born to amplify ● open

I SURRENDER MY SOUL

Everything here was wrong. From the tiniest of molecules - those that compossed the filthy dirt that whirled around like powdery snow on a particularly windy day - to the most general of statements - like the much too big crater that made it appear that a fearsome monster had come and taken a huge bite of the planet's crust - it was wrong. It was all wrong. This operation, this pathetic excuse for something close to "the final stand" or "the last mission" was a complete and utter failure that left the region scarred and ruined, and it hadn't even made much of an impact on the people as it had intended to. At least, not on the general population of Poke'earth. However, there was a certian group of people - survivors, really - who found this to be more of a memorial for the fallen than a reminder of the threat that had loomed over the people's heads only years prior. That group's leader was no exception whatsoever.

The air was frigid. Mother Nature had a funny thing about toying with the precipitation she bestowed upon them, giving it to them and letting it last for a day or two before it was going in the morning. But that did not make the air any less chilly, nor prevented Jack Frost from attacking any human who dared step outdoors. Even the skies above, somewhere in the heavens were mocking the brown winter below, covering the sun and preventing sunlight from peaking through and giving many false hope for more snow. If it was going to be cold, after all, the least the weather trio could do was give them a little something to play outside in that wasn't dead grass and iced over dirt. Everything seemed all the more bleak and lifeless without the season's trademark - flakes of snow glittering and falling easily through the skies above - to perk things up, even if on in the slightest. It was just another one of the many things wrong with the scene before her.

A woman - not to be deemed young, nor to be deemed old, either - stood at the edge of the crater, flats dangling hardly an inch off the edge, chocolate locks of long hair whipping her face and the frost biting at her exposed flesh. Most certianly, her clothes were not made for such harsh conditions. However, that was hardly a thing to worry about in times like those. There were more... important matters at hand. Chocolate eyes stared down at the base of the dip in the earth, not truly focused on anything. The eyes' owner appeared to be lost in thought, too much on her mind for her to process all at once and still proceed with normal activities. She'd remained that way for what seemed like an eternity, trying to think her way out of a never ending labrynth she, herself, had created for herself. It was beginning to appear, sadly, that this was a labrynth with no end.

"Perhaps I am the one to blame for this situation."

Lorelei's fingers played with one another, curling and balling into a fist, only to grow sick of each others' company and unfurl and land softly at her side. Where, exactly, the former Team Imum leader couldn't help but try to fathom, had their operation - her operation, the one she inherited when becoming leader - gone wrong? Certainly, she'd had every human and Pokemon, man and woman alike, running for the hills, fearing the worst for their race and honestly believing it was the end. Bomb explosions, the crashing of region-wide parties, toxic waste burning a city up from the inside... It was the perfect plan, the flawless course of action in that sort of scenario. And yet- And yet it wasn't. For, if it was as perfect as she'd believed it to be, then it wouldn't have failed in the end, would it have?

The female let out a sigh, watching her sleeve fall down her arm as she brought her hand to her forehead and ran her spider-like fingers through her scalp. "Perhaps my way going about the plan was... wrong. Surely, things did not crumble under Nymah's rule. Though, surely, progress was little..." Then, there was also the obvious question of whether it was worth it, inheriting the name of Imum's fearsome leader. There was a chance that, had she passed it onto someone else, she could have been living a normal life at that moment, not hiding under a different name and appearance, struggling to not let it slip that she was number one on the region's wanted list.

"Oh, Frieda... If I could turn back time, you are fully aware that I would change all of this nonsense... It had lead to the demise of the last survivor of the Ackermann name."

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ODEN HEAR MY CALL

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The land felt tainted. The earth was brittle and weak even though it struggled to sustain the life. Grass refused to die completely, but it was a shadow of its former self. Whatever had happened, the effect was similar to poison. Slowly the land and everything that struggled to remain on what waned of its strength would whittle and die. It carried into the air above, giving a thicker feel more like that of miasma then the air one breathes on a daily basis. The cold was barely noticeable in comparison. Everything about the area was decaying. Will couldn't have chosen a better place to bury them.

