Roleplay

@ayle @carnifex
((ohboy))

Ajax had spent the intermission by the bar, ordering a light beer before turning to quietly observe the crowd. He saw Mila at the far corner of the stage, who looked like she was giving Lin a pep-talk. If one didn't look closely it almost seemed as if she was soothing a small child, her hands cupped around his face as she whispered softly to him.

He made a note to discourage her from that behavior, if she wanted the Kirlia to actually become battle-ready and not just a pet.

As the announcement began for the contestants to enter the stage, Ajax shifted his focus to the opponent that Mila was to go against. It was the same man that he had seen earlier- looked like his wife had gotten the better of him after all. Glass in hand, Ajax left the bar and took a spot near the edge of the ring.

"And now, please welcome Mr. DuPont and Ms. Mercier to the stage! The first to resign will end the match. Good luck to both parties. Let the next round begin!"

There was a light scattering of applause, with Ajax only half-clapping along, eyes fixed on Mr. DuPont. He heard him grunt something impatiently, then release his pokeball to reveal a Braixen. Class A, though a lightweight and definitely a luxury pokemon- Ajax was too busy in his analysis to notice that a woman--Mrs. DuPont-- had approached him from the side. At her light giggle, he flinched and turned to her.

"Is that your wife?" She smiled, synthetic eyelashes fluttering in the direction of the stage. Ajax blinked, then shook his head quickly and feigned an easy grin,

"Nah, girlfriend." He turned back to the ring at a cry of "Double Team!" from Mila, and hoping that was the end of it. The woman didn't let up, continuing, "Oh, how darling! Well Michael over there is my husband. What brings the two of you here?"

Guess it was time for the good 'ol pull-words-out-of-my-*ss.

So he shrugged and began, "We were on the way to Circus Circus, but show's at 1 so we decided to stop by here for a bit first. She's got a real battling spirit, you see." He flashed her a quick smile, hoping that would satisfy her. But she didn't stop studying him, and his palms had started to sweat uncomfortably...

He stiffly turned away, just in time to see Lin subsequently fire off a Psychic into the Braixen's exposed back. Mrs. DuPont gasped at the pokemon's cry of pain, her attention thankfully pulled away to the activity on the stage.

In any other case, Ajax would have encouraged the force Lin had used behind the move, but at a place like this it may stir up...unnecessary attention.

"Michael, dear, are you sure Octavian was a good choice for this fight?" The woman next to him called out. He wondered what she meant, but a glance at the Braixen revealed the feral glint in its eyes. Ajax's gaze flickered back towards Mila, but it appeared that she was wholly absorbed in the battle to notice him. This is supposed to be a low-stakes battle. They won't allow it to get out of hand, Ajax reasoned to himself. Or would they?

As flames from the Fire Spin engulfed half the stage, forcing the spectators to narrow their eyes against the heat, he heard Mila yell out the command for another Psychic. Teleport certainly would be a better option. Why isn't she--? Lin followed suit, letting loose another wave at the licking swirls of flames and quickly sending them back at the Braixen.

"Oh, dear oh dear." He could hear the wife fussing under her breath. Mr. DuPont's voice boomed out in anger at Octavian's failure to dodge the Psychic--or had it done it on purpose?

Ajax was not unfamiliar with pokemon that possessed a certain willfulness in the training rings, but there was something else about this Braixen in particular that set him- and the growing crowd as well- on edge. He watched, frowning, as it delayed carrying out its owner's command and instead fixed the Kirlia with a predatory glare. Ajax didn't notice that his hand had reached down to his own pokeball until he felt it shake slightly under his fingertips, briefly growing warm from the pokemon within. He hoped it didn't have to come to that; not here.

He barely had the time to cover his ears before the wave of Hypnosis washed across the ring.

@ayle @skiatha

Michael's expression was dubious when Mila didn't concede--he couldn't exactly admit his own defeat, but he was privately concerned about the way Octavian was acting. He had known the fox pokemon could get a little willful, but he was sure that had been... trained out of him. Embarrassing. The crowd's whispers had died down at least, and the kirlia was still on the ground. He wanted to end this battle quickly, before Octavian proved to shame him further. "Flamethrower." He said with a growl, eyes narrowed as he met Mila's gaze across the room, mouth set in a hard frown.

@ayle @skiatha

And with that, the tide of the battle had shifted drastically. Michael's eyes were practically bulging out of his skull as he sputtered in surprise, the Psychic dashing Octavian's wand away. It skittered away, clattering on the stage a few leaps away. Without it, the braixen's abilities were much more limited, and he knew it. He was pacing now, furiously, back and forth as he tried to strategize. He had never seen the girl before, and she was making a damned fool of him! He never should have listened to his wife. "Get the wand, Octavian!"

