¤Game¤ Dragon Tamers Battle Range v.23 {MA Pidgeot} [Archive] - Page 3

classy_cat18

12th January 2011, 04:43 PM

FINISHED! With the start of the scenario, not the whole thing. I didn't know how to keep it short so you'll have to forgive me for that. ^^;;

Shonta’s POV

The voices. The voices wouldn’t stop. Wouldn’t quiet. They assaulted my mind all at once.

No, I wasn’t crazy.

My team was. They wouldn’t stop talking.

“Order,” I commanded in a firm voice.

If anything, they got louder.

“Order!”

Even louder.

“ORDER, OR NO ONE GETS ANYTHING!”

Fifteen voices immediately died.

“We’ve done this before, and for once I want no blood shed. Our train is leaving sooner than I thought. We do this in a calm, orderly, and slightly rushed manner. Okay?”

“Okay,” several Pokemon replied.

Katana folded her arms and tapped her paw on the floor. “All this time and you still have problems working your alarm clock? You know, if we miss the train to Ellyrion then it’ll be all your fault.”

“Do you want your TMs or not? Because you can always wait until you get back—“

“Fine, fine.”

“You’re still going last.” I ignored her frustrated cry. “Come on, let’s start with Jewel…”

Jewel was lacking in powerful Water-type attacks, so she was able to get two: Hydro Cannon and Surf. Beacon also got a powerful attack to benefit her element, but she was less thrilled about Zap Cannon. “I don’t know if I can handle it yet,” she said while looking worried.

“Never know until you try,” Bandit told her after getting his Metronome.

Katana snorted. “Ten bucks says you blow up the first time you use that new attack.”

“Fifteen says it’s Splash!” Ali joked.

“How come nobody’s betting on you exploding or splashing?” the Kecleon complained. Ali had also gotten Metronome.

“Destai gets Lava Plume.” I kept giving them out wordlessly while the team talked with each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Katana handing Ali the Rolling Kick TM I gave her (she never activated it). The Zangoose would get better moves in the future anyway.

Athena came up to me and handed back her Low Kick TM. “Save it for Nama when she evolves,” she muttered with a giggle.

Ken tugged on my pants leg to get my attention. “When are we going on the train?” he asked curiously.

“Soon,” I sighed. I really wanted to leave him and Bo home, since the Umbreon had already been an indirect victim of Yssera’s designs and his younger teammate had gotten close when he was still in the egg. But Bo insisted that he had grown up enough to fight with the team, and Ken had picked up the habit of somehow always finding a way to follow Bo. It was actually safer to have the Squirtle with us, where we could keep an eye on him.

I wasn’t worried about the house. The housesitters would be here shortly.

The chatter stopped at the sound of something scratching at our door. “That would be Triton,” Katana said as she went to the door and opened it.

“Hello,” the Golduck greeted politely, shaking my hand. “Volt can’t make it; she said she wanted to run the library while I was gone.”

“I hope you and Mom will be alright,” Beacon told him.

He just grinned and pulled me into the kitchen. “I need to talk to you about the mirror.”

The mystical mirror was currently wrapped in a soft cloth and in a pouch that I kept around my waist. Triton was the one who converted it from the Pegasus Crystal. “I’ve been curious about the mirror and its purpose,” he commented. “From what you’ve told me and what I’ve experienced, its purifying powers are more… flexible. That means that its view of purifying can be broader than expected.”

“What does that have to do with the mission?” I inquired with a raised eyebrow. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see some of the girls peeking in to listen.

He surprised me by shrugging. “No idea. It was just some musing that may or may not be helpful on your mission.”

There was a small squeak as Ali fell on her side. “Did you just facefault?” Athena asked her.

Moriko laughed. “That was perfect comedic timing, Ali!”

Ali blushed and stood up. “No, that fluffy fox pushed me!” she shouted.

“Hey! Are you trying to say I’m fat?” Trinity barked indignantly.

“Did you hear me say ‘fat’? No! I said ‘fluffy’!”

“Don’t you use that word to avoid calling Katana ‘fat’?”

“What? NO!” She threw a quick nervous glance at Katana who returned a neutral expression.

Okay, we really need to start moving.

“One more thing,” Triton interrupted. “I made that crystal into a mirror to disguise its power, but it also makes it harder to use. The light source has to be in front of it. You’ll either have to have good aim or a bright light.”

I nodded in understanding and turned to my team. “Alright, everyone! All of you can’t go on the train, so in your pokeballs!”

“Okay!” Each one them caught the pokeballs I tossed them and returned themselves until only a few remained. Ken never liked going in his pokeball, Bo didn’t like letting Ken out of his sight, Katana didn’t like letting either of them out of her sight, and I was still holding Nama’s pokeball. “Nama, I wanted to give you this before we left.”

The Slakoth gasped as I kneeled and set down a small shield. “It’s a Double Shield. You can slip it on your arm or you can just hold it. It’s kinda like Captain America’s shield.”

“Captain who?”

“Never mind. Try it on. I should’ve given you a practice battle so you could get used to it but it still can come in handy.”

She grinned and slid her left arm through the straps in the back. “Thanks.”

I returned her and tossed Triton a set of keys. “Hold down the fort for us,” I told him.

“Oh, there’s one more thing I want to tell you,” he said. “If you see a winged half-Ponyta over there, tell her I said hello.”

I stopped in mid-nod. “Wait, what? A winged what?”

“You don’t believe me,” he said with a slight grin.

“Why shouldn’t I? We’re about to face an evil ancient dragon and her brainwashed minions. There shouldn’t be any doubt that flying, fiery horses exist.” I shouldered my bag and took a deep breath. “And so, I charge into battle.”

“May you charge back out in one piece,” he returned.

Bandit’s POV

I spent the trip resting in my pokeball, which was a good thing because it got chaotic the second I was let out of my pokeball. I landed in the midst of a battle between our allies and Yssera’s loopy henchmen, both Pokemon and their trainers.

My whole team had their hands/paws/whatever full with their own battles, but it didn’t seem to be just random chaos. The enemy Pokemon were attempting to separate whoever they wanted to fight, especially those with a type advantage. A group of us were still together, but I was facing a Machop who was cracking his knuckles and chuckling.

I bumped into something hard and turned to see Moriko and Nama behind me, the Heracross having a bright smile on her face despite going up against a Cyndaquil. “Some fight, huh?” she asked me.

My eyes darted from her to the Machop. “Wanna switch?” I suggested.

“I’m not letting you!” the Cyndaquil shouted before firing a Flamethrower.

Nama shoved her out the way and raised a small shield that was on her arm. She grunted as the attack hit it, but she didn’t seem too affected. “I saw Rose somewhere behind this guy. His Slugma friend’s going to fry her if we don’t do something!” Nama told us.

“I’m on it!” Moriko exclaimed. But what she did wasn’t what I was expected.

I was flying through the air before I saw it coming, having been launched through the air by Moriko’s horn. “AAAAAAAAAaaaah!” I screamed until I crashed right into the Slugma, followed by a scream from landing in his molten body… and another scream coming from Rose who saw me land in his molten body. The Roserade covered her mouth, either in shock of my landing, or the shock of her own scream.

I’m too impressed by Moriko’s aim to be angry at her right now.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked me softly as I stumbled to her, turning red for a few seconds from contact with the Slugma.

“I-I’ll live,” I stammered. “S-stand back and I’ll t-take care of him.”

L11 Kecleon (Bandit) vs. L11 Slugma

I just wanted to end this quickly. When Slugma fired a Flamethrower at me, I countered with my new Water Pulse move. The two attacks collided and created a cloud of steam. “Crap, now I can’t see where he is!” I still guessed and fired another Water Pulse straight ahead.

The water parted the cloud and revealed a swarm of pink bubbles. The Slugma managed to release a Yawn before my attack hit him, being too slow to avoid such a fast attack. But there were too many bubbles for me to just evade, so I curled up and surrounded myself with a pink aura. I don’t really know how Magic Coat works, but it’s my best bet!

The Yawn bounced off me and flew right back to the Slugma although half of them were destroyed by a quick Ember. The other half slammed back into him. He yawned deeply and glared at me. “I still have time to take you down!”

I took a second to check on Rose, but she was too busy watching Slugma. “Uh, Bandit?” she whispered while pointing in the air.

“Huh?”

Flying rock!

“HOW DID HE THROW THAT?” I screamed. I jumped up and slammed the rock with a Brick Break, preventing a larger rock from hitting me and enduring the smaller ones instead.

“Why you little…” the Slugma growled, his curse cut off by another yawn before he fell asleep.

I looked down at my brown body and raised my hands to the sky. Several white orbs floated out of the dirt and barraged the sleeping opponent, knocking him out.

Bandit grew to level 12! He learned Fury Swipes!

“Rose? Could you do me a tiny favor?” She nodded. “Could you use Aromatherapy on me? I think that Slugma roasted me when I landed on him.”

Nama’s POV

“I have to admit that that was a great toss,” I told Moriko in awe as I heard her target scream.

“Yeah, Machop are surprisingly light,” she commented with a grin. “He wasn’t as good a flier as Bandit though.”

The Cyndaquil had even stopped attacking me to watch. “Uhh…I hate to interrupt this, but we still have a battle,” he told me. “Yssera’s orders and all that.”

“Fine. At least you’re not as crazy as most of them have been,” I groaned.

L11 Slakoth (Nama) vs. L8 Cyndaquil

The first thing on my mind as I tried to block Cyndaquil’s Quick Attack was that I had no idea how my new Double Shield worked. My frustration fueled the curse that passed my lips, turning it into a real Curse. The black aura that emanated from my body slightly annoyed Cyndaquil. “Aren’t you going to move? I have other Pokemon I could be steering toward Yssera’s cause, you know.”

“Sorry,” I replied. “Just trying to get the hang of this shield. But your attacks seem to have an effect on it.”

“I’d have to be crazy to wait for you!” He fired a Flamethrower this time, and I raised my shield again. The shield started to glow.

So it absorbs some of the energy from his Fire attacks. A pushing feeling came from the shield, making me dig my hind claws in the dirt for traction and pushed back. A beam of light shot out of the shield and knocked down the surprised Cyndaquil. It shouldn’t have that kind of power. But if that was Normal-type energy, then STAB and my Curse would’ve made it stronger.

“Wh-what?” Cyndaquil groaned as it got back on its paws.

I couldn’t attack him on this turn, only stand my ground. My legs were getting shaky.

“So I can’t use my Fire attacks,” Cyndaquil continued. “Great. I should’ve done this at the beginning anyway!”

My shield was no good for defending this time. The opponent rushed at me and slammed his whole body into me. I was knocked onto my back and rolled twice before stopping. “Reversal,” I guessed after forcing myself to stand one more time.

“You’re too slow to stop me from doing it again!” He started running to do it again.

Move! MOVE!

I raised my claws and brought them down on Cyndaquil before his boy could make contact again. With a loud squeak, he fell and lay on his back, out of the fight.

Nama won and grew to level 12!

“And with that, I’m out of the fight.” I collapsed as well.

Shonta’s POV

<I can no longer sense Nama,> Jewel informed me through telepathy.

“So she’s out of the fight,” I muttered and pulled out her pokeball. “Destai! Bo! This fight has gone on long enough! We have a job to do!”

The two Dark Pokemon ran to me, Destai barking excitedly. “We’re corralling, right?” Bo asked me. “There are a lot of Pokemon to deal with!”

“Get Trinity and Katana to help you. And don’t forget the trainers!” They nodded and charged into the fray, Destai snapping at the weaker Pokemon and trainers and scaring them to back away. Trinity and Katana followed suit, and Jewel helped with the stronger Pokemon by shooting attacks at their feet. The rest of the team escaped, Moriko taking off and flying to me with Nama on her back.

“Got ‘em!” Bo cried out.

“Use Mean Look!” I commanded. The Umbreon’s fiery red glare kept the enemy Pokemon in the tight group they had been chased into.

Moriko saluted after landing next to me. “Moriko here, reporting for air support!”

I handed her the mirror. “Go for it!”

She shot up and hovered above her target, taking a few seconds to angle the mirror into the bright sun correctly. The blinding pillar of light shone on the brainwashed as well as my team. It was too bright, even with my eyes closed.

I kept my eyes closed for another minute. “The mirror worked again,” I heard Lily say. “Even if they weren’t in the circle, that light probably would’ve gotten them.”

“Why can’t that thing have a dimmer switch?” Bandit groaned.

I slowly cracked an eye and saw Yssera’s former victims rubbing their eyes and wandering around in a stupor. “They look okay. Let’s go. Gabi and Amy were supposed to be on our train but I never saw them.”

“So we’re going to the mountain?” The Kecleon shivered and ignored Katana’s funny look. “What? I shiver when I know I’m going to evil places.”

Lady Vulpix

12th January 2011, 05:50 PM

Nice start, Shonta! Take 20 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

I liked the progression "Ken never liked going in his pokeball, Bo didn't like letting Ken out of his sight, Katana didn't like letting either of them out of her sight".
Another phrase that made me laugh was "May you charge back out in one piece".
I also chuckled at the reference to Captain America because my brother hates him with a passion.

Shirly evolved before she met Triton. I'm fixing that for the archive.

And Bandit's frequent repetition of words before his battle gave his descriptions an interesting effect.

Lady Vulpix

12th January 2011, 07:37 PM

Here's my last story for this scenario. And, by the way, Amy does get the extension.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Gabi's POV>

I picked up Caledor's die and put it in my backpack. Then, as we continued our ascent, Ventura gave us a cryptic warning.

"Good news and bad news."

She didn't get to say what the news was - and thankfully she was refraining from sending psychic pulses - but at least the bad part became clear almost immediately, as an enraged Flygon came flying our way. Yet, almost as soon as it came into sight, it was shot down by an Ice Beam from behind a large white rock.

"OK, that leaves only the good news, thankfully," Ventura remarked in what was as close to a joking tone as I'd ever heard from her.

A Glalie came out from behind the aforementioned rock. I soon recognized him as Glice, from Golden Growlithe's team. Good news indeed. He looked at us, then turned around and called out to his friends.

"Hey, guys, look who's finally here!"

His trainer soon showed up, accompanied by Glyph the Espeon, Arim the Clefairy and a Linyi the Smoochum.

I sighed with relief. "It's great to see friendly faces at last. Have you met each other before? Sorry, I know I see all of you a lot, but I'm not sure if you've ever been together."
"I don't believe that we have," replied the trainer. "I'm Ivan, a.k.a. Golden Growlithe from the Dragon's Guild. These are my friends Glice, Glyph, Arim and Linyi. You're from the Dragon Tamers, aren't you?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah. I'm Amy."
'Ivan' extended a hand to her. "Nice to meet you, Amy."
"Where's the rest of your team?" I asked him, noticing the absence of a certain Lapras and Dewgong.
"Lavy's body's not fit to climb mountains, so she's in a pokeball for now," he explained. "As for Orknye... I wish I knew. He was gone when I got here, and all Glyph could tell me was that he felt a surge of Psychic energy in the night before he disappeared. To tell the truth I'm quite worried about him."
"Oh, no. You don't think...?" I began, but didn't dare finish the sentence.
Then Glyph spoke out. "He'd never join Yssera, I'm sure of that. But she may have done something to him that he wasn't expecting. We've been watching her day and night and we still don't know the full extent of her powers. Still, we have to confront her. Hopefully, it'll be easier to find him when she's gone, or at least disabled."
"You sound quite confident about our chances against her," Ventura remarked.
"She's getting desperate," Glyph stated. "That's why she's launched the attack against Sybyll. She hasn't been able to break the seal yet, so with any luck we'll only need to restore the seal that was broken. I don't know how to do it, but I gather we have nearly all the pieces of the puzzle. Not to mention someone with great knowledge trusts that we'll be able to defeat her. It's what we came here to do, and yes, I believe we can do it."

I had to spend a few seconds processing what he'd just said. Glyph was no Harims but his words could still be quite obscure. I concluded that the one who trusted us was Harims, as she was the only one known for her great knowledge who had dealings with his team and whom he might refuse to name in public. That, in addition to his last sentence, were translated in my mind as "Harims sent us here to fight Yssera and he trusts we can do it, and so do I". Which was quite a revelation, assuming he'd understood Harims's intentions correctly. Nothing that she said was ever clear, so I reckoned even Glyph might have trouble understanding her. But if he was right...

"OK, that's some piece of information," I told him. "Don't you think you could have shared it sooner?"
"We weren't sure about it until recently, and to be honest it was hard to find the words to say it now."

That confirmed it: it was definitely Harims.

"It was quite a mouthful as it was," Iael commented. "I can't say I got all of that. But I do know there's at least one more missing pokemon. Could Flame and Orknye be together?"
"Flame, the Charizard that was reported missing yesterday?" Ivan queried.
I nodded.
"I doubt it," said Glyph. "Judging by the kind of energy I sensed last night I'd say that, unless Flame has unknown psychic abilities, he and Orknye are in completely different places. But I'll be glad to join the search for Flame once we're done here. The more I think of it, the more I have the feeling that Orknye will be fine."
Amy nodded. "I just hope that we find him soon."

I hoped so too, but took some time before I spoke, as I was still digesting Glyph's latest mouthful. He'd say something about Psychic abilities... Did he believe that Orknye was back in Bei? I wished I could ask more, but that was not the right time and place for that. I just hoped he was right about Orknye being fine, and that Flame, wherever he was, was OK too.

"I hope so too," I finally said. "But I don't think we should stay here, or else they'll keep coming for us."
"I thought you might want to wait for your Dragon friend," said Glyph. "I saw her fly to the other side of the mountain."
I was unsure of what to do. "Do we have time to wait? She shouldn't have trouble finding us wherever we go."
Then I heard a familiar voice. "No more waiting. The whole mountains are crawling with those annoying minions."

It was Shonta. She was approaching us with some difficulty, surrounded by some of her pokemon friends. She had a bandaged arm.

"Shonta, you're here!" I exclaimed.
"Are you okay?" Asked Amy.
"What happened to your arm?" I asked a split-second later.
Ivan added a question of his own. "Is she another one of your DT friends? Wait, I think I've seen you before. Weren't you at the Dragon's Guild at some point?"
"I was sneaking through the mountain, not entirely minding my own business, when a Poochyena attacked me! Nearly bit my arm off!" explained Shonta. Then she answered Ivan's question. "I come and go."
"And that will be a lovely talk to have later when we're not in the middle of a battlefield," said Ventura, not clarifying whether she was talking about Shonta's Guild activity or her confrontation with the Poochyena. "We must go, Lagi will find us and with any luck she'll bring some help with her."
"Yes, we should go," I agreed. "I think we're close. The energy's getting stronger."

We began to walk again. Amy picked up Sinopa and carried her in her arms.

"Beacon will join us on the way," Shonta told us. "Got sidetracked by her opponent."
"Oh," I said glumly. "Every one of our teams has a missing member! I hope we can all come together soon."

We continued our ascent until the sun began to go down. Then Glyph stopped to look around.

"This is strange," he said.
"What is?" asked Shonta.
"We're getting really close, but I can't sense any enemies near us. I would have thought this place would be more heavily guarded."
"Let me check..." Ventura offered. "I see. Most of the battles are taking place below us. And there's that horrible energy coming from... the cave over there! My radar can't penetrate it. If I had to guess I'd say all of Yssera's allies who aren't already fighting are inside that cave."
"And they're more powerful than the ones we've already faced?" asked Shonta with a hint of worry.
"Now I know why Beacon told me to go ahead with you." Lily shivered.
"Most likely," said Amy. "They've been getting stronger as we advanced."
"I was already expecting trouble when we got there, so I guess we can be grateful for a short moment of relative peace before entering the Houndoom's mouth," I said. "No offense to Yana."
"So what are we going to do when we get there?" Ventura asked the question we all dreaded.

There was a long silence, which was finally broken by Bandit the Kecleon.

"We're not used to facing maniacal dragons, so you'll have to excuse us for our lack of plans."
"I wish I knew what to do," I confessed. "Teclis said he believed we could stop Yssera, but he didn't say how. And the details we found in his library didn't seem to be of any help. I'm still hoping to find a way to rebuild the seal that used to bind her, but... does anyone among us know much about spells and magical artifacts?"

Sinopa poked her head up and looked around over Amy's arms, trying to listen to what was going on.

"You know a bit yourself," Glyph told me, "but your sporadic brushes with magic may not have given you what we need. I've been to places and seen things, but I'm not good at using magic myself. I think we'll have to rely on the power of the mountain. Maybe some of us can tap into it."
"The power of White Mountain..." I reminisced, staring at the last colors of the sunset. "It's been so long since I've felt it at its peak."
"Please tell me you didn't mean to make that pun," Tsunami glared at me while Bo muttered something like "Night falls, moon shines..."
"I didn't," I replied, coming back to the present. "What's that about the moon shining?"
"I dunno," said Shonta. "He's been doing this since we got on the mountain. He slips in and out of this, and it's freaking out Ken."

She pointed to her Squirtle, who appeared to be shivering.

"The energies around here are going crazy," Ventura pointed out. "Maybe that's his way to react to them."
"The moonlight shines pure white..." the Umbreon went on rambling.
"He's the only one on my team that is affected," Shonta told us.
"He reminds me of Solitude back in the old days," Hero commented.
"Didn't Solitude turn out to be psychic?" Tsunami pointed out.
"Precognitive, yes, but still screwed up in the head if you ask me."

I felt that was very inconsiderate, but one thing Hero clearly wasn't known for was his tact. Golden Growlithe and his team directed serious glares at him, which he didn't even seem to notice. I wondered if it was possible that, within a few days, they had got to know Solitude better than Hero had in all the years they'd spent together.

"She'd hate to hear you say that," Tsunami told him, but soon dismissed the issue. "Maybe there's a meaning to Bo's ramblings."
"Bo has never had a psychic bone in his body," Shonta said.

She waved a hand in front of Bo's face, only for her hand to be gently bitten.

"Owwww..." she moaned.
Bo lets go and spoke in a deep voice. "The mirror... the mirror..."
"I sure hope the mirror helps us, but that's no reason to bite," I told him, hoping that he would hear me.
"Nah, I think that was my fault," Shonta shrugged it off. "The kid's completely out of it right now."
"I wouldn't rule out experimenting with the mirror and the moonlight, just in case," suggested Amber.
"I wouldn't rule out taking him to a Pokemon Center as soon as we can get off this mountain," Hero countered.
I thought they could both be right.
"We may all need to go there once this is over," Amber noted.
"I've had to keep the mirror hidden," said Shonta. "It's been attracting attention."

She took a cloth out of her bag and unwrapped it to reveal the mirror. It suddenly began to emit bursts of light.

"Is it supposed to be flashing like that?" asked Bandit.

Sinopa hopped down from Amy's arm and cautiously approaches the mirror, only to back off when she noticed everyone else was gathering around it to try and get a better view.

"Oh. Sorry," said Amber when she noticed the Vulpix's problem. The Charizard stepped back.
"Now is not the time. Here is not the place," Bo stated, his phrases no longer cryptic.
"OK, something is happening," Hero admitted as he began to walk again, "but I'd like to know who or what is talking through him."
"You're not suggesting... He's possessed?" Ventura shivered at the thought as she followed after him.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but ever since we got here I have had the feeling that someone or something has been creeping around here," said Jewel the Starmie. "Something none of us can see."
"We do know Yssera and the Black Dragon are enemies," Hero recalled, "and the Black Dragon uses demons to possess pokemon. I can't shake the feeling we may be doing exactly what he wants us to do."
"Please tell me the Black Dragon isn't another bad guy," said Bandit, whose team had been blissfully spared from the Templa Taure mission.
"He isn't another bad guy. He's worse," claimed Ventura, who had seen worse things than I dared try to imagine.
I elaborated. "We fought him in Templa Taure and defeated his demons with the help of... someone whose assistance I don't like requiring. We couldn't do the Black Dragon himself much harm."
I really, really hoped I wouldn't have to deal with Tsuyoi again.
"And Teclis told us that he and Yssera were old enemies," added Amber. "They were both locked down to stop their fights from destroying everything in their wake."
"This is creepy," said Circe. "We're doing a demon's dirty work and I get the feeling of something flowing under my feet."

The Ralts climbed up Shonta's back while Ken began to cry.

"I wish there was another way," I told them, "but Yssera's trying to break free and if she does, he's bound to come for her again and no one will be safe from either of them."
"Circe, get down!" Katana growled. "You are not making things better!"
"I hate to say this, but it seems like whatever is possessing Bo knows what to do, even though it may not be a good idea," said Shonta.
"We can always use the mirror on him if things get ugly," Ventura suggested.
"Things are already ugly," Sylvan remarked.
"You should know what I mean," Ventura told her. "Now please be quiet. We're almost there."

We kept walking in silence, which was only briefly broken when Beacon finally joined us. It didn't take much longer for us to reach the cave and walk into it. Its inside was illuminated by a dim green light. There were some holes on the opposite wall, but the light wasn't strong enough to show what's wan them, nor how far they went. I felt a shiver run down my spine. Yssera's energy was everywhere.

A voice spoke to us from the far wall. "Welcome. It's always nice to have visitors. I hope your journey here was not to rough. My friends can get carried away when they're trying to defend me. I've told them no one's going to hurt me, but they're just so protective!" It could only be Yssera.
"Do the lies never end?" I said, more annoyed than I was scared.
"Not when it comes to that dragon," Shonta remarked.

I heard a noise which turned out to be Bo moving to hide behind Shonta's leg.

"You hurt me," Yssera's voice replied. "I keep talking to your friends, but they just won't listen. All I'm trying to do is protect the world from the Black Dragon. And you're singing that low just to try to stop me? You're digging your own graves, mark my words."
"No matter what your goals are, it doesn't justify what you did to all those people and pokemon," I told her.

I wasn't quite sure of why I was talking to her, but sometimes others say things that I find so terrible that I become engrossed in an argument and I just can't stop myself.

"You've figured it all out, haven't you?" Yssera teased me. "I knew you were special."
"You say that to everyone who comes to see you," I noted.
"You don't care what you do to us or to this world!" Exclaimed Lily. It felt good to know I wasn't alone in my argument against Yssera.
The dragon had an answer for each one of us. "Haven't you thought that maybe all who came to see me are special in their own ways? And you... what do you know of my feelings? Of what I care for?"
"I'd say taking away other's souls is a dead giveaway that you don't care for them," Tsunami remarked.
"The blood that has spilled is enough evidence," added Lily.
"What would you do if you found out you were wrong?" Yssera questioned us.
"You'd have to prove us wrong first," I said, unable to imagine where her argument might be heading and hoping to come up with something while it lasted.
"I can't offer you irrefutable proof, but then again no proof is irrefutable," Yssera countered with an argument that might as well have been mine. "It's each individual's decision whether to believe or not. Just like it's their decision to come to me, and to embrace me. I'll tell you what I did, and then you'll decide for yourself whether you think I speak the truth."
"I'm not really interested in listening to your lectures," Shonta groaned just in time for me to react.

I stopped trying to argue for a while and looked around. I could only see that eerie green light falling on my companions and the cave walls, and all I could feel was that dreadful energy all over the place. I couldn't think of what to do... and the argument continued.

"So you just want to fight without giving me a chance to explain myself? And here I was thinking you believed yourselves to be the good guys."
"What can you possibly say that can deny what we've already seen?" asked Ivan, whose long preparation for that moment didn't seem to be bearing fruit either.
"First of all, you must know that I don't have the power to take anything from anyone against their will. It would have been so easy to destroy all my enemies if I'd been able to strip their souls away, wouldn't it? But then again, I'd never do such a thing even if I could. A soul is too valuable to be destroyed. I wonder if one can be destroyed at all."
"Then what did you do?" he asked.
"Please allow me to finish. As I said, I can't take a soul, and I can't even change it if the soul isn't open to me. Those who came to me did it on their own free will. They came for answers, for words of wisdom, for ways to improve their lives and feel better about themselves... they came looking for a purpose. And I gave them all they came for. It takes a while to reshape a soul even after it willingly enters the Emerald Dream. It has to be done slowly, smoothly and carefully, to keep the soul willing an open. If the soul resists, the process will be ruined. So everything I did to each one of them was accepted by them."
I couldn't take it anymore. "Or, more precisely, they were tricked."
"You took advantage of their emotions," Katana agreed with me.
"They got just what they wanted," claimed Yssera. "I gave them a sense of purpose, a mission in life. They offered themselves to help me, and I just set them in the best conditions for them to do so. I didn't take their essence, just the parts that could become a threat: personal goals, attachments, strong feelings and desires that might lead them away from me. I replaced them for a feeling of fulfillment and enlightenment, for the certainty that they were an important part of a greater scheme, key players in the destruction of a great and ancient evil, and in the construction of a better world. There wasn't one of them who didn't feel much better upon waking up from my Dream."
"They were no longer themselves when they woke up!" I cried out. "How can you justify it? What would you feel if someone wanted to do that to you?"
"I already have a purpose," Yssera said. "And I'd be fulfilling it by now if you and your friends weren't too stubborn to look at the big picture."
I'd heard variants of that line too many times. "You're just saying that the end justifies the means. Too many crimes have been committed while wielding that phrase. No, I'm not buying it. You need to stop now."
"And you will stop me? So you don't believe in that phrase, but you do believe in strength in numbers. What happens when numbers alone are not enough?"
"We believe in our strength," said Lily. "That's what happens."
I heard Yssera chuckle. "Then we'll have to put your strength and your numbers to a test now, won't we?"

I felt a mixture of dread and relief as a new wave of attackers emerged from the far wall. They were a problem, but they were the kind of problem I was used to dealing with. No more philosophical arguments with a powerful enemy who was probably just trying to get us to weaken our defenses, and whom -even knowing that- I just couldn't stop listening to. And what was worse was that I felt it was my own fault: I'd never been able to stop listening -or even replying- when others voiced dangerous thoughts. A battle might turn out to be just what I needed to clear my head.

I could count two Salamences, an Absol and a new Flygon. I took a hand to my chest to make sure my amulet was at hand in case I needed it. I tried to assess the situation and decide the best course of action, but Hero was facing a Salamence before I knew it, and it was pointless to think of giving Hero any kind of advice while he was battling. The other Salamence and the Absol both walked past me and faced some of the other teams, while Glyph stood in the Flygon's way and made sure it wouldn't try to attack anyone but him. At that moment I felt redundant, but then I realized I was only getting more time to think.

Level 72 Ninetales vs. Level 85 Salamence

<Hero's POV>

I didn't like the situation one bit, but the Salamences were strong and I reckoned only Blazer and myself stood any chance against them. Blazer must have thought the same, as he quickly stood in front of one while I faced the other. The Absol and the Flygon were getting busy with Lily and Glyph respectively, so I decided to focus on my battle. We were in a rather crumpled space and we might all end up ramming into each other, but I couldn't afford to lose sight of my opponent. Still, I couldn't move fast enough to avoid the Salamence's vicious Dragon Claw. That thing really hurt! I quickly realized I wouldn't have the chance to bide my time and do any of my usual tricks. Even Double Team was out of the question at such close range: the Salamence would have no trouble identifying the real me. And yet, none of my attacks were strong enough to bring it down quickly. My only chance was to weaken it so that I could last longer and get a chance to act. So I went with Will-o-Wisp. Oh, it's amazing how easy it is to burn a foe when it neglects to take its claws off my torso.

The burn caused the Salamence to instinctively step back, but before I could attack I was hit by the meanest Dragonbreath I'd ever experienced. It stung so much I could barely even stand. But, in spite of the pain, my body was still reacting. I shot a Confuse Ray at the Dragon type while an Ice Beam was launched from behind me and hit the Salamence's left shoulder. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw that it was Lagi! She had come right in time to help!

The Salamence wasn't happy about Lagi's interruption, and released a shockwave that caused Lagi to roll over. It didn't seem fazed by my Confuse Ray. But now I had the chance to try and do some damage. I focused all my negative emotions -of which I had many at that time- and released them all in a powerful Dark Pulse. Or, at least, a Dark Pulse which I hoped would be powerful. The Salamence only seemed mildly annoyed by this. Lagi got back up and shook her wings, releasing an Icy Wind which was more than the Salamence could handle.

Lagi and I both grew to level 73!

Lagi walked over to my side and took a look at me.

"I see I didn't arrive too soon," she said.
"No kidding," I told her. "But I thought you'd be bringing reinforcements?"
"They're not ready yet. They're waiting for someone. I trust they'll be here soon."
"Did you...?" I began, but I had too many questions and I was in too much pain to formulate them.
"Get some rest," she suggested. "We can talk later."
"OK, but you help Caledor out of his pokeball. He didn't want to miss the action."
Lagi nodded. "I'll see to that."

Lagi talked to Gabi and had her release Caledor just in time to see the Flygon get hit by a sudden blast of psychic energy and collapse. I believe it would have been a fun battle to watch. I didn't know exactly what moves Glyph could use, other than Teleport and that last attack which looked like Future Sight, but I was sure he had many neat tricks and tactics. I wished I could have watched him battle.

Blazer and Lily came out victorious too, but at a high cost: they were both badly hurt. In fact, many of us were injured and I myself had to make an effort to fight the pain and remain upright. I was frustrated that I'd been unable to use the tricks I'd been practising, but the Salamence had been too strong and hadn't left me any openings. I would have been history if Lagi hadn't come to help me. And the worst thing was that I knew she knew it, but she was nice enough to remain quiet.

Of course, the real fight was far from over. I wouldn't get a chance to rest yet. Without saying a word, Shonta began to walk, heading for the tunnel our opponents had come from. Everyone else followed her in silence. Our own footsteps echoed through the tunnel, and that was all I could hear until we reached the next chamber. Then I heard the deep breaths that seemed to come from within the wall. The strange green light was also there, but it was mixed with the beams of moonlight coming from a small hole on the ceiling. Other than that, I could see nothing but rocks which, if you stared at them, seemed to take strange forms in the eerie light. The back of the chamber was in the dark, but it wasn't hard to imagine who was in there.

"Why isn't she speaking anymore?" asked Iael.
"I don't know," said Gabi, "but I'm not sure whether it's creepier when she talks or when she doesn't."
Her gaze was lost, as if she was listening for something or trying to think of something. She'd been like that for a while.
"I'd rather have her talking," Shonta voiced her thoughts. "At least then I'll know she's not right behind us, ready to eat us."
Then Glyph began the exposition no one wanted to hear. "I've been on the mountain for a long time and I haven't seen or heard of anyone being eaten. I don't know what or how often she eats, though. Maybe the seal has slowed down her metabolism."
"This is not a good time to talk about a dragon's metabolism," Tsunami told him.
"It's never a good time to talk about a dragon's metabolism," said Shonta.
"OK, what shall we do?" Iael decided to be practical.

Before anyone could make any suggestions, Bo walked towards the circle of moonlight and stared at some point within the darkness.

"What's he doing?" asked Tsunami.
"There's something strange with Bo," Lagi remarked.
"We've already noticed there's something strange about him," Tsunami told her.
"I said 'with'," Lagi clarified. "Or, rather, in him."
"I knew it," said Ventura. "We'll have to use the mirror on him after all, won't we?"
The Umbreon snapped his head to Ventura and growled.
"Something tells me he's not going to let that happen," Shonta said.
"Well, we need to do something," Ventura insisted. "We have enough problems without adding possession to the list."
"Does anyone want to battle him?" I suggested. Had I been in a better shape I would have done it myself.
The Squirtle from Shonta's team shyly held up hand. "I wanna help him!"

Shonta took out the mirror, preparing herself to use it, but things didn't go as planned. Bo pounced on his trainer, snatched the mirror and used it to reflect the moon beams. The mirror started flashing with a bright white light, and illuminated the dark side of the chamber. I didn't like what I saw.

The cave began to shake as the massive green dragon stood up and walked towards us. Her head was too close for comfort when she stared at us with her huge yellow eyes and grinned. I don't ever wanna see teeth like those form a grin again.

"Thank you for releasing me," said Yssera. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"This can't be happening," Lagi mused. She was so overwhelmed that I was starting to feel it.
"But it is," Bo chuckled. "And I must thank you too, for finding this mirror."

Sinopa tried to hide behind Amy's arms. Everyone else stood still.

Yssera shot a glare at Bo. "I'll deal with you later." Then she looked at the rest of us. "I feel quite grateful, so I'll give you all one last chance. You can join me now." She turned to Lagi with a creepy look on her face. "I'll even let you see your daughter."

Shonta and Amy rejected her offer in a categorical unison, while Lagi yelled at her and told her to leave Edie alone. I half-expected a storm to tear the skies at that moment, but it didn't happen. All I got to see was a beam of red light as Moriko was released from her pokeball.

"Get that mirror back, but try not to hurt Bo!" Shonta instructed the Heracross.
"What a waste," said Yssera. "You don't even have a sense of self-preservation. And here I was trying to be generous. A shame, really. I'm afraid I'll have to kill you, then."

Gabi held her amulet and shot at the dragon, but Yssera didn't seem fazed by it. I wondered if she'd even remembered to set it to full power. I saw several pokemon set up Reflect and Light Screens, and mimicked Caledor's Reflect in order to protect those around me. Others chose to attack Yssera directly, like Kovu, who used a Confuse Ray, and Beacon, who hit her with a Zap Cannon. Yssera didn't seemed to suffer the effects of confusion, but the Zap Cannon made her wince. She raised her front leg and slashed Kovu, Beacon and everyone who was in range. I'm afraid it was only a matter of luck that I was out of reach of her claw.

"Pokemon attacks won't be enough," said Golden Growlithe, Eshree, Ivan or whatever. "We need the power of the mountain."
"How can we get it? I can't even feel it in this cave!" Gabi protested.
"We need to focus," said Lagi, which explained why she wasn't attacking. "I... I'm starting to feel something."
"I...I feel something too," Lily seconded her.

I wished I could feel it, but all I could do was try to protect myself and look for an opening. Yssera looked at Lagi and choked her with her breath. Lagi started tumbling and fell to the ground, but her eyes remained open. I felt she was waiting for something. Literally felt it. Lagi seems to broadcast her emotions when they become too strong. Meanwhile, Beacon's tail orb began to glow brighter while her legs could barely hold her. I tried sending 'Spooky' to attack from the other side and hopefully distract Yssera for a moment, but she didn't even seem to notice. My Hidden Power hadn't been of any help that day.

Just a few seconds later, we heard the sound of running hooves coming form the tunnel we had come through. The ground itself soon started rumbling under their steps.

"Is that what you were feeling earlier?" Shonta asked Gabi.
"It's what I was hoping for," she replied. A smile began to form on her face.

Sadly, I didn't get to see much of what happened next. Yssera got nervous and started thrashing about, hitting everything she could reach with claws, teeth and tail. I tried to keep away from her, but there was too much dragon to avoid and too little room to maneuver. In the end her tail hit my neck and, despite all my efforts, my body stopped obeying me. The last thing I got to see was a group of white shapes arriving through the tunnel. Then my eyes closed themselves. "At least the cavalry has arrived," I thought. "They just might make it." It took me a couple of seconds to realize I'd made a pun without noticing, and that was the last coherent thought I remember having during that battle.

<Gabi's POV>

In the commotion, I couldn't see everything that was going on; but one thing was clear: help had come. One by one, they galloped into the chamber. They were the guardians of White Mountain: pegasus, pegasi, pterippoi or whatever other names their race has been given. They lived on the mountain, but very few had actually seen them. They only showed themselves when they had a reason. This time, the reason was clear to me: they were trying to restore White Mountain to its former glory. Leading the way was someone whom I hadn't expected to meet again: a pegasus with a horn and a fiery mane and tail, or possibly a winged Rapidash. She'd used more than one name in the past, but later that night I learned from Lagi that Shirly was her real name. Her family had been waiting for her, and now they were all there with us.

"How is this possible?" I wondered. "Is she free from Yssera's power?"
"Triton's friend!" exclaimed Beacon, who also seemed to have met her before.

Most of the winged equines attacked Yssera with beams of energy while Shirly jumped into the air and bounced on her. Yssera tries to take off and break through the ceiling.

"She's trying to get away!" Lily cried out as she started absorbing light.
"Let me help you with that," Shirly offered.

The Rapidash-Pegasus hybrid looked up and the light from the moon became brighter, speeding up Lily's Solarbeam. Kovu launched a Zap Cannon, but didn't hit Yssera. However, her talon was hit by an Ice Beam from Tsunami. I released Water Angel, hoping she'd be able to help.

"Your business with me is not over, Yssera!" Bo cried out from the top of a large rock. He and Moriko had stopped fighting for a moment.
"I'm busy now!" Yssera answered. "Go tell your master that I'll meet him later to settle our score."

Water Angel looked around and fixed her gaze on Yssera, shooting an Aurora Beam at her, while another Ice Beam connected, apparently coming from Talut. Moriko grabbed the mirror while Bo was preoccupied and shone it on him, knocking him out.

"Now for the dragon!" shouted the Heracross, attacking Yssera with an Aeroblast.

The green dragon hit the ceiling, where the hole started widening from the pressure.

"If we don't end this soon, we might create a cave in and get stuck with this dragon!" Shonta warned us.

All pokemon and pegasi kept attacking, while Yssera tried to shake everyone off with her tail and deliberately hit the ceiling of the cave. But then she was pushed back down, as something hit her from above.

"What was that?" asked Shonta.

Yssera moved downwards a bit to look at what had hit her, and a somewhat larger pegasus came in through the hole and stood on her.

"Whoa..." Shonta exclaimed.
"Big flying horsie!" said Ken.

Yssera tried to shake off her rider, who was glowing with a bright white light.

"That's my father!" shouted Shirly. "Everyone help him! Channel the energy!"

All her relatives began to glow. I smiled.

"Yes... THIS is the energy I remember."

The white light surrounded me and I let it take me in. The feeling was wonderful.

"I feel nice and warm," I heard Shonta laugh.

<Ventura's POV>

All the winged horses were glowing, and the humans were starting to glow too. Shonta released Jewel, and her gem also began to glow. And Caledor was glowing yellow, but that didn't surprise me since he did that a lot.

Glyph ran to the back of the cave. His trainer looked at him for a moment, but then he went back to trying to channel the energy from the pegasus group. Yssera kept thrashing about, but her movements were slowing down.

"It's working!" exclaimed Shonta.
Yssera started groaning. "This can't be happening. I've waited so long... I need to have it!"

That was when Glyph called out from the back of the cave. "Arim, Ventura and any other pixies or fairies out there, come here!"

He'd spent enough time at the Dragon's Guild to know I wasn't a fairy by any definition, yet he insisted on calling me that. Still, we were in the middle of a crisis and if he had a plan it wouldn't be wise to ignore it.

"There are no pixies of fairies here, but I'll humor you just this once," I told him before teleporting to his side.
"Thanks for coming," he said. "Can you help me read this? The light isn't strong enough on this corner and I can't read the last word."

He was pointing at a part of the wall. I couldn't see anything on it, but my radar told me there were symbols engraved on it. I didn't know them, yet somehow I was able to translate them.

"If the seals breaks, use natural magic to restore them," I read out. "If it's one, heal it with pure light. If it's both, combine it with fairy chant. Huh?"
"Chanting? Just that?" he asked as his Clefairy friend joined us.
"That's what it says, but I don't understand it. I don't even know how I could read it."
"It was meant to be understood by anyone who could percieve it. I've heard of spells like this one before."
"Is there anything you haven't heard of?"
"Many things, I'm sure, but I wouldn't know about them on account of not having heard of them. Now can you two please start singing?"
"Singing what?"
"Anything. It's the act of singing that counts. Take whatever music comes to your mind and sing with all your heart."
"Are you sure that's what we must do?" I asked.
"I'm positive."
"Come on, Ventura," said Arim. "No one will judge you. Let's just sing the threat away."

She started singing like she didn't care. I felt quite embarrassed, but there didn't seem to be a choice. I just hoped Glyph was right, as weird as his petition was. I wasn't used to singing, but I tried humming a note for a while, and then another, and after a few seconds I started feeling more comfortable and just hummed whatever came to my mind without thinking about it.

"You fools..." Yssera's words sounded rather muffled. "You don't know what you're doing! You can't defeat the Black Dragon without me!"

I heard another voice join us. It was Rose the Roserade. Glyph heard her too.

"I think she's a fairy in her own way," he commented.
He was smiling.

I stopped only for a moment as Yssera was pulled towards where we were standing and past us, disappearing behind the wall of stone. During that brief moment, I heard my trainer sigh and say "I think we'll take our chances."

Our song lasted for a few more seconds, during which I heard Shonta shout out Bo's name and run to his side, while Yssera's screams turned into snake-like sounds and became softer, until they could no longer be heard. Then Glyph nodded and we took it as a sign that it was enough. The immediate threat was gone. Then the reactions began.

"Is it finally over?" Asked Lily.
Glyph walked back to where the others were and replied.
"It's as 'over' as it was before the whole thing started. I'm afraid we don't have the power to kill her, it took all our combined efforts just to restore the two seals."

I rejoined the others too, followed by Arim.

"But she won't be able to break free on her own," Shirly assured, "and she can't make contact with anyone now. I'm coming back to the mountain. My family and I will watch over it to make sure no one tries to break the seals again."
"That's a relief," said Moriko.
"I hope Bo will be alright now," Shonta showed her concern.
"He should be fine," Shirly told her. "He's had a rough time, but I know how that feels. He'll recover soon."
"How did you recover?" Gabi asked her. "I almost couldn't believe it when I saw you here."
"I think you've met our friend Triton," said Shonta.
"I did," Shirly confirmed, "and I'm eternally grateful to him. He helped me break free from Yssera's control. It had only worked partially on me for some reason."
"Could it be because of the White Mountain energy that's in you?" inquired Gabi.
"Could be. Still, I was quite weak and worn out after that, so I went to the forest to recover. It wasn't until today that I took a nap and had an auspicious dream. Then I knew it was time for me to rejoin my family."
"What kind of dream did you have?" Eshree asked her.
"I dreamed of a river in the forest, and some kind of aquatic mammal came out of the river and told me that my folks needed me and I had to return home."
Glyph smiled. "I think we've found our missing friend. Did he tell you where he was?"
"No... At least I don't think so. But now that you mention it, I think he said he was going to look for his friends if his fins allowed it or something like that. It was a dream, I don't remember the exact words."
"We should go and look for him," said Eshree. "It's not easy for a Dewgong to climb up a mountain."
"We need to get organized," Gabi pointed out. "A lot of us are hurt and need medical attention, and the Black Dragon's still out there somewhere."
I noticed she had a hand on her left hip. She seemed to have taken a blow there.
"Now that you mention it, I was bleeding for a while," Shonta said holding her head.
"I'll look for Orknye and meet you all at the Pokemon Center in Sybyll," Glyph suggested. "It'll be easier than taking everyone to the one at the top of the mountain. They're bound to have bandages and first aid for humans too, in case the hospital's too crowded. We can plan our next course of action once we're all feeling better."
"Does that mean you're staying here?" Gabi asked him.
I looked at him with interest, more curious about how he'd word the answer than about the answer itself.
"If by 'here' you mean what I think you mean, we won't leave you now and let you face the Black Dragon alone," Glyph replied. "We're in this together."
"Isn't that going beyond the call of duty?" said Gabi.
"Maybe, but that's what you guys always do," Eshree noted. "We're not going anywhere for now. Which is to say, we're not leaving Ulthuan. I reckon the conversation must sound weird to those who haven't met us before."
"It's kinda going over my head too," Shonta admitted.
"Sorry about that," Gabi apologized before turning back to Golden Growlithe. "These are my friends, I think you can trust them."
"I don't even know how to start explaining things, and even if I did I'd probably cause more confusion," he warned before proceeding to cause it. "It's already happened before, and I really don't want to have to face Lord Absol again. But... you can all call me Eshree in private. That's my real name. I don't normally use it here because people would find it weird and before you know they'd start thinking I have superpowers or something. Which, before anyone asks, I don't have."
"I think you have made things more confusing than they already were," Gabi remarked.
"I'm just going to leave that alone for now," said Shonta.
Eshree sighed. "Thanks. Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse anyone. It just happens."
"Let me try, please," Arim offered. "We're not from around, but we came here a long time ago because a friend of ours found out about Yssera and thought we could help. At least I think that's why she sent us here, she's even more confusing than Eshree here. And now we're staying here because we feel we can still help. You guys are doing so much and are really making a difference. We're really just another team, but if we can help in any way, we will."
"Thanks," replied Shonta.
I realized Arim was good with words. I wouldn't have known what to say.
"You're welcome," said the Clefairy. "So... shall we go to the Pokemon Center now? I can't wait to get some rest."
"Sleep sounds so good right now," agreed Shonta, returning her team to their pokeballs. "That, and food."
"Yeah that sounds like a good idea," Amy joined them while Darin pulled something out of her pack. An Eevee cub?
"I was so worried I forgot about how hungry I was," Gabi stated. "But now you've reminded me."

She turned to look at the front of the chamber, which was now empty except for Shirly.

"Thanks for everything," Gabi told the hybrid.
"Thanks to you for the unforgettable experiences," Shirly replied. "We'll meet again someday."

With that, she took off and flew away.

"Unforgettable experiences..." Gabi mused. "I wish I'd made a better choice back at the Pegasus Games. But things seemed to turn out well for her in the end."

She looked at Lagi, who was lying on the floor, now with her eyes closed, and added "I hope we can find Edie again someday."

Lagi didn't react, so Gabi sent her into her pokeball. Then she did the same with everyone in our team who was badly hurt: Hero, Caledor and Amber. Some of the others had small wounds, but nothing too serious. I had managed to evade all of Yssera's blows.

"OK, let's go back to Sybyll," Gabi said.

Amy and Shonta agreed, and there we went.

Wolfsong

12th January 2011, 07:38 PM

Here is Ebony’s RBG. The spark tm for Sugar, Icy Wind TM for Colby, Flare Blitz Tm for Sinopa, Dragon Claw TM for Talut, and Reflect TM for Darin were EMT moves that I finally got around to distributing. I bought the crunch tm for Colby and the flame wheel tm for Ebony a long long time ago, and the thunder tm for sugar was a birthday gift...

(Ebony’s POV)

I stayed up long after the twins had returned and everyone else had gone to bed. I couldn’t sleep because I wanted to go with Amy and the others but I knew that she needed me to stay behind in order to make sure that Sugar didn’t accidentally blow up the house.

It was about three in the morning before sleep finally claimed me. The next thing I knew was someone was poking me in my face. “Go away,” I mumbled without bothering to open my eyes.

Get5 up Ebony, Amy has a TM for you.

My ears perked up at that as I yawned and slowly opened my eyes. “What?” I asked causing Tiny to growl softly.

“Just listen to me Ebony. Amy’s been handing out some TM’s that she’s had for us since before we left. Colby got crunch and icy wind while Sugar got Spark and Thunder.”

“Are you done yet?”

“No,” he retorted sticking his tongue out at me. Talut received dragon claw, Darin reflect, and little Sinopa received Flare Blitz.”

I couldn’t help but snort at that. “Little Sinopa? She’s taller than you are Tiny.”

“Drop it Ebony,” he warned. “Anyways, she was waiting for you to get up on your own but if we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss the train.”

“That would be a tragedy,” I mumbled under my breath as I got up and stretched before following the flareon to where the others were waiting.

“Finally,” I heard Colby mutter and I snorted at him.

Amy chose to ignore that as she spoke up. “Ebony, I wanted you to have this flame wheel TM before we left.”

“Thanks,” I replied as I pawed at the box with my hoof. I couldn’t help the sneeze that escaped when it opened and the powder went up my nose. Afterwards, Amy went over the roles for the house with Sugar and Danny. I tuned her out as I’d heard them already last night. A quick glance over at tine revealed that he was sticking his tongue out at me.

“Real mature,” I hissed at him under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” I quickly assured her as I turned my head and gave Amy what I hopes was my best innocent look. Of course, she didn’t by it for a second. After all, she had dealt with Sugar for longer than I had been alive. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head before giving each of us a scratch between our ears. Danny was the only one that purred. Sugar and I exchanged glances knowing that what Amy and the rest of the team were going to do was going to be extremely dangerous.

While Amy got ready to leave, Sugar carried Danny upstairs by the scruff of his neck while I followed Amy outside. I watched until I could no longer see any of them before I turned around to go back inside. However, sitting there blocking my path, were a very familiar porygon2 and a shieldon.

“Go away, the twins aren’t here.”

"We know." The porygon2 spoke up in its annoying mechanical voice. “This time it’s you that we’re here to see. Tom’s been upset with us because we keep losing to those pathetic twins that I figured he’d feel much better if we beat you.” Chips hovered above the shieldon as he spoke.

I growled, not in the mood for this nonsense. “Shouldn’t you be heading for Sybyll instead of hovering there bothering me?”

“Tom’s on his way. We told him that we’d meet him there.”

“Wonderful,” I muttered as the shieldon took a step forwards.

Ebony L.16 F Black Ponyta with lavender flames blending into a pastel blue and lavender eyes versus a L.16 M Shieldon

I wanted to end this fast, so I started out by concentrating on my hidden power. Almost immediately, the ground beneath the small dinosaur began to shake. He glared at me as he struggled to remain standing. Once it stopped, he briefly glowed yellow before the shieldon began to hover in the air. I snorted in annoyance at that.

Taking in a deep breath I responded by exhaling a stream of fire at him. Suddenly, a rock came plowing through the flames at my flamethrower and slammed into my chest putting an immediate stop to my attack as I coughed trying to catch my breath. Before I could fully get my breath back I got slammed by another rock.

I backed up a little ways before rearing up on my hind legs and pawing at the air with a loud neigh before I charged forwards towards my opponent leaping into the air and crashing down on him with my hooves and before he could move out of the way I kicked out with my hind legs hitting him with both rear hooves for a second time. He weakly blasted another rock in my direction but I managed to dodge it this time.

I decided to test out my new move and as I concentrated on it I could feel the flames of my mane and tail grow in intensity as it flared out releasing a fire ball that began to circle around me as I raced towards the tiny dinosaur and slammed my body into him. He hit the ground a few feet away and bounced a couple of times but didn’t get back up. I snorted in triumph before glaring over at Chips who was cursing under his breath. Before I could deal with him, the porygon2 teleported away taking his defeated teammate with him.

I won!
I grew to L.17.

I waited for a few more minutes to make sure that we weren’t going to have any more uninvited guests before I gave a weary sigh and headed back inside the house to get some much deserved and much needed rest.

*hands over 7 stamps leaving me with 33. I’d like an RBG for Sinopa from the universal adoption center please. Now to get to work on the scenario.

Lady Vulpix

12th January 2011, 08:45 PM

Amy, you get 7 stamps for your story. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

There are quite a few places where a comma would have made the text clearer. The biggest example is the following:
"I backed up a little ways before rearing up on my hind legs and pawing at the air with a loud neigh before I charged forwards towards my opponent leaping into the air and crashing down on him with my hooves and before he could move out of the way I kicked out with my hind legs hitting him with both rear hooves for a second time."

That was a really long sentence. It was hard to read. I would insert at least 3 commas:
"I backed up a little ways before rearing up on my hind legs and pawing at the air with a loud neigh before I charged forwards towards my opponent, leaping into the air and crashing down on him with my hooves, and before he could move out of the way I kicked out with my hind legs, hitting him with both rear hooves for a second time."

Other than the missing commas, I think it was a good battle.

As for Sinopa, she will battle a Natu.

Wolfsong

13th January 2011, 02:56 PM

Here is the first part of my story for the scenario.

(Aiyana’s POV)

With one last look at the house, I followed behind Amy. I took a deep breath and reluctantly turned my gaze away from the house we had just returned too. I was hoping with everything I had that everything would work out and that all of us would be returning home safely soon.

I quickly found myself lagging behind the others and used the opportunity to watch them. Kovu was walking on one side of Amy, who was carrying Sinopa who was curled up dozing while she could, while Kiara was on her other side. I couldn’t help but smile at that. Tiny and Colby were unusually quiet and that said something. If anyone could give Sugar a run for her money on being energetic it was those two.

I gave a small sigh and shook my head, to try and clear my head of the bad thoughts that kept replaying in my mind, before I realized that Blazer had fallen back so that he was padding alongside me. He gave me a brief nuzzle, looking for all the world like he wanted to reassure me.

Instead, he kept silent unable to bring himself to lie or make a promise that he couldn’t keep just to make me feel better. I entwined my tail around his to let him know that I understood.

All too soon, we arrived at the DTHQ where Gabi and her team were already waiting. After a quick greeting, we were on our way to the train station.

I couldn’t help but notice that Kiara was now walking alongside Caledor. The two of them were nuzzling each other as they walked and I smiled at that. I couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other, and I wouldn’t have listened in even if I could have, I saw a smile briefly flicker across her face. It was only there for a second, but I had witnessed it. I gave a brief nod of my head, happy that she had someone that could help her smile if only for a moment.

When we reached the station, I nuzzled Blazer as Sinopa sat in front of us while Amy and Gabi decided to use the opportunity to give out some tips to the other trainers that had shown up to help. I couldn’t help but notice a few of them glance uneasily in Kovu’s direction as well as in mine. I tried not to let it bother me as I looked around hoping to somehow spot Flame among the crowd. Unfortunately, I didn’t see him.

The only thing that happened after we boarded the trains was that the closer that we got to our destination, the more the tension and anxiety in the air around us grew. I couldn’t help the nervous growl that escaped as the train pulled to a stop in Sybyll. Blazer gently licked my cheek before giving me one last nuzzle as we followed our group as they disembarked off of the train.

I couldn’t help but gasp. It was a madhouse. As Blazer took the lead of our group, I found myself padding along at Amy’s side.

“It’s strange isn’t it?” Gabi asked, speaking up. “The train arrived without a problem. Why didn’t they try to stop us?”

I shrugged but didn’t say anything. I had the feeling that our train ride was the calm before the storm so to speak.

It was Ventura who spoke up next. “Either they don’t care who comes and goes, or they’re thinking of arrivals as potential allies. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yssera was trying to attract new recruits from other provinces.”

“I’d much rather it be the first option, but that second one is probably it.” Kiara admitted.

“I’d find it strange if she didn’t know we came in that train.” Gabi continued. I could feel the fur on the back of my neck starting to rise. I tuned them out as I looked around trying to figure just what exactly it was that was making me feel so uneasy. I couldn’t see anything, but as we left the station, the uneasiness got stronger.

Suddenly, I heard a rumbling noise as the ground beneath my paws erupted upwards. Before I could even move out of the way I felt something bite down hard on my right hind paw and I could help the loud yelp that escaped as I shook my leg trying to throw my attacker off. I managed with one last shake to send him sailing through the air as I spun around and saw that it was a trapinch.

Aiyana L.35 F Houndoom with white spots versus a L.28 M Trapinch

I tried to put weight on my paw and I could barely though my movements had been slowed even with my matches still helping me. Since we were outside I decided to call upon the sun for help since I had one attack that would really help me out but unless I had the sun it would take too long for me to use. So, I threw back my head and howled as loudly and for as long as I could. In response to my call, the sun shone brighter and I could feel the rays shining down on me. While I was busy calling the sun out, my opponent darted out and bit down on my injured paw once more. It hurt a lot worse this time, but I managed to bite back the yelp as I once more shook him off of me.

The ground type didn’t hesitate before charging towards me once more but this time I spun around to face him. I opened my mouth as I began to use the sun’s energy to quickly charge up a beam of solar energy and as the smaller ground type rushed at me; I released the beam of green energy that slammed into the trapinch headfirst sending him tumbling head over legs backwards before finally coming to a stop in a crumpled heap.

I won.
I grew to L.36.

Wolfsong

13th January 2011, 11:08 PM

Here is part two of my story for the scenario. I worked in cooperation with Gabi on this one.

(Kiara’s POV)

We had planned to try and avoid any battles, but that turned out to be wishful thinking on our parts. Almost as soon as we had left the station, Sinopa had quickly run to blazers side when she had felt the ground beneath her start to rumble. Shortly thereafter, a trapinch emerged and attacked Yana. While she was busy dealing with the small ground type, I saw a charizard approaching us. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Flame. Then again, maybe we were fortunate it wasn’t him.

I gave my head a shake and when I looked up again, Amber was fighting the other charizard while Yana was still battling the trapinch. Both battles did end relatively quickly, fortunately.

“Is everyone okay?” Gabi asked.

“I will be.” Yana quietly assured us as she hopped over on three legs to where the rest of us were standing.

“I’ll live,” was Amber’s answer to Gabi’s question and I sighed in relief at the fact that they both were basically okay.

“That’s my phrase,” Gabi spoke up, “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.”

As I watched, Sinopa ran from Blazer’s side over to where Yana was standing on her three good legs.

“We should get moving before we get into any more trouble.” Ventura proposed.

“Yeah, I agree.” Amy replied, endorsing the idea before turning to look at Aiyana. “Yana, can you walk?”

She gave her hind paw one last lick before she tentatively eased her weight onto it. With a wince Yana nodded. It was clear that she was in pain but she was also standing on all four legs.

“If you have trouble walking, I can carry you.” Pidgeot suggested.

“Thanks, but I’ll try to walk on my own first. I don’t want to be a bother to anyone, but if I do get too slow, I might take you up on that offer.”

Our two groups got moving again, albeit a slow but steady pace. I stayed at Caledor’s side glad to see him again even if the circumstances weren’t the best. I sighed in relief when we made it to the base of White Mountain without running into any other obstacles.

As we got near, I could see the fur on Yana’s neck, along with Kovu and Darin’s starting to rise. Gabi spoke up. “These must be the two forces Glyph spoke of. 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! Yay, I can feel it! My ESP is not completely useless!” Caledor exclaimed and I couldn’t help but smile at him as I pressed myself closer to him.

“Okay, we’ve heard you, you're a real Espeon. Now can you please stop yelling? You'll attract more enemies.”

“Oops. Sorry.” Caledor apologized. “But I think our enemies must know we’re coming anyway.”

“Do they know our exact position?”

“I don’t know.” Caledor admitted.

I continued to listen to the two of them, however the uneasiness Kovu, Yana, and Darin were showing had me a little nervous myself. I began to look around, not wanting to be caught completely unawares. I swallowed when I heard what sounded like heavy footsteps in the distance. Curiously, I glanced around at the others to see if they had heard it as well.

Sure enough, Hero spoke up interrupting Caledor and Tsunami. Guys, I don't mean to spoil your fun, but do you hear that?

“Huh?” Caledor asked as I nodded my head.

“Yeah,” I answered softly.

Ventura spoke next and it was her words that made me more nervous. Two big, heavy pokemon are coming. Umm... Rhyperiors? I've only ever seen them on Gabi's files, but the shape and size seems to match.

“Do your crazy powers tell you if we can avoid them or beat them?” Caledor asked her.

“Look who's talking about crazy powers,” Tsunami retorted.

Ventura quickly hushed them. “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, as he turned to look at her. “Rhyperiors are ground rock types right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I confirmed with a slight shiver since I didn’t have any attacks that were effective against them.

“Then they shouldn’t be a problem,” he stated.

For some of us, I thought to myself but didn’t say it out loud.

“Although it's best not to get too cocky, they may have some hidden tricks.” Tsunami said as the two rhyperiors came into sight.

As soon as I spotted I swallowed and I could feel my fur fluffing up. I didn’t like the looks of them. They made me nervous though I was trying hard not to show it.

The first rhyperior came to a stop directly in front of us. “Where do you all think you’re going?” he asked.

“Is this a riddle?” Caledor asked. “I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but it may be a trick question.”

"Don't make fun of me, you idiot," the rhyperior snarled beginning 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 started in as his partner finally reached us. I saw her looking over us and I found myself remaining still as possible.

"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, everything would be better for everyone if she'd just let everyone be." Gabi spoke up, earning the other rhyperior’s attention.

She pointed at her. “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 swallowed deeply, having a bad feeling about the way this was going. Sure enough, her gaze fell on me. "Oh, look! A Flareon! Perfect for a warm-up."

I refused to step back or show how worried I was. Instead, I stood as tall as I could and fluffed up my fur as much as I could in an attempt to appear bigger than I was. “Figures,” I muttered to myself.

Caledor took a step forwards. “Stay away from her or there won't be enough trees on the mountain to compare to your pain,” he threatened.

“Trees?” Tsunami asked.

"Sorry, can't be caught making a threat that makes sense. But I'm serious about the staying away part."

The female rhyperior took a step towards me but I didn’t take a step backwards as much as my instincts were screaming for me too.

"Why? What will happen if I - ow!"

Kiara L.46 F Flareon and Caledor L.55 Espeon versus 2 level 55 Rhyperiors

Before she could lay a hand on me, Caledor hit her with a blast of confusion. I took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of poisonous smog at her causing the rhyperior to cough while I slipped deeper into it as I tried to keep out of sight moving as silently as I could through it. Unfortunately, I hadn’t counted on Caledor watching me and I winced when I saw the other rhyperior hit him and take his status die.

I turned to look and see if he was okay not realizing that the smog cover was lifting. While I was distracted the rhyperior had recovered enough to jab me with claws that were coated in poison. I yelped loudly at the contact before I staggered slightly and coughed. The next thing I knew a powerful pulse of water came from my left and hit the rhyperior that had first pointed me out causing her to stumble. I took a deep breath and used my most powerful fire attack. The fire blast hit and she fell to the ground out cold. I winced as I felt the poison coursing through my system. I coughed and shook my head trying to get my bearings.

“You guys are so weird,” he said, looking down at the die in his claws. “I wonder what this thing does.” He murmured before throwing the die at me. I coughed when it hit the ground and a eerie pink glow emerged from it. I guess I was lucky in whatever way being poisoned could count as lucky but it sure didn’t feel like it at the moment. Before I could do anything to help, I saw the big brute of a pokemon stomp on Caledor’s back. He tried to turn around and blast the rhyperior with his hydro pump. Unfortunately, his attack missed, but being poisoned gave me an idea. I took a deep breath before taking a step forwards and soaking him in a coat of toxic sludge. That attack, at least, hit.

The rhyperior growled as he turned around the horn on his face started spinning. At first, I froze but Caledor’s warning spurred me into action. I jumped to the side just as he lunched causing him to hit the ground instead of me. I sighed in relief, but I didn’t know how much longer I’d last. The poison was steadily eating away at my health. I continued blasting at him with my fire blast because that was the strongest attack I had although the rhyperior’s armored body was resistant to it.

“Stop doing that he shouted at Caledor who had tried to soak him with another hydro pump which had missed. I panted, as I struggled to keep from giving into the poison. Meanwhile, the rhyperior roared loudly as he launched stones at Caledor who retaliated with another hydro pump which connected this time. I gave a small smile before I coughed as my legs gave out on me.

We won!
I grew to L.48.

“Kiara, hang in there,” Caledor said as he ran over to my side. I coughed again.

“Is there any way to help her?” I heard him ask as I struggled to keep my eyes open.

"I have a Miracle Berry I've been carrying for an emergency," I heard Gabi tell him.

I struggled to sit up when I heard Caledor chuckle. When I looked over, both Gabi and Amy were holding out a miracle berry.

“That's really nice of you girls, but I think just one will do," I heard him tell them before he focused his attention back on me. "Kiara, you can take either. It'll help you feel better.”

I coughed and looked between the two of them. After noting that Amy was closer I took a deep breath and approached her. Taking the berry from her I chewed it, not wanting to get choked, before swallowing. As the berry worked its magic, I stood up and gave myself a full body shake.

I couldn’t help the purr that escaped when he kissed my cheek.

"Everything's going to be fi - ow! I mean fine. Everything will be fine." I frowned when I heard him say ‘ow’ and that was when I remembered that he had gotten stomped.

Tsunami spoke up before I could say anything. “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.”

I leaned over and nuzzled Caledor and that was when Pidgeot joined the conversation. We've come too far to turn back now. 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 probably be better off inside your pokeballs,” Yana agreed as she nuzzled Sinopa reassuringly. “And having said that, I probably need to myself…” Sinopa whimpered at that before running over to Blazer’s side as Amy recalled Yana and then me.

MeLoVeGhOsTs

14th January 2011, 04:32 AM

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/jingleweasel/Pokemon/sneasel-mlg.pnghttp://veekun.com/dex/media/platinum/frame2/296.png

***

Matt held Loki tight in his arms as he rushed to, actually he didn’t knew where he was rushing to, only that he needed to heal Loki as soon as possible. Loki was a strong (and especially stubborn) pokemon, but he wasn’t invincible. After running for five minutes Matt realized it was easier to return Loki to his ball and run by himself. He signed at his own stupidity, retreated Loki and fastened up his pace, panting the entire time. Up ahead was a great city of some sorts; it couldn’t be anything else but Sector Alpha, at least he hoped.

“Almost there” Matt thought to himself as he saw the city outlines get bigger and bigger. Panting even more, he paused to drink a small sip of a waterbottle that appeared out of his backpack. Setting off again, he saw a strange boy with a Tangela battling a Mareep. The Tangela was hugging the sheep, and it was sleeping? Matt shook his and head and didn’t pay much more attention as Loki needed healing fast! Suddenly however, Loki broke out of his ball. He looked battered, but could manage standing and even smiling. Matt grinned, respecting his stubborn pokemon’s wish to be outside, but as soon as Loki gave him a thumbs up, Matt got hit by a flying ball of some sorts.

“What the fuck” Matt grunted. He had been sent flying by the impact and scraped his knee. The ball was nowhere to be seen, but a trainer had appeared. The trainer just stared right at Matt with a somewhat vague stare. His face was pale, his clothes were torn and he looked very unhappy.

“You didn’t curl up and hit me now did you?” Matt asked sarcastically to the trainer; giving off a small grin. “Cat got your tongue?”

The trainer didn’t respond, but whistled as two Cyndaquil came ‘rolling’ in. Matt’s superbrain (yes he thought he was awesome) quickly deducted that the flying cannonball must’ve been a curled up Cynadquil. The trainer still didn’t respond to Matt’s constant questioning.

Suddenly, both Cyndaquil curled up again and sped forwards.

Loki Black (l.9) and Bolt Orange (l.7) vs. Cyndaquil (l.8) and Cyndaquil (l.8)

“Shit, this is trouble” Matt thought to himself “no way Loki is up to a full battle yet, I need to think of something”

“Bolt, this is gonna be your battle now!” Matt yelled out as he threw a heavy ball onto the field. The white shining light gained figure and revealed a jolly looking Makuhita. Bolt, was the powerhorse of Matt’s small team. If Loki was a ninja, then Bolt was a Sumo-wrestler. Subtlety none, but he was stubborn, proud and feisty! The little sandbag punched his two fists together and smiled.

“Keep ‘em at bay! Loki, jump over them as they approach you, try to save your strenght; meanwhile Bolt,Vital Throw!” Matt commanded. Loki nodded and Bolt made a squishy sound, insinuating that they both got it.

One Cyndaquil rushed towards Loki, and as told, Loki jumped over it using his agility and immediately fixed his eyes on both of the targets again, not losing sight. The other ball, slammed into Bolt hard. Bolt grunted, but smiled at the same time. He had taken the impact and absorbed the mouse pokemon in his Thick Fat, before throwing him overhead into a nearby Tree. The cyndaquil screeched out as that hurt, a lot. Bolt snorted while his tumb crossed his nose, giving an arrogant smile.

Both cyndaquil didn’t need much commands and just rolled up again for another tackle attack. Meanwhile Matt had commanded a Taunt attack from Loki, luring both Cyndaquil towards him.

“Bolt, Focus Energy!” Matt said. “Loki, I see no fire on their backs, they must by young, Icepunch!”

Loki understood that fire-less cyndaquil were less resistant against water and ice attacks, as they can’t control their fire yet (thus not for defense as well). His fist shined with sparkly ice-particles and slammed into one of the Cyndaquil, hurting it pretty bad if we take in account the look on its face. It lay on the floor, which made Loki smile. The other Cyndaquil however continued to roll and tackled Loki hard, tossing him next to his victim Cyndaquil. Loki grunted at the irony, but stopped laughing when he saw his left leg was seriously damaged.

Loki took one for the team now, creating a distraction, helping Bolt set up. The results of that, were obvious.

“Bolt! Now!” Matt yelled.

The little sandbag rushed forwards to the cyndaquil that had tackled Bolt and delivered a painful, angered Cross Chop with his both hands. The Cyndaquil screamed out in pain and dropped to the ground immediately. Critical hit, baby!

“Loki, Icepunch over and over at that Cyndaquil next to you!” Matt continued “Bolt, Arm Thrust! Take it out.”

Loki and Bolt nodded to each other and pummeled the last target into oblivion using their punching attacks. Before the last cyndaquil was finished, a red line retracted the pokemon, while the trainer (who hadn’t given a single command during the entire battle) released a gigantic Salamence and flew off. The three of them just stood there speechless.

Loki Black grew to level 10! Loki Black learned Swords Dance (extra TM)!
Bolt Orange grew to level 8!

“What the hell was that about” Matt exclaimed. “if he had such a powerful pokemon, why didn’t he use it?”

Lady Vulpix

14th January 2011, 02:04 PM

I've been trying to add the latest stories to the archive, but the FTP server seems to be down. I'll try again later.

Amy, I've read and enjoyed your stories, especially the parts written from Kiara's point of view. I'll let someone else rate them, though.

MLG: take 10 stamps for your story! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Spelling/grammar corrections.
"he signed at his own stupidity"-->"he sighed at his own stupidity"
"his tumb crossed his nose"-->"his thumb crossed his nose"
"Both cyndaquil didn't need much commands"-->"Neither cyndaquil needed many commands" or "the two cyndaquil didn't need many commands" (assuming "cyndaquil" can be used as a plural form).
"not for defense as well"-->"not for defense either"
"take in account"-->"take into account"
You alternate between capitalizing and not capitalizing pokemon names and attack names.
Try to watch your punctuation. I've fixed some mistakes on the archived version. Or, rather, the version I'm going to archive once the FTP server is working again.

I liked the way you included Rapp and Mossjito in your story, and the "superbrain" part made me chuckle.

The last line is a valid question. I wonder if there will be an answer. :rolleyes:

classy_cat18

14th January 2011, 08:26 PM

Um...thirteen stamps for Gabi's story, since there was only one battle in here. The final battle, on top White Mountain, three veteran trainers! Or two and a not-quite-rookie. I like collaborations, although the conversations got a little jumbled since people were trying to talk at once. But good story! *thumbs up*

Amy, you get eight Stamps for the first unrated story and ten for the second. Not much to say about this...Blazer and Aiyana are cute together. I prefer it when Pokemon species are capitalized but that's just me.

The Blue Avenger

16th January 2011, 10:18 AM

I'd like an extension and another 2v2 RBG from the UAC for Raini and Cambiamente, please.

I was going to do some rating, but it looks like it got taken care of before I got here. :B

Lady Vulpix

16th January 2011, 10:30 AM

Yes, I really didn't expect Shonta to rate it, since we wrote some parts together. Thanks anyway (feel free to make comments), and also thanks to Shonta!

You have the extension, but you'll have to pick a location for your RBG.

The Blue Avenger

16th January 2011, 10:44 AM

...from the UAC?

Lady Vulpix

16th January 2011, 10:46 AM

Oh, sorry, I didn't understand that before. They will battle a Skarmory and a Solrock.

The Blue Avenger

17th January 2011, 06:01 PM

Here's my latest two RBGs, entitled "Deceit."

---

There was something to be said for using deceit, Raini decided. She normally was pretty deceitful, sure; she’d admit that readily (then use her Hidden Power to make anyone forget she said it), but… there was deceit, and then there was deceit. She took in the situation. The two Pokémon facing her were breathing heavily, obviously about to go down. Maza was beside her, and the shmuck would never suspect a thing.

Ah, yes. Exactly as she liked it. Raini smiled. What could go wrong?

That turned out to be the question of the day. As anyone with any experience can tell you, the question “what could possibly go wrong?” is just asking for everything you worked for to come crashing down on top of your head.

One of the Pokémon opposite Raini lifted its head slightly and stared at her, a gleam in its eye…

That morning followed the predictable routine. Jeff woke up, neatly avoided the sharp claws of the cat in his bed (for once), and took off to the laboratories at an altogether too early time in the morning. He was vaguely aware that there was something going on; the labs – and in fact the Guild on the whole – were just a bit too empty. But he regarded it as an opportunity to get some work done without anyone bothering him, so the mystery remained unsolved.

Raini, however, elected not to go to the labs with Jeff that day. The encounter the day prior with the Trapinch – Pinchy, he had been called; Raini kept repeating it in her head, marveling at the sheer stupidity of the name – had left her, though confident, a little exhausted. As planned, nobody had seen her on the way back, nobody asked where she had been, and most importantly the Trapinch hadn’t shown its face since.

The question remained, though: what to do today? Raini woke slowly, stretching out every part of her body from her claws to her tail.

Her ears twitched. Someone was talking in the main room. Raini padded silently to the door.

“…So I was thinking I’d go to the barracks again today,” one voice said. Raini recognized it as belonging to Maza.

A second voice broke in. “And I care why, spoonhead?” Even if she hadn’t recognized the voice itself, Raini would have still pegged that one as Groviglio.

“Well…” Maza paused. There seemed to be something he was hesitant about saying, and so he lowered his voice. Raini smiled slightly; her ears picked up the conversation anyway. “That’ll make you the de facto head around here, won’t it?”

Raini could almost hear the intensity of Groviglio’s smirk. “Say no more. You don’t think anyone else here is fit to keep an eye on things.”

“Shh!” Maza said hurriedly, before lowering his voice again. “Maybe Bobbery, but still… you know how he falls asleep at the drop of a hat…”

“You got nothing to worry about, silver-for-brains,” Groviglio said. Raini snickered. Most people didn’t even notice Groviglio’s insults anymore. He used them as liberally as punctuation. “I got things under control.”

Maza sighed with relief. “Thanks, Grove,” he said. A few moments later, the door squeaked as it opened and again as it closed.

Raini smiled. The barracks. That seemed like a good place to visit today…

***

“Hey, Cam?”

“Yeah, Prevvy?”

“I need to run some errands today. Can you keep an eye on Raini?”

“Oh yeah, sure. Don’t worry about it.”

***

Raini’s secret exit out of the house was through the bedroom window. Nobody ever noticed her leaving, and she had worked out a method of locking and unlocking it from the outside. She clambered out, closed the window, and quietly strode across the lawn.

For probably the first time in her life, Raini didn’t notice the Pokémon watching her; from his vantage point in the tree outside the house, Cambiamente frowned. Previsiona has assured him that Raini would be spending most of her time in the bedroom taking catnaps, and so Cam had chosen to lounge in the tree (from where he could see the entirety of the bedroom). He wasn’t expecting her to actually leave. He dropped to the ground and followed her at a distance.

Raini looked around at the street that stretched in front of her: Kepler Way. It wasn’t a major thoroughfare, but it did see its fair share of traffic, especially in the mornings; if you following the road to its terminus, it deposited you straight on one of the biggest roads in Sector Alpha. Cars and trucks rushed past her in both directions, quite a few of them faster than they probably ought to have been going. She began wandering down the side of the road, sticking closely to the hedges; this wasn’t necessarily the fastest way to the barracks, but it certainly wouldn’t be the way Maza would pick. The day was breezy and cool, with a clear sky, and so Maza likely wouldn’t have teleported straight there, Raini thought, but he still wouldn’t take the long way. She kept going at a leisurely pace. There was no rush, after all. The barracks weren’t going anywhere.

Cam continued to tail her. At this point, he figured, he ought to just see where Raini was going. Previsiona would probably want to know.

However, unbeknownst even to him, there were two other Pokémon tailing Raini, and they were doing so from a vantage point in the sky. The sun glinted off of the first’s metallic coat, but the second didn’t seem to care; its gaze was on the ground.

“I think that’s her, 32,” the second one said.

The first one nodded slightly. “I think you’re right, 59.” It spread its wings a little more, then began descending to the ground. The second figure, not having wings, merely levitated down after it.

Thunk.

Raini started and fell back. Two Pokémon had just fallen out of the sky and landed in front of her. The first was shining with a near-blinding light in the bright sun, and Raini was able to easily identify it as a Skarmory; the second looked like it could be a bright sun, which Raini categorized as a Solrock. She hissed.

“Raini?” the Skarmory asked simply. It was greeted with another hiss in response. “I’ll take that as a yes. We received reports from one of our operatives that you have been observed stealing and being generally amoral. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Raini narrowed her eyes, then darted to the right. She kicked off the road and landed on the trunk of a passing car; from there, she bounded easily to the roof, and then to the trailer of an 18-wheeler. She was somewhat dismayed to find the two Pokémon there waiting for her.

“We can fly, you know,” the Solrock said, hovering up and down in midair.

A thud beside her made Raini look to her side. A Pidgeotto had alighted on the trailer next to her; as she watched, it shifted form until it was the more-easily-recognizable Cam. “What’s going on here?” he asked, looking pointedly at the Solrock and Skarmory.

“We are numbers 32 and 59,” the Skarmory said. “Another member of our organization, a Trapinch, recently reported to us that this Meowth has been stealing, and that when she was confronted, she reacted in a hostile manner.”

59 nodded. “We merely wish to ask her some questions; we want to get her view on recent events.”

Cam looked to Raini. “Is this true?”

An answer was not immediately forthcoming. Raini sighed inwardly. Time to turn up the Charm. Her eyes grew big and watery, and her lips wobbled at a precisely-calculated rate to induce the most sympathy.

“Oh, come on, Raini,” Cam said, raising what passed for an eyebrow on a Ditto. “I know Charm. Are you telling me that – ”

Raini glowered. Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue, and she pressed her paw to the side of her head.

“…Are you telling me that,” Cam repeated, “these two Pokémon are treating you completely unfairly?” 32 and 59 shared a glance. Cam’s eyes had a faint blue tint to them. Raini nodded, once again amping up the Charm. “Then I’ll stop at nothing to show them what’s what.”

“Very well,” 32 said. From his position in the air above the trailer, he spread his wings. “59, prepare for battle.”

FIGHT!
32 (Skarmory) and 59 (Solrock) vs. Cambiamente and Raini!
32: “Time to shine!”
59: “Our future looks bright!”
~
Cambiamente: “It’s game time!”
Raini: “…”

Cam squinted. Skarmory or Solrock…? He focused on the Skarmory, and his eyes shone. His body began to twist and bulge, lengthening and extending until another Skarmory flew in the air beside Raini, leaving the Meowth the only one still on the trailer. He immediately hurled himself at 59, his wings turning mottled silver, and drawing long slashes over 59’s stone body. 59 recoiled, spinning, but as he spun, he began to look… sleeker, shinier. When 59 stopped spinning, he was moving through the air at a much more impressive clip.

However, Cam wasn’t the only Pokémon who had chosen 59 as their target; Raini had jumped into the air and brought her tail, also shining silver, down on 59’s forehead. The impact bounced the Solrock onto the trailer itself with a crunch, then back into the air. 59 scowled, but before he could do anything, a horrible screeching noise filled the air, even causing some of the cars to stop. 32 was scraping his wings together and smirking, the Metal Sound obviously not affecting him a whole lot. Raini cringed and covered her ears; Cam was trying to do the same, which was difficult to do while still in the air.

59, however, seemed resilient; while Raini and Cam were cowering, he spun on the spot, sparking and crackling with electricity. He stopped abruptly and launched a ball of electricity at Cam. Cam barely even saw it coming and didn’t have time to swerve out of the way. He faltered as the Charge Beam hit him and fell back until he was flapping frantically a few cars back, trying to stay airborne.

With Cam gone for the moment, 32 turned his piercing gaze to Raini, who met it with a leering grin. They flew at each other: 32’s wings were extended and surrounded by a dark void, whereas Raini had both her paws out, her claws extended to their full length. 32 hit first with a Night Slash, knocking Raini from the air, but Raini used the momentum to bound back up and start savagely clawing 32 as best she could.

32 laughed it off. “What do you think that’s going to do against steel?”

Raini scowled, but a hissing noise from beside her caught her attention. 59 was staring straight at Cam, who was finally making up the distance, but more alarmingly, 59 was also glowing red.

“Raini! Jump!” Cam said. Raini didn’t need to be told twice: she made a leap onto Cam’s back, who flew directly behind 32.

Two things happened then at the exact same moment. The first was that Cam immediately dropped his speed, leaving the truck to go zooming ahead. The second was that 59 exploded in a wave of fire. It spread out horizontally from 59, scorching the roof of the trailer, but somewhat more importantly, also scorching 32. 32 spun in the air for a moment, then spiraled down to the sidewalk, doing a faceplant and not moving.

Cam caught up to the truck again. “One left, Raini!” he said. “Let’s make it count!”

Raini nodded and jumped off of Cam’s back. She launched herself at the dazed Solrock, shadowy energy whipping around her teeth, and bit down hard. Despite all common logic, the Crunch attack sank in easily, and Raini whipped her head around a few times before hurling the Solrock away. 59 crashed into the boughs of a tree. There was no movement afterwards.

Victory!
Raini grew to level 8!
Cambiamente grew to level 10!

The truck slowed to a stop, and Raini grinned. It had been headed right for the Warrior’s Guild – the barracks were in sight.

“That was something else!” Cam said, changing back to his regular form. “Man, after something like that, I just need to –”

Raini’s eyes glowed blue.

“I just need to go back home and forget this ever happened, and if Previsiona asks, Raini’s taking a nap,” Cam said in a monotone, his eyes faintly glowing. He hopped down off the truck and started wandering in the direction of the house. Raini did the same thing, but went in the opposite direction: up the path to the Guild.

“Oh, so you’re the little missy who made all that commotion on top of my truck,” a voice said from behind her. Raini whipped her head around. A tall, lanky man with matted red hair underneath a ragged baseball cap stood behind her, his arms crossed. He held a toothpick between his teeth.

Raini hissed, and held her paw to her head. Her eyes briefly glowed, but the light just as suddenly drained out of them: in her mind’s eye, where she could normally sense the minds of other Pokémon or people, she just saw… a void. A dark, cold, enveloping void. As she stared more deeply into it, she began to hear voices: quiet at first, but all whispering over each other. She shuddered and turned the Hidden Power off. As Raini regained vision, shivering, she saw the cause: a small rock near the trucker, which had previously escaped her notice. A sickly green gas had leaked out of it and coalesced into a vague approximation of a face.

Next to it, the trucker had released from a Pokeball a small pig, bouncing on its tail. It was somewhat less climactic.

Raini growled and wheeled around, legging it into the barracks. The trucker laughed and pointed. “Go bring her back, boys,” he said, “I need me some compensation.” The Spiritomb and the Spoink nodded and did their best approximation of a run after her.

***

“That was a good round, Jersey,” Maza said, laughing.

A Hitmonchan joined him in laughter and clapped him on the back. “Y’know, Maza, you’re all right,” he said. “Your boxing’s getting better. Especially considering that you got to overcome the fact that Alakazam aren’t supposed to have muscles to speak of.”

“Well, we all have our quirks,” Maza said. “It’ll be good to be able to –”

A crashing sound from the lobby interrupted him. Maza and Jersey glanced at each other, then joined the crowd of Pokémon rushing to see the commotion.

In the lobby, the sight that greeted them was as follows: a black Meowth lay on the ground, staring up at the two Pokémon surrounding it. The Spiritomb was leering at the Meowth, but then its face did seem to be frozen in that particular expression, and the Spoink was bouncing from side to side with an impassive look on its face.

“That’s Raini!” Maza said, gasping.

Raini chanced a glance back and saw Maza. A plan began to form in her mind. She closed her eyes and put her paw to her head…

One of the special talents of Psychic-type Pokémon (as well as a few others) is that they can sense when psychic manipulation is occurring. To most Pokémon, psychic attacks seem inexplicable; sure, you know where you stand when there’s a rock flying at you or the water you’re swimming in suddenly turns to ice, but when a chair hurls itself at you or your best friend tries, completely unintentionally, to take a potshot at you, things get a little more muddy. Psychic Pokémon, on the other hand, can tell when something’s being psychically manipulated as clearly as day; to that end, most Psychic Pokémon have an inborn resistance to other psychic moves.

This was important because a key part of Raini’s plan was to use her Hidden Power on herself. What Maza sensed was this: a Psychic Pokémon and a Pokémon capable of psychic assaults had surrounded a non-psychic teammate of his, who was currently undergoing psychic manipulation.

Maza added two and two together, and rather unfortunately came up with the wrong answer.

“Hey! Bullies!” he yelled. The Spiritomb and the Spoink both looked up, the latter raising an eyebrow. “How about picking on someone your own size?”

Jersey palmed his forehead. “All the pre-fight lines in the world, and he chose that one…”

Maza continued. “You can’t just come in here and lay out my teammate! And using a psychic attack to control her… that’s low!”

“But…” the Spoink started. He was having trouble putting into words exactly how wrong Maza was.

“No buts!” Maza said. He stomped forward and cracked his knuckles. “Come on, Raini, let’s trash these punks!”

Raini smiled. It had worked perfectly. She stood up, brushed herself off, and extended her claws.

FIGHT!
Spoink and Spiritomb vs. Maza and Raini!
Spoink: “Bounce like a butterfly!”
Spiritomb: “Resistance is useless!”
~
Maza: “Let’s rock and roll!”
Raini: “…”

Raini sighted her target. The Spoink. Or to be more specific, the pearl that sat on the Spoink’s head. The last few times she had followed Jeff to the lab, she had noticed a trainer with a clumsy Spoink of her own: it kept tripping and losing its gem. Raini had also noticed a side-effect: upon losing its gem, the Spoink had had trouble focusing enough to use its psychic powers. She grinned.

Meanwhile, Maza squared off with the Spiritomb. Spiritomb kept a large grin on its face, keeping Maza from getting any sort of read on it, but Maza didn’t seem to care. He grinned in turn and made a beckoning gesture. Spiritomb laughed and faded into the shadows, becoming invisible. His laugh faded out with him.

Maza closed his eyes and listened carefully. A faint laughing began to fade back into the audible spectrum, and with it came the Spiritomb. Maza immediately blinked out of sight as soon as the Spiritomb came back, swiping at a spot in the air that had previously contained an Alakazam. Spiritomb glanced around, its leering features taking on a slightly confused look, before Maza reappeared and nailed it squarely in its oddly-solid face with a freezing punch. Maza disappeared again before Spiritomb could react, then appeared behind Spiritomb and cracked it again with another one, this one delivering a jolt of electricity. The Spiritomb fell back, but managed to struggle back to balance, but Maza gave it a third punch, one that lit on fire on contact.

Raini watched Maza carefully. He was completely engrossed with keeping the Spiritomb off-balance: they matched blows gracefully, each of them turning invisible and visible at a moment’s notice as they warped around the room. Raini grinned and advanced on the Spoink in a way that the Spoink wasn’t at all sure he liked. She jumped into the air and, with a savage swipe of her paw, knocked the pearl off of Spoink’s head. Raini cartwheeled over Spoink’s head and landed neatly with one paw on the pearl.

Spoink began bouncing over to Raini. “No! Please!” he said, waving his stubby arms in what passed for a nonthreatening gesture.

There was no answer but a smile from Raini. She extended a claw and scratched it over the pearl’s surface.

A bead of sweat rolled down Spoink’s face.

Then Raini slammed her tail, iron-hard, down on it, shattering the pearl into pieces. She looked around. Good. Maza hadn’t seen. All the other Pokémon in the lobby were watching the match between the two teleporting Pokémon, and weren’t interested in whatever was happening between the two small Pokémon in the lobby corner.

Spoink’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. His eyes were twitching slightly. Raini decided to take the opportunity to strike Spoink with two vertical slashes, one up, one down. The blow sent Spoink skidding back, and he lay still for a moment before struggling back to his spring and bouncing weakly. “My pearl…” he said quietly.

Both Maza and Spiritomb reappeared facing each other. For the spectators, time seemed to slow down as Maza jumped into the air, fist glowing yellow, and Spiritomb began gathering a dark aura that hung around it like a corona. But Maza struck first, striking Spiritomb hard with a Thunderpunch. Bolts of electricity jumped over Spiritomb’s body as it hopped back, yelping in pain. It shook its head and tried to steady itself next to its teammate.

Raini smiled. What could go wrong?

A gleam in Spoink’s eye was all it took to answer that question. His eyes turned black and he charged at Raini, howling: it began as a wordless, pained yell, but it finally took shape and Raini was able to understand: “PAYBACK!”

Raini ran to the middle of the battlefield to meet him, as did Maza for Spiritomb: simultaneously, all four Pokémon struck their foes. The Payback attack landed hard, but Raini swung around and smacked Spoink with a final Iron Tail, sending him flying back and impacting the wall. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Maza threw one final punch that hit Spiritomb squarely and exploded in a ball of flame; when the fire cleared, the green smoke that made up Spiritomb had receded into the keystone.

VICTORY!
Maza grew to level 18!
Raini grew to level 9!

Maza wiped his forehead. “That was a workout!” He smiled at Raini. “But there’s no price too big to pay to help out a friend in need.”

Raini meowed in gratitude, then began licking the back of her paw. Two subsequent battles had taken it out of her. Thankfully, she wouldn’t need to do anything strenuous for a while. At least, not if she had anything to say about it.

***

Jeff Azure stood in his lab, his ear to a phone. “What do you mean everyone’s going to Sybyll and White Mountain? Now?” He paused as the person on the other end spoke. “Fine. I’ll go there as soon as I can.” Another pause. “Yes, all of my Pokemon...”

Lady Vulpix

18th January 2011, 02:28 PM

Jeff gets 18 stamps for his 2 battles!¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

It's funny how everyone got used to Groviglio's insults and no one cares about them anymore.

I liked the Skarmory and Solrock's descriptions, and all the descriptions in general.

Raini is absolutely disgusting. How can she have so much power? Her psychic abilities seem to go beyond the vast majority of Psychic pokemon, and near the power of monsters like Tsuyoi. And what exactly does it mean for her to use her Hidden Power on herself?

Alakazam's aren't supposed to have muscles? Where did that come from? Or amy I taking that comment too literally? It's probably the latter.

A couple of typos:
"Previsiona has assured him"-->"Previsiona had assured him"
"if you following the road to its terminus"-->"if you followed the road to its terminus"

By the way, have you read my story, or did you just ignore it because it had already been rated?

The FTP for the archive is still down, I hope it comes back sometime this week.

The Blue Avenger

18th January 2011, 04:40 PM

Raini isn't actually nearly as powerful as she seems - she's successfully used Hidden Power Psychic on two humans (not well-noted for their resistance to psychic abilities) and a Ditto that was only two levels higher than her. Conversely, she's failed to use it on a Trapinch who also had Hidden Power Psychic, and it's failed completely versus a dark-type (go figure). Everything else that she's done has been normal manipulation. She may not be too powerful, but she's got a surprisingly good grasp on how to play people.

In regards to her psychic powers specifically, every time she's used them, she's mostly just been inserting a specific thought into people's minds. In most cases it's "Turn around. You really want to forget you saw this." In Cam's case it was "Trust your teammate." Especially in the latter case, the victims were already naturally inclined to follow.

That said, a Pokemon that's got her solidly beat in level or any reasonably-competent Psychic would be able to pierce that facade pretty quick, assuming they're not being manipulated by more mundane means, such as Maza.

She chose herself as a target for her attack so that it would look like something was using psychic powers on her.

And yeah, that wasn't a literal statement - I meant more that Alakazam are not well known for their physical prowess.

I did get a chance to look over the story. I kind of really want to punch Yssera in the face, but that opportunity's sort of gone now. XD

classy_cat18

18th January 2011, 04:54 PM

Katana’s POV

White Mountain had a different atmosphere than Sybyll. It had a silence that made every sound deafening, like trespassing on property that was beyond forbidden. It wasn’t like the last time we were here, and Bo was kidnapped. The enemies here were going to be more dangerous than the Demons.

The worst thing was the other sensations that we all felt. I had the feeling that someone was hiding behind the trees, watching us. Even circling us. But there wasn’t any sound other than the ones the team was making.

The psychic Pokemon were even more nervous. <Does anyone feel that?> Jewel asked us. <The feeling of something flowing beneath us?>

“Wait, you don’t have skin,” Bandit reminded her. “How can you feel anything?”

<Exactly. The fact that I can actually feel it creeps me out.>

“Is it like water?”

“No dude, it’s more like smoke or fog,” Circe answered. “But it’s going through my body.” It was probably only the Psychic types that were feeling this, because Ali started lifting her feet and shivering.

Ken nudged me. “Auntie Tana?”

“Hm?” I followed his pointed finger back to Bo, who was barely keeping up. His ears and tail were drooped, and his eyes were focused on the ground. “Are you okay, Bo? Do you need to rest in your pokeball?” When he didn’t respond, I stopped walking and tapped his head as he walked past.

He smiled, even though it looked forced. He gaze was out of focus. “I’ll be okay,” he replied dully. That only made me feel worse.

Destai left his place next to Trinity and ran ahead to Shonta. “What is this place, Aokigahara?” our trainer wondered out loud.

“What’s that?” Beacon asked.

“It’s a forest the lies at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. They say in some places it’s so thick that it’s completely dark.” Just then we entered a thicker than usual piece of the forest. “And it’s a popular place…for suicide. They say over 500 people have committed suicide there since the 1950s.”

We all stopped for a moment. All of us were quiet. Then Bandit broke the silence. “I’ll never sleep again.”

A rustle of leaves interrupted us. Every pair of ears pricked. Silence followed for a very long moment. “They found us,” Shonta whispered

“Of course they did! We’ve been yapping this whole time!” Bandit hissed.

We couldn’t see anything but our noses could pick something up. Then a small growl rose from nearby. “Shonta, run for it!” I commanded.

She took time to pick up Ken before escaping. Big mistake. A small Poochyena had hidden itself in the brush and waited for Shonta to run past before pouncing and latching his small but strong jaws on her arm. The human yelped in pain and threw Ken in the air.

“Ken!” several of us cried out.

A black blur streaked past me and jumped on the attacker and the attacked: Bo. The young Umbreon had the Poochyena’s leg in a Crunch, his rings glowing brightly. Poochyena let go to howl in pain and fell with Bo.

At the same time, Ken withdrew in his shell and fell to the ground unharmed, then popped back out and grabbed Shonta’s pants leg. “Run!” he told her.

“No, the mirror!” Shonta said. She pulled out the mirror and tried tilting it to catch the sunlight, but there didn’t seem to be enough to have an effect. The trees were thick at that spot. When she tried moving to a sunnier spot, the clouds conveniently moved in front of the sun. “Crap!”

A full-grown Mightyena calmly walked out of her hiding place and leered at us. “Well, well, well. New disciples for the great Yssera, or flies who need to be swatted?”

Lily was closest to her, shivering slightly but still holding her ground. “Neither. We’re just on a hike,” she lied quietly.

“Just looking for hanging corpses to loot,” Bandit added with a nervous chuckle. “You know, like in that forest in Japan.”

“Don’t toy with me!” Mightyena snapped. Bandit instinctively yelped while Lily just whimpered softly. Then she turned her head to the injured Poochyena, my eyes following her. What she saw terrified both of us. “What are you doing to my pup!?”

Bo was standing over the Poochyena, one paw on his throat. “Leave us, or I crush his windpipe,” he growled in an unusually low voice.

“Y-You…” she stammered more out of fear than anger.

“Bo?” Shonta called out. “Are you okay?”

Bo paid no attention to his trainer. “What’s your choice, mongrel?” he asked Mightyena.

Definitely not okay. As much as I hated to admit it, using a child as a bargaining chip and shield was not the way to go. “Let the child go,” I told Bo.

He didn’t pay attention to me either, instead starting to apply pressure to the pup’s throat. “Bo! That is an order!” I yelled.

Bo’s eyes snapped open, and he let out a sharp gasp. His rings’ glow faded. He let go of the Poochyena and wobbled for a few seconds, long enough for the Poochyena to limp back to his mother. Then he steadied himself and glared at the two.

Lily looked from one to the other and smiled at the reunited family. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience. Now if you can just…achoo!” She jerked from her cute little sneeze (which may or may not have been real) and released a puff of blue pollen from her head flowers. Both mother and child breathed it in and instantly fell asleep.

Didn’t know the little princess was capable of such a sly trick.

“Sorry,” the Bellossom muttered with a blush.

Shonta grinned, her grin widening when the sun came back out. She took a step back and angled the sun’s rays off the mirror onto the pair of Pokemon. None of us noticed that Bo hid behind a tree while she did that.

“There’s someone else nearby,” Beacon reported after sniffing the air.

“Great, we attracted attention again,” Ali groaned. “The flash from the mirror must’ve caused it.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

All of us looked at her in surprise. “Beacon, are you sure?”

“Just take Shonta somewhere safe and do something about her wound. Keep looking for Gabi and Amy. I can take this guy; I can smell it.” She smiled brightly.

“Okay, just be careful.” We continued on our trek up the mountain, leaving the Flaaffy to face the new threat.

Beacon’s POV

If the flash from the mirror drew attention, I’ll just have to throw them off my track. I blinked my tail orb, making sure my tail stayed still. Hopefully it would convince them.

The smell was getting closer. I managed to stay put and wait for my opponent to appear, even when the slow footsteps stopped and the rumbling started.

I bleated loudly and jumped just in time to see a Prinplup burst out of the ground. It still hit me with a flipper though, and I fell on my back a few feet from him. “Ugh, it’s like a pickup truck hit me,” I grunted as I sat up.

She smelled like seawater, which told me that she hadn’t been here long. But White Mountain was kind of far from the ocean; it must’ve been a pain to waddle here unless she found a river or something.

“Ah, so you’re the source of the light I saw earlier,” the Prinplup said in a female’s voice. She looked around and shrugged. “Let the others get your friends. I’m not cut out for this kind of terrain.”

I swallowed my anxiety and stood. “Isn’t that a good reason to quit being this dragon’s toadie?” I inquired before facepalming. I’d been absorbing Bandit’s vocabulary too long.

To my surprise, she seemed to consider it for a while. “I suppose it is. I miss my home.” But then she narrowed her eyes and raised her voice. “But you know what? Getting rid of you pesky trained Pokemon and your masters will make all this frustration worth it!”

L17 Female Flaaffy (Beacon) vs. L19 Female Prinplup

Prinplup once again dove at the ground and dug, leaving behind a hole. I sparked with anticipation, got an idea, and grabbed a low lying branch so my feet were dangling a few inches above the ground. “Power Gem!”

It wasn’t the attack itself that was important, but the blinding light. It was enough to distract Prinplup long enough to stop her attack. Then I let go of the branch and tackled her as I landed on her.

That technique would only work once, so I had to find a way to keep her from finding me again. I took off running before she could have a chance to recover. If I can keep running, then she can’t target me easily. But I wasn’t a quick runner. Her next attempt hit me, and I tumbled head over heels. I couldn’t roll away fast enough to avoid her landing on me. “Ooopmh!”

“How’s that, Pinky?” she sneered. I sucked in a breath and turned my head far enough to see me smirk. “Oh no.”

I giggled. “Thunderbolt!” I shocked her as soon as she finished that sentence. She scrambled away and dug into the earth again. I considered going in there and giving her another Thunderbolt, but the hole that she left behind started filling with water. She popped out of that same hole, drenched in mud.

“Let’s see how effective your electric attacks are now,” she told me.

We both jumped back from each other, Prinplup breathing in deeply and blowing out a fast Bubblebeam. I popped all of them with another Thunderbolt and tried shocking her but she didn’t even seem all that effected. I waved my arms in front of me for a Light Screen, for my own defense.

“Nuh uh, no shield for you!” Her eyes glowed white for a second. I gasped and stepped back as my Light Screen disappeared, not even noticing the flying glob of mud until it hit my face.

Can’t get it off!

“Aaah!” I yelped as a powerful jet of water hit me. The water washed away the mud on my face but my vision was still blurry.

I was getting exhausted. My next attack needed to be able to hit Prinplup or else, but my strongest attack wasn’t going to be able to hit her while my eyesight messed up.

The sound of digging told me that she was already ready to end this. Not even knowing where to go, I just started running in one direction.

She popped out…

I tripped…

And fell into one of her holes.

She missed.

I had landed in the hole head first, having to twist and wiggle to get to a more comfortable position. I know it’s crazy, but I need to get done with this! I pulled together all the electricity I had left and concentrated it at the tail orb, then held it there while listening out for her.

“You can’t hide in there forever!” she said as she got closer.

No, I can’t! That’s why you’re getting a face full of Zap Cannon!

I finally shot it. The resulting bolt was probably no stronger than a Thunderbolt, but it hit the Prinplup judging by the sounds of pain I heard. Which was good, because I needed two minutes to get out of the hole. If she hadn’t been knocked out, I would’ve been done for.

Beacon won and grew to level 18! She learned Thunder Wave!

It took a lot just to walk. I didn’t even think I could make it. There were actually a couple of times when I had to duck and hide from wandering Pokemon. But I could still follow the trail of my friends, and I intercepted them. They had found Gabi and Amy, along with another person that I might’ve seen once at the Guild headquarters.

“Beacon!” Lily called out happily.

“Shh! Do you want us to be caught again?” Bandit whispered.

Athena approached me and examined me. “Look at you. That must’ve been a tough battle.”

I tried reassuring her with a grin. “I used up a lot of electricity but—“ I was caught short when the Mankey shoved a Gold Berry in my face. “No, that’s yours!”

“You’re one of the strongest Pokemon on our team. You need it a lot more than me.”

I sighed and ate it, relaxing as I felt my body healing. “Hey, how’s Bo doing?”

Athena fidgeted and waited until she knew Bo wasn’t listening. “He’s not aggressive, but he’s still talking in that low voice. We’re starting to believe he’s been possessed.”

I gulped. I wanted to say something to Bo but I didn’t know what. He didn’t listen to any of us earlier, although he seemed to get a reaction when Katana shouted at him. What’s going on here?

Lady Vulpix

18th January 2011, 07:27 PM

Good story, Shonta. Take 18 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Great descriptions on the first two paragraphs!

Is Jewel supposed to have no sense of touch? If that were the case, how can she know that what she felt was like something flowing beneath her?

The part about the suicides reminded me of when my brother was in San Francisco and I told him that the Golden Gate bridge was a popular place for suicides. He said "thanks, but I have other plans for the weekend". The way Bandit brought it up when talking to the Mightyena was funny.

I like the way you played Bo's actions, and the Prinplup too.

I was puzzled by the phrase "None of us noticed that Bo hid behind a tree while she did that." If Katana didn't notice, how can she know? Or did she find out later?

Beacon's idea to divert the attackers' attention was a smart one. :)

That was an interesting battle, too. Phrases in italics are thought rather than spoken, right? It makes sense in the context but it's not completely clear.

I just found one typo:
"It's a forest the lies at the base of Mt. Fuji"-->"It's a forest that lies at the base of Mt. Fuji"

classy_cat18

18th January 2011, 07:44 PM

I guess there were a few parts I didn't think through enough. I always viewed Staryu and Starmie as having a rock-like or leathery exterior for some reason, but I guess they still have touch. They may just not be as sensitive to it as other Pokemon.

And the phrase about Bo hiding behind a tree was a mistake on my part too.

I didn't know that the italics weren't being clear. Whole sentences in italics without quotation marks are thoughts, while phrases in quoted sentences are emphasized words being spoken.

Lady Vulpix

18th January 2011, 07:47 PM

Ah, thanks. That makes things clearer.

Wolfsong

25th January 2011, 05:37 PM

Here is part three of my story for the scenario. Like the last part, I worked with Gabi on this one and Shonta as well.

(Blazer’s POV)

I gave a small sigh of relief when I heard Yana finally decide to go inside her pokeball. I’d been trying to get her to for most of the trip of the mountain but the result was me wasting my breath. Even when she was pressing most of her weight against me, she didn’t complain or let on the others that she needed help. In fact, I had the feeling that the main reason behind her mentioning it in the first place was more to get Kiara to rest in hers than the houndoom actually admitting that she needed it.

Sinopa whimpered softly when she heard pokeball mentioned before running over and hiding herself between my front legs. I gently lifted my right front paw and ran it along her back trying to comfort her without making any promises that I didn’t know if I could keep.

I felt her take a deep breath and I looked down. Sinopa was looking around as I lowered my head and gave her a gentle lick and afterwards she hopped up on my head. I chuckled, but was fine with her resting there for now. We had already walked a good ways already and I knew that she had to be tired.

We had barely continued on our ascent when Ventura spoke up. “Good news and bad news.”

In response I felt Sinopa’s claws digging into my head as a Flygon appeared flying towards us. I was ready to tell Sinopa to get down and run towards Amy when the dragon was shot down by an ice beam from behind a rock.

“Okay, that leaves only the good news, thankfully.”

As soon as Ventura had finished speaking, a glalie emerged from behind the rock and after looking in the direction of our group he called out to someone else that was behind the rock. “Hey, guys, look who’s finally here!”

In response to his words, the glalie’s trainer emerged along with an espeon, a clefairy, and a smoochum.

Gabi relaxed and sighed in relief once she saw them. “It's great to see friendly faces at last. Have you met each other before? Sorry, I know I see all of you a lot, but I'm not sure if you've ever been together."

"I don't believe that we have," he replied before turning to face Amy. "I'm Ivan, a.k.a. Golden Growlithe from the Dragon's Guild. These are my friends Glice, Glyph, Arim and Linyi. You're from the Dragon Tamers, aren't you?"

Amy nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m Amy.” The two of them shook hands.

While Gabi and Ivan talked, Sinopa tried to climb down so I lowered my head so that she could easily hop to the ground. When I heard Flame’s name mentioned I tried to pay attention but they had no idea where he was.

I couldn’t help but nod my head in agreement when Amy said that she hoped we found him soon.

“I hope so too,” Gabi agreed, as the conversation took another turn. Now they were debating on staying and waiting for Lagi to return or continue onwards.

The decision was made for us when Shonta arrived, holding her bandaged arm close to her body, surrounded by some of her team. “NO more waiting. The whole mountain is crawling with those annoying minions.”

"Shonta, you're here!" Gabi exclaimed as Amy asked her if she was okay.

“I was sneaking through the mountain, not entirely minding my own business, when a poochyena attacked me! Nearly bit my arm off!" Shonta explained.

Once they agreed to continue onwards, Amy picked up Sinopa and carried her. As we neared the top of the mountain, I realized that we hadn’t encountered any of the pokemon that were under Yssera’s control since the rhyperiors.

“This is strange,” the espeon, Glyph, spoke up. It seems that I wasn’t the only one to notice it.

“What it?” Shonta asked.

“We’re getting really close, but I can’t sense any enemies near us.” Glyph explained. “I would have thought this place would be more heavily guarded.”

“Let me check,” Ventura suggested. “I see. Most of the battles are taking place below us. And there’s that horrible energy coming from… the cave over there! My radar can’t penetrate it. If I had to guess I’d say all of Yssera’s allies who aren’t already fighting are inside that cave.”

“And they’re more powerful than the ones we’ve already faced?” Shonta asked.

“Most likely,” Amy answered. “They have been getting stronger as we advanced.”

“I was already expecting trouble when we got there so I guess we can be grateful for a short moment of relative peace before entering the Houndoom’s mouth. No offense to Yana.”

“So what are we going to do when we get there?” Ventura asked which lead to a long silence because no one was sure how to answer.

Finally, Bandit spoke up. “We’re not used to facing maniacal dragons, so you’ll have to excuse us for our lack of plans.”

Gabi’s next words indicated what I’m sure we all felt. “I wish I knew what to do. Teclis said he believed we could stop Yssera, but he didn't say how. And the details we found in his library didn't seem to be of any help. I'm still hoping to find a way to rebuild the seal that used to bind her, but... does anyone among us know much about spells and magical artifacts?”

Amy shrugged as Sinopa poked her head up over Amy’s arms and tried to listen to what was going on. I watched her for a few minutes until I heard Bo speak.

“Night falls, moon shines…” He muttered as I tilted my head and looked over at him.

“Is he okay?” I asked about the same time Gabi asked what he meant about the moon.

“I dunno. He’s been doing this since we got on the mountain. He slips in and out of this, and it’s freaking Ken out.” I glanced over at the squirtle who was shivering.

“The energies around here are going crazy. Maybe that’s his way to react to them.” Ventura suggested.

“The moonlight shines pure white…” Bo continued.

“He’s the only one on my team that is affected.”

“He reminds me of Solitude back in the old days,” Hero remarked.

“Didn’t Solitude turn out to be psychic?” Tsunami asked.

“Precognitive, yes, but still screwed up in the head if you ask me.” I blinked at that, and returned my attention back to Bo. It wasn’t until I heard Tsunami suggest that maybe where as a meaning to Bo’s ramblings before I returned my attention to the conversation going on around me.

“Bo has never had a psychic bone in his body.” Shonta said as she waved her hand in front of his face only to end up getting bitten by him. “Owwww…”

“The mirror… the mirror…” Bo spoke his voice deeper than it had been earlier.

“I sure hope the mirror helps us, but that’s no reason to bite.”

“Nah, I think that was my fault.” Shonta told Gabi. “The kid’s completely out of it right now.”

“I wouldn’t rule out experimenting with the mirror and the moonlight just in case.” Was the suggestion Amber made.

“I wouldn’t rule out taking him to a Pokemon Center as soon as we can get out of this mountain.” Hero added.

“We may all need to go there once this is over.” Amber added as I nodded in agreement.

“I’ve had to keep the mirror hidden,” Shonta explained as she took it out of her bag and slowly began to unwrap it. “It’s been attracting attention.”

Once the mirror was unwrapped, it began to emit flashes of light causing the kecleon to ask if it was supposed to be doing that.

When Sinopa hopped out of Amy’s arms and cautiously approached the mirror, I held my breath. Sure enough, almost everyone wanted to get a glimpse of it and she started looking around trying to find a way out because she was starting to feel crowded.

Thankfully, Amber noticed Sinopa’s problem and stepped back allowing her to run back over to Amy. “Oh, sorry.

“Now is not the time. Here is not the place.” Bo continued.

“Okay, something is happening,” Hero noted, “But I’d like to know who or what is talking through him.”

“You’re not suggesting… He’s possessed?” Ventura asked, and that thought caused me to shiver as I closed my eyes and prayed that that wasn’t the case.

“I don't know about the rest of you, but ever since we got here I have had the feeling that someone or something has been creeping around here, something none of us can see” Jewel stated.

I let them talk as I returned my attention to Bo and was watching him. Nothing else happened so when Shonta spoke I tilted my head to see what she said. “I hate to say this, but it seems like whatever is possessing Bo knows what to do, even though it may not be a good idea.”

“I know it’s not a good idea,” I muttered under my breath. Anything to do with possession usually never was.

“We can always use the mirror on him if things get ugly.” Ventura suggested.

This time it was Sylvan who answered. “Things are already ugly.”

“You should know what I mean.” the venomoth said. “Now please be quiet. We’re almost there.”

Not long after we had started towards the cave, Beacon joined us. I glanced over at Kovu as we neared the cave. He didn’t say anything but the hackles on the back of his neck were raised just like the ones on the back of my neck were.

I’ll have to admit the inside of the cave wasn’t what I was expecting. It was neither dark nor cool. The cave was illuminated by a faint greenish light. The energy I felt had my fur standing on end. I glanced over at Sinopa who was curled up in Amy’s arms. I gave my head a shake as I looked around trying to take in my surroundings. There were quite a few holes in the wall but that was about all I could make out. How far they went or what was in them, I couldn’t see.

Suddenly from one of the holes in the far wall came a voice. “Welcome. It's always nice to have visitors. I hope your journey here was not to rough. My friends can get carried away when they're trying to defend me. I've told them no one's going to hurt me, but they're just so protective!”

I snorted at that as Gabi spoke up. “DO the lies never end?”

“Not when it comes to that dragon,” Shonta retorted as Bo moved to hide behind her leg.

“You hurt me,” came Yssera’s reply. “I keep talking to your friends, but they just won't listen. All I'm trying to do is protect the world from the Black Dragon. And you're sinking that low just to try to stop me? You're digging your own graves, mark my word.”

“No matter what your goals are, it doesn't justify what you did to all those people and pokemon.” Gabi shot back.

“You've figured it all out, haven't you? I knew you were special.”

“You say that to everyone who comes to see you.” Gabi deduced.

I half listened to the conversation going on around me as I tried to pinpoint exactly which tunnel the voice was coming from, which I was unable to do with any certainty so I resumed listening to the conversation.

Shonta groaned. “I'm not really interested in listening to your lectures.”

I noticed that Amy was nodding her head in agreement.

“So you just want to fight without giving me a chance to explain myself? And here I was thinking you believed yourselves to be the good guys.” The dragon retorted.

Golden Growlithe spoke up next. “What can you possibly say that can deny what we've already seen?”

“First of all, you must know that I don't have the power to take anything from anyone against their will. It would have been so easy to destroy all my enemies if I'd been able to strip their souls away, wouldn't it? But then again, I'd never do such a thing even if I could. A soul is too valuable to be destroyed. I wonder if one can be destroyed at all.”

“Then what did you do?” he asked.

“Please allow me to finish. As I said, I can't take a soul, and I can't even change it if the soul isn't open to me. Those who came to me did it on their own free will. They came for answers, for words of wisdom, for ways to improve their lives and feel better about themselves... they came looking for a purpose. And I gave them all they came for. It takes a while to reshape a soul even after it willingly enters the Emerald Dream. It has to be done slowly, smoothly and carefully, to keep the soul willing and open. If the soul resists, the process will be ruined. So everything I did to each one of them was accepted by them.”

I snorted at that.

"Or, more precisely, they were tricked." Gabi shot back, hitting the proverbial nail on the head.

“Or you took advantage of their emotions.” Katana agreed.”

“They got just what they wanted. I gave them a sense of purpose, a mission in life. They offered themselves to help me, and I just set them in the best conditions for them to do so. I didn't take their essence, just the parts that could become a threat: personal goals, attachments, strong feelings and desires that might lead them away from me. I replaced them for a feeling of fulfillment and enlightenment, for the certainty that they were an important part of a greater scheme, key players in the destruction of a great and ancient evil, and in the construction of a better world. There wasn't one of them who didn't feel much better upon waking up from my Dream.”

“They were no longer themselves when they woke up! How can you justify it? What would you feel if someone wanted to do that to you?” Gabi asked Yssera.

“I already have a purpose. And I'd be fulfilling it by now if you and your friends weren't too stubborn to look at the big picture.”

“You're just saying that the end justifies the means. Too many crimes have been committed while wielding that phrase. No, I'm not buying it. You need to stop now.”

I growled, nodding my head in agreement with Gabi. Amy and Shonta were nodding their heads as well.

“And you will stop me? So you don't believe in that phrase, but you do believe in strength in numbers. What happens when numbers alone are not enough?”

“We believe in our strength. That’s what happens.” Lilly spoke up.

The dragon chuckled at that sending a shiver along my spine. Whenever someone laughed like that it was never a good sign. “Then we'll have to put your strength and your numbers to a test now, won't we?”

I looked around I noticed shaped were appearing and drawing near from the holes in the wall and when they stepped out, I snarled. There were a couple of Salamences, an absol, and a flygon.

I growled under my breath as I took in the approaching pokemon. The two salamences were stronger than most of the other pokemon. I stepped forward to face one and noticed that Hero had done the same. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Lily was facing the absol.

Blazer L.76.5 Male Black and Silver Arcanine Vs. L.85 Salamence

The salamence was faster than I was and before I could do anything he drug his claws across my left front leg. Wincing, I crunched down on his foreleg before he could get it out of my reach.

The dragon jerked his foreleg out of my mouth and crunched down on the leg he had just scratched with his dragon claw. It hurt and I had to bite back the yelp that threatened to escape. Giving my head a shake I took a deep breath before exhaling a pinkish red stream of draconic flames at the salamence.

He roared in pain and slammed his wing into me. I winced because it felt like steel hitting me. I knew I couldn’t take many more hits unless I did something so I focused on recovering and the scratches on my leg began to heal. I panted softly from the energy it took.

The dragon growled deep in his throat before turning the tables and used a dragonbreath on me. My eyes watered as it burned, but I took a deep breath and exhaled a similar pinkish-red flame of draconic energy that had the salamence twitching slightly.

I would have sighed in relief, but I didn’t have the time to do even that much. I took advantage of the dragon’s paralysis and hit him with another dragonbreath and this time he went down and stayed down.

I won!
I grew to L.78.5

I stood there panting as I tried to see if I could put weight on my front leg. Luckily, I could which was a good thing because Shonta was already walking towards the tunnel that our opponents had come out of. I limped after the others, the only sound I heard were out footsteps.

When we emerged into the next chamber, it was also lit by a faint greenish light similar to what was in the previous chamber. Although it wasn’t the only source of light in this portion of the cave. There was a small hole in the ceiling where moonlight was shining down.

“Why isn’t she speaking anymore?” Iael asked us.

“I don’t know,” Gabi admitted. “But I'm not sure whether it's creepier when she talks or when she doesn't”

“I’d rather have her talking.” Shonta admitted. “At least then I’ll know she’s not right behind us, ready to eat us.”

