¤Game¤ Dragon Tamers Battle Range version 21 (M.A. Pidgeot) [Archive]

Lady Vulpix

4th May 2004, 10:38 AM

Thanks to Amy for writing the list of opponents at the Lava Room! :)
And to everyone for your patience. I originaly intended to post this scenario by the end of January, but the rest of my life caught up. :sweatdrop:

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<Gabi's POV>

Permission granted, but you will have to make the arrangements on your own.
Greetings,
Golden Growlithe.
P.S. The fort is, indeed, available, and so are the prizes. You'll be surprised.

That was the whole content of the letter. Still, it was all I needed. It had the seal of the Dragon's Guild, which meant it was official. I was glad I had met Golden Growlithe on a previous visit to the Guild's headquarters. Our encounter made me feel I was not alone in what could become a Dragon's Guild civil war. Of course, my best hopes were that things wouldn't turn out that way. The situation was tense, but it had always been so; there was no reason to believe the Guild as a whole were against the Dragon Tamers. They were just keeping secrets, as was their tradition. They were so secretive I didn't even know who was in charge anymore, and I had one of the highest ranks and was one of the oldest Guild members. Of course, many didn't like the fact that I made the Dragon Tamers my main priority, even though the Guild were financing our activities. But some still had their heads and hearts in the right place, as G.G. had proven. Others were simply choked in bureaucracy but weren't bad either once you got a chance to get a message through. There was only one group among the Dragon's Guild that I was worried about: the invisible ones; the ones whose names were as unknown to me as their intentions and their limits. They lurked in the shadows, pulled some strings making sure the rest of us couldn't even figure out which ones... They seemed omnipresent, I could see signs of their activities on every 'strong suggestion', on every obscure message I received, on every bit of information that was denied to me. And I wondered who they were, what they were doing, what they wanted, but above all... were they on our side?

The letter had taken 3 months to arrive since I'd originally asked for permission to hold the next tournament. I knew they wouldn't have a reason to deny it, since holding pokemon battling tournaments was one of the activities the Dragon's Guild was famous for and we hadn't had one for over a year. I was a bit unsure about whether they would approve the location I'd requested, but if they rejected it, they would have had to provide a reason, and would have raised suspicions about why they were willing to hold tournaments at all the gates except that particular one. To be honest, it was exactly that fact that gave me the last clue I needed, after an enlightening conversation Officer Jenny and Tracker, and that made me decide it was the right time and place for the next Games.

I hadn't shared my thoughts with Golden Growlithe (I hadn't even asked him what his real name was); the last sentence of his letter got me intrigued, but the best thing I could do at that moment was wait until I saw him or the prizes. Maybe the prizes were just so good that he thought I'd be surprised at them... But I had the feeling there was more to that last comment. Or maybe it was just my tendency to find second meanings on everything that was Guild-related.

Before I go on about how the Dragon Tamers managed to make the arrangements for the Games (which was not an easy task) I think I should say more about my visit to the police station. It happened right after I picked up Amber and Sylvan from the Pokemon Center. Fortunately, their injuries hadn't been as bad as they had looked, and now they were feeling a lot better. Amber's cheek still had marks on it and would take a while to heal, but the nurse had assured that it would be as good as new as long as nothing caused the wound to reopen. Amber's firmness when she promised she wouldn't let that happen made me think for a moment that she was capable of caring as much about her appearance as Sylvan did; but then again, who'd want to have a permanent scar on their face?

My whole Team followed me to the Police Station. I requested to talk to Officer Jenny, though it was her Ninetales I wanted to talk to the most. They both turned out to be very helpful. They seemed to have got used to working together, to seeing me talk to pokemon, and to how things around the Dragon Tamers worked (Jenny's first encounters with us weren't something she'd been prepared for at the academy, especially since they involved a well-trained and very efficient police pokemon purposely disobeying her trainer). I went to ask them how their research was going, and if they could cross-check anything with the word Singlehorn, which I'd found in one of TR's computers as the name of a project.

"We haven't found much," Officer Jenny told me "seeing as that our best clue is the word 'Gates' casually mentioned by two Dragon's Guild members, and that we're only conducting this investigation on our free time, as no one else in this station sees it as a case. I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything solid myself."
"When you say 'we' you mean...?"
"Me and Tracker, of course. I would be blind if I didn't realize she's been working on this for longer than I have."
The female Ninetales smiled and looked up at her trainer, who caressed her head and neck in return.
"So, there's nothing on the Dragon's Guild..." I deduced. "What about Team Rocket?"
"They were everywhere two days ago. The whole station is after them. But now they seem to have vanished without a trace. I thought your group was responsible for it."
"We may be," I reflected. "We found their base and got out of it. Then yesterday Pidgeot flew over it and saw it was completely burnt out. They probably fled to some other location, I really don't think we've seen the last of them."
"It looks like you have some declarations to make," Jenny considered.
"Before you get into that," Tracker addressed me. "It's not true that there's nothing on the Guild. My trainer did some research on their activities over the last 4 years and I found something quite interesting about them. Something related to you, actually. I crosschecked it with the word Gates and had my trainer follow me to Griphon Gate, almost sure that I had something."
"Griphon Gate!!," Caledor jumped as if he'd been woken up with a bucket of watter. "That's where I first met my team!"
"Exactly," Tracker continued. "There we found enough information to confirm that at least a part of the Dragon's Guild or an association related to it has been conducting secret experiments. But no proof of who they were, nor where they were conducted, nor what exactly those experiments were. We don't even know if they were legal or not, but I think it's worth investigating more."
"You didn't have to go all the way to Griphon's Gate to know that," Caledor retorted. "I'm a living proof of what they've been doing. I was one of their experiments. But the lab wasn't at Griphon's Gate; I was only taken there for the prize ceremony."
"Where was it, then?"
"I wish I knew."
"What are they talking about?," Officer Jenny asked me. Only then I remembered she couldn't understand what Tracker and Caledor were saying.
"Griphon's Gate," I replied.
"Oh, yes, we've been there. But we found nothing you didn't already know, not even behind the locked doors."
"How did you get behind the locked doors?," Hero inquired.
"Good magicians don't reveal their secrets," Tracker grinned, half-closing her eyes in an inviting way.
"Since when are you a magician?," Hero asked her.
"Don't be jealous. Just because you're not the only one who has tricks it doesn't mean the police will stop chasing you."
"The police? Chasing me?"
"Well, one police Ninetales at list," Tracker winked.
Hero half-smiled. I could feel his body temperature rise even without touching him. I wished I could help him walk that step he was so afraid of. It was clear he loved Tracker as much as she loved him.
"What's going on now?," asked Jenny.
"Nothing," I said after thinking for a while, trying to avoid any tactless remarks. "Just Hero and Tracker talking to each other."
"Oh. Well, about the Dragon's Guild, I'm sorry, but all we know so far is that there is (or was) a secret lab, but not is location. And we haven't found any connections between any Guild Members and Team Rocket. If we proceed with the investigation, the Dragon's Guild will start asking questions and since there are no charges against them we will be forced to stop. Have I mentioned I'm not so sure we're doing the right thing?"
"You can't be doing any wrong, you're not hurting anyone, just looking for information. And if it turns out some Guild member has deals with Team Rocket or has been doing anything illegal, it would be best for everyone to know, wouldn't it? The Team Rocket that has attacked us now has done more damage than ever before. They haven't only caused many more deaths, but they also seem to know a lot about the Dragon Tamers and the Dragon's Guild. If they have the slightest chance to try and destroy us from the inside, well, we shouldn't..."
"Shouldn't let them. I know. Just make sure you don't cross the line in the process."
"I never would," I assured. "You don't know me if you think I could."
"I don't know you that well, but I never meant to say you would. A simple warning shouldn't hurt."
"Ok," I accepted.
She was right, we hadn't talked more than a few times and she could be risking her job for following my hunches. I shouldn't have been hard on her. My eyes slid down to Jenny's desk as I was caught on those thoughts. When I rounded them up, I noticed I'd been looking at a map of Ulthuan for the last few seconds. I took a closer, most conscious look at it, before coming up with a revelation.
"Unicorn Gate," I spoke out. Everybody fixed their eyes on me.
"Pardon?," said Officer Jenny.
"Unicorn Gate. Unicorn means 'One Horn'. Singlehorn! If there's a connection, that's it! That could be the reason why they've held two tournaments at each of the other gates but so carefully skipped that one each time!"
"So you're saying the lab's at Unicorn Gate?," queried Jenny.
"I don't know, but it's worth looking. I can almost bet there's something in there. And I have an idea not even the most secretive Guild's authorities can reject!"
"Congratulations. What is it?"
"I'll send a letter to the Guild and then ask the others. If everything goes well, we'll be holding the Unicorn Games soon."

So, that was how it all began. I tried to reopen the last training grounds, but none of the 3 locations were available. I shouldn't have been surprised after G.G. had told me I'd have to do everything on my own. But I wouldn't resign myself to do it alone either. I counted on Amy and Karin to be willing to help set things up. Fortunately, the old training grounds were still in its place and the people who used to work in them were happy to see them back. So, after some time and a lot of work, the 5 original rooms were filled with pokemon waiting for battles.

Scenario information: you can battle up to 2 pokemon from each of the 5 rooms, which adds up to 10 pokemon in all. Each room functions as an individual scenario as far as the Battle Range rules go, and you can use them whether or not you're planning to take part in the upcoming Unicorn Games.

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

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.

These are the pokemon you can battle here:

(up to level 15)
Totodile LV8 +1 level
Mudkip LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Spheal LV19 +1 level
Croconaw LV25+2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Marshtomp LV28 +1 level
Sharpedo LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Sealeo LV38 +1 level
Lapras LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Qwilfish LV49 +1 level
Gyarados LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Corsola LV62 +1 level
Walrein LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Mantine LV76 +1 level
Starmie LV85 +2 levels

(level 85.5-100)
Swampert LV90 +1 level
Feraligatr LV97 +2 levels

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

Jungle Room

This room is fool of beautiful and exotic plants. In one of the corners there's a rare bush which paralizes 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)
Surskit LV8 +1 level
Chikorita LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Grovyle LV19 +1 level
Scyther LV25+2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Ivysaur LV28 +1 level
Pinsir LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Masquerain LV38 +1 level
Sceptile LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Tropius LV49 +1 level
Ludicolo LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Arbok LV62 +1 level
Ursaring LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Seviper LV76 +1 level
Venusaur LV85 +2 levels

(level 85.5-100)
Meganium LV90 +1 level
Scizor LV97 +2 levels

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

Desert Room

The cold deflecting walls take away all humidity in the air. 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)
Sandshrew LV8 +1 level
Phanpy LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Aron LV19 +1 level
Sandslash LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Larvitar LV28 +1 level
Lairon LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Rhyhorn LV38 +1 level
Donphan LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Pupitar LV49 +1 level
Onix LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Nosepass LV62 +1 level
Steelix LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Solrock LV76 +1 level
Aggron LV85 +2 levels

(level 85.5-100)
Rhydon LV90 +1 level
Tyranitar LV97 +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 pokemon with psychic abilities will hear your commands if you're inside one of them.

In this room you can find:

(up to level 15)
Ralts LV8 +1 level
Slowpoke LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Meditite LV19 +1 level
Metang LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Spoink LV28 +1 level
Sneasel LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Snorunt LV38 +1 level
Dewgong LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Medicham LV49 +1 level
Glalie LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Grumpig LV62 +1 level
Metagross LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Jynx LV76 +1 level
Slowbro LV85 +2 levels

(level 85.5-100)
Alakazam LV90 +1 level
Slowking LV97 +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 molten rock sorrounded by boiling lava! Avoid all contact with the lava, as it will burn through any non metallic or stone surface (with the possible exception of a Magmar's skin).

Here you can find:

(up to level 15)
Magby LV8 +1 level
Torchic LV15 +2 levels

(level 15.5-25)
Houndour LV19 +1 level
Combusken LV25 +2 levels

(level 25.5-35)
Numel LV28 +1 level
Magmar LV35 +2 levels

(level 35.5-45)
Growlithe LV38 +1 level
Blaziken LV45 +2 levels

(level 45.5-55)
Vulpix LV49 +1 level
Houndoom LV55 +2 levels

(level 55.5-70)
Torkoal LV62 +1 level
Camerupt LV70 +2 levels

(level 70.5-85)
Arcanine LV76 +1 level
Ninetales LV85 +2 levels

(level 85.5-100)
Typhlosion LV90 +1 level
Charizard LV97 +2 levels

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

Good luck to all of you! Train your pokemon well!

Charizard04621

4th May 2004, 06:21 PM

Here's my random battle. Now I can work on the previous scenario's conclusion, and then on this new one. It sounds interesting. ^_^

My POV:

AglÃ¡rienâ€™s battle really shook her up. When I asked her if she wanted another, in a different section, she still refused. She enjoyed battle, but not like that. I had a feeling that she wouldnâ€™t want to battle pokÃ©mon whose trainers she did not know for a while. So someone else could have the chance to battleâ€¦

Naturally, Ryu requested the opportunity first. He had not had much to do at the Battle Tower lately, and he still wanted to strengthen himself as much as he could, as soon as was possible. The entire time I had known him, he had been rushing for evolution, or improvement in general. The Trapinch seemed restless, although I did not know why. Sometimes I thought that he lived for his dreams, but those who have only dreams had nothing else to grasp when they were gone. Ryu had something else, something greater than his resolve: something that made him find new goals when he reached his previous ones. Ryu was fueled by the constant desire to better himself, the drive to always excel in anything that he chose to doâ€¦ And even if he started without the capability of reaching his goals â€“ especially if he began unable to accomplish what he worked for â€“ Ryu would always train until he could. I was worried about him, though; currently he had a bandaged foreleg that he had injured during one of his training sessions. It hadnâ€™t fully healed yet, and I feared that the wound was deeper than he had thought.

The arena this time was more pleasant than the last, and I was glad for it. Ice I dreaded as one of my most uncomfortable states of being. Here the weather was sunny; it had to be, for the abundant plant life to flourish so. Grass pokÃ©mon abode here in great numbers, thriving on the gorgeous sunlight and lush, wet greenery. Ryu and I walked over a vast expanse of soft green grass that stretched across the horizon. Some forest trees lined the sides, most laden heavily with fruit that carried their delicate aromas across the air. I breathed in delight, glad that the atmosphere was full of life, and not death, as it was in the ice arena a week ago.

To reach the site where the battle was to be held, we had to actually enter the forest and follow the ambling path for half a mile. We didnâ€™t mind the walk, and moved at a leisurely pace, simply enjoying the delicious sights and smells of the sylvan path. We arrived at the battle scene after a pleasant stroll. It was a forest clearing, encircled by flowering trees, the grass gleaming with the golden rays of the sun that poured in generously through the opening to the sky.

We both jumped when a voice addressed us unexpectedly. â€œBeen waiting for you.â€ Our attention turned to the source, a female trainer of about seventeen years of age. She wore her rich, flowing red hair in two braids, one on the left and the other on the right. She dressed casually in faded blue jeans and a white T-shirt, with a dark blue cap on her head turned backwards. She regarded us with a kind of genuine curiosity, studying us, measuring our every move, as if trying to gauge us as opponents. When she noticed that we knew she was staring at us, however, she averted her gaze and pretended not to see. Clearing her throat, she turned to us again. â€œSo, letâ€™s get this battle going, huh?â€

â€œGood idea. Ryu!â€

The Trapinch nodded, taking his place in front of me firmly.

â€œWell, yours looks strong,â€ commented the girl. â€œIâ€™ll just have to be careful. Letâ€™s see nowâ€¦ Razor will do a fine job.â€ A Tropius emerged from his pokÃ©ball, towering over Ryu. He looked down at the Trapinch, studying him in the same manner as his trainer had. Then, blinking, he tossed his large head, jiggling the yellow fruit under his chin. The Tropius snorted, then pawed the ground impatiently, indicating that he wanted the fight to begin.

â€œWatch out, Ryu,â€ I cautioned. â€œJust like the Lapras AglÃ¡rien had to battle a week ago, this Tropius is going to be tough.â€ I donâ€™t even know why I said that. Ryu didnâ€™t need me warning him. He understood the situation himself. I guess I felt the necessity to fill the silence that had somehow come upon us. As our battle had shown signs of beginning, the entire forest had gone quiet.

â€œOkay, Razor, we donâ€™t know what weâ€™re up against, so weâ€™d better try to take them out before they can show us. Razor Wind!â€

The great beast fluttered his serrated wings, and a forceful whirlwind seemed to be building up in place. Unfortunately for our opponent, this attack was slow; Ryu could see it coming. As the Tropius charged his offensive, Ryu watched and accurately predicted where the attack was headed. When Razor let loose the rampant wind, it tore up the grass in its path before dissipating, but Ryu was already well out of the way.

â€œWell, my suspicions are confirmed. This one is good, Razor. He wonâ€™t fall for charged attacks under normal circumstances. Weâ€™ll need faster ones.â€ She spotted his bandage for the first time. â€œHmm? Whatâ€™s this? By chance, I see an opportunity to cripple him.â€ She nodded. â€œCome on, Razor, use your favorite move.â€ She winked.

What move could that be? I watched Ryu worriedly, not because I was afraid that he couldnâ€™t take care of himself â€“ he was braced for anything that might come his way â€“ but because I knew the Tropius was going to target his injured leg, with an attack that his trainer had not specified. She was better than any regular trainer; although she still spoke to her pokÃ©mon, she spoke in code. A code that only someone close to them would understand.

Razor swung his head aside in a single motion, flinging out sharp-edged leaves that spun at high velocities. Of courseâ€¦ Razor Leaf. But this attack was not something that we had ever seen; the leaves flew so fast that Ryu was not quick enough to dodge, and they struck with astounding accuracy. The bandage on his foot fell cleanly off, shredded by the attack. His injured leg displayed a cut from which blood had begun to trickle out.

â€œRyuâ€¦â€

â€œIâ€™m fine,â€ he assured me stubbornly, although signs of pain showed in his face. I said nothing, however; I knew that finishing this battle now was a matter of honor. The fact that his opponent had deliberately targeted his weak spot served only to firm his resolve to win. To Ryu, there were no weak spots.

â€œGood, Razor. Now attack from the air. Quickly! Aerial Ace!â€

Twirling his helicopter blades, the Tropius lifted off, then, locking on to Ryu, came swooping down towards him. The Trapinch attempted to avoid the assault, but as his opponent came closer he stumbled, and took a glancing blow on the side. Razor then proceeded to rise into the air, prepared to continue the assault at his trainerâ€™s command.

â€œGood work, Razor. Keep going!â€

At her approval, he dove once more, this time missing Ryu closely due to the Trapinchâ€™s massive effort. Ryu had waited until the time was right, and his aggressor could no longer change course, then forced himself to spring out of the way. The strength it took put a strain on his injured leg, however, and I saw the flow of blood increase in intensity and speed. This could not continue.

â€œRyu, you know that this wonâ€™t work,â€ I told him. â€œThat Tropius is a speed attacker, focused mainly on offense, and heâ€™s coming at you from the air. Youâ€™re a Trapinch. Take advantage of it. Remember what you can do. If Jolteon can swimâ€¦â€ I checked to see if he understood what I was hinting at. He did. â€œThe ground is soft. You donâ€™t need it in your movesetâ€¦â€

He took Razorâ€™s aerial attack this time, then, as the Tropius renewed his ascent, Ryu began to paw at the ground with his good leg. Within moments, he had dug a sizeable hole, and, at the opposing trainerâ€™s cry of anguish, leapt in just as his attacker came down for him a fourth time. The Tropius, unable to pull back, crashed into the ground, his face plunging slightly into the hole. It did not take long for him to remove his head, however. With a cry, as if something ailed him, he staggered backwards, disoriented.

â€œRyuâ€, the male Trapinchâ€™s POV:

My Sand Attack had achieved its desired effect. The Tropius was out of my hole for now, and it gave me time to dig inward a little deeper. I made a little curve, rather than dig straight, so that he would have to actually enter the hole to see meâ€¦ something he could not do. His body was too large.

From what I had seen, my opponent was a skilled aerial attacker, with strategies focusing on strong, rapid offense from the air. Because I saw his confused face, and because I was not at this moment experiencing violent tremors, I could safely assume that Earthquake was not in his specialized moveset. So, his wings were vital to his strategy. That meantâ€¦

â€œRazor, Sunny Day! We can still get to him. He canâ€™t stay there forever!â€

If the Tropius complied, I would have plenty of time to sneak up on him unnoticed. I didnâ€™t hear any warning from Karin, so I felt pretty certain that this was not just a ruse to get me to surface. Closing my eyes, I relied on my senses to take me closer to my targetâ€¦

I didnâ€™t trust my senses to perfection, so I did not try to surface directly underneath Razor. Without the actual Dig attack in my moveset, I could not depend on my instincts to fully pull off the attack, especially when I had not really practiced it much. Instead, I dug myself out quietly, quite close to where I had wanted to end up, which pleased me. I surfaced at the foot of a bush, and under the cover of invisibility that my Faint Attack granted me. Unless I made too much noise, Razorâ€™s attention would not be drawn to me.

The Tropius was still in his summoning trance. I could see the distance in his eyes as he stared skyward, mentally forcing the clouds to reveal the sun. It began to get noticeably warmer as they vanished, for it was the middle of the day, and without the clouds the light shone at its fullest intensity.

As silently as was possible, I made my way around the Tropius, maintaining my invisibility. Then, leaping, revealing myself, I sprang upon his back and clamped down viciously upon his razor blade wings.

The Tropiusâ€™s cry was horrendous. I could tell that he was in pain. My attack had left his leaf wings crooked, parts of them cleanly snapped. As a Grass type, he would be able to heal them properly, but not in this battle. I saw a trace of fear arise in his trainerâ€™s eyes as I slid to the ground to face the injured pokÃ©mon. But it flitted for only just a second, and went away.

â€œWe were switching strategies anyway,â€ she claimed. â€œDarling Razor, do you feel up to this?â€ Despite his obvious agony that manifested itself in his contorted face, Razor nodded. He did not want to give up, he knew that his trainer did not want to give up, and he loved her so that he would endure his pain for her until he could stand it no more.

â€œAll right, then, if youâ€™re sure. Harness the powers of the sun!â€

It did not take me very long to realize that this meant Solarbeam. My opponent began to glow golden, absorbing the rays of the now blazing white ball of fire. To my astonishment, the power of his attack incremented at a startlingly quick rate, and before long he had as much sunlight as he needed. Almost before I could react, he fired the devastating pillar of light; my legs moved without my bidding, carrying me to safety somehow, I did not know. But the ground burned beneath my feet, and my sides were singed. I knew that I could not dodge another attack. But I also knew something else.

From observing the Tropiusâ€™s and his trainerâ€™s tactics, I could tell that Razor was not accustomed to long, grueling battles. His heavy offensive strategy usually made sure that he knocked out his opponent almost right away. I would not be surprised if each of his various attack methods had only to be used once against pokÃ©mon that he would fight. His trainer seemed frustrated and increasingly confused as she had to switch strategies; each was probably planned separately, to be used in separate battles. But in this one they were being tested to the limits of their ability. And I could beat a lot of pokÃ©mon in an endurance war. Razor was already tiring.

Upon the first failure, certain that he could get me this time, determined not to miss, the Tropius began to gather solar energy with a renewed vigor. But the signs of his exhaustion were there, and he could not hide them. I needed only survive this blast.

Dodging the incoming Solarbeam was not a possibility. My leg had begun to bleed even more, and I could feel the stinging pain again that stabbed at it before that kind Hitmonlee had dressed my wound. And so, I had only one optionâ€¦ Sometimes, the best defense was a good offense. Not overdone like Razor and his trainer, but it could work at times, and this was one of them.

When I saw that Razor was nearly ready, I braced myself. He turnedâ€¦ And I let hell break loose. My leg pounded into the ground, sending powerful tremors at him that he did not see coming. His charged attack shot off course, crashing into a tree and burning the bark black with its destructive intensity. My Earthquake, because it had been rushed, did not do much physical damage; it had not even shaken either trainer much; but it spelt Razorâ€™s ruin. The battle was over.

â€œNice, Ryu,â€ Karin commended.

The opposing trainer, not understanding, encouraged her Tropius. â€œItâ€™s all right, Razor, youâ€™ll get him next time,â€ she said. â€œTry your Fire type Hidden Power this time. Itâ€™s faster.â€

As the beast got up slowly, however, she began to fathom the meaning of Karinâ€™s words. Razor sagged heavily, having difficulty even standing up. A dull, dispirited look lay buried in his eyes; he attempted to initiate his attack, but couldnâ€™t. With an exaggerated sigh, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Ryu won!
Ryu grew to LV21!

classy_cat18

4th May 2004, 10:02 PM

Alright, something new! I don't know about Jewel's battle, though.

My POV

â€œAlright! This has to be the best opportunity ever!â€ I shouted excitedly as I walked in the building. â€œWeâ€™ll prove everyone that weâ€™re the best!â€ I felt a sudden wave of exhaustion and leaned on the wall.

â€œWhy are you so tired?â€ Beacon asked me.

â€œI forgot which gate these games are supposed to be at,â€ I groaned. â€œAt least weâ€™re here.â€ I looked around the circular room, finding each of the five doors. Each one led to a different training room and opponents to fight. I looked at each of them with anticipation. â€œWhich one?â€

Beacon walked to the one in front of us. â€œThis one. Iâ€™m sure of it!â€ She placed a hoof on it.

I got up and walked toward it. I felt great warmth as my hand reached toward it. I opened the door and found a stone staircase lined with torches. Beaconâ€™s legs shook as she placed a hoof on the first step. â€œSomething about this. Where does it lead?â€

â€œI guess it leads to one of the training rooms,â€ I said softly. I followed Beacon down the staircase. â€œLook, you donâ€™t have to battle if you donâ€™t want to.â€

She promptly shook her head. â€œI want to get stronger, end of story. Iâ€™m not afraid of whatâ€™s beyond this door.â€ She stopped at a heavy steel door. I reached toward it and promptly pulled it back; the heat was too much. Plus there was no handle. I turned around and saw a button attached to the wall. I pressed it out of curiosity and watched the door slowly swing open.

â€œUm, Beacon? Are you sure youâ€™re not scared? â€˜Cause Iâ€™m practically peeing my pants!â€ I said. We were looking at what looked like the inside of a volcano. The floor was molten magma and the only way to walk through it was to walk across was to walk on narrow paths of molten lava. And it was hot. Very hot. I turned around to go back through the door only to see it close behind us. â€œThereâ€™s nowhere else to go but forward.â€ But Beacon already knew that and was cautiously walking on the rocky path. I walked behind her, a shepherd following her sheep. We finally approached the center of the room where a large flat rock lay. On the side opposite mine stood a boy with blond hair done up in a French braid.

â€œAre you ready to battle?â€ the girl asked me.

I looked down at Beacon as she casually walked down to the center of the stadium, her feet only slightly shaking. I started to worry. Beacon was a determined Pokemon, but she could only do so much. â€œHow are we going to do this?â€ I asked the girl.

â€œTwo on two! Now letâ€™s get this over with!â€ She threw a pokeball containing a Magby.

L7 Female Mareep vs. L8 Magby

â€œMagby, Ember!â€ the girl shouted. The Magby shot flames toward our side of the field, making things hotter.

Beacon clumsily jumped to the side as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. â€œBeacon, Thunderbolt!â€ Sparks jumped around Beaconâ€™s wool as she shot the Thunderbolt toward the Magby. Magby jumped high in the air and coughed up some kind of gray cloud. â€œDodge it, Beacon!â€

She stood still on four weak legs. â€œIt hurtsâ€¦â€ she whimpered as the Smog attack covered her. She stumbled backwards, coughing. She wasnâ€™t looking too hot. Okay, she was, but at the same time it looked like she had the hardest time moving.

Sheâ€™s been burned! Her front right foot was singed. â€œBeacon, return!â€ I shouted.

â€œNo! I will finish this!â€ she coughed out.

â€œMagby, finish it off with Mega Punch!â€ the girl cried out.

Magby rushed forward, its fist glowing. Beacon stumbled forward and barely avoided the attack. She lowered her burned leg and started running from Magby, who had another Mega Punch for her. She sidestepped from side to side and backed up. Magby kept its fist still as it watched her do her funky version of the Electric Slide. â€œUm, what are you doing?â€ Magby asked her.

â€œWhat was that last step?â€ Beacon muttered. â€œOh, thatâ€™s it!â€ she whirled around and bowed. Magby and I clapped (although I had no idea why).

â€œThat was very nice,â€ Magby commented.

â€œWhat was all that about?â€ the girl trainer said in an annoyed tone. â€œWeâ€™re supposed to be battling, not dancing!â€

I wiped off more sweat. The heat was next to unbelievable. I was sweating so much it was raining on the hot rock. Wait, raining? I looked up at a large rain cloud. Rain fell on the rock and magma, making a hissing sound as it landed. I sighed in relief as my skin was cooled. The rain also was cooling off the rock and filling the Lava Room with mist. â€œBeacon, where are you?â€

â€œOw!â€ yelped a voice that definitely wasnâ€™t Beacon. â€œOw, ow, ow!â€ It sounded like Magby was having the crap beaten out of him.

â€œBeacon, if you can hear me, give him a Thunderbolt!â€ I shouted. I saw a bright light in front of me and heard a yelp of pain. I stood there listening to the silence that followed. Finally I heard hooves as Beacon limped to my side. â€œIs he out?â€

â€œYep!â€ she said happily.

Beacon won and grew to level 8!

â€œOkay, you can return your Magby!â€ I shouted. I could see the girl stomping her foot and returning her Magby. She threw another pokeball, this time showing a cute little Torchic.

I looked up at the continuing rain. I better switch to Jewel before the rain stops. â€œJewel, go!â€ I let out Jewel.

<Another wimpy opponent?> Jewel sent dully.

L7 Genderless Staryu (Jewel) vs. L15 Torchic

â€œIâ€™ll do my best, buddy!â€ Torchic yelled to its trainer.

Its back is turned! â€œJewel, Water Gun!â€ I shouted quickly. Jewel shot a quick Water Gun at Torchic, who didnâ€™t even have enough time to dodge. It wasnâ€™t because it was too slow; it just was unprepared.

<What an idiot,> Jewel sent, and went right for another Water Gun.

â€œTorchic, use Ember!â€ its trainer cried. Torchicâ€™s Ember canceled out Jewelâ€™s Water Gun. Torchic quickly fired another Ember and hit Jewel right in the central gem.

â€œSheâ€™s still floating,â€ Beacon said in awe. Jewel fired another Water Gun. Torchic did the same with its Ember. The Rain Dance was wearing off and both of them were getting tired. Jewel finally overpowered and sprayed Torchic one more time, who quickly recovered and shot a Ember right back.

â€œAlright, Jewel! Hang in there!â€ Beacon shouted excitedly but wearily. Her tail wagged slowly.

â€œJewel, how are you holding up?â€ I asked her. The rain stopped, and the temperature started back to rising.

<Not very well,> she sent quietly, swaying back and forth.

â€œTorchic, use Ember!â€ its trainer shouted all of a sudden.

â€œJewel, dodge and use Psychic!â€ I yelled. She pointed the Water Gun in the air and pointed her central gem down at Torchic. The gem gave off a brilliant shine as it shot its multicolored beam at the bird, hitting it. Torchic wobbled back and forth, dazed from the attack. Jewel spun and dive bomb tackled her opponent, knocking it out.

Jewel won and grew to Level 9!

That was close. That Torchic did not let up. I returned Jewel and turned to the girl. â€œThat was a good battle,â€ I said cheerily.

The other trainer smiled and nodded. â€œYeah, it was. Your Staryu is tough, and your Mareep isâ€¦isâ€¦â€ Beaconâ€™s tail wagged in anticipation. â€œSheâ€™s very graceful.â€

â€œThanks!â€ I turned around to leave then stopped. â€œUm, do I go this way or is there another way out of here?â€

â€œYou can go that way, now that youâ€™ve battled me. Just push the button next to the door.â€

I returned Beacon so that she wouldnâ€™t have to walk on her injured leg. â€œI hope I see you later!â€ I turned around and left.

EngiMatikul

4th May 2004, 10:12 PM

Awww... cruddy is it too late to ask for an extension for the previous scenario? Because I was kinda still working on a second post for that one... :/

Ah well, if it is, I should deal with it. >.<

Charizard04621

5th May 2004, 04:13 PM

Engi: Yeah, if you didn't ask for an extension before the new scenario was put up, I don't think you can get one now. Confirm with Amy or Gabi, though. I might not know what I'm talking about.

Finally, my conclusion's done, too. Kind of rushed, but all three of us had to repeat the same events, so it might get pretty boring.

My POV:

After Kara returned her cell phone to her pocket, I recalled everyone except Switchblade and RÃºthruin. They werenâ€™t as exhausted as those who had been involved directly in battles, and they were two of the strongest I had that didnâ€™t stick out like sore thumbs. We bade Kara goodbye, leaving her to wake her fellow Rocket. He would never know the difference; her life was not in danger.

There were many Rockets lurking about, making us increasingly nervous as several times we got closer and closer to encountering some. Some commotion seemed to be drawing them away, however; strangely enough, we saw them move away from the noise. Possibly they had been commanded to assemble some place off. The sounds of a battle had been getting louder, though, and I felt it necessary to check it out, carefully. For an instant I had thought that I had heard familiar voices, but I wasnâ€™t sure, so we approached with caution.

What we found was more welcoming than we had expected. From the looks of it, Amy and her Umbreon had just come out of a battle. Evenstar was with them. Relieved, and quite surprised that they had arrived so fast, we ran quickly to them, trying not to make too much noise. Amy heard, though, and looked up.

We had barely managed to greet each other when some strange, mournful noise filled the air. Unsure of what it was, we followed it, until we discovered that the cries came from a little cage. Inside was the strangest thing I had ever seen. A little Vulpix lay coiled there, her forehead a glittering rainbow. Bits of eggshell still stuck to her skin; she hadnâ€™t been hatched long. She might even have been caged before she had come out of her egg. The poor Vulpixâ€¦ Another heinous Rocket crime, indeed.

Before long, with the help of our pokÃ©mon, Amy and I managed to free the Vulpix, who trembled uncontrollably. Amy picked her up gently, consoling her. She was a strange little thing, beautiful in her own way. When she begged to join Amyâ€™s team, however, I could see that Amy was torn. The Vulpix didnâ€™t realize the predicament she had put Amy in. Unexpectedly, Amyâ€™s Vaporeon convinced her to keep the Vulpix, while forecasting his own departure from the team. It was a touching moment, and sad. Nobody spoke. Only through silent actions did anyone convey their feelings. Voices would not be enough.

Simba broke the silence. â€œWe need to go,â€ he urged.

Kiara agreed. â€œYeah,â€ she said, â€œWe need to find Gabi and get out of here.â€

â€œYeah, but how?â€ asked Sugar.

â€œWell we could start of by heading towards the source of that earthquake. It seems like it may have come from a battle. I donâ€™t think that the odds would say that only we would have to battle during this mission. If we do hear the sounds of a battle as we near, hopefully it will lead us to Gabi,â€ Sparky offered.

Amy nodded. â€œThat sounds like a workable plan to me.â€

I agreed. Evenstar headed the vanguard, while Amy drifted to the back. It turned out that Sparkyâ€™s hunch was right; ahead, Gabi looked as if she had just finished a battle herself.

â€œKarin, you're fine!â€ she cried, in relief. â€œAmy! I'm glad you're both here. I'm just had the weirdest couple of battles ever. I have the feeling it's not over yet, but my opponent's gone for now.â€

At that point, Gabiâ€™s Venomoth, Ninetales, Vaporeon, Espeon, and Stantler materialized before us, startling me slightly.

Hero looked around in concern. â€œIs everyone alright?â€ he asked. â€œA Porygon 2 just popped into the computer room and did something to the computers. They started making some irritating beeping sound, which didn't strike me as a good sign.â€

The sleeping Vulpix in Amyâ€™s hands stirred, whining softly.

Gabi was charmed. â€œOh, how cute! Did you find that Vulpix inside the base?â€

"Yeah,â€ Amy answered. â€œShe was in a cage that was so small that she couldn't even stand or move around in ."

â€œOh, that's awful!â€

Hero interrupted. â€œHey, there. Beeping sound. Can we hold the rest of the conversation away from here? We already have Karin, that's what matters.â€

I nodded in agreement. â€œMaybe we should find somewhere else to catch upâ€¦ I managed to fool the Rocketâ€™s once, but theyâ€™re going to be more careful this time.â€

â€œYeah, we probably need to get out of here,â€ Amy said.

â€œOk, we'll meet right outside the entrance,â€ Ventura told us. â€œEveryone who can teleport take the ones who can't. We'll see where to go from there.â€

â€œI think I'll get into my pokeball again until we're out of here. I'm not feeling very well,â€ Amber admitted.

â€œYeah. Same here,â€ Sylvan agreed.

The two returned to their pokÃ©balls, looking more than just a little sickly. I wondered what had happened to them, and what Gabi meant by â€œweird battlesâ€. Wellâ€¦ I would have to find out later.

â€œIt probably wouldn't hurt to recall my team as well so its less of a job.â€ Amy let her pokÃ©mon back into their balls.

â€œCan anyone teleport aside from Ventura and Hero?â€ wondered Gabi.

Amy shook her head. â€œNone of my team can.â€

â€œNone of mine, either.â€

â€œThen I guess it's up to them.â€

â€œI'll recall everyone, too. Switchblade, that includes you.â€

Switchblade looked at me for a moment, then decided that, like it or not, this was not the time. He went into his pokÃ©ball silently, much to my relief.

â€œI guess the rest of us can get in for a second too. Let's not cause our friends trouble,â€ suggested Tsunami.

â€œHow considerate of you,â€ Hero responded, sarcastically perhaps.

â€œI wouln't risk you teleporting me into a wall,â€ retorted the Vaporeon. He returned to his ball, along with Iael and Caledor.

By the time we were all done, the only pokÃ©mon out besides Hero and Ventura was Amyâ€™s new Vulpix, who hadnâ€™t a pokÃ©ball of her own and was perfectly content in Amyâ€™s arms.

â€œMost of my team is exhausted, anyway, after what they've been through, â€œ I admitted. â€œThere's no sense having them expend their energy now.â€

It didnâ€™t take us long to get out. Once we stood outside, Gabi inquired, â€œShall we go to our base or somewhere else?â€

Lagi answered her. â€œIf your concern is about getting caught, I wouldn't worry. They're all taking the leave.â€

â€œWhy?â€

â€œIt's become too dangerous inside, from what I can gather. And some seem to feel their job here is done.â€

â€œGia?â€

I listened to the conversation, understanding a little here and there, but mostly with an outsiderâ€™s knowledge of the situation. The exchange continued for some time. I tried to follow, but for the most part could not. I gathered something about a possible corruption of the Dragonâ€™s Guild, and also heard mention of a certain Singlehorn Project.

â€œDoes that ring a bell to any of you?â€ asked Gabi.

â€œNope,â€ I answered.

â€œNo.â€ Amy hadnâ€™t heard about it either.

There was more talkingâ€¦ I was becoming a little tired, making conscious attempts not to doze off, but not doing a very good job of it. I remembered seeing who I thought looked like Simba slip off into the distance, but I didnâ€™t say anything. If he wanted to go that way, thatâ€™s how he would leave.

â€œOk, shall we go to the DT Central and sit down, get over this commotion and then think of what to do next? And maybe have something to drink in the meantime. I could use some tea, and I'm sure so could Amber. Then we can head to the Pokemon Center.â€ Gabiâ€™s words woke me up.

â€œSounds like a good idea to me,â€ Amy approved.

I heaved a sigh of relief. â€œThat's the best thing I've heard all day.â€

Then Amyâ€™s Delcatty noticed Simbaâ€™s absence. â€œWhere's Simba?â€ she asked.

Gabi noticed that he was gone too. â€œDid he come out of his pokeball?â€

â€œYeah,â€ Amy replied.

â€œI hope TR didn't take him,â€ Iael said worriedly. â€œShall we split up and look for him?â€

Having been silent for all this time, I slowly shook my head. â€œNo... That won't be necessary.â€ I took a deep breath before giving the news. â€œI saw him slip away. I don't think he's coming back.â€

â€œWhat do you mean?â€ asked Iael.

Lagi answered for me. â€œShe means he wanted to leave, and slipped away when no one was looking because he didn't want to have to say goodbye. Right, Karin?â€

I nodded, glad that she understood. â€œSometimes... Goodbye is the most painful thing to say.â€
â€œYes, it is,â€ agreed Amberâ€¦ or at least her voice. She was still inside her pokÃ©ball when she spoke. Strange.

Unable to speak, Amy simply nodded.

â€œI'll miss him,â€ confessed Tsunami. â€œWe used to have fun together at the Eevee House. It feels like eons ago. Hope he's fine.â€

â€œWe may meet again some day,â€ Lagi said.

And perhaps that would be so. My feet followed the others automatically as we headed back to Dragon Tamers central, leaving my mind lagging far behind in its thoughts.

The_Missing_Link

5th May 2004, 09:58 PM

This is my RBG battle I'd been putting off for a month. I hope it's fine

<My POV>

Lee and I were sitting on the couch, watching TV when my cell phone rang. He forced me to scratch his back with the scraper but this gave me the perfect opportunity to get away. I grinned at my brand new phone and flipped it open to answer.
â€œHello? Yes, this is she. Sheâ€™s finally ready to have the battle? Yes, Iâ€™ll be there soon. Ok, goodbye.â€
I closed the cover and pushed it back into my pants pocket. So, the battle would finally get underway. I smirked as I walked over to Blade and Drake, who were both playing with Karinâ€™s twin Charmanders.
â€œHey Blade, I finally got you that battle you were looking for. I know its sudden notice, but we have to be there in an hour and the place is thirty minutes away. You think you can spare some time for it?â€
He looked at Drake, who wasnâ€™t too happy about taking care of both of them but reluctantly nodded and sighed.
â€œYou know, you owe me big for this.â€
â€œI know. Itâ€™s the second time Iâ€™ve done this to you. I promise Iâ€™ll be back soon.â€
Drake and Blade bumped fists and nodded before Blade walked over to me. We headed out the front door and down the walkway to the secluded street, which eventually led us to town.
â€œSorry we couldnâ€™t battle sooner. I actually set the battle up a month ago but the trainer and I had to postpone a few times, me because of school and her because of vacation. But now weâ€™re going to get things going and hopefully win.â€
â€œFantastic,â€ he said dryly, in response to my explanation. â€œHave any idea who Iâ€™m battling?â€
â€œNot exactly but I know it can fly. Not many fliers know fire attacks so I think you should be ok but thatâ€™s what Swords Dance is for anyway.â€
â€œI think I can handle that,â€ he replied and knocked his claws together, making a scraping/hollow sound that made me wince.

We had been walking for almost fifteen minutes, or rather flying in Bladeâ€™s case. He became restless after our little conversation and started to fly about, stretching himself for the upcoming battle. I stared up at the sky and bathed in the warm glow of the sun. It was a perfect day to be outside, warm enough to wear shorts but with a cool breeze that permitted you to be under the sun without boiling. I was now on the sidewalk in the middle of town and continued to go straight ahead towards the edge of it. The Random Battle Center was just recently built and gave trainers a chance to battle Pokemon at the same level but no one knew what Pokemon they were up against. I had only figured out that our opponent could fly by what the trainer stupidly hinted but even still, since both our Pokemon were at the same level, she had to be good.
â€œThe place is just down the street,â€ I yelled up to Blade.
He nodded and sped up his pace, a challenge to me to keep up. I reluctantly started to sprint, my arms waving back and forth and my hair whipping in every which way. I hoped that place had a water fountain nearby or else Blade would die.

I breathed in sharply as I neared the building, my chest searing from the exertion. Thankfully, there was a fountain right next to the door and I lapped up the cool water, its sweetness trickling down my throat to ease the pain. I glared at Blade, who was grinning like an idiot and went through the sliding doors. I whistled softly as I gazed around, a huge steel dome surrounding us with pictures of many different Pokemon in battle plastered on the wall, from a Whiscash battling a Quagsire to an Eevee taking on a Sandshrew. I went up to the front desk to see a Nurse Joy manning the station.
â€œNurse Joy? I thought your family only worked in the Pokemon Center,â€ I exclaimed.
â€œWe do, but this doubles as a Battle Tower and Pokemon Center,â€ she replied and pointed to a set of double doors behind her, the regular needle sign above it turned off currently.
â€œName and Pokemon youâ€™re using, please,â€ she began again.
â€œRebecca and Iâ€™m using my Scizor, Blade.â€
â€œHe looks to be in peak health,â€ she replied, looking him over with interest.
â€œWell, Iâ€™m blessed with a team that has a hard work ethic,â€ I smiled.
â€œThen Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t have a problem with your battle. Your opponent is Emily and she's in Indigo Stadium.â€
â€œIndigo Stadium?â€
â€œOh, not the Indigo Stadium but just a normal arena. Each room is named after a famous place and its theme, such as the Safari Zone, which is a grassland arena and Mahogany Town, an all ice arena.â€
â€œOh,â€ I said, feeling stupid. â€œThank you.â€
â€œYouâ€™re welcome. Indigo Stadium is on the first floor, first door to your right,â€ she said and pointed over to the elevator, which I somehow missed in the scanning.
I nodded and walked over to the elevator, which was standing open at the moment. As we entered, the doors immediately closed and clips from random battles started to play on the speakers. I jabbed at the 1 button and quietly listened to the play-by-play action.
â€œWill you look at that, folks! Donphan has somehow gotten up after that magnificent Hyper Beam and heâ€™s now going into a Rollout attack. I hope Feraligatr can find a way to dodge his incoming opponent or else heâ€™ll be done forâ€¦â€
â€œHe can use Hydro Pump,â€ I muttered and walked out into the hallway after the doors opened.
â€œWhat did you say?â€ Blade asked.
â€œNothing, just something about that battle we heard over the speakers,â€ I replied and stood in front of the door. â€œReady to battle?â€
â€œCanâ€™t wait,â€ he replied and I could tell he meant it.
Turning the knob, I pushed the door open and we entered to what looked like a normal stadium without the rows of seats and only a bench at either side to provide seating for the trainerâ€™s supporters. Emily and the referee were already there, a Vibrava fluttering above its master.
Itâ€™s not even a flying type at all, I fumed to myself. Well, then I suppose itâ€™s not as fast as it should be.
I could see Emily staring back at Blade behind me, a mixture of doubt and irritation plastered on her face. It appeared neither of us liked what we saw.
â€œTrainers, take your places,â€ the ref said and moved back into his little side box.
I moved to the nearest rectangle and Emily to the farthest.
â€œVibrava doesnâ€™t have many powerful attacks against you but watch out for its sandstorm,â€ I muttered to Blade.
He nodded and moved out into the middle of the ring, Vibrava doing the same.
"You can do it, Elara!" Emily yelled. Elara turned her head back and nodded confidently.
â€œLet the battle begin!â€

Blade the Lv.37 Male Scizor vs. Elara the Lv.37 Female Vibrava

<Bladeâ€™s POV>

â€œWhy donâ€™t you come over here, honey and I can show you a good time,â€ Elara purred.
â€œWith you? I may be a bug but Iâ€™m not that disgusting,â€ I gagged.
She hissed and sped around the room, trying to up her speed.
â€œYou can forget it,â€ I called out. â€œThatâ€™s not agility so it wonâ€™t help you. Why donâ€™t you let me show you what speed is?â€
I jumped into the air and sped upwards, my wings thrumming in rapid succession. Making my right claw glow brightly, I caught up to Elara easily and slammed my claw into her side, stopping her instantly and sending her flying towards the other wall. She caught herself in time though and responded with a greenish stream of fire. Instinctively putting my claws up in defense, I felt a burning sensation on my body and felt like my armor was literally burning off.
â€œI may not be able to learn fire attacks but I can battle steel types just as well,â€ she buzzed and began to beat her wings faster than before.
Creating a sound that Iâ€™ve never heard before, I cringed in pain from the ultrasonic waves that were surrounding me and cried out silently to make them stop. She didnâ€™t though and moved lower to stir the ground of the arena to life. Looking down, I saw sand fly into my face and cursed myself for letting her startle me like this. I closed my eyes and flapped my wings persistently, trying to push the storm back at her. Opening them moments later, I found her gone and blushed in embarrassment. Stopping my unnecessary attack, I felt something attach to my back. I looked behind to see Elara glow a mint green and found myself radiating the same color shortly afterwards. Instead of feeling pain, I only experienced annoyance. Wasnâ€™t she smart enough to learn that grass attacks barely affect me?
Guess sheâ€™ll have to learn the hard way, I sighed and brought my arms close to my chest.
Spinning around slowly, I started to turn faster and faster before the two of us became a blur to our trainers below.
â€œGet me off, get me off,â€ she screamed, obviously unhappy with her current predicament.
â€œYou want off, Iâ€™ll show you off,â€ I screamed back at her and instantly stopped.
Familiar with the after effects of swords dance, I was able to recover quickly but she had a harder time of it, still dizzy and clinging onto my back. Flying backwards into the nearest wall, I slammed into it, Elara getting the brunt of the attack. Pushing myself off, I let her fall off and hit the floor, feeling content about the whole thing.

Coming back down to the ground, I walked over to Rebecca, who was shaking her head at me.
â€œWhat?â€
â€œYou think youâ€™ve won yet? Take a look behind you.â€
I turned around to see Elara slam into my gut, sending me down. She was better than I expected.
â€œNice warning,â€ I wheezed and got up.
â€œSorry, didnâ€™t think she would do that.â€
I rolled my eyes and flew back up into the air to be met with a fierce gale pushing me backwards. I tried to dodge the wind by going in different directions but she moved just as quickly, slowing me down all the while. I decided to use one of my few ranged attacks and turned around to face her. Bracing myself, I concentrated and started flapping rapidly as well. Instead of creating a high wind, I sent out sharp pieces of air that clashed with Elaraâ€™s attack. Both clashing together, they formed into one big tornado and hurled both of his backwards, me hitting the wall and her moving extremely close to the other side.
â€œOy, thatâ€™s going to leave a dent,â€ I breathed.
The tornado faded away leaving us looking at each other. And then, she was off, not towards me but at the ground. Expecting what she would do, I followed suit, my armor giving off a dark glow. Combined with agility, pursuit gave me the boost to catch my opponent and slammed into her before she could dig into the ground. She buzzed unhappily and disappeared from sight, leaving me bewildered once more. Looking around, I couldnâ€™t spot her at all but she reappeared shortly afterward, ramming me aside. I could feel the darkness invading my body but I shook off the uncomfortable feeling and righted myself once more.
â€œYou know, youâ€™ve done well for yourself in this battle but I have one thing you donâ€™t have,â€ I said.
â€œAnd whatâ€™s that?â€
â€œAn advantage.â€
â€œHow so?â€ she asked. â€œAll of our attacks do little to normal damage against each other.â€
â€œThatâ€™s where youâ€™re wrong,â€ I smiled innocently. â€œI do have one attack that you havenâ€™t seen yet?â€
â€œAnd that isâ€¦?â€
â€œThis.â€ Opening my claws, two white orbs formed inside, each tinged an aquamarine blue. I could see fear in Elaraâ€™s eyes but she couldnâ€™t get away from it. The orbs flew off into her and splashed against her, releasing water all over. She cried out in pain and this gave me the time to attack. Flying over, my claws open and glinting from the light, I slashed ferociously at her, cutting her open with every swipe until blood started to show from the effort. After that, I stopped and let her fall to the ground, out like a light.

Blade wins and grows to Level 38!

<My POV>

I greeted Blade as soon as he came down to the ground and gave him a quick hug.
â€œNeed some rest?â€ I asked.
He nodded and let me recall him into his Pokeball.
â€œThat was a nice battle,â€ Emily said as she came over. â€œI barely heard you shout out an order at all.â€
â€œI prefer to let them battle by their instincts,â€ I replied. â€œI only help them along the way.â€
I looked down at the Pokeball cupped in her hands.
â€œWill she be alright?â€
â€œI think she will. Sheâ€™s suffered worse than that although itâ€™s not often she draws blood in battle.â€
I secretly felt smug but held out a hand to be met by a firm shake.
â€œBattle again some time?â€ I asked.
â€œSure thing,â€ she replied.
We walked out of the battle together towards the healing center in the building. I wondered if they would show the rest of that Donphan battle on the way downâ€¦

AntiAsh Superstar

6th May 2004, 01:15 AM

Here's my RBG battle, apologies to me getting impatient (again!) with regards to pressing on with a sub-plot I'm conjuring up. To bring you up to speed, my opponent is Lucky's long-lost daughter, and you'll learn more about her once I finally finish that joint story with Gabi. ^_^;;;

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All things considered, life had been treating Sindel rather well lately. Ever since her recent evolution, things seemed to keep slotting into place. Her new-found powers gave her twice the scope to pry, which delighted the Alakazam no end. And her increased brain capacity allowed her much greater coordination. Suddenly she found it possible to create double the dishes, her hands making one thing and another being prepared by her telekinetic powers. It was fast getting to the stage where food had to be thrown out, it was being created in such large quantities. But it was in her personal life that Sindel found the most solace, in nurturing the little bundle of energy named Ryo-Ohki. She still partly blamed herself for the death of the Pichuâ€™s original trainer, so in her own way the Alakazam tried to atone for her sins by keeping a watchful eye on his pokÃ©mon. Which was easier said than done. Now that he had a chance to accept the death of his old master, the Pichu was fast developing into a lively, mischievous creature, full of youthful enthusiasm and an almost endearingly innocent quality. So if it was possible for a pokÃ©mon to achieve a state of domestic bliss, Sindel had all but found it.
â€œArenâ€™t we the good little housewife, Thingy?â€ As ever, the Alakazam was to be found in the kitchen, busying herself with a black forest gateaux. And as ever, Milliardo, having ran out of things to do, was to be found deliberately getting in her way. â€œAlmost enough to make you forget that youâ€™re a total busybody with a really freaky line in pigheadedness, eh?â€
â€œIâ€™m not listening, so you can snipe all you like,â€ Sindel snorted. â€œIâ€™m at my peak. Look.â€ The Alakazam concentrated hard on the metal spoon in her hand. All of a sudden it began to twist and buckle, until it had almost tied itself in a knot. â€œAnd yes, youâ€™re a Dark type and psychic powers canâ€™t affect you, but thatâ€™s why I can control ice as well.â€
â€œI thought you could control ice to act as a backup in case the freezer broke.â€ Milliardo rolled his eyes. Ever since she evolved Sindel had become intolerable! Suddenly a movement in the corner of his eye caught the Umbreonâ€™s attention, a quick flash of pale blue that could only mean one thing. And in this particular situation it meant an ally. â€œHey, Tsuyoi, Thingy thinks sheâ€™s clever because she can tie a spoon in a knot. Any comments?â€ The large, wolf-like creature known as Tsuyoi stopped in his tracks, eyeing the situation up carefully. And then he marched into the kitchen, the large claws on his paws clacking on the tiled floor as he walked.
â€œMy comments?â€ Tsuyoi took the spoon out of Sindelâ€™s hand, and fixed his impenetrable gaze upon it. Within seconds it began to twist and bend as if it were made of modelling clay, seeming to become less and less solid with every new twist. Very soon after that the utensil had totally melted in his front paw. â€œYou have a long way to go yet. If I were you Iâ€™d stick to cooking. When it comes to showing off youâ€™re just an amateur.â€
â€œIâ€™m not allowed to have any fun, am I?â€ Sindel grumbled, fishing a new spoon out of one of the kitchen drawers. â€œWell fine, at least Ryo-Ohki will play with meâ€¦â€ Here she paused, as if suddenly realising something. â€œCome to think of it, where has he got to? Iâ€™ve not seen him all day.â€
â€œOh my God, so you donâ€™t keep everyone under constant surveillance?â€ Milliardo gasped in mock astonishment.
â€œHa ha, very funny. Now have you seen him or not?â€
â€œNo I havenâ€™t! I have my paws full enough as it is keeping my own little version of the Osbournes from killing everyone without worrying about your little brat.â€ It seemed as if Milliardo was less than willing to help. â€œYouâ€™re his unofficial guardian, remember, why donâ€™t you pay more attention? Maybe he fell off a cliff or something while you were busy showing us your spoon-flexing abilities.â€
â€œIf you must know, heâ€™s safe.â€ Tsuyoi rolled his eyes. â€œQuite remarkable seeing as nobody around here can get their act together for long enough to look after themselves, let alone an infant. Lucky and Ade look him to visit Megan. I think they were going to pay a visit to that Gina girl along the way as well.â€
â€œWell.â€ Sindel couldnâ€™t really think of anything further to say. The most infuriating thing about Tsuyoi, apart from his unshakable belief that he was always right, was the fact that in most cases this belief had some groundings of truth. â€œAs long as heâ€™s okay. Thatâ€™s all that matters.â€

In fact, things had been going rather well that morning for my little party. Of course, we had yet to accomplish a single thing that we had set out to do, but that always seemed to be the way with my team. Things always seemed to just spring up and get in the way. It was fast approaching the stage where I was beginning to wonder if there was any point in making plans at all.
â€œLook at him. Heâ€™s in his element.â€ In this case, the obstacle to my original plan took the form of a small family of Onix. We had originally tried to avoid them, but Ryo-Ohki seemed to have other plans, and had confronted them directly. The end result being that he had managed to befriend the youngest of the group, and the two were now playing happily despite the obvious size difference, the Pichu using his new friend as an impromptu slide. Neither Lucky nor myself really had the heart to tell him to come back and let us press on. So we were resigned to waiting underneath a nearby tree, as the newest addition to my team made a point of having as much fun as he possibly could. â€œItâ€™s nice to have somebody that carefree around, really. I think heâ€™s going to be a good influence.â€
â€œOn everyone bar Becks.â€ I couldnâ€™t help but agree with Luckyâ€™s point. Well, almost. â€œThe last thing he needs is further excuses to slack off! But yeah, I know what you mean. Seems like the teamâ€™s finally reaching its final stages, huh?â€
â€œI donâ€™t think there ever will be a final stage, Ade. Weâ€™ll just keep changing.â€ The Meowth cast his eyes up into the sky, watching the various wild Flying types go about their daily business. He frowned suddenly. Somewhere up in the skies was something that looked decidedly out of place. â€œHey, Ade, can you see that up there, that one that seems much bigger than all of the others?â€
â€œWhere?â€ My eyes followed to the point where my Meowth was gesturing. For a second I could see quite what he was getting at. And then my eyes locked upon a creature much bigger than all of the others currently in the sky. â€œWhoa, yeah, I can see it.â€ I held a hand up to my eyes to shield them from the sunâ€™s glare. It didnâ€™t make it easier to make out what I was looking at, however. â€œThatâ€™s a pretty big pokÃ©mon. What Iâ€™d like to know is whatâ€¦â€ Finally I was able to make out the creature in its full glory. Because it appeared to be heading directly towards us, and was growing larger and larger with every passing moment. â€œ****, itâ€™s a Salamence! Ryo-Ohki, get over here now!â€ My blood ran cold. Iâ€™d had enough of these particular pokÃ©mon to last a lifetime after my recent encounter with Armandâ€™s favourite pet. Best to hide, best to stay hidden, rather than face yet another one. Which was why I decided to take my pokÃ©mon to the relative shelter of a nearby bush rather than wait for the dragon to arrive. â€œKeep quiet!â€ I hissed to my Meowth and Pichu, suddenly very aware of my every breath. I peered out from my hiding place, watching as the Salamence landed gracefully where we had been standing moments ago. It stared at the Onix family impassively, taking in the two parent snakes and their child. A slow, cruel smile formed upon the pokÃ©monâ€™s face.
You can come out, you know. I know perfectly well that youâ€™re hiding there. Youâ€™ve nothing to fear from me today. Otherwise I would have just razed that bush to the ground already. It was if I was listening to these words on headphones that had been turned up far too loud, such was the impact of the telepathic message. It does precious little for your image, Dragon Tamer.
â€œYou!â€ I stood up, all too quickly.
Yes, me. I was bored and needed a new toy to play with for a while. Armand is such a hard worker, as nice as it would be I canâ€™t expect him to lavish attention upon me twenty four hours a day. This was not good! Here, miles away from any help and minus my strongest fighters, I was face to face with a creature I had hoped that I would never have to set eyes upon again. There was no way that we could survive this one. Unless, of course, the Salamence was telling the truth and had no intention of harming us. But in that case what did she want? Either leave now or watch, human, I donâ€™t really care either way. The Salamence turned to face the Onix family, the parents having circled around their children protectively, fixing the dragon with menacing glares that I guessed were far more forced than they appeared to be.
â€œWhat are you doing?â€ I yelled over, my anger overriding my natural fear of the huge pokÃ©mon.
Having my sport, and youâ€™d be wise not to get involved if you care to live beyond this day. There was nothing I could do apart from watch. There was no way any of us could hope to stand up to the might that was Reaper. Not if our last encounter was anything to go by. She had annihilated us without so much as breaking a sweat. So what did this mean for the poor Onix family, still trying their best to make the Salamence back down. Not that it was having much effect. Already she was taking menacing steps towards them, a cruel gleam within her reptilian gaze.
â€œWaitâ€¦â€ It was too late. With a speed almost too great to follow, Reaper drew back one of her front legs, a thin wisp of red smoke beginning to form at her claws. And then she plunged her mighty paw into the chest of the nearest Onix, her mystical Dragon powers penetrating the creatureâ€™s rock-like shielding with ease. There was a long silence, as if nobody could quite believe what was happening. It took until the Onix slid off Reaperâ€™s limb, leaving behind a thick trail of gooey blood, for it to finally sink in.
â€œWhatâ€™s going on?â€ Ryo-Ohki stared in disbelief, his young mind unable to grasp what was going on in front of his eyes. â€œWill he be okay?â€
â€œIâ€¦â€ The loud, angered roar of the other adult Onix saved me from what would certainly be an awkward conversation. Gratefully I returned my attentions to the battle unfolding in front of me. Reaper seemed to be caught in the tangles of a particularly furious Bind attack. But judging from the expression on her face this was angering her further rather than stopping her from committing any further atrocities. The Salamence seemed about ready to explode from anger.
Youâ€¦ idiot! Reaper roared. Evidently She wasnâ€™t so angry that it made her forget to use her telepathy. If, indeed, she was even capable of communicating in any other way. How dare you try and attack me! A bright glow began to form at Reaperâ€™s forehead. It was only then that I noticed a small, emerald gem set into her head. Funny. I hadnâ€™t noticed that before. But now it was shining with a soft emerald hue it was quite distinctive. Now you die as well! The Onixâ€™s squeezing stopped abruptly, a look of sheer astonishment upon its face. And then it fell to the ground, its eyes glassy. What kind of technique was that? Reaper had just killed a fully grown Onix without so much a moving a muscle. Suddenly our chances of surviving seemed very, very small indeed. Suddenly I can see Abbadonâ€™s point. This is rather addictive, isnâ€™t it? Maybe I should develop a thirst of my own. Reaper turned her attention to the final member of the group, the tiny Onix that my Pichu had been playing with mere moments ago. The baby cowered in terror. Or maybe not. His thirst makes him weak. But anywayâ€¦ my apologies, child, it just seems such a shame to leave a job half finished. The Salamence moved towards the infant, clumsily stepping over the body of its dead mother, murderous intent within her eyes.
â€œReaper! Thatâ€™s enough!â€ A sudden blur of brown shot towards the Salamence, and it was only thanks to her impressive reflexes that she managed to turn and swat it away, leaving the brown object to crash into a nearby tree with such force that it snapped the trunk in half. I strained to peer at the source of this unexpected interruption. Only to see a small Eevee picking itself up from the splinters, wiping the blood from its nose with a forepaw. â€œYou always did seem to have a sixth sense.â€
And you were always too damn stubborn to know when to quit. An indulgent smile formed upon Reaperâ€™s face. Iâ€™m surprised youâ€™re still going. You never seemed the type to cut it on your own.
â€œI do my best to carry on.â€ The Eevee almost smiled, but it was a smile so slight that it was hard to tell if it was there or not. â€œWhat you and your trainer are doing now is dangerous, Reaper. You could unleash all kinds of demons from the past.â€
We welcome the challenge. Do I assume you happen to be one of these demons?
â€œNo. Iâ€™m just here by coincidence. Reaper, just leave. No more innocents need to die at your talons.â€
And if I wonâ€™t leave?
â€œThen Iâ€™ll make you.â€ The Eevee turned to address my little team, her eyes seeming to alight on Lucky in particular. â€œI can keep her busy. You have to get the child to a pokÃ©centre. Understood?â€ All we could do was to nod dumbly, watching in awe as the little bundle of furâ€™s forehead seemed to split slightly, revealing a gemstone that shimmered and sparkled in an identical way to that of Reaperâ€™s. I had no idea what was going on here. Evidently some old nemesis of Reaperâ€™s had decided to intervene. And just in time, too. â€œGo, now!â€
â€œButâ€¦â€ For some reason Lucky seemed hesitant to leave.
â€œCome on, Lucky!â€ I had to forcibly drag my Meowth over to where the baby Onix was still cowering in terror. â€œCome on, you, we have to get out of here.â€ Fortunately the Onix was still very young, and small enough to lift up. Even though I was well aware that it wouldnâ€™t remain this size for long. And after an initial squirming where the pokÃ©mon very nearly slipped out of my grasp on several occasions, we finally managed to get on our way, leaving Reaper and her mystery challenger to fight out whatever unfinished battle they had to resolve.

â€œWow, and you guys managed to drag an Onix all the way here? Theyâ€™re pretty big, arenâ€™t they? Didnâ€™t you need a truck or something?â€
â€œSheâ€™s only a baby, Megan.â€ I sighed, trying once again to patiently explain why we had been so delayed. Not that explaining anything to Megan was an easy task. She was quite easily the most absent-minded pokÃ©mon I had ever encountered. â€œShe was small enough to carry.â€
â€œI thought they were supposed to be big, though.â€
â€œSheâ€™s a kid, like me!â€ Ryo-Ohki grinned winsomely at his Marill friend. Megan had come on in leaps and bounds since her initial admission into the PokÃ©mon Centre. In fact, there hardly seemed anything wrong with her at all. Even the news of her trainerâ€™s death hadnâ€™t done anything to dampen her spirits for more than a brief moment. â€œMegan, when are you coming home? I miss having you to play with.â€
â€œOh yeah!â€ The Marillâ€™s eyes brightened. â€œI knew I had something important to tell you guys!â€
â€œWhich is?â€ I tried very hard to suppress my laughter. Much like Beckham, there was the general impression that Megan liked to exaggerate her faults for comedy value. So the response I got was hardly unexpected.
â€œWhich is what?â€ The Marill blinked, confused. â€œOh, wait, yeah, I remember. Theyâ€™re letting me out today, did you know that? So you and me and you and you and whoever else wants to come can all go home together! Hey, do you think that Onix wants to come home with us as well?â€
â€œI donâ€™t think even my house has enough for an Onix, Megan.â€
â€œBut I thought you said it was a small one?â€
â€œAt the minute, yeah, but itâ€™s going to grow.â€ At the back of my mind, I had to admit, was a certain desire to adopt the little Onix. It had been left with nobody thanks to the heartless actions of Reaper. The only things stopping me from adding it to my growing family were the practicalities of the matter. Ah well. It seemed as if there was still going to be a pokÃ©mon in the local PokÃ©centre for me to keep an eye on. â€œAnd then weâ€™re screwed. We hardly have enough room for everybody as it is, especially since Soo started building a team herself.â€
â€œYou could buy a bigger house, couldnâ€™t you?â€ Ryo-Ohki, it seemed, put about as much thought into his arguments as Megan. All of a sudden I found myself wishing I had taken Marius along to put the case forward for common sense.
â€œYeah, isnâ€™t it just a case of going up to someone and offering them a load of money for their house?â€ Megan added. â€œIf it isnâ€™t then it should be. Anyway, we were supposed to be doing something, werenâ€™t we?â€
â€œYeah, we were supposed to be taking you home, Megan.â€ Lucky rolled his eyes. He had been in an unusually edgy mood ever since events on the way over to the PokÃ©mon Centre. And right now it seemed as if he wanted nothing more than to get out of these clean, clinical surroundings and back into the outside world. â€œCome on, guys, everyone will be waiting for us back home. And I bet Becks will be pleased to see Megan back in action.â€ The Meowth smiled slightly. â€œIâ€™d quite like to see his face when you guys meet up again, actually.â€
â€œWhat, heâ€™s missed me?â€ The Marill sounded shocked. Anyone else would have probably taken the hint a long time ago. Beckham had been in to visit practically every day, with my permission or not. But then, this was Megan. â€œWowâ€¦â€
â€œYeah, Iâ€™d say heâ€™s been a little concerned,â€ I smiled. â€œAnyway, Lucky, we canâ€™t go home just yet. We were going to pop over and have a quick training session with Gina whilst we were out, remember?â€
â€œOh yeah.â€ The Meowth didnâ€™t seem too perturbed by this news. It seemed he was just anxious to leave our current location. â€œOkay. Can we get moving now, please?â€
â€œSure thing. Weâ€™ll get cracking right now.â€ I stood up from the couch I was currently sat upon, only to have a nurse scuttle over to me with a clipboard stuffed with papers. Fortunately it wasnâ€™t one of those Nurse Joy types. It was just a short woman with glasses and a bob in her bottle-blonde hair. Which was a good thing, really. The more traditional PokÃ©mon Centres had a tendency to freak me out with their alarming similarity to each other.
â€œSir?â€ the nurse asked. â€œBefore you leave thereâ€™s just a few formalities. Just sign to say youâ€™re taken the Marill, and that youâ€™re the one who brought the Onix in. Just to help us keep track of things.â€ She proffered the clipboard and a biro. I sighed deeply and sat back down again, shooting a weary glance over at my pokÃ©mon.
â€œDid I say â€˜right nowâ€™? Iâ€™m sorry, I meant â€˜in a few yearsâ€™.â€ Sometimes it seemed that life was just one delay after another.

The little pokÃ©mon watched as the group moved onwards. She knew full well that she should have left by now. Her job was done. And her injuries needed tending to eventually. But something compelled her to stay, to follow for a distance and study this little rabble closely. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe it was just the fact that after a lifetime of loneliness the desire to move past mere acquaintances and into the realm of real friends was too great. Either way, the Eevee followed despite herself, despite the fact that it was clearly weakness to give into her whims like this. But then, right now it was okay to show weakness. The threat had passed. She could afford to relax a little. She could afford to act a little strangely. Because right now all she knew was that she had to talk to these creatures, had to somehow gain that vital bit of contact. Now she was here, wouldnâ€™t it have been a waste to not at least say goodbye?

â€œHey.â€ We had been walking down a pristine street in leafy suburbia, the sort of place where the roads were lined with sycamore trees and every white painted house had an identically trimmed front lawn. â€œDo any of you guys think that somethingâ€™s not quite right here?â€ Lucky looked over at his companions, and knew the answer straight away. A less perceptive group he couldnâ€™t have hoped to have been accompanying. â€œNever mind, Iâ€™m just having one of those odd moments, you know?â€
â€œOh, Iâ€™m always having those, Lucky, donâ€™t worry about it.â€ I shook my head in bemusement. â€œCome on, our life is one big odd moment from beginning to end!â€
â€œI guessâ€¦â€ Lucky stared into the distance, absently watching Megan and Ryo-Ohki play tag a few feet further down the road. â€œItâ€™s just that something feels weird, you know? I canâ€™t help but feel weâ€™re being watched.â€
â€œWe probably are,â€ I replied, trying to reassure my Meowth. I knew what he was like. Once he started to worry it was very hard to get him to stop. â€œThose two are making so much noise that I bet half the neighbourhoodâ€™s peeking out from behind their lace curtains to find out whatâ€™s going on.â€
â€œNo, Ade, itâ€™s more that just nosy neighbours, itâ€™sâ€¦ like I say, Iâ€™m not sure. I just canâ€™t seem to place what it is.â€
â€œItâ€™s the fact that youâ€™re more perceptive than you give yourself credit for.â€ A voice suddenly rang out from the treetops. For a moment it was difficult to place exactly where it was coming from, but eventually my eyes settled upon a small brown figure perched nimbly amongst the branches of one of the many sycamores. The cool, confident look in its eyes gave the impression that this was no ordinary pokÃ©mon. But that didnâ€™t answer my most burning question. How on earth did an Eevee manage to climb a tree? â€œItâ€™s nice to run into you all one more time. At least in more pleasant circumstances.â€ The Eevee jumped nimbly down from the tree with such ease that at least it seemed to answer my question. But a thousand others had risen to replace it. Especially now I realised exactly which Eevee this was. I should have guessed, really. I didnâ€™t normally understand a pokÃ©mon straight away unless I either connected with it â€“ as was the case with Pandora â€“ or it sounded so similar to a pokÃ©mon I already knew that it removed the language barrier completely. In Rhiannonâ€™s case, the sheer fact that she was directly related to two members of my team made it so much easier to follow her. If indeed a creature so distant could be followed at all. â€œGood morning, father.â€ Rhiannon nodded to Lucky. â€œAnd hello to your new companions. I donâ€™t think Iâ€™ve had the pleasure.â€
â€œOh!â€ I suddenly realised that Megan and Ryo-Ohki hadnâ€™t been around during our escapades at Temple Taure. They had yet to meet the rather disjointed Eevee. â€œThis is Ryo-Ohki and Megan. They used to belong to a trainer killed recently by Team Rocket. Guys, this is Rhiannon. Sheâ€™s Milliardoâ€™s sister.â€
â€œAs much as he hates to admit it.â€ A trace of sadness cross the Eeveeâ€™s face. But as ever, it was only the briefest of flickers. Rhiannon was even harder to read than her brother at times. â€œI donâ€™t think heâ€™s too comfortable with the fact that Iâ€™m no longer the tag-playing bundle of fun he used to know. At least Iâ€™m not most of the time.â€ She shook her head sadly. â€œSo what brings you to this place?â€
â€œYouâ€™re very good at asking that when youâ€™re the one who seems the more out of place, did you know that?â€ Lucky smiled grimly. â€œItâ€™s a habit you need to break. For that matter, what are you doing here? And what happened to Reaper?â€ Now there was a good point! The last we had seen, Rhiannon had been confronting the Salamence directly.
â€œFortunately for me sheâ€™s always suffered from a short attention span.â€ This begged the question as to how Rhiannon knew this, but I had the feeling that I didnâ€™t want to know. â€œShe grew bored and ran back to her beloved Armand. Iâ€™m just glad she hasnâ€™t the appetite for spending time without his company. Otherwise I doubt I would have lasted much longer. But anyway, you havenâ€™t answered my question.â€
â€œWeâ€™re on our way for a training battle, if you must know.â€ I grinned winsomely. â€œYouâ€™re welcome to tag along if you want.â€
â€œNice try. But I doubt your team is quite ready for the ructions that I would bring.â€ Rhiannon smiled, and for the first time the show of emotion was more than a brief flicker. â€œWe all know Milliardo is less than comfortable in my presence. And I wouldnâ€™t want to think of the consequences should Pandora fully recall her time spent with the Dark Cloak.â€ It was as if Rhiannon suddenly realised that she had said too much, for she quickly changed the subject. â€œYou neednâ€™t go so far out of your way for a training battle, though. Iâ€™ve had plenty of experience of tutoring others in my time. If youâ€™d rather, whoever you wanted to train can spar with me.â€
â€œWhat?â€ Lucky spluttered. â€œButâ€¦ you just took on Reaper!!!â€
â€œWith this.â€ Rhiannon let the gemstone on her forehead open up once again, the fur on her forehead splitting to reveal an almost dazzling emerald glow. â€œA power that can be easily regulated, since it was never really mine in the first place. Obviously Iâ€™m not going to use my full force. Does a karate master use his every technique when tutoring his disciples? No. So just put that thought out of your mind now. Iâ€™d just fight as well as I had to in order to push you enough to benefit.â€
â€œActually, that does sound tempting.â€ I thought for a moment. Gina would understand. Hell, I couldnâ€™t seem to stop bumping into the woman lately. I would have plenty of opportunity to explain. And the chance to bond a little with Rhiannon seemed irresistible. â€œHere, or..?â€
â€œNo, silly!â€ Rhiannon shook her head, and all of a sudden her expression seemed to grow all the brighter, a beaming smile that wouldnâ€™t have looked out of place of the likes of Beckham or Kirei. â€œWeâ€™re gonna fight somewhere else. Donâ€™t wanna get ran over or anything, do we?â€ The Eevee practically leapt into my arms, and it was only by the most amazing of miracles that I managed to catch her without falling over myself. â€œCome on, we can take good care of you guys! Just trust us, okay, I know I donâ€™t make sense half the time but she does and if she says itâ€™s okay I guess you should probably trust her.â€ The Eevee pouted. â€œBecause I know sheâ€™s a big meanie who hogs all the time down here but she knows what sheâ€™d doing more than I do.â€ It was very hard to follow all of this. But my prior experiences of Rhiannon had steeled me to the fact that you had to basically consider her as two totally separate creatures. For the Eevee was a great ally, and a strong friend, but she had one major flaw. Rhiannon suffered from a serious case of multiple personality disorder. The scary thing being that the personalities seemed fully aware of each otherâ€™s existence.
â€œAlright, alright,â€ I sighed. â€œJust lead the way.â€

â€œThis is as good a place as any.â€ By the time we had reached a suitable place to stage a battle it appeared that the detached side to Rhiannonâ€™s persona had regained full control, the Eevee casting an expert eye around her surroundings. It wasnâ€™t much, in fact it was just an old car park down a side street that nobody seemed to even realise existed, surrounded by a chain link fence and littered with random scraps of litter that broke up the endless cemented floor. â€œFew obstacles, no immediate danger of interferenceâ€¦ yes, this will serve our purposes just fine. So thenâ€¦â€ Rhiannon turned to face our little team. â€œWhich of you was hoping to hone their skills today?â€
â€œErâ€¦â€ Lucky shuffled forward nervously. â€œThatâ€™d be me, butâ€¦â€
â€œCast our blood ties aside.â€ Rhiannon cut Lucky off before he had a chance to finish. â€œIn fact, I would be honoured to help you improve your skills. You must promise me, however, not to go easy on me.â€
â€œButâ€¦â€
â€œYou wonâ€™t hurt me.â€ The Eeveeâ€™s tone was totally neutral, totally emotionless. â€œPain is an irrelevance that I have no problems in dealing with. And believe me, I have my ways of restoring myself should you happen to do any damage. So treat this as if it were a proper battle.â€
â€œWellâ€¦ alright.â€ My Meowth nervously assumed battle position. Sparring against the daughter he never even realised he had! Well, if nothing else life had certainly become a lot more complicated lately. The big question was, how much further was it liable to go in its twist and turns?

FIGHT!!! L19 Meowth v L19 Eevee!

â€œOkay. Letâ€™s do this.â€ Lucky swallowed hard. He had no idea what to expect, but there was only really one way to find out. And that was to attack. Gathering all of the power he had in his legs, he shot towards Rhiannon as rapidly as he could, claws extended and ready to swipe. But just at the last moment his opponent seemed to disappear totally from sight. â€œWhat theâ€¦?â€ The Meowth skidded to a halt, confused.
â€œPay more attention or else your opponent will have the advantage.â€ Something struck Lucky in the side with enough force to knock him completely off his feet. It felt as if he had just been attacked with a sledgehammer. But it was just his daughter, who even now was landing neatly after a particularly vicious Tackle attack. There was still no trace of emotion within her dark eyes. Just cold, calculated intelligence. â€œYou should have been able to follow where I was going.â€
â€œWell Iâ€™ll know to keep an eye of you in future.â€ Lucky picked himself up from the tarmac. â€œI wasnâ€™t expecting you to be so fast.â€
â€œConsider that your second lesson, then. Especially in Ulthuan. Anything can, and probably will, happen. Now are you going to try and attack me again?â€
â€œCertainly!â€ Concentrating hard, Lucky summoned a handful of coins into his paw and hurled them as hard as he could in Rhiannonâ€™s direction. Yet despite the improbability of it all, the Eevee effortlessly dodged every one with only the minimal of movements. Still, that wasnâ€™t the end to Luckyâ€™s plans. Whilst his opponent was distracted he followed up the Pay Day with another attempt at a Scratch attack. But somehow this, too, Rhiannon seemed to be able to avoid, leaving Lucky clawing desperately at thin air. How on earth was this possible? â€œWho on earth taught you how to dodge so well?â€
â€œMy tutor is far from here, but thatâ€™s quite a long story and best saved for another day.â€ The Eevee sidestepped yet another attempt to strike her. And another. And another. â€œCome on, father, stop holding back! Youâ€™re better than this!â€ There was a bizarre intensity in Rhiannonâ€™s gaze, something both disturbing and yet also strangely reassuring. Something that lent Lucky enough confidence to aim his next attack properly. And this time his claws only just missed, coming so close to actually striking that they sliced through the very tips of the hairs in Rhiannonâ€™s fur. â€œNow weâ€™re getting somewhere!â€ The Eevee seemed impressed. â€œHit me with all youâ€™ve got, or you wonâ€™t be able to hit me at all.â€
â€œYou want all Iâ€™ve got? You asked for itâ€¦â€ Lucky fired yet another Pay Day at Rhiannon, and as he predicted the Eevee dodged the coins with ease. But she wasnâ€™t quite prepared for his follow-up attack. Without so much as pausing for breath, the Meowth began to build up a charge within his body, storing static electricity within him until it became too great to be contained within a single Meowth. Until it leapt out in the form of a huge Thunderbolt, coursing towards his opponent and striking her before she so much as realised what was happening. Yet even this didnâ€™t quite go as planned. Rhiannon winced slightly, certainly, and even staggered forwards a step or two, but the mighty electrical attack had failed to so much as knock her over. For once the energy had discharged itself the Eevee was still standing every bit as firm as she had from the outset.
â€œIâ€™m not entirely sure you need my assistance at all.â€ The Eevee smiled, the first time a decent expression had crossed the face of her more methodical persona in a long time. â€œI think you could probably stand up to most opponents, given the strength of your Thunderbolt.â€
â€œBut not to you.â€ Lucky frowned. â€œWhatâ€™s going on here, Rhiannon?â€
â€œI told you before. Pain is a total irrelevance. I donâ€™t let it affect me.â€ The smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. â€œSo shall we finish this battle?â€
â€œSure. As futile as it seems to me.â€ The two pokÃ©mon took a leap at almost the same time, and it was only by a feat of dodging that his opponent would have been proud of that Lucky managed to avoid a head on collision. The Meowth twisted in the air quickly, averting his course so that he passed directly underneath Rhiannon. Seizing the chance, he took a swift swipe at her underbelly, causing the Eevee to gasp in pain and fall clumsily to the floor. â€œRhiannon, are youâ€¦â€
â€œIâ€™m fine.â€ Despite the sudden attack Rhiannon landed on all four paws sturdily. It seemed as if the only way to make this one collapse would be to sedate her! And even then Lucky had the sneaking suspicion that you would still need enough tranquilizer to knock out a whole herd of Rhydon. â€œI can still carry on, if thatâ€™s what youâ€™re worried about.â€ The Eevee took a step forwards, but it was if her strength was rapidly fading. In the end whatever force was holding her upright simply gave way, leaving her to collapse upon her side. And reveal the true cause of her problems. Directly next to the trivial scratch Lucky had just inflicted upon her was a yawning chasm of a wound, a deep gash in her chest that had almost cut straight to the bone. How had she been able to keep that from everybody? It was still bleeding slightly, blood pumping from the wound even now and matting her fur with its thick crimson gloop.
â€œRhiannon!â€ Lucky rushed to his daughterâ€™s side anxiously. He couldnâ€™t lose her, not now, not so soon after finding her! â€œWhatâ€¦ this is from when you fought Reaper, isnâ€™t it?â€
â€œIt looks worse than it really is,â€ the Eevee lied. â€œFather, promise me that should I lose consciousness you wonâ€™t have me sent to a PokÃ©mon centre.â€
â€œBut why?â€
â€œIt would mean stumbling into the world of trainers, and Iâ€™m not quite ready for that yet. And besidesâ€¦â€ Here Rhiannon coughed weakly. â€œâ€¦besides, there are those who I wouldnâ€™t want knowing of my presence. Please?â€
â€œVery well,â€ Lucky nodded. â€œBut what are we supposed to do?â€
â€œYouâ€™re a resourceful bunch. Iâ€™m sure youâ€™ll think of something.â€ And with this, the Eeveeâ€™s eyes closed, trapped in the prison of a dreamless sleep.

Lucky wins!
Lucky grew to L20!
Lucky learns Protect as his free TM!

â€œWow, itâ€™s a good job you got her here in time.â€ In light of Luckyâ€™s insistence that Rhiannon didnâ€™t want to be taken into a PokÃ©centre, I had to call in on the only other creatures I could think of who were likely to own the correct equipment. So we found ourselves back in that quaint little Japanese house on the outskirts of Sector Alpha, where Tsuyoiâ€™s sisters made their home. And for once it seemed as if everything was going as well as it could have done. Kushikoi, the eldest, dark blue sister, happened to be the only one home, and almost in the same instant she saw the state of the Eevee in my arms she had her hooked up to a life support system, banks of monitors churning out constant data about Rhiannonâ€™s progress. â€œIâ€™d say the only reason sheâ€™s held on this long is by sheer willpower. Itâ€™s amazing how much a strong mind can help you, donâ€™t you think?â€ The large, wolf-like creature grinned broadly, before returning her attentions to the computer monitors.
â€œMaybe. But you havenâ€™t answered my question, Kushikoi. Will she be alright?â€
â€œOh yes, yes, thereâ€™s no doubt about it. She heals at a remarkable rate, in fact, Iâ€™d be willing to put money on her having been tampered with to enhance her physical abilities. You know, like Team Rocket used to do before they turned all psychotic and terrorist-y on us. Speaking of which, you wouldnâ€™t happen to know about something called Project Singlehorn, would you?â€ Seeing the look of blank incomprehension upon my face, Kushikoi sighed deeply. â€œMaybe not. It was worth a shot. I suppose I shouldnâ€™t go prying in other peopleâ€™s affairs, should I?â€
â€œYouâ€™ve not been hacking into the Guildâ€™s system again, have you?â€ I rolled my eyes. The family impulsiveness was going to get one of them in serious trouble one day. â€œNot even you can expect to avoid their guards every time.â€
â€œWanna bet?â€ Kushikoi cackled. â€œThereâ€™s not a single password I canâ€™t bypass, not a single encryption method I canâ€™t decode, and not a single firewall made that I donâ€™t have the means to remotely disable.â€
â€œSo why havenâ€™t you already snooped into the highest level Guild files and found out why theyâ€™ve been so sinister lately?â€
â€œBecause Iâ€™m bluffing, Ade. Even I know my limits.â€ Kushikoi sighed. â€œAnyways, we should be really concentrating on your little friend over there. Who is she, again?â€
â€œThe daughter I didnâ€™t know I had until about a fortnight ago,â€ Lucky replied on my behalf. â€œSo can you blame me for being a little worried?â€
â€œNot at all. She just arouses my interest, thatâ€™s all, and not because of these readouts. Itâ€™s what she sets off in here that intrigues me.â€ The pseudo-Ninetales tapped her head with one of the front limbs that served as her arms. â€œEven when sheâ€™s unconscious I get a seriously weird aura from her. Not to mention the fact that inside her head seems to be total chaos. I wouldnâ€™t know quite what to make of it all until Iâ€™ve run some testsâ€¦ with her permission, of course! Ade, stop glaring at me like that!â€ Evidently Kushikoi had noticed the look of disapproval that had crossed my face upon hearing the word â€˜testsâ€™. â€œBut listen to me, and pay attention for once. The one thing I know about this Eevee is that it seems that having anything to do with her will be just courting trouble. Are you ready for even more problems, after all thatâ€™s happened to you in the past?â€ I said nothing. But instead stared down at the little pokÃ©mon lay upon Kushikoiâ€™s bed, hooked up to so many wires and tubes that it was hard to make out the original pokÃ©mon underneath them all. Deep within my heart I knew that my eccentric friend was right. To have any dealings with this creature would just cause more complications. But could I find it within my heart to just ignore her? Well, at least she seemed pretty certain about not wanting a trainer. At least that was one worry off my mind. But even so, I couldnâ€™t just leave her.
â€œProblems have a way of finding me anyway,â€ I finally replied. â€œIt wonâ€™t hurt to give them a bit of a push, will it? At least that way Iâ€™ll be expecting them.â€ And besides which, any pokÃ©mon related to my team members was a pokÃ©mon I would have liked to get to know a little better. But for now I would have to wait. Wait until the Eevee finally pulled through. And maybe then we could get some answers to our many, many questions.

Lady Vulpix

6th May 2004, 08:33 AM

So many battles! x_x I think we'll have to divide them among us in order to rate them.
Karin, I've read your conclusion. You did a great job considering you had to retell the same events Amy and I had, and I enjoyed seeing your perspective of those events. ^_^
I'll try to rate at least one or two battles today.

*Murkrow

6th May 2004, 10:33 AM

*Skips in*
As proof of my excellent timing, I've got another battle to add to the list of ones waiting to be rated..my first one from the previous scenario^_^ Heh, looks like I needed that time extension after all.
Hopefully I'll have the second one up by the weekend, so I can start on the new scenario o_O

~Hannah~

The bench was shattered; wood flakes littered the floor, while the metal support that had once held the back up was twisted, jagged edges revealed, waiting to tear anything that got close.
But I didnâ€™t really care-it was something to sit on, and that was all that mattered to me now.
Gingerly, I sat down-half expecting the bench to collapse beneath my weight-but for once, my luck seemed to be holding out, as the bench creaked and sagged but held.
That done, I turned my attention to my new surroundings..and wondered why the heck I was here anyway.
From my position on the bench, I could see the wide expanse of lawns, stretching down to the flat, dark shape of a lake. To the left of the water, I could just make out the looming shape of a building-but even from this far, I could tell that it was derelict. The windows were boarded up, the paint gouged out in chunks visible even from so far away.
Beyond the lake, barely visible through the blankets of black cloud, there rose the dark, silent outlines of a cityscape.
I had a feeling that that was where I was meant to be, but for now, I lowered my eyes and tried to concentrate on my current surroundings.
The dirt path Iâ€™d followed from the rusty, battered gates cut across the dark, barren grass-scraggly, lifeless, over-grown. Small sparks flickered in them, promised treasures, but on closer inspection, were found to be nothing more than the shattered remnants of bottles, their gaudy colours reflecting the light from the harsh street lamps that lined the road behind.
They were not only hidden in the grass. Their sharp fingers littered the paths, lusting for the unsuspecting to blunder past, waiting to tear, rip; to maim.
Littered in the wood flakes from the bench, there rested the remains of one; dark green knifes, daggers, resting peacefully where they had been smashed.
Stopping, I gently picked up one; saw the light flickering over its curved surface; saw the sparkle of the last drop of the dark liquid, reflecting the light beyond.
Twisting round, I could look up the slope that rose behind, averting my eyes from the hidden secrets on the ground, to where the metal bars of the fence burst from the ground, spiked, waiting for those who would dare try to cross them. Behind these, the street lamps flared, beacons raised feet above the ground, casting their light, creating the shadows. But not everywhere. The light could not reach far from its power; the path in front lead into darkness, penetrable only by eyes keener than humans.
I shivered.
Black clouds stretched overhead, shielding any light, enclosing the sky. From their depths came the snarl of thunder-but only quiet. I would have time to leave before the storm broke.
Forcing myself back to reality, I tried to focus, but my mind kept wandering-I didnâ€™t want to enter the city, didnâ€™t want to have to walk down the darkened streets, be forced to breathe the polluted air.
But I had to. Iâ€™d got the unlucky draw, and didnâ€™t have a choice.
But I did have somethingâ€™s that would help make the trip more bearable.
Carefully reaching into my bag, I pulled out five objects; three small, shimmering boxes, one golden, hoop earring and a bottle of brightly coloured, glistening liquid.
There was also something else.
A jade coloured fang, embedded with gold plate, smooth to the touch, but with an aura of power round it.
I tucked it away again; I had no need of it now.
Insteadâ€¦..

~Xolotle~

Darkness.
Darkness and drabness.
Thatâ€™s all I could think of to describe this wasted landscape Iâ€™d appeared in.
I glanced up at Hannah, hoping that sheâ€™d fill me in on somethingâ€¦like why on earth we were here in the first place...but she was too busy fussing over my daughter to notice me.
Typical.
I turned away again, looking back out over the grass; my senses picked up hidden rustles from the grass; swift movements overhead; pierced the shadows.
Across the lake, across the grass, came the heavy, clogging smell of pollution; the acrid smell of burning, the cloying waste from exhausts, the tangy smell of melting plastic.
An industrial estate, thatâ€™s what that was.
Youthful, high-pitched squealing behind caught my attention; something was up.

~Nyura~

I sniffed the bottle of bright liquid, unable to keep from trembling, or whimpering excitedly.
The bottle trembled in my grasp; then in an instant, I tilted and drained it.
Warmth.
Trembling, flowing though my whole body; I clung to the bench, my claws sending spirals of dust and wood fluttering down.
My fur was lightening, night-black, rising to deep purple, fading away to form an incredible, delicate pink; twisting, I saw that my once pink feathers had transformed into a rich gold, trimmed with yellow.
â€˜Itâ€™s great! I love it!â€™

~Xolotle~

So sheâ€™s finally been given that Shiny Juice.
About time too.
A sudden sensation in my head-father made me look up; a golden, hoop earring now hung there; already I could feel its effect on me-feel my power growing.
â€˜Hey Xol, these are also for you.â€™
Hannah was holding out three boxes to me; TMâ€™s.
â€˜Thatâ€™s Powder Snow, thatâ€™s Moonlight, and thatâ€™s Shadow Ball.â€™
â€˜Woah..thanks.â€™
I eagerly snatched the boxes from here and began activating them to get my rewards; while I did so, I was aware of Hannah getting up, looking down towards the lake.
A flicker of something crossed her face, then was gone; she shuddered slightly and glanced over.
â€˜When youâ€™re done with that, weâ€™re going to head over that way, ok? Thereâ€™s something I need to do.â€™

~Hannah~

For once, Xol didnâ€™t argue with me, which was a relief. If she had, I might have ended up having even more second thoughts about what I was about to do-Iâ€™d been having nagging thoughts ever since Iâ€™d decided, and having to fight to actually make it happen would have made it even worse.
Shaking my head to get rid of my doubts, I quickly returned Nyura to her PokÃ© Ball and shot a look at Xolotle.
â€˜You ready?â€™
She looked up and nodded.
Excellent.
I turned and began to follow the rough, worn track that lead to the lake; Xolotle cautiously dropped to all fours and darted in front, keeping an eye on the path.
Neither of us spoke. She seemed to have caught my mood; she kept glancing over and frowning at me, but I couldnâ€™t be bothered to elaborate about what was going on, until we got within throwing distance of the lake.
Up close, it looked a lot less appealing than it had when viewed from further up the hill.
Lamps from the fence beyond cast their light over the silent waters, highlighting images that had remained previously invisible.
Dark, nameless objects floated on the surface, bobbing gently along in invisible currents, cutting through the murky gleam on the waters surface; it looked as though something had been tipped into the lake, polluting every inch of it; sealing the surface, clogging at the lake-side in thick, sticky lumps.
Just past the shore-line, the shiny, metal form of a trolley could be seen, one leg protruding above the surface, glistening even beneath its layer of mud and pollution.
In the centre of the lake, there was the shattered remains of a rowing boat, testimony of what the lake must have once been used for; the slashed remains of its oars protruded though its sides, while it lolled, half in, half out, of the water, perilously tilted.
I glanced once at the building-what must have once been the old boat house- but it just looked like it had from my first impression-a derelict, wasted property, with gashed paint work and boarded up windows and doors.
At my side, Xolotle made a low murmur of displeasure; I sensed her glance at me, obviously wondering why we had stopped here.
After seeing the lakes condition, I was even less enthusiastic about subjecting her to this water, but then againâ€¦
Oh for godâ€™s sake, quit being such a wimp.
Quickly, I reached into my jacket and pulled out her PokÃ© Ball.
â€˜Ok, Pearl, come on out.â€™
There was a flash, and then Pearls familiar form materialised; the large blue shell, with its delicate inside structure of blue, with Pearls features in the centre.
She looked at me briefly, before shuddering and spinning round in the water, pulling a disgusted face.
â€˜Pearl, Iâ€™ve been thinking-if you stay in this form youâ€™ll be, well, pretty limited in terms of moves youâ€™ll learn naturally, and you wonâ€™t have exactly the best of statsâ€¦so, how would you feel about evolving? Because if you do, well, I got you this.â€™
I pulled out the jade tooth again and held it out for her to see; for a second she eyed it carefully, then her shell opened wide, and gently pulled it from my hand, closing slowly.
For a second there was nothing, then, from inside, a bright white light began to shine through the closed rim of Pearls shell; the light then spread, until her whole body was shining.
The large, bulky shell elongated, twisting and writhing; along its length, humps began to form, bursting into place. A tail began to form at the end; arrow shaped. Her head shrunk; two humps emerging either side of her open mouth, while a fan shaped crest extended from her skull.
The light dimmed, faded away, until all that was left glowing was the flickering, pulsing spots along her body, head and tail.

Pearl evolved into a Huntail!

I smiled happily at my new PokÃ©mon; she didnâ€™t respond, just stared back at me, mouth slightly agape, showing off her fearsome teeth.
â€˜The name Pearl doesnâ€™t really suit her now, you know, Hannah.â€™
Xolotle edged closer to the water, eyeing the Huntail with interest.
â€˜Yeah, I know, soâ€¦.how about changing it from Pearl to Fera? It definitely suits her.â€™
I glanced at her silent form.
â€˜Is that ok with you, girl? Fera?â€™
Still nothing.
â€˜You sure evolving didnâ€™t damage her hearing?â€™
â€˜And why would it do that? No, sheâ€™s probably just slightly shocked due to the speed of it.â€™
I carefully dropped to my knees, reaching out to pat Feraâ€™s head; the PokÃ©mon flinched away, tail flying, jaws gaping.
For a second, her head reared above the water, her eyes flashing, hissing; then she was gone, slipping into the water with barely a ripple.
I swore under my breath, frantic.
â€˜Fera?â€™
The trolley leg out in the lake suddenly shuddered, then disintegrated, the metal twisting, snapping, as something gouged its way past. A flash of light flickered, then dimmed-enough to briefly illuminate Ferasâ€™ body as she circled, before striking out further into the centre.
â€˜Damn damn damn.â€™
I jumped to my feet and began to charge round the edge of the lake, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Fera; behind I heard Xolotle begin to give chase, easily overtaking me as she hurtled round the lake-side.
Ten minutes later, gasping, and with an agonising stitch in my side, I slowed to a halt, and stared desperately at the lake.
Nothing.
Iâ€™d kept my eyes on it all the time Iâ€™d been running, but hadnâ€™t seen any sign of Fera.
Xolotle came traipsing back, having run on ahead to try and reach the boundary; she shook her head.
This was impossible.
I chanced another look at the lake, hoping to see anything-a ripple, a flash of light, but all I could see was the cool, dark expanse stretching out.
Except.
On the far side of my vision, I noticed something-small, but charging towards the lake; a flame.
As I watched, it hurtled forwards, the flame vanishing, but a small cascade of water marking the point where whatever it was had entered the water.
Xolotle had noticed it too; she gave me a meaningful look then darted along the grass. I followed.
Close up, I saw the flame burst into life again, ramming into the neck of the creature that was thrashing above the water.
I lengthened my stride, gasping, eyes fixed onto the battle.
Then, whatever it was versus Fera, struck from the side, nimbly evading her razor sharp teeth, knocking her half onto the land.
â€˜Fera, return.â€™
I quickly held out my PokÃ©mons PokÃ© Ball, praying that I was in range for it to work.
A bright red flash, then Feraâ€™s twisting and writhing body vanished, pulled back into her PokÃ© Ball, which shook worryingly for a second, before settling.
Relieved that Iâ€™d managed to get my PokÃ©mon back relatively safely, I took a closer look at what had been her opponent.
A Rattata-but even in the dark I could see that although tensely posed, with wary eyes, its fur was sleek, and the small muscles in its legs held as it stared back.
This wasnâ€™t a wild one-and the fact that it had been able to use Flame Wheel so well proved that.
It snarled, teeth bared.
This would have to happen.
Cautiously, I glanced round for its trainer-the last thing I wanted was a sneak attack while I was occupied with their PokÃ©mon.
Xolotle tensed beside me; eyes narrowing as she looked at the region of shadows behind the person.
I couldnâ€™t perceive anything in the shadows there, but that was obviously where who-ever it was had stationed themselves.
â€˜Nice Huntail.â€™
â€˜Thanks.â€™
â€˜Having trouble controlling it?â€™
â€˜And Iâ€™d tell you why?â€™
â€˜Because.â€™
The Rattata snarled and darted forward.
â€˜Not good socially is he?â€™
Xolotle muttered quietly beside me, as I pulled a PokÃ© Ball free, watching the other PokÃ©mon carefully.
â€˜Alright Archie, go.â€™
A flash, then the small shrimp appearedâ€¦â€¦.and from the shadows there came a low start of surprise. Thatâ€™s when it struck me that sending out a supposedly extinct PokÃ©mon against a Team Rocket member might not have been the best of ideas.
Damn it.

~Archie~
The Rattata in front of me dug its claws into the ground, teeth bared, eyes flicking over me. Its tail twitched, legs tensing.
â€˜Rattata, get me that PokÃ©mon, he looks useful.â€™
Er, what?
It snarled and sprung forward.

Fight!
Archie (Anorith M L6)
Vs
Rattata (L8)

The Rattatas body blurred, its lithe body stretching out as it sped towards me.
Before I could respond, it smashed into me, dirt clods flying as we smashed through the grass and earth, tumbling to a halt a few feet from the lake.
My head pounding slightly from where it had struck, I automatically swung my claws forward, mindlessly trying to Scratch any part of its body I could reach; it squealed in alarm, digging its claws into my side as it vainly struggled to get a firm footing-but my armour simply turned aside its struggles, standing up to its increasingly frenzied assault.
â€˜Rattata, quit being an idiot, Quick Attack out of there.â€™
The PokÃ©mon squeaked in response, hammered into my claw, then flickered and vanished as it streaked away, before spinning in an instant and crashing back into my side. The attack barely hurt-I felt it only as a light shove, but it was enough to push me back, back towards the water.
Something wet touched my tail, sticky; it clung to it unceasingly even as I pulled away. My attention divided, I didnâ€™t have time to react as it crashed into me again.
My legs slipped in the filth, trying to catch my balance, I sunk deeper into it; another blow to my head, and I was knocked back, falling into the murky water of the lake.
It was only shallow, but instantly, I felt my weight dragging me down, as my whole body repelled away from its touch.
The Rattata laughed; it was standing, feet away, free from the clogging filth that lined the shore.
â€˜Nice work, Rattata.â€™
Nice work?
Something flared; gathering my energy, I flung myself forward, slithering over the grime, trying to get as far away from the water as I could. It worked in a way-I couldnâ€™t get free from the matter, but its hold prevented me from falling back into the retched waters.
Breathing hard, I forced my self forwards, watching the Rattata; it had stopped laughing now, teeth bared again.
â€˜Alright Archie, Swords Dance.â€™
I froze; along my sides I felt a ripple of energy, then a steady, pulsing beat. My legs flickered, shining and pulsating with power; the Rattata paused, eyes keening.
Another ripple, then I felt a slight jolt as the two nearest ones tugged, then flickered as copies floated free; flickering and shimmering, they covered my claws; absorbing the light, I felt the edges sharpening, knew my power with them had risen.
â€˜Trying to be strategic? Rattata, Tail Whip.â€™
Its body shook; its tail twisted and flicked, side to side, continuos, rhythmic, drawing my eyes along with it. Faster, faster, as the PokÃ©mon weaved its way closer.
Too close.
â€˜Quick Attack.â€™
It broke free from its trance abruptly, gritted its teeth and flung itself forwards.
Pain-more pain than Iâ€™d felt before-shot through my body.
I staggered back, feeling the clogging touch, tearing my legs away.
â€˜Fine then. Flame Wheel.â€™
In front, the Rattatas body suddenly combusted, flames bursting from its fur, enclosing it in a roaring inferno. The ball of fire struck the ground, bounced up and charged towards me.
â€˜Archie, counter it with Ancient Power.â€™
Forcing myself to focus, even as I felt the searing heat as it approached, I lowered my senses, searching deep into the ground, tearing at its fibres with my mind.
A split second-heatâ€¦intenseâ€¦then a roar as the ground exploded, boulders long hidden rearing in front of their target, smashing into its body; the flames flickered and vanished as the Rattata was sent smashing into the ground-a direct hit.
The remains of the boulders shattered down, digging into the ground, cascades of earth and rocks rolling around the torn battlefield.
Gasping, I looked round for my opponent, hoping that my attack would have been enough to finish it off.
No such luck.
A flash, and the flame re-ignited, materialising in front of me.
But it didnâ€™t attack-it stayed, its flame body wavering as it forced itself to stand tall.
It thinks Iâ€™ll hit it with another attack if it moves.
I glanced down into the chasm Iâ€™d created; Iâ€™d need more time to create an attack of that force again.
â€˜Rattata, donâ€™t be such a coward-attack it now.â€™
The circle of flame sprung forwards.
â€˜Archie, Hidden Power.â€™
The eye markings on my skull began to glow, as I forced myself to dredge out every bit of my power; the air around me wavered, as if in a heat haze, before focusing into small, white balls of light, burning with a ferocity as large as the real flames that licked the body of the Rattata charging towards me.
It jumped, lunging forwards towards me.
Instantly, all the white balls converged, throwing their pulsing light into the surroundings; white hot, glowing, bug formed formations of light burst forward; meeting the fire head on.
The fire incinerated them-tearing through their forms, causing a million flashes of light to burst, exploding in an instant, falling limply to the torn ground.
But it had worked-flinging myself to one side, I heard the Rattatas scrambling feet dig and slash at the grime as it struggled to get a hold.
Iâ€™d known that my Hidden Power was Bug, meaning that it could never hope to stand up to the ravenous flames, but instead, the touch of the flame had created a barrier of light, temporarily blinding the other PokÃ©mon.
I could still hear it, struggling and gasping as it spun round, dazed.
â€˜RATTATA, GET UP.â€™
â€˜Archie, combine Aerial Ace and Slash.â€™
Slithering forwards, I used my weight to slip onto the slime, aiming myself for a full-on collision with the thrashing Rattata; hearing the rush of me approaching, it looked up, eyes blank and staring.
I slithered to the left, raising my sharpened claw; on my right I felt my legs begin to throb with the familiar feel of power.
â€˜Quick Attack, now.â€™
It pushed its legs deeper into the quagmire, forcing itself up; I flicked to the left, bringing my claw smacking into its body; as it fell, I spun to the left, sending it spiralling into the lake; feeling the waters touch, it gasped, briefly animated, waving its legs frantically, before the red beam of light recaptured it.

I won!
I grew to L7!
I learnt Harden!

From the shadows I heard the Rattatas trainer swear, then the sudden thud of his feet as he spun and fled; behind me, I heard Xolotle snarl briefly, obviously wanting to follow, but she didnâ€™t.
My legs trembled; the smell coming from the lake and the filth, avoidable in the intensity of the battle, now rolled over me; unbearable, the stench pushing itself onto me.
I closed my eyes, choking, raising my head above the black grime.
â€˜Archieâ€¦that was greatâ€¦now return.â€™

~Hannah~
For a second, I stared at Archieâ€™s PokÃ© Ball, before gently tucking it away; quickly, I checked that Feraâ€™s PokÃ© Ball was still intact, before glancing at Xol.
â€˜Ready to go?â€™
She nodded, and pointed slightly to the left of where the Team Rocket member had stood.
â€˜The path leads up there, if we follow it, we should reach the boundary of this park, from there it shouldnâ€™t be too hard to find our way.â€™
I shrugged.
â€˜Sure.â€™
Now that Iâ€™d faced off against one Rocket member, I wasnâ€™t as worried as I had been, but I couldnâ€™t help glancing at the destruction that Archieâ€™s battle had created; I shivered and turned away. If I got into another battle in the city, then I could easily cause as much damage as this-I wasnâ€™t stupid, I knew that the guy would alert any other members in the district.
â€˜You coming?â€™
â€˜What? Oh, yeah..lets go.â€™
Shivering in the increasing cold, I turned and followed Xolotle as she began to trot away from the lake, eyes focused on the hidden path in front of her.

andyizcool

6th May 2004, 06:06 PM

I had decided I needed to train my Pokemon to be ready for some future battles ahead of me. I had heard other people speak of some Training Grounds where we could train our Pokemon ready for future battles. So instead of being stood around all day doing nothing I walked to the entrance of the Training Grounds. All the rooms looked full of mysterious shadows of Pokemon that roamed about everywhere in their own environments.

I found it hard to make my choice of which room to go to first. My mind was lost in the confusion of where to train. Charmander jumped out of his Pokeball. He pointed straight at the Lava Room. I thought to myself that Charmander should be able to handle that Training Ground. Charmander had disappeared from my side. He had already entered the Lava Room ready to be trained. I wasted no time and ran after Charmander in order to help him.

I entered the Lava Room slowly scared what might happen. Before I had realised it, my whole body felt like it was burning from the all heat. Charmander came back to me. He gave me a disappointed look because he hadnâ€™t found anything here yet. I told him we should explore more. He was filled with content and ran off further to the centre of this large room. Puzzled as I was I just ran after him in the flaming heat of the room.

Something seemed not quite right here because even with all the lava in a room this large it wouldnâ€™t be as hot as it was. Charmander came rushing back to me. He looked frightened. I investigated the area that he ran from and found a little Pokemon that had hidden in a corner. The little Pokemon was scared to death. I sent Charmander over to it so he could go and apologise to the poor little Pokemon he had scared so much it was frozen.

â€œHello. Who might you be?â€ Charmander greeted the little Pokemon politely.
â€œMagby.â€ The little Pokemon answered back trembling.
â€œHave you hidden in this corner because I scared you? Iâ€™m very sorry.â€
â€œNo, something bad has happened deep in this room.â€
â€œAre we in any danger from this something?â€
â€œWe could be if we donâ€™t do anything about it very soon.â€
â€œWhere is it? We must do something right away.â€
â€œI can take you and your Trainer to it if you can help.â€
â€œSure, take us there right away.â€

The Magby stood up and hopped about on the lava safely. It seemed he had triggered some sort of switch that opened a path forward. Charmander came back to me. He gave my trousers a hard tug as if he wanted me to follow him. Magby ran off ahead followed by Charmander and then me trailed behind the two Pokemon. Something I noticed that the Fire Pokemon neglected was the room got more warmer has we moved on ahead. This made me a little dizzy.

â€œHow much further do we have to travel?â€ Charmander asked Magby nicely.
â€œNot far now I think.â€ The Magby replied delightfully.
â€œIs it me or is it really hot in here?â€
â€œI can feel the heat too.â€ Magby started to faith.
â€œWe must keep going.â€ Charmander answered back.
â€œFire Pokemon shouldnâ€™t be feeling this.â€
â€œI think thereâ€™s something seriously wrong in here.â€
â€œI feel so tired and sleepy.â€
â€œCome on, we have to do this.â€

Charmander and Magbyâ€™s friendly chat had turned into an argument under the pressure of the great heat wave. I had fallen over a few times from the dizziness of this room now. The heat was too much. Even Fire Pokemon hadnâ€™t gone as deep as us to the core. All I could see was red blurry images in the distance of Charmander and Magby. Charmander rushed to my aid in the heat. He also kept Magby going, as we need to get to the bottom of this.

I finally saw a huge metal machine. Charmanderâ€™s eyes burnt with rage. Someone had put a machine here to use the coreâ€™s lava, which had created a heat wave. This heat wave had been powerful enough to even knock out Fire Pokemon if they werenâ€™t strong enough. I could barely keep stood up in these conditions. Charmander scratched the machine as much as he could but it just ended in failure. Charmander had fallen too tired to move.

Magby walked around aimlessly in circles and had no control of his movement now. He slipped into the coreâ€™s lava uncontrollably. It was too late even Charmander couldnâ€™t save him now. The whole Lava Room shock vigorously as the machine went into overload mode. I think Charmander and I could leave now our mission had been completed. We had thought too soon when an evil looking Magby jumped out of the lava and starred at us. Charmander got up and breathed deeply ready to fight the evil Magby.

Charmander (Level 6) vs. Magby (Level 8)

The Magby stood on the spot daze by the blurriness of not being able to see much in these hot conditions. Charmander took this time for an advantage. He used Swords Dance. This made Charmander a lot physically stronger and he also felt better in the intense heat wave that they had been caught in.

The Magby spat random Embers around the area that failed to hit Charmander. Charmander was worried he was hurting his friend but he needed to do it. Charmander used Scratch on the Magby, which knocked it down to the ground. Magby smirked as he lay on the ground.

Charmander needed to end this soon as he was still tired. Magby bounced up with excitement and unleashed a Fire Blast attack. Charmander was shocked and stood still as the attack just hit him straight down. Charmander leaped straight back up from the warm ground and gave Magby one final Scratch.

Charmander won the battle (Level 6+1).

The Magby had been finally knocked out from the battle against my Charmander. The place fell apart too quickly and there was no time to escape. I returned Charmander to his Pokeball so he could be safer from the heat or even an explosion. As everything just whirled around me I fell to the ground like a rock. I thought this would be the end for Charmander and myself but we needed to think positive at times like these. I had fainted near the core of the Lava Room where the machine had overloaded.

That's my first Pokemon Battle for the Lava Room Scenario. The next part will be my second Pokemon Battle for the Lava Room Scenario and the conclusion to my story in the Lava Room.

AntiAsh Superstar

6th May 2004, 06:19 PM

Quick question, whereabouts in Ulthuan are the training grounds? Yes, I know I've been in them before during the Pegasus Games if they're the same as the ones used for that, but that was ages ago and I've a worse memory than my Marill. :oh:

Lady Vulpix

7th May 2004, 09:25 AM

Yes, they're the same. They're in Sector Alpha, you won't have to travel this time. Though training in Yvresse was nice. :D

Now, on to the stamps.

Becca gets 9 stamps! Nice battle... I didn't expect a pokemon to use Sandstorm against a Scizor, but I reckon that attack can be used more than just cause damage. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Ade gets 10 stamps. This is because I thought many parts of the story were great, but you could have got even more if you'd made the story clearer for those who haven't read the story we're writing (which is everyone bar you and me) and Rhiannon's side story. I don't think many would understand what you wrote.Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Karin gets 11 stamps! Great work! That was an interesting and original battle. I don't know how 'Ryu' manage to burry himself like that, but a lot about him is still a mystery, right? Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Everyone else, your battles will be rated soon... I hope.

Charizard04621

7th May 2004, 01:56 PM

Thanks, Gabi. As for Ryu, you've said before that Jolteon and Espeon are capable of swimming. They don't learn any Water attack that has anything to do with swimming, yet you still believe that they can do it. Ryu's a ground type, and Trapinch are renowned for creating sand pits. Is it really any wonder that they can dig underground without actually knowing the move? ^_^;;

classy_cat18: Hmm... Take 10 Stamps. I couldn't buy the logic of Rain Dance being used inside a volcano, and the Staryu battle was a little confusing. You said your Staryu fired a Water Gun into the air, and then shot a Psybeam-esque attack downwards at its opponent. (If Water Gun was fired upwards, how, then, did Staryu get into the air?) Your story was also kinda sudden. I got the feeling that it was rushed somehow. Also random. Beacon dancing. O_o;; But your story was good enough to get Stamps, though, don't think that it was really bad. Really bad stories don't earn all the Stamps you got. ^_^;

Wolfsong

7th May 2004, 02:13 PM

Sneasel(h)Obsessive take 15 stamps I loved how you described your surroundings and the description that you put into the battles. Keep up the nice work ^^

andyizcool, Karin said she'd get your battle ^^

Charizard04621

7th May 2004, 02:39 PM

andyizcool

7th May 2004, 02:58 PM

andyizcool: O_o Where did the machine come from? How'd Magby suddenly turn evil? Anyway... The story was sort of choppy because you kept using the same sentence structure over and over and over again (see how repetitive it gets?). Try to vary it a little. Anyway, take 5 Stamps.
Silly me again. By sentence structure do you mean I always use simple sentences? I find it hard to use different sentences when I write. Maybe in my next piece for this Scenario I can find out where the machine came from and how the Magby turned evil. It would make a nice conclusion to my Lava Room Scenario.

classy_cat18

7th May 2004, 03:06 PM

Karin (it is Karin, right?): Rain Dance powered up Beacon's Thunderbolt and Jewel's Water Gun! Who cares if it was used inside a volcano? But you're saying that Beacon can't even get that level up? Okay, I don't think Jewel deserves a level up, but...*takes out Beacon* You want to tell this face that her battle was not good enough? Real shot through the heart, Karin.

Lady Vulpix

7th May 2004, 03:28 PM

classy_cat18, you misunderstood Karin's post. Your battles were valid; you even got 10 stamps for them! So, naturally, your pokemon did level up.

classy_cat18

7th May 2004, 03:35 PM

*laughs nervously* Oh! Then no harm, no foul.

*Beacon sweatdrops*

Hey, I'm still a newbie at this, okay? Back to Microsoft Word we go! *stops* Um, what's the difference between Psybeam and Psychic appearance-wise?

andyizcool

7th May 2004, 03:46 PM

Um, what's the difference between Psybeam and Psychic appearance-wise?
Look on Pokemon in 3D on N64 or GC. You'll see Psybeam shoots hoops of Psychic energy. Whereas Psychic the background just turns purple and then flashes on the opponent.

Aipom Of Doom

7th May 2004, 04:28 PM

Um, what's the difference between Psybeam and Psychic appearance-wise?

Anything you want it to be :d. That's one of the reasons that I love the battle range ^_^.

Angel Blossom

7th May 2004, 08:44 PM

Here is P.1 of the few I will be writing this scenario. Despite the grammar errors, I hope you like it!

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

â€œI want to be a Bellossom!â€ pouted the small, dark blue Oddish as she desperately frowned at us. Her reddish eyes gleamed with misery & impatience. The few bright green leaves on her head wriggled, as she grew frustrated. Lightninâ€™ crouched down to Petals, constantly reassuring her, â€œTrust me â€“ a brave Oddish like ya will evolve in no time!â€ She said this as she gave her an encouraging pat.

She was always looking for ways to boost Petalsâ€™ esteem, that Pikachu. She smiled sweetly as she turned her head, staring at me with anticipation. Kindly, I smiled back, then turned my head back to the pond.

We were in a large, aquatic training zone for trainers and their PokÃ©mon. I stood on a small yet sturdy platform as I observed the glimmering pond extended over the large area. Water PokÃ©mon who swum happily in the water created noisy splashes & tittered with their pleasant laughter. Their trainers were discussing on the platform. I overheard their conversation; all were unpleasantly bragging about their PokÃ©mon. Oh well, a lot of us trainers did that one time or another.

I was with Lightninâ€™, the young, energetic, caring Pikachu; and Petals, the timid yet sweet Oddish. Ever since they had first met, they were best of companions. Despite their distinct differences, these two made a great duo. Petals had been having a few frustrations with herself, however.

She really wanted to evolve into a stronger PokÃ©mon â€“ and fast. Seeing as she had some time to go, it wouldnâ€™t be as soon as she thought. This Oddish had always been carried away with improving herself, even though most thought she was good anyway. She had been let down by her few lost battles, but she still wanted to aim towards her goal. I always knew that Petals was determined. She wouldnâ€™t give up on her goals. I knew this. An encouraged PokÃ©mon like her wouldnâ€™t have ever dared to. What Petals wanted was to evolve into a Bellossom. In her opinion, they were probably the most attractive PokÃ©mon of all â€“ and thatâ€™s what she wanted.

â€œListen, Petals â€“ if you want to evolve soon, you should start training,â€ I said, crouching down to speak to her, â€œMaybe Lightninâ€™ & I could help you.â€

Shrugging, Petals agreed to begin training. I smiled, happy to know that Petals was still determined to get there. Lightninâ€™, with a large smirk on her face, shouted out with her feedback.

â€Well, if you want to evolve, let me help ya out,â€ said Lightninâ€™, cheerfully, â€œand this is a great place for ya to train, Petals! If ya battle here today, yaâ€™ll have the advantage against the water PokÃ©mon. Itâ€™ll be easy!

Before Petals could even sputter a word from her mouth, Lightninâ€™ yanked her into the pond along with her. Splashing noisily, they plunged into the greenish blue pond where more PokÃ©mon swam.

â€You can swim, right?â€ asked the Pikachu, who swam in the pond with Petals on her back. Aloof, Petals nodded her head. She poked at the water with her small foot, not seeming too eager to jump in. Lightninâ€™ was quite aware of her mind-set, but didnâ€™t take offense to it nevertheless.

A Mudkip had been watching from afar, scoffing at their efforts. Petals saw how the Mudkip was acting, and it made her irate. â€œDonâ€™t worry about himâ€, said Lightninâ€™, who was too annoyed by the attitude of the PokÃ©mon.
Swimming quite rapidly, the Pikachu suddenly jumped into the air without Petalsâ€™ notice. This sent the Oddish flying, too, straight back to the pond. Splattering water around, the uneasy Oddish squirmed.

The Mudkip & a few others caught sight of her & began to giggle.
Staring awkwardly at her, Lightninâ€™ wondered if she had lied about knowing how to bathe. â€Petals,â€ she began, uneasily, â€œare ya okay? Just relax. Try moving your legs around in motion!â€

Pouting, the Oddish replied. â€œEasy for you to say! All Iâ€™ve got are these tiny stubs for legs.â€ She began to relax, and was actually floating above the water. Confused, Lightninâ€™ rolled her eyes and continued helping her out.
Oddly enough, the Oddish got the hang of swimming very quickly. Grinning, Petals surfed around in the water. She wasnâ€™t fast in the pond, but she could swim. Lightninâ€™ climbed back onto the platform where I stood. Smiling proudly, she told me more about Petalsâ€™ small accomplishment.

â€œThatâ€™s great! Good job to the both of youâ€, I said, proud of their efforts.

As I picked up Lightninâ€™, I felt someone poke my shoulder impatiently. Turning to see who it was, I realized that one of the trainers who I noticed before wanted to talk to me.

â€œHi there,â€ said the trainer, motioning to give me a handshake, â€œIâ€™m Jack, a PokÃ©mon trainer like yourself. Who might you be?â€ I shook his hand, which had some ink marks on it. Hmm. â€œMy nameâ€™s Kris,â€ I replied, observing the odd smirk on his large, broad face, â€œWhatâ€™s up?â€ He chuckled, with his gawkily deep voice. Pointing at his Mudkip in the pond, he continued to converse with me.

â€œMy Mudkip seems more than eager to battle that little Oddish of yoursâ€, he explained, as the tough-looking Mudkip climbed onto the platform. Standing next to Jack, he observed me curiously.

â€œSo how about it?â€ asked Jack, who seemed very confident with his Mudkip. I knew I had to talk to Petals about this first, because sheâ€™d be upset if I agreed without her knowing. I told him to wait for me as I called Petals to come over. She was swimming confidently in the pond as Lightninâ€™ watched behind me. She had a pleasant grin on her face, seeming happy that she was able to swim now.

â€œPetals,â€ I shouted, calling for her attention, â€œWould you like to battle?â€ I caught her attention quickly. Her round, dark red eyes stared straight at me. She paused for a moment, half of her small blue body floating above the pond. She noticed the Mudkip who grinned despicably at her from the platform. Obviously, they must have had an unknown rivalry, since immediately, Petals concurred. She accepted to battle the Mudkip with the naughty smirk on his face.

â€œWell then.. Mudkip, itâ€™s time to battleâ€, exclaimed Jack, hurrying his Mudkip to the pond, where the battle would be held. â€œShow that puny Oddish what youâ€™re made of!â€

Puny?

Now, if only if Jack & his rude Mudkip knew what they were in for! Determined, Petals knew she would show them what she was made of.

Â¤ ~ PokÃ©mon Battle! Petals the Lv. 11 Oddish (F) vs. Lv. 15 Mudkip (?) ~ Â¤

The Mudkip dove head first into the water at Jackâ€™s command. It was a swift swimmer, being able to swim through the waters at ease. The pondâ€™s waters were a greenish blue color, not too clear to see through. Petals was on guard, making sure that Mudkip wouldnâ€™t make an unexpected attack.

â€œPetals! Use your Sunny Day!â€ I yelled, helping my Oddish in her battle. Shutting her eyes, Petals had begun to concentrate very hard. It was quiet throughout the room, except for the few splashes that the Mudkip made. Strong rays of sunlight suddenly beamed through the clear glass windows of the ceiling, reflecting on Petals. The rays of light were blinding, making it complicated to see what was going on.

Wincing at the powerful light above him, the Mudkip plunged deep into the pond. He was nowhere to be seen. Frantically, Petals looked around her to see where the enemy was. â€œMudkip, quick!â€ shouted Jack, commanding his PokÃ©mon, â€Use a physical attack on that Oddish!â€

Rocketing below Petals, the Mudkip strike her with a very powerful tackle, sending Petals high into the air. Plummeting back down, Petals gasped for her breath. She didnâ€™t seem hurt, just startled. Mudkip was very agile, so it wasnâ€™t easy to get him. Now was her chance to hit him back, I thought. Mudkip was weak to certain moves of Petalsâ€™, so if she got him, this would be a lot easier. â€œNow, Petals,â€ I said loudly, catching her attention, â€œHit him with your best Razor Leaf!â€

Alert, the Oddish sent hundreds of small, prickly, dark green leaves hurling towards the Mudkip. Quickly, the Mudkip used his senses & avoided the leaves as much as possible. He leaped above the dozens of leaves hurled in his direction. Dodging the swift attack, he rammed into Petals with yet another Tackle. It was a simple attack in general, but very gruesome when used by this mischievous Mudkip.

â€œMudkip, use your Water Gun!â€ hollered Jack, who was happy at the thought of victory approaching him & Mudkip. He obeyed his master, of course, & used his energy to form a flare of water.

The small water PokÃ©mon spat out a large blue, rapid blast towards my Oddish rather hastily. Petals, still determined to fight, eluded the attack by jumping above the whirl of water. Surprised, the Mudkip stared perplexedly at the gritty Oddish. With much energy, Petals flinged at Mudkip twice as many razor-sharp leaves as before. Striking the PokÃ©mon speedily, the sharp leaves dealt a lot of damage.

â€œPetals â€“ Stun Spore!â€ I directed, happy to see that we had a good chance now.

From the leaves on top of her head, greenish gold dust poured into the air. The dusty powder had spread into the air, which was dangerous for the foe. Not realizing that she had used the attack, Mudkip breathed it in. Jack, watching from the platform, moaned in despair.

â€œNo, no, Mudkip!â€ yelled he, disappointed in the aloofness of the Mudkip. The unlucky PokÃ©mon frantically gasped for clean air. Stun Spore had temporarily paralyzed his body, not letting him run away from Petalsâ€™ attacks.

â€œUgh! Come on, Mudkip, get up! he bawled, frustrated with the status of his nearly victorious battler.

â€Haha!â€ giggled Lightninâ€™, who had been watching with me. The silly Pikachu blew raspberry at the stressed out Mudkip. â€˜Shh,â€™ I whispered, embarrassed of her odd personality.

Jackâ€™s Mudkip tried to regain his posture, but wasnâ€™t able to. He floated above the waving waters of the radiant pond as I thought of the perfect attack to use. After my Oddishâ€™s Sunny Day attack, there was a perfect amount of sunlight in the room, wasnâ€™t there?

â€œPetals! Use your Solar Beam, now,â€ I said with anticipation, â€œbelieve me, it will work!â€

Petals beamed at me, knowing how good the plan was. The Oddish looked back up to the rays of light that cast from the ceiling. They were strong enough to give her a fully powered attack. Full of confidence, Petals gave it her best shot. Her body began to twinkle magically; green & yellow sparkles formed all around her. She began to glow a bright green color, preparing her hard-hitting attack. Mudkip was startled. Not knowing what to do, he attempted to use his Agility attack. He overpowered paralyze, being able to become a bit more agile than before.

Petals began to shine brighter & brighter, glowing with solar radiance. Suddenly, she let out a beam of solar energy hurling in the direction of Mudkip. The room turned into a bright orange-yellow; the light given off of the Solar Beam attack filled in the room. It was a white beam, shining brightly; green & yellow streaks of energy waved around it. Striking the Mudkip harshly, he flew backwards due to the ruthless attack. He flip-flopped onto his belly, not capable of moving on.

The attack triumphed over the Mudkip, making her the winner.

Petals the Lv. 11 Oddish wins!
Petals grew to Lv. 13!

â€œHurrah!â€ shouted Lightninâ€™, who jumped with glee. I grinned proudly â€“ we beat Jack & his powerful Mudkip!

Petals practically smiled her head off; she was happier than ever. I complimented my victorious Oddish, & said, â€œWe knew you could do it!â€ Giggling, Petals jumped up to the platform where Lightninâ€™ & I stood. I picked her & Lightninâ€™ up, giving them a tight hug. We three all knew that she was closer to accomplishing her goal.

Jack growled in frustration. Obviously, he did not know how to take a loss well. Returning Mudkip to his PokÃ©ball, he turned to me with a smile. The smile did show that he wish he had won, but I knew Iâ€™d feel the same way if I had lost anyway.

Giving him a handshake, I complimented, â€œGood job! Your Mudkip was a tough opponent.â€ Truly, that PokÃ©mon was a rough competitor. He nodded quietly. Maybe Jack was ashamed that he had lost the battle.

â€œGreat battle to you & your Oddish,â€ he said, â€œmaybe weâ€™ll battle again when my Mudkip is even stronger!â€

I laughed with him, glad to see that his mood improved. Imagining if Petals & Mudkip battled in their evolved forms was pretty interesting, actually.
â€œYeah, weâ€™ll see.â€

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

Wolfsong

8th May 2004, 06:51 PM

I gave Blazer a slash TM and an aerial ace TM at the EH that I got from the reward center. I also bought the collar and slash TM for the vulpix who will be getting them as well as her name in this story, as well as her RBG ^^;. I did have a little bit of writers block at the start. I did the personality with the battle part a little differently this time but it was for a reason ^^;; Edit: I also bought and gave Blazer a recover tm from the reward center ^^;

(Amy's POV)

I didn't stay long at DT central, because I needed to see about Kovu. After things had calmed down, I left to take him to the Pokecenter. I also wanted to get the vulpix checked out to make sure that she was healthy, because there was no telling what all she had been exposed to where Rockets were concerned. It didn't take us long to get there, and when Nurse Joy saw Kovu, she immediately whisked him away. Almost an hour later, he was stabilized enough that he could have visitors for a short period of time, though he would have to stay the night.

Kovu was glad to see us, though right away he noticed that Simba wasn't with us. He also noticed the vulpix. She was still trying to get used to the fact that she could move now and that she wasn't confined. Though soon, she jumped back onto my lap. "Where's Simba?" I explained to him what all had happened after he had been recalled into his pokeball. "That's a shame. I remember him welcoming me to the team." As soon as he had finished speaking, he closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. I took that as our cue that visitation was over. Silently, we all filed out of the room.

Once outside, Sweetie persuaded me to let her stay the night with her dad. Once I had agreed to that, the others asked if they could go home. "Why don"t you all go on without me? I want to get this little girl looked over first." They nodded and left as silently as they could, while Sweetie went back into her father's room. "Do you have a name?" I asked her as I carried her up to the front desk. She shook her head sadly. "They took me before Mom could give me one." was all that she said before going silent again. I gave her a gentle hug. "Will you give me one?" she asked. "If that's what you want." I told her. "I would like that."

We had reached the desk, and Nurse Joy began looking her over. The vulpix was still the entire time. "I can't find anything wrong other than she is a little underweight." Nurse Joy explained. "Thank you." "You're welcome." she replied giving the vulpix a poketreat. "Though it's a shame that Team Rocket had her, but now at least she will be taken care of." I nodded in agreement, before offering the vulpix a pokeball. She furiously shook her head no, and I decided not to push the issue. I'd ask her again tomorrow.

"Ready to go home?" I asked her, and she nodded her head yes. I picked her up, and left for home. It was late by the time that we had made it in and the only one still up was Yana. "Welcome back." she whispered. "Thanks." I said as I gently placed the vulpix on the floor. She ran over to Yana and was soon fast asleep lying next to the houndoom"s side. "I have some things that I need to take care of. Then I'm going to try and find a name for her." I said nodding at the vulpix. "Then I'm going to bed." Yana nodded, giving the unusual looking vulpix a nuzzle before she too went to sleep.

I smiled as I headed into the computer room. It didn't me as long as I thought it would to make the needed arrangements, so I began looking at various name sites in hopes of finding a name that would fit. On that front, I wasn't having much success and was thinking about calling it a night when I found it. I smiled as I wrote it down. It was a perfect name if the little vulpix liked it. I then shut the computer down and slowly made my way upstairs and went to bed.

The next morning, I awoke to a cold nose pressing into my neck. I opened my eyes to find that it was the vulpix. Yana was watching on nervously. "She wanted to see you but didn't know how to get to your room." Yana explained. "It's all right." I reassured Yana before picking the vulpix up. "I think I found you a name. That is if you like it." "What is it?" "Sinopa." "I like that." she whispered softly. "It does sound nice." Yana agreed.

Sinopa looked as if she wanted to ask something else. "Is there something else you wanted?" I asked and she nodded. "I heard some off the others, I don"t know their names yet, talking about battles. I've never battled before but it sounds interesting and I'd like to try it sometime." I nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but first I need to get ready. Kovu should be ready to come home today and I can't exactly go out looking like this, right?" At that point Sinopa burst out laughing in a fit of giggles. Yana shrugged, though she looked as if she might crack up as well. I knew it was probably because my hair was sticking out in every direction imaginable. I excused myself and left them to go straighten up.

Ten minutes later, I was done and I heard giggles of joy as I returned to my room. I also heard Yana. "Come on Sinopa, please don't jump on the bed." "How come? It's fun!" "It's all right Yana. At least for now," I added and at which point Sinopa stopped jumping on the bed and looked over at us. I decided to try and see if Sinopa would go into a pokeball today. When I offered it to her, it was as if someone had flipped a switch. She was no longer the young, happy vulpix she had been just minutes earlier, but the scared one that we had found yesterday. She jumped off the bed and ran underneath it.

It took me and Yana an hour to convince her to come out from under the bed. I also promised not to mention her going into a pokeball again. "Sorry, I don't like small spaces." she explained. Her reaction at being confined reignited the anger I felt towards the Rockets, but Sinopa was safe now.

The phone rang, and I left them to go and answer it. For once, it was good news coming from the other end. Kovu was ready to come home. Yana seemed content to watch over Sinopa while I was gone. The others were scattered around the house doing their own thing. I left, making a quick stop at the Reward Center. Once I had made my purchases, I headed straight for the Pokecenter. I arrived to find Kovu and Sweetie already waiting for me. "Can we go home?" Sweetie asked. "Soon, I need to arrange a battle for Sinopa. She asked me if she could have one since she heard the others talking about it." They nodded, looking a bit confused. "Sinopa's the new vulpix's name." I explained. They nodded. "Is she ready for it?" "She said she was." I told them silently thinking to myself, I hope so.

Arriving home, we found Ebony racing around the outside of the house as fast as she could go with Arwen clinging to her back. I chuckled at the site, before going inside. "Yana? Sinopa?" I called. ""We're in here." Yana's voice rang from the living room. I entered to find the two of them watching cartoons on the television.

"Sinopa, I got something for you. Since you don"t want to be confined into a pokeball I thought that you might like this collar. It also has a tag with my name and address on it just to be on the safe side." She winced at the mention of a pokeball, but smiled when she realized that she didn't have to worry about having one. I fastened the collar around her neck. She smiled and her rainbow topknot shone brightly against her fur. "I also bought you a slash TM." She smiled, accepting the TM. "Did you get me a battle?" she asked curiously. "As a matter of fact I did, and its today." "Cool. Can we go now?" she asked. "I don't see why not. Yana, do you want to come as well?" "Yeah." she answered before picking up Sinopa by the scruff of her neck.

By the time we had arrived, our opponent was there waiting for us. She was a girl in her late teens. "What took you so long?" she asked, before noticing Yana and Sinopa. "I was told that I was going to be battling a fire type, but I sure hope that it isn't going to be that houndoom." she said nervously. "Its not." I assured her. "My vulpix is the one that wanted to battle." "Good." She looked at Sinopa again. Kinda unusual looking isn't she? Pretty, but unusual." "Shall we get started?" I asked. "Yeah," she agreed, adding "it's my cleffa's first battle." I nodded, relieved that Sinopa wouldn't be battling an experienced pokemon. I looked around, and saw that we were in a general area. There was nothing but grass as far as the eyes could see. There wasn't even a single tree that littered the area that we were in. Yana gently placed Sinopa on the ground. "You ready?" I asked her. She nodded her head yes. Then, she quickly added "I want to try this on my own." "You sure?" I asked. She nodded her head firmly. "All right, though I'll be here if you need me."

Sinopa L.5 Vulpix Vs. L.5 Cleffa

I watched nervously as the two pokemon approached each other. For a while, it looked as if neither of them was going to move. Sinopa finally darted forward, unsheathing her claws, and slashed at the cleffa with them. The cleffa retaliated by pounding Sinopa's head as hard as she could. Sinopa winced as she darted out of the cleffa's range. The cleffa chased after her trying to get close enough to pound her again, but Sinopa wasn"t going to have that. "That's enough of that Cleffa. Try using metronome." That made me realize that I didn't know what Sinopa's bred on move was. I probably should have asked her but I bet that she didn't know either. "Sinopa LOOK OUT!" Yana's warning brought me back to the present, and I looked just in time to see Sinopa get hit by a huge bubble. "Are you okay?" I called out worriedly. Sinopa shook herself dry, but nodded indicating that she was. Sinopa turned once more to face her opponent and fired out several tiny fireballs at the cleffa. The cleffa, who wasn't expecting it, began crying right away. She soon stopped because her trainer reassured her. "That was good. Try another metronome." The cleffa nodded, saying her name over and over and waving her finger back in forth in unison. At which point, she took a deep breath before spraying out a sticky white substance that surrounded Sinopa leaving only her eyes visible. In an instant, I saw panic which faded to reveal the flicker of a flame.

(Sinopa's POV)

Things were going good till I got hit by that gigantic bubble. I was still stinging from it. My new trainer, Amy (I think), asked me if I was okay and I nodded that I was. Immediately after, I released several tiny fireballs at the cleffa who was surprised. After a few minutes of crying, she obeyed her trainer and used the same move that had created the bubble. The cleffa did as her trainer asked, and soon I was trapped in a sticky something that had it where I couldn't move. Immediately, I began to panic. I didn't even feel the cleffa's next attack because I was so upset. I had to get to where I could move again. I could feel the fire surging through my body wanting out, and I let it. As I did so the flames melted the substance surrounding me, but it didn't stop there. They raced towards the cleffa, and upon contact she fell to the ground knocked out. Once it was over, I ran over to Amy crying.

(Amy's POV)

I picked up Sinopa and did my best to comfort her. I was surprised to find that she knew hidden power and that it was the fire type, but then again I shouldn't have been surprised. "Is she all right?" the other trainer asked. "I think so. She hates being confined as to where she can't move." I explained. "Sorry about that. Though I didn't plan on that happening." "I know." I said shaking her hand before she left to go get her cleffa seen about. Eventually, Sinopa did settle down, though I did make a mental note not to let her have another battle till I felt that she was ready for another one.

Sinopa grew to L.6.

Charizard04621

9th May 2004, 01:22 AM

Angel Blossom, Amy said she was going to get your battle.

Amy - Kinda short, especially the battle part, but I liked it. ^^; Would be interesting to see how Sinopa copes with her fear in the future. Take 8 Stamps. :)

Charizard04621

9th May 2004, 01:45 AM

My intro. The rest of the stuff will come later.

My POV:

Ever since our return from the Team Rocket Headquarters, Gabi had been preoccupied with many things: the significance of the Singlehorn Project was one of them. Not long ago, Gabi had a revelation: Singlehornâ€¦ One hornâ€¦ Unicornâ€¦ Unicorn Gate!

Being a newcomer, I was not familiar with any Dragon Tamer history, but Gabi and Amy were pretty good about explaining. Apparently, in the past, tournaments had been held at various gates, but for some reason unexplained, Unicornâ€™s Gate was skipped each time. This raised a few odd feelings, but not enough targeted suspicionâ€¦ until now.

Rumor was that a secret laboratory lay hidden near one of the gates. And nowâ€¦ We knew which one. At least, thatâ€™s how it seemed. So, Gabi managed, through subtlety, to gain us an opportunity to investigate the area, under the cover of a battleground revival. Even the Dragonâ€™s Guild couldnâ€™t say no to that.

Our team was one pokÃ©mon less now, and the house felt a little empty without him. I could remember how unhappy Elendil always seemed, though, and how listless he had become. I noticed that he had developed a friendship with Nimrodel, and was hoping that the whole thing would work out, but the truthâ€¦ I was at fault. I didnâ€™t try hard enough to understand himâ€¦ But that was over nowâ€¦ Elendil was gone, and the trainer to whom he was entrusted didnâ€™t seem to be around anymore.

â€œWell? Is everyone ready to go?â€ I asked, getting up from my spot in the grass. Evenstar and Switchblade showed up first, as they usually did. The Sneasel went into her pokÃ©ball, but Switchblade remained out. The Porygon didnâ€™t enjoy tight spaces. When he was younger, it was because, like the Charmander twins, he had a boundless energy that could not be rivaled. Now, however, he had just become accustomed to staying in open air all the time, and his pokÃ©ball just seemed foreign and cramped to him.

At my second calling AglÃ¡rien ran towards me, playing with Naurmir a new type of tag that she had invented herself. It allowed shooting off gentle Embers to tag the target as well as just regular contact. This heightened both Charmandersâ€™ senses, and, believe it or not, improved their dodging skills. I could see that AglÃ¡rien had gotten quite clever already. She cared deeply about her brother, and knew that he was slightly smaller than he should be. Disguised as a game, this was one of her methods of teaching him how to fend for himself. I allowed the twins to run around for a while longer, then recalled them. There would be plenty of time for them to expend their energy elsewhere.

I looked around for any signs of the others. Elwing and Kalazeth I knew were somewhere in the pond, most probably racing each other to prepare for the coming competition. Sure enough, they showed up soon after I called them, laughing, completely wet, and refreshed. They went in their balls, too. Ryu came later, limping slightly due to his reopened wound. I had half a mind to pursue a medical expertâ€™s help on the matter; I knew that Rebeccaâ€™s Hitmonlee had treated the Trapinchâ€™s injured leg, but it hadnâ€™t healed by the time Ryu battled againâ€¦ And the battle made the wound worse. I didnâ€™t trust my own abilities as a healer, but for now, Ryuâ€™s leg was cleanly bandaged.

RÃºthruin and Gwaihirâ€™s entrance startled me. One moment, I was gazing up at puffy white clouds in the sky. The next, a black shadow hung directly overhead, and before I knew it, both the Scyther and the Aerodactyl had landed right in front of me. I had to admit I shouldnâ€™t have overreacted, but I got the feeling that they liked to do things like that just to scare me. I startled easily. It must have been funny to see me jump, scared out of my wits, because those two pulled off stunts like that a lot.

I patted the new pokÃ©ball on my belt. The newest addition to the team, a Lileep, resided there, but he had not yet chosen to come out to face everyone. Given a little time, I was sure that he would be fine. For now, however, I would allow him some room to overcome his initial timidity. We were almost all hereâ€¦ But there were still some pokÃ©mon missing.

â€œLetâ€™s all go,â€ I urged. â€œI donâ€™t think anyone should be left behind this time. Itâ€™ll be a long journey, and weâ€™ll be there for quite some time.â€

Nimrodel surfaced from the pond. â€œDoes that include me?â€ she asked, surprised. She rarely ever came along on our excursions, mainly because she thought that she would only get in the way. After all, it was difficult for a Lapras to get around in places without water.

I nodded. â€œThereâ€™s a lake this time. Maybe you can battle. At least youâ€™ll be able to stretch out some, swim around freely. Our house pond is too small, and although the Eevee House pool is nice, itâ€™s just a pool. Thereâ€™ll be a real lake, Nimrodel! A vast expanse of crystal clear water reflecting the blue cloudless skies, with space where you can swim wherever your heart desiresâ€¦ Where you can dive to the very depths and explore a new underwater world. Imagine that!â€ I could see her eyes sparkle as she smiled sweetly. It was a blessing to me; I had not seen her that happy ever since Elendil left. This would be a vacation for her, a chance to let loose and be free.

â€œYes, I would like that very much,â€ she said happily, already trying to imagine what the lake might be like. I brought her into her pokÃ©ball where she could dream some more.

â€œAnyone else? RÃºthruin? Switch? Have you seen Lune or Ã‰lan?â€

The Scyther pointed her blade at an old tree beside a fence, where bushes crawled over and threatened to invade the yard. It was a strong tree, with a thick trunk and heavily laden branches. It never bore fruit nor flowers, but its branches were always weighed down with deep green foliage that provided generous shade from sunshine. I nearly slapped myself for missing something so obvious. There, beneath the leaves, resting in the cool darkness, lay Lune. He would come when he was ready.

â€œThere he isâ€¦ Thanks, Ruth. But what about Ã‰lan?â€

Switchblade beeped. â€œI have a hunchâ€¦â€ Without saying another word, he sped off, a little magenta streak through the grass.

â€œHey! Whereâ€¦?â€ I ran after the dashing Porygon, with RÃºthruin following closely behind.

Switchblade had gone to the back of the house, to the gate in our yard that led into the forest. There was no path there, and we seldom took that route; for it was a dangerous one, and the forest dark. At night, strange sounds would come from the black wilderness â€“ sometimes wails and moans, other times more torturous cries that echoed through the night too terrifying to be described. We had the feeling that woods were haunted. I had no idea why Switchblade was heading right for them now. At least, that was before I spotted Ã‰lan. Switchblade stood barring his way.

â€œOh, no you donâ€™t,â€ said the Porygon. â€œIâ€™ve been looking for you forever! Where do you think youâ€™re going? We were all just about to leave for the Unicorn Gate battlegrounds! Donâ€™t you want to comeâ€¦?â€

The voice that came from the Unown G was not like the regular Ã‰lanâ€™s. Whereas he usually teased Switchblade with a playful tone, here he sounded subduedâ€¦ I could hear a tinge of pain in his voice, hesitation, as if he was not sure how he was supposed to speak. I knew then what was on his mind, and wanted to kick myself for not understanding earlier. Would this happen to any more of my pokÃ©monâ€¦?

â€œIâ€¦ wonâ€™t be coming with you.â€

Switchblade looked as if he suspected what was going on, but did not want to accept it. His voice became quiet. â€œWhat do you meanâ€¦? Why arenâ€™t you coming, Ã‰lan?â€

As if to confirm all our fears, the Unown G sighed and began to explain. â€œI will be going away for a whileâ€¦ On my own.â€

I watched Ã‰lan steadily for a long time, looking deeply into his single eye. Eventually he cast his gaze downward. â€œYouâ€™re sure about this, Ã‰lan?â€ I asked, whispering, trying not to let my voice tremble.

The Unown tried to avoid glancing at Switchbladeâ€™s pain-stricken face. â€œThis teamâ€¦ I honestly love all of you, but I canâ€™t stay. Here I cannot grow, cannot be what I was meant to be. I know you are a capable trainerâ€¦ And I will miss you dearlyâ€¦ and my friendsâ€¦â€ He cast a pleading look at Switchblade, trying to make him understand, but the Porygon would only regard him with anger and confusion. Ã‰lan continued, even more painfully than before. â€œIâ€¦ I was born to do something else, something I cannot accomplish here. Lately Iâ€™ve been getting this feelingâ€¦ As if Iâ€™ve been called to someplace else, somewhere beyond the world that I have known before, to fulfill something that as of yet has not revealed itself to me. I donâ€™t think being part of a team or a trained pokÃ©mon is it. Though I may grow powerful with you all, and I will certainly be happier with your company, I think that I must do something more. Somethingâ€¦ that I must achieveâ€¦ alone. I feel that I must go into the world, journey to its very depths, explore its hidden mysteriesâ€¦ until I meet my fate. This feeling I haveâ€¦ is strong, and although I know not what it means, I cannot ignore it anymore. I tried to stay for as long as I could, but I have felt it grow urgent, so much so that I am compelled to follow its pull. I am sorry that I must go; but destiny calls. Goodbyeâ€¦ And may our paths cross again someday.â€

With that, the Unown G vanished into the forest, a forlorn shadow under the weary shade of trees. I stood there for a long time speechless, watching as every trace of Ã‰lanâ€™s existence faded away into the all-consuming blackness, afraid that this parting would be the last time we ever saw him again.

Matt

9th May 2004, 06:37 PM

Mattâ€™s POV

Rain. Of course it had to rain while I was out of the house. But it wasnâ€™t like I didnâ€™t like the rain, yet it was the fact that I had no umbrella to shield myself from the skyâ€™s tears. It was a good thing, though, that I was so close to my destination. I went into the supermarket to get a few things for dinner and maybe for the rest of the week. When I entered, there was barely anyone there - not even that many cashiers around, either. I noticed a worker nearby and stopped him.

â€œYo, dude, whatâ€™s up around here? Why is there barely anyone in here?â€ I asked with concern in my voice. â€œOh, you havenâ€™t heard? Some say itâ€™s team rocket, but I think they arenâ€™t telling the truth,â€ He said. â€œHuh? Whatâ€™s happening around here?â€ I asked. â€œOops, sorry, someone keeps jumping people, but itâ€™s only in the evening that this is happening,â€ He said. â€œWell, itâ€™s only around 5 P.M. now, so there should be a lot of people out since it isnâ€™t that dark outside,â€ I said looking around. He shrugged. â€œThen I donâ€™t know where everyone is, sorry,â€ He said; he walked off.

â€œWell, I canâ€™t let this bother me; I have things to do,â€ I thought. I got what I needed, paid for it, and left. It had stopped raining, but there were puddles the size of station wagons on the ground. â€œWow, it must have really rained while I was in there...â€ I said to myself. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was clouding up again. â€œShit, I need to hurry up and get home before it starts raining again,â€ I thought as I picked up speed.

Just as I got to the front porch it stated to rain again. â€œJust in time,â€ I said, gasping for air. â€œEveryone, Iâ€™m back,â€ I said, looking around. There was no one around. But when I entered the kitchen, it wasnâ€™t long until the whole gang was there. â€œYay, Mattâ€™s home!â€ Tabitha said, jumping up and down. I bent down and started to rub her and her twin brother until the rest of my pokemon came into the room. â€œWhatâ€™s up, everyone?â€ I asked. â€œWhatâ€™s for dinner, Matt? Iâ€™m starved,â€ Yuna said, looking up at me. â€œYouâ€™re always hungry, Yuna,â€ I said giggling. â€œWell, dinner will be ready as soon as I get it startedâ€ â€œCome on; letâ€™s leave, so he can finish quicker!â€ Cerberus said cheering. With that, all the pokemon left the kitchen and went into different parts of the house.

Valeforâ€™s POV

I love the sound of rain. Itâ€™s so... peaceful. The moon is quite beautiful tonight, as well. â€œ...Hello, Rinoa,â€ I said without turned from my view of the beautiful scenery. â€œHow did you know I was here?â€ â€œWell, when youâ€™re like me, you might be able to sense people around you, as well.â€ â€œWhatcha looking at?â€ She said approaching me. â€œJust focus on your surroundings and youâ€™ll be able to see what Iâ€™m looking at.â€ I said. Rinoa sat down on the ground and began to look out into the open.

â€œThis is so peaceful, Valefor, but I canâ€™t seem to get the real feel of this like you can...â€ She said with her head down. â€œI canâ€™t really help you with...â€

I stopped. Was someone besides Rinoa and me here? I heard someone talking, but it could be in here with us. But this thing isnâ€™t inside the house with us... itâ€™s outside somewhere! I left my perch and flew as fast as I could downstairs. â€œMatt. I think thereâ€™s someone outside... Please go check for me.â€ I said. â€œHm? Valefor, are you sure thereâ€™s someone outside? I mean, it could just be your imagination...â€ He said. â€œJust come with me,â€ I said, hopping out of the kitchen.

He followed me and opened the door. We both went outside in the cold rain; but, I couldnâ€™t sense anyone around. I couldnâ€™t hear anyone talking either... Maybe it was my imagination. â€œSee, thereâ€™s no one here, just like I thought,â€ Matt said. â€œNow, come on, Valefor. Dinnerâ€™s almost ready.â€ He said going inside. â€œI couldâ€™ve sworn...â€

Mattâ€™s POV

How strange of Valefor. Heâ€™s usually a little quieter...

â€œDinnerâ€™s ready everyone!â€ I yelled from the kitchen. A few minutes later it was like someone let some Tauros out or something. I poked my head out from the kitchen and saw a herd of pokemon running from everywhere. â€œFOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!â€ They yelled. I laughed and went back into the kitchen to get put the finishing touches into everything. â€œThat smells exquisite, Matt.â€ Ark said. â€œIndeed it does, Matt. You really are a pretty good cook.â€ Atomos said. â€œThanks, guys.â€ I said. â€œWell, everyoneâ€™s here, so... dig in!â€ I said smiling.

After everything was eaten and cleaned up, I decided to sit down and watch some TV. From flipping through the channels over and over, I could plainly see that there was nothing on to watch. I laid back in the recliner; Tabitha and Nightmare jumped up in my lap. â€œWhatcha watching?â€ Nightmare asked. â€œWeâ€™re not watching anything right now...â€ I said. Tabitha got up and walked on the remote a few times. â€œThere - now maybe we can watch something good,â€ Tabitha said looking at me.

The news channel was turned on, to my surprise. â€œFine, weâ€™ll watch this then,â€ I said.

â€œIn recent news, another of the mysterious attacks happened a few hours ago. A rich old woman was walking home from a friendâ€™s house when someone jumped out and attacked her. All of her jewelry and money was stolen, sadly.

The person that did this is still on the loose, so everyone watch your backs at night. The Dragons guild is trying its best to catch the culprit for these horrid crimes, but they havenâ€™t had much success. They had some kind of press-conference earlier in the week on this matter, but the only result in the meeting was a demand for the Dragon Tamerâ€™s and their subordinates to not take part in this.

Now, time for the weather with Pat...â€

â€œI guess that dude at the supermarket was right...â€ I thought. And what was that about the Dragon Tamerâ€™s? When they say subordinate I guess that means me since I have helped in a lot of their missions. But, the Dragonâ€™s guild is practically doing nothing about this and something needs to be done before something really bad happens!

â€œTabitha, Nightmare, go get the others in here, please.â€ I said turning off the TV. They ran off and rounded up the other pokemon. â€œOk, everyone, thereâ€™s a mission that weâ€™re going to try and do, despite the fact that the dragons guild doesnâ€™t want us to,â€ I said looking at them. â€œIt may be kinda late, but thatâ€™s when they come out, so letâ€™s get going!â€

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a bag that was on the table. â€œTabitha, Nightmare, can you come here for a minute?â€ I said. They ran in there and looked at me a little confused. â€œHere, these are TMâ€™s. We might need your help later or something.â€ I said.

For Tabitha, it was a Crunch TM that I had gotten through the EMT at the Goldenrod Tower not too long ago. I opened the black box and got out a satchel of powder. After sprinkling it on Tabitha, she began to have a faint black aura around her. It disappeared, and I did the same for Nightmare; his TM was slash. They ran out of the kitchen and I looked in my bag again. There was a blue box that I had gotten recently at the same place I got Tabitha and Nightmareâ€™s TMs.

â€œEiko, can you come here too? I have something for you.â€ I said. She slithered into the kitchen and stared at me. â€œI want you to have this Surf TM, Eiko. Use the move wellâ€ I said. The powder was sprinkled atop her head and she learned the water move.

â€œOk, letâ€™s get ready to leave everyone! Ark, I want you to stay out of your pokeball with me to help me navigate through the darkness,â€ I said. â€œUnderstood,â€ Ark said. With that last statement, I grabbed a flashlight and walked out the door.

Arkâ€™s POV

Darkness - the best place to be... all the time. Why do I like the darkness, you ask? I wonder that myself sometimes; but, despite all the lies and despair that live in this void, itâ€™s very quiet. Everyone should like the dark... donâ€™t be afraid.

â€œArk, snap out of it and come on!â€ Matt said from ahead. â€œSorry, I was just taking in the vibes from the darkness around us,â€ I said. â€œWho exactly is doing these attacks on people?â€ I asked. â€œThis dude I talked to in the supermarket said he heard it was Team Rocket, I think, but I thought they left a long time ago...â€ Matt said.

We walked for what seemed like hours - finding nothing. I couldnâ€™t really tell if we were going around in circles because there was barely any light. Even I couldnâ€™t see. But, I thought there were street lights around in here? I couldâ€™ve sworn there were some during the day... something weird is happening around here. But.... what was that noise behind us? It sounded like... footsteps... but maybe it was just the echo of Mattâ€™s shoes?

â€œMatt. Stop walking for a minute.â€ I said, looking back. He listened and halted his steps. I was right. There was someone behind us... but who? Louder... louder... closer.... closer.... what is coming towards us?!

â€œShine your flashlight this way Matt, quick!â€ I yelled. The warm light of the flashlight shined onto the pavement and a little farther back behind me. I could focus a little better with what little light the flashlight provided for me. â€œWhatâ€™s that shining over there?â€ I thought. I slowly approached the bush towards the side. The flashlight was shining my way so it wasnâ€™t so scary... but something kept telling me to not look in that bush. Maybe I shouldâ€™ve listened.

As soon as I got near the bush, two, strong hands reached out and grabbed me. It was so sudden - I couldnâ€™t think straight. â€œWhatâ€™s happening? Who is this? Matt? Matt!â€ I thought. â€œMatt!â€ I yelled. I looked over to where Matt was supposed to be and saw someone on him, holding him to the ground. I did the first thing that came to mind and bit down into the dammed hand that had captured me. The owner of the hand shrieked in pain and released me.

I ran over to Matt as quick as I could, and bit into the man on top of him. He backed off as well, and ran off. â€œMatt, are you ok?â€ I asked, looking down on him. â€œYeah, thanks, Arkâ€¦â€ Matt said. â€œWho exactly were those people anyway, Matt?â€ I asked. â€œI donâ€™t knowâ€¦ maybe they were the â€œTeam Rocketâ€ everyone has been talking aboutâ€¦â€ â€œLetâ€™s try and follow them?â€ â€œGood idea; Iâ€™ll get Cerberus and Madeen to help,â€ Matt said, getting out two pokeballs. Before I knew it, both pokemon were before us.

Cerberusâ€™ POV

â€œSomething wrong, Matt?â€ I asked. â€œI need you and Madeen to do something for meâ€¦ think you can do it?â€ He said. â€œOf course,â€ I responded. â€œWhat is it?â€ â€œOk, I need you both to follow the scent of the two men that attacked Ark and I and track them down,â€ â€œIâ€™m on it,â€ I said, â€œcome on, Madeen!â€ â€œRight!â€

Madeenâ€™s POV

Wow, following a scent with Cerberus â€“ how fun. Sheâ€™s a really nice pokemonâ€¦ a really good person to look up to, sometimes. I wish I was herâ€¦

â€œCerberus, how much longer until we actually find what weâ€™re looking for?â€ I asked. â€œWho knows? We may never find them, but we have to try!â€ I laughed a little. â€œRight!â€ I agreed.

After many blocks, Matt finally said something from behind us. â€œWait, you guys,â€ He said, â€œI think you might have found themâ€¦â€

Mattâ€™s POV

â€œGreat work, you guys!â€ I thought. They traced the scent back to a giant warehouse. â€œNow, letâ€™s hope this is itâ€¦â€ I said to the others. I slowly walked around the warehouse to see if there were any entrances or windows besides the one in the front. But, not to my surprise, there was nothing. â€œGreat. Thereâ€™s no way to see if this is it or not,â€ I said. â€œDonâ€™t give up yet, Matt. Thereâ€™s bound to be another way,â€ Ark said.

Wait, there was another way? I had seen a barrel around on the other side when I was over there. And there were little windows along the top of the building, as well. But, when I got over there, the stupid barrel was too heavy for me to even think about picking up. â€œAnima, help me out a little!â€

Anima appeared and I told her what the situation was. She understood quickly and used her psychic powers to move the barrel close enough for me to look in a little. I thanked her and climbed atop it; I had to stand on my tiptoes, but it was good enough.

Everyone in the whole warehouse was in blackâ€¦ kind of like some cultâ€¦ or organization?! A slight glimpse of one of their shirts convinced me that this was, indeed, one of the hideouts for team rocket. I could hardly tell what they were saying, though.

â€œâ€¦too many people know about usâ€¦ must go back to the headquarters beforeâ€¦ weâ€™ll be leaving right awayâ€¦â€ One of them said.

I jumped down and told my pokemon; plus, I recalled them all for easier movement around for now. It was almost morning, so I didnâ€™t really need Arkâ€™s guidance. There were voices coming from the front of the building, though.

I slowly made my way around and saw a giant truck in the front; they seemed to be loading all their stuff in there to bring to the â€˜headquartersâ€™. Two of them brought out a trunk that was opened and laid it on the ground. Luckily, they went back inside, which gave me the perfect opportunity to get in there! I sprinted over there, jumped in the trunk and slammed it shut.

They came back to see what had happened, from what I could hear, but they didnâ€™t open the trunk, thank god. The two rockets through the trunk into the back of the trunk and went off again; before I knew it, it sounded like there were 50 rocket members at the same place I was. But, it wasnâ€™t so bad; sleepiness was taking meâ€¦

When I awokeâ€¦ it was quiet. I pushed open the lid to the trunk and pulled myself out. â€œWhere amâ€¦I?â€ I thought. I walked out of the room and found myself in a corridor that seemed to go on forever. â€œGuess Iâ€™ll explore around in here for a whileâ€¦â€

But, there was nothing down here. No door, no picture, not even a nick in the paint on the wall. The end was near, though; when I got there, it was just a giant ledge and stairs descending to somewhere. â€œWhat the hell, Iâ€™m going down these steps!â€ I thought. When I got to the bottom, I noticed that there was nothing there but a few potted trees and some lights. I went over to one of the potted trees, but an alarm started ringing. "What? They've found me out? How?! There's nothing down here but..." I thought.

Suddenly, a shady man in the black clothing came out of no where and started to approach me. "Who are you, intruder?! You'll be sorry that you messed with Team Rocket!" He said. I drew out one of my pokeballs and got ready for the worst. "Go, Yuna!"

Yuna's POV

Huh? A battle? Well it's about time! The man across from me grabbed a pokeball from his pocket and threw it down on the ground. "Go, Rattata!" He said. A little, blue turtle thing materialized in front of me. "Do you really think you can beat me with that weak thing?" The man in black said. "Oh, don't worry, Yuna will win," Matt said.

Yuna the Zigzagoon (Lv. 8, F) VS Rattata (Lv. 8, F)

This battle didnâ€™t seem very hard â€“ I mean what is this thing? A rat? Surely, this wouldnâ€™t take too long! â€œYuna, try a tail whip!â€ Matt said. I trotted over to where the rat was and swished my tail in her face. She didnâ€™t seem happy because she retaliated with a tackle. But I had done what I needed to do.

Before I had turned around good, Rattata was right on top of me. I managed to get her off of me; while she was still above the ground, I ran and tackled her hard. She landed on the ground not long after that, and gasped for breath. We were both pretty worn out, but this battle wasnâ€™t going to end here.

Next, the rat ran past me and hit me in the face with that damn tail of its. I felt like biting the stupid thing, but I restrained myself. I started to get really, really mad at this thing. No one, and I mean, NO ONE hits me in the face and gets away with it! Forget Matt; this was my battle. I began to gather moisture from around me, so I could make it freeze. The stuff froze into powdered snow, and I shot it towards that Rattata. It hit her, but it didnâ€™t do much damage; but I was just getting started on that thing.

This time, I was really going to mess her up. She came running towards me, but I had a plan for her. I got into a position and started to really get a charm going on. Rattata stopped and stared at me walking back and forth looking pretty and what not. I smirked and stopped there; she finally came back to earth from staring at me and continued her attack. She collided with me, but it wasnâ€™t more than a little pinch to me.

Finally, it was time to end this pointless battle. I stepped back a little bit and threw myself at the Rattata to tackle her. I hammered her to the ground, which was just enough to knock her out. After the moving of Rattata stopped, I pulled myself off of her and claimed my well deserved victory.

I won!
I grew to level 9 and learned Headbutt!

Mattâ€™s POV

â€œGreat job, Yuna!â€ I said running over there. â€œYour battle was superb,â€ I continued. I glanced over to where the Rocket was standing; he was recalling his fainted pokemon with his head down. He picked his head back up and glared at me.

â€œDonâ€™t think this is over, intruder! Team Rocket will stop you!â€ He said running off. I shrugged and went back to Yuna. â€œCome on, Yuna, letâ€™s get out of here before something bad happensâ€¦â€ I said, recalling her. I ran back up the stairs and headed for the corridor.

But, I was stopped by some smoke right at the entrance. When the smoke subsided, I saw another rocket before me. â€œHa, do you think youâ€™re getting away so easy? You have to go through me first!â€ He said. He reached behind himself and grabbed a pokeball. â€œGo, Squirtle!â€ He said.

â€œFine, if youâ€™re using a Squirtleâ€¦ go, Lulu!â€

Luluâ€™s POV

â€œExcellent,â€ I said.

Lulu the Cleffa (Lv. 9, F) VS Squirtle (Lv. 15, M)

This battle was going to be tough, thatâ€™s for sure. But, it was a good thing I had those clean nappies on, otherwise it would be hopeless. He started by running up to me and slapping me with his blue tail. I didnâ€™t feel the actual shock of the attack until later, though. I opened my mouth and started to let out a sweet tune. It wasnâ€™t long until everyone around me was asleep â€“ even the trainers. I shrugged it off, since; at least, Squirtle fell asleep. Now the real battle was going to begin.

I pulled out a little present for Squirtle and threw it at him. I put my fingers in my ears and hopped for the best; when I released them, I could hear an explosion subsiding â€“ that gave me the hint that a pretty nice explosion happened from the present.

