A 'chance in hell' is better than none at all.

[Lara]

'Aah, so this is the infamous Nox building, eh? Not too shabby at all...' Cain was feeling very satisfied, standing in front of the shady looking place. Well, shady in the talk concerning it, at least, as the building itself looked almost inviting to him. And 'standing' was a figurative term, as he was still in the damned chair, but he didn't care. He'd use whatever term he pleased.

Before actually heading inside the building, Cain reflected back to the ferry ride, where he and his idiotic twin had still been together. 'Amazing, how swiftly plans can change, isn't it?' he thought with a wide grin, recalling how easily it had been to change his mind about what he planned to do upon reaching Kairuu. Oh, Abel had been delighted as well, chattering on about how he was going to visit the laboratory and pick up a starter, and wouldn't it be fun if they both ended up picking the same thing? 'Poor, stupid Abel, always jabbering about that 'twin bond' thing. It's a load of bullshit, if you ask me.' After all, if the so-called 'bond' was actually real, Abel would know fully well by this point that Cain, quite frankly, hated his guts.

But enough about that, before it ruined his day. He instead switched over to what the guy on the ferry had been talking about. The infamous Nox, known for its evil deeds and all that fun stuff. Just the kind of thing for him to take an interest in. 'Much more up my alley than some boring lab.'

It had been only a matter of time before Cain came up with a little plan to separate himself from Abel, at least long enough for him to sign up with Nox - providing they take him, of course, but he planned to prove himself worthy despite his obvious handicap. After all, what did it matter, if he could do everything else, and handle his Pok?mon the way they wanted? Anyway, getting away had been as simple as telling Abel that he wanted to visit someplace else before heading straight to the lab, and 'don't wait up for me, alright?'

Of course, damaging one of the wheels on Abel's own chair had helped, too, when his twin had joyously suggested that he tag along on Cain's little side-trip.

Cain looked the building up and down a second time. 'It's time to head inside, I'd say,' he thought, then straightened himself up and wheeled right on up to the front door, entering with full confidence as the sliding doors parted for him.

"Hospital's down the road, kid."

Obviously, he still didn't make much of a first impression. Cain put on a scowl and stared the lady behind the desk straight in the eye. "I'm not here for any damned medical treatment. I'm here to sign up with the Organization."

"Mr. Nox is a very busy man," the secretary stated, glaring down at the young man seated in front of the desk.

"Yeah, yeah, I figured that much. Just lemme see the guy, before you decide to kick me out into the street." Cain's scowl remained in place, and his arms tensed on the armrests of his wheelchair. What kind of stuck-up place was this, to not even give a guy a chance? "I can wait if need be, but I don't plan on leaving without an audience with the head honcho."

There was a sigh, likely due to his persistence. But papers were flipped, and a hand was waved in the direction of a long hallway. "Very well, then, head down the hall until you come to the main door. Can't miss it, but don't blame me when you come out empty-handed." 'Mr. Nox could likely use a good laugh anyway...This kid doesn't have a chance in hell of being accepted into Nox.'

[[Shoe ♥]!]

What a dreadful day.

Already four grunts had come up to him with their problems, some petty little arguments about the Shadow Pok?mon they had received. The darkness enriched creatures were simply too wild, the weaklings cried, they had been burned or bitten or poisoned or something idiotic. Arceus, upon first glance you would be lead to believe that these nitwits simply didn't read the contract that they had signed themselves in their own blood. What morons - if the Pok?mon they were handed tore them to pieces, well... at least the inadequate fools made themselves useful for something. Even if it was just a decent meal for their own 'companion.' If the people didn't even understand the potential they were given, then what did they expect to do for the organization? They certainly weren't helping it, at least. At the most they would just be another simple pawn, doomed to never advance through the ranks and sit put with promises of 'better times' and how their work would be rewarded.

In their dreams. In fact, it was doubtful that Malcolm would even treat his officers with such benefits. They were all his pawns, anyway. Free to use and move on his own whim. Nothing more, nothing less. It may have been quite a waste to squalor away his precious Shadow Pok?mon away with these stupid upshots, dooming the perfectly respectable beings into an existence of tedium and disgust. Damning the creatures into a meaningless life with some grunt that didn't even know how to control the things. What a sad waste of talent.

