03

 

Karma

~ Birth of the Sage Commander ~

By: The Sandwich

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Chapter 3 ~Endless Duel~

 

[March 2nd, 10:30 AM, Outside the Chantai Tamer Academy...]

Three weeks passed without serious incident as Vikram and Lynn prepared for their stay at the Tamers Academy. To Lynn, it was like a constant blur of watercolors, spread over a wide canvas. True to his word, Vikram was relentless in his efforts and preparation. Every day, they sparred, discussed strategy or tactics, looked over the incomplete Pokedex the center had given and even a few variant copies Vikram's father had dug up from...somewhere. He claimed it was the Lotus Network, but somehow, Lynn doubted that. Add to that time out in the sun, simple conversation, fending off thrown objects...

Lynn thought back to a scene a mere week ago...

* * *

"I have something for you." Vikram said, tossing a small object to Lynn, who clumsily grabbed it. She looked at it curiously - a small cloth pouch on a stretchable band.

"What this?"

"Do you recall the curse I mentioned, about a strange imbalance in my brain?" Vikram asked, seriously. "Inside that pouch is a container holding one week's supply of the medicine I take daily to counteract it's effects."

"You're giving this to me as a...precaution?"

"That's right. All of your sisters will be given one of these as well. In case the worst happens and I am separated from my medicine supply, it will be up to you and your sisters to make sure I stay sane until we can return to this city and find some more supplies."

Lynn nodded. "Alright...that makes sense. But...why must we return here?"

"Because that medicine is one-of-a-kind. It was designed for my needs specifically, and the only supply route is through my parents. No one else in the world...has quite the same 'illness' that I do."

Lynn looked at the tiny bottle of medicine inside the pouch, at the small blue pills that contained.

"What...happens if you don't take the medicine?"

"All I can remember...was wishing I could die."

* * *

Lynn simply forced herself to move with the flow and keep up, lest she be overwhelmed and left by the wayside. Once again, she found herself flummoxed at her incomprehensible master.

Oh, and then there was the sex. Lynn's green skin blushed slightly. There was lots of that.

Now, however, Lynn was standing by Vikram's side, trembling, looking at the swarms of people moving in and out of the Chantai Tamer Academy, and her mind was no less scrambled than before. The concrete beneath her feet felt...unnatural, and her face was twisted in discomfort as she tried, desperately, to ignore the hundreds of people and Pokegirls moving around her.

Amidst the hustle and bustle and constant excitement, however, Vikram seemed almost...bored?

"Are you...feeling alright, Master?" Lynn asked curiously.

"I feel quite fine, actually." Vikram replied. "I'm just...annoyed to be by so many people again, somewhat. To think that I must waste a month of my time here when I could otherwise be out in the field..." He shrugged helplessly, and gestured to his incomplete 'dex. "I already know all this!"

I noticed. Lynn shook her head in wonder. "Relax. I'm sure we can find a way to make our time here worthwhile, right?"

"Oh, without a doubt." Vikram sighed and turned to Lynn, his face concerned. "How about you? You look worse off than me."

Lynn gave a "Yeeek!" of surprise as she leapt out of the way of a Charamanda - with attitude. She gave a tiny nod, still somewhat shaken as the Chararmanda laughed. "I'll manage...somehow." I hope. That flame looks REALLY hot...

"Heeey!" A cry echoed across the concrete entranceway. "Good to see you made it!"

"Huh? Is that-?" Lynn asked, as a familiar tan-skinned fellow walked up to Vikram, with a pair of Pokegirls in tow - a girl with shout brown hair in outdoor gear, looking around through a camera's lens, and a taller, red-haired girl wearing a skin-tight dark green camouflage suit.

"Lynn, I'd like you to meet Dearka Lensman, my friend from back in Gyana and general savior. Dearka, Lynn." Vikram smiled, some of his earlier apprehension gone.

"Lynn? You mean the one from school?" Dearka shook his head in amazement. "Some things..."

