¤Game¤ Dragon Tamers Battle Range v.23 {MA Pidgeot} [Archive] - Page 2

The_Missing_Link

26th May 2006, 05:00 PM

OOC: I’m sorry if this appears too close to Trey’s story but I had similar ideas when I first looked at the scenario. Also, the battles are short for a reason. And Amy still needs to rate my RBG

<My POV>

After a long hiatus, we were back on another mission, this time to White Mountain located in southern Ellyrion. We had traveled in that direction once before, to the border of the Shadowlands for the Unicorn Games. However, this journey wasn’t one of leisure but of mystery and danger. Apparently, a large green dragon named Yssera was using the mountain as means of collecting an army of Pokemon and humans to do her bidding. She somehow persuaded them to join with promises of what they yearned most but only desperate fools would fall for something that stupid.

Nightshade teleported me to the base of the mountain and from there, I recalled him and released Blade, Aries and Lyra. For some reason, wild Pokemon liked to attack either alone or in a pair and since it had been a while since the three had seen battle time, I decided they were my top three choices. If we were going to engage in battle, and that always seemed to be the case, then Blade would definitely battle. After that, it was a toss up. Aries hadn’t battled since the Forest of Fear incident so technically, he was due for a battle but I also wanted to train Lyra up as well so it was a tough decision. Hopefully once it came time to it, it wouldn’t be a hard choice to make.

I looked around the base and unsurprisingly found no one around, although footprints claimed that people and Pokemon were here at one point or another. I had heard that there was a briefing for Dragon Tamer members somewhere along the baseline but I was something of a reclusive member. I knew some members and got information from Gabi concerning missions but aside from that, I pretty much kept to myself and focused on my studies and Pokemon training. If given the chance, I would team up with someone if they asked but for now, I was alone.
“Are we going to move or will you just continue to stand there looking pensive and thoughtful?” Blade grumbled.
I shot him my patented ‘look’, which in return apparently warranted a not-too-kind gesture involving both of his arms. I would have slapped him, but you couldn’t do anything with a Scizor except fry him on a spit and Blade wasn’t quite there yet.

We decided to head west along the base and curve upwards, sort of like a wide spiral. Since we weren’t traveling on a clear path, Blade did the work for us and knocked down brush that happened to be in our way. We continued on like this for a few hours, but oddly enough we didn’t come upon any wild Pokemon. It was strangely quiet and the air had a thick, suffocating feel to it.
“You’d think we would come upon some kind of forest Pokemon right now,” Lyra remarked while fiddling with her Everstone.
“I know what you mean,” Aries replied. “I guess what they said about Yssera was true.”
“I think we’ll continue on for a few more hours and then maybe stop for the night,” I said.
I wasn’t comfortable with spending the night outdoors, especially on a freaky mountain. However, I was determined to find Yssera, or at least try to free some Pokemon from her mind control.

As the sun passed over our heads and eventually fled behind the mountain, we were no closer to finding Yssera or any of her minions. A few times we thought we saw something flee into the bushes or hide behind some trees but nothing was there upon closer inspection. We decided to halt for the night and make camp, which was easy since we stopped in a nice clearing. I released the rest of the team and sent Drake for wood and Shade and Blade with canteens to fill water. Soon enough, we had a crackling fire and enough water to go around. Unfortunately, there were nine members on the team and only one backpack so the food rations were limited. Everyone, including me, would get just enough to fill their stomachs but I wouldn’t be surprised if we were suddenly craving something in the middle of the night.

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully and I recalled everyone except Lyra, Aries, and Blade back into their Pokeballs. I rolled out my sleeping bag and tried to make myself comfortable but again, camping outside wasn’t my forte. Aries positioned himself next to me while Blade went into the trees and Lyra retracted into her shell. It took a while, but I finally managed to fall asleep, hoping nighttime would pass as uneventful as the rest of the day did.

<3rd Person>

Able to sleep almost anywhere, Lyra was out like a light, exhausted from the day’s hiking. Her smaller legs made it hard going but she refused to complain and continued to walk despite aches and pain. As she slumbered, her mind started to cloud. She thought she was going into a dream, but this one was different.

“I have been waiting for you,” a feminine voice whispered, soft and melodic as an Altaria.
Lyra looked around and found herself surrounded by white. The ground felt firm but it was as if she was floating in nothing. For some reason, it looked exactly like something from The Matrix.
“Who are you?” she asked. “Are you my conscience?”
“No, my child. I am someone who is capable of giving you everything that you desire and more.”
“Yssera!” Lyra gasped. “But there is nothing I desire. My team has fulfilled my wishes.”
“That is where you lie,” she said simply. “I know you want something that not even Rebecca can give you.”
“And what is that?” Lyra asked, although she clearly knew the answer.
“A child, my dear. You crave a partner and child so badly that it consumes your being. Your interest in teaching Zale how to swim was not done just because you decided to do it from the kindness of your heart. Your desire to mother someone and show them how to do something clearly came through. It became even more evident after Angel was born. You wanted to be near her as often as you could but through discretion. Your yearning to become a mother is palpable, but you’ve been unable to succeed. Your relationship with Danny’s Wartortle Hydro was short-lived and hardly romantic. Few Squirtles have graced the Eevee House, but none of them were your offspring. You’re desperate to have kids.”
Lyra didn’t know how Yssera knew this but it struck a nerve. “Fine, you’re right. I want kids but I can’t,” Lyra cried out, tiredness and frustration causing her to tear up. “Rebecca doesn’t want another member on the team and fewer people go to the Breeding Center these days, much less to request water Pokemon.”
She stared at her Everstone, fiddling with it whenever she was pensive. She spoke again, her voice a whisper.
“I’ve always wanted a child, ever since Drake had Elwing. I suppose I want one just as bad as Blade wants a mate but I’m not as vocal about it. Each day I hope luck will turn its head towards me but it hasn’t happened so far.”
“Today is your lucky day then, my dear,” the voice replied. “I can give you what you desire – a mate, a child, anything that you would ever need.”
“But why me?” Lyra almost whined. “Blade needs more help than I do.”
“I’m afraid Blade is beyond my help. Why? I cannot say but your dreams can come true if you come with me.”

Lyra was at a loss. She loved her team but would she sacrifice them for a child? As she pondered her situation, big crystal blue eyes appeared in front of her. She couldn’t help but look at them and as she did, they start to glow red. As Lyra continued to look into the eyes, she could feel the last reservations over leaving her team fade away.
“I’ll go with you,” she said stiffly and then her vision started to blur.

The next thing Lyra knew, she was awake and standing on her feet. It was almost dawn and the rest of the team was sleeping peacefully or as peacefully as you could in the woods. A large Alakazam stood in front of Lyra and beckoned her to hold his hand. As she did, the Alakazam could hear a voice speak to him telepathically. He nodded at no one and teleported off with Yssera’s latest capture.

<My POV>

“Rebecca…Rebecca, wake up!”
I screwed my eyes shut tighter as Blade shook the sleeping bag. I didn’t know what time it was but I felt too lazy to open my eyes and check.
“Rebecca, Lyra is gone!”
I didn’t immediately react as I knew Lyra was a responsible Pokemon and not prone to leaving without a reason.
“Maybe she’s at the nearest watering hole,” I said, my eyes now fluttering open.
“No, I checked within a mile radius. She’s not here.”
This time my body shot straight up, which sent Aries rolling off the sleeping bag. I quickly got out and put everything away before resting the backpack on my shoulders. Before we could even take a step, an Alakazam teleported into view. It was off putting in that this one looked wiser than a normal Alakazam, meaning it was at a very high level but it was even odder that he was even here, considering that few Alakazams lived in the wild. His presence had meaning.
“Do you know where Lyra is?” I asked hopefully.
He nodded sagely and held out a hand. I hesitated in taking it but without his help, it could take us ages to find her alone. I motioned for Aries and Blade to latch on to me and then I took the Alakazam’s hand. He nodded and we all teleported to where I hope Lyra was located.

We reappeared in the middle of a copse of trees. Our transporter let go and pointed straight ahead in the distance before he teleported off again. I nodded at the other two and set off in the direction in which he pointed at.

Ten minutes later, we entered a clearing and came upon Lyra, who was being guarded by a Shelgon and Meganium with the Alakazam behind her. It didn’t look like she was hurt but she had a blank look in her eyes.
“Lyra, are you ok?” I called out.
She looked at us and that was when I noticed that her eyes were actually cloudy, as if she was blind.
“Leave me be,” she said emptily. “Yssera promised me everything that I desired and I agreed. I’m here of my own free will.”
“Her promises are lies!” Blade shouted. “You of all people should know that her words are empty, her promises just…fluff.”
“You’re just jealous she can’t help you,” she lashed back. “You’ve failed so long at finding a girlfriend that it’s laughable. You’re beyond hopeless.”
Blade held his ground but I could tell he was visibly shaken. That was low, and it hurt that much more coming from Lyra.
“Let’s make a deal then,” I said, realizing the severity of the situation. “If Aries and Blade can beat the Shelgon and Meganium, you will come back to us. If they can’t…I’ll let you stay here with her.”
Aries and Blade looked at me as if I was crazy and maybe I was a little bit, but I had confidence in them.
“If this is the way to prove my loyalty to my mistress, then so be it. Once they are defeated, I will finally receive what I crave most.”
It was clear Lyra was delusional but underneath Yssera’s deceit revealed a goal that Lyra would do anything to achieve. I wanted her to succeed as much as anyone but this was not the right way to do it.
“Aries, go forth,” I ordered.
The Alakazam almost moved forward to stop the battle but he heard her voice intrude again.
<Let them battle. If they win, you can let her go. One Pokemon isn’t worth it if it means more interfering with my plans.>

Aries (Lv. 32 Male Umbreon) vs. Locke (Lv. 35 Male Shelgon)

<Aries’s POV>

“With the power of the Mistress flowing through my body, I shall defeat you!” Locke cried out.
I stifled a chuckle as I dodged the tackle of the Shelgon. His words sounded almost valiant but he was psychotic. Dragons were powerful, but not genies.
“They’re just words,” I countered and shot out an ethereal ball of energy.
It hit Locke dead on but barely moved him from his spot. He retaliated with a jet of flames, which I half dodged and cringed as the fire singed my back. Frustrated, I used a paw to hurl sand at dirt at Locke’s eyes. Closing them shut, he was distracted enough for me to tackle him hard but it was like a Pichu trying to knock down a tree.
“Mistress gives me the stability of a Snorlax,” Locke laughed maniacally and spewed out more water than I’d ever seen Lyra release.
It slammed into me hard and pushed me back into a tree. As it continued to pin me to the tree and ravish my body, I volleyed back and forth between what attacks I could use. Well, there was actually only one I could use but it would be a strain on my body but if it meant saving Lyra, it was worth it.

Trying to ignore the pressurized water, I concentrated on Locke and tried to lift him up. I could only manage a little more than a foot, but it was enough to stop him from attacking and looking around in wonderment.
“I can fly! I can fly! I evolved…” he whooped happily without realizing he was still a Shelgon.
As I collapsed to the ground, so did he but mine was more dramatic. I looked and felt like a wet rat and that wasn’t a pleasant image. I slowly got up and shook my fur dry while Locke glared at me.
“Hey, you did that to me!” he whined. “I was deceived!”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” I muttered.
More perturbed than a stupid Pokemon should be, Locke charged again, this time with his eyes glowing red. I dodged away and as a result, he rammed into the tree. Unfortunately, it didn’t slow him down and he went at me again, more angry than ever. The problem was, the more I dodged, the more tired I would become and the angrier he would get, making the blow that much worse if he actually hit me.

Even still, I continued to leap away and unfortunately, Locke now had the bright idea of including releasing Flamethrower as he tried to knock me down. So now, it was charging flames. As expected, I was getting tired of the whole charade and decided to stop it right there and make my final stand. It was going to be tricky to pull off, but if it went well, I would win the battle. Concentrating, I used my limited psychic powers to stop Locke in his tracks.

Limited…what a crappy word.

I couldn’t stop him entirely but he did slow down exceptionally. But of course he could still use Flamethrower. I dodged his latest attempt and moved to his side, making it harder for him to come at me. As he struggled to turn in a new direction, I focused on quickly making the electric ball. The best way to describe it was ‘inconsistent’. If it connected, it was a saving grace. If not, then it was wasted energy. Either way, paralysis was the only way to stop Locke. I managed to create the ball a little smaller than usual and then taking a deep breath, I released my grip on Locke. He immediately ran towards me and using the psychic powers to control the lopsided sphere, I launched it at him. It wasn’t a graceful attack by any means but lucky for me, its aim was true and it struck him hard. He moaned and whined but more importantly, he was paralyzed. I capitalized on his momentary state of shock by launching some mental attacks on him as well as more ethereal balls. Locke managed to release some red and mint green flames but in the end, I managed to knock him out. Round one to us.

Aries wins the battle and grows to Level 34

<My POV>

Aries walked back to my side and with enough coaxing, I managed to get him back into the Pokeball for some rest. The Alakazam levitated Locke like he was a feather and placed him to the right of Lyra. She didn’t react at all to the fight but I could see some cloudiness lift away, as if she was being exposed to light after remaining in the dark for a long time. Blade was the next to fight and he stepped towards the middle of the clearing. The Meganium bounded in with the same enthusiasm Locke had and jabbered on about how she would avenge her comrade please Yssera.

Blade (Lv. 40 Male Scizor) vs. Maddie (Lv. 45 Female Meganium)

<Blade’s POV>

“This is for the Mistress,” Maddie shouted and slammed her vines into the ground.
As I watched the spectacle, I only wondered if the two Pokemon were possessed or just stupid. I was inclined to believe both but the more I watched the Shelgon battle and now her, the latter seemed more plausible. Her actions soon made sense through as roots sprouted and took a hold of Maddie’s legs. I realized she used Ingrain, a recovery attack with the downside of being unable to actually move.

I decided to take advantage of the situation by flying towards her with an outstretched glowing claw. Whacking her across the face, I could see her head snap to the left. She bayed angrily and brought her vines out to slap me across the armor. It was rather useless though as they just created noise, not pain. Frustrated with the lack of reaction on my part, she shook her flower and released tiny purple particles that rained upon my head. I just sighed in annoyance and let them drop, some falling to the ground and some sitting harmlessly on my armored skin.
“This is pathetic,” I said flatly. “Yssera probably looks for the stupid or gullible ones to recruit but I think she hit the jackpot when she found you.”
“How dare you decry Mistress’s recruiting ability!” she gasped. “You shall pay for your untruthful words.”
Baying again, Maddie released multiple sharp leaves that flew towards me at an unnatural speed. I grunted and swatted them away before going into the reliable Double Team + Agility combo. Darting around in circles with the multiple clones confusing Maddie, I managed to get in multiple slashes and Aerial Aces. Even with desperate attempts at using her vines to stop me and her rooting system to help her regain health, she was losing more than recovering.
“Mistress, help me!” she howled.
I stopped right in front of her and stared, my eyes boring into her mind.
“She won’t help you. You were duped into working for her and you won’t get anything in return. Don’t let your naivety be your cause of death.”

I cocked my head slightly before hitting her in the side of the head with a glowing gray claw. She blinked once before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and slumped to the ground.

[color=plum]Blade wins and advances to Level 42

<Lyra’s POV>

After Aries defeated the Shelgon, I started to doubt Yssera and her promises. They were reinforced further after Blade defeated the Meganium with incredible ease. Where was their power Yssera had promised them? If their pleas during the battle were heard, she would have given them enough to defeat Aries and Blade. Or would she?

I watched the Alakazam levitate the Meganium next to him and held on to both Pokemon before teleporting off without so much as speaking to or looking at any of us. I finally realized with a sickening sigh that I had been deceived but I felt worse dragging the other two into battle and into potential danger.
“I’m so sorry,” I said quietly, moving up to Blade and Rebecca. “I’m sorry that I was so weak and let my needs get in the way of the team’s. And I really want to apologize to you, Blade. It might take us a little while longer than expected but we’ll achieve our dreams in the end.”
He waved it off like it was no big deal but I knew it made him feel better about everything. Rebecca recalled him then looked around and sighed.
“I think I’ll tell Gabi what went on around here. I think she needs to know.”
I looked at her imploringly and she nodded.
“Of course I won’t say who was brainwashed but she’ll hear everything else.”
I smiled as she released Nightshade to teleport us home.

Bison Woes

27th May 2006, 03:00 PM

This is the RBG from the page before. Toph, Lv.10 Sandshrew, is battling a Gastly, Lv.10 (which sucked in itself as Toph had absolutely no moves to battle one). The Earthquake attack came from reaching Lv.10 at the PZBT.

A soothing melody of chirps and tweets echoed across the meadow. One lone tree stood in the center, housing the songbirds that provided the easy atmosphere. The large tree’s branches stretched to the sky, almost looking like if one climbed it, they could touch the heavens. Gentle breezes drifted pass, blowing through the long grasses. A family of Rattatas darted past the lone tree, sniffing around for food.

Settled upon a half-buried rock was a woman who watched over a Growlithe and a Sandshrew. She chewed on a stalk of grass, looking calm as she stared about the meadow. A knife twirled about in her hand, rolling across her fingers.

Growling, the Fire-type charged at his sparring buddy, missing her. The Sandshrew stomped her foot on the ground, opening up a small fissure that quickly healed up. The Growlithe turned around, slightly shaken up but breathed out a ball of fire at the Ground-type. She easily dodged it, moving fluidly.

“No, no, no.”

Both Pokemon stopped, looking over at the woman. She climbed to her feet, rolling her shoulders as she approached them. The woman turned to the Sandshrew first, sliding her legs further apart. “Use hard, fast steps, Toph” she said, slamming her own feet onto the ground. “Make the earth feel your energy and power.”

Her attention focused on the Growlithe then, facing him fully. “You’re trying to put muscle behind your flames, Zuko,” she stated. “Fire comes from the breath, not the muscle. Breathe in,” she whispered, hands lying parallel across her stomach. “And then force the air out,” she finished, hands pushing up and then flipping out towards him. He looked at her palms for a moment before growling. Zuko looked away, his lower lip sticking out.

Toph snorted, crossing her arms across her chest. The Sandshrew thumped her tail against the ground a couple of times in frustration with her trainer. But, after rolling her eyes, she slid into the same stance as the woman. She slammed her foot onto the ground, continuing to move to shove her fist into the ground.

The earth opened up wider than before but still refused to bow to the Ground-type. It closed back up, almost laughing at her attempt. She frowned, chattering angrily at the dirt and trying to stomp it into submission.

Zuko rolled his eyes now, shaking himself to remove some stray dirt particles from his fur. He sat and scratched behind his ear, trying to reach that one spot that bothered him.

She reached down, scratching the spot. He nearly purred in relief, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

He looked up at the woman, Bison as many people called her. She gave him a sly smile, her brow rising as Toph seemed to have an argument with the ground. A wave of dirt and rock suddenly rose up, burying the Sandshrew in a small avalanche. Bison snickered behind her hand, looking away innocently as the rodent dug herself out of the pile.

Toph kicked at the pile when she finally fully emerged. Snarling, she slashed at the small mound with her tiny claws, teaching it a lesson.

The Growlithe frowned at the strange childishness, thinking back.

~~~

Bison sat on the cot, smiling sheepishly at the person standing next to her. Her arm was limp, numb from a shot to ease the medic’s mind. The needle dipped in and out of the skin while she watched, almost fascinated by the procedure.

Zuko winced as someone sprayed peroxide onto his wounds. To add insult to injury, they also scrubbed at the dried blood, making him growl as a warning. The only thing he somewhat enjoyed was the hot water that was dabbed onto his skin. He may hate the rain but small amounts of hot water on him were no problem.

He stood up when the person walked away finally, shaking to remove the last droplets of water off of him. The Growlithe looked up at her, eyeing the bandage being wrapped around the stitches. She gave him a small smile, slowly flexing her fingers to show she was all right.

Her entire arm was numb and, when she stood after being released, it flopped down. She gave it a perplexed look before shrugging. Somewhat.

It was strange to see so many different people gathered on such a remote mountainside. He looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer the silent question. He had figured she could read minds since she seemed to answer whatever he took. Apparently not, however.

The two ducked into a tent filled with instruments of all kinds. A laptop was stationed in the corner on a fold-up desk, complete with a portable transfer unit. The woman sat down on the stool, letting her arm droop besides her. She typed fast, bringing up a glowing screen. The one hand dashed across the keyboard, eyes fixated on the screen. Several smaller screens popped up but they immediately disappeared. He caught a glimpse of a picture of a Houndour before it disappeared, being replaced by more pictures. His head swirled as he watched, fascinated by this new side of her. She studied fast, looking at each face for a few seconds before it was replaced by a single click of the mouse.

Bison lingered on one, a small, brownish rodent. She gazed at the creature, calculating pros and cons in her head it seemed. She tapped the desk with her good hand, reading the small text that appeared. Her eyes flickered over the picture once again before she clicked a new button. Several other screens appeared and she answered each one within seconds.

The transfer device fired up, humming with power. Zuko stepped back as it crackled with electricity. A small red and white PokeBall appeared in the holding area, dropping down when it fully materialized.

She picked it up, smiling at the device. Zuko looked up at her, wondering what she was doing. The woman stood, tucking the PokeBall into a pocket on her vest. Shutting down the laptop, she gave the Growlithe a smile and walked out.

He watched her walk away, turning back to look at the machine. He shuddered, moving to follow after her.

~~~

The fire burned brightly, making the shadows dance on the trees. A couple of Pidgey were perched in the trees, sleeping soundly while the three below them ate. Zuko gnawed on a strip of jerky, warming it up to soften the tough meat. Bison leaned back against a trunk, petting Zuko absentmindedly. Toph nibbled on a pile of berries, glaring at the two of them. The Growlithe gave her a glare right back before returning to his meal.

Zuko yawned widely, resting his head on the human’s leg. He watched the Sandshrew closely as his eyelids drooped close. The fire crackled as he dozed off, ears relaxing from their alert position.

Bison gazed across the flames to the Sandshrew, giving her a small smile. Toph frowned, crossing her arms across her chest. “Will you be up for the night then, Toph?” she asked, head tilting.

The Sandshrew snorted, leaning back against her own tree.

She smiled wider and settled back, quite comfortable sleeping sitting up. One hand rested on her shoulder, only for quick access to the knife hidden in her vest.

Toph stared at the two, black eyes shining in the firelight. The Growlithe was distant from her but still paid attention to her. The woman, however, was incredibly distant. All she ever did was correct her. Toph had found her dinner by herself while Zuko had gotten off easy. She whipped her tail across the ground, covering the fire with sand. It blinked out, wisps of smoke trailing into the night sky. Darkness shrouded the three from the each other, the invisible barrier becoming solid.

She curled up into a ball, looking like nothing more than a rock. The small ears twitched as they listened to the night, finding nothing threatening. Toph’s breathing began to even out as her attention drifted away from the two.

It was hours later before any of them began to move. Zuko snapped awake, yawning widely. He crawled groggily to his feet, licking his chops as he shuffled into the trees. He gazed up at the tall oaks tiredly, trying to find a suitable spot to mark. The Growlithe lifted his leg, half asleep.

Lights danced in front of him.

More awake, he blinked and stared at the orb, lowering his leg. Cocking his head, he watched the bright orange light dance in the air, swaying hypnotically. It pulsated with energy, radiating a strange, calm feeling that relaxed him.

It suddenly shot off, dashing through the trees. Curiosity overtook him and he chased it, scrambling under bushes and around trees. The orb shuddered and zipped into the meadow, heading to the lone tree they had sparred under. He pushed through the tall grass, eyes focused on the bright orange light. It hovered over him, still pulsating with energy.

Trembling, it darted into the tree, leaving a comet tail behind it. Zuko jumped up, placing his front paws on the tree. Whining, he tried to climb the huge tree, landing flat on his rear. He sat down at the base, eyes searching the branches for the object.

His ear twitched as something crashed behind him. The Growlithe turned his head, finding Bison running through the grass towards him. She was yelling something; he honestly couldn’t hear what she was saying.

The orb shot out from the branches at her. Bison sank into a crouch, hand pulling out her knife. He barked, running at her. She couldn’t hurt the thing! He still didn’t know what it was.

Her attention faltered, looking over at him for a moment. The glow suddenly grew brighter, nearly blinded him. He heard her yell in surprise; could hear her backing up and her knife hitting the ground. It faded, leaving spots flashing in his eyes and his vision blurry. Zuko saw her just fall to the ground, the orb almost dancing with joy. He stared at the strange object, trembling as something changed. Whimpering, his ears laid back against his head. He could hear it laughing at him, cackling as he tried to ignore it.