With a sigh the man turned to his Shadow endowed Umbreon, and took a good look in his eyes. Ahh, the calm that a trained Shadow held - it was quite a reward for all his hard work. He had stepped on a lot of people to get where he was today, killed, cheated, stole, but the end product was fantastic so far. That stupid inferior Mr. Levis was no obstacle, though he did train his grunts to think that way. How pathetic. Oh well, where would the fun of manipulation be without some kind of adversary, even an easy to overcome one. At least it might amuse for a small period of time, right?

"Excuse me, but Malcolm, why are you staring at me like that?

[/b]" Apollo asked in the normal clipped tone of a fully converted Pok?mon. How wonderful - he had noticed. That tiny brain of his must be food for something. The leader didn't exactly fancy his Umbreon, as he was weaker than the rest of his team and therefore inferior. Though, he was not without his usefulness.

"You. Apollo - go get me a Lemon Head." He demanded with a serious face, staring hard into the cat-like Pok?mon. He only nodded and padded off into some hold or another. The Pok?mon must have a secret stash for times like this, the bastard.

Being the head of an organization certainly did have its perks - seeing as he was rarely bothered by anything that did not require him. However, it did seem that he was requested quite often - how difficult. For instance, as soon as he ordered his Pok?mon to go get him a piece of candy, an intercom buzzed, informing him that some prospect recruit was knocking at his door... or would be, if he could knock, that was. Something about a wheelchair... ugh. Did that upstart honestly think that the man could make use of him? What pride. Huh - maybe that could be of use... as long as he was humbled throughly before being allowed his independence. Hmm, maybe it wouldn't be a waste of time... as long as this guy had something to offer.

"I know you're out there, newbie, so just open the door and come in. I'm not going to waste time getting up just to sit down again. Now if you really want to join, come right here and we'll have a little chit-chat, eh?"

[/blockquote]

[Lara]

The hallway felt a lot longer than it appeared to be, and by the end of it Cain actually found himself feeling rather nervous about the whole idea. He definitely wanted to join this organization - he knew that much - but other than that, he had no idea what to expect... Still, he had to keep a convincing front up, less he be perceived as a coward, which he most certainly was not. Lifting his chin, holding his head high, he wheeled himself straight up to the dark-looking door at the end of the hallway. Steeling himself for the worst, he lifted his arm and --

A voice called to him before he even got the chance to knock. 'Damn secretary must have called ahead,' he thought, a little annoyed by the thought if only because he had no idea what had been said about him. From the look he had gotten as he entered, he could picture them having a good laugh about his status, then simply deny his request to join once he was through the door.

Still, what was he supposed to do? Not go in? Like hell. Squaring his shoulders, he turned the knob and pushed the door open, making sure to keep any sign of being nervous from his face as he got his first glimpse of Mr. Nox. The man himself didn't give the appearance of being the head of a dangerous organization, but Cain knew better than to judge from looks alone. Besides, even if he didn't really believe in it, this man definitely had an aura of danger around him. 'I'd hate to get on this guy's bad side.'

"Good day, Mr. Nox," was all he said as he wheeled himself forward, complying to the request that he come closer or get out. As he approached the desk, he allowed a look of respect come into his eyes and made sure to keep it there.

[[Shoe ♥]!]

Hmpf, so his secretary hadn't been trying to pull his leg, much to her benefit. It was true that the boy in front of him was easily handicapped, but he did have the matzi to wheel himself around into his presence, even when it would be obvious that an organization like the one Malcolm ran needed fit people. Not that he was being cruel, but it was obvious that the wheelchair bound man couldn't do much... unless, that was, he was crafty. The man would never dismiss a prospect grunt just because of appearances, no, he had too much respect for someone with a disability that still decided to chase something like this. You had to give it up to him, and if he was as cunning as he was driven... Malcolm was well on his way to a star new recruit.

"Good day to you as well... Mister.... ahh... anyway, please wheel yourself over to the front of my desk and we can start this little session. However, you already know my name, which puts me at a disadvantage, don't you think? I hate being undermined, so let's even the odds. What's your name, kid? Also, what do you think you could give to this organization, because to be frank, it's obvious that you're not going to get anywhere quickly.