Vikram laughed. "It amazed me, as well." Turning to one of Dearka's pokegirls, he held out a hand.

"It's good to see you as well, Miss Haww. I hope my friend has been treating you well?"

The brown-haired Cameragirl shook his hand in agreement. "Good to see you again, Vikram. It's a...weird feeling, having to share him with others, but I'm coping."

"That's good to hear." Vikram smiled. "And who is your other 'girl, Dearka?"

The camouflaged 'girl stepped forward. "Her name is Traxia." She nodded in confirmation. "Rather quiet, but a good girl." Dearka looked around the area quickly. "You know, I'm kind of surprised. I expected to see at least a few battles going on."

"Did you forget? Practice battles aren't allowed until the beginning of the second week."

"Are you serious? Bah, how boring. Traxia needs some combat experience..."

Suddenly, Traxia spoke up.

"Master Dearka, sir, there is someone who has been watching us for some time."

"Watching us?" Dearka's face hardened. "Who? From where?"

Traxia pointed towards one of the dorms. "A man with short silver hair has been watching us from one of the windows. I think it is one of the other students."

Lynn turned to take a look as well, but the building was several hundred feet away. "Ummm..."

How can she see that far? For that matter, how can someone so far away be watching us?

"Impressive." Vikram remarked, before shaking his head, his own efforts no more successful than Lynn's. "Are you certain that he was looking at our group specifically?"

Traxia kept silent, until Dearka gave her a slight nod. "Yes, sir." She continued looking into the distance.

"I wonder who he is."

"Someone from Gyana? There's plenty of people from there that didn't get along with us."

"Possible." Vikram shrugged. "Whatever. Let's finish moving everything in, before this place gets any more crowded. I just hope classes don't turn out as boring as I expect them to be."

* * *

"So you're the infamous Pramesh. I heard you did well in your previous classes, but just because you were top of your game back at Gyana, don't think you're going to be getting any special treatment here." One of the teachers stared at the upstart in front of him.

"I'd never dream otherwise, sir." Vikram replied, mentally snarling back at the teacher. Just try me, asshole. If you try anything, for these next three weeks, I'll be your worst nightmare.

The classes themselves, as Vikram predicted, were annoyingly boring. While he piped up now and again to appease - or in this case, correct - the teacher, the majority of the time spent in class felt like a mere review of what he'd known for ages. Days of it. He and Dearka quickly made a game out of it, competing with each other for answers and knowledge. While he wasn't fond of normal studies, and his grades during normal school had shown it, Dearka took his future career as a Tamer quite possibly as seriously as Vikram did, and Vikram was surprised at how he had to exert himself to prevent himself from being overtaken. Beyond their mutual competition, however, Vikram was beginning to feel quite agitated. Desperate to clear his head, he woke up early saturday and began a long hike around the school to burn off some energy and keep himself in shape - one can't ace P.E. without a strong body to accompany the mind, and his body wasn't just his any longer. It was his duty to stay in shape, for the sake of the girls who followed him.

It was during this hike on the sixth day, however, that the mysterious observer revealed himself.

"Omae~!" A harsh voice called out towards Vikram in some language he didn't recognize. Vikram wouldn't have even been sure if it was directed towards him, were he not the only person in the area. "Hold it right there!"

A straight-backed man with neatly clipped silver hair and eyes that cut like razors quickly walked up behind them. He carried an air of confidence around him like a cloak, and in a flash, Vikram knew this was the man who had been observing them from afar.

"Voyeurism is a unhealthy hobby, you know." Vikram commented, returning the man's gaze solidly. "I don't appreciate people spying on me all week."

"I'm impressed." The man with the hawk-like eyes commented. "I didn't think you had noticed anything beyond when you arrived."

"I didn't. I took a guess and you fell for it." Vikram said, frowning. "What do you want with me?"