He snarled, managing to focus that the orb was not going to help him. His body began to reek, the scent polluting the air. It turned to him, the glow bursting like a sun exploding. He howled as his eyes burned, tears almost leaking out. Zuko sunk to the ground, eyes trying to focus on the fading orb. The orange was turning purple, vanishing into the night.

~~~

Snarling, the Sandshrew crawled through the brush, slashing at the bushes to get out of her way. Both of them were gone and she had nearly cheered on finally being on her own.

Then she had spotted Bison’s bag and boots lying forgotten on the ground.

She stalked into the meadow, following her nose. The air was starting to reek from what she remembered to be the Growlithe’s Odor Sleuth. She wrinkled her nose, kicking a couple of rocks as she followed the scent. Surely, they weren’t fighting without her, were they?

The tree stood tall against the night sky, the stars glowing faintly. She kicked something as she drew near, noticing the glint as the object clattered across the ground. Toph reached down to pick it up, holding the knife awkwardly in her paw. The inscription in the blade glinted in the starlight, confirming her suspicions. Bison was around here somewhere.

“Hello, little Sandshrew.”

She barely heard it at first, just a whisper in the breeze. Toph clutched the knife, gaze settling on the figure sitting on the rock like Bison had earlier. Head up, she stalked to him, tail thumping the ground.

The man grinned at her, leaning forward. “What brings you here, little Sandshrew?” he asked softly.

Toph growled at him, forgetting about finding the two ditchers. She glared at the man and turned to walk away.

Until the reeking scent of an Odor Sleuth made her gag.

Eyes widening, she faced the strange, thin man. He continued to grin, head tilted as the Sandshrew carefully circled him. She held the knife defensively, keeping it between her and the human.

Her eyes landed on a red paw tipped with claws. She forgot about the man, nearly dropping the knife as she rushed to the Growlithe. He whimpered, brow creasing as his body continued to release pheromones that made her gag. Bison was lying not too far away, completely silent. Blood oozed from a small cut across her forehead, drying already.

Toph snarled, driving the knife into the ground. She slid her feet apart, slamming her foot into the ground. A path of upturned rocks spread from her heel, smashing into the small boulder. The man seemed to vanish from his perch, appearing several feet away. The rock lay in ruins, only a small hint of what she was capable of.

“Fierce, aren’t you?” he asked, breathing out deeply.

She growled, sliding into another stance.

Warmth vanished from her body, draining away. She squealed in surprise, shivering violently. Something whispered to her, taking on an almost solid shape in front of her. She growled, hands balling into fists.

The Gastly cackled with laughter, huge eyes dancing with glee. Its body was huge compared to what she had seen before. Toph backed off, surprised at the sudden appearance.

“Gastly,” the man breathed out. “You know what to do.”

It grinned, fangs bared in a demonic smile. Toph growled, bracing herself with the earth. It surrounded her, providing a steady comfort zone. The two stood off, glaring at the other.

She kicked out, digging her heel into the ground. Rocks popped out from the ground, stacked on top of each other. Toph flipped, tail smacking one straight towards the Gastly. The ghost dodged easily even as the Sandshrew kicked at the second rock, sending it flying. Laughing, the Ghost hybrid avoided it as well, vanishing into the night.

Toph held her paws in front of her, listening for the creature. Her ears picked up on the strangest noise, as though time was being stretched to accommodate something not meant for the world. She flipped around, saliva running down her face as the huge tongue whipped her. Surprised, she sputtered and backpedaled, trying to wipe her face off.

Laughing, the Gastly dashed in, the fog behind it growing thicker.

The Sandshrew snarled, digging her feet into the ground. She slammed her foot down, moving through the stance fluidly. Anger fueled her attack, the other foot hitting the ground in front of her. Paws held out, she clenched her fingers, almost holding onto something. She pulled the earth apart, the fissure cracking through the ground and erupting around the Gastly. Dirt and sand shot into the air, shrouding the battlefield.

Panting, the Sandshrew tried to decipher the shapes in the dust cloud, ears pricked.

Darkness suddenly surrounded her, draining the warmth away quickly. She yelled out, shivering at the sudden freeze. Toph searched, trying to see in the strange darkness. It seemed to move, lashing out at her at each turn. She screamed, trying to break free, attack it, anything.

As quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving her trembling. The Gastly floated in the air, looking unharmed. Impossible, she had just used the most powerful Earthquake she had ever summoned. No way could the Gastly be unharmed after that monster.

The Gastly came at her again, tongue bared. She snarled, rolling out of the way. Tail thumping the ground, she huffed, trying to think of something. She knew that her Crush Claw wouldn’t work, considering Normal-type attacks never worked on Ghost-types. But her Earthquake wasn’t doing anything either.

She was seriously screwed.

Toph rolled across the ground as the Gastly charged again, wishing Bison was at least conscious. The man just stood in the field, grinning from ear to ear. She really wanted to go and slash that smile off of his thin face.

The most awful smell reached her sensitive nose. She gagged, barely dodging another Lick attack from the Ghost hybrid. The Gastly laughed but seemed to darken in color. It was almost as if it was taking shape, becoming solid.

The Growlithe.

Smirking, the Sandshrew curled up into a ball. The earth below her shot up, firing her into the air like a cannon. Her claws grew sharper, the points becoming knives. The Gastly smirked, floating up to her, oblivious to its new condition.

Snarling like a rabid dog, the Ground-type brought both paws down, ripping into the ghost’s face. It shrieked in pain, falling back as Toph dropped like a stone. She made herself flip in the air, paw slipping into the ground. The momentum threw sand into the air, covering them up again. Landing on softened ground, she immediately leapt to her feet, paws held at either side. She panted, ears twitching as she tried to pinpoint the Gastly.

The strange sound of time ripping itself apart echoed in her ears.

Yelling, she slashed out, barely catching the Gastly but hitting it nonetheless. It hissed at the pain, glaring at the small rodent. Darkness began to shroud the two again, warping space and draining heat. Toph growled, ignoring the freezing temperature. Her paw shot out, ready to slash through the Gastly.

It passed on through.

She felt faint as her paw was held within its body. Toph squealed, trying to pry herself loose as the Night Shade fell away to reveal the meadow again. The scent once again reached them, soaking into their skin. Her opponent began to solidify and he was at point blank range.

Toph yelled, slamming her claws into it. It hissed, trying to pull free but her paw was still trapped inside of it, binding the two together. She slashed at the Ghost with her claws, cutting up its face. It cried out, tongue whipping her across the face. The Sandshrew shuddered but again slashed at the Gastly.

The smell began to fade again, turning the Gastly transparent again. Toph ripped her paw free, snarling as she avoided another attack by the creature. Thinking fast, she spun on one heel, kicking rocks up around her. The Gastly could get through them but she just needed a moment to rest before the Growlithe could reveal the Ghost hybrid for what it was. She opened up the ground, falling into the hole. Rocks and dirt pushed to the side as she raced underground, nose working to find the Growlithe and human from her position.

Toph pushed the ground above her aside, jumping back up into the meadow. A rock cocoon formed around her as she waited for the Growlithe.

The Gastly floated closer, eyeing the strange rock structure. It paused as the smell began to sink in again, hissing as its body took an almost solid shape.

She pushed out with her paw, part of her rock cocoon’s wall flying towards the Ghost. It hissed as a corner cut it, growling and charging in. Toph slammed her feet in the ground, pillars of rocks suddenly erupting onto the field. The Gastly dodged the rocks, darting towards the Sandshrew with wild eyes. She held her ground, claws sharpening as she prepared for another attack, hopefully the last one.

Charging, the Sandshrew held out arm out, the other close to her chest. She slashed at it when the two neared each other, raking her claws across it face. When it reared back in pain, she slammed her other paw down on the Ghost, shoving it into the ground. It howled in pain, trying to drift away before the Sandshrew could attack again.

Toph slid her foot back, hitting her heel on the ground. A rock wall shot out of the ground, surrounding the two and trapping them in. The Gastly immediately tried to fly over the wall, desperate to escape. She made rocks rain down on it, driving it back.

The smell still polluted the air, burning the senses. Toph charged at the Gastly, claws out and ready. She yelled, slashing the Gastly with her claws. The Gastly howled, trembling as its body began to fade. It glared at Toph, watching as she fell to one knee.

Red light blinded her for an instant, the man appearing out of thin air. He glared at her, sunken eyes black like the night. She shrank back as he approached, trying to get back to Bison.

Rocks erupted from the ground, slamming into him. He grunted as his body slid across the ground, scrambling to his feet as he landed. The man stared at her before seeming to just vanish into the night.

Toph breathed in and out, trying to figure out what had just happened. She shakily got to her feet, looking around the area for someone else.

Something groaned behind her. She turned, watching as Bison rolled onto her back. The human rubbed her forehead before slowly sitting up. “Ow,” she breathed out, massaging her head.

Zuko opened his eyes finally, shaking his head slowly. The Growlithe pushed himself to his feet, blinking slowly and looking around.

The Sandshrew walked up carefully, looking from one to the other. Bison looked at her strangely, pulling her hand away to look at it. She hissed at the blood but stopped prodding at the cut. “What just happened?” she asked softly, looking over at Toph since she seemed to be the only one coherent.

Blinking, the Sandshrew looked across the ground, spotting the knife. She rushed over and picked it up, handing it back to the human. Bison frowned at the blade before checking her pocket, finding it missing from its usual place. She took it from the Sandshrew, looking around for any explanation.

The smell reeked out again.

Zuko turned his attention elsewhere, immediately stopping the smell. Hew became fascinated with a branch, trying not to show his slight embarrassment.

Bison grinned, climbing to her feet. She looked at her shoeless state for a moment before shrugging. “Hopefully they’re still there,” she said casually. Zuko trotted off after her, ears back as he could still smell himself.

Toph stared off after them. She hadn’t even pressed for information. Scratching her head, the Sandshrew followed after the two. She paused when she passed by the rocks that had deflected the man away, staring at the menacing structures. Shuddering, she jogged to catch up with them, hoping that they wouldn’t get into trouble again.

Toph grows to Lv.11 then.

Lady Vulpix

29th May 2006, 06:14 AM

O_O More stories! And I'm so busy... :(
Trey, take 9 stamps for your battle. It was very creative, and funny too. :) ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Sorry, but I have to go soon and I don't have time to print more battles. Maybe tomorrow. http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9157/undecided4ro.gif

Ace64

29th May 2006, 08:49 PM

Thank you Gabi.

Becca, Bison, I'll rate your most recent battles soon.Comp giving me problems...trying to catch up in quite a few things.

Wolfsong

30th May 2006, 12:11 PM

Sorry if this is rushed. I'm on the school compuer lab's computer as i still haven't gotten the cd in that i need to fix my computer. Anyways, I enjoyed reading your RBG Becca. Take 12 stamps. I liked how you described the attacks especially astonish and sweet scent. Sorry it took me a while to rate. ^^; I also liked the ending where Orion was holding the bone as far away form him as possible.

Ace64

2nd June 2006, 01:48 PM

Okay, catch up.

Becca: Take 22 stamps. Okay,maybe the dream thing was kinda similiar to mine, but you made it your own. I appreciated the insight into Lyra's true desires, and half curious/repelled by the idea of how Yssera would've made it come true. Wartortle dating services perhaps?

Bison:Take 13 stamps. Creative way to describe Odor Sleuth...I always imagined it as the user sniffing out something, instead of making himself trackable. I kind of understand how using it could make the ghost physical...kind of. So...who the hell is this 'man?' What does he want already? And yes, fighting with ghosts sucks badly.

Wolfsong

2nd June 2006, 11:17 PM

Before story notes: Here is the twin’s RBG. I finally got some time to write. I bought the hydro pump TM for Colby, and the Crunch TM for Tiny. I’ve had the collar for Tiny for a while now and the same goes for the beach ball for Colby. The black juice for Tiny was a birthday gift. I had a case for writer’s block when I tried to work on this so apologies if it seems rushed in some places. It’s not the greatest, but at least it’s something.

(Yana’s POV)

I awoke to Sinopa thrashing about in her sleep. She seemed to be having a major nightmare. Sinopa didn’t get them as much as she used to, but when she did they were really bad. I gently nuzzled her. “It’s all right.” I whispered in a soothing voice. “You’re safe now. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore. I won’t let them.” Somehow my words seemed to reach her and Sinopa slowly calmed down as she snuggled close to my side once more in a restful sleep.

Unfortunately, now I was wide awake. Luckily for me, I was one of the group that didn’t have any plans for the morning. Blazer was taking Sinopa with him tomorrow. Sinopa had been taking about it all week. She was excited that he was taking her with him. Sinopa was excited about watching him train. Darin was planning a trip to the Eevee House and he was trying to talk some of the others into going as well. Lastly, Amy was taking Colby and Tiny into town. It was Amy’s way of apologizing to them for missing the maze. The two of them had been so excited when they had heard about it. The online courses that Amy had taken kept her super busy with assignments and papers that she had missed out on it. Now that the avalanche of assignments had lightened up, Amy was making it a point to spend time with the two of them.

Yawning, my mind replayed the events that happened weeks ago at the Shifting Isles. I shook my head angrily, thinking about how I had been tricked by a couple of brelooms. One of them had faked cries of help as another remained hidden. Of course, I ended up getting separated from the others as I searched for the source of the cries. Then suddenly, I was jumped by the two brelooms. I tried to fight them off but with the two of them working together, I wasn’t having much success. Luckily, Kovu showed up and the two grass fighters ran off. They had noticed that he was a lot stronger than either of them were. I guess Kovu could sense that I was a little embarrassed, because all he said when we got back to the others was that I had been caught up in a battle against a breloom.

I sighed, glancing over at the clock. Its red numbers contrasted brightly against the dark. It was already four in the morning. Yawning, I closed my eyes and gently lowered my head onto my paws. Soon, I was sleeping soundly once again.

* * *

(Colby’s POV)

Tiny and I followed Amy into the park. I sighed as I toyed with the beach ball. I couldn’t believe that Amy practically went broke getting me that Hydro Pump TM and Tiny the Crunch TM.

I looked over at Tiny. It was strange seeing him now. Amy had chosen a black juice for her birthday since Tiny mentioned to her one day that he wished that the two of use looked more like twins. I have to admit his black coloring suited him. Tiny was pawing at his collar. Immediately, I could tell that something was bothering him. I quickly ran over to Tiny’s side. “What’s wrong?” I asked him. Tiny looked up at me. “I think that we were followed here.” “What?” I asked. “I’m pretty sure that I saw Chips following us, but he disappeared as soon as I saw him.” “Are you positive?” Tiny gave an affirmative nod. “I’m positive.”

Almost as soon as Tiny had spoken, two forms began to materialize in the air several feet in front of us. We quickly ran over to where Amy was reading. She looked up when she heard us coming. However when she saw the two figures approaching, she put the book back inside her bag and stood up.

Tom was walking towards us at a brisk pace with Chips hovering along at his side. I glared at Tom, remembering how he was shouting at us in the training rooms. Tom hadn’t changed all that much. He was still as skinny as ever and his hair the color of flames. He still had that snide look permanently in place on his face. He paused briefly when he saw me and smiled. I quickly joined Tiny who was cowering behind Amy’s legs.

”What do you want?” Amy asked with no pretense of being nice. I think by our reactions that she had an idea of who Tom was. I think she was remembering what Darin had told her about what had happened the last time that we had gone into town.

“I came to take back what belongs to me, so I suggest that you get out of the way and I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”

I winced because I knew that Amy wouldn’t stand for that. Sure enough, she raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. “So, what you’re saying is that pokemon are possessions?” she asked in a rather calm voice.

“You got that right.” Tom replied.

Amy shook her head slowly. “Pokemon are living creatures and I prefer to think of them as friends. Besides, from what Tiny and Colby have told me, you abandoned them. Also, judging from their actions I don’t think they want to go anywhere with you.”

The color drained from Tom’s face as he plucked two pokeballs off of his belt. “Looks like I’m going to have to take them by force. When I win, they’re coming with me.”

Amy’s eyes narrowed before looking at us. I had a feeling I knew what she was asking without saying a word. I looked over at Tiny and the two of us nodded at Amy. Amy smiled at us before turning to Tom and breaking the silence. “When we win, Tiny and Colby get to choose who they want to stay with. If they choose me, you stop trying to take them away.” When she stopped speaking, she held out her hand and Tom reluctantly shook it.

Tiny and I walked forward. We were going to win this battle so that we could stay with Amy. I glanced over at Tiny who smiled in agreement. Just a few seconds later, a couple of red flashes signaled the release of our opponents. As we watched, Kalju the Geodude and Teivel the Houndour stalked towards us.

Colby L.13 Black M Vaporeon and Tiny L.13 Black M Flareon Vs. Kalju L.13 M Geodude and Teivel L.13 M Houndour

Instantly, I leapt to the left to avoid getting hit by the rock that Kalju threw at me. I quickly retaliated by creating three clones using double team as Tiny did the same. Teivel snarled before shooting a jet of water, courtesy his hidden power at one of the flareons. Luckily, it tailed one of the clones leaving my brother unscathed.

Our opponents glanced at each other before they both used double team. I smirked as my clones and I looked over at my brother. I realized that we had a slight advantage. The two of us had a general idea of their attacks, but they didn’t really have a clue to what we knew. After all, we were only level five when Tom had kicked us out. I raised an eyebrow and my twin and his clones smiled in agreement before closing their eyes. I quickly followed suit. With my eyes closed, I focused on my sense of smell. It didn’t take long for me to pick up Kalju’s distinct earthy odor.

Without even opening my eyes, I took a deep breath before unleashing a small jet of water. An angry cry indicated that my attack had hit home and I opened my eyes in time to see Tiny and his clones runny at one of the houndours with their claws extended and slashed Teivel on his shoulder. Upon contact, Teivel’s clones disappeared. While all this was going on, I neglected to keep tabs on Kalju. I was painfully made aware of this by a fierce jolt of electricity that coursed through my body. The attack hurt so badly that I couldn’t’ help but cry out in pain.

I needed to knock out Kalju fast. I didn’t think that I could take another hit from his hidden power. I began concentrating on the newest TM that Amy had given me. I could feel the power of the attack as I was preparing it. When I felt that it was ready, I unleased the powerful hydro pump. The high pressured attack exploded from my mouth and hit the geodude sending him rolling backwards. When he finally came to a stop, I waited for him to get up but he didn’t.

I won!
I grew to L.14!

The last thing that I was aware of was thinking that I had one and then, everything went dark.

(Tiny’s POV)

I was distracted by a cry of pain from Colby. As soon as I heard him, I turned towards the source of the sound and saw that Kalju had zapped Colby with his hidden power. What I failed to notices was that Teivel was charging up a solar beam. I grinned widely when I saw Colby nail Kalju with his hydro pump attack.

When I turned my attention back to the houndour, what I saw made me gasp. He had just released the solarbeam. I raced forwards in an attempt to intercept it, but the attack only glanced my shoulder before slamming into Colby who was instantly knocked out.

I slowly stood up and glared at Teivel, who had the nerve to smirk. I charged forwards with my claws extended, ready to do some serious damage. Unfortunately, that seemed to be exactly what Teivel expected me to do. Before I had even reached my target, I was met by a blast of chilled water to my face some of which went inside my mouth.

I gasped as I skidded to a stop, coughing. Teivel just continued to smirk. Shaking myself dry, I eyed the ground beneath the houndour’s paws. Narrowing my eyes, I began willing the earth to move. It took a few minutes but the earth responded. Teivel yelped as he was bounced across the park. After a few minutes, he fell down. I watched as he tried to get up, but quickly collapsed again and this time he was out cold. Almost immediately, the ground stopped moving.

I won!
I grew to L.14

Tom’s eyes widened as he recalled Teivel. I quickly ran over to Amy and jumped in her arms. She held Colby’s pokeball tightly in her hand. “Looks like they’ve chosen.” Amy stated simply.

“I’m impressed.” Tom said, as he stepped towards Amy. “You’ve actually managed to get those two pathetic imps into shape.” Amy’s eyes narrowed. “I think it’s time for you to go.” she replied cooly. “What did you do?” he asked, taking a step forwards. However, he quickly stopped when he heard a loud growl. I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Tom’s face when he saw Blazer. His eyes widened and he took off running in the opposite direction. Amy clipped Colby’s pokeball onto her belt and offered me mine. I went inside gratefully.

Edit: I'd also like antoher 2-2 RBG for Tiny and Colby please. *hands over 14 stamps leaving me with 12* Hmm... From the Universal Adoption Center please.

Lady Vulpix

3rd June 2006, 10:36 AM

Alright, if you think it will help you... They'll battle an Unown O_o and a Numel. I'll try to rate your battle soon, I've already added it to the archive.

Lady Vulpix

4th June 2006, 06:59 AM

Amy: that was quick, but nice. I liked your way of wrapping up everything from the previous scenarios, and the battle was good. There was just one thing I didn't understand: why did Colby say he and Tiny had a general idea of their opponents' attacks? Couldn't they have learnt new attacks too? Take 11 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Skye

5th June 2006, 07:01 AM

I think I'll take a Universal Adoption Center RBG for Shandar, please. @.@ Need to finish evolving him. Level 18 male Magikarp.

Ace64

5th June 2006, 07:04 AM

Shandar will be fighting a Cyndaquil.

Skye

5th June 2006, 08:45 AM

Note: Is this my shortest battle yet?

It had been lazy about the house as of late. Darkfire had taken a relaxed turn about the place and let the Pokémon do what they wanted while she looking into decent, part-time jobs to help pay for feeding so many. But, still, there was discontent about the place. Shandar was one of the more sensitive ones to what was happening as most of the Pokémon went to talk to him about their problems. Mostly because he was not a talker and was a good listener.

Menos, surprisingly, seemed very discontent. “Radek is going to get himself hurt one of these days, and I am worried that Darkfire won’t take as good of care of him as she should if she has two of us to look after.” He confessed one day. It was a fine day out as well.

“Of course she will take care of both of you,” Shandar assured the winded Dratini. “She does what she can, but you know how your brother is.”

“I know exactly how he is. I am not a fighter, and everyone knows that. I just feel like I can be more useful… not fighting. Just watching and counseling.”

“And yet you’re asking me for counsel when you want to counsel others?” the Magikarp found himself asking. It was one of his better, more talkative days. The Dratini folding his wings around himself uncertainly, thinking this over.

“I don’t’ know.” He admitted, shaking his head. “I just don’t know.”

“I think you just don’t want to be a fighting Pokémon,” Shandar said.

“But I want to stay with my brother. He needs me.”

“I know. We all understand. You just need to tell Darkfire. She’ll understand.” Just as he said this, a Cyndaquil walked out of the forest. Both Magikarp and winged Dratini turned and looked at the fire-mouse.

“I heard a strong trainer lived here,” she said. “I want a battle to get stronger.”

“She’s decent enough, but on vacation,” Shandar explained. “Btu you may fight me if you wish.”

“Fight you?” she looked him up and down. “Feh, I want to fight that Dratini.”

“Afraid to lose?” Shandar taunted. The Cyndaquil thought it over as Menos moved away from them before she took a fighting stance.

Shandar level 18 Vs Cyndaquil level 18

Shandar immediately began by bobbing in the water, then Splashing water over the Cyndaquil. She squeaked in alarm and retreated a step back before she released a flurry of stars. It struck Shandar, but failed to piece deeply into his rough hide of steel-like scales.

“Have to do better than that,” he taunted and leapt out of the water. He then Tackled into the soaked fire-mouse. She tried to get away, attempting to ignite the fire on her back as he did so. However, she realized it was impossible when she was soaked so.

Shandar rammed into her again, and she began to back away from the wet fish, growling. Shandar took this opportunity to ram into her again, sending her into the pond. She splashed frantically until she go tot shore, then she collapsed, unconscious.

Shandar won! He grew to level 19!

When she came too, she left without a word. Menos looked at the Magikarp, now comfortably back at home in his pond.

“Think she’ll come back?” he asked.

“Maybe on another nice day,” the Magikarp replied.

Lady Vulpix

5th June 2006, 05:45 PM

Heh. I guess it was. Take 4 stamps, Darkfire. ¢¢¢¢

Matt

5th June 2006, 10:43 PM

hey hook me up with an extention for this scenario~ i might actually write something lolol

Lady Vulpix

6th June 2006, 07:36 AM

That's good to hear, Matt! Extension granted.

classy_cat18

8th June 2006, 12:40 PM

This here is Trinity's RBG as well as the introduction of Ken the Squirtle. Can I get an RBG of my L9 Meditite, Ali? This will come from the Free Range Corral. *pays seven stamps*

Trinity's POV

I stood in the doorway as I waited for Shonta to come home. We were out of Pokemon chow and my stomach was growling. I couldn't take the hunger! Standing soon became sitting and sitting soon became lying down. Occasionally one of my teammates would come and talk to me. Destai was the only one that wouldn't talk to me. At least, not in words I could understand. "What's taking her so long?" I asked softly. Destai only barked. My stomach growled and he answered with another growl. "Let's not argue, you two."

After what seemed like hours of waiting, Shonta finally opened the door and walked in with a large bag of Pokemon chow as well as a paper bag. She was also wearing her backpack, which wasn't unusual. I didn't hesitate jumping on her and tackling her to the ground. "Where have you been? I have been waiting for you all day!" I exclaimed.

Shonta roughly pushed me off of her and dragged the bag to the kitchen. "Trinity, I was only gone for an hour. I had to make a side trip somewhere." She went back to the living room and gently put her backpack on the couch, something she wouldn't do if there wasn't anything breakable in there. I inched closer to it and sniffed it. A familiar scent came through my nostrils. Before I could get a better sniff at it, Shonta pulled me away from it. "There's nothing in there for you."

"You got another egg, didn't you?" I growled, unable to contain my distaste for babies. Bo was okay now but when he was still an infant he bit down on one of my tails. It actually hurt!

Shonta sighed. "Yes, Trinity. It's another egg. A Squirtle egg. Luckily for you, it's going to be the last egg that'll come to this team. All spots are filled. Happy now?"

"No, I'm not happy! That'll mean another baby to harrass me, only this one can squirt water in my face and make real bubbles instead of those made of spit!"

"Won't you like that part?" she joked.

It was my turn to sigh. "This must be the work of that blasted Squirtle Cooler and his trainer Trey. Damn them! And he's male so that must mean...damn that Ditto Cambiamente and his trainer Jeff!"

Shonta narrowed her eyes. "You know, I could've always waited for a Totodile to come to the adoption center."

I gulped and shivered. "Okay, you got me. Water and teeth. That's really scary."

She opened up her backpack and brought out the blue egg wrapped in blankets. "I'm going to a meeting for the Dragon's Guild. Think you can sit here and watch the egg?"

"Listen, I'm not much of an eggsitter. Why don't you let the new guys or Katana watch it?"

"Katana knows more about what we got into than you do. Besides, the new guys need someone experienced to look up to, okay?" She winked at me.

I smiled. "It's about time you recognized how important I am to this team. Okay, I'll guard the egg. In return I want a special treat."

"How about a scoop of vanilla ice cream with caramel topping?"

My heart leaped. "Deal!"

Shonta chuckled and left with me in charge of the egg and the new members of the team. Circe and Destai were content to just watching a documentary about Eeveelutions on TV. That got me to thinking. Since when was Bo going to Guild meetings while I stayed behind?

"Trinity, your vibes just got way intense. Am I sensing anger or jealousy?" Circe asked in that annoying surfer chick accent.

I glared at Circe. "That is none of your business," I growled. I glanced at the egg on the carpet and curled my tails around it. The least I could do for the team was keep it warm.

We watched TV together until the documentary went off and my stomach started to growl once again. I was so preoccupied with the egg that I forgot that I hadn't eaten yet. It was strange that I paid more attention to the egg than to my own needs. I looked down at my tails again and gasped. The egg was gone! "Okay, where is it?" I asked in a panic.

"Where's the egg?" Circe asked. "Dude, it's gone." Destai nodded.

"Gone where? Good Lord, Yssera's Witnesses have struck again!" I cried.

Circe laughed. "Dude, no one took it."

"Where did it go then? It's not like it sprouted legs and walked away!"

"Well, actually..." She pointed down the hall. I peered around the corner and found the egg walking. Yes, it was walking. The baby Squirtle's legs had broken out of the egg and were now carrying him down the hall toward Shonta's room.

"Hold on...egg!" I yelled, having no idea what Shonta had decided to name the little guy. I sat in front of him and prevented his escape. Having no way to see, the baby just kept on walking until he bumped into me and fell on his back.

Holding my ear close to the egg, I could hear the Squirtle start to cry. Then it was bawling so loud that Destai and I started to whimper. "It's scared, dude!" Circe tried to yell over the baby's crying. "We have to get it out of that eggshell!" She went to the baby's feet and started ripping apart the eggshell around them, making the holes bigger. As light started to stream through the hole, the baby started to calm down. After a few minutes she had successfully uncovered a fully calm baby Squirtle.

"You're a cute little dude, aren't you?" Circe cooed. Destai leaned down and licked the baby's cheek. The baby didn't really like that. He stepped away from Destai and looked at Circe. Then he stepped away from Circe and looked at me. His eyes started to water. "Oh no! Here comes the water!"

The baby Squirtle cried as loud as he could, which was pretty loud. "What's wrong with him now? We got him out of the darn egg!" I yelled.

Circe looked at the crying baby for a while before answering. "It's because the little dude is still scared! He can't find his mom or anyone that looks like his mom!"

"He can't imprint? Oh, that's just great! Circe, I want you to dial the number to Shonta's cell phone so I can talk to her!"

“I’m SO there!” She dashed to the phone and started to dial while Destai and I watched the bawling baby.

Shonta’s POV

The meeting was intense. It seemed that we had another problem. A man called Cooper Bartholemew had taken Jeff and his Alakazam, Maza. Together they had wreaked havoc on a little town called Twoson. The name sounded a little familiar to me but then again I was a video game fan.

Moriko seemed particularly concerned. I found out that it was a good chance that she might have known Maza before she landed in the adoption center. We agreed to let her go to Twoson to help them bring him and Jeff back.

We also learned that they were planning a church in Caledor. Whether or not it was going to be in Sector Alpha or not was still a mystery. But it did strike a nerve in both Katana and Bandit. They withheld the information about the mentally unstable Swablu they met a while ago. No need in making them panic even more.

I was about to talk to Gabi when the cell phone rang. Lily danced to it until I opened it then gave a pout when the music stopped. "Hello?"

Trinity's voice was heard on the other line accompanied by a lot of very loud crying. "Shonta! The baby hatched and he's scared to death!" she said quickly.

"Is that who I hear in the background?" I yelled back so that Trinity could hear me. The crying got louder until everyone in the room could hear it. I laughed nervously and covered the mouthpiece with my hand. "Heh heh. The baby hatched."

"Really? Ken hatched?" Lily asked in a high pitched voice. "That's great!"

"Tell Lily that she can watch over the baby since he's such a blessing to her," I heard Trinity's sarcastic voice say.

"You know, maybe I should put you on the breeding list. I'm sure somewhere there's a prospective trainer looking for a Vulpix," I threatened.

Trinity growled. "Whatever. You can hang up now, Circe." Click.

"I don't think your threats are as effective now," Moriko commented.

I sighed. "Whatever. Let's just go home."

We took our time going back home since Trinity gave me such a hard time with the egg at first. When we arrived, we were a little surprised to see Trinity, Circe and Destai collapsed on the floor. The baby Squirtle named Ken (I came up with the name) was still crying his big eyes out. “Don’t tell me you three had that much trouble with him,” I told the older Pokemon.

“It was mayhem, man,” Circe said. “He was running and screaming all over the place.”

“He was crying, too,” Trinity added.

I squatted down in front of Ken. The little tyke seemed to have calmed down since I arrived. “Hey there, champ. What’s with all the fuss?” I kindly asked him.

Ken smiled widely and jumped into my arms. I stood back up and looked down at Trinity. “He doesn’t seem much trouble to me. What happened?”

“We don’t know, man! It was like first he was scared of being inside his egg. We took him out of it. Then he was afraid of us! We didn’t know what he wanted!” Circe said.

“Apparently he wanted Shonta,” Katana said.

“Why would he be so calm around Shonta? This is the first time he has seen her,” Bandit said.

“It’s because he recognizes her voice,” Ali answered. “Shonta must’ve talked to Ken quite a bit before he hatched. He was looking for a familiar voice.” She looked around at the confused faces. “Okay, it’s just a guess. But it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

I nodded and looked at Ken who was nuzzling my T-shirt. “Well, all that running and screaming must’ve made you hungry. Are you hungry?” I carried Ken over to the kitchen and poured some of the special baby Pokemon chow into a bowl. Ken sat down in front of it and sniffed the food.

“You eat it, Ken,” Lily said. She popped a piece of it into her mouth and made a face. “How can babies eat this stuff?”

“I ask myself the same thing,” Bo mused.

Ken followed Lily’s lead and laughed out loud at the taste of the food. He practically inhaled the rest in front of us. When he was finished he gave a long yawn and withdrew inside his shell.

Bo slowly approached him and poked his shell, marveling at the softness of it. “I thought it was supposed to be hard,” he told me.

“It’ll harden in a few days. Until then we should keep him extra safe.” I picked him up and carried him to the Pokemon’s bedroom. I rested him on a pillow, smiling as I heard a little snore. “He’s as cute as you, Bo.”

“Hey! No one will be as cute as me,” Bo teased. “At least I won’t grow that much. That little guy will grow up to practically be his own island.”

<No Pokemon is an island,> Jewel said.

We sat in the living room as Ken slept in the Pokemon’s bedroom and talked about the situation at hand. Beacon reassured us that Volt would be here in two days at the latest. Katana and Bo insisted that I buy them Faint Attack TMs to help them with their stalking and spying. I told them that Katana would need one but not Bo right now. We would be doing our spying by night and Bo was already dark enough for that.

“Are you just saying that because you don’t want to spend too much money?” Bo asked me.

“No…yes,” I answered with my head hung.

“We thought so,” Katana said with a smirk.

“So we agree that Katana, Bandit, and Bo will definitely be staying in Caledor?” Nama asked us.

“And me! Don’t forget me!” Lily said cheerfully.

“We also agree that Beacon, Moriko, Jewel, and possibly Volt will be going to Twoson?”

Beacon and Moriko nodded. “We also agree that Shonta will be staying here to take care of Ken unless we are unable to take care of transportation ourselves,” Beacon informed.

“Okay, meeting adjourned,” I said.

“Wait! I have something to bring to light,” Bandit said. “What will we tell Ken when he asks The Question?”

“You mean ‘Where do babies come from’?” Bo asked.

“No, the other question. You know. He’s going to ask who his mom and dad is.”

“We’ll just tell him that…” Rose started.

“Tell him what? ‘You don’t have a mom, but you have two dads’?”

“Oh, I forgot that Cambiamente was a guy.”

“Well, he’s actually genderless but he considers himself a guy,” Lily told her.

“It doesn’t matter! Do you want Ken to tell people that he has two dads?”

“He’s a Pokemon. People will understand,” I assured him.

Bandit calmed down a bit. “Yeah, I guess. It still sounds weird, though. It makes us look desperate if nothing else. Doesn’t one of the Dragon Tamers have a female Wartortle?”

“Yeah, Becca and her Wartortle Lyra. But I didn’t want to bother her. A lot of older Pokemon usually don’t want to be bred because they’ve done so many times already. I don’t know Lyra’s track record but I wanted to be safe.”

Bandit spread his arms wide. “Safe from what? The worst case scenario would have been Becca saying a polite ‘no’.”

“You want to know the truth?” I blurted out. “I wasn’t thinking! I forgot that Becca had a Wartortle. I can’t remember who has what.”

“Me neither,” Rose said.

“You can’t remember anything,” Trinity told her. “But you have a point. Now let’s chow down so we can go to bed.”

Trinity’s POV

I rolled over on my back and listened to the noises of Sector Alpha. Fortunately this wasn’t like New York City; this city did sleep at night. All of the other Pokemon were sleeping peacefully on their little beds and pillows and Shonta was sleeping in the other room on her bed. Content of the quietness of the setting, I drifted off to sleep.

It didn’t take me long to be snapped back to the conscious world by Ken’s crying. But even awake the sound was distant. I looked at his pillow. He wasn’t there. I quickly got to my paws and nudged Katana but she wouldn’t wake up.

I left the room and went down the hallway, feeling relieved when the crying got louder. Ken must’ve gotten scared when he woke up and found out that Shonta wasn’t around. But as I looked around the corner, I found the real reason why Ken was crying. He was being held upside down by the leg by a scowling Sableye. "Shut up and accept your fate!" he hissed at Ken.

I made myself known to the Sableye. "I believe you have something of mine," I said cooly.

"Hmm...don't think so. See, this is payment for what you took from us."

I thought I knew what he was talking about. "You're not getting Bo back and you're not getting the Squirtle."

"Oh, I don't want him back. He's damaged goods, as you might say. I'm talking about Diablo."

"We saved him."

"You ruined him! He's no longer the great leader that we once knew. He's curled up in his doggy bed, sucking his proverbial thumb!" He shook Ken as he said this, making the baby cry even louder.

Surely someone's going to wake up now. I glanced at Ken. He was reaching towards me with his little arms. His eyes were bigger and redder than before. I don't know what made me angrier, his annoying cry or the condition he was in now. "You will drop the Squirtle," I growled.

"I don't hear you saying 'please'," the Sableye taunted. He started to back away towards the door.

"I don't think so!" I shot a Flamethrower, not to hit him but rather to make him drop Ken. It succeeded and Ken ran to me, nuzzling the fur on my chest. I tried to push him away but he clung to me like a barnacle. He was more quiet but my fur was getting wet from his tears. "Let me go!"

"No!" Ken yelled to my surprise.

"So the brat can say more than 'wah'. How clever. But Yssera will want him now," the Sableye said. He held up a claw that was sparking. "I wonder how he'll take an electric attack at this age?"

"Nooo!" Ken wailed as he clung to me.

"Ken, go back to bed! He's going to hurt you!" I told him as the Sableye pointed his claw at Ken.

"NOOOO!" His body surrounded itself with a pink aura.

"What's going on up there?" Shonta demanded from her room.

"Too late!" the Sableye said. He shot the Thundershock from his finger to Ken's back. It bounced off of the shell and back to the Sableye, who stumbled back a little from the added power. "The Squirtle knows Mirror Coat?"

"Don't ask me; I didn't know!" I said in a panic.

Shonta finally got out of her bed and stomped up to the living room. "What in the world is going on?" She took a look at the Sableye and glared. "So that's what's going on. Trinity, get him out of here and give him a farewell present."

L8 Female Ninetales (Trinity) vs. L8 Male Sableye

Finally! I waited until the other Pokemon ran to see the situation before blasting another Flamethrower at the Sableye's retreating butt. He yelped and dove through the doggy door only to land ungracefully on the sidewalk. Bandit opened the door for me. "After you, madam," he said.

"Thank you." I did a graceful jump off of the top step and landed on the sidewalk. "You picked the wrong baby to mess with, Sableye."

"Oh, like you can scare me," he teased.

"Maybe not. But you'll be scared of me when I kick your sorry butt." I shot another Flamethrower at him but he jumped up in the air and brought his claws down on me. Now I was angry. "No one messes with my face." I teleported behind him and Quick attacked him while his back was to me. He slid along the sidewalk for a foot or two.

Sableye quickly got up and leered at me (I think) with his bejeweled eyes. I thrashed my tails as I glared back at him. Sableye snickered and gathered dark energy into a sparking orb. I teleported again and blew a Flamethrower in his face. This is too easy. He must have something up his sleeve.

And he did. He quickly recovered from the Flamethrower and swung his right fist at me, connecting with my jaw. I jumped back and tested my jaw for problems. It wasn't broken but it would really be hurting in a minute. He wasn't done with me, either. He manuvered behind me and grabbed a couple of my tails, one in each hand. He swung me around at a high speed until I thought I would throw up, then released me. I hit the side of a building and slid down to the ground.

"Get up, Trinity! You still have your trump card!" Shonta yelled to me.

I struggled to get to my feet. She was right, but I wasn't sure about it. I had practiced it but it only worked half of the time. It required a lot of heat and a lot of energy. But as Sableye prepared another Shadow Ball, I knew I didn't have any other options. I concentrated on my body temperature and felt it rise. When it was too hot to contain I released it a huge column of flames. It engulfed Sableye's Shadow Ball as well as Sableye himself. Sableye was blasted through the window to Shonta's room. I waited a minute for Sableye to come back. He didn't.

I won and grew to level 9!

I carefully walked to Shonta, afraid that I might break or pull something after the Seismic Toss. "Trinity, you surprised me. I didn't even know you could control your Teleport like that," Shonta commented.

"Yeah. Usually when you try it, you end up on top of someone," Lily agreed.

I huffed. "Well, I don't spend all day watching my soaps!"

Ken ran to me, crying loudly and hugging my fur. "Um, what's wrong with him now?" I asked the team.

<He's glad you're okay,> Jewel told me.

I rubbed his head with my paw. "I'm glad that you're glad," I said softly. "Now let's go to bed."

"No!" he yelled sharply.

I rolled my eyes. "At least he knows the meaning of the word."

Ace64

8th June 2006, 12:44 PM

Ali will battle a Meowth. Also, could I get an RBG for Cooler, please? *pays* Make mine the Antartic Survivor Recovery Agency.

Lady Vulpix

8th June 2006, 04:34 PM

Wow, it's storming here! And my connection isn't helping.
Cooler will battle a Sneasel. Good luck!

Oh, and Shonta, I liked your story a lot! The joke about Yssera's witnesses was funny, and your report of the meeting was good. I was planning to report it in one of my future stories... I may still do it. And it was interesting to see Trinity feel protective aboutsomeone. And the comments about Ken having 2 dads... I've always found it curious that Cam constantly ends up breeding with male pokemon. But I don't know every aspect of him. :P Take 20 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Shai

10th June 2006, 10:44 AM

Skarmory Level 6 Vs Beedrill Level 15

The great metallic bird rose slowly from her nest in a lonely thorn bush, the only plant that existed on the barren hillside she had been born and raised on. Even when her parents had left, she stubbornly stayed in the bush, waiting to find a mate or something to fight with.

She poked her beak out, opening the bush so she could see what was happening around her, the thorns making a dull, scratching noise on her metal body. A Beedrill hummed lazily, but besides that she was alone. So she leapt from the bush, and stretched her body slowly. Then she spread the sharp feathers of her wings and caught a light thermal. With a flap, she rose to the air and landed by the Beedrill, who was punching holes in the leaves of a tree.

“Do I even want to know what you are doing?” she asked, gliding above him. He buzzed a greeting and flew up to perch in the tree. She aimed her flight for a landing, and dug her talons into the soft wood of the branch.

“Trying to teach myself Twinneedle a few levels early.” He admitted. “You’re up early.”

“I was dreaming about leaving home.” She peered up at the rising sun. “There are no male Skarmories around here to nest with, and I’m ready to start traveling.”

“You’d have to get stronger, first.” The Beedrill, her friend since they had been hatchlings, pointed out. “I’m by far stronger than you.”

“Maybe.” She didn’t’ want to admit he might be right. “Let’s battle and see.”

“Alright, but I’m warning you. I have a devastating Poison Sting. It’s past perfection.” Beedrill buzzed proudly and took a fighting stance. Skarmory launched the attack with a Peck, jabbing rapidly with her beak at Beedrill’s sensitive shoulder. He hissed and jabbed at her, poison secreting from the end of his stinger. She took flight and heard him follow.

Beedrill aimed at her and she felt small, sharp needles filled with poison begin to bounce off of her metal feathers. “Hah!” She boasted. “I live in a bush with sharper twigs than your needles.” Or until one jammed just behind her left wing. She hisses under her breath from the sudden pain and landed, turning to face Beedrill.

“So much for that claim.” He said, now taking his turn to boast. Skarmory advanced on him, but stopped as he used a Harden, making her Peck attack do about as much damage as his Poison Sting could do to her. Then, a realization hit her: Peck was only one of her offensive moves.

She took to the air again to gain altitude, while Beedrill watched. Of course, he had no idea about her secret attack, mostly because it was so hard for her to control out of battle. Now or never, Skarmory decided and dive for Beedrill, In mid air, she began to spiral, gaining speed and power. Beedrill, oblivious to Skarmory knowing Drill Peck, just figured she was trying to scare him, and held his ground.

While the earth and sky rolled until they were one, Skarmory tried her hardest to hold course, aiming for Beedrill. Finally, she made contact, striking him right in the chest. The impact knocked the giant bee off of his feet, and sent Skarmory backwards. She landed on her talons and swayed, unbalanced from he spinning. Beedrill didn’t get up.

Skarmory advances to Level 8!

**After**

Beedrill awoke to see Skarmory standing over him. “I suppose I was wrong.” He admitted. “You’ve grown more than I have.”

“I’ll never forget you.” She replied and took to the wind.

Skye

12th June 2006, 01:14 AM

Okay... ^^; I would like a 2 on 2 RBG for Kamaria my level 8 poochyena and Matthias my level 5 Charmander. *pays 14 Stamps*

Lady Vulpix

12th June 2006, 05:59 AM

You need to select a location first.

Note: I'm going on vacation tomorrow evening, and will be back around 12 days later. Trey and Amy, will you please take care of all the DT-topics while I'm away? Thanks in advance.

Skye

12th June 2006, 06:26 AM

Ack. >.<; lol, I'm tired. Universal Adoption Center, please.

Ace64

12th June 2006, 05:02 PM

Enjoy it Gabi.
Darkfire, they will face a Duskull and Sneasel. Good luck.

Shai-Sorry for making you wait!Take 8 stamps. I liked the battle, and it's a creative way to introduce the Pokemon before we meet the trainer.

Ace64

21st June 2006, 10:12 AM

Cooler's RBG.
---------------
“Are you both ready?”

Cooler nodded, his face set. A bead of sweat rolled down, annoyingly close to his right eye, but he didn’t bother to wipe it away. Moving even the slightest inch before the mark would throw off his concentration.

A short distance away stood Prophecy. Her head was lowered, her eyes narrowed into a glare. Steam forced its way out of her nostrils with every breath.

“Who do you think’s going to win?” Charmene asked, keeping her eyes on the two. The group of Pokemon were in Trey’s backyard. Trey was out, attending some sort of meeting. This meant that the Pokemon had to find some way to keep themselves amused.

“I dunno,” Troit whispered, covering his hand with a gooey palm. “I just hope neither of them hurts themselves… You know-”

“Hey, you guys! SHADDUP!” Deo bellowed. The Voltorb was sitting on the opposite side of the yard, roughly in the middle of Cooler and Prophecy. “The ref’s ‘bout ta speak!”

“Deo always gets so drunk with power,” Fisticuffs muttered, resting his head in the palm of one hand.

“Too true,” Troit agreed with a nod.

“What’s ‘drunk?’” Charmene asked, looking at Fisticuffs curiously.

“AHEM! Can we be serious here?” Deo coughed, glaring fiercely at the three. When they quieted, he continued. “Now ‘den… We gather here today ta settle tha matter once an’ for all… whose attack ‘s best? Will Cooler be victorious? Or will Prophecy shut ‘im down?”

“BOOOO! Enough talk, let’s get to the action!” Fisticuffs yelled, cupping his mouth with his hands.

“Wow…that doesn’t seem like you at all, Fisticuffs,” Troit muttered. Usually the Tyrogue was calmer, preferring to think before he spoke. Seeing him so outspoken was odd in its own way.

“Stupid spiky-head,” Deo muttered, shooting daggers at the Tyrogue. But, the Pokemon had spoken. He rolled backwards out of the way, beginning to charge with excitement. “Okay, go!”

Cooler slapped his hands together and cracked his knuckles. A goofy smile appeared on his face. “Finally! The chance to show you once and for all how strong I’ve gotten! Just try not to hurt yourself, ok?”

Prophecy smirked, taking slow deep breaths. The steam seemed to be getting thicker with every exhalation. “Aren’t you worked up? Try your best, turtle- maybe I’ll take it easy on you.”

Simultaneously, there were two explosions of light from both Pokemon. A shimmery blue beam of energy erupted from Cooler’s mouth. Drops of half-frozen water splashed against the dirt as the Ice Beam flew, small but tightly controlled. It arced through the air without a sound, until it met the much hotter stream of Prophecy’s fire met it in mid-air.

A great hissing was heard as the two attacks collided. Ice and water evaporated into pure steam in a matter of seconds. Nonetheless, Cooler poured on a steady stream of supercooled water while Prophecy retaliated with pure fire, creating a small bubble of mixing energies between them.

“What’s happening in there?” Charmene asked, pointing to the reddish-blue orb in the center of the mixing attacks.

“Fire needs oxygen to burn, but the oxygen is being used up with the formation of steam. So, the fire ceases to burn, while the ice and water seems to disappear, creating a type of ‘dead zone,’” Fisticuffs explained. Both the Grimer and Charmander looked at him, impressed.

“How did you know all that?”

The Tyrogue shrugged. “Seems kind of obvious to me.”

Finally, at the same time, both Cooler and Prophecy stopped. The ‘dead zone’ was visible for a few moments more, then there was a small POP as air filled the space again. The Bagon was sweating with exertion. In between breaths, she gasped, “Well? Who won?”

All five of the Pokemon looked at Deo, who had an indecipherable look on his face. Then, a sly grin appeared on the Voltorb’s face. “ That depends… how much is victory worth to you?” As Trey stepped into the backyard, a rush of sound and light welcomed him.

CHEEEEEEOW! ROOOOWSH! BLOOOOSH!

When the smoke cleared, Deo lay on his side, unconscious. Cooler and Prophecy had attacked with Ice Beam and Flamethrower respectively. As a result, the Voltorb exploded from the pressure, slamming the Squirtle and Bagon into a similar condition. Trey shook his head, looking at three Pokemon sprawled out on the ground.

“Why can’t you guys take up chess or something?”

“Can’t pick up the pieces,” Troit replied, holding up a gooey hand as proof.

“Don’t have the patience,” Fisticuffs said, getting to his feet.

“What’s ‘chess?’”

“I’ll teach you later,” Trey promised, walking over to the three collapsed Pokemon. He bent down to pick up the Squirtle, cradling him under one arm. “Help me lug these guys inside- there’s something we should talk about.”
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A half hour later, Deo, Prophecy and Cooler had been roused, and the six Pokemon were gathered in the living room. Trey stood in front of them, gathering his thoughts. “Hmmm… As you can guess, I just attended a meeting at the MTU. The letter I received was also sent out to all available trainers at the MTU’s command.”

“It seems that the Eaglelandian government is having some problems. The people of Happy-Happy Village, a predominantly… Happy-Happyist place, seem to have taken their religion one step further. The villagers have struck Twoson, a neighboring town and put it under their control. The cultists are being led by one of the Dragon Tamers. Former Tamer, I suppose.”

“What the hell is a Happy-Happyist?” Deo demanded, grumpy. His gold coating was still a bit smudged.

“Got me,” Fisticuffs said, laying length-wise across the church. “But you’ll find out soon enough. A church is going to be built soon in Caledor.”

“Wow, you really do know everything!” Charmene exclaimed, an awed expression on her face. The Tyrogue shrugged.

“Not really. Just read it in the paper.”

“O-oh…” Charmene said, her expression fading. “Right.”

“In any case,” Trey continued, smiling at the Charmander’s naiveté, “the situation is perfect for an outfit like the MTU. Eagleland is trying to recruit trainers to help in retaking Twoson, and the MTU, along with the Dragon Tamers, have volunteered to help. What this means to us…is that we have the option of traveling to Eagleland.”

The Pokemon groaned in unison, and Troit raised a hand. “We don’t have to walk all the way there, do we?”

Trey smiled. “No, the MTU is providing transportation this time. Airline tickets, round-trip. Hope you guys don’t get air-sick.”

“Did you mention that machine we found in Silver Depth?” Troit interrupted. If there were more of those devices, Caledor could soon fall into much worse trouble than just a few cultists. A few more Steelix slithering around on a rampage would take some time to handle.

“I mentioned it to Lady Banette, yeah,” Trey replied. “She had already heard about it from Justin, and wanted to pass along her thanks to us. But, with Team Rocket lying low right now, there’s not too much we can do. The Twoson situation is more pressing, and it’s best to quash it now.”

“What are we going to do, though?” Fisticuffs asked, sitting up. His eyes seemed to be gleaming with excitement. “Are we going to be fighting humans, Pokemon, what?”

“The cultists have obtained genetically altered Pokemon,” Trey explained. “At least, that’s the rumor. If it’s true, then there will be the opportunity to fight much stronger opponents than the ones we have already seen.”

“Stronger opponents, eh?” Fisticuffs mused. There was no mistaking the tremble of excitement in his voice now. “Sounds interesting.”

“Dangerous is what you mean,” Troit pointed out. He looked at Trey again, always reasonable. “What about this Dragon Tamer leader? What happens to him?”

Trey sighed, looking uncertain. “I don’t know. If he is doing this against his will, then I suppose the plan is to capture him and find out what has happened to him. Though, I have no idea what kind of drug could force a human being to commit acts against their will without killing them. Yssera can’t be responsible, I doubt she has the power to control someone from so far away. Besides, his Pokemon would have noticed….”

“Fine, fine,” Troit said impatiently, realizing that Trey was rambling. “What if he’s not being coerced? What if….it’s his decision?”

Trey looked away, and shrugged. “I can’t say. The people of Twoson will want justice after losing their homes and their families. They may want blood. And this Tamer guy has already been photographed in the act. So if he is being controlled, then there would need to be undeniable proof. ”

Undeniable proof, Troit thought to himself. But how would you find something like that?

“When do we go?” Deo demanded.

“We have time. Enough time for any preparation we need to do, anyhow. By the way, Deo,” Trey said, digging a small black box out of his pocket. “I got you a TM. You don’t have as many attacks as everyone else.”

“I make up for it in destructive power,” Deo boasted proudly.

“Sure,” Charmene muttered, “if by destructive power, you mean Self-Destruct…”

“Er, right,” Trey agreed, cracking the box over Deo’s head. The Voltorb felt a slight tingle, but nothing came out of the TM. “Say, what move didja get, anyhow? I think you were scammed. This piece a’ junk ain’t working!”

“It’s Hidden Power,” Trey explained. “The shopkeeper said that Hidden Power is different for each Pokemon. You should see the effects of it soon.”

“Knowing Deo, he’ll probably get something like Bug type, haha,” Cooler laughed.

“I’ll squash YOU like a bug!”

“Take it easy, huh?” Trey said, as Cooler and Deo were now glaring at each other like blood enemies. “I’ll try to get everybody a TM before we go. There’s also this little TM I’ve had for a while. Here, Troit,” he said, opening a similar TM box. This one contained a light greenish-powder, which dissolved on contact with the Grimer’s skin.

“Mega Drain, hmm? That’ll be useful. Thanks!” Troit said cheerfully.

The conversation done, the group splintered off in different directions. Fisticuffs wandered off into the woods to train. Charmene and Prophecy decided to take a walk. Deo settled on the couch to watch TV, while Troit and Cooler headed back into the backyard.

Sighing, Cooler sat down at the edge of the woods, leaning against a tree. Troit took a position across from him. Cooler looked at the Grimer, confused. “Something’s bothering you- I can tell. What’s up?”

“It just seems like a lot of things going wrong at the same time,” Troit said with a sigh. “The Blades are broken up, but not the Rockets are starting trouble. Then, there’s the White Mountain problem. Now, even the Dragon Guild seems to be having problems…I heard that this rogue Tamer was missing for a while before the Eagleland attacks began.”

“We can only deal with each matter as it comes, Troit,” Cooler replied, looking up into the trees. Casually, he spat a burst of water, knocking a overhanging Berry off of a branch. It fell into his outstretched hand, and the Squirtle took a leisurely bite. “Besides, it’s not like it’s just us. There are other people helping.”

“Yeah, but I’ve always heard that trouble comes in threes,” Troit said. “There was Yssera, now Eagleland…what’s next?” Above them, something rustled in the branches, sending a few leaves to the ground. Neither Pokemon noticed.

“You’re forgetting Silver Depth,” Cooler pointed, turning the Berry over in his hands. “If you count that, then we’ve already faced our ‘three troubles.’”

“Hmm…or maybe it was that trouble comes in groups of three…I can’t remember…”

“You really need to calm down about this trouble stuff,” Cooler said reassuringly, taking another bite of his fruit. “If you worry too much, something bad is bound to happen.”

“I guess you’re right,” the Grimer admitted. “Maybe I am worrying too much. We can handle whatever comes our way.”

“That’s the spirit! Wanna bite?” Cooler offered, holding out the half-eaten Berry. Just as the Grimer reached out to take the fruit, however, Cooler suddenly launched the Berry into the branches of the tree above them. There was a grunt, and a muffled thud, followed by a curse. Then, a dark form hurtled down from the leaves above them.

Cooler pulled his head into his shell just a paw, tipped with razor-sharp claws, sliced the air where it had just been. Troit wasn’t so fortunate. The other paw stabbed deep into his gooey face, causing him to cry out. A slight looking Sneasel stood between them, his face fixed in deep concentration.

Cooler rolled away, popping his head and limbs out of his shell. The Sneasel stared at him, sneering slightly. His voice was hard, but surprisingly, young. “One down, one to go.” With a soft PLOOP, he removed his claw from the dent in the Grimer’s face and pointed it at the Squirtle.

“It’ll take a lot more than that to beat Troit,” Cooler retorted. And it was true- even as he spoke, Troit’s face was reforming, filling the hollow space with an effort. When the Grimer’s face was restored, a pained expression was on his face.

“Who the hell are you?” Cooler demanded. “Why did you attack us?”

The Sneasel leaped away from Troit, landing in the middle of the yard. “My name is unimportant. I was sent to observe, not to fight. Sent from Yssera. But since I was discovered, I have no choice but to eliminate the both of you.”

“There’s always a choice,” Troit said with some difficulty. “Even one of Yssera’s minions must know that.”

The Sneasel’s eyes hardened. “I’m no minion. My actions are my own.”

Cooler sniggered. “Yeah, only because we’re not on White Mountain. How does it feel to be in control of your own body for once? No scaly lizard watching your every move like a hawk- what a privilege.”

The Sneasel’s resolve snapped, his expression changing to one of fury. Growling, he launched himself at Cooler, his arms poised to swing. “SHUT UP!”

BATTLE!
L 9 Squirtle vs. L 9 Sneasel

One thing was obvious right from the start: the weasel-like Pokemon was definitely quicker than him. Before Cooler could blink, the Sneasel had dealt him two blows in the gut. The Squirtle grunted, but his hard shell had protected him from his enemy’s sharp claws.

“You don’t have the strength to even crack my shell!” Cooler cried, resisting the urge to rub the sore spot where he had been hit.

“That’s true,” the Sneasel agreed with calculating eyes. “But… is your head as hard as your shell? Or your arms? Or legs? You blocked my strike before, because you anticipated it. Let’s see how you fare when I move a bit faster!”

In an instant, six more Sneasel appeared besides the original, identical in every way. Even more surprising, the clones went in several directions, as opposed to mimicking the leader’s commands. Two dashed to his left, one leapt up into a tree, another jinked to his right, and the remaining three rushed for him.

I thought Double Team clones were incapable of independent movement! How did this guy manage to… The three Sneasels approaching cocked their right arm back. Expecting a blow, Cooler withdrew into his shell, but the group of Sneasel’s faded away, only illusions. At the same time, a hard blow from behind sent him flying across the lawn into a rock.

Shaken, Cooler emerged from his shell. I can’t keep track of all them… One on my right…one on my left… the one hiding in the tree must be him! Enthused, the Squirtle fired a quick burst of water at the pair of eyes hiding in the branches. Instead of the grunt of pain he expected to hear, the eyes only disappeared. Another clone!

The two remaining Sneasel split and stood on either side of him, firing an Ice Beam at the same time. The twin beams of frosty energy were equally powerful, and with his Mirror Coat technique, Cooler could only block one. On instinct, he turned to his right, his shell glowing a bright orange….only to be struck in the front by the true Ice Beam. He tumbled on his back, his legs feeling numb.

The Sneasel laughed out loud. One by one, Sneasel clones materialized from mid-air. “That was a sample of my speed. Next time, I’ll use the claws- and I’ll go for the throat.”

With an effort, Cooler climbed to his feet. He spat a bit of warm water over his front, trying to bring some feeling back to his numb limbs, and took a defensive stance. “I’m still not impressed. Even with all your speed, there’s still one huge weakness you didn’t cover.”

“Weakness? Unless you’re as quick as I am, you’re in no position to be telling me anything!” The Sneasels charged, coming from every direction, not bothering to dodge and weave. Cooler ignored them, looking instead at the ground and exhaling a great number of bubbles. The bubbles floated out in all directions, passing through all of the Sneasel, save one.

Realizing the trap, the Sneasel quickly leapt up into the air, trying to escape the bubbles. It was already too late, there was still a few telltale bubbles on his skin as he took to the air. Grinning, Cooler turned and sprang forward, slamming into the Sneasel’s chest in a powerful Tackle. One by one, the clones disappeared.

“Your weakness is that once you’re in mid-air, all your speed is useless,” Cooler said, standing over the Sneasel. Before his opponent could get to his feet, Cooler fired a point-blank Bubblebeam, overwhelming him with a sea of stinging, painful bubbles. “And you move so quickly because you can’t take a punch. Though that Double Team surprised me.”

Battle END!
Cooler grew to L 10! Cooler learned Surf as his free TM!

Troit moved over next to Cooler, who was looking down at the unconscious Sneasel. Tentatively, the Squirtle poked him with a paw, but the fallen Pokemon didn’t respond. “What d’ya think we should do with him? Dump him into the woods?”

“Let’s bring him inside,” Troit suggested. “Trey will know what to do.”

“What, are you kidding?? Did you forget that this guy tried to kill us? He’s one of Yssera’s guys!”

“But Yssera is at White Mountain, and it seems this guy came alone,” Troit reasoned. “Also, he only attacked because you spotted him. He said himself that he was only here to observe.”

“Well, fine,” Cooler huffed, grabbing the Sneasel’s legs and beginning to drag him towards the house. “But if he kills us all in the middle of the night, it’s all your fault, Troit.”

“Er…sure. I’ll take the blame.”
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Sneasel awoke to find eyes staring at him from all sides. He was laying down across the couch, and a human looked up when he stirred.

“So yer awake, huh?” a peculiar golden Voltorb muttered, glaring at him. His eyes seemed to fill with malice, and he seemed to loom over the Sneasel. “Good. When preparing Sneasel-burgers, it’s best ta work wit’ fresh meat.”

“Knock it off, Deo,” the human said, giving the Voltorb a slight push. Deo grunted, rolling backwards off the couch and on the floor. The human looked at him kindly. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Are you really a spy of Yssera’s?”

“How did you use Double Team like that?”

“Did you follow us all the way from White Mountain?”

“I can’t answer your questions,” the Sneasel replied, holding up a hand as if to deflect the flurry of queries. Now that he had a closer look, Cooler decided that this particular Sneasel seemed pretty young. “If Yssera knew I was here… knew that I failed...”

“Yssera’s not here, though. She’s far away in White Mountain, and you’re right here,” Troit said probingly. He recalled how angry the Sneasel got when Cooler had mentioned Yssera. “You seem different from the rest of Yssera’s…people. Am I wrong?”

The Sneasel sighed, closing his eyes. The silence spiraled out, until finally he spoke again. “The name I was given by Yssera is Icado, but my true name- the name my parents gave me- is Silk. If you have to call me anything, then use that name. It seems I can’t return to Yssera anyhow…”

“I’m not a spy, because I’m not going to return back with a report of your movements, or anything like that. Like I said, I was sent to keep an eye on you… the Bagon especially.” Prophecy narrowed her eyes in dislike at this. “I left maybe a few days after you departed… followed the train tracks to Caledor, then followed my nose to your home.”

“Wow,” Charmene said, looking astonished. “You must be a really good tracker… what do you mean by ‘followed your nose?’”

“Well,” Silk explained, pointing at Cooler, “the Squirtle smells like seafood. Also, the Grimer has a unique smell as well…” He didn’t seem to notice the murderous glares Cooler and Troit threw his way.

“As for the Double Team…it’s always been kind of a natural skill. I’ve always been quick, and I believe in a lot of practice.”

“Well… what do you plan to do now?” Trey asked.

Silk looked downcast. “I really don’t know… I should have never spoken to all of you. If I return to Yssera now… she’ll know. She can see it… in my mind. Then, she’ll punish me.”

“So don’t go back,” Fisticuffs said simply. Prophecy nodded.

“I can’t do that!” Silk cried, looking frantic. “There are others stronger than me- you’ve seen them! Fought them! She’ll send them after me!”

“We fought them off once,” Prophecy replied. Albeit with a little help. “We can fend them off again. Besides, we could use the exercise before we go on our trip.”

“Silk, you’re free to hang around here,” Trey said firmly. “We can protect you.”

The Sneasel looked at the group incredulously. “You would do that? Even knowing what I was here for? Even after I tried to kill you?”

“Aw, c’mon,” Cooler commented. “It’s not like you’re the first one or anything. We’ve gotten way too many near misses with death…”

“The trials of tha life of a sufferin’ hero,” Deo said in a long-suffering tone.

“Since when were you a hero, 8-ball?” Fisticuffs said, drawing laughter from Cooler and Charmene. Deo scowled, a few sparks buzzing about him as he charged up. Silk shook his head slowly. These guys are strange… but maybe I’ll hang around for a while.

classy_cat18

29th June 2006, 03:22 PM

Here it is. Ali's RBG! Note: The following items are given in this RBG. Conversion TM for Bandit, Icy Wind TM for Bandit, Slash TM for Bandit, Bulk Up TM for Athena, Dizzy Punch TM for Ali, Superpower TM for Moriko, On-Off Socket for Beacon

Shonta's POV

Ken looked at the kiddie pool that I was filling up with water. I figured since he was a Water type he would take to water like, well, a Squirtle. "This should cool you down," I told him brightly.

"No!" Ken said happily.

"I thought you knew what 'no' meant."

"No!"

"Okay, now I'm confused."

Bandit walked out with something behind his back. Without warning, he pulled it out. The next thing I saw was a bright flash. He had taken my picture and I was wearing a one piece swimsuit. "Nice. All the other Dragon Tamers can now see how nice you look when you're not wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans," he snickered.

"Okay, what will it cost for you not to distribute that picture to others?" I asked him, knowing already what he had in mind.

"How much you got?"

"Icy Wind, Slash and Conversion."

"Deal!" He pushed a few buttons on the digital camera and (hopefully) deleted the picture. "So I see you're giving Ken his first swimming lesson. How's it going?"

"We haven't started yet but he seems excited. Then again, I could be wrong."

"No!" Ken said as he smiled at Bandit.

"You need to teach the kid some new words," I told Bandit as he rubbed Ken's head, making him giggle.

"Nuh-uh! Not after that incident with Bo!"

"Say 'Bandit', Bo. Baaaandit," I told him.

"Bo! Bobobo bobo bo!" Bo the Eevee said in glee. He loved saying his own name.

"Oh man! We're getting nowhere with him!" Bandit yelled in frustration, kicking the coffee table and shouting something that shouldn’t be said. “Sh…”

“Of all the words he could’ve learned he chose that one,” Bandit said sadly. “I can’t even remember what happened next clearly. Katana pounded me until my brain was scrambled."

"Hopefully we'll have an easier time with Ken." I picked up Ken and placed him in the water. He looked up at me, confused on what to do next. "Just splash, Ken. Like this." I swished my hand through the water.

"'Plash?" Ken asked me.

I gasped. "Bandit! He said another word!"

"I don't know if 'plash' counts as another word," Bandit said.

"'Plash! I 'plash!" Ken yelled happily. He copied me and then started slapping the water's surface, sending water everywhere. I put my arms up to keep my face from getting wet while laughing.

Bandit jumped in the kiddie pool. "Ken, watch this." He took in a mouthful of water from the pool and squirted it out in a small stream. "That's called a Water Gun. Now you try it."

Ken nodded and squirted out a little water from his mouth without getting it from the pool. It wasn't powerful enough to be counted as an attack but it was enough for now. "Wa-wa gun!" Ken said to me.

I smiled widely, overcome by his cuteness. "That's right, you did a Water Gun!" I rubbed his head. "Bandit, he may be able to start battling soon."

"Yeah, but let's first get him swimming. There's a big pool at the Eevee House. He'll love it." He helped Ken out of the pool and dried him off. "What is it with me and kids? First it was Bo and now it's Ken."

"Bo and Ken need a good male role model. Destai's nice...when he wants to be. I don't want Ken biting everyone just because they're not a part of the 'pack'."

He paused from drying off himself. "Gee, I never thought about it that way. But Bo's becoming a good big brother. Too bad he had to leave for training with the other girls."

"Nama!" Ken said cheerfully.

"Do you want to see Nama?" I asked Ken as I picked him up.

"No!"

I looked at Bandit. "Would that be a 'no' or a 'yes'?"

"It sounded like a 'yes'," he guessed.

Ali's POV

I dug my toes in the dirt and faced my opponent with determination. I was strong and in mind and body. I would not be moved. I would not be defeated!

"Take this, Ali!" My opponent fired her wings and summoned a gust that instantly lifted me off of my feet and sent me sailing into the fountain. Everything went black for a few seconds.

I opened my eyes to see my opponent looking down at me with concern. "Are you alright? I forgot to hold back for you."

"Nah. I just need to watch out for that Aeroblast. Thanks for the practice, Moriko.”

“No problem!” She took hold of my outstretched arm and lifted me off the ground. “It’s your type. Being a Fighting type kind of makes you weak against flying attacks.”

“Yeah, but you’re the only Fighting type on this team that’s prepared to fight Yssera! You’re the strongest Fighting type on this team, you have four very strong attacks, and you have a spirit that no one can put down!” I had an urge to shake her hand. “You’re my idol! I’m surprised you’re not the strongest Pokemon on the team!”

She was at a loss for words for a while as she was stuttering, looking for something to say. Finally she said, “I’ve never had a fan before.”

“Why aren’t there more Heracross in the Dragon Tamers?”

“Well…Heracross are kind of hard to come by.”

“There should be more! And you should be the leader!”

She laughed. “I think you’re getting a little carried away. The fact is that I’m glad that there’s not a lot of Heracross in the Dragon Tamers. That makes me feel special.”

“I think they’re missing out on something.” I sat in the grass with her and watched the other Pokemon practice. Athena was trying out the difference between her normal strength and her strength after Bulk Up. Trinity was fine tuning her Teleport skills while dodging Lily’s and Rose’s attacks. Beacon and Jewel were sparring, Beacon not using any electric attacks but instead practicing her physical attacks while wearing her new On-Off Socket. Katana was teaching Nama how to dodge attacks without using a lot of energy. Bo was getting used to his new form while sparring with Destai. Finally, Circe was helping Athena with her precision by levitating rocks for her to hit.

I glanced at Moriko and smiled. I had gained so much respect for her after I heard of how she ended up at the adoption center. She went through so much and now she was getting stronger by the day. My story was simple: my trainer didn't want me. I was weak in his eyes and was quickly replaced by a Makuhita. He didn't beat me up or anything, just took me to the adoption center and told them to take care of me.

“Everyone’s so busy preparing for the next Dragon’s Guild mission,” Moriko observed.

I nodded, thinking that Moriko was thinking about Maza’s situation. “We’ll kick butt. Just relax for now and let yourself unwind. You can’t really battle while you’re all wound up.”

Moriko grinned at me. “Now you’re talking like a Meditite.”

Our heads jerked around to the sound of someone calling us. Shonta was walking toward us with Bandit by her side and Ken in her arms. "Hey, girls. Liking the new attacks?" Shonta asked us.

Moriko and I nodded. "It must've cost you an arm and a leg to get these TMs," I told her.

"Pretty much. I'll still have to get Bo a Faint Attack TM." She set Ken down so he could move around. He shot straight past me and ran for Nama who patted his head and walked with him back to us.

"Why does he hang out with Nama?" I asked Shonta.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because she's so relaxed. I don't know Ken's thoughts."

“It’s simple, really. Ken likes me so much because I feed him his favorite berries every now and then,” Nama explained.

“That explains everything,” Moriko said. “I also see that he goes to you every day for his nap. Does the Yawn attack have anything to do with it?”

Nama just gave Moriko one of her lazy smiles. “Maybe.” She led Ken to the fountain and put him in it so he could splash around.

“Ken’s hard to figure out. First he’s crazy about Trinity and now he like Nama,” I said. Shonta just shrugged and sat down with us. “I think I’m going to meditate for a while. Care to join me?”

“I don’t think so. Staying focused outside of training and battle isn’t one of my strong points.”

“This is training. Just focus on the back of your eyelids and everything will be clear.” I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. An unknown amount of time passed before I heard a loud scream. My eyes jerked open so I could see Shonta clutching her face and whimpering in pain. With her were a little boy and his Meowth. There was a little blood on the Meowth’s claws so I could see what had happened. “What’s with you scratching my trainer’s face while she’s trying to clear her mind?” I asked the boy.

The boy ignored me and glared at Shonta. “Your stupid Squirtle sprayed my big brother’s Meowth! What are you going to do about it?” he yelled at her.

Shonta slowly let go of her face, revealing three bloody scratches. “I’ll apologize. Sorry for my Squirtle’s playfulness,” she said sarcastically.

“That Squirtle was being mean!” the boy practically screamed.

“Ken is just a baby.”

The boy growled in frustration. “Meowth, use…”

“Ben!” I heard someone shout. A guy around Shonta’s age dressed in black walked up to the boy and yanked his ear. “What are you doing now?”

“I was just getting this trainer back for getting your Meowth wet,” Ben whined. “I didn’t do nothing wrong.”

“You had Meowth scratch my friend’s face!” the older guy told him, yanking his ear even harder. Ben squirmed under his grip. “Apologize to the woman!”

Ben stopped squirming and looked at Shonta through hard eyes. “Sorry for making Meowth scratch your face.”

“It’s okay, Ben,” Shonta said brightly. “Thanks for the help, Daisuke.”

That caught my interest. “You know this guy?”

She laughed a little. “Yeah, he’s a Dragon Tamer. Daisuke sometimes helps me train. Daisuke, this is Ali. She’s one of the newer additions.”

Daisuke shook my hand. “Yeah, she mentioned you. She also mentioned that she now has a full and stronger team.” He turned back to Shonta. “Do you want to battle?”

Shonta scratched her chin for a minute before answering. “Sure. But you battle one of my newer Pokemon. How about Ali?”

I threw my hands up in excitement. “Yes! Another battle for Ali!”

“I guess I’ll use my Meowth,” Daisuke said.

My spirits dropped. “Oh boy.”

Both trainers walked out to a flat piece of ground that was recently occupied by two other trainers and their Pokemon. Shonta smiled at me. “Are you ready?”

“Always,” I responded.

“Let’s go!”

L9 Female Meditite (Ali) vs. L9 Male Meowth

I gave Meowth a "come hither" gesture. He hissed as his fur sparked. He wasn't going to be fooled into trying to attack directly. Electricity was released from his body, aimed at me. Too fast to dodge. I braced myself for impact, using Bide to absorb the pain, and gritted my teeth as the electricity traveled through my body.

"Ali! Try out your Dizzy Punch!" Shonta ordered.

But Meowth wasn't going to have that. In two seconds he had me on my back and looking up at him. "I wonder how you'll look with scratches on your face?" he mused.

I tried not to picture that and instead concentrated on my psychic powers. Meowth was lifted off of me and back on the ground. I got to my feet and dusted myself off. "I wonder how you'll look with a black eye?" I returned.

Meowth hissed again and released another Thundershock but I could see this one coming. I rolled forward and missed the blast, a trick that Katana showed Nama. "You need to work on your aim!" I teased.

He hissed and ran straight for me. That was what I was waiting for. As he jumped in the air, I jumped with him and kicked him in the stomach. He dropped to the ground and writhed in pain. "That was a cheap shot," he said breathlessly.

"So were those Thundershocks," I retorted. I didn't give him any chance to retaliate as I held up my hand and psychically lifted him from the ground again. I flung my hand back and, in turn, flung him back as well. I looked back and saw that his face was in the dirt. "Man, you're going to need a bath."

Meowth mumbled something I couldn't hear clearly. He got up and mumbled it again. Just a bunch of nonsense. He was confused. Now it's time for my Dizzy Punch. But to my surprise, he ran straight for me! He pounced on me before I could defend myself, gave me a quick scratch on the face, and jumped off before I could get him off of me.

"Now that was a cheap shot," I heard Katana say.

He whirled around and bit down on my arm as hard as he could. "AAH!" I yelled. To make sure I didn't shake him off he dug his claws into my arm. Now even using Confusion to get him off was going to be painful. All I could do was use Bide to absorb the pain for later.

"Foul! Hey ref, foul!" Bandit shouted.

"There is no referee," Lily pointed out.

"Well, there should be! That's a FOUL! Get him back, Ali!"

The rest of the team started cheering. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Moriko waving fans with my picture on them. Even Ken was out of the fountain and laughing and clapping. Out of the other corner of my eye I saw more Pokemon coming to watch. Whether it was to cheer for me or Meowth I was unsure. All I knew is that I had an audience now and I was not going to look like a fool.

I used my right fist to pound Meowth's head as hard as I could, using the gathered energy of Bide to add some power. Meowth stopped growling, stopped gnawing, and stopped clawing. He let go of my arm and stumbled for a few steps before turning to me, glared, and fell over.

"YES! He's out!" Moriko cheered.

I won and grew to level 10! I got Light Screen as my free L10 TM!

Moriko and Athena ran to me. "You did it! You were spectacular!" Athena said happily.

"You totally kicked his butt. How does it feel?" Moriko asked me.

"Meh. I would have liked a real challenge," I told them, acting indifferent. Moriko punched my arm lightly and all three of us laughed. "But really, I can't wait to get into a real battle. Practicing just isn't going anywhere for me."

"Be careful of what you wish for," Athena warned me. "I heard those Happy Happyists are really tough."

"But we'll be there for each other, right? We're like the Three Musketeers!"

Moriko hugged both me and Athena. "We sure are!" Moriko said in her usual cheerful tone.

I felt something squirt me on the back of my head and turned my head to see Ken laughing and hugging my leg. "Hey champ, do you want to battle too?" I asked him.

"Yeah!" he said.

We looked at each other, shocked at Ken's answer. "Did he just say 'yeah'?" I slowly asked.

"He sure did!" Athena said. We rushed over to Shonta to give the news.

Can I get a RBG for my L5 Squirtle, Ken? This will be from the Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency. *gives seven stamps*

Ace64

29th June 2006, 03:36 PM

Ken will be battling a Poliwrath...Good luck. *takes stamps*

Lady Vulpix

30th June 2006, 06:16 AM

Trey: sorry for the delay, I've finally rated your battle. According to my reference pages, Mirror Coat affects the last opponent who hit the user. How does that work when there are Double Team clones involved? I never thought they'd count as opponents. There were some more typos than usual, maybe we both need to change our keyboards. Now, should I be worried that my sense of humor is so similar to Charmene's? And I think Hero would have liked watching that battle. Besides he knows first hand (paw?...) how much coordination it takes to make Double Team clones perform different actions simultaneously. Silk reminded me of Katana, though something about his story doesn't seem to fit. Is he keeping any secrets? Take 16 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Ace64

30th June 2006, 09:24 AM

Well, in this case, only the true Pokemon's attack can be reflected. The clones' attack would just pass through. So, Cooler attempted to deflect a false attack, and was hit from behind. This one took a while to write, and I need to proofread more, so blame it on that. Maybe Charmene has the same sense of humor as you? And yeah, Silk is kind of similiar to Katana. They're similiar Pokemon (kinda) to start, but I tried to keep them separate best as I can. You'll find out more about that later. As for secrets...who can tell? Yssera wouldn't keep anything from him...would she?

I'd like a one one one RBG for Deo, at the Electric Shutdown Retirement...Thing. *pays 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

30th June 2006, 10:49 AM

I don't really know who Yssera may or may not keep secrets from.
Deo will battle an Electrike. Have fun writing.

Shai

30th June 2006, 01:32 PM

Eh, well, everyone else is getting an extension. I think I will too, just in case... still thinking on my wording for the next battle.

Lady Vulpix

30th June 2006, 01:45 PM

Sure, you can have it. I guess the next scenario can wait a few more days. After all, everyone has other things to do.

The Blue Avenger

3rd July 2006, 12:35 AM

It took me a while, but I'm done. Here's Mona and Bobbery's RBG, entitled "White Mountain." Cheers!

---

“Okay, so we’re at White Mountain,” Kurtzwick said, a note of impatience in his voice. He gazed up at the mountain in front of the party, which was, as its name implied, fairly pale. “Now what?” he continued, turning to face Previsiona. The two were sitting on the back of a Pidgeot, as was Mona. The Pidgeot had a band of some kind strapped around its leg, attached to which was a lone Pokeball.
“Well… um…” the Castform stuttered, “the Guild said that we’d know what to do when we got here… and why are you asking me? I was talking to Gabi when they were sorting out transportation.”
“Why’d you assume I was listening?” Kurtzwick countered. “I figured we had transportation settled, thanks to Cam.” Cam grinned.
“Well, so what now?” Previsiona frowned. “I mean, with as few teammates as we have here, we’re in no shape to go try and find this evil dragon by ourselves.”
The Pokeball around Cam’s leg burst open, revealing a bulky Snorlax. Bobbery yawned, lumbered over to a nearby boulder, and sat down, leaning on it. “I’m all for just chilling and saying that we didn’t find anything,” Bobbery said, just before falling asleep.
“Awww…” Mona whined. ‘Do we really have’ta stick around here?” She glanced around eagerly. “This place looks so cool!”
“Hmph,” Kurtzwick grunted, “why’d we have to bring her along?”
Cam made a shrugging motion. “She wanted to come. And at least she’d be more useful in a battle than Mr. I Zap Things With My One Useful Attack.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is?” Kurtzwick replied, scowling. He slithered away from Previsiona, nearer to Cam’s wing, and gazed into the sky, frowning.
Previsiona floated down near Cam’s head. “So, how do you want to approach this?”
“Honestly?” Cam replied. ‘I’m not sure. I guess I figured things would seem clearer once we got here…. But they aren’t, really.”
Cam did not get a chance to finish that sentiment, because at that moment, a voice broke into their conversation: “Hey, there!” Cam and Previsiona looked up and saw a very familiar group of people and Pokemon alike walking towards them – Gabi, some of her Pokemon, and another man and some Pokemon that Cam and Previsiona both had seen in the Guild before.
“Ahh! Hi! It's good to see someone we know here,” Previsiona said with a smile.
Cam sighed. “I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't find anyone.”
Gabi’s Pidgeot glanced at Cam, asking, “Cam?” Cam replied in the affirmative. “Cool. You look good as a Pidgeot,” Pidgeot grinned.
Cam smiled back. “Heh, thanks. I'll admit... it's quite helpful to be able to fly.”
Gabi walked up behind her Pidgeot. “Hi, everyone! We've just been to one of the weirdest places around, but we have good news for you.” Cam and Previsiona spoke up at the same time, greeting her and asking what she had to say. “We met a detective who works for the Dragon's Guild, and a reporter who travels with him. We told them about the situation in Happy-Happy Village, and they said they would head over there to investigate.”
Previsiona beamed. “Awesome! Thank you!”
“Though I'm not sure how helpful they will be. The guy was wearing a lampshade as a hat when we met him. Then again, he might be of help, and everyone else around him seemed serious enough…” Tsunami said, almost as much to himself as anyone else.
Cam turned to him and paused a moment before asking “...Lampshade?”
“He said there was a portal in it or something,” Tsunami replied with a semi-dismissive wave of his paw.
Gabi sighed. “I really wish we could do more, but as soon as we get back home, we'll hold another meeting and see what we can do to help.”
The somber tone the conversation was taking was interrupted by an “Oh! Hey! When did you guys get here?” from Mona, who had finally glanced in their direction.
Tsunami stuck out his tongue and grinned. “When you weren't looking, obviously.”
Mona began to wave her arms around in what she hoped was a sinister-looking manner. “Hey, watch it, mister! I have…” here, her voice became almost unnaturally deep, “psychic powers!”
“Really? Well, I could talk to Caledor telepathically when no one else had figured out the way,” Tsunami countered. “No one else without Psychic powers of their own, I mean.” He grinned and puffed out his chest. “And besides, I'm the King of Waves! I don't need psychic powers!”
This seemingly defused the argument, as Mona replied, “Ooh! Maybe I'll get to Sketch Surf next!”
One of the Pokeballs Gabi was holding burst open suddenly, revealing her Ninetales, Hero. He glanced at Tsunami. “All these years and you're still using that stupid nickname?!”
Previsiona greeted him with a calm “Hello, Hero,” but Tsunami interrupted her.
“It's a classic! If you have problems with it, I'll gladly show you why I still hold the title.”
Hero ignored him. “Hello, Previsiona. Long time no scare.” Previsiona blushed slightly, but remained silent. Hero grinned and turned to the rest of the group. “So, when does the action begin?”
“We were just talking about that,” Cam said. “We weren't exactly sure where to go from here.”
“We don't have much of a lead, but Ryan did say he found Yssera in a cave on the mountain, so we could either start climbing and see what we find, or go to the town or the stadium and see if anyone knows anything. Though at the Pacing Ponyta resort they didn't seem to know more than we do,” Gabi responded.
Cam thought for a moment. “Hmmm. I would be inclined to think that the town would be the best place to start. We should try and get more information before we set out.”
The other man with Gabi turned to him. “That sounds like a good idea. We don't know what's up there.”
Previsiona looked at him with a questioning eye. “Hmmm? Excuse me, I don’t believe we've met.”
“Oh, sorry, I was so used to seeing you all moving around at the Guild's building that I forgot we'd never been formally introduced. I'm Golden Growlithe, but you can call me Ivan. My friends here are Glyph, Glice, Arim and Linyi,” Ivan said, gesturing to each of his Pokemon in turn.
Previsiona smiled. “It's good to meet you. I'm Previsiona, the clear Dratini is Kurtzwick, the Smeargle is Mona, the Pidgeot is Cam, and the Snorlax over there is Bobbery.”
“Pleased to meet you all, and sorry to learn about your trainer. We too will do what we can to help,” the Espeon following Ivan replied.
“Thank you. It's very much appreciated,” Previsiona said, a relieved smile beginning to cross her face.
Once again, the somber tone the conversation was beginning to take on was broken when the Smoochum, Linyi, asked the Clefairy, Arim, “Can I hug them?”
Arim shrugged and said, “You can ask them, but don't hug anyone's faces.”
Linyi squealed and turned to Previsiona. “Can I hug you?” she asked excitedly.
“Sure, sweetie.”
Once more, the Smoochum squealed and immediately hugged Previsiona. Cam turned to Arim and asked quietly, “What's up with her?”
“She's been like that all week. I'm afraid this whole situation may be putting too much strain on her,” Arim sighed. “And she's spent too much time away from home.”
Cam sighed too. “Poor girl. I'm rather glad I can get home easily; I can imagine how hard it must be.”
Arim nodded. “We've been away for just as long, but she's so young and has gone through so much... I understand it's especially hard on her.”
A brief pause followed Arim’s words, which in turn was followed by Cam asking, “Where are you from?”
A silence fell over Ivan’s team as each of the Pokemon turned to look at the trainer, who was looking at Glyph. “I don’t think you’ve heard of that place,” Glyph finally said.
Cam blinked. “Okay, fair enough,” he relented.
“You guys are digging your own grave. Everyone here is friendly anyway... luckily,” Tsunami chastised.
Ivan sighed quietly. “It's called Bei... More precisely Arinim.”
“Ooh…” Mona replied, “that sounds cool.” And just like that, the situation was diffused.
“It is!” explained Linyi. “It has beautiful flowers and sweet fruits and a river! And there are caves too, but sometimes there are bad things in caves. But they say there are bad things in caves here too.”
“I wanna go!” Mona said, turning to Previsiona.
“Be careful what you wish for. You may get it. I ended up there a few times and I don't even know how,” Gabi responded.
“Right, that was weirder than the Pacing Ponyta hotel,” Caledor pointed out.
Cam took the opportunity to ask what he perceived as an obvious question. “...Did I miss something? How did you end up there without knowing how? Were you unconscious?”
“She was unconscious the last time, and under a lot of stress the first time. She gave those of us who stayed here a big scare,” Tsunami explained.
Cam nodded. “Ah, okay, that makes more sense.”
Gabi, however, shook her head. “It still doesn't make sense to me; that's why I rarely talk about it. But it may mean something. I just don't know what... And right now I must admit I'm more concerned with the more immediate crises.”
“Right, right. Okay. So we're agreed on going to the town, then?” Cam said.
Gabi agreed, while everyone else nodded.
Mona jumped down from Cam’s back and began poking Bobbery. ‘C’mon, Bobbery, it’s time to go.”
Bobbery awoke with a start, yawned, and greeted everyone. “Right, I’m good,” he eventually said, prompting everyone else to begin walking off.
The trip to the town began in relative peace and quiet, until Cam asked, “So what's the name of this town?”
Kurtzwick snorted. “Maybe you should have done some more research before coming here.”
Cam angrily opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Hero broke in. “I assume you did, right?”
“'Course I did,” Kurtzwick replied with a glower. “Tor Elyr, right?”
Gabi shook her head. “Tor Elyr is further north. This is...” She consulted her map. “…apparently not on my map! How helpful this is. Then again, a similar publication once said there were no cities in Eataine save for Lothern, just fishermen villages. Either this is all ridiculously outdated, or awfully biased.” Mona stuck her tongue out at Kurtzwick, who scowled and looked away.
Bobbery scratched the back of his head. “So... we don't know what this place is?” he asked nervously.
“Sorry,” Gabi apologized, “we should ask when we see someone.”
Ivan frowned. “And someone should update the maps and brochures; this speaks really badly of the Guild.”
Previsiona looked shocked. “These are Guild maps? You'd think they'd be a little more specific... especially if they're sending people out to these areas.”
“It's probably an old map they had lying around,” Gabi replied dismissively. “I doubt they had time to print new ones.”
“If ya need new maps... I can "procure" some when we hit town,” Kurtzwick chuckled.
“Sure you can. You don't have to remind us,” Tsunami replied, rolling his eyes.
“Did I miss anything?” Ivan asked, confused.
“Nothing you’d rather know, really,” Gabi said. Kurtzwick scowled again at this, but kept his mouth shut. After a few moments of silence, Gabi spoke up again. “Maybe we should try to find a bar or something? Or we could try asking someone on the street, but that would be awkward and I must admit I'm not good at it.”
“Not to mention it might be sort of intimidating. I mean, someone walks up to you in the street with some 10 Pokemon... I'd think I was being mugged,” Cam pointed out.
Bobbery pointed at a building on the road near them. “Well, there's a bar right over there, so should we head in?”
“That could work,” replied Glyph, “I don't see any better place to start right now.”
“Well then,” Bobbery said, walking over and holding open the door. “After you.”
A white blur shot past him, and Bobbery heard hero saying “Before you.”
Tsunami rolled his eyes again. “And he complains about me sticking to old habits? Let's just go in.”
Cam transformed back into a Ditto, unknowingly causing both Kurtzwick and Mona to fall off of his back and glare at him. “Ahh. Much better,” he said as he blobbed his way through the open door.
As soon as everyone got inside, Kurtzwick suddenly showed up beside Bobbery. “Right-o, I got some maps,” he said, handing them out. “According to this, we're in Sybyll.”
Previsiona raised an eyebrow. “...Where did you get those maps from, Kurtzwick?”
“The travel agency across the street had 'em out for free.”
“...Okay, I guess that's fine,” Previsiona said, sighing.
“Sounds feasible. So now what?” asked Gabi.
Cam thought for a second. “I guess we try and ask one of the people here where this dragon is... I think that would be a task better reserved for the humans in our group.”
Gabi lowered her head. “I was afraid so.”
“Well, they won't understand us,” Cam said.
“What are you afraid of?” Ivan asked. “We won't get hurt by just asking. I've heard you've done far more dangerous things in the past.”
Gabi sighed. “This is different. I just don't know what to say. Danger I can deal with, as long as I know what to do.”
Ivan looked amazed for a moment. “Who would have thought so? I guess I'll ask, then.”
“You should try asking the bartender... it'd probably be less awkward than randomly asking one of the patrons,” Bobbery suggested.
“Maybe we should have something to drink or eat; that would make him more willing to answer,” remarked Amber, to which Bobbery responded with a large grin.
Ivan nodded. “Alright, I can do that too, I always end up fetching drinks for others anyway. What does everyone want?”
“Pink stuff!!” Mona cried.
Previsiona tried to calm her down. “Mona, dear, I don't think they have that.”
“Water will be fine,” Kurtzwick said, ignoring Mona.
“I'll pass. Thank you, though,” Cam said, nodding amiably.
Bobbery continued to grin widely. “I'll have root beer... and a couple a' sandwiches. Maybe a salad too.”
Gabi turned to Ivan. “I don't want to abuse... but if you don't mind, I would like some...”
Tsunami interrupted her. “…tea?”
“We all know you know, ok?” Gabi sighed.
Ivan smiled. “Sure. A cup of tea for you.”
Amber put a claw to her chin in thought. “I guess I could have one too.”
“And I'll have some water since we're at it,” said Tsunami.
“Ok, there I go,” Ivan said, walking towards the bartender. After a few brief moments of chatting with him and receiving the food, Ivan returned to the sight of two tables pushed together to accommodate the large party. Amber met him halfway back and helped him carry the meals. The food had scarcely touched the table before Bobbery uttered a quick ‘thank you’ and, in true Snorlax form, tore into his sizeable meal.
Gabi handed an order of water to tsunami before turning to Ivan. “Thanks,” she said, “how did it go?”
Ivan sat down. “He didn't seem to know much more than the others, but he seemed glad that someone was finally going to do something. He said some Pokemon had been attacking travelers apparently at random, and there are rumors that something strange is going on at the mountain.”
“Well, we pretty much knew all that, didn't we?” Kurtzwick interrupted.
“I hadn't heard of the random attacks,” Gabi replied, “but they always seem to happen when something goes wrong.”
Kurtzwick frowned. “Hm. I just assumed that since there's a crazy dragon and a fanatical following, there were probably some attacks.”
“Yes, but what is it that she wants? Besides tainting White Mountain, what's her goal? And why hasn't she done anything to achieve it yet?” Amber asked thoughtfully.
Gabi turned to her. “That's something we'll try to find out. Maybe if we meet some of her followers, we can get something out of them.”
Bobbery took a moment to look up from his meal. “But as far as we know, they're just somewhere on the mountain?”
“Yes, that's what all the sources seem to agree on,” Ivan confirmed.
“And I would have to agree as well,” Glyph said. “All this time I've been picking up strange vibrations from the mountain. Nothing like the PWEs at the lab, but something... unusual. Like to very rare kinds of energy getting tangled, maybe even fighting without either of them prevailing. I can pinpoint their exact source, though. I've been trying all this time. But they seem to come from the mountain.”
Glice stared at him. “Ok, that was cryptic, but coming from you I could say it was a little direct, even.”
Glyph returned the look. “We're dealing with what may be a great threat. It's not a time for games. I have to be direct about this.”
Cam glanced between the two. Confused. “Rare energy? What do you mean?”
“So the whole mystery thing is just a game? You should have told me, we could have played together!” Caledor said, sounding disappointed.
“Not now, Golden,” Glyph dismissed. “I don't know exactly what it is, it just feels... strange. Mystical, I think.”
Kurtzwick looked at him. “That's Caledor, not Golden.”
“That's his nickname for me,” Caledor replied.
“I've felt something like that before, while I was on the mountain. I can't say if it was just one kind of energy, or two, or more, but there was something special about it. I also used to feel it around... Someone who came from here,” Gabi said, and then sighed. “Now that I think of it, it's not only Yssera's followers who may cause us trouble if we go up the mountain.”
All eyes at the table turned to look at her. Both Bobbery and Arim spoke up at the same time, the latter with “What do you mean?” and the former with “Really? Who?”
Gabi suddenly seemed to become very interested in her teacup. “…I mean there's someone up there who trusted me and I let him down. He has every reason to hate me now.”
“It was not your fault. If anything, it was Yssera's fault. You couldn't have foreseen it,” Amber soothed.
Tsunami looked visibly irritated. “Stop confusing everyone, will you? Have you guys heard about the pegasi?”
“Pegasi? Aside from little bits of information here and there, no,” Cam replied, looking slightly startled.
Glyph chimed in, too. “I heard rumors about them. I don't know how many of them are real.”
“I don't know what all the rumors say, but the pegasi are real alright. There's a whole herd of them living on the mountain, though they rarely let anyone see them,” replied Tsunami.
Glyph gave him an odd look. “From the way you're telling it, I take it you've seen them.”
“We only got to see one of them. He seemed to be the leader. And his daughter, but she wasn't exactly a Pegasus,” Tsunami said.
“She was half Ponyta,” Gabi said. “And half Rapidash after she evolved. But she had wings, and had that special aura around her. She made me feel better just by looking at her. Now I feel worse just by thinking of her. I could laugh if I didn't feel so awful.”
Previsiona glanced to her. “Why do you feel worse?”
“Because I practically delivered her straight into Yssera's hands,” Gabi said, holding her head in her hands.
“Did you even know about Yssera at that time?” Tsunami asked.
“No, but I was still stupid. Her father trusted me. He told me his daughter wanted to find a trainer and asked me to choose a good one for her. And I couldn't have made a worse choice!” Gabi replied, sounding increasingly frantic.
“Don't get too down over it,” Cam said in what he hoped was a calming voice. “We came here to take out Yssera, right? We can rescue her too.”
A small smile began to appear on Gabi’s face. “If it's not too late for her already. But thanks for your support. If there's anything I can do to bring her back, and everyone else, I will do it. I'm just not sure if there is a way.”
Bobbery leaned back in his chair, miraculously not breaking it. By all rights, the poor seat should have snapped by then, having to support upwards of a thousand pounds, but it hadn’t done so and decided it sure as heck wouldn’t do so then. “Of course there's a way. There's a way to do everything; you just have to find it.” To finish his statement, he yawned disinterestedly.
“Thanks. I just hope you're right,” Gabi responded.
Ventura responded to her statement quickly, breaking her silence. “If there's a way, we won't find it by idling here. I think we should go back to the mountain and start searching.”
Hero yawned. “I think you're right, this was supposed to be a dangerous mission, but so far it's been the most boring one we've had. No offense.”
“There could be worse things than having a relatively safe mission, you know,” Previsiona scolded.
Hero frowned. “It's not the safety that bothers me. It's the whole sitting around and doing nothing I can't stand.”
Bobbery, returning his straining chair back to an upright position, rebuked him. “I, for one, adventure better on a full stomach, thank you.”
Hero rolled his eyes slightly. “Well, I adventure better on my four legs. Is everyone finished?”
“Almost. My tea's still hot. I can't drink it quickly,” Gabi explained apologetically.
Bobbery patted his stomach contentedly. “I'm good to go whenever you are.”
“Just another sip... There. All done.”
Kurtzwick hurriedly gulped down the last of his water. “Okay, I'm ready.” He glanced around suspiciously at the rest of the group. “So who's paying for this?”
Tsunami raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you care about that?”
Kurtzwick squared his jaw. “Since I wanted to be sure nobody expected me to foot the tab.”
Previsiona turned to him and regarded the Dratini with a suspicious eye. “Why would anyone expect that of you...?”
“No reason,” Kurtzwick replied, averting his eyes. Previsiona hmphed, but didn’t pursue the matter any further.
“If you're asking about our tea break, that would be me, unless I can justify it as being necessary for the mission,” Gabi interrupted.
“Just tell the Guild you stopped somewhere for refueling. That'll work,” Kurtzwick suggested.
Gabi gently rebuked him. “Hard to do when they pay for your train tickets.”
Kurtzwick, refusing to be deterred, scowled and said, “Hmmm... Tell 'em it was an integral part of maintaining strength, fitness, and security in order to be adequately prepared should you encounter a hostile force.”
“Or you could also tell them we stopped at the bar to gather information and had to consume something to justify our stay there. It's true, after all,” Amber added. Kurtzwick blinked and added embarrassed little disclaimers under his breath.
Gabi chuckled. “Sometimes telling the truth works better than lying. Well, for me it does, anyway. I'm a terrible liar.”
“Not nearly as bad as Lagi,” Tsunami pointed out.
“In all fairness, I wasn't actually lying...” Kurtzwick said, dejectedly.
“True, it was refreshing,” Tsunami agreed, causing Kurtzwick head to snap up, amazed.
Gabi abruptly changed the topic. “I wonder how Lagi's doing. It feels odd not to have her around.”
“Where is she, anyway?” Previsiona asked.
Hero idly played with a salt shaker. “She's out trying to find herself or something. I'm sure she'll be fine. If someone other than me can take care of herself, that's Lagi.”
Tsunami glanced at him. “Can't stop bragging for your life, can you? Anyway, you're right about one thing. She's good at taking care of herself. She tends to take care of everything and everyone.”
“I can stop bragging if I want to. But it would be no fun,” Hero replied, sticking out his tongue.
Ignoring them, Gabi went to pay for the meal. Upon her return, Previsiona thanked her.
“No problem,” Gabi replied. “Where shall we go from here?”
Bobbery stood up from his (relieved) chair and cracked his knuckles. “Well, I sorta doubt that anyone else in this town will have too much more information. Maybe we ought to make our way to the stadium?”
Gabi nodded. “That place brings me a lot of memories, but I guess it's as good a place as any to begin our search.”
Cam dropped from his chair. “Right then. Shall we be off?”
“We’d better!” said Hero, sounding impatient.
“I wonder how much the place has changed. They had to rebuild the arena once while we were there, remember? I wonder how many times it's been rebuilt,” Pidgeot idly remarked as the party left the bar, walking towards the mountain.
“Probably as many times as the battlers were careless with their Earthquakes,” tsunami replied, similarly idly, not noticing the slight blush on Bobbery’s face following that remark.
“I carried a few trainers up the mountain back then. It was funny to see their reactions when they saw me. Some thought I was simply a hired service, and one trainer said some funny things about how shocked and honored he was that Gabi would lend him her Pidgeot. Tsk,” Pidgeot continued.
“Do you remember who that was?” Tsunami asked.
“Someone I didn't know at the time... I didn't get to look at him much; I had to focus on going up the mountain with his heavy team on my back. But now that I think of it... Nah, it couldn't be.” When asked who, Pidgeot continued. “I'm not quite sure... I don't want to say it was him when it may not have been, and I may have spoken too much already.”
“Hey, everyone's cryptic today! Even Glyph said it was no time for games!” Caledor complained.
“Was it Ryan?” Gabi asked quietly.
Pidgeot looked to her. “Might be. He was new to me, but he had quite a heavy team and I remember he was especially caring towards the Pokemon who was battling for him. When I say especially caring I mean that he acted like...”
“Like you act around Water Angel?” interjected Tsunami.
“I would have been surprised if you hadn't said that. You've become predictable, Tsunami. Too predictable,” Pidgeot responded.
Gabi interrupted them. “I remember he seemed to have special feelings for Diana, and he used to say the corniest things.” She snorted and shook her head. “It might have been him. Was his Pokemon a Meganium?”
Pidgeot shrugged. “Could be. I remember it was heavy.”
“So he said that, eh?” Gabi said, and smiled. “We hardly even knew each other by then. But when his first battle was announced his whole team became mentally linked somehow and I felt it. Why are those memories coming to me now?”
“Maybe because you're back at the place where those things happened?” Tsunami suggested.
Gabi frowned. “No need to be sarcastic. What I mean is... Why now, after all these years?”
“I think I know what you mean. It's not the memories. It's the feeling, isn't it?” Amber said.
Gabi nodded slightly. “Yes... Yes, it is. I hate it. I hate this whole situation. I hate Yssera.”
Bobbery glanced at the group. “Errr... sorry to interrupt, but who's Ryan?”
“He was one of Yssera's victims. He and Gabi were... quite close,” Amber replied quietly.
“…Ooh. Sorry.” Bobbery said quickly, sensing he hit a nerve.
“It's ok. It's been a long time... I'm just sorry I never got to know what would have happened if he had never found her. And I'm sorry about what happened to him and his team. One of them was Edie, Lagi's first daughter. That's why Lagi didn't come here, she felt it might be more than her heart could endure,” Gabi replied sadly.
“Well, maybe they can be rescued during this mission. You never know,” Cam said.
Gabi nodded. “That's what I've been wishing during the last few days. Though a part of me tells me this is not a fairy tale. We can't expect all the damage to be undone just by defeating a monster, even if we do find a way to get rid of her.”
“No, we can't expect everything to be fixed. But it's a start,” replied Previsiona.
“Indeed. If we work together, I'm sure we can achieve something. And who knows? Maybe you'll even get the help of a fairy or two,” Arim said, winking.
Ventura bristled. “No calling me a fortune fairy, I warn you. I'm done with you guys doing that.”
Ivan quickly held up his hands in apology. “Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you when I called you that. I was just trying to test your concentration. Besides it was the only way Glice could stand a chance against you. No offense, Glice. And you still won.”
“I still think it was dirty. Let Glice fight his own battles,” Ventura replied, scowling slightly.
“Come on, that was over a year ago! And I think I've apologized for that already. If not, I'm sorry, ok?” Ivan pleaded.
Ventura regarded him for a second. “I guess that's... acceptable,” she said and chuckled.
Kurtzwick raised an eyebrow. “What, pray tell, is a 'fortune fairy'?”
Arim pointed at Ventura. “You're looking at her.” The Clefairy then proceeded to wince in pain as Ventura nailed a perfect hit with a Psybeam.
“I warned you. You had it coming,” Ventura said.
Arim frowned. “Not fair, I didn't attack you,” the Clefairy whined.
Ventura looked away. “What do you call it then? I told you not to do something and you did it.”
“That's disobedience at most, not an attack. And I have no reason to obey you just because you say so,” Arim complained.
“Then I have no reason not to get back at you. It was just a Psybeam anyway, I wasn't trying to hurt you, just to get my message through,” Ventura replied.
“Well, your message is painful. You should learn other ways to deal with things without resorting to violence. And besides, we should be working together, not fighting,” scolded Arim.
Gabi sighed. “That much is true. Can we all get along, please? This mission's already hard and dangerous as it is.”
“Of course. We'll sort it out later. And Kurtzwick, there's no such thing as a fortune fairy. Not on this world, anyway,” Ventura answered, but missed Kurtzwick’s mumbled reply about not answering his question.
“You never know... Maybe they're just very good at hiding,” Glyph pointed out.
Previsiona tried to moderate. “Okay, okay... let's not get into an argument over this, huh?”
“I wasn't going to,” Ventura replied.
“I'd be surprised if they existed anyway. I must admit I made that phrase up myself. It's just that I heard Ventura's name meant fortune, and... well...” Ivan said, rubbing the back of his head.
Gabi palmed her forehead. “Okay, don't we have anything better to talk about?”
An uncomfortable moment of silence followed, broken by Kurtzwick. “Erm... how far is the stadium from here?”
Pidgeot, flying overhead, answered his question. “It's up there. You can see it from here.”
“If you're a Pidgeot,” replied Tsunami.
As if to contradict him, Gabi said, “I see it too.”
“Ok, if you're a Pidgeot or Gabi,” Tsunami amended.
Cam quickly Transformed, taking the shape of a Pidgeot. He flew up in the air and joined Gabi’s Pidgeot. “Wow... this place looks pretty cool,” he said, amazed.
“It does, doesn't it?” Gabi remarked thoughtfully. “I thought it was beautiful the first time I saw it. It inspired me to host the Pegasus Games.”
Ventura halted their progress. “Hold on, something's moving towards us.”
Bobbery stepped out in front of the group, puffed out his chest, and mustered up as intimidating a voice as he could. “Show yourself!” Rather anticlimactically, a Corsola walked up to them. Bobbery stumbled slightly, but regained his composure and adopted a more normal voice. “Who are you?”
The Corsola looked at him for a moment. “That is... irrelevant,” it said in a cold voice.
Kurtzwick scowled. “Hold on. What's that supposed to mean?!”
After a few moments of awkward silence. “Okay, let's try it this way. Do you need anything?” However, before it could answer, a small purple object flew through the air and ran into the back of Bobbery’s head, hitting the Snorlax with a deceptive amount of force. Bobbery toppled over, sending minor shockwaves through the ground when he fell.
“Intruders. Go back from whence you came. You do not belong here,” the object said, revealing itself to be an Unown in the shape of a question mark.
“Suddenly, I think I know who these guys are working for,” Cam mumbled under his breath.
Hero rolled his eyes. “Really? What tipped you off? I'm debating whether we should scare them away or knock them out.”
Gabi stopped him. “Neither of those things would help us learn anything more than what we already know.”
Cam turned to her. “Gabi, what do you suggest we do, then? Just turn around and leave?”
“I don't know. Maybe we should try to find out what it is that they want.”
Bobbery scowled and slowly stood back up, dusting himself off. “Okay... what is it that you guys want from us?”
The Corsola spoke smoothly but coldly. “We want nothing from you... we instead merely offer you two choices. You have the option before you to achieve enlightenment and paradise... or you can halt your progress now and leave.”
“Enlightenment and paradise?” Sylvan exclaimed. “Is that what you think you've reached? My idea of paradise doesn't involve attacking everyone who happens to pass by.”
“My idea of paradise wouldn't involve attacking anyone at all,” continued Amber.
The Corsola thought for a second. “We do not attack. We merely... negotiate. I would apologize for the clumsiness of my comrade, however.”
“What do you want to negotiate?” Gabi asked.
“We have stated our terms. Join us... or leave. The rest is up to you,” the Corsola responded.
“Join you for what? To help Yssera feed on more helpless souls? Destroy more lives? What kind of goal is that?” Gabi yelled.
“You make it sound so negative... all our mistress wishes is our well-being and happiness,” the Corsola replied calmly.
Gabi continued yelling. “Ryan is so happy, isn't he? And Edie. And Pegasus. And Sandy. And Charla. And Hilarity. No, wait, those aren't their names anymore. They're not even themselves anymore!”
“Names are immaterial. However, should you wish to see them, all you need is to come with us...” the Corsola offered.
Gabi scowled. “So that you can do the same to us? No, thanks.”
“You forgot Diana,” Tsunami pointed out rather unnecessarily.
“And Diana, and everyone else whose names I never knew,” Gabi amended.
The Corsola thought for a moment. “...Well, then. That is your decision, and we respect it. However, since you do not wish to join us, we kindly ask that you depart. Now.”
Hero shook his head. “Sorry. That's not going to happen. See, we have some goals too. And they happen to be our own, not someone else's.”
The Unown frowned. “I do not believe you fully appreciate your situation. We are offering you a chance to leave before we have to make you do it ourselves.”
Hero shot the Unown a confused look. “Look around you, will you? You're clearly outnumbered and overpowered. What are you planning to do?”
“...We will do what we must. Do not underestimate us,” it responded.
“Yeah? Just try me,” Bobbery challenged.
Mona, standing next to him, said nothing, but adopted a fighting stance.
The Corsola scowled. “You will not leave? Then... suffer!”

Bobbery and Mona versus Yssera’s henchmen, the Corsola and the Unown!
Bobbery - “It’s a boom-bassa-boom festival!
Mona - “All RIGHT!”
~
Corsola – “Happiness is all we need…”
Unown – “Be gone!”

The Corsola spun around and delivered a freezing ray of ice, but Bobbery absorbed the attack, seemingly taking no damage. He lifted his arms in the air, and suddenly, a multitude of rocks rose from the ground and collided with the Corsola… but it, too, took the attack in stride. At the same time, the Unown dove at Mona, glowing a dull brown. She jumped at it with her mouth open wide, and the Unown saw, too late, that her teeth seemed unnaturally sharp… before it could halt its attack, Mona latched onto it, piercing skin with Hyper Fang. However, this didn’t last long; the Corsola shrugged off the Rock Tomb and shot a stream of bubbles at Mona, dislodging her from the Unown. Before she could react, the Unown slammed into her gut, the power amplified by a number of Hidden Power orbs surrounding it.
Mona groaned and leaned on Bobbery. “Oog... that wasn't fun...”
Bobbery lifted her onto his shoulders. “Hold it together! Things are about to get ugly...” Mona nodded, seemingly knowing what to do. She began to glow a brilliant purple, her eyes shut to help her focus. Suddenly, the Unown slammed on the ground, cloaked in a similar glow. At the same time, Bobbery jumped into the air and landed hard, sending an earthquake rippling through the ground and bruising both foes badly. The Corsola howled, but managed to pick itself up quickly. It grinned snidely and shot a brilliant beam of light at both Bobbery and Mona. The light flashed in their eyes severely, disorienting them both. The Unown complemented the Confuse Ray by performing a series of dazzling mid-air flips and maneuvers, finishing finally by slamming into Bobbery. Bobbery stumbled and tried to put Mona down, but before he could, he tripped over a conveniently-placed rock… Mona flew from his hands and hit a nearby tree limply. The Corsola grinned again before firing several sharp, spiky projectiles at the prone Smeargle, each one hitting precisely. Mona slowly got up, evidently in pain but still able to fight. She once again glowed purple, and suddenly, the Corsola found itself rocketing into its ally. Both Unown and Corsola fell to the ground, but scarcely had time to rest before Bobbery summoned a storm of rocks that slammed into the pair one by one.
“Guh…” Corsola groaned. “I’ll… I’ll do whatever I have to…” It began to glow a bright white. The three other fighters realized a moment too late what was about to happen… a massive explosion rocked the area, leaving the Corsola out cold, the Unown clearly in no condition to fight, and Bobbery and Mona dazed and charred. The Unown weakly looked up and flew slowly away.

Battle end! Bobbery and Mona both gain one level!

Sylvan approached the pair. “Is everyone alright?”
Bobbery groaned, swayed, but remained standing. “I'll live. That wasn't fun.”
“I'm... okay,” Mona said, holding her head.
Amber sighed. “At least we know we're on the right track. Should we try to follow the Unown?”
“Well,” Cam said, “if they're grunts of Yssera, they may be able to lead us to more useful information.”
“Whatever we do, I'm not fighting again,” replied Mona, coughing up a cloud of soot.
“Maybe we should try Kirei's method. It worked for her back in Templa Taure,” Caledor suggested.
Hero and Previsiona both answered at the same time with similar degrees of incredulity.
Caledor grinned. “It's called 'follow the magic Espeon'.” He stepped forward and paused. “Of course we've never come to an agreement about which one of us that was…”
Cam groaned. “It figures…”
“Well, she guided us to the temple, and I have a feeling about the direction the Unown was heading, but if we don't hurry, I may lose it,” Caledor continued.
“Well then, we should go,” suggested Previsiona.

The next part of the journey up the mountain went relatively smoothly, until Gabi pointed out three bird Pokemon flying overhead: a Swablu, an Altaria, and a Fearow. Pidgeot glanced cautiously towards them. “They're closing in on us. It looks like we've found more trouble.”
Amber took to the sky. “Let me go up and check. They might be explorers like us.”
“What are the odds?” cautioned Pidgeot.
“Well, it can't hurt to check...” replied Cam. However, his statement soon proved incorrect, as the Altaria spit a jet of turquoise flames at Amber.
Amber called down to the rest of the group. ‘I’m fine! Just a little shaken…” she turned to the Altaria. “Why did you attack me?”
“Don't act like you don't know. One of our comrades told us about you. We know what you're trying to do, and we're not letting you go any further,” the Altaria snarled.
“Note to self,” Kurtzwick mumbled, “leave no witnesses.”
“Is that what you all do when you find someone who doesn't agree with you? Try to beat them down and hope the problem goes away?” asked Amber.
The Altaria sneered. “Only when they're stupid enough to defy us.”
“What do we do with the others, mom?” the Swablu asked.
“Take them down unless they change their minds,” the Altaria ordered.
The Swablu did a swift burst of mental calculation. “But there are too many!”
“Don't worry, Darkstream's on his way here, and if that's not enough more of us will come. They'll never find the Mistress. Not unless it's on her terms,” the Altaria confirmed.
“Who’s Darkstream, I wonder?’ Cam muttered to nobody in particular.
Without warning, a Gengar materialized over Cam’s head. “I am,” it said coolly.
Cam went white. “…Oh.”
“Are these intruders giving you trouble?” Darkstream asked.
“Not quite yet, but you're welcome to join the fight. With all of us together they shouldn't last long,” the Altaria answered.
“I just don't see why all this has to happen…” sighed Sylvan.
Darkstream scowled. “Why can't we all be friends, right? I've heard that before. Face it, girl. The world is cruel. Life is unfair. All we can do is fight as hard as we can to make it better. And here and now, you are trying to stop us from doing that. So there; that's why all this has to happen.”
Amber, Sylvan, Darkstream, and the birds went back and forth for some time, arguing about the shape of the world and how Yssera could or could not make it better. The argument came to a head when Darkstream badmouthed the original home of Amber and Sylvan, then Amber revealed how Darkstream got his name. He yelled a command to the birds in the sky, who dove down to face Gabi’s Pokemon. Two of Ivan’s team, Arim and a Dewgong named Orknye, stepped in front to join the match as well.
The battle seemed evenly matched until Darkstream pulled a dirty move: he, much like the Corsola, shot out a brilliant burst of white light straight at Sylvan. The Venusaur stumbled, then glared straight at Ventura, telling her to stop. As the Swablu put Arim to sleep, the birds and Darkstream abruptly decided to switch targets. However, before Darkstream could do much, a powerful Flamethrower, courtesy of Amber, blasted him away. Sylvan managed to pull her wits together and pumped a jet of water at Altaria, also curing her confusion. The battle raged on, until only the Altaria was left, poisoned and helpless. It refused any attempts at help, instead preferring to deride its foes until the very end.
The Altaria panted. “You're a Dragon Tamer, right? According to our sources, you've met him before. And let him go, and gone back to your business because you're always worrying about your more immediate problems. Just like you knew about our Mistress for years but didn't do anything until now. That's the way you guys work... just take care of the more urgent thing, never think ahead... Never...” Its eyes closed and it fell from the sky. Amber caught it, but it was pointless: the poison in its system had knocked it cold. At the same time, Arim dealt the Swablu a heavy blow and it fainted.
Amber shook her head. “They're mother and son, but they didn't seem to worry about each other at all while they were fighting. It's scary just to think about it.”
“You're right... But what she said sounded too accurate to be made up. Either it was a well-designed strategy to throw us off, or there's actually some truth in it. I can't help but regret that we took so long to take action. And what's worse, we're still doing the same. We can't change that. We're dealing with more problems than we can handle,” Gabi groaned.
Bobbery interrupted them. “Uhm... did I miss something? Who was she talking about?”
Gabi turned to him. “About two years ago, the forest of Templa Taure was attacked by an entity known as the Black Dragon. He summoned a powerful demon and several minor ones to possess all the Pokemon in the forest and cause as much damage as possible. There was a temple in there. I heard it was once beautiful and inspiring, but it was a mess by the time we got there. We managed to get rid of the demons, but the Black Dragon escaped. I used to think Yssera and the Black Dragon were working together. But maybe I just wanted to think that. It would make things easier, wouldn't it? Defeat one of them and debilitate the other.”
Amber shook her head. “But if they're actually rivals, defeating one might actually strengthen the other!”
“What if we could use one of them against the other, like how we used the Rockets at the Shifting Isles to make things easier?” Kurtzwick suggested.
“That may be too dangerous. With Team Rocket we knew what we were dealing with. If we side with either of these dragons, even for a short time, we don't know what the consequences might be for us,” Gabi replied.
Pidgeot sighed. “I still regret siding with Team Rocket, even for one night. Most of them are still on the loose too.”
“I know,” said Gabi as she sat down on the ground. “I just wish we didn't have to deal with all these problems! Is there a way to sort everything out?”
“I’ve been wondering that all my life,” answered Sylvan.
“We're all too stressed right now. Maybe we should go back home and plan things carefully. Have another meeting, too. We don't have to try to deal with everything on our own,” said Tsunami.
Orknye broke into the conversation. “Is this a bad time to report that Yssera has been entering dreams lately?”
Previsiona’s eyes widened. “She can do that?”
Orknye nodded grimly. “I'm afraid so. I've been sensing her lately. I even followed her for a while, but had to back off when I felt she was about to notice me.”
“And you're not freaking everyone out...” Caledor replied, rolling his eyes. “Don't worry, guys. He can enter dreams too, but he's one of the good guys.”
“Yssera's followers would say the same about her,” Amber pointed out.
“True, but they wouldn't be right! Please don't compare me with her. I'd never do the kind of things she does! I can't do them anyway, but I wouldn't if I could,” Orknye replied indignantly.
Amber looked rather abashed. “It's ok, I wasn't accusing you. I'm just pointing out the complexity of the situation.”
“We all know it's a mess, no need to point it out anymore,” Hero snapped.
Thankfully, Mona once more broke the rising tension. She turned to Orknye, amazement in her eyes. “...You can go into dreams? Cool! How?”
“Have you ever meditated?” the Dewgong asked back.
Tsunami chuckled loudly. “Mona?”
Mona glared at him, then turned back to Orknye. “...I would need to Sketch it first.”
“Not the move,” Orknye corrected, “but just general meditation. Setting your mind on the right wavelength... I don't think I can explain exactly how I do it. I didn't know anyone else who could until now.”
Mona looked disappointed. “Aww. I wanted to do it.”
“I don't think I'd like to go into anyone else's dreams. There's no telling what you might find,” added Hero.
“I don't do it very often. Just when I feel something's wrong... or when my own dreams lead me to someone else,” Orknye pointed out.
“Like when you came to ask me what we planned to do, the night before the meeting?” Gabi asked.
“Right... Sorry about that. I was just worried. It was about that time that I started feeling Yssera's presence and didn't know what to make of it.”
“It's all right, no harm done,” replied Gabi.
A moment of silence passed, after which Amber asked, “What shall we do now?”
Kurtzwick set down the options. “Well, we either leave or press onwards.”
Glyph interrupted him. “When the Altaria said we wouldn't find Yssera unless it was on her terms, do you think she meant it literally?” he wondered.
“I don't know...” answered Gabi. She turned to the rest of the group. “Anyway, I don't think pressing onwards would be the wisest thing to do. Yssera knows what we're doing, and we have a lot of information to digest. I think we should do as Tsunami said and discuss things with others before we plan our next move.”
Kurtzwick raised an eyebrow. “What, so we're heading back, then? Just back to the town or back to Sector Alpha?”
“Do you have any better suggestions?”
“No. I just like to be sure about what's going on.”
“So do I,” conceded Gabi, “but it doesn't look like we can find it out here and now. Glyph, what do you think? Have you made any sense of the energies you said you were feeling?”
“Only that they're close. One of them is REALLY close. But at the same time it doesn't seem to come from any particular direction,” the Espeon answered.
“Does that mean...” Previsiona started, a noticeable tremor in her voice, “that the energies are surrounding us?”
“Could be, but not necessarily. Things are rarely that simple when dealing with mystical forces. Or thoughts, for that matter,” remarked Glyph.
Kurtzwick frowned. “So... what does that mean for us?”
“Honestly and bluntly... I don't know,” Glyph answered.
“You don't know?” a shocked Ivan repeated.
Glyph rolled his eyes slightly. “Contrary to popular belief, I do not, in fact, know everything.”
“Maybe we should go to the Pokemon Center,” Arim suggested. “I've managed to heal myself a little after that battle, but I'm still tired, and it's been a hard day for everyone. We could make some plans there without having to go all the way back to Sector Alpha. We may even find other trainers there.”
“Yes. Healing is good. I'm tired too; I want to sleep,” Mona mumbled. Her exhaustion was evident in the way her words slurred slightly together.
“Wouldn't sleeping so close to Yssera be dangerous?” Gabi asked.
Ivan reflected on this, then answered, “She may be able to walk into dreams, but I don't think she can change others that way. Otherwise we'd be seeing a lot more of her pawns. She could have taken everyone in Sybyll, the hotel and the stadium area.”
“Right,” Amber agreed, “if she could just take someone and make them her slave, her followers wouldn't have to go through the trouble of trying to convince us or fight us.”
Hero’s eyes widened. “Wait, that means we do have some power over her! If we alert everyone about her, she'll have trouble recruiting more followers. They'll be harder to coax if they know what she does to those who side with her.”
Gabi nodded. “Let's go to the Pokemon Center, then. We can start sharing the info that we have there. And then we can report it to the Guild when we get home. Oh...”
Tsunami glanced at her. “What's wrong?”
“I've just remembered I still have to type up the Ponyta report! On top of everything else!” she groaned.
“You need a break,” Tsunami (rather unhelpfully) suggested.
“Tell that to the universe,” Gabi sighed.
Sylvan sighed as well. “I think we all need a break. But we're not getting it now, so we can at least try to get a few free hours.”
“I can't even begin to think of how we're supposed to deal with Yssera, the Black Dragon and the blue cult,” Gabi said, dejectedly. “Not to mention the remnants of the Crimson Blades and Team Rocket. Is there anyone we can turn to?”
“Hmmm…” Tsunami started, collecting his thoughts. “Let me see... Abbadon, too risky. Tsuyoi, he'd want us to pay him back. Team Rocket, no way. Lord Absol: I wouldn't even try. Harims: we know hardly anything about her and don't know how to contact her. Everyone I can think of right now is not a good choice for some reason or other. Maybe we'll find someone later, when we've had some rest and can think more clearly.”
Mona raised her paw. “What about... what about the really old guy in that tower that Ade went to see?”
The mood of the group perceptibly brightened. “Teclis! He might actually be of help. I haven't actually seen him before, but I've been to the tower. I could find the way back there. If he knows the troubles we're in right now, he may be willing to lend a hand,” Gabi answered.
“Mona, you're great! Score one for Calebeckamonamania!” cheered Caledor. Mona grinned widely.
“And I could, in fact, try to contact Harims. I think she'll want to help us too,” remarked Orknye.
“And if I find out what the other energy is, it could also come to our advantage,” Glyph continued.
Gabi smiled and sighed happily. “Thanks, all of you. It's good to suddenly realize we're not alone in this. We'll do what we can, then.”
Linyi frowned. “Can we go to the Pokemon Center now? I'm tired!”
“Yes, we should leave,” Previsiona said.
And so they did. They headed back through Sybyll and found space at the Pokemon Center to stay for the night. Some rather disturbing headlines flashed across the T in the Center, but nobody paid any attention to it; indeed, every single member of the party was sound asleep, totally exhausted. It’s too bad, really, because they would have found the broadcast very interesting.

“The town of Twoson, in the country of Eagleland, is facing problems today as the leader of the influential religion Happy-Happyism, Koop Balthazar, and his second-in-command, believed to be ex-Dragon’s Guild member Jeffrey Azure, publicly declared their dislike of Twoson’s current government system…”

Lady Vulpix

6th July 2006, 06:08 AM

Sorry I took 2 days off TPM. I was given 10 exams to correct and that's been taking most/all of what would otherwise have been my free time. I've already corrected 8... 2 more to go and they're due tomorrow. And there's another exam on Saturday, which means even more things to correct!

I'm really sorry, but until I'm done correcting these exams and the next ones, I don't think I'll be able to rate battles, change the scenario, write anything, ref battles, update the PokeZoo AC or post at Expedia. I seriously hope this extremely busy streak ends soon. In the meantime, please be patience, and thanks in advance to the other workers for the extra effort they'll have to make.

Ace64

10th July 2006, 10:57 AM

Shonta: Sorry for the wait.I appreciated getting to know a little bit more about Ali's personality. The fact that she idolizes Moriko tells me much more about her than ther abandonment. Of course, always nice to see more Ken- learning new words by the day. I don't know too much about Daisuke and his little brother- are they in the Archives? Much too lazy to go and check.

Take 15 stamps.¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Jeff, don't worry, I'll get to your battle if someone else doesn't first.

classy_cat18

10th July 2006, 11:55 AM

Thanks for rating it, though. Daisuke and his Pokemon have popped up a few times in my stories. He's a fellow Dragon Tamer that helps me train. But his brother's new to the storyline.

Kerel

13th July 2006, 03:25 PM

Chapter 11, there and back again:

Bruce: 11?
Kerel: What are you talking about?
Bruce: err... nothing, we need 11 dinners for today and also there's a broken light bulb that needs to be replaced.
Kerel: Yeah, well, then. hey I think I am forgetting something.
Bruce: What would that be?
Kerel: Oh sure, my decetcive's log !!!

It was a quiet evening,the place, Pacing Ponyta's Spa and resort, the deal?
We were arranging some stuff, helping here and there, giving a hand, you know what I mean...

Bruce: You really are into Dixon Hill aren't you?

Kerel: Who?

Bruce: nevermind...(I wonder how he manages to make all his memories show in black and white, or show at all for watever the reason)

Kerel (in technicolor): Well, so we need a light bulb for room number 2, and then we'd need to install the internet connection.
Let's go to find a store, there's a city nearby.

5:30 Pm, Sybyll:

Kerel: It's amazing, we've walked for 2 hours and nobody has a simple light bulb, hasn't electricity been discovered in this town yet?

Mysterious and creepy evil voice: Yes it has, But I Control it all, muhahahahaha!!!!

Kerel: Who's there?
Bruce: Some sort of psycho, it seems.

Creepy and mysterious voice, probably coming from someone: I am the master of electricity, I will conquer this town and then rename it to "electry city"

Kerel: "Man, that's a bad one."

Creepy and mysterious voice, most definitely coming from someone: Not a man, but it does matter not, join me or surrender!!!

Kerel: Well, whoever you are I don't have the time for this so goodbye.

To make it short, "Creep": No, you shall not leave, you will fight me!!!

Bruce: Should have said so from the beginning.

***********(Random?) Encounter*********************
Level 15 Pikachu Vs Lv. 8 Bruce.

Pikachu:
HP 44
Attack 30
Defense 23
Speed 41
Special Attack 29
Special Defense 26
Trait: Static (Has a 30% chance of paralyzing opponents that hit it with an attack that involves physical contact)

Bruce:
HP 34
Attack 42
Defense 19
Speed 24
Special Attack 19
Special Defense 19
Trait: Immunity (Cannot be poisoned)

Kerel: Alright, so it's a Pikachu, It should be vulnerable to...err...something...
Let's see...Ground, mmm, this is just too complicated, Bruce Attack!

Pokemon Advocate:
Erm...According to the rules, the pokemon with the highest Speed stat gets to attack first.
Kerel: Did you hear something?
Bruce: Nope.

Master of Electricity: Muhahaha I'll paralize thou with my wrap attack.

Pikachu uses Thunder Wave and paralizes Bruce, sort of.

Bruce uses Strength:
Bruce hits Pikachu in his nose, an image that everybody who hates the one from the cartoon will cherish.
He does 29 points of damage and doesn't get paralyzed.

Pikachu uses Thundershock:
Suddenly The elecric master says Pikaaaaaaa!!!!!! And sends a lightning volt towards bruce, it hits him
doing 15 points of damage.

Bruce: Ouch, Why cant you hit Kerel, I mean that was nothing get this one!
Bruce:Ouch, I guess I'm still a little charged.
(Bruce touches Kerel and gives him a static shock.)
Kerel: Hey!!
Bruce: Sorry, just testing.

Pikachu: Now I'll get rid of you both idiots, or even better, not enlightened ones!!!
you got that one, enlightened ones, like not bright, heh, there goes another one.

Kerel: I don't know what is worse, this guy or his jokes.
Bruce: The jokes.

Pikachu uses thundershock:
It hurts Bruce again (13 points).

Bruce: Now I'm angry.
Bruce punches his face again dealing 25 points of damage, stealing
pikachu's wallet in the meantime.
Note: the pikachu does not notice it since it was a natural 20.

Bruce ooc: All these stats and damage counters really are ruining the realism of the battle.
Kerel: who cares this idiot doesn't even deserve realism.
Bruce ooc: You have to add ooc to these kind of comments.
Kerel ooc: Oops, sorry about that.

Pikachu Faints, and gets thrown into a garbage container and then the garbage container
gets mailed to Colombia, and then Colombia...nevermind.

Bruce: You sure it wasn't a bad idea to mail that Garbage Container to Colombia?
Kerel: Well, I think The mob over there can handle a guy like this one.
Bruce: Err... no I mean it's really illegal to mail a garbage container anywhere, it's like the city's property.
Kerel: Well, I think... didn't we have a light bulb to find?

After walking some more minutes finally a light showed us the way.

Kerel: Look over there, there's a lamp on that shop's window.
Bruce: "Mistic's store for the weird and mysterious objects", I don't know Kerel, I'm not pretty sure that it would be a very good...

Kerel: Alright, I bought it, I had to convince him
I was the chosen one by some weird ancient native legend but here we have it, and if there's a lamp, there's a light bulb in it.

Bruce: How did you!? so fast er...

Kerel: Fast? you kept reading that sign for 30 minutes so I decided to go in.

Bruce: It can't be... there's something really odd here.

Kerel: Maybe, but we have the lamp, and all I had to do is chat with the old man for a while.

Bruce: But did you lie to him to convince him?
Kerel: No, actually the funny thing is I didn't, he just said that I had to be the one, anyway a freebie is a freebie.

Bruce: mmm...
Bruce ooc: mmm...

Later we went back to the hotel, and continued making the repairs and improvements.

8:52 pm, same day:

Kerel's detective log black and white style:
In room 202, suddenly a strange violet light started to glow. Everybody was doing something else so I decided to check it out. Yeah violet, the rest of the memory is black and white ok? Everybody is a critic nowadays.

I approached it, it was being emanated from the lamp, that was very odd, cause when I looked at it there was no light bulb.
I was starting to feel tricked, when... well this might be odd even for my logs but I was at a different place.
Everything looked kinda cartoonish, I felt like if I was on that "Take on me" video, but it was more like cool world, anyway I came from a world with pokemon so I can't really say anything.

It seemed to be some sort of parallel dimension, an old guy aproached me and said, "you're not ready for this place yet", "there's nothing here for you, yet.".

He was mistaken, as he said that I saw the light bulb floating in the air, I tried to catch it, but the old guy made some gesture and I fell back to the real world.

Damn, It can't be that hard to find a light bulb, and this was creepy and weirder than a Family guy episode.
I was starting to believe that that lamp was a bad thing, but maybe it was important for me to find out.

On the following day I was getting ready to go downstairs and help the ponytas install the new HDTV, when the lamp attacked me. It jumped over my head and It was trying to pull me in, A long and better left untold fight started.

The good part was that I could find the light bulb, the bad one was that I had my head stuck inside the lampshade.

I heard Bruce say something. I didn't understand what.

Bruce: "I needed to translate my human companion's words to other humans"

Kerel: "Hey, Bruce! I think I've finally found the light bulb! Wow, there's like a portal in here."

(I found out later, Bruce was talking to a girl, some sorta reporter that came to study the ponytas.)

Gabi: "Let me guess. Your human companion?"
Bruce: "Yes. And we should never have bought that lamp from a mystical objects store."
Gabi: "I think think you're intentionally trying to confuse me."
Bruce: "Not at all. But I wouldn't recommend getting your head in there. So you're from the Guild."
Gabi: "We both are." *Pointing to a guy who called himself Golden Growlithe.* "I think Amber would be too, if they took her into account."
Bruce: "I know the feeling."
Amber: "Things are bound to change eventually. For now I enjoy writing reports with her. One day I'll find a way to get them to acknowledge me."

(I think Bruce liked that amber girl, dragonite, whatever.)

Bruce: "It's a long road, but it's worth it. For once, you're in a place helped by its own pokemon." *Whispers something.*
Amber: "But why?"
Bruce: "Mostly because everyone will understand you. Ah... And they also have this thing with humans... They have to prove themselves... Like running, and stuff. I guess I could talk them into making an exception, since you're reporters."
Gabi: "I'm a researcher, not a reporter, and I'm against all kinds of discrimination. If we're not welcome here, we will leave."
Bruce: "No, no, it's not discrimination at all. It's just that the kids won't stop bothering you. You're like new toys to them."
Amber: "Before things become any crazier, do you happen to know how Ponytas came to live here, and what their life was like before this spa got started?"
Kerel: *removes the lampshade from his head* "Hey! Aren't you the girl that gives out the Dragon's Guild IDs?"
Gabi: *Turns to look.* "I thought you sounded familiar! You're that guy who signed up for the discounts, aren't you?"
Kerel: "Err... Yeah, kinda. That and the jobs. About the discounts... there's this store where they charge you even more if you're a member!"
Gabi: "Really? That makes no sense. Where is that store?"
Kerel: "A few kilometers from here. They said they did it to serve their Mistress... It sounded like a stupid plan to destroy the Dragon's Guild by charging them extra for the stuff they sell. But well, I needed toothpaste."
Gabi (raising eyebrow): "Sure."
Amber: "Does that mean you don't know anything about what things were like here before?"
Kerel: "Yeah, sure, I even got an online blog about it!"
Amber: "Bruce?"
Bruce: "He does... But if you want to see how things were before, you can take a look at the back yard. I can show you around if you want."
*Gabi looks at everyone.*
Amber: "I guess we have nothing to lose."
GG: "Except time, but this is getting interesting. I'm coming with you."

*Small tour: 1) Large library sorted by date, not by genre, cause everybody just reads the newest books
2) Cable TV and SPA
<li> Ponyta learning HTML for the place's website.
4) Pasture with ponytas and rapidash eating and running and playing

Gabi: "This looks more like the place I remember."
Kerel: "So you've been here before."
Gabi: "Many times since the Pegasus Games, but I stopped coming a few years ago."
Kerel: "Then why did you wanna know how this place was before? I mean... it's not like you crossed a portal and ended up in some weird alternate dimension or something. Of course this is the same place."
GG: "What did you just say?"
Kerel: "Watch the lamp. You'll understand it."
GG: "Who are you?"
Kerel: "The name's Kerel. I'm a private eye."
GG: "Alright, let's leave it at that, but if you have something to say, do say it."
Bruce: *To Amber.* "He may regret that."
Gabi: "Relax, he was just kidding. Weren't you, Kerel?"
Kerel: "Yeah, sure. I guess it could be all just special effects."
*G & GG sigh.*
Gabi: "Anyway, I knew what this place used to look like, but what I don't know is what life was like for Ponytas and Rapidash before, nor how they came here in the first place. That's what I'm supposed to find out."
Bruce: "Well, then the easiest thing would be to ask them."
Amber: "That path has failed us before, sorry."
Bruce: "Why? Did you ask Sir Wimbledon?"
Amber: "No, but... Have you ever heard of the Ditto report?"
Bruce: "You mean the one about their mating habits?"
Amber: "You have?! But how? It was never published!"
Bruce: "I found it between the soups and the desserts on the menu at the Dragon's Guild's cafe."
GG: "Come on!, we have some issues with paperwork, but it's not that bad!"
Kerel: "I thought it had been put there on purpose."
Gabi: "So, is there any way you could help us get this report done? We have some more important things to take care of, this is just more urgent."
Kerel: "I guess that even if we recorded what the Ponytas said they wouldn't believe you. Would they?"
Gabi: "They wouldn't understand the words. I don't think I would either, from a recording."
Amber: "But they might listen to a theory that's believable enough. Maybe we can ask them and then write it in a way they can assume we've somehow figured it out."
Bruce: "If you were to film me asking them questions and they either nodded or shook their heads in response, would they think my voice is dubbed too?"
Tsunami: "Not if you went and showed them yourself, but you could get in trouble by doing that."
Bruce: "Oh, you mean they'd try to experiment on me or something."
Tsunami: "I don't know exactly what they do, but they certainly wouldn't let you go for a while."
Kerel: "You could always take Sir Wimbledon (the Ponyta who manages the hotel, and who was a pre programed recorder with many phrases) to a conference. He likes when people listen to him. As long as you have enough tea to offer him."
Gabi: "Tea, really? I'm starting to like him more now. He could join me and Rhiannon, and we could start a tea club."
Kerel: "Just don't get him talking about books. He can go on for hours."
Tsunami: "So can she, trust me."
Bruce: "Interesting."
Gabi: "Would they understand him, though? I thought all the phrases he used when he greeted us were recorded. Except when he told Linyi about his glasses, but he said that in Ponyta's language."
Bruce: "We could always record more phrases for him, and some other things to prove he understands humans."
Gabi: "I don't think many people actually doubt that by now. Things are changing, luckily. But still, I don't think recording more phrases is a scalable solution. You can only record so many phrases, and the questions he may get are unlimited."
Kerel: "Well, since he reads so much, maybe he could write. We would need some horse-keyboard or something."
Amber: "Does that exist?"
Kerel: "Maybe a ouija."
Amber: "I think we should ask him before we set him up for something like that. It could be quite embarrassing. But I think I have an idea. If we do get the answers from the Ponytas, I've thought of a way to get at least a few of them to accept them."
Bruce: "Of course if he agrees, we could hold a conference right here. Then they would be able to watch the Ponytas. They could stay for free and it would be a good way to make the hotel known."
Gabi: "I'll let Lady Ninetales know about your offer. Thanks."
GG: "I'd love to see her face if she ever gets here."

Wimbledon agreed to the interview as long as he was given buttons with pre recorded "yes" and "no" cause the idea of a ouija seemed inapropiate to him, not to mention humillating.

They told him they'd talk to other Guild members about it, and then proceded to ask their own questions.

Then, a tall, dark-haired woman, called Theresa Dorcuato, came out of spying on us, and greeted them.She introduced herself as Theresa, but then Gabi and her caught on each other's accents and started speaking in Spanish, wich was kinda impolite. Besides I wouldn't have guessed Gabi was from Colombia.

They mentioned something about a Dragons guild member, and some places names. They said something about a place called Yssera. I was missing everything so I asked them to speak english.
Then Golden Growlithe joined us too. (by the way all this part is in colour, the black and white and violet was for the mystery one).

We talked about many things, it turned out Yssera was some sort of evil dragon, who the dagon's guild was trying to defeat, they also mentioned a guy, Jeff, who had been kidnapped by some sort of cult from Eagleland.

I reminded them I was a detective, so I could try to find this Jeff guy, while they fought the dragon, I may not be good at dragonslaying but I'm good at finding people, or light bulbs. (I didn't mention the latter).

They needed a hand, and since I'm in the guild, I can take the Job. So they Hired me.

I decoded to go on a reckoning mission to Happy Happy Village, (which sounded like either the most evil place in the universe or some place from a video game), while they finished searching the mountain.

I know bruce had already downloaded the dragon's guild database, but we asked for their messenger Id's to keep in contact. Bruce asked for Amber's of course.

Caroline asked for GG's who knows why...

Lady Vulpix

16th July 2006, 01:08 PM

Sorry to add another story to the pile, I'm afraid I can't rate those 2 battles, as I took part in their writing process. I'll understand if this takes a while to get rated.

WARNING: weirdness ahead. The Harims kind. If you haven't read my previous stories, this probably won't make much sense to you.I can't promise it will even if you have, but I'll be willing to answer any questions asked about it. This takes place right after the battles on White Mountain, when my previous story and Jeff's ended. Glyph and Orknye have stayed in White Mountain to investigate further, though that's not all that relevant to this story.

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<Lagi's POV>

The forest was calm, but I couldn't get my own feelings to tune in with it. The sight of the growing young trees brought a smile to my face, but it also reminded me of the tragedy that had befallen their ancestors, some of whose roots were still lying around among the new ones. 'Reborn Forest' had been the name of the place for the last few years. If everyone let it be, it would one day be magnificent and beautiful. But for now, it held a reminder: for something to be reborn, it first has to die. Well, it wouldn't die again. Not if I had a say in it. But did I have it? If someone suddenly decided to destroy the forest, would I have a chance to stop them? Those gloomy thoughts had never assaulted me when I was younger, but now things were different. Now I knew things didn't always turn out well, and I knew what being overconfident could lead to. I'd learnt it in the worst possible way, and I was still suffering for it. I wondered if the pain would ever stop. A cold evening breeze chilled my wings. I couldn't stop that either; I just couldn't focus enough.

I followed Gail's presence to the Dark Cave. At least I could still rely on my empathy, and my mysterious link with the Noctowl which I'd given up on trying to explain. She was waiting for me. She offered me some assorted nuts. I accepted them gladly, only then realizing I hadn't had anything to eat in the whole day. The Noctowl made a signal to the pokemon around her, and we were left alone.

"I wish I could do more for you," Gail told me as I finished my meal. "We weren't of much help fighting those red-clad humans last time. But then again, you didn't really need us back then."
"The Crimson Blades," I nodded. "I think everyone helped. And it ended..." I sighed, looking for words. "not well, but I think nothing could have ended well with minds like DiAnnio's and Reaper's. At least it ended, that's the best we could have hoped for, isn't it?"
"I'll have to take your word about that. I don't know much about the human world, and what I do know, I don't like. Though I must admit that your trainer and her friends didn't seem bad."
"They're not," I assured. A smile came to me. "We've already had this conversation before. Years ago, when we first met."
"I remember. I was a bit more... radical then. But you must understand I had my reasons to be wary."
"Yes, you made your reasons quite clear. So clear that the thought of what happened still haunts me."
"Give yourself a break," Gail advised. "That feeling doesn't belong to you. If you bear everyone else's loads as if they were your own, soon your heart will be too heavy to keep beating."
I nodded. "I know, but how can I help it?"
"You could start by recognizing when it's not your call. And by learning from the past; it works better than dwelling on it, I know about that."
"If you can do something, do it. If you can't, find something else you can do. Is that it?"
"I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. It might as well be it. Did you just come up with it?"
"No, that's something my trainer usually says."
"Hmm. If your trainer ever comes to the forest again, I'd like to get to know her better."
I thought that was probably the best compliment a human had ever got from Gail. It made me proud, in a way, to know that I was helping her overcome her fear of humans.
"Feeling better?," Gail asked. It was a rhetorical question, but it made me look inwards.
"Only on the surface, I'm afraid," I answered. "This could take some time."
"It may help if you talk about it."

Would it?, I thought. My sorrow was too strong to put it in words. Time had passed, but for some reason or other, I'd never had a chance to deal with it properly. And thus I'd never really been able to move on. I wondered if I ever would. Maybe talking about it was the only way. But could I put it in words even if I tried? I made my best effort. Gail waited patiently, her presence offering me comfort and warmth. I knew I had to say something, but what? How could I begin? Maybe once I'd started, it would all start flowing out of me. I could only hope it would, but how could I start? There was only one word I could think of. After searching in vain for ways to make myself clear, I decided to give it a try and let Gail guide me.