[/b]" Mr. Nox gestured to a spot in front of him, and then slouched easily into his chair. If this guy was just going to be a pain, then that Lemon Head had to come quickly. But if not... and it was doubtful that he was going to find much fault with a kid with that gleam in his eyes, they may get through this without fault.

Ahh, the gleam. The shine of craftiness, of tricksters and of manipulators. Mr. Nox, of course, had that same exact condition - but it was doubtful that anyone noticed it. It was doubtful that he was a prized manipulator, and if he was... well, that was just something Malcolm would have to beat out of him, sadly. You couldn't have an upstart overshadowing the leader.
[/blockquote]

[Lara]

"Cain. Cain Jacob." He didn't bother with his last name; he never used it back home, so why start now? Besides, it'd be a lot harder to connect him with Abel if he didn't use his last name, while he was certain Abel would if asked for it. The less ties, the better. "I apologize for not coming out with it straight away." As he spoke, he wheeled himself forward so he was right in front of the desk. He was sure to keep his tone carefully neutral, leaning towards humble respect if anything, but not wanting to lay anything on too thick. He had to see how to deal with the man in front of him first.

"I'm glad to hear you're not judging me solely on my appearance." Cain spread his hands slightly in a helpless gesture before placing them back on the armrests of his chair. His right hand lightly tapped out a random combination of ticks with his fingers - one of the few habits he had yet to break, but only because it was one he never realized he was doing. "I hope to present my cognitive skills at the disposal of you and your organization. I'd say my best aspect is mild manipulation, though no one else knows that." He allowed a small smile to flash, but only brief before his lips returned to their neutral position, tightened slightly. "There's still plenty of room for improvement... but I hope what I bring might be satisfactory."

He had to wonder if he should mention his ideas of revenge at all. No, best to keep Abel entirely out of this; he didn't want to draw attention to his personal plans just yet. Best to wait and see what Mr. Nox had to say on the slightly vague information he had just presented. He had no desire to talk about everything in his life; after all, then there would be nothing for him to use if he chose to try and move up in life. That is, providing Mr. Nox actually accepted what he had to say.

[[Shoe ♥]!]

Malcolm watched idly as his guest wheeled his way closer. Cain, was it? How... biblical. No matter, however. The man seemed humble enough, and willing to work. Two of the highest assets a new grunt could display. Though, it would have been much more helpful if the man actually had legs to speak of. The leader raised his eyebrows with slight irritation, for it always seemed the most promising had some kind of problem. The ones with the great burly muscles always had rocks for brains, and vice versa. How bothersome.

As long as the man was sharp and cunning there couldn't be a problem. Pokémon fighting didn't exactly take a lot of brawn to showcase. You shoved the creature out of its ball, gave it a few shouted commands, punish or reward it accordingly at the end, and then it went back. There wasn't much a trainer had to do besides throw a ball and yell. Unless they were the crafty, move-combining fiends, much like himself. The type of people who took every step as a boon or a fault - the only way you could consecutively win.

"Don't mention it. Here at Nox we judge on how well you ascend the ranks, not on how you appear. That's not a main point in Pokémon fighting, now is it? Anyway, we could always use a dose of crafty behavior, as long as you're willing to learn. There isn't much to attend to, however. Mostly basic things, like planning against Levis and turning Pokémon. Just keep in line, and prove yourself. I'll never turn down a grunt." It was an almost brisk monotone, obviously bored. The head honcho gained no sense of pleasure from conversing with his new recruits, and this was a solid fact. Just grab a Pok?mon and get out was his overall mindset.

"Anyway, do you want to coordinate, train, or breed the little monsters? Oh, and do you have any questions so far...?"

[Lara]

"Trainer," Cain responded promptly, hardly having to think about the choice. His interest was in battling and fighting; breeding was of no use to him with his current goals, and coordinating... that was just plain silly. Besides, he knew Abel was interesting in coordinating, and that would just never do. "Just a few. I'll not bother you longer than necessary." Again, he slipped into the small smile, feeling almost a bit sarcastic by that point, though of course the respect was still there. From the sound of it, his new boss was standing in front of him, and he wasn't questioned at all about anything he had been vague around. Perfect.