Stragglers, clinging on to hope that they could rebuild their precious team, had tried to hunt him. For some reason they believed he played a key role in their downfall. Shame that he only finished the battles that they had started with him and that's just what he continued to do. Call it an odd respect if you want, but Will was grateful to them in a twisted way. They came after him, sometimes alone other times in groups, but they were a steadily growing tide. Testing him, teaching him, and forcing him and his pokemon to become stronger. They made him a monster or perhaps they just brought out something hidden inside him, waiting to be unleashed. A mixed blessing, but he wouldn't have survived without it. So he would bury them at the very least.

What was left of them anyway.

Finally, he saw it. A massive chunk of earth torn from the surface, easily visible despite the distance. A massive grave that he didn't even have to dig. Sure, the man could have just flown over and dropped the remains in, but that seemed insulting. He was someone who finished the job so he marched on hearing nothing but the steady tempo of his own shoes hitting the snow. Then he saw something that made him pause. A woman, alone. If not for the way the winds toyed with her hair and clothes he would have not believed his eyes. She looked so out of place in this barren land. And at the same time the picture seemed flawless, like a gem fitted into a work of art. The question still linger though. What was she doing here? And stranger still, why did she look familiar? Maybe not in appearance, but the very sense she gave off.

Will's hood was suddenly pulled from his head by a strong gust. His hair whipped about, unhindered for a moment before falling limp once more. Not bothering to pull the hood back up he started toward the woman, curiosity itching at his mind. Slowly and carefully he made his way to stand a few feet beside her. Well out of reach and enough not to have his or her personal space disturbed. Quickly running through a number of faces to put up, he decided on the role of concerned bystander. So for a few moments he silently stood there, gazing out into the wasteland. Hands in his pockets the young man seemed unconcerned and even at home in the frosty weather.

Secluded.

Withdrawn.

Alone.

No, it didn't bother him. He'd been like that for years now. Will may have been just as fitting a piece in this landscape as the woman was. Hair veiling his eyes and falling to his back, dressed in faded green that had become darker instead of lighter. Blood tended to do that and it was a pain to wash out with access to just rivers of varying temperatures. But he was getting off topic, allowing his mind to stray to far into what if's instead of what was. His mind fell back on the woman. Just what was she doing here? The most likely would be that she had lost something to this disaster family, friends, work, something along those lines. Yet that hypothesis lacked foundation. Something about her spoke of more, details that he knew but didn't see. So he spoke after a handful of minutes of standing there passed.

"You'll catch a cold if you're not careful. A coin for your thoughts?" he spoke without looking at her.

ONE DAY I'LL SIT BESIDE YOUR THRONE

She heard him long before he arrived.

A labrynth of the soul had shaped itself within the corners of her mind by the point in time, sadly, thoughts she could not quite find it in herself to process and emotions she could not clamp to the wall and label shutting her out and leaving her with a solemn feeling of emptiness. There were no words to describe the tidal wave of sensations that had been cast her direction. She, herself, was at a loss as to what to make of the situation. Lorelei could stand and watch for an eternity at the desolant scene sprawled out before her, but what good would it do? How much dread would fill her up before it toppled over the edges and she had to remove herself from the area? On the other end of the spectrum, if it was not a saddening feeling reigning over her mind, what sort of closure could watching the shattered remains of an important turn in her life story bring to her? She did not feel happy. She did not feel sad. Nor mad or excited or anxious or any of those bland emotions.