"Edie."
Gail nodded. It was a start. After a few seconds, she asked me who Edie was.
"My daughter," I told her. "My first daughter."
I felt realization come to my friend.
"I never had any children," she said. "I didn't get the chance. But I know how important they are to those who have them. And I know what it feels like to lose someone you hold dear. I didn't show you all of it, actually."
"I understand. I'm sorry. I... I just wish there was something I could do to save her. She's not really gone, it's just... a part of her is. A vital part that made her who she was. After she met Yssera, she was changed. Her joy and her warmth were gone. She was distant... almost as if I was a stranger. She still had determination in her, but it was focused elsewhere. And then she left the country, and I haven seen or heard of her since then."
"Who's this Yssera you speak of?"

I told Gail all I knew about her, and she listened carefully. After I finished, she paused for a moment to think.
"If something can be done, it will be," she finally said. "You can count on me for that, for as much or as little as I can do."
"Thank you."
"I know you would do the same for me. You have nothing to thank me for. You and I are bound. Helping one is helping the other."
"I think I'm beginning to understand... But why is that so, do you know?"
"I have my theories. I think we were both on similar wavelengths to start with, with both of us being able to sense the feelings of others. Then something was triggered when our minds were linked and I showed you my memories, and reaffirmed when you agreed to become a guardian of this forest as the magical seal that used to hold the Dark Gengar was put back in its place. At least that's how I think it happened. I don't really have proof."
"It's a good theory. There are many things we may never know for sure."
"That's life for you. You're tired, would you like to go to sleep? We can get a space sorted out for you."
"I think I will, thanks. I think the conversation has helped me, but it was also exhausting."

Gail nodded and called for the Unowns. Sooner than I would have expected, a heap of leaves big enough to accommodate a Dragonite of my size had been put together in a dark and warm section of the cave. The walls around were humid, but that didn't bother me. I'd been born in the sea, and spent many nights sleeping in damp caves. The smell of humid stone and moss was familiar and reassuring.

I fell asleep surprisingly quickly. I'd underestimated my own exhaustion. My sleep, however, was restless. I had nightmares that started with the destruction of the forest by Team Rocket, then the Black Battalion shooting insanely at a transparent barrier and getting massacred by the ricocheting bullets, then Armand DiAnnio throwing himself into an abyss after Reaper's dead body, overwhelmed by the loss in spite of all the losses he'd inflicted upon others... And then Edie. That was not a memory of something I had happened, but a recreation of a feeling inside me. I saw her looking at me coldly, and turning away as I ran to hug her. I saw her leave, not caring to turn around and look at me. She walked away at a steady pace, and though she didn't seem to be moving fast, I couldn't reach her, and though I could still see her I had the sinking feeling that she was already gone. And then she was. Lost in the distance, and everything else vanished behind her. I was left alone, in a void filled with voices but devoid of meaning. Just as I was beginning to burst into tears, one of the voices became clearer. It sounded like a whisper, but at the same time it was loud. It pierced into my soul.
"You can see her again if you want to," the voice said.
Though I was still dreaming, a part of me snapped into alertness.
"I know who you are," I called out. "Stop playing your dirty tricks. You've taken my daughter. What more do you want to take from me?"
"Only your suffering."
"Sorry. It's mine. My feelings for my child are mine. For all of my children and grandchildren. It hurts, but I'll deal with it. I'm not giving my love away."
"Not even if it means living with your pain for the rest of your life? I've heard it from couples who lost their children. It never really goes away."
"Don't talk to me about feelings. You know nothing about them."
"Oh, but I do. I know as much about feelings as a frog knows about flies. They're my prime materials."
"A frog doesn't know what it's like to be a fly. I've known more than my share of bad feelings. They're a heavy load, only made lighter by the immensity of the good feelings I've also been able to experience and share. It's curious how you neglect to mention you take those away too. All you leave behind is emptiness. And even the strongest of pains is better than that... because it means you can still feel, and as long as you can feel, you can still hope."
"Don't underestimate me. I know about hope. All of my followers have it. You'll still have it if you join me."
I was stunned for a moment.
"What kind of hope?," I asked, trying to see the trick.
"Hope for a better world, of course. They're all working hard to achieve that. They have a purpose in life."
"Of course. To serve you. I don't know what your idea of a better world is, but I want no part in it. Go away before I find a way to track you down, because if I do, I won't hold back. I've witnessed many deaths, and though I've spent many restless nights remembering them, I'm starting to think yours wouldn't weigh so much on me. After all, you don't know the value of life."
"But you do, and you wouldn't kill me even if you could. However, I see you hate me too much to even consider the possibility of joining me. I won't waste more time on you until we meet in the flesh, if we ever do."

The voice was silenced. The background chatter remained, but it no longer bothered me. I was alone again, but I felt a glint of satisfaction and self confidence. I felt I had won an important battle.

<Angel's POV>

I was lost and confused. And I hated it. I hated the helplessness, the lack of control, the perceptual limitations...
"Enough," I scolded myself.
I had to get through with this. The wrong thought could pull me back in a heartbeat, and I had a task to complete. Besides, I wouldn't forgive myself if my will wasn't strong enough to face what I'd already put others through several times, in some cases for a prolonged period of time. Yet, I didn't like being there. It made me lose power as well as perspective. I couldn't make myself useful when I was in the middle of things, my job was that of a watcher and a messenger. "But I'm here to deliver a message," I reminded myself. "That much I can do. And it will only work if it's done this way." I took a deep breath and did my best to focus on the 'here and now'.

"My name is Angel Quinn," I recited. "I'm a woman... a human. And I'm sitting... kneeling, somewhere in Reborn Forest."
I looked around to make sure the last bit was right. My vision became clear as soon as I cast all other thoughts aside. Young trees and various rock formations populated the landscape. It had to be the right forest. I felt the earth under my palms, and then I realized a small pebble was hurting my knee. I stood up and brushed it away with my hands, along with the rest of the dirt. I was there. Now I needed to find the Dragon.

I couldn't see far away, and some of my senses were so limited that I felt trapped. I could hear birds chirping and smell the humid grass with a few flowers scattered around, and the trunks and leaves of the trees (come to think of it, scents were clearer than usual if I focused on them), but none of that would help me. I reckoned I wouldn't find who I was looking for by standing there, so I did the only other think I could think of: I began to walk.

I felt heavy, and after stepping on a few roots and pebbles I told myself I should have brought shoes with thicker soles. I ought to have remembered, from that time back in Nagarythe. But then again, I hadn't written a mental note to remember that back then, because I hadn't intended to return. It was funny how things had a way to take their course regardless of one's personal plans and expectations. I'd never been able to get away with a selfish thought.

After walking for a while, doubts began to assault me. There was no way to tell whether I was walking in the right direction, and that was frustrating. "If only I could ask for directions," I thought, and then I asked myself: "why not?"
"Hello?," I called out. "Is anyone there?"

No sooner did I formulate the question than a dark sphere surrounded by some kind of purple vapor appeared out of thin air. It had big, inquisitive eyes, and a wide mouth with protruding fangs that somehow didn't inspire any negative emotions. The teeth were simply at rest.

"Were you watching me?," I asked.
"Gaas," the creature said, the sphere's shade becoming a shade closer to red for a moment.

Of course, I realized. It was a pokemon. Pokemon didn't speak in the same way that we did. The sounds went through one channel, denoting emotions and the general tone of the message, but the actual words traveled by a more subtle means. It took most humans a long time of observing a pokemon and building an emotional bond to learn to understand it fully; some never did. I'd made a fool of myself the one time I'd tried to train a pokemon, although the Butterfree had agreed to follow me around until I returned home, possibly to watch over me. Things hadn't started off well for me this time either. But I'd have to find a way to make it work.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling embarrassed. "I'm afraid I can't understand your words. I'll do my best to make out what you mean, but it may not work very well. Please be patient."
"Gaastly," the pokemon nodded in an understanding way.
"Thank you. See... I'm lost. I'm looking for a dragon. A dragon pokemon, I mean."
Only then I realized she was a pokemon too. Would I be able to understand her? Yet, I had no choice. I'd have to cross that bridge when I got there.

The floating pokemon stayed there, looking thoughtful.
"I think she's in a cave somewhere in this forest," I told him. "She came from a place called Sector Alpha."
"Gastly!," he grinned brightly. "Gas! Gastly."
He turned around and waved up and down before looking at me again. I gathered he was beckoning me to follow, and so I did.

It turned out that, while I hadn't been walking exactly in the right direction, I wasn't far off. I followed my guide across the forest for a few minutes, and soon we came to an area where the vegetation was thicker, if not taller. In the center, surrounded by more trees than any other spot in the forest, was a large rock. A hole on its front opened into the cave which, judging by its darkness, seemed to continue deep underground. I thanked the one who had guided me and gave a few steps towards the cave, but he put himself between me and the entrance, shaking his sphere to the side and uttering syllables that sounded like a warning. Once I stopped moving, he rushed into the cave. I waited to see what would happen.

About two minutes went by before anyting came out of the cave. Then, a large owl with thick white eyebrows emerged from the darkness and inspected me carefully. The owl took a long time to reach a decision, but then seemed to accept me, as she said something and then the floating sphere gently pushed me forward.

I followed the owl into the depths, which I hadn't overestimated. I saw the eyes of other pokemon fixed on me. None of them would move as I walked past them. There was a creepy one who had two sets of eyes, one pair on its head and another on its tail (was that a mouth below the eyes at the tip of its tail?), and all 4 were staring at me. I must admit I felt a little intimidated. The owl led me to a quiet corner, and beckoned me to sit down. I complied. She then looked straight into my eyes, her own temples opened so wide that her eyelids weren't visible. I felt a strange energy coming from those eyes. It was inviting... soothing. I gave in. It was the thing to do.

I found myself transported to a much denser forest, populated by tall, old trees. For a moment, I was afraid I might have zoomed out, but then I heard the flapping of wings and, as I looked up, saw the owl, still looking at me.
"Can you enter dreams too?," I asked her.
"Only the dreams I create," she replied. "Can you?"
I wasn't really surprised to understand her. After all, the 'place' we were in was made by a conjunction of both our minds.
"Not exactly," I answered. "But I know two who can. One's a friend and one's a foe. I'm here to speak of the latter, on behalf of the former."
"My friend told me you were looking for a dragon pokemon."
"Yes, I need to talk to her. I knew she was coming here, and there's a message I need to deliver to her personally."
"A message from your dream-creeping friend?"
"From myself, actually. But it was my friend who made me realize I had to come. He told me something she needs to know."
"This all seems to weird and complicated. Can you make yourself clearer?"
"I'm afraid not. Please let me talk to her. She'll know what to do. She can tell I can be trusted."
"I can tell you mean well, but something about you is confusing. I must warn you, she's not at her best right now. If you hurt her, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life regretting it."
"I wouldn't dream of hurting her. But I don't like threats. And I doubt you'd have the means to back up yours anyway, if only because I don't intend to stay here for much longer. I only want to talk to her."
"Do you know her well enough to understand her?"
"I'm not sure... I'll have to wait and see. But I have to try, it's important."

The owl descended, and looked at me from the ground.
"I feel your need," she said. "If it's so important, I'm not going to stop you. Though I'd like to know who you are."
"My name is Angel Quinn," I told her. "I'm a friend."
"I can tell you're hiding something. But as long as you mean no harm, that's all that matters. Lagi's outside right now. She went out to fly around and clear her thoughts. She should come back soon."

I felt the now familiar sensation of the world fading away. Then there was darkness, and the touch of humid stone. I opened my eyes and slowly coaxed my body to move. I felt heavy again. It was probably the bones. I sat leaning against the wall and waited in silence. The owl didn't leave my side until Lagi came in, nor after she did. By then my eyes had grown accustomed to the surrounding darkness, and I could see the dragon's shocked expression as she came close to me.

"I know," I told her. "I didn't think we'd meet again like this either. But Orknye talked to me and... And I knew I had to talk to you. And this was the only way, summoning you would have put unnecessary strain on you, and you don't need that right now."
"Thanks for taking my feelings into account," she replied. I was glad I could understand her, if still surprised. "But I think I could have managed. I was trapped in a cave with an exit too small for my size last time, but aside from that and the initial confusion, everything turned out alright. It didn't affect me the way it affects you."
"Always so considerate," I smiled. "I guess it's in our nature. Although, from what Orknye told me, I'm starting to lose my friends' confidence. I want to amend that. I... can't be blunt. It's just not like me. I might as well walk into a crowd naked. But I do want to make things better for those who deserve it."
"I know," Lagi nodded.
"So you must also know I wouldn't ask you to do something if I thought it would be bad for you, do you? If I didn't think it's for the best."
She stood there in silence, contemplating my words, and possibly my feelings as well.
"I think you wouldn't. But if that's so, why are you afraid to ask?"
"Because it's a hard thing for you to do. And I may have already been asking too much of everyone."
"Let me be the one to judge that. What is it?"
I shook my head.
"First, I must tell you something. Something that Orknye told me... that Glyph has felt. There are two strong energies in White Mountain, both imprecise in their bounds but distinctly different from each other. I spent the whole morning observing them, and I've come to a conclusion. So far the energies have barely mixed, and none of them is prevailing. But if a confrontation comes, either one of them could negate the other. And that is bound to happen sooner or later. So it's imperious to ensure the right one prevails."
"I'm afraid I can't understand what you want me to do," Lagi told me.
"I need you to go to White Mountain. I won't ask you to go alone, I wouldn't recommend it. But next time your friends go, please go with them. You need to find him, and talk to him. He won't listen to a human, but he'll listen to you, because you understand his pain. In more than one way."
"Who are you talking about?"
"The funny thing is... I've never heard his name. But you know him, you two will find each other, I'm sure. Please do it, it's important. And it will help you both heal."
"Alright... I'll do what you ask."

She still looked puzzled, but also resigned. It was an expression I was very familiar with. It reminded me that I was still myself. I was already beginning to feel the gentle pull of the place I called home.
"And please tell Eshree and his friends that I haven't forgotten them. Once this is over, I will..."

I couldn't finish the phrase. I'd made a mistake and called Eshree by his real name. That was enough to accelerate my departure. He was lucky, he didn't have that problem. I sighed, as I watched another world fade away. At least I'd delivered the message, and I was sure Lagi had understood what I had meant to say. I welcomed the input of all my senses, telling me that I was home again. It was nice to be back to normal, though I couldn't help but smile. I had acted like a nearly perfect stereotype of an angel this time. Well, sometimes stereotypes have a base on reality. Just sometimes.

Lady Vulpix

16th July 2006, 07:10 PM

Sorry for the double-post, but I have an important announcement to make. Jeff, a.k.a. TheBlueAvenger, has just joined the ranks of us*! (I missed using that codeword).

Thanks, Jeff, for offering to help, and welcome to the Dragon Tamers staff!

The Blue Avenger

16th July 2006, 07:15 PM

Glad to help. ;)

Kerel: I enjoyed reading your story. You've got a great sense of humor, plus I'm a big fan of out-of-nowhere gags, so you've got me there. It was cool to see how your story tied in with Gabi's. The Master of Electricity was, uh, for lack of a better word, interesting. Of course, seeing you in Happy-Happy Village will be neat as well. PM me sometime so we can meet on AIM. Here, take 5 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢

Gabi, if it doesn't get taken by, uh, tomorrow, I'll take care of your story.

EDIT: Gabi: Very nice. First, i gotta say that Lagi is a very interesting character in and of herself. I liked seeing the conversation between her and Yssrra, since I wasn't all that sure previously how a conversation like that should go. I also enjoyed reading Angel's part, although coming across someone who didn't understand a Pokemon's speech threw me off for a moment - that doesn't happen terribly often in any of the stories I've read. Or maybe I'm just not reading some of the others carefully enough. >_> Either way, it was an enjoyable read. I'm thinking 6 stamps sounds about right. ¢¢¢¢¢¢

Lady Vulpix

17th July 2006, 04:45 PM

Thanks, Jeff. :)

Here's the explanation abut the pokemon speech thing... most people don't understand pokemon language by default. We've talked about this before, and I've explained more about it in the story you just rated, but it wasn't anything that wasn't said before. I think it was Ade who wrote about it first. Some people never get to understand any pokemon at all. Others, like most DT trainers, can understand pokemon they've known for some time and have an emotional bond with. That's at least the case with Ade, Soo, Amy, Eshree and myself, only in my case my stone helps me deal with the speech of other pokemon. Jeff can understand all pokemon, but you told me there was a reason for that, which your character ignores. Other than that, only humans with strong psychic abilities can understand all pokemon.

The Blue Avenger

17th July 2006, 04:52 PM

Naw, I realize the reason, but I wasn't expecting it with so many people who do understand the language. I guess I didn't make that point clear.

classy_cat18

17th July 2006, 07:30 PM

Here's Ken's RBG. He got an Icy Wind and Hidden Power TM from the Reward Center.

Bo's POV

Poke.

"Stop it."

Poke, poke.

"Stop it," I grumbled for about the tenth time.

Ken giggled and kept poking me until my eyes opened. I groaned as I was nearly blinded by sunlight. Taking a nap when he was around was impossible, even when I tried to hide. He loved being the center of attention and loved looking for people even more.

"What do you want?" I asked grumpily.

"Play!" Ken replied as he went back to poking me. I pushed him aside and got to my feet. "Play, play, play!"

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and yawned loudly. "Ken, we played all day yesterday. I'm tired and I want to sleep today. Can't you let me sleep?"

"No! NOOOO!" he wailed. "Wanna play NOW!" He lay out on the ground and banged his little fists on the ground.

Oh man, I hope I wasn't this annoying when I was his age. I nudged him with my paw. "Okay, we'll play. What do you want to play?"

"Battle! Wanna play battle!"

I sighed heavily. Play. Wanna. No. Those were his favorite words. And this was usually a sign that he was a spoiled brat. But I didn't want to tell Miss Shonta that. Besides, Ken was just a level below me. With the right training he could probably kick my butt, and play battle was almost the perfect kind of training. "Okay, we can play battle. Just let me find a referee."

I went inside and found Miss Athena in the kitchen washing dishes. Sometimes she liked doing them when Miss Shonta didn't feel like it. I guess it helps her think or relax or something. "Miss Athena, Ken wants to play," I kind of whined.

She chuckled. "Again? He sure has a lot of energy to spare. I'm guessing you're needing a referee?" I nodded sadly. "What's the matter? You don't seem to want to do this."

"Of course I don't. At first I did but then he wanted to do it all the time. I'm pooped." I whimpered a little in an attempt to gain her sympathy.

"Ken looks up to you as a friend, a big brother, and a trainer. He usually doesn't want to play battle with anyone but you. Sometimes he'll play with Ali or Bandit but I don't think he enjoys it as much. Probably because you're more on his level." She jumped down from the chair she was using and scratched behind my ears. "One day he'll thank you for all of this."

"I just wished he would play battle with someone else," I said while rubbing a bruise I got from one of Ken's tackles.

Athena scratched her head for a moment and then brightened. "Destai might want to do something today! He’s been lying in the bedroom all day!”

My tail wagged at her suggestion. Sure, I was just beginning to understand his language of barks and howls and he might be a little grouchy at my request. But a day at the new playground might change his mind.

I thanked Miss Athena and ran into the Pokemon’s bedroom. Destai was in there, his head on a pillow and his mind somewhere else. I tiptoed to him and gently nudged him with a paw. His head snapped to me. As I suspected, he didn’t look too happy. “Hey, Destai. Are you bored?” I asked him a little nervously. He nodded but the grouchy look stayed. "Okay. Ken and I were going to this new place in the park. Do you want to come with us?"

He nodded again and then stretched and gave a long yawn. I knew how he felt. It was a lazy day today and the rest of the team had gone shopping.

We walked to the back door together. Destai took me by surprise by sticking his head out of the doorway and letting out a loud howl. I heard a shout and then crying. "Destai, you scared Ken!" I accused. Destai growled and stepped back so I could go outside.

I found Ken clinging to the small tree in the backyard. He had stopped crying but was now shaking like a leaf. "Come down, Ken. That was just Destai calling you," I assured him.

"Dusty?" Ken asked shakingly. That was what he called the Houndour. He slowly let go and walked over to me. "Dusty's scary."

"He doesn't mean to be scary. Let's go to the park and play."

"Yay! Play!" He held onto my tail and followed me and Destai out the front door. Miss Athena also came just in case we needed a "motherly figure".

The new playground was in a smaller park than Millenium Park but it was meant for the younger Pokemon. It had everything they needed to play and practice. Destai and Miss Athena were a little out of place since they were older than most of the other Pokemon but they didn't mind. There were older Pokemon keeping watch.

"Make sure he plays nice with the other kids," Miss Athena called out as Ken headed for the pool.

I nodded at her and looked back at Ken. He was sitting at the edge of the pool, dipping his toes in the water. I remembered that Ken hadn't had any experience with swimming yet. "Don't worry, little brother. You're a water type. You can swim," I told him as I sat by him. "The water isn't that deep anyway."

"Bo swim?" Ken asked me.

"Yeah, I swim. I'll swim with you." I jumped off of the edge and into the water with a big splash. As I surfaced, I saw that someone else was with Ken. A Poliwrath that was smaller than average size. He was looking down at Ken with an angry look. Before I could say anything, the Poliwrath roughly shoved Ken into the water. Ken only had time to give a short yelp before he hit the water and sunk.

"I guess that shrimps do sink. I owe my sister a buck," the Poliwrath sneered.

I heard a howl and saw Destai running to the Poliwrath. He barked a few times and bared his teeth at the Poliwrath. The Poliwrath just smiled and fired a stream of water that kept Destai back.

I frantically looked in the water for Ken. He was at the bottom of the pool but he seemed to be doing fine. In fact, he was swimming like he’s been doing it ever since he hatched. I gave a sigh of relief and then glared at the Poliwrath. “What did you do that for? He’s just a kid! He could’ve drowned!” I yelled at him.

"Then he should've been in my way," he said as he shook his fist at me. "And if you get in my way, I'll get you too! No one gets in the way of Bruiser!"

How come we always get the jerks? We never have a friendly battle anymore. I started to swim towards Bruiser with every intent on giving him a battle he'll never forget. Ken popped his head between the two of us and squirted a little water in Bruiser's eyes. I didn't think he was being friendly.

"Play battle!" Ken said angrily.

I smiled fiendishly. "You heard my little brother. He wants to play battle with you."

Bruiser chuckled. "Oh, I'll play alright."

Miss Athena, having heard our little conversation, stepped forward as Ken climbed out of the pool. "This match is between Ken and Bruiser. One on one, no time limit. Let the match begin!"

L5 Male Squirtle (Ken) vs. L5 Male Poliwrath (Bruiser)

"Stand there and turn around, Ken!" I yelled, acting as trainer. Ken turned his back at the Poliwrath.

"What good is that going to do him?" Bruiser asked. He fired a Water Gun for Ken's shell. But Ken knew what to do; Miss Jewel had taught him this. His shell turned a purple color and bounced the Water Gun back at Bruiser with twice the power. It didn't seem to faze Poliwrath much. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

"Oh man," I groaned. My plan had a hitch. Bruiser's trait was Water Absorb.

"I knew the baby wouldn't be able to battle me!" Bruiser said proudly.

"You need another strategy," Miss Athena whispered to me.

I started to panic. Mirror Coat was my only strategy. "Uhh...Tackle, Ken!" Ken ran straight for Bruiser and tried to plow into him but Bruiser only caught him like a American football player catching a pass. He winced a little from the force but otherwise remained unharmed. "Now what am I going to do?"

"Watch him lose!" Bruiser said as he squeezed Ken with both arms and slammed both of them into the ground.

"Ken!" both Miss Athena and I cried out together.

Ken managed to squirm out from under Bruiser and stand up. But a second later he started to run to me, crying his big eyes out. He almost got to me when Destai stood beside me and started to growl at him. Ken froze in place, unsure of what to do. Then Destai spoke to me. "Ken needs to grow up. Tell him that," he muttered to me.

For a second I was surprised that I could understand what he was saying. "But he's just a kid! He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"That's why you need to guide him. He'll definitely lose if you lose confidence in him."

Ken looked back at me with a fearful expression. "Bo?" he asked shakily.

Something about his scared state brought me back to my senses. Destai's right! The trainer can't lose faith in the Pokemon! "Ken, Icy Wind!" I yelled.

"Icy Wind?" Destai echoed.

I smiled. "I gave Ken a new TM to play with yesterday. I didn't have him use it before because I knew it wouldn't be that effective."

Ken took a deep breath and blew a cold wind at Bruiser who actually shivered a little. Ice attacks weren't that effective against Water types but they were still affecting the Poliwrath.

"Then why did you use it?"

"Because he needs confidence. And Bruiser's still getting hurt."

"Why, you little shrimp! I'm going to tear you apart!" Bruiser roared while glaring down at Ken.

Ken glanced back at me, waiting for another command. I just smiled and said, "Just have fun."

He smiled at me and then at Bruiser. Before Bruiser knew what was happening, Ken blew another Icy Wind in his face. Bruiser growled and clenched his fist, ready to attack. Ice crystals surrounded his fist as he drew it back and swung it at Ken. Mistake. Ken's shell glowed again and deflected the punch. The force sent Bruiser and Ken sailing a good distance, Bruiser landing on his back and Ken landing on his face.

"Looks like they knocked each other out," Destai observed.

I thought the same thing. That is, until Bruiser got up and laughed. "I won! I beat that sorry shrimp!" he crowed.

My head shot to Ken. He didn't move for a few seconds then stirred when Miss Athena started to raise her hand to declare Bruiser the winner. He slowly got to his feet and faced Bruiser with an angry look on his face. Destai's jaw dropped. "He's standing?" he said in awe.

"Ken hates to lose," I told him.

Ken ran and jumped on top of Bruiser's head. There he unleashed his "ace in the hole". Bolts of electricity traveled from him, through Bruiser, and into the ground. Bruiser yelled out in pain until he fell on his face. And on his face he stayed.

Ken won and grew to level 6!

Shonta's POV

I arrived back home to find it unusually quiet. Beacon sniffed around for signs of Ken's scent. "He's here. He's just being quiet right now," she informed me.

"Ken quiet? That's a surprise," Trinity scoffed.

I heard a couple of "shh" sounds. Athena was on the couch asleep and Destai and Bo were on the floor. "What took you so long?" Bo asked me.

"What did you do to Bo?" Bandit inquired.

"We took him to the playground today for his first battle. He got a little bruised while he was at it," Bo said.

"Is he okay?"

He chuckled and smiled widely at me. "Better than that Poliwrath!"

"Poliwrath?" Bandit and I repeated together.

"Yeah. He must've taken that Hidden Power TM from your backpack a few days ago. You might want to keep him from any electrical devices for a while."

I walked to the Pokemon's bedroom and found Ken sleeping on one of the pillows. He was snoring lightly and smiling despite having a couple of bandages on him. I smiled at him. "Way to go, champ," I said softly.

Ace64

18th July 2006, 12:56 AM

Jeff: *grunt* Don't ask why I'm up. I liked the story, though I had a bit of difficulty telling the difference between yours and Gabi's, aside from the battle. Also, just a little suggestion to you and Gabi, since you worked on your stories together: try throwing a bit more description between your dialogue. Otherwise, over time, the reader loses the idea of the setting and circumstances and envisions a bunch of characters standing around in the middle of nowhere chatting. Is it day or night? How would the characters react to hearing about things they may not necessarily understand? Things like that. I know your stories aren't always like that, but I'd thought I'd put it out there.

Take 22 stamps.¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Shonta:Whee! Glad to see Destai getting along:knew you'd do right by him.Ken's growing rapidly, but it's nice to see the companionship between the former baby and the current one. Bruiser's comment on the shrimp and his sister struck me as funny for some reason- I think I laughed too hard. All these Ken stories would make an amusing baby scrapbook.

Take 17 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

classy_cat18

18th July 2006, 09:54 AM

Thanks for rating my battle. Destai is getting used to some of his teammates quicker than others. Can I get a battle for my L7 Zangoose? This will be from the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency. *pays seven stamps*

The Blue Avenger

18th July 2006, 09:58 AM

Thanks, Trey.

I'd like a double RBG for Lady Bow and Groove Guy, level 6 Gastly and Sudowoodo, from the general adoption center, please. *pays 14 stamps*

EDIT: Right, I forgot I can do this now. Shonta, Katana will fight a Swalot.

Lady Vulpix

18th July 2006, 02:41 PM

Assuming you mean 'Universal', they will battle a Gastly and a Gligar.

Cheesey

28th July 2006, 11:01 AM

This is just a little story I wrote for the current scenario, it's not very good, it's just something to re-introduce myself into Ulthuan. I like to think it leaves a little more open for the next story I write, although it's more like an RBG than an actual scenario story. Oh well, can't have it all :P I hope it's ok, if I've done anything wrong just say so... cos I have a horrible feeling that I probably have, lol.

“… so you’re telling me that the Crimson Blades are still around?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “Yes. But it’s difficult to really keep up with what’s going on at the moment.”
I sighed. After travelling elsewhere for a year or so, it was far too difficult to keep up with what was going on back home.
“Maybe I should just ask some of the members of the Dragon’s Guild. I used to be a philosopher there and I was debating whether or not I should ask if I could pick up my post again. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to waltz in like that though, especially since I don’t even know the current situation they’re in.”
I paused and then looked at the slightly sheepish looking shopkeeper before realising who I was talking to. “Erm…”
“It’s okay,” the shopkeeper said quickly. “I’m used to hearing traveller’s thoughts.”
“Oh, that’s alright then,” I replied sheepishly, looking at my toes. There was nobody else in the shop so at least I wasn’t holding anybody up.
“Anyway.. I should be heading off, really. Sector Alpha awaits, after all.”
He grinned. “Okay then. Make sure you take care going through the forest. I still maintain that it would’ve been a better idea to go via the main paths, but…”
I laughed. “No, it’s okay. If we get into any bother, well, my pokemon can take care of me, I’m sure.”
“Good, good, well, have a safe trip and you’re welcome to come back.”
“Thanks. See you!”

As I made my way through the sliding doors I bit my lip. I was still somewhat worried that as soon as I returned to Sector Alpha, everyone I’d known from before would suddenly appear and I’d get a barrage of accusatory comments. And I really wanted to know what was going on with the Crimson Blades, especially since myself and Amethyst didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms the last time we met one.

I felt for Amethyst’s pokeball before duly letting her out as I continued to walk down to the nearby forest that would take me to where I wanted to go. She burst out with a flash before hurrying to catch up with me.
“Is there anything wrong?” she asked, inquisitively.
I sighed. “Amethyst, would you be at all angry with me if I’d lost my connections with the only people I know who could tell us about the Crimson Blades whereabouts?”
She looked at the ground. “No. Not really. But I still want to know about Armand and what he’s doing nowadays, because I just have the feeling that if you lose track of him, you simply don’t know when he’s going to pop up. And you never know what he might do, either.”
“I know. I could never forgive him for what he did to you, which is why I feel guilty for not knowing what he’s up to now.”
Amethyst looked up at me. “Don’t. We can find out what we can about the Blades when we get to Sector Alpha. I don’t expect you to keep track of every single detail just for me, especially since we haven’t been around this area for such a long time.”
I smiled weakly. She was a very understanding pokemon, and I needed to do whatever I could to make it up to her. I suppose that would be to look into the Blades’ recent past, but that wasn’t really something I could do at the moment.

By now we’d gotten through the outskirts of the forestry. I felt slightly uneasy about it because it’s not a forest I’d ever navigated before, but I was sure we’d be all right. For some reason, although Amethyst is essentially not that strong yet, I felt that her willpower was enough to make me feel comfortable enough about the possibility of encountering angry pokemon. But there seemed to be an almost relaxed feel to all the pokemon we’d seen so far; none of them really took any notice of us, apart from the odd inquisitive Venonat, or maybe that Masquerain we’d seen flitting about in the treetops for quite a while now.

It had been a long while since either of us had said anything and it was getting to the stage where it was slightly awkward. That was, until Amethyst blurted out something that had clearly been troubling her.
“What do you think happened to Valerie?”
I blinked. “I… don’t know.”
She sighed.
“She was quite a vulnerable creature, wasn’t she?”
Amethyst nodded reluctantly. “Yes. She was very fragile.”
“I can only imagine that she’s still with the Blades. I doubt she’d have escaped.”
“I know, that’s what I was worried about too… If I ever saw her again then I doubt I’d even recognise her. I would hate to think what they’ve done to her.”
Amethyst’s eyes were visibly getting steadily more watery and her speech was getting a bit slower and hesitant. “It’s horrible to think… to think that she… was raised like that…”
I stopped walking and knelt down to give Amethyst a hug and a shoulder to cry on. No matter how strong she was, the Crimson Blades had traumatised her and that was something she had to live with. I knew how fragile she was.

It felt like an eternity that I was sitting there with her. Maybe it was because I didn’t like seeing her like this, or maybe it was just that I hadn’t really been keeping track of time and had kind of fallen out of sync with my body clock and wasn’t functioning properly. But I knew I had to be there for her. That’s why I adopted her; I knew she needed support that she just wasn’t getting by sitting in an adoption agency.

After a while, she sniffed and wiped her eyes. I don’t know how long it had gone on for, but she hadn’t cried for a while; maybe she was just bottling things up. “Are you good to go?” I asked her gently.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”
She smiled meekly before walking alongside me once again. “If anything, we’ll find Valerie one day. I don’t know if she’ll recognise you, or if you’ll recognise her, but I’m sure we’ll find her.”
“I’ll know if it’s her,” Amethyst stated matter-of-factly. “Even if she’s a Salamence.”
I smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

I wondered if we ever would meet Valerie. It’s not as if I’d given Amethyst false hopes, but I just had to wonder how we’d ever meet up with Armand. He’s not the kind of guy you could just ring up for a chat, really, and I wasn’t sure if we’d be seeing him any time soon; all the more reason to find out what the Blades were actually doing at the moment. I wondered if I could find Gabi or Ade or some other sort of expert once we got to our destination.

“Chris, look out! Duck!”
I stopped. “You what?”
“Behind you!” Amethyst cried.
“There’s a duck behind me?” I pondered, before turning round to see a swarm of Beedrill. No wonder Amethyst was ready to run when she said it; she was already on her way!
“Hold on, Amethyst!” I yelled, before giving chase. The Beedrill didn’t seem to be heading towards us in particular, but we were in their line of fire and because the forest was so thick, there wasn’t really anywhere else for us to go.
“Quickly, Chris!”
I was quickly catching up with her before she darted behind a tree. The Beedrill were very nearly upon us and so it was a lucky escape; I hurled myself behind the tree less than gracefully and watched them go past.
“Ugh. They weren’t even angry. How annoying is that? You’re minding your own business, and they just come along and do their own thing, absolutely no manners at all…”
I grinned before heaving myself onto my feet and stepping back out from behind the tree.
“OW!!”
Amethyst leapt out behind me to see exactly what’d happened.
“Not all of them appear to have gone past, Amethyst…” I croaked after being winded by a lone Beedrill who appeared to be trying to catch up.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” I replied as she helped me get upright again. “Thanks.”
I had barely gotten on my feet again before the Beedrill suddenly came back and slammed me in the back and knocked me over again. As I lay there, still reeling, I looked up at it; it was enormous, the biggest one I’d ever seen anyway. It looked somewhat flustered, although I must admit, bee expressions are not my strong point.
It just hovered there for a moment, and there was an eerie silence; it being a forest there were normally background noises, but not for this split second. Suddenly, it lurched forward and dived towards me. I rolled over because that seemed to be my only option – I couldn’t fend it away with me hands, it was too strong. As I helplessly waited that nanosecond for it to hit me, my whole body heaved as all I heard was a SLAM. Amethyst had conjured up a barrier and protected me with it, but now it was heading for her.
“Chris!! What do I do?!”

Amethyst the female Mr Mime [lv. 8] vs. Wild Beedrill!! [lv. 15]

I jumped up and took a moment to collect my thoughts; right, now, okay, first battle in a while.
“Amethyst, this guy is strong so you HAVE to be prepared, okay?!”
“Okay,” Amethyst cried as the Beedrill zipped up into the air, ready to dive.
“When it dives, I want you to use Thunderbolt, Amethyst! It should shock him and weaken his defences!”
Amethyst nodded and conjured up a ball of crackling electricity between her hands. “Now!” I yelled.
As the Beedrill hurtled down towards her, Amethyst flung her arms forward and released a powerful stream of electricity which struck her adversary head on. Unfortunately, although this had visibly damaged him… He kept going at a terrific speed and slammed into Amethyst, throwing her backwards with brutal force. “Amethyst!!”
She picked herself up quickly and composed herself for the next attack, which was sooner than she might have anticipated.
“Quickly, set up a Barrier! It’s coming at you with Twineedle!”
Amethyst duly did so, with Beedrill coming at it with its enormous poisonous barbs. She held strong as he hurtled into her, her barrier not failing her.
As the Beedrill zoomed off into the air again, Amethyst stopped to catch her breath. This battle was already taking its toll on her because of her foe’s strength.
“You’ve weakened him already; you can hit a weak spot with Psychic when he comes at you!”
She nodded before playing the waiting game. Her enemy was still there, waiting, watching, looking almost like it was trying to work out what she was going to do. Suddenly, it came for her, out of nowhere.
“Quickly!”
At the last possible moment, a streak of luck ran for Amethyst as her psychic strength prevailed before he could reach her. “Throw him down!”
Her eyes closed and Beedrill growing an eerie red, Amethyst focused her strength on lifting him up into the air and slamming him onto the cold, hard soil below. It very obviously took its toll on him, but that wasn’t the end, as it slowly made its way back up, buzzing furiously. Amethyst couldn’t take much more.
“He’s not quite energetic enough yet, Amethyst – Thunderbolt him while he’s still slow!”
She did as I asked and conjured up another blast of electric energy, but as she shot it forwards, the Beedrill simply shot upwards in a shocking blast of speed that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Amethyst was sweating. She was putting her heart and soul into this, and was clearly weakening really rather quickly. Fortunately, the same could be said for her foe; he seemed to be building up to something. Then his rear-end stinger glowed a bizarre green…
“Oh God, Amethyst, Barrier!”
Beedrill shot forward yet again and slammed into Amethyst with a ferocious Fury Cutter. “Quickly, Psychic before he gets away!”
Beedrill was too tired to escape Amethyst’s clutches even though they were getting steadily weaker.
“Finish him off Amethyst – throw him away into the trees!”
The Beedrill couldn’t retaliate; Amethyst duly did as I asked and got rid of him, before falling to her knees. I ran over to her, feeling really quite bad about it.

Amethyst won! She grew to level 10! She learned Solarbeam as her free TM (odd, no?)

“Are you alright?”
Amethyst blinked. “No,” she replied, bluntly.
I smiled. “Sorry. I’ll return you. You did brilliantly, I’m proud.”

I stood up and reattached her pokeball to my belt. I guess you can never really expect a wild pokemon to suddenly attack. But, always looking on the bright side, the walk to Sector Alpha was almost finished; not much further to go in this forest, and once I get out, I should be able to see the city itself.

Not much left to do other than go, then. So, I continued on my way through the forest; it wasn’t as thick now, a sure sign that I must be doing something right.

“Beedrill?”

I had a double-take. Did somebody just say Beedrill?

“Bee- oh, there you are!”

Oh no. Ohhh, no no no. Not him. Anyone but him.

Everoy

28th July 2006, 11:12 AM

I'd like a Universal Adoption Center RBG for Dobie, L5 Female Houndour.

The Blue Avenger

28th July 2006, 11:16 AM

Chris, your battle will be rated soon.

Patrick, Dobie will fight a Duskull.

Lady Vulpix

29th July 2006, 11:18 AM

Curious cliffhanger, Chris. And welcome back! I wonder what the deal was with all those Beedrills. And how your group (especially Amethyst) will react when they find out what's happened to Armand and Reaper/Valerie. Take 9 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

By the way, your story has been archived (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/Archives/). I assumed you'd want that, since your old stories were in the previous archive. If you don't want your stopries to be there, just tell me and I'll take them down.

And anyone else who wants their stories to be archived is welcome.

Cheesey

29th July 2006, 03:11 PM

No, of course, that's fine. I'll try and write another story for this scenario fairly soon, given that it's been up a while and chances are it'll be changed not long from now. If it looks like it might take me a bit longer than that, I'll ask for a extension, but hopefully I won't need to, hehe.

Everoy

1st August 2006, 04:12 PM

My RBG is being written right now. I'm using almost all of my TMs and my new White Juice :) It's partly taking part in the Eevee House, BTW, but that's mostly for continuity with my plotline there.

Lady Vulpix

1st August 2006, 08:30 PM

Ah. I see. *Makes note to post at the Eevee House one of these days.*

Inferno_Dragon

5th August 2006, 06:44 PM

I asked for a random battle generator at the Crystal Caves Battle Arena. Can I ask for one here too? If I can, I would like to request a random pokemon from the Free Range Coral against Pegasus my Level 9 Ponyta. *pays 7 Stamps.*

The Blue Avenger

5th August 2006, 06:59 PM

Pegasus will fight a Chansey.

Cheesey

7th August 2006, 12:43 PM

Can I have an extension on the current scenario please? It shouldn't take me too long to finish my story but I'm just a bit anxious that I might be that little bit too late and I'd rather be safe than sorry...

The Blue Avenger

7th August 2006, 12:44 PM

Extension granted.

Lady Vulpix

8th August 2006, 05:46 AM

Ok, considering the state of everyone here, I think Saturday afternoon will be a good time to post the next scenario. Those who can't make it by then can request an extension at any time before the change.

Kyuubi

8th August 2006, 07:37 AM

uh... I request an extension then.

The Blue Avenger

8th August 2006, 10:04 AM

You got it.

classy_cat18

11th August 2006, 11:47 AM

This is Katana's RBG. Hope you enjoy it!

Katana's POV

It started out like any other day. I woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of Bandit's voice. "Wake up," he whispered. When I refused to open my eyes he nudged me. "Come on, we have to go before someone notices."

I groaned and woke up. "What do we have to do today?" I asked him.

"Just come on!" He tugged on my arm until I followed him out of the room. We froze at the sound of a yawn. Bo was standing in the hallway with a knowing look. "What are you doing up?"

"I knew it! Miss Trinity was telling me that you two were sneaking off every morning but I didn't believe her!" Bo said excitedly. His tail wagged as he looked from Bandit to me. "Where are you going? Can I come too?"

"No. It's too dangerous," I told him sternly.

"Oh come on! I'm not that little! I got a tough side!" His ears drooped. "I thought you wanted me to be prepared."

I crossed my arms and looked at the Umbreon. It seemed only yesterday that he was a tiny Eevee that I used to play with or an egg that I used to cuddle. He was growing up too fast. But I would have to accept the fact that he was like that. I turned to Bandit and sighed. "I think he's ready."

"Are you sure?" Bandit asked me.

"It was time he had a real battle." I smirked at Bo. "What you will see is not to be discussed with anyone in the team, not even Shonta. Do you understand?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "My lips are sealed and locked."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ever since Diablo was freed from darkness, the Demons have been looking into other ways of getting stronger. Their favorite way was to gather in their former hideout in the early mornings and battle each other. It was like a fight club. Bandit and I found out from Aero who got it from Skye. It's so popular that Pokemon outside of the Demons joined.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get a battle. Being a former assassin has its disadvantages. It tends to make others scared of me, especially the younger Pokemon. It didn't help when I told them that I didn't have a lot of experience battling. But I had a good feeling about this morning.

We met the guard at the front door who recognized us. He was the Machop that I used to boss around. He gently pushed me back and stared at Bo. "Who's the kid?" he asked me.

"He's with us. He won't tell anyone," I promised him.

"I know he won't tell. I've just never seen an Umbreon with red rings before. It's a rare sight." He stepped back and let us pass.

The warehouse was familiar to me so I led the way into the makeshift arena. Stacks of boxes served as bleachers for the smaller Pokemon to sit on. Other sat on the floor or on other various objects.

Bo stayed close to me as we got closer to the battle. Some of the former Demons were glaring at him as if he had come to crash their party. Those were the ones that were satisfied with Diablo leading them. Without him they thought that they were without purpose.

We sat in the bleachers and watched the battle. A Sableye named Sapphire kept his eyes on Bo, making him uncomfortable. Finally Sapphire moved over to Bo and bared his teeth. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Bo maintained his innocence even though he might have known why the Sableye was giving him such a look. "Same as you, I guess. I want to battle."

"So you think that you could ruin our lives and expect us to kiss and make up? Do you know that you destroyed my life?"

Bo cocked his head and smiled. "Aren't you the one that tried to kidnap my Squirtle friend?"

Sapphire growled and swiped his claws at him to make him flinch. "You little brat! Don't play dumb with me! I can tear you apart!"

"I'd like to see you try," Bo said with a smirk.

I hissed at Sapphire. "Stay away from him," I warned him.

Sapphire snickered. "And who's going to make me? You? I'm one of the strongest Pokemon in here."

"That must not be saying much since you got beaten by Miss Trinity," Bo commented.

I stepped in and stood between Sapphire and Bo before Sapphire could start a battle. "Don't taunt him, Bo. He's at a much higher level," I warned him.

Sapphire snickered again. "Yeah, little boy. Do what your mommy says."

"My mommy could rip you to shreds," Bo said darkly.

Bandit held Bo back as he started to growl. "Hold on, kid. You don't want to mess with a dark-slash-gho...on the other hand, tear him up." He let him go.

Bo immediately sprang and sank his teeth in Sapphire's arm, making him howl in pain. Sapphire grabbed hold of Bo's ears and yanked him off, not caring about the skin that was ripped off in the process. I watched in mild fear as he held him high to the crowd of spectators and announced, "I have a challenger for the new guy!"

Bandit nudged me. "We can't let him do that to Bo," he whispered in my ear.

"Wait a second. I want to see the new guy," I whispered back.

"Don't be heartless!"

"Don't lose faith."

Sapphire jumped down to the floor with us following and roughly threw down Bo before a Swalot. The Swalot took one look at Bo and turned away. "Too weak," he said pompously.

I growled. "Are you saying that he's not good enough for you?" I yelled at him. "Maybe I should show you what I'm made of!"

"Stop your yelling. It's getting on my nerves."

Bo stood up and nuzzled me. "You don't have to do this, Aunt Katana."

"Yes, I do. No one insults my nephew and gets away with it." I smirked at him and stepped up to the Swalot. "Battle me."

"Why should I?"

"If you win, you will humiliate the one that took your precious boss away from you."

"Really now? In that case, I accept your challenge."

Skye flew down and landed in the middle of the makeshift arena. "Pokemon, take your places." The Swalot and I stood with Skye, facing each other with a few feet separating us. "This battle is between Katana and B.B.! Let the match...begin!"

L7 Female Zangoose (Katana) vs. L7 Male Swalot (B.B.)

I smirked as B.B. and I circled each other. "Where did you get a name like B.B.?" I asked him lightheartedly.

"It stands for Big Belly. Now if you don't mind I would like to defeat you before our party is crashed." It took a deep breath, readying himself for an attack.

"Too slow!" I said as I sprinted up to him and slashed him with my claws. A gash appeared on the front of Big Belly, making the Swalot notice who he was up against. I was an opponent who was at least fast enough to make the first move.

I whirled around to slash him again but he wasn't there. I looked down and saw a puddle of purple liquid on the floor. "Acid Armor, eh?" I chuckled and dropped down on all fours, my tail swishing with confidence. "Let's see if I can do something about that." I felt the electricity in my body surface as I unleashed it on the puddle. The puddle gurgled and bubbled before turning back into Big Belly.

Big Belly said nothing but instead opened his gigantic mouth and spit out a big ball of sludge at me. I thought just sidestepping out of its path would be enough. But when it hit the ground, it exploded, sending me tumbling a couple of feet. The explosion released a toxic gas that clouded my vision and made me cough. Fortunately, it didn't poison me.

I covered my nose and strained to see through the smoke. Big Belly wouldn't go anywhere; he was too slow to try a direct attack. I ran out of the smoke and right into the path of a Solarbeam fired by him. I ducked but still got my back fur singed by the attack.

"Katana!" Bandit shouted.

"You can beat this guy!" Bo shouted with him.

Big Belly opened his mouth again and blew out pink bubbles. I knew this attack from when Nama would use it. I got down on all fours, used Quick Attack to get past the descending bubbles and in Big Belly's face, and jabbed my claws at him. But I wasn't expecting him to open his big mouth and clamp it down on my arm. There wasn't any pain because there were no teeth in his mouth.

I pulled and tried to get my paw out. But it seemed like the more I struggled, the weaker I became. I looked up and saw specks of light traveling from me to him. "Giga Drain, huh? Pretty clever," I commented. "But you're forgetting one thing. I can still shock you!" I shocked him but that only made him clamp down harder in pain.

I went back to pulling, adding an additional shock occasionally. But my struggles were being weakened by the Giga Drain. I had to do something before I fainted. I was too close to do a scratching attack and my Thundershock wasn't having much of an effect. But I was doing something to him. I released all the electricity that I had left on Big Belly. At first he only clamped down harder and then he finally let go of me to howl in pain.

"He let go!" Skye said in awe.

I jumped back and summoned as much energy as I could to finish the battle. I smiled when a breeze hit my face. I raised a paw and felt the wind change direction back to Big Belly. I slashed the air then, summoning blades of light that slashed Big Belly's skin. He fell back and rolled on his side, finally down and out of the battle.

I won and grew to level 8!

I turned around to look at the faces of the spectators. Surprise, anger, even boredom. I didn't exactly do a good job of making the battle exciting. But I got the job done. I took a bow and walked to Bandit and Bo. "Let's go home. Lily will be waking up soon," I told them.

"But I wanted to battle," Bo whined.

I smirked. "You'll get your chance."

Everoy

11th August 2006, 10:12 PM

Time for Dobie’s RBG! The following items are being used in this:
White Juice on Dobie, Fire Blast TM on Dobie, Present TM on Campbelle, Wing Attack TM on Sia, Mirror Coat TM on Zen, Iron Tail on Latte, and Dizzy Punch on Typar.

Thanks to Trey/Ace64 for prrofreading this!

Note: I currently have a bit of a plotline going on right now. At the beginning of this: I do not currently have the following Pokemon with me: Sia, Adamantia, Archae, Remy, Jessie, Typar, Campbelle, and my unhatched Eevee. I technically have Swoop with me, but she is out searching for the others.

With the attacks, I used the ASB descriptions, although I did change Disable to more of the game effect.

[color=#b0e2ff]<Swoop>
<Female Taillow>

I flew through the air, diligently searching for my friends. I had checked around both of the Adoption Centers without much luck, but a helpful Spinarak told me about a Mantine in what looked like a hamster ball filled with water rolling by about half an hour ago… I kept searching, knowing Sia (the only Mantine in a water-filled hamster ball I know) couldn’t have gotten far. I pondered something interesting: why did a Mantine, which was part-Flying type, need to be in water? I decided I’d need to ask Patrick that once I was back at the Eevee House.
“Swoop! Swooo-ooop!” I heard a familiar voice call. Only, it wasn’t Sia. It was Adamantia, the paranoid Torkoal that Patrick adopted after having to be abandoned by her previous owner. I flew down to her. Archae, Patrick’s Lileep, was suctioned to her back.
“Thank goodness I found you-Patrick is back!” I said, gasping. Flying was hard work sometimes.
Adamantia grinned like I had never grinned before. It seemed like her paranoia was gone, even though Patrick’s departure should have made it worse… It must have been because of Archae, the most uptight Pokemon I’ve ever known.
“Where is he? I don’t see him with you.” Archae said in his I’m-always-right-just-because-I-am voice. I stared at him.
“I was flying though the sky over fifty feet in the air and you’re doubtful because I didn’t bring him with me? He’s at the Eevee House.”
“Well, let’s go!” Adamantia rejoiced. I flew onto her back in front of Archae as we headed back towards the Eevee House.

[color=pink]<Broadway>
<Female Jigglypuff>

Adamantia came into the Eevee House with Swoop and Archae on her back. Archae slunk off her back as Patrick came running towards them. Adamantia stood up on her hind legs and reached out her arms to hug Patrick. That was a very awkward hug to see, but it ended quickly as Adamantia fell forwards onto Patrick.
”Oh my gosh, are you okay?”Adamantia asked worriedly. He nodded.
“Nine down, six to go…” I said. Birostrisia was probably nearby, but I had no clue where Remy and his little crew were. All of a sudden, I heard a crash in the room behind us…

[color=#6666fa]<Birostrisia “Sia”>
<Female Mantine>

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!” I screamed. A bookcase fell on me shattering my plastic shell… A flood of Pokemon and a few trainers came is and stood nearby.
“Sia!” Broadway yelled. She ran up to me and tried to push the bookcase off of me. A few others helped, including Zen, Adamantia, and a Miltank I didn’t know. Before long, I was free of the bookcase… And the shell. But I could float! Well, it was kind of flying, but when I don’t have feathers, it’s hard to call it floating.
“Sia…” a human whispered… My trainer. Patrick.
“Patrick? I didn’t think you’d come back…” My voice trailed off.
“If I had known you could fly, I wouldn’t have stuck you in that glorified hamster ball all this time.”
“If I had known I could fly, I wouldn’t have let you.” I laughed. “So, it looks like everyone is here except Jessie and them, and Mittens…”
Patrick looked upset. Dobie looked angry… I had figured out what had happened. Mittens had a new trainer. The Miltank who helped me get free walked over and nervously stuck out her hand.
“I… I’m Latte. Patrick adopted me… And that’s why he had to give Mittens to another trainer.” the Miltank explained. Dobie left the room.
“I’m Birostrisia, Sia for short. Nice to meet you…”

[color=darkred]<Dobie>
<Female Houndour>

I ran out of the Eevee House through the front door as fast as I could. I ran through street, after street, after street… I had probably been running for about ten minutes when I was out for breath. I walked down into an empty alley that came to a dead end and rested there for a while… But I wouldn’t rest for long.

“Wake up! NOW!” A Duskull pushed me and I woke up immediately, facing the Duskull. “This is our alley, what are you doing here?”
“Your alley?” I growled.
“Yeah, this alley is in Wisp territory, you Blaze spy!” the Duskull shouted.
“Wisp? Night? What are you talking about?”
“Like you don’t know! We’re in warring gangs!”
Gangs? How far did I run? I thought. There sure weren’t any gangs in our city.
The Duskull motioned to someone nearby, and before I knew it, I was unconscious.

I woke up in an abandoned house. There was very little furniture, all I could see was a ripped couch and a broken wooden chair. On the chair was the Duskull.
“Don’t try and leave. Other members are guarding the entrances.” he said.
“Where am I? Why am I here?” I inquired.
“I’m going to give you one last chance to escape. If I defeat you, I lock you up in our prison in the basement. If you beat me, I’ll let you and your cohorts go.”
“Cohorts?” I was baffled… Did someone follow me?
“We found them near where we found you. Bring them in!”
A Misdreavus and a Haunter led in four Pokemon I recognized all too well… Remy, Jessie, Typar, and Campbelle came in, tied up. Jessie looked like a Tangela made of ropes. And the egg was a Campbelle’s pouch… When they saw me, Typar shouted at me. I couldn’t hear what he said, but the Haunter licked him, causing paralysis.
“Okay, I’ll battle you.” I knew accepting the challenge was risky-I had never battled before. But if I didn’t, myself and my friends would be trapped here…

Dobie, Lv. 5 Female Houndour
VS
Lv. 5 Male Duskull

Instantly, the Duskull shot a dark, ink-like beam at me. I recognized it to be Night Shade. I zipped to the side and attempted to intimidate with my Leer attack, but he just laughed.
“You can’t scare me, you idiotic dog!” He shouted as he shot another Night Shade at me. This one hit… And it hurt.
“Dobie! Try Beat Up!” Remy shouted. Aha! That was a great idea, with my friends nearby. I summoned up four shades, in the shapes of a Smeargle, Sneasel, Koffing, and Chansey. The four shades ran up to Duskull and attacked him, and after the final shade hit him I zoomed in to end the attack. The Duskull groaned and held his hand out toward me… But he didn’t come at me. Then, I was surrounded by a red glow. I couldn’t tell what had happened, so I attempted to summon the shades again, but I couldn’t! Duskull had used Disable to prohibit me from using Beat Up.
“That won’t stop me.” I growled. I opened my jaws and shot fire from my mouth via a gland in my throat. It’s very complicated, and I won’t bore you with the details… The Ember attack hit Duskull right in the face! He groaned in pain, and then I saw the burn on his cheek. He then split into five with a Double Team attack… Double Team? Duskull doesn’t learn Double Team… Of course. This street gang doubtlessly had stolen a Double Team TM from someone. I then checked if I could use Beat Up again, and I could. I summoned the shades again, and each of them attacked a different Duskull. I darted for the final one, and I hit!
“Gah… Now you’ll feel my pain!” He moaned as the both of us were connected by a thin, ghostly black beam, and I started to ache… He was using Pain Split! After about thirty seconds, the beam dissipated. Immediately, I shot another Ember at him, this one hitting his torso. He groaned again as the previous burn inflicted further damage. For the third time, I summoned the four shades of my friends and we attacked Duskull, one by one. The Duskull stumbled. Was I so close to defeating him before he used Pain Split? He Leered at me, but it had no effect. Once again, a stream of fire from my throat shot out and hit the Duskull, and the burn inflicted more damage… For the final time! The Duskull stumbled again, and this time he fell onto his side. The Misdreavus and Haunter rushed over to him, and levitated, for that’s the best way to describe it, through the wall.

Dobie is now Level 6!

I chewed through the ropes binding Typar, and the two of us unwrapped Campbelle and Remy. Then we dealt with the giant ball of rope that was Jessie. It took us a while, but eventually we freed her. We ran out the front door, and luckily, the Banette who had been guarding that door had left. As soon as we came out he door, we heard a faint voice calling to us from the air…
“SIA?!?” Jessie shouted. Sure enough, the Mantine was flying through the air. With a passenger! Zen was on her back, as well. He appeared to be navigating.
“You… can fly!” Typar said in amazement.
“Yup. I’m a water and flying type…” She giggled.
Zen led us back to the Eevee House where Patrick greeted us, much to Typar and company’s amazement. The four gathered around Patrick and they hugged one by one.

Once we were all gathered in the main room of the Eevee House, Remy told everyone what had happened, and I filled in the blanks from before he saw me. After that, Patrick explained what had happened… with Mittens. And the Miltank that shouldn’t be here.

At the end, Patrick told us he had some gifts for some of us. He pulled out a CD case. He showed us the CDs in it.
“Do you know what these are?” he asked.
“Music?” Broadway asked hopefully.
“No…” Patrick laughed.
“Oh… Technical Machines!” Typar said cheerfully.
“Yup!” He gave Zen, Sia, Typar, Campbelle, and… Latte… each one of the discs. He then set a disc and a a glass cylindrical bottle filled with a white, milky liquid in front of me.
“These are for you. It sounds like you were very brave about the situation, even though you were separated from Mittens.” he said.
First, all of us used the TMs, another complicated process I won’t bore you with, and I drank the juice, and instantly I felt a change.
“Huh? What happened?” I asked. Sphear jumped three feet.
“You’re white!” He shouted. I looked at my paw, and the leg attaching it to my body… And it was white!

Dobie is now colored white!
Dobie learned Fire Blast via TM![
Campbelle learned Present via TM!
Birostrisia learned Wing Attack via TM!
Zen learned Mirror Coat via TM!
Typar learned Dizzy Punch via TM!
Latte learned Iron Tail via TM!

Patrick had one more surprise up his sleeve…
“If any of you want me to rename you, I’ll do so…” Patrick smiled. “If you want me to, step forward.”
Jessie floated forward instantly. Campbelle stepped forward next, then Sphear and Zen. Hesitantly, Archae creeped forward. After thinking about it, I stepped forward too. After a few seconds, Sia, Broadway, and Typar all joined us. Everyone else choose to stick with the same name.
One by one, he renamed us, after asking us if there was a specific name that we wanted. Sia and Campbelle both had names in mind, and they became Majesty and Bliss respectively. Patrick took two books out of his backpack, one about Greek myth, and the other, an English-German dictionary. Via the dictionary, Zen became Frieden, which means ‘peace’, and Sphear became Kreisförmig (Kreis for short), meaning ‘circular’. Next, after looking through the mythology book, Jessie became Nyx, goddess of the night, and Broadway became Aoede, the original muse of the song. Archae, Typar, and myself were more difficult for him. He named Archae ‘Masquerade’, because his actual body was inside the rocky shell that seems to be his body, and he named Typar ‘Doon’ after a character in a book and he read.
“Dobie, what do you think?” He asked me when it was my turn. I tried to think about something related to my new color.
“…Winter.” I finally said.
“Winter it is! Kind of ironic, considering you’re part Fire-type!” He laughed. I snorted in amusement.

<Rembrandt “Remy”>
<Male Smeargle>

While Patrick renamed most of my friends, I took the egg and walked into another room. Adamantia walked over.
”Hi, Remy… Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. I was just worried about the egg the whole time…” I said, setting the egg in a depression on her back.
”I’m glad you’re o-huh?” she said, looking at her back… The egg was hatching! I took it off of her back and ran into the main room, over to Patrick, who had just renamed Dobie.
“Patrick! The egg!” I yelled, handing it to him… The egg cracked off, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen… An Eevee with a rainbow mane! Everyone around stared in amazement.
“Wow… Remy, since you took care of him so well, do you want to name him?” Patrick asked. I instantly knew what the Eevee’s name should be… I had thought about it while taking care of the egg.
“Arcobaleno. It means rainbow.” I smiled and picked up the Eevee who giggled happily.
“Awwobaweyo!” The beautiful creature proclaimed.

Male Eevee, Lv. 5, has hatched!
Name: Arcobaleno

New names:
Sia: Majesty
Campbelle: Bliss
Zen: Frieden [FRAY-den]
Sphear: Kreisförmig “Kreis” [KRAIS-for-mig]
Jessie: Nyx [NIX}
Broadway: Aoede [ay-EE-dee]
Archae: Masquerade
Typar: Doon
Dobie: Winter

EDIT: CODING IS A BIOTCH.

Lady Vulpix

12th August 2006, 01:24 PM

I think I'll postpone the new scenario until we can rate these two battles. And I'm currently mad at my hosting service for not allowing pages with the word 'clamp' in them. I've found a way around it, but it's still annoying and I don't see how that word can do any harm.

Patrick, do you want your stories archived too (provided you don't use the word 'clamp')?

The Blue Avenger

12th August 2006, 02:04 PM

Speaking of battles, here's Lady Bow and Groove Guy's RBG, called "Mallrats".

---

“Hey guys, we’re off to White Mountain, okay?” Bobbery called from the main foyer of the house. After pausing a moment, he continued, “Look, don’t destroy the house while we’re gone. And go outside and do something. Jeff wouldn’t want you to just sulk around the house.” The Snorlax frowned as silence continued to reach his ears. He poked his head through the door to the kitchen and saw… nothing. Well, not exactly nothing – he saw a sink, relatively spotless (Bobbery prided himself on being the only one in the house aside from Jeff who would wash dishes), a stove, several half-empty cabinets… but no other Pokemon. As he frowned and turned back to the front door, a small note attached to the refrigerator caught his eye. The messy handwriting scrawled across the paper assured Bobbery that it came from Groove Guy – the Sudowoodo had insisted on learning to write despite the obvious troubles that came when he tried to hold a pen.

“Bobbery,” Bobbery read aloud, “We left to go do stuff. Jeff would want it that way. Can’t speak for anyone else, but Bow and I are headed for the mall. Oh yeah, I finished your leftover pizza. Sorry.” The note was signed Groove Guy.

Bobbery shrugged and tossed the paper into a nearby trash can. A loud squawk followed by an impatient cry of “Hold your horses!” informed him that the rest of the party was waiting on him. He barreled through the front door, leaving it to lock behind him.

Meanwhile, in the Mobius Street Mall on the opposite side of town, a crowd had gathered around two of the machines in the arcade. A Sudowoodo stood in front of one, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, a look of relaxed determination on his face. In front of the other stood a frowning Kirlia. The Kirlia didn’t look nearly as at ease; indeed, she wore a look of panic as her eyes frantically scanned the screen on the machine. The feet of both Pokemon became a blur as they tuned their ears to the beat of the music pumping out of the game. The crowd watched in silence as the heavy bass, combined with the thudding footsteps of the two Pokemon, seemed to shake the very foundation of the building.

Moments later, the two Pokemon stopped and stepped back amidst a sudden roar of applause from the audience. The screen on the Sudowoodo’s side panned up, revealing a picture of golden triple A’s, as a voice from the machine called out “Can I call you a dancing master?” Meanwhile, a similar voice on the other side of the machine, “That was the worst dance I have ever seen! Never dance on this machine again!” as the Kirlia’s screen displayed a bright red F. The Kirlia fell to her knees and sniffed quietly.

“Sorry, but that’s the way it goes,” the Sudowoodo said as he knelt down to her. “This game’s not for everyone.” The Kirlia sniffed again, nodded, and quietly walked away. The Sudowoodo stood back up and looked over the crowd. “Who’s next?” he called confidently. “Come face off against the DDR champ!”

When nobody stepped forward, a white Gastly phased into appearance next to the Sudowoodo. “I do not know, Groove Guy,” the Gastly said calmly. “You may be slightly intimidating to them – you have yet to lose a match, and you have been playing each song on the hardest level.”

Groove Guy sighed. “Maybe you’re right, Bow. I should take a break anyway.” He stepped away from the DDR machine, only to be replaced immediately by a Machop and a Dusclops, who began to dance to a much easier song.

Lady Bow and Groove Guy walked down the wide hallway past a variety of clothing stores, their ultimate goal the food court. “Groove Guy,” Lady Bow started, “it has never been explained to me. Why is it that so many Pokemon can come to this mall without trainers? I thought it was frowned upon in most places.”

Groove Guy shrugged. “I’m not so sure myself. I just don’t question it – you never know when the luck’ll run out, you know? But all of the shop owners are really nice.” The pair stopped in front of a storefront, the sign atop it proclaiming it to be a restaurant called the Big Bang Burger Bar. They ordered their food and sat at one of the meticulously cleaned stools at the bar.

At the other end of the bar, a large set of eyes were focused intently on Lady Bow. The eyes were attached to a head, but the head was curiously not attached to anything, except in a metaphorical sense to its best friend sitting next to it. That was because the floating head was indeed another Gastly. The Pokemon next to it, a Gligar, sighed. “Look, Bikke, she’s with another Pokemon. Even if she’s not ‘with’ him, it’s painfully obvious that he has the hots for her anyway.”

“But he’s a Sudowoodo!” Bikke whined.

“Hey, for all you know, he’s a Ditto,” the Gligar responded.

Bikke frowned. “You’re no fun, you know that, Garland?”

Garland nonchalantly took a sip of a soda. “I’m perfectly okay with that.”

“Hmph.” Bikke slowly chewed a french fry, thinking to himself. “Maybe if I go over there and start talking to her, I can -”

“Give it up, man,” Garland interrupted. “Look at the way she’s eating her sandwich. Very prim, very proper. Obviously not your type.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Bikke hissed, dribbling ketchup down his semi-corporeal chin.

“Never mind,” Garland said, cradling his forehead and sighing.

Back at the other end of the bar, Lady Bow stopped eating and leaned towards Groove Guy. “Is someone watching us?” she asked the Sudowoodo quietly. “I keep getting a vague feeling to that effect.”

Groove Guy scanned the bar subtly. “I think it’s the Gastly and the Gligar down at the end of the bar. Don’t worry; I’ll go set them straight.” He jumped down from the bar stool, leaving it spinning in his wake.

Bikke watched as Groove Guy walked towards him. “Can I help you?” he asked, trying to act nonchalant.

“Yeah…” Groove Guy said, frowning. “I’d like to ask you to stop ogling my friend. She is… quite happy with her boyfriend.”

“Oh? That’s how it is?” Bikke scowled. “And who are you to tell me that?” Before Groove Guy could get a word in edgewise, he continued. “…Oh! You’re her boyfriend, aren’t you? Well, then… if I can prove I’m better than you, she’ll have to choose me!”

“Wait, I -” Groove Guy started before Bikke blasted into him with a series of melee attacks. “Help!” he called.

“Sorry, kid,” Garland said, shrugging. “I’m seen Bikke like this before; I can’t stop him.”

“But together, maybe we can!” interjected Lady Bow, materializing at Groove Guy’s side.

Garland flew off of his seat. “Hey hey hey! No double teaming my friend!”

Groove Guy and Lady Bow versus Bikke and Garland!
Groove Guy – “I’m feeling the rhythm…”
Lady Bow – “This shall determine that.”
~
Bikke – “You must have cannonballs of steel to challenge me!”
Garland – “I, Garland, will knock you all down!”

Groove Guy frowned – individually, the Frustration attacks weren’t doing much damage, but the sheer number of them that Bikke was unleashing was proving harmful. The Sudowoodo nimbly dropped to the floor and rolled under Bikke. Groove Guy sprang up, his fist glowing, and thrust it straight forward at the Gastly. Not surprisingly, it passed straight through.

“Heh heh heh…” Bikke chuckled. “What exactly were you trying to do?”

“Groove Guy!” Lady Bow whispered. “”Normal attacks don’t affect Ghosts, remember?”

Groove Guy slapped his forehead. “Shoot! I forgot… There aren’t any rocks around here, so I can’t use Rock Slide either… and the Gastly’s a poison type, so Hidden Power’s out…” Groove Guy but his hand to his chin in thought as he sidestepped a Shadow Ball from Bikke. “I got it! Lady Bow, you deal with the Gastly, and I’ll fight the Gligar!”

“Excellent,” Lady Bow replied as she floated in front of Bikke.

“Aww! No fair!” Bikke whined. “I gotta fight you?!”

“You attacked my friend, thus you committed to a battle,” Lady Bow replied coldly. A glint shone in her eyes, and Bikke backed up nervously. However, he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the cone of bright light that generated from Lady Bow’s eyes: the light surrounded him and blinded him, leaving him severely disoriented.

However, Lady Bow was interrupted from her match by Groove Guy’s sudden exclamation: “Where did he go?!” She glanced over to him, only to see that the Gligar had disappeared from view entirely.

Groove Guy glanced past Lady Bow. “Watch out!” he cried just as Garland reappeared suddenly, his claws awash in dark energy. He swiped at Lady Bow, sending her reeling backwards. The Gligar flew past her quicker than both Lady Bow and Groove Guy thought possible, swooping at Groove Guy. His claws were no longer coated with darkness; instead, they now gleamed in the fluorescent light, a silvery color coating them. Garland brought both claws down hard on Groove Guy, who stumbled backwards, head spinning.

“Ugh…” Groove Guy groaned. “I can’t take another blow like that… this guy is tough…”

“If you can’t take my attacks,” Garland called, smirking, “then you better work on dodging!” He flew into the air and entered into a dive-bomb straight at Groove Guy.

“You don’t know how well I can dodge!” Groove Guy called. He jumped backwards and sprung off of his hands, landing neatly on his feet a few feet away, leaving Garland to crash straight into the ground.

Lady Bow watched this play out with increasing interest, but a dull moaning reminded her that she had a foe to defeat as well. “Ugh… you’re one harsh chick, you know that?” Bikke moaned. “But if that’s the way you wanna play…” His large eyes shut, Bikke began to focus. Momentarily, large rings of psychic energy began to emanate from him. They flew all over the store, narrowly missing Garland and Groove Guy (the latter of which took advantage of the distraction and nailed the former with a Mega Punch). Lady Bow nimbly flew through the only ring aimed for her, which went on to cause a sizeable dent in the bar behind them.

Lady Bow smiled smugly. “That worked well,” she said calmly.

“Urgh! You’re a real pain!” Bikke howled. “I’ll show you!”

“I invite you to try,” Lady Bow replied, floating in a lazy figure eight.

Bikke scowled “Have a taste of Psychic!” he yelled, focusing his energy inward.

“Groove Guy, now!” Lady Bow called, just as Bikke released a wave of transparent energy. Groove Guy nodded and sprung out of the way just as Lady Bow floated to the side. Bikke looked past them… straight into the face of Garland.

Garland went pale. “Oh crap,” he mumbled just as the Psychic hit him, leaving him to collapse on the ground.

“Now you’ve done it!” Bikke yelled. “He was my best friend!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault,” Groove Guy shrugged.

“But now we just have to deal with you,” Lady Bow continued.

Bikke stopped his tantrum, looking from Groove Guy to Lady Bow. “Not fair…” he said quietly as Groove Guy summoned a series of small purple orbs, juggling them idly one-handed. Lady Bow began to crackle with electrical energy, a regretful look on her face.

“My apologies,” she said calmly as she released the Thunderbolt at the same time as Groove Guy threw his Hidden Power. The attacks hit Bikke at the same time, leaving him to fall gently to the ground.

Battle over! Groove Guy and Lady Bow grow to level 7!

Lady Bow sighed. “He did not seem that bad; just jealous…”

“Well, what can you do?” Groove Guy said, shrugging. “He attacked us first.”

“That does not make it any more right,” Lady Bow replied despondently.

Groove Guy thought for a second. “Well, there’s a Pokemon Center just around the corner from the mall,” he said. ‘We could take them there.”

“A good idea,” Lady Bow replied, cheering up visibly.

***

“Ugh…” Bikke moaned. “My head…” He looked around him. The familiar interior of a Pokemon Center surrounded him – he was on a bed in the back, but he could see the nurse’s desk from where he was, as well as the lobby, where two or three trainers were milling about. A small bookcase was next to the bed he was on, and Garland was sitting on it.

“Good to see you’re up,” Garland said, glancing to him. “You know, the Sudowoodo wasn’t her boyfriend.”

“Wha -” Bikke started, but Garland interrupted him.

“They were actually pretty decent. They brought us here and stayed until I woke up. The Gastly said that she was dating another Gastly, not the Sudowoodo.”

Bikke sighed. “Ah well. There’s always next time.”

Lady Vulpix

13th August 2006, 08:56 AM

Shonta: take 9 stamps. I liked the idea of the fight club, it was original. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Jeff: cannonballs of steel? O_o Where's this Mobius Street Mall? I think we should add it to the locations list. The DDR competition made me laugh. And that was a curious description of a Gastly, but Bikke was a curious character. Take 18 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Patrick: your story will be rated soon.

The Blue Avenger

13th August 2006, 04:54 PM

Gabi: Both Bikke's and Garland's before-battle quotes are directly from the Final Fantasy characters of the same names. The Pokemon are nothing like their video game counterparts, but I liked the names, so I used a quote from each. The mall is on Mobius Street, which is on the opposite side of town from my house, and by association, the barracks/the Dragon's Guild.

Patrick: A gang war, eh? Caledor (I'm assuming that's where your story is set; I don't believe I've seen the Eevee House in any other stories) certainly has its fair share of gangs and delinquents... Nonetheless, it was neat to see everyone reunited, and the scene with the egg at the end was touching. I've never heard of a Mantine actually flying, though. I think 8 stamps is appropriate. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Lady Vulpix

13th August 2006, 04:57 PM

The Eevee House is indeed in Caledor, just outside Sector Alpha. I remember I mentioned it in the locations list. I'm going to edit the list now to add the mall. Can you get on AIM?

Lady Vulpix

13th August 2006, 05:10 PM

Scenario by Jeff. He could have posted it himself, but I needed to retouch a bit. Also, 25 stamps go to him because he submitted it before becoming a worker. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

It had been roughly one week after the expedition to the White Mountains. A group of Pokemon huddled around a laptop computer in a modest one-story home, in the suburbs of Caledor. The Pokemon controlling the mouse, a Dratini, slowly scrolled through a page on an online news service, the logo in the corner proclaiming it to be the site of the ‘Twoson Times.’ As he scrolled down the page, the headlines became progressively grimmer.
“Old cult rises anew.”
“Cult head announces extreme distaste for local politics.”
“Cult membership reaches record numbers.”
“Happy-Happyism spreads: the first Blue church outside of Eagleland opens in Caledor, Ulthuan.”
“Twoson under new government: the Blue Party.”
“Balthazar and accomplice lay siege to Twoson with help of followers.”
“Cult members and accompanying Pokemon neutralize Eaglelandian army.”
“Twoson in flames!”
The last headline was accompanied by a rather striking photo: a tall building in the background was in flames, while, in the foreground, a blue Flareon sat next to a young man. The man wore a blue bodysuit, and a crop of thick brown hair spilled over his large, opaque glasses. The article read: “This young man, believed to be a Happy-Happy Village native named Jeff Azure, was caught on film commanding his Flareon to set fire to the Twoson Department Store. Mr. Azure is currently labeled as public enemy number two, second only to the head of the Happy-Happyism cult himself, Koop R. Balthazar.”
The Dratini sighed heavily and faced his comrades. “Let’s get to the Guild. They should have enough manpower to help us now.” When the team reached the Guild headquarters, a secretary stopped them in the hall and motioned to a conference room, saying that a meeting on their trainer was just about to take place. The team collectively nodded and entered the meeting room.

***

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to travel to the town of Twoson, in the heartland of the continent Eagleland. Your goal will be to neutralize as many of the cultists as you can, hopefully paving the way for Eagleland’s own military. If this threat is continued unchecked, it could possibly spread to other countries, including our own, so we need every trainer we can muster to help. If you happen across Jeff Azure, be wary: not just because, as Balthazar’s second in command, he likely has access to the same weaponry and genetically altered Pokemon that Balthazar himself has proven to own; but also because he used to be a Guild and DT member and we suspect he's under some kind of mind control. Incidentally, confrontations with Balthazar should be strictly avoided unless you have proper backup. Balthazar is easy to recognize – he has red spiky hair, red eyes, and a very imposing (yet striking) figure. If he is seen in Twoson, he will likely have backup in the form of several cultist bodyguards, as well as several vicious Pokemon of his own. Be careful, trainers, and good luck.

***

(Up to level 15)
Lv. 8 Blue Dratini (+1)
Lv. 15 Blue Gastly (+2)

(Level 15.5 – 25)
Lv. 16 Blue Meowth (+1)
Lv. 24 Blue Alakazam (+2)

(Level 25.5 – 35)
Lv. 28 Blue Tangela (+1)
Lv. 35 Blue Sudowoodo (+2)

(Level 35.5 – 45)
Lv. 38 Blue Metang (+1)
Lv. 45 Blue Porygon2 (+2)

(Level 45.5 – 55)
Lv. 49 Blue Ditto (+1)
Lv. 49 Dark Blue Vaporeon + Lv. 49 Blue Flareon (combined +2, not to be fought apart)

(Level 55.5 – 70)
Lv. 62 Blue Mr. Mime (+1)
Lv. 70 Blue Castform (+2)

(Level 70.5 – 85)
Lv. 76 Blue Smeargle (+1)
Lv. 85 Blue Snorlax (+2)

classy_cat18

13th August 2006, 08:48 PM

One RBG for L7 Destai from the Universal Adoption Center, please. *gives seven stamps*

The Blue Avenger

13th August 2006, 09:05 PM

Destai will fight a Gastly.

Everoy

14th August 2006, 10:13 AM

Patrick, do you want your stories archived too (provided you don't use the word 'clamp')?

Sure, that's fine with me!

Patrick: A gang war, eh? Caledor (I'm assuming that's where your story is set; I don't believe I've seen the Eevee House in any other stories) certainly has its fair share of gangs and delinquents... Nonetheless, it was neat to see everyone reunited, and the scene with the egg at the end was touching. I've never heard of a Mantine actually flying, though. I think 8 stamps is appropriate. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Thanks :) About my Mantine flying, my previous method of having her travel around was a bit out of the ordinary (in a hamster ball filled with water... wtf was I thinking :p) so I realized she was part-Flying. I realize having her fly up in the sky rather than float near the groud was a bit farfetch'd (whee, puns) but I decided there should be a reaspon why her, Zen, and Latte got TMs along with everyone else. My personal favorite part of my story was my Koffing looking like a Tangela made of ropes :)

Lady Vulpix

14th August 2006, 01:14 PM

Your story has been added to the archive (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/Archives/index.html). :)

Everoy

14th August 2006, 01:16 PM

Sweetness... And I just posted at Tsuyoi's Lair. This is a good day for my adopted pokemon.

Lady Vulpix

14th August 2006, 01:23 PM

It seems to have started out for a good day for the Dragon Tamers in general. I've replied to your post on TL. Let's finish this conversation now to avoid derailing the topic. You can reach me on AIM or via PM if you'd like to talk.

classy_cat18

17th August 2006, 10:01 PM

I didn't want to get into the action quite yet, so I just wrote a little introduction to the new scenario. Note: I bought the Faint Attack and Body Slam TMs from the Reward Center.

Moriko's POV

"Everyone scatter!" Brutus cried as the Pokemon attacked us.

I flew up into the sky with the swarm, knowing that the Houndoom on the ground would not be able to reach us soon. They still managed to take down some of the slower Heracross but the rest of us got away...and flew right into the path of the airborne attackers.

"Charizard!" some of the swarm screamed as they flew off in all directions. Two more Charizard appeared and surrounded us. There was no escape.

Brutus hovered beside me with a scowl on his face. "Damn! They got us!" he cursed.

"What do we do now?" I asked him nervously.

He leered at the Charizard and took my hand. "We try to survive. Dive, everyone!" The remaining airborne Heracross took a nose dive, narrowly missing a group Flamethrower. Brutus, still holding my hand, flew as fast and as far away from the fight as he could. He landed just outside it by a hollow tree. "Moriko, I want you to hide."

"But..." I started to protest.

"No! You have no hope of surviving if you fight with us. Get in there and be quiet." He roughly shoved me in the tree and stood with his back to it, hiding me from view. Then he pushed a stone in front of the tree and blocked out all light.

I refrained from scratching the wood with my claws, a tactic that I used when I was feeling nervous or panicky. But I froze when I heard some heavy breathing. I felt around and found a Pokemon at the other side. It was the Abra that hung around my swarm's tree. He flinched as I continued to feel him. "Don't do that," he said quietly. "It hurts."

"What happened?" I asked him, but there was no time for him to answer. Someone had come to our hiding place and was now arguing with Brutus.

"What are you hiding?" It sounded like one of the Houndoom.

"I'm not hiding anything. I'm protecting our home and food," Brutus said proudly.

"Well, it looks like you're being relocated." I heard some scuffling and then silence.

I waited a minute before deciding that Brutus needed my help. I pushed the stone away from the opening and peeked out. Unfortunately, the enemy was counting on that and was waiting for me. "Well, well, well. It looks like our new friend was hiding something after all," the Houndoom from earlier sneered.

I took a step back and lowered my horn at the Houndoom. "I will defend myself if I have to," I told them as bravely as I could. "Don't give me a reason to fight."

The Houndoom laughed at me like I said the funniest joke. "Oh man! If everyone could hear you! You actually think you can fight me and win? Your friend couldn't even win against me!"

I gasped. Brutus was gone, defeated or maybe even worse. I took another step back. Maybe if I could distract him I could fly away. But what about the Abra? If the Houndoom finds him he might do to him what he did to Brutus!

"Okay, my dear, I'm feeling like target practice. Feel free to try to escape," the Houndoom said with a smirk.

"I won't run away," I told him. He was going to pay for hurting Brutus.

The Abra stepped out and stood with me. "Neither will I," he said.

The Houndoom snickered at our determination. "You guys are funny! It's a shame that we had orders to only take the strong Heracross. And now that we have the strongest, we don't really need you."

"So why do you want to hurt us?" I asked him.

"Why?" He snickered again. "No reason. I just want to have a little fun." He took a deep breath and blew out red-hot flames at us. The Abra teleported while I took to the air. I could feel the heat on my underside as I tried to escape. I looked around for the Abra and found him hiding in a patch of tall grass nearby. He must've been too weak to fight.

The Houndoom looked up at me and let loose a loud howl. It was then that I found out that he wanted me to fly. That way his Charizard friends would see where I was. I hovered in the center of the ring of three Charizard, feeling doomed. "It won't matter what you do to me. I'll get right back up!" I shouted at them. As they opened their mouths and unleashed their fire attacks, I closed my eyes and hoped that I would one day be reunited with my friends.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Moriko? Are you alright?"

My eyes shot open at the sound of someone's voice. Was I still in the forest? No, I was at my new home. I looked at Ali who was looking at me sleepily. "Did I wake you up?" I asked her.

"Yes, but it's alright. Were you dreaming about that day again?"

I nodded. "It was so much more vivid this time. I could feel the heat of the fire and was surprised that I didn't have burns when I woke up."

Ali sat next to me. "You mentioned someone named Brutus. Who is he?"

"He was the leader of the swarm and one of my closest friends. The others said that he really liked me." I blushed a little at the thought. "I guess that was why he tried his best to protect me on that day. He hid me in a hollow tree along with Maza and tried to keep those evil Pokemon from getting to me."

"Are you sure it was Maza that used to hang around your swarm?"

"Yes! It had to be! I bet my life on it!" I said a little too loudly.

"Keep it down!" Trinity snapped at us from her corner of the room. "Some of us are trying to get a little beauty sleep here!"

We stayed quiet until we knew she was asleep again. "She should learn that beauty doesn't count on the battlefield," Ali whispered to me.

"I agree," I whispered back with a yawn. "I should get back to sleep so I'll be wide awake for training."

"Okay. We'll talk more in the morning." She walked back to her pillow and plopped on it. I leaned back against the wall, beckoning for sleep to come back to me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please don't let them find me," I whimpered as I lay slumped inside the hollow tree. I was alone and scared. Not even the Abra was with me now.

To my horror, the rock in front of the opening was pushed aside, revealing a crouching male human. "I found one! He's here in the tree!" he called out to someone else. He shined a flashlight at me and blinked, finding out that I was female. "Hurry up! She looks half-dead!"

Two more male humans showed up with concerned looks on their faces. "Oh man, look at those burns," another one of them said. "No wonder she's looking at us like that." He reached a hand in the tree with an intent to touch me. I flattened myself against the wood and swiped a claw at him.

"Jake, you're scaring her. We'll have to go to Plan B," the third human said. He sat down a bowl of sweet smelling tree sap and stood away from the entrance/exit. "If you can understand us, we want to help you. We work for the Dragon Tamers Adoption Center. We came here to look for survivors in the attack. We're sorry that it took us so long to find you. I guess we should've listened when our boss told us to 'leave no stone unturned'."

I almost laughed at his little joke but it took me a while to decide that it was alright to come out. I stumbled out and looked in the face of each human. They watched me pick up the bowl and slurp up the liquid meal that they gave me. "When was the last time you ate?" Human #1 asked me in amazement. I finished the bowl and held it up to him. "You want more? No problem!"

Human #2, a.k.a. Jake, came up from behind and started spraying my burns with something that made my exoskeleton tingle. "This should help them heal," he told me kindly.

Human #3 watched as Human #1 refilled the bowl and handed it back to me. "Do you have a name?" Human #3 asked me. "My name's Phil."

"I'm Bill," Human #1 chimed in.

"Jake," Jake said as he held out a hand. I didn't know what to do with it so I waited until I was done with my second helping of sap and put the empty bowl in his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Moriko," I said softly before I knew what I was doing.

The three humans didn't seem to be surprised that I had let them understand me. "Cool name," Bill commented. "Doesn't it mean 'child of the forest'?"

I nodded. "What are you going to do to me?" I asked them nervously.

"Not anything bad. Like I said, we're from the adoption center. We want to get you better and find someone that will take care of you," Jake explained.

I backed up a little toward the tree that I had called home for the past few weeks. "I don't want to go. My home is here."

Phil put a hand on my horn as a sign of comfort. "Moriko, we couldn't find anyone from your swarm. Not anyone alive, that is. It looks like everyone was either captured or killed."

I gasped. It wasn't true. Someone had to be alive! I put my claws over my mouth to keep myself from sobbing out loud. "Everyone's gone?" I whimpered.

"I'm afraid so," Phil told me. "If you stay, I doubt anyone will look after you. At least stay at the adoption center until you get well enough to leave and find a new swarm."

I sniffled and nodded. "Okay, I'll go. But just long enough for me to get better."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I woke up again, this time in an empty room. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was up. "What time is it?" I asked myself as I got to my feet. I glanced at the doorway as Lily walked past it. "Lily, where is everyone?"

"They're waiting for you in the living room. Did you have a good night's rest?" she asked me.

"Not really. I was visited by my memories. That day was already horrible all fuzzy. Why do I need to relive it in HDTV?"

"Maybe you should take a vacation," she said with concern. "All the stress is going to eat you from the inside."

I closed my eyes. "No, I'm needed here." I walked to the living room where the whole team was waiting for me. Destai cocked his head to the side at the sight of me and gave a slight whimper. "I'm alright, Destai."

"Are you sure, Moriko? I mean, your mouth says you're okay but your aura says that you're a little freaked out," Circe told me.

"I'm fine." I leaned against the wall and looked at all the strange looks. "What's wrong?"

"No offense, but...for a few seconds there you reminded me of Katana on one of her bad days," Bandit said carefully.

I blinked at him. It was true that I was getting a little moody sometimes but I didn't believe that I would remind someone of Katana. I smiled as best as I could. "Don't worry about me. I just had a rough night, is all."

"If you say so," Shonta said. "I've gathered you all here to tell you that a meeting has been called to discuss the matter about the Happy-Happyists. We're going to move out. Katana, did you get that e-mail from Triton?"

"Yes. He says he and Volt are going to be here today and they have the crystal with them," Katana informed her.

"Good. Katana and Moriko will come with me to the meeting. Bo, take care of Ken for me, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" Bo said happily.

"Okay, let's move out!" She stood up and walked out of the house with the three of us following her.

We got to the meeting just as everyone was settling down. I felt a little out of place there as I was more Dragon Tamer than Dragon's Guild. I looked at Shonta and Katana for confidence. Katana was facing the front, fidgeting a little and looking tough as Lord Absol entered the room. Shonta was also fidgeting but she looked worried. So much for confidence.

A projector displayed images of news articles from Eagleland so shocking that they even seemed to have affected Katana. Her fur bristled and she let out a quiet growl. "This is getting out of control," she grumbled.

When the meeting ended, I was in tears. The same thing that happened to my home was now happening to Twoson. I clenched my claws and glared at the spot the projection once occupied. I will help stop it! I wouldn't hide in fear this time!

Lord Absol glanced at me and then looked at Shonta. "Is there something wrong with your Heracross?" he asked her.

"I think the attack has her rattled. Something similar happened to her home two years ago," Shonta explained.

"Ah, I remember. In Southern Caledor, right?" I nodded. "That should give you an incentive to help us then." He walked away and spoke to someone else, leaving me confused and maybe just a little angry.

We left and stopped by the Reward Center for anything we might need. Shonta picked up a Faint Attack TM for Destai and turned to me. "You can get something if you want," she said to me.

"I suggest you get this," Katana said, tossing a Body Slam TM to me. I smiled and handed it to Shonta. She paid for the two TMs with a smile and gave the Body Slam to me. I wasted no time in using it on myself.

I yawned as we started to walk home. Shonta noticed this and put me in my pokeball. There I dreamed again, this time of a good day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ready to get adopted today, Moriko?" Bill asked me as I stood in the back of the adoption center, where the adoptees slept. I nodded. "Remember to be fired up. No one can resist a fired up fighting type!"

"I am fired up!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Yeah! Now go out there and show them what you can do!" He pushed me out of the door and urged me to keep walking.

I boldly walked up in the observation room and swung my horn in anticipation. One trainer noticed me, a short black girl with an Oddish. She smiled as I continued swinging my horn. "You sure are tough," she commented.

I grinned widely. "I do my best. My name's Moriko and I'll do my best to keep your Pokemon in high spirits if you adopt me!"

"She's peppy. I like her!" the Oddish said happily, bouncing energetically. "Pleeeease adopt her!"

"Okay, okay! Welcome to the team, Moriko!" Shonta told me.

I shook her hand and smiled. I had a new home.

Ace64

17th August 2006, 11:19 PM

So, the story of Moriko's origin. Interesting read- did the business in Twoson inspire this, or do you plan to do a similiar thing with your other Pokemon? And I wonder who gave the Houndoom orders to take the strongest Heracross? What could they be being used for? Take 8 stamps.[/color] ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

classy_cat18

18th August 2006, 12:12 AM

I've been planning this for quite a while but it took the Twoson attack to bring it all together. I'm not sure if I'll do the same thing with the other Pokemon.

Lady Vulpix

18th August 2006, 05:43 AM

Yes, it was interesting. And you didn't write it in Word! Thank you! ^_^

Ace64

20th August 2006, 10:38 PM

Deo's RBG, and the last writing I do for a while...College orientation is soon.

EDIT: Sorry for the indents- I indented it in Word, some of it is showing, the rest I had to do myself.How annoying.

“…58% of the poll suggests that the population is currently dissatisfied with events in Eagleland,” droned a blond reporter, tapping a pointer against the red slice in a pie chart. “Here, 23% express contentment with the growth of the Happy-Happy religion. 17% believe that Ulthuan should stay out of Eaglelandian affairs. And 2% of the respondents expressed interest in pie,” the reporter concluded, his expression unflinching as a stone.
“Thank you, Mark, for that enlightening insight into the minds of the people. We’ll be back in a few minutes after these…”
Trey snorted and turned off the TV with a click of the remote. Blessed silence filled the space, as rare a visitor as snow in August. It seemed that news of the Twoson rebellion, or the “Twoson Takeover” as it was dubbed, was everywhere. Innocuous blurbs in the news had suddenly leaped and bounded into exclusives and unflattering photographs and amateur videotapes. In a short week, a wave of fear and paranoia had swept over the land.
Last night, the Channel Six Nightly News featured a ‘chilling’ videotape captured by one of the victims of a raiding Happy-Happyist party. Nobody had asked why this numbskull was standing around filming an attack instead of fleeing or fighting back, instead, he was “to be commemorated for his quick thinking.”
The video showed masked men dressed in blue sending Pokemon into an orphanage. All of the Pokemon were blue in color, and their eyes seemed strangely blank, their faces slack and emotionless. All of the Pokemon were small, quick creatures- Persian were the most common, but one could also glimpse a Linoone and even a few Zangoose. The cult Pokemon entered the orphanage swiftly, like malign phantoms, and the cries of children arose from the building for a long, haunting moment. A moment later, the Pokemon exited the building- each one holding a small child in their paws or mouth. Add kidnapping to the list of murder, rampage, reckless endangerment, and rebellion.
Even the media could see what the cultists were after. It was the same thing that every major religion was in short supply.
Converts. The younger, the better.
Trey got up restlessly, and headed for the backyard. If the cultists are being brainwashed or forced to act against their will, that’s one thing. But if every child in Eagleland has to listen to the same propaganda that the cultists do- then they’re not just taking children, they’re recruiting soldiers. Fighting a man in a mask was one thing. Ordering an attack against a kid half your age was quite another.
The backyard was empty, save for Fisticuffs, Silk, and Deo. The three appeared to be deep in conversation- which was rare. Deo and Fisticuffs didn’t really talk all that much; their personalities were opposites of each other. Trey wondered whether the Sneasel was the reason for their meeting.
No one had learned much more about Silk since his arrival a few days ago. He came and went as he pleased, and refused to sleep in the house. For a while, the atmosphere was tense whenever he came by- half-expecting an enraged team of Pokemon to come charging out of nowhere, everyone would glance nervously into the trees. But that feeling soon faded with time. If Yssera was aware of Silk’s defection, it was a strange way to show it.
Trey looked around. The rest of the team wasn’t inside, and they weren’t in the back yard… “Where is everybody?”
“Cooler and Prophecy had an argument over who was the best tree climber,” Fisticuffs replied without looking at him. “They went into the forest- Charmene and Troit are acting as judges. I don’t really think either of them can climb trees, though.”
Prophecy’s hands were pretty stubby, and Cooler was a turtle- neither were good attributes suited to climbing trees. So, it made perfect sense that it would be a subject they would fight over. “Typical. So what are you three up to?”
Deo rolled forward, a proud grin plastered on his face. “Guess what I jus’ figgered out? ‘Member dat Secret Power TM you gave me th’other day?” When Trey nodded, Deo closed his eyes and concentrated hard. Nothing happened for a long moment, then, the air around the Voltorb seemed to quiver. A small circular bright blue orb the size of a marble appeared in front of Deo. As they watched, the orb grew in size to roughly the shape of a large bowling ball. With a grunt, Deo opened his eyes, allowing the orb to fall to the ground with a THUNK.
Fisticuffs tapped the sphere experimentally. It was cool to the touch and hard as stone. “Looks good.”
“Hidden Power Ice: success!” Deo cried with a great grin on his face. “Impressed?”
“Of course!” Trey replied, and he was. Hidden Power was a strange TM- it worked differently for every Pokemon. Deo had discovered how to utilize it extremely quickly- and the Ice type was perfect for countering his weaknesses to grass, rock, ground, and flying types. It seemed only natural that it was ice, since Deo constantly boasted to be unbeatable. “But…what were Fisticuffs and Silk here for? Helping you?”
“Oh, it’s great!” Deo said excitedly, his eyes lighting up. In his excitement, the surface of his skin was beginning to spark and crackle with electricity. “Silk was showin’ us his Double Team, and…”
“Wait a second,” Fisticuffs interrupted, earning a glare from the Voltorb. “Why don’t you just show him?”
Deo’s expression immediately shifted to one of malice. “Good idea, glad I thought of it. Let’s find some sap ta test this out on…”
Without another word, the Voltorb rolled away at high speed, away from the house and into the forest. Fisticuffs and Silk exchanged a world-weary look (Look what I have to deal with…) and took off after him. Trey followed in the rear, wondering why he hadn’t invested in a good fence.
Deo charged through the underbrush without stopping, flattening shrubs and catapulting over tree roots. Finally, he came to rest in the middle of a clearing, where he turned to glaring into the undergrowth.
“First, to scare up some prey…Come on out!” the Voltorb cried. His golden surface glowed even brighter as an electric current was generated, before he discharged a powerful Thunderbolt in all directions. The electric blast seared tree leaves and roots as it followed its course- if the group had been closer, they would have been caught in the attack. Something in the trees to Deo’s right squealed in surprise. Then, a pulse of lightning came flying out of the bushes, pushing the Voltorb back.
Deo rolled forward again, eyes narrowed as a young Electrike barreled out of the bushes. His snout was covered in berry juice and he looked quite annoyed. “Hey, what’s the big idea, shocking me for?”
“Aw, shaddup squirt,” Deo snarled, ignoring the Electrike and pretending to be concerned with the underbrush around him. “I’m lookin’ fer a real challenge. Go play in traffic or somethin.”
“Okay, that’s it! If you’re looking for a fight, you just found it cueball!” the Electrike spat, his teeth bared. He lunged forward, his fur beginning to crackle.
“Was hoping you’d feel dat way,” Deo said slyly.
"I can’t believe it,” Silk said in disbelief, watching from the bushes. Further behind, Trey huffed and puffed through the foliage. “Five minutes in the forest, and he’s already picked a fight.”
“Well, Deo’s good at what he does,” Fisticuffs answered, shrugging his shoulders. “He knows how to annoy people. I feel bad for his opponent, but this will be a good way to test his skills…”
BATTLE!
L 13 Voltorb vs. L13 Electrike

“Take this!” Electrike cried, his green fur charging with electricity. He let loose a small charge of blue lighting, which struck Deo hard, forcing him back a few paces. The Voltorb only grinned, sitting in one spot, beginning to glow.
“Is dat it?” Deo said with a yawn. Trey knew that the Voltorb was only pretending; in reality he was charging his power for the next attack. A battle for Deo involved mind games just as much as powerful attacks.
Electrike, getting furious now, lunged towards Deo with a lowered head. With a wide grin, the Voltorb released the energy he had stored in a powerful Thunderbolt. Even as an electric type, the shock was powerful enough to push Electrike backwards.
“And now dat I’ve got a little room…” Deo closed his eyes and concentrated. This time, the air shivered, not in front of Deo, but around his enemy. The orbs of ice formed again, but with a subtle difference this time.
Trey blinked twice, taking a closer look. Was it possible? “Is that what I think it is?” The ice orbs plopped onto the ground, but the construction was different. Halfway up the sphere, the ice was indented strangely- two holes were carved out, and a thin line was cut along the middle.
“Deo clones,” Silk explained. “Of a kind...” The ice spheres looked like Voltorb sculptures, but even a child could tell the difference between them and the true Deo. After all, one was a light gold and the others were a bright blue. That was, until Trey noticed that he couldn’t tell the difference. Now, all three of the Voltorbs were blue.
“What the…” the Electrike began, sounding as confused as Trey felt. He looked at all three Voltorbs warily. The trio glared back at him, motionless. “Uhm…”
“What’s wrong, scared?” Deo’s voice rang out mockingly. Without his mouth moving, it was hard to tell from which Voltorb the words were coming from. “Still time ta give up…”
“Deo covered himself with a thin layer of ice, huh?” Trey whispered to Fisticuffs. “That’s the technique he was excited about? It’s pretty interesting… I didn’t think Hidden Power would give that kind of strength…”
“It’s a new type of Double Team,” Silk said. “That’s why he wanted to watch how I used my own technique. These aren’t exactly clones…and yet they are. Solid instead of visual, and Deo seems to be able to control them. Of course, it helps that all he really is to create is a sphere…”
“Hmph,” Fisticuffs grumbled. It was rather unlike him. “Just try to get me a Hidden Power TM too, huh?”
“Ok, then,” the Deo grunted. “Lessee how ya handle dis!” The ice Voltorb on Electrike’s right suddenly rocketed forward. The dog-like Pokemon whined in pain as the orb slammed into him, knocking him over. Deo cackled wickedly as Electrike shook the frost out of his fur and got to his feet. When the second Voltorb clone rolled forward, Electrike lowered his head and struck first, lunging forward. The ball exploded, showering Electrike in a rain of ice chips.
“One down!” Electrike barked triumphantly, before quickly wheeled around to face another Voltorb. He lowered his head, his fur beginning to glow with charging lightning, and released a bolt of lightning at the ice ball, blowing it into pieces. “Two down!”
“Oh dear, ya found me,” Deo cried in a falsetto tone. Electrike turned menacingly towards the frost-covered Pokemon. “Whatever shall I do?”
The dog Pokemon leapt forward, his mouth wide. His teeth snapped down on the Voltorb’s skin, but weren’t able to penetrate through the layer of ice surrounding Deo. The Electrike whined in pain, trying to pull his jaws free. It was no good.
“Not too smart, are ya?” Deo chuckled, before he unleashed a full power Thunderbolt into the Electrike’s mouth at point-blank range. The burst of lightning was enough to shake the dog free and fling him across the clearing, minus a few teeth. “You were good fer exercise, anywho.”
BATTLE END!
Deo grew to L 14!
Trey stepped out of the bushes and into the clearing, eyeing the unconscious Electrike warily. It was definitely down for the count- his fur was blackened, with bits of ice sticking here and there from his snout. “I have to say Deo- I’m impressed.”
“Well, I am pretty impressive,” Deo said proudly.
“Don’t forget modest,” Fisticuffs mumbled. “Don’t forget- Silk and I helped you with that technique.”
“Of course,” Deo replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “Can’t forget da little people, right?”
“Actually, you’re the little one here,” Silk pointed out. “Even the Electrike was taller than you. And it was a quadruped.”
“If I could do dat to a ‘quadropod,’ imagine what I could do ta you,” Deo growled. Trey smiled, before he noticed a vibrating sensation in his pocket. It was his cell phone, on silent ringer. His expression turned serious, as he pulled out the phone and opened it. The Pokemon forgot their discussion, watching the human’s face.
“Yes, it’s Trey. Uh-huh….Now? Right this second?...Okay. Okay. I’ll be right there.” He turned the cell phone off and put it in his pocket, his face grim. “Silk, could you go find Cooler and the others for me?”
“Sure, no problem,” the Sneasel replied, before dashing off into the bushes.
“Something wrong?” Fisticuffs asked.
“The MTU is ready to send trainers over to Twoson for some sort of military operation. They’re holding a meeting now, so we need to head over there. Looks like we get to travel again- this time, overseas.”
Deo groaned, rolling his eyes. “Great. As long as we get a free ride this time.”

Lady Vulpix

22nd August 2006, 06:04 PM

Nice introduction to the current scenario. :) Take 12 stamps, Trey. Deo really has a superiority complex, doesn't he? ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Oh, you said Secret Power at one moment instead of Hidden Power. I liked the new technique, by the way. When do you think we can finish the Expedia-related conversation? And why am I the only one who's been posting at the tagboard lately?

*Murkrow

13th September 2006, 07:00 AM

Can I have an extension for the current scenario, please? I was intending to have everything done by the end of the summer, but I never felt in the right mood to do any writing whatsoever. So I'm waiting until DP are released which will help me sort out things here (sounds odd, I know, but it will).

The Blue Avenger

13th September 2006, 07:06 AM

Extension granted.

Lady Vulpix

18th September 2006, 05:48 PM

Ok, here's a small intro. I'll try to write the next bit within the next 2 weeks. I hope I can.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Gabi's POV>

We returned to Sector Alpha with a feeling of incompletion. We had acquired some knowledge, but it was mostly the knowledge that we were in deeper trouble than we had thought. We left two 'agents' to continue the research in White Mountain while we were away, namely Glyph and Orknye; but the situation there still worried me, and it was just one of many things that did. I had too many things on my mind. That didn't help me get started with the report for the Dragon's Guild, and nor did the news.

The continuous attacks by members of the "blue cult" (which had become an informal nickname for the Happy-happyists) were on everybody's mouths. As usual, there were people who said we shouldn't get involved, as it was out of our jurisdiction. Technically, the Dragon Tamers weren't authorized to operate outside Ulthuan, except on specific occasions when we were granted that permission by the local authorities. But I wasn't just a Dragon Tamer: I was also a member of the Dragon's Guild (a duplicity which had caused me trouble way too many times), and apparently the Guild was organizing an expedition to Twoson, the place where most of the attacks had been registered. I had no idea what the Guild's legal and physical limitations were, and that scared me, but at least we all seemed to be on the same side this time.

I attended 3 different meetings on the subject. The first one was with Lady Ninetales, when she told me about the plans for the Twoson mission and approved my decision to send a detective to investigate the happenings in Happy-Happy Village, not without scolding me for not discussing it with her first, nor without reminding me that my Ponyta report was due in less than a week. The second meeting was with other Guild members from both our division and the MTU, and there we all shared what we knew and outlined some plans. By then there were already rumors of a Happy-happyist church opening in Caledor, so it was decided that some of us would have to look into it, and I hoped I could be one of them: I didn't want to be out of the country when Lagi returned home, and I was tired of travelling. They were personal reasons, but sometimes you have to take yourself into account; otherwise no one else will. And the third meeting... That was with the Dragon Tamers. I couldn't officially tell anyone to go to Twoson, nor provide means of transportation, but I did mention what was going on there and imply that I wouldn't stop anyone from making a trip, and when Amy told me she was going I was greatly relieved. I did set myself to coordinate a mission in Caledor to investigate the new church and make sure the "blue cult" would do no harm at home. And when a new member joined the Dragon's Guild and requested to become a field agent, I encouraged him to join the Dragon Tamers. After all, the DT did his kind of 'field work' a lot more often than our section of the Guild did. And we needed all the help we could get, with all the crises that currently affected Ulthuan, especially now that Ade was apparently MIA.

So, when I finally managed to get done with the paperwork, and upon opening the door found that there still was a world outside, I decided it was time to start getting real things done. I gathered the members of my team who had joined me for breakfast and we agreed to go looking for the new Happy-Happyist church and find out what we were dealing with before calling in the cavalry. It was a minor setback that the newspaper article that mentioned it didn't include its exact address. The major setback was the fact that I didn't know who to ask... nor how to formulate the question for that matter. I was arguing with myself and finding lots of excuses not to ask strangers on the street and not to phone any of my friends, all of which boiled down to me ending up red with embarrassment, when embarrassment came to me anyway, in the form of Hero being more sensible than myself.

"I know you're all going to say I'm looking for any excuse to see Tracker," he began. "But won't she know where this church is? She works for the police, she knows these things. She's probably on their track already. We should ask her."
"I would have thought that by now you wouldn't need excuses anymore," Tsunami told him. "You like her, she likes you, what's wrong with that? You don't have to go looking for excuses to be together. But you're right, she must know at least their location, and probably more too. We could work together."
"Hero's being sensible and Tsunami's agreeing with him?," I remarked, stunned. "Where am I, and what happened to the world I came from?"
"You couldn't settle for the normal option and assume Hero and I had been replaced, right? It has to be the whole world with you," Tsunami laughed. This made me feel a bit calmer. "We're not linear, you know. Pokemon are complex individuals. Well, most of us anyway. I've met a few who were so predictable it wasn't funny."
"But not in this house," Hero seemed to look for a confirmation.
"Not in this house. Why, do you know anyone here who matches the description?"
Since Hero didn't reply, Tsunami continued.
"Now, if we were facing an immediate threat, things would be different. I'd know you'd run into it at top speed. But when we're still at home planning our next move you sometimes do come up with unexpected ideas."
"I'm having an idea right now. It involves roasted Vaporeon steak."
"You hurt me. Do you really think I'm so weak I could be roasted by your fire?"
"Not my fire. I was thinking about cooking you in the kitchen after I sliced you with my claws."
"Guys, this is the scariest and grossest argument you've ever had!," I felt myself change colors, not sure of which color it was I was turning into.
"Relax, it was all in fun," Hero told me, as if he hadn't suggested murdering and eating his best friend. "We were trying to help you shake off the feeling that your world had changed or whatever it was."
"Well, you overdid it. Seriously."
"It's not as if he meant it," Tsunami sided with Hero. "You should learn not to be so literal."
"I'm edgy from all that's going on, it's not a good time to teach me to take black humor lightly."
"I guess I'm not doing a good job as Lagi's replacement after all," Tsunami sighed. "I hope she returns soon. We really need her."
"No, we don't," Hero contradicted him. "Things feel better when she's around for the most part, yes. But we don't really need her. We managed to survive without her before she joined the team, and we're stronger and more experienced now. We can trust ourselves to stay alive on our on."
"We're also facing greater and more dangerous challenges now. I don't think we'll die at the church, but her presence would be comforting. It's like there's a big empty space without her in here. And I'm not referring to physical space, before any of you decide to make any witty remark."
I turned to look away from Tsunami, and my gaze ended up landing on Sylvan.
"Yes, we all know I'm the one who takes up the most physical space," said the Venusaur.
"I wasn't thinking of that, I assure you," I told her.
"It's alright," she smiled. "At least I'm not a Steelix or a Wailord. I can still fit inside a room if it's not too furnished. And I don't need to spend my time confined to a pool or a pokeball like poor Water Angel."
"I think Water Angel's like the prisoner from the story," Amber commented. "Her body's confined, but her mind can fly."
"At least the part of her mind that's dedicated to Pidgeot," Tsunami joked. "And you can't blame me for saying this because I'm not teasing them."
"Maybe things would be easier for her if she could talk from inside her pokeball," Sylvan shared her thoughts. "How do you do it, Amber?"
Amber thought for a few moments.
"I just... push, or something. And think loudly, like you do when you talk. I don't think I can explain it, it feels like I'm putting a soft pressure on the wall and trying to speak, and the sound comes out, but that's more a mental image than anything."
"I can't say I really understand," Tsunami confessed. "It must be one of those unexplainable things. Everyone seems to have a hidden talent."
"Or a Hidden Power," Ventura pointed out. "We do know that pokeballs are electronic and mechanical devices. And a Steel type Hidden power seems to grant an ability to handle machines to a higher or lower degree. Marius is an extreme example, but Amber's ability may also be an expression of that."
"Is Water Angel talking through you, or were the lessons she gave you THAT good?," Tsunami half praised, half mocked Ventura's speech.
"Water Angel has no psychic abilities that we know of," Ventura said without flinching (or without apparently flinching, it was hard for anyone but Lagi to read her emotions at any time).
"Then she's an amazing teacher," Tsunami concluded.
"The teacher only does half the job," Ventura said. "I'm not looking for praise, I just want you to know that... There's a lot about... Nevermind, just don't take me for granted. No one likes that."
"I didn't mean to, sorry. What was that all about?"
"You don't want to know. You were right, we need Lagi. Without her we'll all be jumping at each other's throats in no time."
"You just stay away from my throat, you know how much I hate being drained," Tsunami warned her.
"Now who's being literal?," I laughed.
"Well, at least I made you laugh. Speaking of which, where's Caledor?"
"He must be out there having fun while we sort out the 'boring and gloomy stuff'," Hero hazarded a guess.
"Oh, he would do that alright," Tsunami conceded. "If only to avoid getting gloomy himself."
"What? Caledor? I don't think the desert would go into much trouble to avoid getting wet," retorted Hero.
"The desert does get flooded sometimes," I informed him.
"And so does Caledor," Tsunami added. "I've seen him. He likes to bottle up, he's just so good at it that few ever notice. But those types are the ones who hurt themselves the most. Then when it all becomes too much for him, he bursts out and no one knows what's going on. It took me a while to understand. Remember when Marius was born? And he nearly did it again back at the lab, but Kiara helped him stay level-headed. And I think Thunderblast did something to help him too, but he won't say what it was and I doubt that even she knows."
"You're very observant," I commended my Vaporeon friend. "Lagi was right about you. I was worried that Caledor might be bottling up a few times, but I thought it was over after he talked to Beckham about Marius."
"He just got better at it after that," Tsunami revealed. "I'm not sure he'll ever get over what they did to him at the lab. The way they played Gods with his life... I can't blame him. I don't know if he'd want children or not, given the choice, but the fact that he was denied that choice will always weigh on him."
"Oh, but he got a lot of shiny powers in exchange for it," Hero pointed out. "I think that's a fair trade. It's not like many trained pokemon get to see their children much. Even Lagi who's a mother by nature rarely sees her own; I'm not talking about Edie, that's a special case we all hate to think about, but where are the others? You need to go into the wild to raise your own family, and I don't see Caledor having that kind of life."
"Wow. Now that's a surprisingly deep reflection!," exclaimed Tsunami. "How much thought have you been giving this?"
"A question asked after that statement does not merit an answer," Hero stuck out his tongue.
"No, I'm serious. Have you been thinking of going back to the forest and starting your own family?"
"Everyone must have thought about that a few times. Especially after seeing the kids again, I did get a bit nostalgic. But Scorch and Flame are idiots and I'd never go back to taking orders from them. And Solitude gives me the creeps. I guess I could start my own pack if I wanted to. That's teach the old leaders alright. But Tracker's a police pokemon and I'm a Dragon Tamer. Those things come first. So maybe when we're older, if we live long enough to retire, and if I can be sure the rest of you will survive without me. For now I'm happy with the life I have here."
"Being happy is good," a voice came from the shadow below a chair, startling everyone. "Talking about others behind their backs is bad."

A figure emerged from the shadow, slowly assuming a rather feline form, with a forked tail and big ears. I couldn't help looking at the ears as I replayed the recent conversation in my mind.
"We didn't mean to talk about you behind your back," I apologized. "At least I know I didn't. We were just worried."
"Yes, we're in a general state of worry," Tsunami nodded.
"Thanks for your concern, but I wasn't bottling up. I was just training. Am I the only one who thinks we're going to have to battle pretty soon? I know my psychic powers stink... or would if they were strong enough to have a smell, but my common sense doesn't. The blue cult is not our friend."
"You're just using that as an excuse to sneak up on us," Hero dismissed him. "A really stealthy pokemon doesn't need special moves to catch others by surprise. You shouldn't rely so heavily on your moves, there's always the chance that you'll end up in a situation where you can't use them. Like... the desert, at noon, with no trees, no big rocks, no shadows... and no floods." He eyed me and Tsunami as he said this.
"Does the desert really get flooded?," Tsunami asked me.
"Yes, when it rains... Which I think is about twice a year. And it was just my luck that it happened on the day I went to one."
"When was this?," he wanted to know.
"It was before I came to Ulthuan... About 10 years ago. Wow, 10 years! And so much has happened since then!"
"Feeling old?," Hero chuckled.
"Not really... Just weird."
"Ah, what else is new?," Tsunami winked.
"I remember where I was 10 years ago," Hero commented. "I was in the forest, with the pack. I think that was around the time when Kid was born... I mean Ray. Ah, no, he was born a year later. And Firestar came just a few months after him. 10 years ago, there was only 10 of us. It was when we found the twins. Sunrise and Sunset... funny little brats."
"Now you're sounding old," Tsunami said. "Did you count the years in the forest?"
"I'll ignore your comment for your own good. Yes, we counted the years. We didn't have birthdays and stuff, but we knew when the spring started and that marked the beginning of the year for us."
"Us too," Iael joined in. "The Stantlers, I mean. Then again, it was the same forest. Only later."
"Yes. A looooooooooooooong time later," Caledor giggled.
"Do you even know how old you are, little pest?," Hero snapped back.
"Ah. So that's how long your patience lasts. Good to know," Caledor grinned. "And to answer your question, no. But it doesn't matter. They say we're as old as we feel, so I'm eternally young."
"Eternally immature is more like it."
"You're only jealous because I'm brigher than you."
"You? Brighter than me?," Hero snorted. "In your dreams, puppy!"
"No, really. Look."

Caledor became engulfed by a golden light, which increased its intensity until it almost hurt to look at him.
"Of course, that's Caledor logic; I should have known," Hero groaned. "You do believe silliness wins all arguments, do you?"
"At least the ones not worth following," Caledor replied, letting the light fade. "Are we going to look for Tracker or what?"
"I guess we are," I said. "I'll fetch Pidgeot and Water Angel and we'll go to the police station. We must get this sorted out. And Caledor..."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for brightening the mood."
"Anytime," he beamed. "It's my job and my pleasure. Just call and I'll be there to lighten up the mood. Literally if I have to. I'm the official mood enhancer. I..."
I let his voice trail off as I walked to the garden. He was good at cheering us up, but that didn't mean all his nonsense was worth listening to.

Everoy

30th September 2006, 08:15 PM

I, as well, would like an extension. I've been swamped with homework and theater.

Lady Vulpix

30th September 2006, 08:36 PM

You have it, but don't worry, all the workers are so busy that I'd be surprised if we had a new scenario in less than 2 months' time. *Sighs.*

The Blue Avenger

5th October 2006, 01:40 PM

Aheh, sorry it took so long. Gabi, I'm going with ¢¢¢¢¢ 5 stamps for your introduction. It was an intriguing read, albeit short, and I'm definitely interested to see how this scenario pans out for you and your team. Incidentally, I think my favorite point was Caledor appearing from behind the chair; I just liked how it played out.

Lady Vulpix

6th October 2006, 05:54 AM

Thanks, Jeff! :) I'll see if I can write some more in the weekend. That would be very good for me in many ways.

Lady Vulpix

27th November 2006, 08:39 AM

Oh, my latest story got lost in the switch, but it can still be seen here (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/Archives/gabi/battles/06.html#battle2).

The Blue Avenger

28th November 2006, 08:06 PM

Right, I'm here! *isn't slow at all...* Anyway, Gabi, an entertaining read. It was good to see Tracker, and I liked the point you brought up about the Jennys. It makes a lot more sense for it to be a cultural thing. Good character development for Ventura as well. I enjoyed watching the battle from Hero's eyes, particularly with his comments about Caledor's strategy. I think that 11 stamps ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ is good.

Lady Vulpix

29th November 2006, 07:00 AM

11 for a battle against 2 opponents? Hmm... ok. I admit they weren't the brightest of opponents. I'm glad you liked Tracker. :)

The Blue Avenger

29th November 2006, 07:08 AM

Well, I did it that way since they *technically* counted as one opponent - as the scenario says, you cannot fight them apart.

Lady Vulpix

30th November 2006, 05:02 AM

They counted as one? Does that mean I could have had another battle?

The Blue Avenger

30th November 2006, 08:14 AM

Yes. That's why I put the "must be fought together" thing in the scenario; I intended for them to be the equivalent of one opponent.

My apologies. ^^;

The Blue Avenger

31st December 2006, 11:23 PM

Very quickly, here's my scenario story, called 'Retrieval.' Cheers!

---

“So let’s say we start in Twoson,” Mercandos said, pointing a marker at a diagram drawn on a whiteboard. He gazed around at the faces surrounding him: every member of Jeff’s team was in the living room, from Groviglio, Mona and Cambiamente sitting on the couch to Bobbery at the counter between the living room and the kitchen, quietly eating a sandwich. “Onett, near Twoson, is where we’re being escorted by the Guild. However, we probably want to avoid the latter city for now – I’d lay a strong bet that Jeff is actually in Happy-Happy Village.”

“Wait, hold on,” Kiva said, frowning. “Why would Jeff be there? Wouldn’t Bartholomew or whatever he’s calling himself now want to send him to Twoson? I’d think that the higher-up would send his subordinates to do his dirty work.”

“That’s what I would have thought as well,” Mercandos replied, shaking his head. “But most of the recent footage from the area, with the exception of that one newspaper article, has distinctly shown Bartholomew, while Jeff is nowhere to be seen. This makes me think that he stayed behind in Happy-Happy Village.”

99 grimaced as best he could. “Something about this mission seems suspicious,” he whirred. “We can assume that Bartholomew is of above average intelligence. Query: why would he risk himself in Twoson when he has an underling to do it for him?”

“Maybe he knows people are going to be looking for Jeff,” replied Bobbery in between bites. “So he left Jeff in a place that’s harder to get to.”

99 shook his head. “My conclusion remains: it is a trap.”

“It might be a trap,” Mercandos said somberly, “but it’s the best shot we have at saving Jeff.” He returned his attention to the whiteboard. “So. We start in Twoson. If we skirt along the outskirts of the town and make our way to the Peaceful Rest Valley, we should be in the clear. Since the valley has been all but deserted, we shouldn’t have any problems there. Next, we make our way to the meeting hall…” Mercandos gestured to a crudely drawn building, “…and we get inside. Some of us are going to have to peel away from the group to take on Maza, but for the most part, if we stay together, we can avoid what happened last time we were there.”

A silence fell over the group as they reflected on their colossal failure – one that culminated with actually moving backwards in terms of progress.

Suddenly, a lone voice pierced the quiet. “None of us need to take on Maza except for me,” Trezzatura said hesitantly. “I’m the closest to his power level and I can take most of the attacks he has.”

A series of confused looks swept across the room at the Metang. Groviglio was the first one to speak. “Wait a second. You, the wimp, want to take on the brainwashed Alakazam who apparently has some kinda superpowers?” He raised an eyebrow. “You sure you’re not the one who’s brainwashed here?”

Trezzatura sighed plaintively. “For the last time, Groviglio, I’m not a wimp; I just don’t like battling. But… in all honestly, I really do think I’m the best suited here to take down Maza.”

“That’s all well and good,” Kurtzwick replied, “but aren’t you forgetting that Maza has mostly fire attacks? He’ll slaughter you.”

“A couple of months ago, Jeff gave me a Fire Shield. It should help to reduce that damage of those attacks,” said Trezzatura.

“But still,” Groviglio butted in again, “saying that you want to go it alone just because you can deal with Maza’s attacks is, ah, idiotic. Although that is fitting, considering you…”

“Were you going to say something constructive, Groviglio, or is it just abuse this time?” Trezzatura said flatly.

Groviglio paused for a second, thinking. “Hmmm… oh yeah! My point was that you just shouldn’t go alone. I mean, Maza knows Teleport, and he could beat you just by dodging your attacks and wearing you out.” He jumped off of the couch. “I’ll help you. I think I’ve sparred with Maza the most out of anyone here, so I think I’d be good for the job.”

Mercandos nodded. “Okay, so we have Groviglio and Trezzatura for going after Maza.” He stopped for a second to write their names on the whiteboard. “I think we should be in two more groups: one for going after Jeff and one for clearing the way. It should probably be about equal. Volunteers for sabotage and infiltration duty?” He looked around the room. “None? Well then… Kurtzwick, you should definitely be in this group, as should 99 so that we can deal with any computer-controlled locks or anything like that. Previsiona, you’d be useful for Future Sight, and I’m assuming Raini is going with you. Mona, I think you’d be more useful here as opposed to the other group, just because… well, to put it nicely, you’re not the most subtle Pokemon, and we don’t want to broadcast to Jeff that we’re coming for him.”

Mona stuck out her tongue, but Mercandos failed to notice.

“Finally, let’s have… say… Groove Guy. We’ll need someone to be able to distract people, and, let’s face it, you’re good at that.” Mercandos took a moment to write the group on the board. “Any objections to that?”

“You know none of us are going to object,” Previsiona interjected. “You’re the best strategist among us.”

“If not an idiot,” Groviglio added under his breath.

“What was that, Groviglio?” Previsiona replied, glowering.

“Nothing,” he answered, rolling his eyes quite obviously. Previsiona frowned, but said nothing.

“Anyway,” interrupted Mercandos, “the rest of us will try and neutralize Jeff. That’s cool with everyone, I assume?”

The group simultaneously nodded.

“Good. Now, we’ve got no time to lose – let’s get to the Guild. Our ride will be leaving soon.” Mercandos capped his marker and swept quickly out the door, leaving the rest of the team to follow him.

***

An uneventful brief debriefing led to an even more uneventful plane ride, which culminated in Cam standing in the airport’s lobby, having Transformed into a mix of several people he observed on the plane: he had created a man of average build and size with wide blue eyes and wavy tan hair. A belt of Pokeballs hung around his waist, the red-and-white spheres containing his teammates. He left the lobby and looked around. A nearby sign proclaimed one direction of the lone street to lead to Onett and the other to Twoson. The aforementioned street was fairly deserted; Cam guessed (quite correctly) that that was because people weren’t trying to get to Twoson.

Cam closed his eyes and focused. “Mercandos said that we make like we’re headed towards Twoson, but once we reach the city limits, we take a right instead. We should then follow the town’s boundaries until we reach the cave leading to the Peaceful Rest Valley. Okay.” The sun shone down heavily as he set off down the neatly paved street, careful to stay in the shade of the trees lining the road.

Cam didn’t have to walk long; the road went for only a few miles before reaching a sign labeled ‘Twoson City Limits.’ Even if the sign weren’t there, however, it would have been painfully obvious that Twoson was close: the sound of chaos rang through the air. People screamed, glass broke, cars crashed…

“Okay… Merc had a point when he said to avoid the city,” Cam mumbled quietly. He took a sharp right at the sign, making sure to stay as much out of sight as possible. As he walked, Cam noticed that the outskirts of town were a lot quieter than the main part: here, there was no chaos. The houses were boarded up and the area seemed deserted, but it seemed that the cultists were focusing their attacks on the center of town. Cam shrugged. If Mercandos were out of his Pokeball, he thought, he’d probably be able to analyze specifically their actions and tell me what their strategy is. I guess that’s not our problem, though; if Jeff is in Happy-Happy Village, we don’t need to deal with Twoson.

The walk to the cave was a short one, during which Cam encountered quite literally nobody. Anyone still living in the outskirts of Twoson had obviously locked themselves indoors, as no human residents were outdoors, and any wild Pokemon (and other creatures) had fled some time ago – the entire area was silent, save some background noise from the main part of Twoson. Cam took a look over the eerily quiet landscape, shuddered, and hurriedly entered the cave.

The cave was not much better – as with the last time he had been there, the cave was deserted. The lamps were still there, but someone had modified them to cast a sickly blue light over the interior of the cave. Additionally, there was blue spray-paint on the rocky walls. Cam glanced at it, noting with a little dismay that it read “Blue blue forever!” He shook his head and kept walking.

“Well, this place looks the same as always,” Cam said, frowning, as he stepped out into the sunlight and gazed over Happy-Happy Village, which was, predictably, still entirely blue. He pulled off his trainer belt, dropping the Pokeballs to the ground and releasing his teammates. As the team looked around, Cam reverted back to his Ditto form.

“Okay guys,” Mercandos said quickly, immediately taking charge, “the meeting hall is the big building in the center of the village. Jeff’s office is in there, if he hasn’t moved. ‘Infiltration’ team, you go in first to clear the way. Then, the rest of us will go in and get to Jeff and Maza as fast as possible. Is that clear?” A murmur of consent rippled through the group, and Mercandos nodded. “Succeed or fail, we will reconvene near that red house a block or so away from the meeting hall. Let’s go.”

They made their way to the meeting hall quickly. Unsurprisingly, the door was locked. Kurtzwick slithered up to it, stared at it for a moment, and began to fiddle with the knob. Less than fifteen seconds later, the door stood wide open.

Mercandos gestured inside and hissed, “Team alpha, go!”

A tense moment passed as nobody moved. Mercandos slapped his forehead. “That’s your cue, infiltration.”

“Ohh…” Kurtzwick and Mona said simultaneously, and then flew inside as quietly as possible. Groove Guy rolled his eyes and went after them, followed by 99, Previsiona, and Raini.

Mercandos flattened himself against the side of the building, looking towards Groviglio and Trezzatura. “Okay, guys, you’ll follow us until we find Maza, then you’ll split off and take him down. Got it?” The pair nodded. “Okay. Good. Now, we’ll go inside in 3… 2… 1…” He jumped in the door. “Let’s go!”

No sooner had Mercandos and the rest of his team passed through the doorway did they run straight into a squad of blue-clad men, each one holding a member of the infiltration team. Well, almost all of them. One of the men in the back was trying as hard as he could to hold onto Raini, but the fact that she was gnawing on his arm made that task rather difficult.

The cultist in front tossed Kurtzwick at Mercandos’ feet. “Erk… sorry, boss…” Kurtzwick mumbled, his eyes only half focused. “They completely overwhelmed us. Again.”

Mercandos groaned as the cultists ushered him and the rest of the team out. Well, most of the team. Once again, the guy in the back had problems getting Raini to relinquish her grip, but after some gentle coaxing from Previsiona, the group found themselves in front of the building. The door slammed shut, accompanied by a yell of “And stay out, ya freaks!”

“Well…” Mercandos started, addressing the crowd of Pokemon. Groviglio tapped a vine on the ground impatiently. “At least we can look on the bright side of this.”

A pause followed.

“Like what?” Groviglio replied, scowling.

“I’m working on it!” growled Mercandos irritably. “…Okay, there’s not really a bright side. Let’s just head over to the house a few blocks down and reconsider our strategy. We can’t just stay out in front of the meeting hall.”

A few blocks away from the meeting house, a bizarre house stood, isolated from the rest of the town – for more than one reason. It was the only house on its block, and it was colored a bright red, a sharp contrast to the dull blue of the entire town. The curtains were closed, but every so often, they would blow open slightly, revealing a pair of small, black, beady eyes and a bright pink ribbon on a single strand of hair. Its isolation combined with the fact that the cultists seemed to avoid anything not blue anyway made it the perfect spot to work without being attacked.

At least, that’s what Mercandos thought. Although the area had been deserted the last time they had been in Happy-Happy Village, a man stood outside the door of the building, along with a Zangoose. The man seemed to radiate a very strong aura of bizarreness even from a distance, and, even stranger, the Zangoose seemed infinitely more together than his trainer. Unusual for the town, neither the man nor the Zangoose had any mark of blue on them. As the group approached, he put up a single hand and said, very simply, “Hi.”

Previsiona floated out front and shot him a confused look. “Who are you?”

“I was wondering the same,” the man replied stoically.

“Well,” Previsiona replied just as coolly, “I’m sorry, but I won’t reveal our identities until we know who you are.”

The man stuck out his tongue in concentration. “Well, mmm… Can you tell me what you were doing trying to enter that building?”

Mercandos stepped out beside Previsiona. “Let’s just say ‘daring rescue’ and leave it at that” he said, shooting a look of obvious distrust at the man.

“Rescue?” The man replied, his eyebrows rising. “Of who?”

Mercandos pointed at him suspiciously. “Before I say that, answer me this: how can you understand us?”

“Er, you’re right, well…” the man stuttered, “it’s kinda odd, but sometimes I just can. I’m still trying to figure that out.”

Mercandos relented. “Oh… okay. Fair enough. Our trainer can do that too.”

“Really?” the man asked, looking interested. “What are you doing here without him? This isn’t exactly the safest place, you know?” He frowned. “But then again, if you were entering that building, you must know something…”

“Our trainer is who we’re trying to rescue -” Mona started before getting slapped very hard by one of Groviglio’s vines.

“Hush!” Groviglio muttered. “We don’t know if we can trust this idiot!”

The man, however, overheard his comment. “Hey, you know, calling a person an idiot is not a good way to make friends.”

Previsiona floated in front of Groviglio. “Don’t worry about him,” she said smiling, intentionally ignoring the death glare he was sending her.

The man shook his head. “Well, you told me something, so I guess I should tell you something too. But… I still don’t know much about you.”

For the first time, the Zangoose spoke up. In perfect English, he said, “I know there are many Pokemon who would try to rescue their trainer. But maybe they… hm. The bad thing is, even if they were them, I don’t know of anything only they would know.” He tapped a claw on his forehead. “Do you have any way to identify yourselves?” Then, he caught a glimpse of what looked like the vague outline of a Dratini shuffling though a wallet. “What are you doing with that?” the Zangoose hissed at what he (correctly) figured actually was a Dratini.

“Looking up your identity, of course,” Kurtzwick replied, sticking out his tongue.

“Then try the third one,” the man offered.

Kurtzwick pulled out the third card. “Okay, so… you’re Kerel… a Dragon’s Guild investigator, eh?”

The man nodded. “Yes.”

Kurtzwick looked to Mercandos. “I think we can trust him.”

Previsiona nodded. “Okay, then. We’re Pokemon belonging to a rogue Dragon Tamer named Jeff Azure. We were trying to get him back to Caledor.”

Kerel raised an eyebrow. “Wait, like in Mr. Azure?”

Groviglio shook his head. “Wait wait wait, you actually know him?”

Kerel ignored him. “This is odd. Then you are Jeff’s Pokemon!”

The Zangoose nodded. “They seem to match the description.”

“But how do you know Jeff?” Trezzatura asked, his arms crossed.

“I’ve come here to try and rescue him as well,” Kerel admitted. “I mean, I’ve actually come here as a scout, but…”

“You did?!” Previsiona cried, swooping over to him and trying her best to hug him.

“Yeah,” Kerel said, seemingly oblivious, “a reporter named Gabi sent us.”

Trezzatura’s eyes widened. “Hold on, you know Gabi too?”

“She wasn’t a reporter, but…” the Zangoose interjected, trailing his sentence off.

Kerel nodded. “Yes. We met her at White Mountain, and she told us of Jeff’s disappearance, and about you coming here to look for him.”

“Oh…” Bobbery said thoughtfully, “so that makes you the guy with the lampshade on his head.”

“Hey!” Kerel glowered. “It was a mythical, unpredictable object! And, if you must know, the lamp attacked me!”

The Zangoose rolled his eyes. “He can’t admit he just tripped…”

Groviglio shot a loaded look at the rest of the team. “Yep, this definitely sounds like the guy.”

“It did attack me…” Kerel said, almost sadly, but trailed off as the Zangoose whispered something in his ear. “Never mind. So you know about me. Can I have my wallet back now?”

Kurtzwick stuck his tongue out again. “It’s mine now.”

“Give it back, Kurtzwick…” Previsiona said, exasperated. Kurtzwick paused, then reluctantly handed the wallet back, sulking.

“Thanks,” Kerel replied, rolling his eyes. Kurtzwick scowled at him, but he continued unabated. “Well, I guess we should go somewhere and exchange notes, maybe make a plan.”

Previsiona nodded. “Right.” Without a single word more, Kerel took off walking at a brisk pace. Before long, the group stood inside a large empty building. It looked like an old abandoned warehouse of some sort – boxes littered the floor, and rust threatened to consume parts of the walls and ceiling.

“Well, basically,” Kerel began, taking a seat on the floor, “Jeff seems to be the second in command here.”

“Right, we knew that one,” Previsiona confirmed.

Kerel looked up. “Really? What else do you know?”

“For one, that the guy in charge might be a… um…” Previsiona paused, “dead serial killer?”

Kerel frowned. “He’s dead? Or he kills dead people.”

“He’s supposed to be dead,” Previsiona clarified, “but he’s apparently not.”

“That’s odd,” Kerel remarked idly.

“Yeah, go figure,” Groviglio said, shrugging.

“Just fill me in.” Kerel scanned the group. “It’s not normal for people to revive, right? Maybe he faked his death.”

Trezzatura nodded. “That’s the theory we’re working under.”

Kerel frowned and drummed his fingers on the ground. “But I really can’t understand the plan here. What’s the meaning of painting everything? And all this blue… And why do the people here talk like they were in some video game? I swear the guy on the other corner just keeps saying the same phrases over and over…”

“According to our research,” Previsiona interrupted, “Balthazar did not create the cult. He just revived it.”

“We figure they’re drugged or something,” Trezzatura remarked.

“I don’t know how Jeff acts,” Kerel continued, “but it probably wasn’t him back there. The plan seems so… planless.”

Kurtzwick frowned. “Hold on there. You’re not in Twoson. About half of the cult is over there laying siege to it.”

“Jeff seemed to be doing paperwork…” Kerel said, his face screwed up in thought, “and he had no mask.”

“He’s probably filling in for Balthazar, who in turn is probably in Twoson,” replied Kurtzwick.

Groviglio chuckled. “And would you be able to get a mask over those glasses?”

Kerel shrugged. “He could use contacts… Any good acolyte would.”

“You obviously don’t know Jeff,” Groviglio said, smirking, “he hates contacts.”

“Well, at least he’s still him at that part,” Kerel said quietly. He thought for a moment. “Is he normally obsessed with blue?”

“Not so much,” Previsiona said thoughtfully. “His last name’s Azure, but that’s about it. His nickname is Blue, but that was more his parent’s doing than his.”

Kerel nodded. “I see.”

“Now, what’s going on in Twoson?” the Zangoose asked, breaking his silence.

Kurtzwick turned to him. “The better part of the cult is attacking it.”

Kerel scowled. “Better, huh? So much effort in painting and I still didn’t get appreciated. They didn’t send us to raid a city…”

Kurtzwick stared at him, raising an eyebrow. “’Better’ as in ‘larger,’ as in ‘less than half the cult is here right now.’”

“Ah, I see…” Kerel nodded. “Then it would be a good time for the rescue.”

“That’s what we thought. And we still got kicked out,” Groviglio replied, shaking his head sullenly.

Kerel put his hand on his chin, thinking. “I can access there. I’m a member. Well, a low rank one, but I guess I have an idea to call Jeff’s attention… if I can optimize painting. Bruce?”

The Zangoose scratched his head. “We could just say that we have found someone willing to give us a lot of paint for a low price?”

“Do you think that’ll work?” Previsiona asked worriedly. “I mean, Jeff may be out of his head, but he’s not stupid. No offense.”

Bruce shrugged. “Well, you know him better than we do.”

Kerel turned to the rest of the group. “Any other ideas?”

The silence was deafening.

“Well then,” Kerel said with the air of someone reaching the conclusion of their argument, “it’s Cheap Painting then.”

Previsiona blushed slightly. “Truthfully, we were out of ideas. I guess yours is the best one we have.”

“So,” Kerel continued, “after I call his attention, then what? Take him out of there?”

“We need to deal with his Alakazam,” Previsiona said. “We can’t help you too much with Jeff.”

“His Alakazam?” Kerel asked. “Why?”

Previsiona shook her head. “Because he’s Jeff’s strongest Pokemon… and he’s probably acting as Jeff’s bodyguard.”

“But can you beat him?” Kerel replied immediately.

“I stand the best shot. Probably,” Trezzatura said, raising his hand.

Kerel closed his eyes. “I guess we could make the rescue and deal with him ourselves, if he goes out.”

“If we take Maza and you take Jeff,” Previsiona started, “I think we stand the best chance.”

“But…” Kerel continued, “if you get in there, it would also be good to grab some papers and read about the cult’s plans.”

Trezzatura saluted. “Understood.”

“Then it’s settled!” Kerel said, standing up. “After we finish, let’s meet somewhere. …Oh yeah, and you should enter after we have Jeff out.”

“After we complete our goals,” Previsiona said, her tongue out in concentration, “let’s meet by the cave leading into the valley.”

“Okay. And if Kurtzwick has stolen any cell phones lately, we could call each other if something happens,” Kerel said idly.

Kurtzwick’s eye’s lit up and he rushed over to the detective faster than his serpentesque form would suggest. “How many phones do you need?” he asked, grinning widely. “Ten? Twenty?”

Bruce held up a phone as well. “Mmmm… do you have the cable adapter for this one?” Kurtzwick eagerly pulled out a cord, but Kerel stepped in between them.

“Guys, it’s not the time,” he said authoritatively. Kurtzwick’s face dropped faster than a bowling ball as he slithered off. Kerel ignored him and handed a sheet of paper to Trezzatura. “You can call us at this number. …Well then, now we have a plan. Good luck.”

Previsiona smiled. “Got it. You too.”

Kerel looked out the window. “Hmmm… I’d say tomorrow evening, but before it gets dark.” Previsiona nodded in consent. “Okay then. Well, I guess we should be going back. Later, guys.”

Previsiona smiled even more widely. “Thank you,” she said happily as Kerel and Bruce filed out the door.

Groviglio waited until they had walked a good distance away before leaning to Previsiona. “Is it just me, or did he not seem altogether… there to you?”

Previsiona rolled her eyes. “Hey Mercandos,” she called, ignoring Groviglio, “it’s your show.”

Mercandos turned away from the door and faced the team. “Okay guys, so we have a day to prepare. That’s not a lot, so I think we’d be better served by starting to plan now.” He put his hand to his chin. “Well, we know that going straight in won’t work…”

“Yeah, that didn’t go too well,” Bobbery intoned. He was leaning on the nearest wall, seemingly oblivious to the groaning and creaking coming from the metal. “For more than half of the cult not even being in the town, there sure are a lot of them here.”

“I suppose,” Lady Bow said quietly, “that that only speaks for how many people Bartholomew has recruited into the cult. This does not bode well.”

A hush fell over the team as they contemplated this, until a lone voice broke the silence. “Umm…” started Anzu, grinning self-consciously, “couldn’t we just go in the back way?”

Mercandos turned immediately to her. “What back way?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… when we went there last, we stayed on the first floor at all times. That means that Jeff’s office is on ground level,” Anzu explained. “There was sunlight coming through the window in the office, so it faces outward, and we went straight back, meaning the office is on the back wall of the building. Since the building is in the middle of town, it doesn’t side up against any rock walls, and there aren’t any buildings contiguous to it, so we have easy access to the back wall. Couldn’t we, y’know, just go though the window?”

Mercandos’ jaw dropped. “That’s… brilliant!” He grabbed a marker from inside a nearby crate, uncapped it, and began to scribble on the wall.

Behind his back, Kiva high-fived Anzu. “Way to go,” Kiva murmured out of the side of her mouth, “I always enjoy seeing him knocked down a peg.” Anzu grinned in response.

Completely oblivious to their comments, Mercandos stepped back from the wall, revealing what looked like a big box with a triangle inside and a circle outside. “Right, so here we are,” he said triumphantly.

The team stared at it for a few seconds. Groviglio looked strangely at Mercandos. “What, exactly,” he said slowly, “is that supposed to be?”

“You can’t tell?” Mercandos responded weakly, looking a little deflated.

“Well, I can tell that, for one, you have absolutely no artistic skill,” Groviglio said, smirking, “as well as the fact that -”

“Why don’t you just tell us, Merc?” Previsiona said, interrupting Groviglio before he could get started on his tirade.