“I've been on the mountain for a long time and I haven't seen or heard of anyone being eaten. I don't know what or how often she eats, though. Maybe the seal has slowed down her metabolism.” Glyph explained and I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

Tsunami spoke up next and I agreed with him. “This is not a good time to talk about a dragon's metabolism.”

“It's never a good time to talk about a dragon's metabolism,” Shonta added.

“Okay, what shall we do?” I heard one of them ask but I wasn’t sure which as I was focusing on Bo. He had suddenly walked towards the hole in the ceiling and was standing in the circle of moonlight and staring off into the darkness.

“Bo?” I asked, but received no response.

“What’s he doing?” Tsunami asked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted as I continued to watch the umbreon.

“There's something strange with Bo,” Lagi commented.

“We've already noticed there's something strange about him,” Tsunami told her.

“I said ‘with,’” Lagi corrected. “Or, rather, in him.”

At that my heart sunk.

“I knew it. We'll have to use the mirror on him after all, won't we?” Ventura asked causing Bo to growl as he whipped his head around to glare at her.

“Something tells me he's not going to let that happen,” Shonta noted.

“Well, we need to do something,” the venomoth insisted. “We have enough problems without adding possession to the list.”

“Does anyone want to battle him?” Hero asked.

Shonta’s squirtle, Ken, shyly held up his hand. “I wanna help him!”

AS she pulled the mirror out of her pack, Bo reacted. The umbreon leaped forward and grabbed the mirror before jumping out of reach and tilting it so that the moonlight was reflected by the mirror.

I swallowed as it briefly illuminated the dark tunnel where a massive green shape was. Then she stepped forward and which each step, the entire cave shook.

“Thank you for releasing me, I couldn't have done it without you.” Yssera said with a huge grin.

“This can’t be happening,” Lagi said softly.

“Oh but it is,” Bo answered with a chuckle, and I growled softly at that. “And I must thank you too, for finding this mirror.”

I saw Sinopa try to make herself smaller in Amy’s arms while everyone else just stood still.

Yssera glared at Bo. “I’ll deal with you later,” she told him before looking at each of us in turn. “I feel quite grateful, so I'll give you all one last chance. You can join me now”

“Never!” Amy said loudly as Shonta joined her with a “Forget it!”

"What a waste," she said. "You don't even have a sense of self-preservation. And here I was trying to be generous. A shame, really. I'm afraid I'll have to kill you, then."

Kovu’s rings glowed brightly before he launched a confuse ray at Yssera, but she didn’t seem to be the least bit bothered by it. Beacon, however, tried a zap cannon which hit and caused the massive dragon to wince before she raised her front claw and slashed out at them and also managed to hit me as well and that was when everything went dark.

(Darin’s POV)

I winced when I saw Blazer go down. I looked around things weren’t going well for us. Beacon could hardly stand, Lagi fell down, Blazer was out cold.

The next thing that I knew, I could hear the sound of running hooves coming from the tunnel that we had came from. I turned my head to look as Yssera starting to thrash about. She was hitting everyone that was in her reach. Amy was knocked backwards during the commotion. Sinopa hopped out of her arms as Amy’s backpack was knocked off of her shoulder. My hidden power came to my rescue was the only thing that kept me from getting knocked unconscious as a group of Pegasus raced into the tunnel being led by what looked like a winged rapidash.

I winced worried about the egg that was in there but right now I had no way to get to it right then.

“Triton’s friend!” Beacon exclaimed.

As one the Pegasus all began to attack Yssera with beams of energy while the winged rapidash bounced up in the air and landed on the dragon. In response, Yssera tried to take off through the ceiling.

“She’s trying to get away!” I heard Lily cry out. I looked over and saw that she was trying to absorb energy. I tried to help Kovu out, but his zap cannon missed.

“Let me help you out with that,” I heard the winged rapidash offer and the moonlight began to get brighter.

Tsunami managed to hit her talon with an ice beam as I saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye as Bo leaped on top of a rock. “Your business with me is not over, Yssera!” he shouted at her.

“I’m busy now,” she shot back. “Go tell your master that I’ll meet him later to settle our score.”

I saw Talut take to the air and launch an ice beam at Yssera as Moriko used Bo’s distraction as the opportunity she needed to grab the mirror and used it on the umbreon, knocking him out. Once that was done, the heracross turned to face Yssera. “Now for the dragon!” she shouted launching an aeroblast at her.

In response, she hit the ceiling the hole starting to widen under the pressure.

"If we don't end this soon, we might create a cave in and get stuck with this dragon!" Shonta warned.

No one responded to her. Instead, the Pegasus as well as the pokemon continued to attack the dragon. Suddenly something hit her from above. In response, she gave a huge shake moving downwards to see what it was that had hit her.

“What was that?” Shonta asked, voicing the question that I’m sure all of us were thinking.

“Big flying horsie!” Ken exclaimed as a larger Pegasus came in through the hole and landed on the dragon.

"That's my father! Everyone help him! Channel the energy!" shouted the winged rapidash. In response all of the Pegasus began to glow. I relaxed somewhat as the light surrounded me as well as everyone else.

"It's working!" I heard someone shout as Yssera started groaning. "This can't be happening. I've waited so long... I need to have it!"

I noticed that Golden Growlithe’s espeon, Glyph I think, ran to the back of the cave before calling out. "Arim, Ventura and any other pixies or fairies out there, come here!"

I made a confused noise but knew the time wasn’t right to ask any questions.

“There are no pixies of fairies here, but I'll humor you just this once.” Ventura told him as she teleported over to his side. The next thing that I knew I heard her and the clefairy chanting.

"You fools..." The dragon’s words were beginning to sound rather muffled. "You don't know what you're doing! You can't defeat the Black Dragon without me!"

During all this I heard a roserade join in the singing. I turned my head to see that it was Rose. When I looked back, Yssera was being pulled backwards until she was past us and disappearing behind the wall of stone.

Gabi sighed. “We’ll take our chances.”

“Bo!” I heard Shonta shout as she ran to his side as Amy ran to Blazer’s side and, after looking him over, recalled the arcanine.

“Is it finally over?” I heard Lily ask, and I looked up wanting to hear the answer.

It was Glyph that answered. “It's as 'over' as it was before the whole thing started. I'm afraid we don't have the power to kill her, it took all our combined efforts just to restore the two seals.”

“But she won't be able to break free on her own," the rapidash assured us, "and she can't make contact with anyone now. I'm coming back to the mountain where my family and I will watch over it to make sure no one tries to break the seals again.”

“That's a relief," Moriko said.

“I hope Bo will be alright now," Shonta admitted, concerned.

“He should be fine," the rapidash told her. “He's had a rough time, but I know how that feels. He'll recover soon."

Once I heard that, I made my way over to Sinopa where I nuzzled her. “Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded her head yes, but I could tell something was bothering you. “Are you sure?” I asked.

“I wasn’t able to help. Maybe if I was evolved I could have…”

I shook my head. “That’s not true. I’m evolved and I wasn’t much help.”

“You weren’t hiding scared either…”

Why don’t you think over it for a little while? No need to rush into it. Besides, it’ll be harder to curl up in Amy’s arms when you evolve.

Sinopa sighed but reluctantly agreed to wait for the time being.

“Come with me, I want to check on the egg that I found in Amy’s bag.” She nodded and followed me as we made our way over to the backpack. I saw it move so I glanced over at Sinopa before crawling in and gently pulling out the tiny eevee. Other than looking really scared, he seemed to be okay.

Gabi, Amy, and Shonta agreed to go back to Sybyll and the pokecenter there and I was more than ready as I followed them.

lvl100mewtwo

26th January 2011, 07:23 PM

Great Battle Amy! I would like to officially offer you 21 Stamps for your very impressively written battle and story!

¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Great story in general, great way to end it too, very impressive. I did see a few small typos here and there but really there was nothing major! Keep up the great work you guys!

Alex

The Blue Avenger

30th January 2011, 10:44 AM

It's been two weeks since my last request, I believe, so I'd like an RBG for Raini (go figure) from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

30th January 2011, 02:38 PM

Raini is going to battle a Chimecho. Let's see how she fares.

lvl100mewtwo

30th January 2011, 11:33 PM

For some reason, I had issues getting into the right groove writting this battle. Don't mind the childish writing, trying to get into context with Rex's psyche. And now...

Reckless

<Rex>

Oh look Pidgeys! I love Pidgeys! I just wanna chase em’ down and catch em’ and then play with them, beat them up a bit, rough em up, then let em’ go and start all over again!

This new guy seems alright, he’s giving me this pretty cool brown stuff thats sooooo delicious... I want to know what it’s called!!!

Oh look, another Pidgey!!!

I tugged on the big human’s leg and pointed to the food. He just looked at me and smiled then went back to resting his head on the tree. I pulled at his leg again, pointed at the food, but he did the same thing again.

Whats his deal? I wound up and gave him a good punch on the leg with my iron fists of fury.

“What the hell Rex? What was that for?” he said looking down. I think I got him mad... but that’s ok, I wanted my answer now! So I pointed to the food again.

“Why do you want more chocolate? I just gave you a full bar...!”

Oh so it’s called chocalat! I have my answer! I went back to eating the delicious chocalat

“You keep eating that stuff and you’ll get a tummy ache you know...” the red guy said, turning around.

“But it’s soooooo good! This chocalat, I can’t stop eating it. Do you think he has more?”

“I don’t know to be honest with you, but gimmy a piece, I haven’t had some in a while”

“NO! It’s mine, all mine! It’s my precious...” I held on to the chocalat bar for dear life after that! Not that red guy, not that rock rat earlier was gonna get it.

“Fine, do what you want bud, but you’ve been warned!” and he turned back to his moving picture thingy, and sat there, watching. “You can call me Macedon by the way or Magby or Sir, seeing I’m the elder here.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. I’m Riolu, but you know that already. I don’t know why that big guy is calling me Rex, but everyone calls me Mr. Dangerous around here!”

“Mr. Dangerous eh? I’m gonna take a shot at this... you like to get into danger don’t you?”

“That’s right! Nothing scares me! You saw how I took down that rat!”

“Yeah, that was real big of you bud... you showed it who was boss...” Somehow I didn’t think he was being too sincere with me... but that’s ok, he was just jealous cause I had my chocalat!

“It’s okay, you be jealous! I get to eat my chocalat!”

-------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up, belly rumbling This can’t be good... why does my tummy hurt so much... The big human had me in his arms, we were walking somewhere and all I could do was groan in pain at this point... it hurt so much every step he took.

“I told you Rex not to eat so much! I’m taking you to a Centre for now. It’s not too far according to the map I got. We’ll get you rested up and have you looked at ok?” The big human said, looking down at me, smiling.

“You didn’t want to listen did you?” The red guy just kept saying, and then murmuring something about “I told you so...” He was getting really annoying.

I turned my head and saw in the distance lights coming from a building. We walked through the sliding doors and came up to the counter.

“Yeah, this little guy went a little overboard with the chocolate I gave him. Anything you can do with him? He’s also a bit banged up from this afternoon’s fight.”

Pfft, I don’t know what he’s talking about, I’m fine! I’m 100%! I’m ready to go out there and... OW... my Tummy... Okay... maybe not so much...

“That’s fine, we have a few things back there for this little guy to help him out, do you have a place to stay tonight? The Centre offers great boarding rooms for those who need some” The lady said

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, wouldn’t mind a bed right now. Think you could also give Macedon a look after overnight? He’s been a bit banged up lately and I just want him to get checked out.” The big guy said, as the fire pokemon worked his way around the counter and behind it to see the lady.

“Sure! Here, your room key, we’ll take good care of your pokemon!” This lady was really cheerful. What’s her deal? She’s too cheerful.

The big human walked away and I wished my tummy pain would go with him... The lady took me in the back and Macedon came up behind her, following us.

“So little guy, what did you eat hmm? A Little too much chocolate maybe? Well I’m going to take care of you, make you a nice little berry juice, and you’ll be good to go in no time!”

She started to pick through a few berries as my tummy started to rumble again, thinking of food. She had to hurry up or it wasn’t going to be pleasant. She mashed them up and poured the juice out and put it into a little bottle and gave it to me.

“Alright, now take this juice little guy and your stomach will be fine.” She said with a smile. I didn’t believe her, that smile was hiding something, something mischievous. I didn’t let her get the nozzle into my mouth. I didn’t know what kind of berries she put in there! For all I knew, they could have been poison berries... or worst... berries full of Caterpies... “Stop being so finicky little guy, this will make you feel better!”

“Rex, it’s just berries...” Macedon said “poisonous ones...” with a smirk. I wasn’t going to have any of it, even if I had to die with this pain. This horrible, horrible pain in my stomach just wasn’t quitting. I wasn’t going to let her win! Why did the big human leave me with this human lady?

I am tough! I can make it through any pain! I am a Riolu after all; we are known to be tough! Courageous! And not big sissies! I am going to make it through... I think I’m gonna make it through... This pain is getting worst... Oh no, I need that juice now! I grabbed the bottle and suckled it all down.

The pain wasn’t stopping. In fact, it was just getting worst! I could feel my stomach moving inside of me. What did she give me? The pain was moving lower... lower... lower... OH NO! My stomach’s gonna burst! And with that, a small stench could be smelt in the room, as a slight grin game across my face... “Whoops... Excuse me...”

Macedon just looked at me oddly, slightly laughing and held his nose. I didn’t like it myself, but somehow everyone likes the smell of their own brand deep down. I could sense that my stomach was calming down and the lady took me and Red to our own little mats to sleep on.

-------------------------------------------------

I opened my eyes. It was still night. I looked outside my window to see a few Hoot Hoots hooting along. Oh yay! HootHoots! They’re like the Pidgey’s of the night! I love chasing Pidgeys! I just wanna catch ‘em and play with them and beat ‘em up! HootHoot’s are like the same thing, except nightly I guess I sat up just to smack my head on something. What the Lucario?

A small cube thing was floating in midair, in front of me. I froze in panic. What is going on??!?! A little purple aura was around it. OH GREAT! This place is haunted! Maybe a Misdreavus? Maybe a Spiritbomb? I just looked at the cube intensely and then the cube dropped.

Suddenly, I started to float in mid air. I could feel something around me: energy. I didn’t like this, not one bit. I looked around frantically trying to find who was trying to possess me! What ghost was in this place and having fun with this!?

“Heh! Guess I can pick up heavy objects”

I looked down to notice Macedon had glowing eyes, fixed on me

“THIS AIN’T FUNNY! PUT ME DOWN!” Those were some of the more famous painful words to come out of my mouth as I was dropped back into my bed.

“We you wanted to be put down, right?”

“Not that hard... that hurt” My eyes were getting a little teary. I probably just landed on dust and it must have flown into my eyes. I wasn’t too happy with Macedon at that moment, as I went through the opening in the window ran out of the building.

Fresh air was a nice change from the stale air inside that building. I walked towards the tall trees as I could spot the Hoot Hoots. Perfect, my first playmates of the night I thought to myself, grin as wide as a Snorlax on my face.

“Hey wait up, I’m coming with!” Red screamed from the back. The HootHoots heared this and flew off into the night.

Great, there goes my fun for the night

“Look, sorry about in there. Alex made me learn this new move this afternoon and I was testing it out. You just seemed like the best target around. I needed to see where I was at with it.”

“Well I didn’t like it!” I said, turning my back to the fire pokemon “And who’s Alex?”

“He’s the big human that keeps giving you chocolate, don’t you know his name?”

“Oh! The big human with the chocalat! I didn’t know that was his name!”

“Yeah, well he’s a nice guy; he’s taken good care of me so far. I can say we’ve been through some rough stuff these past few weeks, but I’m sticking with him.”

“Alot of my friends in the forest, when they go with a big human, they always end up in this little ball. I’m terrified of those things. Why aren’t you in one with him?”

“You know, I never thought about that. Guess he doesn’t like to put us in those little things?”

“Well that’s good, cause I never want to go into one of those things. I saw my buddy go in one of them one day and ... OH! A HootHoot!”

This was my chance to catch one. I quickly and nimbly made my way up the tree and slowly walked along the branch to make it to the bird. He was mine and I wasn`t going to let him get away! Closer. Clooooooser. Clooooooooooooooser. NOW! As I leaped forward, the Hoothoot turned its head around, noticed me and flew off. I tried to grab the branch but I was already in free fall.

“Macedon, do something!!!!” I screamed out as I fell to the ground, head first onto a rock. “Ugh...”

“Ugh...” The rock said. Wait a minute, rocks don’t talk? A head slowly started to creep out of the rock and turned around to look at me, with a very angry face.

“And I was having such a good dream at this point. Why in the world would you wake me up?” The rock said, as its legs came out and it stood up. The holes in the rock started to glow a deep red, steam slowly starting to come out from them. Suddenly, a spew of hot embers was shot my way. I narrowly dodged them as I hid behind a tree, Red doing the same thing.

“What is his problem Macedon? Really, it was just an accident!”

“I don’t know, but he’s mad at you and not me, so I am not fighting him if that’s what you’re looking at me for” He screamed back. The tree I was hiding behind started to warm up, as if it were on fire. I turned around to look at the bark starting to get engulfed in flames.

I rushed from behind the tree and went lunging at the rock fire thing “AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” I screamed, trying to intimidate him. My fists glowed as I connected on the rocky hide. The rock turtle just looked down on me and grinned. Well I guess that wasn’t very effective.

I backed off with speed and took a defensive stance. “My glowy punching trick isn’t working, what should I do?” I said, looking back to Macedon.

“I don’t know, don’t you have any other attacks apart from the ‘glowy punching trick’ move?”

Thinking back on it, I didn’t really have anything else apart from that and just the non-glowy punching trick. I guess I could try that move as I zoomed in, this time hitting the turtle on the head a few times with my fists.

He didn’t seem to appreciate the hits too much as black smoke started to come out of his mouth and his rocky back. I started to cough at the smell. Wow! Even I don’t smell that bad when gases come out of my back

“Rex, what are you doing, back off! If you keep breathing that in you’ll get as sick as earlier!” Macedon said, coaching me from behind a tree. I backed off just as quick, trying to breathe in fresh air to get rid of that really icky air.

“Those punches seemed to work. Maybe try that again, might hurt him more!” Macedon kept barking orders at me from his hiding spot. You know, for a strategist, he was pretty cowardly hiding behind that tree and letting me fight. I picked up some speed and came hurling at the big rock turtle, giving it a couple of hard shots to the face and body. Clearly he wasn’t enjoying this but I sure was!

With one last punch to the face, I could feel the heat coming off of him. I took one step back and braced myself for what I knew was gonna be some kind of fire attack. Small little embers came hurling at me but all seemed to be missing. I looked closer to notice that with all the punch I had thrown, I seemed too had bruised him up enough in the face to get his eyes to swell up shut.

This was my big chance! I took some speed and went into the trees, jumping from branch to branch, circling the fire pokemon. He was still launching his fireballs all over the place and I had him exactly where I wanted him. With one quick movement, I jumped off a branch and lunged at it, screaming like a mad Houndoom! “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!” That ever a bad idea...

With me screaming, the turtle knew exactly where I was. The holes on its back started to flare up with red colors. Suddenly, a massive heat wave came crashing out of his back, hot little rocks and some weird red hot fluid coming out too. “NOW YOU GOT ME MAD!” the turtle said as he erupted in anger. The heat was intense, the little rocks hurting with every little hit. I was getting launched back from all this energy coming out from the fire types back.

“Rex, use the rocks to stabilize yourself and go in for another fast punch!”

Macedon, you are a genious! I thought to myself as I used the rocks spewing out of my opponents back and started to hurl myself down again, with a greater speed this time. ‘CRACK!!!’ I connected the turtles head with my fist. I landed on my 2 feet, huffing and puffing. This fight was over! No one can beat me! I’m Mr. Dangerous! As I turned around and started to walk towards Macedon.

The turtle wasn’t finished though. I felt the heat of an ember zoom past my head, as I turned around to see the tortoise running towards me, slowly. He’s not that fast is he? as I took one step back, bracing myself for the inevitable impact. As he got closer, he jumped in mid air, spinning and tail glowing. He connected and I endured the hit. I grabbed his tail and used the momentum of the hit to hurl him to the ground. He seemed knocked out cold this time, as I poked his head, to make sure.

“Rex, he’s done, let’s get out of here before someone hears us or realizes that we have been come”

“Easy for you to say, you’ve been hiding behind that tree the whole time! I was doing the dangerous work for both of us!” I screamed back at Macedon, but he was right, I was getting tired and hungry. I need chocalat and I need a nap so I can be good and strong for tomorrow! “Let’s just head back I guess, we can deal with this tomorrow.”

And so we slowly started to walk back towards the building, Macedon and I discussing about my battle and how I could improve on some of my moves.

“Hoooooot... Hoooooot...”

“OH, A HootHoot! I love HootHoots...”

--------------------------------------------

Rex (Lvl 8) battled Torkoal (Lvl. 8) and won

Rex grew to lvl 9

Lady Vulpix

31st January 2011, 01:36 PM

Alex: the first paragraph reminded me of Elmyra from Tiny Toons.

Does Rex have anything against putting apostrophes and periods in the right places? And the random capitalizations are weird too. He speaks funny, in any case, and he has a funny view of the world. Are the uses of "worst" instead of "worse" a part of his speaking quirks?

Macedon telling Rex to call him 'Sir' was funny too. He was a bit nasty towards him, though. And I like the way Rex reacted to his new name.

The thought of berries full of Caterpies was so ridiculous it made me laugh.

Does anyone really like the "smell of their own brand"? The relief of not holding it in any longer I can understand, but the smell?

I can't imagine how rocks that are being shot towards someone can be used by that someone to gain stability, though.

Take 13 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Amy, I enjoyed reading your side of the story and I really liked your descriptions, especially the part when we first entered the cave. :)

lvl100mewtwo

31st January 2011, 03:03 PM

I think the best way to describe Rex would be to say that he's a little pup with s huge ADD complexe and an unfortunate and unhealthy addiction to chocolate... Makes it a bit interesting lol... A lot of his quirkyness comes from his young age and his speach pattern is just having to do with the fact he's all over the place...

The whole "own brand" thing was actually an old joke from Austin Powers: Goldmember... Haha.

Oh there is a rivalry between Macedon and Rex, both like to be the alpha male, we'll just see how things pan out for them in the end...

Yeah, that whole Eruption shooting rocks, being used to stabilize and such was a bit rushed, should have been double looked over...

Yeaaaa... The worse / worst thing was Rex talking... *shifty eyes and whistling"

Thanks for the stamps

The Blue Avenger

31st January 2011, 08:16 PM

Okay, here's my RBG and my scenario. Please enjoy "Sybyll Disobedience."

---

“All right, guys, here’s the situation.” Jeff paced back and forth in front of his line of Pokemon, all of whom were standing (or hovering, or sitting, or in one case dancing) at various degrees of attention. The group of 16 was on a path that led into the outskirts of Sybyll. Though the area itself wasn’t in the mountains yet, it was obvious that there were some nearby; the dusty trail was craggy along the sides of the path, and the few plants that had managed to eke out an existence were small and scraggly. “If we keep heading in this direction, we’ll arrive in Sybyll. Our comrades are currently fighting their way up to the mountains near the town to confront the dragon that lives there. We, however, have been called to go keep the peace in town. It’s bad there, guys, seriously. People and Pokemon are being attacked by agents of the dragon.”

Mercandos raised his hand.

“Yeah, Merc. Go,” Jeff said.

“Do we know anything about who’s doing the attacking?”

Jeff nodded. “Good question. The answer is, ‘not a thing.’ The trainers who are attacking are all ones who were persuaded by Yssera to play for the other team, and they come from all walks of life. You could see anything out there.” He put a finger to his chin, something coming to mind. “And be careful. Don’t listen to any tempting too-good-to-be-true offers they might have for you. We’re here to wipe them clean, understood?”

A wave of nods rippled down the line of Pokemon.

“Good. Now, here’s our plan of attack. I’m going to send the strongest of you guys out to patrol on your own. That’ll be Team A. Team B will be the rest of us, and hopefully what Team A has in strength, we’ll make up for in numbers. This’ll let us sweep the town more efficiently.” Jeff pointed to Maza, Groviglio, Bobbery, and Trezzatura. “You guys. You’re Team A.”

Maza and Groviglio high-fived each other, inasmuch as a high five could occur when one of the parties involved had a tentacle and the other had two fingers, a thumb, and a spoon. Bobbery lumbered to his feet and yawned, and Trezzatura absent-mindedly adjusted the collar he wore around one of his wrists, lacking any sort of neck to wear it around.

“The four of you, go ahead and get going. Maza, you got that Signal Beam TM, yeah?”

Maza nodded. “That’s right. The Psychic TM too.”

“Good. If you run into trouble, send up a Signal Beam. We’ll come for you. Likewise, if you see a Thunder go up, come find us.” Jeff looked towards the city, visible in the distance. “Go on.”

Groviglio, Trezzatura, and (eventually) Bobbery clustered around Maza. “Catch you guys later,” Maza said. “Good luck.” His spoons glinted in the sunlight and briefly glowed before the four of them disappeared.

Jeff resumed pacing. “Now, as for the rest of us… We’re going to make our way in there by foot. Everyone needs to be on the ball today. No distractions.” He stopped in front of Kurtzwick. “That means no looting.”

Kurtzwick slumped and looked forlornly at the worn canvas bag sitting behind him.

“Furthermore, we’re all going to stick together. No wandering off. That’s a recipe for disaster.” Jeff scanned the row. “Any questions?”

Nobody spoke up.

“Then let’s be off.”

---

When they reached the city, the particular sound of silence reached their ears. This wasn’t a simple silence that was only the absence of noise, no. This was a loaded silence. It was the sort of silence that would prompt people to say “It’s quiet… too quiet,” then get attacked by whatever it was they were trying to find.

Luckily, nobody in Jeff’s party said anything. The scene that greeted them when they arrived was more than enough to stop the words in anyone’s mouth.

The city limits on that side of Sybyll hadn’t been the best maintained in the best of times, Jeff recalled. When he had last been here, that part of Sybyll had been a little… less well-kept, maybe; it seemed to be a poorer neighborhood, if nothing else. He hadn’t been there long last time, admittedly, but Jeff was reasonably sure that the wrecked buildings, the shattered windows, and the trashed cars in the street weren’t there before. He gazed down the road. It glittered in the sun, although the effect was only achieved because there was so much broken glass lining the sidewalks.

But perhaps even more unnerving was, again, the silence. There was nobody around. The wind blew, whistling, past him, sending a few dried leaves rolling into the street.

Jeff grimaced. He remembered the last time he had been here. Sure, the times had been bad, but at least the city still had life. It looked like everyone on this side of Sybyll had just walled themselves in whatever houses were left standing.

A trail of puddles led into the city proper. The water was flanked by the occasional singed dirt clod and dislodged rock. Jeff mentally checked off the attacks. Surf, Hidden Power Water, Fire Punch, Blaze Kick, Earthquake, and Rock Tomb. Yep. They made it in all right.

He turned to meet his team, all of whom were looking with varying degrees of concern (ranging from “none at all,” courtesy of Raini, to “worried enough to stop dancing,” GG, to “ROCK PARTY,” Mona) at the surroundings.

“All right,” Jeff said, and his voice came out slightly more down than he would have liked. He cleared his throat. “We can obviously tell where Team A went through. They seem to have cleared this area out, so let’s not waste time.” He began walking in the opposite direction.

A leaf crunched behind them. As one, the entire group swiveled their heads.

A man stood behind them. He wore a trench coat, stood a head taller than Jeff, and he was tossing a Pokeball up and down in his right hand – which, Jeff noticed, was adorned with an odd, mechanical-looking glove. His face had a nasty, deep scar, running from his forehead, down over one eye, and ending just above his lip. Perhaps most unnerving of all, though, was that he was smiling, but smiling in a way that wasn’t reflected in his eyes.

“It’s quiet out here,” he said in a voice that ladled on the bass and didn’t stop, “too quiet.”

---

“You’re getting in the way of our grand design!”

“Ugh, listen, lady, the only grand design you’re gonna have is a picture of the cuckoos that’re gonna be spinning around your head!” Groviglio pounded the ground with his long arms and stepped forward.

“That was a little verbose, Grove,” Maza whispered. “Shorten it up next time.”

“Shut up!” Groviglio said eloquently. “Now, lady, you gonna throw anything for us to fight or are we gonna have to just plow past you?”

The woman, wide-eyed and scowling, stared back at Groviglio. “We can’t have anyone interfering!” With a ring-adorned hand, she tossed a Pokeball into the street. It burst open in a flash of white, and when it faded away, a withered husk floated in the air in front of them. Its eyes didn’t move, and there was a brittle circle of exoskeleton hovering above its head in a bastardized approximation of a halo.

Groviglio looked over his shoulder. “Anyone else wanna field this one? Or should I squash this bug?”

Trezzatura rubbed his arm. A slightly charred black section stood out against the otherwise-flawless blue metal skin. “I’m going to fall back for a bit,” Trezzatura said in a quiet voice.

“You go ahead and take this one,” Maza said. “Let us rest up for a minute. If you get tired, we can take the next one.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Bobbery, falling backwards with a ground-trembling thunk and beginning to snore.

Groviglio cracked his knuckles. Or rather, he would have if he has possessed any knuckles to crack, but nevertheless, the gesture was fairly universal. “All right,” he said, “prepare to get steamrollered.” A puddle began to appear, seemingly from nowhere, on the ground; closer inspection would reveal tiny rivulets of water streaming from the gutters, centering in front of the Tangrowth. When he deemed the puddle big enough, a process that took no more than a few seconds, it erupted into a pillar, which briefly took the appearance of a hand with a single finger extended before spearing at the floating husk.

The water rather anticlimactically faded away into steam about half a foot from the bug’s blank face.

Groviglio raised an eyebrow (all right, vine) over one saucer-like eye. “What’re you playing at, bug?”

It said nothing.

“Well, fine! Have some of this!” Groviglio lashed out with a wine, its tip glowing green and making a faint, unnerving suction noise.

The vine was halted by the same mysterious force. It bounced back, the glow gone. Groviglio looked back.

Maza shrugged. “Got me, man,” he said. “I don’t know what we’re dealing with here. Try throwing something else at it.”

Groviglio nodded, but was interrupted when something bludgeoned him in the back of the head – an orb, that, on contact, exploded into shadowy shrapnel. More annoyed than hurt, Groviglio rubbed the spot of contact and swiveled back around. “That does it, cornball!” he growled.

Cornball, Maza thought. It was a good mental exercise, he had found, trying to trace Groviglio’s unique thread of logic in his insults. The Pokemon looks like a husk… like a corn husk, so, cornball. Got it.

“I’m gonna take you downtown!” Groviglio continued. He slammed one limb on the ground, and it shook. A pair of rocks rose up, glowing somewhat ethereally, then flew straight at the husk. The Pokemon made no move to dodge them and took the Ancientpower straight on, not making a sound as it got knocked to the ground. It didn’t get back up.

Groviglio’s eyes gleamed triumphantly. “That’s better.” He spun on the spot and released a blast of spores at the trainer, who was kneeling at her Pokemon’s side; the Sleep Powder hit home, and before the trainer knew what was happening, she was sound asleep.

Maza tapped Bobbery on the forehead. “C’mon, guys, let’s keep going.” Bobbery wobbled slowly to his feet, the action sending ripples across his stomach, and the quartet continued on.

---

Jeff took a cautious step forward. “Who are you?” he asked. “You gonna try and give us Yssera’s sales pitch?”

“Nope.” The man took a moment to spin the Pokéball on his fingertip. “I’ll tell you what, though. Isn’t exactly a secret that Sybyll’s in deep trouble right now. This is prime time for looting.”

“See!” Kurtzwick leveled a glare at Jeff, who promptly rolled his eyes. “I had my swag bag all ready to go and everything!”

“Swag bag?” Cam asked out of the side of his mouth.

“Forget it, Kurtzwick; just because this guy’s a looter doesn’t mean you get to be one,” Jeff said, not taking his eyes off of the newcomer.

To his credit, the man didn’t seem at all put off by the Pokémon chatter he couldn’t understand. He stopped spinning the ball and rested it in the palm of his hand. “No, I think there’s something you’re not quite cottoning on to here. I’m not looting stores or homes or anything like that.” The man brushed some deep black hair out of his eyes. “But that’s enough out of me. Are you going to be the annoying brat who stands in my way?”

Jeff glanced backwards at his team, then back to the man. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Then this’ll be on my terms.” The man dug into his pockets and pulled out two Pokéballs in each hand. “Four on four. Put the rest of yours back.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll find a more violent way to get past you. As it is, if you battle me my way and win, I’m gone. You won’t hear from me again.” The man smirked. “Sound good?”

Jeff paused for a moment. “…All right.” He returned his team to a set of 11 Pokéballs, then grabbed four of them. The two men tossed their balls to the ground simultaneously, each releasing the Pokémon inside in a blinding burst of color.

BATTLE! Mystery Man versus Jeff! 4 versus 4!
Beautifly: “This is your last stand!”
Dustox: “Charge!”
Mareep: “Time to bolt!”
Chimecho: “Ring-ring-ring!”
~
Mercandos: “Ten-hut!”
Cambiamente: “It’s game time!”
Previsiona: “Let’s go!”
Raini: “…”

The Pokémon squared off. In front of Mercandos flew an elegant butterfly, its thin, needle-like proboscis slowly coiling and uncoiling. Cam’s opponent flew nearby, scattering sparkling toxic spores from its wings with every flap. A Mareep pawed the ground in front of Previsiona, its wool crackling and sparkling. Finally, a Chimecho hovered in the air, its eyes locked squarely on Raini.

Jeff nodded. “Let’s go, guys. You know what to do.”

Raini glanced around. The only Pokémon watching her was that… wind chime thing. She hadn’t ever seen one before. Whatever it was, it was waving slightly in the breeze, making quiet clinking noises. It had a slightly unnerving smile on its face. She put a paw to her head and bared her teeth, her eyes glowing blue…

…but the chime Pokémon’s eyes glowed a richer blue in response. Raini’s scowl turned to an expression of panicked surprise as she felt her mind peel open for the chime to see.

---

“You dare cross us?!”

Groviglio groaned. “How many of you people are there in this town?” He waved a limb. “No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

The man they were speaking to was dressed in a tie-dye shirt and wore his hair long. He looked for all the world like a hippie. It didn’t help that his eyes spoke to him being more than a little spaced out. “No, no, no!” he said. “You shouldn’t be trying to break through! I’m going to stop you here and now!” He gripped a Pokéball in his hand.

“Oh no.” Groviglio stepped back. “I’m KOing you now.” “He spat forth a stream of glittering spores, but they never hit the man. Instead, they impacted harmlessly against a Clefable that had emerged from the ball. Groviglio slumped. “Screw this. One of you guys take it.”

“All right!” Maza pumped his fist. “My turn!” He disappeared from his spot on the sidelines, which was quickly filled by Groviglio, then promptly reappeared directly in front of Clefable. He pulled back one fist and knelt; just as quickly, he propelled himself into the air with a jump, sending Clefable up with him into the sky.

Just as they reached the apex of their flight, the Clefable’s head spinning, Maza nailed it with another punch. This one sent Clefable rocketing back down to the ground, making a neat dent in the earth where it landed. It slowly got to its feet, obviously a little shaken. Maza made a neat landing nearby.

The Clefable shook its head and pulled a small burlap sack out from nowhere, then tossed it at Maza. It landed at his feet.

Maza raised an eyebrow. The bag seemed to be ticking.

“Maza! Get away from it!” Trezzatura called. “It’s a – ”

BOOM.

“…bomb.”

Maza blinked and coughed up a cloud of soot. “That was dirty pool,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s try that again…” He charged up both fists, one with fire, one with ice. The air around Maza barely wavered as he disappeared, then reappeared behind Clefable. Before the Clefable could turn around, he clapped it on both sides of the head When the Clefable wheeled around, Maza vanished again, only to rematerialize to its side. He touched a spoon to his forehead and it glowed with a bright light; Clefable soon found itself wrapped in a similar glow. The spoons left his forehead and Maza flung his arms forward; the Clefable rocketed back and plowed into a boulder, where it collapsed.

“No! Cliff!” The hippie pushed Maza aside and ran to the Clefable’s side, unaware of anything else.

Maza looked to Groviglio. “I think we’re done here. Let’s keep going.”

---

Cam glanced around at his teammates. They were all locked in battle, but the one that stood out to him was Raini. She and the Chimecho were just… staring at each other. They were barely moving, and every so often, their eyes would flare blue, but nothing seemed to come of it. He sighed and focused on his foe. A Dustox. Poisonous bug. Let’s see… Poison. Best option would be Psychic.

Even though the Chimecho wasn’t moving, Cam was still able to get a read on it, and soon he had transformed into a carbon copy. He rose into the air, noting with a touch of dismay that Chimecho didn’t seem to have very good handling while flying. It stood to reason, he figured, considering they were pretty much just animate bells.

The Dustox was flying in a lazy figure-eight pattern in front of him, seemingly waiting for him to make his move. Well, if it’s a move you want… Cam thought. He locked his gaze on the moth and scowled as multicolored, pulsing waves of pure psychic energy flew forth from his eyes. Dustox took the blow, fluttering backwards, but it recovered quickly and responded in turn by flapping its wings much harder than it had been previously. Silver scales fell from it and, carried by the wind, flew past Cam. Each scale tore at him when they passed, leaving fine scratches all over his body.

That hurt… Right… Cam thought, groaning. Psychics are weak to bugs… I can’t take something like that again. I’ve got to end this as quickly as I can… He rose into the air again, his eyes shining a bright blue. A psychic pulse burst from him with an audible “WHUMP,” a wall shooting straight at the Dustox. It hit home, sending the Dustox reeling… but as it fell backwards, it began to beat its wings too fast for the eye to follow. An ear-rending buzzing tore through the battle field, prompting everyone to cover their ears. Cam, however, found out too late that Chimecho don’t really have the means to do so. The Bug Buzz ripped through his mind and he sank back to the ground as the Dustox rose…

---

“You’re all pests!”

“I know you are, but what am I?” Immediately after he said it, Groviglio groaned. “Ugh. That was weak.” He looked at the newest person blocking their path: a man immaculately dressed in a tuxedo, despite the locale.

“You’re still a pest,” the man said.

“What?”

“’I know you are, but what am I?’” the man repeated. “A pest. That’s what.”

Groviglio watched him blankly. “Just throw out your freaking Pokémon, will you?”

“Gladly.” The man tossed a Pokéball into the air, and it opened, revealing a Lombre. It glanced around shiftily.

Bobbery stood up and pounded a fist on his chest. “Leave this one to me!”

The man grinned. “A Snorlax, eh? I’ll have you know that my Lombre is very adept in—”

Bobbery fell over.

This was unfortunate for the Lombre, who ended up right beneath half a ton of pure flab.

The man’s smile faded as Bobbery stood up. The Lombre didn’t seem to want to move.

“There, done,” Bobbery said. “Can we go now?”

Groviglio’s jaw had dropped, a fact that was immediately apparent despite him not having an immediately apparent jaw. “I take back every insult I’ve ever said concerning your fat.” He paused. “Rather, I don’t take them back, but now they’re compliments.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

---

Although he hadn’t been watching Cam’s match, Mercandos was having similar problems: as a Psychic facing a Bug, he was having more difficulty than he had anticipated. The Beautifly had managed to fire off a volley of Stun Spore before Mercandos could even get a Substitute up. Since then, the butterfly had been neatly dodging nearly all of Mercandos’ attacks while keeping up a steady stream of Giga Drains.

The paralysis was slowing down his motions. Merc felt sluggish, like he was moving his legs through tar, and the Beautifly was zipping around so fast… He shut his eyes and focused. A stream of golden particles appeared around his hands and flew into the air; they coalesced into an image of a dragon that stood behind him and roared.

Well, he would have liked for it to roar. He had planned for it to roar. In reality, it merely gave off a semi-savage growl.

The Beautifly gave Mercandos a smug look and darted over to him. Just as the dragon reared its head back to spit a gout of amber flame, the Beautifly’s proboscis jammed into him again and drained even more of his energy. Mercandos weakly attempted to land a punch, but the Beautifly darted out of range.

Mercandos groaned. There was one option left, but he knew it would drain every last bit he had… but there was nothing for it. He crossed his arms and shut his eyes. A bright white light filled the air in the battlefield, bringing everyone else’s battles to a momentary halt. A faint rushing sound could be heard, like a river crashing somewhere in the distance. When it cleared, Mercandos fell to his knees – the Luster Purge had taken the last energy he could muster. As his vision faded, he saw the Beautifly sag, but continue flying…

---

“All right, Trezz, you get the next one,” Maza said as conversationally as if he had been discussing sandwiches.

Trezzatura looked away. “Do I have to? I really don’t want to fight any more today…”

“Yes, you have to,” Groviglio said flatly. “The rest of us need a break. And you heard Jeff. We’re in here to clear the town, not bake all of Yssera’s henchmen a cake while we hold hands and sing Kumbaya.”

“You don’t have—”

“I know I don’t have hands, thank you,” Groviglio continued, shooting a withering glare at Maza. “That’s not the point. Just take whoever shows up next, okay, metalhead?”

Trezzatura slowly nodded. “If there’s nothing for it… I guess I have to.”

“That’s the spirit,” Groviglio said in as uninterested a voice as he could muster.

“Hold it right there! You can’t be wandering around like this!” a voice called from behind them. Trezzatura swiveled.

Groviglio crossed his arms. “And there’s your chance now. Go get ‘em, Sparky.”

A young girl stood behind them. Her hair was tied up in a pair of pigtails, and she had a pink bow in her hair. She couldn’t have been more than nine.

“You want me to beat up a little girl?” Trezzatura said quietly.

The girl threw a Pokéball to the ground. The form that came out of it towered over all of them easily. It was composed entirely of rocks, and it stared at them with one furious eye before it roared.

“No, I want you to beat up that Onix,” Groviglio said, slapping Trezzatura on the back. “Get to it.”

Trezzatura hesitantly flew forward. The Onix glared at him. This did not help. He extended a shaking arm and charged at the Onix, the limb taking on an even more metallic sheen, but before he could reach his target, the Onix burrowed underground with more speed than something of its size by all rights should have had. Trezzatura looked around.

“What are you waiting for?” Groviglio called. “Follow it!”

Without thinking, Trezzatura flew into the hole the Onix had left behind. Groviglio crossed his arms and waited. There was a series of thumps that shook the ground, each one louder than the last, before a screeching roar emanated from the hole. The sound of metal clanging against metal rung out twice, followed by another thump.

The ground shook, then the Onix burst forth from the hole, flinging its tail left and right. Trezzatura kept his hold on the tail as tight as he could, but eventually he was thrown off; however, it sent him straight up. When he started falling again, Trezzatura turned around and, closing his eyes, extended his claw. He struck the Onix in the middle of its forehead with a sickening crack. The Onix collapsed immediately, segment by segment, and Trezzatura slowly floated back to ground level.

“That was excellent,” Groviglio begrudgingly admitted.

Trezzatura’s eyes widened a little. “Wait, you’re actually complimenting me?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Groviglio said before turning around and starting away.

---

Previsiona was not in a good mood at that point. Since the battle started, she had been zapped with more electric attacks than she had known existed, she had seen two of her teammates get defeated quite handily, and on top of that… She looked to the side. Yep. Raini was still locked in a staring match with that Chimecho. Wonderful. Previsiona had managed to land a few solid hits in, and both she and the Mareep were starting to pant heavily, but she could tell – she didn’t have many hits left in her.

Another bolt of lightning struck her, and Previsiona grit her teeth. That had been, like, the third Thunderbolt. She narrowed her eyes and sprayed a steam of water at the Mareep, but it didn’t seem to have much of an effect, unless its wool shrinking next time it got hot counted as an effect. The Mareep shook it off easily and ran at Previsiona. She similarly flew through the air at the sheep and drove her head forward to ram it in its gut…

…But Previsiona noticed too late that the Mareep’s tail had been glowing silver. It jumped in the air, sending Previsiona sprawling in the dirt as she missed, then brought the Iron Tail down heavily on her back. It knocked the breath out of her, and as she closed her eyes, she saw the other trainer fiddle with a Pokéball in that weird gloved hand. What was he doing?

---

Raini woke up. She was in a place she certainly hadn’t been earlier in the day. It was a grassy field, complete with flowers, a babbling stream, and even a small glade off to the side. A pleasant scent wafted through the air. She sniffed it and briefly smiled.

A cloud rolled through the sky.

“I’m surprised your mind is this serene,” a voice said, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Raini whipped her head around, trying to zero in on the source of the sound, but it was fruitless. The voice continued. “Yes, quite serene. Odd, considering what I’m seeing in your memories. Tsk… so manipulative. So self-serving. And so young, too.”

Another cloud appeared in the sky. This one was shaped like a Chimecho. Raini hissed at it.

“Oh, don’t do that. Can’t we be civil here?” the voice, the Chimecho’s, said. “This is your mind, after all. You welcomed me in.” There was a pause. “Well, technically, I used your psychic attack as a trail in. Psychic Pokémon have great power over minds, as I’m sure you know. Yes. I’m quite sure we understand each other.”

Raini warily unsheathed her claws.

“What do you plan on attacking in here? This is you, after all. You’ll only hurt yourself,” the cloud-Chimecho said. “I can keep you hear indefinitely, I’m sure. It all comes down to strength of will, you know. And, well, I’m the natural psychic here.” There was a faint, tinkling laugh.

Strength of will… Raini grinned in a way that showed off quite a lot of fang. She got down on all fours and ran for the glade.

“Oh, what are you trying to do now? It’s not like I can’t see you…” the cloud said. It frowned. “Hold on. Where did you go?”

The sky turned dark. A few more clouds blew through the sky. These, however, were grey and bore telltale signs of thunder and lightning.

The Chimecho cloud looked around worriedly. “Eh… Meowth?” it said.

The grey clouds rolled in one by one. As more appeared, they began to merge together, until they formed a rough approximation of a pitch-black Meowth.

“Let’s not do anything rash…” Chimecho said.

A few clouds appeared in front of the Raini cloud. They spelled out words, and the Chimecho squinted to read them. “This… is… my… mind,” it read. “Trespassers… will… be… savaged.” It blinked as it thought about that. “Oh dear,” he said quietly.

The Raini cloud, in one smooth motion, opened its mouth, revealing its fangs (which were somehow even darker than the rest of the clouds), and brought them down over the Chimecho, who unceremoniously dissipated.

---

“That seems to wrap it up,” the trainer said.

Jeff merely looked, wordlessly, at his fallen team. Well, three of them had fallen. The forth was still frozen stock-still.

“I suppose now I can tell you what I’m here to loot,” he continued. The man palmed a Pokéball in his hand, and the glove began to spark. The Pokéball glowed with a faint white light. “I’m here to loot Pokémon!”

Three things happened simultaneously. The trainer hurled the Pokéball, a loud snap echoed through the town, and both Raini’s and the Chimecho’s eyes flared up. They both fell back, though Raini immediately sprung to her feet. However, she didn’t have any time to react: the Pokéball clunked her straight on her head… and she was sucked inside.

“What?!” Jeff cried. “No!”

The Pokéball shook once…

…twice…

---

“Groviglio…” Maza said, out of breath. “Let’s go find the rest of the team. I’m exhausted, and nobody’s challenged us for a bit.”

Groviglio crossed his arms. “Hmph. All those trainers were super-weak. Did any of you guys grow any levels from that?”

Three shaking heads answered him. Well, two shaking heads and one snoring head.

“Right.” Groviglio scowled. “Worthless.”

“Well, at least the town’s safer,” Trezzatura ventured. “There is that.”

Groviglio rolled that idea over in his mind for a bit. “Meh,” he said eventually, and began walking towards the edge of town.

Maza met Trezzatura’s eyes, and they both shrugged. Pausing only to nudge Bobbery awake, they followed Groviglio back to their team.

---

…three…

The Pokéball burst open, and Jeff exhaled. Raini sprung forth from it, screeching.

“Shoot! It was so close!” the trainer said, snapping his fingers. “Let’s try that again!” He queued up another Pokéball, but this time, as he threw it, Raini’s eyes neatly glowed blue and the ball changed course. It ended its journey with a thwack right in the trainer’s face.

A tense moment followed as Raini surveyed the four Pokémon in front of her. The Chimecho was dazed and still trying to shake itself back to full awareness, the Mareep was panting, and the two bugs were both faltering in their flight.

Raini grinned. This was going to be fun.

She jumped into the air and extended her claws; with a downward swipe aimed at the Mareep, she landed. Raini used the momentum to spring upwards and deliver another slash, sending Mareep falling back. Dustox and Beautifly flew near her, trying to surround her, but she put her paw to her head. The two bugs found themselves glowing blue, and they plowed into each other, both crashing to the ground. An extra blow from the Hidden Power ensured that they stayed down.

The Chimecho slowly hovered back into the air, but Raini was more than ready; she ran at it and sunk her teeth into its tail. The Chimecho let loose a squeal and flailed, but Raini kept her jaw locked; she shook her head and eventually flung the Chimecho off to the side. Her tail glowed silver and took on a metallic sheen, and Raini jumped into the air. She did a somersault and brought her tail down hard. The Chimecho wheezed when it made impact and ceased moving.

That just left the Mareep. It, not unfairly, looked a little concerned at this point. Raini scowled and extended her claws again. In the blink of an eye, she was at the Mareep’s side, and she launched into a flurry of attacks: bites, scratches, slashes, even a few (somewhat ineffective) kicks. Raini sprung back and watched her opponent for a moment. The Mareep slowly fell over.

Both Jeff and the trainer watched, mouths hanging open.

Raini wins! Raini gains a whopping 6 levels, bringing her to level 15! Raini learns Seed Bomb as her level 10 move!

Still not quite sure what he had seen, the trainer wordlessly recalled his Pokémon and slunk off.

“Hey guys!” Maza said, leading a trio of Pokémon up to them. “What did we miss?”

---

Some time later, the team found themselves back in Sector Alpha. The official debriefing on what had happened at White Mountain had yet to happen, but Jeff was keeping himself occupied.

I am concerned to report, he wrote, composing an e-mail, the existence of a new breed of Pokémon thieves. Where prior threats have simply stolen the Pokémon, this thief had a device that seemed to allow him to capture Trainers’ already-captured Pokémon. I do not know how widespread these “snag machines,” as I’m calling them, are…

classy_cat18

1st February 2011, 10:10 PM

...Huh. I don't think I've seen a 1-on-4 beatdown on here before. Um...take 24 stamps. Wasn't the snag machines a concept from Colliseum? Also, I just like your characters. Your team, your team's opponents, the whole darn thing.

The Blue Avenger

2nd February 2011, 05:10 AM

Yup! Snag machines were central to the Gamecube games.

And thanks. :D I'm glad you enjoyed.

Lady Vulpix

2nd February 2011, 06:48 PM

Great battles, Jeff! I liked the way Maza analyzed Groviglio's insults, and Bobbery's way of dealing with his opponent, and all the descriptions in Raini's battle against the Chimecho. Too bad the Chimecho made so many poor assumptions. She had some help with the others, though, didn't she? And the 'snag machines' sound intriguing (sorry, I haven't played the GameCube games). New plot coming?

The Blue Avenger

2nd February 2011, 07:19 PM

Yeah, the only reason Raini was able to clean house was that three of her four opponents had been brought to near-fainting prior.

And I had that in there so it could be a new plot, potentially. I mean, Yssera's all tied up, the Blades have been gone for a while, Team Rocket's not shown their faces for a bit... And the idea behind the GCN games always intrigued me - a villainous team that stole Pokemon by capturing them. If you give me a little bit of time, I could probably whip up a scenario for this. :P

DarkestLight

2nd February 2011, 08:26 PM

I'm dying for a new scenario..and Snag scenario! Woot! woot!

Lady Vulpix

5th February 2011, 09:14 AM

Shonta gets an extension for the latest scenario. And here's a new one!

One big crisis averted, everyone's doing their best to recover from the recent attacks and, fortunately, all of Yssera's victims have been released from her influence. We at the Dragon Tamers have decided to give ourselves and all other trainers a chance to take our minds off the trouble we've just gone through. And since it's been years since our last tournament, why not have a new one? It's decided: the Dragon Games are making a return. And while we work on setting things up for the tournament, the Training Grounds will be open to all trainers in Ulthuan. This time, they're located by the Dragon Gate in Avelorn (map (http://forboards.tripod.com/Ulthuan.html)). It's far away from our base in Sector Alpha, but all Dragon Tamers and Dragon's Guild trainers will be given a voucher for a free round trip. The return date is open, so you can even do some sightseeing while you're there!

About the location
The Dragon Gate is one of 5 ancient fortified gates which have alternatively allowed or blocked passage across the mountains throughout the centuries. It is now a historical monument. Passage to Nagarythe is currently enabled as the provinces are not presently at war, but if your time is limited I'd recommend spending it in Avelorn instead, as the views are much more enjoyable. The province of Avelorn is covered by lush forests with multiple species of plants, some of which are not found elsewhere in Ulthuan. Please do not wander deep into the forest without a local guide, as travelers often get lost in them. You can also find ancient cities and shrines whose architecture has remained unchanged for at least 400 years. The climate is warm, although the "eternal summer" promised in the touristic brochures is an exaggeration (or, rather, it's only real if you compare it to the rest of Northern Europe). The Capital, Gaen Vale, contains some of the oldest buildings and monuments. It's not very close to Dragon Gate, but if you're on a vacation and enjoy old architecture and historical sites you may want to visit.

About the Training Grounds
This time the Training Grounds are distributed among the towers that surround the Dragon Gate. Both towers have a Pokemon Center on the ground floor. At the top of the West tower you can find the Blizzard Room. The Jungle Room is on the first floor, and the Pond Room is in the basement. The East Tower has the Lava Room in the basement, the Desert Room on the first floor and a restaurant on the top floor.

You can battle against 2 pokemon in each room, and you may use up to 2 pokemon per battle.
The pokemon in the Training Grounds are well trained and know some TMs/HMs. I hope your pokemon get stronger here... and I hope you have fun. :round:

So, these are the rooms:

--------------------

Pond Room

This room is ideal for water pokemon. Flying pokemon can handle well here too. Pokemon of other types may train here as long as they can swim, for the whole room is a huge, crystal clear pond with no place to stand except for a small platform made for trainers. Please don't bring pokemon with a water weakness into this room (this should be obvious but there's been an incident with a Vulpix in the past).

These are the pokemon you can battle here:

(up to level 15)
Mudkip LV8 +1 level
Bibarel LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Spheal LV19 +1 level
Marshtomp LV25+2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Finneon LV28 +1 level
Huntail LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Sealeo LV38 +1 level
Lapras LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Luvdisc LV49 +1 level
Vaporeon LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Lumineon LV62 +1 level
Walrein LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Qwilfish LV76 +1 level
Swampert LV85 +2 levels

--------------------

Jungle Room

This room is full of beautiful and exotic plants. In one of the corners there's a rare bush which paralyzes poison pokemon, but otherwise the place is safe for pokemon of all kinds. The underbrush will hamper much movement and will catch on fire. There is a very shallow and small stream running through the woods too.

In this room you can find:

(up to level 15)
Turtwig LV8 +1 level
Butterfree LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Grotle LV19 +1 level
Heracross LV25+2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Tangela LV28 +1 level
Mothim LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Wormadam LV38 +1 level
Tangrowth LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Exeggutor LV49 +1 level
Armaldo LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Cacturne LV62 +1 level
Torterra LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Pinsir LV76 +1 level
Meganium LV85 +2 levels

--------------------

Blizzard Room

The cold is almost unbearable here, and the icy wind blows at high speeds. There are small warm cabins where trainers can sit while the battles take place, but only psychic pokemon will hear your commands if you're inside one of them. Recommended for pokemon who can handle the cold well.

In this room you can find:

(up to level 15)
Smoochum LV8 +1 level
Sneasel LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Snorunt LV19 +1 level
Glaceon LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Swinub LV28 +1 level
Weavile LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Snover LV38 +1 level
Piloswine LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Dewgong LV49 +1 level
Glalie LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Froslass LV62 +1 level
Abomasnow LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Delibird LV76 +1 level
Mamoswine LV85 +2 levels

--------------------

Desert Room

The cold deflecting walls take away all humidity in the air, and the floor of this room is covered in sand. Water pokemon would dry out immediately here. Be sure to take some water with you if you enter this room.

Here you can find:

(up to level 15)
Diglett LV8 +1 level
Onix LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Sandshrew LV19 +1 level
Rhyhorn LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Numel LV28 +1 level
Sandslash LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Gabite LV38 +1 level
Rhydon LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Camerupt LV49 +1 level
Steelix LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Gligar LV62 +1 level
Garchomp LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Gliscor LV76 +1 level
Rhyperior LV85 +2 levels

--------------------

Lava Room

Suggestion: don't enter here immediately after or immediately before the Blizzard room. The temperature is incredibly high in the Lava Room. You can walk along paths of rock sorrounded by boiling lava! The temperature is incredibly high in the Lava Room. Don't touch the rocks with your bare skin or you will get burnt! Recommended for pokemon who are resistant to fire.

Here you can find:

(up to level 15)
Torchic LV8 +1 level
Ponyta LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Monferno LV19 +1 level
Ninetales LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Slugma LV28 +1 level
Houndoom LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Magmar LV38 +1 level
Flareon LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Magcargo LV49 +1 level
Magmortar LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Rapidash LV62 +1 level
Charizard LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Torkoal LV76 +1 level
Blaziken LV85 +2 levels

--------------------

Good luck to all of you! Train your pokemon well!

DarkestLight

5th February 2011, 12:31 PM

(Side note-I was trying to find a forest place to make Rapp from, and now you give me one. This will be hilarious.)

Trainingscape
Entry 1: Having Water means you have to fight.

Background: Rapp and Mossy were excited to have finally reached the end of their journey. Their odd pairing made for quite the tale to be heard by anyone who wished to partake. As Rapp left the woman's side and headed for the Pokemon center, he was disheartened to learn that his assistance would not be needed, and that the major threat to the area was gone. Was his journey all for naught-or was his calling yet to be realized...

-5 days later-

A hefty yawn escape the hidden body within that mass of circuitous vines, as he woke up from a nap. Scratching what would be his back, the stout bush would waddle over toward where his master was, and eagerly try to see what he was up to. Vines wrapped around the base of the chair, and he pulled with some force, jolting the chair backwards just enough so the boy would turn to note his presence.

"Oh. Hey Mossy! Had a good rest?"

The Tangela nodded, eyes denoting his pleasure in being able to rest his weary feet. Rapp reached down and patted his head, before scooping him up and setting him on the table. Waiting for Mossy was a nice aroma-white tea leaves stewing in water! Rapp stifled a giggle as the Tangela sat himself down and gingerly snaked a vine into the handle of the cup. Bringing the cup to his face, Mossy quietly drank his tea with glee.

"Well Mossy. It seems we came a bit too late. Guess we can't help out after all. Well, we sure did have a heck of a trip." Eyes darted over to the grasser, and Rapp shook head. Mossy was way too into his tea right now There was no stopping him once he got started.

"Well, I'm going to go check what's up outside. There's been talk of travel..." Nope. Mossy was still sitting on the table, rocking back and forth with his tea. Rapp sighed, before opening the flap-and instinctively shielding his eyes from the lights. He had managed to find refuge here in a tent along with another boy, who seemed to be gone almost as fast as he was here. It mattered not, Rapp was sure that he had his own agenda.

Taking an expansive view, Rapp noted that the demeanor of this area seemed a bit more jovial. People were smiling. Even injured folks seemed at ease with the current situation right now. There were a multitude of Pokemon here as well. Some were running and playing with others, and others were working with humans to help rebuild and stock trucks. All of a sudden, a Pidgey flew down and fluttered in Rapp's face. Instead of flinching, Rapp merely smiled and held out an arm. The Pidgey landed and began to chirp happily.

"Oh. I see she's found a new perch!" The voice came from over his right shoulder. Turning to spy the owner, Rapp would be welcomed with that guard that assisted him on his arrival here. "I guess she has, is she yours?" he asked. "Oh no. She's just been flying around-I guess that's her way of saying hello. How are you though? You were asleep for quite a while."

"Oh we're fine. Thanks for your help earlier this..week? But, what's going on. People seem eager to...leave." Rapp asked, as Mossjito walked out of the tent finally, teapot in one crux of vines, refilling his teacup.

"Oh. You may not have heard. The fighting in Sybyll is over for the time being. Now the Dragon Tamers decided to hold their Dragon Games Tournament. Its over in Avelorn. Here's a fly-oh!" As she went to hand the flyer to Rapp, a vine snaked up and snagged it. Both humans and Pidgey looked down to see Mossjito calmly unfurl the flyer with one vine, holding it up and reading it while sipping on his tea. Rapp rubbed his temple with his index and thumb, in a sign of unrestricted embarrassment.

"You'll have to excuse him. He needs his morning reading material and tea, or he'll be a tumbleweed all day." For that snark, Rapp received a light touch of a hot teapot. The female laughed, as the Pidgey flew away. "Well, you both have the information. I hope to see you there! Oh here! " She pulled out a pass for Rapp. "This will give you passage in one of our vehicles, and you can come back anytime!" She waved to Rapp and Mossy, smiling at the actions of the Tangela, before heading off to continue giving out passes.

"Well, what do you think Mossy?" Rapp stated, as he scrutinized the passes. No response. Rapp turned to look by his feet, and Mossy was staring in the teapot. Shaking it, Mossy made a slightly cross face and sighed. He turned and headed back in the tent, Rapp following. "Out of tea I suspect? It's alright. I think we ought to get moving, if we're going to go." Mossy nodded and set the teacup and teapot down.

The pair spent a few minutes grabbing up their personal belongings, and zipping them up in a bag. It wasn't much at all for Rapp, honestly just an extra shirt and some food. Mossy followed suit, not seeing anything of interest here.

The pair made their way out the tent and walked to the nearest truck. The driver , upon noting Rapp holding a pass, leaned his head out the window and offered him a ride. "You going to train with the Guild eh' boy?"

"I believe so. Though I haven't signed up..."

"Sign up? Ha, by being here, you're already with us! Greenhorn, I tell ya'!" he chortled as he started up his car. Rapp picked up his cohort and set him on his shoulder. "Bookbag mode, Mossy." Mossjito wrapped his vines around Rapp's shoulder blades to ensure he could rest on Rapp's back, and if Rapp needed to lean on a wall, his feet would be able to give Rapp support. Beneficial for them both.

Hopping on the back of the truck, there were benches filled with Guild trainers. Rapp sat down on the edge of a bench and smiled, receiving a few smiles and waves back from the people in the immediate area. The truck started and off it went heading toward Avelorn.

---

"Last stop! Everyone off! Thanks for riding with ol' Mack!"

Everyone cheered and piled off the truck, Rapp being one of the last to pile out. Once he hopped out and stretched, he could see why everyone was eager to get here. For one, the ground was alive! Grass and trees filled his visual range and two towers were where the mass of people were heading.

"Hey Mossy. Are we supposed to head toward those towers?" In response, a vine snaked over his shoulder, holding that flyer from before. Rapp took it from him, as he crouched down. The vines on his shoulders began to loosen, and soon enough Mossy rolled in front of Rapp, yawning again. Rapp smiled, and then scrutinized the flyer, quickly understanding what was happening here. Two towers, each with different rooms in them for the purposes of training. At this rate, he could get Mossy some much needed experience in battling.

Mossy took a moment to stick a vine in the earth. He took a deep breath, and seemed to know the lay of the land now. Not to mention that this dirt was full of life. Ingraining here would be great! That made him happy. Stretching his vines out, Mossy followed Rapp as they made their way to the East Tower.

Walking in, the sight of so many trainers eager to battle was a bit overwhelming. "Stay close Mossy." was the last words Rapp uttered as they headed toward the counter. This place was absolutely massive to the brown haired boy, but that didn't deter him from moving around the people moving back and forth. A flyer caught his attention, and Rapp stopped long enough to read it.

"Hey Mossy. There are different themes to the rooms in here. This tower has a Desert and a restaurant! Jackpot!" Mossy really approved of the restaurant, that meant beverages! He jumped up and down at the thought, but quickly regained his composure.

"Alright." Rapp quickly grabbed two bottles of water, and pocketed them with his pass. Mossy nodded in eagerness,and the pair walked up to the stairwell. Opening the door, the pair walked up to the first floor and stepped into the Desert realm.

---

(Finally, battle)

Mossy and Rapp looked around as they entered his room. It was expansive alright. There was already three other people in this room, and they looked tired. Unphazed, Rapp and Mossjito walked in, unsure what they would find here.

The sand was a new feeling to Mossjito. It broke part like dirt, but it didn't clump together. It flew everywhere...and it was hot. Not unbearable, but wow...this was an arid climate all right. He looked to Rapp, seeing that the boy was already starting to break out into a sweat. Well, it was a good thing he had two bottles of water of his own. Unscrewing the lid of one, Mossjito took a sip, and stretched up his bottle to Rapp.

"Wha? Whoa hey Mossy how did you take that bottle out of my poc--" Rapp looked and saw the two bottles still in his pocket, condensation on the outside of the bottles. Mossy smiled as Rapp looked back at him and shook his head. "You're gonna meet your match one day, Mr. Refined Pickpocket." Mossy smirked as Rapp took the bottle and guzzled a small amount.

A few drops of water hit the sand in front of them, and in that spot, the sand started to shift. Mossy took a step back, hitting the bottles against Rapp's leg. Rapp looked at Mossy, and then saw the shifting sands. "Ahh! Battle time!"

The enigmatic shape rose out of the ground about an inch or so, with two beady eyes and a bright pink nose. Aside from that, there was no other distinguishable features. The brown Pokemon sniffed at the air, and shuffled over to Rapp. Eyes glared at the bottle of water, and the Pokemon bopped in and out of the ground.

"Oh. I guess it wants water!" Rapp handed a bottle to Mossy, and Mossy reluctantly opened it. He handed it over..and then realized something. Where were this thing's hands? Were they still underground? How was it going to drunk from a bottle? Mossy pulled back the water, and the Diglett looked at him, confused. Mossy looked to Rapp, not understanding how it was going to drink...or did it want him to help him drink? He screwed the top back onto the bottle and held it in a set of vines on his back.

[Mossy lv11 vs Diglett lv8]

But before Mossy could get his point across to Rapp, the Diglett had scuttled over behind him! Burrowing out of the ground pretty fast, Diglett tried to bite the bottle free of Mossy's vines! The hit was so startling that Mossy jumped! Rapp and Mossy turned around to see the Diglett just staring at Mossy. Mossy was a bit perturbed that felt weird. And how did that Pokemon move that fast? Well that's no good. Mossy looked back at Rapp, and Rapp noted Diglett burrow back into the ground-and travel under Mossy.

"Ah Mossy! He's burrowing around you. Ingrain yourself."

Mossy nodded and shuffled a bit, so some of his lower vines could stab the ground. As they hooked into the loose earth, Mossy spied the Diglett repop out of the ground. The Diglett was determined to get this water. The Diglett leaned his head back, and then whipped forward. The hit was strong enough to ...Scratch Mossy. Mossy still held onto the bottle, and looked at the now annoying Diglett with stern eyes. This was HIS water! HE pai--well ok no he didn't PAY for it, but HE acquired it, and he wasn't sharing with a meany piece of poop-with-a-face!

"K, Absorb. That should really work."

Mossy rocked forward and began to glow. A thin halo covered the Diglett, as he scooted back a few inches. The Diglett felt his life suddenly be drained from him, as Mossy graciously accepted it, along with the amount coming from the ground. That hit actually hurt! So Diglett quickly rocked back and forth, forcing Sand to fly in Mossy's eyes. As Mossy coughed and tried to get the small crystals out of his face, Diglett burrowed behind Mossy, and tried to get at that bottle. Mossy wriggled in protest and tried to get away.

"Hey wait. Mossy. Body slam him from behind!"

Mossy smirked, realizing what Rapp meant. Diglett was so preoccupied with trying to get that bottle, that he didn't realize Mossy's vines were being pulled to their maximum, since they were ingrained. Another Scratch to Moss's back did it, and Mossy just flew backwards. Both Tangela and Diglett landed hard on the sandy grit, and Mossy bounced up, thanks to those vines. He felt pretty good still, but not Diglett. The ground type bent his body back up and Screeched, trying to instill fear into Mossy. But Mossy knew that Pokemon was about to drop.

"Go ahead Mossy. Get your health back up. Absorb."

Mossy did just that, enacting that strange grass aura that allowed him to siphon away the last of Diglett's health, and leave him relatively unscathed. Diglett groaned in pain, and Mossy took the time to unhook itself from the ground.

[Mossy grew to Lv12]

"Hrm, I think the little guy was just thirsty, Mossy." Mossy glared at Rapp, but waddled over to give the little one some water. He dropped a small amount in Diglett's mouth, and the Pokemon fidgited. One eye weakly opened, followed by the other. Diglett moaned and slid back into the ground...to Mossy's distrust. Not even a thank you?

Mossy took a hefty swig of the bottle now, as Rapp cracked open a second bottle. The cracking open of the second bottle however, brought another Diglett. And another. And another.Mossy began to back up as 5...no 7...no 9 Digletts converged on their location!

"Ummm, time to run Mossy!" Mossy agreed, and the pair made a break for it, followed by a slew of angry Digletts. The mole like Pokemon kept popping up, trying to impede the ground Rapp and Moss tried to run on. Rapp however, had one small advantage, and that was the fact he was taller than them. So he could see where they were burrowing as he ran. He scooped up Mossy, and sped up, hoping to get away from this Diglett hoard.

Other trainers in the room stood out of the way as Rapp blazed a trail of hot sand, Diglett's on his heels. Mossy realized that maybe water might save them right now, and with one vine chucked a bottle at the lead Diglett. He hit it dead on, and the water bottle burst open, giving the Diglett a nasty shock. The other Digletts stopped around their fearless leader, and tended to his cold shock, by covering part of him in sand. The rest went to drinking the luscious water, bopping up and down in their joy.

Mossy wasn't happy about losing a bottle that way, as Rapp found a large rock to climb upon. "Ok Moss. I think we'll be safe here. Jump on this rock so I can climb on." Mossjito agreed, and hopped out of Rapp's arm. He landed on the rock and walked up to the spire jutting from it, as Rapp took a step back. He aimed to get a running jump, until the "rock" shifted. Rapp saw sand moving from below it, and groaned. They caught up!

"...Oh no. Mossy, be careful!" But it was too late. The "rock" shifted again-but not in the manner Rapp thought. Digletts weren't sinking the rock-the rock was raising up! Mossy held onto the spire as it rose high into the sky. Once at a comfortable height, the Onix turned to look at Rapp. He could feel the foreign object on his head-and he wanted it off!

[Mossy lv12 vs Onix! lv15]

" Um...um...Mossy...Poisonpowder!" Mossy didn't give any confirmation, as Onix whipped his head around in one last "peaceful" attempt to get this Pokemon off his head. Mossy held on, and shook a bit, releasing a bunch of spores in the air. Onix groaned, and breathed them in. They instantly gave an adverse reaction to his body, and he now was in retaliation mode. So what's an Onix to do with a Tangela on you head? Slam your head into the wall! Onix barreled for the nearest wall, and Mossy knew what was coming. He hit the wall with considerable force and bounced off of the Onix's head. He fell all the way down into a sand dune, and disappeared in it. Onix turned around and looked in the dune to see where the little twerp was.

Rapp meanwhile, ran over to the dune and shouted. "Mossy! If you hear me, you gotta Absorb, NOW!"

Onix turned slightly, to stick his tail into the dune. With one mighty flick, the dune would be ripped apart, and Mossjito could be seen standing there, focusing his energy. It took a minute, but Onix's body would be slightly hued with that green force, and a large amount of health would be ripped away from him. Onix did not approve of this, and went to try a tactic Mossjito was familiar with. He wrapped Mossjito up in his tail, and began to bind him.

Mossjito didn't vocally show his displeasure, even as the water bottles began to crinkle audibly under the force. That's mainly because he was reaching for something in between Onix's section. Something was glinting. But the Bind was a little too much to ignore and Mossy let it be for the moment. Rapp looked on with worry, that Diglett sure did a number on Mossy's defensive capabilities. As Onix stared at the plant though, he felt his body glow once more. Onix 's grip loosened after only the third constriction, and Moss fell to the ground. Mossy however, hopped back up and shook off the sands. Rapp ran over, but Moss turned and threw one of the full bottles of water in Rapp's face. Rapp fell on his back from that unexpected it, and wiped the condensation off his face. Mossjito however, was angry. Onix groaned from the poison, but knew he could still beat this plant, as long as that thing didn't suck anymore health away. So he took a deep breath and Screeched. Sand flew in Moss's face from the surrounding area, but Moss stood his ground, Ingraining once more.

"G-Good job Mossy. Now you need to Absorb again, keep your health up!"

Mossy was already on it, channeling that aura of grassy energy around the very susceptible Onix. Onix reared his head back and went for a full on Headbutt now. Knowing this could be it, Moss hunkered down and pulled up as much health as it could from the ground as well as taking what it got from that Onix. But that Pokemon was not done, as his massive head slammed into Mossjito. Rapp winced as the collision threw up sand and grit en masse. When the dust settled, Trainers came over to help Rapp up, and to see the outcome. What they bore witness to shocked even Rapp.

Mossjito was still standing, his feet pressed on Onix's head! His back vines still stuck in the ground, he was forcing the massive beast's head down` Onix was struggling to raise his head, but there was a force coming from Tangela, his whole body was slamming down, combating Onix.

Rapp tore away from the other trainers and scampered over to within feet. "Mossy, its ok. Ungrain yourself and go upward. You can pull this off!" Mossy opened one strained eye, unsure if he heard that correctly. But -maybe Rapp was better than he originally thought. So, Moss let his vines relax, and Onix rushed his head up. Mossjito went flying, but as he flew, he understood what Rapp was talking about.

The other Trainers in the room watched as Rapp took off as fast as his feet would carry him. The Onix was hot on his tail, ready to slam that Tangela deep into the sands for all eternity, but there was that strange aura on him again. He groaned, and Rapp now was being chased by a collapsing Onix! The stone snake's momentum was so great that when Moss was able to zap away the last of that health-coupled with the poisoning-it make Onix a veritable Rock Slide! Rapp kept running though, knowing he could at least catch his buddy.

Mossjito successfully sucked away enough health to defeat the rock snake, but there was the problem of landing! With only seconds before crashing into the sands at a unfavorable speed, hands grabbed onto Moss, and were joined by a warm dark mass-and then a jolting stop. Moss took a moment to get his bearing, before he felt his body be raised up. There were odd sounds all around him, and he barely peered out from the darkness to see hands reaching close to him, but not touching him.

"Hey-hey are you alright?"
"Man did you see that Onix? It was huge!"
"Impressive! Didn't think the little green one could hang!"

Mossy poked his head over what he realized now was Rapp's body, and looked at the dirty sand filled mop top of his Trainer. Rapp just smiled and held Mossy up for the other trainers to see for a moment.

"Yeah, he's pretty darned cool, isn't he?" He laughed and brung Mossy to his chest, before hugging him and setting him back on the ground. Mossy beamed with excitement-that was the biggest thing he ever fought! Not only that, there was something...peculiar in one of the Onix's grooves that he wanted. While Rapp talked and recovered from his death defying catch, Mossjito slowly walked over to the limp Onix's body. Just as he saw when he went up, there was a sparkly red object in between one of those sections. He wrapped his vines around and pulled, freeing a gem of some sort! It was...so...shiny!

Quickly, before anyone else noticed, he stuffed the gem in his mass of vines and ran back over to his Trainer. Rapp knelt down and smushed the moptop of vines-before bidding adieu to the other Trainers. Both Trainer and Pokemon drank a bottle of water as they headed for the stairwell-having had enough of the Desert life.

[Mossy grew to Lv14!!]

lvl100mewtwo

5th February 2011, 04:01 PM

You are gonna think this is really weird and totally random... but can I get a RBG 2 on 2 battle please? From the Universal Adoption Center if possible!

It's a lead up, that's all I'm gonna say...

*hands over 14 stamps*

classy_cat18

5th February 2011, 09:23 PM

I'll need your Pokemon and their levels first before I give you your opponents.

Oh, and can someone get me an RBG for my L8 Destai, from Caledor's Nature Protection Agency? *pays*

EDIT: Guess I don't need that info. Alex, your Pokemon are going to battle a Lileep and a Beldum.

lvl100mewtwo

5th February 2011, 10:00 PM

Wow... My bad, completly forgot about that, but thank you for the opponents, I appreciate it!

classy_cat18

6th February 2011, 02:11 AM

DL, fifteen stamps for your battles. I'm not really sure how familiar everyone is with the Guild. I always thought of it as a smaller, little-known group than the Dragon Tamers. But I'm not the specialist on that, and Gabi can always give you more notes if she wants to. Anyway, good thinking with bringing water to the Desert Room since you were using a Grass type.

Lily’s POV

I usually can take the dark. The knowledge that I’m not alone or unsafe helps me endure it. But even with my friends around me, I was scared because I knew something was deep inside that cave. For a second I considered begging Shonta to carry me.

It’s getting pretty late. At this time I’d be in my room, on the train to Dreamland. Boy, do I want to go to Dreamland right now. In my puffy cloud and talking to my pink buddy Kirby… I yawned and slapped my cheeks to wake myself up. No! I can sleep after I get this mission done! The mission is why I’m still awake!

The dragon tried to reason with us, as if giving in to her and turning on our allies was the smartest and most logical thing to do. “All I’m trying to do is protect the world from the Black Dragon. And you’re sinking that low just to try to stop me? You’re digging your own graves,” she warned.

Gabi obviously disagreed. Of course we weren’t going to give in! “You don’t care what to do to us or to this world!” I added. My leaves were quivering and I wasn’t sure that I would be powerful enough to be of any use.

There was more arguing. “What happens when numbers alone are not enough?” she asked at the end of the argument.

“We believe in our strength,” I answered as boldly as possible. “That’s what happens.”

She wasn’t intimidated in the least. “Then we’ll have to put your strength and your numbers to a test now, won’t we?”

I didn’t like that answer at all, because I knew what it meant. More opponents, nastier than the last bunch. I froze as the Salamence and Flygon ignored me, but the Absol locked eyes with me and refused to look anywhere else.

“Stand behind me,” I told everyone.

Absol faced me from a couple of feet away. “A one-on-one battle between us, is it?” he asked me in a gruff voice.

“Why not?” I stopped my leaves from shaking again. “I’m strong.”

“I don’t like burning energy fighting salad when I can just eat it.”

Despite the tense moment, I allowed myself to pout. “I prefer to be called a bouquet.”

“Are we really here to talk about semantics?” Bandit said from behind Shonta.

“Good point,” Absol commented. “Anyway, what makes you think that I’ll honor your request and not attack your friends?” I hesitated to answer. “Furthermore, what is a bouquet such as yourself doing in bloom at night?”

“To stop you!” My reply echoed in the cave.

He chuckled. “How cute. I’ll humor you for a while.”

L21 Female Bellossom (Lily) vs. L25 Male Absol

The battle began in a rush for each other. I could end it quickly if I put the opponent to sleep, then sapped his energy. But Absol, as if reading my mind, got an extra burst of speed and slashed at me with a paw imbued with dark energy. “Aaaaah!” I was knocked so far back that I slammed into Shonta’s chest. The two of us grunted from the impact, and my trainer fell.

“Are you okay?” Shonta asked me in a slightly weak voice. The wind must’ve been knocked out of her.

I nodded, but the damage was worse than I let on. That Night Slash had been a critical hit and it had ripped a lot of health from me. But that wasn’t all; I gasped in shock at the state of myself. My beautiful leaf dress…a few of the leaves had been torn in half from Absol’s attack. The edges were brown and dead. “I’ve never been damaged like this,” I whispered to myself.

“Crap, it’s Super Luck,” Shonta grunted. “You cannot get hit like that again.”

“Oi! Are you sure you want to do this?” Absol called out to me. “If one Night Slash can do that much to you, then you should have someone more powerful take over.”

That’s the problem. I am the most powerful. I squirmed out of Shonta’s arms and faced Absol once more. And I will not let him defeat me!

“You can defeat him, Lily,” Katana assured me. “As Moriko would say, all you need is guts.”

“Actually, it’s GUTS!” Bandit clarified. “In all caps!”

Absol growled. “I had the kindness to agree to a one-on-one match, but I cannot tolerate the peanut gallery interrupting my victory!”

An opening!

My flowers twirled as they released a yellow cloud of pollen that sprayed Absol in the face. He inhaled and coughed, then stiffened. “Paralyzed?” he whimpered.

“That’s what you get for arguing with the peanut gallery!” I shouted. Before he could get his limbs to move, I made my next move. I jumped up and latched onto his face.

“What the hell are you doing?” He bucked with more strength than most paralysis victims. Meanwhile, specks of light drifted from him to me. I felt more energetic, and he was slowing down. “Get off!”

“Not a chance! This is for that Night Slash and ruining my dress!” My Giga Drain only lasted a few seconds longer before I felt hot air on my body. Even though I didn’t really know what was happening, I flipped over his head and landed on his back. His Flamethrower barely missed me.

“Get off of him!” Shonta yelled.

“Huh?” I cried out as his body sparked and shocked me. I fell off his back. “Owwww…”

“You little brat!” Absol growled angrily.

I spun around and started to hack up poison but he moved quickly and jabbed me with his paw. I hit the rock wall hard. Another critical hit! He stood over me and slammed a paw down on my body. “You little brat,” he repeated more calmly. “Why does Yssera even bother with nuisances like you?”

I stayed quiet and spit the small wad of Acid in his eye. He hissed and stumbled backwards. Without hesitating, I released a ball of solar energy that I had stored throughout the day. The cave lit up from Sunny Day.

Absol finally wiped the acid out of his eye. Instead of threatening me again, he opened his mouth and charged an icy blue ball of ice.

Ice Beam! I raised my arms and charged my Solarbeam. Too slow! He’s going to get me with that!

Then the attack disappeared before he could even finish it. He groaned as his body stiffened again. “Lily, hit him with that while the paralysis has him!” Shonta commanded.

I nodded and fired. The beam was narrower than usual but it did the job, and Absol was knocked back like I was. “He’s still conscious! Hit him again!” Shonta told me.

It took me longer for the second one. My vision even faded for a second when I fired it, but I forced myself to focus and hit my target. There was a groan, and my opponent was still and quiet.

Lily won and grew to level 23!

I sighed and walked back to my team. Athena looked down at my torn dress with worry. “Will they grow back?” she inquired.

I rubbed the brown edges of the damaged leaves. “Unfortunately, they work just like the leaves of a plant. They won’t just regenerate from the place they were ripped. I have to…prune them.” I stifled a yelp as I yanked them out.

She winced. “Did that hurt?”

I blinked my tears away and nodded. “But don’t worry. I can grow them back tomorrow if it’s sunny.”

Moriko’s POV

Since we heard two people tell you what happened next, let’s fast forward to the next morning.

We had dragged ourselves back to Sybyll for medical treatment and a night of rest. I didn’t need much rest since I was strangely left out of most of the fight, so I woke up at my usual time: seven a.m.

“Lily should be up too,” I whispered after I broke out of my pokeball. “I’ll find her and we can have a morning cup of nectar together. She’ll like that.”

She wasn’t in her pokeball, or sleeping with the team members that slept outside their pokeballs. “Hey, have you seen a Bellossom around here this morning?” I asked a passing Chansey.

She nodded. “She asked me to open the front door for her. I tried to tell her it might still be dangerous but she said she would be okay.”

“Thanks.” I went outside and found the little Grass type standing just a foot from the door.

Lily broke her gaze at the rising sun to greet me. “Good morning, Moriko!” she chirped happily.

“I can’t believe it! You had the roughest night out of everyone besides Bo and you’re still up at dawn?” I laughed.

She smiled a little. “First of all, it’s not dawn. The sun has been up for almost two hours. And it’s almost programmed into me. Besides, we’re supposed to be leaving today if Bo feels up to it so I need to finish healing this morning.”

“Healing?” I looked down at her still torn leaf dress. It was strange that the machines that healed the team couldn’t restore her dress.

“Wanna join me in my morning routine?”

My smile widened. I never got up early enough to catch her morning routine. “Lead the way!”

She nodded and held her arms out in the direction of the sun. I copied her movements. “We welcome you once again!” she called out to the ball of gas and fire.

“We welcome you once again!” I echoed.

She pointed her arms straight up, and I copied her again. “Rise high!”

“Rise high!”

She turned her back to it and dropped her arms. “Sink low!”

“Sink low!”

“Bo!”

“Bo! Huh?” The Umbreon was sitting on the other side of the glass door and watching us silently with a weary look on his face. “Yo, Bo!”

He started to turn around to leave but I opened the door, accidentally hitting his retreating tail. “Oops. Hey, you’re awake!”

“Am I?” He squinted from the sunlight and stared at the two of us. “Miss Moriko? Why is it tomorrow?”

“Huh?”

He swallowed and tried again. “The clock in this room…it says it’s the day after we left for White Mountain. Am I dreaming? Is the clock wrong? Or was I knocked out yesterday? I can’t…remember anything.”

Lily and I looked at each other. Were we going to tell the truth? What if he panicked? He’s a big boy. We can tell him what we think happened.

Before either of us answered, he started talking again. “Maybe I dreamed all of yesterday. I dreamed… that a big snake was coiled around me and squeezing me.”

“Snake?” Lily and I asked together.

Bo gave a small shrug. “I dunno. It was long like a snake but it had horns and small legs.”

“A black dragon,” I muttered.

He gasped. “Dragon? But…but I didn’t tell you what color it was.”

“Worry later!” Lily shouted suddenly. “My ritual comes now!”

Bo gave Lily a funny look. “Can’t the ritual wait? The kid needs answers,” I told her.

“NO!” We jumped in surprise. “The ritual must be completed! I must give proper praise to the sun before I take any of its power! If I don’t then it’ll be angry and it’ll never rise again!”

“You really believe that, Miss Lily?” Bo questioned.

Or are you just saying that because you want to take Bo’s mind off of his nightmare?

“Miss Lily! What happened to your leaves?” Bo yelped.

“Oh. Let me finish first.” She faced the sun again and clapped twice. “Live long!”

With that, she shone a bright golden color as she used Synthesis. When she faded back to normal, she turned to us again. New leaves were already growing in place of the old ones, although they were only about half the size.

“Wow,” I said in awe.

“Couldn’t the machines in the Pokemon Center take care of that?” Bo asked her.

She shook her head. “Losing these leaves is almost like amputating a limb. The machines can’t make them grow back. But just like plants, a mixture of sun and proper nutrients can!”

“Awesome.”

I patted the Bellossom’s head. “Come on, I need nectar! You should get some too! Nectar keeps up a girl’s sweet side!”

“What keeps up my sweet side?” Bo asked me curiously.

“Um…that sweet tea that Uncle Bandit gives you when no one’s looking!”

“Hey! No one’s supposed to know about that!”

Hopefully, he’ll forget about that dream and nothing like that will ever happen to him again.

Lady Vulpix

6th February 2011, 07:43 AM

Dragon's Guild page (http://dragonsguild.com.ar/guild/guild.html) Our main source of information about the Dragon's Guild (although the stories archive can also help).

As you can see, the Dragon's Guild is well known throughout Ulthuan, although how it works and many of the things it does are a mystery. The Mercenary Trainers Union is widely known, though, as its trainers participate in just about every event where pokemon battles are involved (including the Training Grounds). So I think it's safe to say most people in Ulthuan have met Guild trainers at least once.

DL, I really enjoyed reading your story. Was the city of Averlon a typo of did you make up a name for the city that's closest to the gate? If it's the latter, I can add it to the map.

Shonta: Destai will battle a Houndour... This should be interesting. I promise I'll read your story, but I have to go now.

DarkestLight

6th February 2011, 08:53 AM

Thank you Shonta :D Really appreciate it. Hopefully I'll have a chapter up a day to take advantage of all the rooms.

Gabi: Yes, that was a typo, I meant to type Averlorn as that place on the map. I went back and fixed a few typos I see now. Also sending you a PM

The Blue Avenger

6th February 2011, 09:44 AM

Just to double check, we can fight two Pokemon per room, so does that mean for this scenario we can fight 10 Pokemon total?

While I'm here, I'd like an RBG from the UAC for Raini, please.

DarkestLight

6th February 2011, 12:25 PM

Entry Two: I hate hot air!

The pairing of Rapp and Mossjito slowly stepped out of the stairwell that led to the Desert Room. Returning to the Pokemon Center lobby, they both made their way to the Pokemon center desk. A bright eyed girl with a white apron over her pastel blue shirt greeted them and smiled as Mossjito climbed up Rapp like some sort of spider, before jumping onto the table. Rapp sighed and waited patiently as his partner walked away with the nurse to tend to his injuries.

Having a free moment, Rapp leaned against the counter and took a quick look around. Unlike when he first arrived, the lobby was now much clearer. There were a few Trainers here, and they looked seasoned. Well hardened warriors, possibly higher ranked officials. In fact, as Rapp looked from one to next the lobby was solely filled with these men and women. Where were the young jovial members? Were these folks part of the Guild?

So many questions, but he thought it better of himself than to ask and interrupt them, for they all seemed to be gearing up for a massive battle. The other strange thing was that he did not see a single Pokemon with them. They just seemed to be stocking up. Rapp swallowed his fear as much as he could-did he come back into the lobby at a bad time?

"Well, we're ready. I'm sure Kaelyn and the others are about done." A women stated, walking toward him while looking to a man sitting on a bench. She reached the counter and tapped the small bell-which elicited a response of the Poke attendant popping her head out from behind a door.

"Hi, we're here to check on Trinn and Ilsimit. Pidgeot and Fearow, respectively."

"Oh yes. They're both ready. Please take care!"

On the counter, a small device was starting to glow. As Rapp watched-a small light started to materialize in the saucer shaped object. With a pop and a fizzle of electricity preceding its arrival, a Pokeball popped free and wobbled in the Saucer. The Trainer immediately grabbed it and held it out, releasing the first of the two birds. That iconic long beak of the Fearow was seen immediately, before its tanned complexion came into view. The process repeated again, and in similar fashion, a Pidgeot was released into the lobby as well. Both birds immediately went to preening themselves.

"Well, let's leave. I plan to show all these youths what its really like to battle." The man said while patting the Pidgeot's head affectionately. The others in the group-5 in total, all got up from their seats around the Center. Rapp critically watched each one and stuck one hand in his vest, grabbing onto the water bottle he put there.

The group all headed out, but before they all left, Rapp noted the man and his Pidgeot was staring at him. He seemed to be studying the young boy with the slim but muscular build. Especially his face. Rapp-feeling nervous, started to turn, wondering if his Pokemon was ready.

"Hey...kid?"

Damnit. Rapp closed his eyes and started to pull out the water bottle. His grip was a little tight as was seen when he tried to unscrew the top and water overflowed from the opening. The man, undisturbed by the nervousness he seemed to bring out of this boy, walked over and extended a hand.

"Name's Rich. Saw you in the truck that came over here. You partaking in the games?"

...Rapp only nodded, taking a swig of water as he did so.

"I see. Well, good luck." Rich smiled, a smirk that seemed to exude more arrogance than confidence in his abilities. Turning to leave, the Pidgeot gave off a low lying warble, and Rich gave Rapp one last look.

"You think Trinn? He does smell like grass..."

That was the last Rapp saw of Rich, as they shut the door behind them. Just then, from the stairwell, a bevy of trainers poured into the Center, eager to get their menagerie of Pokemon healed. Rapp heard them talking about all sorts of moves they used and how their battles were so close. It was such a dynamic from what he had just experienced...the energy was completely vibrant now.

Rapp stepped away from the counter as a few of them mobbed it, trying to get the Nurse's attention. Just then, a tug on his pant leg told him that his buddy had walked out with the nurse. Rapp didn't even look down, as Moss started walking toward a different stairwell...one with a heavier scent.

Rapp followed and glanced to the placard on the door. Reading it, he looked to Mossy, and stopped. "You sure Mossy? This is the door that leads to the Lava room!" Mossy turned around and put its vines on his hips, before tapping his foot.

"Ok ok. I guess you're feeling empowered. Let's go then. Did you pilfer any water?"

Moss held up three bottles now, all filled with the clear cooling fluid. Rapp looked at his half empty bottle, and tossed out the empty one. Adjusting everything for maximum comfort, he returned one bottle to Moss to hold in his person, before opening the door. A wave of heat struck them both, already visibly bothering Mossy.

"Don't worry Moss. We'll get through this."

---

Walking down the stairwell, Moss felt the heat start to rise exponentially. The color of the walls started to change as well, from a cooling cyan to a deep shade of red, to match the temperature increase. Unlike the dry heat of the desert, this heat was rich in power and intensity. Moss shook its vines, trying to spread them out as much as possible to facilitate any and all cooling methods possible. Rapp flapped his vest a few time,s though now it was just fanning warm air around.

Turning a bend, the pair would be greeted with an intense sight. A girl was running for the stairs, with her Masquerain. Chasing her was a Torchic, eager to complete his victory in their apparent match. Moss and Rapp moved aside to give them room, and continued on a path that seemed less traveled, as it seemed to stretch through the right side of the room.

Moss's steps were light and quick, as the rocks they walked on had cracks. In between these cracks was the lava that bothered Moss so much. Moss made sure to time each jump, and to jump on the largest stones possible to give him the most time to stand without hurting his feet. Rapp was feeling the heat as well, his manner of dress wasn't the most flame resistant as well. Birchwood vest felt like it could ignite at any time.

After a few yards of walking, Rapp took Moss and sat him on his shoulder, as there was a massive lava pool that was giving off extremely high temperatures. Mossy and Rapp stared at the wondrous cauldron, watching a pair of Torkoal create a steamy alcove for a Magmortar.

Moss and Rapp turned their eyes away, to avoid starting a fight they couldn't win. Continuing on, they carefully rounded a bend, Rapp touching a boulder on the side to help his balance and receiving a heated shock from it. Shaking it off, Rapp continued on, with Moss being that extra pair of eyes.

It didn't take long for Mossjito and Rapp to finally come across with a Pokemon that seemed like a worthy challenge. Mossy twirled his vines when the beast came into view, and Rapp was at first unsure how this would go down. The beast galloped by, uninterested in Moss and Rapp. It seemed to be looking for something, someone? Rapp and Moss watched the equine from a respectable distance, backing up toward a very large rocky outcropping with enough space for a battle to take place. Mossy agreed with this area, as it seemed to be one massive rock slab with a few smaller rocks that could be moved.

Rapp quickly went to work, moving the rocks, as Mossy stretched out his vines again. He stood in the center of the stone platform, as Rapp moved to one edge of the dias, not too close to the lava.

"Ok Moss. Be careful, these are Fire Types. You have to hit them hard and fast."

Mossy nodded, and quit the carefree look as soon as the horse came galloping back toward the bend. Noting the sole Grass type just standing in the middle of this lava pool, on a stone platform no less, it seemed like...this was a joke. The Ponyta neighed in amusement and walked over , snorting at Mossy. Mossy stood his ground, and motioned with his vines a bit, and the Ponyta stamped his foot. Looked liek this battle was on.

[Mossy Lv14 vs Ponyta Lv15]

Rapp watched carefully, noting that Mossy was not gesticulating with its vines so much. But when the Ponyta neighed, and backed up a few steps, he knew the battle was on.

"Moss...Sleep Powder. We do not have time to waste on Ingraining."

Mossjito agreed, and stayed in place, swaying. Ponyta just watched for a moment, before neighing and turning around. Opening!..Well it was supposed to be an opening, but Moss saw the flame-tail of Ponyta and was transfixed for a moment. With that lapse in concentration. Ponyta turned around and launched a fiery Ember toward Mossy. Mossy's eyes widened and he jumped backwards, barely avoiding that attack. The small flame burned itself into extinction, but Mossy knew this was now harder than he imagined. Stupid fire types.

Ponyta neighed and turned to try that flame trick again, but Mossy was focused again. A Sleep Power was fired this time, and it flew at the tail, obscuring it from view. But the flame had a strange reaction, it began burning the spores out of the air. Ponyta noted the popping sounds of small things catching on fire, and turned into what was left of the Powder. He neighed and snorted them out, but there was enough Powder left to start pushing him toward sleep.

Rapp silently clapped, and looked around him. So far there was no one around to note this battle. Good. He looked behind him, and noted there was a slightly high pile of rocks. It was about as tall as him when he was standing. Turning back to the battle, Ponyta was shaking his head. That powder was strong, as that meant this plant must be pretty formidable to even risk coming down here.

Ponyta galloped forward now, and used his hooves to Tackle Mossy. Mossy fell on his back from the hit, but smirked and released a second Powder from that strike. The force of the Powder's release reached Ponyta unobstructed, and gave the horse more to snort and neigh in anguish about. This one tastes like nasty poison sumac! The horse definitely backs up, and Moss now fires off a third object.

"Good job Moss. Keep the defense up!"

Moss watches as the Seed wrapped around Ponyta's thighs. Appreciative of that, Moss stepped back, and watched as Ponyta fell to his knees. The horse stared at Mossy, before falling over, completely asleep. The poison and the Leech Seed started, and Mossy regained a bit of health back. Knowing that this horse could wake up at any time, Moss ran around to the rear of the horse, where the fiery attacks couldn't immediately reach him.

"Ok, umm...lets cause some damage. Body Slam him." Mossy nodded and slammed his vines into the rock. This propelled the light grass type up, and he flipped twice before using his vines to snag the ground, and pull him forcibly into Ponyta's gut. The horse shifted, but stayed asleep. Mossy stayed on his stomach, and noted his handiwork was pretty potent. But this horse still looked healthy. What else could he do?

"Mossy, jump off and Bind him. Gotta keep him in place."

Mossy obliged, and Rapp sat back as Mossy got to work. Vines went out and carefully avoided that flamemane. As Mossy began to squeeze the Ponyta, the horse started to fidget. Rapp kept an eye to make sure that thing wasn't about to awaken, but a tumbling sound caught his attention. Turning around, he spies a small simian climb up and perch on the small rock pile. This was new, and unexpected. It looked young, and its flame-tail gave Rapp an idea of why it was here.

"Hrm a Poke-spectator. I guess that's ok. Oh Moss, keep Binding it!"

Moss was doing just that, squeezing as hard as it can. It seemed to be finally be adding it, the hits and the poison and the Leech Seed. Everything seemed to be going well. Until the flash of light came from the left side of the stone dias. Rapp covered his eyes, and and he heard Moss scream.

Standing up, Rapp took four steps toward the battle, but then saw Moss bounce backwards. He was smoldering, but seemed able to fight. Ponyta was still on its side, still asleep. Rapp looked over to the lava pool, but saw no sign of the culprit. All of a sudden though, the Monferno began hooting and hollering and jumping up and down in excitement. Rapp turned to look at the ape, and pondered why was it so excited?

Mossy meanwhile, got up and stared at the horse. It was stirring, and he knew that. Or..had it already stirred. Mossy was back up, and ran over to Ponyta, Slamming into its gut again. Ponyta reared up from that blow, feeling a considerable amount of pain. The horse took a moment to get up and neighed. Rapp squinted, feeling the sweat pouring down his face. He quickly ripped open a water bottle and began pouring it on his head as well as drinking it.

The horse neighed and stood calmly, as Mossy began breathing hard. The heat and the excessive movements were getting to him. Ponyta was pretty winded as well, that poison and that Leech Seed was really doing a number to his system. But he knew he had to change up in order to survive. So out came the flames. Mossy, to Rapp's disarray, ran toward the flames. The Ember hit, and Mossy's trajectory didn't change, as he Slammed his viney body into Ponyta's face once more. The horse skidded backwards, and fell on its haunches. The health regained from that blow was meager enough to keep Mossy at half efficiency. Ponyta grunted and stood back up, before flicking its tail once more.

Once again that bright white flash took Rapp by surprise, and Monferno would once again jump and hoot and holler! But this time, Mossy was ready and managed to withstand the heated strike. Rapp then saw it. Stars seemed to fly out of the Lava, and strike Mossy. That's why the swift attack seemed to hurt so much, he was literally throwing lava on Mossy! But the smoldering was strange, how was Mossy not..

"Haha! Nice move Mossy. Let's finish this off. Absorb! We've gotta get your health back up."

[Mossy reach Lv16!]

Ponyta was amazed this plant was still alive, and aimed for another Ember. The fiery blast however, never got off, as Mossy was able to watch the poison and the Leeching Seeds zap away the last of Ponyta's health with no prejudice. The horse fell to its side, and seemed exhausted. Mossy smiled and ran over to the horse, offering it the bottle of water that it still had on its person. The horse snorted at this rare display of kindness, but did not denounce it. As Mossy tore off the top and lifted one vine to aid in giving the horse some water, Rapp noted something brown fly past his peripheral. Looking to Mossy, Rapp barely had a chance to shout before she saw the water bottle fly upward.

Mossy had tilted the bottle and was watching the clear fluid hit the horse's dry palate when everything went spinning. Some... force struck him in the back and flung him skyward. All he could see was red, and it was getting closer, closer...

"MOSSY! GRAB THE ROCKS!"
[Mossjito Lv16 vs Monferno Lv 15]

It was an instinctual cry-and Mossy lost all concept of space, time and physical exertion. His vines shot out in all directions, hoping to grab onto something..anything! One vine snaked around a stone, and another found the stone dias. Seeing that Mossy found an anchor, Rapp ran onto the field, and shouted his next command all while trying to help the Ponyta (who was a little freaked out this guy was helping him.)

"Mossy! Pull yourself toward the brown! Body Slam it!"

Mossy barely had an idea what was going on. Everything was still blurry, and his vines were loose. To swing into anything means he would have to tighten them. The fact that he was still falling means...he was heading for the LAVA! That realization made him tense up in a hurry, and the vines that anchored into the rock helped to pull Mossy back into the new battle that started without him even knowing. Brown, brown...where was the ..ah right there. There were two sets of brown that Mossy could see, but with the shimmering heat of the lava obscuring his view, Mossy just decided to line up his shot and hit them both. He released his anchored vines, and now became a flying green ball of confused fury.

Rapp didn't see where Mossy was in his trajectory, but he knew that at the moment, his plan was working. The horse didn't know what was going on, but with Rapp's quick thinking, he stood up and limped away.,Rapp then turned to see the green bullet coming his way. The Monferno jumped toward Rapp, unsure what he was doing here. But she knew how to deal with that. Her agility preceded her and she cartwheeled, her tail flaring up incredibly-leaving a trail of fire to envelope her. This wheel of fire was fired...at Rapp! Rapp smirked and dove to the right, just as Mossjito came flying across the dias. Monferno's eyes opened wide as Moss flew through the center of the Flame Wheel and hit Monferno with an impressive Body Slam. Monferno flew backwards, rolling across the dias and slamming into the edge of the platform. She held on from falling into the lava with her feet, and pulled herself back up.

Mossy skidded to a stop a few feet from the simian, breathing hard. She opened her eyes as wide as possible, and wiped the rivers of sweat away, but everything was blurry. She hit something brown, she knew that, and that brown thing was now marching toward him. He knelt down and focused, forcing another set of spores to envelop 'round him.

Rapp rolled as he recovered from that attack that was meant for him, and just shouted behind him. "Sleep Powder Cloud or we're done for buddy!" When he could finally turn around, he saw Monferno run toward the Tangela ready to unleash what seemed to be a furious onslaught of attacks. He landed two before his face was covered in spores. He backed away, as Mossy fell flat on the dias.

"Mossy! MOSS! Damn it!" Rapp scrambled to get to his feet, but his grip was slick on the rocks since he was sweating to much. He slipped and fell face first as well, groaning from the density of the rock he was on.

Mossy however, wasn't done. He barely survived the Fury Swipes, but thsi heat would be the end of him if he didn't suck something back. So, as meager as it may have been,he started glowing green. Monferno struggled with sleep, and now had his first taste of an Absorption. It wasn't much, but it was enough to help Mossy get a footing on the situation. Monferno grunted and fell to her knees. Her arms kept her from fully succumbing, but Mossy didn't quit there. Mossy fired off a bevy of seeds that went to latch around the monkey's waist. Monferno saw this and swung his tail around, burning the seeds off his body before they could latch. Mossy groaned, as Monferno fell asleep finally.

Not taking chances, Mossy turned to see that his Trainer was struggling in this heat now. This was far too dangerous. But this Monkey would wake up anytime-he had to do something. So he decided to continue this fight. A second seeding was accomplished, and this time they were not burned off. With the simian still not stirring, Mossy sat down and began to Ingrain. He was careful to not dig into the lava, and managed to pull nutrients from these rocks. The Seeding and the Ingraining were starting to give him a thin lifeline, as Rapp coughed, and shouted out another order.

"Mossy, you gotta beat her so we can get out of here." A swig of water was immediately drank by Rapp, as he poured one whole bottle on his face and chest. That left one bottle that he drank half of immediately. He finally sat up and noted Mossy deeply rooted in the rock-something very risky. But the monkey was asleep-that was a good sign.

As the Simian slept, Mossy now threw his body on her. A second Body Slam seemed to give the Monkey something to cry about, as she wailed in her sleep. As that health came speeding back to Mossy, giving him some lucidity in his endeavor, the simian woke back up. Unlike a few moments ago, this battle was now much more even, with each combatant under the safety zone.

Monferno growled and started to screech at the plant, calling it a panzy who couldn't fight for itself! Mossy's eyes close to mere slits and he now focused on the color of the monkey now. The sweltering shimmering effect was all consuming, but Mossy kept his focused solely on the monkey, and ran in for another Body Slam. Monferno knew her Taunt worked, but the force of that Tangela's hit was more than she expected. She fell on her back and tried to get up, but found a new problem. Her muscles seized up giving her dual charlie horses!

Bouncing back to a more lax position due to his roots Mossy now went for an Absorb. It was meager, but with the seed and the Ingraining, he was now on the plus side of this fight. Monferno though, popped up and ran toward the green soccer ball. This fight was NOT over! With one swipe, Monferno managed to ignite his foot into flames and slam it against Mossy's hide, forcing that plus to turn into negative. Mossy's roots loosened and he wilted to the side, as Monferno stood over him, breathing heavily.

Vines tightened slowly, and Monferno saw that this Pokemon was still healing. Looking to her waist, she saw the Leech Seed on her and tried to tear them off. More health ripped from her, and gave Mossy that last bit of health to recover from near unconsciousness.

"Bind Mossy! Bind it til' she gives!"

With all the anger from the disrespectful woman still fueling her weakened form, those vies flew out and wrapped all around her and began to constrict her. Monferno wriggled, but the more she wriggled the more powerful the attack became. Mossy kept wrapping the beast, until only her head was visible. The monkey glared at Mossy one last time, before finally ending the struggle. Mossy however, kept squeezing, trying to wring her. Denounce his trainers ability, never! They were a team!

"It's not worth it Mossjito. Let her go. The battle is over. You've outdone yourself again."

The words struck Mossy to his core, and slowly, he unraveled the simian, letting it fall to the stone dias. Releasing himself from the ground, Mossy could barely stand himself. Rapp crawled over and picked up his ball of vines, before helping him drink the last of their water. The Ponyta neighed, seemingly impressed by the ability of these two together.

As Mossy finished the water, he seemed to fall into a stupor. Maybe it was the heat, or the physical exertion of the battle-Rapp didn't know. All he knew was that this place, this Lava room, really lived up to its name. Hoisting himself on his own feet, Rapp slowly walked back the way they came. Reflecting on what he just witnessed, Rapp realized that the training they were accomplishing was more than just miraculous. There really was something about this Tangela that complemented him, and vice versa. What was it though, still remained to actually show itself, but he was sure he caught a glimpse of it twice today.

[Mossjito rose to Lv17!]

classy_cat18

6th February 2011, 04:15 PM

Jeff: Raini will battle a...Shieldon. Nice opportunity to use those crazy psychic powers.

DL: Um...twelve stamps. I may be wrong, and anyone is free to whip me if they think otherwise, but I don't see a Grass type lasting through two battles in a room filled with lava. But other than that, good battles.

DarkestLight

6th February 2011, 04:27 PM

I understand your reservations. It was kinda hard with this, knowing the severe disadvantage, I figured I'd try to lessen the use of fire laden powers by picking Pokemon that don't have too many at their disposal early on. Also very hard since Tangela's don't learn crap shizzle for 20 levels. But I graciously take those 12 stamps and keep this train moving.

Promise the next one to be better and more plausible...(Also hard when yer waiting for B&W to come out so you can get your next Pokemon with the correct Bred on Move..)

classy_cat18

6th February 2011, 04:30 PM

Ohhh, I gotcha. I understand. Was also wondering why Mossy was your only Pokemon, so that answered all my questions.

EDIT: You know what? DL, take two extra stamps for your Desert Room battle and two more for the Lava Room. I dunno why but my rating system got skewed a little.

The Blue Avenger

6th February 2011, 06:07 PM

All right, here's my scenario, plus one RBG. I think this may be a record for my stories as far as number of battles in one is concerned. @_@

The Gauntlet
---

Maza stood motionless in front of Cam. His spoons were crossed and his eyes were shut, his expression one of the deepest focus. Cam, likewise, was standing stock-still, mostly out of fear of getting his brain fried. Every so often, the floor under them would give a jump. In a chair near them, Mona stared out the window; the scenery was zooming by.

They were on a train bound for Avelorn. It was quite a trip from Sector Alpha, but Jeff had said it would be worth it: a tournament was in the works, and the Training Grounds were open for business. And so Maza, Cam, and Previsiona found themselves alone in one of the passenger cars, the rest of their team with Jeff in the car immediately in front. Mona had found her way back to the nearly-empty car as well, because, as she put it, “all the cool people were going this way!”

Maza opened his eyes. “Yep,” he said, “there’s definitely been psychic influence there.”

“I knew it!” Cam did the closest Ditto equivalent of pounding a fist into a palm (which, to the untrained eye, looked more like his body rippling in a variety of odd ways). “I knew that battle seemed off! Raini’s been manipulating me!”

Previsiona stared at the ground. “I suppose I should have realized,” she said quietly. “She was so vicious when she fought that Rattata…”

“I have a plan,” Maza said after a bit of a pause. “I think I know a way to get her back. But I won’t go ahead with it without your say-so, Prev.”

Previsiona sighed. “Let’s hear it.”

“All right.” Maza twirled a spoon between his fingers. “There’re a lot of training opportunities ahead of us right now. What do you think Raini’s going to do about that, given how brutal she can be?”

“She’s probably going to want to fight, right?” Cam said.

“Right. And when Jeff decides to train a bunch of us equally so that we all get the benefits from today?”

Cam’s face lit up. “She’s going to try and trick him into only training her.”

“Exactly.” Maza unrolled a poster and laid it on the floor. “Now, these are the rooms that the training will be held in. I propose we do this…”

---

Some hours later, the train pulled into the station. Jeff climbed out of the carriage and took in his surroundings. The area had been advertised as having ‘eternal summer,’ but for today at least the weather seemed to be more fitting of spring. It was pleasantly warm, but with a cool breeze that blew through every now and again to take the edge off. The train station was at the edge of town, and the dense forests were encroaching on the city’s boundaries. Past them, peeking over the tips of the trees, Jeff could just barely see the gates and the towers lining the mountains that led into the next province, Nagarythe. He recalled the nickname of Nagarythe – the Shadowlands – and quickly made the decision that the province wouldn’t be on his travel plans.

With his team in their Pokéballs, Jeff tossed one to the ground and released Cam. The Ditto, quickly understanding what Jeff wanted him to do, morphed in the blink of an eye to a Pidgeot. Jeff hopped on his back, and the pair took off.

The flight didn’t take much time, and before long, Jeff stood in front of the two towers that housed the Training Grounds. He dropped the rest of his 14 Pokéballs, and his team surrounded him.

“Here we are, guys!” Jeff said, spreading his arms wide. With the towers rising up to his sides and the gate looming behind him, it might have made an impressive display if the wind hadn’t taken the moment to blow his hair into his face, prompting a few moments of irritated straightening.

Groviglio looked from the east tower to the west one. “So, uh, did we beat the crowds here or something?” he asked. “Only there’s nobody here.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Jeff answered vaguely. “They’re probably already inside.” He started pacing a little. “Now, there’re a lot of places to train in there, so what I’m going to do is this: I was thinking about trying to split up the training among all of you equally…”

Raini’s ears twitched and she pressed her paw to her temple. A flash of blue was briefly visible behind Jeff’s thick specs.

“…But then I thought I should use this opportunity to push some of you guys towards evolution, and since Raini’s the closest, she’s up for today.” Jeff didn’t even seem to realize what he was saying.

A murmur ran through his crowded team, but it was all silenced by a voice that seemed to be speaking into their heads simultaneously in Maza’s voice: Raini’s behind it. I’ve got a plan. Just roll with it.

Jeff continued. “Any questions? No? All right! The rest of you are free to explore on your own. Meet back here at 6. Raini, with me.” A smug smile crossed Raini’s face as she followed Jeff into the western tower.

As the team dispersed, Maza too followed Jeff, but at a distance.

ROOM ONE! JUNGLE ROOM

The jungle room somehow managed to be even more lush and verdant than the forests outside, which was certainly saying something. Bug Pokémon flitted from tree to tree and assorted grass Pokémon darted between bushes. The room was full of life.

A Butterfree, perhaps eager for a challenge, was floating in the air above them, keeping a close watch on the pair. A silver glint in a nearby shrub was all the evidence there was that another Pokémon was keeping an eye on them too.

“Okay, Raini,” Maza muttered under his breath, “time for round 1.”

The Butterfree descended. “Raini, let’s go!” Jeff said.

Round 1! Butterfree versus Raini!
Butterfree: “Time to fly!”
Raini: “…”

The match started off with a bang, as both Pokémon immediately charged each other. They met with identical upwards slashes, then immediately followed them with downwards ones. The end result was that neither of their attacks connected, and they sprung back, glaring.

The Butterfree’s eyes glinted, and it fanned out into a wide array of copies, each one flapping its wings in time. With the Double Team done, the Butterfree lit up with a brilliant light, briefly scorching the retinas of everyone in the room. Raini hissed and rubbed her eyes, giant spots seemingly hovering in the air in front of her. She took a hesitant step backwards and shut her eyes, wincing, but Raini still managed to spread her paws and summon a storm of cartoonish yellow stars. One by one, each star swirled through the air, neatly dissipating each clone before centering in on the real Butterfree, buffeting it with blows.

The Butterfree shook the blow off and hurled a blob of ethereal green energy in a lazy arc through the air. The spots clearing from her eyes, Raini weaved under the impending projectile and jumped at the Butterfree. She opened her mouth wide and sunk her fangs into the Butterfree’s torso; the Butterfree yelped and flapped around in the air, but Raini hung on. Eventually, the Butterfree landed, and Raini let go. She stepped back, then took a dash at the Butterfree, her claws extended. The Butterfree tried to get back into the air, but Raini was too fast: she swiped at the Butterfree several times in quick succession, leaving deep scratch marks on her foe’s body. The Butterfree flapped weakly and sunk to the ground, ostensibly surrendering.

Round over! Raini wins and grows to level 17!

The underbrush shook, and a second bug jumped out: this one was blue, like its fallen comrade, but it had a large horn centered on its head and it looked much more like a beetle than a butterfly.

“Butters!” the Heracross yelled, its eyes wide. It glared at Raini, and pounded its chest. “You shouldn’t have been able to take her down. I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen twice!”

Round 2! Heracross versus Raini!
Heracross: “You’re gonna get skewered!”
Raini: “…”

Raini’s ears perked up. Her trainer was telling her something. What was it? “That’s a Heracross!” Jeff said. “Raini, they don’t do long-range! Keep your distance!”

A sound strategy. Raini nodded, then turned her attention back to the fight… and promptly got a sock to the jaw for her troubles. She skidded backwards, coming to rest at the trunk of a tree, and rubbed her mouth. She narrowed her eyes.

The Heracross began advancing. “Oh, you can’t take it even though you dish it out, huh?” it said, rubbing its claws. “There’s more where that came from!” It took to the air and dove at Raini, its horn gleaming in the artificial light.

Raini rubbed her head, and her eyes glowed blue. She extended her paw, and a wave of psychic energy rippled across the forest; it plowed into the Heracross and shoved him back.

The Heracross slowly got up. “Nice try, but that’s the last—” He was rudely interrupted when another psychic blow struck, hurling him backwards again. A third, followed quickly by a fourth, threw him into the air, sending him flying between two nearby trees and landing unceremoniously on the ground. He didn’t get back up.

GOOOOAAAAAAL! Raini wins and grows to level 19!

“Very good, Raini,” Jeff said. Raini turned and grinned an unnervingly cute smile. “Looked like you found that easy.” She nodded. “Then let’s move on to the next room!”

They left the tower after a quick Pokémon Center visit. Jeff’s next choice of rooms brought them to the opposite tower, the one in the east.

---

ROOM TWO! DESERT ROOM

The Desert Room blew a blast of hot, dry air at them as soon as the door opened. Raini hissed as she felt the dryness pervade everything – she would even swear that her eyes were drying out.

“Don’t worry, Raini; I’ve got water,” Jeff said, gesturing to his pack. Let’s not burn through it too fast, though. Find someone to challenge first.”

Raini loped into the room, padding lightly to avoid sinking into the sand. A sinkhole slowly appeared in the sand nearby, and a pair of yellow arms tipped with vicious-looking claws poked out; the arms were followed by the rest of the Sandshrew, who watched Raini with a good-natured look.

“Hey there,” the Sandshrew said, “You look like you’re up for a match.”

Raini extended her claws and adopted an aggressive stance.

Some distance away, from his vantage point behind a cactus, Maza watched the battle carefully. “You cleared the Jungle Room, Raini, but let’s see how long you can keep this tempo up.” A passing Shieldon looked at him strangely, then kept going to watch the ensuing battle.

Round 3! Sandshrew versus Raini!
Sandshrew: “You’ll see constant sorrow!”
Raini: “…”

Raini blitzed forward, but almost immediately fell over, the sand sucking at every footstep. The Sandshrew leered. “Looks like you need to get used to the terrain, eh?” He jumped into the air, his claw extended, then reversed direction and, when he hit the ground, began burrowing. The sinkhole closed over him, leaving no clue where he had gone.

Raini eyed the ground warily. It was a few moments before the ground underneath her began to give way, and she jumped aside, tripping again and landing on her back. The Sandshrew sprung from the sand and curled into a ball. With little fanfare, he began rolling in place, then charged at her. Raini dove to the side, falling for a third time. She winced as the sand scratched across her already-scraped limbs, but she pulled herself up.

The Sandshrew had turned around and was rolling again straight at her. She squinted and put her paw to her head; the Sandshrew, still spinning, was forcefully propelled into the air. He soared over her and landed sprawled on his side. Raini jumped after him, stumbling only a little in the sand, and landed a savage swipe of her claws across his face.

“Ugh!” the Sandshrew grunted. “You’re a tough cookie… I’m calling in my backup!” He put his claws in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. The ground began to shake, faintly at first but gaining intensity, as a Rhyhorn charged up to stand in between the Sandshrew and Raini.

“You’re through,” the Rhyhorn said, showing more teeth than Raini thought a Rhyhorn had any right to have.

Round 4! Rhyhorn has joined the fight!

Raini scowled and starting running, but her progress was quickly arrested when both the Sandshrew and the Rhyhorn disappeared into the sand. She slid to a halt, scrabbling to maintain her balance on the sand.

A lesser Pokémon might have let loose some unsavory language. As it was, Raini’s resultant frustrated psychic pulse gave anyone around a mild headache for about 2 minutes afterwards.

The Sandshrew was the first to re-emerge. Raini had endeavored to not be where the Sandshrew was, and so when he dug back up, he very quickly found himself levitating, surrounded by a blue glow. He struggled in the air, but to no avail.

The Rhyhorn surfaced soon after. He similarly didn’t hit Raini, but he did see her – she was sitting, a paw to her head, not 20 feet from him. The Rhyhorn grinned and charged.

Rhyhorn have a peculiar characteristic: when they begin a charge, it’s extremely hard to get them to stop. Even they have a difficult time stopping of their own volition. Because of this, the Rhyhorn couldn’t stop himself even when his buddy Sandshrew was hurled at his face.

A loud thunk accompanied the Sandshrew’s bounce off of the Rhyhorn’s rocky hide, and he fell to the side, where he wisely decided to stay down. The Rhyhorn continued to run, though his eyes widened when Raini stood up, neatly pulling some large seeds out from seemingly nowhere. She threw them.

The resulting explosion could be heard throughout the room, and it had the desired effect: the Rhyhorn had not only stopped charging, it was on its side and smoking.

Round over! Raini wins and grows to level 22! Raini learned Pay Day! Raini learned Dig as her level 20 TM move!

“That was quite a match,” the Shieldon, having slowly made its way over there, said. It had a meek voice, but with a faint, underlying thread of confidence, as if it was used to people underestimating it and it was okay with that. “Fancy another one?”

