James
Darkness.

In that darkness, a light slowly began to glow, brighter and brighter. Was it the light of heaven? Of Sylvia? Perhaps she could finally see her love again? That would make everything so much easier...

Unfortunately for Anonymous, that light began to take shape and fade to green and brown, face slowly lifting from the grassy terrain, sand having mostly blown away by now. What was happenning again...?

*Wakeup.*

Oh. Right. She looked at the rattata with fuzzy eyes, vision beginning to unblur. Why was he still here...? She hadn't even noticed that her arm was pinning the rattata, instead lifting it to reach into her poncho for an item. As she fiddled under the folds, she lifted her head a little more to face the Reaper, "What's your problem...? Just end me already... You won." She sounded defeated and tired, resigned and almost... Desperate. Desperate for a way out.
Shelly
*The Rattata huffed, looking back at his tail and stepping forwards to dislodge it from where it was smushed into the ground. It was mostly fine, save for a crack near the base.* Wouldn't be the first time. *It'll take a while, but it'll heal.*

"End you..." *He grumbled and worked his way up to his feet again. Without his tail pinned, he felt...* Much *Better.* "Hah! You really *Are* Dark.

"No, we won't be having any of that." *Staggering away from her and to his needle- locating its glint in the setting sunlight- he picked it up and dusted it off, groaning as his paw was now caked in mud.* And bruises. 

"It was a draw, as far as I'm concerned. I fainted. You fainted. It's the mark of natural enemies." *With a slow albeit grandiose arc, he pointed the needle to Anonymous.* "We'll settle this some other time. I promise you, Cacturne...

"... You haven't seen the last of me." *He smirked, then turning tail and walking away at an impressive pace considering his condition.*

"... Oh, and one last thing." *He turned his head back to her, over his shoulder.* "No one has to die." *He gave her a smirk.* Delightfully mysterious, Reaper. *He waggled just tail in a slightly insulting manner before taking his leave...*
James
This guy... He wasn't even taking her seriously. That pissed her off. She was mad at him because it was easier than being mad at herself for not getting killed and not winning the fight. Besides, she didn't want to be mad at herself anyway, since she knew Sylvia would be mad at her for being mad at herself. 

He was too full of himself. He wasn't a "Rival", he was a no-good criminal who needed to be brought to justice, just like so many others she had faced before. ...Granted, she couldn't remember the last time she was knocked out by someone. Fuck. 

Before the rat left, she lifted her head and raised her voice, strained. "Wait! If we're truly rivals then... We must shake hands to declare a mutual battle fell fought, no?"
Shelly
*Pausing, he decided to entertain her for a bit- she had the sensation of someone who was trying to pull a sneaky trick from-* Since when would someone like *Her* Offer a handshake? *-she's the world's worst manipulator, that's what.*

"Hah! Your filthy mitts!?" *He pointed his needle at her, mockingly.* "Maybe once you... *Huff...* Put up a good fight." That's not very nice. *He turned away, taking a few steps-* "Maybe next time." 

*Dragging the needle down at his side, he held still for a second, seeing if she had anything else to say.*
James
Yeah, she's pretty shitty at manipulating. In defeat and shame, she turned onto her stomach and let her arms stretch out on the ground, staring up at the leaves above her as she rested, taking slow long breaths, utterly defeated.

And that was that.

```A Game of Cacti and Mouse: Concluded ```
Essie
```get the fuck back here VHS```

A Phione was floating through the depths of the woods, humming to themselves with twirls as they explored. Nicole had a plate from the tavern in their off hand, that they definitely shouldn't have taken with them- stuffing a pancake into their mouth every once in a while. They had walked out of the tavern with enough oblivious confidence that no one questioned why they were taking the pretty ceramic plate with them, and now it was officially Theirs.
Juan
*Yeah well tough shit pumpkin! This vacation is about to be a BITCH! Because Grim is involved and he drags the quality of any outting to a nigh-zero value.*

*And that's exacrtly what he did- well, I mean, he is slightly more virtuous due to his new-game-plus esque development from outside this realm, but like, he's still Grim.*

BWAP!

*Having been navigating a local area map, he'd bumped right into the Phione, pancakes and all. Probably got some syrup on himself because pancakes are messy like that, unless Nicole had the foresight to, uh, dodge? The oncoming bird. Either way, after bumping into him/her, Grim would scoff and back off, sizing them up before uttering,*

"... What sort of outfit is *That*?" *There was restraint in his voice- he knew what he said was rude, gaining awareness of his own faults, but they were still ingrained in the sassiest bits of his core.*
Essie
Nicole uses they/them like a boss .

They had no such foresight, and the Dartrix promptly crashed into them and their poor pancakes. One fell on the ground, but they promptly picked it back up seeing as it took less than five seconds to do so.

"Hmmm?" They gave a dopey smile, regaining their barings as they looked Grim up and down.

"My lounging outfit. Outfit for when I *Know* I'm gonna have a good day. S'why I wear it every day, yeah? So every days good." They stuffed another pancake in their mouth- this one with a leaf clung to it via sticky syrup.

"Aren't you in your lounging outfit right now? Comfy blanket." They were referring to the cape.
Juan
*As the Phione shoved the pancake with the whole ass leaf in its maw, the bird visibly recoiled- cringed, suffered, pulled back and heaved at the display, taking no less than 80 psychic damage from such a display. He was helpless against an invuluntary gag, too, with an additional 5 damage on top.* "Good heavens.

"Your... Lounging outfit." *He recomposed himself, rubbing his beak clean a'fore righting himself up and readjusting his cape.* "Hm. I couldn't suggest such a thing. First impressions are important, after all, and this..." *He frowned, poking at her little fun hat.* "... Does not command respect." *Despite the harshness of his words, the bird was quasi-sure he was making kind smalltalk.*

"I, of course, am adorned with a versatile outfit. I've hardly had my full wardrobe-" *He spoke, soon leaning in for a whisper,* "And I assure you, I was dashing-" *Before leaning out-* "And have been stuck with... This. It's a simple but regal design. For, you see, I am a former prince... A Goldshirian prince, at that... I'm certain you've heard of such a place?"
Essie
"My lounging outfit!" Nicole responded, giving a second smile incase the first one's message didn't get across. 

They blinked, staring up at the prod of their hat. "Not looking for respect. I'm looking for, ahhhh, '*Swagger*' is the term, methinks. The ladies love it." The ladies did not love it.

The Phione tipped their head to the side at hearing Grim's woeful tale of limited outfit choices.

"Goldshirian? Is that, like, a farm?" Nicole scratched their chin.
Juan
*Of course, it was the very fact that ladies didn't love it that, in fact, Grim would absolutely believe the ladies would love it. He narrowed his eyes and walked around them, looking the drip up and down.* "Hm. Yes. I am having trouble with the ladies. I just don't seem to get them! What don't they see in me? Hm? I'm a respectable bird. Very... 'kissable', as they say. And yet, I seem to draw dis-*Dain*. What a *Shame*."

*He stood straight up, then raising a feather-finger to accentuate his next point.* "A kingdom, in fact. The Goldshirian kingdom was known for its many, bountiful farms- I wouldn't be surprised if our name was used as a euphemism- but by all accounts, we were a governing political body." *He raised a brow at the Phione.* What low-brow apparel. "Hmmm, yes, I suppose I have the time to explain the nature of my kingdom to you..." *Code red... Grim is about to give exposition...*