She felt nothing. To be entirely honest, the crater was lost in her thought process, completely forgotten in her search for how this all made her feel. What sort of effect this was having on her. Should Besser fall in such a catastrophic event as the terror known as Imum had, this could be used as future reference, after all. What was there to inspect, though? What was there to keep in the back of her mind if something similar were to ever happen again? It was beginning to look like nothing. Perhaps mention of her allusive sister's name had drained the sense of perturbation - would that be what she was feeling just moments before? she could not quite remember, despite mere seconds being the only barrier between then and now - from her system. Mention of the deserter tended to do that to her, now a days. In the end, she realized her struggle to be fruitless and settled with knowing that she didn't feel anything toward this sight. If the guilt was washed away so easily, that was, was it ever even there, truly there to begin with?

And in the darkness in the cloudy afternoon, the only sound being the occation sentance drifting through her mind and the sound of the wind howling in agony - the nerve of it all; it had no reason to screeching all the horrors of life at mankind as it was never affection by such things in the first place - a subtle noise struck her eardrum. Reticent. Though, perhaps, that wasn't quite the right word. No, it did not appear as though the created of said sound was attempting to slink about the area. There was nothing to hide from, anyway. Rather, the distance between the two made it hard to distinguish from Mother Nature's symphony. She turned her head slightly, not particularly interested in her new visitor, more out of force of habit than anything, before continuing her perpetual stare at the dip beneath her. The brown-haired woman's curiosity began to peak, however, as a variety of... interesting serious of sounds began stringing together behind her. From what it seemed, she was either unnoticed or ignored. While she prayed for the latter, the next events would prove the former more accurate.

Within moments, there they were. Or, rather, he. A red haired boy with far too long of hair wearing old, stained attire. Sparing him a side glance, she decided she didn't want to know exactly what it was stained with. His face was colored in what appeared to be the slightest bit of burden, but part of her couldn't help but wondered if this was just feigned, nothing more than an act. She had justification, after all - she knew this boy. It took no longer than ten seconds for Lorelei to pin down the identity of the male beside her and, while a smirk attempted to play with the corners of her mouth, she continued facing forward, face indifferent. A number of scenarios were already being played in her mind, solutions to any problems she would face and answers to anything said already tossing around her previously lifeless brain. Why had he approached? While her "disguise" of sorts had yet to be seen through, if she recalled, the breeder within a few arms length distance was quite good at processing and picking things apart. If anyone were to find her out, she wouldn't doubt he would be the first.

My little Ryan boy has come back for another bedtime story. I suppose I should at least do him the favor of humoring him once more. I can always kill him off if things start to look poor in my favor.

"You'll catch a cold if you're not careful." It was growing increasingly more difficult not to smile as the time ticked by, his voice flooding recognition over her. Still, she retained her mask of indifference, not a thing slipping past her shield. "A coin for your thoughts?" What was she to say to him? What sort of explaination would she give if he asked why she was there? Oh, a variety of things were already stirring within her mind. She would just have to see which worked out for the better when the time came.

"I'm not worried about colds," the admin said easily, raising her voice slighty as she usually did. Some people were particularly skilled in picking out voices they'd heard before. It would be catastrophic if someone were to recognize her voice and deduce who she was using that bit of information. She was by no means skilled at impressions, but the change was slight enough to sound decently natural while not entirely different from what she used alone. "I have the immune system of a beast. If I do catch on, it'll be gone within the day."

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IN VALHALLA'S GREAT HALL

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At the very least Will had gotten the woman's attention. The side glance in his direction barely spared. The subtle twitches on her face that pointed to shifting emotions. All of it was gathered from the corner of his eye. However, the twitches were just that and only that. They spoke little of just what emotions could have been playing in her mind. Less of her mood in general. Yet, by giving nothing they gave information in spades. Rarely could someone keep their emotions so contained with seeming ease. Even he had bursts of anger and the prickling of annoyance. Will merely used that to hide other emotions when he couldn't contain the venomous hate. He was a storm of confrontation and shifting emotions hidden in the center. She, however, was a glacier that the smallest of cracks may form only to freeze over seconds later.