The man paused for a second, temporarily taken aback by the verbal stumble, but he quickly recovered. "Are you the one known as Vikram Pramesh? From Gyana Academy?" The man asked.

"With eyes like yours, I'd think you'd be able to confirm my name off of my assignment sheets." Vikram replied sarcastically. "Yes, that's me. What of it?"

"My name is Yzak Fule. I wanted to see whether you were truly as impressive as you record seemed." Yzak's eyes narrowed. "Your lazy attitude made me think otherwise, but it seems that assumption was a mistake."

Did he just say his last name was...'Fool'? "Excuse me?"

Yzak pushed a lock of hair out of his eyes and gave a predatory grin. "There is no competition here. Back in Edo, the competition was fierce and worthwhile. Here, it feels like I've been dropped into a bin with a bunch of monkeys. You, however... Top of your class, and could have gone for nearly any job you wanted, and yet you came here. That either makes you a person with a glut of talent that is wasted on you, or you have a powerful goal to strive for."

Cerulean eyes glared drilled into Vikram. "Tell me, Pramesh. Which one are you?"

"I don't need your categories." Vikram replied.

"Perhaps not, but that still leave the question open as to which of us is the better. How about something, then, a bit more entertaining?" Yzak asked. "A practice match, between you and I. Surely that would reveal to us which one of us the better."

Vikram frowned. "I will pass. I have nothing to prove to you."

"Hmph. So you're that sort of coward. Have it your way, then." Yzak muttered as Vikram walked away, and didn't look back.

* * *

"You should have accepted it." Lynn commented, as she lay reading through another page of 'dex. "You yourself said you wanted to find something worthwhile to do."

"Accept it? One wrong move and they'll kick me out of the academy." Vikram said, pacing back and forth inside his room. "He reminds me of that Rat Gulzar. He'll say one thing, then just completely change his word."

"You aren't exactly the most straight-forward of people, either, you know."

"Bah." Vikram sat down heavily at his desk. On the one hand, Lynn could use the practical experience. On the other hand, this whole scenario stinks. And what was with that 'Omae!' bit? That's not English or Lotus Indian. He frowned. He'd had enough of being the butt of people's traps. "Practice battles aren't supposed to begin until next week. Just what do think the odds are of me getting away with a battle here?"

"So, what? I just sit here and read your enemies to death?"

"There are plenty of other students here. We can train along with them next week when official battles begin."

"And this Yzak seemed unimpressed with them all." Lynn sighed. "Why are you acting so weird?"

"I..." Vikram let out a defeated sigh. "I'm...not sure. Something about that man...disturbs me."

"And the same goes for him to you. You're being a child, Vikram." Lynn ignored the casually tossed dagger-sharp glare thrown her way. "Don't you have any confidence in you at all?"

"What the hell are you implying? ...Hey! Where are you going?" Vikram asked, as Lynn set down her datapad and walked to the door.

"I'm going to find Yzak and beat him." Lynn's frame shook slightly as she stood in the periphery.

"What?! You've never even fought another Pokegirl before, and you expect to just waltz up to him alone and beat him?"

"I'll never know until I try!"

"Are you trying to cause me trouble?"

"If you're going to push me, then I'm going to push you!" Lynn said loudly, crossing her arms. "If something about Yzak bugs you, then go and figure it out and stop stewing about it! Have you spent so long at home stewing about things that you've no initiative beyond your pre-made plans?!" Vikram's face look like it had been slapped. Lynn turned faced out the door, ignoring the stares of their neighbors. "Now are you going to follow me and make sure I get there, or do I have to drag you with me?"

Vikram simply stood stunned, before a slow chuckle arose into a crescendo of outright laughter.

"What a fool."

"Excuse me?!"

"Me! I'm...hahaha...such a fool. I...ha...spent all break t-teaching you not to hesitate, and look at me, beating about the bush out of petty uncertainty!" Vikram hooted, trying not to fall out of his chair. Lynn stared. If I hadn't confirmed my master was a nut from the get-go, this would all but prove it.