Another present for the sleeping enemy; this one wasnâ€™t as strong as the last one though. Squirtle just snoozed away as I picked away his very life. After a few turns of the present giving, Squirtle finally woke up. After all this trouble, it didnâ€™t even look like he was tired. He was starting to give me some evil glares, though.

Next, Squirtle started to gather fluids from inside his body; and as soon as he got enough, he spit them at me into one big ball. The actual strength of the move was outrageous, and I couldnâ€™t take many more of those blowsâ€¦ I got out another present and tossed it Squirtleâ€™s way. This one was extremely powerful and made a huge explosion on the water pokemon. When all the smoke had disappeared, Squirtle could be seen with many scars across his body. He also seemed a little weak, finally.

The next present wasnâ€™t as good, though. It seemed that it healed Squirtle instead of actually damaging him; this was not so good. Squirtle blew bubbles at me, this time. It wasnâ€™t as strong as the water gun, but the move was still pretty good.

Yet another Present for the Squirtle; from the look on his face, he was quite tired of receiving gifts from little, old me. This one was also pretty powerful, though. When it touched Squirtle on his skin, it blew up and knocked him into the corridor wall. He pealed off of it, and fell to the ground. I was quite cautious of going over there, but I slowly tip-toed over there to see if he was still kicking or not. But, to my luck, he had fainted. I had barely won, though.

I wonâ€¦barely?
I grew to level 11 and learned Psychic as my free TM!

Mattâ€™s POV

â€œNo, I canâ€™t lose here!â€ The Rocket said. He grabbed his pokemon and ran off down the corridor away from Cleffa and me. I glanced over at Lulu and congratulated her on her victory. The battles here were tough, but we got through them.

I finally reached the exit for the hideout, and noticed that I wasnâ€™t that far away from where I lived. But, it was still going to be at least a half an hour before I reach the house on foot. I looked back at the hideout that I had been in for what seemed like days. Ark came out of his pokeball not long after that. â€œNice job, Matt,â€ He said. â€œIt wasnâ€™t me; it was you all,â€ I responded. â€œWell, anyway, do you think we stopped them?â€ â€œNo, I donâ€™t; well, maybe in this town, but Iâ€™m sure that there are other hideouts in other places. But those places are up to the other Dragon Tamersâ€¦â€ I said. â€œThen, it wonâ€™t be long until Team Rocket is gone for good, right?â€ â€œRight! Now letâ€™s get home â€“ Iâ€™m sure all of us are hungry!â€ I said running off, with ark behind me.

Sorry if this seemed a little.. uhh.. bad. :sweat2: I had an extension, by the way.

Wolfsong

9th May 2004, 09:28 PM

Nice my first br stamps frin a long time ^^

I'm tired so please forgive any typos in this post.

Umm one question. How could Petals move around in the water? The most i can picture an oddish doing is floating. ^^;; Anyway the story was well written, so take 12 Stamps. ^^

Karin I enjoy reading your stoires ^^ Its was sad about Elan. Take five stamps for the intro.

Matt maybe one of the others can get your story. I won't me on much tomorrow. ^^;

Lady Vulpix

10th May 2004, 08:03 AM

I read yours too, Karin, and I think it was great. I wonder where Ã‰lan's going to, though. And he still had so many issues to resolve... Will we get the chance to see more of him in the future?

Matt, those were good battles, even if you mixed tenses and put thoughts as regular speech a couple of times. And I didn't get the "blue turtle thing" part when the Rocket released the Rattata (were you thinking of a Squirtle originally)? But as I said, it was overall a good story and 2 good battles, so take 15 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Charizard04621

10th May 2004, 04:08 PM

Thanks, Amy, I'm using the 5 Stamps you just gave me to pay for Ã‰lan's departure. As for your question, Gabi, I'm not sure, but I really hope so.

Linc

10th May 2004, 04:09 PM

Linc's POV
----------

I walked up to the huge building, hoping for good battles. My team of Pokemon scuttered around my feet, but Shadowfax (lv. 9 male Aerodactyl) was kept safely in his Pokeball. He'd be too wild for these rooms, and as soon as a battle ended he would want more. "So, who wants to battle first?" I asked my Pokemon. They instantly froze. There was a long period of silence, and at first I thought no one would answer. Finally one small voice spoke up. "I'll go." said DarkHound (lv.6 male Growlithe). He had never battled before, but he knew a pretty powerful move. We walked inside. People moved about walking into different rooms with determined faces on all of them. I decided which room we would go in first the old-fashion way. "Eenie, meenie, miney... moe!" My finger landed on a door marked blizzard room. Me and my Team walked in the room. It wasn't less than two feet inside the room when a powerful blast of energy flew across the snow on the ground and hit us. I was thrown into the air and my Pokemon were to. When we landed, Shadowfax's Pokeball rolled out of my pocket and burst open. He roared and his cry echoed through the whirlwind of ice and snow. The small Ralts that had launched the attack was laughing as it looked at the bodies of me and my Pokemon that were scattered across the ground. I knew Shadowfax was too wild for this room, but I wanted to teach this small Phychic a lesson.

Shadowfax, Level 9 Aerodactyl VS Lv. 8 Ralts

Shadowfax's POV
-------

"Shadowfax, Wing Attack!" I heard my trainer, Linc, yell from behind me. I launched my body towards the Ralts, and then smashing it with my wing. It flew backa few feet, and launched a Psychic attack. "Shadowfax, dodge it and do another Wing Attack!" Linc shouted again. I flew over the wave of energy, and dove down to smash the Ralts with my wing again. This time when I hit, it did a couple backflips and hit a rock. It jumped back up as blood trickled out of its mouth. The horns on its head started to glow and it fired a multi-colored beam at me. It hit my and I was sent spiraling to the ground. I staggered as I got up. Suddenly, rage took over my body and I started thrashing wildly with my wings, beating the Ralts violently. It fainted and fell to the ground.

I won!

I grew to level 10!

I got Flamethrower as my free TM!

My trainer rushed over and stroked my long neck. "Maybe now I can control you..." he said as I felt the rage leave me. I decided never to go into that wild frenzy again.

Charizard04621

10th May 2004, 04:23 PM

Dragon Rider, I've read your story. The battle is valid*, but it was a little bit short to earn any Stamps.

*What was the move that Ralts used? I'm assuming it was Hidden Power Ice, because Ralts can't get anything else. If it wasn't, you'd have to fix that part.

Kirei

12th May 2004, 04:29 PM

This is the first part of my Rocket's Return story. Gabi has said she will rate my scenario - this is the introduction and I will post the rest soon! :196:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was really cold that night; I sometimes felt cold for no reason, and extra-tired too, and it made me paranoid something bad would be around the corner, although I didnâ€™t know what. Sometimes even when Iâ€™m cuddled right up to Ade I still feel the cold. I rolled over and cuddled him again, and my chill died down. I loved cuddling him; soft, and warm, and â€¦ furry? I ran my hand along the sleeping body beside me. Hehe, Kirei had got into our bed again, and I knew Iâ€™d overslept; she always gets in when Ade gets up early and leaves me sleeping. I got up and went into our main living-quarters, still in my night-clothes.

â€œSorry, gorgeous â€“ you looked so cute sleeping that I didnâ€™t have the heart to wake you,â€ said Ade with a kiss on my forehead and a roll of the eyes from Milly that I didnâ€™t even need to look at the Umbreon to know about.
â€œI thought Kirei was you!â€ I gave Ade a kiss in return, and ignored Milly.
This was followed by the usual rants, whines and jibes centering around the discussion concerning what we would do that day. â€œWe ought to wait for Kirei before we decide anything,â€ I reminded everyone.
â€œIâ€™m not waiting for that sleeping loon again. Sheâ€™s worse than you, Scarygirl,â€ piped up Milly.
I went over to sit by Ade, who was discussing lunch with a hungry Pearl. Lately, the Ninetales had been almost my equal in the consumption of sweets, and my special jam, cheese and banana sandwiches. Even so, when she announced to us all that she was pregnant, I was still shocked.
â€œThatâ€™s so great, Pearl!â€ I told her, and gave her fluffy white body a squeeze. I wondered how Katnip would feel about having a baby. Being the child of those two, it would definitely be a strong PokÃ©mon. Ade still looked shocked about the news, so I decided to remind him about the battered mars bars heâ€™d promised us all, as I felt Kireiâ€™s smooth fur brush against my leg reminding me that she would like some too, and I didnâ€™t doubt Kassandra would be wanting some, she had an appetite like mine as well.

I was just starting to think about what a lovely day I was having when the telephone rang. Ade was gone an awfully long time, and I could tell from the tone of his voice that something bad was happening. Still, for a moment my worries were put to the back of my mind when Sindel brought out some freshly baked cookies she had made for Pearl.

When Ade returned, a sombre expression having usurped his previously cheerful countenance, my suspicions were confirmed. He had indeed been talking to Gabi, and as he explained the situation in Sector Alpha, my heart began to sink.
â€œSoo, I know you get lonely but there are lives at stake, I have to go.â€ Adeâ€™s eyes were tearful, and I could tell this was tearing him apart inside. Ade explained that there had been a Rocket uprising in the city, and two hostages had been taken.
â€œI understand, but pleaseâ€¦ be careful,â€ I lied. I didnâ€™t understand at all, but I had to pretend or Ade wouldnâ€™t have gone to help those people and I would have felt even worse. I didnâ€™t understand why Team Rocket seemed to be back, and I didnâ€™t understand why it had to be my boyfriend, who I loved most in the world, who had to go and risk his life out there. Just when I was beginning to feel happy. I think Ade knew how I felt as well, but he had to do what he could to save them, and I knew deep down that he would return to me. Ade held me for the longest time, and kissed me. It was all I could do to stop myself from breaking down in tears.

All too soon Ade was gone. I felt that I had been sitting with my head in my hands for hours, when really it had only been a few minutes. Kirei was curled up by my feet and Pearl approached me, nuzzling my head.
â€œThanks, Pearl,â€ I said, giving the Ninetales a friendly hug.
â€œYou guys are not going to help by just moping you know,â€ came a voice from the centre of the living room. It was Kassandra, the Charmander we had recently brought into our home. â€œAnyway, why didnâ€™t Ade take me if he wanted a strong fighter â€“ Iâ€™m the best there is!â€
â€œKass,â€ I said, â€œyou havenâ€™t even had a battle.â€
â€œYeah,â€ piped up Bolovayr, who had just returned from watching a movie upstairs, â€œyou, girl, need to train before youâ€™ll be strong enough for Ade to want to take with him.â€
â€œButâ€¦â€ Kassandra said, downtrodden, â€œhow can I train if Ade doesnâ€™t think Iâ€™m worth taking to battle bad guys?â€
I looked into Kassandraâ€™s big, sad eyes. â€œIâ€™ll train you!â€ I said. â€œI may not be Ade, but Iâ€™ve been around him and his team long enough to know how PokÃ©mon battles work. Iâ€™ll train you so well that Katnip will be jealous!â€
â€œA likely storyâ€¦â€ replied Bolovayr. â€œYou, Soo, are full of ideas that never come to fruition. Youâ€™ll probably sit on that chair until mutant zombies eat your insides before you actually do something constructive.â€
I stood up. â€œRight, Mr Ball of Air, youâ€™ll be Kassandraâ€™s first victim. Come outside and weâ€™ll have a practice battleâ€¦â€
â€œâ€¦ unless youâ€™re too scared,â€ shouted Kassandra.

Kassandra, Bolovayr, Kirei, Beckham with a bowl of popcorn and myself entered the vast expanse of green that was our garden. The remainder of the family stayed inside with Pearl. Beckham had declared himself referee of the match, much to Kassandraâ€™s seeming delight. I had noticed she seemed to try harder to act grown up and tough when the Wartortle was around for some reason.
â€œKassandra,â€ I shouted to my Charmander, not really knowing what I was supposed to say, â€œuse, er, Ember!â€
Kassandra wasnâ€™t listening to me. With a strange look which I think was supposed to be a cheeky wink but which looked more like a confused expression in the direction of the referee, she began trying to scratch at Bolovayrâ€™s face. Obviously this had no effect, since her claws went straight through his ghostly form.
Bolovayr laughed, â€œis that the best you can do? I really do feel sorry for you, girl,â€ as he glared unblinkingly at the little Charmander.
â€œKassandra!!â€ I shouted, â€œheâ€™s using Hypnosis, will you try not to look into his eyes?â€ It was no use. Kassandra began to stagger on her feet for a minute, until Beckhamâ€™s voice could be heard saying something about Kassandra having no idea how to battle as Kirei and I looked on.
Suddenly, something clicked within Kassandra, and she shook her head, got to her feet and ran straight through Bolovayr, head first.
â€œStill donâ€™t realise that trying to pummel me isnâ€™t going to do anything?â€ said the Gastly, somewhat mockingly.
â€œKass-an-dra!,â€ I shouted to her, â€œwould you JUST use Ember for once?â€
â€œI can do this though, Iâ€™m strong! I donâ€™t even need to use it!â€ shouted Kassandra as she ran straight through Bolovayr again. This time Bolovayrâ€™s mouth formed a circle and a great beam of ice shot straight at Kassandra at a rate of knots.
Amazingly, the Charmander was fast enough to dodge it and jumped high into the air, this time trying to use some kind of kicking attack on the Gastly below her. As Bolovayr turned to look at her, Kassandra jumped up again, this time landing to the right of him. He seemed to be trying to hypnotise her again, but Kassandraâ€™s legs were too fast for Bolovayrâ€™s gaze as she moved to his left, then above him, avoiding all the attacks the Gastly attempted.
For the first time, I saw Bolovayr looking frustrated. It was clear that he knew there was no way he would be able to touch Kassandra with his attacks. He looked dizzy and unsteady; as unsteady as a floating ball of gas could look, at any rate.
â€œThatâ€™s it!â€ he cried, â€œif you carry on like this Iâ€™ll be sick. Iâ€™ve had enough.â€
Beckham stood to attention at this point, his empty popcorn bowl having now become some sort of odd judgeâ€™s hat by the looks of things. â€œI declare Kassandra,â€ the Wartortle announced, â€œthe winner!â€

Bolovayr was decidedly quiet after that battle, and Kassandraâ€™s spirits had not been higher the entire time I had known her.
â€œI donâ€™t understand,â€ I said to the Charmander, â€œwhy you didnâ€™t use Ember. I know you can use it.â€
Kassandra smiled. â€œThat would have been way too easy! Whereâ€™s Becks gone, anyway?â€ she said, walking off in the general direction of the kitchen.

It was later that day that I had asked Kirei if there was any way she could find out if Ade was still ok. The battle had kept my mind occupied for a short while, but I was worried about my boyfriend. Kireiâ€™s face concentrated intensely. As I watched, I could see her twitch nervously.
â€œIâ€™m sure heâ€™s fine, I can feel it,â€ the Espeon said, but I still wanted proof.
â€œKirei,â€ I asked, â€œwill you come with me to find him?â€
â€œI donâ€™t need my psychic powers to tell me that you wonâ€™t take no for an answer, Sooâ€ was the Espeonâ€™s reply.

When I went to announce to the household that I would be going in search of Ade, Kassandra insisted on accompanying Kirei and I, and who was I to argue with her? In any case I didnâ€™t want to be without my new friend so I agreed.
â€œYou really should wait,â€ Pearl tried to convince me, â€œyou know what Ade said.â€
â€œI canâ€™t,â€ I told her. â€œYou guys will be fine, right? I need to do this.â€

And so it was that I set out, with Kassandra and Kirei at my side, to find and help Ade.

Lady Vulpix

12th May 2004, 07:01 PM

That was a great intro, Soo! And an excellent firt Battle Range story too! I really enjoyed reading it. Take 5 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Dragon Rider, your sig is too big. I suggest you edit it before it's owned.

AntiAsh Superstar

13th May 2004, 07:35 PM

Hehe, here's the general intro and my Lava Room battles. I just hope excessive sleaze isn't against any rules, but what can I say, Sumi's fighting and we all know what she's like. ^_^;;;

-----
â€œHey!â€ My slumber had been something of a restless one lately. Too many things on my mind, too many worries to deal with. It seemed as if I hadnâ€™t been able to sleep for many nights, as if something momentous was just upon the horizon, and I would miss it if I let myself be seduced by the delights of my subconsciousness. â€œLet me in!â€ This morning it was a constant hammering on the front door that was responsible for cutting into my sleeping hours.
â€œUhhâ€¦ somebody get that for me, please?â€ I moaned, still too sleepy to realise that in fact Soo was the only other creature in the room at time. And she would be no help. She was wearing the earplugs that she always wore to bed to combat the problems of being a naturally light sleeper. â€œCome onâ€¦â€ There seemed to be no respite from the perpetual knocking! â€œAlright already!â€ My eyes still half closed, I swung my legs around and sleepily pulled myself out of bed. I hadnâ€™t had to wake up this early since the days of having to work long hours in an office just to pay the rent. And now I had Tsuyoi funding my activities, I had hoped that there would be no need to do this again. Well, apparently I was wrong. â€œIâ€™m coming!â€ I staggered over to the wooden door, and grasped the handle tightly. At that point the knocking stopped. Only to be replaced by the sound of splintering wood and a high-pitched, feminine scream that was enough to penetrate even Sooâ€™s earplugs. â€œWhat the..?â€ Well, this was enough to bring me to my senses in an instant! Quickly I threw the door open and raced down the stairs, only to be confronted with a sight that made my heart sink. The front door had been all but knocked off its hinges, a single blow having punched straight through the wood. But that wasnâ€™t the end of the scene before me. There, too, stood Tsuyoi, looking in a thoroughly irritable mood. In fact, if I was any judge of these matters, the half-Ninetales seemed to be more than a little hung over. And there, too, was Gina. A look of horror fixed firmly upon the face of the mercenary trainer. Not that it was capable of showing any other expression. It was hard to when you had been turned totally to stone.
â€œWhy?â€ I was about to turn on Tsuyoi, but something in his demeanor stopped me. â€œWhat had she done to deserve that?â€
â€œWoke me up,â€ came the gruff reply. â€œGiven me a headache. Got seriously on my nerves. The list is endless, Ade. I have quite literally killed for less than that, you should be grateful to me for showing a little restraint. And I only did that as a favour to you since sheâ€™s a friend of yours.â€
â€œWell, I hope you can reverse this, is all I have to say.â€ I finally made my way to the ground floor, walking carefully so as not to step on any splinters of wood. Gina certainly seemed to be in quite the state, alright! The eyes behind the huge circular glasses seemed totally petrified, her arms raised in an attempt to defend herself. â€œWhat did you do, punch through the door and grab her by the throat or something?â€
â€œMore or less,â€ came the calm reply. â€œI do hope we have some paracetamol in this house, otherwise you might be joining her in a minute.â€
â€œWhat you need is a black coffee, Tsuyoi,â€ I snapped irritably, still trying to determine the best way to revive my petrified friend. â€œNow are you going to at least give me a hand in moving her to the lounge?â€
â€œI owe you no favours,â€ came the calm reply, before Tsuyoi headed off to the kitchen area, leaving me to move the statue that had once been Gina myself. This, it had to be said, wasnâ€™t the ideal start to the day! I could only hope that things would get better as time progressed.

â€œThanks.â€ Gina accepted a warm mug of sweet tea from Sindel. The poor girl was still somewhat in shock. As anybody would be, under the circumstances. Her blue eyes wandered around the lounge warily, both appreciative of our high standard of living and also wary lest Tsuyoi barge his way through the wall. â€œI justâ€¦ how can you live with a creature like that?â€
â€œWith great difficulty, I have to admit.â€ I sighed deeply. â€œBut none of us are great early in the morning, which does lead us to the big question of the day. What on earth is so important that you have to come running in at, what, half seven in the morning?â€ My eyes took a glance over at the large black clock fixed into the far wall. â€œCouldnâ€™t this news of yours have waited?â€
â€œProbably.â€ Gina looked troubled even now. The tea was helping to calm her nerves, however, as was having Ryo-Ohki on her lap to pet absently. â€œIâ€™ll make sure not to get carried away in future. But as to why Iâ€™m hereâ€¦ well, you should take a look at this.â€ The blue-haired trainer fished into her jeans pocket and produced a crumpled flyer decorated in eye-catching colours. â€œHere we goâ€¦ â€˜Do you have what it takes to be the best? Prove your talents as a trainer. Come compete in the Unicorn Games. Great prizes on offer for skilled trainers.â€™ Or words to that effect, anyway, this is just a draft poster, but as my companyâ€™s involved in the running of the training grounds we get to know about these things before anybody else.â€
â€œWell, wellâ€¦â€ I frowned thoughtfully, pacing the room as was my wont when I was thinking, and nearly tripping over Kasumi in the process. Not that I really noticed. My mind was too busy taking on this new information. â€œSo thereâ€™s going to be another Games, is there?â€
â€œExactly. Seeing as you did so well in the last Dragon Games I figured you might like to know about this a little early, get your forms filled in before the big rush.â€
â€œYes, because weâ€™d all like to see Katnip get pummeled again,â€ Milliardo sniggered.
â€œWho says Iâ€™d enter Katnip?â€ I asked with a raised eyebrow. My Umbreon simply shrugged by way of reply.
â€œWell, itâ€™s him and Pearl who are your strongest, right, and seeing as the worldâ€™s most irritatingly agreeable Ninetales is a little incapacitated at the momentâ€¦â€ Milliardo grinned suddenly. â€œPersonally I donâ€™t know why you bother with them, though, you know very well that Iâ€™m miles better at wowing a crowd.â€
â€œIs that a request, Milliardo?â€
â€œMight be.â€ The Umbreon sniffed haughtily. â€œFace it, you stand as good a chance with me as with anyone else.â€ I stared at the Umbreon for a moment. The fact of the matter was that he was right. For despite the sarcastic exterior few were as dependable as Milliardo. Sometimes the false egotism raised the occasional good point, after all.
â€œOkay then.â€ A slow smile crossed my face. â€œYouâ€™re on. I hope youâ€™re as good at impressing people as you make out you are, though.â€
â€œWhat?â€ The Umbreon visible faltered for a second, clearly thrown. â€œSeriously?â€
â€œSure, why not? Itâ€™s your chance to shine now.â€ Leaving Milliardo to muse this over, I returned my attentions to Gina, who rather obviously hadnâ€™t followed the conversation one little bit. â€œThanks for telling us about this, Gina.â€
â€œNo problems!â€ Evidently my sparring partner had gotten over her earlier shock, for she was now back to her usual chirpy self. Then again, in her line of business you probably had to be good at recovering from shocks. Training scenarios would have been the least dangerous jobs a mercenary could take on. â€œOh, and the training grounds will be opening next week, itâ€™s the old training grounds in Sector Alpha so I donâ€™t think youâ€™ll have any problems in getting there. Iâ€™ll be there, I got the Jungle Room to maintain, so I hope Iâ€™ll see you there!â€
â€œSee him where?â€ Finally Soo had decided to rise, poking her head through the door. Well, it was pretty hard to stay asleep when there was so much commotion! And with her came Kirei, who had probably been awake for hours already. â€œWhy are you guys being so loud? Iâ€™m tired.â€
â€œUhhâ€¦ sorry, Soo, just go back to sleep if youâ€™re tired. Iâ€™ll be back up in a minute.â€
â€œI canâ€™t now. Come on, Ade, whatâ€™s going on?â€
â€œWell Gina here came running in to tell us about a new tournament, only she caught Tsuyoi with a hangover instead. So although we need a new front door and Iâ€™m totally out of absinthe, at least Milliardo gets his chance to back up all of his big words.â€ I chuckled to myself. There wasnâ€™t really any harm done that couldnâ€™t be easily fixed. Besides, I always enjoyed a good tournament, and the recent news had put me in a remarkably good mood under the circumstances.
â€œA tournament?â€ Soo frowned, seeming to wake up in an instant. â€œWhenâ€™s this?â€
â€œWeâ€™re not sure of the exact date yet, weâ€™ve only just had word of the opening of the training grounds, but Iâ€™m pretty sure registrationâ€™s already open,â€ Gina replied, finishing her tea and setting Ryo-Ohki down. The Pichu scurried off to goad Kirei into a game of tag. Not that the Espeon ever really needed much encouragement to race around like a loon. â€œAnyway, Iâ€™d better be off now, I have to be at work in an hour. Itâ€™s gonna be a long day today, I can just feel it. Take care, guys. Iâ€™ll let myself out.â€
â€œSure, Gina. See you later.â€ As Gina made her good-byes, I turned to face Soo, whose blue eyes seemed to have a twinkle within them that almost always spelt trouble. â€œAnd whatâ€™s with you all of a sudden? I thought you were tired.â€
â€œWell, I was just thinkingâ€¦â€ came the innocent reply, my fiancÃ©e trying her best to look coy. Although it only seemed to enhance the mischievous aspect of her current demeanor. â€œWouldnâ€™t it be fun if I entered as well? Iâ€™m a trainer too, you know.â€
â€œYes, thatâ€™s true,â€ I sighed. â€œAs long as you know what youâ€™re letting yourself in for. Youâ€™ve only just started out, after all, and a Dragonâ€™s Guild tournament is a big thing.â€ Big thing? The last tournament involved mass destruction of the fighting arena, a battle upon a ship, and a Machamp that beat Katnip to a pulp in the course of its duties. If anything the intensity of these tournaments was even greater than that of the battles we encountered in our day to day lives. â€œI mean, go ahead and join as well if you really want, I just think you should think this through first.â€
â€œWhatâ€™s wrong, pup, afraid I might beat you?â€
â€œYeah, weâ€™re petrified that your complete lack of training will pay off,â€ Milliardo snorted, finally deciding to join in the conversation. Evidently Sooâ€™s involvement had fired up something within him. â€œHonestly, you guys are the laziest bunch of slackers the worldâ€™s ever seen.â€
â€œHey! No fair!â€ Kirei whined, pausing in her game of tag for a second. â€œWe do loads, donâ€™t we, Soo? And we can beat you any day at anything you care to name!â€
â€œYeah, Iâ€™d like to see that,â€ my Umbreon scoffed. Apparently my involvement in this particular conversation was over now that the loudmouthed pokÃ©mon was now over his initial shock. â€œGo and join then. Iâ€™d love to be there when you get thrashed on the first round.â€
â€œNot going to happen, Milly.â€ Soo grinned evilly. â€œJust you wait and see.â€ I simply rolled my eyes. Why could nothing ever go smoothly around here?

And so a week passed, a week where the hustle and bustle of everyday life was replaced by a much more focused chaos. Pearl, as was her wont, tried her best to keep things in order, but that was increasingly hard given her pregnancy was drawing to its close. And her appointed right-hand pokÃ©mon, Sindel, wasnâ€™t really much help, given her tendency towards getting dragged into arguments over the smallest of matters. In fact it was a miracle any of the team managed to survive the week at all. Milliardo certainly wasnâ€™t making things any easier, in fact his already impressive ego seemed to have swelled to twice its original size. It was his goal, apparently, to win this tournament purely to get one over on Katnip. So it was with some relief that we finally reached the end of the week.
â€œOkay, guys, are we ready to head out?â€ Finally it was time to head to the training grounds once more. And I was glad. After all the paperwork I had to deal with to register Milliardo as my entry, it was a good feeling to at last leave for some actual practical battling. I viewed my assembled team with pride. Katnip, the seasoned veteran, doing nothing to work to the stereotype of fighters and stuffing his face with a large cream cake. Beckham, the goof of the team, trying his best to conduct a mad waltz with his best friend within the team, Megan. Pandora, the temperamental Houndour, trying her best to mother her adopted son Marius in spite of the fact that the intellectual Dratini had long since outgrown appreciating such efforts. Kasumi, a Growlithe with more libido than tact, doing her best to wind her teammates up in her own special way. Bolovayr, ever the over-active imagination, seemingly confused with life as a whole. Sindel, the nosiest Alakazam on the planet, trying very hard to lecture Milliardo on what he was likely to encounter despite the Umbreonâ€™s attempts to explain using the foulest language he knew that he didnâ€™t care for her interference. Scratchy, the antisocial one, lurking at the back of the group as was his wont. Ryo-Ohki, the child of the team, running excited rings around his friends. Lucky, ever stable and ever reliable, distracted somewhat by a conversation with Sooâ€™s Kirei that ended with the Espeon pouncing upon him excitedly. And last, but definitely not least, was Pearl. So long the linchpin of the team, so long the sympathetic shoulder upon which we could all depend. Here the pretty Ninetales stoodâ€¦ gasping for air? What was going on here? â€œPearl, are you okay?â€ I asked with more than a note of concern in my voice.
â€œIâ€¦â€ The Ninetales tried her best to find the words, but they simply wouldnâ€™t come. â€œAde, Iâ€™m sorry, Iâ€™m going to have to make you put your plans on hold for a moment. I wish I could have picked a better time for this and everything, butâ€¦â€ Here she gritted her teeth, wincing hard as another tight jerk of pain jabbed hard in her belly.
â€œOh my God. Soo, quickly, get over here and help me move her.â€ There was no doubt as to what was wrong with Pearl. For the past few months her pregnancy had been exceedingly visible. It was quite obvious that she was practically at the end of her term. And now, of all times, it was time to put an end to months of caution and worry. Just a little longer and it would all be over.

â€œCome on, Pearl.â€ The reassuring hand brushing through her mane was doing its part to comfort the Ninetales somewhat, but despite the excessive attempts to ensure her comfort â€“ the admittedly snug pile of soft cushions that she was lay upon, the cooling fan that was pointed at her brow â€“ nothing on the planet could have helped to totally take away from the agony that Pearl was experiencing at the moment. The only time she could honestly say she had felt more pain was when she had been beaten as a Vulpix at the hands of Team Rocket. And at least that had been an external pummeling. With thisâ€¦ well, it felt as if her insides were being crushed in an iron grip, squeezed and squeezed until there was nothing left. So no amount of reassurance was going to make this any more bearable. â€œYou can do this.â€
â€œI know I can do this but it doesnâ€™t make it any less painful does it? Ah!â€ The Ninetales gasped in pain, a fresh and particularly nasty twinge breaking her tirade. It was no good. She just wanted this over with as soon as she could. Steeling every ounce of willpower and resolve that she could possibly find within her, Pearl put all of her energies into expelling the source of all of this pain, pushing hard with her muscles until the very strain of doing so almost matched the pains she had been experiencing originally. â€œIf anyone dares say â€˜thatâ€™s it, pushâ€™, Iâ€™llâ€¦â€ My Ninetales quickly put a stop to most of the conversation through gritted teeth, trying to steel herself against the burning pain, a pain that seemed to reach a sudden crescendo that made her cry out loudly.
â€œPearl!â€ I gasped in delight. â€œYouâ€™ve done it!â€
â€œWha..?â€ It seemed as if a great weight had been lifted from Pearlâ€™s shoulders. And now that the pressure had abated, all she really wanted to do was sleep. But there were things to do first, a much greater need that lent her the energy to groggily crane her neck in my direction.
â€œCongratulations, Pearl,â€ I beamed, passing over a small, almost hairless thing that no doubt would one day become a fine specimen of a Vulpix, but for now seemed like a rather confused rag doll. â€œItâ€™s a girl.â€ The eyes of my Ninetales welled up with tears, an almost profound shock washing over her. For so long now it had just seemed like she was carrying a burden around with her. But now here it was, and suddenly the whole situation felt so much more real.
â€œThâ€¦ thanks.â€ Pearlâ€™s attentions were focused too much upon her newborn daughter to really pay much attention to anything else, so I only received the briefest of acknowledgments. Instead my Ninetales diverted her attentions wholly towards her offspring. â€œCome on, you. Come to mummy. Yes, thatâ€™s a good girl.â€ Pearl nudged her daughter carefully with her snout, eventually getting some movement out of the tiny creature, which sought out nourishment as only an infant knew how. A contented smile crossed the face of my Ninetales. So this was what is was like to be a mother. â€œSheâ€™s so sweet. I canâ€™t believe this is real.â€
â€œYeah, that she is.â€ Katnip beamed with pride. â€œCanâ€™t believe Iâ€™m a dad, either. Never thought Iâ€™d ever end up like this!â€
â€œYeah, rat boy, what are you going to do now that you have responsibilities to cut into your rigorous regime of doing nothing but fight and eat all day, hm?â€ The temptation to poke fun at Katnip was too great for Milliardo to quite resist. Old habits die hard, after all, even in such tender situations. Fortunately everyone was far too used to him by now to care, his main rival especially.
â€œWell if ya must know I plan on fightinâ€™ anâ€™ eatinâ€™ twice as hard to make room ta help look after this little bundle. Speakinâ€™ of whichâ€¦â€ The Raticate hopped over to Pearlâ€™s side and planted a kiss on Pearlâ€™s nose. â€œYou had any ideas as to what ta call her, Pearl? Ya know Iâ€™m not that bright, I couldnâ€™t think of anythinâ€™ decent if my life depended on it.â€
â€œHmmâ€¦â€ Now that was a good point! The little Vulpix would need a name at some point. Fortunately Pearl did have something in mind, a name conjured up in conversation with Soo during one of the times the rest of the team had been out on one of their weekly excursions to train with Gina. A name that the Ninetales considered pretty enough for any daughter of hers. â€œWell I had given it some thought. What does everybody think about Celeste?â€ A murmur of assent rippled throughout the room. Well, Celeste it was, then. And to look at the tiny creature hungrily suckling upon its motherâ€™s milk I couldnâ€™t help but feel a swell of emotion. I had known Pearl for longer than practically every other creature. She had been there practically from the outset, back then a rather reserved, dainty specimen of a Vulpix. And to have watched her blossom into the optimistic, caring Ninetales before me was an experience I wouldnâ€™t have traded.
â€œCeleste is a lovely name,â€ I smiled approvingly. â€œAnd Iâ€™m sure youâ€™ll make a brilliant mother, Pearl. Now if youâ€™ll excuse me for a moment I have to start cleaning up.â€ Swiftly I excused myself, taking advantage of everyoneâ€™s preoccupation with Pearlâ€™s cub. Before the true extent of the emotion within my eyes revealed itself. Well, even I was allowed my moments of soppiness, wasnâ€™t I?

To my eternal credit as a trainer our team somehow managed to get on the move even after the momentous events of Celesteâ€™s birth. Pearl had to stay behind, of course, but that was no problem. Soo was still home, and her pokÃ©mon as well, which was even better news â€“ how could I possibly worry something would happen when Kirei was under the same roof? And Katnip had decided to stay with her for a while, although he had left us with explicit instructions to save at least one chance for him to train.
â€œOne of them trained pokÃ©monâ€™s got my name on it,â€ the Raticate had grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. â€œSo donâ€™t ya dare use up all yer chances ta train until Iâ€™ve caught ya up, ya hear me?â€ And so it was that we had left for the training grounds in Sector Alpha. Although there was one more port of call that we had to make along the way. A PokÃ©mon Centre near the outskirts, the same place that had taken care of Megan so expertly. The same place where I had taken an orphaned baby Onix just a mere week ago, its parents having been cruelly slain in front of my eyes by the vicious Salamence called Reaper, Team Rocketâ€™s mascot of choice these days. And despite the complaints from the more restless member of my team I felt I had a duty to call in and check up on the creature. I couldnâ€™t have lived with myself if I had just ignored it after all that had happened.
â€œWell, sheâ€™s doing quite well, all things considered.â€ Rather unfortunately a Nurse Joy greeted me at the front desk when I took my first step into the hospital-like conditions of the PokÃ©centre. I had a deep distrust of a group of nurses who were all engineered to look exactly the same. It was taking conformity to ridiculous extremes. Or maybe it was simply one too may late nights playing conspiracy theories with Marius that made me so wary of them. â€œIâ€™m not quite sure what weâ€™re going to do with her, though. Sheâ€™ll grow too large for us to hold soon enough. Iâ€™d send her over to an adoption centre but they would probably have the same problem. Besides, few people are really willing to look after an Onix. Something that large can cause serious problems. If you ask me only Gyarados are more awkward to keep, and even thatâ€™s mainly due to their temperament.â€
â€œReally.â€ I sighed. It looked like there was really only one option available. And, to be fair, I had always thought the species had its own unique charm, anyway. â€œSuppose I wanted to look after her for you. What would I need?â€
â€œSomewhere big enough for her to live, obviously,â€ the Nurse Joy replied. â€œIâ€™m not saying your house, obviously, but somewhere within easy access that you could get to regularly enough to keep her from getting lonely. PokÃ©balls, youâ€™d need them, especially if you were planning on training her, because whilst most battle arenas are even large enough to house a Wailord v Wailord battle the corridors that lead to them generally arenâ€™t. Itâ€™s the only way youâ€™re going to get an Onix or Steelix anywhere. Oh, and plenty of food, fortunately Onix metabolisms are so slow that they only need to eat about once a week anyway.â€ The nurse eyed me curiously. â€œWhy? Youâ€™re not going to say youâ€™ll house her, are you?â€
â€œMaybe,â€ I replied.
â€œWhoa, Ade, time out here.â€ Sindel stepped in smartly, having grown used to being the one to talk sense in Pearlâ€™s absence. â€œJust think about what youâ€™re suggesting for a moment. Youâ€™re saying youâ€™d be willing to take an Onix into the team? You do realise how big they can grow, donâ€™t you?â€
â€œYeah. Roughly twenty-eight feet long, and up to about thirty feet if they evolve,â€ I replied without so much as a hesitation. â€œI did buy those books on pokÃ©mon species for a reason other than for Marius to know exactly what to do against any given opponent, you know.â€
â€œGood. Then letâ€™s think about the size of your house for a second, Ade. I mean, itâ€™s a really sweet idea and all in theory, butâ€¦â€
â€œBut I have that covered.â€ I grinned broadly. â€œTrust me, would you? I know sheâ€™ll probably be a bit awkward to look after, but sheâ€™s really nobody else left in the world now. I canâ€™t stand back and watch her be passed around from place to place just because her size is a problem. Weâ€™ll find a way. We always do, right?â€

And so the Onix â€“ whom I later discovered was called Brandy â€“ joined our little team. It had taken very little persuasion. She seemed to be rather timid, and naturally shy of strangers, but even she could see that accompanying us was preferable to a life spend unsure as to where she was liable to be packaged off to next. So it was with a team that was one spot short of filling up the space on my licence that I entered the training grounds. It had to be said, it was a rather welcoming sight. The main foyer had undergone something of a transformation since I was last here, of course. It now resembled the hustle and bustle of the Dragon Games training grounds, a bizarre cross between shopping centre and hotel. From here one could buy all the equipment you needed from various side-stalls, spend a little time winding down in the arcades, or simply check into one of the dormitories reserved for those trainers using the grounds and relax in minimalistic comfort. Or, alternatively, you could just head straight for the training rooms and get on with your job. Like we were currently attempting to do.
â€œOkay, we can have two battles in each of five roomsâ€¦ thatâ€™s ten battles, right?â€
â€œCongratulations, Ade, I see that Further Maths A-level wasnâ€™t a complete waste of time after all!â€ Milliardo cackled, unable to resist a cheap shot when he saw the opening for one.
â€œWell my point was that four of you wonâ€™t get a chance this time.â€ I tried my best to ignore the Umbreon. Although that was easier said than done. You would have had an easier time sleeping in the middle of a Slipknot concert. â€œPearlâ€™s in no state to battle, so thatâ€™s easy enough, but as to the other three who donâ€™t battleâ€¦ Iâ€™d rather get that sorted now, if you guys donâ€™t mind.â€
â€œYou can count me out this time,â€ Lucky smiled wistfully. â€œRhiannon tired me out for a while.â€
â€œWhich reminds me that Iâ€™d better call Kushikoi at some point and find out how sheâ€™d doing.â€ I rolled my eyes. More things to keep tabs on. That was the last thing I needed. â€œAnyone else?â€
â€œI donâ€™t really want Ryo-Ohki fighting just yet, if thatâ€™s okay,â€ Sindel suggested. â€œI donâ€™t think heâ€™s quite ready.â€
â€œAnd meâ€¦â€ Brandy looked around her, as if worried that she may have been doing something wrong by speaking up. â€œIâ€¦ I donâ€™t think itâ€™s such a good idea for meâ€¦ Iâ€™m sorry.â€
â€œDonâ€™t worry about it, I wasnâ€™t expecting you to want to fight.â€ I tried my best to be reassuring but wasnâ€™t sure how good a job I was doing. Brandy struck me as the type who could have probably done with a conversation partner who had the skills in empathy possessed by Pearl. Or even Gabiâ€™s Dragonite, Lagi, if we were to take these things to their extreme. â€œSo now I guess we decide where to fight first. Is itâ€¦â€
â€œOh for ****â€™s sake, Ade, stick a pin in the brochure and say weâ€™ll train in the room you land on, like you used to, or weâ€™ll never get anywhere.â€ Milliardo rolled his eyes. â€œIf we waste any more time dithering then weâ€™ll get so bored and frustrated that weâ€™ll all spontaneously combust. And even worse, Sumi will get so bored sheâ€™ll probably start humping someoneâ€™s leg just because she knows Growlithes can get away with that sort of thing.â€
â€œNah. Waste of time.â€ Kasumi smirked. â€œOnly so much that can be done by rubbing, anyway.â€
â€œYeah, like we really needed to know that. See what I mean, Ade?â€
â€œYeah, yeah, I get you. So letâ€™s see thenâ€¦ how does the Lava Room sound?â€ I randomly pointed at one of the rooms listed upon the flyer in my hand. â€œThe temperature is incredibly high in the Lava Room. You can walk along paths of molten rock surrounded by boiling lava! Avoid all contact with the lava, as it will burn through any non metallic or stone surface.â€
â€œYeah, thatâ€™ll do, but I always thought that molten rock was boiling lava.â€ Milliardo cackled. â€œAnd you can feel free to tell Gabi I said that the next time you meet her, I know she was the one who wrote that. Just to let her know that not even sheâ€™s allowed to escape my pedanticness. But man, they donâ€™t care much for our paws, do they? One lava-based training room was scary enough, twice is just stupid.â€
â€œCould be worse,â€ I reminded the Umbreon. â€œWe could have that room back that was just a giant gym. Remember, we lost Katnip for most of the day when we used that one!â€
â€œUmmâ€¦ thatâ€™s true. So, whereâ€™s this Lava Room, anyway?â€
â€œOver there.â€ I gestured to a large oaken door that seemed rather out of place in the otherwise high-tech surroundings. â€œThe original Lava Room, as used in the Pegasus Games training. I just hope we have more luck this time around.â€ Yes, the Pegasus Games had been fraught with difficulty. Not least of all because we had to simultaneously deal with Tsuyoiâ€™s attempts to stir things up at the time. But this time it would be different. This time we would succeed. That I was sure of.

â€œWoohoo! I remember this!â€ Kasumi hopped gleefully from stepping stone to stepping stone, racing ahead of the rest of the team easily. It had to be said that maybe the Lava Room hadnâ€™t been the greatest choice for our initial foray into the training rooms. As soon as you so much as opened the door you were hit with a wall of heat. And that was hardly surprising, given that the room consisted of several large pathways, occasionally broken down into stepping stones, that all eventually led to a central point, a battle arena sized slab of stone rising a few inches above the ground. And just as well that is was. For apart from the actual battle area and the pathways, the floor of the entire room was covered in a thick layer of molten lava, bubbling lazily and just waiting for the first person or pokÃ©mon foolish enough to fall from the path. It was way too hot for me. I could feel the sweat literally dripping from my head. â€œThis was where we trained last time there was one of these, wasnâ€™t it? Heh, I remember the Charmander we fought back then, he was cute. I couldâ€™ve just taken him home, tied him up andâ€¦â€
â€œYeah, yeah, Sumi, we get the idea.â€ Very few of my pokÃ©mon seemed to fancy the idea of accompanying me into the Lava Room. In fact most of them were quite content to stay just outside the door and yell words of encouragement over in my direction. At least Sumi had opted to keep me company, her prior experience combating any nerves she may have had about falling into the lava. And Milliardo was also with me, his impatience to start training having lent him the courage to venture into a situation potentially this dangerous. At least I didnâ€™t have to worry about which pokÃ©mon I was going to use this time! â€œThis is a different training grounds anyway, even if the rooms do seem pretty similar.â€
â€œToo similar if you ask me,â€ Milliardo grumbled, taking up the rear of our little procession. â€œYou should just be glad that we Umbreons only sweat poison when we choose to, otherwise youâ€™d all be dead by now.â€
â€œI hear you, buddy. Iâ€™m a little overheated myself.â€ I watched as Kasumi hopped nimbly up onto the fighterâ€™s arena, apparently not at all bothered by the intense heat. Well, she was a Fire type, after all! â€œI take it you want to go first, then, Sumi?â€ I called over with a note of bemusement in my voice.
â€œUh?â€ The Growlithe looked confused for a moment. Evidently she had forgotten where she was standing. â€œOh. Oh yeah. Iâ€™ll take â€˜em on, whoever they are. Iâ€™m not just a pretty face, you know.â€
â€œYou have a face?â€ Milliardo gasped, finally catching up. â€œIâ€™m sorry, you seem so driven by your rear that itâ€™s easy to forget thereâ€™s more to you than just your ****.â€
â€œHey, the other parts can do stuff too, you know.â€ Fortunately we were spared an explanation of exactly what the other parts could do â€“ for knowing my Growlithe she would have been all too happy to expand upon this â€“ by a large mechanical grinding up at one end of the room. I turned to face the source of the noise, only to find a well-hidden gate slowly creaking open. I hadnâ€™t even noticed it before, it blended in so well with the surrounding walls. But there it was now, revealing Kasumiâ€™s opponent. Standing there in the darkness with a rather puzzled expression on its face was a small, bright red bird-like pokÃ©mon. A Torchic. Well, this was likely to be interesting! This was a pokÃ©mon that none of us could claim to have any prior experience of.
â€œGreetings.â€ Kasumi watched as her opponent hopped nimbly over to the main arena, navigating the surrounding lava with ease. â€œMy name is Lena.â€
â€œHi, Iâ€™m Sumi.â€ My Growlithe grinned broadly. â€œFancy going out after the fight?â€
â€œI donâ€™t swing that way, sorry.â€
â€œGive it time, girl. I can turn anyone eventually.â€
â€œThat Iâ€™d have to see to believe.â€ The Torchic rolled her eyes. This was a new one! â€œAnyway, weâ€™re here to fight, yes? Not discuss this supposed ability of yours to change a creatureâ€™s sexual preference.â€
â€œYeah, whatever,â€ Sumi conceded grumpily. â€œThings with beaks arenâ€™t much fun to kiss anyway, last time I tried it on with a Doduo I cut my tongue.â€ The Growlithe struck up a fighting pose. After all, her opponent was quite right. This was a time to fight. Anything else could come later. â€œOkay, Iâ€™m ready when you are!â€
â€œThen letâ€™s begin,â€ came the calm reply.

FIGHT!!! L12 Growlithe v L15 Torchic!

Kasumi didnâ€™t really have much of a chance to think of a decent battle strategy. For at the precise moment her opponent declared it was ready, the Torchic was already speeding towards her, its talons poised ready to strike with a rapid Scratch attack. It was as much as the Growlithe could do to dodge the blow, ducking at the last minute so that her opponent passed rapidly over her, its slipstream ruffling her fur as it sped by. Clearly there was going to be very little time to think during this match!
â€œDammit!â€ Reacting as quickly as she could, Sumi jumped after her opponent before it had a chance to realign itself to attack again. Finding an exposed area, the Growlithe quickly buried her sharp fangs into the Torchicâ€™s side, causing it to cry out in pain and pull away, leaving bloody streaks where it had been bitten. It fixed Kasumi with a petulant look.
â€œThat does it. Youâ€™ve made me mad now!â€ The tone was almost comical coming from such an inoffensive looking creature, but Kasumi knew better than to judge solely upon appearances. She tensed up, ready to take whatever attack her opponent was about to launch into. But nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. The ground beneath her paws began to shudder violently, sending jarring vibrations up her limbs that made her feel as if her legs were about to break. With a sharp cry of surprise the Growlithe buckled under the force that even now was trying its best to tear her apart. â€œI normally only reserve my Hidden Power for the strongest of opponents. You should consider yourself honoured.â€
â€œYeahâ€¦ wellâ€¦ I donâ€™t feel honoured.â€ Just what she needed! An opponent who possessed a Ground Hidden Power! And to use it so masterfully as wellâ€¦ even now the quaking was enough to keep Kasumi rooted to the spot, so distracted by the strange sensation that she forgot all about her opponent. Until a loud cry from the sidelines reminded her of why she was here to begin with.
â€œSumi! Watch out!â€ I yelled out, trying to help my Growlithe regain her focus. It was too little, too late. Already the Torchic was upon her, swiping with its talons in another attempt at a Scratch that this time drew three thin scarlet lines across Kasumiâ€™s chest. The Growlithe took a step backwards, too dazed and confused to fully follow what was going on. At this rate it seemed as if she might have even lost the match! â€œSumi, you have to focus!â€ My mind raced frantically, trying to think of a way to get her to pay attention to her opponent. â€œQuick, look, you should be able to see underneath its tail feathers if you hurry!â€
â€œWhat, really?â€ That did the trick alright! Suddenly the Growlitheâ€™s full attentions were back where they should have been. And although the disappointment of not being able to get a look at the more intimate areas of her opponent disappointed greatly, Kasumi couldnâ€™t help but be glad that she was back in action. There was no way she would let herself lose now! â€œThatâ€™s quite a trick you have there with the vibrating ground thing. Does it have a gentler mode or anything? Because I reckon it could be quite pleasant under the right circumstances.â€
â€œDo you ever think of anything that isnâ€™t perverted?â€ The Torchic seemed totally disgusted. Which was good, in a way, because it also meant that it was off guard.
â€œRarely,â€ Kasumi admitted. â€œPerversion is fun, though!â€
â€œThat I refuse to believe.â€
â€œWell stick around after the match and Iâ€™ll prove it to you.â€ The Torchic seemed about ready to snap, glaring at Kasumi with all the frustration that its psyche could handle. The little pokÃ©mon seemed to be visibly quivering with barely suppressed rage. And that was the cue that Kasumi had been waiting for. â€œIn the meantime, let me introduce you to a little Hidden Power trick of my own. I think youâ€™ll enjoy it.â€ Reaching deep within herself, the Growlithe tapped into the latent psychic abilities that had been bestowed upon her during her last visit to a training ground. And once that reservoir of power had been breached, she then used it to give her opponent a hefty push backwards. The Torchic cried out in surprise, staggering backwards so far that it almost topped over the edge of the stone arena. â€œWhoops, too hard! Sorry!â€ Quickly Kasumi altered her telekinesis, so that it picked the Torchic up from its position teetering on the brink of the bubbling lava and slowly dragged it over to hover just above the direct centre of the arena.
â€œPut me down this instant!â€ the Torchic shrieked indignantly.
â€œWell, if you insist!â€ Grinning cruelly, Kasumi forced her psychic Hidden Power downwards, pushing down hard on her opponent so that it fell to the floor twice as hard as it would have done normally and then lay there, pinned underneath a huge and unstoppable force that would only let up when Kasumi said so. Which was never a good situation to be in when you hadnâ€™t particularly asked for it. â€œWell, well, well, how the mighty have fallen.â€ The Growlithe paced over to her opponent, standing over the Torchic with a particularly wicked look upon her face. It had to be said that battle had always appealed to Kasumiâ€™s more dominating side, especially after learning what fun tricks her Hidden Power could be used to perform. â€œYouâ€™ve been a very, very naughty girl. Look at this. You got blood on my nice clean fur. And I think you need to be punished. Punished real slowâ€¦ and really, really, hard.â€ The last few words were emphasised for added effect. By now Kasumiâ€™s muzzle was just a fraction of an inch away from her opponentâ€™s face, so close that she could almost smell the fear upon the Torchic. â€œI can do anything I want to you now, and you canâ€™t do a thing about it, can you? All you can do is lay back and take it, andâ€¦â€
â€œEnough! Enough!â€ By now the Torchic was practically in tears. â€œYou win, you win, just please let me go! Please!â€
â€œWhat, I win?â€ The old, cheery tone crept back into Kasumiâ€™s voice, her mood switching from the sinister to the upbeat in an instant. â€œExcellent! Awesome dominatrix one, wussy Torchic nil. Result!â€ The Growlithe hopped in the air excitedly, her earlier mood apparently just an act after all. I had to hand it to my Growlithe. When it came to pulling out an unconventional victory she was one of the best. And despite her rather twisted game plan, you had to admit that this was one pokÃ©mon who was a lot smarter than most would give her credit for. Now if only she would have put that brain power to better useâ€¦

Kasumi wins!
Kasumi grew to L13!
Kasumi learned Leer!
Kasumi grew to L14!

AntiAsh Superstar

13th May 2004, 07:37 PM

â€œThat does it. Remind me never to go within a mile of you again.â€ Milliardo eyed Kasumi with caution as she hopped nimbly back off the fighting podium, apparently none the worse for wear. â€œIâ€™m just glad Iâ€™m a Dark type and hence immune to your stupidity. Just one question, would you actually USE your Hidden Power in that way?â€
â€œNah, probably not,â€ the Growlithe confessed. â€œNot unless I found myself a willing victim, at any rate. Still, itâ€™s fun to bluff a little sometimes, eh?â€
â€œCan we just put a stop to this conversation, please?â€ I rolled my eyes in despair. â€œAlthough I have to admit that was the most novel use for telekinesis Iâ€™ve ever seenâ€¦ would be quite handy to have powers like that, thinking about itâ€¦â€
â€œThis is good stopping of the conversation, Ade. At least try to mean what you say for once!â€
â€œSorry. I guess itâ€™s your turn now, eh, Milliardo?â€
â€œBut of course!â€ The Umbreon made his way onto the raised battling arena with a single easy bound. â€œI need the chance to try out a few things before the tournament anyway. Figure out exactly how Iâ€™m going to make everyoneâ€™s chins drop to the floor.â€
â€œBeing humble about it for once ought to do it,â€ I retorted, unable to resist. â€œIâ€™m beginning to worry as to whether entering you in the Games was such a good idea. Youâ€™ll become intolerable if you actually win the thing!â€
â€œI know.â€ My Umbreon smirked as only he knew how. â€œIsnâ€™t it wonderful?â€ Yet again the loud grinding of cogs interrupted the conversation. I had no idea how they timed that at all. Maybe the battle arena was fitted with motion sensors or something. â€œOkay. Time to get down to business.â€ Milliardo turned to face the hidden panel, managing to spot it with ease even before it began to open. His heart sank once his opponent stepped out of the dark recesses of its temporary prison, however. Evidently he wasnâ€™t going to have as easy a time of it as Kasumi. For glaring out at him was a very strange creature, similar to the Torchic in several ways but ultimately seeming far too bottom-heavy, it muscular legs perfectly designed for giving lethal kicks. Combusken. Torchicâ€™s evolution, and just the sort of pokÃ©mon that my Umbreon didnâ€™t need to be facing. Milliardo watched carefully as his opponent gave a cruel sneer and bonded over to the fighterâ€™s platform in several well-placed jumps. Sure, it was a Fighting type and probably knew several of the few moves that could penetrate an Umbreonâ€™s remarkable defences. But that wasnâ€™t going to make any difference in the grand scheme of things. It was still just a pokÃ©mon. And hence it was possible to beat it.
â€œWell it seems like tonightâ€™s main course is chicken.â€ The Umbreon narrowed his eyes, planing his four paws in the sturdiest position he could manage, braced for battle. â€œYummy. So letâ€™s get on with preparing it, shall we?â€ And without any further ado, Milliardo pounced, ready for the battle of his life.

FIGHT!!! L18 Umbreon v L25 Combusken!

All things considered, it was a good job that Milliardo had taken the initiative and struck first. For he managed to catch his opponent completely off guard with this sudden assault. Clearly it was used to its opponents at least waiting for it to land on the platform properly! But my Umbreon, like most of his species, had never really cared for the niceties of battle. Anything to get the job done was okay by him, even if this was an attitude that usually landed him in arguments with pokÃ©mon possessed of more scruples. So it was without remorse that he struck hard with a fierce Tackle at the exact instant that the Combusken had landed upon the stone platform where the battle was to take place. It was enough to make the pokÃ©mon lose its footing completely, and it fell upon its considerable rear with a loud thump. If it had landed any closer to the edge it would have probably fallen straight into the lava!
â€œFace it,â€ Milliardo smirked, noting with satisfaction the look on his opponentâ€™s face as it picked itself painfully up from the floor. It looked almost ready to kill him. An expression the Umbreon preferred for his adversaries to be wearing, for it meant that were likely to be careless. And hence his chances of winning were much greater. â€œYour goose is cooked.â€
â€œHa ha.â€ The Fire-type seemed less than impressed by this attempt at humour. â€œYouâ€™re so unfunny itâ€™s actually quite amusing.â€
â€œGlad you think so. Because I know a far better joke than that. Why did the Combusken cross the lava pit? To get its ass kicked.â€
â€œYouâ€™re right. That is a joke.â€ Finally bored with this exchange, the Combusken took up a fighting pose, before spitting a huge ball of flame out at Milliardo. The Umbreon couldnâ€™t have dodged if he tried. All he could do was to brace himself for the impact, to bear out the sharp stinging sensation that came like a slap to his face. Because he knew that he could do it. He knew that it would take far more than that to put him out of action. He was an Umbreon, after all. Surviving against the odds was what he did best.
â€œNo, whatâ€™s a joke are your attacks!â€ Milliardo scoffed. â€œIf thatâ€™s the best youâ€™ve got then you might as well just go home now and hand the battle over to me. I mean, I hardly even felt that.â€
â€œOh, donâ€™t worry. Iâ€™ve got much better moves up my sleeve than that!â€ Almost predictably the Combusken made as if to charge at Milliardo with everything it had. Only it didnâ€™t get very far. For a cloud of irritating chunks of gravel had just been fired directly into its face. Apparently even Sand Attack on a rocky battleground was possible when you were Milliardo. â€œWhy you dirtyâ€¦â€
â€œHey, allâ€™s fair in love, war and pokÃ©mon battles, as the old saying goes. Man, that never gets old no matter how many times I say it.â€ Deciding that now was as good a time as any to attack, the Umbreon tore at his opponent as quickly as he could, attempting another Tackle before the Combusken could recover for long enough to counter. Sadly this time it didnâ€™t seem to work. His tackle was met with a huge and powerful kick that had been launched so fast that it would have made most martial arts masters green with envy. And it was a kick that served its purpose admirably, knocking Milliardo away to be sent skidding painfully along the uneven ground, picking up a fair few scratches for his troubles. It was only when he reached the edge of the arena that the Umbreon decided to do something about putting the brakes on. â€œ****!â€ Quickly he pawed his way to a standstill, his hindquarters just inches away from being sent over the edge completely. â€œJust what I needed. Hospitalization days before my big match. Well, I suppose I could have blinded my opponent by squirting burn cream into their eyes, but even soâ€¦â€ The irritated pokÃ©mon fixed his amber eyes upon his opponent. â€œWell, that hurt. A lot. So donâ€™t blame me if Iâ€™m so pissed off that I forget my manners and doâ€¦ this!â€ Once again a torrent of dirt was sent flying up into the Combuskenâ€™s face, causing it to howl in pain. By now its eyes were looking ridiculously inflamed. It was a wonder it could see at all.
â€œWhy you nasty littleâ€¦â€ the pokÃ©mon shrieked. But that was as far as it managed to get, before another ferocious Tackle sent it sprawling. With the Combuskenâ€™s sight so impaired it was obvious that Milliardo now had the upper hand. And both pokÃ©mon knew it. â€œWhy not just finish me off now, huh? You might as well. How am I supposed to beat you if I canâ€™t see you properly?â€
â€œWith great difficulty, Iâ€™d say,â€ Milliardo cackled, the more spiteful side of him beginning to fire up. He had forgotten just how therapeutic a good fight could be! All of the stress, all of the worries that life threw at him, they always seemed to just melt away during battle. â€œStill, that shouldnâ€™t stop you. Zubats have no eyes and they manage somehow.â€ The Umbreon dodged a random swing by the Combusken with ease. â€œCome on, you can do better than that, canâ€™t you?â€ Again came another attack, and again Milliardo dodged, this time by sinking into his opponentâ€™s shadow and reappearing again on the other side. He tapped the bulky pokÃ©mon on the shoulder. â€œIâ€™m over here.â€
â€œStay still, you bastard!â€ By now the Combusken was so furious that it would have probably missed anyway even if its vision was perfect. As it was the pokÃ©mon was just a flailing mess by now. â€œFight me properly!â€
â€œWell, you asked for itâ€¦ shame I donâ€™t have anything better to finish you off with, but fighting you has just uncovered a serious weakness on my part, and if somebody would kindly buy me a TM to take care of that I might not make his life hell for the foreseeable future.â€ Milliardo cast a meaningful glance over in my direction. â€œStill. Brought to you by the amazing Milliardo, hereâ€™s the single most boring attack in any pokÃ©monâ€™s arsenalâ€¦ I give you the sheer power of Tackle!â€ Before his opponent could so much as comprehend what he was on about, the Umbreon struck it hard in the side, throwing all of his body weight into another vicious blow that this time knocked his opponent completely to the floor. And after a few moments it became clear that the Combusken wasnâ€™t likely to get up again. Well, he had done it. Against all the odds, he had taken on a Fighting type and come out on top. Maybe there was hope for Milliardo yet.

Milliardo wins!
Milliardo grew to L20!
Milliardo learns Swagger as his free TM!

â€œMan!â€ The Umbreon hopped nimbly down from the training platform, clearly too tired to even try and mask his exhaustion. â€œOkay, thereâ€™s all the training you could possibly need done, Ade, can we kindly get the **** out of this training room before I actually do start sweating poison and kill you both?â€
â€œNo rush, I like it here,â€ Kasumi smirked. â€œBesides, I like you all hot and breathless, Milly, all of a sudden I can see what Pandora sees in you.â€
â€œGee, the girl whoâ€™d probably sleep with a Slaking given half a chance thinks I look sexy. Iâ€™m so flattered.â€ Milliardo rolled his eyes. â€œLetâ€™s leave. Now. The heatâ€™s bothering me, my tiredness is bothering me, the companyâ€™s bothering me and to top it all off that bloody chicken gave me a giant headache when it kicked me.â€
â€œAlright, Milliardo,â€ I replied, trying hard to keep my composure in the face of this tirade. â€œIâ€™d say you earned the right to get out of here. Actually, Iâ€™m none too impressed with the heat myself, and weâ€™ve used up all our time in here anyway.â€ Smiling, I added, â€œBut for what itâ€™s worth you did a brilliant job there, buddy. I knew I made the right choice when I entered you for the Games.â€
â€œDamn right you did!â€ Of course he wasnâ€™t going to admit it, but my words seemed to have some kind of impact on the Umbreon. He seemed to become slightly less irritable as we walked back to the exit, at any rate. â€œSee, Ade, you stick with me and you canâ€™t go wrong. I know Iâ€™m an cocky *******, but even cocky assholes have to be right sometimes, you know?â€ Well, there was no arguing with that one! And as we finally threw open the reinforced door that led back into the main foyer and finally sucked some comparatively cool air into our lungs, I found myself thinking back. Back to the time when my Umbreon had just been a mouthy little Eevee who hid his insecurities behind a wall of sheer vitriol. How he had grown in the past year or so! Yes, he was still cynical, but the bitterness that initially came with this had deserted him. And yes, he was still less than forthcoming with his emotions, but at least I no longer got the impression that this was doing him any harm. The Umbreon beside me was a creature I was proud to have on my team, and a creature that I was sure would give it his all. For no other reason than to finally prove to the world that he had come of age.

Angel Blossom

13th May 2004, 11:02 PM

Woah, I'm on a roll here! :P
I don't believe this'll be my very best piece yet, but it's not too dull. It's short, but I hope you truly enjoy it!

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

â€œHmmmâ€ , whispered Petals, who observed the sandy room from within my sweater. She frowned, concerned with the conditions of the area. I patted her head, trying to relieve her uncertainties. I held Jabari on his blue PokÃ©mon leash that I had made myself; however, he hid in my backpack. He winced, peering his very dark blue eyes out of the bag. Petals sighed, trying to hide her fear of the setting in the Desert room.

It wasnâ€™t the most pleasant sight for a small, Grass-type PokÃ©mon like herself â€“ dusty sand swiveled throughout the zone. Nearly all the possible humidity in the air was sucked away through the walls. Piles of dusty sand covered the entire floor â€“ my shoes practically sank in the thick dust. I held Petals close inside my warm, delicate pullover. This way, she wouldnâ€™t face injury from the hasty, harsh sand blowing all through the Desert Room. Jabari was safely tucked in my backpack; however, he didnâ€™t have to be as careful as Petals.

I rubbed my cheeks, red from the sand that thrashed my delicate skin. â€œOuchâ€ , I said, moving my hand away from my nearly damaged skin. Petals looked up at me with her dark red eyes, which showed much concern. Any trainer could see true meaning beyond the emotion in her expressions. â€œIâ€™m alright, Petals!â€ I assured her, not wanting her to be troubled about me. It wasnâ€™t too painful, but the blustery wind became frustrating. I hoped that Petals wasnâ€™t injured by the wind.

The unwavering Oddish wanted to show her impressive potential in a battle today -in this very room. Whether the weather activated in here was gruesome or kind, she wanted to keep aiming towards her goal.

My once soft hair was wiped out by the sandy gusts. For the moment, I looked like a jumble. There were only a few trainers in the zone, and they werenâ€™t looking their best either, so I had nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, I pulled my hood over my head to keep my hair from the harsh conditions. I could hear a stifled whimper coming from Jabari.

â€œSo, Kris,â€ began Petals, with a muffled voice, â€œdo ya really believe I can win a battle here?â€ She slightly moved around in my sweater, protected from the gusts of air. In reply, I nodded. â€œYouâ€™re probably going to do great,â€ I secured, smiling, â€œjust hold on in there!â€ Thatâ€™s all thereâ€™s been to it â€“ holding on. Just some courage could take her a very long way. However, there was huffing & puffing in the heart of what she tried to say that had already showed a bit of fatigue. â€œI might get a lilâ€™ dry. Thereâ€™s barely any humidity in this room!â€ She smiled nervously, obviously trying to hint me.

Suddenly, the gusts came to an awkward halt. I looked around, studying the atmosphere. The trainers across the room were confused also. Since the winds were so aggravating to all of us & seemed never-ending, it was like an impossible wish for them to stop. But in this case, the wish was mysteriously granted. Petals & I smiled with relief. Jabari poked his head out of my bag, leaping out & down to the platform. He shook his stubby paws, which were annoyingly covered with the dark orange sand. I heard a cough that had come from Petals. I nearly forgot.

What she had said before rang a bell. There were three water bottles that I carried in my backpack. Crouching down, I pulled my backpack from my arms & opened the zipper slowly with my fingers. I carefully unzipped the red bag which was heavy due to the water. Quickly, I pulled out a full, heavy, water jug. I tugged at the tightly closed opening of the bottle, and then, at last, opened it.

Safely pulling out Petals from my sweater, I placed her in front of me. â€œYay, you remembered!â€ she exclaimed, relieved to see her aid for the harsh environment. Now, maybe it was oblivious to her, but I knew I wouldnâ€™t forget about my PokÃ©mon! Standing up, I poured a few drops of water on her head, making sure that the water aided her instead of flying off along with the wind. Trickling down from the healthy, green leaves on her head, the water drops eased her. â€œCould I drink some?â€ asked Jabari, placing his sandy front paws on my knees. I pulled out his dish & poured enough water for him. â€œAh!â€ he said, satisfied.

The happy Oddish jumped onto the ramp of the platform. She sat there, smiling as she looked around the arena. â€œDry, isnâ€™t it?â€ she said, purposely pointing out the obvious. Jabari tittered, attempting to jump up to the railing too. I picked up the tiny, black Eevee & placed him next to Petals.

â€œMe & Jabari â€“ err, Jabari and I â€“ get along well,â€ she said, smiling at him. The black Eevee smiled back. â€œBut itâ€™s hard for Jabari to become friends with Bronxâ€, The smile on Jabariâ€™s sweet face suddenly turned to a concerned frown.

I remembered about their distinct personalities. Bronx can be a very kind Aerodactyl. But like most, he can have his bad days. Ever since he had difficulties with Jabariâ€™s siblings back at the valley, he didnâ€™t want to take on to Jabari well. However, this little Eevee had been following him around for ages, wanting his attention. Jabari looked up to Bronx â€“ he was a sort of idol for him.

A few days ago, however, the Aerodactyl had given him a bad attitude. Jabari had been following him around yet again, trying to converse with him. Bronx wasnâ€™t in a good mood that day because of another small confrontation with Akai. Surprisingly, Bronx snapped at him, aggravated with his constant attention. Jabari was heartbroken.

But he still wanted his attention & friendship, but he didnâ€™t know how to seek it.

â€œIâ€™m sure he was having a bad day,â€ I said to Jabari, trying to cheer him up, â€œbelieve me, Iâ€™ll find a way to get him to like you.â€ The little Eevee looked up with me as his sad frown turned back to a pleasant smile. Jabari walked along the steel railing, watching his footsteps carefully. â€œBesides, itâ€™s not the time to talk about it now,â€ he said, turning his head to face Petals, â€œwerenâ€™t you going to train today?â€
Petals nodded as she jumped down the railing, landing on the dusty platform. Jabari jumped down too, but accidentally fell on Petals. I quickly motioned to them, thinking they were hurt. They giggled; showing me there was nothing to worry about.

Petals regained posture & skipped down the platform to the sandy arena.

â€œNow, letâ€™s start training!â€ she called to me, eager to begin. She left traces in the sand. Her tiny feet dragged across the sand. I began to walk down the platform with her, enthusiastic to help her out. Jabari hurried to keep up with me. My eyes were closed as I grinned, happy about the change of the conditions of our surroundings & happy for Petals. As I paced, I collided with something â€“ in this case, someone. Surprisingly, I walked into a trainer. Opening my eyes, I realized that I had walked into a strong, young man. His eyes shined with belligerence. A robust Phanpy stood in front of Petals, gleaming down at her. Laughing quietly, I realized how much the trainer & PokÃ©mon had in common.

â€œWhatâ€™s so funny?â€ queried the trainer, showing more hostility towards me. He lunged in my direction. Whoops. I flinched, taking a step back from the trainer. â€œNo, nothing!â€ I reacted uneasily, worried of what the awkward boy may possibly do to me. His large, thick, right eyebrow lifted as he stared at me with his dark green eyes. The Phanpy lifted its eyes at me, observing my every detail. I stared back as I pulled down my hood & ran my fingers through my hair.

Shrugging his broad shoulders, he simmered down, and then began to talk again.
â€œSorry, I have a weird way of approaching trainers.â€
No, really? I thought to myself, examining the trainer.
â€œThatâ€™s alright!â€ I responded quickly with a pleasant smile. He slightly smirked, not honestly, then continued to speak.

â€œI was training my Phanpyâ€ â€“ he pointed at the stout PokÃ©mon â€“ â€œI want him â€“ well, he wants to become a Donphan.â€ The Phanpy smiled, raising his head in conceit. Jabari stood behind my feet, studying the trainer & Phanpy. Petals glanced at Phanpy for a moment, and then focused her eyes on me. â€œReally?â€ I began, smiling at Petals, â€œthis Oddish of mine wants to become a Bell -â€

Interrupting me in mid-sentence, â€œAh, the Oddish! It seems to have itâ€™s potential for such a tiny PokÃ©mon,â€ he said arrogantly, â€œthatâ€™s what caught my attention, ya see.â€ Now, obviously, he was far too caught up with himself & Phanpy to listen to me or to not be stubborn. Holding back from his discourteousness, I asked, â€œAnd whatâ€™s your name?â€

â€œEricâ€, he replied. So, Eric was a stubborn boy.
â€œMineâ€™s Krisâ€ â€” I added, putting my hand out to shake â€” â€œand that Oddish may be small, but sheâ€™s strong alright.â€ He chuckled, rolling his eyes at the idea of a strong Oddish. I was fed up by the attitude of the boy, but I didnâ€™t want to stoop down to Ericâ€™s level.
â€œSo, Eric, how about a battle?â€ I shook his large, bony hand as he nodded in agreement. He laughed tenaciously.
â€œThatâ€™ll be a good way to prove yourself, Kris.â€

He called his Phanpy to the battle range of the arena. â€œCâ€™mon, Phanpy! Show â€˜em what youâ€™re made of!â€ Lifting his small, gray trunk, the PokÃ©mon trotted down, lifting clouds of sand in the air. He looked back as he ran & smugly scoffed at Petals, leaving her in a tense mood. She began to hurry down after Phanpy, but I stopped her for a brief moment.

â€œPetals,â€ I began, â€œDonâ€™t worry â€“ you can do this â€“ without a doubt!â€

She quickly smiled at me as she trotted down to the arena.
Jabari watched fretfully, hopping in front of my feet. He yelled a good luck to Petals as he watched, full of excitement.

â€œMay the battle commence, Kris!â€

Â¤ ~ PokÃ©mon battle! Petals the Lv. 13 Oddish vs. the Lv. 15 Phanpy (M) ~ Â¤

Brown clouds of dirt rose as the Phanpy slowly walked around Petals, studying her. His small, black eyes examined her every aspect. Petals glared at him, waiting for Phanpy to make the first move. They circled each other slowly, both ready for any surprise attack. My Oddish was very agile & could skirt from a rapid attack, so I wasnâ€™t too worried. Watching from the platform, I quietly waited to give her a command.

Suddenly, the Phanpy lunged his body in the direction of Petals. His heavy body shifted incredibly swiftly through the air. Petals barely evaded the attack, rolling across the sand away from Phanpy. Her body lay on the floor; she wasnâ€™t standing on her feet. Once again, Phanpy charged towards Petals at a quick speed. Grayish brown clouds rose in the air, trapping the keen sight of the Phanpy. Just as he was positive that he hit her, he realized that, on the left, there stood the Oddish â€“ untouched. â€œHmph!â€ snorted Phanpy, infuriated with Petals.

He had a trick up on his sleeve, however. He rose up to his short legs, shaking off the dirt from his belly. Unexpectedly, he struck Petals harshly with his trunk. This sent the hurt PokÃ©mon sliding across the sand, not only lifting clouds of dirt, but piles of dust too. She flinched, surprised & hurt from the startling physical attack from Phanpy. Struggling, she brought herself back to her feet, still feeling strong-minded to win.

â€œPhanpy,â€ cried out Eric, grinning from the sidelines, â€Body Slam!â€ I stared at Eric, knowing I had to give my advice to Petals now.

â€œWatch out for it, Petals!â€ yelled I, feeling anxious for her.

Nodding, Petals ran around Phanpy, becoming quicker & far more agile. â€œYou wonâ€™t catch me in surprise againâ€, said she, dodging the Phanpy. He glared at her, trying to keep up with her speedily sidesteps. The large PokÃ©mon crouched down, preparing for a brutal Body Slam attack.

Petals decided to stop running, standing directly in front of Phanpy. I knew she had a trick up her sleeve this time. Jumping high into the sandy air, the Phanpy began his Body Slam attack. He was high above Petals as he began to crash down back to her. Ready for her attack, Petals prepared one of her own. From the leaves atop her head, she sprung several razor-sharp leaves at Phanpy. They hurled quickly in his direction, splitting onto the skin of his belly. Her strong Razor Leaf attack sent Phanpy flying backwards, smashing back to the sand.

Thick smoke rose in the air as the heavy Phanpy lay on her back. Petals began to cough; the thick clouds of dust were irritating during a battle. Shaking her body, the Oddish blinked her eyes to keep the dust out. Shocked, Phanpy slowly lifted itself up. It shook its head, the stared at Petals.

â€œSurprising, coming from an insignificant thing like yourself.â€

Petals chuckled at the arrogance of the Phanpy. â€œIâ€™ll show youâ€, she said, walking a few steps backwards from Phanpy.

The leaves on her head began to shake. A breeze of wind passed through her, picking up seeds from the green, rustling leaves. The seeds whirled through the light breeze & landed on Phanpy. He shook, trying to rid of the seeds that implanted themselves in his skin. Thin, sharp vines shot out from the seeds, attaching themselves to Petals. Trying to fight back, the seeds drained energy from Phanpy to Petals, replenishing her health back to normal. The seeds disappeared in an instant as Phanpy fell down. He breathed hard, gasping for air. He stared angrily at Petals, wanting revenge severely.

â€œUgh!â€ said Eric, disgustedly. â€œCâ€™mon Phanpy! Stop being a wimp and show that thing what youâ€™re made of!â€ He hollered at the poor PokÃ©mon who became discouraged. Shrugging it off, the Phanpy prepared his most powerful attack. â€œPhanpy â€“ Earthquake!â€

I blinked. Earthquake? It was a strong move; however, Oddish wasnâ€™t weak to ground-type moves. I knew she could take care of this one, somehow. I directed her to be careful of the attack, and just waited for the outcome.

Phanpy stood boldly on his four legs. He didnâ€™t shake; he didnâ€™t flinch. He wanted to prove to himself, to Petals, & to Eric that he wasnâ€™t a wimp. Beginning his attack, Phanpy jumped incredibly high into the air. Petals watched him, not knowing what to do. She couldnâ€™t fly or jump for too long, so she couldnâ€™t possibly evade it unless if Phanpy failed. Determined to win, Petals still didnâ€™t give up. Pausing for a second in midair, Phanpy looked down to the arena. At first, he slowly began to crash back down to the ground. He moved faster & faster every second until he became excruciatingly fast. He planned to land on the ground with his front feet, which he did.

Powerfully, his feet spliced into the sand. Cracks formed were he had hit, then expanding throughout the battle area. Petals looked at her feet. She was surrounded by crackled concrete & earth. Suddenly, the dirt that had gashed extremely quickly surfaced in different bits. Crackling noises filled the room. Rocks formed, bursting up from the ground, harshly hitting Petals. My Oddish had been hit by the attack.

She flew up into the air due to the brutal attack. She landed on her face, hurt from the attack. â€œAha! Have you given up, Kris?â€ asked Eric, proud of his Phanpy. His Phanpy looked at Petals, showing a bit of sarcastic sympathy. I stared at my poor Oddish, wondering if she was still okay. Why didnâ€™t I try to help her? I shouldâ€™ve been more careful..

I looked down to Jabari, who was anxiously worried about Petals. Ready to forfeit for my hurt Oddish, I was stopped â€“

â€œNo, she doesnâ€™tâ€, said Petals, slowly regaining her stance. She wearily stood on her two feet, showing her determination. She smiled courageously at us, turning back to continue battling her opponent. Eric was speechless. I was filled with pride, cheering for her, along with Jabari.

â€œPetals, give him another Razor Leaf â€“ pronto!â€

Grinning confidently, she shot out hundreds of sharp, dark green leaves chucking in the direction of Phanpy. He ran from them, dodging them the best he could. As he slid from left to right, the rustling, swift leaves shot straight at him, piercing his body. Phanpy flew backwards onto his back, lifting yet more clouds of dust in the air. My Oddish stood in front of Phanpy; however, she faced the other way. Not willing to miss a chance, she used Sunny Day. Sunlight peered in from the small slits in the ceiling caused by Phanpyâ€™s powerful earthquake. The rays hit directly on Petals, preparing her first step to a powered-up Solar Beam attack.

Phanpy, however, wasnâ€™t willing to lose either. He charged directly from behind Petals, hitting her back. She flopped down on her belly as the tackle surprised her. Running past her, Phanphy prepared another tackle. He beat his front legs in the sand, trying to get ready. Petals stood up, still unaware. As he ran down in her direction, she did her best to avoid it. The Oddish jumped above the Phanpy, and he missed. Instead, he had tripped over a crack & tumbled over & over in the sand.

I couldnâ€™t help but giggle at the sight. Remembering about Ericâ€™s temper, I shut myself up.

Petals began to take in solar energy from the sunlight coming from the ceiling. She began to glow radiantly, standing out in the tanned orange sand. At first, she turned to a bright green color. The color then faded to a blindingly bright yellow, to a flinching white. She was gaining a lot of energy from the bits of sun coming in the room. I watched, admiring her potential.

Eric glared at Oddish, wondering what she was doing. â€œWhatâ€™s that?â€
I chuckled. â€œGuess youâ€™ve never heard of solar beam, Eric!â€ Turning his head, he glared at me angrily. Pretending not to have seen him, I quickly focused my eyes back on Petals.

Phanpy finally boosted himself up after his odd fall. He shook his body, which had been covered, in orange-red sand. Blinking, he stared at Petals with a confused expression. Obviously, neither had experienced this attack before. He looked up to Eric, waiting for a command.

â€œYou dumb PokÃ©mon! Donâ€™t look over here, attack her!â€ he growled furiously. Freaked out by his temperament, Jabari & I took a few steps away from him. I fretfully waited for her to let loose her dominant attack. My green eyes gazed at her with so many emotions.

Petals finally unleashed her attack. A large, white beam leashed out on Phanpy. He didnâ€™t have the chance to avoid the attack; the beam was as quick as the speed of light. It had streaks of green & yellow waving all around it, just like last time. The solar energy was super strong, and especially because it was super-effective against Phanpy, the ground-type PokÃ©mon. It sent the opponent flying all the way back to our platform. Not only did the attack hit him harshly, but also when he had landed, he collided with the railing.

â€œCâ€™mon, Phanpy?â€
I comprehended shaken concern in Ericâ€™s voice for once.

Phanpy struggled, trying to stand up. He lifted up his right leg, but couldnâ€™t keep himself upright. He fell down, cringing. He had given up.

Petals the Lv. 13 Oddish wins!
Petals the Oddish grew to Lv. 15! Petals learned Poisonpowder!

Jabari & I congratulated Petals from the platform. I ran up to where she stood, eager to pick up & hug my courageous little Oddish. Picking her up, Petals giggled happily. Her smile shined brighter than the sunlight. â€œSee, Petals!â€ I said, smiling, â€œWe knew you could do it! Congrats!â€ Jabari congratulated her also, very happy to see his best bud overcome the two.

Eric watched us from a few feet away, clutching his fainted Phanpy in his arms. Putting down my Oddish, I turned to him. I didnâ€™t have any positive â€“ and honest â€“ feedback about our battle. He pushed his poor PokÃ©mon too far. I couldnâ€™t blame the Phanpy; heâ€™s arrogant because thatâ€™s the way his trainer is.

â€œI have a lot to learn,â€ he said, admitting he wasnâ€™t right, â€œand you proved it today.â€ He held his poor Phanpy tightly, covering him with his sweater. I shrugged my shoulders. I had felt it would be better to hear what he had to say. â€œWell, I better get going.â€ Eric began to walk away, out of the room.

â€œEric,â€ said I, stopping him, â€œthat Phanpy â€“ he is really strong. Just try to encourage him instead of â€“ well â€“ pushing him.â€ I was afraid for a second that what I had said would anger him & cause a commotion. But I was wrong. Eric took my feedback well, nodding in agreement. He waved his hand before he turned, walking away. â€Good luck to â€˜em twoâ€, said Jabari, smiling up at me. I bent down, patting the little black Eeveeâ€™s head. He giggled, softly hitting my hand with his chubby paws. I smiled at the adorable little PokÃ©mon.

â€œYeah, who knows,â€ said Petals, walking towards us. â€œWe might even meet them again â€“ and maybe theyâ€™ll beâ€¦ nice?! The three of us stared at each other silently for a few seconds, and then broke into laughter. It was possible, maybe even true â€“ but the idea seemed funny for the while. Like my smart little Petals said - who knows?

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classy_cat18

14th May 2004, 12:55 AM

I wanted to start the Jungle Room scenario right quick; the battles will be up after. Just so youâ€™ll know, I got Lily a Sunny Day TM.

Edit: I did this because I wanted to avoid double posting.

Beaconâ€™s POV

â€œSheâ€™s sleeping,â€ Lily whispered. She puffed up with frustration. â€œCome on, wake up!â€

â€œHush, Lily!â€ I told her. â€œSo, whatâ€™s the news?â€

â€œTay-tay entered me in the Unicorn Games! Iâ€™m gonna win me some stuff!â€ she said in confidence.

Trinity looked at me with an amused look on her face. â€œTay-tay?â€

â€œShe must mean Shonta. So she could only enter you, huh? What about the rest of us?â€ I asked.

<She better train me,> Jewel sent in a dark voice. Swoop and Trinity stepped away from her.

â€œWell, youâ€™re at Level 9 and Iâ€™m at Level 8. She got you at a very good level.â€ I approached her. â€œHow do you do Psychic so well? Most non-Psychic type Pokemon have to practice their psychic skills for a long time.â€

<Iâ€™m a fast learner,> she sent simply.

â€œSomeone needs to taste some humble pie,â€ Swoop grumbled.

â€œSoon Iâ€™m gonna be a Vileplume!â€ Lily shouted happily.

Swoop winced. â€œWhy a Vileplume? Theyâ€™re soâ€¦awkward.â€

â€œEveryone wants to be a Bellossom! I want to be something else!â€

Shonta groaned and opened her eyes, ending her nap. â€œOkay girls, calm down. Youâ€™ll all have your chance to train.â€ She set down her backpack. â€œI have something for the future champ.â€ I knew who she was talking about, but that didnâ€™t stop me from taking a peek. â€œNot you, Beacon.â€ She pulled out a box with a picture of a sun on it. â€œLily, this is Sunny Day. It will give your Grass-type moves a boost when in effect.â€ She opened the box and emptied it over Lilyâ€™s head. Lily glowed for a second and went back to normal. â€œSo, how do you feel?â€

She looked up and swayed from side to side. â€œUm, not very much different. How am I supposed to do Sunny Day?â€

Shonta shrugged. â€œYouâ€™ll know what to do. Thatâ€™s that, I guess.â€ She stood up and walked to the middle of the circular room. â€œThese doors are labeled.â€ She pointed at the door we first went through. â€œThatâ€™s what I get for just going through a door without knowing whatâ€™s behind it.â€

I lowered my head; it was my decision to go to the â€œLava Roomâ€ first. â€œMaybe you should choose the next door,â€ I suggested softly.

<I would rather rest up in my pokeball until you need me again. Which, I bet, wonâ€™t be long at all,> Jewel sent in a bored tone.

Lily ran and checked the doors, finally jumping in front of one. â€œI wanna go through this one! Can we, Tay-Tay?â€

â€œLetâ€™s see. â€˜Jungle Roomâ€™. Sounds nice and non-extreme.â€ She chuckled. â€œOkay, letâ€™s go.â€ She opened the door and let us walk through. We went through a corridor lit with electric lights before coming across an unlocked wooden door. On the other side was another mind-blowing room. All we could see were tropical plants. The walls were painted to look like the tropical plants and the ceiling was painted to look like the sky.

â€œSo cool!â€ we all exclaimed.

Lily took a while to tell us her thoughts. â€œIt looks like home!â€ she said in awe. She immediately bolted down a narrow path that cut through the dense vegetation. The rest of us followed, Trinity in the front, Shonta in the back, and Swoop following us from above.

I heard all sorts of unknown sounds and they slowly got to me. Tales of vicious creatures snatching up poor, helpless sheep Pokemon raced through my mind. I didnâ€™t even pay attention to what was up ahead. â€œAah!â€ I yelled as I fell face first in water.

Shonta crouched in front of me, on the other side of the stream. â€œI tried to tell you. We lost Lily. She mustâ€™ve taken off through the trees.â€

I dragged myself out of the water. â€œIâ€™m staying here!â€ I said. â€œI donâ€™t want to get eaten!â€

Shonta cocked an eyebrow. â€œBeacon, this isnâ€™t Jurassic Park. No one in their right mind would let loose any sheep-eating Pokemon in here.â€

â€œWhee!â€ a voice from upstream cried. Lily came drifting down the stream on a large leaf. â€œYes, just like home! Except the streams were a lot more fun to play in.â€ She jumped off and looked up at Shonta.

â€œLily, next time you decide to go whitewater rafting, tell me,â€ I told her. â€œDid you leave the others behind?â€

â€œI thought they were with you. Oh well, I guess theyâ€™ll find their way back.â€

We turned and started back down the path, finally coming across a clearing. The ground was chalked like the large flat stone in the Lava Room. Sitting in the middle of the clearing was boy about half Shontaâ€™s age. He wore a very simple outfit of a white T-shirt and blue jeans. His neat red hair was tucked in a baseball cap. Sitting with him was a blue spider-like creature that wore something yellow on its head. It glanced at us and squeaked happily. The boy smiled at us. â€œHey there. I guess you finally found this place.â€ He extended a hand to Shonta. â€œThe nameâ€™s Tony.â€

Shonta shook it. â€œMy nameâ€™s Shonta. This is Beacon and Lily. My other Pokemon are kinda lost. Thereâ€™s no threat out there, is there?â€

â€œI canâ€™t say. But the room isnâ€™t that big; theyâ€™ll eventually find a path and come here.â€

â€œWe came for a battle!â€ Lily shouted happily.

Tony chuckled. â€œWell, my Surskit Blue and I can battle you.â€ Blue smiled in agreement.

Shontaâ€™s POV

â€œSo, what are the rules?â€ I asked Tony as we walked to opposite ends of the clearing.

â€œOne-on-one. My Surskit versus your Oddish. You are using your Oddish, right?â€ he asked me.

I looked down as Oddish was humming a tune as she swayed from side to side. Why does she do that? Is she dancing or thinking when she does that? â€œHey Lily! Are you ready?â€ I asked her.

She giggled. â€œOf course I am! Iâ€™ve been ready!â€

â€œWhat about you, girl?â€ Tony asked his Surskit, who also nodded. She and Lily ran to the middle of the clearing. They bowed to each other and took an attack stance (I think).

â€œLet the battle begin!â€ Tony shouted.

L9 Female Oddish vs. L8 Surskit

Lilyâ€™s POV

Blue took a deep breath and shot out a stream of bubbles at me. What kind of attack is this? I stood still.

â€œLily, dodge â€˜em!â€ Shonta commanded.

The bubbles hit me, and they actually hurt! What are these bubbles made out of?

â€œBlue, Quick Attack while that Oddish is stunned!â€ Tony said to the Surskit.

I wobbled in place, my vision a little blurry. Something blue was rushing toward it. â€œWhoa!â€ I yelled as I jumped up, and Blue went right under me.

â€œLily, see if you can do Sunny Day!â€ Shonta told me.

Why? Thereâ€™s no sun in here and weâ€™re in a room! I was too busy trying to dodge all of the bubbles, occasionally shooting a Razor Leaf.

â€œOh boy, itâ€™s a real ballet,â€ Shonta muttered.

I was running all over the place, and those bubbles were making the grass slippery. I took a sharp turn and ended up on my back. Thatâ€™s when I noticed the windows; they were lighting up the place! Now if I could just get upâ€¦

â€œHey Shonta, it looks like your Oddish fell down and canâ€™t get up!â€ Tony joked. â€œNow I can give your Oddish a huge taste of its own power type! Blue, Giga Drain!â€

â€œGiga Drain!?!â€ Beacon and I said together.

â€œIt canâ€™t be! Your Surskit is a Water/Bug type! It canâ€™t do Giga Drain!â€ Shonta shouted in disbelief.

I felt myself get sleepy as specks of my energy left me. I rocked using what strength I had left and finally got back on my feet. Thatâ€™s what I get for not having hands. I still had to stop my energy. I worked my mouth and got a mouthful of poison, which I turned and spit in Blueâ€™s face. Blueâ€™s face was actually purple and gooey until the Toxic absorbed in her skin.

â€œAlright, Lily! Now time to get some of that energy back!â€ Shonta told me.

I absorbed some of Blueâ€™s energy, but it wasnâ€™t much. She was losing some of her energy due to her poisoning. She was shaking from the energy she was losing. â€œI donâ€™t feel so good,â€ she muttered.

I stopped the Absorb attack; there was no need to keep on battling. All I had to do was to wait for the Toxic to zap up the rest of her strength.

â€œBlue, try another Giga Drain!â€ Tony shouted.

â€œStop her with Razor Leaf,â€ Shonta said calmly. I spun around and let out a Razor Leaf, slightly cutting Blueâ€™s cheek. She winced and collapsed, no longer able to battle.

I won and grew to level 10! I guess that means I get a free TM!

Tony picked up Blue and frowned. â€œItâ€™s still getting worse. I should get her to a Center.â€ He started to leave, but Shonta stopped him.

â€œWait! What about your Chikorita?â€ she asked him.

He gasped. â€œOh no! Sheâ€™ll come here looking for me, but Iâ€™ll be gone! Could you look for him and tell him that Iâ€™ll be taking care of Blue?â€

She nodded. â€œBesides, I have to look for Trinity and Swoop.â€ She went down a path with Beacon and I following. Tony carried Blue down another path. At first we heard a lot of Pokemon, but soon all we heard was the sound of the stream. â€œThatâ€™s funny.â€

â€œI donâ€™t like the sound of that,â€ Beacon whimpered. Her nose wrinkled up. â€œI think I caught Trinityâ€™s scent!â€ She ran in front of us and stopped at a bundle of whitish-gold fur: Trinity. She was still and breathing steadily. â€œI think sheâ€™s sleeping. And so is Swoop!â€ She pushed forward a still bird body.

â€œWhy are they sleeping at a time like this?â€ Shonta asked. We sat still for a while I listened to a nice little sound, like whistling. â€œDoes anyone else hear that? It sounds so niceâ€¦â€ She sat down and got still. Soon she was lying down, and so was Beacon. Now that I think of it, I think I was doing that along with themâ€¦

Lady Vulpix

15th May 2004, 05:55 AM

I'm printing Ade's and classy_cat18's posts, so will someone else rate Kris's, please?

Ade, I haven't read yours yet, but whyle I was copy/pasting it I caught a part of it and I have a message for Milly: it was Scott who wrote that, not me. Though thanks for pointing it out, I'll fix it the next time this scenario comes up, if it does come up again.

-=Edit=-

Ok, I've read the battles now. Ade gets... 23 stamps! Though I think Milliardo's jokes get worse when he's trying to impress the audience. But the story was great! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Shonta gets 7 stamps! Some parts were a bit hard to understand, but the overall story was nice, and the ending was surprising. :D Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
And yes, Lily gets a free TM. Just one note: Sunny Day doesn't boost grass-type moves. It only makes Solarbeam faster. And if Lily's planning to evolve into a Vileplume, she'll need to learn Solarbeam as a TM in order to make use of it.

Charizard04621

16th May 2004, 11:52 AM

Angel Blossom: Not too bad. Using "&" in place of "and" got slightly annoying. There were several grammatical errors and awkward usages of vocabulary, but nothing too major. You did the tense shift thing again in a few places. There was a slight problem with repetition in some parts of the story (you'd say the same thing in the next sentence or use the same word over and over) but overall the story was interesting. Take 10 Stamps.

Angel Blossom

17th May 2004, 04:26 PM

Here is a piece I have written. Both battles are rather short compared to my last ones, but I don't think they've lost their quality either way. Truthfully, it was such a challenge to write Petalsâ€™ battle.

Please excuse me from the grammatical errors and the tense shifting, Karin. Somedays I canâ€™t seem to help it, honest. X_x

Ta-da! The pampered Petals and my lovely Aerodactyl will both be battling today in the Blizzard room. The gray hyphens end the Aeroâ€™s POV, while the purple ones end the Oddishâ€™s POV. Enough rambling. Hope you like it!

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â€œOh, itâ€™s cold out there!â€ I said, rubbing my cold arms. I sipped a cup of warm cocoa that Nicole, a trainer, gave to me. Petals nodded, watching me, as she sat on the table. â€œI wonder if Bronx minds the chilly weatherâ€, stated Oddish, looking outside the window.

We were sitting inside of a small cabin in the Blizzard room. Chatter filled the room that was full of trainers and their PokÃ©mon. Some of them had just finished their battle, while the others actually had a battle going on. Looking out the window with Petals, we saw Bronx standing outside. He was enduring the cold weather, although I think it didnâ€™t affect him much. Snow covered his large, scaled feet and his large tail. Some fallen snow sat upon his big head. He had a happy smile on his face, staring at the snow and the ice around him. It seemed funny; a big, bad Aerodactyl having fun in the snow â€“ like a tiny Jigglypuff.

â€œI guess he doesnâ€™t mind!â€ whispered Petals, giggling at the sight. Finishing my cocoa, I smiled with her. I started to feel warmer in the cabin. It was so comfortable! I didnâ€™t want to set foot outside, but I soon had to. Nicole and I had met before, and she said she wanted to battle both Petals and Bronx. I didnâ€™t meet her PokÃ©mon yet, but I knew this would be a bigger challenge than my previous battles.

I began to wonder how Jack and his Mudkip were doing. They wanted a rematch against Petals, but since Petals has grown much since then, I wasnâ€™t too sure of that rematch occurring. Then, Eric and his Phanpy. How were they? Has Eric learned to treat Phanpy with respect? I hoped to find out about them soon.

Now, back to reality â€“ I looked at the trainers around me who were sitting on the tables with their PokÃ©mon. A loud boy played games with an adorable, young Charmander, which was probably his. It was funny how they both had similar features, like their big blue eyes. One very young girl had a Seel who clapped its fins. How cute! Another trainer, who seemed to be in his late 20â€™s, was communicating with someone. He seemed to be commanding an attack â€“ Psybeam. As I watched him, the girl sitting next to him stated, â€œHeâ€™s battling his Kadabra â€“ its psychic powers let it communicate through the walls!â€ I nodded and smiled, interested with the facts.

It was nice to see all of these trainers with their PokÃ©mon. Turning back to see Petals, I realized that she was sitting on the windowsill. She was jumping, most likely eager to run outside with Bronx. They were good friends, those two. An odd pair of friends, but they understood each other. â€œWhat are you doing?â€ I asked, walking up from my seat. The tiny, dark blue Oddish turned itâ€™s head around to the opposite side of where I stood, looking for me. I poked her, giggling. Her small, reddish eyes set upon me, and then she smiled keenly.

â€œLetâ€™s go outside! I bet Bronx is waiting for usâ€, I said, picking her up from the windowsill. Since she suggested it when we were last outside, I put her in my backpack. The leaves on her head popped out of the pocket, not fitting inside. Putting the mug away, I walked down the hall, and then to the wooden door. Unlocking it, I pushed the door open slowly. I expected there to be a blizzard or something, like before.

As I got outside of the cabin, I looked around, confused. To my surprise, there wasnâ€™t a breeze around. All there was in the Blizzard room was piles of snow and chilly temperatures. The snow that was falling before I went inside the cabin had stopped. Relieved, I pulled Petals out of my backpack and held her instead. As I walked, my feet fell deeper and deeper into the cold, virgin snow. If my feet sank in the snow, I knew that the poor little Oddish would completely disappear in there.

A few steps away were Nicole and Bronx. Nicole was sitting besides Bronx, waiting for me. Bronx had caught sight of me and smiled as he shook off the snow on his head. â€œHey!â€ yelled Nicole, rising to her feet. She was sort of tomboyish in the way she acted and dressed, but I didnâ€™t mind at all. I waved at her, yelling back. â€œAre we going to battle or what?â€ she said, laughing, â€œWhat took you so long?â€

I shrugged, walking closer towards her and Bronx. â€œJust wanted some cocoa!â€ I said, giggling. She smiled, walking towards the battle arena. I walked with her. â€œSo thisâ€™ll be a 2 on 2! Interesting, no?â€ she stated, pulling out a PokÃ©ball. I nodded. Thinking, I decided to use Bronx as my first battler. I whistled to him loudly, catching his attention. I pointed at an icy area, which seemed to once be a small body of water. Lifting his massive wings, he quickly flew to where I pointed. â€œIâ€™ll use Bronx first, Nicole.â€ I confirmed, watching Bronx. His large feet clawed into the icy surface. He flapped his strong wings, warming up for the battle.

â€œHmmmâ€, whispered Nicole, tossing her PokÃ©ball around like a juggler.

â€œWell, in that case, I know who Iâ€™ll use! Go, Slowpoke!â€

Turning his head around, Bronx stared at Nicole oddly.

Â¤ Bronx the Aerodactylâ€™s POV Â¤

Is this trainer serious? I shook my head in disbelief. Slowpoke? Hmmm, shouldnâ€™t be hard. After all, what could a big Aero like me not be able to handle? Nicoleâ€™s PokÃ©ball opened with a red flash, revealing the Slowpoke. Its large, puzzled eyes stared at me. Slowly, it made a noise.

â€œSlooow.. Poke.â€

Huh? Whatever, itâ€™s a Slowpoke. I stretched out my wings widely. I was ready to intimidate the little fellow.

Â¤ ~ PokÃ©mon Battle! Bronx the Lv. 15 Aerodactyl (M) vs. the Lv. 15 Slowpoke (M) ~ Â¤

â€œKris, this is my battle,â€ I said, turning my head to her, â€œI can handle it.â€ She nodded in agreement. I was glad to know that she could trust my instinct. I lifted myself up to the air, beating my wings slowly. Her Slowpoke watched me as I circled him above in the air.

This should be easy , I thought to myself. There wasnâ€™t anything to study about this species â€“ theyâ€™re slow but can sometimes be powerful. I knew to be careful of its psychic abilities, which could be harmful. Quickly, I lunged at the Slowpoke, headfirst. I used an aerial tackle to start off the battle. I swooped down, flying just inches above the ice. Startled, all the Slowpoke did was look around. He was far too slow to evade my first attack, obviously. Striking the Slowpoke, he fell backwards. I flew back up into the air, looking at my opponent in the corner of my eye.

Nicole gasped, also startled with my first attack. â€œSlowpoke!â€ she yelled, worried. â€œDonâ€™t be afraid to use an attack too!â€

Lifting himself back to his four feet, Slowpoke stared at me, showing a somewhat angry expression in his eyes. Slowly, he began to take in the water in his body for an attack â€“ Water Gun, probably. He held it all inside of his large mouth. He then spat out not one, but three blasts of water in my direction. I tried to evade them by using my wings as shields, which worked for the first shot. As for the other two, it was useless. He hit me with an effective water gun twice in a row. I fell a few feet, but I didnâ€™t let myself crash down to the ice. I growled loudly, shaking my head in frustration.

We were both exhausted, but I knew the battle wasnâ€™t anywhere near to being over. Regaining my strength, I flew up, higher into the air. My enormous wings beat into the frosty air. I knew that a Wing Attack would be great to use against this tiny fellow, so I prepared myself.

Slowpoke was obviously feeling high and mighty after his attacks. He wasnâ€™t aware of my upcoming aerial attack. Wait â€˜til he sees me , I thought, grinning with my large teeth. Beating my wings harder, I lunged down straight to Slowpoke. I held my wings back until I got close enough to him.

Opening his eyes, the now wide-eyed Slowpoke caught sight of me. Pulling my right wing back, I first hit him harshly with my left wing. Startled, the tiny Slowpoke flew up into the air. Now, when he came back down, I knew just what to do. I slammed my tremendous right wing into his body, sending him into a big pile of snow.

His big, pink head was stuck in the small hill of snow momentarily. I sniggered, finding much hilarity in his situation.

Pulling out his head from the snow, Slowpoke gasped for air. He shook his body, annoyed with what I had done to him. â€œHaha!â€ I said, placing my feet on the ice. No more aerial attacks for him.

â€œGah!â€ whined Nicole, frustrated. â€œSlowpoke â€“ Ice Beam!â€

Ack â€“ thatâ€™s a powerful attack. I had to use quick reflexes now. But since this move consisted of Slowpoke preparing his energy, there was a way to evade the attack and win. I chomped my teeth for no reason, wondering what to do..

Aha! I knew what to do.

As the Slowpoke drained in his energy for the icy attack, I sneaked around him. He watched me closely, so I had to wait until he unleashed the Ice Beam. Opening his mouth wide, a shiny blue light glared inside. It grew larger and larger, bearing off a cold feeling.

Ready to launch his attack, Slowpoke sent out the large, icy beam in my direction. Quicker than light, I evaded the attack, and then jumped behind him. Before he had the chance to turn, I grabbed onto his tail with my jaws, using a Bite attack. Pulling the alarmed Slowpoke from his tail and off of the ice, I pulled him back. Vigorously, I smashed his body back to the ice. Letting go, I flew backwards, away from him.

I observed the Slowpoke. Not one movement came from him. He laid there, still.

Nicole gasped. â€œReturn!â€ she commanded, pulling out her PokÃ©ball. Seconds after, the red glare from her PokÃ©ball returned the fainted Slowpoke. I was the victorious battler in this match. As I grinned, Nicole called our first match to an end.

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

Bronx the Lv. 15 Aerodactyl wins!
Bronx the Aerodactyl grew to Lv. 17!

â€œWow, thatâ€™s an incredibly strong Aerodactyl you have there!â€ exclaimed Nicole, clapping. â€œVery nice.â€

I cheered for Bronx, happy for his victory. Maybe he had an easy opponent, but it was still a great battle. He flew up to where I stood. He was worn out from the battle, but he still had the strength to smile. I gave the large PokÃ©mon a hug, joyful for his might and determination.

Petals congratulated him. Knowing that it was her turn, she skipped down to the icy area. She held on tight to the Four Leaf Clover she had, which was amusingly sitting among the leaves on her head. Her tiny body stood on the cool ice. She shivered a little bit, but tried to stay fine.

â€œBut now Iâ€™m going to have to give you a bit more of a challenge!â€ said Nicole, pulling out another PokÃ©ball.

She tossed it, revealing.. a Metang? Bronx and I gasped.

Itâ€™s large, built body moved onto the ice.

Â¤ Petals the Oddishâ€™s POV Â¤

Metang?! Oh, gosh. That PokÃ©mon could barely be effected by my attacks. I looked back at Kris, feeling quite anxious. I thought Iâ€™d have an easy opponent, like Bronx, but I guess it was the complete opposite of my assumptions.

â€œDonâ€™t worry about it, Kris!â€ yelled Nicole, who realized that the match-up wasnâ€™t an easy one for us. â€œI wonâ€™t use any super-effective moves.â€

Â¤ ~ PokÃ©mon Battle! Petals the Lv. 16 Oddish vs. the Lv. 25 Metang ~ Â¤

Banging his massive arms onto the ice, the Metang showed he was sure of a victory. Maybe itâ€™ll be hard, but Iâ€™m not going to let this guy beat me too easily.

I knew that the only way to have a chance in this battle was to be optimistic. Sure, he was a tremendously sized PokÃ©mon with.. with barely any weakness to me.. but what was there to worry about? I had an idea to start off the battle â€“ well, after his first attack. Maybe it wouldnâ€™t be very effective, but it would train his energy to replace mine.

Banging his colossal arms on the ice, he made cracks along the surface. He swung his claw to my body, using a Metal Claw attack. He hit me swiftly, sending my body farther away from him. I slid across the ice, farther and farther from my opponent, then came to a stop.

I shook it off, continuing the battle. Luckily, my item brought my defense up. Standing up on my two feet, I showed the Metang that I wasnâ€™t going to let him lose. Frustrated to see that I was still fine, he charged towards me.

Coming closer, he used his large arms to move him around. Once again, he tried his Metal Claw attack. His scary claws lunged down at me. I watched them move fiercely, ready to pierce into me. I wouldnâ€™t let him get me so effortlessly. Quickly, I dodged the attack. Instead of hitting me, he slammed his right claw into the ice. Jammed in the solid ice, the Metang showed much frustration. He growled at me; his red eyes shone with anger.

â€œMetang!â€ called out Nicole, trying to instruct him during the battle. Maybe her battlers had decided on listening to her throughout the battle. However, the stubborn Metang decided to ignore his trainer and take the battle into his own hands. He did turn to face Nicole, though. His back was facing me. He did seem unaware of my potential, so I decided to show him how strong a little Oddish like I could be. Here was my chance.

I launched a few seeds from the top of my head in his direction. They lifted up into the air as the wind began to blow. They drifted with the cool breeze, carrying themselves onto his body. Then, the seeds placed themselves on his robust arms.

The Metang caught sight of my attack and tried to shake them off. He shook his arms around, but nothing happened to the seeds. They implanted themselves in him, draining some of his energy. Suddenly, the energy the seeds drained replenished my health. Feeling stronger, I smirked, ready to fight.

Growling, the Metang lunged at me. His large body crashed down in my direction. It was most likely big enough to wipe me out, so I slid across from where he would land, evading his body slam. Brutally, the Metang collided with the ice. A crackling noise filled the room. Where he had landed, large cracks began to form. It wasnâ€™t enough to completely crack the ice, but the thought of how I couldâ€™ve been hit by that piercing attack frightened me.

Seeming VERY aggravated now, the Metang roared angrily. He beat his fists on the ice. I took a few steps away from him, very scared of his psychotic attitude. I knew I was probably wide-eyed, heh. As Nicole tried to speak to him, he snapped at her. Growling at his very own trainer, the Metang charged at me.

â€œMETANG!â€ yelled Nicole, who was extremely angry with her PokÃ©mon. Stopping in his steps, the large PokÃ©mon turned around to face his trainer. What a wimp , I thought to myself.

â€œYou are going to use Explosion and you are going to like it.â€
Huh? Explosion?

The Metang stared at her as if she were crazy. Erm, I think heâ€™s a little bit confused on that subject.

â€œDO ITâ€, commanded Nicole. Kris and Bronx watched from afar. I could see them â€“ they were holding in their laughter.

Was he really going to obey her? Explosion could not only make him faint, but it could make me faint first, making me the loser. Either I could do my best to miraculously evade the attack, or I could try to hang in there.

I watched the Metang, waiting for his response.

Obviously, he had no choice. He obeyed Nicole, preparing a massive Explosion. Cautiously, I took a few steps away, observing the speed of his preparation of the attack.

Metang began to glow red, storing the energy inside before he could attack. I knew that I should run far from him, so I wouldnâ€™t be affected as badly. As I was running away from Metang, I tripped over my own foot. Sliding down the ice, I heard the massive explosion rumble. It expanded, moving quickly in my direction. Red flames and black clouds of smoke filled the air, melting the ice behind me. Having no choice, I jumped into a pile of snow straight ahead of me.

But the attack had hit where I hid too.

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

Nicole and I gasped. We leaped from our feet, realizing that the explosion made Metang faint. But did Petals faint, too? Anxiously, we were looking for Petals. As the smoke cleared up, Bronx saw a small object that stood out in the snow.

â€œLook, there! Itâ€™s a patch of grass!â€ He yelled.

I looked at it, realizing what it was. â€œNo â€“ thatâ€™s Petals!â€ I said, rolling my eyes at the silly misjudgment. Nervously, I ran up to her. Nicole quickly returned Metang to his PokÃ©ball, and then followed after me. Digging her out, I picked up Petals. She had a horrified expression on her face â€“ but she didnâ€™t faint!

Petals the Lv. 16 Oddish wins!
Petals the Oddish grew to Lv. 18! Petals learns Sleep Powder!

â€œSomeone up there must like me a whole awful lotâ€, said Petals, awed at the fact that she had won. I was terribly surprised too, but I was proud. I wouldnâ€™t forget about this great battle. She was weary since the Explosion did affect her. She barely had any energy left. I clutched the fatigued Oddish tight in my arms.

â€œWow, great battle!â€ said Nicole, who was very humble with the fact that she had lost. She put her PokÃ©balls away. â€œThat Oddish of yours had a lot of determination, and your Aerodactyl is way strong!â€

She smiled, giving me a thumbs-up. I smiled back, very proud of our achievements. â€œI donâ€™t know what Iâ€™d do without these guys, Nicoleâ€, I said as I hugged both Petals and Bronx. They both smiled back at me, giggling happily.

â€œHey, I better go heal these guys. Iâ€™ll catch up with you at the cabin later!â€ I nodded, waving to her. It was nice to battle with someone who took a loss lightly for a change.

â€œIâ€™ll be a Bellossom in no time!â€ cheered Petals, talking to Bronx and I. The large Aerodactyl smiled proudly for her. He and I both knew how much she wanted this â€“ she talked about it everyday. I was blissful to know that Petals was closer to her goal. She had been waiting to evolve ever since I had adopted her.

Now sheâ€™s very close to fulfilling her lifelong ambition, and Iâ€™m going to get her there â€“ without a doubt.

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

Syberia

17th May 2004, 08:11 PM

<Kyleâ€™s POV>

I was immediately blinded by a flash of white as I timidly opened my eyes to look upon my new surroundings. In a few seconds, the bright haze went away, and I was able to look around the room. A curtain separated me from most of it, hanging down from a circular metal rail surrounding my bed about halfway up the whitewashed, spotless wall. Thatâ€™s another thing â€“ I found myself laying in some sort of bed. The mattress wasnâ€™t at all comfortable, feeling instead like a stone tablet beneath my weight.

A sharp pain radiated its way up my arm as I tried to roll over, but it didnâ€™t seem to matter. Groggily, I sat up and noticed for the first time that my whole body ached all over. My mind wandered back to the previous nightâ€¦ I thought I had dreamt something about Team Rocket, getting beat up by a Squirtle, then taking a ride in a helicopter. Judging by the way I felt, at least the beating at the hands of an aquatic turtle appeared to have actually happened. I was too out of it to think anymore about that right now. Whatever drugs they had given me throughout the night seemed to be doing their job. Closing my eyes once more, I collapsed back upon the bed, shutting my eyes and letting sleep take me once more.

<Pippinâ€™s POV>

The doctor led me into a strange room of the hospital filled with several pokemon, many of them playing together on the floor in the center, as a few of their trainers watched from sofas around the edges. I didnâ€™t know any of them, though I had only been a part of the Dragon Tamers for a month now, so what could I expect?

I was feeling much better than I had last night, and I recalled the events that took place at the airport all too well. The last thing I remembered was the body of my trainer sprawled out in the back of a helicopter, wrapped in a space blanket, his face crusted with blood. I frantically glanced over the crowd of trainers once more, but no luck. â€œWhat happened to Kyle?â€ I wondered aloud.

â€œWho?â€ an older-looking Bellossom approached me, her arm bandaged in a sling and her expression that of a reassuring smile.

â€œYou know, my trainer. The one â€“ with the Squirtle â€“ at the airport. Kyle.â€ It was obvious that I wasnâ€™t making any sense to her, but what else could I say? I was too worried to think straight.

â€œCalm down,â€ she told me in that same reassuring tone, â€œDid you come here with him?â€

â€œI donâ€™t know. I mean, I think so. They took us both on the helicopter, he was hurt pretty bad.â€

â€œItâ€™s gonna be alright. I think they took him downstairs for the night.â€

â€œIs heâ€“?â€ I didnâ€™t want to say the word, but it was all I could think about.

â€œNo, no,â€ the Bellossom said with a laugh, â€œThat means heâ€™s recovering quite nicely. Theyâ€™ll probably let him go this afternoon.â€

â€œCan I see him?â€

â€œWell, they donâ€™t normally let pokemon down there, but Iâ€™m sure heâ€™ll come up here and visit you when heâ€™s feeling better.â€

â€œPlease?â€

â€œI suppose itâ€™s worth a shot,â€ she conceded, â€œIâ€™ll come with you.â€ The two of us, Bellossom leading the way, headed out the door, left through the deserted hallway, and down two flights of stairs to the ground floor.

â€œWhat are you two doing down here?â€ I froze, turning around slowly only after Bellossom had already done so.

â€œHe wants to check on his trainer,â€ she explained to the old man whose voice had terrified me only moments before.

â€œWell, why didnâ€™t you just say so?â€ he asked, and I didnâ€™t have an answer. I felt myself being picked up by his large hands, worn soft as leather by years of use. I waved goodbye to the Bellossom as the man carried me into another large room, lined along the walls with curtained-off beds, with large paneled windows facing the road on one side.

Almost all the beds were empty, though. Everyone who could stand seemed to be huddling together in the center like some large congregation, staring with rapt attention at a small television mounted high in the corner. Among them was one whose face I would know anywhere.

<Kyleâ€™s POV>

A loud commotion outside broke my drugged trance once more. I tried to sit up again, and this time, to my own surprise, I didnâ€™t feel nearly as dizzy. People stared upwards beyond the curtain, focused upwards on the roomâ€™s only television hung from the ceiling; their words were lost in the sea of a hundred voices all speaking at once. What was happening out there?

The nausea still did not return as I took a few timid steps forward, pushing the green shroud aside and staring upward. On the screen was a middle-aged reporter, standing in front of the rocky debris of a collapsed structure. Planes stood grounded behind him, and I immediately recognized the place as the airport I could have easily died in the night before.

â€œAs you all know,â€ the man continued in a matter-of-fact tone, â€œthe attacks of Team Rocket over the last few days have brought with them a wave of mass hysteria. It would appear, however,â€ he paused, â€œthat they have vanished from Ulthuan almost overnight. Police are, of course, working day and night on the case trying to track them down, but so far have had no success. In the meantime, I suggest you all return to business as usual. At least the weather will be nice, when we return after a few messages from our sponsors.â€

I never got the chance to hear those few commercials. A sharp force knocked me to the ground on my side, hard. I didnâ€™t even see it coming, and a soft, wet tongue now licked my face affectionately. A quick glance upwards told me it belonged to my Bulbasaur, Pippin. â€œYouâ€™ve got to find a better way to get my attention,â€ I reprimanded him sarcastically with a laugh.

My cell phone rang barely before I could get back to my feet. Pulling it out of my pocket I answered, â€œHello?â€

â€œHey,â€ the familiar voice of my friend Tom (EngiMatikul) answered, â€œwhatâ€™s up?â€

â€œNot much. Did you hear Team Rocketâ€™s gone?â€

â€œYeah, they just showed it on the news. So whatâ€™re we gonna do now that the funâ€™s over?â€

â€œWell, I heard the Unicorn Games were coming up,â€ I explained, â€œand I thought Iâ€™d enter them. What about you?â€

â€œNah, Iâ€™ll pass. That stuffâ€™s just not for me.â€

â€œWanna come and train with me anyways?â€

â€œHmm, I guess so. Iâ€™ve got a couple of new pokemon that could use some work.â€

â€œCool. See you at the stadium in a couple of minutes.â€ I hung up the phone and headed out through the double glass doors, Pippin following close behind. I released Strider upon the freshly cut lawn in front of the building, and the Aerodactyl emerged from his pokeball with a shrill cry and a fierce flap of his wings.

â€œDonâ€™t worry, I trained him. Heâ€™s not gonna hurt you,â€ I comfort Pippin, who froze behind my feet in terror. I climbed up the scaly tail onto Striderâ€™s broad back, but my Bulbasaur wouldnâ€™t take another step in his direction. â€œIf you insist,â€ I told him, taking hold of his empty pokeball, â€œyou probably wouldnâ€™t like flying either.â€ He disappeared up into the device in a beam of red, Strider beat his mighty wings hard against the serene morning air, and the two of us began to rise above the ground.

Wind whipped against my face as the cityâ€™s familiar landscape fell away and white fluffy clouds drew ever closer above. This was nothing like my ride in that police helicopter. I felt completely free as the air grew suddenly chilly. For a split-second my world turned completely upside-down; I was left clutching tightly around the slick neck of my pokemon to keep myself from falling to my death. A second later we were right-side-up again, and my Aerodactyl seemed to be rather enjoying himself.

â€œHey, what was that for?â€ I asked sarcastically, not expecting an answer.

â€œJust keeping you on your toes.â€

â€œYouâ€™ve certainly had your fun,â€ I respond in the same tone, pointing at a large open-air colosseum, â€œthereâ€™s the stadium.â€ My grip tightened as he began to circle slowly down, landing gracefully for a bird his size in the half-empty parking lot. I recalled him with a blaze of red as I approached the front steps where Tom was already waiting.

â€œWhat took you so long?â€ he asked with a smirk, â€œyou new to flying?â€

â€œI would have driven, except one of those damn Rockets jacked my car. If Strider hadnâ€™t played around so much, I mightâ€™ve gotten here quicker.â€

â€œStrider?â€

â€œAerodactyl,â€ I answered him plainly.

â€œYouâ€™ll get used to it. All pokemon enjoy flying, and they just like to have a little fun here and there. Striderâ€™s not gonna let you get hurt.â€

â€œIt sure didnâ€™t seem that way to me,â€ I muttered under my breath.

â€œYouâ€™ll learn that soon enough.â€

â€œMaybe,â€ I respond skeptically, â€œcome on. Letâ€™s go.â€

As we entered through the set of open doors, I took a look around. Never in my life had I seen this many trainers all in one place before. Several battle-hardened pokemon walked in their midst, traveling here and there while country (ugh) music played across a loud speaker amid various messages from the stadium staff.

The training arenas were built along the outer wall as I walked around the full length of the concourse surrounding the stadium itself, in which, I gathered from the frequent announcements and video feed to large screens along virtually every wall, a battle was going on presently between a Gengar and Steelix. As I watched one of the displays, the iron snake appeared to levitate against its will â€“ hah, the ghost had it exactly where he wanted it. His flaming fist scorched across the titanâ€™s steel jaws, and it landed with a crash back onto the hard dirt. I decided I might watch some more of that battle later, but for now I wanted to get some training in.

A sign above me read â€œJungleâ€ and pointed to the left. Posted above a single, stone-gray metal door was a sign that read â€œYou may battle up to two pokemon in this area. Please be courteous; leave some for other trainers. Good luck, and have fun.â€

â€œThis one looks interesting,â€ I thought aloud to Tom, who still had his gaze fixed on the monitor displaying what was going on in the main stadium, â€œI think Iâ€™ll try my luck here.â€

Just as I turned to walk through the doorway, I felt his hand on my shoulder. â€œWait,â€ he called, â€œtake this. Iâ€™ve been meaning to give it to you ever since you beat Dian at the Battle Tower. Use it well.â€ He deposited a small leather pouch into my hand, which revealed its shiny green contents through a small hole in its loose binding**.

â€œThanks,â€ I said to the air in front of me; he was already gone.

â€œIâ€™m gonna go check out the rest of this place,â€ he called back through the crowd, â€œgood luck in there!â€

Swinging the door wide out of my way, I stepped into what seemed like a completely new world. Lush green ivy covered the brick walls of a few feet of a narrow corridor before opening into a dense rainforest. My feet crunched and sank into the layer of wet leaves covering the ground while a thick mist, like steam, began to saturate my clothes with moisture. The ceilingâ€™s glass panels created a greenhouse effect, locking the sunâ€™s warmth below and causing me to break out in a light sweat.

I had decided exactly who I wanted to train first. My two Grass pokemon, Pippin and Chrysanthemum, greeted me out of a blinding double flash as I released them. I had a nice little surprise in store for the latter, and what better time to give it to her than now? Withdrawing the Leaf Stone from its pouch, I pressed it against her forehead ever so slightly. The magic powers it contained did the rest, and as I jumped back, the many eggs which had previously formed her body had fused into a single trunk, sprouting three coconut heads among a bouquet of frawns and palms. â€œHave at it, you two,â€ I instructed the both of them, and they quickly disappeared into the dense undergrowth.

<Pippinâ€™s POV>

Low-lying branches and leaves stung my face as I ran, towards what I did not know. No path led through the twisting and winding maze of trees; small critters crawled and slithered over my feet if I stopped and tried to find my way. The room wasnâ€™t all that big, but all these other things made it seem like I had ventured deep into the Amazon itself.

Water gurgled as it flowed quickly over stream-polished rocks in a grassy clearing, barely visible through the ferns in front of me. I dashed towards it, spying a flash of blue movement skittering across the surface. As I closed in, it resolved itself into the shape of a Surskit, suspended over the waterâ€™s surface on its long, spindly legs.

I issued my challenge in the form of a low roar. His response knocked me off my feet â€“ literally. A stream of water, powerful as a firehose, bruised my chest and sent my flying a couple of feet back into a rather soft bush. This already didnâ€™t look too good.

Shards of ice bit into the bush around me before I could react, but thankfully they were poorly aimed. The brunt of the attack was absorbed by the leaves in front of me, which cracked and broke into a frozen white powder as I leapt through them. My counterattack caught my foe off-guard as a flurry of seeds scattered around him, their creeping tendrils wrapping themselves tightly around his body, constricting his movement and using his own energy to grow even tighter.

His movement consisted solely of desperate, jerky struggles to free himself as I shelled him with exploding balls of black sticky goo. A thick froth lined the surface of the creek, swept away in its current as droplets of the sludge burned their way through the vines surrounding their target. The bug began to shriek as they reached his skin, then to hiss in pain and anguish.

What happened then, no one could have predicted. Purple lightning sparked from the still-steaming mass before exploding outward. A wave of darkness washed over everything as a black wind bit into my soul. My eyes watered; it was as if my whole body was both on fire and encased in a block of solid ice at the same time.

Slowly, the nightmare before me faded. My beautiful parasitic plants were completely gone, obliterated instantly by that spectacle of darkness. Yet somehow, miraculously, my opponent remained, just as full of fight and vigor as before, with only a couple of scars to show for that whole ordeal.

Still wondering exactly what had just happened, I noticed everything suddenly grow faint; a cool mist separated me from reality. I became dimly aware of a faint rustling behind me, but not until something struck me hard in the back did I know what I had heard.

Without thinking, I fired off another poisonous blob from the bulb on my back, striking my opponent point-blank in the eyes. Before he could do so much as move, leeching tendrils had him wrapped up once more in a cocoon of foliage. A powerful head-butt sent him flying over the forestâ€™s canopy â€“ where he finally landed I can only guess.

Pippin has won!
Pippin grew to level 9!

<Chrysanthemumâ€™s POV>

I took off in a much different direction than my counterpart in this little exercise. My newly-evolved legs crushed the dense undergrowth under every step as I lumbered along. I had not long to wait before my own opponent showed itself â€“ a small green Chikorita, though not to be underestimated, thatâ€™s for sure. I wasnâ€™t about to let it have the first move.

The tree in which it made its home was reduced to a splintered stick poking out of the ground by wave after wave of exploding black eggs, but when the flurry of fluttering leaves subsided, my opponent was completely unharmed, shielding itself with some sort of pink barrier. Two can play at that game. I erected my own forcefield just in time to watch a blob of toxic goo splatter off of it and land with a steaming hiss on the ground.

Standing my ground as he advanced on me, head lowered in an charging position, I grabbed him at the last possible moment with my mind and sent him, struggling against the invisible bonds that held him, crashing through what remained of his tree. His resolve, however, did not cease to amaze me.

His whipping vines caught me off guard, wrapping themselves around my legs and wrestling me to the ground as I tried to hypnotize him into a deep slumber, but my eye contact was broken as I hit the ground with a loud thud. Without warning, the ground began to spit forth rocks all around me, some glancing off my thick bark and others leaving rather painful bruises on my extremities. That wouldnâ€™t do at all.

All I could do was grit my teeth and erect another weak shield to protect me from most of it until the barrage ended. I couldnâ€™t quite get back to my feet, as I was in a rather awkward position and still getting used to my new legs, but alas I managed to levitate back to an upright position using my mind. A pretty neat trick, I might add.

My foe squealed as he involuntarily lifted off the ground and slammed hard into another tree. I wasted no time wrapping him up in a thick and rapidly growing layer of vines and blasting him with another round of explosive eggs. He got up weakly, then collapsed back into a defeated heap.

Chrysanthemum has won!
Chrysanthemum grew to level 14!
Chrysanthemum learned Leech Seed!

<Kyleâ€™s POV>

I contemplated the utter quietness of the jungle. Nothing but the rock I had chose to sit on and the cool mist splashing against my face kept me company. I waitedâ€¦ surely theyâ€™d be back soon.

No sooner had I said that than a rustling in the bushes caught my eye. Moments later Pippin stuck his small blue head into the clearing, and a second later he was sitting beside me.

â€œHowâ€™d it go?â€ I asked him, but even before he could answer I knew that he had done well.

Chrysanthemum came lumbering along not far behind, her new body served her quite well. Aside from a few bruises and scrapes here and there, she appeared to be all in once piece. â€œTwo down,â€ I thought to myself as I recalled the two and stepped back into the rushing crowd of people, leaving the jungle room behind for now.

** I did not just make up an item. EngiMatikul gave me the Leaf Stone at the Battle Tower for defeating his Volbeat a week ago.

classy_cat18

17th May 2004, 11:00 PM

This is the first part of my Pond Room Scenario. Also, I made a little mistake with Swoop's moves. I thought she knew Tackle when it was actually Peck. *cringes* Please don't hurt me!

Shontaâ€™s POV

â€œSorry about that. Green likes to play tricks on people,â€ Tony told me as I walked out of the Jungle Room. The Chikorita next to him snickered.

â€œWait a secâ€¦you named your Chikorita Green?â€ I asked. â€œYou couldnâ€™t come up with a better name?â€

â€œHe was the one that chose the name! He also named Blue.â€ He picked up Green. â€œAnyway, I wonâ€™t be doing anything until Blue fully recovers from the poison, so Iâ€™ll just stay here for a while. Which room are you going to next?â€

I looked back at the doors; the ones we hadnâ€™t gone through were the Pond Room, the Desert Room, and the Blizzard Room. The last thing I wanted to do was freeze my butt off. â€œI guess the Pond Room.â€

â€œYou should have a Water Pokemon for that,â€ he advised. â€œFlying Pokemon would also do well there.â€

â€œThanks. I have one of each.â€ I went through the Pond Room door and immediately entered the room. It wasnâ€™t called the Pond Room for nothing; it was basically just a large pond and a small platform for the trainers. The other trainer was already on the platform, sitting down. â€œExcuse me! Iâ€™m here for a match!â€ I yelled to the other trainer.

The other trainer, a girl with a long blonde ponytail and a jean skirt with a white blouse, stood up and smirked. â€œSo youâ€™re here for a match with little olâ€™ me?â€ she asked with mock innocence and a Southern belle accent.

â€œYeah! Two-on-two!â€ I started to throw Swoopâ€™s pokeball and then stopped. She got put to sleep by that Grasswhistle. What if sheâ€™s still asleep? I decided to just open it so she would be on the platform with me. She was awakeâ€¦barely. â€œYou feel like battling?â€ I asked her.

She yawned. â€œI guess so. Just give me a few minutes.â€ She flapped her wings while standing on the platform.

â€œI donâ€™t have all day! Totodile, go!â€ the trainer yelled. She threw a Lure Ball, and light exploded on the surface of the water. The Totodile bobbed in the water and growled.

â€œJust give us a few seconds,â€ I told it.

â€œI donâ€™t have a few seconds!â€ Totodile screamed.

â€œSwoop?â€ I whispered. She was fast asleep.

I watched him dive underwater. This water is so clear! I can see all the way to the bottom! Hey, whatâ€™s he doing? He opened his mouth, probably to scream his head off. The next thing I knew, my platform shook violently and I was on my butt. The other trainer was hanging onto the bars.

Swoop awoke suddenly and puffed her feathers. â€œWhat in the world was that?â€ she shrieked.

â€œMy precious Totodile has a powerful voice,â€ the other trainer explained with a smug voice. â€œHis Water Pulse can tear your platform apart! Now feel the wrath of Dixie and company!â€ She tilted her head back and cackled wickedly. â€œDo not mess with the South!â€

Oh brother. I bet sheâ€™s not even from the South. More like the West. The Wicked Witch of the West. I pulled myself up on shaking legs.

Swoop hopped on the railing. â€œBring it on!â€ she shouted.

L8 Female Taillow (Swoop) vs. L8 Totodile

â€œWait for it, Swoop. You canâ€™t do anything while heâ€™s underwater,â€ I told her. She hovered above the water while Totodile just floated in the water. I started to get bored and leaned on the railing. Little fish swam among the aquatic plants. A Goldeen actually swam right beneath my platform. I leaned forward to get a closer look.

Dixie lifted her right arm to the side and smirked. I looked down to see Totodile screaming again. The platform shook again, and this time I nearly flipped over the railing. â€œUm, quit stalling, darlinâ€™,â€ Dixie growled.

I crossed my arms. â€œWhy donâ€™t you have Totodile attack my Taillow instead?â€ I asked with anger rising in my voice.

â€œGood idea.â€ She lifted a pointer finger to the sky. Totodile looked at her from underwater and dove even further. Swoop hovered high over the surface of the water and watched Totodile pick up speed and shoot out of the water.

â€œItâ€™s airborne!â€ Swoop said in awe, looking up at him.

â€œTotodile, Iron Tail!â€ Dixie commanded.

I was frozen as Totodileâ€™s tail glowed and he started to do a forward flip. â€œSwoop, um, umâ€¦Counter!â€ Swoopâ€™s body was surrounded by an aura, and Totodile was thrown back in the water. That was close. This Totodile is stacked with technically learned moves, making it very unpredictable.

â€œWhat should I do now, Shonta?â€ Swoop asked me. She was hovering in place again.

â€œWeâ€™ll have to wait until he comes out of the water to attack,â€ I told her.

â€œTotodile, HYDRO PUMP!!!â€ Dixie shrieked. A blast of water bursted out of the pond and grazed Swoopâ€™s wing. A little bird fact: songbirdsâ€™ feathers arenâ€™t waterproof.

â€œSwoop! Can you still fly?â€ I asked her frantically, practically lying on the railing.

She was struggling just to stay airborne. â€œI just need to air-dry it. Ow!â€ She sunk a lot lower, to the point that she almost hit the water. The force of the Hydro Pump probably broke it. She started to fly over to the railing. â€œJust give me a second.â€

â€œNo. Iâ€™m throwing in the towel!â€ I told her.

â€œIâ€™m fine!â€ Swoop yelled. She flapped her injured wing, wincing from the pain.

â€œIt seems that your little Taillow is ready to become croc chow,â€ Dixie sneered. â€œTotodile, put the little birdie out of its misery with another Iron Tail.â€

Oh man. I canâ€™t help her! I canâ€™t even swim! I plopped down on the platform.

Totodile was already up and above the struggling Swoop, its tail glowing. This is it! I turned my head away.

â€œHa!â€ Swoop crowed. I opened my eyes in time to see Totodile missing her and crashing back into the water.

â€œWhat?â€ Dixie and I said together.

â€œYou all were SO fooled! I tucked in my wing right before the Hydro Pump hit!â€ Swoop said. She did a Dixie-style laugh as she hovered.

â€œYou dare trick us?â€ Dixie growled.

Swoop turned her back to Dixie. â€œBite my feathery butt.â€

Dixie let out a scream loud enough to make my ears ring. â€œHydro Pump, Totodile! Shoot that winged rat out of the sky!â€

Winged rat!?! â€œSwoop, in front of you!â€ I told her as a column of water shot at Swoop, who backed up.

â€œBehind you!â€ Another Hydro Pump was aimed at her tail feathers.

â€œRight under you!â€ I yelled. Swoop did a barrel roll.

Dixie was going crazy at this point, pulling at her ponytail and screaming in anger. Totodileâ€™s head was out of the water, and he looked the same as Dixie. â€œIâ€™ll get you!â€ Totodile yelled, shaking a fist at Swoop. The Taillow swooped in and pecked Totodile on the head. â€œStop it!â€ He swung his claws at her but missed, giving her an opportunity to peck him again. â€œStop doing that!â€ He went underwater again and jumped at her. Taillow Quick Attacked him head on.

â€œWould you tell your Taillow to stop harassing my Totodile?â€ Dixie asked me.

â€œLet me thinkâ€¦no.â€

â€œThen sheâ€™s going to get it! Totodile, one more Iron Tail!â€

I rolled my eyes. â€œYou donâ€™t want to do that,â€ I warned as I watched Totodile jump out of the water again.

â€œTime for a Counter attack,â€ Taillow groaned. Another red aura surrounded her body, and Totodile was repelled from her. He belly flopped in the waterâ€¦hard, and sunk in the water with a groan. â€œYouâ€¦areâ€¦out of here.â€

Swoop won and grew to level 9!

I smirked at Dixie as she glared at me and returned her Totodile. â€œDid you see that? Now that is the wrath of the South,â€ I mused.

â€œWhat do you mean?â€ she asked me.

â€œYou messed with a real Southern belle. Now youâ€™re going to get it. Now choose your second Pokemon so I can get out of the way of that big ego of yours.â€

Lady Vulpix

20th May 2004, 07:54 AM

Shonta gets 9 stamps. Well done! That Swoop is an interesting character. :D Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
I've printed the other 2 battles, so I'm reading them later today and I'll post the ratings either today or tomorrow.

Charizard04621

20th May 2004, 09:12 AM

Btw, Shonta, almost about anything with a spine is capable of performing a decent tackle, whether or not it knows the move. It's not a big error. Not like you made your Taillow breathe fire or something.

Anyway, here's another part of my story. The battles will come later. Btw, Gabi, would you like me to rate any of the others?

My POV:

Somehow our bodies managed to move onwards to our destination, although our thoughts remained back at that dark forest, still trying to find Ã‰lan in the blackness, hoping that he would come back again and that his departure was only a figment of our imaginations.

Lune and Evenstar walked in the lead, guiding us forward in the ice storm. Switchblade, unlike his usual self, had retreated into his pokÃ©ball, not in the mood to walk. He and Ã‰lan had shared a close relationship, and the Unown Gâ€™s sudden departure had come as a painful shock to him. Now he was in a weary mood, unsure of himself or anything else.

Switchblade, the *male* Porygonâ€™s POV:

My heart felt empty. I had no desire to come out of my pokÃ©ball ever again. Why should I, if my friends were just going to leave anyway? I didnâ€™t need to eat. Heck, I didnâ€™t need to breathe. What kind of pokÃ©mon was I? I served no purpose. There was no point to my existence. I might as well have expired right then and there.

My POV:

Cold winds howled all about us. It was difficult to see, or even breathe. I had to shield my eyes from the sharp bits of ice that the storm was flinging at me. Within seconds, my ears were numb from the cold.

This was the worst possible environment that I could ever find myself in. I hated the cold. No matter how warmly I dressed, it could always get right through my clothing to me, to place a chill on my heart. I shuddered. I should have worn a balaclava. I had thought about it, but then Iâ€™d look like a thug. It was a difficult choice. Look like youâ€™re going to rob a bank, or let the skin freeze off your face. In the end, I tossed a coin. It was painful suffering under coldâ€™s vicious fangs for me.

When the storm abated a bit, I gazed in despair at the empty white expanse. It was void of all life, a land of snowy mountains and nothing else. In despair I trudged on, finding it harder and harder to move as time passed. The storm picked up again, as if the temporary moment of eerie silence had simply been its eye. It howled in laughter, and I thought I could hear it jeering at us, thinking it funny that it could deny us even a moment of rest.

Then, I heard voices. I became convinced that I was losing my mind. But this voice was not evil, like the winds; it sounded heavenly. In fact, I thought I heard a sweet melody echoing through the ice, a beautiful song that relaxed me and began to thaw out my soul. I likened it to the voice of a seraph, whose high voice lifted spirits up above the clouds. I began to wonder if I had died and gone beyond. But then another voice joined the song, bringing back a taste of reality. It was a strong voice, male, and although the singing was wonderful, I knew that it was human. The element of fantasy had vanished, and I began to reprimand myself for letting my imagination run wild. Of course I hadnâ€™t died! What made me think such a silly thought?

Eventually the singing stopped, although I wished that it would go on. Lune and Evenstar, ahead, were picking up their pace, and without the music I wasnâ€™t very sure where I was going. I found it difficult to see even a few inches in front of my face. I was about to fall to my knees in despair, hopelessly lost, freezing, and miserable. But then the talking began. At least I could hear where it came fromâ€¦ â€œYou like that song, Cloudburst? Yeah, I like it too. Weâ€™d better stop before we lose our voices, though. Especially since weâ€™ve sung that six times in a row. Hehe.â€ That voice sounded vaguely familiar. Had I heard it beforeâ€¦? Or was I imagining things?

He was answered by an enthusiastic â€œAzu!â€ And, despite her trainerâ€™s advice, the Azumarill began to sing again. She simply wouldnâ€™t stop. I didnâ€™t mind â€“ I enjoyed her singing, too â€“ but I was too bothered by my question to really pay much attention to the melody.

â€¦Where had I heard it before? By this time, I had started to run towards the voices, and I only now noticed it. I had to find out who that wasâ€¦ I had to know who had that voiceâ€¦ I pushed myself forward, disregarding the sharp sleet that pounded on my face. My heart beat frantically, but I did not care. All I knew was that I wanted to reach that sound and that I was going to do it. But the fog was thickâ€¦ When the silhouettes of Lune and Evenstar vanished into the distance, I began to slow down, afraid.

â€œWhoa there! Settle down. Wow, youâ€™re heavy. Hey, Cloudburst, wait up for a minute. Your singing woke her up again. Itâ€™s a good thing sheâ€™s only a babyâ€¦ Sheâ€™s a lot to carry.â€ The pokÃ©monâ€™s singing abruptly stopped, and I heard a hurt whining. I couldnâ€™t really blame her. She had such a lovely voice, but what do you do when your singingâ€™s supposed to put opponents to sleep and actually keeps them awake instead?

â€œAww, itâ€™s okay, Cloudburst,â€ said her trainer. â€œWho wants to hear a song thatâ€™ll put them to sleep anyway?â€ There was a slight pause, during which I could hear happier responses from the Azumarill. Then I heard a little gasp. â€œWhere did you guys come from? You canâ€™t be wild pokÃ©mon randomly wandering around in this storm. Hello?â€ he called out. â€œAnyone out there?â€

â€œY-y-yes,â€ I answered almost inaudibly, teeth chattering. As I approached the voices slowly, I saw two distinct shades in front of me. I drew closer. An outline of an Azumarill and her trainer emerged. Close by I also saw Lune and Evenstar.

â€œHey, itâ€™s you! Hi, by the way.â€

â€œHuh?â€ I walked closer, and then stopped dead in my tracks. Michael. â€œI knew itâ€¦ I knew I recognized your voice from somewhere. It just took me a while.â€

â€œSo, how have you been?â€

â€œBusy. Itâ€™s been hectic. A lot of things have happened. Iâ€™ve been trying to train my pokÃ©mon and all thatâ€¦â€ At that point, I noticed the bundle in his arms. â€œWhat is that?â€

â€œOh, her?â€ He handed the squirming pokÃ©mon to me. I felt as if he had placed a leaden weight in my arms. â€œWe found her in the snow. There are still bits of eggshell on her fur. Weâ€™re not sure where she came from, but you can have her.â€ The little pile of white fur squirmed some more. I could not imagine how such innocent looking fur could be so heavy. â€œSee? She likes you.â€

I smiled hesitantly, then began to pick the eggshell bits out of the baby Absolâ€™s fur coat. Absol were born to handle inclement weather, but she was a newborn, and it was surprising that she had a layer of fur at all. I had to remove the wet pieces of shell and dry her up before she froze to death. â€œWhat brings you here?â€ I asked Mike, trying to keep up the conversation. I shuddered, hugging the Absol closer. She had gone back to sleeping now.

â€œBoredom. Weâ€™ve been wandering around, battling mostly, but seeing other stuff too. Cloudburst and I have been working on our singing.â€ He grinned. â€œI heard that you were coming, so I thought that I would pay a visit.â€ He paused, then walked up to me. â€œBy the way, take my coat.â€

â€œOh, no, but I-â€

â€œNo buts,â€ he said, taking off his coat and placing it on my shoulders. Instantly I felt much warmer. It was thick, but soft on the inside, with non-staticy furry stuff around the neck area, the most comfortable thing I had worn in my life. I needed to get one of those. Mike laughed. â€œI donâ€™t mind the cold,â€ he told me, â€œBut you look as if youâ€™re about to die.â€

â€œHeh hehâ€¦ Yeah, I hate cold weather. I feel like an icicle.â€

â€œNah. You just look like someone whoâ€™s used to a warmer climate and definitely not in her element.â€

â€œThatâ€™s not supposed to be a good thing, is it?â€

â€œNo, but itâ€™s not bad, either. Here.â€ He placed his arm around my waist. â€œCloudburst, take the lead.â€ He turned to me, somewhat amused. â€œYou still look like youâ€™re going to die. There are a couple of cabins back where I came from. Weâ€™ll bring you there. Itâ€™s warm and youâ€™ll feel better. Come on.â€

The coat was nice, but it didnâ€™t cover my poor ice-abused face. Feeling half frozen, my brain numb, I let him lead me, the Absol still in my hands, with Lune and Evenstar following behind.

Lune, the male Eeveeâ€™s POV:

Surprisingly, the cabin was a lot warmer than the outside surroundings. From my position in the snow, it looked like a rundown shack incapable of providing comfort to anyone, but the inside was quite spacious and extremely well insulated. It just went to show that you couldnâ€™t judge things from their outside appearances.

There were a lot of things in the cabin. A large refrigerator containing food stood in a corner, next to a sink, which lay under a stove. There was a drawer in that counter where you could find a good amount of cutlery. Above, in a cabinet, were neatly arranged plates and bowls of many sizes.

Karin sat on a leather couch at the opposite end of the room with the other trainerâ€™s coat wrapped around her and the baby Absol in her lap. I looked at the sleeping pokÃ©mon, who lay curled up comfortably, her chest heaving gently as she breathed. She slept so peacefully, like an angelâ€¦ I wished that I could have that kind of sleep. Nowadays I felt better, but from time to time ancient nightmares troubled my mind, and I was always a light sleeper. The slightest sound could wake me. When I was not asleep, I usually felt tired.

I remembered the trainer she called Mike from a long time agoâ€¦ Except the last time, he had a friend with him â€“ Jason â€“ who was just as capable. Mike was a bounty hunter who scarcely lost track of his quarry. But he and his partner never chased after anyone if they didnâ€™t feel like it, and basically did anything they wanted. They did not work for pay, nor for any other living being on the earth. Whatever they did, they did for themselves. Such independence gave them great power; with their pokÃ©mon, they were pretty much invincible.

â€œHow do you feel now?â€ Mike asked Karin.

â€œA lot better, now that Iâ€™m not freezing to death out there. Thanks.â€

â€œI know something thatâ€™ll make you feel even better,â€ he said. â€œA cup of my hot chocolate. Ask Cloudburst. Itâ€™s to die for.â€ The Azumarill chirped brightly in approval.

â€œOh, donâ€™t trouble yourselfâ€¦â€

â€œItâ€™s no trouble. I want some anyway, and if I donâ€™t make a lot, my pokÃ©mon will eat me.â€

Karin smiled. At that moment, there was an explosion. Literally. The door burst open, and some sort of smoke cloud rushed in. A second wave of smoke, jet black this time, filled the room. Not wanting to take any chances, I threw myself to the floor, covering my mouth and nose with my paws, and closing my eyes. I heard a lot of commotion, and then felt the air get less thick, colder. Then the door shut.

I opened my eyes to find Mike just taking his arm away from his face. The Absol in Karinâ€™s lap was gone, and she was in a deep sleep. Evenstar lay beside her, out cold. The Azumarill was missing.

â€œSleeping gas,â€ Mike coughed. He tapped a pokÃ©ball, and Cloudburst emerged again, unharmed because she had been quickly recalled. â€œThat bastard took off with the Absol. I wouldnâ€™t be surprised if he was the one that brought her here in the first place. I donâ€™t know what heâ€™s planning to do with her, but I heard him mutter something about â€˜testingâ€™ under his breath.â€

Unicorn Gate. The laboratory.

â€œIâ€™m going after him. Thereâ€™s no way Iâ€™ll let him do whatever sick things he wants to do with that poor Absol.â€

â€œIâ€™ll come with you,â€ I told him.

â€œFine. We have to move fast.â€ He tapped another pokÃ©ball, and out from it emerged a powerful Electabuzz that I might have seen before. â€œBlitz, make sure no harm comes to her.â€ He pointed at Karin, who lay unconscious on the couch. â€œThat kind of sleeping gas is bad. We should be back before she wakes up.â€

Cloudburst and I scurried out of the cabin, followed by Mike, who closed the open door.

*Murkrow

20th May 2004, 02:46 PM

I finally got my last battle from the previous scenario done o_O I managed to incorprate that Xols loss at the BT into this in her reactions, which made it easier to write. The ending is rather, um, bad/sudden, but I just ran out of steam and can't write endings anyway.
Now at last, I can get started on the new one.
*Staggers off*

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

~Xolotle~

Come and get me.
Come on.
I snarled and dug my claws deep into the concrete; across from me, the PokÃ©mon swayed, its gaze intent, waiting silently for its trainers command.
Tensing, I crouched low.
Silence.
Then came the muffled whisper.
The PokÃ©mon snarled and plunged forward.

The lights above flickered, light and dark, shadows shifting over the rough ground.
Weâ€™d followed the track from the park, trekking over the damp earth, feeling it change from the clammy, soft dirt to cold, firm concrete as we left the boundaries, and prepared to enter the industrial estate that loomed beyond.
The buildings that had lurked in the mist and darkness had rose above us, lights now blazing into the night. Shadows flicked across, workers hurrying, earning their keep.
Below these, the lesser buildings had crouched, silent and watchful, surrounded on all sides by silver threads, chain-links, glistening in the night.
Defaced signs hung limply, warning those who passed to stay away, the usual; CCTV, guard dogs, night patrols.
Empty threats-nothing stirred in any of the yards, no silent footsteps, no lurking shadows.
One camera was mounted directly on a fence; shattered, its cables swaying in the light breeze, the remnants of its glass face littering the ground beneath it.
It wasnâ€™t a place that youâ€™d want to linger in.
Weeds clogged the narrow pavements, dank, clingy vegetation, forcing you to move onto the road, where the dark tyre marks shifted under the light, illusions of movement.
The roads criss-crossed, dead-ends, twisting surfaces leading to cold, closed doors, shuttered against the night.
In front of one, a guardroom, locked, dark, quiet.
Following the curving surfaces, weâ€™d pressed on further, away from the silent buildings, towards the scorching, stinging smell of industry.
Great flashes lit up the night as doors were dragged open, and over everything, hung a low, slashing, grinding murmur that echoed around the dark corners, slid over the open surfaces.
But the roads continued on, streetlights now lining the way, casting their blanketing light over all.
Leading into the expanse of a housing estate.
Tussocks of grass rippled in the patches of gardens, writhing around glinting metal dustbins, shaking slightly in the breeze.
Behind the gardens, the houses loomed, pale, cracked bricks holding together, around dimly lit windows, the light flickering gently from behind the drawn curtains.
Some windows were boarded up, eerie reminders of the abandoned boathouse in the park, beside the shifting lake.
Then we had stopped.
The roads met, forming another dead-end against our passage.
Except.
Between two houses there was an opening, the path to the backyard, the gate fallen away, rotted from its hinges.
There was no other way, so we ran.
Up the path, across the concrete lined yard, over the ragged, tattered fence, into the adjacent yard, tearing with all our might across, against locked, barrier gate.
Slashing it open.
Behind, the fence snapped.
Out into the road, putting as much space between us, finally skidding to a halt.
Heâ€™d decided to have another stab at it, obviously. One defeat wasnâ€™t enough, so he wanted two, but using a different PokÃ©mon this time.
And when I saw what it was, I hadnâ€™t hesitated.
â€˜Keep out of thisâ€™
I hissed softly to Hannah, eyeing my prey.
Getting my revenge would be fun.

Fight!
Xolotle (Sneasel L7 F)
Vs
Squirtle (L15)

The turtle squealed angrily as it hurtled towards me, head lowered, feet pounding the hard ground, the exertion flashing across its face.
Feet away, I closed my eyes, smiling.
Around my body, an aura shone, which rippled, sweeping outwards, enclosing me in a shield of orange light. The Squirtle smashed into it, legs frantically scissoring the air as its attack slowed, the power behind it slipping away.
The shield broke, it fell forwards.
Straight into my claws.
From the left, from the right.
Smacking it as fast and as hard as I could.
â€˜Withdrawâ€™
It grunted and pulled its head in, tucking its legs away, until all that remained was its lightly glistening shell.
Snarling, I dug my claw into the rough outer-shell, tearing down as fast as I could.
Nothing.
From across the road he laughed.
â€˜Keep that up, please. Itâ€™s working perfectly.â€™
Oh shut up.
I hesitated, then head butted the shell as hard as I could, sending it crashing away.
The impact tore into my mind, but I gritted my teeth and ignored it.
I had to concentrate for this; I closed my eyes, seeking out the attack.
There.
I forced open my eyes, focused on the lifeless shell, and sent the stream of ice particles drifting towards it, sparkling gently, even in the darkness.
â€˜That Sneasel of yours needs to learn some battle strategiesâ€¦.Squirtle, Mirror Coat that Powder Snow back at it.â€™
Oh no.
In an instant, the Squirtle was back on its feet, as the approaching cloud of ice loomed in front. A red glow formed round its body, gathering the ice around it, pulsing, then the ice exploded, doubling in size, hurtling back, smothering me.
I shivered as the ice cuts into my fur, forcing myself to ignore the pain, instead focusing my eyes back on the PokÃ©mon that even now was leering at me from across the road; not an attack, but proof of what it thought of me.
Angrily, I extended my claws and hurtled towards it.
â€˜Double Team.â€™
Its body blurred, then suddenly multiplied, surrounding me.
Ha. Got you now.
I spun round, my head-feather beginning to shine. Not hesitating, I accelerated, smashing into one of the blurred images.
The Squirtle rocked backwards, shrieking, as the rest of the clones vanished.
Jumping forwards, following its fall, I unleashed the cloud of ice, which floated over, enveloping it completely; its gasps, choked, as the cold seeped into it.
â€˜WHAT? A Special Attack from something like her should have done barely any damage, even without Squirtles resistance.â€™
I turned and smirked at him.
â€˜See this?â€™-I indicated the earring on my head-feather-â€˜it raises my Special Attack so I still damaged the Squirtle.â€™
He swore quietly under his breath, then looked past me and screamed.
I glanced back at the Squirtle and jolted in surprise-itâ€™s form was frozen, encased in a block of ice.
I shifted my weight carefully, wondering what to do now-there was no hint that our opponent was going to forfeit, but if I attacked then Iâ€™d end up knocking the Squirtle free.
I chanced a glance at Hannah; she shrugged, and mouthed â€˜whatever you wantâ€™.
All right then, Iâ€™d try and combo my attacks to prevent it from getting a hit in.
Extending my claws again, I darted forward and began slashing at the ice, tearing great chunks out, splintering it over the road.
Its leg twitched, then tensed, causing the ice still attached to it to explode, falling away.
I dropped down, spun to the right and smacked it with my feather, sending it spiralling back.
One last thing; I charged straight on and heat butted it again; it went hurtling away, mouth open in a silent scream.
Except it wasnâ€™t screaming.
A stream of small, blue bubble poured from its mouth, hurtling towards me; I ducked, dodging to the left, but it twisted its head, following me.
One of my claws snagged into the ground, I stumbled, then crashed side ways as the bubbles rocketed into my side, exploding on impact, sending a spray of water over my side.
I could feel the water seeping into my sides, feel it sinking into my fur, my skin, my muscles.
I dug my claws back into the ground and struggled up, forcing my muscle to respond.
But something was wrong-I was trembling with fatigue, unable to properly stand, my response sluggish.
The Squirtle lowered its head again and charged.
Before I could react, it made contact and hurled me back, before leaping up, and sending another stream of bubbles towards me.
I gasped closed my eyes, trying to ignore the driving pain.
Above, the darkness shifted, as something stirred.
White.
White light streamed down as the darkness swirled round the glowing orb that was pulsing in the sky.
The pain was seeping away, the weakness in my limbs, the fatigue of my whole body, all vanishing.
The sluggishness was still there, but I could feel my old self-returning, as I leaped to my feet, replenished.
The Squirtle hissed at me, lips bared.
Its tail twitched into view, swaying, twisting in a pattern that drew the eye to it.
But Iâ€™d seen Archies earlier battle.
Instead of following the pattern, I instead focused directly on the Squirtle, feeling my eyes pulsing with the power of my gaze.
â€˜Donâ€™t let it lower your defences, Squirtle, use Withdraw again.â€™
And it disappeared inside its shell yet again.
I looked up at the shifting darkness, now devoid of the pulsing light that the moon had brought.
Then I looked at the silent figure in front.
My claws began to throb, as pulsing light gathered there, black, purple, blue, spinning round, merging at the tips of my claws, forming orbs of blackness.
I smirked, and in an instant, brought my claws forward-the orbs flashed and combined, before hurtling forwards, sparking with dark energy, the pulsing light writhing across its surface.
My aim was spot on.
The ball struck, sizzling, directly at the gap revealed when the Squirtle drew its head in.
Briefly, from the shell came a muffled whine, but the wind caught it, tearing the sound away, as the shell was sent shooting back, crashing to the ground, metres away.
Nothing.

I won!
I grew to L9!
I learnt Quick Attack!

A flash of red, and the defeated Squirtle vanished, returning to its PokÃ© Ball.
Before Iâ€™d even turned round, the trainer had gone, vanishing into the dark.
I smirked again and trotted over to Hannah, flicking my head-feather proudly; she glanced at me, raised an eyebrow and gave me a half-smile.
Fine. Be like that

Linc

20th May 2004, 03:42 PM

I guess I'll try to make my battles longer.

Linc's POV
---------

After Shadowfax's (Aerodactyl's) battle with the Ralts, we decided to continue through the Blizzard Room. Climbing over walls of ice, hiding under something through the hailstorms, it was getting pretty cold. I sent out DarkHound (Growlithe) to use his Flamethrower and keep a steady flame to keep my Pokemon and me warm, then Shadowfax joined in with another stream of flames to keep us warm. Then, finally BurninMouse (Cyndaquil) joined in with his flames that are on his back keeping us surrounded by warmth. All of a sudden, a strong pain took our minds at first it seemed like nothing, but it became stronger and stronger and we fainted from the pain. We woke up in a dull cave, with a pair of glaring eyes looking right at us. â€œGet out of my region!â€ it said in a dopey voice. BurninMouse (Cyndaquil) shined his flames on the eyes. The flames showed a Slowpoke high up on a ledge of ice. â€œIf you wanted us out of your region, then why did you bring us here?â€ I shouted up to it. It pondered for a moment, then it shouted back â€œUhâ€¦ that doesnâ€™t matter! Iâ€™ll make sure you get out!â€
â€œAlright BurninMouse, it may be stronger than you by a lot, but youâ€™re on!â€ I signaled my Cyndaquil to attack and it flared up its flames ready to battle.

Battle! Lv.5 male Cyndaquil vs. Level 15 Slowpoke

BurninMouseâ€™s POV
~~~~~~~~~~~
All right, my first battle. The flames on my back roared, and my teammates were cheering for me. I couldnâ€™t let them down. â€œBurninMouse! Use Ember!â€ I aimed at the Slowpoke and blasted. My stream of fireballs missed, but they melted the ice ledge it was on top of. It stumbled and fell to the ground and landed with a thud. The ice on the floor beneath it cracked, but did not break. â€œNow use Tackle!â€ I dashed forward and slammed into its side, but it barely moved. Instead, it Tackled me back, and spit a big drop of water at me. I dodged it, I tripped and fell on the ice the Slowpoke had broken. It Tackled me again, but this time from the top, making me break the ice. I screamed as shards of ice stabbed into my body. My hearing was muffled, but I heard my trainer shout â€œBurninMouse, return!â€ I closed my eyes as a red beam of energy sucked me upâ€¦

New Pokemon! Go! Lv.6 Male Growlithe vs. Lv.15 Slowpoke

DarkHoundâ€™s POV
~~~~~~~~~~
BurninMouseâ€¦ heâ€™s dying all because of that Slowpoke. I will win. â€œDarkHound, Flamethrower!â€ I launched a stream of flames that hit the Slowpoke and melted the ice around it, surrounding it with water. â€œNow use Bite!â€ I dashed at the Slowpoke and bit down as hard as I could. The Slowpoke let out a sharp cry as I tasted blood in my mouth. I threw it in the water and it lay there motionless. Without warning, it jumped out of the water and tried to attack me, but I dodged it and jumped over the water. â€œToo slow,â€ I said as I launched another stream of flames that sent the Slowpoke flying into the wall. I walked over to it to make sure it was knocked out. I sniffed it, and decided it was.

I won! I grew to level 8! I learned Ember!