The sense of familiarity was warning him now. He had surely met her, if not someone similar in appearance that someone similar in personality. Then, after a brief wait, her voice stirred the memories lurking beneath his grasp. The 'voice' itself was different, but the way she spoke had images of another woman break down the barriers to his mind. Giving an idle glance in her direction, he could see it now. Facial structure. The way she held herself. The demeanor. Everything. The illusion collapsed in front of his eyes. There now stood the woman he'd met a handful of times during his journey. The leader of the ones that had tried to hunt him. Yes, he knew of her position. It hadn't taken long to piece together without distractions.

What now? Will doubted that she'd forgotten him, if the woman was as sharp as she seemed then she most likely cataloged every encounter and held files of every person she brushed passed on the streets. The breeder also doubted that she would remain oblivious to his knowledge. She was prideful, but surely not stupid. The woman could respect his analytical skills even if she was sure that her own were far superior. Either way, the fog of lies was lifted between them now. Her, watching over the devastation the team she once lorded over caused. And him, an executioner that had seem many of those team members fall to his hands.

A beast she likened herself to. If this was what her act was suppose to be, she was a novice at it. Anyone that stood in her presence could determine who she was. Then again maybe she was one. A beast. Should he kill her? It wouldn't take much. His fist could shatter her skull and turn her brain matter to pulp. He doubted that she would see it coming in her hubris. Beasts feared little, but they would become wary after the first notice of a threat. Beasts could be felled by other beasts after all. And Will was a monster among them. The breeder let out a low rumbling chuckle of amusement. It hurt his throat, a combined result of him rarely talking and the cold air. There was a brief moment where he simply considered taking refuge in the illusion, but unlike her Will detested these games.

It all made sense now. He didn't really care why she was here, but he could hazard a multitude of guesses. The real question was if she realized just how many of her precious Imum he'd ground into dust. Maybe he'd taunt her with the information. He wondered if the woman would even care. Did she even like the pawns that had been at her disposal? Would the names on the bloodied IDs he carried strike a cord? For some reason he doubted it, but she would probably be angered by his gall.

"My apologies for worrying needlessly then." Will spoke and then added after a lapse of silence. "How's Freude?" The little Larvitar was a perfect specimen of its species and a fine catch. Will was nothing if not a gentleman. He did prefer being civil to those he respected. Granted, with his personality it was a chore to keep up. Then ever so slowly he fished out the IDs from his pocket, shuffling them like cards from a playing deck. He would let the information dangle, see what she had to say first. Maybe he give them to her and tell her to warn the others. It might make the challengers more fun, more lively.

The IDs clacked together loudly in the silence...

LIKE SO MANY BEFORE ME

The seconds ticked down like that of a timer on a time bomb, the time for the ginger-haired man to realize just who the she witch he was currently regarding really was. There was never any doubt that she wouldn't be able to fool him entirely - a haircut, a change of outfit, a different name, and a different voice could not skirt around a calculating pair of eyes, only hope to prolong the enevitable fate of being pinned down and torn down to their simplest forms - so it was only a matter of time before an entirely new stage in their battle of wits was to begin. Or, at least, this was what she was hoping for. Had he skills been warn down by a year or so in hiding? She had risen up to power in the Besser party with relative ease, but some of the politicians that were placed before her would most likely struggle in the feat of navigating out of a paper sack. Really, some of the humans whatever higher being that might have been up there spawned were really quite pathetic. It was a shame she couldn't off them where they stood; it would do everyone a favor, including themselves.

But the stupidity of the world was not the task at hand, was it? Of course it wasn't. For a few moments, the brunette honestly had to ponder if she'd honestly tricked him, her identity remaining a mystery until the specific moment that she dropped an obvious hint that he was speaking to a woman meant to be fear or flat out told him as not to waste his or her own preciou stime. Of course, time was just another thing she enjoyed killing. Maybe a wild goose chase wouldn't be so bad, after all. The thought only had a few seconds to settle in her mind, however, her uttering her reply to embark on that which would be an interesting conversation when her hopes appeared to be dashed. The numbers struck a line of zeros and, like a curtain openning at the beginning of a play at a theater, the red drapes of uncertainty and dishonesty were pulled aside with a violent gust of wind. Literally. Her hair danced in the breeze, proving only the irritate her as she spit several strands from her mouth and delicately picked clumps to put back in place. It was a repetitive process, but it had to be done; how would she be able to see anything with chocolate locks constantly quivering in her line of sight?

