Fourth Dream: Nightmares [Action]

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna’s Dream

[This particular dream is set in Union, inside a large room covered in gymnastics mats. On one end is a tall woman, shaved bald and wearing a martial arts gi and standing beside a Meinfoo while on the other end is Yuuna, dressed in the same, with Gouken the Hitmonchan at her side.

The woman and her Pokemon square off against her, rushing at them with a battlecry, and the fight is on. And it doesn’t take a particularly observant person to see just how outmatched Yuuna is. Her movements are clumsy and sluggish, as are Gouken’s. The woman catches her with a right cross that knocks her flat, and Meinfoo sends Gouken flying with a single throw. Scrambling to their feet, they try again. And again, and again and again…and they just can’t seem to get in a hit.]

Why keep fighting? It is pointless. You should just give up and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. Only the strong should be allowed to train Pokemon. You’re just a waste of space. Someone who’s abilities are just so limited doesn’t even deserve to be called a trainer, much less pretend to be a Ranger.

[Yuuna growls and shakes her head, trying to get up again and stumbling, wiping blood from her mouth. Gouken does, however. And he looks to his trainer, eyes filled with disdain. That says it all, really. You’re weak, and you’re just holding me back. Slowly, he turns and walks over to join the other woman. The look of shock and horror on Yuuna’ s face is beyond hurt. It’s a breaking, and she drops back down, fists clenched in disbelief, tears darkening the mat in front of her.]

See, even your closest companion doesn’t want to be with a weakling like you. You’re nothing, Yuuna. Just trash, waiting to be swept away!



Gouken’s Dream

[This, much the same as the other, is set in some sort of training room, only this one is much more run down and shabby. Only this time there’s no other human. Just Gouken, Yuuna, and another Pokemon. A monstrous form, amorphous and evershifting, the creature seems to be intent on attacking the human. Gouken lunges in the way, hammering at the shadow with his fists, but each blow is just swallowed up by shadow.]

Pointlessssss

[A hissing laughter fills the room, and the shadow flows around the Hitmonchan. Yuuna’s eyes go wide and she shrieks in horror as tenebrous arms reach for her, grabbing her up by the throat.]

G-Gou…ack…ken! H-help me!

[Again he tries, pounding away with Ice, Fire, Lightning and every other kind of attack he knows but nothing seems to phase the strange Pokemon. It just absorbs the blows again, loosening it’s grip and shaking Yuuna from side to side as it slowly chokes her. She squeaks in pain again, unable to cry for help anymore as the Hitmonchan continues a barrage of punches.

And all the shadow does is laugh…]



Dream World

[Here’s someone who seems prepared, at least. Yuuna, in her long sleeved white martial arts uniform, meanders through the through the odd landscape. A Ranger’s insignia is emblazoned on the arm now, and she’s wearing handwraps like always. Her hand is never far from her sword, and she’s surrounded by several Pokemon, six visible, though anyone with preternatural senses will catch a 7th in the area…though it’s well hidden. She approaches anyone without much reservation, waving and announcing her presence well in advance.]

Hey. You okay?

[OOC: Catch her in any place, or help Gouken out! I’m totally open with this!]

Comments

Yuuna's Dream

[future_sight]

Strength isn't just about being able to fight, you know.

[Standing in the room, leaning against a wall, is Nozomi, accompanied by a few other pokemon--Mithra, Lakshmi, Coeus, and a Gastly. She smiles, eyes closed, then opens them, looking at the bald woman.]

[rainsrespite]

[The bald woman laughs, a deep, basso rumble almost like what you’d expect from a Machoke than a human.]

No, it isn’t. But look at her, down like that. She’s got no strength of any kind. No strength of will, no strength of character. She’s a failure, a flake who couldn’t cut it at any job she’s tried. What kind strength could trash like that possibly have?</i

[future_sight]

[A Liepard appears near Nozomi, stepping out seemingly from the shadows. A Nidoking and Reuniclus follow.]

