ripped | 06 ☣ video/action for vermillion

[Have a shot of Nero's hand, holding the Thunder Badge.]

That was a piece of cake after the hell that voodoo chick in Saffron put me through; finding that damn switch was a worse pain in my ass than breaking into HQ back home, though.

[He turns the camera around. His hair...well, let's just say that the levels of static electricity in the Vermillion gym are quite high, and leave it at that. Dandelion? Got nothin' on this.

Clearly Nero hasn't noticed, because he runs a hand through it, a bit impatient, only making it worse. Behind him, there's a snuffling sound, before a big, lumbering shape--his Druddigon, all teenage-gangliness and overenthusiastic movement--pushes her head affectionately against his side. She reaches up to fix his hair, but he doesn't know it, so he tilts his head away, letting her claw rub like sandpaper over his cheek. His eyes narrow.]

So, uh.

Anyone know how to make a pokemon like you...less?

[Because having a two-hundred-pound fangirl with scales like sandpaper hanging all over you during a gym match when you're trying to teach her how things are done is. Distracting.

Click.]

[private text message to Dante]

You made it to Cherrygrove yet?

[private text message to Miyuki]

Did you see the new breeding center eggs getting announced?

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[And here's Nero, looking pretty amused.]

He evolved, that's what they do. He's lookin' pretty badass, gotta admit.

Hell yeah, he looks badass. You feelin' badass yet, Sparda?

"Scizor!"

(And the happy pokemon suddenly give Dante a hug. This isn't a very badass thing to do and Dante's surprised by it, but at least he doesn't have to worry about this one slicing him up anymore.)

Uhh...now that I think about it, he probably won't be doing as much slashing with those. Think he can learn martial arts?

[You know, Dante, your pokemon liking you isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unless they're like Victrix, who has skin like sandpaper and no concept of personal space, in which case you might wanna discourage hugging.]

Huh. What about boxing?

[It would probably hurt to get one of those suckers to the face.]

(See why you shouldn't have big dragons around all the time, Nero? Because then that happens. At least this guy's as smooth as his trainer.)

Boxing could work, too. Still, gotta wonder if he can at least put those legs to use, right?

(Dante will turn this guy into Kenshiro in due time...)

[Nope, the big dragons are there to stay. He's come to develop a taste for them, even when they like him a little too much.]

Wouldn't put it past him. Or you.

[Let's be honest, here: if anyone can transform a Scizor into a blackbelt out of sheer force of badassery, it's Dante.]

He just looks top-heavy to me.

(That's because you're so adorable and who wouldn't want to pinch those cute wittle cheeks?)

That's true. I definitely have to teach him to punch, but real hand-to-hand fighting takes advantage of kicks, too.

(Because he's the best one for this sort of job. As long as the guy could keep up, he'd learn everything that makes Dante so undeniably cool.)

[Wow, no. Now who's gonna get shot, huh...]

You're preaching to the choir. Or did you forget?

[You know, that one time he dropkicked you in the face. Not that he's counting or anything. Cough. Also, that Scizor will settle for nothing less than SSS rankings.]

(At least you're not stuck in an apron...)

...alright, I guess you know your stuff...I guess.

(Sorry Nero; Dante's gotten thrashed way harder than that. Besides, he remembers letting you punch his face in a lot more than the boot to the head.

And Scizor will be tournament-level SSS faster than you can say "showtime.")

[He worked at a pokemart for like, two weeks. Then he got fired, because lol, Nero and customer service. Dante's comment gets a shit-eating grin out of him, though.]

Exactly. Anyway, have fun training your bug. Buster and I have some more training to do before the next gym fight.

(Lol Nero, do you give your customers that face? That'd explain a lot...)

Right, right. Later, man.