“Okay. Right,” Mercandos said, facing the wall again. “The box is the meeting hall. We – that’s us, the circle – will go in through the window of the office in the back. If Maza – that’s the triangle – isn’t in there, we will stealthily make our way through the building. This should be easier than going in through the front since most of the cultists are situated in the main room. Since we won’t need a distraction team – Kerel is doing that for us – we can just all go in in one group. However, since we don’t want to attract attention to ourselves, we should go in small groups. How about… Trezzatura, Groviglio, and Bobbery… Kiva, Anzu, and Kurtzwick… Lady Bow, Groove Guy, and Cam… myself, Previsiona, and Raini… and 99 and Mona. Sound good?”

Aside from some grumbling from Groviglio about being grouped with the fatso, followed swiftly by Bobbery smacking Groviglio on the back of the head, the rest of the team agreed.

“Well then,” Merc said, looking out the window, “it’s getting late. We should rest up for tomorrow.”

***

The night passed uneventfully, and soon the group found themselves hugging the wall of the meeting hall. From the front of the building, they could hear a very familiar voice: “Hey Maza, keep an eye on things here, okay? …Right, I’m good.”

“All right,” they heard Kerel’s voice say, followed by footsteps walking away from the building.

Mercandos pointed to the back of the building. “Okay, guys, now is our chance! Trezz, Grove, and Bobbery, you head in first. Group two will follow in a few seconds.

Trezzatura nodded and flew around back, followed by Bobbery and Groviglio. He scanned the building, looking closely in each window until… “Yes!” the Metang said quietly, looking into a window that led into a blue (naturally) room, decorated in the exact same way as the one he had entered a little while earlier. Luckily enough, the window was open, and he floated through. Groviglio hoisted himself inside with his vines as Bobbery looked at the window frame carefully.

“Sorry guys,” Bobbery said apologetically, “but I can’t go with you…”

“What?” exclaimed Trezzatura, “why not?”

Groviglio snickered. “Just take a look! Old Lardbutt here is too fat to get through the window!”

Bobbery rolled his eyes. “As crass as he is, Groviglio has cut straight to the point. The window’s not big enough.” He shook his head. “Go on ahead. The second group will be along shortly.”

“Okay,” Trezzatura said, looking slightly less confident. “Let’s get going, Grove.” Groviglio nodded, and the pair exited the room through the blue door on the wall opposite the window.

Trezzatura looked with apprehension around at the cavernous room they stood in. He recognized it as the one in which he had been forced to fight Mercandos, and the memory caused him to shudder involuntarily. Groviglio remembered the room as well – he had been defeated here, leaving only Trezzatura to keep on fighting. He stared at the wall, looking at nothing in particular.

“Hey Trezz?” Groviglio asked, quietly. “I’m not trying to be mean here, but are you actually ready to take on Maza? I know you have the type and level advantage, but we don’t know what’s happened to him since Bartholomew got him.”

His question was answered with silence.

“Trezzatura?” Groviglio asked again, turning around. He was greeted with a totally empty room, as well as a totally empty series of other rooms down the hallway. Groviglio’s eyes widened more than he thought possible. “Oh snap,” he said quietly, backing up.

Trezzatura had been about to answer Groviglio’s question, but before he could, something grabbed him from behind. Before he could register what was happening, Trezzatura felt the familiar mind-bending effects of Teleportation, and momentarily he found himself standing in the abandoned warehouse, Mercandos’ drawings still showing up on the rusty walls. He turned around and found himself face to face with Maza.

Oh crap, Trezzatura thought. Grove was right. I’m not ready for this… He took several deep breaths. It’ll be okay. I just have to remember to block with my Fire Shield… Trezzatura gasped. My Fire Shield! Where is it?! He thought back to the house, where he vividly remembered putting the Fire Shield on the dresser so he wouldn’t forget it… and then promptly forgot it. Oh no… he thought, gritting his teeth.

Battle time! Trezzatura versus Maza!
Trezzatura – “If I must…”
~
Maza – “Henshin a-blue-blue, baby!”

A silence fell over the warehouse where the two Pokemon stood. Maza took a step forward, and Trezzatura instinctively floated back a few feet, bumping up against some of the numerous crates that lined the walls and accidentally knocking one to the ground. It burst open, spilling its contents all over the floor – Pokeballs, vitamins, and an odd-looking drum. Trezzatura barely had a moment to regard the valuables, though, before a flash of motion out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Before he had any time to process it, a blast of fire and a powerful punch caught him on the side of the face. Trezzatura reeled and shook his head, returning his gaze to the oddly vacant face of Maza.

“Maza! Snap out of it!” Trezzatura called, eyes wide. “I don’t want to fight you!”

Maza’s façade did not change; indeed, he looked just as blank as ever, showing no recognition that he had even heard Trezzatura. Instead, he just put his fists up again, fire crackling around them, the sound echoing throughout the room. Maza thrust his fist towards Trezzatura, but Trezzatura floated quickly out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Fire Punch.

Dodging a lightning-fast Blaze Kick, Trezzatura turned to Maza again. “Maza, please…” he pleaded. But his cry once more fell upon deaf ears: Maza merely narrowed his eyes and launched another flaming fist in the Metang’s direction. This one connected, and Trezzatura recoiled, smoking slightly.

Trezzatura grimaced. “Okay, I didn’t want to, but it looks like I have no choice…” He narrowed his eyes, and his claws glowed with a metallic gleam. Arms outstretched, he dove at Maza, but suddenly, Maza flashed white and disappeared into thin air. Trezzatura gasped, but was unable to stop himself: he flew into a crate, lodging his claw in the brittle wood.

As he pulled free, he heard Maza’s voice behind him. Apparently the blankness in his face was applicable to other parts of the Alakazam as well, because his voice was completely monotone. “You stand no chance,” Maza droned. “My psychic powers have never been stronger since our leader trained me. I can see every attack you launch coming, and with Teleport, I can dodge it all.”

Trezzatura scowled. “Can you foresee… this?!” With speed belying his bulky frame, Trezzatura hurled the empty crate at Maza. Maza simply shook his head.

“Yes,” he replied simply, then winked out of sight. Trezzatura quickly looked around, then hovered towards the ceiling, reasoning that he would be relatively safe up there. Unfortunately, that proved to be untrue: no sooner than Trezzatura had stopped moving, a blazing foot struck him in the head. Maza repelled off of Trezzatura and used his psychic powers to float gently back to the ground.

“Do you see now?” Maza asked. “I know where you will go, and I know what will happen.”

As Trezzatura descended from the ceiling, he scowled… but then the collection of items from the busted crate caught his attention. He knew what all the items in the pile did except for the drum, and, he reasoned, since it was in a pile with a bunch of other combat supplies, it must do something. His eyes lit up. Since he didn’t know what would happen, neither would Maza! Trezzatura picked up the drum and began to strike blow after rhythmic blow on it.

“What… what are you doing?!” Maza cried, but Trezzatura did not respond. Instead, he merely held the drum in front of him like a shield.

To both Pokemon’s surprise, a deep voice resonated from within the drum. “Dark Pulse!” it howled as a shadowy beam emanated from the drum’s leather. It shot across the room as Maza’s eyes opened wide. Before he could teleport, though, the beam struck him solidly and he flew back, flinching. Trezzatura grinned slightly in spite of himself and blasted at Maza, barreling into him with a barrage of Metal Claws and Take Downs, not leaving Maza any room to focus. Finally, Trezzatura flew back. Maza wearily stood back up, but was greeted with an ethereal orb to his face. He fell back once more, totally unconscious.

Trezzatura sighed. “I didn’t want to do that, old friend…”

Battle over! Trezzatura grows two levels! Trezzatura is now level 22!

Trezzatura turned his gaze from the unconscious form of his friend and glanced around the warehouse. His eyes fell on a large burlap sack, and he carefully deposited Maza into it. After tying it shut and ensuring that Maza would stay unconscious for a while, he floated back to the meeting house, Maza in tow.

When he got there, Groviglio and Bobbery had rejoined the group, and Kurtzwick was putting away a cell phone. “That was Bruce,” Kurtzwick said. “They have Jeff.” He turned to Trezzatura. “Can I assume that that,” he nodded to the burlap sack, “is Maza?”

Trezzatura nodded. “Yeah, it is. I hated having to fight him, but…”

“Yeah, yeah, we all did what had to be done, whatever,” Kurtzwick said hurriedly. “Let’s just go and meet these guys so we can leave this freaky place.” Trezzatura scowled but said nothing as the group traveled the short distance to the cave’s entrance.

As promised, the bizarre detective and his Zangoose companion stood at the mouth of the cave, but they were flanked by a large wheeled container and a Gastly.

Previsiona flew over to them. “Hey guys!” she called, a smile on her face.

Kerel gave a friendly wave. “Hey!” The Gastly beside him simply stuck out his tongue and said his name. That in itself wasn’t so odd – most Pokemon communicated by saying their own name – but the Gastly wasn’t even saying anything in his own language, just his own name. Kurtzwick shot the Gastly an odd look, and Kerel chuckled. “Don’t stare at him; he might lick you,” Kerel cautioned. The Gastly smiled widely, causing Kurtzwick to shudder.

Trezzatura looked away from the Gastly. “Aaaanyway,” he started, gesturing to the sack, “we have Maza.”

Bruce smiled slightly. “Good. We have Jeff.”

“Then we should leave sooner rather than later,” Previsiona said thoughtfully.

Kerel turned to her. “Yeah, what are you planning to do now? It’s not safe to stay here.”

“We’re going to head back to Caledor and set these guys up in a medical ward,” Previsiona replied as Trezzatura gently placed Maza in the tank with Jeff.

“Do you think they can undo the brainwashing?” Kerel asked.

“Honestly?” Previsiona shot back. “I don’t know. We can just try and hope for the best.”

“A friend of ours back in Caledor has a gem which she says can reverse brainwashing,” Trezzatura interjected.

“I hope it works,” Kerel replied. “Now that I think about it, I wonder why I didn’t get brainwashed.”

Bobbery shrugged. “Maybe they only brainwash people after a specific time?”

“Was it, like, I wasn’t important enough?” Kerel continued. “I did paint as much as I could.”

Anzu grinned. “Heh, maybe all their brainwashing staff was in Twoson.”

“Don’t worry,” Bruce said, placing a comforting arm around Kerel’s shoulders, “it’s their loss.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Kerel sighed. “I don’t like being rejected, though.”

Kiva raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure you would want to be accepted by these guys.”

Kerel chuckled. “I guess not. I’ll choose a better cult next time. Although painting everything with blue was kinda fun.”

Bruce gave him an odd glance. “Are you sure you didn’t get brainwashed?”

“I’m sure,” Kerel said, “except maybe by Coke commercials. All those pandas drinking Coke. It’s just odd.”

A look of disbelief crossed Kurtzwick’s face. “What?”

“They were polar bears,” Bruce corrected.

“Either way, we better get going,” Kerel said. “We’ll escort you to safety and then head back to White Mountain, I guess.”

“What do you need to do there?” Bobbery asked.

“I dunno,” Kerel replied, shrugging. “It’s either that or back to Sector Alpha. I guess either we finish our vacation or get a new mission. Or figure out that lamp dimension thing.”

Previsiona looked confused. “Lamp… dimension?”

“Right,” Trezzatura said quietly. “I think Tsunami told us about that.”

“Really?” Kerel asked, suddenly looking interested, “All including the old guy? How would he know?”

Bruce shook his head. “Kerel, just stop joking about that, okay? It’s just a lamp.”

“Well, all right,” Kerel said, relenting. He pulled out a map of the continent and pointed to Threed, a city south of Twoson and Happy-Happy Village. “There’s an airport here, and if we head there, we can avoid Twoson.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mercandos replied. With that, the group (with Bobbery pulling the tank) set off through the cave.

***

Jeff’s team stood in the airport parking lot after saying their goodbyes to Kerel and Bruce. The pair walked off into the airport, but the group stayed in the parking lot, a new crisis having reared its ugly head.

“So, uh, guys,” Groove Guy asked, rocking on the balls of his feet, “how are we gonna get Jeff and Maza onto the plane?”

Trezzatura dove into the tank. “Maza’ll be easy,” he said, pulling a Pokeball off of Jeff’s belt. He tapped it on Maza’s chest, and the Alakazam disappeared inside. “But you’re right; Jeff will be… problematic.” Trezzatura flew out of the tank.

“How am I going to be problematic?” a voice from inside the tank said. Trezzatura looked inside and gasped; Jeff was inside, sitting up and holding his head, looking dazed.

“Jeff…!” Trezzatura said, as cautiously as possible. “Are… you okay?”

“Ugh…” Jeff groaned. “I think so. Hey, why are we at the Threed airport? I haven’t been here since I was, what, 8 or 9. And why am I in a tank?”

“Uhm…” Mercandos mumbled, “we’ll explain that later. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Well, I remember moving into our new house… and then the moving Pokemon went psycho and I sent out Maza to battle them. Then Maza evolved, and… everything after that is a blank. A blank shaped like a headache. Do any of you guys have some aspirin?”

“No, sorry,” Previsiona interrupted. “Okay, here’s what’s going on. Cooper Bartholomew has taken over the Happy Happyist cult and launched an attack on Twoson. We were fighting their forces with the Guild, but you must have gotten hit or something, if you don’t remember that…”

“No, no,” Groviglio said. “Don’t lie to him. He may not be happy with it, but it’ll be better in the long run. Jeff, Bartholomew kidnapped you. Somehow, he brainwashed you, and you acted for a while as his second-in-command.” Groviglio held up a newspaper article, the same one that had a photo of Jeff torching a building. “This is what you’ve been doing. And when we get back, the Guild is going to have some serious issues with you.”

Jeff’s face paled. “Oh… oh dear,” he said quietly. “I did all that?”

“Indeed,” 99 said flatly. “With the assistance of a Guild detective, we took you and Maza from the Happy-Happy Village meeting facility. You appear to be free of brainwashing, but you will submit to testing back in Sector Alpha. The condition of Maza’s mind remains to be seen.”

“Erm…” Jeff thought for a moment. “Okay. Since I’m most likely on the most wanted list, I can’t just walk in there. Cam, you can Transform into people, correct?” Cam nodded. “How about Transforming into just a face?”

Minutes later, a suave, dashing young Pokemon trainer with deep blue eyes and slick blonde hair walked into the airport lobby. He purchased a ticket with ease, registering his name as ‘Guy Incognito,’ a fact nobody at the counter seemed to find suspicious. With no luggage to check, he was on the plane quickly. Jeff kicked back and relaxed in the first class department’s luxurious, body-hugging chairs and flipped on his chair’s TV. The first channel was a news station, and the announcer sat in front of a stilled frame of Twoson.

“I’m here with you now with a special news bulletin,” the anchor droned. “As of five minutes ago, the Happy-Happyist forces occupying Twoson have backed off, retreating to Happy-Happy Village. The cause of the retreat is unknown, but the rumor floating around town is that Koop Balthazar called the retreat himself after his second-in-command went missing.”

Jeff flipped the TV off, a small smile on his face. “At least that’s over,” he muttered to himself.

“Hold it right there!” a voice from the back of the plane cried. “I won’t let you leave!”

“Or not,” Jeff mumbled, grimacing, as he turned around in his seat to see a man clad in the traditional Happy-Happyist garb tearing up the aisle.

“I don’t know what’s happened to you, sir, but I can recognize you through that stupid disguise! You cannot leave,” the man scowled.

“Oh?” Jeff replied. “What if I don’t want to return?”

“Sorry, sir, but Mr. Balthazar gave me the specific task of preventing you from leaving the village.”

Jeff frowned. “Then where were you when I, well, left the village?”

The man tugged at the collar on his suit. “Aheh, that’s not important… What is important is that if you don’t come back with me when this plane lands, I’ll make you do so.”

Jeff stood up in the aisle. “I’d like to see you try,” he said confidently with a Pokeball in his outstretched hand.

“Oh-ho!” the man replied. “A battle? Well then. Let us dance.” He too pulled out a Pokeball and threw it to the ground, letting loose a pale blue gas that coalesced into the vague shape of a blue (naturally) Gastly.

Likewise, Jeff tossed out his Pokeball, revealing the (possibly) smirking form of Groviglio.

Battle time! Groviglio versus the blue Gastly!
Groviglio – “Go away, or I shall have to taunt you a second time!”
~
Gastly – “Blue blue!”

“Here, Groviglio,” Jeff said quietly, bending down to the Tangela and holding out a TM, “try this.” He broke open the small metallic box and watched as the dust settled on Groviglio.

Groviglio learned Ancientpower!

Groviglio shrugged noncommittally. “Whatever,” he said, returning his attention to the battle at hand. The Gastly smirked at him and dove faster than its form would lead one to believe, flying straight at Groviglio with its tongue extended.

“Oh no you don’t!” Groviglio howled as he nimbly stepped back to evade the Lick. Focusing for a mere moment, Groviglio gestured with a vine at the Gastly as two jets of water, generating from seemingly nowhere, blasted into the Ghost Pokemon. The Gastly moaned as it was sent flying back.

It shook a few water droplets off of its semi-corporeal form and floated ominously towards Groviglio. With a shrill cry of “Blue blue!” the Gastly summoned a massive yellow ring of psychic energy, sending it barreling down the aisle at Groviglio.

Groviglio took the blow as stoically as he could. “Hey gas-boy!” Groviglio called, catching the Gastly’s attention, “you don’t stand a ghost of a chance!” Groviglio winked, prompting a low growl from the Gastly. As if to add insult to injury, Groviglio began laughing uproariously, an act that obviously broke his foe. The Gastly’s large eyes twitched and it gave a loud howl, swooping at Groviglio once more.

Grinning, Groviglio made no move to dodge the attack. As the Gastly neared, he closed his eyes and focused new energy swelling within him. What the Gastly saw were a series of rocks spontaneously generating around Groviglio. The Tangela opened his eyes and smirked; one gesture from a vine sent the rocks smashing into the Gastly. The Gastly responded in turn by gently floating to the floor, moaning, accompanied by a smattering of applause from the other occupants of the plane.

Battle over! Groviglio grew to level 14!

The man in blue sadly recalled his Gastly. “You win,” he sighed. “I guess… you’re free to go.” He shook his head slowly. “When the plane lands, I’ll head back to Happy-Happy Village.” With that, he shuffled to the back of the plane, where he took his seat.

“Well, Groviglio, good job,” Jeff said triumphantly, crossing his arms. When he didn’t get an answer, he turned to the Tangela… who was glowing a brilliant white. Jeff took a step back as Groviglio’s form bulked out severely. Several vines merged together to form rudimentary arms, and his compact three-foot-tall form swelled out to become over six feet in height. The luster faded, and Groviglio stood in the aisle, looking skeptically at his new form.

Groviglio evolved into a Mojanbo!

“Wow, Groviglio,” Jeff remarked, “I didn’t know Tangela could evolve.”

“You’re not alone,” Groviglio said sullenly. “I wish I had known. Whatever kind of Pokemon this is looks really goofy.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it,” replied Jeff nonchalantly. Groviglio scowled as his trainer recalled him to his Pokeball.

***

A few hours later found Jeff standing in the lobby of the Sector Alpha airport. He stretched his arms out as he walked out of the door. “Ah man…” he sighed contentedly, “it feels so good to be back. It’s been so long.” Jeff looked both ways down the street before walking in the direction of Guild headquarters, taking in the sights once more. However, he stopped abruptly as something glinting mysteriously in the sun caught his eye. He bent down to the sidewalk and picked it up: it was a piece of shiny black fabric about the size of a Pokeball, covered in arcane designs. Jeff frowned at it before pulling a Pokeball off of his belt and releasing 99.

“Hey 99,” Jeff started, “I remember you saying you had downloaded the Guild’s database on items into your brain at one point.”

“Affirmative,” 99 replied as stoically as ever.

“Mind scanning this for me?” Jeff asked, holding up the fabric. He held it close to the Porygon2, but before Jeff could react, the patch began glowing, giving off a dazzling light. Jeff covered his eyes to avoid being blinded, but 99 failed to move, instead clicking quietly as he sorted through the database in his mind.

Jeff put his arm down as the light faded. The fabric was entirely gone, and 99 had changed drastically. His two ‘legs’ had moved up his body, now looking more like wings, and his neck had entirely disappeared, leaving his head floating eerily in the air. 99’s eyes were colored a dull yellow, black pupils flicking back and forth as he processed his thoughts.

“Analysis complete,” 99 stated, seemingly oblivious to his change. “Item is Eerie Patch, used in evolution for Porygon2…” He blinked. “Oh.”

99 evolved into a PorygonZ!

“Man, what is it today?” Jeff said thoughtfully. “You’re the second species today that I’ve never heard of.”

99 blinked. “Who was the first?”

In response to his question, Groviglio popped out of his Pokeball. “Welcome to the dork squad,” he said flatly. “Glad to see you’re as goony-looking as I am.”

Jeff quietly recalled Groviglio to his Pokeball. “He was,” he replied, rather redundantly. “Thank you for your help,” Jeff added, also recalling 99. He looked up the street, where the Guild’s imposing headquarters stood. He sighed. “Let’s get this over with…”

Lady Vulpix

7th January 2007, 03:33 PM

Jeff, that was hilarious!... In spite of the inprobably plot-convenient items lying around, I did laugh a lot. Now, what was that drum? And what does Henshin mean?

The people at the airport must not care much about who they let into the planes. Did Jeff know that with enough certainty to use that name? And isn't it risky to throw rocks inside a plane?

Take 26 stamps. And congratulations on both sudden evolutions! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

7th January 2007, 05:20 PM

The drum was the Chaos Drum I bought a while ago when it was introduced.

Also, Kurtzwick managed to have a fake ID with exactly that name and picture. Yup. That's exactly what happened.

And Groviglio's kinda an impulsive guy.

Henshin, incidentally, is a word used in a lot of older anime to signify a transformation; I had Maza use it because his I realized recently that his battle style resembles the title character of the game Viewtiful Joe, who also uses that phrase.

classy_cat18

7th January 2007, 07:28 PM

I'm warning you in advance that this story is a little lame. I got Destai's Bite TM in a trade, Poison Fang from the EMT, and Faint Attack from the Reward Center.

Shonta's POV

"Thanks for coming, Triton."

"It's no problem, Shonta. This was the perfect excuse for me to come back to Sector Alpha and see something familiar," the Golduck told me as he entered the house.

"Excuse? What was keeping you from coming back?" Katana asked him with a puzzled look.

"I was not keeping him from doing anything," Volt said loudly as she stepped through the doorway. "I just thought that we shouldn't rush on the way back."

Katana cocked an eyebrow at the couple. "Uh...huh. Well, you two caught us at a good time. Shonta thinks that we should move to the Dragon's Guild barracks for a while, seeing as our team's final entry will need a little more space when he evolves."

"There's also the matter of tending to Circe, Nama, Destai and Ali. We're already having trouble fitting fifteen Pokemon in this little hut as it is. What's going to happen when they evolve?" I started to complain.

"Here she goes again," Katana grumbled. "We'll have no problem finding a new place when the time comes so don't worry. Now, do you have it?"

Triton nodded and pulled out the gorgeous mirror. "I should leave it in your care until the two who need it are back to normal." His look became one of curiosity as he looked around the room. "Where's the rest of the team?"

"Most of them are in the backyard, waiting for the new TMs. We found a couple of weird ones. Ever heard of Ambush or Power Gem?"

"I think so. A lot of news about new discoveries have been coming in from other countries. I'll tell you if I find anything interesting."

The back door opened as Triton was handing me the Aurora Mirror. Beacon hurried in the living room and embraced her mother. "Mom! I missed you so much!" she exclaimed.

Volt stroked her head gently. "I've missed you too. I assume that Rose has been keeping an eye on you?"

Beacon gave a nervous laugh. "Lately I've been keeping an eye on her. She's out back making sure that Destai doesn't get into any trouble."

I scratched my head in confusion. "Destai? Why Destai?" I asked her.

"I don't know, but she said that she had a feeling that he was going to get himself in trouble. Something about her thorns itching."

Volt sighed and let go of her daughter. "That's Rose for you. I'm sure it's nothing major."

"You might want to get him his new TMs before something happens, just in case," I told Beacon. She nodded and pulled out a few TMs.

Bo's POV

"Destai, let it go," I groaned as the Houndour continued barking at the unexpected visitor. A Gastly was resting in a tree, shielded by its branches.

Destai just growled at me and went back to barking at the Gastly. This was one of the days when he didn't talk to anyone. I just sighed and sat next to Uncle Bandit. "Uncle Bandit, he's not listening to anyone. What should we do?"

"What Katana would do, of course. Let him learn his lesson."

"When will that be?"

"Pretty soon."

Rose shook her head furiously and pushed Destai's side. "That's bad, Destai! Stop that or you'll get in trouble!"

Too late. The Gastly finally got tired of Destai's barking, floated down and yelled in Destai's face. That only made Destai angrier. They were about to start something when Miss Beacon called out to us. "Hey! New TMs for Destai!" she yelled.

Destai's ears perked. He rushed over and let Miss Beacon activate the new attacks for him. "Bite, Faint Attack and Poison Fang. Use them well!"

"Do you have to encourage him, Miss Beacon?" I whimpered.

Miss Beacon said nothing in response and stepped back from Destai while he turned and faced the Gastly with a wicked grin.

L7 Male Houndour (Destai) vs. L7 Male Gastly

"Okay, Bo. Give me your theory of the outcome of this battle," Uncle Bandit muttered to me. It was something that Aunt Katana would say to me to test my knowledge on battle strategy.

I took a deep breath and gave it my best guess. "Well, Gastly is at a big disadvantage. Destai is a Dark type and is immune to his Psychic and Ghost type attacks. Unless he has Hypnosis and a few non-Ghost type tricks up his sleeve, Destai has this battle in the bag."

Bandit smiled and nodded. "Well predicted, kid."

Destai started off with an Ember that heated up the gaseous Pokemon. Gastly winced and floated back. His eyes glowed an icy blue. Destai locked eyes with him until his eyelids started to droop.

"He has Hypnosis," Bandit said casually.

Destai realized his mistake and turned his head away but he was already too drowsy to do anything about Gastly's next attack. A bolt of lightning shot by him struck Destai's side and made him howl in pain. He fell on his side and twitched.

Instinct nearly drove me to run to his side but Uncle Bandit held me back before I could take a step. "Not so fast. Destai's not out yet."

I watched in curiosity as Destai slowly sat up and scratched himself with a hind leg. He disappeared and then reappeared as he pounced on the Gastly. He jumped off, turned around, and fired another Ember at his opponent. Gastly moaned as he slowly sunk to the ground and vanished.

Destai won and grew to level 8!

"Did Destai learn a lesson?" I asked Uncle Bandit as he approached the tree where the Gastly was resting earlier.

"I honestly have no idea. In a woman's point of view, men can be pretty hardheaded." He started to climb the trunk as if something up there interested him.

I cocked my head. "Do women think we're hardheaded?"

"I know I am to Katana. You may be the same way to Trinity." He reached in a hole in the trunk and pulled out something. "Good, it's still here." He jumped off and showed me what he found.

I stared in wonder at the jewel-like stone. "Where did you find it?"

He winked at me. "It's a secret. Sometimes I get an urge to stash any interesting shiny things that I find. I don't know what it's for, though."

Destai walked over and sniffed the stone, giving me and Uncle Bandit a blank look. Then Rose came for a look. Her attention was diverted as Aunt Katana called out for us. "Take care of this, Rose," he said hastily as he shoved the stone in her flowery arms.

I almost didn't notice the glow that came from her.

Shonta's POV

"They'll be here in a minute," I reassured Triton and Volt. "Destai's a little hard to handle."

"MISS SHONTA!" Bo hollered from the backyard.

"A little?" Katana questioned with a raised brow. Bo and Bandit bolted in the living room, both with scared looks on their faces. "What did you two do now?"

"Not me! It was all Uncle Bandit's fault!" Bo accused.

Katana rolled her eyes. "Figures."

"Gee, thanks for having my back," Bandit grumbled to Bo.

"Uncle Bandit had this stone-jewel-thingy, and we were all looking at it, and you called for us, so Uncle Bandit told Miss Rose to take care of it, and gave it to her, and she started to glow, and now...now..." He started to fidget.

Katana and I looked at each other with worry before running to the back door. A dazed new Pokemon was leaning against the door frame, mumbling to itself. It bore a slight resemblance to Rose, with arms ending in flowery bouquets. But the legs were longer and stronger looking, and a white rose topped its head. "R-Rose?" I asked nervously. The Pokemon merely nodded.

Bandit cleared his throat to get my attention. "I'm sure that someone on the Internet knows what she is. I'll, uh, google it or something." He ran to my room before Katana or I could do anything to him.

Rose evolved to a Rozureido and learned Weather Ball, Mega Drain and Sweet Scent!

Kirei

8th January 2007, 12:21 PM

Hi this is soo can ade have extension
:196:

Lady Vulpix

8th January 2007, 02:59 PM

Yes, he can. And he can also have his worker spot back. It's great to see you here again!

Kirei

10th January 2007, 07:15 AM

*is Ade* Forgive me for hijacking Soo's account but, as Gabi knows, my own account really doesn't seem to like me atm. :( Thanks for the welcome back and tho I totally wasn't expecting to be made a worker again I ain't complaining! Anyways... enjoy my (admittedly rather odd) reintroduction.

---
The realm of magic, I had decided very quickly, was incredibly boring. Being trapped in a translucent crystal cage of sorts, no view in any direction aside from strange, multicoloured mists in all directions. Every now and then something barely visible seemed to shift in the fog, large and powerful presences that were probably as old as time itself. For a while this bizarre and dangerously wonderful backdrop had enthralled me, wasted my hours in the same blissful way as watching clouds. Every twist, every turn in the swirling miasma kept my attention. For a while, at least.

Then it was material distractions. The cell had been filled with gadgets and gizmos, food and drink, everything one could possibly dream of to keep oneself occupied. The latest consoles and games lined the walls. A stupendously expensive art set lay upon the desk, sat next to a powerful computer filled with software, games and mp3s. Enough DVDs to provide a lifetime of viewing were scattered throughout the area. And in the corner sat a mini-bar that never seemed to empty no matter how heavily its contents were abused. It would have been heaven had we not been essentially prisoners. And right now I would have traded all of this in for the chance to roam as I pleased once more.
“Gah! How long have we been trapped in here?” Me losing patience with the situation was almost a daily ritual these days. I scowled darkly into the miasma. “Days? Weeks? Years, even?”
“I dunno, but I’ve racked up about fifty hours on Final Fantasy 7,” one of my cellmates, the goofy, fun-loving Wartortle known as Beckham, piped up. “And I still haven’t managed to get a golden Chocobo yet.”
“I keep telling you, you need Carob nuts! Carob!” the sunglasses-sporting Raichu beside him yelled, smacking him over the head with a spare controller with every syllable she uttered. “And you never listen! You fail at life!” This was Thunderblast, a psychic Raichu whose only predictable trait was her unpredictability.
“Why am I not surprised neither of you would take this seriously?” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “We’re being held prisoner, pretty much, and all you can do is bicker about video games? And it’s Zeio nuts you need to breed a golden Chocobo, by the way.”
“Oh… go sit on a cabbage for the rest of your life.” Thunderblast stuck her tongue out at me. “I’m going to go play with Sumi seeing as you’re being so boring.” Sumi, or Kasumi to give her proper name, was a spunky, tomboyish klutz of a Growlithe whose nymphomania was only rivalled by her appetite for adventure. She also happened to be Thunderblast’s lover and was currently curled up asleep on a very comfortable king-sized bed. That probably wasn’t going to last very long.
“Seriously, though, am I the only one bothered by this at all?” I continued to complain.
“Bothered by what?” my Marill asked, an innocent and absent-minded little creature by the name of Megan. “The fact that Thunderblast’s going off to play with Sumi? Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it, they can do what they like as long as it’s not too freaky. Come to think of it they do like to do stuff like that in full view of everybody, don’t they? Maybe you ought to have a word with them or something, Ade? Or maybe we could, like, stick age ratings to their bellies so nobody underage could look at them or something, or…”
“Thanks for that, Megan. I think Ryo-Ohki’s looking for somebody to play tag with him, want to go find him?” My Marill nodden eagerly and went off to locate her Pichu friend, a hyperactive little bundle of adventurousness who really had yet to show his full potential. Hardly thinking about my actions I reached over and put some background music on, an odd little instrumental band named – aptly enough considering how this conversation had started out – Sephiroth.
“Oh. You’re after the input of somebody with an actual brain are you?” a half-asleep voice groaned from a basket in the corner as it became apparent that I was going to open my mouth again. “How’s about ‘for ^*%&’s sake stop going on and on and on about it, we got the fact you weren’t happy about this the first time?” The head of an unnaturally cute-looking Houndour poked out of the basket. This was Pandora, a turbulent, manic-depressive mixture of emotions who could be astoundingly maternal one moment and a furious bundle of vitriol the next. Right now it seemed as if the cantankerous side of her personality was winning the day.
“Be reasonable now, mother,” her foster son, the intellectual and hopelessly idealistic Dratini named Marius sighed from beside her. “It’s hardly surprising that Ade would be reacting like this. It is, after all, in our nature to desire freedom.”
“What, no lecture on the beauty of being free? Astounding.” Scratchy the Paras was possibly the only creature in the world who could manage to be grouchier than Pandora in a bad mood. For the most part he was just cantankerous for the sake of it and hence nobody really paid him much attention.
“Don’t start, we don’t need any pointless arguments thanks all the same.” Sindel, my Alakazam bopped Scratchy smartly over the head with one of the spoons she was in the habit of carrying. Sighing she sat down on a nearby chair, legs crossed. “I do wonder how long we’ve been here as well. There’s no clocks, no sun, no real way of knowing. If you don’t count measuring time in terms of how many awful B-movies Bolovayr’s watched.” This was a reference to the Gastly of the team, a creature with two main loves in live; cheesy horror films and being as obscenely theatrical as he could manage. Right now he was busy watching the entire Nightmare on Elm Street series back to back for what seemed like the millionth time. “I do know it feels like it’s been ages, though. I wonder when we’ll be let back out again?”
“Soon, I’d hope.” This was from Pearl, my Ninetales and quite possibly one of my closest friends as well. Currently she was lounging, bored, on top of my coiled-up Onix, Brandy. “It worries me that we were pulled out of Ulthuan so abruptly. Not to mention at such an unstable time! I know there are others who can keep an eye on things but still…”
“…but still it’d be nice ta be out there in the action, yeah?” interrupted her mate, the large, scruffy Katnip, a Raticate whose appetite for battle was matched only by his appetite for actual food. “I know what ya mean, Pearl. Hell, even sparrin’ with Milly is startin’ ta get borin’.”
“Aww, poor Katnip. Are your constant losses to me finally starting to get to you?” To be honest it was remarkable that the world’s most garrulous Umbreon had managed to keep silent for more than ten seconds. Milliardo was comprised of a few basic components. Wit, attitude, ego, an underlying sense of justice and, most irritatingly of all, enough talent to make the vast majority of his boasts fact. “Okay. This is the situation according to Milliardo. We’re prisoners right now, sure, but at least we’re prisoners being kept in luxury. There’s really not much we can do about our situation so we might as well all stop being so goddamned emo and make the most of what we’ve got.”
“That’s the trouble, Milliardo. We’ve done that and it’s started to get boring.”
“Boring? Ha! That’s the trouble with you youngsters today, no idea how to occupy yourselves. Why, back in my day we could keep ourselves amused for days with a stick and a piece of string!”
“Really?” Megan asked, totally not getting the fact that Milliardo wasn’t being serious.
“Yes. Becks, a comprehensive list of games involving a stick and a piece of string for your girlfriend, pronto.” The Umbreon rolled his eyes. “Seriously, though, we can deal with the lack of a change of scenery, right? It’s hardly the biggest trial we’ve ever faced.”
“True. And we will face far bigger challenges in the future.” A cool, calm voice sounded from one end of the room. A voice that very rarely made itself heard these days.

“So what have you been doing these days, Rhiannon?” I asked coolly. The final member of my team, a Jolteon with a severe case of multiple personalities, had always been a law unto herself. The fact that she had been magically enhanced by cruel demon-worshippers in her past just made that all the more apparent now. Thanks to her sorcerous powers she was the only one of us who could come and go from this strange place as she pleased.
“For one, although we can’t blame you for the envious tone in your voice there’s no need to be like that with us, Ade.” Rhiannon sighed. There was always something unbelievably haunted about her demeanour when she was like this, as if she were constantly dragging along ghosts in her wake. She had another ‘mode’, of course, a happy-go-lucky playful creature, although even that had taken on a slight air of melancholy as of late. “As it happens we were just checking up on the current situation in Ulthuan.”
“And?”
“The usual trials and tribulations are going on. Groups rise to power and then they fall again. People and pokémon endure in spite of the hardships they face. And yet… there is a subtle undercurrent that we can’t quite determine.” The Jolteon looked rather pained, as if it hurt to admit she didn’t have any precise ideas as to what was troubling her.
“Cheer up, Rhi… oh, wait, that’d be totally out of character for you, wouldn’t it?” Milliardo snickered. “It’s probably just that good old Ulthuanian feeling of ‘some huge monster might erupt from the bowels of the earth at any given second’. I doubt that it’s not been there since the moment humans colonised this place.”
“You may well be right,” Rhiannon acknowledged. “But still…”
“But still nothing. Chill out for once in your life.” The Umbreon went over and bopped his sister smartly on the nose, causing her to flinch.
“Hey! What did you do that for?” she whined, her mood inexplicably shifting.
“Well what do you know?” Milliardo chuckled, bemused. “She comes with a button to change channels after all! Right, the big question here, Rhi, is do you at all remember sensing any hint of whatever it is that Tsuyoi said we had to hide from out there?”
“Er…” The Jolteon frowned, deep in concentration. Each of her personalities seemed to have its own distinct memory and it was always a trial – although not totally impossible – for one to recall what the other had experienced. “Nope. Don’t think so. Normally I feel I’m being watched when I go out there but this time… I think whatever it is has given up on us at last, you know?”
“Does that mean we can actually go home now?” I asked hopefully. The situation was stupid. We had been in the middle of a mission, a random investigative assignment set by the Dragons Guild. And it had been going very well. What had started out as a casual check about unusual Paras migration turned into an assignment revolving around illegal scientific research. In fact I had been convinced that I had finally stumbled upon a promising lead that could well have wrapped up the assignment when… well, this happened. We had been effectively taken out of time and space by Tsuyoi, an almost omnipresent being who took the form of a monstrous Ninetales, and had only been told “You’ll have to stay here for now, you’re attracting too much attention lately. Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.” Far less information than I would have liked, of course, and likely a contributory factor to my bad mood.
“I hope so,” Rhiannon nodded. “It’s boring not being able to do stuff with you guys.”
“If you wanted to do stuff with us you could… oh, I don’t know… stay here instead of running off all the time?” For the most part Pandora had the utmost respect for Rhiannon but sometimes the Jolteon’s childlike persona could be very trying. “So what, we have to wait here for Tsuyoi to say all’s well with the world again?”
“Pretty much.”
“Great.” Pandora rolled her eyes. “He’s so busy finding new pies to put his claws in that he’s probably forgotten all about us.” The Houndour paused, as if half expecting our less than saintly benefactor to make his presence known at this point. But, alas, this wasn’t to be. “We might as well get used to being stuck here for eternity.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Pearl interjected. “There’s many things about Tsuyoi that I wouldn’t exactly call likeable, true. But he does have a twisted sense of honour in there somewhere. He’s not the type to just leave us, especially not after all the time and effort he’s put in already.” As ever, the Ninetales proved to not only be the voice of reason but also a remarkably good judge of character. She was right; whatever you may have thought about the monstrous creature there was no denying that Tsuyoi wasn’t the sort to just totally abandon his allies. It was one of the few traits of his that indicated that he wasn’t wholly evil. “Come on. Let’s just stick it out a bit longer, eh?”
“I suppose…” I reluctantly agreed. “I hope he lets us out soon, though. I’m not sure how much more of this waiting I can take.”

I was brought up to believe
That to avoid disaster
In life as in your dreams
You’ve got to be the monster

Funny how all of a sudden I couldn’t quite keep my mind from wondering what Tsuyoi was up to. Even the music collection was starting to spew lines that could have been taken directly from his philosophy!
“It is a good point, Ade. To achieve your goals you sometimes have to take the occasional course of action that does seem to some as… well, monstrous.”
“Is that an apology?” I didn’t turn round to look at the owner of this smooth, almost devilish voice. I knew already who it was. And to be honest I was still mad at him.
“Me? Apologise? For what? For protecting you from a situation that not only would have compromised us all but also most likely proved to be your ultimate destruction? Very well, Ade, I’m dreadfully sorry I wasn’t willing to sit back and watch you get dragged in over your head. Next time I’ll let you court disaster without interference, would that suit you better?”
“You know, I’d be more willing to go along with all this if you’d just level with me and tell me what you’ve been protecting me from!” I whirled round vehemently, momentarily forgetting that I was dealing with a creature who had happily grappled with powerful demons in the past and had come away with only a few minor scratches. “And…” My words trailed off. Tsuyoi, it had to be said, wasn’t looking his usual self. If anything he was more a greyish wolf with porcupine-like spines down his back than the blue-white, six-limbed creature I knew who could be best summed up as a Ninetales gone horribly wrong.
“What?” Tsuyoi finally realised why everyone had fallen silent around him. He closed his sinister eyes for a moment and his body shifted form, taking that which we all normally associated with him. “Do excuse me, everyone. The trouble with being a trans-dimensional entity is that it gets very difficult to remember which version of reality you’re actually in after a few too many journeys.”
“Trans-dimensional..? Oh, forget it. I don’t want to know.” I quickly reminded myself that it was probably for the best that Tsuyoi’s affairs away from Ulthuan remained private. Somehow I suspected I wouldn’t like what I heard if I asked too many questions. “So what was this all in aid of, anyway?”
“As I implied, the preservation of our way of life. You all made quite a name for yourselves during the fiasco with the Crimson Blades, especially when dealing with things beyond most people’s comprehension. It was starting to attract a little… unwanted attention.”
“I don’t suppose you could be more specific, could you?”
“If that pleases you. The Order of the Dragon were making moves to try and recruit you into their little cult.” The way Tsuyoi mentioned the name indicated his feelings for the group, a branch of the Dragons Guild devoted to keeping Ulthuan safe from supernatural threats and led by one of the last survivors of the elven races who inhabited the realm long before mankind arrived. It was the same tone he used when speaking about Gabi, an odd combination that resulted from a contempt for her methods and a begrudging respect for her ideology. Evidently he held similar views on the department headed by Lord Absol. “Needless to say I couldn’t allow that. Their lifestyle would destroy what you are now. Not to mention they’re a bunch of tiresome busybodies that I’d rather keep my distance from. The solution was obvious – make you disappear for as long as it took for them to tire of waiting for you.”
“And in the meantime cut us off from everybody else as well? And there was me under the impression you were good at planning. All I’m hearing is ‘I didn’t want them to know I was around so I buried all evidence until they went away’. Fair?”
“Well I do have to put myself first, you know. If I don’t how am I supposed to be in any fit shape to take care of the rest of you?” All of a sudden Tsuyoi’s demeanour soured. “I’d take care if I were you, Ade. You would be dead by now if it weren’t for some of my past interventions and I’d like you to bear that in mind when speaking to me. That complacency over my unwillingness to part with you will leave you without any help at all one day. Just because your team is the closest thing to a pack I have in this reality doesn’t mean I’ll shed too many tears if you finally drive me away.”
“…” Was that a threat? A warning? A plea? Whatever it was, it had the desired effect of forcing me to remember just what I was talking to. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Tsuyoi smirked. “Before you complain about my methods just take a few moments to remember exactly whom I was hiding you from. If I could have left you in your own world I would have done, it would have been far less hassle. But a group who specialise in hunting down those with the capacity to magically hide themselves away would have found you, a mere mortal, in seconds.”
“Unfortunately he does have a point, Ade,” Pearl commented from the sidelines. “I do wonder why you couldn’t have just said all this from the outset, though.”
“What, and missed out on the looks of confusion on your faces?” Tsuyoi sneered. “No chance! Besides, I had other business to attend to, I didn’t have the time to sit down and brief you all fully.”
“Nice to know we’re so high on your list of priorities,” I snapped, still feeling too irritable to really care how the pseudo-Ninetales would react.
“Be bitter all you like. You’ll understand my reasons eventually.” It was amazing, really, how much patience Tsuyoi had learned since the days we had first met. Where he was just a bored creature with a half-hearted cause and way too much time and power to know what to do with. Back then he had been trying to instigate a pokémon rebellion. Now he exercised his power in ways so subtle that not even I could grasp them. “Anyway, I didn’t come here to argue. I came here to let you all out at last.”
“About time!” I exclaimed, relieved. “How long have we been here, anyways?”
“Hmm… over half a year I’d say.”
“Half a YEAR????”
“Thinking about it I can’t really say I blame you for getting restless given that length of time. I was rather hoping it would have only taken a few months at most but… well, you’ve had to deal with Lord Absol before. You know how stubborn that exasperating elf can be.”
“You mean that guy who was chasing me for absolutely years until he decided Reaper was his biggest priority?” Rhiannon asked. “Yeah I know how stubborn he is. You still ought to have just levelled with us from the start though.”
“What can I say? I never claimed to be perfect.”
“No, but you implied it,” I commented.
“It isn’t my fault that you drew the wrong conclusions from the way I acted, is it, Ade?”
“Sorry, guys, can you just go through those last few sentences again?” Milliardo interrupted. “Only I’d like to make a note of that exchange in case I want to use it in the future. Shame on you, Tsuyoi, you know I have dibs on winning arguments through sheer cheek!”
“I’m dreadfully sorry for that, it won’t happen again,” Tsuyoi remarked dryly. “Now have we all finished bickering so I can put you back where you all ought to be? And before you ask, Beckham, yes you can keep the games consoles. And Ade was right about the Zeio nuts.”
“I didn’t know you were an avid gamer, Tsuyoi,” I chuckled.
“I’m not. But when you can absorb information from people’s minds just by looking at them it’s amazing the amount of useless trivia you can pick up alongside the things you’re actually looking for. Now, are you all ready to go back home?”
“You bet!” Rhiannon beamed, oblivious to the fact that she could have, and had, left on her own accord at any time.
“Yes! I hope Soo has been looking after Celeste…” Pearl fretted.
“Of course! You provided this place with everything apart from a decent kitchen, you jerk,” Sindel moaned.
“Eh… Ulthuan’s stressful but at least the scenery’s nice,” Scratchy conceded.
“Oh! Y…yes, if t…that’s okay with y…you!” Brandy managed to stutter.
“Home? Cool!” Ryo-Ohki grinned. “I was missing hide and seek, not many places to hide here!”
“Of course, we have no Net access here and I need to double check you were right about those Chocobos!” Beckham shouted excitedly.
“And he needs to mix us all a large glass of pink stuff as well,” Milliardo commented. “We need it after all this crap.”
“I’d love to go home. Duh. This place is giving me a headache.” Pandora scowled.
“Although the possibilities for research on this plane of existence are endless there really isn’t much point without decent facilities,” Marius sighed. “Therefore it would be better to return home and actually be able to work on something rather than to sit here in frustration.”
“I do miss havin’ space… and opponents who aren’t Milly…” Katnip began.
“Because I’m just too much for you to handle, old timer?”
“You wish!” Evidently the boredom of fighting the same opponent all the time only affected Katnip, for his sparring partner still seemed up for a fight! Then again, Milliardo needed conflict as much as his team-mates needed oxygen. “Everyone else ready?”
“Sure am!” Kasumi grinned. “I mean, we’d only got about halfway through all the positions we could think of but hey, don’t need this specific bed to finish that, right?”
“Actually we don’t need a bed at all,” Thunderblast commented. “In fact I can think of a few where all we’d need are…”
“Oh my God, quick, emergency, someone drown out the scary Raichu before she AGAIN tells us more than we need to hear!”
“Drown her?” Megan asked. “Isn’t that a bit much? I mean, we don’t even have any water here… I suppose I could try using Surf or something or Becks could use his Water Gun but wouldn’t that drown everybody else as well? Anyway, yes, I’d love to go home… where’s home again? I forgot.”
“Home is where the heart is,” Beckham nodded sagely. “I heard that from somewhere.”
“Really?” Megan looked surprised. “You mean my home’s in…”
“Can I just interrupt here, as I think everybody has heard the punchline coming up at least twenty times?” I groaned. “So that’s almost everybody ready. You coming, Bolovayr?” My Gastly was the only one who hadn’t voiced his opinion. But that was because he was glued to the television and watching a remake of Night of the Living Dead. It was a wonder his eyes hadn’t become totally square yet.
“Eh?” he finally gasped. “Oh! Can’t we just wait until…”
“NO!” everybody else shouted. We had wasted enough time as it was. Finally it was time to go.

Needless to say it was really an odd sensation to be back in the real world again. Funny how a period of being deprived of little things like being able to feel the wind blowing against your skin leaves you feeling quite strange when those things are finally returned to you. In fact the first thing I found myself having to do once we had been roughly dragged back to reality was take a few minutes just to stand still and remind myself what it felt like to be outside in a truly living world once again.
“Hello? Earth to Ade? Can we… I don’t know, maybe get back home again instead of standing in the middle of the street like zombies?” Milliardo backed up his words with a push to the back of my legs. Which, seeing as he was undoubtedly one of the stronger members of my team, saw me almost fall over as a result.
“MILLIARDO!!!”
“What?” The Umbreon looked defiant. “You weren’t exactly moving on your own accord you know.”
“Still… man, you really don’t know your own strength, do you?”
“Actually I do and it’s classed as ‘beyond comprehension’. Trust me, Ade, I was deliberately holding back; I reckon I could have floored you if I’d actually wanted to.”
“Please, guys…” Pearl rolled her eyes as she trotted calmly past, heading in the general direction of the front door to our (rather extravagant) house; this was only about thirty seconds away from our current location so I could kind of understand the frustration building around me, “…can we save the bickering until we’ve settled down? I don’t know about the rest of you but I just want to return to a nice, familiar setting again.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Let’s get inside and settle down a bit. Then we can work out what to do next.” It felt like we had been away for far too long. What had changed since Tsuyoi had hidden us away? So many questions and none of them I could find an immediate answer for. Not without a warm shower and a decent cup of coffee at any rate. And those both lay inside the home I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I sighed happily as I made my way up the gravel path, my pokémon hot on my heels. For all the troubles Ulthuan had given me in the past it really did feel good to be back.

That shower really gave me the time I needed to grow increasingly paranoid, however. When we first stormed in there wasn’t really much of a chance to worry; there was a huge shopping list to compile, devices to turn back on and leave to warm up… the usual things one has to do when returning home after a long time away, really. But once I had the chance to stop and relax a little – and ‘relax’ is a term I use loosely – the worries about the practicalities of the situation really began to hit home. Exactly what was I supposed to tell everyone? Was it even going to be possible to return to the life I had once known? If I did wouldn’t that just alert Lord Absol to the fact that I was back and then wouldn’t that just mean we’d have to hide away again? Finishing my shower, I shuddered through a combination of cold and fear and rather roughly grabbed a thick white towel to dry myself down with. Why couldn’t things just be simple for once?
“Calm down, Ade,” I told myself rather forcefully. “No point in becoming a nervous wreck now. It’d be bloody stupid to break at this point after all we’ve successfully overcome.” Throwing on a light black shirt, underwear far too old for its own good and a comfortable fair of black trousers (I had long since given up on black jeans seeing as they invariably faded after a few washes) I took a moment to stare at myself through the fog of the bathroom mirror. All things considered I wasn’t in too bad shape really. A young man of twenty four, grey-blue eyes, long, unruly hair that was too blonde to be ginger and too ginger to be blonde, a very small mark under one eye due to an accident as a child. A few years spent not really caring for myself and a few years after that spent stressed out showing themselves in the form of my looking a touch older than I ought to have done. Glasses and pierced ears completing the image. When I could be bothered to make the effort I could look like quite the stereotypical rock god, but right now the image in the mirror just looked too weary to be rebellious. “Come on, Ade, time to shape up.” A cup of coffee, a few laps of the overly large gardens that came with our current property and it’d be fine. I just needed to remind myself that I was alive again. That was all. Then… well, then maybe I’d actually be able to face the world again.

Lady Vulpix

12th January 2007, 05:24 AM

Alright, review time.

Shonta: some ransom comments. Bandit would probably be good at the seeking game. Isn't Trinity a lot more hard-headed than Bo? Dark pokemon are not immune to Ghost-type attacks, just resistant... but maybe that was what Bo meant? I liked how the evolution was handled, especially the reactions. Congratulations to Rose! Take 10 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Ade: first of all, know that I'm persistently trying to get some admin to help you, but I'm getting no response. At this rate you may have to register a new account. Now about your story...

It does look like a reintroduction. What a detailed description of each of your characters! Why such long paragraphs, though?

The beginning was intriguing. Being trapped for 6 months with no communication with the outside world(s) must have been awful! I think Pandora may have been spending too much time with Milliardo, she's beginning to sound like him. And the coment about Rhiannon seeming to be "constantly dragging along ghosts in her wake" caught my attention: isn't she?

When you said "whatever you may have thought about the monstrous creature" made me feel you were talking to me. I still don't like him, even if he does have a nice lair. And comparing me with Lord Absol? That was low. But it's ok, the feeling is mutual. Nice trans-dimensional reference, by the way! Guille has brought to my attention the fact that there seem to be several trans-dimentional entities in Ulthuan. I hope that doesn't disturb whatever's still undisturbed in our lives.

I liked the implied bad joke. They're much better than explicit ones!

Now I, too, wonder where it'll all go from here. Why did Lord Absol decide to go after you again after he had accepted Rhiannon's presence? And why would he change his mind now?

Take 15 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Kirei

12th January 2007, 06:41 AM

Yeah I know the paragraphs were a wee bit long, I was having more difficulty in forcing myself not to dwell on the random bickering than usual. XD As for Tsuyoi - hehe, I'd be worried if anyone did like him, not even I'm especially fond of the bugger (although he can be fun to write about!). And Lord Absol doesn't want to hunt us down and kill us or anything, more he had an eye to steal me for his section of the Guild. Which would have probably resulted in him finding out about Tsuyoi so... meh, as a result I lost six months. :O

Anyways, because the first half of the week had been dead at work here's some more story.

-----
“You’re never going to find anything decent to watch if you don’t give anything more than two seconds attention at a time, you know.” A few hours down the line and any thoughts of facing the world had disappeared in the face of the far more palatable concept of slobbing out in front of the television and getting reacquainted with the local media. At least that had been the theory until Beckham had somehow managed to force control of the remote.
“Face it, Ade, he’s never going to find anything decent to watch full stop,” Milliardo sneered from his position flopped on the back of our black leather sofa. “Modern television – the fine art of spreading out the few shows worth watching over so many channels that the average amount of good stuff on any one of them is nil.”
“Surprisingly eloquent for you, isn’t it?” I chuckled.
“Oh I’m sorry, I must have been hanging around Marius too much,” the Umbreon snorted. “Let me rephrase – modern television is crap. It’s all reality shows, home improvement shows, soaps, US imports or fly-on-the-wall documentaries about the lives of a fly-on-the-wall documentary team filming a wall with some flies on it.”
“That’s hardly fair, I mean what about…” There was a pause as I struggled to think of a piece of truly entertaining programming made in the past year or so. “Nope, you’re right. Becks, just switch on the news or something, might be an idea to see what’s been going on since we were taken out of the picture.”
“But I wanted to watch Bid TV!” my Wartortle complained. “In half an hour the really camp guy with the plastic face and the hole in his chin is going to be selling hand-woven Egyptian cotton sheets at bargain prices!” Ignoring his protests I got up, snatched the remote back from him and turned over to a local news channel. The pictures on the screen really ought to have surprised me, but all things considered I had seen far more disturbing in the past.
“…still no discernable progress on the situation in Twoson, where these strange, blue-obsessed cultists are still laying siege to the town. Police and a force from the infamous Dragon Tamers are so far managing to keep them from completely dominating the area but who can say how long they can hold out for?” The reporter, a smartly dressed Asian woman with black hair in ringlets and a beige suit, looked nervously at the street behind her. It looked as if a herd of stampeding Rhyhorn had recently charged past. Cars were overturned, windows were smashed… everything that could be vandalised or ruined seemed to have been. And, in a rather bizarre detail, half of the street seemed to have been defaced, if not totally re-coloured, with blue paint. “As you can see the area has been devastated by the Happy-Happyist attacks over the past few days, and there is talk of calling in the military if this carries on much longer…”
“Interesting…” I mused.
“What’s… oh no. I know that look in your eye.” Sindel had just entered the room with a trayful of freshly baked cookies. She fixed me with an odd look. “Ade, we’ve only just got back and you’re already thinking of making us dive headfirst into trouble again. Just for once would it be so hard to leave things well alone and let somebody else handle this?”
“Yeah but where would be the fun in… ooh, cookies!” For a second it seemed as if Thunderblast might have been ready to stick up for me but the Raichu was distracted at the last second.
“I repeat, where’s the sense in jumping headfirst back into battle after so long being out of the loop?” my Alakazam pressed, trying very hard to stop Thunderblast from eating the entire batch of cookies.
“There’s no sense at all,” Katnip nodded sagely, before breaking out his largest grin. “Might be fun, tho. If anyone wants ta run off an’ bash some cultist heads together count me in.”
“Man, you’re a sucker for punishment,” Milliardo observed. “We haven’t properly trained in months. We’ve probably lost a bit of our edge in situations like this, so it’d be harder and we’d probably be totally outnumbered from the sounds of it.”
“I know,” Katnip grinned. “Those odds sound fun!”
“Don’t they just?” his sparring partner replied, returning the grin.
“Good grief!” Sindel rolled her eyes, now totally surrounded by team-mates clamouring for a cookie. “Ade, don’t listen to them. You know Katnip will jump at any chance to fight and Milliardo… well, we all know never to listen to him.”
“Your lack of support has been duly noted and filed away for future vengeance, Thingy,” Milliardo snorted before turning his attention to me. “Do what you think best, Ade, to be honest I don’t give a %&^* whether we go help out or not.”
“I wouldn’t mind checking it out,” I mused. “Especially if the Dragon Tamers are getting involved. We could kill a few birds with one stone here – let the others know we’re back, lend a hand just like we used to and use this as a chance to get back in shape again.”
“Wait… you’re seeing a city-wide riot as a training opportunity???” Sindel rolled her eyes. “I give up with you, I really do. Go if you must, but not all of us are going to be happy about being dragged into the chaos this soon after returning to reality.”
“Fine, not all of you have to go anyway.” I stood up, a mischievous gleam in my blue-grey eyes. “So then. Who’s for a spot of saving the day again?”

As it happened the turnout for some instant action was a lot lower than I would have liked and I ended up sporting a rather small, albeit rather powerful, team. Katnip had been first to offer his services, of course, and where there was a chance for the Raticate to play the hero Milliardo would always be there to try and upstage him. Marius had been happy to tag along as well, explaining that “the timing may be less than optimal but it would be foolish to turn a blind eye to this.” Last but not least we also had Rhiannon, whose official reason was that she had nothing better to do. However it was quite obvious that she was simply trying to smooth things over with everyone; her ability to create portals had allowed her to leave the supernatural prison we had called home for a short while whenever she liked, and there was still a little resentment over that fact from some quarters. In short, not many of us were up for an immediate adventure and to be honest I really couldn’t blame those who stayed behind.
“So. A plan, oh illustrious leader. And it better be something better than ‘storm in there and see what happens’.”
“Not entirely sure yet,” I confessed. We had hired the usual motorbike and sped straight to the source of the action(via a rather uncomfortable boat ride over to the mainland)… or rather, sped straight to a short distance away from it. Close enough that we could see what was going on, yet far enough away to avoid getting dragged into it before we had a plan of action. Right now I was watching Twoson – a quite bustling town that would have probably counted as a city had it been a few inches bigger – and once more getting that familiar feeling that I had bitten off more than I could chew. Even from this distance it was clear that something was amiss with the place; utilising a pair of powerful binoculars only confirmed my fears. The population seemed engaged in a war against rather strange cultists, people dressed in what could only be described as an indigo blue version of the traditional Ku Klux Klan robes. Even from here I could see them going about their wanton acts of vandalism and violence that were quite literally turning the entire town blue. “I mean… I can see that there’s a great effort to hold these goons off but you know what these insane cultist types are like – they don’t seem to have quite our numbers but probably have at least quadruple our zeal. Who the hell are they anyway?”
“The news report referred to them as ‘Happy-Happyists’,” Marius replied. “Initially one of the more deranged concepts for a cult, the basic premise is that the colour blue will lead them to eternal happiness. Historically they’ve been nothing more than a rather perplexing nuisance whose only real threat was though vandalism in a misguided attempt to transform their surroundings into their colour of choice.”
“So what’s changed to make them so violent, then?” I wondered out loud.
“We rather suspect that the only way to find that out will be to walk amongst them,” Rhiannon noted, having (possibly quite deliberately) reverted to the steely-hearted general for the purposes of the mission. “Excuse us for one moment.” The Jolteon concentrated hard, the skin and fur on her forehead peeling back to reveal a shimmering emerald embedded in her skull.
“Rhi, where are you going?” The slit in the fabric of space that was forming directly above her told me enough to know she was planning something. “We know you’re strong, but we need to do this as a team!”
“Relax, Ade,” she smiled gently. “We’re only going to scout around. If we haven’t returned in ten minutes come and look for us, okay?” And with this Rhiannon hopped into the vortex she had created. Into the unknown.

Ten minutes passed. And still no sign of a certain magical Jolteon.
“That does it. We’re going in.” I growled, my legendary impatience finally getting the better of me. “Remind me to throttle Rhi when we manage to find her.”
“There’s really going to be no need for that, Ade,” a calm telepathic voice sounded within my head. “We said ten minutes, correct? It has been precisely nine minutes and fifty eight seconds.” Rhiannon’s portal reopened in almost precisely the same spot as before and the Jolteon plopped out, neatly landing on all four paws with surprising grace.
“Pedant,” I chuckled mirthlessly. “So how does it look down on the front lines?”
“It actually looks far messier than it actually is,” Rhiannon explained. “These cultists do seem to be acting very strangely, even when you consider what Marius had to say on the cult’s previous eccentric behaviour. A lot of it seems to be comparative bluster, however.”
“Forgive me for saying, but ‘bluster’ is something of a subjective term, don’t you think? What may be just bluster for you, who seems to deal with the occult on a nearly daily basis, could well be highly dangerous behaviour for another individual.”
“True enough, Marius,” the Jolteon acknowledged. “Let us rephrase, then – comparatively these cultists seem to be of little real threat.”
“Tell that to Twoson,” Milliardo scoffed. “Just because they don’t have the power to crush the universe like Reaper probably did or are trying to enslave the planet like your old friends the Dark Cloak doesn’t mean they’re no threat. Good God, Rhi, you’re really showing your general’s attitude here. Let’s just look at the big picture and conveniently turn a blind eye to any personal suffering being caused, eh?”
“Let’s stop squabbling, okay? It isn’t the time or place to start picking holes with each others’ choice of words.” I rolled my eyes. Time certainly hadn’t made this lot any easier to manage! “Carry on, Rhi.”
“Thank you. As we were saying, these cultists seem to be more intent on making a statement than anything. So we can assume that they’re not even close to being in the same league as the likes of previous adversaries. In fact on observing several of them it appears to us that quite a few of their number appear to be under some form of short-term brainwashing.”
“And you think that because..?”
“Really.” Rhiannon looked almost affronted. “We were a part of the Dark Cloak cult once. They were the masters of the craft. You spend enough time around people like that and you get a feeling for those who are there of their own accord and those who have been conditioned into their actions. To be honest it doesn’t even appear as if whoever has been doing the brainwashing has done a particularly good job of it – we’d be willing to bet quite a lot that half of their number would regain their original personalities within days without regular maintenance. Which leads us to the main problem we face here.”
“Go on.” It was never a good sign when Rhiannon acknowledged something as a problem.
“This cult has been swelling its numbers quickly and in effect temporarily. If we are to deal with them we have to face the unpleasant fact that we will more than likely face off against an opponent who isn’t actually in control of their actions. And the possibility, however remote, that we may even know some of these cultists. Bearing that in mind we recommend discretion for the most part.” This was said with a rather pointed glance in the direction of Milliardo.
“Sis, when have I ever been anything less than tactful?” he smirked.
“Ya’ve been less than tactful pretty much the entire time we’ve known ya, dude,” Katnip chipped in unhelpfully. “So what’s the plan, sneak in an’ take a few out quietly?”
“Sounds like that could work,” I nodded. “If Rhi’s right we’re going to have to be very careful about what we do to these ‘Happy-Happyists’ though, so let’s try and be as humane as we can while we’re helping to sort this mess out. Don’t want to overly hurt someone if they’re going to be a normal person again the following day, after all.”
“Easier said than done when your adversary is after your death,” Marius noted.
“Oh come off it, it sounds like the worst they’re going to do is threaten us with a paintbrush!” Milliardo scoffed. “Come on, let’s get on with it. Last one to grab one of their hoods as a trophy is a loser!” I doubted very much that my Umbreon was going to treat this little adventure as flippantly as he appeared. He wasn’t stupid. However, in one respect he was right. We really needed to press on. Standing beyond the edge of the action wasn’t going to do anybody any good, and some small part of me was seriously aching to be back in the thick of things again. It was about time I actually let it have its fun.

Actually running through the streets of Twoson soon made it clear that the damage was a lot worse than it had appeared. The vandalism and destruction was widespread, some unfortunate properties still smouldering from arson attempts. It was chaos, plain and simple. And no doubt if it were left unchecked it would spread like wildfire.
“How the hell did things get this bad?” I exclaimed as we passed what seemed like it had once been a convenience store but now was a crumbling and charred structure that had clearly seen the ravages of some intense blaze. “I thought you said this cult was traditionally just a nuisance, Marius?”
“All it takes is one person with enough charisma and leadership skills to turn a nuisance into something far more sinister,” my Dratini offered by way of explanation. “It certainly sounds as if the cult shouldn’t really involve this level of mayhem, so I’m going to have to conclude that somebody in its higher echelons may be pushing their own agenda here.”
“You’re probably right,” I concurred. “Here’s hoping that somebody else will be able to get to the bottom of this. Doing a bit of holding them up before the military arrives is one thing, but even I’m not ready for a full-blown investigation just yet. Besides… yow!” Whatever I was about to say was cut short by a large – and blue - rock whizzing past inches away from my nose. Angrily I whirled around to view my assailant, although it was very hard to know what to make of the vision that confronted me. The person was dressed from head to toe in blue robes, their face obscured entirely by a matching hood. All I could make out were a pair of rather crazed eyes.
“Blue, blue, blue!” the cultist raved, waving a large tin of paint at me menacingly.
“…come again?”
“Blue, blue, blue!” he replied, advancing.
“Oh boy. This guy’s a total nutball,” I groaned, backing away slowly.
“Ade. Allow us.” Rhiannon stepped forward and almost nonchalantly let a weak spark of electricity arc from her body to the metallic tin of paint our foe was carrying. He gave a loud cry of surprise and dropped the entire thing on his foot.
“Damnit!” the cultist winced, evidently having been jolted back to sanity by the pain. “How dare you make a mockery of me!”
“Thanks, Rhi,” I smiled as my Jolteon withdrew back to the rest of the group, nodding her silent appreciation of my gratitude. My attention returned to the cultist. “Okay you. How about explaining why you just threw a rock at me?”
“You…” the man seethed, “…you are one of the heretics! One of those who refuse to follow the Blue Church! Just look at yourself dressed in all that… black!” He said the colour as if it was total anathema to him.
“I know,” Milliardo chuckled, well aware that the cultist wouldn’t understand him but speaking up anyway. “It’s like he’s some kind of stubborn one-time goth kid who refuses to accept the fact that he’s now in his mid-twenties. Oh, hang on a second. He is.”
“This isn’t the time, Milly,” I muttered under my breath, deliberately choosing to call the Umbreon by a shortening of his name that he couldn’t stand. It was my childish way of getting back at him for his mockery. Honour satisfied, I addressed the cultist once more. “So I dress in black. Why should that matter?”
“Only the colour blue shall win you eternal paradise!”
“Supposing I don’t want eternal paradise?”
“You’ll… you’ll…” I could just imagine the man’s mouth opening and closing ineffectively underneath his hood. Clearly his indoctrination hadn’t equipped him to deal with that one! “Shut up, you heathen! I shall teach you a lesson!” A pokéball slipped out of his sleeve and into his hand. Pure blue, of course, rather than the traditional red and white. “We have been trained in the ways of using pokémon to achieve our aims and we have been supplied with the holiest and bluest of them! So cower, fool, at the power of my awesome… Blue Dratini!!!” He opened the Pokéball with a flourish and out came… well, a perfectly ordinary Dratini. Perhaps the act would have been more impressive if he hadn’t used a pokémon that wasn’t naturally blue.
“Oh my God! It’s a disaster!!!” Milliardo exclaimed, his tone positively dripping with sarcasm. “Not a blue Dratini! We are truly doomed in the face of such mind-destroying warping of space, time and logic!”
“Give the guy a break, huh?” the Dratini grumbled. “He usually uses a blue Jolteon. He just doesn’t realise the ‘blue’ factor doesn’t make quite as much of an impact when the pokémon’s supposed to be that colour anyway.”
“Wow. I totally wasn’t expecting a pokémon of that guy’s to be sane.” Milliardo blinked in surprise. “So you’re the brains of the outfit, right?”
“Yes, as embarrassing as it is to admit it,” the Dratini agreed before its master cut it off.
“Now go! Teach these heathens a lesson, Blueson!”
“…Blueson?” This was truly surreal. Here we were, in the middle of complete chaos, acting out what felt like a trendily hard to follow comedy sketch. “Forget it. I’m not even going to ask. I’ve got a blue Dratini of my own to counter that, however.”
“That was hardly the most subtle of hints, Ade,” Marius tutted. “Still, I’m perfectly happy to keep my fellow dragon occupied while the rest of you neutralise his master.” Marius wormed his way to the front of the group and stared directly at his opponent. “My apologies, friend. You won’t be teaching anybody a lesson today.”

FIGHT!!! L10 Dratini v L8 Blue(!) Dratini

The two pokémon looked each other over for a few brief seconds. There really wasn’t much to distinguish the two. Roughly same hue, roughly similar sizes… if it weren’t for the large black handkerchief Marius always wore around his neck then this battle would have been especially hard to follow. Although not, it seemed, as hard to follow as Marius could make himself. After the initial sizing up was over he all but disappeared, putting all of his energy into his speed so that he became an almost impossible to see blur. One that struck his opponent so hard that it knocked the Dratini several feet in the air. Attempting to capitalise on this, he prepared himself to launch into another Extremespeed attack. Unfortunately this simply wasn’t to happen. Somehow his opponent managed to twist itself in midair and manoeuvre so that it landed straight on top of him. It began to coil itself around its hapless fellow dragon.
“You’re fast,” it glowered. “I’d better try my best to keep you in one place.”
“Not a bad stratagem,” Marius admitted. “Although perhaps attempting to use Wrap on another pokémon lengthy enough to utilise that move isn’t as wonderful an idea as it may first appear.” Somehow Marius managed to coil himself upwards and around his opponent, resulting in the two Dratinis wound up in a worryingly complicated mass of twists, their two faces stuck glaring at each other at the top of this huge knot.
“What the hell did you do?” Marius’ opponent shouted, evidently pleased that it could still headbutt him in frustration.
“I…er…ow!” Said headbutt landed rather harshly on Marius’ nose. “So it was one of those foolish acts that seemed like a good idea at the time, okay?” he shouted angrily, using his Steel Hidden Power to lift up a nearby can and throw it hard at his opponent’s head in retaliation.
“Knock that off!” the other Dratini shouted, unleashing a full Flamethrower right into his face. Of course Marius’ resistances meant that it hardly did any serious damage, but it served its purpose in annoying him further.
“I’ll be perfectly happy to if you just release me!” Marius responded in kind with a Flamethrower of his own.
“I would, but you have to let go first!” This time the other Dratini upped the stakes, firing an Ice Bolt in Marius’ face. The sheer impact of the freezing bolt of energy was more than enough to stun Marius and cause him to relax his grip slightly. At least enough for his opponent to somehow worm free. “Stubborn idiot,” it snorted, lining up another shot whilst Marius was reeling from its last blow. Fortunately for my pokémon he managed to come to his senses just in time to duck a second Ice Beam that would have almost certainly finished him.
“That… was decidedly too close for comfort,” Marius puffed. “Do excuse me while I slow you down a touch until I regain my breath.” A sudden pulse of electrical energy shot forward and struck the opposing Dratini hard. Thunder Wave. Clearly Marius was buying some time until he regained some energy, for almost immediately after he closed his eyes and began some sort of meditation. Clearly he was hoping that the paralysis he had caused would buy him enough time to use Rest effectively, a risky move on his part as even at full strength a couple of Ice Beams would have finished him off. For quite some time it appeared as if his gamble was going to pay off. His opponent didn’t seem quite able to fight the effects of the Thunder Wave. And then disaster struck. The Dratini finally managed to lurch forward, energies starting to form around its mouth as it prepared one more Ice Beam.
“I’m sick of you! Time to finish this!” it yelled, firing the beam directly at Marius. Who rather lazily opened one eye and twisted around it with (quite possibly Detect-aided) ease.
“At least we agree on the need to end this,” he said flatly, firing a deadly burst of blue flame from his mouth and catching his opponent in its reach with ease. Dragonbreath. Yet another rather dangerous tool in the young Dratini’s worryingly powerful arsenal. And just what he needed to finish the battle. His opponent’s body simply couldn’t take any more punishment, and slumped to the floor, finally unconscious.

Marius wins! Marius grew to L11!

Lady Vulpix

12th January 2007, 06:46 AM

More story? Where? I can't see it.

[Edit: naughty Ade, editing your post after I've sent my own. I'm working now but I'll archive it and read it when I can.]

I've already archived the latest stories, by the way. And there are some new posts on TL.

Wolfsong

15th January 2007, 12:57 AM

I would like an extension please

The Blue Avenger

15th January 2007, 10:52 AM

Extension granted.

The Blue Avenger

21st January 2007, 10:10 PM

So, hey, I'd like an RBG from the universal adoption center for Cambiamente. Thanks. *hands over 7 stamps*

Wolfsong

21st January 2007, 10:59 PM

Cambiamente will be battling a Slowpoke

classy_cat18

30th January 2007, 12:41 PM

I would like an RBG for my L6 Umbreon from the Universal Adoption Center. *pays seven stamps*

The Blue Avenger

30th January 2007, 03:47 PM

Bo will fight a Fuwante.

The Blue Avenger

1st February 2007, 08:17 PM

Ade: It's great to see you back in action. I figured you'd like this scenario, too; it was cool seeing your take on the whole thing. And yeah, blue Dratini = probably not the smartest thing I've ever written. ^^; Let's say 10 stamps. It worked well.

Lady Vulpix

3rd February 2007, 11:18 AM

Here's the report of the Guild meeting, as well as my meeting with Eshree a.k.a. Golden Growlithe a.k.a. Ivan, and a general recounting of events. Not much literary quality, I think, but it was necessary to catch up and as a (part of the) link to the next scenario, which will probably be up before the end of the month. Thanks to Ade, Jeff and Shonta for the bits I stole from them, which consist of everything said by their characters. :D

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Amber's POV>

So, the Caledorian branch of the Happy-Happyist church had been a fiasco. We were glad that no one else had come with us, more help was needed in Twoson, where most Dragon Tamers and members of our branch of the Dragon's Guild had indeed gone. And that, while it did fall under the category of what we normally called a crisis, was much closer to mere vandalism than what had been done by the Crimson Blades, the Dark Cloak or even the Black Dragon. I won't underestimate the damage caused because many were hurt and some even lost their homes, but we didn't hear news of any deaths; of course, the media will only broadcast what they find convenient, that's a well-known fact that holds worldwide, so I can't be certain there wasn't any. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong... that we'd missed the real intention behind the attacks. And why had they all run away so suddenly? I kept thinking about it, but couldn't find an answer. I finally decided to give it up. We couldn't deal with every problem in the world, especially when we had so many close to our home. The best we could do was keep an eye open in case it came back to bite us.

Lagi told us a little more about her time away from us, but nothing that happened on her way back had been as shocking as Harims's visit. She'd gone to the Eevee House to see if she could find any friends or relatives there, but it had been empty at that time. She had then been ambushed by a female Arbok who, according to Lagi, was jealous of her, though Lagi didn't go into details about what she was jealous of. The two had a quarrel, but there was no physical violence. I didn't want to press the point, but I reckoned something important had happened there, as I couldn't remember ever seeing Lagi engage in a verbal quarrel. Nor could Hero, who was quick to make a comment about it.

"Lagi had a quarrel? I thought that was impossible."
"Everyone can have them, Hero," Lagi answered. "She was blinded by jealousy, she wouldn't listen to anything I said. At least on the surface. Deep inside I felt she understood. I left a message which she may or may not pass on, and left so as not to disturb her anymore. We didn't battle, but she was upset... and so was I."

That was all she would say. She'd then noticed there was fighting and general confusion nearby and that was how she'd found us. The first of -I'm glad to say- many encounters with returning friends.

It was a breath of fresh air to see Jeff and his team come back safe and sound. Jeff didn't remember what had happened while he was with the Blue Cult, but he seemed to be free from their influence now. It turned out that asking detective Kerel for help had been a good move after all. Maza was being held under custody by the Dragon's Guild, but Jeff and Shonta came up with a convincing solution rather fast, with the help of a mysterious Crystal shonta had borrowed which had the power to free those whose minds were being affected by magic, or something like that. It would have been great if we'd been able to keep that crystal, but it belonged to someone else and had to be returned to its owner. Besides, Shonta mentioned there was a downside to the crystal's powers, although not even she knew what it was.

Then it was Ade and company who made a comeback, after being MIA for about 6 months. The story they had to tell out-weirded all others we'd heard so far. Not only that, but it also left everyone worried. Ade had been known for drifting between forces beyond his control, but being stuck between Tsuyoi and Lord Absol was something I wouldn't wish anyone. He let his presence be known to his friends, but not to the Guild's higher authorities. Not that we could count on them not finding out in the short term, but at least he managed to buy some time to plan his next move, which was, if I may say so, an improvement.

We were all happy to be reunited and, as usual during the calm between storms, craziness ensued. I couldn't blame everyone for wanting to relax, but I couldn't do it myself. I was still too worried. I felt a bit jealous as I watched Caledor play with Thunderblast and Beckham. I thought Caledor and Thunderblast were supposed to be rivals or something, but I shouldn't have been surprised of the change. They'd never been serious about anything they'd done together. I gave up on trying to keep track of their games.

Ventura suggested that we had a Guild meeting. That is, a meeting of our branch of the Guild. We all agreed. Ade wasn't sure about it at first, arguing that the authorities might get suspicious, but Gabi told him we'd had several meetings like that one while he was away, and we were already planning to have one as soon as we all came back from our latest mission, so there was nothing to worry about in that respect. Caledor stayed behind to catch up with some of his friends and, as it turned out, also with Kiara, who had been able to come out of her home for the first time in what seemed like ages. He was making a habit of missing Guild meetings, but he wasn't hurting anyone, so we just went without him.

Gabi opened the session and acted as a moderator all throughout the meeting. We discussed Ade's situation, the whole 'Blue Cult' issue -according to Previsiona, Balthazar had ordered a retreat to all forces in Twoson and the city was safe for the time being, which might also explain why they fled from Caledor as well- and Yssera.

"I'm worried about Yssera and why she hasn't made a move yet," Gabi said. "Lagi got a visit from a rather special friend while she was away... I still don't know exactly what to make of it, but it got me a bit worried."
"And that's different from your natural state how?," Tsunami questioned her.
"Believe it or not, being worried is is not my natural state... Or at least I don't think it is. It's just that lately I've had too many things to worry about. Too many threats and problems I don't know how to deal with."
"I know, but you should try to take it easy sometimes," Tsunami advised her. "You're always worrying about something. I know this is probably the calm before the storm, but no one is attacking us right now. You need to calm down in order to think clearly."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," agreed Lagi. "I think I need to follow that piece of advice as well."
Tsunami grinned, causing Gabi to sigh.
"Alright, I'll try," she accepted, and agreed to try to discuss our options calmly.

The topic shifted back to Ade, Tsuyoi and Lord Absol. None of us trusted the latter, and most of us found Tsuyoi's attitude disgusting if perhaps somewhat justified. Gabi said she was glad she hadn't invited Golden Growlithe to the meeting, which would certainly have caused Lord Absol's eyes to turn upon us, but she decided she would talk to him right after the meeting was over. It was I who turned the subject back to Yssera. Not much good could come from fighting on too many fronts at once, and she seemed to be the biggest threat at the time.

"We'll have to think carefully about Ade's situation. I don't think I have an answer now. But about Yssera... Last time we went to White Mountain we discussed the idea of looking for information at the Tower of Hoeth. Ade, you've done that in the past. Do you think that could help us?"
"I think if anywhere might contain information that could help us it'd be there," he answered. "And although I get the impression that the Tower can only really be found if it wants to be found I think we've got a pretty good case for needing to consult its library. Worth a try at any rate, although if memory serves getting there and finding what you need can be an adventure in itself..."
"Don't remind me! Last time we were there I was attacked by a Fire Stone along the way!," Hero commented.
"Wasn't that the same Fire Stone Tracker used to evolve?," Tsunami recalled.
"I think so... she said she found it in that area and it had my smell, so... Don't give me that look."
"What look?"
"The look that says you're just about to make a stupid comment about what I'm saying."
"A stupid comment? No, I was just thinking that it's curious that she started making advances on you after she evolved with a stone that had attacked you. But of course we all know she'd been after you for ages. You were just too oblivious to notice."
"Say what you may, I'm not the one who uses the same strategy for every single battle. One which blows up if you get badly poison, I must add. We have different strong points. And you talk a lot but you don't even have a girlfriend yourself, do you? Nor a boyfriend or gender-neutral-friend for that matter. Even Caledor has one now!"
"Ok, that was a low blow. And if Caledor was here he wouldn't be happy about the 'even' part either."
"I said 'even' because he acts like a cub most of the time."
"Right... and you think like one for anything that isn't battles."
"Will you two please STOP IT?!," Gabi yelled at the two. "Your fights have been getting worse lately! You used to be best friends."
"We still are," Tsunami defended himself. "Real friends do not agree all the time."
Gabi sighed. "But it seems like you two never do! We're discussing something important now, so can you please leave that for later?"
"As you command, M'Lady," Tsunami bowed.
Hero chuckled. "Yeah, whatever."
"So..." Gabi resumed the discussion. "We'll try to get there and see if we can find any helpful information. And hope we don't end up disappearing like everyone who talked to Teclis eventually did. I'm glad that you came back," she said to Ade and his team. "With all that about the tower allowing itself to be found only when it wants to... I have the feeling most people who have reached it have started to feel a bit too proud... and then bad things have happened to them. We reached the tower in the past, but only Scott made it to the top. He never said anything about what happened there, but no one knows where he is now. Then Ryan and Charlie both talked to Teclis, and they're both gone. For a while they both had delusions about being the key piece in a grand scheme to save the world from a great threat... I was scare for a while. But then again, Ryan saw Yssera too and that's her modus operandi. Maybe Charlie and Scott did too." At this point she sighed. "I'm monologuing. You've seen him and you're not acting like a legendary 'hero'. I don't think I will either. I'll be glad if I can help defeat Yssera, but I know it's not something I can do on my own. And working alone is not my thing anyway, I need others to rely on. So... what should I do?"
"Stop talking so much, you're making me dizzy," Ventura complained. "We don't know what will happen, we must go there and find out."
"What was it like, talking to him? What was he like?," I asked Ade.

It was at that moment that Maza joined us, the Pegasus Crystal Shonta had lent Jeff having done the trick. There was some excitement over his return, and everyone rushed to let him know that, myself included.

"Maza's okay!," exclaimed Moriko, the most cheerful Heracross I'd ever known. "Man, that's a huge relief. To tell you the truth, we weren't sure that crystal was going to work."
"Now we can give it back to Her Royal Pain," Bandit made a comment that earned him a smack from his teammate Katana. "I was talking about Shonta, not Triton!"
"Maybe we should keep it for a while longer," Katana suggested as if nothing had happened.
"No!," Shonta warned her. "We've had it long enough. None of us should be handling the damn thing. Who knows what else it can do?"
"Right. Here you go," Jeff handed over the crystal. "Thank you so much. You have absolutely no idea how much this means."
"Yeah," agreed Maza. "Erm. I'm really tired... is there a couch or something I can nap on for a little while around here?"
With that, he wandered off.
"No, hey, Maza! Don't wander off right now..." Jeff ran after him.
"Okay, well, there's one issue taken care of," said Groviglio, who looked much bigger than before. "What now?"
"Sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad they've let you go," Gabi told Maza, who seemed to be still wondering whether to stay or leave despite Jeff's efforts. "I wish Ade's problem could be solved so quickly. We were discussing the idea of going to the Tower of Hoeth for information. We had just asked Ade what his last visit had been like when you came in."
"Wow, good to see Maza's alright... from what I'd been hearing Jeff and his team have been going through a pretty rough patch," Ade commented, distractedly.
"Ade, although I understand your desire to show concern for your colleagues don't you think it a touch rude to ignore a question when it's been asked?," Marius reminded him.
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry, guys," Ade apologized. "The Tower of Hoeth... well, I hardly saw much of it and what I did see was hard to describe... it was like a gigantic library whose dimensions dwarfed anything we could understand and where it seemed that only Teclis knew where anything was. He was a strange one. From what others have mentioned he seems to have a different face for every visitor, so I'm guessing he's a master illusionist. And... well, he's elven and sticks very well to the stereotype of his race; incredibly intellectual to the point of snobbishness but also quite indulgent in his lifestyle. I think he has the best interests of the realm at heart so he'd probably help out if needed." He shrugged. "I dunno. We went there to try and patch some holes in Thunderblast's memory, she spent more time with Teclis and in the heart of the Tower than the rest of us. Should I go ask her to come over and give her opinion on it?"
"If you can convince her to get over here," remarked Shonta, anticipating what the Raichu was up to. "Thunderblast plus pink stuff equals one stubborn Raichu. And you can't make a stubborn Raichu do what she doesn't want to do."
"Heh... trust me, Shonta, a pink stuff fuelled Thunderblast is only as stubborn as a regular one," said Ade, "the reason we try to keep her away from it at all costs is that she starts getting a little confrontational on it sometimes. Anyway, I've sent Milliardo over to fetch her now and he's the only creature on the planet who can outdo her for sheer pigheadedness so it ought to be all okay."
"If you can find some more info on the Pegasus Crystal, that would be awesome!," Lily suggested. "If that library is as big as you seem..."
"Hoo-hah! My Bellossom's a genius!," cheered Shonta.
"Lily... you do have a good idea in theory," Rhiannon stated. The serious one, apparently. "However, history has has shown that the Tower rarely gives more information than it has to - possibly the reason why so many have come away from it with delusions. Surely, however, there has to be a way to get as much as we can from there once we gain entry..."
The Jolteon frowned and concentrated.
"I believe she can help," I commented while we waited. "She's stubborn, but she should understand when she's needed."
"Yes, she's..." Gabi interrupted herself and looked around. She paused for a moment for an unknown reason, and then resumed the sentence. "She's smarter than she pretends to be. Ookay, I'll make sure to get a report from Glyph and Orknye before we leave."
"How are you planning to do that?," asked Tsunami. "They haven't returned yet, have they?"
"They must have reported to GG. I'll look for him and ask him what he knows."

We quickly dismissed the issue, as Thunderblast joined us.
"Hi. You called?"
"Yeah, we could use some insight into the Tower of Hoeth and Teclis, please," Ade requested.
"Hm. Big mystical place full of books owned by a weird elf guy. Anything else?"
"And now for the serious version?"
"That was the serious version. What do you want me to say? Without any more specific questions I can only summarise it all as well as you can, Ade."
"Oh, hi, Thunderblast!," Gabi took the baton. "Actually we were wondering if we'd be able to get some information... maybe even some advice, about Yssera and everything. I don't expect you to know what we'll get, if anything, but if there's anything we need to know before attempting to go in there, we'd appreciate your telling us."
"Hrm... well, all I can say is that Teclis is a trifle odd, almost arrogant at times, but you kind of have to humour him if you want to get anything done, you know? I can imagine him being almost as stubborn as Milly if you get him in a bad mood. Also it'd probably help if you think of a few specific queries about Yssera, he's probably not going to let you just generically research in the library for your own sakes - seems to me you could spend a lifetime in there reading and you'd only manage to get a quarter of the way through the books starting with 'a'." The Raichu shrugged. "Anything else?"
"Thanks," said Gabi. "Eh... I'll have to think about it. I can't think of any more questions right now. Is there anything else anyone would like to say?"

Since there wasn't, the meeting was soon dismissed. Tsunami went to fetch Caledor, telling us not to wait for him. He looked tired. We all were, it had been a long day. Pidgeot took Water Angel to the Eevee House to relax a little before going home themselves, while the rest of us went to look for Golden Growlithe. We found him at the library.

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a moment?," Gabi asked him.
"Oh, hi! Sure. What's up?"
"We've just had a Guild meeting," she revealed.
"Oh... I'll have to find a way to attend those meetings one of these days. I am a member of the Pokemon Research and Training Department, there's no good reason why I shouldn't be able to go to them."
"Maybe next time, but I'm glad you didn't come today. We talked about someone who would have been too curious if you had been there."
"What... him?"
Gabi nodded.
"Why? I mean... it doesn't matter. I know I'm not good enough at keeping secrets, so it may be best that I don't know. What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I had a strange feeling at one point during the meeting. It reminded me of something I felt on White Mountain. Have you received any reports from Glyph and Orknye?"
"Orknye reports to me every night. Things are too quiet over there, but he says Glyph can still feel the energies he mentioned while we were there. I'd say Yssera's getting ready for something, but I'll be damned if I know what it is."
"Kurtzwick would have complained about the use of that word," Gabi commented.
"What? Or, sorry. I'm just too edgy. I feel like I'm lost in a giant maze and I can't move in any direction. I didn't come here just to watch events unfold, but I can't think of anything I can do."
"I'm sure someone has already thought of something."
"What do you mean?"
"Lagi received a visit a few days ago."

They stopped talking as a young woman came to pick up a book. It didn't take Lagi's powers to feel the tension building as GG tried to figure out who had visited her. The woman looked at us. I didn't recognize her, but there were many people in the Guild I didn't know. Eshree waved a hand, and she waved back.
"That's Glenda, she works in the same branch as I do," he introduced her. "Glenda, this is Gabi and... her team."
He seemed to have learnt that saying all of our names only served to cause confusion.
"Hi. Pleased to meet you," she stretched out a hand, which Gabi held. "I go by the name of Shiny Bellsprout here. It doesn't sound that much, but Bell is my last name and I wanted to do something with it... and Weepinbell is too sad, and Victreebel sounded pretentious. I may get called Lady Bellsprout someday."
"Why not Bellossom?," Gabi asked her.
"It was already taken."
That showed how much we didn't know about the Guild. I couldn't recall meeting anyone with Bellossom in her name. Or his name.
"Do you have a Guild name too?," Glenda asked Gabi. Too many G's.
"Yes. Lady Vulpix," Gabi told her.
Glenda gasped, taking a hard to her mouth.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't know what you looked like."
"It's ok, I didn't know you either."
"Oh, but I should know you! You're the head of the Trainer Recruitment Division, right? Together with Lord Umbreon."
"Right, but you and I hadn't met before, and it's been a while since any new trainers wanted to be recruited. And I'm not a very formal person, nor is Ade... Lord Umbreon, that is."
"Oh... ok. Do you know what happened to him? I heard he went on a mission months ago and didn't report back."
"He's alright, from what I've heard," she improvised. "The mission just took longer than he'd expected, but there was nothing worth informing the whole department."
I smiled. It was technically true. There were lots of things worth not informing the whole department.
"Oh. Alright," she said. "I was just curious. I need to get back to work. Lord Articuno's department has just relayed an important job to our division. We're going to start trading pokemon with other continents, it's already started. And other things as well. We're going to handle everything that's pokemon-related. If you're quick, you may be able to get some items for the Dragon Tamers. You're involved with them, right?"
"That's right," Gabi confirmed.
This girl seemed to have ears everywhere. Not that Gabi's involvement with the Dragon Tamers was a secret, but she looked like someone who was interested in absolutely everything.
"Oh, Ivan, when you're done here, could you please help me sort out a few reports? The pages got mixed up yet again."
Eshree sighed. "I could almost swear someone's getting a kick out of this. Alright, I'll do it. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay. Bye, pleased to meet you, Lady Vulpix."

We all relaxed a little when she left. Eshree looked around to make sure no one else was coming, and then asked the question.
"Who came to see Lagi?"
"A mutual friend," Gabi said. "One who had said she wasn't coming back here, but apparently changed her mind."
"Could it be... the one who said she needed a trainer to achieve what she couldn't do herself, but failed to say exactly what that was?"
"You tell me. Is that what she told you?"
"Oh, sham! This must be something big. Does anyone else know she was here?"
"Only my friends, and I know I can trust them. They don't trust the Order of the Dragon any more than we do."
"What did she say?"
"She talked about the energies Glyph felt. She thinks that one is good and the other is bad, to put it in simple terms. She told Lagi to go to White Mountain and talk to someone, but she didn't say who that someone was."
"No surprise there."
"She also said to tell you and your friends she hasn't forgotten about you. She began to say what she would do once this was over, but then she disappeared."
"Oh, the irony..."
"Irony?"
"She must have said something wrong and her own power pulled her back. I don't have any psychic powers, so I have no trouble staying here. Now leaving is another story."
"Maybe she meant to say she'd help you return once this crisis was over?"
"Maybe. I hope so. Half my team is already feeling homesick and I can't blame them. I've been learning a lot here and I like that, but I realize we haven't done much, and I must admit I miss my home too. And not knowing what to do is so frustrating..."
"That must be what she meant, then. This must be the mission she had in mind from the beginning. Although she could have told us about it two years ago."
"She said she can't be blunt," Lagi intervened. "I think she meant she can't give any direct answers. It's not in her nature, just like I can't tell a believable lie."
"Now that's a problem," Gabi said.
"I hadn't thought about it..." Eshree noted. "It would make sense. Now I feel sorry for her. It must be awful to live like that! Not being able to say what you know... or what you want."
"Surely she could try to learn?," I suggested. "Ventura used to have trouble expressing herself, but she's become a lot better at that with Water Angel's help."
"I don't know," Eshree shrugged. There was no way to know, really, and nothing we could do at that moment.
"Shouldn't we get going?," Ventura suggested. "People will start wondering what we're doing here. You've both said what you had to say."
"Go," Eshree said. "Start planning the mission. I'll find an excuse to join you, for whatever help I might offer."
Gabi nodded. "Take your time. We're going on a quick mission to gather information first. I don't know if we'll get anything, but it's worth a shot. See you, Golden Growlithe."
"See you, Lady Vulpix," Eshree said with a smile.

AntiAsh Superstar

6th February 2007, 07:05 PM

Ooh, my first chance to be all worker-like! Gabi, a good summary of events and the meeting with GG interested me. I thought Glenda has the potential to be pretty cool, are we likely to see her again? Have six stamps. :)

Anyways, and now for part two of my story...
---
It took a while for Marius to rejoin the rest of us. Upon seeing how tense the pokémon battle was going the cultist had attempted to flee, abandoning his Dratini in an attempt to save his own skin. Needless to say the rest of us had taken chase and very soon he found himself tied and bound by the vines summoned by Milliardo’s Grass Hidden Power (Rhiannon had several very strange ideas about how to detain the man, however most involved rather spectacular displays of reality-warping magic that would alert the Order of the Dragon to our return in a flash). At least that was one deranged cultist out of the way!
“So now what?” Milliardo asked as we paused to take a breath hidden away down a side alley well out of the action.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “All we can do is keep as many as we can too preoccupied to do any more damage.”
“And how do we do that, oh fearless leader?”
“Hey, you’re the expert on getting people’s attention, why don’t you think of something?”
“We could help,” Rhiannon offered.
“Thanks but no thanks, Rhi,” I replied, still rather awkwardly aware of the fact that my Jolteon would more than likely attract the attention of Lord Absol if she used her magic too much. Then again was that really such a terrible thing? If Tsuyoi was to be believed then the man had only wanted to make me a job offer! All of a sudden I started wondering if I only knew half the story behind my absence. “I’d rather we did this as low-key as possible.”
“Yeah. Low key. In the middle of the pseudo-religious riot. Good luck with that, Ade,” Milliardo snorted contemptuously. “In the meantime how about we just handle this the same way we always handle things – blunder through it and get ourselves into the biggest mess we possibly can?”
“Well…” I mused this over. “Aw, %^&* it. Sounds like a plan to me.” I peered round the corner cautiously to see a pair of blue-robed cultists racing down the road with careless abandon. “We might as well start as we mean to go on. Stop ‘em dead, Milliardo.”
“About time I was allowed to do something interesting for once!” A rather sadistic look in his eyes, the Umbreon concentrated his efforts into manipulating the plant life around him, summoning huge vines that burst from the ground directly in front of these new cultists, causing both to fall flat on their faces. As they looked up, their faces a mixture of anger and bewilderment, the team withdrew safely out of sight again. “Heh. That was kind of fun.”
“Yeah, although we can’t just keep on doing that unless it’s possible to mildly annoy these cultists into submission,” I noted. “What we need is a plan to cause some really serious delays to them.”
“What we need is ta quit with all the talkin’ an’ actually do somethin’!” Katnip exclaimed suddenly. Normally the Raticate was one of the most easy-going creatures on the planet. But he hadn’t seen proper action in the best part of half a year and even his patience was starting to wear thin. “See, what I think is this. They’ve got a lot of pokémon users in their ranks, right? Why don’t we just charge an’ scare away as many of ‘em with battles as we can? Like we did that loony with the Dratini?”
“A noble sentiment and certainly playing to some of our strengths,” Marius commented. “Unfortunately short of selectively challenging those with pokémon already in full view we have no way of knowing which will unveil a pokéball when challenged and which will brandish a gun. Hmm… a mass distraction or delaying tactic…” The Dratini pondered for a moment.
“The ideal solution would be to locate the person, object or place most dear to the cult and threaten that,” Rhiannon offered. “It would certainly keep them distracted for a bit. Unfortunately we don’t have the time to do the necessary recon to locate their main church or leaders, and there’s really little point in trying to threaten the object of their worship, is there?”
“Seeing as it’s a colour, then no. However…” A sly smile spread across Marius’ face.
“However what?” I asked.
“However that doesn’t mean that we can’t adapt Rhiannon’s idea to fit a smaller scale and a less lengthy timescale. Come on. We must gather a few essential pieces of equipment first.”
“Such as?”
“A cement mixer and a few hundred gallons of red paint.” Noting the baffled looks on the faces of the rest of the team, Marius added, “Listen, I’ll explain as we go along. In the meantime let’s relocate before those cultists father tripped over manage to find us.” My Dratini had a point. The men from earlier were probably still trying to locate the source of the mysterious vines they had ran into. I just hoped his plan was going to be as useful as his advice.

“How does the route look, Milliardo?”
“Clear. Can’t say how long that’s going to last, though.”
“Rhi, Katnip, you guys finished loading?”
“Got about three more ta do an’ then we’re done.”
“Good.” The plan was marvellous in its sheer, simplistic craziness. Rhiannon had a point about distracting the cultists by hitting them where it hurt the most. Marius had simply fine-tuned her theory by using the Happy-Happyist’s own tactics against them. In short, we were to take the cement mixer, drive it to a small, relatively unguarded church of the cult and then offload all the red paint we had been able to find. Karma for their blue-based vandalism, and a symbolic gesture that ought to keep at least some of them occupied in either clearing the mess or trying to hunt us down in revenge. “Once we’ve done this it’s probably best if we withdraw for a bit. I wasn’t really planning on spending this long here.”
“Bored already, Ade?” Milliardo sneered.
“No, just noting that things seem to be slowly getting under control.” It was true enough. When we had first stepped into the town it had been a scene of absolute chaos. Now, several hours later, the occasional period of quiet broke up the clamour of the cultists and the battles caused by them. “Anyway… if all’s clear the rest of you ought to hop in and we can get this show on the road.” It felt petty, almost childish in fact, but there was a certain thrill in getting behind the wheel of the vehicle and participating in a scheme so gloriously silly. For a moment I waited for my team to scramble into the driver’s compartment with me, then I slammed the door shut, turned the key in the ignition and moved forward. It was time to strike, and strike well.

Up until a point the plan went off without a hitch. We managed to reach the church uninterrupted, park the cement mixer, subdue the one or two cultists nearby and then offload a vat of red paint down the sides of the sky blue building. Hell, we almost managed to make it outside the city without challenge. Almost. Unfortunately before we could get clear of the chaos we were struck by a little setback. Namely a rather irate cultist with a handful of blue pokémon that rather unfortunately included a blue Forretress; this creature evidently knew Spikes and had scattered its attack directly in front of my current vehicle.
“Crap!” Instinctively I tried to swerve and avoid the scattering of sharp objects that littered the road. It didn’t help much. I still ended up with a few punctured tyres and a cement mixer that wasn’t about to go anywhere any time soon. And now the cultist and his pokémon – he also had a blue Noctowl and a blue Porygon2 - were racing towards us with evil intent in their eyes. “Time to go, guys!” Needless to say we wasted no time in scrambling out of the door furthest away from the group and running down the road as fast as possible!
“Remind me again… why, exactly, are we running from these losers?” Finally some perspective kicked in for Milliardo, who ground to a halt, turned and fired the most impressive-looking Shadow Ball he could at our pursuers. It wouldn’t have done much damage – it wasn’t supposed to – but it did have the desired effect of causing the group to scatter enough to deal with each individually. “Oi, rat-boy, pick a target and get your battle-lust out of your system. Your fidgeting’s really starting to annoy me. The rest of us can round up the rest in our own distinct style.”
“Ya sure yer not gonna need any help?” Katnip asked, his eyes lighting up.
“From you? Hardly. Your only talent is in beating things to a pulp with style.”
“I think what Milliardo means to say is that we could put these guys out of action without too much of a fuss, but you might as well use this as a chance to get back in practice with fighting an actual enemy. Go on, one of us might as well get some enjoyment out of this!”
“Ta, Ade,” Katnip grinned, his eyes alighting on the closest pokémon. The Porygon2, who had recovered the quickest from having to avoid Milliardo’s projectile and was now only a few feet away from our group. Abruptly the Raticate inserted himself between it and the rest of our group. “Ah, ah,” he beamed, too happy at returning to battle to be anything other than cheerful. “Yer gonna hafta get through me before ya can reach anyone else.”
“Statement considered acceptable,” the Porygon2 whirred in robotic tones. “Opponent encountered. Proceed with elimination.”

FIGHT!!! L36 Raticate v L45 Blue Porygon2!

Katnip eyed up his opponent, resisting the urge to just start the fight as soon as possible. Jumping in without at least trying to assess what you were up against was a mistake for amateurs, after all, and that title could never be applied to my Raticate. The Porygon2 was built pretty solidly with no discernable weaknesses physically outside of a relatively thin neck. Although for all its sturdiness Katnip really couldn’t see any possibility that it was going to be that agile. Which was good. It meant that he could play to his natural strengths anyway.
“Right, time ta go!” Without so much as a pause to prepare himself Katnip hurled himself at his opponent with all the speed he could, curving his Quick Attack so that he struck it hard in the side. It really didn’t seem the most manoeuvrable of creatures, he reckoned, so striking from somewhere other than the front might buy him a little more time to get out of the way before it retaliated. Which was true enough. By the time it had turned to face him he was well out of immediate reach. It was unfortunate, really, that the Porygon2 had a few long-range attacks in its arsenal.
“Target out of range,” it buzzed. “Modify attack sequence.” All of a sudden the creature spat out a huge torrent of flame from what passed for its beak. The attack came with astounding speed and Katnip hardly had time to move out of the way, even his remarkably good reflexes not saving him from getting a bit of his fur singed.
“Heh,” he smirked. “Looks like ya have a few surprises up yer sleeve, eh?”
“Affirmative,” the Porygon2 confirmed. “Unit is equipped to deal with any possible scenario.”
“Any, eh?” The grin on Katnip’s face grew to almost ridiculous proportions. “Alright then. Let’s see if yer equipped ta deal with this!” Again Katnip dashed forward as if to use another Quick Attack, only at the last minute he seemed to change his mind, spinning as he reached his opponent and striking it hard with his tail, a tail that had somehow grown as stiff and as hard as iron. The impact was so intense that it managed to cause his opponent to slide backwards. “Heh… seems not.” Before the odd creature could retaliate he launched into a real Quick Attack, this time nearly managing to tip the Porygon2 over.
“Unit… damaged,” the creature whined. “Attempting reconfiguration.” As Katnip watched he could see some of the scratches and bruises he had inflicted begin to heal.
“Oh man…” he groaned. “Nobody told me ya could Recover! Looks like I’m gonna have ta hit ya harder in future!” The Porygon2 was still busy healing itself, so Katnip took advantage of that fact and jumped forward hind paw first, his Fighting Hidden Power manifesting itself in the form of a textbook flying kick. Unfortunately his opponent evidently had faster reactions than he had counted on. Before he could connect the creature broke off its healing, looked up towards him and neatly shot him out of the air with a well-aimed Psybeam. As he crashed to the ground Katnip couldn’t quite figure out what hurt most from the psychic attack – his body, his mind or his pride.
“Target incapacitated,” the Porygon2 noted with a hint of smugness in its mechanical tones. It began to edge towards Katnip as if to deliver a final blow.
“Hardly!” The instant his opponent was within range my Raticate made his move, spinning around as he threw himself upright and finally landing a good kick to the Porygon2’s head. This really seemed to stun it. And so Katnip decided to risk an attempt at finishing the battle for good. He nimbly hopped over his opponent’s head so that he was facing its rear, and then sank his incisors hard into its side. Usually Katnip didn’t use Hyper Fang much; he considered it overkill for most battles. But there were the occasional exceptions to this policy and this time was one of them.
“Unit damaged! Unit damaged!” the Porygon2 shrieked. Katnip increased the pressure of his bite in an attempt to shut it up. It worked. “Unit… inoperative…” Finally the pokémon’s eyes closed and the Raticate finally let go, spitting out what tasted like motor oil from his mouth. It may not have been the most dramatic battle he had ever been in, but Katnip was happy. Happy to finally do what he loved the most again.

Katnip wins!
Katnip grew to L38!

“Ya all dealt with the others?” Katnip hopped over the almost deserted street to rejoin the rest of the team. The cultist had been a little on the deranged side, to the point where he had even tried to brandish a knife at me, but he had been little challenge for the combined might of Milliardo and Rhiannon. And, after seeing their master tied up in vines and dropped through a portal that led to such a point that it left him dangling helplessly from a lamppost, for some reason the rest of his pokémon decided to cut their losses and fled.
“Well, me and Rhi dealt with them, everyone else just stood around like idiots,” Milliardo chuckled. “So now what? Shall we indulge in some more chaotic, nonsensical and yet strangely enjoyable sabotage?”
“No chance!” I exclaimed. “We’re pushing our luck as it is. Without the tools and preparation we’d need to take this seriously I think ‘hit and run’ is probably our best option. From the looks of things the cultists seem to be drawing back anyway.”
“Oh that’s no fun,” my Umbreon moaned. “I was just starting to enjoy this, too.”
“Yeah, I’m up fer a bit more action if everyone else is,” Katnip agreed.
“Sadly we’re not, and like I say, the situation seems to be almost under control now. It’s time we headed home and actually relaxed for ten seconds. There’s going to be plenty of chances to laugh in the face of danger in future, guys,” I reminded them. “This is Ulthuan, after all!” A land of magic and adventure straight out of the pages of a fantasy story, that was the place I called home. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lady Vulpix

7th February 2007, 05:42 PM

Nice one, Ade! I see Katnip hasn't lost his style... and the lamppost was a nice touch. The last comment made me smile... fourth wall breaking, perhaps? Take 13 stamps. And welcome back. :) ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

I'll post the aftermath of the meeting, whichwas mostly the result of lack of proper communication at the right time. Jeff and I had a conversation in order to wrap this up as neatly as possible, so I apologize in advance if this looks like a script for a soap opera. It was unavoidable after what happened on TL.

Warning: some crude language and implicit sexual content.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Hero's POV>

The sun had already set when we got home, and I was surprised not to find Tsunami and Caledor waiting for us. I knew Caledor would want to spend some more time with his crazy friends, but how long could it take Tsunami to drag him home? We waited for a while, and finally decided to start dinner without them. We were in the middle of it when they arrived. They said 'hi', but that was all. I found it strange that Caledor wasn't smiling and hopping around as usual, he just walked into the kitchen and quietly grabbed something to eat. Tsunami didn't even do that. He just stood there, looking at... me.

I wondered what had happened while they were away. Something had to have happened, they weren't acting like their usual selves. I wished I had Lagi's empathy, or at least Tsunami's grasp of body language. As it was, I was stumped. His stare was making me nervous, and I didn't know how to react. I was used to hearing him call me names and issuing empty threats and witty retorts, it was all a part of our games, but this chilling silence was most unusual. Then I thought: "he knows me, he knows I won't be able to figure out what's wrong by myself, and we'll be friends no matter what, so it won't hurt if I ask".

"Is anything wrong?"
"Is anything wrong?!," he repeated my question in a much angrier tone. "I can't believe you have the impudence to say that."
"Sorry? I'm afraid you lost me there."
"Excuse me, are my words too big for you? Let me take it to your level then, you bastard. You immoral, shameless son of a bitch."
"Err... she was a Vulpix, actually. Close guess, though."
Tsunami stopped and looked stumped for a moment.
"Who was a Vulpix?," he asked.
"My mother. Though she did act like a bitch sometimes."
"Can't you see this is not the time for that? Don't you even realize what you've done?!"
By this time everyone had gathered around us. It was embarrassing.
"I'm afraid not," I said. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I doubt I could have done something so wrong that we can't sort it out."
"You idiot! I knew you were oblivious, but this I won't believe. You betrayed our friendship, you... you... pedophile!"

There was silence for a moment. I kept trying to figure out what had made him so livid. Now he was using very offensive words and it looked like he meant it. It made me feel even worse that I honestly had no idea what he meant. I started to think someone might have posed at me and done something shameful, as unlikely as that would be. And wouldn't Tsunami have noticed?
"You... you really don't know what you did, do you?," he questioned me. He must have seen it in my eyes.
"I'm sorry..." I said. "But I don't know. If it was really me who hurt you so much, then I'm sorry. Tell me what I did and I promise I won't do it again."
Tsunami released a deep breath he hadn't even seemed to be holding, and look at my face as if examining me.
"You know I'd never do anything to hurt you," I insisted. "Not on purpose. We've been friends for years, you know me better than anyone else does."
"It makes no sense," he finally said. I could see tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "You're right, I know you. You wouldn't do that. You'd never do that! But Kiva was sincere too, and she was devastated. There has to be an explanation, but what is it?"
"Kiva?"
I could almost understand his rage now. He was very protective of his daughter. If he thought I'd hurt her, it made sense for him to be mad at me. But I hadn't... I wouldn't have.
"What happened to her?," I asked him.
"She had a baby," he revealed.

Silence fell over the living room again. I wished I knew what everyone was thinking. But they wouldn't speak. They seemed to be leaving everything to us, like spectators in a show. And I didn't know my lines.
"A baby... but she's so young..." I said.
"Yes, she is. And she knows it."
"How did it happen?"
"I don't know. You tell me. She says you're the father."

I'd never really felt an arrow piercing my heart, but I was sure that had to be how it felt. It made no sense. No sense at all. I'd never lie down with Kiva, she was my best friend's daughter! And not quite an adult yet. Then that thought reminded me... was it possible? The last time I'd gone into the Breeding Center...

"It was dark," I said. "And the air stank of... some flower essence. One of those things they use at the Breeding Center, you must have smelled it too."
"You mean it was at the Breeding Center?," he inquired.
"If it was her... I would have never thought it was her, it never crossed my mind. Someone wanted a baby Eevee and I was asked to help. You've done it before, and so have I. She was a young Vaporeon, but that was all I could tell. She didn't say a word. She seemed nervous, so I was very careful not to hurt her or scare her. I gathered she wasn't very used to it, but she was there, so that meant she had agreed to it just like I had. She never told me to stop. She didn't say anything at all, if she had I could have recognized her voice and stopped myself. I had no idea who she was, I swear!"
"Then how did she recognize you?"
"I don't know... she may be more perceptive than I am, she wouldn't be the first. Or maybe she saw me cross the door as I left the room, she stayed there after I left. I assure you I was very careful with her... And I wouldn't have done it if I'd known who she was."

Tsunami turned around, his tail facing me. He lowered his head and I could hear him sniffing.
"How do these things get to happen?," he mused.
"By accident?," I said.
He looked back at me and snarled. "Shut up!"
I reckoned it was best to stay quiet and let him take it in. I'd already been tactless enough. I couldn't help it if I didn't have the ability to figure out what was going on in the minds of others. It was so much easier when I battled! I knew what to do, and I could read my opponents' moves and anticipate what they were going to do. It wasn't always easy, but I had what it took... I knew how to do it. Feelings were different... they were like a whole other world to me. Why had no one ever taught me? Why hadn't I learnt on my own? Now I was afraid I might be too old to start learning.

"I think it would be best if you didn't see Kiva for a while," he finally said, facing me again. "She'll get better eventually, I'm sure. Amy's taking care of the baby. It's a boy. I don't know his name yet."

I nodded. It was all I could do. At least he knew I hadn't done it on purpose, but I couldn't help feeling guilty... and dirty. I wondered how this would affect our friendship. Silly thought, I know, but I couldn't help it. I was sorry, but saying it wouldn't help. I wished I could do something to make him feel better... and her. But I couldn't think of anything. So I just stood there. No more words were said.

The Blue Avenger

9th March 2007, 10:30 PM

Aheh, sorry, Gabi, for more than one thing, but I won't get into that here. Your story fit the situation well, and provided some... interesting character interaction. 5 stamps for you. ¢¢¢¢¢

---

Here's my Cambiamente RBG, Catching Up. Cheers!

---

Cam looked up at the massive building before him – the Battle Tower, an institution where trainers and Pokemon from all across the region came to participate in regulated battles with one another. However, because of the recent perils that had fallen over Caledor and Twoson, not to mention the ongoing threat of Yssera, certainly not ignoring Team Rocket, and not counting out the possibility that the Crimson Blades were still around somewhere, he (and the rest of Jeff’s team) had found it hard to make time to visit the iconic Tower recently.

Not that I ever went here that much anyway, Cam thought, vivid memories popping up in his mind of the first time he battled here.

“So, you’re Jeff’s newest recruit, eh?” Groviglio said as he stood beside the Ditto on the battlefield, facing down a Nidorino and a Diglett.

“Yep, that’s me,” Cam replied. “I’m Cambiamente.”

“Whatever,” Groviglio grunted, “just don’t screw this match up.”

Cam remained silent, slightly unnerved by the Tangela’s apparent rejection. He shook his head and stared down his opponents. I know! Cam thought eagerly to himself. I can use this form to beat them easily… He closed his eyes and focused. Slowly, he grew and expanded, his skin taking on a rocky texture. When he finished, Cam stood on two legs, a sharp horn on his forehead – he had taken the form of a Rhydon.

“How – how did you do that?!” Groviglio stuttered. “There’s not a single Rhydon in the building!”

“What do you mean?” Cam asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

“I’ll say!” Groviglio howled. “Dittos can only Transform into what they see!”

A look of dejection crossed Cam’s face. “Er… I’m sorry…”

However, his apology came too late: before Cam could register what was happening, the referee stepped into the middle of the ring. “This match is over! The challenger has used an illegal move!” the ref said, pointing straight at Cam. “Cheating is not tolerated!”

“You idiot!” Groviglio growled, smacking Cam with a slender vine. “Look what you’ve done!”

“I’m… I’m sorry!” Cam said, running away from the Tangela and out the building.

Cam sighed. Why am I so different? he thought as he entered the building. What happened to me to make me this way?

However, these thoughts were quickly driven out of his head as he immediately found a challenger: a tall, tanned man in a flamboyant pink suit with numerous rings and jewels adorning his fingers and clothing. He smiled at Cam in a way that suggested that the man clearly thought himself too important to introduce himself. The man said nothing but threw out a Pokeball, releasing a sleepy-looking Slowpoke.

“This will be a one-on-one battle between the trainer Jeff Azure’s Ditto Cambiamente and the trainer Richard Luxo’s Slowpoke Minch,” the referee called.

Richard Luxo, Cam thought. Hmmm…

Battle time! Cambiamente versus Minch!
Cambiamente – “It’s game time!”
~
Minch – “Slow and steady wins the race…”

A gleam shone in Cam’s eye as the expression on his face changed drastically. Focusing intently, he looked over the Slowpoke, who seemed perfectly content to await Cam’s move.

Hmmm… Cam thought. I’d say he’s around level eight, with Oblivious as his trait. That shouldn’t pose a problem. Now, his attacks… He blinked in surprise as his heart skipped a beat. This guy has more attacks than I’ve ever seen on a single Pokemon! His trainer must have taught him every single TM that a Slowpoke can learn!

Sitting on the sidelines, Richard caught Cam’s confused look. “Oh ho ho ho…” he chuckled, raising his hands so that the numerous rings he was wearing glinted in the artificial light. “It usually takes foes a little while to realize just how versatile my darling Minch is. I don’t know how, but you, Ditto, seem to have figured it out already. You, then, know there’s no point in fighting. Minch here boasts a 100 – 0 win/loss record!” He smiled smugly. “Money! Power! This is what it means to be a Luxo!” Richard pointed at Cam. “Now, my Minch! Get him!”

Minch nodded, and started walking towards Cam. Being a Slowpoke, however, kept him from moving too fast, and so Cam had plenty of time to strategize. Okay, I can’t keep track of all of his moves, but it seems to me that if I start with this and move on with this, I should be in good shape. Cam nodded and shut his eyes, focusing on the image of the Slowpoke in front of him. Momentarily, his form had bulked out and lengthened, taking on the shape and color of Minch.

Undaunted, Minch smirked and reared up on his hind legs. With his eyes shut, he began waving his arms around in an intricate manner. The room seemed to warp around Cam more and more until… it returned to its normal state.

Cam blinked. What was that? he thought. A psychic attack that failed? His inner monologue was cut short, however, upon receiving a nasty Headbutt to his side. Cam snapped out of his thoughts and glanced around the arena, his eyes finally landing on Minch, who was running circles around him faster than a Slowpoke physically ought to be able. Minch grinned blankly and darted in, nailing Cam in the side with yet another Headbutt.

“Gyah!” Cam howled. “What is this?!”

To his surprise, his foe answered. “It’s a very special move… called Trick Room,” Minch chuckled. “Now we all move fast! …Isn’t it fun?” Still sniggering, Minch leapt into the air and landed hard on Cam. Cam gasped as the air was violently knocked out of him.

He’s thrashing me! Cam thought, panicking. I can’t let him keep this tempo up! Cam growled and threw Minch off of his back. As Minch had said, Cam found himself able to move much quicker as well. Now, let’s see what some of these attacks do… Cam reared up on his hind legs and held his arms in the air. A green, slender whip appeared in his paws, and Cam uncoiled it. Before Minch could react, he snapped the whip down, leaving a bright red welt on Minch’s skin. Minch yelped and jumped backwards.

“So, you figured out Grass Rope…” Minch scowled. “That’s as far… as you go!” The Slowpoke pulled a Berry from behind his back – from the coloring, apparently a Gold Berry. He pulled his arm back and began winding up.

He’s not going to… Cam began, but he didn’t get a chance to finish that particular thought: at that moment, a rock-hard Gold Berry impacted with his skull, sending him toppling over. Cam howled and regained his composure. I’ve gotta do something… Ah! Here we are! Cam shook his head and focused, summoning a single bolt of blue lightning. The electricity struck Minch, the Slowpoke flinching as the tendrils of lightning surrounded his body.

“I… get it…” Minch muttered. “Thunder Wave. Very… clever.”

“Now, let’s end this…” Cam growled. “You may have all the fancy attacks, but let’s go back to basics! Shadow Ball!” He fired the ethereal ball of energy at the paralyzed Minch. With no way to dodge, the Shadow Ball hit squarely, throwing Minch back and knocking him out.

Battle over! Cam wins!

Richard gasped from the sidelines. “You heartless monster! My poor Minch!” He rushed onto the field and cradled the beaten Slowpoke in his arms. Cam shook his head, realizing that anything he said would fall on deaf ears, and Transformed back into his regular form.

I guess there’s no point in me staying around here much longer… Cam thought, looking away from Richard and blobbing towards the door.

“Mr. Referee!” a snobby, obnoxious voice called out from behind him.

…Or not. Cam slapped his forehead and turned back around. Richard had left his seat on the sidelines and was yelling at the referee of their match.

“Mr. Referee,” Richard repeated, “don’t you think there was something… odd about that match?”

“Uh… err…” the ref stuttered.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you called that Ditto on cheating? He obviously knew my Slowpoke’s attacks ahead of time.” Richard continued, relentless. “You know cheating isn’t allowed here, and failure to call cheating when you see it could cost you your job. You realize that, yes?”

The referee looked at his feet and sighed. “The victor of this match, due to cheating on the opposition’s part, is… Richard Luxo.” The sorrowful look he shot at Cam was proof enough for the Ditto that the ref didn’t have much of a choice in this.

“Ahahaha! Excellent!” Richard laughed. He gave a very pointed look at Cam. “See, slime? This is what being a Luxo is about. I have unchecked power over everyone you will ever meet, in this town or anywhere!” He gave one more chuckle and walked away, his jewelry gleaming.

Cam frowned but didn’t follow the glittering man. Shaking his head, he exited the tower and slowly wandered back home.

***

“And Groove Guy advances to the second round!” the announcer called mere moments after Groove Guy stepped off of a Dance Dance Revolution pad opposite a sullen-looking Mawile. The DDR machines were situated on a stage, their backs to a wall, in front of a crowd of Pokemon in the Mobius Street Mall’s multipurpose room.

Groove Guy chuckled and walked over to the sidelines as the announcer yelled the names of the next two competitors. “Heh heh heh… Not too shabby, eh, Bow?”

Lady Bow, floating next to him, gave a small smile. “Not at all,” she replied. “Given the experience of most of these Pokemon, it would seem that you will win this tournament easily.”

“I hope so,” Groove Guy said, looking over the crowd. “The prize is apparently some super-rare item. At least, that’s what the flyer said.”

“Mm,” Lady Bow responded thoughtfully. “Tantalizingly vague.”

“Ah well.” Groove Guy smiled. “Even if the prize isn’t any good, I’m still having fun being here. Jeff really should get a DDR machine at home.”

Lady Bow frowned. “I doubt he would be able to do so on the Guild’s salary. He is fairly low on the chain of command… especially with the recent problems.”

The announcer, a Loudred wearing a set of circular sunglasses, turned in their direction. “’Ey, Groove Guy, you’re back up. Do your best, huh? I got 100 stamps riding on you.”

“Your bookie isn’t a Metang, is he?” Groove Guy asked, smiling.

“No, why?”

“No reason.” With that, Groove Guy walked quickly to the dance pad.

As the upbeat Japanese rock music filled the room, a Cubone sidled up next to Lady Bow. “Excuse me, ma’am,” the Cubone asked in a faint, unplaceable accent, “the Sudowoodo… is he a friend of yours?”

“Indeed he is,” Lady Bow said stoically.

“Can you, possibly, tell me about him? Maybe his weaknesses, what songs he’s bad at?”

“…why?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Err, uh…” the Cubone stuttered, “no reason… Please excuse me.” The Cubone disappeared back into the crowd without a glance back at Lady Bow.

Lady Bow returned her attention back to the tournament, where Groove Guy had just triumphed over his opponent, a Bellsprout. “How odd,” she said idly.

“’Scuse me, Gastly!” Lady Bow turned sharply to see the announcer talking to her. “That Cubone you were talking to. He a guy with an odd accent? Kinda awkward in conversation?”

“Yes, he was. Who was he?”

“That’s my bookie! What did he say to you?”

Lady Bow blinked, the situation beginning to come into focus. “He wanted to know what Groove Guy’s weaknesses were…”

“I hope you didn’t tell him anything.”

“No, I didn’t,” Lady Bow replied. “Please excuse me…” She drifted away from the announcer in the direction that she saw the Cubone take. The path took Lady Bow away from the crowd and to a door near the DDR machines. A thick padlock on the knob gave the door a rather foreboding aura, but Lady Bow smirked. Without saying a word, she became incorporeal and simply phased through the door.

The room past the door was completely barren, save for a small hole on the wall that the door was set in. Lady Bow frowned and floated down to the hole, looking through. On the other side, a Cubone sat on the ground, taking the back off of a complex looking device – a DDR machine.

“You!” Lady Bow hissed.

The Cubone jumped and turned around. “You!” he growled right back. “Get out of here!’

“I will not,” Lady Bow said forcefully. “I know what you are doing, sir. You plan on sabotaging the DDR machine.”

“Now, aheh…” the Cubone gulped, “why would I do a thing like that?”

“Easily explained. You are the bookkeeper for the announcer, who bet 100 stamps on Groove Guy. However, you obviously do not want to pay up, because given Groove Guy’s skill level, he most definitely will win. So you plan to wreck the machine that he will use,” Lady Bow responded with an air of accomplishment.

A tense moment followed as the Cubone carefully chose his words. Eventually, he decided on a simple “You’ll stop me over my dead body!” and continued to fiddle with the machine.

“Is that so?” Lady Bow asked quietly. She closed her eyes and began to glow a faint green.

A similar glow enveloped the Cubone, and he gasped. “What… is this…? My energy… I’m completely drained…” With that said, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Lady Bow smiled a regretful smile, but it turned genuine when she heard the announcement from outside the chamber: “Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s DDR Tournament winner is… Groove Guy!”

***

“Gyah!” an angry voice called from the backyard of Jeff’s house. “Look at this weather!”

“I know, isn’t it nice?” another voice answered. “The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing… I’m not sure if that last one is so good, though; I mean, bees sting, and I really don’t like being stung. I was stung once before by a Weedle and it hurt, and it poisoned me too. Jeff had to rush me to a Pokemon Center and everything…”

The first voice interrupted. “That’s not my point. I watching the news this morning, and the weather girl… and listen well!... the weather girl said, with a smile on her face, that it would be raining today!”

“But why would you want it to rain? I mean, rain is refreshing, but there’s only so much of it you can take… and if it’s raining, then my fur gets all wet, and I don’t like that very much, because it means that I’m wet!”

“No, no, Mona, you missed my point!” the first voice clarified. “My point was, and pay attention now, my point was that the weather girl was wrong!”

“Geez, Merc,” Mona replied from her vantage point in the canopy of one of the trees in the yard, “calm down! It’s not a big deal!”

Mercandos frowned, flexing his hand seemingly reflexively. “I… suppose you’re right. I dunno. Ever since this whole Twoson business started, I’ve been feeling… listen up!... I’ve been feeling really, well, off.”

“Off?” Mona asked. It was probably the shortest sentence she’d ever said.

“Yeah, like something’s wrong, you know?” Merc sighed. “Maybe I’m just stressed out. It wouldn’t surprise me; so much has happened in the past few months. Everything’s changing so fast. You know what? I need to work off some steam. I’m going to the barracks. Wanna come?”

“Sure! I haven’t been there since we moved out!” Mona chirped.

An uneventful walk found the pair standing at the door to the barracks. Mercandos opened the door slowly and looked inside; apparently, it hadn’t been seeing much use since Jeff moved out. That stood to reason, though; people generally only came to practice when someone on Jeff’s team was trying to sleep or focus on something important. Since nobody on Jeff’s team was there anymore, nobody would be visiting.

Mercandos sighed and turned to a worn punching bag in the corner, sitting amongst a pile of some grain that used to be in a previous punching bag. “Heh,” he chuckled quietly. “I bet that was because of Hero.” The Mr. Mime closed his eyes, remembering the Guild meeting that culminated in Hero storming off to take out his frustration on the barrack’s equipment. Having done that, Merc opened his eyes and began to punch furiously at the bag.

Mona, meanwhile, wandered over to the other corner of the facility and sat down. She recognized it as the corner that Jeff kept his bed in. Now it’s bare, huh? she thought to herself. This statement was proven wrong a few moments later as her eyes fell on a tattered scrap of paper that had been swept partially into a small hole in the wall. After carefully unrolling it, Mona took a moment to inspect it: it was a faded photograph showing a young boy wearing thick glasses and metallic boots sitting in front of a fireplace. A Meowth was curled up beside him, smiling at the camera.

Mona gasped as the realization of who that was hit her. “That’s Jeff!” she said suddenly, prompting Mercandos to turn quickly towards the door. After seeing nobody, he looked at Mona.

“What are you looking at?” Mercandos asked, walked towards the Smeargle.

“I think this is one of Jeff’s old photos,” Mona said. “Look, see? The kid has all the clothes that Jeff used to wear, and he has the same thick glasses, and Jeff said his parents had a Meowth as a pet.

Mercandos bent over to look at the picture. “Wow, no kidding,” he said, eyes wide. “Jeff’s been wearing the same style of clothes for years, I guess. Until now, at least, with his green coat and that weird hat.” He scratched his head. “I guess everyone changes eventually.”

“Yeah!” Mona said, excitedly. “It’s the changes that make the world exciting. If nothing changed, then nothing would ever happen, and everything would be really boring because nobody would have anything to do.”

Mercandos smiled. “I guess you’re right. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it, not that I should… At least things seem to be changing for the better now.”

“That’s the spirit!” Mona cheered.

“Heh, thanks,” Mercandos said, bending down to grab the photo. He helped Mona to her feet, and the two left the barracks, the door closing quietly behind them.

***

“Let’s see… close-out sale at Deep’s Electronics! Score!” Kurtzwick muttered to himself, looking over a copy of the daily newspaper. The full-page advertisement he was looking at did indeed announce the imminent closing of a large electronics store in downtown Caledor, going on to proclaim that “EVERYTHING MUST GO!” Kurtzwick scuttled out of the room quickly, returning moments later with a large canvas bag labeled “Not For Looting.”

“It’s perfect,” he snickered. “Nobody will suspect a thing.” The Dratini looked around him, then scurried out of the house before anybody saw him.

Five minutes of travel brought Kurtzwick to the door of the giant electronics supermart. As advertised, the store seemed to be closing: plywood covered several of the windows, posters and paint were peeling off of the walls, and the shelves were already half-empty. Kurtzwick grinned widely. People were passing by him into the store without even noticing him.

Heh heh heh, Kurtzwick thought. Chalk up benefit number one to being invisible. He slithered into the store and made his way to the software isle. The number one offer was a very heavily discounted copy of Doors ™ View, the newest operating system from software giant Macroscoff. He reached for the box carefully…

“Heya, Kurtzwick. What’s up?” a voice said from behind him.

Kurtzwick yelped and whipped around, shivering. He found himself staring into the face of a Metang – Trezzatura. “Phew,” Kurtzwick sighed. “Don’t scare me like that. Anyway, I’m here for ‘no particular reason’.”

“Hold on. Say that again.”

“What?”

“You said ‘no particular reason’ funnily,” Trezzatura said, raising an eyebrow.

“I ‘did not’.”

“Never mind.” Trezzatura rolled his eyes. “I’m guessing that’s your way of telling me you’re going to loot the place dry, and nothing I say will make a difference.”

Kurtzwick winked. “In one.”

“Whatever. I found what I came for. Later, man.” Trezzatura turned and hovered to the register.

“Okay, now back to business…” Kurtzwick turned back to the software shelf. With speed belying his size and form, he swept the contents of the entire section into his sack.

Soon, his burlap bag bulging, Kurtzwick left the store grinning manically. “That went better than expected,” he said, trying to hold in his laughter.

“Hold it right there!” Without warning, a small shape swooped down from the sky, blocking the Dratini’s path. It was a Castform with an angry look on her face, with a black Meowth in tow.

“Oh, hi, Previsiona,” Kurtzwick said, suddenly turning nervous. “What’s, uh, up?”

“Don’t play games with me, young man,” Previsiona scolded, looking pointedly at the canvas bag. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Uh… Look, see? Just like the label says, this is not a bag of loot!’ Kurtzwick said, grinning nervously.

Previsiona sighed. “Don’t even try, Kurtzwick. Just… just think about what Lagi would have to say.”

Kurtzwick scowled. “That was a low blow.” He shook his head. “Fine. You win this round. I’ll go return everything.”

“Not this time,” Previsiona said. “This time, you pay for everything.”

“WHAT?!” Kurtzwick screeched. “Just try and make me!”

Previsiona smirked. “I can’t.”

“Okay then.”

“But Raini can.” Previsiona moved aside, allowing Raini to take a stand right in front of Kurtzwick, her claws extending from her paws in an ominously slow manner.

“Yah! Okay! Okay!” Kurtzwick cried. He scrambled back into the store and placed his bag on the cashier’s desk as Raini gave a thumb’s up to Previsiona.

Moments later, Kurtzwick came back out. “Thanks, guys,” he grumbled, “that wiped out my stamp reserve and then some.”

“Maybe this way, you’ll learn,” Previsiona said smugly.

“Yeah, yeah…”

***

“Hey Maza.”

“Oh, good morning, Groviglio. Come to make fun of my moustache today?” Maza asked, adding with a wink, “or are you gonna mix it up today by teasing me about my spoons?”

“Any other day, Maza, but today I have a favor,” Groviglio said quietly.

“Oh? What’s up?”

“I can’t get used to this body!” Groviglio growled. “I’m used to being three feet tall, not seven! I’m used to being 70 pounds, not 300! This sucks!”

“I think I can see where you’re going,” Maza replied. “You want to get accustomed to being a Mojanbo, so you want to spar a bit.”

“Exactly,” Groviglio responded with a smile.

“Perfect. I’m out of practice too. Hey, Bobbery?” Maza called.

Bobbery popped his head out from the window – Groviglio and Maza were in the front yard, while Bobbery was in the living room. “Yeah?” the Snorlax responded.

“We need a makeshift ref. You up for it?”

“Absolutely. Anything to help,” Bobbery said with a warm grin. Moments later, he stood in the yard with a flag. “This will be a two-minute match. No low blows, no cheating. Got it? Go!”

Maza took the initiative easily and flew at Groviglio, his foot blazing with fire. Groviglio tried to step out of the way, but Maza clipped him on his side, leaving a small burnt patch.

Groviglio winced. “Okay, you got a good start,” he muttered, “but try this!” Groviglio raised his arms, summoning a cluster of five boulders out of thin air. He pointed to Maza, and the rocks flew at him as if magnetically attracted. Maza Teleported out of range of the first two, but the latter three nailed him one after another, causing him to fall to the ground.

“Heh,” Groviglio chuckled, “you are out of practice.” He stretched out one vine over Maza and brought it up…

…but Maza disappeared into thin air. “And you still fall for the same tricks,” Maza said from behind Groviglio. A sharp pain ran through Groviglio’s side as Maza slammed him with a frosty Ice Punch.

“Dirty pool,” Groviglio growled.

“I think I see your problem,” Maza said, not deterred. “You’re still battling like a Tangela. Your small frame meant you could avoid attacks easily.”

“What’s your point?”

“Try battling as a Mojanbo. Your size means you can block attacks very easily, but dodging will be harder.”

You could almost see the light bulb over Groviglio’s head. “…I get it!” he said. “Now, let’s go!” A pillar of water rose from the ground and formed itself into a fist, falling over Maza. The attack hit head on. Leaving the Alakazam sopping wet.

“Nice,” Maza said, grinning in a way that suggested that he wasn’t actually very happy, “but can you handle this?” He lit one of his hands on fire, and encased the other in ice. With blinding speed, he brought both of his hands down on opposite sides of Groviglio’s head…

Or at least he wanted to. With similar speed, Groviglio ensnared Maza’s arms with his vines, leaving the Alakazam helpless. He snaked out a third vine, glowing green, clearly with the intent to sap Maza’s health.

Then Bobbery’s whistle blew. “That’s two minutes, guys! Time’s up!”

Groviglio let Maza down, and grinned. “Thanks, man,” he said, walking Maza back into the house. “I feel a lot better.”

“No problem,” Maza said, tenderly rubbing a spot on his arm where a rock hit him. “But next time you take my advice, could you not do it so painfully?”

***

“So you and Hero…?”

“Yes.”

“And then you…?”

“Yes.”

“Where is he now? The kid, I mean.”

“Amy has him. He’ll be on her team. At least he’ll be in good hands.”

Kiva and Anzu sat on a plush couch situated in the otherwise empty bonus room in Jeff’s house.

“So how did it happen?” Anzu asked quietly.

“Well… Jeff was at the breeding center, trying to see if anyone knew who Raini’s parents were. Someone there mentioned that a client was looking to breed a baby Eevee, and I kinda wanted to help out…” Kiva sniffed. “But then I got to the breeding room, and it stank of perfume, and it was so dark, I could barely make out anything. There was a Ninetales… I got scared, but I guess I figured that it was too late to back out…”

“And you’re sure it was Hero?”

Kiva nodded tearfully. “When the Ninetales left, I noticed he didn’t have the right number of tails. How many Ninetales could there be in this city who are missing more than one tail?”

“Point taken,” Anzu said.

“Oh Anzu…” Kiva whimpered and lay down. “I’m not ready to be a mother… What if… what if I mess up? It’s not just my life I’m screwing up. It’s someone else’s too! Father probably thinks I’m some sort of whore now, and he’s probably going to get mad at Hero, too, even though it wasn’t his fault…” She hiccupped, tears rolling down her face.

“Kiva, Kiva, calm down,” Anzu said soothingly. “Just calm down for a moment. Don’t blame yourself. You made a bad decision, but you did it to help someone else. It’s not the end of the world. You’re a kind and caring person – you’ll be a great mother. Besides, Amy’s the one who’ll be taking care of the child. And if you do need help with anything, I’m sure Hero, as the father, or Tsunami, as your father, will gladly help. And you have… well, me. Kiva, I’ll stay by you forever.” She nuzzled the Vaporeon’s cheek. “Now cheer up. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Kiva looked up into Anzu’s face. “Thanks…” she sniffed. “Thanks, Anzu.”

***

Jeff sat in his room quietly. The sun had set, but the lights in the room were still off, leaving the harsh glow from his laptop to reflect off of the trainer’s thick glasses. His fingers flew over the keyboard faster than the eye could follow, but his face remained a complete blank.

Suddenly, however, his typing ceased abruptly and Jeff began reading what was onscreen. “Ever since the Happy-Happyist retreat in Twoson, the world’s eyes have been on Happy Happy Village to observe its next move. Strangely enough, not a peep has been heard from the small town – even the normally outspoken de facto leader Koop Balthazar has yet to make a move. This may be related to the loss of Balthazar’s second-in-command Jeff Azure, who is in custody of Caledor’s Dragons Guild,” he read out loud.

A disconcerting smile crossed Jeff’s face. “Just you wait,” he said quietly. “Our time will come soon enough…”

What he failed to notice was that a luminescent pair of yellow eyes, one that had been watching him for some time, disappeared quickly soon after he spoke, the creature clicking quietly as it sped down the hallway…

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 11:18 AM

I can see you've been busy, Jeff! That looked like a collage of many stories. I'd say you pulled a Karin, but you went further than she ever did. The first battle was a good experiment with the new moves, even if it ended unfairly... Poor Cam. Then... the bookkeeper wasn't very smart, was he? The way he tried to interrogate Lady Bow was extremely obvious. I liked the conversation about the weather on the following scene; I recognized Mona's speech before her name was given. And the conclusion about the lack of visitors to the barracks was funny. Hmm... Doors by Macroscoff? It was good to see Kurtzwick realize he's not as invisible -and infallible- as he thought. And I liked Maza's advice for Groviglio. And it was good to hear the controversial story from Kiva's perspective. And that was an interesting open ending. *Counts stamps.* That makes... 28 stamps for you! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Can I have an RBG for Tsunami, please? *Pays 7 stamps.*

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 11:49 AM

Heheh, thanks.

And where would you like this RBG to be from?

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 12:05 PM

Oops! Universal Adoption Center, please.

Your recent collection of short stories has now been archived. And you helped me learn the HTML code for ç.

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 12:21 PM

I'd give you your RBG, but for some reason the Randomizer won't load for me. :\ Sorry.

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 12:46 PM

How odd! *Uploads it to the new host.*

Try this one: http://forboards.prophp.org/RBG.php

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 12:49 PM

Small problem with that one: it doesn't actually output a Pokemon.

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 01:17 PM

Oops! The code was broken. It was missing a line, and so was the code for the CCCCC. I wonder how that happened. Try the new one again.

