trickyoutwice | 1st trick; (video/action for goldenrod base)

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1st trick; (video/action for goldenrod base)

[Yeah, losing sucked. Losing sucked ass, especially when it involved watching a guy's miraculously recovered captain getting beaten by some snot-nosed brat. And sure, Niou didn't have anything against snot-nosed brats in the general sense. The one on his tennis team was pretty cute as far as they went — extra gullible, which made his whole determined to the point of stupid schtick endearing instead of just a headache. Niou'd been called one himself plenty of times, and the whole brat thing just meant people weren't smart enough to stop him from doing what he wanted — and as far as he was concerned, that was their problem, not his. But this had been a snot-nosed brat from another team, so he had objections on principle.

Not to mention it sucked even more when he'd gotten snatched right out of the bus on the way home from losing the tournament and woken up to find himself literally in a video game — and cannon fodder for the lame bad guys, at that. He'd have thought it was some a dream or some elaborate joke, except who would bother (besides him), and he'd figured out pretty quickly that he got hungry if he didn't eat and that it hurt if he pinched himself, hoping he'd wake up, that he'd just nodded off against his doubles partner's shoulder.

So, not a dream. Literally stuck in Pokemon Land with no way home. At least being part of a secret evil organization came with a few perks. He didn't have to worry about the usual tropes for the scenario like finding food and somewhere safe to sleep or getting chased by a man-eating monster for comic effect. It wasn't that bad — except for how having to do all the mind-numbing busywork was making him so bored he was actually thinking of the practices where they'd had to run until they puked with something disturbingly like nostalgia. Niou'd kept his head down and played by the rules, hadn't planned to make any waves until he'd figured a little bit more out about Team Rocket. That is, he'd planned to stay out of trouble, but he honestly thought he might die in his sleep just to stop being so bored if he kept being the good, hard-working grunt for one more day.

These idiots thought he'd be happy about suddenly having some drill-camp schedule and regulations and a job? Especially when that job was to go around and do someone else's grunt work because they couldn't be bothered to get off their own asses and do it? It wasn't even like he'd signed up for this the way he had for tennis club. At least with tennis, running suicides until he thought he was actually gonna die and listening to his captain's bitching meant he could play in games. This place, it was all go mop the floors, go run some sketchy as hell game center, go find a toothbrush and scrub your boots and don't even THINK about having fun, and for what?

Nothing, as far as he could tell. Just get more orders and more snooze-worthy things to do and actually be expected to do it if you let them start thinking you were an obedient little errand boy. Yeah, well, he wasn't gonna sit around anymore and play by their stupid rules like some loser. It was their own fault if they couldn't even deal with a little bit of trouble coming from inside the ranks. Sure, Niou could play the thoroughly-cowed Rocket grunt like the best of them, when he wanted to, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun on the side. All he had to do was make sure not to get caught.

For being the headquarters of an evil organization, the base was really way too easy to sneak around. If he ran into someone, he just had to pretend he actually had something important to do and walk a little quickly and no one gave him a second glance. It was pretty convenient that the members were supposed to be up to nefarious deeds, really. When he asked for a few supplies that would've gotten him suspicious stares back home (well, maybe that was just because back home they actually knew him), the poor sap he'd stopped for directions had been only too happy to show him where he could find any number of very useful things. Hell, even the fuzzy fox thing he'd ended up with seemed pretty into the idea of pulling one over on these clowns.

Team Rocket thought they were the biggest baddies around? Whatever, he'd start small. Time to go have a little fun. When he was done, they'd never know what hit them.]

—

[The video that shows up on PokeConnect seems off center — or at least the guy in it is, the view tilted like the PokeGear is propped up on something slightly off to his side. He's a lot more interested in whatever he's fiddling with offscreen than addressing the Gear, anyway, and his attention's focused on whatever it is that's out of frame. If anyone happens to be walking by where he's snuck off to in the Goldenrod Rocket HQ this late at night, they'd find him with a fairly impressive array of tools spread out around him as he does... something to one of the public water fountains. Sitting attentively beside him, his Zorua is watching what he's doing with eager interest and perked ears.]

Give me that screwdriver— no, not that one, the other one— yeah.

[It seems like he's addressing the Zorua since she wags her tail and noses the desired screwdriver over to him. Niou takes just enough time to flash her a thumbs up before he gets back to making his adjustments. Absently, he addresses his Gear as he works.]

So, all you people out there trapped with me in Pokemon Land... What's with this place? Are we really stuck here like some bad Saturday morning cartoon where we've gotta go questing for truth, justice, and the way home? Gotta say, I'm really not wanting any lesson of the day crammed down my throat for five seasons.