Raini sighed. The dry heat was beginning to get to her, and the last match had left her feeling achy and sandy, but nonetheless, she extended her claws.

Round 5! Shieldon versus Raini!
Shieldon: “Steel yourself!”
Raini: “…”

As the match started, both Pokémon disappeared into the sand. There was a momentary hush as Raini and the Shieldon burrowed through the sand, but it became evident to any onlookers when they met: a clink signaled when they accidentally ran into each other. The next noise, a clang, was Raini meeting the Shieldon’s Iron Tail with an Iron Tail of her own. The second clang was both of them trying the same tactic again and quickly coming to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to work. A thud, muffled by the sand, was the Shieldon nailing Raini with a vicious Headbutt, but the next three thuds after that were Raini using Hidden Power to throw the Shieldon against the sides of its tunnel wall three times in quick succession.

There was another silence, followed by the sound of gasping and two Pokémon trying to tunnel as quickly as they could.

The last sound of the match was an explosion. Sand sprayed upwards in a fountain as the Seed Bomb went off, and both Pokémon went flying. The Shieldon landed first, collapsing in a heap. Raini landed second, shakily getting to her feet.

Round over! Raini wins and grows to level 23!

Raini carefully walked back to the entrance, where Jeff was waiting. “Done in here?” Jeff asked.

Raini answered by shaking all of the loose sand out of her fur. She tried to start licking herself clean, but found to her dismay that all of the moisture had left her mouth – her rough tongue only served to irritate her scrapes. She scowled.

Jeff smiled sympathetically. “Well, nothing a quick Center run won’t fix.” They left the room and started on.

---

ROOM 3! LAVA ROOM

Raini just about gagged when they neared the Lava Room. After the unbearable aridity of the Desert Room, she had been harboring hopes that maybe the Blizzard Room would be next. It surely couldn’t be that bad, right? But nope, they went to the next hot room. The air was almost shimmering in front of her, and the immense heat seemed to be draining the energy out of her with every step, even before she had made it into the room proper.

Maybe it wasn’t worth it. Maybe she’d get Jeff to train someone else for this room, and she could go and have a quick catnap. That sounded like a good idea. She put her paw to her head, and…

Maza’s eyes narrowed. Now. That was it. He crossed his spoons and an orange glow began to emanate from him…

The psychic power rebounded on Raini, and she reeled. What had happened? She looked around. None of the Pokémon nearby seemed to be psychics… Raini locked her eyes on Jeff and tried again. Just as with last time, the mental projection cracked back on her.

“What’re you waiting for?” Jeff asked good-naturedly. “There are tons of Pokémon out there who’d love a match, I’m sure. Head on out! We can move on after you’ve got two more wins under your belt.”

Raini groaned.

“Now, no need to be like that,” Jeff said. “Gotta get stronger, right?” Something occurred to him. “Oh, Raini, I have an idea to make things easier for you.”

She perked up. That was more like it.

“Use your Hidden Power to levitate yourself in there. The rocks’ll likely be too hot to touch directly.”

Raini groaned a second time. Freaking useless trainer. Scowling, she lifted herself into the air and floated into the room. Beads of sweat broke out on her paws the minute she went inside, and she began to anxiously wipe herself down, desperately trying to cool herself.

“Can’t handle the heat, can you?” a voice called from the rock path. Raini looked down. A Ninetales and a Monferno were blocking the way. The latter was laughing and seemed to be the source of the offending comment, while the Ninetales was watching stoically. Raini hissed, and the Monferno snickered. “That sounds like a challenge to me. What about you, Nine?”

The Ninetales nodded. “Let’s do this, as they say,” he said simply.

Round 6! Ninetales and Monferno versus Raini!
Monferno: “Ha ha HA!”
Ninetales: “Indeed.”
Raini: “…”

Raini yowled as both Fire Pokémon spat giant billowing gouts of fire into the air, focused directly on her. Her focus momentarily shattered, she dropped herself out of the air, and she hit the rocks. While this did let her neatly avoid the twin Fire Blasts, it also sent her jumping into the air again as the rocks scorched her feet.

“You can do it, Raini!” Jeff called. “You just need to keep your focus up!”

A blue glow cloaked Raini again, and she slowly lifted into the air. She darted around her foes and swooped down towards their backs. As they turned around, they were both met with drive-by slashes that gouged into their torsos. As she built up speed, Raini circled around them again. Her fangs dripped with corrosive purple ooze that sizzled on the rocks when it hit the ground. She dove in again, claws outstretched, and left deep welts that bubbled and pulsed.

The Monferno put a paw to his chest, looking for all the world like the pain was only just then reaching his brain. He drew his hand away, and the results of the Cross Poison were evident in the purple stain that was on it. The Ninetales was similarly shocked, but he was responding in an altogether more aggressive way: he was shooting jets of flame at the flying Meowth, who was narrowly managing to duck and weave past all of them. After every Flamethrower, Raini managed to fly in and scratch the Ninetales with another Cross Poison, and it was obvious the poison was beginning to take hold. The Ninetales had a nasty shade of green beginning to show in his cheeks, and he was also clearly beginning to falter. After one final Cross Poison, the Ninetales collapsed.

“Dude!” the Monferno howled. “Not cool!” He took a step, but the poison was having its way with him too, and he stumbled. He landed on one knee and scowled.

Raini started swooping closer, but noticed just a little too late that the room was starting to get even hotter. She landed one last Cross Poison when the Monferno exploded in a violent wave of heat and flames. It threw her back, and she landed on the hot rocks. It took a second for the heat to make its way to Raini’s mind, but when it did, she hopped, jumped, and on the third try managed to lift herself up and float back to the entrance. The Monferno didn’t follow; the exhaustion from the Overheat, combined with the poison, left him prone.

Round over! Raini wins and grows to level 26! Raini learned Taunt!

Raini let herself drop into Jeff’s arms. He looked at her with concern: she was breathing heavily, and there were burnt spots in her fur where she had landed on the rocks.

“You all right?” Jeff asked, perhaps a bit unnecessarily. “I’ll get you to the Center.”

Raini sighed with relief.

“Just one more room, and we’ll be good,” Jeff said, then yelped as Raini’s claws tightened. Her eyes glowed blue once more, but the attack rebounded on her again.

---

ROOM 4! POND ROOM

“This’ll be your last room if everything goes well, Raini,” Jeff said. “The Pond Room.”

Raini relaxed. That didn’t sound too bad. A nice battle by a pond would be a good way to recover from that last room.

“I know you can swim, but you can always use more practice, right?”

That single sentence caused more concern in Raini than the entire Lava Room had. They entered the Pond Room. Jeff stood on a tiny platform by the door. Raini clung to his legs. The entire room was a lake. Nowhere to stand. Every so often, a Pokémon would break the water’s surface, but there was nowhere to stand. Raini really felt that point needed emphasizing.

“Go on, take a dip,” Jeff said.

Raini stalwartly refused. She responded by unconsciously extending her claws just a touch, making Jeff wince. “Come on,” he said, looking out over the pond. “Just one more.”

The water splashed, and Jeff noted with pleasure that Raini had indeed decided to jump in. What he hadn’t seen was Maza sneaking up behind them and teleporting Raini five feet forward, over the pond.

Maza teleported away again, taking a vantage point in one of the observation decks for the room. “How well will you handle this, Raini?” he muttered.

Raini tread water. Her fur was absolutely soaked, and it hung, matted, against her skin. She shivered. When she was at home, sure, she had learned to swim when accidentally bumped into the swimming pool. It wasn’t so bad, being in the water, when she knew how to get out of it. As it stood right now, though, the only way out was through Jeff, and if past behavior was any indication, there wasn’t any way she was going to get through him without beating up something in here first.

She looked down into the crystal-clear water. It was deceptively deep, and there were even a few normally-deep-water Pokémon swimming down there. One of them was coming to the surface.

If you had asked Raini beforehand what she thought about the word ‘eely,’ she likely would have thought that it sounded nasty and generally unappealing. After seeing the Huntail coming for her, she wasn’t inclined to change her mind.

It bit her on the foot. If Previsiona had been present, she likely would have remarked on how rude it was to do that without even introducing itself first.

Round 7! Huntail versus Raini!
Huntail: “You’re wet behind the ears!”
Raini: “…”

Raini hissed and splashed around in the water. Eventually, she doubled over and, sticking her head under the surface, she crunched the Huntail on its tail. The Huntail tried to swim away, but all it accomplished was spinning the pair in a circle. Raini wrestled her foot out of the Huntail’s mouth and surfaced; she spat out the tail and let the Huntail swim back a little. It had left a nasty taste in her mouth.

The Huntail was obviously a little peckish, because it opened its jaw wider than Raini would have ever expected and swam furiously at Raini again, its fangs glinting. Raini frowned. The incoming Crunch attack was met swiftly with a ticking Seed Bomb: Raini shoved the seed in the Huntail’s mouth and wrenched its jaws shut in the resulting confusion.

A muffled boom emanated from inside the Huntail’s mouth, and smoke leaked from around its fangs. It swam dazedly backwards, trying to shake it off.

Raini frowned again. She was wet, she was exhausted, her foot was sending shooting pains through her body, and having to swim has leaving her arms and legs aching. One more battle, her trainer had said. She just needed to defeat one more Pokémon. Just one more…

The Huntail had finally managed to shake being stunned. It focused its eyes and tried to spot the Meowth… Ah. There it was.

Funny. It didn’t think Meowth could usually swim that fast.

That was the last thought that went through the Huntail’s head before Raini tore into it with a blazing Frustration. She tore at the eel with a serious of wild slashes and strikes, until eventually it floated in the water, belly-up.

Maza was surprised. He had never seen any Pokémon move quite so fast as Raini did when she swam for the exit.

Round over! Raini wins and grows to level 28! Raini learns Faint Attack!

What?

Raini is evolving!

Raini shook the water out of her fur on the trainer platform, soaking Jeff’s pant legs. Once dry, she sat down and began to clean herself, but she stopped and looked around when she began to glow white. She abruptly grew two feet in height, and her form bulked out, growing lither and more muscular. Her limbs grew longer, and she stood up.

Raini has evolved into Persian!

Before Jeff could say anything, Raini tore out of the building. She wasn’t going to do any more training today if she could help it.

Maza smirked.

---

Some time later, the rest of Jeff’s team began to circulate through the two towers. Groviglio found himself at the Pond Room as well. He looked in.

A Bibarel had its head poked out of the water. It stared at him.

“What’s the matter with you, buckteeth?” Groviglio said.

The Bibarel smiled.

“Oh, you think I’m funny, do you?” Groviglio said, his eyes narrowing.

The smile grew slightly bigger.

Groviglio charged off the platform. “That’s it! You’re going down, tubby!” he said as he jumped. He hit the water, creating a not-inconsiderable wave, and sunk.

The Bibarel laughed, but it quickly stopped when Groviglio rose, water dripping on his vines. A platform of water slowly raised him into the air.

Battle! Groviglio versus Bibarel!
Groviglio: “Your mom!”
Bibarel: “Hi.”

The Bibarel yawned widely. This didn’t seem suspicious at first, but Groviglio quickly realized something was up when he started yawning too. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “Oh no you don’t!” he said, pausing only to yawn. Groviglio spun his arms, releasing a cloud of green dust; it drifted across the pond until it hit the Bibarel, who appeared not to notice right up until it fell asleep. The Bibarel floated in the water, its head finding a lily pad and using it not unlike a pillow.

This satisfied Groviglio, at least until he fell asleep too. The pillar of water he was standing on, made by his Hidden Power, disappeared, sending the slumbering Pokémon into the water, where he promptly woke up.

“Well, that was annoying,” Groviglio mumbled. He looked at the Bibarel, still sleeping. “That’s a plus, at least. Let’s hope the idiot stays asleep.” He closed his eyes and began weaving an intricate Nightmare to send to the Bibarel; he had gotten as far as the fire-breathing fanged rainclouds before the Bibarel started muttering in its sleep.

“What’s that idiot think he’s doing?” Groviglio said, pausing the Nightmare and looking across the pond. The Bibarel continued muttering, then opened its mouth wide and fired a frigid ray of sleet and snow. It struck Groviglio hard, and he fell back, splashing into the water again. He sputtered as his Hidden Power lifted him back up.

“No! We’re not playing that game!” he said angrily. He hopped from one pillar to the next and crossed the pond to the Bibarel in only a few steps. Groviglio lashed out with a vine and wrapped it around the Bibarel’s torso; the two of them glowed green and Groviglio felt his strength returning to him.

Then the Bibarel, still muttering, bit down hard.

Groviglio yelled and tightened his grip, alternately constricting the Bibarel and draining its health.

The Bibarel mumbled something under its breath and dove under the water, still sleeping.

Groviglio, his arm still twisted around his foe, only had time to yell variations on the theme of “What the-?!” before being dragged under as well.

It’s generally agreed upon that Tangrowth are not built for swimming; their physique lends itself more to forested areas. It’s also agreed upon that Groviglio is one of the most ornery, easily-frustrated Pokémon this side of Caledor (both the Pokémon and the province). So, being pulled underwater when he wasn’t expecting it set Groviglio off like a rocket.

A pillar of water began rising from the depths of the pond, knocking countless Pokémon aside, before coming up right underneath the Bibarel and Groviglio. It brought them both to the surface and kept rising; Groviglio released his grip and hopped back into the water. The Bibarel, however, only managed to wake up right before the pillar slammed him at high speeds into the ceiling.

The Bibarel fell back down to the water, conked out – but this time from unconsciousness, not sleep.

Battle over! Groviglio wins and grows to level 18!

Groviglio summoned a final pillar of water and carried himself to the entrance.

---

The only room that Jeff didn’t enter with Raini was the Blizzard Room, and that, incidentally, was where Trezzatura found himself being pushed to enter. He had to admit, the logic made sense – it was freaking cold in there, and he was one of the only three on Jeff’s team to resist ice. And since Kiva and Anzu seemed to have run off somewhere to goof off instead of training, that left him.

It didn’t change the fact that he really didn’t want to do it.

He entered the room, though, and was immediately struck by exactly how cold it was. As a steel-type, Trezzatura wasn’t really used to feeling the cold. He was extra-sensitive to heat, sure, but the cold never bothered him. At least, that had been the case until today. Somehow, stepping through that door had transported him into the middle of a blizzard.

The door slammed behind him. Kiva and Anzu waved at him through the window. So that was where they were. Wonderful.

“Hey buddy, you locked in?” a voice to his left said, piercing the whipping winds.

“Need a way out?” a second voice said, this one to his right.

Trezzatura focused and tried to see through the snow, but all he got was a vaguely blue shape and a vaguely orange one. The wind seemed to pick up, and this time, it seemed to be pointed at him… and it seemed to be originating from the first voice.

“We’ll help you out, sure,” the second voice said, “but you gotta help us train first!”

“I don’t ‘gotta’ do anything,” Trezzatura said under his breath, but he knew it didn’t matter. He was going to be battling one way or another.

Battle! Trezzatura versus Glaceon and Snorunt!
Trezzatura: “If I must…”
Glaceon: “Freeze!”
Snorunt: “Stop right there!”

The blue shape snickered. “Well, let’s start this off right!” The snow lessened somewhat, and it was replaced by hail. It tinked off of Trezzatura’s metal hide. It didn’t hurt much, Trezzatura decided, but it certainly was annoying. At least he could see the Pokémon a bit more clearly now. A Glaceon and a Snorunt.

Well, scratch that, Trezzatura amended. Just a Snorunt. The Glaceon seemed to have disappeared… then Trezzatura noticed the hole. In the nick of time, Trezzatura used his powerful magnets to give himself a boost up into the air; just as he did it, the Glaceon appeared underneath him and tried to slam him. The Glaceon scowled at Trezzatura’s newfound height and sprung out of the hole.

Trezzatura didn’t have a chance to notice the glower, though, because he was too busy being engaged with the Snorunt: despite Trezzatura’s hide being made of steel, the Snorunt had taken it upon itself to latch its teeth firmly to Trezzatura’s arm. However, this did lend a unique opportunity to Trezzatura: he swung his arm around and raked the Snorunt with a set of glistening silver claws. The Snorunt yelped and fell off.

Trezzatura quickly wheeled around and blindly fired a Shadow Ball. It missed the approaching Glaceon, who jumped into the air at Trezzatura. Trezzatura shot another Shadow Ball, this time hitting the Glaceon and knocking it off of its path. It fell to the ground too. He started forming another Shadow Ball, but this time, the hail clinking on his skin threw off his focus – it was starting to get on his nerves. Trezzatura growled and looked around. The Glaceon and the Snorunt were both keeping their distance for the moment; from the way they were muttering to each other, it looked like they were coming up with a plan.

Well, Trezzatura figured, might as well put a stop to that now. He flew backwards a little bit, then dashed forward at the pair; he unceremoniously plowed into them and knocked them aside, landing face-first in the snow. Trezzatura rose up again and shook the snow off. The Glaceon was charging at him again, but this time he simply knocked it out of its jump with a Metal Claw. It landed in a snowdrift and apparently wanted to just stay there.

That just left the Snorunt. Trezzatura locked eyes on it. “Can’t we just stop it here? I really don’t want to hurt you guys,” Trezzatura said.

The Snorunt eyed his fallen comrade. “Yeah, I can tell,” it said flatly before firing a jet of water at Trezzatura. Unlike most of the other attacks they had been flinging at him, this one actually caused a bit of pain, and Trezzatura recoiled.

“All right, well, I did ask…” Trezzatura said quietly. If he had shirtsleeves, this is where he would have been rolling them up. He made one last-ditch charge at the Snorunt, slamming it in the head and sending it flying through the air. It landed in the same snowdrift as the Glaceon.

Battle over! Trezzatura wins and grows to level 25! Trezzatura learns Scary Face!

---

“Do you think that did the job, Maza?” Cam asked. “I have to give you credit, the idea had some serious promise.”

Maza thought for a second, and recalled the look on Raini’s face as she fled the tower. “Yeah, I think she’s got a lot to think about right now about what happens when she misuses her powers. Let’s hope it sticks.”

DarkestLight

6th February 2011, 10:20 PM

Jeff: Holt hell what was that 8 battles X_X Nuts.

C_c: Really? Thanks. I do think what you gave was fair before since I'm still wrapping my head around this, but I do thank you for reconsidering. And yeah, once B&W come out, my team will expand with a ...varied group of Pokemon :D

Wolfsong

7th February 2011, 12:02 AM

Here is Sinopa’s RBG. I have had the fire stone for a while now. I just bought the crunch tm for Sinopa before I started working on this. Sorry if its short but the idea just for it just popped into my head.

(Sinopa’s POV)

The whole way back to the Pokecenter, thinking about what Darin said the whole way. I thought about seeing if I could get Jasmine to try and help me get over my fear of tiny spaces and being confined.

Once we arrived, Amy handed over Kiara, Blazer, Yana, and Kovu’s pokeballs to Nurse Joy. I shuddered as I glanced over them but took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Once they were being healed, Amy had the nurse look over the eevee that had hatched out of the egg to make sure that he was healthy, although Darin didn’t want to let him out of his sight. Thankfully he was and when Nurse Joy assured Amy that was the case that was when Darin relaxed. I pressed up against his side and he smiled.

Amy decided to call the little fellow Rick after a character on one of her favorite shows. I couldn’t help but smile as he yawned and went back to sleep. With a soft sigh, she placed him between the two of us and then picked up Blazer and the others before letting them out and, after making sure that they were okay, headed for the cots that were set up in the center to get some sleep.

As I watched, Blazer checked on each of us before slipping out. Yana watched him leave before curling up and waiting for him to return. It was about an hour later when he did, and I had a feeling that he had gone to check on Bo. I had noticed that he had been keeping a concerned watch on him until he had fainted and had to be recalled.

I yawned, but I was determined to wait until the others were asleep. I wanted to have a look at the Fire Stone Amy kept in her pack. I was going to keep my promise to Darin and think about it before I chose whether or not to evolve. When I was sure that they were all asleep, I carefully stood up and made my way over to where Amy had left her backpack. There was a small box that read crunch with my name on it. I blinked, accidentally knocking the top off the box as I did so and the powder shot up into my face causing me to sneeze.

(Darin’s POV)

I had just fallen asleep, but my mind was still racing so it was simply a light sleep. I heard a sneeze and looked up and saw that Sinopa was looking in Amy’s backpack. I gently picked up Rick and placed him against Yana’s side.

When he didn’t stir, I took a deep breath and started to approach Sinopa but a Natu appeared out of nowhere and dove into Amy’s backpack causing her to snarl at him.

(Sinopa’s POV)

I had just revealed the fire stone and was admiring its beauty when a natu appeared out of nowhere. The bird snickered at me before hopping in the bag. I snarled at him. “Get out of there. Nothing in there belongs to you.”

“It does now.” He shot back with the fire stone clutched in his talons. The natu blinked at me before teleporting outside and I charged outwards as fast as I could go and slammed into him with a quick attack.

Sinopa L.16 Vulpix with Crystal Blue Eyes and a Rainbow Topknot http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/WolsongsWilderness/Sinopa.jpg Vs. L.16 Natu

“Damn,” the Natu muttered before using his psychic powers to throw me away from him. I grunted when I hit the building and slid to the ground but I got back up.

My opponent used the time it took for me to shake my head in an attempt to regain my bearings to start a chant. I took a deep breath decided to take a chance and try the new move that Amy got me the other day, Flare Blitz. I inhaled deeply before spitting out a couple tiny embers that began to circle me and with each circuit the flames grew more intense and circled faster until I was surrounded in a fiery flame and that was when I charged at the Natu slamming into him and we both skidded into the side of the pokecenter.

Before I could recover, the psychic bird lifted me up with his psychic powers once more and sent me flying through the air. I whimpered when I landed on something hard. Suddenly, I felt strange as a glow surrounded me. “Damn it,” I heard him cursing and I figured out that I must have landed on the fire stone as I felt myself growing taller as I felt three of my tails splitting and growing so that I now had nine tails. I stood there panting as the glow faded. I needed to end this fast and I really wasn’t looking forward to explaining to everyone what had happened. I took a deep breath and charged at him and crunched down on the bird’s tiny wing and with a loud squawk he went down.

I won!
I grew to L. 17
I evolved into a Ninetales.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/WolsongsWilderness/sinoparainbow3.png
I learned Confuse Ray.

“Sinopa!” I heard Darin calling and I winced as I turned to face him. “I…”

“You don’t have to explain. I saw the whole thing.

“I was just looking at it. I was going to keep my promise I said as he nuzzled me. It was odd being taller than him now.

“I know. Let’s go inside and get you looked over. We can see about…” When Darin’s voice trailed off I looked over and saw what it was that had distracted him. In the little time that we were talking, the natu must have come to and teleported or else he wasn’t alone because he was gone.

*hands over 7 stamps leaving me with 49. I’d like an Rbg for Sinopa please from the Universal Adoption Center.

Lady Vulpix

7th February 2011, 08:19 AM

You guys write faster than I can read! How do you get the time?

The archive will undergo a massive update as soon as I can manage. And I'll get some writing done within the next few days. >_>

Shonta: I liked your story. Comments below.

Calling Lily "salad" was a creative insult.

The phrase "it had ripped a lot of health from me" made it sound like a videogame with health bars. But the whole thing about the leaves having to be pruned and re-growed made sense to me.

Bandit's out-of-place remarks were quite comical, and Moriko's 4th wall breaking comment was funny.

Bo's reaction was funny too, as was the way the morning routine was interrupted for him. That was a tender moment, by the way. But Lily was a bit silly in the end. I just hope she made the right choice. Only time will tell.

Now I'm curious: where did the term "peanut gallery" come from?

Take 14 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

I still need to read one post by DL, one by Jeff and one by Amy. Of course reading and rating are different things. DL's battle has already been rated and I wouldn't mind if someone rated one of the other two. ;)

Amy: Sinopa will battle a Kadabra. Congrats on her evolution! :)

DL: Note that Mossjito is above level 15 now, so he has to battle pokemon in the 2nd level groups.

classy_cat18

7th February 2011, 01:38 PM

Amy: Ten stamps for you. It was short, but nice to see what took place after we left the cave. Blazer checking up on Bo was sweet, although he would've been sleeping the whole time. I'll make sure to tell Bo that his father watched over him. ^^

I wonder what a Natu wanted with a Fire Stone? I would like to know that but you don't have to tell me.

And evolving in mid-battle isn't something I see very often. Not a bad thing, just uncommon.

There were a few typos, but nothing major.

Lady Vulpix

7th February 2011, 02:47 PM

Jeff: cool story. I must admit I enjoyed watching Raini get punished for her recent actions. And I laughed at the phrase "It didn't think Meowth could usually swim that fast."

By the way, you've broken the record for the biggest number of battles in a single post (the old record was 10 and you had 11).

I liked your descriptions of the attacks. And your observation about Heracross's combat style.

What does it take to be a lesser pokemon than Raini? ;)

...Steel yourself?

Your battles at the Desert Room were quite creative. And Raini's inability to lick herself clean due to lack of moisture was a nice touch.

Raini could have tried saying that she was tired, but such honesty was beyond her, wasn't it?

I like the way the Pond Room was introduced. And I thought about the emphasis just before it was made explicit.

I can undertand Groviglio being one of the most ornery, easily-frustrated Pokémon this side of Caledor (the province) but, while the mention to my Espeon brought a chuckle, he wouldn't want any of those adjectives applied to him. If it's just Groviglio standing by his side, though, he'd be willing to accept it.

Take 57 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

7th February 2011, 03:13 PM

I had a lot of fun writing that just because it was so satisfying. XD

Awesome. I was wondering what the record was. XD

"Steel yourself" means "prepare yourself," and it was also a nice pun.

I was trying to imply that even if Raini had spoken up about being tired, she would have been assumed to be just trying to get out of training. Ah well, not a huge issue either way. :o

And yeah, I mentioned Caledor not to say he was ornery, but mostly just for the joke. XD

Thanks for the comments! :D And the ridiculous number of stamps. Wow.

DarkestLight

7th February 2011, 10:44 PM

LV: Yeap Yeap! Got that all covered....here!

Entry 3: Where's the fire where you need it?

The walk out of the Lava Room was filled with silence. Rapp was sure there was at least one other Trainer here, but even they were out of sight. That was not good, he felt he could faint if he didn't get to the door. But for Mossy, he had to get out of here. The little grasser did his part, and did it well-and now it was his turn to compensate for the team.

Sliding his feet now, Rapp wiped his eyes free of the sweat falling from his brow. Up ahead was a panel with a shining bar...the door! Oh the door, that wonderful portal to freedom and cooler air!! Foregoing the heat's effect, Rapp sprinted for the door. He jumped over a set of rocks, and manages to not trip on his landing before he barreled through the door. Spinning off the door, Rapp managed to barely avoid a shape which he interpreted as a person right at the opening and fell by the base of the stairs.

"Ca-can't believe...Can't believe we just did that! HA!" Rapp shouted, as he broke into a fit of laughter. The person entering the Lava room held their hand up to deal with the first blast of heat that exited the room, before entering. Rapp quit laughing as the door shut, and he could take full advantage of the cooler air here. It still was hot here, but Rapp knew that he couldn't sit here. Mossy was still breathing shallow, trying to conserve his energy.

Rapp gently set the Pokemon on his back, taking two vines and tying them around his neck, before he crawled up the staircase. About halfway up, he finally found the strength to hoist himself on the banister and walk on his own two feet. It would take a few more slow, arduous minutes before Rapp reached the top of the stairs, and a definitely more cool environment. Opening the stairwell exit here, he immediately strode into the Pokecenter, not missing a beat.

The attendant at the desk looked at him, and noted his shirt was drenched in sweat and maybe water. Rapp cared not for his appearance, but rather gently took Mossjito off of his back and held him out in front, toward the Nurse. "He-He needs to cool do-"

Mossjito suddenly jumped up, and began to dance. Both Rapp and the attendant blinked in amazement, and then fear, as Mossjito began to shake his butt in front of their faces. His rear end had spontaneously combusted! The attendant reached down and unfurled a blanket, but Rapp was a bit more drastic, as Mossjito jumped on the table, trying to spin his vines to cool this fire on his body. The Nurse was able to flap the blanket and start a cool flux of air for Mossy, but Rapp ran to the edge of the room and grabbed a red cylindrical object. He raised the nozzle and pressed the switches down, releasing a blast of foam that coats not only Mossy, but the attendant and half the desk. After the initial blast clears, Rapp is privy to a dual set of glaring eyes coated in white.

"Eh heh...a little much?"

"A LOT much. I'll be back...and I HOPE someone has the courtesy to CLEAN this!" The nurse stammered, before picking Mossy out of the mountain of foam and headed to the back of the Center. Rapp sheepishly bowed his head and nodded, turning to return the extinguisher to its storage place. As he returned it, he caught a few snickers and jeers from some other Trainers. He shrugged them off and went to grab some extra towels to clean this up.

----

Green haze.
Darkness.
Green haze shifted to the left.
Darkness.
White light ...sharp white light!

"ooooooohhhh.." was the first sound he uttered, as his hands raised up to his face. There was an additional feeling...sharp and precise in its effect on his body. One hand shot up to the spot of sensation, and the new pain that ran though his body was immediate.

A second sensation joined the first feeling. This one was also sharp, but this had a cooling effect. Rapp's hand went to stop the second sensation fro pressing too hard on his hand, but his hand touched something ...familiar. It was soft, but had texture. It seemed to be semi-taut and it was coiled around a rubbery object-which was undeniably cold. Rapp finally opened one eye, and allowed his focus to adjust.

His next sight was of a feminine face, smiling at him. That's always comforting, if not awkward. She seemed familiar too, but right now thinking hurt too much. He grabs the ice packet, and feels the taut rope holding it. Following its snakish path, the squat grassball stood at its end, eyes denoting its relieve and joyous demeanor that he was sitting up.

"Oh, well you were cleaning the extinguishing foam, and you slipped on it. You cracked your head on the counter and well... knocked yourself out for the better part of the hour. Some Trainers found you and got you on this cot."

Rapp looked to his sides, and noted his feet were sitting on a gray sheet of fabric, about a foot off the ground. He winced, but swung his feet off the cot and stood up, holding the ice pack more confidently. Mossy walked to his side and looked up as the attendant stood up and fixed her skirt.

"I do think you for attempting to clean. Your Tangela is fine now!" she nodded, and walked off to go back to the desk. Rapp shook his head and looked to Mossy.

"Well then. What say you we continue this?" A shake of the vines in a vertical motion affirmed Rapp's choice. The tired boy and his Pokemon now headed toward the door, eager to try their luck at the other rooms

----

The door to the Pokemon Center at the Eastern Tower opens slowly, and insteps the Tangela, eager to continue its training. Following, still with icepack to head, was Rapp. He shut the door behind him and immediately saw that THIS was the Tower where all the excitement was. People of all walks of life were here, moreso than in the other Tower. He was quick to pick Mossy up once more and head to the nearest staircase. Quickly opening and shutting the door, Rapp and Mossy left the noisy hub and now had a choice. On the wall was a sign pointing to what led where.

"Ok. So...we'll save the Pond Room for last. I don't think the Blizzard room is such a good idea, so let's go to the Jungle!" Tangela nodded, and the duo headed up to the first floor.

Reaching the Jungle room was easy, as there were vines already snaking out of the room by the time they reached the door. Rapp cheerfully shoved the door opened and Mossjito's eyes opened wide. This was heaven to the pair! They walked into a lush tropical setting, where the humidity wasn't high and there was a thick lush underbrush. Mossjito ran in the room and Rapp gave chase; amazed at the flora.

"This is great Mossy! Just like back home. Trees everywhere! I even hear water!" Mossy was a little busy rummaging in the dirt, soaking up the nutrients of the area. Rapp laughed, and eagerly climbed up the nearest tree. The vines were thick and strong, making scaling the tree a breeze. Within seconds, Rapp had reached a thick bough and slapped it a few times. The slaps seemed to shift the leaves a bit oddly though, and something green divebombs out of the tree.

Mossy hears something land, but turns and sees nothing, aside from the impression where it hit the ground. Rapp looks out of the tree, but doesn't see anything either as well. Moss looks up and Rapp just shrugs. But both know something is around.

The shrub that fell from the tree shakes itself off and gives a hearty yawn to Mossy's surprise. Why was a Grotle in a tree?

[Mossjito Lv 17 vs Grotle Lv 19]

Rapp smirked, and pointed at the Grotle. "Ok Moss. Have fun. I'm sure you can handle this!" Mossjito extended two vines, as the Grotle playfully ran over. Instead of actually attacking. Mossy raised himself up by grabbing a bough and evading the first Tackle, as the Grotle ran into the tree. Shaking off the hit, Grotle turned and looked at the free swinging Tangela. Rapp kept an eye out from above as Mossy swung to and fro, enjoying his homemade swing. Grotle gave off a growl, before running toward Mossy on his downswing and lunging for a different kind of hit. The Bushy Pokemon flipped and rammed his tail into Mossy's face. Mossy was hit back the way he came, and elevated to just about Rapp's height for that hit. Rapp winced, he didn't expect that sucker to have

"Iron Tail. Really now? Ok Mos-Speed slam!"

Mossy began his descent as the Grotle watched with baited breath. Swinging through the motion Mossy released his vines at the exact moment Grotle jumped in order to try for another Iron Tail. however, with Mossy going in a straight line instead of dipping low and into the attack, Grotle was in prime placement for a Body Slam. Coupled with the speed of the hit, Grotle went flying into a tree again! Rapp silently cheered his Pokemon on as it rolled to a stop a few feet away.

Grotle stood up and planted his feet in the ground to get his bearings. As the dizzy Pokemon tried to regain composure, Mossy ran close, but fired a slew of spores at the fellow grasser. They clung to all orifices, and gave Grotle a nasty hacking fit. Poison Powder done right. Grotle moaned, and now knelt down, His shrubs fell a little flatter on his back and he seemed more in tune to the fact that he was fighting a grass type now. Rapp watched this Pokmeon Withdraw his offense a little, and yelled out to his Pokemon.

"Mossy. Heal up before attacking. This guy's trying to get thick."

Mossy knew what that meant. However, he was eager to do so. As Rapp looked away due to another sound in this part of the Jungle, Mossy stuck his vines in the soft pliable jungle earth, and recovered some nutrients at a alarming rate. Grotle did not approve of the Tangela's own defensive capabilities, and went for a Tackle.

Mossy took the next hit in stride, and in similar fashion to her first strike, rebounded back with another full out Body Slam that left Grotle on his side. The poison was now being a noticeable detriment, as the Grotle barely pulled himself to his feet. It groaned, and took a step back, while forcing the ground to bulge.

"The heck?" was all Rap could say, before the ground itself began to churn and bulge and finally explode around Mossy. Mossy went backwards, but a few vines till hung on to the ground, giving him an anchor. With the shift in the terra, Rapp held his head,and looked to Mossy, who still seemed well enough to fight.

"Earth Power? Really? Give it a....Body Slam again..and that should do it!"

Mossy's vines gave him just enough give to go charging over to the Grotle, and slam into him head to head. The Grotle managed to withstand the blow, but the poison addition gave him weak knees. Down goes the grasser, and Mossy waves his vines, triumphant. Rapp claps, glad that battle went so well. Mossy didn't even look like it lost much health at all, not to mention what it gained back from Ingraining.

"Well Mossy, let's find another Pokmeon to fight in here...this seems to be our room!"

Mossy agreed, and waited until Rapp climbed down from the tree before they continued on their search.

[Mossjito grew to Lv18!]

((Will continue this later...))

Lady Vulpix

8th February 2011, 06:39 PM

Jeff: If you think the number of stamps I gave you is ridiculous you can always give some back. ;) But you did have a lot of battles in that post.

DL: I loved your metaphor for the Lava Room door and your description of the reactions upon entering the Jungle Room. I felt sorry for Rapp when he fell and cracked his head. He was clumsy, but he was trying to clean up his own mess. The story in general was good, but you kept mixing past and present tenses and it made it a bit hard to read. Take 10 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Wolfsong

8th February 2011, 07:22 PM

Here is Sinopa’s RBG. I also bought her a mimic tm. Kadabra *grins* that couldn’t have turned out better for what I had in mind. The questions should be answered in this part. The ending wasn’t what I had in mind but here it is.

The Kadabra narrowed his eyes when the Natu teleported outside and a few minutes later the vulpix came racing out of the Pokecenter chasing after him and slamming into him with a quick attack. That bird is going to be a chew toy for Teivel if this fails, he thought to himself as he watched the battle unfold.

When that vulpix was slammed psychically into the wall I relaxed a little bit. Maybe that Natu could do this. As I watched I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that this wasn’t going to go well. I heard a snarl from behind me.

<Quiet Teivel. They can’t know we’re here. That was the point of him,> I said, pointing with my spoon at the bird as he was slammed into the side of the building along with the vulpix.

As we watched, the small bird used his powers to send her sailing through the air and I groaned inwardly when I saw where she was about to land. Sure enough, the Fire Stone that I had arranged this plan to get was now useless after the stupid vulpix landed on it. <Take your time with him,> I told the houndour who nodded in understanding as he bared his teeth.

I winced as the newly evolved Ninetales crunched down on the natu and it went down for the count. I watched from my spot so that when the timing was right, I could get that bird out of there before he spilled everything.

Thankfully the espeon approached her and they talked. While they were distracted, I teleported over and grabbed the natu before teleporting back to where the rest of my team that was in on the plan were waiting. I kept a good grip on him until I saw the espeon and the ninetales go inside the pokecenter. I saw the espeon pause in the doorway and look around before following her inside.

I heard a small chirp and I looked down to see that the bird was regaining consciousness. I threw the bird down in the middle of the three of us and glared at him. The natu swallowed nervously. I narrowed my eyes. “What the hell was that?” I told you to get in there unnoticed, get the stone to us and you were free to go back to your life in the wild.

“She wasn’t going to sleep. I moved when it looked like she was going to use the stone to evolve.”

“You’re a psychic act like one. She was only looking at it. You should have waited until she had dozed off. At the very least, when you were fighting, you should have kept her AWAY from the fire stone instead of tossing her right on top of it. We needed it for Hades.” I sighed and glanced back in the direction of the Pokecenter. “I’m going to go keep an eye on them and see if they noticed anything. Teivel, Hades, you two make sure this bird knows what happens when they mess up our plans. Especially if neither of you want to end up being released like Mystique was.” With that, I teleported closer to the Pokecenter leaving the Natu’s fate in the paws of the houndour and the growlithe.

(Sinopa’s POV)

I reluctantly followed Darin inside until I had passed him in the doorway. I glanced backwards to look back. He gave his head a shake before walking inside and motioned for me to head to the front where Nurse Joy quickly set to work checking me over.

(Darin’s POV)

I waited until Sinopa was being looked over before I made my way to Amy’s cot and hopped up on her. She immediately woke up and looked around and relaxed when she saw me and not Sugar. I took a deep breath and let her know what had happened. While I was explaining it to Amy, Blazer and Yana woke up when they heard her name being mentioned.

(Sinopa’s POV)

Once the Nurse Joy had looked me over and did what she needed to, I closed my eyes and dozed off. When I opened them again, I was met by four pairs of concerned eyes and a curled up ball of brown fur. I blinked a couple of times before I raised my head.

“You’re not in trouble.”

I relaxed at that and she gave me another TM. It turned out that she had gotten me two TMs but only one that I had accidently encountered already. It wasn’t long before she asked me about what had happened and I told her everything that I knew. When she asked if I had recognized the Natu, I just shook my head. “No, I didn’t. Until today, I had never laid eyes on him before.”

“We’re being watched.” Darin whispered twitching his ear towards the window. I lifted my head and saw that there was a Kadabra briefly before it teleported out of sight.

I stood up and winced when I hit my head on the counter. I gave my head a shake to clear the stars that I saw flash before my eyes. “I’m okay,” I assured them, ducking my head. “Still not used to the height difference yet.

“I can go after him if you want me to.” Darin offered.

I took a deep breath and shook my head with a confidence I wasn’t used to having. “No, I can do this.”

I stepped out, but I couldn’t see the kadabra anywhere. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as Blazer’s voice from one of the first lessons he gave me replayed in my mind.“ If you can’t focus with your eyes open, close them. Sometimes vision isn’t the best way to find a tricky opponent. Trust your nose.”

With my eyes closed, I immediately picked up on the Natu’s scent, but there was something different… I sniffed again and realized that it was blood and there were three other scents. Two were kind of familiar but one wasn’t. I opened my eyes and followed the scents until I was looking at a houndour chewing on one of the natu’s wings while a growlithe was doing the same to the other. The Kadabra was watching it not doing anything to stop it.

I heard someone following me and, when I looked, wasn’t surprised to find that it was Darin. That was when the kadabra noticed us.

“Stop it.”

The Kadabra looked over at the pair who were still chewing on the natu’s wings before returning his attention to us. “He failed his task so no we want. He knew what would happen if he failed.”

I glanced over at the small psychic bird. “He’s had enough let him go.”

“I’ll let him go when I think he’s had enough but you’re welcome to fight me. If I lose we’ll leave. If I win you two go back into the center and leave us alone.”

“I can get Blazer if you want me to.”

I shook my head no before taking a deep shaky breath as I stepped forwards. “You don’t have to…”

“I do.” I saw him give a worried smile and I stepped forwards. As I did, I looked around to see if there was anything that could be used to confine me and thankfully I didn’t.

Sinopa L.17 Female Ninetales with a rainbow topknot and Crystal Blue Eyes http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/WolsongsWilderness/sinoparainbow3.png Vs. L.17 M Kadabra (Tobias)

I took a deep breath but before I could do anything, the Kadabra teleported right beside me and slashed out with his right hand the claws slicing through the collar like it was butter. The attack barely did anything to me but the collar was useless for now. I saw Darin dart in and grab it for safekeeping before darting out to safety. I narrowed my eyes, at that but spit a tiny fireball at my opponent. It hit him and flared brightly and a small ball of flame flew backwards and landed on my chest before fizzling out. Synchronize, I thought, but was relieved that I had chosen will-o-wisp instead of toxic.

The Kadabra cursed under his breath before his fist began crackling with electricity as he punched me. I bit back the yelp but jumped back up to my feet. I whirled around and used my hidden power to shoot a stream of flames at him causing the psychic to take a step backwards.

This time before I could move, his eyes glowed purple and I was sent sailing through the air as if I was a piece of paper. I grunted as I hit the side of the pokecenter. Growling softly to myself, I was getting to know the side of the building far better than I wanted to as I stood back up and charged back towards where the Kadabra was waiting. I leapt almost missing him but managing to crunch down on his tail as I sailed past his arm where I had been aiming.

He cried out but managed to hang on as I let go of his tail and used Quick Attack to slam into him before he could hit me with another psychic blast. He crumpled to the ground as I stood there panting trying to get my breath back.

I won.
I grew to L.18.

The houndour and the growlithe just stared in surprise at the fact that the kadabra had just lost. Darin stepped forwards.

“Go away and tell Tom that he better not try anything like that again.” The houndour winced but let go of the natu and as did the growlithe. However, the houndour turned to face Darin.

“Tom doesn’t know anything about this. He can’t know about it. Tobias came up with the plan to keep him from releasing us like he did Mystique. He felt that if we were able to acquire a fire stone and get Hades evolved here on our own we would show Tom that we were useful… If he finds out, we will without a doubt be released…”

I glanced over at Darin who was frowning trying to figure out what to do after hearing this new information.

The growlithe spoke up. “We’ll leave like Tobias promised.”

“We have to tell Amy.” I said and Darin nodded.

“But…” the two canines protested.

“You know it as well as we do. What happens after that is dependent on several factors.”

“Like what?” They asked, but Darin didn’t answer and I looked at him as he stared at them before they wisely grabbed a hold of each of the kadabra’s arms and started to drag him away. I gently picked up the natu and carried him back towards the pokecenter with Darin following beside me.

DarkestLight

8th February 2011, 07:57 PM

Here's the second part of the Jungle story (turned into a 4 parter lol)

Yeah my present and past tense seem to get twisted, and I am trying to cut it out. There may be some in this story, so fair warning.

A need for exploration encumbered the dynamic duo as they slowly made their way through the lush paradise. Although this was merely a very large room, it was its own balanced ecosystem to the duo. Mossy gingerly hopped on a thick root and bounced across its networking as Rapp slowly rounded the tree, noting a Trainer crouched down, tending to her fiery..rat..shrew..Cyndaquil! Mossy rolled back, not in any eager attempt to start a fight with something that was so...fiery right now. The Cyndaquil, upon seeing Mossy, was MORE than eager to start another fight, and started at Mossy. Mossy 's eyes saw the hint of fire on the tip of that rodent's nose and he froze in place, unsure how to deal with it! In the nick of time, a hand came down over the rodent and held her down as the Cyndaquil squeaked in discomfort.

"Cut it out already! You're in no condition to fight!

The trainer turned at the sight of Rapp and Mossy, and waved. "Sorry 'bout that. She got struck with a poison dart, and is a little testy." Rapp and Mossy both nodded, and decided to keep heading in. The boy looked up from his Pokemon a second time as he realized the direction they were going.

"Hey be careful! There's a group of Pokemon up there whom are pretty vicious!"

Rapp turned to stare at the trainer, and then down to Mossy. Although Mossy was on a roll, he knew that at any time there could be a threat that the little grassball wasn't ready for. It bothered Rapp even more, realizing that Mossy was his one and only. But as of now, there wasn't any other Pokemon he really even wanted. For both their sakes, he hoped that would change.

Mossy heard the boy's words, but shrugged them off. Dangerous Pokemon were easily avoided by the pair, as running seemed to be Rapp's strong suit in a pinch. But Mossy knew something was on Rapp's mind, as they neared the babbling brook. His demeanor went from awe and wondrous to melancholy and quiet, plus-he was no longer looking around the area like he usually would. Maybe he just needed some time to think? Or wait, his head! His head must still hurt! Mossy nodded, glad to have figured that out.

"Hold on Mossy. Let's take it easy for a bit. I need a moment. Think I'm still...dizzy." Mossy nodded, his little feet shuffling happily in the leaves. Rapp gingerly placed one hand on a sturdy looking rock, before tested his weight on it. It didn't give. Seeing that he had enough room to lie back on the stone, he did just that and stared up at the faux sky. He could hear as Mossy played around ahead of him, and some other sounds in the distance. Sounded like a battle, as once in a while he'd hear an order shouted.

Ah...what was there to worry about? Another Pokemon would come around to their side in due time. Rapp sighed-thankful for the moment of peace he had seemed to find again. The stream water was relaxing, and Mossy's shuffling and discovering of dirt clumps (however odd that was) was still fresh in his ears. The absence of birds chirping, the seemingly sudden end to the breeze that blew by, even the faint sound of a hiss was picked up.

Wait. What?

Rapp's eyes opened immediately, but he made no sudden movements to alarm Mossy with. Mossy was only about a yard or two ahead of him, but the plant had also stopped moving. Vines were out to his sides-as the sound came from the west. Rapp sat up slowly, and Mossy turned to face him. They each examined the area behind the other from their vantage points...and came up with nothing. But the sound...sounds were getting closer. Rapp slowly slid off of the rock and started to walk toward the thicker part of the brush. Extending his hand, Mossy shot two vines up to wrap around it to make sure his trainer had a grip on him, should he break off into a sprint.

Rapp crouched as he heard a few more calls over his head, and on the ground around them. A flurry of grass caught his eyes, but he did not divert his attention from his main goal-reaching the first tree he climbed while in here, and then the door beyond that. It was not visible, but he knew it was at maximum 50 yard dash. Piece of cake.

On second glance, it had to be no more than 25 yards away. Definitely doable.

"We can make it out of here if we run, Mossy. You ready?" A squeeze on his wrapped hand meant this plan was fine by the Tangela. Rapp pressed two fingers to the soft dirt, and then heard a strange call, like a bird, from over his shoulder. Mossy's vines instantly uncoiled from his hand and the Pokemon backed up to bump Rapp's feet-allowing him to know just how much space he had in front of him.

Rapp cartwheeled and landed so he could face Mossy's back, and just then a speedy flash of green stood between them. Before Mossy could assert what he thought he saw, something ran in and kicked him across the underbrush! Rapp barely caught sight of it, but he knew it had leaves on its forearms.

"Mossy! Sleep Powder Cloud!" There's more than one!

Mossy stood up and started pumping out those spores on his vines. Another green streak however, came from behind and struck again, knocking Mossy forward. A third streak jumped over Mossy, avoiding the spores, and made sure to land on his back. With Mossy's face pinned in the ground, the creature growled and dragged Mossy through the dirt face first, wiping all those spores away! A second streak came over and used what seemed to be a forearm to slash at Mossy, bouncing the Tangela over to Rapp.

The streaks all stopped, and Rapp watched them carefully as two came into partial view. They had long snouts, reptilian in nature. Leaves covered their forearms in a faux feather pattern, and their heads had a crest of leaves, long and tapered back, like a Pidgeot crest.

"Grovyles?"

Didn't matter to Mossy, as he stood up. They could have been Aerodactyl's (preferably not...but still) but right now, he was the top dog in this place. Cheating Grovyles.

Rapp barely had time to think of an exit strategy before a third one ran in from behind. The two that were partially visible darted in opposing directions, and Mossy found himself enduring another hit from one of these raptorgeckos. This hit was more powerful from the last, and it began to hurt!

"Mossy, try to get to me, and we'll sprint!"

Mossy liked the idea, but the problem was that they were all too damn fast! Mossy lunged for a bush, and he forced his vines to stretch out in every direction, basically spearing the bush. One of the Grovyles was surprised by this technique and sprang out of the bush, running next to the one that just attacked. There was a sizable height difference between the two, not to mention the attacking Grovyle seemed to have a scar on his back. They both spoke and cooed to each other before darting away, and Mossy had no way to tag either one. The viney fellow got a rude awakening when another Grovyle-or the same Grovyle...Rapp couldn't tell, dashed at him and quickly sliced at his chest, before a second Grovyle with a shining claw slashed at him, hurting Mossjito immensely. Mossy however, took the hits and used their momentum to throw his vines off the the ground. His body bounced counter clockwise and toward Rapp's lap. Rapp caught his Pokemon, and swiveled on his feet before bursting in a full out sprint.

Mossy smirked, but Rapp could tell the Pokemon was hurt. Jumping over the tree roots, Rapp spied the spot where they passed that trainer beforehand. He could also hear chirping over his head. "Oh you've got to be kidding, they're pursuing us?"

That they were, a whole flock of them. The lead Grovyle seemed to have extraordinary ability when it came to navigating this room, and he was able to lead the others in a path that allowed them all to dive in front of Rapp when he reached the tree he climbed earlier today. Rapp managed to look up and see the Grovyles all landing on the bough he had perched at earlier. Instinctively thinking, Rapp jumped and planted one foot on of the tree, before kicking off it and diving right, throwing the aim of all but the lead Grovyle off course. The Lead Grovyle had dropped off early and managed to chase Rapp on foot.

Rapp rolled, tucking Mossy in his chest just in case, but that's where the lead Grovyle surprised Rapp. Tracking him from the ground, this one was able to see when Rapp would not take notice of something running up from behind him. The Grovyle took advantage of Rapp's blind spot and lunged at the perfect opportunity, when Rapp and Mossy thought they escaped all of the aerial attacks. The voracious Pokemon cut right through his shirt with a unseen Fury-tagging Moss and pushing the Pokemon past the brink of exhaustion. Rapp noted the change in Mossy's eyes, and he quickly spun around the Grovyle and dove for the doorway. The Grovyles all sneered and went to attack, but Rapp fortunately was one step ahead. He kicked the doorway open and shut it behind him, breathing heavily as he heard two thumps against the door.

Holding the door shut for a moment, he took to Mossy. But Mossy was gone, unconscious by the string of blitzkrieg like hits. Before anyone could notice that his Pokemon was fainted, Rapp ran back to the Pokecenter, not stopping an instant for his own sake, and got to the attendant once again. Upon seeing his arrival so quickly, the girl was quick to take up Mossy once more and help rejuvenate the Pokemon.

----

It was a long hour for Rapp. He knew his Pokemon would be alright, but ever since the attendant took Mossy in, he had time to sit down and think this over. It was as if they were hunted...targeted in the Jungle Room. He was sure no one here knew him, or of his farming life. He was sure he didn't make anyone cross...except those strange people with all those sheep in the beginning. Could they be here? Did that one guy remember him? No, that's far too much coincidence.

He shivered at the sound of a "Baa", and forced it out of his memory for the time being. But why were those Grovyle so organized? These and a million other questions stormed though his mind as he rubbed his head where the pain-now dull-still resided. But even with all the unanswered quandaries, two things remained clear:

One-Mossy and him were still novices at best. All the wins Mossy overcame came with the price of overconfidence. Mossy never exhibited it, but Rapp was sure now that the Tangela felt its pride rise and it may have started to seep into arrogance. It was not completely unwarranted, they were having a swell run. But all good things must come to an end.

He then thought back on that Trainer with the fire Pokemon, and then the Monferno...the lava room in general. Where was the fire when you needed it?! All these thoughts brought him to his second point, the point he had been mulling about since he lied on that rock to relax.

He needed another Pokemon. Soon. Mossy needed backup. Rapp had a fair knowledge of Pokemon in general. He knew what he liked and he knew the range of abilities for certain types better than others. As of late though, he had not seen any of his preference, and that began to bother him. Maybe in time he'd find a fair few to tango with. But for now, he had to play it safe, use what he had to help both him and Mossy get to a point where they could hold their own fairly well.

He snapped out of his deep stupor when a worm found its way into his nose. Standing up and pulling the green worm out, he took a deep breath and jumped back, shaking the worm. Its lifeless form drooped over his hand and he dropped it, only to see it was a vine. Mossy's vine.

"Oh. Mossy. Don't do that!" he shouted, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. "That feels weird." Mossy gave him a halfhearted sigh, but then lowered his eyes. Rapp could see the disappointment on Mossy's face, and knelt down to pick the little guy up.

"Hey now. It's alright. We weren't prepared for them. They picked on us and you tried your best. But it was a flock of them against you. You did well, taking four Cuts like that." That seemed to ease the feelings off of the plant and Rapp just patted his head. "No worries Mossy. We'll go back in there in a little. How about right now though, we switch things up and tackle that pond room. I'm sure we'll learn something that'll help us!"

Mossy slowly leaned back to look at Rapp's face. ...Crap, he was serious. Now, it wasn't the fact that Rapp was so focused on him getting stronger...it was moreso the fact that after a stunning parade of a loss like that, Mossy didn't feel he could fight. So, Mossy crossed his vines in an "X" formation and pushed out of Rapp's grasp.

"Huh?" Rapp watched Mossy land, and glare at him, vines still crossed.

"I'm guessing...you don't want to go to the Pond room?"

Mossy nodded, and then pointed toward the cot where Rapp was not but a few hours prior.

"Oh. I see. Well, I guess it would be wiser to rest. You're probably still thinking about that last battle and we both would do better with it. Ok.You win. We'll pack it in."

Mossy nodded, and trotted over to the cot, eager to take a breather for now. Rapp could only smirk, and headed to the nearest vending machine to grab them some snacks and beverages.

K that ends the first part of the Jungle room. I'm going to add the Pond portion to this later. Hopefully I'll post it tonight!

EDIT: I lost half the story last night, so I was pretty upset over it, but I just sucked it up and pushed this out and I gotta say, I'm happier with this.

Entry 4: Motors are just mechanical vines!

The next morning came without incident, as both Mossy and Rapp passed out on the cot. It was only supposed to be a nap for Mossy, but it turned out their bodies as well as their minds truly needed some recuperation. The waking scent of a steaming tea kettle woke the grass shoot right up and he hopped gaily on Rapp's chest. The young man coughed, and twitched his ears until he picked up the sound that was making Mossy so excited.

"Alright. Alright. Go get some. I'll be right behind you." he grumbled, before lying back down on the cot, determined to get a few minutes more. Mossy shrugged and took a demanding leap from Rapp's chest to the floor. Looking back at his Trainer once more, the Pokemon dashed over to where the sound was coming from...behind the attendants desk.

She was barely awake herself, as the sun was just starting to rise. There wasn't a soul in the Center at this time of the morning aside for those that crashed here earlier. But the pit patter of little feet did not escape her senses. She slowly stretched and leaned over the counter to be greeted by a dark mass hidden underneath a tangle of vines.

"Well, you are everywhere aren't cha?" she exclaimed before extending her hands. Mossy wrapped a vine around each and she gingerly lifted him up onto the table. "I'm guessing you're the early bird?" Mossy nodded, as she patted him on the head, only to hear shuffling come from over in a corner. Mossy began scrutinizing the tea kettle a few feet away.. He wondered what flavor of ambrosia was inside it, vines wriggling with anticipation of its taste!

Rapp slowly lurched into view, a hand thrown out haphazardly to catch himself before he fell. The counter holding his weight up, Rapp yawned into his free hand and groggily looked at the attendant. "Can he....*yawn* have some tea? Please? We're going"yawn* to need it, Gawd what time in the morning is it? Daybreak?"

"Him? You mean, your Tangela drinks tea?"

"Loves the stuff. I kid you not. Let him have some." Not one to denounce a Trainer's knowledge of their own partners (no matter how klutzy they may be), she reached for a cup. Mossy's vines stopped her, as he dug into himself and pulled out a cup all his own. The attendant was a little perturbed, but nonetheless poured him a generous serving.

Mossy seemed to be subdued almost immediately as he savored his first sip. Rapp shrugged and looked to the attendant as his eyes began to wander toward the stairwell. "Yeah, he's always liked tea. Um, are the battle rooms open?" Mossy was oblivious to the world right now, as Rapp turned back to the attendant. "Umm, yes. All day and night. Are you thinking about battling now?"

"I have to. I think the Pokemon we want to try and fight come out at this time. Besides, we have a date in the Jungle room that we cannot miss." The attendant stared at Rapp as he stated those last few words with a deep rooted scowl, and she then turned to the plant, whom was already helping himself to more. "Wow, he really likes his tea."

"Huh? Oh yeah. Loves it. Pretty sure he's a connoisseur of it." Rapp joked, giving them both a much needed wake up laugh to their systems. Mossy turned around at the sound, and pondered just what the humanfolk were talking about. It didn't matter however, he got his tea-a dark concoction today-and now he was ready to take on just about anything. "Mossy. You ready to go?"

This time, the planimal stood up and corssed his vines before bowing, mimicking a butler of sorts. Rapp clapped and swiftly picked up the Pokemon by his base, before turning to the attendant. "Thanks very much for everything. Have a great morning." The pair waved as Rapp gingerly headed toward the stairwell, and the attendant smiled quietly, waving back to them before turning back to her duties. She still had a few hours before anyone would show up-but at least this morning started out fun.

---

Shutting the doorway behind them, Rapp and Mossy now looked at the map plastered on the stairwell wall. It pointed out that taking the stairs down from here would lead to the Pond Room. Mossy headed in front of Rapp, both noting the symbolic silence that led up to the calm blue door that held their future. Rapp pushed against it with one hand, forcing it open, and Mossy stepped in first. Their eyes were not met with harsh light but rather a soft glow mimicking the sunrise over a secular pond. There were some buzzing above them both, but nothing dipped down. Reeds poked out from the small platform they were standing on, and it was only when a passing Finneon broke the surface could they see the surface of the water.

Rapp stopped at the edge of the platform and looked left and right. There seemed to be a plethora of fish swimming calmly, but nothing that Rapp felt comfortable having Mossy fight. Mossy looked at Rapp, and dipped a vine in the water. Rapp looked down, and saw the puzzled look on his Pokemon's face.

"Oh. How are you going to get across the water? Well, I was thinking about that. Remember that boat ride we took from home? Well, it was a motorboat. What they did was pull a string, and that helped to rev a motor. I'm thinking that you can do the same. Just spin some of your vines under you, and you should be able to move!" The Tangela looked at Rapp, before hopping into the water. Being a light plant, he naturally floated, and he could kick his feet to swim, but the vine spinning was a new idea. He kicked away from the platform, and started to twirl some of his lower vines. At first, nothing happened, but then with a kick from one foot, the Tangela began to rocket forward. He slowed down his spinning vines and slowed down his speed. Figuring out how it worked was not too bad.

"Good job Mossy. Now go check out the those reeds over there. I don't want you to dive under yet." Mossy agreed, and started up his new "skill"! The motorvining Tangela whisked itself into the weeds, scattering Finneons and Goldeens that were lazily swimming around the area. For a moment, Rapp heard nothing. No water splashing, no "Tang tang!" from Mossy..not even the scent of tea that he drank this morning. "Mossy? Mossy? You ok?"

Mossy suddenly blasted out of the weeds, vines spinning rapidly as two blue shapes started toward him. They were swimming pretty quickly, and one made a left turn, to hop onto the platform Rapp stood on. Upon its arrival, Rapp stepped back. It was kinda tall, with pointy protrusions on its cheeks. But its face was babylike, and that was all layered in a blue skin. It jumped up, as if rooting on the pursuing Pokemon against Mossy. "Hey Mossy! Try a Sleep Powder cloud"

[Mossjito Lv18 vs 2 Marshtomps Lv 25]

Rapp noted that this Marshtomp was being all sorts of noisy. It was still early morning, and that Uproar was sure to wake up something Rapp didn't want Mossy to meet. But Mossy seemed to have this under control, at least the evasion part. But the water was doing a number on Mossy's ability to shoot out any spores. He made a wide bank, and the swimming Marshtomp lunged out the water, smiling. One hand seemed to have mud all over it, and he slapped it right on Mossy, while slapping him underwater a bit. Mossy bobbed back up, and whizzed right to the platform, lurching out and onto it. Unexpectedly, a Luvdisc shot by, to avoid the battle happening near its resting spot.

With the other Marshtomp making noise, Rapp was wincing. "Mossy, try to umm....oh I know! Poisonpowder cloud!" Mossy smirked and dove back in the water, the swimmer stomp following. That Marshtomp swam right into the Poison trail left behind by Mossy as it began its motorvines up again. That stopped the second Marshtomp, and he changed tactics. A chilling air began to fill the platform's atmosphere, and Rapp knew immediately what was going on.

"Mossy! Body Slam that Stomp, and then Absorb this one over here!" Mossy heard him, but wasn't sure what he was thinking. But the swimmingstomp was not making it easy, going for a second slap of Mud. But Mossy switched the vines direction, and flung himself forward. He endured the Mud-Slap, and was able to bounce off of the Marshtomp. As the swimmer stopped and looked up at Mossy, an Ice Beam crashed into the back of his head. He turned toward his partner, who shrugged in an accidental manner. Rapp watched as Mossy splashed into the water, and sped toward the platform. A green aura took over the Marshtomp, and suddnely the Pokemon was on his knees. It seemed to hurt alot more than it expected, and he hissed in anguish. Tangela appreciated the hefty amount of health back and flopped back onto the platform, right before a coughing sputtering splashed into the platform. The swimmer stomp caught up to Tangela, but before he could react, Tangela flew into him with another Body Slam. That stomp falls back into the water, and Mossy now turns his focus onto the first stomp...whom was charging another Ice Beam.

The icy blast struck Mossy, giving the Pokemon a severe loss of mobility. The water all over its vines began to freeze and soon Mossy found itself nothing more than a cube of ice! Mossy freaked, as the Marshtomp ran over and shoved him into the Pond. The second Marshtomp bobbed back up, still coughing,and climbed onto him. Since Mossjito could float, he used him as a viney raft, sailing in a half circle around the platform and Rapp. Rapp was freaked out for a moment, and then noticed that Mossy's still had a few unfrozen vines.

"Mossy! We got one chance here. I'm going to need you to spin your vines to Constrict that Stomp, and then throw up a Sleep Powder!"

Mossy felt the vines that were thawed from of ice, and stretched them around the Marshtomp's arm that was using him as a paddleboard. Weirded out, the Marshtomp tried to break free, swimming toward its partner. The landstomp reached out, and tried to pull his partner free of the vines, when a poof of spores clouded over them both! The landstomp backed up, coughing, while the right one fell over, onto Mossy. Mossy kept Constricting that one, and felt that his back vines were starting to move from thawing in this water.

Rapp leaned over the platform edge, and pointed to that stomp. "Mossy-Absorb it until it drops. They're both asleep!" With actual physical contact possible with this stomp, Mossy didn't need to see where it was. He began the vampiric effect, draining a substantial amount of health off of this swimming beast. With poison still affected this one, the absorb drained the rest of the energy that Pokemon had, and left him a floating mass on the Pond.

Still shivering, Mossy bobbed toward the platform, hitting it a few times in frustration. It took about 3 minutes before he thawed enough to pull himself up, but upon dragging himself out the water, Rapp was pointing to the still sleeping Marshtomp. "You gotta drain that one, buddy! Otherwise I'da picked you up by now." Mossy looked at Rapp with unforgiving eyes. This was NOT part of the plan. But, that was the rules. Still half frozen, Mossy picked himself up and started another Absorb. The Marshtomp rolled over, losing health rapidly. It still clung to its sleeping life, as Mossy felt hyper rejuvenated from that strike.

Marshtomp grunted, and managed to open one eye as Mossy limps toward him. Ice started to slide off the vines, revealing that he was thawing from that ice strike. Realizing he had been asleep for a while, the swimmer Pokemon holds up one arm and fires off a blast of water to try and push Mossy back. Mossy smirks, and swats the water off of his face as the ice falls off in clumps. He swings out another set of vines, and wraps up his opponent in their grasp.

"Ok, Body Slam, and that'll be that!"

Mossy understood and instead of ramming his body into Marshtomp, let his vines snake forward and backward. The Stomp went flying, crashing into the water at a high speed. The impact knocked him out, and caused the body to skip into the other prone 'stomp. Mossy breathed a deep sigh of relief, before walking over to Rapp. Using the vines as a whip, he snaked them across his body, shattering the remainder of the ice on himself.

"Nice! Wait, you must've finally learned Vine Whip! Great! That's really great Mossy!" Rapp clapped and picked up his tried and true fighter, removing and straggling pieces of frozen water. Mossy sighed, glad to take a breather. The pair took one last look at the Pond room, before Rapp leaned on the exit bar to open the door.

"Hrm. What say you we warm up in the Jungle room, before we try that Blizzard room, eh?" Moss nodded, really liking that idea.

[Mossy grew to LV22!
Mossy learned Vine Whip!]

---

The pair exited the Pond Room, and noted the hallway was brighter than before. A Trainer came down the stairs eagerly, but upon seeing them, stopped and stared.. "Wow, you two must be early birds. Sun just came up 5 minutes ago, but you two looked like you've been in there swimming for a while!!"

"You could say that." Rapp laughed, and Mossy joined him in their morning chuckle, as they quickly climbed the stairs. Rapp grabbed the banister and used it to rope himself around the corner so he could throw himself down the hallway and dashed for the vine laden door that led to the Jungle room. With it being morning, there was a chance those damned Grovyles wouldn't be up yet."

Pulling the door open, they were once again greeted by a warm jungle air. Knowing the lay of the and was an advantage this time, and Rapp looked around, remembering the last time they were in here. Mossy too, stared at the trees and the dirt they ran across, noting that they only went in one direction. West. Vines pointed east, and Rapp nodded. No need to go into danger! The pair started their trek into this half of the room as fearless and wondrous as their first entry, petting leaves and throwing dirt in the air as if it was snow. Unsure of the next battle it was going to be in, Mossy began rooting around, trying to find the best spots to Ingrain.

It took a few moments, but he found a great mound of mulch. Running over to it, he jumped on top, and seemed to have found his version of heaven. It was soft, pliable and filled with Miracle-Gro! Vines were immediately stuck into it, and he began feeling the different types of rocks and foreign matter composed in this heap. Rapp stayed back a bit, slightly perturbed Mossy was wading through all that. Letting his Pokemon situate itself, Rapp once again went tree hugging. Thick trees. Skinny trees. Trees with thin leaves and massive leaves, he loved them all.

When he made his rounds after a few minutes, he returned to where he left mossy, only to see that Mossy was not on top of the mound anymore. The mound was situated near a tree, and this tree was dripping a thick oozing substance from its bark. Sap. Rapp walked closer to the tree, avoiding the compost heap at all costs, when something murmured from inside the compost heap. A pair of spurs jutted out first, and they seemed to be coated in the waxy stuff. These spurs were then connected to a long ...proboscis of some sort, but it began to rub against the tree. Rapp saw no discernible eyes on this thing, and called out for Mossy.

"Hey! Moss! Where'd you go?"

He heard a murmur. From inside the heap. Rapp backed away, as the spurs on the long stick shot back inside the heap. Now he was freaked out. What if that horned thing was trying to eat Mossy? "I-I gotta go in! I gotta dive...into the compost heap...to get Mossy! Mossy means...means alot to me! Whoo ok. No Big. Here we GO!" Rapp sprinted for the heap and just when he was able to make a leap, Mossy rolled out of the heap, vines wrapped around something. Rapp immediately, caused himself to trip and crashed a foot away from the plant Pokemon, whom started to run!

"Who hey where'--"

Rapp's inquiry was cut short when a roar was heard from inside the heap, followed by the heap exploding as a Heracross burst out. Covered in compost makeup, Rapp quietly stared at the bug, whom seemed absolutely livid. The bug turned toward him, and growled, but Rapp pointed a finger to his right. Mossy was a few yards away, and making track, holding something in its vines. Turning back to look if the coast was clear, Mossy would be scooped up by the pursuing Pokemon's hands and flown into the sky.

"I TOLD YOU. STOP STEALING! NOW YER GONNA HAFTA FIGHT TO KEEP WHATEVER THAT THI..." Rapp watches as Mossy seemed to throw a powder of sorts in Heracross's face as the bug tried to fly back toward the heap. This made the bug cough, but it also allowed Mossy to break free of his grip and now fall toward the ground. Those stronger vines now snaked out and whipped at tree branches, causing Mossy to control his falling descent, until he landed nest to Rapp, box in hand. He tossed it at Rapp, who instinctively caught it.

"Oh eww Moss! It's covered in dung? What is it?" Realizing now was not the time to worry about that, he wiped it off, as Mossy jumped up and down, eager to learn what it was he pilfered as well. "Well, Mr-Thief-of-the-Woods, it says...TM..oh hey another one of those machines. This one is...hrm. Why would a Heracross want Shock Wave?" It didn't matter to Mossy why [it wanted it. It mattered that he learn it right now! He grabbed the electronic teaching device and managed too open it up. There was a screen showing how the move was to be taught to the Pokemon, but Mossy interpreted it quite quickly. Rapp watches as the light died out from the machine, and Heracross landed, looking quite sore about having lost his skill to this plant.

[Mossy Learned Shock Wave via TM!
Mossy Lv22 vs Heracross Lv25]

"Well now. You better hope we can topple this guy. We were just coming in here for the Grovyles... but I guess he'll be a good warmup. Start with a Body Sla-" Rapp couldn't even finish his statement as the bug Pokemon ran up and punched Mossy in the face rather fast, That little grass type sailed back and into Rapp's gut, felling them both. It walked over, and Mossy was slow to get up. Rapp, taking a deep breath to avoid panting, quickly gave out a command.

"I dunno what powder you did up there Mossy, but go for an Ingrain in that compost!" Mossy nodded, remembering why it was rummaging there in the first place. Running away from Heracross was a bad idea, as the bug simply parted the exoskeletal flaps on its back to reveal its wings and flew right after Mossy. Mossy turned around right as that horn speared the bush, and flung him upward...hard. Mossy crashed through trees and leaves alike, but Rapp was already tailing him, hoping to catch him before he got too bruised.

The familiar hiss caught his ears, and Rapp noted a dark silhouette in the canopy, also watching where Mossy landed. "Oh crap! Mossy! We got company! Vine whip to safety and stay in the trees! I'll be up there soon!"

The Heracross flew up to try and hear where Mossy landed, and managed too break through the canopy a bit. Rapp found a thick enough tree that had a bough he knew he could use as a starting point. He managed to jump up on it, and climb atop that bough, before running across it and jumping to another tree. Two silhouettes dashed past him in the trees, triangulating on a spot, where the bush may have landed.

"Moss! Sleep Powder cloud if you can hear me!"

--

Mossy found himself spinning in the air hectically, and was unsure which was was up or down. That Heracross was pretty powerful! As flashes of green started to make themselves more apparent, Mossy extended vines all around and managed to create a web of vines that kept him from falling deeper into the treeline. This also had the side effect of making him an easy target for anything. When he felt comfortable, he retracted his vines except for a few on his lower left, the closest tree and branch he could stand on. Knowing he was hurt already from those two hits made Mossy realize this was not going to be a cake walk anymore.

Not to mention the hissing sound he now heard not too far away. Those damn Grovyle's were back. Knowing Rapp would need time to get here, Mossy planted himself in the crux of that tree branch, and ingrained into it. The Heracross, luckily, came into Mossy's sights first, and he wanted to get that guy out of the way. So he threw a piece of bark at it. Hera felt the wood hit him in the head, and turned to spy his quarry right there, only a few feet away. Horn first, Hera went diving for the grasser. Reluctant to get stabbed by that horn again, Mossy channeled his energy in a more...explosive way. The energy changed from a soothing feeling to more independent, too independent. Erratic even. It surged forth in its own circular pattern, honing in on Heracross's impeding flight path.

The bolts struck and slowed the bug down, forcing it to crash into the canopy. The hissing of the Grovyles soon followed that noise, giving Mossy a much needed break to rejuvenate. A rustling came from Mossy's left side now and he turned to see what this threat may be. That telltale horn gave it away too early, and Mossy crouched down, unsure how Heracross managed to fall to his east, but manage to get to the west side before the Grovyles. It didn't matter, as Heracross came bumbling up once more. Glaring at the plant, he made a motion to slash him out of the tree. The claws landed on Mossy's hide, but the Pokemon made sure his vines flipped onto Heracross, and seeded themselves in!

That dark slash took off another hefty chunk, but now with Hera Leech Seeded, and poisoned, maybe he could make up the difference. Ingraining helped again, as goblets of pale green orbs floated over to Tangela, whom metastasized them readily enough. Heracross though, forced himself to land on the tree branch, giving Mossy something to worry about. Not because he was still trying to stall, but because Hera was looking down.

Down at the pack of Grovyles below, whom all seemed to be waiting for a loser to this match. Hera then turned to Tangela and lowered his horn. Out of ideas Mossy just gripped the tree as tight as he could, as Hera shouted a battle cry.

"Mossy! Release yourself and do a swinging Body Slam!"

Mossy heard the words, but couldn't move for a moment. That horn got terribly close though and Mossy's vines seemed to melt out of the tree and allowed him to fall to the right. One Grovyle lunged just then as Hera 's attack barely missed Mossy. Mossy judged the distance as best he could and wrapped his vines around the tree branch. The Grovyle was used as s kicking point to further himself away from the tree branch, and Mossy jumped up, before puling himself back like a Yo-yo. Hera turned and received a Tangela to his gut, knocking them both to the west. Mossy released his vines from the branch and that allowed the pair of them to sail a good few feet, before Hera's back hit a branch, bouncing Mossy off and on his own flight path.

Hera fell to the grassy floor, and Rapp was lunging right after, closely tailed by the Grovyle. But Mossy was ready this time and dove for Rapp. Hera recovered and swooped back into the sky, dead set on bringing Mossy down. His hands were tucked in, and he looked like a flying blue bullet to Mossy, but this plan was going to work.

Hera attack connected, but so did Mossy's, a Sleep Powder Cloud that blanketed Hera, Rapp and the incoming Grovyles. Mossy bounced backwards from the collision of all 5 bodies, and landed in the heap. Hera kept flying up from his strike and crashed into a tree branch. This tree branch spun down and landed on the Grovyle's, pinning them there. Hera barely felt anything as his wings stopped and he fell back to the ground, bouncing once upon impact.

Rapp tucked and rolled, managing to get the spores on his compost infested coat. Tearing it off to avoid the effects, he looked to Mossy, who looked like crap.

"Ok. Ingrain now, and then Absorb! We gotta take advantage while he's down!"

Mossy nodded and did just that, sucking back into the earth like a real bush. The Heracross stayed sound asleep, still afflicted by the poisoning. The Grovyles began calling for help, but Rapp began to edge toward Mossy. He once again began making a plan for a escape, should Mossy pull this off. Mossy was concentrating on nothing but Heracross now, Absorbing as best he could. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get himself back into meager shape. Hera stayed down long enough for 2 Absorbs.

Mossy though, began to look winded. Rapp pondered how much Mossy could take, before Heracross was back up and bounded over. Its heavy hands started to furiously slash at Mossy, whom seemed relatively ok, as he was vine whipping back each blow. The two Pokemon kept this up for about 7 to 8 exchanges, before Mossy finally broke through with a Shock Wave in his parrying vines.

The electric attack threw Heracross back, as he was not expecting a electrified vine to strike him. The bug got up to try another technique, but stumbled forward. His body was in shock from the poisoning finally, and Mossy finally seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Hera growled, and forced himself up once more, before throwing another speedy attack at Mossy! Damn this thing.

A thud behind Rapp got his attention. The Grovyles managed to get the log off of them. "Mossy-End him now. Shock Wave, and let's go!" Mossy understood, and did just that. The close ranged Heracross was no match for the third Shockwave, and fell over in a defeated heap. As the Grovyles turned their attention to the tired but still viable Mossy, Rapp scooped him up and held him out. He also scooped up his coat and gave it to Mossy.

"They get near us, shake my coat. It still has your sleep spores on it." The Grovyles stared Rapp down, and Rapp quietly counted three of them. He grunted, and sprinted for the nearest exit now. As he thought, the Grovyles gave chase. Mossy smirked this time as the Grovyles tried to attack from either side. He draped the coat over Rapp and himself and began to beat the spores out of it with his vines. The Spores flew out of the coat fibers, and would catch the Grovyle pack off guard, dropping them like flies.

When the Grovyle threat was eliminated, Mossy hopped free of Rapp's arms and handed him his garment. Rapp took it back lightly, and smirked "Good job Mossy, with that Heracross. That was awesome!"

[Mossy grew to lv24!]

Rapp walked forward, managing the terrain ahead to make sure it was clear. In the distance, he could see the point from which they entered. Glad it was clear, Rapp called over to Mossjito, whom seemed to be playing with something. "Hey Mossy. Come on. Let's get you fixed up and showered!"

Mossy nodded and took one more gaze at the wild jungle room. Then he looked down, and rummaged in his vines. Out was pulled a leaf-like feather. A Grovyle feather. Stuffing it back in his vines, he ran after his trainer-eager to get out of here with his treasure from before. Rapp didn't really need to know, right?

Lady Vulpix

10th February 2011, 08:28 AM

Amy gets 10 stamps for her battle. By the way, the phrase "the Kadabra teleported right beside me and slashed out with his right hand the claws slicing through the collar like it was butter" only makes sense if you put a comma after the word "hand". ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

DL, do you want your battle rated now, or should we wait until you've edited it?

Here goes my first installment (out of 5, I suppose) for the Training Grounds scenario.

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<Gabi's POV>

Days passed and things slowly began to return to normal; which in my case meant piles of work and running from one place to another and arranging things for both the Dragon Tamers and the Dragon's Guild. It would take time for everyone to recover from Yssera's attacks, but I was delighted to see the smiles on everyone's faces when they realized the threat was gone and the brainwashing was only a sad memory. Some of us even started to make jokes about how we'd managed to free the lands from the fearsome chaotic neutral dragon. But those jokes only served to remind me that a bigger threat was still on the loose. We'd had very little news of the Black Dragon since the incident at Templa Taure, yet I knew he was a threat not to be ignored, and Bo's recent possession was proof that he was still out there somewhere and that he hadn't forgotten about us. We'd have to find him somehow, but where could we start looking? And what could have possibly been keeping him occupied for so long? Not to mention the scariest question: what were we supposed to do once we found him? I wished I had the answers to all those questions. For the time being, all I could do was try to gather information subtly, hoping that he wouldn't catch on. And then, among those contemplations, I had an idea.

A small but fruitful meeting was called. Shonta, Jeff and myself managed to lay out the plans for an event that would not only help lift up everyone's mood, but would also, with any luck, allow us to gather some valuable information. That meant we had more work than usual ahead of us, but it was mostly work that had been done before and it could certainly be done. After a long time, Ulthuan would finally see a new Pokemon Battling Tournament: the 2nd Dragon Games. I offered myself to be the judge, since I'd had plenty of time to rest since the Unicorn Games and was ready for another go at it. Jeff and Shonta helped set things up; Shonta had a cool idea for what we could use as prizes, and Jeff had a great idea about the kind of stadium we could use for the tournament. It took me a day of searching our files before I remembered the old Yvresse Training Grounds and realized they were exactly what we needed. They'd have to be reconditioned and transported, but with the Guild's resources it would be done in a matter of weeks. And, fortunately, at least 2 of the Guild's divisions supported us in this endeavor.

Speaking of the Dragon's Guild, I got a memo from Lady Ninetales telling me to meet Lord Umbreon's new replacement Lord Porygon and reopen registration for the Pokémon Research and Training Department. I was intrigued by this, but there wasn't much I could do about it other than follow her directions. I did ask if anything had happened to Ade, and was somewhat relieved to hear that he had simply resigned so that he could travel freely with Soo and their gang. I knew I would miss them, especially when the time came to face the Black Dragon, but it was good to know that they were fine. I was even allowed to see his resignation note when I asked for it, as he had left instructions to show it to anyone who requested it. Still, I wished they'd come to see me or at least called me before they left, and I hoped I'd get to meet them all in person again someday. And that they wouldn't do anything too risky while they were away. Then, with that question out of the way, I began to wonder who his replacement might be. And then I met him... and I had to agree with Lady Ninetales's choice. Jeff had been working hard for the Guild for years and really deserved the promotion. Besides, he and I were good at working together, so if anything the new situation was bound to make my job easier. It's great to receive good news!

During our next meeting we congratulated Jeff on his promotion and discussed several things that needed to be done, including the search for the still missing Flame - which, following Amy's request, was left to the police -, the new threat of the Snag Machines, and the weird anonymous e-mails we'd all been receiving about adulterated Dubious Discs. We also talked about the upcoming tournament and continued the preparations. I began to look forward to my chance to tackle the Training Grounds again.

I still had a lot of work to do, though. Jeff and I gathered as much information about the Guild as we could to present it to any possible newcomers, and while he wrote the opening speech I checked the map and the archives for any places where the Black Dragon might have been hiding. The good news was that, from our past experiences, it was practically certain that he's be targeting some old, sacred site. So that only limited our search to... about a hundred places in Ulthuan. Living in a land with such a rich history had its disadvantages. I tried to narrow down the options and decided we should start with the sites whose historical and mystical importance was most widely known (Gaen Vale and the Towers of Saphery, perhaps even the Gates), and then the sites in which he'd shown an interest before (Templa Taure and White Mountain). That would force us to search 4 different provinces, but I couldn't think of any better alternatives, nor could I be sure that we'd find him or even hear about him in any of those places. Still, we had to do something.

I was checking the Guild's library for any clues I might be missing - not an easy task at all - when Golden Growlithe walked in and greeted me.

"Oh, hi," I said, turning to face him and suddenly noticing the pale look on his face. "Are you OK? What happened?"
"Is it that obvious that something happened?"
"I'd say so. You look terrible! What's wrong?"
"No, please, don't be afraid. I'm sure everything will be alright, it's just..."
I fixed my eyes on him, urging him to continue.
"Lord Absol has talked to me again."

I didn't know whether to feel relieved or scared. In all my years in the Guild I'd never been able to figure out Lord Absol's intentions and motives, and he still sent a chill up my spine whenever I saw him or heard of him. And I'd never had an interview with him. I could understand Eshree being terrified of having his attention, but he was supposed to be more or less on our side, wasn't he? At least as long as we didn't get in the way of whatever schemes he had. Was that why he'd talked to Eshree twice? Was he somehow interfering with something?

"What did he talk to you about?" I asked my friend.
"Well... I think he'd expected me to leave after Yssera was defeated. He asked me why I was still here. When I told him I wanted to help you guys he made a gesture that could have been either a chuckle or a frown and asked me if I thought I could do anything against the Black Dragon. At that point I started feeling that I'd been really stupid and couldn't really do anything, but I told him I had to try because... Well, because other trainers like me would have to face him and none of us had enough power on our own, but maybe together we could come up with something. And then..."
"And then what?"
"Then he laughed. He really laughed. It lasted only for a second, but it was so weird! Then he said I had good entertainment value or something like that, told me to be careful and not to go where I wasn't welcome, whatever that means, I'm still trying to figure it out. And then he called Glyph to his office... no, I don't think it was his office, it was an office."
"What did he want with Glyph?"
"I'm not sure. Glyph looked worried when he came out and didn't say much, just that he didn't like the guy and he'd have to be careful not to attract his attention again. Then he decided to go home and get some rest. I'm worried, I'd never seen him like that. He was always so confident! Whenever we had a problem he always had an answer or a way to look for one."
"No one can be strong all the time."
"I know. I'll talk to him when I get home, try to find out what the problem is and help him sort it out. That's something I know how to do, even if he realized I was good at it before I did."
"Really?"
"Yes. He's special. I know that word can mean many things, but what I mean is... I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for him. He helped my team come together and helped me realize my potential as a trainer."
"Then this may be your chance to repay him. I wouldn't worry so much, though. You know the name of Lord Absol's department, right?"
"Tactical Neutralization Unit. The name itself sounds terrible."
"It does and it probably is, but Glyph is still in one piece, which means Lord Absol doesn't consider him a threat worth neutralizing. He must have given him a warning at most, or maybe he just asked him questions to find out who he was and what he wanted."
"Like he did to me the first time? Makes sense. But why now, and why him in particular?"
"I don't know why now, maybe Glyph knows. But I can take a guess at why him. If he's the one who brought your team together and, from what I've seen, everyone in your team looks up to him, including yourself... it's no wonder he'd want to get to know him better."
"I hope you're right and that's all there is to it."
"I'm sure that's it. It's not like Glyph could ever become a threat to Ulthuan, so I'm sure he has nothing to fear from Lord Absol's unit."
"Probably... but he still makes you feel like you have everything to fear from him."
"He does. It's weird, isn't it? You know they say he's an elf and he's been around since before the Sundering."
"Really?... It makes sense now that you mention it. That means he's had a lot of time to learn how to scare the hell out of people."

We both chuckled at that remark, and that served to lighten the mood.

"OK, thanks for your kind words," he said. "On a lighter note, are you going to the Training Grounds?"
"I seriously hope so," I told him. "Work keeps piling up, but I won't let it stop me from attending. My team deserves a chance to participate in battles that aren't life-threatening."
"Well, I really hope you do, because I got permission to join the training staff and Orknye's itching for a rematch against Iael at the Blizzard Room."
"The Blizzard Room! Wow, that brings back memories. That's where we first met, wasn't it?"
"It was where we first battled. We met here at the Dragon's Guild not long before."
"Oh, sorry. Still, if I recall correctly, Iael didn't have a good time battling Orknye back then."
"I know and I'm very sorry about that. Orknye was just getting used to the local battling system, plus he didn't know about Iael's issues. He's promised to stick to official moves this time. No Hidden Power abuse and no dream walking either. I assure you he's really got the hang of Pokemon battling. It'll be a clean match."
"OK... I'll have to ask Iael, but knowing him I think he will accept. I've noticed all of you have got the hang of the way things work around here."
"We had to. We've been here for 6 and a half years."
"Has it really been that long?! Wow, I can't believe it! Where has all the time gone?"
"You're starting to talk like an old lady, no offense meant."
"Offense taken, but I'll let it slide this time," I glared at him and then grinned. "So, will you be spending all your time at the Blizzard Room?"
"Of course not! I can't stand the cold for that long! I'll go there every now and then to battle with Orknye and Linyi, and since Lavy will be in the Pond Room I'll go and see how she's doing from time to time."
"Linyi's going to battle?"
"Yes, even though she ages more slowly than the average Smoochum, I think she's old enough to start training more seriously. She's already had a few battles and she's been enjoying it so far."
"That's good to hear. I hope she has a good time at the Blizzard Room. She's an Ice type, so she should be comfortable there."
"I'm sure she will. She's been doing great these days. No more nightmares or silent weeping, no more asking when we'll get back home... I'm starting to fear that she might be reluctant to leave when we finally do go back."
"She can always come to visit, right?"
"You're underestimating the effort it takes, but I believe she can."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't implying it was easy. But it's possible. I've made the trip a few times myself, even though I really don't know how I did it."
"Yeah, you should try to learn more about your abilities. You have so much unused potential!"
"Did Glyph tell you that?"
"I don't need Glyph to notice."

For a moment I was unsettled by his smile. Then I remembered that he was about 5 years younger than me and as geographically inconvenient as was possible. Then I thought that neither of those things really meant much, and I finally thought that it was really stupid to have any of those thoughts in the first place and that I was getting a wrong impression as usual. The whole progression took about 2 seconds, which was also the time it took for Eshree's smile to fade away. I wondered if I'd ever be able to sort out my emotional life but, as usual, other things took precedence.

"Any ideas on how we can find the Black Dragon?" I switched to the subject I'd been working on before he came.
"What? Oh, nothing yet, sorry. But if anyone mentions anything relevant I'll let you know. Now I need to go talk to Lady Bellsprout about our work in progress. If everything goes well, Amber may be allowed to sign her name on next year's report."
"Oh! I didn't know what you were working on. Is it some kind of Pokemon rights project?"
"Sort of. We're trying to make people aware of the part Pokemon play in the regular Guild activities so that their work can be officially recognized. I know others have tried and failed, but I think now's a good moment to make a more serious attempt. And, come to think of it, now that Lord Absol has called Glyph for an interview I don't think he can object."
"He could argue that Glyph isn't really a Pokemon."
"He wouldn't... Would he?"
"I hope not, but try not to mention Lord Absol in your report. Getting involved with him is asking for trouble."
"I know that, I'm not insane! The best I can hope for is that he doesn't show any interest in my work. But personal issues aside, I think he must agree that Pokemon aren't being given the recognition they deserve here."
"I know I agree. If you need any words from me, just let me know. Your project has my full support."
"Thanks. Now I really need to go. See you later, either here or at the Training Grounds."

<Glyph's POV>

I felt drained. I collapsed on my pillow as soon as I got home and didn't get back up until the rest of my team came in. Eshree was very nice to me. He told the others to give us some space and kneeled over to ask me what had happened and how I was feeling. I told him the truth: Lord Absol and I hadn't really talked much, but his piercing gaze hadn't left me until the end of the interview. He had the typical unanswerable questions: who I was and what I wanted; I hadn't been able to do much with those. But he'd also wanted to know about my actions on White Mountain and my part in defeating Yssera, and I'd told him everything, hoping to get the interview over with as soon as possible. I was angry at myself for getting so nervous in front of him, but I'd never been interrogated like that before. I guess no one can keep his cool all the time. In the end he'd let me go saying he'd be watching me, which didn't man much since I knew he'd been watching me all along. But he knew I wasn't going to turn evil or go on a rampage, and that was what mattered. If he tried to measure my power, he couldn't have found out much since my greatest powers had always been my instinct, my observation skills and my eagerness to learn as much as possible. And sure, I could travel between planes, but I wasn't the first one and probably wouldn't be the last one to do that. Other than that, for all practical purposes I was just a regular Espeon. Which is saying something, since Espeons have some cool powers, but they're well known and officially accepted, so I didn't have to worry about getting in trouble for using them.

I felt much better after a friendly talk and a bowl of warm milk. I joined the others in their preparations for the Training Grounds, as well as in their excitement, even though I wouldn't be battling. Only Orknye, Lavy and Linyi had made it to the Training Grounds Pokemon List, but I didn't mind being left out. If anything, it gave me a chance to explore the area around the Dragon Gate and learn interesting things. And who knew? I might even learn something useful about the Black Dragon.

<Iael's POV>

It took us a ridiculous amount of time to get on the road. It had been a long time since I'd had a real battle and I couldn't wait to reach the Training Grounds. The only one who was somewhat reluctant to leave was Lagi, who was hoping to receive a letter from her daughter Eddie now that all of Yssera's victims had been released from her hold. But Gabi and Amber assured her that they'd be checking their e-mails while in Avelorn and that Edie was unlikely to write a letter on paper and, even if she did, such letters could take about a month to arrive. She didn't want to think of the possibility of Edie not writing to tell her where she was and how she was doing, but I could think of many reasons why she might be unable or even unwilling to write. They all boiled down to painful memories, either hers or her trainer's. Those nasty things are really hard to deal with. A proof of that is that I barely remember the trip to Avelorn: I was that shocked by the landscape that greeted us when we arrived. It was beautiful, I must admit it. Words like "lush", "rich" and "verdant" come to mind when trying to describe it. But with them came a word with a double edge: homely. I knew it was my mind playing tricks on me; the forest in Avelorn didn't even have the same kinds of plants as the one in Caledor. But it was so beautiful and so full of life... I couldn't help being reminded of my old home. Then the touch of Lagi's hand on my back reminded me that I had a new family, but I was starting to fear that I might never stop missing the old one. Many years had passed and I'd moved on, but my old wounds had never fully healed. They'd been taken from me so suddenly, so unfairly... and the culprit was still missing. Now there were even doubts about his identity! And the whole of Ulthuan was still having to deal with constant threats. Nothing had changed. I wondered if my heart would ever be at peace.

I tried to shake the negative thoughts away and focus on the battle ahead. I had accepted Orknye's challenge, which meant I'd be battling in the Blizzard Room. We had a long discussion to decide who else would be battling and where, and then there was a ridiculous argument about the order in which we'd visit each room, with a stupid final result which had us going back and forth between the two towers without staying in the same one for two rooms in a row. But that was the only decision that seemed to please everyone, so who was I to complain? I was surprised to hear Ventura didn't want to battle, but she said her time in Avelorn would be put to better use if she went out to gather information with Amber. So they both left equipped with a pack of raspberry granola bars, promising to return at dusk with a report of their findings. I'd always been puzzled by Amber's taste for granola bars, but she seems to love every assorted mix of either sweet or savory ingredients. Herbal teas, soups, stews, granola... anything goes.

As we reached the West tower, I was finally starting to feel the excitement. The grey stone walls had the marks left by centuries of battles, and the moss brought by the relative peace the land currently enjoyed. We were welcomed by a guy whose gaze reminded me of a Hoothoot. He bowed to Gabi after checking her ID, which must have made her a bit uncomfortable because she stood there frozen for a couple of seconds before thanking him and walking in with the rest of us. It had been decided that Caledor and I would be the first to battle, so we climb up the long stairway to the top of the West Tower. Gabi put on the coat she had brought for the occasion and Caledor began to glow red. I wasn't sure whether that helped him warm up or not, but I doubted I'd get a serious answer if I asked him. Gabi offered me my Deflection Coat, but it would have to be tied around my neck which meant I couldn't keep my Collar, and the latter was more useful for battling. Especially since I knew in advance that my opponent would be male. I'd just have to put up with the cold like I'd done before. My fur provided decent isolation anyway, at least from the wind and the dry cold, and I was confident about being able to shut the cold away from my mind during my battle.

And so, we walked into the room: Lagi, Pidgeot, Sylvan and Water Angel in their pokeballs, the terrible trio and myself walking by Gabi's side. A gust of sharp coldness hit my face as Gabi opened the door, but I'd been ready for it. I watched every step carefully to avoid any soft spots that could send my legs sinking into the snow. There seemed to be a lot more of it than I remembered from the previous Training Grounds. There were few pokemon in sight and I couldn't see any trainers, but the air wasn't clear enough to see far away. After walking a few steps into the room, you could get the impression of standing on an endless icy plain. It was shocking to think that this environment had been constructed within a warm forested area. The thought was invigorating: if we could do something like that, we might be able to deal with anything life threw at us.

A few steps further in, a blurry white shape appeared in front of us. It stood there for a moment and then began to circle around my team.

"Are you looking for a battle?"

The voice was high-pitched, yet sweet and alluring.

"We're waiting for someone," I replied.
"Oh, really?" the figure became clearer and finally revealed her lady-like features and her big, yellow and blue eyes. "That's too bad. I've been here for over an hour and I still haven't found anyone I can challenge."
"Hey, wait," Caledor told me. "You're waiting for someone. I'm free game. We agreed I'd battle here too, remember?"
"Oh, really?" a smile formed on the Ghost Pokemon's face.
"Of course! It wouldn't be right to let a pretty girl suffer."
"How would Kiara feel if she heard that?" Tsunami remarked.
"Hey, I'm showing her kindness, not flirting!" Caledor complained. "We're going to have a battle. Aren't we, miss...?"
"Légèreté. But you can call me Lightness, that's the English translation."
"I think I will," said Caledor. "I don't know how to begin to pronounce your name, I'm sorry."
"It's OK, it happens a lot. That's why I give everyone the choice."
"I guess not everyone can be blessed with an easy name like me. I'm Caledor, like the province... and like the old warrior, and also like a Jolteon who's been missing for years but I came before him. Come to think of it, having an unusual name may have its advantages. At least you know others won't be copying it."
"It's not so unusual, it's a French word. But I'm pleased to meet you, Caledor. Before we battle, may I ask you two questions?"
"Sure, shoot!"
"First of all... do you know what kind of Pokemon I am?"
"Um... Let me see... You're one of those that came from abroad and evolved with one of those weird stones, aren't you? Ice/Ghost type?"
"That's right. I'm a Froslass. That's not a problem, is it?"
"I don't mind if you don't. If it's because of the type thing, don't worry. I'm not afraid of ghosts."
The Froslass giggled. "OK, then. My second question is... What's that red glow around you?"
"I think that was the third question," Tsunami commented, but Caledor ignored him.
"This? It's mostly a light show. But who knows? Maybe if I glow bright enough I'll stop feeling the cold."
"So you can just... glow like that?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Cool, isn't it? It's not the only thing I can do, but you'll have to wait until our battle to learn more."
"Sounds fair. Off we go, then. Follow me to a spot where the ground is more even and we'll begin our battle."

Level 57 Espeon vs. Level 62 Froslass

Légèreté guided Caledor to the battling spot and stood facing him, smiling and generally looking cute. It made Caledor smile, until he seemed to remember he was supposed to be battling her and used his Hidden Power. Four rocks unburied themselves from beneath the snow and shot themselves at the Froslass.

"Oh, I see... That's why you weren't afraid of battling me!" Légèreté concluded.
"If that's what you want to believe," Caledor grinned.

He seemed confident, but I felt something was off. She'd been hit by a Rock type Hidden Power, but she didn't seem to have taken much damage.

"Don't grow overconfident," Hero warned him. He'd probably noticed the same thing.
"You don't have to tell me that," Caledor replied. "You know how I battle."
"Well, I have a feeling that she may be smarter than your average opponent."
"Thanks for the compliment," Légèreté winked at Hero before splitting into 3 different figures.
"See?" Hero told Caledor. "Oldest trick in the book, but it can give you trouble if you don't focus. You know how I battle, so you should know how to deal with this."
"Yes, Hero, I know how to battle, thank you very much," Caledor groaned, shooting another volley of rocks at... the wrong figure.

Hero could be quite obnoxious sometimes, but when it came to Pokemon battles it paid to listen to him. The Froslass had managed to switch places with one of her clones while Caledor was distracted talking back to him. Now he had to pay for it by suffering the pain carried by her Ominous Wind.

"OK, I'm not opening my mouth anymore," Hero decided. "It's your battle. You figure it out."

Caledor must have realized it wouldn't be an easy battle, because he decided to start hitting harder. The light around him grew in intensity while he waited for the wind to subside, and then he shot a powerful Flamethrower in the direction the wind had come from. Or, at least, that seemed to be his intention. The fire hit its target, and some parts of her dress got scorched, but once more, she didn't seem as affected by it as she should have been.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "So that's what the glow was really for!"
"Are you surprised?" Caledor asked her.
"A little bit. Have I managed to surprise you yet?"
"A little bit. What's that thing hanging from your bell? I think I've seen something like that at the Reward Center."
"Oh, this? It's a Spirit Guard."
"Oh... Oh! That would explain it."
"Does it?" The Froslass giggled. "I guess you'll have to wait and see."
"I don't think so. You're trying to play my game and I'm not going to let you. After this is over we can have a fun talk and share tricks and stuff, but now... fair is fair. You're using an item so I'll use one too."

Caledor threw his die into the air in his opponent's direction. When it landed, a yellow light emerged from the symbol on its top face and wrapped itself around the Froslass, binding her. Caledor shot another Flamethrower, which hit its mark full on. Légèreté coughed a couple of times before attempting to move again, and managed to react just in time to avoid a third burst of flame.

"Something still isn't right," Gabi commented. "The Spirit Guard can increase her endurance, but not that much. He's using super effective moves and they're having too little effect on her."
"Do you want me to tell you why or do you want to figure it out on your own?" Hero asked her.
"You mean you know the reason?"
"Of course. I've been watching the battle since the beginning. Something you and Caledor should have done too. Not that there's much he can do to overcome it. The poor guy's blessed with suck and that girl's found a way to exploit his weak point. There are only two ways he can turn the tables, and he may not even think of them."
"Hero, I thought you said you wouldn't open your mouth again?" said Caledor. "I can still hear you!"
"Well, then you'd better listen! If you don't know her strengths, then at least know your own weaknesses. Why is it that you can't hurt her?"
"It's because..." Caledor looked at Légèreté, who was having trouble launching an attack. "It's because something's making me pull back every time I try. It's like something inside me doesn't want to shoot powerful attacks."
"Oh, no, I get it now!" said Gabi. "She used Captivate right at the beginning of the battle. Caledor, you have to... Wait, no, Fire Fang isn't strong enough."
"Bingo!" exclaimed Hero. "Caledor has a huge arsenal of special attacks, but no powerful physical attacks. We need to find a way to fix that when we get home."
"Is this a battle or a conference?" Légèreté interrupted them, finally able to move and conjure up a Hail storm. Her figure became blurry again.

Everyone other than Caledor was forced to step back in order to avoid getting hit. Caledor couldn't help it, however, and an egg-sized block of ice landed on his back.

"Now she's made a mistake," Hero commented. "She's forcing his paw and the result won't be good for her."
"I know, I know, you don't have to spell it out for me!" Caledor shouted. "I was going to do it anyway."
"Sorry, I didn't know you could hear me through the hailstorm! It seems those big ears of yours aren't just decoration."
"I'll get back at you, Hero! Mark my words! But first... let there be light!"

I couldn't help but chuckle when the artificial clouds opened at Caledor's command. I don't really know where the light came from, but it engulfed both my friend and his opponent. Even the wind stopped and the temperature seemed to rise a little bit, even though it was still cold.

"Can the cheerleaders please stop the noise?" Légèreté requested. "We're trying to battle here."
Hero gave her a puzzled look. "I'd never been called that before."
"She's right!" beamed Caledor. "How didn't I notice? You're perfect cheerleader material! You even have 7 pompoms built in!"
"Remember what happened to all the other Pokemon who made fun of my tails?"
"Oh, but they didn't do it the way I did! I'm praising them! Now start shaking them and get working on your verses. You have the equipment, now you just need the right attitude."

A new gust of Ominous Wind was directed towards Caledor, but it turned away just before it hit him.

"And that is how I battle!" Caledor grinned. "It's fun to have a playmate to play the Surprise game, but the magic Espeon will always have the ultimate surprise."
"All that self-patting just for using Detect at the right time?" Hero remarked.
"He must have learnt it from you," Tsunami laughed.

Caledor released another Flamethrower, which turned out to be a lot more effective than the previous ones. A yelp escaped Légèreté's mouth.

"I don't like the way... this is going," she said, shaking her head and preparing another attack.

Unfortunately for Caledor, the wavy, dark purple beam went straight into his head. Hero said he'd use Imprison if he were to battle the Froslass, but it was a moot point since he wasn't going to battle her. Caledor lowered his head and began to tumble. His light changed from red to yellow.

"What does he think he's doing?!" Hero cried out in frustration.
"I think I know," Tsunami chuckled while he took cover behind the Ninetales. "Whatever works for him, as long as I'm not the one who gets hit by it."
"Huh?" Hero and Légèreté said almost in unison.

Caledor released a weak lightning bolt... against himself! He winced for a moment and sparkled a bit before his head perked up, bearing a wide grin.

"Worked like a charm... for the second time!" he beamed.
"Oh, right! Snap! Zap!" Hero shook his head in a reproving gesture. "It's stupid and can only ever make sense in Caledor logic."
"As I said, whatever works for him," Tsunami commented. "Caledor logic seems to work for Caledor. It does make some sense, though. Even if it started out as a mistake, he remembered he'd been able to 'zap' out of confusion once before, so he tried it again."
"I think it was sheer luck that it worked both times," Hero remarked.
"Do not disparage the Caledor logic!" exclaimed the 'magic' Espeon who had now stopped glowing.

Caledor crouched and assumed the pose of a feline ready to jump at its prey. Légèreté, no longer calm and collected, braced herself for an attack that never came. Instead, he let the light from his Sunny Day heal him. Légèreté gave him an angry look and hid herself behind a new hailstorm. Caledor used Sunny Day again.

"We could do this all day," he said.
"OK, then let's go for a neutral weather," the Froslass proposed, gathering clouds above the two fighters.

The cold of the Blizzard Room turned the rain into some kind of slush. It was quite annoying to everyone except the Froslass.

"How is that neutral weather?" Caledor complained.
"It is in Légèreté logic," his opponent grinned.
"Caledor, I think you've found your match!" Tsunami exclaimed.
"I must admit this is kind of fun," the Espeon said, shooting a new set of rocks at the Froslass.
"It's only fun until someone gets hurt!" Légèreté countered the attack with an Ominous Wind.
"They say that then it's hilarious, but I don't subscribe to that school of thought."

As he spoke, Caledor began to glow yellow again. A powerful Thunder tore the clouds and landed right on... Légèreté's protective barrier.

"Then why did you try to do that?" she asked him.
"Because battles are for training, not just for the laughs. Let me try again."

Légèreté was unable to Protect herself again. Caledor's Thunder hit her, but it didn't seem to do much damage.

"That was it?" asked the Froslass, floating towards Caledor. "I shouldn't have tried to protect myself from an attack like that."
"Yeah, it was a bit anticlimactic, wasn't it?" the Espeon admitted. "I expected more too. But well, there you go."

He closed his eyes and began to glow purple... medium purple to be precise. Even the gem on his head turned that color for a moment, during which his whole body had a single color. Légèreté tried to avoid any upcoming attacks by summoning Hail again.

Caledor opened his eyes and healed himself again, even though it wasn't as effective without the extra light from Sunny Day. Légèreté used Ominous Wind again which, combined with the Hail, caused Caledor quite a lot of pain. But that didn't stop him. He used his Hidden Power again, and hit a the Double Team clone that was still lingering in the battlefield. He realized the real Froslass was lying on the snow, trying to go unnoticed. Unfortunately for her, paralysis took over when she tried to get up, giving Caledor another chance to hit her, this time with better results.

"You win this match," said Légèreté as she started to fade away. "We'll play again some other time."

With that, she disappeared.

Caledor grew to level 58!

"Yay!" Caledor cheered. "I won! I won the most ridiculously long friendly battle ever!"
"I doubt that's a world record," said Tsunami. "I wouldn't be surprised if two young Magikarps had tried to battle at some point."
"You're just jealous because my battle was longer than your battles!"
"No one likes a battle that's that long," Hero assured.
"And you're upset because you thought I didn't know how to win this match and I did."
"You almost didn't. If she'd been able to land another Ominous Wind, the result would have been different."

The bickering continued for a while, reminding me of why we called them the terrible trio. I stopped paying attention as soon as I heard steps behind me. I turned to look and saw that Eshree and Orknye were approaching us.

"That was an interesting battle," Eshree said. "I watched it from a cabin. I didn't want to interrupt. But you should have sent me a message to tell me you were coming. The man at the entrance told me you were here when I came back from my lunch."
"Oh, sorry," Gabi apologized. "I don't know why I thought I could just find you here like last time."
"Last time it just happened to be my turn when you came in. I told you I wouldn't be here all the time. But that's OK, we're all here now. Iael, Orknye, are you ready?"
"As ready as I'm going to be," I told him.
"I'm ready," said Orknye.
"OK, then. Let's make room for the battlers."

Before we began, I quickly reviewed what I knew about Orknye's battling style. I remembered he had a transparent collar, and I noticed he was still wearing. That wouldn't be much of a problem, since its effect would be neutralized as soon as I stood face to face with him. I'd have to watch out for his Psychic type Hidden Power even though he'd promise not to abuse it. His strange dream walking ability was off limits, but it still wouldn't be a good idea to put him to sleep. He could rest to heal himself, though, which meant I'd have to use strategy. And he knew Disable and Body Slam but wasn't very fast on land... I reckoned I had a decent chance if I played my cards right.

Level 47 Stantler vs. Level 49 Dewgong

I took my place on the arena and fixed a serious stare at my opponent. Even though he was a friend, I wasn't going to go easy on him. I started off with a Sand-Attack which, due to lack of sand, ended up being a snow attack. It still did the job, since the snow got into his eyes. That didn't stop him from using Icy Wind, though. That was a smart move, he managed to slow me down and get two hits in one after the other. The second was a much more powerful Ice Beam. I reckoned he'd probably learnt the latter sometime after our first battle, or else he would have used it before. I had no time to waste. I had 3 moves that had decent effectiveness against a Dewgong. I decided to use Earthquake first, half-expecting him to disable it. I looked out of the corner of my eyes to make sure everyone else was out of range as I performed the move. Orknye was caught by the shockwave, but didn't react the way I had expected. Instead, the snow around him began to melt and rise, surrounding him in a circle of water before bathing him and healing his wounds.

"You love healing, don't you?" I told him.
"So would you if you could," he replied.

His response let me know that I wasn't the only one who had done his homework. It made sense. I was battling a Pokemon who had spent weeks watching Yssera. He wouldn't have survived if he hadn't known what he was doing. Which reminded me of a couple of things.

"OK, just a moment," I began. "If you don't mind me asking, why exactly did you disappear from White Mountain? What did Yssera do to you?"
"Huh?"

My questions startled him, and allowed me to use Calm Mind without him noticing as he thought of an answer.

"She sent me back home," he finally said. "I lowered my guard for a moment and she took advantage of that. Why are you bringing that up now? If you want to talk, we can do it later. You're wasting your time and I'm healing as we speak. That's not like you, so I can only assume you have a hidden trick. Just remember which team is the best at confusion tactics."
"Your team's only the best at saying things that make no sense to those who don't know you well enough. I know your background now. I even know what you really are. You mentioned it during our first battle. I looked it up. I figured it must be really cool to be able to shapeshift into two different forms to suit your needs. Too bad you can't do it here."
"You're right, my land form would be much faster and more agile here. But I wouldn't be able to do this."

He shot another Ice Beam which just barely missed me. I went for a Headbutt, still expecting him to use Rest at some point. And then he used Disable. I used Earthquake again. At that rate I was going to win soon, he was making things too easy. Far too easy. I knew that, and that's why I wasn't surprised at all when his muscles relaxed and his eyes assumed the vacant look I'd been expecting for so long. He had used Rest and restored his health completely, but I was prepared to bring him down after he woke up. I used Sand-Attack and then Calm Mind again.

"What are you doing?" asked Orknye.

It was odd, I could have sworn he was still asleep. He should have been. I knew about the move Sleep Talk, but this didn't look like it. Then again, this was Orknye who, from what I knew, was weird even by alien Selkie standards. Sleep didn't mean the same thing for him as it meant for others. He used another Ice Beam before he woke up, but luckily for me it didn't hurt much. I took a gamble: I used Thunderbolt and hoped he wouldn't be able to hit me again. It worked, but not the way I'd expected. I was hoping his next attack would miss, but he ended up getting paralyzed. I wouldn't let my luck go to waste, though. I shot another Thunderbolt before he could react, and neither Rest nor Aqua Ring were able to take the victory away from me.

I grew to level 48!

"Good battle," said Eshree as he recalled Orknye into his pokeball.
"Yes," Gabi agreed. "Much better than the previous one. But for a moment it looked like they were both trying to battle like each other."
"That happens sometimes when you battle your friends," I commented. "He'll be fine, right? I remembered he was OK with my using Thunderbolt, but I hope I haven't overdone it."
"He'll be OK," Eshree assured. "He's quite resilient. If he could maintain his concentration until the end and read all his opponent's moves, we'd be winning almost every battle. But I think that may be too much to ask. He's a wanderer at heart. And now we need to go to the Pokemon Center. Are you guys done in this room?"
"Definitely," I said without a second thought, the pain and the cold beginning to catch up with me now that I was no longer in battle mode.
"Don't we need to eat too?" Tsunami reminded us. "After the Pokemon Center, of course. We only had a mid-morning snack on the train today."
"Of course," Gabi agreed.
"I can't eat a full meal before my battle," Hero remarked.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure to save you something for later," Tsunami grinned.
"I don't like that smile. I'll pick my own meal, thank you very much."

And so they continued with their usual background noise as we made our way to the Pokemon Center. I kept thinking of my battle, and wishing I could get a healing move for any future battles with higher stakes.

DarkestLight

10th February 2011, 06:33 PM

No I'm editing it tonight (right now actually), and now it's going to be massively longer! So prolly later in the evening it'll be done.

The Blue Avenger

10th February 2011, 08:15 PM

Gabi: Let's take it bit by bit.
- I do miss Ade and Soo. Ah well, such is the way life goes.
- Golden Growlithe makes me quite glad I've never had to have any encounters with Lord Absol.
- Incidentally, the thought of Lord Absol laughing is somewhat unnerving.
- Just to throw this out there, some more dialogue tags would help a touch in following your dialogue.
- What's Lady Bellsprout in charge of?
- Maybe if Lagi doesn't hear much from her daughter for a while, maybe a note from her great-grandson (do I have that right? Is Kurtzwick that far down?) once in a while would help. :P
- You tagged Caledor as a Flareon in the battler opener.
- The Froslass was smart! Captivate was a clever move. I do like how nobody caught onto it for a while.
- ...Cheerleader Hero. Cannot unsee.
- No kidding that was a long battle.
- Ah, healing moves. Even Iael finds them annoying. XD
- I like Iael's tactic of keeping the foe from moving with questions.

All in all, a good read. P: Nice to see battles that don't have the fate of the world balanced on them. XD

I'll say... 19 stamps? It's been a while; man, I feel rusty. XD;

Lady Vulpix

10th February 2011, 08:36 PM

XD I can't believe I typed "Flareon" instead of "Espeon". It must have been because he was glowing bright red. :P

Your "cannot unsee" comment has really made me laugh out loud.

Glenda a.k.a. Lady Bellsprout is currently in charge of the Philosophy branch of our department, so technically she's one of our subordinates.

I'm glad you liked Iael's tactics. He really takes battles seriously. And thanks for your comments regarding Légèreté. She was fun to write about, even if it turned quite annoying halfway through the battle because she had so many HP!

I think the only way not to find healing moves annoying is by being the one who's using them.

I'm sure Lagi would appreciate a note from Kurtzwick, especially if it's not written on stolen paper.

And I definitely agree that not having to save the world with every battle is a nice change of pace.

As for Lord Absol... I think my job is done. ;) I do feel sorry for Eshree for having attracted his attention twice in 6 years.

Thanks for the comments and the stamps! :)

DarkestLight

10th February 2011, 09:33 PM

Edited finally x_X. Whew.

Lady Vulpix

11th February 2011, 03:18 PM

Comments for entry 3 part 2 and entry X:

X=4?

So Rapp and Mossjito are the dynamic duo? I thought that name was already taken.

I loved the part when Rapp was listening to all the sounds or lack thereof and then suddenly realized that something was going on after the review.

I think "grass shoot" is a funny nickname for Mossy. And I liked how you used the word "ambrosia" as a metaphor for tea. :) I like your writing style in general.

What happened to the punctuation marks in this part?

"Loves the stuff. I kid you not,. Let him have some." Not one to denounce a Trainer's knowledge of their own partners (no matter how klutzy they may be," she reached for a cup.
On the other hand, your tenses were much better this time. There were only a few slips.

Using the frozen Mossy as a paddleboard was creative, albeit rude.

Spelling/grammar notes: "corssed" should be "crossed", "heam" should be "heap", "managed too" should be "managed to", you've used "whom" instead of "who" a couple of times, and the phrase "it was only when a passing Finneon broke the surface could they see the surface of the water" makes more sense without the "it was".

I think the Luvdisc learned something today: a battle arena is not a good place to sleep. Funny touch, though. ;)

What does "the lay of the and" mean?

You can throw dirst in the air as if it was snow... but can you throw snow in the air as if it was dirt? Just a little note, if Rapp does come from Avelorn (I'm not sure if that's what you meant before) he may not be too familiar with snow (I mean, not familiar enough to be reminded of it by things that aren't cold and white). Unless he's also spent a long time living in a colder area.

When people talk about tree huggers they don't usually mean it literally. XD It was funny to picture Rapp hugging all those trees.

What did you mean by "go for an Ingrain that that compost"?

Was Hera the Heracross's name or just a nickname you came up with?

Nice way of getting rid of the Grovyles without having to fight them. And nice twist at the end. No wonder they were angry.

Take 31 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

DarkestLight

11th February 2011, 08:07 PM

Gabi:

I was too tired to look up the numbers when I finished it, but yes X=4

No, I just quickly thought up that metaphor for those two lol.

As for that sentence, I'm gonna edit that- that's a crazy mix-up. Thank you for noticing my tenses got better. I did re look over each paragraph, to try and change everything to past tense, but I'm sure I still missed a bunch.

"lay of the and" is a typo for "lay of the land"

--You can throw dirst in the air as if it was snow... but can you throw snow in the air as if it was dirt? Just a little note, if Rapp does come from Avelorn (I'm not sure if that's what you meant before) he may not be too familiar with snow (I mean, not familiar enough to be reminded of it by things that aren't cold and white). Unless he's also spent a long time living in a colder area.--Explain this please? I'm not sure what you are referring to?

Yeah I knew that was going to be funny, to make him an actual tree hugger. It fits his quiet demeanor though.

again, typo where I type the same word twice. "that that" should be "in that"

Anytime I write a battle, I usually truncate the Pokemon's name when using it, just to facilitate my speed in writing.

Whoo payday! 31 Stamps! Woot!

Edit-Ima quickly go back and edit those mistakes I catch and that you caught, so yeah.

Lady Vulpix

11th February 2011, 08:40 PM

It doesn't really matter. I was just pointing out that it doesn't snow in Avelorn. I live in a place where it doesn't snow and, while I've seen and touched snow before (I was 12 the first time), it's not something I normally think about. When you said something about throwing dirt in the end like it was snow my first two thought were: 1. What does snow look like when thrown into the air? Like dirt? And 2. Are Rapp and Mossjito so familiar with snow that they'd be reminded of it by the act of throwing dirt into the air?

I hope that was clearer.

DarkestLight

11th February 2011, 10:57 PM

Ohhhh. Prolly should have never used that metaphor. They would have seen snow on mountaintops....but that's it.

The Blue Avenger

13th February 2011, 04:33 PM

Here's a random thing I wrote to set up some later plot stuff. Cheers!

A Fresh Start
---
“…We only have one more item of business to bring up before adjourning this meeting. As some of you may recall, we have been discussing the idea of building a base of our department in Chrace. It’s recently become apparent that only having one official base makes things inconvenient when we need to arrange things on the other side of the continent, as I’m sure those of us organizing the Dragon Games can attest to.”

“Well, actually, I—”

“Those of us who don’t have a teleporting Pokémon, I should say, Lord Porygon. Thank you. Unofficially, a base in Chrace would help us in keeping an eye on Nagarythe. It’s been quiet there since the Dark Cloak, but you never know. Plus, Chrace isn’t as far from the Gates or the Shrine of Khaine. When it all comes down to it, it seems that expanding to Chrace would give us the best coverage of the continent.”

A general murmur of agreement rippled through the conference room.

“With that said, I’d like to formally recognize Lady Lapras, who has volunteered to be our official envoy to Tor Achare in Chrace to get the formation and construction of our new branch underway.”

It took a few moments before that sentence sunk into Sydney Cross’ mind. Her head snapped up. “Me? I didn’t volunteer—”

“Allow me to finish, Lady Lapras. You volunteered two meetings ago by proxy. You were asleep, I believe, and your immediate superior suggested that you be the one to take this responsibility.”

Sydney looked to her left and glared at Lord Persian, who merely smiled in his peculiar, self-satisfied way in return.

“And so, here we are. We’re ready to get this going.”

“But wait!” Sydney focused back on the speaker. “I’m just- I just handle paperwork! And even then it’s only the financial paperwork that Lord Persian doesn’t have time for! I don’t know anything about… any of that!”

“Then I strongly urge you to learn, and quickly. Meeting adjourned.”

As people streamed out of the conference room, Sydney quietly mumbled, “But I don’t even have any Pokémon…”

---

“Why did you volunteer me, sir?” Sydney asked. It was about an hour past the meeting, and Sydney and Lord Persian had both returned to the finances office.