My POV
~~~~~
DarkHound leaped over to me and said â€œThank you for letting me get revenge for BurninMouse, Linc.â€
â€œDonâ€™t thank me,â€ I said, â€œYouâ€™re the one who beat the Slowpoke!â€
We left the Blizzard Room, and went to the healing center to help BurninMouse.

Charizard04621

20th May 2004, 04:14 PM

Hannah - Beautiful, as usual. Like I said before, I love your writing style. Your descriptions come alive. By the way, I'd better correct your in-game knowledge before you go off making a mistake in an important battle or something. Flying and Ghost type attacks are Physical attacks, powered by Attack strength, not Special Attack. To be a Special attack does not mean that it is simply any attack other than your pokÃ©mon's type. Specific Types are designated as Special attacks, and others as physical. If you want the full list of physical and special attacks broken down simply, PM me. Also... Take 10 Stamps. The story was short but good.

Dragon Rider - That was a little bit better. Take 2 Stamps. By the way, your Growlithe should grow by two levels. Because your Cyndaquil fainted, your Growlithe gets all the experience.

*Murkrow

21st May 2004, 07:56 AM

By the way, I'd better correct your in-game knowledge before you go off making a mistake in an important battle or something. Flying and Ghost type attacks are Physical attacks, powered by Attack strength, not Special Attack. To be a Special attack does not mean that it is simply any attack other than your pokÃ©mon's type. Specific Types are designated as Special attacks, and others as physical.

Um, actually, I do know that, when I was talking about the special attack boost, I was refering to Powder Snow^_^ Perhaps I should have made it clearer by stating the attacks used, instead of just doing the descriptions.

And I knew I forgot something-could I please have a random battle with my L5 Taillow, Fizz, with a PokÃ©mon from the Universal Adoption Center, please?
*Hands over 7 Stamps*

Charizard04621

21st May 2004, 08:07 AM

>_< Fizz will be battling a LV5 Mawile.

Lady Vulpix

21st May 2004, 08:58 AM

Here I am again, sorry for the delay.

Kris, you can have 7 stamps for your first battle. I'm afraid the 2nd battle is invalid, since Metang is a Steel type pokemon and can't be affected by Poisonpowder, which is a Poison type attack. You can edit it or repost your 2nd battle. By the way, you switched POVs without saying who was speaking. In the future, could you please state whose POV you're writing in, to make it clearer? Thanks. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Kyle gets 15 stamps for his 2 battles. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Karin, thanks for rating the others. By the way, we need to talk about our arrangement from the Blizzard and Lava rooms. Your post was intriguing... Take 5 stamps for it and please let us know how it concludes. ^_^ Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Charizard04621

21st May 2004, 01:35 PM

Iâ€™m going to attempt a different technique here for the battle scenes. It will be interesting. Can you keep up? ^_-

My POV:

I awoke to a splitting headache. â€œOhâ€¦ What happened? Mike?â€ As my blurry eyesight cleared, I noticed that the room was empty. The Absol that was resting in my lap was no longer there. Evenstar, on the ground, stirred, groaning.

â€œMy god,â€ I sounded in alarm. â€œTheyâ€™re gone! Luneâ€™s disappeared, too!â€ At that moment, for the first time, I noticed an Electabuzz silently watching me as he sat in a corner. I was positive that I had seen him before, the day Mike and Jason caught that ugly thief. â€œBlitz?â€ The Electabuzz nodded. â€œWhere did they go? What happened toâ€¦â€

He looked at me grimly. Suddenly, I understood. My memory came rushing back. I recalled the smoke, the dizzying feeling of terror, falling, spiraling into a void, calling out for no one to hearâ€¦ â€œWhoever did this took her. Mike and the others went to get her back?â€ Blitz nodded.

â€œKarinâ€¦ Weâ€™ve got to find them,â€ Evenstar urged. â€œThey could be putting themselves in serious danger.â€

I agreed. As I got up from the couch, however, Blitz caught my arm firmly and shook his head. â€œWhat? Why not? Why wonâ€™t you let me go, Blitz?â€

As he was an Electabuzz of few words, imagine my surprise when his thoughts rang suddenly through my head. Mike left me here to protect you. He said not to let any harm come to you. The best way to do that is to keep you here, where itâ€™s safe.

â€œNo! Blitz, I have to find them. I can help!â€

You are staying right here. Please. Iâ€™m just doing what Mike wanted me to. Trust me. He can take care of himself. The Eevee that went off with him didnâ€™t look weak, either.

Evenstar pulled on my sleeve gently. â€œLet me go,â€ she requested. â€œLet me have your belt. I can bring the others to help, too. At the slightest sign of trouble, Iâ€™ll make sure we run back here as soon as we can, if we donâ€™t see the others,â€ she said. â€œI promise.â€

I fingered my belt hesitantly. Evenstar looked at me with determination, her face brimming with confidence. â€œI can do this,â€ she assured me.

Sighing, I removed the belt and handed it to her. â€œI trust you,â€ I said. â€œJust be careful. Oh, and hold on.â€ I plucked the newest pokÃ©ball from the belt and stuck it in my pocket. Mandragora was going nowhere. He would not dare to venture somewhere else without me, and the cold, combined with his fear, would kill him. â€œAll right, Evenstarâ€¦ Good luck.â€

As the Sneasel made her way out of the door, Blitz nodded slightly. I have a feeling that they will do just fine.

Evenstar, the female Sneaselâ€™s POV:

I took off in the direction that Blitz had indicated, moving as quickly as I could through the ice storm. It wasnâ€™t that difficult for me, and I had no trouble seeing through the pounding snow. I ran swiftly, quietly through the silent white expanse, following the footprint trail. Up ahead, I saw a figure looming, and at first I thought it to be Lune, because the creature had four legs. As I drew closer, however, I found that it was a Slowpoke. It leapt at me, knocking me over. Throwing it off, I unsheathed my claws and prepared to fight, but not just yet. â€œWhy are you attacking me? Iâ€™m not trying to hurt you.â€

â€œStay away, intruder,â€ he hissed. â€œEnough have passed who should not have. You will not go through here.â€

â€œI need to help my friends. Just let us go and weâ€™ll all be fine.â€

â€œYouâ€™re not getting past me if we can help it.â€

We? I noticed a flickering shadow pass by me, but by that time, it was too late. Something from behind took a crack at my head, and I fell into a cool blackness. The belt in my hand slipped into the snow.

Lune, the male Eeveeâ€™s POV:

â€œDo you see them?â€ I whispered, as we neared the snow-capped mountains. The wind had died down here, and we were surrounded by an eerie silence. It felt as if things were watching us, studying our every move, listening to every breath we took.

â€œHe might have gone into that cave,â€ Mike said, pointing at a small crevice in the rock.

â€œDamn it!â€ I cried. â€œWe were catching up to him. Thereâ€™s no telling what kind of hiding place he has in there.â€

Mike did not look worried. He recalled Cloudburst, who was panting, and took out a Great Ball. â€œSweeney Todd!â€ An Absol shot out of his pokÃ©ball, cackling. He flashed me a menacing look of mischief, offering a warning of I did not know what. I shuddered although I did not feel cold.

â€œUmâ€¦ Sweeney Todd?â€

â€œYes, the demonic barber. Youâ€™d better behave, or you might just find that youâ€™ve been turned into meat pie in your sleep.â€

â€œYou are a strange human. Iâ€™m not sure what my trainer sees in you.â€ The Absol snickered, casting me an evil glance. I blinked. â€œJustâ€¦ Keep your crazy Absol way over there. Thanks.â€

Mike chuckled. â€œDonâ€™t worry, he doesnâ€™t eat Eevees. At least, he hasnâ€™t yet.â€ He winked. I really did not like this guy. He disturbed me.

â€œUh huh. Just ask him to stay away from me. â€¦Shouldnâ€™t we be going after that kidnapped Absol?â€

â€œSure. Weâ€™ve been doing that all along.â€ He turned to his Absol, who had been staring oddly into space, his nose in the air. â€œSo, what do you think? Where did he take her?â€

Without a word, the Absol shot off away from the cave, along the mountains. Silently, we followed. â€œHe didnâ€™t take her in there,â€ Mike told me.

â€œOh, thank goodness. But then heâ€™s not hidingâ€¦â€ I did not like the way things were turning out. If that maniac was not afraid of us, he knew something. And that really did not seem good for the baby Absol.

The ice storm began again, swirling frozen shards into our faces. Although I had worked on my endurance, I found it difficult to keep up. The Absol set a fast pace. I was surprised that Mike hadnâ€™t even begun to breathe heavily yet, after all this running we had done through the snow, but then again, I should have expected that of a good bounty hunter. As we pushed ourselves through the storm, picking up speed, I realized for the first time today that I had not eaten breakfast.

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

When I felt my pokÃ©ball crash hard into the ground, I knew that something was wrong. I came out immediately to find myself surrounded by a mean looking Metang and Slowpoke. Evenstar was on the ground unconscious. It looked as if they had teamed up on her and knocked her out.

A light emanated from the freezing belt, revealing two of my teammates, Elwing and Ryu. I wondered how both of them could stand the cold. Dragon and Ground types were weak to Ice. I was a Fire type, and I was still shivering a bit.

â€œLet me do this myself,â€ said the Dratini.

Ryu shook his head. â€œIâ€™ll help you. That Metang looks dangerous, and you have to admit, this isnâ€™t the best of situations to be in.â€

â€œNo!â€ Elwing looked a bit angry. â€œRyu, youâ€™ve always been taking care of me. I donâ€™t need you to protect me all the time. Iâ€™m growing up! Canâ€™t you see? I can take care of myself. Please. Just let me prove it to you.â€

The Trapinch looked hurt, but he didnâ€™t say anything. He just looked at Elwing for a while, then hung his head. â€œAll rightâ€¦ Whatever you want,â€ he whispered. I could tell that he was trying not to cry.

Elwing Starspray, the female Dratiniâ€™s POV:

I felt a little bad about snapping at Ryu like that, but it was true. I could take care of myself and I didnâ€™t need him to be there like a big brother all the time. I had practiced a lot of my techniques, especially moving faster with Kalazeth, because we were practicing for the race. There was no reason that I couldnâ€™t finish this battle alone.

Slithering forward, I looked up to face the Metang, who glowered at me. It didnâ€™t particularly scare me; it was just a chunk of metal with crab claws. After all that training I had done in the pool, I could outrun it any day. I had to be careful about its attacks, however. If they connected, they would hurt. Metang were no weaklings.

â€œRyu,â€ the male Trapinchâ€™s POV:

Why Elwing chose now of all times to prove herself I did not know. Even more confusing was why she refused my help. That Metang had a significant level advantage, from the looks of it, and it wasnâ€™t really bothered by a snowstorm. I winced as the ice shards continued to cut me. My hide was tougher than Elwingâ€™s; her skin was soft and delicate, and the cuts would be even more painful. Even if she could do this alone, why would she want to sufferâ€¦? I watched as she glared at the Metang, showing it that she was not afraid. Silently my heart screamed. This was not a game. This was dangerous! Suicide! If Elwing showed any signs of weaknessâ€¦ I didnâ€™t care what she wanted, I would step in. This was no battle for honor. It was one of survival.

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

I wasnâ€™t sure why these pokÃ©mon were doing this, but they werenâ€™t very nice, and were willing to hurt us. The Slowpoke had already tried to pounce on me three times, and each, I had avoided him. Now it was time to strike. Unsheathing my claws, I snarled at him fiercely, baring my fangs. There would be no mercy now.

AglÃ¡rien the LV7 female Charmander vs. LV15 male Slowpoke

I knew immediately that I was at a severe disadvantage. Not only had I learned from the type charts Karin showed me that Slowpoke, a Water and Psychic type, had good type offense against Fire types, and good defense against my Fire and Fighting attacks; I knew that this environment was a horrible one to fight in. There were no good solid rocks to begin with, so my Ancientpower would not be very useful here. It was also an arena of low visibility, where I would have to rely on my senses other than sight. The Slowpoke would have an easier time attacking me with his Psychic moves here. If I could not expect them, I could not hope to avoid them.

Elwing Starspray, the female Dratiniâ€™s POV:

I wished that Ryu would stop being worried. Didnâ€™t he believe in me? Didnâ€™t he understand that I would be fine all by myself? He underestimated my ability too much. At least Kalazeth knew better.

Turning my back to him, I concentrated on the Metang. Its eyes were cold, just like the ice around us. I could feel my skin burning up in the frost, but I did not care. I would not shiver. I would not show Ryu that I felt pain. Because then he would interfere again, and he would never leave me alone. The Metang took a swipe, and I dodged. It was time.

Elwing Starspray the LV16 female Dratini vs. LV25 Metang

I had an advantage here, in spite of the constant ice storm and my opponentâ€™s level advantage. I knew attacks that would terribly damage the Metang, I was faster, and I was probably smarter. I also had some decent experience in battle. My only worry was if the Metang was equipped with an array of powerful TMs. Karin had spent a lot of money on me, but she wasnâ€™t that rich.

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

The only viable damaging attacks I had were Scratch and Mega Kick. There were no long-range moves that I could depend on, something that really bothered me. Against a pokÃ©mon with telekinetic capabilities, I really did not like having to go all melee. Karin had taught me that this would not be a good idea.

In order to reach the Slowpoke, I needed a distraction. Before I could make a move, he fired a forceful jet of water at me, compelling me to get out of the way. To tell the truth, now I was afraid. Although I was young, Karin had not denied me an education in battle and a little bit of physics. It did not take a lot of brains to realize that if I was drenched now, with no ability to dry myself, I would freeze to death.

Elwing Starspray, the female Dratiniâ€™s POV:

The clouds above were choking out the sun, making the cold snowstorm even worse, darker and drearier. I needed to buy myself some time, and I knew exactly how to do it. The Metang looked suspiciously at me, but before he could react, I conjured up a twirling whirlwind of dragon energy that captured ice shards in its vortex. It flew towards my target and trapped it inside, hurling it about and flinging snow in its face. Perfect.

I looked up into the sky, focusing on the clouds, bidding them leave so that the sun might shine down upon me. They were stubborn, heavy gray clouds, but eventually they moved grudgingly away at my will. The pallid sun, thankful, smiled weakly onto the frozen wasteland, extending its hesitant rays. It was not much, but now I could see a golden tinge in the crystal clear particles around me as they fell.

By now the Metang had escaped, and it was very angry. It lunged at me, steel claw extended, thinking to grab me by the throat and crush me until all life had seeped out of my body. I dodged easily, of course, and retaliated with a fiery torch. This was my fatherâ€™s gift to me, the first move I had ever known since I was born, and it had pulled me out of many tough situations. Here it was a definite blessing, for the Metang squealed in pain as the flames licked its metallic frame, blackening the silver material. The ice nearby melted a bit before more snow fell to replace it.

Still it tried again, and again, and again to lunge at me, faster this time, so that I didnâ€™t shoot back at it, but still it never got close to me. After a while it changed its strategy. Sort of. This is said with a particular sarcasm because the Metang didnâ€™t really have much of a strategy at all, seemingly. Instead of going at me with its claw, it started throwing its body at me, as if Take Down would be more effective than Metal Claw. What a joke.

I was surprised when it suddenly switched tactics, pounding me with mild telekinesis that made me a little dizzy. I managed to erect a shining barrier, however, that distracted the Metang slightly, causing a less effective barrage of Confusion. My opponent was stumped. By that time I realized that it only knew three attacks.

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

The Slowpoke would not let me near him. Each time I tried to get closer, he shot another stream of water at me. Some of it crystallized as soon as it touched the air; it was that cold. As time went on, however, I noticed that the air had gotten a little bit warmer. At least there was sunlight shining through the falling ice.

Not long after, I got an idea. I wanted to kick myself for not remembering earlier. What was it that Karin had always told me over and over? Type effectiveness is not a valid reason not to use an attack. Grinning at my own stupidity, I waved my tail, chucking off bits of fire from my tail flame. They struck the unsuspecting Slowpoke directly in the eyes, giving me the time to leap at him to do more permanent ocular damageâ€¦ At least, thatâ€™s what I thought.

But my opponent was a lot stronger than I had estimated, and he threw me backwards with astounding telekinetic force before I could reach his eyes with my claws. I lay sprawled in the snow, out of breath. This was more difficult than even I had expected. I knew that I should have practiced in more battles, and I wished that Karin had pushed me more after the incident with that Lapras. I remembered with a shudder that it had been an ice arena sort of like this one. Right now, however, I did not care. I didnâ€™t want to be afraid anymore. Evenstar had been hurt, and this Slowpoke was going to pay. I would fight to the best of my ability.

Saying that I would do it was one thing, but doing it was another. After the initial shock I found myself repeatedly tossed in the air, then released to fall abruptly onto the ground. I was glad that the Slowpoke didnâ€™t have Earthquake to get me after I fell, but this was extremely painful nonetheless, and I did not enjoy it.

Lying immobile in the snow, aching badly, I knew then that I couldnâ€™t beat that Slowpokeâ€¦ At least, not alone. As if she had heard my thoughts, Nimrodel came out of her ball suddenly, placing her large body between me and the Slowpoke.

Personally, I was surprised. The shy Lapras was not one to charge into battle, as she usually avoided conflict. â€œThanks, but whyâ€¦?â€ I asked her dizzily, as red spots danced in front of my eyes.

â€œI couldnâ€™t stand seeing that mean Slowpoke beat you around like that, and Iâ€™m much better matched against him than you are,â€ she answered honestly. I couldnâ€™t help but admire her courage. She hadnâ€™t battled but twice before, and yet, in this dangerous situation, she was willing to fight to save me.

Being much heavier than the both of us combined, Nimrodel was pretty much immune to the Slowpokeâ€™s telekinetic assaults. If he tried to lift her, she would have time to counter him with an attack before he could succeed. A Beach Ball lay under her flipper, a powerful thing for her to have.

Elwing Starspray, the female Dratiniâ€™s POV:

This battle was as good as over. I unleashed an array of constricting sparks, which achieved their intended effect immediately. The Metang began to jerk involuntarily, its muscles locked up from the Thunder Wave. Excellent.

I looked at Ryu to make sure he saw that I had the battle under control. To my annoyance, he still appeared concerned. Even worse, his face displayed a look of fear, and he opened his mouth in warning. He gestured at me and was trying to say something, but I didnâ€™t listen. Who was he to worry like that? Oohâ€¦ I would show him.

Suddenly I felt a great pressure from behind. My body was pinned to the ground by a cold, metallic weight. No matter how much I struggled, the Metang would not budge. I hurt all over, and I felt my breath fleeting away. I tried to scream, but I couldnâ€™t. I felt its telekinetic force choking meâ€¦

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

I saw the Slowpoke open his large mouth lazily, giving way to a leisurely yawn. Something unnatural glinted in his eye, a hint of mischief, perhaps, that disturbed me. But I did not know what he had done.

Immediately, Nimrodel began sparking viciously, and I could tell that she wanted to end this quickly. The electrical surge struck home, drawing from the Slowpoke a horrendous scream of agony that chilled me more than the surrounding ice ever could.

Then I noticed Nimrodelâ€™s eyelids drooping, shooting open again, and then falling for longer periods of time as she fought her drowsiness, until finally she could fight no more and fell into an uneasy sleep. Understanding struck me. This was the Slowpokeâ€™s doing!

Suddenly Nimrodelâ€™s Beach Ball rolled out from under her flipper and rose into the air. I jumped for it and caught it, but barely, and I was shaken off soon enough. My face was planted into the ground. He had surely stolen the Beach Ball by now.

As I looked over to see what the Slowpoke was up to, I saw a glazed expression on his face as he swayed left and right slowly, with a white light surrounding his body, especially concentrated around his head. When it subsided, he began, to my horror, to spark! I tried to remember what Karin had told me about a certain attack that could achieve that effect, but I couldnâ€™t recall the details. How did that attack workâ€¦? I only knew that pokÃ©mon could learn attacks that werenâ€™t in their movesets. Not that it mattered now; Nimrodel awoke with a shock, the vicious electrical jolt blazing through her body.

Elwing Starspray, the female Dratiniâ€™s POV:

A change took over my body as I felt power surging through my veins that I had never felt before. I did not understand what I was doing, only knew that it would set me free. My eyes closed, and eerie light surrounded meâ€¦

When I awoke from my trance, I realized that I was some ways away from the Metang. It looked at me oddly, with fear in its eyes. I did not remember much, but I recalled feeling lightheaded, as if I floated in spaceâ€¦ I got the impression that my body had faded, did not exist, was thin as the air around me, then somehow whole again. I recalled an expanding energy sphereâ€¦

Until that moment in time, I had never experienced firsthand my Ghost type Hidden Power. Now that I had, I feltâ€¦ comfort, assurance that I was blessed with such a unique strength.

Without wasting any time, I mustered all of my power into a single Flamethrower attack that would scorch through the coldest of souls. The fire engulfed the twitching Metang as it suffered from an attack of paralysis, swallowing it whole in its burning red heart. It was as if a flash fire had ignited there, burning brightly in the ice as a signal of warning to others. When the brutal flames subsided, the Metang lay unconscious in the puddle of slush, an empty dark shell in the snow.

Elwing won!
Elwing grew to LV18!

AglÃ¡rien, the female Charmanderâ€™s POV:

I saw her shake, and at first I thought it was just the initial pain of the Thunderbolt attack, but after a while she still did not stop. I realized with fear that she had been paralyzed. When the Slowpoke started sparking again, I knew that Nimrodel had no chance of avoiding the attack. By the look of agony in her face, I also knew that she could not take another without passing out.

There could be no delay. Running as fast as I could, I tried to stop the Slowpoke. He did not notice me; he remained focused on Nimrodel. A final surge of crackling electricity pulsed from his body, rushing through Nimrodel with a bang. She sank into the snow with a sigh, spent.

For Nimrodel! I thought, directing all my strength into a glowing kick into the back of the Slowpokeâ€™s head. He fell immediately into the realm of unconsciousness.

AglÃ¡rien won!
AglÃ¡rien grew to LV9!

classy_cat18

21st May 2004, 03:26 PM

Okay, here's the second part of the Pond Room scenario. Please note something: this was a chance to justify the appearance of Jewel's Psychic attack. Also, I was confused about Jewel learning her next move. In GSC she learns Rapid Spin at level 13, but in RS she learns it at level 10.

EDIT: Thanks for clearing that up for me, Karin.

Swoopâ€™s POV

I smiled sweetly at Shonta as I hung out on the railing. The girl was a sucker, but she was a caring sucker. â€œItâ€™s too bad the other girls couldnâ€™t see this,â€ I told her.

She put on an innocent grin. â€œWell, you can describe in excruciating detail how I kick Dixieâ€™s butt with Jewel.â€ She pulled out another pokeball and turned to Dixie. â€œNow are we going to battle again or what?â€

Dixieâ€™s eyes burned with hatred, an expression I relished. â€œYou little brat! And you say that my ego is too big!â€

â€œWell, I couldâ€™ve been nice to you if it wasnâ€™t for your poisonous attitude and your ear-splitting laugh,â€ Shonta said.

Dixie looked down at the platform and started to laugh. That irritating laugh. â€œNow youâ€™re gonna get it, missy. I have a Pokemon that will squash you flat!â€ Her hand shot in her pocket and quickly threw out a pokeball. â€œGo, Mudkip!â€ Another little blue Water Pokemon materialized in the water.

Oh brother. If Shontaâ€™s picking what I think sheâ€™s picking, then that little Mudkip wonâ€™t have a snowballâ€™s chance in hell.

Shonta looked strangely serious as she threw the pokeball she was holding. â€œGo, Jewel. Time to fight again.â€ The Staryu appeared in front of Mudkip. â€œOh, Dixie? I have a message from the nineteenth century. They said they want their accent back,â€ she said while imitating Dixieâ€™s voice.

Dixieâ€™s face turned a brilliant red. â€œOh, I am going to enjoy beating you!â€

L9 Genderless Staryu (Jewel) vs. L15 Mudkip

Jewel and Mudkip immediately dove to the bottom of the pond. â€œDang! She wonâ€™t be able to hear my commands!â€ Shonta groaned in frustration.

â€œKnowing her, that may be what sheâ€™s hoping,â€ I told her.

I flew out to the middle of the pond for a birdâ€™s eye view. Jewel and Mudkip seemed to be chasing each other around the pool, each one trying to tackle the other. It was an aerial dogfight underwater. After a couple of minutes of evasion from both sides, Jewel finally getting a hit in! Mudkip seemed to be momentarily dazed. â€œShonta! Did you see that?â€ I said. She shook her head. I turned back to the battle and gasped. Jewel was still underwater, floating in the middle of the pond. But where was Mudkip?

Jewelâ€™s POV

<Where are you, little frog?> I growled as I scanned the bottom of the pool. At first he was in plain sight. But he had confused me with his erratic movements and I lost him. Now he was hiding somewhere. I dove deeper and checked the plants for a sign of him.

â€œPeekaboo!â€ I heard. I felt pain from below as Mudkip sprung up from the pond floor and slammed into me. I escaped the pond and found myself in Swoopâ€™s eyesight.

â€œHowâ€™s it going?â€ she asked me.

<The little squirt knows Dig!> I answered. <Itâ€™s his strategy. Heâ€™ll hide in the dirt and disappear from my view, waiting for the time to attack.>

â€œYou could try to wait here for him to attack you. When I tried it, I got hit by a Hydro Pump, but it could work for you.â€

<I canâ€™t wait for that.> I dove back underwater and raced straight for Mudkip, who just raced for the muddy bottom and dug in. A piece of mud hit my central jewel. I shook it off and watched the ground. Nothing, nothing, nothingâ€¦movement below me! I shot a Psychic attack downwards, the force pushing me back out of the water. The pond floor was clouded with the scattered mud.

â€œDid you get him?â€ Shonta asked me. Swoop was back on the railing. Dixie was grinning as though she already won.

Time for a lucky shot. So far the little squirtâ€™s been attacking from below after he disappears in the mud. My Psychic attack hits a medium sized area, soâ€¦ I shot another Psychic attack downwards, forcing myself further upwards.

Swoopâ€™s POV

My eyes widened as I looked up. â€œWhatâ€¦isâ€¦that?â€ I asked Shonta. Jewelâ€™s central gem glowed brilliantly as she shot a gust of wind downwards in the pond, scattering the pond water and the muddy bottom.

She shrugged. â€œI donâ€™t know. Itâ€™s not the Psychic attack that Iâ€™ve seen before.â€

How could she not know what a Psychic attack looks like? â€œMaybeâ€¦the attack that you saw before wasnâ€™t Psychic. It couldâ€™ve been an attack that she hasnâ€™t fully learned. Or maybe it was Psychic in a different form.â€

She scratched her head. â€œMust be. The previous Psychic attacks looked more like Psybeam, but Iâ€™ve seen Psychic looks like all sorts of things. Plus Jewelâ€™s not supposed to learn Psybeam in any way.â€

â€œHush!â€ Bubbles began to appear on the surface of the pond. Mudkip appeared with a exhausted look on his face. He definitely didnâ€™t come up to attack.

â€œJewel! One more Tackle attack!â€ Shonta yelled.

Jewel sped forward and slammed into Mudkip, the both of them going in the water. After a few seconds of anxious waiting, Jewel emerged carrying a knocked out Mudkip. The battle was over.

Jewel won and grew to level 11! She learned Rapid Spin and earned a free TM!

The two trainers recalled their Pokemon and faced each other, Shonta smirking and Dixie scowling. â€œSee you later, Dixie. Hope you donâ€™t become some guyâ€™s joke,â€ Shonta said.

â€œWhat do you mean?â€ Dixie said in a low voice.

â€œDonâ€™t make me sing the song. You know, the song with your name in it. I wishâ€¦â€ she started to sing.

â€œJust get out of my sight!â€ Dixie screamed.

â€œAlright, weâ€™re going,â€ I said. I flew to Shontaâ€™s shoulder and the two of us walked out of there.

Charizard04621

21st May 2004, 04:03 PM

Angel Blossom

21st May 2004, 06:19 PM

Here I am again, sorry for the delay.

Kris, you can have 7 stamps for your first battle. I'm afraid the 2nd battle is invalid, since Metang is a Steel type pokemon and can't be affected by Poisonpowder, which is a Poison type attack. You can edit it or repost your 2nd battle. By the way, you switched POVs without saying who was speaking. In the future, could you please state whose POV you're writing in, to make it clearer? Thanks. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Oh, my bad. X_x"

I should have realized that before. I edited that part out, like you suggested. However, I thought I made it clear -before- the piece that the hyphens ended each of the PokÃ©mon's point of views. Anyway, I'm sorry about that. I wish I could've made the piece better, but oh well. Either way, I did make it past the 50 BR Stamp mark! ^^"

classy_cat18

21st May 2004, 09:35 PM

They generally learn the move at the RS level, but if it's lower in GSC, they learn it at the lower GSC level. I don't think the move levels in RBY count though.

Shonta - Uh... Psychic attacks don't randomly turn into gusts of wind... But whatever. Take 8 Stamps. I liked this one.

Ooh...sorry. I kinda wanted to change the description of Psychic so it wouldn't be so much like Psybeam. And "gust of wind" was the best I could come up with. A shockwave, a sort of pulse, something. I was trying to think of the Psychic attack that was done on the episode "Power Play".

All the more, I'll take the 8 stamps! Right now I have a fanfic to work on.

Aipom Of Doom

21st May 2004, 10:07 PM

Yay, here's my battle for the previous scenerio. It got sort of long, but oh well =/. Now onto the Training Grounds ^_^

Blaze's Perspective

I lay on the couch, tiredly watching some sort of strange talk show on the television set in the corner of the Pokemon center. On our most recent Dragon Tamers missions, Dan and assorted other Dragon Tamers had first gone to Yvresse and fought a small Team Rocket group hiding on an island. Almost immediately afterward, we'd found we needed to turn around and go to west Caledor because of some Dark Dragon that had taken over the Templa Taure forest there, and was controlling all of the Pokemon. It sounded like an interesting enough mission at first, but then we found ourselves relegated to watching the outside of the forest to make sure that none of the controlled Pokemon escaped. Very few tried from the area we were patrolling, and of those that did, Thunderblast simply used her Psychic powers to remove the pendants that gave the Dark Dragon control over them. We spent two days there, with people and Pokemon sleeping in shifts during the night. Near the end of the second day, the Dark Dragon finally flew away, angry that we had taken away all of his minions. By then, we were exhausted, so with many other Dragon Tamers, we found the nearest Pokemon center and fell asleep in the upper lobby.

It was about ten in the morning now, and some of us had awakened, but many of the Dragon Tamers were still asleep. Out of my team, Thunderblast had already gone off to wherever she went off to, Eesha was up and flying around, and May, my girlfriend as of two days ago, was sitting on the floor and reading something. The other team members were still asleep.

The quiet, sleepy state was interrupted by a loud ringing; apparently someone had called Dan's cell phone. May immediately jumped up, locating the phone in Dan's bag and then chatting briefly with the caller.

"Hey, Blaze, it's Aipom. He wants to talk to you," May slid the phone across the floor over to the bottom of the couch, so that I could easily reach down and retrieve it.

"Hey, Aipom?" I lay back down on the couch and suppressed a yawn. "What have you guys been up to?" Aipom had been back at our normal Pokemon Center in Caledor, with other Pokemon that hadn't gone with Dan on our mission to Dark Island three days ago. I hadn't heard anything much about what was going on with the portion of our team that hadn't gone with us.

"Hey, Blaze!" Aipom's voice was a bit distorted by the phone, but it was clearly him "We really haven't been doing much, actually. Err... Flare and Gaea have been taking care of Tulie and doing some other stuff. Mopia and Zippy are hiding somewhere, and I've been hanging out with Flatten most of the time. It's pretty boring here now."

"Hmm, sounds cool. At least, more fun than walking around or standing around... that's pretty much all we've done for the Dragon Tamers in the past few days."

"Yeah, seems sort of boring. Well, you guys are planning to come back today, right? Flatten and I have been practicing some new attacks lately. We both taught ourselves to Solarbeam, and do other stuff. It's really fun," Aipom paused a second, then said, "Err... Gaea just came over and told me that I better go over and look at the TV. I'm not sure what she means..."

I turned and looked at the television that was on behind me. The volume was off, but the screen showed some low-quality home video of an Arcanine using Flamethrower on a building. I stared at the screen for a moment, not knowing what I was looking at, until I realized that the building was one I recognized. It was in a city in southern Caledor. Curious, I reached for the remote and turned the sound on.

The television switched to two newscasters that I vaguely recognized. "So far, there have been eleven attacks reported around Ulthuan. While authorities refuse to comment yet, witnesses of all attacks agree that the perpetrators are members of the Pokemon-wielding terrorist group Team Rocket."

"Huh?" May looked up at the television in surprise. The Dragon Tamers had fought Team Rocket out of Ulthuan almost a year ago. Three days ago, we had located a small gathering of Rocket members on Dark Island and flushed most of them out, but that group hardly seemed capable of pulling off any sort of attack like this. A map on the television showed that the attacks were spread around Ulthuan; it must have taken quite a bit of planning and organization to pull this attack off.

"This can't be good," I responded idly, then I told May, "go wake up Dan and Sai and the others. They might want to see this." She scampered off toward Sai, using a small Thundershock to jolt him out of his sleep.

I picked up the cell phone again. "Hey, Blaze," Aipom must have heard me breathing into the phone. "Are you watching this? Team Rocket?"

"Yeah, I don't know what to make of it either. Well, it sounds like we'll be busy again soon," I replied.

"Yeah, I know... huh? What the ****?"

"Aipom? Something wrong?" Aipom didn't curse very often, and he sounded quite startled.

"Err... crap... They're attacking down the street from the Pokemon Center," Aipom said, seeming rather calm for the situation.

"What?"

"Team Rocket has some Vileplume attacking down the street. Err... it used Sludge Bomb or something on a bunch of cars there, and now it's... uh... solarbeaming? Holy crap..." Aipom trailed off, too dazed to know what else to say.

"Eh? What?" Behind me, Dan had just woken up to another small Thundershock. May pointed him toward the television. Sai had already left to find Thunderblast, apparently for discussing the possible Dragon Tamers response to this.

"Aipom? You there?" I went back to the cell phone, wondering what had happened down at our usual Pokemon center.

"Yeah. Uh... it's over by now I think... the Vileplume Solarbeamed a whole side of the street. Remember that Chinese restaurant you liked? And the video game store a block down? Err.. those and the places between them all got hit, at least on the first floor... I dunno, part of the building already collapsed, and part of it looks like it will. And the Team Rocket guy is gone, there's a bunch of police and fire trucks and things around. Jeez... is this real?"

"Wow... uh... I guess. This really sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Err... have you guys heard from the Dragon Tamers yet? They'd probably want us to do something about this quickly."

"No, nothing yet. They must be planning something by now, though."

"Yeah. Err... I think I'm going to go and see what else is going on, and if anyone needs help or anything. Gaea looks sort of freaked out, so I better go and calm her down. Call back if you need to talk to us," Aipom said, still sounding a little dazed, and hung up. I shook my head, not sure if any of this was believable.

About that time, one of the newscasters on the television announced that "another incident has been reported, with Team Rocket attacking downtown Sector Alpha." Then she went on to describe exactly what Aipom had told me about the Vileplume, as well as add in the street.

"Wait... what?" it took Dan a moment to comprehend where the attack had taken place. "Err, isn't that right by our Pokemon Center?"

"Yeah," I spoke up. "Err, Aipom was just talking to me when it happened. Really sucks, huh?"

"Err yeah," Dan sighed, sitting down and shaking his head. "Well, I guess we're going to have some work to do soon."

"So we aren't going home today, huh," Hydro sulked. I felt the same; after all of this fighting it would be nice to go back and relax some. The collective murmur showed that everyone else agreed.

After a few moments of silently watching the news coverage, Sai and Thunderblast both walked quickly toward us. "Okay, we've had an emergency Dragon Tamers meeting scheduled in half an hour about this," Thunderblast announced as she climbed onto the sofa next to Dan. This was no surprise; as a premier police force in Ulthuan, the Dragon Tamers were expected to handle situations like this. "However, we did receive this from the Dragon's Guild," Thunderblast continued, handing what appeared to be a photocopied letter to Dan.

"Huh," Dan said, after reading for a moment. "Uh, did they give any reason for this, Thunderblast?" The Raichu shook her head no.

"Reasons for what? Would you mind informing us? Or are these high-level Dragon Tamers secrets that we can't know or something?" Hydro asked, annoyed. Dan handed him the paper.

"Err okay," Hydro started reading. "'Official Dragon's Guild Memo'... blah blah blah... 'The Dragon's Guild is ordering that the Dragon Tamers do NOT attempt to investigate or retaliate for the recent Team Rocket attacks. All Dragon Tamers are not to interfere with the Dragon's Guild as we investigate these incidents.'"

That caused a stunned moment of quiet from our team, before Sai spoke up. "Yeah, the Dragon's Guild doesn't want us to do anything for some reason... But we're still having the meeting anyway. Most likely we're going to try to fight Team Rocket, though."

"Why on earth does the Dragon's Guild want to do that, though?" May asked. "What's their problem with us helping out?"

"As of a few minutes ago, no one in this building knows," Thunderblast replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About two hours later, Dan, Sai, and Thunderblast had long since left for the Dragon Tamers emergency meeting. That left the rest of us to stand around and watch the television coverage of the Team Rocket attacks. Surprisingly, no one had been killed or even seriously hurt; the Rockets apparently were attacking with the intent of doing as much property damage as possible. However, as police and the Dragon's Guild attempted to investigate, they found a few hostile, Rocket trained Pokemon at each site, and these hindered investigations seriously. The overall number of incidents rose continually, and was up to 46 when Dan, Thunderblast, and Sai finally returned to our corner of the Pokemon Center.

"So, what are we going to be doing?" I asked, impatiently. After two hours of watching news coverage of all of the damage that Team Rocket had caused, I wanted to go and help fight against it.

"We are going to go and fight," Sai said, "despite the Dragon's Guild's wishes... which no one has been able to understand anyway. They're having us go by helicopter to the site of an attack near the Nagarythe-Tiranoc border."

"And, another thing," Thunderblast cut in, "this could be on the dangerous side, with damaged stuff and potentially powerful Pokemon around. We're going to be needing to do a lot of investigating and things, and not fooling around. So, if you can't do that sort of stuff, I suggest you just stay here."I noticed that she looked directly at Hydro as she said this.

Hydro noticed this too. "Well, if you're going to single me out, fine. But anyway, I don't really feel like going, I've had enough of this boring stuff. And you say it will be dangerous, and pardon my cowardice, but walking into some area with buildings that are about to collapse, and a bunch of Pokemon that are trying to attack me, doesn't sound like what I had in mind for today."

"I think I'll stay here also," Tyrant added. Aqua said that she would rather be able to relax for the day. Eesha, who up until three days before had been in the possession of Team Rocket, was quite fearful of the organization, and didn't see how she could help.

"Well, unlike everyone else around, I think I want to go and help," May said, a bit annoyed at the lack of participation of the rest of our team. "Are ALL of you going to just sit around after this?"

"Hey, I was planning to go too," I interrupted, not having a chance to reveal my plans yet. May smiled and made a sarcastic comment to Hydro about his lack of dedication to the Dragon Tamers.

"Anyway," Dan interjected firmly, before Hydro could make some sort of response. "I'm going to call Aipom and have him arrange for the Dragon Tamers base by our Pokemon Center to send us a helicopter. A lot of the Dragon Tamers are around here, so they're running a bit thin on transportation. We hopefully will be able to leave in two hours."

"Sounds good." I wanted to get going and maybe even battle against some Team Rocket Pokemon; it had been a while since I had last done that. I also hoped that without Hydro or Tyrant around to make obscene comments about us, May wouldn't need to conceal that she was my girlfriend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, two hours later, we were on the roof of the Pokemon Center, waiting for our helicopter. Four hours between learning of the attacks and getting out to help seemed like a decent response time. Hydro, Aqua, Eesha, and Tyrant waited by the helicopter pad with us, for the lack of anything better to do.

Finally, a dark green helicopter with "DT" written on the side appeared in the sky, and circled overhead, lowering toward the landing pad. We all backed away somewhat, deterred by the noise and the wind, until the helicopter landed and stopped.

The door to the helicopter opened, and the pilot climbed out. "...Aipom?"

"Yeah, it's me," Aipom walked over to us, "Err, I got a pilot's license for these things a few weeks ago. I do some interesting stuff with my time, you know."

"Well, that's pretty damn cool," I replied. Being able to fly a helicopter seemed like an interesting hobby. Everyone else agreed with that.

After a bit of a chat, we filed into the helicopter. Aipom went back into the pilot's seat, and Thunderblast predictably claimed the title of co-pilot and climbed into the front of the helicopter. The rest of us took some seats in the passenger area. The helicopter started up again, and a moment later we were flying up and away, toward one of the Team Rocket attack sites.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We flew for a little over an hour before the helicopter started to descend toward the attack site. Aipom apparently was able to talk to the local police over their radios, and he was directed to land by a field two blocks from the site of the attack.

The helicopter was fairly low as we flew over the site of the attack. There appeared to be a crater in the road, and the buildings around it had received various levels of damage. The scene appeared consistent with what we had been told; an Electrode had used Explosion in the middle of the road. We passed the scene too quickly to see much else.

Aipom set the helicopter down in the field he had been told to, and we all climbed out. After a few minutes for stretching and preparing, we walked briskly to the attack scene. The entire section of the street was blocked off by yellow "Police Line - Do Not Cross" tape, and that the area inside was deserted. Police officers were waiting impatiently outside of the line.

Dan chatted for a few moments with the officer in charge of the investigation, who explained that they police there were unable to investigate because Team Rocket had left some Pokemon that viciously defended the attack site. In particular, there was an Ampharos that had already beaten a group of the strongest Pokemon that the police had. They had no other way to remove it, because it was hiding well and they were prohibited from using lethal force on it.

The police weren't too confident that we could beat the Ampharos. After hearing the police's description of it, however, Sai and Thunderblast felt confident enough that together they would be easily capable of beating the Ampharos. So, the police let us step across their yellow tape and into the scene of the attack.

The crater was about twenty feet in circumference and six or seven feet deep; it was relatively small compared to the large area that was blocked off by the police. One small building, the closest to the crater, had completely collapsed. The front of a five-floor building was mostly destroyed, but it was apparently structurally sound. Other buildings looked~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ in better shape, but still had broken windows and damage to their external surfaces.

All around there was debris, from the crater and small building next to it. We were careful to not disturb anything that would be evidence. As a result of this, and of looking for any possible enemies, we walked very slowly.

"So where are these Pokemon that we're supposed to be getting rid of?" May asked, as we walked past a car thats windows were completely smashed.

"I don't know," I replied, turning toward her. At that very moment, a shadow appeared over my face for a moment, then disappeared. I started looking upwards when something landed on my back with a sharp jolt.

"What the hell?" I leapt up and turned around, to face my attacker; there was a Squirtle that standing a few feet away. I guessed that he had used a Mega Kick, from the concentration of the impact on my upper back. "Who the **** do you think you are?" I yelled, quite angry at the sneaky tactic. But, I reasoned, that I couldn't expect anything else from a Team Rocket Pokemon.

Hearing my exclamation, the rest of the team turned to face me and the Squirtle. "Need help, Blaze?" Aipom offered quietly.

"Well... we'll need to see," I replied. I then ran forward, and leapt into the Squirtle with a quick Tackle attack. However, by the time I hit him, he had Withdrawn his head into his shell and started to duck; I only hit the top of his shell.

Squirtle was knocked down, but my velocity sent me past him. I scrambled back to my feet, but apparently the Squirtle was faster in getting up; the Squirtle reciprocated the Tackle and landed on my back. I was knocked back to the ground, with the Squirtle atop me.

I cringed for the impact to the ground, but it wasn't that bad. About then I realized that that the flame jets on my back were still off. While they were downright dangerous most of the time, in a battle they increased my fire energy a lot, and also would be of annoyance to this Squirtle that was lying on my back.

After a moment of gathering fire energy in myself, my back burst out in flames. As I suspected, the Squirtle jumped off; when I looked at him he appeared slightly singed. I went for a Smokescreen next, letting the flame on my back expel a thick cloud of black smoke that drifted over the Squirtle.

I took a deep breath, then leapt into the smoke cloud at the Squirtle. I put as much force into my Submission as I could, slamming into the Squirtle to do as much damage as possible. The impact certainly jarred me, but I wasn't sure how much damage I had actually done to the Squirtle.

As the smoke cloud thinned, the Squirtle struggled out from under me. Before I could get up, he inhaled deeply and breathed out a stream of water at me. Though it was only a Water Gun, it hit me right on the flame on my back; it really hurt. I instinctively rolled onto my back and tried to get rid of the painful water, but with only limited success. In pain, I scrambled away from the Squirtle while trying to dry off, and yelling out for help from my teammates.

Aipom's Perspective

"Ow, ****! Damn it, can someone come and ****ing help?" Blaze yelled as he hobbled away from the Squirtle. I wasted no time in assisting my friend; I ran forward, to the Squirtle that had his back facing away from me. I caught up to him quickly, and Slashed hard on the back of his head. The Squirtle let out a surprised yelp as he stumbled.

Blaze, looking thankful for the distraction I had made, was able to stop and try to dry himself off more quickly. The Squirtle, meanwhile, got up and turned toward me. He growled something at me, then spit a high-velocity Water Gun in my direction. The attack hit me slightly, but I got out of the way before it caused much damage.

When the Squirtle finally stopped attacking to catch his breath, I dashed toward him. I ducked down a bit as I hit him at full speed, for the full effects of my Slam. He collapsed under me, and I stumbled past him a few steps before I was able to get up and turn around.

The Squirtle, shaken a bit, started getting back to his feet. I Scratched at his chest before dashing out of his way as he lunged toward me. He fell down again, and I prepared to continue fighting.

Meanwhile, Blaze appeared to have finally gotten himself dry, and ran back over. As the Squirtle picked himself up off the ground once again, Blaze leapt onto his back. The Tackle smashed the Squirtle into the ground rather violently.

The Squirtle, however, quickly retracted his arms, legs, and head into his shell. Blaze started to get up, but the Squirtle used a Rapid Spin; Blaze was thrown off of the Squirtle; he backed up toward me cautiously. Squirtle emerged from his Rapid Spin facing toward us.

Next, the Squirtle went into a trance; obviously preparing for some sort of attack. After a few moments, a small pool of water seemed to seep up from the concrete below him. It grew bigger and began to take the shape of a wave, building up in place with the Squirtle floating on top. It was obvious that this was a Surf.

I glanced at Blaze, who looked terrified by this building wall of water in front of him. I didn't blame him, and I motioned for him to get out of the way. He scampered off to the right, arcing around to be directly to the side of the large, motionless block of water.

Finally, when the wave looked about five feet tall, the Squirtle looked up with a smile at me, only about twenty feet away. I stood my ground, preparing for my counterattack.

With a defiant war cry by the Squirtle, the wave came crashing down in my direction. The water flooded toward me, with the Squirtle remaining at the back. At that moment, I unleashed a Thunderbolt from the palm of my hand-tail. I had been practicing this new attack with Flatten, over the last few weeks, but hadn't used it in a battle until now. However, the crackling bolt of electricity hit the Squirtle with perfect accuracy, buy I wasn't able to see the result because the rush of water hit me and I stumbled backwards before being carried away by it

Blaze's Perspective

The Surf attack rather quickly spread out into a large puddle that began to flow downhill into the crater in the middle of the road. Aipom was carried backwards, up until a few feet from the police line we had entered the attack scene from. His Thunderbolt, however, had shocked the Squirtle quite severely; though the Squirtle's shell looked fine, when he poked his head and arms out, they were blackened by the electricity.

Aipom was sitting up, but was shaken and would probably take him a minute to be ready to continue battling. However, the Squirtle was also still lying on the ground and only starting to get back up. This looked like as good of a chance as I'd ever have to attack the Squirtle.

I jogged through the water, which was now flowing steadily into the crater. I leapt onto the Squirtle yet again, pounding him into the ground with another Tackle; though I doubted that my attack was effective.

The Squirtle started to squirm and struggle, and I cautiously backed away from him. He got up a few moments later, staring angrily at me. Finally, he opened his mouth and shot a glowing blue beam of energy at me.

The beam had hit me before I could even move; the cold air that swept with it proved that it was an Ice Beam. It obviously wasn't painful like the Water Gun had been, but the ice crystals forming on my leg were quite uncomfortable. I simply breathed deeply and exhaled my own attack; this one being a fairly weak Flamethrower. I hadn't used the attack much, since I hadn't ignited my back flame for a battle for quite a while. Nevertheless, it tore through the Ice Beam and charred the front of Squirtle's shell.

About then, I noticed that Aipom had gotten up and was approaching the Squirtle from behind. Once again, his hand-tail Slashed the back of the Squirtle's head; the Squirtle yelped out in pain and immediately Withdrew into his shell. I walked tentatively toward the Squirtle and Aipom.

By the time I had gotten in front of the Squirtle, he was still in his shell. I looked at Aipom; he shrugged, not sure what the Squirtle was trying to do. Finally, Aipom reached his hand-tail over and smacked the back of the Squirtle's shell lightly.

The Squirtle then went into a Rapid Spin; apparently he had planned on using it to defend himself when one of us attacked. However, it hit neither of us, and we just looked on incredulously as the Squirtle spun.

Finally, the Squirtle's spinning slowed, and he emerged from his shell on his feet and facing me. Aipom stepped forward a bit and Scratched lightly at the back of his head, not expecting this, the Squirtle was caught off-balance. I ran forward and rammed him from the front, with a Tackle; he fell backwards. I scrambled past, as Aipom prepared his next attack.

I turned around in time to see Aipom shoot a Thunderbolt from his hand-tail at the Squirtle. The bolt of electricity crackled through the air for a second, and then hit the Squirtle's slightly reflective skin - and bounced back at Aipom.

Aipom's Perspective

"Oh, crap," I mumbled just before being hit by my own reflected Thunderbolt. I had seen the Mirror Coat that the Squirtle was using, but it was too late to stop my attack. I was almost instantly jolted with the electricity and knocked backwards.

The electricity stung quite a bit, but thankfully I hadn't been able to release much energy with the Thunderbolt, so it didn't do much damage to me. I rubbed my side, where I had been hit, but stood up so I could battle if I needed to.

Luckily for me, I had a few moments I could spend recovering from the attack; not only did I have a partner, but the Squirtle seemed incapable of combining attacks to take advantage of either of us being hurt. He appeared to be on the stupider side, which seemed common for low-level Team Rocket Pokemon. So, the Squirtle remained Mirror Coating for a few moments; Blaze leapt at him with a Submission. The impact jarred both of them quite a bit.

Blaze backed away as the Squirtle got up, muttering more insults at us. He focused entirely on Blaze, however; I decided to bide a little more time to help relieve the pain from the deflected Thunderbolt, and to regain my electric-type energy.

The Squirtle made a dashing Tackle at Blaze, which really wasn't the smartest thing to do. Being a Quilava with flames shooting from his back, Blaze simply turned away from the Squirtle. The Squirtle carried on with his Tackle, but was repulsed by the heat and the flames. He bumped Blaze a bit, and was rewarded by being coated in soot on the left side of his body.

Amused by the Squirtle's attempted Tackle, Blaze attempted to reciprocate the attack. Blaze's Tackle knocked the Squirtle over, and not much more; but by now he had been damaged quite a bit and appeared to be running out of strength. Blaze backed away to a safe distance, and nodded to me. I released a fairly low-voltage Thunderbolt, which actually shocked the Squirtle this time.

I increased the energy in the Thunderbolt; Squirtle screamed something out, but the electricity soon got the better of him. He lay on the ground for a second, shuddering only due to the electricity flowing through him; I quickly stopped the attack. He was clearly fainted.

"Well, I guess that's over," Blaze breathed a sigh of relief. "Good job with the Thunderbolts. When did you even learn to do that?"

"I've been practicing stuff like that with Flatten for the last few weeks. We're working on a lot of new attacks, actually," I replied.

"Wow," Blaze was about to say something else, but then a sharp yell interrupted him, "WATCH OUT!"

Before I could even place the voice as Sai's, I felt myself being Psychically lifted into the air and whipped away from where I was standing. The exact same thing happened to Blaze. I at first assumed that I was being attacked by a hostile Pokemon. I barely had time to panic about that, though. Almost instantly after I was moved out of its range, a crackling burst of electricity descended on where Blaze and I had just been standing.

Thunderblast's Perspective

"That was way too close," I muttered, relieved nonetheless, as the Zap Cannon hit the ground. The ball of electricity had enough explosive power to turn a four-foot wide circle of asphalt into gravel. I shuddered to think what it would have done to Blaze and Aipom had they still been standing there. I pulled them towards us Psychically and set them down next to Danny.

"Uhh... Thanks," Blaze said, stunned from what had just happened.

"No problem," I replied, not really paying attention; instead, I was focusing on the scene around me. Using my Psychic power to make up for my low-quality Raichu vision, I made a quick map of the area for myself. Much of the debris in the area had been pushed by the Squirtle's Surf; though the police wouldn't have liked this, it made the area in front of quite a bit cleaner. The ground was still damp, but most of the water had washed back into the large crater in the center of the road. The crater was now a pool lined with more debris and other "evidence"; we were certainly making a mess of the crime scene. However, I was more concerned about the attacker that had almost hit Aipom and Blaze; the problematic Ampharos that the police had told us about was standing on the other side of the large crater.

"I'll handle this," I said, walking toward the water-filled crater. The Ampharos remained in place, not moving. I stopped a few feet away from the crater, opposite of my motionless opponent.

"Well, you intend to fight me?" the Ampharos spoke menacingly. "That's your problem then. Team Rocket will prevail always. And I will take special revenge on you, for whatever tricks your friends had up their sleeves that stopped my Zap Cannon. And then I will make the Aipom and the Quilava suffer their due punishment for attacking my apprentice."

For the most part, I ignored the Ampharos's threats, but the coldness did worry me a bit. I wasn't quite sure whether he was just trying to scare me, or if he really meant what he said. However, I had learned in the past that if a Rocket had been able to get a strong Pokemon to obey him, the Pokemon was usually genuinely cruel and heartless.

"'Tricks that my friends had up their sleeves'?" I decided I might as well start the battle; mocking and humiliating the Ampharos was one way to do it. "Really? You mean a 'trick' like this?" Before he could reply, I quickly used my Psychic to grab the Ampharos and fling him towards the nearest stationary object; it happened to be a mailbox.

The Ampharos smashed into the metal mailbox with an accompanying crunch. He lay there a moment, dazed from the impact, before muttering something to himself and standing up slowly. The mailbox itself was mangled out of shape and bent, with the bolts on the front completely pulled out of the ground.

"You little..." Ampharos dashed toward me in rage. He drew back his right arm; I noticed that flames seemed to emerge from his hand. I assumed that he was using a Fire Punch.

I ran to the left; Ampharos apparently had planned for this and continued dashing toward me. Finally, with not too many options, I concentrated my Psychic energy on my speed. After one slow step, I bolted forward about twenty feet. My Agility put me far out of the range of the Ampharos; he flailed around and missed.

In addition to the initial burst of speed, the Agility also boosted my speed overall, at least temporarily. I turned around and ran toward the Ampharos.

Approaching him from behind, I used a Cross Chop. My right arm smashed down on his lower back with as much force as I could muster for it. The Ampharos stumbled forward a few steps more, before stopping and standing upright.

The Ampharos then raised his tail into the air; a moment later, electricity emanated from the red ball at the end. It was a Shock Wave; the attack wasn't particularly powerful, but it hit everything nearby.

Unfortunately, I was nearby. The electricity was mostly negated because I was an electric Pokemon; however, it still zapped my muscles lightly, and prevented me from moving very far. The damage was negligible. However, the tactical advantage gained by the state of semi-paralysis he had put me in was probably significant.

The muscle spasms were enough to keep me from running a few seconds more; by the time I was able to start moving it was too late. The Ampharos slammed into me with a Double Edge. I cringed first from the Ampharos's impact, and then from both of us slamming into the ground. The whole attack was quite violent and painful; I suspected that the Ampharos had damaged himself somewhat, also.

I landed on my side, with the Ampharos lying over me; I kicked at him until he stood up. I rolled over, leaning on my arms so I was halfway between sitting and standing. My Psychic powers could easily tell that the Ampharos was building up electric-type energy for another attack; I had plenty of time to prepare.

After a few more moments, a large Zap Cannon shot from the Ampharos's hands and descended upon me fairly slowly. I immediately used Protect; it was quite a handy skill to have. An invisible, intangible shield formed around my body; the Zap Cannon hit it and dissipated.

It took the Ampharos a moment to realize that I hadn't been hit by his point-blank Zap Cannon; in that time, I charged up a Thunderbolt.

I released my Thunderbolt quickly, but not quickly enough. The Ampharos had used a Light Screen a few moments before I started the Thunderbolt; my attack simply reflected off and into the ground. I reasoned that the Ampharos had enough tactical sense to know that I was going to attack, or had made it a habit to defend himself whenever an attack of his failed. Either way proved that he was smart, at least more so than most Team Rocket Pokemon I'd seen.

Meanwhile, I needed to make my next move. Before the Ampharos had even stopped his Light Screen, I stood up and leapt at him. Being a barrier to intangible attacks only, the Light Screen wasn't able to interfere with me. I hit the Ampharos, and channeled as much electrical energy as I could into him. This was the first time I'd used a Volt Tackle, but the concept was simple enough; it was a combination a Tackle-like and a Thundershock-like attack.

The Ampharos fell backwards as I rammed into his upper body. My momentum kept me pushing against him, and I continued releasing electricity for the entirety of our contact. Finally, he smashed into the ground, and I fell on top of him and rolled off.

The attack seemed to be quite effective; the Ampharos groaned for a moment, without bothering to try to get up or protect himself. I turned toward him, and used a quick Cross Chop on his forehead; I saw no reason to waste a perfectly good opportunity like this.

The Ampharos grunted again, but then a bunch of small particles started to drift off of his body. I recognized this as a Cotton Spore, so I turned to run, but not quickly enough; the spores attached to my body and they itched terribly. I had to stop to Psychically cleanse myself of the offending cotton.

I had almost finished when the Ampharos came stomping toward me, and hit me on the back with a Thunderpunch. I let out a short yelp before I tumbled to the ground.

Quickly turning around, I faced the Ampharos yet again. Before he could move again, I used my own Shock Wave; I simply emitted a quick burst of electricity in all directions. The Ampharos was momentarily paralyzed, and wasn't able to complete whatever move he was preparing.

I leapt up onto my feet again, and then I launched a quick Thunderbolt at the Ampharos. He grimaced as I continued the attack; I could tell that I was damaging him, but he seemed to be concentrating quite hard on not being stunned by the electricity. I was fairly sure that he was going to attack as soon as my Thunderbolt ended.

This was indeed correct; as I made my Thunderbolt weaken and stopped, the Ampharos dashed at me. A small Psychic probe into his mind revealed that he was using a Double Edge, which was quite a threat to me.

However, as the Ampharos had been preparing his attack during my Thunderbolt, I had also readied myself for a defensive move. I focused for a moment, and a Protect shield quickly formed in around me. The Ampharos jumped on me with his attack; however, the immobile Protect that surrounded my body absorbed all of the impact, leaving me unscratched.

The Ampharos was surprised for a second, not knowing what to think, as he lay on an impenetrable shield only inches above my body. I quickly formed all of the electrical energy I could muster at that time into a Zap Cannon that was ready to be fired.

I dropped my Protect shield right as I fired the Zap Cannon. The ball of electricity shot directly into the Ampharos. He screamed out as the explosive force of the attack blasted him backwards, quite a distance away from me. My Psychic powers told me that my Zap Cannon had hurt the Ampharos a lot. He was trying to act tough, but I knew that he was getting near the end of the amount of damage he could stand.

The Ampharos's next attack proved this; all he managed was a measly Thundershock. The electricity did a minimal amount of damage to me, but was so ineffective that I was able to stand up with ease during the attack, and waited the duration of the attack.

"Damn you..." the Ampharos trailed off as he mumbled through his gritted teeth. I relied on my psychic powers to inform me of his next intentions; I could tell that he was planning on a Thunder Wave. It appeared that the attack would be focused in a narrow area, trading range for power.

I wasn't going to sit through a focused Thunder Wave; paralysis was a very dangerous problem. As the Ampharos started Thunder Waving, I dashed to the left with an Agility. Just to be safe, I put all of my Psychic energy into the initial dash; I traveled in an arc around the Ampharos's left in a few seconds' time.

The Ampharos turned to face me. "Alright, *****... what do you think of this?" Almost immediately, he launched a Zap Cannon in my direction.

Apparently the Zap Cannon was quite powerful; obviously the first two electrical attacks had only used a minimal amount of energy but had gotten him ready for something stronger. However, his Zap Cannon lacked the appropriate speed to make it useful at all at the range we were at; I was twenty feet away from him. Dashing with the added speed from my recent Agility, I was well out of the way by the time the Zap Cannon exploded where I had stood before.

"Hey, Amphy," I taunted, "I guess you need a lesson in how to use Zap Cannons, huh?" I was closer to him now. I charged myself slightly, then sent a small Zap Cannon at the Ampharos. The attack was much faster than his; it exploded at the Ampharos's feet before he could move, knocking him down.

By now, I had grown tired of this battle. My body was sore and all of his electrical attacks hadn't been too helpful for my muscles. I grabbed the helpless Ampharos with my Psychic power. He tried to resist, but was too weak.

"Anyway," I continued, "Zap Cannons like yours are better used in situations like this." I charged my own Zap Cannon again, but more slowly this time because I needed to maintain a firm telekinetic grip on the Ampharos, who I raised a bit higher into the air.

I released the final Zap Cannon so that it flew just above the ground. Meanwhile, I slammed the Ampharos downward. He collided with the Zap Cannon and the ground at about the same time. The explosion of the Zap Cannon covered him up for a few moments, in which time I turned and walked back towards Dan. I didn't even need my Psychic powers to tell me that the Ampharos had fainted.

"Good job, Thunderblast," May was the first to congratulate me as I walked back to the rest of my team. "Are you okay after that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. It was true for the most part; I had some minor muscle spasms from the electrical attacks used against me, and the Cotton Spores left a small rash, but I didn't have any major injuries.

"Alright, good," Sai replied. "So do you mind if we check out the crime scene a little while? It was our original purpose for being here."

"Sounds good," I replied. Many of the police officers had come inside the crime scene now that the Ampharos was fainted. They immediately went over to the two fainted Pokemon, and put them in restraints on stretchers, then loaded them into some ambulances. We then continued on with our original plan to collect evidence about Team Rocket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Err okay, did we learn ANYTHING in the last few hours?" Blaze asked. It was getting close to sunset, and we were walking back to the helicopter.

"Well, some stuff," I replied. "I am holding a bag marked 'Evidence', after all."

Blaze rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, a blood sample from the Ampharos and some things that could have belonged to the Team Rocket guy will really help. Well, maybe the pictures would be useful... if we hadn't had to screw up their crime scene to defeat the Pokemon there."

"We'll see," Sai replied, "once the Dragon Tamers investigative guys look over it."

"Geez, can you guys stop arguing?" Aipom asked, "I'd thought you'd be happy that we're going to go home now."

So the conversation continued as we made our way into the helicopter; we took the same seats as before, with Aipom and I flying, and the others in the back. Soon, the helicopter ascended off into the darkening sky, and we flew towards home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We landed on the roof of the Pokemon Center at about ten o'clock that night. May had already fallen asleep in her seat. Dan, Sai, and Blaze were at various levels of sleepiness, but all perked up when we landed. Aipom and I, as the pilots, were both wide awake, thanks mostly to our supply of caffeine in the form of coffee and sodas.

Dan yawned and stretched, then asked, "Well, what should we do next? We could stay here for the night, or we could get our stuff inside and fly back to home. What do you guys think?"

"Sounds good to me," Sai replied, "I wouldn't mind getting back home."

"I'd be fine with going back," after all of the caffeine, Aipom was quite alert and eager.

"Err, wasn't there a Team Rocket attack just by the Pokemon Center?" I asked; it appeared everyone else had forgotten.

"Uh, yeah, but they said they wouldn't block off the Center," Aipom replied. "Anyway, we are Dragon Tamers, so they'd probably let us by anyway."

"Makes sense." I thought for a moment more. "Okay, then let's go back."

"Alright," Dan replied. "Blaze, what do you think?"

"Huh?" Blaze yawned, "Either way I can sleep, so I don't care."

"I guess that settles it," Dan leaned over and opened up the helicopter door. "We head down, get the rest of our team and all of our stuff, and we should be back here in less than half an hour."

"Sounds good," Sai was the first one out the door, followed by Dan, Aipom, and me. After Blaze woke up May and they both climbed out, we locked our helicopter and descended the stairs into the Pokemon Center.

Inside, we found Hydro and Tyrant playing some video game. Going by the pixelated blood displayed on the television, as well as Tyrant's muttering, it appeared that Hydro had just won at whatever they were playing.

"Huh?" Hydro turned around to see us approaching. "Hey, welcome back. Where were you guys all of that time?"

"Out fighting Rockets," I replied, yawning. "What did you expect that we'd have been doing?"

"I don't know, really. Anyway, so are we going to go back home tomorrow morning or something?"

"Actually, no," Dan answered, "We're planning to go tonight."

"Oh?" Tyrant turned towards us, "So I guess we better get ready now, huh?"

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. We should get going as soon as we can."

"Works for me," Hydro replied, standing up. "Then let's get out of here!"

It took us about fifteen minutes after that point to get back up onto the roof. We had packed all of our things, and most of us had gotten some sort of food. Aqua and Eesha had been awakened near the end, and had tiredly followed us into the helicopter.

As Aipom started up the helicopter and prepared to leave for our "home" Pokemon Center in Sector Alpha, I checked on everyone behind me. All of our belongings had been strapped to some part of the helicopter; now everyone was strapping themselves into their seats.

"Eh?" Hydro was looking towards Blaze and May, who were sitting next together in the same seat. "Are you two in love or something now?"

"Maybe we are," May replied, sounding somewhat defiant. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No," Hydro looked at her curiously. "That's cool. You two make a cute couple."

"Uhh, thanks," May apparently had been expecting Hydro to start taunting her and Blaze. Hydro had been known for being immature in the past, but I had doubted that he would give May any problems. Even if she didn't know it, Hydro respected both her and Blaze.

After Hydro yawned and closed his eyes, May appeared satisfied that he wasn't going to bother her. She kissed Blaze once, then both of them snuggled together in their seat, trying to find the most comfortable position for them to sleep in on the ride home.

"Alright," Aipom sat down in the pilot's seat again, and I took my place as the copilot; the helicopter lifted off into the night, finally taking us towards our home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ugh, we have to walk half a mile now?!" Hydro complained. I didn't quite blame him; it was almost midnight. However, we had just landed the helicopter at the local Dragon Tamers' headquarters, and our Pokemon Center was half a mile down the road.

"Yeah, unless you want to sleep here all night," Blaze yawned, having just been awakened like the majority of our team. "Whatever, let's just go now and get there so we can sleep again."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" I asked. Even Psychic Raichus get irritable sometimes. I was quite tired by then, and it hadn't helped to be sitting in a helicopter for much of the last twelve hours. "Can you guys get going?"

My semi-exasperated command was followed by everyone. Aipom, Blaze, May, Sai, Dan, Aqua, Hydro, Tyrant, Eesha, and I all slowly headed back to the Pokemon Center, many of us weighed down by things that we had brought with on the initial trek do Dark Island four days before.

So, we slowly walked for about twenty minutes. Everyone was exhausted from how busy we had been in the previous few days; however, as we were going home right now, the entire team seemed happy and we didn't even hear a single complaint from Hydro.

As we had expected, there were many police around the area because of the Team Rocket attack earlier in the day. They gave us no trouble, however, since Dan's Dragon Tamers badge made him effectively outrank the police officers that approached us.

Finally, the ten of us stumbled through the main doors of the Pokemon Center and into our usual home. After going up a short flight of stairs and through a long hallway, Dan fumbled through his pocket for a moment to get his keys to let himself into his room at the Pokemon Center; it was only big enough for sleeping and storing belongings, but it was essentially our permanent home.

Inside, everyone was asleep already. Tulie was curled around a lamp, and Flare was in a sleeping bag on the floor next to her. Gaea had fallen asleep in the middle of one of the beds. Mopia was asleep under one of the beds, and Zippy was on the top shelf in the closet; Flatten, of course, was much too large to fit in this room.

It took about two minutes for everyone to find an appropriate area for sleeping and to make themselves comfortable, whether it be on one of the beds or on the couch. I used my Psychic powers to move Gaea over to one side of the bed so Dan could claim most of the rest for himself. I curled up in one corner at the foot of the bed, before using my Psychic to turn off the light at May's request. It was good to be home again.

Blaze (Lv. 9 Quilava) and Aipom (Lv. 14 Aipom) defeated Squirtle (Lv. 15)
Thunderblast (Lv. 41 Raichu) defeated Ampharos (Lv. 45)
Blaze grew to Lv. 10!
Aipom grew to Lv. 15!
Thunderblast grew to Lv. 43!
Blaze learned Detect as his free TM!

Lady Vulpix

22nd May 2004, 06:53 PM

Alright, Kris. You can have 6 more stamps now. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Nicely done, Karin! Take 21 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Though I wonder how those vicious pokemon got into the Blizzard Room, and what will happen to Evenstar and Nimrodel now. And what's with Mike and the Absol. And... did AglÃ¡rien really try to blind the Slowpoke permanently?

I'll try to read Danny's battle soon, but it would be great if someone else could rate it. I'm afraid Karin made a mistake when answering Shonta's question. Pokemon learn moves as the same level they would learn them in GSC. Only when the move is not available in GSC we use levels from other games. Check the FAQ (http://forboards.tripod.com/FAQ.html) for more information, and sorry for the confusion.

Kirei

23rd May 2004, 05:22 AM

Gabi, here is the next part of my story, can you rate it when you have time please? I hope you like it. I wanted to post Kassandra's battle so she can be Level 9 in the Unicorn games, I hope this is OK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didnâ€™t know the way to Sector Alpha. Sure, I had been there before but my sense of direction was terrible. It was a good thing we had Kirei to lead us to the centre. The city looked empty, and there were many broken and smashed buildings. I could tell we were close to where all the disruption had occurred, but where were Team Rocket? And where was Ade?
â€œWeâ€™re lost, arenâ€™t we?â€ yawned Kassandra, frustratedly.
â€œUh, Kirei,â€ I asked the Espeon, â€œwerenâ€™t we here a minute ago?â€
Kirei didnâ€™t answer at first. I kept forgetting she was probably trying to trace Ade psychically and I was probably putting her off with my impatience. Everywhere we passed looked the same, desolate wasteland, not like a busy city at all.
Suddenly Kirei turned to me. â€œI donâ€™t know,â€ she said, looking somewhat disappointed. â€œOh! Whatâ€™s that?â€ Kirei had tripped on a sign that had evidently been knocked down by unscrupulous trouble makers. It was a â€œone wayâ€ road sign, and looking in the direction the arrow pointed as it lay I saw what looked like movement far in the distance.
â€œKirei,â€ I said, hugging the Espeon, â€œI am glad I brought you!â€
â€œHmphâ€¦â€ was the noise which came from Kassandra as she turned her back on me.
â€œYou too, Kass, of course you too,â€ I said as I picked up my little Charmander and gave her a hug. â€œNow letâ€™s get going, ok?â€

The movement was coming from a building in the distance, but I felt sure thatâ€™s where we should head. I wanted to avoid being seen and taken hostage myself, so when I noticed a shadowed figure ahead, I was frightened. I clung tightly to Kassandra, and placed a cautionary hand on Kirei, in case she had not noticed.
â€œYay!!â€ shouted Kirei, turning to beam at me and causing my heart to stop for a brief moment. Kirei ran towards the figure and it was then that I realised it was an Umbreon, and not just any Umbreon â€“ this was Milly!
â€œMilly!â€ I shouted, running towards him, â€œwhat are you doing here on your own?â€ A terrible thought crossed my mind. â€œWhereâ€™s Ade?â€
â€œHeâ€™s trying to get intoâ€¦ wait a minute, what are you doing here?â€
I explained to Milly how weâ€™d set out after Ade and was promptly informed by the Umbreon that we were heading in the wrong direction. No amount of arguing would convince Milly that we actually had just started off in the right direction as he began to lead us to the building I had spotted.

As we neared what looked like a large department store, I saw that there was much activity between various trainers and Team Rocket members, which seemed innumerable. So intense were the battles that it took me a full minute before I had even registered the giant Salamence perched on the storeâ€™s roof. We had to find a way inside while avoiding the Rockets. I was sure Ade would be up there and I had to get to him. I picked up Kassandra to keep her out of trouble.

We followed Milly to the building and he took us through a secluded back entrance, my PokÃ©mon running along ahead of me and leading the way. The entrance led to the base of a darkened stairway corridor, where standing was a shadowy figure I recognised. I ran to hug Ade and my hug was returned.
â€œWhy did you come here, Soo? I wanted you to stay at home,â€ said Ade, looking upset.
â€œI couldnâ€™t face the thought of you going out into danger and not having me at your side, OK?â€ I replied.
â€œGuys,â€ Milly said quietly, â€œwe ought to move on.â€ That was the first non-sarcastic thing Iâ€™d heard from the Umbreon in ages. We went quietly up the stairs towards the roof of the building and were surprisingly alone â€“ there were no Rocket guards along the way or even a sound. When we neared the top, Ade turned to me.
â€œYou stay here, Soo, Kirei and Kassandra will protect you if anything happens. I need to go on and deal with the guy behind all this.â€
â€œI want to be with you,â€ I whined.
â€œNo. Let me go. Youâ€™ll hear me shout if I need you up there, ok?â€ Ade looked stern; I knew it was no good arguing with him so I sat down on the floor.

Kirei, Kassandra and I waited patiently. There had been no sound from above for what seemed like an eternity, but in fact was probably about half an hour. I was starting to worry, and announced to my team we were going up.
â€œYay!â€ said Kassandra, probably too loudly, â€œAt last a real battle!â€
â€œKassandra,â€ replied Kirei, being spookily serious for a change, â€œthis is serious. And Soo, Ade told you to wait.â€
I ignored this and started walking up the way Ade had gone, my PokÃ©mon following me as I knew full well they would. There was a door ahead which led to the rooftop and Ade. However the door was now guarded. A solitary, gruff looking Rocket was standing in front. We walked straight up to him, the only thing I could think of to do.
â€œLet us pass and we wonâ€™t hurt you,â€ I said, trying my best to make it look and sound like we actually could hurt him if we wanted to.
The Rocket gave a little laugh. â€œMr DiAnnio is in conference,â€ he said with a smug, somewhat sleazy tone. â€œAnd you, little girl, are about to be taken hostage.â€
â€œNot if I can help it!â€ I shouted, â€œI, uh, challenge you!â€ I didnâ€™t know what else I was supposed to say but I knew as soon as I said I challenge you that it was the lamest thing ever. The Rocket laughed again and pulled a single PokÃ©ball from his pocket.
I backed away slightly, suddenly realising what Iâ€™d gotten myself into and my two brave PokÃ©mon companions stood braced for battle in front of me.
The PokÃ©mon used by the Rocket was an angry looking Squirtle and immediately Kirei stepped up to face it.
â€œNo fair!â€ said Kassandra, pushing the Espeon out of the way, â€œIâ€™m fighting this one and no arguments.â€ I could see the Rocket laughing to himself again.

Kirei returned to stand by me, ready to jump in if Kassandra looked like she was in trouble.
â€œCanâ€™t you just fight with her?â€ I asked Kirei.
â€œI have a feeling from that one, she doesnâ€™t need my help, but if Iâ€™m wrong, Iâ€™m ready to get in there.â€
I trusted Kireiâ€™s judgement.

FIGHT!!! L7 Charmander v L15 Squirtle!

At this point I was unsure whether I should shout out attacks or just try to advise Kassandra. I wasnâ€™t a trainer, I was just a trainerâ€™s girlfriend. Kassandra was a lot faster than the Squirtle and was doing an outstanding job of dodging the Squirtleâ€™s water attacks. Why my Charmander had thought it was a good idea to fight a type she was naturally weak to I would never know. Maybe she enjoyed challenges. I thought back to earlier, when she had insisted on trying to kick, headbutt and punch Bolovayr, who was resistant to physical damage, and in the end came out on top. But that was only a practice battle in our garden; this was the real thing.
â€œKassandra!â€ I shouted to her, â€œuse some attacks will you?â€ I wasnâ€™t sure what attacks she knew, although I was pretty sure any fire attacks wouldnâ€™t help her. Which was why I was particularly frustrated when she started breathing fire in the face of the Squirtle. Luckily she was still fast enough to get away when he retaliated with water moves.
â€œTry something else, Kass!â€ I called to her.
â€œIâ€™m fine, Soo, Iâ€™m winning!â€ Kassandra said, looking at me just in time to be narrowly missed by a strong body attack from the Squirtle. â€œWhoops!!!â€
I decided I was best off not interfering and watched as Kass continued to breathe fire, having absolutely no effect except amusing the Squirtle. I could see that the Squirtle was taunting Kassandra, although I couldnâ€™t understand his words. All I could understand was Kassandraâ€™s reply: â€œOh yeah? Eat fire!!â€ before she breathed a strong jet of flames right into the Squirtleâ€™s face, this time seeming to hurt him as he began to look even angrier and spouted streams of water back at the Charmander. Somehow Kassandra managed to jump high and avoid the attack, frustrating her opponent still further.
I was really impressed by Kassandra. I had really thought sheâ€™d need Kireiâ€™s assistance by now, but she really was as brave as she professed to be. Still, if she kept breathing fire like that, it didnâ€™t seem like there would be any way she could win. But still I hoped she would think of something.
The battle had been going on in this way for quite some time with neither PokÃ©mon looking like they were getting tired. Kassandra breathed yet more fire in the face of the Squirtle, only to have him respond with water that cut right through the fire and hit Kassandra full in the face. Luckily for Kass most of the waterâ€™s strength had been diminished by eating through her fire but still I could see it hurt her. â€œIs that the best youâ€™ve got, little boy?â€ shouted Kassandra, who by now seemed to be enjoying infuriating her opponent. He responded by running straight towards her, head lowered ready to bash into Kass, but she somehow managed to jump clear over him, causing him to have to skid to a halt before whirling round to face Kass. But he was too slow, as he turned he was caught in the face by flames causing him to rub his eyes in pain. Unfortunately that seemed to be the extent of the effect suffered by the Squirtle and he quickly retaliated with water, which Kassandra somehow dodged.
â€œSoo! Look at me! Iâ€™m winning!!!â€ she shouted to me as she jumped away from the Squirtle again. Just then he jumped as well, trying to hit the Charmander with his shell when she wasnâ€™t looking, and succeeding. â€œOh, that didnâ€™t hurt!â€ Kass said, getting to her feet. It looked like the Squirtle was shouting angry words to my Charmander. â€œTake a chill pill, moron,â€ she replied. At least now I wasnâ€™t the lamest one in the team anymore. Take a chill pill just HAD to beat I challenge you!
Next I watched Kassandra avoid yet another jet of water by jumping in a silly, dancy way, before landing awkwardly some distance away from the Squirtle. He didnâ€™t miss his chance and while Kass was floored fired the strongest jet of water he could muster. Kassandra saw it coming towards her. She opened her mouth instinctively to breathe fire back at her opponent and try to cut off the jet of water, but this time the fire looked different. The flames were strong, electric light blue sparking jets that cut straight through the water giving her opponent quite literally the shock of his life. Kassandra had received a great deal of water to the face by this point but somehow managed to keep going, if anything her electrical fire growing stronger and eventually the Squirtle, unable to attack any more and completely electrified, fell to the ground.

Kassandra wins!
Kassandra grew to L9!

â€œI told you Iâ€™d win! Soo, Kirei, I won!! Look at me!!!â€ Kassandra began to cheer, jumping higher and higher into the air as the Rocket recalled his PokÃ©mon and ran down the stairs.
â€œHeâ€™ll be going to get reinforcements,â€ said Kirei. â€œWe canâ€™t stay here.â€
I looked at the now unguarded door, and as I began to open it, it creaked spookily. My team followed me onto the rooftop. :196:

Lady Vulpix

23rd May 2004, 05:35 AM

Well done, Soo! Take 11 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
I'm sure the tournament will be really interesting. There are plenty of great writers in it!

Amy said she would rate Danny's battle, so please be patient. Now I'm off to start the Games. :D

Charizard04621

23rd May 2004, 07:26 AM

[color=hotpink]Nicely done, Karin! Take 21 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
Though I wonder how those vicious pokemon got into the Blizzard Room, and what will happen to Evenstar and Nimrodel now. And what's with Mike and the Absol. And... did AglÃ¡rien really try to blind the Slowpoke permanently?

All this will be answered in the conclusion. ^_^; I was planning to write it soon, but I'm going to focus on the tournament story now. As I type this, I currently suffer a horrible I-don't-know-what, and I feel as if I'm about to drop dead. I'll work on getting the story done by the deadline. If I make it to the second round, I'll probably have less than a week to work on it, because we'll be back a really short time before the second deadline. As a consequence, my stories will be rushed, but that's all right. I'll do the best that I can.

Oh, and AglÃ¡rien never got to blind the Slowpoke. He was too quick for her and threw her back with Psychic before she got to have a go at his eyes.

Crystalmaster Mike

23rd May 2004, 07:48 AM

If Extrasensory looks completely different in-game wise, I plead ignorance (or a malfunctioning memory).

~ ~ ~ ~

"Rock 'n Roll!"
"No, Heavy Metal!"
"ROCK 'N ROLL!!"
"NO, HEAVY METAL!!"

~ Bruceâ€™s POV ~

Sighâ€¦ How did we get mixed up in this situation again? Ah yesâ€¦

Mike had heard about a special tournament organized by the Dragon Tamers, called the Union Games. Unfortunately, when we went to see what it was about, they told us each and every place in the Games had already been taken. However, the training grounds where trainers could prepare for the event were open to all. So, Mike asked about them. But the clerk had no clue where they were, and said he'd have to call his boss.

"I smell a Happy Bureaucracy Hour coming." Mike had said with a smirk. "Why don't you guys run off and go exploring? I'll come searching for you in an hour or so, probably. Just don't leave the Plaza."

As it was, the DT Office we were at was located on Swellow Plaza, somewhere in the north of Sector Alpha. It was a curvaceous Plaza, surrounded with shops, apartments and official looking buildings. It was very large and was the home to a giant flock of Taillow and Swellow (hence its name). They had their nests high up in the flats surrounding the plaza (where tall trees used to stand), and swooped down to ground level every hour or so, to take a dive in the huge fountain which was located in the center of the plaza. A huge statue of a merman and his Gyarados dominated the large body of water (it was out of the lower body of the merman and the mouth of the Gyarados that the fountain water poured and spouted, respectively).
It was to this oasis in the desert of the big city that most of the group dashed, at the exact same moment Mike had said "Plaza". It should be no surprise that those of us that visited the fountain were all Water Types, as the cool rehydration for them, came at just the right time (and for Hanna, it meant more space to swim in).
What was left of the team went their separate ways: 'Cada, Tony, Skyler and Aron went searching for a place to sun (and to snooze, in Aron's case), and to build up some energy once more.

"Don't you need any solar energy?", I asked Verne.
â€œNah. I take vitamins." the Larvitar grinned, swallowing a large rock as proof.
â€œI think you mean minerals, Verne."
â€œWhatever you say, Shane."

So, seeing no fun in diving nor sunning, Shane, Verne and I decided to go exploring, maybe find a record shop or something. Liam and Nemo stayed with Mike (those furred pets!). Nemo's look was distracted; his thoughts were elsewhere.

â€œDid Mike go to the Breeding Center yet, to get that Eevee?"
"Nope." I said. "He said he hadn't found 'the right match' yet, for the parents."
â€œWhy anyone would want to raise anyone else is beyond me. We 'Tars have got it made with our system."
"What system? The parents just dump their kids in the ground and let them eat their way to the surface."
â€œThat's exactly my point." said Larvitar, patting his belly, satisfied after consuming another 2 rocks.

Suddenly, we heard someone behind us, hurriedly running in our direction.
â€œ*sigh* *gasp* Wait for me!" It was Skyler! Tony was nowhere in the vicinity, yet the winged Bagon really was fluttering there in front of us. But if he had been fluttering, whose footstepsâ€¦?
"*gasp* *sigh* Wow, you guys step fast! My aching paws, ouch!" Another surprise! Aron was running for once! Except during battle, she never seemed to eager to do anything.
â€œSkyler? Aron! What are youâ€¦?"
â€œI wanted to go explore the big city like you guys, but Tony is being so boring to today." Skyler whined. He doesn't want to do anything! Can I come with you guys?" he pleaded, with a puppy face (as far as that's possible for a Bagon).
â€œSure, I guess." Verne stammered. â€œThough I still can't figure out what you are doing here, Aron."
"I couldn't just leave da fella' alone, could I? she winked. "Besides, I can come up with more fun things to do than to listen to that loudmouth" (she was referring to Tony) "boasting around."
â€œ'Bout what?" Shane asked.
"Practically everything he's done, doing and will do." she laughed.
We had to laugh too (even Skyler). That's the Tony we all know and love!
"No, than take you guys. Your music's cool: it lights my inner fire! I've been feeling itchy since I heard you play."
"When was that? We never saw ya 'round in the kitchen."
"I didn't dear disturb your little repetition, so I just listened behind the door." Aron blushingly admit. She looked both cute and fragile, blushing.
â€œOh, can you barge in whenever you like, Aron. Nothing can stop us while we're rehearsing!"[/i] Shane boasted.
â€œExcept hunger, of course."
â€œNot even that, Verne. Haven't you noticed us how we time it in such a way that we take a break just a millisec before we grow hungry?"
The five of us broke out in laughter. Hold onâ€¦ There were six PokÃ©mon laughing!
"Gordon! You too?"
â€œOf course, Bruce! You still haven't told me everything about boxing, have you?"
"Uhâ€¦ No." I could feel Verne and Shane exchanging meaningful glances behind my back. They had mentioned earlier how they couldn't really understand why anyone want would want to raise anyone else, and now they saw me doing just that with a Mudkip. Okay, so I was just tutoring him, but still, they didn't see the point in it.
"Okay I'll tell you what we'll do, Gordon. As soon as the gang's reassembled, I'll be tutoring you again; for now, we're having a day off!"
â€œCool! What'll we do?"
â€œI don't know about you three," Verne said, nodding at Skyler, Aron and Gordon in one fluent movement of the head, â€œbut we're trying to find a record shop of some sort."
â€œThen why aren't you going into this one we're standing in front of?" Skyler asked innocently.
â€œSay what?"
Unbelievably yet true, we had stopped walking right in front of a mega-modern Music Mecca! Walkmans, Discmans, mp3's,â€¦ They were all lined up behind the show window, together with electric guitars, fancy drums, and the newest mikes.
After a minute or so of silent drooling at all the accessories, the six of us entered; 'Muscled, Loudmouthed and Sneering' (the nickname our band had been given; it didn't really described the package entirely) lead the way.
Had we not entered, our day had probably been a lot more like a real day off the jobâ€¦

â€œIt's humongous!"
â€œIt's gigantic!"
"It's stupendous!"
â€œIt's awesome!"
"It's overwhelming!"
â€œBut why isn't anyone around?" Skyler brought up.
He had a point there; this place was filled to the top with shelves-full of the most up-to-date music-related items, yet there wasn't a soul around to buy them. Even all the employees this place must have had seemed vanished.
"There's someone: at the end of this isle!" Aron had caught sight of what must have been the only customer in the whole store: a small, curly-haired, middle-aged man that was checking out the articles on the lowest shelf to his right. We watched him browsing through various items, never once showing any sign of our presence there. After a while, the man seemed to have found what he'd been looking for, and disappeared behind the corner on the other end of the isle, going towards the end of the store where the cashier's stands must have been, along with the exit of the store. I opened my mouth to ask the others what we'd do now, whenâ€¦
ZAP!!
"YOWCH!"
A flash of electricity could be seen from behind the furthest isle. A moment later, the lone customer dashed outside, his clothes and hair cindering. Malicious laughter could be heard, its origin the same as the electric blast.
"What inâ€¦?"
â€œNow thÃªt couldn't have been the regular customer service around here.
â€œBut what is it?"
"I think the question is: who is it?"
â€œA PokÃ©mon, that's for sure."
â€œI'll go see who it is!" Skyler began to flutter almost instantly.
"No, Skyler!" I said frantically. "They'll zap you too! We're gonna have to sneak up on it by foot!"

So, adding the deed to the word, I lead the way. Pretty soon, we got to the final isle. We peeked around the corner (in that classic style where a bunch of people look around a corner with their heads above each other), andâ€¦ almost lost our balance.
This part of the store we were now contained all of the cd-players, along with the music-mixing tables dj's use, and the big-screen TV's. In front of one of the cd-players, a group of PokÃ©mon wereâ€¦ headbanging? They all wore headphones, which were connected to the cd-player. They seemed to be a PokÃ©mon gang of some sort: practically all of them were Steel-types. We could see an Aron, three Magnemite (the zappers, most certainly), a Mawile, a petite Skarmoryâ€¦ and two Voltorb, who looked rather out of place, rather shaky too (maybe they were new recruits), and who kept close to where the Magnemite were levitating.
Having spotted a fellow Rock-type (which happened to be the same species as one of his teammates), Verne felt at ease with the group and stepped forward, paying no attention to our frantically whispered warnings.
â€œHello there!" But the group paid no attention to him, being still caught up in the music they were listening to.
â€œI said: HELLO THERE!" Verne had lifted the ear of the headphone of one of the Magnemite, and had yelled, for the music coming from the headphone made his voice practically inaudible.
"Magneâ€¦? MIIIIIIIIITE!!!" Surprised by Verne, the Magnemite Screeched. In pain, all of us yelped and covered our ears, including the rest of the PokÃ©mon group, for the Screech held much more decibels than any sort of music.
"Shut down, Magnemite!!" the Aron yelled, in a rough, deep voice. He clearly was a male, and he'd clearly yelled this command many times beforehand. Because, as soon as the Magnemite picked it up with his sensors, it stopped the Screech. It looked at the Aron, embarrassed. It looked at Verne, still suspicious. Then it floated in between its two fellows, and they began circling around each other, so that in the end, you couldn't make out which Magnemite had Screeched.
"Dumb piece of machineryâ€¦" the Aron muttered, before noticing us.
"Hello there! Nice to see new faces around here, instead of them usual shoplifters!" For some reason, 'them usual shoplifters' were quite amusing for his mates. Even though they themselves didn't seem to be buying anything either (though they weren't 'lifting the shop, either).
â€œUh, yeah. Uhâ€¦" Verne had completely forgot what he'd been doing before the Screech, and now was mumbling around helplessly. â€œOh yeah, hi! I'm Verne, and these are my teammates. We'reâ€¦"
"â€¦ trained PokÃ©mon, ey?" The Aron's eyes narrowed, and it grew a bit chillier, all of a sudden. Trained PokÃ©mon weren't appreciated that much by these streetPokÃ©mon, it seemed.
â€œUh, Adopted, rather." That didn't seem to make a difference; trained or Adopted, we were still following a human's commands. â€œUhâ€¦ Aghâ€¦ Oh yeah! What I'd wanted to ask: what were you guys listening to earlier?"
The look on the Aron's face relaxed; he even smiled! "Ah! Music lovers, are we? Well, come here, mate, listen and enjoy!"
The Aron signaled Verne to come over and put his headphone on. After a couple of moments of listening, the Larvitar put the headphone back off, scratching.
â€œNice, butâ€¦ what kind of music is it?"
The Aron seemed flabbergasted. "You'reâ€¦ You're kidding me right? You mean to say you don't recognize a Heavy Metal song if you hear one?"
â€œHeavy Metal? Noâ€¦ Doesn't really do anything to me. I'm more of a Rock fan myself, you know."
"Well I'll be a rotten-picking Dunsparce! A Rock fan? You're from the Stone Age or something? Rock is out, dude; Metal is in!"
â€œTch, like I care! Rock 'n Roll is an all-timer!"
"No, Heavy Metal is the music of the future!"
"Rock 'n Roll!"
"No, Heavy Metal!"
"ROCK 'N ROLL!!"
"NO, HEAVY METAL!!"
This was where I began wondering how we ended up in this mess in the first placeâ€¦

After another minute or so of useless yaying and naying, Larvitar decided to water his wine a bit, for the sake of a truce.
"Look, as a fellow Rock Type, can't you at leastâ€¦ understand why I like Rock music?"
"Never!!" the Aron shouted passionately. "And I'd rather not have been half Rock! Steel/Ground is way cooler a Type Combo!"
"Are you serious? The Aron I know is completely at peace with her nature, aren't you Aron?"
"Yeah, I am." Aron seemed embarrassed to have become a part of the argument.
"Huh? â€¦ Why hello dear, missy. Nice to meet someone of my own kind for once." The Aron seemed to have completely forgotten about his annoyance with Larvitar, and instead curiously inspected our Aron. From his gang came an annoyed growl, the source: the Mawile. "The name's Rocko. Though I'm thinking of changing it to something moreâ€¦ metallic. And what's your name, pretty thing?"
"It'sâ€¦" Aron hesitated, glanced at us, and locked eyes with the ground. "My name isâ€¦ Nora." Surprise! In a cold, drafty, abandoned shop, in front of a bunch of unknown PokÃ©mon, Aron (or better yet, Nora) had revealed a secret we didn't even know she'd kept from us (we'd assumed she hadn't had a nick), and that to a bratty member of her specie.
"Nora, huh? Well, Noraâ€¦ How about you and me go a-scavenging for a quick snack, huh?"
Aro-, uh, Nora blushed, opened her mouth to reply, but:
"You always take me on a scavenging hunt, Rocko! Why waist your time with such a wallflower?"
"Because I don't want to be kept in the grasp of a piranha plant for the rest of my live, Daisy." Daisy? Rocko's nickname for her, "piranha plant", came closer to the truth. For this Mawile, as every other Mawile on the surface of the planet, had a really fanged pony tail. From behind her small head rose the giant iron crocodile mouth, bearing its teeth. With this chick you didn't really want to mess around. On the other hand, all she needed was a bit of polishing, and you had a regular Beauty Contest winner. In other words: Daisy was a 'femme fatale'.
"OOW! What has she got that I haven't?"
"Listen, babe: it's more like the other way around, get it?"
She didn't. "Rocko, if you're going through with this, don't come knocking on my door tonight!"
"I couldn't if I wanted to: you sold your door to that Snorlax to have for supper!" Rocko turned his attention back to Nora. "So what'd ya think?"
"Well, I'm sorry Rocko, but I won't be here around much longer. Our trainer's taking us to a training ground!"
"Tch, tchâ€¦ Then you just ditch your trainer and move on! Simple!"
"But Iâ€¦"
"Listen, Nora, I'll let you in on something: training's for a while, the street's there forever. You won't miss anything special if you end your trained history now instead of within the next decade, believe me."
"Iâ€¦ I don't."
"D'you here her, buster?" Verne stepped back in the line of fire voluntarily. "She likes her life as it is, and there's nothing you can do about that!"
"Now I wouldn't say that, cavedude: there's always the option ofâ€¦ terminating her life with you while starting her new life with us."
"And howâ€¦"
Words were unnecessary: the determined look on the faces of the gang members spoke for itself. Brute force would end this argument. Even Daisy was behind her leader: the ways of love are impossible to understand.
"If that's the way you want to play itâ€¦"
"It is." Rocko said coldly.
"Then how about we settle this matter with a Double Battle?"
"How about we settle it with a Gang Battle, huh?"
"Won't do you no good, buster. We have reinforcements: you don't seem to have any. We have various species of PokÃ©mon represented in our team, you don't."
"I still don'tâ€¦"
"We have a Bagon that knows Flamethrower, a Mudkip with a Fighter's spirit, and a Machop with a Fighter's muscles on our team. Youâ€¦"
"Okay, okay! We'll have it your way." Rocko said hastily. "One Double Battle coming up!"
"Outside."
"Why?"
â€œBecause the Larvitar says so." Shane walked forward, next to Verne. He'd been awfully quiet during the argument. â€œAnd because outside, the humiliation will be bigger, whilst the damage to the music instruments and what not in here will be minimalized."
"Agreed."
"And your partner will beâ€¦?"
"Me." Daisy stepped forward as well. "Let Rocko do as Rocko wants, and don't you tell him what to do! That's my job, and I like it."
"Uhâ€¦ Yeah. Let's get to it, then!"

~ Skyler's POV ~

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! This would be the first time I'd see some of my friends battle! My heart felt so light, I felt like flyingâ€¦ So I did. Well, I fluttered. My wings aren't that strong yet. I fluttered out of the shop, to a window on its second floor. From there, I could see the whole Plaza, and I had an excellent view on the coming battle. From afar, I could see Tony and 'Cada looking my way. I grew a bit nervous; I hadn't been going anywhere without Tony ever since I got out of my Egg, and now I would be watching a PokÃ©mon Battle for the 1st time, without him being there to comment upon it. But I didn't feel all bad: I liked doing things I wanted to do, and what was wrong with that? Tony had said it himself: â€œOne day you'll be able to fly with your own wings!"
Okay, so technically I wasn't flying yet, but stillâ€¦ And atleast Dylan wasn't around. Tony seemed rather anxious to have him around me. I wondered whyâ€¦ He was a member of the time, wasn't he? The team! I'd forgotten about what I was planning to watch!
The 4 PokÃ©mon that would be battling had taken their places already, 2 on each side of the battle area (which was a large piece of the huge, car-free Plaza) with their respective teams behind them.

"Ready?!"
â€œWhen you are!"
"Okay thenâ€¦"
"Fight!!"

Verne (Larvitar) (lvl.5) (m) & Shane (Whismur) (lvl.5) (m)
VS
Rocko (Aron) (lvl.5) (m) & Daisy (Mawile) (lvl.5) (f)

Verne started to attack first. He ran at his two opponents with top speed. But I wonderedâ€¦ Would Tackling a Steel Type not be a ratherâ€¦ wasted move?
Rocko began to shimmer and shine - he was tensing his muscles to Harden his skin. Seeing this, Verne shifted the whole of his attack to the Mawile. But he didn't make contact with her - he jumped over her!
"Are you playing a Trick on me?" said Daisy with her back still turned towards Verne and her second mouth snapping viciously at him.
"Nope." he said grinning.
Daisy turned her head to look Verne in the face when she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Starting from where Verne had stood and moving along the path he'd run, bumps and cracks were growing at an alarming rate. The closer to Daisy, the bigger they became, until about two meters in front of her, a medium-sized rock burst out of the ground and flew right at her. She hardly had enough time to pulverize it between her metal crocodile teeth, when another, bigger rock struck her in the face. It had burst out of the ground, much closer to her then the previous one. The following minute, another 3 stones hit her everywhere on her tiny body, until Verne's Ancientpower attack finally ceased.
"Heh. Gotcha!"
"Grrrâ€¦ Why you littleâ€¦!" Furious because she hadn't seen his attack coming, Daisy circled around and lunged for Verne's throat. Verne was able to jump away in timeâ€¦ or so he thought. For as he came down again, Daisy's metal teeth carved into his side, each fang dripping with purple venom. And the attack didn't miss its effect: seeing Verne's expression change from mocking to sulking in pain, one could easily see he was seriously poisoned.
"Heh. Got you!"
"Youâ€¦ thinkâ€¦ soâ€¦?" Verne said, having trouble with each word. "Well,â€¦ thenâ€¦ thinkâ€¦ again!" Surprisingly agile for his condition, Verne jumped at his two-mouthed adversary. Stunned by his bold move, Daisy watched how the Larvitar was falling down upon her, his mouth wide open. The Bite he performed on her neck might as well have been a Take Down attack, for Verne took Daisy down with him as a cause of the power behind his jump, the dared, almost-lethal attack causing serious damage on both sides, even with their respective Steel and Rock nature. Perhaps Daisy'd tensed her body enough for Verne to get hurt by merely Biting skin. Perhaps she'd managed to pull of a Double-Edge attack without even moving (if so, congrats to her!). Or perhaps Verne just didn't know his true strength yet. Whatever the case, it didn't matter any more.
Only one PokÃ©mon was left standing after the collision of metal and rock: our very own Verne the Larvitar. His eyes shone with an entrancing glare; I could now see why Daisy hadn't moved out of his way: a Leer like his was hypnotizing. Despite the poison that was starting to eat away at his health fast, he stood there, as a general after a battle well fought and won.

Verne (Larvitar) grew to level 6!

~ Aron (or Nora) her POV ~

While Verne concentrated on Daisy, Shane went for Rocko, and vice-versa. They ran at each other, Rocko on all four, Shane with a paw held high. When they met halfway, Rocko tackled Shane in the stomach, while Shane's paw hit Rocko in the back in almost pathetic attempt of a Pound. Shane was thrown on his back, while Rocko started to Stomp him endlessly.
"You should choose your friends more carefully from now on," Rocko told Shane in-between two Stomps, "then you won't be losing so often to PokÃ©mon above your League."
â€œWho said you're anywhere above me? GrrrrAAAH!!" Shane threw Rocko off of him, and caused an Uproar.
"Easy there, ma-" Rocko tried to calm him, but Shane cut him short; nothing would calm him down but sheer exhaustion.
"I said: easy there, mate!!" Annoyed with Shane, Rocko let out his Frustration with a roar and a Tackle, which was enough to shut Shane up, for now.
â€œHey, I was on a roll there! You burst my bubble!"
"Don't tell me you know that." Rocko said.
â€œKnow what?"
"Bubble."
I saw Shane 'sweatdropping', and couldn't blame himâ€¦ Lame joke there, Rocko!
â€œIf I ever need a comedian, I'll stay away from you, Rocko!" Shane lunged forward, attempting once more to Pound Rocko. Even though he used both his paws this time, again the attack dealt little damage. Shane struck him again and again, but Rocko hardly felt a thing. He'd even Hardened his armor so that the attack looked even more pathetic.
"Come on, mate, I'm waiting!" said Rocko, mocking Shane. "Where is your final attack, huh?"
And to humiliate Shane even more, Rocko pushed him away, the egocentric brat! Shane, exhausted from his combat with the Steel type's Armor, stumbled, tripped, and landed on his behind, on which he remained seated while catching his breath, glaring at Rocko with a dark light in his eyes.
"Oh, this too much! Hahah! What a show!" Rocko now openly laughed at Shane, tears rolling down over his cheeks. His outrageous laughter was contrasted deeply by the look of sheer hatred on Shane's face. He was now taking this fight personal.
"Tell meâ€¦ Whis-â€¦ Whismur," Rocko had trouble speaking, as his uncontrolled laughter had him rolling on the floor, laughing out loud. "Whatâ€¦ What do you do for an encore?"
â€œI'llâ€¦ show you." Shane said slowly through his teeth.
In a flash, the look on his face changed from deep hatred, to deep concentration. He now looked some what like a monk, meditating in lotus position.
Slowly but steadily, Rocko calmed down, not finding the situation so funny anymore - he was more worried now.
"Whatâ€¦ what are you up to, Whismur?"
No reaction, only a faintâ€¦ humming sound.
"I said: what are you up to??" Rocko screamed. He wasn't one to feel comfortable with his opponent meditating instead of attacking.
Still, Shane remained silent, yet the humming sound grew deeper, louder. The vibrations flowed through the air, and tickled the ear that heard them. It was hard to tell where they were coming fromâ€¦
I turned my head sideways, upwards and downwards, but could not find the source of the sound. When I looked back at the two combatants (the other battle had completely escaped my attention), I jumped in fright.
Rocko was staring at Shane, his eyes filled with disbelieve and horror, his mouth opening and closing, finding no words to comment on what he saw before him. The air around, above, before and behind Shane was trembling and shaking, loaded with vibrations and power coming from an unknown source deep within Shane himself. Yes, he too looked to be trembling, his veins pulsing with a power which he had not used before in combat, nor any other time.
Suddenly, his eyes opened. They were a confusing blue, seemingly made of an out-of-this-world material that was sparkling and whirling around. These eyes, these new eyes Shane had used for the first time today, were most certainly able to see different things, to sense extra forces in this universeâ€¦ and to use them in an extraordinary moveâ€¦ Extrasensory.
"Sâ€¦ Sâ€¦ Stehâ€¦" Rocko had found his voice again. "Stop looking at me like that!!"
It was as if Shane'd waited for the sound of Rocko's voiceâ€¦ The vibrations and pulses around him moved towards a single, strategic point: just in front of his chest, right in front of where his heart was. The blue light left his eyes; instead, there remained a deep, black emptiness. He moved his arms up, his left and right index finger touched the pulsing orb that had formed in front of his chestâ€¦
Everything went fast after that. The orb head for Rocko with an amazing speed, with a faint 'zoof!'-sound, so fast that Rocko had just opened his mouth to screamâ€¦ when the orb hit him right between the eyes. Purple blue energy surged through the veins on his head, and Rocko's eyes turned inwards. His whole, tiny body twitched and squirmed for about five secondsâ€¦ and then he fell on his side, fainted.

Shane (Whismur) grew to level 6!

~ Gordonâ€™s POV ~

I'd been watching Shane's battle together with Aronâ€¦ uh, Nora, while silently cheering for Shane to win. When he finally did, I jumped and let out my relief and joy. That was, until Shane collapsed, utterly drained from his energy.
"Yikes! Shane!"
"He's not the only one that's badly hurt," Nora said, "Look!"
Indeed, Verne too was in a bad condition; he'd collapsed and now was gasping for air while lying on the ground on his back. Even though he as well had been victorious, there were tooth marks on his belly dripping with venomâ€¦ He'd been badly poisoned, and the poison was conquering his health fast!
Rocko's group of PokÃ©mon made fast work of leaving the stage: in a matter of seconds after Rocko'd been defeated as the last of the duo, they had dragged their leader and his girl off the Plaza, fleeing to whatever they called there home.
I quickly realized Shane and Verne as well needed caring for, ASAP.
"Come on, Nora! Let's carry them to Mike, quickly! They'll be better off recalled in their PokÃ©Balls, until we get to a PokÃ©Center."
"I'm with you!" We ran at Shaneâ€¦ and realized we wouldn't be able to carry Verne as well; two PokÃ©mon were needed to carry them both.
Luckily, both of us had forgotten about Bruce and Skyler, who'd been rooting for Verne from the shadows. They were taking care of the Larvitar; Skyler was even fluttering slightly to remain on the same shoulder level as Bruce, so that Verne could be held horizontally.
"Okay Shane, don't you worry! We'll get you to Mike in no time!"
I lied down beside him while Nora pushed his head 'n shoulders on my back. Then she took care of Shane's lower body by lifting it with her head.
It was a weird sight, such a diversity of PokÃ©mon helping each other. A lot of bystanders uttered 'oh no''s and 'those poor little things''s, but didn't do a thing to assist us. I couldn't see Tony, 'Cada or any of the other Water PokÃ©mon that had been playing in the fountain - we could only hope they had seen us and told Mike.

We would have some explaining to doâ€¦ But, in a few weeks, this whole event would hopefully make for a good laugh during meals. Hopefullyâ€¦

Lady Vulpix

23rd May 2004, 09:14 AM

<Sylvan's POV>

It had been a long week for everyone. Gabi was barely at home with all the preparations for the Games added to her regular activities. Some of us would often follow her while the others would stay at home or just walk or fly around. I was one of those who stayed most of the time; I'd spend my time tending to the garden and thinking... Thinking mainly of where I stood in life. Most pokemon would have that kind of thoughts before taking a decision that would produce major changes in them and in the way they lived; not me, I just liked to put things in perspective and I just couldn't picture myself surviving without dedicating a considerable amount of time to such thoughts. Especially after going through yet another tough situation, or after waking up with my cheeks wet.
They hadn't been nightmares at all. They were sweet dreams, mostly. I'd been having them ever since I'd come back from Templa Taure. Dreams of my childhood, of the valley, my family and my old friends, with an anachronism here and there, like the presence of a pokemon who used to live in that valley but hadn't entered my life until a long time later. I thought that was just a minor detail, the way dreams worked... but for some reason I would often wake up with a piercing feeling of loneliness, and a sense of fatality to it. As if, no matter what I did, nothing could save me ffrom being alone for the rest of my life. Of course I knew that was wrong. I wasn't lonely at all; I was surrounded with the greatest friends I could ever hope for. And as soon as I got into the kitchen and shared breakfast with the others, the odd feelings would quickly fade away. But they would return the following night, and each time they were more persistant.

The morning before we headed for the training grounds I found Lagi looking at me when I woke up. I got scared for a moment, and she turned away with an apology. But before she left, she told me she'd be there in case I needed to talk. She left me wondering how much she had found out. Not that I didn't trust her; I did, but thinking that someone could have probed into feelings that were too deep for even myself to figure them out made me uncomfortable to say the least. So I spent most of that day reflecting, trying to understand what exactly was there for Lagi or others to find out, what was going on with me. Thankfully, I was left alone for as long as I needed to; most probably Lagi's doing.
During that time, I found more questions than answers, but I remembered something that, now I realized, had made the situation a lot worse: Gia. The piercing look in her eyes when she was facing me. She felt almost like a twisted version of Lagi, one that wouldn't stop drilling into your heart regardless of the consequences or, even worse, would do it until the worst happened, until she could cause a soul to break. Of course, that was just a feeling I'd had, just my own perception of the look in her eyes. There was nothing that could prove that she was doing anything else than try to look, sound and feel irritating. But it was hard to believe how well she succeeded at that. I'd barely managed to contain myself while I was battling, and even when Amber was fighting Gia would often direct her looks at me. I didn't know why she did it, but I knew those looks filled me with a rage I'd never known.
But I hadn't realized that back then. At that moment, while Amber was fighting, all I could think of was her. I'd think of Amber and pray that she'd be alright, that she would endure the assaults of her vicious opponent, and the more subtle but just as harmful remarks on behalf of his trainer.

"Is everything alright?," a deep yet sweet voice spoke softly behind me. "I thought I'd find you here."
I turned round and saw my Charizard friend, as sparkling as ever.
"Amber to the rescue, as usual," I smiled.
"Really? And exactly what did I rescue you from?"
"Shady thoughts, that's all," I said, now turning around completely to face her.
"You know you can talk to me if anything's bugging you."
"How curious. Lagi said the same earlier today."
"That's because we care for you."
I looked at her for a moment and smiled again.
"I know," I said.
"Then, what is it? Is anything wrong?"
"I'm not quite sure, that's the thing. The best I can say is that our encounter with Gia has left me thinking."
"But that was months ago!"
"Yes. I'm slow, I know. Or some things are just too subtle to notice them easily. The thing is I think there's more to her than she's let us see."
"Well, from what we could gather it seems she's an executive of some sort. An executive of one of the most merciless criminal organizations. It figures she wouldn't let us know everything about her. She'll just tell us enough to leave us worrying about how much she really knows about us."
"And how do you figure she knows so much about us? I mean, I know the theories about her having access to the Guild's files, and I know how long we've been on the spotlight, but she said some things not even the Dragon's Guild could know."
"Like what?"
"She said I liked watching plants better than fighting. Gabi never told the other Guild members that I'm the local gardener. And he went into such detail about how messed up my leaves and petals were after the battle... As if she knew how much I cared about them."
"Now that you mention it, she did say something about me having a killing instinct. I don't have it, of course, but I've often been afraid of failing to measure my own strength and hurting others permanently. Though it could still be a coincidence. I mean, how could she possibly know?"
"It might be. But I'd rather be on the watch. We've seen enough to know that just about anything can happen."
"True. We'll be ready next time she shows up. Just don't let her get to you. Don't let anyone get the best of you."
"You neither."

I felt better now. I'd taken some weight away from my shoulders, and knowing that Amber agreed with me made things even better. It wasn't all, of course. Gia's attitude towards me had done nothing but bring out what was already there. But I didn't have to talk about it. It wasn't big enough to worry about, after all. Just one of those things about life. The future was ours to make, but not to tell, so there was no telling whether that little gap of loneliness that still lay within me would get filled some day. I wanted to trust that it would. And it wouldn't have been fair to bother Amber with that. Not when she was so sweet, so caring, and knew so well how it felt for love not to be returned.

The following night I had just about the same dream, only I didn't wake up covered in tears. I was happy. I'd been playing with my Oddish and Ditto friends for hours, and also with the Charmander who'd left the Valley before I could meet her, but who had eventually come to me when I was already leading a new life. They called her Cherry back then, and they didn't even have a name for me. But even in the dream she'd call me Sylvan and I'd call her Amber. I told her something I had actually said to her in the past: "when you grow wings and fly, please tell me what it feels like". And she replied: "I'll take you to fly with me". In the morning, for the first time, I told Amber about my dream. She smiled sweetly and told me that she could actually take me to the sky if I wanted, even if we wouldn't be able to get too far. But I kindly rejected the offer: I was too heavy, and I didn't want her to get hurt. I still appreciated it a lot.

Shortly after breakfast, the whole team headed for the Training Grounds. It was a day we'd all been waiting for. Everyone was excited as we wonder who would get to battle in each room. Before we got to talk about that, Gabi informed us that she'd made a deal with Karin and she'd watch over two of Karin's pokemon at the Blizzard room, while her friend would substitute her at the Lava Room.
"I'm afraid I've given up getting into that room, all my attempts have failed miserably," she explained. "Just as I won't ask any of you to battle in an adverse environment unless there's no other way, I've decided to allow myself the same treatment. I know all of you can do well on your own, and Karin will be there in case you need anything. And I'll be waiting outside the room. That's for the Lava Room, I mean. For the rest, I'll be with you."
"Sounds fair," Hero accepted. "I'll get to show Karin a few of my tricks. Because I get to battle there, right?"
"Of course, Hero. I wouldn't deny you the pleasure of battling another fire pokemon."
"I guess that means I get the Pond Room," deduced Tsunami.
"Err... Actually..." Gabi began.
"Actually what?," Tsunami said, nervous.
"Well... You and the rest of group B have had a lot more training than the others lately, so I think..."
"What?! We don't get to train?"
"Wait, please, Tsunami, don't look at me like that. I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I think the others could use a chance to level up more than you three. You four, actually; I'm not counting Amber in either."
"It's ok," said Amber when Gabi directed her look at her. "I still don't get the concept of friendly battles; I'd mess up and regret it. Besides, I've battled more than anyone else in the team lately."
"Yes, more than us," Tsunami insisted. "How long has it been since I last battled?"
"Not too long; you've been at the Battle Tower recently. The others need the training more than you do. Especially Iael. Don't worry, you'll get to battle on the next chance we get. Besides, I thought you would enjoy a weekend at Glacier Peak instead."
"Glacier Peak?," Tsunami's expression changed, his eyes shininh with excitement. "Why didn't you say that before?"
"Because you wouldn't let me speak," Gabi retorted. "I have bookings for the new pokemon resort at Glacier Peak for you, Pidgeot and Water Angel, and I've made sure there'd be room if anyone else wanted to go. Caledor may want to join you after his battle, I'm sure he'll have a lot to talk about and show off. And everyone else is invited."
"Show off?..." Caledor thought for a moment, before he lit up like a living lamp. "Whoa, that's right! I almost forgot about it!"
"What is it, kid?," asked Tsunami.
"I'll show you when I've won my next battle. Wow! Thanks, Gabi! I'll make sure to join the group at Glacier Peak after my battle and find new ways to have fun. Do I get to battle first?"
"I knew you'd get excited," Gabi laughed. "You may battle first if you don't mind doing it in the water. We're heading for the Pond Room first. I can't take anyone to the Lava or Blizzard rooms before I meet Karin, and I'm not too sure about who should battle in the Desert and Jungle rooms."
"I can battle in the Jungle Room," I said. "If I'm going to battle, I think that's the best place. And I already know how to stay away from that paralyzing bush if it's still around."
"Yes, I was counting on you for that. The question is, will Ventura battle there with you, or will she go into the Desert room? Depending on that, you may battle in the Desert room too or have two battles on your own at the Jungle room. That's something for you and Ventura to decide."
"Good, you've put so much thought into this I was beginning to fear there'd be nothing left for us to decide," Ventura remarked.
"You know that could never be the case, don't you, Ventura?"
"I guess. I'd end up making my own choices anyway. But this time I think it's up to Sylvan. Clearly the Desert room would be easier for her, but maybe she's up for a challenge this time."
"I'll think about it," I concluded, ignoring the tone of Ventura's words. I knew words had never been her forte, it wasn't worth getting irritated by them.
"So, where will I battle?," asked Iael.
"I was thinking you culd battle in a variety of environments," Gabi said. "That way you can test and improve a wide range of skills. If you want, that is."
"And that means...?"
"That means I've left room for you to battle in the Desert, Blizzard and Lava rooms. Of course you wouldn't go to all of them in a row, and the Desert Room would go between the other two."
"Wow, that's a lot!"
"Yes. Feel free to reject the offer if you want. I just thought that, since you put so much of you into battling, you'd like a chance to develop some tactics and battle creatively. And since tehy will be friendly battles, there's a good chance you won't have reasons to lose focus."
Gabi worded her thoughts carefully, but Iael could still read between lines.
"It's ok," he told her. "I won't get mad and forget the lives of those I care for are not at stake."
"That's not what I meant..."
"It is, but I don't blame you. Thanks for the chance."
"You've spoken like my brother, did you know that?"
"Really?," then Iael paused for a moment, thinking. "I guess we're not that different."
I couldn't tell whether he was referring to Gabi's brother or Gabi herself.

We walked in silence for a minute, and then Lagi spoke out.
"From what I can gather, I'm battling in the Pond Room with Caledor, right?"
"That's what I was thinking," Gabi confirmed. "But how did you know?"
"Well, all the spots for the Jungle, Desert and Lava rooms are taken, and you wouldn't have me battle in the Blizzard Room. And you never said I wouldn't battle."
"Nice deduction," Ventura told her. "Which leaves one spot open for the Blizzard Room. Do you have a pokemon in mind for that one, or can I take it?"
"You can take it. You may be up against a psychic pokemon, though. But knowing you, you may see that as an incentive."
"Well, I will if I end up proving I'm better than my opponent at harnessing my psychic abilities."
"They say the sky is the limit, but I have the feeling it's only the starting point for your ambition," Gabi laughed.
"You make it sound as if it were a bad thing," Ventura responded. "I only struggle to make the best of myself. Just because I have a type, or two in fact, it doesn't mean I have to let my type become a weakness."
"Are you trying to revolutionize the type weakness concept?," Tsunami asked her.
"I'm not after any revolutions, and I'm not the first one who wants to show no weak points and turn away from no challenges."
"Type weakness doesn't affect everyone in the same way," said Pidgeot, who was hovering close to us. "Just like physical pain in general. But we all have points where we can get hurt the most. And the deepest wounds aren't physical."
His words showed me I hadn't been the only one affected by our encounter with Team Rocket. I almost felt guilty for bursting into tears while Pidgeot had gone through so much worse and was still standing strong. But it wasn't something to feel guilty about. We all react to the same things in different ways.

We split up about halfway to the Training Grounds. Pidgeot took Water Angel's pokeball with him and let Tsunami sit on his back. He waved to us and took off, heading for Glacier Peak. We had arranged to gather there after the battles, and we all had permission to go as soon as we wanted, but I reckoned only Caledor would make use of that permission, and maybe Hero if the Lava Room was not the last one. The rest of us went straight to the Training Grounds complex and, after filling in a lot of forms and consciously ignoring all the stores, Gabi told us we were ready to begin. Since the Pond Room would be the first stop and I wouldn't have enough room to stand and watch the battle, I decided to stay outside. Amber stayed with me. She wasn't going to battle, but she'd wanted to stick with us instead of going to Glacier Peak.
"Are you sure you don't mind standing out here with me?," I asked her.
"Yours is great company," she replied. "Besides, I don't have a better choice either, do I? It's the way things are. I'm the Gyarados's daughter who can'ta have fun in the water."
I smiled. In the past, Amber had only mentioned her father a few times, and none with the grin she was now displaying. I figured it had hurt her to have had so few chances to be with him as a child, but having seen him in Templa Taure and realizing how much he loved her and how proud he was of her had changed her feelings about him for the better.

<Caledor's POV>

I was so excited I wouldn't have minded it if the water had been as cold as it had been at the Course, back at the winter Games. Well, maybe I would have minded a little, but it would have been worth the extra effort to stay focused. The way things were, with the water at a perfect temperature and the perspective of a whole new range of powers just a step away from me, I couldn't feel any better. I jumped into the water and swam around, looking for an opponent to battle. Lagi did the same, only she seemed more interested in diving than in battling. I couldn't blame her, first because she had been born in the water, and second because that meant I'd get the chance to battle first. Or so I thought.

Luck had it that a Dragonite would catch other pokemon's attention more than an Espeon did, and by the time I started contemplating the possibility of glowing to attract curious looks, someone was already challenging Lagi. It was a big blue sea lion with a large nose and huge tusks. It wasn't as big as Lagi, but for the little I knew about its kind, it would pose a big threat for her. Unless, it held back, of course. After all, it was an Ice type.

"You look strong. Can I battle you?," the Walrein asked Lagi in a deep, yet female voice. "I promise I won't use Ice attacks on you. I'd never seen a Dragonite before, I want to know what battling one is like."
"Then we're even," Lagi told her. "I'd never seen a Walrein before, except in brochures. Did you come from far away?"
"From the other side of the world. My trainer likes travelling a lot. He's built quite an unusual team with pokemon of all regions."
"That must be interesting. I've traveled too, though not that much. I've been to South America twice and to Kanto twice too. The rest of the time I've stayed in Ulthuan, though I've been to most of the Kingdoms."
"I haven't seen much of Ulthuan. We've only just arrived to Caledor, and before that we were in Tor Syle, in Eataine. We may go to Ellyrion for the Unicorn Games."
"Then we may meet again there. My trainer will be judging the tournament."
"Really?! Then I'm talking to a celebrity!"
That comment caused Lagi to chuckle.
"I haven't done more to become a celebrity than any other Dragon Tamer has. I've battled in the first Eagle Games, but I was ages ago. Lots of things have changed since then."
"Well, my opinion hasn't. We barely missed the chance to enter this tournament, but here at the Training Grounds I can meet some of the contestants. And if I do well here, maybe I can enter the next tournament whenever there is one."
"I'll make sure to see you, in that case. By the way, what's your name?"
"Baui. And yours?"
"Lagi. Nice to meet you, Baui."
"You too."
"Ahem..." I interrupted before they could go on with the conversation.
"Oh, Baui, this is my friend Caledor," Lagi introduced me.
"Like this place?," Baui asked.
"Yes, that's right. Is anything wrong, Caledor?"
"Wrong? What could be wrong? Other than the fact that you're taking forever to start your battle and no one's going to battle me until you two get done."
"Oh, sorry," Lagi apologized. "I guess I got carried away by Baui's excitement."
"By my excitement?," Baui asked, not fully understanding.
"That's Lagi for you," I told her, hoping the battle would start soon while trying not to take Lagi's only possible advantage away for her. Not that she was doing much to help herself.
"Ok, I got it, Caledor. We'll battle first and talk later. You don't have to be so impatient."
"Sorry. It's just that I don't get a chance like this one everyday."
"I know and I understand. So, Baui... Shall we battle?"
"Sounds good to me."

Level 68 Dragonite vs. Level 70 Walrein

It was Lagi who got to strike first. She shook her wings until her feet were barely touching the water, and then she dashed forward to where Baui was floating, hitting her with her wings.

"Ouch! Not bad, but you got too close," Baui told her as she launched herself towards Lagi, falling on the Dragonite's stomach. Lagi was pushed into the water, but quickly emerged from it. Moreover, she used the impulse to soar even higher. Not that Baui wasn't prepared for this: she used the chance to curl up and increase her defenses. When Lagi came down, the impact was not as great as she had expected. And if I could read the look in her eyes correctly, she realized she'd fallen into a trap the second before Baui's plan was put into motion.

I saw Baui clap her fins excitedly. I wasn't too sure about what was going on until I saw Lagi take off again, as if pushed up by an invisible force. Then Baui curled up again, and the next impact was even smaller. The scene was repeated once more, and the 4th time Lagi rose into the air Baui claimed that she was tired and, yawning, went to sleep. I felt sorry for Lagi. She didn't deserve to be made fun of like that.

"It's ok," Lagi said, plunging into Baui once more. "She's playing fair, I'll get out of this."
"Lagi, you're despicable!," I laughed. Of course, I knew she'd know I was joking. But I was the psychic one and yet she was the one who acted as if she could read my thoughts. I guess reading my feelings was close enough.

One more virtually useless blow of Fly and she was free. Baui was still sleeping, but she snored loudly.
"Flying moves won't help me anymore," said Lagi, not afraid to speak out while her opponent slept. I'll try something different.

It turns out 'something different' was Dragon Claw. After the first strike, Baui snored once more and Lagi got another chance to use her best Dragon type attack. Then Baui woke up.
"Hmm... You're still there..." she mumbled. "Go on."

With that, she clapped again. But that was a mistake; she hadn't realized Lagi wasn't using Fly anymore, and now she had to face another Dragon Claw, whether Lagi wanted it or not.
"Whoa!," the Walrein exclaimed, shocked by what had just hit her. That had woken her up completely, and I reckoned it would be hard for her to fall asleep right away. "Slow down!," she told Lagi, using a form of Secret Power you don't see at the Battle Tower.
But I guess her attack didn't get the desired effect, since Lagi stroke again right after her. Upon receiving the blow, Baui fell underwater. Instantly released from the Encore, Lagi dove to bring her back to the surface.

Lagi won and grew to level 70! She got Earthquake as her free TM!

Gabi and I both congratulated Lagi without bothering to ask her how she knew Baui wasn't coming out on her own. They say good things come to those who wait, and I had to wait until Baui was fine before I could get on with my battle, so I really hoped it was good. I had to hear Gabi's and Lagi's conversation about how Lagi could have avoided falling into the Encore trap but didn't become aware of it until it was too late, and how switching to Dragon Claw had been such a good idea considering Lagi and Baui had both tacitly agreed not to use any super-effective moves. When Baui was fit to speak again, she was still really excited. They kept on chatting for a while, but I didn't take part in their conversation. I was eager to win a battle. Not for the battle itself, but for the opportunities and challenges it would bring. Over the years I'd managed to get a decent control over my powers (though I really wished I was better at using my psychic abilities) so I was no longer worried about the next set being too much for me to handle. In any case, I could always ask Kovu for assistance, or even Pidgeot if that wasn't pushing things too hard. There was also Milliardo, but I wasn't sure if asking him would be a good idea; I might be better off asking Tsunami to help me improve my Surf attack.

I was just swimming around when I noticed something coming out from the bottom of the pool. I pushed back as fast as I could, and barely avoided getting hit as a Gyarados emerged from the water. The Gyarados fixed its eyes on me. I didn't know how to react, so I just said 'hi'. Bad idea: the Gyarados's stare became firmer and angrier.

"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you or anything, I was just looking for an opponent to battle," I apologized.
"Then let's battle," the Gyarados roared in a voice that could have been either male or female.
Evidently, there would be no room for social talk. But what did I have to complain about? Hadn't I been hoping my battle would start as soon as possible? By the look of things, I'd only have enough time to push back a little more and brace myself for the first attack.

Level 49 Espeon vs. Level 55 Gyarados

Things aren't always the way they look, however, and I noticed an opening when the Gyarados turned away to gain distance. Not expecting to get many chances like that one, I decided to take advantage of what I did have, and sent a Psychic blast at my opponent. For the little use I could give my psychic powers in my everyday life, they'd never failed me in a battle, and this time wasn't the exception.

The Gyarados didn't complain. Instead, it came back to me spinning at a high speed. The attack sent me flying and I hit the water hard. It hurt so much I didn't think I could resist another blow like that one. And from what I knew about Trash, another was certainly coming. I stayed underwater for a moment, trying to think of a good way to defend myself and hoping the spinning Gyarados would take enough time before finding me. Then I remembered I had an item with me, which I hadn't given much use to yet. I swam as fast as I could, trying to make for the trainer's platform in time before I got hit. I was lucky the Gyarados was spinning wild and I had a good speed, even in the water. When I reached the platform, I did two things almost at the same time, with the Gyarados still chasing after me. First, I let my die fall on the little piece of solid floor available. Second, I used Reflect to put a psychic barrier between me and the Gyarados. My opponent was closing in when the die stopped rolling. I didn't have time to look at it and see what it had landed on, so I decided to look at my opponent and try to guess. I got hit all the same, so the serpent was neither asleep nor frozen. However, I barely felt the blow this time. I trusted my Reflect to be effective, but the difference between this blow and the previous one was so huge I had to have received some other kind of help. The answer became clear when my opponent winced after attacking me, if only for a brief moment. So burn it was. The thought of a pokemon being burnt in the water was funny, but I soon remembered fire was not the only thing that could cause burns, and went back to focusing on my battle.

It was time for me to attack again. I could have put an end to the battle quickly with a Thunderbolt, but I wasn't so cruel as to exploit a 4Ã— weakness like that. Besides, I was intrigued as to whether I'd be able to win this battle using only moves that an Espeon could learn normally. It was some sort of challenge I'd imposed to myself, to prove myself I had enough self control to handle what would come to me if I won. After being hit by the first Thrash, I'd lost some confidence. But now that my opponent was burnt I felt I still had a chance. I used Psychic again. The Gyarados's reaction was confusing, but I felt my attack had been fairly good. Then my opponent stopped spinning and turned to face me. I said to myself it was the time of the truth, and instantly laughed at how ridiculously solemn that sounded.

I didn't expect another Thrash, nor any other physical attack for that matter. The Gyarados was already impaired enough. It would try to use some special attack, probably Bite if it was as mad as it looked. Unless...

No time to think of the other option, all I could do was hope for it to happen. The Gyarados came over, showing its sharp teeth. I sank underwater, diving as far towards the bottom as I could. I didn't stop to look back until I heard a sudden move in the water followed by a wincing sound. Then I couldn't help but look back and see what was going on. I was surprised by what I saw: the Gyarados curled up like a giant wheel, biting its own tail. The sea serpent opened its eyes widely for an instant, before sinking into the depths. That's when my lungs started craving for some air and I had to rush back to the surface. I took a deep breath as soon as I felt the air on my face. Never had a mixture of gases felt so delicious before. As I took in the air, I felt my new power surge through me.

I grew to level 51! I learned Bite, Pursuit, Faint Attack, Taunt, Torment and Snatch!

I swam back to Gabi's side, proud of my achievement. She hugged me and congratulated me. I asked her for how long she'd been looking at me, and she said she'd been watching since the Gyarados had first popped out of the water. She gave me my die back: I'd left it on the platform. Then she asked me how I felt.

"Great!," I told her, grinning.
"That's so good to hear!" she replied, hugging me again. "After seeing how worried you were before getting your fire and Psychic moves, I thought maybe..."
"I'd be afraid of the dark ones? No way, I'm past that. Many of my friends have been using those moves for ages and done nothing wrong with them. I just have a new set of moves to train with, and maybe I can return Tsunami a few favors..."
I rolled my eyes and Lagi sighed loudly. I ignored her.
"Besides, I've always been wondering if it was possible to do a certain thing," I added before trying an experiment.

I thought back to the instant after the battle was over, trying to remember the feeling of the energy that had raced through my body at that moment, grasping it, trying to send it out to the world in what seemed like a visual oxymoron.
"Black light?," Gabi laughed. "If someone was able to pull that one out, it had to be you!"
I laughed with her, still glowing. "What do you know? Black light does exist after all!"
"What are you going to do now?," Gabi queried.
"Do you even have to ask? I'm going straight to Glacier Peak to find Tsunami and show off!"
"Alright, just try not to break anything this time. I had to pay enough for the pillows at Yvresse, not to mention how embarassing the whole situation was."
I felt like saying "oh, but it was so worth it," but I reckoned that would get me in trouble, so I held myself.
"How are you feeling?," Gabi asked Lagi.
"Fine. Just a bit hungry," she replied. "If we have lunch now, I can take Caledor to Glacier Peak right away."
"Oh, that would be great, thanks," Gabi told her. "So, I guess we're off to the dining room. It was a pleasure to meet you, Baui."
"The pleasure was mine. Just one question before you go. How is it that you can understand me? It took my trainer years, and I've only just met you."
"Oh... Well... Caledor is good at translating."
That was true, but that was not the reason. Still, I had resigned myself to be her permanent excuse. Not that it would hurt me to take some credit when Gabi didn't want to draw attention to herself and her little white stone.

We said goodbye to Baui and left the Pond Room without waiting for the Gyarados to come out. I didn't feel like talking to it anyway, and I hadn't even found out its gender, let alone its name. We started heading for the dining room, joined by the rest of the team (those who were present, anyway). While we were walking, Lagi asked Gabi what was on her mind.
"I wonder were Karin is," she answered. "I expected to find her today."
At that moment, out of nowhere, a young guy with straight light brown hair and blueish eyes shouted out: "hey! The princess... is in... another castle!"
We were all startled; Gabi looked at him, speechless.
"Hehe, I'd always wanted to say that," the guy laughed. "Sorry, I heard you were asking for Karin. She's at the Blizzard Room. She's been there for hours."
"Really? And you are...?"

Through a weird conversation we found out the guy's name was Andy and he was only there to watch. In the end he turned out not to be as odd as he seemed at first, though I never got to understand why he'd shouted the way he had. He did explain it was a phrase from a game, though. It turned out that Karin had apparently forgotten the deal and gone into the Blizzard Room with her pokemon, so Hero and Iael decided they'd go into the Lava Room on their own. Or, rather, with Amber, who wanted to see if she could find an old friend of hers inside. After that, lunch felt excessively normal, but the food was good - and there was even a burger bar! I would have liked to find Beckham there, or at least tell him about it, but I didn't say no when Lagi told me she was ready for the trip. After all, there would always be time for old jokes later, and I couldn't wait to see the look on Tsunami's face when I popped out of the shadows just like he did in the water. Though I'd practice a little before looking for him. I had to make sure everything would be perfect.

Lady Vulpix

23rd May 2004, 10:21 AM

AntiAsh Superstar

23rd May 2004, 11:22 AM

â€œSo youâ€™ve been doing well, then?â€ It had taken a while for Soo and her team to catch up with us â€“ between being as generally disorganised as my little group and in the main possessing a less than adequate sense of direction it was a miracle they managed to reach us at all. So was it any wonder that we had already cleared one room completely and were winding down for the day when they finally caught up with us? Apparently there was only so much that could be done by Kireiâ€™s abilities as a compass and Sooâ€™s Ponytaâ€™s remarkable speed.
â€œYeah, I managed to get Sumi and Milliardo to have some battles.â€ I took a sip of my coffee. We were currently all assembled in a small coffee house in Sector Alpha, having forsaken the comforts of the training grounds for now in favour of spending a little quality time as a group. â€œBy the way, Katnip, thanks for getting everyone here in one piece.â€
â€œDunno how I managed it,â€ the Raticate signed with forced despair, reaching for his tenth slice of carrot cake that evening. â€œI know the way ta every place in the city where battles are held, but even so they still managed ta get us lost on the way. Somebody thought it might be fun ta run off down a side alley tellinâ€™ us it was a shortcut anâ€™ they knew exactly where they were goinâ€™.â€ Here the Raticate glared rather obviously at Kassandra, who seemed totally oblivious to the admonishment.
â€œWe got here, didnâ€™t we?â€ she replied. â€œWhat more do you want?â€
â€œA shortcut that didnâ€™t add time ta the journeyâ€™d be nice.â€ Katnip sighed, shaking his head in despair. â€œFeh, ya never listen ta anythinâ€™ anyone tells ya. Even Soo. So why am I botherinâ€™?â€
â€œBecause youâ€™ve taken one too many blows to the head?â€ Milliardo chipped in unhelpfully.
â€œItâ€™s an example of the eternal struggle between hope and experience, thatâ€™s all,â€ Marius offered, equally unhelpfully.
â€œNo, I vote for he thought he should be doing something with his mouth in between bites of cake and so is practicing being a despairing parent for when his daughterâ€™s older.â€ Pandora added her opinion, thus completing the votes of the rather bizarre panel that was Milliardoâ€™s family. â€œHonestly, though can anyone actually say they either know or care?â€
â€œNah,â€ Katnip shrugged, finishing his cake and helping himself to an eleventh slice. Maybe it would have just been easier to buy him an entire cake or two to himself. â€œLeast of all me. So whatâ€™s the plan now, guys?â€
â€œDunno,â€ I admitted from my position flopped on a comfortable sofa, my arm holding Soo closely to me. It had been a long day, and all I really wanted to do was get to bed. â€œEither we head home, which seems a bit of a waste seeing as youâ€™ve only just got here, or we trust Tsuyoi to look after Pearl and Celeste for us tonight and book ourselves a couple of the rooms they have available for trainers who want to stay and train overnight.â€
â€œOoh, do they have room service?â€ Beckham asked excitedly. Evidently the coffee wasnâ€™t helping the Wartortle much. He was naturally excitable enough as it was. â€œAnd, even more importantly, do they have a mini bar? Thatâ€™d be great, you could hold a little party in your room and everything.â€
â€œWould I be invited?â€ Kassandra asked pointedly.
â€œCourse you would, everyone could come. Weâ€™d have room service bring up some party food, and thereâ€™d be games and drinks andâ€¦ hey, thereâ€™s a random thought.â€ Everyone at the table groaned collectively. Apart from Kassandra, who was trying to pretend to be interested, and Megan, who genuinely was. When a thought was so random that even Beckham realised it, you knew you had problems. â€œDo you think mini bars should come with mini bartenders as well? Genetically engineer a little two foot tall man to mix cocktails for you and everything.â€
â€œGiven the current restrictions on genetic research I doubt that anybody would be too willing to fund a project that superficial,â€ Marius rolled his eyes. â€œI suggest you delay that one for the day when every household comes complete with a DNA analyzer in every room.â€
â€œAhem.â€ I coughed loudly, trying to regain some control of the conversation. â€œAs I was saying. We can always stay here overnight, the only problem being what to do with Brandy in the meantime. Iâ€™m loath to keep her in a pokÃ©ball for much longer than I have to.â€
â€œRelax, Ade, I can just teleport home and let her out in the garden,â€ Sindel sighed, her best â€˜I told you soâ€™ expression firmly in place. â€œI did warn you that an Onix would be awkward to look after, didnâ€™t I?â€
â€œAwkward, but not impossible. I know what Iâ€™m doing. But thanks for this, Sindel. Youâ€™re a gem.â€ The Alakazam didnâ€™t reply. She just gave a pointed shrug, taking the pokÃ©ball that contained my new Onix and blinking rapidly out of existence with a sigh. Why would nobody pay any attention to her until it was too late?

It had to be said that Pearl was quite enjoying having the run of the household. Tsuyoi, in the main, kept to himself now that those he ended up talking to the most were gone. So the Ninetales was able to just snuggle up with her baby, curled up in more comfort than she had ever experienced before. Of course, it was a shame that Katnip had to leave. The inclusion of the father, the one she loved above all others, would have made this family scene perfect. But Pearl knew full well that her partner of choice valued his training. She simply couldnâ€™t have stood in his way, for that would have been to obstruct a factor that made him the creature that he was. So Pearl was quite happy to let Katnip go off for the training opportunity of a lifetime. Leaving her to look after the tiny little bundle that had been within her for so long now that it seemed like a part of her even now. Alone, together. At least for a while.
â€œHey.â€ Most pokÃ©mon would have been surprised when Sindel suddenly materialised beside them. But Pearl had seen far too many sights that could be considered out of the ordinary to be startled by a teleporting Alakazam. â€œSorry, just have to return that Onix that Ade insisted on adopting.â€
â€œThat sounds like Ade, all right.â€ Pearl chuckled, being careful not to awaken the sleeping baby nestled within her fur. â€œIf itâ€™s in trouble, or if nobody else is daft enough to train one, itâ€™ll usually end up on our team.â€
â€œIâ€™ll just let her out into the garden. Iâ€™m sure youâ€™ll be okay with her, sheâ€™s only young, and almost painfully shy if you ask me.â€ The Alakazam paused in mid-stride, as if remembering something. â€œHow are you feeling, by the way?â€
â€œA lot better than I have been feeling, I have to say.â€ The Ninetales stared at her baby for a while. â€œI donâ€™t knowâ€¦ I guess I just feel contented all of a sudden. You know what Iâ€™m like, Sindel. Iâ€™m not happy unless I have somebody to fret over. I think this was really what I was built for. You must know how it feels to some extent, the way youâ€™re always mothering Ryo-Ohki.â€
â€œYeah,â€ Sindel admitted, stopping short of the patio door that led out onto the large garden that Tsuyoi had been kind enough to provide for us. â€œI donâ€™t know what Iâ€™d do without him to look after now, and heâ€™s not even related to me by blood. Heâ€™s not even my own species. I canâ€™t begin to imagine what the bonds must be like for you own child.â€
â€œNot so much different,â€ Pearl smiled. â€œIâ€™m sure Marius would be the first to explain how genes have nothing to do with emotional bonds, and heâ€™d be right. It just happens a lot faster if you have the advantage of having carried your child about for ages.â€ The Ninetales curled up with Celeste again, and for a second Sindel couldnâ€™t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. â€œGo on, let that Onix loose and get back to Ade. Youâ€™ll feel a lot less uncertain in the middle of the rabble.â€
â€œYeah, Youâ€™re right. Iâ€™ll see you later, okay?â€ And with this Sindel ran off into the garden, leaving Pearl to her own devices. For a moment, at any rate. For it seemed like today the Ninetales was never going to get more than a momentâ€™s peace. The instant Sindel seemed to leave, a sight that the Ninetales hadnâ€™t seen for a while decided to push its timid way into the lounge. Adreena. Kireiâ€™s Vaporeon sister, a pokÃ©mon who had been spending less and less time in the household in favour of living the life of a wild pokÃ©mon with her lover, a gallant Umbreon named Tamotsu.
â€œI hope Iâ€™m not disturbing you.â€ The Vaporeon bowed politely. She had always been obsessed over manners to a disturbing degree. To Adreena, acting ladylike was everything. A far cry from the hyperactive, almost tomboyish antics of her younger sister. â€œI just thought it might be nice to see how you were doing.â€
â€œIâ€™m actually pretty good, all things considered.â€ Pearl gestured for Adreena to sit by her. â€œItâ€™s so nice to have her out here now, so I can touch her and play with her and everything. Before it was just as if she was this strange thing that was making me heavier and heavier, you know? But nowâ€¦ wow, I donâ€™t know if I can even find the words to describe it.â€
â€œIt must be very fulfilling to be a mother,â€ Adreena commented, a rather odd tone to her voice that Pearl couldnâ€™t help but notice. â€œBut a trial of sorts also.â€
â€œAdreena.â€ The Ninetales fixed her friend with the most authoritative look she could manage. â€œSomethingâ€™s going on here, isnâ€™t there? I know youâ€™re dying to ogle Celeste and all, but thereâ€™s something else thatâ€™s more important, right? Just tell me whatâ€™s going on, because I know Iâ€™ve just had a cub and everything but Iâ€™m still Pearl and Iâ€™ll still find everything out sooner or later, so you might as well solicit my advice rather than have to take it because thereâ€™s no other option.â€
â€œAlright.â€ The Vaporeon sighed deeply. â€œPearl, I was curious as to how you managed to cope throughout all of this. Becauseâ€¦ well, because Iâ€™m scared.â€
â€œScared?â€
â€œScared that I may well be in the same situation soon and not know what to do. Tamotsu and I, weâ€¦â€
â€œAh.â€ The Ninetales didnâ€™t need to hear any more to know what was going on. It would certainly explain why the Vaporeon had been so quiet lately! â€œWell if its any consolation itâ€™s nowhere as bad as it probably appears. Iâ€™m just a wuss, Adreena, and I wasnâ€™t expecting any of it at all, so I probably got the aches and pains as badly as theyâ€™re ever going to be for anyone. And besides whichâ€¦â€ Here Pearl gazed fondly at the sleeping Celeste. â€œItâ€™s worth every moment of it, Adreena. Iâ€™d go through it all over again without so much as a hesitation just to feel as happy as I do now.â€ There was no need to say anything else. Pearl had said everything that needed to be said. If indeed she had needed to say anything at all. Just to see how contented she looked with her cub cuddled up to her was enough.
â€œThank you, Pearl,â€ Adreena smiled gratefully. â€œI hope you and your cub are very happy. You both deserve to be.â€
â€œIâ€™m sure weâ€™ll be fine, Adreena. Anyway, know you have our support when your time comes.â€
â€œAgain, much thanks.â€ The Vaporeon nodded politely before turning to leave, Pearl watching her with a bemused smile upon her face as she slinked gracefully back to the outside world. Well, today was a day for revelations, alright! The Ninetales just hoped that the remainder of the day would provide as many pleasant surprises as this.

Darkness. Silence. An unearthly gloom, choking the very life from all it touched. Something was wrong today. She could just tell. Maybe it was the way that the lightning would occasionally illuminate the darkened room, revealing the bodies of her slumbering companions, lined up like corpses. Maybe it was the howl of the wind outside the window. Or maybe it was simply the part of her mind that was attuned to such things. Telling her that misfortune was on its way.
â€œThis is ridiculous,â€ The Houndour simply couldnâ€™t even pretend to sleep any longer. Her mind was playing too many tricks on her tonight to allow her to relax enough. So she got up from her position lay upon a comfortable couch and, being careful not to trip over the slumbering form of Marius along the way, headed for the hallway. She didnâ€™t know what compelled her to do this. She knew that the door would most likely be locked anyway, her passage to the outside world barred. Which was a shame, because tonight she really felt like she could have used some fresh air. Well, trying to escape the almost suffocating humidity in the hotel room was worth a shot! Gingerly she pushed the door with her snout. To her eternal surprise it swung open without so much as a creak. Clearly Ade had forgotten to lock the door that night. â€œWell, looks like we get to have our little walk in the raging storm after all.â€ The Houndour shook her head, clearly bemused, as she padded silently down the strange corridors of the sleeping quarters. Only were they really that strange? There was an almost eerily familiar quality to their stone walls. As if she had somehow been here before. Quickly she increased her pace, this strange feeling spurring her on to leave. â€œPandora, youâ€™re an idiot, you know that?â€

â€œHey! Milliardo!â€ The outside world did have its share of treasures, it seemed. For although the wind was terrible that night, although the clouds that obscured the sky seemed blacker and more terrible than she had ever seen them, at least she was not alone in the grassy fields that stood just moments away from the training grounds. Already in the distance she could just about make out the form of her Umbreon companion, sat staring at something just over the horizon. Battling the intense winds that whipped at her face, Pandora struggled over to where Milliardo was stood. â€œWhat are you doing out here?â€ The Umbreon didnâ€™t reply. He just stared straight ahead, never moving, never giving any indication that he had even heard her. It was if he were in some sort of trance. â€œCome on, you *******, talk to me, would you?â€ Still nothing. All of a sudden the Houndour felt very, very scared, her eyes beginning to well up with tears. â€œMilliardo, stop it!â€ she sobbed quietly. â€œYouâ€™re scaring me. I mean, Iâ€™ve come all this way fromâ€¦â€ At this point Pandora fell silent. For a look back over her shoulder revealed that the training grounds no longer stood behind her. Instead there was a huge, looming jet-black fortress, its many twisted spires threatening to pierce the very skies with their pointed roofs. A huge, overwhelming aura of evil surrounded the place. The most disturbing thing about it being that Pandora was certain that she had seen this tower before, back in the dark recesses of her past. Trying to avoid this unwelcome sight, the Houndour turned back to face Milliardo. But now even looking in this direction revealed further horrors. Milliardo was no longer there. Instead there stood a gigantic, ferocious specimen of a dragon, staring down upon Pandora with malice in its cold, reptilian eyes. And in its blood-stained talonsâ€¦

â€œAh!â€ Pandora woke up with a scream of terror that should have by all right woken everybody else in the room. Yet somehow or other those around her seemed to be slumbering peacefully, the collected teams of myself and Soo flopped in various positions around what would have been a reasonably tidy double guest room. Shaking, the Houndour surveyed the scene carefully. The still open window showed no signs of a storm. The air was no longer the clammy, suffocating fog of her nightmares. And, most fortunately of all, Milliardo was still there and in one piece, slumbering peacefully on top of the pattered sofa. Silently Pandora got up and made her way to the bathroom, too worried about waking her companions to risk staying in the main room in her current condition. â€œDamn itâ€¦â€ Here, in the secluded area of the bathroom, there was no risk of disturbing anyone, and finally Pandora could release that which had been building steadily up within her since the start of her terrible nightmare. Finally all the bottled up emotion could come flooding out in wave after wave of near hysterical tears. â€œWhy? Why now? And why that? Why do I have to know these things?â€ The Houndour stomped hard on the tiled floor in frustration, so hard that it hurt her paw to do so. For she knew what this was. It was a particular power of hers that had lain dormant for a long time now, so long that she had almost forgotten about it. The power to see the potential paths of the future within her dreams. And although most would have thought prophecy was a useful gift, it was anything but. The dreams just left the Houndour feeling confused and filled with an uncertainty that almost always led to deep depression. It wasnâ€™t a useful skill at all, for her prophecies were always too vague, conveying mood more than actual events. All they ever did, therefore, was leave her with a surplus of emotion that her frail psyche simply couldnâ€™t handle. â€œWhy canâ€™t they just tell me something I want to hear for once? Is that too much to ask????â€
â€œPandora?â€ Suddenly the Houndour became aware that she was no longer alone in the darkened bathroom. Turning slowly, the tears still refusing to abate, she was able to make out a face that broke her heart to gaze upon. Milliardo, stood there with a concern in his amber eyes that was reserved for Pandora alone. And to see him there just brought it all back with even greater clarity. The suffocating evil. The cruel talons, drenched in thick, syrupy blood. The decapitated head of her lover clutched in the dragonâ€™s talons, his face wearing an expression so sorrowful that it hurt just to recall it. â€œHey!â€ The Umbreon rushed over to her, having noticed that she was visibly shaking from the emotion. It had been a long time since he had last seen her like this, in this state that he hoped he would have never had reason to see again. â€œCome on, hush, would you? Whateverâ€™s the matter, Pandora?â€
â€œIâ€¦ Iâ€™m sorryâ€¦â€ the Houndour whimpered, finally seeking refuge in her partner in spite of the feeling that drawing too near to him would somehow invoke the terrible scenes of her dreams. â€œI donâ€™tâ€¦ Milliardo, Iâ€™m dreaming again.â€
â€œDreaming?â€ The Umbreon seemed confused.
â€œYou know how it works, I dream something and then it happens and then I feel awful about it because it feels like itâ€™s my fault andâ€¦ Iâ€™m scared, Milliardo, Iâ€™m really scared. Something terrible is on the horizon, I can feel it. And I think it has something to do with me.â€
â€œWhoa, whoa, whoa!â€ Milliardo sighed. This was the last thing he needed right about now! â€œBefore we go any further, havenâ€™t we been over the fact that you only dream possibilities rather than certainties about a million times now? What exactly was this dream, anyway? And how can you be so sure that itâ€™s not just a regular, run of the mill nightmare?â€
â€œI think Iâ€™ve had enough experience to tell the difference, thanks you!â€ Pandora snapped, her sudden anger still not enough to fully quash the feelings of sorrow. â€œIt was justâ€¦ well, I was sleeping here, and then I woke up and went outside, but it was a terrible night, the wind was awful and I hadnâ€™t seen clouds so dark in a long timeâ€¦ and you were outside and I tried to talk to you but you seemed paralysed or something. And when I looked back to the training grounds they had vanished, and instead there wasâ€¦â€ The Houndour swallowed. This was one of the more unpalatable truths of her dream. â€œInstead I saw the fortress.â€
â€œThe fortress?â€
â€œThe fortress of the Dark Cloak.â€ It had been true that during the terrible struggles against the last major threat to Ulthuanâ€™s safety, the terrible Dark Cloak cultists and their unnatural master Resomegnis, a terrible hybrid of all the evil the realm could muster, Pandora had been enlisted in their services. But that was a long time ago. And she had already atoned for her sins. Or had she? Recently it seemed as if her past was returning to haunt her, the last piece of the Dark Cloakâ€™s unfinished business finally rising out of hiding. â€œAnd then I turn back to you, but youâ€™re gone, and instead I seeâ€¦â€ This particular memory was too painful to bear, and it set Pandora off into a fresh bout of uncontrollable sobbing.
â€œWhoa!â€ Milliardo tried his best to comfort the Houndour, but it seemed as if even his affectionate nuzzles were having little effect. â€œCome on, it canâ€™t be that bad. You see what?â€
â€œI see Reaper. I see that awful Salamence of Team Rocketâ€™s. And sheâ€™s looking down at me as if she wants to kill me, but that isnâ€™t the worst part. The worst part is that she has youâ€¦ no, she has your head, sheâ€™s killed you in the split second that I looked away and taken away everything!â€ Pandora sobbed bitterly. â€œIâ€™m scared. Iâ€™m scared that I might lose you. Iâ€™m scared that this is what my dream means. Everyone I get close to seems to get hurt somehow. No matter how hard I try to avoid it.â€
â€œOh thatâ€™s nonsense!â€ It was hard to phrase things so that they couldnâ€™t be taken the wrong way. If he had told her to stop being silly she would have probably agreed that she was stupid and sunk even further into her depression. But fortunately Milliardoâ€™s sharp mind could occasionally be put to better use than simply thinking up snappy insults and painfully bad one-liners. â€œListen to me, you havenâ€™t hurt anyoneâ€¦ well, not in the way you mean, at any rate, I canâ€™t speak for the black eyes some of your opponents in battle are probably still sporting. And youâ€™re not going to lose me, you think Iâ€™m going to let some pervert of a Rocket and his sharp-fanged lover get the better of me? I can run rings around any adversary you care to mention.â€ The Umbreon paused for a second, considering whether to impart his last great secret. In the end he decided it was best to get it off his chest. â€œEspecially one Iâ€™ve already had some experience of. Youâ€™re not the only one with a dodgy past, you know.â€
â€œWaitâ€¦â€ Pandora didnâ€™t seem comforted by this at all. â€œYou donâ€™t understand. Armandâ€¦ before he took over as Rocket boss in Ulthuan, he dealt with most of the dealings between Team Rocket and the Dark Cloak. They got a lot of their equipment from the Rockets. Reaperâ€¦ sheâ€™s dangerous. At least as dangerous as Abbadon, that monster of a Charizard that calls himself Kassandraâ€™s father. She went through the same training programme.â€
â€œWouldnâ€™t surprise me. But thatâ€™s nothing to do with you, Pandora, youâ€™re not responsible for anything those monsters do, so for goodnessâ€™ sake stop trying to pin the blame on yourself!â€ The Umbreon sighed. â€œCome on. The worst this dream of your means is that we may have a little trouble with Reaper in the future, but after the past few weeks even Megan would probably be able to tell you that.â€ The Umbreon paused. â€œOh, wait, sheâ€™d probably go â€˜Whoâ€™s Reaper again?â€™ before running off to try and find Becks but instead managing to knock herself out on the coffee table.â€ This, at least, managed to gain a slight chuckle by way of response. â€œCome on, Pandora. Weâ€™re stronger than ever. The Dark Cloak didnâ€™t kill us. The Black Dragon didnâ€™t kill us. Iâ€™d say weâ€™re going to be fine.â€
â€œI suppose.â€ Pandora mused this over for a while. It all made sense, it was true, but she still couldnâ€™t shake the overwhelming feeling of anxiety. Maybe it would take a while before it would truly disappear. In the meantime she would just have to do her best to ignore it. â€œSorry for getting in such a state. Iâ€™ll try and forget about it, okay?â€
â€œSure, you do that.â€ Milliardo didnâ€™t much like the word â€˜tryâ€™, but what could he do other than keep a closer eye on the Houndour? â€œNow come on, letâ€™s grab a little more sleep before the rabble awaken.â€ With this the Umbreon led his partner back to where the rest of the team were happily slumbering, totally oblivious to the events having occurred mere moments ago. Well, maybe that was for the best. The fewer who knew about this incident, the better. No point in having everybody worried. Yet.

â€œAnd so the great randomiser will pick todayâ€™s training room.â€ The morning had been the usual rounds of squabbles, jokes and random nonsense that characterised life with my team. From Ryo-Ohki managing to trip up nearly everybody in the team whilst running round the room excitedly, to Katnip giving me the fright of my life by suddenly popping up in front of me as I passed through the doorway, it was one weird little incident after another today. Which seemed to be culminating in Beckham demonstrating his methods for choosing where the team would be training today. â€œAs we can see, I have the list of rooms we still have to use over there on the far wall. Now, I will randomly fire my Water Gun at the listâ€¦â€
â€œUhâ€¦ Becks?â€ I began to speak, only to be drowned out by the Wartortleâ€™s constant jabbering.
â€œâ€¦ and whichever one on the list it hits weâ€™ll go to. Of course, we do run the risk of me not hitting it at all and in fact choosing the lampshade for us to train inâ€¦â€
â€œBecks, thereâ€™s a small problem hereâ€¦â€
â€œâ€¦but in that case weâ€™ll just have to make do. I mean, even a lampshade can be used to train, you can use it for jousting or something. I guess we could always keep doing it until I hit, in which case we run the risk of me flooding the roomâ€¦â€
â€œActually, that was what I was going toâ€¦â€
â€œâ€¦but even that in itself is an excellent training opportunity. Imagine the effort weâ€™ll have to put into drying the place off, itâ€™ll get us all really muscular in no time, even Sindel. Which would be a sight to see, donâ€™t you think? Most Alakazams are really thin things. Anywayâ€¦â€
â€œBecks! Just listen to me before youâ€¦â€
â€œâ€¦here we go, the moment of truth! On your marks, get readyâ€¦ go!â€ Before anyone with more sense could do anything to stop him, the Wartortle fired a blast of water at the list that was pinned up on the far wall. Admittedly his aim was perfect, but Beckham had forgotten one rather crucial factor. His Water Gun always had been far stronger than that of the average pokÃ©mon. So instead of striking one item on the list the sudden torrent of water soaked the entire sheet. And the surrounding wall. And the furniture nearby. And Kirei, who was unfortunate enough to be standing nearest to the list.
â€œHey!â€ the Espeon complained, shaking herself off and hence getting everybody else wet into the bargain. â€œWell, I guess I needed a bath anyway, so that saves us the bother of doing that! Your listâ€™s a littleâ€¦ unreadable now, Becks.â€
â€œYeah.â€ Milliardo wandered over to the dripping paper. â€œUnless we plan on training in the Jorzel Rum this afternoon.â€
â€œJorzel Rum, canâ€™t say Iâ€™ve tried that brand before.â€ Beckham suddenly noticed that everybody else was glaring at him rather obviously and grinned sheepishly. â€œUhhâ€¦ well, we can at least try that â€˜drying the roomâ€™ training now, guys.â€
â€œWell it looks as if Iâ€™m going to have to pick up a new room listing now.â€ I rolled my eyes. Even though he had just managed to flood the room, it was very hard to feel anything more than a slight annoyance with Beckham. He was just too goofy to be mad with. â€œWell, seeing as youâ€™ve so much energy â€“ and the list now seems to say that wet is the theme for the day â€“ I think we might as well head over to the Pond Room today. I figured I might as well give you Water types a chance to train up a little. And yes,â€ I added in reply to a quizzical look from Megan, â€œthat means you as well. When was the last time you had any training, anyway?â€
â€œUhhâ€¦ Iâ€™m not sure, actually! I remember rolling around and bashing my head into a tree, that usually happens when I train, but Iâ€™m not sure if it was last month or last year or last nightâ€¦â€ The Marill beamed brightly. â€œOh yeah! It couldnâ€™t have been last night, could it? We were all in here asleep!â€
â€œGee, that narrows it downâ€¦â€ Milliardo voiced what was running through my own head but I was too nice to actually say.
â€œHey, it might have been last night, Megan, you could have been training in your sleep!â€ Beckham grinned.
â€œYou think?â€ Megan looked over at the Wartortle with a confused look in her eyes. â€œFunny, I never realised I could do that.â€
â€œWell, youâ€™re special, what can I say?â€
â€œWhoa, Becks, before you start can we at least get down to the training room?â€ I smiled brightly, feeling in a much better mood than I had done for a long time. It was nice to get the chance to just hang out with my pokÃ©mon for some light-hearted training. Lately it seemed as if we had been under one stress after another. â€œYou two have the rest of your lives to flirt in that odd little manner of yours.â€
â€œWhatever you say.â€ The Wartortle seemed to take this all in his stride, although Megan seemed to turn rather noticeably red at my words. â€œYouâ€™re the boss, after all.â€
â€œThank you. Iâ€™m glad at least one of you hasnâ€™t fallen for Tsuyoiâ€™s brainwashing yet.â€ I quickly slipped on the nearest pair of shoes to hand and went over to give Soo a big hug before I left for todayâ€™s training. No doubt she would occupy herself somehow, even if it ended up in her following after about half an hour to cheer my pokÃ©mon on. â€œSee you at lunch, gorgeous. Hopefully theyâ€™re not going to drown me in the meantime.â€
â€œI should hope not!â€ Soo chuckled. â€œNever mind, Kassandra can always dry you out if they do.â€
â€œYeah!â€ the Charmander chipped in. â€œIâ€™m the best dryer the worldâ€™s ever seen!â€
â€œOh, are you volunteering to help sort the room out now?â€
â€œHah! You gotta be kidding me!â€ Kassandra stuck her tongue out. â€œI may be the best dryer the worldâ€™s ever seen but Iâ€™m not stupid!â€ And that, it seemed, was the end of it. Leaving us to finally make our way down to the training area to deal with the dayâ€™s mission. To try and get in some more practice before the pressure of the forthcoming Games became too great.

It had to be said that the Pond Room wasnâ€™t really much to look at. The instant we stepped into the room it became quite clear why it was named as it was. Apart from a small wooden pier of sorts that the door led out onto, the entire room was just one gigantic lake, and although it had to be said that the crystal-clear waters did indeed look inviting there wasnâ€™t that much room for those who didnâ€™t fancy getting wet.
â€œLast one inâ€™s a rotten egg!â€ Megan laughed playfully, jumping into the water before I had a chance to so much as say a single word. Swiftly followed by Beckham, of course, who was never one to pass up on the chance to fool around for a while. â€œBet you canâ€™t catch me!â€
â€œOh, I bet I can,â€ the Wartortle grinned, proving his point rather admirably by grabbing the Marill by the paw just seconds after giving her something approaching a head start. He swiftly pulled her into a dancing position. â€œSo then, is it waltz or fox-trot this time, darling? Bear in mind that neither of us know either dance.â€
â€œDunno, itâ€™s your call, Becks!â€ The two pokÃ©mon pranced about in the water for a few moments, performing some mad underwater dance that made up in enthusiasm what it was lacking in finesse. The two Water types seemed to be having such a good time together I was rather loath to break up their little games. But in the end I had no choice. We were here to train, after all.
â€œOkay, guys, enoughâ€™s enough, we have some battles to get on with here, remember?â€ I glanced over at a small button set into the side of the wall, engraved with the simple legend â€˜press here when readyâ€™. â€œBecks, do you want to start us off and show Megan how itâ€™s done?â€ No doubt Kasumi would have had something to say about potential double meanings in that sentence, but rather fortunately the Growlithe had decided not to accompany us. Apparently she had better things to do. Quite what â€˜better thingsâ€™ entailed I dreaded to think, but the chances were that they probably involved Thunderblast, the psychic Raichu belonging to Danny. Lately the two pokÃ©mon had been spending an unhealthy amount of time together.
â€œSure thing.â€ Beckham smirked to himself. He had learned a few new tricks since the last time he had battled, and couldnâ€™t wait to show them off. â€œHey, Megan, arenâ€™t you going to wish me luck?â€
â€œLike you need it. You kept thrashing me every time we met before.â€ The Marill smiled coyly as she clambered out of the water, before bending over and giving Beckham a quick peck on the cheek. â€œGood luck, though, whatever it is that youâ€™re fightingâ€™s gonna wish it hadnâ€™t gotten out of bed this morning!â€
â€œLetâ€™s not get carried away, huh? We donâ€™t even know what heâ€™s fighting yet.â€ I wandered over and pressed the button finally, which resulted in a mechanical whirring and the opening of a trap door set into the floor of the pond, its cover sliding open in the same manner as the hidden panels in the Lava Room. For a moment nothing else happened. But then, silently and stealthily, Beckhamâ€™s opponent made its way out of the gloom. My heart sank. A Sharpedo, one of the Dark-type sharks that had been imported from the Hoenn region. A species that was steadily growing in number, apparently. This seemed a little too much! â€œMan! Becks, are you sure about this?â€
â€œRelax, Ade, fangs canâ€™t hope to pierce the super rock-hard shell of a Wartortle! Iâ€™ll be fine!â€ Still grinning in his goofy manner, Beckham made a dive underwater to meet his adversary. And not for the first time I found myself wondering if he had actually given any thought at all to what he was getting himself into. Forward thinking was definitely not high on my Wartortleâ€™s list of attributes.
â€œHeâ€™ll be okay, right?â€ Apparently even Megan was a little concerned after looking at the vicious fangs of the Sharpedo. â€œI mean, Becks can do anything, heâ€™s so strong, but itâ€™d be a shame if he got hurt or something. Who would I dance with then?â€
â€œRelax, Megan. Iâ€™m sure heâ€™ll be fine.â€ Wouldnâ€™t he? There was only one way to find out, and that was to watch and wait.

FIGHT!!! L30 Wartortle v L35 Sharpedo!

â€œGreetings.â€ Coming face to face with a creature like a Sharpedo for the first time was never an easy prospect, even for a creature normally as carefree as Beckham. However, this particular creature seemed to be reasonable enough, the polite tone totally contrasting with the vicious appearance. â€œMy name is Kelligro, and I am to be your opponent for today.â€
â€œUhhâ€¦ nice to meet you!â€ Beckham laughed uncertainly. â€œMy nameâ€™s Beckham, as in the soccer player who hits the headlines every time he has a haircut. Whoa, â€˜hâ€™ overkill there, we might have ourselves a new tongue twister in the making!â€
â€œIâ€™d suggest you worked on it a little more, actually.â€ The Sharpedo almost seemed to smile. â€œIn the meantime, shall we have our battle? At the very worst youâ€™ll get your training. In the best case scenario you may find your inspiration for the tongue twister while fighting.â€
â€œGood point!â€ The Wartortle struck a fighting pose in the water. â€œBring it on then, I say, if it takes a blow to the head to make it better then so be it!â€
â€œWhatever you say.â€ The Sharpedo frowned, concentrating hard. All of a sudden the water in the pond began to ripple, the pressure growing more and more intense until finally Beckham was struck with a bolt of water that felt more like a punch to the face. The Wartortle staggered. He hadnâ€™t actually meant what he had said about a blow to the head! â€œYouâ€™ll have to pull out something special in order to beat me, though.â€ Before Beckham could so much as recover from the attack, his opponent was back, attacking viciously with its fins in an attempt at a Slash attack. It was as much as he could do to quickly hide within his shell. And even this didnâ€™t seem to dull the pain completely, the Sharpedoâ€™s attacks digging in so hard that he could still feel them even through his armour plating. This wasnâ€™t good!
â€œDamn! Canâ€™t a guy get a little peace around here?â€ There was only really one attack that the Wartortle could use from this position. So he threw all of his weight into the side of his shell, making it spin faster and faster, until it was little more than a rapid, whirring blur to all outsiders. It seemed to do the trick, however, catching the Sharpedo a glancing blow on the snout as it tried to attack once more. Finally now he had a little space to breathe and plan his next attack! â€œOkay, Iâ€¦â€ As he slowly pulled his body out of his shell Beckham couldnâ€™t help but notice something was amiss with the world. Or with his shell, at any rate. â€œHey! Youâ€™ve scratched my shell! Youâ€™ve no idea how much itâ€™s going to cost to get this rebuffed now! Well, actually, I have no idea how much it costs either, but thatâ€™s beside the point!â€
â€œYou do like to talk, donâ€™t you? A shame, then, that the best fighter rather than the best conversationalist wins.â€ By now the Wartortleâ€™s opponent had managed to recover from the earlier surprise attack and even now was zooming towards him, its fangs bared. Beckham didnâ€™t much like to think about what that could mean. Instead he did the only thing that he could do under the circumstances. He turned tail and swam away from the Sharpedo, trying to put as much ground between them as he could before those sharp fangs made a meal out of him. â€œYou can run all you like. Iâ€™ll still catch you sooner or later. Itâ€™s what weâ€™re built for, after all.â€ Certainly the Dark-type had a point. It was easily keeping up with Beckham despite not seeming to be putting much effort into the chase. He couldnâ€™t hope to keep this up forever.
â€œAlright then, time to stop running. See how you like a blow to the head! If you can really say a shark has a head. Which itâ€™s quite hard to tell if it does or not, really.â€ Suddenly the Wartortle remember what he was supposed to be doing. â€œOh yeah. Anywayâ€¦â€ Beckham took in a deep breath, taking in as much water from his surroundings as he could to add to his considerable supplies. Before expelling it all in a huge torrent, creating such a strong underwater current that it acted like a punch to the face of his opponent. All of a sudden there seemed to be decided advantages to having the worldâ€™s most ferocious Water Gun attack! Unfortunately for Beckham his tactic only seemed to enrage the Sharpedo, the Dark-type swimming towards his at twice the speed, its velocity far too great to stand any chance of avoiding its next attack. So there was very little that Beckham could do. Except to feel the sharp teeth close around his arm, and cry out in agony as they pieced right through his skin.

â€œAde, heâ€™s getting hurt! Do something!â€ Back up on the podium Megan seemed to be getting into quite the state, rushing up and down in a panic as her friend was pummeled beneath the waters of the training room. â€œCall the police! The fire department! Superman!â€
â€œMegan, please try and calm down,â€ I responded through clenched teeth. Yes, this was hard to watch, but what could I do? It would have been unfair on Beckham to forfeit the match because of a blow that was comparatively weak compared to some of the injuries he had sustained in the past. â€œYouâ€™ll have to learn that sometimes we have no choice but to just let them get on with it, no matter how hard that may be. Becks is a lot more shrewd than he pretends to be. Iâ€™ll bet you any money that he somehow manages to come out on top.â€
â€œYeah, butâ€¦â€ The Marill peered cautiously into the water. â€œLook, heâ€™s bleeding! Ew, I hate blood! Look, Ade, look, heâ€™s going to bleed to death down there, I just know it!!!â€ Apparently Megan was having none of my words of wisdom today. At least not until Beckham had managed to staunch his latest wound, that was. I had totally forgotten about the Marillâ€™s phobia about blood. Apparently taking her to watch a battle against a Sharpedo had been a rather stupid idea. But at least she wasnâ€™t alone. At least I was there to reassure her. As little good as that seemed to be doing.

Meanwhile, back under the waterâ€™s surface, Beckham was beginning to wonder if being a fighter was such a great career choice. All it seemed to him that this battle had done was to give him one injury after another. And now, with blood slowly easing its way out of the gash on his arm, the Wartortle was starting to feel decidedly close to collapse, too drained to put up much more of a fight. All he wanted to do was go to sleep.
â€œIâ€™m tiredâ€¦â€ Beckhamâ€™s eyes began to close, consciousness slowly beginning to slip away from him as he finally succumbed to the dark promises of sleep. â€œIâ€¦ Iâ€™m sorry, guys, I just canâ€™t keepâ€¦ this upâ€¦â€ Finally the Wartortle fell silent, his body totally still. Was this really the end?
â€œHmph. Well, that was easier than I expected. You need to train harder, friend.â€ The Sharpedo turned away to return to its little bolthole, ready for the next challenger. When all of a sudden it was stopped in its tracks by a strange noise that sounded like a cross between a car engine and a Roar attack. â€œWhat theâ€¦â€ The pokÃ©mon couldnâ€™t believe the sight that greeted its eyes upon tracing the source of this decidedly odd sound. Apparently Beckham really had gone to sleep! For the noise was coming from him, a snore so loud that only the worldâ€™s most talkative Wartortle could have managed to make it. â€œI canâ€™t believe this! You take a nap in the middle of a battle?â€ the Sharpedo asked incredulously.
â€œMmmâ€¦ donâ€™t worry mom, the bicycleâ€™s in the middle of the cheeseâ€¦â€ Beckham mumbled, talking almost as much nonsense in his sleep as he did when he was awake. But as he did so something rather strange happened. He began to pull himself into his shell. Which wasnâ€™t really that surprising, since this was a natural sleeping position for a Wartortle. What was surprising was when the shell began to rotate rapidly, and abruptly flew at his opponent, catching it on the snout with a Rapid Spin attack that, in all honesty, was executed with far more precision than Beckham could ever have managed whilst awake.
â€œAh! What are you doing?â€ The Sharpedo seemed too surprised to even consider attacking now. The strange sleep-battling of Beckham had totally thrown it off guard. â€œWake up this instant!â€ Enraged, it flew towards its opponent with a view to biting him out of his sleep. But this, too, was foiled in the most bizarre way imaginable.
â€œIâ€™ll be off in a minute, the catâ€™s just stolen the mailâ€¦â€ Apparently this was the key phrase that triggered Water Gun, for as he mumbled this latest surreal look into his dreams Beckham took in a deep breath that could only mean one thing. Once more the Sharpedo found itself buffeted by a gigantic underwater current, once more it found itself thrown to one side by the sheer force of my Wartortleâ€™s Water Gun. And this time the force was simply too great for it to withstand any longer. This time it simply lacked the energy to carry on fighting. This time, the Sharpedo fell into a complete faint. And the best part was that Beckham didnâ€™t even realise it.

Beckham wins!
Beckham grew to L31!
Beckham learned Protect!
Beckham grew to L32!

AntiAsh Superstar

23rd May 2004, 11:24 AM

