Crossing the Line (Andrew)

[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy was grateful that her mother had finally let her leave new bark again. After she had returned to her hometown on crutches, she kept Sandy inside for at least a week or so. Finally, she was free to travel again, but she hadn't exactly gotten around too fast. She was stuck on a cane, her weaker leg making it had for her to travel. Valan followed right behind her, and Spirit walked along beside her, forced by the other team members to help Sandy if it was needed. Of course, he wouldn't allow her to take a trip on her back, that wasn't going to happen, but she could lean on him if she really needed it. She eventually did. Giving up on walking for a minute, Sandy leaned into the sturdy side of the fire-steed, taking a short break and a deep breath. She knew Spirit wasn't enjoying his post, but she was grateful to him for doing it anyway. His reins jingled as he turned to glance at her, as if to ask why they had stopped. Sandy smiled meekly and him and rubbed one of her hands along his side. "Sorry boy, I'm just a little tired." she said in an answer to his silent question. The Mudkip hopped up onto Spirit's back and sat down, pointing a paw at him. <<Relax a little dude. You know her leg isn't that good yet.>> With a snort, Spirit was quick to shake Valan off his back, the mudfish slipping onto the grass with a thud. In the process he almost knocked Sandy off balance, but the girl dug her cane into the grass to keep her footing. Valan shook the dirt off his skin and shot a glare at Spirit, who glared back once he had re-offered his side to Sandy. Though Valan did have to agree that they were moving slower than they should have been. Sandy had been getting tired too easily, and it was taking a toll on their trip. But he had more sympathy than Spirit did, and he slid in front of her, trying to get her to take a break. "I guess we should rest huh?" Spirit snorted and helped her over to a tree stump, where she sat down and let out a breath of relief. It wasn't hard to spot Sandy, especially with how her hair was now, but she wasn't worried about anything attacking them. Spirit would protect them, and she knew it. With a sigh, she rested the cane on the floor and pulled out her Pokegear, hovering over the map section of it. She had to figure out what her next move would be.

[Andrew]

Andrew groaned as he trudged down the streets of Cherrygrove. It seemed as if he’d never get away from here. Even the local Nurse Joy had remembered his name from all the times he’d stopped by. He frowned as he stepped around the flowers, noticing that they hadn’t changed even slightly since his first visit. “No wonder I still only have one badge. I’m always passing through the same places!” Andrew mumbled to himself. He didn’t actually have anything against Cherrygrove. In fact, he had actually captured some of his best Pokémon there. He just wanted to visit the rest of Johto while he was still young.

Rayna ambled behind him, not saying a word. It had been a while since she’d travelled with Andrew but he’d finally decided to withdraw her from the Pokémon Center. He’d been reminded of her on his way to Cherrygrove when he passed the spot where they’d first met. Other than her and Rusty, whose aerial-view was helpful, he had decided to leave the rest of his Pokémon at Pokémon Center for a full day of recovery. “Sorry Rayna, I’m probably making you wish I hadn’t taken you out.” Andrew said, turning to the Flaaffy. “I’m just afraid I’m going backwards while everyone else is making progress!”
<<“That’s alright! I’m sure you’ll get where you want to!”>> the electric-type responded, gazing up at her trainer.

Andrew smiled at her reaction. He’d forgotten how quiet and tolerant she was compared the majority of his other. “Okay, I promise I’ll stop sulking now! Let’s just see what’s happening around here while we’re waiting for Rusty.” He looked up at the sky, using his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. He was hoping that the Pidgeotto would return soon. He’d heard there were tons of Quagsire sightings in the past few days and had somehow gotten it into his head that if he missed his chance to see one now, he might not be so lucky in his upcoming gym battle. But now that he’d finally returned, he realised how terrible his plan really was. Nevertheless, he’d sent Rusty searching for one so he could avoid getting sand in his shoes.

Andrew began to yawn as he wondered why Rusty was taking so long to return. Rayna’s ears suddenly began to twitch and she motioned to her trainer to follow her. <<“I can hear Rusty’s voice over here!”>> she explained, leading Andrew to the water’s edge. Just as she’d suspected, the flying-type was there, along with a Quagsire. “Whoa, nice one, Rayna! At least we got what we came for now!” As the two headed over to Rusty, the Quagsire dived into the water. As soon as they caught her eye, Rusty rushed over to meet Andrew and Rayna.
<<“Oh, you’re here! You’ll never guess what I just heard! Apparently, there’s a girl with blonde hair and blue highlights just outside the city using some sort of cane to help her to walk! There’s only one person I can think of who fits that description. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s Sandy he was talking about! Let’s find out what’s going on!”>>
<<“Oh dear, a cane? I hope everything’s okay!”>> Rayna gasped.

Rusty’s story made absolutely no sense to Andrew. Before he even had a chance to work out that his friend could be in trouble, his two Pokémon darted off into the city. “H-hey, don’t go without me!” he called out, chasing after them. He guessed that whatever they were doing must have been important since it wasn’t like Rayna to run off like this. The three quickly dashed through the city as if they were up to no good. Andrew received some strange looks as he tried to avoid crashing into people on the street. It wasn’t long before they left the built-up area and began moving through the grass. <<“There!”>> Rusty announced, gliding towards a nearby tree-stump. Andrew’s eyes widened as he saw his friend, messing around with her Pokégear. His eyes were instantly drawn to the cane placed beside her.
“Sandy?” he started, moving slowly towards her. “Whoa, what happened to you? Are you alright?” he continued, looking around to see if anyone was with her. He hadn’t been expecting to see her around here, especially not like this.