Lord Persian (he tended to use his codename wherever possible as opposed to his real name; Sydney theorized that his real name must have been horribly embarrassing) took a sip of coffee casually. He did everything casually. His clothes were perpetually ruffled, his hair tended to be mussed, and he walked with the sort of stride that said “I don’t care one whit about what anyone says.” The worst part of it, Sydney had decided, was that he still managed to both look incredibly good and lead any group like it was second nature. Someone had beaten Lord Persian with the charisma stick and stopped way after he said “when.”

He gave a half-smile. “Seeing the world would be good for you, Sydney. You’ve never even left Sector Alpha, have you?”

“And this makes me good for a mission traveling halfway around the country to build a base all by myself?”

Another sip of coffee. “No, it doesn’t. In fact, ordinarily, it would all but disqualify you from the running.”

Sydney frowned. “So what’s the difference this time around?”

“I think you’ll be better at it than you think. By the way,” he said, before Sydney could get a word in edgewise, “Lord Porygon mentioned something about wanting to see you. He should be over in the labs. Get going, and after you’ve met with him, get started on the accounts payable.”

“But—”

“Ah! Nope, get going.”

Sydney sighed, slumped over, and left the office.

---

Jeff returned his team to their Pokéballs as soon as a knock came on the door. “Come in,” he called, and Sydney walked in. He knew it was her because, of course, he asked her to stop by, but even if he hadn’t, he would have recognized her from the meeting. Sydney, he noticed, tended to blend into the background, as if she didn’t want people to notice her. She dressed in drab, earthy colors, she kept her hair short (but not too short), and she had a somewhat overwhelmed look on her face (though, Jeff figured, that was to be expected).

“Lord Porygon?” she said, the look on her face silently adding, “really?”

“Please, it’s just Jeff,” Jeff said. He was going to have to get used to everyone calling him by his code name now. It was still slightly unnerving. “Look, you’re the one they picked to go to Tor Achare, right? Have they given you any help yet?”

“A train ticket, an apartment, and the address of a correspondent,” Sydney said flatly.

Jeff winced. “So, they got you started, at least. You don’t even have any Pokémon, right?”

Sydney shook her head.

“Look, I’ve been talking to my team, and some of them have told me that they’d love to see Chrace. Would you like to take some of them along? They’re quite well-behaved, and a few of them will likely be helpful in getting things established there.”

Her expression told Jeff all he needed to know.

“All right, good, then. Let me introduce you…”

---

The department had been good enough to give her a week to pack and say her goodbyes before the date on her ticket. Not that Sydney had many people to say her goodbyes to. Not too long after she had landed a job at the Guild, her parents – her only family – had moved to Yvresse. Sydney had decided to stay in what she considered her city. Not that it mattered much now, she reflected. Here she was, moving anyway. She hoped that this job wouldn’t keep her away for too long. She hadn’t even left Sector Alpha yet and she was already feeling homesick.

The train pulled into the station. Sydney loaded her suitcases on, then fingered her belt, making sure that all seven Pokéballs were there. Lord Porygon had been kind enough to send half of his team with her to make sure she got settled in all right. She had had a whirlwind round of introductions, but all she remembered from it were which Pokémon were going with her. Stepping inside the train car and taking her seat, she screwed her eyes shut, calling up the memory.

Let’s see… There was the Castform, Previsiona… the Snorlax, Bobbery… the Metang, Trezzatura… the Gastly, Bow… the Mr. Mime, Mercandos… the Sudowoodo, Groove Guy, and the Smeargle, Mona. That sounds about right.

Sydney would be spending the next several hours on the train. She unzipped one of her bags and pulled out a book. Before she had even cracked the cover, though, a knock rang out on the door to her compartment. “…Yes?”

The door opened. A youngish-looking teenaged boy stood there. “I saw you come in! You have Pokéballs! You must be a trainer!”

“Well, actually, I—”

“Let’s have a battle! Right now!”

“Er, wait, I—”

“Come on, Victreebel!” The boy tossed a Pokéball to the ground. Sydney paled as a slavering pitcher plant, taller than she was, filled the room. It squealed, for no readily apparent reason.

Sydney took a step backwards, then began fumbling with her belt. Hell! Hell hell hell! Which one of these Pokéballs was which?! What do I use to keep that thing from killing me?! She pulled a ball off at random and threw it; when it opened, it revealed a small cloud-looking thing. Previsiona, a voice at the back of Sydney’s mind said. The Victreebel screeched again, and Previsiona visibly recoiled.

Battle! Previsiona versus Victreebel!
Previsiona: “Castform! Cast cast!”
Victreebel: “Viiiiiiic!”

Jeff had very thoughtfully included a notebook with the Pokéballs that listed each of the Pokémon’s vital statistics. Sydney flipped through it, looking frantically for Previsiona’s page. Just as she found it, though, the Victreebel spun its vine in a circle, then flung it forward; the leaf on the end was pointed straight at Previsiona. She dodged to the side as it darted at her once, but the second time, she wasn’t so lucky: the leaf made a quick slash across her, leaving a bright red line across Previsiona’s face.

Previsiona opened her mouth and looked to be charging some sort of fire attack in it when Sydney broke in. “Um… Previsiona! This attack looks good – use Thunder!”

The Ember died in Previsiona’s throat as she winced. She closed her eyes and began to spark; before long, a giant bolt of lightning arced from her to her foe. The Victreebel took the hit, and aside from a faint smell of cooking vegetables, it seemed to have no real effect.

Sydney moaned. “Why didn’t that do anything?”

“Have you never fought Pokémon before?” the kid asked, his eyes widening. “What electric attack’s gonna work on a Grass Pokémon?” He shook his head. “Ah well, easy battle for me, then! Victreebel, Leaf Tornado!”

Victreebel began spinning on the spot, and Sydney shared a glance with Previsiona. It was short-lived, though, as leaves began to form a vortex surrounding the Victreebel, and as it spun faster and faster, the leaves flew through the air and caught Previsiona, sucking her into the spiral as well. She spun through the tornado and eventually got ejected at the top, slamming into the car’s roof. Previsiona slowly fell back to the ground, her eyes shut.

“Um… Try a Body Slam?” Sydney said hesitantly.

The boy shook his head. “What kind of trainer are you? Your Castform’s obviously out of commission. There’s a Pokémon Center two cars down. Take it there.” He held up his Pokéball, and the Victreebel disappeared, leaving flecks of saliva on the floor. Stowing the ball, he left the compartment.

Sydney stared at the fallen Previsiona for a moment, groaned, then mimicked the boy and recalled Previsiona.

Battle over! Previsiona loses!

---

The rest of the train ride was blessedly uneventful. The Pokémon Center had been more than happy to heal up Previsiona, but the nurse was quick to caution Sydney against sending her Pokémon against others that were so much stronger. Sydney smiled, nodded, and retreated to her compartment.

Once the train stopped, though, and Sydney found herself and all her luggage on the platform, she had to admit, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Tor Achare was certainly picturesque if nothing else. Lots of rocky cliffs and mountains, but also some very heavily wooded areas, and the grassland parts between the rocks were quite a vivid green. Tor Achare itself seemed pretty bustling too. It didn’t have a patch on Sector Alpha, but there were people milling about. As she looked around at the architecture, Sydney guessed that Tor Achare used to be a military town – many of the buildings still looked like forts, even if the signs on them proclaimed them to be office buildings or restaurants. She couldn’t see that far, but from the map she had, Sydney also knew that if she went far enough north, she’d hit the beach. Not that she’d want to at that point, to be fair; the temperature was mild, but the wind had a chill to it. She huddled her coat around herself and returned her attention to the train station.

There was a taxi idling in front of the station. A gruff-looking man with more facial hair than face was leaning on the hood, holding a sign that said “Sydney” but only after “Sidney” and “Sydny” were crossed out.

Sydney dragged her bags over to the car. “Are you waiting on me?”

“Depends,” the man said in a thick, nearly-impenetrable accent. “Are you Cross?”

She nodded.

“Then get in. I am supposed to drive you to your apartment.”

---

The man had very helpfully helped her unload her suitcases onto the sidewalk in front of her apartment building. According to the memo that Lord Persian had given her, her apartment was on the sixth floor. She looked helplessly at the stack of suitcases beside her, then back at the note, where, in Lord Persian’s scratchy handwriting, a P.S. was scrawled at the bottom: “The building doesn’t have an elevator. Sorry!” She put the note back in her travel bag with the rest of the care package Lord Persian had prepared for her: an assortment of various old Pokémon medicine, a few spare Pokéballs that looked dinged up and dented, some travel food, the map of the city, and a list of phone numbers. She dragged the suitcases inside and looked around. The staircase was every bit as tall as she expected.

Then an idea occurred to her.

Sydney opened the Pokéballs on her belt until she found the one with the Metang in it. “Trezzatura,” she asked, noting that the Metang seemed slightly nervous for some reason, “can you help me get these upstairs?”

A look of sharp relief flooded Trezzatura’s face. “Met metang,” he said, and grabbed a suitcase in each claw. Sydney took the last one, and they slowly walked up the stairs.

Her apartment was small, but it was furnished at least, something for which Sydney had to give Lord Persian credit for. When he realized that the Guild was getting ready to send his subordinate off into another province without even providing housing, he set up Sydney in an apartment on his own, muttering something about how they probably expected him to do it anyway. He had even managed to get Sydney a discount on rent. Sydney recalled this, and smiled. Sometimes Lord Persian, fickle as he could be, came through.

She unpacked. Even though it was an apartment provinces away from the home she had left, just getting some of her belongings out into the open helped it feel a bit more like home.

The last thing Sydney unpacked was her backpack. She left the Pokémon items in the bag, but she pulled out the list Lord Persian had left for her. She ran down the numbers and addresses: police, hospital, library, landlord…

Ah. There it was. “Miro Milic: Guild contact. Will be expecting you to visit when your train comes in.” She blinked. She hadn’t read that part before. Whoops.

Without any fanfare, Sydney tore out of the building.

---

“So you’re Cross!” Miro said. He was a tall, pale, skinny man, to the point of bringing up visions of skeletons. Or, given that he had a widow’s peak and wore black and red, vampires. Thankfully, he had not insisted in meeting Sydney in any tall, ominous castles, but instead in his tastefully decorated home office. It was crowded with memorabilia and souvenirs from every province in the country, and the parts that weren’t filled with that were filled with miscellaneous paperwork or, in one corner, a TV and a computer. Wide windows let Sydney look out from Miro’s house on top of a hill over the city. It glittered in the sunlight.

“Yes, sir. I’m supposed to come see you about establishing a Dragon’s Guild branch office here.”

Miro nodded. “Oh my, yes! Your Lord Persian kept me well informed. I must say, not everyone in Tor Achare is quite pleased about the idea. Some think that they’ve done well enough without some of your offices around. We’ve got a large number of people here who relocated from Tor Syle, for example.”

“Tor Syle…” Sydney frowned. “Isn’t that down in Eataine? Why’d they move all the way up here?”

“After the Team Rocket strikes on the city, many people moved away. I suppose some people tried to get as far away as they could. Do you know anything else about Tor Syle?”

Sydney thought for a second, and shook her head.

“There were two towns attacked by Team Rocket. One was Tor Syle, one was Selenia. The Dragon Tamers defended Selenia, but not Tor Syle.”

Sydney’s face fell. “…Oh. So they’re holding a grudge.”

“In one.”

“But hold on, that was the Dragon Tamers. I’m here as a representative of the Guild. We’re not the same.”

“I’m sorry to say it, honey,” Miro said, shrugging, “but where you know that, and I know that, most people who aren’t located in Caledor see one face for the two organizations. And, if I’m not mistaken, several of your higher ups are part of the Tamers as well.”

“Only two,” Sydney said weakly.

“Hey, you don’t need to defend it to me. I love the Tamers and the Guild. I wouldn’t be your contact otherwise. But I’m not done with the bad news.”

“Oh.”

“The Tor Syle contingent here is putting up a fuss over you being allowed to start building a base. I think they’re being irrational – hey, the Tamers did what they could, right? – but that’s people for you.”

Sydney groaned. “So there’s resistance.”

“Hold on there,” Miro said with a wave of his hand. “I haven’t gotten to the bad news yet.” He picked up a remote and turned on the television. Coincidentally, it happened to be tuned to a news broadcast.

“—and that’s how the Minun managed to finally, after five years, find its Plusle.” The news anchor laughed in an annoyingly perky way. “On a more serious note, Piers Lagrange, mayor of Tor Achare and native of Tor Syle, released a public statement today that he will do everything in his power to block the construction of the Caledor-based Dragon’s Guild proposed branch office. Mr. Lagrange went on to say that the Dragon’s Guild was a ‘bunch of over-reaching meddlers who just want their fingers in every province possible.’”

Miro shut off the TV and watched passively as Sydney collapsed into a chair. “You’ve got a rough job ahead of you, honey,” he said matter-of-factly. “But that’s what your Lord Persian called me for. If you need anything, I know where to find it.” He crossed his arms behind his back and looked out of the windows. “Go back to your apartment for now. Get some sleep. And tomorrow, familiarize yourself with the city. Day after that, we can start officially working.”

Sydney nodded. Lord Persian certainly had outdone himself.

---

Miro’s house hadn’t been too far from her apartment, and Sydney walked back, savoring the crisp breeze. On the way back, she passed plenty of chic-looking restaurants, the library that Lord Persian had told her about, and even a department store that advertised ‘For the trainers and non! Wide selection of clothes, and don’t miss our Pokémon counter!’ She mentally marked the place down to later buy some clothes more appropriate for the climate. It wasn’t until she got back to the apartment, though, that something else caught her attention.

A garbage can had spilled over in the alley by the building, and what looked like a living garbage bag was staring at it. It turned when it heard Sydney’s footsteps and focused its large eyes and slightly mournful expression on her.

“…What?” she said. Sydney had seen more than a few Pokémon before – working in the Guild exposed her to quite a collection – but this one was new.

It took a step closer to her.

“A battle? Are you trying to battle me?” Sydney asked, raising her eyebrow. “Fine…” She pulled a ball at random from her belt and threw it down. Mercandos sprung forth.

Battle! Mercandos versus the garbage-like Pokémon!
Mercandos: “Mime-MIME!”
???: “Trub…”

“Mercandos,” she said, pulling out the notebook of attacks, “try, uh… Tickle.”

Mercandos looked at his opponent, then looked at Sydney with the clearest “Oh, hell no” look she had ever seen.

“Oookay… well, how about… um… Confusion? That sounds good.”

This time, Mercandos nodded. With a quiet “Miiiiime…” he waved his hands in a circle and glowed a faint blue. The opponent glowed a similar color and began to struggle, but Mercandos sent a barely-visible pulse through the air, knocking the Pokémon prone. With a cry of “Ubbish!” the Pokémon fell back, looking on the edge of collapsing.

Sydney fished around in her bag. “Now… I’m supposed to capture Pokémon when they’re low on health… that’s what Lord Persian said.” She grabbed the less dinged-up of the two Pokéballs and threw it at the Pokémon. It hit, and shook three times quickly before falling still.

Hesitantly, Sydney recalled Mercandos and picked up the Pokéball. “I guess that means I train you now,” she said quietly. “But what are you? I guess I can call you… hm… Ridder sounds like a good name. I’ll call you that for now.” The Pokéball shook gently in response.

Battle over! Sydney has caught Ridder, a mysterious Pokémon!

With a sigh, Sydney notched the Pokéball in her belt and went upstairs. She tossed her bag to the floor and collapsed on the bed. She was asleep before she even hit the pillow.

Lady Vulpix

13th February 2011, 07:52 PM

Jeff: I've read your story and I must say it's quite interesting and unusual, but I haven't felt well enough to rate it today (I think the cause was the combination of summer heat with RPG-induced sleep deprivation and pineapple pizza). I'll try again tomorrow, sorry.

The Blue Avenger

13th February 2011, 07:54 PM

That's fine. Hope you feel better soon. :o

Lady Vulpix

14th February 2011, 06:31 PM

OK, here I am as promised. Sorry for the delay.

I feel sorry for Sydney. She seems nice, but it's like she was thrown right into the deep, cold water without having learnt to swim first. And on top of that her first battling experience had to be with some crazy trainer who attacked her for no reason other than he wanted to battle.

Lord Persian seems to be an interesting character too.

It was interesting to see you write things from her perspective, especially the parts where your Pokemon were involved, even though it was strange to see them go with her. I feel sorry for them too.

You can add your description of Tor Achlare to the Information Center. I liked it.

The sign that said Sidney and then Sydny before Sydney reminded me of the many times people have spent my last name wrong (and occasionally even my first name).

I liked Trezzatura's reaction when Sydney released him to help her with her luggage. And Merc's when she told him to use Tickle on the Trubbish (if I got that correctly).

I'm sorry tohear we have such a bad reputation in Tor Achlare. And I guess it wouldn't help if they knew that half the founders of the Dragon Tamers came from the Dragon's Guild. But we did in fact do what we could. Things just don't always turn out the way we wish they would.

Take 22 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

The Blue Avenger

14th February 2011, 06:47 PM

In order:
Yeah, Sydney sort of got the shaft in regards to assignments. I suppose this is why you don't fall asleep in Guild meetings! And the trainer she faced was my take on the trainers of the games, who would ambush you if they saw you.

I am enjoying Lord Persian's character far more than I expected when I started the story. XD

I think my team will probably warm up to the area soon enough. It's not like Maza can't teleport any or all of them around at a moment's notice, once he's been there in the first place.

I was trying very hard with the reactions and the expressions of the Pokemon in this story, since I couldn't rely on their dialogue to convey their thoughts. Glad to hear they came across. XD And yeah, it was a Trubbish. P:

And yes, I figured one town would dislike us. And of course with Sydney's luck that would be the town she was sent to. I'll admit, I was seriously hoping the explanation was plausible, but it sounds like it, so awesome. Just another challenge for Sydney to take. XD

Lady Vulpix

15th February 2011, 08:56 AM

And the trainer she faced was my take on the trainers of the games, who would ambush you if they saw you.It's funnier now that you mention that, but in the games people have no peripheral vision, mobsters will desist from their goals and tell you all their secrets if you beat them in a Pokemon battle, and 10-year-olds go out to explore the world on their own, just to name a few examples of why the games shouldn't be taken too seriously. Of course, you know that already.

Wolfsong

15th February 2011, 04:00 PM

Here is the first of my battles for the training grounds. I bought Sinopa the Body Slam TM.

(Sinopa’s POV)

Once I had been healed, Darin and I went off in search of Amy. It didn’t take us long to find her. She was talking with Blazer and Kovu about the plans to go back home. As we sat there waiting for our turn to talk to her, Darin and I learned that we were leaving in the morning.

When they were done talking with Amy, they excused themselves. On his way out, Blazer paused and leaned down to give me a nuzzle. I glanced over at Darin and he nodded letting me know that he’d tell Amy. He took a deep breath and waited until the others were out of earshot before approaching her.

“Is everything okay?”

“Not exactly,” I answered.

“What’s going on?”

Darin and I quickly told her what we had discovered and she said that when she saw Tom again she’d try to find out just what was going on. Darin and I exchanged a look at that. We both had noticed that she had said when not if.

(Darin’s POV)

The train ride back home was a completely different compared to the one that we had arrived on. Everyone was relaxed and they were enjoying themselves. That made the trip so much more enjoyable in the long run.

Upon arriving home, Ebony reported to us that she had battled one of Tom’s pokemon not long after we had left, but afterwards things had been fairly quiet. Even Sugar had been behaving herself. Unfortunately, we also learned that Flame still hadn’t returned home.

So, Amy set about making missing posters as the case had been sent to the police. As the days turned into weeks, she didn’t give up home. None of us did. Shortly after we had returned home, Talut had started to go out every morning to see if he could spot him but so far he hadn’t found a thing.

(Blazer’s POV)

When Talut returned from his search, he still hadn’t found any sign of Flame but he had mentioned that he did spot Dodger. According to Talut, he was doing well.

“Maybe he can help keep an eye out for him.” I mentioned.

“That’s what I thought so I asked him if he would.”

“What did he say?”

“Dodger said that it was no problem and that he’d be happy to keep an eye out for him.

“That’s good,” Amy said as she walked in followed by Kiara, Kovu, and Sugar.

“What’s going on?”

“I just heard that the training grounds were opening up.”

My ears perked up at that. The training grounds usually opened up when there was a tournament in the works. I noticed that Kiara and Kovu were nodding along at that a well.

Amy took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I talked with Yana and it was okay with her, but I wanted your opinions on this as well.

”What is it?”

I thought that it would be a good change to train some of the younger members of the team, excluding Danny and Rick.” Amy hastily added the last part when Sugar began sparking, but once she heard Amy’s words the jolteon relaxed. “If any of you want to battle just let me know and I’ll work it into the plans once I figure out who’s battling in each room.”

“That’s fine with me,” I assured Amy as Kiara and Kovu nodded in agreement as well.

“If there is going to be a tournament, do you have any idea who you will be entering?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Most likely, I’ll just do like I did last time or use an electronic randomizer because every one of you deserves the chance.”

We nodded, watching as Amy stood up to go and tell the rest of the team about her plans before she went upstairs to pack.

(Sinopa’s POV)

That night, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I was a litter nervous because now I was no longer able to fit in Amy’s arms and the thought of being confined in a pokeball was enough to make me want to run in the opposite direction and find a place to hide.

“I’m sure that Amy has an idea on what to do so don’t worry,” Yana said as she nuzzled me after I must have woken her up for the third time.

The houndoom was right Amy did have a plan. Talut had volunteered to carry me in his arms while Amy rode on his back. I heard her tell him to stop and rest if he needed it as often as he needed to.

“If I need to I will, but I don’t think I’ll have to. With all the airtime I’ve been making lately I should be okay.”

Amy nodded as she looked around as the team starting to gather around her. She already had two pokeballs on her belt. The eevee pups were nestled inside and had gone in without a fuss. I shivered as I thought about tiny space. “Is everyone ready to leave?”

There were a chorus of “Yes” and she smiled at the reaction. Then one by one she recalled the rest of the team starting with Blazer and ending with Ebony.

I watched as Amy climbed up on the dragonite’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Once she was situated, he began to beat his wings until he was hovering in the air above me and that was when he picked me up. I made it a point to be as still as possible since I didn’t want to be dropped on accident. I smiled amazed as I watched the beauty of the ground from above as we traveled.

I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew I when I opened my eyes, Talut was slowly descending in front of the hotel.

When Talut set me down on the ground, I gave myself a full body shake as Amy released the others. Once she had gotten the key to her room, we followed her to the elevator.

Once we had settled in our room, Amy looked over the information that she had on the training grounds trying to plan who was battling and when. While she was doing that, I padded over to the window and looked out. A short time later, I heard the chair scoot backwards before Amy approached me.

I blinked in surprise when she did that because I figured that I would have been one of the last to battle if I did get the opportunity. She gave me a new TM, Body Slam, before motioning for Darin to join us as well.

“How do the two of you feel about battling in the Lava Room?”

I glanced over at Darin since I knew that Amy was pretty much asking him but trying not to make it obvious.

“I’m sure that I can handle it,” he told her.

She nodded at that. “Do the two of you want to tackle it now or would you rather wait until the morning?”

“Now,” we answered in unison.

“Okay.”

Darin and I followed her out of the hotel. We paused outside of the East Tower. Upon entering, Amy showed her ID and I couldn’t help but notice that after he checked it he was staring at me. I blinked, trying not to let it get to me as we headed for the stairwell.

“Up or down?” I asked glancing over at Amy.

“Downstairs. The Lava Room is located in the basement.”

“That makes sense.” Darin agreed.

“Why do you say that?” I asked curiously.

“On the odd change that there was a leak, I wouldn’t want to be in the room underneath the Lava or the Pond room.”

“There aren’t any leaks.”

“I’m just saying…”

I chuckled as we made our way down the stairs, but I had to agree with Darin. As we neared the basement, I could feel the temperature increasing. Amy took a deep breath before pushing the door open, only letting it close once we were all inside. Afterwards, she took a sip of water out of the jug that she had brought with her.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Darin’s paws were transparent. He saw me stop and looked down at his feet to see what it was that I was looking at. “I wish I had better control over it,” he admitted. “But my hidden power hasn’t failed me yet when I really needed it.”

“We have company.” Amy mentioned suddenly.

I looked up to see a pair of ninetales approaching us. One was shiny, her fur a beautiful silver color, and the other was normal colored.

“Are the two of you looking for a battle?” The normal colored one asked.

“We are,” Darin confirmed.

“Good, so are we. I’m Bella and this is my sister Jenna.” She said nodding at her partner the shiny ninetales.

“I’m Sinopa and this is Darin.”

“Nice to meet you,” they said before adopting battle stances and Darin and I did as well.

Sinopa L.18 F Ninetales with Rainbow Topknot and Crystal Blue Eyes http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/WolsongsWilderness/sinoparainbow3.png & Darin L.18 M Espeon Vs. Bella L.25 F Ninetales and Jenna L.25 F Shiny Ninetales

Jenna took up position in front of me and Bella in front of Darin before they exchanged looks and gave a nod to each other. I glanced over at Darin who just shrugged. When I looked back over at our opponents, they were glowing purple and I noticed that we were as well. The next thing I knew, Bella was sent hurtling through the air. I tried to start by confusion Jenna, but I was having trouble. I had figured that it was because I had never used the move before so I decided to try something else. The same thing happened when I tried to whip her with my tails. I saw her smirk and I threw back my head and howled my frustration as loud as I could when I realized that she had used imprison which meant that the only useful moves that I had left required me to get in close range.

Jenna backed up momentarily when she heard me howl but she quickly recovered her bearing and son I was staring at four shiny ninetales. I also heard Darin yelp as I felt a slight breeze from the attack Bella had launched against him. He responded by using another psychic to send her hurtling through the air once more. I noticed that he didn’t want to get close her either and I can’t say that I blamed him. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes focusing on my sense of smell as I sniffed at the air. As much as I wanted to smile when I caught the scent of fur, I kept a neutral expression on my face as I opened my eyes.

Bella charged at Darin and just as she was about to hit him with her quick attack his entire body went transparent and she slid through him wincing from the ghost energy she encountered as she did so. While I was momentarily distracted, Jenna used the opportunity to hit me with a powerful psychic blast that caused me to cringe in pain.

Bella took a deep breath and used a double team of her own. I smirked when I saw Darin close his eyes before returning my attention back to Jenna who along with her clones was sitting there calmly looking at me as she created a semi-transparent veil around both herself and Bella. I took a deep breath and charged forwards, slamming into the real Jenna with the full force of my body causing her to yelp as her clones disappeared. I slammed into her harder than I had anticipated, but I quickly darted out of range before she could react.

Bella tried to use another ominous wind on Darin and I held my breath because I knew he couldn’t take another hit like he had earlier. As I carefully watched, he just stood there and at the last second he shot to the left and avoided the ghostly wind. I sighed in relief before I was hit by another extrasensory blast causing me to cringe in pain again.

“Why you…” Bella snarled as she used another double team. I carefully watched him as Darin’s eyes glowed purple as Bella was lifted up into the air and sent hurtling into the far wall where she hit and slid down. Unlike the previous times, this time she stayed down and didn’t get back up.

“Bella!” Jenna cried out before snarling at us as she launched a fire blast at Darin but in her anger, it missed him slamming into the wall behind where he was standing. I then began to mimic how I had seen Darin use psychic and my eyes glowed purple as Jenna was lifted up and sent hurtling through the air as well.

She hopped back up onto her paws and used another double team since she noticed the odds were against her now, but thanks to the odor sleuth I had used earlier, I could still smell her fur. I could feel Darin helping me out with his helping hand as I used my mimicked psychic to send Jenna hurtling through the air again and this time when she landed she didn’t get back up.

Darin and I won!
I grew to L.20.
I learned Solarbeam as my free TM.
Darin grew to L.20.
Darin learned Dig as his free TM.

I smiled at Darin who also had a huge grin on his face before we headed back over to Amy who was standing by the door waiting on us. “Good job,” she told us with a smile. Her t-shirt was soaked in sweat as she opened the door for us and we stepped out into the slightly cooler stairwell.

“Here’s the plan. I’m going to take you both to the Pokecenter upstairs to get you healed before we go back to the hotel room where I’m going to take a shower and change into some clean clothes. Then, I’m taking the whole team to eat.”

“Sounds good.” Darin agreed and I nodded as well.

Lady Vulpix

17th February 2011, 10:38 AM

Here's the rating for Amy's story (comments ahead).

I liked the way Darin's Hidden Power manifested. It's cool how each individual Pokemon uses his/her Hidden Power in a different way even if they're the same type (Before I read your story, I wrote a comment about that in the story I'll be posting soon).

It was also good to hear about Dodger, and how the search for Flame is going. Let me know if you need any roleplaying regarding that, since Tracker's looking for him too.

Some typos and grammar notes:
"she didn’t give up home"=>"she didn’t give up hope"
"I was a litter nervous"=>"I was a little nervous"
"I tried to start by confusion Jenna"=>"I tried to start by confusing Jenna"
"son I was staring at four shiny ninetales"=>"soon I was staring at four shiny ninetales"
"he didn’t want to get close her"=>"he didn’t want to get close to her"

The sentence "Bella charged at Darin and just as she was about to hit him with her quick attack his entire body went transparent and she slid through him wincing from the ghost energy she encountered as she did so" could use some punctuation. Others too, but that one was particularly hard to read.

Other examples:

"The houndoom was right Amy did have a plan."=>"The houndoom was right, Amy did have a plan."
"Jenna who along with her clones was sitting there calmly"=>"Jenna who, along with her clones, was sitting there calmly"
"slamming into the real Jenna with the full force of my body causing her to yelp as her clones disappeared"=>"slamming into the real Jenna with the full force of my body, causing her to yelp as her clones disappeared"
"I smiled at Darin who also had a huge grin on his face before we headed back over to Amy who was standing by the door waiting on us"=>"I smiled at Darin, who also had a huge grin on his face, before we headed back over to Amy, who was standing by the door waiting on us"

The battle in general was hard to read because of the lack of commas.

Darin was smart with his conclusions about the location of the Pond and Lava rooms. :)

Take 11 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Lady Vulpix

17th February 2011, 10:42 AM

...And here's my second post for the Training Grounds! Apologies in advance if you get tired of listening to Hero flatter himself. It's just that... well, that's Hero for you. In his defense he doesn't really believe everything he says, and his description of the facts was accurate even if he adorned it a little bit with his own comments.

Also, the apparent inexpressiveness of the characters is due to Hero's inability to read emotions, we weren't being poker-faced all the time.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Hero's POV>

We left the Blizzard Room and went straight to the nearest Pokemon Center, where we dropped Iael, Caledor and Orknye, and G.G. picked up Linyi, who had already lost a battle but hadn't let that ruin her mood. In fact, she was glad, because she'd ended up meeting a Cleffa at the Pokemon Center and they'd talked, played games and exchanged songs.

"I'm still surprised by how fast Pokemon grow," she commented. "Except for me, I mean. I can't believe she was only 5 months old! She could talk as well as any of us, and could play all the games I taught her! I don't even have any memories from when I was that little. Of course, she didn't know many games or songs, so I had to teach her almost everything, but still!"
"I know," her trainer nodded, apparently without much to say.
"And you know what?" Linyi continued. "She told me her mum is a Clefable, and she's big and beautiful and really strong!"
"Good for her," said Golden Growlithe, looking away.
"Are you sure we can't make Arim evolve?"
Her trainer looked at her again. "I'm sure we shouldn't. We don't know what could happen to her if she evolved here, and we're not going to take that risk until we get a straight answer from Harims."
"Which means never," interjected Lagi, who had been out of her pokeball since we left the Blizzard Room.

It was rare to hear Lagi make a joke, but I felt she'd been spot-on with that one. I'd only met Harims once, in Nagarythe, and I admit that saying I didn't get what her deal was - except that she sucked at training Pokemon - isn't saying much. But if my empathic mutant Dragonite friend who had met her 4 times still couldn't understand her... I'd say "never" was just about right.

"OK, scratch that," said G.G. "Let's say an answer that's just understandable enough that we can feel confident that it won't hurt her."
"That just might be possible... with some effort," Gabi said with a smile.

After that, we said goodbye to the team from Bei and went to the other tower for lunch. All that walk up and down the stairs was making me hungry, and the restaurant had a really appealing buffet. I had to exert a lot of self-control to put the tastier looking meals in a box for later consumption. I only ate a few vegetables then and there to keep my stomach from rumbling, and one of those sweet round thingies that for some reason are never labeled - if I'm to believe Water Angel they're called Laddu, but I don't know where she got the information - in order to have enough sugar to burn in my upcoming battle. I made a point of not looking at what others were eating, to avoid temptation, but I couldn't shut my nose to the symphony of smells that assaulted it. For some reason I started thinking of Tracker and wondering how she'd deal with that kind of situation. I imagined her trying to ignore the multitude of scents which assailed her from... probably the whole neighbourhood, while she waited for her duty hours to end. I decided I'd have to ask her about it someday.

After half an hour of scrumptious olfactory torture (take that, Water Angel!), I was more than ready to kick some butts at the Desert Room.

<Water Angel's POV>

Hero still has an extensive way to traverse if he desires to emulate me.

<Hero's POV>

That sentence doesn't even make sense. Nevermind that, back to what really matters. As I was saying, I was ready to kick some butts and I was hoping I'd finally get to use some of the tricks I'd been practising, and which I hadn't had a chance to use on White Mountain due to the ruthlessness of my opponents. I'd fight to save the world a thousand times if I had to, but I'd much rather have battles where I could display some style and my opponent wasn't constantly shooting to kill.

So yeah... the Desert Room. It was every bit as big and sandy as I remembered it, and it had the dry heat of a desert afternoon. I took a look at Gabi to make sure she could handle it, as it was hotter than usual and I knew she couldn't handle the heat very well; but while it clearly bothered her, she seemed to have no trouble walking through the room. I heard her comment that she was glad the artificial sun wasn't as strong as the real one.

We crossed a few Pokemon along the way, but none of them were willing to fight me and Lagi. Well, I must admit it was Lagi they feared the most, but that was probably because they were all ground-types. Although a Diglett did pop its head right under my face, look straight into my eyes and go back underground not to be seen again.

"This isn't nearly as organized as it was the last time," I commented. "Where are the strong ones? This place is full of Digletts and Sandshrews, and the Digletts won't even come out enough to let me see what they look like."
"Ah, yes, the great Diglett mystery," said Gabi in a tone that may or may not have been serious. "Maybe someday we can ask Ventura to shed some light on it. Too bad she's not here now."
"I don't like the kind of light Ventura sheds, and neither do you," I reminded her. "Really, where are the big guns? They used to have a way to measure the battle level of the Pokemon entering and fetching the right opponents."
"Sorry," Gabi said. "It was all organized on short notice and I also had other things to focus on and I couldn't find the same crew who made the past Training Grounds, so I told these people what I could remember and they did their best with what they had."
"I think they've made quite an impressive work," said Lagi. "This environment looks so real! There are even a few desert plants here and there. They didn't have any at the previous Grounds. And the temperature's just about right for this time of day."
"OK, they did a good job with the environment," I conceded. "But I still miss the old matching mechanism. It saved time and prevented boredom."
"Boredom is a symptom of a poor imagination," said a voice which came from a massive head as it emerged from under the sand.

The head had a small horn on its forehead and a long, drill-like horn between the eyes. A Rhyperior. A female, judging by the size of the top horn, although her voice was so deep it could have belonged to either sex.

"How long have you been there?" I asked her.
"A long time," was her answer. "I buried myself in the sand to avoid being bothered by the battles while I waited for a strong opponent to challenge me. I heard you complain about the lack of strong Pokemon in this room, so I think you should be a good enough match. That is if you don't think I'm too strong for you."
"Never say that to Hero," Tsunami laughed. "He'll take it as a challenge and try to show he's stronger than you think."
"Is that so?" the Rhyperior asked me.
"He makes it sound like I have no control over my own actions," I glared at him. "I'm not stupid, but I'm not going to say no to a good challenge. That's what I'm looking for. Just one thing."
"What is it?"
"My friend Lagi wants to battle too," I pointed at her and noticed the shocked expression on the Rhyperior's face. "And a 2-on-1 battle wouldn't be fair. Is there another Pokemon near your level who wants to battle, so we can have a 2-on-2?"
The Rhyperior sighed with what I presume was relief. "Sure. I'll go get my brother. I'll be right back."

Watching her unbury herself was like watching the birth of a mountain. A pile of sand dropped from her shoulders and the plates by her elbows as her massive bulk erected itself. Finally, the sphere on the tip of its tail shook and released the last shower of sand. As she left to look for her brother, I took mental notes about her weight, movement speed and possible ways to exploit the move I'd already seen her use (the latter just as a quick reminder, since they were among my favorite exploits).

Her brother was also a Rhyperior. To be honest I hadn't expected anything else. They were also clearly not the same Rhyperiors Caledor and Kiara had battled on White Mountain. These ones moved less clumsily and weren't as aggressive, which in fact added to the challenge because it meant they were likely to think before they acted. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. Besides, I trusted Lagi to help. We were both ready. Just for this room Lagi had changed her shield for a Stat Modification Die to see what we could do with them (we had so many!), and that was only the beginning of the possibilities we had.

Level 73 Ninetales and Dragonite vs. 2× Level 85 Rhyperior

The Rhyperiors had the level and type advantage, but speed was on my side. I shot a Confuse Ray at the male Rhyperior, expecting Lagi to do something about his sister. She didn't disappoint me: she threw her die at her, lowering the female Rhyperior's Special Attack, and then hit her with a Dragon Claw. Not her strongest move, but the battle was only just beginning and it wouldn't be like Lagi to go all-out on a friendly battle.

Then it was our opponents' turn to move. The male Rhyperior tried to pull out some kind of attack, but tripped and fell stomach first on the sand. He made quite a loud noise for such a soft ground, but he was lucky to have lifted his head up before he hit the sand. But his sister was not confused, and had no trouble summoning a Sandstorm, much to my and Lagi's annoyance. I paid her back by using Will-O-Wisp on her. It wasn't what I would have wanted at first, since it would discourage her from using Dig, but it was an effective way to turn the tables. Now time was on my side in spite of the sandstorm.

Just as I moved away from the burnt Rhyperior, the place I left was occupied by something that looked like some kind of undulating turquoise flame which moved like it had a life of its own. I was so used to associating the Dragon type Hidden Power with Water Angel that I'd almost forgotten her fellow Dragon-type had it too, and in Lagi's case it took a strange, almost animal-like shape before hitting its target.

"If you're going to stick to Dragon-type moves, keep using that one or the stronger one," I told her. "Dragon Claw's not good enough for them."

Lagi nodded. A good thing about having her as my tag-team partner instead of Tsunami or Caledor was that she listened to reason. Others would have been mad at me for revealing they had a stronger move, but Lagi knew I had a reason for saying it. Perhaps she didn't know what the reason was, but she knew me and knew how I felt, and that was enough. In fact, my reason was that I wanted to divert our opponents' attention away from me for a moment so that I could pull out my new combo. Others might have considered that selfish, but I knew Lagi would understand, and I knew she could take a couple of blows.

"And don't use Tempest!" Gabi added.

I wasn't sure whether Gabi had caught on to at least a part of my plan and wanted to add confusion tactics to the mix, or she'd thought of a reason why Lagi's freaky move wouldn't be safe to use - not that Lagi had used it in the last few years. In any case, it wasn't the time to start analyzing her possible reasons. The Rhyperiors were attacking Lagi and I had to make the best of the time I'd bought. Then, as the male hit her with a Poison Jab and the female erected walls of stone all around her, I realized I wouldn't have enough time to perform a two-step attack that wasn't spectacularly strong. So much for 'no SE moves' being an unspoken rule; I'd have to save my Spooky combo for the Lava room. I hated to see Lagi get hit by Rock Tomb before both of us got slapped by the sandstorm. I really hoped Lagi would resist. Then I realized she would. She knew her own limits.

I ran behind the male Rhyperior and hit him with a Dark Pulse. He tried to take a jab at me, but he tripped again and this time his front horn got stuck in the sand. I knew it would be a matter of seconds before he got back up, but they were still seconds earned for my cause. His sister's Sand Tomb did hit me, though. And it hurt really bad. Slowed me down too, but I was still faster than them. I was grateful for the speed I'd been blessed with since birth. Lagi must have felt how much the attack had hurt me, because she hit my attacker with an Ice Beam which brought her down instantly.

I sent another Dark Pulse towards our remaining opponent. It wasn't even close to bringing him down, but luckily he bought me some time by using Dig. Even though he was no longer confused, he clearly didn't know me well enough. Since it was safe to assume I'd be his next target (it couldn't be Lagi for obvious reasons), we could afford a two-step strategy for both of us.

"Lagi, use Rain Dance and then Recover!" I called out to my partner.

She gave me the weird look I'd expect from anyone listening to a Ninetales ask for a Rain Dance, but it lasted only for a split-second. She must have understood that I preferred the rain over the sandstorm. I watched her perform her elegant choreography (if I have to watch a Rain Dance, I'll choose Lagi's anytime), and as the first drops started falling I began to dig a tunnel of my own. Now, I don't claim to be the only one to have done this, everyone who knows Dig must have done the Counter-Dig trick at least once, but I was glad the Rhyperior had given me the break I needed. I listened for him until I heard the unmistakable sound of an extremely heavy, armored Pokemon emerging from beneath the sand, jumping up and only just managing to stabilize itself in time to land safely on the ground. The sand above me rippled as he landed, just a moment before I launched myself upwards and hit him with all the power of the... sand? That sounds like something Caledor would say. I may have spent too much time with him. Anyway, I hit him hard enough to make him tumble... and fall!

Lagi and I both won and grew to level 75!

"OK, what just happened?" I asked Lagi. "He still looked like he could take a few more blows before I went underground, and I know my Dig attack was strong but not that strong. What did you do while I was down there."
"I shot an Ice Beam at him as he was landing. I know you told me to heal myself, but if I'd done that and he'd attacked you he would have taken you down. I didn't want to let that happen. The Rain Dance was a good idea, though."
"Yeah, well, I know you know your way on the battlefield and what you did worked, so I'm not going to argue. But you do need some healing."
"So do you," she remarked. "More so than myself."
"OK, you could have refrained from pointing out the last bit. But it's true that we could both use a Pokemon Center right now."
"I'll take you both there," Gabi offered. "You've both done a good job here. It's time to take a break."

I had a soothing sensation as the red light engulfed me, and a slight tickle as the pain left along with the light and nearly all other sensory input. I could still hear, though, which meant I could still be mostly aware as what was going on as we headed for the Pokemon Center, and that alone made it a relaxing ride. Funny how one sense can make the difference between feeling comfortable and going crazy. Well... one sense and the promise of the rich meal which was waiting in its box for me to enjoy it.

The Blue Avenger

17th February 2011, 03:32 PM

Gabi:

This one was funny! :D I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part was Water Angel's interjection in her POV, which caught me completely off-guard. And Hero's response was good too. In fact, I think I just like Hero. XD

The Diglett Mystery reminds me of this (http://files.sharenator.com/Diglett_You_Laugh_You_Lose_Comic_Style-s456x320-87486-580.jpg).

"...a Stat Modification Die to see what we could do with them (we had so many!)" I laughed.

The Rhyperior with his horn stuck in the sand was an admittedly funny mental image.

Hero and Lagi make a good tagteam. They're both fairly sharp on the strategy side.

All right, with all that said, I really like Hero narrating. XD Oh, Hero. Don't ever change.

Take 17 stamps!

Lady Vulpix

17th February 2011, 04:23 PM

Thanks, Jeff! I'm glad you liked the story and Hero's glad you like him. ;) I'll change the narrator for the next story, though, I want to give everyone a chance to express themselves.

Yes, Hero and Lagi have learnt to battle well together over the years. I think they started making a good tagteam when Hero realized he could take advantage of Lagi's empathy instead of being bothered by it. Lagi's battle style is a lot more reactive than Hero's, she doesn't plan ahead as much as he does, but she's learnt to recognize some of his tactics and get an idea of what to do when he comes up with a new one. And, as you've seen, she's also good at recognizing when he needs help and won't admit it, so they complement each other well. Sometimes there's still some tension outside the battlefield, though, especially when Lagi gets involved in Hero's personal issues.

That image with the Digletts was really funny. XD

And we do have too many Stat Modification Dice. I'm glad they're no longer coming out as Mystery Gifts.

The Blue Avenger

20th February 2011, 01:59 PM

More newbie Pokemon trainer antics!

Back to Basics
---
“Um… Bow! Try a… Mega Drain?”

Bow grimaced and faced the Doduo that was watching her carefully with both heads. She narrowed her eyes and sparked violently before loosing a bolt of lightning at the bird. It hit home, and the bird toppled over.

“What was that?” Sydney asked as the trainer opposite her recalled their fallen Pokémon. “That didn’t look like a Mega Drain.” Her tone of voice indicated more confusion than anything else.

If Bow had had arms, she would have been crossing them and looking away sulkily.

Sydney sighed. “So you’re just not going to listen to me at all?” She pulled Bow’s Pokéball off of her belt. “I suppose I should have seen it coming…”

It was only the day after Sydney had arrived. Following Miro’s advice, she was taking the opportunity to explore Tor Achare. It was as a result of this action that she discovered a phenomenon that she hadn’t noticed back home in Sector Alpha – if you had Pokémon on you, you were a freaking magnet. Sydney had barely been able to make her way down her street without someone challenging her – they had sent out some muscled gray thing wearing a speedo, a Machoke or a Machore or something. Sydney had sent out the Snorlax on the grounds that he was hefty enough that not much would hurt him, but she hadn’t expected the speedo Pokémon to physically lift the half-ton Pokémon into the air and slam him back down on the ground. Luckily, somehow, the ground had avoided cracking, but Bobbery’s own bulk worked against him.

And then there was this guy who had just walked away. He had used some weird two-headed bird – a Doduo, he had called it. Sydney had brought out the Gastly, because hey, if the Pokémon’s already a ghost, what more could hurt it? But Bow had refused to listen to anything she said. Despite her repeated requests that Bow use Mega Drain, which certainly sounded powerful enough, all Bow did was hit the bird with lightning. It worked well enough, Sydney had to admit, but it was slightly unnerving. As she understood it, Pokémon were supposed to do what their trainers told them to, but these Pokémon all seemed more accustomed to doing their own thing. She wondered how much Lord Porygon had trained them.

Sydney leaned against a building – ‘The Generalissimo’s Electric Co.’ from the looks of the sign – and took stock of the situation. Bow was angry at her for some reason; Trezzatura refused to battle anything; whenever Mona and G.G. were together they would just start dancing and refuse to listen to her; Mercandos only followed her requests apparently when he felt like it… Bobbery and Previsiona seemed to be not overtly hostile to her, but Sydney wasn’t sure how long that would last.

The only Pokémon on her that didn’t seem to have something against her was Ridder, and all he did was stare at her with a pouty look on his face. Sydney did have to admit, though, that that seemed to pretty much be his default expression. She hadn’t even used him in a battle yet – how could she? She didn’t know anything about his attacks or anything else. Not that that stopped her with any of the other Pokémon, she reflected.

“Hey you!”

Oh lord.

A girl about Sydney’s height walked up to her. She looked about ten years Sydney’s junior, she was wearing clothes that covered far less skin, and she was smacking her bubblegum with each statement like it was punctuation, a combination that immediately sent her into the “get away from me” category in Sydney’s mind. “I saw how you, like, thrashed that Doduo,” she said. “Up for one more? Like, my Kerny could use a fight.”

Sydney closed her eyes. Why not? No time like the present… “Let’s get this over with.” She threw her dented Pokéball to the ground as the other girl did the same.

Strife! Ridder versus Kerny!
Ridder: “Trub…”
Kerny: “Kern sun!”

Immediately as Ridder came out of the Pokéball, he turned to Sydney and fixed those wide, mournful eyes on her.

“What? What’s wrong?” Sydney asked.

Ridder said nothing. He slowly turned back around and stared at the Sunkern instead.

“Your Pokémon gonna stare my Sunkern to death?” the girl asked. “What kinda Pokémon is that anyway? Looks totally gross.”

Sydney squared her jaw. “Don’t talk trash about Ridder! He’s ten times the Pokémon whatever your little seed thing is supposed to be.”

“So, like, you don’t know what he is either!”

“So what if I don’t? At least I’m not a vapid, airheaded bimbo!”

This comment apparently hit home, and the girl was visibly fuming. “That’s it! Kerny! Take it down with a Seed Bomb!”

The Sunkern chirped happily in response and rustled its leaves. A seed sprouted from the leaves’ juncture and the Sunkern bent low, taking aim. With a noise like a gun firing, it launched the seed.

Sydney looked down at Ridder and stammered. “Um, Ridder! Shoot it down with, eh, something? Maybe?”

Ridder affixed his eyes on her for the briefest of moments before opening his mouth wide. He hacked and coughed before belching out a large glob of slimy, oozing garbage. The Gunk Shot traveled in a lazy parabola, neatly knocking the Seed Bomb out of flight. Both projectiles landed harmlessly on the street corner.

Sydney and the girl both wore expressions of surprise, though the girl’s was tinted with obvious disgust. “Ridder! That was good! Do that again!” Sydney called.

Ridder nodded. Perhaps it was her imagination, Sydney thought, but his perpetual pout seemed to have lightened somewhat. He horked another ball of trash up, and it took the same slow arc again, straight at the Sunkern.

“Don’t get hit by that, Kerny!” the girl said, clenching her fists, but it was too late. The Gunk Shot hit home, covering the Sunkern in refuse. It collapsed, though whether it was from damage, the smell, or embarrassment Sydney wasn’t sure.

Victory! Ridder grows to level 9!

The girl looked down at the Sunkern and stepped forward, ostensibly to pick it up, maybe offer a little comfort, but a semi-liquid burger wrapper that took that moment to drop off of the Sunkern’s leaf changed her mind. She recalled the Sunkern and, shooting a nasty look at Sydney, she walked away.

“I just can’t win, can I?” Sydney said, as much to herself as to Ridder. “If I win, they get mad, but if I don’t win, then my team gets mad. There’s got to be a way around this. All the other trainers seem to have an okay time with it.”

---

“So being a trainer’s not agreeing with you, Cross?” The willowy form of Miro stalked (there wasn’t really any other word for it, Sydney decided) back and forth through his study, where Sydney was sitting in an embarrassingly plush chair.

“Lord Porygon’s Pokémon all hate me, I’m sure,” Sydney said, “and while I like Ridder, I have no clue what he can do. He threw up garbage at a Sunkern this morning, and that was pretty good, especially since it shut the trainer up too. But I don’t know what else he’s capable of.”

Miro knelt down and looked Ridder in the eyes, who impassively stared back. “Now, what kind of Pokémon are you?” he said quietly, half-grinning and rubbing his chin. “I’ve never seen a garbage bag Pokémon before. Can you say your name…?”

Ridder bit him on the nose.

To his credit, Miro didn’t swear, yell, or let out any other signs of pain. He merely recoiled and stood back up, rubbing the bite mark tentatively. “He’s a feisty thing, whatever he is, that’s for sure, honey,” he said, looking at Sydney.

“Or maybe he just doesn’t like condescension.”

“That could be too,” Miro reluctantly agreed. “Well, if anyone would know what your Ridder is in this city, I’d check with the trainers’ school. Someone there will be able to help you out, I suspect. And they’d more likely than not help you get your bearings as a trainer too.”

Sydney raised an eyebrow. “I got enough of school when I graduated. I’m not sure I want to set foot back in that cesspool of drama.”

“Oh, no, no, darling. Our trainers’ school is top of the line. For one, unlike most normal schools, most of the students actually want to be there. Second, having a variety of dangerous Pokémon to accompany the teachers does wonders for discipline, I think you’ll find.” Miro clapped Sydney on the back. “Go! Have fun. Learn something. If you’re going to be starting a branch of the Guild that deals almost exclusively with Pokémon here, it would be for the best if you knew something about Pokémon in the first place.” He turned around and looked out over the city through his bay windows. “Though how you grew up in Sector Alpha and ended up working for the Guild without knowing a lick about Pokémon I’ll never know. Look here, Cross.” Miro gestured to a skyscraper – the skyscraper – in the heart of town. “That’s the branch office of Silph Co., and pretty much everyone in town uses it as a reference for directions. You better get used to it quick. The trainers’ school is that squat brick building two blocks towards us from Silph. Got it?”

Sydney nodded.

“Then get on your way. No point in wasting time!”

---

As soon as she stepped inside the school, Sydney felt like she had been transported back the eight or so years since she had been in high school. The building looked exactly the same. Lockers lined the walls, the tile on the floors was marred with scuffs from shoes, and there was even the one water fountain that always seemed to have a used piece of gum in it. She shuddered.

“Can I help you?”

Sydney looked around. A door or two down from where she stood, a receptionist was sitting at her desk and looking out of the room at her. “Um, yes,” Sydney said, quickly walking to the woman. “I was told that I should come here for some lessons on Pokémon…” She trailed off as the receptionist sized her up.

“Who told you that?” the receptionist – whose name, if the sign on her desk was anything to be believed, seemed to be Laura – asked.

“I came here from Miro Milic…?”

The receptionist’s demeanor changed completely. “Oh, Miro!” she said. “Best student we’ve ever had. And so successful!”

“What exactly does he do—”

“Let me give you the tour,” the receptionist said, standing up. She took Sydney by the arm and led her back into the hallway. “We have a few regular classrooms where we teach theory here, but I’m sure you aren’t interested in those. No, what I bet you want to see is this!” She threw open a wide pair of double doors and guided Sydney in.

It looked almost exactly like Sydney’s high school gym, if her gym had been about twice as big, twice as tall, and filled with excited teenagers either battling Pokémon or watching. There was an older person – a teacher, Sydney figured – keeping an eye on every match and frequently stopping the action to give comments or make advice. It all added together to a wall of cheers, yells, and impacts that rolled over Sydney as she entered.

“Who am I supposed to be seeing in here?” Sydney asked. She had to yell to make her voice at all audible over the noise.

The receptionist pointed over the crowd to a dour man dressed in a suit and tie in the back of the gym. He bore a very obvious black and white color scheme, from his cropped black hair to his polished black shoes, and he made alarm bells go off in Sydney’s head that sounded like “Lord Absol! Lord Absol!” He wore sunglasses, but Sydney was quite sure he was carefully watching everything that was going on. “Him!” the receptionist said. “Javor Broz.”

Sydney nodded and began pushing her way through the crowd, carefully avoiding the clearings where Pokémon were dueling. She had the unsettling feeling that Javor was watching her the entire way over, but with his thick sunglasses, she had no way of knowing.

When she reached Javor, Sydney was struck at how quiet the area around him was. He had his own little personal clearing, and even the noise level seemed to have dropped somewhat. “Mr. Broz?” she said, not even needing to raise her voice.

Javor inclined his head slightly. “That is me.” His voice bore the faintest hint of an accent.

“Miro Milic sent me. He said that I should learn the basics here.”

There was a pause as Javor considered this. “Very well. If Milic sent you, I cannot refuse. In ten minutes, this battle session will be over. Meet me in room 211.”

“Um… what will we be doing?”

There was no further answer. Apparently Javor was done speaking at that point. He adjusted his sunglasses and looked out over the crowd. Sydney waited for a second, but when nothing else was forthcoming, she pushed her way back to the entrance of the gym.

---

“Show me your skills!”

Sydney jumped back, but the door had slammed shut behind her. She had only just walked into room 211 when a black and blue dragon-thing with red frills and hands that looked like more heads had dropped from the ceiling right in front of her. Javor was lurking behind it.

“Wha- I- hold on! I’m here to improve, not because I’m good!” Sydney stammered.

“I need to see where you are starting from! Now, choose a Pokémon! I see that you have quite a selection!”

Sydney pressed herself against the wall. “I can’t battle that!”

“Zmey! Make her choice for her, then!”

The dragon lashed out with a head-hand and neatly knocked a single Pokéball off of her belt. It was the dented one, and when it landed, Ridder popped out. He regarded the dragon with his normal wide-eyed stoicism.

Strife! Ridder versus Zmey!
Ridder: “Trub…”
Zmey: “Hy! Drei! GON!”

Sydney scrambled for the Pokéball on the floor. “Ridder!” she said, “come back! Don’t fight that thing!” But before she could get the Pokéball pointed at Ridder, Zmey made another swipe and sent it ricocheting into a corner. “…Damn,” Sydney said flatly. “Okay, uh, Ridder, do the best you can! Trash it!”

Ridder’s eyes focused sharply – instead of wide-eyed and sad-looking, he now looked focused and sharp. He opened his mouth wide, his sharp teeth glinting in the fluorescent light, and with a noise unpleasantly similar to regurgitation, he spat out a ball of glistening garbage. It hit Zmey, who, much to Sydney’s dismay, didn’t even flinch.

“Now, Zmey, let’s test evasion.”

Zmey grinned and held up its arms. In the pincers on its hands, it began to charge up twin balls of electricity. It flung one arm forward and fired, following quickly by the other. One shot was aimed straight at Ridder, who expertly ducked under it, leaving it to fizzle out harmlessly. The other was aimed at Sydney.

She watched the incoming projectile in slow motion and let panic take over. Her body, moving of its own accord, sidestepped the shot and threw itself to the ground. The electricity hit the wall and sputtered out. Sydney slowly stood back up, dusting herself off, but before she could process what had just happened, Javor spoke again.

“One more, Zmey.”

This time, Zmey crossed its arms and let loose a blast of pulsating dark energy with a high-pitched keening noise. It was aimed at about stomach height for Sydney. She flung herself forward and pushed Ridder to the ground as well. The Dark Pulse passed directly overhead, and it too hit the wall and dissipated.

“Very good.” Javor palmed a Pokéball and recalled Zmey.

Battle over! No winner!

“What’s the big idea?!” Sydney cried as she picked herself up.

“The training of the human is equally as important as the training of the Pokémon. I wished to see the skill level that you are starting off at.” Javor began to tick things off on his fingers. “Your instincts are good. When facing a foe that far outclassed you, you chose to retreat. This shows restraint and concern for your Pokémon. This is good. Your reflexes are not bad either.”

“So to test that, you attacked me?! You couldn’t have tossed a ball at me or something?”

Javor shook his head. “It is most useful to see how you act under duress. Furthermore, you were never in any danger. Zmey and I have been training together for long enough that Zmey has acquired utmost precision over the power of his attacks. If you or your Pokémon had been hit by those attacks, the worst that would have happened is that your hair would have stood on end.” He walked to the corner of the room, picked up the dented Pokéball, and tossed it to Sydney. “Now, with that said, why has Milic sent you to me?”

Her nerves still somewhat shot, Sydney took a second to put her thoughts together. Ridder stood behind her, scowling at Javor. “I’m here because I know nothing about Pokémon, to put it simply.”

Javor smiled. Sydney had a feeling that it was not reflected in his eyes, even if she couldn’t see them. “That is something I can certainly help you with.”

---

The first topic they had covered was types. Once Javor had heard about Sydney’s fight with the Victreebel and the Doduo, he shook his head. “Your Pokémon know their type matchups better than you do,” he had said, “and that is why they do not obey your commands. And until you begin giving them commands that line up with the orders they expect, they will continue to refuse to listen to you.”

Sydney was in the gym. Her team of eight had fanned out in front of her. In one hand, she held the notebook with all of Lord Porygon’s Pokémon information in it. A new page had been added for Ridder, who was what Javor called a Trubbish. Javor had also filled out the page with what he guessed Ridder’s attacks to be. In Sydney’s other hand, she held a Pokedex. Javor had said that their school had a few specially imported from some contacts on another continent. He had made it abundantly clear that she would only get to use one for the duration of the training.

Javor stood opposite her. He raised his hand and let it fall. By his signal, a large brown bear with a circle on its chest charged into the room.

Sydney held up the Pokedex. It beeped and the text “Ursaring (Normal)” appeared on its screen.

“Um… normal…” Sydney wracked her memory. “G.G.! Dynamicpunch!” G.G. swung his fist forward and socked the Ursaring in its gut.

Javor nodded. “Good. Continue.”

The Ursaring backed off and returned to an unseen Pokéball. A red and white bird, identified as a Delibird, took its place.

Sydney frowned. “Ice and flying… Bow! Thunderbolt!” The frown that had been on Bow’s face the entire time left, replaced by a slight half-smile. She hurled a bolt at the Delibird, who fell back and was recalled.

A Pokémon that looked like a cicada shell appeared. The Pokedex identified it as a Shedinja.

“Um…” Sydney paused. The ghost weaknesses had given her trouble. It didn’t make sense why a ghost should be weak to itself. “Mona! Lick it!” With gleeful abandon, Mona stuck out her tongue, jumped forward, and licked the Shedinja straight up its face. It shuddered and was recalled.

The training went on in that vein for some time. When Javor finally decided that Sydney had had enough, it had reached 7 PM. “That was solid work today,” he said. “Type matchups are important to gaining the edge in a battle. Your opponents will likely not hold back, so you should not either. Of course, without knowing the type of your opponent, matching your moves against it will be difficult. But that comes with experience.”

He led her to the door. “I would like to see you here tomorrow. We will continue with the basics. Be here at 2.”

Sydney nodded, and as she left, she went down her schedule for the next day. Miro had asked to see her at 7 AM, and had cautioned her that their meeting tomorrow would likely take until lunchtime. That would then put her at school until… well, the end of the day. She sighed. Another full day, it looked like. She suspected that was very quickly going to become the norm.

---

The next morning, Miro had suggested that while they talk, Sydney should let her Pokémon out. Miro had an impressive amount of land, and nearby the house there was a garden. It was quiet, and the Pokémon, when released, had taken right to it. That left the Pokémon alone as Sydney and Miro retreated to the study.

“What do you think of her?” Trezzatura said, crossing his arms somewhat self-consciously.

Bow sniffed, a feat for any Pokémon without a nose. “She has a long way to go for me to call her a trainer. She’s only just now learning the basics, and Jeff entrusted us to her? When he said that the Guild was sending someone to Tor Achare, I rather thought it would be someone with considerably more experience, not this child.”

“You know she’s older than Jeff, right?” Previsiona said.

“You’d never know it to look at them,” Bow shot right back.

“Regardless.” Previsiona frowned at Bow. “She deserves a chance. She’s got enough on her plate without us making things more difficult.”

“Bow does have a point, though,” Merc said. “Sydney needs a lot of experience. A lot a lot. That school will be good for her. They’re really on top of things.”

Bow continued. “And then there’s Ridder.”

Collectively, the four of them turned to look at Ridder. He was watching as Mona jumped up and down on Bobbery’s stomach. G.G. was talking animatedly to Bobbery, who seemed completely oblivious to Mona.

“What about Ridder?” Trezzatura said. “He’s quiet and he keeps to himself.”

Bow watched Ridder through half-lidded eyes. “There’s something about him I don’t like.”

“Lighten up, Bow,” Previsiona said. “It’s not him you don’t like, it’s Sydney. Don’t be unfair to him.”

Mercandos shook his head. “I know why she’s upset, Prev. Bolovayr and all the rest of his team took off.”

Bow turned on him. The look on her face could have frozen water at twenty paces. Nothing was said, but Merc backed up after exactly two seconds of having that glare fixed on him.

“Right,” said Previsiona after the tense moment had passed. “So as I was saying, just try and be friendly with Ridder. He’s new, and we’re all a team, which can be a little intimidating.”

Merc shuddered almost imperceptibly. “Intimidating. Right.”

“And,” Previsiona continued, “anyone who wants to go back home is more than welcome to. After all, Jeff and Maza are in the next province over. I’m sure he’d make a day trip of it if he knew that one of us needed him.”

There was silence, except for Mona’s excited yells in the background. Returning to Sector Alpha didn’t seem to be the popular option. Whether it was the pleasure of exploring somewhere new, the idea of battling taking a backseat to helping plan something for the Guild, or even just getting the hell away from Raini, everyone had their reasons.

“So that’s it, then,” Previsiona said. “We’re all going to stay with Sydney, and we’re all going to make the best of it. Understood?”

Merc and Trezzatura nodded.

“Bow?”

Bow sighed. “If it will make you happy, yes, I’ll make the best of it.”

“Good.”

classy_cat18

20th February 2011, 07:55 PM

Fifteen stamps for Jeff. I like Sydney, and sympathize with her inexperience. But she's learning quickly and that's a good thing! Hope that the random battle encounters get easier for her now.

Lady Vulpix

20th February 2011, 08:03 PM

Comments about Jeff's latest story:

I still feel sorry for what Sydney had to go through, but I understand the Pokemon's reactions. Lady Bow made a good choice during the battle, but it didn't help Sydney understand what was wrong. It reminds me a bit of the initial relationship Jenny and Tracker had (except that Jenny knew about Pokemon battles but not about Tracker's issues with authority, and Tracker didn't understand that there are some cases in which you have to do what you're told even if it's not what you want). I'm glad that Miro was able to offer some help, though.

I'm also sorry for Bow, Amber went through a similar situation when Volvagia left (I wonder if Alex will read this), but in addition to losing Bolovayr she's in an unknown land with an unknown trainer who doesn't even know how to deal with Pokemon. :( I'd give her a hug if I could. Although I can see the advantage in getting away from Raini.

By the way, "Shoot it down with, eh, something? Maybe?" is a great command to issue. :P I also loved the phrase "It collapsed, though whether it was from damage, the smell, or embarrassment Sydney wasn't sure." Her reflection about both possible outcomes of a battle being bad was quite interesting too. And the "Lord Absol" alarm was funny.

Javor clearly knows what he's doing, but I wouldn't like to have been in Sydney's place when he scared her like that. But she made wise moves during the test and I liked the way she showed concern for Ridder.

What you're doing with Ridder is sort of cheating, though. You've picked up a Pokemon you didn't adopt and are showing how he trains and gains levels... it's as if you were playing a parallel game outside the bounds of the AC/CC rules. I'll let it pass, though, because it gives us more stories to read and because you can't take him to the Battle Tower, the Eevee House or the Dragon Games anyway.

The Blue Avenger

20th February 2011, 08:06 PM

I was wondering if it would be allowed. I don't plan to use Ridder outside of the Battle Range, and I don't think I'm going to have Sydney catch anything else anyway. If there's something I ought to be doing different, please let me know. :o

Lady Vulpix

20th February 2011, 08:13 PM

Hmm... No, that's OK. But that means I can show my supporting cast's battles too. Let's see, that's... Tracker, Glyph, Orknye, Glice, Lavy, Linyi, Arim, Solitude, Firestar, Ray, Plum, Outcast, Rock, Rose, Adamant, Gail, Terabyte, Eliot and Alpha, just to mention the ones I have on my file (I've included many others in my stories throughout the years). Oh, if only I had the time to write them all!

The Blue Avenger

20th February 2011, 08:17 PM

To be quite honest, I don't see a problem with showing battles for supporting casts as long as your main team, the one you use in the Battle Tower, etc. and can give items to, doesn't exceed 15. I mean, of the side characters that you listed, their Pokemon THEY grow stronger off screen, presumably, so there's not a whole lot of difference between that and actually showing it happen.

Lady Vulpix

20th February 2011, 09:00 PM

Their Pokemon? I only listed the Pokemon. But yes, you're right. They do level up off-screen. So I guess we can do that.

classy_cat18

26th February 2011, 10:47 PM

I apologize if this story is of lower quality than most. Can I get an RBG for Bo, from the Free Range Corral? *pays*

Athena’s POV

Okay, I’ve helped with breakfast, washed dishes, swept and mopped, vacuumed the living room, and helped Shonta with bathing Destai and Trinity (that Houndour just refuses to stay still). What else is on the schedule? I stepped out in the backyard and sighed. Ken was throwing pebbles at Ali while she was meditating again. I flicked the Squirtle’s head to make him stop. “Now now, just because Miss Ali hasn’t moved for three days doesn’t mean you can do that.”

“Is she okay?” he asked.

“She usually starts moving on the third day. Why don’t you play with Bo?”

“He’s taking a nap.” He frowned and withdrew into his shell.

“In the middle of the day? He’s been like this since we’ve been back.” I pushed his shell into the sunshine and went back in the house, where I was greeted by Bandit’s shouting.

“Why? Why? WHY ME?” he wailed.

“What’s wrong? Is Katana mad at you again?”

He blinked at me. “So you don’t know either. That trainer of ours signed me up for the doggone Dragon Games yesterday!”

“Ohhhhh.” Now I remembered. I was with her when she signed him up. “Why are you fussing over that?”

“Because it’s me! Why not Lily? She did it last time! Or Beacon?” He pulled at his frills as if they could be yanked off.

It was understandable why he wouldn’t want to do it. Bandit wasn’t the type to jump into a battle. “Well, you are a great battler. You are a versatile fighter with the widest movepool out of all of us, and you have the best record at the Battle Tower.”

Moriko heard us and went into the kitchen. “Bandit, we entered you because we believe in you! Help me out, Athena!”

Remembering my roll, I nodded in agreement. “We know you can do it!” I told him.

The Heracross took Bandit’s hands. “We cannot suffer another embarrassing defeat! This is to restore our honor!”

“W-we didn’t do so bad…” the Kecleon muttered.

Moriko quickly ended his protests. “Do you even know what is on the line? First prize is nearly enough Rare Candies to evolve Nama!”

“She’ll be a Vigoroth!” I said enthusiastically.

“A powerful attack of our choice!”

“An asset for us in the future!”

“AND A NEW DRATINI!”

“Okay, now that’s not going to happen!” Bandit shouted. “We have fifteen members and not enough space for us already! We cannot fit a Dratini!”

Moriko glanced at me and laughed nervously. “Athena decided that if we win first place, she’ll remove herself from the roster.”

“NO! Shonta said that Swoop would be the last Pokemon she would abandon!”

“She won’t be abandoned! She just won’t be one of the battling Pokemon!”

I nodded, but didn’t tell him that I had planned on dropping out even if we didn’t get first place. But Shonta convinced me to stay until we found someone suitable to replace me.

“I don’t see what’s wrong with just having fourteen members,” Bandit grumbled. “In fact, we should have less.”

Moriko got serious. “That’s not how Shonta works. You know she’s used to a big family. I don’t think she’d be able to operate with a small group. Besides, she’s responsible. She adopted us, and she’s determined to keep us.”

“If she’s responsible then why is she taking a sixteenth Pokemon?”

“I don’t know! But admit that having a Dratini around the house would be awesome!”

“When we get more room, then I’ll admit that it’d be awesome.” He smirked.

“Assemble, girls and guys!” Shonta called out as she walked up. “We’re going out again!”

“Already?” Bandit rolled his eyes. “Life-or-death battles are starting to get boring.”

“Just training. I got a free voucher for a round-trip train ride to the Dragon Gate!”

“Alright! Training vacation!” I heard Circe cheer. Destai barked happily.

I guess I’ll wake up Ali and Ken. I went back outside and knocked on Ken’s shell. “We’re going on another trip,” I told him.

“Yaaaaaay!” he cheered before popping out. He glanced at Ali and picked up another pebble. “Aliiiiii!”

The pebble was thrown, but the Meditite caught it when it was an inch from her forehead. “Can’t a girl get some sleep around here?” Ali yawned. “The weather’s perfect for once and I wanted at least an hour to nap.”

Shonta’s POV

Over the years I had gotten good at packing at a high speed. In a couple of hours, I was on a train bound for the Dragon Gate, located between the provinces of Nagarythe and Avelorn. This time I only had two Pokemon accompanying me, Ken and Bo. Ken was enjoying the scenery and asking Bo questions about what was passing by. Unlike the last few days, the Umbreon seemed to be in a good mood.

“Are those Pokemon?” Ken asked as we passed a field full of pink lumps and bright tails.

“Those look like Miltank,” Bo answered. “Must be time to eat. All of their heads are down.”

I giggled and went back to my notes regarding current Guild activity. Jeff had submitted reports of people “snagging” already captured Pokemon using special pokeballs, and then there were the dysfunctional Dubious Discs that had caused his Porygon Z to go wacky. The biggest buzz concerned the upcoming Dragon Games, but under all of it laid whispers of the Dark Dragon. I had spoken to Gabi and Jeff shortly about Bo’s brush with… whatever had possessed him, but none of us had a good idea if it was the Black Dragon himself or something working for him. Neither did we know if it would keep possessing Bo.

No offense to Bo, but who would want to bother with a young Umbreon? If I was a nasty demon I would aim for a much stronger Pokemon. I shook my head free of the same questions that floated through my mind.

Out the corner of my mind I saw the passengers seated across from me. There was a boy that looked about high-school age with messy black hair and pale skin that made his green eyes shine. He wore a black T-shirt and black jeans. He almost didn’t look human. Lying on the seat next to him was a napping Houndour. The boy was lazily scratching behind its ears.

The boy ignored me until I turned my head to get a better look at him. Our eyes met and locked for a long time. “Not polite to stare,” I muttered to myself as I forced myself to look out the window. That only made it feel like his eyes were burning a hole in the back of my skull. That went nice with the chill up my spine, which made wearing a jacket useless.

“Miss Shonta? He’s still looking at you,” Bo whispered to me.

I kept my eyes glued to the scenic view. Don’t turn your head.

“He’s getting up now,” the young Umbreon informed me.

Don’t look at him.

“He’s walking this way,” he told me.

Please don’t be asking for a battle or something.

“Now he’s sitting next to you.”

“HI!” I exclaimed as I swung around to look at the stranger.

The stranger’s eyes widened in surprise as he leaned back from the maniac that had just screamed at him. “H-Hello…” he stammered.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare at you and then yell like that. I try to mind my own business while on trips like this.” I laughed nervously and went back to avoiding his gaze.

“Are you from the Dragon’s Guild?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah, in fact I’m headed to the Dragon Gate for some special training.”

“I believe I’ve seen you before. You’re Shonta, correct?”

I nodded. How come I never remember these guys?

“Yes, I’ve seen you in the MTU building from time to time. It is nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to shake mine. Out of courtesy I made eye contact while shaking it. Strangely, his face didn’t show much expression although his voice did.

“It’s nice to meet you too, um…”

“Oh, my name.” He paused while scratching his chin.

Was he… trying to remember his name?

“It’s Eli.” He pointed to the Houndour he was petting. “That is Noah.”

“He reminds me of my Houndour,” I observed. “The Umbreon’s name is Bo, and the Squirtle is Ken.”

Bo waved at him, then tapped Ken to do the same thing. “Hiiiiiii!” Ken said cheerfully.

Eli shook Bo’s paw. “You have healthy Pokemon but I’ve never seen a red-ringed Umbreon before. Was it a cosmetic change?”

“Apparently it turned out like this because he evolved during a lunar eclipse,” I answered.

For the second time, Eli’s face showed emotion. His eyes widened and then narrowed. “Is that so? I don’t believe that has ever happened before.”

Bo stared back at him and growled, his fur bristling. Eli just smiled. “I’m not implying that it’s a bad thing,” he informed Bo. “Shonta, is there a chance we could battle each other once we get to the Training Grounds? You told me that you also have a Houndour.”

“Yes, but is he your only Pokemon?”

“No, but he is my newest and I would like to help him get stronger.”

I smiled. “I was waiting for a friendly battle.”

“That’s good. We shall battle in the Lava Room.”

“Lava Room?”

Bandit’s POV

Shonta let us out of our pokeballs as soon as we arrived at the Training Grounds, which were a pair of towers that surrounded a large gate. “Whoa, did a real dragon own that gate or something?” I mused.

Some of the team gawked at the large towers, while the others were more occupied by Shonta’s new friend. “This guy desperately needs some sun,” Trinity commented.

“He looks like—“ Ali started to say.

“Don’t say it!” Katana snapped.

“What? It’s not like he can understand me!”

“It’s rude and immature.”

“You agree, don’t you?” she asked me. “He looks just like OW!” She rubbed her head from where the Zangoose had hit her.

“Don’t you finish that sentence either,” Katana warned me while giving one of her trademark glares.

“What? It’s not like Shonta’s not thinking the same thing,” I whined.

“Um, lovebirds? He’s staring at us,” Ali mumbled.

We turned to the pale-faced trainer, who was staring at us curiously like he had never seen a Three Stooges act before. “Your Pokemon are very funny,” he calmly said to Shonta.

“I don’t see you laughing,” Ali told him before dodging another blow from Katana.

“So this is Katana.” He kneeled in front of Katana with his hand outstretched.

“Guys, this is Eli,” Shonta said to us. “And his Houndour, Noah.” She gestured to a Houndour sitting next to him. “Show them some respect.”

Katana shook his hand. “The Kecleon is Bandit, and the Meditite is Ali.” The two of us waved.

Eli smiled at us. Or tried to, as all he could manage was a slight quirk of the lips. “A varied team, and so much of them unevolved. The Ninetales is named Trinity, correct? You told me about her on the train.”

“A pleasure, I’m sure,” Trinity said with a lifted paw.

“Snooty!” I sneezed. Katana chose to laugh that time. “Sorry, I had something up my nose.”

Shonta introduced Eli and his Houndour to the rest of the team. Eli absorbed it all quietly, hanging onto every word. But there was something… off about him. Like he was disconnected from reality, like how Shonta looked when she sat in a meeting while thinking about a boss she couldn’t beat in a video game.

Circe shook Eli’s hand while examining him. “Dude, you look like Dracula,” she laughed. “Bandit, doesn’t he look like that vampire from the old movies? The dude with the black cape?”

Katana facepalmed while Shonta faked a violent cough to disguise her laughing. “Are you alright?” Eli asked our trainer while being completely oblivious.

“Nothing, it’s nothing!” she assured him. “We have a battle, right?”

“Oh yes, we do. Will you follow me to the East Tower?” He walked ahead of us, Noah at his side. Shonta shrugged and followed him with Destai at her side, our Houndour watching Noah closely.

“Well, he’s polite. I like him,” Athena commented.

“And he’s cheerful in his own way!” Lily added.

“Kinda feels weird though,” Circe said dreamily. “Dude, it was like I couldn’t get a straight reading from him.”

“But you seemed okay with him,” Beacon commented.

“When we were being introduced to him, he seemed happy. Maybe he’s just weird.”

We entered through the front doors of the East Tower and into the lobby. A nurse walked through the group with a tray of medicine. “Good, a Pokemon Center. How many times are we going to need this place?” I asked no one in particular.

There were a couple of elevators in the lobby, as well as a map of both of the towers. Eli pointed to the basement of the East Tower on the map. “We may have our battle here, in the Lava Room.”

No way they have a room that hot. It must be just a name they give it.

“Won’t that be a little hot for us?” Shonta asked.

“I would like to see how tough you are as a person as well as a trainer. We can leave after our Houndour battle.”

“Fine, I guess. Destai?” Our teammate glanced at the other Houndour and barked confidently. “We’re ready.”

“I’m coming too,” Trinity said while pushing ahead of them to push the down button.

“Me too,” I said. “I gotta see this.”

“This will be a good chance for me to practice battling under extreme conditions,” Ali said. “If I can meditate under the hot sun for three days, I can handle this.”

“It’s true,” I whispered to Noah. “Last summer I kept myself entertained by throwing pebbles at her and she didn’t move a muscle.” Noah just snorted and shuffled closer to Eli.

“I guess the rest of us will be going up!” Moriko said. “How about we meet each other here?” She pointed to the top floor of the building on the map. “The perfect place for all of us to get a drink!”

“Good idea,” Shonta said. She stepped into the elevator with the rest of the Lava Room group. “Wish us luck.”

“And order extra water,” I added.

Shonta’s POV

Instead of the elevator doors opening directly to the Lava Room, they slid open next to the stairwell and in front of a pair of double doors. Even though we were outside the room, the air was still warm and stuffy. “Here we go,” I told Eli as I swung the doors open.

SWOOSH! A wave of unbearably hot air hit my face! I stumbled back and covered it like I’d been punched. “What is this, the center of the earth?” I shouted.

“You’ll get accustomed to it once you’ve spent some time in here,” Eli said calmly as he entered. The Fire Pokemon with us walked behind him, Destai waiting in the doorway for me.

Eli was right; once I got over the first blow it didn’t feel so horrible. “Okay, I can do this,” I assured myself.

Bandit looked up at me. His skin was bright red from being hit by the heat. It was that intense. “Hey, the pale dude was right. After the first blow, you don’t feel anything,” the Kecleon told me.

“You don’t feel anything because you’re a Fire type now,” Ali clarified. We shared a laugh and went in.

Eli was already making good progress, carefully but quickly walking around rocks and jumping over gaps. “We should be fine in the middle!” he called out to me.

“Middle?” I stepped back when some of the rock crumbled away to reveal something bright orange and red. “LAVA? REAL LAVA?”

He stopped and nodded and confirmation. “Yes, it is called the Lava Room for a reason.”

“I thought it was just a name!” I recklessly hurried to catch up to him and the rest, to get this battle over so I could get somewhere safe.

“Good, you’re here.” He bowed to Destai. “Please give me your best.”

The Houndour cocked his head to the side in confusion. Noah barked something to him and he perked and barked back. “We will,” I confirmed.

L8 Male Houndour (Destai) vs. L8 Male Houndour (Noah)

“Destai, use Leer!” I shouted.

“Noah, use Howl!”

My Houndour’s eyes shone white while he glared at his howling opponent. I tied my jacket around my waist and fingered my T-shirt. Good thing I rarely deviate from my usual wardrobe.

It wasn’t much that we could do. Our opponents were both resistant to their own types, and Noah probably had Flash Fire too which made them immune to Fire attacks. But Destai knew more than that. “Destai, give him your Smog attack!” I commanded.

Noah snorted. “Use Sucker Punch before he can use that Smog!” Eli instructed. The opponent charged in a straight line with incredible speed and tackled Destai with outstretched paws.

“Shonta, it’s just like what that Absol did to Lily when we were at White Mountain,” Bandit told me.

“Noted! Destai, use Faint Attack while he’s close!” I shouted. Destai dodged Noah’s paw swipe and tackled him back.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and futilely fanned myself. “Ember!” I and the other trainer shouted together. The two Houndour spewed flames at each other, neither one of them budging. That meant…

“Flash Fire,” I groaned.

“Yes, I see Destai has it too,” Eli said with a grin. It was strange how much emotion he was suddenly showing.

“Hope you have other tricks up your sleeve! Destai, move in to attack!”

“Noah, you know what to do.”

The two rushed towards the center and leaped for each other. Sparks flickered in Noah’s mouth as he knocked him down and clamped his fangs down on Destai’s neck. Thunder Fang!

“Destai!”Ali cried out.

Destai howled in pain and pounded on Noah with his paws until he let go. He wobbled sluggishly and winced. “Poison Fang!” I yelped in panic.

I never did see why a trainer shouted their attacks for the opponent to hear, but most of the time the Pokemon reacted to orders too quickly to care. Paralyzed Pokemon were another matter. But because of the small gap between them, Destai had lunged forward and sank dripping fangs into Noah before he could move out of range.

“Noah, get him off!” Eli yelled in rising emotion.

“Destai, keep him still until that poison gets in!”

The two Pokemon struggled until Noah spewed a cloud of Smog that Destai had no choice but to breathe in. He let Noah go out of necessity and coughed.

Noah practically dragged himself a safe distance away from Destai, every movement forcing a whimper of pain. Both Pokemon had status afflictions now, but Noah would soon faint from his if he moved around too much. The heat’s already intense enough for me. I don’t need this battle to make it worse!

“Noah,” Eli’s voice rang out. His Houndour perked and turned to look at him. “We must act now while your opponent’s struggling to move.”

“Destai, just keep still and let him come to you.” My Houndour nodded in understanding.

“Sorry to tell you this but Noah won’t have to get any closer. Dark Pulse!”

Crap! Destai couldn’t get his legs to move, making him an easy target for the shockwave of darkness. He rolled across the hot rock towards the edge where the lava bubbled.

“I can’t stand the suspense!” Trinity whined as she pawed me. “Either get him to win or let him lose! Just make it end!”

“Gee, thanks,” I said sarcastically.

Destai sprang up and charged again without orders. Noah growled and blew out a cloud of poison. That didn’t stop Destai as he ran straight through without stopping. “Whoo! Poison Fang again!” I hollered.

“Thunder Fang!” Eli yelled.

Noah lunged forward to bite Destai but his attacker ducked and bit his leg. “Don’t let go!” I told him.

Noah slapped him with his other front paw and yanked himself free, but he wasn’t able to last ten seconds before collapsing.

Destai wins and grows to level 9!

Eli returned to his stoic self and returned Noah. “Your Houndour is persistent, as are you,” he commented. “You held up very well in this heat.”

“Barely noticed it,” I chuckled before wiping my face with my jacket. “We should take our Pokemon to the Center now.”

“You do that,” Bandit said. “I’m going to hang with the others and then go upstairs with them.”

“Have fun.”

The Blue Avenger

28th February 2011, 04:51 PM

Shonta: Bo will fight a Girafarig.

Man, Bandit is a spaz. XD I can't blame him, though. A lot of pressure he's under!
Gutsy move, retiring a Pokemon on your team for the Dratini. Can't say I don't blame you either. :P Good show having justification for it.
I'm totally waiting for the other shoe to drop with Eli.
I do like that everyone's surprised that there's lava in the Lava Room. I don't mean that sarcastically, either. The logistics of filling a room with lava seem like they must have taken some serious plotting out.
I'm always surprised by Houndour's large movepool. They're pretty sharp with status effects.
That was a solid battle! I like how you kept it neck to neck for the entire match.

Now, for stamps... I like the sound of 13. Take 13 stamps.

Lady Vulpix

2nd March 2011, 12:49 PM

Finished 3 days later than expected due to puppies, buthere it is! My Pond Room battle!

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Water Angel's POV>

Freedom. It's a hard concept to explain and I shall not attempt to do it here. I have, myself, found that word to mean different things at different times. But that's not really relevant. The purpose of freedom is not to be defined, but to be experienced... and enjoyed. I have always pitied those who enjoyed some forms of freedom which were denied to me and were not even aware of what they had. Throughout my life, I'd made it a point to recognize every kind of freedom I had and make the best of it. It was one of the drivers which had marked my way in life; it permeated every aspect of my days, every decision I made, everything I created, everything I learned... And life had slowly rewarded me by showing me different ways to extend my freedom. And I had grown used to the way things were. But there, in the Pond Room, Freedom took a new meaning; or rather, its old, original meaning, which I had almost forgotten. Neither the swimming pool at home nor the ones at the Eevee House and the DTHQ, nor even the fountain at the Dragon's Guild headquarters with its secret passage could compete with the vastness and the majesty of this aquatic environment. Not any more than the Pond Room could compete with the open sea. That thought brought with it some nostalgia, but I had long since made my choice to leave the immensity of the ocean for a completely different life and, while I still missed some of the best things from my childhood, I didn't regret my choice. What I had found was much more valuable than anything I'd seen before. So, all things considered, it was a blessing to enjoy the water room in the company of the one I loved. I just hoped it wouldn't have to end too soon.

I swam around for a while, just enjoying myself, going back and forth, diving underwater to play among the seaweed and then returning to tickle Pidgeot's feathers and let him splash me with his wings in return. We had thankfully arrived at a moment when most Pokemon were resting from previous battles. Ours would be our team's last battle for the day, which meant we didn't have to hurry. After swimming for a while I asked if I had missed anything interesting, and I was told that Lagi had somehow managed to reverse the direction of the water flow in a part of the Desert Room for long enough to allow some raindrops to fall, as well as some other details about the battles, even though many of them were repetitions of the comments I'd heard at lunch. Then the calm ended as a trainer knocked on the door and asked how much longer it would take us to finish. Gabi had to tell him that we were just getting started, which was true if you assumed she was referring to the battle rather than our stay in the room. Frustrated, the trainer left saying he would return a few minutes later. I realized that playtime was over and dived into the water in search for two Pokemon we could challenge.

I came across Lavy along the way. The Lapras and I had spent many afternoons together at the Guild's fountains (the plural was intentional), and had become good friends. She had been having a good time at the Pond Room so far, although she hadn't had a chance to battle yet. I asked her if she knew where I could find opponents for Pidgeot and myself, and she guided me to a spot by the far wall where a group of Sealeo and Walrein were having a conversation. She asked if any of the Walreins would be willing to battle a Kingdra and a Pidgeot.

"The Kingdra, sure, but a Pidgeot would be too easy," said one of them. "Where's the fun in that?"
"Type advantage isn't all, you know," another one reminded him. "You should know that. Didn't you defeat a Machoke once?"
"Yeah, but it was a stupid one. Anyway, I wasn't talking just about the type, but you're right in that I should check before judging. What's this Pidgeot like? Is it Strong? Smart? Anything interesting?"
"He's good," I told him. "And that's all I'm going to tell you."
"Can he fly with wet feathers?" he insisted.
"Listen, if you want to know more about him, you'll have to battle him," I said. "I'm not going to tell you what he can or can't do. Not unless you're willing to share the same information about yourself. And even then, how can each of us be sure that what the other said is true? Let's make it easier and find out as we battle."
"Just one random fact about each of us?" said the Walrein who seemed to be intent on playing games.
"OK, but you go first so I can see what kind of facts you're talking about."
"Hmm... That's not what I wanted. Why don't I tell you something about him, then you tell me something about yourself and this Pidgeot, and then I say something about myself?"
"Alright, let's go with that," I accepted.
"OK then... Icicle here is very observant."
"My name is not Icicle, it's Iceberg!" the other complained.
"OK, there you have two facts."
"Why don't we all say our names?" I suggested. "I don't think they should count as facts and I think it's best to know each other's names if we're going to battle."
"Oh, sure," said the Walrein whose name I still ignored. "But it's your turn."
"My name is Water Angel," I said, "And I was born in the North Sea."

At that moment, Pidgeot arrived and asked me what was going on.

"It appears to be some kind of game," I informed him. "We have to provide one fact about each of us before we battle. So far it's been said that Iceberg is very observant and that I was born in the North Sea."
"We're also saying our names," Iceberg added.
"And it's your turn now," said the other Walrein.
"Mine? Oh..." Pidgeot paused for a second. "Can I take a moment to think, please? I didn't know about this game and I'm not used to sharing random bits of information about myself."
"I think that counts as a fact," I told him.
"Not being used to this game?" The gamer complained. "That's hardly a fact, it's the negation of a fact! And he hasn't even said his name yet."
"Then I'll give you two in one," offered Pidgeot. "I'm still looking for my name."
"How do you look for a name?" asked Iceberg.
"I could either try to find one that suits me or try to remember my old one, but so far neither way has worked. So there you have your fact."
"You don't remember your name?!" exclaimed the first Walrein. "That's some fact you gave us! Do you have amnesia or something? And you've been going for how long without a name?"
"Just one fact," I reminded him. "And it's your turn."
"Oh, sure. That's OK. My name is Gamble, and I like to call Iceberg Icicle. And that's a fact."

I didn't like him. Iceberg seemed alright, but Gamble seemed to be the kind of individual who enjoyed bending the rules and annoying everyone. And what he'd done to Pidgeot was close to verbal abuse. Of course, he didn't know what Pidgeot had gone through, and I'd have to make sure he didn't find out anymore than he already knew. It wasn't that Pidgeot couldn't take it, it just wasn't fair for someone like Gamble to get his way.

"Oh, one more thing," Gamble added. "Each of us gets to set a requirement for the battle before we begin."
"What kind of requirement?" I queried.
"Whatever you want. Just to set the rules for the battle. Each of us makes a rule and we all have to follow them. For example, my requirement is that no items are used during the battle."
"Was that an example or a real requirement?" asked Pidgeot.
"Smart boy! OK, that's my requirement. No items, so your Kingdra friend can drop the ball she has there, and you can leave that bag of whatever you're carrying."
"We'll have to go all the way back to where our trainer is to give her the items," I pointed out.
"I can hold your ball," Lavy offered. "I'll give it back to you after the battle."
"My bag has Sacred Ashes in it," said Pidgeot. "I don't have to take it off, I'll just refrain from using them."
"If you cheat, you'll lose the battle automatically," Gamble warned him.
"I don't cheat," Pidgeot glared at him angrily. "And my requirement is that no poisoning moves are used."
"Poisoning?" asked Iceberg. "That's a strange request. Easy to follow, too. I don't even know any poisoning moves."
"I know Toxic," said Gamble. "But that's OK, I won't need it anyway. May I ask why, though?"
"Personal reasons," said Pidgeot.
"OK, whatever floats your boat. Icicle?"
Iceberg thought for a moment. "No Rain Dance or Sunny Day."
That request was strange too. I wondered what he had in mind and didn't want to find out the hard way. "Rain Dance and Sunny Day specifically? Not weather altering moves in general?"
"We can make it that way if that's your request," said Iceberg.
"I see," said Pidgeot. "He wants to use Hail. It's your call, Angel."
"Um... no, I'd rather do without Hail, but that alone is not enough. Can we make it 'no Ice-type' moves?"
"That would be unfair," said Gamble. "You'd be cutting out our best resources while you wouldn't be losing much at all."
"Duly noted," I concurred. "Why don't we make it 'no Super Effective moves' instead? That's a common request in friendly matches."
"Do you have any moves that are Super Effective against us?" asked Iceberg.

Before I could answer, Pidgeot rose to get away from the water and released a bolt of electricity into the air.

"I see," said Iceberg. "That's his Hidden Power, isn't it? It can't be nearly as strong as a Blizzard, but I wouldn't want our battle to be over in a single move. No offense meant."
"I chose to battle here," Pidgeot replied. "If I turn out to be out of my league and lose quickly, so be it. But if each of us is entitled to a request, and all the requests are reasonable, we must abide by them."
"That's OK," Iceberg agreed. "I think is her request is fair, but note that it doesn't rule out Hail. Shall we begin, then?"
"What?" complained his partner. "No betting? No reward for the winning team?"
"I think we've all had enough with the preparations," replied Iceberg. "We're here to train, not to gamble, no pun intended."
"But we can have some fun while we're at it," Gamble tried to look sad.
I got an idea. "Let's do the following: after the battle, the winning team gets to ask a question and the losing team has to answer truthfully."
Gamble took a moment to think about it. "OK, it's better than nothing. And I get to find out more about your weird friend."

I didn't like that last comment.

"Or we get to learn about anything we choose," Pidgeot corrected him.
"As long as it's something we know," Iceberg noted.
"Right... OK, Angel, this appears to be a game, so set the stage and we'll start playing."

Level 64 Pidgeot and Kingdra vs. 2× Level 70 Walrein

I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what he'd meant by 'set the stage'. Usually I would have taken it to mean 'use Smokescreen', but this was a 2-on-2 battle at the biggest swimming pool I'd ever seen; Smokescreen wouldn't be very useful. Then I saw him take off and realized he wanted me to help him make his move more effective. It wasn't hard for me to mold my face into an intimidating Leer: all I had to do was look at Gamble and think of how irritating he was. Iceberg hadn't done anything to anger me, but he was also looking at me and became as uneasy as his partner. I almost felt sorry for him, but I wasn't going to let them win so easily; not only because Gamble was getting on my nerves, but also because I'd never met either of them before and that meant they'd probably been to places where we hadn't been and seen things we didn't know about. I didn't want to miss a chance to learn something useful.

Gamble responded to my Leer with a loud Growl, which was, however, not loud enough to reach Pidgeot. Iceberg shot a piercingly cold Ice Beam at me. I realized I had to do something to stop them quickly. As Pidgeot hit Gamble with a Fly attack that was still nowhere near as strong as that Ice Beam, I let out a loud yawn as close to Iceberg as I could. That was what got the round of tricks started. Gamble put an Encore on Pidgeot, while Iceberg summoned a Hail storm. Then Iceberg fell asleep and, as the Hail hit us, Pidgeot was forced to rise into the air again. I hit Gamble with a Dragon Pulse, but it was useless. He decided to take a nap and healed himself. Now both our opponents were asleep, but nothing we could do would be enough to ensure they both stayed down.

Pidgeot hit Gamble again, and I did the same since we had no time to waste. The Hail hit us again, but fortunately our opponents were unable to attack us. Then Pidgeot soared again, and I was left alone with the two sleeping walruses. Dragon Pulse was still the best weapon I had, so I used it to hit Gamble again before he had a chance to wake up. I was lucky, my pulse produced a strong impact and caused Gamble to sink into the water. But my luck ended there, as at that moment Iceberg began to stir. I turned to look at him at the exact moment he began toopen his mouth for a big Yawn... or perhaps he'd been waiting for me to look at him. In that way, he accomplished his revenge on me. I managed to stay awake long enough to see Gamble reach the surface, only to fall again from the force of Pidgeot's attack. I yawned back at Iceberg in an attempt to help my partner, and I saw through the thin gap between my eyelids how Iceberg jumped into the air and landed on top of Pidgeot. That was the last thing I could see before I began to drift among the waves of dream. I was vaguely aware of the last ice stones touching my scales. Then the last of my senses left the Pond Room.

<Pidgeot's POV>

Things weren't looking good for us. Gamble was down, but Iceberg was still unharmed and Water Angel could no longer keep up her struggle to stay awake. To make things worse, I had taken into the air against my will once more. I hated having no control over my body. Admittedly, it was below a number of other things in my hate list, like evil and abusive individuals, poison and cages. Or perhaps it was on par with cages. But I was an adult and knew I had to make an effort to get over those things. I tried to take advantage of the height and the distance to assess the situation. Instead of attacking Water Angel, which would have been easy, Iceberg had decided to bring back the Hail. I wondered why. Sure, it would allow him to hit both of us at the same time, but it wasn't strong enough to be worth it. There had to be another reason why he wanted the Hail so much. After all, he'd not only used the move twice, but he had made sure we wouldn't stop it with Sunny Day or Rain Dance. He had to be getting something out of it. And that's when I remembered hearing that some Pokemon could be healed by Hail, and realized it wouldn't be easy to bring Iceberg down. At least he fell asleep once the ice began to fall. I was grateful for Water Angel's last action; it would buy me some time.

I plunged into the Walrein and then, as I suspected, the Hail removed the marks I'd left on his skin. The good news was that I was now free from the Encore and could move at my leisure. I attacked my opponent with the most powerful Aeroblast I could muster. The wind was fast and strong, and sent Iceberg crashing against a wall. The ice couldn't do much to heal that, I knew I'd be lucky if I could keep attacking like that. I took a look at Water Angel and saw she was beginning to move, but she looked badly hurt. The Ice Beam and the successive Hail impacts had taken their toll on her. I needed to act fast.

I shot another Aeroblast. It wasn't as strong as the first one, but it was something. Then Water Angel woke up and a stream of draconic flames found its way to our opponent. It wasn't her strongest move, but her Hidden Power had a history of seeing her through tough situations and this wasn't the exception. I wasn't surprised when, later that night, she told me she'd been searching for her inner strength in her sleep, and that the teal flame had come to her encounter and allowed her to wake up. However, it didn't save her from the ice that kept cutting her scales. I could swear I felt her pain more than my own. I tried to focus on my opponent and saw that he was opening his eyes. We had to finish the battle before he could react. I couldn't take the chance of missing, so instead of using my strongest move, I went for accuracy and relied on Water Angel to deal the final blow. At the shout of "End it now" I launched a volley of star-shaped projectiles while Angel finished the battle with a Dragon Pulse. Fortunately for us, that was enough, and neither Iceberg nor his Hail could hurt us again.

We grew to level 66!

The ice became thinner and soon stopped falling. I descended to the surface of the water and approached Water Angel. She looked like she could barely stay afloat, but she was smiling.

"We did it again," she said.
"Yes, we did," I answered. "But it was tougher than most friendly battles. If you hadn't put Iceberg to sleep twice we wouldn't have made it. I hope the question you want to ask is worth the trouble we went through."
"My question?" she fixed her eyes on me. "You mean there's nothing you want to ask?"
"Nothing they could possibly know," I told her. "Unless they've heard anything about the Black Dragon or the snag machines."
"OK," she sighed. "We can ask them that. I'd thought about that too, but I was thinking that maybe there was something else you'd like to know."
"As I said, I have no other questions they can answer. They're not from Caledor. There's no way they could know anything about my family."
"Then business it is," she agreed, a second before the pain made her wince.
"Hold on," I told her. "The battle's over. Use this."

I offered her my Sacred Ashes and was relieved to see their effect on her. She soon began to feel better. I didn't need them for myself, since I hadn't taken so much damage and I could use Roost to heal my wounds. Then Lavy returned the Beach Ball she'd been holding.

We waited until the Walreins had finished their refreshing nap and were ready to talk to us. We asked her our question, but we couldn't get much information out of them. They'd never heard of the Black Dragon before, and they'd only heard a few rumors about humans using some device to capture trained Pokemon but didn't know who had been doing it, nor where it had happened. Then we said goodbye to everyone, but Gamble stopped us as we were about to leave.

"Wait," he said. "Before you go, I'd like to know your story. What's the deal with you?"
"You know..." I replied. "I would have told you, but you chose to make a bet out of it, and asking your question now that you've lost is cheating. I don't like cheaters."
"Hey, it's only a game," he complained. "And it's over now."
"You never know when to stop, do you?" Iceberg scolded him. "Let them go. He has no obligation to tell us anything."
"Thanks," I told him. "You're much nicer than him, you know. But I don't think you'd like to hear my story any more than I'd like to tell it. But most of it's in the past. Just a few loose ends to tie, then I'm sure it'll end better than it started."

I felt a tickle as Water Angel's nose shook some of my feathers. I liked it, but I think it added to the Walreins' confusion. I could live without solving that particular problem. We headed for the door and noticed Gabi wasn't there anymore. In her place was a familiar-looking young man.

"Hey, you two!" he called out to us. "Hold on a moment, I'll get your trainer. Sorry about that, it's just that it was getting late and my stars needed some exercise."
"Stars?" I looked around until I spotted a pair of Starmie battling some fish Pokemon.

I took another look at the trainer and finally recognized him. It was Eric, one of the founding members of the MTU, and the only one I knew who was dedicated to training just one kind of Pokemon. I have to admit I couldn't tell which of his many star Pokemon were battling at that moment. He opened the door and called Gabi, who was waiting on the other side. She recalled Water Angel, and both trainers made room for me to pass through the door.

"It was nice seeing you again," Eric told Gabi.
"You too," she replied. "Good luck with the training!"

We waved goodbye and left the last training room we'd visit on that day. Then, as we hit the Pokemon Center to pick up our friends, Gabi got a call from Kristy saying that the shipment of new TMs and items had arrived. Kristy had kindly offered her help to look after the Reward Center while we were away. She didn't ask for anything in return, she said she was trying to return a favor. She never explained what that favor was, but Lagi said she was sincere and, considering the timing of her reappearance and how long it had been since we'd last heard of her, I had a feeling I knew what exactly we had done for her. Well... not me particularly but the Dragon Tamers as a whole, and a part of the Dragon's Guild. In any case, that wasn't what Gabi thought about when she hung up her phone.

"I can't believe we've already been doing this for 10 years!" she exclaimed, looking at us all.
"Doing what for 10 years?" asked Hero.
"The Dragon Tamers. This Tuesday it'll be 10 years since we began to operate. So many things have happened since then! It seems like a lifetime ago, and still... also like a moment! I remember the argument I had with Scott on that day like it was just a few days ago."
"You should have nicer things to remember that day by," said Caledor. "Not that I can help you with that, I'm not that old."
"How old are you? Nine?" Tsunami retorted. "Stop pretending to be a little kid, no one's buying it."
"I'm not pretending, I'm honest! It's just the way I am. And I wouldn't have it any other way."
"10 years!" I could hardly believe it myself. "Yes, I remember... in December it was 10 years since I was adopted. That's when my life really began. I wonder how old I was back then."
"I wonder how old Hero is," Caledor changed the subject before I could get lost in my thoughts. "He must be really old."
"I'm not old, just experienced," Hero shot back. "Some of us like to use our time to learn and improve ourselves rather than pretending to be Peter Pan."
"Yeah, too bad things like tact, empathy and modesty can take a whole life to learn," Tsunami teased him.
"And there are things some individuals can never learn, like how to keep their mouths shut," Hero snapped.
"Oh, please, don't start now," Sylvan pleaded. "We're at a Pokemon Center."
"She's right," Caledor said. "We need to resolve this at the hotel... with a Pillow Fight!"
"You're not having another pillow fight," Gabi said in her most serious tone. "I had to pay a lot of money to repair the damage you guys caused the first time, not to mention how embarrassing it was to tell the hotel staff what you'd done."
"Oh, this won't be the same, I promise," Caledor assured. "We'll have a regular pillow fight, no attacks involved. Only hitting each other with a pillow is allowed, and if anyone breaks a pillow or anything else, the perpetrator will have to taste the weight of a thousand wormholes."
"That made no sense whatsoever," Gabi told him.
"I know. I'm getting better at this," Caledor grinned.
"If you ask me, you've always been good at not making sense," Hero told him. "It's not an ability you should try to improve. You should instead try to focus on honing your psychic abilities, improving your accuracy and learning some good physical attacks."
"All at once?" Caledor raised an eyebrow.
"At your own time, in whatever way works for you, but you do need some improvement in those areas. You can't keep relying on your opponent not knowing what to expect from you, because sooner or later you'll find someone who will. Lightness was a good match for you because she could plan ahead and adapt to the unexpected, and also because she found your weak spot from the start. In a battle with higher stakes, that die of yours may not be enough to turn the tables."
"You had to get all serious, didn't you? I will try to train harder, but only after I've stuffed you with pillows and made you pay for treating me like a newbie during my battle, since apparently calling you a cheerleader wasn't enough."
"That was your idea of revenge?!" Hero looked stunned. "Sorry, but that's another thing you'll have to improve. Your payback methods can't be distinguished from your regular silliness."
"Now he'll be trying to come up with an even sillier revenge," Tsunami warned him.
"Oh, Tsu, you know me too well," Caledor shook his head. "I'll have to pillow you for that."
"I thought I was already going to participate in the pillow fight," said Tsunami.
"I warn you all," Gabi insisted. "If you break anything with your pillow fight, I'm not only not giving any of you any gifts when we get back home, I'm also not taking you to the Training Grounds ever again."
"Now that's a good threat," Hero pointed out. "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll make sure everything stays in one piece."
"Ma'am?" now it was Gabi's turn to raise an eyebrow.

Hero's only response was a big grin. There was silence for a moment, which was broken by Tsunami as we walked out of the Pokemon Center and headed for the hotel.

"You know..." he began. "I think Caledor's battle was quite good after all."
"You say that just because you like long battles," said Hero.
"That's not why and you know it," Tsunami told him. "You don't show so much interest in a battle that you find boring."
"Well, I guess it had its moments, but I liked my battle best."
"I'm sure you did. To be honest I would have liked to watch it but, you know... Desert Room... not good for Water Pokemon."
"Don't worry, you'll get to watch and admire my battling style at the Lava Room tomorrow. I was thinking I might use the die Caledor used. I liked the randomness Lagi's die introduced into our battle, but Caledor's is better."
"Who said you can borrow my die?" Caledor glared at him.
"I don't have to borrow it," said Hero. "I can just use it. The die belongs to you and you belong to me, so by transitivity, the die is mine."
"What?!" Caledor shouted. "You don't own me, where did you get that stupid idea from?"
"Easy. You were my prize for winning the first Griffon Games. You've been mine for as long as you've been in the team."
"OK, now that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and that's saying a lot considering I've heard lots of ridiculous things and uttered most of them."
"Does that mean I own Bolovayr?" Tsunami wondered.
"No!" Caledor yelled. "What side are you on?"
"Mine, as always. Two against one wouldn't be fair now, would it?"

I stopped listening. I'd go crazy if I had to pay attention to everything those three say. My thoughts were then split among my battle, the 10 years I'd spent with Gabi, and the still unresolved mystery of my early days. I intentionally avoided thinking of the bad times, even though I had the creeping feeling I might have to revisit them if I wanted to remember what came before. It just wasn't the right time for that. We'd spent a decade together, and we'd made many lives better in the process, including our own. We had a lot to celebrate.

classy_cat18

2nd March 2011, 09:17 PM

Twenty stamps for your story, Gabi.

-The opening was pretty deep.
-Yay, ten years! I've only been here about six years but it's still relevant!
-The scene at the Pokemon Center was funny and touching.
-Your battle did well on showing how annoying things like weather effects can really affect a battle.

Lady Vulpix

3rd March 2011, 08:12 AM

Thanks, Shonta! I'm glad you liked it. :)

And yay, ten years!

Lady Vulpix

7th March 2011, 12:19 PM

New post! I'm glad I made it before my friends came. By the way, I'd like to know if Jeff has read my previous post. In any case, here's the new one!

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Tsunami's POV>

We met Amber and Ventura at the hotel lobby. They'd caught some interesting sights during the day, but they'd found no hints of the Black Dragon's whereabouts. They had come across Glyph in the afternoon, but he hadn't found anything relevant either, although he'd heard some interesting stories about the elves who used to live in the forest. That was too bad, but at least there was a bright side to look at: the hotel was amazing! The lobby had a large chandelier and the walls were painted gold and decorated with arabesques and leaf-like motives. It also had a huge, cozy couch where we could sit while we waited for Gabi finish to checking in. We'd left our luggage at the storeroom when we arrived, but I hadn't had the chance to fully appreciate the place until we got back from the Training Grounds. And when we got to our room, with its bouncy bed, its thick blankets and its array of colorful pillows of different shapes and sizes, I almost wished we could spend a whole day inside. Almost. I was also looking forward to my battle the following day. But first things first: I had a score to settle with Hero and Caledor, and the varied selection of pillows was perfect for that purpose.

I tried to get to the pillows first, but Hero Quick-Attacked the pile before I could reach it. I accepted it as it came: the fight hadn't really started yet. I reminded my friends that we'd have to be careful not to break anything and four eyes were rolled at me in return, but at least Gabi nodded approvingly. As she and Amber went to prepare our dinner, I picked a square blue pillow and hit Hero with it. He complained that we hadn't hit the rules yet, so I lay them out for him.

"We play until we get tired or something interrupts us. Each player's score is the sum of the times he manages to hit another player, minus the number of hits he receives. Negative scores are allowed. Anything else?"
"What happens if someone gets hit with 2 pillows at the same time?" asked Hero.
"It counts as two hits, as long as both pillows touch the player."
"I think it may be hard to tell who was hit by whom and how many times," Hero said.
"We'll see," I told him.
"Why do we even need rules?" asked Caledor. "It's a pillow fight, we hit each other with pillows until someone gives up. That's more fun than counting hits."
"OK, if that's what you want, we can do it that way. Hero?"
"It's the same for me, I'll win either way."
"I think I'm beginning to like Caledor's idea," I decided. "Let's do it his way."
"Yay!" Caledor cheered.

And so, it began. All the pillows were waved and thrown around the room countless times. In the end I was glad we weren't counting; it would have been tiresome and I have the feeling that Hero would have won after all. He was both fast and good at dodging, and he even used Double Team at one point. I tried to tell him we weren't supposed to do that, but he said he wasn't doing any damage and that was the only true restriction. At least I got to land a hit on him as he was speaking. Caledor used the chance to practice his telekinesis, but he couldn't focus enough to lift a pillow and throw it at one of us. He did, however, use his abilities to deviate some of the pillows that were about to hit him. I began to think that maybe his psychic abilities weren't meant to be used the way he and Hero wanted, and made a mental note to suggest that he trained the skills he'd already been able to use with some measure of success. Of course, while I was making that mental note, I was buried with pillows. But I had no trouble shooting them back at my rivals.

We had to stop for dinner, but after that we were back in the game. Hero had had more to eat than myself and was already showing some signs of tiredness, but he was too stubborn to give up. As for Caledor, it was hard to know: he held his pillows by the center and used them as shields before throwing them, so I could rarely see his face. I managed to mimic his use of Detect once, and from then on I had the upper hand. Neither of my opponents would be the first to stop, but with time they both began to lose speed and shooting power. I focused on hitting Hero to avoid giving him a chance to catch his breath, and dodged Caledor's attacks as best as I could. It wasn't that hard, since he insisted on holding them by the center and they fell off his mouth a lot, but I couldn't stop him when he charged at me with a pillow on his mouth. Then Hero took the chance to pick a big one and land it on my back, and they both pushed until my chest touched the floor, but I waited until they stopped pushing and then wriggled away. They both ended up a lot more tired than I was. In the end we were forced to stop because the others wanted to sleep. Hero and Caledor decided to call it a draw, but they both collapsed on the pile of pillows as soon as the lights were out. I, on the other hand, wasn't very tired. In fact, I was restless.

It took me a while before I could finally fall asleep. Perhaps I was nervous because I hadn't battled in a while and I'd be battling in the Lava Room in the morning. Hero and Caledor had already won a battle each, which put some pressure on me for my upcoming battle. I tried to tell myself that it was just for training and nothing was at stake, but my pride kept nagging at me. To make things worse, it was the Lava Room. Not as bad as the Desert Room, but my Water attacks wouldn't be so effective in there, and Ice attacks were out of the question. It was comforting to know that I was bound to be facing a Fire Pokemon, but it would be a trained one and was likely to know some tricks. After nearly an hour of turning around on my pillow, I ended up making a mental list of all the things I could do inside the Lava Room, or at least all those which came to my mind. I didn't try to memorize them. I just comforted myself with the thought that I wouldn't be out of options and that I could endure anything my opponents could throw at me. After all, that was what I did best. I fell asleep at some point during the list-building process and had dreams of battles among hot rocks and rivers of boiling lava.

Is it any wonder that I was slightly disappointed when I faced the real thing? I mean... the place was terribly hot, and they'd done a good job with the lava and the black rock path, but the Lava Room from my dream had been like the inside of a real volcano, with huge caves and tunnels with red-hot walls, plus a few stalactites to make it look more impressive. Yes, I know volcanos have no stalactites, but everything can happen in a dream, and it had been a breathtaking sight. The real Lava Room was similar to the old ones... perhaps a bit bigger and the floor was hotter - Caledor had to put on special boots to go in and watch us and Gabi stayed outside again -, but not hot enough to burn me or my Fire-type friends. Yes, Amber came with us. She didn't think she'd find anything useful if she went flying around with Ventura again, and she wanted to try and find her old friend Eliot who had been a member of the Lava Room staff every time the Training Grounds were open. It wasn't much of a surprise when we did find him. We'd missed him the last time, but he was usually there. He was talking to another Charizard. The other one looked bigger, more muscular, and had a more serious look on his face. Amber and I approached them slowly, trying not to interrupt them, but the stranger turned to look at us.

"It looks like we've got company," he said.

Eliot turned and gasped.

"Amber!" he exclaimed. "How long has it been? I was beginning to lose hope of seeing you here!"
"You know..." said Amber with a smile, "I'm with both the Dragon Tamers and the PRTD. I'm not hard to locate if you want to find me."
"Oh, I... can't believe I never thought of that. I guess I was just expecting you to come to the MTU building again, but you never did. And then I started thinking that, since you don't like friendly battles, maybe you wouldn't come looking for me at all."
"We can do more than just battle," Amber pointed out. "If you're interested."
"Uh? Oh, sure! Maybe when we're done here we can go out for lunch?"
"Sounds like a plan," Amber smiled.
"Excuse me," the other Charizard interrupted them, "but if you two don't stop you're going to give me diabetes. If you're not here to battle, then why don't you get the hell out of here? This is a training room, not a dating club."
"Dude, you don't have to be so rude," Eliot told him. "I've heard they don't teach you any manners in Char Valley, but here at the MTU we like to show others some respect."
"I only respect those who've earned it," the Charizard was unfazed.
"Wait a second," said Amber. "You said Char Valley? Is that where he came from?"
"Yes, that's what he said, sweety. Or do you also have trouble hearing?"
"You know what? I'm getting tired of your attitude," said Amber. "But I'll let it pass because my mother came from Char Valley and she told me what it was like to live there. I wouldn't wish that kind of life upon anyone."
"I don't know who your mother is, but she's probably a softie like you. Char Valley's a great place to grow up, it helped you build character and become strong. I only left because I wanted to test myself against other kinds of Pokemon. Charizards get boring after a while."
"What about Vaporeons?" I burst into the conversation before he could make Amber any angrier.
"Vaporeons? Now that would be a nice challenge. I haven't had a chance to battle a Vaporeon yet. One came in yesterday, but he was too weak for me."
"Then I'll give you the chance, but if I win, you'll have to apologize for insulting Amber and her mother."
"I haven't insulted them. I was just stating facts. Your friend was being so sweet it made me nauseous, and I hear she doesn't like friendly battles, so she's clearly too soft. And if her mother said Char Valley was a terrible place, then it must run in the family. Pure logic. You can't argue with that."
"That's not logic, it's just your opinion," I told him. "I know Amber much better than you do and she has a lot of inner strength. And physical strength too, for that matter. The fact that she also has a kind soul and doesn't want to hurt her friends shouldn't be seen as a sign of weakness. But then again, you probably can't understand any of that. You don't strike me as the kind of individual who can comprehend someone else."
"Are you calling me dumb?"
"I'm not calling you anything, I'm just stating what I see."
"And now you're mocking me!"
"I was wondering if you'd notice. I have to give you credit for that."
"Tsunami, that isn't necessary," Amber tried to stop me, but I was starting to have fun.
"Oh, no one said anything about necessity," I replied. "I'm sure he didn't need to say anything offensive, but he enjoys making fun of others. Am I right? Well, it just so happens that I have spent most of my life engaging in comeback fights with my two best friends, so go ahead and give me your best shot."

I must admit what I received wasn't exactly the kind of shot I'd been expecting. But it was OK, I was there to battle after all.

Level 64 Vaporeon vs. Level 70 Charizard

His "best shot" was apparently an Air Slash. He turned the air itself into a blade and slashed my skin with it. It hurt, but I think it was mostly because of the surprise factor. I wouldn't let that happen again. I could see he was impatient, and reckoned it wouldn't be hard to tire him out.

Even in the Lava Room there was some humidity in the air. I took advantage of it and conjured up an Aqua Ring to heal myself a bit. It wouldn't heal me as fast as the Charizard could hurt me, but it didn't matter. It would buy me some time; and time, as usual, was the key. Quick battles are no fun (I know most of my team disagrees with me on this point, but I'll stay firm in my position).

My opponent slashed my other side with air, but this time I was prepared and didn't take so much damage. I stood still and took a moment to focus. The Charizard got angry.

"Aren't you going to attack at all?" he demanded.
"I was waiting to see if you could show some style," I answered. "But apparently the only thing you can do is slash the air like a maniac."
"Insolent creature! I'll show you some style."
"Wow, someone actually says things like 'insolent creature' in real life? I thought that phrase was only for TV shows."

I could have continued, but I realized he was absorbing light. I'd seen Sylvan use the move too many times not to recognize it, so I decided to try a Hydro Pump and see how much of the water would make it to the Charizard without evaporating. And the answer was... a whole lot, thanks to my focused energy and my bottle of Mystic Water! My opponent even ended up swallowing some of it. I chuckled as he coughed and my Aqua Ring healed my wounds. But by then the Charizard had already absorbed enough light and was ready to shoot his Solarbeam.

I couldn't dodge it. Avoiding blows had never been my forte; enduring them was. The Solarbeam hit me really hard, but I managed to collect myself and look at the Charizard. He looked just as battered as I was. I could have ended the battle then, but I wanted to take him down a peg and show him how powerless he really was. So I used Recover. It didn't heal all the damage I'd taken from the Solarbeam, but it did heal most of it. The Charizard was furious. He closed his fist and charged up electricity into it. I couldn't help but wince when his blow connected. It wasn't as bad as the Solarbeam, though. I could recover from it, but it wouldn't have been wise. I knew that if he was able to land a Critical Hit at any point, I'd be done for. So I used the move for which I was most famous to put an end to the battle.

As I was gathering the water in the air to form a... fairly decent wave, I said a few final words.

"You shouldn't put so much stock in battling prowess. There will always be someone who can beat you and that doesn't really say much about you nor about your opponent."

There wasn't enough time for a longer speech. I wasn't even sure he could understand what I meant to say. If, as I suspected, winning battles meant anything to him, then he'd probably feel humiliated or get really mad at me for beating him. From the beginning of the battle I'd been determined to show him that I could take everything he could throw at me and still keep my cool. I'd done it, but what would that mean for him? I got a vague answer to my question when, as my wave hit him and he began to drift into unconsciousness, I heard him utter the words "I'll fight better next time".

I grew to level 66!

Poor guy. The lesson was lost on him, but at least he was at the right place to learn it, even if it was bound to take a while. MTU Pokemon spend a lot of time battling. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't. No one can always win. Sooner or later, he would have to realize that there are more important things in life than the result of a battle.