[He pauses, momentarily distracted by the water fountain. Apparently something's gone right, because now Niou's looking quite pleased with himself. When he speaks again, he turns his head to grin at the Gear, sardonic and a little mocking.]

Come on, not everyone's drunk the Kool-Aid, right? There's gotta be someone who doesn't think this whole getting dropped off at summer Pokemon camp is all totally normal.

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[It's tempting to say yes, that's exactly what he expects Yagyuu to do, mostly just to see how Yagyuu'd go about doing it — massive criminal organization they may be, but so far they haven't done anything to change his opinion of them from "lame" — but he's not looking to put Yagyuu through quite that much trouble, or to have to actually wait for however long it'd take him. Yagyuu does know him, after all. ]

Yeah, yeah. I want a reward when I make it out on my own, then.

[He glances back at the water fountain and chews at his lip thoughtfully. Yeah, he can finish this up in a few minutes if he stops trying to get too fancy.]

See ya in twenty.

I suppose this once I can see fit to spoil you.

[And every time after that, too, because Niou is back and his head may just fly off from the sheer force of the eagerness he's trying to suppress beneath a gentlemanly exterior here. But there's no need to point that out right now.]

Until then, Niou-kun.

[He gives Yagyuu a mocking little salute as he bends down to retrieve his Gear and clicks off the feed. The next few minutes spent finishing his "improvements" to the water fountain are conducted in a much more focused sort of silence than before — he's not gonna keep Yagyuu waiting too long, and the pleased little grin he's wearing is evidence that he really is glad to see his partner after his week of lying low.

When he's done, he packs up the tools and takes them back to his room to stow under his mattress. Who knows when easy access to them'll be useful again, or when he'll feel like messing around with some other pranks. He grabs his tennis jacket and pauses at the door, sparing a glance for the Zorua who's been trotting at his heels the whole time.]

Sure, you can come too. We're gonna be spending a lot of time with Yagyuu, anyway, might as well get you used to him.

[It's a quick enough walk to the cafe and when he spots Yagyuu already sitting at a table, he doesn't bother with any niceties — not for his partner. He flops into the chair across from Yagyuu and stretches his feet out, crowding into Yagyuu's space beneath the table with the indifference of being sure that Yagyuu won't mind.]

Long time no see, huh?

[This is familiar — so familiar it almost hurts, in a strangely cutting sort of way. Like it shouldn't be this easy to slip back into this routine after so long, like being them somehow shouldn't feel just like riding a bike, or reciting times tables, or stepping into the perfect swing to send a passing shot hurtling laser-fast toward the baseline. It's been more than a year and it shouldn't feel as though it's been no time at all.

And yet for Niou, it's probably been a length of time better measured in a span of minutes or hours, and maybe that's got something to do with it, too.

It's as natural as breathing to shift to accommodate Niou's crowding, politely refraining from comment because they're in public and he is the Gentleman for this much. And what a charmer he is; their drinks are already on the way — drinks, plural — because of course he ordered for the both of them and of course he knows what Niou will want.

Well, besides answers, that is.]

Longer than I care to admit.

[If I reach for you, he thinks, before he can catch himself, will you disappear?]

It's good to see you, Niou-kun.

[An eyebrow ticks up at the odd tone in Yagyuu's voice, the weird little smile he's wearing. It's like it's good to see you isn't just Yagyuu being polite and playing the gentleman, but something he really means. Something's definitely off; there's gotta be some piece Niou's missing that'll explain all of it, why Yagyuu's sounding so sentimental for no good reason he can think of. He can give some leeway for being stuck in crazy Pokemon Land. Yagyuu'd go a little nuts about that, for sure, but this is more even than that.]

Yeah, sure. It's almost like you really missed me.

[He gives Yagyuu's ankle a little kick as he slouches lower in his chair, more a nudge and a demand of an explanation for why he's acting so weird than a real attempt to piss Yagyuu off. Studying his partner for clues to that missing piece isn't all that helpful; there's none of the wound-tight tension he'd expect if Yagyuu were pissed about something and needed to let off some steam. If anything, Yagyuu almost looks— too happy. Not to mention a little... different? It's only been a week since he'd seen Yagyuu, but there's subtle differences that just don't add up — Yagyuu's hair, tiny changes in the tone of his muscles, and that's stranger even than how Yagyuu's acting. Really, really strange.]

Didn't you get your own electric rat to keep you company while I was gone?

Not exactly.