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy hadn't been there long, when Spirit heard the sound of wing beats overhead. Looking up, he spotted a Pidgeotto, not that he had been expected to recognize it, but it seemed to just be passing by, so it was no threat to them. Instead he returned his gaze to the road, an audible snort escaping his nostrils and making Sandy look up at him for maybe a moment before returning to her task. It wasn't long after he had seen the Pidgeotto before in came tumbling back through the sky, but this time with a boy and a Flaaffy following from the ground. They all seemed to be coming toawrds them. In warning, the Ponyta suddenly reared up flaring his diamond hard hooves against the air, trying to ward them off. Sandy looked up at his sudden urgent whinny, but she thought he was just nickering at some passersby. Though it sounded more threatening. Quickly grabbing for the cane, Sandy stumbled clumsily to her feet and stood at Spirit's side, grabbing onto his reins and trying to pull him down. "Come on now boy, relax, it's alright, it's-" she stopped suddenly as her eyes found the one person she had somehow been trying to avoid thinking about since Hiroki had been stolen from her and retrieved. Andrew. The Ponyta was now calm, now that it seemed they were in no danger, but Valan hopped up onto his back, standing on his hind legs to try and get a better look at Sandy's face. <<Earth to Sandy!>> The Mudkip chirped to the half spaced out girl beside him. Spirit let out another snort, tossing his head from side to side. <<Teenagers all think with their hormones. She's obviously gawking because some male is nearby.>> <<I wouldn't call that gawking as much as spacing out.>> As Andrew reached them and asked what had happened, she kind of remained silent, not meeting Andrew's eyes and instead glancing off to her side. She couldn't tell him it was nothing, because the cane was proof that something indeed had happened, but she couldn't possibly have told him what had happened, right? But she had to. Sifting through her pocket suddenly with free hand, she gripped onto a Pokeball and held in out to him, still refusing to look over at him. "I'm sorry...Hiroki...you should take him back..." Beside her Spirit suddenly jerked, knocking Valan off his back. She was trying to give the Dugtrio away?! Just like that? How stupid. With a nicker, he forced Sandy's attention on him only for a moment, before she again lost her attention to the matter at hand. "He got stolen from me, and I wasn't strong enough to rescue him all on my own. And that's why I don't deserve to keep him." She moved her cane up as she mentioned she wasn't strong enough, indicating that was how she had been injured to begin with. <<She's Pathetic.>> Spirit decided with a mutter that was only half to himself. Valan shot him a glare from his place on the floor but figured it was useless to argue with the horse. "I'm sorry to spring this on you so suddenly...it's just... if I can't protect my own Pokemon, then what good am I, right?" She finally managed to meet his eyes, giving him a rather meager smile in comparison to the ones she could normally offer to her friends. But all in all, she seemed quite serious. It had not been the way she wanted to greet her friend, but it was the first thing that had come out of her.

[Andrew]

As soon as Sandy became aware that Andrew was standing across from her, he could tell that something wasn’t right. Had he done something to upset her? Instead of trying to break the silence, Andrew waited for his friend to give him some sort of response. His heart was racing as he thought of all the possibilities. Sandy didn’t seem capable of making eye contact for some reason. Instead, Andrew watched her retrieve a Poké Ball from her pocket.

It was easy to tell that Sandy was distraught by the sound of her voice. Andrew was still shaking as she shoved the Poké Ball at him. “Wh-what?” he uttered, still not understanding the situation fully. Was he missing something? What had this all got to do with her leg? The girl soon expanded on her sentence, declaring that she wasn’t deserving of the ground-type he'd given her back when she was just starting out. Rayna and Rusty exchanged a look. Nobody could have seen this coming.
<<“This isn’t good. She’s jumping to conclusions too quickly.”>> Rayna whispered to the avian.

“Hey... Sandy, no...” Andrew shook his head, pausing as he wondered how he should reply. “No, that’s makes no sense at all! I’m not taking him from you. Hiroki’s your Pokémon. You worked hard and trained him better than I ever could have! He may have been stolen from you but you fought to get him back and that’s what matters!” he finally insisted, placing his hand on her shoulder.

He was noticeably upset. Seeing his friend like this wasn’t easy. From what he understood, she’d been harmed by whoever had stolen the ground-type from her. “Sandy, asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness... Going after him in this condition shows exactly how much you care. Now please tell me, how did this happen to you?” Andrew was so concerned over this that he couldn’t even offer her a smile back. He’d never understand how anyone could put someone like Sandy into a condition like this.

Rusty glanced briefly at each of those around her. She finally turned her head over to Rayna, deciding that the sheep would know what they should do.
<<“How are we supposed to be acting?”>> the flying-type questioned.
<<“I guess, all we can do is wait for them to sort this out. Let’s try to keep quiet.”>> the Flaaffy responded from where she was standing. If they wandered off or made noise, it would only be distracting. Things seemed to be quite serious at the moment so they’d just have to hang around while Andrew listened to what Sandy had to say.