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 02:04 PM

There we are. Tsunami will battle a Trapinch.

On the same topic, I'd like a Universal Adoption Center RBG for Groove Guy, please. *pays up*

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 02:44 PM

A level 63 Trapinch? Shouldn't it be a Flygon at that level?

Groove Guy will battle a Sableye.

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 02:58 PM

Go figure. But, now that I think of it, Trapinch learns different moves from its evolutions up through level 80 or something crazy like that. So it's not too farfetched to see one that high a level.

Lady Vulpix

10th March 2007, 03:58 PM

Well, here pokemon don't miss moves by evolving, at most they may learn them later. Your call. Is it a Trapinch or a Flygon?

The Blue Avenger

10th March 2007, 04:20 PM

Flygon'd probably be more interesting, so go with that.

Knight of Time

4th April 2007, 12:13 PM

Hi, I'd like an extension for the current scenario please, I'm hoping to get a certain "fairy" Pokemon one step closer to her final evolution someday.

The Blue Avenger

4th April 2007, 01:18 PM

You get your extension.

Lady Vulpix

22nd April 2007, 08:20 AM

Finally, here's Tsunami's RBG and I still need to write one more transition story before introducing the next scenario. Why, o why must I be so pressed for time?

And even this first part is too long! I'm afraid I'll have to split it in 2.

Shirly used with permission of her original trainer who has practically sworn never to return to the AC/CC subforum.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Caledor's POV>

The whole situation was beginning to get to me, and anyone who knows me would know that was bad. I was used to hearing Hero and Tsunami argue. I'd even joined in many times. But now they didn't argue. They were extremely quiet, and that was creepy. Of course, I had to do something about it. It was my job to lighten up the mood and make everyone smile again. But this one was a toughie. I tried playing a game of ball with some of my friends. That helped make things better for some of us, even after Kurtzwick stole the ball. But the grumpy pair didn't join us.

I decided to ask Lagi for advice, because... well, she always had something wise to say. But she told me that Hero didn't like others sticking their noses in his personal problems, and it would be best to wait. And the wait, added to the extra load of work Gabi had with all the new Pokemon who were coming to the Adoption Center while hardly any trainers came to adopt them, caused us to stay at home for several days without doing anything really useful. I guess I can't be blamed for being edgy in a situation like that, right? It's not like I did something to show it. But my tail was starting to move on its own accord, and I had to make a conscious effort to stop it. I didn't know if that was normal. Then again, normal for whom? Espeons in general? Just me? I thought of asking another Espeon, but it would have been embarrassing if it was something that wasn't supposed to happen. The only Espeon who wouldn't have given me an odd look was Glyph and he was still in Ellyrion. As I thought of this, I felt the tips of my tail perk up. I looked at them, and saw they were glowing purple, like the rest of my body. "Oh, great..."

<Shirly's POV>

There was a conflict between 2 parts of me. You could say that shouldn't surprise me, since I was born a hybrid, but no... I could remember clearly that, in my early years, my mind used to be one. I used to be one. Now a war was brewing within me, and it was reaching the point where I wasn't sure of who I was anymore. And I couldn't stand it. One part of me kept telling me to wait, the other urged me to do something, but I couldn't be sure of what, and the first part said that the second was just impatience and that good things took time. I'd been told to be patient many times, and by many. I thought I ought to learn, so I waited... I waited for years, while I tried to take care of my little group, or what was left of it. But I found no peace.

It didn't help that there wasn't much communication among our group. We'd once been a strong, solid team. Now we'd become mere roommates. There was an occasional quarrel about what music to listen to, but that was just about it. Our trainer made sure to keep us fed, but didn't show any signs of affection towards us anymore. A part of me resented it. The other part said he had more important things in mind... we had a destiny to fulfill and there was no place in our lives for distractions. But the other part said nothing can be more important than caring about those around us, and if our grand destiny involved taking that away from me then screw the destiny! Then I was horrified at the words I had thought. It had been a terrible blasphemy... it went against everything I believed in. "Which one of me?," I wondered. And then I felt the pull.

It was a strong, pulsating sensation in my chest. It matched the beating of my heart and expanded it throughout my body until it engulfed me completely. My wings stretched out following the impulse... but before I followed my instinct I stopped to think. It had been a long time since I last felt anything like that. It had to have a meaning, and I wanted to know what it was, and make sure I was doing the right thing. It was then that I noticed that both parts of me agreed... for the first time since I'd become aware of it. I took one last look and the friends I was leaving and realized I only called them friends out of habit. They didn't need me. All I had to do was tell them I had a mission and I'd be out for a while, and then no one would care about my absence. I couldn't agree with myself on the reason of the journey I was about to take on, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. At least I knew the destination. It was fixed in my heart as well as in my mind... the only place where I could find the strength I needed... where my confusion could be erased and where I'd become one again. It was time to return to my old home.

<Ventura's POV>

I was looking at the street through the window when Caledor came rushing from the pillow room. He seemed quite agitated. I turned to look at him.

"Do you know where Gabi is?," He asked me.
"She's working."
"Oh, of course she is."
"Did you oversleep again?"
"If you make any remarks about how sleeping late is an unusual behavior for an Espeon, I'll... Well, I guess I'll be grateful. I actually miss hearing that kind of remarks."
"Now that's odd."
"Is it? I'd say everything else is odd. But that's not the point."
"The point?"
"Yes, I need to find Gabi. Is she at the AC now?"
"I suppose so. Why?"
"I need to..." he looked at me and stopped whatever he was going to say. "I think I'll talk to her first. She knows about these things."
"What things?"
"Shiny things... yes, weird shiny things."
"I think you're deliberately avoiding making sense here."
"Can't get anything past you. Now really, I'll tell you all soon, but I need to talk to Gabi first. The last time something like this happened was just before things went really bad and if she doesn't know what to make of it, no one will."
"If you calm down for a moment and tell me what's going on, maybe I will know how to help you."
He stared at me for a moment, with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Come to think of it... maybe you will. You're the reliable psychic on this team."
"Thanks for the recognition," I said. "Perhaps if you trained harder your psychic abilities would also become reliable. You're a Psychic type after all, you have a natural advantage."
"I'm not really sure I do... I've been thinking that maybe... straying from the topic, sorry. I do have psychic abilities in any case. And I can use them to attack, but other than that they just do whatever they want. Which is something I can live with most of the time, but I only got a full vision once before and you know how that ended."
"You're talking too fast. Calm down. I'm afraid you'll have to refresh my memory. When did you have a vision?"
"The day before the Black Battalion attacked. You were there, remember?"
"Ah... yes, I remember now. That was when we found out that the glowing stone could enhance psychic abilities. An amazing discovery."

My thoughts took me back to that time. I'd been thrilled by what the stone could do. I wanted to learn all about it, and try it out myself, but Gabi wouldn't let it go easily. I had a go for a few seconds, but she ended up hogging it because she needed it the most. <Except that now,> I thought, <she doesn't really need it anymore. She knows us well enough to understand us, and I'd bet she can also understand most DT pokemon on her own these days. And if some stranger talks to her, any of us can translate. Other than that, she doesn't pay much attention to her own psychic abilities. What does she want the stone for? I could try asking again.>

"Ventura, are you listening?," Caledor's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes, of course," I came back to the present quickly. "Yes, that did end quite badly. Let's hope we don't have to see a massacre like that one ever again. Even if it was more massive suicide than anything else. I've always wondered why they wouldn't stop shooting even when they saw the bullets were being reflected back at them."
"You know what? It's a good question. And something someone will have to think of later when we don't have something more urgent to do."
"What do we have to do now? Right now, I mean."
"I'm trying to tell you..." Caledor sighed. "I've had another vision. I saw something at the last Guild meeting but I wasn't sure what it was. Now it was clearer... all the thoughts... the images... it was like being in someone else's mind. And it felt familiar."
"Familiar? How?"
"It was a feeling... Like it was someone I knew. But the thoughts were chaotic, even contradictory. I couldn't make much of them. But there was one constant thought that was much firmer and clearer than the others."
"What was it?"
"White Mountain."
"I see."
"So, what do you think we should do?"

I thought for a few moments. Caledor hadn't really said much, but his attitude was quite telling. If he had spent ten minutes without saying or doing anything silly and was actually asking for my advice, then it was serious and it had to be given due consideration.
"We mustn't rush," I finally said. "We need to learn more. I'll go to the AC and talk to Gabi. We must go to the Tower of Hoeth as soon as possible; this may be a sign that we mustn't postpone that trip any longer. We'll also use the stone if we can. And we need to find a way to talk to Glyph and find out what he knows before going to White Mountain ourselves. He's been there for a while, he must know what's going on there much better than we do. Did your vision take place in the future, present or past?"
"How can I know?"
"You definitely need more practice. We'll talk about that later, I'm going to find Gabi and I hope she will agree with me. You go and play some game to pass the time."
Caledor smiled. "That I can do."

I left the house knowing that I was doing a good thing. Things had been uncomfortable at home lately, but when Caledor got worried and let it show, that meant we'd crossed the line and something had to be done about it. Now at least he'd let it out and could go back to normal, or to whatever passed for normal for him. Not that any of us could call ourselves normal. Would that word apply to a Venomoth who was her team's most reliable psychic, who used psychic pulses to communicate when words were not enough and who still dreamed of becoming a pokemon trainer? I just hoped Gabi would listen to me this time. She could be really stubborn, but she'd have to see the facts.

<Orknye's POV>

I came out of the small cave Glyph and I had been inhabiting since we got to White Mountain, and found my friend staring into the sky. I couldn't help but look up. It was a sunny day, with very few white clouds to remind me that the sky was not an ocean turned upside down. I wondered what Glyph was thinking, and whether it would be a good idea to break his concentration. I decided to test the water carefully, slowly moving towards him to see if he noticed me. He turned his gaze away from the sky and looked at me. Then I realized I hadn't thought of what to say, and went for a universal ice-breaking cliche.

"Nice day, isn't it?"
"Too nice," Glyph sighed. "The sky looks so inviting... but I can't reach it. Sorry, I shouldn't be saying this."
"It's ok," I told him. "I know how you feel. At least you have legs you can easily walk on... and even climb witout much trouble. I'm not made for the mountain. What I wouldn't give for a sea, or even a lake! Hey, even a river would do by now."
"If things don't get too bad, we'll stop by Glacier Peak on our way to Sector Alpha. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
"You didn't drag me, I joined you willingly," I reminded him. "I just didn't think it would take so long. And I haven't had a good night's sleep since we got here. There was always something to report or something to watch out for."
"I appreciate everything you've been doing," he said in a level tone which made me feel a part of his mind was elsewhere.
"Is anything wrong?," I queried.
"I'm not sure... the wind is changing. The forces are uneasy. I'm sure something's going to happen soon, but I don't know what exactly. It's too... wait a second!"
"Hm?"
"I feel them! I can feel where they come from! One is on the other side of the mountain, and it's pulsating. I think it's getting stronger. The other is... close... so close... and restless! We should..."
"Glyph?"
"We should get out of here. Yssera knows where we are."
"Are you sure?"
"We got too close. My probes and your dream-walking were too noticeable. She's probably known for days and has been watching our moves. Come closer, I'll teleport us away."
"Won't someone be able to follow us?"
"Not as easily as they will if we stay. Come, we must go now!"

I moved as fast as I could, internally cursing my inability to change my shape. I had a feeling of dizziness as the world around me lost its shape, but then it reformed again, with a different appearance. I could see some old houses on one side of the road we were now standing on. To the other side, a grassy plain extended itself all the way to the mountains.

"We didn't go far, did we?"
"We're in Sybyll," Glyph confirmed. "Sorry I couldn't make it further, teleportation is tricky. But we should be able to get some help here. In the worst case, we'll sneak into the next train to Caledor."
"Have you thought of how a Dewgong can sneak into a train? Even getting in through the door would be hard for me."
"Even at this time many trainers come to the stadium. We'll just have to wait for two or more trainers with loose pokemon to walk into the train at the same time. If we stay between their teams, each of them may think we're with the other and before they realize we're on our own we'll be on the train."
"Alright, I guess that could work," I conceded. "And I don't think Yssera's followers would be able to stop us without attracting too much attention. But does this mean our mission has failed?"
"On the contrary. I think I've done what I came here to do. Unless Yssera's managed to trick me, I think I know where she is, and where we can find a powerful opponent for her. But we can't go either way on our own, it would be too risky. One must always know when to ask for help. I have a feeling Yssera feasts on lone adventurers with a hero complex."
"But you are a hero, Glyph," I told him. "You rescued Arim and Linyi from an earthquake, you were the first one to realize I could use my ability to help others, you helped Eshree realize he could be a great trainer, you brought us all together, you help us stay calm when we grow worried and restless... and you always seem to know what to do in every situation."
"I always do something in every situation. It's not always the best thing to do. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm as fallible as everyone else. I just seem to have more initiative. And a skill for noticing others' potentials. As for the earthquake, I just happened to be there and know how to teleport. Anyone else would have done the same."
"Not anyone else," I assured him. "Many would have been too afraid of being hit by a falling rock or swallowed by the earth. And some wouldn't have even cared. I'd like to think I would have done the same. But not everyone would."
"Alright, I'll accept the compliment," he smiled. "Hey, aren't those guys from the MTU? What are they doing here?"

I followed the direction Glyph was looking at, and found a red-haired human surrounded by a group of Fire pokemon. A Houndoom and a Flareon were walking side by side with him, while a Magmar and a Blaziken walked behind him.
"Ah, yes, I remember him," I answered. "That's the guy who descends from elves but doesn't like politics."
"Yes... Ian and... Helios, and... something related. I wish we'd talked to them more before, it will feel awkward to ask them for a ride."
"I can do it if you want," I offered, and made for the team without waiting for Glyph's reply.

"Hey, Helios!," I called out.
The Flareon gave me a puzzled look.
"Do you remember me? I'm Orknye from the Dragon's Guild. We met at the Training Grounds, and then one day at the MTU building when my team went to train."
By then, his whole team were looking at me.
"Ah... yes, I remember you," he finally said. "You were with that trainer everyone says is a bit weird... no offense meant."
"None taken. Can't say any of us is normal, but there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"Er... No, I guess not. Where's the rest of your team?"
"Most of them are back in Sector Alpha. Glyph and I stayed for a while longer, but now we need to go back. Are you guys going back too?"
"Back to Caledor, yes. We were planning to stop by the mountains before returning to Sector Alpha. We're on a training journey."
"Yes, we lost 4 battles in a row and realized it was time to do something to get back in shape," interjected the Blaziken, whose name I ignored.
"Hey, there's no need to tell everyone!," Helios scolded him.
"On the contrary," said the Blaziken. "I think our main problem is that we're too proud as a team. We've let it go too far and started growing overconfident. And then we started losing. Some humility will do us good."
"You're just jealous because you can't train at the mountains," snapped the Houndoom... what was her name? At that moment their trainer interrupted them.
"Hey, guys! Stop it right now! Show some discipline. Selene, you know it's not his fault he doesn't have ancestors who lived in Ulthuan before the Sundering. These days there's hardly anyone left who does. He did quite well at the Wing Stadium anyway, he doesn't need the extra training."
The Houndoom hmphed, but said nothing.
"Glyph and I were wondering..." I resumed the conversation, "if it would be alright for us to travel with you. The men at the station have a crazy policy against pokemon travelling on their own, and it would take too long to get Ivan to come for us."
"Does your trainer know you're here?," Helios questioned me.
"Of course he does!"
"And why did he leave you here?"
"We wanted to stay for a few more days. Ivan reported it to the Guild."
"We're in different branches," said Selene. "We don't get reports from researchers, just like you don't get reports from the MTU."
"I don't see any problem with you two travelling with us," said the Blaziken. "Does anyone?"
No one seemed to mind. I turned to look for Glyph and only then noticed he was standing right behind me.
"Thank you very much," he told the group.

<Gabi's POV>

I was tending to the pokemon in the pens when Ventura came to me with the news. At first I didn't know what to make of it. It was unusual for Caledor to have a vivid vision, but we didn't know what it meant... especially since Ventura couldn't tell me what was in it.
"Have you felt anything?," she asked me.
"I've been too nervous lately," I told her. "Overworked, overstressed... If I've had any hunches I've probably dismissed them. I've been wondering if going to the tower is a good idea."
"What do we have to lose?"
"Time... and it will be very frustrating if we can't make it there, or if we don't get any useful information. I'm sure Teclis knows a lot, but how can you trust someone who shows a different face to each person who sees him?"
"You can if you don't care about what he looks like."
"Well, I don't, but I wonder what his reasons are."
"I'm sure he has a reason, wise or not I can't tell but it's his own. He doesn't hurt anyone, does he?"
"Not that I know of... but why does he choose who to let in and who not to? And what does he base his choice on?"
"I would think he allows entrance to those who have a valid reason to be there. A reason he judges as valid, of course. He may have had problems in the past with visitors who bugged him with selfish requests and stupid things. Like... door to door salesmen and the likes."
The mental image of a door-to-door salesman knocking at the door of the Tower of Hoeth made me burst into laughter.
"Ok, maybe you're right," I accepted. "I just hope something goo comes out of it. We've had way too much bad news lately."

<Tsunami's POV>

I don't know how Gabi managed to sort things out so quickly this time, but when she got home, she told us to get ready to depart the following morning. It's not like I had much to do in order to get ready, but it took me by surprise and preparing myself mentally for the trip turned out to be harder than I'd expected.

I couldn't sleep well that night. I got up very early, and feeling tired and with a knot in my stomach. I wouldn't say I was ill, but I wasn't feeling well either. After thinking for a while, I realized that what I needed was a long and relaxing bath. I didn't think I'd manage to stay inside very long before everyone was up and eager to use the bathroom, but I reckoned I would at least be able to relax a little. Great was my disappointment when I reached the room in question and found the latch on. "Who else is up this early in the morning?," I wondered. I explored the possibilities. It could be Gabi, Lagi or Pidgeot... possibly Amber. Ventura and Water Angel were usually up early, but they didn't use the bathroom. Hero, Caledor, Sylvan and Iael were hardly ever up before me. I tried to listen. Sue me, I was curious. But I heard nothing. I thought of turning back and going to the swimming pool, but Water Angel was there and I wanted to be alone. I wondered whether to knock and let whoever was inside know that I was waiting, but he or she had to have heard my attempt at opening the door, so I decided to wait a bit longer.

After a minute or two, I pushed the door again, just to make sure it was latched and not just stuck, and to figure out which latch was on. We had two, one on the upper half of the door for Gabi and the two-legged pokemon, and one closer to the floor for the rest of us. I was surprised to find out it was the lower one. That ruled out everyone I had expected. "Caledor, maybe?," I thought. "He looked upset yesterday, maybe he couldn't sleep well either. If only this door had a keyhole or something I could look through... If only there was water on the floor... Ok, why am I so desperate to get in? It's just a bath, it won't solve my problems."

Just as I thought that, I heard the latch open. I moved aside to make room for the occupant to come out. It turned out to be the one I least expected and least wanted to see. He looked at me. I couldn't make out the expression on his face. A part of me wanted to shout things like "off all days you had to pick today to get up early?," or "what took you so long?, did you fall asleep in there or did you fall in love with your own face and couldn't stop looking at the mirror?," or even "all that time in the bathroom and you still can't make your hair look neat?"... but I couldn't. That would have meant breaking the silence and declaring that everything was alright, and that was something I wasn't ready to do. We stared at each other for a moment, and I let him go. I had my bath, but it wasn't quite as relaxing as I'd expected.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We just spent it travelling, and I spent most of the time inside my pokeball. Pidgeot and Lagi took turns to fly carrying the rest of us. We had our only big meal of the day in Selenia, and stopped in Lothern for the night. I slept well that night, possibly because I was exhausted. We reached Eastern Eataine early in the morning, and from there we took a train to Saphery, where we spent the secondnight in a little town called Wood's Edge. That was as close to the tower as the railway would get. We'd have to cross the forest on our own, just like the first time. I just hoped things turned out better than the first time, they were bad enough already and I didn't want to mess up again like I'd done back then. The landscape was making it all come back to me: how I'd failed at teamwork, put Water Angel in danger and temporarily lost my Mystic Water. I wanted to think I'd learnt from my mistakes and was now wiser as well as stronger, but how could I know for sure? I couldn't even take care of my own daughter... Not only had I failed to protect her, but now that she was bound to need me more than ever, I was out on a week-long trip that might result in nothing. And I hadn't even said goodbye to her personally! Gabi had phoned everyone to tell them we were leaving, but it was definitely not the same. What had I been thinking? Those thoughts kept nagging at me, making the knot in my stomach tighter and filling me with bitterness.

Unlike the previous time all those years earlier, when we'd found enemies everywhere, this time the forest was just a forest. It was calm and filled with what I could only think of as natural sounds. Then again, 'just a forest' could be quite treacherous when you were trying to reach a certain spot with no signs, no map and no hope of Ventura's radar sense spotting it. We had a compass, for what it was worth. The trees and assorted obstacles wouldn't let us advance in a straight line, and all we could do to avoid getting lost was leave noticeable tracks behind us. I almost wished we did have a trail of enemies to follow. Almost... but I wasn't so crazy.

It took me longer than it should have to notice the monotonous buzz in the background was too loud to come from an insect, and it was consistently coming from behind us. In my defense I can say that not even Ventura seemed to have noticed. Everyone was just looking around. I looked back... and managed to make out a figure floating among the trees. I stood still and watched it.

"Hey, what's up?," asked Caledor, the first one to react to my actions.
"We're being followed," I said.
"I think that's the way it should be," Lagi seeded confusion.
"What do you mean?," I asked her.
"I think it's a test. I was expecting to come across some kind of test before reaching the Tower."

By now, everyone was looking in the same direction as I was.

"I see nothing," Pidgeot admitted.
"That's strange... I can't see it either," Gabi added. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Something big that flies and buzzes," I said. "But now it seems to have stopped flying. It's just humming somewhere among the trees."
"Humming? I can't hear it!," Gabi was beginning to sound frustrated.
"I can't sense it in any way," said Ventura, "but this place has all sort of protections, so I wouldn't trust my senses here."
"I feel something," Lagi stated. "Or, rather, someone. But I can't see or hear anything out of the ordinary."
"Maybe someone's talking about Tsunami and making his ears buzz," Tsunami joked.
"That doesn't even make sense," I told him.
"Oh, I don't know. Gabi used to say that sort of thing."
"And you just have to copy everything Gabi says and make it worse, don't you?"
It felt good to vent out a little. At least I could still count on Caledor for that.
"Worse? I make it all better! No one has ever bested the ridiculousness of my phrases."
"No one would ever want to! Is 'ridiculousness' even a word?"
"I think it is..." Gabi said after a second. "But I don't think this is the right time for that kind of argument."
"On the contrary, I think it's the best time," I argued. "If we're being tested, what better way to ensure the truthfulness of the result than by being ourselves?"
"You wouldn't be any less yourself if you took some things seriously," Gabi noted.
"If I get any more serious, I'll get an ulcer," I warned her.
"Seriousness is bad for your health," Caledor... sort of supported me.
Gabi sighed and let us be.

We stood there for a while, watching and being watched. Our follower didn't seem intent on making a move.

"Why don't we just leave and let whatever or whoever to decide what to do?," Hero suggested.
"Go where?," Gabi queried. "I don't know how to get to the tower from here. Do any of you know?"
"How were you expecting to find it?," Hero questioned her.
"I... just thought that if we were supposed to find it, we somehow would."
"Why would anyone follow us and not make a move upon being discovered?," Ventura wondered.
"Maybe he or she is waiting for us to make a move," suggested Lagi.
"Maybe?," Ventura gave her as much of a puzzled look as a Venomoth can give.
"In a place like this, I wouldn't fully trust my senses either," Lagi explained. "But that seems to be the case."
"Do you think we should get closer to it?," I asked the group in general.
"We lose nothing by trying," Gabi agreed.

We went back a few steps, and the creature didn't move. Now I could see it was green... no wonder it had been so hard to spot in the middle of the forest.
"Big, green, flying... if it's a pokemon then it must be a Flygon," I concluded. "I'd just like to know what's up with the buzzing and humming."
"I have a bigger question," Gabi said. "Why is it that I can see it, nor hear it?"
"I was wondering the same thing," added Pidgeot.
"Ok, guys, you're creeping me out," I admitted, turning to face the others. "Can anyone else here see it?"

They all made an effort, but the result was what I had feared.
"I'm not going crazy, am I?," I asked no one in particular.
"I don't know... are you?," said a female Flygon's voice behind me.

I turned around again, startled. There she was, standing before me. Flygons weren't very common in Ulthuan, but aside from the rarity of the species, there seemed to be nothing unusual about this individual. Except for the very annoying fact that no one else seemed to see her yet.

"What are you?," I went straight to the point.
"What do you think I am?," she bounced my question back.
"I don't know... I've never hallucinated before and I see no reason why I should be doing so now, so I'd say you're either a creation of the magic and/or technology of the tower, or a real pokemon concealed by the former. Am I right?"
"Perhaps," she replied. "Now, what is your problem?"
"What do you mean `what's my problem`? You've been following us and I still don't know why only I can see you and you ask me what my problem is? And what's with the humming anyway? You're not a bug, why do you do that?"
"It gives me pleasure."
"It gives you... pleasure?"
"I enjoy it. Sometimes the answers really are that simple. Isn't there anything you enjoy?"
"Of course," I answered. But when I began to think of the things I usually enjoyed, the painful truth came to me. "Just... not these days."
"Oh. That's a pity. Why is that so?"
"Listen. I don't know you. I'm not going to start talking to you about my personal problems. Besides, we're here for an important reason."
"More important than your own happiness?"
"I should think so, yes. This is about the whole world, not just me."
"Then why are you the only one who can see me?"
"That's something I would like to know. I assumed you did."
"Oh, no. I'm just a test, as your friend said. I don't know the source of the darkness that lurks inside you."
"You make it sound as if I was possessed. I'm just angry, that's all."
"Who are you angry at?"
"Hero", I thought. "And myself too." But I didn't say it. What I said instead was: "if you're going to help us get to the tower, that's fine. If you're trying to stop us, then let's battle and get this over with. But don't try to analyze me and dig into my feelings because they're private. I've said it before, I don't know you. I don't have to talk to you."
"So it's a battle you want?"
"Yeah. Why not? More traditional, more effective. We fight, we gain access to the tower... or not, but that's it. Yes, that would be fine."
"Alright, I accept your terms. Even though it is quite unusual for visitors to set the terms of the tests, I'm quite flexible. I must warn you though, that I'm not an ordinary Flygon, so ours will not be an ordinary battle. That can't be helped."
"I can do weird and unusual. I'm used to it. As long as I don't have to talk about things I don't want to."
"You won't have to say anything you don't want to say, and I will not see anything you don't want me to see. That much I can promise."

Her words left me puzzled, but I decided to leave the questions for later. It was already bad enough that I was in a bad mood, I didn't want to make it worse by allowing confusion to take over. I'd have to do my best to focus on the battle. Everything else could wait.

Lady Vulpix

22nd April 2007, 08:23 AM

Level 63 Vaporeon vs. Level 63 Flygon

"Flygons are Ground and Dragon type", I remembered. I had to go through the facts, as I'd never seen a Flygon in battle before. 'That means Ice moves are most effective against them. This one may not be as weak to them, but they're the best bet I have if the odds are against me.' I hated thinking that way. I didn't like exploiting an opponent's physical weakness; I preferred to wear them out slowly, making each of my battles a test of endurance rather than a game of chance that was just about who fired the crippling shot first. But I was nervous, and thought it would be best to consider all the options, just in case. And so there I was, considering my options when my opponent disappeared from sight. From my sight, that is, since she'd never appeared in anyone else's.

"Oh, great, I won't see her coming," I thought. "I'll have to prepare for the impact..."

...But my preparation was not enough. I had only begun to gather water molecules from the air when the hit came, and with it came something completely unexpected: the image of a baby Eevee. I couldn't see it well, but it looked like a human was holding him... or her. A female human, rather on the physically plentiful side. I couldn't see the human's face, but the baby seemed happy in her arms. It reminded me of a picture I'd seen on one of the Guild's corridors about Mother Earth, or Mother Nature or some related Mother. But I couldn't make any sense out of it. Then the image faded, leaving only the pain of a new scratch on my hind leg. I wondered what that had been all about, but I didn't want to allow myself to get distracted. I was in a battle, and I had to win. I finished building my Acid Armor, and stood firm, holding the water around me for my next move.

The Flygon stroke again. I couldn't see her, but I felt her hit my back with what could only be a Faint Attack. It didn't hurt much this time, but with it came an image I did recognize. It was Kiva and Anzu. They were talking. I could hear Kiva's words.

"Oh Anzu... I'm not ready to be a mother... What if... what if I mess up? It's not just my life I'm screwing up. It's someone else's too! Father probably thinks I'm some sort of whore now, and he's probably going to get mad at Hero, too, even though it wasn't his fault..."

"What? No!," I cried out. "Of course you're not a whore! You wanted to help and were too young and inexperienced to think of the consequences. Hero should have known better, but you couldn't. It was I who messed up! I wasn't there for you. We've never had a proper talk about important subjects. I don't even know how to have a talk like that! You're so sweet and full of love... There's no doubt you'll make a better parent than your father."

At that moment the image faded again. I could still feel the air being blown down by the Flygon's wings right over me. I shot a wave upwards, which was something I'd never tried before and wouldn't have tried if I'd thought about it clearly, but it was an instant reaction. The water lost some momentum before hitting the target, and evaporated before it fell back down. "Damn it, she's not letting me focus," I thought. "What were those images? Did that really happen or was it just an illusion? Did she see them too?" Then I remembered when she said she wouldn't see anything I didn't want her to. I wondered if that had been what she'd been referring to.

Then things became worse. A strong wind began to rise around me, raising piles of dust with it. "A Sandstorm," I thought. "Except it's Earth, not sand. But the principle's the same." On the bright side, I could now see the Flygon at the eye of the storm, and no new images had assaulted me yet. On the negative side, it was just a matter of time before the sandstorm obscured my sight and then she wouldn't need a Faint Attack to become untraceable. I needed to act quickly. That was something Pidgeot and Hero did well, but neither of them could offer me advice now. They couldn't even see my opponent. I wondered what the whole battle looked like for them. It must have looked like I was fighting the air. "Focus, idiot!," I scolded myself. "There's no time to waste. No, there isn't... but maybe I can win some time."

I had to try it. The Flygon wasn't playing fair, so why should I? Besides, it would serve as a test to see how abnormal she really was. And it wasn't like an Icy Wind was strong enough to bring down a strong Flygon, right? Well... for a moment it looked like it could. The Flygon cried loudly when the could wind reached her, making me feel guilty like hell. This was a test, not a fight to the death. But she managed to remain airborne, and when I got the first slap from the Sandstorm I found it well-deserved. She flew up a bit higher. It was hard to see her without getting my eyes filled with dust, but I noticed she was moving slowly. I could have attacked again, but I didn't feel like it. Instead I called out to her.

"Are you alright?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because I didn't mean to hurt you like that. I thought you wouldn't have the weaknesses of a normal Flygon."
"And what made you assume that?"
"You yourself said you weren't normal, and what you've been doing to me proved it. And let me tell you, it's really annoying. But you were just distracting me. You didn't really hurt me. You didn't use any strong attacks."
"Distracting you wasn't what I had in mind. I warned you, this is not a normal battle. I'm not here to train, nor to help you do so. I'm just here to do what is needed."
"And what would that be?"
"Only you may know."
"What do you mean?"
"Listen, you're reluctant to speak about your story, and I respect that. I have no need to tell you mine either. But you must know that if I appeared for you it's because there's something you need to understand, and whatever you see will help you understand it. You don't have to tell me what it is."
"So you're not here to decide if we can enter the Tower of Hoeth?"
"I can't decide that. What happens here may help Teclis decide and the others, but it's not up to me. I'm just a test, not a judge."
"You've said that before, but I didn't quite get it. What does it mean you're a test? Are you not real?"
"I can think and feel, if that's what you mean, and I existed before I came to the Tower. What I mean is I'm serving as a tool to test you. And you're not making it easy."

The Sandstorm hit me again. The only reminder that we still had a battle to finish. The Flygon came closer.

"Listen, I can't make it easy if I don't know what I'm being tested for!," I told her.
"Most tests in life are like that. I don't really know what I'm testing you for either. But I think I can help you figure it out."
"How?"
"I don't have much fight left in me. Deal the final blow, but don't make it a long-range attack. You must touch me. Some force will be required, but it doesn't have to be too much. Even a Tackle will do."

Now this was unusual. An opponent was telling me how to attack her? But then again, it wasn't more unusual than the fact I was the only one who could see her, or the visions she'd given me. I wondered: was that how she did it? Her two Faint Attacks had given me visions, but not the Sandstorm. It seemed that physical contact was required. Which meant she wanted me to have another vision. I wondered whether I should comply or not.

I thought for a moment. What did I have to lose? It was just a vision, it wouldn't be real. And no one else would see it, not even her if what she'd said was true. And I was sure I could deal with it if I was expecting it, even if it was something painful like the last vision. But would that make me pass the test? What was the test about? What was its purpose? Was I thinking too much? Maybe the best thing I could do was follow her directions and find out. But not a Tackle... I still had a little tinge of pride that swayed me against doing exactly what she wanted me to do, especially after everything she'd done had been unexpected. I went for a Quick Attack. At least that way she didn't have the time to see me coming. I felt her lose balance under the combined force of my speed and weight... which was rather light in comparison to her own body mass, but she was still too weak from the Icy Wind to endure it. I felt her begin to fall and prepared myself to hit the ground within a split-second... but time seemed to stop.

If the first vision had been vague and the second one quite clear, this one was extremely vivid. I felt the cool and rather damp ceramic tiles under my paws, and even the sensation of fur all over my body, which I hadn't felt in many years but immediately reminded me of my childhood as an Eevee. I couldn't see myself, however. I wasn't in control of my own body. I could only look ahead, at the still image of Hero that looked at me through a glass on the wall. No, not still: his eyes were moving. He seemed to be examining me carefully, although my sight became blurry whenever he wasn't looking straight into my eyes. It was a bit annoying, but not as much as feeling his angry glare. He didn't look content with what he saw. I was just beginning to speculate, when the thoughts flooded me. I could hear them in my mind, but they didn't have my mind's voice and didn't come from within me; they didn't form like thoughts do, evolving from a feeling or sensation until you find the right words for them. They appeared directly as words, just like Caledor's when he spoke to me telepathically. But this wasn't Caledor and I was starting to fear that it was more than just telepathy, just like what was in front of me was more than just a glass. It was the last thing I wanted to experience at that time.

"Hmm... the same creamy fur... clean, but messy beyond hope. How does Tracker manage to keep hers so neat? Even her topknot!" "Oh, please!," I thought and now it was clearly me doing the thinking. "Can you be more vain? I used to think you just pretended to be so shallow." Ignoring me, the thoughts kept flowing as Hero's orange irises regained focus. "My eyes... they look so dull now; they used to be so full of fire... What happened? ... Who am I kidding? I know what happened! I messed up, and no one can help me fix things this time. I can't talk to her, she must hate me now. Even Lagi stays clear from me these days! And I can't blame her, who'd want a taste of what I'm feeling?"

I would have sighed if I'd been able to. He didn't get it, did he? That was not the reason why Lagi stayed away from him. She wanted to respect his privacy after all the times he'd insistently told her to do so. And she had a lot on her own mind to keep her occupied, I doubted she'd be able to come up with some good advice if she decided to talk to him... or me for that matter. After all, she was still just a pokemon, like the rest of us. We'd always put too much faith in her, and possibly too much pressure as well. And she took it all in because that was the way she was. She just couldn't stop caring.

"I hadn't felt this way since the day I ran away from the pack," the thoughts went on. "And I thought I'd made progress. I thought I'd made up for it! That stupid Fire Stone only showed me how stupid I can be. What would the old bosses say if they found out about this? You've screwed up, Speedy. You really have. Even the pups have made it better. Little Blessing's managed to become a fine lady despite her parents spoiling her so much. And Kid... Ray... He's still as naughty as I remembered him, but he wouldn't mess up this much! And to think he used to look up to me... I've been his hero since that time I fished him out of the lake when his leg was stuck in a fallen branch. As if anyone else wouldn't have done it, I just happened to be there to hear his cry! Still, it was a nice save, wasn't it? And I did take a shot in order to save Gabi once. It was a miscalculation, but I knew the risks and I still jumped. I could have died or become crippled for life. Maybe I'm not a complete wreck after all...

...But I hurt a young girl. She's young enough to be Kid's daughter. Worse, she's Tsunami's daughter! Now I've lost my best friend and once more I can't look at my reflection without feeling ashamed. Will it always be this way? Will I always ruin all the good things I have?

Maybe I should leave... save Tsunami from seeing my face everyday... Run away again? Learn something, you idiot! I mustn't be a coward this time. I'll face my own guilt. It's not as if it would ever leave me if I ran away."

Hero sighed, turned towards the door and opened the lower latch in the same way I normally did. Now I knew when this had happened, and was not surprised to see my own face on the other side of the door. My face looked angry and confused... I still was, especially the latter. I didn't know what to make of all this. I felt like an intruder. Those thoughts had been too private, not meant for me to hear. I had always suspected... in a way known... that Hero wasn't nearly as self-confident as he pretended to be. But I'd thought he was just like me, keeping a few little insecurities to himself while showing himself as invulnerable to the rest of the world. I'd have never thought he was still blaming himself for a mistake he'd made in his youth; a mistake we all knew about and none of us had cared for in years, because it was in the distant past and hadn't hurt anyone but Hero himself; and things had been sorting themselves out and leading everyone to feel it had been for the best after all. Everyone but Hero, apparently. He didn't realize he'd grown past running away from his problems, even when he'd just proven it. And now he hated himself for what he'd done to Kiva. He was even angrier than I was about it, which moments earlier I wouldn't have thought possible. I wondered why I had witnessed all this. It didn't make me feel any better. If anything, it made me feel worse. Now I felt sorry for Hero as well. And all because of a giant misunderstanding!, wasn't that what it had been? How could a dark room and a strong fragrance cause so much suffering?

I was so lost in my thoughts I barely noticed the landscape around me change. I was only aware of the increased lighting and the slowly subsiding sandstorm. I looked ahead. The Flygon lay motionless on the ground. Only then I realized I didn't know her name. "She must have one, right?," I thought. "Everybody has one. I wonder how she got here... and what her life is like. But I don't really want to find out. I've seen too much for one day. So, what do I do now?"

I looked at my group, and they were all staring at the place where the Flygon was lying. Could they see her now? I looked at her again, and noticed her body was glowing. It was also translucent. She lifter her head and floated upwards, stopping at about a foot from the ground (the length of an average human foot, I'd say; estimating distances in artificial scales was never my thing). She remained at that height even though her wings weren't moving. And yes, the others could definitely see her.

"Is that the pokemon Tsunami was fighting?," wondered Iael.
"Almost certainly," Lagi replied.
"She is," I told them. "But she didn't look like that when I was battling her! What happened?," I asked the Flygon.
"It's alright," she assured in the same voice she'd had before. "My body needs to recover. I'll have to remain in this state until I'm fit again. But I'll be fine. Are you alright?"
"Funny you should ask," I told her. "What was that all about? What am I supposed to do now?"
"Only you may know the answer. I only showed you what you needed to see. I didn't see it myself."
"I bet someone like you doesn't get much of a social life, right?"
The Flygon chuckled. "I have my own path to follow. Every now and then I get to help others with theirs. For now, that's all I really want. What about you?"
"What about me?... I don't know. If this were a cartoon everything would be easy. We'd all say `I'm sorry. Can we be friends again?,` and it would all be over. But life's more complex than that. You don't forget what's happened. It marks you and affects you for as long as you live. I really wish I could undo this whole mess. I wish I could go back in time and stop it from ever happening. But I can't, can I? All I can do is face front and try to deal with things as they are."
"That makes sense," the Flygon agreed. "Even though I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think I know," Hero stepped forward. "It's about me, isn't it?"

He'd asked the question. Now I had no choice but to answer. There was no escape. But what could I say?
"You and Kiva... and myself," I finally told him. "It's all a big mess, and it's eating us alive. And you're both being too hard on yourselves. Kiva didn't know she wasn't ready, you didn't know it was her, and I had no way to imagine something like this could happen. I should have spent more time with Kiva. I can't fix that now, but I hope she will let me get more involved in her life from now on. The only thing I've always been certain about being a father is that I didn't know how to do it, and I still don't. But I love her. I don't want to see her hurt, and I don't want her to blame herself for not having known what no one had taught her. And I don't want to lose you either. Not talking to you is killing me! I don't know how we'll do it, but we need to sort things out."
"You got all that from a battle?," inquired Hero.
"Err... sort of. I could tell you what happened, but then you'd want to kill me and that wouldn't make things any better. The thing is, I didn't do it on purpose. And neither did you. So I think we both should talk to Kiva as soon as we get back home and..."
"What did you do?," Hero interrupted me. "What did you do that was so bad it could make me want to kill you?"
"Please, can't we just drop it?"
"No way."
"At least wait until we're alone. I don't want everyone to hear it."
"Okay... let's just walk to a place where no one else will hear us and then you tell me."
"There's no escape, is there?"
"Nu-huh."
Hero cast a fiery glare at me. In an odd way, I found that relieving. I liked seeing that look in his eyes. It suited him much better than the self-effacing one. I always thought of it as the look he'd won the Gryphon Games with, which is in itself odd since you don't win a tournament with a look. But the mind tends to make weird associations like that.

We walked deeper into the forest. When I thought we were finally beyond hearing range from the others, I gathered my strength and revealed that I had read his thoughts. The volume of his response made me consider that perhaps we weren't far enough.
"YOU WHAT?!!"
"I'm sorry! I've said I didn't do it on purpose. You know I can't do that on my own. It was the Flygon. She has some weird power which makes others get visions when they touch her or something like that. She said I needed to see something. I had no idea what was going to happen."
"That's insanely weird, but considering where we are and that I'm yet to hear you tell a lie I will believe you. What thoughts exactly did you read?"
"It was more hearing than reading, actually."
"Don't dodge the question. What thoughts did you hear?"
"Thoughts I didn't want to hear... and which I'll never reveal to anyone, I promise."
"You are promising to keep your enormous mouth shut? I have trouble believing that."
"Hey, I can keep a secret! It's just that I don't normally learn about secrets worth keeping. I'd never betray a friend."
"So we're friends again?"
"We never stopped being friends, I was just mad at you, but I hated every second of it."
"Ok, and now it's my turn to be mad at you. Just let me know what I'm mad at you for. WHAT... DID... YOU... HEAR?"
"Err... Remember the day we left home?"
"What, like... the day before yesterday?"
"Er, yes... Well, that morning, right before we left. You were in the bathroom and I was waiting outside..."
"Yes, I remember that. It was an awkward moment."
"Well, it's just become even more awkward."

Hero stared at me in silence. I reckoned he was trying to put his thoughts in order. Then he finally spoke.
"Wait, you mean when I was looking at the mirror?"
"Ehm... yes?"
"You couldn't... You're right! I DO want to kill you!"
"I'm sorry! I really am! I'll never touch that Flygon again, I promise!"
"Those thoughts were private!"
"I know! And you were just going through a bad moment, I know. We've all had bad times."
"Really? When have you had any?"
"Right now, for instance."
"It's well deserved."
"I know. And when I found out about what happened too... I couldn't stop blaming myself for not having taught Kiva what she needed to know, or at least spent more time with her. And..."
"And what?"
"And I've always secretly wished I could battle as well as you do."
I'd had to say it. I had nothing to lose anymore. Still, it was a bit embarrassing when Hero burst into laughter.
"Hey, don't be so hard on me!"
"Oh, sorry. It's just that after all this time... It's ok, I'll try to stop. Listen, you've done well in many battles, and you'd do a lot better if you would just listen to the advice I give you. You can't always win by taking blow after blow until your opponent gets tired because you'll eventually find an opponent who won't tire easily or who can just hit too hard. You need to learn to dodge sometimes, and act unexpectedly. And above all..."
"Above all what?"
"Don't finish your battles with a Quick-Attack. That's my signature. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"What? No, I wasn't even thinking about that. I just had to bring her down quickly and touch her at the same time, it was the obvious choice."
"If it was the obvious choice and you still beat her, it means she let you win."
I was not comforted by those words.
"Alright, maybe she did," I admitted. "But she didn't really want to battle. She just accepted the challenge because I didn't want to talk. Or did she issue the challenge? I'm not sure anymore."
"Don't ask me. I was wondering who or what you were talking to. It all looked quite funny from outside. Only when the Sandstorm rose I understood it wasn't an illusion."
"I don't fight illusions."
"Well, I do if I have to. I did once, here in this forest. I was attacked by... err... long and fluffy things."
"Long and fluffy things?"
"Yes. It wasn't as funny as it sounds. It was a spell attached to the Fire Stone which later Tracker used to evolve. That's how weird things are."
"So you both evolved with Fire Stones that weren't normal?"
"I'm sure hers was normal once the spell wore of. Which happened long before she found it. She looks normal. She looks better than normal, have you seen her hair?"
"What can I say? I'm glad I don't have all that hair to take care of!"
"Yeah, you're lucky."
"You're lucky too."
"How come?"
"You have her. And she doesn't look like she'll want to let you go any time soon."
"Won't that change after she finds out what I've done? What if she's already found out? She's good at that sort of thing."
"Give her some credit. She knows you well. She might even help us."
"How?"
"Well, she could talk to Kiva. I'm not saying we shouldn't, I know we must. But she's an experienced female, I'm sure she could provide some insight we don't have in that area."
"Hmm... I don't think I can ask her to do that. Why did this become about us, anyway? Didn't we come here to find the tower and maybe a way to defeat Yssera?"
"Yes... and I'm not even sure that Flygon was at all related. But then again, if she wasn't... how could she do all the things she did?"
"Don't expect me to know that. I couldn't even see her till the battle was over."
"Maybe we should go back and ask some questions."
"Of course we should!"

Hero dashed away, disappearing among the trees before I had a chance to react. I knew he'd done it on purpose, but I wasn't quite sure about what the purpose was. Still, it didn't really matter, did it? Things would have to work out one way or another. At least we'd had a chance to talk.

When I reached the group, Hero was already standing among them and there was no sign of the Flygon. All looks were turned towards me.

"What happened?," I asked.
"Melody has told us how to get to the tower," answered Gabi. "We're amazingly close. We were waiting for you to go there."
"Melody?... Is that the Flygon's name?"
Gabi nodded.
"How did you find out?"
"Lagi asked her," said Caledor.
"Of course... that's the obvious way," I sighed. "For some reason I didn't think about it. She didn't seem to want to say much about herself. Or maybe she just didn't like me."
"Didn't you say you didn't have to talk to her?," Amber asked me. "You said something about your feelings being private. And that you preferred to battle, or something like that."
"Oh, great, nobody heard what she said but everyone heard what I said. Thanks for not assuming I was crazy, if indeed you haven't assumed it."
"We know you better than that," Gabi remarked.
"Thanks, then. So Melody... I guess the name suits her. Did she tell you anything else?"
"Only how to get to the tower," Gabi answered.
"Oh, alright. Let's go there, then, and let's return home as soon as possible. There's something I need to do when we get back."

--------------------

After-battle note: Tsunami reached level 64.

AntiAsh Superstar

24th April 2007, 08:15 PM

Gabi, I'll read your latest story in full the first chance I get, it's too late for me to give it the attention it deserves atm. I *will* comment on that bit about Espeons and staying up late, tho, as it's prolly just as usual as the sleeping habits of people who are convinced they ARE Espeons and while Soo does stay to type and is a definite morning person she's had more than her fair share of late nights when caught up in something. :3

Anyways, can I get an RBG for Pandora from the Free Range Corral plz?

The Blue Avenger

24th April 2007, 08:33 PM

Pandora will fight a Swablu.

The Blue Avenger

28th April 2007, 02:00 AM

Here's Groove Guy's RBG, "The Obligatory Video Game Parody (3rd Coming)".

---

“Are you ready? 3! 2! 1! GO!” The DS, volume turned up to the maximum, blared its message throughout the house. Groove Guy sat on the couch and stared at the game’s screen, his eyes wide in rapt anticipation. As the familiar tune of Y.M.C.A. blasted from the DS’s speakers, Groove Guy flicked the stylus back and forth across the screen. A few minutes later, the Sudowoodo dropped his stylus as his score appeared on the display.

“…wow. That was amazing,” Groove Guy said quietly, putting the DS down.

“What is so amazing?” a voice called from behind him. Groove Guy turned around and saw the familiar face of Lady Bow.

“This game Jeff just got. It’s called Elite Beat Agents… it’s sorta like DDR, but with a stylus and a plot. See, you play as these government agents who help people in trouble… by dancing.”

“Dancing?” Lady Bow replied, looking at Groove Guy questioningly.

“Er, yeah. I know it sounds weird, but it’s a really funny game,” Groove Guy said. “Like, you always start each episode with someone who’s in trouble, and they yell ‘Help!’ at the top of their lungs, and the Elite Beat Agents show up through some bizarre means of transportation. In one episode, they show up on a rollercoaster.”

“And then they help the person by dancing?” Lady Bow asked again.

Groove Guy shrugged. “Hey, it seems to work well enough for them.”

Just then, a loud cry of “HEEEEEAAAALP!” echoed through the house. Groove Guy snapped his head towards the door.

“…a cry for help?” he muttered to himself. “It’s gotta be a sign…” He turned back to Lady Bow. “Hey, Bow, do me a favor?” he asked. “See what’s on the screen now? Can you say it?”

“Why?” Lady Bow asked, raising an eyebrow. Upon only receiving a slightly embarrassed smile from Groove Guy as an answer, she sighed. “Fine.” Bow turned to the screen and began to read from it. “Agents are… GO!”

“Yeeha!” Groove Guy yelled as he raced out of the door.

---

In a different part of the town, a Kirlia began to sweat as she backed against a wall. A Sableye advanced menacingly on her, a malevolent glint flashing across his eyes.

“’Ey, sweetie,” he said in a voice that sounded as if it had had a particularly bad time in his throat, “how’s about you hand over all those stamps I know you got on you?”

“B-but…” the Kirlia stuttered, “I don’t have anything…”

“Now, now, now. Why you gotta lie like that?” the Sableye said, raising one hand and resting it on her cheek. “You know when you lie, I gotta hurt you…”

The Kirlia screwed her eyes shut. Backing away as far as she could, she opened her mouth wide. “HEEEEEAAAALP!” she yelled, causing the Sableye to cover his ears.

“What are you playing at?” the Sableye hissed. “You’re gonna get it now…”

“Hold it right there!” a voice yelled from behind the Sableye. The Sableye turned and glared at the offending Pokemon – a Sudowoodo.

“Who are you supposed to be” the Sableye growled. “I’ll have you know you chose to mess with Otis Capote! I rule these streets!”

“Doesn’t matter to me!” the Sudowoodo replied. “I came here because I was called. Kurtzwick, if you would?”

Otis scowled as a transparent Dratini, previously unnoticed, slithered out from behind the Sudowoodo and revealed a high-end stereo set. Kurtzwick surreptitiously pressed a button on the stereo, and it began blasting an 80s pop song at max volume. Otis covered his ears as strains of “Sweet dreams are made of these” reverberated down the alley.

“Are you ready?” the Sudowoodo asked, a smirk on his face. “3! 2! 1! Go!”

Battle time! Groove Guy versus Otis Capote!
Groove Guy – “I’m feeling the rhythm… ♪”
~
Otis – “I’m tough as diamonds, kid!”

Groove Guy began to sing along with the song as he closed his eyes. A purple aura surrounded him as Otis stared at the Sudowoodo suspiciously. This did not give him enough time to react, however, when a purple fist rose from the ground and began to squeeze the Sableye in its grip.

“Gah! What are you doing?!” Otis howled.

“Heh heh heh… usually, I end up juggling with my Hidden Power,” Groove Guy said, unconsciously tapping his feet to the song’s beat. “But… I decided to change it up a bit. After all, every good song deserves a remix!” Groove Guy snapped his fingers and the fist melted into slag. Otis scowled and disappeared into the shadows, the eerie sight compounded by the fact that his mouth was the last thing to leave.

Groove Guy grinned. “Perfect,” he muttered as he held his hands out. A bright light spilled from a location in the air in front of him to his fists, and Otis’s voice cried out ethereally, “What are you doing?”

“I’m merely evening the odds, Otis,” Groove Guy said, smiling. As soon as he spoke, Groove Guy disappeared into thin air as well. An audible growl was heard from Otis, but neither Pokemon turned visible. The Kirlia looked around, shivering, as impacts could be heard in the alley – Otis and Groove Guy were clashing without even being able to see each other.

Minutes later, both battlers faded once more into the realm of the visible. Groove Guy looked none the worse for the wear, but Otis was panting heavily and covered in bruises.

“Ready to give up, Otis?” Groove Guy said, bouncing to the song’s upbeat rhythm. “You can’t possibly win now.”

“I… I beg to differ,” Otis grumbled. “I’ve notice how you fight. And I think that doing this will give me the edge.” He zipped past Groove Guy and slashed at the stereo three times in succession, breaking it cleanly in half. The music sputtered out as the stereo collapsed in on itself, prompting a nasty glare from Kurtzwick.

Groove Guy stumbled.

“Just as I thought,” Otis said, smirking. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms as a white glow surrounded him. When it faded, Otis’s bruises had completely disappeared. “Your advantage is gone, Sudowoodo. Now, I will beat you. Completely and totally.”

Groove Guy shook his head. “No… no. I won’t let you.” However, Groove Guy was completely unprepared for the brutal onslaught that came next: Otis began swiping at his chest with claws awash in dark energy again and again. He finished the attack by jumping back and launching a pitch-black sphere of plasma. Groove Guy grunted and fell back as the Shadow Ball hit hard.

“Hold it right there!” a voice called from behind Otis. He turned quickly, a look of surprise crossing his features. The Kirlia was standing behind him, shaking, but with a look of determination in her eyes. “You will not beat him!” she cried and held out her arms. She looked to the sky and began to sing.

“I believe in morning sun… Always gonna shine again and… I believe a pot of gold waits at every rainbow's end, oh… I believe in roses kissed with dew… Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?”

Otis yelped as the Kirlia kept singing. “What are you trying to pull?” he hissed before a large rock bludgeoned him in the back of the head.

“Thank you, madam,” Groove Guy said to the Kirlia, his feet tapping once more. “I will not let you down.” He turned his attention back to Otis. “Well, now that I have my rhythm back once more… let us dance.” Groove Guy held out one hand, and in moments, a giant wooden mallet had materialized in it.

Otis backed up, sweating. “Now, now, don’t do anything rash…” he stammered, but Groove Guy shook his head.

“It’s too late, Otis,” Groove Guy muttered. “Ciao.” He swung his hammer down hard, nailing the Sableye straight on the head. Otis stumbled backward and slumped against the wall, completely unconscious.

Battle over! Groove Guy gains a level!

The Kirlia turned to Otis’s prone form and frowned at him. “That’s the last time you’ll threaten anyone here, Mr. Capote…” she said under her breath. “And it’s all thanks to you, Mr. Sudowoodo!” She turned to where Groove Guy had been standing, but he and Kurtzwick had completely disappeared. “…Mr. Sudowoodo?”

Kirlia sighed and began to walk away, but a smile crossed her face as she heard, from in the distance, a faint voice yell “Agents are… GO!”

---

Meanwhile, in Sector Alpha’s hectic downtown sector, a lone man walked briskly through the doors of the Pokemon Adoption Center. The man was tall and lanky, with spiky blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He approached the receptionist’s desk.

“Can I help you, sir?” the secretary asked without looking up.

“Yes. I need information on a Pokemon’s lineage; he was adopted here, but I’m curious as to where he came from,” the man replied, scratching his head.

“Certainly. I’ll need your name first, please.”

The man rolled his eyes up. “You can call me… uh… Cameron Mendel.”

“Well then, Mr. Mendel,” the secretary continued, “you’ll want to meet with Jack Harrison. He’s the head of records here. Second door on your left.”

Cameron nodded and walked down the hallway towards the door. Pausing briefly to glance at the nameplate on the door – it did indeed read “Jack Harrison” – he knocked.

The door opened almost immediately, revealing a casually dressed elderly man, his wrinkled yet spry face framed by wispy grey hair. “Good afternoon, sir. How may I be of assistance?” he said in a voice that, while wavery, conveyed great warmth.

Cameron walked in and sat in one of the chairs near Jack’s desk. “I need to know about where a Pokemon adopted here came from. A Ditto, about 2 years ago… the trainer named it Cambiamente.”

Jack’s expression turned serious. “If you yourself are not the trainer, then I cannot give these records out. My apologies.”

Cameron grimaced. “No, hold on. Check this out.” He held out his hand. Jack watched in silence as it turned from a hand to a Krabby pincer to a Pidgey wing and finally a Ditto ‘limb’, then back to a hand.

“…I see,” Jack said. “Presumably, you are Cambiamente, yes? This is highly unorthodox, but if you are who you claim to be, then I can release the records to you. Let me do a check first, however.” He picked up a nearby phone and quickly dialed a number on it. “Hello, Mr. Azure? This is Jack Harrison at the adoption center. If I may inquire as to the whereabouts of your Ditto at the moment…?” He waited for a moment. “Very good, sir. Thank you, and good afternoon.” Jack hung up and turned to his computer, typing quickly on the keyboard. “Right, that’s sorted out. Let me bring up your file.”

Cam leaned forward in anticipation.

Jack scanned the screen. “Okay, says here you were adopted by Jeffrey Azure from the Caledor branch… nothing here you wouldn’t know… The odd part is you came into the adoption center on your own. We conducted background checks and found that you had come from the south, in Eataine. We, alongside the staff at the breeding center, then did a few minor tests. Minor stuff, checking for diseases, that sort of thing. We got a sample of your DNA… hm… yes, okay, there were two things surprising about it. The first was that it seemed to have been mutated somewhat by an outside source. We decided to put you up for adoption after we determined that it was not harmful. The second was that the breeding center actually found a potential relative of yours in their database… It says here that it was a Ditto named Xerox who had been brought in to one of their overseas branches in Eagleland, in a town named Threed.” Jack looked up. “That’s all the information I have.”

Cam nodded. “Thank you, sir.” He stood up, shook Jack’s hand, and left, questions tumbling through his head. Mutated? What does that mean? What happened? And I have a relative in Threed? Isn’t that near Twoson? Is that a coincidence? Cam groaned and shook his head. What’s going on here?

---

In a park not too far away from the adoption center, a Smeargle sat upon a tree branch, idly drawing small doodles on the bark. She sighed. “I wish someone else was here too. I mean, I like the park and everything – it’s so nice this time of year – but with nobody else around, it’s really boring. Even if it was just Groviglio, I could spend time trying to figure out what his insults mean and I wouldn’t be bored anymore, at least…” Mona sighed again and dropped from the tree. “Oh well; it’s not a total loss. At least today is a really pretty day.”

“Indeed it is, madam,” a voice said from behind her, “but it cannot hope to match your sheer beauty.”

Mona blushed and turned around slowly. Another Smeargle stood behind her. The tip of his tail was a dark blue, almost black – a stark contrast to her own pink. He was an inch or so taller than her, and his trademark Smeargle ‘hat’ was the same shade as his tail, instead of the usual brown. He was smiling slightly, and the expression on his face hinted at slight arrogance alongside a friendly demeanor.

“Er, um…” Mona stuttered. “Thank you. But, uh, who are you? Don’t get me wrong, er, I like that you complimented me…” It was here that her mind wandered back to what he had actually said, and she blushed again.

“Ah, forgive me,” the Smeargle replied. “My name is Leon. I would have introduced myself prior, but it is rare to see such a beauty as yourself and I was caught unaware.” He gently took her paw and kissed it. “Forgive me for being so forward, madam, but I believe in always saying how I feel.” He lifted his head and looked her straight in the eye. “And may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

Mona blushed even deeper, turning her face a dark crimson. “M-Mona…” she said quietly, looking at the ground but not withdrawing her hand.

Leon turned to the sky. “Ah! What a beautiful name you have been blessed with! Of course, it is only fitting…” He looked back at Mona. “Well, my dear, I would understand if you were to say no, but would you allow me the honor of staying with you a while? I would like to get to know you better.”

Mona raised her head, and Leon could clearly see that, while she was still blushing, she was also smiling. “I’d… like that, Leon,” she replied, and for once, she did not have anything else to say.

Smiling, Leon took her hand and led her to a park bench, where they both sat down.

---

A few hours later, the clock tower that stood in the middle of the park began to toll. 5 deep, majestic notes echoed across the square, and both Mona and Leon, who were walking past and holding hands, turned to look up at it.

“Aw, shoot…” Mona said, pouting. “It’s 5… I really should be going. …I had a great time today with you, Leon. I mean, you came on really strong, and it kinda put me off, but you’re a really sweet guy. When can we meet again?”

Leon bowed. “My dear Mona, any time you wish to see me, I will more than happily oblige. I leave the decision entirely up to you.”

“Um… I’ll try and come back tomorrow!” Mona said. “Oh, I already can’t wait…” She dropped Leon’s hand and pecked him gently on the cheek. Leon, however, gently guided her face to his and kissed her more passionately on the lips.

After a moment, Leon pulled back. “Well then, my sweet, I will see you tomorrow.” He smiled and waved as Mona walked away. After watching her leave, Leon pulled out a small sheet of paper and painted a small ‘x’ in a box on the sheet. “Step one accomplished,” he muttered quietly. “Now for step two…”

---

“Hey guys, I’m going to the store,” Jeff called from the front door of his house. “I’ll be back for dinner.” A general murmur of assent rippled through the house, and Jeff shut the door, walking up the driveway. As he did, he pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number on it.

It rang twice before someone picked up. A tinny female voice resonated through the phone’s speaker. “Sector Alpha Pokemon Center. How may I help you?”

“Hi,” Jeff said. “My name is Jeff Azure. Later this afternoon, I’ll have a patient brought in by some of my Pokemon. I need you to do extensive testing with him – I fear that there is something wrong with him.”

“What species?” the nurse asked. Jeff told her, and she paused a second before answering. “All right. We’ve been having a lot of trainers come in with them, but we still haven’t figured out what to do. If you want to check your Pokemon in, there is the possibility that we’ll have to hold onto him for a while.”

Jeff thought for a moment. “Yeah,” he replied eventually, “that’s all right. You take as much time as you need.”

Meanwhile, inside the house, Bobbery lounged on a specially-reinforced couch, eating a hoagie as he flipped through the channels quickly on the TV in the living room. Maza sat beside him, scowling. Finally, Maza sighed and snatched the remote from Bobbery. “Look, stop flipping channels, okay? We’re going to stop on one channel. One,” Maza said, dropping the remote.

The TV stations stopped scrolling, revealing a man in a top hat standing atop a freshly mulched field. “Today,” the man began, “we continue our salute to mulch!”

Maza sighed as Bobbery grabbed the remote triumphantly. “Seems the TV gods have called your bluff,” Bobbery chuckled.

A sudden clicking from the hallway, however, diverted their attention. A black figure, floating in the air, rushed through the door: the figure had three limbs and a head seemingly unattached to the body.

“Hi 99,” Maza said nonchalantly. “What’s up?”

99 buzzed agitatedly. “Response: critical problem!” A crackling could be heard behind his words as his internal processor heated up. “Upon investigation, it appears that subject Jeff is not free of brainwashing.”

Bobbery raised his eyebrow. “What? You think that Jeff’s still brainwashed?”

Maza chuckled. “That’s impossible,” he said with a wave of his hand. “The Guild subjected him to the same tests as they did to me, and they determined conclusively that he was not brainwashed.”

“But – but – but!” 99 whirred. “He was observed reading an article about Happy-Happy Village! The subject then made a suspicious statement: ‘Our time will come soon enough.’”

It was then that Bobbery actually stopped flipping channels. The TV landed on a news station, and the anchor was in mid-show.

“…why that should never be repeated. Now, we go over to Henry with our tech news for the day. Henry?”

The camera panned to a short man with straight black hair and small glasses. “Thanks, Bob. Complaints have been pouring in from all over the world about Silph Co’s latest product, a second upgrade for the Porygon line of Pokemon. Codenamed ‘Gaede,’ this latest patch is more usually referred to by consumers as the ‘Dubious Disc,’ and with good reason. Reports claim that some Porygon2 who have been upgraded with Gaede have shown numerous errors, mostly related to memory. Specifically, afflicted Porygon-Z have had incorrect data stored in their memory that seemed to come out of nowhere. Additionally, they have had problems speaking without audible clicking, whirring or buzzing, but this was also observed to a limited capacity in some Porygon2, so it is difficult to say if the upgrade caused this. Silph Co. has yet to take an official position on the Dubious Disc, but insiders are claiming that they will initiate a mass recall soon. Back to you, Bob.”

Bobbery switched off the TV and shook his head. “I knew Jeff shouldn’t have picked up an evolution item off of the street,” he said quietly.

“Look, 99, I know what you think you remember,” Maza said with a regretful look on his face, “but it didn’t actually happen.” He clambered off the couch and walked slowly to 99. “Sorry, man, but you heard the news.”

99 shook his head. “Assertion: I know what I heard. There is no error.”

“No, 99,” Maza repeated, then sighed. “Look. I think you should take a trip to the Pokemon Center. It’s not too far, and they might be able to help.”

A wild look appeared in 99’s bright yellow eyes. “I refuse!” he clicked. “There is nothing wrong with me!” 99 backed away from Maza, but found he was floating in a corner. “Situation is critical!” he muttered to himself. “Initiate escape plan!” 99 closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly, the room surrounding the three Pokemon began to waver, but just as quickly as it started, it ceased. 99 opened his eyes and floated past Maza faster than the Alakazam thought possible.

“Hold on, 99!” Maza called and began to give chase, but he found his movements considerably slowed. He stopped and growled. “Sneaky. He used Trick Room.” Maza shook his head and turned to Bobbery, but the Snorlax was no longer there.

Outside the house, 99 zoomed up the driveway, but his progress was impeded suddenly by the hulking frame of Bobbery immediately in front of him. Bobbery caught the Porygon-Z in a bear hug and held tight. “Look, 99, when you use Trick Room, it means that I end up faster than you, you know?” Bobbery said quietly. “I know you don’t want to, but I really do think it’ll be for the best if you go in for a check-up.”

A flash lit up the area as Maza Teleported, appearing suddenly beside Bobbery. “Yeah, 99, you’ll be in and out in no time.”

99’s eyes flashed red for a brief moment. “No! I will not!” he said, flailing his arms the best he could, but Bobbery held tight. Maza grabbed Bobbery’s arm and, with another flash, Teleported away.

The trio found themselves, upon rematerialization, in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. The nurse looked at them without surprise. “Is that Jeff Azure’s Porygon-Z?” the nurse asked, a gentle tone in her voice. Bobbery and Maza nodded as 99 continued to flail. “Very well,” the nurse continued. She whistled, and a Chansey waddled in from the back room. She gently took 99 from Bobbery and, after ensuring that 99 and Bobbery had their ears covered, began to sing a sweet, lilting melody. Within seconds, 99 was sound asleep.

“Excuse me, nurse?” Maza asked the Chansey. “How long will our friend be in here?”

“I’m not sure,” the Chansey replied. “We don’t know how to fix the Porygon-Z problems yet. But no worries! Your trainer phoned ahead and gave his permission to keep 99 in for extensive testing.”

Bobbery and Maza shot each other a suspicious glance. “Did he, now?” Bobbery asked.

“Indeed,” the Chansey replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She placed 99 on a stretcher and rolled him through a set of double doors labeled ‘Long-Term Care.’

As they walked away from the Pokemon Center, Maza turned to Bobbery. “Did we just make a big mistake?” he asked quietly.

Bobbery stared at the ground. “I don’t know.”

AntiAsh Superstar

28th April 2007, 07:37 AM

Gabi: Hehe, this really was a testament to Tsunami actually being tactful when he has to be. And that has to be one of the most engrossing battle segments I've seen. 17 stamps, I'd say.

Jeff: it can be a challenge to get instantly into the interwoven plotlines in your stories atm but well worth it, it'll be interesting to see what happens next (and btw the whole 'Mona getting seduced' thing shows some serious promise, I look forward to seeing what Leon has in store...) Take 12 stamps.

The Blue Avenger

28th April 2007, 10:24 PM

Heheh. Thank you. ...I'd like an RBG for Groviglio from the Universal Adoption Center, please. *pays 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

29th April 2007, 08:30 PM

Thanks, Ade! I'm glad you liked the battle. It took me some time to finish it. Yes, Tsunami is actually capable of displaying some tact if his future depends on it.

Oh, Jeff, that was intriguing. Poor 99... and everyone else in a way. And Leon seems to be a very unusual pokemon, whatever it is that he's up to. And Cam... I think he deserves a hug.

Oh, and Groviglio will battle a Cranidos.

The Blue Avenger

11th May 2007, 09:03 PM

Right, here's my RBG for Groviglio, called Going Downhill. To answer a question that you will probably have after reading this: yes, I do have a plan for this, and no, I do not enjoy torturing my characters.

***

Cam quietly closed the door behind him. It was early in the morning on a Saturday, and as such, most of the inhabitants of the house were asleep. He breathed in the crisp morning air and smiled before Transforming into a Ninjask and zipping down the road.

Five minutes later, Cameron Mendel walked in the door of the Breeding Center, Caledor branch. He walked quickly to the receptionist area and began addressing the young woman who was working the desk. “Excuse me, ma’am,” Cam said to the small redhead, “I need information on a Pokemon who went through your Threed branch in Eagleland. A Ditto named Xerox.”

“Right-o,” the receptionist replied perkily. “Let’s see here… Xerox was brought in by a man named Andrew Pinckney. Xerox mated with one of the house Dittos, but…” The receptionist frowned at her computer. “We have a date of birth, but it looks like we don’t have a date that the trainer came to pick up the egg or Xerox.”

“So what you’re telling me is that Xerox is still at the center in Threed?” Cam asked.

“That’s what this would seem to indicate. The only problem is that these records would indicate that Xerox went to the center about 5 or so years ago, and that seems awfully bizarre if Xerox’s trainer never picked it back up.” Suddenly, the receptionist let out a sharp gasp. “Wait, Threed, five years ago?” Her fingers flew over her keyboard as she frantically looked for something that Cam couldn’t see from the other side of the desk. “I thought so! It made all the news five years back. Team Rocket raided that breeding center and made off with quite a few Pokemon. The Threed police managed to ferret out their outpost, but they never found some of the Pokemon – the working theory is that they were shipped overseas.” The receptionist looked back up at Cam. “My guess would be that Xerox and the egg were among the Pokemon that were stolen.”

Cam raised an eyebrow. “Why would Team Rocket raid a breeding center and steal eggs?” he asked. “Aren’t they normally after the strongest Pokemon, not babies?”

The receptionist shrugged. “Maybe they needed some weaker Pokemon for testing. Who can say?”

Cam nodded. “Thank you for your time,” he said as he walked out the door. Once more, he Transformed into a Ninjask before flying home.

As Cam entered his house, he accidentally slammed the door – an action that would normally be completely unnoteworthy. This time, however, it had the added side effect of awakening Previsiona, who had been sleeping fitfully up until that point. She snapped her head up, awash in a cold sweat, as she panted and tried to forget the particularly morbid events of the dreams she had been having all night.

However, she was unsuccessful: trying as hard as she could, Previsiona could not shake the details of the nightmare. In it, a rogue Gyarados had escaped from somewhere – a trainer, maybe, or perhaps it was wild – and was rampaging through the side of town that Jeff lived on. For some bizarre reason, nobody else was in town, and so Jeff, being his normal noble self, took it upon himself to try and stop the creature.

Nothing he did worked, however. Jeff had started first by sending out Cam, who immediately Transformed into an Electivire. Cam tried using Thunder, but the Gyarados didn’t seem at all phased by the attack. The Gyarados countered by using an insanely strong Hyper Beam, totally demolishing the Ditto, not to mention the house that he had been standing in front of.

The battle only went downhill from there: Jeff sent in every member of his team except for Previsiona, and each one lost spectacularly, the Gyarados taking no mercy. Finally, instead of sending in Previsiona, Jeff elected to attack the beast himself. As expected, he was no match.

The Gyarados then pinpointed the lone survivor – Previsiona. The giant serpent advanced on her, and she backed away in fear… It began to charge up the lethal beam again in its mouth. Just as it fired, a door slammed somewhere far away, jarring her back to reality.

Previsiona stayed on her pillow, sweating, eyes wide open but not taking anything in. If she, or anyone else in the room (had they been awake), glanced towards the window at that point, they would have noticed a shadowy figure float away from its vantage point, where it had been staying the entire night.

***

Later in the day, Maza stood in the kitchen, staring out the large bay windows into the backyard. The object of his focus was a small hammock strung between two trees, as well as the creatures sleeping in said hammock – a pair of Smeargle that Maza identified as Mona and Leon. He sighed and frowned, continuing to watch them.

“What’s up?” a voice said from behind the Alakazam, causing him to jump. Maza turned around to see Groviglio, casually snacking on a sandwich. “Lemme guess,” Groviglio continued, taking a bite, “that’s Mona and her ‘special friend’ out there.”

Maza nodded and turned back to the window. “There’s something odd about Leon that I can’t put my finger on. He seems nice and everything, but…”

“Heh heh heh.” Groviglio smirked at Maza and snapped his fingers. “Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”

“What?” Maza asked, whipping around. “Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Groviglio asked. “Somebody in this room is jealous of ol’ Leon, and it certainly isn’t me.” His smirk grew wider. “I always suspected it – ever since I first saw you around her – but this just confirms it.”

Maza rolled his eyes. “Come off of it, Groviglio. I’m just worried about Mona.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious! Mona was really the first friend I had on this team. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

Groviglio shook his head. “And you think something’s going to happen to her because…?”

Maza didn’t answer. After a few moments, he said, “If he does anything to hurt her, I will kill him.” A few nearby forks and knives twisted themselves in half, seemingly of their own volition.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?” Groviglio replied. “I mean, everyone has their heart broken at some point.”

Maza slammed his fist onto the countertop. A few seconds passed before he unclenched his fist. “…I guess you’re right. What about seriously maiming him? Is that too much?”

“No, I think that’s okay,” Groviglio replied with a chuckle. “Look, I’m going to go to the barracks and get some exercise in. You have fun watching them, loverboy.” One of the knives that were bent snapped cleanly in half, and Maza turned sharply to face the Tangrowth. However, he turned too late, as Groviglio had already left.

Minutes later, on the other side of town, the door to the Dragon’s Guild barracks was unceremoniously slammed open. Groviglio squeezed his way inside – he still was not entirely used to being bigger than most doors – and walked briskly to the back of the facility, where there sat a dusty set of dumbbells next to a significantly larger barbell.

However, before he could so much as pick one up, a voice called out from behind him. “Hey, Groviglio!”

Groviglio whipped around quickly. The source of the voice was a small Cranidos, standing in the doorway. “Do I… know you?” Groviglio asked, frowning.

“We may have met once or twice,” the Cranidos said, shrugging, “but it’s not surprising that you don’t remember me. I, on the other hand, have been keeping an eye on you for a while, waiting to make my move.”

“Hold on there, chrome dome,” Groviglio interrupted. “What do you mean? What did I do to you?”

The Cranidos smiled in a sickly saccharine manner. “That’s not really important. Just remember this, Groviglio, and remember it well: my name is Pogo. It’s the name of the last Pokemon you’ll ever see!” Pogo sneered and flew at Groviglio, snarling.

Battle time! Groviglio versus Pogo!
Groviglio – “Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!”
~
Pogo – “Let’s rock!”

Groviglio quickly took a step back, leaving Pogo to miss his target altogether and land on the ground. “Okay buddy,” he growled, “I don’t know what your problem is, but I won’t let you beat me!” The Tangrowth slammed his fists onto the ground and began to glow, orbs of light floating from the carpet to his body. After a moment, Groviglio pointed at Pogo as the light coalesced into the shape of a triangle. The triangle flashed between blue, yellow, and red as it slammed into Pogo, knocking the Cranidos back.

Pogo scowled and opened his mouth, flinching slightly as a frigid ray of ice and snow burst forth. The Ice Beam hit home, striking Groviglio head-on. As the Tangrowth shuddered, Pogo grinned. “My wisest enemies run at the first sight of me!” he said, snickering.

“Oh, is your breath that bad?” Groviglio responded immediately, ignoring the effects of the Ice Beam. He gestured into the air, Pogo’s gaze following his hand. When Pogo was looking straight at the ceiling, Groviglio dropped his arm. As he did that, a giant pillar of water dropped from the ceiling as well, slamming Pogo into the ground.

“Grrr… now I know what stupidity really is…” Pogo growled, standing up slowly and shaking the water off.

Before giving him a chance to move, Groviglio snaked out a vine and wrapped it tightly around the Cranidos. “I’m glad to see you went to your family reunion,” he replied nonchalantly, squeezing Pogo more and more. After a few seconds, Groviglio released him, letting Pogo drop to the floor.

Pogo howled. “Everything you’ve said to me is idiotic!” he yelled as he rushed Groviglio, the blue patch on his head glowing.

“I just wanted to make sure you’d be comfortable around me,” the Tangrowth said smugly. He quickly stepped to the side and whipped a vine at Pogo, nimbly tripping him and sending him crashing to the ground. “Look,” Groviglio continued, “you’ll never beat me. I have the advantage in every way here. Size, strength, type, and insults. You won’t win.”

That was when Pogo slammed his rock-hard head into Groviglio’s stomach. Groviglio groaned and took a step backwards. “Ahahaha!” Pogo stepped back as well and pointed at Groviglio, laughing. “You thought you had the upper hand, did you? Your arrogance will be your downfall. I don’t see how someone like you could win! You fight, my friend, like a dairy farmer!”

Groviglio grunted and hauled himself into a standing position. “I fight like a dairy farmer? How appropriate. You fight like a cow!” Once more, Groviglio hurled a vine at Pogo, and once more, it constricted around him. This time, a green glow surrounded the two fighters.

“Uggh…” Pogo groaned. “What is this…? I’m losing my strength…”

Groviglio smirked. “I’d argue that you never had it to begin with. While your health diminishes, I’m feeling better and better. Now who can’t beat who?”

“No! Nobody’s ever beaten me! And nobody ever will!” Pogo yelled.

“Oh? You run that fast?” Groviglio retorted, dropping Pogo to the ground. Pogo charged the Tangrowth again, but Groviglio was ready. Before Pogo could reach him, a pillar of water surged up from beneath the Cranidos, propelling him into the air and slamming him hard into the ceiling.

Pogo fell to the ground and lay there. After a few moments, he spoke. “I… can’t even move. I can’t fight. I surrender.”

Battle over! Groviglio wins and grows to level 15 and learns Poison Powder!

Groviglio turned around, his back facing Pogo. “I have no clue why you attacked me, man, but don’t ever forget this. I am a master… no, THE master at insults. Even if you had been more powerful than me – which you weren’t, by the way – I would have still won, because I can break your mind.”

Pogo weakly struggled to his feet. “Is… that so?” he muttered. “You… you think you’re all that and a bag of chips, is… is that right?”

“Only ‘cause I am.”

“Hmph… you may have beaten me, Groviglio. You may be stronger than me…”

“What’s all this ‘may’ business? I AM stronger than you.”

Pogo mustered up a weak smirk. “…At least I’m not the one who’s lovesick over a stupid Venusaur.”

Groviglio turned sharply. “W-what?”

“You heard me,” Pogo said, slowly beginning to speak stronger and more forcefully. “You’re a lovesick fool, Groviglio. You make a big façade about being this tough, sarcastic, cynical guy, but that’s not it at all, is it?”

“W-wait -”

“You’re afraid, Groviglio. You’re a coward. You can’t ever show anyone how you feel because you’re afraid of how it would make you look.” Pogo snapped his fingers and looked Groviglio straight in the eyes. “In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you’re the most cowardly member on your team. Nobody else goes to such lengths to build such an elaborate façade.”

“H-how…”

“How do I know all this?” Pogo continued. “I wasn’t joking, Groviglio. I’ve had an eye on you for a while. You’re just the sort of Pokemon I hate. You’re arrogant and a jerk, when really, you have absolutely nothing to be arrogant about. You’re weak, Groviglio, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Groviglio didn’t say anything; instead choosing to just continue staring at Pogo, his eyes wide. Pogo winked at him and turned around. As he walked through the door, Pogo called over his shoulder, “You’re not the only one who can break his foes, Groviglio.”

As the barracks door slammed shut, Groviglio stood rooted to the spot, silent and immobile, eyes still wide.

***

A few hours later, in downtown Caledor, a small Pokemon with a large burlap sack raced out of the main door of the Mobius Street Mall. It ran directly for an alleyway a few blocks down from the mall, where it encountered a larger Pokemon waiting for it.

“Boo! Blast!” the smaller figure, a Skitty, spit. “I’m telling you, Rookie, this is no good! The great Popple is off his game!”

“I guess it didn’t go well again, Boss?” the larger figure, a Lickitung, asked timidly.

“Of course it didn’t, Rookie!” Popple screeched. “Just like every job we’ve tried ever since we managed to get back from that weird blue village! I crashed and burned!”

“Well, what happened this time?”

“I made it into the jewelry store this time, but as soon as I got in, I set off an alarm. I barely got out in time… and I didn’t nab anything. Blast! This is horrible!” Popple scowled and kicked the burlap sack across the alley, where it landed limply on a trash can.

“POPPLE!” The trash can’s lid burst open. From the can rose a shadowed, humanoid figure. Popple and Rookie immediately flattened themselves on the wall on the opposite side of the alley, eyes wide. The figure climbed out of the can and into the light, where Popple and Rookie could see it as a Toxicroak. He walked slowly over to Popple. “Oh, I’m sorry,” the Toxicroak said in a slightly unsettling voice, “did I frighten you? My name is Pitt.”

“W-w-what do you want, ya sap?” Popple asked in a voice that made it very apparent he was trying to mask a substantial amount of fear.

“Oh, nothing much,” Pitt said, idly tracing designs on a nearby crate. The acid in his fingers left deep ridges in the crate wherever he touched it. “I just happen to have overheard your conversation. Not just this one, either; I live in this alley and I notice whenever you come here. Most importantly, it would seem we have a common foe.”

Popple’s eyes lit up. “You mean -”

“I do indeed. He, of course, cannot hope to match me as a thief – I’ve had too much experience – but he is still, as we say, a thorn in my side.”

“All right, you have my attention,” Popple said. “What do you propose doing about him?”

Pitt grinned a toothy grin, one that displayed every single jagged tooth in his mouth. “Simply this: we break him. I am interested in training you to be better than he is. Once you are, his fragile ego won’t be able to stand it if you beat him. You, of course, realize how unstable he is.”

Rookie stepped in front of Popple. “Wait, hold on here. You said that you’re a more experienced thief. Then why don’t you beat him? It’d be faster and more efficient. Plus you wouldn’t have to go out of your way to train someone else. You’ve got an ulterior motive here. What’s going on?”

Both Pitt and Popple stared at him for a second, apparently shocked. “Stuff it, Rookie!” Popple eventually growled. “I didn’t tell you to talk!”

“Boss, this guy is incredibly shady!” Rookie whined.

“So are we. We’re thieves. If we weren’t shady, we wouldn’t be very good thieves, now would we?” Popple countered.

“We’re NOT very good thieves!” Rookie yelled. “That’s what we were just talking about!”

“Then maybe we need to be more shady,” Popple said, grinning. “And this guy looks perfect for the job.”

Rookie scowled and opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t come up with anything. He frowned and turned around, glaring at the wall.

“Well, well, well, I’m glad to see that’s cleared up,” Pitt said. “So let us make our decision, shall we? Either I train you and you become the best thief after me to grace the city AND you get to take down your arch-rival in a fantastic display, or you can go back to scrounging for food in this dirty alley because you couldn’t muster up enough thieving ability to steal a piece of bread. What will it be, Popple?”

Popple smirked. “That’s not even a choice. Of course I’ll take your offer.” He turned to Rookie. “And as for you, Rookie…”

Rookie spun around. “No. You know what? I’ve had it. That’s as much as I can take. I can’t live like this anymore. I don’t want to make a living off of something that’s liable to get me killed if we steal from the wrong person. I especially don’t want to get help from this sleazy, scummy frog who won’t even tell us his true intentions. I put up with a lot from you, Popple, but that’s the last straw. I’ll see you on the flipside of NEVER.” Rookie pushed Popple aside and angrily stormed out of the alleyway.

“Rookie…” Popple said, surprised.

“You don’t need him,” Pitt said, a wide smile on his face. “He would only be in your way.”

“But…” Popple stuttered, “He was my… friend.”

“As of now,” Pitt said, a surprising amount of authority in his voice, “I am the only friend you’ll ever need.” Popple gulped.

As this was happening, Rookie ran down the streets of Caledor. Eventually, he made it to the corner of two streets called Tycho and Kepler. Out of breath, he rang the doorbell of the house he stood in front of.

Bobbery answered the door and was rather surprised to see a panting Lickitung. “Aren’t you that Rookie guy?” Bobbery asked.

“I… I need…” Rookie panted, “to talk to Kurtzwick. I need… to warn him.”

***

Meanwhile, in the Caledor Pokemon Center, 99 lay strapped to a stretcher in a small back room. It had been three days since he was admitted to the Center, and he still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. The past three days had been a whirlwind tour of the Center’s medical facilities as the nurses used whatever tests they could find on him. The only conclusion that had been drawn so far, however, was that he was in fact a Porygon-Z and that he did in fact evolve using the Dubious Disc’s upgrade.

“Conclusion: this is pointless,” 99 said quietly. “I know what I heard. This just proves it more. It would be illogical for Jeff to tell the nurses ahead of time to keep me here unless he did not want me around. Therefore, he does not want me around. And why would he not want me around?” If anyone were near 99 at the moment, they would have been able to hear him clicking faster and faster. “He would not want me around because I know something he does not want to get out.” He strained against his bindings. “QUERY: I WONDER WHAT THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE?! Maybe it was because I knew that he still supported the Happy-Happyists! It is not that difficult to work it out!”

99 sighed and remained quiet for a second. The only other noise was a faint beeping from some machines on a desk near him. “Conclusion: when I get back home,” he muttered, “Maza and Bobbery are going to have some serious apologizing to do.”

The room remained silent. “If there were a Normal Pokemon aside from myself in here,” 99 mumbled, “I could theoretically use Conversion 2 to change into a ghost. Then I could just phase through these straps. Perhaps one will be admitted here soon.” It was then that he saw the sign on the door to the room he was in: it read ‘Solitary Ward. Current Resident: 99 (Porygon-Z)’. 99 twitched, slowly laid his head back down, and shut his eyes.

***

In his room, Jeff sat quietly on his bed, his laptop in front of him. He watched silently as a program booted up; it quickly identified itself as ‘AzTech Video Conferencing.’ Jeff pressed a few keys and, almost immediately, a face appeared that filled up the entire screen. The face had piercing red eyes and a shock of spiky red hair. Its expression was one of cold calculation, yet seemed to be severely maleficent.

“How is it proceeding?” the face asked.

“Everything is going according to plan,” Jeff replied.

“Good, good. Do they suspect that you have anything to do with it?”

“Nobody save the Porygon-Z,” Jeff said. “I took steps to solve that problem, though.”

“Such as?” the face responded, raising an eyebrow.

“I had him admitted to the Pokemon Center here in their solitary ward. They think they’re treating him because of all the recent glitches with Porygon-Z. The rest of the team believes that as well.”

“Excellent. You are serving me well,” the face said with a cold smile. “Keep it up.”

“Thank you, sir, I will,” Jeff replied before exiting the program and powering down his laptop.

Lady Vulpix

21st May 2007, 12:46 PM

Sorry for the delay, Jeff, I've beenway too busy. Take 18 stamps

Groviglio's story was quite interesting. And it was surprising (in a good way) to see Rookie stand up for himself, though that must have been a very hard decision. And it looks like someone's been playing Monkey Island lately. :rolleyes: ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

22nd May 2007, 01:21 PM

Thanks. I'll take an RBG from the Universal Adoption Center for Mercandos. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

22nd May 2007, 09:18 PM

It looks like the randomizer wants you to encounter new pokemon. A Shieldon's up next.

Lady Vulpix

14th June 2007, 10:06 PM

This is the story I intended to post before the end of February. I guess "sorry for the delay" doesn't begin to cover it, but here it is.

THINGS GET MOVING

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<Iael's POV>

I'd seen the tower from the outside before, which in itself was quite impressive. But I'd never been inside it. From the inside, it gave an impression of immensity. Especially when climbing up the stairs, I had a feeling I could go on climbing forever and never reach the top. Yet somehow I wasn't tired... just excited, and a little confused. I wondered if others were feeling the same way, but I didn't dare to ask. I just looked at them. Tsunami and Hero looked thoughtful, and I didn't get much from the little I could see of the others' faces. I decided to just wait and see what happened. It was, as my more calculating side would say, the logical course of action. Still, I noted how strange it was that I seemed to be able to be in both modes at the same time. I wondered if it had something to do with the magic of the tower, or if I was giving it too much credit.

We finally reached the top of the stairs: the mythical seventh floor which none of my friends had touched the first time around. Someone was waiting for us. He looked vaguely human, but slimmer than most humans I'd seen without his bones sticking out. He had silvery hair, pointy ears and a faint light seemed to come out of his turquoise eyes. He was wearing white robes decorated with golden patterns. I looked at my team, and they all had confused or suspicious looks on their faces. I wondered what was going on, and waited for someone else to say the first word. That turned out to be the stranger, and his first word was "Welcome."

"Teclis?," Lagi ventured.
The elf nodded.
"You look different," Gabi remarked shyly. I remembered she had described Teclis as a wise old man with a long beard.
"That's because your expectations are different now."
"You mean... Everyone sees you as they expect you to look like?"
"Something like that," he conceded.
"That's not fair!," complained Tsunami. "We don't get to know anything for certain! What do you really look like?"
"If I changed my appearance now and told you the new one is real, what reason would you have to believe me?," Teclis questioned him. "And what does it mean for an appearance to be real?"
"The one you were born with?," Tsunami tried.
"In that case, that is not your true appearance either," Teclis replied. "Weren't you brown and furry when you were born?"
Tsunami opened his mouth, but failed to come up with a good answer and closed it again.
"That could make for an interesting discussion," Teclis moved on, "But I believe that's not what you came for." Then he smiled and made an offer. "Will any of you join me for a cup of tea?"

It is a well-known fact that Gabi can hardly say 'no' to a cup of tea, and I'm not sure about Amber but that may apply to her too. The thing is that before we knew it, we were all standing or sitting around a large table. Apparently the tea was good. I didn't drink it. There wasn't much talk and everyone seemed rather tense. I'm not sure how I was feeling. It was all so strange! It wasn't until everyone had finished that Teclis asked us what we had come for. I wondered if he was asking because he didn't know, or just to be polite. Some of my teammates tried to explain what we were looking for, but they didn't seem to be sure themselves. I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. Checking the library was ruled out for the time being, 'cause if we couldn't put in words what they wanted to know, we were even less likely to be able to find it among the countless tomes that populated the place.

"Alright, we're doing this the wrong way," Gabi reckoned. "Could you please tell us what you know about Yssera?"
"And the Black Dragon," added Amber.
Teclis smiled. "Of course. I have been doing some research about them since the incident in Templa Taure. They were both born the age were dragons roamed over Caledor. There were different groups of dragons. Some, possibly most of them, tended to keep to themselves. Some were kind and friendly towards other races, and a few of them have by now become legends. But there were others who despised all other creatures, especially sentient ones. Those unlucky enough to cross paths with them by accident, or foolish enough to confront them unprepared, were either killed immediately or tortured until the dragons got bored and decided to dispose of them. Some of those dragons went further and left their homes periodically to search for victims. Legends also tell about them, and the destruction they caused. The Black Dragon was one of them."
"And Yssera?," asked Lagi.
"Yssera was originally a member of the first group. She didn't care whether non-dragons lived or died, and she had no reason to help them nor attack them. But as more of them wandered into her domains, she became curious. She started by observing those who came close, and as her interest grew she began to enter their dreams. That's how she learned the most about them... their feelings, their goals, their ambitions, their fears... It didn't take her long to see potential in those creatures, and so she started showing herself to them, and invariably got requests from them in turn. I imagine they assumed that any dragon who came to them and didn't kill them or hurt them was there to help them. Yssera must have been amused by the endless ambition of the souls she encountered, and delighted by the way they opened themselves to her. So she gave them what they wanted, and in turn took everything else from them. She made them her unconditional servants, and that gave her a taste of power she wasn't willing to let go of."

There was a pause. At first I thought Teclis was stopping for a breath or organizing his thoughts, but then I had the feeling he was waiting for us, to make sure we were keeping up with the story. I thought I had to say something.

"What did she do then?," I asked.
"She made her servants bring her gold and jewels... the things that most dragons treasure; but once she had them she found them useless, and searched for other ways to find excitement. Since she liked power, and she had some, she tried imposing that power upon others. Not those she considered inferior, since she had nothing to gain from opressing them, but those she saw as her equals."
"Other dragons?," asked Gabi.
"Exactly."
"And what happened?," Caledor queried. It seemed everyone's interest had been caught by the story by now.
"She won some fights and lost some others. She learned from experience. Not much of her battles came to our ears until she clashed with the Black Dragon. She found him to be a formidable opponent. He commanded ethereal demons, who rarely had any trouble slaying Yssera's servants. But his demons needed corporeal bodies to interact with the physical plane, and Yssera only needed to wait for their hosts to fall asleep to cure them from the possession and get their lifelong gratitude in return. You can imagine what she did to them next."
Caledor nodded, and let out a small sigh.
"The Black Dragon was enraged, and decided to challenge Yssera to a personal battle - no minions, just one dragon against the other. The battle was long and had many casualties, as the dragons destroyed everything in their wake. The Black Dragon seemed to have the upper hand most of the time, but Yssera gave no signs of giving up and many more lives would be lost before the battle concluded. Something had to be done. So many warriors and mages set themselves to the task of stopping the warring dragons. Finally, a group of them succeeded, and the two were contained. They were left in separate holy places, each one locked by two magical seals, one for the body and one for the mind. You have been to those places."
"White Mountain... and Templa Taure?," Gabi guessed.
"That's right."
"But how did they break free?," she asked.
"I believe the Black Dragon's mental seal was broken by accident, by an unwary adventurer who was trying to unveil the secrets of Templa Taure. He didn't live to regret it. He was attacked by possessed pokemon, and found at the brink of death at the edge of the forest. By then he had lost too much blood for any medical treatment to save him."
"So he was the man who appeared on TV?," I asked. "I remember that."
Teclis nodded.
"Did the Black Dragon make his demons break the other seal?," asked Amber.
Another nod.
"But what about Yssera?," Gabi wanted to know.
"It was the Black Dragon himself who broke Yssera's mental seal. One can only speculate about his reasons, but since then Yssera has been recruiting more servants and trying to gather enough mystical energy to break the other seal."
"Does that mean she's still trapped?"
It was Gabi who asked that, but I'd been wondering the same thing.
"The Black Dragon's servants are better at breaking magical seals than hers are," Teclis replied. "She's still trapped in White Mountain, but it's not hard to foresee what will happen if she manages to break free."

We all nodded. Another war. More deaths and destruction. We had to stop it. Right then it didn't really matter if the Black Dragon was worse or not, he was hiding somewhere and Yssera wouldn't hesitate to destroy everything in her wake while trying to find him. We needed to avoid that, and deal with one problem at a time. Not that I knew how to deal with either of them, but if we stood any chance at all it would be only by stopping them from coming together.

"Is there any way we can stop her?," Lagi asked.
"I believe you can," Teclis replied, looking straight at her.
"Wait a minute," said Gabi. "Is that 'you' as in the Dragon Tamers and the Dragon's Guild, or 'you' as in Lagi?"
"What do you believe it means?"
"I believe you just might be telling everyone what they want to hear. It happened to Ryan and Charlie... maybe even Scott. And at least one of them fell straight into Yssera's claws, and the other two are missing."
"Are you saying it was I who caused that?"
"I don't know. I just know they all thought they could do everything by themselves, and they seemed to have got that idea from you. And it turned out they couldn't."
"I never told any of them to do what they did. I only told them to do their best. I didn't choose their paths for them. I think it would be best if you left this Tower now."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you."
"It sounded amazingly similar to an accusation."
"I just don't know what to think anymore."
"Then go... and sort out your thoughts. You have many tools at your disposal. Just make sure to use them wisely."

After that, it would have been rude to stay any longer. Gabi apologized again, and we left. The White Tower of Hoeth disappeared before our eyes, and I wondered if we'd ever walk into it again. We were all thoughtful during our journey back home. Lagi kept trying to comfort Gabi, and Caledor did his best to lighten up the mood. He managed to make us laugh a few times. But I couldn't help being worried, and I doubt anyone else could.

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<Shirly's POV>

I thought I'd be returning to Ellyrion, but I ended up in a library, somewhere in Caledor. Don't ask me how I got there, I was too confused, and flying on instinct. Even there, I felt the internal struggle. A part of me wondered what use that crazy quest would be... I wanted to leave it all behind and just sleep it over or something until my purpose became clear. But another part of me told me that purpose isn't something that just comes while you sit idle and wait, and at that time the latter sounded more believable. I had to do something, even if I had no idea what it would lead me to, or even why I was doing that instead of anything else. So I took a deep breath and knocked on the door with one of my hooves.

A few seconds passed. "There may be no one inside," I thought. "This is all too crazy. What will you do if someone opens?" I didn't have the time to think of an answer, however. At that moment the door opened, and I had to face the present, and the Golduck who was giving me a rather bewildered look from the other side of the door. Only then did I wonder how many had seen me on my way there. I hadn't been thinking clearly. I was probably the gossip subject of the whole city by then. "Well, I can't fix that," I told myself. "But I have to say something now."

"My name is Shirly," I spoke out. "I've been attracted to this place for some reason. Do you think you could help me? I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I have a strong feeling it's here."

The Golduck examined me carefully. "I guess you've come here for more than just books," he finally said. "I sense something different about your spirit."
"Something different?," I asked.
"Slightly darker, if I'm not mistaken. Which is strange for a creature such as you."

A creature such as me? I wondered if he'd said that just because of my appearance, or if he knew something about me, or about my family. But what could he possibly know? He was just a Golduck. It didn't even make any sense for him to be running a library. Or was there more to him than met the eye? He said he could sense something in my spirit. So could I. Maybe he knew something. Maybe he could help me.

"Then you understand my predicament?," I asked him. "I've always had a dual nature. My mother was a Rapidash, and my father a Pegasus... But that never used to be much of a problem. I was one inside. Now I feel like I'm torn in two... There are two sides of me that can't stop fighting and I can't tell which one's right... if either of them is. *Sighs.* I need some peace. I want to be one again."
"I have come across many that have shared your predicament," he replied, much to my shock. "Maybe what helped them can also help you."
I looked at him hopefully. "So you really have a solution? Have I come to the right place?"
"I'm a little uncertain, but it's something worth trying."

He left me for a moment. I wondered what he was going to do... whether he was just playing with my feelings or could really be of help to me. When he came back, he was carrying a strange crystal. I gasped, and stepped back. There was something scary about it... something powerful. And somehow it felt soothing at the same time. I couldn't understand what was going on, but I reckoned there was only one way to find out. I pushed myself forward as much as I could... which turned out to be two steps.

"What's that?," I asked.
"It's called the Pegasus Crystal. Some friends of mine came across it while they were at White Mountain." The Golduck chuckled. "Now it makes sense why you came here for help. It can purify anyone under a dark influence."
"A dark influence?..." I wondered. "Could that be it?"

It seemed too simple, and scary at the same time. Could some of my thoughts and feelings have been planted inside me in order to hurt me? But if so, how? Why? By Whom? And, most importantly, which ones? Could that crystal make me whole again? What part of me was real? I didn't want to believe it... but I needed hope, and that crystal could be it. I'd make sure to set things right once I knew what 'right' was.

"So how... do you make it work?," I inquired.
"We need to expose it to a bright light," answered the Golduck. "Are you willing to try it?"

I thought about it carefully, and then decided to stop thinking, lest I miss my chance and remain like that forever. I took another deep breath, and accepted. "I am. I have waited too long, I can't take it anymore."

The Golduck nodded and held the crystal out in front of his face.
"Try not to blink," he warned me, just before a blinding light filled the room.

I stood still against the light that seemed to burn not only my eyes, but everything inside me. I don't like saying this, but I was terrified. I wondered if it had all been a huge mistake... but it was too late to do anything about it. Then everything changed. The pain stopped, and a delightful calm replaced it. I felt safe and warm. Then the light receded. It took me a few seconds to be able to see again. When I managed it, everything looked normal. The Golduck was looking at me, expectant, still holding the crystal. It didn't feel scary now. Actually, I didn't feel anything special. It was a bit anti-climatic, but at least it wasn't bad. Was that how it was supposed to go?

"Did it... work?," I finally asked.
"You tell me. Are those two sides still fighting?"
"I feel confused... but quiet. I hadn't felt like this for years. I thought that if I somehow managed to get rid of my problem I'd have my path lined up in front of me, but I've found no answers... just silence." I stopped for a moment to clear my thoughts, and then continued. "Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm free to choose my own path, am I not? I think it worked after all. I must thank you for that. Is there any way I can repay what you did for me?"
"No, I'm fine," the Golduck replied. "Just enjoy your peace of mind."
"Thank you so much! Err... What's your name?"
"It's Triton," he answered. I felt a bit embarrassed that I hadn't asked him earlier.
"Thank you, Triton. If you ever need anything from me, I'll be there for you. Now I'm going... Umm... Maybe going straight to White Mountain wouldn't be a good idea. I think I'll go somewhere quiet to sort out my thoughts and then decide what to do next."
"That would be a good idea. Do you have a particular place in mind?"
"I'm not sure yet. I haven't seen that much of Caledor. I thought I'd look around until I found some peaceful place. Maybe in one of the forests or the mountains."
Triton nodded.

I left, unsure of what to do next but ready to take the wheel of my own life. I didn't know if anyone who knew me was still around, but if so they might hear the rumors of a flying Rapidash and look for me. And if not, I'd surely find someone, or at least take the time to find answers on my own.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Eshree's POV>

The situation wasn't good. Glyph and Orknye had returned with urgent news, and I had no one to share them with; no one to turn to. The only other human I knew I could trust was away on a trip that would take at least a week. There were a few pokemon I had talked to outside my team, but apparently they were overwhelmed with problems of their own. I had Orknye contact Harims, but she said she'd already done everything she could. It felt like doors were closing all around me. Turning to my co-workers at the Dragon's Guild was out of the question. Even if Lady Ninetales was starting to treat me fairly and Glenda seemed rather nice, they would probably freak out if I said too much and question me if I said too little. There was only one person currently in the area who would understand everything, but he freaked me out and there was no way in the universe I was going to turn to him.

I reckoned all I could do was wait, and hope it wouldn't be too late by the time the Dragon Tamers were available. It was Glyph who convinced me otherwise; always the wise one, he came up with a partial truth that sounded complete enough to give Lady Ninetales, and offered to draw all possible consequences to himself. In other words, I'd tell her that Glyph had decided to stay in White Mountain for a while because he felt something strange was going on and wanted to investigate, and then returned when he sensed something big was in motion. She wouldn't doubt he could communicate with me, most good trainers in Caledor could understand their own pokemon. And Glyph was an Espeon, a psychic pokemon. It made sense for him to be able to perceive things the rest of us didn't. He might come out as a particularly powerful psychic and attract some attention, but not so much that it could get us in trouble. At least not as much trouble as we'd get if we let such a dangerous force roam free.

I was questioned, but I'd been expecting it and had most of my answers ready. As for the remaining few, keeping it short and simple seemed to work. After all, they had no reason to ask me where I came from nor why I'd joined the Guild at a time like this; and aside from that, I was just like everybody else. After having wished for so long that I had some great power that could make everything easier for me, for once I was glad I didn't have it. It would have complicated things.

I was a bit surprised at how promptly our section reacted, which made me think someone else must have been keeping an eye on White Mountain all that time. I should have expected it, honestly; it was the Dragon's Guild after all. Still, it was too big a job for our department alone. Lady Ninetales didn't want to involve the Orders of the Griffin and the Dragon unless it was unavoidable (and come the case they would undoubtedly involve themselves), and the Traders and Merchants Association wouldn't be of much help in a situation like this, so the only other section of the Guild we could turn to was the MTU, and it would take time to get its members organized as most of them were quite independant. I insisted on joining forces with the Dragon Tamers, since they had a great track record when it came to dealing with big crises. But that had been a long time ago, and now they had few trainers left and even fewer immediately available. Lady Ninetales agreed that we should accept their help as it was bound to come free of charge (she believed they'd do it anyway wether we asked them to or not, and even if we warned them against it, so we might as well co-ordinate our efforts), but it would take time to gather them and prepare them for the mission.

That meant we had to formulate a plan.

Lady Vulpix

16th June 2007, 05:32 PM

Kerel has requested an extension for the current scenario. He requested it orally, but I guess it counts.

New scenario! It's an unusual one, as it's a transition towards the next one which will also be unusual, but in another way. Was this cryptic enough? :P

If you want to know the details that led to this, I recommend reading at least the last part of my previous post. If you want even more, the whole archive (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/Archives/) is yours to browse. But if you just want to go straight to the action, then proceed.

Strange things are happening in White Mountain. We don't know exactly what it is, but since that's the place where the dragon Yssera was imprisoned and her followers have been particularly aggressive lately, it can't be good.

A party from the Pokemon Research and Training Department of the Dragon's Guild has marched ahead to assess the situation and keep things under control until backup arrives. That backup is us.

The Dragon Tamers and the Mercenary Trainers Union have been called to gather and get in shape for the upcoming battle. To that effect, the MTU building will be open to all Dragon Tamers for a free training session.

Each trainer may battle up to 2 pokemon of the Mercenary Trainers Union, from the room of his/her choice.

Available rooms:
-Caledor's Nature Protection Agency (80% Fire, 15% Dragon, 5% Ground)
-Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency (60% Water, 40% Ice)
-Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency (35% Grass, 25% Bug, 25% Poison, 15% Flying)
-Professional Sports Breeding System (85% Fighting, 15% Rock)
-Electric Shutdown Retirement System (95% Electric, 5% Steel)
-Free Range Corral (100% Normal)
-Universal Adoption Center (20% Psychic, 20% Ghost, 15% Rock, 15% Ground, 15% Steel, 15% Dark)

This works just like RBGs: you choose the room and the pokemon you'll be using (and whether you want 1 or 2 opponents), and we'll tell you what your opponent(s) will be. Each opponent gives 1 level of experience. The difference is that this time you don't have to pay. Unless you want more, of course.

Crystal Tears

16th June 2007, 07:16 PM

Just to be safe, I’ll post my pokemon’s information.

http://pokemonelite2000.com/sprites/dpffa/dpffa267.png
Adeyaka
Beautifly
Level 10

I’d like to apply for two opponents in the Professional Sports Breeding System please. ^_^

Lady Vulpix

16th June 2007, 07:21 PM

Adeyaka will battle a Kabuto and a Meditite, both level 10.

classy_cat18

16th June 2007, 08:10 PM

I just noticed that Circe hasn't battled before, here or in the Battle Tower. I would like two opponents for my L10 Ralts from the Free Range Corral.

The Blue Avenger

16th June 2007, 08:41 PM

Circe will fight an Azurill and an Eevee.

Meanwhile, I'd like a battle for Mona, my level 8 Smeargle, and Kurtzwick, my level 6 Dratini. The former should be from the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency and the latter from the Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency.

Lady Vulpix

16th June 2007, 09:15 PM

2 rooms, eh? Hm... I guess it's ok, if they will be 2 separate battles. Mona will battle a Budew and Kurtzwick will battle a Lapras.

AntiAsh Superstar

5th July 2007, 07:03 PM

Gabi: It was very interesting to see your take on the whole 'meeting with Teclis' thing and the summary of the relationship between Yserra and the Black Dragon was a really interesting read. Take ten stamps. :)

Oh, and I'll follow Jeff's lead and have two seperate battles in two different rooms for this scenario. One for Beckham (L33) from the Universal Adoption Centre and another for Milliardo (L28) from the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency. :)

Anyways, now that's all over here's my last RBG... finally. Not my best, but towards the end I really just wanted to get it over with and posted. ^^;;;
---
“I need a word with you, Ade.” Sometimes having your dreams interrupted could be a blessing in disguise. Like tonight. It seemed that Tsuyoi needed to change the channel of my subconscious mind and to be honest I thought he was probably doing me a favour. Before he arrived I was having a hard-to-follow dream involving a knight in shining armour and a cartoon fish. It was good to have some sanity enforced, really, especially at a point in the dream where the king of the realm had just decreed that, as a reward for his good deeds, the knight was going to have to kiss everyone present, cartoon fish included.
“A word? Have several. This dream seems straight out of the imagination of Thunderblast anyway.” Almost on cue the images surrounding me vanished to be replaced with the nothingness of psychic space. And Tsuyoi, stood boldly in front of me. “What did you want?”
“Just letting you know that I’m likely to be gone for a while,” he said nonchalantly. “As are my sisters. We have a rather major project back in our reality of origin that needs attending to.”
“Really? Anything exciting?”
“Revolutionary, you could say.” The smile on Tsuyoi’s face wasn’t exactly a nice one, which made me rather fearful for whatever beings shared a reality with this creature when he wasn’t haunting us. “But I won’t bore you with my plans for lands that you aren’t even aware exist. I just felt I ought to warn you that your safety net won’t be around for a while, so try not to do anything too moronically self-destructive while I’m away, okay?”
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “I won’t. In fact it’ll be nice to not feel trapped in your schemes for once.”
“Well if you’re worried about what you’re going to do with your new-found freedom I can rustle up a list of useful projects you can busy yourself with. I’ve already got Thunderblast looking after my stock investments, I’m sure I can find a use for you too,” Tsuyoi sneered before suddenly growing solemn. “A word of warning though. Steer clear of Lord Absol while I’m away. Although I’m fairly certain now that he would leave you alone even if he did find out you were back, involvement with him is courting trouble.”
“Well…”
“A classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, I know what you’re about to say… by the way, your whining about your lot in life is really starting to get tiresome. You’re perfectly welcome to ask me to leave, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult for me to find a new hobby.”
“No,” I shook my head. “I may not approve of your methods, or your results half the time, but as much as I hate to admit it I think I’d rather miss you if you left.”
“Of course you would. You need somebody to give you some focus, after all. Now back to the point. For all his talk of protecting the realm Lord Absol is ruthlessly efficient and his department is worryingly lacking in accountability. He may be roughly on the same side as you at the moment but who’s to say that later he may decide that humanity counts as ‘a threat to the realm’? Remember, it wasn’t man’s land originally and Lord Absol is elven.”
“You’re saying he could pose a threat? One day just decide that it’s his right to reclaim Ulthuan? That sounds a bit like the sort of thing that you’d do, Tsuyoi.”
“I know it is. In fact I have used similar justifications more than once or twice myself. We’re really not that different in outlook, he and I. The crucial difference being that this isn’t my home. I have no real ties to it either politically or historically. Whereas I’d imagine he has quite a vested interest in Ulthuan and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume a slight grudge against humans.”
“So we potentially could have an enemy in our midst,” I grimaced. “Things are getting a bit clearer now. Thanks for finally being straight with me. And good luck with whatever you’re off to do. What are you doing back at your home reality, by the way?”
“Reclaiming a land that originally belonged to my race and probably causing the ruination of the current supposedly dominant species, of course,” Tsuyoi sneered. “Why else do you think I’m highly suspicious of what the closest thing to me this reality has plans to do with his ancestral home?”
“I…” My mouth was open but no sound was coming out. Sometimes the sheer ruthless detachment of Tsuyoi defied all my expectations.
“Drop me an email when you finally find the words to voice what you’re thinking. My address is ‘tsuyoi@ireallydontgiveadamnwhatyouthink.net’ .” The monster turned his back to me. “Take care. And enjoy the rest of the sanity-destroying dream.”

All of a sudden I understood why so many people hated him so.

Morning came and with it the promise of a new start. Or at the very least a cooked breakfast and a chance to sit down and think.
“You look tired, Ade,” Sindel noted as she dished out the bacon, eggs and toast. “Restless night?”
“No, just a really weird one,” I sighed. The previous day I had finally showed my face to my friends in a small, unofficial Guild meeting. It had been good to see everyone at last and even better to get things out into the open, but the meeting had provided more questions than answers. The most pressing (for me at least) being how I could take up my Guild work again without causing a fuss. “Roll on weekend, the sooner we can teleport over and meet up with Soo again the better.” Ah yes. Soo, my wife and my reason for existence. She had been a trainer alongside me once, but the stressful life of a Dragon Tamer had proven too much for her to handle. These days she kept her pokémon as pets and worked as a retail manager in a store in Tiranoc. I had often joked that she would find managerial life too stressful. She, quite rightly, had countered that if she could survive the likes of the Crimson Blades a few difficult customers weren’t likely to bother her. So she had taken the job, nice and far away from the chaos and danger that surrounded my chosen line of work, and we saw each other on weekends only. Not an ideal arrangement, but the most workable solution we could think of.
“It is nice to see everybody,” Pearl agreed. She had a vested interest in these visits seeing as Soo was currently looking after her daughter, Celeste, “but probably not a great idea to dwell on it too much. We have a few tricky problems to deal with at the minute but none of them are that dire.”
“Aren’t they?” I responded unhappily. “I don’t really know what to make of any of this any more.”
“Ade…” Pearl rested her head on my lap. “I don’t know what’s the matter. But I do know that whatever it is it can be overcome. We’ve been in trickier situations than this before and survived, right?”
“Right,” I agreed. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Maybe I ought to just get up, get dressed and return to work. This is Ulthuan, weird stuff happens here on an almost daily basis. Nobody’s going to ask questions, are they?”
“They probably will, but you can always tell them to mind their own damn business,” Thunderblast piped up unhelpfully. “The way I see it you can either face the Guild directly or try and get at the information you would need from them another way. I mean, between what I picked up from hanging around Dan, Marius’ geekiness and a lot of luck we could cobble together some sort of patchwork system to get at their files without being noticed. But that’d take time and my schedule’s very busy today.”
“Really. What does this schedule consist of then?”
“Hmm… let me check.” Here she pulled a sheet of paper seemingly out of nowhere and consulted it carefully. “9am, breakfast. 9.30am, a few laps of the garden. 10am, plot world domination. 10.02am, give up on world domination as it’s too much like hard work. 10.15am, pineapple. Pineapple???” The Raichu looked confused. “Don’t know how that got there. I swear, sometimes it’s as if my mind has a mind of its own. I thought it was pomegranate at 10.15.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll head down to the Guild, say my apologies and try to pick up where I left off. I’m damn sick of all this hiding, if Lord Absol’s still interested in me just let him come and I’ll just tell him I’m not interested in what he has to say.” Of course there were a thousand things wrong with that plan, not least the fact that the most sinister member of the Dragon’s Guild didn’t seem the sort to take no for an answer. But it seemed to me that whatever trouble was brewing was going to happen sooner or later anyway and it was stupid to put myself out so much just for the sake of delaying it a little. “Anyone who wants to can come with me. I could probably use the moral support for when I get chewed out by Lady Ninetales for not reporting back sooner.”
“You can count on my family’s wholehearted lack of support, but we’ll come anyway,” Milliardo grinned evilly. “For no other reason than I’d like to socialise outside this room and I don’t think Pandora and Marius have got anything better to do.”
“True enough, although it might be nice to let us make our own minds up for once,” Pandora commented, rolling her eyes. “How the hell did I wind up with you for a mate?”
“Pure good luck I guess,” Milliardo grinned. It was amazing, really, how much the two pokémon had developed over time. Pandora had mellowed quite a lot over the years, going from a vitriolic creature with wildly swinging moods to one who was in the main quite agreeable even if she did tend to have depressive episodes. And Milliardo… well, he had simply fallen for his own rhetoric. Once upon a time he had been a very vulnerable creature who hid that fact behind cruel comedy and a fake arrogance. But over time even he had started to believe his bluffs until eventually a charismatic (albeit still barb-tongued) creature with enough confidence for a hundred creatures had emerged, a far cry from the bitter little Eevee he had once been.
“Perhaps I’d better join you as well, Ade, especially if you’re hoping for moral support,” Pearl sighed. “I’ve nothing against Pandora and Marius, but mouth almighty over there is hardly what I’d call great at being sympathetic.”
“Thanks guys,” I chuckled. “Okay, now that’s sorted how about we get moving?” I had put this day off for far too long. It was about time I got back into the thick of things and finally put recent (and not-so-recent) events behind me.

As it happened the initial meeting with Lady Ninetales wasn’t half as scary as I was expecting it to be. These were relatively quiet times for her department and for possibly the first time since we started a working relationship we were able to sit down and talk without her looking like she was supposed to be doing a thousand other things at the same time. It made for a pleasant surprise.
“To be honest I’m just glad you came back,” she confessed at one point. “I was seriously worried that you had pulled another Scott on us. Too many of our – and your as a Dragon Tamer, I have to point out – good people seem to vanish without trace mid-mission.”
“Believe me, if I had a choice in the matter I wouldn’t have gone at all. But you raise a good point. It almost sounds like a worthy investigation in itself.”
“True, and it’s a potential investigation that I’d rather conveniently not think about. It did occur to me, but then I couldn’t help but worry that if we start trying to track down the missing personnel there’s every chance of whatever’s causing this to ensnare the investigators.” Here Lady Ninetales raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, even if I did fancy working on that one I wouldn’t be sending you. I think you’ll find there’s many months backlog of work waiting for you on your own doorstep, Lord Umbreon.”
“Damn it,” I had groaned. “I knew this meeting was going too well.”

As it turned out there wasn’t as much work waiting for me as I had been led to believe, in fact I rather suspected that Lady Ninetales had been ever so slightly winding me up about my workload. Gabi and the others who worked for our little sub-branch had been doing an incredible job of covering for me in my absence and, although there were quite a few items that needed my personal attention I was relatively on top of things by the end of the day. I was a very fast worker when I had to be although I did make it a policy not to broadcast this fact; in my experience the faster you completed your work the faster other people seemed to invent jobs for you to do.
“And that’s that,” I finally beamed after several hours of approving invoices, expenses claims and musing over several proposals from the MTU about future training sessions (these had been submitted by several individuals and ranged from an intriguing and highly detailed – albeit expensive - suggestion involving a day devoted to mass combat to the practical but predictable ‘let’s open up the pre-Games training grounds for a few weeks’). “All done until tomorrow.” I looked about my little office. It was small and mostly taken up with a filing system I liked to call ‘chaotic order’ but at least it was all mine, at least for as long as I stayed in my current position. “Do you think Lady Ninetales was trying to scare me about the workload earlier?”
“Most likely,” Pearl noted from her position curled up in a corner surrounded by boxes of various leaflets. “It’s probably her way of getting back at you for the past half year or so of worry our disappearance has given her. Mean, but understandable.”
“And welcome, considering what I had been expecting,” I commented, idly browsing the files on the Guild’s system. It had taken quite some time but I roughly knew what most of them were all about now. “I wonder if there’s anything on here that might help figure out what’s making so many people disappear? I can’t get that part of our conversation out of my head.”
“Hold it, Ade. Take my advice and just log off now. I know your boss has her stressed and overly-officious moments and sometimes can make the wrong call on things but in this instance I’m taking her side.”
“But…”
“You can be a real trial sometimes, you know that?” In a split second Pearl had jumped up to my desk and somehow managed to slam her front paws down in such a way it caused my PC to start shutting down for the night. “She’s right. Something like that isn’t the sort of thing you can take on as a pet project. There’s no shame in acknowledging when you won’t be able to help.”
“But…”
“Ade, you’re not a one-man fix for everything that’s wrong in the world. That kind of thinking has been the downfall of far too many people around here. Just stick to what you know, hm? It’s one thing to help out in times of trouble but quite another to go actively courting that trouble, especially when you’ve more urgent problems on your own doorstep.”
“You mean Lord Absol, right?”
“Partly. And Tsuyoi. If we don’t watch ourselves and take every step we can to keep those two apart we’re going to end up caught in the middle of something terrible. It’s not helping that Tsuyoi seems to be really distracted at the minute. For the past few months its almost seemed as if we were an afterthought. Do you think he’s growing bored of his pet project?”
“I doubt it.” My blood ran cold as I recalled my earlier dream conversation. “None of us really know what he gets up to when he’s not with us. He’s probably got bigger fish to fry.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” Pearl queried.
“…it doesn’t matter. He did warn me not so long ago that he was likely to be busy. Didn’t really mention why, though.” Reclaiming a land that originally belonged to my race and probably causing the ruination of the current supposedly dominant species, of course. Oh, he had mentioned why and I really wished that he hadn’t. The possibilities were just too disturbing. “Anyway, how about we pack up here and go pick up the others? They were down in the barracks, weren’t they?”
“Right. We might want to check the library along the way, though. Something tells me Marius will have shot off there the first chance he got.”
“Of course.” My team were laws unto themselves most of the time. But hey, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Saying Milliardo was revelling in the attention his sudden return had brought him would have been an understatement. After bursting into the barracks a lot of pokémon had been more than interested in where he had been for so long; since the Umbreon thrived on attention he had been more than happy to keep them enthralled with a tale that sometimes deviated so far from reality that Beckham would have been proud to call it his own. Sadly his family mad much different attitudes, hence why Marius had lost interest in the attention after ten seconds and wormed his way to the nearest computer terminal and why Pandora was busy sitting in a corner and pretending not to have anything to do with her attention-seeking mate.
“You seem miserable, lady,” one of the few other pokémon in the barracks not paying attention to Milliardo observed upon seeing Pandora slumped upon one of the beds looking decidedly uncomfortable.
“Try that one again, only replace ‘miserable’ with ‘embarrassed’ and you might be halfway there.” The Houndour lifted her head to view a small, smiling Swablu eyeing her with curiosity. “Anyway, what’s it to you?”
“Can’t a guy show a little friendly interest?” it asked.
“No. He can’t. Go away.”
“Oh come on! You don’t mean that.”
“Who are you to say what I do and don’t mean?” Pandora snapped irritably. “What are you, amateur psychologist of the month or something?”
“Yup.” The Swablu hopped up on the bed and peered into her eyes. “Let’s see… a tendency to go on the offensive in order to deflect attention away from your own emotions…” At this point Pandora had fixed the Flying-type with the coldest stare she could muster. “…severe emotional reactions to events around you…” By now Pandora was stood up and looking close to exploding. Not that the other pokémon noticed. Or did it? If anything its tone was growing crueller and its innocent expression fading away with every passing second. “…a potentially fatal self-loathing, no doubt caused by painful childhood memories and previous poor choices in life?”
“SHUT UP!!!” Before she even realised what she was doing Pandora smacked the Swablu hard with a ferocious Headbutt, knocking the creature off the bed and forcing it to fly up into the air. It regarded her with a smirk that indicated that it knew exactly what it was doing.
“Point proven, I think,” it sneered. “And by the way…” Here it addressed the rest of the room as all eyes turned to the source of this commotion, “…you all really ought to beef up your psychic security. It’s far too easy to infiltrate here, you know.”
“Who the %^*& are you?” Milliardo snarled, inserting himself almost without thinking between this new threat and the one he loved.
“This body has been around here for a few months, it hasn’t changed. Who controls it is none of your damn business. It was just an experiment and it’s over now.”
“Like hell it is!” The Umbreon looked almost ready to pounce but before he could do that his girlfriend hopped over his head and stood in front of the Swablu with fire in her eyes.
“Oh no you don’t, buster,” Pandora snarled. “This one’s mine!!!”

FIGHT!!! L16 Houndour v L16 Swablu! (Peck, Growl, Astonish, Sing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace, Agility)
The Swablu didn’t give Pandora any kind of chance to so much as assess the situation, nor did it allow much time for those around the combatants to get out of the way. Almost in an instant it shot forward, diving for her and catching the Houndour hard in the side with its beak before flying back out of the range of any attempt at retaliation.
“Damn!” Pandora glowered at her opponent, not really sure how to deal with this unexpected threat. In the past she wouldn’t have hesitated. In the past she would have already been upon the little creature in a blind rage. But time had calmed her slightly. Now she was able to at least keep control over her emotions for long enough to take stock of the situation. A situation that by all accounts wasn’t looking too positive. Even now her opponent was whirling around for another attack, small talons raised to rake across her flesh. Out of sheer desperation she built up her internal fires in the hope that she could blast the pokémon out of the air. It didn’t happen. The Swablu was much faster than she was, almost unnaturally so, and by the time she was ready it had deftly swooped in and clawed across her side with pinpoint accuracy. They called the move Aerial Ace. And it hurt. It hurt so much that it put Pandora totally off what she was doing and instead of an Ember she merely managed to cough out thick black smoke. At least this seemed to put her opponent off a little, causing it to falter and cough slightly as it inhaled the Smog.
“You’re…” Here the little creature choked violently. “You’re tougher than I thought. Silly me. I got taken in by those big doe eyes and forgot to probe any deeper. Still… that won’t happen again!” Once again it flew at Pandora, but this time the Houndour was ready. She sidestepped smartly as it attempted to furiously swipe at her. All of a sudden things didn’t seem so bad. The anger was subsiding. In fact, she was feeling decidedly calm about the situation. Even a second attempt at a Fury Attack didn’t bother her. She simply sidestepped again. And again. All the time the heat within her receding, all the time a feeling of cold detachment taking over, all the time…
“Enough.” Pandora’s tone was flat, emotionless. “This ends now.” Once more she opened her mouth, her internal energy flowing out towards her opponent. Only this time it wasn’t fire or even smoke. Inside the Houndour right now was just pure, unadulterated cold and this expressed itself in her attack as her Hidden Power manifested itself and chilled her opponent to the bone.
“Wha???” The Swablu was taken completely by surprise by both the strength of the attack and Pandora’s ability to use an Ice-based attack. Not only had the Hidden Power caused some serious dmage but it had also thrown the creature totally off-guard.
“That’ll teach you not to probe deeper, eh?” Pandora snarled, her anger finally returning to her now the cold within her soul had been expelled. “Although if you ask me you shouldn’t have been probing at all!” With a roar of anger she shot toward the shaken Flying-type, her body seeming to melt into the floor until she had become merely a shadow. A second later this shadow burst upward, smacking into the Swablu and sending it hurtling across the room. It wasn’t the most subtle of Faint Attacks but it served its purpose admirably. Her opponent crashed into a wall and slid down it helplessly, finally landing in a heap and not moving any further after that. It was over. That strange little pokémon had been defeated.

Pandora wins!
Pandora grew to L17!
Pandora learned Bite!

“Psychic security…” Soon enough word of the event had trickled back to me and, after a few words with the Swablu’s owner who seemed a mystified as any of us as to why his pokémon had suddenly become vicious, I was left with another mystery on my hands. “It said we ought to beef up our psychic security?”
“Words to that effect, yes. It sounds like it was possessed, doesn’t it?” Pandora nodded in agreement.
“Possessed… yes, but from what you’ve told me it doesn’t sound like something psychic defenses would have helped against. It read your mind against your will, didn’t it?”
“Don’t remind me,” the Houndour shuddered.
“Well that’s not psychic ability. You would have naturally blocked a psychic probe even if it had come from a Mewtwo. This sounds like it’s… something more.” I didn’t really know why I still had issues with calling the process by its name; magic. It just sounded so irrational when used to describe something that had actually happened, even when living in a land of demonic enhancements, dimension-hopping deities, centuries-old elves, invisible towers and goodness knows what else. Not to mention that magical phenomena wasn’t my area of expertise; the only one amongst my companions with any real magical insight was Rhiannon and even assuming her elder persona was in charge of her body (her childish mode was slowly starting to get a grip on her powers but could no better explain what they were than I could) she normally created more questions than answers.
“It sounds like something we shouldn’t get involved in as well,” Pandora commented. “Just file your report and leave it to the experts, would you?”
“Maybe,” I mused, my mind whirring. How could I possibly leave it, though? Something had bypassed Guild security; more specifically it had bypassed security to the area of the Guild dealing with trainers. Why? Was it just coincidence it appeared in this area or did the Swablu’s puppet master have some genuine purpose? If so, were we going to wind up in an identical situation later on? “I’ll let Gabi and the others know. Maybe they might be able to make more sense out of this. If, indeed, there’s any sense to be made of it at all.”
“I think you hit the nail on the head right there, Ade,” Pearl offered. “This land’s filled with magical creatures. When we started dealing with Lord Absol he admitted a lot of his job’s just chasing down and containing the more malicious ones. There’s no need to think there’s any great conspiracy when this is just as likely to be a single wandering spirit with a nasty streak.”
“You’re right, of course,” I admitted finally. “Sometimes weird things just happen for no real reason. I should’ve learned by now that it’s part of the job. Come on, let’s go home. We’ve had enough excitement for one day.” Of course I still had a feeling that we hadn’t heard the last of this encounter. But that was likely to be simple paranoia. For now there was no real harm done and any day lately where we could say that counted as a win in my book. Sometimes it’s easiest to just accept things and move on.

Lady Vulpix

6th July 2007, 09:20 AM

It's an Ade! :o

Ok, so you enjoyed watching Teclis kicking me out of the tower. :P I guess it had to happen some day, with all those crises going on in-story Gabi was starting to get a bit too paranoid.

I'm on vacation right now, so I'll make sure to read your battle when I get home (which is on Tuesday), whether someone else has rated it by then or not.

Thanks for the review and the stamps! And for reading my story. :) Whenever I get to post the next one, it will contain a brief reference to one of your characters and an obscure reference to another.

RBG rolls: Mightyena and Haunter respectively (may be Gengar if it helps the plot).

Lady Vulpix

19th July 2007, 06:54 AM

It is done! Sorry for the delay. Comments below.

* Very creative dream. Was it real?
* I'd find it scary just to know that Tsuyoi has a project. Having heard as much as he has said would be very worrying. And only now you understood why so many people hate him?
* Nice explanation of Soo's current status. And sensible way to decide to show your face.
* Everyone's getting into the Guild's files! Hmm... that gives me an idea. Anyway, it's curious how our branch of the Guild is receiving subtle attacks (or at least infiltrations) from different sources at about the same time.
* Paraphrasing Angua Von Uberwald (one of my favorite Discworld characters), it is sometimes dangerous to let your mind do the thinking for you. I think that applies in Thunderblast's case.
* I liked the summary of Pandora's and Milliardo's developments, and the result.
* It looks like Pearl and I think alike again.
* You said: "in my experience the faster you completed your work the faster other people seemed to invent jobs for you to do." That's too true. I learned that lesson a bit too late.
* The story overall was very real, and wll placed within the historical continuity. I must commend you for all the loose ends you've picked up!
* The experiment was scary. It reminded me of a certain TR member who's been keeping a low profile since the failure of the Singlehorn project.
* This is just a detail, but if you're planning to archive it, you may want to add an 'a' to 'dmage'. Are you still archiving, or am I the only one who's doing so now?

Great story, Ade! It was worth the wait. Take 21 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

10th August 2007, 09:56 AM

I would like an extension on the current scenario, please. P:

Lady Vulpix

10th August 2007, 10:14 AM

As if it was going to change when no one is posting. :(

You get it, anyway.

The Blue Avenger

10th August 2007, 10:24 AM

Well, I move back to college soon, so I know I'm going to be busy, and I wanted to be prepared just in case. ^^; Thanks.

classy_cat18

10th August 2007, 01:24 PM

Can I have one too?

The Blue Avenger

10th August 2007, 01:46 PM

Extension granted.

AntiAsh Superstar

31st August 2007, 07:48 PM

Gabi: as to your comments (sorry I haven't picked up on them before), yes, the dream was real and really left me scratching my head, and if you can officially pick up the archiving I'd really appreciate it. I'm awful at doing this kind of stuff, tho to make up for it I've a few plans for my webspace's allocation towards DT that would make more sense that what I'm using it for atm. ^^;;

Oh, and just to be on the safe side can I have an extension too?

The Blue Avenger

31st August 2007, 09:12 PM

Extension granted. Also, hi Ade. :o

Lady Vulpix

1st September 2007, 07:59 PM

Ok, I'll officialize my archive, then.

It's nice to see you around, Ade. I actually dreamed about you on Thursday night... it was weird. I was entering a theater to watch a play and I saw you, and the seat next to you was empty but you were waiting for Soo who had gone to the restroom, so I had to find another seat but the only free one I could find was very dirty and all the seats looked as old and uncomfortable as the ones at university... and basically that was it.

Crystalmaster Mike

13th September 2007, 07:39 AM

How long has it been since the Pegasus Games?

Too long. In fact, I've always wanted to tie up the loose ends I left by not posting while the scenario at the time (Training Grounds for the Pegasus Games) wasn't finished. I had a lot of ideas to let my Pokémon battle at the time, and it seems I can't let go of them.

As such, I'd like to post the following, without trying to make you rate it or give me stamps for it. In fact, I won't even have my Pokémon level up.
It's more of a "get this thing off my chest and out of my mind"-thing, really.
Plus, for those that always wanted to hear why Dylan was a Totodile in dislike of anything reptilian (particularly dragons), or why Nora the Aron was so afraid of Fighting types to begin with, I'm intent on writing that out as well.
Better now than ever, seeing as school will start on Tuesday... -_-''

For the best reading experience, I shall post here below the exact data on my Pokémon as I recovered it from a floppy disk (between then and now, our computer crashed... apparently the hard disk was messed up, but I'll always wonder if me installing new drivers had anything to do with it...)

Plus, may I request a battle for my black Eevee at the Free Range Corral, please, so as to reduce the spamminess of this post (as it has nothing to do with the current scenario).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dragon Tamers Adoption Center
Electric Shutdown Retirement System
Rays (Chinchou) (LV7) (f)
05-18-2003
Bubble, Thunder Wave, Supersonic, Thunderbolt

Universal Adoption Center
Verne (Larvitar) (LV6) (m)
05-30-2003 (lvl.5)
Bite, Leer, Ancientpower

Free Range Corral
Shane (formerly Sasha) (Whismur) (LV6) (m)
06-10-2003 (lvl.5)
Pound, Uproar, Extrasensory

Nemo (Espeon) (LV7) (m)
(Note: his fur is a light blue coloration, as a result of me using a special Potion on him)
06-14-2003 (lvl.5)
Tackle, Tail Whip, Helping Hand, Wish

Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency
“ ‘Cada“ (Nincada) (LV6) (m)
06-10-2003 (lvl.5)
Scratch, Harden, Leech Life, Aerial Ace

Professional Sports Breeding System
Bruce (Machop) (LV7) (m)
06-19-2003 (lvl. 6)
Low Kick, Leer, Rolling Kick
Focus Energy

Aron (LV6) (f)
This rare Pokémon was stolen from its cage prior to release to the public. Dragon Tamer Staff have resolved the situation, but the Aron was badly damaged in the incident. Dragon Tamer Staff may or may not release this Pokémon up for adoption, but there is a waiting list for all those that are keen.
07-19-2003 (put on waiting list)
07-21-2003 (got assigned with) (lvl.5)
Tackle, Harden, Body Slam

Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency
Dylan (Totodile) (LV7) (m)
06-25-2003 (lvl.5)
Scratch, Leer, Crunch
Rage

Arthus (Spheal) (LV6) (m)
07-10-2003 (lvl.5)
Powder Snow, Growl, Water Gun, Yawn

PokéZoo Adoption Center
Gordon (Mudkip) (LV7) (m)
Ready to start out with a trainer
06-05-2003 (lvl.6)
Tackle, Growl, Mud-Slap, Refresh

Hanna (Carvanha) (LV7) (f)
She was found injured by a Gyarados, but is 110% now
06-07/10-2003 (lvl.6)
Leer, Bite, Ice Beam
Rage

Tony (Trapinch) (LV10) (m)
He wants to grow into a strong Flygon
06-29/30-2003 (lvl 9)
Bite, Sand Attack, Quick Attack
Double Team

Liam (Ninetales) (LV6) (m)
He has an attitude, and will need tough training
07-11/12-2003 (lvl 5)
Ember, Tail Whip, Faint Attack

Pocket Monsters Breeding Center
Skyler
-=Pokémon Egg=-
Winged Male Bagon
Lv.5
Trait: Rock Head
Rage, Bite
Flamethrower as the Bred-on from Alucard, as well as his mutation gene, Congrats!!
He will learn Fly naturally at Lv.28
Mother: Espeon12’s (Christina’s) Mara

Unnamed Black Eevee (soon-to-be-nicknamed Ashketh (or Ash) in place of his 'real' name)
-=Pokémon Egg=-
Male Eevee with black fur and electric blue rings
Lv.5
Trait: Run Away
Tackle, Tail Whip, Helping Hand, Hidden Power: Ghost (lv.5)
Parents: Angel Blossom’s L'Arcobaleno and Dark Dragonite’s Nave

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How many years has it been since the Pegasus Games?

I could check the Archives on it, but I won’t bother. Fact is, it has been years. During that time, I strayed from being a Dragon Tamer. Hiding in the shadows, sometimes I came back to these realms, lurking, plotting a comeback, but not finding the courage.
Now, one of my most valiant attempts has been made. In less than a week, school will start once more, and I may still be lured away from Ulthuan, from this entire world of Pokémon training and admiring.
To prove to myself, now, that I still have some of what it takes, I will try to describe the events of what came to past so many months ago…