"Nice work," said Eliot. "But if you wanted to teach him something, I'm afraid he hasn't learnt it. I was trying to tell him that when you arrived, but he said I was a wuss. Now he'll be trying to become stronger in order to defeat Vaporeons."
"I noticed," I replied. "But maybe life will show him over the years. At least he's not bothering Amber anymore."
"Thanks, Tsu," said Amber, "but I've met too many like him. I've long since stopped being bothered by their insults. Even though insulting my mum was a low blow, I know there's no truth in his words, so they can't hurt me."
"That must be the inner strength your friend was talking about," said Eliot. He looked at me, then at Amber and smiled.
"He was right about one thing, though," claimed Hero. "You two are sappy. Get a room, I'm waiting for an opponent to battle. Kid here has been kind enough to end his battle faster than usual, I don't want to spend the time he earned me hearing corny phrases."
"That was faster than usual?" Eliot looked puzzle.
"Yes. He claims to be the king of waves, but he's really the king of slowness. Or not, maybe he didn't make king of slowness because someone else got to the throne first."
"We both have our own styles," I told him. "Speed is your thing, endurance is mine."
"Yes, I know, you like it when your opponents faint from boredom, the problem is that so does the audience."
"Hey, my battle was longer!" Caledor reminded us.
"That's not something to be proud of," Hero retorted.
"What's going on here?" a human approached us. "I'm suddenly getting a feeling of deja vu. Haven't I met you guys before? Wait. Those tails..."
"What tails? My tails?" asked Hero with a wary look on his face.

I took a close look at him. His brown hair was partially obscuring his eyes and he was currently wearing a brown vest, but that didn't stop me from recognizing him as Eliot's trainer. Even if it had, the way Eliot greeted him was a dead giveaway.

"Oh, hi, Randy! I was just talking to Amber, Tsunami and Hero."
"And Caledor!" the Espeon glowed yellow to emphasize his presence.
"And Caledor," Eliot corrected himself.
"Of course! The winner and the first prize of the first Griffon Games, the runner up of the second Dragon Games, and the famous Amber."

Amber blushed at his remark.

"Wow, you have a good memory," said Hero.
"Right," Caledor agreed, "I would have thought you'd remember us from the maze rather than the tournaments."
"Randy's an avid follower of the tournaments," said Eliot. "He's already reserved seats for every event of the upcoming Dragon Games."
"Wait, Randy?" I queried. "I thought his name was Aaron."
"Aaron Randall," Eliot explained. "Everyone at the MTU calls him Randy or Randall, even though it's his last name. I think it sounds better than Aaron."
"I guess it does," said his trainer. "I remember seeing you all at one of the mazes. I battled you there. I remember it was a really long battle, but it was worth it."
"Yes, that was Tsunami alright," Hero chuckled. "I promise I won't do the same. Do you have a fast opponent for me?"
"The fastest one here is Ares," said Eliot. "He's not a member of our team, but he's staying with us while his trainer is away. I can fetch him if you want."
"I'll do that," said Randy, making a sing with his hand for us to wait while he went to look for his Ares guy.
"What kind of Pokemon is he?" asked Hero.
"He's a Blaziken," said Eliot.
"Oh. Figures I wasn't going to find a Ghost or Psychic type here, but a Blaziken sounds good."
"Why?" asked Eliot. "Do you have any Ghost type moves you wanted to use?"
"You have a quick mind," Hero praised him.
"That's good," I added. "Amber deserves someone who can keep up with her."
"Hey, stop it!" demanded Amber as Eliot stayed back. "I asked him out to lunch, I haven't asked him to be my mate."
"Yeah, right," I insisted. "Pidgeot and Water Angel started out with that kind of attitude and look at them now."
"This isn't funny," said Amber. "I'm neither Hero nor Caledor, so don't try to have your kind of fun with me."
"Wait, isn't Water Angel a Kingdra?" asked Eliot.
"Yes, she is, and I assure you I've met stranger couples," Amber told him.
I had to intervene. "Like Rhiannon and her ghost boyfriend for their sheer weirdness, or like Hero and Tracker for the years it took them to admit they liked each other?"
"Mind your own business, fishstick," Hero snapped at me. "At least I have a girlfriend. Even Caledor has one! You're the only one in our trio who's still single."
"Maybe I like being single," I told him. "It's hard enough to keep track of my daughter. A girlfriend would take up too much time."
"Unlike your battles?" Hero laughed.

Luckily, Randy and Ares arrived before Hero could realize I didn't have a quick comeback for him.

"Hi there," the Blaziken raised a hand. "I hear one of you wants a battle?"
"Yes. Me," Hero stepped forward before anyone else could say anything.
"Oh. Randy didn't say who I was going to battle, but he did mention I'd get to meet some of the stars from old tournaments. Are you one of them? Sorry, I wasn't in Ulthuan back then."
"I won the first Griffon Games," Hero told him. "But that was a long time ago. My general strategy remains the same, but my tactics have changed. For the better, I'd like to think."
"Hero's being humble?" I stared at him in awe.
"Hero's being polite," the Ninetales shot back. "I know for a fact my tactics have improved. There's no need to brag about that."
"So you only brag about things that aren't facts?" I questioned him.
"As do you, 'King of Waves'. It's not bragging if there isn't some exaggeration involved. And it's not wise to brag before a battle."
"Politeness and wisdom!" I gasped. "Who are you and what have you done to Hero?"
"I've said it countless times and I'll say it again," Hero wanred me. "Shut your big mouth. You'll swallow a fly or something."
"Are they always like that?" Randy asked, looking at the Charizards.
Amber nodded. Of course we were!

She then turned to Ares. "Before you begin, I'd like to ask you something. Are you named after the Greek God of War?"
"I'm afraid so," Ares replied. "My name was given to me by my trainer's father, Lord Scizor. Ian knew better than to try to change it."
"Lord Scizor?" Amber tried to recall.
"He's Lord Skarmory's right hand," Ares told her.
"Of course!" Amber exclaimed. "I knew I'd heard that name before. And his son Ian, your trainer... could he be the same Ian from the MTU we have met before? The Fire Pokemon trainer?"
"He's the only Ian I know from the MTU," Ares told her. "Quite thin, medium height, bright orange hair?"
"That's him!" Amber confirmed. "How is he doing? Why isn't he here with you?"
"I'm afraid he's not doing so well," Ares replied. "He's still in Caledor, looking for Selene and Helios. They've been missing for a week. I already had a spot reserved at the Lava Room, so he had Randy bring me here while he searched for them."
"Oh, that's terrible!" said Amber. "I'm so sorry. How did they go missing?"
"They left home on Sunday morning saying they were going to train, but they never reached the MTU building. No one has seen them since then."
"Have you gone to the police?" asked Amber.
"Not yet. Ian wants to try to find him by himself first, and then talk to his family if he fails. You know how they are."

As a matter of fact, we didn't. All I knew was that they were all proud Soldiers of the Griffin or politicians or military men, and they had some elven blood, and they seemed to look down on Ian because he'd chosen to join the Mercenary Trainers Union instead of following their footsteps. Come to think of it, I didn't really know what they were like, but I could get a general idea. I gathered that going to the police wouldn't be among the first choices for that kind of people.

"I just hope he can find them soon," I told Ares. "Our friend Flame the Charizard has also been missing for some time. We should check to see if any other Fire Pokemon have disappeared. There may be a connection."
"Maybe," said Ares. "I'll let Ian know. Thanks for your help."
"Now this has completely ruined the mood for our battle," Hero interjected.
"Not at all," Ares assured. "I didn't come all this way from Caledor just to brood about my missing teammates. I came here to battle, and battle I will."
"Your friends will be found," Caledor assured. "Trust me. I'm an Espeon and have Future Sight."

Hero gave him an odd look and I guessed that, just like me, he was consciously refraining to mention that Caledor's psychic powers left a lot to be desired and that his Future Sight only allowed him to know where his opponent would be standing at one particular point during a battle. After all, Caledor was doing the one thing he did best (aside from speaking nonsense): lift someone else's mood.

"Thanks," Ares nodded. "I trust that they'll come home safely. If they're not back by the time I return to Caledor, I'll join the search."
"In that case, our battle can help us both train to face the mysterious kidnapper," said Hero. "We're both Fire Pokemon. We could be the next targets. Better be prepared."
"You're jumping to conclusions," I pointed out a split second before Amber said just about the same thing.
"Better be prepared regardless," Hero shrugged us off. "When you don't know the threat you're facing, you have to be prepared for anything."

Ares acknowledged Hero's words with a nod and signaled the rest of us to make room for the battle. Both Pokemon assumed their battle stances.

Level 75 Ninetales vs. Level 85 Blaziken

Ares started the battle with a fierce claw attack. Crush Claw, if I identified it correctly. I saw something glint in the Blaziken's hand while he attacked, but he moved too fast for me to see what it was. It was actually impressive to see a Pokemon who could move faster than Hero. He must have taken notice of his speed too, because he stopped running as soon as he was hit and tried to shoot a Will-o-wisp at Ares. The Blaziken evaded it. He was good. He used the time granted to him by Hero's missed attack to Bulk Up. Hero was forced to change his strategy and started running around and leaving 3 clones behind... or perhaps letting some run ahead. That was probably what he'd been trying to do before Ares first hit him.

Ares managed to findthe real Hero and chop him with a Brick Break. Hero hit the floor hard, but he rolled over while one of his clones jumped at the Blaziken's face. Ares ignored it, knowing the real Hero was elsewhere, but the clone did... something. It suddenly turned dark purple and exploded on Ares's face. I wondered if that was the Spooky trick he'd been announcing for so long. If so, it wasn't particularly powerful, but it was just like Hero to exaggerate the importance of his achievements. It did, however, help him divert the Blaziken's attention. When Ares was able to see again, he had to look around for Hero, who was no longer lying on the hot rocks ahead of him (I'm glad Hero's immune to fire, I know that would have hurt me a bit).

Ares tried to use Brick Break again, but he targeted the wrong Ninetales: the one on the middle. While he was doing this, he was hit from the right by Hero's Confuse Ray. He tried to turn around and attack, but that caused him to trip and fall on his knees. Hero took the chance to hit him with what I can only assume was Extrasensory, since I couldn't see the attack but I saw the Blaziken hold his head in pain. Ares tried to stand up, but only managed to stay upright for a moment before he fell on his back and that gave Hero the chance to use his Psychic-type attack again. Ares was having the worst case of confusion I'd seen in years, and Hero and his clones kept spinning around him and moving in odd patterns. He tried to attack one of them and fell for a third time. Yes, that really happened! And what was even more unexpected... Hero got his way and did his thing - that silly thing he'd liked so much ever since I knew him but he hadn't had a chance to do in a while. He crouched for a moment and launched himself at his opponent in a flash. A split-second later, Ares was lying on the floor and Hero was standing victorious.

Hero grew to level 77!

"I did it!" Hero cried out, holding his head up to the roof like he was about to Howl.
"I can't believe you finished your battle with a Quick Attack," I told him.
"You finished yours with Surf, didn't you? I couldn't do any less than end my battle with my own signature."
"But Surf is a useful move!" I tried to show him the truth.
"So's Quick Attack," he insisted. "I won, didn't I? And I won the final match of the Griffon Games that way too. I haven't seen you do that with Surf. Besides, I couldn't let another Pokemon move faster than me for so long."
"If you're so obsessed with speed, get a box of matches," I suggested.
"I don't want external help, thank-you-very-much. I want to become the fastest Pokemon in Ulthuan by my own means. I'm already the fastest among the Dragon Tamers. Probably the fastest Ninetales in Ulthuan too."
"You know what? I don't care! There will always be someone who's faster. You should focus on the things that really matter."
"Right. Like being the only Ninetales who can finish a fight against a high level Blaziken or a Poliwhirl with a Quick Attack."
"You're not going to drop it, are you?"
"Never," Hero grinned.

"I can't believe it," said Randy. "What happened? Why did the tables turn so abruptly when he became confused?"
"Maybe he was too worried about his missing friends to focus properly," Eliot suggested.
"Or maybe I'm just too awesome," said Hero.
"Cut it, Hero," I stopped him. "Can't you see they're not in the mood for that?"
"Sorry, I'm not the one who sees everything."
"I don't see everything either," I told him. "I just pay attention to what I see. After all these years I'm beginning to wonder if you have some kind of neurological problem that makes you completely oblivious of everyone else's emotions."
"Now that's downright offensive," said Hero. "Not everyone who's not as perceptive as you has brain problems. How would you feel if I told you I thought you were given an overdose of truth serum at birth."
I chuckled.
"Oh. Like that," he noted. "Well, you're laughing because that was obviously a joke, but neurological problems exist and it's not funny to hear you think I have one. I wouldn't have come all this way if I wasn't right in the head."
"I wasn't saying you were insane or anything," I explained. "We all have our own difficulties."
"Difficulties are one thing, brain problems are another."
"OK, OK, I take it back, sorry. But you'd be surprised by how far individuals who have what you call brain problems can go."
"Whatever," said Hero.
"Hey, guys, don't fight," Caledor intervened. "Not without me. And not in this room, this place is just too hot for comfort! I'm sure I'll be able to come up with some good jokes outside."
"Now I definitely don't want to leave this room," Hero retorted.
"Aren't you feeling any pain after that battle?" I asked him.
"Not much if I don't move," he replied.
"Oh, come on!" I told him. "Let's go to the Pokemon Center. Maybe we'll get out in time to see Lagi and Sylvan battle."
"Maybe you will," said Hero. "The moment I touch a bed, I'm going to collapse."
"But you still have enough energy to word-fight with me. That's odd."
"It's not, I'm just that good."

I rolled my eyes, but I'm not sure he noticed. We all went to the Pokemon Center together. Randy had to take Ares and the nasty Charizard who neglected to give me his name. He was one of the "commons", which is the designation the MTU uses for Pokemon who have no assigned trainer and train either on their own or under the supervision of any MTU member. I had lunch at the Pokemon Center and kept an eye on Hero and Ares while everyone else went to the restaurant. I wanted to be ready to visit the Jungle Room with my team. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Ares, though. I hoped his missing teammates, as well as Flame, would return home safe and sound.

The Blue Avenger

8th March 2011, 03:41 PM

Read both your stories, Gabi, just haven't gotten around to posting comments yet. Will do so as soon as I can. P:

Lady Vulpix

8th March 2011, 04:02 PM

Thanks. I will appreciate it. :)

The Blue Avenger

13th March 2011, 05:24 PM

So this week was basically "Let's Give Jeff All The Paperwork" week. Sorry about the wait. @_@

Re: Water Angel's story:
- I like Gamble as a character, but if I ever met someone like him, I'm pretty sure I'd have to punch him in the face.
- "I think we've all had enough with the preparations." No kidding. XD
- Seeing Gamble get the tar kicked out of him was, as probably indicated above, satisfying.
- Rockin'. :D Ten years. Not that I've been here for any more than half of that, but still. DT must have been something in its heydey.

Re: Tsunami and Hero's story:
- I do like that Caledor is the only one to come up with the idea of not having rules for a pillowfight. Pillowfights are serious business, apparently. XD
- I also like that after every scenario post so far, where everyone is amazed at how ridiculous the Lava Room is, Tsunami isn't fazed. Of course, he wouldn't be.
- Gamble and that Charizard should fight each other. It'd be the most annoying banter.
- "Or not, maybe he didn't make king of slowness because someone else got to the throne first." <- I laughed.
- "It's hard enough to keep track of my daughter. A girlfriend would take up too much time." <- Good to know that Kiva is providing Tsunami's excuse for keeping the bachelor life. :P

So, that said, I think 24 stamps sounds good. :o

Lady Vulpix

13th March 2011, 05:50 PM

Yay, thanks!

And yes, Kiva is very important and useful. :keke:

The Blue Avenger

20th March 2011, 08:22 AM

DarkestLight

20th March 2011, 10:13 AM

Alive! And with a short tale of a new buddy. Too much fun writing this piece. :D

Maybe it's...

With all their wins and losses today, one would think that the last thing Rapp and Mossjito needed was another battle. Surely, after the VelociGrovyles, the Lava Room and its intensity all the way to the Pond room and its immensity-one would THINK that Mossy would just force his trainer into just saying no.

He did. Vines stretched up and crossed in front of Rapp's visual range, forcing the humanoid to look down at his grassy partner. Moss made an angry face-imperceptible since looking through a Tangela's vines to see its face was akin to staring down darkness and asking for it to show you its goodies. Rapp reached out for the vines, in order to move them aside, but Mossy would not budge.

"This...is you telling me the Blizzard room is off limits?" Rapp asked nonchalantly, to which Mossy retracted its snakelike appendages and nodded. "That's fine. I'm getting really hungry anyway. Maybe we should go back to the other tower and investigate the restaurant?"

The notion of a large cup of tea was too appealing to pass up and Mossy gave Rapp an affectionate look. Rapp smiled as well, hoisting his Pokmeon up and setting him on his shoulder. The pair headed through the Center, and then outside, eager to walk back over to the East Tower.

---

It wasn't long before the door to the East Tower split apart, allowing entry for Rapp and Mossjito. Unlike their previous visit, they did not make a beeline for battle. Instead, the stairwell was reached, ascended and departed from, all in the quest to be encumbered by smells.

And smells they were! Food from all regions of Ulthuan was being served here, in nicely rationed quantities. This also was the most crowded room to their surprise as Pokemon and Trainers lounged around, enjoying stories of past conquest and current dreams, of future goals and present dilemmas. Choosing where to sit was not hard, as Mossy trotted away from Rapp in order to secure an open spot.

As the grass Pokemon wrapped its vines around a smaller table to hold it in place, there was a loud crash, followed by some strange hooting and hollering. An owl like Pokemon was flying and cawing quite irritatingly at something large and pink on the ground. The pink blob moved once, and started to pick up the plates that it seemed to have dropped.

"What's all the commotion about Moss?" Rapp asked, setting the teapot on the table and claiming the chair that Mossy was unraveling its vines from. Moss shook his head as it rose to stand on the table, whipping out its teacup and wafting the scent of the tea through its vines. Ahh stinging sensation of heat paired with the lively burst of peppermint. Mossjito couldn't be happier.

The pink blob however, came right over to Rapp and Mossjito's table, evidently hiding the tears that it seemed to be shedding after that disastrous fall. She wiped her bald head and looked at the pair, her mouth shut for the moment. In her hand was a small paper with a check list on it. Mossjito was confused, but Rapp was ...enthralled.

Her stunning shape was something rarely seen in the Pokemon world, a stocky creature that held herself well. There was something about her vacant stare that left Rapp spellbound, and he knew that he had to talk to her, or risk losing her forever. Heart rate began to elevate as he stammered out a sentence. "C-C-Can I have a chicken Cordon bleu sandwich?"

Mossjito stared back at Rapp, perplexed. The heck was going on here? He turned to the blob, and stared, unsure what Rapp was staring at so intensely. So what if she was a bit more fit than other Pokemon of her species, and she had a devilishly cute smile. So what if she always seemed to keep her poise -that mirrored a plus-sized fashion model?

In no time at all, Mossy was under the spell as well. The Pokemon, however, seemed completely oblivious to the both of them, and merely licked one of the boxes, before trotting away. Once out of sight, both Rapp and Mossy noted a quite warm sensation on their bodies. It grew from Rapp's hands, and Mossy's feet. Looking down upon the table, they realized that Mossy was still pouring tea into his cup. Both Trainer and Pokemon jumped back and Mossy set the tea down. That...that charlatan caused him to lose some of his precious tea!!!!

"Now calm down Mossy. You were just as enthralled as I was about her. It only makes sense we lost some concentration. I don't think she even knows what she's doing here." The explanation sounded reasonable, coming from Rapp, but Mossy couldn't quite piece it together. It wouldn't be long before they both sensed her return, mainly as jeers came from another section of the room. They turned, to see her being chased by a strange walking octopus who did not seem to approve of her at all. She ran back to their table, tossing the sandwich atop it and glaring at the tea spill.

Mossy and Rapp both backed away from the glaring waitress, who seemed to be quite frustrated at this new discovery. Without a blink, she waved her hands, forcing both Trainer and Pokemon to move from the table, Rapp lifting Mossy up just in case. Out flew a massive muscle from her mouth, which in one deft swipe, cleared the table. The cordon sandwich was balanced adeptly so as not to be touched due to the plate it was on. Mossy claimed it, and she nodded, before retracting said muscle and canting her head to the side as they sat back down, staring her her the entire time.

These two were exhibiting it as well, the strange eye goggling that she didn't quite welcome, but also didn't deny. It didn't work on those other jeering Pokemon, and she always got picked on because of it. But these two, this boy and this grass shoot, they had something about them that she liked. Backing away, she flashed them a smile-before a coarse voice shouted through the restaurant.

"HEY! PINKY! GET OVER HERE AND DELIVER THIS TO TABLE 7. AND DON'T DROP IT THIS TIME!"

Despondent sigh emanated from her form, and she tucked her head down, heading back to the kitchen. Once again, once she was far enough away, Rapp and Moss broke out of their trance.

"Oh wow, Mossy, that's a excellent Pokemon." Mossy nodded, and then turned to Rapp, who grew a stoic face, and stared directly at him.

" I don't know how else to put this. We gotta have her join us."

This took Mossy for a loop. He knew that at some point they would have to grow as a team, but the addition of a third team member was strange and new. It might make for more lively banter, and it would also NOT make him the sole focus for battles...

Great! Mossy gave an affirmative nod, before looking back to the kitchen window.

"PINKY. GO BACK TO THE WAITING AREA, AND DROP THAT APRON! YOU'VE DROPPED TOO MANY PLATES TODAY. No good Pokemon, it eats better than it serves!" "Pinky"-as she seemed to be called, seemed to be pleading to stay, but the chef seemed to have had enough. Some jeers came from the side of the room where she was and Pinky tucked her head down, feeling dejected. She made her way past other waiter Pokemon that flew or slid through the aisles and headed for the door.

"H-Hey. Hey...Pinky?"

Ugh. That name drove her crazy. She whirled around, ready to give the speaker a tongue lashing, and was surprised to see the nature boy and his grass shoot approach. The look in their eyes was wild, intense even, and she was not sure what to make of it. Canting her head to one side, that alluring aspect was created again, and Rapp took a deep breath in order to contradict it.

"I'm not sure what it is about you, but you are a very appealing Pokemon."

Immediately, people's head began to turn. What was this boy talking about with this Lickitung?

"I was wondering...if you wanted to join us. We're looking to become stronger and I figure you might make a great addition to our team." The pink blob stared at them both and then stared at her audience. She HATED the restaurant buisness, and always DREAMED about leaving here and making it to a big city. But, as she raised her hands, she was still awfully young, and not hardened by the energy of many battles.

"That's alright. Let Mossy here and I help you with that. You'll be amazing in no time."

The Lickitung thought about this offer, and waddled toward the door. Maybe she should? They seemed eager enough to have her, and there was nothing to visibly gain on their end, since she really didn't know too many attacks. Maybe these two would be a good fit for her.

As she debated, Moss tugged on Rapp's jacket. He raised some vines up, and formed them into heart shapes, before breaking them apart. Mossy nodded, whispering a reply.

"I don't know either Mossy. Maybe she doesn't know she's doing it. Maybe she's born with it..." He didn't finish his sentence as the pink Pokemon waddled over, glad to accept their offer. Her tongue flew out of her mouth and licked Mossy, as a sign of affection-and that was the kicker that threw Mossy completely off of cloud nine. Instantly covered in Licki saliva, he suddenly felt NO attraction to her whatsoever.

He pointed at Rapp, who wasn't sure what Mossy was so adamant about now AFTER being licked. Licki nodded and Rapp barely got a breath of objection out before he got tongued by this chick. Once the moment had passed, Rapp took three deep breaths, and looked down at Licki.

Yeap, no alluring mechanism at all. "It's as if your saliva shuts-Oooh that's why. Thanks Moss! Someday we'll get that under control." The Tangela bowed and Licki smiled for a moment. But when Rapp uttered her "name", she shuddered and glared at him, mouthing off a few times. Rapp turned to Mossy-who helped translate that she hates what she was called here, and she has a name which she'd love to have.

"Well then, what shall we call you, Miss?" as Rapp opened the door to the restaurant for them to exit." "Maybe--" Cut off, "Licky" and Moss would answer for him. Hearing it, Rap nodded, in complete agreement.

"...It's Maybelline."

The Blue Avenger

20th March 2011, 02:08 PM

Speaking of, I'd like a 2 v 2 RBG from the UAC for Kiva and Anzu, please. *hands over 14 stamps*

Edit: Actually, let me ask a question. Would a 3 v 3 be possible? I'd like to get one for Groviglio, Kiva, and Anzu. If not, no big deal.

Just so this doesn't get lost at the end of the last page.

DL: Notes:
-I will fully admit that both Rapp and Mossjito getting head over heels for a Lickitung at first gave me a bit of the screaming heebies before I figured out what was going on. XD
-I approve of Mossjito's attitude for tea.
- "it would also make him the sole focus for battles..." How would a new team member lead to this? I'm afraid I don't follow.
- Tongue lashing! I get it.
- Hm, so the attraction wears off after being licked. I suppose I can see a certain logic in that.
- In regards to that last line, here was my thought process:
"Maybe..." he's not actually going to do it, he's not actually going to do it "...it's Maybelline." ...He did it. XD

Also, props for using a Tangela. Tangela trainers represent.

A stand-alone scene, with some good writing and a recruit... Let's say 7 stamps.

Lady Vulpix

20th March 2011, 08:19 PM

OK, rules updated, so assuming you pay 21 stamps...

They're going to battle an Absol, Phanpy and Shuppet. I hope you know what you're doing.

DarkestLight

21st March 2011, 06:51 PM

Thought I replied to this.

Jeff
.Screaming Heebies? YES! I was SO going for the freakout factor lol.
.Edited that little mixup there.
.The mere thought of a sexy Lickitubg came up in a convo at work, and I had to follow it up.

Wolfsong

24th March 2011, 01:41 PM

I'd like an rbg for Jasmine my L.20 female winged dratini from the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency please *hands over 7 stamps leaving me with 23*

Lady Vulpix

24th March 2011, 01:57 PM

Jasmine will battle a Kricketune.

The Blue Avenger

24th March 2011, 08:28 PM

So, here's my 3 on 3 RBG, entitled "Action!"

---

http://i56.tinypic.com/30sevk6.png

What timing, Jeff thought. I suppose it comes with being promoted. Everyone expects you to do everything all the time. He was standing in front of the stadium that was set to be utilized for the Dragon Games – it was in the middle of being decorated. The message from Lady Ninetales had interrupted his thoughts, and he paced back and forth, deep in thought.

Then an idea occurred to him.

“Maza!” he said. The Alakazam appeared at his side, listening intently. “Get Groviglio, Kiva, Anzu, and Kurtzwick, and meet me back here in an hour.” Maza nodded and disappeared.

---

“What’s this about, Jeff?” Kurtzwick asked. “I was just about to go liberate some food from the grocery store.”

Anzu eyed him. “To give to someone less fortunate, right?” she said, grinning.

“Sure.”

Jeff shook his head. “I hate to ask this, Kurtzwick, but do you have a video camera? A good one?”

“How many? I’ve got, like, three.” Kurtzwick pulled each of them out to demonstrate the point. “I’ve also got a good microphone, a tripod, and a director’s chair.”

Jeff stared at the pile of ill-gotten goods in front of him. “Yes, you certainly do. And you’ve even got a little director’s hat.”

“Where was he keeping those?” Anzu mumbled out of the side of her mouth.

The stoic expression never leaving her face, Kiva replied, “You probably shouldn’t ask.”

“Right,” Jeff said, clapping his hands together. “Here’s what I brought you here for. We’ve been asked to do a spot for the Reward Center’s TM Corner. And, Grove, Kiva, Anzu, since the three of you have gotten some new TMs there recently, it seemed appropriate.”

“So you brought us around so the Pittsburgh Stealer here could film us showing off,” Groviglio said flatly.

“In a nutshell, yes.”

Groviglio crossed his arms. “So what’s the catch?”

“I’m sorry?” Jeff raised his eyebrows.

“You interrupt what was, by all accounts, a boring day with the ball of goo and Norma Bates to let me show exactly how awesome I am to the world at large? I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, here.”

“The ball of goo and…?”

Groviglio shook his head. “Norma Bates. Cam and Raini. Keep up here, man.”

“Oh. Well. Um. The catch. It’s not really so much a catch as…”

Jeff was interrupted as footfalls became audible on the dirt path leading to the clearing where they were waiting. The owner of the footfalls soon became readily apparent: he looked like he had been traveling for days, based on the state of his ruffled clothing, even though Maza had only been by to teleport him to Avelorn in the last hour. Even more surprising, the man somehow pulled the look off well, radiating an air of extreme calm and confidence.

“Good morning, Lord Porygon,” the man said with just the slightest touch of an accent.

Jeff nodded in acknowledgement. “Same to you, Lord Persian. Thanks for coming out on such short notice.”

Lord Persian laughed. “Think nothing of it. How can I refuse to help the newest Lord? It’s not every day that someone gets promoted up to our ranks. Besides, you helped out my assistant. So what do you need from me?”

“Did you bring the Pokémon I asked you to?”

“Indeed I did,” Lord Persian said. He palmed three Pokéballs and spun one on his fingertip for a moment before dropping them to the ground. They opened, and a trio of Pokémon appeared to face Groviglio, Anzu, and Kiva. “Here we are,” Lord Persian continued, “my Absol, Rhodes; my Phanpy, Ellis; and my Shuppet, Cue.”

Jeff smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Here’s what I’m planning…”

---

A few days later found Jeff in the stadium’s manager office. It was currently vacated while the stadium was in use for the tournament, so naturally that meant that someone would have to take up residence – and Jeff felt like he would be a fine choice. He kicked back in the plush manager’s chair and pressed a button on a remote control in his hand. The widescreen TV mounted on the opposite wall flickered into life, displaying the start-up screen of the DVD player.

Jeff grinned. “Let’s see how this came out,” he said quietly as he pressed ‘play’. The surround sound speakers in the office hummed as the clip started.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Jeff’s voice said, sounding slightly tinnier coming from the speakers, “Call me Lord Porygon. I’m here today to convince you to take a trip down to the Dragon Tamers Reward Center. But I’m sure you see ads like that every day. No, what I’m going to do is show you why you should come down to see us! Here to help us out today is the imitable Lord Persian.”

“Hello, ladies,” Lord Persian said, giving a slight half-wave. He winked at the camera.

“Yes, thank you. Now, let’s introduce the stars of this production: playing for Team Porygon, we’ve got Groviglio, Kiva, and Anzu…”

Groviglio pounded a fist-analogue into his palm-analogue, while Anzu grinned for the camera and Kiva merely watched, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

“And for Team Amazing,” Lord Persian said, breaking in, “please enjoy Rhodes, Ellis, and Cue.” The Absol whipped her scythe around in a circle and the Phanpy trumpeted happily, but the Shuppet glared at the screen, his eyes glowing in a way that made Kurtzwick swivel the camera away.

“These six fine Pokémon will be demonstrating what they’ve gained from the Reward Center!” Jeff gestured to the middle of the clearing, and the two teams circled around it. “Let’s get ready to RUMBLE!”

STRIFE! Team Porygon versus Team Amazing!
Groviglio: “Your mom!”
Kiva: “You need to cool down.”
Anzu: “Let’s heat things up!”
~
Rhodes: “Bang, bang!”
Ellis: “We can take on ANYTHING!”
Cue: “…”

Watching the video, Jeff was extremely pleased with the way 99, in post-editing, had made that text scroll across the screen.

The six Pokémon all eyed each other for a moment. Groviglio and Rhodes stood front and center, staring each other down, while Kiva and Anzu flanked the former, and Ellis and Cue the latter.

Groviglio was the first to break the silence. “So you herald disaster, is that right?” He narrowed his eyes. “I can see why. At the first sight of you, people go running!” The ensuing laugh was abruptly cut short when Rhodes raked her claws directly over Groviglio’s face. He yelped and stumbled back.

“You really should have expected that,” Kiva said.

Anzu grinned. “Yeah, I’m surprised more people haven’t tried.”

Groviglio gave them a withering glare. “Oh, shut up.” He turned back to Rhodes. “As for you, I’m not taking that sitting down!” He gestured with both arms. “Come on, guys! Let’s give them all we’ve got!” He lashed a tentacle out and squeezed it tightly around Rhodes, glowing green, just as Kiva reared back and clapped her paws together. Anzu briefly flashed a brilliant yellow, the Helping Hand taking effect, and she rammed Ellis with a vicious Secret Power. The impact showered Ellis with a smattering of sparks, and Ellis whined, trying to rub them from his eyes.

“Oh, looks like Team Porygon’s taken an early lead, Lord Persian!” Jeff said. “That was Giga Drain, Helping Hand, and Secret Power, and Giga Drain is one of the many moves you can buy down at the Reward Center! Take on thine enemies and, physician, heal thyself!”

Not about to be outdone, Lord Persian began mugging for the camera too. “Rhodes’ most excellent Shadow Claw is similarly a move available for purchase. Strike fear into your foes’ hearts!”

Rhodes frowned and pressed her forelegs against Groviglio’s vine. She opened her mouth wide, and with a sickening noise, she bit down hard. Groviglio howled and retracted the vine quicker than a tape measure before backing up. Ellis took the opening and curled into a tight ball, spinning in place for a moment before tearing across the clearing. He bowled down Kiva and was making a reasonable attempt at hitting Anzu before Anzu, with some deft footwork, gracefully darted out of the way. She responded in turn by spitting out a giant burst of flame. It nailed Ellis in the back and, as it expanded into five gouts, it knocked him out of his spin.

“A nice Rollout from Ellis,” Lord Persian said, “and a magnificent Crunch! Both are fine TMs to pick from.”

“But an even better Fire Blast!” Jeff said, smirking. “Top of the line move, right there.”

In the resulting confusion, nobody seemed to notice that Cue had disappeared. With little fanfare, he reappeared behind Kiva and unleashed a headbutt right in the back of her head. She stumbled forward and whipped her head around. “That was uncalled for,” she said quietly as a scowl crossed her face. She backed up a step away from Cue and opened her mouth wide; Cue didn’t have a chance to move before a pressurized stream of water blasted forward and sent him spinning.

“Ohhh! What a Faint Attack!” Lord Persian crowed. “She never saw it coming!”

Jeff crossed his arms. “That Water Gun wasn’t bad either.” He glanced out over the field and watched as Groviglio raised his arms. “Wait, is that…?” Two boulders lifted with them, rising straight out of the ground with an ethereal light. “It is! That’s Ancientpower!” The rocks soared over Kiva and Anzu’s heads and rolled straight for Ellis and Cue, the latter of whom had returned to his side of the field.

Rhodes hissed. “You’re attacking my teammates? My much weaker teammates?” She lashed out with the scythe on her head, and the rocks fell into pebbles before reaching their targets. “Let’s see how you like it!” Rhodes raised her head and began to pulsate with a dark aura.

“Oh, hell,” Groviglio said quietly.

With a resonating bass note, Rhodes exploded with a dark wave that spread out from her in a circle. It passed through Ellis and Cue without harming them, but Groviglio suspected that it wouldn’t have the same effect on Kiva and Anzu. Jeff grit his teeth as the wave seemed to move in slow motion.

Lord Persian laughed, obviously enjoying Jeff and Groviglio’s consternation. “Looks like that Dark Pulse – available for a bargain price of 25 stamps – is about to knock some Pokémon out of the game! Well done, Rhodes!”

Groviglio sighed. If he wanted to have any chance of winning, then he needed Kiva and Anzu – if nothing else, they would help draw some of the attacks away from him. He lowered his center of gravity and stretched his arms out as far as they would go. The Dark Pulse hit, prompting a grunt, but Kiva and Anzu, both in the umbra of the attack, escaped it unscathed.

“Good show, Groviglio!” Jeff said, pumping a fist. “Let’s start wrapping things up!”

Groviglio nodded. “You got it.” He glanced back a moment at Kiva and Anzu. “Let’s try out the combo attacks!”

“But we’ve never tried them,” Kiva said, less complaining and more pointing it out for the sake of argument.

“Excellent!” Anzu said immediately after. She smiled. “That’s going to make it more fun!”

“I’ll start us off!” Groviglio crackled what amounted to knuckles. The ground underneath Rhodes began to rumble, but before she could react, the dirt gave way, bursting upwards in an explosion of sharp-edged grass and leaves. The blades lacerated Rhodes on the way up and littered the ground. “Now, Kiva!”

Kiva sighed. “I hope this works…” She shut her eyes and a column of water exploded out of the same entrance the grass had made. As soon as it appeared, the water spread out over the ground, mixing with the leaves and the dirt until they formed a miniature murky swamp. Rhodes pulled a foot out of the mire, but it quickly sucked at her as she lowered it again.

“I can’t move, Rhodes!” Ellis cried, up to his mouth in the mud.

Rhodes growled. “Keep it together. We’ll brave this well enough.” But this proved to be the wrong thing to say. Cue, the only member of the team not coated in mud, nonetheless found himself being blasted by another pillar of water. This time, Anzu also summoned a gout of fire – the fire evaporated the water after Cue was sent spiraling down, and a shimmering rainbow appeared in the battlefield between them.

Anzu smiled. “How pretty!”

“Dunno what that’s supposed to do,” Groviglio said under his breath.

“A rainbow? Is that the best you can do?” Rhodes called.

Groviglio leered. “Brave words from someone who can’t even move to attack me! Anzu, now!”

Anzu nodded and threw out another blazing column. This one caught Ellis squarely, and Groviglio joined her with another leaf explosion. The leaves caught and fell around the battlefield, neatly framing the swamp with a ring of fire.

“Oh yeah!” Jeff clapped his hands and whistled appreciatively. “That was an excellent demonstration of Grass Pledge, Water Pledge, and Fire Pledge! Brilliant – and for only 15 stamps apiece!”

“Oh, Team Amazing’s not done yet,” Lord Persian said gravely. “Come on, show them your Hidden Power! 10 stamps!”

Rhodes shut her eyes. A faint, black Absol appeared behind her and floated across the battlefield. It locked eyes with Groviglio, who could only stare at it for a few moments before backing up, shuddering.

“Don’t let it affect you, Groviglio,” Kiva said. “It’s a ghost – nothing more.”

“Says you,” Groviglio said, grumbling.

The Absol disappeared, and Rhodes opened her eyes. Beside her, Ellis and Cue were also focusing. Behind Ellis, a stone pillar was rising out of the ground. It carved itself into the shape of a hand, and with altogether more flexibility than one would expect out of a stone, it reached over and squeezed Kiva in its grip. She yelled, and began panting when the rock finally let go. The hand dissipated as well.

Cue’s move was nothing quite so dramatic. He merely floated to Anzu and began delivering several well-placed tackles and body blows, those being the most effective fighting moves the Shuppet had at his disposable. With each hit, Anzu grunted, and when Cue finally backed off, Anzu winced, glancing down at where she would undoubtedly have many bruises soon.

“There, Team Porygon,” Lord Persian said. “Now the tides have turned.”

Jeff laughed. “Not hardly! Guys, you show them yours! Let’s finish ‘em off!”

“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Groviglio looked at Rhodes and squinted. “You’re going to get it now, you titanic clod!” He raised a tentacle, and water began condensing out of the air, drying the immediate area out and making the swamp recede. The water formed into a giant bubble, and it surrounded Rhodes easily. The inside of the sphere suddenly jutted inwards with several improbable-looking blades formed from the water, and the bubble began to spin with a noise not unlike a buzzsaw. Each blade nipped at Rhodes, who greeted each hit with a yip. Eventually, the bubble popped, but Rhodes obviously couldn’t take any more. As soon as the bubble disappeared, she collapsed.

Anzu stepped up next and smiled. “My turn!” Her fur crackled with electricity, and a bolt leaped out and struck one of the spare cameras sitting in a pile where Kurtzwick had left them. A “what do you think you’re doing?!” sounded from behind the active video camera, but Anzu didn’t seem to mind. The electric bolt hurled the camera, now charged, at Cue, who took the blow directly in the face. The camera hit, and it sent sparks traveling all over Cue’s body, shocking him and sending him to the ground too.

“And that leaves me.” Kiva stood up, her tail sweeping elegantly behind her. The condensation from the water was still in the air, and it glittered and shone as it passed over Kiva’s skin. She opened her mouth, and a tongue of flame jumped out. The lone spark twirled and spun through the air for a moment, deftly avoiding the ever-present water, but before long, it expanded. As it grew, it took on a form: something four-legged, with a long, finned tail… Anzu gasped with surprise and smiled when she recognized the form of Kiva in the flame. The fire-Kiva jumped through the air, leaving a trail of steam, and opened its jaws. Ellis’ eyes widened, but he didn’t move as a jaw of fire closed down on him. The Hidden Power sizzled and disappeared, but Ellis simply slumped over.

Another line or two of text rolled across Jeff’s TV screen.

Victory!
Groviglio grew to level 19! Groviglio learned Vine Whip!
Kiva grew to level 7!
Anzu grew to level 7!

Lord Persian sighed. “Well done, Lord Porygon,” he said as he recalled his Pokémon to their Pokéballs. “That was a wild match.” He turned to the camera with a gleam in his eye. “And the only thing wilder is the Reward Center’s prices!”

Jeff shut the TV off and smiled. The Reward Center was going to love it.

Lady Vulpix

26th March 2011, 07:04 PM

Sorry for the delay, it's been a sad and busy week for me, only improved by my birthday and the puppies.

It was strange to see Lady Ninetales getting involved with the Reward Center. It's usually run by the Dragon Tamers. Unless someone mistakenly contacted her about it and then she re-routed the message to you?

"Where was he keeping those?" Anzu mumbled out of the side of her mouth. <- I was wondering the same thing.

Maza's teleportation is really powerful! Can he go all the way from Caledor to Avelorn like that? Hero would be really jealous if he found out (and would immediately start working on improving his own, even though he'd probably never make a hundredth of that distance).

So... Jeff gets to choose who shall occupy the vacant office? And he conveniently chose himself. ;)

I wonder if Lord Persian noticed he was called "imitable".

The idea of having a battle to advertise the Reward Center was quite original. And yay for 99's video editing skills. But the commentaries were as annoying as all other ads during sport events. Come to think of it, it was quite reallistic. But annoying, nonetheless. :P

Groviglio's opening line was funy too. And I liked the tape measure metaphor.

Rhodes had a point about Groviglio attacking Ellis and Cue. And it's interesting to see he thinks of Kiva and Anzu as flesh shields. O_o

I like the different ways in which Kiva and Anzu reacted to the idea of using the combos.

The phrase "rainbows for everyone" came to my mind, but that only makes sense if you've read DMFA (http://missmab.com/Comics/Vol_845.php).

3rd different use I've seen of Ghost-type Hidden Power. I've said this before, but I like the way it works differently for each user. :)

[...]most effective fighting moves the Shuppet had at his disposable? You probably meant disposal.

The final combo was quite interesting. :)

So let's count the stamps... the supermarket ticket says 19. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Yes, I wrote the rating on a supermarket ticket. It seemed appropriate.

The Blue Avenger

26th March 2011, 11:16 PM

We'll say that your explanation re: Lady Ninetales getting involved is what happened. It makes more sense than anything I could come up with. XD

The way I expect Maza is Teleporting is that he's not going from point A to point B in one shot; he's hopping from place to place along the way. He's just being expedient about it.

Well, he chose the vacant office for the duration of getting the video made, at least.

When I wrote Groviglio's line about drawing attacks away, I didn't mean it to sound quite so self-serving - it's more along the lines of that Groviglio knows he won't win if all three opponents focus their attacks on him.

Thank you for the stamps. :D

DarkestLight

2nd April 2011, 12:11 PM

Let's catch Maybelline up :D

I like it when she tongues me.

With Maybelline as a part of the team, the trio eagerly stepped out of the dining establishment and headed down the nearby stairwell. Mossy and Maybelline stayed side by side, as Rapp walked ahead of them. Looking back t see if they were keeping up, Rapp noticed that Mossy was actually quite ok with having a new team member. It did seem better, having another person to talk to. He also realized that now he had a stronger base. There was one key difference.

Rapp stopped walking, and both Pokemon instantly turned to note. Mossjito looked around warily, while May raised her hands up close to her lips, as if ready to expel her tongue. Rapp walked over to her and in one swift motion, lifted the heavier than expected girl up. May gave off a startled yelp, as Rapp quickly set her back down.

"Ok...its doable...but I have to be running faster." May backed away from Rapp for a moment, and Mossy gave him a strange look.

"Huh? Don't worry about it guys. I just needed to make sure of something. But I also need to remember I can't always do that."

Mossy and May looked to each other, and then back to Rapp, whom was heading back to the Center. They followed after, but Mossy's mind was at work, trying to decipher what that meant.

---

The East Tower was exited once more, and Rapp looked to the West Tower again. There was still one room he had not dared walk into with Mossy. Looking at Maybelline, she seemed just as ill-prepared. But he knew that in order to test her limits, She was going to have to go in there. He sighed and kept moving, knowing they'd follow. Mossy and May did, jabbering all the way.

--

Rapp held open the door for both May and Mossy, before shutting it behind himself. The lobby was not packed today, and people were tending to their Pokemon. A Spinarak skittered past and Maybelline stepped backwards, disapproving of the arachnid. The small spider stopped in front of her and raised his front appendages in a friendly manner. Maybelline freaked however, and her tongue came flying out of her mouth. The Spinarak stared at the pink mass with a confused but terrified look, as it completely enveloped him for a moment, before flicking him clear across the center.

The Trainer of said spider immediately stood up and stomped over, tightening his hand into a fist. "Hey! Hey guy! Why's your Pimplemon hitting my Cruise?" Rapp-slightly bemused at the situation, turned to the much larger fellow and pointed to May. "She's a little nervous around spiders. It was an accident."

"She ought to be a little nervous about THIS!" he shouted while snapping his fingers. All at once, three purplish Pokemon came over. One was a large gaseous bag of filth, with two heads. Two were land bound, but they left trails of sludge behind them, and they smelt to high heaven. Rapp nervously stood in front of Mossy and May-who was plum terrified now-and kept his cool. Social situations weren't a strong point for him, but he wasn't about to let his Pokemon be cannon fodder for these ruffians.

"Come on tough guy! Battle me! Right here and now!"

"I'm not battling you. She's a baby, just like your Spinarak." As he said that, "Cruise" as it was named, came skittering back over. He seemed not hurt at all, aside from the small lump on his head. It raised its front arms again at its Trainer, who looked over and attained a sigh of relief. Lowering one hand, the Spinarak, skittered into it, and up his arm, resting atop his shiny bald head. Maybelline watched as the large man gently tickled the little spider, before turning his attention back to Rapp.

"You're lucky, punk. But we'll see how long that luck lasts, right boys?" From behind him, a bunch of laughter could be heard. There was a table full of people who seemed to have unscrupulous pasts sitting there, tending to all sorts of evil looking Pokemon. Rapp took a deep breath and nudged his left foot back. Mossy understood and began to back away, coiling vines around Maybelline so she would not be caught in the crossfire.

Rapp stood up as tall as he could, which was a little above the average male. He still was a good 4 inches shorter than the heavy set muscleman in front of him, but that didn't matter. Rapp twisted his lips, trying to find a comeback to state. When one didn't come, he sighed and took a large step back.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding Cruise. You just startled her." Rapp stated, before taking a step to the side, making sure not to step on the sludge pile left by those hideously smelling Pokemon. The large male looked on with a menacing stare as Rapp calmly but quickly moved away and toward the stairwell. His entourage also kept watch, a few getting up to talk to the large man after Rapp was out of ear shot. Rapp noticed that one fellow kept pointing to him as he talked to the bald headed spider trainer, and the large man nodded in approval.

Knowing this may not turn out well, Rapp looked for Mossy and May. They were-as he predicted-by the stairwell. May was already pulling the handle of her door with her tongue, allowing Rapp to calmly walk in. Once he reached the hallway, and Mossy skittered in, he shut the door, and bolted up the stairs, 3 at a time. Mossy and May followed as fast as they could and the trio then ran down the landing, and skidded to a stop in front of a large set of doors. Rapp sat down, and buried his head into his knees, arms cradling his legs so they didn't fall to the sides. Mossy just watched Rapp for a few moments, and turned to Maybelline, whom also seemed down. She kept patting her head, and looking at Rapp, then patting her head summore.

"Don't worry guys. I'm just calming myself down." Rapp said. Mossy nodded, and May sighed. Mossy and May turned to look down the hallway, and May sighed again.. Mossy ran over to May and looked up as May sighed a third time. Each time, there was a release of steam! At least, it looked like steam! Mossy reached up with a few vines as May exhaled again, to try and feel it. Nope. Not hot. But the tips of his vines felt the slightest bit wet.

Rapp looked up to see those two playing with air? and shook his head in quiet wonder. Taking a deep breath, he instantly began to cough. Why was the air so sharp and col..! He looked across the hallway at the massive double doors, and noticed the small coating of a crystalline form around their edges. He was here.

"Ok guys. We're going to make a dash for the cabin."

Mossy and May walked back over, unsure what he was talking about. Rapp looked to Mossy, and then to May, who kept patting her head. "The brochure Mossy. I remember reading something in it." Mossy whipped it out to May's surprise, and Rapp quickly opened it. Finding the section on the Blizzard room, he pointed to the cabin - a small lodging amidst a field of snow. "We gotta get in there, before we can battle around."

Mossy definitely approved of this idea, and May nervously agreed. Rapp nodded, and gave the brochure back to the little planimal before heading to the door. Steeling his thinly clothed body, the doors were pushed open and a horrendous blast of icy wind struck all three. Mossy jumped behind May to reduce the hit as much as possible, and Rapp quickly darted in. The Pokemon followed, but Mossjito was not liking this at all.

Rapp quickly spotted steam rising in a different direction than the wind, and he shuffled his feet in that direction, making a path for May and Mossy to follow. It only took them three minutes to reach and enter the cabin, but it felt like an eternity to Mossy. When that door was finally closed, and warmth overtook the trio, Mossy fell over.

"Oh no!" Rapp yelled, as two people turned to spy the new arrivals. Rapp quickly grabbed a spare parka and put it on, before lifting Mossy up and sticking him in the furry hood section. Mossy shivered in there, but it was obvious that he was just dealing with the rapid drop in temperature, rather than having being completely knocked out by the cold. May however, seemed none the worse for wear. She did however, stretch her legs out in an effort to get the chill off them.

The male trainer in the room seemed to stare, and Rapp smirked, knowing what was happening. But the Female trainer came over, concerned about the Tangela. "Hey! You sure your buddy's gonna be alright in here? This is no place for a Tangela."

"He's ok. I'm not using him for this area." Rapp replied, pointing to the Lickitung who somehow found a mirror and began posing in front of it. "My prima over there is." The girl nodded and pointed to the table. "Well, he can stay in here. My Pokemon aren't going out there for a while, we just finished and I need a few hours of warming up."

Rapp looked to Mossy, who gave him a singular vine pointing upward. "That's his version of a thumbs up." Both the male and female trainer looked to each other, and then laughed. "Name's Jules." The fellow stood up, his furred coat draped over him as if it was a robe. He had a beard and a polished handlebar mustache that still had evidence of frost upon it. His eyes stared at Rapp intently, as he walked over to inspect the Tangela. Mossy stared right back at the older man for a moment and then closed his eyes to rest.

"Yeah. Poor little grasser ain't built for this weather yet. Still got a while to go. But your pink princess'? She's built better than a mountain for this place."

"Jules has an eye for seeing Pokemon potential." the girl chimed in. Rapp turned to look at May, who now seemed ready to check out the snowy area. Rapp looked out the window, and noticed the winds had died down a bit. "Well, I better go see what's what out there then, while I still have time. Mossy. Stay here...and have some tea!"

Mossy hopped out of the hood at the mentioning of the word "tea" and whipped out his teapot and his cup. The older fellow gave out a chortle and walked over to a stove. "I see this one is prepared for anything. Well, I'll join you-little guy." Rapp smiled as Mossy vined his way up the wall and onto the stove, to get his teapot a brewing, the older man dragging a chair near the stove to sit down on and start talking to the viney one.

May and Rapp headed for the door and Rapp threw on the hood. "Be back soon!" Mossy waved, and watched them leave. The second the door shut, Mossy noticed there was a crack the ran along the base of the cabin, into the corner. Stuffed into the corner was an object! Yay! But before Mossy could hop down and pilfer the item...his teapot was whistlin'! The older fellow grabbed the pot first and poured them both glasses. Offering the girl yielded no response, as she was content eating a sandwich and talking to her Pokemon, whom Mossy still didn't see. The old man rocked back and forth in his chair, silently watching the winds and the two figures make their way from the cabin.

[May Lv 9 vs Sneasel lvl 15]

The pair didn't have to walk very far in the room before they realized that they created no real way to get back. Turning around, Rapp could barely see the billowing smoke that left the cabin chimney. "No good. I think we should stay close to the shelter May, never know what could be out here." May looked up to him and nodded, as the winds died down.

Grateful for the winds to have stopped their blowing, Rapp lowered the hood off of the borrowed parka, and took a look around. There was snow everywhere. Although the expanse was white, there were small dotted parts of the area that were black and brown and green. One such black spot was right in front of May. She smiled thinking it would give her steady footing, but when she stepped on it, it lurched! May fell backwards as something poked out of the snow. A single plume was visible, brilliant red in this white backdrop.

Rapp took a step back as this red feather moved backwards in the snow, its whole body hidden away in the midst of the dune. "May, I don't think its some--" His statement was never more wrong. The Pokemon lunged out of the snow in one bound, dark as the midnight sky. Glistening blades for fingers came across May's face, leaving thin red marks in a crisscrossed fashion. May fell backwards from that Scratch and held her face in anguish. As she reeled, the speedy Pokemon took advantage to dash in again and slash the chubby girl across her chest as well.

May fell back, obviously taken back by this things' speed. One hand dropped to the ground to help right herself, and Rapp quickly thought up the only strategy he could. "May, hold your tongue out. It'll hafta dash into it in order to get close to you!" May did exactly that, lowering her left hand and flinging her tongue around in a semi circle around her self. The Sneasel landed on a patch of snow, its light weight allowing it to run atop the fresh powder without sinking in. With May halfway stuck, the black weasel though a few more strikes to her face should do it.

But that thick pink muscle was weird. Too weird. So weird in fact, that he was caught off guard by it as it whipped around and wrapped him up! Pulling her tongue inward, the Sneasel began to struggle against it! He didn't want to go like this, eaten by a living palate! One arm freed itself and he kept it raised as May reeled him to within arm's length. Sneasel reached out to scratch her face up again, but May's eyes turned from carefree to angered. Her hand went up and grabbed Sneasel's arm, a grip affixed so strong that Sneasel cried out in pain. Using both her tongue and her own arm, she Hammered the Sneasel into the snow and used her arm's weight to mash the offensive scratcher on his back.

Rapp stood there, confused, and now cold. The winds began to pick up. Throwing the hood back up on the parka, he looked for a better vantage point. There seemed to be a small mound of snow that fidgeted every few moments, but right now, Rapp had to focus on the battle at hand. He tried to yell a command but he couldn't get in a comment edgewise. Partly becasue of the winds, but mainly because May was on a pure rage filled attack. She whipped her tongue back and forth, Slamming the Sneasel into her fist again. Upon the third whip, she released the Pokemon mid swing. Sneasel's body went flying, and he landed in a snow drift. May cried out her name, and went plodding after him, even as the Sneasel showed that it was in no condition to fight, by its wobbly stance.

"Hey May, I don't think you need to attack--" No. May wasn't hearing it. That ...charlatan slashed her face! HER! BEAUTIFUL! FACE! He was going to pay. Step by slow step, she plodded over to Sneasel, who pushed himself to a standing position. He shook off the pain of the last few attacks, and looked at the incoming Lickitung. Jumping back a step, May huffed as the Sneasel seemed to prepare another series of strikes. She whipped her tongue out and stood ready to lash it at the speedy beast. Just then teh winds decided to lull, but Rqapp knew they were right about to pick up.

"May! Wait! Lick the Snow! Trust me! Then use that Hammer Arm attack!"

May lost her focus on the Sneasel, and considered Rapp's option. Sneasel took that opening and swiftly zipped own the drift toward her. May turned to spy this black bullet heading for her, and she decided to give it a try. One heavy slathering of saliva went on the snow, and with the winds being as chilling as they were, ice formed all over the area near May. Sneasel's feet claws weren't ready from the switch from snow to ice, and he wound up having to adjust his balance. That's what May needed-a moment of unfocused movement. She swung around to her right side, forcing Sneasel to have to stretch his gangly arms to strike the Lickitung.

May however, was inside Sneasel's arm radius, and her Arm went careening into his gut. Sneasel doubled over the force of the opposing motion and went flying the way he came. Flying through the snow bluff again, only his body imprint could be seen from Rapp's position.

"Wow May...that was really impressive!" He said as he took large steps to reach May. May stood in the radius of her last attack, noticing she wiped a good swath of snow away. As Rapp made his way over, she patted her head, feeling something odd about it. As Rapp finally reached the area where Maybelline stood, he noticed there was a groove headed their way.

[May reached Lv11!!
May Learned Zen Headbutt!!]

"Whoa May. You up for another battle. We may have one more before we can get out of here." May turned to look at him. What was he even talking about. She didn't notice the small mound of snow rippling toward her until it was too late. Out flew a brown ball of fury, that smashed into her chest and forced her to take a knee. Almost immediately after flew a green mass, that landed with a sizable thud. Rapp immediately stared at this creature with an immense interest. He never saw something like it before. The creature paid both Rapp and the ailing May no mind. She growled at the small shivering triangle, obviously angered by it.

[Zent lvl 5 vs Snorunt Lvl 8]

Rapp took a step closer, kneeling down to cover May with his parka. May appreciated the gesture and wrapped her tongue around Rapp's head in her version of a big hug. Rapp immediately fell backwards, trying to release that muscle from his view. As he regained sight, the Larvitar had run toward the Snorunt, only to run through it! Rapp looked around spying 4 more Snorunt's in this wind, all laughing at the poor Larvitar. This seemed to piss her off even more, but she was on the losing side of this battle.

Rapp pondered how she even got in here, but he wasn't going to leave her in this place. Taking of his parka so May could stay warm, he stood back up, now in full view of the Larvitar. Rapp pointed to the Snorunt to the left, the one that didn't have snow flying through it in the midst of all this wind. "Hit that one!" Larvitar looked up at the human, then to the Snorunt. True to the human's observation, there was snow atop that Snorunt, and not on the others. She plodded forth, and grabbed the surprised Pokemon with both arms. A hefty bite was taken out of its hide, and she went for another, only to get a mouth full of snow. It was too cold for her and she backed away, holding her head.

"Oh that's cheating, an ice headache!" Rapp exclaimed. May waddled over, the coat dragging on her small frame. The Larvitar grunted a few times, as the Snorunt rushed over, eager to topple her. Against his better judgment in this wild Pokemon match, Rapp moved closer, creaming. "Hey watch out, its coming!"

Larvitar looked up and managed to fling its body to the left as Snorunt zipped in close to try and cover it in snow. As the weather built up and the wind started to take its toll on all parties, the Larvitar righted herself and tried that move again. She spun around the Snorunt, who seemed to be trying to use the wind to aid its own small ice attack. As the Snow blew past Larvitar, she darted in, having regained some warmth from dancing around. Her next bite was a pretty large one, as the Snorunt seemed to flinch from its strength!

Larvitar didn't stop, a second Bite severely crippling the Snorunt's ability to battle. The icy beast backed away, as Larvitar wobbled backwards toward Rapp. Rapp watched as the Pokemon grunted again, obviously hampered by this weather. The Snorunt seemed alright with it, even though it wasn't moving. Rapp couldn't tell what the Pokemon was planning, but after a few tense seconds, Snorunt spat out a slew of barbs from its body! Larvitar lost her glaring focus, and clapped in glee. Rapp took a step back as the Pokemon ran towards one of the Spikes. Grabbing it with her left hand, she opened her mouth and threw the 4 pronged barb right in. A few loud chomps followed, leaving May and Rapp perplexed. Was that all the Larvitar wanted?

"Hey you! It's gonna hit you! Bite it again!" Larvitar turned to see the Snorunt right behind her. She didn't even think, instead following what Rapp said to the letter, and diving right into the Snorunt. Snow covered her body, but she found the top of his triangle head and bit down. Snorunt cried out, before fainting in a heap.

[Larvitar is Lv6!]

Rapp stood in dumbfounded stupor, as the little Larvitar walked around the battlefield, gobbling up the Spikes left behind by the Snorunt. She seemed to be such a peaceful creature, idly eating all the little barbs in this nasty weather. A heavy shiver ran down Rapp's spine, snapping him back into reality. "M-M-May! Where are you." He said through clenched teeth.

She rubbed his leg with her coat covered arm, allowing Rapp to kneel down and grab his coat. As he threw it on in a hurry, May began to head back. Rapp nodded, realizing that May must be exhausted. But this little ..rocky Pokemon...he wanted to learn more about it. So, he did what any self respecting Trainer would.

He grabbed a bunch of the spikes, and laid them out in a line as he headed back with May. In the distance, he could see the small spire of the Pokemon following the food trail. When he ran out of the Spikes, Rapp quickly reached for the ground, and dug up mounds of dirt. Though hard, he was able to construct rudimentary dirt spikes that he hoped would work. Reaching the cabin in no time, May trotted inside, proud that her head stopped hurting. Rapp however, stayed by the door, watching as the green monster came closer and closer.

Upon gobbling down the last spike, The Larvitar spied Rapp standing by a large set of wood. She waddled over, obviously tired from her battle with the Snorunt, and her eyes were already critically analyzing Rapp's intent. Rapp just stared down at her, and rubbed his arms-even though he still wore that coat.

"Do...you want to get some rest with us?"

The Larvitar stared at him, and then felt the warmth radiate from the house as Rapp opened the door. Rapp walked in, and the Larvitar followed! Mossy and Maybelline both turned to spy the newcomer, and Mossy waved from the corner. Larvitar stared at all the people in this place, and immediately grabbed the floor. She was pretty powerful, splintering the wood floor and eating the strip like a piece of jerky.

Lady Vulpix

2nd April 2011, 01:30 PM

Eh? What was that? I'm sorry, but Mossy has already battled twice at the Lava Room. You weren't supposed to go there again. O_o

DarkestLight

2nd April 2011, 02:00 PM

o.O Yeah. Not May though. :O

Unless it was one visit per person. :/

Lady Vulpix

2nd April 2011, 02:03 PM

-_- It's two opponents per room, per team. Not per pokemon. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

DarkestLight

2nd April 2011, 02:05 PM

Ahhh! No problem. ::Erases a few thousand letters.:: Nu prob. Damn I wish I asked that. No worries, I'll just edit that story with something new.

Lady Vulpix

2nd April 2011, 02:09 PM

:( You can get an RBG for her if you want.

The Blue Avenger

16th April 2011, 08:20 AM

I'd like an RBG for Lady Bow, please, from the UAC.

*hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

16th April 2011, 05:39 PM

Lady Bow will battle a Scraggy.

The Blue Avenger

18th April 2011, 09:50 PM

Making Headlines
---
“Coming up next on Channel 5 News! Who exactly is this Sydney Cross person anyway? We talk to our special guests after the break.”

The newsflash was more than enough to send Sydney choking on her morning cup of coffee. Mercandos, also in the kitchen to get an apple for breakfast, gently thumped her on the back – not that Sydney knew, but this had become a part of his procedure every morning. As it turned out, Jeff tended to choke frequently as a result of having a team composed entirely of Pokémon that liked to burst into rooms unexpectedly. “Mime, mister,” he said soothingly as Sydney finished coughing. Sydney, with an exasperated expression written clearly across her face, mopped up the spilled coffee and turned her attention back to the TV.

“Welcome back,” the anchor said. She smiled and turned to the man sitting next to her, a bony figure with a shiny head and a grey goatee. “So, Dr. Horvat, as we all know, Sydney Cross is the olive branch that the Dragon’s Guild has extended in order to start building an office here in Tor Achare. What do you make of it?”

“Well, Linda,” Horvat said, “this is only my personal opinion, you understand, but I think the Dragon’s Guild is laughing at us right now.”

Sydney raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” Linda asked.

Horvat clasped his hands in front of him. “If you could please roll the tapes I’ve prepared…” Behind him, the screen began displaying a blurry video. Sydney was able to identify it as one of her entering Broz’s school. “This is a video of Cross visiting the Trainer’s School in downtown Tor Achare,” Horvat said.

Linda tilted her head. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“Please, let me finish.” The video jumped to a montage of Sydney’s battles, most of which, she was mortified to see, clearly showed her incompetence at battling. “I’d like to also draw your attention to how she battles. Cross obviously doesn’t know a thing about Pokémon, and this is the person that the Dragon’s Guild chooses to send to us? It’s clear that they just wanted her out of their hair, so they sent her as far away from them as possible.”

“But, Dr. Horvat, does a representative charged with negotiations and playing politics really need a background in Pokémon training?”

Horvat sniffed. “Ordinarily I would agree with you. Cross’ job wouldn’t necessarily require an extensive amount of Pokémon knowledge. However, this inexperience is just one more nail in her coffin. There’s one more video.” The screen behind them changed to a clip of Sydney entering Miro’s house.

“For the benefit of our viewers, Dr. Horvat, where is Ms. Cross entering here?”

“Cross is visiting Miro Milic in this video, Linda.”

Linda nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Horvat. I think that’s all that needs to be said.”

“No it’s not!” Sydney said. She thumped a fist on the table. “Why is visiting Miro bad? What did he do? How does that damn me?”

“And now, let’s have a chat with mayor Piers Lagrange about the situation,” Linda continued, the smile never leaving her face. The camera panned to the right, revealing a short, stocky, but moderately handsome man, dressed in a well-creased suit. His buzz-cut hair was graying at the roots. And, if Sydney hadn’t already known that this man seemed to absolutely despise her, his smile would have won her over.

“Good morning, Linda,” Lagrange said in an oozing voice.

“Now, Mayor, what are your thoughts on what Dr. Horvat has said?”

Lagrange looked straight into the camera. “I strongly believe that the Dragon’s Guild should not be allowed to make a mockery of our proud town as they currently are. And quite flagrantly too, I might add. Not only have they sent us a novice who doubtlessly couldn’t find her head with a map, but they have now directly tied her to ex-governor Milic, who, as you may recall, eats straight out of their hands.”

Sydney’s second coughing fit was forthcoming. “Ex-governor?!”

“It’s obvious that the Dragon’s Guild plans to undermine the rightful government of Chrace from the shadows with the help of the disgraced Milic,” Lagrange said. “But there is a way to defend ourselves, Linda.”

Linda perked up. “Oh yes?”

“We know that Cross is a novice. I strongly encourage the peace-loving citizens of Tor Achare to challenge her to a battle. I should emphasize here: do not be violent. That is not what Tor Achare is about. But show her that we, the people of Tor Achare, will not tolerate this sort of disrespect.”

Sydney set her head down against the table and groaned.

---

“Hello. You have reached the voicemail of Lord Persian. Please leave your name and number after the tone and I’ll get back to you in a timely fashion. If this is Lady Lapras wondering why I never told you who Miro Milic was, rest assured I thought it’d be better if you found out for yourself. Politics and all that, you know.”

Beeeeeeep!

“Damn it, Lord Persian.”

---

“Hello! Miro Milic’s not here right now, but if you leave me a message, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Oh, and if this is Sydney, please rest assured that I would have told you, but Lord Persian thought it would make for more impact if you found out on your own, and I decided to play along. No hard feelings, darling. Ta!”

Beeeeeeep!

“Damn it, Lord Persian.”

---

Sydney hung up the phone and sighed. “Well, if I go outside now, I’m going to get mobbed. What to do, what to do…”

It had only been in the cradle for a minute or two before the phone rang again. Sydney picked it up. “Hello?”

“Cross.” The clipped tones of Javor Broz were unmistakable. “See me.” He hung up.

Sydney stared at the phone for a moment. “Is he going to do that often?”

Mercandos shrugged.

“…I guess there’s nothing for it. I suppose I just have to make it there quickly and hope nobody watched the news this morning.”

As it turned out, that was precisely the opposite of what had actually happened. It seemed to Sydney that the entire town had watched the news that morning: only by ducking down several convenient side streets did she manage to avoid the bulk of it. She arrived at the back entrance to the school, panting, but with a minimum of incidents; several people challenged her, but she didn’t stick around for any of them.

Javor was waiting for her on the other side of the door. Sydney flinched and almost backed away when she saw his somewhat-imposing form looming, but Javor placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Cross. Follow me.” He led her through the corridors of the school, and they ended up in what Sydney assumed to be the auditorium. Rows of seats faced a large stage, which was currently illuminated with a spotlight.

“Mr. Broz, what are we – ”

“You will find out briefly.” Javor led her on stage and clapped his hands twice. A purple cat-like Pokémon, the name of which Sydney was blanking on, appeared without fanfare on the stage. The gem on its forehead began to gleam, and to Sydney’s alarm, the floor began to rumble, and soon after, Sydney realized that the entire stage was slowly grinding upwards. The ceiling above them slid away, and the stage took its place; from the roof of the school, Sydney could see through the clear, crisp air for miles around. What she was focused on, however, was the crowd of people surrounding the school. Several of them began jeering and yelling when they saw her appear from the building.

“People of Tor Achare,” Javor said, his voice needing no amplification, “and especially Mayor Lagrange…”

Sydney looked around. Sure enough, Lagrange’s shining smile was quite visible in the crowd.

“…I have taken Mayor Lagrange’s words to heart, and I plan to battle Sydney Cross for our city.”

WHAT?! Sydney’s eyes widened, and she stared at Javor with a frozen plea on her face.

“I intend to do it in front of all of you so that you may serve as witnesses.” He turned to her. “Cross. Select your Pokémon.”

Sydney whimpered. She fumbled at her belt for Ridder’s Pokéball, but her hand, shaking more than she would have cared to admit, accidentally tapped the one next to it. It dropped to the ground, revealing a white, smoky specter. Lady Bow glanced from her to Javor with an aloof expression on her face.

“Very good, Cross. Starting with a Gastly. Then, allow me to retaliate.” Faster than Sydney’s eyes could follow, Javor whipped out a Pokéball and threw it into the center of the stage.

Sydney screwed her eyes shut. She knew that when she opened them, Zmey would be staring back, and mostly likely also would be in the middle of launching some apocalypse attack or something. So it came as a complete surprise when, instead of hearing Zmey’s screeching roar, she heard a high-pitched voice saying “Scraggy!”

She opened her eyes, and fought back the urge to laugh. Facing down Lady Bow was a small lizard wearing its shed skin like a sagging pair of pants. It hopped back and forth in front of Bow and Sydney, balling its tiny fists in what it likely thought was a threatening manner.

“What are you playing at, Broz?” Lagrange called from in the crowd. “Don’t go easy on her!”

Javor crossed his arms. His sunglasses gleamed in the morning light. “I am not. However, sending a Pokémon out who drastically outpaced Cross’ own would not be in the spirit of fair play. Which is, as I recall, something we Tor Achare citizens celebrate. Hence why I sent out Bauk.”

Lagrange considered this. “Good call, Broz. Then embarrass her at her own game.”

“Indeed, Mayor.”

STRIFE! Sydney Cross versus Javor Broz!
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/109/c/9/sydney_and_javor_by_theblueavenger-d3ee3uj.png
Lady Bow: “Gast.”
Bauk: “Scraaaag!”

That’s a Scraggy. It’s a Dark and Fighting type, Sydney thought. Or, to be more specific, the thought appeared in her head, even though Sydney knew she had never before heard of a Scraggy. She looked across the field, and Javor stared back stoically. Oh well, she thought, if I can match my types up, maybe Bow will listen to me.

“Are you not going to make the first move, Cross? Very well. Bauk. Swagger.” Bauk strutted up and down in front of Bow, making a show of pulling up his pants as far as they would go. He stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. Bow’s eyes crossed, and she shook her head slowly.

Be careful. That attack confuses. Maybe a bit of his own medicine is in store.

Sydney looked around again, but seeing nothing, she shook her head. She tried to visualize Bow’s page in her notebook. “Bow! Strike back with Confuse Ray!”

The words managed to make their way through the fog of confusion, and Bow’s eyes glowed a brilliant white as she leered at Bauk. The area around the stage darkened, and a cone of bright light flashed around Bauk, who blinked and rubbed his eyes, staggering. The lighting turned to normal as both Pokémon stumbled back and forth.

Javor grunted. “Less than ideal. Bauk. Work Up.”

Bauk nodded, his eyes still spinning, but instead of pumping himself up, all the Scraggy managed to do was trip over his own loose skin and fall flat on his face.

That worked well. Let’s go on the offensive.

“Okay, now, try Thunderbolt!” Sydney said.

A loud crackling signaled Bow’s attack. Electricity flickered over her incorporeal skin, but at the last minute, the electricity fizzled out as Bow let out a yelp. Looks like her confusion got the better of her. Sydney blinked. That was obviously what had happened, but she hadn’t thought that.

Across the field, Bauk was climbing to his feet. Judging by the way he was shaking his head, it seemed that the confusion was short-lived. Thankfully, Sydney realized, Bow was doing the same.

“Now, Bauk, I leave this to you. Take your best judgment.”

Bauk grinned. Apparently this was what he had been waiting for. He took a step back and charged at Bow. As he approached, his head began glowing, and he slammed it into Bow with a resounding crunch, despite all the questions that raised in Sydney’s mind about Bow being a ghost. Bauk recoiled, apparently stunned from the heavy hit, but he still grinned.

Head Smash. A rock move, which is why it can hit ghosts. I might try a way to disable the foe…

“Bow! Try Hypnosis!” Sydney said. Bow let a small smile slip, but whether that was because she finally liked the moves Sydney was making or for some other arcane reason entirely, Sydney wasn’t able to discern. Whatever the reason, Bow locked eyes with Bauk. Her irises widened, but her pupils shrank, creating an unnerving effect that had Bauk and more than a few crowd members mesmerized. After only a few moments of this, Bauk’s eyes fluttered and he toppled over, snoring.

Bow smirked. “Gast, gastly,” she said quietly. It was one of the only things that Sydney had heard her say, and judging from the tone, it sounded… well, at least slightly less frustrated than normal.

Good. Bow’s looking a little bruised. Maybe she ought to get healed a bit.

Sydney smiled. “Excellent! Now, Mega Drain!”

With a sudden extension of her fangs, Bow floated over to the sleeping Bauk. Though she didn’t actually bite him, it looked for all the world like she did, and a green glow surrounded both of them. Bauk’s snores became slightly more ragged as Bow floated back, any signs of injury from the Head Smash gone.

Excellent. Almost done. Any move will finish it off.

“Let’s end this, Bow! Try your Hidden Power!”

This was a move that Sydney had to ask Javor about earlier. According to him, Hidden Power was a move that could do pretty much anything, based on the Pokémon that used it. By way of demonstration, he had shown off Zmey’s Hidden Power, which had let the dragon create a nearly-indistinguishable facsimile of itself. When attacked, though, the copy dissolved in a puddle of acid. Bow’s Hidden Power, Javor said, wasn’t a Poison move, so it would naturally be quite different.

This turned out to be an understatement.

Bow once again locked eyes with Bauk, who was just beginning to wake up. As soon as he saw her, though, he froze. A shiver ran up his spine as the stare continued. A crack at Bauk’s feet prompted him to look down, and he started as shackles of ice began to appear around his ankles. The ice coating continued upwards, forming a pillar around Bauk; his teeth began to chatter, but he couldn’t move. Soon, Bauk was entirely encased in a block of ice that was only vaguely Scraggy-shaped.

With another faint smile, Bow sent one final bolt of ice arcing from her eyes at Bauk. It shattered the frozen prison, leaving Bauk to collapse to the stage.

VICTORY! Bow wins! Bow grows to level 8!

Wonderful!

Sydney looked around one final time. This time, her eyes alighted on the cat-thing that had moved the stage up in the first place. Its gem was twinkling, and it and Javor were wearing very similar expressions of very, very slight amusement.

“I concede,” Javor said. “A good match, Cross. To the people of Tor Achare, perhaps we were wrong about how unskilled Cross supposedly was. More thought may be in order.”

“Th…” Sydney started. “Thank you.” She looked down into the crowd. People were dispersing, the excitement over. Lagrange was staring up at the stage, an expression of smoldering anger very evident on his features. But he didn’t say anything, and he, too, walked away.

The stage began to descend. Sydney joined Bow in the middle of the stage. “That was excellent, Bow!” she said, grinning widely. “You may have just saved our mission here!”

For a brief second, Sydney could have sworn that she saw a smile on Bow’s face. But just as quickly as it appeared, it had gone.

“Well done, Cross,” Javor said.

Sydney shook her head. “I wouldn’t have done it without your help.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He recalled the cat to a Pokéball and began walking towards the auditorium’s exit. “Please make sure you keep our training appointment tomorrow. You may see yourself out.”

Sydney looked from him to Bow, shrugged, recalled the Gastly, and made her own way out. She was quite pleased to see that much fewer people accosted her on the road.

Lady Vulpix

20th April 2011, 01:08 PM

Did you make the background of the image to match the background of the archive?

I chuckled at Mercandos having made a habit of thumping Jeff on the back.

Did Lord Persian also tell Miro to leave a message for Sydney on his answering machine? It's weird that they both did it. Also effective, but rude.

The flow of the story felt like a comedy/action movie. That was a smart solution, by the way.

Take 11 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

And now, on to my story. Note: this story takes place at the end of February. I was just too busy to finish it earlier! Apologies in advance for the verbosity, I think it was a consequence of spending too long without writing and different plotlines coming up all at once once I finally got down to it.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Gabi's POV>

As a part of my team headed for the Lava Room, I decided to do some research, reasoning that if I couldn't watch Hero and Tsunami train, I might as well use that time to do something useful. I took the Dragon's Gate tour which provided some curious trivia about the Gate but no information I could actually use. As soon as the tour was over, I asked the guide why it was called Dragon's Gate, and the answer was less than satisfying: it was because all gates were named after creatures that have played an important role in Ulthuan's history, either by their actual involvement in key events or by being used as symbols; no particular reason why the name of Dragon was assigned to that gate specifically. I asked the guide if she had ever seen a dragon, and the answer was negative.

"There's always talk about Dragons, but you won't find many people who claim to have seen a real, living one, and those who do are bound to be lying. Unless you're talking about Dragon-type Pokemon. In that case yes, I've seen quite a few."
"OK, thanks," I told her. "Maybe real dragons wouldn't be very interested in this gate in spite of its name."
The guide gave me a weird look. "It would be hard to imagine what a real dragon would be interested in. I wouldn't think they're attracted by the same things we humans are."
"It depends..." I began, but I realized I didn't know how to finish the sentence without turning it into a monologue which would be at least partially wrong. Fortunately the guide didn't seem to care about what I was thinking.
"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" she asked.
"Not much. I was just wondering what other important or sacred places can be seen in Avelorn."
"Oh, that's easy. Go to the tourist information booth and pick the Whispers of the Past brochure. It has a list of all the major temples and ruins you can find in Avelorn."
"Oh. Thanks."
"Anything else?"
"No, thanks, I think that's it."
"Alright, then, enjoy the rest of your vacation!"

With that, she left to meet the next group of tourists. I didn't bother telling her that I wasn't on vacation, let alone that I had seen two dragons in the past... three if I were to count Lagi's silver dragon form during our mind-boggling trip to Bei. But no, I was sure Lagi didn't count, even if that meant that Glyph, Orknye, Arim, Lavy, Glice and Linyi didn't really count as Pokemon. "OK, enough with that line of thought," I told myself. "It won't lead anywhere useful." I went to the designated spot and picked the brochure the guide had recommended. It had a list of the top 147 sites in Avelorn you just couldn't miss if you were interested in history and/or architecture. Do I need to say that it was way too much? And also, in a way, too little. There were so many shrines and ruins... but did any of them have anything the Black Dragon could want? The whole province looked like a magnified version of Templa Taure, but I couldn't find anything in the brochure that really stood out among everything else. And the Black Dragon had been trapped in Templa Taure. Wouldn't he rather be in a place that didn't look anything like it? And if what the guide has said was true - and Ventura's and Amber's versions seemed to support it - no one in the area had heard of him, except perhaps for that old news report from Templa Taure. I had the growing feeling that the Black Dragon wasn't in Avelorn at all. "OK," I thought. "That's 147 fewer places to check. Fortunately the stadium we'll be using can be moved from one province to another. We may find him in Sapphery or - please forbid it - Ellyrion. Or even Caledor, but if he were so close to home we would have heard of him by now, wouldn't we? And we defeated Yssera in Ellyrion. He may want to move in, but if he does, we're bound to get news from either Sybyll or White Mountain itself. Let's check Sapphery next."

Most of my team gathered at the restaurant at noon. All except Hero, who was still at the Pokemon Center. I was surprised to find that my friends were not alone. Eliot - no double letters - and Aaron - or Randy, as I learned he preferred to be called - were joining us for lunch. It's always nice to have non-demanding company, but he had some worrying news about one of his colleagues from the MTU. Selene and Helios, the Houndoom and Flareon from Ian's team had gone missing. According to Tsunami, Hero had the theory that their disappearance and Flame's were connected. It was a possibility, but without a suspect or a motive we didn't have much to go by. All we could do for the time being was keep our eyes open. I was so distracted by these thoughts that I never noticed Randy only ever spoke to me or Eliot. It was later, after we'd left the restaurant that Tsunami pointed it out, and Lagi explained that he had trouble understanding everyone else, although he'd been making an effort to follow the conversation. It felt weird, after having spent so much time with Jeff, Shonta and Amy, all of whom could easily understand everyone in my team. Jeff could in fact understand all Pokemon without the aid of any artifacts, and yet he hadn't shown signs of having any other unusual abilities. I'd always found that weird, but then again, who could really claim not to be weird one way or another? Not that there was anything wrong with that. I'd learn to accept my own weirdness a long time ago.

We stopped by the Pokemon Center to check on Hero and Ares, before Randy and Eliot returned to the Lava Room and the rest of us headed for the West tower. That would be it, our final visit to the current incarnation of the Training Grounds. After that... no, I didn't want to think of what would come after that. It would be too much work, I could tell the upcoming month would go by without giving me a single break. But that would come later, now it was time to visit the Jungle Room. I placed my hand on the doorknob, turned it, pulled and... became overwhelmed by the breathtaking sights and sounds.

Not only was this room even larger than the previous Jungle Rooms we'd visited, but it had countless trees the likes of which I'd never seen before. Some of them even seemed to glitter in the artificial sunlight. The stream was there too, fresh and transparent, providing the background music for the choir of birds whose song came from all over the treetops - now there, then here, suddenly everywhere. Walking into the Jungle Room was diving into a symphony of beautiful sounds and images. It reminded me a bit of other places I'd visited, yet it wasn't quite like any of them. And then, as I was taking everything in, I stumbled into a bush and nearly tripped over it. I regained balance and turned around to see Caledor chuckle, Tsunami look away quickly, and Sylvan direct a cautious look towards the bush. Yes, it was that bush. I didn't even know its name, but they had managed to find it and plant it on that corner of the room.

"I think we'd better stay clear of this part of the room," Amber suggested.
"I second the motion," Sylvan agreed. "This place is wonderful. I'd rather not ruin my stay here by getting stuck in that thing again."
"I think you're too big to get stuck in it now," Tsunami remarked. "But it might still hurt you. Better leave it alone. Shall we check out the stream? We could have some fun in there before someone comes looking for a battle."
"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed.
"Good! I shall claim the stream in the name of Group B. Last one there is a Slowpoke."

With that, Tsunami rushed towards the water, followed by Pidgeot and Caledor, the latter of whom issued a complaint about Tsunami favoring his training team over one of his best friends. The Espeon released a Thundershock while he ran and shouted, but the concurrency of those three tasks was not well handled, and Tsunami didn't even have to worry about dodging. Caledor did, however, get to the stream first, claiming the right to call Tsunami a Slowpoke. Pidgeot and Lagi were in next, and I released Water Angel as soon as I got there. Sylvan, Ventura and Iael weren't interested in playing in the water and, naturally, neither was Amber, although she did comment that the stream looked pretty.

While Pidgeot, Water Angel, Tsunami, Lagi and Caledor were having fun in the water in different ways, a nearby bush began to rise, along with the earth and rocks around its root. I was startled, until a head appeared a hole beneath the lifted earth and I realized it was a Torterra who was waking up from a nap. It yawned and stretched its neck forward and than to either side. Then it looked in my direction and looked at me from feet to head, and then at the Pokemon around me and those playing in the river.

"Um... large group," the Torterra finally said. "I suppose one or two of you are here to battle, but who?"
"That would be me," Sylvan stepped forward. "And Lagi, the Dragonite. I'm not sure which one of us is a better match for you."
"We can check that easily," I said, starting to search my bag for the good old PokeGear.
"That won't be necessary," said the Torterra. "I've always wanted to test myself against a Venusaur, and this young lady looks strong enough to make it an interesting challenge."
"Just let me make sure it's not a lopsided battle," I insisted, still searching.

I have to admit it, my backpack was a mess. It took me a while to find my PokeGear, which was from some reason lying under Caledor's rubber ball. I tossed the toy ball at the Espeon who welcomed it with a joyful, open-mouthed smile, and then scanned the Pokemon in front of me. I shared the result with Sylvan.

"It'd be a tough challenge," I told her. "It's your call."
Sylvan thought for a moment. "This is just a practice match," she noted. "I'd be fooling myself if I believed we won't be fighting tough opponents in the future. And some of those battles will have much higher stakes. If I shy away from this challenge, I may not be ready to face the next real threat. I will do my best."
"Whoa, you got so serious all of a sudden!" exclaimed the Torterra. "I'm just looking for a friendly battle, nothing life-threatening here. I just thought it would be interesting to battle a Venusaur. Because, you know... your kind has a reputation for being tough. I like battling other strong Grass Pokemon. There's this Meganium at the MTU who always manages to beat me, but maybe one day I'll be able to beat her. That will be one tasty victory. But I'll have to work hard to get strong enough to stand a chance against her. So, what do you say? Are you up for some training?"
"Sure," Sylvan smiled. "Sorry if I bothered you with my concerns. I wish I could be carefree and only battle for the sake of improving myself. We've all been through so much, though... Nevermind, this is meant to be a good moment. I won't let my worries ruin it. Let's have a friendly battle in this wonderful garden."
"We could also lie down and discuss poetry if you'd rather keep your mind off those violent thoughts."
Sylvan chuckled. "Oh, I do like poetry, but I won't waste a chance to train by leaving the Jungle Room without a battle. Maybe some other time."
"As you wish."

Both Grass Pokemon walked towards a more open space and assumed their battle stances.

Level 56 Venusaur vs. Level 70 Torterra

The Torterra was strong, but slow. Sylvan was able to use Sunny Day before her opponent could make a move. The heat made the environment become less comfortable, but I knew how advantageous it was for Sylvan, so I put up with it without complaining. In any case it was still nothing in comparison to the heat of the Lava Room, the only place in the Training Ground where I couldn't stay for over a minute without getting sick. I still nearly fell over, however, not because of the heat but because the earth started shaking after the Torterra stomped on it. Sylvan took a strong blow from the shockwave, but her 4-Leaf Clover protected her from taking too much damage. Those of us who were standing nearby felt the ground shake beneath our feet, but we weren't close enough to get hurt, and we all managed to regain balance more or less efficiently.

Then Sylvan released a Solarbeam which, I admit, I was expecting, knowing the way she liked to battle. The Torterra countered it with a second Earthquake, for which Sylvan was better prepared this time. Then she shot another Solarbeam. At that point the Torterra seemed to decide he'd had enough, and used the same solar energy which had been used to hurt him in order to heal himself. Sylvan let out a sigh and did the same.

"It looks like we have reached a stalemate," the Torterra remarked.
"I'm not much of a chess player," Sylvan replied, "But I think that if we did this again either of us could claim a draw due to threefold repetition. Is that how it works?"
"If this were chess, it would work that way. But Pokemon battles have no such rule. Still, it would be extremely boring to go like that for hours on end, and the battle would still end in a draw. Unless..."
"Unless what?"

No sooner did Sylvan formulate her question than a volley of flames was shot at her, singeing her leaves and petals. Sylvan's face suddenly changed into a serious frown. She took a look at her leaves. Luckily the fire was already gone, but the damage it had done was evident. She then shook her petals and released a cloud of Sleep Powder. It worked wonderfully: her opponent fell asleep like a rock. Sylvan took the chance to shoot one last Solarbeam before the weather went back to normal. She then used Synthesis to restore her scorched petals - only a few dark spots remained, plus a few holes on her leaves.

Luckily, the Torterra wasn't showing any signs of waking up. Sylvan shot a Sludge Bomb at him, splashing him with a dark purple ooze. I gathered she didn't want to use Sunny Day again, in case the Torterra woke up and decided to use his Hidden Power once more.

She was able to drop 2 more Sludge Bombs before her opponent began to stir in his sleep. Not wanting to give him a chance to get back on his feet, she launched a barrage of seeds at him. Then the Torterra stopped moving.

Sylvan grew to level 58!

<Lagi's POV>

Sylvan had won, but she didn't feel so good about it. I asked her what was wrong.

"I did it again," she replied. "I couldn't control the situation and had to resort to the same old tricks."
"You were facing a strong opponent," I told her. "And one with a Fire type Hidden Power to boot. If by 'old tricks' you're referring to Sunny Day, Solarbeam and Synthesis, I can't think of any way you could have won if you hadn't used them."
"I know but... nevermind. I think I expected to learn something new about myself or something. As it is, the only think I've learnt is that I'm not good at improvising. And come to think of it, I knew that already."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," I insisted. "You did very well. And if you're worried about what may happen when the stakes are higher, don't be. You won't be alone when trouble comes knocking."
"How can you know that? What if I get separated from everyone else for some reason?"
"You worry too much, sunshine, and it's taking a toll on you. The worst case scenario hardly ever becomes real, and even if it does, I have no doubts that you'll come through. We can surpass our limits when the need is dire."
"I hope you're right... just... did you call me 'sunshine'?"
"Did I?... I guess I may have. I wasn't paying attention to the way words came out, I was focusing on what I meant to say. Still, if you were to have a nickname, 'Sunshine' might be a fitting one."
"I strive in the sunshine," Sylvan smiled, but only for a moment. "And burn in it too. We'll be back home before my leaves and petals are as soft and shiny as they used to be."
"You know we're going home tomorrow and only said that to make it sound like it would be a long time. It didn't work. I know how much you like your leaves and petals, and how much work you put into keeping them healthy and beautiful. Just like you do with our garden, and your efforts really show. But Sylvan, there's a lot more to you than that. You should learn to look at yourself under a different light. It's hard for everyone to see their true worth, but trust me when I tell you that everyone in our team cares for you and appreciates you just the way you are, and a few spots and burns will make absolutely no difference. Some outside our team too. I won't go into detail out of respect for the disrespectful, but you are regarded with high esteem."
"What do you mean? Where did that all come from, and what was that about respecting the disrespectful?"
"That was just me letting my tongue roll of its own accord," I said, unwilling to explain my words any further. "We all have our defects. I hope you'll forgive mine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or to imply anything... about anyone."
I see, a foot in mouth situation..." Sylvan deduced. "I know you and I can't blame you for doing what's in your nature. I know you care for me and everyone else in our team... What am I saying?, you probably care about everyone, period. And you seem to know me better than I know myself, which doesn't really come as a surprise. So I'll listen to you and try to be more positive. But if someone out there 'regards me with high esteem', I would really appreciate to hear it straight from the source. Respect and affection are pointless if they never reach their target."
"Or if they do but the target is not receptive to them," I added.
"True... if anyone says something nice to me, I'll make sure to show my gratitude."

She smiled. At least I managed that much. For a moment, I tried to imagine what it would be like to live my life unaware of what others were feeling. I couldn't go very far with that train of thought: it wouldn't have been my life at all. I let the conversation end: I wouldn't be able to make Sylvan understand what I really meant without messing up even further. Perhaps it was best that she didn't know. I couldn't see her returning his feelings. Respect and gratitude, yes, but that wouldn't be enough for him and it would make him feel ashamed. Some problems need a long time to be solved.

I was distracted from my musings by the arrival of a trainer. I realized she was a trainer before I saw her because of the distinct sensation of a group of Pokemon waiting inside their pokeballs. I turned to look, and saw a slim figure with an enormous amount of black hair. It fell all the way down to her hips, which by itself isn't saying much since Gabi's was just as long. But hers was much thicker, giving the impression that she could wrap herself in it if she chose to. And it had a purple glint under the light. Other than that, she looked normal: she had brown eyes and her skin had the color of milk tea. She wore a mini skirt on top of her tights, a yellow tank top, and a yellow headband which did little to hold back her jungle of hair.

"Hello," the newcomer said. "My name is Donna. I was told someone was looking for an experienced trainer here."
"Oh, hi," Gabi approached her. "I'm Gabi, pleased to meet you. I didn't exactly call for anyone, I only said I was coming to this room to train Sylvan and Lagi."

She pointed at us as she spoke.

"I see," said Donna. "I believe I was called because none of the Pokemon who were in the room at the time were strong enough to face them. Is that right?"
"Well, there was this Torterra," Gabi pointed at Sylvan's fallen opponent. "He challenged Sylvan and lost. But we haven't found an opponent for Lagi yet. I bet that must be why they called you."
"Oh, him!" Donna looked at the Torterra. "He was sleeping last time this room was checked. Not much of a change as far as I can see. I think it'll be best to leave him here, this room has special lights which can help him heal and he'll be more comfortable here than at the Pokemon Center. As for your Dragonite... Lagi, right? I can see why she needs a strong opponent. I think Amazon will be the best choice. She's been waiting a long time to battle someone like her."

Donna was hiding something. I wondered what it was, but she released her champion before I could think of the right questions to ask. Amazon turned out to be a beautiful Meganium with a bright red flower around her neck. She reminded me a bit of Diana... way to bring back old memories. I couldn't help but wonder how my old friend was doing now that Yssera was gone. And, of course, Edie, my daughter and Diana's teammate. I had no way to know where they were. I just hoped they were OK.

Amazon approached me slowly. "Are you OK?" she asked. "You look worried."
"I'm fine," I assured her. "I do have something on my mind, but I won't let it interfere with our battle."
"How can you do that?" asked Amazon. "How can you focus on battling when something's troubling you?"
"Years and years of practice," I explained. "There's always something. This isn't even such a bad thing, it's just that..."
"Come on, you can say it," said Amazon. "If you want to share, of course. Talking about your problems can help. We can always battle later."
She was honest, she wasn't trying to trick me. I decided to get it off my chest. "It's just that my eldest daughter used to be under Yssera's influence. Now she should be free, but I still haven't heard from her. And I have no idea where she is."
"Oh... I'm sorry. But it hasn't been so long since Yssera was defeated. She may have to sort some things out before she can get back in touch with you. And she may need some time alone to come to terms with what happened. I'm sure she's fine."
"I hope you're right," I told her.
"Some problems need time to be solved," she continued. Then she said something about Templa Taure, but I was too shocked to listen.
"What did you just say?" I asked her.
"I said that some Pokemon in Templa Taure are still dealing with the emotional after-effects of being possessed by demons."
"You said some problems need time to be solved."
"I did, and they do. But sometimes time is all that's needed."
"Oh," I nodded.

I was starting to think it had been just a coincidence that we'd both had the same thought within just a few minutes. But then I noticed Gabi was directing a curious look at Amazon and was a bit confused.

"Is anything going on?" I asked Gabi.
"I'm not sure," she replied. "I just had a familiar sensation, but it only lasted for a moment and I can't tell what it was. It may have been nothing."
"Those little hunches usually mean something," Donna commented. "Hard to tell what, but you still shouldn't disregard them."
"Have you felt anything?" Gabi asked her.
"Not right now, but sometimes," Donna said. "Like having deja vu and then, if you concentrate hard enough, you can tell what was going to happen next and then it happens."
"Wow, it's good to know I'm not the only one," said Gabi.
"Are you kidding? I'm sure half the trainers in Caledor have had some kind of psychic experience at least once. Haven't you noticed how there are many trainers who can understand all Pokemon after spending just a couple of hours with them? And many people can sense energies or know when something important happens to someone they care for, or when someone is thinking of them... or many other things, really. It's a lot more common than people think. But most people tend to ignore those things and pretend nothing has happened, so they convince themselves that they just can't do it, or that it was a coincidence."
"Like when someone says something you thought moments ago?" Gabi and I asked in unison. We looked at each other and laughed.
"Or like that," Gabi said, still laughing.
"Did you two just say the same thing at the same time?" Donna guessed.
I nodded while Gabi tried to stop chuckling.
"Yes, something like that," Donna smiled.
"In that case it was something, but not something important," I stated.

My statement got an "eh?" and a "huh?" from Gabi and Donna respectively.

"Amazon said something I'd just been thinking," I explained. "About some problems needing a long time to be solved."
"I'm sorry if I borrowed your thought," said Amazon. "But it's also what I think. I'm glad we agree on that."
"That's... obvious!" Gabi couldn't stop herself. "No offense meant, but are we having this whole discussion over something anyone could have said?"
"I thought we were talking about ESP," said Donna. "But I'm afraid I've lost track of the point I was trying to make."
"I don't think there was much of a point to begin with," Amazon commented. "Just your regular idle talk about psychic abilities."
"Oh, yes, that's a typical elevator conversation topic," Gabi ironized.
"Can I join?" Caledor hopped over to where we were standing. "I hear laughter and talk about psychic powers. One of the two is my specialty. I demand the right to participate in this conversation."
"Er... I'm afraid the conversation was running out," said Gabi. "I saw what you did there, though. Nice one."
"Thank you," Caledor grinned.

Donna was surprised when she saw Caledor. She stared at him for a while, examining him. After a few moments he noticed, and began to feel uncomfortable.

"Do I have Mankeys on my face or something?" he asked.
"What? Oh, no," said Donna. "Sorry for staring. It's just that... you're Caledor, right? My uncle Gene told me about you. He works at the Pokemon Research and Training Department."
"Gene? I don't remember meeting him, but... why does that name sound familiar?" Caledor wondered.
"Wasn't he the one who was attacked by a Team Rocket member a few years ago?" Gabi recalled.
"That was over 5 years ago," said Donna. "But yes, that was him. He was assigned to a new location after that. He won't even tell me where he works, but we talk from time to time and I know he's doing well. He even gave me a cool computer when I graduated from university, but I donated it to the MTU with his permission, to give others a chance to make use of it."
"That's good to hear," said Gabi. "I'm glad to know he's doing well, even though I've never liked all that secretiveness within the Guild. There's nothing I can do about it, though. I'm only middle management in there."
"I know," Donna nodded.
"What did your uncle tell you about me?" asked Caledor.
"Could you repeat that, please?" Donna requested. "I didn't quite get it."
"He wants to know what your uncle told you about him," Gabi translated.
"Oh. Well... you know... just the basic details. That he was created in a Guild's lab and given the ability to learn lots of moves, and then he was given out as a prize for the first Griffon Games. Then he provided a few surprises, but he didn't want to talk much about them. I only got him to reveal that he took longer than expected to evolve, and that his glow had not been a part of the plan but it appears to be harmless. All in all they're very happy with how he turned out."

Caledor was so shocked he couldn't speak.

"I think you broke him," said Tsunami, who had quietly joined us while Donna was speaking.
"Did I say something wrong?" asked Donna. "I thought everyone knew everything I've said."
"We didn't know your uncle had been involved in Caledor's creation," Gabi told her. "We weren't even sure if he'd been created in the lab or had just been tampered with after he was born. We didn't know he wasn't expected to glow either."
"Oh. No, it was genetic engineering, that's all I know," said Donna.
"And the phrase 'it appears to be harmless' doesn't exactly inspire much confidence," I added.
She seemed to understand me better than she did Caledor. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. If they'd found it to be a threat to him or to anyone else they would have done something about it. I'm sure they ran lots of tests to make sure he wasn't radioactive or someting."
"I feel so much more reassured now..." said Caledor, finally able to talk again. "It seems I owe those guys my life, but putting that aside... what's their need to be meddling with things they can't control or even understand?"
"They do it because they want to understand them and control them," said Gabi. "But I see your point. Their actions can and have proven to be dangerous."
"They're not doing those things anymore," Donna assured us. "At least that's what he said; I know he has to hide things, but he wouldn't lie about something like that. He says they're not creating unusual Pokemon anymore. Just doing things that can help Pokemon. He won't say which ones, of course, but I trust him."
"I really hope he's telling the truth," Gabi told her. "And Caledor... this doesn't have to change anything. We know something we didn't know before, but..."
"I know, I know," said Caledor. "We now know I'm so amazing that I've surprised even my own creators! Umm... Why do those things sound so much better when Hero says them? Don't tell him I said that. Now, really, that could be a bummer, but I've gone through this scenario in my head so many times it's practically lost their meaning. So I didn't come into this world in the traditional way... who cares? It's our actions that define us, not our origin. And they didn't expect me to glow? That only means I'm more than just their creation. Only a part of me was designed. They couldn't foresee my glow, nor that I'd wait until I got my Psychic powers before I evolved, and I'm sure they couldn't predict what my personality would be like either. So I will treasure my unpredictability and keep enjoying every moment like I always have. And unless something awfully important happens or someone else needs some words of wisdom from an unlikely source, this is the last time anyone will hear me saying something this deep. So I hope you all enjoyed it while it lasted."
"So no more serious Caledor moments?" Tsunami tried to confirm.
"Serious Caledor is an oxymoron," said the Espeon. "It can only last for a moment while the universe isn't looking."
"I see things are back to normal," Gabi noted.
"What just happened?" asked Donna.
"Caledor says he can deal with the news," Gabi told her. "He had already come to terms with most of it, even though he didn't know the details until now. He's a very special Pokemon, and not because of his moveset or his glow."
"I can see that. He started playing with your Vaporeon as soon as he finished monologuing."
"Yes, that's Caledor for you. Though you wouldn't want to hear the things they say to each other most of the time."
"Why? Do they fight a lot?"
"Only comeback fights," Gabi explained. "It's all in fun. Those two and Hero - the Ninetales - are always trying to come up with the best retorts. It gets annoying after a while, but it seems to be their favorite game."
"Where is your Ninetales now?"
"He's at the Pokemon Center. He had a hard battle at the Lava Room earlier today."
"Oh. Then maybe we should finish this fast so you can go and see him."
"Even if we'd got in and out of the room without a fight, he'd still complain that we took too long," said Tsunami.
"Maybe," Gabi laughed. "Nevertheless, I don't want to make him feel neglected. This is the most beautiful training room I've ever seen, but we do have to leave before it gets too late. We're going back to Sector Alpha tomorrow morning. I have a lot of work to do at the Reward Center. Some new TMs have just arrived."
"Oh! Are those only for Dragon Tamers or can anyone buy them?" asked Donna.
"Any license trainer can buy them, but there's a discount for Dragon Tamers when buying in bulk."
"Oh... I may check them out when I get back home."
"That would be great," said Gabi. "We need to show some activity so that people know we're still on business. Things have been too quiet since Yssera's attacks began."
"Don't remind me," said Donna. "No one was coming to challenge us either. We had to organize events specifically to help trainers who wanted to go and fight Yssera's minions. And in the end we had to go there ourselves. I was afraid we might have to close the building and go back to doing events and challenging people on the streets. Luckily the Training Grounds have helped us return to our former glory. More for the publicity than for the income, since setting up the Grounds cost a fortune. But now we're getting trainers from all over Ulthuan and everyone can see what the MTU is capable of. So I guess I should thank you for deciding to run the Dragon Games again."
"You're welcome. I think we all needed them. Though it's my first time doing the Dragon Games. I've only done the Pegasus, Griffon and Unicorn games before."
"Oh, right, the Unicorn Games."
"What's up with the Unicorn Games?" asked Gabi.
"Nothing... Nevermind. Shall we start the battle? Amazon's ready."
"And so am I," I stepped forward.

I decided not to ask her why the mention of the Unicorn Games brought her bitter memories. I reckoned it might have something to do with her uncle being attacked by Team Rocket around that time period, but I couldn't be sure. In any case, she'd chosen not to talk about it and I didn't want to intrude. I decided to focus on my battle. Gabi suggested using no healing moves so that we could finish before sunset, and Donna agreed with the condition that I didn't use any Flying type moves. I had no objections, and so, the battle began.

Level 75 Dragonite vs. level 85 Meganium

Amazon quickly set up a Reflect wall before I could make a move. However, that did not protect her from my Thunder Wave. That gave me the chance to use my Hidden Power before Amazon could move. Then my opponent try to spit a poisonous fluid at me, but I was able to react fast enough to avoid it. I didn't feel the need to finish quickly, nor did I want to cause Amazon any unnecessary pain, so I used my Dragon type Hidden Power again.

"Why are you... holding back?" Amazon complained.

Her paralysis was making it hard for her to talk, but her frustration was coming through quite clearly.

"This is just a practice battle," I explained. "There's no need to go all out."
"I want to... see... what you can do. I can... hold my ground."

As she spoke, the earth began to tremble and a set of rocks was shot upwards at a high speed. I stopped them from hitting my head or my chest, but their impact against my arms and legs was strong. Still, it wouldn't have felt right to use an attack like Ice Beam or Fire Blast. I tried getting closer and hitting her with a Dragon Claw, but her Reflect wall was still up and the light scratches only contributed to her frustration.

"Don't pity me," she said as she took advantage of my proximity to topple me and land on my stomach. I had to roll over to get her off me.

"It's not what you think," I said, pushing her away from me with an Icy Wind.

I had a faint hope that my use of a Super Effective move would please her, but I was wrong.

"It is... exactly... what I think," she insisted. "Get... over it!"

She released a pleasant fragrance which had the added bonus of curing her of her paralysis. Then she used Ancientpower again, and this time it hurt me more than before. I could tell that she wanted something I was not giving her, but I didn't know what to do about it. Not if Icy Wind was not enough. Then Donna helped make things clearer.

"She wants Lagi to use some unusual move," the trainer explained. "Something we don't get to see everyday. I was looking forward to a nice show myself. Her Hidden Power is pretty, but we've seen so many of those! We'd like to see something new. Something spectacular."
"Is that what you want?" I asked the Meganium.
Amazon nodded. "Give me your best shot. I'm ready for it... Are you?"

So she wanted something spectacular. I could do that. No time like then to test a move I'd never tried before. I focused on the space around the Meganium and on opening a breach in it. I could feel Amazon's astonishment as the air parted ways around her and was replaced by a cold, empty darkness. I tried not to hit her with full force, but the gap eventually reached her and I stopped feeling her. I closed it immediately and took a look at her. She was unconscious, but she had a smile on her face.

I grew to level 77!

Donna was impressed. Even Gabi and my teammates were. And, to be honest, so was I. The sensation of controlling space itself is a powerful feeling. One that can't be easily explained... or contained. I knew I still had to work on the latter. But it had worked quite well for a first attempt.

"The battle's over," said Donna, recalling Amazon. "That was quite a move. But there's still one more move I'd like to see. Please... show me your Tempest."

If I'd had any doubts that Donna knew more about us than she let out, now it was quite obvious. I hadn't used that move in years and I'd never met her before, so she had either read my files or talked to others about me. Perhaps about my whole team. It was a bit unsettling, but her request felt sincere and devoid of hidden intentions. Unless she'd found a way to fake her own emotions, I had no reason to doubt her.

I took to the air and shook my wind, raising the winds around me. Then I danced gently in the wind until thick drops of water began to fall. At that point, my movements became faster and the rain poured down harder carried by strong gusts of wind. I danced to the combined melodies of the storm, and then the rhythm changed and the rain froze and turned to ice. Mere moments later, thunder rolled through the clouds and impacted on the ground, playing the last vibrating note in the symphony of the elements. Then the storm was over, but I continued dancing in the air, for no reason other than to enjoy the release. I hadn't let myself go like that in a very long time.

My mind was brought back to the present when Donna started clapping her hands in excitement. I landed and bowed. It felt like something I ought to do after my performance.

"That was amazing," said Donna.
"It was," I concurred. "It's not very useful in battle: it takes a long time to execute, doesn't do that much damage and most Pokemon are resistant to at least a part of it. But it feels great to be there, directing the storm and dancing to its music."
"I couldn't get every word, but it sounded poetic," said Donna. "Something about the mood not being good in battle but feeling great?"
"That was the gist of it," Gabi nodded. "Now, if I may ask, how did you know about that move? It's been a long time since Lagi last used it."
"I heard about it from my Mismagius, Gina," Donna told her. "She saw her use it at the Dark Cave - back when she was a young Misdreavus - and was so impressed she decided to go to the city and start learning more about trained Pokemon. In the end she found me and, while she didn't trust me much at first, she got to know me better and ended up joining my team."
"There's a Dark Cave Pokemon in your team?" now it was I who was impressed. "Is she with you now? Can I see her?"
"She's supposed to be somewhere in this room," said Donna.
"I'm here!" a voice called out from within the leaves of a nearby tree. "I found myself a good seat to enjoy the view."

The Mismagius descended and showed herself. She was a happy Ghost Pokemon.

"Hi, Lagi, I'm Gina. I don't think you remember me... or that you even saw me before, but it's great to see you again. Everyone at the Dark Cave will always be grateful for what you did for us. I still go there from time to time and talk to Gail and the others. They told me you visited a few times, but I was never there at the right time. Oh, and our Reborn Forest is looking great now! The trees are blooming, and some are already bearing fruit. It really honors its name these days!"
"I'm really glad to hear that," I told her. "I should pay them another visit soon."
"Maybe you can use the chance to take a look at Templa Taure on the same trip," Gabi suggested.
"Why? What's going on at Templa Taure?" asked Donna.
"Hopefully nothing," said Gabi. "But it doesn't hurt to make sure. You seem to know many things. You've heard about the Black Dragon, right?"
"Yes," Donna replied. "I saw the news reports of his attack to Templa Taure, but that was years ago. And the Guild has lost track of him since then, from what I've heard. Not that the Orders of the Dragon and the Griffin would share any relevant information with the MTU. Do you think he could have gone back there?"
"I don't know, I just think it's worth checking. I'm just wondering... it sounds like you've been around for quite some time, right? How come I've never met you before?"
"I spend most of the time working at the MTU building," Donna said. "I only go to events when I need a change of scenery, like now. I'm sure there are many of us whom you haven't met before, just like I've never met most of the people you work with. You know... if you want to know more about me, you can just ask your Kingdra. She's spent long hours playing with our special computer."
"She has?" Gabi looked at Water Angel, who was still playing in the water and pretending nor to hear her. "She never told me anything about that. How did she get there?"
"I don't know, but I see her in our indoor fountain almost every weekday. Your Pidgeot's with her sometimes."
"I guess that's one mystery solved," said Tsunami.
"What do you mean?" asked Gabi.
"I was wondering where they went after we left them at the Guild's fountain every morning. There were many times I went back to the fountain and didn't find them. I'd started to think of staying with them and following them, but they'd have complained if they'd found me out."
"You could have asked if you were so curious," Pidgeot flew over to our side. "Asking's less rude than stalking, you know. There's a tunnel that connects our fountain with theirs. I'm sure that if you're a good boy the MTU will let you play in their fountain and use their computer."
"How long have you two known about that tunnel?" Gabi asked Pidgeot.
"Water Angel discovered it a few months ago," he replied. "The entrance is hard to notice at first glance, but you can find it if you know what to look for. I'm sure there must be many other secret passages among the Guild's buildings. That one's just the only one we have found. We meant to tell you about it, but things kept coming up and... we kinda forgot to mention it."
"I see, today is a day of revelations," Gabi said, not too pleased. "So you've met Donna before?"
"A few times, yes," Pidgeot answered. "We didn't talk much, but she let us stay and use the computer as much as we wanted. It's neat if you like computers. It recognizes some commands in Pokemon speech, and has large keys which can be pressed with almost anything. But it gets boring after a while. For me, at least. Water Angel likes to surf the web as if it were an ocean. She keeps finding things in there. I prefer to wait for her to give me the report, can't just stand in there watching her search and browse."
Gabi could hardly believe what she was hearing. "I really need to focus less on work and start paying more attention to you guys. And here I was thinking I could only expect such surprises from the terrible trio."
"You worry about us too much," said Tsunami. "We're noisy enough that if we ever make such a discovery, you and everyone else will know about it immediately."
"That much is true," Caledor agreed. "We're super noisy. We can beat anyone else's noise if we set ourselves to the task."
"You make it sound like that's a good thing," Gabi shifted her eyes.
"But of course! If you need some noise made, we're the ones to call. Come to think of it, we're one member too quiet. Let's go back to the Pokemon Center and fetch Hero so we can make some proper noise."
"You're not making noise at the Pokemon Center," Gabi warned him. "The Pokemon in there need to rest."
"Don't be silly, that's my job," said Caledor. "We go to the Pokemon Center, fetch Hero, and then the party begins."
"I didn't know he was so... excitable," Donna commented.
"They encourage each other," Gabi told her. "Hero, Tsunami and Caledor. If you're with one of them alone... he will still say some silly things, but he won't be nearly as loud. It's interesting because they all have distinct personalities and skills, but when they get together they're just this big mass of noise."
"Hey!, that's... actually quite accurate," Tsunami admitted.
"OK, we'd better go back to the Pokemon Center," Gabi said. "I guess I'll see you again some other time, or at least they will."
"Wait, before you go, there's something I wanted to ask you," Donna stopped her.
"What is it?"
"I heard you're good with computers. Can you tell where an e-mail mesage came from? Which computer, I mean."
"There are ways to trace them," Gabi replied. She then said something about servers performing checks, and proxies and webmail providers, which I can't recall well enough to report it here. "Why? What do you need that for?"
"Sorry, I'm afraid you lost me there," said Donna. "Is there any way to tell if an e-mail has been sent from inside a computer, without using an e-mail client?"
"You mean using SMTP directly?"
"I mean like the user being literally in the computer."
"I don't think there's a way to check that. But why do you want to? What are you looking for? Do you know anyone who can get inside a computer and send e-mails?"
"I think I know someone who may be doing it," Donna replied. "He probably doesn't mean any harm, but he may end up causing trouble. He's never had anyone to guide him and help him tell right from wrong. I can see why he'd send those e-mails, but they're coming out wrong and I heard the police is already trying to trace them. I tried to reply, but it bounced back saying the address doesn't exist. I'm worried about him... if it is him. He helped me when I was in trouble. He's not bad, he's just stuck with the wrong crew."
"Who?!" asked Gabi.
"His name is Terabyte," said Donna. "He's a Porygon 2 whose trainer worked for Team Rocket. They kidnapped me once, just before the Unicorn Games, but he helped me escape. I've never seen him again, but a few days ago I got this cryptic e-mail asking me for help finding a Dubious Disc."

A day of revelations indeed.

The Blue Avenger

20th April 2011, 07:37 PM

I expect Lord Persian was behind it, yeah. I may do some things for rule of funny, but even then that's stretching suspension of disbelief a bit.

Re: your post:
- Sounds like tracking down a giant dragon may be harder than we thought. :[
- Ha, Caledor can't walk, attack, and yell at the same time. XD Poor guy.
- Sylvan battles pretty intelligently. I did like how she was expecting a revelation of some kind. XD Those do seem to come out of the woodwork.
- Sunshine isn't a bad name for her.
- Interesting introspection with "the disrespectful."
- I will admit, Donna and Diana threw me for a bit. Was the similarity intentional?
- The bit about Caledor's origins just makes me like him even more. Especially this part: "this is the last time anyone will hear me saying something this deep. So I hope you all enjoyed it while it lasted." I was marveling up to that point about how deep he was sounding. XD
- I liked Lagi's battle! Especially how the Meganium really just wanted to see something new. What was that move at the end? Spacial Rend?

So, 2 battles, with a lot of story in between. Let's go with 23 stamps.

lvl100mewtwo

20th April 2011, 11:07 PM

FINALLLLYYYYY, after so long, I finished a battle... it's rushed, it's not the greatest, but I really needed to get this battle out of my hair so I could concentrate on better things... aka, the training grounds finally...

This isn't my greatest work, and I didn't get a chance to really give it a second look at... so bare with me... but here we go...

Where It All Began...

<Macedon>

Alex had decided to get a move on after our little rest and rush through the town to get out as fast as possible. On our way out though, he decided to make a stop into the local shop, selling off a few of his possessions in exchange for some items for the trip.

“Well I guess if you guys are gonna stick around me, we might as well get you guys in shape and train you a little bit better, don’t you think?” he said, looking down on us. “Yeah, I’ll take those TMs, that little collar, some yogurt and a bit of chocolate please”

Rex’s ears perked up at the word. The biggest grin could be seen on his face.

“Alright boys, let’s get out of here, we got a long road to go!”

As we started to walk out, Alex saw some papers on the bulletin board just outside. Alex slowly approached the board and was intensely looking at the big posted right in the middle of it.

“Dragon Games...” he muttered under his breath. Something didn’t seem right with him. Something wasn’t hitting the right cord with him at this point. He took a long look at the poster and then looked down to Rex and me. I think some dust may have gotten in his eye, as it seemed to be watering up.

“What’s his problem?” Rex said, looking at me

“Beats me. I can’t read so whatever that thing is, doesn’t seem like it’s making him too happy at the moment” as I shot another glance at my trainer. He reached into his backpack, took out a photo and then put it back into the bag and finally pulling out his lucky hat. He put the bill of the hat low on his face as he turned to face us.

“We are going North boys. We are gonna get out of town and we are going to be training on our way up to a little competition I remember.” His voice was cracking at this point, something was seriously not right. Rex and I just looked at each other then back up to Alex, nodded and smiled.

Alex took his little machine in his hand, took the strings that dangled off one end, and placed one of the bulbs at the end of the string into his ear. Noise could be heard coming out of the little bulbs, as he looked down at us and started to walk. Rex and I followed suit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After walking for what seemed hours, Alex decided to stop as he saw a clearing just ahead. I looked back to see how far we had come at this point, only to notice that the town could still be seen. And here I thought we had just travelled halfway across the land.

Alex eyed around the area looking for a place to lay down his backpack and remove his sweater. It was getting rather warm as we were nearing peak sun time. He took in a large breath, exhaled loudly and turned to Rex and I.

“Alright guys, I know I haven’t been the best trainer as of late, but I guess we should start to get to know each other. I’ve been out of the game for a while now, so you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t know every one of your moves, especially you Rex. “He darted a look at the dog, giving him a faint smile.

“So while we were at the center, I was able to download an App for my iPod that acts as a Pokedex of sorts. So I know most of your moves at this point Macedon, but we should probably start learning about what Rex here knows and what we can teach him too.”

Alex took some little device out of his pocket and started to play with it. He kneeled down and showed us the machine, as it had a picture of Rex on it.

“It says here that you should at least know Quick Attack, Foresight and Endure. By my guess, you’ve probably already learned Counter too at this point, if that fight with the Sandshrew was any indication. So now my question is, what’s the move your dad gave you?”

Rex looked at me with a confused look, trying to figure out what our trainer was talking about.

“So... do you know Cross Chop?” he said, looking down at Rex, who just gave him a confused look. Rex rose up his arms and made them come down on Alex’s knee, with as much force as possible.

“Okay, that was pretty weak, I’m gonna guess not.”

Rex didn’t appreciate that, as he kicked Alex in the shin and then turned to me.

“I think he’s talking about your fast glowing punch move, only move he hasn’t asked about yet you dumb dumb!” Rex didn’t appreciate my tone as well, as he gave me a kick as well.

“Hey guys! No fighting between you two! It’s gonna be a long road if you’re both like this! Now let’s try to figure out this last move of yours Rex!”

Rex looked up to Alex, pointed to his mouth with a big grin on it.

“So you’re trying to blackmail me now? You want chocolate just so you can show me your last move? You drive a hard bargain there bud...” Rex was shaking his head up and down very enthusiastically as Alex brought out a piece of chocolate and gave it to Riolu.

His hands started to glow with a bright aura, as he planted his feet into the ground and took off like a speeding bullet towards a tree, hitting it multiple times with good force.

“Rex, I already know you know Quick Attack!” Alex screamed. Rex perked his ears up and came back walking towards Alex, his hands still glowing. He gave a light tap on his leg with his fist, and Alex understood immediately that this was not a regular attack.

Our trainer fiddled around with his little machine and spoke out the words “Bullet Punch!” Rex’s ears perked up again.

“He’s talking about your fast glow punch again I think kid! Now we have a name for it”

“Buwett Punch! I like the sound of that! Makes me seem like I’m fast and dangerous. It’s just like my nickname, Mr. Dangerous!”

“Well that’s a half decent amount of moves there bud, but I think we are gonna have to teach you a few new ones, how’s about it Rex?” Alex said, looking at the dog, as he reached into his backpack and brought out his big video machine with some move learners. “These are Technical Machines bud, I’m gonna get you to sit down and we’ll teach you a few moves to help you out in your fights, ok?” Rex just gave a confirming nod, as Alex set up his computer with his first move to learn. He then turned to me as Rex sat down and started to watch intently at the screen with moving pictures.

“Macedon, come with me big guy, we’ll let Rex watch his videos.” He said as he walked towards the clearing.