"To hell with the teachers. Let's go find Yzak. If it is a trap, then let us spring it back upon him!" Vikram grinned, picking up Lynn's Pokeball.

* * *

"Hmph. So you changed your mind after all." Yzak smiled. "Wonderful."

"That's correct. It seems the boredom was a bit much for me, as well. So. Do you have any plans for dealing with the teaching staff? I doubt they'd look highly on this."

"What do you take me for?" Yzak fired off an annoyed glare. "I received staff permission to request battles long ago. I spent a great deal of time in Edo, and the academy is interested in seeing what I can pass on to the other students. Wasn't it obvious?" Vikram blinked.

Edo touch? So that's where the random other language came from.

"No, I can honestly say it wasn't." Vikram muttered. "I usually don't think of simply asking people. It doesn't usually work out."

"Hmph. Looking at you, I'm not surprised. You have the air of a monster about you." Yzak waved his hand dismissively. "In any event, we have more important things. Where would you like the battle to take place?"

Vikram looked at Yzak strangely. "You want me to decide?"

"The challenged picks the location of the duel, does he not? Besides, I already know what your girl is. I might as well give you your choice of location to compensate."

...A follower of chivalry? In this day and age? What, exactly, is this guy? Vikram shook his head. Unfortunately, he's quite right. He knows about Lynn, and I have no idea what his Pokegirl is. I'm at a disadvantage. Not knowing my enemy, I need a battlefield which Lynn can take advantage of.

"One of the open fields near the woods behind the school." Vikram eventually decided. "By the large tree." Yzak nodded appreciatively. "A fine choice. I will go and get a referee to watch over the match. I will meet you there."

True to his word, Yzak arrived with one of the school staff not long after Vikram had arrived. Unfortunately, they didn't arive alone.

"Hey, Pramesh! Hope you can take the heat, freak!"

"Twenty credits on the Silver!"

"Kick some ass, transfer boy!"

Vikram gazed at the growing circle of people around them, poised to watch the spectacle of their battle. He frowned. Things weren't quite going the way that Vikram had hoped.

"Did you have to bring a crowd?"

"It wasn't my idea." The look on Yzak's face mirrored his words. "Apparently the walls have ears here, and as usual, the rumor mill remain the fastest thing known to man. This is the first real battle on campus, so naturally, everyone is going to hear about it and come. I tried to get rid of them, but the staff is treating this like a demonstration match." Yzak's eyes shared in Vikram's annoyed spark. He snapped an arm out towards the crowd. "Back away, omaetachi! It isn't going to be my fault if one of you fools gets yourself killed because you wanted a front row seat!"

Vikram resisted a chuckle as the audience visibly shifted back a good twenty feet. "Well done."

Still, this is bad. Swallowing hard, Vikram removed the Pokeball from his belt that held Lynn in stasis and palmed it softly.

"With respect to your sword, I shall first reveal mine." Yzak declared. Lifting up his Pokeball, he gave out a cry. "Ikou! Shiho!"

The crimson beam of the Pokeball was released, and a surprisingly thin-looking form took place on the field. For a second, Vikram had to make a double-take. She had short brown hair cut almost just like Yzak's own and a face nearly as sharp, giving Vikram the distinct feeling of a hawk. She wore a short but elegant red oriental dress, and held a Katana naturally at her side. She glanced around her, eyeing the ring of spectators, who, interestingly enough, stepped back a few more feet.

Shit. A weapons user, and a cool customer in general. Quickly scanning the 'girl with his dex, his frown remained as the name of the breed popped up.

SLICER, the Swordswoman Pokégirl.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "Let us begin! Lynn!"

Lynn quickly emerged from the pokeball, her face set and steeled for battle. It lasted all of four seconds.

"Whaaa?! Why are there so many people here?!" Lynn looked around madly, on the verge of panic. A wave of laughter went through the crowd as she seemed to crumple, trying to hide from the hundreds of eyes that had suddenly put her on the spot.