~~~ Mike’s POV ~~~

It was during our time at the Training Grounds our group of sixteen split up into 5.
Bruce (Machop), Hanna (Carvanha), Gordon (Mudkip), Dylan (Totodile) and me went into the Ice Room First, the Pool Room after that.
Three of them fought courageous battles each; I don’t recall Bruce’s opponent, but the other two defeated were a Slowpoke and a Totodile, respectively.
But when it came to Dylan, he… Well, he… lucked out.
Something in Gordon’s confrontation with the Totodile had hit a weak spot. Retreating into himself, it seemed he had found it “unforgivable” for a Totodile to use a Dragon-type attack, Hidden Power, if I recall correctly.
Maybe some background info is needed. Dylan, as some strange Don Quichote, had taken up a strong dislike of anything remotely Dragon-like. Before Skyler (Winged Bagon) had hatched, his stabs had been pointed towards Hanna, I take it in great part because of her pronounced jaw. Though I do believe Verne (Larvitar) sometimes fell pray to his ‘attacks’ as well.
Gordon had been his unwilling underling… Literally, as Dylan had used his four-footed friend as a horse.
But during the half-time between their respective battles, Gordon had been recast as the stronger one of the duo, as Dylan was babbling in himself.

Suddenly, however, the battle arena changed appearance.
The pool after which the training room we were in was named, was divided into two distinct halves by a row of boulders running from one long end of the pool to the other.
In both halves, at the bottom, a collection of statues had seemingly been tossed in randomly.
However, it would appear at least some of these were connected to an underground chamber (the ‘alternate’ pool, maybe), in which the different Pokémon you could battle against roamed free.
After Gordon’s battle, his little croc’ opponent had been sucked in (through the mouth of a anthropomorphic Milotic, no less), after which the whole pool (both halves), had been sucked dry of water.
To our amazement, as if some higher being had been watching us (though it could’ve been the Dragon Guild security people), a Mudkip, larger than our own Gordon, appeared next on the field, dropping out of one the statues on the other side of the boulder row than which Gordon had battled at.
Snapping out of his self-contempt, Dylan raced into battle, risking a death-defying jump (more than 3 meters down is even risky for a human) from the boulder row on top of which we had been watching the change in surroundings.
Taking no heed of our warnings, he madly tossed and threw himself and his paws at his adversary, taking little advantage of the Double Shield he was weaving.
Appearing defiant, bored even, the Mudkip eventually tossed him aside like a cat does with a ball of string it has run tired of.
Taking a critical hit against one of the statues on the bottom of the pool, Dylan crumbled into a heap. Before I had time to gasp for air, however, he pulled himself together and leapt back onto his feet, albeit teetering back and forth. Yet he still refused to succumb. Taking his opponent by surprise, he filled his lungs with air, before releasing a powerful but draining Water Gun. Surprised, the Mudkip took a direct hit in the jaw, before retaliating with its own Water Gun, which was more effective only because he was bigger and more experienced than Dylan.
Being forced against a statue of a courageous Machop-prince yielding a sword, it looked as if Dylan would still not faint from the effort. He readied himself against the continuous spray of water, seemingly preparing a counter-attack, but alas… He passed out, not having uttered a coherent word the whole battle.

“I’ll save you!”
“Gordon, no!” Before I could grab him, Gordon leapt off of the boulder he had been crouching upon. Using the scattered statues as jumping platforms, he ended up jumping right in-between Dylan and the Mudkip that was nearing in on him.
“Out of the way, shortie”, it hissed with a deep, raw voice.
Gordon raised his back “You’re toast, fatso”, came the reply.
Snarling, the foe readied itself for a Tackle. Surpassing him in speed and reflexes, Gordon threw himself at full speed, Tackling the other Mudkip in the lower belly as it was raising itself onto its lower paws to jump.
Caught off guard, the Mudkip had all the air pushed out of its lungs. Its eyes bulging, it quickly fell backwards, its head connecting with the pedestal of a non-anthropomorphic winged-Dragonair statue. The cross-eyed look in its eyes, as well as the pulsating mark on its head where it had fell onto, made it clear that this round was for Gordon.

“I won!”

Wasting no more time in the Pool Room, I took Dylan into my arms and carried him with me into the Jungle Room.
Euphoric cries immediately filled my ears, but I could not pay enough attention to 5 of my other Pokémon that had now joined our little group. I did hear about Liam (Ninetales)’s short appearance with the others. It appeared he had spent a small moment with our newest addition to the team, the black Eevee (At-that-moment-in-time unnamed) that had only recently hatched, before retreating to places his ‘cool guy’ additute didn’t stand a chance of breaking… the Desert Room, no doubt. It made me wonder where Skyler might be off to… perhaps his dragon heart had lead him into the Volcano Room.

But for now, Nora (Aron) would have to keep her story of how she got made ‘Queen of Hide-‘n-Seek’ to herself, and Rays (Chinchou) and Arthus (Spheal)’ story of how they defended ‘lil’ black Nemo (Potion-Blue Espeon)’ (= black Eevee) from a ‘vicious’ Surskit and Chikorita to themselves.
I didn’t register Tony (Trapinch) or ‘Cada (Nincada), Shane (Whismur) or Verne’s presence at the time… I would go see later where they were hanging out.
For now, I only wanted to hear… Dylan’s story.

I found a quiet spot, close enough to yet isolated from the rest of our group, under a thick-branched swamp tree with branches hanging low into the neighbouring pond. As the artificial sun rose on the fake sky, dark green chadows and sharp yellow light fell onto the unconscious reptile in contrasting stripes. When the frown on his forehead disappeared, I let a few drops fell onto his tongue to awaken him. His eyelids twitched, his ears peaked as he regained consciousness.
My face was the first thing he saw as he awoke, and as he yawned the last bits of sleep away, I sternly said: “Dylan… we need to talk.”

Lady Vulpix

16th September 2007, 05:21 PM

Crystalmaster Mike

26th September 2007, 08:24 AM

Welcome back, Mike! Wow, I think it's been at least 5 years since the Pegasus Games. Has it been that long since you last posted?

Interesting recount, though I didn't quite get the anthropomorphic Milotic part. Was that a statue... or what? You changed the names of 2 of the rooms (they were Pond Room and Lava Room), but I liked the decorations you came up with.

Your Eevee will battle a Meowth.

Oh, it might have been less, I may have mis-remembered the name of the Games, as well as the training rooms. And thanks for the comments, I'll change the references if I talk about those rooms again. Yes, it was supposed to be an anthromorphic Milotic-statue, one of the many I pictured the bottom of the pond to be filled with.

DaRk MeWtWo

12th November 2007, 04:45 AM

Hi guys.

Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency x2 pokemon

Using~
Sirius, LV40 Charizard for both

Hope everyone is doing well, greetings Ade, Gabi, and hi to new faces.

Lady Vulpix

12th November 2007, 05:18 AM

Welcome back! I feared for the future of this topic... and this subforum as a whole. At least there'll be some new material soon, it seems. :)

Delibird+Sharpedo=Interesting combination.