Octavian was snarling, thrashing his body furiously as Lin clung to him. The order from Michael went ignored, scrabbling at Lin with his paws and letting out a horrific chorus of yipping cries. The crowds were all abuzz once more--whispers about how Octavian had disobeyed, of how poorly trained and nearly feral the pokemon was, how disgraceful its actions were. Michael could practically see the judgemental stares turn on him, and he was stuck between conceding or hoping the battle would turn around somehow.

"Listen to me, you damned beast!" He shouted, his decision made. Octavian flicked an ear in recognition of the order, giving another vigorous shake to try and unseat Lin from his body before diving towards the wand.

@skiatha @ayle

Michael let out a huff of breath, stuck somewhere between relief and embarrassment at the concession. He took out Octavian's pokeball and clicked the recall button, the braixen disappearing in a flash of crimson. He pocketed the ball with mild disgust, his grip on it too tight as if he could crush it in his hands, his expression stiff. The girl had all but beaten him, and he knew that, and there was no reason for her to concede except out of... what? Pity?

He was quick to disembark the battlefield, returning to his wife and gripping her arm a little too tightly, looking like he wanted to retreat as soon as possible. The crowd was still whispering over the performance, over Octavian's failings, and all Michael wanted was to lick his wounds and pray his reputation wouldn't be too tarnished by this. The business couldn't afford it.

"Come on, Delilah. We're leaving." He said sternly, in a tone that made it clear he'd take no more arguing or wheedling from his wife. She looked a bit disappointed, shaking herself free from Michael's grip but obeying regardless with a huff. "It was nice speaking with you." She added to Ajax, Michael's attention flicking to him as well.

@Ayle @Carnifex

"Lin! Come back. We're done."

And that was the end of it. Ajax let out a small breath that he didn't know he had been holding and rocked back on his heels. That was...an interesting battle, to say the least. Perhaps the Kirlia had some hope yet of becoming something in the ring. He observed Mila's pleased expression, even though she did just concede. Though he wasn't sure what she was trying to get at, Ajax could tell that it was a wise move-- given the state of Octavian's composure and Mr. DuPont's bulging neck veins. He clapped with the crowd as the referee re-entered the stage to give some closing comments, about to turn away when Mrs. DuPont was still focused on her husband; unfortunately for him, she was quick to catch him, exclaiming,

"Oh, don't leave yet! You really should introduce Ms. Mercier to me, she fought splendidly and--"

"Come on, Delilah. We're leaving." The form of Mr. DuPont moved in from behind the woman, and Ajax silently cursed his luck. Delilah seemed to hesitate, but nevertheless concluded her sentence with, "It was nice speaking with you."

Then the man's gaze shifted onto Ajax, eyes boring down onto him. He nodded and smiled, keeping his cool, "And you as well." He then turned and gave a small bow to Michael, "Mr. DuPont, congratulations on--"

"Mr. Dupont!" All heads turned to see Mila speeding towards them, and Ajax lifted an eyebrow in her direction. He listened as she spoke, eyes gradually widening when he realized what she was doing. Quickly, before DuPont could respond, he let out a light chuckle, though it sounded somewhat forced,

"Ah, my apologies, Ms. Mercier can be a bit spontaneous sometimes. We're already quite over our budget, and I'm sure your Octavian is much too valuable to hand away."

@ayle @skiatha

Michael met Mila's gaze with a stiff, unreadable expression. It almost felt patronizing, his pride stung that first she had conceded when she obviously held the upper hand, and now she was offering to take his trouble pokemon from him. But on the other hand, Octavian had disappointed him, and he would have likely been killed for his insolence--his breeding didn't merit enough excellency to keep him alive as a sire.

Delilah was wheedling besides him, her voice high and desperate, "Oh, Michael, she rehabilitates pokemon! Isn't that quaint? And I know what happens to the pokemon who disappoint you, and I'm putting my foot down!" The implication behind her words were clear--Octavian would likely be put to death for his failings. Michael glanced at his wife sideways, weighed whether or not arguing would cause more of a scene, and made his decision. He hadn't gotten where he was without swallowing some measure of pride.

"Fine." He said, ignoring Ajax's words. "Take the damn beast, I don't care. I'll take your number, have my people contact yours for the papers." He huffed with a sigh of annoyance. Better than letting his wife put up a fuss and drawing more attention to them. He wanted to be gone now, and this would let him leave with grace and rid himself of his problem pokemon.