to recognize at the moment – the rest of her was a jumbled, frazzled, tired mess. Without looking at him, she forced herself to stand up, running a hand roughly through her hair.

[color=coral]"Thanks for the pep talk, coach,"[/color] she muttered, her words rough and drained, but controlled. [color=coral]"I'll stop feeling sorry for myself tomorrow."[/color] She bent down with a wince as the scar on her back pulled, and grabbed her bagstrap to sling it over her shoulder. She finally looked at Rai again. [color=coral]"For the record, winning feels like shit."[/color] But she was alive to feel it. She grabbed the end of her now loose bandage and started the process of tightening and securing it again. 

Cloak, Dagger, and Kye came racing around the corner then. Her pokemon sprinted to her as soon as they saw her, filled with frantic energy. They had to skid to a stop on either side of her, Cloak looking her up and down as Dagger's eyes darted around the scene. 

[color=coral]"Yeah, I'm fine,"[/color] Haven said, like she was waving away an overprotective parent. [color=coral]"Stubbed my toe. Hurt like a bitch."[/color] They both stopped to give her a flat look. Haven returned it. [color=coral]"You wanna give me a checkup in a dark alleyway, or you wanna wait until we find somewhere to sleep? You know Blink'll mope if you two nanny without him."[/color] The two pokemon looked to each other and both huffed a concession. Haven rolled her eyes. But she didn't ccomplain when they didn't move away from her. 

She glanced back up at Rai after a moment and let out a quiet word.

[color=coral]"Thanks."[/color] She wasn't exactly sure what for. But she knew she owed him in some way. For his patience with her, or for his lack of it. Maybe just for being there. She swiped at her cheeks again. [color=coral]"Sorry."[/color] 

[color=b3f7ad]"I'm sure you would have done the same."[/color] Rai shrugged, adjusting his pack with a wry grin, [color=b3f7ad]"Probably not for me....but for someone."[/color]

He looked up toward the sky, frowning with how late it had gotten. At least the Rangers had all seemed to have run off or lost interest. He wasn't quite sure how he might have explained being alone in an alley with a frantically sobbing young woman at night. Small favors. Of course now it meant he and Kye were probably just going to leave one alley to find another to spend the night in, rather than finding somewhere out on one of the routes. 

He glanced down the alleyway and almost wanted to start laughing when he noticed that the streetlights were on only a few yards away. In all the craziness, he'd never even realized they'd been so close to the functional part of the city. It did make him feel a little better though; she looked beat and Rai really didn't want her to know his accomodations for the night were likely going to be no better than where they were standing. Splitting here, where there would be more people in case she relapsed or something felt better than just leaving her and her pokemon alone in the dark.

[color=b3f7ad]"You ought to go rest up."[/color] Rai suggested, cocking his head in the direction of the city lights, [color=b3f7ad]"S'been one hell of a day for you. Kye and I should be moving along ourselves anyway."[/color] Haven looked to where he'd indicated, and was surprised to see the city's lights. He meant to leave it at that and just walk away. How the day had gotten so crazy was beyond him, but it just felt wrong to walk away without saying anything more. He had so many other things to be doing, but..

Surely it would take him a few days?

[color=b3f7ad]"Dunno how much longer you plan on staying in Mauville..."[/color] He finally managed to squeeze out, [color=b3f7ad]"But just 'cause you aren't a pit fighter, doesn't mean you couldn't learn a thing or two from one. Could teach you a bit of self defense. Might help put your mind at ease some. But that's up to you."[/color]

Haven's eyes snapped back to Rai, surprised. Then she raised an eyebrow as a bemused smile curled the edge of her lips. [color=coral]"You sure you got anything to teach me, glass jaw?"[/color] There was at last some lightness in her tired voice. She glanced down. [color=coral]"But yeah, that... that doesn't sound like a bad idea if I see you around. Thanks."[/color]

As if he didn't have enough on his plate. Kye was eyeing him mischeviously, and it was hard not to give him a hard nudge with his foot to get him to knock it off. He was just trying to earn a little bit of good karma while he was in town. Wouldn't hurt anything to help someone else out while he figured out what the hell he was supposed to be doing. He turned out of the alley and out onto the main street at last, and gave Haven a small wave before continuing along on his own way with a still smirking Kye in tow. [color=b3f7ad]"Catch ya' later, Pint Size!"[/color]

Haven raised her hand a bit at Rai's retreating back. Well that had been... not [i]completely[/i] shitty. Not nearly as shitty as last night, at least. Haven watched as he turned a corner, his Charmeleon in tow, her eyebrows scrunched together in thought. Then she gave a heavy sigh, looked down at her pokemon, and said, [color=coral]"Come on. Let's go get some ice cream."[/color] She goddamn needed some. And then sleep.