Of course, she couldn't possibly have known that he'd figured out her secret, metaphorical bomb detonating and the cosmos blowing a gust of chilly air her way or not. Honestly, at this point, she couldn't even fathom a guess as to what he was thinking, much less how much he knew. Maybe he'd already figured it out? The thought dusted hermind, but that seemed to contridict his previous remarks and it was swept away with an invisible dust pan and broom. An eternity of silence seemed to pass the two without a word and, in the end, she decided it better not to ponder to much of what was racing through his own mind and, instead, focus on her own matters. If he ever decided to respond, she'd be thrown back into his attention, of course, but then and only then would she think to spare him another thought. Though, there was another problem. Aside from the familiar male - Ryan he had told her all that time ago, but she still could not bring herself to shake the feeling that said name wasn't as sincere as he would lead her to believe - what else was there to think of? Lament about past failures? Done. She didn't really like admittin gher own mistakes, anyway. In her own mind, she'd tell herself she was incapable of failure, backing it up with her series of wonderful achievements and sometimes turning a blind eye to her more dark slip ups. To force herself to accept the fact that all of this nonsense was her fault was a difficult thing to do. Muse on weather? It was cold. And windy! That was about it.

And what if he is aware of my position? Lorelei concluded finally, casting him a second-long glance and regarding him for only a heart beat with icy blue eyes. How poorly will he react? Perhaps it is time to plot defensive manuevers in case of emergancy. Not long after she has concieved that string of thoughts did another voice, certianly not her own, hit her ear and the plan crumbled as soon as it had arrived. "My apologizes for worrying needlessly then," he said finally and the most minescule of a smirk yanked on the corners of her mouth. The idiot! Still hadn't figured it - "How'd Freude?" ... But Lorelei doesn't make mistakes. She does not fail. She does not think up such frivolous things. What was to be concluded from all of this? He knew who she was... and he needed to die. Today, preferably. She could already see herself ripping the flesh from his face. Ooo, yes, was that her yanking his arm out of its socket? What a pleasent feeling! It was then that the demon turned to face her lovely guest, eyes dancing with a flame that could spell out a thousand emotions and canines sparkling with the malice she was fighting to hold down.

Five years was too long a time to let him continue soiling her earth. Put the maggot in his place.

"I was wondering when you would catch on," the red-clothed woman all but hissed, words cradling bitter sweet emotions to be compared to a beautiful acid. Pretty on the eyes, burning to the touch. "You've failed my expectations, sadly; if you were half the boy I met back then, you would have greated me in such a manner far sooner than you did." Remembering his mentions of Freude, she only thought it polite to reintroduce the two. After all, the duel-type was not the timid, frail creature it used to be. "And Freude? Why, he'd fairing well. A little antsy, though; it's been a while since I've let him feast on a victim. I have ot be careful about how many of my new co-workers I knock of the chart as to not let too much suspicion rise, but he certainly enjoys the treat he gets when I do get around to some... population control. I guess some Pokemon find human meat tastier than that garbage they call Poke'food. Would care to see him? I'm sure he'd love to see you." With that last bit, she held out the Tyranitar's Poke'ball to him in an almost daring matter, practically beggin him to accept the challenge.

"But enough about my party. What have you been up to, my dear Ryan? By the looks of my men's remains you've got in your hand, it looks like you've been having some fun of your own. Really, do elaborate. I want to hear every gruesome detail."

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I'LL DIE WITH HONOR AND PRIDE

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