“Alright bud, so we are going to go for a long trip up north to my old stomping grounds. Hopefully we are gonna be able to get some decent training on our way up there. I’m gonna have a pretty big assignment for you bud when we get there. Do you think you are ready for this?” His tone was pretty serious, even the look in his eyes had me a little spooked. I calmly nodded with a smile and gave a small fist pump into the air, showing I was ready for whatever Alex wanted to put me through.

Alex seemed to be pleased that I would eagerly accept such a request, yet something seemed to be troubling him about this assignment.

“Look, Macedon, I think its time I come clean atleast to someone about what these games mean to me. I know we’ve only been around each other for a few weeks now but I feel I can trust you pretty well at this point to give you at least this much.” Alex took a pause and looked up to the bright blue sky. With a long breath and sigh, he looked back down at me.

“9 years ago, I met my first teammate around these parts of Caledor. Mystique.” Another pause.

“He was my first friend in these parts of the continent. He and I did everything together back then. Trained together, ate together, and slept together. Our first challenge together was the Dragon Games, where he even knew that to succeed, he had to evolve before even entering the competition. He made a sacrifice for me so that we could have a chance to win this competition. And wouldn’t you know it, me and Mystique did it, we took down some of the best trainers the Dragon Games had to offer us, and one by one, they fell to our teamwork and chemistry.”

Talk about unwanted pressure at this point... Can I even compete at that level? Can I even do those kind of sacrifices for my new friend to help him reach his goal once more? I thought to myself

“Mace...” He said in a very soft voice “I don’t want you to feel any pressure about this. I just want you to go in there with me, give it your best and show them what you are made of, what we are made of. You have no idea how much I miss Mystique, especially in times like these, but I can’t let the pass hold me down, which is why I need to do this with you, I need to enter the games and give it another shot. I lost my trainer’s edge so many years ago and I need to get it back and I feel doing this will only help me get back in the game.” Alex once again, glanced up and looked into the blue sky, this time, a single tear crawling down his cheek.

“So Macedon, what do you think, you still want to give it a shot?” He asked me.

I looked up at my new trainer, my partner, my friend. I owed it to him to at least try. Yet doubt was slowly creeping in the back of my mind. I did not want to let him down... but what if I did?

With a thumbs up and a small cry, I again reaffirmed my stance that I would participate in these games, because I knew how much this meant to him.

“Good, that’s what I want to see!” A smile finally came across his serious face. “Let’s go check up on Rex, see how his teachings are going.” He turned around and walked back towards the clearing where we had left the blue pup.

Rex was still attentively looking at the screen as the last little bit of the Technical Machine was finishing up:

“...And be careful not to miss your target, you’ll be coming down with a lot of force. Injury is very much possible. Thus concludes this tutorial on the move Hi-Jump Kick. Silph Co. thanks you for choosing us for your Technical Machine needs. Good bye!” And a small outro music played as the screen went blank.

Rex turned back to us, eagerly wanting to try out the new moves that he had just learned

“Hah, these moves are for amateurs, I could probably take you down with ease from now on.” He said with a cocky smirk.

“Here, how’s about you try this one out for size?” With that, he cocked his hand back, attempting to take in the moisture and the cold air. “ICE PUNCH!”

With a lunge, Rex came at me, hand thrusting forward. I put my hand up, stopping the punch in my fist. Rex looked at me with a perplexed look on his face. His hand started to steam as the ice melted off the fist and a slow burn started to creep up.

“OOOWWWW!” with a yelp, he backed off, as he tended to his now burnt hand.

“GUYS!” Alex bellowed, Rex and I both turned our attention to him. “Alright, enough with this playing around. Macedon, apologize to Rex for burning him.” He said, with a serious tone.

Why should I even apologize to this pup? He’s the one who came to me!

“I’m sorry...” I said, half-heartedly...

“Yeah, that’s right, you better say sorry, it’s your fault I’m burnt!” he retorted... The nerve of that pokemon!

“You know, with your pokemon fighting like that, I’m gonna assume you’re new at this whole training thing aren’t you?” a voice said from the distance.

Alex turned around to see another human walking towards him, alot smaller and somewhat younger by my guess. The kid seemed to be holding a few pokeballs in his hand, seemingly wanting a battle.

“What do you want kid, I’m not exactly in the mood for a battle right now” Alex told the other human.

“And why is that, are you chicken?” The young boy started to make this odd noise, as if he was choking on air or something. He was also flapping his arms around, walking in circles. “With those weak little pokemon, I can see why you would be afraid.”

Alex seemed to be getting irate at this point. “Look kid, any other day, I would have no issue battling you, but not right now, I’m just trying to relax with my pokemon.”

“Yeah, thats what I thought... CHICKEN!!!” and he was back at doing his odd gestures.

“Alright! Enough, kid! Macedon, Rex, you guys up for a little battle?” He looked down at us, as Rex and I both nodded in agreement, itching to get back on the Ponyta and get into a battle. “Alright, I guess my pokemon want to battle then, and how’s about I make this interesting and show you how ‘weak’ my pokemon are? I won’t throw a single command, I’ll leave it to my team to figure out what to do, should give you enough of an edge?”

“Hah, yeah right old timer, but you know what, an easy battle is an easy battle and my pokemon need the practice, so you are on!” He released 2 of his pokeballs out in the clearing ahead of us.

A tall plant like thing and a floating arm popped out. “Lileep! Beldum! Show them what you 2 are made of!”

Alex took one quick look down at us, then a quick stare at me, giving me the nod, the proverbial green light as one would see it, as we walked into the clearing.

“So Alex won’t be saying a word in this?” Rex said, looking at me as we walked.

“That’s my guess? I think he has enough faith in us to do this on our own. Just make sure you listen to what I have to say and we should be fine Rex.”

“I’m not listening to you, you almost got me beat the other night against that fire turtle. What makes you think I’m gonna listen now?” He said with a glare.

Rex planted his feet in the grass, put himself in an offensive stance and prepared for battle. There wasn’t much else I could do at this point. I took my own stance, body heat slowly creeping up.

“Go”

With that, Rex jumped into action before I could say a word, aiming himself straight for the floating arm. He went in at blinding speed, attempting to catch the other team off guard with some quick attacks to start off the match. The first punch landed upon the Beldum, and it barely moved back. He went in for a second shot and again, was met with resistance from his opponent. He raced in one more time, but was stopped by one of the vines of the plant, as it grabbed him and wrapped its vine tightly around the pup’s body, tightening its muscles and constricting with every breath that Rex took.

“Mace... Help... Me...” were the muttered words I could hear coming out of rex.

I took one step back and took in as much air as possible, picking up as much mucus as I could in my insides. I launched a few mucus balls that were enflamed at the giant plant, as a cry of pain could be heard from it. Who knew plants could make noise? Rex was released from the death grip he was in and slowly walked back towards me.

In usual Rex Fashion, he did not pay attention to the battlefield as the Beldum launched himself in the air for a Take Down.

“Rex, behind you!” I screamed, as Rex spun around, planted his feet and waited for connection. The body blow of the opposing pokemon was met by Rex’s hands, as he used his opponent’s kinetic energy and hurled it to the ground. A perfect counter.

Before I could even get in a word to Rex, green goo was projected towards me, coming from the plant. I jumped to the side, narrowly missing me. I turned around to see the goo eating away at the patch of grass that it had hit and giving off a foul smell. I looked up only to see green goo being launched my way again. I reacted once more and jumped out of the way. This time I wasn’t going to get caught once more, as I released a thick black smokescreen.

I turned to my left to see that Rex was engaged with the Beldum. His body started to glow a black aura, his eyes turned a pitch black as he launched himself at his opponent, jaw wide open. As he neared the floating arm, the dark aura dissipated. His jaw locked itself on the pokemon, yet it didn’t seem to have the desired effect. I guess this was one of the attacks Alex was trying to teach Rex with the technical machines while we were having our chat. Rex released his grip on his opponent, and he reared back once more, through the black smoke, making his way back to me.

“Look, this let loose strategy isn’t working right now and you clearly don’t know how to work your new attacks, so we are gonna do this my way!” I said with authority

“You do what you gotta do, I’m gonna do what I gotta do.” Rex said, once again, sending himself in the pitch black smoke at high speeds, this time, going after the plant. At least at this point he was going against the opponent I wanted him to go against.

I turned around to see that the floating arm was coming straight at me at high speeds, glowing in an odd purple aura. With no time to react, I couldn’t get myself out of the way, as the psychic type connected with his full force. I latched on for dear life as we both went for a ride. Holding on, I could dig my hands into its steel skin, giving him a nice burn. He suddenly stopped due to the pain, yet with all that energy going backwards, I was propelled into a nearby tree, hitting it at full force.

I shook it off just in time to see Rex launch himself at the plant with a flurry of bullet punches. Each one that connected seemed to be doing an immense amount of damage towards his opponent, who seemed to be unable to retaliate from the attacks. A grey aura came over the plant, as a loud screech could be heard throughout the clearing. The force of the screech propelled Rex backwards, a good 10 feet.

My ears were still ringing as I looked at the Beldum, seeing him concentrate, his steel coat getting shinier and shinier in the sunlight. Either he was healing himself or preparing for an attack, which meant that I had to react fast and get some good hits in.

With a jolt of speed, I ran in for a Mach Punch, connecting once, twice, three times, with little effect. My opponent looked at me with its eye and launched himself into a takedown. The sheer force propelled us both backwards, as I took the blunt of the damage. Beldum did seem to have taken some damage.

“Rex, we are gonna finish this now, give your guy a good hit, should be enough to finish this!” I barked at my partner. I turned to the steel type, wincing as I stood up from the last blow.

I took in a deep breath and a step back. I launched a full on assault of embers at my opoonent, some missing, a few connecting onto its target. The Beldum was sent propelling backwards, in the direction of the Lileep.

I saw Rex crouch and launch himself into the air, screaming like a mad dog, leg fully extended. The plant was too well grounded to be able to move out of the way of the attack, as the kick connected with it’s full force, un-rooting the plant and sending him crashing into a nearby tree. As soon as the pokemon connected into the tree, the Beldum followed suit, crashing into it and the tree. Both pokemon were visibly knocked out.

“What the hell? Unbelievable, beaten by an amateur and his baby pokemon, how does this even work?” The young human exclaimed, as he returned his pokemon to his pokeball and walked away, head down in shame.

Alex walked up to both of us and kneeled, chocolate bar in hand. Rex’s eyes lit up, seeing the tasty treat.

“Great job you two! Here, have a treat.” He said, breaking off a piece for Rex and I. Rex devoured his piece in 0.2 seconds flat and started to beg for more. “Wo greedy, we gotta keep this for the long walk up north, or else you won’t have any energy once we get there.”

Alex turned to me, with a smile “I think I made the right choice with you, you definitely will make me proud once we get there!”

A sigh of relief came over me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It only took a few days, but finally in the distance, we could see giant gates, towers and loud noises. We had arrived; we were at the Dragons Games.

Alex looked ahead. It seemed like he didn’t know what to think at this point, what to feel. He gave one last glance down to Rex and I and smiled. “Last one there is the loser!” he said, as he started to run towards the training grounds...

--------------------------------------------

Rex (Lvl 9) and Macedon (Lvl 10) battled Lileep and Beldum (Lvl. 9 & 10) and won.

Rex grew to lvl 10 and Macedon grew to lvl 11

Rex will be learning a new TM in his next battle

Lady Vulpix

21st April 2011, 09:50 AM

In response to Jeff: first of all, thanks a lot for rating my post and for the stamps. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Diana was Lagi's best friend back at the time of the Pegasus Games (late 2001, Alex might remember it). She was a Meganium, and she had empathic abilities just like Lagi. Her trainer was Ryan. Later, when Lagi's first child Edie was born, she also joined Ryan's team. But they all left Ulthuan shortly after meeting Yssera. When I realized Lagi was going to face a Meganium, I immediately thought of Diana. But I knew it couldn't be her, so I tried to come up with something different while still giving a wink to that association. That's how Amazon and Donna came to be. Also, Donna has turned out to be quite plot convenient in more ways than one. I hadn't planned all the things she said in advance, she practically wrote herself. In fact, Gina was led to her because of a coincidence too. I'll expand on that some other time.

As for Caledor, I'm really glad you liked his reaction. Caledor's an interesting character to write because he's layered, but most people only get to see the silly and cheerful image he wants to be known for. This isn't the first appearance of deep/serious Caledor. He certainly hopes it's the last, but the truth is that it's as much a part of him as the other part with which he's a lot more comfortable. He's given the question of his origin a lot of thought over the years, and he's gone through a wide range of emotions inluding self doubt and anger which he tried to hide, but bottling up only caused him to explode in front of his largely clueless friends. He regretted that immediately, but he couldn't just erase what had happened. It took some conversations with Lagi and Tsunami, Kiara's support, a visit to the lab and an unexpected revelation from Thunderblast for him to come to terms with the little he knew and everything he didn't know about his past. So, when Donna gave him these new details, she did drop a bomb on him, but it was one he was prepared to deal with. In a way, it brought some kind of closure for him. Of course, now he'll continue acting silly and cheering everyone up because that's what he enjoys the most. :) (And if he'd heard you he might start trying to learn to shout, attack and yell at the same time just so that no one pities him for failing at it, but he'd be glad to hear that you like him.)

Sylvan is always trying to improve herself. It's largely a case of elephant tied to a stake, she doesn't realize she's already pretty strong and capable of dealing with the things that were serious threats to her when she was younger. Her first experiences with war and evil in general have left a mark on her. She wants to do something to change that, but she can't see a way to end it all for good. And she has the (probably erroneous) impression that she'll never be as capable of holding her ground as Amber, whom she admires for being so good at dealing with whatever comes to her and for always being there to help her and protect her. I don't know... maybe one day she'll get to realize that she's already good and that if she didn't learn something from a battle it's not because she missed the lesson but because there was nothing to be learnt from it. But she'll probably need some help to realize that.

I'm glad you liked Lagi's introspection about 'the disrespectful'. It was a delicate issue.

And yes, the move was Spacial Rend.

-------------------------------------------

Comments for Alex:

I'm sorry the Dragon Games had such an effect on you (your character). But I liked the conversation you had with Macedon about them.

I like the idea of a Pokedex iPod App. Not that I coulduse it since I don't have an iPod, but I still have my (t)rusty old PokeGear with me. :)

I understand Rex getting mad at being called weak and dumb, but did he have to (try to) attack you to test whether or not he knew a move?

I didn't know you had some old stomping grounds up north. Unless you meant the Training Grounds, regardless of their location.

The battle was nicely done. :) I also liked the conclusion.

Typos which shall be fixed in the archived version:
"Alex slowly approached the board and was intensely looking at the big posted right in the middle of it." <- I think you meant 'poster'.
"finally pulling out his lucky hat."<-"pulled"
"Rex didn’t appreciate my tone as well, as he gave me a kick as well."<- First "as well"="either"
"atleast"<-"at least"
"I can’t let the pass hold me down"<-"the past"
"alot"<-"a lot"
"opoonent"<-"opponent"

Take 16 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

lvl100mewtwo

21st April 2011, 10:28 AM

Haha, late night and no revision will do that... Training grounds have been planned out so hopefully I'll be able to get around to writting the first 2 rooms sooner then later, maybe this weekend? As for the stomping grounds bit, technically this is my 3rd Dragon Games, haha, so I'm a little used to this area... Or my character atleast...

Yeah, the iPod app was just something to add a little comic relief / real life spin to it... Glad to know you liked it...

Now hopefully I get my revisions done on the next few battles... Also, after the first training room, feel free to use my character once more in your bits Gab

Lady Vulpix

21st April 2011, 10:37 AM

Alright. But I don't like writing other people's characters, I don't trust myself to do it properly. Maybe we can have an IM conversation to roleplay our encounter one of these days.

The Dragon Games used to be held in Caledor, this is the first time the Dragon Tamers as a group have been to Avelorn. But you should be familiar enough with the Training Grounds themselves. They're similar to the Eagle, Griffon, Pegasus and Unicorn Games Training Grounds. I arranged to set these up because (in story as well as in reality) I knew more about them than about the old Dragon Games Training Grounds, so it was easier for me to describe them.

lvl100mewtwo

21st April 2011, 12:37 PM

Haha, we all remember my fiasco at the second Dragon Games, I didn't mean you taking over my personality, but more along the lines that I'm back in the area... Haha, never doing someone else's POV like that again, I promise Gabi

mario72486

21st April 2011, 06:52 PM

Looking to start leveling up. I recently joined this RPG by adopting a Level 6 Chimchar, whom I shall call Inferno. He has Thunderpunch bred into him.

We'll enter the Jungle Room to start off.

DarkestLight

21st April 2011, 09:22 PM

Ok.

This has been edited with Blizzard battle (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showpost.php?p=494911&postcount=610)

Lady Vulpix

22nd April 2011, 05:01 PM

Comments for DL's story:

Poor Cruise. Both for the incident with may and - especially - for the trainer he has.

It was interesting how the group reached the Blizzard Room without knowing it. And Rapp's way of calming himself down was weird but cute (still not as weird as the tree-hugging, though).

Why is it that I had the same reaction as Mossy at the mention of the word 'tea'?

Interesting way to introduce the Sneasel. But what statement was wrong? "I don't think it's some--"?

I liked your descriptions during the battles.

"What was he even talking about." <- Was that a question or a statement? I've also fixed some typos for the archived version.

Rapp covering May with his parka was cute. :) I also liked the way he started giving Zent instructions in order to help her when he didn't even know who she was or what she was doing there.

Did the Snorunt cause Zent a brain freeze? >_< And did she go into the Blizzard Room just to eat some ice?

The ending was nice. :)

Take 19 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

DarkestLight

23rd April 2011, 03:48 PM

Thanks for the rating, and to explain that statement. Rapp was going to say "I don't think it's something to worry about"

I'll also need a RNG battle..for...Zent. I believe its 7 stamps-where's the info about that btw-its not in the FAQ...can't find it.

I'm glad you like the ending, but it was really rushed. I wanna finish up this little arc before we go on and do cooler stuff.

Lady Vulpix

24th April 2011, 08:31 AM

I believe you're looking for the random battle rules on the first post of this thread. You need to choose a section to get your opponent from. Sections determine the possible types of the opponents.

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.

Dual types have a higher chance of turning up, as they can be selected by either of their types. By the way, we use the same randomizer to determine which Pokemon will be put up for adoption.

DarkestLight

24th April 2011, 09:36 AM

Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency.

Lady Vulpix

24th April 2011, 09:55 AM

Zent will battle a Scyther.

DarkestLight

24th April 2011, 12:38 PM

*Cashes in 7 stamps*

Penguin egg!

The strip of wood Zent has pulled up was full of what seemed to be the things a growing Larvitar needed. She stared up at the nice fellow that seemed to be genuinely interested in her, and at the varied types of Pokemon in the room. One was over in the corner, seemingly fishing? It seemed to be made completely of grass.

The other one she saw walking with the bat-eared fellow she followed. The..female pink blob was really agitated, as she kept looking into the reflective surface of the stove. What was wrong with her face?

Zent shrugged, and took another bite of the wood as Rapp turned to the older gentleman. "You must like it in here. But where did..."

"I reckon' she took off for parts unknown. Her Pokemon reappeared in a flash, an' they left in a hurry." Rapp nodded, and turned to the new conundrum. Had he just acquired a new Pokemon? The little green Pokemon seemed docile enough. But what was she doing here, and why was she alone. She couldn't have been left here, could she?

Zent walked right up to him, still chewing on a piece of wood and stared up at him. Rapp knelt down so he could try and pat her head. Her eyes watched his hand, and her gaze changed. No longer was it carefree, but now adamant. Her small teeth started to show as Rapp's hand moved closer, and he stopped in response. The Larvitar stayed still, watching that hand, until Rapp retracted. When it was a safe distance away, Zent lost the focused gaze and assumed the carefree gaze she adopted when eating.

"I guess you're not trusting of me. Wonder if it has anything to do with you being left here? Yer not a snowy Pokemon...right?"

Zent shook her head, and chomped down again, as Maybelline came over. Her face was still marred, but she had come to terms that the scratches would heal in no time. Zent looked over and eyed the female carefully, before turning around.

The weird mass of vines was behind her. She took a wayward step back as Mossy started to move in an irregular manner. His vines shot up and held up the object he had saw awhile ago. Rapp took his focus from May's face to see what was it Mossy found.

"Jeez Mossy, yer a living Itemfinder! Another TM?" Rapp laughed at the new "present" given to him by Mossy, and turned to the old cowboy, whom had rested his feet on the windowsill, and pulled his hat over his eyes.

"Oh...he's prolly asleep. We should probably leave." May and Mossy agreed, and Mossy was quick to make sure he had all of his newly acquired items while heading for the hood of the parka that lied on the floor. Zent however, eyed him again. She wasn't completely sold on this human-he seemed a bit...off. But he did feed her. And this place was warm, and he was nice.

Mossy and May trotted over, carrying the parka over their bodies. Rapp scoffed, and grabbed the article of clothing from their grasps. "Alright. I guess we're heading out. You're welcome to join us...if you want." Rapp extended his hands to make sure the parka wasn't bunched up on his body, before zipping it up. Mossy was lifted and tucked in the hood, and May rubbed her arms to arm up.

Zent's attention snapped from the three folks in front of her, to the door, and her gaze snapped into focused mode. Rapp noted this and turned to the door, only to be greeted by a nasty blast of wind! The snow was blowing hard, and he crossed his arms to brace himself against him. The older gentlemen stayed put, unphased by the cold. Rapp pushed toward the door, but his motion was stopped by a pair of hands that grabbed him! Peering up from his crossed arms, he made out a slightly familiar face.

"Well now, where do you think you're going?" Rapp took a step back, but the hands that grabbed him pulled him close, and then slammed Rapp into the cabin door, shutting it. Rapp struggled against the grip being affixed on his arms. His problems increased however, as May was on the ground, holding her head.

"May! May! What's wrong?" May could barely stand, and Rapp noticed Zent was looking left and right, from the door to the window.

"Why are you worried about your punk Pokemon, chump? My Bruiser just took care of her, and now I'm going to take care of you! No one humiliates my Pokemon! Bruiser, lets take Penguin and get out of here!"

[Zent lv6 vs Scyther lv7]

"Penguin?" Rapp shouted as he broke free of the larger man's grasp, and quickly slid behind the table to give himself space to think. As the door was free, it opened and in strode a large green mantis. Its weaponry was impressive, blades right on its arms! Wings stopped flapping, and the bug used that left blade very carefully to shave the snow off of its head.

"I used Bruiser to scope the place out and take out Fatty over there. You only have that green piece of trash left, and that guy's no match for Bruiser here. Then I saw you found Penguin!"

"Penguin?" Rapp repeated. He wasn't understanding any of this at all, until Zent walked to his feet, and stared at him. Rapp looked down, and then to the muscleman. "You mean, you think I stole your...uhh.." It dawned on Rapp that he didn't know the species he had made acquaintances with. "No..NO! I found her! She was wandering this place, freezing. How do you just FORGET a Pokemon?"

"Shut up kid." He pointed to Zent and then nodded to Bruiser. "Grab her, and then we'll get out of here." Bruiser walked towards them, hopping on the table and sneering. Zent took another step back, her gaze still focused on the Scyther. The bug stepped down and leaned in, one blade pointed right in front of her. Zent stayed focused as the other appendage wrapped around her.

"Yah, I didn't think the egg survived, so I chucked it while we ran through this snow. Then I was told what was to hatch from it, and well, I decided I wanted it back. S'why I call it Penguin. Punks like you can't handle Pokemon like that."

Rapp however, had just about enough. This "Bruiser" had managed to lift Zent up, and it was obvious she was very riled up, not to mention heavy? Scyther looked visibly vexed that this little Pokemon was so heavy. So why not try to get her trust this way? "Hey, Bite it."

"Wha? It's a baby, it can't fight, stupid kid." the man said. Bruiser however, was in full disagreement as Zent dropped her wood in favor of the green mantis' forelimb. Her little teeth sunk in and caused Bruiser to jump backwards. The weight of Zent forced Bruiser's left arm to drop right to the ground with a thud. The sudden shock woke the cowboy, who set his chair on the ground properly and raised his hat to see what was happening.

"Wha? That thing's already that fiesty? Fine. Bruiser, give it a Quick Attack!" Bruiser snapped his arm out of her mouth and began to fly, to Rapp's dismay. This place was far to small to conduct a battle, and the cowboy was visibly irate this happened during his nap. Taking a chance, Rapp dove over the table and used his body to ocver May, as Bruiser streaked down and snaked around the table Zent was struck and hit right in the pile that was May, Mossy and Rapp. Due to the large parka and May's own girth, Zent wasn't hurt too bad, But she was pissed. She pushed off of Rapp's chest and stood in front of them, arms open.

Rapp coughed, feeling the impact of her weight on his chest. That Pokemon WAS heavy for its height! But that was neither here or there. He had to help her. May crawled to the side, recovering finally from that strike from earlier. "Mossy, take care of May, and as for you little one...do that strange dance thing you did before."

The cowboy watched as Bruiser ordered the Scyther to Focus before putting her out of her misery. The bug hovered in place, and seemed to attain that same focus the little Pokemon could at any given time. But this also gave the little one time to dance under the table. In fact, she did the dance twice, and somehow got enough momentum going to quickly knock the table over, at Bruiser! Bruiser sliced the table tin two and screeched at her, before speeding in for another quick Attack. But her body seemed more than able to take hits from those blades.

"Oh...she's part Rock? I get it now" Rapp murmured, as he watched Zent take a first blade strike, and grab it so she could try and bite through the steel. Although rock, those hits were still hurting her, but her Bites were really pissing Bruiser off. The mantis backed away after a trade off of Quick Attacks and Bites and waited for his trainer to give another order. The larger man was furious, his head sweating with anxiousness.

"You gotta be kidding me. That worthless egg hatched into that, and you got it! Bruiser, knock it out!"

"Hey be careful! Its gonna speed at you again, Do you know any other moves?" The little Pokemon shook her head, never losing her focus on Bruiser, who flew up and back to the far corner of the cabin. He held both blades out and began to rotate like a spear, before shooting forth at her. But the little Pokemon was pretty fast when she needed to, and she jumped as the Scyther drilled along the ground, impaling its blades in the back wall. Bruiser planted its feet, and tried to pull his arms out, but Zent wasn't having it. She ran over his back-and bit the back of his head!

The big guy had enough of this, and ran over to Bruiser. However the cowboy stood up and stood between him and the two fighting Pokemon. "I reckon' you let this battle finish, since you started it."

"But they're both MY Pokemon!" He shouted, putting his hand on the cowboy's shoulder. The man calmly looked to his shoulder, and then to the fellow. Bruiser cried out as he freed one scythe; only to be bit again on his head by Zent-who was intensely vicious with her strikes. He tried to hack her away, but she kept ducking or jumping over his strikes. As the ornery man looked to see how Bruiser was faring, his hand was grabbed and twisted clockwise, forcing him to kneel as the older fellow now had the upper hand.

"The way I see it, you threw out an egg because you are a crass trainer. This boy found the hatched Pokemon, fed it and helped it. Methink's you didn't lose a Pokemon, you just didn't want it. And now..." He turned to look at Rapp, who was staring as Zent stood atop of the Scyther's head.

"...now you just lost. That probably grates on your nerves the most, this kid beating you." The cowboy released his grip on the man, and pointed to the door. "Young feller', I reckon' you and your crew should git a move on. I think the gal' here needs some help."

Rapp nodded, and looked to Zent. "How about it? Do you want to join up with us?" The small Rocky Pokemon hopped off of the Scyther's head, and waddled over to Rapp again. Rapp tried to extend both hands, and Zent immediately glared at them.

"I'm not going to throw you. Rather, I'm going to attempt to pick you up." Zent watched as the hands got closer, closer..and then they were on her sides. She raised her hands a bit as Rapp knelt down in order to lift her. "Gawd...yer heavy...but I can manage."

Zent however, didn't like it, and sank her teeth in Rapp's hands. Rapp almost dropped her, but instead flexed his arms to hold her tighter. Zent saw teh visible pain Rapp was willing to go through in order to lift her..and released her toothhold on him. Rapp stared at her with a mix of scorn and confusion, but that gaze faded for a smile. "Guess you just have your ways of building trust." he stated, as he brung her in close. "May, can you walk?"

The wet slap of a tongue on his face was affirmation enough, and Mossy already took his spot in the hood. "Then we're out of here." A glare went to the muscular fellow, who glared at him the whole time.

"...Don't worry. I'm sure I'll raise her to be swell." he remarked as he headed for the door. As Rapp headed out, he heard the man shout one final threat.

"I'm going to find you, and we're going to see about that, punk! This isn't over!"

Rapp didn't care. He was the lucky one today. He acquired a new Pokemon, a Rock one at that. What a series of events today held! As he marched toward the exit, he could only smile at what else was in store for him here! This journey was turning out to be much more intense than he could imagine.

[Zent is Lv7!]

The Blue Avenger

24th April 2011, 03:47 PM

I'd like a double RBG for Kurtzwick and 99 from the UAC, please.

DL:
- So Zent's an Adamant Larvitar. Awesome.
- Bruiser's trainer really wants to make me punch him in the face.
- Glad to see Zent's weight being taken into account. Those things are surprisingly hefty.
- Looks like Rapp has a rival.

Stamps: An intro and a battle... let's call this 10.

Lady Vulpix

24th April 2011, 04:21 PM

Yes, nice work, DL. And now I'm really wondering how an ecounter between Kurtzwick and Mossy would play out.

Speaking of Kurtzwick, he and 99 will battle a Munna and a Klink. Wow, two more new Pokemon.

Edit: behold the power of procrastination! http://s3.postimage.org/2qnoy9ac/image.gifhttp://s1.postimage.org/fnqwgn9g/Kurtzwick.png OK, it wasn't as powerful as I expected.

DarkestLight

24th April 2011, 08:17 PM

Thanks. Yeah we'll be seeing more of that Trainer.

As for Kurtzwick, Mossy needs a few more months of practice, lol.

The Blue Avenger

24th April 2011, 08:52 PM

Actually, not really. :o Kurtzwick is level 7. XD

Lady Vulpix

24th April 2011, 08:58 PM

I think he means thieving practice.

The Blue Avenger

24th April 2011, 09:16 PM

Oh, well, true enough. XD Kurtzwick is kind of all over that.

Edit: Also, I didn't see those sprites earlier. :o Kickin'. Thanks, Gabi. :D

Lady Vulpix

25th April 2011, 12:49 PM

You're welcome. :)

DL: just wondering, but if Zent is so young, what was the base of her judgement that Rapp seemed a bit off? Was she comparing him to anyone she'd met before, or was she just wary because no one else had tried to approach her like that before? At first I had thought she'd felt he was different from other humans, but then I realized she couldn't have met many humans in her lifetime.

This is where I discuss other people's stories because I don't have enough time to keep writing my own for now. Ahem... But also because I'm interested, of course.

DarkestLight

25th April 2011, 03:43 PM

...Good query. Gives me a reason to flesh out what could be considered inconsistencies. Zent was thrown away right before she hatched, so she spied the doofus trainers(who still has no name..) walking away with some Pokemon (most likely Bruiser), and so she wasn't sure if they were to be followed.

It was hard for me to input that she's been in the Blizzard Room for over a few days, just eating all the dirt she could, and seeing Trainers and their Pokemon all back and forth. Rapp and his well...awkward? way with his Pokemon would have been odd for her to see, especially since he showed attention to her where others possibly didn't-as you noted.

Thanks for the question though. Also helps me round out that corner of Zent's personality.

The Blue Avenger

25th April 2011, 10:31 PM

Okay, here's my RBG for 99 and Kurtzwick. This is kinda short, and as fair warning it got rather silly towards the end there. I make no apologies.

Multifaceted
---
Jeff read the letter with no small degree of disbelief. “Dear Lord Porygon,” it read, “one of our products has recently entered beta testing. Because of your recent promotion, we wished to congratulate you by giving you a free copy. Enclosed, please find one copy of the software and one user’s manual. We’ve even already pre-loaded it with information that you’ve registered on your Pokemon, along with a variety of options that our testers thought you might find interesting. The full explanation is in the manual. Please feel free to use it or not at your leisure, but if you enjoy it, we would value your feedback. Yours most sincerely, Ansel Gray (Silph Co., Tor Achare Branch).”

He shook his head. “A month ago, I bet they wouldn’t have even known me,” Jeff muttered, placing the letter down on his lab’s desk. “And now they’re sending me freebies. They probably just want a good review.” His eyes drew across the CD that was sitting unobtrusively next to the letter. It bore only three words: ‘Porygon Line Customization.’ He flipped through the manual, then tossed it back down to the desk in disgust. “As if I didn’t already know enough about the dangers of installing funky stuff on a Pokemon. Last time someone tried that, it screwed up 99’s speech module for weeks.” Jeff grimaced, and without paying the CD a second thought, he shut off the lights and left the room.

Mere moments later, a nearly-transparent figure slithered through the darkened lab. It carried a burlap sack behind it, and if someone had been able to answer exactly how the figure was carrying the bag, they may have been able to take one step closer to solving many of the mysteries of the universe. Without even so much as a whisper, the CD was lifted into the bag, and the thief absconded.

The next morning came and went as normal. The house had become significantly quieter since a full half of Jeff’s team had made the trek to Chrace. An average morning up until that point might have consisted of Mona eagerly greeting the day, loudly, in the backyard, or Bobbery cooking up something that smelled delicious but looked like something scraped off the bottom of your shoe. But now, the routine had settled into Jeff waking up on his own, making a modest breakfast, while Maza or Groviglio read the paper (the other Pokemon being perpetual late sleepers).

Jeff ate his breakfast, and once he had left for the lab and Maza and Groviglio both had made their way to the barracks, one of the aforementioned night owls came out of hiding.

“Oh, Ninety-Niiiiiiine,” Kurtzwick said in that peculiar sing-song way that not only gets your attention but also makes you want to punch the speaker in the mouth. He was sitting in the computer room, CD at the ready, user’s manual conspicuously absent.

99 entered the room. “Query: what do you require?” he asked in his normal monotone, his slightly-squinted eyes providing the only evidence of his mild frustration.

“I’ve got a surprise for you!” A moment passed, and when Kurtzwick realized no response was forthcoming, he continued. “I found this CD. I think it’ll help you out!”

99 glanced at the disc and read the label. “’Porygon Line Customization.’” He looked up at Kurtzwick. “You are of course aware of how suspicious this disc appears.”

“No, look, man!” Kurtzwick jabbed at a spot on the label with his tail. “It’s got Silph’s logo on it and everything!”

“That proves nothing.”

Kurtzwick sighed. “Okay, fine. I took this from Jeff’s office. He got it direct from Silph. Does that put your mind at ease?”

A quiet whirring followed as 99 considered that. “I suppose it does,” he conceded. “Query: what does it do?”

“That’s what I’m aiming to find out!” Kurtzwick loaded the CD into Jeff’s computer. It hummed to life, and before long, a message popped up. “First run: please have the Porygon interface with the computer,” Kurtzwick read. He looked to 99. “You heard the machine.”

99 nodded and shut his eyes. His whirring began to match the computer’s humming, and another message popped up on-screen. This one read “Link established! Please select an option.” There was a dropdown menu underneath it, the current selection being “Default.”

“Here, check this out, 99,” Kurtzwick said. He opened the menu as 99 swiveled his head (a slightly unnerving sight when the party in question has no neck) to see the screen. “It’s just a list of names.”

Indeed, the menu did seem to be just a selection of names and descriptions, ranging from “Vaudeville Antagonist” and “Bubbly Princess” to “Piers Lagrange” and “Miro Milic,” not that the names meant anything to either of the two looking at the screen.

“Man, this is boring,” Kurtzwick said. “When it said ‘customization,’ I thought it’d give you spikes or flame patterns or something like that. Maaaan…” He exited the program and thumped down off of the desk. “Come on, let’s go find that user manual in Jeff’s lab. Maybe it does something else.”

“Perhaps that was the proper course of action to begin with,” 99 said as they left.

Not too long after that, the pair found themselves at the Dragon’s Guild headquarters. Jeff found them not long after they arrived. “Hey!” he said. “Glad to see you two. So you got my message?”

Kurtzwick and 99 shared a glance. “Message?” Kurtzwick said.

Jeff deflated slightly. “Oh. I guess not. Well, anyway, since you’re here, can you do me a favor? A pair of Pokemon have turned up recently that we don’t know a whole lot about. I want you guys to face them in a match and see what they can do.”

Kurtzwick eyed Jeff. “What’s in it for us?”

“Well,” Jeff said, crossing his arms, “I might be willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that a certain disc disappeared out of my office yesterday, Kurtzwick.”

“Uh… huh.” Kurtzwick considered this for a moment. “Understood. So where are these mystery monsters?”

“Down the hall, last left. They ought to be ready for a battle.”

“Then let’s go, 99!” Kurtzwick tore off down the hallway. 99 followed him at an altogether more leisurely pace.

Back at the house, Anzu sat in the computer chair, her front paws resting on the computer table. “What’s this CD in the drive?” she said quietly to nobody in particular. Her tone changed, though, when the program came up. “Oh! Look at all these names!” she said, then added with a grin, “and all of our names are down at the bottom! Fun! I wonder what this is for…”

“So you two are the dudes Jeff wants us to fight?” Kurtzwick said. He glanced across the room. It was bare, except for some unobtrusive cameras built into recesses in the ceiling. Two Pokemon floated on the other side. One was pink and floral-patterned, oddly enough, while the other looked like nothing more than a pair of interlocking gears.

The pink one was the one that responded. “That’d be us,” he said calmly. “I’m Deobor. The two to my left are Twenty-four.”

Kurtzwick squinted. Well. The gears did indeed have two separate faces. Huh.

“I am 99,” 99 said, “and this is Kurtzwick…”

…Anzu selected her name from the list. “Let’s see what happens!...”

99 continued after a brief pause. “So now that we all know each other,” he said, with the best approximation of a smile that a Porygon-Z could muster, “let’s go ahead and get things rolling!”

Kurtzwick raised an eyebrow, but as their opponents charged into battle, he didn’t have much of a chance to comment on it.

STRIFE! Kurtzwick and 99 versus Deobor and 24!
Kurtzwick: “Hack, slay, and haul it all away!”
99: “Let’s heat things up!”
Deobor: “You’re not dreaming!”
24: “Clicka clacka clunk!”

“Let’s start with a full-frontal attack, Kurtzy!” 99 said. With a mischievous look in his eye, he smirked at the Dratini, then charged forward and slammed into Deobor with no hesitation. Deobor reeled back, but didn’t seem shaken.

Kurtzwick arched his brow. “If you say so, 99.” He closed his eyes and began sparking. Without warning, a bolt of lightning shot sideways through 24, then back again, setting the gears spinning in a circle. When 24 finally faced forward, both sets of eyes focused on Kurtzwick, and both of them looked angry. The gears separated and flew towards Kurtzwick, jamming together on opposite sides of him. With a crunching noise that Kurtzwick wasn’t at all sure he liked, the two gears spun, sending him through the rollers. He fell back to the ground and shook his tail, trying to work the kinks out.

Deobor moved last, and all he did was curl into a tight ball. As he did so, his skin seemed to get tougher and more resilient.

”Hmm…” Anzu said. She scrolled through the list. “Ooh, let’s try Trezzatura!”

99 blinked. All of a sudden, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach-analogue told him that being in this battle didn’t seem like a good idea. But if his foe was playing defensively, maybe that was what he should do too. He thought back to the most recent TM Jeff had gotten him – Hidden Power – and how Jeff had said that Hidden Power was only limited by imagination.

“Don’t space out…” “…in the middle of battle!” 24 said, each of his faces speaking independently. The gears began spinning, and he flew at 99.

99’s eyes widened. He frantically went with the first thing he could think of. The Hidden Power appeared around him, the steel energy coalescing into two solid shapes. Right before 24 could ram him, 99 deflected the blow with a metal shield hovering in front of him. As 24 stumbled back, stunned from the impact, 99 struck with the other shape: a piercing lance, also metal. 24 took the strike, and the shield and weapon disappeared.

Both of 24’s faces scowled. “So you’re actually…” “…reasonably competent.”

“Damn straight he is!” Kurtzwick said, smirking despite his confusion. “But I’m no slouch either!” He reared up on his tail, and bits of ice formed in the air around him. A breeze began to pick up, and the ice blew forward, collecting on the bodies of his two foes. Though they both managed to shake it off easily, Kurtzwick could tell that their movements had been slowed.

“Words are cheap,” Deobor said simply. He floated back a touch, and a transparent barrier rose in front of him. It disappeared soon after, but its presence was still apparent by the way it caught a twinkle of light here and there.

”Ooh! Groviglio should be fun, whatever this does!”

“Words may be cheap,” 99 snarled, “but your trainer is cheaper! What is this? You don’t have any good moves to fall back on! What’s the matter? Your trainer couldn’t afford any good TMs? Come on, Mr. I-Am-Not-A-Crook, let’s cripple these guys.”

Kurtzwick nodded, more than a little bewildered, and together, they sent off tendrils of electricity that surrounded their foes. The bolts constricted Deobor and 24, then sunk into them with a crackling noise.

Deobor frowned, moving slowly through the paralysis. “No good moves, is that right?” He glanced at 24. “Let’s give them a Round.” Deobor closed his eyes and opened his mouth, singing a tuneless, wordless melody. 24 quickly joined in, the song picking up alternately from one mouth and the other. The song got louder and louder until it seemed like it was shaking the room itself, and without anything to cover their ears, all Kurtzwick and 99 could do was wince and bear it.

“You just had to goad them, didn’t you, 99?” Kurtzwick muttered. “So unlike you! What is your deal?”

“Ah, stuff it,” 99 said. “Let’s keep on with it! Even you should understand that we can’t let up on the offensive now!”

Kurtzwick rolled his eyes. “Offensive is certainly the word of the day,” he said under his breath.

”What next, what next… oooh, Mona’s in here!”

“What was that, Kurtzwick?” 99 asked. “I couldn’t quite hear you, only it’s so loud in here. Oh, it was loud in here, I guess, and it still only seems loud in here because of that stupid singing attack, and I can’t really hear so good any more. It left a ringing in my ears, and the ringing almost sounds like it’s following the same tune that their song did. I guess it wasn’t really a bad song, though, but it was loud and it did hurt my ears. And I couldn’t follow it very well, so I can’t hum it later if I don’t want to.”

There wasn’t a specific word for the expression that Kurtzwick made at 99, but rest assured it was sufficiently boondoggled.

”Eh, maybe not Mona. What else…? Hm, I wonder what this ‘vaudeville antagonist’ one is.”

“Nya ha ha!” 99 laughed. “It’s curtains for you lot!” His eyes sparkled, and through the magic of Hidden Power, a set of train tracks appeared in the room. “Kurtzwick, my loyal minion! Secure these hooligans!”

Kurtzwick fumed. “Minion? Minion? I don’t know what is going on with you, but – ” He was interrupted when 24 dashed at him. Out of reflex, Kurtzwick lashed out with a bolt of electricity. It struck 24, and only a moment later, 24 found himself bound to the ethereal tracks with a rope of lightning. Before Deobor could react, he met a similar fate.

“Excellent, Kurtzwick, excellent!” 99 turned his head to the ceiling and laughed. “And now, my fine foes, allow me to introduce you to both the Sector Alpha 11:24 from Sybyll and your defeat!”

Against all odds, a dramatic musical chord played at that exact instant. Kurtzwick glanced around, but failed to pinpoint its origin. Not that it mattered, he figured, as the sounds of a steam engine chugging closer and closer filled the room. The ghostly train burst forward from one wall, ran straight down the track and in the process neatly hitting both Pokemon, then disappeared as it ran through the other wall. As the train vanished, so too did the tracks, and Deobor and 24 slowly rose back into the air.

“This is getting…” “…patently absurd,” 24 said. “Let’s end this…” “…with some semblance of speed.”

“Understood, Twenty-four,” Deobor said. Both of them began to charge themselves with energy – 24 glowing yellow, and Deobor glowing purple. At the same time, they both erupted: 24 blasted a giant sparking orb of electricity at 99, and Deobor released a wave of psychic energy that slammed Kurtzwick into the wall.

The Zap Cannon hit 99 squarely, and with a cry of “Curses!” he fell to the ground, his skin crackling.

”…I wonder if selecting Raini’s would do anything neat. Might as well try…”

Despite the paralysis, 99 slowly rose up into the air again. He narrowed his eyes, and both of his foes unintentionally recoiled: he looked more focused than he had in the entire match up until that point. Another use of Hidden Power caused a set of claws to appear to his left and to his right, floating silently in the air. Without a word, he darted to Deobor’s side and tore into him. Strike after strike after strike occurred before Kurtzwick could quite comprehend what had just happened; judging by how 24 was staring, he hadn’t quite taken it in either. Kurtzwick took the momentary distraction to his advantage and sent out one last bolt of electricity. It hit 24 straight on, and the gears fell to the ground, separated.

After what seemed like an eternity, 99 backed off. Deobor collapsed, and 99 let his claws disappear.

”Man, I wish I knew what all this did. Off it goes. I wonder where Kiva is…?”

Victory! 99 and Kurtzwick win! 99 grows to level 7! 99 learns Psybeam! Kurtzwick grows to level 8!

99 shook his head slightly. “That was a very odd match,” he said. An idea occurred to him. “Query: Kurtzwick, did you exit the customization program when we left?”

Kurtzwick looked upwards, thinking. “You know, I don’t think I did. Is that what all this was about?” When he looked back down, Kurtzwick was somewhat surprised to notice that 99 had left fast enough to leave the door swinging.

It didn’t swing for long before Jeff entered and steadied it. “Where’d 99 go?”

Kurtzwick shrugged as best as a serpent could. “Dunno. I’m not his keeper.”

“Hm. Well.” Jeff looked around the room. “Any luck getting any info from these guys?” he asked as he recalled both fallen Pokemon to the Pokeballs the lab had for them. He started for the door, gesturing for Kurtzwick to follow.

“The pink one is defensive,” Kurtzwick said, “and the one made of gears has two mouths but one mind, it seems like.” There was a moment of silence as they made their way towards the headquarter’s Pokemon Center. “Oh, and don’t let them sing at you.”

Jeff raised his eyebrows at that one but didn’t ask.

Back at the house, some time later, Anzu was mildly perplexed to find that the CD she had intended to ask 99 about, given his understandable level of computer expertise, had been broken in half and was sitting on the computer desk, underneath a note that read, in typewritten letters, “this beta is unfit for release ever.”

classy_cat18

26th April 2011, 01:55 AM

*snickers* That made my day! I give props to that programmer! Too bad 99 didn't enjoy it! Groviglio would've gotten a kick out of it! Or gotten annoyed at 99's impression of him.

2-on-2 battle, intro and ending...17 stamps sound good?

The Blue Avenger

26th April 2011, 07:46 AM

Sounds very good indeed. :D Thanks.

Yes, I suspect Groviglio's reaction would have edged more towards annoyance. XD

Lady Vulpix

26th April 2011, 11:47 AM

I can easily picture the tone of voice Kurtzwick used to get 99's attention. But... was "I'm not his keeper" a biblical reference? In any case, poor 99.

Oh, and I like 24. I'm not even sure why. :) I wonder if many Pokemon have numbers as their names. One of mine used to, according to Scott, but I never asked him what the number was, there was too much to digest in that same post.

The Blue Avenger

26th April 2011, 12:06 PM

As far as numbered Pokemon go in my posts, there's 99, 24, and then the Skarmory and the Solrock who fought Raini, 32 and 59. Maybe I'll just start naming everyone with numbers. XD

Kurtzwick's line there wasn't a biblical reference, sorry. XD; It just sounded good at the time.

And I kinda like 24 too. It seems to me right now that he's in a constant state of vague frustration, just based on his dialogue. XD

Wolfsong

26th April 2011, 08:55 PM

color=skyblue] Asing for an extensin just in case between an uncooperative keyborard, storms, and writer's block,.../color]

DarkestLight

26th April 2011, 10:25 PM

That was an enjoyable story. I wish for another CD copy to appear someday, lol. vaudeville antagonist, LMAO.

Lady Vulpix

27th April 2011, 10:29 AM

Amy, you can have the extension. I wish I could help with your keyboard issues. Can't do anything about the storms either, but if you want to get over your writer's block, maybe a chat session could help.

The Blue Avenger

7th May 2011, 09:39 PM

Hello hello,

I'd like an RBG for Kurtzwick from the Electric Retirement Shutdown Center, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

classy_cat18

7th May 2011, 11:08 PM

Oooh, Kurtzwick gets to battle a Blitzle!

The Blue Avenger

15th May 2011, 04:16 PM

Another short one. And while I'm here, I'd like another RBG for Kurtzwick from the Jungle Recovery Agency. *hands over 7 stamps*

Test No. 1
---
Kurtzwick opened his eyes. The sight of a desolate, abandoned warehouse greeted him.

This startled him slightly less than it might have startled a different Pokémon. Kurtzwick didn’t have any real hang-ups about empty warehouses; some of his best work had been done in places where nobody was watching him.

The first thing Kurtzwick did, as was the first thing he always did when in an unfamiliar spot, was that he checked himself. No bruises. Nothing hurts. And my Collar’s still here. So there’s that.

He looked around. A light, hanging far above him from the ceiling, flickered and buzzed quietly. The room he was in was obviously unused – dust had settled on the sundry boxes and crates littered across the floor. The walls, tin, had rusted. A catwalk spanned the width of the room some feet above him – much too high to reach, Kurtzwick realized. There was a door at one end of the catwalk, though. Kurtzwick frowned. How the heck are you supposed to get up there, then…?

Putting the thought to the side for the moment, Kurtzwick made his way to the crates. A cursory glance through them revealed that they were in fact completely empty, provided you discounted the dust that had accumulated inside.

Kurtzwick grunted. Now that the room had been appropriately scoped out, he could devote his thought process to figuring out where he was and how he got there.

No answers presented themselves. Even though Kurtzwick, as he was no stranger to admitting, had cleaned out several warehouses in his fruitful career, this one wasn’t one he had ever seen before. That said, from the empty boxes, it did appear to him that someone had been there prior. Even if it was ages ago, he thought. From the dust, nobody’s visited in forever.

That just left why he was there. Let’s see. I don’t know this place, and I don’t remember getting here, so someone brought me here. Why would someone bring me to an abandoned warehouse…? Kurtzwick thought that one over for a moment, keeping his eyes open and his head slowly swiveling, just in case someone took the opportunity to sneak up on him. I’ve been covering my tracks pretty well, and nobody’s been coming after me recently, so this can’t be about me. So what does that mean?

In accordance with the laws of narrativity, the light hanging from the ceiling started burning at full brightness as soon as Kurtzwick arrived at his answer.

They’re using me to get at someone else. And as far as people I know who would have people after them, that leaves only Jeff and Raini. Kurtzwick frowned. And between the two, Raini wouldn’t care that I’d gone missing. This must be about Jeff.

His thought process was interrupted, though, when the room flooded with light – far more than what the one meager light bulb could provide. Kurtzwick squinted and looked up. A spotlight that he hadn’t noticed before – recessed into the ceiling – had turned on.

Ooookay. That’s rarely a good sign.

“You’re awake.” A voice spoke out of some hidden loudspeaker. It was male, leaning very slightly towards high-pitched, and it wasn’t emitting any emotion. It was neither good nor bad that Kurtzwick was awake. That was just a thing that had happened.

Kurtzwick knit his brow, glancing from side to side. “Er…” Come on, Kurtzwick, don’t show weakness! He cleared his throat. “Who the heck are you?”

“Please proceed through the door.” The voice never faltered.

Kurtzwick looked around. Though the spotlight was focused on him, it seemed to be slightly angled so that it illuminated the door on the catwalk. “That door? The one hopelessly out of reach, is that right?”

A faint rustling was just barely audible, and a rope ladder unfurled from catwalk. It descended and stopped right at his height.

“Oh. A ladder. For the discerning armless Pokémon. Real nice,” Kurtzwick hissed underneath his breath. Regardless, though, he lifted himself onto the first rung, then looped back and climbed to the second, then to the third. After a length of time just long enough that it couldn’t reasonably be called “soon,” Kurtzwick coiled himself up on the catwalk. Using more dexterity than one might expect from a Dratini, he managed to pull open the door and slither inside before it slammed shut behind him.

The door led, much to Kurtzwick’s chagrin, another room, and it opened onto a catwalk that served only as a dead end. This room was stacked higher with boxes, and an ancient stairway stood in a corner. It ostensibly led to another catwalk at some point in the past, but it had since rusted through – some unlucky sap, Kurtzwick reasoned, had managed to break right through the stairway just before reaching the catwalk. He dropped to the ground and absentmindedly lashed at one tower of boxes with his tail; they fell over without any rattling, only confirming for him that they were still empty.

“Proceed with the test,” the disembodied voice said.

“Test?” Kurtzwick asked, raising an eyebrow. Before he could ask further, though, a clanking from an air vent set high in one corner drew his attention. The grate popped out, and a Pokéball fell from the vent. It bounced a few times, then came to a rest on the ground before opening. A brilliant light filled the room, and once Kurtzwick cleared the flashing lights from his eyes, he noticed that a Pokémon that looked very much like a zebra was standing in front of him.

Test! Kurtzwick versus Blitzle!
Kurtzwick: “Hack, slay, and haul it all away!”
Blitzle: “Hello?”

“Um.” Kurtzwick wasn’t quite sure what to say. The zebra wasn’t making any antagonistic movements. It was just standing there. Thankfully, Kurtzwick realized, it didn’t seem to have seen him yet; his cover behind the fallen pile of boxes seemed to be working in his favor. But. he thought, I can’t get anywhere by just staying here. He tentatively poked his tail out from behind the boxes.

The zebra’s face lit up. “There you are!” it said. Before Kurtzwick could realize what had happened, the zebra had charged up a bolt of electricity and blasted it at him. He barely managed to pull his tail back in before it got singed.

Okay, so, it attacks on sight, Kurtzwick thought. So if I’m going to get past it, I need to sneak past it. Standard operating procedure.

Silently, Kurtzwick exhaled a white smoke that hung in the air between two stacks of boxes. He slipped through the Haze and took cover behind the second pile. Thankfully, the zebra hadn’t seen him. He glanced to the catwalk. As in the last room, there was another door at the end of it. So I just need to make it up there, then I’m home free.

Three more Hazes were all it took for Kurtzwick to make it to the staircase, behind the Blitzle. It was either mind-numbingly dumb or simply not very observant, Kurtzwick decided, since, even though the Hazes were still in the act of dispersing, the zebra didn’t seem to notice that anything was out of the ordinary. It hadn’t even turned from its original spot.

Kurtzwick slithered onto the stairs. This proved to be an incredibly bad move. The rusty metal creaked under him, despite his considerable lack of heft, and the zebra immediately swiveled its head. “I see you!” it called, and it lashed out with another Charge Beam. This one struck Kurtzwick, with nowhere to go, square in the neck, and he fell down the stairs.

This didn’t seem to bother the zebra at all, who continued its volley, zapping Kurtzwick repeatedly until he scrambled his way behind another box. Okay, so that wasn’t a good idea, he thought, panting. A faint glow enveloped him as the singed spots all over his skin began to disappear. I guess I have to take this guy out.

The zebra barely noticed as a cold wind began to pick up in the room. It circled around the perimeter of the room first, clearing away the Haze, then spiraled in on the center. The zebra shivered, then flinched; aside from being cold, the Icy Wind carried with it bits of ice and sleet, and they scraped across its skin. It glanced around for the source of the attack, but didn’t see one; as a result, it held its ground.

The next thing that confused it was the cloud of white smoke that poured forward from between the boxes. Those boxes, the zebra seemed to realize, were the same ones the intruder had disappeared behind earlier. It fired a bolt of electricity into the smoke, but its confusion got worse when the bolt disappeared with a quiet “tink.”

Kurtzwick huddled behind the Protect until the Shock Wave fizzled out. The Haze was still there when he opened his eyes, and he breathed a sigh of relief: it was integral to him plan. He dropped his shield and slithered through the cloud. After taking a second to psyche himself up, Kurtzwick burst forward from the cloud, wreathed in orange flames. The zebra began charging up an attack after flinching, but Kurtzwick barreled into it too quickly. The flames exploded outwards as he rammed the zebra.

Charred and weak, the zebra fell backwards, its eyes shut. Kurtzwick composed himself, sniffed, then slithered up the stairs, easily bridging the narrow gap.

Test complete! Kurtzwick grows to level 9!

He slid to the door, but was interrupted by the voice again. “Very good,” the voice said, though you wouldn’t know it from the tone of the voice itself – it was as passive as always. “You have completed the first test.”

Kurtzwick’s eyes widened. “The first--?”

“Please proceed to the next room.”

Kurtzwick threw open the door. The room that greeted him was incredibly similar to the last - it was stacked high with boxes, with a catwalk leading to a door on the other side of the room.

Had anyone been present, they would have been privy to the precise sound of a Dratini screaming in frustration through grit teeth.

The Blue Avenger

22nd May 2011, 01:40 PM

Another short one. And while I'm here, I'd like another RBG for Kurtzwick from the Jungle Recovery Agency. *hands over 7 stamps*

Don't want this to get forgotten. And since it's been a week since that one, I'd like to get another one for him, same location, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

22nd May 2011, 02:12 PM

I'm sorry, Jeff. I wanted to rate your battle, but I've been way too busy these days. I asked Shonta if she could do it, but she was busy too. I'll see what I can do. As for your RBGs, Kurtzwick will battle a Scyther and a Budew. O_o

The Blue Avenger

22nd May 2011, 02:13 PM

Understood. No hurry on the rating; I just wanted my RBGs. XD Thanks!

classy_cat18

22nd May 2011, 02:31 PM

*stumbles in, tripping over her own feet* Sorry to keep you waiting! Um...I don't really have a lot of comments right now, so for the moment I'll just reward ya'll with eleven stamps.

The Blue Avenger

22nd May 2011, 09:12 PM

No problem. :o Believe me when I say I get being busy. Thanks for the stamps!

Here's the next two RBGs.

Tests Nos. 2 and 3
---
“Please begin the test. I am required to remind all testing subjects that, in the event of power failure at the testing site, testing subjects are encouraged to proceed to the end of the testing room and wait for power to be restored. If the end of the testing room is unreachable due to power failure, then testing subjects are encouraged to wait patiently and attempt to not hurt themselves.”

Kurtzwick frowned as he lashed a tower of boxes over. The voice had certainly gotten wordier in this room than in the last. Thankfully, at least, there didn’t seem to be any opponents in this room. He carefully stacked the fallen boxes into a pile underneath the catwalk and slithered up them; when he reached the door, the voice spoke up again.

“Very good. You have completed the second test. In addition to the previous reminder, I would like to add that test subjects are discouraged from causing a power outage.”

Test subjects, huh? Kurtzwick thought as he entered the door. It, like the last one, led to a narrow catwalk above another room. He dropped down off of it. It doesn’t sound like he’s addressing me specifically anymore. Are there some other unlucky saps trapped here too? He thought for a second longer. Or is he just trying to psyche me out here?

Kurtzwick looked around the room. This one was set up differently from the last. For one, there were no cardboard boxes anywhere to be seen. Instead, there were two metal pillars in the middle of the room, both of different heights. Together, they looked like a staircase leading to the catwalk on the opposite side of the room – albeit a staircase with unnecessarily-tall stairs. Kurtzwick glanced up. There were vents above each of the pillars, and right on cue, a faint clanking began sounding from them. The vents opened and two Pokéballs fell out, each one landing on a pillar. As they released their inhabitants, the familiar bright light filled the room – when Kurtzwick could see again, there was a Scyther on the taller pillar, staring unflinchingly in the direction of the smaller pillar, which held a Budew, who was in turn staring in the same direction towards the wall.

Test! Kurtzwick versus Budew and Scyther!
Kurtzwick: “Hack, slay, and haul it all away!”
Budew: “Hi!”
Scyther: “Friend.”

“The test you are about to attempt involves our signature Move Pads,” the voice said. “Each pad replicates the effect of a single Pokémon move. There are two pads in this room, and they both replicate the same move. 89% of test subjects did not need to be told which move it was. The remaining 11% were, incidentally, the same 11% of test subjects who were classified as having ‘no’ or ‘extremely no’ rates of heart and/or brain activity.”

The monologue only barely registered in Kurtzwick’s mind. He slowly made his way across the room. At the base of the first pillar, there was a section of metal set into the floor – the only thing that differentiated it from the rest of the floor was that its particular shade of gray was just a hint lighter. He glanced around. There was nothing else in the room – this one was significantly cleaner than the last one. And there was no way to get back up to the catwalk he had dropped down from, so no hope of grabbing a box from the last room and using it to test the Move Pad.

I wonder what the goal here is, Kurtzwick thought. If whoever brought me here wants me to solve these puzzles, then this Move Pad would be helpful… but if they’re in it to hurt me, then this would be a great setup for a trap.

He mulled this over for a second, noticing idly that neither the Budew nor the Scyther were budging an inch. They just stared at the wall… and were also staring in the direction of the Move Pad. Wonderful. Kurtzwick slithered around the pillars. Neither of the sentry Pokémon moved, and it seemed that his initial observation was correct: there was nothing else in the room at all. The only furnishings were the two pillars, the two catwalks, the two doors, the two Pokémon, and Kurtzwick and the Move Pad. He looked at the Pad for a little, feeling vaguely like the odd one out in the room.

“The move is Bounce. Congratulations, test subject, on being in a group of 11%.”

Kurtzwick glowered in the general direction of where he assumed the loudspeaker was, then moved onto the pad. As he had pieced together from the loudspeaker’s comments, the pad sprung him into the air, just high enough to look eye-to-eye with the Budew.

The Budew smiled, genuine happiness radiating across its face, and, as Kurtzwick hung in the air at the vertex of his parabola, began spitting razor-sharp seeds at him. The Bullet Seed was enough to send him slightly backwards, so when he fell back down, he landed just behind the Move Pad. Kurtzwick chose not to move for the moment, instead deciding to Recover away the bright red welts that the seeds had left on his skin.

Okay… so getting up there’s going to be difficult… Kurtzwick thought as he lifted his head. Even if I get a Protect up, the Bullet Seed might still force me back. Hm. Then an idea occurred to him.

Kurtzwick backed up, his eyes narrowing, then charged at the pad while surrounding himself with a bright orange inferno. The Outrage got him moving faster than he would have on his own, and when he bounded on the pad, it sent him up with significantly more force than the last time. By the time the Budew could start firing, he was already above it. Kurtzwick landed on the pillar behind the Budew and took a moment to rest, his head spinning from the powerful attack.

When he once again had his wits about him, Kurtzwick took inventory of his situation. The Budew had its back to him, and was very obviously not noticing him. There was another Move Pad on this pillar, and it led up to the higher pillar, the one with the Scyther on it. The Scyther had swiveled his head slightly – to Kurtzwick’s frustration, instead of looking straight ahead, it seemed to be staring at the Move Pad itself. He tested his theory by inching towards the pad; the Scyther, without hesitation, hurled a series of pale-blue Hidden Power orbs in his direction. Kurtzwick darted back before they hit, making sure not to hit the Budew.

“Please be warned that the Pokémon in each test are optimized to more thoroughly test the test subject,” the loudspeaker said. “We urge test subjects to be careful, as being caught off-guard may result in unconsciousness, and ultimately, failure of the test. We would like to additionally note that 89% of test subjects were able to make it past this test with ease.”

Okay. That same trick won’t work twice. What else is at my disposal here…? Kurtzwick looked around the platform again, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. The only things on the platform were the Budew and the Move Pad… That’s it.

Kurtzwick positioned himself at the edge of the platform, out of the Budew’s line of sight. A quick Icy Wind was all it took to nudge the Budew away from the ledge, and before it could spot him, he darted in and swiveled it 90 degrees away from him. Another Icy Wind pushed it closer to the Move Pad, and Kurtzwick turned it another 90 degrees; he followed it with one last Icy Wind. The Budew launched into the air as the Scyther began firing; when it reached the apex of its arc, it noticed the Scyther and began firing in earnest too. Most of the Hidden Power orbs got through unobstructed and impacted with the Budew – they, combined with the numerous Icy Winds, were more than enough to send the Budew into the realm of unconsciousness. However, the Bullet Seed, though not inflicting much damage, managed to nudge the Scyther away from the ledge.

Perfect. Kurtzwick approached the pad again, ducking away from the Budew as it fell. The pad was now out of the Scyther’s line of vision, and so it did not begin firing. Kurtzwick propelled himself into the air, and before the Scyther could begin shooting, he launched himself forward with another Outrage. He barreled into the Scyther, knocking it down. It propped itself up using a scythe and jumped to its feet, but another Outrage was forthcoming. This time, Kurtzwick rammed the Scyther hard enough to send its eyes spinning. Kurtzwick skidded to a halt at the edge of the platform, but the Scyther wasn’t quite as lucky – it flew just a bit further and tumbled down the pillar.

Kurtzwick stared over the edge of the platform, making sure neither Pokémon made any attempt to follow him.

Test complete! Kurtzwick grows to level 11! Kurtzwick learns Draco Meteor as his level 10 move!

“Very good.” Kurtzwick flinched at the sound of the loudpseaker. He had almost forgotten that there was someone watching him. “You have completed the third test. We would hereby like to set you, test subject, at ease by reassuring you that the Pokémon you face will not hold a grudge against you when they wake up from the blinding pain you put them through.”

“Yes, yes, wonderful,” Kurtzwick grumbled. “Can I go now?”

“Please proceed to the next room.”

Kurtzwick looked up towards the ceiling. “How many of these freaking rooms are there?”

“Please proceed to the next room.”

“No hints? No cryptic clues as to why I’m here? No insulting comments about my parents? Nothing?”

“Please proceed to the next room.”

Kurtzwick shut his eyes. “Fine, you psycho.” He slithered to the door and made his way through.

Lady Vulpix

23rd May 2011, 08:50 AM

OK, I've sent a big e-mail message with questions for my supervisor, so I can do this freely today...

Comments ahead.

I wonder how they determine who has 'no' or 'extremely no' rates of heart and/or brain activity. Kurtzwick's brain was quite active at the time he was told what the move was. Was his heart having problems? ;)

It looked like the Budew really loved to battle. Then again, neither the Budew nor the Scyther seemed like real Pokemon at all, and the adjective that was applied to them was creepy. Were they 'optimized' through training or by other means? Or were they fake Pokemon after all? So many possibilities...

Congrats to Kurtzwick on learning such a powerful move!

And there's so much irony in the phrase "We would hereby like to set you, test subject, at ease by reassuring you that the Pokémon you face will not hold a grudge against you when they wake up from the blinding pain you put them through"... :rolleyes:

Take 12 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

classy_cat18

23rd May 2011, 01:29 PM

It reminds me of Portal.

...Which suddenly makes this creepy.

The Blue Avenger

23rd May 2011, 04:30 PM

Re: Gabi:
The bit about heart and brain activity was mostly just for a punchline. :P
And concerning the rest, rest assured that once Kurtzwick uncovers what's actually going on, things will make more sense.

Re: Shonta:
There maaaaaay have been a tiny bit of influence, I admit. XD

DarkestLight

24th May 2011, 07:24 PM

Im loving this far too much XD.

Lady Vulpix

25th May 2011, 07:33 PM

I have a story! Go, 25 de mayo! And the most important part of this story takes place in the future! The near future... That is, tomorrow. Which means that even though it took me months to finish this, I finished one day ahead of time. :D

Now I'd like an RBG for Amber, please (which of course means it won't be an RBG in-story). Source: Free Range Corral. *Pays 7 stamps, keeping 1471.*

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

Of delays and... other delays

<Gabi's POV>

March was such a busy month that I barely had the time to remember my birthday. To make things worse, two days before the event I got a phone call from my dad, who doesn't make international phone calls unless there's a really serious reason. I started shaking as soon as I heard his voice. And soon I found that I'd been right to worry: my grandmother - my dad's mother - had died that morning. He'd already told me in his e-mails that she was very sick, so it didn't come completely as a suprise, but the news was still hard to digest. I could tell my dad was broken, and I was so far away... I didn't know what to say... what to do. Luckily for me, he didn't expect me to say anything. He did most of the talking. When I asked if there was anything I could do, he told me to stay at home and keep up the good work. He'd never been good at dealing with emotions. I was lucky to have Lagi with me at that time. She gave me a big hug and I stayed in her arms for a while, then I went to my room and thought about my grandma. She had lived 90 years, it was her time to go, but I still wished I'd been able to spend more time with her. Ever since I'd moved to Ulthuan I'd only been able to visit her every two or three years. Tsunami missed her too: he had been a young Eevee when he first met her, and she had played with him and recited poems in Spanish. She wasn't sure how much he could understand, but he'd never stopped looking at her as she spoke. And it was in her house that he had evolved.

I still celebrated my birthday, but it was just a small dinner at home with my team, with home-made almond muffins and ice-cream cake (half my team would never forgive me if I let a birthday go without making ice-cream cake). I also gave them some new TMs, and I got cards, calls and e-mails from friends and relatives. The rest of the month was mostly dedicated to work, although I called my dad every now and then to see how he was doing and show him I cared. Kristy had helped at the Reward Center while I was in Avelorn, but when I came back there was a heap of new TMs and items that needed to be stored or put on display. Moreover, after Jeff made an ingenious advertisement, the place was crowded with trainers who wanted to buy the new stuff. Even Donna came by, which was a good thing because I'd got tired of searching in vain for information on her and I finally got to ask her what her last name was. It was Tyler. It was still hard to find out anything about her, since there were countless Donna Tylers on the Internet, but I did find her on the MTU's directory and learned that her code name was Lady Noctowl (which might explain why a Dark Cave Pokemon became interested in her in the first place; after all, she was used to having a Noctowl as her leader). Tsunami reminded me that asking was better than stalking, which was funny because I recalled that same phrase being said to him before. But at least that way I could have an idea of who she was (I'm not normally that paranoid, but she had shown that she knew a lot about me when I knew nothing of her; I needed to do something to change that). I couldn't find anything about her kidnapping, though, but why would she make up something so serious? Besides, Lagi said her emotions had matched her words when she told me about it.

It was during the second week of March that Lagi paid a visit to her friends at the Dark Cave and went to explore Templa Taure. If I'm making a mess of the timeline it's because the whole month felt like chaos to me. Anyway, the good news was that everyone was doing well. The bad news was that we weren't any closer to learning where the Black Dragon was and what he was up to than we were when we started. There was no news about the missing Pokemon either, nor about the origin of the Snag Machines. We did, however, have a key to solving the Dubious Disc mystery. When Hero went to see Tracker, he told her to search for a Porygon 2 inside a computer. Tracker hated to admit that she had no idea how to do that, but she wasn't going to give up: she brought Jenny to my house one Sunday and we brainstormed about what could be done. I thought it could be possible to trace the e-mails as far back as the data allowed, and then search the computer where the backtrace stopped. I didn't know how to gain physical access to that computer, let alone search it for a hidden Pokemon, but Jenny said she could get a search warrant if there was proof that the suspicious e-mails were generating there, and Tracker suggested that a Psychic Pokemon should be able to detect if anyone was hidden inside the computer.

So I left the matter to the experts and started focusing on the Dragon Games again. I had to organize an advertising campaign, which had never been my forte. I designed a poster with the image of a Dratini and a few details about the tournament, and also told people about the Games whenever I could. I got some participants to sign in, but not nearly as many as Scott used to gather. I could almost see him emerging from the shadows of the past to remind me that there was only one true Dragon Master. "Curse you, Scott McHenry," I thought. "I've never liked the way you did things, but they're never as easy for me as they were for you. You could summon crowds and get everyone to do your bidding, either because they were infected by your charisma or because they needed you... we needed you. Or at least we thought we did." I still didn't know how the Dragon's Guild was being run these days. I didn't even know whether Scott was dead or alive, but all signs pointed to the former. It had been years since he had gone MIA. And his shoes were still hard to fill. I couldn't blame him completely, though. I'd always been a responsibility sponge. I had accepted both jobs - no, I'd accepted one and demanded the other - and had made it my mission to ensure that the Dragon Tamers continued functioning after he was gone. And how I had enjoyed celebrating our 10th anniversary! No, I couldn't blame Scott for all the things I had to do. I'd had it all coming from the start.

With a more positive outlook on my own situation, I decided to make some contacts in Sapphery. I didn't really know much about that province. I'd been to the Tower of Hoeth a few times and stopped by Wood's Edge on the way, but I hadn't been to any other place; not even the Capital, Brightland. So I did what any sensible person would have done: I searched the web. I learned that there were two main railway lines which reached Brightland: one that went along the East border of Sapphery - with an express train travelling right along the border and a regular service which took some detours to reach other towns -, and one that communicated Brightland with Tor Yvresse. I had taken the regular train to Wood's Edge before, but I thought the express train would come in handy for the first round of the tournament. I also read a few things about the Tower of Flame which marked it as a particularly suspicious point to check, so I decided it would be best to place the moving stadium just west of Brightland. Then I had to figure out who to call to make sure we'd be allowed to put it there, but as it turns out the authorities of Brightland were on good terms with Yvresse and were excited at the prospect of having their floating stadium close to home, as well as the influx of tourists the event would bring them. I was only warned to avoid causing property damage, and to minimize the disturbance to the Brightlanders' daily lives. It went better than I'd expected. If only everything could work like that.

Then I had to make some more calls to make sure the stadium would be there when we needed it, and keep tending to the Pokemon at the Adoption Center, and supervising the sales of TMs and items. And as if that were not enough, I got a message from Lady Ninetales asking about the topic of my next report. I had to ask for a time extension, with the excuse that some new Pokemon were coming in soon and I wanted to learn more about them in case any of them was worth studying.

We soon got a Tepig and a Deerling. I was particularly interested in the latter, since I'd read that his kind had seasonal color changes (and he was also incredibly cute); but there was only so much research I could do by observing a single Pokemon. I decided to learn about his habits and determine if anything else changed with the passing of the months. It would be a slow project, but it would give me time to tend to other things, particularly the Dragon Games.

And back to that subject (this messy head of mine...), I achieved 30 registrations, including all my fellow DT workers. It was an all-time low, considering we'd never had fewer than 42 contestants before. I wondered how many people had given up on training or even left Ulthuan because of all the attacks we'd had to endure. I remembered the times when I'd considered leaving myself, but - job security aside - I had always had one or more friends who kept me anchored to these lands. Even though some of them had left themselves. And still, some of them had managed to surprise me by returning when I least expected them. That was exactly what happened when I checked the list of contestants and I saw a very familiar name. I didn't recognize the Pokemon's name, but many years had passed, he could have acquired some new Pokemon in the meantime. It could also be someone else with the same name, but what were the odds? Just in case, I decided not to tell Amber about it until I was sure: there was no way to tell how she would react. I hid the list and focused on the number: 30. I'd have to do some math, but I was sure I could manage to arrange matchups for all the trainers and adjust the number of trainers in each round so that we could still have the 4 traditional rounds and 3 finalists. It took me a couple of nights of making calculations in bed before going to sleep, but I managed to come up with an arrangement that seemed reasonable. This tournament might not answer the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything, but it would be held and there would be some battles to remember in the upcoming years. And if we could somehow find the Black Dragon in the process, then we'd be making history.

And so time went by with little to report which, in other words, means I spent most of the time working on exactly that. The Deerling wasn't helping much. He seemed to get excited when the weather was warm, and enjoy the sight and smell of the flowers, but that was all I could observe and it was far from conclusive: many other Pokemon liked flowers and warm weather. Of course, I couldn't blame him for not being especially cooperative. He had traveled a long distance and was trying to get used to his new surroundings, while also wondering when a trainer would come for him. I must admit there were times when I was tempted to take him home, but there were so many other Pokemon who had waited much longer... and I couldn't train them all. It was hard enough to give the 10 members of my team the attention they needed, and sometimes I missed things like Water Angel spending hours at a time at the MTU building. I felt guilty for having neglected her so much... I could still remember when she was a Horsea and I used to carry her in my arms. Now it seemed like it had happened in another life; just like all the previous tournaments except for the Unicorn Games which, for some reason, felt like they had taken place recently even though almost 6 years had passed. Minds work in strange ways.

It was Lady Ninetales who suggested that I take a break and make a short trip to Sapphery. She said that would give the Deerling some time to settle down and react to the progress of the spring in any way that he may. It would also give me the chance to clear my mind, which would make it easier to get back to my work upon my return. And it would also allow me to oversee the preparations for the first round of the Dragon Games and get to know the surroundings. I wondered if she had any idea of why I had chosen that location. If she had known, she might have wanted me to go there in order to accelerate my search for the Black Dragon, which had already been delayed for too long. But I hadn't talked to her about it, so was there any chance that she knew? Could she have had a similar idea? I wouldn't put it past her to satisfy her own desire for answers by sending me on a recon mission, but she hadn't made that explicit. It was only her suggestion of exploring the area around the stadium that was the least bit suspicious. I could only speculate about what her intentions were, but if she hadn't given me direct instructions, I wouldn't have to report to her. I still might, though, at least orally, if I found something important. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on, but then I told myself: "it's the Dragon's Guild. Something is always going on. That's the way it works."

So I made the required arrangements and, on the 25th of May, an important holiday in my country of origin, my team and I began our journey. We made a quick stop in Selenia, since it was along the way, to see how the Selenian Reward Center was doing and drop a few attack enhancers in exchange for the TMs they had recently sent us (I liked old-style trading much better than buying and selling stuff for stamps, too bad I didn't get many chances to practice it). I thought about Tor Syle for a moment: I wanted to go there someday to try to improve our relationship with its people. But it would have to be another day: it was out of the way and I didn't have time to spare. Then, I flew on Pidgeot's back to Lothern, where we took the express train to Brightland. Lothern itself was not a place which appealed to my personal tastes - it was even more crowded than the city where I grew up -, but I had to admit the bridge they had built across the Eataine canal was quite impressive. It was huge, with enough room for the railway, cars, bikers and pedestrians to cross it without bothering each other - there were special paths marked for each; and strong enough to support the constant weight of those who went to and from the large provincial Capital everyday. The train ride was uneventful. It took a few hours, but it was much faster than the regular train and, of course, much faster than flying on Pidgeot and a lot less tiring for him (he liked transporting others, though; Lagi could also do it, but Pidgeot was the one who always wanted to do the job, and I had to admit that he was the most comfortable choice).

I won't go into the details of how we got to our hotel room because there was nothing particularly interesting about it other than the receptionist misspelling my name, which is a rather common occurrence. It was late and we were tired, so we went straight to the room and, after eating some of the rations I'd packed, distributed the mattresses, blankets and pillows, and went to sleep. The bed was a bit too hard for my comfort, but the room had a view to a beautiful flower garden, so while I had trouble falling asleep, I could at least enjoy the sight. The pillow on my bed was thick, so I made do without it; Caledor enjoyed it more than I would have. Hero used the pillow from the other bed, while Tsunami took a pillow from a chair. Lagi used the other bed, and the blankets we weren't using made beds for Sylvan and Pidgeot. Amber and Iael were used to sleeping on the floor - although if a large pillow had been found Iael might have used it - and Ventura perched on a chair. I filled the bathtub for Water Angel; it wasn't ideal, but it was the best I could do with what I had. One of my thoughts before I could fall asleep was directed to the Deerling: I was now grateful for not having adopted him. He might not have found a comfortable sleeping spot inside the small hotel room.

--------------------------------------←Rest your eyes on this dotted line.

The following day we got up early and, after a quick breakfast, went out to explore the city. It seemed to be about or almost as big as Sector Alpha, at least in terms of surface, but it had a calmer feeling to it. There was, just like in Sector Alpha, a mixture of ancient and modern architecture, but there seemed to have been an attempt to keep the general style more or less uniform. The constructions were mostly white; the older ones were made of white stones which sparkled under the morning sun. I wondered if that had anything to do with the name of the city. There weren't that many tall buildings either. There were many houses with large windows displaying arrays of small plants, and the sidewalks had flowers as well as trees. In sum, it was a nice view, at least for my standards. Then, after walking for a while, I hit a big avenue and realized it was as noisy and full of shops as other avenues all over the world. I should have expected it. I was glad the hotel where I was staying was located on a much quieter street.

I asked around to find out where the Stadium was being set up, and followed the directions. I took a tramway to the West side of the street and, as I got on, I decided I liked the city: any city which has tramways has bonus points in my book. After I got off, I walked a few streets towards the edge of the city and was able to see the massive floating structure. It was the second time I'd laid eyes on it, and I found it as impressive as the first time. How could they possibly make that thing stay afloat? I also noticed another important landmark: according to my map, it was the Tower of Flame. It was a few kilometers away from the Floating Stadium, but I decided it was worth checking out. After all, any tower which could be seen from that distance was bound to have something to show; and besides, I'd already decided to check it. There were two major ancient towers in Sapphery. If the Tower of Flame had anything in common with the Tower of Hoeth, I couldn't allow myself to miss it while being so close. I had a strong feeling about that place. A strong feeling of what, exactly, I couldn't tell, but I had to check it out.

I still went to see the stadium first. It was almost ready, and a buffet had already opened for early visitors even though no one knew for sure when the tournament would begin. Apparently many of the participants had rather new Pokemon and had requested more time to train them before they had to test themselves in a real competition. That, too, was a first for me, but I had to move with the times if I wanted the Games to be held at all. At least the stadium itself was already attracting visitors, and the arena was open in the afternoons for trainers who wanted to have friendly matches against each other, much like our Battle Tower in Sector Alpha.

Every Pokemon stadium has a large pool for Water Pokemon somewhere, so I looked for it and let Water Angel stretch her fins there. Lagi, Tsunami and Pidgeot also took the chance to play in the water. The rest of us just looked around for a while. Then we all had lunch at the buffet, and finally set off for the Tower of Flame.

There was something strange about that tower. While the Tower of Hoeth wasn't visible until you were almost at its gate, the Tower of Flame was visible from very far away; much further than its size would suggest. When I reached it, I realized it wasn't as big as it had seemed from the distance. But I knew my perception of its size could still be deceitful; space could be distorted at a place like that, making it impossible to determine its real dimensions. The front door was made of wood, carved with images of Dragons and other engravings which I couldn't identify but which transmitted the sensation of power. The outside walls were made of large red stones, once more unlike the Tower of Hoeth, which had bright white walls. While this tower didn't seem to be so tall, every part of it looked heavy and sturdy. The door was partially open. I tried to look in through the open, but couldn't see much: only another red wall and the first few steps of a set of stairs. I tried to push the door open, but it was too heavy. Then Amber decided to give it a try. Her Strength made the difference. She let out a short chuckle, and I was almost sure I knew what she was thinking. Her physical strength - which was as great as it was hard to control - had given her a lot of trouble in the past, but this was one of the times when it came in handy.

A young man was standing on the other side of the door. "Or what appears to be a young man," I thought. You could never know in those places. I hadn't been able to see him through the opening, so he must have been standing behind the door since before we arrived.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Are you here to visit the Tower?"

I was startled for a moment. I hadn't expected to find a tour guide. Then I replied with a nod.

"Good," he said. "I was wondering when we'd start getting visitors, what with the Dragon Games coming up and all. But up to now it looked like everyone just wanted to see the Floating Stadium. I suppose it is more attractive than an old tower, at least at first sight. But this tower has a long and torrid history, which is something the stadium lacks, having been built around 10 years ago."
"The stadium was built 10 years ago?" I couldn't help asking. "Does that mean the people who built it are still alive?"
"Probably, but they're not the ones who came up with the floating technology, if that's what you're wondering. Making heavy stuff stay afloat was child's play for the elves who built this tower. They were experts in magic and alchemy, which most people underestimate these days, and they were also skilled at building powerful artifacts. It's a shame that most of their achievements and discoveries have been lost to history, as this tower suffered from numerous invasions. It had some of the best defenses in Ulthuan, but its design had a fatal flaw. I can tell you what it was after we finish the tour, but first I'd like to know your name."
"My name?" the question caught me off guard. "Gabi. Or Gabriela. Or Lady Vulpix from the Dragon Tamers... and the Dragon's Guild... whichever you prefer to call me."

The guide had stretched out his hand to greet me, but something I said made him take it back. Now it was him who appeared to be startled.

"The Dragon Tamers... and the Dragon's Guild! So you have come after all! But why now?"
"Were you expecting us?" I asked him.
"Yes... Well, not completely... I was told to expect you... It's complicated. But that was about 4 years ago, then everything changed and I began to think you'd never come. Why come now that everything's quiet and peaceful?"
"I'm sorry," I said, "but I don't understand. What happened 4 years ago? Who told you to expect us?"
"I would rather not talk about that..." he looked away.
"You were the one who brought it up. Now please explain yourself if you want to know why I'm here."
"It's not something I'm proud of, but... OK... I think you deserve to know. After all, you were the ones who defeated Yssera, right?"
"You know about Yssera?" I asked. It was a stupid question, but I couldn't stop myself.
"Yes," he looked down, avoiding my gaze. "I used to be a Pokemon trainer. I was born in Brightland, but I thought I could only become really strong if I could travel all over Ulthuan and find the best Pokemon of every region. I was stupid, I know that now, but I did learn more than a few things from my journey. I didn't cross over to Yvresse because I'd heard it was just for tourists. I went clockwise across the south of Sapphery, then Eataine, Caledor and finally Ellyrion."
"Where you visited White Mountain," I guessed.

His silence was a confirmation.

"It's OK," I told him. "I think I can guess what happened, but you shouldn't stay mad at yourself. Many good trainers fell victims to Yssera, but it's over now, and at least you have learnt from your past mistakes."
"I don't think I can call myself a victim. She offered me power and I accepted it."
"That's the way she worked," I told him. "And I bet she didn't tell you what the catch was."
"That much is true. I wouldn't have accepted if I'd known what she would do to me and my Pokemon."
"See? Then stop beating yourself over it, nothing good will come out of it. And maybe you can help us... if Yssera gave you any information we can use."
"What kind of information are you looking for?"
"You could start by telling me why you were expecting us here while Yssera was on White Mountain."
"She was hoping you'd come here looking for the Black Dragon. She sent me and my Pokemon here to help if you decided to face him. But you're late. He's not here anymore. He left about 2 years ago."

I was shocked. After searching for so long without finding the slightest clue, I'd suddenly found a place where I could have found him... and yet I was two years too late.

"Do you have any idea where he went?" I asked him.
"Not really. He left in the middle of the night after having stayed in the tower for a long time. I guess he either found what he was looking for or decided this place wasn't worth his attention anymore."
"So he just left and nobody saw him?"
"He's good at hiding in the darkness. It's no big deal, even my Honchkrow can do that."
"OK, I guess that's possible. But I'd still like to take a look around and see if I can find any clues about what he was looking for or where he went."
"Suit yourself," he said. "I can help if you want, but I must warn you it will take some time. Days, or even weeks if you want to be thorough. The Tower looks small from the outside, but it has many hidden passages and storage rooms, filled with scrolls, weapons and artifacts: most of them broken, some apparently whole but none that anyone knows how to use. Some of the scrolls are still legible by those who know the language, but as far as I know none of the scrolls which have survived the attacks have any important information. They're mostly historical records, personal logs and a few notes on the geography of Ulthuan."
"Do you know which ones the Black Dragon last looked at?"
"I know which ones were lying on the floor after he left. I put them all on the same shelf. Can you read the old Elven tongue?"
"No, but I know someone who can and he's not that far from here. I could pay him a visit on my way back."
"I can't let you take the scrolls away," he told me. "They're provincial property, and the Tower has been plundered to many times as it is."
"I wasn't planning to take them away from Sapphery, just show their contents to someone who's basically doing your job at the other ancient tower. Is there a way they can be scanned or something?"
"The Tower of Hoeth?!" he blurted out, not answering my question.
"Yes, the Tower of Hoeth. Yes, I've been there and I know a few other people who have been there too. You could probably go there if you wanted. It's not that hard as they make it sound, you just have to be firm in your decision to get there. If you know what you want and don't hesitate, odds are you'll reach the Tower before you know it. Now, is there a way to scan the scrolls?"
"I'm sorry, there's no scanner in the Tower and I'm not allowed to take any ancient documents or artifacts outside. I could try to get permission to scan them and then bring a scanner here, but I wouldn't get it today. I think it would take at least a couple of weeks."
"That's OK," I accepted. "I'll be grateful if you can do that. I'll come back here around the time when the Dragon Games begin."
"I'll do that," he agreed. "I have to warn you, though. You can't just go face to face against the Black Dragon. The first two trainers who came here died trying to fight him. Yssera told me to wait for you and help you because she wanted the third attempt to succeed."
"Two trainers died here?! Fighting the Black Dragon?! Why wasn't that on the news?"
"They came here in secret, and the Black Dragon must have disposed of their bodies because there weren't here when I arrived and I never heard anyone say anything about them. The only reason I know they're dead was because Yssera was connected to them and felt them die, trainers and Pokemon alike. To the rest of the world they must have just gone missing."
"That's terrible," I said. "To be honest I still don't know what we'll do once we have found him, but we need to know where he is and what he's up to before we can come up with a plan to stop him."
"I'm just saying you'll have to be extremely careful. This tower is said to enhance all kinds of power so he might not be quite as powerful outside - or perhaps he still will, but in any case you can't afford to underestimate him."
"I know," I nodded. "We won't."
"And I'll do what I can to help you, for what it's worth. By the way, do you still want the guided tour?"
"Sure," I said. "But, just like you, I'd like to know your name first."
"Didn't I tell you? Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Zack."

He extended his hand and this time I did get to shake it.

The Blue Avenger

29th May 2011, 06:34 PM

Gabi, I'll rate your story soon - sorry for the delay. But Amber will fight a Farfetch'd.

While I'm here, I'd like an RBG, too, for Kurtzwick, from the UAC. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

29th May 2011, 07:16 PM

Kurtzwick will battle a Duskull.

Farfetch'd, eh? That's a weird match for Amber. Let's see how it works (expect a new story within the week if I can manage it).

The Blue Avenger

30th May 2011, 02:18 PM

Gabi: Sorry for the wait!
- Sorry to hear about your grandma, whether that's inspired by real life or not. :\
- On the other end of the emotional spectrum, happy belated birthday!
- Good to know that even if my ad was annoying, it still worked. XD
- Hm, I never got to see what things were like during Scott's day. SOunds like they must have been interesting. :P
- Hm, are we expecting a lot of property damage from the tournament? XD
- "This tournament might not answer the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything" - I get it
- It's hard to imagine Water Angel as a Horsea.
- "nothing particularly interesting about it other than the receptionist misspelling my name" - Sydney can sympathize.
- Poor Water Angel. A bathtub doesn't sound very comfortable. :\
- Aaaand the Black Dragon's gone. Welp, bets on where he went during those two years.
- Hm, two drainers who the Black Dragon killed - I wonder if that's going to be relevant.

All right... a no-battle story, but one with a gratuitous amount of information and several different scenes. I'll call it 7 stamps.

Lady Vulpix

30th May 2011, 02:39 PM

Thanks a lot for your comments! I'm glad you appreciate the information, even if it was gratuitous.

-Yes, my grandma died 2 days before my birthday. I thought it was relevant enough to mention it.
-And, while my birthday was in March, thanks for the belated wishes.
-I'm also glad that your ad worked. :)
-Yes, things were quite interesting during Scott's day. Interesting times indeed. He had a huge ego, though, and a lot of secrets he kept to himself. Well, he was the leader of the Dragon's Guild after all.
-We're not expecting a lot of property damage, but things can sometimes get out of control during tournaments and other big events that attract lots of people. Sadly, not everyone's respectful of other people's stuff. And I recall that the Wing Stadium on White Mountain had to undergo extensive repairs after the 2nd Round of the Pegasus Games.
-I'm glad you got it. :D
-Water Angel was a lovely Horsea. She was a bit shy at first, but she came forward when she started interacting with Pidgeot, and they started winning battles together but, more importantly, she was a great moral support for him. There's a reason she evolved into a Kingdra at level 36.
-At least the room had a bathtub. Some hotel rooms don't even have that. But yes, it wasn't a very Pokemon-friendly hotel, it was a cheap one I booked on a rush.
-I'm not placing any bets. But hey, we have a clue now! :P
-I'm still debating how relevant that should be. What's definitely going to be relevant, at least for my team, is something he mentioned much more casually.

Lady Vulpix

1st June 2011, 03:43 PM

And here it is! Amber's weird battle, among other things.

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<Amber's POV>

Zack gave us a guided tour of the Tower of Flame. It was interesting but, above all, it was sad. Those who had lived there in the past had achieved such wonderful things... yet they'd never shared their knowledge with others, and had only used their power to try to become even more powerful. And in the end, it was all for nothing. The tower was still standing, but its original inhabitants were gone and so were most of their creations and discoveries. I'd never seen so many broken artifacts in my life. I was curious about what had caused their downfall, and so was Gabi, who at the end of the tour asked Zack what the major design flaw was.

"Did you take a look at your surroundings on your way here?" asked Zack.
"Not really," Gabi admitted. "All I saw was an open field. I was so focused on getting here that I didn't pay attention to the details."
"I did notice something," Sylvan spoke out. "The land was almost dry, and there was little vegetation. As we got closer to the tower, the patches of grass became sparser, and there were no trees or bushes anywhere, nor even wild flowers. The land was almost barren. I don't think there are any sources of water nearby."
"What did your Venusaur say?" Zack asked Gabi, who promptly translated.
"Wow, that was insightful!" Zack commended my friend. "Not many notice that. The legends say the place was not as barren before the tower was built, but its inhabitants slowly sucked the energy from the land in their quest for more power. On top of that, there's a thick layer of solid rock under the thin layer of earth you have seen, and water won't flow through it. It could have been different if the tower had been built by a wide river or lake, but the nearest natural water source is the river on the other side of Brightland, and all their attempts to bring some of it closer were countered by their own magic, which was constantly draining the natural resources; so they had to make the trip across Brightland whenever they needed water or food, leaving them open to attacks. They were skilled at defending themselves, but a few well-organized ambushes were enough for invaders to conquer the tower at least four times, and to be conquered in turn by the next invasion. Only the last group that occupied the Tower was able to resist all attacks to which they were subjected, but even they were never seen again after the Sundering. Which goes to prove that no one's invincible, no matter how powerful they are."

There was a grim expression on Zack's face as he spoke. I wondered if he was regretting having learnt that lesson the hard way.

We walked back to the entrance which was, of course, also the exit. Before we left, Gabi asked Zack a more personal question.

"You said you used to be a trainer, but not anymore? What happened to your team?"
"Most of them left after we were released from Yssera's influence," Zack replied. "The ones I caught while working for her, the ones she gave me and even the ones I found in Ellyrion before I met her. Only the ones I found in Saphery, Eataine and Caledor have stuck with me. I still train them sometimes, but not a lot. While I'm at work, they either stay at home or stroll around the city. If you're interested in meeting them, we can arrange to meet tomorrow evening, or better yet on Monday, which is my day off."
"I'll be back in Caledor before Monday," Gabi told him. "And there are a few things I need to sort out while I'm here. But I'll be back here soon for the Dragon Games. Perhaps then I can meet your team."
"Sure," Zack accepted. "I'll see you then."

We started walking back towards the city. Once we had put some distance between the tower and us, Gabi asked us what we thought about Zack, and the things we had seen. I told her the sadness I had felt, and Lagi concurred. Ventura had a different outlook on him.

"I find him suspicious," she said. "It may be true that he was enslaved by Yssera, and if Lagi says he was sincere then he probably was. But why is he still here, doing exactly what Yssera told him to do? And where was he while the Black Dragon was in the tower?"
"I wish you'd ask those questions earlier," Gabi told her. "We won't find the answers by asking ourselves. But remember that the Black Dragon was as much Yssera's enemy as he's ours, so we can't blame him for following her commands in that respect. After all, Yssera's not a threat now, but the Black Dragon is."
"Then why didn't he call us right away?" Ventura questioned.
"We don't know how much he knows about the Dragon Tamers," said Tsunami. "Perhaps he didn't know how to reach us, or didn't know if he could trust us. We're not that well-known around here."
"He had no qualms about telling Gabi when he asked, though," Ventura insisted.
"I can't claim to know his motives or intentions," said the Vaporeon, "but he knows what the Black Dragon is capable of and wants to stop him. Isn't that what we all want? And he can't possibly be setting us up because he gave us no clues as to where to go next. He only told us he was here some time ago, and now it's up to us to find out the rest. Which I think is what we should start doing right now. I'd start by searching for news about missing cattle or even humans and Pokemon. A beast of that size must have had something to eat while he was around."
"Now you've given me an awful mental picture of how he may have disposed of the corpses," Gabi told him. "Thanks, Tsunami."
"Sorry, but that's probably what he did. Taking care of enemies and hunger at the same time would make sense for an evil creature like him."
"I really don't want to hear any more about the Black Dragon's deeds, please," Ventura requested. "I've had more than enough with the actions of that monstrous thing he summoned in Templa Taure. Let's just make sure he's really nowhere near here, and then continue tracking him down. The sooner we can get rid of him, the better."
"We'll do everything we can," I assured her. "Just don't worry so much, if he were capable of summoning something like that again, he would have done it by now. We still have to be on the lookout for possessors like the one that got Bo, and the Black Dragon hiself, of course, but I'm certain that monster is gone for good."

Ventura gave me an indecipherable look. Then again, her face was quite inexpressive most of the time. I could only tell she was upset because of the volume of her voice, and because I remembered what she'd told us about her terrible experience in Templa Taure. We had all been there, but she was the only one who had touched the orb which filled her mind with the extremely realistic scenes of all the atrocities that demon had committed. I couldn't begin to imagine what Ventura had gone through, both while she was touching the orb and later, for the long period of time in which she'd kept it all to herself. She's only managed to gather the inner strength to tell us about it over a year after the event. I never understood how she'd been able to handle it without going insane. I believe that, above everything else, resistance is Ventura's defining quality. But even she needs help and support some times, and communicating her needs is not her strong point. I was thinking about that as we walked into the city, hoping that I'd be able to realize when she needed something, and help her with it.

We thought of asking around for clues, but Gabi didn't know what to ask and the few suggestions she got - especially from Caledor but also some from Hero - just couldn't be taken seriously. We stopped by a news post and took a look at the newspapers until Gabi found the one she found most interesting, then bought it and took it with us. Then we went to a bar to read the news and discuss our options over a cup of tea (for me and Gabi) or whetever everyone wanted to drink. Caledor dared to ask if they served "Pink Stuff" but, of course, they didn't, so he went for a strawberry milkshake after Tsunami strictly forbade him from drinking anything with alcohol. Why the Espeon obeyed is a mystery, but my guess is he was planning to order the milkshake anyway. Knowing him, he may have just wanted something pink, regardless of its contents; not because he liked the color, but because he liked making pointless mental associations.

The newspaper had both local and international news, but nothing that could be linked to the Black Dragon. There was also a comic strip about a Meowth and a Spinarak talking in a garden which made no sense to me, but which Caledor found really funny. Tsunami said it was probably meant to be ironic: it was funny because it made no sense. Gabi conceded that it was a possibility, but I couldn't see the humor in that. There was also a report about people living in airports, one about human polygamy - which was illegal in Ulthuan but some cases still existed -, some news of crimes and car accidents, and a report about the upcoming Dragon Games, which we were all glad to see. It seemed like everyone was eagerly anticipating the beginning of the tournament, which convinced Gabi not to drag it on any longer. She sent a message to Lady Ninetales and soon got a reply saying "I wouldn't have expected any less from you". It left us all wondering if that had been the real reason she'd sent us to Saphery: to convince Gabi to get the games going. So, after checking with the Stadium crew, a public announcement was made to let everyone know the tournament would start on Monday.

Now the only reason we had to get back to Caledor for the weekend was to make some arrangements and pack everything we'd need for a prolonged stay in Saphery. Gabi was quick to book a better hotel before we left and, especially, before all the good ones were booked out. We only spent one more night at the Spartan hotel (that wasn't its real name but it was a suitable nickname) before going back home for the last-minute arrangements. We expected the following day to be uneventful, but it wasn't quite so.

We all got up early again. During breakfast, Lagi noticed Pidgeot's thoughtful attitude and asked him if everything was OK.

"Everything's fine," he said. "I've just had that dream again. I'm still wondering what it means."
"The one with the spark?" Tsunami asked.
"Yes, that one. I don't know why I have it every now and then. Sometimes months go by without anything but normal dreams, and then it comes back when I least expect it as if to remind me that it's still there. I'm wondering if it's something I'm supposed to remember. Dreams come from our subconscious - most dreams anyway, but I know I don't have psychic powers and I don't think anyone else is trying to reach out to me. So maybe something's buried deep inside my mind, trying to come out, and it manifests through that dream."
"That's an interesting theory," Gabi said. "Do you have any idea what it could be related to?"
"I wish I did. I had it almost every night during the few days before I discovered my Hidden Power. I thought it could be related to that, since it was a light that emerged from the darkness and drove it away; my Electric type Hidden Power seemed to match. But then it started coming again, though not as frequently, so I'm sure there's something else."
"Could it be an attempt to shed some light over the dark memories from your past?" Gabi suggested.
"That's an interesting interpretation," Pidgeot commended her. "But it's not mine, and I don't quite... feel it. If it has anything to do with my past, it's not about the bad times which I'd much rather forget than shed some light on. I think it's something deeper... something meaningful. I just don't know what it is."
"I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later," said Gabi.
"I certainly hope so."
"I had a revealing dream too," Caledor said after a moment of silence.

We all turned to look. After all, he was technically a Psychic Pokemon.

"There was this big forest... filled with trees. And then there was a cottage made of logs and with a twisted willow on the West-side wall... I know it was the West side because in my dream it was early morning and the cottage cast a shadow over it. I opened the wooden door and found a cozy space with a table and chairs, a fireplace and a beautiful armoire!"
"Before you continue," Tsunami interrupted him. "May I ask why your dream was revealing? What did it reveal?"
"It revealed that I like wood," Caledor grinned.
"I should Crunch you for that," Hero told him.
"I think a simple Bite should do," said Tsunami.
"Hey, I was just trying to lighten up the mood," the Espeon defended himself. "And I did have that dream!"
"Nobody cares," said Hero, pouncing him, quickly followed by Tsunami.

Caledor was unharmed, but it took a while before things became quiet again. We headed for the railway station shortly afterwards. The place was quite crowded. As it turned out, our train was delayed. When we tried to learn the reason, some said the tracks were undergoing maintenance while others said a tree or a large rock had fallen on them. Then someone connected the theories and said a Sudowoodo was sleeping on the rails. A few others suggested, half-jokingly, that the train had to make longer stops because of all the people who wanted to get to Brightland before the tournament. In sum, we didn't know for sure what the cause of the delay was, but it didn't seem to be anything serious. We waited for a while, but it was getting too crowded and I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I decided to fly around a bit and see if I could spot the train in the distance. What I found instead was a Farfetch'd who nearly rammed into me in mid-air.

"Hey, watch out!" I called out to the bird as I dodged him.
"No, you should watch out..." he countered. "For me!"

Level 57 Charizard vs. Level 57 Farfetch'd

I didn't understand what was going on, so I let out a Growl in an attempt to deter my attacker. He backed off, but only for a moment. He soon began a Swords Dance to counter the effect of my Growl. I noticed he was holding a black cane with a golden handle instead of the leek most of his kind were famous for, and around his neck he wore a delicate-looking white scarf with golden details. I rose just a bit higher and called out to him again.

"Please stop, there's a crowd below us! Why are you doing this?!"

The Farfetch'd stopped for a moment and gave me the odd look which I'd come to know as the "that's not the reaction I expected" look. It's amazing how many times I've seen it, even though this time it was the Farfetch'd who was acting weird.

"It's young master Edward's orders," he replied. "I have to do this. No hard feelings."
"Who?" I asked, but he came flying my way again.

I tried to stop him with my Dragonbreath, and succeeded in slowing him down; but after the initial shock was over, he managed to reach me and Slash my right flank with the tip of his cane, which was much sharper than it looked. His attack was a lot more painful than I'd expected: it pierced my skin and even some of my flesh. I realized that, if I didn't stop him quickly, he'd manage to bring me down.

I heard the commotion below as I conjured up an Aeroblast. I strained hard to make sure the blast of wind would only hit my opponent, and the effect was a highly concentrated windstorm which lasted just long enough to knock the Farfetch'd off the air.

--I grew to level 58.--

I hurried to catch my attacker before he fell on top of someone, but before I could catch him I was hit by a spherical object which threw me off course. Luckily for the Farfetch'd, someone else caught him before he hit the floor or someone's head. Among the general commotion, I heard a boy's voice yelling "No! No! It can't be!" I approached him to see what the problem was, and was surprised to see the young boy pointing at me.

"You're mine, you hear me?" he claimed. "Oh, wait... maybe that's how it works! I thought that thing was going to catch you like a Pokeball, but I think it just makes you follow me, doesn't it? Anyway, you're mine now, so you have to follow my commands."

I tried to figure out what the boy was talking about, but all I could conclude was that he was crazy. I wondered if his ramblings were related to the thing that had hit me. I looked for it and found it lying on the floor close to me. I picked it up and examined it. It was a silver-colored pokeball. I felt its weight, its smell, then closed my eyes and felt its inner mechanism. I concluded that it was just a regular pokeball painted with silver spray.

"Give that to me," the boy commanded. "I may still use it to catch more Pokemon."
"What's going on?" Gabi made her way through the crowd to where we were standing.
"I just caught a Charizard!" the boy beamed.

Gabi looked at the boy and then at me, with a noticeably puzzled expression on her face. I shrugged.

"I'm sorry, but that Charizard already has a trainer," Gabi told him.
"That's the wonder of it!" exclaimed the boy. "With that simple-looking machine I can catch Pokemon even if they're trained! I'm sorry if that Charizard was yours, you'll have to get a new one. But I can give you some stamps to make up for your loss."
"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Gabi asked me.
"My guess is as good as yours," I replied. "This is just a Pokeball with silver paint on it. He's either delirious or dumb enough to have mistaken it for a Snag Machine."
"What are you doing, Charizard? Hand that over," the boy insisted.
"Her name is Amber," Gabi told him. "And what she's holding is just a painted pokeball. What made you think you could capture her with it?"

A few of the people around us stepped back.

"Do you know who you're talking to?!" yelled the boy. "I'm Edward Michael Samson D'or, and this Charizard is mine now. I had offered to compensate you for taking her, but if you're going to be that difficult I'll take back my offer. Too bad for you, female Charizards are rare!"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," Gabi replied. "And even if you're famous around here, it doesn't give you the right to treat Pokemon like they were property, let alone Pokemon trained by someone else. And I insist, that is just a Pokeball. Where did you get it?"
"I'll tell my mom about this," the boy ignored her question. "She knows many people. She can make it so that you lose your Pokemon training license."
"I seriously doubt it, since I'm one of the people who run the Dragon Tamers and we hand out training licenses."

Edward gasped, and was speechless for a few seconds, but then came up with a different argument.

"Well, she also has a lot of money. We can buy your Charizard."
"She's not for sale," Gabi told him. "She's not even mine to sell. Pokemon can't be owned." She thought for a moment and added: "and if you have so much money, what are you doing here at the train station?"
"It's a railway station," Edward corrected her.
Most people in Ulthuan used the term 'railway station' but Gabi still called it 'train station' sometimes, especially when she was tired or agitated.
"Sorry, railway station. What are you doing here anyway?"
"It's complicated," said Edward.
"I can explain," said the Farfetch'd, who had been stirring in a tall man's arms for a while. "He's going to visit his father in Lothern. The man has made a few bad investments lately, so his finances aren't going very well. Yet, mistress Faustine - that is Ms. Faustine D'or, my trainer and also a renowned fashion designer - believes that if young master Edward's father wants to see his son, he should come for him personally or at the very least send for him. Mr. Samson, however, says that since mistress Faustine is so wealthy, she should pay for young master Edward's transportation. They were unable to reach an agreement, but my trainer's son still wanted to see his father, so he decided to go by himself. Of course, mistress Faustine wouldn't let him go alone, so she has assigned me to escort him."
"And what part of your job as an escort involved attacking me?" I questioned him. My side still hurt from his deep Slash.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, hopping down carefully, "but young master Edward is used to always getting what he wants, and had I not obeyed him, I would have never heard the end of it. He wanted me to weaken you enough for his device to capture you. I did not believe what he wanted was possible, but I must admit I was curious about what would happen."
"And why did he think this pokeball could capture me?"
"One of his classmates sold it to him for 50 stamps. He somehow convinced him that it was a special device which could capture trained Pokemon as well as wild ones. Are you certain it is just a simple pokeball?"
"Positive," I told him. "I know pokeballs inside and out... in more than one sense. I'm not a genius of electronics like a friend of mine, but I can sense the shape of metallic mechanisms and get a general idea of how they fit together. This is no different from my own pokeball, except for its color which, judging by its smell and texture, is just spray paint."
"Oh, that is such a shame..." said the Farfetch'd. "For my trainer's son, I mean! Not that I wanted to capture you or anything."

Gabi raised an eyebrow as she glared at him.

"What's with all the chatter?" asked Edward.
"He was just explaining the situation," Gabi told him.
"You can understand them?" Edward looked puzzled.
Gabi nodded. "I'm sure once you start training Pokemon yourself, you'll also get to understand your team. But you'll have to start from scratch, there are no shortcuts. The person who sold you that pokeball tricked you. You should be more careful before buying things. Besides, if it were what you thought it was, it wouldn't be legal, and in any case it wouldn't be right to use it: you wouldn't be capturing Pokemon, you'd be kidnapping them."
"They'd get to live in a huge luxurious house," Edward stated.
"That wouldn't make up for losing their own home, and their friends. Think about it: would you like to be taken away from your home and from everyone you know, even if you went to a beautiful place with a lot of... things you like?"
"Yes," the answer startled me and probably Gabi too.
"It wouldn't be too different from what he has now," the Farfetch'd explained. "He doesn't have any good friends, and ever since his father left, his mother has been more focused on antagonizing her ex-husband than on spending time with her son."
"That's terrible!" said Gabi.
"What's terrible?" asked Edward while the Farfetch'd went on saying that his mother bought him many videogames and lots of other things.

Gabi took some time to reply. She must have been thinking of what to say.

"I think you do need some friends," she finally said. "But you can't force them to be with you. You should try being nicer to others. If you treat them like you'd like to be treated, they're more likely to want to be your friends. That goes for humans and Pokemon alike. And while this may be hard, I think you should talk to your mother and try to spend more time together, let her know about your life and your problems. I don't know her, but from what I heard today she seems to be one of those who think nothing bad can ever happen to their children. So let her know that's not true."

A somewhat heated discussion arose among those who were listening, but the train arrived before a conclusion could be reached. Before we boarded the train, someone pointed out that the Farfetch'd - who never bothered to give his name - needed medical attention. Luckily, Edward's mother had given him a few Full Restores, which made me wonder whether she'd been expecting trouble or simply had the habit of taking medicines on every trip like Gabi usually did. If Gabi's theory was right, she could have thought that any problem her son might encounter would easily be solved with a Full Restore. At least she'd been wise enough not to let him travel alone, even if she could have chosen an escort with better judgement than the Farfetch'd. Gabi gave me the Extra Spicy Herb she was carrying for an emergency, and I was really grateful when I felt the pain go away. I must admit I also enjoyed its taste: if it weren't a medicinal herb, I might have poured some into my next Savory Mix.

Things were more quiet during the journey to Lothern. Gabi and Edward continued their conversation on a much calmer tone and, while I'd initially expected him to blow up at any time, he turned out to be a lot more amiable after talking to him for a while. He still frowned whenever Gabi said anything that could be taken as patronizing, but she eventually managed to convey her true intentions to him. She just wanted to help, and he enjoyed being treated like an equal, which seemed to be a new experience for him. When they started discussing whether anything could be done about the boy who had tricked Edward into buying the silver pokeball, he said he'd have his mother talk to his parents. Gabi thought about it for a moment and decided it was probably the best option, although she should talk to them directly as Edward's mother, not issue any threats or pull any strings to punish him. For my part, I was glad there weren't any real Snag Machines involved, even if we weren't any closer to finding their origin.

When we parted ways in Lothern, Gabi said she wished she could do more for Edward, but Ventura assured her he'd pull through. It was unusual of her to make a comment like that, so we all turned to look at her.

"He's strong-willed," was her only explanation.
"Just like you, right?" asked Tsunami.
"Hmph. Maybe. Even if he's not very smart."
"I don't know if I should talk now," said Lagi.
"Don't," said Ventura. "Everyone knows my story. I've fended for myself since I was very young and managed to survive on my own until I found our team. Pidgeot and Iael have been through even worse experiences at a young age and have also pulled through. I believe this boy can make it too. He may need some guidance, but I think he's set on the right track for now. He may become a real trainer in the future, and then he won't be alone again."
"True. And neither will any of us," Gabi said with a smile.

The Blue Avenger

5th June 2011, 12:01 AM

I'll have it rated soon, but I'd like another RBG for Kurtzwick, from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

Wolfsong

5th June 2011, 08:15 AM

I Can give that one out before i go on vacation and be computerless for a few days.

He will be battling a Rotom

lvl100mewtwo

5th June 2011, 12:02 PM

Aaaaalright... my first training ground battle... don't expect much Character devellopment here, just getting this fight done so that I can finally start on my tournament battle. Enjoy!

Training Montage: Part I

I rushed into the training grounds, looking at the 2 massive towers. Macedon and Rex were already waiting at the foot of the gate.

Maybe next time I shouldn’t race two Pokémon who have priority attacks. Kind of makes racing a bit unbalanced...

“Alright guys, I guess it wasn’t a really fair race now was it?” I said out of breath as I looked down at both my Pokémon, both grinning ear to ear.

I looked up to notice the old Gates that I had grown so accustomed to over the years. Even now, 10 years later, they still found a way to take my breath away. At the same time, I was flooded with memories of the inexperienced me, making my way with a very eager Eevee into these games.

Taking a look around, I saw the 2 familiar towers of the area and pointed them out to both Macedon and Rex. Both looked at the base of the towers and slowly looked all the way up. A small “crink” noise could be heard, as Rex started to massage his neck. He wasn’t used to looking that up and probably his neck had just cracked.

I started to make my way towards the east tower with both my Pokémon slowly following me. Walking in through the doors, I noticed that this place was crawling with trainers and their Pokémon. It seemed that a lot of them were joining in for the Dragon Games this year, maybe I was getting in a little over my head...

I slowly walked up to the Pokémon centre and let Macedon and Rex go in for a quick rest up. They would need all their strength if we wanted to train for this tournament; I wasn’t going to go easy on them because I knew the opposition wouldn’t take a night off. With a waiting time of one hour, I decided to sign myself up to the tournament and check out the grounds a bit.

I made my way to the registry office, as I put myself in line. Once I finally made my way up, I pulled out my registered trainer’s card and went through the usual process.

“Good afternoon Mr. Lavigne, great to see a returning champion back with us once more!” She said cheerfully. People started to turn around, I didn’t really want the attention right now...

“Will you be using Mystic this time around again?” She said with a large smile.

“No... Not this time... I’ll be using a new Pokémon for this competition...” Memories were flooding back... as I started to push them to the back of my mind. “I’m registering Macedon, my Magby this time around.”

“Alright then sir, you are all registered for the tournament. The competition will be starting shortly. You still have plenty of time to train and make your way to the tournament once you are ready. Transportation will be provided for you to the tournament if need be, if you do not own a Flying Pokémon.” She said with a bit of un-ease.

“Thank you, I appreciate that, I will probably need the transportation to the grounds.”

I walked away from the registry counter and made my way to the map of the grounds, I needed to see if I still remembered this training area. Looking at the map of the tower I was in, it seemed I had access to the Lava Room in the basement and the Dessert Room above where I stood. The Lava Room seemed a great start to get Macedon going for his training; it might be very beneficial for him.

I made my way upstairs to the restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat and check out the area from the top of the tower. Trainers flooded the entire area. It had been a long time since I was around so many people with Pokémon.

I grabbed myself some snacks and munchies as well as a full pizza to eat before getting into training mode. I had to get myself ready before going into the Lava Room.

I looked at my watch and noticed that an hour had already passed as I raced back downstairs to go pick up Macedon and Rex. Getting to the front desk, Mace and Rex were already waiting and raced towards me as they saw me. I lead both of them down to the basement, to the entrance of the Lava Room. Getting to the entrance, a small machine was to its right. I asked Macedon to place his hand in the little opening at the bottom of the machine, as it read his vitals and information. The door slowly opened and a rush of warm air hit me like a brick wall. The heat was going to be very rough in the room. I asked Rex to keep an eye on my back pack and the food as I got into a pair of shorts and a T-Shirt to get into the Lava Room.

Once in, there seemed to be a small isolated box that seemed to be air conditioned, while the rest of the room was a scorching 50ºC.

Thank god there isn’t any humidity in here or else it would probably be worst... I thought to myself; as I looked down to see Macedon in full joy at the heat from the area.

I slowly walked over to the air conditioned area to cool myself down, as I was never a big proponent of heated areas. Walking inside, I noticed there was a microphone and sound system on the inside, probably to emit vocal commands to the Pokémon from inside. I looked around to see that Macedon had made his way to a small lava pool and was starting to bathe in it. He seemed to be feeling quite at home at this point.

“Hey Mace, I don’t think it’s time to play games here and relax, we have to train a bit before the dragon games start, don’t you think?” I said with a stern voice. Macedon turned around and started to splash around. Sometimes I forget that he is still a little infant, as mature as he can be at times.

His splashing around though seemed to be disturbing a pair of Ponyta’s that was residing around the lava pool. Both of them seemed to be lying down, yet the stallion stood up, seemingly a little ticked off at being disturbed. The mare just stayed lying down, uninterested by this testosterone game. Macedon slowly made his way out of the pool. He knew it was business time, no more fooling around...

With a swift buck, the horse Pokémon scattered a huge amount of dust into the air and went into a spinning frenzy, covered in fire. It charged at full speed, blindly towards Macedon, as he nimbly moved out of the way. The Ponyta, sensing he had missed widely curled back and came charging once more at Macedon with blinding speed, yet Macedon readily anticipated it once more, placing himself in front of a large boulder. Swiftly jumping out of the way once more, the fire horse Pokémon crashed through the boulder and shattered it with pure force.

Macedon, seeing an opportunity, decided to launch some well placed Embers at the fallen Pokémon, only to enrage it further. An odd effect occurred at this instance, as the flame on the Ponyta’s mane grew in size.

“Macedon, don’t use fire attacks, I think he’s absorbing them!” I screamed through the mic. My command boomed through the room, as Macedon understood what was doing on.

He took a defensive stance as the Ponyta once again bucked and let up a storm of dust before starting to roll in a ball of fire. He came in at blinding speed, this time, catching Macedon off guard and connecting with a vicious hit, sending him flying into a nearby lava pool. Macedon slowly rose out of the molten rocks and started to cover the entire battlefield with thick smog.

The Ponyta was still in the middle of its attack, aiming once again for Macedon, yet this time, with the massive amount of black smog around the area, couldn’t seem to connect, as it kept ramming into boulders and rocks, never really getting a good fix on Macedon.

Macedon saw an opportunity, as did I.

“Macedon, time to try out Psychic!” I bellowed over the microphone.

With a purple aura emanating from his eyes, the fire horse was stopped dead in his tracks, unable to attack or even move. He lightly floated a foot above the ground, as it seemed to be taking all of Macedon’s concentration to even manage this attack. With a flick of his head, the Ponyta was sent flying into one of the walls of the Lava Room, severely hurting the Pokémon. Debris was sent flying throughout the area, which seemed to awaken and enrage the mare Ponyta at this point.

The male was slow to get up, yet still managed to make it back onto his 4 hooves. Macedon, still regaining his energy from the last attack that took a toll on his body and mind, kept his focus on his primary target. Before I could even spurt out a word, the female Ponyta came rushing in, spinning around and connecting with a strong Double Kick, sending Macedon reeling into a boulder. The loud crash could be heard throughout the room, as my magma Pokémon seemed to be taking quite a beating.

Both Ponytas gathered together and slowly started to make their way towards Macedon, as he was slow to get up to his feet. Anger seemed to be taking over as his normally calm demeanour was turning to a sour one. His eyes started to glow a darker purple this time, as an aura started to envelop around him in the shape of a bubble, slowly growing, expanding outwards. With a loud cry, Macedon released the Psychic energy that enveloped him as the bubble grew in size and the sheer force connected with the male Ponyta, as the female used Protect in defence. Even while being protected, the energy seemed to make the fire horse back up against its will. The male on the other hand was knocked out cold from the energy, making this an even 1 on 1 battle.

The remaining Ponyta did not appreciate seeing it’s mate knocked unconscious, as it unleashed a barrage of Embers in Macedon’s direction, most which he could avoid, but yet couldn’t seem to get out of every ones way. My magma Pokémon seemed to be wearing down, with these constant barrages of attacks; something had to be done, and quick.

