[PRP] Pick Your Fights

[Suudonym]

The late afternoon sunshine was a treat, though she could have done without the nipping sea breeze blown down from the north, and after spending the entirety of the day stuck on a boat or tromping around the city, Ryuko was happy to sprawl out beneath one of the large trees outside of Camphoreon and soak up some of the warmth of early spring. She was stiff and worn out, and if she was going to make it to the trainer center before nightfall, it wouldn't be without taking a decent break.

"Hey!"

The cutting voice of an unfamiliar child forced her blue eyes open, and she propped herself upright on her elbows to show her acknowledgment, an eyebrow raised expectantly at the young boy who stood a short ways off.

"Your Scizor looks really tough!" the boy remarked loudly. "D'you wanna battle?"

Her expression constant, Ryuko turned momentarily to the red, one-eyed bug-type sitting near her. The Scizor turned its head slightly to a side, reflecting its trainer's own mild confusion. She leaned her weight onto one elbow, lifting her opposite hand and waving it briefly in dismissal, "No way, kid, I'm beat. Besides, I'm way out of your league anyway."

"Aw..." The boy frowned but shrugged nonetheless. "Well, okay, I guess. Maybe some other day then! Bye!"

With that, he was off, heading in the direction of Ryuko's own eventual destination. She shook her head - weird kid, to just run around challenging people to fights - and leaned back down on the grass with a sigh. This region was already starting to make an interesting impression.  

[Blood_Goddess]

With the opening of the trainer center, it was hard not to notice the decrease of trainers around the city. Sure some still enjoyed the outdoor and the traditions of the wild battles, but with the danger that was hanging over this island, it wasn't hard to tell the drastic differences in competition, especially when it came to finding battles. Though, Ray supposed that was also part of the challenge.

More then that she liked to test her skills and learn from people by watching them, watching their pokemon, It was good for Double Stripe too, who she would sit and discuss tactics with and point out observations of weaknesses too.

It was warm enough now, so that the long limbed women had the sleeves of her earthy green jacket rolled up, and her arms crossed absently over her chest. she had taken on a couple of challenges in the day, and was just on about wondering who would give her a next challenge when she overheard a young trainer asking for battle from a girl that had been doing much of anything, just laying around at the bottom of the trees with her pokemon.

She had been watching them for some time, along with the rest of the people int he aria, It wasn't hard to tell they were close.
Crouching down and narrowing her eyes lightly as she observed the relaxing pare as the boy had his challenge turned down.
That in itself was odd though, they looked as content around one another as a team who had been battling and training together for many years, yet the Scizor's movements were raw, its posture and gaze indicated little to no experience.
"what do you think?" Ray asked the Serpirior who eyes the couple curiously as well.
The pokemon let out a soft hiss and rolled his head a little in the placement of shoulders.
"Yeah- thats what I was thinking."

"You know," Ray said, now loud enough for the girl to hear. "I bet he could have actually taken you."  

[Suudonym]

"Huh?" The girl propped herself up once more, turning towards the source of the voice with an incredulous, nearly insulted expression. "Excuse me? Maybe I don't look like much, but I've taken out guys three times his size - never mind that I'm at least ten years older than him, which is enough of an advantage alone."  

[Blood_Goddess]

Ray's only visible eye squinted lightly in appraisal, her eyes shifting from the girl to look her Scizor over. a corner of her wide mouth pulling up before she made a sharp hum.
"I don't know where you were looking, I've watched that kid battle a few times, Sure you've got the confidence, but he's got experience."  

[Suudonym]

"No, no--" She sat up, crossing her legs and gesturing matter-of-factly. The Scizor blinked its eye in a mild, ongoing surprise when it found itself under the stranger's scrutiny, returning its attention to its trainer when she continued, "You're kidding, right? I mean come on, beating up kids isn't on my agenda in the first place. Don't tell me that's the norm here - what kind of region is this place?" She liked fighting and all, but she at least had a basic moral compass.

What really bugged, though, her was the implication that she would have lost.  

[Blood_Goddess]

"They wouldn't have signed up if they weren't ready to competitive battle." Ray pointed out, then let a grin spread over her face with a light laugh "Besides! its good for them to loose sometimes, might be good for you too."  

[Suudonym]

Signing up, competition... Obviously this was some kind of organized thing, like a martial arts school or something perhaps. That alone was a bit of a turnoff for Ryuko; she'd done some proper kickboxing, but all the rules and regulations were kind of annoying when you just wanted to beat the crap out of something - or someone. Still, the whole idea was kind of weird, and the girl spoke with a raised brow, "What kind of organization has its members wander around and challenge people randomly?" She couldn't even begin to list all the problems with that concept.  

[Blood_Goddess]

It was Ray's turn to look confused, "Only one of the biggest organizations in the world?" though her voice faded with a note of confusion. "you can't tell me that you've been with that Scizor for as long as you have and not been challenged before. I mean... I would make sense that you don't train, but then why would you go telling the kid that your out of his league."

There was a pause while the tall person hovered with a narrowed eye.  

[Suudonym]

Ryuko narrowed her eyes in kind, "What in the world are you talking about?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

Double Stripe let out a hissing laughter at the girls comment, coiling his body and nudging Ray's side as the women blinked and wrinkled her nose.
"I'm talking about Pokemon battles. wait, right?" She glanced over to Double Stripe, then back to the women "Right?"  

[Suudonym]

"Pokemon-- No!" She raised a hand clenched into a fist in demonstration. "A battle battle: brawling, kicking a**, you know!"  

[Blood_Goddess]

The notched eyebrow arched slightly as the girl explained what she had been talking about.
Very suddenly Ray burst out into laughter as she replayed everything that had been said, and how it could have gotten confused.
slapping a hand on her knee and leaning against the Serperior.
"Well THAT was a misunderstanding. He wanted to battle with pokemon!"  

[Suudonym]

Ryuko responded to the laughter with a look of sheer bafflement and incredulity. "Why would he want a pokemon battle?"  

[Blood_Goddess]

"Because he's a trainer," Her laughter faded to chuckles, taking a moment to catch her breath though the grin didn't dwindle.
"that's what they do to get better. they battle each other, its the whole sport."  

[Suudonym]

Well, come to think of it, he had commented on her Scizor before issuing his challenge, so that was actually... kind of likely, wasn't it? She gave a faint grumble, rubbing a hand at the back of her head. "Well, that's egg on my face, I guess..." The Scizor leaned forward to look at her, its expression faintly amused, and she pushed it back in feigned irritation, "Oh shut up, you know you were thinking the exact same thing as me."