Crystalmaster Mike

22nd November 2007, 06:21 AM

I interrupt my report on times lost, in favour of a report on the given times of present. I shall tell you how… a Basketball joined my team, and an Eevee left it.
(In case you're wondering, the actual battle-ish starts around where my POV ends and Eevee's begins.)
(And, if you’re wondering – the name game reflects how I went about it IRL, thinking of fitting words for the acronyms, only we’re talking months instead of minutes here before I got to the eventual outcome you see here)

~~~ Mike’s POV ~~~

Since he hatched, Eevee has grown a lot. …

Boy, I feel weird calling him Eevee.

You see, I have this folder with files.
Actually, it’s more like one large Word document, containing each and every report I’ve filed with the Dragon Tamers, and even some I’m not quite sure DT HQ ever received.
Actually, it’s more like two documents… I started a new one in light of my recent ‘time off’.
And in the very first lines on the very first page of the very first report in the first document, I introduce my very first Pokémon, who are much the same as the ones I have today. Only difference, since then 2 newborns have joined, and each and every one of my Pokémon has been nicknamed. … Except Eevee, of course, and in a way, ‘Cada as well.
And during the very first ‘mission’ I went on with any of my Pokémon, I went to a pool… With Nemo, my then-Eevee. He was young, enthousiastic, and during those first actual battles discovered a fondness for water he’s passed onto A--, I mean, to Eevee, who’s taken over this fondness and boosted it. Heh, you’ll understand in a little while why I’ve started to laugh at the mentioning of such seemingly unrelated items as a basketball and the verb ‘to boost’.
Anyway, every time I look at him, at Eevee, now I get reminded of the Espeon that always tries to keep up with him.

Lately, keeping up with Eevee has been a drag. From day 1, he’s been full of energy. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought his parents passed on an Extremespeedy move or a Speed Boosting trait to him. But none of that: it’s in him like a holy fire, that abundance of energy.
It wasn’t until he discovered his Hidden Power that things got really tricky. You see… it’s of the Ghost Type. And Eevee’s the child of DD’s Nave, from whom he inherited the gene that provides the Umbreon with that pronounced black fur and electric blue rings.
As a result, once he got the hang of it, he could literally disappear into the shadows, from which he would sneak up on and jump onto his unsuspecting victims. His traitmark ‘Boo’ has gone on to been his unofficial nickname among my Pokémon. Though you don’t really think Boo could be a real nickname, or it would be for a Pokémon you could never take seriously, wouldn’t it? Heh-heh, though at this moment, he is such a Pokémon…

Anyway, the problem of giving him a nickname was something really nagging at me. I nicknamed Skyler myself, but the rest of my Pokémon had chosen their nicknames out of their own accord. And I felt that ‘Eevee’ may have been a too general name, like nicknaming someone you don’t know or understand ‘Joe’ or ‘Bob’. Nemo didn’t seem to be wanting to force him to do anything, except listen to him and learn his lessons and love him and let his take his siesta when he so craved… which Eevee hardly ever was able to do together on any one given day, except the loving part. Eevee loves everything, period, carriage return, new line.

So, it seemed to be up to me. But the last time I tried… I was scared to go near him for nearly a week.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It happened in the park I had brought everyone to.
I had collected the courage to touch this for-all-I-know-sensitive subject with Eevee. I also had asked Nora to accompany me for backup. She acted as the tiny mother of our team when occasion called for it.
Nudging me at ankle height, she forced me nearer to him. He was sitting on the basketball field, nudging an appropriately resized basketball, while listening to Tony, who seemed to be concluding an epic story. ‘Cada, Eevee and Skyler were gazing ecstatically at Tony, as he vigorously animated the ending of the Tale of Tony the Triumphant Trapinch, Part DCII.

“And that’s how Tony saved the Gible village from the angry Golem troll.”
“Wauw.” Skyler said while gasping his breath, unknowingly twitching his leathery wings.
“That was awesome.” ‘Cada said in awe.
“Yeah…” Eevee agreed. “But… I still don’t understand what the robot did.”
“Well, I’d love to tell you… But it will have to wait for Part DCIII.”
“Aww…”
“Eevee? Are you busy?” I asked, drawing the attention of the group.
“Hmm? Oh no, Mike.”, he squealed. “Tony was telling a story, to… con- core- because he lost.”
“He dunked me at basketball again.”, Tony grudgingly explained. Eevee grinned; basketball could’ve been his middle name. Beside, it was unfair competition: he was far more flexible than his sand-crawling friend, albeit one with 4 times his experience level.
“I swear, one day you’ll turn into a basketball.” I couldn’t have been closer…
“Not before I join the Goldenrod Golducks!” At that moment, they were leading in the NBA statistics.
“Well, you still lack a beak, you know.” He had been trying to grow one two days before, resulting in a sore mouth for him and painful laughing spasms for the spectators, among which myself.
“I’m getting there… Nemo said I was getting better at the doggy swim.”
“Well, I won’t keep you up for long, then. I know you were planning on swimming with him.” Actually, it was time for their weekly obligatory swim that afternoon.
“What did you want to talk about, Mike?”, he asked as we strolled into the away from the other guys, as they started round two of the match.
“Well…” I hesitated, before deciding to cut to the case. “Do you want to be given a nickname?”
He frowned, though his eyes lighted up as if he was smiling. “Don’t I have one already?”
“I don’t think ‘Boo’ is gonna look good on any Pokémon license, Eevee.”
“Everyone would notice it.”
“Yes, and I know you’d love it. But please, can’t you come up with something… normal?”
“I’m Normal enough as it is… I don’t feel like behaving like it as well.”
I sighed. “Look, I’ll tell you what we do… I give you till tomorrow morning, and you come up with something decent, okay?”
“Oh, okay.”, he reluctantly agreed.
“Thanks. Now, just tell it to me, in a normal way, when I ask it.”
“Hm-hmm… When you… ask it.”, he nodded as he walked away, seemingly lost in thought already. I shook my head as I saw him go, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

So, there I am, the following morning. I sit by the carpet he’s sleeping on, waiting for him to wake up. His ear twitch, he stretches his paws… and I see his endearing eyes open up to take in the first light of the day.
“Hey Mike,”, he said as he stood up, shaking his rear to cast away the last of Morpheus’ grip on his body. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Your name.”, I said grimly.
”Yorrenaim? Is that a new type of cereal?”, he quasi-innocently asked.
“No.” I sternly answered, determined not to let the conversation stray.
“No?”, he repeated, eyes twinkling.
“No-hoh.” I repeated, this time with feeling.
“No-hoh-hoho?” he asked back, tongue in cheek.
“Eevee, I told you to tell me, with no bizarreties, what-your-name-would-be-when-I-would-ASK-IT.”
“Ask it.” he snapped back, enjoying every minute of mocking me, it seemed.
“I-just-did.” I stressed, feeling more flustered every passing moment.
“Aaaask iiiit.”, he mocked me.
“Eevee!!” I strained to keep myself from shooking him thoroughly, though somewhere I was starting to see the absurdity of the whole thing. If he couldn’t seriously decide on his own name, why try forcing him?
“Ask-it, ask-it, ask-it!!!” he started chanting, thoroughly reminding me of an ambulance wagon.
“Okay, I get it.”, I said, admitting defeat. “You’re just not ready.” I sighed as I got back on my feet.
“Nah, not… not ready, Mike.” he grinned. “Just not serious.”
“Yeah…” I said, as I went downstairs, having learned another lesson regarding my newest AP: never go into an argument with him, you’ll never win. In fact, I had learned another one: if anything, Eevee definitely wasn’t a serious natured Pokémon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Several weeks passed, and Eevee got so hyper that I started getting requests from neighbours to keep his off the caffeine, to which, at first, I replied he never drank the stuff. I gave up on trying to convince them the day he’d been up a tree for one whole hour shouting “Pidgeys, pretty Pidgeys, won’t you play with me??”, for all to hear.
That was also the day I decided to take him to some training area for Pokémon, preferably one specifically facilitated for hyperkinetic Eevees.

“Where’re we going Mike? Will it be nice, huh? Will there be Pidgeys? Will there, huh, huh?”
I winced. “Eevee, you can drop the whole I’m-on-caffeine,-look-at-me!-thing now. We’re out of the neighbourhood, you know.”
“But I like acting that way! It comes so… natural.” he grinned.
“I know, but if nothing else, think of me, okay. I don’t like getting people’s attention drawn on me, and as your Trainer, I’m with you in the center of attention.” I said as we walked down a tree-bordered lane. At the end of the lane, I began to see the gate to the training area I had chosen – one that was apparently free for Pokémon to stroll around in, independently from their Trainers. As such, I could keep an eye on Eevee without him automatically being associated to me. Not that I didn’t appreciate his wackiness sometimes… but I preferred to be wacky with friends, or indoors, not in plain public sight!
“Okay then, I won’t talk about the Pidgeys anymore…”

Five seconds later: “… Hey, Spearows!!”, he cried out, scaring a flock of the creatures out of the tree they’d been perched on. Lucky for us, they ignored us; apparently they were more docile than the average Spearow.
I sighed. “Ee-vee…” I said warningly.
“Whaat?” he asked sweetly.
I sighed once more, and started rubbing the back of my neck. Ever since the past conversation about his nickname, I had noticed I started having this aching throb in the pack of my neck every time Eevee exasperated me, like now.

We walked another ten seconds in silence, nearing the front gate of ‘The Free Range Poké-Corral’, before he started again.
“So, Mike… I thought about a nickname again.”
“And?” I asked, simultaneously dreading an answer.
“I decided. My nickname’s gonna be… Basketball.”, he said, dropping the bomb.
I couldn’t help myself. I tripped and crashed on the ground, which, lucky for me, was made out of beach sand. At this moment, we had neared the front gate of the Corral close enough. We were on the other side of a hedge, which lead up to the front gate, and apparently there was some sort of lake on the other side: I could hear splashing and growling, and the occasional Gyarados roar.
I took my time to recover, shake the sand out of my clothes and off my hair, put my cap back on… I turned to face Eevee, who’d been awaiting my reply, and calmly asked:
“WHAT?”
“It’s an acronym!”, he proudly ‘explained’.
“Basketball? An acronym, for what?”
“You ask.”
“Okay… B stands for?”
“Boo!”
I winced. “A stands for?”
“Ask-it!”
“S stands for?”
“Ask-it!”
“K st--? Oh, I get it. K, E, T stand for ‘asket’ too, right?”
He nodded, obviously feeling proud of himself.
“Now, do B, A, double L each stand for something, or are they short for something, or so?”
“Or so.”, he grinned.
“So, ‘Ball’ stands for?”
“Hullabaloo!”
“Yeah… It’s that your such a party animal.”
He nodded.
“Look, this conversation could take a while. Why don’t we… get inside, find me a bench to sit on, and continue from there?”

As was said, as was done. We, or better said, I found me a bench to sit on in a relatively quiet zone. There was a grass field leading up to the hedge boarding the domain behind me, and a hedge in front of me. Apparently, there was some sort of maze behind the latter hedge, as said a sign close to me.
“Right.” I started.
“Left.”, Eevee retorted.
Ignoring him, I searched my backpack for a pen and paper, and was surprised to find both.
“So…”, I said as I started writing, “if your nonsense is going to make sense…” I blinked at the stupidity of my comment, but continued nontheless, “than your name would look like… so.”, I finished, showing him what I had written down:

B. Ask-it Ball
“Pretty much.”, he quasi-indifferently replied.
I neighed my head. Don’t go into any argument here… you’ll lose either way. “Fine,” I said to his surprise. “But on one condition: we de-abnormalize this gibberish.”
“What!”
“Sorry buddy, but I won’t register anyone with ‘Boo’ for a first name, and ‘Ask-it’ for a middle name.” And as for Hullabaloo…, I thought.
Apparently, I looked convincing enough that I wouldn’t budge to him. “ Fine…”
“Okay… First up’s… Boo.”
“What’s wr—“, he started to say, but I cut him off.
“Boo is no goo-d. The only person I ever knew went by that name was a character in Monsters, Inc. And she was a girl.”, I added.
That held him from commenting.
“So… Boo, Boo… Bool… Boor… Boos… Booster! An alien from a Disney cartoon I used to watch.”, I explained, to lift Eevee’s puzzlement.
“Go on.” , he urged me.
“Okay… So, ‘Ask-it’ has a nice ring to it, but not in this current spelling.”
“I don’t care about rules, so play around with the letters, if you want.”, he replied tongue-in-cheek.
“Hmm… Maybe something with a mystical feel to it… As-ket… Asketh… Ashketh! ‘And the world will turn to Ash!’”
“Sounds almost Egyptical.” he winked.
Encouraged, I went for the biggest challenge. “Okay, now we’re left with ‘Ball’.”
“Hey, don’t touch ‘Baloo’! That’s my favourite name of the three!”
“Yes, and the most nonsensical, too… but that’s probably the reason it’s your favourite. I mean, I won’t argue over that ‘Baloo’ could stand for ‘Hullabaloo’ – though I’ve seen it written as Hullapalooza somewhere, I think -, but ‘Ball’? Tell you what, keep it ‘Hullabaloo’, but change ‘Ball’ to ‘Baloo’.”, I concluded, changing the text on my note sheet, which had begun to look severely battered.
“Hmm… ‘Kay, I guess ‘Baloo’ can pwn ‘Ball’, but then the whole idea is lost!”
“What, ‘Basketball’?” I asked half-seriously. Eevee nodded, and I checked for myself. Indeed, if you’d read what it said now, and ignored some pronunciation issues, it would still say ‘Basketballoo’… and if I could choose, I wouldn’t be called a ‘basketball loo’ either.
“Hmm, point taken. So? Any ideas?”
“I liked it better first.”, he said cross-eyed.
“Hmm…” If I was going through with changing what he wanted to be named (and it’d be a cold day in hell if I would let him call himself ‘Ask-it’), then…
“We have to extend your name.”
“Extend?”
“You know, paste something behind it… so that this gibberish at least becomes coherent.”
“…”
“Point taken. So… ‘Basketball’ is here to stay…”, I said to his joy, “and thus… ‘Loo’… Loo… Loor… Loon… Luna-”
“Lunatic!” , he cried out. I winced under the weird looks from passers-by this earned me – even the Spinda seemed overly confuzzled.
“’Kay…” I agreed, much to his and my amazement… “But then, what will represent ‘-natic’?”
This had us stumped for a while, until I had a bright moment.
“Nate! You know, short for Nathan?”
He wrinkled his nose. “That’s no name for me… I’m twice has hilarious!”
“No argument there…”
“But ‘Nate’… That sounds cool… Nate. Naaay-th. Nai-d. … Nade!”
“Short for ‘Lemo-Nade’?”, I joked. To my angst, he actually seemed to consider this seriously. What came next surpassed even this fear:
“Nah… More like ‘Gre-Nade’!”
Though I fear fainting any second, I wrote ‘Nade’ behind ‘B. Ashketh Baloo’. Underneath, I vertically wrote down what each of this acronyms (excluding Ashketh) stood for so far: Booster, Hullapalooza, and (gulp) Grenade.
I opened my mouth to speak, when I was hit by an idea. “I don’t think any legal organ is gonna accept ‘grenade’ for a name, Eevee. But,” I continued without stopping, “if we just… change ‘e’ to ‘i’, and add ‘n’… Grenadin!”
“Grenadin?” , he asked unsure , raising an eyebrow.
“You know, sounds like ‘Aladdin’… or ‘Gremlin’!” I added more enthousiastically.
“Fine.”, he conceded finally.
Mentally wiping the sweat from my forehead, I turned to “‘Ic’”, and hit a writer’s (or name rater’s) block.
“You’ll have to help me with this one…”
“Ic… Ics… Ics?”
“If we say ‘Ics’, that’ll add up to ‘Basketball Lunatics’. Don’t know for sure, but I think ‘Lunatics’ a valid word.”
This prompted him to continue. “Okay… so what sounds like ‘Ics’… remotely? ‘X’?”
“And ‘X.’ is short for?”
“Hey, I can’t think of anything! X-Calibur?”
“Hm, nice, but then we’d have ‘lunaticsk’. That’s not English, or even Scandinavic!”
“So, mister I-am-a-critic Mike, your suggestion being?”
“Hmm…” Name starting with ‘X’. Feels like I’m trying to solve a crossword puzzle here… “Xavier? No, Xander! That brings back memories…” I added, momentarily lost in good memories of the Buffyverse television series.
“Sander?”
“No, ‘Xander’. Starts with ‘X’, pronounced as ‘Zan-dur’.”
“But then, Xander’s short for…”
“Alexander, yes. Like the emperor!”
“Cool… But it needs a touch of ‘Ashketh’.”
“What, still not exotic enough for you?”, I laughed. “Remember, you’re going to have 5 names anyway, if we’d go through with this.” Which we’d probably have to, or I will have no peaceful moment for the rest of my days together with him.
“Hmm… Xandros! Well, Alexandros!”
“Ale—what?!” I wrote it down to complement what he’d said. “Oh, a mixture of…”
“Xander, and Alejandros!”
“Or Alex and Andros, depending how you look at it… ‘Kay, deal! This is the point final”, I added, contemplating the end-result:

B. Ashketh Baloo Nade X.
Booster --> B.
Ashketh --> Ashketh
Hullabaloo --> Baloo
Grenadin --> Nade
Alexandros --> X.
“The man at the registration board is going to look so strangely at me...”, I concluded.
“I thought these days the Pokémon had to tell the bureaucrats in person their nickname?”
“They do? Well, good heavens then!”, I cheered.
“Yeah, something about the right to have a nickname you consent with, as well as your trainer, and the administration doesn’t have any objections against!
Kudos to the legal guy that thought that up!, I thought.
“So, Mike… If you agree with this, shall we?”
I looked at my notes one last time before putting them away. No sense in spending too much time contemplating – or trying to fight – the general non-sense of it all…
“Okay then, let’s go find some sparring partners.” I said as I stood up, stretching good to prepare for the upcoming events.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Ashketh’s POV ~

Now we had stopped playing the ‘Name Game’ – as I would continue to call it from now on - , we made our way through the labyrinth. Does that seem pointless to you? Well, it wasn’t, really. I bet you hadn’t noticed the sign saying “THIS WAY TO THE BATTLE FIELD ==>” –sign, huh? Oh, you say that’s because Mike didn’t mention it before? Well then, you should have asked! … Beauty, knowledge and humour all lie in the details, my friend.
The journey through the maze was long and uneventful – or so Mike would have reported. In my report, however, it should be noted that we came across five dead ends – for with the way leading to it in a straight lines, one as a spiral. We also ran into two loops, and even a glass wall – good thing we didn’t literally ran into it. Or at least, I didn’t.
But in the end, we made our way through – didn’t even have to spend the night there, which I sort of regretted.

And what would you know: we immediately stumbled onto the battle area upon exiting. Unfortunately, a battle between a Ursaring and a Metagross was going on, so we smartfully – and gracefully – stumbled back off the field, taking seat between the spectators. In my day dream, there was a popcorn vendor aloof, strolling between the seats selling bags o’ popped corn, but alas, that remained but a day dream. Knowing Mike, he would have preferred some spiced potato chips, anyway.

After a battle or three, it was our turn to fight. It was hard to tell, because there seemed to be some sort of roll call in the way the battles and combatant followed each other up, but I thought that our opponent, a pampered-looking school girl, had been the one with the Ursaring.
Now don’t hold me for a coward: I would have loved to put my teeth into such an overgrown teddy bear! But, you know, with the fangs and the razor claws, and the fluff… Besides, I didn’t even know how to attack with Bite yet. Or did I? Anyway, it may have been for the best he would turn out not to be my opponent later on – and I mean for his best, of course. Ahum.
“Three-on-three sounds good for you?”
“Sure,” said Mike jokingly, “but I only have the one.”
“Oy.” , came the reply, accompanied by a wrinkled nose. “Never mind than. Go, Felicia!”
She threw a Luxury Ball onto the field, which made me wonder what sort of chibi fluff ball my opponent would turn out to be…

The Pokémon materializing from the ball was tiny. A first stage, white mammal. Female, I could tell. An oval jewel sparkling on top of her forehead. Since she had whiskers, a curled tail with a brown end and was feline, you’ll probably have realized by now I wasn’t referring to a Miltank, for instance, but a Meowth.
“Interesting.”, I commended. Let’s see what this beauty can do.
“Felicia…”, said her trainer, pausing dramatically, “you know the drill.”
The only reply she got was a nod, and as I started to run towards her, she braced herself firmly, grinned maliciously, and… started to evolve?
Her entire body, down to the last bit of hair, started glowing a spectacular white. But she didn’t shape shift, nor did the glow diminished… Instead, the light seemed to intensify a thousand times! I started to frown, as I didn’t want to close my eyes and be caught off guard, and momentarily made out the Meowth’s trainer, who wisely had put on some shades, before I had to close my eyes still. The glow didn’t stop at my eyelids though. It came piercing through, rattling my skull and severely disorienting me. Then I realized what Mike had begun shouting at me:
“She’s using Flash! You can’t let her confuse you!”
Easier said than done, Mike., I growled internally. But there isn’t anywhere to hide here, ya know.
And as I was thinking that, I was slammed backwards and fell on my side. She had tackled me upfront, and now I could feel her scratching and swiping away at me.
Of course I fought back: I rolled onto my back, and kicked and whipped my tail in all directions, but she simply had to sit back and strike whenever she saw an opening, as I was still blinded.
“Quick Ashketh!” shouted Mike, and I couldn’t help but think to myself ‘Kudos to me for choosing that name!’. “Get up and get away from there!”
Didn’t sound like much of a plan at the time, but lying around wasn’t doing me any good, so I went ahead and did it. Luckily, I still had somewhat of an idea of the general layout of the battlefield, so that I didn’t run head-first back into the maze, or into a hedge, for that matter.
I didn’t hear her come after me as I sprinted away in an erratic pattern, but the moment I stood still I could hear her trainer:
“He’s still blinded! Quick Felicia, Body Slam!”
Oh great. Of all the fuzzy fluff balls out there, I get the one on steroids and with an arsenal of special moves.
I could hear her, as she sprung up on the other side of the field – she must have been sitting down all the down as I was trying to evade her by running around in all directions. I felt and heard her paws rattling on the ground, followed by a sudden stop, her snarling, a sound as if she came loose from the ground, and then… nothing?
The audience gasped, drums rumbled (or so I imagined)… And then the best thing happened. My hair had been standing on end from the tension, but now my muscles where relaxing, and I knew what was happening.

You see, I have a gift. Call it a Hidden Power if you’re so technical, but it’s the most wonderful thing.
My fur is already coal-black you know – that came with the blue-ringed gene I inherited. If I lay still at night, in the shadows, no one can see me, except for maybe my eyes.
But when I activate my gift, oh boy. I’ve heard the others I just disappear into the shadows. I’ve talked about it with Nemo, and I like to call it more like ‘blending / melting into the shadows, like a Vaporeon into water’.
Of course, there are few shadows really black, but it’ll still seem as if I’m not there. I can watch you, talk to you if I’d like (though I’ll prefer jumping you most of the time – hence my other name, Boo), but you won’t see me until it’s too late. Sometimes, I even go from one place to another by melting into the shadows – one moment I’m here, the next, upstairs. And no one saw me, and I didn’t went up any stairs. It’s creepy, but I suppose that’s what you’d expect from a Ghost-type HP, as mine apparently is.

Now, from what I felt at that time during the battle, I could deduce that I was standing in a shadow – my body prefers the dark, I’ve noticed. I felt invigorated, and energy was returning instantly to me. To all others, only a split second passed, but to me, tens of minutes. My eyesight healed, and my hunch was proven: ‘Felicia’ was hanging above me, blocking the rays of the sun, her paws stretched as a lion leaping at the rabbit.
That gave me an idea. As time began to flow normally again, I agilely rolled onto my back, with my tail in her direction. As she came down, I triggered my ability. You should have seen the confusion rise in her eyes! Were she to have fallen on all fours before, I had distracted her enough to transform the gracious leap into a lot less graceful fall.
But I couldn’t let her drop smack-dab on the ground, now could I? I awaited her fall with all paws stretched out to her, caught her middle with my lower paws and her front paws with mine. Her face came very close to me, and I used that split second to become visible again, freaking her out some more. Then, I used the momentum of her fall to catapult her away behind me, straight into the hedge. If you’ve seen the Lion King, think of how Simba lauched Scar at the end.
The crowd roared as I stood up and took a look for myself: she was hanging between the leaves in an extremely ungraceful position, and as she was returned to her PokéBall, I lamented the goofy, cross-eyed, tongue-out-of-mouth look on her face.

Needless to say, her trainer used the minimally required amount of words to get away from there. As she run off, I thought of doing some kind of victory dance, but seemed a little too crude, even for me.
“Well, you’ve embarrassed that jet set society girl enough, haven’t you?” , asked Mike.
“Yup.”
“Anything to add to that?”
“Uh… Mission accomplished?” I asked sheepishly.
“I suppose…”, Mike sighed. “Any sights you want to see before we go back and ‘introduce’ ‘Basketball’ to the others?”
“The burrito bar.”, I said unshaken.
“Fine, I’ll get one too.”
And as we finished our little cholesterol bomb, which would come back to haunt us in three and a half hours with unpleasant toilet breaks, I couldn’t help but feel fond with myself for a day well spent.

Lady Vulpix

24th November 2007, 04:59 PM

Crystalmaster Mike

28th November 2007, 01:43 PM

What a long and complicated way of choosing a nickname! And I think Basketball sounds more normal than the final result.
Interesting description of a Ghost-type HP... And interesting character too. Take 15 stamps and thanks for posting. :) ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
You're welcome. Speaking out-of-character, it was a long and complicating way of coming up with that name in the first place, too. But it started something like... "Okay, so he likes to play basketball, and is somewhat of a joker... Hey, why don't I have him want to be named Basketball? But, what would be the background story/info on that name? ...", and so on. And I'll tell you, once I decided "he's going to be named Basketball... -ish", he was going to be named that way, even if it take all my gray matter to come up with a "decent" de-acronymed name for it. Heh.
And yeah, it would have been "more normal" to simply have him be called that, but it was a battle of wills, too... I couldn't and wouldn't pull the shortest end! Though I have a feeling this will be one of the few times I can put my foot down in front of him.

Orange_Flaaffy

17th December 2007, 09:09 PM

Okay, I am going to try my best :). I can't promise my stories will mix at all well with with everyone elses, I am pretty hard headed when it comes to my writing style ...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/babyrosedust/sbi.png
Saltine LV 8
One random pokemon from the Free Range Corral please :3!

The Blue Avenger

17th December 2007, 10:24 PM

Well, it's good to see some activity at all here. :)

Saltine will fight a level 8 Ditto.

Sheik

27th February 2008, 04:06 PM

I would like to train Sabrina, my lv. 5 female Abra, in the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency. Two opponents, please.

The Blue Avenger

27th February 2008, 06:12 PM

I'm afraid you can only get one random battle per week, unless you want to make it a double battle. Could you clarify before I roll up the Pokemon?

Sheik

27th February 2008, 08:18 PM

Oh. Okay. Then let's do this.

A double battle at the Jungle Deforestation Agency, except with this battle, I would like to use Auric, my Umbreon, and Anna, my Espeon. Both are at level 5.

Lady Vulpix

28th February 2008, 03:22 AM

They're going to battle a Tropius and a Spinarak.

How many stamps do you have, by the way?

Sheik

28th February 2008, 07:48 AM

Honestly... I have no idea. In fact aside from the two Pokemon Earrings, I don't even know what my items are...

classy_cat18

28th February 2008, 03:22 PM

Shiek? Oh man, how long has it been? I hope this is a sign that the forum is coming back from the dead.

But didn't you have a webpage with all of your TPM stuff? Or did it expire from not being modified for so long?

Lady Vulpix

28th February 2008, 03:46 PM

You once bought a custom juice for your Feebas Rain, who you evolved into a Milotic on 30th June 2003.

Your old site said you had 54 Stamps (17 Stamps from the Battle Range) and the earring, but that was back in 2003.

Sheik

28th February 2008, 05:22 PM

Classy_cat18: It's been... let's see.... June of 06? So nearly two years. I'm hoping I'll stay. As far as the web page... not entirely sure what happened, but all personal records of all my prior pokemon were lost, including that website. However, with the help of Gabi, I have been able to get that data back, and I now have it in a word document.

L_V: As far as the site goes... Is it really valid for me to take up the amount of stamps that I had back then (54) when I hadn't been here in so long? As far as Rain the Milotic... I didn't even know I had one, and obviously the stats for that would be practically non-existent.

Lady Vulpix

28th February 2008, 07:00 PM

Quoting our IM conversation...

"That's old information, there's no way to know how many you earned or spent after that, so I wouldn't trust it. But on the other hand, you brought the forum back to life, so I guess you can keep them as a reward."

The Blue Avenger

1st March 2008, 03:34 PM

Hey, could I get an RBG from the Sports Breeding Center for Groviglio? *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

2nd March 2008, 08:08 AM

He will battle a Makuhita.

And I've made my choice. This being the first scenario in a long time in which you can break brackets, I'll request a double battle from the Universal A.C. for Pidgeot and Ventura!

The Blue Avenger

2nd March 2008, 08:43 AM

They will fight a Sharpedo and a Ninetales.

Lady Vulpix

2nd March 2008, 11:27 AM

Ninetales at Universal? Not that Ventura would complain, she likes battling fire-types. But as far as I know (and I should know since I wrote that code) there are no Vulpixes or Ninetales in that area. Maybe the randomizer went back to Caledor by default.

[Edit: I have now fixed the randomizer so that it doesn't default to Caledor after each roll.]

I'll take it as it came, though. As I said, Ventura likes that.

The Blue Avenger

2nd March 2008, 11:39 AM

Oh, whoops, that's probably what happened, yeah. My apologies.

The Blue Avenger

2nd March 2008, 01:53 PM

Here's my scenario and two RBGs. Cheers!

---

“Uh-uh. No way. This sort of thing… well, it just won’t fly, you hear me?”
“What are you talking about, Bobbery?”
“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about, Jeff. Oh, no, wait; I can’t really call you that, can I? After all… you most certainly are not Jeff!”
The scene: a modest house at the corner of Tycho and Kepler. In the house’s spacious kitchen, a trainer is standing in a corner, his only routes of escape blocked off by the Snorlax in front of him. Behind the Snorlax stand a Mr. Mime, a Tangrowth, an Alakazam, and a Metang.
Jeff swallowed nervously. “I assure you, Bobbery, I am Jeff! I swear!”
“You underestimate me,” Bobbery replied, a smirk crossing his face. The Snorlax began to sniff the air, eventually homing in on Jeff. “It’s as I suspected,” he said, turning to his audience. “This Jeff… I can tell from using Odor Sleuth that he is, in actuality…” Bobbery whipped back around to face Jeff. Without a moment of warning, Bobbery slammed his fist into Jeff’s face. As the Snorlax had predicted, Jeff began to glow white and change shape. When the glow subsided, the figure that stood there no longer bore any resemblance to the trainer. Bobbery took a bow. “A Ditto, as I thought.”
The Ditto nursed its face and scowled. “Bah! Too smart for your own good, Snorlax. I should have taken care of you like I did your PorygonZ…”
Bobbery grinned. “Ironically enough, it’s what you did to 99 that aroused my suspicions. Jeff may be smart, but there’s no way he would be able to predict that me and Maza would force 99 to the Pokemon Center. That’s when I began to notice all the other weird stuff that’s been going down here recently.
“The first was the creepy stalker Cranidos Pogo that Groviglio fought. When Groviglio came back from the barracks, he happened to mention his fight to Maza, and I overheard.”
Groviglio clenched the vines serving as his hands and glared at the Ditto. “I’ll tell you what, you little punk, I’m going to make you pay for humiliating me! Nobody makes me confide in anybody, ever! Unless it’s me! I’m going to hit you so hard, your grandchildren will look up in a hundred years and think, ‘Oh geez, it feels like I was just punched very very hard in the gut!’”
“As you can see,” Bobbery continued, “your little ploy to undermine Groviglio’s confidence had precisely the opposite effect of what you intended. However, that’s not really relevant. As I was saying, I didn’t think too much of it then, because, really, Groviglio had it coming to him.”
Groviglio scowled, but surprisingly said nothing.
“The next weird thing? It was Rookie. More specifically, his visit to us. He warned Kurtzwick that a psycho thief named Pitt was planning to attack him. Again, I didn’t think too much of it, because Kurtzwick has a tendency to make people angry. Looking back, I wish I could have asked Rookie some more questions, but he fled almost immediately after warning Kurtzwick.”
“And what does any of this have to do with me?” the Ditto said, frowning. “You haven’t got any--”
“I’m not done yet,” Bobbery said, holding up a hand. “After I heard about all this from Kurtzwick, I ended up talking to Mona, who needed a shoulder to cry on. With Previsiona having her own problems at the time and Cambiamente out of the house almost constantly, she decided to come to me – I guess I was her third choice. Sorry, Maza.”
Maza sighed almost silently. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Apparently, the charmer who she had met in the park – a Smeargle named Leon – broke her heart. Pretty seriously, too. Of course, this is when things started seeming out of place for me. A painter named Leon falling for a girl named Mona? Too much of a coincidence.”
“Hey, that sort of thing can happen, you know--” the Ditto started.
“Let me finish. Like I said, it seemed too perfect, but I didn’t really pay it much heed, because, as you said, it could happen. And Mona is just naïve enough to fall that hard for somebody she barely knows. No offense meant to her, of course. Now, here’s where I started to put everything together: I was soon after called upon by Previsiona for comfort as well. Apparently, she had been having some awful nightmares, and it was completely wrecking her.”
Groviglio stepped forward. “Hey, hey, lemme tell this part. I’m proud of it. So I happen to be walking past the living room when they’re talking about this, right? And I stay and listen for a bit, because Previsiona… well, I don’t really want anything bad to happen to her. Then she starts describing the nightmares she’s having, and I realize it sounds familiar! They sound exactly like the sort of nightmares someone gets if someone uses Nightmare on them. Dreams designed to hit exactly where it hurts, you know?”
Bobbery nodded. “Right. After I ensured Groviglio had nothing to do with it--”
“Ol’ Blubberboy threatened me within an inch of my life, that’s what he means.”
“…I decided to look into this a bit further. That night, when Previsiona went to sleep, I kept an eye on her room. And lo and behold! I see a certain brown-haired, bespectacled trainer use a certain move on her – a move that should only be able to be used by Pokemon. Odd. Then I realized that, when Rookie met Pitt, when Mona was with Leon, and when Groviglio was with Pogo, you, the fake Jeff, weren’t here! You were nowhere to be found.”
“Huh! Exactly like how Clark Kent and Superman are never seen in the same room!” Mercandos said, perhaps a little more forcefully than necessary.
“Exactly. Then I remembered what 99 was trying to warn us about – that you were still reporting back to Happy-Happy Village. It all seemed to fit together too perfectly to not be true. But then I thought to myself, ‘Bobbery, Jeff passed all of the Guild’s brainwashing tests! How could this be his fault?’”
“See, I told you I’m innocent!”
“Hold it!” Bobbery exclaimed, arm outstretched. “The answer came to me after I noticed that you had a scent on you that was similar to Cambiamente’s. I theorized that if you were in fact a Ditto who could turn into these different Pokemon, you would be able to easily pass a brainwashing test. How? By Transforming partially into a Hypno or a similar Pokemon and hypnotizing the examiner into thinking you passed!”
The Ditto bit his lip. “But… but…!”
“Thus, I had all the proof I needed! You, Ditto, tried to infiltrate our team under the disguise of our trainer! You, Ditto, tried to collapse our team from within by destroying our teammate’s mental health! You, Ditto, tried to beat us for the sake of your master, one Cooper Bartholomew! You, Ditto, tried to beat us… but you failed!”
“Nooooooooo!” the Ditto howled, holding his head.
“One last thing. When you try to create multiple personalities to disguise yourself, it’s a pretty bad move to make them all have four-letter names. Most people can identify patterns, you know.”

---

A continent away, in a small village in the heartland of a cozy country, a young man was painting the side of a building, humming contentedly to himself. He wasn’t the only one: many other people in the town were also out on the sunny, seasonably warm day, painting the buildings in the town. Unlike what had been going on in previous months, however, they were not painting the scenery blue. Instead, everything was being painted to its original color, restoring the town to vivid, colorful life.
The town was Happy-Happy Village, in the middle of Eagleland, and the young man was none other than Jeff Azure. Although he had made some alterations to his wardrobe (a blue dress shirt, dark slacks, a black tie with the number 6 on it), Jeff was still easily recognizable for his large, nearly opaque glasses, his thick brown hair, and his trademark metallic boots. He stepped back from the wall he was painting – one of the walls of the village’s drug store – and looked it over.
Before he could take it in, however, a bright flash lit up the village. As suddenly as the flash had appeared, a quartet of Pokemon stood in the center of town: an Alakazam, a Tangrowth, a Snorlax, and a Mr. Mime.
The Mr. Mime pointed to the Alakazam. “Maza! You scope out the caverns! Groviglio! Search the minor buildings! Me and Trezzatura will go through the meeting hall!” It was then that Mercandos actually looked around. As he and the rest of his team took in the new look of the village, a more and more sheepish expression crossed his face. “Err. Does this place look… not threatening to anyone else?” he mumbled, biting his lip.
Jeff’s face lit up, and he ran to the group. “Guys! You finally showed up!” he called, grinning.
“Jeff! You’re all right!” Maza called right back. “But… what happened here? What’s with all the… not blue?”
“That’s the interesting part,” Jeff said, scratching the back of his head. “Bartholomew up and disappeared from here not too long ago. When he left, so did all of his cultists. All of the people who lived here but weren’t a part of the Happy-Happyists were able to finally retake their town.”
“Well, why didn’t you let us know?!” Groviglio fumed. “We could have come here a lot earlier if we had known you were still here.”
Jeff shrugged. “I felt like I should stay here for a while and help make things right… it was, after all, partially my fault that this happened to their town.”
“That makes sense,” Trezzatura muttered.
“Plus, Bartholomew and his goons made off with my wallet and cell phone, so I didn’t really have any method of getting in touch with anyone. I just sorta kept faith that you guys would figure it out eventually.”
Maza shook his head. “Well, do you think you’ve made enough amends? Can you come back home?”
Jeff smiled. “I think I can, yeah. Let’s go.”
As the white flash once again lit up the area, some of the residents heard a voice saying, “So, Groviglio, what’s it like being a hulking behemoth?” followed by an “Ow!”

---

A week later, Jeff found himself once again in the laboratory in the Dragon’s Guild headquarters. The Guild had given him a thorough checkup (as well as ensuring nobody was under hypnosis for the test) and determined that he was, in fact, the real McCoy. As a result, Jeff was quickly allowed back in to his day job – scientist and researcher for the Guild.
As he put some papers – detailing how certain water Pokemon’s water conducts electricity better than others’ – on his desk, Jeff noticed an envelope sitting on the keyboard of his computer. It was plain white, with his name written in block letters on the front in black ink. He opened it to find a similarly simple letter inside.
To all members of the Research and Training Department, it read, The Mercenary Trainers’ Union has opened up its facilities to expedite training of the Dragon Tamers and the Mercenary Trainers, in order to prepare them for their trip to White Mountain. If you fall under either of those two categories, you are allowed a free training session at the Union. It would be advisable to take this opportunity. Lady Ninetales.
Jeff frowned. “White Mountain, huh? I wonder what’s going down there… Ah well, I can look it up in a bit,” he muttered as he picked up the receiver to his desk phone.
At the house, the phone rang exactly once before Mona picked it up. “Hello, you’ve reached the house of Jeff Azure and his loyal band of teammates, each member stronger than the last, and each with their own particular strengths, like Bobbery, who’s a good chef, and Maza, who’s psychic, so he can read minds, which is kinda creepy when you get right down to it, because what if I know something that I don’t want anyone else to know? That’s just downright rude, although I suppose Maza never reads my mind anyway, so it’s not--”
“Gimme that,” Groviglio said, swiping the phone from Mona’s paws. “Yeah, Azure residence, etcetera, what’s up?”
Jeff sighed. “Hi, Groviglio. Thanks for that. I thought she’d never stop. Anyway, I have a request of you guys.”
“Shoot.”
“The MTU is opening up their doors, and we get a free training session. Can you take some teammates and go train? I’d go with you, but apparently my double didn’t do a lot of work, so I have a lot to catch up on. It apparently has something to do with White Mountain, if that helps you guys out.”
“Got it, dude, no problem. We’ll head over there soon.”
“Thanks. Later.”
Groviglio hung up the phone and looked over the living room. Including himself and Mona, the only other Pokemon in the house seemed to be Mercandos, who was practicing some sort of martial art with the help of a video tutorial in front of the TV, and Kurtzwick, who was hauling a big burlap sack to one of his hiding spots around the house.
“Why did it have to be me that goes with them?” Groviglio muttered under his breath, then turned to the three other Pokemon. “Okay guys, we’re going to the Mercenary Union thing. Free training session. So getcher butts in gear; I don’t wanna have to wait on you.”
Mercandos eagerly shut off the TV. “Huh! You don’t have to tell me twice!” he exclaimed as he dashed out of the door. Kurtzwick followed, saying nothing, but the sullen expression on his face telling all. Mona was the last out of the door, following a grumbling Groviglio.

---

Mona was the first one to choose a room. Picking at random, she decided on the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency and rushed in before anyone else had a chance to object. The room itself felt similar to how you would expect a deforestation recovery room to look: it was swathed with greenery of all kinds, it was significantly more humid than the outside hallway, and there was even a small river running through it. The room was filled with grass-type and bug-type Pokemon, although the attendant normally supposed to be manning the room was conspicuously absent.
“Hehe! I like this place!” Mona said, not exactly quietly. “It’s so green and pretty… Although, I suppose if I had my way, it wouldn’t be quite so humid in here, since that would make things a lot more bearable… I guess the Pokemon here wouldn’t like that though, huh? They probably like the humidity they way it is--”
It was here that, like a bolt from the blue, Mona was struck by… a bolt from the blue. Rather, not from the blue, per se, but from a Budew. The Budew waddled over to her, a frown plastered across his normally-cheerful face. “Look, there’s another Hidden Power in store for you if you don’t keep the jabbering down to a minimum, you hear?”
“Hey now, that was just uncalled for,” Mona said, pouting. “You know, you could have just asked, and I would have been quiet. There’s no need to bring violence into it; that just shows your relative immaturity. Huh, for some reason, I think Groviglio would be saying that he finds that statement ironic, though I don’t know why--”
“That’s it!” the Budew cried, charging at Mona.

Time to brawl! Mona versus Budew!
Mona – “All RIIIGHT!”
~
Budew – “Shuuuuut UP!”

The Budew dove at Mona, but she neatly sidestepped it. “You’re going to have to do better than that, you know?” she said, slightly snidely. Mona smiled, grabbed her tail, and began tracing patterns in the air. The pink paint on her tail left trails in the air as it gradually turned to yellow. “Now, let’s see how you like it when you’re shocked, Mr. Rude!”
“I am awed by the magnificence of your repart—uuuurgh!” the Budew cried as Mona sent a Hidden Power: Electric coursing through its body. He stumbled back, but regained his composure quickly, smirking. “Heh, you’re not bad. But seriously, how dumb are you? No electric attack’s gonna do much against a grass Pokemon!”
Mona frowned. “Hmph! You’re just like a miniature Groviglio! Let’s see how you fare against this!” Glowing a faint pink, Mona pointed at the Budew, who quickly found himself enveloped in a similar aura and rising into the air.
“Izzat the best you can do?” the Budew spat. Before Mona could finish the Psychic attack, he pitched an oozing ball of black sludge at the Smeargle, nailing her directly and causing her focus to shatter. The Budew dropped to the ground and bum-rushed Mona again, this time scoring a direct hit on her as she attempted to clear the sludge from her face.
“Ooh! You fight dirty!” Mona yelped, stumbling back. “I’ll just have to fight dirty right back!” She dove at the Budew face-first, fangs glinting in the light. The Budew tried to take a step back, but did so too late: Mona latched her teeth in and shook her head, flailing the Budew around.
The Budew growled, and before Mona knew it, another series of volts was coursing through her body. He dropped the Budew and stumbled back. “You can’t handle the heat, ah?” the Budew said, smirking. “Then get outta the jungle!”
“No way!” Mona cried. She glowed pink again, but this time, the Budew couldn’t react in time: a wave of faintly pink energy emanated from her, pushing the Budew back and slamming him into a wall.
Slumping over, the Budew weakly waved an arm. “I give…”

This game’s winner is… Mona!

“Hmph. These guys need to take better care of their Pokemon,” Mona muttered as she exited the room. “I wonder how many other Pokemon in there would have attacked me just for talking.”

---

While all this was going down, Kurtzwick made his way further past the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Room towards the rest of the training rooms. However, he didn’t get very far before something caught his attention.
“I… I sense…” Kurtzwick muttered, slithering towards one of the open doors, “something valuable…” He darted through the door, completely unseen.
Once inside, Kurtzwick was greeted by a blast of cold air, but he plowed through regardless. “Okay… I think it’s in this direction…” Kurtzwick mumbled, focusing on the back of the room, where a smallish lake, partially frozen over, lay. Something small in the lake was glinting in the light. Kurtzwick grinned and zipped towards it faster than one would think possible. He pounced on the small shiny object, smiling greedily.
“Ooh, this is a Pokemon Earring…” he said. But what Kurtzwick failed to realize was that the Earring was attached to an ear. The ear was attached to a Pokemon, and that Pokemon was rapidly rising above the surface of the water. It was a large, blue, plesiosaur-like Pokemon with a spiky shell on its back.
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” the Lapras asked indignantly.
“Err… um…” Kurtzwick stuttered. “I don’t suppose you’d believe I’m polishing your earring?”
“Nope. Not in the slightest.”
“Any way I’m going to get to leave without you beating me up?”
“Nope.”
“Shoot.”

Time to brawl! Kurtzwick versus Lapras!
Kurtzwick – “Hack, slay, and haul it all away!”
~
Lapras – “Own up to it!”

“Well then,” the Lapras said, “let’s start this off simply.” He reared back and spat a beam of frost and snow at Kurtzwick, who ducked out of the way just in time. Nonetheless, the Ice Beam nicked his tail, sending a chill up through the Dratini’s body.
“Gah!” Kurtzwick grunted. “Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine!” He closed his eyes and focused. Almost immediately, a cold wind began to blow through the room, circling around the Lapras. As it began to whip more and more harshly, Kurtzwick grinned.
The Lapras, however, merely laughed. “What do you think that’s going to do to me? This is like a mild tropical breeze! I could relax in this all day.”
“I suppose it’s a good thing I have more than one trick up me sleeve, then,” Kurtzwick said. He released a cloud of Haze, completely obscuring himself from view. When the Icy Wind finally faded, so too had the Haze, but as the Lapras noted, Kurtzwick was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did you go, huh?” the Lapras muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Unfortunately for him, that question was about to be answered.
“I’m over here!” Kurtzwick called from behind his foe. The Lapras turned, only to be met by a large orb of electricity to his face. The electricity coursed through the Lapras’s body, leaving it somewhat smoldering and absolutely furious.
“That’s it! No more Mr. Nice Sea Monster!” the Lapras howled. Like Kurtzwick had done earlier, he closed his eyes and focused, and as before, a chill wind picked up in the room. This one, however, was harsher than before and significantly colder: even some of the ice Pokemon in the room were shivering. Before long, visibility was reduced to nearly nothing, but the loud laugh of the Lapras could be heard over the whipping wind. “How do you like that, you spaz?” the Lapras crowed.
No answer came, but the Lapras was not very concerned… at least not until the Blizzard began to die down. As the snow and ice receded, the Lapras caught a glimpse of something shiny. Unlike his earring, however, this was significantly larger. Finally, the Blizzard was completely gone, and the Lapras saw it for what it truly was: a Protect shield.
“I see how you play,” Kurtzwick said as he dropped the shield. “Well, have a taste of my ultimate attack.” His eyes began to glow red, and flames began to lap at the sides of his body. “OUTRAGE!” Suddenly, a blast of flames enveloped the Lapras, melting the surrounding ice. When the flames finally died down, the Lapras was panting heavily.
“Okay, okay, you win. Just get outta here before I sue ya,” the Lapras mumbled.

This game’s winner is… Kurtzwick!

“I don’t suppose there’s any way I could still make off with your earr--”
“GO AWAY!”

---

Mercandos stepped warily into the Universal Adoption Center. Today’s training seemed to be going in full blast: the room seemed more fit to be the Professional Sports Breeding Center, as all the Pokemon in the UAC today were playing some kind of sport. “I don’t like jocks,” he murmured to himself. “They’re too full of themselves, and what do they know about real combat? They wouldn’t be able to handle themselves.”
“Hey there, stranger,” a voice called from a corner of the room filled with Pokemon playing soccer. “I hope you’re not saying that without seeing us in action.” Before Mercandos could register it, a soccer ball came flying out of nowhere and nailed him in the head. As he regained his balance, the source of the voice – a smug-looking Shieldon – marched over to him. “I propose that we put your skills to the test if you’re gonna challenge ours. What do you have to say to that?”
Even though he was still nursing his head, Mercandos grinned. “I accept. You won’t stand a chance, son.”

Time to brawl! Mercandos versus Shieldon!
Mercandos – “Ten-hut!”
~
Shieldon – “Get ready to ruuuuumble!”

Hmmm… He’s a steel and a rock type, Mercandos thought. That means that all of my attacks are going to be ineffective. What can I do first…?
“You’re being too slow!” the Shieldon called. “Try this on for size!” He charged at Mercandos, his metallic head glinting in the light.
“Gyah! Not so fast!” Mercandos replied, seemingly surprised. He wound up a Dizzy Punch and intercepted the Shieldon’s Iron Head with it… or, at least, that was the plan. In reality, Shieldon’s head proved just a little too hard, and Mercandos pulled his hand back sharply, yelping.
“I see you’re not all you’re cracked up to be, eh, mate?” the Shieldon chuckled.
“Grr… Now I’ll show you!” Mercandos cried, taking a step back. He began to wiggle his fingers back and forth in an almost hypnotic manner. There was an audible ‘click’, then Mercandos began to do an odd two-step, a red aura surrounding him. “Haaah!” he grunted. “That was great! I feel supercharged!”
“W-what are you doing?” the Shieldon asked, slightly unnerved.
“It worked so well, I’ll do it again!” Mercandos said, grinning. Once more, he began the Metronome. As before, there was a clicking noise, but this time, a bright light began to shine from behind him. “I may not have a tail, but Tail Glow still works great!”
The Shieldon grimaced. “Two can play at that game, buddy,” he said, adopting a defensive pose. An iron coating seemed to surround him: it shimmered in the light, then disappeared.
Mercandos smirked. “That’s what I was waiting for!” he said, putting his hands out. “GUARD SWAP!” Twin beams of light spanned the distance between Mercandos and the Shieldon for a split second, then disappeared.
“What did you do?” the Shieldon fumed. “I feel… drained.”
“Guard Swap is a useful move, I think,” Mercandos said, waving a finger. “It swaps our defensive stat boosts between us.”
“But… you haven’t used any…”
“Exactly.” Mercandos began waggling his other finger. “Now, let’s see what we get this time…” The Mr. Mime opened his mouth, emitting a loud squeal, like two pieces of metal scraping against each other.
The Shieldon covered his ears. “Ugh! Not Metal Sound! That’s horrible!”
“True as that may be, I think this stat war has gone on long enough,” Mercandos said. “Even though it’ll be non-very effective, I think this should still work…” He raised his hands and closed his eyes. A bright white light filled the room, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind. The sounds of several impacts, followed by grunts of pain from the Shieldon, followed soon after. When the light cleared, Mercandos hadn’t moved an inch, but the Shieldon looked battered and bruised.
“I… hope you don’t think you’ve beaten me…” the Shieldon muttered, slowly staggering to his feet. He let loose a howl and charged at Mercandos again.
“So sorry, but this’ll be it,” Mercandos said. As the Shieldon charged, a glowing, orange dragon arose from the ground behind Mercandos. The Shieldon skid to a stop, blinking in astonishment at the figure. This, unfortunately, left him wide open for the gout of orange flames that the dragon spewed at him, leaving the Shieldon charred on the ground.
“O-okay… you’re the real deal…” the Shieldon murmured.

This game’s winner is… Mercandos!

Mercandos shook his head. “I apologize too. Your skills are definitely better than I assumed.”

---

The last of the group to find a room, Groviglio wandered halfheartedly into the Professional Sports Breeding Center. Much like the UAC, the PSBC was filled with Pokemon of all kinds training and working out. Groviglio muttered something under his breath; he was about as fond of jocks as Mercandos was, but for completely different reasons.
“Hey! Everybody! Look at the hulking blue monstrosity!”
That was one of those reasons. Groviglio focused in on the source of the call – a Makuhita – and walked over to him. “Do you have a problem with the way I look? You, you overweight Pikachu mockery?”
The Makuhita bristled. “Hey, hey, it’s not my fault your face scares small children!”
“At least children can get close enough to me to be scared of it! Your putrid stench repels anybody in a fifty mile radius!”
“Look, do you want to make this physical?”
“If it gave me a chance to beat your ugly face in? Certainly.”

Time to brawl! Groviglio versus Makuhita!
Groviglio – “You fight like a cow!
~
Makuhita – “Eat it!”

“Let it never be said that I don’t fight to the best of my ability,” Groviglio said, sounding like he would be smirking if his mouth was visible. He pulled a comically-oversized die from behind his back and rolled it on the ground. “Let’s see how you’re going to be impeded today…”
The die spun on one tip for a moment, then fell, revealing the face that read “Special Defense.”
“Excellent.” Groviglio rubbed his ‘hands’ together. “Now, for step two…”
“You won’t be getting that chance!” the Makuhita hollered. “I’ll take you down first!” He threw himself at Groviglio and began pelting the Tangrowth with a series of open-palm smacks. Groviglio crouched down and weathered the blows as best as he could.
“Heh. You’re a fool if you think that did much. Of course, I’d argue that you’re a fool anyway.” Groviglio shook his head. “Now, as I said, for step two…” He spun his arms in a circle, releasing a cloud of purple spores. The cloud quickly blew in the Makuhita’s direction, and the unfortunate fighting type had little recourse but to inhale them. The Makuhita coughed and turned slightly purple.
“You… fight dirty…” the Makuhita said, hacking.
“Incorrect,” Groviglio replied. “I fight smartly. Honestly, even someone like you shoulda figured that one out.”
“If you were fighting smartly, you wouldn’t have poisoned me…” the Makuhita said, a hint of triumph in his voice. “Because I can do this!” Once again, he charged at Groviglio, but this time, his fists were glowing a bright purple. Faster than Groviglio could comprehend, the Makuhita barreled into him with a barrage of punches. The Makuhita then bounced back, seeming as if he had regained some of his vigor. “Façade, as I’m sure you know--”
“Boosts power when you’re poisoned, yeah, yeah, I gotcha,” Groviglio muttered. “Geez, I’m not some little kid, ya know. Besides, this is all still part of my plan.” He closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly, a bubble of water appeared around the Makuhita.
“What is this?!” the Makuhita exclaimed, his voice echoing slightly through the water.
“You’ll find out shortly, dunce,” Groviglio replied. He raised one arm, and the bubble began to constrict. A look of panic crossed the Makuhita’s face as he realized his air supply was rapidly diminishing. The bubble finally popped, and the Makuhita fell to the ground, panting.
“That was cheap…” the Makuhita said, obviously tiring. “Looks like I’ll have to go for the cheap shots too.” As was standard by that point, he charged at Groviglio. However, Groviglio was hardly prepared for the attack that the Makuhita launched: it was a serious of punches, kicks, and chops that came so fast and so brutally that he had no hope of defending against them. After what felt like an eternity, the Makuhita stepped back. Both combatants were panting heavily; the Close Combat had taken their toll on both of them.
“Haah… haah… you think that’ll be it?” Groviglio said. “I still have an ace up my sleeve…” He closed his eyes and focused once more. This time, orbs of green energy began to flow between the two fighters. With each orb that went from Makuhita to Groviglio, the former looked more and more exhausted and the latter looked more rejuvenated until eventually, the Makuhita collapsed.

This game’s winner is… Groviglio!

“Let that be a lesson to all you jocks,” Groviglio said, looking up around the room. “Nobody insults me like that without getting a taste of their own medicine.”

---

Later that evening, Jeff walked into the house and began putting away his bag. As he did, he glanced at the living room and noticed Mona, Mercandos, Groviglio, and Kurtzwick sitting quietly, watching a TV show.
“So, hey, guys! How was the training?” Jeff asked, smiling widely.
Nobody answered, but he got more than one stony glare.
“…was it something I said?”

classy_cat18

2nd March 2008, 02:48 PM

I asked for two opponents for Circe for this scenario, but I would like to change it so that both Nama and Rose can battle. Can I do that?

Lady Vulpix

2nd March 2008, 05:53 PM

Well, the rules say nothing about that, but I guess you can.

Lady Vulpix

5th March 2008, 05:28 AM

Alright, here I am. Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy.

It was a long story with many battles and scenes, so I'll write my comments as a list.

Hey, the training wasn't so bad!
I like your amusing writing style.
Nice way of wrapping things up by bringing up the details of your previour stories.
How did the Ditto use Nightmare while in Jeff's form?
How did you/Jeff survive for so long with no money? And if you did get some, wasn't there a phone booth available in the whole village?
Groviglio's perfecting himself! His insults are better when he's angry.
"Unlike what had been going on in previous months, however, they were not painting the scenery blue." <- That sentence made me laugh. I was thinking about that just before I read it.
So you're Jeff "Blue" Azure McCoy now? :P
I liked Mona's greeting. She should record it on an answering machine.
Nice description of the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency!
It's good to know Mona can get serious when necessary.
Does Kurtzwick have an internal radar for valuable objects?
The Lapras deserved to win that one. (Or should I say the Sea Monster?)
Interesting use of Haze. I guess being transparent has its advantages.
Yes, it's amazing what Metronome and similar moves can do.
I've just realized I don't know much about Mercandos. I'd like to see more of him.
Wow, Groviglio's found a rival!
I'd never thought of a connection between Pikachu and Makuhita before.

Take 28 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

5th March 2008, 08:18 AM

How did the Ditto use Nightmare while in Jeff's form?
How did you/Jeff survive for so long with no money? And if you did get some, wasn't there a phone booth available in the whole village?
So you're Jeff "Blue" Azure McCoy now? :P
The Lapras deserved to win that one. (Or should I say the Sea Monster?)

Point by point:

-He morphed partially into a Pokemon that could do Nightmare, but not entirely - hence why Bobbery could recognize him.
-He survived off of the kindness of strangers. And there were phones, but he didn't have the money to call long distance, and he absolutely hates causing people to spend money on him - living off of other people was bad enough for him.
-Let's just add a few more last names in there while we're at it. :P
-Totally agreed. And, yes, Kurtzwick has a radar. He calls it his 'swag-dar.'

Thank you.

Lady Vulpix

25th April 2008, 11:16 PM

This took MONTHS to get done, and I've just stayed up after 1 AM to finish it, but it's done! Behold... my free random battles! Plus a bonus retelling of one of my oldest battles, predating the archives. (Story posted in 2 parts due to its length.)

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Tracker's POV>

I was glad to be useful, especially in a situation that involved neither endless intrigues nor physical violence. In other words, something so different from my everyday job. Still, the whole thing did feel awkward, and I wasn't quite sure of what I was getting into. I tried to give myself confidence by reminded myself of why I had agreed to this: I was doing it to help Hero and Tsunami attain peace of mind, but most of all I was doing it for Kiva: someone I didn't know, but a young and confused, and probably scared soul, who needed comfort and words of experience. Someone who needed my help. And, after all, helping those who needed it was the main reason why I kept putting up with the most nasty aspects of being a police pokemon. Knowing I could make others' lives better was the best reward. But still, how could I sort out such a mess? How could I help my boyfriend apologize for making his best friend's daughter pregnant? And how could I help her feel better? I was so glad we weren't human. Otherwise the whole situation would have been a lot worse. Or wouldn't have happened. Either or.

The house looked like many others provided by the Dragon's Guild. At least from the outside. I was mildly surprised when a Snorlax came to open the door. Then again, it was a Dragon Tamers household, so I admitted it shouldn't be so surprising for pokemon to perform the tasks that were normally assigned to humans in most other places. But I couldn't help but wonder... Where was the trainer? He'd certainly been in the house at one point, I could smell it, but the smell was so dim... as if no humans had been in the house for a long time. "Don't be rude," I scolded myself. "They've called you to help, not to pry into their private lives. They're friends, not criminals. Even considering the recent reports - yes! Even considering them. It wasn't their fault. Stop bringing your job here, they need an adult female, not a CSI." Fortunately, I managed to keep my inner dialogue to myself. Tsunami did ask me if I was alright, but he accepted "Yes, I'm fine" for an answer. Hero didn't seem to notice a thing.

Tsunami asked for Kiva, and we were led to a room towards the back of the house. The Snorlax knocked on the door.
"Hey, Kiva, you have visitors," he announced.

The young Vaporeon opened the door. She had the look of someone who had just woken up, bits of her dreams still lingering in her mind, moving slowly, her eyes only partially open, her mouth neutral and relaxed. Her expression changed, however, when she saw us. She looked at her father and Hero first, then at me, and her eyes opened widely.

"Oh... hello..." she said in the slow, deep tone of someone who's trying to shake sleep away.
"Hi..." said Tsunami. "Sorry to drop in on you like this. We didn't have much of a chance to talk last time and then we had to go and... I think we should sort things out somehow. Hero needs to talk to you, and I asked Tracker to come too so she can help if he says something wrong."
"Or if you do," Hero stroke back.
"Okay, granted..." Tsunami lowered his head before turning to look at me. "Have you two met before?"
"I don't think we have," I answered politely, trying to make Kiva feel comfortable. "I would remember such a beauty."

The female Vaporeon blushed lightly, but said nothing. I began to question the wisdom of my last words, and my presence there.

"Perhaps it wasn't a good idea for me to come after all," I concluded.
"N-no..." Kiva stammered, "you're okay. If Father trusts you, th-then I do too."
"All set, then," Tsunami decided. "Hero?"
This seemed to catch Hero by surprise.
"What? Like that? In front you all?"
Tsunami nodded vigorously.
"You'll pay for this," Hero promised. "But later. Ok, Kiva... I know this will sound stupid, but... I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you, I wouldn't have done it if I'd known."
He stopped to gather his thoughts, and then continued.
"Actually, I feel quite miserable about it, and this awkward situation is only making it worse."
"I'm sorry too, Hero," Kiva apologized. "I d-didn't really know what I was doing." She looked away, but continued speaking. "And I'm sorry it made you miserable."
"It's not your fault, you didn't have enough experience to make that judgement," Tsunami told her. "In that sense, I am sorry. We should have talked more. I promise I'll try to spend more time with you from now on."
"I'd like that," said Kiva.
Her father smiled.
"And if you need to talk about female stuff, Tracker will be willing to help you," he added. "She knows about that, she's even managed to get someone as thick-headed as Hero to notice her!"
"Hey!" complained Hero.

I tried to stifle a chuckle, but had to let it out when I saw Kiva do the same. It was relieving to see her smile. Hero sighed. I felt a bit sorry for him, but only a little. After all, he was responsible for this mess. But Kiva felt responsible too, and apologized again.

"After what happened, I'll have to admit he's right," Hero conceded. "But once I'm out of here he's sushi."
"Remember you're talking about her father," I reminded him. As much as I loved him, I often found his lack of tact disturbing.
"So? Everyone likes sushi!" he tried to joke. "She knows I don't mean it literally."
"I don't like sushi..." Kiva muttered under her breath.
"It's ok, I don't like it much either," I sympathized, obtaining another smile from her. "How are you doing?" I asked her.
"I'm... okay. I can't imagine how I'd be if I didn't have Anzu to help, though... It's been hard, though... everyone else around here seems to be having their own little problems too. While it doesn't have much to do with me, it's still unsettling."

My curiosity was piqued, but I didn't want to interrupt her. I let her go on, and listened.

"Like 99 being stuck at the Pokemon Center... I never thought anything was wrong with him... but then, you don't know any of these guys, do you? I'm sorry."
I wished I did know them. I'd only heard vague references.
"99 is in the pokemon center?" asked Tsunami. "What happened to him?"
"I'm not sure specifically, but from what I hear, he got admitted as a preemptive thing," Kiva replied. "I think there are supposed to be problems with the upgrade itself that turns a Porygon2 to a Porygon-Z."

My instincts kicked in again. Something was going on. I'd felt it, but I hadn't expected it to tie in with my current investigations. Now I had to know more.

"I've heard about that," I told her. "There were reports of some malfunctioning upgrades, and Lady Ninetales told the police she'd received an anonymous e-mail saying they'd been tampered with and offering a way to fix them in exchange for a sample."
"A sample?" asked Kiva.
"A pack of upgrades," I explained. "To experiment, it said."
"That sounds... er, decidedly suspicious."
"That's what I thought. Sadly, my tracking skills aren't so good when it comes to digital data, and the only one I know of who could identify the source without a doubt is currently unavailable... Or at least I can't walk into his house without causing problems, and I don't think it's worth it for just an e-mail. We're investigating it."
"I guess it's obvious now, but Tracker works for the police," Tsunami provided the late introduction.
"That's cool," Kiva said. "Erm, if you find anything else out about the upgrade thing, can you let me know? I'm worried about 99..."
"Don't worry, I will," I promised.
Kiva thanked me with a smile.
"Evolution items are not as reliable as they're cracked up to be," interjected Hero. "I hope 99 is alright. If he ends up looking odd or something... Well, I think Porygon-Z look odd anyways, so that shouldn't be a problem."
"Well, I don't think there was anything wrong physically... but Jeff was worried about 99's mental health," explained Kiva. "That's all I could get out of him, though."
"Oh, that's bad," Tsunami commented. "I hope it's just a false alarm."
"I hope so too," Kiva agreed. "Bobbery and Maza are beating themselves up over it; they help get 99 to the Center - against his will - and now they don't think anything was wrong."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," I assured her. "If the problem's caused by the upgrade, there will be someone who can fix it. And if it's just a false alarm, then he'll be home soon."
"Thank you. That's reassuring... If only that was the only problem around here..."

What came after that was mostly a lot of gossip. I ended up offering my help trying to track a thief, which sounded hypocritical even to me considering that I knew a thief lived in that same house and I was letting him off. But Kurtzwick seemed more a kleptomaniac than a criminal; there was still a chance that his team would be able to handle him without getting the police involved. I did make it clear that I would pursue him if he showed any signs of becoming dangerous. Everything else was just rumors about Kiva's friends and even one of Hero's teammates, which I shall not report because no good may come out of spreading them. At least, the most immediate crisis seemed to be averted.

As for the other crises, a long time went by with little to no success on our behalf. I didn't find the Skitty thief named Popple; although I must admit that looking for him was not among my top priorities. I tried to find information about him in-between missions, but all the trails were cold. He had probably left Sector Alpha long before I started looking for him. Still, I believed he'd show up eventually. Either that, or he'd stop causing trouble, which was just as good. It was the e-mail that occupied most of my thoughts while I was at work. After that one, two more came, addressed to different members of the Pokemon Research and Training Department of the Dragon's Guild. A few weeks passed between an e-mail and the next, but it was clear that whoever was sending them was not planning to give up. The computer geeks at the station tried to trace the mails back to their source, only to meet a dead end on each attempt. I made an effort to understand and memorize as much as possible of their explanation, and as I thought about it, an idea came to my mind. More than an idea, it was the beginning of a theory. But it was just that: a beginning. I still lacked too much information. I had no choice but to ask for help. Luckily enough, by this time Lord Umbreon and his team were back in business, which meant that the help I needed was likely to be available.

--------------------------SHAMELESS SCENE CHANGE--------------------------

<Gabi's POV>

The street looked empty. The only sound was the constant murmur of the wind, occasionally carrying a few dry leaves. The sky looked dusty... a shade of grayish yellow, like an old book left in a library for decades. It felt abandoned... I felt abandoned, standing motionless before that scene... before those empty streets, and stores, and homes, that used to conform the liveliest part of Sector Alpha. I felt desolate.

Behind me was the park, where we'd shared so many walks, picnics and even battles. Its image formed in my mind but I didn't dare look at it... I knew nobody would be there. We had waited for too long. Yssera had won.

I felt a tear wet my cheek, and then, much in contrast with everything else, a warm feeling that seemed to come from behind me. It felt like light, and hope; and it had an extra component that I couldn't quite describe but I'd felt many times in years past. So soothing... it seemed like it could heal a broken spirit. And it had healed mine more than once. I turned around... and felt the resistance of the sheets. I moved my arms and shoulders, carefully turned my head this was and that, and slowly opened my eyes. I was startled to see Lagi looking at me. I wondered how long she'd been there.

"Good morning," she said. "Sorry I startled you."
"That can't be helped," I reply without much thought. "Good morning."

The scenes of my dream still occupied my mind, as I tried to adjust to the new day and the world it brought with it. Then I Lagi's presence by my side suddenly made sense.

"Were you worried about me?" I asked as I sat up.

Lagi placed her arm behind my back to help me up without a thought. It was the customary ritual whenever I didn't feel well in the mornings. Then, perhaps in response to my question, she placed a 'hand' on my chest.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked me.
"Of the worst kind," I answered. "The kind in which the worst has already happened and there's nothing you can do... and it seemed scarily close to reality. But then..."
Lagi looked at me expectantly.
"I had that feeling again. I hadn't felt it ever since Yssera first stroke close to us."
"So did I," Lagi confirmed.
"What do you think it means?"
"I'm not sure. If I have to guess, I'd say it's related to White Mountain and the pegasi. I would dare say it means hope. But how exactly... I'm not sure."
"We do have to go there. Before it's too late. I'm afraid we may be taking too long and giving Yssera the time she needs to amass her army."
"Yes... I believe we must," Lagi sighed. "A part of me has been trying to postpone it as much as possible, but I know that's the worst thing we can do. Just..."
"Just what?"
"I'm having that feeling again. It's not on White Mountain, but closer. I would like to investigate it before we go. The others can train in the meantime, so that we as a team are better prepared for the confrontation."
"Are you suggesting that we take the MTU up on their offer?" I asked, remembering the invitation to a free training session I'd received for being a member of the Pokemon Research and Training Department of the Dragon's Guild.
"Is there any reason not to?"
"I don't know... I wish we didn't have to linger here any longer. But you're right, this may be too important to miss it. And it won't hurt if the rest of the team trains in the meantime."
"Does that mean you're coming with me?"
"Everyone here knows the way to the MTU building, and trainers are not required to be present in these sessions. Besides they've all been battling without me for a long time, I doubt I could be of any help."
"And that's all just an excuse to justify your absence because you're as eager as I am to find out what's going on," Lagi grinned.
"Wow, you do have a sarcastic streak to you! I didn't think you did. But of course, you're right."
"Oh, I do have it," Lagi smiled. "I just don't normally let it out for fear of hurting others. But I knew that wouldn't hurt you. Not in your current mood."
"You're right, you've cheered me up more than I thought possible at a time like this. Caledor may have to watch out for you!"
"No, I don't stand a chance against his silliness," she laughed. And so did I.

Lady Vulpix

25th April 2008, 11:17 PM

<Pidgeot's POV>

Everyone except Water Angel converged into the kitchen that morning. It became so crowded that I felt an urge to get out, but I stayed because the conversation had caught my interest. Gabi tried to begin on a serious note and told us about her dream, but Caledor couldn't take the gloom and told us about his dream, which involved a street made of jelly, with ice-cream cones lined up on each side, and which reminded him that he hadn't had an ice-cream in months. Then everyone started asking each other about their dreams. Dome didn't remember theirs. Amber said hers was something about a sheet of paper with arrows drawn all over it, but she couldn't remember what it meant, only that she was supposed to do something with it. Ventura said she had dreamt about battles, but claimed not to be good enough with words to describe them, and said the details were fuzzy anyway. Tsunami said his dream had been about a vacation in Glacier Peak, to which Hero questioned whether that had been an actual dream or a subtle request. Then came my turn to answer, but I'd had the spark dream again. Nothing new... to me, at least. It turned out I hadn't told many of the others about it yet, and they started asking me what the spark dream was.

"It's a recurring dream I've been having every now and then for as long as I remember," I told them. "First there's complete darkness... a seemingly endless darkness. And then a tiny spark of light, which grows bigger and brighter until it envelops everything. And then I wake up. You could try analyzing it, but I doubt you'll find much."
"I don't think anyone can get any useful answers out of analyzing someone else's dream," Gabi voiced her opinion. "Does it mean anything to you?"
"I don't know," I answered. "I usually have that dream when I'm worried, and it makes me feel better. But I'm stumped as to what it means. For a while I thought it might be related to my Hidden Power. I had that dream the night before I discovered it. But it would make no sense to have that dream again and again just because I have a Hidden Power of the Electric type, would it?"
"Oh, I don't know about that," said Hero. "I've had some fun dreams connected to my Hidden Power. Then again, mine's a lot more fun than yours."
"You just dream about the things you would like to do," I told him, having heard a good share of Hero's dreams in the past.
Hero smirked.
"It could be something you're trying to remember," Iael brought the conversation back to me.
I was surprised to hear him speak. He hadn't said anything since he'd entered the kitchen, making him go unnoticed among the noisy crowd. I thought about his words.
"I suppose it could be," I reflected. "There are still too many things I don't remember about my childhood. I guess I may have forgotten them because it was painful to remember what I'd lost, or maybe because something terrible happened to my parents, I don't know. But now I wish I could remember."
"If you're sure that you want, keep trying," Iael advised me. "Just be sure not to stop when the painful images come. Be strong and go beyond them. The good memories are on the other side."

At that moment I saw the Stantler under a new light. Despite living together, he and I hadn't spoken much. Especially not about personal issues. We knew about each other's stories, but there had always been a tacit agreement not to bring them up. Until now.

"I'm sorry," I said. "You must have had to deal with too much on your own. You're always so quiet..."
"I'm barely noticed among the crowd, I know," Iael finished my sentence. "It's my fault, I don't speak unless I know what to say."
"Just like me," Gabi noted.
"Then you must know what to say all the time," Tsunami teased her.
"Look who's talking," Hero remarked.
"As old as this answer may be, look who's talking too!"
"Besides," Iael continued, "there are others who crave for attention much more than I do."
Hero and Tsunami suddenly stopped their squabble and fixed piercing glares at Iael. But just for a moment. Then Tsunami grinned.
"He's right!" the Vaporeon exclaimed. "I'd like some attention. Wouldn't you, Hero?"
"Of course! The more the better!"
They both burst into laughter.
"Clowns," I shook my head.
"Hey, what about me?!" Caledor demanded. "I want some attention too. Look, I can glow!"
"You've been glowing since we met you," Tsunami spat out. "Get a new trick."
"Ok, I can... I can..."

Caledor's glow switched to a black aura for a moment, and then he disappeared. All seriousness gone, I decided to go with the flow.
"That's not new either," I told him. "I've been doing that since I was born."

To illustrate my point, I disappeared into the shadows as well. But, somehow, when I reappeared, he managed to land right on top of me, making me lose balance and land with my stomach on the floor.

"I can do that," he concluded.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Tsunami. "Caledor's psychic powers are not completely useless after all! Now he may be only the second most inept psychic pokemon in the world."

I stepped back and let Hero, Tsunami and Caledor do their thing. I'd long since learnt that it was best not to be in the middle of an argument among them once the name-calling began. I wasn't hurt anyway, and they stopped paying attention to me the moment I stopped talking, so I'd have gained nothing from getting involved.

"See what I mean?" Iael said to me. I think he was smiling, but it's hard to tell with a Stantler.
"What you mean about... what?" I asked him. "I'm sorry, I lost the thread of the conversation."
"About attention."
"Attention? Ah, attention, of course! Yes, they can easily draw it away from anything or anyone else. Why don't we go somewhere quieter... like the MTU building."
Iael chuckled before accepting my offer. "Sure."
"Hold on a second," Ventura interrupted us. "No sneaking into the MTU building without me. I want to battle too."
"Okay, don't be so rude!" I told her. "I'm sure there must be room for the three of us."

We waited to see if anyone else would join us, but the terrible trio were still deeply engaged in their argument and wouldn't interrupt it for anything we said. I think Tsunami turned to look at us for a moment, but it was just a second before he got another retort from Hero and returned it with one of his own. As for the others, they preferred to stay and get everything ready for our next mission. So, we went on our own.

Luckily, by that time there were several members of the MTU who could understand Pokemon speech, thus allowing Pokemon like us to battle while our trainers were busy. We were not the first ones to do so, and hopefully wouldn't be the last ones either (we most likely wouldn't be, but you never know). We had a little trouble deciding which section to go to. We all wanted to see each other's battles, but didn't quite agree on where to have it. I wanted to go to the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency or the Free Range Corral, because I'd heard they had wide open spaces in which I could fly freely. Ventura wanted the Caledor's Nature Protection Agency because that was where most Fire types went to and she hadn't battled one in a long time. As for Iael, he said he didn't mind either way, but after some prodding to get him to say what he really wanted, he confessed that he'd like to go to the Universal Adoption Center because it was the most varied environment. That's what he had heard anyway, as none of us knew exactly what it was like inside. I doubt many would have known, with all the rebuildings and remodellings the building had gone through. That was until Ventura stepped in, metaphorically speaking.

"Wait a moment," she told us. after a few seconds, she continued. "You know what? I think going to Universal may be a good idea after all. And we're the majority, so let's go."
"I thought we were trying to come to an agreement, not voting," I pointed out. "I don't even know what that place is like."
"I could fix that," Ventura offered.
"I'd rather find out by myself, thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Tsk. Just tell me this, is there enough flying space for someone my size?"
"There's enough flying space for a Dragonite," Ventura informed me. "There is a roof, but it's quite high. And there's a large swimming pool too. And a large space for Iael to run. It reminds me of the Eevee House."

I thought about it for a moment. It sounded spacious enough. And the swimming pool meant I could probably take a dip and refresh myself after the battle.

"Alright, let's go," I accepted.

Ventura was right, it did look a lot like the Eevee House, except for the paintings on the walls and ceiling, which resembled a clear evening sky, splattered with stars over a blue background with shades on indigo and dark purple. The floor combined carefully flattened earth and small rocks. "Rock and Ground Pokemon must feel at home here," I thought. "It shows that it's still morning. In a few hours this is bound to be a mess."

I kept looking around, trying to find out who our opponents would be. The trainer who led us to the room had left us alone as soon as we entered. I spotted a few prints and places where the earth was disturbed, clear signs of a previous battle, and gathered we were probably the second team to use the room that day. But where were our opponents?

"Hello there," Ventura's voice distracted me from my thoughts.
I turned to see who she was talking to and noticed a partially covered hole on the ground.
"Get out, I'm hiding," a voice came from inside the hole. It sounded like a female Ninetales, but not one I knew.
"Who are you hiding from?" Ventura asked.
"The MTU."
"Really! Isn't the MTU building a rather bad place to hide from them?"
"You don't get it. There's a rule... There's a stupid rule that states what types of MTU pokemon are allowed to battle in each of the sections. I've heard so much about this section and I wanted to come here, but they won't allow any fire types! I mean, if you're an outsider you can battle here regardless of your type, but for us MTU Fire pokemon, this place is off-limits. Isn't it stupid? That's typism!"
"I'd never heard that word before," Ventura remarked. "I'm sure they must have a reason to make it that way. Don't they let you battle here if you pay like outsiders do?"
"Well, duh. If I pay, I can battle in any section, but I don't have any stamps to pay with, and my trainer's already used his free battle voucher to train two of my teammates and doesn't feel like paying for a battle."

I thought of asking whether she'd tried talking to him, but I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, either she had and it hadn't worked, or she hadn't and her relationship with her trainer was even worse than it looked. It was a stupid question. By the look of things it seemed the Ninetales and Ventura would end up battling sooner or later, but before a challenge could be issued, the door opened and a human walked in.

He was a young man, with short, wavy brown hair, who wore a loose shirt and brown trousers. Or pants, these days in Ulthuan everyone uses different words for the same thing and it's hard to know which one is expected.

"Hey there," he greeted us. "So... how d'you like the room?"
"Eh... it's nice," Iael replied, seemingly startled.
"I've been sent to battle you," he said, disregarding Iael's answer, "but since you don't have your trainer with you I might as well stand here and watch while my Pokemon do the battling. It would be fairer."
"Fairer, sure, but fairer for whom?" Ventura wondered as she turned to face the newcomer.

She hovered around the human for a while. He followed her with his eyes and looked like he was beginning to get dizzy by the time she stopped.

"I know you!" she finally stated.
"You know me?" he repeated, looking at her carefully. "Where do you know me from?"
"We battled once before. A long time ago."
"Sorry, but I can't remember you," the human said. "I've battled many people and Pokemon. I've been with the MTU for years, since before we had a building of our own."
"I know, you didn't have a building when we met. You were travelling around, looking for trainers who wanted to battle."
"It was that long ago? And you remember me? How is that possible?"
"There was something about you... You were a young trainer, but you knew type advantage wasn't everything, and your dedication to training your Staryus was... impressive? Something you don't see everyday."
"My Staryus! That must have been about the time when I started training! I wanted to be a specialized Staryu trainer. It's been a long time since I've expanded to Water Pokemon in general, but I still have my old Staryus with me. Most of them have evolved by now."
"Really? So Alpha's still with you?"
"Was it Alpha you battled? Yes, I have Alpha, Chara, Diadem, Orion, Beemin and Dubhe. Only the last two are still Staryus."
"Orion, that was the other! I knew it wasn't the name of a star."
"I know, I had this big plan of having Staryus named after different stars, nebulae, constellations and galaxies... It would have been impossible to find that many, let alone train them! But I can't complain, I have a nice team now. But what is your name? I still can't remember you."
"Ventura. I was a Venonat when we battled. My friend Sylvan battled Orion, she's a Venusaur now but she was an Ivysaur back then. We were both beginning our training, we're much better at battling now."
"You were a Venonat and you expected me to recognize you now?"
"I never said I expected it."
"So you battled Alpha and your Ivysaur friend battled Orion... Who won?"
"We did."
"Hmm... You... Were you the Venonat who had never lost a battle?"
"I probably hadn't. I had a good start."
"I think I may remember you. You had that strange item that poisoned your opponents, didn't you?"
"Yes, that's me. I rarely use it these days, but I still have it at home."
"That was unfair, I didn't know that item existed! What is it anyway?"
"Magical Glass Koffing Sculpture. Bought in one of those mysterious shops that open for a few days and then disappear forever. Of course, we didn't know that until the day we passed by the place where the shop had been and couldn't find it."
"And you trust that thing?"
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't rely on it, but it's never had any side-effects."
"Okay... So you have no items with you now?"
"I haven't brought any."
"And you want to battle. Would you like a rematch with Alpha?"
"Sorry, I think I've already found my opponent. But Alpha can battle one of my friends."
"What do you think you've already found your opponent? Where?"
"Right there," Ventura shot a Signal Beam at the earth under which the Ninetales had hidden herself.

"Hey!!" the Ninetales yelled as she came out, all covered in earth and shaking herself. "That wasn't nice, you know. What are you trying to do, bury me alive or have me kicked out of here?"
"A Ninetales?" commented the trainer. "Wait, that's one of ours, isn't she?... Fiamma, right? What's she doing here? And where's her trainer?"
"Yes, she wants to battle and so do I," explained Ventura, ignoring most of the questions. "So if you'll please let her stay until the battle's over, we'll... be very grateful."

I wondered whether Ventura would always be struggling with words. She was doing far better than when I'd first met her, and Water Angel had helped her a lot, but there were still many times in which she had trouble putting into words what she meant to say. Maybe she was marked by her past too, only in a different way. Maybe everyone was.

"This is... odd," the trainer concluded. I wished I could remember his name. "What does her trainer say about this?"
"Her trainer doesn't have to find out, apparently he hasn't even noticed her absence," Ventura said.
"I said I was going out for a walk," the Ninetales clarified. "I can always say I picked up a friendly battle while I was outside if I get a bruise or something."
"I won't fight to the death, of course, but if you're counting of coming out of your battle with nothing more than a light bruise you have picked the wrong target," Ventura warned her.
"Oh, come on! How hard can you hit me? Even if we ignore the type advantage, your body's not made for heavy hitting."
"Who said I was going to hit you with my body?"
"Oh, special attacks! This is beginning to sound more interesting now. Can I battle? Please, Eric?"

Eric! That was his name!

"What did she say?" Eric asked Ventura. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at understanding pokemon who don't have psychic abilities. Except the ones I know well, of course."
"She's begging," Ventura told him. "Please let us battle. We won't hurt anyone else."
"Ok, if you both want it so badly. Just don't ask me to take responsibility for this if anyone finds out."
"I won't. Thank you," Ventura said. "That leaves the two of you. Which one of you wants to fight Alpha the Starmie?"
"Shouldn't we find out who's more evenly matched with Alpha?" I pointed out. "None of us likes unfair battles."
"Good point," Ventura conceded, and explained my point to Eric.

Eric took out one of those advanced gizmos professional trainers have and scanned both me and Iael, and soon determined that Iael would be the best match for Alpha.

"I'm afraid I don't have any good matches for you, though," he told me. "Orion's been training so intensively, its fighting level is now above most of the opponents I find. And the others are still quite low, I'm trying to train them, but making them face such an experience pokemon wouldn't help them. I do have a pokemon that's evenly matched with you, but he's a Sharpedo."
"And what's wrong with that?" I asked and Ventura translated.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Sharpedos can only move freely in the water. They can't fly or run."
"I've battled in the Pond Room before," I said. "I don't mind battling in the water, as long as I can breathe."

Eric looked surprised when Ventura reported my answer. He wasn't the first one, but I still didn't understand what was so strange about my taste for being in the water. Surely there must be other Pidgeots out there who like taking baths too.

"As you wish," Eric shrugged. "So that's 2 battles for my group and one for Fiamma. She is Fiamma, right? I hope I'm not mixing her up with another Ninetales."
Fiamma nodded.
"Ah, cool," Eric smiled. "It would have been embarrassing otherwise. It's hard to remember all the pokemon around here, they keep coming and going. It's even hard to remember all the trainers around here these days! You don't see the same faces you could see when I started."
"Yes, it's all very nice, but can we get on with the battles?" Ventura requested less than subtly.
"Of course," Eric conceded. "Who goes first?"
"I think Ventura should go first since she's so eager to battle," I suggested. "Besides that way Fiamma can go back home and let her trainer stop worrying about her."
"As if!" Fiamma snorted. "As long as I'm home for dinner, he doesn't care where I run off to."
"I think your relationship needs a lot of work," I commented.

Fiamma shrugged as noticeably as a four-legged pokemon can. I wondered whether she was blaming her trainer for her own faults. She didn't seem to have any interest in sorting things out in any case. I dropped the subject. You can't help those who don't want to be helped.

"Have you decided yet?" Eric asked.
"Yes, we have," Ventura informed him. "Fiamma and I are going first."
"Ok, I'll send out my pokemon so that they can stretch out a little before their battles," Eric decided.

He made a gesture I hadn't seen in a long time, taking two pokeballs out of his belt and shooting two red beams at the swimming pool. The popularity of pokeballs had been receding in Caledor for the last few years, and now most skilled trainers used them only for emergencies, or for transportation when the size and weight of the pokemon became a problem. But some pokemon needed their pokeballs to move from one place to another; pokemon who couldn't fly or walk, like Water Angel or Eric's Sharpedo. I felt sorry for them. I was happy to be able to move freely and travel by my own means. Then again, I had to admit I was a bit claustrophobic myself. Water Angel didn't seem to mind. And there I was, thinking about her again. Would she had wanted to come and battle with us? Or at least to watch us? No one had asked her, and now that I saw the two Water pokemon swimming happily, I felt terrible for not having invited her. I'd have to find a way to make it up to her. But later, I had to focus on my battle first. Maybe watching Ventura battle would help me get back in a battling mood.

Level 55 Venomoth vs. Level 55 Ninetales

Fiamma was quick to begin. Once she and Ventura had occupied her positions, she didn't hesitate to shoot a stream of flames at the Venomoth. Ventura couldn't help but squeal. It felt warm from where I was standing, so I had to admire her for having the strength not to scream. My friend was audibly panting when the flames died out. But she didn't waste time either. She flew fast until she was positioned on top of the Ninetales, and sprinkled one of her powders at her.

Before Fiamma could realize what Ventura was doing, she inhaled the powder and yawned. She then reacted and tried to shake the dust away; she may have even held her breath. But it was too late. As much as she tried to fight it, she ended up falling asleep, enveloped in a cloud of Sleep Powder.

Ventura sighed with relief.

"She's not a good sport," she remarked. "That is no way to start a friendly battle. Now I have no choice but to go all-out on her."

It wasn't like her to stop in mid-battle and speak to the spectators. I wondered why she'd done it. Was she subtly asking for our approval? Excusing herself for fighting dirty? She needed no excuses, it was clear to me that Fiamma had left her no choice. I nodded to Ventura, just in case.

I wondered whether she would try to heal herself with Morning Sun, but she didn't. It made sense. Not only were we in an enclosed space, as large as it might be, but a partial heal wouldn't save Ventura should Fiamma use her fire against her once more. All she could do was act fast and hope that the Ninetales wouldn't wake up too soon. She hit Fiamma with a large beam of pink light, but the Ninetales didn't seem phased. She tried again, and Fiamma began to stir a little. She took a few seconds to recover, or perhaps to think; it was impossible to read her expression. Then she tried once more. The Ninetales squealed, and all her muscles seemed to go tense. Ventura examined her.

"Not what I was going for, but it'll do," she determined. "She's quite strange."
"What do you mean?" asked Iael, but Ventura hushed him and went back to work.

I couldn't see what she did, as everything seemed to be happening inside Fiamma's mind. The Ninetales grimaced, but didn't wake up. When Ventura stopped what she was doing, her opponent's muscles relaxed, and her neck and legs stretched out to rest limply on the ground.

I could hear Ventura's breath then, but wasn't sure of whether she was panting or chuckling. Maybe a bit of both.

"And now she lets down her guard?" she said. "Let's end this."

I assumed she had sent a quick psychic pulse when Fiamma's muscles suddenly tensed up, only to fall again. Ventura hovered above her, examining her. Then she looked at Eric.

"She won't wake up for a while," she told him. "You can check her yourself. I'd say the victory's mine."

Eric examined the Ninetales, and agreed with Ventura. The Venomoth sighed, and found a rock to rest.

Ventura grew to level 56!

"Just what exactly happened?" I asked Ventura once she was no longer panting.
"Fiamma has a very strange mind, that's what happened," she replied. "First she tried to avoid the sleep powder but she shook so much she ended up taking a full dose when she finally had to breathe in. Then she fell asleep, but was still aware that there was a threat, so she strained her mind to protect herself. That wouldn't do much good against physical attacks, but I couldn't do much damage with them anyway. Whether she thought of that or not, I don't know, but I had to work hard to lower her mental barrier. I used Luster Purge three times against her. I assume you've heard what they say about that move and how effective it is at lowering special defenses. But it didn't work in this case. I managed to strike a nerve or something the third time and did more damage than usual, but Fiamma's defenses were still up and I was getting tired. So I examined her and decided a change of strategy would be best. I switched to Psychic in order to do more damage and guess what."
"She lowered her defenses?" I guessed.
Ventura nodded.
"I heard your remark," I explained. "I wasn't sure of what you meant, but now I get it."
"Right. I knew you would. So one more blow was enough to take her down."
"I see. I couldn't get much of what was going on while you were battling, but now... It's a wonder how someone can put up that much of a fight while sleeping, without snoring or sleep-talking."
"All she could do was defend herself. I bet she'll want to learn one of those moves now."
"Maybe the rest of you should too. I'm the only one in the team who knows one of them," I pointed out.
"Maybe," Ventura considered it. "We'll see when we have the chance. I wonder what she'll tell her trainer when she gets home."

"Does anyone need to go to the Pokemon Center?" Eric interrupted us.
"Fiamma didn't take any physical damage," Ventura stated. "She'll be fine once she wakes up. And I'll be fine once I can gather enough sunlight to heal myself."
"Would you like to wait outside?" offered Eric.
"No, thanks," she answered. "I want to watch my friends battle."
"Ok, who's next?" asked the trainer.
"Can I go next?" Iael requested.
"Sure," I accepted.

Iael approached Eric, who instructed him to walk to the edge of the swimming pool where Alpha was waiting for him. Iael complied, and I followed him to get a better view of the battle.

Level 46 Stantler vs. level 46 Starmie

Alpha was ready for Iael. When my friend got close to the pool, he was met by a massive wave which fell right on top of him. He was probably caught by surprise, but he didn't waste time contemplating the events. He retaliated immediately with a Headbutt, sending the Starmie away from the edge of the pool and into the water. Alpha used the force of the blow to gain speed and emerged from the water quickly, shooting a Water Pulse at Iael while still in the air.

Iael shook himself to get rid of the water that was soaking him, and tried to calm down. He was good at it. After a few seconds, he looked composed and prepared for anything. Alpha tried another Water Pulse, but didn't manage to bring Iael down. Instead, it ended up in a perfect position to receive Iael's next attack: Crunch.

The Starmie struggled to free its appendage from Iael's jaws, and only eventually managed it by reducing its own size. Iael took the chance to use Astonish before the Starmie got out of range. Alpha shrieked. It looked like the odds were on Iael's side. But then both pokemon stared at each other for a moment... and Iael collapsed!

Alpha grew to level 47!

"Nice work, Alpha!" Eric congratulated the Starmie.
"Did you get what happened?" I asked Ventura. "Was it a psychic attack again?"
"It was Psychic, precisely," Ventura confirmed. "This makes two battles in a row ended with the same move."
"It may become more popular than Quick Attack," I joked, but couldn't laugh much. "Poor Iael. I hope Alpha didn't bring up some of his most painful memories."
"We all have painful memories," Ventura stated plainly. "We must learn to deal with them or else we'll spend our lives as slaves to our pasts which, oddly enough, don't exist anymore."
"I know what you mean, but it's not so easy. And Iael's young."
"He's not quite as young as he was when he joined the team. He's younger than the rest of us, yes, but he's an adult now. And more mature than Caledor if you ask me. He'll be fine. He knows that no one can always win, and this was just a friendly match. He did quite well, too. Alpha was good when we battled, and has improved a lot since then. Starmies in general have a dangerous arsenal of moves, and Alpha knows how to use them. There's no shame in losing to a professional."
"I wasn't talking about the shame of losing."
"Then what were you talking about?"
"Life," I sighed. "It's complicated."
Ventura moved her wings up and down. "Life's always complicated. Pokemon battles? Not so much. If it makes you feel better, I'll look after Iael while you battle and make sure he's alright."
"I would appreciate that, thank you," I said.

"So that leaves you and Crusher," Eric addressed me.
"Crusher?" said Ventura, giving Eric an odd look.
"I got him in a trade," Eric explained. "He already had that name."
"You didn't strike me as a pokemon trader," Ventura remarked.
"It's a long story," said Eric. "I trained a Horsea for a while, but after he evolved into Seadra he became restless and said the pool we had was too small for him and all the others. I tried taking him to the lake and even Glacier Peak, and he seemed to relax there, but whenever we got back home it was the same old story. It's not that he was too big because he wasn't, but for some reason he seemed to require plenty of exercise, and one day he said he wanted to go out and see the world. I had a job here in Sector Alpha, so I clearly couldn't do that. In the end I found a sailor who seemed nice enough and was interested in trading his Carvanha who was eager to battle but couldn't find enough sparring partners while sailing with him. So that's how I got Crusher."
"Interesting. So Crusher loves to battle," I noted. Eric didn't seem to understand me, but Crusher nodded.
"What about you?" the Sharpedo asked me.
While he spoke to me, I examined him and noticed he was wearing a collar of some sort, but it was not the ever-so-popular Pokemon Collar. It was more like a ribbon with an egg-shaped locket, probably a container for some item like the ashes I carried.
"Just don't poison me and we'll have a good battle," I told him.
"Poison? Why poison?" he wondered, puzzled.
"I've had some really bad experiences with a Wheezing," I said. "I'd much rather not feel that particular kind of pain again."
"Ok, I won't poison you," Crusher agreed. "That still leaves plenty of moves for me to use."
"Is there anything you don't want me to do?"
"Yes... don't be boring," the Sharpedo grinned, showing a set of white, pointy teeth.
It might have been intimidating, but I found it rather funny. That mouth didn't look like it was made to smile, but he was trying.
"Ok, let's get started, then," I said.

Level 63 Pidgeot vs. level 63 Sharpedo

By the time I made it to the pool, Crusher was already concentrating on his first move. For a moment, it looked as if he were getting bigger, but that was just an optical effect. I realized he was using Focus Energy, which probably meant he wanted to end the battle quickly. It suited me, since I was not Tsunami, but it meant I'd have to act really fast. I tried to gain an advantage by using Agility and hovering around the pool at increasing speed, but Crusher caught up with me. The only choice I had was to attack before he reached me, and try to do it without touching him - I'd never battled a Sharpedo before but it was well known that their skin could hurt you if you hit them with your own body. I turned around quickly to face the Sharpedo and hit him with an Aeroblast.

The wind caught Crusher and lifted him up, throwing him on his back against the mud by the edge of the pool. I must admit I hadn't expected my attack to be so strong. Crusher managed to turn over quickly and pressed his teeth against the locket he was wearing, opening it. A polyhedron with multiple sides came rolling out of it, and shone with an eerie light when it landed into the mud. I recognized it as a Stat Modification Die. We had a few of those at home. I wondered whether the result would affect me or Crusher, and was somewhat relieved when the light from the die the enveloped my opponent. I knew it would help him, but at least I wouldn't be hindered.

Crusher grinned. Again. I gathered he'd got something useful out of his roll. He jumped back into the water with a grace I wouldn't have thought possible in a pokemon with his shape, and emerged with another jump, catching one of my legs in his teeth and pulling me into the water. I resisted the urge to shake my legs, as it would have only caused his teeth to sink deeper into my flesh. I made use of my wings to remain on the surface.

Until then, I'd been keeping my Hidden Power in my mind as a last resort, the proverbial ace under the sleeve should everything else fail. Now I realized that, soaked as I was, I wouldn't be able to use it without causing myself some serious damage. My options were very limited. I tried an Air Slash in order to put some distance between me and Crusher, but he barely moved. It wasn't hard for him to reach me again, except this time instead of crunching my leg he slashed my right wind with his fin.

I felt a sharp pain, and it hurt more when I tried to move my wing. I knew I wouldn't have time to open the bag where I kept my ashes and scatter them on my wound while trying to stay afloat and to avoid getting hit again, but I wouldn't be able to fly out of the pool and remain airborne for any length of time with a wounded wing. Luckily, I had recently learnt a new move which might get me out of that sticky situation. I made for the edge of the pool and used my beak and legs to get out, then sat down and took a deep breath.

I had to trust that it would work, as I'd never used Roost in battle before. I tried to think only of healing myself, but only when I closed my eyes did the pain begin to recede. And then, as soon as I was ready to open my eyes again, I was smashed against the floor by the full force of a raging tsunami, no reference to my friend meant.

I stood up with effort, gaping for air. I didn't put the thought in words at that time, but I felt that if I didn't win the battle then, I wouldn't win it at all. My body was still heavy with water, but I managed to lift myself up enough to get a good view of the pool - particularly Crusher's location - and use Aeroblast once more. The attack hit home and Crusher was turned on his back, but wasn't carried as far away as before. I understood the reason for his grin: the die had given him some resistance to my special attacks. I thought of using Quick Attack to finish the job, but stopped myself before trying, realizing that I was in no shape to get away with throwing myself at a Sharpedo. Luckily, that turned out not to be necessary. Crusher did not turn over, and thus the retaliation I was expecting never came. I had won after all.

I grew to level 64!

I was still soaked and exhausted, and had the general feeling of having flown around with a mature Onix on my back. Needless to say, I didn't pay much attention to Eric's and Ventura's conversation. I looked for a dry rock of the right shape and size to perch on, shook my wings in order to get as dry as I could, and then sat down to rest. Fiamma was already up and about and speaking in an annoying tone of voice, but I ignored her too. I did, however, clearly identify Ventura's words as she firmly suggested that the Ninetales left the room. Once I felt ready to go, I helped Iael up. I looked for Crusher but it turned out Eric had already sent him and Alpha back into their pokeballs. Once the human made sure we could all move by our own means, he said he was going to the Pokemon Center and asked us if we wanted to come along. Ventura said all she needed was some fresh air and sunlight, but Iael needed some help and I knew it wouldn't hurt to get my wing looked at just in case its healing wound turned out to be more than a superficial cut.

I ended up getting a simple routine check and some warm cream applied on my slash wound and right leg (my leg still had a few bite marks, but they didn't hurt anymore and I was sure they would fade away soon). Iael and Crusher were put in that mysterious machine most pokemon centers have, where all you can see is a white light and you get a warm and somewhat ticklish feeling (although some have reported to feel cold rather than warm, which just adds to the mystery) and somehow you feel much better when you come out, at least physically. I figured it had to be some form of energy therapy, but I was stumped as to how it worked.

They both did look fine when they came out, but I was still worried about Iael. It might have been a misplaced paternal or fraternal instinct, or who knows what, but I felt the need to know if his battle had affected him in any way... If Alpha had caused him excessive suffering, perhaps unknowingly. I couldn't ask him that, however. All I felt free to ask was whether he was ok, and he said he was. I chose to believe him.

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. So that was done. Now came the hard part: going back home and finding a way to apologize to Water Angel and make it up to her. I kept thinking about that as I flew back home. I finally came up with an idea, but I had to talk to her first and I knew I wouldn't be able to think of the proper words until I was face to face with her.

<Water Angel's POV>

I must admit it wasn't my best morning. I was left at home while a part of the team went to the Dragon Tamers headquarters, another part went to the MTU building to get free training and a third group went to the Dragon's Guild central to catch up with friends. They did ask if I didn't mind, and of course I said I didn't. They offered me to go too, but I chose to stay and wait for the training party to return. They wouldn't want to return to an empty home after their battles. So it was mostly my fault and I had no valid reason to complain... but I did feel lonely and I couldn't help it. I didn't lie when I said I had nothing against pokeballs. I didn't even mind being confined to limited spaces most of the time; not as long as my mind could stretch its wings and fly freely. What I did mind was being unable to share most of the 'group moments' with my friends; I felt I was missing out on too much. Of course there were times when we were all together and I really felt I was a part of the group, but there were some other times, like that morning, when they did things together and I just couldn't join them. And those were the times I resented the most.

My mind kept going back to that topic no matter how hard I tried to distract myself with fantasy stories which would never be written. Sometimes even your own mind conspires against you... which would have allowed an interesting philosophical analysis had I been in the mood for it. I couldn't remember being so upset in a long time, even if at first glance that morning didn't seem so different from many others. It took me a while to realize what it was that bothered me so much... and once I did I felt stupid for not having realized it either. I wasn't just mad because everyone else had left: I was mad because the first group had left without saying goodbye. I felt ignored. Even if I consciously knew it was impossible, a part of me was afraid that my loved ones might forget about me, or at least stop caring for me. Especially Pidgeot, as much as I hated to admit it. I feared that, now that he'd found the inner strength to confront his demons, he wouldn't need me anymore. Of course it took me several minutes to reach that conclusion, and a few seconds to regard it as ridiculous. But that didn't deny the fact that he had left without saying goodbye, and I was hurt because of it.

I kept swimming in circles and thinking in analogous patterns until Pidgeot's shape was outlined in the sky. At that point I stopped swimming, and looked ahead, expectantly. When he descended, we looked at each other for a while. It looked as if each of us were waiting for the other to speak. I decided to break the cycle.

"Where are the others?" I queried.
"They should be arriving soon, I came ahead," he replied. "I think Ventura's teleporting Iael inside, but I've told them not to come here."
"Why not?" I asked, intrigued.
"Because... because I owe you an apology and it would be embarrassing to give it with them around."
"So you did notice," I smiled.
"Yes, I did... but too late. I was already in the training room when I did. I was so excited at the chance to get free training that I just... didn't think. I'm sorry, I should have offered you to come with us."
"Go with you?"
Now that was something I hadn't thought about.
"Either to battle or just to watch. I should have given you the chance. They had a big swimming pool in there."
"I was thinking that you all should have come to say goodbye before you left," I told him.
Pidgeot looked at me guiltily.
"Ok, I forgive you," I half-sighed, half-smiled. "And Iael, because we all know he becomes a different pokemon when battles are involved. Ventura should have known better, though. I'll have a word with her when she shows up. But now that you mention the swimming pool, perhaps I could go and see it one of these days. Maybe after we return from White Mountain."
"Maybe, but I've thought of a place where we can go right now," he revealed.
"Really? Where is it?"
"It's a surprise."

He would have grinned if his beak had been flexible enough. I could see the smile in his eyes. I was impressed by how expressive those eyes were, and the reactions they could cause in me. It was as if they had a direct link to my emotions... even to my soul. I let him send me into my pokeball and waited, comforted by the sound of his wings above me. I laughed at myself. A few minutes earlier I'd been so angry that I couldn't even think clearly, and now I felt calm and even excited. Was that normal? I didn't know... it wasn't common in me, but I didn't believe there was anything wrong with me. Perhaps it happened to everyone once in a while. Or perhaps I just couldn't stand the look of guilt in Pidgeot's eyes. It was like a reflex: I felt compelled to comfort him, just like in the old days when he was afraid of what he might become. Or maybe I was just overanalyzing things, in which case the best choice would be to let things flow and see what happened next.

I heard a soft splashing sound and felt the embrace of cool water on my scales. Cooler than the pool at home, but not nearly as cold as the sea where I'd spent my childhood. I looked around to see where I was. It looked like a lake, or at least a lagoon. There were trees in the distance. I turned around and noticed I was very close to the shore. Pidgeot was standing on a carpet of green grass, in front of a wall of trees.

"It's the park!" I realized.
"Yes," he confirmed. "It's the park. How long has it been since we've last been here?"
"Too long," I sighed, realizing I couldn't remember the exact number of years. "Years! How is it possible? It's not far from home."
"We've been too busy... and too distracted. Do you remember the first time we were here?"
"That... I will always remember," I said with a smile.

It had been a long time earlier... So long that Tsunami had been an Eevee, and there'd been only 4 pokemon in our team. We had come to the park to relax, and I was attacked by a Gyarados. We never did find out where he came from, nor what compelled him to attack; no one recalled seeing him in the lake before, and he wasn't seen again after that day. I was still a Horsea then, and was no match for such a strong and mad pokemon, so I was terribly scared. Pidgeot didn't hesitate, and immediately came to my rescue. He was more evenly matched with the Gyarados in size, if not in strength and experience. For a moment, I thought he could win, but I soon realized he stood no chance either. Despite his impressive looks, he was basically a Pidgey in a Pidgeot's body. Only then did I become aware of his fragility, and I had the first hint of what his life was like. I knew it had to be very hard... but somehow he didn't show it. He seemed to have an unbreakable resolve. And still, that was not enough to win every battle. Not on his own. I was worried, and even a bit guilty. He was getting a hard beating... for helping me! I don't remember all the details of the battle, but I do remember clearly what I did then: I shot an Aurora Beam at the Gyarados. From that moment on, his attention was divided, and with effort and coordination we managed to bring him down. Others might have seen this as an ordinary battle, or at most a slightly unusual one. For us, it was a turning point.

"This was the park that changed our lives," I said.
"For the better," he added. "Sometimes I wonder if I ought to thank the Gyarados."
"We can laugh at it now, it's like ancient history, but back then it was quite scary."
"That much is true. But we've been through far scarier experiences and come out on top. Some of our friends have said we're invincible when we're together."
"Right... About that... I think I may have been at least partially responsible for spreading that rumor."
"Feel free to keep spreading it," he told me. "That's the one rumor I enjoy hearing."

We hugged, we played in the water, we made a point of ignoring any odd looks from outsiders, and we had a great day. The future was still uncertain, as we still had to face an enemy whose strengths and weaknesses were largely unknown, but as far as mental preparation went, it couldn't get better than that. The threats had grown, but so had we: both individually and as a team, couple or whatever we were. And there were some moments in which I thought my own made-up rumor might be right. At the very least I'd do my best to make it true. And, if I knew him, so would he.

Knight of Time

17th May 2008, 05:28 PM

Okay, before I start to write out this story, I'm going to give some important references to people from the last Battle Range story I wrote, as well as some references to new characters. Just as a forewarning: I'm also going to make the language in this story a little stronger, but nothing too offensive, just trying to make this story stand out a bit more from my previous ones.

Allen- this guy is the proud owner of an Alakazam, who helped me out a couple of times in my last story. Here though, he is revealed to have another Pokemon besides his Alakazam.

Jason- this guy is new to the story, he battled Jeff "Blue" Azure in this story, but lost a tough battle against his Flareon, and is vowing payback on Jeff. I do my best to help him out.

Megan- this little girl is accidently left behind by her parents in Twoson, by the time I find her, she is in a bit of trouble, but things quickly look up for her as her and I go on a successful search for her parents.

Surge- this is my recently renamed Raichu, he won't be gaining any levels or new moves in this story much like most of the Pokemon I'm going to use here (with one notable exception), but he is going to be a vital asset in getting me to Eagleland.

Raven- this is my adopted male Zangoose, this is the first time I have him in a Battle Range story, he helps me out later in between my two battles when I help Megan get reunited with her parents. Again, he isn't getting anything out of this story other than helping to save her parents. Note: I taught him Close Combat from a TM I got one day at Goldenrod Tower in April of 2007, it came in handy here.

Jeff "Blue" Azure- this guy ends up claiming responsibility for the near-destruction of Crossroads, I deal with him accordingly in this story, with a little help.

The two Gastly in this story normally would get Curse at L16 in GSC, but since Curse was a TM back then, the female one got it that way here.

Mr. Gardiner- this guy runs a bike shop, carrying Acro Bikes and Mach Bikes. In my last story, I finished with one of the Mach Bikes, so I have this kind of bike for the start of this story, but I don't use it, nor do I make a visit to him.

Crossroads- well, since I believe it was Ade wondering where this place is, it's a small town located just outside Ulthuan.

21 Knight Street- in my stories, I live on this street, as does the person whose Delcatty was rescued in my last story.

Kyle's POV

I woke up this morning feeling fairly energized. After my two successful battles over a couple of Team Rocket members several months ago, I turned on my TV for the latest news, and the latest story on there immediately caught my eye. A building, that was set on fire was the first thing I managed to notice. But my expression quickly turned into a gasp as I saw a most unusual sight. Next to the trainer that appeared to be responsible for causing the blaze, was a blue coloured Flareon. The trainer himself was in a blue suit, that closely matched his Flareon's colours. I knew that normally, a Flareon wasn't blue, after comparing this one to my own Flareon, Blazer, I knew it was crazy to think about. Still, I had to try and find a way to stop this guy. As I headed outside, I took out and opened the Pokeball containing my female Cleffa, Flora.

"Flora, your chance to evolve into a Clefairy is very close to happening. A while ago, I forged something special for you, which I'll give you later." I said.

"You're going to help me evolve? Really?" Flora asked, beaming.

"Yes indeed. You know, a couple of years ago, I had another Cleffa who I helped evolve into a Clefairy after several battles, but even though she never became a Clefable, I promise that you'll be a Clefable someday yourself. Carrying on in the footsteps of a departed Pokemon is always a good thing to do in my book." I replied.

"I'm sorry you lost your old friend, I know I can take her place, Kyle. I don't mind evolving to my final stage at all, if it's to fulfill a big wish of yours, I accept it with pride." Flora said.

"Thanks, Flora. Now, the Genetic Accelerator Gene I forged for you is what you need to become a Clefairy, but to become a Clefable afterward, I will have to get a Moon Stone for you. For now, I'm going to return you to your Pokeball, as I think I may want to look for an old friend here, just incase. I haven't seen my new friend, Allen, since the last time I had a couple of battles." I said, as I recalled my Cleffa back into her Pokeball.

"Hey Kyle, long time no see! How are you?" a familar male voice shouted to me. It was Allen.

"Hi Allen, it's great to see you again, ironically, I was just talking about you a moment ago." I said.

"That's ironic. Hey Kyle, I heard about the suspicious fire from earlier, I was wondering if you might have any Water Pokemon that might be of help here? I could sure use some help." Allen said with a slightly disappointed look on his face.

"I do, I happen to have a Vaporeon whose name is Aqua, she can use her Water Gun to help if necessary." I said.

"I don't think Water Gun's going to be enough to help with this fire, Kyle. Unfortunately, this fire quickly grew after it was spread, that Flareon that set it must be extremely powerful. I can tell it knows Overheat, because the flames from an Overheat aren't just red and orange like other Fire attacks, they are a mix of red, orange, white, and most shockingly, blue, just like those flames that are heading right for the bike shop! We better warn Mr. Gardiner!" Allen said.

"The bike shop? Oh no, this is bad, we have to do something, and I mean fast. You said you have a new Pokemon Allen, is it a Water type?" I asked.

"Yeah it is, I recently befriended and caught this Empoleon just the other day. Luckily for me, I found a Hydro Pump TM lying around one day while we were walking together, so I
decided to give it to him for some more power. With it, I'm quite sure we can put out that fire." Allen said.

Nodding at Allen, I quickly took out Aqua's Pokeball, enlarging and opening it up to reveal the mermaid-like Pokemon.

"Aqua, you see that fire that's heading for the bike shop? Think you can aim a Water Gun toward it if we can get close enough without getting burned?" I asked her.

"I...I...I'm rather nervous of your request there, Kyle, but if it's to save this town, then yes, I will do my best to help." Aqua said, with a determined look on her face.

"Thanks Aqua, the flames are heading right for a bike shop that I've been sort of a regular at for a while, and I know I'm going to have nightmares for weeks if that Flareon I saw earlier does any more damage around here. Unlike other Flareon, this one's blue in colour. It gives me the creeps, especially since this one can seemingly breathe blue fire. As far as I recall, blue flames are harder to put out, due to them being hotter than your average kind of flames. If there were more people with Water Pokemon around here, these flames wouldn't be too hard to extinguish." Allen said.

"I'm sorry Allen, but Aqua's the only water type I have on my team. I also have a Raichu that knows the move Surf, but he won't be of much help here, I'm afraid." I said.

"I understand. We better get cracking here, fast. Empoleon, help us put out this fire with a Hydro Pump!" Allen ordered as he quickly released his emperor penguin Pokemon.

"Aqua, help Empoleon put out those flames, use the strongest Water Gun you can pull off! This one is going to need to be as continuous as possible!" I ordered.

As the two Water Pokemon combined their respective Water attacks to hit the flames, I saw they were driving the flames back, but not completely destroying them.

"Kyle, those flames seem to be tougher than I thought for us to get rid of. You sure Aqua's your only Water type?" Allen asked as he began to panic a little.

"Yes. But, I have an idea. I'm going to have to find the source of the flames myself, but I need you to keep an eye on your Empoleon, as well as Aqua, so that they can hold the flames back long enough for this idea to work. I have a Pokemon I may refer to as my trump card, and I'm certain I'm going to need his help with it. I'll be back here as soon as I can try and destroy the source of the flames." I said.

As I dashed alone toward the flames, it didn't take me very long to see the original source of where they were set. Quickly drawing a second Pokeball, I enlarged it and opened it up to reveal my Porygon, Cyberius.

"Cyberius, this is a critical situation here, I need you to help Aqua, my friend Allen, and his Empoleon to put out these flames, can you shoot an Ice Beam directly toward the flames just in front of us, please?" I asked.

"No problem." Cyberius said, in his clicking/beeping voice.

Watching as Cyberius created a freezing cold, light blue orb of ice energy, I watched as the Ice Beam sped like a speed demon toward the flames. The moment they collided, I gazed in surprise as the flames began to shrink and fade away. Crossroads was saved!

Running back to Allen with Cyberius floating behind me, I quickly turned toward the bike shop.

"That was close. I had no idea your Porygon knew Ice Beam." Allen said. I could tell he was at a loss for words.

"I gave him an Ice Beam TM that I recently got for my birthday, I had a hunch that I could fight fire with ice, I mean, fire melts ice, but since ice melts into water, a constant Ice Beam can provide a lot of water if it hits a fire." I said.

"Ah, that was definitely a clever move to pull, Kyle. Hey, I never got to ask you this until now, but where are you headed?"

"Well, first, we have to find that guy whose Flareon started that fire earlier. He's not going to get away with trying to destroy my hometown, so let's go!" I said.

As Allen and I dashed off to find the guy responsible for the blaze, we eventually came across a fellow trainer, who had a look on his face I couldn't understand very well.

"Don't c-come any closer! If you're a friend of that...that man with the Flareon, I'm not letting you through!" the young man said, taking what almost looked like a battle stance.

"Hey, slow down. I'm no friend of that guy either. In fact, his Flareon tried to destroy one of the most important areas of this town, the bike shop. My friend, Mr. Gardiner runs it. The flames were so close, if it hadn't been for my friend here, the place could have burned to the ground, and Mr. Gardiner could have been injured, or worse..." I said, shuddering at what could have been a terrible loss in Crossroads.

"Oh, I am so sorry, I really thought you were on that guy's side when I saw you approaching. But since noticing that Vaporeon and Empoleon you have, I'm definitely certain now that you must be after this guy. By the way, my name's Jason. And you are?" Jason asked.

"I'm Kyle, and this is my friend, Allen. This Vaporeon is mine, and her name's Aqua, but the Empoleon actually belongs to Allen. Still, they really helped me out here." I said, showing my gratitude toward Allen in a positive gesture.

"It's nice to meet you both. That guy just defeated me in a battle like ten minutes ago, before I noticed that fire. My Pokemon were no match for that blue Flareon of his." Jason
grumbled.

"You can't let that get you down, Jason. Remember, even if an opponent seems to be unbeatable to one person, he is certainly not as unbeatable as he thinks he is. I'm certain Allen's Empoleon can make quick work of the Flareon, I noticed it's incredibly strong, definitely stronger than Aqua. Aqua, I'm relieved you and Cyberius weren't alone in fighting that fire, it could have been a catastrophe without Allen and his Empoleon here to help us out." I said, as I turned to face my exhausted Vaporeon.

"I'm glad we got that fire contained, Kyle, but I feel my strength may have gone down because of all the water I had to use. I'll be fine after a while." Aqua said, panting.

"I did notice, I'm sorry I had to make you give it your all with that Water Gun, Aqua, but you do deserve a nice, long rest for being so helpful in such a desperate situation." I said, as I recalled Aqua back to her Pokeball so that she could regain her strength.

"What happened after your battle?" Allen asked Jason.

"After the battle, that guy quickly took notice of the town, and he made his Flareon use Overheat on that building that Kyle and his Porygon were close to. It's unfortunate the building was destroyed, but as I recall, there was nobody inside it at the time, which was very fortunate. It's just too bad that all the items inside that building got destroyed. But since then, that guy took off in the opposite direction he came. I heard his name is Jeff "Azure" Blue, and he's a member of the Happy-Happyism cult. That group is seriously, and I mean seriously, bad news. If I were you, I wouldn't confront their leader." Jason said, as he shook his head in heavy disappointment.

"Is Jeff the leader of this group?" I asked.

"No. This group is headed by a guy by the name of Koop R. Balthazar. This guy is even more dangerous than Jeff, and they have a hideout stationed in a place known as Twoson, on the continent of Eagleland. But I've heard that the seas surrounding the area are filled with Carvanha and Sharpedo whose teeth have been genetically altered to be able to tear right through ships in a matter of seconds if they are in a group, so sailing to the area is completely impossible. Only a surfing Pokemon that is prepared to hold off them off can safely cross into Eagleland, and subsequently into Twoson." Jason said.

"My Empoleon knows Surf, so we can all ride him. But that's not all, I can have him hold back the vicious sea Pokemon with Hyper Beam, just incase. My Empoleon only uses it in
emergencies where it can't make any bad situation worse, like making a fire even stronger." Allen said.

"My Raichu can also use Thunderbolt just incase we needed to stop the Carvanha and Sharpedo, but I'm worried that if he does use it, that he would make the waters unsafe to travel in via a Surfing Pokemon. Anyway, let's quickly head for the shore, Jason, it isn't too far from here is it?" I asked.

"It's not too far, but it's going to take quite a while to get over to Eagleland, but we can reduce the time if we can defeat most of the Carvanha and Sharpedo first. Your Raichu's
Thunderbolt may be strong enough to shock all the Carvahna and Sharpedo into submission. Fortunately, they are the only Pokemon guarding the water passage to Eagleland. If you can knock out as many of them as possible, we should be able to cross into Eagleland without any resistance once the electricity dies down. You up for it, Kyle?" Jason asked me.

"It's worth a try. I'll release my Raichu out once we get to the shore, those Carvanha and Sharpedo are going to get a taste of their own medicine." I declared.

As we walked out of Crossroads, it didn't take us very long to come to the shore. I could make out several fins sticking out of the water in the distance that were quickly moving toward the shore, and I could tell they were not going to let us cross without a fight as they swarmed around the shore, baring their teeth at us all. They looked to be as sharp as swords, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.

"If you fishfaces think you're going to stop us from crossing the sea you guard, think again! Surge, I'm going to need your help here." I said, as I let the Raichu out of his Pokeball.

"Looks like you guys are going to have your hands full getting across the sea here, Kyle. Anything I can do?" Surge asked.

"Yes. Can you aim a Thunderbolt into the water right behind all the Carvanha and Sharpedo, Surge? I'm certain that water is classified as saltwater, not freshwater, so the electric current should be able to travel through the entire body of water long enough to give these fishy guards the shock of their lives." I said.

"That's no problem at all." Surge said, as his cheeks began to spark with nearly 100,000 volts of electricity.

Seconds later, Surge released a massive bolt of electricity that arced over the Carvanha and Sharpedo before making contact with the water behind them, and it wasn't long before the electricity died down, leaving the piranha and shark Pokemon out like light bulbs that had burned out.

"Alright Surge, you did it! I never imagined you had the power to give such a shock to all those Carvanha and Sharpedo, thank you so much!" I said, congratulating Surge on a job well done.

"Aww, that was too easy. You were right Kyle, my Thunderbolt was able to get them all at once, I guess it's a good thing the water here can conduct electricity throughout the area." Surge said.

"Just goes to show you Surge, for every kind of disaster, there is a Pokemon suitable for handling it better than others. You did well for making the sea completely safe to cross here, so I'll let you back into your Pokeball for a rest." I said as I recalled Surge.

"Well, since the Carvanha and Sharpedo are no longer a threat, Empoleon can help us across with Surf. You ready to help us cross into Eagleland, Empoleon?" Allen asked.

Seeing Allen's Emploeon nod his head was a sure sign that he was ready to help us cross. As he jumped into the water, he motioned for Allen, myself, and Jason to jump on his back.

"Sorry guys, but I can't help you anymore at this point, you're on your own. I have to go back to town to get my Pokemon healed, luckily, the fire from earlier completely missed the

Pokemon Center." Jason said, shaking his head again.

"That's quite a relief. Good luck then, Jason, and thanks for the much-needed information." I said, waving as Jason hurried back to town.

"You're welcome Kyle, good luck guys!" Jason said, as he waved back at Allen and I.

Once Jason was out of sight, Allen and I quickly jumped aboard the S.S. Empoleon, a nickname Allen had started to call his Empoleon everytime he used Surf for crossing a body of water. Luckily, the nickname didn't bother Allen's Empoleon very much, and within several minutes of smooth, unbothered Surfing, we made it to Eagleland. Upon setting foot in this unusual continent, we found everything, from the ground, to the buildings, to even the wild Pokemon in the distance, were all blue. Not too far ahead was a forest, which luckily, wasn't set on fire. As Allen recalled his Empoleon, we walked onward until we came to a clearing.

"You thinking we should split up to find this Jeff guy?" I asked Allen.

"No. Even though it may be easier that way, what if you run into him and his Flareon while we're separated? I'm quite sure your Vaporeon won't stand a chance despite her type
advantage, if she's overcome by the extreme heat from that Flareon. You better leave him to me, Kyle. I came prepared once I heard the news about Twoson. That city got set ablaze, too. I've been hearing some late rumours that Twoson has recently become a ghost town, you see, even though Jeff's Flareon did some pretty bad damage to one of the most famous buildings, the Twoson Department Store, he hasn't been alone in the destruction, this guy's just filled with Fire types, you name it, he's got it, they were able to burn up almost the entire city together, but thankfully, its citizens were able to flee. But, with the city being run by the Happy-Happyism cult, you can bet that there are grunts all over the place, just raring to battle. And just incase Jeff himself comes along, Empoleon and I can keep him and his Flareon busy. You saw the power of Empoleon's Hydro Pump against that fire, remember? That Flareon may have ultra-hot flames in his arsenal of moves, but he's still no match for massive bursts of water." Allen said.

"Well, okay. I'm glad I've got your help here, Allen, not to mention your Empoleon's help as well." I said, showing my gratitude towards them both.

"Anytime, Kyle, anytime. Omigosh, you see that Flamethrower up ahead?" Allen said, his smile suddenly turning to an unhappy sounding gasp.

"Another one? Seems like this Jeff guy is trying to lure us right out into the open with his Flareon. Knowing that, he can't be too far from here, especially if he's making his Flareon cause fire after fire after fire, it's totally ridiculous! Let's go!" I shouted as I began to dash toward Twoson.

"Hey, wait for me!" Allen shouted back as he began to keep up with my quick pace.

It wasn't very long at all before we came to Twoson. Thinking to myself that Jeff didn't finish the destructive work he had started here, Allen and I quickly caught sight of him, and confronted him.

"What? Who are you two losers? You have no business trying to ruin my fun here." Jeff said with a twisted smirk.

"What, did the firefighters in this town end up leaving because of you?" I asked angrily.

"Ha, you bet they did. My Flareon's name is Incinerator, and he lives up to his name. I was told you destroyed that fire in your hometown, and I'm not too happy about it. Nobody is going to stop me from what I do best and get away with it!" Jeff roared at me.

"How did you hear about Crossroads?" I demanded.

"Oh, a source told me it is one of the smallest towns outside of this miserable country. I just thought that because of its size, it would be much easier to conquer than Twoson here." Jeff replied.

"I'm never going to let you get away with destroying another city or town, EVER. If you think your group can continue its reign of terror, my friend will deal with you." I warned.

"Your friend doesn't scare me. In fact, since hearing of your arrival here, I have no time to stick around to meddle with the likes of both of you. I have more places to go, more places to turn to ashes. Just stay out of my way, or you'll be next." Jeff threatened.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I met a third guy not too long ago, his Pokemon were too easy, almost like making a hot knife go right through butter, beating him was a piece of cake. Burnt cake that is." Jeff sneered.

"Don't you talk about Jason that way! If you want trouble, I'll give you trouble!" Allen said.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Jeff jeered as he turned and fled in the opposite direction.

"Hey you, come back here! I'm going to get you good, you hear me?" Allen shouted, as he and his Empoleon took off, in pursuit of Jeff.

"Allen, be careful!" I shouted.

"I'll be fine, I'll catch up to you as soon as I can, take care, Kyle!" Allen called as he continued to chase Jeff.

As I waved good-bye to Allen, I slowly walked toward the center of what was left of Twoson. Judging by what I saw when I looked at all the buildings, I was horrified. How could what used to no doubt be a pretty town go down in flames, so fast? In my mind, I knew that I had to find a way to make the Happy-Happyist cult pay. But before I could ponder my next move, one of the grunts of the Happy-Happyism cult, a woman dressed in a blue suit, suddenly ambushed me.

"Hold it right there, punk, where do you think you're going?" the grunt shouted.

"I think I'm going to take care of you, that's what." I replied.

"Oh, you think so, do you? We'll see about that." the grunt sneered, as she took out a Pokeball.

"One false move, and I'm taking you down." I warned, as I took out a Pokeball of my own.

"Sounds like you want a battle. You're going to get one, and I'm going to be the one who will take you down. Let's go, Gastly!" the grunt shouted, as she enlarged and opened up her Pokeball.

Seeing as this Gastly was as blue as the Flareon that Jeff had, I quickly took a fighting stance as I enlarged and opened up the Pokeball that Flora was inside.

"Okay Flora, you two have type disadvantages over each other, but don't let this Gastly's unusual colour deter you from winning this match. I have heard rumours that the blue Pokemon are stronger than their normally coloured counterparts, but that doesn't make them unbeatable whatsoever. They may have abilities that they normally don't have, so we better be careful, just incase." I said to my Cleffa.

"I'm ready for this Gastly, no matter what's up its trainer's sleeve, I'm going to give it my best shot." Flora said.

"That's the spirit, Flora. You win a couple of battles here, and I promise you'll be a Clefable in no time." I said.

"Come on, bring on your puny Pokemon, my Gastly may have a type disadvantage over her, but your type disadvantage is going to be an even bigger one than mine." the grunt laughed with a grin.

Battle Time!
Flora the Cleffa (F, L10) vs. Happy Happyist Grunt (F)'s blue Gastly (F, L15)

Flora's POV

Upon hearing that last insult from the human who was taunting my trainer, I immediately took my own fighting stance. I had absolutely had enough of this bad woman, and I wasn't about to let her or her Gastly get away with anything more that could get on my normally calm nerves.

"Flora, let's show this lady you mean business, start this battle off with a Thunder Wave!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, don't let that Thunder Wave strike whatsoever, Protect yourself!" the bad woman ordered back.

As I let loose several constricting blue sparks of electricity from my body, I watched as they began to move toward my ghostly opponent. But right from the start, she was a step ahead of me, and I groaned in frustration as she put some sort of protective, translucent sphere in front of her, causing my Thunder Wave to fizzle out the instant it hit the Protect shield.

"Flora, don't let that ghost off easy, Thunder Wave again!" Kyle ordered, a second time.

"If this little fairy Pokemon thinks she can get a better start than you, Gastly, she better watch herself. Now, use Curse, and show her the true terror of being a Ghost type!" the bad woman ordered back.

For a second time, I let loose some more sparks of electricity to restrict the Gastly's movement. But no sooner than they connected this time, I gritted my teeth at the ghost as she made a needle-like object appear out of thin air, which she used to stab herself. Almost instantly, I shuddered as the Curse started to slowly sap away my strength. I couldn't afford to lose this one so fast, as I whimpered in pain.

"Kyle, this...this ghost seems to have gotten the advantage on me, you're not going to give up, are you?" I asked him.

"I'd never give up in the middle of a battle, Flora. Even if things get really bad early on, that's when I bring out the heavy artillery. Besides that, because your opponent used Curse on herself, she just made a big mistake, by slashing half of her strength away, if we're lucky, we can bring her down quicker! Now, blast the Gastly with an Ice Beam!" Kyle ordered.

"Good work, Gastly, that Curse ought to bring down your opponent within a few turns. Now, fight off that Ice Beam with a highly explosive Shadow Ball!" the bad woman ordered back.

Knowing that I wouldn't last too long in this battle at this rate, I quickly powered up a light blue orb of freezing cold energy, making it into a dazzling beam of ice which to my surprise, was countered by an orb of pure ghost energy. By the time the two moves collided, I witnessed an explosion, and shrieked in pain as the esplosion washed over me. But I also noticed the Gastly howling in pain too, knowing that the explosion had damaged her as much as it did to me. Almost immediately, I whimpered in pain, knowing that the Curse the Gastly put on me was still in effect.

"Don't you even realize what can happen when you cause two energy attacks to collide? I told you before, making one false move will cost you in the end. Now, Flora, it's time to try and regain some health, use Wish immediately!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, let's make sure that Wish doesn't come true, steal some much needed health from the Cleffa with a Giga Drain!" the bad woman ordered back.

As I struggled to get up, I bent forward, making a wish to the skies for some of my strength to return. It made me smile, as I noticed that the electricity from before was keeping the Gastly from moving. Knowing that she was fully paralyzed for now, I knew my wish was coming true, as a giant, light bluish beam of light came down from the sky, restoring about half of my strength. But, my joy was short lived, as the Curse sapped some of my strength once again. I knew I couldn't take much more of this, and I quickly turned to Kyle.

"Kyle, what am I supposed to do at this point? I still have some strength left in me, but I'm nervous I'm not going to have enough to take down the Gastly." I said, whimpering at him.

I could tell at that point that Kyle was still not holding back against the bad woman and her Gastly. Despite all the pain I was going through, I knew from that moment that Kyle was pondering a finishing move for the Gastly.

"Flora, this is our chance. I don't know how long that Gastly's complete paralysis will last for, but it's time to finish her off! Now, let's take advantage of the situation with a Thunderbolt!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, hang in there, we aren't going to lose this one without making things easier for my partner-in-crime here, use a Grudge on yourself the moment that Thunderbolt hits!" the bad woman ordered back.

At this point in my battle, I had no time to lose. As my cheeks began to spark with electricity, I let loose a poweful bolt toward the Gastly. But, to my shock, while the electricity was draining the remainder of her strength, I suddenly found myself under a different kind of curse, that drained all the powerful electricity from my body. I couldn't use any more Thunderbolts! But that didn't matter, as that last one finally finished
its work, and the Gastly fell to the ground, blackened, and unmoving. At the same time, I could no longer feel the pain that the Curse had been causing me throughout the battle. I had won!

I grew to L12!

"Flora, you did it! But it looks like you won't be able to use Thunderbolt in your next battle, no matter, we can still win the next one without it!" Kyle said.

"Gastly, you put up a great fight, I'm just sore that this Cleffa had to end up overpowering you in the end. Return." the bad woman said, as she recalled her defeated Gastly.

Kyle's POV

"You may have won this round, but this is only the beginning. I'm going to report this defeat to the head of the cult, if he ever finds you, he's going to make mincemeat out of you." the grunt threatened.

"I don't think so, sister. I got a friend dealing with your group's second-in-command. If he comes back to me victorious in battle over your second-in-command, your group will go down for the count in no time flat." I said.

"What? You really think your friend can defeat our group? If he does defeat our second-in-command, he'll never defeat our leader. Our leader is 10 times more powerful than our
second-in-command, so it will be over his dead body if your friend challenges our leader to a battle." the grunt sneered.

"My friend's main Pokemon has a type advantage over your second-in-command's Flareon. If all goes well, that battle should have ended right now, but in my friend's favour." I said.

It wasn't too long before Allen came right back to see me. Telling by the look on his face, I could tell he was exhausted.

"Allen, are you okay? Did you manage to beat Jeff?" I asked.

"Yes...but he put up one hell of a fight, his Flareon almost overpowered my Empoleon, but the type advantage prevailed. The battle was just so damn long, Jeff threw everything he had at me until his Flareon finally went down. I'm just so tired, I think I'm going to head back to Crossroads to rest." Allen said, panting.

"Wait Allen, don't! If you head back on your Empoleon, I'm going to be stranded in Eagleland, I should have warned you, but my Vaporeon doesn't know Surf!" I warned.

"I see. Well, I can tell you must have had a tough battle too, your Cleffa okay?" Allen said as he carefully picked up Flora to examine her.

"She's been weakened from that last battle she had here, but she managed to edge a Gastly this woman used in the battle. Unfortunately, I don't have anything on me right now to help heal Flora, you have any sort of potions on you? I sure could use one." I said.

"Yes, I have a Super Potion, I had this in my pocket ever since I came here, let me spray it on Flora." Allen said, as he gently lowered Flora back to the ground after looking at the
wounds she had suffered in the battle.

"Great thinking Allen, go for it." I replied.

As I watched Allen spray the Super Potion onto Flora's wounds, I saw her wince in pain just for a moment, since I had the hunch the potion would sting her a bit. But luckily, it didn't take too long before her strength completely returned.

"There now, you okay, Flora?" Allen asked.

"I'm okay, thank you." Flora replied.

Turning back to Flora, I knew she was ready for battle once more. But, the grunt that I had just defeated was showing signs of anger at her humiliation, and I gasped as she took out what looked like a cell phone. In no time flat, I smirked in displeasure as she contacted her boss, the notorious Koop R. Balthazar.

"Hello, boss? I just ran into this guy who beat me in a battle, can you send backup?" the grunt asked.

"What happened? What do you mean you lost? I gave you that blue Gastly for a reason, if you dare fail me again, I'm going to dismiss you from the Happy-Happyist group forever, you hear me?" Balthazar replied, obviously furious.

"This guy's Cleffa proved to be too much for my Gastly. But, I managed to soften her up incase my partner can avenge me. Is there any way you can get him here?" the grunt asked.

"I'll send your partner over to help you, you just hang in there. Jeff will take care of the rest." Balthazar said.

"Uh, boss, I got bad news, Jeff...lost a battle. This guy's friend beat him in a battle, with this Empoleon he had." the grunt replied.

"WHAT! Jeff got defeated in a battle? How could this happen? One of these days, I'm going to find that guy with the Empoleon, and he is going to be real sorry he messed with the Happy-Happyist group. He may have beaten my second in command, but in battle against me, his Empoleon, and any other Pokemon he may have won't stand a chance against my Pokemon." Balthazar roared.

"Boss, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about this. I'm going back to base now." the grunt said as she ended the conversation with her boss.

Turning her attention to me, the grunt glared furiously at me.

"You have won this round, punk, but you haven't won the war. Nobody will ever defeat the Happy-Happyist group!" the grunt roared, as she stormed off in a huff.

As I watched the grunt high-tail it out of Twoson, Allen split up from Flora and I, each of us surveying all the damage that this once beautiful town had taken. Within a few minutes of walking around, I came across a little girl that had left behind, who looked to be about 8 or 9 years of age. She was crying, and obviously scared, which made me think of what could have happened to her parents.

"Mommy, Daddy, where are you? I'm so scared, I don't like this place anymore, I just wish I knew what happened to you both." the girl cried.

"Easy there, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm Kyle, and I've been called here to take charge in this mission, to help in the fight to put the Happy-Happyist cult down for good. Unfortunately, they are the group that was responsible for destroying your town. I wish I could be of more help, but what happened to your parents?" I asked the girl.

"They fled to safety when our house was set on fire. I was with them at the time, but just as we fled our burning house, I tripped and really hurt my knee here, I couldn't follow them to where they were headed, and to make matters worse, they both didn't come back for me, maybe because they didn't notice what happened, because they were ahead of me. My knee still hurts a bit, do you have any bandages?" the girl asked, as her tears began to subside a little.

"I wish I did, but I'm afraid I don't. But, with only a little blood coming out of your knee, if we can find a large enough leaf that can stop the remainder of the bleeding, we won't need a bandage. I passed through a forest earlier that wasn't touched at all by any fires, so it's completely safe." I replied.

"You must be talking about Twoson Forest. The cult hasn't gotten to it yet, but who knows how long it will be before it, too, is destroyed. I have a funny feeling my mommy and daddy got lost there, we need to find them, fast!" the girl said, as she dashed out of Twoson.

Leaving Allen behind for a few minutes, it didn't take long for me and the girl to get back to the forest. Since Allen and I were last in it, we didn't do much exploring. But this time around, the girl and I stuck together, in the search for her parents. Almost immediately upon entering, I caught sight of a leaf on a nearby tree. Carefully pulling it off without shaking the tree too much, I placed it on the girl's knee, holding it there firmly for about a minute. After removing it for the girl, we both breathed a sigh of relief as the bleeding stopped.

"Oh, thank you, your leaf strategy worked so well!" the girl said, as she smiled at me.

"You're welcome. By the way, my name is Kyle, what's yours?" I asked the girl.

"My name's Megan, it's nice to meet you, Kyle." the girl said as she carefully shook my hand.

Once Megan's knee was pretty much back to normal, we continued to walk through the forest. But, it wasn't long until I heard cries in the distance, as if someone was in trouble!

"Do you hear those cries? They might be your parents!" I said to Megan.

"It sounds like they must be in trouble! I'm too young to have any of my own Pokemon, do you have any?" Megan asked in curiousity.

"Yes, I've got 15 Pokemon on me, of various types. In the event that your parents were attacked by any wild Pokemon here, I can use one of mine to scare the attacker or attackers off. This Pokemon here with me is my Cleffa, Flora." I replied, showing Flora to the girl.

"Oh, she's so cute, I've always wanted a Clefairy, but I guess yours would evolve into one, right?" Megan asked, still in curiousity.

"Yes, I have an item that will help her evolve when she is ready, she's getting there." I said, as I gently patted Flora's head.

As the girl, Flora, and I continued to walk toward the source of the cries, we eventually came across a man and a woman in their late 30's or early 40's, being attacked by a trio of blue coloured Poochyena.

"Mommy, daddy! I've found you at last, are you both okay?" Megan asked.

"Oh, Megan, you've found us. Quick, does this guy you brought with you have any Pokemon that can fend off these Poochyena?" the frightened parents asked, as they turned towards me.

"I take it you must be Megan's parents. Yes, I do have a Pokemon that can help here, go, Raven, use Close Combat on the Poochyena!" I shouted, as I quickly released my Zangoose out of his Pokeball.

As Raven came out of his Pokeball, he immediately took a fighting stance. It wasn't long before the Poochyena turned their sights from Megan's parents to Raven after seeing their new target, and in a blink of an eye, he began to thrash around with the Poochyena, until they were all taken out seconds later.

"Oh, thank you so much, you and your Zangoose saved our lives, what's your name?" Megan's mother asked.

"My name is Kyle, and you're welcome. I was just here doing my job, but I'm afraid I have to get going now, I left my friend behind in Twoson, and he's probably worried about me. I'm afraid I have to say goodbye." I said, as I recalled Raven and walked back into Twoson with Flora alongside me.

Upon returning to Twoson, it didn't take too long for me to find Allen. But, my joy of seeing him quickly turned to displeasure, as I saw another grunt ambush us. It was a man this time, with a suit as blue as the female grunt I had defeated in battle earlier. Through taking a quick look at his face, I could tell he wasn't very happy I defeated one of his partners in battle.

"I was told of your little victory here earlier. I must say, I am impressed at your skill, but you're messing with the wrong guy, pal. If I manage to defeat you in a battle, I'm taking you and your friend prisoner in our hideout, where you'll be forced to serve us for life. Are you afraid to challenge me?" the male grunt jeered.

"Me? Afraid to challenge someone to a battle? In your boss' and second-in-command's cases, I am smart enough to not take on either of them in battle. But, you certainly look beatable to me. Are you ready, Flora?" I asked Flora, as I turned to face her.

"I'm ready, Kyle, I definitely can't wait to evolve, I can feel the moment getting closer and closer." Flora said gleefully.

"Hah, I'm going to make sure that Cleffa of yours doesn't get the chance to evolve." the male grunt sneered, as he took out a Pokeball.

Watching as the grunt enlarged his Pokeball and opened it up, its contents were revealed to be a Gastly, which was as blue as the one I had previously battled. But this one appeared like it was a male this time.

Battle Time!
Flora the Cleffa (F, L12) vs Happy Happyist Grunt (M)'s blue Gastly (M, L15)

Flora's POV

Growing angry at this guy whose insults to me were as bad as his partner's almost made me want to charge at that Gastly that he sent out. But, Kyle was a step ahead of me, calm as can be.

"Flora, don't let that grunt or his Pokemon get the better of you here! I'm sorry you can't use Thunderbolt, but that won't matter if we take this Gastly out, too. Now, start this battle off with a strong Ice Beam on Gastly!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, if we're lucky, that Cleffa won't get to use Ice Beam very much in this battle, so let's use a Spite to our advantage to reduce the amount of times she gets to use it!" the bad man ordered back.

No sooner than I made another freezing cold orb of ice energy turn into a dazzling beam of energy aimed straight for the Gastly, I suddenly felt another curse on me. But this one seemed different than the last two that were pulled on me. Instead of having my strength gradually drop, or a move of mine get blocked off, this curse seemed to have an effect on my Ice Beam, as if I was getting too tired to use it very often. Still, I wasn't going to let this bring me down easily.

"Flora, this looks like trouble, but we'll get your opponent good now, we don't need to use Ice Beam to make things complicated for this Gastly. Now, Flora, put him to sleep with a Sing!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, if your opponent wants to put you to sleep, let's do the same to her, use a Hypnosis on her!" the bad man ordered back.

Opening up my mouth to sing a pleasant, sleep-inducing melody to the Gastly proved to be the stronger of the two sleep-inducing moves here, as I ended my song, I noticed the Gastly's eyelids begin to droop, before he sank down, fast asleep, right before his hypnotizing could finish. I felt a little groggy from this, but I was far from sleepy.

"Hang in there, Flora! As long as Gastly's asleep, he's a sitting duck. Now, let's try and surround him in an icy prison as best we can, so blast him with another Ice Beam, as best as you can!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, I prepared you beforehand just incase this situation was to happen, use a Sleep Talk!" the bad man ordered back.

As I struggled a bit to make yet another beam of icy cold energy, I shot it toward the sleeping Gastly, not curious very much of what he could end up doing in his sleep. The moment the beam struck the dozing ghost, I jumped up in surprise as it froze him almost completely solid, rendering him almost immobile for now, but this didn't last long, as the Gastly suddenly and unexpectedly shot a black orb of darkness while in his icy predicament, surprising me as it smashed the ice into pieces, and I winced as one of the bigger ones went flying into me, knocking me back a little.

"Flora! This battle isn't going to be easy without Thunderbolt, but if we can hit Gastly with enough of your other best move right now, we may be able to bring him down in no time. Now, use another Ice Beam!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, there is still a chance you might wake up here, so if you do, Torment the Cleffa so she can't use that Ice Beam consecutively, if not, then use Sleep Talk again!" the bad man ordered back.

Once again, I had difficulties in making another beam of icy cold energy, but this one still managed to hit its mark. Unfortunately for me, I noticed the Gastly shivering in his sleep, which caused him to wake up, and he began to tease me so viciously, that I suddenly became too afraid to use another Ice Beam. What was I going to do now, I pondered to myself, whimpering in frustration at this Gastly.

"Flora, this battle isn't over yet, we still have one last shot at bringing this Gastly down, since it seems like he can't stand freezing cold temperatures at all, let's use that to our advantage, get him with an Icy Wind!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, things are looking bad here, but we have what may be one last trick we can pull here, deliver some Payback to that Cleffa the moment that Icy Wind strikes you!" the bad man ordered back.

As I aimed a freezing cold blast of wind toward the Gastly, I watched as he began to shiver more than before. But it wasn't slowing him down as much as I thought, as he suddenly began to glow with dark energy, and he charged me, sending me flying back a few meters. Struggling to get back up, I wasn't about to let my chance to evolve go down the drain, and I gritted my teeth as I slowly got up thanks to the pain that Payback dealt to me.

"Flora! Come on, you can still win this! Use another Ice Beam to finish off the Gastly, you can do it!" Kyle ordered.

"Gastly, we have a chance to finish off that Cleffa too, but we have to hope you'll survive that Ice Beam, first. If possible, use a Thunderbolt on her!"

I was still having a hard time making another beam of freezing cold energy to aim at the Gastly, but after several seconds of annoying delays, I finally got it going, and blasted the beam with all my remaining strength at the Gastly. Kyle could tell from that moment the Gastly wasn't prepared for a full-power Ice Beam, and within a few seconds, the Gastly was literally out cold, defeated in a block of ice. I won again!

I grew to L14 and learned Sweet Kiss!

Kyle's POV

"All right, Flora! That sure showed this guy who not to mess with! I'm so proud of you." I said, as I patted Flora's head in gratitude, knowing that this victory was a hard-earned one for her.

"Damn, I can't believe you beat me too. I hate to admit it, but maybe you and your friend do have what it takes to take down our group. No matter, I'm not going to forget this defeat." the male grunt said as he recalled his Gastly ice cube and fled.

"Well, looks like our work here is done, Kyle, you ready to head back to Crossroads?" Allen asked me.

"Not quite, Allen, I still have a promise I have to keep before we go." I replied, as I reached into my backpack to get the coveted Genetic Accelerator Gene Flora was waiting to see.

"Oh, does this mean I finally get to evolve?" Flora asked, her eyes glowing.

"Yes, Flora, I promise you are going to evolve here. But, it may be a while before you become a Clefable, are you okay with that? Things might get too busy for me later on, but I promise you'll reach your final form someday." I said.

"I understand." Flora replied.

As I held the Genetic Accelerator Gene in front of Flora's tiny hands, I watched as she touched it, and she immediately began to glow white, her body growing a little in size, and about 5 or so seconds later, where my little Cleffa once was standing, a proud but tired Clefairy stood in her place. Flora had finally evolved!

"Well Flora, this is just the beginning of what I hope will lead to more success with you, in your new form, you're going to be one of the best on my team. For now, I'm going to return you to your Pokeball again, just so things will be back to normal for you." I said, as I recalled Flora back to her Pokeball.

Turning to face Allen again, we both headed back to the shore, and Allen let out his Empoleon once more to ferry us back to Crossroads within minutes. Upon making it back to Crossroads, Allen recalled his Empoleon.

"Well Kyle, I guess our quest is over, for now. I've got to get going, but it sure was nice to see you again." Allen said, as he walked off, waving at me.

Waving back at Allen, I headed back to my home on 21 Knight Street, awaiting more adventure...

classy_cat18

29th May 2008, 12:46 AM

Finally got another one in!

Shonta's POV
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Katana looked at her new TM for a long time before giving me an skeptical look. "Rolling Kick?" she asked me.

"Yeah. I thought you would like a good Fighting type move," I explained as I washed dishes. "You need to learn to use more than your claws."

"I don't exactly have a fighter's legs." Both of us looked down at her relatively short legs.

"If you can run with 'em, you can fight with 'em. And why are you bugging me about it? Usually you choose to quietly grumble to yourself about these kinds of things." There was a period of silence followed by a quiet sigh. "That bored, huh?"

Katana leaned against the counter and growled. "Even Trinity's being tolerable today. I want a battle or at least someone annoying to slap around for a while. Is that too much to ask?"

"Where's Bandit? By now you two would be threatening to re-enact Mortal Kombat or something." Another length of silence. I looked down to see if Katana was still there. Her expression was indecipherable. It almost looked like guilt. "You know, I have noticed that you haven't been as violent with Bandit as usual. There's still the occasional slap upside the head that he clearly deserves after making a stupid comment, but other than that it's mostly halfhearted insults."

The Zangoose only gave a grunt and replied, "I thought you would be glad that I have calmed down somewhat."

"But Bandit hasn't calmed down at all, but he has seemed to go on the defensive more when you two have your arguments. You know, like he spends more time defending himself than attacking you."

She gave a halfhearted smile. "He knows who's boss now."

"That doesn't make sense. He's stronger than you and can stay on his feet twice as long."

I didn't get her response to that because Bandit entered the kitchen with a smile on his face. Katana didn't affect his mood one bit. In fact, he seemed to ignore her completely. Bandit opened the refrigerator and talked to us while he sniffed around. "Our resident Roserade hasn’t said a word all morning. Anyone want to bet how long it’ll be before we can coerce more than two words out of her?”

To my surprise, Katana laughed with him. "I still think we should give the poor girl a CAT scan."

I stared at her with disbelief for a few seconds. "Are you sure she's the one that needs the CAT scan?" I asked her. "Because you're starting to worry me."

"I thought we were okay with the fact that she's a psychopath," Bandit commented.

Katana's demeanor instantly changed as she smacked him upside the head, earning me a little relief. Just a little. My attention was diverted from them, however, when I heard a familiar yet annoying tune coming from my pocket.

Bandit snickered at the sound. "The Spongebob Squarepants theme? What are you, four years old?"

"I swear I didn't have that ringtone on this phone yesterday." I flipped it open and spoke into it without checking the ID. Right now the only ones that knew my cell number were my team. I recently got another cell phone for them. "Talk to me."

"Hey, trainer dude!" Circe said on the other end, her voice deeper than usual. "We're at the park and feeling fine!"

Something came to me as I heard her voice. "Circe, is Bo with you?" I asked her.

"Yeah, and Ken and Nama."

"Hold the phone up to Bo's ear."

A moment of silence, and then Bo's voice came through. "Hi, Miss Shonta!" he chirped.

"Bo, have you been Web surfing on my laptop without my permission?" I asked him sweetly.

"Yeah, but I had Uncle Bandit supervise me like you asked."

"You know I love you, right? And that I would never hurt you, right?"

"Right, right."

I tightened my grip on the phone. "Then why would you put Spongebob Squarepants on my cell phone?"

"Oh, that was Uncle Bandit. He said that you would like it."

I glared at Bandit while Katana laughed at him. "Don't worry then. I'll have a nice talk with Bandit today about changing my ringtones without asking." I hung up and continued glaring at the Kecleon. "You still bored, Katana?"

"Way ahead of you," Katana said with anticipation. "You know the drill, lizard. Thirty second head start and then it's Mortal Kombat when I find you."

Bo's POV
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Pull!"

Another frisbee was launched into the air. Ken took aim and forced out a sharp burst of water that hit the frisbee and sent it off course. He clapped his hands again, happy that he was winning the game. "Are you counting, Ken?" I asked him.

He held out a hand in front of him and flexed the fingers. "Four!" he shouted, showing me his hand.

I gave him a high five. "Very good, Ken!"

Miss Circe walked over to us, the frisbees in her hands. "This was a totally good idea, using moving targets to practice his Water Gun and counting at the same time." Her real accent was actually lower than the one she liked to speak in, making her sound almost like a guy. It set her apart from the other girls in the team.

"He only hit four out of ten but it's still improving. I still wish we could've found some clay targets like the ones I saw on TV."

"But we would've had to keep buying them. Frisbees are reusable." She set the frisbees in front of me. "I'm going to take a nap so you and Ken will have to find something else to do."

"We really should be going in case something comes up."

She kept walking to a shade tree. "What's the rush? Like, go play or something. I'll be with Nama if you need me."

I sighed and watched Ken as he yawned and followed her. Miss Nama only came here to get a nap. The only time I've seen her move a lot was when she was battling, which still wasn't much. "It looks like I'm going to be by myself for a while."

The park was big, making me feel alone among the strangers. Still feeling active, I started walking across the field. The walking turned into running as I imagined being in a real battle. A fast opponent, matching my every move. He turned as I turned, making sure that I did not get the upper hand. I was about to turn my head and give my invisible opponent a face full of flames when I tripped over something, making me take a nose dive and tumble onto my back.

I fell on my side and looked down at my legs. "Huh? I've been hogtied!" I exclaimed. It wasn't rope, however, but a sticky substance. "String Shot?"

"GOTCHA!" someone shouted from the trees.

A large spider Pokemon burst from a clump of bushes and rushed for me with incredible speed. After a split second of shock, I fired my Hidden Power at him. The Ariados leaped high and landed right in my face. "Nice reflexes," I told it as it stared at my face.

"Get away from him!" I heard Miss Circe yell. The Ariados looked up in time to see the Ralts lift him into the air by a psychic force and throw him away from me. Miss Circe appeared in my line of vision and burned off the webbing tied around my legs with a Will O' Wisp.

I rolled to my paws and faced the confused Ariados. "You know, it was only my second time but I'm already tired of being kidnapped. So scram!"

The Ariados expression quickly turned to fear. "B-b-but i was given orders!" he stammered.

"By who?" Miss Circe demanded.

"My t-t-trainer!" All eight of his legs trembled as he spoke. "P-p-please let me plead my c-c-case!"

I glanced at Miss Circe to see if she was buying it. She seemed to be considering. "Plead away, dude."

"My trainer works for this very rich woman, a world-renowned Pokemon coordinator. Her name is Haruka Aikase but everyone just calls her Diva."

My eyes snapped open by the mention of her name. "I've heard of that name! Miss Trinity used to watch her perform on TV all the time!" I told Miss Circe.

"That's her! My trainer says he's her assistant but I wouldn't use that word."

"What word would you use?" Circe inquired.

"I don't know. Flunky, waterboy, punching bag, whipping boy, doormat. Take your pick. I'm worse, the doormat's doormat. Diva is ruthless. And she has this Glaceon that's just as bad, if not worse."

"What's a Glaceon?" I asked him.

The Ariados looked at me with surprise. "You must not be familiar with the Sinnoh region. Glaceon is a newly discovered evolution of Eevee. An Ice type. Everything that Glaceon wants will get or else. Today she wants a playmate and she told me to get one by any means necessary."

"Or else," I added. "If you wanted me to go, why didn't you just ask me? It would've been less trouble for you."

"Did you not just listen to me whine about how terrible Snowflake is? She's a demon from an icy hell! Her voice is like a Zangoose's claws on a chalkboard mixed in with a chorus of screeching violins! I'd rather stand in front of a stampede of angry Tauros than have to listen to her! She not only wanted a playmate, but a shiny playmate!"

"I'm not shiny," I said apologetically.

"Say again?" he said in a squeaky voice.

"Shiny Umbreon have blue rings. I have red, see?"

"But...but..." He repeated that word like a broken record.

I felt sorry for the Ariados's situation and started to believe that he would really be skinned alive if Snowflake didn't get what she wanted. "I'm sure that Snowflake wouldn't mind. In fact, you might say that I'm one of a kind. That's even better than being shiny!"

The Ariados beamed as best as his face would allow. "Are you saying that you'll help me?"

"More like save you. As long as I can get back home before sundown. Aunt Katana worries when I stay out too long."

He let out a laugh. A very relieved, somehow shaky laugh. "I owe you so much, um...what's your name?"

"Bo."

"I'm Anansi. Thanks."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Diva and Snowflake were staying at the fanciest hotel in Sector Alpha. They were doing a charity show for something. Anansi guessed that it was for good publicity and not much else.

Diva's doormat -- I mean assistant -- stood outside the revolving doors that served as the entrance to the hotel, puffing on a cigarette and looking like he was going to have a nervous breakdown. He didn't look too happy when he saw me with Anansi. "Anansi, who is this Pokemon? I asked for a shiny Pokemon! Shiny!"

Anansi visibly flinched. "But he's probably one of a kind. He has red rings."

"Snowflake doesn't like red!" He puffed on his cigarette while his Ariados shook with fear. "But the deadline is almost up. Take your friend up to the suite."

"You had a deadline?" I asked Anansi as we walked through the lobby and into an elevator.

"Don't worry about that. Just tolerate her for a few hours and I'll have you back home by your deadline." He looked up at the elevator buttons nervously. "Could you press the button for the tenth floor?"

I stood on my rear legs and managed to hit the top button, although accidentally hitting three more buttons. We waited for it to finally stop at the top floor before walking out. I scratched at the door until someone opened the door. Someone with too much makeup on.

"You're Diva alright," I grumbled, grateful that she couldn't understand me.

"This is the best you could find?" Diva asked Anansi, who nodded slowly. "Why am I surrounded by idiots?"

The Ariados just led me through the suite, having to push his legs in so he could fit. The suite had two bedrooms. My play date was in the slightly smaller one.

Snowflake, a pretty light blue Eeveelution, was curled up in the queen sized bed yet was wide awake. Her eyes were locked on me as soon as I appeared in the doorway. "He's red," was all she said.

"I-I-I know," Anansi replied while trying to look somewhere else.

She jumped down and looked at me again. "You're red," she told me.

Wow, she's a genius! I wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud. I'd seen what happened to Uncle Bandit when he said things like that.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something, like your name?" Snowflake asked me in an angry tone.

"Bo," I answered. Well, she wanted me to say something.

"Bo. Is that really your name? What kind of name is that?" She laughed and shook her head.

I couldn't stop my growl from coming. "Your name's stupid too."

That's when I learned about her magic trick: how to make the room get cold in three seconds. Anansi, being cold-blooded, immediately headed out the room for warmer air.

Snowflake was surrounded by a blue light, which was weird considering her current mood. "Do you have any idea who I am?" she growled.

"Diva's Glaceon?" I guessed, feeling clueless.

"What...do you think...that means?" She slowly approached.

I shrugged. Being a celebrity's Pokemon didn't exactly prove anything to me. "I don't know. Could you tell me?"

The room got cold enough for our breaths to turn to little clouds. Anansi shot out a web and yanked me out the room in time for me to get a safe view of everything in there turning into ice. "Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how dangerous Ice types get when they're angry?" he practically screamed.

“Diva’s not going to like this, even if Snowflake’s her favorite. Everything’s going to be wet.” This was getting out of hand. Snowflake needed to be put in her place. Diva too, but as a Pokemon, I thought dealing with my own kind first would be a good idea. “You find somewhere warm while I talk to Snowflake,” I instructed.

“Will you be alright?” I nodded. “Okay then.” He shuffled to the bathroom and shut himself in.

“DRIFLOON!” Snowflake bellowed as she left the bedroom. She glanced at me for a second. “DRIFLOON!”

What looked like a purple balloon with an X on it drifted to Snowflake silently. “Drifloon, I want you to teach this Umbreon a lesson!” Snowflake ordered.

“Wouldn’t you have an easier time doing that?” I let slip out.

“I’m too stressed out to battle!” She curled up in a corner.

I looked up at Drifloon and sighed. “Any way we could solve this problem without destroying the rest of the suite?” When I didn’t get a reply I sighed again. “Whatever. Not my hotel room.”

L6 Male Umbreon (Bo) vs. L6 Male Drifloon

The two strings that were attached to Drifloon reached out to grab me. Luckily, they were too weak. My back legs dangled an inch from the floor as his arms (or whatever) had me by the tail. “This is too weird,” I mumbled as I let my back half stay in the air.

The strings tightened. A second later I let out a loud yelp as an electric shock ran through my body. I glared at the Drifloon and he did it again. “Stop using Thundershock!” I yelled.

“Keep using it,” Snowflake instructed it.

My claws dug into the carpet as I tried to pull away from Drifloon but he was stronger than I thought. After being shocked a third time, my vision darkened. “Torment,” I growled.

“Hm?” That was the first thing that Drifloon said since I first saw him. I heard him grunt as he tried to release another Thundershock but failed.

“Thundershock!” Snowflake yelled.

I snickered as Drifloon grunted again. “Try something else,” I suggested. When nothing happened, I concentrated on building up heat for Hidden Power Fire. Instead of firing it like an Ember, I let the heat build up in my tail. I heard a hiss and a louder grunt as Drifloon let go of my tail.

“Gotcha!” I said. I yanked him down by his strings and bit into his balloon head, surprised that I didn’t bite a hole in him. A little shaking and chewing had him out like a light.

Bo won and grew to level 7!

Snowflake’s poor doormat was barely floating above the floor. Snowflake nudged him away and glared at me. “You’re such a jerk,” she told me.

“I’m not the one that sent out a Drifloon and told him to use Thundershock even after I used Torment on him. He couldn’t use it twice in a row.”

Her blush of embarrassment (or anger) stood out on her blue fur. Then the blush went away…and everything got cold again. I slowly backed towards the exit. “I really should get home now,” I said cautiously.

“Come back here!” she roared.

That only made me break out in a run. “Stay in the bathroom!” I yelled to Anansi as I passed him.

“No problem!” he whimpered.

I tackled the front door down, pausing for a short second to wonder how I managed to get that strong. The sound of a running Glaceon got me back to running for the elevators. They were already opening. Oh, don’t let that be Diva…

Fortunately, it wasn’t. “Hey, where’s the fire?” Uncle Bandit asked me after the elevator doors fully opened. I tackled him while getting in, heard him grunt from falling on the backpack he was carrying, and then jumped for the ground floor button.

“Go down, quick!” I pleaded at the nonliving elevator. Snowflake was jogging down the hallway. The doors closed before she could pick up speed.

I backed up until my tail hit the far end of the elevator, ignoring Uncle Bandit’s laughing. “Had fun?” he asked me lightly.

“Come on, Uncle Bandit!” I whined. “She was such a drama queen! She was a loud, annoying drama queen!”

He chuckled again. “Sounds like Trinity.”

A soft giggle surprised me. I jerked my head to see Miss Rose leaning against a corner. “Wha…how…I didn’t see you there!”

The Roserade blushed but still didn’t say anything. “It’s weird. She talked a little this morning but that was it,” Uncle Bandit explained. “I think it has something to do with her new voice.”

“Come on, Miss Rose! I think you sound pretty!” I gave her an encouraging smile.

She mustered a small smile and spoke in a soft voice. “I…I feel like…this is the loudest…I can get…” she almost whispered.

“Considering the other girls, I welcome it!” Uncle Bandit said cheerfully. Rose let out another giggle and followed us through the lobby.

We were almost home free when Diva rushed out of the other elevator with the angriest face I’ve ever seen on a human female. My ears drooped as Uncle Bandit and Rose stopped a couple of steps from the exit. “Maybe we should hurry home,” I suggested quietly.

“COME HERE, YOU MUTT!” Diva roared.

“What did you do?” Uncle Bandit asked me.

“It was Snowflake’s fault!” I said hastily.

He sighed and looked at Rose. “Maybe you should try out that move,” he suggested.

Rose nodded in agreement and blew on the bouquets on the end of her arms. A light green pollen drifted across the lobby and into Diva’s face. The raging woman took two more steps and paused. She struggled with her words as her face slowly relaxed. “You…you…never mind,” she said in defeat. Uncle Bandit smiled and waved goodbye. “Yeah…um…go home.” She made a shooing gesture with her hands.

I felt so confused that I had to ask something when we were walking home. “What was up with that? She was so angry, but then she smelled that stuff. Was that Sweet Scent?”

Rose shook her head. “It was Aromatherapy,” Uncle Bandit answered. “It can cure a whole team of any status ailment, and it’s more effective than a chill pill.”

We were about halfway home when I heard music coming from Uncle Bandit’s backpack. The Kecleon groaned and pulled out the cell phone. “Shonta, can I please get this ringtone off?” he pleaded.

”Why? Don’t like the Macarena?” I heard my trainer ask on the other end of the line.

“I’m sure someone on this street will run after me with a noose if I started dancing to it right now.”

She laughed. “Anyway, do you know where the MTU building is?”

“Yeah. They had that maze there, right?”

“Uh huh. Bring Bo and Rose over there. We have training to do.” Uncle Bandit hung up.

“What’s the MTU building?” I asked him.

He looked a little surprised at my question. “I forgot we went there before you hatched. It’s the Mercenary Trainers’ Union building. Heroes for hire. They also help other trainers with training, which is why we’re going there.”

Katana’s POV

“So this is the Free Range Corral. It looks rather nice.” I dug my claws in the grassy ground. “The dirt’s good for digging. They must have a hard time getting it to normal each time.”

“Where are they?” Shonta muttered to herself. “They must’ve been across town or something.”

“I’m sure they’ll be here shortly,” Lily assured her. “Besides, we don’t have a reason to hurry.”

I sat next to Nama, noticing her nervousness. Lately she hadn’t been feeling energetic, which probably would affect her battle. “Feeling okay, Nama?” I asked my teammate.

“It’s been a while,” she nearly whispered.

Both her and Rose have both been quiet lately. Well, we’re used to Nama being quiet. Just not so nervous. I patted her head. “You’ll be fine. Shonta got you a two-on-two battle. Rose has you covered.”

Nama turned her head away from me. “I should be able to do this by myself.”

I sat there in confusion until we heard Bandit and his group walk in the room. Bo ran to me and nuzzled my cheek. “Missed you,” I purred.

“Missed you too,” he returned. “Am I training today?”

I shook my head. “No, Rose and Nama are.”

He nuzzled Nama. “Good luck!”

A woman entered the room from a hidden door on the other side. She had introduced herself earlier as June. “Are you ready now?” she asked Shonta.

“Yeah. The other Pokemon I’m using just got here.” She looked down at Rose and smiled. “Rose, feeling up to this?” The Roserade hesitated before nodding.

“I feel so…exposed.” That was what she said when I asked her what she thought about her new form. Maybe that’s what got her so nervous. Her new body really was something new.

“Rose and Nama, take your places,” Shonta instructed. The two Pokemon sat side-by-side.

The opposing trainer pulled out two pokeballs and tossed them. “I choose Azurill and Eevee!”

A hidden speaker crackled with an unknown voice. “Battle begin!”

L8 Female Roserade (Rose) and L10 Female Slakoth (Nama) vs. L8 Female Azurill and L10 Male Eevee

“Rose, get in front of Nama and hit ‘em with a Pin Missile!” Shonta shouted. Rose squeaked in surprise before moving in position.

“Eevee, Protect now!” June told her Pokemon. Eevee quickly moved between Rose and Azurill. The tiny needles shot by Rose hit an invisible wall thrown up by Eevee, even protecting his partner.

“Nama!” Rose called out, her growing excitement showing in her voice. Nama nodded and released a Thundershock as soon as Rose cleared the way.

I watched Azurill and Eevee wince as the electricity hit them but was too weak to cause much damage. Why would Nama use that? Her special defense is so low. But it only served as a way to keep them still while Rose blasted Eevee with a flurry of glowing leaves, knocking him out of the way and leaving Azurill open. “Nama, get the Azurill,” Rose told her partner. When no response came she turned around. “Nama?”

Bo nudged me with his paw. “Auntie, Nama doesn’t look good.”

He was right. Nama was sitting down and hunched over, almost looking like she was catching her breath. “I know she had Truant, but she’s never like this between attacks,” I mused.

Rose’s confidence quickly evaporated. She nervously kept her eyes on the two Pokemon now advancing on her and Nama. Moriko started screaming for the two to “keep your heads in the game”. The other two Fighting types quickly joined in.

“Azurill, Water Pulse! Eevee, Shadow Ball!” June shouted.

“Dodge!” Shonta yelped in a panic.

I then saw the big advantage in Rose’s new form. As she and Nama moved to avoid the attacks, there was a difference in their movement. Rose easily flipped up and over Eevee and his Shadow Ball, looking back in surprise and disbelief. Nama tried a roll but the Water Pulse was too fast and knocked her on her back.

“Nama!” half of the team cried out.

Even June looked concerned for Nama’s state for a brief moment. Then Nama mumbled a few words that didn’t sound English or any other language I knew of. Both trainers’ eyes flew open. “Curse! Eevee, get the Slakoth!” June commanded.

“Rose, intercept!” Shonta said a split second later. The Roserade quickly blasted Eevee’s retreating end with a Pin Missile. Eevee squeaked but kept running for Nama.

Azurill stayed where she was, frozen in terror. Nama made no move to attack but her eyes were burning with anger. Eevee pounced to tackle Nama to the ground only to be thwarted by an unexpected Metal Claw. He skidded for a fair distance before stopping on his side, unconscious.

“Eevee!” June screamed. She shuddered at the sight of Azurill cowering at the still Nama. “Iron Tail, Azurill!”

Azurill bounced high into the air and prepared to bring the round end of her tail on the Slakoth. Nama didn’t move a muscle to block or dodge, but turned her head back as Rose used Magical Leaf on her. “I didn’t need your help,” Nama told her coldly.

“But…you weren’t moving!” Rose said in defense.

Nama growled and raised a claw, looking like she was going to attack Rose. Instead she slashed Azurill across the face, knocking her out as well. A long moment of silence passed before we heard the loudspeaker announce Rose and Nama as the winners.

Rose won and grew to level 9! She learned Poison Sting! Nama won and grew to level 11!

“Azurill…” June whimpered as she picked up the poor mouse. “You weren’t ready for this.”

“I’m so sorry,” Shonta said softly. “Nama has never battled like that. She must have something bothering her.” The Slakoth grunted and slowly walked off the battlefield.

June managed a small smile and shook her head. “It must be hard dealing with a Slakoth that’s growing up. They only have that pep for so long, you know.”

“Uh…’scuse?” My trainer put on a puzzled face.

“Young Slakoth are unusually energetic, but as they get older they’ll adopt the sluggish nature of their elders. Most of them try to evolve before they reach that age.”

“That explains a lot,” I muttered to myself.

Bo went to Nama and sat beside her. “Sorry you’ve been feeling like this,” he told her.

Nama’s face hardened further. “Now I’m of no use. An ordinary slowpoke with only average power…” She grumbled even more as she exited the room with Bo following close.

Moriko cleared her throat. I braced myself for the oncoming pep talk. “There’s no way we’re going to let Nama prove herself right! She’s our teammate and she has the right to reach her dreams! We all are going to train and encourage her until she’s the Vigoroth she wants to be! Who’s with me?” Ali and Athena shouted their approval, followed by the rest of the team. Even I clapped even though I made gagging noises during Moriko’s speech.

Lady Vulpix

20th July 2008, 10:18 AM

Sorry for the long delay, I have been busy with university and, honestly, no one else was posting either so I felt no need to rush.

Kyle gets 10 stamps and Shonta gets 27 stamps.

Ok, reviews here.

Kyle: your story was so hard to read! It was confusing, and I couldn't make much sense out of most parts.
1. When did you turn on the TV? Several months ago, or recently? If it was recently, what's the connection to the battles? Why is it in the same sentence? If it was months ago, then does the whole story take place back then? It isn't clear.
2. You knew that blue Flareons weren't normal because yours wasn't? Where's the logic in that? It sounded like you'd only seen 2 Flareons in your life, in which case there's no reason to believe one was normal and the other wasn't.
3. You told Flora to evolve in order to carry on the footsteps of a departed Pokemon. Shouldn't that be her choice? Something she should do for herself rather than for someone else? It's a big change, after all, and it affects her directly.
4. Allen's appearance right when you were talking about him was not ironic, just very unlikely.
5. The flow of the story and the dialogues seemed unnatural. I think you should try to picture yourself in the situations you describe and ask yourself how you would react. That, and listen to the way people talk in real life, and try to keep it in mind while you write your dialogues.
6. What's with the long explanation while the building was still on fire? Under those circumstances, it would have been best to act first and explain later.
7. How can a bike shop be one of the most important areas in the town? What kind of town is that?
8. It's Jeff "Blue" Azure, not Jeff "Azure" Blue.
9. 2 people crossing the sea on an Empoleon? Isn't that asking a bit too much of him?
10. Jeff didn't sound like himself at all, not even the mind-controlled version of himself.
11. What did you mean about the type disadvantage? Gastly and Cleffa have no type weaknesses against each other. There are just some moves they can't use against each other, that's all.
12. I found it strange for Ice and Ghost energy to explode upon collision, but we have no way to test it. It's just that Ghost energy tends to phase through things (and, according to some versions, absorb energy), and Ice (cold in general) simply absorbs energy. I think that if they collided they would either pass through each other or disappear quietly.
13. How could Megan's parents not notice they'd left their daughter behind? That doesn't make any sense.
14. The Poochyenas were strong enough to kill Megan's parents but Raven took them out in a heartbeat? How is that possible?
15. You were right about the quality of the insults.
16. In a real battle the first attack would have hit Flora before you'd had the chance to finish explaining your strategy to her.
17. How could Flora go through those 2 battles one after the other? Wasn't she weary after the first one?
18. What made you decide it was time to leave?

On the other hand, I liked the Ice Beam idea.

*Sighs.* That's it for Kyle. Now on to Shonta. First of all, I liked your story. Now here are some details I'd like to ask or comment about.

1. I think it was obvious that something had changed between Katana and Bandit, but why would that be a cause of worry?
2. How do Pokemon use cell-phones? I mean, if their language is not fully based on sounds (which has been more or less established here), how can the cell-phones transmit what they're actually saying?
3. I liked Bo's solo training. :keke:
4. I would have thought shiny pokemon to be easier to identify. Aren't they supposed to be shiny?
5. I didn't quite understand the part in which the Ariados had to push his legs in so he could fit. Was there such little walking space in the suite?
6. I liked the way you ended the first battle. Quite creative. :)
7. I liked the elevator scene too. It looked very reallistic.
8. What happened to Rose's voice? Did it change a lot when she evolved?
9. I wouldn't have thought of anger as a status ailment, but it was a creative use of Aromatherapy nonetheless.
10. It was nice to see Katana show affection for Bo.
11. When you said Nama's special defense was low, did you mean her special attack? Otherwise I don't understand the connection between that and her use of Thundershock.
12. Poor Nama. It looks like she has some issues to deal with. I hope Moriko can help her.

There it is. Once more, sorry for the delay.

classy_cat18

20th July 2008, 10:52 PM

1. It's still shocking to see. It'll take a while to get used to it.
2. Didn't think that through. ^^;
4. I don't think they're really shiny. I just followed what I saw in the anime, where the Pokemon sparkled only when they came out of the pokeball.
5. I'm not that good at visualizing inside spaces. Anansi would've pushed his legs in for the doors but that'd be it.
8. I'd thought it would've been natural for some Pokemon, especially if they go through a big change in appearance or temperament.
11. Yes. My mistake.

Can I get an RBG for Bandit from Caledor's Nature Protection Agency? *gives seven stamps*

Lady Vulpix

21st July 2008, 10:56 AM

Sure. Bandit will battle... a Slugma. o.O

The Blue Avenger

21st July 2008, 02:13 PM

Okay, I had a big reply here, but my browser ate it. I'll try and put down what I remember:

-Tracker's an interesting character, and I liked seeing inside her head.
-Pidgeot's dream certainly seems ominous, particularly if it's recurring.
-I really dig Fiamma, especially with her typist tirades.
-I'm not sure I agree that Fiamma using a move with a type advantage is fighting dirty. *shrugs*
-I liked Pidgeot's match; you can really get a feel for him by reading it. Heh, he tends to overthink things just a touch, I think.
-I need to read up on Pidgeot's past sometime; this line "he was basically a Pidgey in a Pidgeot's body" has me curious.

So that's three battles with quite a lot of scenework involved... I think 25 stamps sounds right.

Also, while I'm here, I'll take an RPG from the Universal Adoption Center for Raini, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

21st July 2008, 02:18 PM

Thanks! Raini will battle a Trapinch, and since you're on AIM we can talk there. :)

Crystalmaster Mike

2nd November 2008, 08:35 AM

Well, there's this story I've been yearning to tell, and now's the time, I think.

I've been compiling this for quite a while, but it's been in my head longer.

Setting: Having heard her team member Dylan pour his heart out, Nora feels it's time to tell her story, too.

Background: Over time, we've come to know Nora as a caring person, that's been unofficially instated as the "mother" of the group. With a heart bigger than her body can hold, she has nonetheless been troubled by an event in her past. Because of this, she seems plagued by unprovoked fear and dislike of Bruce, the Machop in the team, and of Fighting Pokémon in general.
Her adoption had been worth remembering on its own (a sign-up list had been required to even stand a chance at adopting her), but her backstory had always been concealed. Until now.

Fun fact #1: This story was written using BBed. It's a good help at previewing your post, and it takes away some of that required C+P work you otherwise have at writing a story with lots of BB-code formatting.

Fun fact #2: I think this story can stand on its own, as there's little foreknowledge required, so I'm playing with the idea of posting it at FanFic, to get some advice and critique about my writing style. I'm not a fan of trying to reread or rewrite what I've written, as the story "is my baby", and the first time I write it, I've been trying to pour into it the mental image I've created in my mind of the events, so any changes seem to attack at that image.

---

~ Nora's POV ~

Part 1: Life, Interrupted

I may not look like it, but I stem from an Aron tribe in Latin America.

The open fields, the crammed crevices... Our species is found nearly anywhere. But the place we're probably least expected to show up is in the damp, boiling bowls of the rain forest. Yet, many a native was found in a dirty excuse for a bar, telling stories in exchange for shots of pure liquor, of the bulky, armored figures he or she had been able to distinguish behind the steamy clouds covering the river banks... Never did these stories failed to end in mocking laughter of the "pale-skins", as they knew well enough that Rock Pokémon hated water, and that Steel Pokémon, though neutral towards the substance, certainly would favor clean, gently flowing currents above the muddy yet fast-forwarding rivers that formed the naturally irrigation system of the green lungs of Terra.

And still... there we were. A kind, introvert tribe of herbivores, staying inert in both heat and steam. The story went, our forefathers had fled from the firey mountain that dominated our peaceful valley. The volcano had become home to a flock of Combusken, and their combined forces had proven to get the better of even our own leader.

Ah, our leader... It's true I claim to be of an Aron tribe, but... We were more than that. Like almost every Pokémon on the planet, some of our kinsmen evolved in time, into the Pokémon that was almost thrice the weight, height and length of an Aron. And the Lairon were the only one of us that were allowed to breed (to be allowed to mate was a whole other thing entirely, more a question of maturity than anything else).
And though stronger, they past most of their time relaxing even more than the rest of us.
But not Alabaster. Bas was different. He had naturally become our leader when we migrated to the valley. Our first night in our new environment, and we already fell under siege of a new enemy... As the air was dampier and filled with gas clouds near the river, it had been our first choice of a new territory. But making that decision, we had stepped into the area controlled by the Frogs. Poliwag and Croagunk were natural enemies, but at the sight of us, they allied, and their leaders Poliwrath and Toxicroak knew how to make our lives miserable. Though we didn't fear the Poison Frog's poison, their martial arts packed quite a punch for us, and the Poli's only had to sprinkle them, sort of speech, to get them back into battling shape after we thought we had finished them of.
Alabaster was one of the Lairon protecting us that night... He was the only one daring to attack Toxicroak, and he almost paid the dearest price for it. Even now, though hidden under his large armour, he carried a gruesome scar as a living memory of that event.
Lingering on the brink of eternal defeat however, he found the strength to surpass his own limits... and evolved. The mighty roar of Aggron frightened a couple of Skarmory. They left their nests in the trees, never to return.
In an awesome display of power, Alabaster KOed half of the Croagunks with his Earthquake. The Poliwags and Poliwhirl had wisely chosen for a tactical retreat moments before.

It was so that we could live in peace in the jungle... Until one day...
Alabaster was gone for the week. Every year, he took a week off from leader duty. Not to slack off, but to meditate, and meet with the Elders in an open clearing, deep in the heart of the forest. Together with Parasect and Pidgeot, and a dozen other pack leaders, he discussed the situation in the forest. There were no hostile disputes allowed at this meeting, though it was apparent Blaziken and Poliwrath were less than happy to have Alabaster around, and as such had ignored to show up the previous year.
In Alabaster's absence, it was life as usual in the group, as there was an unspoken truce for the whole duration of the meeting. That year, however, this truce was broken.
I can only think of one thing that might have stopped Bas from returning from the meeting at the designated hour. An ambush. Fact was, he was three hours too late, the sun was already rising, and the elder Lairon were becoming nervous in the knowledge they were pretty much defenseless without the large Aggron around. True, he was often down-talked for his bulked appearance and no-nonsense decision-making, but in times of need, his attack power outweighed any jealous streaks on the part of the Lairon. It was simply a matter of survival.

I remember my mother, the caretaker for the younger children, coming in my direction. My friends and I had been feeling the anxiousness of the grown-ups, and we had become restless ourselves. I think Mom wanted to sooth us, maybe take us inside one of the large hollow trees we used for shelter and sleep, to play a game with us to pass time until we heard the cheers and roars accompanying Bas' return. It would never come to that.
A light got reflected off the thick armor covering her head. Nothing to get alarmed by... except, it didn't shine down from above, and it was bright red, like the light of the sun setting. I was too slow to turn my head, otherwise I might've seen the assailant... But the options for his identity were limited anyway. The ball of fire struck a tree in my mother's path. Its trunk erupted in flames and broke, separating her from the children.

The last look I got from my mother was one of fear. Fear for me, not herself. The look in her eyes then shifted, and I could tell that she was ordering me to go hide and stay hidden, for a whole month if I had to. She would be able to track me down: her mother instincts and well-developed nose would lead her to me. I understood, and finally turned to follow the rest of my friends, who hadn't bothered to look back at my mother, who was only a nurse to them. I was already alone, and I scurried away into the undergrowth.

Part 2: Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Cries of terror and terrorizing were following me from the way I came, and I hurried to outrun them. In my crazed dash, I momentarily lost every sense of direction, and by the time I came to, it was too late. I had already left our forced habitat, and now I was on unknown grounds.
You have to be a Pokémon to understand. Like some people blindly know their way through a darkened room in their house, a Pokémon crosses his territory, subconsciously avoiding pitfalls and trip traps. Take the Pokémon from its territory, and it will bump into threes, jump at the sound of the wind rustling in the bushes, and run around shadows. I should know, that was exactly how I was at that moment.
I didn't stop to catch my breath, as I could hear the Combusken that were my chasers catch up to me, having both the advantage in type and shape. I was straining my stubby legs, and for the first time I cursed the armour that had shielded me from lesser evil before.
As I came to realize I had to stop and hide or else I would become as good as a sitting duck, Faith turned the tables on me. Hidden on the small trail I was following, which had been dug out in the jungle soil by countless feet before mine, a small rope was spanning the width of the path, approximately at ankle height for a Lairon. I ran into it head first, was sent tumbling through the air from the momentum, before getting caught in the net I had triggered to appear out of the mud. It wrapped around me, and as it yanked up a feet or five into the air, it thoroughly shook me whole.
Dazzled, I nearly hadn't the time to notice the Combusken had caught up to me.

Rather than stop, they continued their hurried chase, uttering excited cries and chirps that informed me they hadn't seen me in the net, dangling from the rope. Though the fact I was no longer chased was soothing, I was still worked up about the fact I had been caught in the contraption.
Mind you, I had never seen a human, nor heard more than folklore about them. Too me, they appeared as some sort of evolved Primeape. Heh, and I can bet even some tamed Pokémon never stop thinking about them that way.

Fact was, my opinion on humans was going to worsen before it improved. I was caught by poachers, and they were less than careful with their "winnings".
It was night before they came to inspect the trap, and I was already cold and hungry. Thoughts of home and my family had kept me from catching sleep, and the position I was in did nothing to help.
A dim roar announced the arrival of my "hosts". Four large eyes, shooting beams of light through the darkness, was all I saw of them at first. Then they took the key out of the ignition, and the hungry beast was silenced. Two loud pangs (the doors shutting), and for a while, that was all I heard from them.
Suddenly, a sharp voice began to talk. Annoyingly nasal, it spoke disapproving of something - probably me, tiny as I was. A calm tenor responded, and I felt thick, greasy fingers feeling me out. Eventually, they seemed to agree I was worth their while, and they cut me down... to catch me in an iron cage. They stayed deaf to my soft pleas, but I hadn't expect anything else - we didn't speak the other's language, after all.
They put me in the belly of their noisy vehicle - gently, I'll give them that - before getting seated in the front. Two loud pangs, the beast roaring into motion, and off we went. The little I was from the outside already seemed alien to me: it was unknown territory, and I wasn't used to seeing my surroundings flash by me like that. I admit I got a little nauseous, but the trip was short enough.
Their base camp was made on the bank of a small stream. Grunts, growls and cries informed me I wasn't the first guest (or inmate). I got dumped next to a cage containing three Oddish, which were sleeping, even when it was already night-time and thus high hour for these nocturnal Pokémon.
I soon learned everyone's biorhythm was disturbed: you ate when the men ate, you slept when they slept. They kept us well fed and out of harms way, but that was the end of it. We were mere merchandise, ready for shipment anytime.

The fourth night in, and I was already coming to terms with the fact I would never see home again. Unexpectedly, the rest in the camp was disturbed. Laurel and Hardy (I named them afterwards) exited their tent in their sleeping clothes, rubbing their eyes, peeking in every direction, pointing guns and knifes upwards. A roar tore through the jungle's normal sounds, and it wasn't the jeep of the poachers. Then, a second roar joined in, then a third, and soon a quire of sirens and motor sounds was singing. The camp got surrounded, beams of light dissolved the last shadow, and the duo found nothing better than to stand in the middle of the camp, in front of their large tent, with their arms in the air.
Voices barked instructions through speaker phones, and I saw a whole bunch of legs passing through the camp. Cages were opened, Pokémon released into the wild, and others taken in for nurturing. The Dragon Tamers' Guild had arrived.
I watched the trio of Oddishes get set free, after getting sprayed by a potion of some kind, which seemed to restore their health. Then it was my turn, as one of the last ones. As the ceiling was removed from my cage, a familiar sound of appreciation reached my ears. I got prodded all round, covered in healing potions and what not. My hunger and thirst got stilled as I was given a full plate of juicy Sitrus and tasty Oran Berries. A small flame of hope flared up inside me again... I almost didn't dare to think about going home.

Alas, it was never meant to be. Later, I would come to understand the whole story. The people that had rescued me hadn't heard of any Aron tribe living in the jungle, so they didn't know what to do with me. It was soon decided to take me in with the rest of the Pokémon requiring health care, which meant moving farther away from my home turf.
Today, I have decided I don't want to return. No, I do want to, but... Oh, it's so difficult. The jungle is so far away, and the tribe may not want me back, now I've been so far away for so long. I only wish I knew how my mother was doing, whether she even survived that fateful night...

But I'm running ahead of myself. I wasn't in Ulthuan just yet. The road to the port was long, and I was going to see a lot more of the jungle during that trip than during all my life before that.
The first night after the Guild's intervening, my past decided to catch up with me, jeopardizing my very future.

Part 3: Tropical Fright Night

It was a dark and windy night (no, not stormy). The moon was frequently shadowed by clouds rushing to the horizon, causing light and shadow to cross the camp in short intervals. I was still held in an open cage, "for my own protection", the Guild had probably thought. This made it hard for me to sleep, however, as the wind chilled my bones, and the rays of moonlight making it to the ground occasionally pierced my eyelids.
My ears picked up on something. Unsure of it at first, I quickly confirmed my suspicions: that the leaves in the bushes were being rustled by more than the wind alone... Small silhouettes were circling the clearing in the middle of which the camp was put up. I heard them breath, and mutter and laugh under their breath. Dark Pokémon?, was my first thought, but none of those living in the jungle walk straight up.
They crept nearer and nearer, and I was uncomfortably aware of my cage being positioned unsafely close to the edge of the camp. Their eyes seemed to glow in the dark...
As they finally stepped into the open, the moon decided to enlighten me on their species. As I gasped for air, my body started to shake all over. I tried to scream, but my voice seemed as paralyzed as I was.
"Now, what is a nice little Aron like you doing in a place like this?, their leader said, smirking.
"And so far from home, even!", his second in command added.
"Makuhita...", I whispered. "... and Meditite and Machop! What... w-what are you doing here?"
"Poliwrath was very disappointed when you all ran away," the Thick Fat Pokémon explained, "he much rather have given you a piece of his mind right then and there!"
"But when the Combusken came back and told us of the little one that got away, lost somewhere in the big, wide jungle..." I gulped, as I heard his voice grow raw. "Well, let's just say he knew how to assemble your little pack, even if they were keen on hiding."
"What do you say, Meditite?", he asked his loyal right-hand, all the while keeping his voice down, while his group was closing in on my cage. "How long before Alabaster comes to the rescue of his lil' pup?"
"The boys are bettin' two hours, sir."
"Two whole hours? 5 Joy Seeds say he'll come running in 90 minutes, tops."
"I'll keep you to that bet, sir."
"Likewise.", he snorted.
I cringed as he had now reached me. He had to crouch to be at eye height with me, and as his face got dangerously close to the bars, his face twisted into a mischievous grin. "Now, dearie... You feel like placing a bet too?"
His troops burst out in amused laughter, though they contained themselves so as to not alarm the Tamers.
"S-s-stop it, y-you big e-e-... you!", I said, trembling, trying not to cry.
"Into the woods with her.", Makuhita commanded. Drilled as they were, 4 of his minions immediately grabbed hold of a corner of my cage. With careless ease, they lifted the whole of it onto their shoulders, marching behind the rest of their gang.
I started shaking all over in fear of what was going to happen to me next. Makuhita and his crew were infamous, rogue Pokémon hired by Poliwrath to do his dirty work.
They were henchmen, but they had minds of their own... minds bent on power, unfortunately. The Beat-Up Squad, was their off-record name.

I learned firsthand why. Even on the short distance they carried me, they managed to "accidentally" hit a five-odd trees and low-hanging branches on the side of the path they were following.
I got exhausted from merely trying to keep standing up, which probably showed how they always managed to beat even a higher-levelled Pokémon they'd caught. Oh yes, the stories had reached us... how they made sure a captee was "conditioned" to lose when they decided to set him free from his chains, in his last struggle for escape, honour... and sometimes even life.

We halted some time later. The sun was already reaching over the world's edge, colors were returning to the world... And all I could think was: is this my last sunrise?

A last knock, twist and turn, and I was left tumbling in my cage as it was abruptly released a foot of the ground, next to an old oak tree. As I came to my senses, I realized I'd finally collapsed. Between the bars, I could see a yellow shape towering above me. The general intimidation radiating off it was further supported by the voice that started speaking just then...
"So, little one," said the Makuhita mischievously,
"I have my orders to interrogate any captees about the whereabouts of their kin. Now, since we caught you going off into a completely different direction, I suspect you don't know a thing about where they're hiding. Alas, orders... are orders."

This comment provoked laughter from his minions, and uncontrolled shivering from me.
"Meditite, if you'd please..." he said, as he stepped away from the cage.

"Sure thing, chief!" The short Pokémon came standing in front of me, his trollish fingers starting to glow.
I was lifted from the floor... and then was sent flying into all eight corners of my cage. (Confusion knows no gravity.)
At the end of the ride, I was on the brink of fainting already... but they wouldn't stop.

"Up for round two, shortie?", the Meditite asked mockingly. I vaguely felt myself being lifted again... then tossed towards the nearest wall of the cage for what would be my second round-trip, now aimed for the sides of the cubicle. Just then, Faith jumped in for me. I didn't know it then at that moment, but that moment would come to mark not the prologue for my demise, but instead a milestone in my life.

Part 4: Deus Ends Massacre

A strange sound echoed through the forest, like a Bronzong being rung, or a ten-foot Chingling chiming. Meditite's Confusion was abruptly stopped, by a much more skilled wielder of Psychic energy. As it enveloped me, I felt my powers returning. I opened my eyes to the shocked faces of the Beat-Up Squad, with Makuhita's face leading the tally in stupefaction.
The light of the sun seemed to have changed, for every thing I saw was wrapped in blue, with static energy seeming to flow between the trees.

As my senses returned to me, my vision seemed to worsen still. However, I realized this was actually because everything around me was becoming rapidly unclear. Just as Makuhita came to, and ordered his crew to try and stop me from escaping... I was warped away from that place.
I felt myself racing through hidden spaces, only acknowledged by the mix of light and shadow flashing by (like flying through hyperspace) that I could see around me. I was clearly leaving the scene at a major speed. Then, I became aware I was slowly coming to a halt. As the feeling of moving decreased, my surroundings became better to see. I found myself at a different clearing, where everything, up to the perfumy smells waving through the air, seemed to be in sharp contrast to the violence I had been saved off. Gravity grabbed me again... and I was pulled onto my knees, momentarily fainting from exhaustion again from all the suffered torments.
Thankfully, my saviour could even take away the effects of that mental scar for me, at least as long as he was with me. I felt... someone nudging at me, telepathically, helping my flailing consciousness upright, sort of speak. I could stand up and face him... and how thankful I am for that even now, because it's a sight I still cherish.

It was a bipedal feline figure, its hind paws four times as long as its front paws. Floating through the air, it didn't seem to need the majestic pair of wings it was stretching out in front of me, them having a wingspan rivalled by a Fearow or a Hunchkrow only in size and overall appearance, but not in beauty. In fact, lately I've been thinking of those wings as physical copies of an Articuno's, but at the time, my pool of reference was much smaller. As the blue glow coming from its active Psychic energy faded into its body, it became apparent to me its body wasn't glowing on itself... it really was the most azure blue color! Sitting on top of its forehead was its royal hair, which had taken the form of an Azelf's toupee. Embedded into its forehead was a crimson red jewel, enough to make a Persian turn green of envy. Its eyes... those golden eyes... they soothed my spirit and being more than subsequent Pokémon Center treatments ever would.
I am no fool, nor a mere fangirl, fulfilled by the mere memory of the encounter for the rest of her life. When I had come to trust Mike enough - admittedly after quite a while -, I expressed to him my desire to learn of the Legendary Pokémon in this world, without specifically mentioning the reason behind it. He laid out a bunch of pictures in front of me that night, printed results of a quick online image search. None of the dozens figures in front of me bore any close resemblance to that divine force of nature... bare two.
I was puzzled for a long time... before concluding what is likely the truth.
During my visits to the Eevee House, and in passing by the different Pokémon Adoption Centers that exist throughout Ulthuan, I've met and seen the most unlikely range of deviations from the "standard" of a Pokémon specie. Take our two youngsters, for instance. A Bagon normally spends his entire life before evolution training to fly... which has been passed into the genes of the specie itself, winning them that incredibly rock-hard head. But our Skyler, he was born from a magical interspecies union, resulting in him being born... winged. I can't imagine your species' inbred desire being fulfilled... five minutes into your lifetime.
As for the other one... I've known him for only such a short time, and I can feel his hidden power will amaze us all before the end of the year. And... he's an Eevee that's most obviously carrying the black-fur, blue-ringed gene. What more is there to say?
Such being the case, I am now aware that what I encountered that day was more than likely a Forme of that Pokémon species never seen before... except perhaps in ancient times, where people could have worshipped it as a God of Life.

And it was clear that this figure knew how to keep its true Forme a secret, as the moment I had fully regained consciousness, I saw its wings folding into itself, eventually disappearing into its back. It bore no doubt that it could change its appearance and color beyond that, causing people who heard the story of anyone who'd briefly observed it before it transformed to pass off the whole encounter as a mirage, or the effect of dehydration.
I for one haven't taken my chances before I told this story, as I know it sounds literally in-credible, me having been harassed moments before.
As it saw I would live to see another day, I think it judged its work to be done. The last thing it did was to put its left front paw on my forehead. It started glowing, and the sound of those bells was heard once more, its vibrations ricocheting through my body, lifting my health unquestionably from the red zone, any status ailments I had acquired fading away. And what was also starting to fade away... was the creature itself! My eyes started to cry, and not from the piercing light still coming off my healing body, no.
I didn't dare call after it, afraid it would shatter the memory of my saviour. I collapsed onto the ground and started weeping, my tiredness getting the better of me again. I could hear footsteps approaching... I gathered later on it were the Humans, who'd found my cage missing when they finally awoke.
I know I couldn't possibly have understood them at the time, but I had been trying so hard to take in every detail of my faithful encounter for later, that I still rememember what sounds they uttered at the sight of me. Now, so much later, I still dream of it. The difference is that I've learned the human tongue in the mean time.
The last thing I heard that night was: "No... my responsibili-...! ... inform Lady V-... later on... for now, she... brought... to heal. ... Once... are... in Ulth-... inform..."
After that, my vision turned black and my mind, blank.

And that's the story of how I, a small, insignificant Aron from deep within the jungle, came from the other end of the world, to be here, known at first, before I ever was adopted or levelled up, as simply:

Aron (LV5) ♀
This rare Pokémon was stolen from its cage prior to release to the public. Dragon Tamer Staff have resolved the situation, but the Aron was badly damaged in the incident. Dragon Tamer Staff may or may not release this Pokémon up for adoption, but there is a waiting list for all those that are keen.
Tackle, Harden, Body Slam

Kerel

21st March 2009, 05:48 PM

Kerel: So, it was a very dark day, in a very dark alley, I was
there... waiting for something, or maybe someone....

Bruce: Err... What are you talking about, I thought you were writting
the report on the rescue mission.

Kerel: Yeah, oh sure, but you know, detective stories sound so much
better if you situate them in dark alleys.

Bruce: Come on, say how it really happened.

Kerel: Alright, it was a happily sunny day in Happy Happy Village,
although at the same time it was a blue day,
or maybe a blue week, anyway the buildings were blue, some of them.

We were looking for a guy called Jeff, since Lady vulpix, secretly
known as Gabi, hired us to rescue him from himself.

We got into town and noticed ... well, mostly that there were many
hypnotized people, and the guard at the
entrance kept saying the same phrase all the time, kinda like an old 8
bit rpg. Anyway it seemed something pretty
strange was going on.

The main activity seemed to be happening in a really tall blue
building, but we couldn't go there just yet,
we had a very important thing to do, or more likely I did...

After going to a restroom I was able to continue with the mission.

Kerel: Great, that's so much better, now we need a base of operations,
so let's look for some abandoned building.
Bruce: Woudn't a hotel do just as fine?
Kerel: That's what our enemies are expecting us to do.
Bruce: Which enemies? What are you talking about?
Kerel: Just trust me.
Bruce: We are out of cash, right?
Kerel: Yeah.

After wandering around the city for some time we found what seemed to
be a suitable place, it was a semi abandonned
warehouse in the basement of an abandoned semi constructed semi building.

Bruce: What's with the semis?

Kerel: What's a semis?

Bruce: Nevermind.

There were some metal barrels, and a lot of humidity, the floor was a
bit wet, but, hey, it was free.

Bruce: So, now that we have this "base"-ment, what do we do?

Kerel: We need to infiltrate the enemy's lair. So in order to do that
we need to resort to the most ancient trick
for infiltrating an enemy's lair.

Bruce: Deliver a pizza?

Kerel: I like the way you think but no, we need disguises, like the
blue robes all those hypnotized people are wearing.
We could knock one of them out and then... well, you know, take his clothes.

Bruce: Or we could steal them from the laundry we saw on the other block.

Kerel: Subtle, but my plan seems more fun.

Bruce: We are in enemy territory, we should keep a low profile.

Kerel: Let's just go to the laundry then, I can knock out one of them
over there so we can both be happy.

Bruce: I hope you're kidding.

A few minutes later we were at the laundry, we decided to do it the
subtle way, so after one of the blue guys left we took his robe.
Everything was going smoothly, until he came back cause he remembered
he hadn't put a coin in the machine.

Blue guy: What are you doing with my clothes?

Kerel: Me? These clothes? They are mine, I'm about to wash them!

Blue guy: They look just like mine!

Kerel: Don't they all look alike?

Blue guy: Err, yes, but...

Kerel: but?

Blue guy: Where are mine then?

Kerel: How would I know?, maybe sombody took them.

Blue guy: Oh well, I guess I have to go to get a new one at the Robe Central.

Kerel: Robe Central?

Blue guy: Yeah, the building just in front of this one, the one with
the "Free Blue Robes for Everyone, no membership needed" banner.

Kerel: ...Right.

So we had everything we needed, maybe we had lost a bit of self
respect, but we were otherwise fine. We could now go and infiltrate
the main building,
which hopefully woundn't have a sign saying "Please come in, everyone
welcome, we share all our secrets".

After entering the building, we realized that all these people with
blue robes and a weird sense of secrecy were actually some sort of
cult.
So in order to fit in I signed up for a job in there, and since I
could either become a single phrase guard or a building painter, I
became the latter.

It took a few days to get to know them better, and painting was
actually pretty fun. I still don't know why most of the other guys
kept saying "blue-blue" all the time,
but that didn't matter much.

After I was kinda stable in there it happened, so then...

*******************
Bruce: You know, people might wanna know what you're referring to.

Kerel: Ah? Meeting jeff of course, or maybe I should say, Mr. Blue.

Bruce: You mean Mr. Azure?

Kerel: Same thing.
*******************

Inside the big building, a guy walked by, he was the only guy that did
not wear a mask, and more importantly, he wore Jeff's face.

I approached one of those interchangeable guys in blue, and asked him
about the unmasked guy...

Blue Acolyte: Acolyte: Blue... blue... Can I help you? *disdainfully*
Kerel: Yeah, blue, blue er... could you tell me who that guy is?
*pointing at Jeff* Why doesn't he wear a mask?
Acolyte: *gives Kerel an odd look* You mean to tell me that you do not
know the face of our second-most grand high eminence?
Kerel: Err... well, I'm kinda new here. I was hoping I could meet him
or see him to be honored by his presence.
Acolyte: *sighs* Okay, I guess that's plausible. That is the second in
command, Mr. Azure. He serves as the aide to our most honorable Mr.
Balthazar.
He normally does not pay attention to lower-ranked members, unless it
is something really important. Is that all? I need to go back to
chanting.
Kerel: Is there a way I could be worthy of his attention? It would be
such an honour! It's been my dream since I got here.
Acolyte: My apologies, but even I have not gained his attention yet.
What is your position here?
Kerel: Well, I guess painter. And... well, I'm good at marketing
Acolyte: Well then... do a really good job painting. Or get a lot of
people to join. Or something.
Kerel: I guess that could work... but, like, is there a way to just
say hello to him. Like be granted his salutation. Be iluminated by his
blueness.
Acolyte: Oh. That's not that hard. Just go up to him and say 'hi'. He
just won't have a lot of time to spare for you.
Kerel: Well, it's worth giving it a try, thanks.
Acolyte: *already ignoring Kerel* Blue... blue...

Kerel: Alright, let's talk with Mr. Azure and see what to do next.
Bruce: Sure but let's be careful about it.

I then aproached Mr. Azure.
Jeff was mulling over some papers and didn't notice me.
Kerel: Mr. Azure?
Jeff: Hm? Yes?
Kerel: Oh, hi
Jeff: *raised an eyebrow* Hi.
Kerel: I'm kinda new here and it's an honour to meet you.
Jeff: Oh. Well. Thank you.
Kerel: you are like an inspiration.
I wanted to know if you needed any help.
Or you could tell me about you, there so much I'd like to know in
order to be more useful.
Jeff: Uhm... maybe some other time. I have a lot to do.
Kerel: Is there a way I could be of assistance?
Jeff: Uhm... I guess keep painting?
Sure, that'll work.
Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing.
Kerel: Ok.
But, if you told me of something more important I'm sure I could do it.
I know painting is important of course.
but perhaps, I'm good at managing stuff.
Improving everything.
Administration.
That kind of thing.
Jeff: Uhm... I guess... work on a way to make our building painting
staff more efficient?
Kerel: Ok, I'll do my best, thanks your blueness.
Mr. Azure I mean.
Jeff: You're welcome. Mr. Azure will be just fine. Now, please excuse
me. *walks away*

Kerel: Well, that went well... he's kinda out of it don't you think?
Bruce: I don't think we can convince him to come with us, at least not
with a very good reason.
Kerel: Yeah, we have to think of something... something blue.

A couple of days later, as we were returning to the main building, we
saw a group of pokemon being literally
kicked out to the sound of "And stay out!".

Since it was the most interesting thing around we decided to approach
them, but not yet, not here, we didn't want to blow our cover.

The 15 kicked out pokemon walked for a couple of blocks, and we
followed them, I knew they wouldn't talk to me in my blue robe so I
changed back to my black leather
outfit. I approached them saying Hi while raising my hand.

A Castform called Previsiona seemed to be the leader, since she was
the one who answered.
Previsiona: ...Who are you?
Kerel: I was just wandering the same thing.
Previsiona: I am sorry, but I will not reveal our identities until I
know you are trustworthy.
Kerel: well, mmm.
Kerel: can you tell me what were you doing trying to enter that building?
Mercandos (Mr. Mime): Let's say 'daring rescue' and leave it at that.
Kerel: rescue?
Kerel: of who?
Mercandos: before I say that, answer me this: how can you understand us?
Kerel: Er... you're right, well, It's kinda odd but sometimes I can.
Bruce (thinks): Understanding him is the hard part.
Kerel: I'm still kinda trying to figure that out.
Bruce (thinks): Me too.

Mercandos: Ohh... okay. Fair enough. Our trainer can do it too.
Kerel: Really? And what are you doing here without him, this ain't the
safest place, you know?
Then again if you were entering that building you must know something.
Mona (Smeargle): Our trainer is who we were trying to rescue - Oof!
*gets hit by the Tangela's vine*
Groviglio: Hush! We don't know if we can trust this idiot!
Kerel: Hey, you know calling a person an idiot is not a good way to
make friends.
Previsiona: Don't worry about him.
Groviglio: *scowls*
Kerel: But, I still don't know much about you.
Bruce: I know there are many pokemon that would try to rescue his trainer.
But maybe they...
The bad thing is that even if they were them I dont know of anything
only them would know...
(About this time, Kurtzwick, a transparent Dratini, shown up with the
rest of the group, holding Kerel's wallet.)
Bruce: Do you guys have any way to ID yourself?
Kerel (After noticing his wallet's being holded by Kurtzwick): Hey
what are you doing with that?
Kurtzwick: Looking up your identity, of course.
Kerel: Then try the third one
Kurtzwick: Hm... Dragon's Guild investigator, eh?
Kerel: yes
Kurtzwick: *to his team* i think we can trust him.
Previsiona: Okay then... we're Pokemon belonging to a rogue Dragon
Tamer named Jeff Azure.
Previsiona: We were trying to get him to come back to Caledor.
Kerel: Wait, like in Mr Azure?
Groviglio: Wait, you know him?
Kerel: This is odd, then you are Jeff's pokemon!
Bruce: They seem to match the description.
Trezzatura (Metang): But how do you know Jeff?
Kerel: I've come here to try to rescue him.
Kerel: Well actually I came as a scout.
Kerel: but...
Previsiona: You did?!
Kerel: yeah, a reporter called Gabi sent us.
*Previsiona gave Kerel the best hug a Castform can manage*
Trezzatura: Hold on. You know Gabi?
Bruce: She's not a reporter but leave him be...
Kerel: yes
Kerel: We met her at White Mountain.
Kerel: and she told us about jeff's dissapearence...
Bobbery (Snorlax): Oh, so you're the guy with the lampshade on his head.
Kerel: and about you comming here to look for him...
Kerel: Hey, it was a mythical unpredictable object, and if you must
know the lamp attacked me!
Bruce: He cant admit he just tripped into it.
Groviglio *to team*: Yep, this definitely sounds like the guy.
Kerel: It did attack me.
*Bruce wispered something to kerel*
Kerel: nevermind
Kerel: so you know about me.
Kerel: Can I have my wallet now?
Kurtzwick: *sticks tongue out* It's mine now.
Previsiona: Give it back, Kurtzwick.
Kurtzwick: ... *reluctantly handed the wallet over*
Kerel: Thanks (almost ironically)
Kurtzwick: Hmph.
Kerel: Well, then I guess we should go somewhere else exchange notes
and make a plan.
Previsiona: Right.
Kerel lead them to the "base"-ment.

Kerel: well basically, Jeff seems to be the seccond in command in the
organization.
Previsiona: Right, we knew that.
Kerel: Really? What else do you know?
Previsiona: That the guy in charge might be a... um... dead serial killer?
Kerel: he's dead?
Kerel: or he kills dead people?
Previsiona: He's supposed to be dead. But he's apparently not.
Kerel: That's odd.
Groviglio: Yeah, go figure.
Kerel: Just fill me in, it's not normal for people to revive, right?
Maybe he faked his death
Trezzatura: that's the theory we're working under.
Kerel: but I really can't understand the plan.
Whats the meaning of painting everything.
And all this blue...
And also why do people here talk like they were on some videogame
I swear the guy on the other corner keeps saying the same phrases
over and over...
Previsiona: According to our research, Balthazar did not create this
cult - he just revived it.
Trezzatura: And we figure they're drugged or something.
Kerel: I don't know how jeff acts normally.
but probably he wasn't actim like himself back there.
And the plan seems so planless...
Kurtzwick: Hold on there. You're not in Twoson.
About half of the cult is over there laying seige to it.
Kerel: Whats going on in Twoson?
Jeff just seemed to be doing paperwork.
and he had no mask.
Kurtzwick: Yeah, he's probably filling in for Balthazar, who is
probably in Twoson.
Groviglio: And would you be able to get a mask on over those glasses?
Kerel: He could use contacts.
Any good acolyte would.
Groviglio: You obviously don't know Jeff.
Kerel: Nope.
Groviglio: He hates contacts.
Kerel: well, at least he's still him at that part.
Is he normally obsessed with blue?
Previsiona: Not so much. His last name's Azure, but that's about as
far as it gets.
Kerel: I see
Bruce: And what is going on at Twoson?
Kurtzwick: The better part of the cult is attacking it.
Kerel: Better, huh, so much effort in painting and I still didn't get
appreciated
Kerel: They didn't send us to raid a city...(in a sad tone).
Kurtzwick: ...'better' as in 'larger'.
Kerel: Oh... I see.
Kurtzwick: As in 'less than half of the cult is here right now.'
Kerel: Then it would a good time for the rescue.
Groviglio: that's what we thought. And then we still got kicked out.
Kerel: I can acces in there.
I'm a member.
Well a low rank one but I guess I can have an idea to call jeff attention
If I can optimize painting...
Bruce?
Bruce: We could just say we have found someone willing to give us
lots of paint for a low price
Previsiona: Do you think that'll work?
Previsiona: I mean, Jeff may be out of his head, but he's not stupid.
No offense.
Bruce: At least until Jeff asks to meet the guy and it turns out there
is no guy no stupidity is needed.
still you know him better than we do.
Kerel: any better ideas?
(The entire team was silent.)
Kerel: It's Cheap Painting then
Previsiona: Truthfully, we were out of ideas. I guess yours is the
best plan we have.
Kerel: So after I get his atention what do we do?
We take him out of there...
Previsiona: We need to deal with his Alakazam, so we can't help you
too much with him.
Kerel: His Alakazam? why?
Previsiona: Because it's his strongest Pokemon, and it's also why we
kept getting thrown out.
Kerel: But can you beat him?
Trezzatura: i stand the best shot. Probably.
Kerel: I guess we could make the rescue, and deal with him ourself, if
he goes out
Previsiona: If we take Maza and you take Jeff, I think we stand the best chance.
Kerel: But if you get in there it would be also good to grab some
papers and read about the cults plans.
Trezzatura: Understood.
Kerel: then it's settled,
Kerel: after we finish lets meet somewhere,
Kerel: and you should enter after we make Jeff go out
Previsiona: After we both complete our goals, let's meet by the cave
leading into the valley.
Kerel: Ok
Kerel: and if Kurtzwick has stollen any cellphones latelty we could
call each other if something happens
Bruce: I did.
Kurtzwick: How many cellphones do you need? 10? 20?
Bruce: mmm do you have the cable addapter for this one?
Kerel: Guy's this is not the time.
Well, then you can call us to this number (Kerel handed over a paper)
Then we have a plan
Kerel: Good luck then
Previsiona: Got it.
Previsiona: You too.
Kerel: tomorrow evening, just before it gets dark.
Prevsiona: Agreed.
Kerel: oki then.
Kerel: Well, I guess We should be going back
Kerel: later guys
Previsiona: Thanks for your help. :)

After they left and we left prettending we weren't actually living
there, we planned how to capture Jeff.

The following day I approached Mr. Azure, wearing the blue robe, of course.

Jeff: *looks up* Yes? Can I help you?
Kerel: Mr. Azure, sir, I have found something that I think will please you.
Jeff: *raises eyebrow suspiciously* Oh?
Kerel: I looked everywhere in order to help the cause, and I found a
great source of blue paint at a very cheap price.
I think we could increase our painting rate a lot.
Jeff: No kidding? Where?
Kerel: The man has a deposit nearby, when he learned about the need
for paint we had he decided to bring some samples.
Jeff: What's the guy's name? I must have heard of him.
Kerel: Oh, he calls himself paintman
Jeff: ...Hm. I've not come across him before.
Kerel: that's cause he works very secretly.
Jeff: I guess that makes sense.
Kerel: He chooses his clients very carefully.
He's selective.
and of course I think you would be...
Jeff: Right, right.
Kerel: so, he would like to meet you.
Jeff: Okay, sure.
Kerel : If you have the time I can lead you to the deposit, it's pretty close.
Jeff: Right. Lead away.
Kerel: allright, this way sir.
Jeff: Hold on a sec.
Kerel: yes?
Jeff: *turned to Maza, who is in the room looking vacant* Keep an eye
on things here. *Maza nods.*
Jeff: *truned back to Kerel* Right, I'm good.
Kerel: allright

Then we left, and walked a few blocks.

I leadhim to a small building, painted with blue paint of course.
Jeff: This the place?
Kerel: Yes, I'll knock so he knows we're here.
Jeff: ...okay.
*knock knock*
Then from the top of the roof a wailmer fell on Jeff.(It was Whale lord).

Jeff: Hey, what - OOF!
Kerel: Man, that's gotta hurt.
Jeff: Ugggh...
Kerel: you still concious?
Jeff: ...not for long. *goes unconscious*

I then entered the building carring Jeff, Bruce sugested to put him
inside a painting tank (with some holes so Jeff could breathe and
without the paint of course),
so nobody would notice us carring him. Then we went to the meeting place.

Bruce called Kurtzwick with a cellphone from questionable origin.
Kurtzwick answered.
Bruce: HI
Kurtzwick: What's up?
Bruce: Operation Blue Whale complete
Bruce: how are you doing?
Kurtzwick: ...I'm doing okay, but what the crap is operation Blue Whale?
Bruce: oh, well, let's just say we have Jeff.
Kurtzwick: Right. Okay.
Bruce: He might need new glasses though.
Kurtzwick: ...I won't ask.
Right, well, if you're done, we'll head over there as soon as we can.
Bruce: Sure
Bruce : We'll wait here.

After a while Jeff's pokemon came to the cave.
Previsiona: Hey, guys!
Kerel: Hey!
Wayne: Gastly!
Bruce: I know pokemon talk like that but Wayne says nonesense all the time.

Kurtzwick: *gave Wayne an odd look*

Bruce: Don't stare at him, he might lick you
Kurtzwick: *shuddered*
Wayne smiled.
Trezzatura: Aaanyway, we got Maza.
Bruce: Good, we have Jeff.
Previsiona: Then we should be leaving sooner rather than later.
Kerel: Yeah, it's not safe to stay here.
Kerel: What are you planning on doing now?
Previsiona: We're going to head back to Caledor and set these guys up
in a medical ward.
Kerel: Do you think they can undo the brainwashing?
Previsiona: Honestly? I don't know. We can just try, and hope for the best.
Trezzatura: A friend of ours back in caledor has a gem which she says
can reverse brainwashing.
Kerel: I hope it works, I do wander Why I didn't get brainwashed.
Bobbery: *is carrying Maza in a big canvas bag* Maybe they only
brainwash people after a specific time?
Kerel: Was it like I wasn't important enought...I did paint as much as I could.
Anzu: *grins* Maybe all their brainwashing staff were in Twoson.
Bruce: Don't worry, It's their loss.
Kerel: Yeah, maybe... I don't like being rejected thought.
Kiva: I'm not sure you would want to be accepted by these guys...
Kerel: Heh, I guess not, I'll choose a better cult next time.
Kerel: Altought, painting everything with blue was kinda fun.
Bruce: You sure you didn't get breainwashed?
Kerel: Nope, except maybe by coke comercials
Kerel: All those pandas drinking coke it's just odd...
Kurtzwick: ...what?
Bruce: they were polar bears
Kerel: We better get going, We'll escort you to safety and then head
back... to...
Previsiona: Okay. Thank you.
Kerel :White Mountain I guess
Bobbery: What do you need to do there?
Kerel, I dunno, it's either that or back to Sector Alpha
Kerel : I guess we either finish our vacations or get a new mission
or figure out that lamp dimension thing.

Previsiona: Lamp... dimension?
Trezzatura: Right, I think Tsunami told us about that.
Kerel: really, all including the old guy, how would he know?
Bruce: Kerel, just stop joking about that ok?
It's just a lamp.
Kerel: well, alright.

We all walked to a place safe enough to take separate paths.

While walking Bruce discussed buisness with Kurtzwick and exchanged
cards, exceptionally belonging to each other.

After arriving to our mutual destination we sayd our goodbyes.
Previsiona: Thanks for you help, guys. We couldn't have done it without you.

Kerel: It was for a good cause, or at least an interesting one.
I guess we might cross paths eventually
Trezzatura: You work for the Guild, right? Then we probably will.
Kerel: Yep
Be sure to report to the guild that the mission is complete.
Trezzatura: Not a problem.
Kerel: Alright then, good luck with the unbrainwashing.
Previsiona: *sighs* Thanks. We'll do our best.
Kerel: Later guys
Bruce: Later
Trezzatura: See you.

Then both teams went separate ways, or being more detailed took
different airplanes, Jeff's team went somewhere in Caledor and we went to Sector Alpha, and evaded writting the
mission report for about 2 years, but since the deadline is today,
here it is.

Kerel (At the Computer): Well, I guess that's it.
Bruce: It wasn't that hard was it?
Kerel: It's boring.
Bruce: Yes but needed.
Kerel: Let's go out and watch a movie.
Bruce: OK, your treat?
Kerel: Don't you always use my money anyway?
Bruce: Sure, I'm just trying to be polite.
Kerel: heh, yeah, let's go.

Lady Vulpix

21st March 2009, 05:52 PM

New scenario... after all this time! And still someone managed to make his post for a really old scenario at the last minute. :rolleyes: I will post 2 introductions for this scenario. Read the one that applies to you, or both if you prefer.

Intro for old-time players
Our preparations have taken a long time. While the magical mirror has helped us restore some of Yssera's victims, it was not enough to stop her from building her army. Reports have come from Sybyll of attacks all over the town. Trainers and trained pokemon seem to be the main targets. We can't afford to linger here any longer. We need to go now. Our quest is to quench the attacks in Sybyll and, if we can, find Yssera's hideout in White Mountain and stop her by whatever means possible. Fortunately, some new members have recently joined the Dragon Tamers, so they can help the trainers from Sybyll contain the situation in their town while the rest of us head for White Mountain.

Intro for new players
Welcome to the Dragon Tamers! Our organization has been helping pokemon trainers in Ulthuan (and occasionally worldwide) for over 8 years. In the course of those years we have had to deal with several crises, and I'm afraid there's still a crisis we have to deal with right now. Of course, it is not your obligation to help; you're welcome to stay in Sector Alpha and train with the Mercenary Trainers Union (MTU). But all help is welcome and is likely to be needed. Some members of the MTU and the Pokémon Research and Training Department (PRTD) of the Dragon's Guild will be joining us. Don't mind the acronyms if you find them confusing, you'll become familiar with the Dragon Guild and Dragon Tamers as time goes by. Right now, the important thing is that the town of Sybyll in the neighbouring province of Ellyrion is being attacked by rogue trainers and pokemon. Trainers and trained pokemon have been the main targets so far. The attackers claim to be following a dragon named Yssera. We've had clashes with some of her followers in the past. If you decide to help, transportation will be arranged to take you from our base in Sector Alpha, Caledor, to Sybyll, Ellyrion. Once there you can help the local trainers stop the attackers.

If anyone is still confused, here's a map of Ulthuan (http://forboards.tripod.com/Ulthuan.html), the country where most of our adventures take place. Make sure to read the rules on the first post of this topic. And, if you want more background information, you may stuff yourself with the contents of the Dragon's Guild and Dragon Tamers site (http://dragonsguild.com.ar). Of course, the latter is optional aditional reading. You're not required to know all of that in order to play this game. You can also contact me if you have any further questions or if you would like to join the Dragon's Guild.

Important notice: in this scenario you're allowed to defeat three pokemon instead of the traditional two. If you have high level pokemon, you may split your battles between Sybyll and White Mountain as you choose (3-0, 1-2, 2-1, 0-3). If all your pokemon are level 15 or below, you'll have to battle only in Sybyll, as the pokemon guarding White Mountain are trained and dangerous.

Another note: you may receive help from Dragon's Guild members (either PRTD or MTU). People battling in Sybyll may also receive help from the local trainers. Those on White Mountain may receive help from the local Ponyta/Rapidash population and, only if you know what I mean by this, also assistance of a more uncommon sort.

Here are the lists of pokemon you can battle (and the experience your pokemon can gain from beating them).

Sybyll:

(up to level 15)
Cyndaquil LV8 +1 level
Mareep LV8 +1 level
Beautifly LV15 +2 levels
Dustox LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Ralts LV19 +1 level
Shieldon LV19 +1 level
Ninjask LV25 +2 levels
Shedinja LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Trapinch LV28 +1 level
Kirlia LV28 +1 level
Snorlax LV35 +2 levels
Ampharos LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Rhyhorn LV38 +1 level
Onix LV38 +1 level
Rhydon LV45 +2 levels
Gallade LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Aipom LV49 +1 level
Murkrow LV49 +1 level
Charizard LV55 +2 levels
Empoleon LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Ambipom LV62 +1 level
Bastiodon LV62 +1 level
Steelix LV70 +2 levels
Honchkrow LV70 +2 levels

White Mountain:

(level 15.5-25)
Prinlup LV19 +1 level
Absol LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Flaaffy LV28 +1 level
Gardevoir LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Scyther LV38 +1 level
Tangrowth LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Sableye LV49 +1 level
Rhyperior LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Scizor LV62 +1 level
Flygon LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Ninetales LV76 +1 level
Salamence LV85 +2 levels

Lune the Guardian

24th March 2009, 10:45 PM

Kerel - I've volunteered to rate your story, but I apologize in advance for being rusty. I haven't come here in years! I must say, you've got a sense of humor that makes me laugh. It's nice to see characters acting silly once in a while. This section is great:

"The main activity seemed to be happening in a really tall blue
building, but we couldn't go there just yet,
we had a very important thing to do, or more likely I did...

After going to a restroom I was able to continue with the mission."

There were also several more, but that was the first thing that I felt like copy/pasting :P The dialogue format got a little confusing simply because there were so many speakers and so many things said. Maybe leave an empty line after each speaker? Also, I had a hard time attributing names to characters, because for some reason when I read text in such a format, my brain blocks out the names and just reads what the characters say. It would be easier for me if it was done in paragraph format. Although, it would probably also be easier if I'd had prior knowledge of the characters, then I wouldn't even need a name reference. Anyway, that's not your fault, that's my flaw. Oh, I'd like to add, your conversational tone is nice - you do what I do when I'm not writing papers, you comma splice and join sentences together. It helps the conversation flow, I think, which is a nice touch for a casual/personal piece like this.

I'd like to give you more stamps but since you didn't post any battles, I'll have to award you with 7 stamps. You did have somewhat of a plot going (albeit a little confusing), and an introduction and conclusion, although the format wasn't traditional and the story was a little short. But regardless, thank you for giving me something fun to read.

See you next time. :)

lvl100mewtwo

26th March 2009, 07:44 PM

Alright, so it's been quite a few years since I've done this, I'm hoping I haven't lost my touch over the years... So hope you guys enjoy, this is a new one for me :P

Seven Years

Seven years. Seven years since all of it was dropped and I turned my attention to other things. Seven years could also be measured in 84 months or even 2557 days, but if you were to ask me, I wouldn’t know where all that time went. It had been that long since I had set foot upon this land, where I walked amongst giants, swam amongst creatures that even the most imaginative minds couldn’t fathom or soared high above in the skies with air so scarce that I would think that I’d be underwater.

Seven years and now I had returned, without a words notice, without a phone call, without a letter. So many things have changed within that period of time, so many new faces had arrived, and so many old faces had gone. The days of youth and innocence were long gone, now only an age wrinkled face and a foot in height difference was what composed of me. Years did not do well to the youth on my face, only a visage torn by a few light scars, and eyes that had seen too much that one would not want to see in a lifetime. One would say that with age you grow wiser, that you learn from everything, but in reality, I was here walking around, more lost then ever.

“How did it all come to this?” I muttered to myself, as I walked along the rocky roads. So many things had changed over the years; I didn’t know anymore which region I was anymore. Being so accustomed to the old days where Caledor was pretty much all I saw, being in this new region made me a little more uneasy. The mountainous surroundings brought an unsuspecting breeze to the trail I was talking, bringing in the cold winds from the north.

“Why did I even bother to come into this region? Was there even any chance I could find the old gang, find Gabi, Ian or the rest of the group? Are they even still around? Am I just destined to be alone for whatever time there is left? And what is up with this cold breeze?” I started to monologue again, maybe I was turning insane, and maybe all these events had lead me here to my untimely demise or maybe to my epiphany, who really knows.

That breeze came back again, as if it were some pathetic fallacy to my current predicament. I raised my hood from my sweater and contemplated bringing out the cloak I had stored in my backpack. You would think being born, raised and living in Canada for so many years would bring a certain level of endurance for cold, but yet this didn’t seem like it was happening right now. The roads were rocky, as one would expect in this region. The scenery was nothing to boast about, only rocks to my right, and to my surprise, rocks to my left. One would go insane being stuck here with nothing else to do other then walking. Thankfully enough I had been smart enough to pack an iPod in my backpack, fully recharged in cases of extreme boredom.

“This place sure is cheery and full of life” I sarcastically remarked. I’m sure even the rocks could have sensed how much sarcasm was in my voice at this point. I slipped on the earbuds into my ears, put the list on random, and let the songs invade my temporal lobe.

“Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.”

‘Ironic’, I thought to myself, ‘only I would get a song like this to make my day go from bad to worst’ and then it started to hit me, how it all began, the beginning of the end. Like a derailed train off its tracks, I stopped to reflect and look at the past, not because I wanted too, but because I couldn’t get away from it.

~June 15th, 2002~

3 plane changes, 4 collective hours of sitting in airports and 5 bathroom breaks, and I was finally back on Canadian soil. Warm weather wasn’t something I was accustomed too, but with being so far away from home soil, I got used to a warmer climate overseas. Thinking of that area made me cringe; the last 2 months had been horrible. I didn’t want to look back as to what had happened there or even think about it. The past was the past, I just wanted to get back on to my life, restart fresh on home turf and give my guys a good chance at a new life, away from all the problems, away from all the events.

Oddly enough, I didn’t get greeted by my family at the airport, which to me was a bit suspect. Then again, I hadn’t really contacted them in the past few months, being away from home so long, they probably figured I was alright on my own; I am a rather independent teenager. One taxi and a hop on a bus, and I was safely on my way home, ready to see my family.

Deep breaths, goose bumps and a palpating heart, all the common symptoms to nervousness. Why am I so nervous? It’s my family after all. With a held breath, I opened the door, only to be met by stale air, the sounds of a breeze coming in behind me into the house. Where the hell was everyone? Its bad enough I’ve been going through hell for so long, but to walk into an empty house, after I’m expecting comfort from the family.

“Well, better make the best of it then. They’re probably out or something, so might as well chill until they come back.” I said as I flopped into the chair. A sharp pain rose from my back, as I remembered that I had brought the guys with me back home. “Alright guys, come on out” I spoke, as I released my group from their confines.

Still freshly battle scarred, Volvagia, Spike, Mystic, Trickster, Titan and Bahamut came out, joining me in the empty household. Bahamut and Volvagia barely fit into the living room, which made me reconsider for a moment bringing them out. Spike, Trickster and Mystic found their way to the couch, where any battle weary Pokémon’s would want to find themselves. Titan just found himself a nice resting spot, in the sunlight, beaming in through the window from outside.

Peace and quietness finally rung through the house. Everyone seemed to be having a collective breather. It hadn’t been easy getting away from Ulthuan on such a short notice to escape all the troubles that had been going on. It was the last thing on my mind at this point, as I started to dose off on the lazy-boy which I had found myself sitting in.
Mystic’s ears shot up, as did Tricksters and Spikes, a small growl coming out of each of the Eons. I looked at my 3 trusted Pokémon, and turned my attention to the main lobby, as the sound of a turning doorknob came to my ear. Someone was coming in the house…

~Present~

That breeze was back again, snapping me out of my day dream. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I noticed along the ridge that there was a small cave that I could find some shelter. Clouds seemed to be getting darker and darker, and the imminence of a rainstorm was getting more and more plausible at this point. I dashed to the cave and found shelter just as the skies pierced through, and rain started to mix in with the sand, making mud.
‘So how am I gonna get around to catching up with everyone now? There is no way I’m going out in that torrential weather out there.’ I thought to myself. ‘It’s best I just to take it easy and relax. Let the storm pass.’

Surprisingly, this cave that I had found refuge in was rather warm. Chances are there was probably hot springs deeper down, which would make sense at this point. All this heat and running around had my stomach growling at this point, as I searched through my backpack for whatever food remained that I had purchased at the airport. Only a few provisions here and there, not much too really sustain my hunger. I needed to get to a town soon, if I didn’t want to parish from hunger.

“Biiii?” a small cry came from within the depths of the cave, taking me a bit by surprise. I turned my head to notice a small light source; a small Magby had probably smelt my food, and was making it’s way towards me very cautiously. The poor little guy must have been starving. I looked through my bag, trying to find something with a high glucose concentration, remembering how the fire glands worked for fire Pokémon.

“You wanna try a little chocolate bar there buddy?” I softly spoke, trying not to frighten the little fire creature. It approached at a slow and steady pace, smelling the food from a distance and closing in. I snapped off a piece and laid it on the floor, letting it grab it and swallow it whole in its little mouth. The little guy must have been a recent hatch; it was rather tiny at this point. Yet for being so small, he was a very cheerful fire type. Even though you could see that it was a very happy little creature, it kept its distance. ‘Great, another one that can’t seem to trust me’ I muttered to myself.

The sky cleared up outside, it seemed as if the storm had passed. I looked out to see the sun shinning, packed up my things and gave the Magby a little look. “Back on the road for me little buddy! Good luck to ya!” I said, giving one last glance and I started to walk towards North.

A small town could be peered up ahead and it had only been 5 minutes that I had been lucky, I guess my luck had to be coming back to me at this point. Yet as per usual, I spoke too soon, as it seemed that I had only been caught in the eye of the storm. Rain started to pour once more, as I made a dash to the town ahead. Behind me I could hear screams, as I spun around to see a steam filled Magby running behind me, trying to follow in my steps. The poor little creature tripped and fell down, more water gushing down on him, the rain really coming down at a frightening pace. I started to run back, picked up the little fire Pokemon and yelped in pain. ‘How did I forget about it’s skin? Rookie mistake Alex!’ I thought to myself, as I brought out my cloak and wrapped up the young baby in it.

The heat could be felt through my cloak, as I could feel it wanting to light up in fire, yet the downpour kept it from doing so. I ran as fast as I could, finally making it into town. I looked at the first house I saw, walked up onto the porch and looked inside, only to see a deserted home. I walked up to the door, knocked and the door eerily screeched as it opened slowly. “Anyone in here?” I spoke loudly, yet no answer came from my inquisition. I put the little Magby down on the floor, making sure to keep it away form any wood or paper. It was still shaking; never had it experienced such a rush of water. I gave it a little piece of chocolate, hopefully giving it a little bit of energy to help it through. I grabbed a few logs left in the house, some of the paper, and started up a small fire in the fireplace. I hoped the owners of the house wouldn’t mind me doing this here. A couch, a rather large couch was in the living room, as I decided to rest up a bit. I put the young
Magby next to the fire, as it seemed to still be shivering from the cold and rain and I lay down on the couch, slowly closing my eyes.

The door violently crashed open, as it startled me from my near slumber. I peered just over the couch to notice a foot coming down, the door’s assailant’s foot. The young man was probably no older then me, yet seemed to have a lifeless look to his face, probably the houses owner.

“You’re coming with me” he said in a monotonous voice.

“Look bud, sorry I came into your house and started a fire, I just needed to get out of the rain to get this little fella…” I trailed off as I noticed that the Magby wasn’t near the fire anymore. Had it left already? Gone back to its cave?

“You’re coming with me” he replied in the same tone of voice. Something wasn’t right here, I had noticed this kind of facial expression before. He slowly approached into the house, taking something out of his pocket. I figured out at this point that this person wasn’t the home owner and something just didn’t seem right. The ball expanded, I knew exactly what this was. I reached into my own pocket, only to be blind sided.

“S#!T, I don’t have them anymore...” I said with a dumbfounded look on my face. The young man released the ball which he was holding, a small Cyndaquil had erupted out, seemingly as lifeless as his master. I hadn’t seen this kind of Pokémon in far too long, was I even ready to get back into battling? And even if I was, what was I going to battle it with? This day only seemed to be getting worst by the minute, as the fire rose on the little rat’s back.

I quickly rolled over, grabbed the fireplace poker and readied myself in a combat stance. The Cyndaquil slowly approached, fire brimming fiercely on its back. How do I always get myself in these situations? ‘I’m not one to strike an animal, but if I have to defend myself, I’m gonna have to do it’ I reminded myself in my mind.

A small blur came rushing through the house, incidentally hitting the little fire mouse upside it’s jaw, sending it reeling into the dining room set. Then another hit into sent it crashing into the wall. ‘What is going on? This doesn’t make any sense!’ I told myself

-}- Magby lv 6 (m) vs Cyndaquil lv 8 (m) -{-

“Cyndaquil, he has a pet. Find it! Foresight” the young ordered, thinking that I actually had a Pokemon, but really, I had none. The Cyndaquil’s eyes glowed a violent red and help a luminescence that put a chill down my spine. With a quick gaze around the room, the fire mouse stopped and looked at the kitchen, where it lunged in. A loud yelp came from the area, as cyndaquil came out, head burnt, and the small Magby came following, twirling around, as if dazed and confused. “Cyndaquil, remember, it’s a flame body Pokemon, stay as far away as possible!” The trainer barked at his pet, with little to no emotion in his voice. “Flamethrower”

Cyndaquil took in a deep breath, air and the small methane deposit in it’s lung mixing, only a small spark retaining it from starting it’s attack. Suddenly the fire mouse let out a stream of fire, aimed at the Magby, hitting dead on. Overflow of the attack hit some parts of the living room, burning up the side of the couch as well as starting a little fire on the carpet.

I had to step up at this point, I had to help the little baby pokemon with his assailant.
“Alright, umm, Magby… Flamethrower?!?” I screamed at the little guy. The baby pokemon just turned to me with a confused look on it’s face. ‘Crap, I’ve been out of this for far too long, I don’t even know what they start off with anymore…’ I thought to myself, in desperation. “Umm… do what you did earlier, that speed thing…” I said and with that, with a confused look on it’s face for a second, Magby became a blur. Cyndaquil was a bit keener on finding his movement at this point, yet couldn’t stop the mean right hook that he received in the stomach. Then it hit me, it was a Dynamic Punch attack. Well that gave me an idea of what move set this little fella had.

“Cyndaquil, what are you doing? Double Team” My opponent yelled. It was becoming more and more eerie at the very little amount of emotion in his voice, very freakish if you were to ask me. Cyndaquil’s movement started to speed up throughout the house, giving the illusion that multiple rats were all over the house. ‘How can an entry level pokemon know so many high end moves?’ I thought to myself in disbelief. Suddenly, all the Cyndaquil’s moved in, rapidly, coming in for a tackle, Magby not knowing which way to block, left him completely vulnerable on every end. The tackle connected, Magby was sent flying into the kitchen, hitting the fridge, leaving a burnt mark on the door. Cyndaquil reeled in pain, as the side of its body was visibly burnt. ‘What is going on? This doesn’t make any sense!’
I started to notice how tired Magby was getting from this fight, physically he was becoming slower by the minute, even starting to puff out black smoke. This started to give me an idea.

“Magby, do you know Smog?” I asked my partner. With a determined look on it’s face, it turned to the Cyndaquil and released a black gas that overtook the living room. You could hear the little fire mouse gasping for air, its flame along with the fire on the carpet the only 2 visible things in the house. “You gotta get in there for another punch Magby!” I yelled. Magby complied and came in at lightning speed, towards the Cyndaquil. With a right hook, it connected, or so I thought. With the speed and imbalance that came from the attack, Magby had hit one of the many clones from the Double Team, tripping itself over and running into the bookcase, setting it on fire.

The many copies of Cyndaquil turned around, gasping for air as it became more and more clear. A small spark ignited in the pit of its mouth and all of them shot a stream of fire in the general direction of the baby Pokémon, further lighting up the bookcase, and making it topple over!

“Are you OK?!?” I screamed, not knowing the fate of the poor thing. I could hear a few squeaks come from under it, as I rushed to the bookcase, and started to lift it up. A blur shot out from under the book case, and a larger yelp was heard throughout the house. Magby had connected, knocking off the cyndaquil which was pirched on one of the coffee tables throughout the house.

The air was getting thicker inside the place, this had to end soon, and the fires were making too many noxious gases. I found myself getting on my knees and closer to the floor, where the good air was. “Magby, we gotta finish this fast, don’t you know anything else?” I asked. Maybe it was a little too much to ask from such a young creature, yet it sped off once more, hitting another clone. This double team was going to be our downfall if it kept going on.

The few remaining Cyndaquils started to run towards Magby once more, leaving him exposed on every front. A big tackle made contact, sending him reeling back into the couch, burning a hole in the leather. Magby had to have little time left, we had to make this hurry, one more tackle and it would be done.

“Magby, do SOMETHING!” I said. I felt like a rookie trainer, not knowing what to do. Maybe it was the smog, the smoke or the fumes, but I couldn’t think straight. I hated this feeling, this feeling of inadequacy, this feeling of being powerless. It brought upon too many bad memories, things I didn’t want to think about.

Magby’s eyes glowed an eerie blue. All the Cyndaquils seemed to freeze in fear, it seemed as if there was something in his gaze, yet I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was happening. With such a great opening, Magby just couldn’t pass it up. It’s small mouth opened up, small sparks lit up, and a small methane covered mucus ball was projected towards the Cyndaquil. The small spark ignited the ball, as it lit up. It was an ember attack; I had remembered this from the old days. It seemed that Magby might have just learned the move to help itself. It scored a direct hit, hitting on the non copy of Cyndaquil, rendering it unconscious.

Magby himself was stunned at what had happened, but I knew too well that I had to get out of this house. “Magby, Smog this place, we need to get out of here!” I screamed, as I grabbed my cloak. The smog started to fill up the living room, as the opposing training recalled the Cyndaquil and prepared to release his next combatant. I had painted a copy of the living room in my mind, knowing where everything was, ran to Magby, swooped him up and ran to the kitchen, where I had noticed a door to the basement.

Running down the stairs, I noticed a bit of light coming from the other end of the basement. ‘An exit, perfect!’ I told myself. I ran up to the door, kicked it open, and ran into the alleys behind the houses, with Magby in my arms, cloak burning up, as well as my arms. All that was left was to find a safe place before the rain would start pouring down once more.

~~Magby grew to level 7, and learned Ember~~

Lady Vulpix

27th March 2009, 02:40 PM

Welcome back, Alex! I missed posting these: ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

(Those are 9 stamps, by the way.)

Your encounter with the Magby was interesting, as were your descriptions of the land and the weather, and also the battle. The flashback was intriguing. I guess there's going to be more of it in the future, right? Will the reasons for your departure and for your return without the rest of your team be explained in later posts?

The part about the wrinkles confused me. How could your face be age-wrinkled at such a young age? If you were a teenager 7 years ago, and still growing, as you said you were a foot taller now, then it's too early for wrinkles to develop. Or was it the result of some traumatic experience?

Levelling up before the end of the battle was bending the rules, but it fits the story and Ember is not so good against a Cyndaquil anyway, so I'll let it slide this time.

You can still have 2 more battles in this scaenario, and you can talk to me if you would like any interaction with my team. I would recommend proofreading your next story before you post it, though. This one had quite a few grammar mistakes, including but not limited to missing or misplaced apostrophes and the recurring use of 'then' instead of 'than' and 'worst' instead of 'worse'.

Would you like your stories to be included in the archive? And who's Ian?

lvl100mewtwo

27th March 2009, 06:10 PM

Haha, yeah, see, it's been far far too long, I haven't written in so long, I forgot how to really do it well, granted, I looked at the stuff you showed me before I quit, and yeah, it doesn't seem like I've improved :P
Thanks for the warning, again, been far too long, I will take a half Stamp penalty if you want, I got no probs with that, haha
As for the many questions, all will be answered, in due time, you'll just have to keep reading, you'll understand more as time goes on, they might be wrinkles, they might be scars, or a bit of both. As for the old team and my departure, it's in the same books, you'll understand, but I'm telling you this right now, the flashbacks won't be in every scenario, and I'm going Tarantino on this... but I'll stop for now, not gonna give more away... I have alot in store, you will soon learn.

You can use me in your stories if you want, right now I'm gonna stick as the loner, I got some explaining and character dev to do, for the ones who don't know me or my style, lol, after all, I did start a trend back in the day, and I'm gonna attempt something new later on, hopefully starting a new trend, haha.

Next chapter should be up within the next week, maybe tonight if this writters prime keeps hitting me, I'll try to proof read more this time though :S pardon my french, haha.

Mew2

[edit] If you want to put it in the archives, go ahead, I have no problems with that, as for the Ian bit, thats my bad, I meant Scott, haha :S

Lady Vulpix

28th March 2009, 11:38 AM

It's OK, I wasn't asking for spoilers, only whether those things would be explained in the future.

It was funny to see you saying "pardon my French". You won't see me asking anyone to pardon my Spanish. :P

And no, I'm not going to break a stamp in order to punish you for whatever reason you think you should be punished. I've rated your story and given you the stamps I thought it deserved.

I'm not going to use your character, I like it when everything is in-continuity and in-character. If you say we don't meet, then we don't.

It was a nice introduction. Your story looks promising so far. The risk of overdramatizing is present, but I'm sure you'll be able to avoid that.

lvl100mewtwo

29th March 2009, 08:36 PM

[edit] Haha, I won't give you any spoilers, you'll just have to go with what is given :P

Thats fine Gab, use what you want, we'll try and not break character, haha, and yeah, I noticed the over dramatics in the last chapter, hopefully it's been worked out in this chapter, it's a little noir at first, but it gets alot lighter throughout... Chapter 3 will be around at some point this week, hopefully... and now, Chapter 2

Heat Storm

~October 22nd, 2006~

“Now class, to finish off today we’ll be going into Archaeabacteria, or better known as Archaea, Extremophile Bacteria, etc.” A short older man said in front of the students. Bio 3101 was definitely one of those classes that I took great pride in listening and learning in. Granted the professor was rather monotonous, there was something in the material of the course that made me stick to my seat.

“Now can anyone in here please let me know of any life forms that would be classified under this genus?” he asked, with a smile on his face, peering over the class. It was one of those smiles that just made you not want to get noticed, because he was searching for the perfect student to dumbfound in front of the rest of his peers. The short haired brunette sitting ahead of me luckily raised her hand, taking all the heat away from me.

“Acidophiles?” she said, with a confident look in her face. The professor acknowledged with a simple nod and kept looking around for more victims. He looked to the back of the room, and with a grin, pointed out to a young man, who winced, being chosen.

“Umm… Thermophilic Bacteria?” he said, quiver in his words.

“That’s correct, granted they are also likely just to be bacteria as well, given both genus have their different genome coding” he retorted, quickly looking back at the class for whom he would point to next. His next target was found, as he looked to the front row, thankfully far away from me.

“How’s about… Methanogen Bacterium?” a small blonde girl said with little conviction in her voice. I knew that she was right, yet she didn’t seem to be too sure of herself.

“That is correct Melinda, great job!” He said, with one of those smiles and a wink. Somehow the thought crossed my mind, ‘I think someone’s getting a few extra-curricular activities.’ I put the thought to the back of my mind as I raised my hand in hopes of helping the discussion along.

“So in the case of Hyperthermophilic Methanococcus jannaschii, where the bacterium is both Thermophilic and Methanogen, would it not be possible to find this bacteria inside the body of living animals, apart from hot springs and volcanic areas?” I asked, cringing at what possible answers I would get. The class went silent, everyone turned at me with that ‘Not Again’ look on their face.

“Yes, it is a small possibility, but this living creature would need an incredibly high body temperature for the bacteria to thrive and prosper. Also, we have been over this before and no, we are not going to get back into one of your crazy animal or these so called ‘Pokémon’ discussions again. Quite frankly these childish fantasies you have aren’t something that should be discussed in class or ever.” He snapped back at me. This was probably the 4th or 5th time that I had brought up some question that lead to my old past in this class. I could see that my professor was getting irate.

The students started to slowly get up from their benches as the discussion was heating up. Dr. Basso looked back at the clock on the wall and gave a nod to the students to leave the classroom. “Alright students don’t forget to read up on chapter 14 of the Microbiology book! Remember there will be a quiz on Monday, which I just decided on making. Also, Alex and Melinda, if I could see you both after class” He announced, yet I wasn’t listening at this point, his voice was trailing off in my mind and the collective groan from the class with the quiz coming up was but a faint whisper to my ear. All I could think about was Volvagia. It had been 2 years since he had left my side. I just couldn’t fathom that he was gone. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I put my head on my desk, class empty. I was left alone.

~Present~

Both my eyes were well shut, yet at this point I could smell something burning. It smelled actually very good, yet for some reason, I was getting this numbing pain on my left arm. “OH GOD! I’m having a heart attack!” I screamed as I opened my eyes wide, only to notice that the Magby had his hands on my arm, a small burn left residing on my bicep. ‘Great, now that’s going to scar…’ I thought to myself, as I shot a look to Magby, who winced and backed off slowly.

I looked at my surrounding, food to my left, assorted goods to my right, a pharmacy right in front of me. I suddenly remembered that while scrounging around in the city, I had noticed how desolate it had become. No lights were on, no street signs were working, it was as if the entire city had stopped functioning and it’s inhabitants had left. This seemed a little too peculiar to me, yet with all this freedom, I found the closest door as the rain started to poor and opened it. To my surprise it was unlocked, and I walked in. I had found myself in the town’s little general goods store, where I figured no one would come looking for me. This is why I had decided to take a nap to recover from inhaling so many fumes.

I slowly got up, hiding behind the counter in case anyone was in the window, watching. I walked around to find something to eat, hopefully something in this store would be able to quench my hunger and thirst.

“Biiiiiiiii…” came from the little fire type, obviously he was hungry as well. I turned back to see that he was still a bit battle worn, which meant I had to find some pro-biotics as well as some fatty foods. I scrounged through the pharmacy in the back of the shop, with no luck and then turned to the fridges filled with various dairy products. ‘Let’s hope none of these have gone bad’ I thought to myself, as I found the yogurt and natural milk.

“Here you go little buddy, this might be a bit better for you.” I said, as I poured the milk into a bowl I had found and started to feed the yogurt with a plastic spoon. Magby was quick to drink up the milk, as it boiled up to the touch of it’s beak. I also started to notice that the spoon was melting the more I gave it yogurt, which prompted me to switch to a metal base spoon, which I had found in the store. I clearly wasn’t thinking too well though, as the spoon got hotter with each bite Magby took of the yogurt until it burned my fingers. This whole feeding business just wasn’t my thing today.

Magby seemed to be feeling better with every bite of yogurt and slurp of milk it took, which was a good sign. A young Pokémon should always be well nourished and properly taken care of, so that it can get the maximum force and optimum recovery. He started to waddle around once I had finished the small yogurt and milk, yet I informed him to stick close, and that’s when it hit me.

“Hey Magby, I guess if your going to keep following me like this, I might as well give you a proper name. Now, what should I call you?” I pondered to myself, what could I possibly call this little creature?

“How’s about Flame?” I said as I looked to Magby. He looked up at me in confusion, with a hint of disgust. I believe that was meant to say that I needed to be a bit more original, which put me into further pondering. I wanted a name with meaning. I wanted a name that would stand out amongst the rest, something that would make my old team proud. Then it hit me.

“What do you think about Macedon?” I said, Magby looking at me perplexed. Although he was very young and immature, the ring of the name seemed to stick with him. “Alright, well I guess we have it settled then!” I happily denounced, at the very least now I didn’t have to call him “it” or “Buddy” or anything, I had a name to apply to him.

“Well ok bud, let’s look around this place, hopefully there might be something that we can use here to help us get out of here, cause it’s really starting to freak me out how this place seems deserted.” I told my little Macedon, as he agreed with me. We walked crouched around in the general store, staying away from any and all windows, looking around for anything of value. I picked up a small cooler in one of the aisles and went back to the refrigerators to stock up on high fat milk and yogurts, plus a few other products needed to stay in the cold. Adding a little ice from the freezers, I continued on, until I heard Macedon squeak in another part of the store.

“Biiii… Biiii… Biiii…” it said, as I rushed, crouched, to him. Macedon was pointing at a small display case. I peered through the glass, to notice on the top a small sign which read “Technical Machines”. ‘Perfect, this might be of use” I said to myself, as I picked up a small wine opener. With the pointed end, I jabbed at the window several time to no avail.
“Macedon, could you put your hand on the glass case right here?” I asked, pointing to a lower part on the glass case. Magby put up it’s hand, touched the glass and as I thought, the glass started to soften up. Macedon pulled it’s hand away, I took the wine opener once more and took another crack, this time at the weakened glass, shattering a small hole big enough for my hand. I reached in, grasping hold of 2 of them, before I found myself cutting and burning myself on the glass.

“OUCH!” I said in pain, as I retracted my hand with both Technical Machines in my grip. Macedon looked at me with concern in it’s eyes, putting his hands close to the cut. I yelped once more as the heat from his hands only made the stinging worst. I peered at the Technical Machines through my wincing eye. It seemed that I had grabbed a Double Team and Bullet Punch TM, yet right now all I wanted to have in my hand was some gaze and bandages. I slowly crawled back to the pharmacy area once more, putting the technical machines in my backpack. I found the first aids kits and I removed the rubbing alcohol, gazes and bandages for myself. With one final cringe, I cleaned up the cut and bandaged myself up.

I looked back into my backpack and picked up the first TM I could grab, which coincidentally was Double Team. I looked around trying to find a computer so that I could apply this to my new partner. I rummaged around and remembered that I had seen a small laptop at the front of the store. I told Macedon to stay in the back of the store while I went up to the register. I spotted the laptop and went for it. As I grabbed it, I started to hear footsteps from the outside. I quickly hid behind the counter, holding onto the Technical Machine and laptop as tightly as I could.

“One of us has found one of them rummaging around, that fire on Preston Street was no accident” Said one of the voices.

“Yes, we must find this rebel so that we can add him with the rest of the town’s people. She wants us to find him” Another voice answered. These voices were rather monotonous, bringing back memories of the trainer I had just thought in the house. ‘What is going on in this town?’ I thought to myself. This was starting to peak my interest more and more. It seemed as if things hadn’t gotten better over the years.

‘Was it right that I came back, would I be able to live up to what I used to do or would I fail again and alienate everyone?’ I had to push these thoughts out of my head, yet the doubt just couldn’t be suppressed. I slowly started to make my way to the back of the store where there were no windows or any chance of seeing me. I could hear the 2 people talking outside start to walk off, still speaking in their monotonous voices.

“Alright Macedon, I don’t know if you know how this works, but this is a Technical Machine.” I pressed a small button on the box and slowly out came a small USB key. I took the key from the box and opened up the computer. After plugging in the key, the computer started to make a lot of noise. ‘Great, it’s a Dell… has anyone ever heard of Macs?’ I thought to myself, as the process was prolonged. Finally a small screen popped up and a woman came on screen.

“Thank you for choosing Silph Company! Worldwide leader and provider to the general population in training, capturing and various tools to aid in your quests! Would you like some information about our other products today?” she asked, I clicked no. “Would you like to hear the list of other Technical Machines which are available through our hotline?” she continued, I clicked no. “Would you like to hear…” she kept on going, this was becoming very irritating. I had forgotten how much trouble it was to teach one of these.

“You have chosen the Technical Machine ‘Double Team’. Would you like to teach this to your Pokémon?” Finally a question I wanted to hear. I clicked yes. “Thank you for choosing a Silph Company product, before starting the procedure, it is imperative that the Pokémon being taught the move has seen it in action already. Has the Pokémon already seen the move in action?” My finger was already starting to get tired from clicking so much…

“We will now start the video procedure, please put the Pokémon in front of the screen for maximum retention and please, only 1 Pokémon at a time. Thank you and enjoy your new move, ‘Double Team’” she finalized, as Macedon sat himself in front of the screen and watched intently the videos on how to perform the move. This was a lot easier for him with his previous knowledge of Mach Punch, as the Technical Machine took very little time. 5 minutes and the videos were done, and a final warning popped up on the computer.

“The Pokémon has been taught ‘Double Team’. This Technical Machine will now self delete and burn in 5 seconds” I looked down to see smoke from the USB key, as it was rendered useless. I removed the key and threw it in the trash, as well as the box for the key. I looked to the front of the store, no one was standing there, the weather seemed to be getting better outside. At the very least it wasn’t raining anymore, but the day was getting darker, which meant nightfall was upon us.

“Alright bud, we have to find some place to crash tonight, so we are going to have to be extra quiet out there and we’ll have to hurry alright?” I asked my little companion, he didn’t seem too worried about it, just a little tired from all the knowledge he had taken in. We slowly crawled to the backroom and found the back door into the alleyway that we had come in through. I slowly opened the door to notice that no one was out there. ‘Clean break! This is perfect!’ I thought to myself. I put on my backpack, added in the laptop I had found, latched on the small cooler and finally put on my charred cloak. I opened the door slowly once more. Macedon and I were back out into the world, trying to find a resting place for the evening.

The alleys stank of week old garbage, rotting food and urine. How long exactly had this city been taken over control? Not wanting to know what the answer was, I popped in one of my buds into my left ear and turned on my iPod to a lower volume. I left my right ear unoccupied to listen in on any noises around or if Macedon had anything to say.

I was caught
In the middle of a railroad track
I looked 'round,
And I knew there was no turning back
My mind raced
And I thought what could I do?
And I knew
There was no help, no help from you
Sound of the drums
Beatin' in my heart
The thunder of guns!
Tore me apart
You've been - thunderstruck!

Macedon and I had to hurry. I could notice that the clouds were coming back as the natural lighting was diming. The street lamps weren’t turning on, which told me that the power to this town wasn’t running anymore. Thank god the laptop I had found was fully charged, I don’t know what I would do without it. I heard a fence door swinging in the wind, as it pulled my attention. The fence was left wide open and as I peered into the backyard, I noticed that the backdoor to the house had been left open. Macedon and I rushed to the fence, pierced through and ran for the house.

I was abruptly stopped, a small spark jumped in front of me. This was no lightning from the sky. I looked to my right, noticing someone standing in the corner of the fence, a small yellow fluff ball standing on four legs right next to it.

“She was right, you would fall for such an easy opportunity” The woman said, staying in the shadows. Again with the monotonous voice with little to no emotion, I was starting to see a pattern here. “You got off easy with our friend last time, this time. You won’t get off as easily.” She said, looking at me. The sheep slowly started to walk towards us. Macedon took a step forward in front of me, while I took a few steps back, moving onto the porch behind.

The backyard was littered with decorative ceramic plant Pokémon, similar to ceramic gnomes back in some Canadian backyards. A lawn chair and table set was to the left, while kids toys were also spotted all over the tall grass. This place needed a grass cutting and fast.

Macedon took a defensive stance, legs wide open, arms to the side of it’s body. My little tactician was already assessing the situation in the backyard, giving a quick look around, seeing where everything was situated. The sheep came out from the shade, revealing itself as a Mareep and stopped only 10 feet or so from my Pokémon. Tension was rising, electricity was starting to spark on the back of the wool and air was starting to heat up around Macedon. The battle was going to be waged on right here.

Mareep opened up the battle, charging in. I grinned as Mareep did not anticipate that Macedon was heating himself up. Mareep made direct contact with his Body Slam, sending Magby into the fence behind him, charring the wood. I looked back at the Mareep and with great pleasure, noticed it wincing from a burn left on it’s underbelly. I took my attention back to Macedon, as I noticed him getting up, wincing, a few sparks shooting off from it’s body. His movement seemed to become sluggish, somewhat erratic, meaning that in all likelihood, he had been paralyzed by that body slam.

Macedon wasn’t one to back down so early though, as he became a blur. Next thing Mareep knew, a nice right hook came connecting to it’s lower jaw, making it reel backwards, falling on his back. Macedon came in for another shot, this time connecting with the side of the sheep’s body, making it barrel roll into the fence, next to the Pokémon’s master. I took a quick glance at my Pokémon and noticed that the sparks were still there.

“Macedon, try and stay away from connecting with it’s fluff, your just getting shocked every time you touch it!” I barked at my Pokémon. He nodded in agreement and took another defensive stance, waiting on Mareep.

“Pet, use your Charge Beam” The woman ordered. The tone in her voice made me feel like she didn’t care much for her companion, yet this seemed to be another reoccurring theme with the people that I had met in this town. No life in their voice, just orders and straight talk. The electric type started to charge up, rubbing itself a little on the ground, grabbing some static. The sparks seemed to overflow on the back of Mareep, as it discharged in the general direction of Macedon. Macedon thinking on it’s feet, ably dodged the attack, running around in the backyard at high speeds, as the Mareep tried to follow with it’s attack. The electricity was frantic, going in every which direction, even though it was being aimed. Finally, Macedon connected with another right hook, sending the sheep rolling this time into a ceramic statue of Leafeon, smashing it to bits.

“Keep it up Macedon, you’re doing great! Alright, Smog it now!” I bellowed, as my companion followed through and spewed black smoke in the general direction of my opponent and her Pokémon. You could hear them both cough for air and see electricity spark as frustration was getting the best of the Pokémon. A flash of lightning came right through the smog and connected with Macedon, a loud screech could be heard.

“Again, Thunderbolt” ordered the woman. How could such a low level Pokémon know so many strong attacks? First there was the Cyndaquil with Flamethrower. Now a Mareep with Thunderbolt and this new attack Charge Beam? I didn’t have time to think as the electricity hit Macedon once more sending him reeling into the kids teeter totter set. Grimacing with pain and slightly twitching, Macedon looked to me for guidance.

“Umm, I guess we can try the new attack we just learned, let’s do it!” I told my Pokémon. I realized that I had been screaming loudly and that this battle was making plenty of noise. Enough noise to attract others. This battle had to end quickly. Magby started to speed up once more, making a copy of itself, then a second copy, then a third. As quickly as the third copy started to appear, it started to disappear just as fast. Macedon hadn’t had a chance to practice the move, making it rather useless to use right now. Yet in the end, there was still 2 illusions in the backyard, which would hopefully be enough to fool the little sheep.

“Quick, follow up with Ember! Let’s try to finish this right now!” Macedon quickly understood the importance of the situation, and the 3 Magby’s in play started to suck in as much air as possible. A small spark lit up the mucus ball, sending 3 different Embers from different directions at the Mareep, scoring a direct hit. The electric type winced, took a few steps back and bumped into the fence, seeing that it was backed into a corner.

Just as soon as this battle seemed to be going our way, the sky pierced and rain started to flow down. I could see that Macedon did not like this, slowing down his movement ever so much. This slowdown hindered the Double Team, as one of the copies started to disappear. All that was left on the lawn was a Macedon on the lawn chair and another on a ceramic Venusaur. This gave the Mareep the opening that it needed, as it noticed the steam coming off the chair and not off the fake ceramic Pokémon. With a single jolt, it sent a Charge Beam flying in Magby’s direction, and with it’s slowed down predicament, took the full force of the blow. Macedon was sent flying into the outside wall of the house, right next to me. This one really stung as he had more and more trouble standing up. The final copy of him had disappeared and all that was left was Macedon and me on the porch.

You could see that the water was starting to really weigh down on Mareep, as the water seemed to be soaking into his wool more and more. Macedon noticed this, eyes glowing blue, and proceeded into Leering his enemy. With the sheep’s defenses lowered, Macedon did the unthinkable and raced in for another Dynamic Punch, connecting with extreme force. Yet to his surprise, as he connected, Macedon was met by an up close and personal Thunderbolt, sending him flying back once more, this time into the lawn furniture. The force of the attack knocked the table over, giving him some protection from the downpour of rain.

Macedon slowly rolled back to the porch and crawled back on. Determination was still in his eyes. This was one little tough baby Pokémon, I had to give him that much. The Mareep was showing signs of fatigue at this point, as much as my Magby. With a heavy pant, Macedon looked at me, as we both nodded. I was starting to feel like we were having a connection at this point, where he knew exactly what I was thinking and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Macedon turned to the Mareep, mouth wide open and started to shoot random Embers at the sheep. I looked at my Pokémon dumbfounded. Maybe we weren’t on the same wavelength at all. I had a completely different idea at this moment and apparently so did he. The sheep backed up into the corner with his trainer, who was now soaking wet and yet without being able to see her face in the darkness of the shade, I could tell that there was no emotion on her face. A lightning bolt came crashing at us, barely missing Macedon and myself.

“Holy crap! That’s just way too close for me!” I said as I dove to my right, Macedon diving to his left. “Next time you decide to tick off the opponent, make sure I’m not around you alright?” I scowled at my partner. “Look, I know you’re still new with it, but try Double Team again ok?” I asked. Macedon complied, started to concentrate and sped up.

Macedon still had a lot of work to do, as only 2 illusions came out of from the attack, all 3 Magby’s parked on the porch. Mareep did not seem to enjoy the fact that he was getting tricked once more and charged up, shooting at the first Macedon he could. Unfortunately for me, this copy of Macedon was standing right in front of me, on the ledge of the porch. The lightning cracked within an inch next to my ear, leaving a scar on the houses outer wall. I hit the deck seconds after the lightning hit. I looked up to notice that the illusion of Macedon had reappeared, meaning that he was starting to master the tactical move. I slowly crawled on the deck, trying to move away from all the fighting, yet found myself right behind another copy of my partner.

“Mareep, end this now. Body Slam.” That was all I heard as I turned my attention to Macedon in front of me, only to see him disappear and a wet fluff ball appear, tackling me straight into the wall. The agony of the electrical surge coursed through my body. For the first time, I truly felt how it was to be paralyzed and I did not like the feeling one bit.

My partner stopped for a moment and noticed the sheep shaking off the water and excess electricity onto me and my twitching body on the deck’s floor. Mareep turned his attention to Macedon, readying himself for another launch. Unluckily for him, he was only met with a nasty left hook which dazed him and then a right hook that sent him flying towards his trainer. Macedon started to take in a deep breath and accumulate as much mucus as possible.

With Mareep in mid air, Macedon let rip a devastating Ember, fire dripping off the ball of mucus. This attack was personal and it had every intention of hitting. With a direct hit, the Mareep was sent flying even further, straight into his trainer, sending both into the fence, with a loud thud. I looked in the direction of my opponent, barely able to do so to notice that she had also been paralyzed and knocked unconscious, just like her Pokémon. Suddenly a few embers were shot ahead of them, starting a small fire, dwindling in the rain, trying to enclose them in the area they were knocked out. Macedon was trying to cage them in with his Embers, but it wasn’t working too well.

That loud noise was the final straw, as footsteps could be heard in the distance. We had attracted too much attention with ourselves. Here I was, paralyzed from below the neck down, unable to move, and my Pokémon fatigued from his battle. I could feel Macedon’s hands grasping at my pants, trying to drag me, yet unsuccessfully doing so. The only success Macedon had was burning a hole right through my jeans. ‘Fantastic’ I thought to myself sarcastically.

“Look, Macedon, get out of here! I can’t move, you can’t move me, its better off you save yourself and get some help, I’m of no use.” I told my loyal companion. Macedon only looked at me, turned to the fence door and took a defensive stance, readying himself for another battle.

Suddenly, a hand grasped my leg and I was whisked inside the house….

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Magby was named Macedon (mă s'ə dōn)

Macedon learned the attack Double Team through Technical Machine (Earned at the Goldenrod Tower)

Macedon grew to level 8

Wolfsong

29th March 2009, 10:24 PM

Notes: Before my absence I had bred sugar with blazer at the PMBC although, storywise, the baby (Danny) isn’t Blazer’s. The egg that Darin found was the other one that I had bred before my departure. Don’t really remember what plans I had so here is the twins rbg which luckily I had written down on my site. Here it is, even though I’m a little rusty…

(Amy’s POV)

If I said that I wasn’t nervous, it would be a lie. It had been a little over a year since I had left for a supposedly short trip home to visit my parents. Since I wasn’t planning on being gone long, no more than three days tops, I neglected to mention the trip to anyone.

However, once I had arrived home, I learned that mom was having minor surgery. Since it was apparent that I wasn’t going to be returning home anytime soon, I decided to send Flam back with a message about what was going on. I grew concerned when hr didn’t return a few weeks later, but figured that he had either run into some old friends or something had happened and he was needed. Given how close the time was, I figured that he would return as soon as he could. By this time, mom had had her surgery. She made it through just fine, but it would be a few months before she would be back to normal.

When a couple more weeks had passed and Flame still hadn’t returned, I decided to try and see what was going on. Unfortunately, the cell phone company must not have gotten my payment or something because when I had turned my phone on, the screen read no service.

To top it all off, on the very day that I was going to head back and apologize for my prolonged absence as well as find out just what was going on, my back went completely out on me. I was confined to the bed for four days per doctor’s orders during which time Sugar had her baby.

Once my back had recovered enough that I could once again walk, I was ordered to go to physical therapy for my back. I knew that it was necessary to help strengthen the muscles in my back but unfortunately it delayed my return for a couple more weeks.

“We’re almost home.” Talut’s voice jarred me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I asked, momentarily confused,

Before Talut could reply, Sinopa answered for him. “Talut said that we were almost home. Isn’t that great!” She replied, trying to remain still in her excitement. She succeeded, except for her tails which luckily didn’t have any effect on my holding her. Even after all this time, she still hadn’t been able to overcome her fear of confined spaces. Although, bless her heart, Sinopa was trying.

“Hang on,” Talut warned as he started his descent.

A few minutes later found the three of us safely on the ground in front of our house, where it was quite obvious that we had been gone for quite a while. The grass was overgrown and weeds had overtaken the yard.

The next thing that I did was release the rest of my team who proceeded to stretch as soon as they emerged. When they had finished Tiny and Colby immediately started a game of tag as I unlocked the front door and ventured inside.

Immediately, I sneezed from the amount of dust that had collected in my absence. I’d deal with cleaning the house up later. Right now, I headed upstairs to my bedroom where I had a small safe hidden. I quickly found, opened, and grabbed my credentials from it.

<Amy, you might want to get back out here. We have company.>

<Hey, Amy, I found something.

I quickly closed the safe, and shoved it back into its hiding spot before running back outside. I’d check on what Darin found after I found out just what exactly Yana meant by we had company.

When I stepped outside, I found Sinopa and Danny being herded against the house with Sugar, Yana, and Blazer crouched around them protectively. Colby and Tiny had stopped their game of tag and were growling at a vaguely familiar young man with red hair. The rest of the team was spread around him him. “Tom…”

(Colby’s POV)

As soon as we were released, Tiny talked me into playing a game of tag. He didn’t have to, because I’m always willing for a good game, but it was nice that he did. I thought about asking Sinopa if she wanted to play, but she seemed content to just sit beside Yana and watch us have fun.

“Tag you’re it!” Tiny shouted as he hit me with his tail and took off running.

“Get back here!” I shouted before taking off after him, laughing as he jumped over Sugar. I ran around her, finally gaining on Tiny when he stopped dead in his tracks. Since I wasn’t expecting him to stop, I shot past him hurtling into some trees that were on the edge of the property and crashed into something. Whatever it was that I crashed into beeped loudly which caused me to look at it. It was Chips who was now a Porygon2. As soon as I recognized him, he disappeared.

“This isn’t good.” Tiny muttered as I ran back over to where he was standing in the yard.

“You got that right. If Chips was here, Tom won’t be far behind.”

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the Porygon2 reappeared with Tom. Tiny and I both started growling at him as Sugar ushered Danny and Sinopa towards the house where she was joined by both Blazer and Yana. The remainder of the team with the exception of Darin, where he was I don’t know, fanned out around them. It was at that moment that the door to the house swung open and Amy stepped outside. “Tom…”

“Amy… I see you’re surprised. Well, I read up on you while you were gone.”

He was trying to bait her, but she wasn’t having it. “I thought that we agreed the last time Colby and Tiny beat you in a battle that you would stop trying to take them away. Especially, after you essentially abandoned them in the Jungle Room.”

“Yes, that’s what we agreed on.” The redhead smirked before once more speaking. “There was no provision that I’d have to leave you alone. I knew when you disappeared that you would return one day and that’s why I had Chips here keeping an eye on your place.”

“Why do you say that and what exactly do you want?””

“I told you that I read up on you while you were away. For starters you didn’t let anyone know that you were leaving, especially your close friends, which meant that you didn’t plan to be gone for very long. As for what I want, it is another battle against those pathetic imps. I have a feeling that you haven’t been training while you were away so it should be a piece of cake.” Tom’s statement was quickly drowned out by a variety of snarls, growls, and roars.

“Awww, they have their own fan club. So let’s get this done. Mystique and Volcano get them!” Without giving us a chance to respond, he hurled two pokeballs at us. As soon as they hit the ground an Unown M and a Numel appeared.

Colby L.16 Black M Vaporeon and Tiny L.16 Black Flareon
Vs.
Mystique L.16 ~ Unown M and Volcano L.16 M Numel

I glanced over at Tiny and he nodded, grinning at me. He crouched down low to the ground. I ran at him and, using his back for a springboard, leaped high into the air, concentrating on my hidden power. Tiny waited until I was airborne before he stomped the ground and let loose his own hidden power. In response, the earth beneath the numel began to shake violently causing him to struggle to keep his footing, but that didn’t last too long when I slammed into him, landing on his back.

Before I could jump off, Volcano shuddered and I was given a painful glimpse of how he had gotten his name. The ember shot out and hit me square in my stomach leaving an angry red burn. “Ouch!” I muttered and Tiny gave me a concerned look but before I could do anything I was lifted up off of the numel and hurled into Tiny by an invisible force. I jumped off of him as soon as the unown released its hold on me. I growled loudly as Tiny launched himself at Mystique and crunched down as hard as he could. I was mildly surprised when the attack brought it down, before I remembered in addition to the attack being super effective, it was also powered up by Tiny’s collar.

I winced as the small movement of me taking a step sent caused the burn to pain shooting through me. So this time, I closed my eyes and focused on creating some clones. Unfortunately, I only managed to create one which disappeared soon as vines shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around my leg. It figured that the numel would have a grass type hidden power. I bit down on my jaw to keep from crying out and giving Tom the satisfaction of hearing it. Tiny ran over and slashed at the vines setting me free.

I took a deep breath and exhaled a jet of water but while Tiny was helping me out, Volcano had used the opportunity to use a double team of his own. The end result was the water gun sailing harmlessly through one of the clones leaving two smiling numels behind. Tiny attempted to tackle one of them, but he chose wrong and landed face first in the dirt.

I was going to end this. Volcano was glaring at Tiny now and the earth underneath him began to shake violently. I called upon every ounce of what I had in my body and launched as strong a hydro pump as I could muster at him. I was lucky and the attack hit causing the magnitude that he was using on Tiny to end abruptly as the numel fainted.

Tiny and I won. We each grew a level to L.17!

I limped over to Amy. Tom was right about one thing. We were out of practice. Speaking of which, Tom cursed before he recalled his fainted pokemon. Then he turned and stormed off. I was grateful when held out my pokeball for me. I tapped the button and went inside.

(Amy’s POV)

I raised an eyebrow as Tom stormed off, fuming at his loss. The team was seriously out of practice as was evident in the twin’s battle but I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the case for long. I saw Colby approaching, so I held out his pokeball for him. The burn on his belly looked bad so the first stop would be a pokecenter to heal them. Of course, first I would have to track down Darin.

“No need, I’m right here and I found this.” The ‘this’ he was talking about was a light brown pokemon egg, which he was using his psychic powers to carry. I took it from him and gently placed it in my bag.

“All right, first stop is to the local Pokecenter to heal Tiny and Colby. Then, it’s off to try and find Gabi and see what’s going on.”

I would like another 2-2 rbg for the Colby and Tiny please from the Universal Adoption Center. Colby Is a l.17 vaporeon and tiny a l.17 flareon. *hands over 14 stamps leaving me with none.*

Lady Vulpix

30th March 2009, 09:19 AM

Wow, 2 stories in one night! :keke

Rating for Alex:

How could the professor believe that pokemon didn't exist? You were just on another continent, not a different planet.

What I mean by overdramatizing is not having bad things happen, but having regular things happen and reacting like it was the end of the world (much like Alex's assumption that he was havig a heart attack just because he felt a numbing pain in his arm). That may be a defining trait of your main character, and that's OK, but please don't have everyone else act like that (I know I tend to bring up really old stuff and I apologize for that, but I still remember how you played Gabi out of character by having her seriously overreact to her having to battle Alex at the 2nd Griffon Games).

On the other hand, I liked the little detals you have been adding, like your concern for Macedon's nutrition and the melting spoon. And Macedon's reaction to the name 'Flame' made me chuckle. It was also funny that Alex called Macedon "bud" right after he decided he's start calling him by his new name.

The idea of the annoying TM was also funny. There have been many theories about how TMs work, but this was a completely new one. Well, I guess that's what you get for stealing it. :P

The results of the proofreading are showing clearly. Nice job. :) (You did type "several time" instead of "several times", but that's just a minor detail).

Your descriptions were good (I liked the idea of the ceramic pokemon, by the way). And Macedon is an interesting character. I also like the way you take the environment into account in your battles.

And you leave us with another cliffhanger...

Take 11 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Rating for Amy:

It's nice to see you post here again. :) I liked the way you explained your absence, and the description of the house at your return. Seeing your characters again was refreshing.

The battle seemed a bit rushed, but feasible. I must admit I've done the same thing many times (focus on the story and then skip through the battle quickly).

Take 10 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Tiny and Colby will battle a Carvanha and a Mime Jr. I wonder what will come out of that. O_o

I will add the stories to the archive soon.

lvl100mewtwo

30th March 2009, 02:13 PM

How could the professor believe that pokemon didn't exist? You were just on another continent, not a different planet.

What I mean by overdramatizing is not having bad things happen, but having regular things happen and reacting like it was the end of the world (much like Alex's assumption that he was havig a heart attack just because he felt a numbing pain in his arm). That may be a defining trait of your main character, and that's OK, but please don't have everyone else act like that (I know I tend to bring up really old stuff and I apologize for that, but I still remember how you played Gabi out of character by having her seriously overreact to her having to battle Alex at the 2nd Griffon Games).

On the other hand, I liked the little detals you have been adding, like your concern for Macedon's nutrition and the melting spoon. And Macedon's reaction to the name 'Flame' made me chuckle. It was also funny that Alex called Macedon "bud" right after he decided he's start calling him by his new name.

The idea of the annoying TM was also funny. There have been many theories about how TMs work, but this was a completely new one. Well, I guess that's what you get for stealing it.

The results of the proofreading are showing clearly. Nice job. (You did type "several time" instead of "several times", but that's just a minor detail).

Your descriptions were good (I liked the idea of the ceramic pokemon, by the way). And Macedon is an interesting character. I also like the way you take the environment into account in your battles.

And you leave us with another cliffhanger...

The whole not knowing what they are by the prof, will be explained, though I doni't know if I'll keep going on in that line... we'll see, I'll have to think about it...
I understand what you mean for the overdramatization, I was trying to make my character a little over the top, but I'll try to work something out for that... might bring it downa notch or a few more, he's just trying to get back in it, he hasn't been in this continent for so long, he's as confused as a new trainer, adrenaline pumping and such... he's not used to this life style anymore...

I'm trying to add in a sence of realism to this, like how it would be if it was real, my science background helps alot on that kinda stuff... so you'll be seeing alot of my theories as to how pokemon tick...

People tend to forget how important environment is, thats why I try to incorporate it as much, but thank you for the feedback, I'll bring that into my next chapter...

And yeah, wanted to do something different with TMs, it was something unexplored, and well, like i said, trying to bring a sense of realism to it all... we'll see how the rest falls into place!

Kerel

4th April 2009, 11:00 PM

Thanks, Karin, for reading and rating my story. You didn't sound rusty at all. I haven't been here in a while myself.

I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for the tips to make it more readable, and sorry for taking so long to reply (university is quite absorbing).

See you! :)

PancaKe

17th April 2009, 12:35 AM

IT's so exciting to see this active again! Woo excitement. I am thinking of taking the new comers intro and using that, just because my memory is so hazy from what happened last time (whihc was 4 years ago!). So if there is no problem with that, I will have to find out the details of my team (I think i still have an old angelfire account somewhere) and then write from the beginners one. :)

Woo.

Lady Vulpix

17th April 2009, 09:31 AM

*Murkrow

22nd April 2009, 02:16 PM

I finally completed the RBG I got about two years ago. o_O Completely different to how I'd have written it then; quite different to how I was planning to write it a couple of weeks ago. Ah well.

----------

On a plain stretched out between two mountains, a cluster of shapes moved. Yellow against the green of the grass they were grazing on, a herd of Mareep slowly ambled, occasionally lifting their heads to glance around before returning to their meal. Off to one side of the main herd, a solitary female was nervously pacing, as she watched a tiny newborn struggling to make its way over to her.

Glistening from the shadow of a conveniently placed bush, something else watched the progress of the lamb. He’d been stalking this herd for a couple of days now, recognising that the birth was imminent. He may have missed the lamb at its most vulnerable, but luck seemed to be on his side; it didn’t seem as strong as it should be and still seemed to be having trouble walking. Shifting, he assessed his position; he’d spent the morning carefully flitting alongside the herd, making sure they saw him as less as possible. They knew he was there, obviously; he hadn’t made a big show of hiding when he was first checking the pregnant one out. But their patience already seemed to be wearing thin with going slowly and so the split between the herd and the mother and her young had gradually developed. Carefully, he spread his wings, well aware that one failed strike would put the herd on full alert again.

As the mother walked back to her lamb, she nudged it, and then trotted away towards the herd, calling as she did so. Her offspring answered, stumbling forwards, and their observer cawed to himself. The mother stopped to scan the surroundings again, and as soon as her gaze was facing the opposite direction, the bush shook and he shot forwards.

Keeping low to the ground, he flapped his wings fast, quickly picking up speed and closing the gap fast. Coming in at an angle so that the mother was the maximum distance away from her young, he kept his eyes on his prey. He heard a scream off to his side which caused the lamb to panic and try to run, but he brought his claws forward and lashed out, slashing at its body. One claw locked around its tail, but it stumbled as he hit it, so the claw that was trying to get a hold on its body merely ripped some lines in its side. He could hear the mother charging towards him now, but he doubted her young had the necessary resistance to electricity built up yet to risk her going the obvious attack route. Dragging the lamb along by its tail, he groped with his free claw, trying to get a hold as it struggled and screamed.

Then something struck him full-on on the back and sent him sprawling onto the ground. As the lamb struggled out of his grasp, he spun round to see the mother blast another white orb that shone like steel in his direction. He darted up into the air, but her fur was already crackling with static. She fired a blast at him, which he dived beneath, before he cawed again and sent a crackle of blue electricity at her. The instant it made contact, it wrapped itself around her body, restricting her movements.

It didn’t stop her fully, though, and her tail orb flashed a bright yellow as another burst of electricity shot out from her fur. This time, however, the charge focused into an arrow that raced towards him. He shot up into the air again but it followed, keeping pace with him as he circled round. Snarling, he glanced down at the Mareep, folded his wings in and dived.

The arrow followed him, chasing him down as his body started to glow white. He could hear it behind him, but he stared only at his target as he rocketed towards her. He felt a stab of satisfaction as he saw her eyes widen, but she couldn’t move out of the way, and he smashed into her with a dull thud. The next second, the arrow struck both of them; tensing himself, he tried to ignore the pain and take off again, but she dug her feet in and rammed him hard. He sprawled onto his back and glared at her as she sparked warningly. Their eyes locked, and his flashed purple. Her eyes immediately slid out of focus and she looked around in confusion, swaying slightly and began to call out once more. He pushed himself up and onto his feet slowly, trying to calm himself down; as his racing thoughts began to slow, the atmosphere changed, and became one of expectation. His eyes shone and small orbs began to circle his body, each sparking. It was a fitting end, he figured, before he unleashed the attack, which shot out and electrocuted her. She stumbled and crashed onto her side. Turning his attention away from her, he glanced round for the lamb. It was cowering in the grass nearby. Aching, he gave his wings an experimental flap, then heard the alarm cries.

Swearing to himself, he dragged himself up into the air as the rest of the herd approached; in one last effort, he lunged at the Mareep lamb and wrenched it off the ground. As he struggled up, a shadow passed over him, and he felt himself being struck from behind again. Twisting his head round to see who was bothering him now, he received another blow as the larger bird knocked him to the side and ripped his hard-won meal from his claws. As it shot off into the sky, he screamed and flapped after it, already forgetting about the scene behind as he chased this new irritation.

----------

Latino grew to L10 and received Dark Pulse as his free TM.

Can I have another RBG from the Universal Adoption Centre for Archie, my L20 Anorith, please? *Pays*

Lady Vulpix

23rd April 2009, 09:34 AM

Welcome back, Hannah! Nice descriptions and writing style. I'm not sure how this fits into the story, and I would have liked to see some character development, but it was a fine battle. Take 3 stamps. ¢¢¢

And Archie will battle a Cranidos.

PancaKe

28th April 2009, 08:07 AM

It would be nice to see Nimmy again, but you can do as you wish. In any case, it's good to have you back. I think it will be best if you stay away from White Mountain. If Yssera convinced Ryan that you would be the next hero of Ulthuan, she may have plans for you.

You will have to fill me in Gabs! I was totally going to head up White Mountain but if you think it best I don't , then I won't! It's been years since I've had anything happening here - what kinds of things do you think I should know before I post my story? I didn't know where to start looking in the archives..

I've not finished writing it yet though (busy with uni assessments and the like) - but it might give me some more direction. Right now I'm just writing to explain my absence.

Lady Vulpix

5th May 2009, 12:19 PM

Sorry for the delay, Tara, I've been very busy. If you have high level pokemon you can battle at White Mountain, I just recommend caution because would-be heroes are Yssera's favorite targets and, according to Ryan (all that time ago), she said you would be the next hero of Ulthuan. Which means she may be looking for you to convert you.

If you need some more information you can check the Writer's Grounds on Tsuyoi's Lair... or you can try getting on AIM/MSN and talking to me in realtime.

Lady Vulpix

5th May 2009, 12:19 PM

PancaKe

22nd May 2009, 11:43 AM

Don't worry Gabi, I totally understand the concept of being busy. I looked on the website, but none of Ryans stories seem to be up there. I'm still writing the intro so I'll try and get on msn to talk to you but my msn really hates me tonight so I guess I will just have to keep trying!! :( miss you!

Lady Vulpix

28th May 2009, 04:21 PM

I miss you too. To be honest, I even miss myself these days.

Ryan's stories... Hmm... I may have some of them stored somewhere. Too bad I'm not at home, otherwise I would check. Anyway, up until he left his stories and mine basically mirrored each other, so you can find out what happened to Ryan by reading my stories. Particularly, on page 4 of my battles, the one that begins with Lagi saying "Leaving the lake, I walked over to Gabi. "

pokemasterfrank

5th January 2010, 02:26 AM

First time posting here, I think. Tell me if I'm doing anything wrong, lol. Also, is it alright to do the last of the three battles in another post?
---------------------------------------------------------------------

God... I just wanted to stay out of all of this...