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy seemed genuinely surprised when he declined taking Hiroki back. It was like it was hard for her to understand why he hadn't been upset with her. Hiroki had been Andrew's, and she had failed in caring for him when he needed it the most. She held the Pokeballl to her chest, and it was obvious she was trying her best to hold back tears, because they rimmed her eyes as she seemed to glance over to Rayna and Rusty, unsure of what to make of them. "But he was yours first!" She spoke quickly, like her whole system had suddenly been shocked into alarm. It was easy to tell that she was panicked, and she dug the cane into the ground to prevent herself from stumbling after the slight movement she had made with the sudden outburst. Her breathing was ragged. "I couldn't help him, I had watch them take him away! I-" She stopped in her sentence as Andrew placed his hand on her shoulder, and she then stood in silence, staring up at him with a wide-eyed, troubled expression. Spirit stomped one of his hooves onto the ground, glancing at his trainer with a slightly annoyed expression. <<Honestly. If he hadn't come along, she wouldn't be doing this right now.>> Valan, who was still sitting there, sighed. He knew Hiroki has been Andrew's, like he had been, before being given to Sandy. So seeing him after her experience was probably overwhelming. Muru said she had told them over and over that Hiroki was considered a special gift to her, so it must have triggered the emotions she had attempted to bury. Sandy seemed to catch how upset he had become, and it only caused her to break a little more. She found it hard to catch her breath as she listened to him. Why? Why was she so upset? Why was this so confusing? Why was she acting like this? She didn't want to upset him, but here she was, doing just that! When she heard him refer to her leg again, she looked down at it and paused. "A-After they took Hiroki...They attacked Scatter and Muru...my Espeon, with an Arcanine and an Arbok, so they couldn't chase after the grunt that had Hiro and-" she froze, realizing that the pain was a lot harder to take as she recalled it then she thought. "So I ran after him. The grunt...He- He skirted around one of the drainage ditches near Goldenrod. It was narrow, so I almost caught him, but he pushed me and...I fell in." She was shocked suddenly by the feeling of Valan rubbing against her uninjured leg, and it was then that she realized her cheeks were wet, putting a hand up to one to prove it to herself. She put the same hand over her face and covered it, her voice breaking as she recalled the rest. "I was in there for twenty minutes...no one came by...Muru appeared over the ledge...and she got me out with her Psychic..and I could only move far enough to get to the nearest tree..that was where my friend found me." Before she knew what she doing, she had dropped the cane and had managed to steady herself by keeping her arms around Andrew's waist, nearly sobbing for a good minute or so before she could get anything else out. "I was scared, but more for him than myself...I thought, 'If he's trapped, how do I even deserve to leave this ditch'?!" Even Spirit found nothing to say at this point. Valan had been surprised. He hadn't called her stupid, or pathetic, or anything of the sort. Instead, he just looked away, as if he was disinterested in the whole scene she was making. Though there was a good thing there hadn't been too many trainer's passing through this way. Though, there were two that neither of Sandy's Pokemon seemed to sense. Behind a bush, sat a beautiful maroon haired woman, coupled with a green haired fellow who peeked through a small patch of bareness in the bush every once in a while. "Leon, can't we just go and attack them already? It's so boring over here." she whispered, glancing disinterestedly at her nails. Leon hushed her, his eyes slightly unreadable as he watched Sandy and Andrew from that distance. "No you stupid woman. If you want to watch her suffer some more you have to wait. I would like to see the other kid's reaction. He looks panicked enough as it is. Maybe he'll leave her there." he whispered back. "What, you still got a thing for that plain girl or something?" Leon glared at her, but didn't answer as he once again waited for something, anything to happen.

[Andrew]

Andrew’s voice began to quiver slightly as he saw the tears in Sandy’s eyes. “I-I may have captured him but the two of you have been together way longer. I’ll always have a bond with him but I can assure you that the bond ye share is a lot stronger.” It really upset him how much her spirit had been crushed. He knew she was stronger than this.

“That must have been horrible...but don’t let it haunt you forever! They might have captured him for a while but just look who has him now! You did help him! Hiroki’s lucky to have a trainer who’s brave enough to face up to the villains and rescue him!” Andrew knew that his presence was probably the reason for Sandy’s outburst. While he hated reminding her of the incident, he wanted to help sort things out. It was better for her to let her feelings out and realise it was alright than to keep her emotions bottled up forever.

“B-but who did all of this?” Andrew repeated. He had a couple of suspects in mind. As Sandy finally began to expand on the story, he began to tremble even more. There were some really messed up people out there. Finally, she revealed that a grunt had attacked her and suddenly, Andrew had flashback of a similar incident he had experienced. “T-Team Rocket did this?” he blurted out, beginning to clench his fists tightly. He listened to the rest of her story as carefully as he could, trying his best not to be distracted by the memories of his own past.

Andrew placed his arms around her as she steadied herself against him. He hugged her gently while she took a moment to recover from the tears. “Sandy... a few years ago, something similar happened to me. My first ever Pokémon was a Charmander named Sanga. We came across a Team Rocket hideout in Viridian City Gym and we were both locked up when they discovered we’d gotten in.” Although he hated talking about it, he was hoping that by telling Sandy, he could help her to overcome her current state.

“We made an attempt to escape but we were caught again and they decided to move us to another location so we wouldn’t blow their cover. We broke out of the back of a van in Viridian Forest but a Rhydon landed on top of Sanga, seriously injuring him. It was raining but we had to spend the night hiding in the forest because we knew they’d be searching for us. Even right now, Sanga still hasn’t properly recovered so he has to stay at home with my parents. That’s why I came to Johto...” he trailed off, biting his lip as he wondered how Sanga was doing.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. When we’re both strong enough, we’ll tackle them together.” he declared, attempting to offer her a smile.
<<“I think we’re being watched...”>> Rayna whispered to her ally, purposely staying still so the enemy wouldn’t know that she was aware of their presence. The Flaaffy was keeping were guard up in case they were ambushed.
<<“Hmm?”>> Rusty hadn’t noticed anything suspicious at all.
<<“Don’t move but be ready. I still can’t work out if we’re in danger.”>> the electric-type informed her friend. Whatever their intention was, she wasn’t comfortable with the thought of being spied on.