I can't fight, but I'm still strong enough to be able to stand with my friends. You're the failure if you can't see a person's strength outside of the battlefield.

[rainsrespite]

Is that what you think? That having friends to hide behind makes you strong? It's wrong, but even by your definition, this worm is weak. She has no friends to speak of, if they're as loyal as Hitmonchan.

[future_sight]

[That right there hits a chord. Her smile fades.]

I don't hide behind my friends. If you can't see the worth and inner strength in people, then you're the one who is weak, not her.

[rainsrespite]

You keep saying that, girl...but it's all talk.

[The beastly woman takes a step forward towards Yuuna, a cruel look in her eye.]

[future_sight]

[Nozomi takes a step forward, smile falling away.]

Then I'll just have to show you, huh?

[She looks toward Yuuna, smiling a bit.]

Or we can leave. You don't have to put up with this.

Yuuna's Dream --and surprose!!

[kickboards]

"That's not true, Yuuna-san."

Rei spoke up from the back of the room in a tone that was startlingly firm for the gentle young man. He straightened his glasses and stepped forward, briefly regarding the bald woman on the other side of the room with something akin to fury blazing in his dark eyes.

How dare anyone treat Yuuna like this?

"You're one of the strongest people I've ever met-- it's an honor to fight beside you!"

-- and he would gladly do so, even though he didn't know the first thing about it. He wouldn't tolerate seeing this continue for much longer.

[rainsrespite]

Yuuna looked up at that voice, eyes wet with tears, and swallowed hard. How could she face Rei like this? He wasn’t a weakling. His Pokemon weren’t abandoning him. She was weak, and what could she possibly do or say to the contrary. The bald woman, however, just laughed at the boy.

“Said one weakling about another,” she jeered, “You’re just a prop to her, someone who’ll do what she says and follow her and make her feel important. You’re just as weak, boy, following a piece of trash like her. Don’t try and act all sanctimonious with me.”

Yuuna’s eyes lowered at the statement, stunned by the words and suddenly very, very angry. Her hands clench and unclench, but she doesn’t get up yet.

[kickboards]

Rei's hand clenched into a fist by his side in an outward show of his frustration, and his eyes narrowed in anger at the woman.

"The only ones who make a big deal about strength are the people who lack it," he said, standing tall beneath the formidable weight of the woman's words. "Yuuna has friends-- many of them, or else she wouldn't be a trainer or a ranger like she is now.

There's no strength in being alone. From where I stand, you're the only one here who is weak."

[rainsrespite]

"So, she's a sponge, is that it?" the woman scoffed, both she and the Meinfoo taking a step towards Rei. "Being propped up by weaklings, children, and buffoons doesn't make her strong. It makes her even more of a failure.

Someone who's truly strong doesn't need to rely on anyone else. They're tough enough on their own, or they're useless. Failures and pretenders."

Another step closer, and the woman is within arm's length of the boy, her eyes locked onto his, arms folded across her chest. Yuuna's found her way to her knees now, turning to focus on the woman and Rei, a fist wiping away more blood as her eyes blaze in anger.

"Why are you even wasting your time with someone like her, anyway? You want a teacher, there are plenty of better choices. Hitmonchan made the right choice..."

[kickboards]

"Enough of that already!'

His words, far louder in pitch, held nothing back. Rei reached for one of the bo staffs resting on the wall nearby, and held it tightly in both hands as if it were a baseball bat. It was far shorter than any staff he had held before, but the smoothe lines of the wood were familiar enough for him to latch onto if only by the feel of it.

Although he was entirely untrained, he had watched Yuuna enough times. If something happened, he was confident that he could figure something out.

It was never wise to take him for a fool.



"There's no grace or beauty in anything that you're doing. You're like a wild beast whose been pushed from the pack, someone that no one care's about and no one admires. Even the most solitary person in the world doesn't truly wish to be alone-- they want someone they can open up to, someone to trust, but they're afraid to.

...And that's why I'd prefer having someone like Yuuna be my teacher. She's kind and open hearted, not someone to be pitied like you are!"