â€œUhâ€¦ Beckham?â€ I stared out at my Wartortle, hoping that he would now make his way back to the trainerâ€™s platform. How wrong I was. My Wartortle seemed totally out of it, trapped in a deep sleep that would have been more appropriate late at night. â€œBecks!â€ I rolled my eyes in despair. â€œMegan, will you go out there and drag him back for me, please?â€
â€œSure thing, Ade!â€ The Marill beamed brightly, hopping nimbly into the water and swimming over to Beckhamâ€™s slumbering form. â€œHey, watch this, I bet you any money that I can wake him up as well. Even though I donâ€™t have any money, but you know what I mean, right?â€ Megan turned to look at the Wartortle, her eyes for a second reflecting thoughts far deeper than the Marill was normally used to. She leaned in closely and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. â€œHey, wakey wakey, sleepy boy,â€ she whispered into his large, feathery ear. â€œWeâ€™re going down to the bar in a minute, you wanna miss that?â€
â€œWhat? What?â€ Beckhamâ€™s eyes snapped open in an instant. â€œWhoa, wait for me guys, I was just having a quick nap andâ€¦ andâ€¦â€ Suddenly the Wartortle seemed to realise where he was. â€œWait a minute! Weâ€™re not going to the bar at all are we? We were training! Megan, you little tease!â€ Beckham splashed the Marill playfully, a cheeky grin fixed firmly upon his face. â€œSo what happened to that Sharpedo that was trying to tear me limb from limb, anyway?â€
â€œYou beat it, Becks. I knew I taught you that Sleep Talk TM for a reason,â€ I chuckled as my two Water types made their way back to the trainerâ€™s platform. â€œGood job, anyway, Iâ€™ll have to buy you a drink for that one. Anyway, onto the next battle. Megan, do you mind staying in the water and having a go now?â€
â€œUhhâ€¦ I wouldnâ€™t be fighting another Sharpedo, would I?â€ the Marill asked, turning suddenly pale. â€œOnly you know what Iâ€™m like, I hate blood, especially my own, so I donâ€™t think Iâ€™m ready to face anything with fangs or claws or pointy bits. All I can do is Rollout anyway and you know Iâ€™m really lousy at that.â€
â€œWell you wonâ€™t get any better without practice, will you?â€ I smiled, trying my very best to be reassuring. â€œYouâ€™ve tricks other than that anyway. Come on, Megan, just give it a go. Please?â€ Megan was silent for a moment, contemplating my words. Eventually something seemed to click within her mind, however, for all of a sudden the usual bright, cheery expression returned to her face.
â€œAlright, Ade, Iâ€™ll give it a shot!â€ Without so much as waiting for a â€˜thank youâ€™, the Marill made a dive into the water, preparing herself for whatever challenge she was going to have to face. Well, seeing as she seemed so eager, who was I to delay her battle for any longer than I had to? Without a word I paced over to the button that unleashed my next opponent and pushed it with a single finger. Again came the grinding of cogs, and again the little trap door slip open. Only this time a small, eager-looking Totodile shot out of the resulting hole with surprising speed, not even waiting for the door to fully open before it made its entrance. So much for not fighting things with claws or fangs or pointy bits! I just hoped that my Marill would be able to overcome her fears and be able to benefit from this battle. Hoping was all that I could do for now, however. Otherwise it was just a case of watching, and waiting, and seeing if Megan could come out on top.

FIGHT!!! L7 Marill v L8 Totodile!

â€œHi, my nameâ€™s Cody and Iâ€™ll be beating you tonight.â€ Megan hadnâ€™t even so much as laid eyes upon her opponent when he decided to attack, evidently deciding to make full use of the element of surprise. The Totodile struck hard from behind with a vicious Ice Punch attack that was designed purely to startle Megan rather than do any real damage. It worked admirably, the Marill yelling out in surprise at the sudden cold sensation that had been applied to her back and darting forward in shock. â€œAwesome! Not seen anyone move so fast since that time my pops was surprised by a Gyarados!â€
â€œHey, you could let me know you were coming, you know!â€ Megan grumbled, looking genuinely hurt by the rude introduction. Then again, that was her way. The daftness was tempered with a rather frail psyche. â€œThat was like a free hit and itâ€™s not fair!â€
â€œRelax, I couldâ€™ve hit you with something that would have hurt instead of startled, so donâ€™t be so grouchy! You got off lightly.â€ The Totodile smirked, placing his hind paws firmly upon the floor of the lake and striking up a pose that wouldnâ€™t have looked out of place on a Hitmonlee. â€œCome on then, letâ€™s see what youâ€™ve got.â€ Evidently this pokÃ©mon wasnâ€™t one for talk once the battle actually started.
â€œOkay! You asked for it!â€ Summoning up her courage, Megan darted forward and attempted to land a Tackle. However the Totodile dodged easily, Meganâ€™s natural sloth working against her. But the Marill wasnâ€™t to be discouraged. She hadnâ€™t been previously owned by one of the best mercenaries the world had to offer for nothing! Even if she was decidedly out of practice. â€œThink you can get away?â€ Abruptly Megan turned, allowing her tail to whip into her opponentâ€™s face and land a vicious, stinging blow to the cheek. It was at that point that she attempted another Tackle, whilst her opponent was distracted, and this time the attack struck home, sending the Totodile tumbling through the water. â€œHa! Nothing to it! Hey, guys, what do you think?â€ For a second the Marill took her eyes off her opponent to cast a glance over at her audience. A mistake that was to cost her dearly.
â€œNot bad, babes, but not good, either!â€ Before Megan knew what had hit her she was being sent tumbling head over heels, a burning sensation at her back that had knocked her over. It was rather fortunate for the Marill that the blow had been to her rear. If she had seen the large gashes that the Scratch attack had opened up she would have passed out on the spot. â€œFace it, youâ€™re outclassed.â€
â€œI am not!â€ This seemed so unfair that it brought tears to Meganâ€™s eyes. â€œIâ€™ll show you, you big meanie!â€ Abruptly the Marill curled up tightly into a ball and began to spin in the water. It looked as if she was trying to teach herself Rapid Spin in an instant.
â€œOh, man! Whatâ€™s this, you think you can beat me with an acrobatics display?â€ The Totodile guffawed. â€œMan, I knew you Marills were a pretty dense bunch but this really takes the biscuit!â€ Unfortunately he had very little idea of what Megan was attempting here. I, however, knew exactly what she was about to do. And it would probably work, as well. With a little steering on my part, at any rate.
â€œMegan!â€ I shouted as loudly as I could, hoping that those huge Marill ears could make out my voice from under the water. It had been a while since I had to lend my assistance in this way. I just hoped that my judgement hadnâ€™t been impaired by my team on the whole not requiring it in order to win. â€œForward, now!â€ The Marill did exactly as she was told, much to my delight. â€œWait, heâ€™s dodged, left a bit and up!â€ I could see the Totodile trying its best to swim out of the way of the Rollout attack. Well, this time it wasnâ€™t going to fail. Megan had a whole lifetime of believing she would never be able to use the move, and this time I was going to help her to pull it off for once. â€œNow rightâ€¦ yeah! We nailed him!â€ Back underneath the pondâ€™s rippling surface I could see that my Marillâ€™s tumbling form had succeeded in striking her opponent, knocking him back down to ground level with its impact.
â€œMy turn, Ade!â€ Beckham grinned excitedly.
â€œWait, this isnâ€™t a video game, Becks!â€
â€œHey, Iâ€™ll have you know that it is quite like one, and who happens to be reigning champion in our house?â€ The Wartortle stuck his tongue out. â€œBesides, do you really think Iâ€™m going to let anything happen to Megan? If she gets hurt I lose a gâ€¦ goodâ€¦ uhhâ€¦ good girl?â€ The clumsy attempt to change what he was about to say wasnâ€™t fooling anyone. Beckham had deep feelings for the Marill, and everyone bar Megan â€“ and possibly Kassandra - seemed to know it. â€œOh, bollocks to that, Ade, just let me steer, would you?â€
â€œWell, alrightâ€¦â€ I had to admit, there was very little chance that he would do anything that would place Megan in danger. And Beckham was an excellent battler, anyway. He would probably be much better at this than I could ever hope to be thanks to his practical experience. â€œJust be careful, okay?â€
â€œRelax, Ade. Youâ€™re about to witness something special.â€

Megan felt as if she had been rolling about forever, stuck in a rather bizarre loop that her opponent seemed to be able to avoid with ease. She had been so happy when she had felt that first impact, that sudden feeling that her attack had struck home. But since then, despite the fact that she had built up an impressive run of speed, she hadnâ€™t once felt another connection like that first one. It was beginning to feel as if she would never master Rollout.
â€œOi!â€ A new, yet familiar, voice managed to intrude upon her senses, a voice that managed to somehow lift her spirits just by being there. â€œMegan, your opponentâ€™s coordinates are 45, 62, 15, pi squared. Or just turn right a little before doing your next loop and youâ€™ll bowl him over.â€
â€œGotcha!â€ All of a sudden the Marillâ€™s heart was filled with a new determination. If Beckham was helping her, there was no way that she could mess up! Taking his instructions, she altered her course a little. And in this case her earlier confusion had worked to her advantage. Her opponent had grown so used to her just making the same circles that he had grown complacent. And when her path finally did alter he simply wasnâ€™t prepared for it, and the Rollout struck with even more force than before, ramming straight into him and pushing him along with its ever-increasing momentum. â€œNow what?â€ Megan could feel her opponent somehow snagged upon her, but had no idea what to do now.
â€œWell, this is gonna sound barmy, I know, but crash!â€
â€œEh?â€
â€œCrash into the side, Megan, youâ€™ll squish him between you and the wall and if that doesnâ€™t do it I recommend coming back later armed with weapons of mass destruction. Now quick, head left for a second then straight as fast as you possibly can!â€ The Marill did exactly as she was told. She trusted Beckham completely. â€œGo Megan! Faster! Faster! Faster than a speeding bullet, or even faster than that, faster than a Jolteon after twenty cups of coffee!â€ All of a sudden there was a loud yell of fear, followed almost instantly by a gigantic crash that sent vibrations up the supports of the trainerâ€™s platform. And then silence.

â€œBecksâ€¦â€ I groaned, picking myself up from where I had stumbled after the sudden impact, â€œâ€¦next time you instruct her to crash, can we not have her colliding with the construction weâ€™re stood upon, please? Especially when itâ€™s potentially this flimsy.â€ I scanned the waterâ€™s surface carefully. â€œSo whereâ€™s Megan gone? Donâ€™t tell me she knocked herself out as wellâ€¦â€
â€œI hope not, whoâ€™ll play ball with me when Caledorâ€™s not around?â€ Beckham seemed to be genuinely worried. â€œAlright, Ade, Iâ€™ll go take a look, be back in a second.â€ Without so much as waiting for me to give my assent to this, the Wartortle jumped nimbly into the water. And all I could do was wait, wait until the ripples from his dive dies down and the poolâ€™s surface was calm again. What kind of terrible scenes lay down there? My mind filled with visions of a Marill unconscious and surrounded by splinters, blood trickling from a wound upon her head inflicted by the terrible impact of her Rollout. What had I been thinking? Megan needed more private training before she was ready for this! â€œI canâ€™t believe that!â€ All of a sudden the waterâ€™s surface broke once again. And there was Beckham, supporting my Marill with ease with one arm whilst using the other to make strokes to the platform. â€œAfter all that you get stumped by him falling on your tail?â€
â€œHey, I was tired, okay?â€ Megan grumbled, accepting my help in getting out of the water. â€œI tried to move him, but he wouldnâ€™t budge. Big stupid heavy lump of a Totodileâ€¦â€ All of a sudden the Marillâ€™s mood seemed to lift. â€œHey, I did it, though, didnâ€™t I?â€
â€œThat you did, Megan,â€ I grinned, hugging her tightly. â€œIâ€™m proud of you.â€
â€œYeah, me too.â€ Beckham gave his own affectionate squeeze. And as Megan turned to accept this, I couldnâ€™t help but notice something that maybe the Marill would rather have not known about.
â€œUhhâ€¦ Megan, I hate to break this to you, but we should probably get going over to the PokÃ©centre soon.â€ I wasnâ€™t really sure how to best word this to cause minimum alarm. In the end I just decided to come out with it. She would have to get over her phobias sooner or later, anyway. â€œYou took a bit of a blow down there that should probably be patched up.â€
â€œHuh?â€ The Marill looked confused.
â€œUmâ€¦ your back...?â€ Gingerly I leant over and ran a finger along the Marillâ€™s wound, bringing away a small patch of red blood. â€œLooks like somebody got a little rough with you down there, doesnâ€™t it?â€
â€œOh no!!!â€ Megan shrieked so loudly that it was a wonder that the occupants of the other training rooms couldnâ€™t hear her. â€œLook! Look! Iâ€™m bleeding! Oh no, quick, Iâ€™m bleeding to death, somebody help me!!!â€ The Marill seemed hysterical. Although fortunately she was too tired to keep it up for long. â€œLook at all that blood, Iâ€™mâ€¦ oh, I feel funnyâ€¦â€ At this point Megan simply collapsed into Beckhamâ€™s arms, passed out in a dead faint. My Wartortle looked over at me with a look in his eyes that could be best translated as â€˜are you sure sheâ€™s okay?â€™.
â€œRelax, Becks, she just overreacted. What youâ€™ve just seen is called passing out from over-excitement, not dying from blood loss.â€
â€œOh. Okay.â€ The Wartortle grinned sheepishly. â€œYou can never tell sometimes, dying from blood loss is such a subtle way to die. I mean, imagine if you had a little tiny pin prick that wouldnâ€™t heal over, you wouldnâ€™t even notice as all your blood started slowly leaking out of you and in the end youâ€™d have no blood and have to use some kind of random substitute like vodka.â€
â€œBecks,â€ I said flatly. â€œJust grab her and letâ€™s go home, please. Iâ€™ve had enough of this place for one day.â€ All things considered, it had been quite a draining session. But we had all learned something from the experience. And at the end of the day, wasnâ€™t that what truly mattered?

Megan wins!
Megan grew to L8!

Crystalmaster Mike

23rd May 2004, 12:46 PM

Nice battles, Mike! The story was so full of typos it became hard to understand at some points, but the story was original and interesting, and the battle parts well done. Take 18 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

LOL, yeah, I can imagine. I hadn't used a dictionary this time over, and when I'd finished it, I just wanted to post it, edit the font mistakes, and leave it be.
...
So I did. .^.

BTW, if you were wondering about my in-story appearance, look below.

Lady Vulpix

23rd May 2004, 04:07 PM

It took me some time to read those 2 battles, but they were great! I like the attitude Marius is developing, as scary as you may find it. And Becks's jokes are getting better too... except for the last one, which was rather gross. But I understand he wasn't at his best at that moment. Take 21 stamps! Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

Wolfsong

24th May 2004, 03:23 PM

Sorry it took me a while, but every time i started to read the story my parents woudl come in and aske me to do something. Anyway, I ended up reading it around midnight last night. It was interesting. Danny, take 20 stamps. I still find it weird that Aipom was flying a helicopter, but interesting as well. ^^ Once i started reading it, without interruptions, I enjoyed it. ^^

Charizard04621

24th May 2004, 04:46 PM

Lol! I loved your story, Gabi! Take 22 Stamps. Not bad for your first rated battle, huh? :) I wonder what's going to happen with that scary Rocket executive... I've read about her twice and she already freaks me out. O_o; I was a little shocked when I saw Caledor learning all those moves, but then I figured out that like a lot of your pokÃ©mon, he has abnormal genes, too. And btw, I know that game! That stupid cursed Mario game where they get your hopes up when you think you've finally won such a hard game, and then they tell you that Peach is in another castle... Yeah... >_<

AntiAsh Superstar

24th May 2004, 08:53 PM

Allo, just popping in to let the world know I've got another sidetracking in progress akin to my infamous (well, infamous for being so incredibly long, at any rate...) Lucky Saga, since its star is about to make a permenant mark on my team I figured I might as well show what I've got so far. Here (http://www.btinternet.com/~sooade/fics/innercircle/) it is, I should prolly throw in a cursory warning about potentially strong language tho. :oh: Expect more once I've got the Unicorn Games out of the way. ^_^;;

Charizard04621

25th May 2004, 03:41 PM

My POV:

â€œIâ€™m worried, Blitz,â€ I admitted. â€œTheyâ€™ve been gone for a long time. What if something happened to them?â€

Itâ€™ll be all right, angel.

Did he just call me angel? Oâ€¦ kayâ€¦ I decided not to ask where that came from. I turned to the Electabuzz. â€œIf you think Iâ€™m an angel, you really donâ€™t know me yet,â€ I told him. â€œIâ€™m going out there.â€

What? No. My trainer told me not to let you go.

â€œDid he? You said earlier that he told you to make sure nothing bad happened to me. It was your idea to keep me here.â€ By the look on his face, I knew I had Blitz now. I smirked. â€œIf you want to protect me, youâ€™re going to have to follow me while I go outside to look for my lost pokÃ©mon.â€

I donâ€™t know about thisâ€¦

â€œHehe. Donâ€™t worry, Blitz,â€ I assured him while buttoning up Mikeâ€™s jacket. â€œThis coat is really good.â€ I opened the door, winked, and walked out, chuckling softly at the look of helplessness on Blitzâ€™s face. He had judged me too soon.

Lune, the male Eeveeâ€™s POV:

I sat on our attacker, holding his arms while Mike tied them together. Sweeney Todd had returned to his ball, much to my relief. That Absol really freaked me out. At least the one we were trying to save was just a baby.

â€œYouâ€™ve got some questions to answer now,â€ said Mike to the shuddering lump that had its face in the snow. â€œWhere did you get that baby Absol?â€

No answer.

â€œWhat were you doing with her?â€

Still nothing.

â€œAll right, thenâ€¦ Itâ€™s Sweeney Todd treatment for you, kid.â€ He turned to me. â€œYou might want to go away for a bit. You probably donâ€™t want to see this.â€

He was right. I didnâ€™t. I averted my eyes and ran around the corner, where I found an indent in the rocky mountain wall. Good. At least I was safe from the storm.

For the next few what I honestly felt was hours, my hairs stood on end perpetually as if the ice had frozen them there. But it was not my body that was frozen; it was my heart. And fear was the cause. Horrible screams, the likes of which I had never heard before, pierced the air, shooting like poisonous arrows deep into my soul. I did not know what that insane Absol was doing to that unfortunate child, and I did not want to know. I scarcely showed fear, but that thing was justâ€¦ wrong.

Finally, after forever had passed, the wailing stopped, and I heard Mike call for me to come back again. I walked hesitantly, checking around the corner to see if Sweeney Todd was still there. He was not. The innocent baby Absol lay peacefully in the snow, still asleep.

â€œWell, that was quick,â€ said Mike, grinning.

â€œQuick? I heard that horrible screaming for hours!â€

â€œNah. The screaming lasted only three minutes. The kid cracked fast. It was the talking that took longer.â€

â€œWhere is he now?â€

â€œGone.â€

I shuddered. â€œNot in some meat pie, I hopeâ€¦â€

Mike looked at me as if I were crazy. â€œNo, no, we donâ€™t really kill anyone,â€ he told me. â€œDid you think we were insane?â€

No comment.

â€œSure weâ€™re insane,â€ he said, grinning proudly. Oâ€¦ kay, getting freaky againâ€¦ â€œBut weâ€™re not murderers.â€

â€œThatâ€™sâ€¦ good to know.â€

â€œRyu,â€ the male Trapinchâ€™s POV:

â€œCongratulations, Elwing,â€ I said, albeit a little bitterly. I surprised myself. How did that happen? Well, I had started it now. It would have to end somewhere.

â€œNow do you think Iâ€™m a weakling? Huh?â€ she snapped.

I turned away from her. â€œI never thought you were a weakling.â€

â€œThen why do you always want to help me?â€ she demanded. â€œIâ€™m sick and tired of it. I hate it!â€

Her words struck me hard. â€œI donâ€™t know,â€ I said quietly. â€œMaybe itâ€™s because I care.â€

â€œYou care too much.â€

At this, I swung around suddenly. I felt my face burning up with anger. â€œOh, do I?â€ I asked violently. She shrank back, afraid. Immediately I regretted raising my voice. â€œOh, forget I ever said anything.â€ I hung my head and ran off into the snow. The storm covered my path.

â€œWait, where are you going? Ryu!â€

My POV:

â€œBlitz, I canâ€™t see. Can you?â€ I asked, as the snowstorm raged around us.

A little bit. Stick close to me so you donâ€™t get lost.

After some time of trudging through the snow, we came across an unusual sight. A Dratini was dragging something across the snow in the middle of a blizzard. When we got closer, I recognized her as Elwing. She was dragging my belt.

â€œElwing!â€ I cried worriedly, running to her. â€œWhat are you doing out in this storm? Whereâ€™s Evenstar? What happened?â€

Lune, the male Eeveeâ€™s POV:

â€œSo he stole her eggâ€¦ from the Dragon Tamers?â€ I asked in disbelief. How bold.

â€œYup.â€

â€œWhy?â€

â€œHe said he wanted an Absol.â€

â€œWhat was the thing about the testing?â€

â€œOh, that. He wasnâ€™t talking about the Absol. He said he was testing out how his team would do without him around to give commands. He left a Slowpoke and a Metang out somewhere to stop anyone from following him. I guess we missed them.â€

â€œHah. Hmmâ€¦ He looked like a little kid. Where did he get that sleeping gas?â€

â€œHe was a freaky little kid. He made it himself. I was wrong. I donâ€™t think Karin will be asleep that long, after all. We should get back to the cabin before she thinks we abandoned her. â€¦Wow, this Absol is heavy.â€

â€œWant me to carry her?â€

â€œNah. Iâ€™ve got a lot of stronger pokÃ©mon who can do the job better, but Iâ€™m not going to bother any of them. It wouldnâ€™t feel right to make an Eevee carry something several times his weight.â€

My POV:

â€œYouâ€™re saying those two just suddenly attacked?â€ I asked, pointing at the limp bodies of a Slowpoke and Metang nearby.

Elwing nodded. â€œThey took out Evenstar and Nimrodel. Theyâ€™re in their balls now. Nimrodel came out to help AglÃ¡rien against the Slowpoke when she was in trouble. Even so, AglÃ¡rien barely won. Sheâ€™s in her ball now, too.â€

â€œThatâ€™s weirdâ€¦ The training grounds are a place for friendly battles. How did these two nasties get in here? Are they wild?â€

As if to answer my question, some little kid came into sight, and he was in a hurry. Fear filled his eyes. He looked at us breathlessly, recalled the Slowpoke and the Metang, and ran off, muttering something about how he needed to make better sleeping powder next time. I blinked, putting things together quickly. A kid put me to sleep? Oh, what next?

Putting Mandragoraâ€™s pokÃ©ball back on my belt, I began to fasten it around my waist when I noticed that something was wrong. â€œWait a minute,â€ I said, tapping Ryuâ€™s ball. â€œThis oneâ€™s empty. Whereâ€™s Ryu?â€

Elwing turned white. â€œWellâ€¦ He ran off.â€

â€œWhat?â€

â€œHe yelled at me and ran off,â€ she said irritably. â€œIâ€™m not sure whatâ€™s up with him.â€

I decided not to ask until I could hear both sides of the story. For now, we had an emergency. A Trapinch was running around somewhere in the midst of a vicious snowstorm. â€œYour face is starting to frost over,â€ I said to Elwing. â€œYou shouldnâ€™t be out, especially after a battle like that. Here, take a rest. Donâ€™t worry, weâ€™ll find Ryu.â€ I was glad when she returned without a fuss. The Dratini looked â€“ I could not find another way to say it â€“ pissed off.

â€œIs she gone yet?â€ I heard a voice ask from behind me. Ryu emerged from the snow. I guessed that he hadnâ€™t gone very far.

â€œRyu! What happened?â€

â€œElwing basically told me to go away and stop trying to help her. I was a jerk. I overreacted. Justâ€¦ leave me aloneâ€¦â€ He retreated to his pokÃ©ball, downhearted.

Lune, the male Eeveeâ€™s POV:

â€œHey, I see them!â€ I yelled. Mike was walking right next to me, but the snowstorm was quite loud.

â€œGood, Blitz is there too. We donâ€™t have to go back to the cabin, then. Everyoneâ€™s here.â€

â€œMike? Lune?â€ Karin cast a glance towards the Absol. â€œSheâ€™s all right? Are you guys okay?â€

â€œWeâ€™re fine,â€ Mike answered. â€œAnd the Absolâ€™s just sleepy.â€

My POV:

â€œHere.â€ Mike handed the baby Absol over to me. â€œThat kid stole her from the Dragon Tamers. You might want to find out who she belongs to.â€

I received the sleeping bundle and was abruptly reminded that she was heavy as a lead weight. â€œThanks, Mike.â€

â€œWell, Iâ€™d better get going. Come on, Blitz.â€

â€œOh? Youâ€™re leaving? So soon?â€ Part of me wished that he would stay. â€œI guess youâ€™ll be needing this, then.â€ I began to take off his coat. Bye bye, nice, warm jacketâ€¦

â€œNah. You can keep that.â€

â€œOhâ€¦ Thanks. Wellâ€¦ Goodbye, then.â€

â€œSee ya.â€ He vanished into the snow, with Blitz following close behind. I stared after them until their shadows vanished, too.

â€œSoâ€¦â€ started Lune, in an attempt to break my silence. â€œWhere to next?â€

â€œOut of here. Out of any place that even whispers a hint of cold. Weâ€™re going to the Jungle Room. Sunshine, flowers, and oh, sweet warmth!â€

â€œCool.â€

â€œPlease donâ€™t say that word or any word related to it ever again. I want to think warm thoughts.â€

Lune snickered, but said nothing.

Lady Vulpix

26th May 2004, 06:45 AM

Great conclusion, Karin! Take 7 stamps! I loved the way you put everything together. :D Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢
And thanks a lot for rating my battles! I didn't know what it would feel like to have a battle rated, but it was cool. ^_^ I have 100 stamps now!! http://www.geocities.com/gsteren/Faces/cheesy.txt As for Gia, yes, she'll end up showing up again. Not right away, but someone like her can't stay away from us forever, can she?

Ade, I'll read chapters 3 and 4 of Rhiannon's story as soon as I can. I've already printed them. :)

[Edit: I guess some things require an explanation. Only 1 of my pokemon is known to have abnormal genes, and that is Lagi (and maybe Hero, if speed is in the genes). Caledor may or may not have them; how he started out is a mystery, but he was treated in the lab we're now searching for. He was given to me by Scott as a prize for winning the first Griphon Games. The rest of my pokemon have no anomalies, except for Hero who has 7 tails and high speed. Hero's tails are a result of an abnormal evolution, which had already taken place before I adopted him at the Dragon's Guild Adoption Center.]

[Edit 2: thanks for informing me about that game. I didn't know it. I'm sure you know not only that game, but that Andrew too. Hint: he hates Eevees and dislikes everything that resembles a cat.]

Charizard04621

26th May 2004, 08:59 AM

Oh! Thanks, Gabi! I hadn't expected that many stamps. ^_^ I made 33 Stamps total for the ice room. O_o

[Edit 2: thanks for informing me about that game. I didn't know it. I'm sure you know not only that game, but that Andrew too. Hint: he hates Eevees and dislikes everything that resembles a cat.]

O_o;; So that's who he is. Lol. He's so random and hates Eevees so much that I avoid him. ^_^ He accuses me of being a little green gnome thingy (what was it? gremlin? kremlin? uh...) and he says I sit on my throne stroking a bald Eevee waiting to take over the world. :\

Silver Ledian

26th May 2004, 05:47 PM

This is my first proper story here at the Battle Range, so I hope it has been done properly. If you want to have a look at my pokÃ©mon's info, to see that I'm not cheating or anything, feel free to copy and paste this link to my AC/CC webpage: www.geocities.com/mimo2k4/accc/cherry.html

Well, here goes :) Hope you like it :)

-----

[My P.O.V.]

â€œExcuse me. Could you tell me where to find the pokÃ©mon training rooms, please?â€ I said.

There I stood in front of the reception desk, located on the ground floor of the â€˜PokÃ©mon Training Experience Centreâ€™, waiting anxiously to get an answer from the receptionist .

From what I had heard, the place had a very good reputation for successfully teaching beginning and even experienced pokÃ©mon trainers the ins-and-outs of pokÃ©mon training and battling and thatâ€™s exactly the reason why I was there. A month or two prior to this day, you see, I had visited the â€˜Dragon Tamers Adoption Centerâ€™ and adopted a pokÃ©mon to have as my own. The thing is, despite having voluntarily read and learnt about all the different species of pokÃ©mon and the basics of pokÃ©mon training and battling - along with the other things -Iâ€™d never participated in an actual battle. So I thought that to give this a go would be great experience for both my pokÃ©mon and myself on the battlefield. Cherry was the only pokÃ©mon I owned - Iâ€™d none prior to him - and so taking care of and training a pokÃ©mon was all pretty new to me. I loved learning first-hand though and so far, we made great friends. Today, however, I wanted to start our battling experience and rather than go and battle wild pokÃ©mon at the park, we decided together to visit the Experience Centre.

â€œWell, you see, it depends which one you have booked to battle in,â€ replied the sweet receptionist. She was quite young for her age, around twenty six or twenty seven Iâ€™d say, but she talked in an experienced manner, without being forceful or dominating.

â€œYou have to book a battle?â€ I asked, feeling that already all my excitement for the day had been wasted. I hadnâ€™t booked.

â€œYes. Iâ€™m sorry for the inconvenience but weâ€™ve become very popular recently and so the best way to give everyone an efficient service is to make people book, enabling everyone to have a chance.â€

â€œOh, uhhh...ok, thanks very much,â€ and I began to walk away from the desk as quick as I could. The embarrassment was too much.

â€œExcuse me!â€ the receptionist shouted back, â€œWouldnâ€™t you like to book a battle while youâ€™re here then?â€ she asked, smiling sweetly. â€œIf you book today then we could set you up in as short as 3 days from today. It doesnâ€™t cost anything at all.â€

â€œWell Iâ€™d hoped to battle today but I didnâ€™t know you had to...â€

â€œYouâ€™re new to the battling, arenâ€™t you?â€ she interrupted. â€œDonâ€™t worry, everyone gets flustered every now and again. I know how you feel. When I first started battling I hadnâ€™t a clue and there werenâ€™t any centres like this one around to help me either. I sort of taught myself but my brother helped me out a lot.â€

â€œReally? Thatâ€™s cool,â€ I replied. The receptionist looked around. The floor didnâ€™t seem to be as busy with trainers hustling and bustling today. There were only a handful of people, around ten trainers max, using the computers on the opposite side of the reception room or eating lunch at the little cafe next to the computer suite.

â€œThen could I book a battle for Saturday?â€ I enquired, a bit more relaxed. The receptionist, who had somehow made her way from behind her desk to standing opposite me in front of the desk, walked swiftly back behind it and sat down on her chair. I actually laughed at her as she whizzed across the floor on it - since it had wheels. She typed a few things into the computer and then raised her head again,

â€œIâ€™m not really supposed to do this but...seeing as itâ€™s pretty quiet in here today, I could book you in for a battle at noon, as long as you donâ€˜t tell anyone.â€ She winked in a friendly way.

â€œNoon?â€ I asked puzzled, â€œNoon as in fifteen-minutes-from-now Noon?â€

â€œYep,â€ she smiled, recognising that I was really grateful for the offer.

â€œYeah! That would be great thanks!â€ I didnâ€™t shout at her or anything but I was really overjoyed and the excitement, that had left me just a few moments ago, returned.

â€œOkay then, Iâ€™ll just type it in and...â€ She hit the â€˜Enterâ€™ button. She also took my basic details - my name and address - and typed them in. â€œThere, all done. Just one last thing,â€ she smiled again, â€œwhat room would you like to battle in? There are five available today: The Pond Room, The Jungle Room, The Lava Room, The Blizzard Room and the Desert Room.â€

â€œUmmm...well I only have one pokÃ©mon and itâ€™s a water type, so I guess the Pond Room sounds best for that!â€ I said, feeling quite clever.

â€œOops...my mistake. Iâ€™m really sorry, I made a mistake. The Pond Room is closed today for repairs...something to do with a Gyarados biting a Golbat, resulting in a major Screech attack...yadda yadda yadda, broken windows or something. Iâ€™m really sorry though, I hope I havenâ€˜t disappointed youâ€ she apologised. She seemed to be retracting a bit from her friendly receptionist job and was now coming across as more of a friendly friend..if that makes sense. She was a very nice girl and very pretty. A bit too old for me though, hehe.

â€œHey, donâ€™t worry about it, itâ€™s alright. What do you think would be the best place for Cherry to battle then?â€

â€œCherry?â€ she asked curiously.

â€œOh, Iâ€™m sorry, Cherry is the name of my pokÃ©mon.â€ I took Cherryâ€™s pokÃ©ball out of my jeans pocket and held it facing the ground. In an short moment it opened, with a bursting white light and Cherry appeared.

â€œHya!â€ it shouted.

â€œOh, a Staryu! We donâ€™t get many of those around these parts. Iâ€™ve always wanted to battle one!â€ she said, her eyes paying close attention to Cherry. â€œWell we have a small stream in the Jungle Room, which is at least a source of water for your little friend there,â€ she assurred me.

â€œHya!â€ Staryu replied. He was receiving very friendly vibes from the young woman, werenâ€™t we all. I smiled at them both.

â€œOkay then, Iâ€™ll have my battle there,â€ I confirmed.

â€œOkay, all you have to do is go to the third floor. Thereâ€™ll be two training rooms there. You go to the one with the tree symbol over the top of it. The other is the desert room, itâ€™s of a cactus so donâ€™t get them mixed up. When it lights up green, thatâ€™s when you can go inside and from there, your battle will begin.â€

â€œBrilliant! Iâ€™m really grateful for all of this,â€ I said, making the receptionist aware of it again. â€œThanks for all your help and if things go well today then Iâ€™ll be back to make regular use of this place.â€

â€œNo problem at all! You caught me on a good day, since weâ€™re not as busy. You were also very lucky, as I was about to go off duty. Iâ€™ve to work in another part of the centre soon, so I had better get going also. Good luck with your battle!â€

â€œThanks,â€ I said, returning Cherry to his pokÃ©ball and as quick as he had come out, he disappeared into his ball again, with one red flicker of light. Cherryâ€™s not really a male, heâ€™s genderless but ever since Iâ€™d got him, Iâ€™ve referred to â€˜itâ€™ as â€˜himâ€™, just because of the â€˜Hya!â€™ sound he makes.

The receptionist gave me a little wave and made her way down the corridor that started from behind her desk. She turned a corner and from there, was no where to be seen. I just then realised that it would have been nice if Iâ€™d have asked for her name. I hope I didnâ€™t seem too impolite. I reassurred myself, though, that Iâ€™d probably be back the following week again, providing I enjoyed the training, and so came to the conclusion that Iâ€™d probably see her again. I walked towards the flight of stairs that rose up between the computer suite and the cafÃ© and assumed that this was the way towards the third floor. I read the sign,

GROUND FLOOR - RECEPTION, COMPUTER SUITE, CAFÃ‰, TOILETS
FIRST FLOOR - POKÃ‰MART, POKÃ‰MON CENTRE
SECOND FLOOR - TRAINING ROOMS 1 + 2
THIRD FLOOR - TRAINING ROOMS 3 + 4
FOURTH FLOOR - TRAINING ROOM 5
FIFTH FLOOR - POKÃ‰MON CONTESTS (SEE RECEPTION FOR INFO)

I began to make my way up the first flight of stairs and for someone that walked every day, I quickly began to pant. The building must have been quite tall, taller than what it had looked like from the outside. When I reached the first floor, I pokÃ©d my nose through the double doors and then back out again. Joy must have caught a glimpse of me, since she waved. It was pretty quiet in there too, so Iâ€™m sure she made the most of seeing another humanâ€™s face for a split second. She seemed to be putting some pokÃ©balls into some kind of machine - different from those used at the other centres. I had no time to think though, I had a battle to attend.

I decided to allow Cherry out of his pokÃ©ball so that he could stretch his arms and legs for a while. Out he came with the flash of white light.

â€œSo, all ready for this battle?â€ I said, â€œItâ€™ll be our very first!â€

â€œWell, all we can do is try our best, and as long as you know your stuff, weâ€™ll be fine,â€ he replied. â€œYou know Iâ€™ll try my hardest for you,â€ and he made his core blink brightly.

â€œYep, Iâ€™ve got all your attacks in my head. I donâ€™t really have a strategy or anything but I guess that we can make up some of them when we get used to battling first. For now, all we can do is get used to the general idea of battles. Iâ€˜m also hoping to try out the TM I gave you the other day.â€

â€œHya!â€ he shouted sharply, â€œRace ya to the top!â€ and in a split second, he was hopping up the stairs as fast as Iâ€™d ever seen him hop. I quickly chased after him but his little legs were beating me all the way. When he reached the third floor he waited for me and when I got up, his core was blinking rapidly. He wasnâ€™t tired out or anything, it must have just been the excitement and adrenalin rush...or water rush, I wasnâ€™t sure what was inside of him after all.

We spotted the two doors, they were quite a distance away from each other so I imaged each room to be fairly large. There was a drinks machine and two rows of chairs - one for each room - situated along one side of the wall and the doors were on the opposite side. Light streamed through the windows. We sat there patiently for another 10 minutes and I laughed to myself at how Cherry sat on his chair just like a human!

The tree sign lit up. It was time.

â€œReady?â€ I said, the Butterfrees flying around inside my stomach.

â€œHya! Iâ€™m ready,â€ replied Cherry, in a stern sort of manner. I think he was trying to hide his nerves.

â€œOkay then, letâ€™s go,â€ and I turned the doorknob and opened the door.

My mouth fell wide open and Cherryâ€™s opening, where his water usually came out, tightened up. We looked around the room in awe. In the centre of the room lay the main battlefield, with the same traditional markings of any pokÃ©mon battlefield - as Iâ€™d seen in one of my books and on T.V. in the past - but many of the chalked lines were covered up partially by the undergrowth of the field. In reality, we couldnâ€™t see where in fact the boundary to it was. Huge rainforest-like trees shot out of the ground at random places and resting silently along the middle of the ground, lay a small stream, trickling only every now and again. The source seemed to be coming from an elevated pile of rocks in one corner of the room. In another corner lay a large bush, with peculiar patterns on itâ€™s leaves...they looked purplish-blue. I decided to keep clear of those and stick to the green vegetation, hehe. I was interrupted by a poke from my pokÃ©mon.

â€œWow! This looks really tough already.â€

â€œDonâ€™t worry, Iâ€™m sure weâ€™ll do great.â€ I walked over to the stream in the centre of the field, dodging the trees and bent down to dip my finger in the water. I called Cherry over, â€œWhy donâ€™t you jump in and have a splash about before we start the battle,â€ and in a few moments, my pokÃ©mon jumped into the shallow stream. I noticed that another corner of the battlefield had a flight of stairs leading downwards, I guessed thatâ€™s where the trainer and his pokÃ©mon came out and soon enough, I could hear footsteps. Step by step upwards, more of the body was unveiled, until the trainer reached the top. Cherry jumped back out of the water quickly and turned to me. I was now back at the edge of the field, having brushed some leaves and plants out of my path on the way.

â€œItâ€™s you!!!â€ I exclaimed and there she was, the receptionist, all kitted out in a new set of clothes with a pokÃ©ball in her hand.

â€œHiya!â€ she shouted excitedly, â€œSurprise!â€ I stepped back and tripped over a vine, falling anime style. How embaressing was that. Quickly, I got back up and brushed away some rotting organic thingys, to make space for me to stand.

â€œWow! Itâ€™s you! Did you know all along that youâ€™d be battling me?â€ I asked, still surprised.

â€œWell, sort of,â€ she said, flicking her shoulder-length brown hair back. It was really curly and bouncy. â€œI knew that I was working in this training room after my shift at reception was over but my first battle wasnâ€™t until later on today, so I sort of set you up to pick this room so that I myself could get in some training for later on.â€ I felt tricked but it wasnâ€™t bad, it was in a good way and it was nice to see that she was enthusiastic towards our battle.

â€œYouâ€™re not angry, are you?â€ she asked in concern this time. I laughed.

â€œNo, not at all,â€ I replied, â€œItâ€™s just a big shock to see you here. It didnâ€™t occur to me that you were a trainer here as well.

â€œWell, originally I wasnâ€™t supposed to be but after a few weeks working in reception, I was hearing that the training room battles were really an experience not to be missed, so I asked the administrators of the building if I could try out to become a leader of the rooms and they said yeah, after seeing me in a trial battle.â€

â€œThatâ€™s really cool!â€ I said, â€œAnd now youâ€™re here!â€

â€œYep, I am indeed. Well, are you ready to start?â€ she asked energetically.

â€œSure am, how about you, Cherry?â€ Cherry jumped straight back into the water, inhaled a couple of litres of water and shot them back out into the stream right away.

â€œHya! All ready!â€ he said, feeling confident.

â€œOkay, weâ€™re ready!â€ and I nodded my head. Cherry flexed his arms and bent his legs.

â€œRight,â€ she said, becoming a bit more serious now, â€œthis will be a one-on-one pokÃ©mon battle between Eamonâ€™s Staryu and Debbieâ€™s pokÃ©mon, with no time limit.â€ She announced it as if there was a tape recorder taking everything in but I guessed it was just her being professional...and now Iâ€™d learnt her name!

â€œSo you nameâ€™s Debbie then?â€ I asked.

â€œOh yeah, sorry, I forgot to tell you. I must have been wrapped up in the adrenalin rush of everything!â€ She was a bit embaressed but quickly recovered from that, â€œAnyway, letâ€™s go! PokÃ©ball, go!!!â€ and she threw her pokÃ©ball into the very middle of the field. The ball opened and out splashed the white light, immediately taking the form of a pokÃ©mon. It condensed into a small white shadow and then disappeared, revealing the pokÃ©mon!

â€œItâ€™s a Surskit!â€ I shouted at my Staryu.

â€œA Surskit?â€ he asked a bit confused, not having seen one before.

â€œYes, theyâ€™re water/bug pokÃ©mon and theyâ€™re pretty fast!â€ I shouted.

â€œOkay, letâ€™s go!â€ shouted Debbie abruptly.

[POKEMON BATTLE, THE JUNGLE ROOM]
Eamonâ€™s Male Staryu [Lv. 6]
Vs.
Debbieâ€™s Female Surskit ([Lv. 8]

[Cherryâ€™s P.O.V.]

â€œOkay Kitty, letâ€™s begin with a Quick Attack!â€ shouted Debbie from her side of the field, and in an instant, I could see the female Surskit whizzing right at me, skating unbelieveably fast across the shallow stream. I stood there waiting for the counter attack command but just as Eamon shouted for me to counter it with a Tackle, I was hit by the little water-skater. I was certainly thrown back due to the speed of the stick-thin pokÃ©mon but I wasnâ€™t hit hard.

â€œAre you alright?â€ Eamon shouted at me in concern.

â€œHya!â€ I retorted.

â€œGood going!â€ shouted Debbie from afar, â€œNow, use your Bubble attack Kitty!â€

A Bubble attack? I thought to myself. I just waited for Eamonâ€™s command, â€œAlright Cherry, counter it with a Bubblebeam!â€ and as quickly as I could, I began to charge up the attack, hoping the TM Iâ€˜d been taught would work. The Surskit was approaching me fast again and Iâ€™d expect it to only release the bubbles when she picked up speed, so I too began to run at Kitty as fast as I could. Both trainers looked on in anxiousness as the Surskit danced its way quickly towards me over the water top but this time I was the first to react and from a short distance released a huge beam of bubbles straight from my top. I stopped running as the Surskit flew backwards, losing its balance and falling below the waterâ€˜s surface.

â€œYes!â€ shouted Eamon but I didnâ€™t look to see what his action was. I tried to keep focused on the match as best I could, â€œNow slam into it with your Tackle!â€

This time I jumped into mid-air and began hovering over the water, accelerating towards the recovering Surskit. Debbie only had a few seconds to think and so commanded her pokÃ©mon rapidly, â€œKitty get out of the way! Jump out of the water and under those leaves!â€ and with that, my opponent quickly jumped out and veered straight for the undergrowth. I lost track of her. Eamon didnâ€™t know where she was either. I ceased the attack.

â€œDo you know where sheâ€™s gone Cherr?â€ Eamon asked anxiously but I didnâ€™t reply. I just tried to keep my focus on looking.

â€œThatâ€™s it Kitty, keep it up. You know the usual drill. Whenever youâ€™re ready,â€ spoke Debbie, having already planned what to do if at a disadvantage.

â€œItâ€™s no good hiding,â€ shouted Eamon, â€œMy Staryu will find you,â€ and with that I exited the water and began making my way through the undergrowth quickly. Then...I heard a rustle between leaves. I picked up the trace of the noise and saw a little yellow head sticking out of the ground.

â€œThere it is!â€ screamed Eamon, â€œTackle it!â€ and with that I began charging again at the little yellow-hatted pokÃ©mon. It skittered quickly through the leaves, leaving a clear trail behind it and I was quick to follow.

â€œFaster. Faster!â€ shouted Debbie, and always meeting itâ€™s trainerâ€™s commands, the little spider continued running around the field. I quickly hovered more and more, zig-zagging all over the field and suddenly, I lost track of her. Then, it started again. The Surskit raced through the undergrowth with me quickly in her tracks, until all of a sudden, she abruptly stopped and jumped fiercely upwards, slamming into me and knocking me against a tree trunk. I tried to shake it off as best I could but before I knew it, another Quick Attack came my way and the little skater tossed me sidewards to the edge of the stream.

â€œNo!â€ shouted Eamon, â€œCome on Cherry, keep up the fighting!â€ but I was hurt from the speed attack.

â€œI know, try using Harden! Thatâ€™ll stop it from harming you for a while!â€ Why didnâ€™t I think of it myself.

â€œNow, Kitty, use another Quick Attack before it hardensâ€. The little blue pokÃ©mon ran swiftly towards me but not swiftly enough, as I immediately built a silverish shield around myself, deflecting the attacking opponent backwards and into the undergrowth. Despite that, the attack was enough to knock me backwards into the water and so I decided to lie there. It was just deep enough for my whole body to fit in and so I rested there, recharging my batteries by intaking some of the water.

â€œOkay, Harden doesnâ€™t affect special attacks, so use another Bubble Kitty!â€ shouted Debbie, now having gotten into the full swing of battle. The little fighter attacked on, with the Bubble attack hitting me straight on but being a water pokÃ©mon myself and being in the water also, it had little effect.

â€œKeep using Harden!â€ Eamon shouted,â€ and so I re-glazed my outer shield several times, with an extra layer of hardened material to protect myself each time.

â€œStick in there with Bubbles!â€ repeated Debbie. Bubble attacks continued to come from all directions, the solid formations bursting as they hit the shell of my shield but it was no good, Surskit was only recharging me faster. I know that I hadnâ€™t learnt Recover but I knew that prevention was better than cure and so I protected myself instead of healing myself.

Surskit was now tiring out but the effort it was making to attack was increasing. It jumped onto the water again and started skating quickly, following the orders for another Quick Attack. I perservered but this time, when the attack hit, the shield lost a layer. Eamon thought readily, â€œOkay Cherry, this is asking a lot but seeing as itâ€™s small enough, I want you to suck up all the water in the stream!!â€

From below the water I tried to think of what Eamonâ€™s plan was as fast as possible, still withstanding the attacks from the skittery spider and then it hit me: if I absorbed all the water from the stream then thereâ€™d be nothing for Surskit to run across, making it harder for it to attack me! And so, retaining the hardened shield but allowing a small gap for my top opening, I began to intake the water.

I could feel my body filling up more and more until relatively soon, I couldnâ€™t intake anymore. My only option was to get rid of it but if I spat it back out into the water, I would never be able to complete our strategy. â€œInto the grass! Spit it into the grass!â€ Eamon shouted and within a few seconds, I had shot all the water onto the grassy area next to me. At this point, Debbie was looking on in confusion as she didnâ€™t know what exactly I was doing. Meanwhile, Kitty was falling and falling lower down towards the water bed as my process of water intake and water release continued. This went on for only another minute or so until I took my last mouthful of water.

I was about to spit it out when Eamon commanded, â€œNo! Not this time! This time, blow that Surskit away with it!â€ I looked at Eamon, my shield now down, and turned back to Skitty, now trying to balance itself on the uneven and rocky river bed. I aimed myself at the little body and within the blink of an eye, the imprisoned water pumped out of me and towered over and onto the tiny Surskit, slamming it into the water bed forcefully.

â€œOne more Tackle!â€ Eamon shouted and with that, I smacked into her and knocked her out. We waited a few seconds to see if the red-cheeked bug pokÃ©mon attempted to get back up...but it didnâ€™t.

â€œYay!â€ cheered Eamon, â€œWell done Cherry! We won our first battle!!!â€ I looked back, my core blinking and bleeping with excitement and I hopped over to Eamon. He took me in his arms and began throwing me up into the air, dancing. I began to feel queezy.

â€œPlease stop,â€ I said, â€œYouâ€™re making me faint here,â€ I joked and with that, he put me down again.

Debbie returned her Surskit to her pokÃ©ball and made her way across the field to congratulate us. I felt so proud of myself and of Eamon at that moment.

[My P.O.V.]

â€œCongratulations!â€ said Debbie, genuinely happy for us, â€œLooks like you beat me fair and square, and with your speedy water pal too,â€ she smiled.

â€œYeah! Thanks very much. I feel really great now, we both do! Is your Surskit going to be okay though?â€ I asked.

â€œOf course, itâ€™s rare that she gets beaten but a defeat every now and again will just make her more determinedâ€. Kittyâ€™s pokÃ©ball shook from side to side in Debbieâ€™s hand, in agreement with her masterâ€™s comment. We both laughed and opened the door leading out of the room.

â€œNice battle, Eamon, I hope you WILL be back next week now.â€ I nodded my head and returned Cherry to his pokÃ©ball, â€œOf course I will!â€ and out we walked.

Cherry won the battle!
Cherry grew to Level 7!
Cherry learnt Water Gun!

-----

Well, that's it :)

PS: Possibly the longest story I've ever written out of my own free will - 8 pages :sweat3: That's a lot for me! :lookout:

Lady Vulpix

27th May 2004, 05:55 AM

Good battle, Eamon! It was very original, though I find it hard to believe that a Staryu can dry out a stream of water, especially in the middle of a battle; and that releasing it on the grass wouldn't cause it to return to its original course. I'll give you 9 stamps. Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢Â¢

By the way, how can anyone be quite young for their age?

Silver Ledian

27th May 2004, 08:43 AM

Thanks for the stamps Gabi :)

I just meant that she looked younger than what she actually was :heh:

Lady Vulpix

27th May 2004, 03:53 PM

<Iael's POV>

The post-lunch talk went on for quite a long time, even after Lagi had left with Caledor. We kept bumping into trainers, and all of them had something to talk about. I was wondering when the next battles would begin? I wasn't sure whether I was excited or worried at the prospect of battling 3 times within 2 days. In any case, I wanted it in my past rather than in my future. I hoped I wouldn't fail Gabi, she seemed to have great expectations of me and I really wanted to live up to them. I also hoped the next room we were going to would be either the Blizzard or the Lava Room, as I didn't think I could handle having my 3 battles one after the other. But I didn't tell anyone about my worries. They'd think I wasn't up to the task.

Luckily for me, when the encounters finally ceased and Karin hadn't shown up yet, the Lava Room became available and Hero jumped at the chance. Gabi asked me if I was ready too, and I nodded firmly. Maybe too firmly, I don't know.
"Alright, I'll wait for you right here. Take care and do your best, but don't push yourselves too hard, remember it's just a friendly battle. Good luck to you both!"
She spat out the whole stream of words, as if it were a speech she'd been preparing. Maybe she had. I had the feeling I could have answered something, but I just nodded and walked into the room as soon as Amber pushed the door open. She came in with us; Amber, I mean. Hero and I were looking for opponents to battle, but she was looking for something else. Or, rather, someone else. There didn't seem to be any pokemon around, though.

"Where's everyone?," Amber finally asked.
"You know how this works. Sometimes a group of pokemon come in and wait for opponents, and sometimes a trainer does," Hero reminded her. "I guess we arrived in the middle of a switch. Someone's bound to come in soon."
"I wonder if Eliot has come this time around. I was almost sure I'd see him here."
"Eliot?," I asked.
"Old friend of hers," Hero told me. "She's met him a few times right here in this room. She even battled him once, and that's when she decided friendly battles were not her thing. You didn't miss much by not watching that battle. It was shameful. Both pokemon were holding back."
"We have different feelings about battling friends," Amber addressed Hero with a fierce look on her face. "I'd appreciate it if you respected mine."
"Sorry, I didn't think you'd be offended by my telling Iael what happened."
"You called our battle shameful, so yes, I do find it offensive. Caledor and Tsunami may enjoy having word fights with you, but I'm different, as you have pretty much noticed."
"Okay, miss, calm down! I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest."
"I'll take that as an apology," Amber said in the same serious tone.
Hero remained silent, and so did I. It wasn't common to see Amber mad at her friends, so I could only assume Hero had hit a nerve.

Before the tension could wear off, or get worse, a trainer came in. He had black, semi-spiky hair with red streaks on the front, and was wearing torn blue jeans with a matching jacket. His skin was light-brownish, like a cup of coffee with milk, and he wore a collar of what looked like fangs, but I was sure they were fake. He was an unusual sight, but I'd already learnt each trainer had pretty much their own style, so I didn't get caught in thoughts about the looks of this one. He looked around for a while, then looked down to Hero and me.

"Have you come to battle here?," he asked.
Hero and I nodded, unsure of whether he would understand anything we said.
"Where's your trainer?"
"Out there," Hero pointed to the door with his head. "She couldn't stand the heat."
"Huh?"
That vague reply didn't let us know whether he could understand us or not.
"Well, I guess I can let my pokemon out," the human decided. "They'll know what to do. Let me check which ones are best for you two..."
He took one of those electronic devices trainers normally use. I wasn't sure if it was a pokedex, pokegear or one of the more modern variants, but it seemed to give him enough information to make his choice.
"Alright, that's it," he said to himself, putting his gizmo back in his pocket and walking several steps back. He then took a pokeball in each of his hands. Two red beams of light came out of the spheres, and soon two pokemon took shape in front of us: a Blaziken and a Camerupt.
"Guys, could you please find out what's going on?," the trainer asked the two. "Then you can battle or wait, or tell these two where to go. I'll help you if it's time to battle."
The two strange pokemon nodded in agreement, and then directed their looks at us. Up to then my mind had been busy trying to find a way to explain the situation, but now that I was facing these two pokemon, I wasn't too sure about wanting to battle either of them. They belonged to two of the kinds of pokemon that had arrived to Ulthuan barely a year ago, and I'd never had a proper encounter with them before; all that was clear was that they looked very strong. I'd heard Camerupt was Fire/Ground type, and Blaziken was Fire/Fighting type, and they were both fully evolved pokemon. That was about as much as I knew about them. Which meant I'd have to improvise a lot. I looked at Hero; he seemed quite excited.

"Hello, we're here to battle," my friend spoke. "Our trainer has signed us up to battle at the Training Grounds, but this room makes her really sick, so we've come on our own. Only me and my Stantler friend are battling, the Charizard will just watch."
"That's right," Amber nodded.
The Blaziken and Camerupt directed puzzled looks at each other. Then the Blaziken shrugged.
"I haven't seen anything like this before," he said, "but I guess it's ok. If you want to battle without your trainer, it's your choice. But we won't hold back and wait until you think of what move to use next."
"Good for you, because I'm not going to wait for you either," Hero retorted. I could see how funny he found the idea of having someone wait for him.
"I see you're brave," said the Camerupt in a voice as deep as a cavern. "I'll be your opponent. What's your name?"
"Hero. I've been using that name ever since I battled at the Domain of the Sleeping Dragon?"
"The what?"
"A training room, like this one but even hotter."
"Oh. My name is Vesuvius. For... obvious reasons. My friend is Bruce."
"Nice to meet you," Hero and Bruce said to each other.
"Who's your silent friend?," asked Bruce.
"Oh... me?," I reacted. "Sorry, I'm Iael. I just didn't want to interrupt."
"It's ok," Bruce said. "I must warn you I'm a tough opponent, Iael. And I have a type advantage against you. So does my friend against yours. If you have any doubts regarding this battle, you're still in time to quite."
"Never."
My voice was firm now, all my doubts finally washed away. I'd given Bruce a wrong impression of me. He thought I was weak. No matter how our battle turned out, I'd make sure he didn't think that way once we were done.
"Ok, then. Let's go first before that fire wears off," the Blaziken suggested. Then he turned to his trainer to tell him we were going to battle, and barely a second later he was facing me once more. I hadn't expected him to act so fast. I'd have to be really good at improvising this time.

Level 37 Stantler vs. Level 45 Blaziken

I felt a slash on my side before I could even begin to move. This was getting ridiculous. The battle had just started and, if it went on like that, I'd be lost in no time. I stopped thinking and used my mindpower to push my opponent away instead. It was not bad for my standard as far as Psychic attacks go. Living with Caledor, Ventura, and even Gabi and Lagi, my psychic powers weren't normally worth mentioning. They were too raw. But they were good enough to send a Blaziken crashing against a rock. I heard Bruce's trainer shout out a command: Blazing Kick, though I'd never heard of that move before. I could imagine what it was like by its name, and it didn't sound like something I'd like to get a taste of. I had to do something, but what? I knew Bruce would recover quickly, so I tried to run away in order to gain some time. I didn't have much room to run, so I had to jump from one rock platform to another while trying to think of what to do next. I couldn't send another Psychic blow now, Bruce would be ready for it. I still had two other moves that were good against fighting types, but...

He caught up with me before I could think of how to pull out my next move. His legs were definitely better than mine for running and jumping, even if I had four and he had only two. I felt one of them burning on my back. I rolled over the rock floor in time for my skin not to catch fire, but the damage I'd receive was beyond anything I could have expected - and in just one blow! There wasn't much more I could do; one more hit and I wouldn't tell the tale. So I tried the trick my kind would resort to when everything else failed. I began to shake, as if in fear... Only that the shaking of most of my body was just a farse, only the movement of my antlers actually mattered.

"Bruce, finnish it off with a Rock Smash!," the trainer commanded. His pokemon took a look at me before attacking.
"Are you scared, little friend?," Bruce said to me. "Don't worry, this will be over soon. I promise I won't hurt you more than I have to in order to win this battle."
At first I didn't know if my plan would work, but I was lucky. Bruce was directing all of his attention to me, and thus took a full dose of my hypnotic powder. He froze in his place before he could deal the next blow, so I took the chance instead. I gave him another blast of Psychic and, as soon as he hit the ground, I lifted him up with my Flying type Hidden Power. I was ready to continue, but it turned out that had been just enough.

"Iael wins!," announced Vesuvius in his cavernous voice.

I grew to level 39!

"Congratulations! You're quite a surprise," the Camerupt commended me. "I thought he had you there before you put him to sleep. That will teach Bruce not to take an opponent for granted just because his type is weak against his own. I can see you have that issue covered."
"Thanks," I replied.
"Oh, that's nothing. He didn't even use Earthquake," Hero added. "Of course that would have been too dangerous in a place like this. Could have caused an eruption or something."
"Oh, this isn't a real volcano," Vesuvius informed us. "The lava's artificial. They have some tremendous heat generators around here, but the ground below us is solid. It's a controlled environment."
"Oh, that's good to know. I should have figured it, though. Whoever made this place wouldn't want us to risk our lives. So... is it time for our battle now, or shall we wait until your friend comes back from Dreamland?"
"Can we wait, if you don't mind? Bruce and I like watching each other's battles."
"Is it ok if I go out?," I asked everyone. "I may have to battle again today, and I will need a potion or something. And a break."
"Go ahead," Hero accepted. "One more pokemon to describe my epic battle to."
"Epic?," Vesuvius raised an eyebrow.
"My battle, whatever. I like to boast, ok? But don't make the mistake of thinking that makes me overconfident."
"And why are you warning me?"
"Because I want you to do your best, just as I will. That's what makes battles interesting."
"You're strange."
"You took longer to tell me that than most of the opponents I've faced. And most of the pokemon I've met, actually. I'm surprised you haven't asked any questions about my appearance yet."
"Would you want me to?"
"Nah. It's better this way."

I let the two keep on talking as I walked out of the room and back to most of my friends, still thinking of my battle. It had been close, but things had turned out quite well! When I told the others, they all congratulated me. Gabi hugged me until I had to tell her I was still too hot from the Lava Room to hold physical contact for so long. Ventura then took me to the pokemon center inside the complex, explaining the situation to the local nurse in psychic flashes and telling me everyone would be back for me after Hero's battle. I'd have rather have someone to talk to, but it was ok. I'd see them all soon, and I needed some rest before my next battle anyway.

<Hero's POV>

It took a while before Bruce was back on his feet. He started asking where Iael was, and his friend had to tell him he'd won the battle and left to recover.
"But how...? Didn't I hit him with my Rock Smash?"
Vesuvius shook his head.
"He used Hypnosis. Stantlers can be quite tricky, you should have taken that into account."
I thought Bruce's face looked redder than before, if that was even possible.
"He could have stayed," was all he managed to say.
"He has another battle scheduled for today," I told him. "But if it helps, he looked quite impressed by your power and your speed."
"Oh... Yes, I was the fastest one in my family," Bruce said, taking his hand to his head before standing up.
"You too?," I smiled. Then I turned back to Vesuvius. "I guess we can battle now, right?"
"Right," he accepted. "Let's see how many of your words you can back up."

Level 68 Ninetales vs. Level 70 Camerupt

From what I had seen so far, Vesuvius was a nice pokemon. Centered, not quick to judge others... He seemed like someone who would have been nice to have around, even if I couldn't picture him taking part in a comeback fight any time soon, let alone a pillow fight. He was just too serious for that. Now it was time to see how he performed in battle. By asking me why I was warning him, he'd made it clear he didn't want me to give him an advantage. I respected that, since I would have done the same. So, no more warnings, and no keeping any of my best tricks to myself.

I started the battle with a Double Team. That can always help if you can think of good ways to pull it out. Running around your opponent and creating holograms of you is a good way to start, but you have to do something else if you want the move to be effective. Like, for example, I had my copies move in different ways in order to distract my opponent's attention. With years of practiced I'd managed to get up to 3 sets of copies to perform different actions at the same time. Moreover, if the action was Quick Attack, they could launch themselves in 8 up to different directions. If I had 8 or more holograms, that is. Sometimes an attack came by before I could create them all, but I was considerably faster than Vesuvius, plus he had to wait for his trainer's command, so I had the time to create 11 copies of myself before he could attack me. But, as soon as the human commanded Vesuvius to start off with "the trap for elusive fire types", the attack did come, and not exactly from the Camerupt's direction. It came from all directions: small rocks and blocks of earth pulling away from the ground and walls and hitting me and all my images at the same time. From the sides and from above. It was a move I didn't see everyday, but I knew about it. I knew enough to determine that a) it was bad for me, b) it could be even worse and c) using Dig was now out of the question.

"Keep it up," the trainer instructed the Camerupt. I continued running, trying to keep as many images coherent as possible. Now that I knew what my opponent could do, any chance of getting him to miss was precious. But Vesuvius was a fire type too, and his moves could do about as much damage to him as they could do to me. I came up with a plan.

"Are you just going to keep running?," Vesuvius asked. "Or are you up to something? If it's the latter, let's not give you the chance to pull it out."
More rubble came in my direction. Or, rather, in the direction I'd been a moment earlier. I was now standing safely behind my opponent. I had teleported, leaving a hologram running in my place. When Vesuvius saw his projectiles phase through his target, he turned around. I was waiting for him, with a Confuse Ray charged up. I fired as soon as he fixed his eyes on me. "It's not Hypnosis, but it might be even better," I said to myself.
No sooner said than done, the next wave of earthly projectiles landed right on the Camerupt's head. I took my chance to create even more copies. It was the best thing I could do, since I had no moves that were good against a Camerupt yet. Luck was on my side and Vesuvius hit himself once more, but after the last impact his look changed and I knew he wasn't under the influence of my Confuse Ray anymore. And I doubted I'd be able to teleport again without his noticing. But I wasn't lost, not yet. I still had a few tricks left.

I gathered all of my clones around Vesuvius to obscure his vision, having them jump from side to side, away from him or towards me. I moved as if I were one of them and, when I noticed he wasn't looking at me, I Quick-Attacked out of his reach, landing right behind the rock where Iael's first Psychic attack had sent Bruce crashing. I hid behind it and watched as Vesuvius tried to figure out which of the Ninetales around him was me. In the end, he got tired and shot another Magnitude at them, even if some blocks fell too close to him. I watched everything carefully, not missing a detail.

Vesuvius turned around upon noticing all of his targets were fake, but this time he didn't find me behind him either.
"Where are you?!," he roared, almost making the floor shake with his deep and loud voice.
He turned to his trainer, who shrugged as a reply. They both kept looking around.
"He must be hiding behind one of the large rocks," the human finally deduced.
The camel stomped on the ground, more blocks coming out and shooting themselves towards the nearest rock, but that wasn't the right one. Now I could have teleported behind that one, as he was unlikely to hit it twice in a row, but then the battle could have lasted forever. And it would have felt dirty, anyway. So I decided to come out and give the Camerupt a taste of his own medicine.
"Look, this is how it's done," I told him, repeating the same sequence of moves Vesuvius had been using again and again.
The rubble hit my opponent just like it had hit me the first time. The impact wasn't that great, but thanks to my collar it was good enough. With a bit of luck, one more hit would be all I needed.
"You know Magnitude?," Vesuvius asked, stunned. "I didn't think a Ninetales could learn that move."
"We can... In indirect ways," I replied mysteriously.
"This is taking too long," the trainer said. "How about taking a big chance?"

A big chance... I didn't like the sound of it. Was he going to use a move I'd never seen, just like his friend Bruce had? Was he about to use some Ground type version of Hyper Beam?... No, when the human had said 'chance', he'd meant exactly that. They were taking a chance, as I confirmed when the Camerupt showed me his heaviest stomp ever... opening a crack on the ground. The crack expanded itself, evading the few remaining clones and coming my way... But it was too slow for me. I didn't even have to use Quick Attack to jump over to the next platform, protected by the same lava that was now making its way through the openings.
"I thought you said the ground was stable," I claimed.
"Stable enough for an Earthquake, anyway. Fissure's another thing," Vesuvius replied, not looking surprised at his failure.
"Yeah, speaking of that... Don't you know better than to use that here? And against me, on top of it? You should have known I'd have no trouble dodging and you'd just give the maintenance guys a lot of work to do."
"I know, but he thought it would be a good idea," he replied, gesturing to his trainer with his head.
"You can have ideas of your own, you know," I told him. "Trainers can help you, but they don't have the view of battles you can only get from the inside. And you strike me as being experienced enough not to need that much advice."
"I haven't tried battling any other way," he admitted. "I guess my moves have always been good enough to make up for a miss or two during a battle. But I'll think about it."
"Good. Shall we continue our battle now?"
"Go ahead."

And ahead I went. A part of me wanted to know what attack Vesuvius could come up with when choosing on his own, but another part reminded me that whatever that move was, I wasn't bound to endure it. So I decided to let him try a new battling style some other time, and hitting him with another Magnitude this time. The trainer's seemingly random comment as he checked his poke-whatever and said "that got a 7 in the Magnitude scale" didn't tell me much, but the sound of Vesuvius's heavy bulk hitting the remnants of the platform he's been standing on definitely did.

I grew to level 70! I earned a free TM and, after this long battle, I made up my mind to ask Gabi to get me Toxic!

"Now this is weird," the trainer said, calling Vesuvius back into his pokeball and looking at the sphere with puzzled eyes. How funny, because I was having the same thought about him.
"Is he really the one who trained you?," I asked Bruce.
"Yes, but I guess he got nervous. It's the first time he's had to battle two pokemon without a trainer. He didn't know what to expect."
"And I did. You really should consider a change in your strategy, Vesuvius isn't too fast, but he's strong enough to defeat two of me."
"Maybe. But twelve of you?," the Blaziken joked.
I laughed when I realized what he was referring to.
"By the way, how did you learn to use Magnitude?," he asked me.
"I didn't. I just copied your friends move by using Mimic."
"Mimic? Interesting, I'd never heard of that move."
"We're even. I'd never heard of Blazing Kick either. You should go to the pokemon center in Selenia, they always have some Mimic TMs in stock. It's quite a good move if you can buy yourself the time to use it."
"Since you're giving so much advice today, I'll give you some too. Stop talking as if you knew everything and everyone else knew nothing. It's irritating and it can earn you some enemies."
"I wasn't talking like that."
"You should hear yourself when you talk. Of course I can tell you don't mean it. After all you didn't make fun of us for losing. But you do brag a little too much."
"Really? I thought I was holding myself. I didn't say a word about how I won the first Griffon Games and the first Eevee House race... Err... Sorry."
Bruce laughed.
"What's going on?," asked his trainer.
"Nothing, the battle is over," Bruce replied. "I guess we'll meet some other time, or maybe not, in any case it was nice to meet you."
"Same here," I told him, understanding it was time to go back to my group.
Amber waved goodbye to Bruce. Only then I noticed her again. She had been silent throughout the two battles.
"I'm sorry you didn't find your friend," I told her as we both made for the door.
"It's ok," she replied. "That's the way with everyone around here. We never know when we're going to bump into each other, nor when we're not. I may end up finding him when I least expect it. I'm not even sure if he remembers me, anyway. We've only met a couple of times and he's probably faced hundreds of pokemon, being trained by a mercenary."
"Believe me, you're hard to forget. Wait a minute... Have you tried looking for him at Caledor's Nature Protection Agency? He might be there. That's where mercenary trainers usually take their fire pokemon to battle."
"You're right, I hadn't thought about it. I may go there someday. Not to battle, though. Just to talk."
"I'm glad I could help."

The conversation didn't last any longer, as we'd got to the spot where everyone was waiting for us.
"Another victory for our team," I announced, and everyone cheered.
"That's great! Would you like to go to Glacier Peak now?," Gabi offered. I considered it for a moment.
"No, thanks," I finally decided. "I'd rather wait until Caledor's excitement has worn of. I wouldn't like to become another target for his random attacks. Besides, I'd like to watch Iael's next two battles. He's done quite well and I'm intrigued about how much he's really capable of. Oh, and you owe me a Toxic TM."
"What?"
"Dragon Tamers rules. I've earned a free TM, and I've chosen that one."
"Oh, sure. I'll get you one at the pokemon center as we check out Iael. Let's go there now, I think there's still time for one more room today."

EngiMatikul

27th May 2004, 08:57 PM

Eer... I'm busy... with Ragnarok right now ^-^;;;;;;;;;;;; So I would like an extension for all those scenarios. :D

Lady Vulpix

28th May 2004, 09:38 AM

Alright, you can have it. Though the scenario won't be changing yet.

One thing about my battles: the story was not so elaborate this time, nor will it be next time because I have too little time to write, but I have some ideas for the future. I even have some for my 4th room, which will be the Blizzard Room (so far I've covered the Pond and Lava rooms), I just hope I don't mess it up making it impossible to understand.

Ade, if you're reading this... It would be nice to continue our old story one of these days. while picking up old loose ends I've remembered something that may fit into it quite well.

Charizard04621

28th May 2004, 10:11 AM

Woo! Take 23 Stamps, Gabi. I liked that one even better than the Pond Room. And who's Eliot? I mean, what kind of pokÃ©mon is he? Just curious. ^_^; I find it intriguing that he'd have a mercenary as a trainer.

Lady Vulpix

28th May 2004, 10:26 AM

Wow, thanks! I really didn't expect that. O_O
Eliot was a Charmeleon last time Amber saw him, which was years ago. He's bound to have evolved by now. They met twice at the Lava Room, so she thought she might find him this time too.

<fic comments>By the way, nice Lune chapter. I read it yesterday before leaving, but didn't have time to think of a reply.
Along the same line, chapters 3 and 4 of Rhiannon's story were very interesting. ^_^</fic comments>

*Murkrow

30th May 2004, 11:31 AM

I felt like doing a scenario battle today, so I did^_^

~Hannah~

‘Five rooms, two Pokémon each….’
I ran my finger slowly down the listings, trying to figure out which of my Pokémon would be best suited to each room, doing my best to ignore the raging argument behind me.
‘I’m telling you, I’ll be the one who’ll be fighting every Pokémon here.’
‘Every one? Yeah right, like she’ll let you be the only one to get all the glory.’
‘And why wouldn’t she? I’m the strongest, and I deserve it more.’
‘Strongest? You’re only just stronger than Latino.’
‘And that matters why? You just think you’re some sort of hot-shot because you beat a Rattata-which, I may add, I could have done easily myself.’
‘And why didn’t you? Hang on…because Hannah chose me to battle!’
‘You were almost beaten in the process! I didn’t have to be recalled as soon as I finished battling.’
‘So? You run a mile in anybody approaches you with a Poké Ball, at least I do as I’m told.’
‘And so do I, give or take a bit of freedom.’
‘No, you only take, I’ve never seen you give anything to anybody ever.’
‘That’s probably because you’re stuck in your Poké Ball most of the time, while et moi am always out and about.’
‘Hmm, out and about and thinking all about yourself?’
‘And I’d tell you why? And another thing-why are you so eager to battle anyway?’
‘Why are you?’
‘Don’t answer back to me. Why?’
‘What do you mean, me answer back to you? Look who’s talking!’
‘Precisely my point….it’s not what I think it is, is it?’
‘Depends what you’re thinking.’
‘Oh please, Fera will be crowned Nicest Pokémon in the World before you ever evolve, pal.’
‘She’ll have to work on her act then, because I will. And I’ll have the added bonus of being able to show you up now, so ha.’
‘Lovely and mature aren’t you? Besides, I’ve already told you, you won’t evolve, you’re too, well-how can I put this nicely-weak.’
‘That’s why I’ll be battling, you know, to make myself not weak. Though I’m not. And I bet you’re just jealous because you can’t evolve, can you? Sneasel’s just stay that way forever.’
‘That’s a problem? Rapid mutation into another form isn’t my idea of fun, buddy.’
‘Pal, buddy, will you quit calling me those? And I will evolve.’
‘Yeah right.’
‘I will.’
‘Wont.’
‘Will.’
‘Wont’
‘Will you two shut the hell up? If you’re going to argue, then please, do it somewhere away from me, so nobody will realise that you’re mine.’
‘I’m nobody’s. I’m here because of convenience for myself.’
‘You sound just like Tropi…’
‘Shut up Archie.’
‘No, you shut up as well. Xol, you’ll be battling in the rooms I tell you to, which wont be all of them, as will Archie.’
‘I’ll be up against better Pokémon, wont I, though?’
‘Depends how you act.’
‘Oh please, don’t give me that.’
‘I will. Yes you’re strong, but don’t think I’ll neglect the others because of you….and Archie, don’t encourage her.’
‘What? Hang on a second, I…’
I shook my head and turned away.
‘I’m going to just take a look round these rooms, you two can go where you want until you get some sense knocked into you. And that’s both of you.’

~Xolotle~

I glared after her as she marched away.
She has a go at me, yet lets him get off by telling him not to encourage me.
And he seemed very pleased with himself-he couldn’t smile, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was seeing this as all a big joke.
Right.
Well, I’d teach him a thing or two.
Before he could react, I reached out, grabbed one of his claws and began dragging him across to where one of the entrances to a room was located.
‘You think you’re better than me, then? Well, you can go prove it.’
‘Better than you? Did I say that?’
‘Don’t act innocent, I now you were thinking it.’
‘Since when are you psychic?’
‘I’m more psychic than you are, and that’s a fact….here.’
I stopped and shoved him in front of me.
‘You think you’re all big, able to battle for yourself? Then please, prove it to me. Go in there, battle and win, and come out on your own. No getting zapped into your Poké Ball because your legs, er, feathery things go a bit weak.’
‘I thought you wanted to battle in all of the rooms?’
‘Oh, I will, believe me. I’ll be battling in this room in about, um, five minutes, when I have to come in and rescue you from the weakest Pokémon in there.’
‘Rescue me? I thought you just told me to go in and win a battle? How can I win if you plan on beating the Pokémon I’m fighting?’
‘Are you normally this slow or are you just trying to be annoying? Here, let me explain it to you slowly, so you can understand. You go in. You start to battle. You realise you can’t win and start screaming for help. I come in and beat the Pokémon. I win. You lose. And I prove that I’m right.’
‘What if I don’t scream for help?’
‘You admitting that you’ll lose? Well, you’ll be beaten and left to rot. Now get a move on.’
I gave him a shove that sent him tumbling a few feet past the entrance, into the corridor.

~Archie~

I struggled to me feet, glanced further into the corridor, then back at Xolotle.
‘Do you even know what room this is? What if it’s the Pond Room? I can’t swim. I’d sink.’
She smirked.
‘Should have thought of that before, shouldn’t you?’
‘Before what? Before you chucked me in here? And how can I battle if I don’t have a trainer to tell me what to do?’
She just laughed and sneered at me.
‘Get real. If you want to evolve, you’ll need to be able to battle by yourself, and that means not having some person around shouting orders.’
‘You sound as though you’d prefer to be without a trainer.’
‘Do I really? But, lovely as this chat is, I think you’d hurry up and get down there, so I can get my battles started.’
For a second, I was tempted to just barge past her, and get out of there, but the smirk on her face stopped me.
I wasn’t going to let have the last laugh, was I?
And besides. I glanced at the rough, earth walls around me. If this lead to the Pond Room, I’d have expected to see at least some moisture on the walls or floor, but there was nothing. If anything, it was the opposite.
That was a relief, and it made my mind up.
I’d show her.
I stuck my head in the air, spun round and strutted off down the corridor.
As I walked, I amused myself with ideas of how I’d put her in her place when I evolved. She wouldn’t be able to contend with my strength then.
I laughed out loud, and suddenly stopped. I wasn’t totally certain, but I swore that the temperature was changing slightly. It definitely seemed slightly hotter than it had when I entered. But maybe back nearer the entrance, it was cooler because of the openness of the area and the constant air supply. Maybe down here, in the more compact tunnel, it would naturally be warmer.
Yes, that must be it.
Feeling quite pleased with myself, I resumed the pace, trying to turn my mind back to teaching Xolotle a lesson.
But it was still getting warmer.
I paused again, when it occurred to me that I hadn’t figured out which room I heading towards anyway. I hadn’t memorised all of the different rooms except the Pond Room-for the simple fact that I’d sworn that if I found myself in there, I’d get out of there as fast as I could.
But that left four more.
I forced my mind to try and remember. There was….some sort of ice room. Xolotle had been pleased about that. Then…a desert room? Perhaps this was leading to that. But that sounded alright. I’d definitely be able to show Xolotle up if I entered there.
And deserts were hot, so that must mean that it was the room I was walking towards.
Feeling decidedly more cheerful, I sped up, pushing all thoughts of the other rooms out of my head.
Then there was a door. Simple, red, with a fire emblem blazed across the centre. Well, deserts were warm, fire Pokémon liked warmth, it fit.
I hesitated, for a second wondering how to open the door.
Oh what the heck.
I pulled back, then flung myself as hard as I could against the door.
It opened easily, sending me flying forwards.
The first thing that struck me was the heat. It engulfed me, pulsing layers; my legs trembled, collapsed, my eyes closed, my breaths coming in gasps.
Dimly, I heard the door shut behind me, but I couldn’t find the strength to even look at it.
But I was ok. Even though the heat was bearing me down, I sensed that this was the worst that it’d get. Ok, so it was pretty bad, but I could survive it at least.
My legs were aching, and the shell over my back burnt, but I dug my claws into the rock and managed to lever myself up. My Rock characteristics meant that I was well adapted to coping with heat…or at least, I would be if it wasn’t for my other type, which was the total opposite. I gulped and tried to turn my mind away from that.
On opening my eyes, the first thing I felt was panic-I thought that the fall had done something to my eyes. Then it struck me that what I was really seeing as a heat haze.
It covered everything, streaming around the charred, blackened rocks, hovering over the cracked pathways, and seemed to almost drift over the strange, gaping holes and paths that criss-crossed along the surface.
There was one a couple of metres away; dragging myself forward, I edged closer to try and see what it contained.
The heat made me reel-even worse than what I had been experiencing. I closed my eyes and, trembling, stepped forward again. It was like a solid barrier around and in-front of me. I forced my eyes open and shrieked as I felt them begin to burn, felt the moisture evaporating as the heat tore at them.
That was it.
My vision blurring even more, I screamed and fled to the door, flinging myself against it.
‘I give up! Let me out, let me out.’
Wait.
I paused.
If I’m to evolve, I’ll have to face up to more challenges like this. And if I beat this room, I’ll prove myself to her as well.
But I still hesitated.
I remembered what she said; ‘You’ll be beaten and left to rot.’
She didn’t mean that.
I wouldn’t rot anyway. I’d burn. Burn alive.
No!
Shut up, shut up, shut up.
I forced myself to break out of my chain of thoughts and imagined myself evolving. Being strong. Being able to prove myself to anybody who thought otherwise.
Yes.
I’d do that.
I pushed myself away from the door, turning slowly.
In the flickering haze, I searched for any signs of life, any signs of a Pokémon I could challenge.
Nothing.
They wouldn’t wait by the door anyway. They’d want any challengers to brave the pathways, they wouldn’t stand and let themselves be challenged without any effort at all.
Ok. Then I’d go and find them.
I was about to move when I heard it.
A low rumble. So low I wasn’t sure it I’d heard it or felt it.
It came again.
From the hidden path I’d approached earlier, something flared.
Hang on.
My mind suddenly began working again.
I remembered the different rooms.
Pond.
Blizzard.
Desert.
Jungle.
Lava.
The rumble came again.
I couldn’t help myself.
I screamed and fled.
Away from the noise.
Away from the door.
Further into the room.
Behind, I heard the rumble explode; spinning round, I saw a jet of pure orange, yellow, red lava burst from the ground. It separated, falling apart, plummeting back towards the ground. Some of the glowing substance landed on one of the rocks I’d initially seen. Instantly, the rocks began to smoke, as the white-hot molten substance began to eat away at them.
The heat haze around them grew; their steaming shapes being contorted into even more grotesque positions.
The rumble came again. Panicking, I fled.
Along the path; across tiny rivulets, spy-holes into the mass of churning substance that lurked underneath.
And then I stopped.
In the haze, I saw something…..two things moving. Some of my panic faded, to be replaced with the same determination I’d felt earlier.
Squinting against the haze and my own running eyes, I strained to discern their shapes.
They were the same Pokémon, I could tell immediately. The same small, squat, orange bodies. A mass of yellow down underneath a head that resembled their bodies. Dark eyes. Three feathers, reflecting the light, sprouting from their heads. Tottering on their spindly, fragile looking legs.
More of the blind panic left me now.
I would be alright in a battle against these two.
I just hoped that they wouldn’t realise that and refuse to battle.
But it looked as though they might; as I watched, I noticed that one-slightly larger-was ever moving; first it would be running across the path, leaping onto the nearby boulders, then jumping off, and circling the other one. And all the while continually cheeping..which for a second made a nice change to the other sounds in the room, but almost instantly became annoying.
The other Pokémon wasn’t moving; it just stood and watched the other, occasionally glancing down at its feet when the other ran to close.
It was kind of cute, and if it had been another time I might have had the sense to try and avoid them, or at least see if one was willing to fight by asking.
But the heat was getting to me; my head was pounding; for a second I saw Xolotle smirking at me, and felt a rush of anger.
I’d show her.
I let out a shriek and flung myself into their sight, claws poised, showing that I was ready.
The result was instantaneous.
The larger one let out a scream of alarm and charged.

Fight!
Archie (Anorith L7 M)
Vs
Torchic (L15 M)

He was fast, I’d admit that. In seconds he had crossed the distance between us, eyes glaring, claws glinting.
I didn’t react fast enough.
His claw seared across my eye; as the pain flared, and I howled in alarm, he darted up, scrambling onto my head.
A burst of burning pain told me what he was doing..oh, he must have thought he was so clever, attacking me from behind.
From somewhere ahead, I heard the other ones faint voice cheering him on. He heard it to. The bombardment increased; out of the corners of my eyes I could see stray embers falling, tumbling onto the floor.
I couldn’t do this. I’d never battled without my trainer before. Panicking, I spun round, throwing him off, willing to flee.
No no no.
Was I going to let a Torchic beat me? I’d never live it down.
I had an advantage. I could win.
It has an advantage too. And it’s not scared like I am.
I can win.
No.
I can.
Struggling against my emotions, I hesitated, then noticed something.
The Torchic was crouching, poised to attack again, panting.
He attacked so frenziedly that he wore himself out extra fast.
I could outlast him.
GO!
I spun round into an attacking position again, my mind running; remembering my other battle, flicking through my attacks.
He didn’t waste any time-head on, like last time.
I was ready.
Dropping to the floor, I pulled in my legs, slipping them easily back into my shell; lifting my claws, I twisted them so that they covered my eyes, creating a solid barrier that his claws wouldn’t be able to penetrate.
And it worked; I felt his claws snick as he vainly lashed out, again and again, going back into the same frenzy as before. Then he shrieked and leapt back.
He was going to use Ember again-knowing that Harden didn’t help against special attacks.
Something flared in front of my claws-briefly, I saw the flash of orange as one of the fireballs hit me, felt the burning sensation ripple across my claws, leaving a stinging pain. More and more now struck, fresh pain covering old, tingling, darkness across my eyes flaring briefly, orange, red, yellow.
Then it moved; as I had known he would. The pain and the smash of the burning embers began to move back, as he centred his attack over my head and across my back. That’s what I’d been counting on; he was so eager to fight, he wouldn’t be able to focus on a single point of attack for too long.
In an instant, I twisted my claws away, flicked my legs out, saw, through the haze and cascading embers, his small body. Lunging, I Slashed forward with both claws, first one, then the other. My first claw caught him straight in the chest, knocking him back; the other caught at his feet, sending him spiralling onto the ground.
Edging back slightly, I focused, mind clear now. My eye still throbbed slightly, but I could ignore it. I took a deep breath, planning my attacks, mentally telling myself what to do.
Swords Dance.
My legs rippled, twisted; wasting no time, I swung my claws forward, back, forward again, as the energy poured into them, as my front legs shone, copies forming and merging into my claws.
He’d seen what I was doing.
His body trembling, his claws digging into the cracked ground, from his throat came a low rumble, a steady, rushing Growl, as he strove to destroy the increased attack I’d given myself.
And it was working-I could feel the effects dropping off, drifting away.
Sweating, I screamed out, a wordless shriek.
The ground shook, cracked. Then it exploded, molten lava flying everywhere as three massive, twisted boulders burst through the surface. Steaming, as the lava dripped down, melting away at it, they spun, slowly glistening, before hurtling down, raining towards the terrified Pokémon.
Howling, he dashed from side to side, claws ripping at the ground, desperately trying to avoid the plummeting rocks.
In a way, he got lucky-his speed allowed him to avoid the full boulders, but as they struck, they shattered, streams of rock and lava flying in all directions. Nothing could have avoided all of them.
And that included me; I had no control over the rocks once they were free of the earth, so I had tucked my legs in again, covered my eyes, trying to wait patiently until it was safe to move, despite the adrenaline that was pouring through my veins.
Gradually, the sounds of rocks clattering noisily onto the floor, smashing and rolling died, faded away, and I cautiously raised a claw.
My Ancient Power had totally destroyed the battlefield-now three gaping holes lurked in the centre, where the boulders had emerged, with lava frothing and lurching against the sides. More holes would appear soon; the lava that had been on the boulders had fallen, and even now was eating away at the rock floor. The remains of the boulders littered the floor, dull against the pulsing light.
The heat haze was even worse now, as was the heat. It poured from the new holes, lacing the air, wave upon wave forcing itself across the room.
My head was beginning to pound, and my eyes began to sting again as the heat tore at them, as I looked round for my opponent.
For a second, I couldn’t see him, and I felt a burst of hope that the battle was finished.
No such luck.
A sudden scream…then he came hurtling through the haze.
I stared.
Flames licked his body, and his eyes seemed to spark, as he hurtled towards me.
For a second, I felt a rush of fear-had I done that? Then it struck me…his Blaze trait was kicking in. And that meant he was nearly down.
I didn’t waste any time; tearing forwards, I extended my claws, aiming to knock him down again.
Feet away, his beak flew open, and a stream of pulsing, white fireballs streamed out. I ducked, forcing myself to endure the strength of his powered up Ember, before I lashed out at his legs.
He snarled and jumped.
Not missing a pace, I ducked to the left, then swung up, smacking him with Aerial Ace.
He screamed and fell to the floor, struggling to his feet.
I charged forwards and Slashed him again.
He swayed and fell.

I won!
I grew to L9!

I felt a rush of pride.
I’d done it.
Suddenly, from behind, I heard the sound of the door swinging open.
It must only open again once a Pokémon has been battled.
Feeling a rush of relief, I turned and stepped forward, then froze.
Behind me, I heard a scream of rage.
Oh no. Not that.
I looked behind me.
The other Torchic was crouched behind me, snarling, uttering little shrieks of anger.
Please no.
She snarled one more time…then flung her beak open, sending a stream of embers flying my way.
I dashed to the right, wondering what I’d done to deserve this.

Fight!
Archie (Anorith L9 M)
Vs
Torchic (L15 F)

I didn’t have time for this, so I decided to make the battle quick.
As the Torchic drew breath for another stream of embers, I flung myself forward, Slashing down with my claws.
And then it happened.
A metre away from the Torchic, her eyes suddenly flickered, and the heat haze seemed to increase, except this time, it centred around the little Pokémon.
Staring at her, she suddenly winked.
What?
Then she darted forwards, and began flinging embers at me again.
And I couldn’t do anything. The idea of attacking her was repulsive. All I could do was stand and stare, as she barraged me, one eye constantly locked on mine.
Dimly, I remembered that I was meant to be fighting her, but even that seemed hazy.
Suddenly, she staggered and slipped; some of the remains of my previous Ancient Power seemed to have dug into her claws.
And as she fell, she broke eye contact.
Instantly, my mind burst back, and without hesitating, I tore forwards, knowing that I had to attack before she caught my eye or I’d be Attracted again.
It worked.
My claws caught her off guard, and I was able to knock her back, back towards her partner, who was just struggling to his feet.
Then I spun, hitting her with the most powerful Aerial Ace I could muster. She squealed as she was sent flying back, smashing into her partner, before they both collapsed on the floor.
Backing away, I saw the flames ignite around her body. She was almost down as well.
Without waiting, I spun round and tore towards the door; behind I heard her scream of rage, before I shouted back the same, wordless cry I had before.
The ground exploded, knocking me off my feet. With no time to use Harden, I dug my front claws into the ground and hung on grimly as my Ancient Power tore through the air, and plummeted down.
Lava and rocks whipped round my head and body; a searing pain flared on my back and along my left legs; something smashed into my head.
But I held on.
Gradually, the frenzied movements slowed and stopped; the clatter of rocks falling and shattering ceased.
I looked up.
Through the haze and the dust that still lingered in the air; over the massive lava filled chasm that I had created, I could see my opponent.
Down.

I won!
I grew to L11!
I learnt Brick Break as my free TM!

My mind spinning, and my legs and body aching, I stumbled for the door, delighted by my wins, but feeling exhaustion flooding my body.
Through the door, back up the corridor; by now, I was staggering, barely able to lift my legs properly.
Then I was back, back in the light of the main area.
Dimly, I wondered why nobody seemed to have noticed or even heard the explosion I’d created..but then guessed that the rooms were soundproofed.
But it didn’t matter.
Xolotle was leaning against the wall, staring at me.
I waved a claw languidly at her in greeting.
‘It was probably good that you didn’t go down there. I don’t think you’d have been able to handle it….too, weak, you know.’
She just stared at me, mouth open.
It felt great.

andyizcool

1st June 2004, 12:58 PM

My POV

I awoke to find myself still at the Lava Room’s core with some bits of rock around me crumbling down. I decided now was the time to examine the weird machine that had heated this place up. Looking around the bits of debris I saw a shiny piece of steel with Team Rocket written on faintly. I quickly concluded Team Rocket had put this machine here to heat up the Lava Room beyond control. I thought to myself that Team Rocket could be meddling with the Training Grounds for something even bigger to happen. A pipe had been from the machine to the lava and must have been doing something at the time.

What had happened before now? Magby fell in the lava near the machine and went out of control. That machine must have heated up the Lava Room by doing something to the lava. The other affect was the lava made Magby evil so this could be some Team Rocket plan. We need to get out of here before this whole place comes down on us. I walked over to Magby lying on the floor under a bit of debris and shuck him so he could wake up and get out.

“You alright Magby?” I said as I shuck Magby gently.
“Uh… What am I doing here?” Magby replied very confused.
“You took us to the Lava Room core.”
“I remember. Did we destroy the machine?”
“No, it overloaded. It must have blown up as we slept.”
“We were sleeping when this happened?”
“You were knocked out by Charmander and the heat was too much for me.”
“That explains why I’m so puzzled about being here.”
“We have to get out of here before this whole place gets way.”

Magby had decided to follow us because it would be the safest way of escaping the dangerous area. The Lava Room core seemed the only hazard area now she we just needed to get to a safe distance. This was going to be harder than it looked. The ground started shacking and some lava was spitting up onto the ground in front of us. This had made our planned escape route even harder to use now. I sent out my Beldum because it’s made of metal that can take quite a bit of damage from the lava and be heatproof.

Beldum’s POV

As I arose from my Pokeball I knew I had to lead Andrew and Magby out of here with my safety. This was going to be a dangerous job with a lot of lava spitting in a freestyle manner about but I thought I could handle it. The rocky path up ahead looked unstable and only safe enough to run across. I made Andrew and Magby run across it by sending psychic waves to Andrew’s mind giving him my thoughts. As I hovered a little across the rocky unstable path because my psychic powers weren’t as stronger as other Psychic Pokemon the rocks started to dissolve in the lava and I feel into the lava with them.

“Andrew, I’m falling deeper into the lava.” I sent to Andrew telepathically.
“Beldum… Beldum… Beldum…” Andrew could only shout back at me.
“Where do I go? I can’t survive too long in this lava.”
“Come up to where you can hear my voice.”
“I think I can feel your life energy well this way.”
“Keep heading that way. You must get out of that lava.”
“All I can see is red and I’m starting to get hot.”
“Come on Beldum. You can do it.”
“At last I’m there. I can see the surface.”

My POV

Beldum finally resurfaced from the lava and dived at me so I held him tight. Once he was in my hands I realized he was flaming hot. So hot I threw him out of my hands onto the rocky ground. I didn’t mean to hurt Beldum but he was just too hot to hold. Beldum’s body had become bright red from being in the lava for a few minutes and if he cooled down too fast it would crack his steel coat. We needed to hang around here a bit longer but we were safe.

We were resting safely away from the Lava Room’s core when a Torchic hopped over to us. It was jumping up and down in front of us weirdly like it was in some sort of uncontrollable rage. I paid a closer look at Torchic and it had a fiery red aura around it, the same sort of aura Magby had when he fell into the lava before. Looking into Torchic’s eyes I could see they had just turned glowing red, like the aura around him. Before I knew it, Torchic had swept across the ground and kicked Beldum over, wanting to start a battle.

Beldum (Level 10) vs. Torchic (Level 15)

Torchic may have been glowing a fire red aura but he wasn’t going to use any of its fire attacks on Beldum. We could tell this because he was just jumping up and down kicking his legs. This was going to be a fair fight for Beldum considering fire was one of his weaknesses. Torchic would one day become a Combusken and maybe a Blaziken, so Torchic wanted to practice its fighting skills on Beldum. I thought this would be a great idea to help Beldum battle and to hopefully return Torchic back to a normal independent Pokemon.

Beldum’s POV

“Andrew, how can I get this over quick and easy?” I asked Andrew for advice.
“Your only attack is Take Down.” Andrew gave back to me in a dull voice.
“I need to grow stronger by battling.”
“Now is the time to test your physical skills.”
“I’m going to use my Take Down in the best way I can.”
“Go Beldum, if you can’t do it, no one can.”
“Thanks for the confidence boost.”
“Your welcome. Now show Torchic what you’re made of.”
“Alright, here’s goes my full battle power.”
“Just remember your body can take a few blows.”
“I know. My body is made of steel after all.”

Having taken Andrew’s advice I charged straight at Torchic and used Take Down but before I knew it Torchic was gone. Behind me I felt some sort of foot flip me up into the air and straight back to the ground. Torchic was jumping up and down as usual laughing. I couldn’t take a beaten from a little Fire Bird Pokemon, so I was getting angrier. My emotions felt like that had reached a hyper rage point and I had to unleash them all at once.

Sneakily I launched a full body Take Down on top of Torchic knocking him down to the ground weaken. Torchic tried to get up from my beating but I used another quick Take Down on him. I felt more pain as I used Take Down because it was somehow damaging me too but I kept going. As I felt more pain I could feel my rage emotions growing stronger. The stronger my rage emotions had grown the more powerful my Take Down became. Torchic had finally had enough beating from Beldum and fell to the magma-heated ground.

Beldum won the battle (Level 10+2).

“Are you alright?” I question Torchic, as I was worried.
“What was that power?” Torchic replied, looking very frightened.
“That was my Take Down attack.”
“That Take Down was more powerful than a Blaziken’s Double Kick.”
“My rage emotions just went out of control.”
“We better be getting out of here now.”
“I’ll rest in my Pokeball. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
“That’s alright, we just have to leave this area quickly.”

My POV

After witnessing an awesome battle of my Beldum against the evil Torchic I thought Beldum needed a rest. He was giving me that tired look that Pokemon normally have after a battle. I pulled out Beldum’s Pokeball and returned him back inside it within a second. Torchic had lost its evil aura and the glowing bright red eyes, so maybe he was back to normally. Magby successfully made friends with Torchic that showed Torchic couldn’t be evil anymore. Torchic must have been exposed to the lava from the heat machine to turn evil before.

Once I had reached the exit of the Lava Room, Magby and Torchic wished me luck from the next room. They also reminded me to keep notes on my little computer device of what Team Rocket had done in this area. I thought to myself that maybe Team Rocket was plotting something much bigger in the other Training Rooms. I left the Lava Room and when I looked back I could see the clear glass door entrance where Magby and Torchic were waving.

That concludes my Scenario in the Lava Room. I just need to pay a visit to all the other Training Rooms now. I was thinking maybe I should do my next Scenario and the others after that with 2 battles in one instead of writing 2 parts for it as usual.

Anita

1st June 2004, 01:52 PM

Hi.. I was wondering if I could get an extension for all those scenarios.. ^^' My final exams aren't quite over yet. x.x

Wolfsong

2nd June 2004, 11:20 AM

Those who asked for the extensions can have them, though i doubt the scenario will be changing anytime soon, or else id' need one myself

Hannah: Wow. I enjoy reading your stories. The description is great, and I especially liked how you described the blaze characteristic. It was interesting to read the bickeriign between Xolotle and Archie. I'm eager to see what happens next and all. Take 20 stamps.

I won't be on much today and i'm not sure about tomorrow. I'd appreciate it if one of the others could get andy's battle. Thanks in advance ^^;

The_Pianist

4th June 2004, 11:58 AM

andyizcool

4th June 2004, 12:08 PM

I read the beginning page to get the info on these scenarios, but there's a part I don't understand. It says that the trainer can battle two pokemon in EACH room, making for a total of ten battles. Does that mean we can go beyond the original two battle per scenario limit?
Each Training Room counts as a different Scenario. So we can battle 2 Pokemon in each Training Room like a normal Scenario. There's 5 Training Rooms, 2 battles in each, making that 10 battles in total.

The_Pianist

4th June 2004, 12:23 PM

Hey, thanks Andyizcool! (BTW, Sephiroth kicks major bootay! :yes: )

Charizard04621

4th June 2004, 10:37 PM

Meh, I managed to do this in an hour but the rest has to wait. I have SATs tomorrow and I've got to sleep. Sorry if it seems rushed:

“Ryu,” the male Trapinch’s POV:

I knew that I was supposed to battle, but after all that I had done to Elwing I didn’t feel like it. To me, battle was a reward, a chance to test out my abilities after I had done the hard work of training. And today, I deserved no reward.

The forest in which we walked was beautiful. I accompanied Karin alone as we walked; Switchblade had as of yet not shown himself. I guess he needed time alone. After the nightmare of the horrible Blizzard Room, we had all been relieved to rest at the Pokémon Center facility set up near the Unicorn Gate area. The people there seemed very capable; although many of us were injured, they made us feel better quite quickly. The food was good, too. As for my leg, on which my old wound had not healed in ages, the cut was finally sealing, and I had been told that it would not leave a scar. But some wounds cut deeper than swords.

Fragrant smells filled the air and permeated our souls, giving us the illusion that the world around us had a certain dreamlike quality of a surreal land. Sunlight poured through the cottony white clouds, singing a silent accompaniment to the chirping birds in the trees. The grass was soft at my feet, gentle, young, and fresh. Still, I could not enjoy the simple beauty of it all. How could I, when I did not deserve it? I sighed heavily.

Karin studied me, as if debating whether or not to ask what was the matter. I made the decision for her. I would be a fool if I denied that I needed someone to talk to.

“Have you ever felt like… you know, you had one shot at something…” I started. “Something that you would do anything for… And then you went and did something stupid to ruin your chance before it even began…?”

We stopped walking. Karin kneeled down to face me. “You can’t ruin a chance forever,” she said. “I know you. Whatever you want, you work yourself nearly to death to get. And whatever your goal, you always achieve it in the end. It’s because you have the heart, Ryu, and the courage. You have the strength never to give up, even if things seem impossible. Because to you, nothing is. And I believe in you. Nothing is out of your reach… So reach for the stars.”

Reach for the stars. I wondered if she knew that we were talking about Elwing Starspray. She probably did… She knew a lot more things than she let on, but she never said anything because she didn’t want to intrude on anyone else’s privacy. I knew that she watched in pain as I forced myself to train under conditions that would push myself to the limits and beyond. Sometimes when she saw me hurting the look on her face was so full of agony that I felt guilty for making her look that way. But she still let me train anyway, because she trusted me to know just when to stop. I could tell that she feared one day I would go too far. That’s why she kept watching me with concern, waiting to stop me if I would do something foolish enough to kill myself or cause myself permanent harm.

But Elwing was no battle for which I could train myself to win. The pain I felt for her was not physical. It hurt me to the very soul. And, personally, I knew not how to deal with this. For a battle I could torment myself, approach systematically, strike down my weaknesses one by one, but for this…? I could only hope that I wouldn’t do something that would make her hate me.

My POV:

I had hoped to avoid intrusion into Ryu’s thoughts, but this was too much. Already he had nearly crashed into a tree thrice, and each time I redirected him, he had failed to notice. “If you’re dwelling on what happened in the Blizzard Room, Ryu, don’t,” I advised him. “And your first Unicorn Games battle… It was not your fault, either.”

“Oh, but it was.”

“They caught you by surprise. Allura would have gotten anyone else who wasn’t expecting it. And you did break out of the trance on your own, Ryu, after the initial shock of the Hydro Pump blast. You can’t blame yourself for falling under her trap. It’s my fault for not being there to warn you.”

The Trapinch sighed. “It doesn’t matter… Nothing matters anymore. She hates me, don’t you see? If I were her, I would hate me too.”

I blinked. Up to this point I hadn’t acknowledged the fact that I was aware of Ryu’s secret feelings, but I could see no other way around it. “Elwing doesn’t hate you, Ryu. She doesn’t hate anybody. I think she’s just come to a time in her life where she’s beginning to see things differently, and she’s been trying to sort it all. Judging you by your character, you weren’t the one to snap at her first. You probably waited patiently until you couldn’t stand it anymore, and then you exploded, much to your surprise, and hers.”

“That’s an interesting way to put it. You’re giving me too much credit. She said things not to my taste, and I responded violently. It scared her. I deserve to be shot for doing such a thing.”

“No, no, you don’t, Ryu. You can’t blame yourself for every bad thing that ever happens. It isn’t you. Sometimes, it isn’t anyone. Things happen. You can’t always avoid it.”

“I guess.”

“Ryu,” the male Trapinch’s POV:

I knew that Karin was just trying to help, but I found no satisfaction in our conversation. My heart still burned up with guilt and simple dread. I could not do this anymore. I would leave this to those who were better at it than me. Oh, no, I did not pretend that I hadn’t seen the happy times she and Kalazeth had together. Perhaps this was just as well. They were around the same age. I was just old. Grimly I wondered why I had even entertained such thoughts in the first place. Certainly, she was beautiful. Surely she was sweet. But she was much too young. Or, at least, I was much too old.

Sighing, I followed Karin aimlessly down the forest path, seeing the flowers but not smelling them, hearing the birds but not listening to their song. Quietly I informed her that I did not feel like battling at the moment, and requested that she give someone else the opportunity instead. I knew that this probably meant Elwing, but that did not matter to me. In fact, I thought it better that she would take the battle from me. That way I could ease a debt that I could never really pay for completely.

My POV:

Ryu’s decline to battle meant that Elwing would take his place. The Trapinch retired solemnly to his ball, probably to meditate more on his recent actions. I could not help but worry about him, especially after I saw the change in his composure. It was not the same Ryu I had always known, but one different somehow, resigned. That was what scared me the most. The Ryu I knew had never given up on anything.

But it was not my business to inquire or push further. He was sensible enough to decide what he wanted for himself. Whatever he chose was not my decision to make.

Not long after I continued walking along the path alone, following a stream that had started to trickle by my feet, I came to a small grove surrounded by trees. These plants were of species the likes of which I had never seen before, and I wondered at their very existence. I had not long to gape in awe, however, as no sooner had I arrived there than a trainer came up to challenge me.

He was young, short, curly-haired, and eager. It did not take too long to figure out that he either loved battling, had not done something like this before, or both. “Send something out! Send something out!” he cheered.

I blinked. “All right…” I picked up Mandragora’s ball and wondered if I dared to hope… but before I could even consider the thought a second time, Aglárien zoomed out of her container and bared her fangs, ready to fight. This was not a good thing because, first of all, she was a Fire type in a grass arena, and second of all, she was a Fire type in a grass arena. Wait, did I think that already…? “Now, Aglárien, it’s not fair to the others. You’ve just battled before…”

“I am hurt that you would suggest that I would take an opportunity away from anyone who has had less luck than me.” She was indignant. “No one else wants to battle as of this moment. I’ve already taken the time to ask.”

Still, I hesitated. Not only did I feel sickened at the thought of the advantage she must get in a room like this; I feared that if she wielded flame at all in here, it would be dangerous. The boy did not give me time to withdraw the excited Charmander, however.

“Oh, that’s all right. I’m sure Iris will have loads of fun in this battle. Right, Iris?” he said lovingly, releasing a confident Chikorita onto the battlefield. She looked significantly more trained than Aglárien. Her eyes sparkled with the brilliancy of a blooming rainbow, and I could see that her name was well deserved. The boy had chosen to pit a level advantage against one in type… Perhaps he had chosen wisely. I had a feeling that he noticed my concern and knew that I was unwilling to allow Aglárien to unleash fire attacks in this arena. If I didn’t want to cause a flash fire, she would have to avoid flame altogether. This took care of a principal weakness of Iris’s. If this had at all been any part of his plan, I would have to advise Aglárien to exercise extreme caution. These two were none to trifle with.

Aglárien, the LV9 female Charmander vs. Iris, the LV15 female Chikorita

Aglárien’s POV:

I could tell by the look in Karin’s eye two things: First, that I was to be extremely careful in everything that I did, and second, that I was not to use Fire attacks at all in this battle if I could help it. I felt sufficiently annoyed that I should be restrained in such a manner, for my fondness of my Ember attack was great; but if I was not allowed, it could not be helped.

The Chikorita started off with a cloud of purple spores that I really had no intention of breathing, as they looked poisonous and overall unpleasant to smell. I moved out of the way immediately, returning the unfriendly gesture with snarls of my own. The Chikorita, although trying to maintain her composure, looked perturbed; it was just as well. If my Growling affected her in such a way, I should not have such painful attacks directed at me. After all, a Chikorita’s best attacks where those to which I had much resistance.

Karin was deep in thought. That the Chikorita had acted of her own accord, instead of waiting for commands from her trainer, was a hint already that this battle was ill fated. Nothing good could come of it; I looked forward to a difficult match. Although I felt excited at the prospect of battling an experienced opponent, I wished silently that I had had the time and the will beforehand to gain valuable battle experience of my own.

A nod and a glance from my opponent’s trainer, followed by a few whispered words and gestures at me, assured the Chikorita. I noticed a twinkle of mischief arise in Iris’s countenance. I knew not what to expect, but although I was not as experienced in battle as some of my other teammates, I had learned enough to understand that I would have to be prepared for anything. What I saw next as I prepared to attack was a shining energy shield. It was not so very bright as to be a Light Screen attack – besides, Iris looked smugly at my tail flame, as if to jeer at my inability to use it – so I could deduce that what she had used was the physical guarding version of it, Reflect. For why would she try to protect herself from something that she knew I would not use?

I made no sign that I understood what she had just done. Though I had but one other attack that might not be thwarted by her Reflect barrier, and it would do but meager harm to those of her type, I thought it would be better used than any physical blows, for she was expecting those. I sought therefore to take her by surprise, and acted to play into her trap until the latest possible moment. Charging, I flashed my outstretched claws, looking as if I was perfectly unaware of her Reflect shield and about to attempt a Scratch attack. As I neared, however, one could barely notice an imperceptible spark, which soon grew large into a crackling ball of electricity. I unleashed my Hidden Power attack upon her. The sparks flew through her shield to explode onto her face, causing her to stagger backwards in shock. This was all the time I needed.

At once I swung out at her at full force, my leg rotating a hundred and eighty degrees rapidly to connect with her body and send her flying into a tree. The Reflect shield that she had erected had fallen when my electricity had erupted upon her, and now she looked flushed that she should have fallen for such a trick when it was she who thought that she had the upper hand.

Iris got to her feet, annoyed. And, though she looked ready to attack, she just stood there… At first, I could not understand why she would do such a thing, until she began to smile coldly and fill the air with her light laughter. I noticed then that she had rooted herself to the ground, and color was returning to her pale face. The Chikorita’s Ingrain was bringing her nutrients from the ground to give her health back!

I was not sure what to do. I needed to finish her off quick, but she was bound to protect herself with Reflect again, and this time my electrical Hidden Power would not surprise her. I looked to Karin for help. She whispered to me that Ingrain bound its user to the ground firmly, but would say no more. I guessed that she would help guide me, but thought that I could finish the battle for myself. Very well, I would have to try winning with her meager advice.

Iris gave me another opening when she began to sing cheerfully for the sun to come out from behind the clouds. Another Mega Kick came her way, and she could not move to avoid it. Even the force of my kick did not break the roots that tied her to the ground. They were firm roots indeed. Karin’s hints made more sense now.

Sensing her weakness in this area, Iris aimed sharp, spinning leaves at her own roots, to no avail. Even her Razor Leaf could not slice through the sturdy roots. She Growled loudly to express her annoyance, and the action took me by surprise. I stepped back a bit, disturbed. I soon regained my poise, but my reaction had given Iris time to charge up a Solarbeam attack.

This did not alarm me, however; Ingrain had been Iris’s undoing. I easily avoided the devastating pillar of light, for Iris could not turn to aim it. Still, her roots did continue to contribute to her healthier and healthier appearance. Then, against my trainer’s wishes, I took a gamble. This I interpreted as my only chance to stop Iris before she could gain too much from her roots. I knew that I could be tired out before her if I did not finish her quickly. Waving my tail, careful not to catch any nearby brush, I expertly aimed the flying flames at Iris’s body alone. The Ember caught on her back and began to burn into her flesh, causing Iris to utter the most horrible squeals possible. To my horror, the fire seemed to slide down below; at least, Iris’s roots began to die and wither at an astounding rate, and I began to think that I had performed a most abominable act in starting what was soon to be a forest fire. But the weakening of the roots was not due to my Ember attack, for soon after I saw that Iris herself was recalled. The last assault had been too much for her. Still, although I had won the battle, I began to regret my disobedience of Karin’s orders. There was much sense in her advice.

Aglárien won!
Aglárien grew to LV11!
Aglárien learned Dragon Claw as her free TM!

Lady Vulpix

5th June 2004, 09:11 PM

I'm not fully back yet, but I don't have the energy to study right now, so I came here instead. I saw Karin's battle in my e-mail and thought I'd be able to concentrate better tomorrow if I read it today, and I guess I will. :)

Cool battle, Karin! Take 11 stamps!¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
Each time I'm more convinced that Aglárien will be really tough to handle. As for "Ryu"... He seems to have been on a path for self destruction for a while. I hope he can find a way to change that; I guess he'll probably need help for that.

Oh, and Andy gets a stamp for helpng The_Pianist. ¢

andyizcool

6th June 2004, 04:25 AM

I just wanted to point out that you've forgotten to rate my battle on the previous page. I know you're all busy and all so I don't mind when you rate it, just as long as you remember it's there and you haven't rated it yet. Thanks for checking for me.

Charizard04621

6th June 2004, 08:43 AM

Yeah, I told them I'd get to yours when I could. I didn't feel like reading it last night and thought it better to look at it in the morning. Since I work 8 hours a day every weekday this week and the next, Battle Range scenarios are not my first priority. I have to catch up with everything else first. Which, by the way, I haven't been very successful with. I'm still behind. I apologize for having too much to do. Believe me, it's cutting into my summer time, and I don't quite like it either. Parents... Sheesh.

Well, I've read your battle now. Still choppy with the short sentences and unvaried structure... But this was a little better than the last one. Take 6 Stamps.

Gothic Animé

7th June 2004, 08:10 PM

hi. first time. ^^; i hope i do this right. my pokemon: cacnea lv.7 and shroomish lv.6. my character is hideaki. hopefully, i shall get a sprite soon so you can see what he looks like. ^^;

pov: hideaki
i woke up slowly, and turned over to look at the clock. 6:00 am, it read. wow. i felt really groggy. but as i slowly sat up, i remembered something from the day before. the letter. i had received a letter from a new training centre, over west of the town i was in. they had invited me to come and test it out, as well as have an appointment with it's manager. supposedly, it was divided into a series of elemental rooms, each with something that would help a certain pokemon while hindering another. it sounded quite interesting to me. 'well, i might as well check it out,' i thought to myself.

i got up and went to the closet. i dug through the pile of clothes to look for something clean. i wasn't exactly what you'd call a neat freak. ^^; i finally got something, put it on, and got my pokeballs form my bedstand. putting them in a pouch in my pants, i headed out the door to go visit this centre.

when i arrived at the address, i saw a huge building looming above me, casting shadow on almost the whole street. it was huge! o.O i stepped up to the huge mahogany door and pressed the intercom button. immediately, a cheery woman's voice rang out through the speaker. "may i help you?" she asked. "yes, my name is hideaki, and i'm here to have an appointment with the manager." "oh yes. let me see....here you are. the door is open. please come to the third room on the right please." she said. i stepped through the door and into a cool air-conditioned hallway. counting the rooms, i reached the manager's office. before i could knock, a portly man in a dark grey suit greeted me and showed me inside. i sat down in front of his desk, in a comfortable, almost recliner-like chair. "nice to see you, hideaki." he said.

"nice to see you to, sir." i said. as i leaned back in my chair, he began to tell me about what i would be doing. "there are a number of rooms here. you can do them in any order you like. they are the pond room, the jungle room, the desert room, the blizzard room, and the lava room. now obviously, each one is unique, and certain conditions will be beneficial to certain types." "now, exactly how each room is, you will have to find out for yourself when you get there." he said slyly. "all i ask is that you have fun, and report back here immediately after each room so we can check your progress and heal your pokemon." "thank you." i said, as i left the room.

each of the other doors in the hallway was labeled with a name, and was a different color. i decided i'd start in the pond room. i went down the hall to the fifth door on the left side of the corridor. it was light blue-stained oak, and had pond room on it in flourished cursive manuscript engraved in silver, hanging from the door. i pushed open the door, and walked in. the door closed immediately behind me and locked.

i ventured forth into the room. there was a light mist coming off of the pristine lake that made up basically the whole room. there were stepping stones in various places for the trainers to stand as their pokemon battled. i let out my pokemon, shroomish and cacnea. they looked around, bewildered.

pov: shroomish
i looked around bewildered. where was i? this place was somewhere i had never seen before. but it was gorgeous. i walked a little ways to look into the water. i could see the bottom, and my reflection. cacnea came up beside me. he looked at his reflection as well. as we stood there, hideaki came up to us and explained where we were. we were at the pond room of a new training centre. he admitted that not even he knew too much about it.

but as we sat and enjoyed a peaceful little lie-down, we heard a far-off cannon. we looked up with a start.

pov: hideaki, once again
as i tried to see through the mist, i noticed what looked like a pirate ship. impossible. a pirate ship, here? what could this be? i gathered shroomish and cacnea in my arm and jumped across the stones to get a better look.

my eyes didn't deceive me, they were pirates! and it looked as if they spotted me! oh geez. the crew seemed to all be wolves. but not just regular wolves. these wolves were huge, and had glaring red eyes. i gulped. oh damn, i said to myself. i hopped a bit farther away. 'are you ready?' i asked my pokemon. as i said it, a totodile and a mudkip came up out of the water and pounced!

battle: hideaki's shroomish and cacnea vs. wolf pirate's totodile and mudkip

pov: cacnea
uh oh, these guys had the upper hand. much more room to move. but i looked at shroomish, and nodded. hideaki issued the commands.

"cacnea, grasswhistle. shroomish, helping hand!"

i heard him. okay, i'd try. grasswhistle was something i had never done before. so i began to whistle. it was a little faint. and mudkip was incoming! he came charging at me. but shroomish glowed green, and jumped in front of me, taking the blow. i began to whistle louder. totodile was coming, but he slowed down, and then his eyes closed. he had stopped completely. the grasswhistle had worked!

but shroomish was kind of hurt. i could hear hideaki's vioce again. "cacnea, leer. shroomish, absorb. aim for totodile, shroomish, worry about mudkip later!" i looked around for mudkip. no sight of him. i could see shroomish out of the corner of my eye, absorbing energy from the sleeping totodile. his drooping leaves started to perk up again, and he looked ready for combat. just as i was turning around, mudkip came out of nowhere and plowed me over! he and i went under, and i suddenly felt odd.

pov: hideaki
cacnea went under. oh geez. i couldn't swim! and neither could shroomish! i hadn't thought about that...oh no. but shroomish started panicking. i told her to wait. i had to think. what should i do. but as i sat down, another shadow loomed overhead. i looked up. a dragon had appeared! it was swooping down towards me.

i hopped across the rocks as fast as i could. i hated to abandon cacnea, but i knew i couldn't do any good 60 feet in the air! so i ran. but as i looked back, i tripped and fell under. i felt the rush of the cool water envelope my body. but as i looked out, i saw andrew! i had known andrew from a while back, when we had met once in a competition. he had gone underwater and saved my cacnea. he spotted me, too, and was swimming over. but my breath was going out fast. i tried to swim to the top, and managed to stay up for a few seconds before plunging under again.

finally, as i felt myself losing grip, i felt him grab my arm and pull me up. i breathed rapidly, and my chest felt like it was splitting open. but i was alive. and cacnea was okay, too.

pov: cacnea
some trainer had come! and i was back above water! but immediately, i noticed that mudkip was still there. the totodile had fainted a while back. hideaki, noticing at the same time as me, ordered shroomish to use helping hand, while i used poison sting. i jumped and lunged with my spike out to catch mudkip, and i got him right on the head. he was knocked out cold!

pov: hideaki
i thanked andrew for his help. the dragon had gone when mudkip fainted. 'that was wierd,' i thought to myself. i thanked andrew for his help. 'i couldn't have done it without you,' i said. 'you saved my cacnea!' "it was nothing." he said. i sent cacnea and shroomish back to their pokeballs, and walked towards the door. but when i got there, andrew came running up to me. "i wanted to give you this." he said. he handed me a pokeball. when i let the pokemon, it was a beautiful black-furred eevee with a rainbow mane. 'thanks!' i said enthusiastically. "no problem." he replied, and walked back into the mist.

i went out the door, and walked back to the manager's office. when i stepped inside, he wasn't there. 'business meeting' i thought to myself. oh well. i decided to just rest my pokemon and wait a little, and if he wasn't back, i'd go on to the next room.

battle results
hideaki's shroomish(lv.7) and cacnea(lv.6) defeat wolf pirate's mudkip(lv.15) and totodile(lv.8 )!
shroomish grew to level 8! (defeated totodile)
cacnea grew to level 8! (defeated mudkip)

hideaki obtained a rare eevee from andrew! (andyizcool)

Sheik

8th June 2004, 03:54 PM

Does the Battle Range do Random Battle Generators like the CC Battle Arena? If so, I would like one for Matthias, my Growlithe. *pays amount of stamps needed*. If not, just ignore this post.

andyizcool

8th June 2004, 03:56 PM

Does the Battle Range do Random Battle Generators like the CC Battle Arena? If so, I would like one for Matthias, my Growlithe. *pays amount of stamps needed*. If not, just ignore this post.
Yes, sort of the same. You pay 7 Stamps and you need to chose where you want a battle at. Look at the main page for some better instructions that will help you more. :)

Sheik

8th June 2004, 04:28 PM

Alright. I would like a Random Battle Generator for Matthias, my Growlithe at the Caledor Pokemon Adoption Agency (I think that's what it's called...) *pays 7 stamps*

Charizard04621

8th June 2004, 07:26 PM

I tried to read your battle, Hideaki, and honestly, I could not physically read it. The words all melt into each other as if they were a white blob of some sticky substance that refused to remain distinct.

Here's the second half of my Jungle Room scenario... I had to throw something together fast before I left this Saturday, or I'd feel as if I left something undone.

My POV:

I shook my head in disapproval at Aglárien, who looked down at her little feet when she realized that she had done wrong. She knew now how close a call that Ember had been, and, had it been worse timed, that she could have been the cause of a horrible flash fire. What with all the dry underbrush lying around… Had I not specified that Fire attacks were forbidden? And had she not understood?

Still, however, I felt proud that she recognized that the situation required more than simply physical attacks. At that point, Ember seemed like her best chance of winning, and she took it. I had to discipline her on that aspect, though. A time might come when winning would not be the highest priority. When that time came, she would have to know not to ignore advice at all costs.

My face remained solemn as she approached me with averted eyes. From time to time I could catch her looking imploringly at me when she thought that my gaze was fixed elsewhere. She begged forgiveness, but I waited to give it. I could not so easily justify her wrong; otherwise she might learn to take future occasions lightly. Instead, I opted to give her the silent treatment, just for a little bit. I myself hated the silent treatment, knew it to be horrible, and felt sorry for Aglárien who was about to receive it. Still, it was one of the only ways I could think of to train her, and dislike it though I might, I would administer it. Without saying a word, I held out her pokéball, and she returned silently, morosely, afraid that she had touched a hidden nerve. I got no more trouble from her for a while. She simply stayed in her ball.

The little boy walked up to congratulate me on defeating his Chikorita. I shook his outstretched hand, glad that he wasn’t another one of those whiny I-didn’t-win-because-my-pokémon-was-bad children.

“By the way,” I started, “You don’t have to congratulate me. Believe me, I had specifically cautioned Aglárien against the use of any Fire attacks.”

“Oh, you did? Then I was right. I thought you did. That’s why I was surprised when she suddenly started that Ember. I guess that goes to show that I can’t assume anything.” He laughed good-naturedly. “Well, that was my mistake. I’ve been training for two years, but you can never stop learning, you know? I haven’t had the chance to go against many capable trainers such as yourself. Most of the time I practice with my friends, who, although nice, hardly get past their Weedle or Magikarp, if you know what I mean. If I could trouble you for another battle…?”

Surprisingly, after he had overcome that initial fit of excitement when we had met, the boy was quite easy to talk to. In spite of his age, he wasn’t a silly little child, after all. “Well, I’m in luck. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to find another trainer, anyway. You’ve got yourself a battle.”

“And I’ll choose first this time,” he said. “Since you did last.” Going through his assortment of pokémon in his backpack, he finally settled on a worn Ultra Ball. It appeared older than the rest, and more used. “This was my first pokémon,” he said, “And now he’s my strongest. I’d like to see how he does against yours.”

I hesitated. “My strongest isn’t in the condition to battle right now,” I said slowly, immediately sensing his disappointment. “Will you settle for second?”

His face lit up a bit. “That should do. I think it’ll be an interesting match. Sickle!” At his trainer’s call, the magnificent beast shot out in a flurry of light. The Scyther stood a good five and a half feet tall, an impressive height for his species; Scyther were on average less than five feet.

“Well, here goes. Do your best, Elwing.” The Dratini popped out, still indignant from her previous encounter with Ryu, extremely self-confident, slightly haughty. I really wished that she didn’t act like that, but she was growing and changing, and I knew what hormones could do to someone. At this point Elwing was a very confused Dratini.

“That’s a very pretty Dratini,” the opposing trainer commented. “She seems to glow, somehow.”

“That would be the result of her Mystical Aura Juice,” I told him. “I got a bottle for my birthday, and Elwing drank the potion. So now she looks like… She came from heaven.” Ryu thought so very much.

“Yes, that’s a good way to put it,” the boy replied. “Anyway, the battle now.” He stepped back a considerable amount, distancing himself from me so the two combatants could have room in which to fight. Giving one look of encouragement at his Scyther, the boy nodded. “Be careful on this one,” he said.

Elwing Starspray, LV18 female Dratini vs. Sickle, LV25 male Scyther

Sickle burst into action. Immediately after his trainer’s signal to start, his wings buzzed to life, and he took to the air. Elwing at first did not know what to do – had no time to know – merely watched as the flying mantis flew up and swerved to dive down at her and slice into her skin with cold metallic wings.

Squealing, Elwing aimed a quick pulse of constricting sparks at her attacker, to no avail. The Scyther in the air was too swift. His supernatural Agility propelled him in the sky, giving him the necessary speed to avoid Elwing’s direct assaults. She aimed a torch of flame skywards; he pulled away easily with little effort. This would not do.

“Elwing, you can’t hit him by blindly firing off shots,” I told her. She seemed to see the sense in my words, and yet looked resentful at the mention of the word “can’t.” Her time spent with Kalazeth had convinced her that the only word that should be associated with her abilities was “can.” Yet it wasn’t Kalazeth’s fault. That innocent Horsea only gave her sincere compliments, things that he really felt from the furthest depths of his kind heart. Somehow Elwing took these to mean more than reality; and although I liked the fact that she possessed such optimism, I hoped that she could become more sensible with time.

Elwing attempted another direct assault. This time she conjured a great whirlwind of draconic energy, hoping perhaps to pull Sickle into its vortex. Up to this point, she had never created a Twister of this magnitude. I was surprised at its size and intensity. Although the high-velocity winds seemed to disturb the zooming Scyther’s flight slightly, he was by no means desperately in danger. A green streak that Elwing did not see, he crashed downwards at extreme speeds, his scythes outstretched. I mouthed a word of warning but the Dratini refused to hear. Because she wanted to fight the battle her own way, Elwing continued to maintain her raging tornado. Suddenly she realized that Sickle was directly above her, but by that time, it was too late. Having multiplied himself by three, the Scyther reached out from the left, the right, and behind with his blades. The three images converged into a green blur, outstretched claws flashing under the little light that escaped through the tornado. Elwing found herself removed from the ground and tossed into her own Twister.

Her response was not immediate, for she had frozen with shock. For her own attack to be used against her was a blow to her pride. Soon after she had been tossed and torn at by her Twister, she quickly made it subside, but the effects of the draconic energy on her body were apparent. Little slices and cuts, the most aggravating kind, littered her delicate skin. Elwing’s aura had diminished just slightly from the experience.

Sickle was alone now, having dismissed his mirror images. His eyes remained closed as he fell into a meditative trance, his blades held across his chest, his breaths evening every moment that he told his body to concentrate. In truth I had yet to see him lose his concentration in this battle, but I guessed that his Focus Energy helped to calm him and sharpen his mind further. Elwing at her best would have found this opponent a challenge alone. In her current condition, she needed all the help she could get.

Elwing now panted angrily. Seeing her opponent in a meditative state, she took the opportunity to shoot towards him and wind her snakelike body around his neck. Tightening. This instantly brought the Scyther out of his trance. When he realized what was happening to him, a momentary light of fear flashed through his eyes; but then an answer came to him.

Blue smoke was the only way I could describe what surrounded the two; crystal blue smoke. A sphere of this substance formed a cloud around Sickle. Then, sailing inwards, all united in one point: Elwing. The temperature in the air around us dropped several degrees; I could almost feel Elwing’s pain as the ice tore at her already ravaged body. Her grip on the Scyther’s neck loosened, and she fell to the ground, twitching. It looked as if the battle was over.

My attention turned to Sickle. He had, also, taken damage from his Hidden Power attack. Because Elwing had been bound tightly to him, the Scyther could not avoid being in the center of the ice barrage. Still, he had received fewer blows from Elwing than he had given her; so he did, in effect, look much better off. My Dratini was just about ready to collapse.

Now, more than ever, though, Elwing would not accept defeat. Not after she had begun to believe that she could do anything. Lifting her head up high, her face flushed a bit, and then I saw her surrounded by an aura of rainbow lights. It reminded me of the aurora borealis, with colors cascading upon her body in their celestial magnificence. Her own special aura seemed renewed, fed by the lights around her body. Wounds instantly healed, cuts disappeared, and her body stood erect once more. Elwing had performed an impressive Recover.

Sickle blinked. Something in his sense told him that a Dratini with Recover was not something you saw every day. But then again, he had received previous warning right from the moment he met her that Elwing was no ordinary Dratini. Shrugging, he sought to continue the battle without much fuss.

Flying into the air again, Sickle was more than prepared to repeat his hit-and-run tactics, this time with more success, for Elwing was visibly tiring. I could withhold my commands no more.

“Rain Dance, Elwing. Rain Dance!”

She looked at me for a moment, decided that there was nothing offensive in my commands, and yet resented the fact that I did not just leave her to sort out her own battle. The Dratini hesitated, but then realized that in her current situation she was not one to argue. Sighing irritably, she beckoned for storm clouds to whoosh over the grove, then, with a signal and a flash of lightning, began a heavy downpour.

Rain was something Sickle had not been counting on. His movement significantly slowed, and he could feel his wings weighing down under the burden of the water that soaked into his body. Panickedly, but still trying not to completely lose his composure, the Scyther waved his blades at the sky, telling the clouds to go away. Elwing stubbornly fought back, and her superiority at weather control became obvious. Still, Sunny Day being Sickle’s only hope at an advantage, he continued the weather battle.

“Forget the weather, Elwing. Get his wings!” I was glad that Sickle, high up in the air, did not hear my command over the clamor of the thundering storm. It would have given him sufficient warning, and might have prepared him for what was coming next.

Elwing, finally understanding the importance of this turn of events, lost no time. Her body lit up with a million crackling sparks, which exploded from her into an expanding bluish hemisphere of electricity that quickly shot up at the airborne Scyther. Most of the force of the attack had been directed at his wet and exposed wings; and managed, successfully, to damage them.

By this time Sickle had cleared the skies of the menacing storm clouds, but now he realized that this success was not due to his triumph in force but Elwing’s complete slackening in the effort. Too late, he understood, as he struggled against plummeting towards the ground. He attempted to erect a protective barrier between him and the grass as he fell, bracing himself for the hard impact that was coming. As he crashed into the floor it shattered; and he took some of the impact without a shield of any kind. Now he didn’t look much better off than Elwing did earlier. His wings, damaged, would no longer permit him to fly; and his body ached from the painful fall.

Elwing took advantage of the Scyther’s weakness. Her golden earring sparkled. More electricity shot out from her body, the vicious blue current enveloping Sickle, tearing past him, through him, leaving him shuddering miserably in its wake.

Suddenly a wildness arose in the Scyther’s eyes, a note of desperation, making itself apparent as he rushed towards Elwing screaming an agonized war cry at the top of his lungs. In less than a second he was upon her, tearing away at every bit of her body he could reach with his scythes. The Dratini, helpless against this Reversal onslaught, could only stare up in pain at her attacker as he struck her relentlessly, again and again and again with no signs of stopping. She must have heard only my voice in a whisper as I told her, “Harness the rain…” For it seemed as though my words were lost in that swirling storm, somewhere within the falling rain and cold blows from cruel blades and the symphony of the thunder that accompanied the lightning’s flash in the sky. Her eyes dilated as she seemed to put forward one last effort into a battle that by now must have become almost completely surreal. From the nearby stream, put in flight by the rain, rose an almost imperceptible shadow of a wave that glided over the wet floor like a ghost in the stormy darkness. As it washed over the two battlers the water covered them both, seeming to brush over like a blanket to close their eyelids and put those that it touched to gentle sleep. Eventually the rain slackened and sunlight dared to peep through the clouds, revealing the bodies of the two opponents piled upon one another. Sickle had already fallen into the black realm of unconsciousness, while Elwing, lifting her head slightly before she fell too, followed ever so closely behind.

Elwing won!
Elwing grew to LV20!
Elwing learned Icy Wind as her free TM!

“Well, that was a close one,” said the trainer as he recalled his Scyther. I could tell he was a little disappointed that his strongest fighter hadn’t pulled the battle off, but he only blamed it on himself. “He’s never lost a battle, you know, until now,” he admitted quietly.

“Really? That’s impressive. None of my pokémon could have boasted that record. At least, not the ones who have battled several times. Not even my Trapinch, Ryu.”

“Oh well,” he said, shrugging it off. “No sense dwelling upon it. These things happen eventually. And Sickle did his best, so I have no regrets.”

“That’s the best attitude I’ve encountered in a while,” I complimented him. I extended my hand. “A real pleasure meeting you. And what did you say your name was?”

“Me?” he asked shyly. “It’s Charles.”

“Karin.” We shook.

“I like your name better than mine. I would have preferred a different one, but it was my parents’ choice, so I can’t really complain, now, can I?” He looked far away, suddenly sad about something. “It’s all I have left of them both,” he whispered in a soft murmur. His expression changed again to conceal his pain. Poor child… “Well, I enjoyed our battles,” he said sunnily, yet I could tell that his tone was achieved through strained effort. “I’ll see you another time. Right now I’ve got to get my pokémon healed.” With that, he left for the entrance. I waited a respectable amount of time before I headed back to the pokémon center too.

***

I have a question. In RBY, Dratini learns Agility at LV20. Do I still follow the GSC moveset where Dratini gets the move at LV36?

[EDIT]: I thought I'd tag a conclusion onto here instead of writing one later.

Gothic Animé

8th June 2004, 07:34 PM

oh geez, sorry about that! the font is now enlarged! ^^;

well, if the battle's not legal, i'll change it so that he didn't interfere. ^^; sorry, i wasn't aware.

Charizard04621

8th June 2004, 07:48 PM

Hideaki, I'm sorry, but I don't think that battle is legal. You can ask Gabi or Amy to confirm, but I don't think that another trainer can interfere in a battle like that and make it a 3 vs. 2 battle. At least, it wouldn't be one that your pokémon would gain experience from.

[EDIT]: By the way, thank you so much for enlarging your text. I really appreciate your making it legible.

Sheik

8th June 2004, 09:51 PM

<J’s POV>

I walked into the Jungle Room to find numerous plants and flowers. The trees reached to the heavens, blocking out what would be the sun. Faint rays of sunlight penetrated through the trees, dimly lighting the forest floor. The flowers were amazing; there were so many different shapes, sizes and colours. Bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens, and some were even unusual, such as black, purple, and blue.

I walked deeper and deeper into the jungle, looking for Pokemon to battle. I moved leaves that came down near my head, so that I could see deeper into the forest. I watched myself, cautious so as to avoid tripping over a massive tree trunk and arousing Pokemon. Suddenly, distant from my view, I saw what looked like a Mankey. I was hanging from a tree, busying itself with a banana. It was an amusing sight, but I decided not to disturb it.

I moved onward, going still deeper into the forest. I looked up into the canopy, trying to spot a Pokemon to battle, but none were to be found. Either that, or they were in another location. I stopped, and looked down. I saw a trail of ants leading somewhere. They were all following in a line. These ants weren’t like normal ants... these must have been 10 or 15 times the size of regular ants.

I followed their trail, trying to discover where it would lead. The ants took me down a hill, through more trees, up a hill, and through a water fall before reaching their final destination. It was a giant... anthill. Not something I found really fascinating, judging from the size of the ants. Now I was lost. I retraced my steps. Suddenly, I heard something that sounded like “lossom” to my left.

I moved through leaves and other plants, and came upon a clearing. In that clearing the sun was brighter than in the whole forest. It made my eyes squint. After I got used to the light, I noticed that there were a lot of Bellossom surrounding each other. They got really close together, and starting dancing. Suddenly, I heard beautiful music, which oddly sounded like the Bellossom were producing it. How I wanted one of those Pokemon. Unlucky for me, I was out of Pokeballs. I sighed. Another day, I thought.

I left the Bellossom to themselves to perform their sacred dance, and marched back into the depths of the forest. I heard Mankey making monkey noises, and swinging from limbs nearby. I wasn’t going to bother myself with them. They were more than likely in a pack. That wouldn’t be a fun thing to mess with. Getting lonely, I released Brandi and Matthias, my Vulpix and Growlithe. They walked in front of me.

<Matthias’s POV>

Getting a little in front of Brandi, I made my way through the foliage. I had to protect Brand and J, that’s all there was to it. With every step I took caution, looking around to see if any Pokemon were present that could potentially harm either of them. None could be found, so I continued onward, leading the way. I looked back and saw Brandi walking behind me, and behind her Jay, looking ahead.

I eyed Brandi curiously. I personally thought she was quite attractive. Prissy, but, attractive nonetheless. I kept walking while still watching her. She looked up into the trees; not realizing that I was gaping at her. Suddenly, I felt myself run into something. I looked forward, and realized that I had just hit a tree. I looked back, and saw Brandi looking at me quizzically. I blushed, and then turned around quickly.
Perfect... I had just humiliated myself in front of her. What she thought after that sudden incident I could only guess. I decided to shift my gaze downward. What else could I do? I didn’t want to turn around again, for fear of her noticing me looking at her. I also didn’t want to turn around, because I was also afraid I’d do something stupid like trip or run into something else.

<Brandi’s POV>

What was he up to? First he runs into a tree, and now he just keeps walking ahead. He’s probably embarrassed with himself. I would be to, if I ran into a tree that was right in front of my face. I wanted to talk to him, but the words just wouldn’t come out right. What would I say? He’d probably doesn’t think much of me. Afterall, I’m just Brandi, a clean-freak Vulpix.

I sighed and looked skyward. What to do... Sure, he was cute, but did I really have feelings for him? I wasn’t sure yet. I mean, I had only just met him a few days ago, when J adopted him. I don’t want to get into anything yet. It’s too early. Besides, where would it lead, we are both very young–it wouldn’t go anywhere but downhill. Right now I wanted to concentrate on myself and make myself stronger. When I am more mature, then I will decide. But for now, it will be a fun thing to dwell on.

I looked back down from the sky and looked at Matthias. I was immediately taken aback. Was he just looking at me? I was very curious. What was he up to? I continued to follow his tracks, keeping my eye on him. I could hear J right behind me, so I need not worry where he would be. Every now and again I would glance back to Matthias to see if he decided to take any more quick glances.

I wasn’t really paying any attention to where I was being lead–concentrating mainly on the leader. It seemed that he was like that. Matthias was always wanted to be the leader, be first at everything, and he always seemed to take charge of everything whenever he came out of his Pokeball. I didn’t mind it, usually, but sometimes it got on my nerves.

Just then, I heard a rustle among the leaves. “Matthias, to the right” I told him. He looked at me, then looked in the direction that I had told him. He too, heard the rustling the leaves. J must have been aware of it, as his attention was drawn to the same spot.”Follow it,” J said. We did so. This time, Matthias stayed back with him, and we both marched toward the bush expectantly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a male and female Chikorita appeared. They looked at Matthias and me loathingly.”Fire types,” the male said.

Brandi, Lv. 8 female Vulpix & Matthias, Lv. 7 male Growlithe

VS

Lv. 15 Male Chikorita & Lv. 15 Female Chikorita

I was ready to fight, and almost started in. Matthias stopped me. “Wait... let me go first. This will protect you.” Suddenly, bluish crystals appeared in a circle near his head. They swirled rapidly, and came near me. They wrapped around my body, and disappeared. Safegaurd, I thought. “Thank you,” I said. Suddenly, leaves came shooting toward us. These two didn’t look like they were going to wait. I fired an Ember at both of them, to hold them off.
“Use it on yourself, too,” I advised. He nodded, and cast Safeguard on himself. Now we were both protected from anything they could dish out. He turned to face the two opponents, and I followed suit. It turned out to be a stare-down. The Chikorita didn’t move, neither did we. Finally they made the attack. Once cast Poisonpowder on me, but it had no affect. The other decided to use Razor Leaf.

The leaves hit Matthias, doing decent damage for a grass attack. We both ran at the Chikorita. I exhaled a blast of Ember; Matthias had no other alternative, so he did the same. Both blasts hit the respective target with nice precision. This was a great way to start a battle. “Brandi, go to the left, I’ll go to the right and distract them. From behind, attack both of them using your Ember attack,” There he goes again with the taking charge thing, I thought.

I’d do it, just because it sounded like a decent plan. I ran to the left, while Matthias did so on the opposite side. Judging by the confused looks on their faces, we obviously took the two by surprise. Matthias barked, and threw hot Embers at both opponents. They turned to him. The male dodged his, but the female wasn’t as lucky. They ran after Matthias. One of the opponents used Tackle, and the one behind followed up with a Razor Leaf, dealing much damage to Matthias.

I had do to something fast. I shot two Embers at both opponents. Each Ember was a successful hit, coming from behind. The two opponents must have forgotten about me. They drew their attention to me. They both sprinted toward me, and attempted to Tackle me, but I jumped to the side, and ducked to avoid both assaults. Matthias caught up to me, and we both coughed up Embers. Both were again successful.

This battle was really looking up for us. Both opponents reared to attack, but stopped. One of them used Sunny Day, and the other tried a Growl. Did they realize what they were doing? By using the Sunny Day, they strengthened our attacks. Did they realize what they had done?

We didn’t think much of it, and spat up more fireballs. Each hitting the target successfully. What came next surprised both Matthias and I. Just above both of the Chikorita were little yellow balls of light. They got bigger, then suddenly, giant beams of energy radiated from them. A Double Solarbeam! Matthias and I took the attacks. I skidded backward a few inches, and Matthias was nearly done for.

He was panted like mad. “I’ll be ok. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Let’s just finish them off.” I was worried about him. He’d make it through this, wouldn’t he? He had to. I’m not going to let him go. He’s sticking this battle out whether he wants to or not.

I drew within me another hot Ember blast. I shot it at the opponent, knocking her back. She stumbled a few steps and got back into the battle. Matthias, still extremely exhausted, mustered up another Ember, hitting his target. Next, they tried another Double Solarbeam. I was ready for it, but I knew Matthias couldn’t take it. Once I saw the little bright balls, and the energy pouring from them, I dodged over to Matthias, shielding him from the Solarbeam blast.

I was knocked backwards, and was nearly knocked out but I was ok. Matthias came to my aid. “Brandi! What are you doing? You could have just been nearly killed! Come on, hurry, we’ve almost got them!” I got up weakly, and looked at my opponents. I was ready.

We ran at the Chikorita, and fired Ember nonstop, fireball after blazing fireball we threw at the enemies, going all out. After the smoke cleared, and we could see, all that was left of the two opponents were what seemed like lifeless corpses. They were alive, just knocked unconscious. We had done it! Smoke rose from the bodies and they lied their, unmoving.

Matthias and I stumbled over to J, victory in our eyes.

<Matthias’s POV>

She had just saved me. I was done for after that one attack. Brandi took a hit to save me. I felt indebted to her. How could I ever repay her? We stopped and sat down, and waited for J to walk over to us. “You two did great! That was a great battle!” I couldn’t really hear what J was saying. I wasn’t really paying attention. I was focusing on Brandi.

“Thank you... ... ... for what you did back there,” I told her. She looked up at me, and replied, “What do you expect? You’re my friend, and I wouldn’t let you down like that. I would never let you fall in the heat of a battle when the stakes are so high. I will always be willing to sacrifice myself for you, and I hope you feel the same way...” “I do,” I said, and licked her on the cheek. She looked at me with utter shock. I didn’t know what to expect next–a painful hit on the face, or something a little more affectionate.

She didn’t do anything. She just stood there, and looked into my eyes. I was shy for what I had done, and looked down... what else could I do?

Brandi grew to level 10! Brandi learned Roar at level 9! Brandi’s free TM is Toxic.

Matthias grew to level 9!

Lady Vulpix

9th June 2004, 08:38 AM

That's right, Karin. We go by GSC levels for all moves that can be learnt in GSC. And it's true that no one can battle 3 pokemon in 1 scenario and gain levels from all of them.

I haven't read your battle yet, nor J's; reading them could take a while since, even after I'm done with today's class, I still have to read Matt's and Becca's Unicorn Games battles. If they're not rated yet by the time I'm done, I'll rate them myself but, as I said, it could take a while.

Matt

9th June 2004, 02:59 PM

I’m finally doing the RBG I requested a while ago ^_^; sorry it took so long.

Eiko’s POV

“When will I ever win a battle?” I whined to Matt. “I don’t know, Eiko; you just need to face the right opponent, so you can really win!” Matt said. “Well, who could I possibly battle that will be easy enough for me…? I mean I’m so weak right now…” I said with my head down. “Hmm… I can go sign you up for a battle at the Dragon Tamers. They have this new thing where you can battle one of their pokemon in the adoption center,” Matt assured me. “Come on then! I’m ready for a battle any day now!!” I yelled. Matt just smiled and nodded.

Matt’s POV

Eiko and I went out the door and started to walk towards the Adoption Center of the Dragon Tamers. It wasn’t that far away, but it was a good long walk. As soon as we got there, Eiko’s eyes were glowing from seeing all the pokemon around. I walked into the building and up to the front desk. “Hello, I would like to sign up for a battle for my little Dratini here,” I said to receptionist. “I think we can do that…” She said, laughing a little. “Here, your Dratini will be battling in the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency. The corridor to the area is to your left,” She said. “Thank you,” I said, “come on Eiko; it’s time for you to battle!”

When I said that she slithered in as fast as she could and started to follow me; it wasn’t long until we got there, though! I couldn’t see any good pokemon for Eiko to battle right at the entrance, so we went in a little bit more. There were a few Volbeats and Seedots, but nothing that Eiko could handle. As soon as I was about to go to a different part of the area, I was stopped by someone talking.

“Hello, can I… help you?” A lady said. As soon as I saw her face, I was in a trance from her obvious beauty. She saw me staring and looked at me like I was weird. “Umm… is there something on my face?” She said panicking. It was like I couldn’t even hear what she was saying; Eiko wasn’t pleased with my behavior, though. She wrapped her body around my leg and started to move, and I was pulled to the ground.

When I hit the hard ground I was knocked out of my trance. “W-what happened?” I said, confused. “…don’t even try it, Matt; you know what you were doing,” Eiko said with anger in her voice. I laughed and slowly backed away from my Dratini.

“Hello? Why are you here, sir?” The girl behind me said. “Oh, I signed up my Dratini for a battle in here, that’s all,” I said. “A battle?! I’d love one! Do you mind if I battle you? I haven’t battled in ages,” She said jumping up and down. “Well…I don’t know…” I said looking up to the sky. “I really don’t want to battle such a beautiful girl,” I thought. “I mean, what if I beat her terribly and she starts crying?” Eiko could see what I was thinking about and spoke up for me. “I’d love to battle you, miss,” She said. “Huh? You sure about this Eiko?” I said in a fuss. “Of course I am; I could really care less if I win against her,” She responded. “Well, if you say so…” I said keeping my opinions to myself.

“So you’ve decided to battle me? Now, don’t go easy on me just because I’m a girl,” She said giggling. “Since you’re using your Dratini, I’ll use this!” She threw down a pokeball revealing a Bulbasaur. Before it even started, I could see that this battle was going to be trouble for Eiko.

Eiko the Winged Dratini (Lv. 6, F) vs. Borris the Bulbasaur (Lv. 6, M)

Eiko’s POV

I sighed. “Finally, I can battle a pokemon at the same level as I,” I said. Matt didn’t say anything towards my comment; he seemed to be in a deep train of thought, but I wondered if it was about this battle or about the girl. “Eiko, use Body Slam first,” Matt said. I slithered as fast as I could and threw myself at Bulbasaur. I seemed to knock him pretty bad because he looked like he was paralyzed from the move…

“Don’t worry about the paralysis, Borris; just use Petal Dance!” The girl said. Borris started to jump around like he had a problem and petals started to shoot from around his bulb. They flew over to me and sliced past me, but they barely hurt me. Borris didn’t cease the dancing either.

More petals shot out of Borris and headed for me. This time, they somehow hit my weak spot and hurt a little bit more than they did before, but not by much. After the petals had disappeared, Borris stopped dancing and started to look like he was confused or something. He was swaying back and forth like he was in a daze. I tried to ignore it and awaited my order from Matt. “Use Flamethrower on it, Eiko,” Matt said. My blood started to boil as I tried to raise my body temperature enough to get flames to come out of my mouth. But when it had raised enough, a stream of red and orange flames came spraying out of my mouth and caught fire on Bulbasaur. He wailed and ran around to try and get the flames to subside; when they finally did, he had burn marks around on his body and he looked like he was going to faint at any minute.

“Borris, please don’t lose…at least use a tackle,” The girl said begging. Borris struggled as best as he could to move, but his paralysis had kicked in at the most unluckiest times. His head lowered in shame as he knew he was going to be put out this turn. “Eiko, finish Borris off with a Dragonbreath,” Matt said sighing. I opened my mouth and blew out as much breath as I could to reach Borris. When my breath had reached Borris, he acted like he couldn’t breathe; this little show really got me mad, though. Before I could say anything, he had passed out from exhaustion and didn’t get up. I guess I had won?

I won?
I grew to level 7!

Matt’s POV

I ran over and congratulated my Dratini and heard the girl recalling her pokemon. I left Eiko and walked to the girl’s side. “I’m…um…sorry for winning so badly, but Eiko really needed to level up. I hope you understand,” I said with my head down. “It’s ok; Borris wasn’t ready for a battle…I shouldn’t have used him. Maybe we can have a rematch again sometime with some of my other pokemon,” She said.

“Great!” I said. “My name’s Jessica, what’s yours?” She asked. “My name’s Matt,” I said with a huge smile on my face. “Ok then, Matt, I’ll see you again sometime,” She said walking off. I wanted to say bye, but before I could, she was gone. I was left there standing by myself until Eiko slithered over. “Great, genius; you made her run away,” Eiko said smartly. “Hah, very funny; I wasn’t the one who did it…she just had to go,” I said. Eiko started laughing. “Whatever you say, Matt, whatever you say…” She said. “Wait until we get home, Eiko!!” I said yelling with anger. She teased me some more and started to slither towards the exit. I hastily followed after her, still angry by her smart remarks.

EDIT: I didn't want to post the request so could I have a RBG for my Meowth, Tabitha, in the Universal Adoption Center, please? :sweat2:

Lady Vulpix

9th June 2004, 03:02 PM

J, since I don't see a reply to your RBG request, I'll post it. Matthias is going to battle a Numel!
If someone else has posted and I've missed it, ignore this post.

Sheik

9th June 2004, 03:06 PM

No, no one's gotten to it yet. Thank you for letting me know! I'll get to writing the battle soon.

Thanks. :)

Charizard04621

9th June 2004, 06:42 PM

O_o; Tabitha will be battling a Magneton.

Wolfsong

12th June 2004, 12:50 AM

It's late, and i'm tired and don't feel well, so if i make typos or something bear with me please.

Gothic Anime: Interesting concept, wolves as pirates. O.o Unusual, but interesting. I never would have thought of that myself and I like wolves. Take 11 stamps.

Karin: Wow. I wish i could write as fast as you can. I hope Elwing feels better after her battle. Take 16 stamps.

Sheik: Interesting how you wrote abot Brandi and Matthias. Description was nice. Take 12 stamps.

I'm so tired i can barely think now. Maybe one of the others can get your battle Matt. Sorry but i need to get some sleep.

Wolfsong

13th June 2004, 01:09 AM

A little while ago, I bought a Sunny Day TM that I have decided to give Sinopa. I had also bought a Shock Wave TM for Jas. Arwen’s old earring is going to Ebony. She (Arwen) has gone to live with Syberia. I’ll miss her, but she’ll probably be happier there. I have an eevee that came from the PMBC, but I’ll be introducing him later, since I had written this before he hatched. ^^; I have given him the collar that Jas won in the swimming race as well as the hidden power TM (ghost) that andyizcool was nice enough to purchase for me to give to Darin. I did have a little trouble getting started, but things seemed to go okay once I got going. I know that metagross are genderless, but Tank strikes me as a he anyway. ^^;

(Amy’s POV)

After the battle, I left to get Blazer looked over. The others wanted to stay and watch the rest of the battles, so we made arrangements to meet back at the hotel. Once at the Pokecenter Nurse Joy proceeded to give Blazer a thorough exam, even though he was asleep. She found that he was okay, just in need of rest, which evidently he was getting. I thanked her, recalling Blazer, and made my way back to the hotel.

We found Yana there waiting for us. Sinopa was sound asleep at her paws, a smile spread across her muzzle. Once inside, Yana explained that Sinopa had fallen asleep shortly after Blazer’s battle was over. Flame had taken her to Yana, who brought her here back to the hotel room. “Especially since she was sleeping so peacefully, I decided to bring her back here. I didn’t want the crowd to wake her up.” I smiled. “That was a wise decision. Any ideas when the others will get in?” I asked. “Nope. There were still a few more battles left for tonight before I left. Where’s Blazer?” she asked. “He’s asleep, inside of his pokeball.” “Probably best.” Yana replied as she watched me ramble through my bag. “It does seem strange not to have Arwen around.” “I know. She wanted to go live with another trainer, and I wasn’t going to stop her if that’s what she wanted. “Yeah,” Yana agreed.

Her curiosity finally getting the better of her, Yana turned and looked up at me. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I’m trying to find the TMs that I bought a little while ago. I have one for Sinopa and one for Jasmine. I also have a few other things that I wanted to hand out to a few of the others.” Yana nodded her head, satisfied with the answer, as she herself yawned.

Afterwards, she tilted her head as if she had heard something. Sure enough, the rest of the team arrived back at the room five minutes later. They were all whispering loudly, but Ebony was so excited that she was talking much louder than the others. Yana tried to hush Ebony, who was talking a bit too loudly, in hopes that she hadn’t woken Sinopa up. Unfortunately, Sinopa had heard the commotion, and she arrived in the room where we were gathered. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Not much.” I answered. “However, since you’re already up, I have a TM for you.” “For me?” she asked. “Yes, for you.” I said, chuckling. “It’s a Sunny Day TM. I thought that you might enjoy it, in addition to the fact that it might come in handy sometime.” “Thank you.” she whispered, as I sprinkled the powder over her. “You’re welcome. Ebony?” “Yes,” she whispered softly. “Before Arwen left, she asked that I give you this.” I said as I placed the earring in Ebony’s ear. Ebony nodded her head, but didn’t say anything. I picked up one of the gold berries from the small pile that I had set aside as well as a TM box. “Jas?” “I’m here!” I heard her say excitedly. “I have a Shock Wave TM for you, as well as a gold berry.” She looked at me puzzled when I mentioned the berry. “If you eat it in a battle when you’re low on health, it will help restore your energy.” “Thanks.” she said as I sprinkled the powder over her. I also pulled two more gold berries form the pile, and gave one to Sugar and Sweetie. “All right, that’s everything I have for now.” Yawning, I glanced at the clock. “Well, I’m off to bed. It would be best if everyone gets their rest tonight.” “Why?” Sugar asked. “You’ll see tomorrow.” was all that I said before I headed off to bed to get some much needed sleep.

The next morning, I awoke to the feeling that I was being stared at. I slowly opened my left eye, and saw that Blazer was sitting beside the bed watching me. Smiling, I opened my other eye and sat up. “How are you doing this morning?” I asked. “Good,” he answered, “after resting. Between you and me, the earth needs to remain still. I don’t care much for earthquakes.” I laughed, giving him a hug. “I’m glad that you’re feeling better.” “Oh, before I forget, the team wanted me to ask you something.” “What?” I asked. “What do you have planned for today?” “I’ll tell everyone at the same time.” I said, grinning. “That’s what I told them that you would say.” he said with the trace of an amused smile as I walked towards the door.

”She’s coming!” I heard Sugar whisper loudly, before a loud crash. “Nice going, Mom.” I heard Ayla say, stifling a laugh. I opened the door, and walked through. I burst out laughing at the image that greeted me. The phone table had been overturned, with Sugar tangled up in the phone cord. Half of the team was doing their best trying not to laugh, the other half (myself included) were laughing ourselves hoarse. “Hi.” she said, waving the best that she could giving the circumstances. “I meant to do this.” “Yeah, right.” snorted Ebony. “I’m inclined to agree with Ebony this time.” I said, as I set about trying to untangle Sugar. “So,” she asked causally, despite the fact that she could barely move, “what are we going to do?” I sighed. “right now, we’re trying to get you free.” The others groaned. “Afterwards, providing that there aren’t anymore mishaps, we’re going to try and go to the training grounds.” I braced myself, and sure enough, Sugar released a thunderbolt in her excitement. Not only did it shock me, but also it completely fried the phone. “Great.” I muttered under my breath. “First, last night Blazer runs off with a ham, and now Sugar electrocutes the phone.” Sugar grinned, giving me her trademark “Who me?” expression. I just shook my head. “What next?” I asked. Yana was about to say something when I stopped her. “Don’t.” I said.

Thirty minutes later, I had finally managed to extricate Sugar from the phone cord, and get ready for the day ahead as well. “How long will it be before we find out the results?” Ebony asked curiously. “It’ll be a while, since not all of the battles are over yet. I did leave my cell phone number just in case things got done sooner than expected. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to report a fried phone. When I get back, be ready to leave.” They nodded their heads, as I left. It was an embarrassing ten minutes, and by the time I got back, I was ready to leave. Luckily the team had gotten busy and they were all waiting for us in their pokeballs, with the exception of Dodger, Jasmine, and Sinopa. By now, I had learned to expect that whenever we were flying, Jasmine was bound and determined to not be stuck inside her pokeball. “You ready?” I asked him when we were outside on the balcony. “Absitively Posolutely.” Dodger said as he put his sunglasses into place. I chuckled. Ever since he heard Dodger say that on “Oliver & Company”, he took that as his own phrase for yes. “Thanks for the collar.” he whispered barely audible. “No problem.” I told him. I knew that he wore his collar underneath the red scarf around his neck. I didn’t blame him either. Dodger just was not himself if he didn’t have his scarf or sunglasses. I climbed up onto his back, Sinopa held tight in my arms. Jasmine had wrapped herself around my neck.

"It feels so free up here.” Sinopa remarked, her two tails swishing back and forth. “Nothing up here to box you in.” Having said that, she curled herself up in my arms, and soon fell fast asleep in my arms. “Is she okay?” the tiny dratini asked. “Physically, she is. I’m not sure about emotionally though. You were told the conditions we found her in.” Jasmine nodded her head, watching her new friend sleep with a worried look on her face. “But she’s safe now, right?” “Yes, she is.” Dodger said nothing as we swiftly covered the distance.

“Will I get to battle?” he finally asked, as he caught a thermal and we were lifted higher into the air. At that, I smiled. “I was planning on letting you have a battle or tag up with Kiara in the lava room if she wants to battle that is.” He nodded his head. “Don’t worry,” I told him, “we’re not going to the Lava Room immediately.” Though he hadn’t said anything, I could tell that he wanted to get some rest before he battled. “You seem to have this pretty thought out.” “I have a general idea mapped out, but plans can and often do change. We’re going to try and go to the blizzard room first, and I’m pretty sure that neither you nor Jas wants to battle in there.” “You got that right.” Jas said, a shiver running through her body. Dodger nodded in agreement.

By now Sinopa had woken up again. She looked up at me. “So, who’s going to battle where?” “Well, I’ve thought about it, and I’m thinking about letting some of the team that hasn’t battled in a while get a chance at battling. Also Blazer needs to get some training in as well. Plans can change, seeing as nothing is set in stone. Right now, I’m thinking about letting Blazer have both battles in the Blizzard room. In the Pond Room, I thought Jasmine,” I said as I looked at the grinning dratini around my neck, “and Sweetie might like the opportunity to battle. For the Lava room, I’m thinking about letting whoever wants the battle to have one, and then either let Dodger and Kiara team up, if Kiara wants to battle, otherwise he can have a battle all by himself.” “Sounds interesting.” Sinopa commented. “Yana and Jasmine can battle in the Desert room. Sugar and Kovu will wrap things up in the Jungle Room.” “We’re here.” Dodger announced as we descended. “Thanks for the lift.” I told him as we slowly descended to earth. He nodded his head. “I’m going to try and get started in the rooms as soon as I can. Please don’t go flying off.”

I climbed off of Dodger’s back, and instead of flying off, he went inside his pokeball. We had landed a little ways off from the training grounds themselves. We had long ago learned that it was wise not to land an aerodactyl in a large gathering of people with the exception of the Eevee House. Sinopa jumped out of my arms, as Jasmine also followed Dodger’s example. It was best that they stay inside their pokeballs, since I was hoping to get to the blizzard room first. I quickly signed in on the trainer log. I grinned, not that many people were here today. With the exception of Talut, Dodger, and Jasmine, everyone emerged from their pokeballs as we were led down the corridor to the training rooms. Once we had reached them, our guide handed me a coat, before returning to his post. I Pulled the coat on that I had been given and pulled it as tight as it would go. Taking a deep breath, we walked in side the blizzard room. Almost immediately, we were thrust into the middle of a howling blizzard as the door slammed shut behind us. This blizzard was so much worse than anything Jasmine could create. I pulled my coat even tighter, practically gagging myself, as Kovu and Yana took the lead of our little group. <We can barely see it, but there is a cabin ahead.> Yana told me using her psychic powers. Times like this I was grateful that the houndoom’s hidden power was the psychic type. The winds were blowing so hard that I couldn’t hear anything except for their chilling howls. I held Sinopa close, as our team ever so slowly advanced towards the cabin. I could not see it, but I trusted Kovu and Yana. Sure enough, we eventually made it. We swarmed the cabin, and raced inside. There were several television screens inside the cabin. My guess was that they showed the trainer’s their pokemon’s battles as they happened. When we had gotten inside, I released Talut, Dodger, and Jasmine into the cabin. Once everyone had rested, and had some hot chocolate, Blazer announced that he was going to try and find his opponent. We wished him good luck as he headed back out into the storm. None of us noticed that Sinopa had followed him outside.

(Sinopa’s POV)

I wanted to see Blazer battle again, but have a closer view this time. He was amazing to watch. I had been worried when that altaria had used earthquake. Blazer had remained calm, and even pulled off an impressive win. I knew that I would have fainted instantly. So, when the others were distracted, I took off after Blazer. Even he didn’t know that I was following him.

At the time, I didn’t realize how dangerous what I did was until I lost sight of Blazer in the swirling sea of snow and ice. I looked behind me, hoping to see the cabin, but that too had disappeared. Somehow, I was able to remain calm and not panic as I looked around. I saw a couple of dead branches nearby. I smiled. Perfect, I thought to myself. Now if only there wasn’t a swirling blizzard around. “Wait a minute…” I whispered to myself. I grinned. Amy had given me a TM recently that might be of some help. I closed my eyes, focusing on the image of a nice, sunny day with not a cloud in sight. At first, nothing seemed to happen. However, gradually, the swirling ice lessened, and eventually came to a stop. I smiled, opening my eyes to view my accomplishment. The skies weren’t exactly clear, but at least it had stopped snowing and the sun was shining though not by much. Next, I began rounding up all of the dead sticks and placing them in a pile, before using my ember to ignite them. As I did so, the flickering flame caught my eye. There was a small wind blowing and it was blowing the flame away from me. I wondered if I could make it wave at me. I concentrated, and sure enough the tiny fire looked like it was bending down. As I watched it, I remembered that Amy and Yana had told me that my hidden power was that of the fire element. Until now I wasn’t sure what that meant, but now I realized that I could control it somewhat. I wondered if I could make the fire hover in the air. I concentrated again, and this time the flames rose up off of its food source. I quickly set it back. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I had seen something move, before it disappeared.

(Yana’s POV)

Not long after Blazer had left, I noticed that Sinopa was missing. I told Amy, and we tried not to panic. “Maybe she went with Blazer.” “Maybe,” I said, even though I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was out there by herself. “Look.” Jasmine whispered. The televisions had sprung to life, and my heart skipped a beat. There was Sinopa, and she was facing a Ralts. I held my breath as we watched the television screen. I hoped that Sinopa would be okay.

(Sinopa’s POV)

I quickly scanned the area around me. I saw nothing, and then suddenly a ralts appeared right in front of my face. Until now, I had only seen pictures of them in books. Yet, here I was face to snout with one. <Hi. You must be my opponent.> she said without moving her mouth. That caught me by surprise. Well, that and the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be battling. Before I could say anything, the ralts had released a bolt of electrical energy that I narrowly dodged. “Sorry, I thought you were ready to begin.” “Well, obviously, I wasn’t.” I retorted. “My name’s Grace, what’s yours?” “Sinopa.” “That’s pretty. Are you ready to battle now?” “I guess.” was my answer. It looked like I was going to be battling whether I wanted to or not. I took a deep breath, as I faced Grace.

Sinopa L.6 F Vulpix VS. Grace L.8 F Ralts

Grace immediately took a deep breath before exhaling a jet of flames. Though surprised, I quickly jumped out of the way, and focused on redirecting the fire back to Grace. Luckily, I succeeded. “I see that I surprised you, but you surprised me as well. Not only do we both have the same type hidden power, but I don’t see many fire types with the hidden power over the same element.” Boy, she was a talker, I thought to myself. Then it hit me, I didn’t see her anywhere around. I blinked, then realized that she must have teleported, about that time, I was hit from every direction imaginable by a wave of electrical energy. I cried out in pain, before whirling around. I saw Grace behind me, and before she could teleport off, I hit her with my two tails as I ran past. “Huh?” she muttered as I whirled around. I was in luck! Though she was at a higher level than me, she seemed to be lacking in battle experience. I grinned, as I whirled around and slashed her with my claws. <Ouch that hurt!> Grace cried out, obviously shocked. I was quickly enveloped in a violet glow, before I was tossed across the snow-covered landscape like a plushie. I quickly picked myself up, shaking the snow from my coat. I was getting tired, and I could bet that Grace was too. I ran towards her, and she immediately teleported out of the way. I had counted her on doing something like that, so I turned around so that my head was where my tails had been and vice versa. Then, I waited. Sure enough, she reappeared in front of my face. The look on her face was priceless. “Hi,” I said, before reaching out and slashing at her once more with my claws. This time, she fell down, and didn’t get up. I walked over to her, and nudged her with my nose. She remained limp.

I won!
I grew to L.7!
I learned Quick Attack!

I drug Grace over to where I had my fire going. Not long after she had come around, Blazer showed up. Grace quickly teleported off. Blazer, it turned out, had already had his battle, and was on his way back to the cabin when he stumbled upon us.

(Blazer’s POV)

Not long after I left, the swirling blizzard around me began to lessen, and eventually it came to a stop. In the distance, I could barely make out a floating shape. It must have spotted me, because it floated over to where I was. <Thanks for stopping that blizzard. If it wasn’t for that Sunny Day, it would have been harder for me to spot you.> I looked up to see an enormous metagross hovering above me. I was puzzled, because I hadn’t used my sunny day attack. If I hadn’t used sunny day, and the metagross didn’t, then who did? I looked up at the huge metallic pokemon. “Do you have a name?” I asked it. It began chuckling. <Of course I do. Tank is my name.> “My name’s Blazer.” <Nice to meet you, Blazer. Shall we battle?> “Yes, that’s what I came here to do after all.” I said as I braced myself, because I had a feeling that I knew why this metagross had the name Tank. Though metagross were genderless, Tanks voice and mannerisms made me think of it as a he.

Blazer L.69 M Arcanine Vs. Tank L.70 Metagross

At least the blizzard around us had stopped, albeit, it was still very cold. Luckily, though, I was a fire type and therefore could create my own warmth. I looked over at my opponent, trying to figure out the best course of action. I knew that toxic was out of the question. It would just slide off of its metallic hide. Before I knew it, vines were emerging from the snow-covered earth and entwining themselves around my legs. They didn’t stop there, and I realized why. Tank was trying to close my mouth and effectively eliminating the chance of me using my best attacks. I wasn’t going to let it happen. My mouth wasn’t shut yet, so I used the opportunity to spit out two tiny fireballs, before the vines reached my mouth. As I concentrated on making the fireballs circle me, the vines wrapped themselves tightly around my muzzle. I didn’t let it bother me, as I had a place to get out of this predicament thanks to the flame wheel that I had managed to start. By now, those two fireballs appeared as a solid ring encircling me. As it encircled, me, I could feel the vines hold on my legs lessening, until finally they were gone. The wheel of flame, then hurled itself at Tank who was staring at it in disbelief. I used that opportunity to slash the vines off my muzzle with my claws. They snapped rather easily, and I turned my attention back to Tank. There was a bright red spot on his metallic hide above his left eye. Tank quickly rose up into the air, as soon as he realized that I had spotted him. He hovered a few minutes before he flung himself at me. I was unable to dodge it, and a yelp escaped as I was sent sailing through the air, and landed headfirst into a snow bank. I extricated myself from the snow. That take down attack of his sure packed a punch. When I looked up at Tank, he had used the opportunity, to create five clones, and all six of them were surrounding me. I closed my eyes, focusing mainly on my sense of smell. Soon, I picked up the faintest trace of metal. I inhaled deeply, before exhaling a jet of flames in the direction that I had smelled Tank. Whenever I stopped the flamethrower attack, and opened my eyes, I noticed that there was only one Tank left, and his eyes were glowing violet. I felt myself being lifted into the air and squeezed form all sides. I gritted my teeth, before I was sent hurtling through the air once more. When I landed, I quickly scrambled to my paws, and was met by a shadow ball exploding right in my face. I glared at Tank, and he glared back. It was hard to tell which of us was taking the worst hits, as we both looked equally bad. The wind was starting to pick up, almost as if the blizzard was threatening to unleash its fury again. I quickly took in another deep breath, before once more exhaling another stream of flames at Tank. As soon, as they connected, Tank fell to the earth with a loud CLANK unconscious.

I won!
I grew to L.71!
I learned Body Slam as my free TM

I looked around, shaking the snow out of my coat. I proceeded to gather my bearing, as I slowly made my way back to the cabin. I crossed a hill, and came across a surprising sight. There was Sinopa lying beside a fire with a ralts beside her. I grinned. She must have been the little bugger that had used Sunny Day. AS I drew near, I noticed that she now had three tails. Though, the ralts teleported off before I could ask her any questions. Sinopa on the other hand, rattled off her excuse. “I wanted to see you battle up close. I was following you, but then I got separated. I didn’t want to battle, but she appeared wanting to. I ended up winning, but I missed getting to see your battle.” At this point, she started crying. “Shush.” I whispered to her, as I wiped the frozen tears off of her face as gently as I could. “You’re okay now.” She nodded, and I picked her up, and took her back to the cabin.

(Yana’s POV)

Luckily, Sinopa had won her battle though I had no idea why that Ralts had tried attacking her with a fire type hidden power. It would have had no effect. I was glad that she was okay, but before I could find out where she was, the televisions all blinked off. “Maybe Blazer will pick her up on the way back.” Amy said, trying to reassure me. “Maybe.” I said as the televisions came back to life. This time, as expected, we saw Blazer, and his opponent was a rather tough looking Metagross. I winced when I saw Blazer get hit by that take down attack. “I think he’ll be feeling that one in the morning.” I said. “I think he’s feeling it now.” Dodger replied. I shook my head, turning my attention back to the battle. Eventually, Blazer came out on top, just like I knew that he would. Once more the televisions blinked off yet again. We all groaned in annoyance. However, fifteen minutes later, the door to the cabin swung open as Blazer appeared carrying Sinopa. I ran over to Blazer and kissed him before I even had a chance to realize what I was doing. “Thanks for bringing her back safe.” I said, hoping that he would think that that was a kiss of gratitude. In all reality, I wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, and I wasn’t sure who was the most surprised me, Blazer, or the team. I gently took Sinopa from him, and walked over to a corner of the cabin blushing.

Linc

15th June 2004, 02:35 PM

Ok, another battle, I'll try as hard as I can to make this one interesting. Ok, Pond Room battles.

Linc's POV
~~~~~~~