[As if on cue, a haughty little Espeon comes sauntering in, weaving her way through the table and chair legs of the cafe (and no one seems to flinch, as this is, after all, a world of Pokemon) until she reaches the side of Yagyuu's chair. Once there, she glances up, wiggles a bit, and then leaps deftly into Yagyuu's lap — and he doesn't even flinch.

Clearly, this is not a new phenomenon.

But now she's up high and can get a better look at this person who has dared to interact with her beloved. She is prepared to flick her tail dismissively any moment now.

And if, y'know, this new arrival happens to make Yagyuu look a little bit like a supervillain, reclining slightly in his chair and stroking the haughty and pliable animal in his lap, well. That's an effect he's had a long time to practice, too.]

There's plenty we need to talk about, of course, but first — meet Lady.

Figures.

[He snorts even as he sits up enough to lean over and give the Espeon a curious stare. It's no surprise at all that Yagyuu's given the thing a name like that, although he's awfully comfortable with it for how short a time it's been. For all that Yagyuu says he can't stand Niou's habit of feeding the stray cats by school, he looks like he's settling into the villain-stroking-cat-on-lap thing remarkably well.]

Thing's around here, somewhere. [Even if he's not sure where and isn't particularly bothered by that. Any partner of his, even if it's an animal instead of a human, can take care of itself most of the time and he's been teaching it a few tricks.] Thought she wanted to meet you, but I guess not.

[He shrugs and holds out his hand, offering it to the Pokemon on Yagyuu's lap. It looks enough like a cat, might as well treat it like one.]

[Following an utterly haughty look at Niou's offered hand (one that would have looked right at home on Atobe Keigo's face, quite frankly), Lady finally gives it an obliging nudge with her head. She vaguely remembers this person, yes. This is the first person she met (besides, of course, her beloved) years and years ago on the day she first hatched; this is the person her beloved favors and smiles at and ignores her for when he is not there. Ergo, he is competition and she hates him.

However, he also makes her beloved happy, and therefore she loves him. Suffice to say, his excellence at petting her will make all the difference as to her opinion in the future. Pettings now, please.]

You named it "Thing"?

[Unsurprising, really. Hopefully it's not a ghost.]

I'll meet her soon enough. I assume you'll be given enough time off from your...duties to visit the house. [A pause. Where does one even start with something like this?] I didn't beat you here, Niou-kun. I've been here quite some time already.

Sure, Thing One, Thing Two.

[Niou can't help smiling at the Espeon. Just like a cat with the prickly hauteur, and through long practice with his clandestine morning routine of taking care of the strays, Niou is an excellent cat petter. That place behind the ears? Yeah, he is a champion at scratching it.

He does look up at that, though, tearing his attention away from petting the Espeon to give Yagyuu a flat, disbelieving stare.]

A house? Shit, how long've you been here? We only lost the tournament last week.

[Listening in on people's been informative, and there've been enough people around to answer his questions that he knows time is weird in this place, but a house? Doesn't that seem like a little much? That means Yagyuu's not talking a few extra days — it's gotta be months, at least.]

[He doesn't cringe, of course, but that disbelieving stare cuts with a sharper edge than perhaps Niou realizes — particularly when it hits Yagyuu that it's the exact same look he once gave Niou, when the figure was "six months" and his own stay in Johto was still best measured in increments of hours. It was difficult to believe then (nearly impossible, in fact), and the only reason why he had was because...

...because he'd known, innately, that for all of Niou's tricks and lies, he wouldn't have lied about this.

Which is precisely why Yagyuu can't lie about it, either.]

Time works differently here. It's...complicated. The simplest way is to think of it as a detour, I suppose, from our own timeline — one that deposits us back at the moment we left, regardless of how long we spend away, such that there never seems to be any indication that we were gone at all.

[His fingers find their way to his glasses and he pushes at them, the barest hint of a fidget — the only sign he'll allow that this bothers him.]

In June it'll be two years, Niou-kun.

[He wants to say Yagyuu is full of shit right now, but it's kind of hard to do that when he's in magical Pokemon Land already. He knows Yagyuu wouldn't lie, not about this, not to him, but it's still... Two years. Nearly two years, what the hell.]

And you've just been, what—

[But before he can really start getting worked up about that, a pair of arms drops around his shoulders as someone leans their chin on the top of his head. A very familiar pair of arms, too, and strangely weightless, but when Niou tilts his head back to get a look that doesn't stop the guy currently wrapped around him from being—]

The fuck?

[Sure is Yagyuu there. Another Yagyuu.]

[ELOQUENTLY PUT, NIOU-KUN.

Okay, so on one hand it's far from the first double of himself that Yagyuu has seen — in many variants of the term doubling — but it's not like he was expecting to see himself appearing out of nowhere, getting all up in Niou's business while they were just sitting around in the middle of a cafe being—

...wait.