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy listened quietly as Andrew explained his whole escapade with Sanga and how they had gotten locked up in a Team Rocket hideout. She balled the fabric of what her was wearing within her fists very lightly before relaxing her hands flatly again. No wonder she had never heard of Sanga before. Pulling back, she looked up at him. "I wish I was strong enough now. Andrew, I don't know what these people want but I don't exactly like the fact that they're here in Johto." She commented, taking in softer, more shallow breaths as she recovered from the crying she had done just a few moments ago. "And I'm sorry about Sanga...but I'm sure he'll get well enough to come meet up with you! He sounds like a brave Charmander." Pulling away and offering him a feeble smile in return for his, she held Hiroki's Pokeball to her chest. "Okay...I guess I just need to make sure that never happens again." she said, slightly more confident then she had been a few moments prior. Valan seemed to notice the other Pokemon's tension, as did Spirit, as Spirit began to prod Sandy's back lightly, causing the girl to fumble a bit and catch herself with her cane. "What is it boy?.." Valan stood straight up on his feet, a livid expression on his face and the radar like fin on his head pointed straight towards the underbrush. Nervously, Sandy backed up behind Andrew, suddenly noticing Rusty and Rayna had seemed to have the same suspicions as her Pokemon. "They sense something..." she whispered to him. "But I don't know if I want to check behind that bush...should we run?" OOC: I'm soooo sorry Andrew, I've been so hurried lately and this post probably sucks but Ihopeitsokay <3

[Andrew]

It was a bit of a relief to hear that Sandy was taking his advice. After sharing his story, it seemed as if he’d been able to get through to her somewhat. Obviously, he hadn’t solved the problem but at least her decision to hold onto Hiroki seemed be a step in the right direction. “You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. Team Rocket is an entire organisation. I don’t know anybody who could take them down alone. Just remember that you were able to save Hiroki when your friend helped you out. I’m not sure what they’re after either but you can always call me up if they bother you again.”

“Thanks, I’m sure Sanga will be ready to join my team again someday,” Andrew responded with a smile. He didn’t want to make this all about him, especially when it had been so long ago. Right now, he needed to help Sandy. These criminals who had injured her were still out there somewhere. Who was to say that they wouldn’t attack her again? Her wounded leg would only make her an easier target.

Without turning his head, Andrew glanced over to Rayna as Sandy mentioned that their Pokémon sensed something. He immediately knew that she was right but didn’t want to make it obvious that they knew. He shook his head at her suggestion to run. “If we run, you’ll risk damaging your leg even further,” Andrew whispered back. It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that Team Rocket were waiting to ambush Sandy. It seemed exactly like the spineless sort of thing they were capable of. Perhaps they were waiting for him to leave first.

“Sandy, if we run, it’ll only reinforce the idea that we can’t beat whoever’s out there. I want to end this now. I hate seeing you like this and I’m afraid that if I leave you now, Team Rocket will come after you again.” He did his best to seem confident, hoping that Sandy would go along with it. If possible, he’d have to avoid revealing that Rayna and Rusty were the only Pokémon he’d brought with him. “What’re you waiting for?” he finally blurted out, turning to the bushes. “Have you got nothing better to do than stalk us all day?”

“Sandy, we can do this! Just focus as if it you were battling for a badge and try your best to let go of the past,” Of course, this was easier said than done. If Sandy’s attackers were really the ones behind the bushes, he knew she’d probably struggle at first. He’d have to keep a brave face if he wanted to bring her back to her old self again.
<<“Looks like you were right,”>> Rusty seemed surprised. How did Rayna always pick up on these things.
<<“Yes, but I don’t think this is going to be an ordinary battle. We’re going to have to give it our all.”>>

[[OOC: Nooo, it's great! It was fun to reply to! xD Don't worry about replying if you don't have time! I'll be here whenever you do get the chance! <3]]