"Please calm down, Lynn!" < I didn't want this, and neither did Yzak. Unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do about the situation. Just concentrate on the girl before you and ignore everyone else. Can you do that?>

"E-Easy for you to say!" Lynn complained, turning to look look at her opponent. "W-what is she?"

"She is a Slicer." < She has a much larger range than you're used to, so be careful. As soon as the match begins, try to catch her off balance with some razor leaves and keep your distance.>

"A-are you sure about this?"

Vikram sighed as the crowd enjoyed the comedy. < Who was trying to walk out the door to do this? Deep breaths, Lynn, deep breaths. Neither of us can run now.>

"Alright, you win, you win." Teal eyes locked with eyes of mahogany. Alright, Lynn. It's just as he said. Relax. Breath in, and then out. Find your center...

The referee looked at the two pairs. "Are both parties ready?"

Shiho nodded. Lynn soon followed suit.

"This will be a 1 on 1 match between Yzak Fule and Vikram Pramesh! The match will continue until one Pokegirl is unable to battle or one side admits defeat. Time limit is 15 minutes. And NO damaging the property, please." The teacher said. "Begin!"

Right on cue, a pair of razor leaves streaked towards the red swordsgirl, but there is no time to hesitate. Already, another pair of leaves are sharp and ready, and Lynn prepares to strike-!

On the surface, this fight should be simple. Boobisaurs are not close-range fighters, while weapon users are. The one who can attack from their preferred range will hold the advantage. Therefore, this is a fight to control the distance!

Except Shiho is already gone. In the blink of an eye, a streak of red crosses the battlefield. If Lynn's attacks are a slingshot, Shiho's movement is lightning.

A flash of steel. Lynn leaps to one side, throwing her leaves behind her to cover her escape and keep the red blur away.

< Vine whip! Keep that girl away! > A pair of green streaks shoot out from Lynn, and with as much speed as she can muster, she spins them about, trying to push the attacker back. Shiho merely pauses, her blade dancing around her as they intercept the vines, chipping away at their length. Even as two, and then four razor leaves approach her, all it takes it a tiny movement and they are struck down.

...This is a terrible matchup. This Slicer's reactions are outstanding, and there is no way to strike past that swirling blade. Ranged attacks bring no fear to this warrior. They are only points, and any point can be deflected. Risk up close, and Lynn will be overwhelmed in a flash. Only Lynn's stubborn desperation, and her limited experience with slippery targets has kept that sword at bay.

Three minutes. Lynn's attacks won't work. Lynn's attacks won't work. Vikram stared at the sight of the two Pokegirls fighting, nervous sweat nearly overwhelming him as his heart raced. Yzak's crimson warrior is to sharp. Nothing breaks her concentration. Somehow, that iron expression must crack!

"Lynn! To the tree!" A vine leaps out behind Lynn and grapples the great tree behind her, another set of razor leaves covering her retreat. Landing on a branch twenty feet up, she takes a moment to breath. Her body is fine. But following this constant red blur is too much for her inexperienced mind to handle. Even surviving this far is amazing.

But, maybe, just maybe...

< Lynn. I have an idea! It's nuts, but all we have right now. Please, listen carefully!>

"You think such a distance will guard you, kisama!?" Yzak growled. "Shiho! Fuuken! Cut her out of that tree!"

Shiho cleanly slices at the air in front of her. There's no target to hit, but-

"Move, Lynn!"

- the branch Lynn rested on cleanly snaps from the tree.

"Hey! I said avoid hitting the premises!" The teacher yelled to Yzak.

"Urusai~! He's using the tree as a shield!"

"Incorrect, Yzak. This is the beginning of my offensive. LYNN!"

The dropped tree-branch is suddenly a projectile, fired like a javelin towards Shiho. It's hardly an attack at all - a single slice cuts the leafy branch in two, but if that's all that was needed to distract her-!