"I'm interested in knowing what Pok?mon you offer...And exactly what I have to do to officially join the organization. That's pretty much it." The man on the ferry hadn't gone into those specifics, mentioning idly that the choices changed from time to time, so there was no point in getting his hopes up for a specific one. He brought his gaze level with the leader of the Nox organization in order to gauge how his questions came across, but he doubted there would be any problems. After all, he had simply asked the questions that needed to be asked in order for him to get this business finished and him out the door.

[[Shoe ♥]!]

Hm, so this wheel-chair bound man was actually taking this interview seriously - excellent. Though... he would need Apollo to grab his things, which would result in the Umbreon coming back... just where was that thing anyway? Malcolm did not show his discontentment, but instead sat uneasily. This grunt's questions were basic, however, and it may just take a minute or so to run through. The sooner this was over with, the better.

"The Pokémon you may choose from are shadow-infused, of course. Not like you didn't already know this. They come in the species... wait, no. Before I do that, I've gotten ahead of myself. It must be the busy day....

[/b]" Honestly just remembering the official form for Cain to sign, the leader looked briefly into his desk, pulled out a sheet, and offered it out. There were absurd amounts of text on this, with an adverse amount of fine-print. However the Nox Leader had long since noticed that it was simple - no one ever read those things anyway, the fools. They were signing something they probably didn't even agree with. How idiotic.

Had he ever been that dense? No, it could not be. Besides, it didn't take a genius IQ to be able to skim through as simple contract. Though it was probably to the organization's benefit that no one ever even took a good glance at the tiny print, falling prey to their own ignorance.

"This is what you'll need to sign in order to officially become one of us. Though... we don't fancy ink, you see. Use your imagination.[/b]"[/blockquote]

[Lara]

Shadow-infused, huh? That certainly sounded promising. 'The only problem would be to hide it from Abel if I meet up with him again... I'll have to get a second Pokémon quickly.' The thought ran through Cain's mind in the matter of a few seconds, and he quickly brought his full attention back to the man seated in front of him. There was time to think further about this once he was out of the building, his task completed.

Before a list of available Pokémon was recited, however, the motion of a form was presented. Ah, okay, so that was all he needed to do in order to become a full member, then? Easy enough. He accepted the paper, grasping the page firmly as he brought it closer in order to take a look at it. There was a good deal of text on the paper, but he didn't bother to read every word. He did skim it, of course, but there was really no need to do more than that. After all, he was prepared to do what it takes, and he didn't doubt there would be things he'd need to do that he wouldn't fully like. Then again, who knew?

He made sure to let it be seen that he at least read more than the first line, when in fact he had skimmed nearly all of the text in front of him, and then he brought his attention to the matter of filling in the dotted line. 'No pen, huh? Easy enough...' The item required to fill out the form was quite obvious, really, at least to him. The question, however, was how to obtain it, since he didn't exactly have anything that sharp handy...

Biting it was. He had already been subconsciously digging his fingernail into his thumb, and so it was a quick matter of nipping the edge of his finger with his front teeth to draw a small stream of blood. This was nothing compared to the stupid 'physical therapy' doctors occasionally tried to make him do...

"Sign here, and... done." The deed was done in a matter of moments, and he let the paper lie flat on the table once again. Then, his attention was back on Mr. Nox, interested in finding out about the exact breeds available. He wanted to see one of these 'shadow' Pokémon.

[[Shoe ♥]!]

ooc; Dx Sorry for taking so long, Lara. I got busy. >.>;;
I'll do better~

---

ic;

Ahh, so the man was going to go through the fingernail trick, eh? How typical. Normally members that weren't as prepared as they should be struggled for a moment as they tried to decide how to go about signing the things. Mr. Nox couldn't even count the amount of times a complete moron would try and dig out a pen from their bag, or ask for a pencil, of all things. There wasn't much getting around that type of obvious display of retardation. You couldn't bash intellect into a new recruit's brain, unlike orders or drills. It was quite the shame, really.