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] She was scared, and she could tell by her rapid heartbeat that it was even worse than she thought. But Andrew was right, if they ran now, they'd be sending a weak message to whoever was after them. Still, the thought of any kind of confrontation at the moment made her stomach churn. A blush rose up as she realized that in a sense, he was trying to protect her, but she decided that this wasn't any time to feel nervous. She swallowed and stood up as straight as she could, letting Andrew take over the confrontation, for now. Though, neither Leon or Maradeth were fearful of Andrew's bravery. In fact, Maradeth began laughing the moment she realized they were figured out. Sandy froze up at the airy laugh, because she knew exactly who it was now. And so, Maradeth stepped out first, the same womanly air she had sported the first time Sandy had met her resurfacing, and the girl suddenly felt much smaller. If she hadn't realized she was gripping Andrew's arm with her free hand, she realized the moment she squeezed it even tighter. Maradeth noticed this right away, and was...very kind as to point it out. "You know you're going to cut his circulation off like that right? Dear me, you've got him so tightly your fingers are white!" Before Sandy had any time to react to Andrew's comment, Maradeth let out another chuckle. "Well I don't know if you want to give her that advice. One of her Pokemon might end up scarred again. Isn't that right Sandy? Just like Berry, the time when you could have cared less if over half your team was taken out, just for one badge?" Sandy's eyes widened. How had she found that out? It wasn't even brought up last time they met! "That wasn't-" "That wasn't what you were doing yes I'm sure that's what you would say. Your little girlfriend there is a lot more vicious than that cute little exterior leads on." Sandy searched for the words, but she couldn't find the right ones, and instead gave a sorry glance to Andrew. How could she compete with Maradeth when the woman didn't let her get a word in edgewise? She then turned turned to Andrew, a smirk playing on her features. She was enjoying this a lot more than one should have been. "I'll admit, the man she had come to see me with last time was a lot more intimidating, but I'm sure that you're one of those guys who talk big but have no fight." Sandy used what little courage she had left at the moment to speak up. "You're only saying that because Joey could have knocked all your guards backwards if he had been given the chance..." Maradeth's smirk faded for only a moment before it was replaced with a devilish smile. "Have you ever considered how I know so much about you? Your little stunt in Azalea Town? Your fear of Mightyena? I even know all about your poor little family's split up. And you never thought, "Oh how does Maradeth know all of this?" Maybe you should look a little further into it." "And realize who your true enemies are." If Maradeth's voice hadn't made her freeze up in fear, Leon's voice had. As he emerged from behind the bushes, her gaze was automatically trained on him. The look he gave her made her shrink back, and he glanced down at her leg. "I see you're still about as lame as that Espeon you have." he commented, suddenly turning to attack Andrew verbally. After all, Maradeth had already done a fabulous job with Sandy. "You talk a big game, don't you? She shouldn't even need you to come to her rescue at this point. She's got plenty of strong Pokemon that can defend her." Smiling, he continued on. "I really don't think you want to get involved in a war you aren't going to win. You can say whatever you want to comfort her, but I can see right through it. You have just as little of a clue of what you're involving yourself in." Sandy's mind faltered for a minute. Had Andrew really been saying those things just to try and comfort her? Were any of them true? She attempted to make eye contact with Andrew, but recoiled a moment later. Was she really about to distrust Andrew because of something Leon said about him? She shook her head. No, Andrew wouldn't lie to her, he wouldn't and she was sure of that... wasn't she? Leon attempted to get closer to the Duo but was interrupted when Spirit jumped in between them, snorting loudly and allowing the fire on his mane and tail to flare with a brighter intensity. Leon stepped back and Spirit stepped off to the side, but without daring to let his eyes leave the man threatening Andrew and Sandy. He again focused himself on Andrew. "Go ahead, look at that, she's waiting for you. Tell her about all the lies you just fed her. Though I'm sure she's gullible enough to trust whatever you say." Sandy looked back at him, her eyes a bit wider than usual. It was almost as if she were pleading with him. Her mind was being torn by doubt at the things he had said to her, but she wanted to believe him. But if he hadn't been telling the truth, maybe she want to know. Her confidence was all broken up within moments, and she returned to staring at the ground. Maybe he'd be mad at her for expressing any kind of doubt, but Leon was messing with her, and she didn't know who to believe. OOC: I'm back so hopefully you'll never need to wait this long for me again :3

[Andrew]

From the moment he heard laughter, Andrew was certain that whoever was stalking them wasn’t just here to eavesdrop. Furthermore, Sandy’s reaction confirmed what he’d suspected. She’d met these people before. It wasn’t until Maradeth pointed it out that Andrew realised just how tightly Sandy had been gripping his arm. “Don’t even listen to that stupid *****. She’s trying to manipulate you while you’re vulnerable,” Andrew declared, terrified she’d break down if Maradeth continued to torment her.

His eyes were narrowing by the second as his hatred for this woman grew stronger. For some reason, she knew exactly how to get to Sandy. She was clearly bitter that she’d been overpowered last time and had done a background check to ensure the same thing wouldn’t happen again. “Oh my god, shut the ***** up! Your voice is so irritating. You’re just trying to distract her because you know you haven’t a chance when she’s at her strongest. I don’t care what you think of me. You’re clearly the one who’s all talk. I hope you’re looking forward to losing again,” Andrew snapped back. He smirked as Sandy managed to get a full sentence out. At least she was still making an attempt to fight back.

However, her confidence was knocked straight away as another person revealed himself. “Oh, of course. I should’ve guessed you’d never be able to do anything alone!” Andrew criticised just before Leon began to speak.
<<“Be careful around this one,”>> Rayna warned, slowly sidestepping towards her trainer. Andrew’s eyes widened as he asked himself who this guy was. From the looks of things, he had a big impact on Sandy’s past, and not in a good way.
“Who said anything about rescuing? Tell me, since when is two-on-one a fair fight? Stop talking, you’re just embarrassing yourself,” Andrew retaliated. “Sandy, we’ll take them out together! They don’t seem capable of doing anything besides talking crap.”

Rayna continued to make her way towards Andrew and Sandy. She spotted Leon moving closer but Spirit blocked him off before she had a chance. The Ponyta seemed more intimidating anyway so maybe they’d be more wary now. “Lies? That’s more up your alley, isn’t it? Is this why you came here? To make up crap in the hope that we’ll lower our guard? Because all you’re doing is giving me a headache.” He reached out and grabbed a hold of Sandy’s hand. He wanted to tell her to snap out of it but he wasn’t taking his eyes off these two in case they tried something.

