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 Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:11 pm
Ridley climbed out of the shower with a sigh, rubbing his hair with a towel. He’d spent the night at Liam’s apartment, forgoing the opportunity to sleep in Team Rocket barracks. Wiping off the mirror with a single-handed swipe, he looked into the slatey blue eyes staring back at him for a moment and tried to grin. At least he’d gotten some rest. Wrapping the towel around his waist for the moment, he dug in his pack for his change of clothes and pulled out civilian wear. It was better to be inconspicuous in such a large city and wearing a Rocket Grunt uniform did nothing to improve one’s invisibility. Jeans and a t-shirt for today.
Being in the city reminded him too much of Saffron. He was a little worried about his parents and what, after all, would his father think about him joining Team Rocket? He hadn’t exactly asked for permission, just told them flat out that he was 20 years old and he was going to the new continent. His friends had done the same thing a year earlier so it wasn’t an unusual life choice. Everyone wanted a piece of the new land. But his parents like most residents of Kanto hadn’t exactly liked Team Rocket. Ridley just didn’t have a problem with them. So long as he got his Pokemon…
The problem was, he hadn’t gotten one yet. He’d been so late to his meeting yesterday that they’d withheld his assigned Pokemon and given it to another recent recruit, so for the moment he was on a sort of probation. Perfect for getting to see the city and spending time with Liam, not so good for his plans.
What was he doing? Ridley sighed again. He’d felt so good a few minutes ago, but already the heat of the shower was dissipating and leaving him chilled. He liked people too much, in particular Liam. Ridley just wanted to form some new ties… but he knew that he’d be assigned a partner and sent off on some mission once his Team Rocket thing was into full swing. What was the point, then?
Looking for his jacket, he realized that he’d left it on Liam’s bed and frowned. He’d adhered some black electrical tape to the red Rocket R on the sleeve but anyone would be able to tell that it wasn’t part of the jacket. God damn it.
He left the bathroom, looking around the single room for Liam. He was hungry, and some things were just more important right now.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:34 pm
"God DAMMIT!" Liam cursed honestly and truly, his own cerulean blue eyes set in a cold fury as he picked shards of metal from a growlithe's muzzle, the pokemon whining and struggling pitifully as Liam held it with his other hand.
Why? Why were people like this? Liam had never seen pokemon abuse until he had come to the city. Back in his little town, you hardly ever saw a pokemon injury that wasn't by accident, if you ever saw it at all. Scratched up ponyta knees, an occational poisoning or broken paw, but never anything like this. Liam had wanted excitement... but this...
Cursing again as the Growlithe struggled to bolt, the healer held fast to the fire pokemon, keeping it close to his body and whispering soothing things in it's ear and stroking it's head. Since that day he had come to Katarina, and the healer had seen the terrible abuse and neglect going on in the city, the boy had been on an unrealistic quest to help every pokemon he could. The pokemon center had no time for the strays and abuse cases -- they were busy with all the trainers that kept flooding in. Still, as many wounded pokemon as he had seen in the short month he'd been in the city, as many pokemon had died in his arms, his cussing was still as loud as ever, his shock and fury still burning just as strongly.
"Shhh..." he murmured soothingly, pulling another shard of metal that was embedded near the growlithe's eye, "You'll be just fine."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:58 pm
Ridley blinked when the first thing that greeted his ears was an oath. He stepped further into the apartment, looking over at the window seat where Liam was trying to help the poor Growlithe.
"What happened?!" he asked, alarmed, looking around for the owner or someone that could give him a story. He was a little surprised to see no one around other than Liam and blinked again, not daring to come closer to the frightened beast and the boy holding onto it.
"Do you need help?" he asked cautiously.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:03 pm
Liam didn't even glance up, giving the pokemon a rough squeeze as it tried to pull back out of his grip, grunting softly. "If you can... calm him down..." he grunted out, both arms around the pokemon.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:05 pm
Ridley frowned. "How?" he asked, looking around for inspiration from somewhere... anywhere. "I'm... I've never worked with Pokemon before," he admitted hesitantly, coming up to help him hold the struggling Growlithe.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:08 pm
Liam growled back at the growlithe, his eyes hardening whene it started shaking from fear.
"Pet it...! Or hold it, I don't care!"
Using his body to pin the pokemon to the wall, Liam took it's muzzle in his palm again, struggling with the last large piece of metal near it's nose.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:10 pm
Ridley encircled the fluffy Pokemon in his arms, pulling it into his lap and holding onto the scruff of its neck so that Liam could get at the shards in its flesh. "Jesus Christ. What happened to it?" he asked, grunting and holding the Growlithe tighter before it could struggle out of his grip.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:19 pm
Liam let out a heavy breath as the burden was taken from him, taking hold of Growlithe's head and picking the metal out quickly with a yelp from the pokemon. Tossing the metal and the tweezers onto bench, he grabbed some gauze from the table, pressing it onto the bleeding muzzle gently, applying some antiseptic to the wounds.
"Found him. Obviously abused." he replied in clipped sentances.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:23 pm
"Abused?" Ridley repeated, confused. He shook his head, wondering what sort of monstrous individual would go around sticking growlithes with chunks of metal. "I didn't even know that you'd left," he blinked.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:26 pm
Liam shrugged, taking the growlithe from him and going to his room, setting the thing down on his bed and took an experimental step back. The pokemon sighed, shivering a bit, but lay down, obviously ready to sleep. Liam closed the door behind him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:30 pm
Damn. His jacket was in there.
Ridley let it go for the moment, staying in his spot and watching Liam. "Are you all right?" he asked, the look on Liam's face troubling him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:27 pm
"Fine." Liam murmured, digging in a drawer and pulling out a soda, taking a long swig as if it were an alcoholic lifeline. Setting the bottle back down again, he brushed the hair out of his eyes, sighed, and glanced back over at Ridley, half grinning.
"I take it you're ready to go?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:31 pm
Ridley couldn't say he believed him, but let it drop if Liam didn't want to talk about it. He shrugged when Liam looked back at him, picking up his pack and glancing at the bedroom door. He hoped that the growlithe wouldn't have a go at his jacket and rip off the tape. The last thing he needed was Liam finding out... "Sure. Ready if you are."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:08 pm
Liam watched him for a second, his face clouding slightly as Ridley looked at the door. Grinning, albeit a little forced, he nodded towards the door, taking Ridley by the shoulder to steer him in the direction.
"Don't give me that look," he murmured, his smirk a bit bitter, "I'm a pokemon healer. I take care of pokemon. It's my job."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:18 pm
"What look? I didn't give you any look," Ridley equivocated, pulling away and stepping towards the bedroom door. He really should get his jacket, in case they didn't come back to Liam's apartment for a while. "Are you sure that Growlithe isn't dangerous?" he asked, apprehensive.
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