Cyndaquil is dying by a horrible accident from a Slowpoke, and all my Pokemon are worried about him. He was smashed into an icy floor and shards of ice stabbed into his body, the wounds are deep, and he's lost a lot of blood. "Hey guys, how about some battling to get this off our minds. Cyndaquil's in good hands now." I say to my Pokemon, who look up with worried faces. All of them slowly nod and we move off towards the Pond room.

As soon as we enter, we all gasp. The room is beautiful, every inch of it covered with crystal-clear water. I walk over to the platform to get a better view. I put all my Pokemon in their Pokeballs as we all wouldn't fit on the platform and look in. It's almost like there's an entire world under the surface of the lake, with water Pokemon swarming about and dashing along, creating ripples across the surface. "Hey, you!" Shouts a voice. I look up and see a young boy about my age, pointing at my face. "Want to battle?" Ripping a Pokeball from his belt and holding it out.
"Sure! I'm Linc, who are you?"
"My name's Konta. You ready? Pokemon battle, start!" He presses the button on his Pokeball and flings it into the air. It explodes in a shower of light, and a Totodile jumps out and dives into the water. I throw a Pokeball to, and out hops Psycho, my Poliwag, and he dives into the water, also.

Battle! Psycho (Lv. 7 Male Poliwag) vs. Lv. 8 Totodile!

"Ferein, use Rage!" Konta shouts. His little blue gator dashes forwards so fast that waves shoot up besides him and sending beads of water everywhere. He heads right towards Psycho, who leaps above him. Ferein had gained so much momentum by then, he runs right into the wall. "Psycho! Whirlpool!" Psycho jumps into the water and starts swimming in circles. He picks up speed and the center of the pond turns into a funnel and Ferein is getting sucked in. Before Ferein gets pulled under, he jumps out of the water. “Ferein, use Scratch!” Ferein jumps back down, and claws Psycho in the face, sending him flying back into the water. “Psycho! Bubble!” Psycho shoots a stream of bubbles at Ferein, which explode, and they both jump back in he water.
The whirlpool ends with a stream of water shooting out of the center. Ferein and Psycho rush towards each other, bashing into each other every second. Every time they collide, they create large waves, flinging water Pokemon into the air. The battle rages on. Hit after hit after hit. “Ferein! Finish it off! Use Scratch with all your strength!” Ferein rushes in, sending up more waves. Psycho tries to dodge, but he’s too slow and Ferein claws him in the back. “No, Psycho! Try to keep fighting!”
By now, Psycho had been trying to fight back as hard as he could against the stronger Pokemon. As hard as he tried, Ferein had beaten him in agility, strength, and sheer power.
“Psycho! Last try! Use Bubble!” I shout. Psycho gets up slowly, but seems to get all his strength back rapidly. He leaps into the air, much higher than he could before and shoots one last stream of bubbles. The bubbles fly towards Ferein, who tries to evade, but every single bubble hits, exploding with great force. Ferein starts to sink under the water, his eyes closed and he coughs and sputters a bit. “Ferein, return!” shouts Konta who holds out his Pokeball and sucks up the little alligator and puts it on his belt.

Psycho wins! He grows to level 8!

“Pretty good.” Konta says. “How about another round?”
“Okay, you better do good this time!”
“Oh, I will!”
Konta rips off another Pokeball and flings it into the air. “Go, Herein!” A small blue Mudkip hops out, and leaps into the water, and floats on its back while spitting water into the air. I pull out the Pokeball of Spirit, my Treecko, and throw it into the air, and she jumps out, puts a twig in her mouth, and dives into the water. “Okay, second round! Pokemon battle, go!”

Battle! Spirit (Lv. 6 Female Treecko) vs. Lv. 15 Mudkip!

“Spirit! Mega Punch!” Spirit rushes in, her fist glowing, creating waves just like Ferein, and punches Herein in the side. Herein barely even notices and just whirls around and smashes Spirit in the face with his tail. “Herein, Water Gun!” Herein dove underwater and came up behind Spirit and fired a blob of water at her back. “Spirit! Pound!” Spirit does a front flip and whacks Herein in the face with her tail and then does another Mega Punch on Herein’s face, sending Herein flying into the wall. “Herein! Tackle!” Konta shouts. “Spirit! Do another Mega Punch!” The two rush at each other, going at such a speed, that when they collide, all the water goes up around them while they’re standing on hard ground. “Their fighting patterns are so alike…” I whisper, “Spirit, Absorb!” Spirit swims up to Herein and latches on to him. She starts to glow green and Herein’s body starts to go limp. Before Spirit finishes the Absorption, Herein jumps off and shoots another Water Gun at Spirit. Spirit comes back with another Mega Punch and sends Herein flying into Konta’s platform.
“Herein, Tackle it again!”
“Spirit, evade and use Mega Punch!”
Spirit leaps over Herein, and dives back down, hitting the Mudkip in the back of the head. It seems like Spirit is winning until Herein suddenly pulls her under the water. “Spirit!” I shout. No answer. There are many waves shooting up in different parts of the Pond Room, marks that the two are fighting. After a while there’s silence. There’s no more waves or anything, just the calm waters of the lake. All of the sudden, Spirit jumps out of the water, Herein under her arms. “Herein…” Konta says quietly. He pulls out his Pokeball and sucks up the little blue fish, and Spirit jumps on to my platform.

Spirit wins! She grows to level 8!

I scoop up Spirit and hold her in my arms. ”Good battle!” I shout to Konta.
“Thanks.” Konta answers. I walk out of the room to go check on Cyndaquil...

AntiAsh Superstar

15th June 2004, 06:55 PM

*wanders in with a few more battles to share* Hehe, I'm very prolific all of a sudden. :oh: Actually I just really needed to get this one out of the way in order to set up an idea I have for the background story of my next tournament battle. ;) Some of this may be a little less confusing if you've read either my Lucky Saga or Inner Circle fics. ^_^;;

-----
Life was hard when you were an Onix. Although she was only young, Brandy had already grown to realise that her incredible mass was posing more problems than it was worth. She couldn't stay in the house with the others, for a start, she was forced into living in the garden with only the plants for company. Whenever we had to go anywhere she was always the one who was carried around in a pokéball, only the most open of terrain allowing her the chance to see the outside world. And then there were relations with the others. She was paranoid about accidentally crushing her new friends - if indeed you could call them friends, for other than Ryo-Ohki the Onix had hardly managed to say a word to her new teammates. Socialising always seemed to be a problem for her. If anyone tried to talk to her she would just blush and stammer and fall silent, and god forbid the concept of actually opening up a conversation! Just the thought of the million ways she could ruin things was enough to send shivers down Brandy's spine. So it was probably for the best that she stayed out of the way, keeping contact with the others to a minimum.

Much like another member of the team, in fact.

"I envy you." It was a bright summer morning, the sun already filling the sky with an almost overwhelming brightness. And Brandy was resigning herself to watching the bees busy flying between the brightly coloured flowers of our large garden. In between rounds of the Unicorn Games, it had been voted unanimously that home was a much better place to locate ourselves, the combined powers of Sindel, Kirei and Rhiannon's supernatural powers being more than enough to teleport our entire group. Well, that was fine by Brandy. At least she could be outside as much as she liked here, instead of being confined to a room specially designed to house her bulk. The one thing she hadn't expected upon her arrival was being accosted by a small, orange creature with mushrooms growing out of its back, sporting the most exasperated expression a Bug type could muster. Brandy instinctively drew back. "Relax, I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to, we're always so busy that I still haven't had a chance to try out those TMs I was bought years ago. I just thought I'd come out here with you, since you don't run your mouth off all the time unlike some creatures, and it makes a refreshing change."
"P... pardon?" Brandy stammered.
"You needn't be nervous, you know. Nobody around here cares what anybody else says, in fact you'd be encouraged to act like a fool." Scratchy waved a pincer in disgust. "Bunch of idiots, the whole lot of them, if they actually do seem to have a brain then there's some other mental condition ruining them. I mean, look at that Rhiannon, she'd be quite pleasant company if she didn't keep turning into a child every other hour. That's why I envy you. You at least have a very good excuse to stay out of it, and if I were you I'd stay that way. Between lesbian Growlithes and zombie-obsessed Gastlys and Dratinis whose political stance amounts to 'power corrupts therefore everyone in power is useless' it's all more hassle than it's worth."
"I... I don't r... really want to st... stay out of it though." Forcing herself to talk like this was one of the hardest things Brandy had ever had to do, and it almost brought tears to her eyes. Especially when the Paras eyed her oddly. In her mind that was pretty much an admission of hatred. "Sorry... I shouldn't open my mouth, should I?"
"You earn my respect for actually thinking about whether you should open your mouth before doing so. If only more were like you, the world would be a lot more peaceful." Scratchy sighed deeply. "Listen. I'm not too good at this' giving advice' thing, I always believed in just letting everyone get on with it, but I will say this. You and I, we both stay out of the way. But I at least like it that way. If you really want to get involved, just do so. It's better to try and know for sure than to spend years worrying about 'what if' situations, right?" With this the Paras scuttled off on his way to whatever dark nook he had originally intended to shut himself off in, leaving Brandy alone to mull over his words. It all made a great deal of sense in theory. The problem was whether or not she had the strength within her to act upon Scratchy's advice.
"Hey. Are you okay?" As fate would have it, the Onix was almost immediately presented with the opportunity to find out. Rhiannon had been very busy at the far end of the garden chasing butterflies until even her genetically enhanced frame could take no more exercise. And now she was on her way back indoors to cool off. But not before stopping to eye Brandy with a curious look upon her face. "It can't be much fun just being stuck here all day."
"N... no, it's not." Brandy turned a deep crimson colour upon being addressed, somehow managing to blush despite being a Rock-type that normally found such things impossible. "I hate being so large, sometimes I wish I had been born a Diglett." Suddenly the Onix caught herself. "Uhh... sorry. I don't know where that came from. Sorry."
"No need to apologise!" Rhiannon laughed brightly. "I know I'd go mad if I had to be cooped up all the time... and let's just ignore the people who say I'm already mad, what do they know? Still..." Here the Eevee looked all around her, taking in the neat lawns, the bright flower beds, the perimeter fence enclosing the entire garden. "No way to get you out yet, we'll just have to teach you to Dig at some point."
"I couldn't!" Brandy seemed horrified. "I couldn't mess up this beautiful garden!"
"In that case there's nothing for it." Rhiannon grinned broadly, the childlike aspect of her persona being in full control for once. "We're just gonna have to play here then, aren't we?"
"Really? Well..." A smile crept across Brandy's rocky face. "I'd like that a lot. So what do you want to play?"

"Breakfast for... what is it now, fifteen of us on Ade's team, five on Soo's, two humans, one bloody great psychic wolf... so that's twenty three. Great. All I ever use my powers for lately is coordinating mealtimes, just for once I'd like to see everyone try and cook for themselves instead of relying on me to do it all!" Sindel, it had to be said, had been in better moods. Trying to cater for everyone who wanted food, look after Ryo-Ohki and fit in time to keep in shape was beginning to take its toll, the Alakazam having hardly slept for the past few days in a desperate attempt to fit everything in. It wasn't doing much for her temperament, which had never been perfect to begin with.
"Just a thought, Sindel, maybe they would if you gave them the chance, you always have it all ready and prepared before anyone who could cook is even awake!" Pandora poked her head through the serving hatch, trying to offer an explanation. But as ever, it was a case of the wrong words at the wrong moment. Tact was something the Houndour was never likely to possess.
"Well we'd never leave the house until evening if I didn't!" Sindel snapped. "Look, Pandora, can't you just go and bug Milliardo or something? I'm kind of busy here."
"Fine, I just get in the way, don't I? I might as well just throw myself off the nearest cliff and be done with it."
"Wait, it's not that..."
"Hey, it's called 'taking the piss out of myself', you dolt, do you really think I'm that much of a spoilt little attention whore?" The Houndour glared at Sindel. "Now I really am pissed off that you thought I might have been serious! All I wanted to ask you was if you'd seen Pearl around, I'm in need of advice."
"Haven't a clue." Sindel sighed deeply before putting down the baking tray she was currently clasping and wandering over to her friend. "Look, I'm sorry if I was a little ratty, okay? Alakazams may be able to do loads of things at once but even they have their limits. Is it anything I can help with at all? I know I'm no Pearl but I can try and be a rather poor substitute."
"Well..." The Houndour seemed rather dubious, but the need to get things off her chest won out in the end. Sindel was only going to find out in the end anyway. "It's about Milliardo's sister, Rhiannon. I used to know her, before I joined the team."
"Wait, is this before the Dark Cloak or after?"
"Anyway, the trouble is that I know something that she ought to know but doesn't," the Houndour continued, rather neatly avoiding a potentially awkward question. "And if and when she does find out I'm worried it's going to break her further." Pandora laughed hollowly. "All of a sudden I understand how frustrating I must be to deal with, that's the sort of really annoying attitude that always gets me down even further."
"Well then there's no problem, is there?" Sindel replied bluntly. "You know what it's like to have things kept from you to avoid causing you worry, the question is whether you're willing to inflict that on someone else."
"You know something? For a Pearl substitute you're really not all that terrible." A slight smile formed upon Pandora's muzzle. "Thanks. I'm just less than happy about having to be the bearer of bad news, that's all, but I guess I've no choice. Oh, and Sindel?"
"Yes?"
"You should probably check the oven at some point. I think I can see smoke." Cackling in a manner that wouldn't have been out of place coming from Milliardo, the Houndour swiftly left Sindel to her own devices. For maybe sometimes life did deal you a bad hand. But eventually that hand could be replaced. All you needed to do was take a few chances.

"Okay, guys." That evening we found ourselves back in a more than familiar place, once again ably assisted by the combined forced of all of those pokémon capable of using some sort of magical power. The large, pristine lobby of the training grounds set up specifically to provide assistance to trainer before the Unicorn Games. And now that the Games were underway this seemed to be an almost deserted place, the hustle and bustle now replaced with an almost eerie stillness. "We still have three more rooms that we can train in, the Blizzard, Desert and Jungle rooms. And seeing as I'm useless at making decisions I figured that maybe one of you had a preference."
"What're ya talkin' about, man?" Katnip rolled his eyes. "I don't care where I fight as long as I actually get ta fight!"
"The Blizzard room sounds interesting, actually," Rhiannon commented, peering over at the flyer held within my clutches that described the settings for each room. This was probably my fiftieth copy, I managed to get them lost or destroyed so frequently! "To battle in sub-zero conditions would be quite a challenge."
"No it wouldn't, Rhi, it?d just be 'Rhiannon's opponent comes out, Rhiannon blows it to the other side of the room'. Either that or you'd suddenly have one of your turns upon entry, and I refuse to believe that even you could be merciless enough to let that happen."
"Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, Milliardo. And in response to your other comment..." The Eevee turned to face her brother directly, her fur beginning to prickle up with an unseen force. For the briefest of moments her forehead split slightly, revealing an almost blinding emerald light that dazzled the Umbreon. And then, as quickly as it had arrived, the light vanished without trace, leaving Rhiannon looking as if nothing had even happened. "...this I only use when there?s no other choice. There's no benefit in using it in battle against anyone of lower strength than Reaper."
"Okay, Rhi, you're amazing, now will you kindly not do that again without warning me first? I'm not going to be able to see for weeks now!"
"Sorry. I forgot how bright it could get."
"Forgot? The %*^£ing thing's embedded into your skull, for £^$%'s sake, how could you possibly..." Suddenly Milliardo noticed the other members of the team staring at him oddly. "Yes?"
"Have you two quite finished?" I asked pointedly.
"Forgive us." Rhiannon bowed politely, but it seemed the best I was going to get out of Milliardo was a derisive snort.
"Anyway, does anyone else have any preferences?" Silence. "Okay then. Blizzard room it is, then. Shall we go?"
"I think you may want to go home and get that goth coat of yours first, Ade," Pearl remarked. "I don't think it'll be called the Blizzard room for nothing, you know."
"What, there's going to be real blizzards in there?" Megan asked.
"No, but I'd bet Tsuyoi's entire fortune on it being very, very cold."
"And we'll probably have to fight lots of Ice type pokémon in there too. I know what these training grounds are like by now." I sighed with forced despair. "Alright, alright, we take a short detour, then. I should probably make sure Soo hasn't let Kassandra wreck the house before we start, anyway. Sindel, would you mind helping me back home?"
"Sure thing, Ade." Grabbing hold of my arm, the Alakazam concentrated hard, and before we knew it we were back in the familiar surroundings of our own lounge. There was the large leather sofa, the coffee table that was amassing a horrendously large collection of unwashed glasses. The TV cabinet that housed not only television, but also DVD, video recorder and almost every games console in existence. And of course, the resident monster, curled up on one of the lounge chairs and looking almost cute in his sleep, his many tails wrapped around him protectively. One eye lazily opened, revealing blood red set in pure darkness.
"What is it this time, Ade? Wallet? Keys? The pokémon you were supposed to be training today?"
"Coat," I replied. "We're tackling the Blizzard Room."
"It's hung up over there, now piss off and leave me to sleep. Contrary to popular belief I do stop to rest occasionally," Tsuyoi grumbled, gesturing with a silky black paw. Apparently he wasn't in the best of moods today. Come to think of it, he had been sulking ever since our last visit to the Eevee House. Well, for now it was probably best just to leave him be. The best time to concern myself with Tsuyoi's problems was when he wanted me to. In the meantime I had training to go back to.

"Uh..." Back at the training grounds, Pandora had decided to seize the opportunity to have a word with Rhiannon. Yet it was hard. The Eevee had been her superior at one point, back in those dark, dark days of Resomegnis and the Dark Cloak. Held in higher esteem than even Amon, the misplaced, honourable Umbreon that the Houndour had once considered a big brother. In fact, Amon was the root of the entire problem. "Lady Rhiannon...?"
"We were wondering how long it would take you to approach us again, Pandora." A slight smile formed on Rhiannon's lips. "Please, though, there's no need to refer to us as 'Lady' these days. Rhiannon will do nicely now we're free of rank, or even Rhi if you'd prefer. After all, we are practically sisters-in-law now."
"Sorry. Old habits die hard."
"So I can see." Pandora could help but notice that the Eevee's eyes were fixated upon a relatively new scar on one of her front legs, and felt the heat rush to her cheeks. "So what is it that you wanted, Pandora?"
"Well... I... for $&%^'s sake will you stop staring at my leg like that!" The Houndour scowled. "I'm uncomfortable enough as it is without having my every blemish scrutinised! Look, there's one or two on my hind legs that you probably haven't seen before as well, you want to go stare madly at those, too? Or no, even better, why don't you just come out with it and admonish me for being such a stupid, stupid creature for acting like this?"
"Pandora..."
"I mean, sure, it is stupid. Every time it happens I just feel worse about myself, because I know I'm hurting those who care about me as well, and then I punish myself more and more and if we're being honest there may even come a day when I just won't be able to stop until every last drop of blood has drained out of me. Have you any idea what that's like? To feel that full of disgust with yourself?"
"No, I..."
"Of course you don't, because you're the amazing Lady Rhiannon and you can do no wrong. Well let me tell you something, before you start giving me unspoken admonishments for this kindly cast your mind back and remember all those that you yourself made suffer. At least my only victim is myself!" With this, the Houndour stormed off angrily, apparently having completely forgotten what it was that she was originally going to say.
"Pandora..." Rhiannon sighed, her front paw reaching up and brushing against her own forehead, absently feeling for the area that hid the markings that revealed her true nature. "You haven't changed. Still as untainted as ever, and still suffering because of that. Please don't turn against us for our past, though. We'd like to think of you as a friend, and those are too rare to risk losing."

Half an hour later, and most of the team were beginning to wonder if their fur really offered much protection from the cold at all. The Blizzard room wasn't really much of a room at all, more like a snowy wasteland, arctic conditions maintained by some kind of high-tech machinery that somehow provided both snow and a harsh, icy wind that sucked every last drop of warmth from your body. Only the occasional log cabin seemed to provide any respite from the never-ending white that stretched for what appeared to be miles in all directions. In short, this was a desolate place.
"Damn it!" Milliardo complained, huddling close to the sulky Pandora for warmth. "All of a sudden I'm wishing I hadn't evolved, at least Eevees get nice, thick, bushy coats to protect them!"
"Quite griping, Milly!" Rhiannon stuck her tongue out at her brother. The past half hour had seen yet another personality shift. Apparently the adult part of her mind was merciless enough to sit back and watch this time. "If you must know I'm freezing to death here as well!"
"I don't see what the big problem is," Beckham giggled, staggering along drinking from a small hipflask and occasionally treading on Kasumi's tail in front of him. Fortunately the tail in question was mostly fur anyway. "I'm as warm as a piece of toast in front of a fire on a hot summer's day in Bermuda."
"Where the hell did you get that flask from?" Sindel rolled her eyes, the biting cold doing nothing for her already cantankerous temperament.
"A friendly mountain dog gave it to me," the Wartortle chuckled, offering his drink round and being pleasantly surprised that the only takers were Milliardo and myself. "I'd fallen in an icy pond and had to be rescued by a St. Bernard, only I was so cold he had to give me the entire flask of brandy to revive me."
"And when did this happen, then?" I asked. "I only left you alone for two minutes."
"Ah, well, in two minutes anything can happen," he grinned by way of response.
"Look," Pearl cut in, "can we just hurry over to one of those huts and warm up a bit before continuing this conversation? I'm starting to lose the feeling in my paws here."
"Really?" Katnip's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I reckon I should test whether yer tellin' the truth or not."
"Bugger off, Katnip!" Pearl giggled. "If you're suggesting doing what I think you are, you're going to have to catch me first!" With this the Ninetales darted off into the distance, daring Katnip to chase after her like a little cub. My Raticate took the bait admirably, using his Quick Attack to propel himself after her. Well, if you couldn't relax a little in a controlled environment such as the training grounds what could you do?

"AHHAHAHAAA!!! No fair, no fair!!!!" By the time the rest of us had reached the nearest shelter Katnip and Pearl had already been there for several minutes. And from the sounds of things the Raticate hadn't had any problems in catching his partner. So it was no surprise, then, to find Katnip busying himself proving how less than numb Pearl's paws really were by tickling them with his whiskers the instant we threw the cabin door open.
"Oh my God, you're still at that?" Milliardo rolled his eyes. "Hasn't the novelty of making Pearl squeal worn off yet? You've only been doing it since the Dragon Games... still, it does look like fun..."
"Go £&%$ yourself, Milliardo!" Pandora exclaimed, scuttling quickly to the opposite side of the cabin the instant she recognised the evil look in her boyfriend's eyes. "I'd only kick you unless I really wanted it, anyway. So get back to me when the need for me to laugh becomes a matter of life or death, okay?"
"Oh, you're no fun," the Umbreon grumbled.
"Hey, you can tickle me if you like!" Kasumi offered, even going so far as to roll onto her back to expose her belly. "I'd welcome it!"
"Don't you have a girlfriend to not cheat on now, Sumi?" I asked idly, watching the few trainers battling within this harsh room through a pair of binoculars that had been kindly left by the person before me. "Okay, now aside from Rhiannon who else would like to battle?"
"Uhh... Ade, we've kind of changed our mind, honest." Rhiannon whined. "It's too cold out there!"
"Rhi, you're such a wuss," Milliardo chuckled. "You've had ages to back out, you should probably just accept the fact that you're in need of training and hence should make the most of today."
"Look, I'll accompany her if that's okay." Sindel sighed. "Being not exactly built for staying still in these temperatures I might as well go out and warm myself up with a battle." The Alakazam turned to Rhiannon. "Come on, it won't be as bad as it looks, the cold isn't unbearable and if it's battling you're worried about it's not as if we'll be up against anything that'll really want to hurt us. Come on, Rhiannon, you've survived a lot worse than this."
"I haven't," the Eevee grumbled. "She has."
"Quit using your weirdness as an excuse, Rhi, and get on with it before we all really do freeze to death." By now Milliardo was getting tired of waiting. And when the Umbreon got tired, he got irritable. "Move it!" He was now all but pushing his sister towards the door with his nose. "And Thingy, you so much as dare let anything bad happen to her..."
"Milliardo, this is a training room. She'll be fine." Sindel rolled her eyes, heading for the exit herself and opening it, only to be practically blown backwards by a particularly vicious gale. "Annoying winds notwithstanding, of course. Come on, Rhiannon, we're not going to let some stupid breeze beat us!" Annoyed, the Alakazam made for the door again, this time using her considerable psychic power to fix herself firmly to the spot. It did the trick admirably. "Let's go."
"Don't you just hate her when she gets all authoritative?" Milliardo tipped his sister a wink. "Good luck, Rhi, I'll see you soon if the cold or fighting your opponent or having to deal with Thingy doesn't result in your death."
"Gee, you really make me feel good about my chances out there," the Eevee complained, heading for the open door herself. "Alright. I'm ready. We're gonna do this."

All of three minutes later Rhiannon was seriously beginning to regret not chickening out of the battle ahead of her. The cold was simply unbearable, not even her thick, fluffy ruff providing much in the way of protection from its terrible numbing bite. On top of that the winds that whipped around the arena kept blowing her over, her small Eevee frame lacking some of the sturdiness that her companion for today possessed. It was just a case of walk a few steps, get blown backwards, walk a few more steps, get blown even further, until Rhiannon could swear she was actually losing ground. It was enough to bring tears of sheer frustration to her eyes. Why was fate so cruel, to give her this little choice over her own destiny? Lately all of the decisions seemed to have been made by the cold, ruthless being that always seemed to force its way into her mind. It simply wasn't fair, any of it.
"Hey, come on." All of a sudden the Eevee found herself being lifted up by a pair of sand-coloured arms that possessed a remarkable strength for their apparent frailty. "We're getting nowhere like this. I'll just have to carry you until we find an opponent, won't I?" Rhiannon couldn't find it within herself to argue. In fact, it was nice to be carried about. All of a sudden she could see why Kassandra, Soo's errant Charmander, never seemed to put up any objections when her trainer seemed intent on holding her all the time. It was quite a pleasant sensation. Just being able to close her eyes and try and put reality on hold for a moment, the weight from both mind and paws lifted, albeit for a mere moment. If it weren't for the blizzard-like conditions the Eevee could have probably drifted off to sleep like this. "Hey!" Before Rhiannon really did doze off, Sindel's voice jolted her back to reality. "I think we might have found you an opponent. Take a look."
"Wha..?" The Eevee unwillingly opened her eyes to take a look at what her friend was talking about. There in the distance stood a solitary figure, a short, squat, pink pokémon with a totally blank expression upon its slack-jawed face. "Is that what I'm fighting?" Rhiannon didn't like the look of this. The statue-like stillness of the creature made her feel less than comfortable.
"Yeah, why not?" Sindel shrugged by way of reply, putting her load back down into the snow once more. "It's a Slowpoke. They're usually good for practice, even Becks could outsmart them. Although having said that, Katnip once fought a Slowbro who just stood there just like that but was really intelligent behind it all, so who knows what to think?" Rhiannon wasn't listening. She was too busy creeping closer and closer to her opponent, not really sure what to make of the odd creature.
"Hello?" she said nervously. "D... do you mind if we battle?" A ten second pause. "Would that be okay?"
"Sure." The Slowpoke finally exhaled. "Let's... fight... now." Each time the pokémon breathed out it would say a word. Which made for a decidedly odd conversationalist.
"Okay! I'm ready when you are!" Rhiannon tensed herself, ready for battle. True, she had no idea how to utilise half of the terrible powers that her body could potentially harness, and maybe that was for the best. But she still knew a trick or two. Not all of the training her merciless alter-ego had undergone had gone completely over her head, after all! "Well, what are you waiting for?" Evidently the Slowpoke had forgotten how to start a battle, for it was just standing there with the same vacant expression on its face. "Hello?" The Eevee edged closer, extending a paw to touch the pokémon on the nose. "Are... are you okay?"
"Sure..." the Slowpoke said suddenly, causing Rhiannon to jump from shock. "And... by... the... way... good... luck... little... one." The pokémon yawned, its considerable mouth opened wide to reveal teeth perfectly designed for the marine diet the Slowpoke species thrived upon. "Now... let's... start."
"Bring it on, buster!" Rhiannon smiled, standing in a poor imitation of Milliardo's pre-battle stance. "You're going down!"

FIGHT!!! L7 Eevee v L15 Slowpoke!

Even to an inexperienced fighter like Rhiannon's childlike side, the correct way to start a battle against a Slowpoke was obvious. Take advantage of its natural sluggishness before it had a chance to utilise an attack of its own.
"Okay, let's show you what we can do!" Quickly the Eevee darted at her opponent, throwing her full body into a fearsome Tackle attack. With most pokémon this would have been enough in its own to send them crashing to the floor, especially given Rhiannon's magically altered physique. But a Slowpoke was built for sturdiness, and all that the little Eevee managed to do was to bounce harmlessly off its side, crashing into a large mound of snow for her troubles, "Hey!" Rhiannon's head poked almost comically out of the snowdrift, a pile of cold white fluff sat atop her head like some sort of bizarre hat. She shook herself vigorously, both to rid herself of snow and also to warm her cold body up somewhat. "That wasn't supposed to happen! So what else can we do... ah, I know!" Rhiannon cast a ferocious glare over in her opponent's direction, hoping to weaken its defences by intimidation. But either the Slowpoke was too dense to register the Leer attack, or Rhiannon simply lacked a single ounce of menace, for there seemed to be little effect on her opponent. Not for the first time she wished there could have been a little cooperation between the different sides to her personality. No doubt the creature that shared her body would have been able to pull that off. And probably turn it into a Glare to boot.
"My... turn..." the Slowpoke breathed. The grand opportunity Rhiannon had hoped to take advantage of had been wasted, and now it was her opponent's turn to show her a few tricks of its own. "Sorry... little... one..." All of a sudden the dopey-looking pokémon's eyes flashed red, and Rhiannon found herself being thrown backwards, smashed hard in the chest with a terrible unseen force that brought tears to her eyes from the impact. From this perspective, skidding through the snow with the blank-faced Slowpoke waddling after her in a fashion that now seemed incredibly threatening, the battle didn't seem nearly as easy as it might have first appeared. Especially when the Slowpoke finally caught up to Rhiannon, its speed quite remarkable for its species, and rammed its thick skull hard into her, sending her rolling further.
"Ouch..." Rhiannon picked herself up unsteadily, wincing as she did so. She had to stop this rather cruel game of soccer, with herself in the role of the ball, somehow! But evidently this wasn't going to be today, for a second psychic blow knocked her back to the ground again. The Eevee was close to collapse. She couldn't withstand much more of this. "Leave me alone!" Willing all of the energy she had remaining into her mind, she threw all of her power into summoning up some last-ditch attack, even though she had no idea what that attack was going to be. As it happened, this desperate attempt as trying something different seemed to work. All of a sudden a huge spear-like tentacle of ice-cold grass shot out from underneath the Slowpoke, knocking it to one side before standing tall and erect, frozen instantly in place by the terrible conditions of the training room. "I... I..." It had taken every last drop of energy Rhiannon had to give to conjure up the Hidden Power attack, and she felt just about ready to pass out from sheer exhaustion. But no. There was still a battle to be finished. It wouldn't do to collapse. Not just yet. Shaking her head, Rhiannon eyed her opponent carefully. The attack had damaged it, certainly, but this battle was far from over. Already the pink creature was waddling towards her, the same vacant expression within its eyes as had been in place for the entire fight.
"That... hurt..." the Slowpoke complained.
"Agree to battle, and you have to accept the consequences," the Eevee responded calmly. "Now if you'll pardon us we have to finish what we started." Abruptly Rhiannon pounced, a well-timed leap that caused her to land hard on top of her opponent knocking it to the floor from above. Without so much as pausing for breath she bounced off its fleshy body, using its girth to propel herself upwards. And at this point she called upon her Hidden Power once again. Vine after vine came erupting from the surrounding ground, bumping and jostling the Slowpoke until it was practically being juggled by the grassy tentacles. "Three... two... one..." The vines withdrew back into the ground at almost the exact same instant that Rhiannon's paws were once again touching snow, leaving her opponent to come crashing down to the floor in a lifeless heap. "Done." A subtle smile crossed the Eevee's face. "I'm sure next time I won't have to interfere, either. Just a little longer, and we'll be able to take care of ourselves at any point."

Rhiannon wins!
Rhiannon grew to L9!
Rhiannon learned Sand Attack!

"Remarkable improvement in your skills, there, Rhiannon," Sindel noted dryly as her Eevee companion returned from her battle. "If I didn't know better I'd say you suddenly remembered everything you said you were going to try to forget."
"It was either that or lose, Sindel, and that option would benefit nobody bar our opponent." Evidently the stress of the battle had forced the Eevee into yet another of her shifts. "Anyway, you will be okay finding an opponent on your own, won't you? I'm afraid I may have upset Pandora slightly earlier and I'd like to get back to apologise."
"Sure, go ahead, anything that gets her out of a bad mood is more than welcome," the Alakazam shrugged, secretly glad that Rhiannon was leaving. For as adorably sweet as the infant Rhiannon was, the mature version was more than a little creepy, and she didn't much fancy having to keep her company alone. "Can you find your way back okay?" The look that Rhiannon gave her was answer enough, a look that made her look almost identical to Milliardo when he was younger. It was almost as if Sindel could hear him in her head going of course I can, you moron, what kind of $^%&wit do you take me for? "I'll take that as a 'yes', then. Okay, I'll see you back at the cabin." Sindel watched the Eevee leave with a mixture of bemusement and concern. There was something about her... something that she couldn't quite place...
"Hey!" A sudden yell from behind her shook Sindel out of her contemplation, instead giving her cause to jump in the air with a yell of surprise. "Hahahaha, that's gotta be a world record!"
"Why you little..." It was as much as the Alakazam could do to prevent herself from throwing her spoons at this latest distraction out of sheer fury. But in the end common sense prevailed over her increasingly irritable mood. And so she turned slowly, to find herself staring at... well, nothing, in actual fact. Her opponent was quite noticeably shorter than she was and she could stare over its head with ease. And a cursory look down revealed a strange little creature with distinctly monkey-like features, a Meditite if she remembered correctly. A Fighting/ Psychic type. And no doubt the species of her latest adversary. Apparently it had found her rather than it being the other way around. "Do you find that funny or something?"
"Gee, someone got out of bed on the wrong side this morning! Chill out, would you?" Meditites were supposed to be quite focused, mystical creatures, but clearly nobody had bothered to tell this particular one. It seemed to act more like a cross between Beckham and one of Milliardo's better moods. "Anyway, my name's Johan." The pokémon offered a hand and Sindel took it dubiously. "I'm supposed to kick the asses of anyone I find wandering about here, you know, give them a good fight and all that stuff. You probably know how these places work."
"Only too well," Sindel replied.
"Oh good, that means we can get on with it then, there's a soccer match on in an hour and my trainer promised we could watch it." The little pokémon grinned broadly, evidently not really caring much as to how it came across to others. Which was an admirable trait in some ways, it had to be said. Far too much time was wasted putting on pretenses for others. "You up for a good fight before that, though?"
"I'm ready whenever you are." Sindel grasped the spoons she carried around tightly, ready to unleash the full extent of her psychic arsenal. She knew better than to take any opponent lightly. Even short little goofy Fighting types.
"Good," the Meditite smirked, striking a fighting pose. "Because I'm ready."

FIGHT!!! L21 Alakazam v L19 Meditite!

"Ready or not, here I come!" Sindel hardly had a chance to size her opponent up properly before the Meditite sprang at her, flying through the air foot first in a jumping kick that would have been impossible to dodge using physical reactions alone. Fortunately Sindel didn't have a problem there. The instant she saw the pokémon coming towards her she swiftly relocated herself two feet to the left, blinking in and out of existence in no time at all. "Hey! No fair!"
"Take on an Alakazam and that's what you get," Sindel commented. "We're notorious Teleporters." This was her chance to strike, while her opponent was still too busy orienting itself with her new position to properly attack. Concentrating hard, she summoned up all of her psychic energies and cast them in the form of a single white beam of energy that rammed hard into the Meditite and knocked it off its feet easily. Well, that had gone better than expected! Sindel had never had the chance to use her newly-discovered Psybeam attack before. Come to think of it, this was her first battle at all since her recent evolution.
"Uhh... man, you sure do pack a punch! Well, not to worry! They put me in here for a reason!" The little pokémon concentrated hard, a real frown of concentration upon its face. All of a sudden the snow around Sindel seemed to rear up, threatening to envelop her it its icy coldness. "I control the snow, you see. There's no way to win," Sindel's opponent chuckled.
"Really? Well, that's funny..." Sindel furrowed her brow, deep in concentration. There was only one way out of this one! "So do I." By now her Hidden Power had been with her for so long that it hardly required any effort to tap into. Although finding the best way to utilise it was a different matter entirely. Especially given the constant cold that was a permanent distraction for any pokémon not fortunate enough to be an Ice type already or having either sufficient blubber or fur to stay warm. But in this particular case the best use for her control over ice was quite obvious. Staring her in the face, even. Clutching her spoons tightly to aid in her efforts, the Alakazam forced all of her energy into overcoming her opponent's Hidden Power with that of her own. For what seemed like an eternity nothing happened, the two pokémon locked in a silent struggle for control. And then, slowly but surely, the huge walls of snow began to break into chunks, eventually transformed into whole fleets of levitating snowballs awaiting their next instructions.
"Oh no..." The Meditite began to back off slowly, the worry evident in its tones.
"Oh yes." There was almost a sadistic pleasure in watching her opponent panic like this, but Sindel wasn't the sort to revel in having the upper hand. She had seen one too many of Milliardo's less successful sparring attempts with Katnip to make that mistake! "Hope you're good at dodging, that's all I can say!" Suddenly the Alakazam's eyes flashed, and the snowballs fired themselves at her opponent in rapid-fire succession. The first few the Meditite managed to avoid, but the barrage simply became too much for it after that, and it quickly found itself buried deep within a huge mound of snow that simply grew and grew until there was no more snow left for Sindel to throw. Cautiously she approached, her senses telling her that her opponent was anything but finished. But it couldn't stay in contact with the freezing snow for that long. Not unless it was somehow using its Hidden Power to give itself a little immunity to the cold. Which was most definitely possible. "Come out of there and let's get on with it!"
"Well, if you insist!" Abruptly the Meditite jumped out of the snow, planting a harsh kick on Sindel's chin as it did so. Well, that was about enough for the Alakazam! Furiously she fired a huge blast of power at her opponent, a blast that seemed to pass straight through it, causing the pokémon to shudder and twitch. And eventually fall to one knee in the snow, its body no longer responding to any commands it may have been trying to give it. "What... wha' wuzzat?" the Meditite finally managed to force out of its numbed mouth.
"Oh, that? My take on Thunder Wave," Sindel replied. "Well, I'm not known for my command of electricity, so I figured psychic powers would work just as well! And if you don't mind, I'd like to finish this now, because I'm sure I left the oven on and I could do with getting back home as soon as possible, okay?" Once again Sindel brought her incredible powers to the fore, firing yet another bean of energy that seemed to come directly from her forehead and strike the immobilized Meditite, once again sending it skidding through the snow leaving a large furrow behind it. And this time the little pokémon didn't get up again. Sindel's job was done. "Thank goodness for that!" the Alakazam complained. "I think I'm getting frostbite." Suddenly she seemed to realise that there was nobody else about to complain to, so simply Teleported back to the log cabin, having no reason to stay now that her battle was over. Well, if nothing else, today had been quite productive for training, at least!

Sindel wins!
Sindel grew to L23!

AntiAsh Superstar

15th June 2004, 06:58 PM

"Well, time we got home," I sighed, glancing round at my assembled team. It had been a good day in the main. The training had gone exceptionally well, and although Pandora seemed to be in one of her bad moods the rest of the team seemed fine. Albeit rather bruised in Rhiannon's case. I would have hated to be her the following morning when the inevitable stiffness had finally set in! But there was something missing. Training was all very well and good, but sometimes I just pined for the days when I could have spent an entire afternoon being silly. And when I got like that I ended up striving too hard to make the most of every available moment, even if those were moments that seemed best spent on messing around with Soo, which was what I was really yearning for right about now. Ah well. At least I was out of the habit of depriving myself of sleep just because I was too stubborn to accept a dip in my spare time. For now, at any rate. Otherwise I would have probably been feeling rather low at this point. "I can't speak for you guys, but I just fancy going back and lounging about for the rest of the day."
"Sounds good to me, Ade ol' buddy!" Beckham grinned. "After all, I could do with laying back with a couple of beers myself. I need to relax a bit, I've been tense ever since I led the England squad to a disastrous last minute defeat the other day."
"When will you learn that Beckham the soccer player and Beckham the Wartortle aren't the same?" Milliardo rolled his eyes. "One of you couldn't land a penalty to save his life. The other has a really powerful Water Gun."
"Umm... harsh, but I wouldn't expect anything less off you." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, you'd be married to a Spice Girl if you were the other Becks, is that what you want?"
"Crikey!" This news seemed to shock my Wartortle somewhat. "I clean forgot about that. Okay, I'm not that Beckham after all. Don't suppose I fooled any of you, did I?"
"This may surprise you, but no, you didn't." Rhiannon replied, speaking for the entire team as she did so. "Anyway, we'll catch you all up in a moment, go on ahead without us. We have a few things we need to put right first." The Eevee looked over at the sulky Pandora. "Pandora, do you mind accompanying us for a while?"
"Yes, L..." The Houndour caught herself just in time, stifling what had over time become an almost automatic reaction to any request of Rhiannon's. "I mean, sure, whatever." Pandora strolled over to where the Eevee was stood. "You guys can go on ahead. Trust me, if anyone can get me back home, it'll be this scary girl."
"Whatever you say, Pandora. Don't be long though, okay?" And with this the rest of my team left the training grounds, heading back home after a job well done. What else was there that we could possibly do?

"Pandora." Rhiannon had eventually led Pandora over to a viewing platform that allowed spectators to watch the goings on of the Jungle Room, casting a sad eye over the flora and fauna that populated this particular training room. It was deserted at the moment - hell, most of the rooms were - but that suited Rhiannon perfectly. "We just want to ask you to forgive us for earlier. I may have been a highly ranked tactician in my time but that doesn't make me a good conversationalist. We're in agreement that my main failing is a total lack of consideration."
"True." Pandora nodded. "I'd go even farther than that, I'd say you just don't think how you're actions are going to affect others, Rhiannon, you never have. But... if it's any consolation, I'm sorry, too. I overreacted. It just makes me really uncomfortable when people start staring at my scars, I don't exactly like being reminded that they're there, you know, and I don't have the luxury of being able to wear long sleeves to cover them up like humans do." The Houndour released a long, despairing sigh, finally expelling all of her negative feelings in a single breath. "Rhiannon, I... well, I had something really important you should have been made aware of years ago. Do you remember back in the days of the Dark Cloak?"
"We spent most of our life in their employ, Pandora, it's hard to forget some of the atrocities no matter how much we sweeten them with memories of the good times we had with our peers. But I suspect you're referring to a specific time here. Go on."
"Remember the last mission I was sent on?"
"Yes. We had been planning that for weeks. All the malcontents, every one who wanted an escape from the Dark Cloak, they were placed on the same team, to mutiny the first chance they got. We do remember. Abbadon even joined your group, in case none of the others were willful enough to instigate the uprising. Seeing as you're here now we presume it worked."
"Well... that's just it, Rhiannon, it..." Pandora choked back the tears. The memories were just too painful to bear. Blood. Screaming. And a pair of gentle eyes brimming with tears of sorrow, looking up at her for the final time. "Rhiannon it all went wrong! Abbadon... he... he turned, Rhiannon, and it wasn't just enough that he had the heads of the cultists at the head of the group, was it? He wanted more, didn't he?" And Pandora went on to explain it all. First, Khism's bloody demise, the proud Sandslash killed sticking up for the dark gods that he believed in. Then Abbadon's thirst turning towards a colony of wild Ninetales. And the slaughter of yet another teammate, the good-hearted Umbreon known as Amon. Amon, who had finally redeemed himself for his dark and troubled past by making the ultimate sacrifice to save the loss of further innocent life. Amon, the closest thing to a brother Pandora had even known.
"We see." Rhiannon closed her eyes, trying very hard to digest all of this information. But it was hard. All of a sudden her head was beginning to throb with pain. "At least they died they way they would have wanted. Khism always said he would gladly give his life for the ideals of the Dark Cloak. And Amon... oh, Amon..." Just trying to remember the Umbreon made the headache worsen, until it felt as if her entire skull was about to split in two. "Always trying to find the perfect way to atone for his involvement in such dark schemes. I always thought it was a fruitless task, but apparently he managed it in the end anyway." The Eevee stared vacantly out into space. "Poor Amon. Poor, poor Amon. We'll miss him terribly."
"Lady Rhiannon?" Pandora was worried. If her own bonds with the Umbreon had been strong, then Rhiannon's had been all the more powerful. The Eevee had been deeply, madly and passionately in love with him. In fact, the only time Pandora had ever known the mature side of her to show genuine emotion was when she had been around Amon. It was the only time she ever smiled with any warmth. "Are you okay?" The Houndour could tell something was amiss. A chink of light was starting to form at the Eevee's forehead, and the railing she was stood by was beginning to buckle without any kind of provocation.
"We're fine, Pandora. We just have a headache. Maybe a walk will do us good." As she turned to leave, Rhiannon turned to favour Pandora with the most terribly sad smile the Houndour had ever seen. "We appreciate you telling us. It's best we know now rather than spend eternity in delusion."
"Rhiannon!" Pandora called out after the Eevee, wanting to talk to her, reassure her, anything other than let her go through this on her own. But it was already too late. Already she was out of view, evidently not wishing to share her moment of weakness for longer than she had to. Pandora felt terrible for having told her the news that had shaken her so. But then, as Rhiannon herself said, was it not better to find these things out as soon as possible rather than go on in ignorance for eternity?

How far Rhiannon walked she neither knew nor cared. She just walked and walked, and walked and walked, until she was far away from the training grounds, or indeed the boundaries of Sector Alpha, for that matter. Until her legs felt as numb as her heart. Once upon a time she had considered that she was incapable of feeling any emotion. Or at least that had been the case until Amon had arrived. Slowly but surely his unassailable, calm confidence had worn away at the barriers surrounding her heart. And for that, for teaching her what it was to feel once more, she had loved him - no, she did love him. Whether he was there or not to appreciate it, there would always be a space in her heart reserved solely for the Umbreon. For his gentle but firm guidance, for the way he always seemed to know the best time to crack a joke, for the way he had been there to look out for her right from the very start. For the way he would always sneak into her dormitory in the middle of the night and snuggle up around her, blissfully unaware that there was always one Rhiannon or another watching him with a tear in her eye. For all of the little things, and the big, that made him the most special creature in the world. A life without all that would have been torture beyond anything the Dark Cloak could have ever dreamed up.
"Walk, Rhiannon. Just keep on walking." The headache was back again, with reinforcements. All around her glass cracked, steel posts began to bend, electrical fuses exploded in their sockets, but none of this Rhiannon even noticed. Her mind was still fixed firmly upon Amon, and how she had never even had the chance to say goodbye, to tell him exactly how much he had meant to her. How unfair was that? That day she never even had a chance to tell him that she loved him. Silently the tears began to trickle from her eyes, rolling down her furry cheeks to splash silently upon the pavement beneath her tired paws, corroding small pits in the concrete with the energy contained within them. By now the headache was reaching its climax. It really did feel as if her head was splitting open. And indeed it had, the emerald that served as the focal point of her demonic powers now fully exposed. Not that Rhiannon even noticed. Her mind was too consumed by thoughts of the one she had lost. Thoughts that not even she could contain for much longer. And eventually, whilst walking down a small, deserted side alley, it all became too much for the Eevee. Her head was whirling with thoughts of Amon, and of Khism, and Abbadon, and all of those she had considered friends in her dubious past. And the headache was growing worse with every passing second. It was enough to make any normal pokémon scream. Enough, even, to finally break even the glacial walls of Rhiannon's turbulent mind. "AMON!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, finally releasing all of her pent-up sorrow and frustration and regret in a single call that was born in the very depths of despair, the magical aura surrounding her now serving to cause each and every window facing her alleyway to explode outwardly as she screamed, showering the Eevee in a harsh, cleansing rain of glass shards. Was this to be her fate? Was this her punishment for all of the mistakes made in the past? She would have rather been taken to the very bowels of Hell than suffer this. The only one who had ever given her hope had been taken away. And she could never, ever move on now.

Syberia

19th June 2004, 11:53 PM

It's a few days overdue because no one could confirm my Day and Night stones in the Goldenrod Tower, but now that it's been updated, here goes.

Starting from where I left off before…

<Kyle’s POV>

The serenity of the lush artificial jungle did not last long. No sooner had I set foot in the crowded stadium’s hallway than I was met with the hustle and bustle of civilization. The rays of afternoon sunlight filtering lazily through the green tinted glass were gone – replaced instead by dull-gray metal scaffolds hanging from the ceiling high above. Where only a minute ago hummingbirds flitted through the mist without a care in the world, people now hurriedly rushed here and there, struggling against the shackles of time to reach whatever destination they had in mind.

“Pippin, wait!” I grabbed him by the bulb on his back just as he was about to be run over by a giggling group of teenage girls, running haphazardly down the hallway and not paying attention at all to where they were going. Apparently belonging to one of them, a Raichu raced along the walls about a hundred feet in front of them, darting so quickly between them that it seemed almost to teleport from place to place.

Leaning forward tensely as I picked him up, Pippin growled as the yellow rat disappeared from sight when the tunnel curved. “This is no place for a pokemon,” I told him as I patted his head comfortingly, recalling him into his pokeball.

I hadn’t made up my mind where I would train next – the map I had picked up at the door informed me that there were a total of five arenas – or who I would use. Hoping for some inspiration, or at least some entertainment, I joined the rush of people heading for any empty seat they could find to watch the battle that was still going on in the stadium’s huge central colosseum.

I took an open seat next to a family of four; their two children occupied the seats between their parents. Neither of them looked older than about five, and from time to time one of them slipped a bite of his food to an Aipom that had taken up residence for the moment under their seats.

The same Gengar and Steelix as before still faced off inside the ring of dirt below. These pokemon belonged to the best of the best, and each of them was determined not to back down. The commands of the trainers were inaudible above the noise of the crowd, making it seem as if humans were not even a factor in this clash of titans. Of course, as I had come to know, it was never the skill of a trainer that ultimately determined the outcome of a battle. You could have the most intelligent pokemon scientist in the world up there giving out commands, but without a skilled counterpart to carry them out, they would end up dead in the water. The determining factor of any battle was not which pokemon had a type advantage, or which one was bigger – no, it most certainly came down to which warrior had been raised and trained the best. In a battle like this, between two professionals in a tournament that they would remember for the rest of their lives, the pokemon often knew more about fighting each other than even their trainers did.

The Steelix opened its massive iron maw, revealing a swirling red inferno beginning to swell deep within its throat. Gengar laughed evilly to itself as his eyes began to light up with a strange, seep azure glow. The same strange aura now gripped his foe’s mouth as he struggled to open it. Smoke and small red embers escaped through the cracks as the beast’s eyes went wide with pain. After a few seconds the pressure had become too much and he had to swallow it, but that couldn’t have been healthy. A moment later, Gengar drove his glowing fist hard into his skull with a metallic clang. The iron behemoth shuddered sideways and collapsed into a heap of dust as the crowd roared with applause.

As quickly as the snake had fallen, a prickly yellow Jolteon had taken its place. The purple ghost was visibly tired from its last opponent, taking a swirling ball of spirits right in the chest as he stopped to catch his breath. As his trainer shouted something, his entire form began to glow a bright, radiant white.

Jolteon had disappeared inside a cloud of brown dust, his small legs working as quickly as possible to dig him a hiding spot underground. Just then, a sound like thunder cracked in my ears. A flash bright as the sun scorched my eyes, and the shock wave rumbled dully through the wooden stands in which I sat. The crowd fell silent until it was all over, and all that remained of either combatant was a small hole in the ground. Cheers burst out immediately when Jolteon emerged back above ground, virtually unscathed. I knew that a stunt like that might just turn the battle around.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I sat on a wooden bench in the small locker room outside the next area I planned to enter. Eli and Akaisha sniffed around the cold cement floor; I had made up my mind that I wanted to train them next. I stuffed everything I didn’t think I would need into one of the lockers on the far wall, and when I turned around, both of my Eevees had vanished.

<Akaisha’s POV>

“You’ve done it now, Eli,” was all I could think to say as it dawned on me for the first time that neither of us had any clue where we were.

“Lighten up, sis,” he replied, “don’t you ever like to have a little fun? Besides, if I remember right, it was you who decided to follow me.”

“That’s because I thought you had some idea of where you were going.”

“Chill out, ‘Aisha, it’ll be fine. This way, I think I smell cotton candy.” Typical Eli, always thinking with his stomach. I bet the only reason he went on this little wild goose chase of his was to see what kind of goodies he could ‘liberate’ from the establishment.

“You sure we should be–” I stopped my protest mid-sentence as the scent caught my nose for the first time. “Hey Eli, wait up!” I ran after him as fast as my little legs could carry me; it truly was good cotton candy. I knew I’d hate myself later for this, but I couldn’t let that bother me right now.

<Kyle’s POV>

“Eli!”

“Akaisha!”

It was no use. I must have walked the entire length of the concourse by now, and still I found no sign of my two Eevees. My search had finally brought me to guest services, where I was now trying to describe the lost pokemon to the woman behind the counter.

“Well, they’re… brown. And furry.” I was at a loss for words. After all, how else do you describe an Eevee to someone? She stared at me for a couple seconds through her thick, oversized black-rimmed glasses before turning to pick up a microphone on her desk.

“Excuse me,” she began over the loudspeaker, “if anyone has come across a stray pair of ‘brown,’ ‘furry’ Eevees, could they please notify guest services?”

“Sorry kid,” she tried to comfort me, “all we can do is look for them.” I took a seat on one of the benches up against the wall; all I could do now is wait. Five minutes went by, and still no sign of either of them.

<Eli’s POV>

“’Aisha, hurry up!” I called behind me, “we’re almost there.”

“Slow down, Eli,” she retorted between pants, “I’m a girl you know!”

“If you can’t even run, then you’re sure not my sister,” I teased. No sooner had I said that than something hard struck me in the head from behind. “Alright, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Why do you girls have to take everything so personally all the time?”

“It’s our job,” she shot back with a condescending laugh.

<Akaisha’s POV>

* * *

“Well, we’re here!” Eli stopped abruptly. Following close behind, I attempted the same maneuver but wound up sliding a good four feet across the waxed tile floor on my hindquarters into a pile of empty boxes instead. Why did I always have to be so clumsy?

“Over here,” My bro called, standing just inside an open doorway. I followed, narrowly avoiding getting stepped on on two occasions. I found myself inside a small closet, its floor covered with half-opened boxes. My nose immediately told me what was inside, and more of it lay on the shelves around the perimeter. A freezer stood in one corner, and through the door I saw that it was filled with ice cream.

“See, I’m good for something after all,” Eli joked, shutting the door until just enough light to see snuck in through crack, “dig in!”

<Janitor’s POV>

“Dry cleanup requested on the concourse behind section 103,” my walkie-talkie said suddenly.

“Yeah, I’m on it,” I replied, sticking it back in my pocket and grabbing a broom out of the nearest closet. Turns out I didn’t need it; someone had just knocked over a pile of boxes that had been stored in a corner.

“Why can’t they ever just stick these in that storage closet across the hall,” I thought to myself as I began stacking them one inside the other.

<Eli’s POV>

Something squeaked open behind me. I turned around slowly as light flooded in from the concourse, and watched as my sister did the same. We both found ourselves face-to-face with a middle-aged man in a checkered shirt, his face rough and in need of a shave.

“Umm, what do we do now,” Akaisha asked me in a hurried, hushed whisper.

“We could always try running!”

“Oh no you don’t,” the man objected, picking the two of us up by the skin on the backs of our necks, “gotcha, suckers.”

Akaisha swore. I don’t think I had ever heard her do that before. “Last time I’m ever trusting one of your little adventures,” she added as an afterthought.

“That’s really too bad,” I joked, “you’ll be missing out on so much fun.”

“You call this fun?”

<Kyle’s POV>

At first I didn’t even recognize them as my own. “Did you lose these?” a short, stocky man in his mid-forties asked me, holding out the two sticky Eevees, covered from head to toe in chocolate, ice cream, caramel, and just about every other type of candy you could think of. I was hesitant to answer, so they answered for me by jumping straight into my lap while still trying to lick the sweet-tasting substances from each other’s fur. Just the sight of them was too much; after a few seconds I burst out laughing. There was no way I could stay mad at those two for very long.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I said, trying to separate them while at the same time not ruining my clothes as I carried both Eevees to the nearest restroom. In no time at all they were each bathing in the sinks, which from their continuous protesting I could tell that they didn’t enjoy at all. I figured that was punishment enough for them.

As I headed back towards the locker room for a second and hopefully last time, something in one of the souvenir stands caught my eye. “I know exactly how I’m going to keep track of you two from now on,” I told Eli and Akaisha, still carrying one of them in each arm as I walked over and got in line.

“I’d like two pokemon collars, please.”

“For those two?” the man behind the cart asked, taking my money, “what are their names?”

“That one’s Eli,” I explained, scratching the fur under his neck, “and that one’s Akaisha.” The man typed something into his computer, and a little machine went to work engraving their names, along with my address and phone number, onto each of the collars. He handed them to me once it had finished, and I quickly fastened the leather straps around each of my pokemon’s necks.

“Wait a minute, you’re the one–” the man’s voice trailed after me as I walked away. It seemed like the news of my pokemon’s little “adventure” had already spread to everyone in attendance.

* * *

“You still want to battle?” I asked Eli and Akaisha, back in the locker room.

“Of course we do!” the former shouted with enthusiasm before his sister even had a chance to utter a word of protest.

<Eli’s POV>

Rays from artificial heat lamps high above beat harshly down upon my back like the noontime sun of a midsummer’s day. Waves of heat rose off the white sand beneath my feet, and everything seemed to shimmer in front of me. I pushed on, Akaisha following close behind, in the hope that we would not have to be here too long. I couldn’t disappoint my trainer either, though; the two of us would have to tough it out.

It wasn’t long at all before we found what we were looking for; a solitary Phanpy rooting around in a lone clump of weeds with his snout, probably looking for food. “You up for this, ‘Aisha?” I asked.

“Even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have a choice.”

“You’re right. Let’s go!”

Eli (Eevee M L7) and Akaisha (Eevee F L7)
vs.
Phanpy M L15

The two of us rushed in, kicking up a tremendous cloud of sand in the Phanpy’s face and blinding it from what we did next. Coughing and squinting through the dust, I climbed atop his back and dug my little claws furiously into his hide while my sister slammed her skull into the side of his with a resounding thud.

The roar of pain and surprise that resulted left the both of us rubbing our ears, wondering if either of us would ever hear correctly again. The body I stood on thrashed wildly in agony; I was thrown off in a matter of a few seconds and fell on my side into the soft, yet burning hot, sand.

“Lookout!” Akaisha called, and I noticed my foe, curled up into a ball and barreling towards me through the sand, just in time. I jumped aside at the last second as he crashed through what appeared to be my body, but flashed out of existence as soon as his body made contact. The Phanpy roared with confusion as Akaisha had pulled the same trick, and seven Eevees now surrounded him. A light tremor shot through the earth, its full effects muffled by the thick layer of sand, but enough to destroy all but our real selves.

“Go, go!” I heard my sister shouting, and felt her own energy and confidence bubble up inside my own spirit. It was as if she had made me stronger; I would not let her down. I leapt up, digging my claws hard into my enemy’s flank as he roared loudly in disgust.

All I had done was make him mad. Stomping the ground hard and kicking up a tremendous cloud of dust in his wake, he charged full-force into me. I didn’t even have time to react before the blow hit, knocking me a few feet backwards into the air. I landed hard on my back, struggling to move as his feet pounded against my entire body. I saw it in his eyes and immediately I realized – he was going to kill me right then and there.

“Nooooooooo!” I heard a shout, a loud crash, and I was free. My fur was damp with blood and I found it hard to breathe without pain, but I was alive. I took one last look up to see Akaisha standing over me, licking my wounds gently as Phanpy got wearily to his feet, then all went black.

<Akaisha’s POV>

“I will avenge you,” I swore under my breath. Anger swelled up inside of me, and I knew what I must do. Surging with fury, I knocked that Phanpy back to the ground before he could fully recover. I sliced into his side violently with my claws as he struggled meekly to throw me off, but I held fast. His movements became more and more erratic, and finally they ceased altogether. I had done it – I had won!

Eli and Akaisha are victorious!
Eli grew to level 8!
Akaisha grew to level 8!

It was a very slow process, carrying my injured brother back to where Kyle was waiting for us both. The hot sun didn’t make it any easier, and I had to stop and rest many a time before I finally reached him.

<Kyle’s POV>

I dropped everything I had and ran towards her the moment I saw Akaisha appear over the last sandy dune in the distance. I got down on my knees and looked at Eli’s unmoving form. His fur was matted with blood and sand; his breathing was faint and erratic. I clutched his small form against my chest; even in the desert, the heat was already starting to leave his body. My own pokemon was dying in my arms, and I was helpless to save him. Unless…

I ran as fast as I could back to the locker room and pulled the Night Stone out of my pack. I had been meaning to save it until Eli had grown a few more levels, but it looked like that time would never come unless I used it now. I sat his tiny form down on one of the long benches and pressed the translucent, shiny black rock right against his forehead.

At first nothing happened, but then his whole body started to glow a radiant white. I watched as his tattered underbelly magically fused itself back together. Short, shiny jet-black fur replaced his shaggy, bloody-brown coat, and his body suddenly appeared much leaner; sleeker and more muscular. When the transformation ceased, the new Umbreon leapt straight into my arms, licking my face with gratitude and happiness.

Akaisha looked on from the side, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “Don’t think I forgot about you,” I told her, producing another small leather pouch from my pack. Contained within was a crystal-clear rock, shimmering with captured light from the sun. Setting Eli back on the floor, I picked her up, and in a few seconds I was holding a purring new Espeon.

Lady Vulpix

20th June 2004, 08:00 AM

I've rated Amy's and Ade's battles. If I can I'll rate some more, but I won't be home much today, so it will take time, sorry.

Amy gets 16 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
Ade gets 23 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
I hope Rhiannon does manage to move on in spite of what she felt at that time.

*Murkrow

24th June 2004, 08:38 AM

I felt inspired to write Fizz's RBG today...and it went on a lot longer than I'd expected o_O I also scanned through some of the other RBG battles, and I noticed that they all seem to have the opponent as a trainer controlled Pokémon, but there's nothing on the information on the front page about it having to be that.
But if it is, then I'm screwed :-_-:

~Fizz~

Closing my eyes, I focused. My wings twitched, catching the slight breeze, which rustled through my feathers, buffeting me gently from side to side.
Tilting my wings forward, I stalled, hanging in mid-air, then dropped, pulling in my wings, pinning them to my sides as I hurtled down.
Forcing my eyes open, despite the rushing, stinging wind, I saw the ground looming, stretching out below me.
Metres away, I spun, flung my wings out, catching the thermals, banking, then swooped down again, breezing over the earthy floor, tapping it gently with my claws as I passed, before climbing up.
As the ground disappeared beneath me, I flipped over, caught the air again, and looped; my mind reeled as the vertigo kicked in, but my speed carried me forward, and in a flash of blue feathers, I retained my balance, before pausing, gasping softly.
This was all going perfect. I was getting in some much needed flying practice-something I’d be able to use to my advantage when back with the others- and was also proving just how, well, perfect I was at flying. How many other Pokémon would be able to do high-altitude stunts after just half an hours’ practice?
Smiling to myself, I stretched out my wings, caught the breeze, then stalled and dropped again- slower this time- so the ground gradually lurched towards me; surveying it, I caught sight of an appropriate spot and twisted my wings to reach it.
This area I’d chosen for my training wasn’t the usual location I’d expect many Pokémon to travel to; the arid lands were barren, the sandy ground stretching as far as the eye could see, merging with the cerulean backdrop of the sky.
Tangles of grass stems protruded from the ground, matted, spiky plants, straining towards the beating sun. Their faded, lifeless colour was the only contrast in this drab area; the greens fading to yellow as they died, spots of mottled colour against the rich, brown colour of the sand.
From my vantage point where I had been practising, I had seen, in the distance, the clumped, ragged shape of trees, no doubt growing near some dank, overgrown water-hole.
Beyond them- and visible only as shimmers in the light and heat haze that filled the sky, the imposing shapes of mountains loomed.
But none of that was here; catching the air in my wings, I twisted them forwards, slowing my descent, before dropping and catching onto my chosen perch.
It was only one of the half-dead bushes, but at least it provided some shelter from the sun, and- as I had noticed from the air- it was one of the greenest bushes, and that meant one thing; nourishment.
Grabbing one of the spiky, coarse stems in my beak, I forced myself to swallow, while trying to figure out what to do next. My attention had been focused on my training, and I had managed to avoid noticing just how hungry I had become.
And how thirsty.
Briefly, I considered flying over to investigate the area with the trees; if there was water there, then I could quench my thirst, and the trees would no doubt provide some sort of food.
They would also provide my with some shelter from the heat-by now, sweat was trickling down by back, oozing through my feathers, causing me to shift irritably to ease the feeling. When I was flying, I was ok; the flow of the air helped to keep my temperature down, but perched on the grass stem, I had no real protection, and the heat was bearing down.
Yet that wasn’t really a problem- if I wanted to cool down, I should take to the air. Simple as that. It wasn’t the same as my food and drink problem.
Yet I didn’t want to go over there- chances are, there’d be other Pokémon, and if they saw me, then there could go all my hopes of a nice, quiet training session, all to my self.
Grabbing another stem of grass, I snapped it irritably in my beak, before spitting it out and lunging for another one; instantly, the stem I was on lurched, snapped, and with a muffled thud I crashed into the base of the stems.
‘Oh, for the love of….’
Getting to my feet, I flapped my wings once to check they were ok, before glaring annoyed, up at the stem I had been sitting on. It wasn’t a long fall, but it didn’t do anything to help my mood.
Scowling, I decided that I might as well get back to practising- that way I’d be able to hopefully keep my pangs at bay for a little while longer.
Hopping away from the bush and onto one of the open, sandy areas, I stretched my wings wide, feeling the warm air, then leapt up, circling gently as I rose.
From below, something sparked, glinted, reflecting the sun.
Hesitating, I frowned at the spot it had come from, before curiously gliding over and leisurely circling it. I could definitely see something through the grass; my curiosity getting the better of me, I swooped lower, and latched onto one of the over-hanging grass stems, before carefully hopping back onto the ground.
The Pokémon was asleep, curled up into a tight ball, and, gaining in confidence, I edged closer.
It was small, mustard coloured, with long black ears drooping either side of its face, while from the back of its head, a thick, black crest rose, before dropping down its back.
A single mustard coloured spot was positioned directly in the centre, and reaching up from the bottom, a slit revealed the crests sharp, glistening white teeth; one of those must have been what had caught my eye.
Like I’d thought, a Mawile.
Stepping back slightly, I glanced again at the little creatures face; partially hidden by its ears, which had flopped down when it had curled up, shielding its face from the sun. There didn’t seem to be anything threatening about it, so perhaps I could just ignore it? Pretend I hadn’t noticed it?
And it wasn’t as if it could really threaten me, if I was in the air.
Making up my mind, I jumped back, flapping my wings gently to get my airborne, when something red caught my attention; dropping back down, I cautiously edged closer to the Mawile’s head, and saw, cradled in its fore-arms, what was unmistakably a Poké Ball…. albeit a very battered one.
What the? Had it been abandoned or something?
Feeling a sudden rush of pity for it, I decided to get out of there- if it had been abandoned, instinct told me it would want to be alone, to understand its own feelings without having some stranger butting in. Or at least, I knew that was how I’d feel.
Tearing my eyes form it, I trotted away from the grass and hopped up into the air, tilting my wings so the breeze could take me away from the little scattering of bushes, so I could head further west.
For a second, everything was still, exactly how it had been ever since I had arrived.
Then, in a sudden rush and roar, the sand that had previously been lying peacefully on the ground, tore into the air, forming an impassable sandstorm, hurtling round my body, buffeting m from side to side as I frantically struggled to maintain both my balance and my altitude. But I couldn’t- I had no idea what direction I was facing, how high I was…. even if I was still airborne- for all I knew, I could have crash-landed and was now being sent spiralling across the land, my senses all reeling.
But I wasn’t.
A wave of sand and grit came hurtling into my face, stinging into me eyes; howling, I frantically tried to shake it out, but another wave struck me form the back, knocking me forwards; with a resounding crash, I slammed into the ground, digging my claws in to stabilise myself.
Pain tore through my body; but suddenly, I heard the distinctive sound of something moving; forcing my eyes open, I managed to discern the small, hulking shape of the Mawile, crouching, snarling, a few feet away.

Fight!
Fizz (Taillow L5 F)
Vs
Mawile (L5)

Forcing myself to my feet, I dug my claws in further and faced it directly.
The sandstorm suddenly seemed to abate, and for an instant, I was able to view the vicious, snarling jaws, as its crest lashed behind its back, the teeth still glistening, even in this. Its eyes glared across at me, with an aggression that was unlike anything I’d ever seen; and no sooner had I though that, then a sudden, terrible feeling began to sink into my mind.
I can’t face that.
Dimly, I could see it approaching, slowly, the aggression still streaming from it.
Terrified, I desperately tried to launch myself into the air, but the beating sand tore at my feathers, driving me back, knocking me down.
Pain erupted along one shoulder; staggering, I looked up, in time to see the solid figure of the Mawile come tearing towards me, head down, screaming, its eyes wide and staring.
Frantically, I dodged to the side, using the storm to my advantage, relaxing so that the winds easily carried me away, out of the path of its attack.
It worked; even as my vision blurred and it vanished into the thrashing mass of sand and grit, I heard its bellow of rage, and the sound of its jaws clashing together as it scanned for me.
Suddenly, something sharp shot into my back; managing to force myself to not cry out, I felt another…and another shoot into me, digging in, loosening my feathers. As the storm abated again, I used the time I had and scrambled into the bush, scrambling through the thrashing stems to gain some refuge.
The Mawile screamed out, a cry of pain, rage, anger; listening to it, I felt the same rush of pity I had when I had first seen it. But then it changed. No matter how upset it was, did that really give it the right to attack me like this? Ok, I’d admit, I shouldn’t have pried into it, but how was I too know? And did me glimpsing it make it ok for it to trap me like this? No. It didn’t. It couldn’t.
It snarled; forcing myself to look out, out into the raging storm, I saw it, crouching, breathing heavily as it stared back at me.
The sand that was managing to stream through the compacted branches tore at my throat as I opened my beak, but I shouted anyway.
‘Let me go, leave me alone.’
Then I stopped.
The look in its eye flickered; it didn’t care about what I’d seen, didn’t care about what had happened to it. Even if I hadn’t seen it, it would have attacked me. This wasn’t about getting its own back, or releasing its own feelings, this was about pain.
It let out a scream of hate and lunged forwards; I hadn’t anywhere to move, bunched up in the thicket of stems.
It slammed into my chest, a direct hit, with such force that we both plunged back, tearing through the stems as if they were paper; I slammed into the floor, back first; briefly, it crashed onto me, before tearing off, and skidding round for another attack.
Trying to ignore the continual sandstorm, I instead focused up, thinking of the way the sky had been when I had been practising, how it normally was, how less than ten minutes ago I was thinking of the heat.
Sweating, I shouted out, one word, bringing my mind to rest directly on the memory of the sun; a flash, and a beam of light shot up, through the sand, before erupting into the air.
Somewhere behind me, the Mawile cried out.
Beams of light pulsated, tearing through the storm, disintegrating the sand even as it parted before it; above, the brilliant, cerulean blue of the sky became visible again, the sun beating down, blasting the flying sand to nothing.
Knowing I had to get back into the air, I closed my eyes and forced myself to roll over before flapping my desperately aching wings, catching the rising thermals in the usual way; finally, soaring back up into the air.
The Mawile vanished, became a pin-prick of colour, in-between the rustling grasses, and the now calm, brown sand, as I swooped higher, expertly stretching my wings to catch the breezes.
I could go home. I could leave this little creature here, to stay, encased by its rage. But to do that, I’d have to admit defeat. Why should I? Was I too scared to take this thing on? An image flickered in front of my eyes, unasked for.
There was my answer.
Pulling my wings in, I plummeted, crying out, as a ring of pulsing, white orbs began to materialise around my body.
The Mawile was watching me, watching as I dove nearer, watching as the orbs began to glow a dark, steady brown.
Suddenly flicking my wings out, I snapped to a stop; the orbs spun round in front of me, converged, then exploded out, raining down onto the ground. The Mawile howled and tore round, dodging them, but that didn’t matter. It wasn’t my target.
Instead, the orbs shattered into the ground, tearing gaping wholes into the dry, sand covered surfaces.
Then the tremors began.
The ground lurched, taking the Mawile with it; its body thrashed desperately as it struggled to keep its balance, even as the ground split, sending it crashing down, then back, as a jagged piece exploded up, rendering the landscape unrecognisable.
Gliding above, I watched as the dust began to settle, wondering what would happen now. Had my Hidden Power been enough to finish the match? It had been weaker than I’d expected, due to the Mawile’s Intimidate affecting my Attack, but still, had it been enough?
No such luck.
The dust suddenly whipped up, forming that enveloping Sandstorm again; but I could counter that easily.
Taking a glance at the sun that was still beaming down, I smiled, then looked back at the approaching storm and cried out.
The light instantly dimmed, as with an ominous rumble, a massive black cloud materialised, blotting out the sun, before sheets of rain began to cascade from the sky, drenching me in seconds, before thundering down onto the sand, clogging it, forcing it back.
Beating my wings frantically to stay airborne, it suddenly occurred to me that I had been worrying about dehydration, when I had this power at my command.
Still, I had other things on my mind now, so, closing my wings, I dropped down, trying to pierce the darkness with my eyes, straining to discover where the Mawile was.
There.
Thrashing about in one of the holes my Hidden Power had created, now rapidly filling with water- trying to climb out, but being beaten back by its own weight.
Well, while it was helpless, I may as well use the time to my own advantage.
Snapping my wings back to send myself hurtling forwards, I swooped down, until I was feet away, before let out the loudest Growl I could, remembering the power of its initial Frustration. It worked; it let go of the soggy, clogging earth sides it had been frantically trying to climb and instead cowered, over waist deep in water, pressing its ears to its head, trying desperately to block out the noise.
Now we were on even footing.
Banking away, I now focused on me, feeling my energy converging to form one, flicker of power. The driving rain seemed to recede for a second as my mind went blank, then returned with a vigour; my Focus Energy done, I soared round and headed back to my target.
It had stopped cowering by now, and had managed to hook a paw over the lip of the hole; as I came closer, it dug its back legs into the side and heaved itself over, before collapsing, gasping.
What a perfect opportunity.
Diving down, I hurtled closer, stretching out my right wing, feeling the power throb into it; aiming, I snapped round, smashing my wing into its face. The pain tore through my wing, as hitting something steel directly on would, but my Focus Energy seemed to have come into play as it howled and staggered back.
Then it spun round; the gaping mouth with its glistening teeth snapped shut somewhere near my head, before a sickening, orange glow began to form.
Hyper Beam.
If that hit me, then would I be able to survive it? Even with the Mawile’s lowered attack?
Unless….
Gasping, I forced myself to take another look at the pulsing orange light in the Mawile’s jaws, then began to focus on my power, the one that could almost equal the strength of that Mawile’s.
A bright aura of light suddenly burst around me, streaming out as my body began to glow, a pure, brilliant white. My vision sharpened; through the light, I could see everything in front, clearly, even through the rain that still hammered down.
I saw the Mawile, saw the Hyper Beam form, then burst out from its jaws, tearing towards me.
Dimly, I sensed the rain begin to lessen, the incessant drumming on my body begin to die down. Then I spun up, seeing the approaching beam, and looping away from it, spinning on my back, before plunging down again.
My mind whirled, but as I completed the loop, I saw the beam flash harmlessly past, before crying out again; the rain cloud flashed as the sun beat through and down below, the Mawile desperately turned away, blinking against the sudden, harsh light.
I closed my wings and dropped like a stone, my streamlined body perfect, aiming for the thrashing Pokémon. The bright white of my vision increased, blotting out everything, until all I could see was white.
Dimly, I sense myself striking something, then felt myself soaring up, as gradually, the white began to fade, my vision returning to normal.
Heart pounding, I looked back.
The Mawile was lying, motionless on the ground.

I won!
I grew to L6!

My head spinning, I tilted my wing to glide slowly in a circle, letting the speed my Sky Attack had created gradually melt away, until I felt enough in control to attempt to fly back.
It was already moving slightly, muttering and whimpering, but it looked ok, so I decided to leave it; there was no way it would have wanted me around after that, and I wasn’t willing to subject myself to the possibility of another attack.
One more look, then I turned, caught a rising thermal and swooped back up, powering away.

Crystalmaster Mike

25th June 2004, 12:54 PM

My *First* Battle on the Training Grounds. (Maybe I'd better ask for an extension... That is, if the scenario is soon to change...) Exams are finally over... now I can go for the driving lessons. -_-'' Well, I hope to catch up on Dragon Tamer stuff sometime. In any case, here's the introduction (at last) of the Egg of my 15th APee, and my first battle at the TG's, as I said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Mike’s POV ~

Ooh… boy.
What a day it had been so far. First, no-one could tell me where the Training Grounds were exactly (well, none of the spotted, greasy-haired clerks I asked could). Then, I let the team run loose on the Square, thinking there wasn't anything that could happen to them what with all the people… and suddenly, I found myself with a quartet of Water Pokémon (and a Ground-type Duo) pulling me away from the counter, just as I was finally getting some useful instructions. They were yelling incoherent sentences about a Toxic Double Battle, and when I got outside, I almost bumped into another six of my Pokémon. Of these six, two were in such a state that they were being carried by the other four. I recalled them both after a quick healing by means of an Antidote and two Super Potions, and turned to have ecstatic little critters trying to inform me of what had happened. With the rate the tale is told, I almost missed the news about Aron's real name (when was she going to tell us, anyhow?). When I finally got it, I had to hear the explanation twice more while the two Pokémon that had stayed with me were being informed (individually, that is). When I wanted to find a place to sit down to let the headache I had developed wear off, 12 hyper Pocket Monsters started nagging "When are we finally going to the Training Grounds, Mike?" And it was only 10:30 AM then…

So I ordered my legs to carry me to the Training Grounds (how resentful they and I might have been about it), when I suddenly realized I still had a secret thing to get somewhere! I stopped in the middle of a step, got bumped into by 5 or so mini-monsters of mine, and changed the way I was going, trying to at least keep where I was headed for secret for Nemo. But by the time the Breeding Center came into view, the secret message had become common knowledge, so I found myself having to answer a few questions before I could enter the building.

"But I thought you said…"
"Sure I said that, but that doesn't always mean I'm telling the truth, you know."
"So you've already found two compatible Pokémon and all that?" Large eyes were staring at me, full of surprise and disbelieve.
"Sure I have; what's more…" I let my voice trail of, trying to make it sound suggestive.
"You mean…?"
"Yup: one baby Eevee, coming up! You'll have your pupil in no time, Nemo!"
"!!"

So then I could enter the building, but not without having been licked around 100 times by a blue Espeon overwhelmed by joy and gratitude.
This process repeated itself some time later, when I left the building, holding in my hands an Egg of which the very appearance already showed that the baby Eevee inside won't be the normal brown type.
Apparently sensing the excitement outside, out of their PokéBalls popped Shane and Verne, who both claimed to have sufficiently rested, and who both had to share their respective opinion about caring for hatchlings with the group. (Nemo decided to pretend being deaf to all comments, and I was relieved he did.)
I quickly disposed of all the "Is that really an Eevee Egg?"-questions by revealing who the parents were: an Eevee and Umbreon who're not only remarkably well-known amongst my Pokémon, but who're also remarkably unlike the stereotype Eevee and Eevolutions.
Extremely happy with the Egg, Nemo non the less had me wrap it up in an old cloth I had left, after which I safely zipped it into my backpack. While carrying it on my back, I could feel the Egg and its baby trembling slightly - it would be hatching in some time. When we continued our hike (for the road was bumpy and ran over hills), I could feel several pairs of eyes staring intensely at my rucksack. I turned around and saw a lot of looks diverted to elsewhere. Nemo's of course not; he wasn't going to take his eyes off of me until I stopped having the Egg with me. I wasn't really surprised noticing that Skyler, too, had been observing my backpack with such interest; after all, this baby would also be classified as 'mutated'. But surprisingly Liam had been looking in the Egg's direction as well; maybe the thought of having another furred Pokémon on the team excited him. After all, this furry ball o' fur that was going to hatch could, if it wanted to, evolve into a Fire Type as Liam was himself. … Or it could take after its caretaker and become an Espeon. Then there was still the nocturnal Umbreon (Hanna might have welcomed another Dark Type on the team), the shockingly agile Jolteon (beside Chinchou, I don't think any of my Pokémon would really be welcoming that kind of Eevolution - too much of a competition for Liam, and too much of a threat or a nuisance to my other Pokémon) … And, of course… Vaporeon. Growing up in a group consisting largely of Water Pokémon, and being raised by a former wannabe-Vaporeon, my new Eevee might very well want to become one himself. Though it wouldn't add to the variety in my team, I couldn't go against its wish to become a Vaporeon if it ever wanted to.
Having meditated on the future of my new, not-even-hatched-yet Adoptee, I hadn't noticed the last hill we'd been climbing was of a noticeably higher kind than the previous ones. Feeling that the end of our trip was on the other side of, not yonder, but this here hill, I quickened my pace. Nearing the top, I even commenced a small jog, careful nonetheless to not disturb the youngster in his dormant, pre-hatching state.
Then, the Training Grounds came into view…

~ Nemo's POV ~

The ooh's and aah's suddenly disturbing my thoughts, I changed from keeping both my eyes on the backpack with its precious cargo, to observing the scenery below. The sight is such, that I make a big effort to mentally record the view, so that one day, I might project it into the mind of my pupil, my… co-Eeveeling, in its fully glory and with all the little details intact. For the sight below is a sight to remember…
The hill we're standing on is part of a seemingly infinite number occupying the land. In the valley at the feet of the hill, a valley of considerably much larger proportions than the other ones around, the Training Grounds lie.
This name's a bit misleading, for none of us could have imagined the Grounds were a place accessed indoors. Though the name 'Room' of the diverse areas might have suggested it, 'Grounds' suggested more of a… resurvey of some sorts.
Yet the place before us was more impressive than any resurvey open to the public to come and train in could ever be…

Placed in the center of the valley, a gigantic dome of monstrous proportions dominated the scene. At least, it might have once been a dome… Now, large openings in the ceiling showed up where the respective Rooms were. The Blizzard Room was hidden under a giant igloo-resembling dome-upon-dome. The Sandstorm inside the Desert Room was kept there by a grayish white, impossible-to-see-through glass dome, while the Jungle Room was covered by a very-easy- to-see-through glass dome. The tops of the jungle trees were only just viewable (the big Dome was so colossal that even the biggest of the trees weren't taller than it). The dome of the Pond Room was incomplete, the largest part being open; I could imagine than anyone standing in its vicinity would be smelling the typical swimming-pool odor.
And then there was the Lava Room. It being located the farthest away from us, we still had no trouble recognizing it. Because for once, no dome-upon-dome covered the Room; a real-size volcano, on the other hand… did. Small puffs of smoke escaping the mouth from time to time, I thought I saw flashes of red jumping out too; though it might just have been an optical illusion created by the sun (I sincerely hoped so). It appeared as if a flock of Aerodactyl had made its nest on the side of volcano, for I saw a large number of these winged rock predators fly about in the air (I thought I saw one wearing sunglasses, but I could have been wrong).
On the other side of the dome, the closest to us, I could see that the ceiling of the big Dome consisted of glass windows. It was there that the main entrance to the Training Grounds, and thus to all the Rooms, was. There we would be heading in a short while. But for now, there were still others things to feast our eyes on in this wonderful valley.

For on all sides of the Dome, people were walking, talking and gawking around, enjoying themselves as if was the festival season. And here, at least, it was: for this side-event of the Unicorn Games had been commercialized to the max: stand aside stand had been set, squished between the solid, curvaceous walls of the Training Grounds Dome, and the high, oval curved, Celtic-appearing walls standing guard around the Dome at about… 10 meters. These long stone walls were interrupted by a mere 4 metal gates, as opposed to the six parts of the Dome (5 Battle Rooms, one giant Check-in). Coincidentally, the gate closed to us was also located directly in front of the main entrance to the Dome (the entrance to the Check-in), so we could march into a straight line to our final goal of 10 Training Battles.

… Of course we didn't. It took Mike a considerable amount of time stopping everyone from 'exploring' this wondrous place. This 'exploring' had led to the going-almost-bankrupt of a hot dog stand by the musical trio of Verne, Bruce and Shane, the traumatizing of a baby Azurill by Tony and Liam's doing, and a total amount of 11 injured innocent passers-by (this due to the general smallness of our team, which meant that a lot of people didn't saw them, and thus… tripped over them). All in all, only Hanna hadn't caused a riot; but that was only due to her inability to walk on ground, much to her annoyance. Oh, and I hadn't done a thing either - but that was because Mike had trusted me with guarding the Eevee Egg. (And one can't go hotdog-stand- trashing then, can one?)

~ Bruce’s POV ~

"*burp* Ooh, those hotdogs lie heavy on the stomach!"
“Don't… mention… those thi-hings… again… ever!"
"Euh… I should've stuck to stones!"
It was with great difficulty that Mike had got us on the move again, but the sight inside the Dome was worth all the troubles! It even let us forget our slight tummy-aches momentarily.
Since it was a beautiful day outside, the sunlight was present everywhere here too, being even intensified, it seemed, by the glass roof of the Check-In Hall.
And what a hall it was!
On the ground level, beautifully designed doors led to the various Training Rooms. A few meters on our direct left, a pure white marble door bore the images of a snow-covered landscape, with various Ice-Types showing of their fighting poses (the Delibird just waved); there was no doubt about it: there lay the Blizzard Room On our other side, a crystal blue embedded with such ocean dwellers as Wailord and Whiscash, along with their natural habitats, blocked the way to the Pond Room. Further down the hall, to the left, we could see the entrance doors to, respectively, the Jungle Room (an emerald door overgrown with vegetation) and a Pokémon Center annex Flower Shop; in front of this last establishment, beautiful garden plants were eagerly practicing their photosynthesis. To our right, we could see the entrance to a Pokémon Mart / Herb Shop (the stands brimming with Pokémon merchandise inside gave it away), and the door leading to the Desert Room. (It was a plain, clay door with an Egyptian look to it. Not many inscriptions nor images were on it. Our view on the Lava Room entrance was a blocked by a giant statue, somewhat resembling an Orange League trophy (only this was made of actually colored materials instead of 'plain', massive gold), which stood in the center of the Hall. Around the statue was the Check-In counter (it was shaped as a Poké-Ball, in such a way that the statue made for the button in the center). A couple of Joyful persons (not wearing the usual nurse clothes, but clothes resembling them still) stood ready to take care of all queries.
The rest of the Hall was occupied by a diverse and large group of Trainers and Pokémon. They lay, sat or were walking on, beside or in between all the benches placed throughout the Hall for their convenience. The diversity was mind-boggling, not only of the Trainers and Pokémon in general, but of the Trainers with their respective Pokémon as well. Never before had I seen a Hiker petting a Skitty, an Athlete giving a pep talk to a Slaking, or a Lady happily hugging her Grimer. But, then again… This, is Ulthuan!

Just as we thought we'd observed the activity in the Hall enough, and were halfway across the Hall, heading for the central counter, Skyler noticed something behind and above us, his fluttering high above ground level allowing him to see more than we could.
"What are all those people doing up there?!"
We turned around, and looked up, … up, … up… This Dome was humongous! Just under the windowed ceiling, at an estimated height of… - heck, I couldn't tell, it was too high! -, we noticed there was a busyness going on unlike the one we'd experienced so far. Important looking people, clearly having a job to do, were walking around on a straight, balconied platform stretching sideways until it met the curved wall of the Dome on both sides. It looked as if up there, hidden away from the eyes of all but the attentive observer, the offices were located where the Dragon Tamers kept track of all that was going on the terrain of the Training Grounds, inside as well as outside. Probably they didn't want any trainers to freeze to death in the Blizzard Room, or losing themselves in the Sandstorm in the Desert Room. Though I expected they didn't want to deny us our adventure here, to a certain extent, at least.
“Big Brother is watching us…" Liam remarked, with a certain content (or was it actually contemptuous?) sound to his voice.
"Nah, just the most important people in the business." Mike said uneasily. "Come on, let's show'em what we're made of." He continued to the counter, pulling the mobile aquarium Hanna was in; Nemo followed close behind.
“I don't think they want to see what I am made of!" Shane said, winking.
“What, rubber?" Liam mocked Shane, before following Mike's example.
“Humph! Hotdog!"
"Ain't he a fox, Shane?"
“Can you think of an insult with 'fox', huh?"
"You've got me there!" Verne said, before rubbing his stomach one last time. "Ooh, the agony!"

~ Hanna’s POV ~

Specks of dirt, condensation and snow… The glass of my m.a.u. (mobile aquarium unit) was becoming harder to look through every minute, as the snowstorm outside continued.
Though I didn't mind swimming in water on polar temperature, I was thankful that Mike had put a lid on the aquarium (one with holes in it to let air through mind you - I didn't want to suffocate !); this way, no annoying drops of snow or hail would be disturbing me + there was a smaller chance the water would freeze as it wasn't so openly exposed to the ice-cold air.

You probably already guessed it: I was in the Blizzard Room. At the Check-In counter, it had become apparent Pokémon and Trainers were left rather free to wonder through the (surprisingly large) Training Rooms. Challenges could be made against specific opponents: Trained or Adopted Pokémon (with or without their trainer being around), Pokémon brought in by the Dragon Tamers to serve as opponents for those that didn't want to go exploring so much, … And then there was always the chance of running into a Wild Pokémon that had found its way into one of the Rooms. Though the surveillance cameras helped in keeping things from getting too out-of-control, the chance remained that a cam was destroyed, or that someone was lured into a place security wasn't supervising (a cave that had been overlooked, a forgotten open place in the forest…). Yes, though the Dragon Tamers were organizing the event, it seemed that even they couldn't predict what was waiting inside the Battle Rooms. In a way, that could've been expected: the Lava Room was sure to be an instable Room, the Blizzard and Desert Room couldn't provide much sight on the surroundings (what with the respective snow- and sandstorm going on in there), and you couldn't put a camera on every tree in the Jungle Room… It seemed the Pond Room was the only Room you could feel honestly secured in, though even there, there could be lurking unknown dangers, hidden underwater…

Not letting the unknown frighten us, the team had split up in various groups. The other Water Types (meaning Rays, Arthus, Dylan and Gordon) had gone to the Pool Room; Tony and 'Cada headed for the Desert Room, and Nemo had chosen the Jungle Room to wait for the Egg's hatching. I saw Skyler follow Nemo into the Jungle Room after he'd been in there for a few minutes, with Nora following Skyler on her turn, and Liam sneaking in soon after them - he'd claimed he was going to be in the Lava Room. Mike saw it too and couldn't help but grin - this new baby was getting quite a fan club following him!
With the biggest lot gone, only me, Mike, and the Three End-E's (I believed that's one of the nicknames they had been given) were left. I'd asked Mike to help me train at the Blizzard Room, and the trio, having heard that, wanted to join us. However, Mike convinced Verne of giving up the idea of entering a room with temperature below the freezing point - he'd surely killed himself if he'd done it. This resulted in Shane's canceling out as well (he didn't want to leave his biggest buddy, closest friend and lifelong pal alone), and it would have resulted in Bruce not coming with us too, had it not been he didn't think any of the other rooms would please him. In the Blizzard Room, he had the chance of finding an Ice Type to beat up - he hadn't done that before, and he could bump into Rock Types anywhere (according to him, at least). So it was yet another duo that entered the Desert Room (how Shane would withstand the Sandstorm, I don't know), while Mike, Bruce and me entered the Blizzard Room.

Before entering the actual room, we entered a sort of lobby, I suppose, where trainers probably waited until the Blizzard ceased a little before, or until their clothes had dried sufficiently before leaving.
At that moment, the lobby was empty. Mike changed to 'slightly warmer' clothes (meaning a pullover, a sharp, a winter jacket, gloves, a warm pair of trousers, long socks and boots), and he borrowed a spare sharp and ear warmers to Bruce. It was there too that Mike put the lid on the aquarium, as it would also help keep some water inside if it would be bending over to one side or the other.

Then we went through the door. Immediately I felt a ice cold… sensation go through the water, and Mike involuntarily shouted at the sudden cold. Bruce acted strong, but I could see he too was suffering, if ever so slightly, from the harsh conditions.
"We… in, … battle, … get out!!" Mike shouted over the sound of the raging snowstorm.
"O…ay!!" Bruce shouted back. I didn't bother shouting a thing; what was there to say anyway?
The snow filled Room stretched out in front of us and to our sides. If you didn't know better, you'd think that we were somewhere in Alaska. Then the thought struck me it was very possible we were: if the Dragon Tamers had put Transportation Squares in the room we just left… But the thought was too horrifying to consider any longer; instead, I tried to see the ceiling of the Room. But a steel grey covered the artificial sky; it could've just as easily been a sea of clouds as a metal ceiling, no telling which one.
So instead of trying to figure out if we were still in Caledor, I started looking for Pokémon. But the tormenting snow storm raged on, blinding me from time to time as it lashed out with sparkling white hail. In-between these eye-blinding flashes, I could see no thing moving through the pure white landscape except for Mike and Bruce. Then I noticed that not all of the flashes I saw came from the storm…
"Mike! Is that a Pokémon Teleporting!" I yelled. But it was no use; my voice was lost in the bubbling water and the howling winds. Mike was covering his ears in his jacket, to keep them from freezing off. And Bruce had those ear-warmers on… There was no way I could alert them of what I saw, except for…

"WoOow!" Mike yelped, as the cord attached to my aquarium was yanked out of his gloves. I continued to move violently forward in the water, until I was right in-between Mike and Bruce, and the abnormal flashing that kept occurring behind the shield of hail the storm had erected. Then I turned to face Mike, who was moving his eyebrows in a inquisitive way. I voicelessly said "Po-ké-mon! Up a-head!" and signaled for them to look beyond. They did, and froze in their place. I turned to look behind me, and stopped dead in my tracks as well.
The storm hadn't ceased, but in front of us, there a small clearing in the blistering snowy winds. There, on the white, snow-covered ground, surrounded by the white, spinning winds, a tiny white character was Flashing and Teleporting about. It never was that long in one place that we could identify it, but it was small - not even one foot tall. Tiny, white and able to survive in this Room - that were our clues. Together with the Teleporting, I came to the conclusion it must've been a Psychic Pokémon. Tiny, white, Psychic…
"A Ralts!" Mike shouted. And as if its name was a magic spell, the creature stopped. Now we could see it really was a Ralts - the green and red cap it wore was almost completely covered in snow, making it blend in almost perfectly with its surroundings. Yet, something was wrong with this little bugger. Ralts are normally shy and quick to flee - this one didn't leave, instead it almost seemed to be waiting for us to leave. Its eyes invisible, the defiant smirk it wore was our only clue it was aware we were looking at it.
After a minute or so of silently observing each other, Bruce sneezed loudly. "Atchoo! *snort* If I stay out here much longer I'll catch a pneumonia. Okay 'big' guy, wanna hustle?"
Silence.
"Come on! I'm freezing here! D'you wanna battle or don't you?"
Its grin widening, a freaky laughter escaping its mouth began to defeat the noise of the howls of the storm, growing, growing louder…
"Ooo-kay then, I suppose you… do?"
Still not saying a word, the Ralts… vanished into thin air.

Bruce (Machop) (lvl.7) (m)
VS
??? (Ralts) (lvl.8) (?)

"What the…?" Flash! The Ralts appeared in front of Bruce, in an eye-blinding, accuracy-lowering shower of light.
"Gah!" Bruce covered his ears to have them recover from the flash. In the mean time, the Ralts had retreated back into the invisible. His ear-piercing laughter still ringed in our ears.
"Focus, Bruce! Don't have him scare you like that again!"
"Right." Bruce said, tensing his muscles. "If only I could Foresee his moves…"
I caught sight of a moving shadow in the storm. "Bruce! Incoming attack, at 2 o'clock!"
"Huh? Gah!" Bruce ducked, just in time to not get hit by the weirdest attack I had ever seen. Bruce had almost been taken down by an exact duplicate of the Ralts - exact except for the fact it was a mere shadow, less substantial than the snow in the air. What ever the attack had been, Bruce had avoided it; but in doing so, he had landed right into a big pile of snow. And again the Ralts laughed…
"Atchoo! Ooh…" Bruce wasn't looking too well. His face was pale, and his nose dripping with snot. "If only - *snort* - I could get warmer… A-Ah!-HATCHOO!!!" An enormous sneeze escaped Bruce's mouth, and in the process, it seemed to catch fire! In the direction Bruce had been looking at, all the snow had melted away, along a distance of two, three meters. The evaporated water hung above the ground for a moment, before it was swiped away in the storm.
"G-huh?" His eyes half-closed, Bruce was staring in disbelieve at the patch of bare ground he had just uncovered, and which was starting to be covered again in snow. "How did I… ?"
"Flamethrower, remember?" Mike shouted over the storm. "I gave you the TM last Christmas!"
"Oh yeah! Hey, and you were right: no raw throat!" Bruce suddenly felt A-OK again. "Alright, Pennywise, lets see you hiding from this!" Bruce started engulfing the icy winds in front of him in Fire, eagerly using this new ability of his to warm the air around him. In the process, the snow flakes carried by the storm evaporated as they were hit by the not-so-gentle touch of a Flamethrower. A haze of hissing steam soon formed, daring the subzero winds to destroy it. Bruce's attempts weren't futile: an ever so small piece of the air of the Room was being warmed up. As if it had been waiting for him, from behind the curtain of steam the Ralts became visible. It didn't move, it didn't laugh; it was waiting for Bruce…
"Ready or not, here I come!" Bruce dashed for the Ralts, but when he was still a meter away, he started… sliding? Oh, a Low Kick!
But the Ralts had been ready; during the last second before impact, it jumped into the air, its muscles tensing. A strange-colored glow was coming from its middle, and when Bruce was directly below it, it released the power hidden deep within itself. Bruce was hit in the stomach by a Power that stopped his slide, and which made him gasp for air. As he was recovering, the Ralts landed back onto the ground, softly snickering. Bruce was secretly watching it from the corner of his eye, and when the Ralts stopped paying attention to him and started its evil laugh once more, Bruce leapt up, and ran at it at full speed. This time, he didn't start sliding; he started rolling! When the Ralts noticed something was up and stopped laughing, it was already to late. It was hit in the face at point-blank range by a precisely aimed Rolling Kick, which knocked it on its back.
As it was crawling back on its feet, Bruce ran it again, keeping his eyes focused on the place where the Ralts' eyes must've been. Seemingly answering the Leer, the Ralts wasn't paying attention to Bruce's feet; when he started his Low Kick, it had no time to avoid it a second time. It was knocked on its feet and landed in the same pile o' snow Bruce had landed in earlier.
"Ha! What goes around, comes around, freak!" The Ralts didn't answer; instead, it started to glow. Bruce, in turn, also was glowing, and he didn't seem to like it.
"Bruce, watch out! That looks like…"
"Confusion, I know!" Bruce struggled to keep his head together, focusing, focusing… Careful not to cough, hiccup or sneeze, Bruce took a really deep breath. Seeing that we were on a straight line with him and the Ralts, Mike pulled me out of the danger area. And it was a good thing he did, for seconds later, Bruce blew out, spit out a very decent sized Flamethrower, to say the least. It not only engulfed the Ralts, but also all the snow in a range of a meter or so. What was left was a (now half-)frozen patch of earth that had been scarred by the heat of the attack, and one (still slightly sizzling) fainted Ralts.

Bruce (Machop) grew to level 8!
He caught a cold!

Sheik

25th June 2004, 08:54 PM

Sorry to tell you this Gabi, but I'll be gone for a while from TPM. I won't have much access to a computer with internet connection until August 9. As a result, I would like an extension on the current scenario, if you have no objection. Thanks, and see you when I get back!

Lady Vulpix

29th June 2004, 10:09 AM

Don't worry, J, you can have the extension.
Linc gets 4 stamps for his battles. ¢¢¢¢

Kyle, I've read yours, but I'll have to ask you a few things before I rate it: how did your pokemon use Sand-Attack at level 7, when they learn it at level 8? And how did Eli gain a level when he fainted before his opponent did?

Amy said she'd rate the other stories. Sorry for the delay.

Wolfsong

29th June 2004, 10:32 AM

I'm having a hard time putting thoughts into words today ^^;

Hannah: Don't worry, its just a suggestion. I did one rbg when the rocket scenario was up where Kovu fought a sableeye inside the rocket base. Fizz certainly doesn't lack in self confidence about her flying skills does she? ^^ I enjoyed reading your story. Take 10 stamps.

Mike: You can get the extension. I also enjoyed reading your story. Was that Dodger that Nemo spotted? Take 11 stamps.

Crystalmaster Mike

29th June 2004, 01:57 PM

Was that Dodger that Nemo spotted?
Could be. How many other Aerodactyl wear sunglasses? ;) Though it could've been an optical illusion, who knows?

Syberia

29th June 2004, 08:20 PM

Gabi, they used Sand Attack because Kris told me they both had it as their moves when she gave them to me. They were son and daughter of Matt's Espeon and Umbreon, so that's probably why. And Eli gained a level because I'm dumb.

Lady Vulpix

30th June 2004, 06:38 PM

Pokemon don't get moves through breeding that they can learn by level. I'll have to talk to Kris and ask her how they got those moves. Anyway, congratulations on their evolutions!

andyizcool

1st July 2004, 03:21 AM

Pokemon don't get moves through breeding that they can learn by level.
Gabi it's possible in the Pokemon games to gain a Level up through breeding. If the Male and Female Pokemon have a move that the Baby Pokemon learns by Level up, the Baby Pokemon will gain it through breeding. Like Shroomish doesn't learn Spore until Level 54 but if a Male and Female Shroomish/Breloom with Spore breed, the hatched Shroomish will have Spore. Just thought I would point that out to you if you didn't know that already. ;)

Lady Vulpix

1st July 2004, 07:02 AM

andyizcool

1st July 2004, 07:45 AM

Aside from this, I'd like to see the source of your information, since you've posted some really weird things about how RS works so far.
I just hatched a Level 5 Torchic on my Pokemon Sapphire with Scratch, Growl, Ember. How does it have Ember at Level 5 when it learns it at Level 11? Well, I bred a Female Blaziken (Ember) with a Male Houndoom (Ember) and the Level up move was passed on because both parents had it. My source of information is my brain and my game in more cases when I answer questions. If you didn't know I've played my Pokemon Sapphire for 240 Hours and that didn't come from just going from start to finish. What weird things are you thinking about anyway in Pokemon RS? A lot of things have changed since Pokemon GSC went to Pokemon RS and most of them have been for the better.

Lady Vulpix

1st July 2004, 11:48 AM

I was referring to the replies at the Synchronize topic.

Eli and Akaisha were both born knowing Tackle, Tail Whip, Helping Hand and Double Team. I've just confirmed it by checking the PMBC (pages 17 and 18, by the middle of April). Kris has never had either of them battle at the Battle Range, and she's not online, so I don't know how they learnt Sand-Attack, but everything seems to hint that they never did.

Syberia

1st July 2004, 10:10 PM

Oh well, they're both level 8 now, so it really doesn't matter anymore does it?

And Gabi, if both parents know a move that the offspring's lowest form can learn, it does get the move. I don't know about R/S, but at least in GSC it does work that way. Breeding that way is pretty much how I managed to defeat the Level 5 tournament in Stadium 2 back in the day.

EDIT:

Taken from the Pokemon Breeding FAQ (http://db.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbcolor/file/pokemon_gsc_breeding.txt) at GameFAQS.

2. Next, if both of the parents know a move the baby will learn naturally by leveling up, the baby will have that attack. This can be done with multiple attacks.

Lord of Ravens, King of Rain

1st July 2004, 11:51 PM

I don't know how it works in RS. In GSC it doesn't work that way, nor does it here.

Aside from this, I'd like to see the source of your information, since you've posted some really weird things about how RS works so far.

Milady, in Crystal I had a Fushigidane with Solar beam from both its parents. And in Ruby I just got a Habuneeku with Crunch. It has to be a move they learn by level up, both parents must have it, and its still a bit rare...but it does happen.

Lady Vulpix

2nd July 2004, 10:49 AM

It does matter, Kyle, because they only reached level 8 by using a move they shouldn't have known.

Maybe the info I had from the games was inaccurate (thanks for the details, everyone), but here on TPM pokemon get the moves they would know up to their level plus one bred-on move. In Eli's and Akaisha's case, their bred-on move was Double-Team. It's not supposed to work the way it does in the games, just like it differs from the games when pokemon have movesets that include 20 or more moves.

Lord of Ravens, King of Rain

2nd July 2004, 01:49 PM

Lv7 Yukiwarashi (Female) –named: Tri
Trait: Inner Focus ~ cannot be confused
Moves: Leer, Double Team, Powder Snow, Mimic.

---

The girl sighed, pushing back a long strand of silver-blue hair that had blown in front of her dazzling green eyes. She stared into the depth of the jungle in front of her, so dark and dank. The only sound made was the soft hiss of the deep wind, and the occasional drip of water from a leaf to the far below forest floor.

“Master always told me, that the final challenge would take place some place fantastic. But here?” Her voice is swallowed into the jungle foliage, a whisper so fluent and musical that it seems like a spell itself. Tugging on the sleeve of her black tunic, she takes a step forward, her senses open for the slightest living organism.

Beside her, stumbling and hopping along, was a Yukiwarashi. A small Mon kept in perma-frost, it was a creature borne from the gods of ice. This particular one however was the young witch’s familiar. . It’s soft blue eyes glittered as it tried to keep up with its mistress, leaving behind a small trail of chilled water as the warm summer light slid across it. It gave a soft grunt as it tripped over a root, falling on its top and digging a bit into the ground.

Unable to help herself, the girl smiled, her pale features glowing warmly with love and kindness for her familiar. Reaching down she picked it up, shivering a bit, as it’s icy body touched against her. The only problem with having a female ice Mon for a familiar was that they where always so cold. Running a hand down its side gently, she cooed to it, her voice still retaining that soft musical undertone.

“Hey girl, let me carry you for a little while, I don’t think I’ll need to cast any spells around here, so we should be safe.” The girl kept her voice calm, but her eyes darted around. She was on her way to the temple of Paths, the meeting place for all sorts of Majikal creatures. If she passed the tests today, she would be a full-blown witch. If she failed, she would lose her best friend and familiar, and be sent back to her family in disgrace, with her memories erased and her skills drained from her.

Shivering at the thought, she began to walk a little faster, the sense of uneasiness never completely leaving her. At sixteen, she had a lot to learn about majik, but she did know that the jungle around the temple was home too many strange creatures, both natural and metaphysical.

They wandered along, in relative silence, the young witch just listening to the sound of the wild, letting the jungle’s aura of raw power soak into her, filling her with a bit of courage, and a bit more fear. She could hear something moving in the far distance, and her brain was instinctively aware that somewhere close by, a Scizor was cutting down wood. She also could touch against the brain and felt the cold feel of a reptile, slithering though the grass somewhere near.

The day wore on, light fading into a soft green haze as the jungle became denser and denser, the plants seeming to wrap around and push against her. Her hair, kept in its long elegant braid, was soon tangled by branches that seemed to grab and pick at her, trying to rip her hair off of her skull.

“Goddess preserve us Tri, if the temple isn’t around here somewhere, we should just go back and run off. This is way to much trouble.” Her voice was getting rougher as fear and weariness edged into her voice. Her brain was running out of energy, and she was worried that maybe she had no reason to be here.

She wandered a little bit further, when suddenly Tri gave off a yell turning colder in her hands then she could possibly stand. The young witch was forced to drop her friend as it began to shimmer and glow blue, the wind around it blowing with pieces of snow as it stared into the jungle ahead.

The leaves of the plants began to wither. Even the slightest powder snow was too much for these tropical plants, and so they withered and melted, leaving before her a path leading to an impressive looking temple. It was then, that the girl noticed that she had been wandering in circles. There was no massive jungle, just this garden before her. She had all this time been inside a garden just outside the gates to the temple.

She cursed, kicking the dirt in front of her. Somewhere far off she heard the soft chuckle of her master. She had been bewitched into thinking a whole jungle existed. So vexed she was, that she didn’t pay any attention to the massive structure looming in front of her.

The building was huge. Stone buttresses held strange gargoyles on them, Doorways where everywhere and the whole building seemed to twist and turn, occupying more then the average three dimensions. At the very front by the main entrance, a large statue made out of several different colored materials stood.

It was a young man, or at least, the face facing you was. To the left it was a child of such youth and innocence. To the right it was a man, hardened and cool. Behind though she could not see it, stood the face of an ancient elder, his face weary of the world, facing away from it.

Finally, the girl looked up, staring at it she blinked…and uttered a phrase which was totally appropriate seeing the circumstances.

“Oh Pathfinder, preserve Me.” she had never seen anything like this before, and was sure she would never see anything like this again. It was awe-inspiring, the whole temple seemed to glow with unearthly light, and even an acolyte like her could feel the overwhelming aura of majik that it exuded.

However, her awe was slowly forgotten as she remembered how she found the place. Looking down she saw her Familiar, glowing blue still, blasting snow out in cold breaths as it stared a little ways further into the garden, the snow falling gently around a peculiar looking plant, with a strange blue fruit next to it.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, blinking as her Mon hopped forward, making low growling noise. She sighed, reaching forward to pick her up when she suddenly saw why Tri had been doing such.

The “fruit” had dropped off the tree, and was staring at them. Its long spindly legs outstretched a holding up its bulbous body. It stared and blinked at them then blew a bubble out of its mouth shyly. The girl giggled as she watched the creature, scuttling side to side to avoid the cold chills of Powder Snow.

“It’s just an Ametama silly girl. Nothing that can really harm us…the poor thing is probably more scared of you then you are of it.” She gave another soft giggle, and began to walk forward; completely oblivious to the fact that the small bug creature was now following her.

Its legs scuttled though the grass, eyes never leaving her as it crab-walked along side her. It was waiting, hoping for the time when the blasted familiar would stop looking at it and trying to freeze it, and allow it to attack. It saw its chance coming up soon.

The Witch stepped onto the walkway, seeing the statue she bowed to it, her voice changing into a tone of great respect, a voice filled with power and prayer. It echoed softly though there was no place for it to echo, and it seemed to fill the whole world as she spoke.

“Hail Pathfinder, god of fate, the eternal. He who rules death, grants birth and is life. Protect me and grant me entrance into your most holy of temples. I, acolyte Mia, student of Master Liam of the art of shadow beg of thee thy grace. So I chant, so mote it be.”

As she finished, the air calmed, she smiled, standing up…and was granted with a swack across the back of her knees. Toppling to the ground she gasped out in surprise, her long hair cascading like a silver and blue rain, spreading like water across the pathway and curling around the statue. Her green eyes flashed with anger and pain as she stared, seeing the bug from earlier scuttling quickly towards her again, preparing another attack.

“Stop!” Mia yelled out, extending her hand…bright blue light crackled from her finger tips, and the Ametama did so, staring at her as the blue light fluxed and shaped, swirling between the two of them like a wall of pure will. She stood up, dusting off her silver tunic as she stared at the creature, which now seemed to glow with mana.

“A guardian…should have known. Maybe I’m not cut out to be a witch.” She looked down to where her familiar was giving her a cold I-told-you-so look at her. Its cold blue eyes didn’t even blink as she sighed. Turning to face the creature, she noticed her spell was already wearing off. Thinking quickly she turned to Tri.

“Looks like its either run or you’ll have to fight it. Which one?” She looked worriedly at her Mon, who simply kept staring then gave a slight shake of its triangular head.

“Yu..Yuuki…Wara Wara Yu!” Its voice was the cold hardness of pure courage. It looked at her one more time, and then stood right next to the flickering barrier of majik. Bug looked at Ice-cube, and the power began to grow. A crackling aura seemed to flow and echo from both of them, and Mia could only sigh in wonder.

“Battle it is I guess….We better get this over with fast.” She winced at the thought of fighting. She really hated it, and she had come here hoping that there would be no challenges that would involve physical harm. But what must be done must…she guessed.

Tri the Yukiwarashi (F. LV7 with Inner Focus) vs. Ke the Ametama (M. LV7 w/ Rain Disc)
Tri: Leer, Double Team, Powder Snow, Mimic
Ke: Bubble, Quick Attack, Psy Beam

The two Mon stared at each other, the blue energy that had shielded them from each other fading quickly and softly as the Witch Acolyte let it go. Tri, her icy body slightly melted from all the heat, began to leer at the small Bug Guardian, who simply clicked in return, taunting it to do more.

Mia bit her lip. She remembered what her master had told her, that there where four rooms within the temple that where filled with guardians and spells. He never had mentioned a gate guardian on the outside, or a massive illusion spell. She wondered lightly why she hadn’t expected this in the first place…For what kind of god would just leave his temple unguarded for anyone to just wander into.

Her reverie was broken however, by the scuttling of feet. She watched the Ametama come rushing forward, almost faster then she could see. Throwing caution into the wind she yelled out to Tri.

“Tri! Dodge it! Double Team and gain yourself some time!” She watched as her partner couldn’t move fast enough. The bug leapt forward, smashing into Tri Hard, spinning around the snow hat Mon. But it worked out to its advantage. For as it spun it created copies…perfect clones that spun off from it, circling around Ke like crazed tornadoes.

For a second Mia breathed, her skin breaking out into a pale sheen of sweat. She bit her lip and stared at Ke. The small bug seemed no stronger then her Yukiwarashi, but it had speed on its side. It was scuttling back and forth, watching the still slowly twirling yellow cones, waiting for one to show that it was the real deal.

Apparently though, waiting was not its strong suit. It spun, making a sound like a hiss of steam, and closed its glittering black eyes to the world around it. Instantly, there was a bright flashing light, starting out wide and quickly pinpointing, becoming a laser of psychic energy…Starting out white and quickly becoming tinted with purple, until the laser was the dark shade of violet that came just before the sun went down.

The beam of mental energy struck one of the Yukiwarashi, evaporating with an audible pop, it turned out to be no more then a harmless clone. Angered, the Ametama spun, it’s eyes still closed as it shot the same beam at another one of the several remaining cones, dissipating this one in the same manner as the first.

“I think our gracious opponent needs to cool down. You know what to do Tri.” Mia smirked, her eyes now glittering with amusement. She felt the power of the battle float though her, a heady invisible drug that caused her mind to race and her heart to pound. She had lost her braid somewhere, so her hair was a wild layer of smooth silkiness across her back wrapping and weaving its way down her body to the back of her legs.

Her hair moved, as did her silver tunic made of the smoothest cotton. A cold wind had picked up, not harsh and unsettling, but the soft cast of a winter holiday. Small plants rustled and shivered from the chill as bits of snow flung out, appearing to come from the Mon directly behind Ke.

Ke tried to turn and dodge the attack, but was too slow. The soft snow pushed against him, causing his legs to shiver and his body to feel weak. He didn’t like the snow, and especially didn’t like majik snow. Looking he saw that the attack had proven fruitful though. It had shown him which one was the real enemy.

With a chortle of bubbly pride, Ke let loose his stream of bubbles, free floating things that seemed to float all over the place, swirling pieces of water filled with chilling liquid. They began to float towards the Ice Mon and his chilling wind, but most never made it. Chilled by the cold wind, they floated towards the ground, popping harmlessly on the stone pathway, or they floated back towards Ke, hitting him lightly and causing his body to shiver as more and more cold splashed on him.

Mia knew the battle wasn’t over yet, but she felt confident. She had at least stopped it from doing anything to aggressive, as long as it didn’t try to Psybeam her right now. She didn’t think that Tri could handle such a blast, but time was running out…She needed to end this battle before the Ametama could strike again, and she knew that Tri couldn’t power snow forever.

The young witchling muttered underneath her breath, her eyes-only half on the battlefield, trying to think of something she could do to help. No spell would work on the guardian, and to do so would get her memories erased anyway.

Suddenly, she had an idea, grinning to herself she looked up, letting her young melodic voice carry above the soft popping and rustling of the battle. Trying to augment her voice so only Tri could hear her, or at least understand.

“Leer and taunt it into striking with Psybeam, then mimic the attack after you dodge it, s you can send it skittering” She smiled at the idea. If she planned it right, her pokemon would dodge while the other creature would be hit with its own attack, hopefully stunning it enough that she could get past it and into the temple.

Tri bobbed her body, Letting her eyes widen and glow bright blue, she stared at the still shivering Ke, who blinked at her and began to chitter in his own special way. Looking up and down at the Yukiwarashi, he decided that enough was enough. He began to scuttle forward, quick as could be, leaping into the air before there was any possible way for his opponent to dodge.

Mia cursed, she had been hoping for a Psybeam, now she didn’t know what to do. She winced in empathy as Tri took the blow well, but was obviously weakened as she staggered and blinked. Her icy shell slick with perspiration.

She would soon get her wish, for as soon as the scuttling bug turned around, it blinked…smirking to itself with great satisfaction at the way it was ruling this fight. Closing its eyes it prepared for the grand finale, the psychic power soon oozing into the field.

Sensing the beam coming Mia bit her lip and nodded barely to Tri. the signal to dodge was set, and both waited as the beam of intense psychic thought pulsed towards them. Tri moved slightly with as much speed as she could, just barely dodging the beam of energy. Her eyes studied it and her mind analyzed it. She saw exactly how you had to concentrate, where and when to create the beam of pure psychic energy.

Turning to face her opponent, She closed her eyes, letting the blue light within her cool and clam, mixing with the red of anger until a harsh bright lavender color appeared into her mind. The pastel like dot began to grow and sizzle…

Mia watched, at first it seemed nothing was going to happen. Ke was preparing another quick attack, stretching his legs as Tri just sat there with her eyes closed. Then suddenly the bright light appeared, and Mia felt the power grow and rise. All Witches share a empathic bond with their Familiars and now Mia felt that strong psychic bolt grow within her, sharp and focused as any laser.

The bolt of energy, much brighter and more glittery then Ke’s blasted from the forehead of Tri. It shimmered across the air, arching slightly as it flung itself straight at the defenseless Ametama. The attack hit it full on, the energy spiraling out into rainbow strands of power as they fled into Ke’s mind, giving him a massive headache.

Both Mia and Tri watched Ke staggered back, dizzied by the force of the attack. Its legs gave out from under it, and it could barely pull itself back up. Apparently the guardian had not been prepared for a mental attack, and its defense’s had been low.

But it was not out yet, for even as it staggered it shaped its mouth into a perfect circle, small pieces of spittle creating floating bubbles that floated towards Tri and her master. This time, Tri was not quick enough with the powder snow. Even as the cold wind picked up, the bubbles bashed into her, causing her not to much damage, but definitely to close her eyes, unable to get closer to him.

Ke, seeing it’s chance, kept up the bubbles, free-floating things that now hit Mia also, causing her to yelp from the sharp stinging sensation as each one popped against her. The witch closed her eyes, and began to concentrate. She wasn’t good at empathic sight, but even now she could make out the image of Ametama.

“Cold wind to your right Tri!” She cried out, pointing blindly at where her mind told her the bubbles where coming. She felt another cold wet circle snap sharply on her fingertip, causing the skin to split, and bit her lip to stop from crying.

She felt, rather then saw of course the cold wind pick up one last time…The shivering icy cold seeming deep and dark now, even stronger then before. Her hair wrapped around her, closing her off from the bubbles, and she opened her eyes softly, watching with wonder.

The powder snow was still just snow. No blizzard or shards of ice joined it. But it was snow that frosted bubbles, and caused the pathway to become as wet and slick as possible. The heat caused most of the snow to melt upon touching something, but that simply meant that chilled water lay in huge puddles everywhere. Soaked into the ground, dripping down rare and sensitive plants, and chilling the Ametama to the bone.

Wanting to finish this battle quickly, Tri closed her eyes…And concentrated. She still had the imagery of that Psybeam ingrained in her memory. It floated up to her, and she concentrated all her annoyance and pain into that solid beam of lavender glitter.

Ke saw it coming, but knew it was to late, still chilled he barely scuttled out of the way as the bright white light hit him, followed closely by the beam of psychic and rainbow energy. He shuddered, once…twice…a third. And fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Mia rushed forward, going to hold the small bug…hoping it was still alive. She smiled slightly when the creature squirmed in her hands, glowing faintly green, it looked up to her and she felt its presence enter her mind.

<Hello my friend…I am Ke…Guardian of the Garden Jungle> It’s voice was rich and deep, filled with all the life in the jungle. It roared and scuttled, pitched and echoed. Mia bowed her head, and knelt still holding the guardian.

<You have passed the first test…and for that, I grant you the key to the temple> With that, the creature smiled softly, and shimmered, teleporting from her hands, leaving behind a simple key of copper, with no strange designs. Just an ordinary key.

Mia looked up and around, staring and trying to find where the Bug had gone, but saw nothing…except the jungle illusion, slowly creating itself again, and a soft floating bubble above her head. She smiled, standing up and going over to Tri.

“Good job girl…here, let me heal you.” Pulling a potion out of her bag, she slowly fed it to her familiar, who cuddled up against her, blinking in weariness and joy. It had made its master happy, and they had proven themselves worthy of entrance to the temple.

-Battle Completed!
Ke the Ametama lost –gain 0 levels, Loses Key of the Temple
Tri the Yukiwarashi won! – gain 1 level = LV8
Mia the Witch Acolyte- gain Key of the Temple.

Okay, my first new battle, and I made it in third person...I think I will revert to first POV from nwo on, because I don't like how I have kinks in the writing that cause things to move to fast...oh well. *shrugs*

Lady Vulpix

6th July 2004, 10:56 AM

I wish I didn't have to go immidiately, so I'd have more time to write my comments. Welcome back, Patrick! You've pulled off yet another storyline change, I hope you continue this one. It looks interesting. Though the punishment for failing the test sounds too awful! O_O You didn't quite follow the scenario, but you did battle the right pokemon and the story was very good, so it's valid. It's not as if it were the first time this has happened. The idea of Tri being Mia's familiar was quite original. I liked it. And the descriptions were great! Though it would have been a lot better (and easier to read) if you hadn't replaced all the appearances of the word 'than' for 'then'. Could you be more careful with that next time, please? Take 9 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Charizard04621

9th July 2004, 09:54 AM

Could I please have an extension to the scenario? My computer won't allow me to post files longer than a couple of paragaphs. Until that's fixed...

Btw, I'm attempting to attach a long file. It's a bunch of gibberish, and if it works, Gabi, I'm pretty sure you can delete it if I can't.

[EDIT]: Darnit, it won't upload anything either.

Lady Vulpix

9th July 2004, 10:40 AM

Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Of course you can have the extension, Karin. And I hope your problem gets fixed soon, whatever it is.

Crystalmaster Mike

10th July 2004, 06:16 AM

~ Hanna’s POV ~

"Gah-, Ah-, ATCHOO!!! *sniff*" Bruce's nose was dripping, and his eyes were filling up with water. He had it bad.
"Uh Bruce, maybe you'd better get into your PokéBall…"
"No Mige, I'b bine!" He didn't look to be fine at all; here he was using his sharp for a handkerchief, and with the blizzard still whirling around us. "Juzd a liddle bid… Ah-Ah-ATCHOO!!"
"I can see that."
"*sniff* Gow'z dad Raldz?"
"Huh? The Ralts!" Where it had been lying just a moment ago, a pile of snow now was growing fast. "It might freeze to death if it stays under there!"
"Zervez id righd, *sniff*; whad a vreag!"
"I know, but even freaks deserve to live… sort of." Mike rushed over to the pile o' snow, got down on all fours, and brushed away the snow with his gloved hands, only to find… nothing underneath!
"Huh? Where did it…"
But then, we heard a familiar sound behind the howls of the winds; maniacal laughter, that slowly but surely died out, until nothing of the crazy Ralts was left with us, except for the memory of it we'd keep in our minds (plus the cold Bruce had caught).
"Az I zaid, *sniff*: whad a vreag!"
"Amen to that." Mike said as he stood up again, while brushing the snow off of the knees of his trousers. "Come on, let's move on."
We continued exploring the Blizzard Room; from time to time, we spotted a cabin in the distance, but Bruce refused to get inside one; he kept saying he wasn't going to be held of the adventure because of a simple cold.
"Bezidez, none of de odher Roomz are dhis cold, are dhey?"
"Well no, but…" Mike stopped. "Hold on, what's that?"

~ Nemo's POV ~

Aaaah… It had sure been a good idea of mine to enter the Jungle Room. No cold tiles beneath your feet, like in the Check-In Hall. Neither a small platform to balance on, like in the Pond Room. No subzero or past-the-boiling-point temperatures, like in the Blizzard and Lava Room, respectively. And also no raging Sandstorm, like in the Desert Room. Instead: solid ground, tropical temperature, lots 'n lots of shadow, and lots of green. Prrrrfect…
I was just getting up to stretch my legs, going for a leisurely walk around the clearing we were in, when the Egg began shaking… hard. Instantly, every bit of tiredness had vanished from my body. Instead, Anxious and Thrilled were battling to be my emotional status. Here it came… !!!

~ Skyler's POV ~

I had just found a good branch to sit on, from where I could watch Nemo and the Egg without needing to fear about getting caught, when the Egg, that had been vibrating slightly before, began shaking like wild. Instantly, my eye-vision shrunk till all I was seeing clearly was Nemo and the Egg. Here it came, my little brother- or sister-in-mutation!!!

~ Nora’s POV ~

I had just found a good bush to hide under, from where I could safely watch Nemo and the Eevee Egg, whilst being able to keep an eye on Skyler. I smiled unconsciously. That little winged bugger would be flying right into the mouth of an Exploud to see what was inside. He was clever, no doubt about that, but he wasn't that smart yet. Even though Tony thought him to be able to take care of himself very well, I shadowed Skyler, because he was fun to watch, in his exploring of the world. That, and it meant a (not that much needed) change from lying in the sun all day, doing nothing but sleeping, dreaming happy dreams, thinking happy thoughts…, and so , I disdainfully had to admit…, hiding from the truth. I shuddered.
Luckily for me, just then, the Egg began to hatch. I watched in awe, forgetting for a moment the still haunting shadows from the past.

~ Rays’ POV ~

We had just… No, actually, me and Arthus had been in the jungle for quite a while!
When we had just entered the Pond Room, Dylan and Gordon had started this silly discussion. Something 'bout how Gordon was really Dylan's horsey, and that Dylan was really a manipu-, a manila-…, a bossy character. Or something like that… Anyways, they were talking so loudly me and Arthus couldn't understand ourselves. So, we went to this jungley place. Here, there was a nice, not-too-deep stream, where we could play "Catch the Beach Ball" in all peace 'n quiet.
Bùt: we grew bored.
“I'm bored."
"*sigh* Me too, Arthus." To show it, I let my antennas hang low into the stream. "But there isn't nothing to do here…"
“And neither no-one to talk to!"
"Yeah… Hey, wait a minute!!" I jolted (literally, but I'd taken my antennas out of the water just before I did) and smiled. "There is!"
Arthus was still waiting a minute, when he saw that wasn't what I'd meant. "Oh? Who?"
"Nemo! And the new Eggy!" I said happily.
"Oh yeah! Shall we go find them?"
" 'f Course! Why not?"
"I dunno…" Arthus started looking for a reason why we shouldn't go find them, but couldn't find any. He shook his head. (Or his belly, I don't know; a Spheal too small to tell!) "Meh. So shall we go?"
"Sure!"
So we got out of the stream, and went into the jungle, while I held the Beach Ball in my paws. Because the Ball was as big as me, I couldn't see where I was going, so when Arthus said "We're there!", I almost let go of it. But I didn't, and put it behind a tree, while we were looking from under a bush to the scene in front.
The Eggy was already hatching! Well, I think it was. It was moving so much now, so much even that it would have started spinning around if Nemo hadn't tucked it in in-between some leaves and branches. (Oh, Nemo had made a nest! How cute!)
Just when we had settled in under our bush and had made ourselves ready for the show, the first teensy-weensy chip of Eggshell jumped off…

~ Mike’s POV ~

My attention had been caught by (again) abnormal flashes behind the white streaks of the blizzard, which was still going strong. This time, though, they came from behind a filthy white rock, which lay near a pond, of which the surface was frozen. And this time, we could hear someone yelling from where the flashes were coming from.
"What are you doing now?!! No, I thought we'd agreed not to do that anymore, bro! Come on!" A muffled, inaudible reply came, and the yelling turned to screaming. "No, No-No!! What are you- ?? No, please! No-GYAAH!!"
The moment this last scream was uttered, the flashes grew more intense. And as we got closer to the rock, they turned from white to a sick light grey. The screaming died out… And so, eventually, did the screaming.
We were now but a meter away from the rock, but no sounds came from behind. Again, nature seemed to pull a trick on us, as the storm in the immediate surroundings of the rock and the pond grew less intense, enabling us to hear ourselves walk through the snow… And to hear someone walk from behind the rock into our view.
First, a pink paw appeared, the end white. Then, a dopey looking head peaked at us; finally, the entire Slowpoke appeared.
But… something was amiss. It seemed to not be okay in a way: it was out of breath, underfed, and at a loss of words (though that was typical for its kind). Strangely, it was wearing a strange kind of circular collar, made of… coral? Lines that sprung on the edge of the collar continued until they touched its neck (the part in-between two lines was either colored red or yellow). But even as first I noticed the collar, it started falling apart, some parts of it being ripped off by the wind, while others fell off by themselves. As it caught us staring at the collar, the Slowpoke became scared, looking for an escape route. Seeing no other than the pond, it jumped into it, easily braking the ice on top. The hole it thus created was quickly frozen again. All this had happened without a sound.
I stepped into the direction of the pond, when I heard a weak cry, coming from behind the rock. Deciding that the Slowpoke wouldn't be able to get away that quickly, I signaled for Bruce to follow me, while I pulled Hanna's aquarium with me. An unfamiliar, green, spiral shell awaited me on the other side. Though it looked awfully familiar… Its tongue stuck out of its oval teethed mouth (which was located at the very bottom of its body, and it didn't look too good (the tongue as well as the creature). The tongue was a pale red, and its skin seemed to have a sick touch to it (it was light green with dark green spots). The look in its eyes confirmed my fears: it was dying! It spoke at us with a small voice.
"Slow-… poke… *cough* Find… the Slowpoke." This voice… To anyone not understanding the Pokémon language, it would've sound like: "Shell-der… Shell-Shellder." Ultimately bizarre… And then, it all clicked into place. A Slowpoke, wearing a red-yellow collar. This dying, strangely deformed Shellder. Its need for us to find the Slowpoke. Shellder only gets so dependant of a Slowpoke if they become united in evolution. And Slowpoke evolves into Slowbro, as well as Slowking… I carefully took the Shellder in my hands, picked it up and slowly turned it around. And my suspicions were confirmed: a blood-red jewel, in the middle of its back. Somehow, the evolution had been turned around, had changed…
I shook my head, unable to comprehend. "How…?"
"Find… it." After uttering these last words, the Shellder closed its eyes; it had fallen unconscious.
"What…?" Hanna started, frowning. I cut her short.
"We have to find that Slowpoke." I stood up again, careful not to let go of the rather heavy Pokémon, while covering it from the wind. Bruce offered to take it from me, but I didn't react. "Or else…"
"Let me in." Hanna said decidedly.
"Where?"
She nudged the side of her aquarium closest to the rock and the pond lying behind it.
"I'll go get that 'Poke for you."
I nodded. Time was a-wasting, so there was no time for words. I pushed the Shellder into Bruce's arms, startling him, and pulled the lid off the aquarium. Hanna jumped out, I grabbed her, and started running around the rock. When the Pond came into view again, I stretched my arms, and Hanna jumped out of my hands. As easily as the Slowpoke had, she jumped through the ice covering.

~ Hanna’s POV ~

Okay… This is cold. I won't say I can't cope with swimming in icy water, but this… It felt to be coming straight from under the South Pole (and I mean that literally, this water was cold!). Though it probably was that I was swimming very close to the cooling machine that was producing this polar water. However, that fact didn't do anything to lessen the cold.
Now that I've settled that the water I was swimming was anything but warm… It was remarkably clear and calm as well. Though a storm was raging above, the ice on the pond didn't let anything through except light. The light beams were less brighter where the ice was thicker, but that didn't stop the whole pond from being lit. To my left, I saw the solid blue (well, that's how it seemed under water) of the massive rock structure of the earth touching the water. The pond had the form of a bowl: gently, the curve stretched out underneath, remarkably featureless. On the bottom lay an uncountable amount of rocks, pebbles and other small stones. To my right, in the distance, I could see the other end of the pond.
But I couldn't see the Slowpoke anywhere. Remembering how urgently I needed to find it, I decided to swim closer to the left side of the pond. And what a surprise I got! What had seemed to be completely solid and featureless from afar, from up-close turned out to be full of tiny caves (some caved-in), in which a fat, pink Poke could've easily been hiding. Noticing the amount of caves I'd have to search, and knowing how slim the chance was I'd be able to pick the right one instantly, I approached the matter differently…
"HEY, YOU FAT DUMB PINK BLOB OF A POKÉMON-MON-on-on!!! GET YOUR PAWS A-MOVING AND COME HERE-ERE-ere-ere!!!"
… And wouldn't you know it? I immediately got a response.
"No… … … No." [color=#00008b]Because of the deep rumbling of his voice, and the echo, I had a bit of trouble locating him.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN-EAN-ean-ean?!! YOUR SHELLDER IS DYING-YING-ing-ing!!!" Stupid echo…
"No… … … No." Well that was helpful… Luckily, I was facing in just the right direction, otherwise I could've spend a lifetime looking for him. He wasn't hiding in one of the caves, but behind a particularly large rock on the bottom. I swam at it, and around. I snuck up on the Slowpoke, who happened to be facing the other direction.
"… Boo."
Unlike what I had expected, he didn't jump, but instead turned his head in my direction. The only evidence that I had startled him was his eyes widening momentarily. "I'm… not coming."
"Oh yes, you are!!"

Hanna (Carvanha) (lvl.7) (f)
VS
Slowpoke (Slowpoke) (lvl.15) (m)

I swam at him, at full speed… He gave me the cold shoulder, and I bounced off it, doing no damage what so ever. Enraged, I tried to bash him in the head. Again, no reaction, and no effect. The battle went on like this for a while, before I calmed down and started thinking. Performing my Rage on this character wasn't working, so a change of tactic was in need. I gave him a Leer or two, but again, no reaction. Feeling my anger growing once more, I turned to my second-to-last move. Feeling my Earring boosting my attack, I Bit the Slowpoke in the tail… hard. This finally got his reaction: he started wailing incoherently and waving his tail around. But I didn't let go; his tail was too tasty, and I knew too well how much he was suffering from my attack.
Finally, he was able to Stomp me in the face, so that I had to let go. In a spark of intelligence, he swiftly turned around, and Growled. I flinched, closed my eyes… And when I opened them again, he was gone! I looked around, but couldn't see him. Then I heard a faint rumbling coming from underneath. I looked down, and saw the earth beneath me explode! Surrounded by a cloud of mud, dirt and dust, the Slowpoke appeared and rammed into me. I was sent flying (well, not really) through the water, and collided with the ice cover in a particularly thick spot. In-between the stars I was seeing, I saw how the Slowpoke had swum up to me, and was spinning around his centre, slowly building up speed. Wondering what he was doing, I let my guard down. Thus, I wasn't prepared for the following. His tail glowed a steel grey, and hit me like a truck. Now I was sent downwards, barely noticing how the Slowpoke was following me. He was sucking in some of the water around him, preparing for what seemed to be Water Gun. He hadn't lost his dumb nature, that's for sure. Who would use Water Gun on a Water Pokémon? Nevertheless, I knew I had to do something. This 'Poke was a fighter, and I wouldn't last much longer against him. So, I used the only move I had left.
Just as the Slowpoke opened his mouth and started his attack, he was hit in the face by an icy beam of polar temperature. As the water in the Pond was already stone-cold, my Ice Beam did little to freeze it. But the water the Slowpoke had had in his mouth (and so had warmed up with his body temperature) was frozen solid. As it hadn't fully left his mouth, the result was that the Slowpokes lower face (meaning his nose, chin, mouth and cheeks) was covered by a thick layer of ice. Because this meant his prime air supply was shut off, he had instantly lost interest in battling me. Instead, he was trying desperately to break through his ice mask. Failing to use much strength under water, he headed towards the surface, all the while building up speed. He broke through the ice at what could've been the exact same place he had entered the pond; I followed shortly after.
I jumped out of the water, yelping at the sudden contact with the raging winds, and landed on the snow. Nearby, I saw Mike kneeling beside the Slowpoke; Bruce was standing close by, still holding the evolved(?) Shellder in his arms. As Mike ripped the deadly mask off the Slowpoke's mouth, I noticed he'd fainted (from what I couldn't tell - the cold, exhaustion, or suffocation).

Hanna (Carvanha) won!
She grew to level 9!

~ Mike’s POV ~

"Mike!"
"Not now, Bruce!" I grumbled, while checking if the Slowpoke was okay, "Hand me the Shellder, will you!"
"But Mike, Hanna is out of the water!"
I turned around. "Sh*t!!" I jumped up, ran to Hanna, picked her up from the snow, ran to her aquarium, ripped the lid off, and let her jump in. Then I closed the lid (but not before whispering "Good job, girl"), and ran back to the Slowpoke, dragging the aquarium back with me.
Time was running out. Both the Shellder and the Slowpoke were unconscious, and wouldn't survive unless we reunited them. The Shellder had been able to tell us she'd bitten the Slowpoke in the head years ago, while he was wearing a King's Rock. The result had been her changing to her spiral form, and his evolving in Slowking. But it hadn’t been a total successful evolution. The Slowpoke was ungrateful for the evolution (even despised her on a certain level for making him evolve), and hadn't Yawned once ever since. The Yawning was essential for the evolution to be a success, because it meant that the muscles in his upper head tensioned, making the Shellder bite harder in his skull. This led to the secretion of a certain venom by the Shellder into the Slow's head, making him smarter, and making the evolution final.
Because he hadn't Yawned, and had opposed the evolution so much, the Slowpoke had been able to detach the Shellder of his head, and undoing his evolution. But the Shellder's transformation couldn't be undone - she needed to be attached to a Slowking to live (like a Parasect's mushroom needed its host), and would die otherwise.
So that's why I was now trying to wake them both up. The Shellder soon awoke (though she was still half unconscious), but the Slowpoke gave no sign of consciousness.
"It's no use… *cough* … I'll die, here and now." She said this calmly, as if she'd already accepted the fact.
"No! Please!" I began speaking rapidly. "Don't give up!"
"I…" She cut off her sentence when she heard a tinkling sound. "Look there.", she said, looking at something on the ground.
I looked, and cried in agony. It was her ruby! It had fallen off her back! Looking back at the Shellder, I could see that she was losing pieces of her shell, that were being ripped off by the wind.
"No-no-NO!!" I began shaking at the Slowpoke violently, slapping him in the face with my bare hands. "Wake up, for Christ's sake!!"
"Mike…" Bruce started, but was cut off by a deep growl coming from the Slowpoke.
"Where…?" he said, looking around. "Oh no… he complained when he noticed the Shellder.
"Oh yes!!" I almost screamed, turning the Slowpoke on his belly, and sitting on his back, carefully not to squish him. "Now, here's what'll happen."
I took the Shellder from Bruce, and put her on his head gently, there where I could see open scars from where he'd pulled the Shellder off of his head. "You'll Yawn, evolve, and save this Shellder from dying."
"Or else.", Bruce added.
"No!!" the Slowpoke protested, shaking violently under me. "I won't!!"
"You will." I told him calmly. "Or…"
"Or I'll forever be biting you in the tail, buster!" Hanna yelled from inside her glass box. "And that won't evolve you into a Slowbro, but it will certainly hurt!"
Faced with the consequences of denying, the Slowpoke's attitude turned around dramatically. "I'll do it!"
"Good." I said, letting go of the Shellder while tapping her on the side. "Your turn, girl!"
She didn't have me say that twice: she bit the Slowpoke in the head, and so hard that I flinched by merely looking at her do it.
"Yawawaw-OWW!!" the Slowpoke howled in pain.
"Don't Howl, Yawn!!" the Shellder yelled, ferociously biting harder.
"Okay, OKAY!!" the Slowpoke screamed frantically, gasping for air. "Geh-eh… SLOOOOOO-"
The Slowpoke's Yawn was ear-deafening! It seemed to dampen the storm's thundering roar, even cause the sides of the pond to collapse, creating a small avalanche that covered it in snow. I had to press my hands against my ears, and so did Bruce. Hanna was flinching in her aquarium; the only one that wasn't affected was the Shellder. She continued to bite, even when she and the Slowpoke started to glow.
Remembering the fallen ruby, I started looking everywhere on the ground for it, jumping off the Slowpoke's back. But I needn't have done that: the Shellder had already seen it, and through a strange bond with the Slowpoke, she'd lifted it off the ground with psychic powers she shouldn't possess normally. It flew through the air and attached itself to the Shellder's back, above the Slowpoke's eyes. This seemed to cause the evolution to fully take place: Slowpoke and Shellder were engulfed in the typical white light of evolution. I could see the Slowpoke's silhouette pushing himself up from the ground, standing on his hind legs. His collar reappeared, and I could see the Shellder's shell repairing itself: broken spine repaired themselves, and broken-off pieces reattached themselves. When the evolution stopped, it was clear that it had been a full success: the eyes of the Slowking contained an intelligence they hadn't possessed before. And his voice had changed too, I noticed that while he stopped Yawning:
"-OOOOW!! Slowking."
"All right!! Awesome!" I started to dance a wild victory dance with Bruce, before the Slowking started talking.
"Thank you. I was foolish to despise evolving so much. It has given me both mental and physical power."
"No hard feelings then?"
"No. In any case, it should be you to have hard feelings for me for being so stubbornly stupid."
"What can we say…?" I said smiling.
"… You were a Slowpoke…!", Hanna continued.
"… So it was only natural of you to be stupid!", Bruce added grinning.
"Indeed." Slowking agreed. "But is there anything I can do to show my gratitude?"
"Well…" Hanna started, looking at the Slowpoke's tail hungrily.
"I think showing us the way out will be enough." I hastily said. "Because I don't think getting out will be that simple if we were to try it on our own.
"Well…" The Shellder on his head suddenly said something to the Slowking. To us, it sounded as a muffled moan or something, but the Slowking seemed to understand. "Hmm. You are in luck. The outer exit of the Room is near here. In fact, just behind yonder snow hill."
I looked ahead to the hill the Slowking had pointed at. Had he not given us directions, we could've been lost in here forever, because in this snow-white landscape, every snow hill resembled the next.
"Thanks a lot, Slowking! You're a big help!"
"You're welcome. Goodbye then; I'll be meditating on the pond's bottom for some time." And with that, the Slowking jumped back into the pond.
"Okay then," I said to my two Pokémon. "What do you say we go to the Pond Room, to check on Dylan and company?"
"That's okay with me!"
"Could we grab a hotdog on our way to there? That tail's made me hungry!"
I snickered. "Sure thing, Hanna. Say!" I said, turning to Bruce. "Your cold seems to be gone?"
"I guess so-oh-oooh!! Atchoo!!"
"Never mind…"

Lady Vulpix

10th July 2004, 03:13 PM

<Iael's POV>

I knew we were going to the Desert Room next, and I knew I was going to battle in it. What I didn't know was who was coming with me. Sylvan and Ventura had been arguing for a while. It was strange to see Sylvan take part in an argument, but Ventura had been especially edgy over the last few months, and that was a lot to say about her. She could drive anyone mad without putting much effort into it. From what I could make out, Sylvan didn't see the point of having two battles in a row and straining her body to the limit when we were only here for some training. Ventura seemed to interpret that as a refusal to face a real challenge and told her she'd get nowhere if she always had things the easy way. Then their words turned into a loud noise. All I could tell was that Sylvan felt really offended, and at one point I heard her tell Ventura that she had nothing to prove to her. Then the noises became unclear again, both pokemon talking on top of each other until Gabi stepped between them and stared at them. She had her back against me, so I couldn't see if her stare was one of anger or concern. But it was enough for my teammates to stop in their tracks.

"I'm afraid to ask what's going on here," Gabi said. "It may cause you to start arguing again, or me to get a headache."
"Forget it," Ventura shrugged in the best way a Venomoth can.
"I was given a choice, I took it," Sylvan stated. "You may have chosen differently in my place, but you must respect me."
"What choice was this?," Gabi asked, but the girls ignored her.
"How can you demand respect if you back off from any chances of proving yourself?"
"Everyone deserves respect, Ventura. And this is not a test, it's not a trial... It's just training! Straining one's body beyond its limits isn't good for anyone."
"How would you know? You've never done it."
"You'd be surprised at the amounts of strain I've been through."
"If we were to compare each other, I think you would be shocked."
"Well, maybe that's the way you like it, but I'm not you, Ventura. Please understand that."
"It's not the way I like it. It's just the way it's had to be. Some are lucky enough to have all problems worked out for them and a guardian angel watching over. Some of us need to find the strength within ourselves. And at the end of the day, I'm not so sure which ones are more blessed."
"We've lived together for years, but somehow you don't seem to know me yet."
"That goes both ways."
"Maybe."
"That's enough," Gabi sighed. "What's gotten into you two? Everything seemed to be fine a moment ago."
"It's still fine, Gabi, you don't need to get worked up about this. I was just givig Sylvan some friendly advice."
"Friendly advice? Since when is questioning my decisions, my values and even my own essence friendly advice?"
"What?! You're taking this too far! I only said..."
"I know what you said!"
"You don't seem to."
"Let... me... be. Let me make my own choices and handle my life the way I want to. I know you've always seen me as a weak and defenseless creature, and back when we first met I was, but I've grown up even if you can't seem to understand it."
"Then why won't you try and have 2 battles in a row?"
"Because I consider that having 2 separate battles will help me more. Because my style is different from yours and what's good for you is not necessarily good for me, and because if the time ever comes for me to prove myself to you, it won't be in a controlled environment."
"I think we all know each other enough to know no one has to prove themselves to the others," Gabi asserted.
"Is that so...?," now it was Ventura who sighed, her eyes lost in the distance. "I've always felt that life itself was some sort of test. And those who fail pay the most terrible prizes."
"It's not like that!," Sylvan seemed horrified at the thought. "Sure, we've all been through awful times, some worse than others, but there's a lot more to life than that. If you can't grasp the good things about life, and realize how lucky you are to be here, then I don't see how it's worth living."
"I guess I'm not making myself clear," Ventura said. "Facing challenges is something I enjoy. Struggling to achieve what seems impossible and then coming on top or trying harder next time. Not letting anything or anyone bring me down. That's what life is about for me."
"We live under the same roof and have totally different concepts of what life is," Sylvan finally smiled. "I guess we should just stick to what works for each of us."
"I guess so," Ventura accepted. "I take it you won't be wanting my coaching any time soon."
"I don't know. Maybe if another football or hockey game comes up. Or if something important is at stake. But I'd rather handle training battles on my own. Even if I lose some, I'll learn more than I would if I got the answers sent to me whenever things get tough."
"That definitely proves you have grown," Gabi stroked Sylvan's neck.
"I have. Earlier than you all think. You two have always been protecting me, and so has Amber. Don't think I didn't catch the 'guardian angel' reference. But it's been a while since I learned I could protect myself and others as well. And I haven't had a dark past, but I've made some tough choices and things haven't always been bright for me. So I would appreciate it if you'd stop saying I've had all my problems sorted out for me."
"We won't compete to see whose life's been harder. I know the answer, but I'm sure your problems are important for you too," Ventura said.
"I've never talked about my problems with you, so I can't see how you'd know the answer."
"I've heard you each and every time a crisis landed upon us. You don't have to talk to me personally to make it obvious."
"There are some things you don't know about me."
"And how much do you think you know about me?"
"Why is that so?," Gabi interrupted them. "Wouldn't it be better if we all shared our feelings and concerns with the others? Maybe that way no one would hurt others unintentionally."
"Then our lives would turn into a soap opera, and that's not my kind of life," Ventura rejected the offer. "As I've always said, I accept you as my trainer and thank you for giving me a place to live and any help I may need, but don't try to pull me over to your corny side of the world. I'm not made for it."
"You're always so nice..." ironized Gabi.
"I leave that job to you. I'm direct," Ventura replied.
"Is everyone going to start fighting now?," I interrupted the trio. It was getting late and that was as much as I could take of their argument.
"I seriously hope not," Gabi answered.
"We shouldn't even be having this argument," Sylvan sighed. "We all know Ventura's edgy by nature. And that trait seems to be developing even more as time goes by."
"Has it ever even occured to you that there might be a reason for my edginess?"
"Really? And what is that reason?"

There was silence for a few seconds. Not only me, Sylvan and Gabi stared at Ventura, but everyone in the team did. We all waited, wondering what she was going to say. What we finally got was hardly what any of us was hoping for.
"I have the right to have feelings too, don't I? Everyone else here does and no one makes a fuss about it. Now why don't we all go to the Desert Room and watch Sylvan and Iael battle? It's getting late."
With those words, Ventura clearly marked the end of the conversation. I sighed. I was convinced that we'd all be able to get on with her better if only she'd open up and share her feelings and her worries with us. But I also knew how hard that could be when something too painful was plaguing your heart. For Ventura's sake, I hope that wasn't the case with her.

"Not a good way to start," my more strategic side told the emotional part of me. "It will be harder to focus on the battle with so much on our minds, both for me and Sylvan. But all in all, what was it? It was just a pointless argument, nothing really happened and nothing that mattered was said. There's nothing new about Ventura getting easily irritated and trying to direct everyone's actions; it was strange to see Sylvan getting back at her, but it was bound to happen eventually. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to really worry about. Nothing the rush of the battle can't quickly wash away."
With those thoughts, I lead the way into the Desert Room. I didn't know how Sylvan's emotions would affect her battle, but I did know I was going to be at my peak as soon as I was face to face with my opponent.

I waited at the door until Gabi came to open it. When she did, a sudden gust of wind blew sand right on my face.
"Nice greeting," Gabi said, coughing. Apparently I hadn't been the only one hit by the sand.
"Didn't you arrange this whole thing?," Hero questioned her.
"I just had some people restore the rooms to what they originally looked like," Gabi answered. "I might make some changes next time, if there is a next time and I happen to be in charge of it again. Anyway, the wind's stopped blowing now, I think it was just a nasty coincidence that it would come our way right when I opened the door."
"Yeah, bad thing your psychic powers didn't predict it," Hero joked.
"You know as well as I do that I don't have the faintest idea of how my psychic abilities work. Except for the psychic signals, I think I can control them quite well even if there's not much I can do with them."
"Good, keep training and you'll soon have the psychic prowess of Caledor."
"You're aware of the fact that Caledor is a psychic pokemon, right?," Gabi reminded the Ninetales.
"Yes, but I doubt he'd take offense if he were here. He knows his psychic powers are as good outside of battles as a toaster without bread. For now, at least. Besides, I kinda miss my little buddies; I need to tease them so that I don't feel their absence so much."
"I gave you the choice of going with them," Gabi told him.
"I know, and I stick to my decision. There's a couple of battles I don't wanna miss."
"And you also want to wait until Caledor's not so hyper before you start teasing him in his presence," I added.
"Why you little... You're overstepping your bounds, Iael. Keep at it and you'll soon be one of us."
"Are you saying I could join the terrible trio?... No, it doesn't feel like me. And I can't imagine your little group changed in any way. But thanks."

Shaking the sand away from my face, I walked across the dunes of what, according to Gabi, looked more like a waterless beach than a real desert. I overheard Hero's comment about me being weird, but I didn't care. Who wasn't weird in our party, or in any of the teams we were in close contact with? I knew some aspects of me contrasted with each other; I knew I sometimes didn't make sense to most of my friends. But I was ok with it. I'd finally learnt that it was not a problem, it was just the way I was.

I faced front and kept walking until a rambling sound reached my ears. It was quite strong, even on the sand. Whatever was causing it sounded heavy. I wondered if that would be my opponent. I moved cautiously towards the source of the sound, until I reached the top of one of the highest dunes and an image became visible. I'll be honest, it looked like a gigantic wheel with a handle on each side. It was rolling across the sand without an apparent pattern. For a moment, I felt it would be nice to do the same... Just to move around with no reason, no purpose, leaving the world behind. But it was just a moment. I was there to have a battle, everything else could wait. I trotted down the dune and went after the rolling pokemon. I ran by his side for a few seconds until he finally noticed me and stopped. The base of the wheel opened to leave room for 4 thick pillars to step on the ground, while the front side unfolded, taking the shape of a trunk and revealing a pair of sharp-looking tusks below it. The transformation was impressive. The Donphan's eye turned to look at me.
"Are you my opponent?," he asked me.
"I guess so," I replied.
"I wasn't expecting a Stantler," he said twisting his mouth a little. "Ok, I'll assume you're as good an opponent as any."
"What were you expecting?," I asked.
"I don't know... It's just... You don't see many Stantlers coming to this place. Let alone one experienced enough to challenge me. I thought I'd see a Scizor, and Alakazam or the odd cocky Charizard. Maybe even a Venusaur... that would have been a real challenge."
There was an oddly sad tone in his voice.
"How do you know I'm not?," I questioned him. He sighed.
"Sorry, I didn't want to hurt your feelings or anything. It's just that Donphans are naturally stronger than Stantlers. But if you still want to battle me, I'll have to assume that you're not completely defenseless. I'll give you a chance. Please make it worth my time."
I didn't like this Donphan's attitude at all, but this situation wouldn't be resolved by talking. Though in a very bad way, he was asking me to prove myself in battle. I could do that. I'd leave no openings and give him no reasons to think I was weak. I'd make him change his view on Stantlers from that day.

Level 40 Stantler vs. Level 45 Donphan

I'd seen and heard the Donphan rolling across the Desert Room; I knew he hadn't bluffed when he said his kind was stronger than mine. Brute force wouldn't win against him, but there were still other things I could do to help myself. Leer was a start. I stood right there, facing my opponent, and pierced him with my eyes. He seemed to flinch for a moment, but it was just a moment.
"Yes, I know you can do that," he spoke vaguely, as if he were talking to the air or to himself more than to me. "You can weaken me a little, but not enough. I'll still come out on top."
He came charging in my direction. I tried to dodge, but it was hard to run on the sand. The Donphan's head hit my left side and sent me rolling on the ground. I was glad that at least his tusks hadn't touched me. I used the same impulse of the fall to get back up, and gave the Donphan a taste of his own medicine. My Headbutt blew the air out of him for a second. He turned towards me, and looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.
"Alright," he spoke out. "It won't be the same this time, that much is clear."
With that, he kneeled down and turned back into a wheel. It was obvious what attack he was going to use. I let him hit me the first time: I was close and he wouldn't have had the chance to build up his speed. As I expected, the impact was not too strong and it left me close enough to my opponent to kick some sand into his face. Well, a lot of sand. He'd have some troube getting rid of that, especially if he didn't stop rolling. I quickly jumped away and watched him miss on his next attempt at rolling over me.

The Donphan resumed his normal shape and shook his head. While he was distracted, I took the chance to plant another Headbutt on his side.
"This isn't working," he muttered.
He took a deep breath and blew away the sand from his face with his trunk. He opened and closed his eyes until no grains of sand were obstructing them.
"Are you ready to continue?," I asked, though I wasn't sure if asking that was a good idea.
The battle was coming out quite differently from what I had expected. I'd prepared myself for battling a cocky brute and showing him what I was capable of, but the Donphan's reactions had taken me by surprise. I couldn't quite measure him yet.
"Give me your best, Stantler," he told me. "Make it so that I can do the same and feel no remorse."
"Why would you feel remorse? This is just a friendly battle. Neither of us is going for the kill or anything."
"I know. But that doesn't erase the memories."
"What memories?"
"Bad times. I'd rather not talk about that. Let's get on with the battle, I bet we can both use a discharge."

The last thing I had expected was for my opponent to go reflective on me. He was making it really hard to stay in battle mode. Now I was struggling between a surging need to understand what was going on with the Donphan and help him, and my desire to get the battle done.
"Oh, no, don't you start having doubts now," he told me. "Believe me, you do want to finish me off. I just don't want to make things worse by telling you why."
"How can you say I want to finish you off?"
"Because of the color of your fur. Now come on, less talking and more battling."

The Donphan was making less sense with every phrase he spoke. I reckoned it would be best to just keep on battling. Battle was the only aspect of life in which everything was clear. There was a goal, a set of options that opened different sets of possibilities, better and worse paths to reach the goal... And the rush that made all worries and all thoughts that weren't directly related to the battle go away. Yes, battling would be best.

I used another Headbutt, and he countered with something different this time. Now his tusks did hit me. And his trunk. I don't know exactly how he pulled it out, but it felt as if he were hitting me on many places at about the same time. I stopped the attack with my antlers and pushed forward with another Headbutt. That was enough. The Donphan stopped fighting and let himself fall with a sigh that almost sounded like a "thank you". I'd won the battle, but I was left with a disturbing sensation I just couldn't shake off... or explain.

Oh, and I grew to level 42.

Everyone in my team walked over to me to congratulate me. Only then did I notice their presence.
"Are you alright?," Gabi asked me. I wasn't physically battered, so I thought she'd seen something in my eyes.
"Yes, it's just... I'm not used to not knowing where I stand in a battle. I won, but I still don't know what was at stake. Was the Donphan battling me, or was he fighting himself?"
"I would say both," answered Amber. "But I think only Lagi would be able to clarify things, and I don't think she'll be back until tomorrow. If she knows what's best for her, she'll take a dip in the thermal waters of Glacier Peak before heading back to the Grounds."
"If we wait until he wakes up, maybe we can ask him," suggested Hero.
"That could take some time," I stated.
"Come on, you didn't beat him that hard," Hero told me.
"No, I didn't. But with everything he has inside, I doubt he'll want to wake up and face the world in less than a few hours. If I can predict anything about him at all. I really can't figure him out."
"Maybe you'll meet again some day and you'll be able to talk," Gabi said absently.
"I don't even know his name..." I went on. "And what was with my fur color? Was that a joke or what? It's chocolate-colored with lighter spots on my back just like most Stantlers born in the Caledorian forest."
"Maybe he just said something random to put an end to the conversation, or maybe most Stantlers from the Caledorian forest would have something against him," analyzed Amber.
"No way. He's not Mewtwo," I shook my head. I'd known I'd end up taking the conversation to the worst of all topics, but I couldn't help myself. "There's only one pokemon I resent, and I seriously doubt anything can change that. The worst anyone else can achieve is to make me mad for a while."