He noticed that Rayna was now by his side, ready to guard them. “Rusty, get in close,” he ordered, deciding it was best to stick close together.
<<“Got it,”>> The Pidgeotto quickly darted over to them, positioning herself slightly in front of the group, ready to blast a Gust at the enemies if needed.
<<“Rusty, don't act too soon. Andrew needs both of us more than ever right now. If we're reckless, we don't stand a chance,”>> Rayna insisted, aware of the avian's naïve nature.
“Sandy, don’t fall for their awful tactics. They’re only saying that stuff because they have nothing else. Trust me, I know we can do this.”

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy felt Andrew grab onto her hand, and she looked up, her face slightly pink as she snapped back into things. The warmth she felt was enough to assure her of one thing; that Andrew did believe in her as much as he did himself. She gripped it back and steadied her breathing. Letting go of his hand would mean all her confidence for the moment was lost, so she didn't. "Lying isn't exactly my Forte, actually. I'm more of a person who enjoys the cold hard truth. Seems Sandy just likes the comforting lies, don't you?" Sandy stared hard back at him, but for the moment didn't say a word. Maradeth focused on her, noticing she was sticking even closer to her friend than before. She huffed. "He can't protect you, not like my Leon protects me anyway." She mentioned, basically strutting over to Sandy's ex and leaning on his shoulder, a playful giggle escaping her lips. Sandy's eyes widened for a minute as the connection between the two was finally made. She looked at Leon for conformation, but he only offered her a smirk. "That's right Sandy. Are you jealous now? You refused to hold onto me, so I found comfort in someone else, and you're stuck with some scrap like that in your pool of choices." Sandy bit her lip, looking away for a minute. Giving Andrew's hand a squeeze, she let it go and breathed in. "No." "What?" For about a moment, Leon seemed shocked, but his compsure came back to him soon afterwards. "I'm not jealous at all, not of Maradeth, and not of what you've become. My mother and my father were right about you, every word. You don't care about anyone but yourself." Leon's smirk returned as he placed a hand over Maradeth's. "Certainly, you can't believe that I don't love my sweet Maradeth." Sandy's face remained straight as she continued. "That's just it, you don't love her, and you can't love anyone but yourself. Andrew might not seem like much to you, but he's twice as much of a man as you...could ever be. The difference between you and him is that he actually has the heart to care for people and Pokemon, and he's shown that to me more than once." Maradeth seemed absolutely seething as she looked back at Sandy, while Leon stood and said nothing. Though Leon's sudden glare caught Sandy off guard, and she shrunk back behind Andrew again, her momentary confidence gone. "You can say whatever you want, the result will still end up the same." Leon mentioned as he pulled a Pokeball from his belt. Tossing it up, he revealed an Umbreon, rings glinting for a minute before it finally relaxed into its surroundings. Maradeth smirked and threw up a Pokeball of her own, releasing a Yamask from her Pokeball. Sandy looked at Rusty and Rayna, and they both looked ready to help, but Spirit was busy keeping Leon or Maradeth from coming any closer. She didn't know who to use. The only other Pokemon on her were Valan, and... before she could think it, A burst of light came from her pocket, and formed into none other than her Dugtrio. The mole dug around in the ground, all of his faces going angry at seeing Maradeth. <<Hey, it's that lady! I knew someone was causing Sandy trouble, but I didn't know who until now!>> Sandy stared at him, bewildered as to why he had even come out. "Andrew...I-I shouldn't let him fight, should I?" She questioned, glancing over at him as she hobbled a bit into the spot beside him, rather than behind him. "If you take us on together but you will get the same conclusion. And believe me-" Leon mentioned with a meaningful glance towards Sandy. "I am not going to make it easy." Hiroki burrowed around again, seeming pleased with the challenge, especially upon spotting Andrew. <<Heh, these two will knock ya flat! So, which one of you ladies is gonna take these chumps with me?>> Hiroki asked to both Rayna and Rusty. Sandy received Hiroki's confidence with a small smile, and she looked again to Andrew. "He's one of my best. Are you ready?" She questioned, wanting to make sure before they started any commands.

[Andrew]

With every word Leon spoke, Andrew grew to dislike him more. He was willing to do anything to belittle Sandy. “Oh, you would say that,” Andrew interrupted, afraid that if he didn’t defend his friend, Leon would destroy any possibility of her recovering. When he overheard Maradeth claiming to be involved with Leon, a cold shiver went down his spine. Before he could even respond, Leon confirmed that he and Sandy used to be a couple. Now, Andrew could finally understand why Sandy cared so much about what Leon thought of her. He gritted his teeth in contempt. This guy’s opinion of him meant nothing but he couldn’t stand how someone like him could make Sandy feel as if she wasn’t good enough for him.

To Andrew’s surprise, Sandy finally spoke up. He watched in awe as he caught a glimpse of the person he knew. He smiled at her, relieved to see that it wasn’t too late. Sandy’s past relationship may have been a huge hindrance but if she stuck with him, Andrew was certain that she could overcome it. “You can bet it will,” Andrew snapped as Leon mentioned that the outcome of the battle. “You can threaten us all you want but you’re both going down.” His heart began to race as Leon and Maradeth sent out their Pokémon. It was a bit of a relief to see that they didn’t have a type-advantage, especially since the winner of this battle really did matter.