"Haaaaah!" Lynn shoots down from the tree right behind the branch. Now, in the moment her blade is occupied!

...But the Slicer is too fast. Already, she is out of the way of the tackle, and Lynn pummels along the ground, landing weakly on her knees, her back facing her opponent.

"Now, Shiho! Take her down!"

With a cry, the crimson warrior charges, victory at hand, her opponent's eyes wide with shock-

Vikram smiled. "Check."

And just before she reaches her target, an explosion of pink powder erupts from the bulb on Lynn's back.

"Gwaah?!" Shiho lets out an uncharacteristic yell of surprise, recoiling from the thick mist. The crowd nearby bursts away - after all, no one, least of all the unfortunate Slicer, wants to be hit point blank with such a condensed mass of Lust Dust.

Even if you can easily deflect a point, an area-of-effect trap is completely different!

"Y-You!" Shiho growled as Lynn quickly pushed herself to her feet. Shiho's arms and legs wobbled as a dangerous fire began to burn inside her, burning hotter and hotter with each moment. She panted, her head and chest throbbing.

No. No matter where she looked, there was another male. Why? Why were they everywhere? No!

"Shiho! Finish her off now, before she can take the momentum-!" Yzak yelled. "You don't have time to spare!"

"Let's see you keep up your dance now!" Lynn smiled, and the fight was on again.

Razor leaves flew in from several angles, and Shiho whirled like a dervish, striking at the incoming blades as fast as ever. But her perspective was no longer perfect, her movements no longer fluid. Cut after cut rained upon her, before at last a vine whipped in, and ripped the katana from Shiho's grasp.

"NO!" Shiho and Yzak screamed simultaneously. Shiho charged in, hands clenched into fists. "Give her back! Give her BACK!"

And then she was on the ground, tripped up by a vine the blinded Slicer could not bring herself to see. Within seconds, the bind was complete, and Lynn sat down atop the thoroughly aroused, frustrated, weaponless, and finally beaten, warrior.

The clearing was quiet. There was no applause, no cheer, just a stunned collective of disbelief.

Eventually, the teacher found his voice. "This match is over! Victory goes to Vikram's Boobisaur."

"Congratulations, Lynn." Vikram ignored the annoyed murmur of the crowd as he walked up to Lynn and caressed her cheek softly. "You survived your first battle. You did well."

Lynn blushed, slowly getting off of the defeated Shiho and retracting her vines, the red light of a retrieval beam soon engulfing the defeated 'girl. "...Thank you, master. I...I didn't think I could do it."

"But you did. Prepare for a celebration tonight." Lynn blushed, as her form glowed red and she vanished into her pokeball.

Vikram turned to speak with Yzak, but froze at the sight of the murderous expression on Yzak's face. His eyes were nearly sparking. "That...was...her first combat?! Shiho, done in by a rank amateur?!"

"More or less, yes. Unless you count fighting against a human to be combat experience." Vikram replied.

Oh, boy this guy's gonna set himself on fire at this rate. Him...or me.

"That's impossible. No rank amateur could have done so well with so little direction on your part."

< Who said I wasn't directing her?>

Yzak gasped. "Telepathy!? I should have known you were up to something when your face lit up. But...that desperate flying tackle was a feint?! You set up all that, just so that Shiho couldn't evade that dust?!" Yzak threw up his hands weakly. "Alright. I admit, you won this round, Pramesh."

"This round?"

Yzak's grin was predatory. "Have you forgotten? We still have several weeks left. I was hoping for some competition - and it looks like I found some. Better stay on your toes, you and your girl. I don't want to end up bored."

Yzak walked away in his usual brisk manner, and Vikram was left in the clearing, alone.

"What have I just walked into?"

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"One skilled at moving the enemy

Forms and the enemy must follow,

Offers and the enemy must take."