The man listened idly to his visitor's verbal assertion of his 'accomplishment.' How precious. Did he want him to hand him a carton of juice and emphasis on what a good boy he was? Ha. Yeah right. Though there was no going around the next step - dragging himself out of his chair to bring the grunt his shadow infused partner. Slightly above average intellect or not, it was still going to be a process that he didn't wish to go through. The longer he could delay getting up, the better.

"Here at Nox we offer many kinds of... special starters, yes? Now that you've signed that, I can successfully show you our ways, though one step at a time. We offer a selection of Pok?mon, including Seviper, Lunatone, Sneasel, Murkrow, Carvana, Emuritto, Cacnea, and Houndour. Take your pick.

[/color]"[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Lara]

Okay, so he had made a mistake with the verbal 'announcement'. That was fine; it was overlooked quickly enough, with Mr. Nox moving on to the item Cain had been waiting for: the list of Pokémon available at the organization. The way he stated the list made it obvious that he wasn't too thrilled about this part of the process, but it was still a process that needed to be done, and Cain wasn't about to say 'oh, don't worry about this part'.

What he could do, however, was save the man a bit of time. Rather than wait until the end to debate about his decision, he thought quickly about each choice as it was presented. Seviper, Lunatone... no, not for him. Sneasel was a good choice, but he wasn't sure just yet. Carvanha, definitely not. Emuritto? What was that? Well, best to simply cross that off the list. Cacnea were annoying... Houndour? Hmm... Yes, that was much better than Sneasel. Cain liked dogs, after all.

"I'd like a Houndour," he said once his mind was made up, which was essentially right after Mr. Nox finished reciting the list of Pokémon. "Preferably male."

[bijuu.]

Malcolm sucked on the sour pellet of candy his Umbreon had so faithfully retrieved, staring down the bridge of his nose at the newcomer. Quite frankly, Mr. Nox was already forming doubts in his mind ▬ how could this crippled child be of any use to him? Perhaps it would be best to just call Nemesis to dispose of him before any inconvenience came of it. Before he could make a call to bring forth the massive dragon, Cain had already voiced his decision.

Houndour it was.

"Very well. Pan, a male Houndour for our... guest. And a kit fitted for a trainer." he concluded, leaning forward in his seat only so slightly that he could tap the mahogany surface of the desk with his slender fingers. Almost at once, a large shadow withdrew from near the wall, padding silently to an opening hidden in a secluded corner of the room. The shadow Luxray growled slightly at the sight of the stranger, disappearing for a moment.

There came a sound of rummaging from where Pan had gone to retrieve the items and pocket monster. Minutes later, the hellish-looking Luxray reappeared, a small drawstring pouch hooked around the four-point star on his tail. Without breaking pace, the lion-like creature deposited the bag into Cain's lap, and, with a dismissive flick of his tail, stalked away to stand beside his master. "Your new underling is in his sphere." Pan rasped, casting a brief glance back at the young man.

[ e v e n t ! ]
Cain has received a Shadow Houndour!


Species: Shadow Houndour
Sex: Male
Level: oo5
Ability: Early Bird or Flash Fire
Attacks: Leer. Ember. Howl.

Cain also receives a Nox Beginner Kit!

x5 x1 x3 ______________________ x2 x1 x1 ______________________ x1

[Lara]

"Thank you, sir," Cain said simply as the sphere and kit were handed over inside a small bag by a Luxray who certainly didn't seem to like him. That was fine; he wasn't here to be liked, just to better himself if the ways he wanted to be bettered. He inclined his head slightly, then straightened to look his new leader in the eyes one last time. "It appears I have everything I'll be needing, so I'll take no more of your time." He didn't move for a moment, waiting for the brief dismissal, but when it came he proudly did a u-turn with his chair and wheeled himself out the door.

His face was calm until he passed the secretary at the counter. Then, and only then, did he flash a bit of a smirk, an 'I-told-you-so' sort of look, before heading entirely out the sliding doors. 'Oh yes, that felt good,' he thought, relishing in the shock that the secretary had been unable to hide. Yes, that definitely made his day just a bit better.

He decided to wait until he was farther from the building - and coincidentally prying eyes, even if no one around here actually cared what he did - before taking a closer look at his new partner in crime, his first tool in finishing what he started. 'Better watch out, Abel...'

[Super short, but I really just want this thread over with. ]