“Rusty, you’re up,” Andrew declared. The Pidgeotto nodded and awaited a command. She wasn’t sure what to expect from these opponents but she could tell by Andrew’s voice that Rayna was right. This was no ordinary battle. A flash of light which revealed Hiroki caught Andrew by surprise. He wasn’t aware that the Diglett had evolved but it just made him even more certain that they could do this. “Don’t worry, Sandy. I can already tell that Hiroki knows what he’s getting himself into,” he reassured her. Andrew could tell that he’d made the right choice by handing the ground-type over to Sandy, even if she didn’t realise it herself.

<<“I’ve got your back,”>> Rusty replied to Hiroki’s question. Rayna nodded and readied herself in case she would be needed. If Leon or Maradeth tried to pull some stunt, she’d have to be ready to back Spirit up. Judging by Sandy’s condition, playing fair wasn’t exactly their style.
“Hey Sandy, I’m really glad we met at that Trade Center. You've trained Hiroki a lot better than I ever could have. And yep, we’re ready, don’t worry!” He quickly examined the two Pokémon. He was familiar with Umbreon and although he’d never encountered a Yamask before, it was likely to be a ghost-type. He’d just have to experiment a little and hope it worked out. “Alright, Rusty, try a Gust on Maradeth’s Pokémon!”

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] "You probably think she's cute and sweet don't you, boy?" Leon mentioned, gesturing from Andrew to Sandy as he made his point. The same smirk was in place on his face as his Umbreon sized up the fight. Cake for it, it was confident. "She's not, though, isn't that right Sandy?" Sandy looked down, holding her tongue as if she had lost all the confidence she had just gained. Maradeth looked on, interested as her boyfriend went on his little rant. "When she was with me, she never listened to Mommy or Daddy, didn't want to hear what they had to say about me. Too bad they were right and she was wrong." Sighing, he smiled. "But, she continued to follow me around like some lost puppy clinging to a child they'd spotted in the street." Sandy didn't say anything as Leon continued, but she clenched her fists together. "And that's what broke apart her family. They just couldn't do anything but fight, even after Sandy denied my requests to her." Umbreon chuckled, raising its ears and sending a glance in Rusty's direction. "And let's not forget Mommy's suitors. She was so rude to them she scared away every last one." Finally Sandy staggered back a bit, shaking her head. "No...that isn't true! They weren't right for her!" She called out, barley keeping herself from falling back in the grass with the help of her cane. Andrew didn't need to hear any of this, so just what was Leon's angle?Maradeth smiled lithely, glancing at Andrew. "We all have skeletons in our closet don't we? I'm sure you have some of your own too." She commented, with...maybe it was a flirtatious wave, no one could ever really be sure what it was with Maradeth. "You know, she treated that lousy old Diglett like it was gold. I didn't know it had been yours once, no wonder she was so eager to get it back." She commented. Finally, Leon seemed to decide it was enough talking for now, because he caled out to his Umbreon. "Use Screech!" The Umbreon snapped to attention and let out and ear-splitting noise that caused both Pokemon's defense to lower. Though Sandy knew that lowering stats was always Leon's first priority. "Hiro, use....use..." Sandy suddenly became quiet, and looked back to Andrew. Why didn't she feel confident anymore. "Um...Scratch on Umbreon..." Hiroki seemed plain confused. He had way stronger moves than that! But, orders were orders. So, he scratched the Umbreon...however the Dugtrio scratched things, and then came back to their own side. Rusty, who came out the faster one, beat her wings quickly so a gust formed, managing to suck up her opponent before the winds gave in. "Nightshade that poor excuse for a bird!" Maradeth called. The Yamask let out an ominous glow that surrounded Rusty and made her cry out in pain. Sandy turned to Andrew apologetically. "I'm sorry Andrew...for getting you involved, for you having to listen to all these horrible stories he's going to tell you...Sometimes...I'm not always the person you and everyone else think I am..." she murmured before looking away again. Lazy battle, no EXP lol: Andrew and Sandy VS. Leon and Maradeth! Umbreon (Lv 26) HP: 86/93 Stat: Normal Yamask (Lv 20) HP: 40/51 Stat: Normal Rusty (Lv 21) HP: 43/63 Stat: Def -2 Hiroki (Lv 26) HP: 62/62Stat: Def -2 Attacks used: Screech, Scratch, Gust, Nightshade

[Andrew]

At this point, Andrew was ready to jump at Leon himself. He opened his mouth to snap back at him but quickly realised he was falling into his trap by getting worked up. He sneered at Leon as he continued on. “You almost had me there for a second. I love how you think you can judge anyone when you’re such a dick.” Andrew pulled Sandy closer as he noticed her struggling to stand up. “Here, lean against me for support,” he offered, hoping she’d be able to see he hadn’t turned on her.

“Sandy, don’t believe a word he says. He knows he’ll never get anyone like you again so he’s trying to undermine you, hoping that you’ll go back to him. Then he’ll be able to manipulate you again,” Andrew attempted to explain. He tried to keep it short, afraid that Leon would distract Sandy before he could finish. He looked up as Maradeth spoke, one eyebrow raised. He decided not to respond, assuming she was attempting to divert his attention. Instead, he blushed slightly, even though he wasn’t entirely sure what she meant.

It was only when he heard Umbreon’s Screech, that he realised the battle had begun. He cringed at the awful noise as he turned to watch the battle. He gulped as Sandy panicked and ordered Hiroki to use Scratch. He knew for a fact that the Dugtrio could do a lot better that. He exhaled heavily, calming himself. It was only the first move and at least she’d said something. Other than that, there seemed to be no terrible surprises – at least, not yet.