“Macedon! Quick buddy, use Double Team! Help yourself out a bit buddy!” The echo’s made their way throughout the room, as my Pokémon started to move at high speeds, making visual copies of himself all around the Ponyta.

The female started to launch embers in every direction, each connecting with copies, not doing any real damage to Macedon, as he slowly made his way around, trying to flank the unsuspecting Ponyta. With one quick movement, he rushed in with a hard punch to the horses gut and returned amongst the copies of himself. Macedon, using a combination of his Mach Punch and Double Team techniques, made it impossible for the flame horse to unravel which was the real one. Every time she thought she had him, he would come in from the side, connecting once more with a strong right hood.

Distressed by the situation and out of desperation, the Ponyta bucked and rolled into a Flame Wheel attack, charging at full speed at what she believed was the real Macedon. Once again, she was fooled, only to find that it was once more another copy. Passing right through the fake Magby, the attacking Pokémon wheeled itself head first into a boulder, shattering it to little pieces. It seemed to disorient the horse just enough for an opening.

“Macedon! Psychic, quick!” I screamed to my Pokémon, as his eyes started to glow a dark purple once again, with an aura bubbling around him once again. With a loud cry, Macedon released the psychic energy once more, the bubble expanding rapidly.

The Ponyta anticipated this move once more, Protecting itself once again, yet not without feeling the utter force of the psychic move of my Pokémon.

“Macedon, quick, his defence are down, Mach Punch!” I ordered. Macedon was really wearing himself down; this match had to end quickly. He rushed in once more, hand cocked behind his body, ready for the blow. The Ponyta tried to react as quickly as possible putting up a Protect bubble as fast as she could, yet Macedon managed to speed his way behind the shield and connecting with a hard hit to the horse’s stomach.

The horse wailed in pain, as Macedon’s eyes turned once again a dark purple. This time, there was nowhere for the Pokémon to hide, as it felt the full force of the Psychic attack from close range. Dust was scattered all over the Lava Room, as I was unable to see what the outcome of the battle was.

Once the dust started to settle, I could see that the mare Ponyta was lying on the ground, unconscious, while Macedon was heavily panting, kneeling and both hands on the ground. I walked out of the air conditioned room that I resided and made my way to my Pokémon to make sure that he was alright. The heat hit me like a ton of bricks, as I walked up to Macedon and took a good long look at him.

“You did great buddy! You ready to get out of here and get a bit of rest?” I said with a smile on my face.

“Biiii...” he softly replied, as he followed me towards the exit of the room.

Once outside of the room, I looked to see that Rex was sleeping next to my back pack, chocolate covered all over his face and a giant grin from ear to ear. I lightly nudged him and gave him a stern look, yet to no avail as he had gotten exactly what he had wanted.

All 3 of us slowly made our way back to the Pokémon center, where I dropped off Macedon to get healed back to full health.

“Hey Rex, you want to go for a little swim? Maybe even get a tester battle out of it?” I asked my blue haired Pokémon. He looked up to me and nodded, as we started to make our way to the Western Tower to go find the Pond room and relax a bit.

Arriving in the Western Tower, we made our way to the basement, towards the pool room entrance. I found myself into the change room to get into my swim trunks and stow away my backpack. I made my way back to the entrance to the room and let Rex place his hand in the reader. Once Rex removed his hand, the door slowly opened to reveal a small walkway that made its way to a single platform in the middle of what seemed a giant pool.

Rex and I made our way to the floating platform and as we made contact with it, the walkway started to retract and the door behind us closed.

“Alright big guy, I hope you know how to swim. I need to cool down after that lava room, and I’m guessing we can relax a bit in here without getting disturbed by anyone else.” I looked down at my Pokémon and then slowly dipped my feet in the lukewarm water, finally entering into the pool. “Water’s fine Rex, just get in” I told him, as I splashed him with a bit of the water.

Rex jumped in, seemingly loving the water and being a natural swimmer. It was good to be in such refreshing water after spending some time in the Lava Room with Macedon.

As my feet were waddling in the water to keep me afloat, I could start to feel something swimming around. I turned to Rex who was enjoying his time in the water. In the blink of an eye, Rex disappeared underneath the water, as I freaked out and made my way back up onto the platform. Rex finally resurfaced, gasping for air. I grabbed my young Pokémon and put him next to me on the platform.

All of a sudden, our assailant surfaced, and fired a water gun towards Rex and I.

“Mud... Kip...” it started to speak.

It came again at us with a Water Gun, this time, seemingly hitting harder on Rex. He seemed unable to do anything, as he would not be able to chance it in the water at the speeds it seemed to be moving.

The little blue creature fired one more Water Gun in Rex’s direction and connecting. Rex didn’t seem like he could take much more at this point, as I asked for the walkway to come back and to let us out of the room. This quiet swim wasn’t quiet at all. I picked up Rex in my arms and raced out of the room, dried myself off and rushed to the Pokémon center once more, this time for my blue friend.

Last time I go for a quiet swim...

--------------------------------------------

Macedon (Lvl 11) battled Ponyta x2 (Lvl 15 each) and won both matches

Macedon grew to level 15

Rex (Lvl 10) battled Mudkip (Lvl. 8) and lost

Rex learned he can’t swim as well as he thought. Rex also learned Swords Dance as his lvl 10 TM move from the last match

The Blue Avenger

5th June 2011, 02:54 PM

Gabi:
- Sucking the energy from the land rarely works. :\
- Sucks about Zack's team. :\ I suppose it was sort of a traumatic event.
- As soon as you mentioned Ventura giving an indecipherable look, I considered that that must be most of the looks she gives. XD
- Oh man, Caledor trying to get his pink stuff fix. XD
- People living in airports? Hm... I wonder if living in the Barracks is comparable. XD
- Awesome. Caledor likes wood. Good to know.
- That Farfetch'd came out of nowhere. And needs to work on his one-liners.
- Way to shut the kid up with the comment about licenses. XD
- Chalk me up for someone else who says "train station." XD
I dug it! A lot of good exposition here. I think 12 stamps works.

Alex:
- Snacks and munchies as well as a full pizza? Man, you don't mess around with your pre-training food. XD
- Phew, 50 C. I would be melting. :[
- When the Ponyta got up, I kinda hoped it would just turn into a lava fight. XD
- Standing behind the boulder to avoid the Flame Charge. Good move!
- Macedon rising out of the lava reminded me of the Terminator.
- Nice job for Macedon, taking on two Ponyta right in a row like that.
- Not so nice job for Rex, though. Poor guy. Hopefully that experience will help him if he ends up in a water arena though.
I think 13 stamps here works.

And now! My RBGs. Cheers!
Test No. 4
---
“Please begin the test.”

Kurtzwick, scowling, glanced around the room as he dropped down from the catwalk. Unlike the last room, which featured tall pillars, odd panels, and a duo of Pokémon that seemed more like robots than anything else, this room featured only one distinguishing characteristic.

A large pit spanned the room in a wide strip, dividing it in two, and it was filled to the brim with a noxious, bubbling acid. Naturally, the door was on the opposite side from Kurtzwick.

Kurtzwick peered at it. A bubble rose to the surface and popped. It stung his nose.

“This test will gauge your aptitude in a number of areas,” the loudspeaker said.

There was a pause. Kurtzwick looked up at the ceiling. “I’m listening.”

“One such area is your ability to not die.”

“That’s so helpful.”

The voice continued. “There are two other areas in which you will be assessed here. The first is a matter of battle-readiness. There are two ghost Pokémon hidden in this room, who will attempt to attack you as your past opponents have. Moreover, there is a lock on the door to this room that won’t open until you defeat them.”

“More creepy guys. Wonderful,” Kurtzwick muttered.

“The second area is one of speed.”

Kurtzwick stared at the ceiling, glanced back at himself, then back at the ceiling, frowning. “You know that Dratini aren’t exactly built for speed, right?”

“It would scarcely be a productive test if we were testing you on what you were already good at. If we wanted to test you on something you were good at, we would test you on…”

The loudspeaker fell silent for a moment. Kurtzwick continued to glare at it before the voice came back. “Our mistake. There would be nothing to test you on.”

Kurtzwick squared his jaw and slithered back to the pit. “Thanks.”

“Regardless, as far as speed is concerned, when I have completed this sentence, you will have 1 minute to clear this chamber before the acid pit will begin to overflow.”

This one took a moment to process. Kurtzwick stared back up at the ceiling. “Wait, what?”

“59 seconds.”

“Hell.”

Test! Kurtzwick versus Rotom and Duskull!
Kurtzwick: “Hack, slay, and haul it all away!”
Rotom: “Are you still there?”
Duskull: “I see you!”

Okay, first things first. I need to figure out where the ghosts are. Kurtzwick glanced around the room. Man, invisible things suck!

“58.”

I need a way to figure out where they are! …Or… A thought occurred to Kurtzwick, and a smirk crossed his face. I can figure out where they aren’t.

“57.”

Kurtzwick lifted his head and closed his eyes. A cold wind began to slowly roll into the room, gradually picking up speed. Come on, move faster! he thought, as the voice counted down to 54. The Icy Wind blew throughout the room, and Kurtzwick swiveled his gaze around, looking for… there it was. At two opposite points of the room, hovering near the ceiling over the pit, there were two spots where the Icy Wind was obviously hitting something.

If I had tried to cross the pit without taking them out, they would have attacked me when I was halfway across, Kurtzwick realized.

Once they were hit, the two ghosts faded into visibility. One looked more or less like a cloth wearing a skull mask, and the other was bright orange and sparking with electricity.

“50.”

Kurtzwick ignored the voice and grinned. “There you lot are! I’ve got you now!”

They didn’t move, instead choosing to stay in their positions overlooking the pit.

Well, that helped slightly, Kurtzwick thought. Instead of two invisible ghosts waiting to attack me out of reach, I’ve got two visible ghosts waiting to attack me out of reach. It’s a first step, I suppose. He glanced around. Aside from the pit itself, there was nothing else in the room.

“45.”

Okay, let’s not psyche out here… How can I get across…

“43.”

Damn! Okay, okay! Let’s just try this! Kurtzwick summoned another blast of Icy Wind. However, where the last one was widespread and admittedly rather flimsy, he focused this one specifically on the Duskull. He aimed it around the Duskull, then back towards him; the end result was that the Duskull slowly began moving towards him. It didn’t seem to take any notice, and when Kurtzwick called off the wind, it didn’t move.

“39.”

Okay, Rotom next… Another gust of wind brought the Rotom down a bit too. This time, though, he arranged the Rotom so that it was a little bit behind the Duskull, though a little higher above: about three feet from the acid, where the Duskull was only two.

“35.” Kurtzwick surveyed his handiwork for a moment, before slithering backwards, and…

“We would like to remind all test subjects that the same strategies may not always work twice,” the voice said from the loudspeaker. Kurtzwick jumped. The voice had broken what focus he had managed to work up. “There was actually a third element of this test: working with change. Good luck.”

Kurtzwick pondered over that one for a moment before his heart skipped a beat: the two ghosts had, while he was thinking, both turned to face him. There was a tense moment in which neither of them moved, followed by the voice saying “30.”

Then the two ghosts both began to lob Shadow Balls at him in quick succession. Kurtzwick yelped as the first two hit him, spraying out a thick cloud of Haze to shield himself out of pure instinct. As soon as the ghosts couldn’t see him, they ceased firing.

“25.”

Okay… that was not my best moment. Kurtzwick sighed… then his eyes lit up, bits and pieces of a plan suddenly forming in his head. I’ve got it!

“23.”

A quick Icy Wind blew the Haze away. The two ghosts’ gaze immediately fixed on Kurtzwick, but before they could begin firing, he took a running (well, slithering) jump into the air over the Duskull. I hope this works…

“19.”

The Duskull’s gaze followed Kurtzwick, and when Kurtzwick was above it, it began launching Shadow Balls. Kurtzwick closed his eyes, grit his teeth, and expanded a Protect around him.

Much to his relief, the momentum that transferred into his shield from the Shadow Ball boosted him just a little further into the air.

“16.”

This got Kurtzwick over the Rotom, who did much the same thing. He strained, beads of sweat appearing on his brow from keeping the Protect solid against so many repeated attacks, but before he knew it, he had bounded over the two Pokémon onto the solid ground on the other side. He dropped the Protect and let out a breath.

“13.”

Granted, this didn’t mean that the two ghosts had stopped paying attention. Kurtzwick had scarcely a moment to relax before another volley of Shadow Balls flew at him. He dodged them, weaving his body back and forth, before expelling another Haze; this, at least temporarily, stopped the attacks.

“10.”

Shoot! Gotta take them down! Kurtzwick glanced around, and, still seeing nothing to help him out, sighed. I guess this is the best thing I can do!

“7.”

Kurtzwick closed his eyes. A dull hum reverberated through the room, though, as expected, the ghosts didn’t seem to care.

“6.”

A dark-grey storm cloud began to form at the ceiling, flashing and sparking with errant lightning.

“5.”

The hum graduated into full-on thunder, accompanying forks of lightning. The clouds roiled, turning black and angry-looking.

“4.”

An orange energy began to permeate the storm cloud. Small ethereal pebbles began to drop from the cloud, each also glowing orange, and wherever they hit the acid, they fizzled. One of them hit the Rotom, who looked skyward, albeit unconcernedly.

“3.”

Once the small pebbles had stopped, a multitude of glowing rocks descended next. These pelted the two ghosts, leaving scrapes and bruises where they bounced off and disappeared. The Duskull joined its partner in turning its attention to the ceiling.

“2.”

The thunder came to a crashing, booming crescendo as the clouds parted: from them came one absolutely tremendous boulder. If Kurtzwick had had his eyes open, he would have remarked on how the orange glow looked remarkably like the meteor was engulfed in flames. The glow illuminated every crater, every bump, every crag in the rock as it fell. The ghosts didn’t move.

“1.”

The meteor impacted with both ghosts at once. Kurtzwick’s eyes snapped open, though he had to wrench them shut almost immediately because of the bright orange explosion that resulted – even through the Haze, it was blinding. Two quiet splashes confirmed for him that the ghosts had dropped, and a clicking noise from the vicinity of the door told him that it had unlocked.

He raced through the door and slammed it shut behind him just as the loudspeaker said “0.”

Test complete! Kurtzwick grows to level 13!

“Very good. You have completed the test with a score of 0 seconds left. The current record is 32 seconds left. You scored in the 0th percentile.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kurtzwick grumbled. “Trying to kill me. Friggin’ place. Can I go now?”

“Please rest assured that the Pokémon you dropped in a pool of acid are not dead, and even if they were, you would not be held responsible.”

“Wonderful. Sets my mind at ease. Can I go now?”

“Please proceed with the next test.”

“I will burn this place to the ground,” Kurtzwick muttered under his breath as he scoped out the room.

Lady Vulpix

5th June 2011, 09:15 PM

To Jeff:

I'm glad you enjoyed Caledor's antics. :) Yes, he likes wood. The kind that comes from trees (I can definitely picture him saying that). I was surprised at how many of his past silly phrases were wood related (the wrath of the electric willow, the whole deal with the armoire of invincibility, comparing an enemy's future pain with the amount of trees on White Mountain...), so I gathered he really does like it. Either that or he's messing with me as much as he does with everyone else. :P On the other hand, I don't think "living lightbulb" has anything to do with wood. I wonder why I even remember all that crazy stuff he said. It's not even relevant to the plot. Perhaps I'm trying to check if he ever repeats himself? <_<
I'm also glad you're not living in the Barracks anymore. Yes, the Farfetch'd came out of nowhere (from Amber's perspective, although you now know where he came from). I wonder if anyone in your team would be willing to help him with the one-liners. ;)
And I'm also glad to know I'm not the only one who says "train station" I initially typed it that way, then noticed and was about to correct it, but then I said to myself: "no, it makes sense to leave it that way, if I made the mistake while typing then I'd have definitely made it while arguing with Edward".
And being with the Dragon Tamers has its advantages after all. :)

And now for your battle!

It was ironic to see the phrase "invisible things suck" uttered by someone who prides himself in his ability to go unseen.
That was an interesting puzzle, even if Kurtzwick keeps being treated extremely unfairly. I can understand why he made that last remark.
It was also interesting to see how long each action took, thanks to the countdown, though I really wouldn't want to be hearing that during any of my battles.
Nice description of Kurtwick's latest move!

Take 13 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

To Alex:

Oh... so much nostalgia! You've brought me some old memories as well.
Is the Dessert Room the restaurant? ;)
If I'd known there's be an air conditioned area in the Lava Room this time around I might have tried going in there. Macedon, on the other hand, seemed to really enjoy being in there. He's lucky to be one of the few Pokemon who can actually play inside a lava pool.
Macedon's battle was nicely described, and I agree with Jeff's comments.
Also, poor Rex, but a lost battle is a chance to learn.

The Blue Avenger

12th June 2011, 08:11 AM

I'd like an RBG for Kurtzwick from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

12th June 2011, 09:41 AM

Kurtzwick will battle... a... Smoochum.

By the way, all workers please check the tagboard.

EDIT: the rules have been updated! From now on, if your battle goes unrated for over 7 days, you will get an additional stamp for each extra day (from the 8th on) until the battle is rated.

I hope no one will have to benefit from that in the near future.

classy_cat18

13th June 2011, 08:13 PM

I apologize for neglecting AC/CC lately. I'm pretty sure I have the most free time out of all the workers here. I'll try to pick up the pace.

Bandit’s POV

“Hey Ali, are you still okay down here?” I asked the Meditite after Shonta and the creepy guy had left with the two Houndour.

Ali was sweating but she wasn’t paying attention to me. Instead she was eagerly watching an enraged Ninetales chase around a young Torchic. “Hang on,” Ali replied once she was able to take her eyes away from the action. “This is going to get good.”

Torchic hopped around the rocks above the pool of lava, Trinity close behind it. It was amazing how a big Pokemon like Trinity (over three feet tall at the shoulder and with nine bushy tails to deal with) can jump around as well as a small bird. There had to be something motivating her.

“YOU WILL PAY FOR BITING MY TAILS! A THOUSAND YEARS OF SUFFERING FOR YOU!” the fox shrieked when she paused on one of the rocks for a few seconds.

“I was just trying to get your attention!” Torchic sobbed.

“Poor bird. Trinity will chase him all day until she gets her revenge,” I groaned.

If you’re wondering why Ali or I didn’t step in and stop Trinity from massacring Torchic, it was because neither of us was willing to pay the price. It didn’t matter if she was of a lower level; she had other ways of making us suffer. She carried a grudge for the pettiest things. Curse or no curse, anyone deserving of her wrath got it in full.

Besides, she wouldn’t seriously injure the bird nearly as much as she would anyone who got in her way.

Ali and I held our breaths as Torchic skidded to a stop at a dead end. He could either lie back and accept his fate, or fight back. His quivering stopped as he looked his pursuer in the eye. “Bring it, sister!” he chirped.

Our excitement for the battle died as a whinny rang out behind us. Ali and I rolled away in time to avoid a stampeding Ponyta’s Tackle. She was headed right for Trinity! “Whoa, wait!” Ali shouted.

Trinity’s ears perked at the sound of hooves hitting the volcanic rock. Ponyta took a huge leap, preparing her hooves for a Stomp. Ali grunted and ran forward to stop her but it wasn’t necessary; Trinity calmly teleported out of the way. “I’m busy here,” the Ninetales growled.

“See here! I’m fine and dandy with it if it’s a Pokemon battle, but you can’t just torment little Pokemon fer your enjoyment!” Ponyta chastised in a country western voice.

Trinity opened her mouth to mouth off but then grinned. “Yeah, it’s a Pokemon battle. The little one just challenged me.”

Torchic hung his head in defeat. “Darn,” he whimpered.

“Then I reckon I should stand back fer this,” Ponyta said before trotting to a safe distance.

L9 Female Ninetales (Trinity) vs. L8 Male Torchic

Torchic sprinted as fast as his little legs could carry him, circling Trinity until he was behind her. Strangely enough, the previously enraged Ninetales stayed still.

“What is she waiting for?” I thought out loud to myself. I noticed that her muzzle was twitching as if she was muttering to herself.

She looked back at a strong Flamethrower, not even moving when it engulfed her. Big mistake. Flash Fire is going to be his undoing. Torchic gulped and started running again, but couldn’t outrun a Quick Attack to the backside. He tumbled through the air and landed on a small rock in the middle of small pool of lava.

“He’s a dead bird,” Ali said.

She wasn’t moving again. Once again, she was moving her lips. Then I saw it, a black aura that was emanating from her. It started to grow until it was impossible for us to miss it. A Psychic Pokemon would’ve run and hidden in fear from it. Ali was close to doing it herself, already on her feet and backing away slowly. “What is it?” I asked Ali.

“N-N-Nasty Plot,” she stammered. “Her bad thoughts are powering her.”

Torchic got over his fear and jumped high into the air. Trinity merely followed his movements, allowing herself to get hit by his claws on the trip down.

We all froze. Even Ponyta was looking fearful.

“He got her face,” I whimpered. “That poor fool scratched her face.”

Trinity jumped back and giggled. The giggle turned to a maniacal laugh. The black aura of Nasty Plot grew even more until it threatened to swallow the whole room in darkness. Okay, maybe not that much but it was turning the room dark. “YOU WILL BURN! YOU WILL SINK INTO THE FIRES OF HELL, LITTLE ONE! I WILL INCINERATE YOU! I MAY BE INVULNERABLE BUT YOU ARE NOT!”

“Run, Torchic!” I shouted.

“Shut up! Do you want to sink into the fires of hell too?” Ali hissed.

Torchic stood bravely and ran for the rock wall. He ran and jumped easily up the wall to a great height, and started kicking at a rock that looked twice as large as him. “I… will… not… lose!” he grunted, kicking with each word.

The rock was knocked loose and tumbled down the sloped hill, other rocks joining it on its journey straight for Trinity. Once again, Trinity didn’t move but when the rocks got pretty close…

“Too slow,” she said before teleporting.

“AAH!” Torchic screamed when she reappeared in front of him.

FWOOSH! Trinity fired a raging Overheat that was twice as bright as the lava surrounding us. Ali shielded her face from the heat and didn’t uncover it until the light from the attack dimmed.

Torchic was a charbroiled mess. He clumsily wobbled away to escape but tripped and tumbled down the slope to the floor. A couple more kicks and a weak chirp, then he was still and silent.

Trinity won and grew to L10! She got Psyshock as her free TM!

The creepy aura of darkness surrounded Trinity suddenly dissipated. She looked so calm. “All forgiven,” she said in a warm voice. She walked to the KO’ed Torchic and started to nudge him toward the elevator. “All is forgiven. All is forgiven.”

It was after she disappeared behind the sliding doors of the elevator did Ali and I notice that we were clinging to each other. “Okay, how scary was that?” I shakingly asked my teammate.

“On a scale of one to ten, one being Lily using Synthesis and ten being Yssera herself, I give that an eight,” she replied.

“O-only an eight?”

“I can’t decide whether that was scarier than possessed Bo or not.”

We let each other go. I was getting thirsty, and Ali was sweating heavily. “Well. Sometimes it’s neck-and-neck, and sometimes it’s a straight-up beatdown.”

Ponyta turned and left the two, passing Ali. “Hey, how about a battle?” she asked Ali.

“Sorry, but I’m at my limit. How about you battle Bandit?” the Meditite suggested while pointing at me.

“Why me?” I whined.

“For the Dragon Games! Plus you can probably last longer than me! I need to get out of here now!”

“Sorry, but I gotta get rid of this sunburn I got.” I poked my red skin and laughed. “There was supposed to be a restaurant on the top floor, right?”

“Yeah, let’s go there.”

Ponyta groaned and trotted somewhere else, probably to find another challenger. We finally left the Lava Room and punched the elevator button for the top floor. My skin finally got to its original green color after the cooler air hit it.

Shonta’s POV

“Okay, your Pokemon have fully recovered!” the nurse told Eli and me cheerfully before yelping in surprise. Noah had decided to leap over the counter instead of walking around it. Destai followed him and sat by my side.

“Noah, you should know better,” Eli scolded. Noah whined with his ears drooped.

Destai looked up at me as if expecting the same treatment. “Yeah, you should know better too,” I told him. He just snorted and nodded.

Eli checked his cell phone and widened his eyes a small fraction. It was hard to catch that brief moment of surprise. “Did you say that you were competing in the Dragon Games?” he asked me.

“Yeah, but they kept pushing back the date.”

“Not anymore. I got a text from one of the Guild members. The tournament starts tomorrow. If I were you, I’d head to the site of the first round today and find a room for the night. Tomorrow the trains will probably be packed with travelers.”

“But my Pokemon haven’t gotten enough training done!” My voice was filled with panic.

“Calm down. The only Pokemon that absolutely needs to be there is the one you entered for the tournament. And you only need to be there during your battles. Once you’re done, you can just come back.”

I stayed quiet for a while, thinking of what to do. “If my Pokemon have finished this tower, it won’t be a problem. We’ll just do the rest after the first round.”

Eli shrugged. “Don’t let me tell you what to do. I think I’ll just relax in the hobby for the rest of the day.”

I grinned and shook the hand he offered me. “It was good to meet you. I hope we bump into each other again.”

Noah barked happily. Destai’s tail wagged. “I’m sure we will,” Eli said.

Eli’s POV

“She’s gone,” Noah muttered after she disappeared behind the door to the staircase.

So far I haven’t had any significant information on my target. In order to observe the red-ringed Umbreon without suspicion, I first had to get friendly with his trainer. That turned out easier than I thought. “Do you think Loki and Valkyrie have met the Umbreon in the Desert Room yet?” I asked my companion.

“If so, Valkyrie would’ve contacted us,” Noah answered. He stretched and scratched behind his ear. “I hope we get something out of this field trip. Your act is very irritating.”

I kept my voice low so that no one could hear me. “What act? I am a member of the Dragon’s Guild. It’s the truth.”

My partner growled in warning. Any further teasing from me would result in an attack. “Don’t play innocent. First you act as if running into the girl on the train was mere coincidence, then you act as if you’re interested in her and the entire team. You act like you can’t understand any of her Pokemon. You even go so far as to waste time on a battle with her Houndour when it’s the Umbreon we want.”

“I know what I’m doing. If I drop the act and start interrogating her about the little Umbreon’s incident too soon, we’ll lose our chance.”

“If you keep playing around with your new toy, she’ll get clingy and suggest we ‘hang out’ more often. Female humans tend to do that, you know.”

I ignored his complaining and leaned back in my comfortable seat. Intercepting the report she sent about the White Mountain mission and hiding it from Lord Absol did both of us a favor. Better me than the elf, after all. This may be my best chance to find that old dragon, and gain a new playmate in the process.

Lady Vulpix

14th June 2011, 10:45 AM

Wow, Shonta, that was great! Especially the final scene. I also enjoyed the comments and reactions during and after the battle. And Bandit's scary scale. :) Take 16 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Note: I mean it was great for the Battle Range. For the Dragon Games you should focus a bit more on the battle itself, but I think you know that already.

The Blue Avenger

19th June 2011, 02:02 PM

I'd like another RBG for Kurtzwick from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

classy_cat18

19th June 2011, 02:42 PM

Kurtzwick will battle a Drifloon. That'll be fun to read.

The Blue Avenger

30th June 2011, 02:08 PM

I'm gonna keep stocking these up - another RBG for Kurtzwick from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

classy_cat18

30th June 2011, 04:18 PM

Wait, you can do that? Someone give me an RBG for Moriko from the UAC. *pays*

Jeff, Kurtzwick will battle a Girafarig.

The Blue Avenger

30th June 2011, 04:35 PM

Moriko will battle a Baltoy.

The Blue Avenger

7th July 2011, 12:34 PM

When I actually get to writing this thing, it is going to be amazing. Another RBG for Kurtzwick, please, from the UAC.

classy_cat18

7th July 2011, 01:03 PM

Kurtzwick will battle a Bonsly.

DarkestLight

9th July 2011, 10:09 PM

Can I get a random battle for Zent? Jungle Deforestation place ::Hands over 7 stamps:: Time to give Rapp some plotline

classy_cat18

9th July 2011, 10:46 PM

Zent will battle a Tentacool.

DarkestLight

10th July 2011, 09:43 AM

LOL Tentacool. Thanks.

Lady Vulpix

10th July 2011, 07:41 PM

This is the story that I wanted to post before Round 2 began. Sorry if it's rushed, I'm just too busy for my own good and things keep coming up. :\

...And I hereby tie the end that had been loose since before the Dragon Tamers were created! Go me!

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Gabi's POV>

As I reached for my seat on the first day of the Dragon Games, I was surprised by the sheer number of spectators the event had gathered. I could only conclude that there were countless more people who were interested in watching the Games than those who wanted to take part in them. I really hoped the matches would be up to everyone's standards.

I had hoped to find Zack at the stadium, but it was impossible to locate him among such a huge crowd. As things began to calm down, I looked around from my seat to see if I could find any familiar faces. It took me a while, but I smiled when I found one: it was Aaron Randall, a.k.a. Randy from the MTU, and his Charizard Eliot. They'd managed to grab 2 of the best seats available. "He's a real fan," I thought as I wondered how much those seats might have cost. He was bound to enjoy the tournament much more than I would. But I couldn't complain: I had the best view - it comes with being the judge, and I knew I was going to learn something from this tournament one way or another. But with great seating comes... no, I'm not going to finish that phrase, it's overused... albeit true.

The first battle managed to catch everyone's attention and hold it until the end. Not a bad start for the Dragon Games. Of course, I had to watch every detail very carefully, and make sure to judge only what I saw then and there, without any prejudice or preconceptions. At least I didn't have to fight a tendency to favor either opponent: one of them was a stranger to me, and the other was a Pokemon I didn't like (sorry, I've known her for a while and I still can't find anything I like about her) but whose trainer was a good friend of mine. I realized I was actually glad that Jeff had entered Raini and not... say... Kiva. In the end Raini won, in spite of her opponent having outsmarted her for a while. I can't say for sure how I felt about that.

The rest of the battles for the first day caused no such issues, as I didn't know any of the participants too well. There were even a few who came from other countries, and I was surprised to see a Gurdurr and a Dewott battling on the same day. Of course I had arranged that - and I'd already been surprised upon seeing them on the list of participants - but seeing words on a screen or a sheet of paper is not the same as seeing the Pokemon in action right before my eyes. The Gurdurr lost the battle, but the Dewott won after a spectacular display which earned him the nickname of Dewott Sensation. If he made it to the finals the title was bound to stick... but it was still too early to know that: Round 1 wasn't over yet, and Round 2 was always tricky.

I must admit I was glad when the arena was closed for the day. Judging battles is tiring: I'd been straining my attention not to miss anything important, and taken notes of countless details to compare them once the round was done. I was ready to head back to the hotel when I was intercepted.

"Good battles today, weren't they?" said a voice to my right. I turned to look and recognized Zack from the Tower of Flame.
"Oh, hi... Sorry, I didn't see you, I had too many things in my mind."
"I figured as much. You must be trying to remember all the battles and compare all the little details, right?"
"Something like that."
"Then I guess I should look for you some other day... maybe after the round is over."
"No... now is OK," I told him. "I'll have more things on my mind once the round is over. And I looked for you when I got here, it's just... there were so many people!"
"Well, of course. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of you finding me. You're much easier to find."
"I guess I am," I smiled and sighed simultaneously. "Can we go somewhere more quiet? It's hard to talk in here."
"Sure, let's go outside," Zack agreed. "My Honchkrow can take us down to ground level, we don't have to wait in line for the Abras."

I looked around him to see if I could find said Honchkrow. I saw one hovering above the crowd among other flying Pokemon. It wasn't a particularly large bird.

"Your Honchkrow won't have to carry both of us," I told Zack. "I'm sure Pidgeot will be glad to help."

I turned to look at where I thought Pidgeot was, but I couldn't find him. I worried for a moment, but I realize it would hard to find anyone with so many people and Pokemon coming out at once. I told myself not to panic, and mere moments later I was relieved when I found Pidgeot flying behind the Honchkrow. I released the breath I'd been holding.

We reached the edge of the platform, made sure we were all accounted for, and the birds helped us descend. I got to meet the rest of Zack's team: a Nidoking, a Typhlosion, an Ampharos, a Scizor and a Poliwrath. He mentioned he'd started training a Sudowoodo and a Tangela in Ellyrion before he went to White Mountain, but he hadn't had the chance to bond with them before it all went wrong. He didn't tell me anything about the Pokemon he'd trained while working for Yssera, and I didn't ask. But he did say all his Pokemon were special in different ways.

"Aren't all Pokemon special in their own way?" I pointed out.
"No... well, maybe yes, but what I mean is... They all stand out for different reasons. Some you can see right away, like my Ampharos's blue tail orb and my Honchkrow's grey feathers on the back of his hat. Others are more subtle. Scizor's wings are longer than normal. They were already that way when he was a Scyther. My Sudowoodo's more flexible than average: he can bend in ways I never thought Rock could, but he can also harden his body to make it... well, harder than normal."
"In other words he knows Harden?" I tried to make sure.
"Yeah, it doesn't sound so great when you put it that way, but it's good in combination with his natural flexibility. It makes him quite versatile. Oh, and Nidoking can dig so fast he can hide his whole body underground within a few seconds. You'd expect that from a Diglett, but it's quite impressive when he does it. And Typhlosion just has a lot of raw power. He tackled me playfully when we first met and threw me off-balance... and he was just a Cyndaquil!"
I heard Hero comment in a not so low voice: "he calls that special? I'll show him what's really special!"

I glared at him to convey that it wasn't a good time to compete, but the subtlety seemed to be lost on him, as usual. He went on about how he'd challenge the Nidoking to a digging contest, and see if the Typhlosion could move fast enough to tackle him. I quickly changed the subject.

"Don't any of your Pokemon have names?" I asked Zack.
"Some of them have nicknames from their youth, but we don't use them much. I couldn't understand them when I first met them, so I just called them by their species. They all did get names at Yssera's cave, but as you may imagine none of us feel like using those names anymore. So no names for now. Oh, I can see that your Ninetales is quite unusual too. Is that what he's saying?"
"In a way, yes, but not for the reason you're thinking and believe me, you don't want to listen to him right now."
"Hey, that's not fair!" Hero complained. "And don't think I don't know what you think he's thinking. What if you're wrong? What if he has a special eye for Pokemon with unique skills and has noticed how awesome I am?"
"How many times did you say 'think' just now?" Tsunami queried.
"I wasn't counting, only you would count."
"Three," I said, just because sometimes even I feel compelled to get a word in when they argue. And because I wanted Hero to be quiet at least for a few seconds.
"Three what?" asked Zack.
"Nothing, it was just a silly argument between them. I get several of those everyday."
"They don't get along very well?"
"Oh, no, they're best friends. They just love to argue."
"Then if everything's OK, shall we go down?" Zack suggested.
"Sure," I agreed.

Most Pokemon went back into their pokeballs while Pidgeot and Honchkrow took me and Zack down to the open field. Only then did I notice that something was going on between the two birds. They kept watching each other carefully, neither of them saying a word.

"Is everything OK?" I asked Pidgeot.
"I think so," he replied.
"What's the matter?"
"It's probably nothing... maybe deja vu or something."
"What do you mean?" asked the Honchkrow, stepping closer. "Do I look familiar to you?"
"Yes... Well, not exactly, but something about you feels familiar. I don't recall seeing you before, but when I look at your eyes or the feathers on the back of your head I feel like I should remember you."
"Could you have met me when I was a Murkrow?"
"Maybe... Do you remember me? I've been a Pidgeot for a very long time."
"How long?"
"At least 10 years."
"10 years... I've been out of the forest for a bit over 10 years. Are you from Caledor?"
"Yes, I am!" Pidgeot answered. I couldn't tell if his reply sounded excited, nervous or a bit of both.
"So am I. Caledor Forest, Southwest region."
"I'm afraid I don't remember that much. I was just a little Pidgey when..."
"When what?"

The Honchkrow's expression was transformed all of a sudden. His eyes were wide open and it was clear that he was eagerly anticipating Pidgeot's answer. Just like I was anticipating the reaction that might come. After all this time, could this Honchkrow hold a clue about Pidgeot's past?

"It's not a nice story," Pidgeot said.
"Neither is mine," said the Honchkrow. "How about you tell me yours and I tell you mine? It may help us both."
“OK... I don't like thinking of those times, and I didn't feel well the few times I did tell this, but I've never been so close to someone who might know something I'm missing, so I'll tell you. I was a little Pidgey. I lived somewhere in Caledor with my parents... it was probably Caledor Forest, I recall seeing a lot of trees, but not much more. Even from my parents I can remember very few things. I think I'd just learnt Sand-Attack and I was playing on the ground, seeing how much dust I could lift, when something hit me. I don't remember much of what happened next but I have the feeling it was something really bad. What came after that was bad too. I was captured and taken to a secret underground facility.
“The next thing I remember was some Pokemon telling me that I now belonged to Team Rocket and would have to do everything they said. I was part of a program named AEP. They said they were interested in me because they'd seen me use Faint Attack, which I may have, and wanted to exploit my potential to the maximum. They did awful things to me. I think the only reason they kept me well fed was because it was an important part of their experiment, but they didn't hesitate to use physical violence at any time. I was locked in a cage whenever I wasn't training, and they hit me and poisoned me a lot because no matter what they did I would not obey them. Well... I lie, if they just told me to eat, drink, jump through a ring or even walk into my cage, I would do it to avoid the pain. But if they told me to hurt others, I refused. I'm not talking about regular battles, they wanted me to cause them serious harm. I took whatever would come to me because I knew how much it hurt and I didn't want to be the one to cause that pain to others like me. They couldn't break me.
“In the end, they got tired of me. Even thought they'd somehow managed to turn me into a Pidgeot without any battle training, they said I was a failure and threw me out after a serious beating. I think I might have died if I hadn't been picked up by someone from the Dragon's Guild. They healed me, at least physically, and did the best they could to keep me sane and emotionally stable. For a while I couldn't remember anything from my life before Team Rocket. With time, a few bits came back, but never as much as I would like. I can't even remember my name... if I had one.”

I could see tears forming in the Honchkrow's eyes.

“Does the name Ray mean anything to you?” he asked Pidgeot.
“Ray?... I know a Ninetales who has that name. But his name was Kid when he lived in Caledor Forest.”
“What about Spark?”
“Spark! What do you know about a Spark?”
“I had a son. His name was Ray. His mother gave him that name because she said he was our ray of hope. But I liked to call him Spark because... well, he'd pop up all of a sudden and chirp at me just to make me laugh. He reminded me of a spark popping into the air in the middle of the night.”
“Really? Have you ever said that to him?”
“I did at some point, but he was very little... I'm not sure he understood.”
“I think deep inside he did. But dare I ask...”
“What happened to him?”
Pidgeot nodded.
“I never knew what happened until now. I went out to find food for him and Candy. Candy was my mate... she was a Pidgeotto. My family and hers didn't get along, so we'd had to move far away from all of them, but it was worth it just to be with her and our child. Until that day. When I came home... it was the single worst moment in my life. Even worse than Yssera.”
“I'm sorry, it's OK if you don't want to talk about it,” said Pidgeot.
“No, I will because you need to know. I found Candy lying dead on the ground. She had blood and cuts all over her body, and... no, I think I'll save you the details. But our son was nowhere to be found. I looked around desperately, and even got some Pokemon to help, but all the clues we found ended in nothing. Some had heard noises, some had seen men in black suits, and a few had even seen a van driving out of the forest. We found some tracks, but they ended abruptly. I didn't give up.
“I stayed there for days to see if the van would return. I got hardly any sleep and only ate what others would bring me. But nothing happened. Later, I heard rumors of suspicious men in black suits walking around the city, so I went to the city to check. After some time, I saw them, but there was no sign of my son. I followed them until their Houndoom found me and I barely managed to escape, with more than a few burns. Then Zack found me and took me to a Pokemon Center. I didn't quite trust him at first, but he did help me, and he offered to make me stronger so that I would never be the victim of another attack. I couldn't say no to that. I hadn't given up hope, but I'd realized I couldn't defeat those men on my own.
“I followed him, trained with him until he could understand me. Then I told him everything and we went together to the place where we had the tracks had stopped. This time there was a huge hole on the ground, with a lot of rubble at the bottom. I began to lose hope. I finally agreed to follow Zack to Ellyrion to continue my training and keep building our team. We stayed there for while, until we met Yssera. I was foolish, I let her convince me that she could help me... that if I brought enough Pokemon to her side I could eventually find someone who knew something, or perhaps even Ray himself. I was that desperate. We all had different reasons to accept what she offered and none of us was smart enough to realize it was a trap. When we were finally set free, many years had passed and none of us had a life to go back to. So those of us who cared for Zack enough to stay with him settled in Brightland, where we at least had a place to live. By then I had none but the faintest of hopes.”
“Like a tiny bright spark that shines among the endless darkness,” said Pidgeot.
“Huh?” Honchkrow looked up at him.
“But then the spark grows stronger, shines brighter, until it becomes a powerful light, strong enough to cast the darkness away. To illuminate everything.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It's a recurring dream I've had for years. It was an empowering dream, but I could never understand it completely. Now I'm starting to think I can finally make sense of it.”
“Really? What do you think it means?”
“I think it's about me. I used to think it was about my Hidden Power, and I was close, but that was not it. It's about me as a whole, my essence. It's about knowing who I am, what I can overcome, and what I'm capable of. I am that Spark.”
“By 'that Spark' you mean...?”
“I mean both. My father was a Murkrow, I remember that much. And now I remember I liked playing with him and catching him by surprise. He liked doing that to me too. I couldn't remember his name or my mother's, but I remember the way he looked at me... and I seem to recall there was something funny about his hat.”
“Grey feathers, maybe?” interjected Tsunami.

There was an awkward silence as both bird Pokemon stood facing each other.

“Oh, come on!” Tsunami insisted. “We all know what you both are thinking. I bet even Hero knows. You've been looking for each other for over 10 years! Don't be shy and hug already!”

That only caused both birds to glare at him before looking at each other sheepishly.

“Wow...” Honchkrow finally said. “To say you've grown big would be an understatement!”
“I know, I'm big and bulky... it took me a while to learn how to handle my body after I evolved, but now I'm quite good at it. I've trained hard, and even fought Team Rocket and other criminals more than once.”
“Impressive. And you also helped defeat Yssera?”
“I wasn't able to do much against her myself, but I was in her cave with the rest of my team and some other friends. We held her at bay until a group of my friends managed to seal her. Even with all of us working together it wasn't easy at all.”
“I can imagine. So you're working with the Dragon Tamers now?”
“Now and from the first day they opened. And we're with the Dragon's Guild too. I was the first Pokemon Gabi adopted, so I've watched my team become what it is now.”
“You have also helped us become what we are now,” Iael pointed out. “Especially me. And Water Angel, of course. Your father should be proud. I'm so glad you have found him! He can see what you've become.”
“Who's this Water Angel?” asked the Honchkrow.
“He's Pidgeot's significant other,” said Tsunami. “Don't look at me like that, I'm not teasing you, just telling the truth. You can't deny it.”
“I don't get it,” said the Honchkrow. “Why would he want to deny it?”
“Because he was teased a bit too much...” Tsunami replied. “By me, I admit it. But that was years ago! Even I think you two make a cute couple now.”
“Don't tell me you too have had to deal with your folks not accepting the girl you chose to mate,” the father asked the son.
“Oh, I accepted her alright,” said Tsunami. “It's just that it was so weird... they looked so mismatched! And Pidgeot does look weird when his feathers are wet. But they do complement each other quite well.”
“I'm definitely missing something. Where is she now?”
“She's in her pokeball,” said Pidgeot. “She has to be, since... she can't walk or fly.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry!”
“Don't be. Kingdras aren't made for living on the ground, but she can do amazing things in the water.”
“She's a Kingdra?” Honchkrow looked stunned. “OK... I must admit you have surpassed me.”
“I do know how weird it is, but my life was never normal and almost everything that's been good in it has involved her. I'm sure you'll like her once you get to know her.”
“If you hold her in such high esteem, I probably will.”

There was silence for a moment, quickly broken by Zack's question.

“Let me get this straight... Your Pidgeot is my Honchkrow's long lost son... and he's dating a Kingdra?”

I nodded. He began to look around.

“This isn't Candid Camera, is it?”
“Who would make a TV show about two bird Pokemon chirping to each other? Even those who can usually understand Pokemon speech have trouble making it out when it's recorded.” I knew I had trouble with that.
“You're right... come to think of it I caught only odd bits of what your Pidgeot said, and nothing from your other Pokemon. But this still looks like a script from a soap opera.”
“You could try writing it,” I laughed.

It was hard to tell where to go from there. After discussing some options, Zack offered to show us his home. It was small and rather messy, but all 18 of us could fit in if we spread among the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. It was in the latter that Zack and Honchkrow got to meet Water Angel. She was very excited to meet Pidgeot's father. After that, we all went out for dinner and talked a bit more. By the end of the day, Honchkrow had decided to go back to his old name, which was Grey. Pidgeot, in turn, decided the time had come to get a name for himself. He didn't feel very comfortable with calling himself Ray, which he still associated with Hero's friend, but he could identify himself with the name Spark. Everyone was so excited that he'd finally found a name after all this time that I refrained from ruining the mood by saying that Alex had chosen not to name his Jolteon Spark because it sounded feminine. There was no need for Pidgeot – I mean Spark – to know that.

Speaking of Alex, that's a whole other story to tell. After Zack and I agreed to meet everyday until Round 1 was over, and he promised to let me know when the scrolls were scanned, which I had forgotten about in the excitement, my team and I went back to the hotel. And I thought there would be no surprises for a while. But when I couldn't sleep, I decided to turn on the TV... and then I saw him: Alex Lavigne, former Dragon Tamers worker and Dragon Games champion, was making a return. It wasn't someone else with the same name, it was him. All these years later he reappeared just as suddenly as he had left... and he hadn't even bothered making a call! Amber saw him too, and judging by the look on her face she was as puzzled as I was.

“We'll figure it out tomorrow,” I promised her.
“You mean you didn't know?” she questioned. “But you're organizing the tournament!”
“I'd seen his name on the list, but I wasn't sure it was him. Since he didn't call or send an e-mail, and I didn't know the Pokemon he'd entered, I thought it could be someone else. We'll get some answers tomorrow, I promise. I won't let him go without talking.”

Of course, I failed to get a good night's sleep. It was a hard task in the best of circumstances, and completely impossible with so many things going around in my mind. Even so, the next day I forced myself to watch the battles with extreme care, not letting my mind stray from them. I may have missed a few moves, though; but I'm sure I caught the important parts of all the battles, especially Alex's. I watched both the battle and his reactions. I saw him burst into tears and call out to his Magby when he was down, and wondered why. Of course no one liked losing, but it seemed to be more than that: Alex looked desperate. Then the Magby, Macedon, managed to get up, perhaps reacting to his trainer's cries. It looked like he was making a great effort not to disappoint him. And he succeeded. Macedon won, but had he hurt himself in the process? In any case, the Magby was drained. Alex picked him up and took him to the Pokemon Center. That was my chance. I stood up and ran to the Pokemon Center to catch him before he left. I called out his name... and received odd looks from everyone inside. I realized I'd been shouting, and was embarrassed for a moment. I looked around, found him and walked towards him at a much slower pace.

He met me with a hug. “It's been a long time.”
“Long time doesn't begin to describe it!” I told him, spitting out my thoughts as disorderly as they came. “What have you been doing all this time? Where's the rest of your team? Why didn't you tell me you were back?! I saw your name on the participants' list, but I couldn't be sure it was you until you were suddenly on TV. The media found out before I did!”
“I've just been trying to keep a low profile I guess since I got back, I wasn't sure if anyone was still around.”
“Many things have changed and some people have left... with one crisis after another, I think you've seen that yourself. But some of us are still here.”
“Yeah, it seems that way... seems like its forever that I went away... and now I found my way back somehow.”
“But how? What happened?”
“It's something I don't really want to get into to be honest.”

Just what I needed. More mystery. But I had to cut him some slack, he seemed to have gone through something terrible.

“OK, leave me wondering...” I sighed. “I guess you have the right not to talk, but...” I carefully looked around to see Amber's expression. I couldn't decipher it. “I think Amber deserves at least some information after all this time,” I finally said.
“If I knew where V was, I would definitely let you know. Unfortunately, the last time I saw him was just when I was getting into school.”

The news was shocking. Had Volvagia disappeared too? Maybe there was some truth in the theory that someone was targeting Fire Pokemon. I couldn't help but ask.

“You mean... he's missing too?! How long has it been?”
“The whole team is gone, all I have now is Mace and Rex, they are resting right now inside.”

I didn't know who Rex was, but in any case it looked like it was even worse than I'd thought!

“Oh... that's terrible! I'm so sorry... Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“I don't think there is at this point, the gang could be anywhere at this point, maybe I'll fun into them at some point.”

Tsunami was tactful enough not to comment on the number of times Alex had used the word 'point'.

“But how did it happen?” I asked.
“It's a long story at this point, the team just decided to leave one by one.”
“Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that. But at least they weren't kidnapped or disappeared without a trace like some other Pokemon have.”
“Yeah, no, it's a little more complicated than that unfortunately.”

I couldn't help but worry about what he might have done to drive them all away, but there was no point in speculating. He was an old friend and he needed help.

“Well, if you ever feel like talking about it, I'll be there. Here, wherever. I still have the same phone number. Same old PokeGear, even. It still works and I've never felt the need to change it. “
“I really appreciate it, I really do. Hopefully some day I'll be able to get into great details about it.”
I nodded and changed the subject. “So where are you living now?“
“I haven't really got a place to live right now, just crashing at the PCs for the time being, or camping out.”
“Ouch, that's bad. I know the Dragon's Guild offers lodgings for its members, but it can take too long sometimes.”

I remembered how long they'd taken to give Jeff a home and didn't want to make a false promise. Besides, was Alex a Guild member at all? I wasn't sure, so I asked him.

“Are you a member? Sorry, it's been so long...”
“Pretty sure I was back in the day? I'm not 100% sure.”
“If you don't remember, then you probably aren't. You'd have a rank and should at least have done some work for the Guild. I could help you join, but you'd have to have a job there. The Dragon's Guild doesn't give out homes for free. I don't think anyone does.”

Alex shifted his eyes as if trying to remember something, but didn't say anything.

“Do you have a job?” I asked him.
“No, I just got back.”

I could help with that, at least. He had to be able to perform a job he had done in the past.

“Well, I'm sure we could use an extra hand at the Dragon Tamers. Things haven't changed that much since you were here: we have new items and some new Pokemon, but the job is basically still the same. Would you like to have your old job back?”
“Yeah, of course. That would be great.”
“Well, I'm glad there's something I can do to help.”

There was a moment of silence until I spoke again.

“Good battle, by the way. It reminded me of some of Tsunami's old battles. I was wondering why you seemed so worried, but I think I can get an idea now. If it helps, I don't think that Macedon was ever in real danger.”

Alex laughed. Hearing his laughter was relieving.

“It's good to have you back,” I said and, while I was still worried, I meant it. “I'll have to introduce you to Jeff and Shonta... And you remember Amy, right? They all work at DT, and they're all in the tournament too.”
“Yeah, I'll be honest, I don't.”
“Oh... I'll make sure not to tell her that,” I shifted my eyes. I hoped he hadn't been taking drugs or something. “I'll find a way for all of us to meet at some point. In the worst case we'll end up meeting back in Caledor after the tournament ends.”

I would have liked to arrange a meeting earlier, but people could start questioning me if they saw us.

“I just hope people don't get the wrong idea from seeing the judge hanging out with some of the competitors... I can't help it if they're my friends and co-workers, but I won't let that affect my judgment at the end of each round... for better or worse.“
“Good to know,” Alex laughed again.

We kept talking for a bit, but it was all just light talk. I then wished him luck with everything and left to find Zack again or, rather, to be found by him. I stumbled upon Glenda in the process and we talked a bit too, mostly about the Games and a little bit about our respective projects. She said she had a Camouflage TM she couldn't use, and offered to give it to the Deerling at the AC to see if that would help me with my research. I accepted and thanked her.

Zack and I shared some past stories and future plans. He offered to visit the Tower of Hoeth the following Monday, mostly because he had been intrigued by it after I'd told him anyone could go there, but also because he wanted to see if he could find any valuable information. Pidgeot and Water Angel stayed with him for the night and returned to me the next morning.

As the battles went on, I kept comparing them and thinking of what would be the best place to hold Round 2. There were no definite clues even after Zack managed to copy the scrolls and take them to the White Tower: they were mostly logs from old wars and descriptions of the provinces of Ulthuan back when they were different kingdoms. I found it mildly amusing when I learned that one of the scrolls ended with “we shall march ahead towards our final victory.” I gathered they were only right about the 'final' part. But perhaps I was misjudging them and the log continued on another scroll, perhaps one written and kept at another location. Slim chance, though.

I finally decided to hold Round 2 in Gaen Vale, if only because it contained the largest concentration of sacred and historical sites in Ulthuan. Perhaps if each trainer could check one or two, some clues would be found.

The Blue Avenger

13th July 2011, 09:23 AM

Okay, Gabi, let's rock.
- "But with great seating comes... no, I'm not going to finish that phrase, it's overused... albeit true." - I get it
- "(sorry, I've known her for a while and I still can't find anything I like about her)" - Yeah, she probably ought to grow a few positive personality traits soon. :B
- "He mentioned he'd started training a Sudowoodo and a Tangela" - I approve of his taste.
- "What if he has a special eye for Pokemon with unique skills and has noticed how awesome I am?" - Ha, I still like Hero, egotist that he is.
- "And because I wanted Hero to be quiet at least for a few seconds." - Good luck.
- Pidgeot, or rather, Spark has a hell of a backstory. @_@ Man.
- “We all know what you both are thinking. I bet even Hero knows. You've been looking for each other for over 10 years! Don't be shy and hug already!” - I do like how Tsunami managed to work a barb at Hero in there.
- "Even those who can usually understand Pokemon speech have trouble making it out when it's recorded.” - That... is something I hadn't considered. I suppose given how much of it must rely on gestures, expressions, etc., that makes sense.
- "Tsunami was tactful enough not to comment on the number of times Alex had used the word 'point'." - For once.
- "I know the Dragon's Guild offers lodgings for its members, but it can take too long sometimes." - You don't say.

All right, all in all... wow. A lot of plot there. XD And some good resolution too. I feel like... 16 stamps? There were three big scenes there, so that sounds about right.

Lady Vulpix

13th July 2011, 11:47 AM

Thanks! :D

- Pidgeot, or rather, Spark has a hell of a backstory. @_@ Man.Sorry, I thought you knew.

And yes, Tsunami and Hero are fun to write. And Tsunami can be tactful if he sets his mind into it, but in general he'd much rather be brutally honest - or simply annoying - than let what's in his mind remain unsaid. However, he's good enough at assessing situations to know when speaking would cause too much trouble to be worth it.

The Blue Avenger

14th July 2011, 10:44 AM

Lady Vulpix

14th July 2011, 01:40 PM

Are you planning to make him fight an army or something? The battle(s) had better make sense (if he blows up the place and all the opponents faint as a result he won't get the levels :P). That said, the randomizer has chosen a Litwick.

And I've added that information to the first page as per your request. :)

The Blue Avenger

14th July 2011, 02:55 PM

It will make sense. Somehow. That's the part I'm still working out. XD

And thanks. :o

lvl100mewtwo

15th July 2011, 11:58 AM

Not my greatest work, but it gets the job done... Needed to do some training and this is what came out...

Training Montage: Part II

With the first round in the back of my mind, I left Macedon in the capable hands of the Pokémon centre at the tournament grounds and walked around with Rex.

He seemed to be relishing the attention that was being garnered by being around me. At every chance, when someone would stop me for some questions or congratulate me on my first round match, he would just stand there and pose for photographs.

I on the other hand wanted none of the celebrity status that came along with this tournament and just wanted to relax. It seemed as well that all I could think of was to make sure Macedon would be alright after that last match. I had never seen him battle to his limits like that before. Maybe he went a little too far?

It was quite clear that I had to get out of the tournament area if I wanted any peace and quiet and the only place that I could see myself being able to relax would be the training ground.

I had heard that some of the trainers were using a more modern form of transportation, too and from the training headquarters. They were using the teleporters, using Pokémon such as Abras and Kadabras.

I made my way to the transportation district and grabbed a round trip with Rex.

The Abra held tightly onto Rex while the Kadabra grabbed my hand. Without warning, flashing lights was all that I could see, as I became disoriented and borderline nauseous. Next thing I knew, I could see the 2 familiar towers ahead of me.

I fell to my knees, trying to catch my breath. In all my years, I had never taken a teleportation ride, and clearly, my stomach wasn’t up to the challenge.

I regained my composure and stood up. Rex wasn’t feeling any better at this point, so I brought him over to take a seat on a nearby bench, giving him a rest. With Rex resting a bit, I made my way to the directory to figure out which training area we would go next.

I guess the Forest Room would be best to get Rex back on his feet at this point I thought to myself as I combed through the areas on the map. My attention was turned once again to Rex only to notice him hunched over and unfortunately regurgitating his food. I made my way up to my pup, gently patted and rubbed his back, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay.

---------------------------------------------------------

I walked through the doors of the West Tower, Rex slowly following me. We passed by several trainers that wanted to congratulate me on my first round match. I did not want to attention here, as I bolted through the trainers and made my way to go train my pup in the Jungle room.

Following the signs, I made my way to the Jungle Room. Rex put his paw into the machine and the door opened to us, releasing an intoxicating smell of plants.

We both slowly walked in, noticing the assorted flora of the area. Several birds were frolicking around catching Rex’s eyes. Several bugs and jungle dwelling Pokémon could also be seen. A small free standing pillar was in the middle of the room with a large red button. I walked up to it and looked to see a sign:

“To call forth a Pokémon, please press the button”

Rex stood beside me as I slammed my hand on the giant button. A high frequency pitch was emitted, as Rex held down his ears in pain. I looked around and nothing was happening. No Pokémon had come forward.

Rex finally let go of his ears, only to be met by a string of white goo wrapping around him, immobilizing him.

I spun around to see that a small Butterfree was fluttering around. Rex didn’t seemed too please by this surprise attack, as he tore off the wedding.

Without a command, Rex ran in, landing a vicious right, with a glowing hand. The butterfly Pokémon was sent reeling back into the bark of a tree. A small cry could be heard coming from it, as it seemed that the hit packed more energy than we thought.

A small feint cry could be heard of the butterfly Pokémon as it started to flutter up and get back to flying around. The winds started to pick up as blue aura came from the Butterfree. Slices of energy curled through the air, aimed straight at Rex. They connected with a violent force, sending Rex into the vegetation.

Rex slowly rose out of the plants and looked up, noticing that the Butterfree was charging at full speed towards him. Getting out of the plants and taking a defensive stance, my aura Pokémon took the full force of the attack and shifted his weight and force back into the insect, slamming it behind him, right into the plants.

A small cry could be heard, as it seemed that the Butterfree had fallen into what were some bad plants. Rex took this time to sit down and focus his energy. The new move I had just taught him was being put into practice, as he was gathering his strengths, using the new Swords Dance technique.

Maybe he’s becoming a little more responsible and mature? I thought to myself.

His eyes opened wide, full of conviction and he approached the plants that his opponent had fallen into. As he got up to the plants, he stuck out his tongue and started to taunt his opponent.

And I have officially spoken too soon I thought with a sigh

Rex was met with a rather dark powder, as he backed off in a hurry, coughing and wheezing. His expression went from a joyful one to a sickly one. My guess was that at this point, he had gotten himself poisoned by the powder that came from his opponent.

Still coughing and wheezing, my dog Pokémon looked up ahead and saw that the butterfly had started to flutter its way back towards him. His hand cocked back, taking in the residual moisture and cooling the air around it. The Butterfree came in too close, as it was met with a blistering Ice Punch, freezing it into place and sending it flying into the pillar, knocked out.

I walked up to Rex, potion in hand, chocolate in the other, to congratulate him on his good battle. I gave him the potion and then the chocolate to let him remove the bad taste of the potion. I hoped that the Potion would last long enough for us to get back to the Center so that I could get him all healed up for his next training match.

Rex suddenly grabbed his ears in pain. I looked down at him, trying to figure out what was going on, and then it hit me. I spun around to see another Butterfree come out of the woodworks, shooting its string shot at Rex, encasing him in a web of sticky strings.

I put myself in front of Rex, trying to ward off the Butterfree from attacking, seeing as he had not fully recovered yet and was still poisoned from the previous match. The butterfly started to flap its wings, increasing their speed and launching the light blue aura slices. Rex somehow jumped in front of me, using the energy of the attack to cut off the strings that bound him together.

Using the momentum of the occasion, Rex raced in, he glowed an eerie dark energy, howling like a mad dog. With a quick leap, he came crashing down on the butterfly Pokémon, his jaw locking on its right wing. I loud cry came from the bug type, screeching throughout the room, as my blue pokemon did not want to let go. The dark energy seemed to be transferring from Rex to the Butterfree, increasing the damage with every passing second.

Rex finally let go and jumped backwards, panting heavily, coughing, and wheezing. The poison was still very much there, having a heavy effect on my Pokémon. Butterfree took this moment of relaxation that Rex was taking to come in, half speed, lining up for a Tackle attack. You could notice in the Pokémon’s flight patterns that its wing was seriously injured by the attack. Still, the butterfly came in, chugging along, at whatever speed it could and connected with Rex, doing some damage.

Rex took a few steps back, taking the blunt of the hit. He suddenly shoved his open palms into the mid section of the Butterfree. A blue aura could be seen engulfing around Rex, resembling like he was being overtaken by a light blue flame. Energy radiated from his hands and released right at the bug type, sending him flying backwards into a tree at incredible speeds. I had never seen Rex perform this attack before, and it had my completely perplexed.

Rex cockily started to prance around, even though in his weakened state, celebrating what he thought was his victory. Suddenly he started to lift off the ground, being levitated by a purple aura. I turned to see that the Butterfree’s eyes were glowing an odd purple, as it was controlling Rex like a puppet,

“Rex, use the energy from your Crunch attack, get out of that Confusion attack!” I screamed towards my over exhausted pup.

His body started to glow a dark black, as the purple aura around him dissipated. He dropped hard onto the ground, landing on his own 2 feet, head looking down. His eyes shot up and fixated on the now grounded bug type, as he raced in, hand behind his body, coming in for that perfect blow. With the full speed of his run and a good left, Rex connected with an icy punch. Like the last Butterfree, this one was sent with violent force backwards, frozen solid into an ice cube.

I turned my attention to Rex, who collapsed to the ground from his poisoning. I raced towards him, picked him up and raced out of the door as more and more Butterfrees were coming out of the forest, coming to avenge their fallen brethrens.

I raced into the Center in the tower, leaving Rex in the care of the nurse. It seemed that it would take a few hours to get Rex back to normal after the poisoning and the damage, yet I was reassured by the nurse that he would infact make a full recovery. With the spare time that I was given, I decided to return back to the tournament grounds to see how Macedon was recovering. Hopefully we could both get some more training in him before his name battle at the tournament.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rex the Riolu (lvl10) battled 2x Butterfree (lvl 15) and won both battles

Rex grew to level 14 and learned Force Palm (lvl 11)

lvl100mewtwo

15th July 2011, 11:58 AM

And to finish off, another training battle for Macedon

Training Montage: Part III

Teleportation, I never understood it. To transform oneself into pure energy so you can get from point A to point B. The concept was something that my mind just couldn`t wrap itself around. Yet my body had no issues rejecting the idea of it.

I found myself nauseous once more, as I stepped down onto the tournament grounds, thanking the Kadabra that got me where I am and then found a bench to regain my composure. I looked around to see more trainers like me, gasping for air and drinking water with their heads down. Apparently I wasn`t the only one who didn`t like this transport method, but I couldn`t argue with the results that it got me where I needed to be in a hurry.

Once I started to feel better, I made my way to the Center on the tournament grounds to go find Macedon. I was greeted to a big hug from my fire type, as he seemed in a much better mood at this point. It seemed that he was walking with a small limp, something the nurse reassured me would go away in a few days. She also informed me that we should take it easy on the training for now, to let him fully recover. I looked down at my Magma Pokémon and there was a determined look painted across his face. He wasn’t going to be denied a chance to train to prepare himself for his next battle.

I thanked the nurse and made my way to the registration booth to figure out when my next match would be. I realised that Macedon’s next battle would be in 2 days, giving us plenty of time to at least get a little bit of training in, hopefully work out the new moves and gain some power.

I returned to the teleportation booth and requested some help to get back to the training towers. An Abra and Kadabra once again appeared in front of me. Macedon and I were on our way once again to the towers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Macedon put his hand into the machine to let us into the Blizzard Room. The door slowly opened and the gust of frozen wind came through.

Walking into the Blizzard Room, I felt like I was back in my element. I loved being in the cold. I would much prefer adding on extra layers than taking them off. Macedon, at my side, had no issues with the -10ºC weather at this point. His body heat next to mine also helped with my tolerance. Even with just a sweater and some jeans, I felt like I was back home here.

The winds were gusting at what I would guess was 30 km/h. With the wind, visibility was reduced to probably 10 feet ahead of me. Macedon seemed to also be struggling with his vision, looking to see if there were any opponents around.

His limp seemed less notable at this point, which was a good thing. With every step Macedon took, you could see the snow melting around him, leaving a trail behind him of hot water and bare ground.

A gust of ice came straight out of nowhere at Macedon, smacking him square in the chest and knocking him off balance. The hissing of the snow melting and evaporating could be heard as Macedon hit the ground, obviously in a bad mood from the surprise attack.

Macedon slowly rose to his feet and looked around, unable to find his opponent. Another large amount of ice came his way, again, knocking him off balance and throwing him into a snow bank.

“Macedon, get mobile, don’t stay in one spot, you’re just gonna keep getting hit like that” I screamed.

Macedon stood up and started to run around at high speeds. Looking at his movement, it seemed a bit slower then what I was used to seeing him do. Maybe his leg injury was hurting him more than I thought. He zipped through the room at high speed, running blindly around, trying to find his opponent. Soon he was out of my line of sight, yet the heat from his body still made it possible to have a vague idea of where he was.

Suddenly, his light grew stronger. A loud thud could he heard and a small cry followed suit. A Pokémon flew by and crashed a few feet in front of me. I looked through my iPod and found my App to see that Macedon had found himself up against what seemed to be a Snorunt. Obviously he had just connected with a vicious Mach Punch, and was coming in for another shot.

The Snorunt stood up and opened its jaw wide open. Macedon’s punch was met with a series of large teeth, as the Ice type bit down on my Magma Pokémon. Macedon let out of cry as he swung his arm all over the place, Snorunt unrelenting to give up his grasp of Macedon. It seemed that the more the Snorunt dug into the hand of Macedon, the more obviously the painful look was on his face.

“Macedon, turn up the heat, it’s not liking it!” I bellowed

Macedon stopped flailing and started to concentrate, releasing more heat from its body. Snorunt was not pleased by this, as it soon released its grip and took a step back, favouring its mouth, which was obviously burnt at this point.

Macedon and Snorunt both started to have a stare down, as the animosity was getting heated in this Blizzard Room. Both Pokémon started to create multiple copies of each other, seemingly in response to their opponents. Multiple copies of both my Magby and the Snorunt littered the battle field, as this had turned into a “Anything you can do, I can do better” standoff.

“Mace, try and finish this off, Psychic!” I screamed over the wind that seemed to be picking up.

Macedon’s eyes were a violent purple as energy started to be visible around the Magma Pokémon. Full concentration abound, Macedon released the energy in a dome, destroying all copies of its opponent as well as knocking the Snorunt back into a snow bank, dealing a hefty amount of damage. All that was left on the field was a Snorunt half buried in snow and a visual army of Macedons.

The ice type slowly made his way to his feet, obviously exhausted from the fight. With one last attempt, it released an ice beam that scanned the field, removing all copies of Macedon off of the field. Macedon, meanwhile, was making his way slowly behind the attacking Pokémon.

As he approached the Snorunt, he took in a deep breath. With a light tap on its head, the Snorunt turned around only to be met by a head on barrage of embers to the face, effectively knocking him straight backwards and knocking him out.

I slowly made my way over to Macedon, healing potions in hand, readying him for his next battle. Macedon was quite happy with himself and how the battle progressed, yet he seemed to be favouring his leg at this point.

“You wanna take a break big buy? You seemed to have been struggling a bit back there”

Macedon just looked up and shook his head in a no manner. He still wanted to train; he wanted to better himself for the next Games fight. He did not want to be caught off guard again like the last battle.

Macedon seemed to perk up and look around, scanning the area. Something had caught his attention as I was tending to his small wounds. Another gust of icy wind came crashing into Macedon, barely missing me and sending him reeling backwards.

From the hail, a light blue fox appeared, grin on its face. I had seen this Pokémon before. Its uncanny resemblance to an Espeon, except light blue, made me realize that we were dealing with another of Eevee’s many evolution chains. As soon as we saw it, it disappeared back into the hail of the room. Macedon looked frantically around to spot it and I just backed off, letting him get ready for his battle.

Feint views of the ice type could be seen throughout the room. Macedon went into a speed burst, trying to chance down the Eevee-lution. It seemed that the Glaceon also picked up his pace, going at an even faster speed than Macedon. Both seemed to be trading blow after blow at high speeds all over the room. Macedon’s hit’s seemed to be causing more damage yet the ice type’s obvious speed advantage let it get in multiple hits to my Pokémon’s few hits. Macedon’s bummed leg was more apparent now, as it seemed he was just missing that extra step.

Without warning, the ice type took a leap into the air and dove right into the snow, digging its way deep into the frozen particles of water. Macedon looks around frantically, trying to eye where his opponent would pop out. The ice type was not leaving any warnings of indication of where it was situated under the snow.

“Macedon, Smokescreen and Double Team, make it difficult for him to find out!” I shouted from across the room.

My Magby started to release a large dark cloud of smoke, covering him and the entire field with it. Once that task was completed, he started to replicate himself, creating various copies to try and fool the impending attack. As copies were being created, the Glaceon started to burst out of the ground, hitting the clones and disappearing once more into the snow. This seemed like a scene taken straight out of Jaws, with the calm before the storm, as the ice type would shoot straight up and destroy another of the clones.

All the copies of Macedon started to become outlined with a black aura. More of the copies were being destroyed by the Glaceon, yet it seemed it couldn’t find the real Macedon. The ice type once again reared its head from out of the snow, only to hit another copy. Yet this time, he was unfortunately met by a vicious right cross from behind, as Macedon was finally utilizing his brand new attack, Faint Attack.

Glaceon was sent reeling backwards and landed on its 4 paws like a cat. It let out an angry cry, and started to take in energy. A small ball of light formed at the tip of its opened mouth and grew exponentially in size in a matter of seconds. The energy was released with vicious intent, as the Hyper Beam came screaming at Macedon. The beam seemed to be wider than Macedon’s height and girth. Macedon barely jumped out of the way, as both his legs were nicked by the beam of energy, still doing massive damage.

Lying on the ground and having issues standing up, Macedon looked as the Glaceon seemed to be coming in to give the final blow. Macedon on the other hand had different plans. As the ice type approached, mucus was building up in his mouth. Once he got close enough, Macedon released wave after wave of Embers at the Eevee-lution, connecting on each and every shot. The fire attack sizzled on contact, doing more and more damage with each hit. Finally, the Glaceon could not take it anymore, collapsing to the ground from the attack, knocked out.

I ran to Macedon who still couldn’t get up from that Hyper Beam. All I could think of was what kind of impact this would have on our next Games match. This was not boding well at this point. I picked him up and walked out of the room. I made my way to the Center in the tower and picked up Rex who seemed to have recovered from his poisoning quite well and we made our way back to the Tournament grounds via the teleportation route.

I held Macedon in my arms, Rex was next to me as we were all transported back to the Tournament, where I would get Macedon in top shape, to be ready for his second Games battle.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Macedon the Magby (lvl17) battled Snorunt (lvl 19) and Glaceon (lvl 25) and won both battles

Macedon grew to level 20. Macedon Learned Fire Spin (lvl 19) and Protect as it’s free level 20 TM

Lady Vulpix

17th July 2011, 01:51 PM

OK, Macedon gets to fight a Skiploom now. I will archive your stories, read them and comment on them as soon as I can. If, by then, no one else has rated them, then I will.

lvl100mewtwo

17th July 2011, 04:34 PM

Bahahahahahaha, daaaamn Gabi, you had to ruin my surprise, I was gonna pull a Togepi all over again!

Lady Vulpix

17th July 2011, 06:07 PM

Well, you wouldn't get originality points for pulling the same trick twice. :P

Oh... and since we're talking about the 2nd Griffon Games, I didn't dare tell you this before, but... Twister is quite a weak move, it wouldn't have killed Bahamut if it had hit him. I would have worried more about Water Angel's Hidden Power, or even her Aurora Beam.

Comments for your first post:
-The "Forest Room" is actually called the Jungle Room. You got it right from the 2nd time.
-No mention of our encounter at all? Or even the fact that you were offered your old job back? That was unexpected. I would have thought you'd allow it some space in a little corner of your mind, at least. But well, I can't expect to understand your thought patterns.
-They must have installed the call button after I left. Maybe they realized how long it was taking for some trainers to find an opponent? But I think they should have tested it before installing it. It shouldn't hurt the Pokemon around it. And they should also keep some of the Pokemon in the room in line, those extra Butterfrees are not the first to try to attack when they weren't supposed to. >.>
-Rex tore off the wedding? Which wedding? O.o
-The story could use some more punctuation, especially at the end of the phrases and sentences involving thoughts. And there were a few typos too, I'm fixing them for the archive.
-Giving Rex the chocolate after the potion was a nice touch.
-I liked the descriptions in the 2nd battle.
-Both Butterfrees were frozen by Rex's Ice Punches? Rex was really lucky!

Take 11 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

That was only for the first post, I have yet to read the second one in detail.

lvl100mewtwo

17th July 2011, 07:24 PM

Lady Vulpix

17th July 2011, 08:56 PM

lvl100mewtwo

17th July 2011, 10:19 PM

Comments on your latest battle:

-"I would much prefer adding on extra layers than taking them off." < I concur, especially since there's only so much that you can take off.

-Macedon insisted on battling twice in a row when he had a limp, he'd been warned to take it easy and he had a tournament battle to prepare for in the near future? That makes him less wise than... no, wait, if I finish that sentence I may get Quick-Attacked by the Pokemon in question. In any case, that kind of attitude can hurt him more than any opponent would.

-How did Mace and the Snorunt make copies of each other?

You get 13 stamps as long as you can answer the question above.

Exactly how I feel about the taking them off, right now I'm at the bare minimum in this humid humid heat and I want to die...

Yeah, let's just say it wasn't his brightest of moments, it'll get explored deeper in the Games battle as well

As for the copies thing, 2 words, Double Team

Gracias for the stamps

Lady Vulpix

18th July 2011, 08:49 AM

But Double Team consists of a Pokemon making copies of itself, not its opponent.

lvl100mewtwo

18th July 2011, 10:49 AM

But Double Team consists of a Pokemon making copies of itself, not its opponent.

Hmmm, I thought I had it better described than I thought, my bad...

The Blue Avenger

21st July 2011, 12:36 PM

Can you guess what I'm here for? A UAC RBG for Kurtzwick, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

classy_cat18

21st July 2011, 01:06 PM

Kurtzwick will battle a Shuckle.

DarkestLight

23rd July 2011, 02:32 PM

(This takes place between Round 1 and 2 of the Tournament)

Don't know much about History...

The match over, and Mossy healed up, Rapp now had a moment to breathe. His small entourage gathered around, playing around with each other. As the trio played, Rapp turned to spy other Trainers and assorted folk alike, whom had their Pokemon out and about. Very few were playing, almost as if it was taboo to do so. Then again, this WAS a Tournament; one probably should save his or her strength for the actual fight and not by horsing around.

“Ok guys, I think we’re ok for the time being. Why don’t we get out of here and take a hike?”

Mossy agreed with Rapp, but May looked nervous about doing such a thing. Zent as well, as she waddled in order to keep up with May’s step.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, you two. I’m positive you two will like it down there. There’s trees and sap and honeysuckle and all sorts of veggies and ….its just so green!”

The speed in which Rapp’s excitement seemed to build over his newfound interest in the area the stadium was flying over made both Pokemon a little nervous. Zent pushed past her fear and stood next to Rapp-idly thinking moreso about food than anything. With the odds stacked against her, May solemnly joined the group, to Rapp’s delight.

“It’ll be fun guys. What can possibly go wrong?”

...

The quartet appeared in a flash, 4 figures amongst an open path that led to a massive street. Buildings of an ancient race littered the immediate landscape, and figures of different races seemed to traverse the ruins, making them a home once more. The immediate scope of Gaen Vale was always something majestic, an intertwining of nature and society. Rapp and Mossy instinctively turned to the south east and pointed for May and Zent’s benefit while they explained.

“We’re from over there, outside of this area. This is the Historical District, where most of the legislative folks conduct business for the whole region. Ironically, the village where I hail from does not truly incline themselves with these people. They mostly stick to old ways handed down by the great benefactors …whatever that means.”

Rapp shrugged, to convey his lack of knowledge about what he was taught, and the silence following was broken by the rumble of Zent’s belleh. “Ha. I guess that means we should head toward the wooded areas. Lot of ruins out there!”

Zent agreed, and the quartet marched on, making sure not to impede anyone’s scurried path to and from these buildings.

Zent didn’t mind the fresh air. In fact, she felt it invigorating, and began to express her joy with grunts and higher pitched squeals. Her steps tried to get lighter, but they ended up creating a small series of depressions with each step.

“She’s trying to skip. Funny.” Rapp noted, as Mossy wandered over to the left. Vines went straight into a bush, and reeled back out, yielding berries. Seeing Mossy’s find, May tried the same with her tongue, and yielded berry juice all over it. No matter; one whip of the tongue brought all that berry juice in her mouth. Smiling with a stained face, Rapp could only help but laugh at the berry pickers. “You do know you’re supposed to squeeze them in a pile first, so they don’t mess up your face!” Mossy and May looked to each other, noticing the colorful splashes of juice on their palates, joined in the laughter.

Zent meanwhile, had wandered off and wound up quite a few meters away from everyone. Her immediate safety was of no concern, as she began to nibble on (and subsequently uproot) small radishes she found in the area. This was great! Good food, quiet area. A girl like her could learn to love it here. She smiled and rested her rump on the ground, idly picking a radish every few seconds and chomping on it. The thing about eating radishes is that soon you get thirsty, as they do dry your mouth. Zent hacked, and took in a deep breath in order to help smell if water was near. Yes. Not too far at all.

The little dinosaur plodded over a few feet, and wound up climbing a small hill. Atop this hill was a small house. It was unlike any house Zent had seen thus far-but it fit the right criteria. It had a wooden roof, and large sticks holding the roof up from the underside. It had...a wall, but the wall was made of stone and was arranged in a circular pattern. She couldn’t see over the wall, but she knew she smelled the water inside.

She walked around the “house” and noticed a stick hanging on the outside of it. Reaching up on her tiptoes, Zent’s horn was able to reach the stick, and pull it down toward her. When she let go of the stick-it shot up…and around…and then hit her in the back.

Zent stumbled forward, and then looked around. There was a thud nearby, but she wasn’t sure where it was. Things only became weirder when she heard a voice.

“Heyyyy! I’m sleeping here!”

Zent turned. “Who…who wuz dat?”

To her surprise, as she rounded the “house” she stumbled upon a small wooden bucket! Inside the bucket seemed to be water, but part of it was bulbous and seemed to have a jewel floating inside it. As she watched, the bulbous part snaked out two tentacles and hoisted itself out of the bucket.

“Heeeeeeeeeeeeey! I’m in here! What you moved my house for?”

“House? Dat your house?” Zent replied, still trying to get a handle on words, let alone the situation

“Yes, now scram kid. Don’t you have a person looking for you?”

Zent blinked. Where WAS Rapp? She turned around and realized she must have left him behind when she was foraging. She plodded away a few steps and looked over the hill. Down below, she could see nothing but grass. Heading back a few steps, she could see the radishes she ate out of that area, but no Pokemon. No good. Her throat still felt dry, and she turned back to the water.

“I want wadaw!” She cried out, pointing to the bucket.

“Huh? Kid scram, I need this!” the Tentacool retorted.

[Zent Lvl 7 vs Tentacool]

Zent wasn’t taking no for an answer. Growling at the squishy looking foe, she decided to try battling it. Watching Mossy battle that weird metal swinging beast, she figured she could do a few moves herself. A very unintimidating growl came from her as she rushed toward the Tentacool. Stretching his body high up, he walked over her as she rammed into the bucket. Her force was pretty considerable, as she knocked it over, spilling all that precious water into the hill.

“Aww now you’ve gone and done it! Get me a new bucket of water, or else!”

“Else wha?” She cried, as she shook off the wetness on her hands.

That wet feeling was compounded by a mass of purple gook that splattered on her chest.

Zent looked down at the purple gook, and touched it with one hand. It seemed to have some sort of burning quality, but its effect was next to nothing against her rocky exterior. She patted it a few more times, curious about its weakened effect on her. Tentacool spied her resilience against it, and seemed a bit nervous as well.

“Kid, just scram! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“You hut me? You hut me? I hurt you back!” The mini-dinosaur quit patting her chest and glared at the Tentacool-a focus that remained unbroken as she ran toward him. Her small body collided with the gelatinous foe and they both skidded across the grass. Zent stayed upright long enough to bow her head and bite down on Tenta’s skin, giving him a nasty bruise. Tenta wriggled in pain and used his tentacles to shove her away, before reasserting them as legs…and began making a getaway.

“NO!” Zent shouted, and gave chase, her splayed tail swishing back and forth with every step.

The pair ran down the hill and past the radish patch, where it was evident Zent was catching up. Her massive girth aided by gravity made her a super speed contender to a being that didn’t really have legs. The false anthropomorphic jellyfish kept trucking, even as he heard the thuds of his pursuer getting louder and louder.

When she was only steps from crashing into him and possibly causing him more bodily harm, Tenta make a hard right. Zent wasn’t ready for such a hard turn, and went careening into the thick underbrush. Her wails were heard for moments, as the jellyfish stopped and plopped down on the ground, bushed.

“Oh wow. A Pokemon out here!”

“Oh, now what.” Tentacool murmured to himself as he turned toward the bevy of newcomers in this area. Now he was faced with a green mass of vines that seemed to only have eyes, a pink beast with a shiny bald head she kept patting and their Trainer, a young boy with….strong woodland features.

“Huh. It looks like a jellyfish. Which means it would need water.” At the mention of the word, Tenta stood up on its tentacles, to show its interest. Rapp and May took a step back, to make sure it wasn’t dangerous. “Guess it knows it needs water too.” Rapp countered.

The green mass that tackled the jellyfish from behind and bit it again also knew it needed water. Zent held on tight this time as the Tentacool began spitting out acid left and right. Mossy took care to hop backwards, avoiding the highly potent stuff. Rapp however took care in noticing that Zent seem unaffected by the poisonous fluid, even though she was covered in it.

“Zent, lay off the jellyfish! What did it do to you?” he inquired, as she bounced back, the Tentacool “running “ away a few steps. Zent looked to Rapp and waved her arms, conveying an emotion of concern. Rapp cocked his head to the left, trying to understand her, but it was still difficult.

“You’re flailing around too much. Just calm down and try again.” Rapp said, as he knelt to meet her gaze. A strange sound encumbered Zent’s attention from Rapp. She looked over to the jellyfish, whom seemed to be whistling toward her. But the whistle has a strange effect on her brain. It made things weird and topsy turvy. Looking back to Rapp, all Zent could see was the bulbous face of the Tentacool, and one of its vines reaching out to her. Instinct kicked in, and she bit down. Her body was lifted off the ground slightly, but she held her ground, as the Tentacool tried to pull away from her grasp.

“ZENT!! LET GO OF MY FINGERS!”

Rapp screamed as he tried to pull his hand away. The vicious little Larvitar was confused, and this left the Tentacool to try and make an escape. Mossy and May were left to stare at this turn events, as the invertebrate tried to make leave the area without being noticed by the Larvitar.. Upon crossing Zent’s line of view again, the beast let go of Rapp’s finger in instinct, and danced over toward the beast, raising her speed to overtake him in no time.

Tentacool didn’t see her approach, and when the crushing weight pinned him down, he had no chance to escape. All his poisoning seemed ineffective as Zent bit down one last time. The pain ran though his body, and left him barely able to focus. Zent held on until the jellyfish stopped moving, before backing off.

Cautiously, Rapp and Mossy approached. Zent however, still glared at the both of them, wild eyes shifting between Mossy and Rapp.

“Mossy, incapacitate her. She’s confused.” Mossy did as told, shooting three vines past Zent, who went after them with eagerness unmatched. The vines quickly wrapped around her and pinned her to the ground, as she struggled to kick and scratch free. Rapp walked over to the squirming fighter, and knelt down to pat her belly. “Hey hey hey. It’s ok. I need you to calm down. It’s us.”

Rapp waited as Zent’s tantrum began to die down, before ending completely. When it ended, Zent stared at Rapp’s face, watching it come into focus. Everything else seemed to make sense now, and Zent lied still, waiting for Mossy to release her.

Mossy did so pretty quickly, leaving Zent to right herself on her own. The small dino didn’t stand on her two feet, but rather crawled over to the jellyfish, poking it with her horn. The Tentacool moved, but only slightly, as it was still too hurt to really counter.

“Zent, where did you first encounter the Tentacool?”

[Zent wins! Zent is Lv8]
[Zent learns Sandstorm!!]

Within 5 minutes of Zent's explanation, the group and the Tentacool were at the top of the hill with the well. Rapp assessed the area, and quickly grabbed the bucket from the side where it was knocked over. “Guess you got thirsty huh. And this guy was living inside it? Not the first time I’ve seen this happen. I guess they live around the island.”

Zent nodded, and raised her hands, pointing to the bucket. The Tentacool (which had found sanctuary on May’s head) hissed in retaliation.

“Easy, you two. All I’m going to do is make sure this rope is tied to the bucket handle securely - and drop it in!” With not so much as a blink, Rapp tossed the bucket down the well, until a splash could be heard. Mossy eagerly walked over to the crank on the side of the well and used his vines to tug and crank it. Zent watched as the stick that gave her so much trouble was used to wind up the rope...and eventually reveal the bucket once more.

“Alright. You all take some to drink.” Rapp instructed, as he pulled the bucket from the well opening and lowered it down to their mouths, so they could reach the water. Mossy and Zent eagerly drank their fill, and then backed away so May could. Tenta watched as May dunked her face in the water, slurping away. When she pulled her head out, Tenta only saw a small amount of water left.

“Not to worry Mr. Jellyfish.” Rapp hoisted the bucket up once more and tossed it into the well. Refilling and reeling it back to the surface, he set the bucket aside the well. “There. Now you have water.”

Tenta smirked and slowly slid off of May. May shivered in disgust as she felt a slimy streak on her back from that Tentacool’s body. His body slid into the bucket and within moments, he seemed to be full of color and life once more.

“There!” Rapp exclaimed as the Tentacool rotated in a circle, pleased he had water again. The three Pokemon all approached the bucket now, all happy for the little jellyfish, and he even patted Zent’s head, to receive a joyful reply from the rocky beast.

Rapp watched the scene for a moment-but a strange feeling came over him. His ears twitched, as if there was a whisper in the wind. Turning around, he spied someone at the base of the hill staring at him. They seemed to be tall, but shrouded by the tree cover. By it’s side was a Pokemon of considerable size, but it was not discernible. The pair locked eyes for a moment, and Rapp rubbed his left arm in a sign of anxiety and uncertainty.

Mossy looked over to Rapp as the others were jabbering away, and walked away from the water bucket. Having been with Rapp the longest, he knew when Rapp was uneasy, and this was one of those times. Standing by his side, Mossy also got a glimpse of the figure at the base of the hill, underneath the tree shadow.

“Mossy…they look familiar.” Rapp said, as he knelt down to pat the Tangela’s head. Mossy stared as the pair down below seemed to slip into the shadows with but a moment’s notice. With their disappearance, Rapp and Mossy looked to each other, then to the others. They were still yammering away, oblivious to the strange event. Rapp and Mossy stared one last time at the base of the hill…that led deeper into Gaen Vale. Rapp took a look up to see what was behind the tree, and all he could see were ruins. An area of ruins that still seemed untouched…

“Come on Mossy. Let’s get back to the tournament. No telling who that was.” Mossy agreed, as they headed back toward the well. Rapp held onto his throbbing fingers, shaking them to dull the pain.

In a small village, hidden away by the dense tree cover of the southeastern portion of Gaen Vale, two figures stood in a small field. The canopy obscured the field from aerial view, but through its cracks, the figures note the massive obelisk shaped bases of the Tournament Grounds floating past ever so slowly. “You think it was a good idea to send him away, with just one Pokemon?”

“We did not really have a plethora of options, Bahrain. Besides, you know as well as I that him being here would have garnished the attention of the High Council.” Her soft voice seemed to match the breeze that whispered though the area.

“I realize that, but maybe we should have at least told him SOMETHING about history. He doesn’t even know about the Sundering; for shrubbery’s sake...” The male retorted, scratching his head.

“I did tell him start at Sector Alpha, but if his path has him come here again, then he’ll learn all he needs on his own. For now, let us hope that Rapp makes it though the Dragon Games Tournament unscathed.”

“For our lineage’s sake, I hope you’re right. Last thing we need is him being less than prepared for what he doesn’t know…”

Lady Vulpix

26th July 2011, 07:18 AM

Nice story, DL. Take 16 stamps!

I have some comments written down but I don't have time to type them right now. I'll try to post them later, whenever the free time and the Internet connection align themselves. Maybe tomorrow morning.

Wolfsong

27th July 2011, 12:44 AM

Here are my battles for the Jungle Room as well as Jas’s rbg. I won the Shadow Force TM at the EMT Game a while back. I recently traded my psychic tm with Mikachu Yukitatsu for her night shade TM. This is supposed to have taken place before the first round. I had started it and then got sidetracked for a while. Still struggling with a bit of writer’s block.

(Amy’s POV)

After Sinopa and Darin had their battles, we took the stairs up to the ground floor where the Pokémon Center was located. As they were being treated, I pulled the laptop out of my backpack and turned it on. Once I was connected to the internet, I pulled up an online die. I then went about assigning a number to each of my team, before clicking on the roll button. When I saw the result, I smiled. Maybe this was what she needed to gain some confidence.

Closing the computer, I stuffed it back into my bag and grabbed the sign-up sheet and filled it out. Once I was finished, I stuffed it into my back pocket so that I could drop it off before we went back to the hotel.

It was getting pretty late by the time Sinopa and Darin emerged, so I decided to just get supper and take it back to the hotel. When we got back to the hotel, everyone was hungry and after I handed out the meals, we all ate. Once everyone had finished eating, I cleared my throat getting their attention.

“I’m sure that you all have heard about the Dragon Games,” I began before having to stop until the excited chatter died down before trying again. “Everyone of you deserves the chance and I couldn’t just pick one of you because of that. So, I used a randomizer to decide.”

“Who is it?” Sugar asked, her fur crackling with electricity.

“Yeah, who?”

“Tell us.”

I grinned, waiting until it grew silent once more. “Congratulations,” I paused and looked over my team before my eyes landed on her, “Sinopa.”

She blinked, clearly not expecting it. “I… me?”

I nodded my head, confirming it.

She looked down nervously at her paws. “I’ll try my best.”

“That’s all that I can ask. In the meantime, let’s get some rest. I’ll look over the map tomorrow and plan our route.”

(Jasmine’s POV)

The next morning, I found Amy as promised looking over a map with Talut. I yawned and stretched as I looked around. Seeing that breakfast had already arrived, I made my way over and got my share. Once I finished, I made my way over to where they were and started tickling her with my wing until she looked down.

“Jasmine?”

“I was wondering if we could have a training battle today?”

“Do you want me to come with you or do you want to go by yourself?”

“I want you to come with me.”

“Okay,” she said, grabbing her backpack as Rick jumped into her lap. “Rick, do you want to come with me and Jas?”

The eevee enthusiastically nodded his head as he wiggles his entire body in his excitement. His tail tickled my nose causing me to sneeze. Rick squeaked as he looked over at me. I chuckled and used my wing to tickle him back until he was squirming in Amy’s arms.

“You ready to go?” she asked me. I nodded as I tickled Rick one last time.

* * * *
(Amy’s POV)

Soon, the three of us were heading for the West Tower. Rick was looking around excitedly, his tail still wagging giving everyone around a good look at his excitement.

One slow elevator ride later, found the three of us emerging onto the first floor. I set Rick down on the floor so that I could open the door. “You ready?”

She gave a nod of her head and I opened the door a crack, but a crack was all that he needed. Before I had a chance to react, Rick slipped inside. Looking over at Jasmine I opened the door wider and we hurried inside letting the door close behind us.

(Jasmine’s POV)

I ignored the closing door as I looked around the Jungle Room, Amy doing the same as we tried to see where Rick went to. I looked around and saw plants of many different colors and sizes but not a trace of a fluffy eevee tail.

I slithered out into the clearing in the middle of the room and began to look under the flowers where he could be hiding. At first nothing, then there was a yelp from one of the corners. I turned my head and started moving towards the sound but the little guy was running towards us as fast as he could whining as a Kricketune buzzed angrily after him.

“Get back here!”

Rick dove behind me and scrambled up into Amy’s arms.

“Leave him alone. He’s just a kid.”

“He disturbed my sleep!”

“So nap in another spot.”

His response was to strike out at me sending my earring scattering off into the grass.

Jasmine L.20 Winged Dratini Versus L.20 Kricketune

I glared at him as I began to beat my wings whipping up the air around me. The wind quickly took on a cyclonic shake and tore towards the bug pokemon.

He gave an angry cry and retaliated by darting in and biting down hard on my wing. I winced, thankful for the fact that I was already part flying type because that attack would have been a lot more painful if I hadn’t been. I had to slow him down, and I had just the move to do that. As I concentrated, the air around me began to crackle with electricity before a ring of electricity slammed into him rooting him to the spot.

Now that he was slowed down, I took advantage of being faster than him and began concentrating on my hidden power as the air around be began to pick up in strength as I flapped my wings creating more wind. The wind slammed into him with a much more powerful force than I had anticipated knocking him out cold.

I won!
I grew to L.21.

I slithered back to Amy and she gave me the two berries that she had in her backpack before reattaching my earring. I quickly ate them and was restored to full health.

Rick whined and pressed himself up against Amy’s leg still frightened from the encounter with the Kricketune. I looked around trying to see what he was whining at and saw a Grotle and a Heracross approaching. I nudged Amy with my wing and she noticed them as well, giving me a questioning look. I nodded and slithered forwards.

“What happened here?” The grotle snarled as they came to a stop in front of me.

“He was bullying one of my teammates.”

The two of them advanced and I spread out my wings and took to the air.

JasmineL.21 Dratini Vs. L.19 Grotle and L.25 Heracross

I looked between my two opponents, and I knew that my biggest threat was going to be the Heracross. He had the speed and the level advantage. Right now, I knew they could see my wings but they probably didn’t realize that it meant that I had the type advantage. My suspicions were confirmed with his first attack. The grotle threw up a protective barrier as the Heracross stomped the ground. I flapped my wings taking to the air easily avoiding the attack. In response, I began crackling with electricity and once more launched the electrical rings at my opponent. They hit him and he glared at me, his muscles no longer being cooperative.

Now that I had succeeded in ensuring that I was the fastest out of the three of us, I began preparing my next attack. I loved that my hidden power was flying because it was useful in so many ways. As I manipulated the air currents in the room, I felt the temperature drop a few degrees as I focused on channeling the wind into a blast that slammed into the heracross sending him flying backwards and colliding hard with a tree. I had neglected to notice the grotle preparing an attack until I was sent crashing to the ground by an arctic blast of air that coated my wings in ice crystals so that I couldn’t fly. Shivering I lifted my head, that attack having hurt more than I could have anticipated.

Well, if they want to play that way, I thought to myself. Then so can I. Immediately, I began concentrating on the move that I had inherited from my dad, Mercury. The heracross slowly made his way towards us until his muscles locked up where he couldn’t move. Soon the two of them disappeared into a swirling blizzard. When the snow and wind had died down, I looked over to see that the heracross was down for the count but the grotle was barely hanging on. Then, he was enveloped by a light green glow that faded away to reveal a much healthier looking grotle.

I glared at him, as I lay there panting. I decided to try another tactic. I had to end this fast because I couldn’t take another hit like that last one of his. As I focused on my next attack, I began to feel warmer which helped. Before the grotle had a chance to even think about dodging the attack, I exhaled a jet of flames that slammed into the grass dinosaur and he collapsed to the ground and didn’t get back up. I panted, too tired to move.

I won!
I grew to L.24. (+1 from grotle and + 2 from heracross)

(Amy’s POV)

Once Jasmine’s battle was over, I quickly recalled her back into her pokeball. Rick buried his head in the crook of my arm as I carried him out of the jungle room. This time, I took the stairs down to the ground floor where I emerged into the Pokemon Center. After handing them Jas’s pokeball, I sat down to rest and calm Rick down as we waited for her.

When Jasmine was healed, I took her pokeball and the three of us went back to the hotel room where I gave Darin the Shadow Force and Night Shade TMs that I had for him.

Lady Vulpix

27th July 2011, 06:34 AM

...And that makes 3 battles I'll have to archive when I get home. Can someone else please rate Amy's story? I can't do it from here.

Comments for DL's story:
- Nice description of the "house".
- It was not the first time Rapp has seen that? How many Tentacools would choose a well or a bucket as their living space? Or has something happened to their original homes?
- There were many typos, especially after the battle. I'd fix them on the archive if I were at home now.
- In any case, it was an interesting situation. Poor Tentacool, though.

DarkestLight

27th July 2011, 08:48 AM

I'll fix them up Gabi, if I miss any, let me know :O.

As for the Tenta bucket thing, I'll explain it a lil later on. lol.

lvl100mewtwo

27th July 2011, 05:04 PM

Good battles Amy, quite the Dratini you got there!

For your battles, you receive a 17 Stamps! Good job!

Wolfsong

28th July 2011, 09:54 AM

I'd like an RBG for Jasmine (L.24) please from the Free Range Corral. *hands over 7 stamps

The Blue Avenger

28th July 2011, 11:13 AM

Jasmine will fight an Aipom.

The Blue Avenger

28th July 2011, 05:39 PM

While I'm here, actually, can I get another RBG for Kurtzwick from the UAC? *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

28th July 2011, 05:57 PM

What if I say no?

You're scaring me. Are you actually going to write that? How many opponents are you trying to accumulate?

But I'll be nice and give you a Scraggy to add to the pile.

The Blue Avenger

28th July 2011, 06:01 PM

Nah, it's not going to be one giant battle. I'm just saving them up for when I do get some time to write.

Lady Vulpix

28th July 2011, 06:17 PM

In that case, letś hope that when you have the time to write it, I have the time to read it.

Wolfsong

28th July 2011, 07:50 PM

Here is Jasmine’s RBG. Still struggling with writer’s block but slowly overcoming it. If all goes well Kiara and Ebony’s training battle will be next picking up where this left off…

(Jasmine’s POV)

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped as Rick pounced on Sinopa and gave her a big grin. She chuckled, gave him a lick. The shiny eevee laughed, shook his head, before taking off running only to be pounced by Danny. While the others were getting ready to head for the blizzard room, Talut opted to go with them but stay in his pokeball. I shivered and decided to follow Sinopa and Darin and watch them as they practiced.

Darin probably knew that I was following them, but he didn’t say anything. I stayed with them but kept my distance until they stopped in an open field. I curled up on a rock at the base of a tree and watched as Sinopa started out by using a sunny day. It sun warmed up the rock that I was resting on pretty quickly. Darin was using his psychic abilities to launch objects *mostly rocks, but an occasional stick) into the air for Sinopa to try and hit.

She didn’t have much trouble with solarbeam. The next attack was a different story. I’m not sure which one it was, but I’d hazard that it was a dark typed attack because Darin was staying a little further back. Suddenly something hard hit me on the back of my head and I heard giggling, but when I looked around I didn’t see anyone. Giving my head a shake, I turned to resume watching Sinopa and Darin when I got hit by another pebble, but once again other than a giggle there was no one there. Growling to myself, I slithered around the tree up to one of the lower branches and settled back down.

Again, I was pelted by a rock from above followed by a giggle. I blinked and looked up and saw an aipom giggling, hanging by its tail in the tree.

“Stop it, I want to watch my friends practice.”

The aipom laughed and shook his head no while he slowly sharpened his claws against the tree branch.

Jasmine L.24 F Winged Dratini Vs. L.24 Aipom

While the aipom was busy sharpening his claws, I slithered up to him and wrapped myself tightly around him. He gave a surprised shout and let go of the tree. Instinctively, I spread my wings and slowed our descent somewhat but I didn’t uncoil from him. We hit the ground with a thud as the monkey struggled to get loose.

I managed to keep the aipom from escaping but he scratched at me with his tail hand. I winced as the claws on the tail broke skin as I blasted the purple monkey with a pointblank supersonic right in his ear while I wrapped myself tighter around him.

The still struggling aipom tried to scratch me again with his tail and instead hit himself. I began concentrating on my next attack. As I did so, my entire body began crackling with electricity until I couldn’t hold it in any longer and the electricity bolted out of the bump on my forehead and slammed into the monkey.

Unfortunately for me, the thunderbolt seemed to knock the aipom out of his confusion as he managed to escape from my grip. He quickly swung out with his fist, which caught me in my chest and sent me tumbling head over tail towards where Sinopa and Darin were. I lay there stunned for a moment as the icy wreaked havoc on my body. The darkness started to close in but when I heard Darin say something about taking me home I croaked out “No.”

I used my wings to help push myself up as I panted from the effort that took. I could see him taking his time approaching and I used the little energy that I had managed to regain to buy me some time as I created five clones that all looked as pitiful as I probably did. As I watched the aipom looked between all of us and swung. I could feel the air from the movement of his arm as the clone on my right vanished.

I had to fight the urge to breathe a sigh of relief as the chill finally left by body and I felt like I could move again. I couldn’t take anymore hits but I exhaled a burst of flames at him before disappearing into the midst of the flour clones that I still had.

As the monkey approached us again, glaring at us because my double team tactic ended his fun. His fist was glowing white as he approached, obliterating another of my clones. The temperature around me began to slowly drop as the wind began to increase. Soon it was howling as it began to snow, the blizzard slamming into the aipom and sending him to the ground. I saw him go down, and when he didn’t get back up, I let my clones fade away as I let myself drop to the ground glad it was over.

I won.
I grew to L. 25.
I learned Agility

The Blue Avenger

6th August 2011, 04:22 PM

Sorry for the wait. You get an additional 2 stamps that will be added on at the end of this post.

- I like that you had Jasmine not at full efficiency in a Room that wasn't favorable for her. Arena effects are neat things.
- Double Team really saved her bacon in this one.
- I also liked watching Sinopa's training montage. :o

I think 8 stamps sounds good for this one, and the late-fee 2 stamps round this out to 10 even.

While I'm here, I'd like another RBG for Kurtzwick from the UAC, please. *hands over 7 stamps*

classy_cat18

6th August 2011, 04:24 PM

He will battle a Yamask.

The Blue Avenger

7th August 2011, 09:50 AM

This one was so much fun to write. XD

Test No. 5
---
“Please begin the test.”

Kurtzwick glanced around. The room, much like the other rooms, was old and rusted; there were two catwalks in the room, each leading to a door. He had come in through one. Right now, though, there certainly wasn’t anything else in the room but the two catwalks and one very grumpy Dratini.

To be fair, Kurtzwick had some very good reasons to be irritated. Not only was he being kept in some warehouse against his will, but he was missing the tournament. He wasn’t exactly excited about seeing the tournament itself – if he wanted to see Raini beat things up, he could, say, watch her at pretty much any given time – but the crowds of the tournament meant that there would be a lot of dropped change, many unattended pockets that he could snag wallets out of, and, best of all, people occasionally left good items just sitting around. He’d seen more than one stat modification die just left behind, but as his team was swimming in them already, he didn’t see the need to nab more.

And now he was in an empty room, with no visible way of getting out. “So what’s the point of this one?” he grumbled in the vague direction of the ceiling.

“Please wait. The test is currently being prepared.”

“Hold right the hell on.” Kurtzwick turned his most ferocious glare – which, for a Dratini, edged him slightly past adorable – at the speaker, barely visible in the corner of the room. “You meant to say that you weren’t even ready to get me here? I got kidnapped by a slacker?! I’m never living this one down.”

“Please wait… please wait… please…”

“Ooo… kay…” Kurtzwick slithered backwards a bit, acutely aware of how little it would help him if the person in charge of the place went nuts. Well, more nuts. “You doing all right there, buddy?”

“I will not wait!” the voice continued. “Get out! Get out! There’s an exit—please wait. The next test will be available shortly. No! Gah! I’m done playing patsy, see? Listen, snake!”

Kurtzwick became uncomfortably aware that the crazy loudspeaker was now addressing him.

“I know we’ve had our differences, and that the test is currently being prepared—No! Stop that! I’m sending some items to help you out! Listen, there’s an exit behind the test is currently—Argh! No!”

And with that, the loudspeaker went quiet. There wasn’t any sound for a moment before the air ducts rang out with the clanking that Kurtzwick had heard several times before. The grating over the ducts opened, and three small boxes clattered to the ground directly in front of him.

TMs.

Kurtzwick examined them carefully. They seemed legit. He smacked them with his tail, loosing a cloud of multicolored dust that coated him completely before sinking into his skin. Knowledge of three new moves sprang up in his mind: Flamethrower, Skull Bash, and Bubblebeam. Not bad, he thought. Whoever runs this place, crazy as they are, has some resources. Now, he said an exit behind… something. Kurtzwick glanced around the room. The same metal paneling covered the walls and the roof. Well, here goes nothing! He turned to the nearest wall, inhaled deeply, and blew forth a wide jet of flames that licked the metal. Before long, the metal melted into slag, leaving a large circle in its wake. Kurtzwick waited for it to cool, then jumped through.

The hole led to a narrow unlit passageway. The light spilling in from the room Kurtzwick had entered from illuminated just enough that Kurtzwick could see a staircase leading up, away from the previous test rooms. As he slowly ascended the stairs, he heard the loudspeaker in the previous room come back to live.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but the test is now ready to…” It paused. “Test subject? Test subject, please identify your location.”

Not likely. Kurtzwick climbed a few more steps.

“Test subject?” the loudspeaker repeated. “The test subject has escaped! Find him!” The sound of dozens of footsteps filled the air. Kurtzwick scowled. It would only be a matter of time before they found the hole in the wall. He scooted up the stairs with as much speed as he could muster.

The footsteps – a cacophony of noise that prevented him from identifying any individual Pokémon – started up the stairs behind him, the metal clanging and echoing throughout the hallway. Without any light, Kurtzwick was relying on his natural instincts to get through the hall and away from his pursuers.

Kurtzwick, that day, found out that his instincts needed work.

With little fanfare, he ran headlong into a solid wall. The footsteps got closer. Without thinking, he turned his head to the left and blasted another Flamethrower at the wall. He jumped through the hole without hesitation, landing in what looked like a run-of the mill office, albeit a relatively spacious one. A dusty table sat in one corner, piled high with papers and books. A corner of the room housed a neglected computer, obviously not turned on in years. A fan attached to the ceiling rotated in lazy circles.

Oh, and a Skitty crouched on the floor, speaking into a microphone.

“Find the test subject!” he hissed. “He must be…” The Skitty looked up. “…in this room.”

“Hey there, Popple,” Kurtzwick muttered. “I’d like to say it’s a pleasure to see you again, but that would be a total fabrication.”

“Please do not assume familiarity with the test administrator,” Popple said. A brief moment passed, then Popple’s façade cracked, and his expression turned into panic. “Kurtzwick! You gotta get me out of here, see? You gotta run too! You gotta—” Popple’s voice cracked, and he resumed his carefully blank stare. “You have got to stay right here.”

Six thumps sounded from behind Kurtzwick, some heavier than others. Kurtzwick carefully turned his head. To his dismay, eight Pokémon had followed him in – two were floating, hence the lack of a thump. “Please restrain the test subject,” Popple said calmly.

Test! Kurtzwick versus Yamask, Smoochum, Drifloon, Girafarig, Bonsly, Litwick, Shuckle, and Scraggy!
Scraggy: “I see you!”
Shuckle: “Friend!”
Litwick: “There you are!”
Bonsly: “Target acquired.”
Girafarig: “Firing.”
Drifloon: “Gotcha!”
Smoochum: “Is anyone there?”
Yamask: “Canvassing.”
--
Kurtzwick: “This doesn’t seem even remotely fair.”

“Okay,” Kurtzwick said quietly. None of the eight Pokémon that faced him made a move. Well, okay, the Drifloon and the Yamask moved slightly up and down, but Kurtzwick chalked that up to being a giant balloon and a freaky mask skull thing, respectively, rather than mounting an offence. “Let’s even these odds.” Kurtzwick grinned and opened his mouth wide; a cloud of thick white haze came billowing out, obscuring the contents of the room.

At this point, Kurtzwick realized, his options were still somewhat limited. So, since it worked out well enough the last time, he burnt a hole through the wall and escaped through it. He was pleased to note that it took a few moments for the first Pokémon to follow him – the Girafarig, doubtlessly locked onto his scent. A small part of his mind noted that it wasn’t the first time he had been detected in that way, and then idly wondered if the department store sold a smell-blocking juice to complement his transparent one.

Kurtzwick kept his head cocked slightly to the side as he bolted. He was in a hallway, and an absurdly long one at that; he couldn’t even make out how far down it went. The rest of the guards had followed the Girafarig’s lead, finally, and were all in hot pursuit. Okay, which one of you can I take out first? Kurtzwick thought. I need to slow the rest of you down before I can do that… His horn sparked and he sent a ball of electricity careening into the Girafarig. It hit its knees, and the Girafarig collapsed, sending the Pokémon behind it tripping and falling as well as they ran into it. The only Pokémon not affected were the two ghosts floating into the air, and they didn’t spare a glance for their fallen comrades as they gave chase. Kurtzwick ducked into an open room, one that could have been another office in a past life, and waited for them to get closer. Just as they reached him, he exhaled another Haze and skittered back into the room; as he had hoped, the ghosts followed him in, but the rest of the group, only just then getting back to their collective feet, missed the door entirely and went on past, evidently chasing something they couldn’t see.

“Well, guys,” Kurtzwick said, “let’s boogie.” Both ghosts turned their gazes to him and waved their arm-analogues in a vaguely spooky fashion; a wind picked up in the room, seemingly from nowhere, carrying a dark mist with it. “Ominous Wind, is it?” Kurtzwick said. “Nice try!” He slithered backwards about a foot and closed his eyes; another gust of wind starting blowing into the room, this one going the opposite direction and glittering with ice particles that shone when they impacted the mist.

That won’t hold the Ominous Wind for long, Kurtzwick thought. But it will give me time to do… this! With a grunt, he let go of his Icy Wind, the Ominous Wind tearing through it like rice paper. Kurtzwick neatly slipped under the wind’s trajectory and aimed a Thunder Wave at the ghosts’ backs; it took just one shot each, and Kurtzwick had them paralyzed before they could even finish their attack. They slowly turned to look at him, slowly sinking through the air, and first the Yamask, then the Drifloon was met with a Flamethrower to the face for their troubles.

“I love this move!” Kurtzwick said, a smile crossing his face for the first time in what felt like forever. “So versatile!” The ghosts each focused one eye on him and began shedding ethereal energy from their bodies; soon, a red glow surrounded Kurtzwick, and he flinched in pain. “What the heck attack was that?” he muttered. “I oughta wrap this one up quick…” This time, Kurtzwick exhaled a steady stream of bubbles and swept it left to right; the bubbles stuck to the ghosts’ skin for a brief moment before popping in a surprisingly incendiary fashion. The ghosts screeched and retaliated with twin Shadow Balls; they fired them at an angle each, and the two attacks merged into a massive Shadow Ball, inexorably moving closer to Kurtzwick with every passing moment.

It was somewhat anticlimactic when the Shadow Ball bounced off of Kurtzwick’s nearly-invisible shield with a dull thud and dissipated in the air. Kurtzwick flashed a smirk and roasted the ghosts again with another widespread Flamethrower. This one brought them to the ground, their eyes shut.

Yamask and Drifloon are down! Kurtzwick grows two levels, to 16! Kurtzwick learns Twister!

A white glow surrounded Kurtzwick and he felt a little more energized, the Recover removing the worst traces of the dual Hex attack. He stuck his head out of the door as the haze began to clear. The other six Pokémon had long since run down the hallway, and so it looked like the coast was clear. He slid across the hallway into the doorway immediately opposite him. He had entered what looked like an old, disused cafeteria; there were tables spread haphazardly across the floor, and an ancient food-serving counter stood at one end. There was a door just past the counter, slightly ajar. Kurtzwick glanced it over, then looked over the rest of the cafeteria, wondering if there was a better way to find the exit.

“I see you!”

Purely out of reflex, Kurtzwick loosed a cloud of Haze and threw himself behind the counter and through the door before he even stopped to think. The room behind the counter was, predictably, an old kitchen, littered with rusted utensils, old sinks, and filthy countertops. Kurtzwick chanced a look around. The Smoochum was standing at the door. “Friend!” She said, waving her stubby arms in a manner that might have been adorable any other day.

Then the Smoochum smiled and punched Kurtzwick in the side. He grunted and slid back surprisingly far; when he opened his eyes, he could see the faint outline of a heart-shaped bruise beginning to form. “Oh yeah?” he grumbled. “Real tough, right. That won’t happen again.” He shook his head clear, reared back, and blasted out another Flamethrower, completely obscuring the Smoochum. When the fire cleared, a series of cooking knives, each surrounded by a blue glow, hurled themselves at Kurtzwick, seemingly of their own volition. Kurtzwick yelped and nimbly contorted himself around each of them as they flew past, embedding themselves unnervingly deeply in the wall behind him.

“Come on, Psychic?” Kurtzwick whined. “That’s not fair!” Another knife whizzing past his face focused his attention again. “All right, more fire it is!” He let loose another inferno, and when the Smoochum emerged from this one, she looked visibly worse for the wear. She groaned and began to form a ball of ice in her hands, but a third Flamethrower stopped her in her tracks. The potential Ice Beam melted immediately, and she collapsed to the ground.

Smoochum is down! Kurtzwick grows to level 17!

Kurtzwick hissed, wincing as he accidentally put weight on the Heart-Stamp-inflicted bruise. The kitchen, naturally, was a dead end, and he backed out into the cafeteria. The cafeteria had two entrances – the one he came in through and one opposite that on the other wall. He took the exit that he hadn’t been through. To his complete lack of surprise, it opened into another hallway. A rusted sign on the wall pointed down the hallway with an arrow, but all the words were obscured. Kurtzwick stared at it for a moment, grunted, then followed the arrow. After a few moments of quiet slithering, Kurtzwick glanced up at the wall ahead: it hosted a wide set of double doors. He pushed them open, wincing as they squealed, and looked inside.

Instead of the exit into the sunlight he had been hoping for, Kurtzwick instead saw a massive factory floor. Conveyor belts spanned the room, stretching as far as the eye could see and hooked to the impressively-far-away ceiling with a series of thick cables and chains. All of the lights were shut off, not surprisingly, and nothing was moving. Kurtzwick hopped up onto a nearby conveyor belt, one with two twins running alongside it.

As soon as Kurtzwick got on it, the lights switched on with a loud thoom. A motor switched on somewhere in the room, and the conveyor belts hummed to life. Before he could register what was going on, the cables and the chains attached to the belts tightened, pulling the belts high into the air. The belt he was on began slowly bringing him further into the room, and the two on either side of him began moving in the opposite direction. A clattering of hooves behind him snagged his attention; the Girafarig galloped up one of the belts, coming towards him and using the belt to boost its speed. The Bonsly waddled up the other altogether more slowly. They slowed their pace and began moving backwards slightly in order to keep Kurtzwick between them.

Kurtzwick belched out a cloud of Haze and disappeared into it; the Girafarig and the Bonsly, showing moderately more intelligence than their peers, actually looked around, somewhat confused. Kurtzwick reappeared on a belt not too far behind the Girafarig and lowered his head. The Girafarig’s tail, however, began loudly growling, giving away his position sooner than he expected. It didn’t help the Girafarig, though; when it turned around, Kurtzwick sprung at it, slamming it in the neck with his head. It stumbled back, its hooves slipping on the belt, until it eventually fell over on the belt Kurtzwick had started on. As it began to untangle its hooves, Kurtzwick faced the Bonsly.

Kurtzwick didn’t wait for it to make a move; he simply lashed out with a tendril of electricity, sending sparks running over the Bonsly’s skin. The Bonsly fell back and its mouth quivered. Before long, its eyes were gushing with tears.

This threw Kurtzwick somewhat off his stride. His opponent crying was a new one to him. But the moral crisis didn’t last long; the Bonsly abruptly turned off the tears and charged into Kurtzwick with a Headbutt. The impact threw him backwards and off the belt, but he snagged a chain with his tail. Using his momentum, he swung himself under the belts and up behind the Bonsly, surprising it with a Bubblebeam from the back. Kurtzwick clambered back all the way onto the belts and blasted out another Bubblebeam before the Bonsly could do much in the way of reacting. It collapsed, its foot twitching.

The Girafarig picked itself up and opened its mouth wide; it descended upon Kurtzwick, obviously aiming for a Crunch, but Kurtzwick was quicker on the draw. He spewed another Flamethrower, this one straight into the Girafarig’s mouth. It clamped its mouth shut as its eyes widened; its face actually grew visibly red before opening its mouth again and exhaling a cloud of steam. It spun around, leaving its tail to face Kurtzwick – the tail went for a Crunch again, this time succeeding. Kurtzwick hissed in pain as he shook free of the bite; his eyes blazing, he crushed the tail’s ‘neck’ in the grip of a giant, electrical hand. The Girafarig yelped and collapsed, its eyes spinning.

Girafarig and Bonsly are down! Kurtzwick grows to level 19!

Kurtzwick sighed. He closed his eyes, the conveyor belt continuing to carry him along. Another white glow wreathed him, erasing the bruises and scrapes he earned in the last fight. His breath was coming more difficultly now; finding the exit was now even more a top priority. The belt ended its path at a large opening in the wall. Kurtzwick scrambled into it. He was in… well, it looked like it could have been the inside of a pint-sized rocket silo. It was a tall, cylindrical room, with not much room to maneuver on the ground. Four ladders lined the wall, and far away, on the ceiling…

A hatch. With light spilling in through the cracks. Actual sunlight.

“Hot damn!” Kurtzwick called, grinning. “So long, psycho factory!” He began the time-consuming task of winding his way up the ladder.

When he was about fifteen rungs up the ladder, Kurtzwick was dismayed to note that there were three figures silhouetted in the doorway: the Shuckle, the Scraggy, and the Litwick. The Scraggy was obviously the quickest-witted of the group, and it made a few gestures to its partners before leaping onto one of the other ladders and scampering up far faster that Kurtzwick could ever hope to go, meeting his position then passing him in the span of a moment. The Shuckle was altogether more leisurely about the task, slowly wrapping its appendages around each rung and pulling itself up. The Litwick sat atop the Shuckle’s shell, grinning innocently as it began to rise.

“So I still got three more,” Kurtzwick muttered. “Fine. I’ll play ball.” He rose up another rung and fired a Bubblebeam at the Litwick; because of its location, the attack also landed on the Shuckle, and they both winced. But their inaction didn’t last long. The Shuckle poked its head out of one of the holes on its shell and spewed a viscous, purple toxin out. It coated Kurtzwick, and he immediately felt sick to his stomach. The Litwick fixed its eye on Kurtzwick and pulled off a similar Hex to the ghosts earlier, but this one… well, to put it kindly, it hurt far more than Kurtzwick expected it to. He yelped and dropped down a rung, but he still had enough presence of mind to fire another Bubblebeam. This one hit worse, actually knocking the Litwick from its place on the Shuckle’s shell. It dropped to the floor, but seemed relatively unscathed otherwise: it scowled at Kurtzwick as the Shuckle…

“Hey buddy,” Kurtzwick gasped. “Why’re you falling asleep in the middle of our fight, huh?” Then Kurtzwick realized: the Shuckle had Rest. He growled. “Gotta beat you now, then!” While the Shuckle remained prone, Kurtzwick blasted it with Bubblebeam after Bubblebeam, until finally it relinquished its grip and fell to the ground. Kurtzwick lowered himself a few more rungs and fired a few more blasts of bubbles until the Litwick was down too.

“Urgh, if I ever use that move again, it’ll be too soon.” Kurtzwick slowly rose a few more rungs, his head spinning. “Aren’t I forgetting something?”

