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Single-mindedness wasn't something that was often prized. Most often it was because of the aggravation it caused in those around the individual afflicted with it, but in Arashi's case, he was just as annoyed by it when he was cause to blame for it. Or, rather, maybe it had been someone else that could be blamed for it... but that was both childish as well as deconstructive thinking. He'd just make a quick stop, take note that he was wasting his time, and get back to living life.

Stupid silver freak of an eevee. Couldn't she stop pestering him? Even when he was miles away from the city, Arashi couldn't forgo thinking about her for more than a few hours tops! Ugh!

"She wouldn't still be there," he griped to himself as he made his way out into the Mint Meadows once more, feet goopy with mud like the first time, "Not unless she actually lived here." But she had been too close to the forest, like she was about ready to leave her search for the day. There wasn't really any shelter out here, either; not much of it, at least. He knew it was a lost cause, but in frustration with his inability to 'change the channel' in his brain, he thought of the only way that might help. Show someone that there's nothing there, and they'll back down, right? Like with a bump in the night, or the carcass of a spider.

It wasn't until he gave the place a once-over with a glance -- without finding the mysterious mutant eevee -- did he realize that he was pretty hungry. In fact, his hunger was nearing on starvation with the frequency of pangs to the stomach. With another quick search, he located something shiny and red among a short patch of grass, underneath what appeared to be an apple tree. Aha! That should work! Normally he didn't much care for the fruit, but he wasn't one to be picky of offerings of that caliber. With short hops caused by stunted legs, Arashi bounded after the overly-large apple.

While Arashi had his eyes trained intently on the brilliant red skin of the apple in front of him, stomach already clawing at his insides with the realization he was so near to food, he wasn't oblivious to the other form as it emerged from the scenery before him. It just wasn't a very swift realization. Long ears twitching once he noticed the tanned fur from among the bright greenery, the male eevee tried to kickstart his running into overdrive to beat her to the punch.

Instead of grabbing the apple and running off with it, as he was capable of doing at the moment, he pounced to stand in front of it. It was apparent to him that she was also after the apple on the ground, and had not been the one to knock it down in the first place. So while the item was up for grabs, in a sense, he wasn't going to play dirty. Besides, he'd have to stop to pick it up and then gain speed again to outrun her, and she was already traveling at much too fast a speed. She would have caught up with Arashi in no time, before he would have reached maximum speed, so it would really only delay the inevitable.

Besides, it was a perfect opportunity to say 'hello' in good old-fashioned pokémon-style! Arashi was certainly very adept at greeting in this manner, anyway. With a mischievous smirk, he attempted to conjure up a dust cloud of a Sand Attack, if for no other reason than to slow her down and distract her simultaneously.

For one just trying to level the playing field on the matter, the ferocity that flashed in the female eevee's eyes would probably have been enough to make a lesser pokémon rethink what it was trying to do. Arashi, however, only managed to increase his anticipation on the matter, glad that she wasn't one of those pokémon that stomps off in a huff after something so small. No, he actually managed to goad her into joining in! This turn of events even lessened the intensity of his hunger pangs, his attention redirected to the battle.

He paused briefly at the growl, a slight shiver running down his spine at the attack. Ooh, that was a good one! Despite the counterattack lowering his own attack to a degree, he lunged forth into a tackle from the remnants of the dust cloud he had kicked up.

Arashi was aware that, due to the fact that he was the one to initiate the first strike, the battle was on his shoulders in blame. This fact didn't hinder his movements, quite aware that most other pokémon viewed the eevee as just another bully of the neighborhood. Despite the titles that were thrust on him, rarely were such moves based on ill-will. No, it was a code of conduct that he held to keep everything on an even playing field, no matter how warped such a field was. Hills could be made into fun obstacles to overcome when viewed in the right light, after all!

And despite the fact that a meal was on the line, Arashi couldn't help but have fun with this. His smirk may have been seen as a bit of a jeer, but it was just the face of one who was looking at the situation in a glass-half-full sort of way. It didn't even seem to matter to him that he may lose the struggle, even though his stomach let off with a growl in mirrored effect to the other eevee's previous attack.

Bouncing back from his tackle, his feet skid across the dirt, toes pulling at the grass to halt his moving body faster. He turned to face the female, only to be caught by surprise from her own sand attack. Blinking furiously, his eyes watering in retaliation to the loose sand. He absently rubbed at one of his eyes for a second, but instead of waiting for the dust to settle, decided he'd try to get another hit in before she could see it coming. He launched his small body at his opponent with his eyes closed, a la kamikaze.

Hitting nothing but air with his last attack, Arashi barely had enough time to register and assess the situation. His eyes were still watering from the sand attack, and he shook his head to get the excess out of his sight. Dang, this stuff was annoying! He would have felt a bit guilty over having used the move first, if it wasn't so effective!

His ears perked as he skidded to another stop, making a swift mental note that halting at top speed like that was a bit difficult; he needed to plan when to kick more force behind an attack and when to hold back. If he wasn't able to see, it wasn't a time to kick it. Arashi had been starting to maneuver his head to locate the other eevee when said opponent came crashing into his backside, sending his small body lurching forward with the kinetic force and landing on his chest. At least skids this way didn't move him quite so far, or he'd be worried about road rash on the meadow floor!

Pulling himself from the pit of a dizzy stupor, he pinned his ears back and let loose with a growl of his own. His breath was steady with it, and he was hoping it would give him the opportunity to rise from the ground before the female tossed another attack at him.

Dang it, that tail was distracting! It wasn't until he finished getting most of the sand out of his eyes, watching that bushy pom of a tail move back and forth like a metronome, that he realized it was another attack. And the attack worked. Cursing under his breath, Arashi hopped to his feet and kicked up another sand attack of a sand storm. This way, it would simultaneously offer him cover as well as a means to gather his bearings and come up with another course of action.

She was definitely a crafty one, Arashi had to give her that. So much so, in fact, he had nearly forgotten about the ultimate prize of this encounter!

As the growl reached Arashi's ears, the familiar tingling sensation went down his back in reaction. The other eevee definitely sounded more serious with this second growl, he had to think fast! He was sure she wouldn't hesitate to launch another attack at him while his back was turned, even if it was a dirty tactic. Then again, he hadn't the cleanest ones, either. He was almost tempted to hit her with another sand attack, if only to irritate her further, but he wanted to get out of this situation without fainting from... who really knew? A random rage attack or something. She certainly had a fiery enough temper to do it.

She would be expecting Arashi to hit her with another tackle from the sand he used to cover his tracks, he was certain of it. In fact, he was almost tempted to do just that, if it hadn't been playing right into her paws. He tried to tiptoe as quickly as possible around in a large semi circle, under the cover of the sand at first and then the scattering of trees. He was good at moving swiftly and quietly; he had to be to get fresh food in town, after all. When he was nearly behind her, he grabbed luck while he still had it and flew at her with another tackle.

Arashi had been half-expecting his attack to miss again, even though he tried to ensure himself a clear hit. All the sand that was getting kicked up in the two eevees' little scuffle was making it hard to get a clean shot at anything, and it didn't help that their fur coloration mimicked the dust in the air. He bounced back after hitting Rei, taking a few hops in the opposite direction in the case she may rebound with a reactionary hit. Just in time, it seemed, for he could still feel the whiplash from the air as the female tossed more sand at him.

He coughed at the attack, finding that he got some of the sand in his mouth. That was highly unpleasant! <<Temper, temper,>> he tsked between coughs. He knew he had given away his position with that move, though, so reflected a sand attack back, much like a smoke bomb.