Thing One and Thing Two.

He flicks a quick glance down at Lady, and sure enough, she's bristling, herself.]

You seem to have made a new friend, Niou-kun.

[It's a light remark, but there's steel underneath it — not directed toward Niou, but toward the newcomer in their midst. He thinks he knows — this is a trick he's seen before, at least — and Lady seems to confirm that. But one never knows, and especially so when Niou Masaharu (it's really him) is about.]

What, he's not yours?

[He was not expecting this, okay. He's just gonna spend a minute or two being a little weirded out because there's two Yagyuus and he's not one of them. But he's hardly gonna let just anyone see that he's a little freaked. Yagyuu can, he's sure, with just the bare little signs of it, the way his eyes are a little wide, how he's holding himself a little stiffly, but to anyone else, he probably seems like the picture of unbothered disregard as he settles back in his chair. And at least Yagyuu seems like he's got an idea of what's going on; things are still under control even if he's not sure what this is. Yet. So he'll take a cue or two from Yagyuu this time.

Especially since the Yagyuu leaning on him is just grinning Niou's own widest, shit-eating grin. It doesn't look completely out of place — after all, he's worn that expression often enough when being Yagyuu — but it still irks him a little to see it and know it's not either of them wearing it.]

Gotta say, I didn't know I was gonna be this popular today.

[Oh, Yagyuu can see it, and more importantly, Yagyuu doesn't like it. It's something of an annoyance he's grown accustomed to, himself — just like most things in Johto, after nearly two years of forced exposure to them — but Niou, for all his tricks and bravado...no, this is new to Niou, and that means Yagyuu can appreciate it through Niou's eyes (of course he can, they are each other), and that's why it's upsetting and he's going to put a stop to it.

If he's right, they're dealing with a Dark-type, which puts Lady at something of a disadvantage given her own typing. On the other hand, in experience Lady ought to have her foe outgunned ten times over, and Psychic tricks aren't the only ones she knows.

His voice snaps like a whipcrack.]

Lady.

[On cue, she darts up onto the table and springs, teeth sinking with careful precision into one of the intruder's arms.]

He's troublemaker enough to be, but I suspect we have a fellow illusionist on our hands.

[Both of Niou's eyebrows rise at that, and he goes stock still as the man leaning on him flickers and vanishes in a swirl of smoke — and in its place, snarling at the Espeon, stands what's become a very familiar sight over the past few days. His Zorua looks entirely affronted at the attack with her tail bushing out behind her.]

Huh. So that's where the thing got off to.

[His tone is still a little surprised. He hadn't bothered actually using his Gear on either of his pokemon, not yet, when he was more interested in figuring out the workings of Team Rocket than a bunch of critters from a video game that he'd thought (assumed) were only good for battling. He's starting to think that was a mistake, though.

With an irritated huff, the Zorua darts behind Niou's legs, presumably to hide from Lady, and Niou laughs, all traces of his discomfort vanishing.]

Didn't realize they could do that. [and to the pokemon:] You're a lot more useful than you look.

[The gleam in Niou's eyes as he leans over to fish the Zorua out and set it on his lap, mirroring Yagyuu's earlier position, is calculating and familiar. He's already got a hundred ideas for what he can do with this fun new tidbit.]

They're called Zorua. The "Tricky Fox" Pokemon.

["I have two", he almost says, and also temporarily considers, "they remind me of you", but then thinks better of it.]

Evidently yours is quite skilled; it picked up that illusion impressively fast. They do tend to come with a certain flaw, though — often they can't seem to get rid of their tails when they mimic. It's something you ought to watch out for.

[Meanwhile, Lady is giving Thing a good round of glaring and dismissive flicking of her tail, just to make sure that this newcomer knows who's boss around here. (And who does it think it is, getting to be in her beloved's friend's lap? He better not start petting it; those pets are hers.) She saunters back over and hops back into Yagyuu's lap, snuggling against him emphatically.]

You'll get used to it before long. [He offers a wry, knowing smile.] And I expect you'll find an abundance of creative uses for their myriad of talents, when you do.

You know me. I make do with what I've got, right?

[And this is impressively handy raw material for any number of ways Niou can get himself into trouble. Under his hand, the Zorua preens a little, even if her trick (and she's been learning all about tricks from Niou) ended with so little dignity.

And at least the momentary distraction lets Niou gets his thoughts in order. So Yagyuu's been here a fucking long time. Okay, he doesn't like it, not at all, but he'll suck it up and deal. Doesn't seem like it was anything Yagyuu could help, and since Yagyuu's the one who's been drinking the Kool-Aid here for that long, it's up to Niou to stop giving a shit before things get too serious.]