"Well, I hope he can get over whatever it is that happened to him," Gabi sighed. "This has been quite an eventful day, hasn't it?"
"It's not over yet," Sylvan pointed out. "I still want to have my battle."
"Alright. And tomorrow we'll request a two-on-two at the Jungle Room," decided Ventura, who seemed to have accepted Sylvan's choice and also come up with a new plan.
"I guess I can cope with that," Sylvan chuckled. "We've worked fine together in the past. But today please let me battle my way."
"Fine. I don't see any bushes around, you should be alright."
"Ventura, you're impossible! That happened about 3 years ago!, can't you just forget about it?"
"What are they talking about?," I asked Gabi.
"An embarrassing moment within a battle," she told me. "Nothing that wouldn't normally happen to an inexperienced pokemon, but Ventura doesn't seem to see it that way. Either that or she really doesn't realize how much Sylvan has grown over the last 3 years."
"I've heard you," Ventura said in a loud, vibrating voice. "I was joking, you know. An ancient practice based on something named humor which you probably wouldn't recognize since you laugh at just about anything you hear, see or think."
"You're wrong there," Gabi responded. "I laugh easily, but I can tell good jokes from bad ones. And making fun of someone's bad experiences isn't good."
"Sylvan didn't mind, did she?"
"I wasn't sure of whether you were joking or not," Sylvan answered. "If it was a joke, I guess it's alright."
"So no one can tell when I'm joking?," Ventura wondered.
"You're not exactly expressive," Gabi pointed out. "It takes years of careful observation to notice a variation in the expression of your face and the tone of your voice."
"Come on, I'm complex but not that complex."
"I didn't say you were complex. I said you were inexpressive. It's not the same."
"Well, you should try to get to know me better. You all should."
"Really?," Gabi's expression changed as she made a pause. "I thought you didn't want others to get through to you. If I was wrong, I'll try to change that from now on."
"Please," Ventura nodded.
Quite an eventful day, really. I'd thought exactly the same as Gabi, that Ventura didn't want to be known and understood. This came to me as a huge surprise. It wasn't that she didn't want to open up... She just didn't know how to! But something had changed in her over the last few months. What could it have been?

As we spoke, another rambling sound invaded the area.
"I hope it's not another weird Donphan," I said.
But no, it didn't sound like a huge and heavy rolling wheel. This sounded more as if it were slithering. A slithering train of boulders. When the pokemon finally came into sight, I laughed at my own description of it. It hadn't been far from the truth. "Maybe I should start training my hearing," I said to myself. "It can be quite useful."

A massive stone snake was now in front of us, examining the group. It soon spoke, with a voice that, although deep, had a female ring to it.
"I've been sent to battle a pokemon in the 5th level range. Which one of you is my opponent?"
"That would be me," Sylvan stepped forward. "You work here, right?"
"Right now, yes. My team and I do training events. This is my second time in the Desert Room, the first one was for the last Griphon Games."
"Two tournaments ago," Sylvan remembered. "I came here to train back then, but I don't think I've seen you."
"There were many pokemon around. The chance of meeting the same one twice is really low."
"A friend of mine met the same pokemon three times at the Lava Room," Sylvan told the Onix.
"Really? That's amazing."
"So amazing that I expected him to be there again this time," Amber added. "But I guess that would have been too much of a coincidence. You wouldn't happen to know him, right? His name is Eliot, he was a Charmeleon two years ago, he's bound to be a Charizard now. He lives with a mercenary trainer."
"As a matter of fact, I have met him," the Onix said. "I guess coincidences keep popping up. His trainer's name is Randall. We've been in several events together."
"Great! Do you happen to know where he is now?"
"Not right now, but I wouldn't be surprised to find him at the new training facility. Randall and his pokemon don't miss a chance to train. Unless they think the battle is unfair. They have an interesting policy; they'd rather lose a battle than obtain a hollow victory."
"I see. He hasn't changed," Amber smiled. "Well, neither have I."
"Oh, yes, you have," Ventura contradicted her. "You have evolved and you've started rejecting any friendly battles whatsoever. Back then you would accept them as long as they were fair."
"That's because I gained a lot of strength in little time," Amber explained. "I'm not 100% sure I can always control it, and I wouldn't like to hurt my friends."
"Then you could battle someone who's resistant to your attacks," Ventura suggested. "Like a Rock type."
"I have a Steel type Hidden Power," Amber pointed out. "I could always not use it, but I really don't see the point of battling just to gain experience and learn how to battle better. With all the things we normally have to face, I know I'll end up battling many times. But when I'm with friends there are plenty of other things I'd rather do."
"I see. And back in the time I would have thought that if anyone was going to give up friendly battles it'd be Sylvan."
"Me? No, battling's not my favorite activity but the life I lead requires me to be strong and battling helps me achieve that."
"Why don't you lead a different kind of life?," the Onix asked, intrigued.
"I wouldn't change my friends for anything," Sylvan answered with an unusual determination. "And I wouldn't step back when things get ugly. It's not like me to turn my back on those I care for."
"I see. That's a perfectly good reason. I also battle for the ones I care for: my trainer and my team."
"Good. What's your name?," Sylvan asked.
"Amethyst. And yours?"
"Sylvan. You seem to be a reasonable pokemon. Can I please ask you not to use any Grass type attacks in our battle?"
"Of course. It wouldn't be fair if I used them. But that doesn't leave me with many moves left and Normal type attacks won't do much to you. Is it ok if I use my clover?"
Amethyst lower her head to the level of Sylvan's neck to inspect the 4-leaf clover.
"Ok. Any other restrictions?," the Onix asked.
"None on my side. You?"
"Anything else is fine."
"Ok, then. Let's battle."
"This is going to be a long battle," I heard Ventura comment. "Unless Sylvan does something which I doubt she will do."
"Don't start it now," Gabi told her. "Let her battle her way this time. That's all she's asked for."

Level 48 Venusaur vs. Level 55 Onix

No sooner did Sylvan take her battling stance than a strong wind began to blow around the Onix, lifting up huge amounts of sand with it. The radius of the Sandstorm became wider until I could no longer see what was going on at the battle field.
"Ok, I get to do something useful," Ventura said to herself. "Who wants to subscribe to Ventura-vision?"
"Do we have much of a choice?," Gabi asked.
"Yes. The choice is yes or no. Which one will you take?"
"Ok, I'll take the 'yes' option, but without the extra headache, please."
"If you get a headache it will be solely on your account. And you'll have earned it for treating me like that when I'm offering a service. Anyone else?"
We all ended up accepting. We didn't want to miss the action. And I new for a fact that Gabi tended to exaggerate the effects of Ventura's telepathy on her.

Sylvan hit Amethyst with a Body Slam, but if the attack had any effect at all, it didn't show. Amethyst's attack was slightly more effective: she managed to lift some rocks from below the sand (and, if I interpreted Ventura's transmission right, she also created some thick sand balls) and sent them crashing against Sylvan. But the effect wasn't spectacular at all. The sandstorm seemed to be hurting Sylvan more than the rocks were. Sylvan tried another Body Slam with the same disastrous results as before.
"I knew she'd do that," groaned Ventura. "She's going for paralysis, but at this rate she won't get the chance. Amethyst can summon a new Sandstorm as soon as this one receeds."
"There's also the chance that she might have a plan," Hero commented. "Don't underestimate her."
Whether I was underestimating her or not, I didn't know where this battle was heading. I got an image of Amethyst burying herself in the sand as fast as if she were a worm and not an Onix. The sand kept hitting Sylvan, but the flower on her back managed to collect some sun rays that filtered through the sandstorm, filling her with their warmth and nurturing her.
"I knew it!," Hero cheered. "She's using Tsunami's strategy."
"Tsunami's strategy?," I asked. I'd seen Tsunami battle many times but I wasn't sure of what he was referring to.
"Making the battle last as long as possible and wearing your opponent out. As long as Amethyst can't heal herself and her attacks can't do more damage than Sylvan can recover from, the battle is hers."
"Or Amethyst could just get tired of clashing with Sylvan without either of them feeling it and give up," Ventura added sarcastically.

Amethyst emerged from the ground and hit Sylvan, who countered with another ineffective Body Slam.
"Even Fury Cutter would be better than this!," complained Ventura. "At least it could build up."
Amethyst dug into the ground again. Sylvan took one more chance to heal herself, but when the Sandstorm receeded we could see she wasn't at her peak. I was starting to have my doubts. Would her strategy work at all?

When the Onix came out, Sylvan used Synthesis again instead of attacking. This time, she managed to collect a lot more sunlight, and the effect was evident. The Venusaur's leaves and petals were shining as much as her smile. Sylvan was as good as new.
"If they repeat the same sequence of moves they've used up to now 4 more times Sylvan will win the battle," Gabi calculated.
"That is if Sylvan can gather that much sunlight in the night, because this is bound to take really long," Ventura countered.

As we all expected, another Sandstorm began to brew. And Sylvan used yet another Body Slam. Only this time something different happened. This time Amethyst couldn't counter the attack.
"She made it! She got her paralyzed!," cheered Ventura, much to my surprise. "Do something different now!"
Sylvan sighed and shook her head. Even though she did comply. She used Fury Cutter. The effect was unnoticeable but, as Ventura had said before, she'd have the chance to build up the attack. Amethyst, however, seemed determined not to give her that much of a chance. She stayed firm on her place, and opened her mouth to emit a loud acute sound. If the noise hadn't been muffled by the sandstorm, it might have been enough to deafen us all. Sylvan responded with another Fury Cutter, which was just a bit stronger than the previous one.

Amethyst spoke, but it was hard to make her out through the sandstorm. Her voice wasn't too different from the sound of the raging wind. The only word that reached me clearly was the last one: restrictions.
"I stick to our agreement!," Sylvan's voice came through the storm.
The Onix spoke again briefly. Something like "alright then" (I heard "I ten", but I guessed she'd actually said the former).

What came next was hard to describe, especially since I just got the images from Ventura-vision. There was a change in the air. The floating sand somehow took the shape of wings and closed in on Sylvan, carried forward by a gust of the purest wind. I wouldn't be able to tell where I got the word 'pure' from, it just felt that way. Ventura's signals were strange, but something felt very familiar. I broke the psychic link without noticing; I needed to feel the air and its movement. Something inside me was pulsating, wanting to join it.
"No," I stopped myself. "It would hurt Sylvan. There will be plenty of time after the battle."
A cascade of fresh water interrupted my train of thoughts, breaking through the sandstorm and whatever gusts of wind hadn't hit their target yet. That was way too much for the Onix to endure.

Sylvan grew to level 50!

Our Venusaur friend emerged victorious, using the last rays of the sun to heal herself.
"I didn't think you'd do that," Ventura told her once she was close enough to hear her without having to raise her voice.
"I didn't want to, but she made the first call. If she can use a Super Effective Hidden Power, so can I. I guess we were both getting tired."
"And I can see why!," The Venomoth exclaimed. "The only battle I've witnessed that took longer than this one was between two Metapods."
"Well, at least it's over now. She should be fine. I employed most of the water to wash the sand away, so only a small part actually hit her."
"Not bad for a day's training. So... are we having dinner here or at home?"
"As you all prefer," Gabi told us.
"Before we have dinner, can I please stay on this room a little longer?," I asked.
"Of course," Gabi granted me the permission. "Do you want to wait for the Donphan to wake up?"
"Not exactly. There's just something I'd like to do. You can wait outside, you can even order dinner if you're having it here. I'll join you in a few minutes."
"Okay..." Gabi said, puzzled.
She and the rest of the team left the room, directing a few intrigued looks at me. If I'd wanted to explain myself, I don't think I could have done it. I just felt an urge to run. Run across the sandy dunes, with nothing around me but a large plain, the first evening stars above me (which were visible through the room's transparent ceiling), and a friendly, gentle wind pushing me forward, carrying me away from all doubts, all worries, all unanswered questions, all sad feelings I wanted to leave behind... Nothing and no one to disturb me, to remind me of what I couldn't do and what I couldn't change. Just me and my wind... roaming free... If only for tonight.

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

Note: Sylvan's level 50 TM will be Sludge Bomb.

AntiAsh Superstar

11th July 2004, 03:39 AM

Heh, this is supposed to be a day or two after the second round of the Unicorn Games, I wrote it while I was waiting for Soo to finish her battle. Enjoy. ^_^ (oh, and btw, new chapter of my Iner Circle fic up if anyone likes that sort of thing)

-----
"How are you feeling?" The hospital wing of Unicorn Gate wasn't exactly how Milliardo had envisioned his accommodation between rounds of the Unicorn Games. He had been hoping for a much livelier, more dynamic set of surroundings than the clinical silence of a hospital ward. But sadly this was where had been forced to stay for now. He had been badly poisoned during his last battle, and even his usual resilience was having a hard time in flushing the remnants of the toxins out of his system. So he was forced to lay in an unfamiliar bed, staying on white sheets that stank of antiseptic and resigned to wishing for the slow and painful deaths of every single creature that asked him how he was feeling. Especially the irritatingly chirpy Nurse Joy in charge of the ward. Right now he was beginning to wish that Reaper would swoop in through the ceiling and carry her away in her talons.
"Well, I have a killer headache, I can't sleep, this is doing nothing for my training regime, and I really miss having the tip of my tail around," the Umbreon grumbled. On top of everything else his last battle had cost him a small portion of tail after it was bitten off by a Mightyena. "Other than that I'm just great, never felt better, in fact."
"Oh, that's good to hear," Nurse Joy beamed, quite obviously having not understood a word of his tirade. "Just keep resting and you'll be fine in no time."
"Yeah, so she's been telling me for the past two days," Milliardo grumbled the instant the nurse was out of earshot. He rolled his eyes in despair. "I tell you, she's bet against me and wants me wasted away before the next round. She's probably put money on Ryu the Trapinch instead."
"Nah, she looks more the sort who'd bet on Blazer the Arcanine." All of a sudden Pandora decided to melt out of the shadows of the bedside cabinet, grateful for the semi-darkness of the ward at night. "Thanks for showing me how to do that trick, by the way. Dreadfully handy for sneaking around, isn't it?"
"Hey, how else do you think I manage to know absolutely everything that goes on around here?" Milliardo cackled, glad for the company. "You sure you don't mind Ade being mad at you once he realises you've ran off to visit me, though?"
"I'd say it's worth a few glares in the morning," the Houndour replied, looking almost bashful. "I was really worried, you know. We all were."
"Yeah, well..." Milliardo shifted uncomfortably. He had never exactly been brilliant at dealing with situations like these. "We should look on the bright side. I got badly poisoned and lost the end of my tail that time. At least the next round can't be much worse!"
"I guess..." Pandora still looked worried. "I just couldn't deal with it if you got hurt. Or worse."
"And I thought Houndours were supposed to be tough. You're less menacing than an Azurill when you get like this." The Umbreon grinned broadly. "Relax, you wonderful bundle of fury, you. Even if they dropped an atomic bomb on my head there'd be no getting rid of me, I'd just come back and haunt you all for eternity. Although I can see one major problem with being a ghost."
"What, the fact that it makes it very hard for me to do this?" Abruptly Pandora leaned over and kissed Milliardo on the cheek, before drawing away, tears brimming in her large, soulful eyes. "Please don't let that happen, Milliardo. Life without you would be intolerable."
"Don't worry about that," the Umbreon replied, looking deep within his partner's eyes. "I'll be damned if I let anyone put an end to any of this. Life's just too good to give up without a fight, sore tails notwithstanding."
"You're pretty cut up about that, aren't you?" Pandora winced at her own choice of words.
"Of course I am, how would you like having to go through life with a blunt tail?" Milliardo complained. "I swear, the next time I see that Jan it won't be in a tournament and I'll have free licence to stick her head straight up her ass by way of thanks. Anyway, I'm surprised you think life without me would be intolerable. Most people seem to think that of life with me."
"I'm not most people, am I?" Pandora smiled, nuzzling the wounded Umbreon with great affection. "And as much as you're a great big jerk, I still love you. And believe me, Milliardo, that's never going to change. Ever."

The morning was usually something to be dreaded, a never-ending stream of petty arguments and general hustle and bustle that was enough to leave anyone's head in a spin. But this morning something had changed. This morning everything seemed to be moving rather sluggishly, as if somewhere, somehow the team had lost its spark. It was quite alarming, really, how we had all come to depend on Milliardo's presence to assist with the group dynamics. Somehow it didn't seem the same without his obnoxious impatience there to spur us all on. And although it may have been a lot quieter without him, was peace and quiet really what we wanted?
"Dudes!" After a while of this strange, unnatural silence, something seemed to snap within Katnip. Things were getting ridiculous! Even those who could normally be counted on to fill the silence were silenced for some reason or other. Pandora had spent the entire night visiting her boyfriend and as such had collapsed in a corner from around 6am. Marius seemed to be totally lost in his own thoughts, events making him far too pensive to care for starting his usual debates. Rhiannon was, sadly, in the grip of one of her mature moods, and her adult mind seemed to be too busy casting worried glances over at Kassandra's pendant to cause ructions with its usual lack of tact. Even Beckham seemed to have been beaten into something approaching thoughtfulness, the sullen mood of his team-mates having made his every attempt to instigate conversation too awkward even for him. Well, no more. Somebody had to do something to pull us out of this rut! "What's wrong with us, huh? Seems like we've forgotten how ta operate without Milly's crap. Dunno what to say now, whether it's better ta complain that he ain't gonna be impressed with how pathetic we've become, or ta complain that we don't wanna give him the satisfaction of knowin' we need him around this much. But..." Here the Raticate flapped his forelimbs uselessly. "Meh. All I know is that yer all actin' like he's dead or somethin', when all that's happened is he's off bitchin' at some crappy Nurse Joy rather than us. Yeah, it was a bummer ta see him get that hurt an' all, but I tell ya, he'd be the first ta yell at ya fer this bein' a real waste of emotion."
"Indeed." Apparently Katnip had found himself an ally, Marius finally coming out of his shell for a moment. "We all do seem to have lost sight of father's legendary resilience, don't we?" Apparently this tactic wasn't really working. And in the end even the usually objective Marius finally ended up losing his cool. "Alright, fine, ignore me, let every tiny little word coming from my mouth fly straight over your heads because you're so wrapped up in this morose haze that's descended upon us that you ignore the blatantly self-evident fact that he's just one creature of many, if we can't live without him for one fragment of a second then what hope have we got as a team????" The Dratini slammed his tail down on the table angrily, an intense frown sitting upon his face. "Certainly, it's been a rough time. We've lost most of those strong enough of will to voice for us the plans we're generally to timid to admit. Father isn't here to bully us along. Tsuyoi has fallen disturbingly silent ? and although I suppose I'm courting trouble in saying so, I can hardly say I blame him, I don't suppose it does your ego any good when the one you care for suddenly realises she happens to be a lesbian."
"Hey! Are you saying this is my fault now?" Kasumi complained. "Listen, buster, he knew the deal to begin with, as much as I'd love to say 'yeah, let's make a threesome' it's not gonna happen and so I have to choose. It's not a nice choice by any means, but there you go."
"I never said it was your fault, kindly listen before you go charging in like some rampart Rhyhorn," Marius snapped. "There are so many little, tiny, almost petty factors that have contributed to the current mood and father's absence is simply the catalyst, but look. It's a beautiful day outside. We have a roof over our heads, food to eat, the opportunity to do what we want with life, and there are so many in this world who would gladly kill for that. So do we all mind actually giving consideration to how lucky we really are before sinking into this rut in future? Besides..." Here the Dratini cast a sly glance over at Katnip. "Call it a hunch but I suspect that some of us have been simply itching to head over to the training grounds whilst we have the opportunity, and I hardly think it fair to deny their wishes."
"Cheers, dude," Katnip chuckled. "Yer dad'd be proud of ya, I reckon he'd probably even forgive ya fer stealin' his headscarf." The Raticate eyed the skull-and-crossbones motif on the piece of cloth that Marius had taken to wearing around his neck. "Yeah, dudes, we could be doin' so much more here, what do ya all say ta gettin' off our butts for once?"
"What I say..." I mused, trying hard to balance all the options up in my mind. How nice it would have been to have put the training on hold for once, to tell my team to do their own thing whilst I spent a little quality time with Soo. But fate had never been my ally. The instant I started feeling like I could have used such a break, Soo had fallen ill. Even now she was in bed, trying to recover from a bad stomach upset. So what else was I supposed to do? Sit around and do nothing with my time? "Okay. Seeing as we do have a while to do something constructive with our time for once, what say we do go out and visit the training grounds again? We still have two rooms to cover, after all, and the more training you guys get the better." Suddenly I stood up from my position sat at the kitchen table, finally convinced to do something other than spend the day in a haze. "Who's with me?"

As it happened only a few of my pokémon had felt in the mood to accompany me to the training grounds. Katnip, of course, in fact it was his impatience to battle that had spurred out earlier conversation in the first place. And Marius, who would have clearly done anything other than sit around in the house. Plus Bolovayr, Kasumi and Beckham, all of whom cited having nothing better to do as an excuse for tagging along. Well, apart from Kasumi, whose excuse went along the lines of 'I do have better things to do but she's not around at the minute'. Still, it was a small, tidy little group today. A far cry from the mad rabble that usually accompanied me wherever I went.
"So I put it out to you guys again. Which room?" I asked, munching absently on a beanburger that I had picked up from one of the many stalls that provided refreshments for tired trainers. Yet again I had left the house without remembering to pack some kind of lunch, and so ended up having to pay for snacks for six. "We've only really got the Jungle and Desert Rooms left now so it can't be that hard to decided."
"I've told ya before, dude, I don't care where we fight, flip a coin or somethin'!" Katnip grinned excitedly, stuffing his third hot dog into his mouth. Quite how he managed to avoid becoming overweight due to his excessive appetite I had no idea. All I knew was that I was somewhat envious of my Raticate's metabolism.
"Anyone else?"
"Whichever room has the hottest guys in," Kasumi grinned brightly. "Or girls. You know I'm not fussy, I just want something to ogle since I guess it won't be me fighting today."
"Predictable, but of no help whatsoever." I rolled my eyes. "Bolovayr?"
"Hmm..." My Gastly concentrated hard. "Ade, it pleases me to say that... there are no traces of demonic activity in either room so we can go to either." Bolovayr offered a wide grin that almost covered his entire face.
"Again, no help whatsoever. Becks... no, last time I asked you we ended up flooding the room due to your crackpot ideas. Marius, please, as the voice of sanity in this group, help me out here!"
"Well some would dispute your classification, but let me offer my analysis of the situation anyway." The Dratini stuck his tongue out. "The way this whole scenario appears to me is that you intend on visiting all the rooms anyway, correct? And neither room possesses more of an inherent danger ? or indeed benefit ? than the other. So my suggestion is that we simply go with an earlier casual comment of Katnip's and flip a coin for it. I fail to see any more productive solutions given that nobody present seems to possess an opinion on the matter beyond 'I don't care', do you?"
"Alright, so we flip for it, then," I grumbled, rather disappointed that there were no better ways of deciding. Clumsily I fished in the pocket of my black jeans and pulled out a large silver coin. "Okay, heads we use the Jungle Room, tails we use the Desert Room, okay?" I tossed the coin in the air, letting it turn over and over only to land back in my hand. I quickly flipped it over onto the back of my other hand. "Any guesses?"
"Tails," Marius replied casually, a slow smirk forming upon his face as my hand drew away to reveal that the coin had, indeed, landed tail side up. I fixed the Dratini with an odd look.
"How did you do that?"
"Let's just say that Detect has more uses than in simply evading incoming attacks," he chuckled, turning to lead the group to the door of the Desert Room. "So then, shall we head over and commence our training session?"

"Wine spritzer, anyone?" I didn't know what impressed me the most. The amazing job that had been done of simulating desert conditions once we had finally entered the Desert Room; this place was at least as big as the Blizzard Room had been, only where that had been snow and icy winds, this was sand and a terrible, scorching heat that rivalled that of the Lava Room with ease. Or my Wartortle's cartoon character-like ability to seemingly pull random items out of nowhere.
"I swear you must have a mini-bar hidden away inside that shell of yours, Becks," I commented, holding up a hand to protect my eyes from the glare of the simulated sunshine. All there was for miles around were endless sand dunes, those in the far distance seeming to ripple due to the intense heat. It really did feel like we were in the middle of a real desert here! "Got any plain ol' water, by any chance? I don't think it's such a good idea to start drinking alcohol. It dehydrates, and the heat will do that job just as nicely."
"Sorry, Ade," Beckham shrugged. "I'd say yes, I've tons of water, but I was experimenting with Megan the other day..."
"You were?" Kasumi asked.
"Stop picturing it, Sumi!" the Wartortle complained, noticing the far-away look in the eyes of his friend. "It was nothing like that, although you know even I like to snuggle sometimes, and as for... oi, look what you got me talking about, you smutty excuse for a Growlithe! Anyways, we were experimenting with the drinkability of my Water Gun and it kinda turns out that I've drank so much that my water supplies are alcoholic, too."
"Doesn't surprise me," Katnip chuckled, scanning the surroundings as he spoke, desperately trying to locate potential opponents. "Ya always were the biggest alcoholic of the lot of us."
"It's not good for you, you know. God knows what the Guild would say if they knew you were such a boozer. They'd probably revoke my licence for letting you get away with it for so long."
"Well it's just as well that they don't know, isn't it?" Beckham retorted. "Unless of course they employ specially trained ants to spy on the trainers in Ulthuan and report back on their progress, in which case we'd better hope that the Guild has better things to waste their time on than spanking us over alcohol abuse, because those spy ants of doom are efficient little buggers. In fact..." Perhaps fortunately we were spared any further explanation of the Wartortle's latest crackpot theory. For just as he was about to launch into yet another nonsensical rant we were all distracted by a rumbling coming from underneath our feet, a terrible quaking that grew in intensity with every passing second. Until it felt as if we were stood in the very epicenter of an earthquake.
"What's going on?" I yelled, trying and failing to keep my balance and ending up face first in the warm sands. Balance, it had to be said, had never been my strong suit.
"Dunno, dude, it's like we're in the middle of an earthquake or somethin'!" Katnip called over, grimacing as he too tried to maintain a standing position. "It's gettin' worse as well!"
"This particular encounter is far from reaching its conclusion," Marius commented calmly, his eyes screwed shut tightly but otherwise seemingly unaffected by the earthquake. "Katnip, you did want a worthy adversary, correct? Well, I have this hunch that there's one on its way over here right now, although you may want to jump to one side in... hmm... given its current direction and velocity I would say... five seconds from now?" Katnip knew better than to question Marius. He knew full well that the Dratini's brain operated in ways that most could only guess at. Instead he simply did as he was told, hopping nimbly to one side. And just as he did so a huge, ferocious beast seemed to erupt from the sands, snapping at the air just inches away from the Raticate. It was a strange monster, this, similar to a Rhyhorn but seemingly plated in metal armour. A Lairon, in fact. And worse, a Lairon that seemed to have no reservations about using sneak attacks.
"Hey! What d'ya think yer playin' at?" Katnip snapped irritably. "Do ya think that's the right way to start a battle or somethin', just ta pick a pokémon an' hit 'em?"
"Maybe," the bulky pokémon responded. "Or maybe not. I got your attention, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but try another trick like that an' yer gonna be gettin' a whole lot more attention than ya bargained fer."
"Is that a challenge?" the Lairon asked lazily.
"Well seein' as yer so keen ta hit me I might as well try an' hit back!" The Raticate struck a fighting pose, glaring at this potential opponent. It had been a dishonourable start, and Katnip was determined to teach the pokémon a lesson about sticking to a decent code of conduct in battle. Well, there was little question as to who was going to be doing the fighting for us today! "Yeah, it's a challenge, do ya accept or are ya too scared ta fight face ta face?"
"You talk very mightily," the Lairon noted, facing Katnip properly. "Let's see if you fight as well as you make threats. Consider your challenge accepted."

FIGHT!!! L31 Raticate v L35 Lairon!

Katnip paced restlessly around his opponent, casting a critical eye over its bulky form, trying his hardest to appraise what the best strategy was going to be. Unfortunately that metallic armour looked near impenetrable. Albeit incredibly heavy. So he was likely to have to rely on his most obvious advantage, that of speed. Well, that was alright by Katnip. Speed was one thing he had plenty of.
"Get ready ta lose!" Katnip darted forward suddenly, launching into a Quick Attack.
"Ha! You think a Quick Attack is going to affect me in the slightest?" his opponent laughed heartily. "Silly Raticate, do you know nothing of Steel types?"
"Course I do," Katnip grinned. "Which is why I'm doin'... THIS!" All of a sudden my Raticate jumped in mid-Quick Attack, using the speed he had built up to launch himself high into the air, only to come crashing down hard on top of his opponent's back, chopping hard at its spine with one of his front paws. The Lairon gave a roar of pain as the attack struck, Katnip having somehow managed to get past his opponent's formidable defenses. However, at what cost? The Raticate seemed to be in some pain himself.
"Ow!" Katnip grimaced, rubbing his paw. "Okay, Katnip, remember next time that Fightin' attacks might work on Steel types but they usually hurt ya as well." The change of move in the middle of his Quick Attack had worked perfectly, but now his paw was decidedly sore, having been used to Rock Smash through his opponent's armour.
"You want hurt? Take this, you pest!" Katnip looked up from his injured paw just in time to see the Lairon's heavy tail come swinging towards him, catching him a serious blow to the stomach that took his very breath away. He fell to the floor, coughing. It was hard to know what hurt most. The force of the Iron Tail, or the fact that for one brief moment he had allowed himself to become distracted. What chance did he have if he was going to keep on making stupid mistakes like that? That wasn't how a Dragon Games finalist should battle! Grimacing, Katnip looked up at his opponent, who was now leering down at him with a total lack of compassion. "Nice try, but it takes more than that to beat me!" The Lairon began to paw at the ground, preparing to charge. Well, Katnip wasn't going to have that! Concentrating hard, he channeled all of his energy into a move that he had picked up after months of sparring with Milliardo, so that when his opponent finally commenced its charge it was met with a sudden spark of pure Dark energy that glanced off its head armour. Doing precious little damage, of course, but damage had never been Katnip's intention in the first place. All he had wanted to do was to distract his opponent for long enough to implement a plan that had been forming in his mind over the past few minutes.
"Okay, here goes nothin'!" Taking a deep breath, the Raticate pounced upon his opponent, landing neatly upon its back and fastening his nimble fingers around the nearest handholds available to him. He seriously doubted that the Lairon had much in the way of attacks that would defend its back. From here he was relatively safe, in fact the only way the Lairon would dislodge him would be to roll over and expose its belly. At which point the second stage of his plan could be implemented. "Hey, get me if ya can!" Katnip taunted, letting his opponent know exactly where he was.
"Grr!" the Lairon snarled angrily, starting to shake itself vigorously in an attempt to rid itself of this unwelcome rider. "You are a pest! Get off me!" Harder and harder it shook its body from side to side, but all the time Katnip managed to stay in position. He had wedged his fingers and toes in the chinks in ihis opponent's armour as snugly as he could now, and the only time he was going to move was when he decided to.
"Gimme one good reason why I should!" Katnip laughed, rather enjoying this impromptu ride, to which his opponent simply roared in frustration.
"That does it!" the Lairon yelled angrily. "Get off or be crushed, it's your call!" Suddenly it began to topple over to the side. And this was exactly the cue that Katnip had been waiting for. Timing his movements to perfection, the Raticate threw himself off his opponent, launching high into the air and beginning to twist until he resembled a Raticate-shaped spinning top, his movements almost a blur. And as he landed this spinning caused him to sink beneath the sand, drilling his way underground until there was only a hole left to show where he had been just seconds ago. "Oh no..." It was as if the Lairon knew what was coming, judging from the worried expression upon its face. It was still in mid-roll. It had no way of defending itself. And both pokémon knew that full well.
"Oh yes!" The ground nearby the Lairon's belly seemed to erupt, coating the Steel-type in a fine shower of sand and dirt that almost masked Katnip's sudden reappearance. But not quite. It was still quite easy to make out the Raticate's form shooting out of the ground and ramming hard into his opponent's belly as it completed its painfully slow tumble, knocking it back over onto its back again and leaving the bulky pokémon to helplessly wriggle its legs in the air, a look of sheer panic upon its face.
"N... now, let's not be hasty here..." the Lairon pleaded pathetically as Katnip advanced upon it. "Y... you wouldn't want to win this way, would you? I'm helpless, I can't do a thing stuck like this, you wouldn't hit me when I'm this exposed, would you?" Katnip paused in his advance. Something in his opponent's words hit a nerve. Was this really the way he wanted to win this battle, with his opponent helpless and unable to retaliate? There was no honour in a victory won in that way. Better to risk defeat and tackle the Lairon head on than take advantage of its defenseless position!
"Yer right," the Raticate finally said with a deep sigh, ramming the Lairon hard in the side with a Quick Attack that was strong enough to knock the pokémon the right way up again. "There's no fun in winnin' this way, so let's..."
"SUCKER!!!" Katnip's face seemed to explode with pain, his opponent ramming its thick skull straight into his nose as hard as it possibly could, a Headbutt that left the Raticate reeling. "I can't believe you actually were willing to do that! Now your nobility is going to make you lose!"
"Don't think so, dude!" Katnip snarled, licking the blood from his whiskers as he watched his opponent prepare itself for another frantic charge. He only had one chance to get this right. Otherwise he would end up trampled beneath his opponent's impressive bulk. Well, that was okay by him. The risk was what made it so exciting. "I'm still standin' ain't I?"
"Not for much longer you won't be!" the Lairon yelled, rushing towards Katnip with all the speed it could muster. And yet my Raticate did nothing. He just stood there as impassive as a statue, not even so much as blinking as his opponent drew nearer and nearer. Until a split second before impact, where he suddenly jumped upwards with incredible speed, dodging the attack with apparent ease, and landing behind the Lairon calmly. A loud crack echoed throughout the training room as he did so, and the Lairon behind him stumbled suddenly in mid charge, seeming to trip over itself and ending up tumbling through the sand, eventually coming to rest in a sorry, dirt covered heap mere feet away from where Katnip was stood. Only at this point did the Raticate afford a glance backwards, a sly smile creeping over his face as he noted with satisfaction that his opponent didn't seem to be moving.
"An' that, dudes," Katnip grinned, "is how ta finish 'em off in style."
"Still on top form, I see," I chuckled, patting my pokémon on the head as he returned to the group, his job apparently done. "Just one question, since I obviously missed something there... how did you finish that battle, exactly?"
"S'easy, dude," came the casual reply. "I just timed it so that I could hit that bugger with an Iron Tail attack on me way down, ya must've been so busy watchin' me jump that ya fergot ta watch what my tail was up ta."
"Wait a minute, isn't Iron Tail notoriously... oh, forget it, I should know by now that you see the impossible as just another challenge." I still found it hard to believe what I had just witnessed. Katnip fought each and every battle as if it were a tournament final. Was it any wonder that he was widely regarded as the best fighter on the team? "Still, you did real good, buddy. Real good indeed."

Katnip wins!
Katnip grew to L33!

"Alright." I turned my attentions to the rest of my little group. Katnip had always been a hard act to follow, but I was confident that at least one of them would be up for the challenge. Otherwise I would have bet my life on my Raticate being up for another fight! "Who wants to take on the next pokémon we encounter?"
"Ade, I know I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer but don't you think it might be an idea to decide on things like that AFTER we know what the next pokémon we encounter is gonna be?" Kasumi noted, for possibly the first time in her life deciding to actually contribute something to the discussion. "We're not all Katnip and capable of annihilating pokémon we're supposedly quadruply ineffective against, you know."
"Fair point, I guess," I conceded. "Okay, let's put it another way. Who isn't planning on fighting, because I'm basically after someone to run back to the refreshments stand and pick up several of the largest sodas they have before we all die of dehydration." It was still as hot as ever, and I was beginning to feel decidedly lightheaded. A large drink seemed like just what I needed.
"Consider it done," my Growlithe beamed. "You'd be surprised at how easily I can carry a tray of fast food..."
"Because you can make it levitate in front of you with your Hidden Power?" Marius interrupted.
"Umm... basically, yes," Kasumi giggled. "You didn't think I could carry it in my mouth did you? I like to keep my mouth free for other things, anyway."
"Shame, Sumi," Katnip commented. "Least stickin' a tray in yer mouth'd stop ya from goin' on an' on about sex all the time. Can ya just go before we all die of thirst?"
"Alright, already!" the Growlithe grumbled, accepting a small pouch of coins from my outstretched hand and running off in the direction of the exit, leaving the rest of us to await our next challenge. Whenever and wherever it decided to arrive.

As it turned out we didn't have to wait very long at all. Standing in relative silence it was easy to make out a mechanical whirring in the distance that I had long grown to know as the sound of our next opponent entering the arena. To begin with it was hard to know where to expect the pokémon to appear from. A combination of the intense heat and the mirrored walls of the arena made the artificial desert appear much bigger than it actually was, the sand seeming to stretch for miles all around. But eventually the short, squat form of my team's latest opponent came scurrying out of the sand, and this time it was a creature that I was far more familiar with. A Sandshrew, a pokémon better adapted than most at dealing with the arid conditions of a desert. So it seemed as if we already had a disadvantage in terms of being able to cope with our surroundings.
"Damn it, what's keeping Sumi?" I grumbled, wiping the sweat from my brow. "No way any of us are in any state to fight before we get a drink or two!"
"I beg to differ, Ade." Bolovayr grinned suddenly, floating over to my head and staring at me with his huge eyes, something that would never be anything other than a truly discomforting experience. "I'm finding that this arena isn't doing anything to me at all. So with that in mind..." Here the Gastly performed a lazy loop-the-loop in mid-air. "...I, Ade, shall engage the pokémon in mortal combat!"
"Eh?" I had to admit that the over the top dramatics had left me totally confused.
"Basically, Ade, Bolovayr's request can succinctly be summarised by a simple 'he would rather like to be the one who battles the Sandshrew'. It seems a perfectly easy concept to comprehend if you ask me," Marius explained unhelpfully, being as he was the only creature on the planet whose vocabulary was even more pretentious than that of my Gastly.
"Oh." I sighed deeply. "Sorry, my brain doesn't seem to be working very well today, does it? Sure, Bolovayr, if you wanna battle then you go for it!"
"I shan't let you down, my friend." Bolovayr nodded his thanks before shooting over towards where the Sandshrew was patiently waiting several feel away from our group. "Greetings!" he called over. "You're here for a battle, correct?"
"That I am," came the cool, calm response. "This is going to be my fifth battle today. I've fought many opponents during the last few weeks, but you're the first Ghost type I've had to face. I'm looking forward to this." At this point the little pokémon struck a fighting pose, bracing itself for the upcoming battle. It fixed Bolovayr with its beady eyes. "So then. Shall we?"
"But of course." My Gastly's eyes narrowed with concentration. "This is going to prove most interesting. I can just feel it."

FIGHT!!! L7 Gastly v L8 Sandshrew!

Almost immediately Bolovayr's opponent launched into an attack, hardly giving the Gastly a chance to so much as think of a strategy. The Sandshrew pounced quickly, forcing him into quickly zipping out of the way. He had no idea as to what attack his opponent had been trying to use there, but he knew better than to think it might have been Scratch or some other, equally ineffective, move!
"You're not so bad with your reactions, you know," the Sandshrew commented, turning to fix Bolovayr with a slight smile. "I thought this might be interesting. But let's see how you deal with this one, shall we?" Concentrating hard, the little pokémon began to grunt with exertion. For a moment Bolovayr was too uncertain to interrupt. Until it was too late, and the sand around his opponent began to whirl around it in a frenzy, animated by some strange power. It was quite obvious what was happening here. And Bolovayr had no intention of letting this progress any further.
"Enough of this!" the Gastly cried concentrating all of his energies into firing a huge beam of pure coldness into the centre of this sandstorm. Only by now it was incredibly hard to tell if it had struck the Sandshrew or not. The pokémon's colouring helped it to blend in with the whirling grains perfectly, and even if that hadn't been the case it would have been near impossible for Bolovayr to see straight, the sand forcing him into an unnatural squint as it whipped about his features. So this left the burning question. Had his Ice Beam struck home or not?
"Nice try, but you're going to have to do better than that!" A voice from behind the Gastly suddenly answered this particular query, the Sandshrew making another pounce towards his gaseous form and this time connecting with its attack. Bolovayr suddenly found an intense pain engulfing his back, a pawful of tiny claws raking thin lines in the matter that made up his body. "Metal Claw," his opponent chuckled, finding his pain and confusion rather amusing. "Never leave home without it."
"Hey, that's not funny!" Bolovayr complained, somehow managing to find it within his normally easygoing personality to be angry. Furiously he retaliated in the only way he knew how, striking the Sandshrew hard with his tongue in a manner that was more like a slap in the face than a proper Lick attack. His opponent staggered to the side, evidently caught off guard by the strength of the blow. And that was exactly what the Gastly had been waiting for. Building up his energy once again, he shot another Ice Beam towards his opponent, this time from point blank range. The Sandshrew had no chance to avoid the attack, and with a cry of surprise was hurled backwards, even deeper into the Sandstorm that it had kicked up earlier. Which was a problem for Bolovayr. Now he couldn't see whether his opponent was in a fighting condition or not! For all he knew it could be taking the opportunity to make use of its camouflage, to hide in the sand until Bolovayr was too lost to fight back. Tentatively the Gastly began to edge further into the Sandstorm, trying very hard to ignore the constant irritation of a million whirling grains of sand striking all over his body. "Where are you?" he cried out. "I know you're out there! Show your face or else!" Maybe it was just his usual paranoia, but the Ghost-type couldn't help but feel he was being watched. "I'm warning you..." Was that a noise he heard from behind him? The Gastly didn't dare chance it. Quickly he whirled around and fired another Ice Beam randomly into the winds, but to no avail. He was left none the wiser as to the location of his opponent. "Damn it, come out here and face me, you infernal trickster!"
"Whatever you want!" All of a sudden the ground beneath Bolovayr seemed to erupt, the Sandshrew using its astounding tunneling abilities to try and strike the Gastly from below. However now was one of the few times where being an over-imaginative conspiracy theorist paid off for Bolovayr. He had been half expecting this sudden assault, and hence it wasn't all that difficult to avoid it, the Gastly twisting nimbly so that his opponent's claws passed inches away from his face. Now it was time to finish this, before the Sandshrew could try something else. Hastily Bolovayr gathered together all of the energies he had at his disposal, converting them into one final Ice Beam that he fired with devastating accuracy towards his opponent. The bulky pokémon didn't stand a chance, the attack striking it squarely in the side and knocking it to the floor. Where it lay, too drained and exhausted to carry on with the battle.
"You're... not half bad," the Sandshrew smiled, craning its head so as to get one final look at the pokémon responsible for this defeat. "It's been fun." At this point the pokémon's eyes closed, slipping into a peaceful slumber. Victory was Bolovayr's. And it was a victory well earned.

Bolovayr wins!
Bolovayr grew to L8!
Bolovayr learned Spite!

"Hey guys!" We were in the middle of congratulating Bolovayr on a good battle when Kasumi finally decided to reappear, a tray filled with large beakers of soft drinks bobbing steadily in front of her. "What did I miss?"
"Everything, Sumi," I replied, greedily grabbing a Coke and downing it in one, feeling the relief as the sweet liquid drooled down my throat. Oh, how good that felt! And a cursory look around at my team revealed that I wasn't the only one who was desperate for the drinks, relief showing on the faces of each and every pokémon that surrounded me. My thirst finally quenched, my attention returned to my overly fluffy Growlithe. "So what took you so long, anyway? Didn't run into Thunderblast, did you?"
"If only!" Kasumi grumbled. "Lemme tell you something, Ade, even Ulthuan refreshment sales people are pretty unwilling to serve telekinetic Growlithes, it's really annoying. Took ages to get him to pay me any attention!"
"Really?" Beckham's ears twitched and the Wartortle ambled over, unable to resist joining in the conversation. "So how did you manage it?"
"I... uhh... kinda had to dangle him upside-down twenty feet in the air," came the sheepish reply. "Yeah, yeah, I know all the spiel about not abusing my powers and how it all reflects badly on us as a team if we start getting too rowdy, but what else was I supposed to do? You guys wanted drink, he had drink but the only other option was to bite his leg if I wanted his attention! And don't get me started on how there's about six different Desert Rooms in this place and I forgot which one we were booked in for." Kasumi shook her head vigorously. "Man, I'm pissed off after all that, I need to de-stress. Don't suppose we can call in on Danny on the way back, could we?"
"Yeah, and if I'm very lucky I can leave you there," I jibed. "Although I'm not sure I'd wish that on him."
"Stop being mean, Ade, I'm a good girl really!"
"Good at what?"
"Ade, I really must dissuade you from encouraging her any further," Marius hastily interjected, well aware of where this conversation was potentially headed. "Can we please just return home before the aridity of our location dehydrates us to the point of illness?"
"Not a bad plan, actually." My Dratini was right. There was a time and a place for everything, and this was most certainly neither the time nor the place for standing around bickering. "Come on, guys. Let's go home."

Lady Vulpix

12th July 2004, 09:50 AM

Charizard04621

14th July 2004, 09:40 AM

Lol! Take 15 Stamps, Mike, that was a fun story.

Gabi, I'll read yours next. :)

[EDIT]: Wow, that was great, Gabi! Take 23 Stamps!

AntiAsh Superstar

14th July 2004, 05:39 PM

I'll take some time to read all of that. I still have 23 pages of Unicorn Games battles to go through. o_o And an exam tomorrow. But don't worry, I will read it all sooner or later.

BTW, Ade, have you by any chance read my latest battles? There's nothing too special about them, but I would like someone to read them because I spent a long time writing them.

Actually, yes, I have, they're quite excellent. Ventura's behaviour in particular has caught my attention, I'll be especially interested to see what happens with her in the future.

Charizard04621

15th July 2004, 08:23 AM

Actually, yes, I have, they're quite excellent. Ventura's behaviour in particular has caught my attention, I'll be especially interested to see what happens with her in the future.

Speaking of which, I forgot to ask, Gabi, was Ventura the one whose little excerpt from the Templa Taure scenario you showed me?

Lady Vulpix

15th July 2004, 08:58 AM

Yes, Karin, she was. Which reminds me, Ade and I need to finish that story ASAP. Otherwise nobody will understand the references to it. Thanks for the stamps, and thanks to both of you for reading! :)

Subliminal Seranade

15th July 2004, 05:36 PM

(I got the Spin from pokemon zoo.)

“Hmmm… I wonder what I should do today. I’m so excited that I just got some pokemon and now I can have battles like all the other kids, and there’s not one person who can stop me.” I said. “I”! My mom yelled at the top of her lungs. “Except her” I thought. I ran down the stairs and around the corner to see Swablu and Spin the Baltoy out of their pokeballs. Swablu was dusting everything from the bookcase to the mantle and it was covered in dust and grime. Spin was doing what the people at the adoption agency said it would do… spin. It wasn’t spinning out of control but it was gaining speed. I felt winds starting to pick up and that’s when I took some action. “Hey! You two come over here.” Spin and Swablu both floated over and look at me with puppy dog eyes. “Quintin Jermaine Singleton what have I told you about pokemon in the house, or about pokemon period.” Mom said scoldingly. “You said that pokemon are animals and shouldn’t be in the house.” I said unwillingly as I thought pokemon were more than just animals. “And I said that you can’t have any pokemon until your 16th birthday” Mom said. “Mom… I’m 19 yrs old! Gosh!” I said. “Well keep them outside or in their balls” Mom said. “Yes mom” I mumbled.

I went back up stairs and let them in through the window. “Hey, were leaving tonight. Were gonna go to the battle range. I know you two wanna go right?” I said sure that they’d say yes. “I don’t know… what if I get my wing ripped off” Swablu said. “Quit bein such ah punk swabby, you ain’t gon get urt” Spin said with an attitude. “Oh, yea I wanna go dere Q. Kick some butt an take some names, afta I kick some butt uh course.” “You’re pretty confident aren’t you Spin” I said. “Well I think we’d better get some food and call it a night.”

The next couple of hours Spin was up trying to spin as fast as he could. He was trying to get ready just incase he battled. He used rapid spin and tried to maneuver back and forth, left and right. He was doing really well until he hit Quintin’s dresser and broke a piece off. “WTF was that” I said as I jumped up and grabbed the Louisville Slugger that was directly behind my bed. “I’m sorry" Spin said looking sad. "If I was evolved ahready I woulda seen dat comin." He said. "Spin just no more rapid spinning in the house. OK?" I said. "Yes..." Spin said not wanting to. I thought since we were already up that we should make our break and hop out of my window. So I woke up Swablu who was in his pokeball knocked out like Roy Jones Jr. after Antonio Tarver hit him with a counter punch to the jaw and walked over to grab my pack. I checked everything and then I noticed that I just started with pokemon and I don't have much. So I picked up my pack and we all left out of the window. I left my mother a note and the number to a cell phone I had just bought a few days ago. So after that we walked into the night.

The next day we woke up alongside the outside wall of the battle range. I yawned a while and then I had woke up Swablu. "Hey, do you wanna battle today. You really shouldn't be scared because at such a low level you'll be alright. Nothing can just obliterate you or anything." I said wanting to see Swablu in action. For some reason I felt a hidden power inside of Swablu and I'm not talking about the move. I mean a certain destructive power that only someone with a destructive nature could sense. I wanted to see it, feel that power and learn how to tap it. "So are you gonna today or not cuz I gotta register you at the front desk." I asked. "I will" Swablu said. "Ok then it's set" I said excitedly.

I registered the two and we walked through the big steel doors. You could feel tension in the air. The place was huge. There seemed to be about one hundred other trainers hustling and bustling about doing things from getting there pokemon healed at the center to equipping there pokemon with items. I was just ready to battle. “Dere, I want ta go in Dere” Spin said as he floated closer to the door. “Are you sure” I asked. “That’s the Blizzard room and seeing as you’re a ground type you my not fare to well in there”. That’s when Spin took off into the room. The inside of the room was a whole lot bigger than it seemed from the outside and it was cold enough to freeze the flames on a Rapidash.

I found Spin staring face to face with a Ralts that seemed to be rather tame. I was so surprised to see that pokemon that I forgot that I was freezing. No sooner than I was about to tell Spin to attack did I see a trainer emerge from the frigid winds into view.
“I am Misha” She said with a thick Russian accent. “We will battle now!”

Lv. 7 Spin the Baltoy Vs. Lv.8 Ralts

Her ralts disappeared from sight and appeared right on top of spin and hit it with a well aimed Confusion that sent Spin rocking back. It wasn’t very effective but the impact of the attack was. “I can tell you guys train a lot together” I said as I was thinking of a way to retaliate. Misha said nothing she only smiled. “Use your mud-slap” I screamed as I thought of a plan. Spin started to spin and I thought it was not obeying. I was about to say something but I saw it start to tilt to the side. With its arms spinning it collided with the ground and started to fling mud into the Ralts face. I was surprised by the accuracy of his attack and it’s power. After the Ralts cleared it’s face of the mud it started to teleport like crazy. “Follow it!” I shouted as the Ralts continued to appear and disappear. The two pokemon reminded me of an episode of Dragonball Z I had seen before when Goku and Vegeta were moving almost faster than the eye could see. The Ralts slapped Spin in the face but to no effect as it wasn’t an actual attack. “It’s to fast. Let’s try a Rapid Spin Attack!” The moment I said Rapid Spin Spin seemed to shiver, was it from the cold or the joy of getting to spin. Spin started slow at first, but then picked up speed exponentially. Winds were starting to pick up as Spin moved closer to Ralts. Ralts was still moving fast but showed signs of slowing down. Then it stopped. Misha must’ve spoke to Ralts through their psychic bond because Ralts started to concentrate. The pokemon created a large blob of psychic energy and held it steady as it floated in mid air. Spin was still spinning and debris was circling around it. I was afraid that the power of the two attacks hitting each other would create a huge explosion. Ralts launched the blob and it zoomed towards Spin. “Watch out spin!” I said but spin could do nothing. It just kept spinning and as the energy hit it left a big puff of white smoke. As it clear you could see that Spin was ok. Some of the energy that hit Spin had got caught in the whirl of the Rapid Spin. “Spin try to use a Confusion attack.” I said as I had an idea. If the psychic energy of Ralts attack couldn’t get in then that meant the psychic power of Spin’s attack couldn’t get out. Spin started to use the attack and just like I thought it started to swirl around like a tornado. “Keep using it” I said as Misha was staring in awe. Ralts was stuck in place as it seemed it didn’t know what to do and Misha wasn’t giving any psychic commands. The tornado of energy smacked Ralts and flung it far into the air. It landed with a thud and the battle was over.

Spin the Baltoy is now Lv. 8

“Your Baltoy has potential. Ralts return.” Misha said as she walked away. Spin then collapsed and I brought it back into the ball. “Good job Spin, you were great.” I said as I clipped the ball onto my pants leg. Just then my phone rang. “Quintin Jermaine Singleton!! WhereTF are you?!” Mom screamed. “I’m at the battle range” I said with an attitude. “Well get back home, your dad wants to see you.” She said right before she clicked. Wow, dad was finally home. I had to go back.

AntiAsh Superstar

19th July 2004, 07:15 PM

Here's more battles from my team. Since I've now ploughed through all the available rooms, can I also take this opportunity to request a RBG battle for Pearl in the Electric Shutdown Retirement System, please? *pays 7 stamps*

-----
Life with a family was a whole lot harder than Pearl had ever anticipated. All of the trials and tribulations that she had been through up to this point, they all seemed as nothing compared to the roller-coaster ride of emotions that being a mother brought with it. Celeste was such a small, delicate little creature, the darling daughter that Pearl had always secretly longed for. And she doted on her tremendously, being there with her for everything that the little Vulpix had to go through. Admittedly, occasionally she pined for her old life, pined for the chance to mess around and participate in the training sessions of the others. But then her ruby-red eyes would alight on Celeste, she would find herself drawn into the simple sweetness of the Vulpix, and all the doubt would be washed from her mind. She just knew that her place was by her daughter, helping her through life as best she could. Which was why the Ninetales was currently in something of a panic, pacing round and round the outside of the house in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves. Life, it seemed, had just delivered the latest nasty setback.
"Umm... do you mind if I... uh... ask you something?" As she passed the apple tree that graced the centre of the back garden for possibly the thousandth time, Pearl became suddenly aware of a voice from behind her. Turning slowly, she noticed a pair of large, innocent eyes staring at her, eyes that looked as if they could have done with a little more sleep. It was Brandy, of course, the shy Onix that inhabited the garden.
"Oh! Sorry, Brandy, I didn't realise you were there!" Pearl commented, rather flustered all of a sudden. "Sure, what is it you want?"
"Well... I'm just a little worried, y...you seem a little..." Eventually the Onix finally just decided to come out and say it. "You look worried about something, is everything okay?"
"Actually, no, it's not." Pearl sighed, making her way over to Brandy and settling herself down besides her huge snake-like body. That had been the exact question she had been waiting for! "Brandy, I'm worried about Celeste."
"Why?"
"It all started the other day, you see. We'd all gone out for a walk to the countryside outside the city, taken a little picnic, even. And it all started off well enough. You know how it goes when we all get together on an outing. Ade and Soo enter their own little world and start staring at the clouds, Becks drinks all the beer within two minutes flat, Milliardo, Pandora and Marius sit at the back pretending to find fault with everything, you know how it goes by now. Anyway, we set up camp at this stream, and Ryo-Ohki, Celeste and Rhiannon want to run off further downstream to play on a patch of sand. So I think to myself why not? Celeste would have been fine with the other two, Ryo-Ohki may be just a kid but he can look after himself well enough, and even the hyperactive Rhiannon is tougher than most of us combined due to whatever weird things they did to her in her past. So I let them go off. I was quite glad of the chance to have a break, actually. Anyway, we're all just messing about in our stupid way when all of a sudden I hear terrible screams from downstream. I can't begin to tell you how I felt, I just knew something dreadful was happening so I shot off at once."
"And what was it?"
"Can you believe it? Some Gyarados bully-boy was terrorising the kids! I arrived just in time to see it lunge at Rhiannon ? she must have caught its attention somehow, and I owe her for that. Well, I didn't know what to do, my only thoughts were to save my baby! I would have lunged in there myself irrespective of how little a chance I stood, but fortunately Katnip and Milliardo were right behind me. I'd never seen either looking so furious! Well, it's obvious, really, Celeste IS Katnip's daughter too, and as for Milliardo he's always had a huge chip on his shoulder about bullies. I'd say that Gyarados deserved every bruise it got. But it left me so shaken, Brandy, I was so scared, more scared that I'd ever been in my life. What if we had got there a split second later?"
"I don?t know." Brandy shuddered, the tale bringing memories of her own to the fore. She knew exactly what it was like to be just an infant and faced with such a terrible threat. Had she not only escaped death at the hands of the sadistic Salamence, Reaper, due to the interference of others? Interference that had been too late to save her parents, maybe, but at least her life had been spared.
"I'm guessin' Rhi would've done one of her shifts an' the Gyarados would prolly be dead. I reckon we did it a big favour." By now Katnip had entered the conversation, having come outside to find out where Pearl had got to. He didn't need to look very far. "Babe, ya gotta realise that was just a one off, ya can?t watch her all the time. Ir'll do neither of ya any good"
"Well what do you suggest we do?" The Ninetales fixed her partner with an odd look.
"We talked about this before, remember?" Katnip rolled his eyes. "Ya know what I think. She's old enough ta learn how ta defend herself if she has ta. Look how quickly Marius learned when he was just a kid."
"Well it?s different for Marius, he's not exactly what anyone could call a normal pokémon, look how quickly he developed, period." Pearl snapped. "I'm not having my baby involved in battling, not this young. Look how much pain and hurt we've all been through because of it."
"Pain an' hurt? Those're 'coz of the circumstances, not the battles!"
"Oh, so kindly explain why you only have one and a half ears then if battling doesn't get you hurt. Or why Milliardo's tail doesn't end in a point."
"Pearl, there's a difference between learnin' how ta defend yerself an' goin' out askin' fer the most difficult fight ya possibly can, which is what me and Milly do. Don't see anyone less inta battle with much in the way of scarrin'." The Raticate sighed. "Look, don't ya agree yer'd worry less if ya knew she could fend fer herself? I know how ya must feel, she's my daughter as well ya know, but it?s prolly best she learns a few tricks sooner rather than later." Katnip looked over at Brandy in hope of support, but the Onix clearly would have rather been left out of it, such was the confused look in her eyes. "C'mon, Pearl, relax the reins a little an' admit that we'd all be a lot less on edge if Celeste had a little trainin'."
"I suppose..." Pearl sighed, admitting defeat. It was true. Celeste wouldn't be a cub for much longer, and besides which they were taught these things practically from birth in the wild. It had been the only way to survive in some cases, especially in the smaller Ninetales clans. "Just enough so that she can look after herself if I'm not around. I have to admit, it's been frustrating not being able to do anything when you guys could have used my help. But how to start? I know Ade's not legally supposed to take on any more trained pokémon, so... I guess I have a word with Soo and ask if she'll help out. She's a bit of an airhead sometimes but she takes really good care of her baby Minun and Plusle and I think she's far more patience with children than Ade anyway so..." The Ninetales smiled briefly. "Okay, Katnip, you win. I'll have a word with her, okay?"

And so it was that later my Ninetales found herself having to ask for a favour that she had hoped she would never have to ask. It happened at breakfast, the usual running buffet prepared by Sindel amidst her trademark complaints about being unappreciated. Initially my Ninetales was unsure as to how to broach the subject. But upon seeing Soo lovingly tending to Kaguya and Yuki all her inhibitions melted away. This was a person that she knew she could trust with the one thing that she held dearest of all.
"Soo?" Skillfully dodging a random spoon straying across her path as Sindel finally lost her patience with Milliardo's wisecracks, Pearl made her way over to where Soo was sat in a denim skirt, camouflage-coloured vest and black cardigan, Kassandra sat upon her knee ranting randomly about her skill in the Unicorn Games. "Can I have a word, please?"
"Oh? Sure, Pearl." Hurriedly Soo shoved what little remained of her breakfast into her mouth and set Kassandra down on the floor. "Kass, can I trust you not to bug the others too much while I'm gone?"
"What do you think I am?" came the indignant response. "Of course you can trust me, Soo, I'm the most well-behaved pokémon in the world!!!!" The Charmander began to race round and round the table, tripping nearly everyone else up in the process. It wasn't the most promising of starts.
"Uhh... okay, I'd better make this quick, I guess." Nimbly Soo followed my Ninetales to the relative peace of the hallway, where only a solitary hat stand, a desk by the front door covered in bills, and a rather twisted portrait of a dark blue wolf-like creature that could well have been related to Tsuyoi's demonic half were around to bear witness to the conversation. "So, what did you want to talk to me about? Ade hasn't done anything stupid again, has he?"
"No, no, you'll be pleased to know that this has nothing to do with Ade, it's about me, or rather..." Why did Pearl find this so hard? Normally she could find the right words to say in any given situation, but for some reason today seemed to be a bad time for clarity. Eventually the Ninetales just decided to come out and say her piece, as much as she hated to do so. "Soo, I... well, we, need to ask a huge favour of you. It's about Celeste."
"Cute, isn't she?"
"An absolute sweetheart, it's true," Pearl replied proudly. "I've never felt happier than I have since I had her, you know." All of a sudden the Ninetales remembered what she had originally dragged Soo away from the kitchen to ask. "Anyway, Celeste is getting quite old now, still a cub but certainly old enough to fend for herself if she had to. The trouble is I don't think I can bring myself to teach her battle techniques myself. So, basically, this is how it stands, Soo. I'd like it if you could please take Celeste onto your team for a while, and help to teach her how to defend herself. You'd have all the help you needed, of course. But you're the only trainer other than Ade who I trust enough to do this for me, and unlike Ade you've not got a full team. What do you say? Will you do this for me, please?" A long silence followed this, as Soo pondered the ramifications of this request. Eventually she fixed my Ninetales with her most fetching smile. Soo's smiles were always things that could instantly placate any worries. Her moods were usually highly infectious, and right now her mood was one that radiated a combination of confidence and delight.
"Of course, Pearl. I'd be honoured to," she beamed.

It always took a major effort to coordinate all of my pokémon into some semblance of order after breakfast. This was the period where they were most likely to run wild. Where Beckham was most likely to drop his cereal bowl, or where a half-asleep Milliardo was most likely to upset Pandora with some ill-chosen words. Most of the time I simply couldn't manage it alone; I usually had to rely on the assistance of my more level-headed pokémon just to get us all out of the door before midday. Or, in extreme cases, resort to Tsuyoi's less subtle aid. However, today seemed to be different. Today everyone seemed to have organised themselves without so much as one harsh word to encourage them on their way.
"Whoa, what's up with you guys all of a sudden?" I found myself asking as I noticed my pokémon all fed and ready to go out for our latest training session before I myself had managed to finish my preparations. "I'm not used to this!"
"Well, none of us were really in the mood to bicker for once, so we figured we'd surprise you and be ready on time for once," Milliardo explained as the self-appointed spokesperson of the group. "Hey, we'll actually be at the training grounds before all the stalls shut this time, too, just in case us being organised isn't enough to totally blow your mind."
"What? You mean the ice cream stand will be open this time? YAY!!!!" Rhiannon raced in circles around my legs, her more sensible persona evidently having decided on a rest for now. Eventually the Eevee was joined by Kassandra, Ryo-Ohki and Kirei in a mad race that culminated in all four pokémon running straight into each other. Well, I would have been worried if our preparations had gone entirely without incident!
"Yes, Rhi, you can have ice cream today," I laughed, helping the pile of pokémon back to their feet. "Actually, we probably won't be there for that long, we only have one room left to train in, don't we? The Jungle Room, if I remember correctly."
"Oh my God, Ade, you mean you won't have to spend at least two hours deliberating which rooms to use and in which order? How will you find meaning in your life now?"
"I thought you said you weren't in the mood to bicker, Milliardo." I cast my Umbreon a despairing glance.
"So I lied." Milliardo stuck his tongue our rather deliberately in my direction. "Deal with it." I simply rolled my eyes, knowing better than to encourage my Umbreon any further by engaging him in his favourite pastime of trading insults. Better to just press on with my plans for the day instead. And those plans involved actually doing my job and training my team. What could be simpler than that?

The journey to the training grounds had passed without incident. Or at least passed without any incident that was anything out of the ordinary. It had just been a rather tedious trek over to the training grounds once more, my entire team accompanying me on this final excursion now that Pearl had finally accepted the fact that she couldn't mother her daughter all the time. And, with the sole exception of a pause to buy ice cream, we had managed to walk straight through the doors of the training grounds and into the final room, the Jungle Room, where our final challenges would lie. It was a quite remarkable room, this one. Everywhere you looked, strange and exotic plants covered the floors and walls to such an extent that it was very easy to forget that you were in fact indoors. The air was thick with the scents of a thousand flowers in bloom, the assault on the nostrils almost dizzying. And the sounds, too, from the calls of non-combative creatures in the room to the quiet babbling of the stream that trickled through the arena. Every single sense could be indulged to the full here in this tropical paradise. In fact it seemed to me that it would have made a lovely place to just spend a day wandering. Unfortunately we were here on business. As some of my team were insistent on reminding me.
"This isn't so special," Scratchy commented, watching with disdain as Katnip raced through the treetops gathering fruit to stuff his face with. "It's not even realistic."
"Well I'd like to see you do a better job of putting together an artificial environment!" Marius responded on behalf of those of us who thought that actually the Guild had done a rather good job of creating a fake jungle. "We shouldn't be quick to dismiss the grand efforts of those who designed this training facility, you know."
"What would you know? You were hatched in a cardboard box, you've never seen a real jungle in your life!" the Paras snapped irritably. "It bugs me. If you're going to do something you should at least do it right."
"Ignoring the fact that everything bugs you to some extent or other, you eternal grouch of an insect, please do lend us your expert opinion on what's so wrong about this, we'd dearly love to hear." Milliardo rolled his eyes. In his mind, Scratchy was just complaining for the sake of complaining. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, there's nothing wrong, is there, you're just never happy unless you're moaning."
"Can you guys not just get along for once?" My request was a fruitless one, for already my Paras was unleashing his considerable criticisms.
"Actually, there's loads of flaws here. For a start, the floor is way too flat, you'd expect it to be far bumpier, and more barren in places rather than having all this grass everywhere. The trees shouldn't really be this haphazard, either, there's a logic to the way they grow normally if you take the time to notice it. And quite what's going on with that stream I've no idea, it seems to me as if they just stuck it in just for the sake of having a water feature. No thought to it whatsoever. And Milliardo, next time think before you open your mouth, it really saves us all a lot of wasted breath." Scratchy was more animated than I had seen him in a long time. Normally he just stayed out of the way and glared at anyone who dared interrupt his sedentary lifestyle. But here a rather profound change had come over him. Maybe it was just the Grass type in him responding to the close proximity of so much plant life; the last time the Paras had come out of his shell this much was in the thick forest of Templa Taure, after all. But it was hard to shake the notion that there was more to it than a mere affinity with nature. "Oh, and those two plants would never be seen in the same area." Scratchy gestured with a pincer. "The tall blue flowers would be more a riverside feature, the wider orange ones tend to be hidden away in drier soil."
"You sound like you know what you're talking about, Scratchy!" I commented, impressed.
"Of course I do, I grew up in surroundings like these if you must know. Do you think I'm dense enough to forget what my own childhood was like? What kind of moron does something like that?"
"Actually much of our early days seem quite a haze, so if you'd be so kind as to heed your own advice about opening your mouth before speaking we'd be grateful." Rhiannon grew sombre for long enough to catch Scratchy a glancing blow to the head with her front paw, which seemed to shut the Paras up admirably. And then all of a sudden her tone changed. "Uhh... wait... where did I put my ice cream?" The Eevee suddenly blinked, regaining the rather befuddled expression she had been sporting all morning for a moment before letting it crease into a miserable pout. "Great! She's gone and put it down somewhere and lost it! No fair!" She looked about ready to cry.
"Oh... for $^%&'s sake, Rhi, come with me and we'll get you some more, the last thing everyone needs is for you to start bawling over some stupid missing dessert!" Milliardo sighed, the urge to look after his sister growing too much to resist. Especially after she had done so well at shutting Scratchy up. "We'll catch you guys later, okay? I'm bored of sitting around these stupid training rooms anyway." Without so much as waiting for a response the Umbreon bounded off into the undergrowth.
"Hey, wait for me, Milliardo! That's not fair, you know you're faster than I am!!!" Complaining loudly, Rhiannon hopped off after him, leaving the rest of the group in relative silence. Until finally Scratchy regained consciousness and launched into another tirade.
"Completely uncalled for. Nobody has any manners at all these days, since when did a blow to the head become a valid argument?" I had to admit that I was starting to see the attraction of stunning my Paras myself. I had forgotten exactly how much of a pain his non-stop complaining was. "Anyway, let's push on, otherwise we'll never get any training done." So saying, the Paras waddled onwards, at last having finally found a point on which we could all agree.

"Ade!" We had been wandering in the artificial forests of the Jungle Room for a short while and had just reached its stream's widest point when a strangely familiar voice called over to me. For a moment I couldn't quite place where its source was. "Over here!" Finally my eyes alighted on a young woman in her early twenties dressed in khaki shorts, a red short-sleeved blouse and with a beige sun hat crowning her long, midnight-blue hair. Her youthful, freckle-filled face was dwarfed behind a large pair of circular spectacles that almost seemed to cover her every feature. Quickly she stood up from her position paddling in the side of the stream and wandered over barefoot, seeming to forget about her shoes, or her backpack, or indeed her belt filled with pokéballs,, all of which were left beside the clear rushing waters. "I was beginning to worry that you'd never get round to training here."
"Hey, I wasn't about to use these rooms without calling in on you at least once!" I grinned. "I've kinda missed our sparring sessions, Gina."
"Yeah, me too." Gina belonged to the group of trainers for hire that were responsible for keeping the training grounds filled with pokémon. Some preferred to keep in the background and make their pokémon act as if wild. Others enjoyed the thrill of a formal battle. And this woman definitely belonged to the latter group. "Ah well. We can make up for lost time now, huh?"
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, shouldn't you be keeping a closer eye on your stuff?" I could just see some wild pokémon making off with the mercenary trainer's backpack. She was a smart cookie, certainly, but dreadfully excitable and had probably forgotten all about her belongings in the rush to greet me.
"Oh yeah, good point, I did leave my belt back there and we couldn't exactly train without that!" The woman trotted nimbly back to the stream, picked up her pokéball belt, slung it over her shoulder and ran back. "The rest of the stuff I don't care too much about, really, the backpack's only got some sun lotion, a rather crap novel I only bought because it was cheap, a flask of water and a half eaten ham sandwich in it anyway. And if a wild pokémon wants to steal those stupidly hot safari shoes it'd probably be doing me a favour. My feet have been killing me all day, why do you think I was paddling in the first place?"
"I just assumed you were bored, actually," I admitted, before wondering exactly why I cared what her reasons were. If she wanted to cool down in her own training room it was certainly no business of mine! "Anyway, we're here for a battle, right?"
"Sure thing, but I really must insist that I treat you, Soo and both your teams to lunch afterwards, you've been the first face I've recognised all week and it'd be worth the cost just to break the boredom." Gina grinned broadly. "Anyway... did you have anyone in mind for our first battle? We get to have a two-on-two today if that interests you."
"That it does. Actually my Paras seems to have way too much pent-up energy today, he's just been carping on all morning. I reckon he could use a release." I eyed Scratchy with a despairing look upon my face. "What do you say?"
"I say about time too!" Scratchy grumbled, waddling forward to take his place in front of me. "The last time I battled was at the Dragon Games. It's ridiculous, Ade, I've been on your team from the very moment you set foot in Ulthuan yet Milliardo's seen more battles than I have."
"Scratchy. Just shut up and fight, would you?" I turned my attentions back to Gina, who was studying my Paras with a pokédex-like device.
"Okaaay..." she commented. "First bracket strength level, but only just... we'll want my strongest first bracketer if we want this battle to be of any use, so..." Carefully she selected a pokéball, tugged it off her belt and pointed it at the space in front of her. "I'll be using my Chikorita. Come out, Hannah!" With a single press of the circular button on the front of the red and white sphere, Gina released her pokémon in a flash of white light.
"Chiko!" the little green pokémon cried happily, seeming all too chirpy for a pokémon about to battle. Well, this seemed like it was going to be an interesting mix of personalities, at any rate! I just hoped that Scratchy would be able to keep his cool during the battle. His temper was almost legendary.
"Okay, Ade, you ready?" Gina grinned, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"Sure thing." It was too late for doubts now. Best to just get on with it and hope my Paras had grown less irritable with age. Like that would ever happen. "Let's get on with it, then."

FIGHT!!! L14 Paras v L15 Chikorita!

Scratchy eyed his opponent with contempt. What was the meaning of this, sending out such a creature to fight him? Its very aura annoyed him. So there was only really one thing he could do. And that was to show the creature and its trainer that he wasn't a Paras to be messed with.
"Prepare yourself!" he yelled suddenly, scuttling forwards with a pincer poised, ready to strike his opponent with a vicious Scratch. Unfortunately the Paras found himself up against a familiar enemy, that of his naturally awkward physique. Gina's Chikorita was able to sidestep the blow with ease, although the look of annoyance on its face was obvious.
"Watch it!" it shrieked. "Give me a chance here! I know you Bug types can thrash me in seconds, would it hurt to let me think for a moment?"
"I don't know any Bug attacks anyway. Somebody hasn't trained me enough. So I don't know what you're moaning about." Scratchy wasn't about to fall for a trick like that! Again he swiped with his pincers, and again the Chikorita dodged amidst similar complaints of type disadvantage. "Can you not hear what I'm saying or something? I don't know Leech Life yet. Quit whining!"
"Yeah, but what's a Grass type supposed to do against a Bug type anyway?"
"I don't know, you're supposed to know that, not me, and if you don't it's tough luck for you, isn't it?" Frustration lending him strength, Scratchy took another swipe at his adversary, and this time the tip of his pincer managed to trace a thin line of red across the Chikorita's cheek. The little green pokémon seemed horrified.
"See? You're not playing fair!" Angrily the Grass-type barged hard into Scratchy's side with a rough Tackle that would have almost certainly floored the Paras had his centre of gravity not been so low to the ground. As it was you would have had to have set out to flip him over in order to topple him. "Well I do know a few tricks to counter that!" Concentrating hard, the Chikorita summoned a protective barrier around itself, a barely visible shield that would protect it from further harm for now. "Ha! See? Your cheap tricks won't help you now!"
"Hannah, he's playing by the book, will you stop being such a wuss about having to fight a pokémon you're weak against for once?" Gina complained from the sidelines. "If you ever want to evolve you're going to have to buck your ideas up! Now seeing as you're being a pain about this we'll go back to basics, shall we? Hannah, use Fury Cutter!"
"Well, okay, if you say so!" The little Chikorita charged at Scratchy, swinging her leaf around to swipe at him with all her strength and catching him a vicious blow to the side that left the Paras wincing in pain. And worse was yet to come. The leaf was still swinging around violently, gaining momentum with every passing second. Very soon its blows would grow too strong and too painful to bear. Unless Scratchy did something to stop his opponent, of course. And he knew of just the trick.
"You talk of cheap tricks? You haven't seen a thing!" Just as his opponent was about to strike him for a second time, Scratchy blasted a huge cloud of dust right into her face. The effect was instantaneous. The Chikorita seemed to freeze up in mid attack, her muscles failing her as the Stun Spore attack did its work, leaving her in a state of semi-paralysis. Evidently my Paras had decided it was time to get serious. For in this situation his only weakness, his slow reaction time, was eliminated completely. Even a Paras could outmaneuver a paralysed pokémon! Even now he was scuttling in to take advantage of the handicapped state of Gina's pokémon. However, the little pokémon seemed to have other ideas, managing to gain enough control of her body to skid forward slightly in order to kick a fine shower of mud into Scratchy's face, temporarily blinding him. It didn't hurt much, of course. But then again it wasn't supposed to. Mud Slap was only really meant to irritate, to pave the way for further attacks. A commendable trick. At least on any pokémon that wasn't Scratchy. "How dare you!!!" he roared, swiping as hard as he could at his opponent, his pincer suddenly moving in a blur of speed most uncharacteristic of his species and cutting a huge gash in the Chikorita's side that would have almost certainly have finished the battle on its own had the pokémon not been protected by its earlier usage of Reflect. As it was the Slash attack - for that was what it was - had simply succeeded in leaving a rather nasty wound all along his opponent's chest.
"How could you do that?" the Chikorita shrieked, too busy fussing over its wound to notice that Scratchy was already preparing for another attack, his pincer raised once again to finish the job that it had started. "How could you?"
"Hannah, eyes on your opponent, he's going to..." Gina's advice came a fraction of a second too late to save her pokémon. By the time Hannah had realised what was going on it was too late, the sharp pincer was coming down like a sharp orange scythe to dig deep into her flesh once again. And this time the blow was sufficient to break trough her barriers, sufficient to take the Chikorita to the very edges of her limits and beyond. With this one stroke Scratchy brought the pokémon to her knees, to finally collapse face first amidst the grass that carpeted the floor. "Oh... too late. I did try warn you, you daft Chikorita." Almost nonchalantly Gina recalled her pokémon, leaving Scratchy to once again savour the taste of victory. It was a good feeling, bordering almost on being a much-needed release. Sometimes the tension simply grew too much, and who would begrudge my strange little Paras his chance to let off some steam?
"Feel better for that, Scratchy?" I asked as he slowly made his way back to our group, seemingly much calmer than I had seen him for quite some time.
"Somewhat. I'd still prefer it if you actually trained us more in future instead of getting dragged into all these stupid little problems of yours, though," the Paras snorted by way of reply.
"Leave him be, Scratchy," Lucky commented, speaking up for the first time since entering the training grounds. Maybe he realised that he had always been the only one that Scratchy would ever pay attention to. "You got your training, isn't that enough?"
"It's a start," Scratchy conceded reluctantly. "Thanks. I do think I needed that battle." Certainly his mood had lifted considerably since he had commenced the fight. And when it came to Scratchy, that was all that we could hope for.

Scratchy wins!
Scratchy grew to L16!

"Sorry about Hannah," Gina sighed, looking clearly embarrassed. "I haven't been training her for that long and she still tends to get in a state if the battle isn't obviously going to be plain sailing."
"Don't worry about it," I shrugged, brushing away the apology with a single wave of my hand. In my mind it simply wasn't needed anyway. "Scratchy was probably too hard on her anyway, he's always been a little too uptight for his own good. Anyway, didn't you say something about a two on two battle?"
"Yeah, I've plenty more pokémon stashed away, so by all means let's carry on, you want to make this training session count, right?" Grinning, my friend pushed her glasses back into position as they slipped slightly down her nose again. "And, for the record, that last fight was pretty impressive. As you say yourself, your Paras could probably do with loosening up a little, but he fights very well for a pokémon who's not really built for direct confrontation."
"Whatever would I do without your post-match analysis, Gina?"
"Oh, you'd muddle through somehow, I'm sure, I doubt I'm telling you anything that you couldn't have figured out yourself. Anyway, do you have anyone in mind to battle next?" There was an excited edge in Gina's tone. "You know, I'd really love to pit one of my pokémon against your stronger team members, Ade. Every pokémon you've entered into tournaments has made most of us green with envy, it'd be great to actually battle one of them."
"Sorry to disappoint, Gina, but Katnip's already had a training battle recently, and Milliardo's got his paws full with the current tournament. I was kinda hoping to give Marius, my Dratini, a battle." Noting the look of disappointment on the blue-haired girl's face, I quickly added, "But tell you what, once we've finished here we could always meet up for our usual training sessions, my Ninetales has just had a cub and it'd be a big help if you could give her a practice battle to get back into shape sometime."
"Oh! Okay, Ade, it's a deal!" This seemed to cheer Gina up no end. Pearl's past performance in the Pegasus Games so long ago had earned her at least a little attention. Even if she was no expert on showmanship like Milliardo, or lacked Katnip's technical prowess, a tournament entrant would always manage to achieve at least a small degree of fame. "Okay, let me study your Dratini." Once again the Pokédex was brought out to scan Marius, who seemed greatly bemused by the device's clicks and whirrings.
"You do realise," the Dratini commented to anyone who was listening, "that in spite of all the effort that has gone into the production of that machine, it is still less than reliable. Computers aren't the solution to everything. They have this tendency to inherit the flaws of their creators."
"Yes, but it's the best we have at the moment, so shut it," I chuckled, watching as Gina finished with her examination and slipped the device back into the pocket of her shorts.
"Okay, we've another one in the first bracket here... well, Hannah's out of action after that Paras of yours Slashed her into collapse, so I've not really got much of a choice in who I can use." Again the slender fingers reached for one of the pokéballs that were hooked onto her belt, pulled it off and opened its content onto the floor directly in front of her, all in one fluid motion. I had to admit that the pokémon that greeted me was quite a relief to see, a large blue spider-like creature with a deceptively friendly smile upon its face. A Surskit. A pokémon that my Dratini should have had no troubles in defeating, if indeed any pokémon with any kind of weak spot stood much of a chance against his overly analytical mind. "Meet Johan. He'll be your next opponent."
"What do you think, Marius?" I asked, turning to my Dratini, who was busy exchanging glances with Pandora. "Confident?"
"Too much so," came the response, my not-so-little dragon worming his way over to the ground directly in front of me. "One Shock Wave and this battle will be over before it's so much as commenced. However, that would be of no benefit whatsoever, so I simply have to construct a strategy that will allow me to push myself that little bit further, won't I?" A broad grin broke across Marius' face. "This should pose quite a challenge. I can't wait."
"Okay then." I had no idea what the Dratini was on about, nor had I any intentions of finding out. He seemed to be ready, and that was really all the response I had been looking for. "Okay, Gina. We're ready when you guys are."
"Good, because I was about to say the same to you, Ade." Gina smiled broadly, before turning to address her Surskit. "Okay, Johan. You heard the man. Time to get this show on the road!"

FIGHT!!! L6 Dratini v L8 Surskit!

Marius studied his opponent intently, trying to ascertain what would be the best way of defeating the strange little pokémon. Unfortunately it seemed to him that there were no obvious weak points to exploit, and that he would have to resort to seeing what moves the Surskit had up its sleeve instead.
"Are you intending on remaining motionless for the entirety of this battle?" my Dratini asked, trying to goad his opponent into making the first move. Sadly this tactic didn't seem to be working too well, the Surskit staying exactly where it was, viewing the Dratini with a rather curious expression upon its face. Oh, how frustrating this was! Just one little Shock Wave and it would all be over. "We should engage in battle at some point before our muscles atrophiate."
"You're an odd one, alright," the Surskit named Johan noted. "But okay, since you insist..." Taking a deep breath in, the Bug-type fired a steady stream of bubbles from its mouth. Many, many bubbles that, although hardly hurting Marius as they impacted upon his skin, did a very credible job of obscuring his vision. Which was just what his opponent had been planning on. Now the Dratini was otherwise occupied in trying to see past all the bubbles, his opponent was free to launch into another attack. All of a sudden Marius found himself being struck seemingly from all sides by thousands of tiny star-shaped beads of energy, each one tearing slightly into his flesh so that when the cloud of bubbles finally cleared the Dratini was dazed and confused, covered in a thousand tiny scratches all over his body. He hadn't been expecting that! "How was that for you?"
"Much better than I'd anticipated." Marius shook his head in an attempt to clear away the confusion from his mind. "I was growing concerned that you were just going to sit around for eternity."
"And where would be the fun in that?" his opponent grinned cruelly. "But you should know that there's no way you can win. My Swift attack will strike you no matter what you do." Again the Surskit summoned up its little throwing star beads of energy, and again they flew at Marius so thick and so fast that there was simply no chance of the Dratini being able to dodge.
"Marius! Are you okay?" My Dratini couldn't afford to grow distracted, no matter how tearful the voice of his mother on the sidelines became. Simply turning to reassure her would have left him open to another attack. And already the Surskit was preparing another Swift attack.
"That does it!" Marius shot forward with all the speed he could muster, ignoring the barrage of sparks that flew to greet him as he moved in. The only was he was ever going to get close enough to do anything would be to just ignore the perpetual attacks. So as the beads tore further into his flesh, gouging thin rivulets of blood in the places where they somehow managed to break past his dragon's scales, he simply winced as carried on with his course, carried on until he had finally reached his opponent. And at this point he acted quickly, coiling himself around the Surskit and squeezing as hard as he could, crushing his opponent with his serpentine body. "I challenge you to Swift your way out of this!"
"Challenge accepted," his opponent grunted, trying unsuccessfully to escape by virtue of its physical strength. Evidently there was only really one course of action left, to summon the Swift attack yet again and aim it at the Dratini. It was hard for Marius to hang on as the myriad tiny stars tore into him yet again, yet somehow the Dratini managed it, the pain caused by the attack only spurring him on to squeeze his opponent even tighter in this Wrap attack, causing the Surskit to audibly cry out in pain. "I won't be beaten!" it cried suddenly, unleashing yet another Swift that this time managed to catch Marius in a relatively unguarded point near his underbelly. The pain was immense, and there was simply no way that the Dratini could hope to keep his hold on his opponent in the middle of such a ferocious onslaught. Weary and in great discomfort, Marius slipped off the Surskit and fell hard to the floor, rolling away from his opponent before it could take advantage of his prone position. What was he supposed to do? Swift was a virtually unavoidable move, and the rate the Surskit was using it meant that it was almost impossible for the Dratini to get close enough to land a decent attack. Maybe it was time to stop playing games after all. "Prepare to lose!" Again a cloud of star-shaped beads came flying at Marius. But this time he was simply too annoyed, too fed up with the whole battle, to allow himself to be struck again. The Dratini concentrated hard, focussing all of his mental energy into pulling off the impossible and evading the Swift attack. He knew how to do it, of course, he had been training with his adoptive father in the use of Detect for weeks now. The question was whether he was going to be as successful as Milliardo in utilising the technique. Quickly Marius cleared his mind, concentrating solely on his opponent's attack. He could see each individual spark of energy as it flew towards him, he could accurately trace its path through the air. He knew exactly where each was going to strike. And what was more, he thought he could see a way to evade each and every single one. It would just require some acrobatics on his part, that was all.
"Not in this lifetime!" Marius snarled angrily, hopping nimbly into the air before launching into a twisting, writhing dance of sorts, contorting his body in all sorts of bizarre positions as the sparks of the Swift attack passed harmlessly all around him, some passing only a fraction of an inch from his flesh but not a single one actually managing to make contact. Eventually the Dratini landed on the floor again and fixed his opponent with a baneful glare. "Apologies, but I'm afraid that in this instance I've no intention of acquiescing to your desire to win. I'm afraid it will be you who will end up the loser in this particular confrontation."
"H... how can this be?" the Surskit gasped, confused. "My Swift never misses!"
"There's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Marius smirked, concentrating hard and building up a remarkable charge within his body, a charge that eventually grew too large to be contained. A charge that snaked out of his body in the form of a huge, waving bolt of electricity that passed straight through his opponent, causing it to shriek in agony as the charge passed through its veins, leaving the pokémon too drained to even consider carrying on. The Surskit fell to the floor, taken out in seconds by the ferocity of the Shock Wave attack. Marius, it seemed, was turning into quite the proficient fighter.
"Couldn't you have just done that to begin with and saved us all the umpteen heart attacks?" Milliardo complained as his foster son made his way back to our group. "Look at you, you moron, the last time I saw anyone that scratched up they'd woken Scratchy up in the middle of a nice dream."
"Concerned, were you, father?"
"Nah. You're a tenacious little bugger like me, we all knew you'd win." The Umbreon grinned broadly. "Hey. Well done, though. You sure showed him, huh?"
"Yeah." The Dratini returned the grin. "That, I have to say, is a job well done."

Marius wins!
Marius grew to L7!

"Wow," Gina commented, recalling her unconscious Surskit. "That was quite a battle. I can see why Dratinis are prized so highly now. I just don't quite get why he let himself get pummeled like that when he could have used Shock Wave and ended the battle at any time."
"It wouldn't have done him much good to have a really short battle, I guess he knew that. Probably read too many books on training techniques." I shrugged. "Anyway, that's it from us, I guess. We're all battled out." I turned to leave, only to realise that I had no idea where the exit was amidst all of the surrounding fauna. "Uhh... Gina, you wouldn't happen to know where the way out is, would you?"
"Sure, I'll lead you out, it's pretty much the end of my shift anyway and I did say I'd treat you to lunch earlier, didn't I? Just let me go over and get my stuff and I'll be with you." The mercenary trainer turned to the spot where she had been paddling just moments ago. Where, almost predictably, her belongings no longer seemed to be there. Evidently some pokémon or other had made off with them whilst we were engrossed in our battle. "Oh well, so much for that," Gina sighed with a smile. "I'll just have to get my pack back off them later on, every pokémon in these rooms belongs to our organisation so it's not like I can't find out who's got my stuff."
"I did warn you, didn't I?" I chuckled, not sure whether to be more amused by Gina's predicament or her totally laid back attitude with regards to the situation. To say she was an odd one would have been an understatement! But then, weren't we all a little weird in our own ways? "Anyway, what say we get out of here, grab Soo and then you can treat us all to that lunch you promised? I hope your chequebook wasn't in that rucksack of yours, though. My Raticate and Soo's Charmander could probably eat the entire menu just between them."
"Don't worry, Ade, I do a lot of overtime," my friend chuckled, making her way through the undergrowth with well-practiced skill. "Whatever the cost, you guys deserve it. I'm proud to call you my friends."

Lady Vulpix

20th July 2004, 10:23 AM

O_O I'm still reading the previous one!
Ok, Pearl will battle a Minun, but please don't rush. I need some time to finish reading. -_-

Lady Vulpix

21st July 2004, 06:08 PM

Sorry for the double post. Ade, you can have 22 stamps for your Desert Room battles. I've just printed your latest post. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Lady Vulpix

22nd July 2004, 12:11 PM

Warning: weird story ahead.

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

The scene: an unrecognized location, could have been anywhere. The protagonists: a female, apparently in her mid-thirties (though this is coming from someone who's hopeless at guessing people's ages) with blond hair and deep blue eyes; and a young male of around 20 years of age, with dark brown hair and matching eyes. They both looked human, though you can never tell. Their images weren't as clear as their voices.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon," she started the dialogue.
"I know," he replied. "I didn't expect to come back before completing my task, but it seems even harder than I thought. I guess something inside me just needed to return home. Now I'll need your help to get me back there."
"You know only your determination can do that job. Though I can try to help you find it."
"Please."
"Alright. Tell me, has anything gone wrong?"
"Not exactly. It's just that not much seems to have gone right either. Sometimes I feel I'm only there to choke in bureaucracy."
"I thought that might happen. But you need to find a way to get past it. It's the only way you can help."
"Yeah, well, I've done a few other things. I think I'm earning their trust, I've been gaining access to more information and to some... amazing creatures."
"I guess you must be happy about that," she smiled.
"Definitely. I just wish I could bring them back home. Especially Sol, I think she found me rather than the other way around. She could follow me if she wanted too, I'm sure. But she says it's not meant to be that way. She's so mysterious!"
"I see you're surrounded by mysterious beings everywhere you go."
"Yes, I'm afraid I'll have to get used to that."
"What about my friend? Have you contacted her?"
"Yes, I have. And you know what? She seemed very strange as well. No offense."
"None taken. We all are. What have you told her?"
"Only what she needed to know. She knows I'm a friend and I'm helping her on the research she's conducting. What is this all about, anyway? Why me?"
"Because you're the best for the job. The only time I went there I was helpless. I could do nothing but cause confusion, and you needn't say that's what I'm best at because I already know. But you... You're a natural. Your connection to magical creatures and your skills at taking care of them are exactly what's needed to fill the position you're at now."
"Is it? With all that paperwork I hardly get a chance to be with them."
"Don't you get any free time at all?"
"Yes, I do, but..."
"Then you can find a way around it. Remember what this is really about. It's about them. Your friends can help you keep the main goal in sight, and you can help them grow and get stronger like you always have. Remember that: no matter where you are, what any of you look like or what they call you, the connection between you and your friends cannot be broken. Spend some time with them and things should become clearer."
"Thanks. I'll try."

<Gabi's POV>

It took me a while to remember where I was and what day I was in. The former was quite strange, considering I was at home; but I'd just had one of those weird dreams that were hard to brush off my mind. I felt the bed with my legs, trying to recognize the touch of Caledor curled up next to me like I'd often find him in the mornings, but he wasn't there. Then I remembered: he was still at Glacier Peak. And Lagi, as much as I could have used her help to get out of bed that morning, hadn't returned either. "Ok, it's the hard way, then," I told myself. I started taking deep breaths, feeling my whole body and trying to command it to move, in hopes of eventually managing to sit up. It was harder in practice than in theory: the voices of my dream were still echoing in my head, driving my concentration away from the task of getting up. I finally gave in and started analyzing them. A dream that persistent could hardly be just a dream.

<Amber's POV>

Once I had breakfast ready, I waited in the kitchen for the others to show up. The house was unusually silent, the absences of Tsunami and Caledor being the most noticeable. Hero was still there, but he wasn't the same without them. I could picture him trying to sleep through the morning in order to make the lonely day shorter. And Iael had seemed quite worn out the night before, so I wasn't expecting him either. Sylvan and Ventura showed up at the usual time. But I was surprised not to see Gabi yet. She was usually up with the sunrise. I decided to check on her and see if everything was alright. After knocking on her room's door and responding to her "yes, please, come in", I found her in her bed, still struggling to sit up.
"Can you help me, please?," she asked me. "Just put your arm behind my back and lift me up slowly. Then I'll be fine."
I did as she said, and she thanked me.
"Is everything alright?," I asked her. "Is your blood pressure low?"
"Maybe," she replied. "Or maybe my head weighs too much for my spine to lift it. Who knows?"
"You know that's physically impossible. Unless you were referring to your thoughts. Is anything bugging you?"
"Nothing new, I guess. I was just thinking of the Games and the Dragon's Guild, and... a strange dream I had. Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem to special: just two people talking. But their words were so cryptical I couldn't make out what they were talking about, I just got some sensations out of the whole conversation. And I think I knew one of them."
"One of the sensations?"
"No, one of the people. She seemed a lot like someone I... I don't think 'met' is the word. Bah, even thinking about her confuses me. She's a living puzzle, if she exists at all."
"Ok, you've lost me there."
"Don't worry. It was just a dream, and you know I sometimes don't make sense when I talk about the things in my mind. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Not yet. I was waiting for you."
"Really? Thanks! Wait for me in the kitchen, I'll be right there."

Gabi lived up to her word and we all had a tasty breakfast together. Iael joined us before the end, without many words about anything. Hero didn't show up until we were about to leave, only grabbing a bit of cheese not to leave the house with an empty stomach. I thought cheese alone wouldn't make much of a difference, but I wouldn't be the one to discuss how to best take care of himself with him, especially with his constant "I know what I'm doing better than anyone else" attitude. We headed for the Trainng Grounds once more, hoping to complete the last two rooms that day.

There seemed to be even more people than the day before at the Training Grounds complex, though I couldn't see anyone I recognized. They were mostly new trainers, or trainers from other regions. I followed Gabi to the desk where she registered Ventura and Iael for the Blizzard Room, and listened to an oblivious woman talk about how we could watch the battles on TV while taking a cup of hot chocolate. I must admit the hot chocolate sounded like a good idea to me, but I knew how things were going to work out: as usual, Gabi would pick one of the special suits from the wardrobe and she'd stand by our friends' side throughout the battles. And so would Hero. As for me and Sylvan, we were left with the choice. We all knew Sylvan was going to wait at the cabin; she and blizzards didn't mix well. So, actually, I was the only one who had to think of where to be while Ventura and Iael battled. After a while, I decided to wait at the cabin with Sylvan. I didn't want to leave her alone, and while I wouldn't say it aloud, the hot chocolate had tempted me after all.

<Gabi's POV>

I must admit the Blizzard Room was cold even from me. The part of my face that wasn't covered by the suit felt like it was getting frosted. But I could handle that. Ventura and Iael didn't have a natural resistance against cold and I didn't hear them complaining (and my ears weren't frozen yet). They had other thoughts occupying their minds.
"Can you sense any of our opponents yet?," Iael asked Ventura.
"I'm working on it," she answered.
"I hope we get a good battle today. This room invites you to move more so you can keep your warmth. I hope my opponent won't stop himself this time."
"Did the Donphan wake up before you left the room last night?"
"No, he didn't. Two men came in to pick him up. I guess I'll never know what his problem was."
"Hey! I've found a human!"
"You mean Gabi's not the only human who's out in the cold?"
"See for yourself."
Ventura must have sent Iael one of her psychic pulses, because he seemed to cheer up in an instant. He trotted forward until he disappeared in the mist (only then I realized there was mist apart from wind and snow - it was hard to notice when everything in the room was white). When the rest of us finally reached him, we found him standing face to face with a guy in a protective suit that looked just like the one I was wearing. The shadow of his hood made it hard to see his eyes.
"Hi," I greeted him. "I'm Gabi. Have you come to train here?"
"I know who you are," he told me. I'd heard his voice before. "We've met at the Dragon's Guild, remember?"
I thought for a moment, until I finally remember who that voice belonged to.
"Golden Growlithe?"
"Finally! I'd heard you had a good memory, I didn't think it would take you that long."
"Well, sorry. I can't see your face behind that hood, and we haven't met that many times. We've been communicating through e-mails, mainly."
"That's right. Sorry, I guess I didn't make much of an impression."
"You did. I remembered you, I just took some time to link your voice to you. Besides, I didn't expect to see you here. I didn't know you trained pokemon."
"I was a trainer long before I joined the Guild. I wouldn't have lasted a day in there if it weren't for my pokemon friends. We've had a lot of work to do lately, so I didn't get to train them much, but I got permission to come here today and I'll make the best of it."
"That's good to here. So, are you my opponent, or are we both looking for some local pokemon?"
"They told me I could choose. I have some high level pokemon and they said your Venomoth was going to battle. So if you don't mind, I'd like an encounter with her."
"Ventura and Iael are both going to battle. But who told you that?"
"The lady at the desk."
"I didn't know she was allowed to give that information."
"Only to local workers, registered mercenary trainers and Dragon's Guild personnel."
"Does that mean I can ask that too?"
"Only if you come here as a worker. But I don't think you can now, since you've already been using the rooms as a regular traner."
"I guess I'd have chosen this anyway, but why didn't I know that before?"
"I think you have to be more involved in the Dragon's Guild to pick up all those details. They're funding the Games, so they get to set a lot of rules."
"Shouldn't you say 'we'?"
"Ok, we, but I don't have a high rank. Formally, my rank is lower than yours."
"What do you mean 'formally'?"
"My rank is lower than yours but I end up having access to more information because I'm more directly involved with the Guild's activities. But don't worry, I'll let you know anything you need."
"Thanks. It's good to have someone like you to count on. I used to think everyone who worked at the Guild full time was so devoted to bureaucracy they had forgotten what life really was."
"I almost did," GG laughed. "Fortunately, I have friends who can remind me of what I'm really here for."
I had a strange feeling all of a sudden. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind.
"What is it?," GG asked.
"I think I've had a deja vu or something. A strange feeling in any case."
"Oh. Ok. Shall we battle? Who's going to battle first? Ventura or Iael?"
"We can let them decide or flip a coin. I think they're both eager to battle. Did you know their names from before, or did you remember them from when I said them?"
"Both. All your pokemon's names and some info on them is registered in the Guild's database, and you said they were the ones who were going to battle."
"I think my team's at a disadvantage, then. We know nothing about your pokemon."
"True, but I think they can make up for that. Those two are very good at battling, while my friends are still getting the handle of some new things."
"New things? You mean new tactics?"
"Yes, something like that. I'll call them so that everyone can see each other before the battles."

I expected GG to take out his pokeballs, but instead he took something that looked like a remote control and pressed a button.
"What's that?," I asked him.
"I'm sending them a signal to find me. I told them to wait at the cabin until I found our opponents."
I thought GG was quite an unusual trainer. But I was beginning to like his style.

Soon, a group of Pokemon made their way towards us. I saw a Glalie, an Espeon, a Smoochum, and sliding behind them came a Lapras and a Dewgong.
"I see you have mainly Ice types," I commented.
"It wasn't my intention, it just turned out that way," he quizzically replied. "There's a Clefairy too, but she doesn't like the cold. And... Wait a minute, where's Sol?"
"She didn't want to leave the cabin," the Espeon informed us. "By now we know better than to try to convince her when she's made up her mind."
"Who's Sol?," I asked, remembering the name from my dream and starting to believe that I'd been right about it being more than it had seemed.
"A Vulpix," GG said. "She's not technically mine, but she's tagged along with us for a while. She's helped us find our way around this place and many other things."
"This place?"
"Yes, she's from Caledor, so she knew how a lot of things worked around here when I was just a newcomer. It was strange, it was as if she'd been waiting for me. She was just there sitting on the grass with a distant look in her eyes, and the first thing she said to us was 'Welcome to Caledor'. And she's been with us ever since."
"Do you understand pokemon language?," I asked him.
"Not really, but Glyph does a great work translating. Actually, all my pokemon have some good psychic abilities, so I don't have much of a problem with that."
He looked at his Espeon when he said the word Glyph, so I figured that was the Espeon's name.
"Then have him translate this:" Hero spoke out, "what color are Sol's eyes?"
"Grey. Why?," asked GG once his Espeon had translated the question for him.
"Is there a reason why she doesn't want to see us? Or does she just like pulling the strings without anyone knowing what's going through her mind?"
GG was puzzled at Hero's question.
"I don't get what you mean," he said.
"Sol is short for Solitude, right? If she's involved, then we're in the middle of something bigger than we thought. Unless she's just dropped by to say hello, but that's not like her, and if that was the case she wouldn't stay at the cabin and refuse to see us."
"Do you know her?"
"Can anyone really know her? We've been in the same pack for years and she hardly said a word. She spent her time staring at the sky, and whenever she spoke, she did it in puzzles. For years I thought she was autistic, though from what I've heard she's turned out to be some freaky psychic. Although she could be both."
"Why are you so mad at her?," now it was I who made the question.
"Why aren't you? All this time she's been keeping who knows what secrets, pulling the strings from the distance and leading us to fulfill whatever idea of destiny she seems to think we have, and she doesn't even let us see her. It's like she's always one step ahead and we only hear about her when she's already gone."
"She's not like that," GG assured. "I'm sure she'll let you all see her after the battles. She's quiet, and a bit of a loner, but she's always treated everyone with respect. I don't know what happened between you and her, but she's been nothing but helpful to me and my friends."
"Nothing happened between me and her," Hero stated. "She rarely even spoke to me. All she'd ever do when I was around was give me odd looks and sigh."
"Maybe she liked you," suggested Glyph.
"No way, and if she did that was an odd way to show it. Of course she could never express herself in a way that wasn't odd. Everyone in my pack had some strange qualities to them, but Solitude was the only one I could never figure out at all."
"I must admit she's rather mysterious," agreed GG. "But I've seen worse. Whenever I end up not knowing which way is right and she does, she tells me right away."
"Strange..." Hero said. "Anyway, wasn't there going to be a battle here? Why are we all talking about someone who isn't even with us?"
"That's right, some of us should be battling," Glyph agreed. "Orknye?"
"What does Orknye mean?," I had to ask.
"That would be my name," the Dewgong said, pressing the frozen ground with his fins to slide forward. "Is it still, Glyph?"
"I guess so. We were never given other names," the Espeon said.
I was getting too confused to even know what to ask.
"You can all use the names you're used to," GG told his team. "Now, Orknye, will you please start the battle before things get out of control?"
I was begining to wonder whether their whole conversation was a trick to get us confused for the battle.
"Of course," the Dewgong accepted. "Who's my opponent?"
"I am," Iael stepped forward.
"Good," I sighed. At least if the battle began I'd know what to expect. "Don't let him play mind tricks on you, just battle the way you always do."
"I will," Iael assured, already giving Orknye an intimidating look.

Level 42 Stantler vs. Level 45 Dewgong

<Iael's POV>

Gabi seemed to think our opposing team was going to use confusion tactics. She could be right, since most of what they'd said didn't even make sense. If that was the way they were going to do it, I wasn't worried: they could babble incoherently for the whole battle, that wouldn't stop me from attacking. I'd already been reviewing my attacks while they were still talking, mentally checking if any of them would be ineffective against a Dewgong. Good news: anything would be fine. Then I'd examined my opponent. Orkney had lowered his head as soon as he saw me looking at him. His fangs and horn were not negligible, but they didn't seem too sharp either. I couldn't see his tail in that position, but I'd get the chance to check it out later.

When I saw that both of us were ready to begin, I ran to where Orknye was and planted a Headbutt on his chest. He couldn't dodge: he wasn't fast enough on the ground. He knew it, since he didn't even try to move away. He stayed there, looking at me, with his head still lowered but his eyes fixed on mine. When two seconds had passed and I still hadn't understood what he was doing, I stopped trying to. I focused on my next move, except that... now it wasn't as easy as before. I finally understood what Orknye had done and I wanted to hit myself for not recognizing one of my own moves.
"Do you have any Psyduck or Golduck relatives?," I asked, trying to hide the fact that it had taken me more than 2 seconds to realize what he'd done to me.
"Not exactly," Orknye replied. "Selkies can do many things."
"Orknye, stop talking!," his trainer asked him, or almost begged him.

Once more I didn't know what he was talking about, so I proceeded to attack again. Nightshade would have to work, even if I hadn't had the chance to practise that move much. I had to close my eyes to focus; it wouldn't matter much, since everything was about to get dark anyway. I found that was a good way to get in contact with the darkness. It wasn't that hard when I managed to put my thoughts away. That was something I was used to doing when I battled: fill my mind with sweet, dark nothing and push everything else away. Only this time, I shot that darkness forward, opening my eyes to see my opponent fade into the pure blackness. It lasted for just a few seconds, but for me it was a moment of peace.

As with most moments of peace, that one didn't last. When the light came back, I saw Orknye's body moving fast in my direction. He was almost over me - I wondered how he'd managed to pull out such a high jump. Running sideways, I managed to avoid being smashed under his stomach, but I couldn't stop him from hitting my ribs. The blow was stronger than I had expected. I was about to ask how he'd done it, when I got a closer look at him. Now that he was next to me, I could finally see his neck, and the transparent collar wrapped around it. It looked as if it were made of ice or crystal, but I figured it had to be made of a more resistant material.
"Impressed?," Orknye asked me. Apparently he'd noticed me staring at his collar.
"A little," I replied, already launching my next Nightshade attack.
"This isn't working," Orkneye shook his head and closed his eyes. His head fell to the ground as if his soul had left his body. Had he fainted?
"What the hell is he thinking?!," roared Orknye's trainer. "Get him back," he turned to Glyph.
"Sorry, I can't," the Espeon apologized. "Don't worry, he'll be back soon. He's actually using a legal move."
"It looked like something else to me."
"Well, it's an unusual way to perform it, but I bet it will work just like a normal Rest would," Glyph assured.

So he was using Rest. It didn't really look like he was sleeping, but I took Glyph's word and acted in consequence. He was bound to have healed completely by now, so I had no time to waste; I needed to hit him before he woke up. I released another Nightshade, and then one more... And that was as much as I could get in. I'd waited for too long before attacking to hit Orknye for a third time before he woke up.
"Ah, that was refreshing!," the Dewgong smiled. "I know what to do now."
He fixed his eyes on me again and, once more, I didn't feel anything. But something made a click inside my mind. It was now hard to cast my thoughts away for another Nightshade, they kept coming. Questions about Orknye, like what he'd meant with 'selkies' and what had been different about his Rest... Images I didn't even recognize, like a group of seals with human eyes swimming in the sea, and images of a griffin, a plesiosaur, a fairy, a little sprite and a huge ice creature my mind didn't have a name for. And along with this images came others, triggered by the sudden burst of uncontrolled thoughts: the forest, the Golduck lake, my old friends, my family... my parents... the day I went for a walk in the depths of the forest and... No, I didn't want to go any further. I knew what was coming. I wanted the thoughts to stop. STOP!
"STOOOOP!!!"

I only realized I had actually screamed when the present world returned to my eyes and the echoes of my voice vibrated in my ears.
"Sorry," the Dewgong issued a void apology. "I didn't know my Hidden Power would affect you like that. I don't know much about you, or of how things work around here for that matter. I think I'll have to meditate on it some more."

He was about to leave again, I could feel it. He was gathering psychic energy to go wherever it was he went to when he used rest. Until then I hadn't known I could detect psychic activity, but I realized I'd been doing it before... at the Desert Room when I broke Ventura's telepathic link, at the latest TR base when some members of my team were facing Gia and the others were locked in the computers room... all the way back in Nagarythe when Gabi sent her strongest psychic pulse ever with the help of her stone and then slipped away, too fast for me to reach her, or to even know what had happened to her. But now I knew it: at that moment I'd felt the same I was feeling now. I didn't have much time to reflect on that, though. I had to stop Orknye before he healed himself again. I used the only move that, I thought, could be effective enough: Thunderbolt. However, all I managed to do was delay Orknye's action; I couldn't stop him.

"So he can use Thunderbolt! That's interesting," Golden Growlithe commented. "I bet he was trying to see if he could win the battle without it, but realized he couldn't."
"Probably," Gabi nodded. "Though it didn't work, did it? Orknye still managed to use Rest."
"How do you know he hasn't fainted?"
Gabi sighed as her only response. Then she turned me.
"Iael, your Thunderbolt isn't so strong that you should refrain from using it," she advised me.
It was strange to hear her encourage me to use a Super Effective move, but she'd been acting strange ever since we'd met Golden Growlithe and his team. She could be right, though. I was getting worn out, and I might not endure another attack. Was using Thunderbolt repeatedly the only way to defeat Orknye?
I had to try something different first.

"Everybody back off," I warned everyone who wasn't battling.
My friends took the message immediately. The other team took a bit longer to react, but soon moved away as well. I was left with enough room to use an Earthquake attack without hurting any innocent bystanders. I stomped firmly on the ground and caused it to shake... but the result wasn't nearly as good as I had wished. If only I...

And then it came to me: I was free to use use Headbutt again! I dashed forward and hit Orknye with all my strength. The Dewgong's head rose. I walked back a few steps, and then charged again. Orknye's eyes opened right before I hit him. His body shook... He couldn't react in time. I put all my effort into one final attack; I could win without using Thunderbolt, even if a little pain came from it. It would be nothing like the mental pain Orknye had put me through. My last blow took him down literally.

I grew to level 44!

"I take back my words, he made it," Golden Growlithe said.
"That was great, Iael," Gabi complimented me.
"Thanks, that Dewgong played dirty. But I don't blame him, he had no way to know what I've been through."
"Is that why you screamed?," Gabi asked me, leaning over to me. "What happened?"
"He brought back old memories. The ones I'd rather keep buried. I think his Hidden Power broke my concentration and thoughts just came rushing one after another."
"I'm sorry," was all Gabi could say.
"It wasn't your fault either," I comforted her. "It's an issue I'll have to deal with sooner or later; I just can't seem to get over it no matter how hard I try. But right now I'd rather think of something else."
"I'll help you with everything I can," Gabi promised.
"Thanks. I think there's something else you can help me with, but we'll talk about it after we leave this room."
"Can you please tell me what it has to do with?"
"I think the attack also triggered something else inside me. I'll need your help to make sure of what it is and to tie some loose ends."
"Alright," Gabi accepted.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened in the battle," Golden Growlithe said to me. "I don't know what experiences you've had, but if I'd known a psychic attack could hurt you so much I would have stopped my friend. He wouldn't have done it either if he had known."
"It's in the past," I accepted the apology, not wanting to go back to that subject. "Psychic moves had never had that effect on me before, but I'll watch out for things like that from now on. If it had to happen, it was best that it did in a training battle."
The human nodded, understanding. He was strange, but I realized he wasn't a bad person. Moreover, he seemed to share a bond with his team that you didn't see everyday.

"Am I still going to get my battle?," Ventura demanded.
"If you still want to," the male trainer said. "It will be an honor to battle you."
"An honor? That sounds good, but I'll have to ask why."
"Well, I've heard a lot about you. From different sources. I've heard you've done some admirable things."
"Which tells me you already know what I can do. This will be an interesting challenge, then."
"So you don't want to level the field by asking me something about your opponent?"
"I know all your pokemon have psychic abilities, you said that yourself. I know I have to watch out for any surprises, and I know you have a tendency to try to break your opponent's concentration. Am I missing anything vital? Otherwise I'd rather find out the rest by myself."
"Impressive. Now I'm more eager to see you in battle. Telling you anything else would put my champion at a disadvantage, so I'll leave you and Glice to test each other in the field."
The Glalie, who had been silent so far, leapt forward to face Ventura.
"Glice?," Gabi asked. "Is that a fusion between Glalie and Ice?"
"More like an alternate spelling for the name of a planet, but that would make sense too," Golden Growlithe said.
"A planet? You wouldn't be saying... I used to invent planets when I was 11, and I gave them names. One of them was Glais. You're not saying there really is a planet with that name, right?"
Then I felt it again: the same psychic energy Orknye had used for his Rest attack. Only that now it stopped before anything happened.
"Would you mind not asking me those questions?," Golden growlithe asked Gabi. "They're not doing me any good."
"Why, what's going on?," Gabi couldn't hold herself. "Is anything wrong with you?"
"I need to stabilize myself. Maybe we can talk later. I... I want to talk to you. I'm on your side, you know. It's just... If I think too much of... the things I'm not supposed to go back to yet... Why don't we get started with the battle? I think that may be just what I need."
"Okay," Gabi accepted, still looking worried.
I wondered if she'd felt the psychic energy. She normally did detect those things, so she probably had. But somehow she seemed more concerned than freaked out now.

Glice fixed his blue eyes on Ventura and spoke with a cold voice.
"Shall we battle?"
"Alright, make your move and I'll make mine."

Level 48 Venomoth vs. Level 55 Glalie

No matter what Golden Growlithe had said, the way I saw it Ventura was clearly at a disadvantage. Glice looked a lot stronger than her and we knew he had at least one Psychic type move. Probably Hidden Power just like Orknye's, which meant Ventura would be in trouble if it reached her. However, Hidden Power wasn't the first move Glice used: it was Light Screen. Well, that was a psychic type move, but was it the only one he knew? It could be a trick to have Ventura lower her guard, or maybe he knew Ventura used mostly Psychic and Giga Drain in her battles and was trying to protect himself (now Giga Drain would be absolutely useless). There were many possibilities. If I'd been battling I would have stopped wondering about his motives a lot earlier, but since Ventura gave me some time to think while hovering around the Glalie, I used it.

Glice seemed to have some trouble following Ventura's course with his eyes. When she went behind him he turned around, but she didn't stay there. She kept flying around until powder began to fall from her wings. Glice couldn't defend himself from it, and soon fell asleep.

"I should have known she was going to do that," Golden Growlithe scolded himself. "Anyway, we still have a chance, if Glice wakes up in time. His Light Screen is still in effect."
"True, but it won't protect him from all of Ventura's tricks," Gabi replied.
Both trainers were watching the battle with excitement, as if it were a live show.

Ventura dumped some thick drops of poison, that had no problems passing through the psychic shield. She repeated the procedure twice more before the Glalie woke up. When he did, he shot an Ice Beam at her, hitting straight on.
"Ouch! That would have hurt a lot if we weren't already in a ridiculously cold environment," Ventura stated.
The Venomoth went over to release another dose of Sleep Powder on the Glalie. However, he managed to focus enough to reopen his eyes right away and set up a new Light Screen. Ventura must have concluded that more powder was what was needed, so she released even more.
"Glice, attack, fast!," Golden Growlithe commanded, but it was too late: the Sleep Powder had already taken effect.
Then he yelled out something that didn't make any sense to me.
"Fei dais Hazemeit!"
That somehow caused Ventura to turn away from her opponent and stare at his trainer in confusion. And Gabi did the same.
"Who are you?," Gabi inquired.
"That's always a hard question to answer," Golden Growlithe replied. "I could give you a couple of meaningless names, but that wouldn't satisfy you."
"Don't play games," Ventura told me. "You don't go calling me 'Faerie of Fortune' in the middle of a battle, in a language I'm not even supposed to know, and then evade all our questions."
"Sorry, but you said you'd brace yourself for any surprises."
"Any surprises that make sense. Really, who are you? Why did you call me that, and why did I understand it?"
"I think I can answer the last two questions," Gabi told me. "He knows about our trips to Bei. You've been there yourself, haven't you, Golden Growlithe? You've used a language that's known by everyone there, and that Ventura and I have traces of for having been there. You know what Ventura's name means in Spanish, and also that shee took the form of a faerie while she was in Bei. Isn't that right?"
"Wow, you've said all that and I'm still here? Amazing! Ok, I guess I can speak freely now. I haven't only been to Bei. I'm from there. I'm only here because a mutual friend has asked for myself."
"Harims," Gabi affirmed. "She sent you to help me find out what's going on at the Dragon's Guild, right? And she chose you because you were a trainer?"
"Ok, now you've caught me by surprise. How did you know all that?"
"You've given me many hints, and a dream gave me the rest. Though I'm still confused, I didn't know there were trainers in Bei. Not to mention I don't even know what Bei really is."
"Well, there aren't pokemon in Bei, but there are plenty of magical creatures, and I've been dedicated to raising them all my life. Some of them came along with me and became pokemon upon arriving here. All of my team except Sol. Without their psychic powers I wouldn't have made it here. As for what Bei is... It would be hard to explain. I will if you tell me what this plane is, because I'm not sure about it either."
"Is it another dimension? For some time I wasn't even sure if it was real."
"I guess we're from different dimensions or something like that. Our minds are the key, that's all I know. I'm not an expert in travelling or anything, I don't even have your psychic abilities."
"My psychic abilities are no big deal either. I went to Bei twice, and both times it was by accident. And I have trouble telling premonitions from dreams. Some parts of the last one may have well been a dream; you said something about wishing you could take some creatures home, but if your pokemon are from Bei they shouldn't have problems getting back, right?"
"Oh, you heard that? Then you must have heard my conversation with Harims! I was talking about Sol and the Unicorn Games prizes. They're quite special, even more than I originally thought. And as far as I can tell the Ponyta was naturally born like that! Just like your dragon!"
"Ok, don't change the subject, please."
"Oh, please, do change the subject!," Ventura interrupted them. "And tell me this: has my battle been cancelled?"
"What? Oh, no, go ahead," said the guy from another dimension. "Sorry I bothered you."
"As if I didn't know you did it to buy time for your Glalie or whatever he is to wake up. But I gave him a huge dose of Sleep Powder, so I still have time. So, if you'll excuse me..."

Saying this, Ventura went right back to where Glice was and started shooting Signal Beams. After the third shot, the Glalie fell over and his trainer granted Ventura the victory.

Ventura grew to level 50!

"I feel cheated," Ventura complained. "This could have been a really exciting battle and you had to ruin it by becoming the center of attention."
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I've said it so many times today it's lost all meaning," came the reply.
"So it turns out I wasn't even battling a pokemon. Does it count as a battle at all?"
"Oh, but he is a pokemon. While we stay in this dimension, all my friends have the traits and abilities of the pokemon identities this world has given them. They could even be stored inside pokeballs, but that would be too awkward for them. Their past experiences are the only thing that makes them different. And in Glice's case, I guess he's not used to movng around with no limbs yet. I guess that must be why he was so defensive in the battle."
"All of us need to make an effort to adjust," Glyph remarked. "I used to be able to fly. I miss it, but if I think too much about it my mind will pull me back, so we need to focus on this place and the task we must complete."
"I appreciate your help, but why has Harims asked for it?," Gabi queried. "And why did you accept? Is there anything I don't know yet?"
"We accepted because Harims is important to all of us, and it seems that you're important to her. To be honest, I don't know what's going on, but Harims had a bad feeling and said things could end up getting nasty. She asked me to find out whatever I could about the secret lab, about Team Rocket and about who was running the Dragon's Guild, and share that information with the Dragon Tamers; and also do my best to fulfill any requests by your group while I'm here."
"And how long are you going to stay?"
"I don't know... Until everything's cleared out, I guess. I must warn you not to expect too much from us, though. We'll try to help out, but we don't have any special powers. I'm only your contact inside the Guild, and my friends are just helping in the best way they can and taking a chance to train when we have the time."
"That's fine," Gabi accepted. "I can also help you if there's anything you need. Just call me and I'll do what I can."
"Thanks... Though what I need right now is some heat. Aren't you freezing here?"
"Freezing? Oh, will you believe it? I got so carried away in our conversation I totally forgot about the cold!"
"That's hard to believe. I don't have any special powers, but I think you do."
"If being less affected by cold and more affected by heat than the majority is a special power, then yes. We can go to the cabin if you want, they must be waiting for us there."
"Finally something that makes sense!," Hero shot out.

So, once both Orknye and Glice were ready to move again, we all headed for the cabin, where we found Amber, Sylvan and a Clefairy who, according to her trainer, used to be a pixie.
"I could have bet money on us not finding Solitude here," Hero growled.
"Arim, have you seen Sol?," Golden Growlithe asked the Clefairy.
"She was with us," she replied, "watching the battles and talking like never before. She left moments ago, saying she'd meet us again sme other time. She said she wanted to live her own life for once, and she didn't want to be too close to what she couldn't have. I don't know what she meant, she wouldn't speak after she said that."
"That's so Solitude," Hero sighed. "She can never make herself clear. Did you two get to see her?"
"Yes, and she was quite nice, actually," Amber replied. "Even if some of the things she said were hard to understand. But it was clear enough when she said she realized she'd been living for everyone else but herself, always doing what she was supposed to and never stopping to ask herself what she felt. She said she thought she now knew where she wanted to be, and what she wanted to do, so I guess she must be trying to get there now."
"Yes," Sylvan nodded. "And about not wanting to be close to what she can't have... I'm not too sure I agree with her decision, but that's her call."
"But what was she talking about?," Hero asked.
"Something she gave up, I would assume," Sylvan replied. "Either that, or something that she knows isn't meant for her. From what I've seen and heard, it might be both."
"I never got to thank her," Gabi reflected, taking her hand to her chest and holding the white stone that hang from her neck. "She's given up a lot for me... Especially if she did base her life on what she thought she was supposed to do. I hope she can find freedom now."
"Whose side are you on?," Hero questioned her.
"There are no sides here. Nobody's fighting."
"Not yet, anyway," said Golden Growlithe. "Who knows what the future holds for us?"
"Well, Solitude does," blared Hero. "She can see the future, can't she?"
"Only faint glimpses," Arim said. "And they're usually quite vague. She told me her power was stronger once, but she gave most of it up for someone who needed it more."
"Would that be you?," Arim's trainer turned to Gabi.
"I guess all secrets are out now," Gabi chuckled. "Yes, she gave me a stone that enhances psychic abilities. Or, rather, left it on my way for me to find it. So, now that we've all learned so much about each other's history and secrets... will you tell me something?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"What's your name?"
Golden Growlithe started at her, stunned by the question.
"Your original name. You haven't told me yet, and I'm not too comfortable with calling you Golden Growlithe, just like it's weird when people I know call me Lady Vulpix."
"Well, I go by the name of Ivan here. But if you want to know my original name, it's Eshree."
"Eshree," Gabi smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Wolfsong

23rd July 2004, 12:21 AM

I'm asking for an extension to the training rooms just in case. I hope to get them done before it changes, but beter to be safe than sorry

Matt

23rd July 2004, 12:30 AM

I'd like an extension on the training grounds as well. I'm trying to think of something so gabi won't complain about it :sweat:. and i don't mean to be rude but could someone read/rate the sorry excuse for a rbg that i made a few pages back that no one ever rated?

classy_cat18

23rd July 2004, 12:50 AM

I also would like an extension on the Training Grounds scenario.

The_Missing_Link

23rd July 2004, 12:50 AM

Ditto with me on the rooms. I want to do some so my other Pokemon can get some exposure and levels

Lady Vulpix

23rd July 2004, 08:53 AM

Everyone gets the extensions they requested. Though if so many people want them, I don't think it's time to change the scenario yet.

We've skipped your battle, Matt? Could you please tell me what page it's on?

Matt

23rd July 2004, 11:08 AM

It's on page 7 close to the bottom, Gabi.

Lady Vulpix

24th July 2004, 12:21 PM

Oops! You're right! Sorry, I'll rate it soon. But now... an OLD story's finally making its way into the Battle Range. It's the conclusion to the Templa Taure scenario!

It's very long, but it certainly takes a lot shorter to read than it took us to write it. It takes place right after the battles in Templa Taure, when Abaddon had just left Kassandra in Soo's hands. We had just rescued Amber's mother (a Charizard nicknamed 'Plum') and a local Shelgon named Estel from the grip of the Black Dragon. Estel had told us that the disturbances had begun in a temple within the Templa Taure forest, while Plum was set to save Amber's father and a group of other Gyarados who had been lured into the forest by the Black Dragon.

Celeste hadn't been born yet, TR's latest attack hadn't occured, Sindel was still a Kadabra, Kirei was still being trained by Ade and we hadn't met Rhiannon nor any members of Soo's and Ade's teams not mentioned in the story (well, some had met Megan, but she wasn't in the team yet). Let alone Armand, Reaper or Gia. As for my team, it was the same except for some levels they hadn't gained and some moves they hadn't learnt, and my brother hadn't woken up yet though that doesn't affect the story. I hope people read this and enjoy it, since we spent 10 months writing it (it's not supposed to be rated, it's too old for that). With this said, I leave you with... the story!

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

This picks up from my last post at Templa Taure.
In case you don't know the characters, I'll post their names, genders and species so that you don't become lost.

My party
Gabi: female Human (me)
Hero: male Ninetales
Lagi: female Dragonite
Pidgeot: male Pidgeot
Water Angel: female Kingdra
Tsunami: male Vaporeon
Amber: female Charizard
Ventura: female Venomoth
Sylvan: female Venusaur
Caledor: male Espeon
Iael: male Stantler

Ade & Soo's party
Ade: male Human
Soo: female Human
Pearl: female Ninetales
Katnip: male Raticate
Beckham: male Wartortle
Lucky: male Meowth
Kirei: female Espeon
Milliardo: male Umbreon
Pandora: female Houndour
Kasumi: female Growlithe
Scratchy: male Paras
Marius: male Dratini
Bolovayr: male Gastly
Kassandra: female Charmander
Sindel: female Kadabra

<Gabi's POV>

We resumed our quest for the temple, this time with the company of 'Plum', the Charizard. Estel, the Shelgon, led the way across the forest. We faithfully followed him, though we weren't quite sure of what to do when we finally reached our destination. I pushed my mind hard, trying to devise a plan. I got some ideas, but they sounded too crazy even to myself. If Ventura heard them, she'd have all the reasons to say I'd lost it. But then again, what else could we do? We were up against an opponent of whom we only knew was evil and capable of summoning spirits and having them control many pokemon... We didn't even know how many, but they seemed to be all over the forest. The possession wasn't flawless, but it was still a considerable threat.
"What are you thinking?," asked Ventura as if she knew she'd just crossed my mind.
"A backup plan," I told her.
"Do you have a main plan already?"
"No, feel free to come up with one. Apparently everything I can think of right now is too crazy and too risky."
"Tell me what it it, and I'll judge by myself."
"Using our psychic abilities to separate the spirits from the pokemon they're possessing."
"Did I hear our?"
"Yes, and that's where the risky part comes in. We're clearly outnumbered, so we'd have to make use of everything we have."
"I believe I know what you're thinking. You're right, it's too crazy. But having to fetch you from a dream dimension is preferrable to being killed by ghosts."
"Wow! I thought you'd say I'd lost it... I'd never imagined you'd consider it an acceptable risk."
"You've misjudged me, apparently. Getting that to work could be a shot in the moon, but we can keep it as a backup plan. I've had many chances to think you'd lost your mind before, but we're still here."
"Yes, same with you."
I received a psychic signal which felt like a strong glare. I glared back at Ventura with the same intention. She shook her head and kept on flying. At least this hadn't turned into a fight. Ventura and I actually respected each other, even if that was sometimes hard to see. I admired the Venomoth's energy and will to earn her place in the world -even if she went overboard every now and then-. Ever since her parents left her, she had struggled to become her own master... And she'd clearly succeeded.

"What's that?," Caledor asked, bringing me back to 'here and now' (or rather there and then).
Ventura scanned the perimeter.
"It seems there's a lot of psychic activity going on," she declared.
I focused and let the psychic waves in. The feeling was quite familiar... Like light was quite fast. I'd felt that kind of energy many times since Pegasus Games. It'd feared it, felt curious about it, worried about it more than once, and welcomed it. Right now it was the latter.
"More than that..." I revealed with a grin. "It's seems we've just found some friends."
I felt Lagi's smile echoing back. I turned to the origin of the signals and everybody followed, including Estel. Only a few steps and trees ahead and there they were: Ade, Soo and the bunch. Bunch which had apparently just got bigger.

I waved my hands, not wanting to shout out. Soo saw me and called Ade's attention. Our greeting was the most pleasant moment I'd had after entering the Templa Taure forest. After the 'hi's and 'how are you doing's and a 'what a great surprise to find you here', I asked my friends what was going on over there.
"Not much," answered Pandora, the Houndour, "just your everyday stoll through danger-infested forests..."
"We can't really get used to that, can we?," Sylvan shook her head. "No matter how many we have to get through."
After that little exchange, Ade told me quite a shocking story about his recent encounter with Abbadon, the destruction-hungry Charizard who had caused a massacre while working for the Dark Cloak. Hearing his name made a wave of disgust run up my whole body. Thus, I was even more surprised when I learnt that the Charmander who was now taking shelter by Soo's side was actually Abbadon's daughter. Ade explained the circumstances of her entrance to the team, and I hoped she had inherited nothing of her father's personality. In any case, the poor Charmander would have a lot of demons to fight before she could have a normal life. I was glad she had fallen in good hands.
"I hope she's going to be okay," said Soo, cradling the now asleep young Charmander in her arms. "The poor thing's hardly moved since she got thrown at us!"
"I'm sure, given a night in a decent Pokécentre and a few days to get used to everything, she'll be fine," Ade assured.
I smiled at Soo, certain that Kassandra had just found the right person to help her get out of the darkness she'd grown up in.
"She's probably just reacting to the trauma in the only way she knows how. In the meantime we have to concern ourselves with her father. He could be a real threat. The instant we get out of here I think I should warn the others to be on their guard. Just in case. Anyway, what were you guys planning on doing here? Or weren't there any real plans?"
"Yeah, let's find a burger bar and get a bite to eat!," Beckham burst into the conversation.
"Not really," Ade confessed. "We thought we could make something of a difference but there's just too many to deal with. What about you, did you manage to uncover anything that might help?"
"Yes, I heard there's a temple somewhere in this forest, and for what I've heard I think that must be the Black Dragon's base of operations. Estel told me that was the first place where things started going wrong."
I had to mention Estel's name to realize I'd forgotten something important.
"Oh, sorry I didn't introduce you before. He's Estel, a Shelgon from this forest. Hero released him from the pendant. And the Charizard next to Amber is Plum, her mother. She came here with Amber's father trying to save a group of Gyarados from the Dark Dragon, but she got caught and lost track of him, so now we're trying to look for the Gyarados in the temple too."
"Only that we haven't decided what to do when we get there," added Ventura. "Gabi's idea is too crazy to work."
"Not that you have a better one," I told her. "Are you coming with us?," I turned back to Ade's group. "Maybe we can think of a better plan together."
"Of course," Ade accepted, "the more the merrier I always say. Not that there's much chance of being merry whilst this chaos is all around us."
"Ade, Milly isn't all around you, you're hallucinating," joked Pandora.
I laughed.
"Well, if things go well, it will be merry when we get done," I assured.
"Now that's my kind of talk!," agreed Beckham. "Okay, people, are we going off to find this temple of absolute doom or not?"
"Yay!," Caledor cheered.
"You guys are crazy, but yes, that's what we need to do," Iael said.
"You should try being a little merrier," suggested Caledor.
"I'll try... Once we get out of here. Possessed pokemon are something I just can't smile at, sorry."
"It's quite easy to force a smile, even if you don't feel like smiling," Milliardo told him. "Okay, it may not do you much good, but..."
"What about if you don't have a mouth?," Beckham interrupted, though his comment didn't get a response from anyone.
"That doesn't work for me," Iael replied to Milly's suggestion.
"I don't think forcing smiles is a good idea, actually," I tried to put an end to a discussion that would do Iael no good.
"Honestly, am I the only one in this trio that's not totally tactless?," Tsunami wondered, most likely referring to the trio composed by himself, Caledor and Hero.
"Don't worry, you'll get to join us soon at the rate you open your mouth," Hero stroke back.
"Are you planning to keep talking until they find us? We should get moving!," Ventura remarked.
"I agree, the last thing we need is to start bickering here," Pearl noted. "Let's get this over with, then we can all argue as much as we want."

We followed the advice of the Venomoth and Ninetales, and Estel took the lead again. We walked in silence for a few... seconds. Then whispers became heard, and the voices among the group quickly became louder. I could hear Pandora comment "at least this is a little better, random wandering with a purpose is better than wandering without any plan at all!"
"We've been doing far too much of that lately, I agree. A decisive plan of action is just what we needed," Marius replied.
"Yeah, and we didn't even have to consult Tsuyoi either, what's going on there?," asked Milliardo.
"Do you consult him all the time?," I intervened.
"Not unless we need his psychic power, it is sometimes handy to have an ally with that level of strength," Ade told me. "He's just a little... opinionated."
"I.e. you can't do a bloody thing without the bugger going 'honestly, this is how you should do it, do I have to do everything around here?'," Milly translated.
"Hmm... It reminds me of someone I know," I commented.
"Like yourself?," Ventura caught my intention and turned it back.
"Not quite," I told her, staring at her again.
Come to think of it, maybe I was being a bit unfair. Ventura was really nothing like Tsuyoi. But I was a bit edgy at that moment... Walking through a once beautiful forest taken over by evil forces and without a clear perspective of how to handle the whole situation was getting at me.
"Honestly, why does everything have to always end up in some sort of argument?," Pearl intervened. "Even faced with the dangers we have to deal with at the minute there's no escaping the constant bickering!"
"That's how it goes, Pearl, deal with it," Milliardo told her.
"Actually, I think she's right," I said.
"I wasn't arguing. Just pointing out facts," Ventura had to get in.
"That's enough, this is not the moment for a competition," Lagi stopped us.
"Hey, you want fact, guys? Here's one for you." Milliardo ignored her, right when the argument seemed to have ended. "Fact. You're all totally useless. Every last one of you."
"Enough, already!," shouted Ade. "Weren't we looking for a temple?"
"Weren't we looking for a burger bar?," Becks brought back his old joke.
"Whatever, we need to get there fast," said Amber. "Not the burger bar, of course."
"If we find that first, mine's a double cheeseburger with large fries!," blared Kirei. The pokemon were talking so fast they'd already started missing each others words. "Although I get a funny feeling we should be veering a little more to the right, guys. Listen to the magic Espeon, if she can't get you to the temple then at least we'll find the burger bar!"
"Magic Espeon?," asked Caledor. "I thought that was me."
"I don't know about magic, from what I can gather most Espeons are really scary," said Milliardo the Umbreon, as 'gentle' as ever.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Caledor countered.
"I'm glad I evolved the way I did, that's all I can say."
"Agreed. You'd look stupid as an Espeon anyway," Pandora chuckled.

"We may be more effective if we search for the Gyarados and the Black Dragon in small groups once we get in," Lagi suggested, interrupting what could easily become a quarrel. "We'd cover a larger area and wouldn't be stopped by so many arguments."
"That's the best idea I've heard so far," Pearl agreed. Then she made a pause and winced as if in pain, shaking her head. All arguments stopped as we all gathered around her, trying to find out what was wrong.
"Uhh, sorry about that. I think I'm coming down with something."
"Why didn't you tell me before we set out?," Ade softly scolded her, worried, and kneeled down to pet the Ninetales.
"I wasn't feeling bad when we set out, was I?," Pearl snapped, but she instantly regretted it. "I'm okay. Just a little cramp, honest."
"Where is it? Maybe I can help you," I offered, getting down to take a better look at her.
"I've just a bit of a stomach cramp, I'll be fine in a minute or two. Really," Pearl assured.
"If you say so, Pearl. In the meantime I suggest we organise our groups now, it'll save us a lot of time when we actually enter the temple," Marius proposed.

I was still worried about Pearl, and I could tell so was Marius by the way he spoke. But if she didn't want to open up, there was nothing we could do about it.
"That's a good idea," I sighed. "And Pearl, please take care of yourself. We're most likely going to get in trouble, so please don't make it worse for yourself by neglecting your own health."
I wished I could know what she was feeling, as she looked at me in a silent reply.
"Eh, don't worry, dudes," Katnip grinned, moving over to Pearl and giving her and giving her a hug so warm it made me wish someone would hug me that way too. "Ya all know anyone who's getting' too close to her's gonna be mincemeat in seconds!"
"Or confused into silence by your stupid accent, one or the other."
"Whatever works," Tsunami grinned. The way he seemed to be having so much fun ganging up with Milliardo was somewhat scary. Fortunately, the Raticate wasn't phased by their remarks. Instead, he took them with humor.
"Heh, who cares how we manage it? As long as the job gets done, right?"
"I thought we weren't arguing, guys," Pearl reminded the group, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, this isn't arguing!" Milliardo smirked. "This is ganging up on Katnip. Who doesn't give a ****, so that makes it alright, doesn't it?"
Fortunately enough, nobody saw it fit to start yet another argument.

It was Hero who put the conversation in course so that we could start getting organized.
"Actually, Katnip seems like a good choice to pair up with. Even if we do have a small dispute going on about the copyright of a certain move."
"I think the Pokemon League has beaten you both to it," I laughed.
"Actually, that ain't a bad idea," Katnip reflected. "Can't think of anyone I'd rather pair up with than the only guy I know who comes close ta givin' me a run for me money!"
"Doesn't anyone know anything around here? Both Hero and Katnip carry far more authority than the Pokémon League!," Pandora broke in.
"Wish they did, Pandora," Ade sighed, turning to look at Soo, who was still tending to Kassandra and didn't return the gaze. "Then we could claim copyright on Quick Attack and be a lot better off!"
"Ade, you're turning into Becks. Stop it. Now. We've already got one too many as it is," Milliardo nudged Ade's leg with energy.
"I like your thoughts, Pandora," Hero smiled at the Houndour. "And as for you" He now turned over to Katnip, "if it's a run for your money you want, you'll get it."
"Sounds good ta me," Katnip grinned widely with excitement.

At the same time, a discussion seemed to be going on between Milly and Tsunami.
"You never rest, do you?," the Vaporeon said. "And I thought I was good with comebacks!"
"Well I can't help it, can I?," the Umbreon replied without flinching. "If somebody says something stupid, they deserve a retort, and I make it my business to supply it seeing as I'm so good at it."
"Umm" can we get organized please?," Sylvan finally spoke out. "I'm not following half the conversations, but we're clearly not getting to the point and I really hate what they're doing to this place. I'll go with anyone, I just want to get this done."
Both Iael and Lucky nodded in agreement.
"Same here," Iael commented. "Well" almost anybody, anyway." I could feel his tension begin to build as his eyes turned to Kasumi, and it got worse as she responded by blowing him a kiss. "Er, come to think of it, can I go with Pearl?"
"Sure! It'd make a nice change to have some company that isn't either ridiculously antagonistic or totally bizarre anyway."
"Are you referring to me there, by any chance?" Milliardo asked innocently.
"Of course she is, you moron." Pandora rolled her eyes.
"Actually, I wouldn't mind going with someone like that. It could be fun," Tsunami blared.
I stared at my Vaporeon friend, not knowing what to make of his last comment. For all the time we'd been together, I still couldn't measure him well.
"Of course, as long as we still get the job done," he finished when he found all our eyes fixed on him. "Oh, come on, you can't all be party poopers! Arguments can be fun sometimes!"
"Give it up, kid. You know how it works." Hero rolled his eyes. Clearly he and Tsunami understood each other a lot better than I did.
"No, no, we should thank him. He's just saved me from having to go with my usual partner. If you want arguments, Tsunami, you're welcome to him," Pandora shoved Milliardo towards the Vaporeon and, for the first time ever, he didn't seem to know how to react. "Okay, does anyone slightly saner want to keep me company?"
"I'll ignore those last words for Pandora's safety," Tsunami declared.
"I think she was referring to Milliardo, not you," I pointed out.
Actually, I thought those words could easily apply to Tsunami -at least in appearance- considering the decision he'd just made. But I was no longer rash to judge him; I'd learnt that whenever there was something about him I didn't understand, I was in for a surprise.
"Depending on what you mean by sanity, it may be hard to find," Lagi diluted the argument once more. "But I think it could help if you and I went together. As long as that won't make you uncomfortable, that is."
It was one of those moments when Lagi's emotions overflowed her and I could feel them too. It was like walking on the top of an active volcano. She was aware of the disaster a single step in the wrong direction could awaken, yet she was ready to walk that path if the Houndour accepted... If she was not afraid of Lagi's inability to lock her perception away... Of revealing all her emotions as they came.
"Okay with me..." Pandora accepted the challenge. "To be honest I'd be glad to pair up with someone like you. It'd make a nice change."
Lagi gave the Umbreon one of her deep, warm smiles.
"Thank you."

"Okay," Beckham butted in, "if we're all pairing up, I reckon me and Caledor are an obvious choice, between the two of us there's not a thing we couldn't manage. What do you say, buddy?"
"It couldn't get any better!," the Espeon agreed.
"Dunno, if we get out of the forest and into that burger bar I was talking about it probably would..."
"Great. All you need to do is find Megan again and it'd be disaster for the entire planet," Milly provided us with more of his usual sarcasm.
Ade had told me some stories about their encounters with a most hyper Marill named Megan. I took it it was her Milliardo was talking about.
"Please, just shut up!," Sindel tried to silence him. "I'm not really bothered who I go with, anyone who needs a partner I'm fine with."
"Just make sure you don't lose focus," Ventura advised the recently formed pair. "Too much is at stake for you two to go chasing a burger bar."
"Didn't you know, burger bars are far more fun than possessed pokémon?" Interjected Milliardo. "Although having seen some burger bars, I'm beginning to wonder if that's entirely true..."
"Oh, give it a rest. We're all sick to death of your attempts to be the pokémon Oscar Wilde," Pandora responded to his comment.
"C'mon, you love me really," Milly replied with a smile.
Ventura tried to bring order back to our impossibly messy group.
"It's not the time for jokes. Some pokemon here seem to have lost their sense of reality, and that's something to worry about."
"Great, everyone just ignore me..." Sindel rolled her eyes. "I agree with Ventura, can't we just get our priorites right for once?"
"Hey, what do you do if you can't get a Pikachu on a bus? Poke-im-on!"
Milliardo was clearly enjoying going against everything the most sensible ones were saying. It was starting to get ridiculous.
"Give them a chance," I tried to conciliate both parts. "They've been through as much as we have or more. We're all worried, and what we're up against is too big to just forget about it. I don't think lightening up the mood is a bad idea. But I do agree that we should get organized as fast as we can."
Also on the conciliatory side, (and so far on the ignored side too), Sylvan asked Sindel if she'd like to go with her.
"Oh, okay then!," the Kadabra smiled. "I'm glad to see somebody actually listens to me..."
Here she directed an obvious glare at the Umbreon.
"Thingy, the instant you say something interesting, I'll start listening," Milliardo stuck his tongue out at her.
"They haven't been listening to me either. Not that I can blame them, situations like this one get the worst out of everyone," Sylvan explained in an understanding tone. "I'm assuming you'll go with your mother, right, Amber?," she now turned to her old friend.
The Charizards looked at each other before Amber, smiling, confirmed her friend's assumption.
"Yes... I think I will."

"Hey, hey, if we're talking pairing up here, why has nobody asked to pair up with me? After all, I'm one hell of a catch, aren't I?," Kasumi jumped into the conversation in a scarily hyper manner.
"Maybe they all know you're not going to keep your mind on the job, Sumi..." Pearl rolled her eyes at the Growlithe.
"Hell is a good description," Ventura remarked, only to start yet another argument.
"Aww, jealous are we," Kasumi began, "just because Venomoths and Growlithes..."
"I'll stop that one right there thank you very much," Pearl tried to cut the word fight short.
"Aww, Pearl, you're no fun," Kasumi put on a clearly fake sad face.
"Actually, I'm known for my skills to keep fire pokemon at bay," Ventura just had to stretch it out a bit longer.
"She says that because she's beaten some at the Battle Tower," I explained, hoping that would be enough for her to finish.
But no... Ventura didn't know the meaning of the word 'enough'. Words had never been her strong point, after all.
"I don't want to brag, but you don't want to touch me."
"Hey, if I CAN touch, I will! Anyways, plenty of pokémon who'll let me touch them, it's no skin off my nose!"
"Look, are we going to pair up or not? Like it or not, SOMEBODY has to pair up with Sumi..." Pearl began to sound irritated. "(And if you ask me, she's all bluff anyway)."
"Maybe she should pair up with someone who's more used to her company," I replied. "Same goes for Ventura. She tends to be quite bossy when it comes to teamwork."
"Gabi gives me a bad reputation. All I ever do is do everything in my power to get things done," the Venomoth defended herself.

At that moment, the most unexpected thing happened. A large blue creature with six limbs and menacing eyes and fangs appeared out of nowhere. I had felt his presence many times before, though now that we were face to face it was stronger than ever. I had been given a physical description, but seeing him was still shocking. I'd engaged in several silent arguments with him, always from a safe distance... But this was different. Now he had decided to break his tradition and show himself... And I couldn't help but wonder why.
"I offer my services at keeping the little bombshell under control," Tsuyoi announced. "This whole thing is getting too long-winded for my liking, and I grow restless."
That was his only greeting.
"Wow!... Now THIS is something I wasn't expecting."
That was my greeting.
My whole team fixed their eyes on the demonic half-Ninetales.
"Yes?," Tsuyoi glowered at everyone. "I trust none of you have a problem with this?"
"Tsuyoi, you are the least subtle guy I know, with the possible exception of myself...," Milliardo told him. He was clearly a lot more used to having Tsuyoi around that we were.
"Ehem... Sorry if I'm asking this, but what has caused you to appear right now?," Pidgeot put in words my own question, and probably everyone else's.
"Various things, really," Tsuyoi replied. "For a start, I couldn't stand to watch you imbeciles arguing any longer. Secondly, obviously nobody is going to pair up with Kasumi owing to the fact that only I can deal with her. Thirdly, I sense something is in that temple that might provide me with a little entertainment. Anyway, what have my motives to do with any of you? I do what I do."
"What you do affects those around you. You should know that," Pidgeot confronted him without flinching.
"Yes, and what if I tell you that the actions of another are going to unbalance the scales? I can't allow that."
I had to change the subject before trouble broke in.
"I thought so. Let's focus, shall we? Let's not get another big problem to deal with. The one we have is already big enough. Tsuyoi, after years of hide and seek I can tell that what you mean is more than what you say in some ways, and less in some others. And I'll save my opinions to myself, since you must know them already and saying them aloud won't help. I suggest we get back to forming the rest of the teams."
"At least in that way we agree, my dear Lady Vulpix. Do what you will. All I do is to keep my little Growlithe with the company she needs, and stay on hand. For whatever you may think of myself and my motives, the balance must be kept, and it swings too far for me to ignore."

An unusually long silence followed, after which Pidgeot spoke again.
"Alright, I can carry Water Angel in her pokeball until we find some water. Someone else may come with us, unless we're only supposed to form pairs."
"I haven't heard anyone say that," I noted.
"Good," said Lucky, "because, if there is a space I wouldn't mind taking it. You're both quite level-headed. I'd quite like to get away from all the distractions to be honest."
"You'll be welcome, then," Pidgeot accepted.
"Am I such a distraction, Lucky?," Kirei pouted.
"Umm.... yes, keep that up and you are!," the Meowth said with a smile.
"Oh, goodie! Glad I haven't lost my touch!," she winked at him.
Kirei grinned.
"Now, who wants to come with me? I may talk nonsense most of the time, but I bet whatever our team is, we'll find the temple first!"
"Actually, you could be quite helpful in your own way," Ventura reckoned. "My radar sense and your luck together could be a perfect combination."
"OMG, you can't be serious. She's KIREI! Do you REALLY want the second coming of Scarygirl to assist you????," Milliardo butted in.
"So, what do you say?," the Venomoth insisted, ignoring the last comment.
"Okay then!," Kirei accepted. "I just want this over with, right now the burger bar sounds better than what we're doing, and I don't even like burgers!"
"We'll get this over with as fast as possible. I don't really think anyone can feel comfortable here." Ventura assured.

"Ade, are you and Soo going together?," I asked my friends.
"Yeah, of course we are!," Ade replied. He then glanced at the battered Charmander in Soo's arms. "And I guess Kassandra is, too."
"I think that's a good idea," I agreed. Right then Kassandra needed to spend as much time as possible by the side of her new trainers.
"Although that leaves Scratchy, Marius and Bolovayr to pair up for me," Ade noted.
"Well, apparently no members of my team are going with me," I reckoned, "so is it ok if I go with one of them? Actually, I've been wanting to get to know Marius better for some time."
": By all means, I would also enjoy a little time together. I feel... we would probably get along quite well, don't you think?," the young Dratini smiled at me.
I smiled back in agreement.
"Okay, that's decided then. What about the others?," asked Ade.
"I go alone, as I always have. I don't need others to drag me down, thanks all the same," Scratchy grunted.
"Do you even know what you're up against?," Estel, who hadn't spoken in all this time, confronted him.
"Unfortunately so, and even worse is the fact that we have even worse to contend with in the future," Tsuyoi added, causing everyone to stare at him.
"Let's deal with one thing at a time, shall we?," I proposed. "Otherwise we won't get anywhere."
"Yeah, we're supposed to be dealing with this threat, the last thing we need is knowledge of another future problem!," Ade supported me.
"I've seen the Temple before, and I think I have a good idea of how to find it," Estel declared. "We're almost there from the look of the trees around us. So, I can go with you to the entrance. I have no wishes to become possessed again, but I'll go in if that's what it takes to get the Black Dragon away from Templa Taure."
"For the first time in my life I'll be serious," Kirei said. "Do you think we'll get there faster if we join forces?"
"She thinks! You two get us there and we'll take it from there," replied Pandora. I was beginning to wonder if sarcasm was contagious. " I don't really care as to what happens as long as we escape alive. My family is all that matters to me."
Estel didn't know her, so he didn't react to her last words. He only pointed out what he knew.
"Reaching the Temple's not the problem. We can get there together; believe me, we're just a few steps away. The problem will be getting in, and finding what we're looking for inside the temple. And even harder will be to get out in one piece."
"Defying death is what we do. I don't really care," Milliardo stated.
"Really?," Pandora asked, but all she got for an answer was a long silence.
"We don't need to get so gloomy," Pidgeot did react. "I hate how this has become a habit, but we'll do what we need to."

"So, where is the temple?," Hero queried, as tired as everyone else of our ever-darkening surroundings.
"Once we pass these black trees we should find a large rock with a signal. There are four around the temple, one on each corner. If we follow the stone's indications, we'll be there in no time," answered Estel.
"So we split up once we get in?," Ventura suggested.
"Yeah, I kinda feel that myself! Okay, we do that, and we win a million pounds!," Kirei joked, her serious time having quickly ran out.
"Kirei, if you're right about that, I'll praise you," emphasized Caledor.
"Yeah, great if you happen to have pounds as your currency!," Milliardo retorted.
"And of course we split up," said the Umbreon. "What do you want us to do, wander around until we get picked off one by one?"
"Sometimes I wonder who leads this team..." Ade reflected.
"Whoever finances you. Never forget that," Tsuyoi affirmed himself on the spot.
"One-leader systems hardly ever work from what I've seen and heard, and never for a long time," Ventura contradicted him.
"Depends on the leader," Tsuyoi told her.
I took in a deep breath. Dealing with Ventura and Tsuyoi separately was hard enough. The last thing I needed was an argument between them. Ventura was at a clear disadvantage, but she'd probably see it as a challenge.
"Oh, for ****'s sake, let's just find this temple!," Ade stopped the two in their tracks.
"That's what I was about to say. More pokemon are falling under the Black Dragon's power as we speak," Lagi added. "We have no time to spare."

With that, we finally got on the move again. Since only Scratchy, Estel and Bolovayr were left to be paired up, we assumed the three would go together. We followed Estel's directions until Kirei told us to stop for a moment. I could have asked what the reason was, but she probably didn't know it herself. All she said was that her paws were killing her. In a matter of seconds after she was ready to keep walking, we reached a large building that seemed to be built out of stark white stone, supported by massive pillars and surrounded by statues sculpted in great detail, each one different from all the others. The large, gold-painted door at the entrance was strangely unguarded. I put two and two together and understood who had brought us there on the best possible moment.
"Right. I guess this is where we split up," Ade said. "We HAVE to find those Gyarados, and wherever the hub off all this chaos is. Okay?"
"Indeed," agreed Amber.
"Yeah, we understand," Pearl assured, but her pain immediately caused her to wince again. "I'll be fine, before anyone dares say anything. Okay?"
"Does everyone know what to do when trouble comes up?," Ventura chose to follow Pearl's indication.
"Yeah. Hide behind the nearest gallant Umbreon," Pandora cackled.
"If anyone doesn't, we'll improvise. We all have our ways of either hiding or fighting back. Or both," Pidgeot pointed out.
"Gallant?," Marius rolled his eyes before echoing Pidgeot's words. "Yes, the best thing to do is to somehow get in touch with the remainder of the group. We all know what is supposed to be achieved here."
"That's exactly what I was going to say," I told him.
"Bolovayr would probably tell us about how to exorcise demons at this point, right?," Milliardo asked.
"If only. Demons are the least of our worries," the Gastly affirmed.
"I can't take much more of this. Can we kindly enter the temple and search like we were going to do?," Tsuyoi glared at the usual time wasters.
"Yes, and if we find something, we can always release one of our cool signals, as long as a certain Espeon doesn't end up zapping anyone," Tsunami ignored the glare.
"Oh, right when I was thinking of zapping a certain Vaporeon's big mouth..." Caledor stroke back.
We started moving, heading for any doors or passages that would allow us to split up.
"I'm not too sure about this now... this place creeps me out," confessed Kirei, who seemed to be beginning to panic.
"None of us are too happy about it, but we do what we have to," said Pearl, turning to the Espeon to whom Lucky was now offering a supportive paw. "Now shall we all split up and try our best to find what we've came here for?"
Everyone agreed, and we finally entered the temple. The place was quite dark and dirty, but the paintings on the walls and ceiling and some symmetrically distributed sculptures gave the idea that the building had not long ago been beautiful. As soon as we found doors and corridors that diverged from the straight path, we began to split up, until we were left with the groups we had agreed to form.

<Estel's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Estel.htm)
<Amber's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Amber.htm)
<Gabi's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Gabi.htm)
<Tsunami's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Tsunami.htm)
<Caledor's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Caledor.htm)
<Iael's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Iael.htm)
<Pidgeot's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Pidgeot.htm)
<Hero's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Hero.htm)
<Sylvan's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Sylvan.htm)
<Ventura's POV> (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Ventura.htm)
The conclusion (http://forboards.tripod.com/TemplaTaure/Finale.htm)

AntiAsh Superstar

25th July 2004, 06:35 AM

Hehe, we finally managed to get that all sorted, I have to say I'm pretty relieved to get it over with, that was dragging out something shocking! :oh: It made for real interesting reading, seeing it all from the perspectives of you and your team, I was very impressed how you handled my more potentially tricky characters like Pandora or Rhiannon. I'll have to get cracking on my take on the whole situation at some point! ^^;;

Lady Vulpix

25th July 2004, 08:30 PM

Thanks!
And take 22 stamps for your latest post! :) ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
To everyone: sorry I disappeared so suddenly yesterday. A lightning struck somewhere between my house and the next one and all the electrical artifacts started buzzing and we had to unplug everything, including the computer. Then I found out the network card we used to connect to the internet is now useless, so also take this as a notice: I may not be online so much for a while; I'll still try to get on as much as I can, though (from other computers, obviously).

Matt, I'll still try to rate your battle, but now I can't even print it, so it may take some time. Unless someone else gets to it first. Sorry.

Oh, by the way, thanks to everyone who's taking their time to read our joint story. :)

Charizard04621

27th July 2004, 09:27 AM

I hope it gets fixed soon, Gabi! Good luck.

My POV:

The fact that Ryu and I lost our footing in our latest tournament battle disconcerted me. It proved that our emotions were vulnerable, especially to lies. But how, other than becoming heartless, could we prevent emotion from getting in the way? Our natural disposition urged us to feel, and we could have it no other way. How else could we live?

“You’re thinking about how falling for that trick nearly cost us the match.”

I nodded, confirming the Trapinch’s suspicions.

“Me too. In the battle when I was concentrating on what to do to win, I didn’t focus on measuring my opponent personally to gauge how seriously I should have taken his comments. If he didn’t give it away by taunting me, we would have had some serious trouble against Baitu and his trainer.”

“We didn’t have time to judge their characters, and it’s difficult to tell unless you stare into their face the whole time. And watching their eyes for the duration of the battle could easily cause us to lose.”

“Focus isn’t the only thing we need… I was focused, the entire time. Just on the battle and not their expressions. There isn’t room for that when competition becomes intense.”

“Yes. What we need, Ryu, is immunity. The ability to ignore comments during the battle and leave conversation for later. Sure, there is a definite possibility that what our opponents say could be true. There isn’t a greater chance that they are playing on our emotions. As much as I hate to say this, however, we’ve got to concentrate on the battle and the battle alone. Even if Faulk or Baitu were telling the truth, would you have the heart to throw a battle to them? It’s ultimately your decision, but if it were me I wouldn’t cast away everything I’d worked for, especially if I wasn’t 100% sure that what I was hearing was true.”

Ryu paused for a while. I could tell that he felt uncomfortable about the words from the previous battle. His mind, like mine, probably flashed back to when I said We’re not in it for some higher noble cause and he said We’re here to win. I still squirmed when I thought about that, but the finals were coming, and we were close, so close I could feel the tender breath of victory in my face. “After we’ve come this far, I want to win,” Ryu admitted with difficulty. I knew he was still struggling with the selfishness issue. I was too. But in the end, if we didn’t draw the line somewhere, we would be pushed around forever by those who did.

“We came to win, Ryu, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of about that.”

“Yeah, I guess not. Still, it feels…”

“Ethically and morally wrong? Yeah, I know, it eats at my conscience, too. At least we feel bad about it; Faulk and Baitu surely didn’t. And it’s not like we’re gonna try pulling nasty tricks on people. We’re just going to ignore potential ones. If whatever we ignore turns out to be the truth, well, we can sort it out after the battle. For now, we really need to concentrate on just battling.”

“Yeah.”

“All right, enough talk. Let’s take the Desert Room.”

“Ryu”, the male Trapinch’s POV:

We had been walking under the blaring sun for a few minutes, climbing over sand dunes for any signs of life. The heat didn’t affect me much, but Karin was already sweating and her face turned red pretty quickly. This place was one hell of a simulation. Just as I thought we should forget all about the Desert Room because Karin looked so sick, a sandstorm kicked up and we were caught in a tremendous swirl of dust. The immediate area around us darkened and we had to close our eyes to protect it from the flinging sand.

“Karin, let’s just leave. You don’t need to be here.”

“No, you’re not the only one who needs toughening up for our final battle. I’ve got to be able to handle any kind of situation with you. This Desert Room is nothing, really.”

“I see my Sandstorm makes you uncomfortable.” That voice did not sound familiar. It wasn’t Karin because it was masculine. I opened my eyes to find our new company, and was surprised that the sand had died down. In front of us towered an impressive Lairon who was obviously proud of his height. On average I remembered that I wasn’t much smaller than most of his species… He, on the other hand, stood about a foot taller than me, and his surprisingly huge body was rather intimidating. Karin was startled too.

“Are you one of the pokémon battling in this room?” Karin asked.

“In fact, yes I am. My name is Gale. I was searching for someone to battle and I think I’ve found one. Unless, of course, you’re here for some other purpose.”

Gale…? A reference to wind? What on earth? Hmm… “I’m ready for battle,” I told him. I saw Karin wink at me. This was going to be fun. Battles always were.

“Ryu”, the LV26 male Trapinch vs. Gale, the LV35 male Lairon

I was shocked when Gale immediately began with an Earthquake. I retaliated with violent tremors of my own, throwing him off balance and making him cringe. His severe vulnerability to Ground type assaults displayed itself noticeably. The shaking ground didn’t bother me as much as it hurt him. I had no doubt that he would not try to match the power of my Earthquake again.

“Wow… quick reflexes,” Gale coughed. I felt a rush of wind, and the dry sand underneath my feet burst off the ground and began to fly irritatingly around me. A Sandstorm… Obviously Gale was planning something. Perhaps he wanted to take advantage of the decreased visibility.

I waited, and sure enough, I felt a rumbling in the ground and spotted the silver shape charging for me, headfirst. What was it with all my opponents and their assumptions that all Trapinch were slow…? A quick dash brought me well out of the way of the Headbutt. To my astonishment, he tried again. I escaped the same way as before and slammed on the ground a second time. The Lairon fell and he did not get up, even after his Sandstorm died down. Was it over…?

Walking over to him, I realized that it was, indeed, over. How humiliating… That was probably the shortest battle I had ever had in my lifetime. I waited a few minutes and started prodding him out of his unconsciousness. After a while, he opened his eyes. “Are you all right?” I asked.

“All right?” He snorted and his eyes flashed. “All right? You crush me within five minutes and you think I can possibly be all right? Wow, you must be dense.”

I blinked. I wasn’t expecting it to end that quickly. Looking at the Lairon, I refrained from saying anything in case I worsened his temper. I’d have hated to be in his situation. I was wondering what words to use to break the silence, but he did it for me.

“I want a rematch,” he demanded.

“Sure… But we should give it an hour or so. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to battle twice within a short amount of time.” Actually, I was fine; I wasn’t even tired, but I thought that Gale could use the rest and I didn’t want to embarrass him further by telling him this.

“Fine. I just hope you come up with something better than simply exploiting my sickening Ground weakness.”

“If you didn’t want me to do that, you could have asked,” I replied. “I’m used to going all out, but I don’t mind. Might I remind you that you started the battle off with an Earthquake of your own before we came to any agreements?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Go run away and rest or something. I’ll be waiting.”

“Ryu” won!
“Ryu grew to LV28!

My POV:

Oh, that poor Lairon. He seemed pleasant enough at the start. I guessed that the battle ending so quickly mortified him and changed his attitude. Personally, I couldn’t blame him; if I suffered that kind of defeat, I probably wouldn’t be myself either. Of course, we had never experienced that problem. We had yet to lose, although I had no doubt that the time would come. Just hopefully not at the Unicorn Games finals. I was going to do everything possible to prevent that, and I was sure Ryu would too.

We walked further into the Desert Room, me fingering Mandragora’s pokéball and wondering if he would come out to battle at all. Ever since I had given him his Hidden Power, he seemed more confident, but whenever I even said the word “battle” he usually retreated back to his ball to hide.

I spotted a Phanpy not far off. It didn’t see me, something I was glad for, because it might not even get the battle that it expected. I had to ask my Lileep first. Here goes nothing, I thought. “Come out, Mandragora.”

Mandragora, the male Lileep’s POV:

I saw the Phanpy and immediately shuddered. My trainer was going to ask me to battle. But I couldn’t, I just couldn’t… I remembered me, me the monster, all those innocents getting hurt because I was so horrible… They told me that I was a beast and it was true, it was true, it was true… I wished I could tell myself that I wasn’t able to control my body, that it wasn’t me moving but something bad that they did to me that made me do all those things against my will… But I knew that it was me and wishful thinking and it was me. I hurt all those innocents, I was the monster, I couldn’t blame anyone else. Not even those people that hit me and stuck things in me and made me drink horrible stuff… Because it was my body and it was me that did all that and I was at fault for not controlling myself. I looked up at my trainer fearfully expecting blows, but she just said “It’s all right,” with a sigh and let me get back into my pokéball.

My POV:

That was to be expected. I wished that I could reach the frightened Lileep, but he would never tell me what he was thinking. Whatever it was was a painful memory, something too terrifying to describe. One day, somehow, I vowed to understand him. No living creature should suffer such fear.

“I guess that’s that,” Ryu stated. “Let’s go give that Lairon his rematch. He should have cooled off by now. At least, I’d hope so.”

When we found Gale again, it was evident that he had become calm during the hour or so that we had given him to relax. That was good, because I knew Ryu didn’t want a repeat of that last match. I hoped at least that Gale would be prepared with better tactics. I didn’t doubt it; no pokémon could be that stupid.

“Ryu”, the male Trapinch’s POV:

“Would you like me to refrain from using Earthquake?” I asked the Lairon, glad that he was calmer now.

“No,” he answered, mischief in his eyes, “It won’t work again, I promise you.”

Puzzled by his response, I noted mentally to watch out for Gale’s tricks. He certainly was hiding something. “All right, then,” I said. “Good luck.”

“Ryu”, the LV28 male Trapinch vs. Gale, the LV35 male Lairon

I didn’t want to take any chances, so I scattered the abundant sand into my opponent’s face to distract him. If he had something planned, at least I wouldn’t give him a large amount of time to do it.

Gale let out a tremendous Roar, which startled me because I hadn’t been expecting it. I quickly recovered, though, and bounded around him to attack from behind. That turned out to be a horrible idea. Without looking back, Gale struck the ground and I felt a bunch of damp dirt stick to my face. This would be harder to remove than dry sand… I scolded myself for opening the opportunity for a Mud-Slap. Quickly attacking the mud in my eyes, I tried to remove just enough to allow me to see. By the time my vision was cleared, Gale had begun a Sandstorm and was nowhere in sight.

I searched around in vain for the Lairon. It disturbed me that I saw no sign of him through the flying sand, because this kind of decreased visibility didn’t usually stop me. I was used to it. Either this Sandstorm was really powerful, or Gale had done something that I did not know about and could not expect. I faded into invisibility to buy me time and scanned the ground for any holes. That Gale would be able to Dig that fast was disconcerting, but I couldn’t assume anything about his ability anymore. I had been stupid enough to underestimate him after our first battle.

When a sharp gust of wind impossible to dodge cut into my back, I realized that I had been searching in the wrong direction. I was looking down when I was supposed to be looking up. My invisible cloak vanished and I looked into the sky, bewildered. The Aerial Ace had come from above me. As the viciously swirling sand began to subside, I caught the image of the (winged?) Lairon up in the air. The wings seemed ethereal, energy-based maybe. This was weird enough; at least they weren’t feathers… Now I understood why his name was Gale. A Flying type Hidden Power? Aerial based assaults? A heavy, Ground-susceptible pokémon with the ability to fly… That helped a lot. But it would also be taxing on him.