- Sun Tsu, The Art of War

Chapter 3: Endless Duel - End

 

Notes: Yzak spent most of his life prior to arriving in White Lotus living in Edo, and so tends to slip in Edo words at random times. This is a list of the words used and their meanings.

Omae - you (Or in the case of this chapter, "Hey, you!")

Omaetachi - you [plural]

Ikou - Go!

Fuuken - Wind sword, Yzak's name for the Swordwave technique.

Urusai! - Shut up!

Kisama! - Bastard!

 

Important Pokegirls:

 

SLICER, the Swordswoman Pokégirl

Type: Very Near Human
Element: Normal/Fighting
Frequency: Uncommon (Crimson League)
Diet: human diet
Role: fencers, frontline fighters
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Normal, Magic, simple ranged attacks
Weak Vs: Ghost, Psychic
Attacks*: Twin Dragon, Gale Blade, Armor Pierce, Counterstrike, Swordwave, Focus Energy.
Enhancements: Enhanced Strength (x2), Enhanced Speed (x3), Enhanced Agility (x3), Enhanced Reflexes (x2), Improved Deflection, Bladed Weapon Affinity
Evolves: Gladiatrix (Round Stone), Valkyrie (battle stress), Ronin (normal), or Piratit (Water Stone)
Evolves From: None

 

Slicers, at first glance look, identical to normal human women. Their average height is around 5 feet, but can range wildly. Their hair colors, likewise are generally a random color, but generally within the primary, secondary or tertiary colors. More common human hair colors like silver, grey, brown and black are actually quite rare among Slicers. Their irises are generally a solid color with the pupils being a slightly darker than the rest of the iris. This may throw people off at first, as most people are used to seeking black pupils in eyes, but it does not affect the Slicer in any way.

Though it is not common, it's important to note that one out of five Slicers have a strange genetic quirk that makes their arms and legs appear strangely thin and delicate. The quirk does not affect the Slicer's abilities, though to those unaware of the quirk, it can lead to dangerous underestimations of their strength.

Slicers are adept at using any bladed weapon that can be wielded with one or two hands, but most prefer using lightweight, single-handed weapons, such as rapiers, short swords or even daggers. When it comes to sword mastery, they are second to few, save their evolutionary sisters, Herowu and Armsmistresses, however, unlike the other weapon-using breeds, the Slicers are not very good with blunt, unbladed weapons, making such a choice of weapon a last resort at best. Also unlike Amazonwus or Herowus, they do not lose their fighting skill while feral. Instead, they revert to a more traditional feral state, acting on emotional and bodily impulses. Feral Slicers, as is befitting of their name, have a minor obsession with cutting things, and it is common to find the shreds of ruined items all around a Slicer's lair. Slicers are, however, more likely to run if disarmed or if they lack a weapon with which to fight.

Slicers are not particularily strong Pokegirls, but they are agile and have great reflexes and coordination. With a weapon, it is very difficult to attack them with simple ranged weapons such as arrows or stones, as they can easily be knocked away, dodged, or deflected.

A key difference between the Feralborn and domesticate born is that the Feralborn usually have to find a weapon. Most wind up with a branch, but some have been known to steal weapons from towns. This has helped to make the feral slicer populations less dangerous overall than many wild breeds, but they should still not be underestimated. Tamers can sometimes get a feralborn Slicer to join them by offering them a sword as bait. Domesticates generally save up money and buy their own sword, but getting the weapon enchanted is something that will excite almost any Slicer.

If a Slicer's weapon of choice breaks, she usually mourns it as most people mourn friends. Most ferals and quite a few domesticates will insist on a proper burial for the weapon. The only times when she does not request a burial is if she believed the weapon to be inferior (i.e. a branch she grabbed simply because it was close, but it only blocked a single attack before breaking).

It is important to reiterate that - especially in the case of Pokegirls like the Slicer - the Attack list shown is only a sample. Slicers generally have access to relatively simple techniques, but exceptions are far from unknown.