So, Yaaaagyuu. [And he pauses for effect, lets his grin turn just that bit sharper.] Does this mean I'm on a date with an older man?

[WELL THANK FEDERER HE WASN'T DRINKING ANYTHING RIGHT THERE BECAUSE THIS COULD'VE GOTTEN REALLY UNDIGNIFIED REALLY FAST, BOY HOWDY.]

Is that really your most pressing concern?

[No, seriously, he'll say something more intelligent in a minute, but damn was he not expecting that one.

(He can almost hear Tezuka-kun tsking at him, too. He's going to have to get back in the habit of keeping his guard up — at least where matters like this are concerned.)

Right, okay. He adjusts his glasses in unconscious habit, steadying himself.]

I thought we might at least get some of the circumstantially relevant questions addressed before we moved into ones of, ah, a more frivolous nature.

Nah, fuck that. Anything I need to know, I'm sure you'll fill me in sooner or later.

[And why concentrate on practical things when Yagyuu's making that kind of really great face? Niou can afford to stop being so careful, after all. His partner's here. Yagyuu's got a handle — more than one, really — on things.

Besides, two years. Two years of living in video game land, no wonder Yagyuu's seemed a little off. Niou can barely wrap his head around it. Wouldn't believe it if it were coming from anyone else but Yagyuu, really. It's for Yagyuu's own good if he gets teased a little, then. He needs to loosen up, whether he wants to or not.]

What's way more important is how my doubles partner's in high school now. I'm not sure I'm ready to be taken advantage of like that.

[Still somewhat off-balance, he finishes adjusting his glasses and settles back in his chair, regarding Niou for a long and thorough moment. This exchange, the needling, the getting under his skin — it's something unique to Niou, and therefore something he hasn't had to contend with in a long, long time.

It really is for his own good, it turns out.

Niou is back.]

If that's how you're choosing to look at it, you might as well call me a delinquent instead. I haven't attended a class in nearly two years.

[He has to give Yagyuu a long stare before he bends over, puts his head down on the table, and starts laughing. Of course. Of course Yagyuu would think about classes while he's stuck in Pokemon Land. Yagyuu's probably worried about missing entrance exams. What high school back home will accept official Pokemon trainer on an application?]

Wow, Yaaaagyuu. [He doesn't bother to pick his head up, just layers his voice with all the impressed, sardonic disdain he can manage.] I'm on a date with an older delinquent. Just think what my parents'll say about you being a bad influence.

I can imagine. It's likely the same thing mine so frequently say about you.

[AND IN THE ENSUING HALF-HOUR OR SO, YAGYUU OPTS TO STOP FUCKING AROUND AND EXPLAIN A BUNCH OF SHIT ABOUT JOHTO TO NIOU that is summarily not being recorded here because everybody knows it anyway and there are more interesting things to focus on, anyway.

Like the current status of Yagyuu's juvenile delinquency.

Let's rejoin our heroes as they resume being shenanigans, shall we?]

And what makes you think this is a date, Niou-kun?

[That sure was a swell and thorough explanation he just sat through, yep. Totally enlightening about all sorts of useful and really boring because we know them OOC already things! And in the meantime, shenanigans.]

You're paying, aren't ya? [Niou leans back, flutters his eyes a little.] You're not gonna leave your poor, lost, confused partner in a strange world, all alone, to be taken advantage of by older, dangerous men, right?

[Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, that smile is so innocent.]

Oh, wait.

If there's a man in the world that can take advantage of you, Niou-kun, I'm afraid I'll have to say, "I'll believe it when I see it".

[There, now, with some of the pleasantries at last out of the way, Yagyuu has the freedom to sharpen a little, settling back into familiar routine — and dragging up his usual guard in anticipation of Niou's subsequent needling. That's the game they play, after all. That doesn't change no matter how much time passes.]

And I suppose my reward in return is the pleasure of your company, hm?

What, you want something else? That's harsh, after all this time.

[All this time for Yagyuu, at least, and that's still gonna take a little getting used to. They're settling back into their familiar habits easily enough, though. It doesn't seem like that time is enough to have messed up the easy way they fit together, the way they can read each other and settle into their games without a second thought.

And if Niou's relieved about that, had been a little worried when he'd heard just how long Yagyuu had been here, well, he's not exactly going to let it show. They've got better things to do, much more interesting things to plan.]

I mean, you must've been bored out of your mind without me. What'd you do, run around trying to be the very best, like no one ever was?

1st trick; (video/action for goldenrod base)

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