I knew that he would stay up there for as long as he could shooting at me with his air attacks, and I realized that I wasn’t fast enough to dodge any. As strange as this sounded, I had to find a way to ground a flying Lairon. Nothing else came to mind, except…

Yes, the only ranged flying attack that I had. He hadn’t seen it yet, and it was my only chance.

The green shade rose from my body, spreading its wings and beating them in an agitated state. It charged into the sky towards the Lairon, who saw it and braced for an attack at his underbelly. Curling up into a defensive position, his strange wings flapping furiously, Gale made sure not to expose any soft part of his body; his armor shone with a startling brilliance that boasted fortress-like resistance.

No Iron Defense was going to stop me. Gale’s prediction had been completely wrong, and he only helped me by doing what he did. Now he was in a situation where he would not be able to see what was happening, for his eyes were also covered. My insect shadow split into three smaller entities, and as they neared Gale’s body they swirled around each other, then shot away at sharp angles in three different directions. Above Gale they went, and all three fused into one, which crashed directly into the Lairon’s back where his wings were beginning to tire from bearing his weight. This resulted in disaster; Gale lost control and collapsed to the desert sand below.

He groaned very loud. “You got me… I wasn’t expecting that. Now I suppose you’re going to hit me with Earthquake before I can even get up.”

Predictions, predictions. Gale needed some lessons in that area. Ignoring him, I nodded, and with one swift motion the sand around him howled to life, trapping him inside a spinning vortex of dry desert earth. I had seen him tire, and I knew that he couldn’t possibly last much longer. Gale did not have a very good poker face. I didn’t need to spend my energy to finish him. Besides, I wanted to show him that brute force wasn’t the only way to win. His constant accusations that I would Earthquake him into unconsciousness again were insulting stabs at my pride.

The Lairon, panicking, struggled fiercely to escape the Sand Tomb, thinking that certainly now I was going to deal the final blow. What he didn’t realize was that he was dealing it to himself. The fight continued for minutes, during which time I continued to kick sand into his eyes to aggravate him further. When he finally broke out, he was in a frenzy.

Charging with no particular aim, he headed at my general direction. I dodged easily; he came again. After several of these exchanges, Gale couldn’t continue anymore. He sank to the ground in a mess, wheezing, more than just short of breath. If I were him I would be seeing spots and the glaring sun would be a blaze of white as the land around me blackened. He collapsed into a heap, unconscious.

“Ryu” won!
“Ryu” grew to LV30!
“Ryu” learned Sandstorm as his free TM!

My POV:

I was proud of Ryu for proving Gale wrong; this end of the battle had more style. However, I worried that if he felt the need to prove himself in the final tournament battle, he would go out of his way to find a method to win.

“That was good, Ryu,” I told him.

“But risky,” he said. “I know. I won’t do it in the tournament; I promise. If that was my final battle, I would have got him with Earthquake right after I trapped him in my Sand Tomb.”

“I’m glad you understand that.”

“Don’t worry; when the final tournament battle is in question, I won’t take any chances. There are no mistakes to make. We’ve come this far, and I’m not going to ruin it just to prove something or feed my pride.”

“Excellent. By the way, your handling of this second battle was top notch. I’d say we’re in decent shape.”

“Yeah, only a few more weeks of vigorous training to go, and we might be ready for that battle.”

I chuckled. This might have sounded like a joke to an outsider, but Ryu was dead serious. I never regretted my decision to enter him into the Unicorn Games tournament; he was by far the most suited for the ordeal, and even if we didn’t win it all, I could never say that he hadn’t tried his best. Oh, no, he’d given his best and more.

Charizard04621

28th July 2004, 09:25 AM

Ooook, Matt: Sorry about that delay. You posted your battle right before I was about to leave, and I didn't expect no one to rate it. O_o; Anyway, have 7 Stamps for the story. I'm really sorry it took that long.

Btw, Gabi, you had an extension for Templa Taure so I can give you Stamps for your story, right?

Lady Vulpix

28th July 2004, 03:10 PM

No, extensions expire when the scenario changes twice, but your comments will be very appreciated. :)
Thanks for rating Matt's battle.

AntiAsh Superstar

29th July 2004, 12:07 AM

Here's Pearl's RBG battle, it's supposed to take place about two hours after I finished with the Jungle room, which explains why Gina hasn't changed her clothes in the meantime. She may be a bit of a slob but she's not THAT bad... anyways, since it's been seven days since my last request, I'd also like to ask for another RBG battle in the Free Range Corral, this time for Ryo-Ohki. *pays seven stamps*

---
The training grounds had been an unrivaled success with my team. Somehow we had managed to work our way through all five different rooms, participated in ten battles altogether, and still came out with enough time to indulge in our own private training sessions before the Unicorn Games finals. We had seen all kinds of tactics from our allies. From Kasumi's tactics of putting her opponent off with a threatened rape, to another top-class performance from Katnip, each and every pokémon who participated had really done our team proud. Yet it didn't end there. At the very end of my training sessions I had ran into Gina for what felt like the millionth time, and we had come to an arrangement to help further my training beyond the limits of the training rooms. Well, as well as a superb lunch for myself, Soo and our entire team at a little Italian restaurant, that is. The lunch in question was a rather crowded affair, certainly. It had to be. But on the whole it was rather entertaining, our various pokémon just relaxing and socialising in a manner that seemed near impossible at home. We even had a chance to meet Gina's actual pokémon as well, those who she had owned since the start of her career as a pokémon trainer. Darien the Sandslash, a quiet, studious creature that earned a rather enigmatic 'he reminds me of Khism, slightly' off Rhiannon. Chiro, a Minun, and a rather excitable one at that, who seemed to take a great deal of interest in Soo's Kaguya and Yuki, although all he seemed to manage with regards to socialising with them was to scare the rather timid Yuki. And hence he ended up with an earful of abuse from her over-protective sister as a result. And finally a Venusaur that was introduced as Harmony.
"She was my starter," Gina explained. "I'm from Kanto originally, and things are a lot more formal over there. Everyone gets a starting pokémon from the resident pokémon professor, it's not a case of motivating yourself to go out and look through the adoption centres like it is here. And over there you can only carry six pokémon with you as well. I'm alright because I only need these three, but I know plenty of trainers who have been screwed over by the system in place there. I mean, imagine how pissed off you would be if you could only keep six pokémon with you at a time!"
"I'd be more concerned about how it would affect my team," I commented, taking a sip of white wine. "That could cause serious problems, wouldn't the ones who were on the main six be resented by the rest?"
"Yeah, there's that, plus of course there's no real limit to how many pokémon you own, over in Kanto you can have as many pokémon you like, and loads of trainers catch more pokémon than they can handle." Gina rolled her eyes. "I much prefer the system over here, get your licence and that lets you own up to fifteen pokémon that you can use in whatever way you like. No hassle in choosing teams, no worries about taking on more than is possible to take care of... here we all keep our pokémon around the house like pets when they're not battling, back in Kanto they have a storage system for spare pokémon."
"You know something?" Milliardo commented, "Sounds like in this Kanto place they treat pokémon training like a video game. No respect for the feelings of the pokémon at all."
"Maybe," Gina reluctantly agreed, not really paying attention to the fact that all of a sudden she was able to comprehend my Umbreon's words. Then again, that was the thing with Milliardo. He tended to run his mouth off so much that most trainers with even the remotest degree of empathy with pokémon could understand him after half an hour in his company. "Training's a lot more like a business in Kanto. The Pokémon League runs the entire economy. Part of the reason I wanted out of there, really, to leave all that formality behind."
"And the other part?" Soo asked between mouthfuls of pasta, curious.
"They'd offered me the job as a display instructor, of course!" came the response, Gina's face lighting up as she laughed. "See, I was just applying for any job I felt I was qualified for out of Kanto; I had no ties to that place so figured I might as well. And I went for an interview with the trainer rental agency here and fell in love with this place, so I put in my all and... well, here I am, it's been about three years down the line now and I'm still going strong."
"Fortunately enough for me," I chuckled, watching as my friend finished her food and nodded to a passing waiter for the bill. "I doubt my team would be trained half as much without your help."
"Ade, having known you for long enough to comment, I can honestly say I don't doubt that for a second," Gina chuckled. "Oh, speaking of which, how about we head over to my office and sort out that training battle you said you wanted to give your Ninetales?"
"What, now?"
"Well, there's no time like the present, is there? Come on, Ade, I get a real good feeling about this one, I'm sure it'll be a battle to remember." I turned to Soo, looking for another opinion on the matter seeing as I was unable to make up my mind one way or the other. However, all I got by way of response was a simple shrug, my fiancée being far too busy trying to keep Kassandra from climbing on the table to give her full attention to my problem.
"Do what you want, Ade," she said, pulling a wine glass away from her Charmander before Kassandra broke it. "If you want to do some more training that's fine with me." Well, that was hardly the response I had been hoping for! In situations like these I tended to rely on others to make up my mind for me. And seeing as Soo was too involved in keeping her pokémon under control it looked as if I would have to resort to seeing what my longest-serving empath thought of the matter.
"Pearl," I said, turning to my Ninetales and staring deep into her red, caring eyes. "You'd be the one battling. Would you like to fight now, or later?"
"You don't have an opinion on this at all, do you?" Pearl asked with a slight chuckle. "I can tell. Okay, if it were up to me then I'd quite like to have my battle now, actually. Well, it has been ages, hasn't it? I'm out of practice, and I'm quite itching to get back into my old routine now I don't have to worry about Celeste as much."
"I never had you down as being the type to get excited about battle, Pearl," I noted.
"I think I've been hanging around this big doofus for too long," the Ninetales giggled, batting Katnip playfully with several of her tails. "I'm jealous of how well-trained everyone's been getting while I've been pregnant."
"So, am I right in thinking you'll be fighting me later?" Gina asked, having correctly interpreted the expression upon my face. Certainly she was oblivious to a lot of things - it was rather telling that she hadn't bothered changing since our encounter in the Jungle Room, and even more telling that in Ulthuan you could wander into an Italian restaurant in khaki shorts and bare feet and still get served - but the mercenary trainer had always been a remarkably good judge of character. Well, you had to be if you wanted to make it as a trainer of any sort. "Well that's great! Come on, let's finish up here and then we can get on with it, right?" Well, there was no arguing with that! For all that Gina tended to come across as rather airheaded, occasionally she would have a good idea.

"Okay!" It had hardly taken any time at all to get back to Gina's cluttered office in the impressive building that housed most of the mercenary trainers in Caledor. For a while it had been closed - after all, it had been on the receiving end of a vicious Rocket attack not that long ago - but finally the repairs had been done and the building was now fully functional again. And Gina had already managed to turn her particular area into something approaching a pig-sty. Books and magazines teetered in obscenely large piles stacked in the corners. Clothes and equipment lay scattered about the floor. In fact, if I hadn't know Gina for the slob she was I would have thought that somebody had come in and ransacked her office. "We'll just stop off here for a second so I can quickly scan your Ninetales and decide what's the best pokémon to use..." Quickly my blue-haired friend hopped over the clutter to reach what should have probably been her desk, but instead had become a huge mound of papers. "Now where the devil is... ah! Here we go! No, wait, that's a toy one I bought for my little cousin... where is that Pokédex?"
"I can see why you're friends with her," Soo giggled from my side. "She makes you seem organised!"
"I know," I replied. "Scary, huh?"
"Finally!" Triumphantly Gina scrambled back over to our group, brandishing a small red device that she swiftly flipped open and pointed at Pearl. "Okay, then, let's see... wow, third bracket! You don't see many of that strength. Well, that settles it." The strange, bespectacled woman seemed positively delighted. "We're not playing with rentals today, I'm using one of my own pokémon. Chiro, you..." Suddenly she noticed that her pokémon was hassling Soo's Minun and Plusle again, Kaguya finally growing so fed up with his constant attention that she ended up bopping the Minun smartly on the nose, causing him to run whimpering to a point behind Gina's legs. "You're getting no sympathy from me, Chiro," Gina said crossly. "You asked for that. Now listen, if you can tear yourself away from annoying Soo's pokémon for ten seconds, would you mind battling with me? This is probably the only chance we'll get in ages to have a friendly battle."
"Mi!" the Minun grinned, his mood changing in an instant. "Mi minun mi!!!!!"
"That's a 'yeah, let's battle', basically," Gina explained for the benefit of everyone else. "Which is great! So then, shall we move over to the battling hall? I can't wait to get this one started!"
"All this fuss over a fight with Pearl..." Milliardo commented, rolling his eyes. "What do you suppose she'd do if she had a battle with me, huh? She's probably explode or something."
"Milliardo, you're not battling, are you? So we'll never know. Besides, you're supposed to be saving your strength for the Unicorn Games finals, remember?"
"I know, I know..." the Umbreon sighed with forced weariness. "It's so difficult being one of the most talented fighters in all of Ulthuan, not to mention an all-around heartthrob and firm fan favourite. I have to beat off my admirers with pointed sticks sometimes, it's getting that bad."
"You forgot 'biggest ego on the planet' in your list of qualities," I remarked. Ever since getting confirmation of his progress into the Unicorn Games finals Milliardo had been intolerable! "Anyway, come on, is it too much to ask that we just get on with it for once? You can brag all you like when we get home, but now it's Pearl's turn to have a bit of training, okay?"
"I suppose," Milliardo grumbled. "If this eats into my fan mail time, however, there'll be trouble."
"...I give up, I really do. Come on, Pearl, let's just go and have that battle before we get into another bickering session." I turned my attentions back to my Ninetales, who had been waiting patiently by my side this entire time. It had been far too long for my liking since we had last been able to battle side by side in this manner. Ever since the events in Templa Taure, where Pearl had been unable to make it more than halfway through the labyrinthine corridors of its temple, my Ninetales had been in no condition to do much save for stay at home and nurture her little Celeste. So it made a refreshing change for her to finally be able to stand by my side, ready to take on the world, just like the old days. Out of sheer instinct I reached down and ran my fingers through the soft plume of hair on top of Pearl's head, feeling the fine fur run through my fingers once again. "I've missed fighting alongside you, you know."
"So have I," came the smiled response. "That's why I wouldn't miss this battle for the world."

The official battling hall of Gina's organisation was a much grander place than the school hall type affair we had been using for our past few sparring sessions. A cold, clinical hallway with walls of dark blue metal and impressive statues of terrifying pokémon lining the walls, the dimensions of the room here so great that it could have accommodated the largest of pokémon with ease. Which, at the very least, gave me a perfect excuse to release Brandy from her pokéball, for which the Onix seemed humbly grateful.
"Crikey, this place is a lot colder than I remember it!" Gina exclaimed as she hopped from one foot to the other, her voice echoing around the cavernous walls. "Somebody put the heating on, would you?"
"If you'd thought to put some shoes on whilst you were in that bomb site you call an office then you wouldn't be having this problem, you insufferable ditz," Milliardo scoffed. "The floor is cold, it's tiled, deal with it."
"It isn't that bad, you'll probably get used to it," I commented, conveniently ignoring Milliardo even though I had to admit that he made a rather good point. "Aren't you mercenaries supposed to be made of harder stuff than this anyway? I would've thought that you wouldn't have let a cold floor stop you from battling!"
"Guess I'm just not used to this, I haven't been out in the field for ages and I guess it's turning me into a wuss," came the sheepish response. "Anyway, you're right, of course, let's battle! One on one, all usual official rules apply and I won't bother going through them all because I'm sure you've heard them a million times already. I will be using Chiro, my Minun!" At this point Chiro finally decided to stop hiding behind Gina's legs, hopping nimbly out onto the pre-marked battling pitch that stood between us. Well, it was finally time to go.
"Fine. I'm using Pearl, my Ninetales!" I called back in way of response, Pearl taking the hint admirably and walking solemnly out to her position in front of me. For a while nobody spoke, letting the two pokémon eye each other up before they were forced to engage in battle. Until finally Gina's voice broke the silence.
"Okay, guys, you ready? Then let's go!"

FIGHT!!! L33 Ninetales v L33 Minun!

"Here I come, ready or not!" The Minun known as Chiro had quite obviously not battled for almost as long as Pearl, such was the overwhelming eagerness that he came rushing forward with. Not that Pearl would have ever started a battle with such carelessness. In her mind battles were usually decided in the first few moments, and to get off to such a rushed start was a weakness that she would no doubt be able to exploit. "Take this!" Chiro rushed in with a Quick Attack, or at least what would have been one had Pearl not been able to sidestep it quickly. Although the Ninetales had to admit that it took a far greater effort than it should have done. Evidently she was a little out of shape after all!
"You're not concentrating!" Pearl advised, knowing full well that this was as much of a training session for the Minun as it was for her. "Just rush in and you leave yourself wide open!" To demonstrate her point the Ninetales fired a sudden stream of start-shaped bullets out of her mouth directly at her opponent, using her glands to produce the steady stream of sparks that made up the Swift attack rather than the flames they were designed to produce. Chiro gave a yelp of surprise as the attack struck home, covering his body in thousands of tiny injuries that in a way were probably more painful than a single large one. "See what I mean?"
"Yeah, and I feel it, too! That wasn't funny!" the Minun complained.
"I never said it was," Pearl commented. "You have to understand that this is a training session, though. I'm doing this because I've just had a cub and I'm out of shape, but I'd like for you to gain some benefit from this too, so don't feel offended if I feel the need to make a point every now and then."
"Hey, I don't need your advice, you know!" Chiro complained bitterly, beginning to fizzle with barely contained energy. "I've seen some pretty scary things, you know, and although I know I made a mistake rushing in like that I don't need it pointing out to me! Now taste my real power!" All of a sudden the Minun unleashed a terrible bolt of energy that snaked out from his body in all directions, leaving Pearl with nowhere to run, and no chance to evade the attack short of performing the sort of evasive maneuver that only Marius could have pulled off with his Detect. The Ninetales let out a gasp of pain as the electricity coursed through her body. She had forgotten just how much battling could hurt! But on the other hand this was nothing compared to the pain of childbirth. And if she had managed to get through that then she could get through this as well.
"Fine!" Pearl grimaced. "So... no need for advice... I might as well do... this!" It was remarkably easy to find negative feelings when you were in the middle of being struck with a Shock Wave attack. Pain always did bring the very worst of emotions with it. And the very worst of emotions were exactly what Pearl needed to utilise a move that had become something of a trademark of hers over time. Grimacing, she reached into the very depth of her psyche, finding not only the pain of being attacked but also other, more deep-rooted emotions, too. The frustration of not being able to help the others because of being weighed down with Celeste. The anger against all of those who had tried to hurt those she cared about. The sorrow felt as she had heard of the death of the old trainer of Chartreuse, Megan and Ryo-Ohki. All these and more shot to the very front of her mind, externally expressed in a single, shadowy ball of supernatural energy, the physical form of all of Pearl's worries, doubts and fears. With a scream that was almost primeval, the Ninetales short forth this ball of energy towards her opponent, allowing it to hover over the Minun's head only to eventual sink straight into its body. For a moment Chiro didn't seem to comprehend what was going on. And then suddenly his eyes widened, the terrible effects of the Confuse Ray finally starting to work.
"What..." The Minun gasped, staggering forwards in confusion. "What is this?"
"Confuse Ray," Pearl commented. "If you stay focused you might be able to ignore it, although I appreciate that's a lot harder than it sounds."
"I... won't... be beaten!" Again sparks began to fly from Chiro's body, sheer stubbornness somehow managing to carry him through the sudden wave of confusion for long enough to unleash another attack. Yet again a sudden wave of pain coursed through Pearl's body, sufficient enough to stop her in her tracks, crouching low to the floor and grimacing with the sudden vicious sensation. Evidently her opponent was a lot tougher than she had given him credit for! Well, there was no way she was going to make the same mistake twice! With a snarl of frustration that was most unlike her usual, easy-going self, the Ninetales gathered every ounce of focus and determination that her psyche possessed. To make it through this agonising attack and fight back like she knew she could. "You won't beat the likes of me with tricks like that!" Chiro looked about to dart forward with a Quick Attack, but evidently the confusion was still affecting him more than he cared to show. His stance, his balance... it was all wrong. And when he finally launched into the attack all that he managed to do was to fall flat on his face. Giving Pearl the opportunity to strike back that she had been waiting for.
"Well here goes nothing..." To be perfectly frank my Ninetales was somewhat worried about whether this was going to work. It had been so long since she had last battled, and she couldn't help but worry that her glands had stopped working through lack of use. Still, there was only really one way of finding out, and that was to try. Concentrating hard, Pearl began to consciously raise her body temperature until it felt as if there were a furnace burning deep within her, a furnace that began at the very pit of her belly and snaked its way upwards until it simply couldn't be contained within the confines of her body any longer. Until there was no choice for Pearl but to open her mouth and release the heat, a huge plume of fire snaking out of her and striking the toppled Minun hard in the side. Evidently her Flamethrower was back and better than ever.
"Ow! Ow! No fair, damn it!" Chiro shrieked, quickly getting out of the way of the flames before they could ignite his fur. Evidently this latest shock had snapped him quite admirably out of his confusion. "That hurt!"
"If you can shock me, then I can burn you," Pearl responded calmly. "You can't have it work one way and not the other, you know."
"Yeah, well..." That shut the Minun up! "Okay then, you haven't witnessed my strongest attack yet, get a load of this!" Pearl could already feel the air in the hall grow thick with static. Whatever Chiro was about to do, it was bound to be unpleasant!
"I don't think I really want to witness it, thanks all the same!" There was only one chance to snap her opponent out of whatever he was doing, and Pearl was determined to take it. Concentrating hard, the Ninetales once again summoned the flames that had always been used so admirably as a weapon by those of her kind. And once again a thick plume of flame was sent hurtling towards the Minun, who by this point was too deeply involved with his own attack to stand a chance of being able to do anything to avoid it. The Flamethrower struck him hard, snapping him out of his attack and sending him hurtling backwards, carried off his paws by the sheer force of the attack.
"Uhh..." Even after all this Chiro still managed to get back up again, although this time when he did so it was with a very glazed expression. He stared at Pearl for a moment, then smiled. "Nice battle!" And that was all the Minun managed to say before his eyes rolled upwards and he fell to the floor once again, the battle having taken its toll on both his body and mind. Apparently Pearl still had what it took after all.

Pearl wins!
Pearl grew to L34!

"So much for being out of practice, huh?" I couldn't help but smile as my Ninetales made her weary way back towards our group, leaving the collapsed Chiro to be tended to by Gina. "I'd say you're still just as good as you've ever been!"
"I hate to break it to you, Ade, but I am rather out of shape," Pearl sighed, still finding it hard to catch her breath after the intense battle. "That was exhausting! I really don't remember battling being that tiring, so maybe a little more training will be needed before I'm in top form again."
"Well you're off to an excellent start, at any rate. I'm sure Katnip can help you get back in shape if you asked him to."
"Yeah, I bet he'd jump at the chance, too!" Kasumi piped up with an overly suggestive tone in her voice.
"Like THAT wasn't totally predictable... Sumi, learn some new jokes, please." My Ninetales rolled her eyes in mock despair, in too good a mood now to genuinely care.
"I'm not sure Pearl needs getting back in shape, you know." Finally Gina re-entered the conversation, having recalled her Minun back into his pokéball. Not that she could really follow half of it, unable to understand most of what my pokémon said. "If she wasn't obviously trying to drag the fight out a little, and given a different location and conditions, that fight would have probably been over in seconds. Probably why you've gotten pretty far in three tournaments, Ade, and I haven't so much as been in one."
"I actually thought you hadn't been in any tournaments because you were always too busy helping run the training grounds for them," I commented.
"Well... yeah, there is that, too..." Gina laughed warmly. "Anyway, it's been fun, Ade, like always, although sometimes I wonder who's helping who to train. Same time next week?"
"Provided I don't get any calls from the Guild saying I have to run off to Unicorn Gate for the finals, then sure thing, Gina. See you then." I shook my friend's hand and turned to leave. It was always nice to have a friendly battle every now and then, certainly, but it was even nicer when we could all return home and just relax. And although those moments were few and far between lately, that was exactly what I intended to do next. Who could possibly begrudge me that?

classy_cat18

29th July 2004, 01:35 PM

Finally I can get back on the Training Grounds scenario!

Shonta’s POV

So far Trinity, Athena, and Moriko haven’t had a battle yet. Trinity was hard to train and Athena seemed a little reluctant, but Moriko…

“Alright! A Jungle Room! This is the one for me!”

…seemed just fine.

“We already went through that one, Moriko. We have a choice between the Desert Room and the Blizzard Room. Trinity hasn’t had a battle yet, so we’re going through the Blizzard Room now.”

She looked at me with disappointment, but quickly perked up again. “I guess that means I can rest in my pokeball for now, right? No reason in freezing for nothing!”

I returned her to her pokeball and went back to the other two. “We’ll do it like this. Trinity will do a battle in the Blizzard Room, and then we’ll go to the Desert Room for…two battles. Athena and Lily.”

Athena gasped. “I’m not ready yet!”

I squatted down to her level and smiled warmly. “Of course you’re ready! I still have that Cross Chop TM to kickstart your training. Now I’m not going to have you training non-stop, of course. I have too many Pokemon to do that.”

She nodded, still looking at the floor. “I guess I can do that.”

I took out the TM and opened it over her head. Her whole body glowed for a second then returned to normal. “Now, you do Cross Chop like this.” I crossed my arms across my chest in an X. Athena copied me, saw that her arms started to glow, and quickly returned them to her sides. “They’re supposed to do that.”

I reached out to grab the door that led to the Blizzard Room and felt a cold aura. The doorknob was very cold. Now, I don’t like the cold. The cold grips your body and strangles you. The heat simply surrounds you. I finally went through the door and up the steps to the door leading to the actual Blizzard Room. Opening it, I felt a wall of cold crashing into me. “Oh, it’s freezing in here!” I cried out as I went through the door.

“It’s not so bad in here!” Trinity yelled over the howling wind. “In fact, I think I see a little cabin just over there!”

Athena gently grabbed one of Trinity’s tails and followed her. I stayed beside Trinity, not wanting to risk a ten-thousand-year curse. I turned my head away from the wind and kept one hand outstretched. The wind slowly died as we neared the cabin. I entered and plopped down against the far wall. Trinity didn’t follow me in. “I’ll just stay outside, ‘kay?”

The door closed behind Trinity, and I immediately noticed the welcoming warmth. Turning my head, I could see a fireplace burning, and in front of that fireplace sat a cloaked figure. He neither moved nor spoke.

“You think that’s our opponent?” Athena asked me.

“I guess so. I mean, there’s no other sane reason why he would be sitting in this cabin alone in the middle of a place called the Blizzard Room.”

The cloaked figure turned his head to face us. I couldn’t see his face at all. He reminded me of those monks that be doing satanic sacrifices on TV. I really need to ease off the TV.

“Did you see that guy’s face?” Athena whispered to me.

“Umm, yeah.” I didn’t want to seem stupid or blind.

“I didn’t. I wonder how he’s planning to give orders while he’s in here with us?”

“I think I know. His Pokemon must be a Psychic type. He’s sending his commands with his mind.”

She shook her head. “Too bad Jewel didn’t want to come with us. Trinity’s on her own.”

Trinity’s POV

I strained to look around the blindingly white environment. Whoever designed the Blizzard Room even put up a few dead trees to make it look like I was at an entirely different place.

The wind was still blowing, but there was no falling snow right then. Still no Pokemon. Wait, what’s that? Something green was walking over a hill. It turned out to be a Ralts. The short Pokemon waddled up to me and bowed.

“Hello. I will be your opponent,” he said politely.

“Where’s your trainer?” I asked Ralts.

“Where’s yours?”

“In the cabin over there.” I pointed with my paw.

“The same with my trainer. Shall we begin then?” He started to walk to the other side of the clearing.

“Wait! We’re going to battle without trainers?”

He kept his back to me. “Actually, my trainer will be able to send commands to me telepathically. You’re the one without a trainer.”

Stupid Jewel. That stupid Starmie couldn’t get out of that stupid pool to help us with her stupid psychic powers. “So I’m on my own. I can do this on my own. Let’s get this over with!” I dashed to my side of the clearing and waved my paw to signal that I was ready.

<I’m ready as well,> he sent me.

L6 Female Ninetails (Trinity) vs. L8 Male Ralts

I dashed forward in an awesome Quick Attack, but Ralts was making no effort to dodge. I couldn’t blame him; those stubby little legs must’ve made it hard for him to dodge. Ten feet…five feet…one foot…

<Bye.> He disappeared, leaving me tumbling in the snow.

<You actually thought it was going to be that easy?> he asked me as I righted myself.

“How was I supposed to know you knew Teleport?” I spat, teeth bared. “Never mind! Let’s finish this!” I knew the guy was right behind me. Good, I wanted him to taste humble pie. I fired a Flamethrower right in his face! At least, I thought I did. The jerk disappeared again before the attack hit. This time he reappeared in the same spot.

<My turn.> His body was surrounded by a blue aura, and I felt myself leave the ground. I kicked in the air in a pretty lame attempt to free myself. He raised a tiny arm and flicked it. At the same time, I was hurled at an incredible speed into a snow bank. <Get back up so I can finish this.>

I struggled to get back up but everything was spinning. My stomach was feeling topsy-turvy. I was going to hurl. My confusion was so heavy. I glared at the three Ralts. “I’m not going to lose to a shrimp like you.”

<Oh really? Isn’t this your first battle? Under your current trainer, I mean.>

My belly felt like it had caught on fire. “How did you know?”

<My trainer overheard your trainer and told me telepathically. I know it must be pitiful to be evolved yet at such a low level.>

Stupid shrimp with his stupid telepathy and that stupid trainer of his. If only my stupid vision would just clear up! But I was really feeling pathetic at the time. I rushed very clumsily at the middle Ralts, actually hoping he would try Teleport. Ralts once more stood still. Ten feet…five feet…one foot…wall! I hit some kind of invisible wall! I fell in the snow again and saw that Ralts had put up a Light Screen.

<It’s Reflect, in case you were wondering,> Ralts corrected.

I said nothing, except shoot another Flamethrower while he was jabbering on. This time it hit. I smiled at the memory of his shocked face, the way he put his arms together in a futile attempt to block the attack. He ran out of the flames and glared at me. I took this as an opportunity to glare back and give him a Confuse Ray. “Aah!” he yelled. He furiously rubbed his eyes.

“How does it feel, shrimp?” I asked him. I shook my head and finally managed to shake off my confusion.

Ralts was covered in burns and breathing heavily. “Why aren’t you burned?”

“Oh, you must have the Synchronize trait! Well, I have the Flash Fire trait. Can’t touch this!” I sprinted toward him while he was still trying to shake off the confusion. I wouldn’t miss this time. He was both burned and confused. Ten feet…five feet…one foot…

“Aah!” he cried out as my paws connected with his huge noggin. I stood over him, victorious.

I won! I grew to level 7!

I got off of him. He won’t be saying anything for a while. I seriously considered burying him in the snow and making his trainer shovel the entire room just to find him, but then I remembered that I knew better than that. I left him and ran back to the cabin.

Shonta’s POV

I woke up to the sound of muttering. No, Athena was just fine. But the cloaked figure was cursing up a storm. “I guess we won,” I whispered.

There was something scratching at the door. Athena woke up and yawned. “Who could that be?” She opened the door, and Trinity came trotting in. “How did the battle go?”

“I won, of course!” she replied happily. She looked at the cloaked figure. “Your Ralts is in the clearing in the middle of the room. You’d better go get him before he gets buried!”

The mysterious figure exited the door, staying silent. We stayed silent too, for a while.

Trinity spoke up. “Who was that guy?” she asked.

“We don’t know. We didn’t even get a look at his face.”

“Hmm. Well, my nose feels frozen. Who’s up for a trot around the Desert Room?”

I sighed. Who doesn't want to sweat and smell?

Lady Vulpix

29th July 2004, 08:36 PM

Ok, even without a printer and without my main computer (it broke down just when I'd bought a new network card for it :() I've managed to rate 2 of the stories.

Karin, take 16 stamps! Some of the parts written in "Ryu'"s POV were a bit hard to understand, but the story in general was good, especially the part after the first battle. Mandragora's thoughts were intriguing. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
Ade, take 14 stamps. Welcome back, Pearl! :D I really enjoyed reading that story. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Sorry, Shonta, I haven't been able to read yours yet. I hope I or someone else can rate it soon. My weird Blizzard Room post remains unrated as well, just in case it was being skipped because I posted another story shortly after that one. If any others haven't been rated yet, please say so and we'll try to get to them soon. Thanks.

I hope I can get my computer back soon.

AntiAsh Superstar

29th July 2004, 11:25 PM

anyways, since it's been seven days since my last request, I'd also like to ask for another RBG battle in the Free Range Corral, this time for Ryo-Ohki. *pays seven stamps*

I think this part of my last post kinda got overlooked, can someone tell me what my dear Pichu will be fighting? :wave:

Wolfsong

30th July 2004, 01:00 AM

Sorry that i haven't been all that active but hopefully after things die down from vacation adn all i'll be active again. If no on else gets to the stories before me i'll try to get to them when i have time.

However, in the meantime, even though its one am, i can give you the rbg. Sorry about you getting skipped ^^; Ryo-Ohki will be battling a stantler.

Lady Vulpix

30th July 2004, 12:43 PM

Sorry, I did read that, but by the time I got to finish reading the story I forgot. -_- In my defense I can say it was quite late.

Charizard04621

30th July 2004, 02:27 PM

Gabi, I read your Templa Taure scenario, and I'm not sure what to say. It was really long, but I kept reading to find out what was going on. It's obvious the amount of work you put into it. Although one problem I had was understanding references to history... like White Mountain, and who on earth Tsuyoi was. Overall, though, it was well written, and I think you'd break a new record in Stamps if you posted it early enough. ^_^;

Lady Vulpix

2nd August 2004, 09:08 AM

Wow, thanks! http://www.geocities.com/gsteren/Faces/cheesy.txt

I'll do my best to explain, though Ade can probably give you a much better explanation about who Tsuyoi is. He's been in Ade's stories since the Pegasus Games. He's half Ninetales and half Manachu (which is some kind of demon) and is awfully powerful. He used to be against pokemon training at the begining, but he's changed a lot since then as he got to know Ade and his group better. Now he lives with them and helps them make ends meet, and sometimes offers other kinds of help, though he prefers not to interfere most of the time. And as you must have noticed from the story, he and I don't get along well; he's anything but a nice character and I don't like his methods. And he doesn't like me much either, but we put up with each other when we're close. His 3 sisters are a lot more agreeable, though I haven't met them in the stories.

As for White Mountain, it's where the Pegasus Games were held. It has a stadium with its corresponding touristic complex for visitors, but the rest of it is quiet and beautiful, and I made it my sanctuary for a while. I went there when I needed to renew my energy and when I had trouble finding peace within myself (like the time when Charlie jumped off a cliff). A family of pegasi (according to some TPMers that's the plural of pegasus) live on that mountain, but they rarely show themselves. One of them once came to me and asked me to find a trainer for her daughter, who was a winged Ponyta. I gave her to Ryan for winning the Pegasus Games. Ryan had seen the pegasi too, during the tournament.

White Mountain also happened to be the place where I first felt Tsuyoi's presence. I caught him having a telepathic conversation with Ade before the second round of the Pegasus Games began, and back then I was worried about Ade, but he told me he could handle it.

But early last year a strange dragon who called herself Ÿsera settled on White Mountain and put Ryan and his team into a trance for a long time (a year to them), after which all the pokemon in that team changed their names and all of them started acting differently, as if an important part of them were lost. Shortly afterwards, they all left Ulthuan without a good reason. I haven't returned to White Mountain since then, so what's going on over there now is anyone's guess. Actually, it could be material for future stories or scenarios. Ideas are welcome. ^^

Kirei

2nd August 2004, 04:17 PM

I couldn't resist the obvious opportunity to rant a little more about Tsuyoi since Gabi's left me a clear opening. I kinda brought him in when I first joined Dragon Tamers as a random tie-in with some fics I was doing for an OL friend's site. He started off, as Gabi says, trying to raise pokémon against humans, but after encountering me and my team decided to tag along as a guardian angel/patron/pack leader. Gabi's covered all the major historical points about him, but I should point out his major traits, i.e. he's very much of a pack leader mindset, which is why he's settled for my team as his 'pack', he has no real care for anyone who isn't connected to his pack, so will use and abuse people as much as he sees fit (which I think is the main rift between him and Gabi - Gabi, I think, sees him as totally ruthless, devoid of feelings and generally not to be trusted since he tends to act wholly on his own desires and instincts, he sees Gabi as being way too soft and clouded by her emotions). Fortunately the most driving of his traits is that need to look after his pack, so he uses his 'one pokémon Mafia' skills to help for the most part. With regards to power, he's practically unrivalled, the talents he uses most are the ability to scan a person's entire mind with just a second of eye contact and a tendancy to turn people to stone if he's in a bad mood.

AntiAsh Superstar

2nd August 2004, 04:44 PM

Sorry, the above post was mine, the browser crashed and I forgot it seems to prefer Soo's cookies over mine. @.@

Post deleted by Gabi and edited in. Isn't it better this way?

I couldn't resist the obvious opportunity to rant a little more about Tsuyoi since Gabi's left me a clear opening. I kinda brought him in when I first joined Dragon Tamers as a random tie-in with some fics I was doing for an OL friend's site. He started off, as Gabi says, trying to raise pokémon against humans, but after encountering me and my team decided to tag along as a guardian angel/patron/pack leader. Gabi's covered all the major historical points about him, but I should point out his major traits, i.e. he's very much of a pack leader mindset, which is why he's settled for my team as his 'pack', he has no real care for anyone who isn't connected to his pack, so will use and abuse people as much as he sees fit (which I think is the main rift between him and Gabi - Gabi, I think, sees him as totally ruthless, devoid of feelings and generally not to be trusted since he tends to act wholly on his own desires and instincts, he sees Gabi as being way too soft and clouded by her emotions). Fortunately the most driving of his traits is that need to look after his pack, so he uses his 'one pokémon Mafia' skills to help for the most part. With regards to power, he's practically unrivalled, the talents he uses most are the ability to scan a person's entire mind with just a second of eye contact and a tendency to turn people to stone if he's in a bad mood.

Wolfsong

2nd August 2004, 04:55 PM

I'd like an rbg from the Jungle Deforestation Recovery Agency for Sugar my jolteon please. *hands over the stamps*

Lady Vulpix

2nd August 2004, 05:16 PM

Alright, Amy. :)
Sugar will battle a Beedrill! The randomizer must like her.

Charizard04621

3rd August 2004, 09:51 AM

Lol! Well, that explained a lot. Thanks, you two. :)

Oh, Gabi, for your "weird" story, take 20 Stamps! ^^ It was really interesting albeit kind of confusing, but you exlpained it to me on AIM and it makes a lot more sense now. :) Will Golden Growlithe and his strange group make a future appearance in your stories?

Lady Vulpix

3rd August 2004, 10:03 AM

Thanks, Karin!
Well, they're still around and working towards the same goal as we are, so they're bound to show up again. I don't think they'll be ready to go home until we solve the mystery, or at least a good part of it. They're working at the Dragon's Guild, so everyone's free to mention them in their stories, I'm not the only person they may come in contact with. Though I don't think they'll act so weird now that my team and I know their secret.

AntiAsh Superstar

5th August 2004, 04:56 AM

Hehe, here's my next RBG battle, I think I'll take a break from them now to concentrate on my side fics. btw, if you thought Marius was weird, you'll freak out in this one...

-----
It was well past midnight, and Marius was having great difficulty in switching off for the night. Which wasn't an uncommon occurrence. The millions of thoughts and theories that swirled round the Dratini's head all the time were nigh on impossible to get rid of. Every time he managed to solve one question that would plague his mind, another three would pop up in its place. And sometimes not even tiredness could hope to banish all of this, sometimes his mind simply wouldn't let him switch off even when his body was close to dropping. It was during these moments that the Dratini would quietly slip away from the others, all draped in various positions around the darkened spare bedroom, and head downstairs to bury himself in some book or other until finally there was no choice but to succumb to sleep. Well, it was a better plan than just laying there staring at the ceiling, at any rate!
"Enough of this futility," Marius snorted quietly, finally reaching his limits of patience with the sudden insomnia. Without so much as making a sound, he rose from his position curled up besides a large cotton sheet that was covering up Milliardo and Pandora and headed towards the door, reaching up and opening it with his tail with well-practiced skill. Still noiselessly he let the door shut behind him and slithered down the stairs to the large, spacious lounge, seemingly twice as big when not filled with a noisy crowd of pokémon. As it stood now the only occupant of the room was Tsuyoi, slumbering peacefully on a sofa bathed in the flickering blue light of the television screen. Evidently he had dozed off trying to find something amongst the thousands of channels that was worth watching. Marius shook his head in bemusement. He had thought Tsuyoi was smarter than to fall for that one! There was never anything worth watching on television. Everyone was too busy racing to make the latest ratings-grabbing reality show to actually bother putting any thought into their schedules.
"I know that, but it beats sedation any day." A red eye opened to look at Marius sleepily. "If you can't sleep you ought to try watching this stuff. It'll be 'Celebrity Death Camp' next, just you watch... at least that one might be fairly amusing, though..." Still muttering to himself, the huge pseudo-Ninetales turned himself over and dozed off again, leaving the Dratini to finish his mission of moving over to adjoining room. To the study, and the bookcase that had, since he had grown old enough to read, started groaning under the weight of all the books he had requested I buy. He cast a critical eye over the spines, searching for a title that he was at least reasonably unfamiliar with. Stupid White Men... it had been a while since he'd read that one, but he had read it. The Complete History of Ulthuan, vols. 1-5... those he had practically worn out, so frequently he had pored through them in an attempt to find out exactly what the various Gates were actually gates of. Marilyn Manson ? An Unauthorised Biography... well, he was desperate but he wasn't THAT desperate! Disgustedly he turned away from the bookshelf. How had he managed to read every single book in the house? His eyes eventually came to rest upon the computer, sat innocently in the far corner of the room. Oh, what he would have given to be capable of using that! To have access to the vast quantities of information contained upon the Internet. He would never have to deal with this problem of running out of ways to occupy himself again. Making his way over to the computer, he turned it on with his tail and watched sadly as it booted up and asked for a password. That had been a necessary precaution, mainly against Beckham, who was blessed with paws capable of typing and using a mouse and would have probably wiped all the computer's data by accident had he been allowed to use it unsupervised. Unfortunately this didn't stop everyone else from knowing the password.
"Come on, think!" Marius told himself crossly, after a failed attempt to climb on top of the black computer chair and type with his tail. "There has to be some alternate way of operating this infernal machine! Maybe... no, that wouldn't possibly work. Or perhaps... that's an even stupider idea." Sighing in sheer exasperation, the Dratini finally resorted to his last ditch tactic for practically everything. He allowed his mind to clear, reaching an almost meditative state where the only thing that filled his thoughts was the vanquishing of this current obstacle. After a few moments of this he became suddenly aware of every little detail, every last movement of switches and pulse of electricity that pulsed through the machine. And what was more, he understood it. He understood how it all worked, the sixth sense that had been born of his learning Detect working in perfect harmony with the research he had already conducted on electronics. The only thing he lacked was the ability to manipulate its inner workings to his own needs.
"Come on, Marius, Dragons are supposedly mystic beings, surely willpower deserves to count for something! And ha, listen to me, I'm holding a conversation with myself. Probably a portent of insanity creeping in to my subconsciousness, but so long as nobody overhears my utterences I'm not really all that concerned. Now work, will you?" Concentrating hard, Marius willed the microchips within the computer to create the letter 'e' up on the screen, using every last drop of his energy to do so, until he could simply give no more and collapsed, exhausted, curled up upon the computer chair in defeat. "Sleep deprivation does ridiculous things to your mind," he sighed. "Who was I to think that I possibly possessed the strength within me to perform such an impossible task?" The Dratini glanced woefully up at the screen, convinced the world's greatest database of information was still closed to him. What he saw up on the screen made even him do a double take.

e|

"How???" This snapped him back into an alert state! Had he really just done that? It defied logic. But still, now this was crossing into the realms of the experimental, and Marius simply had to try again. And after about ten minutes of concentration, he managed to succeed. So he tried again. This time it only took seven minutes. And again, and again, until the Dratini was capable of producing a new character every thirty seconds, and the entire password was spelt out on the screen in front of him, the name of my old Hotmail account.

everlone60|

Hardly daring to believe it, Marius triggered the correct pulse that corresponded to 'Enter', and watched in delight as the computer finally unveiled its myriad secrets. For a while the Dratini just played about on games and the word processor, honing his skills until he was using the machine as quickly as anyone using a more conventional method of controlling it, now able to leave the actual effort involved in his methods to a far-flung corner of his mind. All of a sudden he could just think of what he wanted to happen, and it would. Well, empathy with circuitry wasn't a talent he had expected to find within himself, but it was certainly a useful one! Hesitantly he moved the cursor over to the icon that read 'Opera', the household's Internet browser of choice. Finally, his chance to learn even more, to explore new realms of information!
"Well then, Mr. World Wide Web," the Dratini smiled, his tiredness now completely gone in the excitement of this latest discovery, "Time to see if all of the hype is justified, hm?"

"MARIUS!!!" It had been a long time since I had last seen Pandora this furious, and never before had it been with her adoptive son. "WHAT do you think you're DOING?????" The day had started pretty much like any other. I had woken up long before Soo, went in to check on those pokémon who were awake, then made my way to the computer, where I intended on getting some writing done before Sindel called us all for breakfast. It was there that the trouble started. The last thing I had expected to see was Marius curled up on the computer chair, staring blankly at a screen filled with lines of text. Quite how he was operating the thing I had no idea, but what wasn't in doubt was what he had spent the night doing. And Pandora, it had to be said, seemed less than impressed. "Have you been doing that all night???"
"Oh, hello, mother," the Dratini said, turning to face us almost drunkenly. "Remarkable, isn't it? All of this data, all of these points of view, all accessible with the littlest of effort. I really think far too many people take the enormity of this for granted."
"That isn't answering my question!" came the snapped response. "What have you been up to all this time?"
"Well... first I had great difficulty in getting to sleep, so I decided that I would come downstairs and read for a while, but then it turned out that I had already worked my way through every book we own. So then I wandered over here, and... oh, it's remarkable, it seems that I possess a great affinity with machinery, sheer willpower can operate this thing if you simply know how! So anyway, I came on this for a little while and commenced some research into various tangents, and... oh my, I'm tired... I shall tell you one thing, however, I'm never eating another burger again." This seemed like a rather random comment to make until you noticed that the last site my Dratini had accessed had been PETA's homepage.
"Marius, you know it's not good for you to stay on a computer monitor for too long..."
"Correct, in fact health and safety regulations clearly state that you should take a ten minute break for every hour spent working on a VDU. However, it's so ridiculously easy to forget that, isn't it?"
"Well that's true," Milliardo cackled, following into the room behind us. I hadn't even noticed him wake up! "How does that old saying go? Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him to use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks."
"Marius, you look completely shattered. Get to bed and get some sleep, would you?" Pandora had by now calmed down slightly, in no small measure thanks to her boyfriend's lightening of the mood, and her tone was more sympathetic than anything. "Take that as an order, too, or your dear mother is going to be seriously pissed off with you."
"As you like..." Marius reluctantly shifted from his position and made his way over to the door. "Sincere apologies, however. I got severely out of hand, but then even I'm allowed my moments of excitement, aren't I?"
"As long as they don't screw you up for the rest of the day! Now go on, clear off!" My Houndour jokingly batted Marius on his way, before turning to me with a weary expression on her face. "Sorry about him, Ade. We all know he's become a research addict."
"Yeah, and him figuring out a way to use the computer was bound to happen sooner or later, although I'd love to know quite how he managed it." I sighed deeply. "Anyway, that's me screwed, isn't it? I was hoping that he'd be up for some training with Gina today, but I'm not too sure that's such a good idea now."
"I'm sure someone else will jump at the chance, if nobody else is willing then Katnip will probably be more than happy to decimate her entire team."
"True," I conceded. "Anyway, you guys up for some breakfast?" I turned to my two Dark types, the only pokémon who seemed to keep the same hours as I did lately. "I know I'm no Sindel..."
"True enough," Milliardo snickered. "Last time you tried to fry an egg you managed to burn it. For all Thingy's many faults, I'll at least admit she isn't that bad a cook."
"...but I can heat up some croissants or something easily enough," I finished, trying to ignore my Umbreon for no other reason than he was actually quite correct. Unfortunately the temptation to stick up for myself was in the end too immense. "And I'll have you know that only happened because I had the heat up too high anyway and the bottom cooked in seconds, it's not like it's a mistake I'm ever going to repeat again!"
"Says he until the next time he ruins his breakfast..."
"Piss off, Milliardo." As crude as it was, it seemed the only way to end the conversation. Any actual arguments would have resulted in further comebacks anyway. "If you don't want to eat, you don't have to. I, on the other hand, am going to have my breakfast now, thanks all the same." Reluctantly my Umbreon followed me into the kitchen, being pushed along by Pandora. For the argument was nothing but a bluff, anyway. After all, I would have been worried if the day had gotten off to a peaceful start.

"So, who wants to do the battling for us today?" It was a quite wonderful day today, and hence breakfast was taken outside in the considerable expanses of the garden Tsuyoi had acquired for us. Where we could all sit around, Soo, myself and all of our pokémon, without feeling in the least bit crowded, the warm sun on our faces and the scents of a most delicious breakfast filling our nostrils. "Marius has decided he's kind of ill, so someone else will get a chance to train."
"Dude, I'm always up fer trainin' ya know that!" Katnip grinned broadly.
"Yeah, but I was thinking more someone who hadn't had a chance to train recently... as far as I know, that basically comes down to Lucky, Pandora, Ryo-Ohki and Brandy, doesn't it?"
"Umm... sorry... d... do you mind if I don't j... just yet?" Brandy stuttered, clearly worried about drawing attention to herself in front of so many. Not that she need have worried. Not even Milliardo was so mean as to pick on such a painfully shy creature. But that shyness would have to be overcome at some point.
"Alright, Brandy, if you're not ready then you don't have to. What about you others, then?"
"Sorry, Ade, Lucky's mine for the day!" Kirei grinned broadly, leaping upon her Meowth boyfriend. "I've done enough sensible things lately, now it's time for the magic Espeon of doom to get all hyper!"
"And embarrassing to boot," Lucky complained in mock annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Do you mind getting off me for ten seconds?"
"Yeah. I do." The Espeon sat herself down on Lucky's chest, pinning him to the floor. "So who's left, Pandora or Ryo-Ohki, huh?"
"I'll fight for you!" Ryo-Ohki suddenly piped up, hopping from paw to paw. "C'mon, it'll be fun! I know how to fight and everything! Pretty please?" This was said more at Sindel than anyone else, the Alakazam having taken it upon herself to look over the Pichu. Fortunately, out of the stress of the kitchen Sindel was a remarkably reasonable sort. And three pairs of babyish eyes ? Ryo-Ohki, Celeste and the childish side of Rhiannon ? staring up at her pleadingly was more than she could take, anyway.
"Well... I suppose, just make sure you look after yourself, okay?" she said finally.
"Yay!" the Pichu cried, leaping up in the air for joy.
"Yay!" cried Celeste.
"Yay!" chipped in Rhiannon.
"Yay!" cried Beckham, before noticing that everyone was staring at him. "What? Am I not allowed to side with the kids now? I'll have you know that I happen to like acting like a three year old, and this is a good thing, because you're only as young as you feel, so I expect to live to the ripe old age of at least three thousand because I'll be damned if I start feeling old before then!"
"Great logic, Becks," Milliardo commented. "Still, now you've said that I'll have to live to three thousand and one now, purely so I can still say I was the most tenacious of the team, even in clinging on to life."
"Hard to do bearing in mind the average ages of both the Squirtle family and Eeveelutions, you know," I commented.
"That's just me, Ade," my Umbreon grinned. "I even have to break the laws of nature." I opened my mouth to respond, but by that time my brain had finally registered the fact that this could well have been the most nonsensical argument Milliardo had drawn me into yet.
"Well, good luck in your quest for immortality, is all I can say," I finally replied, hoping to put an end to the conversation once and for all. "Now, does anybody feel like coming along and accompanying me and Ryo-Ohki on our training session?" I nodded to my Pichu, who as if on cue nimbly hopped up onto my shoulder in time-honoured fashion.
"Sure, as long as you don't use the phrase 'I choose you!' at all," Soo giggled. "I've had as much of that as I can take after that Ashley Davenport guy."
"Do you honestly think I would?" I grinned. "I'm not that lame, honest! Now, if I had a baseball cap to put on and then twist back to front, however..." I dodged a jokingly thrown cushion. "Okay, okay, no Ash impressions!"
"Good, then I'm coming with you." Soo stood up, still holding Kassandra. It was a great debating point amongst my team as to how long it would take for the Charmander's leg muscles to waste away given how little walking she ever had to do. "I'm not having you going off with strange women without my supervision! And if you ask me, Gina definitely qualifies as 'strange'."
"Bitchy, but true." I had to admit, Soo did have a point. I had never known anyone with as many contrasts as Gina. Both sharp-minded and yet at times incredibly forgetful, deceptively intelligent yet the most carefree person the world had ever seen... only Rhiannon had more conflicts within her persona, and at least my Eevee was excused somewhat on account of having split personalities! "She's good for a laugh, though, and do you know of any other trainers around willing to spar with any of my team?" As soon as I said that several pairings sprung to mind, although it would have never have done to let Soo know that. Katnip could have probably spent all day with Gabi's Ninetales, Hero, trying to outdo each other's Quick Attack. Danny's Thunderblast would have quite happily trained Kasumi seriously for all of ten minutes before my Growlithe managed to seduce her. And that wasn't even mentioning the sparring couples that could be made out of my team and Soo's, even if most seemed a little mismatched.
"Hey, I'll spar with any of you! Just bring it on!" Kassandra shouted, squirming free of Soo's grasp and standing in a fighting position in full view of everyone. In the end it was Katnip who decided to shut the Charmander up, suddenly darting forward with a Quick Attack that stopped a fraction of an inch short of her face, whereby he poked the startled Charmander in the forehead with the lightest of taps. "Gyah!!!! What did you do that for?"
"Train a little harder, Kass, then we'll talk sparrin'," my Raticate grinned broadly. "Right now I reckon yer mouth is way ahead of yer abilities."
"Hey!" Ryo-Ohki suddenly blared. "Can we, like, go do this battling thing? C'mon, c'mon, I wanna try my luck against Gina, I never got a chance to when I was with Marcus."
"Why's that, then?" Katnip asked, genuinely curious.
"Uhh... 'cause he'd only just caught me, really," the Pichu admitted. "He taught me a trick or two but I never used any of them, I'd always go off to play with Megan and then he'd get mad at us. I like it better here, I can play all I like and not get told off."
"The only trouble being that nobody around here does anything but play," Scratchy grumbled, rolling his eyes. All the Paras ever seemed able to do was criticize! All of a sudden it seemed like an awfully good idea to head him off before he truly got started on one of his many rants. "Now if we could just work like other teams..."
"Then we wouldn't be us, and half of us would have found a trainer who does do things like this," I interrupted.
"Besides, it's lousy timing on your part to start having a go at him for not training the instant he actually decides to do something." Milliardo stuck his tongue out at my Paras. "Anyway, have fun, kiddies. Call me weird if you like but I've had enough of Gina to last a lifetime."
"Suit yourself," I shrugged, turning my attentions to those members of my team who would keep me company on this latest training session. Which, rather disturbingly, seemed to amount to Soo, Kassandra, and Sindel. At least this time I wouldn't be overly distracted by too much bickering! "Okay, guys. Let's go get this over with."

"Hi, Ade! Hi Soo!" Gina was in a much less messy state than the last time I had laid eyes on her, it had to be said. The last sparring session had been a real eye-opener, the mercenary revealing an office that looked as if a bomb had hit it. But today when I called in it actually seemed to be in something approaching a state of order. Gone were the huge piles of papers and toys littering the floor, and the empty coffee cups sat on practically every surface. Gone, too, was all the random junk that covered every available inch of floor space. And although Gina's desk was still piled high with papers, it was no longer in the disarray it had been before. Gina, too, was looking a lot more presentable, dressed in a white short-sleeved blouse, short denim skirt and sandals, her dark blue hair tied back in a ponytail. "Come on in, guys, I won't be a minute, I'm just in the middle of getting my office sorted. It finally got to the stage where even I had to admit it was getting a bit of a mess! I can't deal with all this paperwork, though, I really let it mount up."
"How much paperwork can be involved in being a mercenary trainer?" Soo wondered aloud, notably tightening her grip on Kassandra for fear of the Charmander getting loose and undoing all of Gina's hard work.
"More than you'd imagine," came the despondent response. "Every battle has to be properly accounted for. In the case of the displays I usually deal with there's a billion bills for food, wages of any helpers we take on, plus about three billion expenses forms to fill in. The whole thing's a nightmare." All of a sudden Gina's face seemed to light up. "Hey, enough of this, you came just at the right time. I was just about ready to throw all these papers through the window, but now I have an excuse to take a break! So what's it to be, training, coffee, or both?"
"Ooh, I'd love a hot chocolate!" Soo grinned.
"Make that two!" Kassandra nodded in agreement. "With loads of cream on top! And chocolate shavings! And a cherry! Yeah!!!"
"Looks like we're all heading down to the coffee house after this," Gina noted, unable to suppress her laughter. "What about you, Ade? The same?"
"Actually I was kind of hoping for a battle. I think it's about time Ryo-Ohki here got some training." I patted the Pichu that was still clinging to my shoulder, causing him to break out into a broad grin.
"Yeah, we're going to fight you, Gina, cool or what?"
"Yeah. Should be interesting," Gina replied, looking rather bemused as my Pichu hopped up and down excitedly on my shoulder. Neither of us had seen the little pokémon this excited in a long time. "You should calm down, though, you'll lose if you get overexcited."
"Aww, I don't care, I just wanna give it a try!" The Pichu finally hopped off my shoulder and began running round in circles around my ankles. "Pretty please?"
"I think we're being asked to get on with it," I chuckled, returning my attention to Gina, as hard as it was to tear myself away from the spectacle of my over-excited Pichu. "So, what do you say we do as we're told, huh?"

"Okay, you all know the score now." Finally the battle seemed about to commence. We had made our way over to the immense battling hall that had been the scene of Pearl's comeback battle, its giant-like proportions every bit as fearsome as they had been the last time. I really had no idea how anyone could possibly want to work in a place like this. It was far too sinister for my liking with all its weird statues and atmospheric lighting. "Gina scans your pokémon for strength, Gina announces which pokémon she used, Gina tells you the rules, yadda yadda, then we get down to the battle." The mercenary trainer grinned broadly before jogging over to the far end of the hall where, presumably, the house trainer would always position themselves. "But seeing as you're you and you're using Ryo-Ohki, who used to belong to one of us anyway, we can skip the rules and scanning parts. Your opponent for today, guys, is..." Here she gave a shrill whistle, and a large Stantler trotted obediently through a side door to take his position in front of her. "Meet Sasha."
"Interesting..." I mused. Although the pokémon seemed to dwarf Ryo-Ohki, which certainly gave Sindel cause to worry, I couldn't say I was that disheartened. Size counted for little in a pokémon battle, anyway. What intrigued me most was the look in the pokémon's eyes, the look of anticipation before battle that only a few select creatures seemed to possess. "She seems unusually eager to battle for a Stantler. Or maybe I'm just judging her against the only other Stantler I've had any experience of, who could hardly be described as a typical pokémon."
"Eh?"
"Never mind. Just thinking aloud." I grinned sheepishly, turning my head to look at my Pichu, who was sat in front of me expectantly. He may have been just a kid, but sooner or later we were going to have to find out what he was capable of. And age rarely counted for anything, either. "Okay, Ryo-Ohki, ready to show us what you can do?"
"Sure I am!" the Pichu squealed with excitement, scampering forward to his starting place on the battlefield. "I'll show you what I can do, just you watch!"
"I'm sure you will. Let's do it, then."

FIGHT!!! L5 Pichu v L5 Stantler!

Ryo-Ohki darted forward almost immediately, determined to prove to all that he was just as good a battler as the older members of the team. Unfortunately he had still yet to learn the age-old tactic of staying back and trying to size up your opponent first, so when the Stantler reared up to stomp him under her hooves he only just managed to avoid the attack, dodging quickly before he was crushed.
"Yikes!" the Pichu whined, tumbling over onto the floor as he was brought down by his own momentum. "That wasn't fair, we're fighting, not playing 'squish the Pichu'!"
"It's your own fault for not thinking before you rushed in," the Stantler scoffed, a wry smile upon her face. "You're going to get that every time unless you learn to pay more attention to what your opponent actually is. Now, I'm giving you a chance here. Get back up again, and come at me properly."
"Okay! Here goes nothing!" Again my Pichu ran at his opponent, who this time dodged skillfully, spinning around on her front hooves and smacking him in the back with her tail as it lashed around. Once again Ryo-Ohki found himself stumbling, only this time to find a useful handhold to prop himself up with. Unfortunately this handhold turned out to be one of his opponent's antlers, the Stantler known as Sasha having already caught up with him and positioned herself right in his way. With a deft flick of her head she tossed the Pichu a short way across the room, enough to earn him a few painful bruises but nothing like the damage that she could have inflicted had she been trying. Was the Stantler toying with my pokémon?

"What's going on with that Stantler of yours, Gina?" I asked, watching as Sasha practically allowed Ryo-Ohki to get a free hit in. "It seems to me that she's not even trying."
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Ade," Gina grinned, wandering over to where I was watching the unfolding battle. "She's not. Sasha's been trained for a very specific purpose, in fact she's kinda been trained to train others. If any of us end up sparring with a pokémon who's never battled before, we use her. She's kind of more like a training tool than a battler. And besides, she's plenty of experience with infant pokémon like Ryo-Ohki. If anyone can help him with his first steps towards being a properly trained pokémon, she can."
"I see." I mused on Gina's words for a moment. "So does that mean he's never battled before, not even with his old trainer?"
"Nope," came the reply. "He'd only just really started his preparations when... well, you know, when all that fiasco with Team Rocket occurred." Gina looked pained, as if having to simply mention the events that had taken the life of my Pichu's old trainer brought back too many memories. "Poor little tyke. Still, he's got you now, and I've never known him so happy."
"I just assumed he was always that happy-go-lucky, to be honest." I had to admit that I'd never even given though to the fact that my Pichu had his fair share of problems. Even watching him now, skipping ineffectually around his opponent, it was hard to imagine that this was a pokémon who had any cares or worries at all. Well, only time would tell what kind of secrets lay within his mind. Right now I had to concentrate on supporting the Pichu rather than getting distracted by yet another potential tangent.

"You have better attacks than those you're using at the moment." Ryo-Ohki was beginning to seriously lose his patience. Every time he tried to leap, every time he tried to hit his opponent, the Stantler would either dodge or throw him right back to the spot he was originally standing in. The whole process was getting rather tiring, really, especially seeing as his opponent seemed to want to keep up a running commentary through the entire battle. "Why don't you use them?"
"I would but I don't know if I can!" The Pichu was close to tears. "I never tried before!"
"Then why don't you try now?" The Stantler lowered her head and began pawing at the ground. "You'll have to, little one, if you want to stop me!"
"I... I..." It was quite clear what was going to happen. Sasha was planning on trampling Ryo-Ohki into the ground. And the Pichu was scared, more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. He couldn't even speak. The words would just freeze up in his throat. Was this what battle was all about? All of a sudden he found himself wishing that he had just stayed at home. This was simply too frightening for words!
"Do it now, or lose!" the Stantler roared, rushing forwards at full speed. "Give in to your instincts, little one! They won't serve you wrong!" Something within her words struck a nerve with Ryo-Ohki. All of a sudden the Pichu understood what she meant. There had been a tingling within his cheeks for a while now, a distracting sensation that he had been doing his best to ignore. But all of a sudden he began to wonder if ignoring it had really been the right thing to do. Concentrating hard, his little fists bunched with a supreme effort, he began to do what felt right, to expel the strange sensation from his cheeks. As Sasha drew ever nearer sparks began to fly from the Pichu, more and more sparks, until his every hair was stood up on end with the sheer power of the electrical charge that was running within him. And then...
"Take THAT!!!" All of a sudden Ryo-Ohki expelled the energy stored up within him, sending a large blast of electricity towards his opponent that was enough to stop her in her tracks. But still the tingling was there, a single Thundershock not being nearly the end of the charge that had been building up within him for so long. Well, now that he knew how to get rid of that charge the solution was obvious, wasn't it? "And THAT!!!" Yet another blast of electricity came jolting out of the Pichu. "And THAT!!!" Another blast, and finally the tingling sensation stopped. Finally Ryo-Ohki was free to see what his attacks had managed to achieve. "Whoa, did I do that?" Sasha seemed totally disorientated - well, she had just taken three consecutive Thundershocks, after all - and was now staggering forward rather than galloping. It appeared that the Stantler wasn't really aware of her surroundings any longer. "Cool!"
"Yeah, now go in and finish the job, Ryo-Ohki!" I called over, the urge to advise my Pichu growing too great to ignore. "One more decent attack ought to do it, just try something you've actually been taught rather than rushing in, you've got time to prepare whatever you have up your sleeve properly. Now quick, do it, before she recovers!"
"Oh!" The Pichu seemed rather stunned, as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. "Right!" Frowning in concentration, Ryo-Ohki tensed his muscles, ready to spring at his opponent. And all of a sudden he did so, taking a quite tremendous leap towards the Stantler and diving in hind paw first in a clumsy imitation of a jumping kick. The attack struck home admirably, my Pichu catching the Stantler in the face and sending her crashing to the ground, the combination of attacks seemingly too much for her to withstand. It made for a surreal sight, really, to witness a creature so small bring down a Stantler with a single kick. But then, I had seen far stranger sights than this. In fact, it was a positively unremarkable sight compared to some of the strangeness I had found myself involved with in the past. But none of that was strictly relevant. What really mattered was that my brave little Pichu had won his first ever battle, and done us all proud.

Ryo-Ohki wins!
Ryo-Ohki grew to L6!
Ryo-Ohki learned Tail Whip!

"Wow, what can I say?" Gina exclaimed, clearly taken aback by Ryo-Ohki's performance. "That little guy's sure tougher than he looks!" She grinned winsomely, recalling the collapsed Stantler. "Of course, there's still a lot of work to do, you know that as well as I do, but for a little one who's just had his first proper battle I reckon he did pretty well for himself."
"Yeah, he's a clever one alright!" Soo grinned, looking as if she would have picked up my Pichu and given him a congratulatory hug if she hadn't had her arms full with Kassandra. Ryo-Ohki just blushed at all this sudden praise, looking suddenly bashful for once. I couldn't help but find him even more endearing than ever, and the compulsion to go over and give him that hug on behalf of everyone was far too strong to ignore. Unfortunately I found that my Alakazam had beaten me to it.
"You're a clever boy, you are," Sindel grinned, holding the Pichu high in the air and gazing at him fondly. "You did really well there. We're all proud of you."
"I did?" Ryo-Ohki asked, looking perhaps even more embarrassed than ever. "Aw, shucks..."
"Yeah, you did." I finally moved over to pet the little pokémon. "Give it a little time and I reckon you'll be giving even Katnip a run for his money." I turned to face Gina suddenly. "So then, I'd say 'same time next week' like usual, but I'm not too sure if I'll have the time, the Unicorn Games finals are getting scarily close and we have to prepare for that!"
"Hey, that's okay," the mercenary replied with a slight shrug. "I fully intend on being there myself to cheer you on! So then... how does the week after next sound?"
"Sounds good, actually," I smiled. "We'll see you then."

Cheesey

5th August 2004, 10:01 AM

I'd like an RBG for Caledor's Nature Protection Agency, please. ^_^;; It'll be for Athena, my level 7 Swablu. Every day she wants to become an Altaria more and more. x_x *forks over 7 Stamps*

Lady Vulpix

5th August 2004, 10:48 AM

Hey, Chris! :wave:
Athena's going to battle a Torchic. Good luck!

I WANT A WORKING COMPUTER THAT CAN PRINT AND TIME TO READ EVERYTHING I WANT TO PRINT!!

Sorry about the outburst.

Wolfsong

5th August 2004, 05:12 PM

Sorry if this sounds rushed, but my mother is instisting that she needs my help so i'm probably going to be gone after i post this, and make one other post. Anyway Shonta, take 9 stamps. I like how you described teh cold, and how you handled Trinity'. She looks like she can be a handfull when she wants to be. I liked it. ^^[/color

*Murkrow

8th August 2004, 02:12 PM

Hey guys, could I possibly have an extension please?
Everything else around me has kind-of been intruding into my writing time, and with my holiday next week, and then all the school work I've neglected so far in the holidays....meh, you should get the idea^_^ I think I'd be able to work better knowing I'd have the extra time an extension grants, even if the scenario doesn't change soon.

Lady Vulpix

9th August 2004, 07:16 AM

Ok, Hannah, you have it. And I'll ask for one too, just in case. I'm leaving for Salta on Thursday and returning on Sunday evening.

My computer's finally working, but my printer isn't. -_- I went to my uncle's house yesterday and managed to print the Unicorn Games battles and chapter VI of Ade's fic, but not his RBG battle. I'll see what I can do about that, I still seem to have more things to do than I can handle (-_- again).

Charizard04621

10th August 2004, 09:30 PM

My POV:

“Tell me what we’re doing here again?” Switchblade asked me. It was the first time in a long time that he had voluntarily come out of his ball. Élan now was a shadow in the past, lost but not forgotten.

“Ryu wanted some last minute training,” I replied.

The Porygon beeped irritably. “You know, you spend more time with him now than with me.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that accusation. Of course, what Switchblade said was true. But he made it sound so horrible. Like, I purposely didn’t want to spend time with him. Or something like that…

“How come you never have time for me?”

Now that was easier to answer. “Switch, you know I always have time for you. The past few months, you’ve been keeping to yourself, like you didn’t want to be bothered. I just thought that I’d leave you alone, because we all need our space, and it looked like you needed yours.”

He was silent for a bit. “I guess. But still, you do spend a lot of time with Ryu.”

“Yeah, but it’s because of the tournament. I need to give him my full time attention because if I don’t, he won’t be able to do the best he can.”

“Yeah… I know… I don’t even know why I brought that up. I’m just not feeling myself, I guess.”

“I’ll give you time, Switch, as much time as you want. Would you rather we did something different? Something crazy? Have a battle? I don’t know. Whatever you think would help you feel better.”

“I think I’ll just need some rest. I’ll go back into my ball; it’s too hot here. I don’t like volcanoes.”

“Hehe, okay. Rest well.”

“I will.”

Something in the back of my mind told me he would be fine, that I shouldn’t worry anymore. And I trusted that feeling, because if I couldn’t, then I didn’t know Switchblade at all.

“Okay, Ryu, we’re here.”

“Ryu”, the male Trapinch’s POV:

I came out to find a vast arena buried in the heart of a volcano. The area was flat, rocky, and scorching to the feet. Perfect for my training. An environment I hadn’t experienced before. “Hmm… Do you see anyone I could battle?”

We scanned the area, noticed several Torchic that were too weak, and a Camerupt that was too strong. Just as we were about to move to another area to look, a Magmar emerged from the lava.

“Hi! Looking for an opponent?” he asked.

“Whoa!” Karin jumped. “You surprised me… Didn’t expect that.”

The Magmar grinned goofily. “Sorry, I always do that. I don’t mean to, it’s just that I’m so clumsy that I can’t come out gradually… It’s always jerky and sudden.”

I smiled in response. “You seem like a pleasant pokémon. I’d be glad to be your opponent. My name is Ryu.”

“Volkanis, nice to meet you.” He extended his hand, then realized that I didn’t have any to receive his. I wouldn’t have shaken it even if I did have a hand… especially after he’d just come out from that lava. That was asking for a burn.

“So, battle start?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

“Ryu” the LV31 male Trapinch vs. Volkanis the LV35 male Magmar

Earthquake won’t work… I realized. It would be too dangerous in here. Although I knew this was the simulation, who could really guarantee that seismic tremors wouldn’t cause a greater disturbance? I, for one, did not want to take that risk.

While I was thinking, I got a fistful of flames in my face. Great, just great. I thought too slowly. If I fought like this in the finals, I would lose. Which is exactly why I’m training now… Better to knock out the imperfections before the real battle starts.

The arena filled with black smoke spewed from the Magmar’s mouth. Coughing, I wondered what he was hiding for. To buy himself time? To throw me off? Or to conceal an attack that would be devastating if he took me by surprise…

I decided not to leave an opening for that possibility. Fading into invisibility myself, I hid behind a nearby rock. What to do, what to do? If Volkanis kept hitting me with elemental attacks, I could wear him down faster. Otherwise… I’d have to see. Indecision was unfamiliar to me. Why was I unprepared like this?

Suddenly the atmosphere changed. It was still full of smoke, except… “Ugh… Ack!” I gagged. Smog… It had to be. Well, that was unexpected. Unless he was trying to poison me, that move had no purpose, except maybe reveal where I was. I quickly moved away from my previous location.

Surprisingly, no attack came. The smoke cleared and I found the Magmar standing with no apparent plan on mind. Huh…?

When he saw me, he turned and tried to torch me with a jet of fire. Slowly. I dodged it with ease and even had time to redirect my momentum for good impact against his body. The heat that met my skin was tremendous. Immediately, I was scarred with burns. Not smart… But how else could I deal damage?

This time Volkanis attempted a Fire Blast, which was even slower than his Flamethrower. All right… Beat him with speed. I repeated my previous maneuver, pulling off faster this time so that I would be in contact with his burning body for a shorter period of time. It hurt less, so I assumed it was working.

The battle went on for a few more minutes like this, him throwing seemingly random attacks at me and me dodging and returning a shot. After a while, I got tired of the repetitive sequence. It was boring and pointless; both sides had achieved quite little. I came out of the exchanges slightly better off, however, so I was in the position to change tactics.

Lately Volkanis was attempting melee attacks, so I decided to take a chance. I moved to a cluster of rocks and hoped he would follow me, which he did. I waited until he got closer. Then, as he charged, fist outstretched, I got out of the way. He managed to halt before the rocks, but he had fallen into my trap.

With a gesture I moved them upon him and sealed him underneath. I was ready to direct bug energy at him, but I heard a muffled cry of defeat.

“Get me out of here,” he said. “I’m claustrophobic. I give, you win.”

“Ryu” won!
“Ryu” grew to LV33!
“Ryu” learned Crunch!

“Oops, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that,” I apologized.

“It’s all right… You would have won the battle without Rock Tomb anyway, I think,” he admitted. “You see, I haven’t really battled much on my own. I usually have someone around that helps tell me what to do. It’s my first time without a trainer or friends that can point things out to me.”

“Ah, well, you did well. You had me frightened for a bit. Like when you pulled that Smog out of nowhere. I was taken by surprise.”

“Oh… That. Yeah, actually, I just did that because I panicked. I thought I was being all smart using that Smokescreen, then I realized I couldn’t see you at all. That was bad. I didn’t know what to, so yeah. That’s what came out. Hehe.”

I chuckled. “That’s all right. Especially if it’s your first time on your own; it takes getting used to. Well, I wish you good luck in the future. We’ve got to go, right, Karin?”

“Yes. Pleasure battling you, Volkanis.”

“The pleasure was mine.”

classy_cat18

11th August 2004, 10:06 PM

I guess I should finish the Training Grounds scenario. Here’s the first half of the Desert Room Scenario.

Shonta’s POV

“For Lily’s a mighty strong battler, for Lily’s a mighty strong battler, for Lily’s a mighty strong battler…” we sang.

“And nobody can deny!” Moriko finished.

“They better not, or they’ll have to face all of us,” Trinity said proudly. “You did so great in the Unicorn Games!”

“Even though you didn’t win, you grew enough to learn Poison Powder!” Swoop said.

“And you have, what, four more levels to go before you evolve?” Beacon asked Lily.

<Even I think you did well. How you got that Snorlax infatuated puzzles me to no end,> Jewel sent.

Lily stood in the middle of our circle, tears of joy streaming from her eyes. “Wow, guys! Thanks so much! You wouldn’t happen to have any presents for me, would you?”

We shook our heads. “Good TMs are hard to come by,” I said. “I guess I could get you Hidden Power later. But now I could get you another battle. That way you could learn another attack.”

“Isn’t Sleep Powder next?” Athena asked.

“Either that or Stun Spore. I hope it’s that!”

Lily jumped up and down. “Let’s go already!”

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

Lily, Swoop and Moriko went with me to the Desert Room while the others relaxed in their pokeballs. Swoop wanted to get her L10 free TM, and Moriko made it pretty clear that she was Lily’s biggest fan. She carried with her a flag with Lily’s picture on it. “I’m going to get me a T-shirt with her name on it too!” she told me on the way there.

“What are you going to do when she evolves?” Swoop asked.

“She can get one when I evolve to a Vileplume,” Lily answered.

We entered the Desert Room and gaped. “I know I’ve said this before, but they really outdid themselves with these rooms,” Swoop said breathlessly.

“I just have this strange urge to sing ‘Home on the Range’,” Lily said.

“Fight it,” I told her. I followed them into the room. There were small cacti dotting the landscape and there were buttes drawn into the painted sky.

“I see some chalk in the shape of a Pokemon battle field,” Swoop reported. “Straight ahead. Not too far.”

We walked straight ahead until we found the field that Swoop mentioned. On the opponent’s side sat a girl on a rock, petting her Sandshrew.

“Ground Pokemon, eh? I better not get into this. It won’t be very rewarding if I fight,” Swoop muttered.

“Okay! Then I take your place!” Moriko said happily. “When it comes to getting stronger there’s no time like the present!”

“Are you here for a battle?” the girl asked as we approached her.

“Yeah. Two on two. Are you ready?”

“I was born ready!” she said enthusiastically as she shot up. “Go Sandshrew!”

“Shrew!” Shrew said as he went onto the field.

“You’re up, Moriko!” I shouted.

“Hold my flag,” Moriko told me.

A mysterious voice spoke up. “This match will be between Shonta and Sandy.”

“I guess it’s too hot for a referee to just stand out here,” I commented.

Lily snickered. “Sandy.”

L6 Female Heracross (Moriko) vs. L8 Male Sandshrew

“Sandshrew, Scratch attack!” Sandy commanded. Sandshrew galloped forward with claws ready to attack.

“Moriko, give him a Leer!” I said. Moriko’s eyes flashed red, and Sandshrew stopped in his tracks. “Follow it up with a Horn Attack!” She flew and swung her massive horn at Sandshrew, knocking him aside. She skidded to a stop and rushed toward him again.

“Sandshrew, Defense Curl NOW!” Before Moriko could make contact with her Tackle attack, Sandshrew curled up into a ball. Moriko sent the ball flying and it landed at my feet. “Good. Now Sandstorm!”

“No, not here!” I shouted at Sandshrew. Sandshrew looked at me and scampered a few feet away from me. He lifted his arms to the sky and gave a battle cry. Sand from all around the field flew toward the sky and clouded the sun. I closed my eyes and tied the bandanna that I was wearing on my head over my mouth.

“Oh, this is great!” Swoop shouted from my shoulder.

How can I tell Moriko what to do in this sandstorm? “MORIKO! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

The sandstorm finally died down. At the center of the field, standing in place and looking badly scratched up, was Moriko. Sandshrew stood in front of his trainer, waiting for his final orders.”

“Sandshrew, keep Moriko from moving by using Dig,” Sandy instructed calmly. Sandshrew dove underground.

“Moriko, take flight!” I told her. Moriko struggled to open her wing case, but she looked too weak to fly. She looked at me as her legs disappeared beneath the sand. “Oh boy. Um, use Mimic!” Her eyes flashed for a split second.

Sandshrew’s head popped out of the hole that he first dug. “Finish that Heracross off with Cut!” Sandshrew once again dashed for Moriko, who was waist-deep in sand and struggling to get out.

“Moriko, Dig!” Moriko dug at the ground and was able to take the attack in the back as she buried the rest of her body. She popped up and opened her wing case. “Nice. Use Aeroblast!”

Her wings vibrated and shot out blades of light that hit Sandshrew directly. Sandshrew landed on his back and rolled up into a ball. Sandy ran to him and picked him up. “He does that when he’s knocked out,” she explained to us.

Moriko won and grew to level 7!

I pulled out Moriko’s pokeball to return her, but she held up a hand. “I want to cheer on Lily,” she said.

“Do you even have the energy to do that?” Swoop asked her.

She stood up and snatched the flag away from me. “Girl, I would cheer on Lily if I was stuck in the ER!”

The_Missing_Link

12th August 2004, 10:47 PM

<My POV>

“Ok, why are we going there again?”
I sighed and shook my head as Orion asked the incredibly stupid question for the sixth time.
“Dude, why are you asking this when you know what type of team you’re on?” Shade said. “Don’t be a moron.”
I stretched as I realized that Orion needed more training than just the Battle Tower. All of the levels he gained were by that and even though he was part of the Dark Forest trip, he had no experience in the real world, only controlled environments. But this place would do the trick for him – all of them, in fact. They didn’t realize it yet but they would soon participate in the upcoming battles, not just two of them. Some of them had forgotten what battling in other environments aside from the Battle Tower was like and I knew a few were eager to battle, mainly Lee. I was ashamed for not letting him battle recently and I promised myself I would make it up to him. Training Orion was the other thing that slipped my mind and basically, it made me think I was a bad trainer at times.
“Are we there yet?” Nightshade’s whiny voice slipped through my thoughts.
“We’ll be there in an hour.”
I had decided that instead of flying to the training grounds, we would walk. I thought it would be good exercise, since we used to walk around a lot back when most of them were unevolved. Some of the Pokemon even liked the idea, mainly Lee, Aries, Blade and Drake; the former having longer legs and used to strenuous exercise and the latter having the ability to fly. Meanwhile, others like Nightshade, Shade and Orion hated walking long distances, with their stubby, unused leg muscles and all.
“This blows,” Orion huffed.
“Shut it,” Lee said and cuffed him hard.
I had to hand it to the Hitmonlee; he knew what he was doing with the young kid. He was strict, yet fair. If he had been with me from the start, he would’ve made a fine leader. Now, he was like a Hiei or Vegeta, minus the cockiness.
“You only like it because you like doing anything that has to do with your legs,” Orion muttered while massaging his bone exterior.
“And if we ever had to do anything with digging, you would be ecstatic to do it, I’m sure,” I said.
Of course, I couldn’t see his face hidden beneath the mask but I knew he was blushing in embarrassment.
“How about we stop chattering and focus on moving faster,” Lyra rasped. I’m made for the water, not the road.”
“She’s right, you guys. The faster we move, the faster we get there.”

After about an hour and a half later (we had to stop for Nightshade’s supposed hunger pangs), we came upon the building. Actually, it wasn’t really a building at all. It looked like a one story deal and it was decked in plain gray stone but it jutted out noticeably.
“Drake, fly above the building and tell me what you see.”
He nodded and pushed himself upwards before spiraling above the sky.
“It looks like a humongous hexagon,” he called down to us.
Why would it be a hexagon? I wondered. I know that everyone will be able to fight but besides that, I’m clueless. Maybe the design holds a key to the training grounds.
“Well, there’s no point in wasting time pondering this while we’re right outside the doors,” I said aloud. “Let’s go inside.”
The inside was actually quite different than what I thought it would be. Instead of posters of Pokemon hanging on whitewashed walls, the walls were solid colors, one for each side. It was yellow, blue, red, green, orange and purple (the sixth side was the entrance, which was white), all done tastefully in that none of the colors clashed. The floor surprised me the most – pure black carpeting. No design, just a fluffy, comfortable carpet. And it seemed like it was a hit as various Pokemon were taking naps on the floor, their trainers sitting on sofas against the various walls. As I thought, hanging TVs were set up to show battles from various locations, from the Johto League to the Orange Islands. And as always, an information desk was set up with a Nurse Joy manning the station. A restoration machine was set up beside her but Chansey/Blissey was absent.
“I’m going to ask Nurse Joy a few things,” I said to them. “You guys can look around but be prepared to come back when I’m done.”
They nodded and headed off in different directions, only Lyra and Lee chose to come with me.
“Hey, Nurse Joy?” I asked as soon as I got close enough, “is there any special reason for the color coordination in this place?”
“Aside from looking nice, the colors essentially represent a rainbow, which is the theme to these training grounds.”
"How so?”
"Instead of the normal dirt arenas you see, the arenas are vastly different and have their own pros and cons. That’s why this building is a hexagon; one side is for the entrance and the other sides are the arenas.”
“They must be huge though,” I gushed. “How long did it take to make this?”
“Well, the whole project was in the hands of Gabi and her crew but they made a point to make this place as efficient as possible, with the best simulation technology possible.”
“Simulation?”
“For the weather, and whatever comes down from above,” she winked.
“Well, thanks for answering my questions,” I said and walked away.
“Five arenas, each a different type,” Lee mused. “One definitely has to be a water room – almost every training building has one. There also has to be grass, ground, maybe fire, but there are numerous possibilities.”
“Well, we won’t know until we go through those doors,” I said.
I looked for the rest of my Pokemon and beckoned them over once I caught their eye.
“Ok, since there are five arenas in this place and up to two Pokemon can battle in each one (generally, three but not in our case), everyone will have a chance to battle.”
They all murmured in approval before I went on.
“Two of you may go twice but maybe not, I don’t know. I also don’t know who’s going to be battling in which arena since I haven’t seen any of them but if it’s an obvious one like water, Lyra will definitely battle. It’s a possibility that Drake could battle but only if he can fly around with enough room. Even then, it would be risky.”
“Which one first then?” Aries asked.
“I guess we’ll try the second one from the left and see where it takes us.”
We all started to walk diagonally upwards towards our first battle arena. The only visible recognition on the door once we got there was a V, obviously a roman numeral number. I guess it went in a clockwise fashion. Turning the knob on the plain door, I opened it to reveal an arena that didn't take me by surprise…

The water arena. Not even an arena, just a big pond. There were thin but solid floats placed around the edges for people or Pokemon to stand on but there were few open, one being taken up by a ref. A few other people were around, two girls on one float talking and another one standing alone with his Sharpedo in the water. Other water Pokemon were in the pond also, relaxing.
“Anyone want a 2 on 2 battle?” I called out.
The girls on their float stared at me before going back to their conversation but the boy with his Sharpedo looked up and nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll battle you,” he said in a strong voice.
The ref, who was looking at his sleeping Golduck in the water, straightened up before recalling his Pokemon and blowing on the whistle.
“All trainers recall your Pokemon except those that are battling.”
I saw the girls mumble in low voices and reluctantly recalled their Pokemon but sat down on their float to watch the battle.
“The name’s Alan,” he said.
For a rather bland name, he was kinda good looking. He looked about a year or so younger than me but was decidingly taller. His blond hair was matted against his forehead, as if he completed the mile run five minutes ago. I couldn’t see his eyes clearly but his complexion was pale and he was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt. All in all, not bad.
“Rebecca,” I replied.
“Nice team you have,” he pointed behind me.
I looked back and realized that my whole team was crowding the doorway. I had to recall Shade and Drake and let the others find their own places. Blade, Nightshade and Aries ended up on a float near the ref and Lee and Orion shared my float. Lyra jumped into the water, her Everstone floating on top of the water. She glanced at it before putting it on the edge of my float, making sure it would be protected.
“I’m assuming you’re going to use her first?”
“As much as I assume you’ll use your Sharpedo.”
“And you’re right.”
Our Pokemon swam up to the center of the pond as the ref drew up his flag.
“This is a 2 on 2 battle. You know the rules so no cheating. You may now begin.”

Lyra (Lv. 34 Female Wartortle) vs. Dyna (Lv. 35 Female Sharpedo)

<Lyra’s POV>

I quickly swerved to the right as Dyna came right at me, jaws bared with shiny, sharp teeth.
“I see you like to keep hold of your men,” I said casually.
“I sure do,” she replied in a light Australian accent.
“oh, caught off of the Great Barrier Ref?”
“You’re smart, Sheila. Look more so than your male teammates.”
“You’d be surprised. The Scizor is a strategist, though he is a bit of a hothead sometimes.”
“Oh yeah, hot,” she grinned.
“C’mon Dyna, attack her already,” Alan yelled. “No time for conversations.”
“He’s right, Lyra. Make friends afterwards.”
“I’m afraid they’re right, Sheila. Let’s get it on.”
“Fine by me,” I replied and sprayed water at her face, pushing her backwards a few feet.
I knew it wouldn’t stop her and watched as she sped back, fins glinting. I immediately dove underneath and started to outrace her but as everyone knew, sharks could outpace turtles in the water anytime they wanted to. Stopping immediately, I withdrew into my shell and watched as she slashed my shell, creating sharp marks. I lurched from within, feeling myself getting jostled around a lot. I tried to release more water from the inside but it hit open water and only propelled me away from Dyna.
Damn, just realized that all my non-water attacks are ineffective against her. My only choice is to knock her out with high-powered attacks and perseverance.
“Can’t hide in there all day Sheila,” she crooned. “If you won’t come out, I’ll get you out with force.”
She’s right.
“Alright, but you won’t like it.”
Still inside, I slightly opened my mouth and let a cobalt sphere form on the outside. She was waiting impatiently, swimming in circles. I guess she gave up as she started coming at me, a green aura surrounding out. Closer and closer she came, vaguely aware of the light blue beam shimmering from my shell.
A little bit more…
Every second, she came closer and before I knew it, she was on top of me, ready to slam me into the wall.
Now.
I emerged quickly and released my beam, slamming into her face. She collided with it but pushed through before knocking me backwards. I felt a stinging feeling as I flew head-over-heels but straightened myself out before crashing into the wall. Pushing off with my feet, I sped towards the ice-ladened Sharpedo and slammed into the ice. Causing it to crack, I felt my head pulse in pain. I guess that stunt wasn’t such as good move after all. Aside from hurting my head, I also was able to break the ice, another smooth move.
“Thanks, Sheila,” she said. “Don’t know if I could’ve gotten out without your help.”
“My pleasure,” I replied dryly.
Still grinning, Dyna opened her mouth this time, only to reveal an arctic blast of ice. I cringed as the coldness swarmed over me and only withdrawing into my shell prevented anymore freezing.
“You know, I really do hate it when you go in there,” she sighed. “Good thing I know a move that can bring you right back out.”
I started to wonder what it was but then I heard the most awful noise possible. It was like a dog whistle, just ten times worse. I emerged but gave a weak grin.
“You’re wrong,” I mouthed to her and waved my arms in front of me.
Something white glistened in front of me and I sighed as my protective barrier rose all around me, blocking out the sound.
“Blissful silence,” I smiled.
Apparently noticing the glint in the dome, Dyna promptly stopped and charged forward, jaws open again. With the sound dying out, my protection died with it, leaving me defenseless.
“Well, not defenseless, just in a bad situation with a crappy move set,” I muttered. “Better resort to spinning.”
I withdrew once more and pushed myself into a clockwise manner, slowly spinning. It soon became faster and faster before a whirlpool swirled around me, slowly dragging in anything that was close. Dyna wanted to be dragged in though and plunged right through before releasing another screech, causing me to instantly stop and come out of my shell in pain.
“Got you now, Sheila,” she hissed and lunged at my arm.
Crunching her teeth in my skin, I cried out in pain, trying to shake her off. It made it easier for the blood to come out though, which drove her into a bigger frenzy. I couldn’t see it but I felt tears running down my eyes. This must’ve been what humans felt when sharks got them.
“Let go of me, damnit,” I sobbed and swam upwards.
Dyna didn’t fight me as I swam upwards but it was hard enough pulling something four times your own body weight. The top wasn’t far but every second felt like an hour. I looked back as I saw more blood gush out, giving me less time to battle her. Pushing the last few feet, I gasped as I broke through the top, glancing around in fear. The others gasped as Dyna came up, latched onto me.
“I can’t stand blood, Cindy,” one of the girls squealed and looked away.
“Keep quiet,” I heard Rebecca yell. “Lyra, are you ok?”
“Does it look like I’m ok? My arm is being torn off by a shark and I’m getting dizzy,” I snapped.
<Why haven’t you used Mirror Coat then?> I heard Nightshade psychically tell me.
Mirror Coat? Damnit, I totally forgot about that move.
“Get the hell off of me, Dyna,” I warned.
“No.”
“Then I guess I’ll force you off.”
Concentrating, I felt a thin blue outline cover my body and shaking my bloody arm fiercely, I threw her into the air and watched her crash into the water.
“Bloody hell,” she exclaimed as soon as she surfaced. “How did you do that?”
“Magic,” I replied sarcastically. “I’m a real Copperfield.”
Knowing that she had been mocked, Dyna opened her mouth, this time to blast me with a vast amount of water. Glowing again, I took the blast and with difficulty, pushed forward to send the attack right back at her. Crashing into her, the Sharpedo flew back into Aries, Nightshade, and Blade’s float, causing them to move to the edge. Even I knew that it was a hard blow as the floats were made of solid stuff.
“It’s over, Sheila,” I said and concentrated once more, but not on my reflection attack.
Water gurgling all around me, I felt myself rise into the air, supported by the water below me. Raising it upwards of about thirty feet, I glanced down at Dyna, who was still recovering from the blow. I took a deep breath and let go of the wave, letting it fall down on her. That also meant Aries, Nightshade and Blade but they knew well enough to get away and escape before being flooded. I dove into the water before slamming into the wall and let the attack do the rest. Solemnly watching the pressurized water crashing into her, I felt kind of sorry for Dyna, who would’ve been a good friend if I didn’t have to battle her. Liking Blade though kinda creeped me out and it felt good to dish out payback.

After the onslaught died down, I quietly nodded as I saw Dyna lying on her side, clearly down and out. As Martha Stewart said, “winning is a good thing”. Or in her case, losing is a bad thing. Either way, I won.

Lyra wins and grows to Level 36!

<My POV>

I grinned as I looked upon Lyra, who was floating in a pool of blood. I picked up her Everstone necklace and fingered it before throwing it over to Blade.
“Blade, put this on Lyra before it’s too late!”
He caught it and looked at it quizzically before Lyra was enveloped by a bright light. Cursing to himself, he sped over to her and threw it over her neck, despite being blinded by the light. Immediately, the light dimmed to reveal and relieved Wartortle and a blind Scizor.
“I can’t see,” he groaned.
“You’ll get over it,” Lyra replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get healed.”
I nodded and recalled her before giving the Pokeball to Blade after he could see again.
“Take it to Nurse Joy and come right back. Shade is going to battle next.”
“Shade? Why him? Drake and I can battle easily enough from the sky.”
“Neither of you have many ranged attacks and Drake could be at risk if he falls into the water. Besides, he’s the only other one that can pull off attacks while swimming.”
I could tell that he was angry but did as he was told and opened the door to the main room. I looked back over at Alan with Dyna already gone and a Lapras in front of him.
“Who are you going to use to battle Miroku?”
“I’ll use Shade,” I replied and hurled his Pokeball into the water.
With a red flash, the Venusaur looked around before settling his gaze on his opponent.
“Shade,” he rumbled.
“Miroku,” he said in a light Australian tone, much like Dyna's.
He must vacation in Australia a lot, I thought.
I heard the knob click and turned around to see Blade with Lyra.
“Quick work,” I said offhandedly.
Lyra stepped around me and looked at Shade and Miroku.
“He’s battling? And against a Lapras? I don’t like it but they’re both on even ground so it should be a good one.”
“Trainers, take your positions,” the ref called out. “The final round of the 2 on 2 will begin now.”
Turning around, I watched the ref throw down his flag for the final time.

Shade (Lv. 38 Male Venusaur) vs. Miroku (Lv. 45 Male Lapras)

<Shade’s POV>

It wasn’t long before Miroku fired off a cobalt beam at me, intent on taking me out quickly.
I shouldn’t be here, I sighed to myself as the ice grazed my leaves. I can swim fairly well but I’m outclassed in every which way. Then again, everyone else except Lyra would be worse off.
“And I still have a chance, right?” I muttered.
Trying an old tactic, I released bright purple powder at him, trying to get him to sniff it. Maybe he would be stupid enough to go for it. That Snubbull was anyway.
“Nice try, but I’ve had many grass opponents try that before,” he quietly said.
Concentrating intently, stars started to appear in front of him and began to rotate in a clockwise motion. Thinking I was seeing something, I blinked a few times but the stars were still there. They eventually faded away but not completely; just visible if you squinted hard enough.
“Safeguard.”
I certainly heard of it before but never saw it being performed. Rebecca made sure that we knew almost all of the attacks in the Pokemon world and try to memorize their effects. If I remembered correctly, safeguard protects the user from stats attacks but it didn’t last long. Right off the bat, it gave me an idea but it could've easily succeed as much as fail.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed Miroku coming at me, horn down. I looked straight at it and tried to swim away but it was like outracing a Pontya: pointless. I groaned and let him jab me, pushing me back through the water. I countered with my sharp leaves and let him get scratched but he just shook it off and fired off a thin, greenish flame that seared my body. I brought my whips out and slapped him a few times before restricting his neck and around his shell. Firing off another volley of leaves, they again grazed his soft area, this time opening thin cuts. I could see him wince as water lapped up against his wounds. Curious, I dipped my head down and lapped up a bit of the water, despite groans of disgust from my teammates.
“Tastes like salt water but not as…salty.”
If I had a weakness, it was analyzing things too much and Miroku noticed it quickly enough to use it towards his advantage. As soon as I brought my head up, a red beam washed over my whole body. Immediately, I began seeing doubles of my opponent but after shaking my head, I still saw two of him…and two of everyone else for that matter.
“I guess everyone used double team,” I grinned stupidly.
It was obvious that I was confused but that didn’t prevent me from splashing around, acting like a Bulbasaur again. Those were the days.
“Easy as pie,” Miroku smirked and fired off an ice beam, hitting me square in the flower, freezing the hole that allowed me to use my powder attacks. I frowned but didn’t realize what was happening.
“I wanna play,” I sighed and brought my vines out with ‘play’ with my opponent/friend. Only my version of playing was wrestling and only when I tried to sink Miroku with my vines and body did he cry mercy and submerged, angry.
“This is getting boring now. Let’s end it.”
Opening his mouth, I expected another blue beam but what came out was the beginning of a haunting song. Fortunately, that snapped me out of my confusion.
“Perish Song,” I gasped.
I immediately snaked my vines and clapped his mouth closed, preventing him from finishing the song. I remembered watching Apollo battle a Jigglypuff who used the same move and he barely won after socking her with electric punches in the ocean.

As I tied him up, I looked back at my flower, fuming. I was stupid for letting him get the best of me but now it was time for me to strike. I looked back at him and squinted, unable to see the stars anymore.
Better let him go in case so he won’t remember his protection is gone.
Releasing him from my bind, I brought out my other vines and started to slap the ice viciously, trying to break the two feet-deep covering on it. I also concentrated on bringing the toxins up from within my flower, to try and burn the ice from within. It was painfully clear to Miroku as to what I was doing but it gave him an opportunity to strike again, this time to jostle my plans by slamming me furiously, again and again. I grimaced as sharp pain raced all over my body but I kept on slapping/melting the ice. Using a spare vine, I tried to fend Miroku off but I found that wasn’t such a good idea as he bit it with no remorse.
“Damnit,” I seethed, which brought up a gasp from my team.
I was known as the level-headed one and few things got me upset. This though, did. I glanced back again and smirked for the first time since the beginning of the battle. I could see the purple acid spring up from the diminishing ice block and run down my back. Miroku was still trying to knock me off balance, not focusing on the big picture. All he could see were my bruises and cuts but not the toxin spilling into the water. He probably thought I was another Barney. He was wrong.
“It’s a shame the battle is going to end so quickly now,” I said to Miroku, “it was a good one.”
“Yeah, same,” he smirked.
“Oh, so you know you’re going to lose then?”
“So cocky for one who’s trying to break ice off their back while defending himself.”
“So, I guess you didn’t notice you were floating in a pool of poison then?”
He looked down and gasped as a wasteland was floating all around him, slapping against his body. I smiled as I broke off the last piece of ice from my flower and took aim.
“Better do it once more for good measure.”
This time, a bigger glob of poison flew into the air and as I expected, plopped down on top of Miroku’s head. He groaned and tried to shake the vile substance off but we all knew it was pointless. It soon disappeared into his body and it was a short matter of time before he would faint.
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Miroku sneered. “You’re still in worse shape than I am and I will see to it that you won’t finish this fight!”
“Big words for someone who has five minutes left.”
Shrieking in rage, he powered up an ice beam quicker than I thought was possible and shot it off. Anger clearly controlled his accuracy though and it missed, clashing with a wall and freezing a portion of it over.
“Clearly misguided,” I sighed.
Before he could set his safeguard up again, I released handfuls of bright pink powder. Glistening under the artificial light, it settled upon Miroku, making him sneeze and breathe it in. Before anyone could snap their fingers, he was out like a light, lightly snoring. Everyone cheered as I held out a lone vine, pulsating with a minty green glow. Resting it on Miroku’s head, the green aura spread as an outline around the Lapras, giving him a healthy glow. I slowly smiled as I drained precious health away from him and renourished my own. It only took a minute more before his head drooped almost to the water, clearly showing that he fainted in his sleep. At least it was painless.

Shade wins and grows to Level 40! For a free TM, he learned Sludge Bomb!

<My POV>

Although I knew he was ok, I recalled Shade as there was no way he could make it onto a float on his own. I watched Alan recall Miroku and gave him an amiable nod, which he returned. We all shuffled out of the room and into the main hall, which somehow was filled with more trainers. A line was formed at the restoration center and I reluctantly placed myself at the end, eager to get onto the next room.
“Still can’t believe Shade pulled it off,” Nightshade said. “That was a tough one.”
“All things considered though, Lyra’s was tougher. She had no super effective moves against Dyna and only one attack saved her from defeat,” I replied.
“And they’re probably going to get tougher also,” Lee commented, which brought silence to the group.

Wolfsong

13th August 2004, 01:57 AM

Apologies for taking so long. Been trying to catch up on my writing and barely making any progress. I couldn't sleep, and its now 1:40 Am as i type this so apologies if it comes with typos galore also apologies if there isn't many comments to boot ^^; I think i'm going to try and get some sleep after this..

Ade: Interesting use for hidden power steel. I wouldn't have thought of somethign like that. I liked the idea of the stantler being used to help train young pokemin. Take 12 stamps.

Karin: a claustrophobic Magmar, interesting concept. Nice to see Switchblade again, even if it was a breif appearnace. Take 11 stamps

Shonta: Nice. I enjoyed reading that and the description of the desert room was rather interesting. Are we going to be seeing more of Moriko in the future. I kinda like her personality ^^ Take 10 stamps.

Becca: Hope Lyra feels better soon. That battle did seem rather difficult for her, but she did a great job. Nice job of describing safeguard and Shade's confusionn as well. Take 20 stamps ^^

And i think that everything is caught up now. If i missed anyone let me know please

Crystalmaster Mike

13th August 2004, 05:46 AM

Well, I'll at least have finished 2 out of the 5 Rooms by the end of the summer vacation... That is, if I write my next battle during the next 18 days... ;) At least my Eggy has finally hatched. Now to find a good moment to name him... (That will need preparation, I'm planning on a long full name.)

~ Nemo's POV ~

I got back on all fours, stretched my front legs, and yawned. Watching the hatching had been fun the first half hour, but it was now losing its attraction. Just a few, spread pieces of Egg shell were left attached to the glowing white form of the pre-hatchling, yet they refused to speed up their detachment. If you had to compare it to anything, it was like watching a whole bunch of popcorn-balls… pop. Sure, in the beginning it was intriguing, but after you saw one hundred of those pops, you'd seen them all.
It was as if my act of boredom had triggered the second faze of the hatching: all of a sudden, all the egg shell pieces that were left jumped off, pulsing with an electrical force. When they touched ground, grass, tree or stone (or fur, I might add), they momentarily sizzled and vanished into thin air. Since I'd been watching from so close, I got the lion share of the sizzles. It didn't really sting, or annoyed, though… it tickled slightly, that was all.
Now the whole glowing Egg shape was uncovered, the true spectacle began. Imagining that I heard a slight zooming sound, I watched as the Egg shape grew ears, a tail, four paws… I watched as the top of figure changed into a head… As the lower part of the egg shifted shape to a feline body… And finally, I watched as the head and body were connected by a newly-formed neck, which was covered in an obviously furred ruff, resembling a lion's. And as the glow finally faded, I saw that the newborn Eevee was royally furred everywhere else too, but certainly not in a bad way, no. I immediately saw that this Eevee's hair would be quite a bother to comb. And from the look in his eyes, I could tell we now had a licensed trickster in the team… From the look of his fur, I could tell he was a licensed trickster with something extra to show off. His fur was black, pure black; yet, each time he moved, it seemed as if the moon peeped from behind a cloud: little stars seemed to shine momentarily, before they appeared elsewhere on his fur. Somehow though, I foresaw that he'd be almost impossible to see in the dark. Luckily, he would have his rings to keep him from disappearing completely (though I figured he'd think of a solution for that in due time). His rings, by the way, were a solid blue; they still sparkled with the electric force that had been behind his hatching.
Mischievously, he'd watched while I took in every detail of his young body, but now that I was done… play time had arrived. He started chasing his tail for a while, with me watching him, chuckling. He was quite good (or his tail was longer than usual for Eevees); it didn't took him very longer to bite in the tip of his tail. After a while (longer than I had expected), he grew bored, and wanted to chase my tails instead. We had a ball doing that, but all of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks. His ears twitched; he had picked up a sound.
"What is it, boy?" I asked, but he didn't answer. The look in his eyes changed; he looked dreamily excited, but also happily naughty. He turned around and sneaked up to the closest edge of the clearing, his ears lying flat on his head. And let me tell you this: if my eyes didn't deceive me then, he became invisible the moment he had entirely entered the shadows!

~ Mike’s POV ~

"*snivel* *snort* Ah!!"
"It feels good to be out of there!"
"I'll say!" It had took us still a surprisingly long hike through the snow to get to the outer door of the Blizzard Room (as with the inner door, you had to enter and exit a trainer lounge first), but it was worth every minute! The summer sun was shining outside, and I couldn't exit my winter clothes fast enough. Soon enough, I was enjoying the warm touch of the sun rays on my face and arms; I was so happy I'd put away a T-shirt and shorts along with my winter clothes. In the back of my mind I knew that by changing so drastically from polar to subtropical clothing, I'd probably end up with a cold too, but I really couldn't care less.
Suddenly…
"Hey dude! Dù-ùde!!"
"Eh?" I turned around to see who'd called me. I had been too preoccupied with my clothes to notice that there were white plastic tables and chairs shattered everywhere around, with trainers and their Pokémon sitting on, up and under them (and sometimes floating/Levitating above them). The table nearest to me was occupied by a tall, blond, (Nordic?) guy, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and with his long hair in dreadlocks. He was accompanied by an intimidating (and meditating) Scizor, a Torkoal whose shell seemed… mossy, and a Pikachu that was practicing its Surfing skills on a small, pink surfboard. Oh, and a Donphan was snoring under the table, it's trunk longer than usual. Blondie was enjoying a liter glass of blond beer, and he had a moustache of froth which he hadn't bothered to wipe off yet. Because his voice was surprisingly deep and booming, he'd attracted the attention of many a trainer to us, and I was rather hoping no-one would mistake us to be friends, to be honest.
"Dude, did you just leave the Blizzard Room?!"
"Uh… yeah, why?"
"Dude…!!"
"*-_-''*"
"… That Room's like, the coolest Room in the world! Don't ya agree, dude?"
Stop calling me dude… "Uh, yeah!" And it's a Blizzard Room, so it's supposed to be cool!
"Me and Toot are going to get in in five minutes! We're gonna kick some Icy butts, ey Toot?!"
He kicked his sleeping Pokémon, who didn't seem to mind; instead, the Donphan got on all fours (which meant the table he was under was now balancing on his back) and trumpeted in agreement, even though he couldn't have heard a word his trainer had just said. The Scizor, who was meditating in lotus position in one of the other chairs standing around the table, frowned (his eyes were closed), but didn't say a word. He did, however, start glowing an eerie blue, after which he started to levitate. The Pokémon was practicing some hidden psychic power he possessed, and making quite the impression whilst doing so, but his trainer didn't seem to notice. All his attention was directed to his elephant-like Pokémon.
"Yeah, you heard me, didn't you, Toot?! We're gonna get in there and wipe those Ice-Types off their feet, ey?! They won't even get one attack in!!"
Sùre. "Umm… Nice talking to you, uh …?"
"The name's Barry!!", he boomed. "Barry Black!!"
"Uh, okay… I'll see you around, Barry; but now I've got to… Uh…"
"Go!!", Hanna whispered from the corner of her mouth.
"… Go! Yes, go; I've got to go! See ya!!", I shouted, as I turned around and ran off. Bruce followed closely behind, dragging Hanna behind him in her aquarium.
"Sure thing, dude!!" came the rumbling response.
And just as I disappeared out of his eye sight: "Dude!! What's your name, dude?!!"
As if I'd tell you, wannabe-Black Berry…

~ Nemo's POV ~

"… Hey!! Where did you go?!" I'd been so shocked by which I had (or thought I had?) seen; it took me a minute or two to realize that that Eevee had only just hatched; I couldn't let it run off like that!
Just as I was started a run towards the bushes he must have disappeared behind, I heard a noise coming from exactly the opposite side of the clearing (meaning: right behind me!).
I turned around, just in time to see…
"Rays? Arthus?!"
Surprised, I watched as the Chinchou and Spheal stumbled into the light (Rays was carrying Arthus' Beach Ball); I really hadn't expected to see them here, as I had seen them enter the Pond Room. Similarly, they clearly hadn't expect me to see them either; they were giggling like pre-scholars caught red-handed with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Oh, hello Nemo!"
"Yeah, hi!", squealed Arthus, grinning from ear to ear.
"I don't understand!! What are you… ?!"
But before they could explain their presence in the Jungle Room, two more of my team mates stumbled onto the clearing. Well, Nora did, anyway; Skyler slowly floated down from the branch he'd been sitting on, until his feet touched the ground. They too were grinning sheepishly; I noticed the four kept looking over their shoulders (or looking behind them for those that didn't have any shoulders), as if they were expecting someone to show up.
"… !!*O_O*!! …"
"Hello Nemo!!"
"… Surprised to see us?"
"You bet I am!! What are you doing here?!"
"Isn't that obvious?", the tiny Aron asked.
"We were spying on you, of course!", Skyler 'explained'.
"I see.", I merely said.
"What Skyler meant," Nora corrected Skyler while giving him a meaningful glance, "was that we were curious about our new teammate, and because you wanted to keep the experience of seeing the baby hatch all for yourself, we…"
"… followed you in here …", "… and watched you while we hid under a bush!", Arthus and Rays cut in.
"… or in a tree!, Skyler added.
I suddenly remembered what I was going to do before the four of them suddenly exited the bushes and tree they were under/in.
"All good and well, but the baby ran off just now, and I can't…", I started.
"Oh, but he's still around!", Nora quickly spoke. "He scared the living daylight out of me doing his appearance act!"
"Huh?", I asked, puzzled.
"Well, he appeared right in front of me, outta nowhere…"
"…, yelled 'Boo!!', …"
"…, stuck his little tongue out, …"
"…, gave me a cute winky, …"
"… and pushed you into the open before you knew it." I concluded.
"How did you know!!" came the unanimous response.
"I thought so, the way you stumbled into my eyesight like that… But say!" I added quickly, "If he'd heard you, and went to find you, why hasn't he come back yet?!"
The answer came almost instantly. From behind another bush on the clearing's edge, suddenly came uncontrolled laughter.
“*hiccup* *sniff* No-ho-hoh, please no!! I-I-I-ay-ayayah!! I surre-hender, whaha!!!"
"If I didn't know better…" I murmured, before sneaking towards the aforementioned bush, and taking a peak through it…
"Liam!!" To my greatest surprise, my ears hadn't deceived me. Before my eyes, the most unlikely scene unfolded itself: Liam was lying on his back, his fur messed up, crying tears of joy!! On his belly, the mysterious young Eevee-toddler was holding Liam down with a most effective battling strategy: he was tickling Liam in every soft, unprotected spot he could find. Liam was trying to hold him off, but it was no use: he had nothing to protect himself but his bare paws, and those were ticklish too!
It was such an unusual event to see Liam laughing without a harsh undertone, that after my initial shout, I was left baffled. Since they'd been too caught up in their game to take notice of it, it wasn't until the others caught up with me that they discovered they weren't alone anymore.
"Nemo!! Wha-OH!!"
"Liam?!"
“Huh? Oh!! Oh, no…" Seeing us watching him, Liam's muscles tensioned, his body stiffened. Noticing his tickles no longer had any effect on his victim, the little scamp stopped and looked at us, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Liam? What are you…?" I started, but was caught off in the middle of a sentence.
“Um, I took a wrong turn…" he mumbled, his look fixed on his paws. He scrambled to his feet, sending the tiny black fox on his belly flying through the air. Luckily for him (and for Liam I might add! Or else, I might have seriously hurt him…), he landed safely in a small field of clover. “Um… I gotta go now…"
And without another word, Liam dashed off in between trees, leaving his ex-playmate yearning for their following encounter.
"What was that all about?"
"I'd like to know myself…" I whispered, before ripping my glance away of the place Liam had just been lying on, and shifting it to our youngest teammate. "Time for a proper introducing, I'd say. Nora and Skyler? Arthus and Rays? There's someone here you'll like to meet from up close, I think."

~ Mike’s POV ~

We had found our way to the Pond Room's outer entrance. The door that gave way to the Room was large, as it had been for the Blizzard Room. This one was made of a strange, thick, crystalline material, which you couldn't see through. The substance could've been mistaken for an unknown form of lava, had it not been azure and marine blue. The carvings made in this door showed a busy underwater scene to the attentive observer. As could've been suspected, there were the huge, beautiful, mermaid-tailed Vaporeon, accompanied by the giant siren that was Milotic. One could effortlessly make out a huge Wailord near the door's 'surface', as well as an oversized Octillery on it's 'bottom'; yet, if you didn't pay more attention, you'd think that was everything the talented carver had carved. But I took the time to investigate the strange material of the door, and as a result, I discovered more in the work of art…
"Bruce, could you come here for a minute?"
"What is it, Mike?" Bruce slowly made his way to me, shaking his head to clear it. He'd refilled Hanna's aquarium with the water from a nearby fountain and had seized the opportunity to refresh himself, the result being that the inside of his ears was slightly filled with water. But it had done him good: the majority of his cold seemed to have been washed away.
"Could you come and take a look at this here carving? Either I'm delirious or I've found out something…"
"Well, I looked at before I went and took a dip, and I didn't saw anything worth discovering about it…"
"Well, could you stand here then," I said, laying my hands on his shoulders to make sure he was standing directly in front of me, "and tell me if you notice something… 'fishy' about these underwater streams?"
"Well…" he said, weighing his words carefully, "if I didn't know better…"
"Yes?" I said anxiously.
"Well, if I didn't know better, I'd think that those streams are made of fishes!"
"Exactly what I saw!" I yelled out relieved.
"Well, if you've started to see things… can you show them to me?"
"Sure thing, Hanna!" I took the lid from her m.a. and took her in my arms. Careful not to let her drop, I held her on Bruce's eye level (my shoulder level, some what), and let her examine the door from up close.
"Hmm, yeah… I see it too… That is one heck of a fish school, ain't it?"
"I'd even call it a submarine university; it's equally diverse! I can see normal fish …"
"You mean those of the Sushi Type?"
"…, as well as Fish Pokémon…"
"Yeah; hey, there's me!"
"…, and not too mention other aquanautic Pokémon!"
"You mean like that drowning Psyduck?"
"Hey, there's even some fish in there I'd expect to see in extraterrestrial waters! Look at those!" I pointed at a collection of Frankensteinish fish, some of which had three eyes (the Simpsons' type), others which had enormous gills, and even others which had awkward appendixes I wouldn't normally expect a fish (or squid, or shrimp) to have. Maybe the artist that had made this scene had wanted to make fun of people he knew in real life, since some of the fishes seemed to have humanlike faces and bodies. Yet he'd been smart enough to carve those caricatures on such a small scale you'd almost had to have a magnifying glass to see them… Like in a museum, you could spent all day and night trying to look at every little detail of the carving… But that wasn't what I'd came here for…
"What d'ya say we get in this Room and see how our friends are doing in there, ay?"
"Good idea! I can't wait to get in that pool/pond/whatever big body of water there's in there!!"
"… So I won't hold you off any longer. In we go!"

We had barely closed the door behind us (in fact, we had barely opened it), when a hurricane of words tortured our ears.
“… But WHY??" Despair.
“WHY?? I told you! You don't even know the first thing of battling!!" Unreasonability.
“Because I've never even battled before!!" Anger.
“So…: how are you ever wanting to become a pro at anything if you have had no practice!!" Mockery.
“But that's just why I want to start battling: to practice!!" Exasperation.
“You'll never be able to fulfill such a preposterous dream." Grumbling.
“Just because you think YOUR dream's honorable, that doesn't mean anyone else's is preposterous, Dylan!!" Bitter offendity.
It was at this point, with the mentioning of that name, that I linked what my ears and eyes told me, but what I had refused to believe at first. For what I saw seemed unbelievable to me: two of my Pokémon were standing in front of each other, face-to-face, enveloped in a bitter argument, in which deeply buried, deeply rooted emotions were dug up and slapped in the other's face.
On one side: Gordon 'Mudkippa', in general extremely enthusiastic to start (out) with something new. Recently, he'd started hanging out with Bruce. From what I'd gathered, through short sightings of the pair in the Eevee House, Bruce taught his boxing skills to Gordon, who was trying to memorize it for when he himself would be able to use his front legs as arms; for when he would have evolved, that is.
On the other side: 'Don'/'Sir' 'Knightly' Dylan, in general refined, sometimes sneering, but always with a dream in the back of his mind: to be a knight, what ever that meant. This had led him to be suspicious about anything that somewhat resembled a dragon. In our team, that had meant Hanna, the Carvanha (who herself despised the Dragon-like Gyarados), though lately, he'd abandoned trying to fake-attack her: with a glass aquarium window between them, it was too much of a bore. Strange enough, he'd never tried to evoke Verne (a Larvitar)'s rage, but that might have been because the type-advantage meant he was rather poor a challenge. Even stranger was that he'd been fully behind the idea of having a real Dragon on the team; even if the coming of Skyler had meant he might one day have a true opponent, for the time being it meant he'd have to wait until the winged Bagon possessed enough power.
All the time during his carrier as wannabe-knight, Dylan had used some of his teammates as a noble steed. Nemo had proven to be too slender for his liking, and Liam had… too much character. So he had ended up riding his fellow-Water-type Gordon most of the time. But now, with aforementioned Water type having his own dreams in life, Dylan turned to behave not really knightly but more… well, chauvinistic, egocentric. Acting as an aristocratic, spoiled Pokémon, he claimed that only his dreams really counted. And Gordon couldn't just have him claim that…
So there I was, with Hanna and Bruce accompanying me, witnessing the scene helplessly, and not knowing how I could ever set things right between the two of them…
"You guys…", I started weakly, but I cut off my sentence. Whether or not they had heard my voice, Gordon's and Dylan's eyes were now locked upon each other in a daring glaring competition: the first one to blink, would automatically lose. And I could not interfere: if I made either of them lose his focus, he wouldn't have forgiven me…
So I had to find a way around that problem.
"Hanna, if you could do the honors?"
She obeyed without asking further specifications; she knew what I expected from her. With a small Splash, she jumped into the pool water, momentarily disappearing underwater. When she came up, she looked relieved having exited her cramped mobile 'home'. That look on her face didn't last long, however: soon enough, she was one bundle of concentrated… uh, fish. Her cheeks inflated as the water she had inhaled, had partly swallowed, came rushing up again. Then, she spit it out, performing a move that was not meant to be an attack as much as it served as a cold shower for the two glare-competitors. And it did its job wonderfully: Dylan and Gordon looked like having just snapped out of a trance; they looked more like the Pokémon I had once adopted than they had before.
“MI-IIKE!!", Gordon said in protest. “We were in the middle of something?"
"I know, we've been for a while already." I told Gordon, and continued on a somewhat bitter, sarcastic tone: "You were sharing quite the moment here."
“Yes." Dylan said, without the smallest trace of sarcasm in his voice. “And it was a rather personal moment."
"Really?", I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I would have thought that every last Pokémon in this Room had by now heard you shouting at each other!"
As I said this, I looked further into the Room. Compared to the small platform made out of wooden poles all of us barely fitted on (I had given up trying to maintain my balance and was now leaning with my back against the wall, close to the door), the rest of the Pond Room was gigantic. On the other side, in the distance (maybe as far as the distance between the two goals of a soccer field), another platform was visible (accessible from the inside of the Room Dome), but for the rest, there was nothing really decorative about the Room: cold, white walls, without a single window, and an open ceiling, showing a azure blue sky devoid of any clouds. Though the boring appearance of the Room might end on the other side of the water frontier, that was impossible to make out, for the water was as featureless as the rest of the Room: it could have reflected the sky above, but it could just as easily have been mixed with a chemical, so that the once clear water was now filled with a mysterious blue mist.
Either way, I was certain we were not the only ones here: the Dragon Tamers must have put some Pokémon in (or some Pokémon must have found their own way in), so that this Room was not to become a trainer-battle-only arena.
As I looked, Gordon followed my eyes, and he snorted loudly. “Who cares if anyone heard us? The things we had to tell each other couldn't have been left unsaid much longer… or I would have exploded out of sheer stress." He really looked like he had meant what he had said… I started observing my up-to-now-still-inexperienced-in-battle Pokémon, who in turn was observing the ground, his face a mask of sadness.
Dylan interrupted my thoughts with a snort as loud as Gordon's. “I would have been much happier if they'd been left unsaid… for that would have meant I would not have known what I know now."
“And what do you know now, Dylan?" uttered Gordon fiercely. “Still too little to my liking, that's what! You still haven't realized that…"
"That what?!", Dylan interrupted. “That my own dreams are as preposterous as I'm saying yours are?"
This question Gordon hadn't expected, and it distracted him. “Well… yes!"
"Ridiculous.", Dylan stated. "You have diverted me from my goals once before… Gordon," - it took Dylan a visible exertion to not call Gordon by his name, and not use anything offensive or degrading - "when you talked about a knight's purpose, before the dragon-in-flight" - his nick for Skyler - "was born. But I won't have you meddling with my businesses any more, subverting my believes, twisting my words… If a knight has to defend the innocent, then the faulty he must punish: meaning the venomous Dragons as well!"
“But Skyler is innocent!! Don't you see it?!" exclaimed Gordon. An underwater movement caught my eye, but I was focused on the ongoing discussion; Dylan's stubbornness worried me - it reminded me of myself when things didn't go my way: I followed a logic understood only by myself to explain my misfortune. “He was born amidst us, raised amidst us, and he lives amidst us. He-Is-Not-Evil!!"
Dylan shook his head, disbelievingly. "So he was born and raised by a noble creed, and lives amongst them as one of them… You'll see that one day: he'll turn and give us a toxic bite in the back. Dragons…"
“… can be as much in error as any other specie of living beings." Gordon continued his sentence, talking slowly, and with the exhausted difficulty that came when one has almost run out of things to say, and was tired with saying things. “If you don't start to face that, you might wake up one day, having snapped out of your little dream world, and see a face in the mirror that will make you shudder in disgust." He hopped into the pool water demonstratively, and looked Dylan in the face, worn out but feeling strong. “And if you don't mind me leaving you… I have a battle to fight."
"… And to lose and to regret having fought." Dylan murmured softly, the look on his face invisible as he was looking at his feet.
That final stab took down the fragile wall of self-control Gordon had managed to build up since we had entered and ended the initial argument between him and Dylan. He looked Dylan in the face, trembling, and did a huge effort to neglect slapping him in the face. Instead, he turned his back on him, the expression on his face now invisible too, and muttered dark words to the pocket monster behind him.
“Enough… You are so set on your pitiful little dreams, Dylan… You want to Defeat the Dragon, while you yourself are nothing more than a …, a … ENOUGH!!!" he yelled suddenly, making me jump in surprise. Gordon shouted, screamed at the calm, waveless pond stretching out in front of him, his words tossed back at him as echoes: “I want a battle, and I want it now, you hear?!? I'll challenge the first self-satisfied jerk I see in here, and will tear him limp from limp!!!" This exclamation left him catching his breath, and the sudden silence was suddenly interrupted by a challenging voice:
"You called?"

~ Hanna’s POV ~

Gordon twisted around, fully expecting a defiantly posing Dylan to be smirking at him, answering his challenge to the pond inhabitants. But the last-mentioned was looking to his left in surprise. Gordon (and I) followed his example… and gasped in shock. For standing next to our arrogant companion was a Pokémon that could've been his twin. A Totodile as Dylan, it was still dripping slightly, indicating it had only just climbed out of the pool, while we weren't looking. It had taken on the defiant pose Dylan had been standing in while Gordon was screaming his lungs empty at the pond, just a moment ago. But something was different: in the newcomer's eyes, an amused light shone I had only seen a few times in Dylan's eyes. 't Had always been during the spare moments he was in battle and was enjoying himself; like on Dark Island, while he was riding that Crawdaunt like a fully-trained rodeo star.
… But for this 'Dile, it seemed that look was always in his eyes; this made me believe it had only mimicked Dylan's pose in mockery.
Mockery or no mockery, that didn't matter to Gordon. For he had found the perfect opponent: a Pokémon on whom he could easily project his frustrations involving Dylan's stubbornness and arrogance, and through whom he could 'practice' battling Dylan, should the day ever come they'd really become each other's nemesis.
“Yeah, I called. … Come on." And with that, Gordon duck underwater. The Totodile jumped in behind him (quite stylefully, I might add), which left Dylan, Mike and Bruce on the unstable platform. The look in Mike's eyes was determined, his hands were in his pockets and his body pose suggested 'tense awaitance + abidance'. He gave me an almost neglectable nod, with which he meant I could (and should) follow the two while they battled. Bruce was standing there rather helplessly (he couldn't exactly swim), and so was Dylan (who was obviously able to swim). I believe Dylan was making out for himself whether he should follow Gordon while trying to not seem interested, or whether he should stay out of the water and risk missing a great battle, and a great opportunity to observe Gordon in battle. I didn't await his decision and dove underwater.

… The first following thought to cross my mind was… Atlantis. For beneath the pool surface, the featurelessness of the Room ended completely, making way to art of unknown origin, mystical, and mythical. The wall's were covered in mosaic pictures, the characters inhabiting them not entirely unlike those on the doors to the Room. But I only briefly examined them, because there was more to see. A whole lot of statues were spread across the floor of the pool, their subjects again aquatic Pokémon/animals/mythical personae. A small number of statues were even floating between top and bottom floor of the water, the materials they were made of lighter than brick and stone. The rest of the statues seemed to have been tossed into the pool without a thought: some were standing upwards, some were lying on their back, some on their side, on their stomach… A select few even were standing upside down! Though they could've been overthrown by attacking Pokémon, it seemed to me they had been specifically put like that to create the image of a destroyed civilization.
At first sight, it seemed the only Pokémon down here were me and the two combaters. As it had been in the Blizzard Room, the other Pokémon in the pool preferred to stay hidden from curious eyes, though I must add I could see only a part of the underwater Room: big boulders, with seaweed growing out of the floor in front, obscured a part of the pool bigger than half of it. On this side of the boulders, white fluorescent lines marked the edges of a battle field. They marked the visible edges of the field, divided it in half, and marked the centre point. (In the shape of a PokéBall, what else?) Each on one side, Gordon and the Totodile had placed themselves onto the field, waiting for a to me unknown signal to begin.
Just as I perceived someone (Dylan?) jumping into the water above me, the signal was heard: the low sound, coming from afar, of a large bell or gong. The battle… was on.

Gordon (Mudkip) (lvl.6) (m)
VS
Totodile (lvl.5) (m)

I looked up: as I had expected, I saw Dylan slowly falling through the water. I swam a little to the right, until a statue was between us; I needed none of his comments or reactions on this happening. I watched the two fighting monsters again, and lost eye for everything else.
Upon the striking of the gong, they'd ducked towards each other. The Totodile had his mouth wide open; his teeth were glittering grimly inside. Gordon was able to evade the attack and avoided being bitten, while scoring a Tackle in the 'Dile's side. Because of the water's thickness, their movements were slightly slowed (yet still fast enough to deal damage; they were still Water Types, in the end), temporarily giving me the idea I was watching an underwater ballet. But that illusion was broken when the battle grew more serious, and sneaky. Both Pokémon were floating in mid-water, trying to lower the others Attack power. The Totodile was Leering around, while Gordon was Growling dark words under his breath. I felt a weak movement near me, and eyed Dylan. He was watching the other Totodile intensively, grasping his Double Shield for support. He was looking rather pale around the cheeks, but for what reason, I could not see.
The battle had progressed already when I looked back, as Crocodile-Totter and Mudskipper exchanged Scratches and Tackles, respectively. They seemed to be even-matched, and the battle could continue like this for a long time. Gordon seemed to realize this, as well, for he pushed his opponent back, and immediately Tackled him hard in the stomach area. The Totodile gasped for air, his eyes widened in temporal shock… and then they narrowed, his anger building. Now he also started battling more ferociously, Scratching at Gordon's most vulnerable spots, like the fin on his forehead. But Gordon managed to block and/or evade many of his attacks, and he courageously endured those that did hit. And suddenly, I realized something: neither of them had spoken a word since they'd duck under. Okay, I admit that because of certain elements (air bubbles etc.), speaking underwater wasn't always pleasant/advisable/comprehendible, but still… The two of them seemed to be focused on fighting, focused… on winning.
Now it was the Totodile's turn to push Gordon back, but he didn't swam nearer again, no he seemed intended on creating more space in between the both of them. But Gordon didn't want that, so he swam after him at top speed. He didn't even slow down when the 'Dile made a 90-degrees corner, upwards. He didn't even slow down, when the 'Dile jumped out of the water; he followed him right out of there. And I was right behind him.
I jumped out of the water too, as fast as I could, just to make sure (that what, you ask? I couldn't say.) And I had been right to do so, for it was a sight I saw!
I was looking directly at the platform I had left Mike and Bruce on… but they weren't there anymore! That didn't fully sink in, though, because there were more urgent things to worry about. I was flying in mid-air, though it felt as if I was almost standing still, for my jump was close to reaching its highest peak; water drops were falling from my still-wet fins. It was the same for Gordon and the Totodile, but they didn't notice. And for a good reason: the Totodile was floating a meter above Gordon, and he was holding something in his front paws. I looked more attentively: it was an electric yellow-black orb, sparkling from the power sealed within it. I thought it was a Zap Cannon… before I realized it must've been the 'Dile's Hidden Power. Gordon was watching the orb carefully - not frightened, but determined. As we reached the highest peak of our respective jumps, the Totodile threw the orb downwards with such strength, that he started tumbling around, head over heels. I watched the orb fall, while the three of us came to a full stop. It hit Gordon on the forehead, and he immediately was enveloped in a mini-sized, blistering inferno of electricity. Gordon flinched, he looked to be on the verge of fainting, he fell down, head first… And then it happened.
Below him, maybe half a meter from the place where Gordon would fall back into the water, Dylan was floating in the pond water. His Shield was floating aside him, and he was patting it. Patting it!! As if to say: A knight like me wouldn't have that much trouble surviving such an Electric attack… thanks to my trustworthy (as opposed to you, Gordon!) Double Shield!
Gordon's eyes narrowed, and though he was still flinching, and his face was still twisted in pain, he didn't seem to be suffering any more damage from the charges still surging through his veins. No, he seemed even capable enough to brace himself from the impact of falling back into the water as semi-dead weight. And as this electric Hidden Power-attack had temporarily drained the Totodile from all his might, I knew I could let myself drop back into the pool without having to worry about another surprise attack on Gordon from him.
The battle didn't recommence immediately when we're all back in. The jump had been tiring enough, and for the two combatants, it had been combined with the performing and undergoing of a powerful attack. The Totodile needed to catch his breath, and Gordon needed to recover from the blow. Lucky for him, the charges which hadn't been neutralized by his electro-organic nerve pulses had been absorbed by the enormous neutrality of the pool's water. Only his paralyzed muscles still bothered him. And he knew how to Refresh them… Sure enough, after he'd mustered enough strength, Gordon was enveloped by a soothing blue aura (lighter blue than the pool's color), and I could see him relaxing under its healing influence.
When the aura faded, the Totodile had recovered as well, and the battle could continue, this time right below the surface of the water.

I knew it couldn't last much longer; it had been going on long enough, and the two of them were getting tired. Gordon seemed to realize this, for he immediately went in offensive mode, Tackling and Tackling from all possible angles. The Totodile was driven into defending himself, and for a short while, he seemed incapable of thinking of a good strategy; he looked to be trapped behind bars of painful Tackling. Yes, I could see him growing anxious of escaping; maybe the whole situation made him claustrophobic. He needed to escape, to attack, to match Gordon's attacking power…
Suddenly, during the short moment the Totodile was completely hidden from my eyes because Gordon was Tackling him still…
Several things happened, seemingly all-at-once. But if I describe them in slow motion, their order will become apparent, and logical.
Gordon yelped, but ever so slightly; he controlled himself before the yelp grew into a yell. His back was turned on me, but I could see him make effort of slowing down before he collided with the Totodile. A light began to shine, intensifying ever so quickly. No… it were two lights, both between the Totodile and Gordon; one was on the left side, one on the right side. I saw what they were coming from when Gordon managed to swim backwards, away: the 'Dile's front claws! They were glowing mystically, with a light similar to Gordon's Refresh, but appearing more… ancient. The expression on the Totodile's face had changed dramatically: no longer helpless, he seemed to have mastered the situation. He grinned darkly; every last one of his teeth was visible. I could imagine Gordon looking as desperate now as he'd made his opponent look before.
Just as I began wondering what attack the Totodile was on the verge of performing, I heard another yelp, uttered by another voice. I looked downwards: Dylan had let himself sink further down the pool, his toes almost touching the floor. He was staring at the claws intently; their very appearance engulfing him in despair. He didn't seem capable of comprehending that the Totodile was using such an attack… And then it fitted: blue light, claws, mystery… It was the Dragon's Claw! The Totodile was using an attack his mirror image Dylan wouldn't ever have thought of using, of a type the last-mentioned despised… The Dragon's Type.

And then things sped up again. Gordon had created quite the distance between the both of them, but the Totodile was now catching up with him. Still swimming backwards, the Mudkip bumped into the floating statues, unable to stop looking at the lit-up claws chasing him, horrified as well as fascinated by them. When he bumped into a solid structure that didn't gave way, he at first didn't notice. And by the time he did, it was too late: the Totodile had caught up with him, and Gordon had trapped himself in a tiny niche in one of the pool's wands!
I could only imagine his helpless suffering, as the mystical energy tore at him, slashed, and cut wounds in his flesh. A mystical mist, maybe coming from the unleashed Dragon energy, hid Gordon from our eyes, while the 'Dile still struck hard, uncompassionate but horrifyingly handsome; a true, blue Dragon for a short while.

Then, his ferocious beating-up ceased. He pulled back his claws, and from out of the dissipating mist, Gordon, severely beaten, fell forward, onto the ground. The Totodile turned around, raised his arms, and with out a sound, started to take in the imaginary applause of an imaginary public. What he failed to notice, however, was that Gordon hadn't been defeated; he was just dazed from the continuous assault on his person.
And now that the Totodile had turned his back on him, he was able to surprise him with a quick Tackle in the back (after he had sufficiently recovered from his dazed state).
Coincidently, (or not?), he tackled the Totodile right into the lower part of one of the floating statues (this one resembling an anthropomorphic Wailord, how strange that might sound). This caused the statue to start rolling around on the spot. The Totodile in turn fell down on the ground, he too now dazed. Slowly, I saw the statue fall down, towards the bottom of the pool, and the Totodile. I waited to see what would happen next: the statue hitting the Pokémon, or the Pokémon evading the statue.
It turned out to be the first option: before the Totodile had recovered enough, the statue hit him on the head. Even though the impact and weight of the falling object weren't so big because of the thickness of the water, the Totodile was still knocked out, meaning the battle had ended. (Though whether the Room would become its once peacefully quiet self again…)

Gordon (Mudkip) won!
He grew to level 7!

classy_cat18

13th August 2004, 11:16 AM

Here the conclusion to the Desert Room scenario and more of Moriko's cheerleading.

Shonta’s POV

I handed Moriko her flag and looked down at Lily, who was panting heavily. “Are you okay?”

“Too dry. I’m thirsty,” she said.

Sandy looked over at us. “Your Oddish looks hot. Do you want to take a break?”

“Does she have to ask?”

“She says yes,” I told Sandy. “We can take five in the lobby.”

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

I returned Moriko and gave her pokeball to Nurse Joy. “Could you heal her? Oh, and can I get some water for my Oddish?”

“Sure.” She took Moriko’s pokeball and took a good look at Moriko’s flag. “What’s that for?” she asked me.

“My Heracross is my Oddish’s biggest fan,” I said. She nodded and went in the back room.

Swoop got down and started chatting with Lily while I rummaged through my backpack. My hands brushed the Aerial Ace TM that I bought for Swoop. “Swoop, got a new TM for you.”

“Really?” She flew back to my shoulder.

“Aerial Ace. I didn’t want to wait until you learned it naturally.” I activated the TM and smiled as Swoop’s body shone for a second and faded.

Nurse Joy came to me with Moriko’s pokeball and a canteen. “I could see you need some water too.” She went back in the other room for a minute and came back with a bowl and another canteen. “This is for your Heracross. It’s full of sap.”

“Clever,” Swoop said.

“Thank you,” I told Nurse Joy. Sandy gave her Sandshrew’s pokeball and left us for the Desert Room with a canteen of her own.

I sat down on a bench and poured some of the water in the bowl. Lily and Swoop came and lapped it up with gusto. “Is it cold enough?” I asked them. They nodded. I let out Moriko and handed her with the other canteen.

“Water?” She opened it and sniffed inside. “Sap! Cool!” She turned the canteen bottom up and gulped heavily.

Lily stepped away from the bowl and gave a sigh of relief. “Okay, now I’m ready!”

Moriko waved her flag enthusiastically. “I’m ready too!” We returned to the field and told Sandy that we were ready.

“Yeah! Go Tiny!” She threw another pokeball. A Phanpy jumped out, eager to battle.

“The next round between Shonta and Sandy begins!” the invisible loudspeaker rang.

L14 Female Oddish (Lily) vs. L15 Phanpy (Tiny)

“Tiny, Tackle attack!” Sandy cried.

Lily stood her ground even though the Pokemon was charging. At the last second her leaves shone and she sidestepped, scratching Tiny’s with her razor sharp leaves. She spun around to face him, releasing the leaves and scratching the same side.

“Wow, that was graceful,” Swoop commented.

Moriko waved her flag even harder. “Dance around him, Lily! Do that victory dance!”

“Lily, Toxic!” Lily swished the toxic spit around her mouth and spit it out. Tiny jumped aside and dodged it. He lifted his trunk and trumpeted in defiance.

“Tiny, Earthquake!” Sandy yelled. The little Pokemon stamped at the ground with all of its strange. The ground beneath me shook a little, but then a giant tremor knocked me on my butt. Lily was bouncing on hers (or what qualifies as a butt for her), and another giant tremor sent her flying. Her four leaf clover went in another direction: towards Tiny. It landed at his feet and he picked it up.

“Oh no! There goes my quadruple defense!” Lily said in despair.

“Got you now! Tiny, Rock Tomb!” Sandy commanded.

The Phanpy launched itself in the air and landed on all fours on the ground. A large column of rock shot out of the air and in front of Lily. “Run, Lily!” I told her. Lily ran back but was stopped by another column of rock.

“Again, Tiny! Trap it!” Sandy yelled.

“No! Don’t let her!” Swoop cried out.

Moriko kept swinging her flag. “Don’t give up!”

Lily ran in different directions but was hit by a column of rock wherever she ran. It wasn’t long before she was surrounded by a tight ring of rock. She screamed at the top of her lungs. “Lily, calm down,” I told her calmly. The screaming stopped. “Use Sunny Day first.” There was another scream, and the already intense desert sun got more intense. I gulped and reached for my canteen, gulping the water. Moriko took her canteen and drank. “Now, use Solarbeam to get yourself free.” Tiny flecks of light traveled down to the center of the ring of rocks. A few rocks to my left of the field crumbled into dust as Lily’s Solarbeam blasted them.

“Good job, Lily!” Moriko cried.

“Absorb, Lily!” I commanded. She pointed her leaves at Tiny, who panted as particles of his energy flew to Lily’s leaves. “Another Solarbeam!” She bowed her head at Tiny and shot out another Solarbeam. Tiny dove behind one of the rocks and curled up in a ball in an attempt to shield itself, despite watching the others rocks crumble under it.

The Solarbeam hit, illuminating the whole room with a bright flash. I was blinded by the light. “What happened?” My vision cleared, and Tiny was lying on his side, knocked out.

Lily won and grew to level 16! She learned Stun Spore!

“Great battle,” Sandy said as she returned Tiny. “I hope we can battle again.” She handed me Lily’s four-leaf clover.

“I hope so too!” Lily said happily.

“Lily will whoop everyone she comes against!” Moriko shouted as she still waved her flag.

“Aren’t your arms tired?” Swoop asked her.

“No! This thing’s as light as a feather.” She twirled the flag with one hand.

“Introducing Moriko, the world’s strongest cheerleader!” Lily shouted.

Lady Vulpix

18th August 2004, 03:12 PM

Shonta gets 4 stamps. The story was compact, but nice. ¢¢¢¢
Mike gets 13 stamps. Congratulations onyour new Eevee's birth! There were several grammar mistakes, especially verbs in past tense following "didn't", but the story was good and the descriptions were great, and original too. Only that the Totodile was supposed to be level 8, not 5. But I guess that was just a typo. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Wow, all battles have been rated now! :D

classy_cat18

18th August 2004, 03:26 PM

Gee, thanks. I find it harder to write for you than for anyone else. Even mr_pikachu. Can I just have a rgb battle for my L9 Taillow Swoop? I guess from the Free Range Corral?

Lady Vulpix

18th August 2004, 03:49 PM

Write for me? I'm sorry if you feel that way. Maybe someone else should rate your battles, if my responses make you uncomfortable. This isn't a test or anything like that, and I don't know how you've ended up writing for mr_pikachu, but here you're writing for yourself and everyone who wants to read, not for me/Amy/Karin. Anyway, next time I'll ask one of the opther workers to rate your post.

*Takes 7 stamps and clicks on the RBG.*

Swoop is going to battle a Spearow. I hope you enjoy writing this battle. Games only make sense when the players enjoy them.

classy_cat18

18th August 2004, 04:13 PM

I do enjoy writing them! I just don't enjoy the reviews. You just told me that this battle did worse than that typo-ridden battle I wrote for the Unicorn Games. My battles may not be long, but I thought they were at least adequate. At least, to me they were.

EDIT: How about we call a ceasefire?

Lady Vulpix

19th August 2004, 06:12 AM

It did not do worse, I liked it better, but it contained less events and descriptions, so I couldn't give stamps for what wasn't there. What I did find in your story was good. As I said, I liked it more than the last battle you wrote for the Unicorn Games. But if my ratings measured only how I felt about the story, they'd be too subjective and vary with my mood, and I don't think anyone would want that. I hope I've made myself clear enough.

SilverMachop

19th August 2004, 03:19 PM

[All in my POV]

“So guys, which one do you want to train in? Lava, Blizzard, Jungle, Pond or Desert?”
“I half expect the next three to be Blood, Sweat and Tears!”
“Ooo! Ooo, I know this one! I know the answer! Pick me, pick me!”
“Hmmmmmmmmmmm...”
The three Pokémon in front of me seemed to be having a lot of fun with the simple situation. As their trainer, Silver to all those who know me, I always allowed them to take part in the major decisions. Sometimes this was a mistake, for they were not the most passive of Pokémon; quite the opposite, really.
Seung Mina, my slender Scyther, was just like the video game lass she was named after: flirty, battle-hungry, a little scatterbrained, and an all-around fun-loving gal. She was a tad picky, and her sharp eyes kept darting from giant door to giant door. I noticed a small scowl every time she looked at the Lava Room, to no great surprise.
Anion was the rambunctious Minun who was jumping up and down at the moment. He was the excitable, joyful creature I had ever seen. Anion was a gift given to me by a friend at Dragon Tamers a long time ago. I wonder if the gal who gave Anion to me still remembers me, for she felt certain that Anion would love being in my party. He did, as he seemed to especially enjoy hanging out with my other two Pokémon.
Kung Pow has been with me the longest. I’ve always had a love for Fighting-type Pokémon, and Kung Pow is no exception. The little warrior, a great thinker with a sharp wit, liked to battle. When he did, he became an entirely different being than the soft-spoken, joke-telling Meditite he was normally. Come to think of it, I am the only one who’s seen the metamorphous he goes through, and not even Mina and Anion have seen it.
“How about Jungle Room?” I asked them, hoping to start training soon. “Looks like a good place to battle first off.”
Seung Mina shrugged, “Sure, fine.”
Anion nodded a great many times, flopping his ears around. “Sounds great!”
Kung Pow nodded very slowly once, then blinked for about four seconds. “That plan of action sounds reasonable.”
“All right, then! Let’s head off into the unknown!”
After those pathetically chosen words, I opened the doors to the Jungle Room, and my Pokémon were right behind me.
“Well, I feel at home now,” were Seung Mina’s first words.
The Jungle Room was like stepping in virtual-reality. The sounds of Pokémon cries echoed throughout the extremely tall trees. Many plants and trees, all of them exotic to me, grew to enormous sizes. The ones I did recognize seemed to be twice the normal size and much more healthy; Green Peace would love it here. After roaming throughout the jungle for several minutes, Kung Pow was the first one to become bored of nature.
“How does one get into a fight here?” he asked outloud.
Anion shrugged, still smiling contentedly. “You’ve got me, Kung. I don’t mind not battling though, for it is just so loverly here!”
Seung Mina nodded and added, “Yeah, I gotta agree that this is the first time that I prefer to not battle, but to just enjoy my surroundings for the time being.”
Kung Pow blinked for six seconds, then replied calmly, “This place may be great eye candy but we all know that some very strong Pokémon lurk deep within the shadows of the trees.”
A smile started to creep across Seung Mina’s face, then exploded into a wide grin. “You have turned into a poet on us, dear Kung Pow!”
Kung Pow’s face, like Seung Mina’s, erupted into a smile. His was smaller though, a quaint one that conveyed wisdom without having to have an elder’s beard. “Ah, but I saw the paths that I would trod down,” he started.
Motioning to the junction in the pathways, he continued to talk in his wise, British accent. “I saw two paths before my eyes, two paths which led to my goal. And I...”
He rested his arm on the tree gently and concluded, “I chose the one less traveled by, and that made all the difference.”
Cracking sounds could be heard just then, and I watched in horror as the tree split where Kung Pow was leaning against it. He backed away, but the damage was too great. In what seemed to be slow motion, the great tree toppled to the side with an earsplitting crash. The right pathway was blocked now, and the landing of the tree seemed to echo again and again, never letting up on us.
Kung Pow stood there in horrified silence for a couple seconds, then said, “Damn. I keep forgetting my strength.”
“Wow!” gushed Anion, looking far too thrilled. “Is that really what Pure Power does?”
Seung Mina shook her head, smirking a little. “Kung Pow, you old fool. When that tree fell in the forest, everyone heard it!”
A Grovyle then came skittering down the trunk of the tree, and he looked down at us, a mixture of amazement and anger on his impish face. “Hey, what the bloody hell was that for?” he chattered, his words harsh and high-pitched.
“I’m terribly sorry,” Kung Pow spoke up. “I was reciting poetry when-”
“Oh blast it!” exclaimed a Tropius as she swooped down and landed next to Grovyle. “Another poet! They cause so much damage in this Jungle Room!”
More and more wild Pokémon came scurrying over to the collapsed tree, all of them ones that would commonly live in such a tropical location. Strangely enough, they all had terrible British accents.
“That is one bleedin’ feat of strength, dear chap!” an Ivysaur loudly congratulated.
“Yes, jolly good!” a Ludiculo agreed.
“Is there any reason,” exclaimed Seung Mina, interrupting all of them, “why you all have really bizarre British accents?!”
“We’ve been watching Monty Python, old horse!” hissed an Arbok.
“In the jungle?” I asked, perplexed.
“Oh, yeah! ‘Tis really hard to get enough electric attacks to get our TV running!” an Ursaring exclaimed. “I mean, it’s bloody ridiculous.”
“Say, you have an electric Pokémon, old beast!” a Seviper exclaimed, looking at Anion. “Let us borrow him for the TV, don’t you know?”
“Hey no way!” Seung Mina shouted. “If she uses up her electricity, she won’t have enough energy for battle!”
“We’ll fight for him then!” a Masquerain declared. “We’ve only seen have of the episodes, and I don’t want to have to wait longer for the bleedin’ Pokémon we use for power to get done resting!”
A wise, old-looking Sceptile stepped up. “Tell you what, human trainer,” he said, looking at me in the eye. His words were calm, deep, and gave me a sense that he meant well. “How about we have a duel? If one of your Pokémon loses against one of us, you can make the choice whether or not to use your Anion for our TV. If you lose, we get to watch Monty Python, don’t you know?”
“Blimey!” Anion exclaimed. “I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!” He then rolled on the grassy ground laughing, as did several of the other wild Pokémon.
“I will fight the blighter!” a Surskit said, skittering up in open defiance.
“I’ll have a go-” Seung Mina started but Kung Pow interrupted her.
“No, the responsibility is mine, dear Mina,” he said, walking up to the Surskit. “After all, I owe them a tree.”
“Is it a larch?” Anion asked innocently.
Surskit had a wicked grin all over his face. “Prepare to be mashed into spam, Meditite.”
“I do not think so, Mr. Surskit.”

Level 5 Kung Pow Meditite

VS.

Level 8 Monty Python-Crazed Wild Surskit

Kung Pow sat there, cross-legged with his feet on his knees. He refused to budge, yet I could feel the energy of the land being drawn to him. The Meditite’s Meditation was a medium-powerful move, mastered by the muscular and mindful monster.
Surskit would have no more of the inertia. He sucked in air deeply, then blew out a stream of large, solid bubbles. The aquatic spheres smacked into Kung Pow but apart from the moments of his body when he was hit, he did not seem to notice the attack.
Surskit was becoming frustrated. Snarling, he dashed towards the meditating Pokémon and leapt at him headfirst. Slamming his cranium into Pow’s only seemed to give the Bug/Water Pokémon a headache, for Kung Pow gave no movement to the attack. That is, if you don’t count the red mark that was left on his forehead.
“Is he just going to sit there all day?” Seung Mina shouted, also upset by the lack of action.
“You have to give him a little time before telling him to attack,” I explained to her.
“Well, you’d better tell him to attack soon, or he’s just a living punching bag!”
“Very well then. Kung Pow,” I called to my statue-imitating Pokémon, “use Bide!”
The Meditite’s eyes sprang open, but they could not have been Kung Pow’s; these eyes were crazed, letting out an aura of bloodlust. The Fighting/Psychic Pokémon, who two minutes ago was peacefully reciting poetry, leapt to his face and bellowed.
“YES, SILVER!!!” he roared. Dashing at Surskit, fire and plasma started to form around his body like an erupting volcano. “CRUSH THE OPPOSITION!”
Surskit as well as every Pokémon there, including Seung Mina and Anion, looked horrified. Kung Pow charged forward, screaming like a crazed barbarian as he headed for his opponent, fist ready.
The bug Pokémon panicked, wondering where to run to. He tried skittering to the side but he had reacted too late. Kung Pow, with a shout of, “CHOKE ON THIS, BUDDY!” slammed his super-powered shoulder into Surskit’s face. The Bug/Water Pokémon went flying back and crashed against the fallen tree.
Noticing the opponent was not beaten yet, I cried out, “Kung Pow, use Dynamic Punch!”
Yelling out like a crazed, stereotype samurai, Kung Pow pulled his fist back. Fiery explosions burst forth from his knuckles, and he hammered the poor bug with the uber-strong punch. Another deafening explosion echoed throughout the jungle as Surskit went flying back again. Slamming into another tree, he had barely enough strength to pick himself up. This seemed useless though, as the insect was wobbling on his tiny legs, as if drunk and/or delirious. He was mumbling unintelligent things to himself.
“Ooo wow, man, Windows is such a fine computer company...” he slurred before he collapsed to the ground.
The old Sceptile approached the fallen Surskit, and to make sure he had fainted, poked him. “Yep, he’s down. Victory goes to the human’s Meditite.”
Then, as if the mere mention of his species cured him, Kung Pow’s eyes went back to their normal, calm state. “Ah, that was fun,” he said pleasantly. “I do enjoy a good battle, don’t you know?”

Kung Pow Meditite advances to Level 6!

Seung Mina and Anion were staring at Kung Pow, jaws open almost as wide as their eyes. “What... what...,” was all that came from Seung Mina’s mouth.
“That was... cool!” Anion exclaimed, snapping out of his amazement instantly. “Do it again, Kung Pow!”
The female Scyther reclaimed her wits with a shake of her head. “Holy cow, Kung Pow! What on earth was wrong with you?”
“That is always how I battle,” said Kung Pow intelligently. “I fight in a different manner than I normally behave to throw off the opponent.”
“Ya threw me awf, ya great poof,” slurred Surskit.
“Well, even though we won, I’ll gladly power your TV for you all!” said Anion. “I happen to love Monty Python!”
“Me too!” I agreed.
Seung Mina shrugged with a smile. “It’s okay, I guess.”
Kung Pow nodded slowly, moving his finger over the mark on his forehead. “An honor worth fighting for, it is.”

***

“I’m just curious, how many of these rooms come with TVs?” Seung Mina asked me.
“You got me. Sometimes I wonder how Pokémon could adapt to nature without the aid of humans,” said Kung Pow.
“Me... tired...,” droned Anion, sound exhausted but happy.
Anion had powered the TV for about four hours as the wild Pokémon and us watched the British comedy show. Everyone was in fits of laughter, and Anion lost the connection a couple times when he threw his head back and cracked up.
“Men sure look funny wearing dresses,” Seung Mina chuckled, then looked my way.
“Nope, not gonna do it,” I replied.
“Darn.”
Just then, a pack of Chikoritas leapt from the bushes and blocked our path. “Hold it right there!” the leader shouted.
“No, it’s the Knights who say Ni!” said Anion.
“We saw you guys helping that pack of morons with their TV!” continued the lead Chikorita. “Do you have any idea how sick we are of that show?”
“Oh great,” I groaned. “We caught ourselves in a rival war of Pokémon!”
Kung Pow raised an eyebrow, although he had started this feat when the Chikoritas made their sudden entrance. “My dear Chikoritas, what is so wrong with Monty Python?”
“We are sick of it!” roared the leader, who would have been more intimidating if she wasn’t three feet tall and sporting a squeaky voice. “Now we shall rip you to pieces!”
Anion squeaked in fear, and hid behind my leg. This remark, as well as the vicious looks in the Chikoritas’ eyes, was most unsettling. It was actually a little scary, for they did look like they wanted to cause us some serious harm.
“What is with this unnecessary violence?” Kung Pow asked them gently. “Surely we can talk this over!”
“No, we can’t!” bellowed a Chikorita in the ground, and leapt at Kung Pow. His leaf on his head whipped around, ready to slash Kung Pow unprepared. However, the flat side of a natural scythe knocked him aside. Crashing into the bushes, the snarling grass Pokémon crawled out, glaring evilly at Seung Mina.
“Don’t. You. Dare,” said Seung Mina, emphasizing each word.
The leader of the Chikoritas stepped forward. “You want to die too, Scyther? Are you part of this little band?”
“You’d better believe it,” the green mantis replied. She set herself up in her favorite battle pose, not letting her eyes off of the Chikorita.
“Very well then. You will die first,” said the Chikorita, whipping her leaf around. It sliced through a twig that was protruding from a bush, and lopped it clean off.
“Let’s see what you’re made of!”

Level 8 Seung Mina Scyther

VS.

Level 15 Hostile Wild Chikorita

The Chikorita immediately launched a blizzard of slicing leaves at Seung Mina. “Quick Attack!” I shouted to her, and she gave a little nod before zipping off.
Moving faster than my eyes could follow, Seung Mina darted from tree to tree, dodging the leaves that the grass Pokémon continued to fling. One or two caught Mina, yet she was moving too fast for me to see if she was in much pain.
When Seung Mina closed in on her prey, the Chikorita created a magic barrier in front of her. Seung Mina’s scythe-like arm slashed the Reflect, and she leapt away, wincing in pain.
Growling, the Chikorita released a foul-smelling powder from the pods around her neck. I recognize the smell: Poison Powder.
“Blow it away, Mina!”
Mina’s thin but firm wings kicked up, and the powder was sent back to its owner. However, the nimble opponent jumped away just in time. Leaping at Seung Mina, the grass Pokémon caught her off guard and tackled her in the stomach. The mantis recovered quickly but looked very upset.
“I’ll get you for that!” she hissed. Launching another Quick Attack, she slammed the Chikorita with her shoulder. The Chikorita looked a little fazed but not hurt.
“Don’t make me laugh, fool,” the grass Pokémon hissed. She let out a particularly loud Growl, yet Seung Mina was not intimidated by it; Anion was, and wrapped his little arms tightly around my leg.
Seung Mina glared right back at Chikorita with an off-putting Leer, and the little leaf Pokémon looked nervous. Maybe challenge the living weed whacker was not such a good idea...
I called out to Mina to do another Quick Attack, and the Bug/Flying Pokémon obeyed without hesitation. Charging forward, she rammed her foe back, harder than ever this time.
The fear that had struck Chikorita was gone now. Bruised and furious, she was taking deep, angry breathes. “I will kill you, you... foul beast!”
It was just then that I noticed she was standing in front of the pack of bloodthirsty Chikoritas, and that Seung Mina was lined up perfectly for a certain move. “Seung Mina, use your specialty!”
The green-skinned Pokémon smiled back at me, obviously pleased with this decision. She whipped her head back to her opponent as her wings starting beating rapidly.
“Try dodging THIS!!” she cried out as she thrust her body forward. The air became thin, piercing, glittering blades, and blew all over the pack of Chikoritas. The Silver Wind sliced through the small herd, mainly into the leader of the pack, who collapsed from the numerous strikes of wind blades.
Seung Mina smirked coyly at her opponents, who were shaking their heads and muttering in pain. “Who wants more?” she asked them, a wicked grin on her face.
“Stop!” One of the Chikoritas bounded forward, holding up one foot to gesture his word further. “We surrender! I have no clue why we behaved like that!”
“Come again?” Seung Mina asked, looking confused.
“Well, it all started when some suspicious humans came into the jungle. They... they just wandered around, as if they just wanted to see what was going on!”
The other Chikoritas were aiding their fallen leader, working with the utmost care. It was touching how much they tended to Seung Mina’s opponent, a complete change from the murderous attitude they had seconds ago.
“Suspicious humans...,” said Anion, taking cautious steps towards the Chikoritas. He stuck close to Seung Mina, who had relaxed. “What did they look like?”
“I... don’t remember...,” the grass Pokémon admitted. “It’s hard to remember what happened a few hours ago. All I know is that when we all were upset about how loud Monty Python was being played, and that little anger just seemed to multiply in a matter of seconds!”
Kung Pow drummed his fingers together in a leisurely manner. “Sounds like you either have great impatience, or these suspicious characters are responsible for the inflammation of anger you had.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised; we’ve never felt such anger before. I guess that Silver Wind from your powerful friend here smacked some sense into us.”
Seung Mina started to smile. “Thanks.”
Kung Pow looked back at me. “If the Pokémon here have been affected by these shadowy beings, then maybe they are still here. We should stop them, Silver.”
“No, they left, I remember that,” the Chikorita informed him. “They said something... about... some kind of device that was kept in one of the rooms. That might be the case.
“Ah-HA!” exclaimed Kung Pow. “They must be using this device to increase hostility in the wild Pokémon! The fiends must keep the device in one of the rooms! Which one could it be?”
“Not this one, obviously,” I said, tapping my cheek in thought. “Think you can help us, Chikoritas?”
The leader, who had stood to her feet by now, answered that question. “We’d love to, but we can’t. Us grass Pokémon cannot stand the heat from the Lava and Desert Rooms, we cannot swim in the Pond Room, and the Blizzard Room would be the death of us.”
“ ‘Tis okay,” chirped Anion, who seemed content now. “We’ll find those jerks and get back at them for you!”
“Oh, before you go,” the female Chikorita motioned to one of her companions, who ran into the bushes, “the humans that were responsible dropped this TM on their way out. They had made the mistake of insulting Monty Python in front of a Scizor, and were chased out. They dropped it in their retreat.”
That Chikorita came back, pushing the round TM. He nudged it towards Seung Mina, and smiled up at her. “You would put good use to this, Miss Scyther.”
Seung Mina grinned back at him, and lifted it up delicately with her scythes. She handed to me, and I read the label on it: “TM47 - Steel Wing.”
After a quick activation of the machine, there was a flash of silver-and-gray light. Seung Mina blinked, then grinned widely. Her wings buzzed as she said, “Not bad, not bad...”

Seung Mina advances to Level 10!

Seung Mina learned Steel Wing via TM 47!

“We had better go now and explore the other rooms,” I said to my Pokémon.
After saying good-bye to the Chikoritas and receiving their apologizes, we headed for the exit. As Anion and Seung Mina chatted, Kung Pow courted me into a conversation.
“Shadowy humans do not belong to the Dragon Tamers,” he said to me.
“Think it may be Team Rocket?” I asked him; the idea had crossed my mind several times.
“On our turf? Not likely, but still a possibility,” he sighed and crossed his arms. “I have a bad feeling about this, Silver.”
“Me too. Where should we continue the search?”
“Let us discuss that when we have exited this room.”
He then looked up, drinking in the sight of the tall, proud trees. Looking around, he admired the wild life and exotic plants. “A pity,” he finally said, “I would’ve liked to stay and relax here in the Jungle Room.”

END OF PART 1.

classy_cat18

20th August 2004, 12:33 AM

*hangs head* I'll be good. Even I have to admit that this battle isn't good.

Swoop’s POV

I sat frozen on the branch. My blood was frozen, and so were my wings. I felt the presence of them all around me but I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t see anything at all. They were waiting for me to move.

Maybe if I go quickly and quietly they won’t get me. I raised my wings and froze again. Close to me was a pair of glowing red eyes, burning with hatred. More eyes opened and glared at me. I opened my beak and called out for someone to come save me. “Mama,” I whispered. Mama didn’t come. I had to get out of there. I threw caution to the wind and launched myself off the branch and into the darkness. Immediately there was the rustling of many wings as a whole flock of Spearow took after me. Their awful screeching hurt my ears.

I raced through the trees to try to escape them. I heard their wings get closer and closer. I couldn’t go any faster! “Gotcha!” one of them cried as he flew above me and sank his talons into my back. The pain was too much! I was falling, falling…

“AAAH!” I screamed. I wasn’t in the forest anymore, but in Shonta’s room. I lay on my back, panting and staring hard into the ceiling. I had fallen off of my perch. It was just a nightmare. No red eyes. No wings beating. No screeching. No pain. “Just a dream. No, it wasn’t a dream.” This was a memory.

“Swoop?” I stood up to find Lily looking at me with a troubled expression. “Are you okay?”

My heartbeat finally slowed down. “Yeah.”

She came closer. “Are you sure? You were close to the ceiling when you fell.”

I was about to repeat my answer, but noticed that she was old enough to know better. “No, Lily. I had a bad dream.”

“What was it about?”

“When I was a hatchling I wanted nothing more than to leave the nest. I wanted to fly. I was the most ambitious one among my siblings. I practiced every day. Then came the day to leave the nest. The first night I accidentally flew into Spearow territory. At first it was okay, but then the Spearow woke up and noticed me. I could feel their eyes burning in me. I knew if I stayed I would attacked.”

“But if you tried to leave, you would’ve been attacked anyway,” Lily whispered in awe.

“Exactly. I thought I could try to escape them, but they were faster than me. One of them got above me and sank his talons into my back. I fell and…”

“And what?”

“I can’t remember. I woke up the next morning wrapped in a blanket in someone’s home. A human nursed me back to health and took me to the Adoption Center. That’s where Shonta found me.”

Lily looked at me with awe. “That hasn’t stopped you from wanting to travel, huh?”

“No. I’ll just be wiser next time I go by myself.” I lifted my wings to fly back up to my perch but Lily stopped me.

“You should sleep down here. I don’t want you falling again.”

“Thanks, Lily.”

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

I winced as sunlight reached my eyelids. The rest of the night was a dreamless one. It felt like I didn’t get any rest. But Lily stayed next to me whether she was asleep or awake, and that made me feel comfortable. “I don’t wanna go to school today,” I groaned.

“Sorry, but I don’t want my buddy sleeping through a nice day like this,” Lily said. She rubbed her leaves against me until I woke up unwillingly.

I didn’t feel like flying much today, but hopping tired me out. I took off for the living room where the rest of the team slept. Everyone but Trinity slept on blankets and pillows. Trinity slept on the couch, something she was not allowed to do. “Why do you keep on trying Shonta’s nerves?” I asked her as she struggled to get up.

“I’m much too good for the floor,” she said dreamily. “That floor is much too hard for my delicate body.”

“If she finds another piece of your fur on the couch you’re going to be complaining about the rain.”

She rolled off of the couch and walked to the kitchen, incidentally rubbing her tails in my face as she passed me. I sneezed and went to check up on the other Pokemon. Moriko was clutching her Lily flag tightly as she snored her cares away. Athena was getting up and Beacon looked like she was having a nightmare. She was growling and sparking, so I kept my distance.

“Beacon, wake up!” I yelled.

Beacon’s eyes jerked open. “Swoop, why did you have to do that? I was having a wonderful dream!”

“What could you have possibly been dreaming about?”

“I was having a battle. I was an Ampharos!” She groaned. “I haven’t battled in a long time, Swoop. I’m getting antsy.” She slowly walked to the kitchen.

Moriko opened an eye. “She’s been like this for days. I think she has too much energy bottled up inside her. That and electricity. That wool’s about to come over her eyes.” She carried her flag to where the others sat.

I was about to wake up Athena when Shonta came in. “Time for breakfast, Swoop. Athena will wake up soon.”