<<“Aargh,”>> Rusty cried out. <<“You’re going to wish you never did that...”>> the avian retorted to Yamask’s Nightshade. She knew it was foolish to be impetuous in such an important battle but staying calm was difficult, especially with the tone Leon had set.
“Keep going, Rusty! At least you know what to expect next time! Try another Gust!” Andrew encouraged, hoping he could show his enemies that he wasn’t afraid of them.

“You’re nothing like those two, Sandy. Notice how he only comes after you when you’re vulnerable. Then he’s able to blame you for problems he causes and you have too much on your mind to even realise what he’s doing. Out of all the people I’ve met in Johto, I think of you the most. You’ve made my journey so much better than you know. You’re stronger than this and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!” Andrew spoke up, assertively, realising that she was ashamed the person Leon was depicting her to be. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had to bring Sandy back to reality.

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[Kataya]

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[atrb=background,http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/friskitorius/sandylayoutmiddle_zpsb13e05dc.png] Sandy seemed very surprised by Andrew's insistence of her leaning on him. She complied easily though, limping a bit when he pulled her closer and placing one of her arms around Andrew's middle in order to steady herself. She knew that her cane's help wasn't going to be enough if they had to be standing for so long. She listened to him carefully, and took in what he said. But...how could she have made his journey better? With what he was saying and how close in vicinity they were to one another, Sandy would have normally been very nervous, but today, she had no time to worry about that. Instead, she rested her head on Andrew's shoulder, partially so she was closer to his ear, and partially because she wanted to express some kind of gratitude. She whispered her next words, things she didn't want Leon nor Maradeth to hear. "They're not done yet. They might say horrible things about me, but I promise I'll never be that kind of person again. But please, just don't...don't leave me, okay? You're friendship is...really important to me." She mentioned, a slight blush presenting itself on her pale face. She lifted her head and looked back at the pair in front of them, both waiting with matching smirks. Valan, who was watching from Spirit's back, was looking at the battle with a certain kind of vengeance in his eyes. Spirit knew that both he and Valan could sense Sandy's current feelings, but he didn't need to be doing anything reckless. "I hope the two of you are enjoying your time together. Cause' once we win and take you two as our prisoners...well, you won't be seeing one another for a long time...or...anyone else for that matter." Maradeth explained, as if they ha already won the whole battle. Leon stayed quiet, but that seemed to be only because Maradeth wasn't done speaking. "Tell me, Andrew, do you really want to stick around someone so heartless? I know you're sitting there telling her you won't let us win or whatever it is you're telling her, but do you honestly believe that yourself? After all she wasn't the kindest person to her Pokemon back in Azalea town, isn't that right Sandy?"The younger girl refused to look at Maradeth, or either of the other two for that matter. Instead she stared off in the direction of Valan and Spirit, and neither Pokemon liked the pained look in her eyes as she prepared to listen to Maradeth recount the tale. "After all, all her Dugtrio was at the time was a sacrifice. Him and another poor Pokemon. Sandy left them at the blades of a Scyther while she healed up the only Pokemon she thought could win for her. None of em' even lasted one hit." She recounted it quite dramtically, causing Leon to roll his eyes. "Then, my dear Leon found out that the Gym Leader had scared her out of town for a while. She even tried selling the Pokemon she'd hurt in order to be rid of them. Running away from things just as she's used to." Sandy froze. She hadn't counted on Maradeth telling Andrew that. She didn't think they knew about that. She had sold both Cocoa and Cassie after that, but hadn't been able to sell Hiroki. Glancing at Andrew, she choked back the urge to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm...really sorry. I did do all that...but I couldn't sell Hiroki. He means as much to me as the rest of them..." She didn't wait for Andrew's answer, but instead turned to Maradeth. "I regret all of those things, I do, and sometimes I still think I don't deserve to be a trainer. But...Andrew has done a lot to get me to stay strong and fight you, and I can't let him down now." Leon seemed to have enough of listening to them, for he turned to his Umbreon. "Faint Attack on the Dugtrio." The Umbreon moved swiftly, sinking into its surroundings as it ran and eventually colliding with Hiroki, who managed to keep his balance. "Earthquake!" Hiroki obediently began quaking in the ground, the rumbling would have been too much for Sandy had she not been holding onto Andrew. Rusty and Yamask were immune to it, but Umbreon wasn't so lucky. Nearly being knocked off his feet was enough to shock him. "Hm. Appears you do have some fight in you after all, dear Sandy." Sandy tried to pay no heed to this, instead wathing Rusty as she landed another Gust. "Disable that Pidgeotto!" Maradeth Commanded. Yamask sent out a flash of light, and Rusty suddenly seemed to struggle in remembering how to use her attack. The battle was picking up, but Sandy had to remain as positive as possible. (OOC: Just realized Rusty is a normal type and Yamask shouldn't affect her with its attack, sorry xD) Lazy battle, no EXP lol: Andrew and Sandy VS. Leon and Maradeth! Umbreon (Lv 26) HP: 58/93 Stat: Normal Yamask (Lv 20) HP: 38/51 Stat: Normal Rusty (Lv 21) HP: 43/63 Stat: Def -2 Hiroki (Lv 26) HP: 39/62Stat: Def -2 Attacks used: Faint Attack, Earthquake, Gust, Disable (Rusty Cannot use Gust)