~~~~~

It had been a long while since I had been in Ulthuan. Due to unforseen circumstances, I had to leave these lands and leave my Pokemon, my friends, behind. As much as I wanted to bring them, they could not come and I could not stay.

I left them in the care of a friend who resided in Sybyll. I remember the trip there. We elected to travel by foot -- our last adventure before parting ways for a while. During the trip, we could all feel the somber mood. Thunda and Squirtly, having experienced abandonment in the past, clung on. I assured them that I would return one day. The rest seemed down, but determined to make the best of the rest of the time. Even Gastly, who usually would be causing playful trouble, decided that there could times that pranks and jokes weren't required.

When we arrived in Sybyll, I left them in the care of my friend and we said our goodbyes.

~~~~~

"For Yssera!"

In all the years I had spent with on Ulthuan, I never once participated in the battles that were waged with whatever evils they claimed to be. I heard the calls to arms, the recruiters from the Dragon Tamers, but I did not heed them. It was not my fancy. My Pokemon and I were content to live our lives in relative peace. If we wanted to fight, we wanted to do so in sport, not in war.

But here before me, on our day of reuniting, was one of those same evildoers that we had desperately tried to avoid. My friend was in a corner, knocked out. Blood was trickling down his forehead. My Pokemon were in panic. Squirtly was flailing around awkwardly. The rest were cowering in a corner -- Eevee and Larvitar in the front, mustering courage to shield the group.

The female trainer, dressed in black, pointed at the group. Her Pokemon, Cyndaquil and Mareep, charged at them. My Pokemon. There was only one thing I could do. I dived.

As I sailed through the air, I closed my eyes and braced myself. I had come all this way. I would not let them get hurt. When I hit the ground, I was surprised - the ground was all I hit. I opened my eyes to find Larvitar butting heads with the Cyndaquil. The Mareep was past me, next to the wall. A trail of juice led from the Mareep to a large glass, a puddle of the fruity nectar, and a cackling Gastly.

"Larvitar! Gastly!" My eyes lit up. Not only did they remember me, they shielded me from the attack. Larvitar pushed the Cyndaquil back and gave me an affirmative nod. Gastly appeared next to me and started circling around, laughing and smiling.

"All right guys, ready?"

Larvitar, Level 6 and Gastly, Level 7 vs Cyndaquil and Mareep

The Cyndaquil charged towards Larvitar. I felt the ground begin to shake as Larvitar concentrated. "Hold on, Larvitar!". He stopped and took the brunt of the Tackle. "We can't use Earthquake here. The houses." Larvitar got up and nodded, shrugging off the attack. The Cyndaquil charged again, but stopped in it's tracks as Larvitar shot a menacing Leer at him.

"Don't be a wimp Cyndaquil," barked the girl. "Who are you more afraid of, the Larvitar or me?" The Cyndaquil quickly scrambled to his feet and mounted another assault on Larvitar. Larvitar took the hit, but braced himself this time, both bodies sliding a few inches. The Cyndaquil glared, face straining with effort. Larvitar returned the stare and added the chomp of his teeth with Bite.

When Larvitar released his enamel grip, the Cyndaquil jerked back - partially in surprise and partially in pain. Larvitar took a step forward and bit him again, then pushing the Cyndaquil over, pinning it down.

"Good job, Larvitar." With the Cyndaquil taken care of, I turned my attention to Gastly and her foe.

The Mareep got up, a little stunned from the blow from the wall. Mareep's nose puffed up a bit as it sniffed the air, the fragrence of apples wafting through the room. It felt a rustling in its wool and turned.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Gastly cackled and began Licking Mareep, enjoying the taste of the crisp fruit. Mareep fell back, stunned, looking a bit sick. He obviously did not enjoy the tongue "lashing". Gastly turned to me and winced as it's tongue hung loose from her mouth.

"Crap, your tongue is paralyzed." The static charge from the Mareep's wool must have done it. Mareep stared at the comical scene. Shaking off the disgust, Mareep let out a Growl, showing his disdain for the Ghost Pokemon and it's oral organ. Gastly shuttered, seemingly powerless without her tongue.

The Mareep began to charge, executing a Tackle attack, but went straight through Gastly. Mareep tried again, and again failed to connect.

"Mareep, it's useless, you stupid sheep. Go help Cyndaquil." Mareep turned and obeyed. Gastly watched as the fluffy Pokemon shuffled away. She began a lisped cackle, tongue still hanging, as she charged a crackling ball of shadowy energy. She tossed the Shadow Ball at Mareep, the energy causing a small flash as it connected with the unwary ovis.

Mareep got up, the damage showing clearly. Gastly flew over, tongue still hanging. "What is your Gastly going to do? It can't use it's tongue. It must be dumb enough to use a Shadow Ball that close. Haha." Gastly did another comical-sounding lisp-laugh, retracted it's tongue, grinned, and launched another Lick lashing.

Mareep fell to the ground, it's paws covering his face, whimpering.

Larvitar grew to level 7.
Gastly grew to level 8.
Gastly learned Spite.

~~~~~

"Looks like you came back just in time." My friend looked a bit silly, the bandages around his head. He passed me a can of soda.

"Thanks. Yeah, I suppose I did."

"They've missed you a lot." He shot a glance over at my Pokemon, watching them diligently clean up the room.

"I know. I've missed them, too. Thunda walked over and jumped into my lap. I gave her a quick pet and she squeezed her eyelids shut, letting out a squeak of happiness.

Smeargle walked over and tugged on my pant leg. "What's up, buddy?"

My friend gestured over to a door. "I think he wants to show you something."

~~~~~

There were small splatters of reds, oranges, yellows; there were specks of blues, greens, purples. There were little pictures of Eevee, Squirtly, Charmander, Thunda, Larvitar, Evan, Phanpy -- all of them playing. There were pictures of the pranks that Gastly pulled. There was even a little self-portrait of Smeargle doing what he liked best, painting. The wall had become a picture book of what I had missed these past few years.

My gaze turned to the bottom right corner of the wall. There, was a picture of all of my Pokemon, around me, representing the event that happened today: the day we would be reunited.

"ただいま."

Lady Vulpix

13th January 2010, 09:00 PM

Thanks for returning, Frank! And sorry for the delay, I've had a lot on my plate lately (family stuff, electrical problems, a friend in need...).

Nice story. I would have liked to read more about the characters and their feelings and reactions, but in any case it's an interesting beginning. I'd like to see what happens to Mareep and Cyndaquil afterwards. By the way, I think you meant "fragance", not "fragrence". Hmm... what does the last phrase mean?

Take 7 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Wolfsong

3rd April 2010, 12:33 PM

Hey, I'd like an rbg from the universal adoption center please for Ebony my L.16 F Ponyta *pays 7 stamps leaving me with 19*

Lady Vulpix

3rd April 2010, 07:34 PM

She will battle a Shieldon. By the way, please remember that other thing we were going to write together.

The Blue Avenger

19th December 2010, 01:44 PM

So... no promises about whether or not I'll be back here regularly. But I had a little bit of free time and the nostalgic urge to revisit these characters. It's been too long! I got this RBG two and a half years ago. XD

---

Standoff

“How’s that feel, huh? All that was for nothing…” A Trapinch stood over her, its gargantuan mouth bent into a smirk. Raini scowled. Her claws dug into the damp earth in front of her, and she began to struggle her way up out of the chasm she was currently dangling above. This plan was impeded somewhat when the Trapinch stamped its front feet on her paws. The dirt began to give way, and Raini scrabbled to gain a hold.

She cursed in her mind, not wanting to give the Trapinch the satisfaction. What happened here? Raini thought. I should have had this battle wrapped up! Ready to go! I should have had every advantage!

What happened, indeed? An interesting question – one that would be hard to answer currently. The answer, however, can be found in a more in-depth look at the roots of this conflict, one day prior.

It was Monday. Sunlight peeked in between a pair of curtains in the bedroom of a small house on the corner of Tycho Avenue and Kepler Way. The man in the bed groaned, rolled over, and immediately yelped; his sequence of actions led directly to him landing right on top of a small black cat, who tended to sleep with her claws extended. Raini didn’t even notice, but Jeff fell out of the bed, rubbing the tender red scratches on his back. He grabbed blindly for his extra-thick glasses on the nightstand and stumbled into the bathroom.

On the bed, in her sleep, a small smile crossed Raini’s face.

A half hour later, a refreshed, restored Jeff strode into the kitchen, his eyes bright. The sight of a large, tentacle plant nursing a cup of coffee did little to deter his mood.

“Aren’t you just pleased as punch today,” Groviglio said, his voice flat.

Jeff rummaged through the pantry, coming up with a few packets of instant oatmeal. “Lighten up, Groviglio,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be happy on a day like today? My latest project is coming along well, payday is today, and besides, just look at the weather outside! Gorgeous!”

In accordance with proper comedic timing, a peal of thunder shook the house at its foundations. The tak-tak-tak of rain hitting the windows filled the house as a downpour began soaking everything in the immediate vicinity.

Groviglio leveled a glare at Jeff, who gave a sheepish smile in return.

The front door burst open, and a Mr. Mime flew inside, his hair soaked through and hanging straight down. “You’re behind this somehow, aren’t you, Facepaint?” Groviglio said, his eyes narrowed. He punctuated the question with a swig of coffee that went to wherever his mouth was located.

“Yeah, yeah, you can cram a sock in it, Grove–” Mercandos stopped in mid-berate as his eyes went from the Tangrowth to Jeff. “Sorry, Jeff!” he finished, his posture straightening. “My fault! I was practicing with Metronome, and, well, you can see what happened.”

“It’s all right, Merc,” Jeff said, popping a bowl in the microwave. “It’ll wear off soon enough.” He glanced outside. Mercandos had been the only one to come indoors: a crowd of Pokemon still remained outside. There was a Snorlax leaning against a particularly sturdy tree, taking a nap (though, considering the length of time he had been asleep, Jeff thought, it might soon be upgraded to a coma), and a Smeargle and a Sudowoodo were play-fighting in front of him. A Flareon was shaking herself off under an overhang, while a Vaporeon stood only feet away from her in the rain, grinning. “Besides,” Jeff continued, “they seem to be enjoying it fine.” He sat down at a table and began eating.

“Are you headed into work soon?” Groviglio asked, his normal tone of condescension noticeably absent.

Jeff nodded. “Yeah, once I finish eating. Why? You need something?”

“You might want to wake up the blunderbuss out there before you go.”

It took a second to parse that one in Jeff’s head. He had trouble keeping up with each new insult Groviglio came up with. “Why’s that?”

“Spoonhead and I are going to the Warrior’s Guild today. If chucklebutt out there’s awake, it’ll mean that at least someone with an ounce of common sense will be able to keep an eye out on things here.” Groviglio took a sip of coffee. “Unless you want Mona and Groove Guy to be in charge.”

“Good point.” Jeff finished the oatmeal, grabbed an umbrella, his backpack, and an air horn he kept by the door for just such occasions, and exited. Moments later, a loud HONK rung through the air, followed by the distinct noise that only comes when a Snorlax jumps two feet in the air, tries to grab hold onto a tree not built to support a ton of fat, and falls back onto the ground, in the process sending a Sudowoodo and a Smeargle running for cover.

Jeff didn’t, rather unfortunately, notice how his backpack started squirming when he set the air horn off. If he had, it might have made his day go much more smoothly.

Jeff arrived at the laboratory precisely at 9 AM. He tossed his backpack to the floor, where it slid neatly underneath his desk. It squirmed again, but Jeff had his attention on other things. A note had been left on his work table from the inimitable Lady Ninetales, her signature immediately obvious. “Just once, it’d be great if she’d actually come and tell me something in person,” he muttered. He tossed the note to his desk and pulled the sheet off of his table, revealing mountains of half-built mechanics and electronics.

A pair of yellow eyes peeked out of the backpack’s opening. They blinked, then stared at Jeff. “All right,” Jeff said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s rock.” He pulled the nearest mound to him and began systematically picking it apart. The owner of the eyes, a specific black cat, slowly crawled out of the bag and elegantly climbed onto the desk. Raini picked up a sheet of paper at random from the ever-increasing unfiled pile of documents that Jeff kept there.

Proposal: Internet Traversal Device, it began. I intend to construct a machine that will, with the assistance of a member of the Porygon evolution line, allow the user to enter a construct of the internet, letting the user browse it as if they were actually in it.

Raini yawned. The document continued in that vein for some time. Flipping through it, she saw it spanned a brain-breaking 106 pages, front and back. He couldn’t have abbreviated this? she thought. He’s made his point in the first sentence! What’s the rest of this fluff for?!

With no answer forthcoming (and Jeff exhibiting his amazing ability to completely block out any distractions whatsoever), Raini ran her claws through the pages, sinking all the way through to the final, 106th paper. She jumped down from the desk, darted between Jeff’s legs, and ran out of the lab into the hallway. It was quiet. On the best of days, there were only one or two people walking through these halls – the labs were at a secluded end of the complex, the intent being to give the scientists of the Guild some element of privacy and quiet. This design choice had been arrived at only after the first idea: grouping the warriors and the scientists together. While it would have allowed for efficiency of space, projections later showed a dramatic predicted upswing in scientists with broken glasses and warriors who had mysterious acid spilled on them “completely by accident, honest.” And so, as a result, the scientists had found themselves with their own wing. They did not complain.

Today was even quieter than normal, though. Most of the members of the Guild were listening to the official announcement being given concerning the dire situation at White Mountain, despite the meeting officially being held by the Dragon Tamers. Jeff, demonstrating another one of his amazing abilities (the ability to completely miss every important announcement that came his way) neither knew about this meeting nor wondered why the place was so empty; all he knew was that he was making some amazing headway.

Meanwhile, all Raini was wondering was how easy it would be to break into the snack machine in the hallway. As it turned out, the answer to that would be “very easy indeed.” She clambered into the slot at the bottom of the machine, and, utilizing the natural cat gift of being able to fit into spaces that cats shouldn’t logically be able to fit in, she slid up into the compartment that held the candy. Raini skewered a chocolate bar with one claw and began gnawing on it.

That was when someone in one of the nearby labs decided that a bag of fruit snacks would go down nicely right about then, and pushed open her lab door directly across from the snack machine. Raini froze. A tense moment passed as their eyes locked on each other. Raini scowled, and her normally-yellow eyes began to glow blue. The hapless woman on the other side of the glass began to look vacant as a similar glow appeared in her eyes. Without a word, the woman turned on her heels and went back to her lab, whereupon she promptly took a seat and fell asleep. When she woke up, all she would remember would be walking out to the snack machine. Nothing about the Meowth would stick in her memory.

Raini snickered.

A few hours later, Jeff stepped back from his table. The pile of machinery was, well, still a pile, admittedly, but it was starting to take a bit more of a concrete shape. If you tilted your head, squinted, and looked at it the right way, it could almost, possibly look like a boot, which was slightly worrisome in that it was supposed to be a helmet. Jeff sighed, crossed his arms, and examined the half-helmet critically. He shook his head and left the room.

Jeff had been planning to get a bag of chips to munch on while he worked. Inventing, for him, required two things: music to listen to while he worked, and something to stave off the inevitable hunger that would set in. He had the first thing on the list, but his stomach was beginning to complain and his food stock in the lab itself had been exhausted ever since he had (perhaps unwisely) brought Bobbery to work the week prior. So the snack machine was pretty much the only option.

That meant that Jeff was somewhat out of luck. The snack machine had toppled over in the hallway, the noise it had doubtlessly made likely covered up by Jeff’s music. Jeff stared at the machine in consternation for a few minutes, then sighed again and went back into the lab. He picked up a phone and dialed the number for maintenance.

Elsewhere in the building, in a small closet, Raini grinned as she surveyed her haul. A pile of chocolate and sundry other candy products were spread out in front of her. She eyed the stash hungrily.

“You’re getting good at this,” a voice said, making her jump. Raini whipped her head around, looking back and forth until she saw a telltale eye floating in midair.

Kurtzwick the Dratini was, as he put it, “just about the best thief in the world, no seriously, stop laughing, I’m serious.” Most people who would doubt that a six-foot-long snake would be able to steal anything without the aid of, say, hands had clearly never seen Kurtzwick operate. Sure, not every heist went off as planned, but Kurtzwick had found that being invisible and having the ability to set off concealing clouds of haze at will went a long way towards addressing his utter lack of limbs. However, and this was something he had always been frustrated with, his eyes were the only thing about him that remained clearly visible, even when the rest of him was as clear as a faintly-smudgy window. Currently, Kurtzwick was coiled around a lamp hanging from the ceiling, lowering his head down to Raini’s level.

It is worth noting at this point that one of Kurtzwick’s major failings was an inability to learn from past mistakes. It is also worth noting that every encounter between Kurtzwick and Raini up until this point had ended with Kurtzwick receiving long, totally visible red scratches across his face, giving a somewhat morbid addition to his invisible visage.

“No, no, hold on!” Kurtzwick said as Raini extended her claws with an audible clicking noise. “I’m not going to rat you out or anything!” He paused and looked thoughtful. “Heh. ‘Rat.’ That wasn’t intentional.”

Raini glared at him.

“Right, getting to the point.” Kurtzwick slowly uncoiled and slid to the floor. “Anyway, I was saying that you’re getting good at thieving. Nobody ever sees you coming or going. The only problem is you leave too much evidence. Interested in learning the ropes?”

Five minutes later, a pair of eyes with red scratches between them fled the closet. This attracted the attention of one of the security guards who, along with a janitor, was examining the broken vending machine. The guard immediately tore off down the hallway after the phantom. However, the guard was accompanied by his Pokemon, a Trapinch – and the Trapinch, being marginally more thoughtful than his trainer, took a close look at where the phantom was fleeing from.

A closet, the Trapinch thought. The door was open. He took a hesitant look inside.

Empty.

Well, not entirely empty. While there was nobody in the closet, true, there was a large stack of candy that, the Trapinch reasoned, probably came from the candy machine. At first glance, the Trapinch continued in his head, it would be not a bad idea to suspect whatever invisible thing just rushed down the hallway, and that would likely be the conclusion that his trainer came to.

However, the Trapinch knew better.

The creature that had flown down the hallway had been moving with a slithering motion, which meant that it was likely a snakelike Pokemon, probably invisible with the aid of one of those blasted juices that they sold at the department store. Everyone and their mother could turn invisible at a whim if they had the cash, which meant that it was pretty difficult, being a guard. The Trapinch returned his gaze to the candy. There were neat, thin holes through several of the candy bars. While it would be convenient to attribute the holes to the teeth of any of the several snake Pokemon, perhaps a Seviper, Trapinch doubted it. These holes looked too small, and there were too many of them in close clusters to be teeth.

The Trapinch came to his conclusion. The holes, then, were caused by claws. That would explain the three neat holes in clusters in each of the candy bars. And that meant that the snake currently being chased by his trainer was not the culprit. There was another thief and vandal somewhere in the building.

The Trapinch’s owner may have only been a guard for a Guild building (or, as the guard put it whenever he was trying to be funny, a “Guilding,” since nobody had ever told him that portmanteaus weren’t clever), but he, the Trapinch, had been gifted with one of the most amazing deductive minds in Ulthuan. Or, at least, that’s what he told himself. All that his trainer knew was that when his Trapinch, Pinchy, was around, more would-be thieves and trespassers got caught than when anyone else was on duty.

Pinchy smiled and faded away into invisibility. He had a thief to catch.

Raini watched from a grate in the airducts. The Trapinch hadn’t chased her bait. That meant he was probably slightly more intelligent than the guard who had gone after Kurtzwick. She’d have to keep her eye on this one.

A voice spoke from behind her. “You would be our thief. Am I right?” The voice echoed against the cold metal, and Raini jumped and wheeled around. The Trapinch, against every physical law that Raini had thought she knew, was standing in the vent behind her. She frowned and pressed a paw to the side of her head, her eyes glowing blue.

Pinchy’s eyes twinkled. “I am assuming from your reaction that you are. Now, a Meowth… that does fit my profile quite well. And, judging from what you’re trying to do right now… I’d say… Hm… Hidden Power, of the Psychic type. A useful tool for Pokemon not naturally Psychic. I know that better than most. You’ve probably used it before to escape from situations like this, am I right?” He paused for a second, watching as Raini continued to try to probe his mind. “It won’t work this time, though.”

Raini hissed. She extended her claws, and with a series of slashes faster than the eye could follow, she sliced open the grate underneath her. She dropped down to the floor and fled on all fours.

“Run all you like, my friend,” Pinchy said. “I’ll catch up to you. I have all the time in the world…”

The work day ended with more or less no incident. Jeff found himself at home once again – the day had not gone as well as he had hoped. At some point in the afternoon, he had fallen asleep – that was what must have happened, Jeff rationalized, because there was a large chunk of the afternoon he didn’t remember. When he woke up, his machine had been systematically dismantled. It hadn’t been destroyed, Jeff noted, but it had been taken apart piece by piece with care. Jeff figured that whoever the vandal was that knocked down the snack machine must have undone his machine, but something about that didn’t quite ring true.

Jeff sighed and took a bite of his microwave dinner. He didn’t quite have the drive to cook anything elaborate. Besides, the last time he had tried cooking – two days prior – he had felt oddly compelled to see how well the stovetop was heating up, and he had touched it. That had been a bad idea, Jeff reflected as he looked at the bandage on the side of his hand. He wondered what had ever given him the idea.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Raini curled up on the pillow. All things considered, aside from that stupid Trapinch, it had been a decent day. Kurtzwick had avoided her for the rest of the day, which she particularly enjoyed. Maybe he was finally learning. Previsiona hadn’t been around for most of the day either, which was a relief. Raini never liked use her Hidden Power on Previsiona; it always seemed unfair, somehow. She always had to rely on Previsiona’s cheerful naiveté; Previsiona never quite caught onto the fact that Raini wasn’t always as happy and easygoing as she seemed.

Plus, Raini had gotten chocolate. Any day that involved chocolate automatically got bumped up a few notches on the good-o-meter.

The next day, Jeff woke up early. He took extra care not to wake up Raini; very few of his Pokemon liked to be getting up before dawn. Not that Jeff did, but the dismantling of his prized work meant that he was going to be putting in overtime for the next few days. Raini, sleeping soundly, didn’t even notice. She woke up a few hours later, after the sun was up, and that was only because someone was speaking directly into her ear.

“Good morning.”

Raini jumped and clung to the bed’s headboard. There, standing on top of the bed, was… no. How did he pull that off? It was the Trapinch.

“I trust your respite finds you well?” Pinchy said. He grinned, an impressive feat with a mouth the size of his. “I thought I’d come and pay you a visit.”

Raini frowned.

“Ah, how did I find you? A simple measure of referencing all known trainers of black Meowths, and figuring out which among them would be in the Guild at that time. It wasn’t a perfect idea, but when I noticed that one Jeff Azure also trained a peculiar invisible Dratini, all the pieces fell into place. And so here I am.”

Raini let go of the headboard and dropped back down to the bed. Her claws extended, but Pinchy didn’t waver.

“Oh, is that right? Do you intend to fight me?” Pinchy laughed. “I couldn’t fight you here.” He locked eyes with Raini again. “Make no mistake. You’re a thief, and a vicious one. I will fight you. But not here.” Pinchy hopped down from the bed and walked towards the window, which, Raini noticed for the first time, was open. “Meet me at the old quarry. You’re free to not show, of course, but understand that I will keep finding you until I capture you. It would be in your best interest to head this off at the pass, so to speak, am I right?” Without waiting for an answer, he jumped out of the window into the yard outside.

Raini leaped after him and drove her claws into the spot where he should have landed. What she got was, instead, a pawful of dirt. She looked around and glowered. Pinchy was nowhere to be seen.

There was nothing for it, then. She pulled her claws out of the ground and began the walk to the quarry.

The quarry wasn’t very far away, but walking did eat up a considerable chunk of time. Raini traveled from bush to bush, tree to tree, anything to avoid being spotted in the street. If she got seen, someone would surely try to get her back home, or worse, try to engage her. She didn’t have the patience for that right now, Raini figured, and she wanted to save her energy for the Trapinch. Eventually, the looming shape of the quarry rose over the horizon. There was nobody there today. Perhaps people were on their lunch break. Raini didn’t care. The fewer people or Pokemon around to watch her take down the Trapinch, the better. No witnesses.

Pinchy dropped down from a boulder. “Glad to see you’ve made it. No point in beating around the bush, am I right?”

Raini extended her claws.

Make her pay!
PINCHY vs. RAINI
Pinchy: “Am I right?”
Raini: “…”

Raini jumped into air and descended, claws first, straight at Pinchy. Pinchy smiled. “Starting off fast, I see… Then I shall do the same.” With speed belying his size, Pinchy burrowed into the ground and filled in the hole behind him, leaving no evidence that he had ever been there. Raini landed, and for the second time in one day, ended up having to pry her claws free from the ground. She hissed quietly and looked around.

Nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. There were plenty of boulders around, that was for sure. But no Trapinch. Raini frowned and pressed a paw to her head, her eyes glowing blue.

“No psychic powers today, I’m afraid,” said Pinchy’s voice, clear as day despite being somewhere underground. The blue rapidly drained from Raini’s eyes and she found her head throbbing with a massive ache. “It doesn’t work when your opponent knows your tricks better than you do.”

The ground parted underneath Raini’s feet and grew into a spiral of sand. Pinchy’s head appeared at the bottom, grinning. Raini scrabbled for a hold, but the sand was yielding and crumbled under her paws. She slowly slid down to Pinchy’s waiting jaws, which he had opened wide.

Raini yelped out as Pinchy closed his teeth over her foot. He shook his head, swinging her from side to side. She growled and twisted around, bending double until she could reach Pinchy, and neatly closed her teeth around his neck.

Pinchy paused. “It seems we’re at an impasse,” he muttered through a mouthful of foot. “I should try something else…” In one swift motion, he dropped Raini’s foot and burrowed into the ground again, fast enough that Raini let go. She slowly began the trek back to solid ground, finding occasional footholds in the sandy vortex. But as soon as she arrived at the surface, the vortex closed back up. As Raini turned to look at it, the ground underneath her flared up in an explosion of energy. It blasted her into the air, scorching her and changing her chameleon-esque fur into a dusty brown. Just as she began to descend, another pillar of earth blew up, catching her and sending her flying. The third pillar sent her the highest, and she landed with a sickening crack on a boulder. Raini winced and slowly picked herself up, gauging the best way to get back to the ground.

“A nice vantage point!” Pinchy said, emerging from the ground. “But it won’t be for long, am I right?” Before Raini could react, the boulder she was sitting on rose into the air and rotated 180 degrees, throwing her to the ground. It hovered over her and unceremoniously dropped. Raini narrowly rolled out of the way, and came face-to-face with Pinchy. “How about it?” he asked. “Ready to give in? I can keep this up all day.”

Raini growled. In lieu of an answer, she sliced him across the face.

Pinchy yelled and jumped back. “All right! So you still want to go!” He took another step back and stomped on the ground. An ominous rumble spread through the dirt, and soon, a gaping chasm opened up underneath Raini, its bottom too far down to be seen. Raini stumbled backwards and slid down, but she managed to stop herself by grabbing a relatively solid clod of dirt.

Pinchy smiled. “How’s that feel, huh? All that was for nothing…” He stepped forward and stomped on Raini’s paws, sending her scrabbling. Her eyes opened wide as, in a heart-stopping moment, the dirt underneath her paws gave way.

She fell a few feet before she managed to plant her claws squarely into the chasm’s wall. Raini slowly drew her other paw up and planted it into the wall as well, drawing herself upwards. She made her way to the surface and met Pinchy’s eyes. Raini propelled herself up out of the chasm and flew at Pinchy, and this time, he failed to react in time: as he was halfway through digging a hole, Raini hit him coming down with a slash, then followed it up with a slash on the upswing as well. Pinchy stumbled back, nursing the bright red scratches on his carapace, but wasn’t ready for Raini’s next volley of strikes. She stayed in his face and hit with as many strikes as she could muster, and when she tired, she jumped back and fired a cluster of homing, star-shaped missiles at the Trapinch.

The Swift attack hit home. Each star threw Pinchy a little further into the air. The last one sent him flying over a particularly large stack of boulders.

Raini waited for a moment. A quiet ‘thud’ confirmed to her that he hit the ground. The lack of further sounds meant he wasn’t moving.

Good.

Raini wins! Raini grows to level 7!

Her fur returned to its normal deep black. Raini licked the back of her paw and left the quarry. A small smirk crossed her face.

Nobody could cross her.

Lady Vulpix

19th December 2010, 04:37 PM

Better late than never, Jeff! Take 26 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

That was a very good story. Too bad Raini didn't seem to learn anything from the experience. She can be quite scary.

By the way, was the coma thing a wink to the length of time that has passed since the previous story?

I've made most of the comments via IM, so there's not much left to say here. Just... I hope you can keep posting here every now and then.

The Blue Avenger

19th December 2010, 06:26 PM

While I'm here, I'd like a 2-v-2 RBG from the UAC for Raini and Maza, please. *hands over 14 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

19th December 2010, 06:43 PM

They will battle a Spiritomb and a Spoink. O_o

MeLoVeGhOsTs

20th December 2010, 12:05 PM

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/jingleweasel/Pokemon/sneasel-mlg.png

***

'Sector Alpha'.

That was what the paper in his hand said as he stared at the sea with a determined, yet uneasy look. Matt was a boy roughly 19 years old. His hair was messy, colored a filthy blonde, which fit ‘nicely’ with his dirty jeans and trio of hoodies. He had lived on the north side of Chrace his whole life, together with his father and grandfather. Both of them told stories. Stories about magic, stories about gates, demons, stuff nobody believed. Well, almost nobody.

The stories sparked the young lad's interest more than a few times, and so he soon developed a cliché, but healthy child-fantasy of becoming a trainer. Not just a regular trainer, but a trainer that would actually mean something. At the same time, he wanted to find proof that the stories his father and grandfather told were true.

His own father didn’t believe in the stories, but he liked telling them anyway; which pissed off Matt more than once. His father would just laugh at Matt, telling him how great he was for believing in heroes and legends, while his grandfather would silently smile and support Matt.

Now, with both of them gone, he had no other option than Sector Alpha, where he’s supposed to meet someone . Someone that might take care of his problems.

***

Matt zipped up his top hoodie, making a shivering sound as a dark-blue and green Sneasel sighed and handed the boy a jacket.

“Yeah, make fun of the non-ice-type here, Loki, how typical” Matt smirked as he rolled his eyes.

He got up and slowly started walking again. The Sneasel just lifted his shoulders, gave a small smirk when Matt couldn’t see and tagged along quietly. Loki, was Matt’s partner pokemon, given to him by his grandfather. The weasel was tricky, fast and a good companion; or so his grandfather claimed. Matt however, got irritated quickly by his nasty behaviour - dark pokemon had a niche for being bastards, and Loki was no exception. He was a good and loyal pokemon (atleast to Matt), but was still young, foolish and arrogant; and he needed training.

Both of them were walking on a dirt-road that lead them along the east-shoreline of Caledor. Matt was searching for Sector Alpha for a while now, but didn’t found any directions. He wasn’t too fond of strangers, but any help was welcome now. Just from over the hill came a yellow and blue sheep and it looked pissed. The pokemon looked ready to explode as it rushed towards Matt in a raging pace.

Loki Black (l.5) VS. Mareep.

Loki immediately sensed the creature approaching and took a battle stance, while Matt was still pondering on the reason of this rampage. The Mareep looked slightly damaged already and unable to stop. It rushed forwards, slamming its body into Loki, which resulted in a payback-scratch attack. Loki grunted and got back up. Mareep was slightly bleating and fixed it’s eyes on Loki.

“It’s going to intimidate you! Don’t let it Growl, use Taunt!” Matt commanded after seeing the Mareep’s move.

Loki gave his typical smirk and started throwing insults at the sheep. Mareep frowned as he couldn’t hear what Loki was saying and just charged in for another Tackle attack. Loki was caught by surprise and got rammed out of the way, while Matt jumped to the right to avoid the charging pokemon.

“Goddamnit, it’s a bloody sheep! Let’s destroy it!” Matt said, irritated. “Wait till it stops for a breather, then lock your eyes!”

The Mareep turned around after nearly hitting Matt and prepared another Growl attack. This time, however, it stopped when it saw the weasel’s vicious – yet provoking – eyes. Loki smirked and rushed forwards, while Mareep did the same, not wanting to give up this head to head challenge. Both pokemon were only one meter away, when Loki suddenly used his superior agility to jump up.

“Now, Loki, Ice Punch! Then a double scratch attack!” Matt said, a little nervous. He had studied up on moves and strategies for a year or five, but had – aside from two minor occasions –never actually battled before. Loki, still in the air, gave a slight nod and flipped his body so that his head was facing the ground. He dived down while light blue icy streams were dancing around his right fist. It connected with the Mareep who screamed out in pain, before getting scratched twice in the face. The sheep fell through its paws and collapsed.

Loki Black grew to level 6.

“Good job Loki, nice moves” Matt said. “Though I’m not sure why the thing rushed at us..”

The weasel lifted his shoulders and cleaned his claws, acting all uninterested.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re the man and I think too much” Matt said looking at his pokemon. “Let’s go”

(It's a pretty short battle, but I'm not that good of a writer and I just wanted to test out this first. A sort of introduction. Tell me what you think of it, don't hold back. Seriously.)

Lady Vulpix

20th December 2010, 12:55 PM

That was not bad at all for a first battle. You can still have 2 more battles for this scenario, and as many RBG battles as you can afford. Take 8 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

You chose an interesting background for your characters. I'd like to see how their story unfolds.

MeLoVeGhOsTs

21st December 2010, 04:04 AM

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/jingleweasel/Pokemon/sneasel-mlg.png

***

Loki grinned and took that last remark – even though he could detect the sarcasm – as a compliment. They were still on the same dirt road heading for Sector Alpha, in search of help, when Loki spotted a long stone obelisk on a small hill, about ten meters from their current location. The inpatient pokemon got on all fours and rushed ahead.

“Wait Loki, hold on!” Matt yelled, knowing that it was of no avail. As soon as Loki reached the hill a female trainer appeared, smiling. Loki stopped at once smelling something fishy, but didn’t expect the incoming flash that knocked him back two meters. He grunted as Matt finally arrived to the scene.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You didn’t need to attack my pokemon, for what reason?” Matt said, pretty pissed. The trainer just snorted and slowly started walking towards Matt.

“Stay away creep. You talk, or you back off, got it?” Matt demanded, his eyes fixed on the girl.

“My my, what a big mouth you got. What are you going to do when I don’t give in to any of your demands? Send out your big bad pokemon and beat me to a pulp?” She said, her grin widening , as the flash from before halted next to her revealing it to be a speedy Beautifly.

“Touché” Matt said, knowing that her pokemon looked much more experienced. “but at least my partner doesn’t look like an enhanced gay butterfly with pretty colors and a dick for a mouth”

Her grin vanished quickly and her eyes narrowed while Loki high-fived his trainer, giving him a ‘thumbs’ up. Beautifly looked unaffected, but that couldn’t be said for her trainer.

Male Sneasel, Loki (l.6) vs. female Beautifly (l.15)

“Dawn, Gust!” She exclaimed as the beautifly started flapping her wings. A small tornado-ish pillar appeared before her , and with a high battle cry she released it. Loki and Matt both got picked up easily by the wind and tossed aside. Loki landed on all fours, but Matt wasn’t that lucky; or agile.

“Bitch..” Matt grunted, touching his by now sore knee. “Loki, Scratch!”

The Sneasel got the message and rushed forwards. Dawn was pretty fast for a Beautifly, so Matt observed, but Sneasel were born with speed. No way he would let this woman bluff him in speed. His grandfather told him that Loki was a ‘tricky, fast and a good companion’ and that was exactly what Matt was going to focus on: his strongest characteristics. The companion part was already covered for a while now, so Matt smirked as he thought of a tricky and speedy plan.

Loki was still rushing towards Dawn, when her trainer shouted out commands. The long appendage on her mouth produced a silky string of sticky goo, which was released a seconds later. Loki got trapped in the strings and slowed his pace.

“You really think I never fought a Sneasel before? Sneaky bastards, and too fast for their own good. Dawn here has a solution for that” The woman said, as her arrogant smile returned. “String shot again!”

“Loki, Scratch yourself loose and jump into the air, quickly!”

Loki started scratching and got rid of the few threads that were left, before leaping into the air. The second String Shot missed its target.

“Taunt!” Matt commanded.

Still in the air, Loki gave off a series of insults which I’m not going to repeat out of respect for that Beautifly, but it was penis-related. The beautifly immediately fell for the Taunt and rushed forwards in a tantrum, preparing a speedy tackle.

“Good Loki! Now Icepunch when it’s really close!”

The Beautifly shot ahead, only inches from Loki and received a well-placed Icepunch that did not only cause great damage to the frail bug, but also froze part of her left wing.

“That’s what I’m talking about, now Icepunch again!” Matt said, thanking the gods for this bit of luck.

“Dawn, Harden!” the girl exclaimed, gritting her teeth at this misfortune. “and again!”

Loki approached and hit the battered wings again with an Icepunch, nailing the bug to the floor. Dawn tried to concentrate on strengthening her body to withstand the assault, but the Taunt had left her in a small rampage, which resulted in her flapping her wings frantically trying to attack the weasel.

“More Ice Punches!” Matt said as Loki kept up his assault, tiring him greatly.

“Tackle it!” she responded.

The hammering was a big hit for Dawn, who lost nearly all of her speed now due being grounded. She could only headbutt Loki, who was taken aback by it, but kept going. Finally, the butterfly stopped resisting and fainted.

Matt spotted the girl as she ran off, hopping onto a small motorbike parked behind the obelisk. She stretched out her arm, returned her pokemon, gave Matt the middle finger and sped away.

Loki grew to level 8.

“Good fight there Loki, you were amazing!” Matt said turning his head back to his partner.

Loki however, had passed out. Matt worried and returned him to his pokeball before running towards the nearest town or city. He knew he lucked out today, because of type-advantage and a lucky freeze, but Loki was badly damaged and thus making him defenseless now. He needed to hurry.

Lady Vulpix

21st December 2010, 06:24 AM

Wow, you're a fast writer! Take 7 stamps. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Your character is a bit of an anti-hero, isn't he? I wonder where exactly these events are taking place. Are they in Caledor or Ellyrion? It's still hard to tell whether the trainer Matt and Loki have been fighting has anything to do with Yssera or not, but of course they probably wouldn't know that, if they're traveling from Chrace. You've managed to make the battle believable in spite of the level difference, so congratulations!

MeLoVeGhOsTs

21st December 2010, 06:51 AM

Well, I'm still learning about Ulthuan, Yssera, Dragon Tamers, etc. and so is my character. I didn't want to explain everything from the beginning, and I won't. I'm just rolling into role-playing, sort of..

Matt's in Caledor, though.

Lady Vulpix

23rd December 2010, 10:00 PM

Note: Orknye is either a selkie or a Dewgong, depending on the world he's on. He's also quite unusual in that he has the power to walk into others' dreams. This may be confusing to those who haven't read my previous stories or don't remember them, so if you have any questions, you can ask me or just accept him as he comes, along with the rest of his team. They're weird, but not quite the weirdest characters Ulthuan has seen.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Gabi's POV>

There wasn't much time left. We had found a way to undo the brainwashing, but the reports from Sybyll were a clear sign that Yssera was getting stronger and had already launched the first wave of her attack. I wished we could organize all the trainers faster, but of course, I wouldn't have resorted to brainwashing even if it were an option. In that sense Yssera had an advantage over us. And there was still all the paperwork - oh, the dreaded paperwork! We'd just imported a new set of TMs for the Reward Center and the amount of forms I had to fill in for them was ridiculous. Not to mention we still hadn't solved the defective dubious Discs issue, if it really was an issue and not a hoax. None of the Guild's researchers had found anything abnormal in any Dubious Discs, but they didn't discard the possible existence of a black market which sold adulterated products. And of course, there was my Ponyta report which had been on hold for months. I really wished I could multiply myself, or stop time or something.

All those things were going through my mind when I heard the office door open. I looked up from my desk and met a sight for sore eyes.

"Amy! You're here!" I exclaimed. She had been away for far too long and hadn't sent as much as a note explaining her absence.
"Yeah," Amy grinned. "Sorry about being gone so long."
"What happened?" I asked, still worried. "Are you OK?"
Amy frowned. "Didn't Flame show up with my message? I sent him when I realized that the short weekend trip that I had planned was going to take a turn for a much longer stay."
"Flame? No. When was that?"
"It was shortly after I arrived at my parents' and learned that she was having minor surgery. I knew that I would be gone a while so I sent him once I learned about the news and then I figured that would be the quickest. I figured when he didn't come back that he was needed. After a couple weeks when he still hadn't returned I tried to call only to learn that my phone had no service whatsoever."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is she OK? And Flame... Is he lost?"
"Yeah Mom's fine now," Amy replied, his eyes narrowed in concern as she thought of Flame. "It seems like he is. If I had known, I would have come back sooner despite doctor's orders."
"Why couldn't you send me an e-mail or something?" I asked her.
"Honestly, I don't know. I was preparing to come back and I must have lifted something heavy or soemthing and my back when out. Then I was too doped up on pain meds that I couldn't think straight..."
"Oh, sorry." I paused for a moment to look at her. "How are you feeling now?"
"Better. Had to go through physical therapy to stregthen it back up. I just have to be careful about lifing anything heavy. So what exactly is going on? You look like you've been busy."
"Haven't I always? But you're right, things aren't going well right now. Do you remember our last confrontation with Yssera's minions?"
"Yeah. Vaguely, but yes."
"We've been preparing to face them again, and have even managed to release some of them, but it seems Yssera was faster than we were. Her forces seem to be bigger now, and they're attacking Sybyll."
"Well, if you need us then we're willing to do what we can too."
"Thanks. I appreciate that. But shouldn't you be focusing on getting well? Going on a mission like this could be dangerous."
amy smiled. "Gabi, I appreciate your concern, but my back's pretty much as good as it's ever going to get. Yes, it won't ever be the same, but as long as I continue to do my exercises, and don't do any overly heaving lifting, I should be okay."
"OK, then, if you're sure. I admit I was worried about having to go to White Mountain on my own. Most trainers will be going to Sybyll to help stop the attacks, but we need to find Yssera to make sure she can't regroup and strike again. And we'll need experienced trainers and pokemon for that."
"I'm sure."

Amy frowned as she thought of something. "Last time, didn't she target dragon types as well as those that could be considered dragons?"
"I think she did. But she got other kinds of pokemon too. Why?"
"I was just wondering if she has anything to do with Flame's disappeareance."
"I seriously hope not."
"You and me both."
"We'll look for him," I promised. "Do you have a photo? We can make posters, maybe even a public announcement. I'm afraid we can't delay our trip too much longer, but if Yssera has him, going there may be the only way to find him. And if he's somewhere else, we'll look for him when we return. Maybe Tracker can help! This is exactly the kind of job at which she's best."
"I understand... Before we left the team had come across my camera and the ones that could use it were enjoying taking cadid shots of the others so if its there, there is a possibility that there was a picture of him on it. Hopefully he will be somewhere else."
"I hope so too."
"So, what do you need me to do?" Amy asked.
"If you feel up to it, I will need you and your team to come to me to White Mountain. We need to find Yssera and stop her before the situation goes completely out of control. I'm not sure of how we're going to do that yet, but Lagi said she'd try talking to the pegasus on the mountain, so maybe they will help us. And I think Golden Growlithe from the Dragon's Guild will be coming too."
I thought for a moment and added: "I can't think of anyone else to ask. Most trainers will have their hands full containing the situation in Sybyll, and White Mountain is bound to be even more dangerous."
"All right," she accepted. "Most of my team will probably be coming with me. I know Sugar will want to stay behind with Danny and I'll let Ebony stay behind as well to make sure the house is still standing when i get back. The rest will probably want to come."
"That's good to hear," I said with a smile. "Maybe together we can find a way to stop her. So... how fast can we get ready to leave? I still need to talk to Golden Growlithe but I have a feeling he's been ready for a while now."
"I'll just have to make a quick trip to the house and get the rest of the team. I only have Tiny and Colby with me and they just came from the pokecenter. Other than that we're pretty much ready."
"OK. I already have train tickets to Sybyll for all Dragon Tamers, redeemable within a 90-day period. I'll have to make sure everything's in order here... Could we leave in the morning? We can meet either here or at the station."
"Morning sounds good to me. We could meet here if you want?"
"OK."

Amy left catch up with her own work, or at least set her things in order, and then went to her house to meet the rest of her team. In the meantime I gave Golden Growlithe a quick call to notify him of our decision.

"Tomorrow morning, then?" he said. "Sounds good. I only hope Yssera's minions can't cause too much damage until then. If you don't mind I'd like to leave tonight and check on Glyph and Orknye, see if they're OK and if they have any new intel we can use. But if you need me to do something here just say so."
"You're not my slave, you know," I chuckled. I wasn't used to people going out of their way to please me. "Of course you can go. Besides, anything you can learn from them will be useful, and you can help them get ready to join the rest of us tomorrow."
"That I can do. Helping others get ready for battle is the one thing at which I'm better than Glyph."
"I'm sure you're good at many other things."
"Maybe, but he's good at just about everything. I'm honored that he chose me as his trainer."
"If he's as good as you say, he must have made a wise choice," I told him. "Trust yourself and your friends. It's the only way we can ever stand a chance against Yssera. Judging by the data we've gathered, either hesitation or overconfidence can be anyone's downfall."
"Right. So who has the magic mirror?"
"Shonta has it. I'll call her now to make sure she comes tomorrow. Whether she stays in Sybyll or goes to White Mountain, we'll really need her help both during and after the combat."
"Right, we sure will. So... is there anything I should say to any trainers I meet?"
"Just tell them to take the morning train to Sybyll tomorrow, to try to stay close to other trainers, keep their pokemon in sight and be careful. They should focus on damage control and avoid doing anything crazy."
"Speaking of which... what will we be doing?"
"Something crazy," I laughed. "But we'll be moving in a large group, so we may stand a chance. As long as no one tries to play hero - no allusion to a certain Ninetales intended - we shouldn't be giving Yssera any openings."
"Should I also tell people to ignore any strange voices in their heads, no matter how sensible or appealing they may sound?"
"Yes, definitely. And I'll remember to tell that to every trainer I meet."

I phoned Shonta next and was relieved to learn that she still had the mirror. Things were finally starting to look better for us. I told her we were taking the train to Sybyll the next morning, and she said she'd be there and help as many of Yssera's victims as she could. I also got ahold of Jeff, who said he'd be in Sybyll as soon as he could get there. I couldn't contact anyone else in person, but I sent a broadcast to all Dragon Tamers. In spite of the circumstances, it felt good to be sending a DT broadcast after all that time.

<Orknye's POV>

There's a common belief on Earth that sharing a power with your enemy makes the two of you somehow bound by fate. I'm glad I've never shared that belief, or else things could have gone far worse for me that night.

It started out as a beautiful dream. I was swimming in a transparent sea, watching the rays of sunlight play with the surface of the water, when a group of selkies showed up and started swimming around me. One poked my tail and shouted "touched", which is basically an equivalent of "you're it". I looked at my tail and saw it was grey as it used to be back home. I said to myself: "this is a dream, but it's the kind of dream I like. I'll stay here for tonight." And so I chased after my imaginary friend. But before I could reach him, something stopped me. It felt like a water current, but it was strange. I felt some kind of... intention in it. And then I noticed it. The presence Glyph and I had been observing for days.

"What are you doing here?!" I yelled. "I don't want you! Go away!"
"Is that a proper way to treat a fellow dream walker?" replied an unlocalized female voice.
"Didn't you hear me? You're not welcome here!"
"Oh, dear, such hostility! And here all I wanted was to pay you a friendly visit."
"There's nothing friendly about you."
"On the contrary, I'm all about making new friends."

I could swear I saw the water form a sinister grin, but even if I did it could have come from my imagination. It was my dream after all.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she insisted.
"You know the answer to that question," I told her. "After all you've been doing, anyone in their right mind would hate you!"
"I know I'm widely misunderstood these days... But why you? You can't hate me for visiting others in their dreams. After all, you do that almost every night."
"You're right about one thing: that's not why I hate you. But I don't believe you don't know the true reason."
"What else could it be? All I've been doing is help others and let them help me in return. And you've come such a long way... just to fight me?"
"How... How can you know that?"
"I know what's in your heart. It's one of my many abilities, but even if it weren't I've seen it here. You belong to a species that doesn't exist in Ulthuan... perhaps on Earth as a whole. And you want to go home with your own kind. Who can blame you for that? Anyone would miss home after being so far away for so long!"
I was begining to feel scared. "You don't know where my home is, do you?"
"I know it's further away than I've ever been, and I know how much you miss it. It's funny, come to think of it... I might be able to go there and be free."
At this point I was starting to panic.
"But then I wouldn't be able to come back here," she continued, "not with this accursed seal still on me. No, that won't do. This world is my home. Besides, I have unfinished business here. So if you were worried that I could go and invade your homeworld, put your mind at rest. I'm not interested."

I felt somewhat relieved, but I was still uneasy.

"You have nothing to worry about," she assured, her voice beginning to fade away. "Nothing to fear. This is your dream. Enjoy it. Have sweet dreams of home. I won't do anything to stop you."

I felt her presence start to vanish. For a moment I was surprised that she was leaving just like that, but I was soon engulfed by the feeling of longing and the thoughts of my home. How could I not give in to them? I was dreaming of what I wanted the most. I wouldn't become Yssera's servant. I would only relax and take a long-awaited break within my mindscape. It was only supposed to last for the night. I never expected that final kick that made things change, and only realized there'd still been a trace of Yssera's presence while I relaxed once it was completely gone and I felt real water touch my skin.

I woke up and looked around, then looked at myself and sighed. That wasn't how I wanted it. I blamed myself for letting Yssera outsmart me, and quickly got out of the water. Luckily I could use my land form while I was in Bei, so I wouldn't have to crawl all the way to Harims's house to ask for her help. But I still had a long day ahead of me, and an even longer journey back to White Mountain.

<Caledor's POV>

And so came the day when we all took the train to Sybyll. I had Froot Loops for breakfast, which is irrelevant but it's nice to say irrelevant things once in a while. We met Amy's team at DTHQ and I got to snuggle Kiara on the way to the station and assure her that we'd fine her missing teammate and everything would be alright. Of course I had no real way to know that, but I'm an Espeon, so I can bluff like that. And maybe if you bluff long enough it will become true!

Gabi and Amy gave some tips to other trainers while we waited for the train. The place was quite crowded. I recognized some pokemon from the MTU, but I didn't want to separate myself from my team to greet them. I didn't want to scare my friends when they turned and didn't see me.

The train ride felt longer than usual. There was so much anxiety in the air you could sink your teeth in it. I don't know how Lagi handled it. Or maybe she handled everyone else's anxiety better than her own. I hate to admit it, but it was hard to cheer my friends up.

Then we finally got to Sybyll and found the place was quite a mess. Crowds were clogging the streets, trainers and pokemon were fighting each other, but for some reason none of the troublemakers had tried to mess with the train. It was Gabi who pointed that out.

"It's strange, isn't it? The train has arrived without a problem. Why didn't they try to stop us?"
"Either they don't care who comes and goes, or they're thinking of arrivals as potential allies," Ventura theorized. "I wouldn't be surprised if Yssera was trying to attract new recruits from other provinces."
"I'd rather it be the first option but that second one is probably it," said Kiara.

I rubbed her fur with my nose, trying to shake the worries away from her, but there was no use this time.

"I'd find it strange if she didn't know we came in that train," Gabi made things worse.
"So would I, but... she doesn't think we can't beat her," Lagi commented. "I wouldn't put it past her to want to show us the futility of our efforts. To be honest I'm not even sure we stand a chance against her."
"Now's not the time to be discouraged," Gabi finally joined the light side. "We'll all go together and give it our all. Giving up is not an option, there's too much at stake."

Amy nodded in agreement. And so did I.

"So now we move forward and fight whatever's in the way between us and and the dragon?" Hero suggested.
"That could take too long," Gabi told him. "We should focus on finding her as fast as possible. Battles would slow us down."
"Of course, nobody wants that, but just look around. We won't be able to get there without a fight."
"We'll do our best and battle only when we can't avoid it. Why am I telling you this? You know what I mean."
Hero grinned.

We all left the train station trying our best to avoid fights. We hadn't gone very far when there was a rumbling noise and Aiyana, who was padding by Amy's side, gave a yelp. The ground under her paws had erupted upwards and now a Trapinch was biting her hind paw!

"What happened?" Lagi turned to look in Yana's direction, but then suddenly began to look everywhere. "Oh, no, so much for avoiding battles. They're coming straight to us."

No sooner did she say that than an angry-looking Charizard approached us. Not any of the many Charizards we'd met before, which was a good thing, I guess. That's when Ventura assumed her role as a de-facto trainer.

"Lagi, you fly to White Mountain and try to find some backup. We'll handle this."

The Charizard tried to shoot a Flamethrower at Sylvan, but Amber got in the middle and blocked it with her body. The scene was becoming too familiar.

"This isn't a game, let me handle it," Amber told Ventura, who ignored her and kept shouting at Lagi.
"Whatever. Just go. Now!"
Lagi looked at Gabi for a moment, and then took off with a cry of "I'll see you all soon!"

Level 55 female Charizard vs. Level 55 male Charizard

Amber didn't waste time and used a powerful move, sending the enemy Charizard away with a strong Aeroblast. But her opponent recovered quickly and used the momentum to rise up in the sky. None of Amber's moves could reach him up there. For a moment I thought we could take the chance to run away from him, but then I remembered Yana was still fighting that nasty Trapinch. The Charizard plunged down and rammed straight into Amber. The scene repeated itself: Amber's Aeroblast blew the other Charizard away from her, he took off, Amber was helpless when he came down for her. They both looked pretty battered after that exchange. Luckily, Amber was quick enough to slash him before he could get back up. He collapsed on top of her, and Sylvan used her vines to free her from his weight while telling her that she needed to stop doing that.

Amber grew to level 57!

I noticed she hadn't used the move that would have been most effective against a Charizard. Others would have thought she'd been reckless and taken unnecessary risks, but I knew better, and I trust my rest of my team did too. After all, no one said a word to her about that. Amber would never use Rock Slide in a situation like that one. That Charizard was bound to be just an innocent victim, and inflicting such pain on him was beyond the one who had gained a reputation as the sweetest Charizard in Ulthuan. She only ever fought to defend those she loved, and was never willing to cause unnecessary suffering. Such was the Amber we knew and loved.

To be continued... sometime next year. Feel free to rate this part.

lvl100mewtwo

25th December 2010, 12:34 AM

Working Out the Bugs

“Hurry up Bruce, you’re lagging behind! Take off some restrictions from your belt if you keep on dropping back” A voice howled. My limber and paralysed body kept swaying in the arm of whoever was carrying me at this point. Ceiling tiles moved at a fast pace. My eyes could barely stay open, my senses were reacting slowly, probably a side effect of paralysis at this point.

Whoever was carrying me stopped for a few moments, a few clicks were heard and the pace picked up once more. A flurry of dust and wood went all over the place; a loud thud was heard as the load bearing pieces of wood fell to the floor. A sudden rush of cool air was felt along my arms. The damp smell out outdoor and rain invigorated my nose.

“Mm...Mace...Macedon... can’t... take... the rain...” I muttered. I was trying to warn whoever was saving us at this moment to help my little pokemon. I could feel a tug on my back, as someone was rummaging through my backpack.

The feeling started to come back to my extremities, as we started to walk outside, rain dripping on me. A small cry could be heard in the back, Macedon was getting pelted by the rain. A soothing voice calmed Macedon’s cries as they were getting fainter.

The pace quickened, the air was humid. All that was running through my head at this point was the battle, how I was lucky enough to have escaped that with a few minor injuries and this partial paralysis. How could I be so careless? Why didn’t I keep an eye open to what was going on? It had been far too long but the same mistakes were coming back. A sudden jolt came through my body, the cold wet air hit my face once more, and finally, darkness...

~~~~~~~~

“So this is the new batch of recruits eh Gabs?” I said as I looked over the kids all lined up, poke-balls, strapped to their hips, hope in their eyes.

“Last I checked Alex; this was you about 2-3 years back, you were just a little enthusiastic kid with an Espeon.” She replied. She was right; I was in this line up only a few short years back. Years of fighting various nefarious groups, being challenged in many tournaments and accepting new partners on my team, I had changed. I had matured.

Mystic was trotting next to me, its fur glistening in the sun rays. “Alright ladies and gents, you know why you are here, so I don’t need to remind you. The last few days have been a bit uneasy to say the least, but we know that we can make this better for everyone! So for the next few weeks, we will be training and testing you to get ready for this so that we can bring them down!” Only 15 recruits came out this month. Slim pickings if you ask me, but these young bright minds seemed to have what it takes.

This was my first batch of recruits that I would have to train. It seemed that Gabi and Scott finally trusted me enough with my leadership to take the reins. This war had gone on too long and it had to be done and over with fast.

The kids didn’t seem too nervous. Most of them seemed to have that confident smirk and calm demeanour in their face. Most probably didn’t go beyond 18 years of age. This meant I wasn’t much older than them myself. “Alright, everyone, take out one of your pokemon, we are all going for a light jog to start this off, you will be briefed on the details of everything along our trot.” I ordered, as the recruits started to remove a pokeball from their belts and released the creatures residing inside.

I hadn’t seen such a diversity of creatures in a long time, ranging from water types, to fighters, to flyers and grass. They all seemed to be in great health, which bode well for the fact that we needed stronger recruits if we wanted to end this. “Alright, everyone line up, we are going to run down the west road for a few miles and come back, and this will be a team building exercise as you will see along the road! Now let’s get running!”

The recruits picked up the pace right away, as they bolted for the west road of the camp. ‘Kids got to learn how to pace themselves, they aren’t going to last very long’ I thought to myself. As the running began, I approached every trainer and asked for their names.

“Julie, Julie Bench sir! It’s an honour to be here!” The short strawberry blonde cheerfully said as I ran by her, Mystic at my side.

“Dave Newark, ready to end this now sir!” the youngest one of the group said.

“Juan, Juan Calderone...”

~~~~~~~~~

I awoke with sweat dripping down my face, heart beating fast. I looked around and couldn’t recognize the setting I was in. It seemed I was on a military cot in a room that overlooked a field. It seemed to remind me of an old gym I used to go train back in the day. With a huge sigh of relief, I noticed Macedon was sleeping just beneath my cot. I started to twitch a bit; it seemed the paralysis was almost completely worn off.

“So I guess that Paralyz Heal actually did help” a young boy said, as he walked in. A Machoke slowly followed behind him. “You’re lucky I heard the fight happening when I was out scavenging for food or else they would have gotten you, isn’t that right Brucey, eh?” he said as he gave a quick glance to his pokemon. The super-powered creature nodded in accordance with a small smirk on his face.

“Well thanks whoever you are. Mace and I appreciate it, but you’re gonna have to bring me up to speed as to what the hell is happening here right now?” I asked.

“To be honest, I don’t really know what exactly is happening.” He answered, looking away from me and taking a seat. “All I know is that everyone was forced into the community centre and I was one of the lucky few that got away. I took refuge here in the gym in the upper levels; it seems they don’t come around here to check.” He gave a quick glance down, looking into the gym.

“The few left in town that haven’t been caught by them have taken refuge in the most random places. We try to stay in contact as much as we can for now, trying to build a small resistance to take this town back. But with only 5-6 of us and about 40 of them, it’s a little difficult right now. Communication to the outside is virtually impossible and it seems anyone who comes around in discouraged to stay. You’re probably the first outsider we’ve seen in a few days.” He said, looking down at Macedon.

“Well to be honest, I haven’t seen this before myself either and let me tell you, I’ve seen a lot in my past...”

“Well, you’re welcomed to stay here as long as you want; you and your little Magby. He seems a little worn down though; shouldn’t you bring him back to his ball?” He inquired.

“Well funny thing is, this little guy has just been following me for the last little while, and we’ve just been helping each other. I guess you can consider me his trainer at this point. I don’t see the point in using pokeballs anymore, I’ve learned from my mistakes in the past.”

“Mistakes?” he blurted.

“Honestly, I just don’t want to go there. I made my mistakes; I have to live with them from now on.” I spoke as I looked down at Macedon. Giving him a quick glance brought me back to those days... Those better days. “But to be very honest with you right now, I wouldn’t mind a little rest. I still haven’t gotten over this paralysis and it’s being a real bi...” I couldn’t even finish my sentence as I was interrupted by a loud crash making me drop out of my cot.

“Why haven’t we looked in here already?” someone said.

“We were told that one of us had already checked this place out. Apparently our information was faulty. She will not be pleased!” The other answered, giving a quick scan around the gym.

“Great, I got careless and they found us! Just stay low, maybe they won’t spot us from up here...” the kid said, as he ducked down, his pokemon following suit.

I couldn’t help but take a quick look down. The lifeless faces were there again, this time 2 girls. They couldn’t have been older then the kid that had rescued me, yet without expression, it made it hard to tell if they were younger or older then they appeared.

A sudden jolt of electricity crashed right through the window that overlooked the gym. The glass rained down on top of me and the kid. “What the hell!” I screamed. I stood up and looked down, one of the girls holding a pokeball in her hand, the other had an Ampharos on her side.

“Pet, get up there, bring them down here.” The one with the electric pokemon said. Ampharos, as lifeless as it’s trainer, looked at the room we were in and gave a quick jump up.

“I’ve had ENOUGH!” I screamed, taking a quick jump out the glass and down the 2 stories into the gym, tucking and rolling once hitting the ground. “If you want me, you’ve got me! Hit me with your best...” I was abruptly interrupted. Conveniently, Macedon had decided to join me, by jumping down and using me as his cushion for a fall. “Ouch buddy... Ouch...”

“Enough with these games! Number 2, go upstairs and get the other insubordinate, I will take care of this one, it shouldn’t take too long... Come out, my pet. Serve me in defeating this man!” she bellowed, in a lifeless tone.

An odd pokemon came out, one that I had not seen before. Maybe it was the years that I had been away from the region; maybe new creatures were sprouting out. Gone were the days of only 251 pokemons it seemed... I had catching up to do now. Clearly my opponent had chosen some kind of bug pokemon, a moth as it seemed. A Venomoth evolution? An entirely new breed? Whatever it was, this was no time for playing around. Looking down, I noticed Macedon taking a defensive stance.

Looking at the field, this entire place could be used to my advantage. The rocks and boulders all over the battlefield made it a great place to gain tactical advantage over my opponent. Clearly seeing that it was a bug type, Macedon had a clear edge when it came to type, but as I recalled from the last battle, you never knew what to expect from these people and their pokemon.

“Macedon, don’t waste time here, Mach Punch!” I shouted. In a blur, Macedon was off, jumping from rock to rock, with blinding speed, inching closer and closer to its opponent. With one last movement, a right hook connected with the bug type. In astonishment, Magby looked up to see that the flying bug had not moved. Maybe we were a little over our heads with this one. “Macedon, try it again!” And in a blur, my fire type was gone, and came back connecting with the back of the flying pokemon, yet still no budge. This was not looking good.

“Ember!” With Macedon being so close, this was a sure hit. The ball of fire came out of my pokemon’s mouth from a close range and missed its target! This was impossible! From point blank range how could he miss? Macedon launched another ember, and another, and yet another and still he kept missing, with the bug evading all of them.

“Dustox, gust.” The lifeless voice beckoned. The bug type took a few bats of its wings, gained some height, and then started to beat its wings even more, creating a tiny cyclone, throwing Macedon back hard into a rock. A wince came from my magma Pokemon. That one definitely seemed to have taken a toll on him.

“Macedon, let’s change up the strategy, you know what to do!” The magma pokemon just looked up at me, winced a bit, closed its eyes and started to concentrate. Within seconds, he became a blur, then re-appeared a few rocks away, then disappeared once more and reappeared. Multiple copies of Macedon started to appear all over the field. The bug pokemon looked over, calm as a Hindu cow, awaiting orders.

“Arial Ace” my opponent spoke softly. The moth started to flutter its wings as the air started to pick up. Suddenly, light blue slashes ripped through the air, aimed at all of Macedon’s copies, cutting them down and knocking the fire type. Macedon let out a cry of pain, this wasn’t boding well for him, I had to change things up, I had to get my pokemon thinking on its feet. “Once more pet, Arial Ace” as the Dustox picked up air, slashing through with a blue aura, right into my Magby.

“Macedon, smog it up!” With a wince in his eyes, my pokemon gave me a look and a black smoke started to come out of his mouth. Before it could over take the entire field, I could notice that my opponent’s pokemon was starting to flutter off, unbalanced. This plan may be working after all.

“I am tired of this, finish him! Shadow Ball!” I was taken aback, as I would have never expected such a command to come out of my opponent’s mouth. A faint purple glow could be seen through the smog, as it kept getting bigger and bigger at an exponential rate. I hit the ground as the ball of energy slammed on the wall right behind me, cracking through the drywall and ceramic pillars. “Again!” she ordered, as another ball of purple energy was sent through the smog, as it smacked through the boulder Macedon was hiding behind, sending dust and pebbles all over the place.

“Macedon, you gotta hold it together, we gotta take this one down!” I cried out, as Macedon bolted from behind the crumbling rock, speeding through the rocks, avoiding energy balls left and right, inching closer and closer to the source. All of a sudden, a thud was heard, as it seemed my pokemon may have connected with a right hook. “EMBER!” I screamed, as I could see the smog light up with fire. Not only had he finally managed to get a good shot on, but there was no way that the Ember had missed it’s mark this time.

All of a sudden, a gust of air flew through the gym, as the smog was blown away and Macedon sent flying backwards. Still in air, a glowing purple orb came crashing into the fire type, propelling him back farther with greater force into the concrete wall. A faint “biiii...” could be heard in the background. I looked across the field to see the bug type still flying in the air, a few burns here and there, but little no worst for wear. How was this thing keeping on taking a beating and still not show much of a sign of slowing down?

I turned around to see Macedon slowly picking himself up off the ground. This fight was not going in my favour at this point, and I didn’t know what else to do. Macedon was clearly outmatched at this point at an experience level and strength level. All that we had going for us at this point was a tactical advantage and I couldn’t even claim it right now. I had to take a grasp on the situation, I just didn’t like where all this was going. I could hear the rumble atop as sparks were flying. The fight between the kid and his Machoke against the Ampharos was in full rage at this point. I couldn’t concentrate on that fight at the moment; I had to concentrate on the task at hand.

“Macedon, we gotta get him moving, Ember!” I ordered. A small spark lit up small wads of fire and shot out of Magby’s mouth, straight at the bug type. Dustox started moving around, avoiding the embers coming at him. “Finally we had him moving, this could be our chance” I thought to myself. A few of the embers seemed to be hitting the flying bug at this point, as his movement was getting more and more sluggish. Clearly this battle was weighing down on him and on my own pokemon was well.

“Dustox, stop this, Confusion!” Finally a little life out of my opponent, as the tone in her voice changed from cool and collected to nervous. Dustox’s eyes started to glow an eerie blue, as Macedon stopped firing off embers. This did not bode well for my pokemon at this point. Macedon was slowly lifting off the ground, feet moving, attempting to run without any ground to touch. Suddenly, a small jerk to the left followed by a large jerk to the right sent Macedon crashing into one of the boulders, then another, and another. Macedon was flying all over the gym, getting slammed into any and all boulders left on the field. Finally he was released from psychic lock and dropped straight to the ground.

Macedon was in an incredible amount of pain, yet still found some strength in getting up. Clearly he was outmatched in every which way at this point. How long he could last in the battle anymore was just a matter of his will to survive.

A loud crash could be heard as a yellow blur came crashing into the gym’s field. A Machoke suddenly jumped down, body slamming into the Ampharos that was just launched from the second story of the building. Dust and rocks flew everywhere, as my opponent and I looked around to see what exactly was going on. Macedon saw this opportunity as a chance to get a quick strike in, as he could finally get himself back on his own 2 feet. The Dustox seemed a little taken back from the events of the crash that he had stopped paying attention to my pokemon. Big mistake!

Macedon went hurling in with a right hook, connecting with a body blow and then retreating. Bouncing off one of the few boulders left, Macedon came in for a second hit, connecting this time on the right wing. The heat from Macedon’s fist seemed to have an impact on the bug type’s flying abilities, as for the first time, it landed on the ground, wincing in pain. This was it; we had finally gotten the upper hand in this.

“Macedon, you gotta end this now! Ember!” I bellowed, as Macedon started to move faster. His second wind was kicking in, and just in time. My little fire type picked up speed, came in close to the wounded bug type and unleashed a barrage of embers, dead on. Without being able to fly away, the Dustox was unable to evade the Armageddon that was being unleashed upon it.

With one last Ember, the Dustox had enough and collapsed fully to the ground. To the bug pokemon’s right, a faint cry was heard as Machoke had Ampharos into a leg lock, submitting it and knocking him out. The girl opposing the young boy came running down the stairs, tripping and knocking herself out on the floor, leaving it 2 trainers on 1. My opponent seemed to understand that at this point, she was clearly outmatched, as she recalled her pokemon and busted out of the front door and went running. Clearly she was going for help, which meant that we had to get moving.

The young boy and I raced up the stairs, picked up what we could, and took the fire escape out to the back of the gym. Machoke and Macedon were following us closely behind. Luckily for us, it seemed that the rain clouds were dissipating. Macedon was having trouble keeping up after such a rough battle, as he decided to hop on my back. Luckily for myself I had grabbed a blanket and put it to cover my back in any such case, to act as a barrier between myself and my pokemon.

“We have to go free the others, we have to go find the rest of the people who haven’t been captured!” The young boy said as we were running away in the back alleys. I stopped in my tracks, the young boy doing this same with his pokemon.

“I’m sorry...” I said, putting my head down “I can’t do that. I can’t help you out. I can’t put you at risk nor can I put myself and my pokemon at risk. You saw what they did in there, they don’t just go after the pokemon, they go after us too, and I can’t have this happening again...” I looked at him one last time, his pokemon and then Macedon, turned around and started to walk away.

“How can you walk away from this? There are people who need your help right now!” He screamed at me. I wasn’t paying attention anymore. I didn’t want to disappoint him; I didn’t want to disappoint myself.

Macedon gave me a look of despair, as I could see the bruises and cuts on his body. He was not happy with my decision, but this was a decision I had to bare for myself. History would not repeat itself again...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Macedon (lv. 8) defeated Dustox (lv. 15) and grew to level 10

Macedon has learned Smokescreen and a TM to be determined in the next battle.

I'll be introducing Riolu and some new aspects hopefully in the next battle.

Merry Christmas y'all!

Lady Vulpix

25th December 2010, 07:12 AM

Can a worker please rate my battle?

That was an interesting battle, Alex. And a very long one too (I'm not referring to the length of the story in words, but the number of attacks that were exchanged, especially considering their strength). It seemed like there was something that was protecting both pokemon from taking damage. Will there be any explanation of what it was? I'm also intrigued by that big mistake you keep mentioning. Did any of your old pokemon pay a high price for a decision you made? (I'm not asking you to spoil the rest of the story for me, I'm just curious about whether I should know about it or not). Oh, by the way, you wrote "older then" twice. It should be "older than". Take 12 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

lvl100mewtwo

25th December 2010, 01:10 PM

Lol, yeaaaah, been a fair amount of time, I look at the size of yours and the size of mine, and I may have gone a little overboard... The whole background story will be explained over time, it basically explains why I left and such, but it'll just be teased and explained Tarantino style... Also, I don't believe you would know about the mistake or anything that had to do with it. Yeaaaah... I'm still bad with my then and than... Thank you for the stamps.

I will take a random battle from Caledor's Nature Protection Agency for my new Riolu to be introduced in the next one! Thank you! (I'll take 5 stamps out of the 12 to pay for it)

Lady Vulpix

25th December 2010, 05:25 PM

Plus two others, right? Your new Riolu will battle a Sandshrew.

And my latest battle was written in a rush, so it's not an example of a good battle. But I did use the stats and damage calculators, so while I could have added a lot more content to it, it made sense move-wise.

lvl100mewtwo

28th December 2010, 12:46 AM

My bad, yeah, I meant I was taking back five and handing you over 7 stamps for the random battle generator. Well, next up is a small intro battle for Riolu, not much background, but more of a "who is he" type of battle... Enjoy!

Headstrong

A week had passed by since leaving the town. Very little was along the roads away from it, giving me plenty of time for reflection and quality time to get to know the new member of my new team. Macedon and I had finally recovered from the insanity that had just happened and were looking for at least a few moments of rest.

My live coal pokemon was trudging alongside, tired and weary of walking for such a long trip. The only rest we had gotten in the past week had been whenever we had stopped for food, sleep we would get under the stars or small stops at marts for provisions. Thankfully we had seen little to no challenges along the way to keep this walk somewhat uneventful.

A faint commotion could be heard in the distance, as I looked down and saw that Macedon had also heard it. We slowly walked up to the noise, as it picked up in intensity the closer we got. Finally, we approached what seemed to be an ongoing battle happening between 2 young trainers in a small clearing in the forest. The 2 combatants had selected pokemons that I was not accustomed too, as one was using a black and purple pig while the other was using an ice blue fox. I may have been gone since the new species were discovered, yet it was easy to tell that this blue fox was indigenous of the Eevee family. Iceon maybe? Blizzeon? I thought to myself, as I observed the cool and collect movement of the ice type, gingerly evading attack after attack of the opposing swine.

This battle had worn down both pokemon, as I could tell from a distance that both pokemon were fatigued. This could easily end with one last blow.

“Grumpig, Psychic!” the one young trainer blurted, as the swine pokemon’s gems started to shine an eerie purple glow. The opposing ice type was lifted high into the air. It seemed as if its body was being crushed in itself, and a few more seconds of this torture, the ice fox was dropped to the ground, knocked out and breathing hard. The opposing trainer walked up to its pokemon, inspected the wounds, gave it a small pat on the head and recalled it to its ball. Both trainers shook hands and walked away talking strategy, laughing and exchanging pleasantries.

A small nudge could be felt on my pant leg as I looked down to see Macedon pointing to its mouth.

“How are you still hungry? I just gave you berries an hour ago!” I said, as I started to rummage through my backpack, looking for some yogurt. “Let’s go sit under that tree” as I pointed to a tall oak in the distance “and I’ll give you a bit of food, alright?” Macedon looked at me, overjoyed. The little guy seemed to have gained his fair share of weight in the passed week; all this exercise and constant eating had made him grow a fair bit in height and girth. No longer was he the little baby pokemon I had met earlier last week.

I grunted a bit as I sat down. Being on my feet for so long had me forgetting about how much strain it put on my body. I rummaged through my backpack once more and found the last of the yogurt and the new Teflon spoon that I had purchased in our little trek. At least this spoon wouldn’t cause any problems while I would feed Macedon. I gave him a few spoonfuls and then handed over the container, as he stuck his little bill into the container. The packaging slowly started to melt as it was held in Macedon’s hands. I laid back on the tree and brought out my computer and a chocolate bar from my backpack. I rummaged through old files, over looking old photographs of the gang. God I miss those guys... I thought to myself, as I took a bite out of the milk chocolaty goodness.

Macedon suddenly perked up, looking around in the trees. “What’s up big guy?” looking up myself. Leafs were rustling, although this wasn’t the product of the wind. A quick blur could be seen going from branch to branch. The blur suddenly tripped up on of the branches and came crashing down hard onto the ground in front of Macedon and I. The little blue creature seemed to be banged up from a previous battle. Macedon slowly approached it, walking up and poking at the small dog like pokemon. A small yelp could be heard from it as it seemed that Macedon burned the poor little pup with its touch. I slowly picked myself up and walked up to the blue creature, as it looked up to me. Snapping off a small chunk of my chocolate bar, I slowly offered it to him. After a few sniffs of the tasty candy, it lunged for it, almost biting off my finger and growling at me.

“Hey! Calm down there little guy, I’m just here to help you out!” I said, giving the little pup a look. I walked back to my backpack and picked up a few bandages and a potion and came back to the beaten pokemon. I gently picked him up and brought him back to where I was sitting. Sitting back down, I slowly applied some of the potion onto its wounds and wrapped them up in the bandages. Inspecting the little guy, it seemed that something or someone had taken a small chunk out of its ear, as a triangle shaped piece was missing. I reached down and grabbed another piece of chocolate and gave it to the injured beast, as he devoured it with reckless abandon.

“Well you’re a hungry little one aren’t you?” I said with a smile, looking down. Macedon looked at him and started to speak with it. The blue pokemon was very un-responsive to my pokemon, seemingly giving him the cold shoulder. It slowly started to get out of my lap and sat on its own, in front of me. Cross-legged, the little beast stared at me with pleading eyes, as I knew it was looking for food once more. I gave him what he was requesting and patted him on the head, as a faint smile seemed to come off of the pokemon’s face.

A small “Ri...” cry came out of its mouth in appreciation towards me from the little blue creature. “Riolu... Ri, Ri!” it spoke once more.

“So it looks like you have a name there little guy eh? Riolu I am gonna go with I guess?” as I looked down. The little blue pokemon looked up and gave a nod.

Suddenly I was blinded by sand, as a faint cry by Riolu and Macedon could be heard. It seemed a nearby pokemon had decided to use a Sand-Attack on all of us. I grabbed my water bottle out of my bag and washed out the sand from my eyes to see a small Sandshrew running away with my chocolate bar and the piece that was in Riolu’s hands. The blue pokemon darted after the shrew as it started to dig underground. Riolu chased in the hole, as the Sandshrew reappeared a few feet later, out of a hole, with the dog like pokemon right on it’s tale. Macedon started to take a step forward but I stopped him. I wanted to see what this new pokemon could do.

The shrew walked away from the hole, turned around and dropped the chocolate behind it, hissing at the pup. Riolu, wanting his food back, started growling himself, not backing off to this fight. The ground type flung more sand at Riolu’s eyes, yet in a blur, he dodged the attack and went on the offensive. He was going in and out of sight, finally reappearing and smacking itself right into Sandshrew, knocking the shrew back into a tree. Riolu looked down and grabbed the chocolate bar and started to walk back towards me.

With his back turned, he failed to notice that his opponent had gotten up and curled itself into a ball, now rolling towards him. As it got near, Sandshrew launched into the air and uncurled itself, coming down with its claws out. With a flurry of scratches, Riolu dropped the sweets. The shrew reclaimed his prize and dug underground once more to get away from his opponent.

Riolu seemed annoyed as he foolishly and recklessly chased after the shrew with blinding speed. Instead of chasing him underground, the blue pokemon started to feel him out from above the ground at blinding speeds, anticipating where he would come out. The ground type popped up only to be met by a vicious right hook from a glowing hand by Riolu. The pup once again picked up his sweets and walked away leaving himself exposed for more attacks.

Sandshrew, angrily lunged with its claws out once more, connecting with a few strikes. It seemed Riolu was anticipating this, as it grabbed the small shrew’s arms and launched him over his hip, countering and launching him to the ground with incredible force. The little shrew was knocked out, as the blue pup picked up the milky chocolate and walked over to me, handing me what was left of the bar, as he plopped himself down and kept on eating his chocolate, big grin on his face.

“You’re a little reckless pup aren’t you eh?” as I patted him on the head. “Well you’re more then welcomed to stick around if you want” I said, looking at Macedon as he gave a nod of approval. The little Riolu looked at us and turned back to his sweets. As he devoured it, he gave a half hearted nod and went back to eating.

“Well, I guess if you’re going to stick around, we should give you a name... How does Rex sound?” I asked. No answer. I handed him another piece of chocolate and he nodded in acknowledgement. Well I guess I found this little guy’s weakness after all.

“Alright, well Mace, how’s about we get working on that new TM that I wanted to teach you?” as I rummaged through my backpack and picked out a USB key, inscribed with Technical Machine: Psychic and plugged it into the computer. Macedon put himself in front of the laptop’s screen.

“Thank you for choosing Silph Company! Worlwide Leader and provider...” the laptop went on and on, as I started to doze off with Macedon watching intently on the screen and Rex slowly curling himself up near me, dozing off himself...

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A wild Riolu (Lv. 7) has joined the team and was nicknamed Rex

Rex (lv. 7) defeated Sandshrew (lv. 7) and grew to level 8

Macedon has learned Psychic through a TM for his level 10 Technical Machine.

~Alex

Lady Vulpix

1st January 2011, 05:36 PM

Alex gets 9 stamps for his battle! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Rex seems to be a funny character. I think he's a nice addition to your team.

If you don't mind my pointing out some typos (I would appreciate it if others did that for my stories, so I can fix them), "right on its tale" should be "right on its tail", and "more then welcomed" should be "more than welcomed"... I would have said "welcome", but apparently "welcomed" works too. English is only my second language, so sometimes I don't know whether a word or phrase is commonly used or not.

Sorry for taking so long to reply, I was in Ushuaia when you posted your story.

classy_cat18

1st January 2011, 05:59 PM

Nine stamps for Gabi. Yes, you had a short battle but your main story made up for it. There wasn't much need for a long, detailed battle anyway. This was just the warm-up; the real battles lie in the mountains!

...Dang, now I've gotta pull a story out of thin air. *bangs empty head on keyboard*

lvl100mewtwo

3rd January 2011, 06:03 PM

Hey Gabs, could I please get a battle from the Caledor Protection Agency for Rex? *Hands over 7 stamps* Thank you!

Lady Vulpix

4th January 2011, 08:30 AM

Sure. Rex is going to battle a Torkoal.

Lady Vulpix

5th January 2011, 09:31 AM

Here's part 2 (of 3, I believe) of my story for this scenario, written in cooperation with Amy. It will be concluded after the two of us and Shonta can meet online to wrap things up. I hope you enjoy the tour through Caledor's mind.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Caledor's POV>

Amber was panting after the battle, but she didn't seem critically injured (hey, I'm using big words like Water Angel!), while Yana looked like she needed some help. Staying funny and joyful was getting harder. I wouldn't normally admit to that, but I had a feeling they were starting to notice. Everyone was so worried...

"Is everyone OK?" Gabi asked.
Amber smiled. "I'll live."
"That's my phrase," claimed Gabi, who did use it quite often. "But I'll let you borrow it. If only Shonta was here. She said she was coming on our train, but I couldn't find her among the crowds. Now that we're in the middle of this chaos we won't be able to look for her. I hope she can do her job without running into too much trouble."
"We should get moving before we get into any more trouble," Ventura suggested.
"Yeah, I agree," Amy... agreed.

Yana licked her hind paw and tentatively put weight on it. She managed to stand on all fours, but not without some pain.

"If you have trouble walking, I can carry you," Pidgeot offered.
"Thanks," said Yana. "I'll try to walk first. but if I get too slow I might take you up on that..."

Moving slowly but steadily, we reached the base of White Mountain. Some of us started looking for signs of Lagi, but couldn't find her. However there was something else in the air.

"These must be the two forces Glyph spoke of," Gabi noted. "They're getting strong, I can feel them. Only one of them feels familiar, but... the other feels like it may be what we're looking for. I mean... who or what, other than Yssera, could be emitting that energy?"
"I feel it too!" I cheered. "Yay, I can feel it! My ESP is not completely useless!"
"OK, we've heard you, you're a real Espeon," Tsunami made fun of me as usual. "Now can you please stop yelling? You'll attract more enemies."
"Oops. Sorry," I apologized. "But I think our enemies must know we're coming anyway."
"Do they know our exact position?" Tsunami queried.
"I don't know," I admitted.
"Then don't help them."
"Yes, dad," I joked.
"I'm not your dad."
"You're the closest thing I've ever had."
Tsunami looked stunned for a moment. "OK, that was creepy."
"I was kidding," I grinned. "You should have known I don't think of you as my father. You're more like a fun and annoying big brother."
"Fun and annoying?"
"Yes, because then I get to annoy you back and it's all in fun and there are no hard feelings."
"Oookay. I think I get that."

Since we were at it, why not exorcise some inner demons once and for all?
"I've been thinking, and I believe I must have a father," I told him. "At least one, could be more. But... I guess this isn't the moment to think about that. I doubt I'll ever find out anyway, so let's do what we came here to do and then we can go home and have a party or something."
"From gloomy to extremely optimistic in one sentence!" Tsunami commended me. "You have outdone yourself."
"Thank you," I grinned again.

I didn't like thinking about my origin because it tended to make me serious and I didn't like being serious (no, duh!), but sometimes those thoughts took over and I needed to get them off my chest. I felt was beginning to find a good balance. Especially after Thunderblast had told me about her experiences with her self-searching quest. The answers she had found were good for me too. But I never told her that. How could I? It would have been too awkward for both of us. It's better to just put those answers into practice: the circumstances of our creation don't define us. We are who we are, so stop whining and enjoy life as it comes!

And I was getting there... I was really getting there, but Hero had to ruin it! OK, it wasn't really his fault.

"Guys, I don't mean to spoil your fun, but do you hear that?" he pointed to somewhere on the mountain.
"Huh?" I tried to focus and listen.
"Two big, heavy pokemon are coming," explained Ventura. "Um... Rhyperiors? I've only ever seen them on Gabi's files, but the shape and size seems to match."
I wondered how she did that. "Do your crazy powers tell you if we can avoid them or beat them?"
"Look who's talking about crazy powers," Tsunami retorted.
He was right, but that wouldn't stop me from being a little bit jealous of the Bug/Poison type who was a better psychic than I was.
"Hush," Ventura said. "I don't think we have time to avoid them. We'll have to fight. But there's just two of them, I trust we can defeat them."
"Don't hush me," Tsunami complained. "Rhyperiors are Ground/Rock type, right?"
"Yeah," Kiara confirmed.
"Then they shouldn't be a problem," the Vaporeon asserted. "Although it's best not to get too cocky, they may have some hidden tricks."

As he spoke, the Rhyperiors came into sight. They were huge and heavily armored. On the plus side, I knew their armor wasn't very good against water, but I reckoned that, if I did end up fighting them, it would be best not to show that card too early, lest they find a way to counter it. I had two reasons to be thinking of battling them. First, it was obvious the Rhyperiors wouldn't go for Tsunami, or even Sylvan; I was the only one they were likely to underestimate. And second, Kiara's fur was fluffing up at the sight of them, and I wouldn't let any harm come to her if I could help it.

One of the Rhyperiors stopped and faced us. "Where do you all think you're going?"
"Is this a riddle?" I replied. "I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but it may be a trick question."
"Don't make fun of me, you idiot," he began to get angry. "You're trying to reach Yssera's cave, aren't you? You're trying to hurt her!"
"She's the one who's been hurting everyone," Pidgeot remarked. "You have to be blind not to see that."
"Yssera only hurts those who are too stubborn to accept her," the Rhyperior began the exposition while the other reached us and examined us. "She helps those who come to her. You still have a chance to stop what you're doing and change your ways. Everything will be better for everyone if you join us."
"We've heard that too many times," Gabi pointed out. "Everything would be better for everyone if she'd just let everyone be."
The other Rhyperior, who turned out to be a female, pointed at Gabi. "Hey, look! It's one of those humans who understand Pokemon speech! But still dumb enough to oppose Yssera. What a pity. We'll have to show them the futility of their efforts. Who can we start with? Let's see..." I was already branding them both as officially stupid, but the spot where she stopped her gaze made my blood boil. "Oh, look! A Flareon! Perfect for a warm-up."

In my eyes this Rhyperior went from just stupid to an abusive coward. She had to pick Kiara, who was at a clear disadvantage against her. Kiara held her ground, fluffing up her fur and appearing to look bigger.

"Stay away from her or there won't be enough trees on the mountain to compare to your pain," I threatened her. Lame, I know, but I had a reputation to maintain.
"Trees?" Tsunami asked, as if on cue.
"Sorry, can't be caught making a threat that makes sense. But I'm serious about the staying away part."
Sometimes it's hard to be angry and funny at the same time.

The female Rhyperior approached Kiara. "Why? What will happen if I - ow!"

Level 55 Espeon and level 46 Flareon vs. 2 level 55 Rhyperiors

She got hit by a blast of Confusion. You really don't want to mess with Kiara when I'm around. Or at least I really hope you don't.
Kiara took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of poisonous smog as she stepped away from where she had been standing. The female Rhyperior began to cough, while Kiara moved around in the smog cover trying to remain quiet. I could still see her, though. And come to think of it I should have been looking at the other Rhyperior instead.

"Why you..." he took advantage of my brief distraction, dealing a blow to my chest that not only stung really badly but also helped him rob me of my cute and sparkly Status Die.

To make things worse, I heard a loud yelp from Kiara just a moment later. I couldn't let that beast hurt her. Even though it meant exposing myself, I turned away from my attacker and hit Kiara's opponent with a fierce Water Pulse. Bingo. She began to tumble, and finally succumbed to the power of Kiara's flames.

But Kiara didn't look well. She winced in pain, and I realized with dread that she was poisoned. Things weren't looking good for us.

"You guys are so weird," said the male Rhyperior. I'd been called worse names before, 'weird' is just stating a fact. "I wonder what this thing does."

He threw my die at Kiara. The die fell and emitted an eerie pink glow... which suddenly made Kiara's condition a good thing because if she hadn't been poisoned she would have fallen asleep right then. I was glad the Rhyperior hadn't known what the die was for; he could have thrown it at me instead. That made me think that he wasn't from Ulthuan. How far did Yssera's reach go? Unless she'd got ahold of him after he arrived, but in any case I didn't have much time to think about those things. That became evident when the angry land mass stomped on my back and nearly cracked my bones.

My water attacks would no longer come as a surprise to him, so I had to go for power. I tried to turn around and shoot a Hydro Pump at him, but the angle didn't help me. However, Kiara did. Help me, I mean. She soaked my attacker in a Toxic goo making him not only poisoned but also angrier and less focused. Not that he was ever really focused, I think he was just a big brute used to get his way out of sheer physical strength.

The Rhyperior's horn started spinning.

"Kiara, watch out!" I warned my girlfriend, noticing he was aiming at her way and she hadn't yet moved.

I regained my breath when Kiara moved away at the last second and the Horn Drill hit the ground instead. I shot another Hydro Pump from the side, but the Rhyperior got back up just in time to dodge it. It was getting frustrating, especially because I didn't know how much longer Kiara could resist the poison. Luckily, she was doing a good job of putting up with it and her aim was better than mine. She was closer too, so her Fire Blast did some good damage even if the Rhyperior's rocky armor resisted some of it. He seemed to be more bothered by my attempts to drench him, though.

"Stop doing that!" he shouted at me as if he thought he could convince me.

With a loud roar, stones were shot at me like bullets. They hurt, but not as much as his previous attacks. I didn't think about it then, but now I think he was either trying to get a power boost from Ancientpower or was just too angry to think straight. I, of course, didn't stop my attacks, and the third Hydro Pump was the charm. The Rhyperior crumbled before my eyes.

I grew to level 57!

I could have made up some kind of victory cry, but Kiara coughed, so I ran to her side.

"Kiara, hang in there," I said to her.

I realized there was no way to cheer her up while the poison still had a hold on her body. I looked at my trainer, hoping she'd find a way to make things better. "Is there any way to help her?"

"I have a Miracle Berry I've been carrying for an emergency," Gabi said, taking off her backpack and searching it. "I guess this merits its use."

Unbeknownst to her, Amy had been doing the exact same thing and they both produced their respective berries at about the same time. That made me chuckle.

"That's really nice of you girls, but I think just one will do," I said with a smile. "Kiara, you can take either. It'll help you feel better."

Kiara coughed and nodded before taking Amy's berry, either because she was closer or because she was her trainer. I looked at her, waiting for any signs of improvement. I saw her swallow the berry and watched as her breath became less agitated. She then gave a full body shake.

I kissed her cheek and tried to reassure her. "Everything's going to be fi - ow! I mean fine. Everything will be fine."

Accursed rib injury, my bluff was called because of thee.

"I appreciate your attempts, but you're not fooling anyone this time," Tsunami told me. "You're in a really bad shape yourself. If we're going to continue, maybe you should both rest inside your pokeballs."
"We've come too far to turn back now," Pidgeot pointed out while Kiara nuzzled me. "Going back would be as hard as moving on, and all our efforts would have been in vain. We have to continue."
"I agree that you two would proably be best inside your pokeballs," Yana insisted, before turning her attention to Sinopa and gratuitously nuzzling her. "And that being said I probably need to myself..." The pain on her hind paw made her wince.
I was out of excuses. "OK, OK, but I want to see what happens when we get there. And if there's any use for a light show..."
"You're trying too hard and we know you too well," Gabi told me. "But don't worry, you'll get to see what happens."

Just a second later I was in the weird and comfortable darkness of my pokeball, somewhat glad for the break but thinking that I liked it much better when everyone thought I really was happy and joyful all the time. But at least I had friends who still appreciated my efforts. Like Hero.

"Who will do all the cheering stuff now?" I heard my Ninetales friend ask.
"There's a time for everything," Pidgeot's voice sounded even more serious than usual. "Now it's time to find Yssera."

DarkestLight

8th January 2011, 09:56 AM

Hi ho, hi ho, off to Sybyll we go...

Clear skies.

It was strange, seeing this much blue in the middle of the day, and yet to be on the ground. It felt odd too, this ground. It was hard. It had some life to it, but it felt so drained. Or maybe it was him. Maybe he was getting too worried about something he had no buisness worrying about. A deep breath was taken in and the boy walked on, clutching a ragged piece of paper now. Small footsteps ambled beside his own, and his gaze shifted to the moving mass of grass by his feet. It was a Tangela, a gift he had received from an old woman in the village. She seemed very adamant about him having the grassy fellow-telling him that he complemented him. But when you come from a city within a forest-ANY Grass Pokemon seems to complement the folk.

"Crazy ol' cook. But you are a quiet fellow, you know that Mossy?"

The patch of vines looked up and gave him a warm gaze, which pleased him enough to look past this dying grassland and to the appointed meeting place, Sector Alpha...if he didn't already pass it.

Rapp stopped. The boy looked no older than 16, with a messy brown splat for hair. He seemed hardened by years of work, but his demeanor came across as that of a shy child with no heart for battle. Yet here he was, coming all the way to this place. This very place, where the map, this stupid crinkled map told him to be. He hastily rifled the map out of its folded state and turned it a few times.

"Passed the slide. Passed the gate...Mossy, maybe you can make heads or tails of this, I don't really know what's going on..." He dropped the paper to the ground, and the squat Pokemon walked over to it.

Rapp took a few moments to look over the fields again. They weren't too vast, and he could see smoke coming from the west. Maybe he was still on the right track, but he never saw, yet alone heard of a place called Sybyll. All he knew was what the map and the paper told him to do. That and to trust Mossy.

Whom now walked over and tugged at his leg. Rapp looked down, to spy Mossy pointing to the southwest. Rapp adjusted his gaze, and noticed there was someone coming. To their side was a ball of fluff, a sparking ball of fluff. Rapp, unsure about this situation, quickly grabbed the map from Mossjito and stuffed it in his pocket.

--Mossjito [Lvl9] vs Mareep [Lvl8]--

The man didn't come to within 50 yards, but already Rapp knew there was going to be trouble. Especially when the man pointed toward him and his Mareep took off in a dead run for them "Hey Moss. Maybe they want to help us?" He looked down, to receive a cynical stare. "Yeah. I figured. Well maybe we can calm that Mareep down. Go and Ingrain yourself?" Moss nodded and walked forward, meeting the sheep head on. Mareep bashed into Mossy and left the small Pokemon on his side for the moment. A menacing "baa" filled the air, and the yellow sheep turned to tackle Moss again. Mossy righted himself and stuck his vines in the ground, keeping himself planted.

The Mareep darted for Moss and managed a second strike against him. But this time, Moss just kinda tilted backwards. His vines kept him stationary, and that's what Rapp wanted. The sheep looked puzzled, as did his trainer. Why would a Pokemon intentionally get beat up?

"Kid, you shuld give in now and hand over your Pokemon! You're not even a trainer, farmboy!"

"..Um, no? Ok Mossy. Sleep powder cloud."

The rogue trainer stared as his Mareep ran right for Moss. As the sheep rammed into Moss for a third time, Moss released a set of spores all around himself. the sheep ran through them, and skidded to a stop a few meters between Rapp and Mossy. Rapp gave a sly smirk, and watched as the sheep started to waver in its focus. Massy waited patiently as one more "baa" reached the air, before the sheep walked over to Mossy, and fell out.

"H-Hey! Hey Mareep! Get up!"

The rogue trainer continued to scream at Mareep, but the sheep-for the moment, was in dreamsville. In light of this, Rapp was quick to continue this slow procedure.

"Ok Moss. He got you twice. So..lets Leech him." Giving Rapp a smile, Mossy turned his attention toward the lumbering woolball. In one deft swipe, Mossjito littered that sheep with a series of crisscrossing vines, that all began draining the life out of the sheep. The sheep fidgeted, but still did not wake up. The trainer ran closer, but dared not get close enough to cross Mossjito' path.

"Alright...now Constrict it."

Moss nodded, extending his vines out and wrapping them around the sheep's body. When he attained a good grip, Moss gently lifted the Pokemon up and began to tighten his viney grip around its body. coupled with the leeching health, and the healing of the Ingrain, Mossy felt fresh, compared to the deteriorating state of the Mareep.

"H-hey! Stupid sheep are worthless! Wake UP Mareep! Tackle that damn plant into a coma!"

Mossy seemed to sigh and kept squeezing the beast, 3..4 times even. Upon the fifth constriction the sheep woke up. Hearing its trainers cries seemed to wake him up, but now there was a all new predicament. This plant had him in the air, completely disoriented! The sheep struggled to break free, but Moss got another good squeeze out before dropping the sheep. The Mareep bounced backwards, breathing heavily. Bad dreams. All sorts of bad dreams.

"Ok. Bind it and that should be it." Rapp stated calmly, as he looked to the angered trainer. But it wouldn't even come to that. Moss looked as the Mareep ran over to tackle him again. It worked, but the amount of health vampired away from the ground and from the sheep was enough to offset the loss. It also was enough to make the poor sheep faint.

Recalling his fainted Pokemon, this angered trainer walked a step closer. Moss raised his vines in defense, and the trainer backed up a step.

"Look kid. You don't want to be here. You don't want you little plant buddy here to get hurt. SO hand him over to me, and run along!"

Rapp walked toward Moss, and checked his vines. "Um. No. I think we're going to go now."

"The hell you are!" The trainer was quick to release a second Pokemon. Its form appeared in a flash, and both Moss and Rapp rolled their eyes...

as a second Mareep appeared before them.

"Things won't go down like last time!!"

----

Mossjito[Lvl9] has gained experience!
Mossjito is now lvl10!
Mossjito has learned Absorb!

(I'm gonna pause here and ask questions.
1) The Extra TM move has to be learned right right now, or can I have the TM be dropped by this rogue trainer, and I pick it up and teach it to him?
2) Am I allowed to do this, pause it between a battle-lvl up-and then continue said battle (since I get up to three encounters?)
-Didn't mean for this to seem so short...Next one'll be longer.

Lady Vulpix

9th January 2011, 09:02 AM

First of all, welcome! Have 6 stamps for that story! ¢¢¢¢¢¢

Were you and Mossjito walking? Because it seemed so, and that would make it quite impossible to just miss Sector Alpha and end up in Sybill. Walking from one to the other would take a couple of days. That's why we were all taking a train. Also, Sector Alpha is a big city, hard to miss. But maybe the setting wasn't clear enough, so I can't blame you for that. If it's OK for me to tell you this (sorry, I can never tell in advance whether others appreciate or are annoyed by my corrections), you missed the of apostrophes in "let's" and "trainer's", and one . in a couple of ellipses. If you don't want me to correct you anymore, please let me know and I will stop.

Would you like your stories to be added to the Archive (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/Archives/)? If so, I'll need a name under which to file them.

As for your questions...

1) You can write it in whatever way suits your story best.
2) You level up right after a battle, so if you battle one pokemon after the other - as opposed to both at the same time - you do level up in-between battles (but you don't heal unless you use a potion or berry or find a Pokemon Center, so be careful).

Don't worry about the length, it's the quality that matters.

I wish someone would rate my latest story (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=484295&postcount=493).

Wolfsong

10th January 2011, 06:49 PM

-I know I’m rusty and I have had a case of writer’s block and I’ve included the twin’s rbg since I wanted to get it done. I know that it’s a little short ^^;

(Amy’s POV)

I carefully shifted my backpack higher up on my shoulder as the weight of the egg was continuously pulling it down. Holding the door to the Pokecenter open for Tiny and Colby as we left, I asked them how they were doing.

“Thankfully, the burn is gone but I wish Tom would just leave us alone.” The black vaporeon admitted.

I know. He just keeps turning up.

The two of them continued to talk with each other as I followed a familiar path to the Dragon Tamer’s headquarters. “Tiny Colby, we’re almost there.”

“Where?” The twins asked in unison and it became obvious that neither had been paying attention to where we had been going.

“To the Dragon Tamer’s headquarters since I need let Gabi know that I’m back. Besides there must have been a reason why Flame stayed instead of returning once he delivered the message.

“Okay.”

As we crossed the street, I took a deep breath before letting it out as I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Despite my trying to be quiet, Gabi looked up as I closed the door behind me.

"Amy! You're here!"

I couldn’t help but grin at her greeting. "Yeah, sorry about being gone so long."

"What happened? Are you OK?” she asked and I could hear the worry in her voice and that caused me to frown.

“Didn't… didn’t Flame show up with my message? I sent him when I realized that the short weekend trip home that I had planned was going to take a turn for a much longer stay."

"Flame? No, when was that?"

I walked over to my desk and moved my chair to the front of hers and sat down. "It was shortly after I had arrived at my parents' house where I learned that my mother was about to have minor surgery. Since I knew that I would be gone a while, I sent him once I learned about the news and I figured that would be the quickest. When he didn't come back, I figured that he was needed. After a couple weeks passed when he still hadn't returned I tried to call only to learn that my phone had no service whatsoever."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is she OK? And Flame... Is he lost?"

"Yeah Mom is fine now," I answered her before my eyes narrowed in concern. "It seems like he is. If I had known, I would have come back sooner despite doctor's orders."

"Why couldn't you send me an e-mail or something?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't know why I didn’t think of that. I was preparing to come back and I must have lifted something heavy or something else and my back when out. Then I was too doped up on pain meds that I couldn't think straight..."

"Oh, sorry. How are you feeling now?" Gabi asked after a brief pause.

"Much better. I had to go through physical therapy to strengthen it back up. I just have to be really careful about lifting anything heavy.” I looked over at the amount of paperwork piled up on her desk. “So what exactly is going on? You look like you've been busy."

"Haven't I always? But you're right, things aren't going well right now. Do you remember our last confrontation with Yssera's minions?"

"Yeah. Vaguely, but yes."

"We've been preparing to face them again, and have even managed to release some of them, but it seems Yssera was faster than we were. Her forces seem to be bigger now, and they're attacking Sybyll."

"Well, if you need us then we're willing to do what we can too." I immediately offered.

"Thanks. I appreciate that. But shouldn't you be focusing on getting well? Going on a mission like this could be dangerous."

I gave her a small smile hoping to reassure her. “Gabi, I appreciate your concern, but my back is pretty much as good as it’s ever going to get. Yes, it won’t ever be the same, but as long as I continue to do my exercises and don’t do any overly heavy lifting, I should be okay.”

"Okay, then, if you're sure. I admit I was worried about having to go to White Mountain on my own. Most trainers will be going to Sybyll to help stop the attacks, but we need to find Yssera to make sure she can't regroup and strike again. And we'll need experienced trainers and pokemon for that."

"I'm sure.” I promised before frowning as I thought of something. "Last time, didn't she target dragon types as well as those that could be considered dragons?"

"I think she did. But she also got other kinds of pokemon too. Why?"

"I was just wondering if she has anything to do with Flame's disappearance."

"I seriously hope not." Gabi admitted.

"You and me both."

"We'll look for him," she promised. "Do you have a photo? We can make posters, maybe even a public announcement. I'm afraid we can't delay our trip for too much longer, but if Yssera has him, going there may be the only way to find him. And if he's somewhere else, we'll look for him when we return. Maybe Tracker can help! This is exactly the kind of job at which she's best."

"I understand...” I told Gabi and I really did. “Before we left the team had stumbled across my camera and the ones that could use it were enjoying taking candid shots of the others so if it’s there, there is a possibility that there was a picture of him on it. Hopefully he will be somewhere else."

"I hope so too."

"So, what do you need me to do?" I asked her.

"If you feel up to it, I will need you and your team to come with me to White Mountain. We need to find Yssera and stop her before the situation goes completely out of control. I'm not sure of how we're going to do that yet, but Lagi said she'd try talking to the pegasus on the mountain, so maybe they will help us. And I think Golden Growlithe from the Dragon's Guild will be coming too." There was a brief pause before she spoke up again. "I can't think of anyone else to ask. Most trainers will have their hands full containing the situation in Sybyll, and White Mountain is bound to be even more dangerous."

"All right," I agreed. "Most of my team will probably be coming with me. I know Sugar will want to stay behind with Danny and I'll let Ebony stay behind as well to make sure the house is still standing when we return. The rest will probably want to come."

Gabi smiled. "That's good to hear. Maybe together we can find a way to stop her.”

“I hope so.”

“So... how fast can we get ready to leave? I still need to talk to Golden Growlithe but I have a feeling he's been ready for a while now."

"I'll just have to make a quick trip to the house and get the rest of the team. I only have Tiny and Colby with me and they just came from the Pokecenter. Other than that we're pretty much ready."

"Okay. I already have train tickets to Sybyll for all Dragon Tamers, redeemable within a 90-day period. I'll have to make sure everything's in order here... Could we leave in the morning?” she asked. “We can meet either here or at the station."

"Morning sounds good to me. We could meet here if you want?"

"Okay." Gabi agreed as I got up and walked back over to my desk and grabbed a few files before I left with the twins to go back home and let the rest of the team know what was going on.

~ ~ ~ ~

(Colby’s POV)

When we made it back to the house, Amy told the rest of the team that Flame had never contacted Gabi and that he had mysteriously disappeared as well before informing them about the current situation. As expected the mood went from glad to be back home to worried to concerned. Just as Amy had figured, Sugar wanted to stay home with Danny to keep him safe. Ebony was a little disappointed that she had to stay home but like the rest of the team understood why another member of the team needed to stay. While they were still discussing things, I saw Tiny easing towards the door so I followed him.

“Do you think Tom has Flame?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I replied instantly. “If he had, with his ego, he’d have made sure that we knew.”

My brother nodded his head, but he still looked uncertain. I could tell that he was still worried about something. “What else is bothering you?”

“We’re not as strong as most of the others…” he admitted as his voice trailed off.

“Do you want to go and see if we can find a battle?” I asked him.

“What is going on out here?” Blazer asked looking down at us. I jumped at that. Neither Tiny nor I had heard him approaching.

“Uh, well, Tiny was a bit nervous about tomorrow so I asked him if he wanted to go looking for a battle. Before he could answer you showed up.” I explained.

“Is this true?” he asked, turning his attention to Tiny.

“Yes… yes sir… it is.”

Blazer looked at each of us for a moment. “Wait right here,” he instructed before disappearing back inside the house. After a few minutes he was back outside. “Okay, let’s go.”

“We’re… going?” Tiny and I asked at the same time.

“Yeah. I just needed to let Amy know and I promised her that I was going to come with you.”

I started to open my mouth to object but Tiny quickly spoke up. “Thanks. You could even teleport us to the Pokecenter after the battle right?”

“That was the plan.”

“You talked with Amy?” I asked.

Blazer nodded his head. “Yeah. After Flame disappeared, I didn’t want her finding us gone and not having any idea where we went. We still have a couple hours before dark. Where do you want to go first?”

That made sense, I thought to myself as I looked over at my brother and saw him nodding as well.

”Let’s try the park first.” Tiny suggested.

“Do the two of you have everything?”

“Yeah,” I told him. I have my beach ball and Tiny has his collar.”

(Tiny’s POV)

We arrived at the park faster than either one of use could say ‘let’s play tag’ thanks to Blazer teleporting us. I had just given myself a full body shake when Colby poked me in the side. “What?”

“Look over there,” he said, nodding his head towards the direction of the fountain at the center of the park.

I looked over to where my brother was indicating and saw a mime junior talking to something in the fountain. I had just started to walk over with Colby to ask them if they wanted to have a friendly battle when I was suddenly sent hurtling head over tail backwards. I couldn’t help but yelp at the stink from the water pulse. When I came to a stop and stood up the world just kept spinning.

(Colby’s POV)

All thoughts of a friendly battle went out of my head when the carvanah shot a water pulse at Tiny before we even got close enough to talk. “Leave him alone!” I snarled.

“Why?” The Mime Junior asked. “You were approaching us.”

“We just wanted to ask if you wanted a friendly battle.”

“Well, the carvanah began as Tiny stumbled over his paws, “you got what you wanted so stop complaining.”

Colby L.17 M Black Vaporeon and Tiny L.17 M Black Flareon versus L.17 Mime Jr. and L.17 M Carvanha

I was still snarling under my breath as I glared at the carvanah while I concentrated on my hidden power. As I did so, the wind around me began picking up until a powerful gust of wind slammed him into the side of the fountain.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the small clown circling around Tiny taunting him. AS I watched, my brother lunged at him, but missed him and face planted into the ground causing me to wince as the little mime just laughed.

I growled loudly at that. My opponent shrunk back in the water a little but the mime junior didn’t seem to be the least bit bothered by it.

Tiny gave his head a shake before charging forwards and he crunched down on the mime’s arm and shook his head as he tossed his opponent to the side like a rag doll. When the small clown didn’t get back up, I gave a sigh of relief.

“Why you…” my opponent hissed before he spun around in the fountain and launched another water pulse at my twin who was standing over the fainted mime junior panting. With a startled yelp, he went down and didn’t get up.

Snarling, I swam over to the fish and raked him down his side with my claws, but I gritted my teeth as his sandpaper like scales cut my paw as I did so. However, the slash worked and the carvanha rolled over and floated belly up.

Tiny grew to L.18.
I grew to L.18.

I leaped out of the fountain and ran over to Tiny’s side where I nuzzled him but he was still out cold. Blazer hurried over and gently picked him up by the scruff of his neck much like I’d seen him do with Sinopa.

“Hang on,” he said although his voice was muffled. I nodded and gently bit down on his tail. Before I could even blink we were in the lobby of the Pokecenter and Nurse Joy rushed to see about Tiny. Once he was healing, she turned her attention to me. After we were back to full health, Blazer teleported us back home where we did our best to get a good night’s rest before morning came.