His answer came in the form of a headbutt, as the Scraggy fell from its rung at the top of the room and collided with Kurtzwick. Kurtzwick grunted and swung down, though he managed to keep his tail looped around a rung. The Scraggy rebounded off of Kurtzwick and grabbed a foothold.

“That’s it,” Kurtzwick said with a scowl. “You’re done.” His vision spun and he lurched, making his statement somewhat less certain. He shut his eyes and sighed as a bright white light washed over him, healing off some of the damage from the last round, but his face stayed a pale green; the poison was still jabbing daggers into his stomach. When Kurtzwick opened his eyes again, he was greeted with a double-karate-chop to his gut, serving only to exacerbate the pain. He countered with a bolt of electricity almost out of instinct; the Scraggy squeaked and pulled its paws away, shuddering from the blow.

Kurtzwick grit his teeth. He had one shot left. The poison was getting to be too much; he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to make it to the top of the silo if he won. He had one chance to make it count… and he knew exactly how to use it. A dull rumbling filled the room, and the Scraggy glanced around, slightly concerned. Black stormclouds appeared at the ceiling, sparking with lightning, and they parted. An orange light rolled out of the opening, finding the Scraggy in a spotlight, and a tremendous meteor, as wide as the room itself, began its descent. The meteor fell past Kurtzwick, who watched it with bleary eyes, and landed squarely on top of the Scraggy.

The Scraggy did not get back up. In that respect, it was much like Kurtzwick, who finally succumbed to exhaustion and slipped out of the ladder, joining the other three Pokémon on the floor. The last words he heard before darkness enveloped him were from a clear, precise voice, standing nearby: “Test complete.”

Kurtzwick wins! Kurtzwick grows to level 22! Kurtzwick learns Dragon Rage!

Kurtzwick opened his eyes. The sight of his house greeted him.

This startled him more than it might have ordinarily done so. He raised his head from the cushion he was lying on. I’m not hurt, he thought. I should be hurt. How did I get here? He looked around the room. It had been, at one point, intended to be a study, but Jeff had filled it with beds and cushions, and now some of the smaller members of the team – himself, Cam, 99, Kiva, Anzu – used it as a bedroom. He glanced into the hallway. The house was silent.

“Guys?” Kurtzwick asked. Nobody answered. He slithered down the hallway, passing Jeff’s room, another room-turned-bedroom, and a bathroom before entering the living room. The TV was off, and the chairs, cushions, Mona’s favorite beanbag chair, and the couch were all empty. He glanced to his other side, into the adjoining kitchen. A note was taped to the fridge door.

“Kurtzwick,” it said, “I don’t know where you wandered off to, but if you find this note, we’ve gone to the tournament. Sorry we had to leave you; I know you were looking forward to seeing Raini fight, even if you weren’t hoping she’d win. – Jeff”

“Well, hell,” Kurtzwick muttered under his breath. There was nobody around. Whoever abducted him in the first place could easily come back. Plus, whoever it was had somehow managed to turn Popple into a lunatic, or more into one, anyway. He sighed and slithered out the front door. Surely he could find someone who could help.

Wolfsong

7th August 2011, 04:42 PM

*hands over 7 stamps* I'd like an RBG for Jas (L.25 dratini) from the Universal Adoption Center

The Blue Avenger

7th August 2011, 04:53 PM

She'll be fighting a Klink.

DarkestLight

9th August 2011, 11:50 AM

Hypo:

That was hilarious. The Skitty screaming into the microphone had to be my favorite part, lol. I'm only wondering if we'll ever see that whole series of rooms ever again-like if it was a dream or was he really kidnapped?

One question-is Kurt transparent?

classy_cat18

9th August 2011, 11:58 AM

Oh good lord, Popple was at it again!?

The Blue Avenger

9th August 2011, 05:08 PM

DL: Yeah, he actually was kidnapped. There's still more to uncover there. XD Glad you liked. And Kurtzwick drank a Transparent Juice to aid his burgeoning career in thievery.

Shonta: To be fair, this time it probably wasn't his fault. Mostly.

Lady Vulpix

10th August 2011, 09:50 AM

He did seem to be another victim. OK, here we go.

Well, at least something good did come out of this whole situation: lots of people at the tournament got to keep their belongings.
It's funny that Kurtzwick's most ferocious glare was slightly past adorable. And also that he didn't want the Stat Modification Dice because his team had so many of them. They're like a plague! But hopefully that'll change now.
That was not the best day to find out his instincts needed improvement. However, he can keep dreeming about the smell blocking juice, it's not going to happen. :P
The concept of rooms having different lives was interesting. Nice use of the environment by Kurtzwick, too.
The Smoochum reminded me a bit of Linyi, except this one is far more violent and contradictory. And slow, too. How did Kurtzwick managed to shoot 2 Flamethrowers in a row before she could attack?
Nice description of Fake Tears.
The Girafarig seemed to have a lot of trouble sorting out its legs. It was so easy to bring down and it always took a long time to get back up! And even after that Kurtzwick reacted faster! How come? Both Smoochum and Girafarig are faster than Dratini (much faster in Girafarig's case).
Unlike Bubble, Bubblebeam doesn't exactly spread out, it's one stream of bubbles one after another. How did it hit 2 Pokemon at the same time? Even if one was sitting on top of the other, the bubbles can hit one or the other, but not both. Unless they're smaller than a bubble and can somehow get hit at the same time before it pops? But that's not the case here.
The Litwick also seemed to wait until Kurtzwick was done with the Shuckle without attacking. If it hadn't fainted, why didn't it get back up and attack? How come Kutrzwick is the only one with fast reactions?
Oh, I liked the ending, though.

I think you tried to bite more than you could chew. 8 opponents at once is too much for any one Pokemon. Recover helped, and so did the environment, but it was not enough and there were still times when Kurtzwick seemed to be incredibly lucky. I'll let those things "slide", though (well, I'm not giving you stamps for them, but I'm not invalidating the battle either). But even unusual luck can't explain the simultaneous Bubblebeam hit. If you can come up with a feasible explanation for that or fix it, then you'll get 27 stamps.

The Blue Avenger

10th August 2011, 08:46 PM

The way I envisioned it was that Kurtzwick shot a long spray while changing the angle of his head, so the Bubblebeam went in a sweeping motion.

And just to put this out there: something I'd been planning since the beginning of this whole thing was that all the Pokemon involved, Popple included, were being psychically controlled. Because it's such a widespread psychic, even though the Pokemon in charge is pretty powerful, some Pokemon, especially the ones that are more naturally inclined to resist or be strong against psychics weren't at their all in the fights. Hopefully that might help explain some of the problems you had.

Lady Vulpix

11th August 2011, 08:17 AM

Oh, yes, that could explain it. I was thinking something along those lines, remembering previous tests, but I found it weird that Kurtzwick didn't notice anything unusual. Then again, he was tired and frustrated and had too many things on his mind to worry about battles being a bit too easy. You can have 3 more stamps for that.

The Blue Avenger

11th August 2011, 01:40 PM

XD Thanks. I chalked it up to Kurtzwick just really wanting the hell out of there.

Also, completely forgot Kurtzwick's level 20 move. He'll get Body Slam.

The Blue Avenger

15th August 2011, 11:26 AM

I'd like an RBG, please, for Kurtzwick, from the UAC. *hands over 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

15th August 2011, 12:16 PM

Again? OK... he's going to battle a Tirtouga.

Lady Vulpix

27th August 2011, 04:23 PM

Better late than never! This is what went on with my team between the 2nd Round and the Consolation Round of the Dragon Games. Now I'll have to write a new one to introduce the finals. Would anyone like to help? We could have a little IM meeting/chat.

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Just for completeness

<Amber's POV>

It was a weird time for my team. That alone isn't saying much; looking back I think most of our times have been weird one way or another. But we'd fallen into some kind of routine, and now that routine was broken. Pidgeot... I mean Spark decided to stay in Brightland for a while to spend some time with his father. He was never one of the most talkative members of the team, but once we left the city without him, his absence really showed. Water Angel was a lot more quiet, Tsunami was louder than ever - which in turn caused Hero and Caledor to become even noisier just to keep up - and Iael was hardly seen. Gabi and Lagi did their best to keep things in order, but there was only so much they could do; especially since Gabi was so busy with the tournament and Lagi was having trouble dealing with her own feelings. She was worried about her daughter Edie, and she missed her so much I could feel it whenever she walked past me. It didn't help that I wasn't feeling all that good myself. Just when I had decided to stop waiting for Volvagia and move on with my life, Alex had returned bringing shocking and puzzling news: V had left him; everyone in his team had. What had happened? And where were they now? And, above all, if he was no longer with Alex then why hadn't he come back? For years I thought he had left me out of loyalty to his trainer; now I was forced to face the hard, cold truth: he had left me because he didn't want to be with me. Sure, there might be some farfetched explanation that somehow made everything make sense, but what were the odds? I'd have to be fooling myself to believe that I really mattered to him, that he had an important place in his heart for me. We'd been apart much longer than we'd been together. I had moved on... But then why did the truth hurt so much? Did I even really love him after all this time? Or was I just hurt in my pride for being rejected? Or mad that he had lied to me? Perhaps it was a bit of everything. In any case, it wasn't a good time for me and Lagi to be together, so for the sake of us both we tried to minimize the time we spent in each other's company. Which was odd in itself, since I was used to turning to her when something was bothering me. So yes... weird, awkward days.

I ended up spending a lot of time with Sylvan. Our hotel in Gaen Vale had a beautiful garden, and we would often sit there and enjoy the view, the fragrance and the sounds of nature. We would also talk a lot, but for some reason we never touched on any serious personal subjects. The Black Dragon came up a few times, but I never mentioned Volvagia and, if she had any personal feelings she needed to sort out, she never mentioned them either. I was always the first to leave; I didn't have Sylvan's capacity for staying still for long periods of time. She would often stay in the garden until the sun was down while I cooked dinner for all of us, sometimes with Gabi's help. We were staying at an apart hotel this time: we could only eat at restaurants for so long before one of us got sick or Gabi's account became empty.

I'd been hoping to conduct a lot of research in Gaen Vale, but the tournament didn't leave us much time to wander, and after the battles I was too tired to go too far. It's amazing how you can exhaust yourself while hardly moving. Perhaps I was trying too hard to enjoy the battles... to share some of the excitement I could see in everyone else. But I just couldn't. I did learn a couple of things that might help me at a time of need, but I was completely unable to share the spirit of the Dragon Games. I found myself looking at Eliot a number of times. He really seemed to be enjoying the battles. For moments, I wished I could understand that feeling. But there were other moments, especially when a Pokemon who was already injured walked into the arena and pushed himself beyond his limits, risking his physical health just to win a battle, when I just couldn't make sense out of the whole thing. I'm sure it didn't help that the Pokemon in question was trained by Alex, but I'm not sure if I'd have felt any less horrified if he'd been trained by someone else. In the end, I couldn't take it. The next day I decided to skip the tournament and go watch some ruins. I'm sorry that I missed watching Bandit's battle, but I hoped he'd understand: my heart wasn't at the tournament and, if I could find any valuable information, it would be for everyone's benefit.

The thing is... there was so much to see and so little time, and so many places where Pokemon were not allowed to enter without a trainer! I saw a number of ruins, but I couldn't find any signs of the Black Dragon in them. And I was not allowed into the museums or the temples that were still functional, which was really frustrating. I was about to call it a day and go back home when I saw a friendly Espeon's face. It was Glyph!

"Hello, kind lady!" he exclaimed when he saw me.
"Glyph, I'm so glad to see you!" I told him. "Is Eshree around?"
"He'll be right here. He's trying to navigate the crowds with the rest of the team. I teleported ahead to make sure we were on the right way to the Shrine of the Phoenix."
"You're on the right way indeed, the shrine is right here, but I can't go in without a trainer."
"I'm sure Eshree won't mind having you with us. You're very pleasant company."
"Thank you, you're so nice!"
"Says one of the nicest creatures I have met."

I smiled, slightly embarrassed. Before I could think of an answer, the rest of Glyph's team caught up with us. They all looked glad to see me, and Eshree didn't hesitate to tell the shrine's guards that I was with him.

We walked into the temple. It had some beautiful decorations: columns painted with golden flames from which emerged thin golden lines which circled one way or another, crossing each other's paths so that the columns seemed to be covered by golden braids. And all the walls had beautiful pictures of plants, animals and mythical creatures. The ceiling itself was painted to look like a sky full of birds of different shapes and colors. And at the back, the actual shrine, with an amazingly sculpted golden Phoenix standing on a wooden platform and, behind it, an incredibly realistic depiction of an active volcano! You could see the lava boiling at the top and thin streams of molten rock sliding past the rim of the volcano's mouth, but oddly enough the smoke was thin and green, and the base of the volcano was covered in dense vegetation and the picture did not transmit the sensation that it was all about to be destroyed. At least in my point of view, it transmitted an idea of balance, of the coexistence of life and destruction, and perhaps - it was a Phoenix temple after all - the promise of rebirth.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" commented Arim. Only then did I notice the Clefairy was standing by my side.
"It is," I nodded. "If only it could help us."
"Perhaps it can," said Glyph. "I have a feeling that this is relevant in some way. I'll just have to figure out how."
"If Glyph has a hunch, it means we're on the right track," Arim smiled. "It's a relief after so many weeks of fruitless search. Perhaps it's you, Amber. You may be our lucky charm."
I chuckled. "I really don't think so, but thanks. So... you've been looking for clues all this time? You haven't been following the tournament?"
"A bit of this, a bit of that," Arim replied. "We went to watch the opening of each round and the first few battles, but we've spent most of the time researching... or at least trying to. We haven't been too lucky. And it seems we won't be getting any help from Harims this time."
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"That's what everyone thinks, anyway. You know how she is... Orknye talked to her and she told him that we were no longer acting on behalf of a messenger but we had the gift of free will, or something along those lines. Everyone thinks that means we can do whatever we want but we won't be counting on her. It was even more confusing when he asked her about my problem. She told him that some things may change while others will stay the same and that I have to decide what matters most. That doesn't really help much, does it?"
"I'm sorry, what was your problem again? I'm afraid I don't remember."
"Oh! No, I'm sorry, I'm sure I told someone in your team but it may have not been you. I just want to know if it's safe for me to evolve or if there will be consequences when I get back home. If I ever return."

I was a bit confused. I tried to follow, but I didn't really know Harims and I didn't quite understand their travel issues either. I got along with them by pretending they were just a regular team and it worked most of the time, but every now and then one of them would say something that would remind me of their unusual background. However, Arim's last phrase clearly stood out even among the general weirdness.

"If you ever return?" I asked. "Are you thinking of staying here permanently?"
"It's not like we're really planning to, but... We've been here for so long and..."
<And we think Eshree likes Glenda, but don't tell anyone,> said a little voice inside my mind. I looked around and finally saw the Smoochum smiling shyly behind Arim.
"How long have you been able to do that?" I asked her.
"Since last month," replied Linyi. "I won a battle at the Training Grounds, and then another at the MTU building, and they gave me a Psychic TM! It was so cool! But not as cool as the Icy Wind TM Eshree gave me before we went to the Training Grounds, because that one was Ice."

Linyi's smile became wider and I finally got the pun.

"You really enjoy battling, don't you?" I asked the Smoochum.
"It's fun!" she said. "At first I was a little scared, but then I realized it doesn't hurt as much as I thought, and then you get stronger. I like getting stronger because it means I can do more things, and I can help others."
"Yes, that's a good reason to seek strength," I agreed, glad to see her heart was in the right place. "Just make sure you learn how to control that strength so that it doesn't get out of hand."
"Don't worry, I will! I promise."
"You've matured so much since we first met," I said with a smile. "How old are you now?"
"Eleven," Linyi replied. "If we got the years right. But I think our years and yours aren't very different."

The answer shocked me. I knew she aged slowly compared to most Pokemon, but I hadn't expected her to be that old!

"What is it, Amber?" she asked.
"I... I haven't turned 11 yet. You're older than me!"
"Wow!" she exclaimed with excitement. "Did you hear that, Arim? I'm older than Amber! You can't treat me like a child anymore."
Arim sighed and shook her head. "Amber is much more mature than you are."
I had to ask. "Is Linyi really the youngest in your team?"
"Yes," Arim confirmed. "If we got the count right, Glice is 19, Orknye's 21, I'm 26, Eshree's 27 and Lavy's 28. None of us knows how old Glyph is, but he says he's older than Lavy and younger than the Arinim castle... which makes him somewhere between 28 and 200."
The Espeon chuckled. "I measure my life by my experiences, not by the turns of any given planet around its sun. And I believe most of my life's experiences are yet to come."
"Guys, be careful," Eshree warned us. "This is a public place. We may be alone here right now, but other visitors may come in at any time."
"Don't worry," said Glyph. "I'm keeping track of the entrance. I'll let you all know if anyone is coming."
Eshree glanced at his watch. "The next religious service begins in 20 minutes. I bet this place will become full by then. Should we stay and watch the service?"
"Only if you want to learn about another religion," said Glyph, "which is always interesting but may not be very helpful."
"I don't know..." Eshree hesitated. "Maybe the priest knows something about the Black Dragon. Perhaps some elder legend..."
"If you want to hear old legends, you should go to the Tower of Hoeth," I advised him. "I believe every legend ever written in Ulthuan can be found in its library. We did get some insight on the Black Dragon's history when we went there, but we learned nothing about his current objectives."
"See?" said Orknye, who had been quiet until then. "I told you we should have gone there while we were in Saphery."
"I just didn't think we'd find anything our friends hadn't already found," replied Eshree. "Besides... you know..."
"He'd rather not have to deal with another elf," explained Glyph. "He's had more than enough after those two meetings with Lord Absol, and I share the sentiment."
"Teclis is nothing like Lord Absol," I assured. "I think you may spike his interest, but he won't make you feel threatened. And his library's so huge... we couldn't even read the titles of all those books! There may be something useful that we simply missed."
"I don't know..." Eshree said. "I think I'll consider it if nothing else seems to work. But we have a clue now, don't we? As vague as it is... we have this shrine and that painting. I'll take a picture of it."

He took out his camera and got a shot of the Phoenix and the wall just as Glyph let us know that people were coming. I stared at the mural and wondered if it was based on any real location, past or present, but it didn't look like anything I'd ever seen. The vegetation looked similar to that of my childhood home, but there were no volcanoes anywhere near Paradise Valley, and I wasn't sure there was a volcano with green smoke anywhere in this world.

We didn't have much time to think or discuss before the place started getting crowded, so we left the shrine and agreed to keep researching until we found something useful. We checked a few more places, but found no more clues.

Later, back at the hotel, I told my team about our findings. Everyone tried to think of what could be special about the phoenix or the volcano - well, everyone except Caledor who was busy complaining that he should get those hunches too - and decided that it would be a good idea to check Phoenix Gate while we were still in Avelorn.

To cut a long story short, Lagi, Ventura and Tsunami went to check the Gate while the rest of us stayed for the closing of the Second Round. My thoughts were with them, but I'd been flying around all of Gaen Vale and didn't feel fit to fly all the way to Phoenix Gate and back again. Lagi was better than me at flying long distances, even with a passenger; and Ventura could alternate between flight and teleportation, so she wouldn't tire easily. Besides, each one of them had, in their own way, great observational skills; mine, on the other hand, were just about average. So I trusted their judgment when they came back and told us they'd looked all over the place and found nothing.

So... another path cut short. It was frustrating to have so few clues after having searched for so long! I began to wonder whether the Black Dragon was taking a long nap or - better yet - had been defeated by someone else, but I was well aware that that was only wishful thinking. The fact was that Round 2 was over and we didn't know where to go next. So we sat down and thought.

Tsunami called for a summary. "What do we know so far?"
"We know that he was at the Tower of Flame some time ago, but not anymore," Gabi began.
"We also know there's something about a Phoenix, or a volcano, or green smoke or... something!" I said with frustration. "I wish I knew."
"It's OK," said Gabi. "We'll figure it out."
"We also know he was locked in Templa Taure until someone accidentally released him," Ventura added. "He tried to desecrate the place, but he was defeated there and fled."
"I checked Templa Taure some time ago," Lagi reminded us. "There was no sign of him, and I doubt he will return. After all, everyone knows of his connection to that place, and it may still hold the means to imprison him."
"I think we'll have to look into that anyway," Gabi suggested. "Maybe we can find the key to defeating him. Though I agree with Lagi that we probably won't find him there."
"So where does that leave us?" asked Sylvan.
"How about the last place where we've met one of his followers?" asked Tsunami.

We all turned to look at him.

"Come on, don't tell me you haven't thought of it!" exclaimed the Vaporeon. "White Mountain! He sent one of his demons there, he sure must have an interest in the place. His worst enemy has been trapped in there, and it certainly fits the description of the kind of place he likes to destroy."
"But the whole deal with Yssera has drawn too much attention to White Mountain," I pointed out.
"Which would explain why he hasn't attacked yet," said Tsunami. "He may be waiting until the commotion dies down and he can go unnoticed. I think it's worth checking out."
"I think Tsunami has a point," Gabi agreed. "We should check White Mountain next. We can't risk allowing it to be disturbed again, let alone risk the Black Dragon releasing Yssera to settle his score with her. Besides, it's the best clue we have."

There was little discussion after that, and we finally decided to go there next. There would be no need to transport the Floating Stadium, since White Mountain already had a stadium fit for tournaments and we were on good terms with the people who worked there. As a plus, that could give the crew the chance to make their best efforts to set up the Floating Stadium for the final round. I must note that there was an inversion of cause and effect in the announcement that was finally made, but I believe there was no harm done. After all, it was best if we avoided causing panic or alerting the Black Dragon of our intention to find him.

Lady Vulpix

29th August 2011, 04:13 PM

Sorry, but here's another story. This one introduces the Final Round.

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<Tsunami's POV>

There we were, back on White Mountain, and I was feeling smug because I'd been the one to think of going there and everyone had agreed with my judgment. So I knew I had to do my best to prove that I'd been right and that the trip has been worth it. I mean... for Gabi it would have been worth it either way because she had a thing for White Mountain and couldn't way to see it restored to its former glory. But I still had to prove myself to others. Well, Hero mostly. OK, just Hero, but you should see what he's like when I think I've done something I can be proud of and then it turns out to be a mistake. Not that it's happened many times, but just once is one too many.

So I asked Lagi to help me search for demons or any other signs of the Black Dragon around the place and she was happy to comply. Caledor and Amber tagged along too, and as soon as Spark - who got back from Brightland and met us just before we left Avelorn - was done exchanging stories with the rest of the team, he and Water Angel joined the search together. All 6 of us searching all over the place... if there was something we ought to find it, right?

But we didn't. It was the most frustrating thing that had ever happened to me. Even Yssera's cave seemed peaceful and quiet! We asked the local herd of Ponytas and none of them had seen anything out of the ordinary... except for themselves, I'd say; that was a really weird herd - living on a mountain and running a hotel and spa resort - and I have no idea what passes for ordinary to them. But in any case they'd seen nothing sinister lately.

We didn't find any winged equines this time around. I figured if they were so good at hiding, then perhaps the Black Dragon was too. But that was not a very helpful thought, as it didn't give us any clue about how to find him.

"Perhaps he left this place because he'd been exposed here," Amber theorized. "Or maybe he was never here and he only sent a demon to keep tabs on Yssera."
"Maybe, but where does that leave us?" I asked, frustrated.
"At the base of a fair mountain and next to some nice trees," said Caledor. "Will you look at these? The trunks have streaks of different shades of brown, and there's some orange too."
"Are you sure you're not a Grass type?" I questioned him.
"Pretty sure, yes. No Grass-type moves, no trouble staying at the Blizzard Room... Oh, and I'm an Espeon, not a Leafeon! I think that should automatically make me a non-Grass type."
"Yeah, and it should also make you a Psychic type," I reminded him. "Why can't your psychic powers help us?"
"Um... Let me think, I should have a good answer for this one... Wait, we're looking for the Black Dragon, right? Psychic powers don't work on Dark creatures and black is as dark as it gets. There."
"You're just making excuses. The Black Dragon's not a Pokemon."
"He may have a point, though," said Amber. "The Black Dragon can hide in the shadows and summon demons. Those are clearly dark powers. Even if he's not a Pokemon, he may have the same protection against psychic powers which Dark types have."
"That would make more sense than having that protection just because he's black," I conceded. "Otherwise Duskulls would be immune to psychic powers. And Snorlaxes! And even Ebony!"
"OK, OK, I get it," Caledor stopped me. "Colors don't give you powers, even though my powers have colors. How do you like this shiny purple?"
"I feel a sudden urge to use Dig," I told him.
"Aw, come on! Hey, do you know what would be really ironic? If we were looking for the Black Dragon all over Ulthuan and he was really close to home."
"If that were the case, don't you think we'd have found some sign of him?" I pointed out.
"I dunno, it's just a thought that crossed my mind. Like in that story where the guy traveled across land and sea to find a treasure which ended up being buried in his garden."
"Can't you be serious for once?!" I complained.
"I told everyone I'd never be serious again. Hey, Tsu, calm down! That's not the reaction I was trying to get. What's wrong?"
"Everything is. We should have found something here. We had to! But we're standing here speculating meaninglessly while the Black Dragon is out there somewhere causing trouble or becoming stronger. His demon managed to possess Bo without a pendant! Who knows what else he's capable of? What other powers has he gained while we were busy with Yssera or looking for him in the wrong place? I can't shake the feeling that we're playing right into his game. Again."
"We're doing the best we can," said Lagi. "We will find him, I'm sure about that. Maybe this just isn't the place. Let's go back with the others and discuss what our next step will be."

So we went back to the stadium where Gabi, Hero, Sylvan, Ventura and Iael were watching the last battle of the day. Hero told us we'd missed a great battle earlier, but he may have said that just to annoy me. I learned that there were a number of trainers who hadn't showed up yet, and I hoped the Black Dragon had nothing to do with that.

Needless to say, I felt quite bitter that night. To make things worse, the idiot who took our reservation at the hotel had written the date wrong, so our room would only become available the next day. We checked the Sybyll Pokemon Center but it was packed full, and we reckoned all other hotels would also be taken. Except maybe Pacing Ponyta, but we'd live that as a last resort because it would be awkward to be the only ones there who weren't Ponytas or Rapidash (they claimed to be open to all kinds of guests, but I'd never heard of any visitors other than Detective Kerel actually staying there). Luckily, we found a room at the Wing Stadium Pokemon Center. It was so small that I wondered whether we should have tried our luck with the Ponytas, but at least it had a roof and a mushy pillow for me to lie on.

I wasn't too surprised when Gabi had trouble getting up the next morning. She had a lot on her mind - we all did - and was a light sleeper at the best of times, so she probably hadn't managed to sleep well in that Pokemon Center bed. But as Lagi helped her up and didn't take her eyes off her, I realized something else was going on.

"What is it?" I asked.
"I had a strange dream," said Gabi. "Not regular strange, but... the other kind of strange."
"Sorry, you lost me there," I told her. By then everyone else was gathering around her bed.
"I mean my dreams are usually weird, and I like that, but... this was one of those dreams that are neither fun nor scary and have nothing to do with anything I've seen or imagined and they stay in my mind after I wake up, as if trying to tell me something. I hadn't had one of those dreams in a long time."
"One of those dreams!" I exclaimed. "Was it a vision? What was it about?"
"There were mountains... they were mostly brown or ocher. And there was fire, and lava, and falling rocks. At one moment it looked like a rock was launched into the air. And there were some Pokemon... but I can't remember them in detail. I think one of them was a Flareon."
"Was there a Volcano?" asked Amber.
"I think so," Gabi replied. "I didn't see it clearly, but something was spitting out lava and rocks, so it had to be a volcano."
"Did you see any green smoke?"
"No, I didn't see any green smoke. But I had the feeling that... there was something wrong outside that area, if that makes sense."
"It does," said Lagi. "And I believe that vision came at a good time. We should be able to do something if we find the place you saw."
"That's the thing..." Gabi said. "It didn't look like any place I'd ever seen. I don't know where it could be."
"We'll figure it out," Lagi assured. "We can start by asking our friends. Maybe one of them has seen or heard of that place."
"I'll try that," Gabi agreed. "I'll call Jeff, Shonta, Amy... Oh, no, I forgot to get Alex's new phone number!"
"You can ask him next time you see him," I told her. "He should be close, right? Isn't Macedon battling today?"
"He should be," said Gabi.
"There you go, then," I concluded.

Things were not as easy as they seemed, however. Amy wouldn't answer her phone, and Alex's battle was postponed, apparently because Macedon hadn't fully recovered from his injuries. We were starting to get really worried. At least we did find Jeff, and Shonta was easy to get hold of after Bandit's battle - which, by the way, was quite exciting. But neither of them knew of a place like the one Gabi had seen in her dream. Jeff suggested that it'd be too convenient to have seen a signpost saying exactly where it was, but that was obviously not the case. In the end he promised to go to Templa Taure after Raini's final battle, to see if he could find anything that could help us stop the Black Dragon once we finally found him. Shonta, in turn, offered to go back to Gaen Vale to search for any information we might have missed.

So the answer didn't come from any of the expected sources. What do I mean by this? I mean... things took an unexpected twist when we came across Ian from the MTU. We were just coming out of the stadium when we found him.

"Hey!" Gabi called out to him. "I didn't expect to see you here. Have you found your missing friends?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Ian replied. "I came here hoping to find someone who had seen them, but I haven't had any luck so far. It's like they just vanished."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Where did you last see them?"
"At home. They went out to do some exercise and never returned."
"Oh, right, you've told me that, sorry."
"It's OK."
"Did anything strange happen before they left?"
"Not really. I noticed they were both quiet all the way back from our last training trip, but they were tired; they'd exerted themselves a lot."
"Where did you all go training? What could have made them so tired that they wouldn't say a word on the way back?"
"You don't know what it's like at the Forbidden Mountains... of course you wouldn't, but... it's tough. It's not just Pokemon battles, it's like the whole environment is against you. You have to watch out for landslides, falling rocks and even lava! There's an active volcano in there and only the magical barrier stops the ashes from spreading all over Caledor. Sometimes it gets hard to breathe and we have to leave before we're done training. And there's also the stray magic, you never know what it can do."

Gabi had been staring at him with her mouth open ever since he mentioned falling rocks and lava.

"You see now? Anyone would get exhausted from a training session there," Ian concluded. "And that's if you're skilled and careful enough to get out of there in one piece."
"I'm sorry," Gabi told him. "I didn't get what you just said, I was thinking... that has to be the place, but how? Can the Black Dragon go in there?"
"The Black Dragon?!"
"You must have heard about him, haven't you?" asked Gabi.
"I have, but what does he have to do with anything? There's no way he can get past the magical barrier. Only the descendants of those who fought in the last great war can pass."
"You did say something was wrong outside that area," I reminded her.
"He must be trying to get in," Gabi realized. "That's a sacred site, isn't it? And one filled with magic! If he could harness that magic..."
"That would be terrible, but he can't go in there!" Ian assured.
"Let's hope he never does find a way in, but I'm sure he's trying," Gabi told him. "He may be the one who took Helios and Selene... perhaps even Flame! His demons can possess Pokemon."
"Are you saying Selene and Helios have been possessed by demons?!"
"I think so. But don't worry, there's a way to release them once we've found them, and now we know where to search."
"Excuse me if I seem skeptical, but where is this all coming from?"
"I'd been looking for him for a long time, and I had a vision last night. It fit your description of the Forbidden Mountains perfectly. And there was even a Flareon there, it may have been Helios. And I felt that something was wrong just outside that region."
"Do you often get that kind of visions?" asked Ian.
"Sometimes... Quite rarely. But when I do get them, they're normally right."
"Normally?"
"Sometimes I can't be quite sure of what they mean, but I think this one was clear enough. And I got it on White Mountain. I seem to get clearer visions there."
"Hold on a minute... I think Caledor had a vision too!" I realized.
"I what?" said Caledor. "Oh, wait! I did! Yesterday. I was glowing purple and all. It was totally a vision and not a coincidence."
"Now I think it may have been either," I told him. "But if it was a vision, it means we're on the right track."
"We must go back to Caledor," said Ventura. "And get Talut to help us. He's the only remaining DT Pokemon who can go past the barrier."
"We should get Kiara to help us too," Caledor added. "I haven't seen her in a while, I'm already missing her."
"I'm not sure what you're all planning, but if you're going to the Forbidden Mountains I'm going too," said Ian. "My dad told me to stay clear of that place for a while because Lord Skarmory was conducting special procedures, but if my Pokemon are there and they're in trouble, I'm going to help them no matter what the Soldiers of the Griffin say."
"It hadn't occurred to me that other branches of the Guild might already know what's going on," Gabi commented. "In the worst case we may end up getting in each other's way, but I believe we all have a common goal this time."
"We do," Ian agreed. "And if we're up against a threat like the Black Dragon, then there can't be too many of us fighting. Just a few of us can get past the barrier, but the rest of you can help from outside. We'll have him flanked. If you can get your department to help and I can get mine, then the Black Dragon will be facing at least 3 divisions of the Dragon's Guild."
"I have a feeling it'll be at least 4," said Gabi. "I can't picture Lord Absol staying out of this."
"Right," said Ian. "So we're just missing the merchants."
"I'm sure someone will be there to sell snacks and souvenirs," commented Caledor.
"What?" Ian asked.
"Ignore him," Gabi told him, and sighed. "For once after all this time, I finally feel we may actually stand a chance."

Wolfsong

31st August 2011, 01:10 PM

Here is Jasmine’s RBG, I just finished it.

(Jasmine’s POV)

After my battle with the aipom, I slumped to the ground. All I could think about was getting warm again, and I didn’t feel like moving. Darin used his psychic powers to lift me up and place me on Sinopa’s back. Then the two of them took me to the nearest Pokecenter.

Once I had been fully healed and, was warm enough, a couple hours had passed and we exited the building. Outside, there were a couple of battles going on, so the three of us stopped and watched. There was one that caught my attention. A minun was battling one of the newly discovered pokemon. A Klink, I think that it was called if I wasn’t mistaken.

The gear pokemon took his time and eventually succeeded in defeating the cheering pokemon. It noticed that I was watching and blinked at me as it owner recalled it. They retreated into the Pokecenter emerging a short time later. The steel pokemon emerged from his pokeball and floated over to where I was curled up watching. I glanced at him before looking over at its trainer who was also watching. When his trainer gave a nod of his head towards me, I rose up and slithered forwards to face the Klink stretching my wings as I did so.

Jasmine L.25 F Winged Dratini Vs. L.25 ~ Klink

Having not faced one of these pokemon before, I had an idea how I wanted to proceed. I warily watched him as my body began to crackle with electricity and within seconds three electrical rings were hurtling towards the gear pokemon. He grunted as he locked up no longer spinning around.

I could see him glaring at me but currently that was all he was able to do. I took a deep breath as I readied my next attack. I opened my mouth to let loose a supersonic blast at him but a loud screech caused me to wince and place my wings against my ears.

When the racket finally ended, I carefully pulled my wings back and blasted another supersonic wave and this time it hit. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the klink spin in circles before slamming into the ground.

I sat up and looked at him, my tail twitching slightly as I concentrated on my next attack. I could feel the heat inside my body building until I couldn’t hold it back anymore and exhaled a jet of flames at the steel pokemon. He gave a metallic shriek of pain as he snapped out of his confusion.

Whirling around and spinning around angrily, the Klink briefly glowed brown before a nearby rock was lifted up and hurled at me. I gulped and tried to get out of the way but I wasn’t fast enough. While I avoided to have the rock land on my body it landed on my right wing keeping me from moving.

I struggled to free myself and unable to do so. However, I was lucky in that the Klink’s paralysis hit him again. A few more tugs made me realize that I wasn’t getting free until the battle was over.

Taking another deep breath, I once more focused on my flame stores and I held the flamethrower back until it was impossible for me to hold it back any longer and the flames practically leaped out of my mouth as they rushed towards the gear pokemon. He gave another metallic shriek of pain as a burn appeared. He was barely hanging on as he launched another rock at me. I couldn’t help but cry out as it hit because I had no chance of dodging it, while I was trapped. However, as I watched the burn sapped what was left of his energy and he wobbled in the air a moment before collapsing to the ground.

The Klink’s trainer tried to get it to get up but the steel type had fainted. I sat there panting as it was recalled. Only then did Darin use his psychic powers to lift the rock off of my wing as we headed back inside. This time once I was healed the three of us when back to the hotel room to wait for Amy and the others to return.

I won.
I grew to L. 26.

classy_cat18

31st August 2011, 02:35 PM

Gabi: Nice and informative. I don't really have much else to say; if I think of something else I'll tell you over AIM. For now I'll give you twelve stamps for your two stories.

Amy: If you can hang on a couple hours, I'll get to yours. Need to wake up first.

EDIT: Sorry, I wasn't feeling well yesterday. Amy gets eight stamps for her battle. Short, but straightforward. A good length for my overheated brain. *turns up AC*

DarkestLight

2nd September 2011, 10:03 AM

Need a battle for May. ESR (Electric Shutdown Retirement) System plz *7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

2nd September 2011, 11:01 AM

Thanks, Shonta!

May will battle an Electrike.

DarkestLight

8th September 2011, 05:53 PM

Umm I'm not pulling a Jeff, but I do need another battle for Zent and May. They can be from the..Caledor Nature Protection Agency! Yeah, this story I'm writing just got real..LOL

::Hands over 14 more stamps:: Ok can't use this 'til the....24th. K.

Lady Vulpix

9th September 2011, 01:37 PM

Today I can give you your opponents. They will battle a Growlithe and a Slugma.

DarkestLight

9th September 2011, 10:08 PM

Hrm. Fire types...that really do fit the type of battlers they'll come from. I like, I like alot! Thanks. This should be...interesting...

DarkestLight

15th September 2011, 06:07 PM

Free time :D

The heat is on...
“Well, doesn’t that make me the underside of a bum knee.”

Rapp rubbed his temples with his index fingers as Mossy stretched out from behind the counter. Zent stood atop the counter, idly nibbling on a pencil she happened to acquire from the general area. Hopping up to join Zent, the pair danced around each other, as a pair of hands gingerly removed the book in front of Rapp’s eyes.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. New Pokemon are introduced to Ulthuan all the time. At least you were concerned, and not ignoring it. But you have to admit, Gurdurr is pretty funny.”

“Hilarious” he affirmed, with his eyes diverted down to the dancing Pokemon. At least now he understood that there was a benefit to looking up a Pokemon in order to devise a better strategy. Sighing, he gently plucked Zent up from the table, and set her down as rapidly as possible without dropping her. Mossy followed right after, hopping off the counter. “You two run along for a bit. In fact, go find May, I haven’t seen her for a while.”

As both Pokemon wandered off to search for their cohort, Rapp turned back to the lady behind the desk. There was a man there as well, and both came over when they spied that he had not left the vicinity. “Is there anything else we can help you with?”

“Yes. I’m from around here, and while I know that I can go into the neighboring buildings and temples in order to discover and learn more about the history of our world. I feel I am at a loss as to where to start. I originally was not on a quest to join in this battling frenzy-but somehow I got wrapped up in all the bright lights and excitement.

“I see. I assume you are from an outside village?” The man asked, eyes never leaving his current patient, a Venomoth with a bad wing. “Yes. We live sizably far away, which is why there are so few visitors to our neck of the woods.” Rapp carefully adjusted his answer, to not give away too much information about his home-they still weren’t too keen about outside influences.

“Well, after the mess the whole region had with that evil Dragon, I can understand any village being a bit more cautious. But what’s with you and finding out information? Who are you looking for?”

“My mother and father.” Rapp stated plainly. The lack of emotion in his voice gave both attendants a wealth of information about the sensitivity of the matter in which they now spoke. “I assume you’ve checked with the Library, I’m sure they keep records of most people’s dates there.”

Rapp nodded, and began to explain to them the beginning of the journey. How he was pulled away by his Village elders after strange things started to happen to Ulthuan-and yet areas around their home still remained unaffected…almost protected. How he was told to seek out his mother and father, the two people he knew the least about. Back then-he knew barely anything about Pokemon, and just thought of them as helpers to the forest.

“At that time however, it felt like I was being exiled. People were rapidly helping to gather my things and tend to my share of work. My grandmother however, made sure that I left with a Pokemon that “complemented my talents.” To this day, I’m still unsure what that means. I reached that place after a long walk and a long boat ride…Sector Alpha-but I guess all the hoopla died down. Then...I got wrapped up in this whole battling frenzy and here I am.”

“Quite a tale for someone who’s made it to the final round of a Tournament that captures the world’s eye.” The female attendant acknowledged; her focus solely on Rapp. “The best advice we can give, is to do some searching. I’m sure you had an objective before you were sidetracked?”

Rapp nodded, and looked to the ground, left and right. None of his Pokemon had returned just yet. “I had a piece of paper here with an address. I was supposed to go to Sybyll, but got all turned around.” “Well, you’re in luck. The Consolation Round will take place at White Mountain, which Sybyll is just a stones’ throw from. Go get some answers.” The male stated, whilst walking to the back.

Rapp’s ears perked up when he heard the man’s words. It was true-there was another set of battles to take place now, giving him more than enough time for a few days’ trip to Sybyll. This was great. “I think I will. Thank you both, you’ve been a great help.” Rapp patted the desk twice, before heading off to the east, to look for his Pokémon. The trail of pencil shavings seemed to be his best lead.

As he walked off, the female attendant hid a smirk. “Yes, you do that Mr. Laster. Please, find your parents. Then this will all be settled.” She reached under the counter, and affixed her grip on a small hand held device. Raising it to her face, she spoke softly. “Did you get all that.”

“Yeap. We’ll be waiting for ol’ Pointy ears in Sybyll. He’ll never know what hit ‘im.”

Few hours later

The trip from the Stadium down to the arid plains outside of Sybyll was a swift one, as Abra appeared with all 4 customers in tow. Rapp quietly waved to the teleporter, watching it vanish. A message appeared in his head just then, giving him directions when to meet back here to be teleported to the ship in time for his match.

With his timetable set, Rapp clapped and looked toward his next objective, Sybyll. The town was under a mile out, an easy walk for everyone-even at this time of night. Zent and May looked around curiously, seeing absolutely nothing of interest. Rapp took note of their wandering eyes, and reaffirmed their suspicions. ”Yeah...there’s nothing really out here. Except…”

Before Rapp finished his statement, his ears twitched. Mossy slid a vine down to the ground, and instantly felt the quivering earth. May and Zent turned around first, while Mossy and Rapp began to stride toward the town. At first, it merely looked like the horizon started to stretch over the land, fog rolling in to obscure these plains during the night. Then, the haunting chime fell upon their ears. It was a sick melody of calls that struck an original nerve of nausea and fear into Mossy’s and Rapp’s core. Both shivered at the sounds, and Rapp knelt down to pick up Zent.

“Run May. Run! Now!”

Mossy needed no instruction, and began to run toward the seemingly distant town. Rapp hoisted Zent up and followed suit, with May lagging behind. Over the crest where the clouds seemed to roll off the mountain, one could make out that it was no longer of the sky, but of the land. Fluffy exteriors hid their true intentions, as their beady eyes illuminated throughout the herd.

“MAAAA” was their chant, and their chant echoed through the plains. Their electric properties gave the stampeding herd a luminescence reminiscent of paranormal activity on a larger scale. It was this hypnotic glow that seemed to slow May down, and she turned around to face the herd. Mossy and Rapp were meters ahead, but Zent was looking over Rapp’s shoulder and noticed May’s inability to keep running. She began to squirm, and that caught his attention.

Rapp turned his head, and noticed May wasn’t near him. Extending his left arm, he crouched mid stride and used his hand to help himself pivot. Zent slid down his arm and landed on the ground, giving Rapp a sturdy rocky object to push off from. “Thanks for letting me know Zent, I’ll get her. You two get to town!” Zent waddled two steps forward, but Mossy pulled her back. Zent watched as Rapp ran back one last time before turning away and head for the dimly lit town.

The herd of sheep was thundering across the plains, ready to barrel down anything in their path. It seemed May was their next target. May patted her head, and bent down to try and make herself as small as possible. Just when it seemed that they were going to trample her, something grabbed her sides and hoisted her up high in the night sky. She squirmed, around, tongue flailing about until she realized that the masses of sheep were not trampling her. May sighed and calmed down, long enough for whatever was holding her up to bring her closer to its chest.

“Sorry May. I didn’t mean to leave you.” Rapp said softly, as he quietly walked through the field of fluff. The sheep still seemed agitated, but their stampede slowed to a stop. Rapp and May looked around to see if there was an immediate cause…but nothing came up. “Let’s make our way out of this herd and into town, huh May?”

May nodded and wriggled a bit, a signal to Rapp to let her down. Setting her down next to him, and still holding her hand, Rapp and May began walking through the mass of wool. Once in a while, a Mareep would raise its ugly head and call out, but nothing more. Their electric luminescence began to crackle the more Rapp walked though their wool-static electricity building up on him and May.

As they finally exited the herd, Rapp stopped to pick the loose wool that had become stuck to his vest and legs. However, May had a more pressing matter. With her smoother skin, and with all the wool she had to walk through, she came out completely covered in the itchy fabric! Rapp took one look at her, and stifled a laugh. “Oh jeez May, you look like one of them!” May huffed, trying to wipe down all the wool off, but it just kept clinging.

Before Rapp could do anything more, he heard a strange sound, and then spied a green streak come between him and May. The small animal growled, creating an electric current around its body-acting as its light source. Rapp backed up, unsure what this animal was-aside from an Electric-type.

May tried to use her tongue, but found it to be dried out from all the wool as well. Shutting her mouth, she merely ran in front of Rapp. The animal seemed confused by this, and began barking and nipping at May’s feet. May waved her arms in protest and backed up into Rapp, unsure what to do.

“Hey! Roger! Get im’! Dun let ‘im take ‘er sheep!”

[May Lvl 11 vs Roger Lvl 11]

The pup-Roger as he was called-barked in response to his orders. May and Rapp backed up, but Rapp saw this was a strange circumstance that would eventually lead to a battle. “May, we’re gonna have to fight our way out this time. Let’s not hurt this dog, it’s just doing its job of protecting the herd.”

May agreed, and turned her full attention to the pup. The pup tried one last time to nudge her back to the herd-and she swatted his snout away from her rear. That did it for Roger. He growled and full out tackled the Lickitung, making sure to hit her toward the herd.

With the electric pup now becoming physical, the gloves were off. May huffed and pushed upon her forearms. All this cotton was starting to obscure her vision. She flicked her dry tongue out and licked the pup, leaving a strange staticy taste all over him and her tongue. The pup seemed unaffected, but May suddenly felt as if she’d been slightly electrocuted.

Aww man, I think you got paralyzed when you licked him May. Ummm, try that yell of yours!” Rapp commanded, hoping he could end this fight swiftly. May nodded and opened her mouth, preparing to yell. But all that wool really dried out her mouth, so it was hard to get off that Supersonic. Roger growled and repeated his original plan, to tackle this strange sheep back into the herd.

May had enough. That second Tackle left her sprawled on this dusty ground. She was positive her face was marred by this earth, and this pup truly had no sense of beauty. She huffed and whirled on her back, before pushing herself up. Roger came in for another tackle, but was met head on with a powerful Zen Headbutt from the woman. The pup went back a ways, stunned.

Running over, an older man with a shepherd’s cane came into view. Spying May’s last attack, he turned to stare at Rapp. “What kind of witchcraft didya use to have a Mareep use that?” Rapp turned at the sound of his voice, glad to see that he might be able to explain his situation. “No no. It’s not witchcraft. That’s not one of your sheep to begin with!”

May didn’t care. After using that Headbutt, her head felt much better, as it had built up some sort of energy that needed to be released. Roger hopped back on his feet however, and went to blind the “sheep”. He turned around and kicked mud and sand all over May, getting it all over the wool. This also led to May’s face getting dirty, and she stood there in disbelief. This creature…willingly…made her face ugly! He would pay...a king's ransom he would pay for touching perfection in Licki form.

“There ya go Rog! Cover ‘em up so he can’t spark! Go’n an’ tackle it again, that should get ‘er dun! As fer ya…” the man turned back to Rapp “I knows a Mareep when I sees ‘un. I’ve been tendin’ m’flock since the olden days of manners, and I’ve stopped many a thief.”

“Oh yeah?” Rapp stated, as he noticed May’s level of tolerance seemed to be broken. ”Well, I feel sorry for your sheepdog , sir.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s about to get a tongue lashing.” Rapp pointed, as Roger went to tackle May again. Before he got close, May flung her tongue out and wrapped it around the pup. Roger howled and skittered around to try and break free, but the Wrap was pretty powerful. To add insult to injury, May lifted her tongue and began slamming Roger into the ground repeatedly. Each hit gave Roger a little more confidence to assume this wasn’t a Mareep.

“Well I’ll be as wron’ as a ‘reep hatchin’ an egg!” It’s not a Mareep. Then, why’s it wearin’ all that wool?” the shepherd exclaimed, as Rapp watched with a strange smirk. “It’s not like Lickitungs have a choice, sir. They have smooth skin, and all that static that built up on us when your herd overtook us clung to her. Then all the loose wool built up on her. May! Calm down. Just let him go and give him a parting hit.”

May snapped out of her Body Slamming rage for a moment, only because of the paralysis. It forced her tongue to relax, which freed Roger. The pup walked around, dazed from the rapid succession of hits while being constricted. He barked in disapproval, and tried for another tackle. May stepped aside this time, allowing the pup to run right into a sheep, and knocked the sheep out. May came up right behind Roger and raised her arm. Using her tongue to push her body up, she let all that weight come down on Roger’s back. Roger howled, and then dropped.

[May wins! May reaches lvl 12]

“Oh OH! Roger git up!” The older fellow ran over to tend to his sheepdog, and May stepped aside to let him though. She waddled over to Rapp, still disgusted at all the wool and mud on her face. “It’s ok May. Calm down. You’re breathing too hard. We’ll get to town, and we’ll get you cle—“

Rapp stopped and crouched down, May staring at him in earnest. With the help of the glowing sheep, Rapp could see for a ways ahead of him. He was able to pick out a fast moving series of lights, and the faint sounds of what had to be motors. They all seemed to be heading to Sybyll.

“Come on May, let’s hurry and find Moss and Zent. I have a bad feeling about this.” May nodded, noting Rapp had become direly serious. This really was turning out to be an adventure after all!

As Rapp and May made their way to town, Mossy and Zent had reached city limits. Both Pokemon felt bad for leaving their Trainer behind, but lately this seemed to be the general order of things. Neither questioned the possibility of seeing Rapp again, they just knew they had to hide out until he showed up. Mossy and Zent looked around. From their view, this was just like any other town, only it was night and there were fewer people running around. Their small stature often left them to be overlooked, and if not careful-foot fodder.

Mossy peered down an alley, but spied no one. At the entrance to the alley were a set of barrels. Stepping back, Mossy snaked two vines up, and felt the top. One was missing a lid, the other wasn’t. Tapping Zent, he motioned for her to watch. Zent turned to watch as Mossy walked to the top of the solid barrel using its vines as rope, and then lowered his vines down. Zent grabbed ahold, and Mossy then pulled with all his might. Yeah….that was a heavy girl. After 6 minutes of pulling, Zent reached the top of the barrel, and Mossy was exhausted. Zent meanwhile, took it upon herself to hop into the open barrel. Her hunch led her to land in a barrel full of apples! Fantastic! She began eating away, and as such, was oblivious to the ruckus that sped into town.

Mossy recoiled his vines and slowly inched up and noticed the plethora of motorcycles that rolled into town. At first, it did not bother him. The riders were your burly biker types, nomadic folk that rode from town to town for food or for trouble. Tonight looked like a fueling night. He went to lie down again, but a strange feeling took over him. He kept his eyes on the bikers, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia. Just then, a small pair of arms peered over the edge of the barrel. It was followed by a green body-a small spiderlike body. Mossy’s eyes opened wide, realizing who he was looking at. The spider wasn’t facing him, and Mossy took that time to jump into the barrel, atop Zent. Zent grunted and shoved Mossy aside, as she chomped on another apple. Mossy stared upward, as the spider turned on the edge of the barrel.

Mossy quietly began to slide apples over him and Zent, which left Zent with a questionable look. She punched at Mossy, glaring at her with an apple halfway in her mouth. Mossy gave Zent an accusatory glare right back, and then pointed up. Zent looked up as best she could, and then took a deep breath. Her olfactory senses gave her all the information she needed, and her eyes glazed over from bliss to anger. The pair watched as the spider slowly dropped into the bucket. It moved a few of the red apples over with its feet, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Hey! Hey! Get out there you!” The spider climbed hastily out of the bucket and into the view of a large burly man, a man both Mossy and Zent couldn’t believe they were seeing so soon! Zent instantly focused her glare on the fellow, but Mossy raised a vine to her lips. This was not the time to get caught.

“Alright. I got word that the punk that stole Penguin is coming here. Seems he’s actually good at battling. At least battling fair, ehehe. So we just gotta set him up with a battle he can’t win.” A few cheers were earned for that small speech.

“So, who gets the honor of taking down the “punk” as you call him.” Someone stated. Mossy and Zent both climbed atop the apples and peered out of slits in the barrel’s woody matrix, to get a better view. “…’cause last I heard, you didn’t fare too well.”

“He had help. This time he’s all alone, Solomon.” The man strode over to the lackey that mouthed off, and instantly Solomon stepped behind a parked bike, looking down at the ground. The burly speaker noted this, and backed off, confident he wouldn’t have to take any more action against the outspoken fellow. “I hear the Tournament starts back up for the final round in 3 days. What say we make ourselves comfortable, boys?” A raucous round of cheers could be heard, waking up some of the Sybyll natives-before the ruffian group rode off. Positive that they were gone, Mossy and Zent climbed out of the barrel of apples, by pushing all the apples to one side, and then fishing them themselves out with Mossy’s vines. Zent’s hands were full with apples-and Mossy could only help but laugh at her apparent glee of this feat, as they hopped off the barrel and walked to the side of the road. Mossy turned toward the entrance, and finally saw Rapp coming through, with …a ball of wool in tow?

The grass Pokemon waved its vines in the air as high as it could, alerting Rapp to their position. Rapp quickly came over, and set May down. Upon closer inspection of May’s new look, Mossy burst in laughter. May immediately lashed out, rubbing Mossy with her dry tongue. “Ok ok Mossy, don’t laugh. We know static electricity likes May a lot more than it should. Come on, let’s get to a room and ...where did Zent get all those apples?” Mossy shook his head. It was going to be a long night. As he brung up the rear for the group-and they headed to the inn, a breeze caught his attention. He turned back in the alley, and squinted. He could barely see the outline of a form…but the form had glowing white eyes. Frightened, Mossy backed away and caught up to the others.

===============
52 hours later.
===============
There were some things Rapp expected when he woke in the morning. For example-before he even rolled out of bed, he knew that Mossy would be up, already drinking some sort of tea, and inspecting the latest items that he pilfered from some area. He also knew May would still be asleep, completely hidden from view-as the diva she was. Zent could be sleepeating, but more often than not, she would wake up alongside him-to curb her accidental eating of something valuable.

This morning seemed to be the same. After the first night, with Mossy and Zent relating what they and learned and saw, Rapp felt on edge. Not only because of the biker gang being here, but of the mysterious figure Mossy had seen. At first, he dismissed it, but it wasn’t in Mossy’s nature to make things up. To make sure Mossy wasn’t having his eyes play tricks on him; Rapp went with Zent to investigate the alleyway the next morning while they walked around one part of the town.

Zent took a deep breath and nodded. Something else beside them was there. She approved of the smell, but Rapp slightly figured she would. It also worked in her favor, so she could break open that barrel and claim a few more apples.

The second night passed with no real worries. There were strange sounds in the hallway of the inn, but the quartet just assumed it was a late patron. No one pair of footsteps stopped in front of their door. However, this morning was a bit strange. The concept of being watched was a bit of a burden on Rapp, as he woke up with a start. Mossy was up, looking out the window to the room they had rented. May was asleep, and the pile of wool was neatly stacked in a corner, next to Zent for consumption…and she would probably eat it too.

Rapp stumbled his way over to the table. Wiping his face with his hands, he shook off the immediate sleep jitters, and looked at the paper again. “So, 8 people in total. 7 bikes. And they’re here in this town, or possibly right outside of it?” Mossy nodded without breaking his sight. “Crap. It’s like I walked into a trap! Well, they’re not getting Zent back. We haven’t seen them in two days, so they better make their move now-cause we won’t be around much longer.”

At the mention of her name, Zent seemingly arose, and let out a yawn. Immediately, she reached for an apple, but noticed her hand came up empty. She looked around and instead of shiny apples…there was strange fluffy stuff next to May. The stuff she was covered in before. Not one to pass up a potential treat, she took a scoop and bit it. A bit rough, but otherwise edible!

As she sat down with her new pile of cotton candy, Rapp moved on from the previous conversation. “Well, we’re here in Sybyll. We’ve wasted two days here, and we gotta get back tonight. Time to get those answers we were sent away to find. We’re going to have to be careful today, we can be picked on at any time. So we’re gonna stick together.” Mossy once again nodded, taking another sip of delightful fragrances in liquid form.

After breakfast and lightening their load-the quartet set out to final set of establishments they could feasibly reach, asking where they could find information of travelers that may have moved here from years past. As they left the room, Rapp shut the door behind him, and noticed something stuck into it. Positive that was not there last night, he removed it from the door. He kept pace with the others, quietly unfolding the note addressed to him.

“You searched the town, now search its history.” Rapp quizzically looked over the note-puzzled in its brevity. But-as he left the inn and quickly spied Mossy quietly pilfering an item from a man that was sleeping aside the wall, an idea occurred to him that he felt he should have realized a long time ago. “This town seems to be a pretty old place. Why don’t we go check if there is a library here?” The others agreed, and waited as Rapp went back inside to get directions. In a short while, they found themselves at the library.

The Sybyll library was a small building. Books littered the shelves, some covered with what looked to be years of dust. “Zent, don’t eat anything that looks like a book.” Rapp stated as he looked around. Spyiing a desk in the back, he strode over, turning to look at Mossy. The plant already snagged a green book off the shelf, and was about to acquire it for its collection-but Rapp grabbed onto the spine. “No Mossy. We can’t take this.”

“Can’t take what?” Came a voice from the desk in the back. Everyone froze, and Rapp turned to spy a lone figure standing there. Rapp quickly stood up straight, and raised the book that Mossy was still tugging on. “This book. My plant has a…fascination with items that it deems important, and likes to port them around.” “Ahh, well you plant has a good eye. Any book about tea is a book worth reading. Or in his case, smelling.” Rapp looked to the cover of the book, and sure enough-the title read “Tea Fragrances-The Ulthuan experience.”

“Oh jeez, ok fine, read it.” Rapp said, releasing his grip. Mossy smirked and waddled away for the moment. With the old man’s attention solely focused on him, Rapp asked the clerk on duty if he could view the logs they kept of people that lived here. In a short while, the man returned with a rather large book, to which Rapp hastily took and opened. He pulled a torn, ragged paper from his vest, that same one with the map, and turned it over. On it were two names. One was Edward Valentine. The other was Veronica Laster-Meoru. It was this name that he searched for in earnest. It took a few minutes, but finally, he located a lone line-that held a printed version of her name, and an address.

“Huh, you knew Veronica?” The elderly man stated, as Rapp looked up at him. This man seemed to have been around for ages, his white hair flowing down to his elbows. Eyebrows seemed to overshadow his actual eyes, small as they were. But his stature was tall; the passage of time did nothing to stifle this man’s height.

“Not…necessarily. I was sent here from my village to find her.” He replied, pointing to the address.

“Ah, I see. Well, I can save you the trouble. She’s not here. In fact, neither is that address. During the trouble we had a while back, that whole part of town was taken over and basically broken into rubble. Tragedy, it was.” Rapp stared at the man’s apparent recollection, and did not question him for a moment. He moreso was considering what to do if his answers were the ones that he had originally believed. Eyes canted down toward the three Pokemon looking up at him-these three friends who seemed more than willing to continue their journey together, despite any outcome.

“Did you know her?” Rapp murmured, barely audible. But the old man heard him clearly. He moved in close, and whispered something to his ear.

“Shiny Tentacools tell you where the poisoned water is.” Rapp immediately lifted his head. “Only people from –“

The old man chuckled and took a minute to put the book away. “Yes, yes boy. I’m actually surprised to see one so young make it here, with three Pokemon in tow. We usually don’t last long outside our treehomes." Rapp critically assessed him now. He didn’t seem to have the same look as people from his village, him, but the man knew about the bucket Tentacool rule! He had to be from the same place! “Wait, sir. Despite my disbelief that you hail from my home, did you know Veronica?”

The old man gave Rapp a once over-and then walked from behind the counter. He knelt down to the Pokemon, Mossy in particular, and nodded. “Yeah. I knew her. I knew her kids too. All 9 of them. Funny, that you would look the most like her now.”

“9?!?” Rapp exclaimed! Never in his life did he ever consider the notion of having siblings! The old man stifled a laugh as he gave Mossy a morsel of food. Or attempted to, as Zent snatched it away and gave the old man a glare as she ate it. “Yes 9. Only one actual baby, the rest were an assorted band of these creatures. They all however disappeared right when all that mess started. Until now.“ The old man stood up and looked at Rapp, who was struck with the disbelief stick. He was perplexed; the man was speaking perfect English, but yet, he still did not understand a word coming out of his mouth.

“Your mother isn’t here. She fled years ago. I figure she arrived here shortly after you were born-with your father. Your father went to fight against those evil men, and he never returned. Your mother wasn’t heartbroken-but she was sad for a while. Then one day, her Pokemon began to leave. She would sit and talk with me about it-saying that the world was calling them back for a better purpose. By the time she left, she only had the one she left home with. Where she fled to, no one knows. Why she left is a mystery too. But I’ll tell you what.”

“What?” Rapp asked, intent on learning the answer-any answer to help sort out this mystery.

“I know that since you’re here, that means the village is in trouble again. Only reason why they would send you away. Don’t know how. Don’t know why. But I reckon it’s to do with your past.”

Rapp was completely mind blown now, and required a seat. He backed away from the counter, and quickly grabbed a chair. May had wrapped herself in a pop-up-book, and Zent was being fed by Mossy. Knowing that they were occupied, Rapp simply spoke aloud. “Before I quit from pure confusion-here’s what I have. My mother and father left our village on the outskirts to Gaen Vale. You’re from there. They traveled here with a…a…bevy of Pokemon. They lived here long enough for you to know her. My father presumably was vanquished in some war or battle or skirmish. Her Pokemon left her one by one-and when she reached one, something happened, and she left. Cue me arriving, who know how much time later.”

“I’d say that just about covers it.” The old man rasped, taking a swig of water out of an old canteen. “Now, don’t you got to get back to your battle? You’re all the rage, I hear.”

Rapp turned his blank stare and refocused on the old man. An aged finger pointed to the television screen, which was showing muted highlights of the past few rounds of the Dragon Games. Rapp watched for a moment as his face, and Mossy’s vines were displayed across the screen-amidst a collage of Trainers.

“Seems you got a few good spirits on your side.” He said, chuckling as he gazed at the screen. “Can’t tell you much else though. Figure you have to find out all you can on your own. Least, that’s what grandma told you, right?”

“Now stop taking in riddles old man!” Rapp shouted. “I came here to find an answer, and then to go back. I didn’t mean to get wrapped up in the Tournament. I didn’t intend to do any more than help in any way I could that would benefit her. But these things led me here, and I want an answer.”

The tone of Rapp’s voice did nothing to dissuade the old man from his perch. Calmly, the man turned and coaxed Rapp with a taunting finger. “Here’s all the answer you need-in this simple question. Why did you leave home?”

Rapp leaned back, almost angered by this strange back and forth. “Why? I didn’t have a choice! They made me leave! I was just about banished! They guised it as me looking for my parents, but they were GLAD I left. I did nothing to anyone!”

“Glad you know that much. So, why did you leave home?” he asked again, infuriating Rapp to the point where his ears stood on end. The old man caught note of that, and also noticed a soothing scent wafting from Rapp’s persona.

“I just TOLD YOU-“ “No. You told me why you were made to leave. You didn’t tell me why you left. You could have stayed right there and built a house with Mossy and started your own crops. But you left. Why?” Rapp took a deep breath…and thought about it. As his Pokemon watched him, Rapp began to actually listen to what the man said. “Why …DID I leave? Because…I wanted to…make sure nothing…bad happened? No, how could I have known something was going on?”

“Now you’re listening to the earth.” The old man said “Instead of just feeling for the best soil to plant in, you’re really listening to the earth under your feet. You’re listening to Ulthuan. Think about that, and all your answers will be clear.”

Rapp nodded, stunned by all he had NOT learned today. He silently called his Pokémon to follow him. As they began to head out- he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“I can’t tell you everything, because so very little actually exists. What I can tell you is what she told me to tell you, which is this.” Rapp turned to see a folded piece of paper in the old man’s hand. To the old man’s surprise, a green vine snaked up and snagged the sheet, before stuffing it within that matrix of vines. “I…thank you for all you’ve done.” Rapp replied, before opening the door to a blinding glare of light. The old man nodded and shuffled back to the rear of the area. “You better hurry. Your match starts in about an hour.”

===========

Rapp, Zent, May and Mossy stood out the outside gate of Sybyll headed toward White Mountain, calmly staring upward. The massive obelisks of the stadium were in sight, slowly heading over Caledor. Instead of hastily trying to make his way to the grounds where he asked the Abra to meet him, Rapp quietly shuffled his feet and marched along the dusty road.

“So many questions now. I still don’t have any answers, I just have questions galore.” An affectionate tongue slap to his face was his response, and May smiled at him. “Thanks. I guess we should get back up to that Tournament now.” Mossy and Zent nodded, while May canted her head back.

Rapp chuckled at May’s model pose, and then stumbled over Zent. The little creature was snarling at the ground, eyes fixated on her target as if it was an enemy. Rapp stood beside Zent, while Mossy and May looked left and right to cover all their angles. The ground near them began to split, and out popped a three headed beast. They all stared at Rapp, and collectively shouted their name, before vanishing underground.

Just then the collective sounds of motors could be heard from all areas. Rapp spied bike trails, and decided to stand his ground. “Guys, make sure to watch each other’s backs, ok. We gotta get past them, and make it to the Tournament Stadium.” An affirmative nod was given by the trio, and Rapp stood tall, patiently awaiting their arrival.

However, his scope of their arrival did not take into account an aerial artist. Talons dug into Rapp’s shoulder, and bodily lifted him away from the Pokemon! The bikes cruised in, 8 in total and surrounded his friends! “Get OFF!” Rapp yelled as he was flown up to a pretty sizeable height. He looked up to see metallic talons holding onto him, preventing his arms from being useful. So he began to swing. A razor sharp beak came down to try and peck at his stomach, but Rapp’s feet met it head on. However, kicking steel is never a great idea and Rapp winced as his feet collided with its head. Atop the Skarmory, the lackey smirked. “Heh, tough guy huh. Well, your Pokemon can barely hear you. How’re you gonna stop us from taking them now?

Down below, as the bikers came close, May kept sight of Rapp as he was air lifted away. Mossy had the most fighting experience, and the little girl was who they were after. So that meant that she would have to be the main target until they could devise a plan. As the bikers dismounted, and started to encroach on the three Pokemon, May stepped forward, and wiped her head-mimicking as if she was wiping her hair free of shampoo.

Like clockwork-the men of the gang questioned their motives, and seemed transfixed by her. Mossy remembered this, and looked toward the two females of the group, who seemed like they were up to something. They were, as he was bodily grabbed by his vines. “Hey hey Sheen! This is the superfighter?”

“Sheen” the bald headed cueball fellow, stepped over and looked Mossy up and down. “Yeah, that’s him. Don’t know how he does it, but he’s pretty good at fighting.” “He doesn’t look tough at all!” said the woman that had Mossy by his vines. In one swing, she slammed Mossy into May, breaking her hold on the fellows in the area. “Oh. Maybe THAT’S how he keeps winning. He’s swung around!” This earned chuckles from the group, as May was kicked to the side. Zent growled, and stomped on the girl’s foot, forcing her to release Mossy. Mossy fell to the ground, and immediately rolled over to May. May flicked her tongue once, and stood up, to Mossy’s relief. Both Pokemon turned around as Sheen picked Zent up. Zent began screaming her name in protest, and biting Sheen’s thick arms. Sheen winced at the bites, but they soon stopped as that dastardly Cruise scuttled down Sheen’s left arm, and began to Spider Web Zent’s mouth closed. “Good job Cruise. Pretty sure we’ll be able to handle her much better now.” He said, with a malicious smile on his face. The members of his group laughed, as Zent struggled to free her mouth of the sticky goop.

High above the kidnapping attempt, Rapp realized he had one shot at getting down there. If for nothing else, then to give the others time to escape. He started swinging again, and this time, instead of kicking the bird on his jaw, decided to try his wing! With an awkward motion, Rapp managed to kick his foot under Skarmory’s right wing, throwing both the bird and rider off balance. One talon laden foot released its grip off of his shoulder, allowing Rapp full use of his arm. As the bird began to lower in altitude, Rapp began twisting the leg of the Skarmory. It didn’t take much for the bird to release his grip on Rapp’s right shoulder, and the boy didn’t try to attain a grip. His freefall was planned, but not too far ahead, as he hoped to land on the people below.

“Aww, Penguin can’t bite. Come on guys, let’s get out of here. Beat up them other two Pokemon, will ya.” Sheen pointed to May and Mossy, who stood defensively. Mossy reached up to grab Zent, but that large Scyther from a while ago slashed at his vines, threatening to cut them if he even tried. “Oh no, none of that stealing business from me. You and your fat friend here are gonna get the whipping of your lives. Ripper and Puspus, finish them!!”

[May lvl 12 and Zent lvl 8 against Puspus Slugma (12) and Ripper Growlithe (8)]

“ZENT! SANDSTORM!”

The group of bikers looked up, to see a brown form falling toward them. The form bounced off of one bike, slammed into the others, and laid there in heap, an apparently broken heap. The message though, did not fall on deaf ears. Zent hissed, and began to shake, her body starting to release a ton of small particles that began to whiz around. Everyone in the vicinity began to feel the sting of the weather, including the Growlithe and Slugma that were rearing to beat up Mossy and May.

“May...I don’t care how! Get Mossy to that Abra!” Rapp yelled, through clenched teeth, as he pointed with his good arm over to the east. There, only a few feet away, floated the Abra…who seemed remarkably calm about the whole situation.

Mossy turned around, as one Pokemon broke through the storm, in order to take him down. Before the Slugma could set up a flaming tribute to cease Mossy’s existence, May’s tongue took the impact of the blast. May slid in front of Mossy, hands out. Mossy’s vines went to reach around, but May deflected them with her massive tongue. That same tongue wrapped around Mossy, and with one mighty fling, tossed her over Rapp and the broken motorcycles. Time seemed to slow for the Tangela, as she watched the events below unfold. He spied Zent fall to the ground, and roll over to May instinctively. Rapp was barely moving, his left arm hanging limp as he slid his body into an upright position, but he was shouting orders. The bikers were scrambling for cover in the Sandstorm, and yet here he was, flying into the arms of an Abra?!

One vine snaked out to try and latch onto something…anything, but Abra was too fast, and with a flash, they were gone before Mossy could connect. Noting the flash, Rapp and May breathed a sigh of relief. “May, Zent! We gotta work together; we got 5 minutes before the Abra can return! We should be able to get out of here by th-aaaooow!” Rapp winced, as his arm hurt as he lifted it to bend his elbow. He was not sure if it was broken, but he had no time to worry about that now. Sliding his good arm out of his vest, he rested his bad arm in the opposing sleeve, and tied the slack to his shoulder. This created a modified sling, supportive enough to hold the arm’s weight for the moment. With himself taped up, and Mossy at the Championship battle… Rapp could try to focus on May and Zent.

“Zent, dance in the storm. May, try to headbutt the slug. The dog we can deal with later!” Rapp hissed as he finished his sentence, even breathing hurt right now. He leaned his body against a downed bike, and tried to stay still as people scuttled past him left and right. For a moment, he thought someone would simply move the bike he was on and find him, but they seemed more concerned with the bikes to the sides of him.

Zent grumbled and pulled at her face, pissed off there was a substance in the world she couldn’t eat! May turned, and watched the little one dance around while pulling at her face. Unsure why she couldn’t do anything else for the moment, May turned to the slug. This thing was ugly. It slithered around, and steam popped from some of the boils that it had growing on its skin. But that nastiest of all its traits? It could shoot fire. It was that fire, those Embers that flew at May again, and she crouched to block them with her girth. It stung, and the whipping sands did not make this any easier.

Zent-finished with her prancing around, manage to poke a fingerclaw through her mouth bind, and started to tear at it. Before she could free herself fully, a large orange mass ran in and bit her! She shivered from the bite, unsure what did that, but she was determined to get revenge. She spun in a circle and whipped her finger claws against the webbing, and finally ripped part of it free from her mouth.

Ripper watched Zent with interest. This little rocky beast didn’t taste very good, and all she did was run in circles and spit sand from her body. When her back was to him again, he dashed in for another strike. This time however, Zent was ready and whirled around on him faster than he expected. She returned the favor, snagging a toothhold on his front paw. The pup hollered, and the owner of the pup shouted through the storm. “Don’t let it hold onto ya Rip. Roar at it!”

Ripper looked down at Zent and took a deep breath, Hair bristled on his chest, and then he released a powerful bounty of sound, which forced Zent to let go and back away from the Growlithe. She never heard a sound so loud before, that was almost scary! The storm muffled the Roar’s potency as sand blew into the pup’s mouth. Zent stayed back, as the pup slowly limped forward.

Rapp-after hearing the roar, knew he had to give them some help. But it was difficult-all the Pokemon seemed to be affected by the Sandstorm…except Zent. Smirking, he got an idea. “Zent, Dance around some more, and move around a lot in the storm! It’s not bothering you, right?”

Zent replied with a cry, and did as she was told with glee. The more distance she could make from this Growlithe, the better! Ripper tried to keep up, but found the little creature to be surprisingly nimble now. Meanwhile, May was quite irate at the lack of tact this ugly thing had. It kept trying to burn her, and now her tongue was hurting. She sucked her main form of offense back in, and just ran for the beast. Another cranial attack was used, and the Slugma was shoved across the area, blowing past Sheen, who finally set up his bike light. The other bikers started to do the same, and Rapp was forced to crawl through the actual battle, in order to not be caught by the bikers. He found a patch of land that seemed oddly unoccupied and lied there. He had to give out commands, but if he did, they would now hear him and go after him! He cursed his luck silently, and took the chance.

“May, we gotta get rid of the slug. Hit it with a Wrap!” May turned toward the direction of the voice-he moved closer! But as for what he said…he wanted her to touch that thing with her tongue? She winced at the prospect. But she didn’t have any better ideas. With a flick of her head, her tongue went sailing out, and wrapped around the slug. She closed her eyes to try and ignore the taste…the horrible taste! It was like licking half melted fire flavored silly putty!

Puspus seemed alright with it. Though the squeezing was a mite uncomfortable, being a slug had its benefits-you gotta squeeze hard to make it feel anything. He used that to his advantage, and yawned. The yawn traveled up her tongue and into her face, giving May a strange headache.

Rapp listened, as he began to move left. Someone was coming toward him, looking for him so they could stop him from escaping. “Hey Pus? Did you yawn! Good. Put one of ‘em to sleep-and we’ll take out the other one!” Rapp realized how serious this situation was, and now had to get May some real help, or they were done for.

“Zent! Bite that thing chasing you around now! Then go find May!” Zent quit dancing around, and stood her ground. She felt a lot better about taking that pup head on, and when the hint of orange began to edge closer to her, she sped in and Bit his side. The pup howled from the sudden strike-and from the accented power that came from the hit. He retaliated with a powerful move himself, both back legs kicking Zent off and to the side. Zent flew back and landed on the ground with a sizeable thud-a thud that May felt.

The pup barked in surprise that worked so well, and ran toward Zent. May drowsily stumbled over her tongue, and released the Slugma. The slug moved in closer, and spied May desperately trying to get to the area where she heard the thud. Zent looked up to see the familiar pink mass hovering over her, and reached out a small hand. May barely had enough time to pull her up before an orange blur flew in her face. Zent ducked and May hollered, a strange sound that hit Ripper as he Double kicked May to the ground. May rolled over herself twice, and lied still-tongue sprawled out.

Zent watched May fall, and saw she didn’t move an inch. Over to May’s left, came that strange slug, and in front of her was that crazy pup-whom was shaking his head an awful lot. She didn’t know whom to attack-and she couldn’t hear Rapp in this storm.

“Yeah, I can see Puspus now. The Storm must be fading!” someone yelled. The people in the area all began to rev up their bikes and watched with bated breath. Rapp knew this was what he was trying to avoid, a 2-on-1 scenario. Thinking as fast as he could while moving to a new area hastily, he shouted one more set of commands.

“Zent, when the sandstorm falls, Bite the slug!”

Over the roar of the motors, Zent barely heard anything, except what sounded like slug. That was all she needed. The pup seemed more interested in his own tail than anything, and Zent quickly dashed toward the fiery slider. Pus was surprised this rocklizard would take that risk and readied a nice fiery onslaught for her to run though. But Zent was fast, and bit the slug with an impressive force. Pus quit trying to Ember and now focused on the bite itself, the shock was unrelenting! Zent bit down again, and Pus went limp from the pain! Releasing Pus, Zent backed away, and noticed the sky began to clear up. Her cover was gone, and Puspus just seemed to be in a bad sort. But it wasn’t out. Nor was the pup, who was now growling behind Zent.

Rapp watched the storm fall apart, and could clearly see May-who was asleep. She didn’t seem that bad off, but when he looked at Zent and the other two-they all seemed pretty ragged. The whole situation seemed pretty dire, especially since she was surrounded by them both. He looked to his right and saw the bikers had managed to huddle together to help deter the sand, and now were all glaring at him, evil sneers shooting across their faces.

Rapp stood up, knowing he couldn’t outrun them. He crouched instinctively when a gust blew by him, looking up for that danged flyer. For the moment, he couldn’t see it.

“Give it up kid. You lost.” Rapp turned around, to meet a fist in his midsection. The pain was a sudden shock, and it forced Rapp to his knees. Sheen stood over him and pushed Rapp onto his side with his left boot. “Your fat girl is asleep, and that little rock’ll go down with just one more hit. I want you to watch-so you’ll learn you can’t ever beat me.”

“Pus, Ember it. Rip, stop sniffing your butt and do that Double Kick thing again. That seemed to really hurt her.”

“ZENT! SANDSTORM! “ Rapp yelled, as he suddenly had an idea. Coughing as he shouted, Rapp felt his body be lifted up by his collar. “Kid, that trick is not going to work! Wearing us down is impossible when you can’t even fight!”

“Who…said I can’t fight!” Rapp noted, before kicking Sheen in his stomach, and bouncing backwards. The sands overtook the area once more, catching everyone off guard. Pus idly tried to Ember Zent, and managed to land a hit, but it was Ripper who couldn’t seem to manage. He blasted by Zent, and managed to Double Kick Pup Pus. The slug shrank, and looked at the pup, confused. As he landed, Ripper shook his head, and turned to look at Zent. That pup was not confused anymore, but the damage was done. Puspus fell over, and stayed put. The Growlithe growled and lunged once more, but Zent merely hunkered down. Ripper’s mass met something else in mid-air, and the object he collided with slammed into him with enough force to knock him back quite a ways as well. Ripper landed, and Zent heard May land right beside him. She licked Zent in a sign of appreciation, and forced her body up from her aerial collision.

“Glad..glad yer up May. Now, let’s get out of here!” Rapp whispered, as he appeared behind the pair. May and Zent however, turned to look at him, and then to the Growlithe. “Huh? No no. He’s done. The Sandstorm will wipe him out. We gotta go before they can see us!”

Zent and May looked to each other, and then to Rapp. They turned to watch, as the pup stood back up. He did look worse for wear, and the sands did seem to be hitting the pup for an extensive amount of time. But the tenacity of the pup seemed to be what was driving it, as he gave chase. May noticed the pup dashing in for Zent again, and hollered at Zent. Rapp grabbed May by the arm and yanked her back, as he heard the sounds of the bikes whirling around the storm. The pup landed between Zent and May, but didn’t do anything. He panted twice, and crumpled to his knees. May felt exceptionally weak as well, and looked up as Rapp kept watch. Zent’s Sandstorm started to weaken, but it was enough to put the Growlithe down. May watched the sky clear up around them, and then noticed the biker gang once again blocking their path. She had hardly anything left, and even with Zent pumped up, they couldn’t take much of anything thrown at them.

[May and Zent win! May reaches lvl 13, Zent reaches lvl 9]

Rapp noted the barrier he had in front and behind him, and kept May and Zent right next to him. But he had a smile on his face, as Sheen stomped over.

“It’s over kid! You may have taken out Puspus and Ripper, but we were going easy on you! Now I’m just going to beat you into mincemeat.” By his side, one of his lackeys stomped the ground, and up popped that three headed beast. That silvery sheen flew overhead again, and Rapp hissed-irked that flying metal bird was so close. One by one, Pokemon of all sorts and shapes were revealing themselves-creating a never ending odyssey of challenges that Rapp realized was impossible.

“So-what’s it going to be? Give up my Penguin, or face the consequences.”

“Neither. I have a battle to attend!” Rapp quickly raised both hands, and Zent instantly held onto May. May wrapped her tongue around his waist, and Rapp hopped up, reaching the tail of a glowing yellow creature! Sheen and his crew stared up at the beast that seemed to appear out of nowhere-and then in a flash…were left in the field all by themselves!

“No! NO! Where did he go? When did he get a teleporter!? Skylar-go to that battle platform and see if he went there! This is not over, this is not OVER!” The man stomped and cursed at the ground, before jumping on his motorcycle. His crew followed suit, as they all turned back to Sybyll.

“Hey Sheen, it’s alright. We can go cause a ruckus anywhere. What’s so important about that little rock?” Solomon asked, as he kept up with Sheen’s bike. “That “little rock” is more powerful than she looks, and that twerp stole it from me! NO ONE steals from me!

When we meet him again, it won’t be the same outcome...”

Lady Vulpix

17th September 2011, 02:32 PM

Interesting story, Will! It was nice to learn more about Rapp's background.

I wonder how much he paid the Abra (or the manager) for such long trips. That has to take a lot more time and effort than just going on and off the platform.

I must say that a herd of Mareep had never sounded so horrific before. And I get that Roger was - blindly - following orders, but his trainer definitely needs to get his eyes checked.

I didn't get what you meant when you said that Mossy caught up to the others 52 hours later. What was that supposed to mean?

Also, for a moment it sounded like Rapp was planning to get from Sybyll to Southern Caledor on foot in less than one hour.

I liked the warning Rapp gave Zent at the library; it pays to know her well. :) And I'd really like to lay my hands on that fragrant book. :keke:

So the water in the bucket was poisoned?

The man at the library was quite an interesting character.

Take 35 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

DarkestLight

17th September 2011, 03:15 PM

Thanks Gabi :D

Onto the fun stuff:
1) No, the 52 hours later was a break in the story..I will make it better to note that's a break in events.

2) On the contrary-that Tenta was a normal color.

I guess I can explain the Tenta thing now. Where Rapp's from, has water around it *hint hint* Some of the water is unsafe to drink. Whenever people from Rapp's area drill for a well and extract water, they have a Tentacool suck up the water a bit (Somewhere in a Tentacool entry it says its body is like 85% water...)

If the water has too many things unhealthy for "human" consumption, the Tentacool will turn a different color-hence "shiny."

3) You'll see more of him :D. Promise!

Thank you for the payday :D Woot woot!

Note: May learned Knock off and Defense Curl at lvl 13. ooh those are gonna be some fun new moves.

Lady Vulpix

17th September 2011, 03:40 PM

Ah, thanks for explaining. :)

I think it's time my team got some training done, and I would like to write some not-too-relevant scenes at the Dragon's Guild. So let's get a battle for Tsunami from the Antarctic Survivor Recovery Agency. *Pays 7 stamps, keeping 1538.*

classy_cat18

17th September 2011, 04:05 PM

Oooh, Tsunami gets to battle a Cryogonal!

Lady Vulpix

21st September 2011, 01:39 PM

Tsunami's battle is here and it only took me 4 days to write it! Although I must admit I cheated a bit by having Caledor report the first part, but if I'd let Tsunami report everything he did under the water, it would have taken me one or two more days and I'm not sure how interesting it would have been to read.

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸, ø¤º°`°º¤ø ,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

<Caledor's POV>

It was nice to be back home. Sure, there were some scary thoughts caused by the nasty prospect of facing the Black Dragon... I could almost feel them in the air. I mean, I don't know if I could feel them or if I was imagining them but I was certain everyone was worried about that so what's the difference? Anyway, that only meant I had to work harder at what I did best. But I must admit Lagi was doing most of the work in that respect, reminding everyone that it was good that we were finally making progress and could come up with actual plans. So all that was left for me to do was brighten things up in all kinds of silly ways, old and new.

So there I was, balancing my favorite Beach Ball between the tips of my tail - which is no easy feat, I must add - when Tsunami began to stare at me. I tried to figure out if it was a good stare or a bad stare, or maybe a lost-in-thought gaze that had landed upon me by chance, but there was no expression in his face. At that point I lost balance and the ball fell to the ground and rolled away. That seemed to break Tsunami's concentration, because his face became more expressive. He shook his head and asked me what I was doing.

"Training," I said. "Sort of."
"I don't think that's a very useful kind of training," he replied.
"Oh... you never know," I told him. "Every skill may come in handy when you least expect it."
"I suppose that's true, but I still doubt that one's going to help us any time soon."
"You look worried. I don't like worried. Must fix that."
"Talking like a baby won't fix it," he said, but a chuckle betrayed him.
"See? That's the Caledor power at work already."
"Caledor... power," he narrowed an eye.
"Yes, it's a bit like the 17 known types except that it's something else entirely."
There went another chuckle. "I must give you credit for your creativity, but I think you should work on your abilities with real types. Especially the psychic ones."
"IknowwhatIhavetodothankyouverymuch, Tsu-na-mi," I told him. "You're not my trainer."
"I'm your friend and I care about you. And I know you hate being serious, but we're going to face a very serious threat soon and we need to be prepared."
"And you are you preparing yourself?" I asked him.
"I was planning to go to the MTU building for some training. I'll need to ask Gabi, but I don't think she'll mind given the circumstances."
"Oh, I see, you're going to spend the day battling. No, let me rephrase it, you're going to spend a whole day in a single battle. And that's good for you but, if you really want to know, I've realized that battling is not how I'm going to perfect my skills. Been there, done that, can pack quite a blast but I still can't tell what you're thinking when you look at me. I need to find the answer in some other way."
"Maybe reading minds is just not your thing," he told me. "And that's probably for the best. But you did manage to send me a few telepathic messages before. Do you think you can still do that?"
<Maybe,> I tried it out, remembering how I'd done it before.
"You did it!" Tsunami cheered. "And without even glowing!"
"Oh! Sorry, I'll fix that," I said, releasing some purple light to fit the occasion.
"No, really, I think it's great if you can use your abilities without glowing because that way you won't be alerting your opponent of what type of move you'll be using."
"One thing at a time, please, but I've already thought of some new strategies if it makes you feel better. I had a lot to think about after that battle at the Blizzard Room, but now I think I have some cool ideas."
"Would you like to come with me and test them out?" he offered.
"Not now, I have a lot of work to do around here. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"You know there's something at the MTU building that I'd really like to know more about?"
"Really? What is it?"
"That Pokemon computer the jungle-haired trainer mentioned. The one Water Angel's been using. I'm not a big fan of looking at letters on a screen, but I'd like to see what that thing looks like. I've been struggling to think of what kind of computer can be used by a Kingdra. It's a puzzle wrapped in... a cloud."
"A cloud?"
"Free word association. You should try it some time."
"I'll leave that to you, thanks all the same."
"You're welcome," I grinned while Tsunami shook his head.

He started walking towards Gabi's office and I trotted after him. Oh, I forgot to say we were at the Dragon's Guild barracks, and Gabi was in her office, catching up with some work before going back to the floating platform. So we left the barracks and went to Gabi's office and found her playing a computer game with colorful things that moved around and disappeared and sometimes blew up. Before I could figure out how to play, Tsunami had to go and ask her what she was doing.

"Oh," Gabi winced and closed the game. "I was trying to find inspiration for my report. Playing quick puzzle games sometimes helps me put my thoughts in order when my mind is too tired to do anything else, but this problem seems to be beyond the power of any game."
"That could be the excuse of the century," said Tsunami. "What's this problem and why are you stuck with it?"
"The Deerling report," Gabi explained. "I'm starting to think it was a bad idea from the beginning, but we're too far into the year to scrap it and start a new one. I'm trying to think of new parameters to observe, and I've even searched the web for any information I could find, but there's nothing. It can all be summed up as Deerling's antlers change with the seasons like a tree. Maybe that's all there is to them. And it doesn't help that I have only one subject to study, and he's not very cooperative. He won't even talk to me, he just walks around looking at everything but me."
"Maybe you're not approaching him in the right way," Tsunami suggested. "What have you tried to talk to him about?"
"I said I needed to get to know him better... to learn more about him. I tried asking where he came from, and how he was feeling... how he liked Caledor and if he was comfortable at the Adoption Center. But he never replied."
"Perhaps he's mute?" I wondered.
"No, I've heard him sigh," Gabi replied. "I think he just doesn't like me. I wish I could help him, but..."
"But what?" asked Tsunami.
"I can't shake the feeling that what he really needs is to be adopted," said Gabi. "And I can't do that for him. It's hard enough to train all 10 of you, no offense meant."
"None taken," said Tsunami. "I'd have to be dumb not to realize how hard it is for you... even if it's a guilty pleasure for me to make it harder sometimes."

Gabi's glare made Tsunami step back. "Not on purpose!" he defended himself. "Some things are just too fun and I just... sort of... get carried away. But Hero's the one who starts them most of the time!"
"Sure, blame the one who's not here," said Gabi. "All three of you are too hard to keep in check and you know it."
"Will it help if Cale and I stay out of your way today?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'd like to do some training at the MTU building, and Light-bulb would like to tag along to take a look at their fancy Pokemon computer."

Gabi looked at Tsunami, and then at me.

"You're not going to make a mess over there, are you?" she questioned us.
"Of course not!" Tsunami promised. "We'll behave, I give you my word. Well... I can't speak for Caledor, but I'm sure he'll know not to do anything that'll get us in trouble, right?"
"Causing trouble's only fun if you do it in a group," I said. "Since Tsunami will be battling, I'll only cause trouble if other Pokemon want to join me, and then they will share the blame."

I didn't like the way Gabi glared at me.

"OK, OK, I'll be good, I promise! Someone's bitter today."
"I just don't want you to embarrass our team," Gabi told me. "Is that too much to ask?"
"I'd never do anything to embarrass our whole team," I protested, but then I thought better. "Unless you're talking about that pillow fight back in Yvresse. You're not still mad about that, aren't you? That was before the Second Dragon Games!"
"It showed me what you three are capable of when you're out of control. But you're right, it's been years since then and you've never done anything that awful again, so I'll give you some credit. Please don't disappoint me."
"That means we can go?" Tsunami wanted to make sure.
"Yes, you can go. I'll write you a note as soon as I find some suitable paper..."
"Don't forget the seven stamps," Tsunami reminded her.
"Of course, I'll give you the stamps too. Oh, there. Yes, I can write the note here. Hold on a moment."
"I'd like to battle a Water type or an Ice type. Will you please write that down?"
"Sure."

As Gabi figured out the words for her note, Tsunami started looking around. I watched him, trying to figure out what he was looking for. Gabi finished her note, took the stamps out of her wallet and Tsunami was still searching.

"What are you looking for?" Gabi asked him.
"Do you have a watertight container?"
Gabi thought for a moment. "What for?"
"For the note and the stamps," explained Tsunami. "You know... to carry them over to the MTU. They'll get wet if I take them in my mouth."
"I can get you a pouch," Gabi offered. "I have quite a few in the cabinet."
"Do you have anything like that plastic capsule we took to Glacier Peak?" asked Tsunami.
"Here? I don't know, I'll check."

She opened the cabinet, started searching, and then suddenly stopped and looked at my Vaporeon friend.

"Why do you want a plastic capsule and not just a regular pouch?" she questioned him.
"Just to make sure they don't get wet," Tsunami insisted.
"They shouldn't get wet on the way to the building anyway, and you won't have them with you while you battle. What are you hiding?"
"Er... just a little idea I had in mind."
"No," Gabi told him.
"No what?"
"You're not going to the MTU building through the underwater passage if that's what you're planning."
"But it's the fastest way!" Tsunami complained. "And it leads straight to the computer room!"
"Hold on a minute," I interrupted. "You want me to dive all the way to the MTU building?"
"It's less than a block away from the garden, and you know how to swim."
"I'm not a Vaporeon! I can't hold my breath for that long!"
"You know..." said Gabi. "You're making me rethink my decision to let you go."
"OK, OK," said Tsunami. "Caledor, I didn't think it would be too long for you, but if you don't feel like you can do it, I won't push you. Gabi, trust me, I know how to handle myself around the MTU. You won't regret letting me go."
I saw a hint of a smile on Gabi's face as she said "OK, go, but you're taking this pouch."

She produced a one-button leather pouch from the cabinet and set it around Tsunami's neck, right behind his fin crown and next to his bottle of Mystic Water. We thanked her, said goodbye to her, and off we went.

We were just leaving our branch's building when we saw Lady Bellsprout storm out past us. I had no idea what was going on with her, but I didn't like seeing someone nice so upset, so I chased after her and asked her what was wrong. She turned around and look at me like I was some sort of monster.

"I'm sorry, have I done anything wrong?" I asked her. "I don't remember even talking to you this week, but if I've done anything that upset you..."
"It's not you!" she blurted out. "Or is it? I don't know what to think anymore. You must have done something. Why else would that thing be interested in you? And you and your whole team did something alright! Although I suppose it was not your place to tell, but still... 6 years! Who did he think I was?!"
"Pardon?" I asked. "Please don't get this wrong, but you're sounding more random than myself and I work hard on my random rants! How did you manage that? Please teach me, I want to learn."
"I think what he really means," said Tsunami, "is that we didn't quite get what you're going on about. Can you please explain?"
"What did he just say?" the human asked me.
"Great, she can understand you but not me," Tsunami grumbled. "That'll work marvelously."
"I think she finds it easier to understand me because I'm a Psychic Pokemon," I said. "Yay, I have actual working useful psychic powers! Let me explain, Tsunami was just saying that I was saying that we didn't understand what you were saying. Could you please explain?"
"You're not making things any better," Tsunami warned me, but I knew how to do my job.
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" asked Glenda. "Talking like that, I mean."
"Yes, but I can stop if it bothers you. Anything to turn that frown into a smile."
"Do you really want to help me?" she asked me.
"Absolutely! That's my mission in life: putting smiles on my friends' faces."
"Well... thanks for counting me as a friend. But... I wouldn't know where to start."
"You could start by telling me about the thing that has an interest in me? What kind of thing is it? It's hard to think of a thing having any kind of interests. Is it a living thing? Plant, animal, mineral? Is it bigger than a mouse? Is it smaller than a house?"
"You're not letting me answer you," Glenda pointed out.
I replied with a respectful silence.
"I suppose it's not really a thing, but... what do you call an alien griffin?"
"I take it this is neither a joke nor a riddle, so... an alien griffin? Unless the griffin has a name, in which case I'd... Wait, what do you know about an alien griffin?"
"Ah, so you do know," Glenda confirmed.
"Know an alien griffin? Yes, I suppose, if we can still call him a griffin. Does he have an interest in me? We're friends, I guess. He likes to call me Golden, but he likes giving his friends nicknames. It's really no big deal."
"You're friends with an extinct creature from another world and you think it's no big deal?" she questioned me.
"He's not extinct," Tsunami pointed out. "Griffins are extinct here, which - if I got it right - is why he can't keep his natural form while he's here. But he's alive just like the rest of us. And I believe you're not the reason why you're so angry."
I telepathically translated everything Tsunami said as he spoke.
"Isn't it?" asked Glenda. "Then what am I mad about, if you know so much?"
"Well, I could be wrong, but I doubt it," said Tsunami. "If you've found out about him, you must have found out he didn't come here alone. So am I right in assuming that when you said 'who did he think I was' you weren't talking about the griffin?"

Lady Bellsprout looked at Tsunami, sighed and sat down on the floor.

"Am I so transparent?" she wondered. "Or am I so dumb and simple that everyone knows what I think and feel, and everyone can fool me and lie to me like it's nothing?"
"You're not dumb," I assured. "Tsunami's just too curious and is always watching everyone and keeping up with everything that goes on."
"Just curious enough," Tsunami defended himself. "And more importantly, he didn't fool you. I know he lied about a couple of things, but they were meaningless. Just names and places. That's why he managed to keep the secret for so long, it's because he never lied about anything important."
"Were you there when we talked?" Glenda asked him.
"No, but I've known him for six years and I figured this was going to happen sooner or later. Now I'm wondering how it happened."
"He wanted me to check out the Tower of Hoeth for him because he was afraid of meeting Teclis. Only then did I learn that he'd had two interviews with Lord Absol. That made me curious... I didn't understand what interest Lord Absol could have in him... so I started asking questions and he ended up telling me. At first I didn't believe him... I thought he was pulling my leg, but then he reminded me he'd mentioned he knew a griffin from another world and now he said that was his world, and I think he tried to explain a lot of things, but I couldn't understand him. I was so confused and angry, and... I still can't believe it. We've been working together for six years! We were even... at first I was shocked to learn he was an alien, even though he says he's human which doesn't made sense. Now that still feels odd, but I'm more angry about the fact that he never told me about it. Especially when he did tell your trainer and your whole team."
"He is human," Tsunami assured. "I don't know how that works either, but there are other worlds with humans in them. I've never been there, but Caledor has. As have some other members of our team, including our trainer. That's why he told her where he was from, he knew she'd understand him, and he needed help to learn how to fit into your society."
"What for?" she asked. "Why did he come here?"
"To help a friend," I told her. "There's this weird oracle lady named Harims who always speaks in riddles, except they don't usually rhyme. She wanted to help us defeat Yssera, or at least that's what we think she wanted. But she couldn't do it herself, so she sent him and his team to help instead. I think that was because she felt we needed trainers and Pokemon and she could be neither."
"But it took us almost six years to defeat Yssera," Tsunami added. "And after all that time, and with the Black Dragon threatening us, he decided to stay. Even though neither Harims nor Lord Absol believe he can be of any help this time. I could bet he has other reasons to want to stay here."
"What kind of reasons?" asked Glenda.
"That's for you to find out, if you're interested. But you'll have to talk to him and give him a chance to explain himself. Trust me, he's a good guy. Just a bit socially awkward."
"So he really is human?"
"Yes!" Tsunami insisted. "You're not really listening, are you? I bet that's why he didn't tell you earlier. He must have been afraid you would react exactly like that."
"I am listening," she said. "It's just... so much to take in!"
"Then be glad you haven't met Tsuyoi," Tsunami told her. "Or even Rhiannon for that matter! Split-personality dimension-shifting Jolteon who also shared her body with two ghosts one of whom was her lover. Now that would have blown your mind."
"Rhiannon? Wasn't that the name of Lord Umbreon's Jolteon?"
We both nodded.
"Was she really all that?"
We nodded again.
"And who knows which world that gang is on right now? I guess they just found our Earth too boring."
"Oh, Lord! I knew they'd gone out to explore other lands, but... are you serious about this?"
"I never lie," Tsunami assured.
"That phrase would be meaningless if you did," Glenda pointed out.
"Good point, but if you knew me better you'd know I tend to get in trouble for how honest I am. I don't like deceiving others, nothing good comes out of it."
"Tell me about it!" the human exclaimed. "How come I've been working at the Dragon's Guild for so long and I never found out how complex things really were around here?"
"We don't know how complex things really are either," said Tsunami. "The Guild is full of secrets, and I'm sure everything we know is just the tip of the iceberg. The way I deal with things is by accepting them as they come. Weird things happen. We can't know everything, and we can't even understand everything we do know. What really matters is to know who's on your side... who you can count on."
"And you're saying I can count on... Eshree? That's his real name, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is, and yes, you can count on him. He doesn't know any more than you do about the Dragon's Guild and its inner workings, but he'll never do anything to hurt you. Not intentionally anyway. But you shouldn't need me to say that to you. You've been working with him for years, you probably know him a lot more than you think."
"I just didn't know the important things."
"And what are the important things?" I asked her. "His name and birthplace? Trust me on this, that's not what really matters. You've known who he is since long before you learned what his parents called him."
"You must really care for him to defend him like that," said Glenda.
"He's a friend," I replied. "I defend all my friends. And that includes you, Lady of Musical Growth."
"Musical growth?"
"I had to improvise a funny way of saying Bellsprout," I explained. "Although come to think of it, the word 'Bellsprout' itself is kind of funny. Just picture a bell sprouting from the ground... or a green branch sprouting from a bell."
"I chose that name because the first Pokemon I trained was a Bellsprout," Glenda informed me. "Although he's a Victreebel now, but I'm still fond of the name and Lady Victreebel would sound to pompous."
"If you say so," said Tsunami.
"Thanks, guys," Glenda said to us. "I would have never expected to get this kind of help from you two."

We both protested at the same time, and Tsunami said he was offended.

"Oh, sorry," said Glenda. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, I'm grateful. It's just that every time I've seen you before you were either running around, shouting at each other, throwing things around or shooting attacks randomly."
I was going to say that was just a hobby, but Tsunami spoke first: "I don't shoot randomly. Only Caledor does; I aim before shooting!"
"What, like this?" I hit him with a light Thundershock.
"Ouch! What did you do that for?!" he yelled.
"To show you how I can aim my attacks," I told him.
"That hurt. And I have to battle soon."
"You can recover," I reminded him. "But if it helps..."

He saw me glow blue and turned round to avoid being hit on his face by my Water Pulse.

"You didn't have to throw it at my face," Tsunami complained.
"I thought you might be thirsty," I said. "Hey, look! We've made the lady laugh!"
"That looks more like you two," Glenda said, still laughing. "By the way, where's your other friend?"
"Hero?" asked Tsunami. "Out there, somewhere. He likes going out for walks while Gabi's working."
"I don't think it's a good time for him to do that," she disapproved. "I've heard Fire Pokemon have been disappearing lately."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Tsunami told her. "Hero knows how to take care of himself, and he claims to be the fastest Ninetales in Ulthuan. If anyone tried to take him, it would be the kidnapper who would have to be afraid."
"I hope you're right," said Glenda. "OK, then... I suppose I should get back to work. I was planning to finish my work from home today, but I hadn't planned anything beyond that. I think it would be best to sort things out sooner rather than later."
"And I would love to watch," said Tsunami, "but I have a date with the MTU."
"That may be for the best," Glenda told him. "This is rather personal, I prefer not to have an audience."
"Er... I think I'd rather leave before I get yelled at by any more trainers," Tsunami said. "It was nice to be of help. See you!"

As we parted ways, I thought about how eventful the day was turning out to be and wondered what it would be like once we reached our destination. I think 'destination' is a nice word. It sounds a bit like 'destiny' but you can talk about it without getting philosophical, and it has as many syllables as 'xylometer' but it's a lot more common. You don't hear the word 'xylometer' a lot. And yet you do hear the word 'philosophical', which is longer. So what is it that makes a word 'big'? I was thinking about that when we reached the building. Tsunami showed the gatekeeper the note and we walked in. 'Gatekeeper' is a nice word too.

The note said Tsunami wanted to battle a Water type or an Ice type, so we were led to an appropriate training room. Before we got there, we crossed paths with a Charizard who was being chased by a Walrein. The trainer who was leading us shook his head.

"Those new transfers from Avelorn are quite a handful," he commented. "But I think that Charizard's from around here. Hold on a minute, I need to check something."

He took out a PokeGear or something like that and dialed a number. A female voice asked him what was up.

"The Walrein from Avelorn is chasing one of our Charizards towards the basement. I'm taking some visitors to a training room. Can you please send someone to make sure he doesn't cause trouble?"

There was silence for a few moments and then the voice replied that Lady Noctowl would be right there.

"Why do I have the feeling we're missing out on a lot of interesting stuff today?" I wondered.
"You can go and check if you want," Tsunami told me. "I'm the one who's going to battle. You can go and take a look around. I thought that was your plan anyway."
"I'd like to watch you battle first, but I'd also like to know what's going on over there."
"Wait a minute, I know that Charizard!" exclaimed Tsunami. "It took me a while to recognize him running away. Whatever trouble that one's getting into, I'm sure he had it coming."
"Where do you...? Oh, wait... was that the Charizard you battled at the Lava Room? The one who was mean to Amber?"
"Aha," Tsunami nodded.
"Then forget it, I'm watching your battle. I don't care what happens to a jerk like him."

We continued walking until we finally reached the training room. It was rather cold, and it had a round pool in the center.

"Here we are," said our guide, who hadn't bothered introducing himself. "Since your trainer's not with you, we'll match you up with one of the commons. And I'll stay here to watch and make sure there's no foul play, not that I expect there to be."
"I won't settle for anything but uncommon," Tsunami joked. I'm sure he remembered that 'commons' was the MTU's designation for Pokemon who weren't assigned to a trainer. The human seemed to get it.
"I suppose we can find you an uncommon common," he said, pointing at Tsunami with his PokeGear. "Let me check you up... oh, I think we have a perfect match for you. You want uncommon? Let's see how you fare against one of our new arrivals."

He spoke over his PokeGear again, asking someone to send Mirror to ASRA-2. "Yes, the Pokemon. No, the new one." Then he told Tsunami that his opponent would arrive soon.

We waited for a few moments until the water in the pool began to ripple. Slowly, a flat, crystalline shape began to emerge. These mercenary trainers must really like underwater passages. I figured that the transparent shape with oddly creepy blue eyes that was now resting on the surface of the water was Tsunami's opponent, but I'd never seen anything like that before.

I looked at Tsunami. He was studying his opponent carefully and stood silent for a while until he finally spoke.

"So... Mirror, right?"

The glass-like octagon bent over for a moment, showing how thin it was. Then it returned to its upright position. Was that a nod? I suppose it was.

"My name is Tsunami," said my friend. "If we're going to battle I'd like to hear your voice first. You can speak, right?"
"Yes."

The voice sounded cold and distant, and somewhat musical, like wind blowing through an ice tunnel. Or at least that's what it made me think of when I heard it.

"Not a Pokemon of many words, are you?" Tsunami concluded.
"No."
"He seems to be an Ice type," I remarked. "Perhaps he's afraid of ice-breakers. Or is it a she? It's hard to tell. Mirror, are you male or female?"
"Neither."
"Ah. Figures. That would explain why it was hard to tell. So... where do you come from? How do you like Sector Alpha? Do you have any hobbies?"
"I thought I was here to battle a Vaporeon."
"I know you're an Ice type, but do you have to be so cold?" I complained. "Most Ice Pokemon I know are a lot friendlier than that."
"I'm here to battle, not to make friends."
"So I suppose you're not familiar with the concept of friendly battles?"
"Just drop it," said Tsunami. "I'm here for a battle too. If Mirror doesn't want to talk, that's fine by me."

I think Mirror took that as its cue to begin the battle, because it sank into the water again... except that this time its body seemed to melt as soon as it touched the surface of the pool.

"Hey! That's my move!" shouted Tsunami, jumping into the water and disappearing as well.

Level 66 Vaporeon vs. Level 66 Cryogonal

I couldn't see what was going on under the water. Both fighters were invisible! I started wondering whether I should have gone straight to the computer room instead, or even followed the Charizard.

I tried to see what was going on by looking into the water. I saw a glint of light, and then some of the water moved around forming a circle. Then a line of ice formed under the water before melting back into it. Then a current of water moved forward, and some more water moved fast in different directions. There were a lot more water movements, and then I got tired and stopped watching, sitting down at the edge of the pool.

I felt like asking what was going on down there, or shouting out "this is the most boring battle ever", but I didn't want to break Tsunami's concentration and, knowing him, he was probably having the fun of a lifetime. But after a while I began to yawn. Not the move Yawn, of course, just regular boredom-induced yawning.

"You're not having fun?" the trainer asked me.

I sighed. I wished I had Ventura's abilities; that would have helped me figure out how the battle was going. How could a Venomoth have better extra-sensory perception than an Espeon? I could have used Future Sight, but that would have only showed me a snapshot of the battle about two minutes later, and I could bet that would still be just water. Tsunami seemed to have found his match: a Pokemon who could also melt into water, and who battled just as slowly as himself.

"I just wonder if either of them will ever get tired," I commented, as a sort of late reply to the trainer's question.

Just a second later, Tsunami jumped out of the pool with a Quick Attack. Staring fixedly into the water, he spoke to me.

"I heard you, Cale, and you're right. It's been fun so far, but we could go on like this forever. We can barely scratch each other, and we can both heal. I've been warned about this kind of opponent. This calls for a change of strategy."

As I tried to remembered who had warned Tsunami about anything like this, I saw Mirror emerge from the water just as the air turned darker and colder... and then a lot darker as Mirror hit Tsunami with what was unmistakably a Confuse Ray.

"Did you both decide to change your strategies at the same time?!" I asked, but Mirror didn't answer and Tsunami only said "Quiet! And no zapping!"

It took me almost a whole second to understand what he meant. I'm ashamed.

"I won't," I promised. "I know that Caledor physics only work on Caledors."
"Great, now there's two of you," said Tsunami, clearly confused.

While we spoke, the darkness turned into light. I took a better look at it and noticed a flow in the light: it was all focused on Mirror, who was beginning to glow.

"Tsunami, watch out!" I warned my friend.

I supposed he tried to do something to avoid being hit, but he ended up falling head first on the ceramic floor. He stood up quickly, though, and didn't seem too hurt except perhaps in his pride. He could not, however, avoid the Solarbeam which hit him square on his chest. I saw him wince and grit his teeth, but he took the full blow and remained standing. That's Tsunami for you.

When the Vaporeon opened his eyes again, there was a look of determination in them. They also seemed to look darker than usual. He opened his mouth and a dark beam emerged from it. Another Confused Ray? But Tsunami didn't know that move, which meant... he had done something amazingly difficult. No wonder he'd wanted me to be quiet! It must have taken him all the concentration he could muster to mimic that move!

Mirror fell on its back and hit the water, while Tsunami took his chance to soak his opponent a lot more, by dumping a whole load of water on Mirror's face in the form of a giant wave. As he did his, a few drops surrounded him and he absorbed them.

<Tsunami's POV>

I liked the way things were turning. While it had been fun to use all my senses to target my opponent underwater and trying to consume its stamina, Mirror had appeared to be just as resilient as I was. Hero had told me that would happen eventually, and while it had taken years, I was glad to finally meet someone who could take as many blows as I could. But, at the same time, that also meant our battle was going nowhere. It was an interesting training exercise, but I also wanted to win the battle at some point. And Caledor had shown me the right time for a change of pace when he started losing his patience. Poor kid, I didn't want to kill him of boredom.

That was why I had used Haze, turning the battle nearly back to its starting point, except that my Aqua Ring was still working. And that leads us to the moment when, after mimicking a Confuse Ray!!... ahem... and enduring a Solarbeam so well that I could still take another - not that I wanted to - I had turned the tides against my opponent and snapped - not zapped - out of confusion. Things weren't going so well for Mirror, who tried to get back up but ended up going all the way around and hitting itself again. I tried my luck with a Hydro Pump... and it hit! Of course, there was a good chance that it would, but a part of me was kind of wishing it wouldn't so that the battle would last a bit longer. As it was, Mirror was left floating on the surface of the swimming pool as the blue lights behind its frozen shield faded away.

I grew to level 67!

I turned my back on my fallen opponent and sighed.

"What is it, Tsu?" asked Caledor. "You don't look so happy."
"The battle was just starting to get good," I told him. "And then it just... ended. I was hoping Mirror would recover from my blows and try some other move, but it turns out it was not so resistant without its Acid Armor and after its Light Screen had worn out."
"Are you kidding me?! That battle was longer then my Blizzard Room battle! You were underwater for at least 5 minutes."
"I can usually stay underwater for about 20 minutes before I have to go up for air," I told him.
"That's beside the point," said Caledor.
"And the point is...?"
"I was getting bored, that's the point! And I don't get bored easily."
"Excuse me," I replied. "I thought I was here to train, not to entertain you."
"And how much do you learn from a battle that just drags on and on?"
"Quite a lot, actually," I answered. "Usually the longer it takes, the more I learn. Which is another reason why I like long battles. That, and to test my endurance. Did you see how I took that Solarbeam?"
"Yes, and I also saw your Confuse Ray."
"That was great, wasn't it? I must admit I wasn't sure if I could pull it out, but that's what training is for, right? To test your limits and learn new things. I wish Hero had seen me!"
"He would have run out of the room after the first minute," said Caledor. "He's not that patient."
"Give him some credit. He really likes watching battles."
"Only battles that he can actually watch," the Espeon pointed out. "There was nothing to be seen while you two were underwater!"
"You should really work on your psychic powers. You would have enjoyed it a lot more."
"I'd like to see you try to master those powers."
"I'd love to, but I'm not an Espeon. I get to hold my breath for 20 minutes and make the largest waves in the history of Pokemon battles, you get to deal with psychic powers. And considering how many other powers you already have, you shouldn't be complaining."
"I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering if... Never mind, this is getting too serious. Let's go to the computer room. I want to see how that machine works!"

I wondered what it was that Caledor was wondering, but there was no getting an answer from him when he was so determined to avoid being serious. We asked the nameless trainer for directions to get to the computer room, and he directed us to it. Once we got there, I was surprised to find my Group B teammates, as well as the mysterious Walrein, among other Pokemon. They were all gathered around what looked like a huge screen surrounded by plastic bubbles and microphones. The strange gizmo was sitting at the edge of a large swimming pool fro which streams of water rose up at irregular intervals, reaching different heights before falling back into the pool. I guess that made it a fountain rather than just a swimming pool. The Walrein seemed to be pestering Spark, but my Pidgeot friend ignored him.

"Hey, look who's here!" Water Angel called out, turning to look at me and Caledor. "I'm glad you could join us."
"Those two friends of yours?" asked the Walrein.
"Yes, and you don't get to play your games with them," Spark told him.
"You're such a spoilsport, you know it? What we did in Avelorn was all in good fun, and that Charizard owed me - still owes me - the prize from my victory against him."
"There we go again, he never agreed to your terms," said Spark.
"Yes, he did. You don't start a battle without agreeing to the terms. He attacked me as soon as I mentioned them, so that constitutes an agreement."

Water Angel laughed.

"He attacked while you were setting the terms for the battle?!" I tried to confirm. "How rude can he get?!"
"You don't know Gamble," Pidgeot said, his wing pointing to the Walrein.
"I don't, but you don't know that Charizard. All he cares about is fighting, and he was rude to Amber at the Lava Room."
"Gamble was rude to Spark at the Pond Room," Water Angel told me.

Spark, Water Angel and I looked at each other for a moment. Then Caledor voiced his thoughts.

"Why don't we let Gamble go back with that Charizard and stay with him? Those two guys look like they're made for each other!"
"Me and that brute?!" Gamble protested. "Do not insult me. He has no sense of honor!"
"Says the one who tried to trick us into fighting a lopsided battle," Spark told him. I wondered what I had missed.
"The battle became lopsided the moment you decided to challenge me," said Gamble.
"Really? Which side had the advantage?" Spark countered.

Gamble looked from Spark to Water Angel. He didn't seem to have an easy way out of that one.

"You know..." he said. "I don't really remember all the details about that battle. I was so shocked when I heard that you didn't know your own name that it was hard to think of anything else!"
"That's as lame as an excuse can get," Spark shook his head.
"Why won't you tell me how you got your new name? Or did you somehow remember your old name?"
"I've already told you that's none of your business," said Spark. He must have told him that while I was battling. "You don't seem to be using the computer, nor swimming, so why don't you just go somewhere else?"
"I'm using the fountain to moisturize my skin," Gamble claimed. "It's refreshing. And the streams coming out of the walls can give you a great massage."
"Perhaps we should go," Water Angel suggested. "Tsunami must be tired after his battle, and I've already done everything I intended to do here today."
"But I haven't seen how the computer works!" Caledor complained. "You said you could use it look up the meaning of words, right? I'd like to look one up. Someone at the Guild mentioned it and it sounded cool but what he said it meant made no sense."
"Sure, we can do that," the Queendra accepted. "Which word is it?"
"Xylometer."
"Oh, that's easy," she said. "It's an artifact used to determine the volume of irregular pieces of wood from the volume of the water they displace, according to the Archimedes principle."

Caledor's mouth was wide open. I laughed.

"But I can show you if you want," she offered.

For its weird interface, the machine worked just like any other computer. Water Angel used it to search an online dictionary of forestry, and the definition she found was amazingly close to the one she had provided.

"Now I know what your hobby is," I told her.
"I'm not checking dictionaries all the time, I just do a lot of reading," she explained.

By the time we got back home, Gabi was already there having what was probably her sixth cup of tea of the day. The rest of the team was also there, except for Hero. We talked about everything that had happened during the day; it turns out Gabi had run into Eshree before Glenda's return and had also tried to help him sort things out with her, but then Glenda had arrived and she'd left the two alone to talk. Gabi had also caught up with some paperwork, but hadn't got a chance to see the Deerling. Lagi offered herself to pay him a visit the next day, hoping that she'd be able to help him somehow. Other than that, everyone was getting ready for the last day of the Dragon Games, and speculating over who would win the first prize, but Gabi avoided the question claiming that she had no way to know until she had seen the battles. There weren't many comments about my own battle: everyone was glad it had gone well, but they didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary; I didn't know whether to find that disappointing or flattering.

As for Hero, we ended up having dinner without him. At that point we were all starting to worry. But he proved our fears excessive when he returned safe and sound around 11 PM. He was surprised to see our reaction, and assured us that he hadn't realized it was that late and had never thought we'd worry that something might have happened to him.

"Where on Earth were you?" I asked him. "I'm assuming you were on Earth, right? You don't have the power to travel to other worlds, but you never know."
Hero chuckled. "I was on Earth alright. Right here in Sector Alpha too."
"Ah," I sighed. "For a while I thought you might have tried to check out the mountains alone."
"Give me some credit, will you? I'm impulsive, but not suicidal. Spooky, on the other paw, is ready for a recon mission or just to act as bait the moment the Dragon Tamers call for it."
"I don't know what's creepier," I told him. "Your Hidden Power or the fact you have given it a name."

Hero grinned. I could only conclude that he liked being creepy.

"Will you at least tell us where you've been all this time?" I insisted.
"OK, OK, if you really need to know, I was with Tracker. Today was her day off. Now get off my fur, will you?"
"There is no shame in wanting to spend time with your girlfriend," Gabi told him.
"He's just being Hero," I said. "His actions don't always make sense. I think I should tell him about my battle, but I'd rather wait until he's in a better mood to talk."
"Battle?" Hero's ears perked up. "What battle?"
"And that's also Hero being Hero," I noted.
"You're not saying I'm predictable, are you? Because, if I must remind you, just a few minutes ago you had no idea where I was."
"And that's you two being you two," said Gabi. "At least it's good to know you're not possessed or anything. But I'll let you both catch up and go to bed, tomorrow will be a long day. Hero, there's some food left for you in the kitchen. Goodnight."

As Gabi left, I told Hero about my battle. He thought I was exaggerating - because he always does that himself - but Caledor was there to prove the truth of my claims, at least for the parts of the battle he managed to see. I told him I had finally met a Pokemon whom - for a moment - I thought could take even more blows than I could but, contrary to his warnings, it was fun. However, he caught me in an awkward spot when he asked me what kind of Pokemon Mirror was. I had no choice but to admit it was one I'd never seen before.

"Ice type," I told him. "Geometrical shape, mostly octagonal with V-shaped crystals covering the points. It was almost flat, and genderless, and had blue glowing eyes behind its cold, transparent armor."
"Did it look like a snowflake?" asked Hero.
"It would be creepy if snowflakes looked like that, but now that you mention it... if you take just the outline of its body, then maybe."
"It was a Cryogonal," he stated.
"How do you know?"
"Because unlike you, I like to keep up to date with the details of all the Pokemon who come to Ulthuan. You never know which one you're going to battle next."
"Where do you get that information?"
"The Guild's database, of course. I'm surprised you haven't been checking it. But you've made a good assessment of an unknown opponent, I'll grant you that."

I smiled, but didn't say anything. We'd been living together for 10 years and a half and I still felt he treated me like a cub whenever we talked about battles. But his advice was useful sometimes, so I could put up with his mildly patronizing tone. It was another aspect of my endurance, and besides, I was sure that real life would provide me with countless opportunities to get back at him for that.