[rainsrespite]

The bald woman doesn't even blink when she sees the staff, and her laughter turns even more mocking.

"And what lessons has this pathetic teacher of yours shared? Certainly not how to properly hold a staff. Grace and beauty are just as pointless, and that's just something the weak tell themselves as they dandy themselves up. But if you think I'm someone to be pitied, boy, you've got another thing coming."

She waved her hand in a mocking gesture, a martial artist's taunt. She was through with games now, and wanted to make that perfectly clear. Her lips curled into a sneer as she went on. "Give me your best shot, show me this strength you're supposedly sharing with that pathetic lump over there."

Gouken's Dream

[actsmagnificent]

BEAR!!!!

[ A gigantic white blur pummels itself onto the scene, claws flying, chips of ice spewing in its wake. True, a lady probably should take stock of the situation before just plowing on in, but Sky was raised by Haruka. The answer to everything, sooner or later, is hitting it really hard.

She'll rip this shadow off Gouken's Trainer if it's the last thing she does!! ]

[rainsrespite]

[The huge white shape slamming into the shadow-beast does actually affect something. It shakes slightly, retreating away from the ferocious attack, and it stops swinging Yuuna around. It’s grip even loosens a bit, drawing a desperate gasp for air from the human. The shadow twists and slips aside though, not letting go even as Gouken latches his arms around the tendril holding his trainer.]

You have friendsssss, but it’s ussselesssss. Jussstt give up!

[It’s pointless indeed, as Gouken’s hands slip through the shadow as easily as they would a fog bank. But the creature…whatever it is…is clearly trying to maneuver it’s bulk between Beartic and Yuuna.]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Fine by her! She can strike at the thing more directly that way. Beartic keeps clawing at random, frosting her claws over in the hopes of freezing the shadow if possible, taking a deep breath, assaulting the thing with a Blizzard. She feels bad for the Trainer inside it, but if she directs the storm's fury against this creature, maybe it can take the brunt...? And she will warm the human with her fur when all is said and done. ] Bearrrrr....

[rainsrespite]

[The vast majority of the blizzard does indeed cleave into the shadow creature, shredding away it's obscuring fog. A vaguely humanoid shape appears, but still nothing distinct. The Blizzard again causes it's grip to weaken, but by now Yuuna's strength is draining and the icy cold is not helping.

Gouken keeps pummeling, pulling back for a Fire Punch that seems to affect the enemy this time.]

HITMON!!!

[Let go!]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Oh no, the human. Beartic wavers, worried - but the fire encourages her to reach both claws in and wrap them around the slowly-forming shape. You aren't the only thing that can squeeze!

She looks over at Gouken. On the count of three, she'll rip this thing off, and then you'll hit it once it's free of your Trainer. Got it? ] Bear?

[ That's assuming this goes according to plan, mind you. ]

[rainsrespite]

[Got it! On the count, the Hitmonchan's ready to go! But they've got to hurry, she looks like she's in bad shape!]

Yuuna's dream

[bleeding_heart]

[Merrill is not having one word of this.]

You have no right to say that about Yuuna. She's not trash at all.

[rainsrespite]

And who are you to say that, hmmm?

[The bald woman's gaze is acidic, almost disgusted.]

[bleeding_heart]

Her friend.

[rainsrespite]

And? Are you strong, yourself? Someone she's able to hide behind? Or are you the kind who supports her, tells her she's not a waste of space?

[bleeding_heart]

[Merrill shakes her head.]

No... I'm not strong at all. Not by myself, anyway. But with people like Yuuna with me... that's when I can feel strong. If anyone's supporting anyone, it's Yuuna who takes care of me.

[rainsrespite]

Then you must be truly pathetic, to be cared for by someone like this. Look at her, on the ground there.

[And there she is, head down, fists clenched in a mixture of rage and despair. She's never dealt with failure well, but this...this is something entirely different. This is deliberate humiliation, and...in front of someone she likes, no less.]