I flew to the bowl labeled with my name and started to eat. For a while no one said anything. Then Shonta spoke. “Swoop, how about a training battle? You haven’t battled in a while and I’m scared you got rusty.”

I stopped eating. “Have not. Schedule the battle and I’ll mop the floor with my opponent!”

Trinity snorted. “I would pay to see that.”

“You don’t have money!”

“Okay then. If you don’t get creamed by this opponent of yours before you actually win, then I’ll…stop sleeping on the couch.”

Everyone looked up. “You’ve been sleeping on the couch again?” Shonta asked her.

“I told you the floor was too hard! Besides, I’m hypoallergenic. Back to our little bet. If you pull one of those ‘come from behind’ victories, you’ll have to stop bothering me about the couch thing. And that goes with all of you.”

Everyone stopped eating. Even Moriko, who never stops drinking her sap until she’s finished. They were all looking at me. “You’re on,” I told Trinity.

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

I sat on Shonta’s shoulder as she stood at the front desk, filling out yet another form. The worker took it and walked in a room in the back. I had my feather slightly puffed in confidence.

“Are you ready for this?” Shonta asked me, grinning.

“I was born ready!”

Lily was standing beside us. She looked up at me with a troubled expression on her face. “Swoop, you should’ve taken this day off. Especially after that rough night.”

“I’m fine. Stop worrying about me.” I flapped my wings in impatience. I wanted to go ahead and win this. Lily will give Trinity the play-by-play and wipe that smile off her face.

The worker came back. “Your opponent is through those doors.” She pointed the way. “Good luck.”

We entered the training arena and faced our opponent, a young girl. “Before you ask us, we’re ready,” Shonta told her.

“Okay. Go Birdy!” She threw a pokeball containing…

“Oh no,” I heard Lily said. She noticed the shocked look on my face.

My blood was back to being frozen. The dream flashed before my eyes. The falling… “AAAH!”

Lily’s POV

Shonta shook Swoop hard, pinning her wings to her sides. “Snap out of it! It’s just a Spearow! Just give us a second,” she told the girl and Birdy.

“Exactly why she doesn’t want to battle him!” I told her. “She had a dream last night about her being chased by Spearow!” I waved my leaves and released my Sweet Scent. Swoop’s screams slowly got quieter and she stopped struggling. “Be calm.”

Swoop took a deep breath. “Sorry. I’m ready now.” She flew out to the arena and faced the Spearow with bravery.

L9 Female Spearow (Swoop) vs. L9 Spearow (Birdy)

“Birdy, Peck!” the girl shouted. The Spearow took off and headed for Swoop with his sharp beak.

“Stay where you are and use Counter!” Shonta commanded. Swoop stood on the ground as her body was surrounded by a red aura. Birdy was flung back and was on his back. “Use Quick Attack while he’s down!”

“Birdy, evade and use Quick Attack!” Birdy shot up just as Swoop dove to sink her talons in him. He hovered above her, seemingly enjoying her fright as she stood there, frozen. Birdy circled around a couple of times and suddenly dropped with talons outstretched.

She’s remembering the dream again. “Swoop, snap out of it and use Counter again!” I yelled. She wouldn’t move. Luckily Birdy withdrew his talons and was content on bashing her with his head. I winced as Swoop cried out in pain. “That should snap her out of it.”

“She’s gotta get back in the game. Try Aerial Ace!” she told Swoop.

Swoop got up. She had this depressed look on her face, like she gave up or something. I wanted to do something, but interfering would get her disqualified. I had to say something. “Swoop, you can’t give up. I know you want to go places but there are some people that will just get in your way. That’s why you have to get stronger! If you ever accidentally take a wrong turn you’ll be strong enough to get back on track!”

Swoop looked at me and her face hardened. She lifted her wings to the sky. Birdy flew in place, unsure of what to do. “Birdy, Peck!” his trainer cried.

“Quick Attack!” my trainer retaliated. Swoop swiftly plowed into his enemy and sent him flying backwards. He stopped himself, dazed but still in the air. Swoop then rose high into the sky, circled around Birdy, and darted right into his right wing. Birdy spun in midair and crashed to earth, defeated.

Swoop won and grew to level 10! She got Substitute as her free TM!

Everoy

20th August 2004, 12:51 PM

Just in case this scenario ends sometime soon, could I have an extension?

Charizard04621

20th August 2004, 06:07 PM

Sure you can.

SilverMachop

20th August 2004, 08:51 PM

I guess I'll ask for an extension as well. I'd hate to have to cut my story short. I'll be posting the second part once the first once is rated.

That is all.

Wolfsong

21st August 2004, 12:26 PM

SilverMachop: That was a good story. Take 19 stamps. I enjoyed reading it. The battles were well described, and fun to read. You may have the extension and i'm looking to see what happens next.

Shonta: The intro was really good and well written. It was interesting to see some of Swoops background. *chuckles at Trinity* The battle was a bit short and kinda rapetitive, but i know how that can be with low leveled pokes and a shortness of attacks. I liked Lily's little speech and that is very true. Take 7 stamps.

Now i'm off to work on my stories some more ^^;

AntiAsh Superstar

22nd August 2004, 03:57 PM

Hehe, call me a sucker for punishment if you like but now that I've finished with the Unicorn Games I'd like to give Marius a RBG battle in the Universal Adoption Centre, please, just so I can get a rather silly idea I've had for him out of my head. ^^;; *pays seven stamps*

Lady Vulpix

22nd August 2004, 05:00 PM

I was thinking of having an RBG battle myself one day (if I get the time).
Ok, Marius is gong to battle a Sableye! :oh:
Good luck!

Wolfsong

22nd August 2004, 06:07 PM

Not many ideas for this particular room, plus a case of writer’s block. *shrugs* I need to come up with a better description of aeroblast. I didn’t feel up to color coding ever comment this time either ^^;

(Jas’s POV)

It felt weird not having Amy with us, but I was glad that I was finally going to be able to battle. Sweetie had gone inside her pokeball for the flight. As usual, I perched myself around Talut’s neck. When we finally got there, at first the receptionist didn’t want to let us in. I was about to burst into tears, when Sweetie asked her to take a closer look at the name. The lady was about to say something, but she did take a closer look at the note. When she did, she gasped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand the circumstances. You may go in.” I rolled my eyes, but I was very much relieved.

Talut gently picked me up, and I curled myself around his arm, as we were to the pond room. I smiled up at him. Talut was like a brother to me, and since I haven’t seen Dad in ages, we had gotten even closer. “You’ll do fine.” he whispered. “Worse case scenario, I have your pokeball. <We won’t let anything bad happen to you.> Sweetie added telepathically. “You’re all so cheerful.” I said as the receptionist opened the door.

I gasped in amazement at the sight that greeted me. Except for the wooden platform that led from the doorway, there was nowhere else to stand. The platform would barely hold our entire team if they were here. However, it was rather roomy with just the three of us. As I looked down at the water, I realized that it was the same crystal blue color as Sinopa’s eyes. I wish she was here, I found myself thinking. “So where are our opponents?” I asked. “Just be patient, and keep an eye open. They’ll eventually make their presence known.” Sweetie answered. No sooner had she spoken than I saw the shape of a crocodile swimming towards us. When it reached the wooden platform, the croconaw surfaced. “Looks like you get to battle first.” Sweetie stated matter of factly. “I’m too strong for him.” I nodded, as I folded my wings in and dived into the pool. The croconaw waited until I was in the water, before he nodded.

Jasmine L.18 F Winged Dratini VS. L.25 M Croconaw

Once the croconaw nodded indicating that he was ready, he charged. He was faster than he looked, and had crunched down on my tail before I could even react. I gritted my teeth, as the gem on my head, crackled with electricity as three rings shot from it. They hurtled over to the croconaw and as they drew closer, they enlarged before ensnaring him. After a few minutes, they disappeared but the damage had been done. The croconaw was now paralyzed.

I immediately pulled my tail out of his mouth, as I wrapped myself around his neck and began to squeeze. That wasn’t the brightest idea I ever had because as soon as his muscles had loosened allowing him to move, he grabbed me and with surprising strength he hurled me across the arena. Landing with a loud splash, I shook my head trying to gather my bearings. Once I felt ready, I concentrated on the water underneath me as I willed it to push me high into the air. I grinned, as I surfed towards my opponent who was just sitting there. I thought that the paralysis had overtaken him, and that he was unable to move out of the way. However, I was wrong. What I didn’t notice was the smirk that he was wearing. Just when I though that the wave that I was surfing on was about to hit him, it just went flat, causing me to crash into the water. I was stunned and unable to figure out what had happened. “I see that I’ve surprised you with the power of my hidden power.” the croconaw said, speaking for the first time. “Water?” I asked. <Careful, don’t let your guard down.> Sweetie warned, but she was too late. “Yeah, and here’s another little surprise.” The crocodile continued, before spraying me with a toxic sludge. “Ew…” I said as I ducked underwater, trying to wash it off but I wasn’t fast enough. I groaned as I felt the toxins slowly eating away at my health.

The croconaw began swimming towards me, but froze midstroke as the paralysis took over. I looked him straight in the eyes, as my eyes began to glow red. “Big deal. I can use leer myself. See?” he said as his muscles unlocked, allowing him to perform the exact same attack that I had just used. However, when he did it, he looked so intimidating that I shrank back. “Thought so.” He said, briefly glowing yellow and soon there were four croconaws instead of just one. “Just try and hit me now.” he gloated. “All right,” I said, as my gem began crackling once more. “Thunderbolt now has a three in four chance of missing.” he gloated. “Who said I was using thunderbolt?” I answered enigmatically, shortly before releasing the wave of electrical energy. I smiled with satisfaction as the shock wave attack tore through the clones before slamming into the croconaw. “See?” I said sticking out my tongue.

So you have a super effective move. Big deal. I have one too. Anything you can do, I can do better.” He said opening his mouth revealing a glowing white orb. Crap, ice beam. “Hidden power, don’t fail me now I whispered, as I dug down deep inside contacting it. Almost immediately, I felt a wind stirring and I opened up my wings. The air filled them and lifted me up just in the nick of time as the ice beam sailed harmlessly beneath me. Almost immediately the wind died and I plummeted back into the water. I quickly swam to the surface and gasped for air. By now, the poisons were doing a number on me.

<Quick, behind you!> I looked behind me and saw the croconaw with his arm raised about to scratch me. I tried to swim out of the way, but I wasn’t fast enough and I was getting tired. I felt his claws bite into my skin, and then they stuck! In a panic, I used extreme speed, and as I bolted forwards, I heard a dry crackling sound. When I looked back, the croconaw was staring puzzled at what looked like a purplish snake skin. It was about that moment that I realized that it was mine and that I was no longer poisoned. I grinned. I needed to end this fast, and since the croconaw was distracted it was the perfect time. I concentrated on my aeroblast attack, and was soon watching the beam of flying energy racing towards my opponent. He looked up just in time to see the attack a split second before it hit and, soon, he was out like a light. Talut flew over and picked me up bringing me back to the wooden platform.

I won!
I grew to L.20!
I learned Double Team as my free TM

(Sweetie’s POV)

When Jas was safely out of the water, I nodded at Talut before jumping in. Taking a deep breath, I dove under thoroughly drenching myself before surfacing again. Once I emerged, I looked around but didn’t see anything. Closing my eyes, I focused on my other senses which kept telling me to turn to the left. When I did and opened my eyes, I saw an enormous shape emerging from the deep. Soon, the mighty behemoth surfaced and I was facing a humongous specimen of a lapras. He was by far the largest that I had ever seen.

“Hello.” He greeted me, his booming voice echoing all around. “My name is Jonah.” I grinned, and the lapras noticed. “And yes, that’s where my trainer got the idea to name me. What’s your name?” “Sweetie.” “Well, nice to meet you Sweetie.” “Nice to meet you too, Jonah.” He bowed his head. “Shall we start?” “I’m ready when you are/” “Then let’s go.”

Sweetie L.45 White F Espeon VS. Jonah L.45 M Lapras

Jonah began by taking in a deep breath, before starting to sing. It was a beautiful song, too. Immediately, I began to feel sleepy, and I knew that I had to do something. I tried growling loudly in hopes of blocking out the effects of the song, but unfortunately, it didn’t work. My eyes grew heavier. It was as if my eyelids had turned to lead, and soon I was fast asleep.

(Jas’s POV)

I watched in horror, as the lapras began to sing. For some inexplicable reason, neither Talut nor me fell asleep. “Why?” I asked him. “Safeguard.” he replied. “Oh, okay.” When I looked back over at Sweetie, she was fast asleep floating in the water. “Why didn’t you use safeguard on her?” “Because she wouldn’t have wanted me to interfere in her battle, and I’m not supposed to. Besides, she’ll be fine.” “You sure?” He smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure that she will be.” I turned my attention back to the battle, though, now it appeared to be rather one-sided. The lapras’ horn began to crackle with electrical energy before it arced out in the shape of a lightning bolt at Sweetie. She stirred, but remained fast asleep. Jonah then swam backwards a few feet before stopping and lining Sweetie up in his sights. Then, he charged forward at surprising speed for such a large creature. When he slammed into Sweetie, his momentum carried both of them into one of the legs of the wooden platform, with Sweetie taking much of the impact. I curled myself tightly around Talut’s leg in order not to fall of from the shaking of the platform. The only good thing in my opinion about that attack was that it served to wake Sweetie up.

(Sweetie’s POV)

“Ow,” I muttered, as I woke up. My whole body was aching. Jonah was shaking his head, trying to get his bearings back. I couldn’t let that happen. I closed my eyes and concentrated. “Wow.” I heard Jas comment, before opening my eyes. I saw the ruby gem on my forehead glowing a violet color. As I watched the glow intensified to a point where it could no longer be contained any longer and launched itself in a beam towards Jonah. The luster purge slammed into Jonah with such intensity that he was sent hurtling backwards as he cried out in both pain and surprise. His horn began spinning around as he tried to jab me with it. I barely managed to get out of the way just in the nick of time, and I sighed in relief. “You’re good.” Jonah remarked. “So are you.” I complemented him as I concentrated. As I did so, an orb of ethereal energy began forming in the air in front of me. Once I was sure that it contained enough energy, with a flick of my paw I sent it hurtling forwards. It slammed into Jonah with surprising force. He shook his head, before his horn began sparking and crackling with electricity. I watched his every move carefully, and even though I was hit by the thunderbolt I was positive that I could perfectly mimic that attack. As soon as the sting had faded away, my fur began crackling with electricity as it stood out from my skin. Next, the gem on my forehead took on a golden glow as the electrical energy surged from it and slammed into the lapras’s long slender neck. To my surprise, he remained conscious though anyone could see that he was on the verge of fainting. Jonah began to since again, though this time it wasn’t a peaceful lullaby. It was something much more sinister. The daunting song sent shivers down my spine. I quickly focused once more on my psychic powers and sent a beam of psychic waves in his direction. This time, Jonah sank into the realm of unconsciousness.

I won!
I grew to L.47!
I learned Psychic

I used my psychic powers to lift myself up and out of the pool. Once I was safely on the platform, I shook myself dry, and in the process soaking both Talut and Jas. “Sorry.” “It’s quite all right.” Talut reassured me. “Shall we go outside and see if Amy and the others have arrived yet?” he asked. “Sounds good to me.” I answered, though I had a feeling that they were indeed in the lobby waiting for us. Sure enough, ten minutes later, I heard Darin exclaim. “Am, there they be!” I had to chuckle at him. He was a cutie. “How were the battles?” Amy asked. “Tiring,” I replied. “Can we go back to the hotel and get some rest?” “Sure thing.” Amy answered, as our little group slowly made their way back to the hotel room.

*Murkrow

24th August 2004, 04:07 PM

Can I have a random battle for Xol, my L13 female Sneasel please?
*Forks over the 7 Stamps*
And to make this interesting, I'd like her opponent to be from the Caledor's Nature Protection Agency.

Wolfsong

24th August 2004, 04:17 PM

*takes stamps* Xol will be battling a Houndour

classy_cat18

28th August 2004, 07:10 PM

Um, can I have an rbg for Athena, please? From the Universal Adoption Center?

Wolfsong

28th August 2004, 07:56 PM

*takes 7 stamps.*She will be battling a absol.

Charizard04621

29th August 2004, 08:37 AM

Amy, that was nice for writer's block. A little short, but worthy of 18 Stamps! :)

classy_cat18

30th August 2004, 12:38 AM

Athena’s POV

I clutched onto my teddy bear as the lightning flashed. The rest of the team was inside their pokeballs, and Shonta didn’t give much comfort to me. I would’ve been inside my pokeball but I didn’t like it that much. Swoop was the only one that would stay outside her pokeball during a thunderstorm, and she wasn’t with us anymore.

I walked to the pokeballs that lay on the nightstand and took Trinity’s pokeball. I enjoyed the feel of her soft fur when she was willing to sleep on the ground and allow me to use her as a pillow. After a few deep breaths, I let her out. She glared at me with fiery red eyes and lashing tails. “This had better be good, Teddy Girl,” she growled.

I clutched my bear even tighter. Trinity wasn’t nice when her sleep was interrupted. “Um…I can’t sleep. Could you sleep with me?”

She snarled at me. “You interrupt my perfectly good dream for this!?! I’m going back in.” She reached for the pokeball, but I pulled back. “Athena…”

“Please sleep with me! The thunderstorm’s scary, but it’s even scarier when I’m in my pokeball!”

Trinity sat down and stared at me ferociously for a minute. Each time the lightning flashed through the window, her eyes would light up, making me almost take a step back. Finally she sighed and lay down. “You owe me one.”

“Thank you so much!” I nestled my head in her fur. “Good night, Trinity.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

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

Shonta and I watched Lily enjoy the sunshine the next morning. She sat on the stone steps of the front porch, me sitting right beside her. We were silent for a while then Shonta broke the silence. “I got Lily a Giga Drain TM for her excellence in the Unicorn Games. Now what to do for you?”

I gulped. She’s been wanting me to battle for a while now. “That’s not really necessary. I’m quite content cheering the others on.”

“I know, but there’s some freaky things going on at that island. The Dragon Tamers need all the help they can get. I know they’ll benefit from a strong Fighting type like you.”

I watched Lily run through the newly mown grass. Right now she was the strongest of all of us, followed by Jewel. The rest of us were still in the single digit levels. We would need extra training, and I did want to help my trainer. “Okay. Would you be willing to schedule a training battle for me today?”

She brightened up. “That’s the spirit! We can go right now!”

Why do I have the feeling that this will be tougher than she thinks?

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

“Alright! I get to see my fellow brawler fight!” Moriko exclaimed as we sat in the lobby. As soon as Shonta announced to my teammates that I was going for my first battle with Shonta, she ran and got her flag. This time it had a picture of me. “What do you think of my flag, Athena?”

“How did you get a picture of me on that flag?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to fight. You see, I may be Lily’s biggest fan because she’s the little guy, but you’re a real fighter like me! We fighters have to support each other!” She reached out and pulled me to her side. “There’s nothing like going fist-to-fist in a real fight!”

I felt kind of embarrassed. Surely I was no brawler like Moriko. I could never have the passion for battling that she had. But I was glad she had confidence in me. “Thanks, Moriko. I will do my best.”

Shonta backed away from the front desk. “We have our battle, girls! To the stadium!”

“To the stadium!” Moriko echoed.

“To the stadium,” I repeated meekly. I followed them through the doors and faced our opponent, another young girl. In front of her stood an Absol. I grasped to whatever confidence I still had and walked to the center of the arena. Absol joined me. “Um, may the better Pokemon win.” I held out my paw.

Absol just grinned. “I will own your ass. That is a promise.”

The referee looked at us. “This battle will be between Shonta’s Mankey and Julia’s Absol. Let the battle begin!”

L5 Female Mankey (Athena) vs. L5 Female Absol

Absol swiftly brought her claws across my face. I covered my face in pain and surprise. My anger suddenly surfaced. “That was a cheap shot!” I shouted. I took one of my paws from my face and brought my nails across Absol’s face. She howled in pain. My nails weren’t as sharp as her claws but they still hurt.

“Go, Athena! Show that…witch who is boss!” Moriko cheered. I could picture her waving her flag.

My adrenaline was racing. The fighter in me was not letting that Absol get away from scratching me like that. I marched up to her and grabbed her roughly by the neck. “Listen. I was trying to display good sportsmanship and this is how you show yours?” I shoved her away. “I will own your ass. That is a promise.”

Absol snarled. “Are you trying to hide your cowardice?”

I paused. My threat pretty much took care of my anger. Now I was back to being just Athena. Not Athena the Brawler. Not the Athena that Moriko was picturing me as. “Maybe I am. But I’m not going to let that stop me!”

She snickered. “What a brave fool. We’ll see how that changes.” She slowly faded into nothing.

Faint Attack! I stood still and waited for some sign of her approaching. I heard shuffling behind me and turned around just in time to see her wild face reappear and bash me with her horn. I tumbled in the dirt for a while and quickly back to my feet. The Brawler had returned. My temper rose with my temperature. The air around me shimmered from the heat.

“Alright, Athena! Use your Overheat!” Shonta shouted.

I opened up my mouth and unleashed a huge stream of fire toward Absol. “Dodge, Absol!” Julia cried. Absol did her best, but the attack was too big around to miss. A darker Absol emerged from the fire, furious. “Now Thunderbolt!” Absol’s horn shone and sparked, sending a bolt and shocking me.

I dropped to one knee, my energy zapped like I was. The Overheat took it out of me too. But I wasn’t going to lose. Some part of me would not forgive myself if I lost. I stood up and faced Absol. “What are you waiting for? Attack me!”

Absol unleashed another Thunderbolt for me. My muscles screamed as I leapt and dodged the attack. I ran for Absol, crossing my arms in front of me. This is how Shonta showed me how to do it. I skidded to a halt inches in front of Absol and sprung upwards. I came crashing down on her back. She shrieked and collapsed under me.

I won and grew to level 6!

I smirked at Moriko. She was actually quiet and her flag was still. “Don’t you have anything to say?” I asked her.

“Wow,” she said quietly. “Wow! I didn’t know you had it in you! You were so…furious!”

“Of course she was. That is a Mankey’s nature,” Shonta said. “Docile until provoked.”

I felt my anger dissipate. My enemy was defeated, and I was ready to go home and celebrate. I wobbled to Moriko and leaned on her for support. “You know, Jewel said something to me about you,” Moriko said as we walked out of the arena.

“What’s that?”

“She said something about Athena being the goddess of civilized warfare. I said I thought that that Mars guy was in charge of warfare. She said that he was in charge of the bad kind of warfare. I think I know what she meant after seeing you now. You’re still the Athena that we knew before today. You’re still civilized.”

Lady Vulpix

30th August 2004, 06:41 AM

Wow, that was a nice battle, Shonta! Take 10 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Amy, sorry for yhe delay in reading your story. Karin's already rated it now (thanks, Karin), but I want you to know that I've finally read it, and I enjoyed it. :)

classy_cat18

30th August 2004, 09:20 AM

Cool. Can I have a rbg for Beacon, also from the Universal Adoption Center?

Lady Vulpix

30th August 2004, 09:35 AM

Alright. Beacon is going to battle a Beldum. O_o

classy_cat18

1st September 2004, 01:58 PM

*notices that she didn't put down level and species* Sorry 'bout that.

Beacon’s POV

“Athena…” Trinity sang while she lounged on the sofa.

“What is it, Trinity?” Athena answered in a sweet voice. The scar on the front of her nose that she got from an Absol’s claws stood out.

Trinity jumped down on the sofa and left the living room. She came back with her grooming brush in her mouth, which she spit out at Athena’s feet. “You owed me, remember? Don’t forget my snazzy ‘do.”

Athena chuckled and started to brush her. I watched that brush with longing. I haven’t had a battle for so long that my wool accumulated too much electricity. My wool was too puffy and static-y. It was getting harder to contain my electricity. It had to go somewhere.

Shonta came into the room, Moriko at her heels. I noticed that the Heracross was carrying the flag that she uses to cheer on whoever’s battling. I walked over and peeked at the flag. It had my picture on it! “Yay! I’m next!” I exclaimed. I nuzzled my trainer lovingly. “Thank you so much! Now I know what to do with all this electricity!”

Moriko blinked. “Didn’t know she’ll be this eager to battle.”

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

My opponent stood at the other end of the arena. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. It was basically a red eye and a blue leg floating in midair. Looks can be deceiving, I guess. I looked back at Shonta. “What is this thing?”

She pulled a book out of her backpack. “This is a Beldum. It’s a Steel/Psychic. That’s all this thing says. I should get a Pokedex.”

Great. Good physical defense plus good special offense. I looked at the thing. It floated there, emotionless and speechless. At least it wasn’t trash talking like Athena’s opponent was.

“This battle will be between Shonta’s Mareep and Dan’s Beldum,” the referee announced as if there was an audience watching us. “One on one and no time limits. Let the battle begin!”

L8 Female Mareep (Beacon) vs. L8 Genderless Beldum

“Beacon, use Thunderbolt!” Shonta commanded.

“Beldum, dodge and use Take Down!” Dan yelled as my Thunderbolt raced toward Beldum. Beldum shifted to the side and avoided the attack. He then flew toward me, accelerating gradually.

“Beacon, stand your ground and use Growl!” I dug my hooves in and growled loudly at the flying eye, but it still headed for me. It looked unaffected as it spun and hit my side. “What happened?”

“It’s Beldum’s trait, Clear Body. Its stats cannot be lowered. Now another Take Down!”

That guy is a Steel/Psychic. I know he has better attacks. Unless he really doesn’t. I ran forward and rammed my head into him. He didn’t budge! What’s more is that my head really hurt from that Tackle! Oh yeah. He’s a Steel type.

“Beldum, another Take Down!” his trainer cried. Beldum charged forward again.

My wool started to spark. It was hard to control it. “Um, I advice against that!” I warned. “If you Take Down me again, you could…”

BAM! ZAP!

“Get shocked. It’s my trait, Static. Apparently there are loopholes in traits.” I did a Rain Dance and prepared my Thunderbolt. “Now it’s time to say bye-bye.” I unleashed it and blasted him. The blackened form of Beldum crashed to the ground, defeated.

I won! I grew to level 9 and learned Thundershock!

Meanwhile, back at home…

“Athena…” I sang as I walked up to her with my grooming brush in my mouth. “Could you brush me? And don’t forget my snazzy ‘do.”

She chuckled. “I’m sorry, but I’m all worn out. I had a practice session while you were gone. But your biggest fan could brush you.” She pointed behind me.

Moriko was standing there, sans flag. “Hold on to your pleasure center! It’s gonna be a bumpy ride!”

Lady Vulpix

2nd September 2004, 12:12 PM

<Hero's POV>

I tried to shake the thoughts about Solitude off my mind as I watched Gabi and Amber drink hot chocolate at noon. They offered me some, but it was too sweet for me, especially at that time. I mean... it was noon! We were about to have lunch and the girls were having hot chocolate. Though I shouldn't have been surprised, I'd seen crazier things, like Gabi's pre-dinner ice-creams. And even weirder was the bunch we'd come across that day. They stayed with us for a while at the cabin, acting normal as if we could see aliens everyday... If aliens was what they were; I wasn't even sure of what to call them. In the end, I insisted on leaving until the rest of the team accepted. Everyone else seemed to be curious about Golden Growlithe and his gang, but I felt I was about to go crazy if I stayed there any longer. Like reality was no longer making sense. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed my buddies. Maybe going to Glacier Peak right after my battle would have been a better idea.

Both teams left the cabin -and the Blizzard Room- at the same time, in different directions. GG had to continue with his work at the Dragon's Guild, and we had another room to go to, and let's not forget lunch. Before saying goodbye, the humans encouraged each other to continue with their investigations; I reckoned it would be good to investigate some more as well. I could catch Tracker and see if she had any leads, and also if she knew that Solitude was in town (knowing her, she'd probably smelled her as soon as she arrived), and then maybe we could watch the beginning of the Games together and do something to escape the current madness. I had some things in mind, but I doubt that I would dare to ask her. But maybe if she suggested something...

"Hero, are you following us?," Gabi's voice brought me back to reality.
"Yes, I'm here. I was just looking around. What are all those colorful signs for?"
"You'll find out if you read them," Gabi chuckled. "Come on, if we have to keep waiting for you I'll start to worry. Normally you're the one who goes ahead and I have to yell at you to keep you close."
"Well, nothing is normal today, is it? Were are we going anyway?"
"We're going to have lunch. And don't tell me you're not hungry because then I'll ask you what's going on."
"Hey, I'm not always hungry!," I protested. "Half the team eats more than I do, and I exercise more than they do. But I won't say no to a tasty meal right now."
"I think the ones who eat more than you are at least twice your size, but we'll get nowhere with this argument. Where would you all like to eat?"
"Have you noticed how she always tries to end her arguments right after saying the last words?," Ventura whispered in my ear.
"She's not the only one," I glared at her. I didn't want to be used in an argument between the two.

Then came another argument about where to eat, but that wasn't a long one. We didn't have enough money for the big restaurants, and we wouldn't settle for fast food either, so the real choice was only between a bar and a self-service buffet, and Sylvan was the only one who rooted for the bar (and Ventura couldn't care less). Gabi and Amber took our orders and fetch the food for everyone. The queue was too crowded for all of us to walk along it comfortably. Though they made some space behind Amber; I guess no one wanted to be too close to a Charizard's tail. Right before they got their plates, they had to take another order: Lagi arrived just in time. Everyone at the buffet turned to look at her when she walked in. I guess Dragonites will always attract everyone's attention no matter how much time passes. So she had no problem reaching our friends before they picked up our meals.

Lunch was filled with stories. I was glad to relive my Lava Room battle by telling Lagi all the details, and it was good to hear the pranks Tsunami and Caledor had been pulling on each other at Glacier Peak. It was cool to hear some news of my best friends, and to get vital information so I could get ready for them when they got back. I wouldn't let the guys catch me off-guard with Faint Attacks and Acid Armors. But then, when Gabi began to tell Lagi about the Blizzard Room, I felt an urge to get as far away as possible. And so I did. I'd already finished my part anyway.

So, I walked around the complex for a while, stopping to look at the various screens which showed scenes of the recent battles. There were some good ones, though I couldn't recognize any of the pokemon involved in them. For a moment I felt I might be getting old. But no, I was just starting to live - and I wouldn't stop until I'd surpassed the legendary thousand years a Ninetales's life is said to last for. (Hey, I can dream, can't I?) Well, the thing is nothing interesting enough did happen; except that I had my whole team searching for me before I knew. I only realized I was being missed when Ventura startled me with one of her teleports followed by a psychic pulse indicating me to stay where I was. Before I could even say "hello to you too", I heard everyone's steps racing towards me.

"Hero!," Gabi shouted as soon as she saw me, immediately apologizing to everyone who turned to look at her at that moment.

She walked to my side, a bit calmer but still with a serious look on her face.

"What is it with you?," she said once she was close enough to talk to me without getting everyone's attention. "Can't you stay at a Training Grounds complex without causing trouble?"
"What do you mean? I wasn't causing trouble," I told her. "I was just walking around. And I didn't cause trouble in most of the Training Grounds we've been to. Only in Yvresse and you've already scolded me more than enough for that single innocent pillow fight."
"I'm shocked at how you can completely neglect the damage you caused back then. It shows that you didn't have to pay for it."
"Ok, I said I was sorry. That was a long time ago, there's no need to bring it up now."
"Alright, let's talk about now, then. What were you doing? Why did you run off like that?"
"I was just curious. I wanted to take a look at what was going on around this place before we left. I don't think there are any laws against that."
"No, but you know you should have told us where you were going."
"I would have, if I'd known. I didn't have a fixed route, I've been more like... improvising."
"You know what I mean."
Now her tone sounded sharper, and her eyes looked angrier.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I gave up. "You win. This place is really boring anyway, I miss the times when we could find all our friends here."
"I miss them too," Lagi said, though I don't think she realized exactly who I was missing. Her powers weren't that precise.
"Shall we go to the Jungle Room before it closes?," Ventura interrupted us. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think one of us still has some things to do later today, and unfortunately the rest of us won't be allowed in the room without her."
"We're going now," Gabi sighed. "No need to remind me of my duties; my to-do list is so long it hurts just by thinking of it."
"What else is new?," I laughed.
"Maybe you should try and help me, then see if it's so funny."
"Maybe when I become a computer scientist, or a Dragon Tamers worker, or a Dragon's Guild scholar, or a tournament host... I think I know what the problem is. You have too many jobs. Why don't you give up one of them?"
"Because if I did, we'd all be in trouble."
"Hey, guys! You're getting sidetracked again!," Ventura warned us. "JUNGLE. ROOM. NOW."
There was no arguing with that logic. :P We all headed for the Jungle Room immediately.

However, things don't always go as planned, and they seemed to have chosen that day for making that point. When we reached the Jungle Room, we found out it was busy. We'd have to wait until the battle was over and the room was properly conditioned for the next one. And then it would be too late for Gabi's to-do list to get any shorter. The Unicorn Games were about to start and she had some urgent arrangements to do, so whether we wanted it or not, we had to give the Jungle Room for later. A LOT later.
"Sorry, girls, I'll make it up for you," Gabi promised Sylvan and Ventura.
"It's ok," Sylvan understood.
"I've already battled today anyway," Ventura sighed.
I evaded Gabi's look, but I still had that hot and pressing feeling on my neck one gets when they know someone is staring at them.

<Amber's POV>

When we went to fetch the guys at Glacier Peak, Gabi offered everyone the chance to stay for a while longer while she finished writing her opening speech for the Unicorn Games. Sylvan and I followed her; my friend found the air outside too cold and the water too hot, and I wouldn't miss the chance to help Gabi out with her speech. Hero jumped into the water with an excitement I hadn't seen in him for a while. From the noises I heard, I could tell a splash-war started right away. being a fire pokemon, Hero was at a clear disadvantage, but when it was finally time to head back home, we found him soaked but sporting a wide grin on his face. In the end I gave in to the temptation and asking why he was smiling like that. "Neither of them had managed to fade in time," was his puzzling reply. After thinking for a moment I realized what he meant; I ended the conversation then, getting him to talk more about his 'games' with Tsunami and Caledor would have spelt disaster.

Then came the Unicorn Games. What can I say about them that hasn't already been said? They were quite exciting, and surprising in many ways. We took a break after the first round and spent some time at the Eevee House. We got to watch a water race and have some fun with some of our best friends. I particularly remember Milliardo bragging about his victory the same way Hero used to - then his attitude gave a huge turn after the results were announced, and that was for the best, I think. Everyone became silent and turned their eyes in the same direction when his sister Rhiannon entered the house, but the awkward silence didn't last for too long, as she soon joined the group who was playing ball.

After that, Gabi was completely absorbed by the Games and her studies and her everyday jobs. So much that even the investigation on the Guild and Team Rocket was postponed, Hero being the only one who kept working on it (and I'm not sure even him was so dedicated to it, he had other reasons to go to the police station that had nothing to so with the investigation we were conducting). In the meantime, some training groups were formed so that we could all stay fit and get a better hold on our abilities. I trained a little, but mainly on my own. Iael was the one who trained the most: he was determined not to let another psychic attack blow up his own mental defenses. Caledor helped him with that, since he felt the need to improve his own psychic abilities. It was the first time I saw him conducting a training session, and I must admit I was amazed. He did drive it all as if it were a game (he wouldn't have been Caledor if he hadn't), but I think even that was good for Iael, who, ever since I'd known him, had always had trouble relaxing and having fun. Iael also turned to Pidgeot for advice. I don't know what they talked about, but after that they had a long training session and burnt out a lot of energy together. Come to think of it, Pidgeot was quite uneasy most of the time, and he was often out flying over the city. Maybe he was trying to find Team Rocket on his own. In any case, he didn't say a word about it.

As for me, I mainly focused on helping Gabi as much as I could, especially when she told me she'd been assigned to write a new report for the Dragon's Guild. I started to look for a new subject, since reports on evolution and breeding were already overdone. It would have been interesting to write a report about pokemon's lives from the views of pokemon themselves, but the Guild would have never taken that - they even thought Gabi was joking when she credited me for my help on the Charizard report. Finally, after thinking about it for several days, I came up with the idea of gathering old rumors about pokemon and trying to prove how much truth there was in them, and how much was just a myth. Gabi was delighted when she heard the idea, so we both set ourselves off to find material for the report.

Some time later, while Gabi was working on her computer, she got an IM from none other than Milliardo. By the time caught up, they'd already been conversing for a while. He asked Gabi if any of us was going to get an account, and she told him about my embarrassing experience when I first tried to use the keyboard (and also that no one else in the house would stay close to the computer for longer than 10 seconds), but it got me itching to find out what it felt like to have an account of my own, and to be able to send messages to friends who were away from me. I immediately thought of Banx and Alucard, though I really doubted I'd be able to contact them that way. Still, I got Gabi to create an account for me, and even type a long description for my info. She told me the basics of how to use her program, though I had as much trouble typing with my claws as I'd had on my first attempt. I was glad Gabi accepted to help me, and we even managed to have an IM conversation with Thunderblast. I laughed at the thought of how the Guild, or trainers from places like Kanto, would react if they saw two pokemon communicating through a computer. Still, my method was less than satisfying. Gabi told me that Marius had found a quick and amazing way to get messages through to a computer; then I decided to wait for the first chance to talk to him and ask him if he could help me improve my typing. After all, I'd heard his Hidden Power was somehow involved, and it just happened to be the same type as mine. But before that chance came, I got to talk to Soo and Kassandra on AIM and we had quite a long (and weird) conversation. I made some mistakes typing, but I realized I was getting better at it.

I also learned something else during that AIM conversation, which reminded me of the lab we were looking for. Soo told me she was taking care of a Minun and a Plusle who had escaped from a lab where they were supposed to be subject to cruel experiments. At first Soo was afraid of Gabi reporting her to the police if she found out, but I assured her she'd never do something like that. I was glad Kaguya and Yuki (those were their names) had found a trainer who would take care of them, and a mentor -Sparky, the Raichu- who would help them improve their abilities. But the whole thing left me worried about the pokemon who might still be in the lab. Or in any of the two labs, if the one we were searching for and the one Yuki and Kaguya had come from were not the same. I would have done anything in my power to help them... if only I'd known what could be done.

<Ventura's POV>

It took long enough to get us back to the Training Grounds. Most people were already gone, and we hardly saw any pokemon around. They were all probably heading for Unicorn Gate, as the finals were about to start. We got there in a rush because, well, Gabi owed us and she wouldn't let us miss the last chance to train there. This time, fortunately, we found the Jungle Room ready for us. Though with the complex being as empty as it was, my concern was about whether we'd find an opponent.

Entering the Jungle Room was... good. It had a comfortable familiarity to it. All the plants mixed together forming a spectacular flora that was distinctive of that place. Well, those were Water Angel's words, but my "you see all those plants together and you know you're here" just didn't have that ring to it. I checked for the old paralyzing bush, and it was still there. I don't think I can explain why, but it felt good in a way. It was a nice place I'd been comfortable in before, and I was still comfortable in it. And it reminded me of some good past battles. The river was also there. I couldn't remember whether it had been there the first time, maybe it had but we hadn't seen it. But it had certainly been there when we came to train for the 2nd Eagle Games. Water Angel was already in the water when I turned to look. Oh, and the sunlight! It filtered through the transparent ceiling, filling me with energy. I almost wanted to keep flying around instead of spending my time and energy battling. Almost; but I knew what would be better for me in the long run. I felt a bit strange; I'd never appreciated my surroundings like I did at that time. Maybe I needed that place for some reason? I just hoped I wasn't turning into a softie like Sylvan and Amber, I wouldn't forgive myself if I ever did.

So, when I first heard leaves shaking, I focused all my senses in detecting what was behind them. It had quite an unusual shape, like a huge hairy potato with a cartoon duck's beak and a mariachi hat. I'd only seen that pokemon in pictures, though it wasn't hard to recognize its species: a Ludicolo can catch anyone's attention easily. I caught him by surprise by teleporting right behind him.
"Hello," I said. "Are you here to battle?"
"Hey!," the Ludicolo jumped in the air. "You startled me! Are you my opponent?"
"Well, partially," I told them.
"Partially? What's the other part, then?," he scratched his head with one of his thick hands.
"I'm here with a friend," I explained. "We'd like to have a two on two battle. Can you get a partner?"
"Well, I didn't know you'd be looking for a two-on-two..." he began. Would he be that slow all the time? I was starting to get frustrated. "I guess I can call Flora. She was going to come after me, but I guess we can battle together. We've practised together a few times."
"Ok, could you call her, please?"
"Sure."

So the Ludicolo left in the same direction he had come from. I returned to my team.
"What's going on?," Sylvan asked me.
"I've just arranged a two-on-two battle for us. Our opponents are coming soon."
"Oh, alright. Do you know what kind of pokemon they are?"
"One is a Ludicolo who, if you ask me, looks a bit dumb. You should watch out, it could be a trick. I don't know what the other is, but she's female and her name is Flora."
"Probably a grass type," Sylvan deduced. "We seem to have a type advantage."
"Yes, but don't get overconfident."
"Have I ever done so?"
"Hmm... You're right. You haven't. You seem to have the opposite problem most of the time. Ok, trust yourself, but be on the watch for any surprises."
"Yes, mom," she retorted.
"Ok, that was uncalled for. I'm just trying to help, we're going to work as a team, aren't we?"
"I didn't think what I said would be offensive. I was just trying to tell you not to overprotect me. I'm as strong as you are, and even if I'm not an innate fighter, I have some experience handling myself in battles. So don't treat me like a child."
"Oh, so that's your concept of mom. I wish my mother had ever been like that."
"I didn't know... You never talk about your mother. Or anyone in your family for that matter."
"I told you all there was to know. They wanted me to be strong and independent, so they left me to fend for myself. Guess it worked out in the end. Now's not the time to have a long tear-jerker conversation about family. Our opponents are coming."

The Ludicolo and his friend arrived just in time to save me from hearing once more how happy Sylvan had been as a child. My radar sense gave me a good picture of Flora's shape as she walked among the trees in our direction. "This is going to be interesting", I said to myself.

<Sylvan's POV>

I fixed my eyes on the spot Ventura was looking at, but it took some time before I could actually see the pokemon coming our way. I understood Ventura's whispered comment when I saw who was next to the Ludicolo. I'd seen a similar pokemon once, at the Unicorn Games; a pokemon who had given one of the current finalists a hard time during his first battle. And since it was a flying type, I was bound to have as much of a hard time battling this one. But I couldn't step back now; if I did, everything I'd said about being strong and capable of holding myself up in a battle would have been a lie. "It's just a training battle," I thought. "Not a matter of life and death. No matter the outcome, nothing will go too wrong."

"So, you must be Flora," Ventura said to the Tropius as soon as she stopped walking.
"Yes," the long-necked one replied. "And you are...?"
"Ventura. And she's Sylvan. We're both our opponents."
"Nice to meet you," Flora smiled. "You've already met my friend Don."
"I hadn't," I replied. "Nice to meet the two of you."
I stretched out a vine as a greeting, but as usual no one understood my gesture and I was left with my vine hanging in the air. I retracted it and smiled sheepishly.
"Shall we battle now?," Don suggested.
"Of course," Ventura said. "That's what we're here for."
I shook my head and chuckled at the thought of how Ventura was always so eager to battle. Or to spring into action in any way.
"Alright, I'm ready when you are," I accepted.
"I was ready before you were born," Ventura told me. I ignored her senseless comment and braced myself for the battle.
Our opponents turned to look at Gabi before they began to attack, and that caused me to do the same in order to see what they were looking at.
"Go ahead," Gabi said. "I'm here for anything you need, even silence."
I assumed she was talking to Ventura when she spoke about silence. If anny commands were to be given during the battle, I knew who'd be giving them out. I didn't mind, really. Ventura had been a good guide in past battles, and it was easy to respond to her signals. As long as she gave me some room to act instead of treating me like a marionette, we could work together quite fine.

Level 50 Venomoth & Level 50 Venusaur vs. Level 49 Tropius & Level 55 Ludicolo

I had to give Ventura credit. She was fast. Before I could even think of who to attack first, I already felt the sun shining brightly, and got a strange mental image of Ventura using Sunny Day, from her own perspective. A strange course of action, coming from Ventura, but just what I'd been wanting: she was showing me her tactics and giving me room to act in relation to them. The sulnight would be useful for both of us. We could heal ourselves better this way, and it also allowed me the chance to release a Solarbeam at any time. But I wouldn't reveal my strongest attack right away. I thought it would be best if I saw what our opponents were capable of.

I took too long trying to decide what to do, and before I could attack a loud noise hurt my ears. I felt my clover protect me, but that didn't prevent my head from ringing for a while after the attack. I'd never heard of a move like that one before, but now that I knew it existed and could be used against me in this battle, I'd have to watch out for it. As I was thinking that, the noise came over again. It was really annoying, but at least this time I noticed where it came from. It was Don, the Ludicolo.

"Sylvan, will you please focus?," Ventura told me.
I heard her loud voice through my ringing ears. She sounded quite angry. But why? I hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, I hadn't done anything at all yet.
"What's wrong?," I asked.
Then I saw it, Flora hitting Ventura with her wing-like leaves, leaving deep scratches on her chest. It was a flash; it had happened while I was busy thinking of how to start the battle. Now I knew our opponents were taking the battle seriously, and wouldn't give me time to reflect. Ok, I could deal with that.
"Stay safe," I told Ventura, not sure of what she'd make of that.
I then fired a Solarbeam at the Ludicolo. I couldn't keep holding back now. Even so, the attack didn't seem to be as effective as I'd expected. My beam only managed to push Don back a little.
"This is too easy," Flora said to her partner. "Let's push them around a little before we end this."
"Ok, if that's what you want," Don replied, shrugging.
"I know just the way to do this," she said before throwing herself full-on against Ventura.

Ventura got hit, but avoided being smashed against the ground. Too hurt to risk taking another blow, she used the Sun's rays to restore her body.
"What did you just do?," asked Flora.
"That's called making up for the advantage I gave you before," she replied.
I'd obviously missed something but there was no time for asking. A group of star-shaped missiles was already heading my way. I stepped back and shot another Solarbeam which broke through most of them and hit its target, before the remaining stars reached me.

"Ok, if you can heal, I won't go soft with you," Flora said to Ventura. "How does another Aerial Ace sound for you?"
Flora hit Ventura so hard, she had no choice but to heal herself again in order to stay in the battle. She did so after she hit the ground, about 3 meters (or 10 feet) away from the Tropius. And, as I could see, just a few steps away from the paralyzing bush. Was that what she'd meant when she said she wanted to push us around? Were our opponents trying to get us trapped between them and the bush in order to get us paralyzed? I'd heard it only affected poison types, so Flora and Don would be safe if we all ended up there; but Ventura and I would be in trouble. Ventura was practically incapacitated as long as Flora kept attacking her from such a close range. It was left to me to change the course of the battle. And, surprisingly, all those thoughts passed through my mind fast enough for me to form a plan and execute it before getting hit again.

I stepped back again, getting closer to Ventura, and shot a set of spikes that formed a barrier between us and our opponents. Now, if they wanted to keep pushing us, or even touch us, they'd have to walk across that line, getting the spikes stuck on them in the process. Don stopped on his tracks, pausing to think of a better course of action.
"Well done," Ventura commended me.
But the joy was short-lived, as the attack Don decided to use against me was a lot worse than anything he'd tried before, and not even my 4-leaf clover could protect me from it. The pain from the beam's impact was followed by a coldness that ran all through my body and into my heart. It was too much to bear and, for a moment, I thought I would freeze in my place. But the sunlight was still strong, and the warm rays gave me the strength I needed to keep going.

"Who said I needed to touch you to get you where I wanted you?," Flora said, before shaking her leaves and causing a tremendous gust of wind to rise. Most of the spikes wer stuck on the ground firmly, and only a couple of them were lifted by the wind. But that had never been Flora's intention. The wind was aimed for Ventura, as I could see when it caught her and started spinning around her, sending her away. It picked up leaves from the paralizing bush as it advanced, and soon I could no longer see what was inside it. When it finally stopped, Ventura was gone. Literally gone.
"Ok, what did just happen?," Don queried his partner.
"I guess my whirlwind sent her away," Flora shrugged. "We only need to worry about one of them for now."
"Oh, that will be easy," he assured. "Just another Ice Beam and she'll be ready for the Pokemon Center."

I knew what was coming, so I tried to make sure I would endure it. The green leaves on my back and the bright Sun helped me just in the nick of time, and I was back to full health a split-second before the Ice Beam hit me. I must admit the contrast was awful, and quite shocking. But at least I was still standing.

"Another healer," Flora sighed. "Whatever, your Synthesis can't possibly save you from both of us. And let me tell you something. Your spikes..." she shook her leaves again as she spoke, this time sending the wind down and pushing herself upwards, "won't stop me."
She had her wind lift her up until her body was right between me and the sun. I had to close my eyes for the bright light not to hurt them. However, I still saw her coming, and knew what attack to use against her, where to aim it and when to use it.

I trusted the mental images and launched a Sludge Bomb in the indicated direction. I heard the bomb hit Flora before I heard her falling in my direction. I tried to move away, but she came down too fast and hit me on my side before rolling away from me. At least, unlike with the Ice Beam, the effect of my clover did cushion the impact. Then I opened my eyes. What I saw was stunning, even if not completely unexpected. Flora was there alright, struggling to stand up; and close to her was Ventura, hovering above an unconscious Ludicolo.

"Why do I have the feeling I'm missing the best parts of this battle?," I inquired.
"Don't blame me," Ventura said. "I've been giving you the best view I can provide."
From the tone of her voice, I could almost swear she was smiling. Though it was hard to tell with her, and she hardly ever did smile like that.
"I'll ask what happened later. Now we have a battle to finish."
"Oh, I can show you," Ventura told me as soon as Flora was back on her feet. "I did exactly this to defeat Don."

She closed her eyes, not to protect them from the sun like I had, but to focus.
"You know," Flora began to speak. "It's not a good idea to announce your attacks like that, because I saw what you did, and now I'll be prepared and I must tell you I can also..."
But the poisonous fluid that seemed to form out of nowhere hit her before she could finish the phrase.
"Whatever it was you could also do, you should have done it instead of opening your big mouth," Ventura told her, but Flora could no longer hear her.

Both Ventura and I grew to level 51.5!

"You know, she was really getting on my nerves," Ventura aditted. "She talked too much. I knew she wouldn't miss a chance to open her mouth if I told you what I was about to do."
"Is that why you did it?," I asked her.
"Yes, and also because I was mad at her for saying 'thank you' after I used Sunny Day."
"She did? I didn't hear her. It must have happened when Don was shouting out."
"Yes, she dared to mock me because I didn't know the sunlight would make her faster. I had to make up for it somehow."
"Oh. And why are you telling me this?"
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't know you'd made a mistake. And you've just told me. It isn't something you'd normally do."
"Well, I thought you'd better know that for the next time you have to battle against a Tropius. And it's not true that I don't admit my mistakes. It's just that I rarely make them."
"You must forgive me, but I can't tell if you're joking or you're serious."
"If I were joking, would I change too much to your eyes?"
"No, you wouldn't. I'd just feel happier for you, because that would mean you're opening up. And maybe I'd get a chance to help you some day, like you're always helping me."
"Yes. About that... you did a great job this time. It took you some time to get started, but once you did you never flinched, and even had some good and original ideas."
"Thank you. I'd spent months thinking of how I could put my spikes to use. It's the first time they've actually helped us."
"You were both great," Gabi said, walking over to us. "I think waiting all this time before coming back here brought something good. The way you two were fighting last time, I don't know if you'd have been able to work together so well."
"We'll never know," Ventura stated. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again, because I won't tolerate such a long wait every time I'm about to battle."
"And I thought you were being nice today. Anyway, good job, both of you. I just wonder why your opponents used so many physical attacks on Sylvan. Couldn't they see her clover?"
"They probably didn't know what it was for," Ventura replied. "They don't look like they're from around. But next time we battle them, things will be different. We'll have to be prepared."
"That's if we ever battle them again," I noted.
"Sorry to interrup you girls, but we need to go," Hero came to us. "Tsunami's playing with the water of the stream, and by just taking a look at him you'll realize it's not fair play."
"You mean he didn't watch the battle?," Ventura asked him.
"Oh, he did watch, but now that it's over he's found other ways to entertain himself. So plase take us someplace where odds are even."
"Sorry, Hero, but I can't do that," Gabi replied. "You see, what you've asked for is an oxymoron."
It took some time for Hero to react, and when he did he responded with a growl.
"Sorry, I never said my jokes were good," Gabi apologized. "How does Unicorn Gate sound to you? We need to get going anyway, the finals will start today. If we leave now we'll make it just in time."
"That sounds better," Hero accepted.
And so we left the Training Grounds once more. I stretched out my vine in a symbolic wave to the Jungle Room that had seen some of my best and worst moments as far as pokemon battles went. I didn't know when we were going to return, and I wished we could stay longer to enjoy the view, the sun and the smell of the flowers, but the Unicorn Games finals would start soon and that was something we wouldn't want to miss.

[Edit: the conversations Amber had with Soo (http://forboards.tripod.com/AmberSoo.htm) and Kassandra (http://forboards.tripod.com/AmberKass.htm) were real. You can read the logs if you click on the links.]

AntiAsh Superstar

3rd September 2004, 10:24 AM

Hi all. Just letting you all know that I've decided to take up the momentous task of creating a proper, ordered Battle Range archive. (so far I've approached Amy and Gabi about this via AIM) If you want your battles to be included in this then can you PM me, together with a link to any adoptees page you may have? Thanks a bunch. ^^

EDIT: PS - great battle, Gabi. Even tho I already said that to you, just thought I'd restate it anyways. :D

Lady Vulpix

4th September 2004, 11:37 AM

Thanks, Ade! :)
I'll keep working on my archive and then send it to you.

Shonta, you can have 6 stamps for your battle. It was nice. :) ¢¢¢¢¢¢

classy_cat18

4th September 2004, 11:56 AM

Can I have a rbg for my L7 Slakoth, Nama?

Lady Vulpix

4th September 2004, 12:05 PM

Wow, you're having a lot of battles lately! The rules say one a week, and you seem to have had 2 within the last 7 days. Sorry I didn't notice when you asked for the last one. Your battle's still valid, but you'll have to wait 2 more days before requesting another RBG (I'm counting 7 days since your last request). Then, you'll be able to have a battle, but you'll have to select a section first.

classy_cat18

4th September 2004, 12:07 PM

Sorry. I forgot that rule. I can wait.

*Murkrow

11th September 2004, 05:19 AM

I got a scenario battle done...it's a miracle o_O I struggled a bit with the battle, but oh well, at least I got it done. Now just need to get Xol's RBG and the other three rooms finished...heck.

~Archie~

Extending my claws, I plunged forwards, focusing all my energy on crushing my way through the dense, thick undergrowth.
Massive ferns, their shredded fronds beaded with moisture reached out above the thick, lustre grass that twisted and writhed, drooping heavily over the rich, damp soil that clung to my claws as I dug my way further in.
Looming above, the trees stretched, their canopies rippling out, catching the light so that it beamed down, mottling the undergrowth below, encasing it in realms of light and dark, shifting shadows that slowly drifted over the luscious surroundings.
Around their broad trunks, vines rose up, twisting themselves extravagantly around the rough bark, forming a frenzy of contrasting colours; the dull, earth brown, caught in shadow, and the shining, light reflecting green, that shimmered and swayed through the hazy light.
Bursting out from their covering of vines, the moss-clad roots of the trees reared out, their covered surfaces metres above my head, before they plunged down, tearing through the dense growth to bury themselves in the rich, moist ground.
Pausing to wipe my soil-clad claws on one of the overhanging ferns, feeling the delicate surface split like paper as the rough edge of my claw slithered over, I shivered impulsively, trying to shake away the moisture that had settled over my body, like a layer of silk.
A rush of wings; a ripple of dark motion against the bright, dazzling colour, before Fizz stalled slowly, alighting on one of the bulging roots, bouncing gently over the cushioning moss.
Chuckling quietly to herself, she hopped forward, grinning down at me.
“You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I would if there was a path.”
“Come up here, you’ll be able to get a better view.”
Wondering why I hadn’t thought of that, I slowly crawled forwards, slashing through the curtains of growth surrounding me; pausing for a second to consider the wall in front, I shrugged, plunging a claw into the thick layer covering the root, I levered myself up, feeling the moss shudder and sink down as I forced my whole weight onto it.
Stretching her wings out, Fizz leapt forward, swooping down to hover carefully over me, sending gentle sprays of moisture from her wings cascading over my already damp body.
“Watch it.”
“Sorry. It’s what happens when you’re in this sort of environment.”
Dropping down closer, she cautiously stretched out her claws, scrabbling over my shell, before digging them in and dragging me up; running my claws over the moss, I sunk them in, finally pulling myself onto the top.
“Anybody ever told you that you’re awfully heavy for such a small Pokémon?”
Fizz flapped down again, folding her wings delicately by her sides.
“Thanks. I think it's just you, actually.”
“Well? Now where?”
“Um….”
Turning my attention back to the outstretched environment, I blinked away the moisture that was fracturing the light into prisms of colour; she had been right, to a point.
From this higher vantage point, the sea of fern leaves reached out in all directions, swaying gently beneath their layers of glittering moisture; beneath them, the heavy blades of grass merged together, forming a solid block of green that stretched out below the delicate fronds.
A slight rippling sound waved its way from the right; the tiny stream that wound its way through the glades, gushing over the smooth pebbles, rushing beneath the bulk of plants; twitching, Fizz impulsively leapt up, spinning down to skim over the tiny expanse, dipping her beak in briefly, before twisting and swooping up.

~Fizz~

Beating my wings hard through the damp air, I circled widely, metres below the extended canopy, but still close enough to make out the shape and pattern of the individual leaves, and to feel the soft warmth of the filtering light playing over my feathers.
Flipping round, feeling the change as I sped between the light and the dark, I slowly let my eyes wander down, slipping over the intense green below, speckled with the brown barriers of the roots, their dank colour blaring out even through their moss covering.
Letting my eyes flick across to the stream, as it bubbled its way along the course, playing through the curving banks, I felt a slight check of surprise; melting away into the background, I could dimly see something moving, pushing its way through the dense plants…and there beside it, another.
Excellent.
Grinning to myself, I tipped a wing and plummeted down, catching myself feet above the root, before spinning and alighting eagerly next to Archie.
“Looks like I’ve found what we came for here.”
His eyes instantly lit up, and he chuckled appreciatively.
“Great. What are they?”
“Not sure, but considering the area we’re in, their type should be pretty obvious…this’ll be a piece of cake, don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not, I need some battle practice anyway.”
“Alright. They’re heading this way, on the opposite side of the stream, but it shouldn’t be hard to intercept them.”
“You do that then.”
Scrambling forwards eagerly, he lurched over the root edge, landing with a heavy thud on the thickly cushioned ground below; as he scrambled forwards and began to hack his way frantically through, I stretched my wings out, beating the moisture off before leaping up, turning to follow the stream.
Almost instantly, I saw them, still half-hidden by the ferns and grasses that over-grew by the water, but nervously sipping the water, gently edging their way forwards.
Pausing to consider them, I frowned briefly, looking from one to the other; the one in front, cautiously leading the way, was what I’d have expected to see in a Chikorita; light green body, contrasting with the intense dark green of her leaf and small seed necklace, and the pale red eyes.
But the other….her body was a gentle, pale gold, with a sheen that sparkled softly in the flickering light; a darker, chestnut colour flecked her necklace and leaf, and her vivid green eyes sparkled as she slowly sipped at the dazzling water.
Hovering slowly above, I carefully flicked my eyes over them, sizing them up, smiling at what I could see.
This wasn’t going to be too bad.
Deciding that they deserved an overview of the situation, I coughed, before letting out a gentle trill that rippled out into the silent air; the reaction from the two was instantaneous.
Snapping their heads up, they both let out identical shrieks of alarm…and even more so when Archie suddenly burst onto the scene, splashing his way up the stream.
Bolting, they plunged back into the undergrowth, but from my vantage above, I couldn’t help but smirk as I saw the telltale signs of movement as the ferns rustled and swayed as they crashed through them.
As Archie splashed his way from the stream, I dropped down briefly, to tell him of my easy ability to track our would-be opponents….as well as to ask him something.
“Since when do Rock types not mind wading through streams?”
“Part-Rock, and I don’t know. I used to, but now it just doesn’t bother me.”
Shrugging, and obviously not wanting to let the two Chikorita get far, he gave me a nudge before lunging forward, easily cutting through the plants; from my lower point of view, I could now easily see the tunnel they had been travelling down, a natural path encircled on all sides by the ripped ferns and crushed grass.
Smiling to myself, I stretched out my wings, darting to the side to avoid the rising ferns, my eyes flicking from the rustling that was Archie, forwards, towards the shaking greenery that stretched away before me.

~Archie~

Shoving aside the layers of battered ferns, I stumbled forwards, as Fizz’s triumphant cry rang out suddenly, gashing though the silence.
Frantically speeding up, I brushed aside the last wisps of grass, finally bursting free of the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the intense pressure of the plants, breaking out into a tiny clearing, barely metres wide, the grass long flattened, the massive ferns ripped apart, their fronds flapping pathetically in the tiny breeze.
Still shrilling out loud, Fizz swooped round the two huddled Pokémon, her eyes glittering as I approached, as the Chikorita blinked nervously and shrunk closer together.
Finally relaxing her vigil, Fizz twisted her wings and flipped over to my side, catching her claws into the crushed undergrowth, her eyes still sparkling with anticipation as she turned and flashed me a grin, before switching her attention back to the Chikorita.
Nudging her to calm down, I slowly stepped forward, pausing suddenly when both Chikorita let out angry squeals and broke out of their huddle, snarling and crouching down, their bodies immediately tense.
Behind, Fizz let out a low chuckle of laughter.
“Looks like they just caught on.”
Nodding, I shifted positions slowly, getting my bearings ready, as with a gentle rush of air, Fizz swooped of the ground and hovered carefully above me.

Fight
Archie (Anorith M L11) and Fizz (Taillow F L6)
Versus
Chikorita (F L15) and Chikorita (F L15)

Mirroring each others images, the two Chikorita instantly began to snap their leaves around, faster…faster, the movement blurring, before they lurched forwards, whipping the streams of leaves whistling through the air towards us.
A rustle of feathers rang out above me; snapping her wings together, Fizz shot up into the air, using her famed speed to easily avoid the barrage of green projectiles.
Lacking the luxury of an easy escape, I closed my eyes briefly, hearing the rippling of the air, before I plunged forward, twisting from side to side, so my pulsing legs struck against the scything leaves, cleaving them in two in seconds.
From some where above, loud enough even over the continuous rush of air, I heard Fizz’s voice shrieking in approval.
“You know Aerial Ace as well?”
Risking a glance up to nod at her, I instantly knew I’d pushed my luck too far as a faint clatter signalled one of the leaves slashing across my shell.
Snapping my attention back, I lashed out to the side, knocking away the rest of the incoming barrage; suddenly, the Chikorita herself was there, diving towards me; seizing my opportunity, I slashed forwards with my claw, only to fell a shudder of resistance as I slammed into the glowing orange shield that materialised round her body at the last second.
As I struggled for the briefest of moments, she lashed out with her leaf, sending the mass of leaves slamming directly into my body.

~Fizz~

Spinning frantically to avoid the tearing leaves, I heard, through the rush of air pressing itself down on me, Archie’s voice suddenly cry out; dragging my eyes over, I saw him slamming into the ground, as the Chikorita unleashed another volley of leaves.
Snarling to myself, I flung my attention back down, to where my opponent - the normal-coloured Chikorita- snapped her leaf round, again and again, sending a never-ending stream of vibrant green leaves up to me.
No problem.
Accelerating hard, I plunged forwards, my wings beating a tattoo in the air, whipping round her, circling her so fast that even as she struggled desperately round, her wide eyes searching, I stalled, and plummeted down, directly behind her.
Spinning as I slammed into her body, I felt a slight shudder of resistance, before she was flung forwards, crying out as she spiralled through the air.
Circling tightly, I tore forwards, as the other Chikorita flung her head back, surprise shooting across her face as she saw her companion crashing to the ground, and in front, me hurtling towards her.
Behind her, Archie blinked, dazed, before his eyes sparked and he flung himself forwards, slashing his claws across her front, knocking her back as she squealed in alarm.
A rush of air behind me….snapping up, I glanced back, expecting to see the revolving leaves pass below.
Instead, I saw the thick, green vine come scything up, following my progress; lurching to the side, I sensed the other ripple; frantically spinning forward, my whole body tensing, I felt the snap of air, heard the whip-crack as the vines snapped together, then felt my wings shudder in, as the vines lashed around my body.
Struggling frantically in mid air, I let out an annoyed shriek, Archie’s cue to pay back his debt to me.
But nothing came; the Chikorita giggled to herself, before suddenly leaping back, withdrawing her vines, dragging me helplessly in.
Lashing out with my beak, scaring lines across the thick surface, in an attempt to break her hold, I glanced down, heart pounding, as I spotted Archie backing up slowly, carefully turning on the spot as the legions of Chikorita surrounded him.

~Archie~

Panting slightly, I forced myself to keep calm, making sure I avoided eye contact, making sure I didn’t let myself see the anger in any of their eyes.
I’d been too lax, when I’d attacked her before, I hadn’t expected her to respond immediately, slashing me again and again with her leaves, forcing me back, even as her body began to crackle and the clones burst from her sides, again and again, forming an unbreakable ring around me.
Above, I could see Fizz’s faint form struggling in mid-air, suspended by the vines of the other, but she’d have to find some way of getting out of this on her own.
Suddenly, acting as one, all the Chikorita lashed their leaves round…to many for me to use Aerial Ace to destroy the leaves…but I smirked to myself as another idea leaked into my mind.
Digging one of my front claws as deep as I could into the ground, I lurched to the side, lashing out with my other claw, sending me spinning round, faster and faster, even as the Chikorita snapped their leaves forward.
My mind spinning now, registering only blurred images, specks of green against a golden background, I felt only tiny shudders, as the leaves crumpled against my sides, deflected away by my speed.

~Fizz~

Blinking at the frantically spinning Archie, another jolt as the Chikorita lunged back dragged me back into my current predicament; glancing back, I felt a sinking drop as I saw that her seed necklace was glowing; a bright, vibrant yellow, that even as I watched, was creeping up her neck, covering her face and leaf.
Solarbeam.
And hanging motionless in the air made me an excellent target.
Closing my eyes, ignoring the rising panic, I focused, feeling my power flicker into life; smirking as I opened my eyes, I saw the pulsing white orbs beginning to form round my body, spiralling round me in intricate patterns.
Lowering my eyes back to the Chikorita, watching as the glow now encasing her whole head increased; realising my chance, I narrowed my eyes, sending the orbs crashing down into the ground.
For an instant, nothing happened….before the ground began to shake, as the earth rocked, sending the ferns and grass into frenzies, shaking even the mighty trees; their canopies rustling above as their trunks creaked and groaned.
The crushed shrubbery that covered the clearing ripped apart, as fissures tore through the trampled mass, slitting through the damp ground with ease.
And below, the Pokémon lurched frantically to the side; Archie smashed to the ground, the mass of golden Chikorita toppled into each other.
And my opponent stumbled and tripped, seconds before the beam exploded away from her body, shooting up, missing me by metres, before the yellow light crashed into the canopy, sending an explosion of leaves and debris cascading through the air.
Coughing as the particles clattered down onto my back, catching in my throat, I felt her vines loosen, as she stumbled back, still shaking from the after effects of my attack.
Instinctively flinging my wings out, I couldn’t help but cry out triumphantly as I burst free, snapping my wings together as I powered away.

~Archie~

Groaning to myself, my head pounding, I lurched up, struggling desperately back to my feet, even as my vision blurred, as the nausea rose in my chest.
Blinking quickly to force my eyes to focus again, I stumbled slowly round, scanning through the still swaying surroundings.
The uncountable number of clones were gone; whimpering as she dragged herself back up, my opponent blinked drearily, her whole body visibly trembling as she stumbled from side to side.
Ignoring my pounding mind, I muttered quietly to myself, feeling the familiar power come gently flickering across my sides, rippling slowly, before my claws began to shine, a subdued white, as my power poured into them, sharpening their edges, increasing my power.
Something cracked ahead of me; snapping my head up, I saw the flash as the Chikorita tore forwards, eyes wide, gasping; lashing out with my claw, sending it smashing down, I felt only a slight crackle of air as my claw passed straight through her, as with a blinding flash, the flickering, static images burst from her sides.
Hearing the rush of air as they surrounded me, I snarled softly, before letting my eyes droop, focusing, even as I heard the whistle through the air as they began their attack I smirked to myself.
Wrenching my eyes open, I motioned quickly, causing the white orbs that now spun round my body to condense, before exploding outwards in splashes of light, each forming a tiny, bug silhouette, that slammed directly into the chest of the Pokémon surrounding me.
Instantly, their bodies shimmered, then vanished; whipping round to focus my energy into the remaining ones, I saw the faint blur that signalled the creation of more of her clones; nodding towards the new figures, I sent the stream of bug slamming into them; they flickered and faded.
Spinning round again, my eyes eagerly searching out my true opponent, I froze, as my eyes landed on the cloud of purple spores that was hovering towards me, created by the faintly visible silhouette, who’s image shifted and swayed through the thick substance that rolled towards me.
Panicking, I stumbled back, yet even as I frantically spun round to escape, I heard the rush of air, then the whip crack as the others vine smashed into my side, knocking me back into the heart of the cloud.
Instantly, I felt the clammy feel of the spores clamp down onto my entire body; choking, I lashed out with my claws, feeling the sticky, clingy touch as it settled over them; felt the sickening taste as it drifted into my gasping mouth.
My mind and stomach rolling, I slammed my eyes close, even as the terrible, stinging pain began to flicker into life; stumbling forwards, I dimly registered the fresh touch of the air, before a female voice cried out in triumph and slammed into me.

~Fizz~

Scowling, my wings slashing through the air as I tore through it, dodging and darting away from the flailing vines that lashed after me, I watched as the Chikorita screamed out, smashing with her might into my friend.
Dragging my wings into my side, I plunged past my opponent’s vines, plummeting down towards the other one, my body accelerating as I hurtled down.
She looked up.
And smiled.
Jumping over the prone body of my friend, she cried out, a single, power-filled cry.
Instantly, the ground shook; the fissures I had originally created roared, their sides heaving, before the boulder exploded upwards, its jagged sides casting shadows over the battlefield, rotating slowly as it rose up, borne towards me by her will.
Struggling against my momentum, I frantically lashed out with a wing, desperate to turn myself away from this danger; instead, I felt the rough surface of the vines slam into my back, smashing me down towards the dull surface of the rock.
I closed my eyes.

~Archie~

My body trembling, warm with sweat, my eyes blinking frantically, even as my vision blurred, feeling the poison seep deeper into them, I raised them slowly, struggling to focus on the figure looming above me.
Next second, the earth shook, lurching from side to side, as the massive boulder she had summoned smashed down into the ground, sending debris scattering in all directions, and clouds of dust rising over the destroyed vegetation.
Hearing her triumphant laugh – echoed out from the other side of the clearing- I felt a sudden rush of anger, that eclipsed even the rising pain ripping through my body; jolting into my dimming mind.
Around me, the rocks slammed down, bouncing slightly, before settling down, rocking softly.
Focusing desperately, I reached out, my claws beginning to glow a steady, earth brown; tapping the rock beside me, I felt it shiver, before gently disintegrating to form an oblong, brick shaped object.
Summoning my strength, I lashed out, sending it hurtling into the back of my still laughing opponent; shattering as it crashed into her back, cutting her laugh off, I smiled briefly to myself, before my stomach lurched and I slithered down onto the floor, trembling, as the poison began to bubble up over my eyes, acid drops slashing against me.
Dimly, I sensed something moving in front of me; saw through the purple covering my vision, the faint, green light, before I felt something wrap round my claws, loose, before a tingling, draining sensation ran up through my body.

~Fizz~

My body numb, every muscle aching, I murmured self-pityingly to myself, scrunching my eyes up.
Something slowly slithered over my body, tapping me, easing under my wings, raising me slowly off of the ground, where I’d crashed, limp, among the shattered debris of the rock.
Groaning – against my will – I felt her vines flip me up, releasing me, sending me spiralling gently through the air.
Slow motion, falling, I felt the caress of the air gently round my body, even as I began to drop down.
Hang on.
My mind suddenly jolted back.
Wrenching my eyes open, I saw the looming ground, saw the grinning figure of my opponent, saw the motionless body of my friend, and, her leaf wrapped tight round his claws, the other Chikorita.
My eyes widening, I suddenly felt the rush of my old feelings; I wasn’t going to let myself be beaten in my own element.
Reacting instantly, ignoring the screaming of my muscles, I smashed my wings out, sending myself hurtling forward, faster, blurring as my momentum increased, seeing the figure of the golden Chikorita loom; heard her partners cry of alarm ring out behind me.
Saw for a second, as she turned towards me, her wide, terrified eyes, her gasping, whimpering mouth, before I spun and whipped round her, sending her slamming into the door; hearing the pounding footsteps, I saw my opponent dashing forwards, her pathetic attempt at a tail glowing, bright white.
Circling away, spinning above her, I dropped down, seizing her leaf in my claws, flinging her forwards, so that she slammed into the body of her partner.
Hovering above, watching as the clearing began to shine, a blaring, consuming light, that sharpened and clarified the features of all those below me; the sobbing, trembling bodies of the two Chikorita, their wide, staring eyes, their scrabbling feet; saw the glazed eyes of my friend, even as he weakly raised a claw to me.
Next second, everything blurred away, as I dropped, as everything around me flashed, being consumed by the light.
Plunging on, I felt the shudder of resistance as I slammed into something, before the light burst away, and I circled weakly above, my eyes on the two motionless figures below.

We won.
I grew to L8.
I learnt Quick Attack.

Archie grew to L13.
He learnt Mud Sport.

Trembling, I dropped my wings, half-falling to crash down by Archie’s side; his eyes glazed, tinged with a purple glow, his body moist with sweat, and trembling, as a thick froth trickled slowly from his mouth.
Feeling sick myself now, both with exhaustion and fear at his situation, I whimpered, cautiously stretching out a wing to place it comfortingly on his shell.
Then I looked up, frantic.
What should I do now?

classy_cat18

11th September 2004, 09:28 AM

Can I have an RBG for my L7 Slakoth Nama?

Charizard04621

11th September 2004, 09:40 AM

Can I have an RBG for my L7 Slakoth Nama?

Which part? Jungle Deforestation Agency? Universal Adoption Center? Something else? ^_^;

classy_cat18

11th September 2004, 09:55 AM

I'm so sorry! The Universal Adoption Center, please.

Lady Vulpix

11th September 2004, 10:07 AM

Alright, Nama's going to battle a Houndour.

Charizard04621

11th September 2004, 12:52 PM

Just gotta end the second part of my volcano room scenario...

Aglárien, the female Charmander’s POV:

“So we get to battle now, finally?” I asked, excited. I couldn’t stand still; I continued to hop about on alternate feet. It had nothing to do with the hot volcano floor. I wasn’t really sure why I was jumping around like that; I just seemed to have a lot of energy to expend today. That was good for the battle.

“Yes,” Karin answered. “Sorry you haven’t gotten to do much lately, but I was concentrating on Ryu’s training. You can handle this volcano environment, though, and so can Gwaihir. You won’t mind sharing a battle with him, will you?”

“Oh! A tag team? That sounds good. I’ve never had one before.”

“Only one problem… You two will only have one opponent.”

I tried to hide my disappointment. Karin could obviously see it, though, because she offered to get me another battle after this one, but I shook my head. “It’ll still be fun. We’ll have to work together, and I want to experience that, less opponents or no.”

“All right, then. Gwaihir!” She tapped his pokéball, and he came barreling out. The mighty Aerodactyl spread his wings, and, naturally, began to whisk happily around the volcano as if it were a long lost home.

“My father was a volcano breed, you know,” he said proudly. “I didn’t inherit his genes, but I think this place is cool all the same. I know it isn’t a real volcano or anything, but they did a good job making this place seem like it.”

My POV:

Aglárien had grown since her last battle in these rooms. It had been a month or so, thanks to the Unicorn Games, but now they were over, and Ryu had emerged not only with the glory of having competed in the final rounds, but with an evolution that brought him so much closer to his ultimate goal. Aglárien’s performance in the Jungle Room had worried me, but in the time that passed due to the tournament, she had picked up a few things on the proper way to conduct herself. This impressed me; but I didn’t want to get too hopeful yet. Things started looking good, however. Perhaps she would actually listen to my advice and value it soon.

Gwaihir the Windlord, the male Aerodactyl’s POV:

“So, who are we battling?” I asked, scanning the area for signs of an opponent.

“I’m not sure. We need to find someone. What about that Torchic over there?” Karin asked, pointing. “She looks only slightly higher in level that you two.”

I flew over to the round bird, circling above her head until she asked me to stop because she felt dizzy. “Sorry about that… I can’t help it. I like flying a lot,” I apologized. “My partner and I are looking for a battle. Would you fight us?”

She blinked. “Two against one? Okay. I need practice. This will be good practice. My name is Ruby. Nice to meet you.”

“Gwaihir,” I introduced myself.

“And I’m Aglárien. Let’s get this battle started, shall we?”

Aglárien, the LV11 female Charmander and Gwaihir the Windlord, the LV12 male Aerodactyl vs. Ruby, the LV15 female Torchic

I noticed that Ruby got confused easily when I’d circled her earlier, and I also knew that a Torchic couldn’t go aerial, even with wings, so I decided that Aglárien and I could take advantage of her flightlessness.

Swooping by Aglárien, I extended a wing so that she could climb on quickly. She took the hint, and in half a second, we were above Ruby, going around in circles. Torches of fire whizzed by me to do no harm. They missed my wings by way too much for me to even feel the heat. The Torchic couldn’t predict where I would be next, so every time she shot a Flamethrower at my previous position, I’d have moved far away.

Obviously her Flamethrowers had no effect. Ruby, annoyed, let out a low, menacing growl that I wouldn’t have expected of a Torchic. The shock shook me a little, but not by much; I continued flying.

“Gwaihir, stop moving so fast,” scolded Aglárien. “I can’t aim at her!”

When I felt the electrical charge against my back, slowing down seemed like a good idea. I really didn’t want to feel her Hidden Power hit me by accident. I also lowered my altitude to help her more, but this attracted the fire of the angry Torchic. A blast of extremely hot flame, originating from her entire body, reached up to burn my face. I coughed, snorting the ashes out of my scorched nose. Fortunately, Aglárien managed to get in her shot, so I pulled up and out of the way. Ugh, my nose. I hated that feeling… so dry.

“Hold on tight,” I warned Aglárien before diving. I propelled myself downward at supernatural speed, curving up at the last minute after striking Ruby with my momentum-powered wings. “If we keep doing this, we can win. She can’t reach us.”

I spoke too soon. A blinding light flashed through the volcano, and suddenly I felt my wings explode into severe shocking pain. The electricity pulsed through my body; I felt momentarily stunned. Where had that attack come from?

“Shar!” I heard a voice cry. “What are you doing?”

Red beams flew by, but all I could concentrate on were the piercing red eyes. “Gwaihir! Gwaihir!” I heard in the background. I floated in space; the words made no sense. “Gwaihir, Aglárien! You’re going to crash!”

At the word crash, I jolted back to reality. Crash? Me, Gwaihir the Windlord? Never! I saw that Aglárien, feeling faint, had let loose her grip on my back. She plummeted to the ground… I had to help her, or the impact would be devastating. Diving downwards at dangerous speed, I grabbed her in my talons and pulled back up, almost grazing the Charmander against the rough ground. At that instant I felt more sparking energy crackle through my wings, and suddenly a great deal of rocks came out from nowhere and crushed me against the ground. Aglárien had been knocked out of my grip, and she, too, lay under stone.

I saw a familiar Absol in the distance, and all doubt vanished; it was she who had zapped me suddenly with deadly accuracy. Karin’s attempts to recall Shar continually failed. The Absol kept dodging the beams somehow, and then she bolted, disappearing out the door.

“We’ll be… fine…” I groaned. “Go get her, Karin… Before she hurts someone else…”

“I can’t leave you both here,” she said. Then, more alarmed, “Gwaihir! Aglárien! Watch out!”

A second wave of outwardly expanding flame swept across the volcano floor… but it did not hurt as much as before. Of course… Overheat. Not like it mattered, anyway… The rocks were the things causing problems.

“Aglárien… I can’t fly… My wings can’t move… I’m trapped.”

“Don’t worry,” I heard her say. “I’ve got everything under control.”

Suddenly I felt the heavy burden lifting away from me. When my vision cleared, and darkness turned to color, I saw Aglárien stand entranced. Her entire body glowed with power, as did the rocks that she raised up with the strength granted her by a mysterious force. Ruby stood no chance; she fell immediately upon impact.

Aglárien won!
Aglárien grew to LV12!

Gwaihir the Windlord won!
Gwaihir the Windlord grew to LV13!

classy_cat18

13th September 2004, 04:08 PM

Shonta’s POV

The adoptees circled the strange new teammate that slept in my lap. “Is that a Pokemon?” Lily asked me.

“She’s a Slakoth, Lily. Her name is Nama,” I answered. I gently nudged Nama. No movement. I sighed. Her breathing was so slow that one would think she was in a coma or even dead. She’s been like that all night and almost all day.

“Is she dead?” Trinity asked with narrowed eyes. “You should’ve checked with those workers before…”

<She’s fine, Trinity!> Jewel blurted out in anger. <You and your stupidity!>

“Don’t you call me stupid, you brainless starfish!”

I rubbed my forehead. Tension in my team was growing once again. I couldn’t listen to any more of this yelling. “Quiet, you two! The only one who’s going to fight around here today is Nama!”

Nama’s eyes shot open. “Did anyone need me? Is it time for my battle yet?” she asked in a drowsy voice.

“That made her wake up,” Lily said. “We’re still at home, Nama. You can go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” She curled up in a tight ball and went back to sleeping.

<I guess that’s what happens when you’re called the Slacker Pokemon. What possessed you to get her, Shonta?> Jewel asked me.

“I felt so bad about abandoning Swoop that I decided to get one of the long-time residents of the Center. Poor Nama was there for months.” I stroked the ball that was Nama. Her fur was a little rough but still fun to touch. I was like stroking an old rug.

“How good is she at battling?” Beacon asked.

“I don’t know. It’ll be tough to train her while she has that Truant ability. She can only attack every other turn.” I put Nama down on the sofa and stood up. “But she can do it! I’ll work with her every day and night! She will evolve by my hands and no one else’s!” I threw my hands in the air.

“That’s right, preacher!” Moriko shouted, mimicking my stance.

Feeling embarrassed, I put my hands back down. “Sorry about that. I guess we got a little carried away. I’ll show Nama around her new home when she wakes up. Meanwhile, why don’t you girls go about your business?” They all nodded and scattered.

Lily’s POV

“What’s with Nama? She was hardly breathing back there!” I told Moriko as we sat in the backyard. I sat under the big tree while Moriko climbed up there and started drinking sap.

She stopped drinking. “That’s the way Slakoth are. They aren’t really interesting; they just move when they have to. And they rarely have to.”

“She won’t be able to battle today if she keeps sleeping like that.”

“I doubt that. Did you see the way she woke up when Shonta said the word ‘fight’? Slakoth never wake up that fast. She’s a brawler, alright!”

I looked up at her and smiled slyly. “Does this mean you’ll have her picture on a flag?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking about fans this time, although I did see a nice collapsible flagpole on the catalog I get the flags from.” She turned her head to the door and laughed. “Speak of the devil! There she is!” She fluttered down from the tree trunk and faced Nama as she walked through the back door.

“Did I miss anything?” Nama asked in her sleepy voice.

“Of course not! In fact, I wanted to ask you something. Do you like to battle?”

Nama’s eyes widened. She stood straight up and put on a fierce face. She looked Shonta when I woke her up last night. “I’m not much of a fighter, but I love to prove myself!” she exclaimed. She opened up her mouth again and let out a long yawn. “I just haven’t been able to prove myself yet.”

“I’m sorry, Nama,” I said to her. I let out a yawn. “Wow, your yawns are contagious.” My eyelids got heavy. “Why do I feel so sleepy?”

“Probably because she used a Yawn attack,” Moriko replied. “I’m going to lean against something before I drop just about anywhere.” She slowly trudged over to the tree, sat down with her back to the trunk, and closed her eyes.

I was getting sleepy myself, so I said bye to Nama and went inside to have a nap.

Athena’s POV

“What do you think about Nama?” I asked Trinity as we walked with Shonta to the training center.

Trinity snorted. “No offense, but she doesn’t look like much of a battler to me. I mean, she’s a Slacker Pokemon! She’s been sleeping in her pokeball for three hours!”

“She’s reserving her strength. She’ll be ready to battle the second it starts.” I opened two fans and waved them. “I found these in Shonta’s room. Moriko said that I should be Nama’s cheerleader since she got a little sleepy from Nama’s Yawn attack and you wouldn’t want to cheer her on.”

“Ha! I’d pay to watch the little slacker battle, or what qualifies as battling to her.” She stopped at a sofa and laid on it as Shonta talked with the receptionist. “How about I take a tip from Moriko and stay here for a snooze?”

I growled. She wasn’t taking Nama seriously. If Nama was out, she would definitely be upset. I put a hand around Trinity’s muzzle and yanked it towards me. “Now you listen to me! You will come with me and you will cheer for Nama! You have been a straight up nuisance ever since Swoop left and it is getting on my very last nerve!”

Trinity gulped and nodded. I let her muzzle go and felt my adrenaline rush lighten up. Shonta left the front desk and turned to us. “Let’s go, girls,” she said to us. “And I told you not to get on people’s furniture, Trinity.” Trinity groaned and rolled off the sofa.

At the opponent’s side of the stadium sat a bored looking Houndour. He stood up and smiled when he saw us coming. “I thought I’d never get a challenger! I’ve been here all day waiting for one! So who are you sending out?”

“I guess he doesn’t have a trainer,” Trinity muttered. “Shonta, let out Nama so we can get this over with.”

Shonta pulled out Nama’s pokeball and let her out. Nama smiled at Houndour sleepily. “Let’s tango, doggy,” she said.

L7 Female Slakoth (Nama) vs. L7 Male Houndour

Before Shonta could shout a command, Nama leapt and swiped Houndour with her claws. Houndour rocked back in surprise. Shonta, Athena and I dropped our jaws. “I thought she was supposed to be the Slacker Pokemon!” Trinity cried out. “That looked like a Quick Attack!”

I laughed. “I told you that she was reserving her energy!” I took out my fans and put my hands in the air. “Come on, Nama!”

But Nama was pretty much out of energy as Houndour jumped back and fired flames on her. She stood still, defying Houndour. Houndour circled her, smirking. “I know that you can’t attack again until I do. It’s that stupid trait, isn’t it?” Nama didn’t respond, and Houndour continued with a Leer attack.

Nama clapped her hands. “Nice Leer. Let’s see that again!”

Houndour’s eyes didn’t stop glowing. He whimpered in fear, not knowing what surprises this Slakoth had. I looked about the same as him. It was time for Nama to make her next move. She let out a long yawn. Houndour yawned right after her. His eyes returned to normal, and he opened up his mouth and let out another Ember. Nama didn’t even bother to dodge. Houndour then opened his mouth again. Flecks of sunlight traveled from around the room to his mouth and gathered in an orb in front of his mouth.

I gulped. “That’s Solarbeam!” I said. “Dodge, Nama!”

Nama looked at me and smiled that sleepy smile. “There’s no need. Look.” She pointed to Houndour, who was sleeping soundly. She charged forward and swiped, stood back, and swiped again.

“Nama, he’s about to wake up! Use Slack Off!” Shonta commanded.

“There’s no need,” Nama repeated.

Houndour’s eyes fluttered open. He got to his shaking feet and glared at Nama. “I’ll…get…you,” he panted. He opened his mouth to give Nama an Ember or Solarbeam. But he closed it and slowly sunk to the floor. “After I get myself healed.”

Nama won and grew to level 8!

Nama slowly walked to us, a smile on her face. “I guess that everyone I battled before had been so much stronger than me. It was nice to have someone on my level. Now would you put me back in my pokeball? I got so tired from that battle I’ll probably sleep all night.”

“You mean you don’t?” I asked her.

“Well, I got a little hungry so I went up that tree in the backyard and ate some leaves. The sky was so beautiful I decided to stay out until the sun went up.” She was absorbed into her pokeball.

I turned to Trinity with a smug look on my face. “Well, what do you think of Nama?”

“The same thing that I think about every Pokemon that comes into our team from now on. Nothing until the next battle.”

LightNinetales

14th September 2004, 12:40 PM

~x~ Lightstorm’s POV ~x~

“Hmm, Lightstorm, I have a little question....”
Light was smiling.
“Uh....what kind of question?”
“Do you know how to swim?”
I didn’t understand. Why did she want to know if I knew how to swim?
I answered :“Yes, Axolotl taught me how to swim....”
She took me in her arms.
“Look” she said.“ This is the Pond Room. Since you’re a fire type, I had to know if you were able to swim before showing you this place.”
She was standing on a small platform. I saw Axolotl and Joyau, Aidane and Kusa, Acajou and Chataigne(and Enigma).....
Whitney was playing with Acajou. I looked at them..... and I jumped on the platform, then I touched the water of the pond with my paw. It was cold.

~x~ Axolotl’s POV ~x~

Do it, Lightstorm. I thought you would be able to swim, so what are you waiting for? Come here. Your daughter is waiting for you.
I heard something, so I looked at the platform. Lightstorm wasn’t there.
“Lightstorm!” I shouted.
“Mommy!”
A brown paw appeared, then another one, and finally Lightstorm’s head.
“ We thought you....vanished.” I finally said.
“I was underwater. This pond is wonderful....”
“Kusa! Jump out of the water!”
We looked at Light, then we saw Kusa. A Mudkip was trying to attack her.
She didn’t hear Light, maybe because she wasn’t listening to what she shouted – she was telling Sparkle he will never be able to become a grass-type.
“Kusa!”
Aidane rushed towards the Mudkip. Tackle. Another Mudkip appeared.
“Why did you attack Kusa?” shouted Aidane.
“Let’s fight. Don’t tell us anything, we don’t want to listen to an opponent.”
Sparkle yelled “I want to fight! I want to help Kusa!”
“Okay, Sparkle.” said Light. “But you don’t know any electric attacks, do you?”

-Aidane the female Bulbasaur[lv.8] & Sparkle the male Elekid[lv.6] VS Nheyenkille the female Mudkip[lv.15] & Umiiruka the female Mudkip[lv.15]-

~x~ Kusa’s POV ~x~

Did she protect me? Did she really do what I think she did?
She’s my best friend, but I never thought someone might want to protect a poor little Oddish like....huh.....myself.
And Sparkle.... well, I think I’ll try to teach him at least one grass-type move. I’ll ask Light if it can learn one of them.
Aidane was a good fighter. She threw four colorful leaves at her opponent - Nheyenkille, using her bred-on move, Magical Leaf.
Sparkle was attacking the other Mudkip with his bred-on move, Cross Chop. His arms hit Umiiruka, who tried to use Tackle. The Elekid didn’t even try to avoid it.
Aidane threw two other leaves at Nheyenkille’s mouth, and did what Light calls “a critical hit”.
The Mudkip used her own bred-on move, Ice Beam, against the poor Aidane....
Sparkle wasn’t moving, and the Mudkip used Tackle, again, and again, and again...
Electricity was running on Sparkle’s fur when the Mudkip attacked one more time. And his Static ability paralyzed the Mudkip, who was no longer able to move.
I thought the Bulbasaur had been frozen. I thought she had been KO’ed. But she hadn’t. She rushed towards Nheyenkille and managed to hit her wounded mouth with her head.
The water-type tried to use Water Gun. The water in her mouth touched her wound. She didn’t attack. She......fell into the water.
Aidane smiled at me.
I smiled at her.

Aidane grew to level 10!
Aidane learnt Strength(free TM move)!
Sparkle grew to level 8!

Enigma asked “Chataigne.... If a Mudkip attacked me, would you protect me like Aidane protected Kusa?”
“Yes, Enigma, I would protect you. Don’t worry.”

~x~ Whitney’s POV ~x~

“Why did this pokemon attack us?” I asked.
“ Because” answered Light “they want to fight. They are waiting for opponents. They saw a pokemon and attacked it.”
“Light” said Mommy with a smile, “you’re still on the platform.”
“Yeah....” Light was a little bit afraid.
“You told me I had to go in the water but YOU didn’t follow me...”
“Actually, Lightstorm, I.... can’t swim.” Acajou laughed. Axolotl shouted “I can’t believe it!”
Mommy was still smiling.

~x~ Light’s POV ~x~

I was really afraid. This smile was.... Lightstorm’s smile. I knew she wanted to do something but.... what?
She jumped on the platform. She was now behind me.
“Lightstorm, what are you doing?”
“Look at the water. That’s a beautiful pond, isn’t it?”
I looked at the clear pond. Something hit my legs, and I fell in the water.
“I hate you, Lightstorm!” I yelled.
I managed to put my hands on the platform.

“Where’s the next room, Joyau?”
“Uuuh... there’s a door in front of you. But I don’t know what’s the next room...”
“I think it’s the Jungle Room... Well, is that really important, after all?”

_________________________

I know, that's not really well-written, but.... my english isn't that good, actually. ^_^"""

Lady Vulpix

16th September 2004, 09:25 AM

I've rated 3 of the posts, mine and Shonta's haven't been rated yet.

Hannah gets 13 stamps! Beautiful descriptions, though such long sentences are often hard to follow. And I didn't understand some parts, like "beating a tatoo into the air" and "a female voice cried out in triumph and slammed into me". And you've used the phrase "feel the shudder of resistance" 3 times, which sounded a bit strange, but that's ok. I didn't understand if Archie fainted during the battle or not (if he did, Fizz should have gained 4 levels and Archie none). So, some parts weren't very clear, but the battle in general was very good. ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Karin gets 7 stamps. Good story. I wonder what's up with Shar, I guess you'll explain some more later, right? Or have I missed something important in your previous battles? ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

LightNinetales gets 5 stamps. More details could have made it more interesting, but the story was nice. :) ¢¢¢¢¢

*Murkrow

16th September 2004, 01:24 PM

I didn't understand if Archie fainted during the battle or not (if he did, Fizz should have gained 4 levels and Archie none).

Just thought I'd clarify that; he didn't faint, he was just kind of in the last few minutes of consciousness ~_^

AntiAsh Superstar

17th September 2004, 12:38 AM

Here's my RBG for Marius finally. Be warned, some of it is a trifle... odd. :oh:

-----
"So what's the deal here, Gina?" It had only been a few days after Milliardo's battle in the Unicorn Games. A few days where I had been able to take a short break from training, to concentrate upon the other aspects of my life. At least that was how it should have worked. Unfortunately life had this rather annoying habit of throwing surprise after surprise in my face. And in this case the surprise had been Gina, or rather an excited telephone call from the scatterbrained mercenary, the only parts of which I could make out were that she had made an important discovery and that I was to come over as quickly as possible. Of course I had my doubts; knowing Gina her important discovery would prove to be something totally banal. However, when I finally turned up at her office, roughly half of my team following purely out of curiosity, I found myself pleasantly surprised.
"Well, you might well ask that, Ade," the blue-haired woman I had come to know as a friend over the past few months smiled enigmatically. We had encountered her in a position that was totally Gina, leaning back in her chair with her feet up on her desk, totally oblivious to an overworked fax machine that was even now churning out reams of forms behind her. Sometimes I wondered why it hadn't yet occurred to her to simply swallow her pride and hire a secretary to deal with the paperwork that she kept putting off.
"Well, I am asking that," I responded smartly, some of my Umbreon's smarm having evidently rubbed off on me over the past year or so. "What on earth got you so worked up?"
"Ade, I really have to show you this, it's brilliant!" It seemed as if Gina could no longer keep up the nonchalant pretence, for she quickly leapt to her feet and rushed over to explain. "You really have to see it for yourself! Come on!" By this point she was practically dragging me out of the room by the arm, her face enraptured in an almost childish excitement.
"Whoa... Gina! Why..." It was as much as I could do to keep my balance as we rushed through the office-like corridors of the headquarters of Gina's organization.
"Ade, face it, she's totally lost it," Milliardo quipped as he rushed alongside us, a rabble comprised of Katnip, Pandora, Marius, Rhiannon and Kasumi close behind. "Try steering her to the nearest funny farm, she could probably do with a spell in there."
"I have a sneaking suspicion that if we choose that course of action then we would all end up incarcerated for some mental defect or other, father," Marius noted, keeping up with remarkable ease given his admittedly awkward body shape. His eyes flicked around his surroundings as they passed, trying desperately to keep up with every change in scenery but finding this an impossible task even for his remarkably sharp brain. In the end he found himself rather relieved when our group finally passed through a final set of grey double doors and into one of the training rooms. Only this was no ordinary training room. This small, cramped arena was filled with electronic equipment, bank after bank of computer monitors filling every possible inch of wall space, cables trailing along the ground to eventually converge upon a single point, a large wooden table upon which rested a single headset, looking remarkably similar to those used in virtual reality simulations.
"Here. See?" Gina breathed out excitedly.
"I've seen this before somewhere..." I mused, walking around the room to better judge what I was seeing.
"Yeah, you probably have. These things were used to train competitors during the last Dragon Games. The most advanced virtual reality battle simulation money can buy. We can hook a pokémon up, input a few potential opponents, and then bingo! You have an instant fight set up. They're brilliant; I've been using this baby to train my team to totally new levels. I'm so glad we came across this one." The look of pride upon Gina's face was unmistakable. Although it did leave a hell of a lot of questions unanswered.
"How did you come across this, exactly? I remember these now, weren't they Dragons Guild technology? I hardly think they'd just sell them off."
"Well they were going to... well, in little chunks, at least, before we stepped in and saved this one. It's being a real help to us. We've even worked out how to code the system, so we have several different software simulations set up, from the original subconscious-based simulation to specific goal-orientated missions that play more like a video game but are really invaluable to some of our members." My friend grinned broadly, her freckled face lighting up. "So, Ade, wanna let one of your pokémon have a go? Thought you might be interested. It's the most foolproof training system ever devised, although I guess you know that already."
"That's the most unfounded assumption I've heard all day," Marius interrupted, worming his way forward to get a better look at the computer screens. "There is no such thing as 'foolproof'. Even the greatest of systems were designed by people with flaws. I mean, let's take Windows as an example. Microsoft have had what seems like millennia to smooth out all of the cracks in their operating system, but new and more dangerous security issues are arising all the time. That's the way with these things. Make something foolproof and nature will make an even greater fool to throw it off balance." The Dratini grinned broadly. "However, I'd be most intrigued if you could prove me wrong."
"What is he saying?" Gina asked, bemused by my not-so-little dragon as he inspected every nook and cranny of her setup.
"I think he's just risen to the challenge," I smirked, turning to Marius as I spoke. "Is that right, buddy? Wanna prove you can conquer the system?"
"Not at all." A slow smile formed at the corners of my Dratini's mouth. "I rather fancy my chances of not only conquering the system, but also of analyzing it, twisting it and proving how very incorrect the assertion that it is a foolproof system really is." Before I could so much as think of how to respond to this my Dratini had already somehow made his way on top of the table that was the room's centerpiece and was staring at me with a rather impatient look. "So then, how does one hook oneself up to this system, then?"
"I think you'd have a job managing it on your own, Marius," I commented, wandering over to help Gina strap the dragon into the various harnesses that served to provide an altogether more realistic experience. These, I seemed to recall, were designed to stimulate the nerve endings so that the pokémon inside would be able to feel things when inside the artificial environment of the simulation. Quite how I remembered such trivia when I still couldn't remember my own postcode I had no idea, but that was always the way with me. My mind worked in ways that not even I understood. "Although I don't think the same could be said for your battle." At this point I turned to Gina. "So what is his opponent, exactly?"
"To be honest I don't know," she admitted, placing the headset upon Marius and wandering over to the most prominent bank of switches and buttons. She studied this intently as she talked, throwing the occasional switch here, pressing the odd button there. "We do have a version that allows you to choose your opponent's parameters, certainly, but here we're using the original version, and that means that his opponent is most likely going to be determined by his actions once he's in there." Pushing her glasses up her nose, Gina reached for the final switch. "Well, Marius, hope you're ready for this!" And with a final nod that switch was thrown, the world suddenly ceasing to exist for Marius as he was taken someplace else. To a land where anything could, and most probably would, happen.

For a moment Marius found it rather hard to get his bearings. One moment he had been patiently awaiting the start of his training, the next his very perception of reality had been totally wiped out by a sudden rush of new data into his brain. The switch had disorientated many pokémon in its time, although for some reason Marius seemed to be affected more than most. Sadly that was just the way his mind worked, his remarkable sixth sense, the computer-like qualities of his brain to be able to process vast amounts of information, and his empathy with technology all allowing him to notice the sudden rush of data that most others would have missed. So it was that he spent his first few moments inside his artificial world staggering blindly, his head far too filled with random snatches of binary information to take in what was going on around him. Which on the whole was never a good thing.
"Hey! Watch it, buddy!" All of a sudden Marius found his nose ramming hard into something cold and firm, with such force that it sent him tripping backwards. Gingerly he looked upwards, to see a large Rhyhorn staring down at him. There was no menace in its eyes, however, in fact the pokémon seemed rather concerned for the Dratini. "Are you alright?" it asked.
"Y... yes, thank you. I'm fine. Apologies for being so careless." Hurriedly Marius nodded to the pokémon before rushing on his way with more speed than he knew he was capable of. The sudden shock had been just what he had needed to clear his head, and now he was finally able to make sense of his surroundings. For some reason his psyche had decided to place him in the middle of a crowded marketplace in a bustling city that was filled with pokémon rushing backwards and forwards, going about their daily business. Passing a cart filled with fruit, Marius idly picked up a rosy-red apple, paying with several coins that he found mysteriously tucked away inside the folds of the black necktie that he always wore around his neck. Without much haste he positioned himself to one side and munched upon his newly obtained snack, watching as the other pokémon went about their daily business. This was all a simulation, he knew, and potentially any one of them could have been his opponent. But he simply didn't feel as if that was the case. Each and every pokémon he saw seemed to him to be nothing more than filler, random code inserted simply to create a more realistic world. What would they think, he wondered, if they knew that this was their only purpose? Or could they even think at all? He pitied them, really. To exist in such a manner would have been terrible. Slowly the Dratini made his way down the crowded street, his instincts seeming to guide him as he went. He had no idea how he knew where to go. He just did. And right now his instincts were telling him to leave this market area and its multi-coloured gaiety. Leave it for an area some minutes to the north, where the hustle and the bustle of the city had died down. Some would have called this area the slums, a badly put together skate park in the middle of what had once been a private car park for humans, now taken over by those who used it for their recreation. Marius preferred to consider it a binary interpretation of his psyche's ideal battleground. His eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in every little detail whilst they had the chance. From the large graffito scrawled across the far stone wall to the little patches of wear upon the wooden slopes of the skate ramps, he took in it all. Everything and every being in the area.
"You took long enough in reaching me here," the Dratini commented as an unknown presence intruded upon his senses. "I would have thought that, as part of this system, you would have known precisely where I was. I consider that inefficiency."
"We weren't designed to be efficient. We were designed to be realistic." A light tap on Marius' side indicated that his opponent had finally arrived. Slowly he turned to have a better look at what kind of creature he would be facing. Although he had already known that. Already he was able to sense things about this imaginary world that would have been almost impossible to know otherwise. Like know, for instance. He had known that he would be facing a Sableye long before he had to stare directly into a huge pair of diamond-like eyes set in a corporeal body. "At least I know my purpose. Can you say the same, young one?"
"There is no purpose beyond the search for purpose," Marius retorted. "If you ask me then I consider actually knowing one's purpose in life to be a most demoralizing thing. I'd rather live in blissful ignorance than be privy to the knowledge that I could climb no higher."
"An interesting philosophy." The Sableye paced restlessly around Marius, eying him up from all possible directions. "In this world, however, you truly can climb no higher. You are an alien. Here you play by our rules. Tell me, what kind of battle are you expecting, young one?"
"If this software were a mere video game then I would expect a challenge, but one that could be overcome with the correct amounts of fortitude and quick thinking. However, this is no game, is it?"
"Oh no, young one. This is much, much more. I, for example, could well be interpreted as a mere collection of pixels in your headset, but I'm so much more. Every creature and location in this world, it's all linked to your subconscious mind so much more closely than you could ever know. Why do you think only a few copies of this system exist? It's so hard to clone, for to fuse technology with the mind so well was obviously a one-off. Anyway, in answer to your question, this isn't a game, no. I have been issued with very specific orders. To defeat in battle all outsiders. And although there is something that little bit different about you, I have not once failed in my mission." Here the Sableye struck up a fighting pose. "I shall enjoy defeating you most of all, out of all that have fallen by my hand."
"Wait... you mean you are a complete entity within the system?"
"Maybe," came the enigmatic reply. "Or maybe I'm simply programmed to give you the response you secretly desire. We will probably never know. For this is the time that I attack, so you had best be prepared."
"I can counteract anything that you choose to throw at me," Marius snorted, sounding very much like Milliardo would have done had he just absorbed a thesaurus. He coiled up, ready to strike. This was going to be the most dangerous battle of his life. Because he could see beyond the mere ideals of this world as a training simulation. He was going to crack this game, or die trying.

FIGHT!!! L7 Dratini v L7 Sableye!

The strange creature didn't so much as give Marius a chance to prepare himself for attack. It shot forward with blinding speed, its feet hardly even toughing the ground as it moved, swiping at Marius in a frenzied attempt at a Scratch attack. My Dratini was only able to avoid it through the most desperate of maneuvers, twisting his head to one side before his opponent's cruel talons could gouge into his flesh. He could feel the air disturbed as his opponent attempted to strike him. It had been that close a call.
"Your reactions aren't too shabby, young one," the Sableye sneered. "I think I may have to take this battle up a notch." Before Marius could react he found the creature's other fist slamming hard into his chest area, knocking the very wind from his lungs and sending him hurtling backwards into a badly-made ramp that snapped in half upon impact. The Dratini shook his head, his mind reeling with a million and one questions, from how he had managed to survive what should have been a crippling blow to exactly how a Ghost type could make itself substantial enough to throw a punch in the first place.
"You throw quite a powerful punch for a piece of coding," he finally snorted, trying very hard to ignore the ache where his spine had collided with the plank just moments before.
"And you have far more resilience than most others I've battled," came the spookily clam reply. The Sableye began to make its slow way towards Marius, talking all the while. "Oh, don't look so surprised, I remember them all. This particular excuse for a reality keeps track of those who use it, and how they fare. And as a result I share this benefit."
"Who are you?" Marius asked, braced for an attack.
"I am every opponent that you could ever face in this game. My form and personality varies every time it is loaded. But you... you are different. For some strange, unfathomable reason you are capable of stripping this whole process down, so that I have to be truly honest about what this whole exercise is. You're a curiosity, little Dratini. And I have to admit that I'm going to enjoy beating you." As soon as the Sableye had finished speaking it launched into yet another attack. However, this was one that Marius was expecting. He had been prepared for it ever since the start of his opponent's rant. And so as the Sableye shot forward once again, Marius responded with a huge blast of electrical energy that snaked out in all directions. There was no way that the Sableye could have avoided it, such was its pure intensity. The Ghost type shrieked in agony as more and more electrical current was poured into it, its gem-like eyes semi-closed in a bizarre combination of pain and concentration. Pain, for this Shock Wave attack was of the most ferocious variety. And concentration, for the Ghost type wasn't about to allow a trifling matter like a pain get in the way of its victory. In spite of the sheer ferocity of Marius' attack the Sableye still somehow managed to make its way forward, close enough to strike at my Dratini's face with a cruel Scratch that broke off the flow of electricity in an instant. Marius reeled backwards instinctively, the sharp pain suddenly lashing across his face causing him to temporarily forget his game plan. Which was the opening that his opponent had been waiting for. Without so much as a hesitation the strange creature struck him hard in the chest with both hands, knocking him backwards onto the floor with a blow that would have easily shattered through a brick wall. "Give up, young one," the Sableye smirked, walking slowly towards where Marius had just fallen. "This is my world. You stand no chance."
"Your world isn't as flawless as you seem to believe," Marius snarled, his eyes narrowed in an intense frown. "You are bound by countless restrictions that you have no idea even exist."
"Oh, I know my limits. The question is, do you?" Marius watched as his opponent began to form a dark sphere of ethereal energy at its fingertips. He knew the attack, of course. It was one that Milliardo, his adoptive father, was especially good at using in bluffs. And although he was aware that the attack wasn't quite as dangerous as it looked, it was still not a good idea to be caught in its blast, especially when your chest was bruised and you had scratches all the way across your face. Another reasonably powerful blow could have finished him. And Marius wasn't about to let that happen. Not in a computer simulation, not after all the effort he had put into the mastery of technology! Concentrating hard, the Dratini began to put every ounce of energy he had into achieving the impossible. Somehow he had to avoid the incoming Shadow Ball that even now was being sent flying towards him. And at the same time implement his master plan. To hack into the very system he was trapped inside, and turn the very world that his opponent seemed to have so much faith in back in the Sableye's face.

"Hm? Now that's odd..." The rest of us had been sitting around chatting amongst ourselves, only really paying half attention to Marius as he lay on the wooden table in the centre of the room, lost to whatever fantasy was playing out inside his head.
"What is it, Gina?" I asked, breaking off from a conversation I was having with Milliardo about how we were going to have to use Brandy to barricade the door in order to keep my Umbreon's screaming fans from throwing themselves all over him. A conversation which had pretty much ended anyway after Pandora had commented about how anyone throwing themselves all over Milliardo was going to find themselves rather quickly savaged anyway.
"Look at this." The bespectacled trainer jabbed at a flashing light with a long finger. "This light."
"What about it?" I asked, not exactly being too pleased with the tone of her voice. I could sense trouble brewing here.
"Somebody's trying to remotely access the system. Ade, we're being hacked into."
"Wait a minute, what does that mean for Marius? Is there nothing you can do to stop it?" I asked, a trace of concern creeping into my voice. A million thoughts, a million possibilities suddenly began whirling around inside my head. And not a one of them was pleasant. "Hadn't we better disconnect him?"
"It's not as simple as that, Ade; we have to wake him up first. It's not exactly that healthy to be just dragged out of this simulation, you know, it's not just an arcade game. Listen, you guys get to that. I'm going to do my best to delay whoever it is from here." Gina quickly grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it over to a second terminal, whose main feature was a large monitor and keyboard. If the situation hadn't been so dire I would have been rather impressed by the sudden change that came over her when a crisis threatened.
"Well that's easy enough, isn't it?" Pandora was already up on the table with her foster son, her eyes betraying the levels of concern that she was currently feeling. "One good Roar in the ear ought to do it, right Ade?" The Houndour turned to look over at me for reassurance. I nodded silently, giving my assent to her plan. Marius had to be pulled out of there. Now.

Back inside the system, my Dratini had seen better days. The act of both trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage and avoid attack was a much harder task than he had originally thought. So while he had been making great progress in accessing the files behind the simulation and deciphering their strange coding, he hadn't been doing so well at actually fighting. He had been making stupid mistakes, leaving his opponent openings, and hence had paid the price for this lack of focus. To such an extent that he had been left far too sore to even concentrate on using his Hidden Power in the way only he knew how.
"And I had such high hopes for you, young one," his opponent smirked, picking Marius up by the tail and raising him high in the air, the Sableye's ghostly powers seeming to allow it some limited flight judging by how far away the ground seemed to be from the Dratini's blurry eyes. "Maybe one day, when you obviously don't have other things on your mind, we can battle again. And this time it will be the challenge that I know it can be. Until then..." Here for some reason Marius was unable to catch what his opponent said. It was as if something had totally shut off his hearing for a brief second, an indecipherable blast of white noise that served to jog his failing mind back into action. He was so close now, so close to having the entire system under his control! He couldn't just give up now! Concentrating hard, Marius put what little energy he had left into his Hidden Power, allowing it to go out to the circuitry that controlled all of the processes behind the simulation. And finally he found what he had been looking for all this time. The lines of code that governed the very rules of the game. Unfortunately at this point his opponent took it upon itself to hurl him hard at the nearest wall. An action that would, under any other circumstances, have normally spelt the end of the battle.
"This little altercation is far from its conclusion!" Marius snapped suddenly, his Hidden Power suddenly finding a use that would have been totally defunct in any situation other than this. And so when he finally collided with the concrete wall, instead of striking it painfully he somehow managed to bounce off it, the normally solid surface seeming to give way like a particularly soft mattress and propelling him back towards his opponent, a look of rapt concentration sitting upon his face.
"How..?" The Sableye never got the chance to finish whatever question it was about to pose. All of a sudden it found Marius passing through its corporeal body, giving off a huge blast of electrical energy as he went, an especially brutal Shock Wave that sent rivets of pain coursing through every fibre of the pokémon's being.
"Unfortunately you chose the wrong opponent to reveal your true nature to," Marius commented as he landed lightly upon the floor, his previous wounds hardly seeming to bother him now that he was fully in control of the situation. "Technology and myself... we have been developing something of an affinity as of late, you see, and you can make all the irrelevant noise you like about this being your realm and your rules, but that doesn't mean you can deny the inescapable truth that both yourself and your rules are mere puppets of the coding behind this amusing little simulation. Now, goodbye."
"Why you little..." The badly injured Sableye seemed to try to make one last, frenzied dash towards Marius, but found its movement opposed by an unseen force that dragged down at its limbs and made motion of any sort almost impossible. Its gem-like eyes widened in horror as Marius prepared one final Shock Wave, one final blast of energy that would finish this match completely. One final attack that stuck with alarming precision, sending further spasms of pain coursing through the Sableye's body, spasms that were far too great for it to hope to bear. Exhausted, the pokémon toppled forward, its bizarre face hitting the floor even before Marius had finished with his attack. Silently my Dratini nodded to himself. He had set himself a task, and he had managed it. There was nothing more that this world could offer him now. It was time to return to reality.

Marius wins!
Marius grew to L8!
Marius learned Thunder Wave!

"Marius! Wake up! Now!" The young Dratini gradually became aware of a constant yelling in his ears, a voice that was unmistakably that of Pandora, the one who cared for him as if she were his real mother. Groggily he forced his eyes open, only to be greeted with an expression that was half panic, half despair. What had gone on whilst he had been away to make the Houndour so tearful?
"Mother, why do you seem so worried?" Marius asked the instant his voice returned to him. Leaving that game was like coming out of a particularly deep sleep, and took just as long to return to a state of alertness from. "Has something dreadful occurred whilst I was utilizing the simulation?" The only response this seemed to get the Dratini was a passionate nuzzle, Pandora expressing her relief in the only way she could think of.
"Thank God, thank God you're okay..." she sobbed, everyone else stood around awkwardly as she explained. "Someone tried to hack in to the computer while you were in there, it could have all gone so horribly, horribly wrong, and I'm just so glad to see you're okay, I was so worried that it was going to do some real damage to you..."
"We did try explaining that these systems were most likely designed so that nothing could possibly happen to the user, even in the event of a system failure, but..." Rhiannon began.
"But somebody started fearing the worst in spite of that," her brother finished for her. "Look, Pandora, he's fine, can you stop worrying now?"
"Yes, mother, I'm in perfectly good health, in fact I would go so far as to say that the experience has been positively beneficial." The penny had dropped rather quickly as to what the whole exercise must have looked like to the outside world, and Marius silently cursed himself for not having the foresight to disable the security alarms first. "I do have something of a confession to make, however." All eyes suddenly turned to the Dratini. "I think you'll find that your supposed 'hacker' was in fact my Hidden Power doing what it is so proficient at. I set it upon myself to not only test my combatative skills, but also to measure how much I have progressed with regards to my manipulation of computer code. The exercise, I have to say, was an unrivalled success." Suddenly Marius' tone changed, and he shrank back as if afraid he was going to be yelled at. "I am really, truly and sincerely sorry for any upset I may have caused you, mother." As it happened, the admonishment he was expecting never came. Instead his words only seemed to make Pandora's tears flow even more freely, although at least this time they came with something approaching a smile.
"I... I should have known, shouldn't I?" the Houndour sniffed, trying to blink away the tears. "I should know by now that nobody will get rid of you that easily. I just worry. I just worry about what will happen and what might be, and I know that the worst case scenario very rarely happens, but... oh, listen to me, none of you need to see this. I'm sorry to ruin things for you again." In an instant Pandora had hopped back off the table where Marius had been lay and was heading dejectedly for the door, leaving behind a rather awkward silence that lasted for several minutes. In the end, as ever, Milliardo was the one to speak up first.
"Well, looks like a job for the one-Umbreon Pandora cheering up machine... honestly, I know it's not her fault but she's way too much like hard work when she gets in these randomly miserable moods"
"Unusually tactless, father," Marius noted.
"Ha, that's good for me, you weren't around before I met her and could get away with putting my foot in it every ten seconds, were you? Believe me, Marius, if engaging your mouth before your brain was an Olympic sport I'd get the gold each time." The Umbreon made as if to follow his girlfriend out of the room, but then paused and turned to look back at Marius, still sat groggily upon the table like a patient just come out of surgery. "By the way, while I'm gone will you put that Hidden Power of yours to good use and hack into the bank systems so we can transfer a huge amount of cash into Ade's account? That way we won't need Tsuyoi any more and he can bugger off."
"Ignoring the fact that we'd end up being the ones to move out if we did end our partnership with him, Milliardo, I wouldn't have thought you'd have been willing to evict the only creature I know who's heartless enough to agree with you when you're in one of your spiteful moods," I chuckled, before waving the Umbreon off. "Now go find Pandora, would you? We both know that the longer you leave her the worse she's going to get." For once Milliardo didn't seem to care about getting the last word in, and instead slipped away to console his vitriolic lover. Leaving the rest of us to plan exactly where we went from here, our lives in something of a limbo and the threat of something much bigger than we could ever imagine upon the horizon. Still, whatever the future held, I embraced it.

Wolfsong

20th September 2004, 04:26 PM

Gabi, take 22 stamps. I enjoyed reading that story, though as i told you over aim i lost the slip of paper with my notes on it. X.x Anyway that topius somewhat remined me of someone that I used to go to school with in an indirect way.

AntiAsh Superstar

20th September 2004, 06:54 PM

Anyways, for my next trick before I log off for the night, I'd like to request an RBG in the Universal Adoption Centre for Rhiannon, please. I have a few interesting ideas in mind... *pays 7 stamps*

Lady Vulpix

20th September 2004, 07:00 PM

Ok, but I may take some time to rate it seeing as there are still 2 unrated battles and I have exams to correct.

Rhiannon will battle... No, even for her that doesn't makes sense. *Pokes RBG.* Give me a pokemon that can be found at level 7! *The RBG throws me a Misdreavus.* Fine, thanks.

Wolfsong

21st September 2004, 10:28 PM

I bought the Wish TM for Darin from Karin, and it was an EMT Move. I bought the slash TMs for Darin and Dodger from the reward center. As a note to those of you that don’t know M_K’s flareon and espeon are Ayla’s father and brother respectively as well as Sugar’s boyfriend and son. I asked Gabi if I could give Jasmine the Wing Attack TM that I got from the EMT and she said that I could. Sugar’s earring and shock wave tm also came from the reward center, and Sugar will give Talut her gold berry.

(Ayla’s POV)

As was the case lately, I was still up after the others had fallen asleep. My eyes had long since adjusted to the dark as I looked around the room. Blazer was sleeping closest to the door, ready to defend if the need came. Sinopa was curled up next to Yana, while the others were scattered about the room with the exception of Dodger. I missed Dad and my brother dearly and I had no idea if I’d ever see them again. When I didn’t think I could stand it anymore, I slowly threaded my way through the sleeping bodies before stopping by my mom. I curled up next to her glad that I at least had her. Still asleep, Mom draped her paw over my shoulder, and soon I was asleep.

“Wake up…” Groaning, I turned away from the voice. “Ayla, wake up.” “All right, all right, I’m up.” I said, as I rubbed my eyes with my paws. “Is something bothering you?” Mom asked, her voice full of concern. “No,” I lied, because I didn’t want to make her upset after she herself had just gotten back to normal. Ayla, I know that you aren’t telling me the truth. Look me in the eyes and tell me what’s bothering you.” she said as she led me to a secluded spot outside. “I don’t want to upset you, Mom.” She turned to look at me with an uncharacteristically serious look on her face. “For once don’t worry about how I would feel if something is bothering you. Tell me. There is nothing worse than keeping something that is bothering you a secret. It will eat you up until you finally get it out.” “So that’s what happened to you.” She gave a sort of half smile. “Yeah it was, but then I had a talk with Kiara.” “I see.” Then a sad smile crossed her face. “I may not get to see them as often as I like, but then I remember that they don’t get to see us as often either. So rather than dwell on when we can’t see them, I think about the times that we do. It also makes the few times that we do see each other all the more special.” I nodded, understanding. “Thanks for the help.” “No sweat. Know of anyone that I can startle?” she said with a twinkle in her eyes. “Nope, sorry.” I said, laughing. “Besides, today probably isn’t the best day seeing as we are going to try and take the remaining training rooms as soon as Dodger gets back.” With that, we walked back to the hotel room where the others were already awake. Dodger arrived at exactly the same time as we did.

“Good.” Amy said when she saw us. “I have a few surprises for some of you.” At the mention of surprises, Darin began to jump up and down his tail swishing rapidly from side to side. “Let’s see…” Amy said to no one in particular. “Sugar?” I looked over at Mom who was generally surprised. “What?” “Come here.” I watches as Mom walked over to where Amy was standing. “I got you an earring and a Shock Wave TM.” Mom could hardly contain her excitement and as soon as she had the earring in place and the Tm powder sprinkled over her, she let look a wave of electric energy that shot towards Amy and hit her. I winced, glad that I wasn’t in the line of fire or in this case electricity.

When the aftermath of the attack was over, Amy was lying on her back staring up at the ceiling. She coughed, and seconds later, Darin was jumping on her chest. “Am ok? Is Am ok?” he asked, at which point Amy sat up. “Yeah I’m fine. she told the young eevee before pulling a couple of TMs from her bag. “I’ve got a couple of TMs for you.” “What Am?” “A wish TM and a slash TM.” she told him as she gave him the moves. “Jas I also have a wing attack tm for you.” “Cool.” And last but not least, Dodger I have a slash TM for you as well.” When Amy had finished handing out the TMs, she turned to look at us. “I’m going to go and finish getting ready. When I get back, if everyone is ready, we will go to finish the training grounds.” “Okay.” We all answered her at once.

(Dodger’s POV)

It had been a while since I last had the chance to have a battle. If I remembered correctly, it was against a porygon2 or something like that. I flew ahead of the others as they walked or rode in their pokeballs whichever they chose. I had Jasmine draped around my neck on top of my collar and scarf. Neither of us said much of anything during the flight. I was thinking about the opportunity to battle, while Jas was enjoying the flight.

When I reached the complex where the battles were being held, I began to circle lazily in the sky while waiting on Amy and the others to arrive. I wasn’t even worried about the conditions of the room, after all I was born in a volcano. I didn’t remember much about my parents, but I do vaguely remember the place where I was hatched. “There they are!” I heard Jas cry out happily, as she pointed with her wing. “Okay.” I told her as I lowered my right wing and slowly began to circle down to earth. I grinned as I landed right in front of Amy. She didn’t even flinch she was so used to my random appearances. However, the same can’t be said for some of the other people. They were running away screaming. “Why are they doing that?” Jas asked innocently. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” I said as Kovu emerged from his pokeball. As much as I disliked my pokeball, I realized that it would be best if I went inside until we reached our destination.

[color=skyblue](Amy’s POV)

I picked Jas up before Dodger went inside of his pokeball. She had grown and leaned a lot since she was born, but there was also a lot of things that she didn’t understand. One of which was why a lot of people ran screaming whenever Dodger landed. The few who didn’t were friends of ours that knew Dodger. A lot of people were scared of him because they never had the opportunity to meet or train an aerodactyls. “So, lets go.” I said as Kovu, Sinopa, and Jasmine nodded. As one, they nodded and began to follow me as I led the way to the welcoming desk. The receptionist raised her eyebrows as she looked at Jasmine and Sinopa, but greeted us cheerfully. “So which room are you looking to battle in today?” she asked. “All three if possible, but we definitely want to try the Lava Room first if at all possible.” “You’re in luck, that room is free right now. Follow this hallway until you reach the door at the end.” She said, pointing at the hallway behind her desk. “When you reach the doorway, you’re there.” “Thank you.” I told her, before heading down the hallway.

When we finally reached the door, I released the rest of the team. “Feels good to be outta there.” Dodger remarked as he stretched his wings. “Is everyone ready?” I asked. With Sinopa in one arm, I pushed the door open with the other. The heat within was intense, but it didn’t stop Dodger who was the first one through the door. “You know, would it be okay if some of us waited out here in the hallway until y’all get done?”Ayla asked. “That’s fine with me if some of you want to do that.” In the end, it was only Sinopa, Blazer, and Yana that decided to go into the Lava room with me to join up with Dodger. As we walked down the pathway that was situated among the lava. Sinopa pointed with her paw. “Look.” she whispered. We looked up to find that Dodger was already engaged in a battle.

(Dodger’s POV)

As soon as Amy had opened the door, I flew inside. When she didn’t enter right away, I shrugged and took to the air. Although this wasn’t a real volcano, I still felt right at home. I lazily circled about the room, half waiting for Amy and half waiting for an opponent. “Hey you!” I immediately began looking around and soon saw that it was a blaziken. “Yes?” I said, swooping down to land beside him on one of the platforms. “Are you my opponent?” he asked. “Most likely.” I replied. “Where’s your trainer?” he asked. “Outside the room, but she’ll be in shortly. Though, if you want to, we can start without her. By the way, where is your trainer?” I asked. “He’s tending to his precious Charizard.” the blaziken hissed. “But I wouldn’t mind starting the battle if you don’t.” All right,” I agreed, flapping my wings and taking to the air.

Dodger L.40 M Volcanic Aerodactyl VS. L.45 M Blaziken

It was at that moment that Amy, Blazer, Yana and Sinopa entered. The blaziken took advantage of my momentary distraction and leapt into the air slamming his fist into the underside of my jaw. Instinctively, I slammed both of my wings into my attacker. My opponent was knocked to the platform and before he could recover his bearings, I began emitting supersonic waves. My opponent stood up, shaking his head. As I watched, he slashed his left arm with his talons. All this time, my mind was trying to come up with what to use next. Earthquake and Ancient Power were pretty much out of the questions due to the conditions of this room. I quickly settled on toxic, and I quickly conjured up the vile tasting sludge. Immediately after, I spat it all over the blaziken. It wasn’t a moment too soon as he shook off his confusion at that precise moment. His eyes began to glow white as a beam of freezing white energy flew from his beak. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me cry out in pain, even though the attack hurt like hell. “Fantastic,” I muttered. Hidden Power Ice The blaziken charged forwards, and I did the only thing I could think of. I used my agility to avoid the quick attack. Using the speed boost that I had gained from using agility, I banked sharply and slashed at the blaziken’s back with my talons. He squawked in a combination of pain an surprise as he spun around and kicked at me with his foot which was blazing with fire. The flames from the kick didn’t bother me very much at all, but I sure felt the physical blow from it. “Time to end this.” I muttered under my breath as I focused on one of the newer attacks in my arsenal. I was surprised when Amy had given me the Aeroblast TM, but I gladly accepted it. This was the first time that I had tried it in a battle. I took a deep breath, before exhaling a blast of air that swirled clockwise heading straight toward the blaziken. He tried to dodge, but he wasn’t fast enough. As the attack slammed into his chest, the fire bird was knocked backwards a couple of feet. Upon contact with the platform, he was out cold.

I won!
I grew to L.42!

When my battle was over, I nodded at Amy and the others. Then, flapping my powerful wings I took to the air and found a nice perch that was close to the ceiling of the room. From there, I could watch Blazer’s battle without any disturbances, and also focus on recovering my strength.

(Blazer’s POV)

I had been watching Dodger’s battle, but near the end some movement across the room caught my eye. I blinked, at first not daring to believe it. Sure enough, when she turned around, it was her. As I took off running towards her, I heard Yana ask Amy, “Where is he going in such a hurry?” “I don’t…” she started to reply but then... “Oh!”

“Flare!” I shouted as I neared. Her head jerked up. She stared at me for a few minutes before recognition set in. “Blazer?” “Yep, it’s me.” “You look different.” she stated bluntly. “So do you.” I told her, and it was true. She looked a great deal stronger than she had been the last time I saw her. It also looked as if she had put on weight. Then Flare grunted, as I noticed her belly move. My heart sank, as my ears dropped. “I’m sorry, Blazer.” She apologized as she began to explain. Part of me wanted to know, but the other part didn’t…

“When I was first abandoned, I wasn’t sure what would happen. I withdrew from everything, as depression set in. Still I was adopted. I missed you terribly and I still do. But, my new trainer had another growlithe. At first, I ignored Tiger, that’s the growlithe. However, he was patient and as the months flew by I realized how lucky I was. I had gotten a new home where I knew that I was safe and would never be abandoned again. I also realized that the likelihood of me finding you again was extremely low. Yet here you are now.” She said, shaking her head sadly. “At first Tiger and I were just simply friends, but as time went by we grew to care for each other as more than friends.” She grunted softly again, “but I guess you can see that.” I nodded, though I was in a state of shock.

At that moment, another arcanine entered the room, walked over and nuzzled Flare. A low growl escaped my throat before I had even realized it. The arcanine, Tiger I assumed, turned to look at me. His eyes immediately narrowed, took a quick look at Flare and then finished up and looked at me. He in turn began to growl as well. “Let me guess, Blazer.” He snarled. “Tiger.” I snarled back, and he nodded. He began to advance on me. “You know there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hear Blazer this, or Blazer that.” I purposely backed towards the platform, where I could at least move around without worrying about falling into the lava.

Upon reaching the platform, I stood my ground. “ENOUGH!” I roared. “You have her, what more do you want?” “You don’t get it do you? DO YOU?” His eyes were wild with anger. “She still thinks you are the greatest pokemon on the planet. She may love me, but it’s nowhere near how I feel about her. You want to know something?” he spat. “I hope we have a girl.” “Why?” I asked. “If it’s a boy, she wants to name it Blazer.” I backed up a step, totally taken by surprise. There was a look in his eyes that I found unsettling, and I’m sure that he felt the same about me. “Let’s battle.” Tiger snarled. “What?” “You heard me. We battle NOW!” he screamed.

Blazer L.75 Black & Silver M Arcanine VS. Tiger L.76 M Arcanine

No sooner than Tiger had screamed “NOW!” he slammed into me with an extreme speed attack that any arcanine would be proud of. I, on the other hand, started out defensively by using safeguard. Tiger, seeing what I was doing, performed a safeguard of his own. I smirked. “That won’t help you.” I remarked, growling as I prepared a nasty surprise for him. I was surprised at how I felt. I was angrier than I could ever remember being. The gold key around my neck began to glow as I spewed the venom all over Tiger. It immediately slipped through his protective barrier before disappearing through his skin. Tiger immediately went a few shades paler. He roared, in anger before slamming his entire body into me. “Get off of me.” I snarled. “No.” he said, snapping at my neck. “Then I’ll make you.” I said, pushing him off, using all of my strength. Like the cat that he was named after, he landed on his feet. I poured all of the speed that I could manage into my next attack. A split second before I was to hit, Tiger split into four identical copies. I tore through a clone. When I spun around, my opponent was no where in sight, but there was a hole in the ground. I braced myself, yet I was still sent flying through the air. Quickly I hauled myself up onto my paws, and focused on trying to heal some of my wounds. I could feel the strength slowly flowing back into my body. By this point, Tiger was even more furious as a lot of the damage that he had done disappeared, while the toxins were still slowly eating away at his health. He launched himself in a violent frenzy at me. Unable to dodge, I took the brunt of the frustration attack. I did manage to get a good slash at him, but that was about it. Tiger didn’t even give me a chance to attack before the earth beneath my paws began to rumble. I struggled to remain standing against the ground type hidden power assault. I failed miserably, and was unable to get up. So I did the first thing that came to my mind. I took a deep breath, before exhaling a jet of water right into Tiger’s face. He went down and didn’t get back up.

I won!
I grew to L.76!

When the battle was over, I raced out of the room. I didn’t even bother to look back.

(Amy’s POV)

It was unusual to see Blazer angry or upset, and during the battle he was both. It hurt me to see him upset. When he took off I tried to stop him, but I was unable to. As I watched him run off, I became vaguely aware of Yana nudging my hand. “What is it Yana?” I asked. “I’m going to go after Blazer. You still have two rooms to get done. Hopefully, we’ll be able to meet up with you after the desert room.” “I though you wanted to battle there.” “I did, but now I want to see about Blazer. I can always get an RBG or a battle tower battle to make up for this missed opportunity.” “All right. Just be careful.” “I will.” she reassured me, before taking off after Blazer. I sighed, shaking my head. A quick glance back at Tiger revealed Flare nuzzling him and licking his face in an attempt to wake him up. I waved up at Dodger, who shrugged before leaving his platform and following us out of the room.

Wolfsong

22nd September 2004, 11:22 PM

I got Kovu a Rain Dance TM at the Reward Center and gave it to him immediately. Sorry if it’s boring. Not many ideas for this room.

(Jas’s POV)

“Where is Yana and Blazer?” I asked as soon as I saw Amy, Dodger, and Sinopa arriving at the rendezvous point. “There was… well… a small incident. Blazer saw someone from his past and it didn’t turn out how he would have liked. There were some knowing nods especially from Kovu and Kiara. I was confused. “Who?” I asked. “I’ll tell you later.” I snorted, not at all happy with the answer.

”So, what now?” Kiara asked. “Well, Yana went to see about Blazer. However before she left, she told me to take the team and train in the desert room.” “But… but… wasn’t she going to battle?” “Yeah, but she decided to give up her chance.” “Why?” I asked, disappointed. I had wanted to see Yana in action. “Because she chose to follow her heart.” “I don’t understand, but if Yana isn’t going to battle, I don’t want to either.” “You sure?” “Yeah.” “Well, I guess we’ll decide on who gets to battle when we go inside the desert room.”

Before we stated out, Ayla went inside her pokeball. “Why she do that?” Darin asked. I waited for Amy to answer because I was curious too. “Because the desert room isn’t good for water types. It dries them out.” I kind of understood what Amy was saying, but Darin still looked confused. Then he shrugged, and pounced on Sinopa. The two of them played the entire time it took to go from the Lava Room to the door that led into the Desert room.

Before entering, I sighed. At which point, Amy picked me up and I curled myself around her arm. Amy then checked her supplies, before heading inside. Once she was ready, we entered. Almost immediately, I understood why it would be dangerous for water types. I was a dragon and the dryness was even getting to me. I chose to go inside of my pokeball since I was tired anyway. “Just let me know what happens.” I asked Amy.

(Sinopa’s POV)

I jumped out of Amy’s arms as soon as Jasmine disappeared inside her pokeball. Shortly before entering the room, I had jumped into her arms because I was finished playing with Darin. Those things scared me they were so small. They were much smaller than that cage that I had been trapped in. I felt an odd sensation, and glanced back at my tails and saw that I now had all six of them. I beamed happily, since I could no longer be considered a baby. “So who is going to battle?” I asked curiously. It was obvious that the two that Amy had planned on allowing to battle were now not going to. She started to answer, but froze. Almost immediately, I felt the ground crumbling beneath me as something grabbed my left rear leg. I took off running, using my three free legs, and I drug whatever had a hold of me out of its hole and out into the open. “It’s a sandshrew!” I heard Kovu shout. Almost immediately, the sandshrew loosened its grip. I spun around, snarling. “That was mean!” I told it. “Sorry,” he squeaked. “I heard you say battle and thought that you were my opponent.” Still snarling, I replied. “Well, if you want a battle, I’ll give you one.” I probably sounded much braver than I felt. My heart was still pounding from that near encounter with that hole.

Sinopa L.12 F Vulpix with Rainbow Topknot & Crystal Blue Eyes VS. L.8 M Sandshrew

As I stared at my opponent, I realized two things. I had a level advantage, but I also had very few moves if any that would be strong against a ground type. In fact, my only decent move was toxic, which Amy had chosen to give to me for my free TM when I reached level ten. Thinking that that attack was my best bet, I quickly spit the yucky tasting poison over on the mouse’s body just seconds before he put up a protective barrier. I was glad that I was faster than he was or else that attack would have been totally useless. “Why you…:” the sandshrew shouted as he quickly tunneled underground. I was about to panic. I knew that attack was going to hurt, and I had no way to attack it while he was underground. “Use howl.” Amy quickly said. Immediately, I threw my head back and I howled. Kovu and the others (including Amy) covered their ears. I couldn’t be that bad could I? I shook my head, that was my first try anyway. I did have to admit, I felt stronger and more confident after that. All of a sudden, I was sent hurtling through the air and landed headfirst into a pile of sand. I started to panic and before I could pull my head out, I felt sharp claws raking across my hip. I quickly yanked my head out of the sand, spun around, and spat several tiny fireballs into his face. The sandshrew yelped, backing up a few feet before charging forward with his head down. I easily dodged the head butt by using quick attack as I quickly spun around and smacked him with my tails. Immediately, the mouse curled up into a tight ball, as I whipped him again with my tails. By now, he had uncurled and was panting from the poisons. I darted in and slashed at his vulnerable underbelly with my claws. Considering his skin was tough as leather, I was surprised when he went down. I nudged him, but the sandshrew didn’t get back up.

I won!
I grew to L.13!
I learned Roar!

Panting, I looked around. As I calmed down, I heard Amy and the others cheering for me. Darin ran over and pounced on me. “That was cool!” he said with a smile. Before anyone could ask Amy who would be battling next, we heard a loud trumpeting sound. We all turned to look in the direction the sound came from. I was surprised that the pokemon that made that loud racket was a tiny phanpy. When he had finished trumpeting, he ran towards us. “That was a good battle? Will you battle me? I know that you just had a battle, so how about I battle you and your friend there?” he asked pointing at Darin with his trunk. I looked over at the eevee who was grinning from ear to ear. “Want to?” I asked him. “Yeppers.” he said happily. I chuckled before looking over at Amy. She mouthed if you want to. Turning to the phanpy, “You have yourself a deal.”

L.13 F Vulpix with Rainbow Topknot & Crystal Blue Eyes and Darin L.8 M Eevee VS. L.15 M Phanpy

I started out by letting loose a loud roar that startled the phanpy, buying Darin some time. He nodded at me, as he darted towards the phanpy and slammed all of his weight into the phanpy. It stumbled backwards, surprised at the force of the blow. I grinned, happy that both Darin and I had collars. The phanpy raised his trunk, aimed at me and fired a jet of water at me. I saw it coming and was rooted to the spot with fear. Luckily for me, Darin didn’t freeze up. He ran over and pushed me out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack. Immediately after, I darted forward using my quick attack and spit the toxic goo all over the phanpy. I figured that it worked with my battle against the sandshrew, so why not use it again. The tiny elephant was furious and he immediately tacked me to the ground since I was the closest. Instinctively, I raked my claws across his trunk and he trumpeted loudly in my ear. I could barely hear out of my left ear, but out of the right, I heard Amy telling Darin to use his hidden power. Almost immediately, a strange purplish fog began to surround the phanpy. I glanced over at Darin and he looked surprised. Before the phanpy could attack again, I spit several tiny fireballs into his face. His eyes narrowed, as he pointed his trunk at me once more. This time the water slammed into me with such an incredible force that I was knocked backwards. I shook my head trying to gather my bearings again as Darin darted forward in an attempt to body slam the phanpy again but the phanpy had other plans. The air around him began to crackle with electricity as a bolt of electricity shot forwards and slammed into Darin. He cried out in pain, and his fur was sticking out all over the place. When the phanpy whirled around to use another water gun on me, Darin slammed into him. However, the phanpy managed to get his attack out, and I used my quick attack to avoid getting hit. When I looked back at the phanpy, he was sweating profusely. “Both of you, use slash!” Amy shouted. I nodded, as both Darin and I closed in on the tiny elephant. We each came in from a different direction. He turned to face Darin, but I was the one that reached him first. I raked my claws against his side. The phanpy whirled around to face me as Darin slashed him from the other side. It seemed that the phanpy had finally had enough as he collapsed to the sandy ground sinking into the realm of unconsciousness. Darin and I gave each other a high paw.

We won!
I grew to L.14!
Darin grew to L.9!

Amy ran over and scooped us both into her arms. “You both did great,” she said smiling and hugging us. Darin squirmed to get away. I think he was a little embarrassed by the attention though he enjoyed battling and was good at it. Just as we were exiting the Desert Room, we met up with Yama and Blazer. Yama seemed happier than usual as Blazer had cornered Amy and was whispering something to her. I was so tired that I didn’t think anything about it. The last thing that I remember was Amy saying that we were going to the Jungle Room next before I dozed off in her arms.

Wolfsong

22nd September 2004, 11:24 PM

I got a black juice for Colby as soon as I could afford one after I got his egg. He and T.T (Tiny) came from the breeding center and are twins. Because of the surprise of little Tiny, Hannah offered to take in Ebony. I’ve also given the twins a pair of hidden power tms (Colby is getting flying and Tiny is getting ground type. Ayla chose and drank a blue juice as her prize for winning her division in the water race. The miracle berry came from the gt a while back. I just simple took it from my captee pack and added it into my adoptee pack. Anyways, I’m trying a little something different for this room ^^; Apologies if the battles seem a little rushed, but I wanted to get my stories done in time.

(Blazer’s POV)

I ran until I had to stop and catch my breath. Panting, I sat down and tried to make sense of what had just happened. I had a small hope of getting back together with Flare, but pretty much given up on seeing her again. Now I realized that I had just been dreaming. I was angry at myself and I was angry at Flare. Taking a deep breath, I released all of my frustrations into the loudest roar I’d ever made.

Not long after, a shape began to form in the air beside me. Soon, my father was sitting beside me. “Troubles in paradise?” he asked. I just simply nodded. He patted me on my back with his paw. I flinched, thinking about what had happened in the Lava Room. “How could I have been so STUPID?!” I shouted. “Love can make you do stupid things. I once jumped into a pond when I met your Mom. But, I never thought that it would work out between the two of you.” I looked up at him. “Really?” I asked. He nodded. “Yeah, but I know someone that who will be great for you. In fact, I made sure that she ended up on your team.” “Who is it?” I asked, though I had a feeling that I knew. “You’ll see,” he said, smiling. “In fact, here she comes now.” With that, he slowly faded away. “Wait.” I whispered, but it was too late and he was already gone.

Shrugging, I too heard the sounds of someone approaching. Sure enough, it was Yana that came into view. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice full of concern. “I guess.” I said, looking at her as if for the first time. “I’ve been hoping to see Flare again for a long time. Though now that I have…” “It’s not the same.” she finished. “Yeah,” I agreed. Then, thinking about what my father had said, I asked her a question. “Are you planning on ever leaving?” Yana was taken aback. “No. I’ve finally found a place where I belong.” “Good,” I said smiling, as a slow smile spread across Yana’s face. “Why don’t we try and meet up with Amy and the others?” she suggested. “Sure. You have a battle to get to don’t you?” “Well,” Yana began, blushing. “I told Amy to go on and give someone else the opportunity to battle.” I was shocked. I didn’t expect Yana to give up a chance for a friendly battle, just to see about me. Maybe Dad was right about her… “Lead the way.” I said, grinning as I made up my mind to ask Amy to get me something from the Reward Center to give to Yana.

* * *

The black eevee stood protectively over his smaller twin brother, staring at the man that was their trainer. “You two are good for nothing.” At that point the smaller eevee began shaking. “The only reason I kept the two of you was the fact that you’re twins. That and a black espeon would have been cool. Yet, YOU…” he shouted, pointing his finger at the black one, “don’t want to evolve into an espeon. And you don’t want to evolve at ALL! I give up. You two are no longer my responsibility. You can stick around here and try to find some poor fool to take the two of you in, or live in the wild. Good RIDDANCE!” he shouted, stomping off.

The smaller brown eevee began to whimper. “What are we going to do Colby?” “Don’t worry Tiny, we’ll think of something. I promise no matter what happens, we’ll always be together.” Suddenly, the black eevee froze. “Who’s there? I heard you.” At first nothing happened, but then the foliage parted and a chikorita stepped through. The eevees stepped back. Instinctively, they could tell that this chikorita was much stronger than they were. “What do you want?” “I couldn’t help but overhear your plight and I want to help.” “Really?” “Yes.” “How?” “I’ve heard that one of the DT staff is on her way here with her team.” “DT?” they asked. “Dragon Tamers.” “I’ve heard of them.” Colby replied. “Anyways,” the chikorita continued. “She has recently had two spots open up on her team since she wants her team to be happy. They chose to go off with trainers who weren’t members of the DT staff so that they could have somewhat normal lives.” Colby stepped towards the chikorita. “Why are you telling us this? How do you know, and what do you want in return?” Colby asked. “I’m telling you this because I want to help. As to how I know, you’ll find that us wild pokemon know a lot of things. We have or sources. In return, I’d like a battle. Since I’m stronger, the two of you can both battle me. Win or lose, I’ll lead you to her. If you want to watch her battle before approaching we can do that too. What do you say?” The two eevees looked at each other before nodding. “All right, we accept.” “Okay, follow me. I’ll take you to a clearing that’s near the entrance to this room.” “All right.” Colby said, as the two eevees followed the chikorita. “Here we are.” he announced. “Are you two ready?” The eevees nodded. “Then let’s get started.”

Colby L.5 Black M Eevee & Tiny (T.T.) L.5 Male Eevee Vs. L.15 M Chikorita

The chikorita immediately started by swirling the leaf on its head as if it were a blade. As the leaf began to glow, the chikorita aimed for the smaller eevee. However, he quickly split into two by using double team. Though not much, one copy was clearly enough as the leaf blade slammed into the clone destroying it. The black eevee, Colby, darted in and raked his claws across the chikorita’s side. However before he could run out of range, the chikorita extended its vines and wrapped them around Colby’s legs any pulled as hard as he could. The eevee fell down, and had the breath knocked out of him. Almost immediately, the earth beneath the chikorita’s feet began rumbling and the grass pokemon found that he could no longer remain standing. He toppled over under the assault. Then almost as suddenly as it had begun, the attack ended. The chikorita jumped back on its feet and whirled around sending a volley of leaves flying towards Tiny. Colby charged forward and tackled the chikorita as hard as he could. The grass pokemon began growling menacingly as Colby retaliated by whacking the chikorita across the face as hard as he could with his tail. Immediately, the chikorita’s eyes began glowing red as it launched a beam of the same color into the sky. The two eevees knew that it wasn’t a good sign. “Ready Colby?” Tiny asked. “Yep.” the black eevee replied with a twinkle in his eyes. Tiny immediately lay down on the ground, providing a launching platform for his brother. Colby charged gathering momentum, before leaping from atop of his brother. At the pinnacle of his leap, Colby seemed to sprout wings which he folded as he dived at the chikorta who could only watch with wide eyes as the eevee slammed into him. The chikorita was immediately knocked unconscious as a result of the attack.

Colby and Tiny won!
Colby grew to L.6!
Tiny grew to L.6!

“Thanks for the helping hand, Tiny.” “No problem.” “Man, I love doing that attack.” Colby stated, the twinkle still present in his eyes. “It’s fun to watch too.” the other eevee agreed. Five minutes later, the chikorita began to stir. “I’m impressed. You two are a force to be reckoned with, especially for such a low leveled pair. What was that last attack, hidden power flying?” Colby nodded, a pleased look on his face. Soon, another chikorita appeared and whispered the something. The first nodded, and told the new one thanks. That chikorita disappeared into the foliage as the other chikorita turned to face the eevees. “She’s here. Follow me, but be quiet.” The eevee twins nodded, as the group of three silently crept after the trainer and her pokemon.

* * *

(Amy’s POV)

Once Blazer and Yana met up with us, we decided to try and take on the Jungle Room now instead of waiting until tomorrow. “You ready Kovu?” I asked. “As long as there aren’t any granbulls, I am.” I reached down and scratched him between his ears. “I doubt that there will but. But, if there are, I don’t think that Gabi would let that one back in. We aren’t the only ones that had problems with her.” I know, but I’m the only one that has a permanent reminder of it.” Kovu hissed, totally out of character. Shaking his head, he apologized. “I’m sorry. Not sure what came over me there.” He turned his attention to Ayla. “So how do you like being blue again?” “I enjoyed being pink, but I have to admit I missed being blue.” She hesitated a few seconds before quickly adding, “No pun intended there.” as an afterthought.

As we traveled through the lush foliage of the jungle room, I couldn’t quite shake the notion that we were being followed. I didn’t mention it as I didn’t want the team to think that their trainer was going crazy. As I glanced behind me, I thought that I saw three shapes moving. However, after I blinked I no longer saw them. When I turned my attention back to the team, it seemed that Kovu had found his opponent.

(Kovu’s POV)

After I changed the subject, I began to focus more on trying to find my opponent. I was tense. I guess it was because of my last experience in a similar arena. It wasn’t long before we came across a huge ursaring. Well, at least it isn’t a granbull, I thought to myself. The group came to a stop, but the ursaring took no notice of us. I finally cleared my throat.

The ursaring then looked up and when he saw us, he stopped sharpening his claws on the tree. “Who am I facing today?” he asked in a gruff sounding voice. “Me.” I said, stepping forward. The bear nodded, before asking the inevitable question. “Just wondering, but what happened to your face?” he asked. “I gave the answer that had become a habit by now. “A crazy granbull’s metronomed slash.” That seemed to startle the ursaring. “I see. I’m afraid that I must apologize.” “Why?” I asked confused. “You had the unfortunate look of meeting my sister.” He shook his head. “She’s never been right in the head. I think it stems from the fact that her egg was dropped shortly before she hatched. At least that’s the only thing that I can think of. Why our trainer wanted that goofy psyduck is beyond me. Anyways, my name is Ringer.” “I’m Kovu.” “Nice to meet you. Shall we battle?” I asked. “Fine with me.” Ringer answered. “I’m ready when you are.” “Then let’s go.”

Kovu L.58 M Umbreon Vs. Ringer L.70 M Ursaring

Ringer started things off by stomping the ground, creating a massive earthquake. I screeched loudly in an attempt to break his concentration. Luckily, it working and once the ursaring was distracted the shaking stopped. I immediately began focusing on a power that lay dormant inside my very being. Once I tapped into it, a brown orb formed in the air in front of me. The orb slowly took the shape of a fist. Once it had changed shape, I released it and watched as it flew towards the towering bear. Just before the attack would have hit, the ursaring used double team splitting into three separate forms. The hidden power attack took out one of the clones leaving one fake and one real ursaring. At least I had a plan to get rid of the clones. My brown eyes began to glow blue as I launched a beam of the same color into the sky. Almost immediately, it began to rain, and the last remaining clone disappeared. Ringer roared in frustration. I quickly faded from sight while preparing my toxic attack. As I reappeared, slamming into Ringer I coated him with the toxic poison. He immediately grabbed me around my middle and hurled my into the nearest tree. “Ow, that hurt,” I groaned. I climbed up onto my paws, and darted forwards using my quick attack. I slammed into Ringer, but he was prepared for me and before I could get away he attacked. I couldn’t help but cry out as the electricity coursed from his fist into my body. I slumped to the ground, and when I tried to get up to my horror I couldn’t. My muscles weren’t responded. While all of this was happening I hadn’t realized that Ringer had approached until he raked his claws, which were now glowing a silver color, across my back. As bad as it hurt, my paralysis prevented me from even yelping. As soon as I felt my muscles loosen, I focused on my hidden power again. This time, the fist slammed into the huge bear with shocking results. From the way Ringer staggered back, it must have been a critical hit. I didn’t have time to celebrate because almost immediately after, my muscles locked up once more and I couldn’t move. Ringer was sweating profusely because of the toxins as the rain slowed to a slight drizzle. He gathered his bearings rather quickly and began to swipe at me furiously with his claws. As soon as my muscles loosened allowing me to move, I quick attacked out of the way. My eyes immediately began to glow violet as I used all of my psychic abilities to push Ringer as far away from me as I could. However before I could attack again, my muscles locked up. I stared at the charging ursaring. Then, all of a sudden, he collapsed finally succumbing to the poison.

I won!
I grew to L.60!
I learned Iron Tail as my free TM.

As soon as the ursaring had fainted, Amy ran over to me with some kind of berry in her hand. I would later learn that it was a mystery berry, but at the time it didn’t matter what kind it was. She gave it to me and I ate it. As soon as I did, I felt the paralysis go away.

* * *

“Wow.” Tiny whispered as he watched the umbreon battle. “He’s amazing.” “Yeah…” Colby agreed. The chikorita was watching and waiting for the perfect moment. There, the human had her back turned and the umbreon was staring right at their hiding place. This was it! “It’s all up to you two now.” The chikorita told the eevees. Good luck.” He said as he used his leaf to send both eevees tumbling out of their hiding place, causing Tiny to yelp.

* * *

(Kovu’s POV)

As Amy was looking me over, I heard a yelp and looked up in time to see a pair of eevees come tumbling out of the underbrush. For some reason, I was immediately drawn to the pair. I ran over to them and began sniffing at them. They were so nervous that they were shaking. “Kovu, what?” Amy started to ask as she walked over. “What do we have here?” she asked upon spotting the eevees. “What happened to you guys?” The larger black eevee began talking in a rush. “Woah, slow down so that I can translate.” I told him. “By the way, what are your names?” The eevee nodded. “I’m Colby. This is my twin brother Tough in Tiny, or T.T. or just Tiny.” I nodded, and as Colby told their tale I translated. Upon hearing what they had gone through I was intent on letting them join the team. I could tell that Amy was furious at their old trainer. “Can we keep them?” I asked. “Well…” Amy started to answer but Sinopa, who had woke up sometime during my battle, jumped down from her arms and stood beside me. “Please?” she asked. The twins took that as their cue. Even though they knew that Amy didn’t understand them, they looked as cute as possible and added their “Please?” to the mix. Amy shook her head and laughed. “All right.” she said, consenting. “Looks like I’m outnumbered.” she laughed. The two eevees smiled and nuzzled each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a chikorita grin, before disappearing into the underbrush. “Let’s all go back to the hotel room. We’ll head home first thing in the morning.” “Sounds like a good plan.” I agreed as Tiny hopped onto my back, and I picked up Colby in my mouth.

Lady Vulpix

23rd September 2004, 07:13 AM

>_< I'm still really busy and Karin's away. I'll try to rate your posts soon, Amy, but I may need some time to do it.

Shonta, your story was really nice, and Nama's quite an interesting character. :) Take 9 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

Ade, I enjoyed reading your battle even if we'd talked so much about it that there weren't many surprises left. :P I laughed at the comment about Marius responding like Milliardo would have done had he just absorbed a thesaurus. Though I can't help but wonder if Milly was serious about stealing money from the banks. As for Windows, it's not really supposed to be foolproof, and it's normally smart people who throw it off balance. And sorry if I'm being semantically annoying (as is my habit), but doesn't it take a fool to prove that something isn't foolproof? No offense to Marius; he's no fool, quite the opposite actually. Take 13 stamps! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢

And at the risk of making my schedule even tighter, I'll request my first RBG. And since I probably won't request another for months, let's make it a big one. I'd like a 2-on-2 RBG battle for Lagi and Hero, from Caledor's Nature Protection Agency.

*Hands over 14 stamps.*

Wolfsong

23rd September 2004, 07:29 AM

I understand. I just wanted to get the rooms finished.

And at the risk of making my schedule even tighter, I'll request my first RBG. And since I probably won't request another for months, let's make it a big one. I'd like a 2-on-2 RBG battle for Lagi and Hero, from Caledor's Nature Protection Agency.

*Hands over 14 stamps.*

The will be battling a Houndoom and a Flareon

classy_cat18

23rd September 2004, 07:54 AM

Can I have an rbg for my L9 Mareep Beacon please?

Lady Vulpix

23rd September 2004, 07:57 AM

x_x http://img63.exs.cx/img63/2011/Location.gif

classy_cat18

23rd September 2004, 08:09 AM

Sorry. Universal Adoption Center.

Lady Vulpix

23rd September 2004, 08:21 AM

Alright. Beacon is going to battle an Aron. Have fun writing it. :)

Lady Vulpix

25th September 2004, 05:25 PM

Here's my first RBG battle! I haven't eaten for 24 hours, so I hope I haven't done anything stupid. It also has some hints to what the next scenario will be about (for those who don't go to Tsuyoi's Lair and therefore don't know what it will be yet).

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

<Terabyte's POV>

I lay in my trainer's PC, backing up important files in case something caused the hardware to be destroyed just like so many other computers had. All the ones I'd failed to save from the fire, as she would so often remind me. Al things considered, I couldn't really complain. She wouldn't have assigned me an important task if she thought I was to blame for the material losses, and we'd already made backups for all the important data those computers used to store. Years ago, I could have seen this as a punishment, but over the years I'd learned to get in and out at will, so I had nothing to be afraid of. There was no way the worst time of my life could come back... the time before she found me, stuck inside a primitive database, abandoned by my previous employer (I wouldn't call him a trainer). Many things had changed since then. I had changed, evolved, got a new name (not much better than my previous one, but with it being my trainer's only attempt at naming a pokemon I actually felt honored). And since then I'd never lacked anything I needed: company, some way to make myself useful, a place where I could feel at home. Of course there were some drawbacks, like having to watch motionless while others less lucky than me were caused to suffer, and having to stay close to my trainer when she was angry (something no one would ever want). Not that she'd ever laid a hand on me, she knew better than to become her worst nightmare. But sometimes words could hurt more than any form of physical violence. And if there was a way to hurt someone with words, she would know it.

I heard a door slamming through the microphone, which had been left on in case I was needed. Not a good sign.

"Terabyte!," my trainer called out. "Get out, I need you to log something."
I followed her command. If I was afraid of what she could do in her current state, I was more so of what she might do if I dared to disobey her. She started dictating as soon as she saw me come out.

"Singlehorn Project log, September 7th.
Infiltration successful.
Satisfactory findings: none as of yet.
Project status: endangered.
Reason: A.D."

I loged everything she said without emitting a sound. I was curious as to what had happened, but this wasn't the right time to try to find out.

"Log this too," she told me, waving a piece of paper in her hand. The main cause of her anger, I deduced by the way she grasped it. I took a look at its content, and things suddenly became clearer.

Ms. Giana Constanzo
Head of the Information Department
Ulthuan Branch

Dear Ms. Constanzo,

It has come to our attention that your department has been dedicating an excessive amount of time and resources to a project which has shown no effective signs of progress so far.
We now inform you that all resources assigned to the Singlehorn Project will be reallocated within a week's interval.

Regards,
The Management.

"A week?!," I couldn't hold myself from speaking this time.
"I know, it's ridiculous."
Had she just replied to my words? Was she finally beginning to get close enough to me to understand what I said?
"Did you understand me?," I asked.
I was unsure, but somehow excited. If she could listen to me, if she was letting me into her heart, maybe I could help her. May be I could make things better, get us both a better life.
"Not you too, Terabyte. You're the last creature I want to see possessed by the spirit of false hope."
Her comment hurt me like an arrow piercing right through my core. I had to remind myself that it was just her thing, what she did to protect herself from being hurt any further.
"There's no hope in this world. I know it because I've seen the worst side of everyone I've met. After all this, you may wonder why we bother to fight," she continued. "I'll tell you why. We fight to stay alive. We fight to be stronger than our enemies and to make some achievements to be proud of in the process. We fight for any brief moments of satisfaction we can get. And we fight to get back at life and make others pay for the suffering we've experienced."
"I see," I said to myself. "She's still fighting to fulfill her promise."
The promise she'd accidentally confessed to me in a moment of weakness, the one she'd made to the one person who had loved her the most... who had hurt her the most: that she would grow up to become a powerful and successful woman, while he would turn into a miserable lowly beggar who would live on the streets and beg to get just enough money to introduce another drop of alcohol into his filthy, stinking body. I didn't know how the second part was going, but she had deffinitely put a lot of effort into the first one, into escalating positions and achieving success. And, in a way, one could say she was scarily powerful. That day, after opening up, she'd told me she only spoke about that to me because I wasn't real; I was just a set of chips and circuits arranged in a way that barely ressembled a pokemon. For a long time, I thought she'd meant it, and I was deeply hurt. Then I realized she could have talked to a computer if she'd wanted to vent out in front of a lifeless piece of circuitry, and a machine that isn't really listening has no need to hear her reason for talking to it. She had chosen me because she needed someone who would listen without judging, and then she'd bashed me because she couldn't handle the fact that she had exposed her weakness. She'd never admitted any of that, but it was the only theory that made sense.

"What are you going to do?," I asked once she'd sat down and the look in her eyes was less painful.
"This thing was written by a secretary," she said, still looking at the letter. "It has the signs all over it. He can't even address me by himself, can he? Come to think of it, he's never stood directly in front of me since he arrived. I could barely see his face from the distance. 'The Management', it says."
I then learned what an angry chuckle sounded like.
"Are you talking about Armand DiAnnio? He never did show much interest in the Information Department. I think he has other ways of getting the information he needs. He must have sent the order to cancell all projects that were over a month behind their schedule or something. I'm actually glad he hasn't shown up around this office."
"He must know," she muttered. "He doesn't want to see me face to face. Like everyone else, he has something to hide. Many things, probably. Well, things won't end like this. If he's not interested in the Singlehorn Project, I know someone who is, and he won't be happy with the news of it being discontinued."

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

<Gabi's POV>

I had a lot of catching up to do upon arriving back in Caledor after the Unicorn Games closing ceremony. And the events that had taken place during the finals had reminded me that some things shouldn't be postponed. At least Soo, Ade and Karin had managed to bring back the festive mood in order to carry out a celebration. As I had expected, Milliardo started acting just like Hero had when he won the first Griphon Games. But then I told him that, and he started developing a conspiracy theory about Katnip trying to get close to all tournament winners in order to win by association. Speaking of the winners, none of them kept the pokemon they had won. Ade offered his prize pokemon to Soo, and Karin gave hers to Becca who in turn decided to release her own, even after Danny came asking for a chance to train that special Aipom. There was some tension at that time, but there was nothing I could do, so I decided to let things be and wished the Aipom a good life.

Now, back at home, I found 3 new letters on my mailbox, and a whole lot of new e-mails. I started writing mental notes in order to organize my time to reply to all of them. I started by checking the senders, and sending them some short notes about how busy I was and my plans to write back as soon as I could. "I think I'll dedicate Thursday for answering the letters," I said to myself before I reached an e-mail that immediately caught my interest. Its sender was Golden Growlithe, of the Dragon's Guild. I read it through.

"Hello, Lady Vulpix. (Should I call you Gabi?) How are you? I hope things are going well for you. I heard about what happened at Unicorn Gate, some people here are talking about it. Remember I told you I'd contact you as soon as I got anything interesting to tell you? Well, here it is. Today our mutual pain in the rear had an argument with the guy who gave me two of the prize pokemon. From what I could gather, I think he was mad about the Aipom being released. He didn't exactly say the word 'Aipom' or mention the Unicorn Games, but he did say that a pokemon like that couldn't be in the wild, and that something had to be done about it. Then L.N. told him something about having lost track of other pokemon before, and that got the man into an even worse mood. You could see his face turning red. Before leaving, he turned to me and told me to make myself useful and ask you how your Espeon was doing. L.N. wouldn't say another word about the whole thing after the man left, but now I'm sure that something's going on. Or at least that someone really wants to keep tabs on the pokemon who came from The Gates. So, that's all the news for now. I'll write again if I find out more. Take care.

G.G."

That was one message I replied to immediately, even if it took me some time to meditate on it and decide how to respond. This was my answer:

"Hi, G.G.!

Yes, you can call me Gabi. It's good to hear from you again. Don't laugh at me, but I was already started to think I had dreamt the whole thing about our encounter. Caledor is fine. He's always fine, actually; so cheerful that I start to worry whenever I don't see him smiling, but that doesn't happen often. Right now he's teamed up with Tsunami and they're both trying to see if they can catch Hero off-guard. You can imagine what their games are doing to the tranquility of our home, but the rest of us are already used to them. Maybe I should take them out to spend some of their extra energy. I think I'll do that after I've finished catching up with my most urgent e-mails (they've really piled up in my absence).

What you tell me is interesting. Do you know anything else about The Gates? By the way you refer to them it seems you know something that I'm still missing. Does this all mean that the lab is still functioning. Do you know anyone who may know more about it?

Sorry if I'm asking you too many questions. I just feel I've been in the dark for too long, and I'd rather make sure the Guild is not involved in anything that's causing harm to innocent beings. Given the relationship you have with your friends, I think you must understand. How are they, by the way? And how are you? If there's anything you need, don't be afraid to ask. I'll do what I can to help you all.

Best wishes,
Gabi."

I was sure that the Guild wasn't interested in the games Caledor played with Hero and Tsunami, but if they weren't specific about what they wanted to know, I could play their own game and have them come to me. I was frustrated at the fact I still didn't know who was in charge. Anyway, it would take some time before I got a reply to that e-mail, so I reckoned I'd better focus on other things in the meantime. I couldn't concentrate enough to reply to my other e-mails at that moment, so I decided that was the right time to get out.

My friends could hardly believe we were going for a day out (or an afternoon, whatever) when they expected me to be stuck in front of my computer for the rest of the day. When the question of where to go was raised, it was hard to come to an agreement. Everyone had different ideas, there were lots of places we hadn't gone to for ages. For example, Sylvan wanted to go for a walk in the forest while Water Angel, Tsunami and Caledor wanted to pay a visit to the Eevee House, and Iael thought it would be great to watch some battles at the Battle Tower; Ventura didn't mind as long as it got me out of my chair, while Lagi said it would be nice to check on the Dark Cave but it didn't have to be now since there were so many other things everyone wanted to do. Hero and Pidgeot had been out a lot on their own, so they didn't participate in the discussion; but Hero's ears perked up when Amber mentioned the training facility that had been installed a few months earlier and we were yet to see.

"Of all the creatures here, I'm surprised that you are the one to mention this," Tsunami pointed out.
"Well, I'm not interested in battling there myself, but I'd like to see what the place looks like, and see if I can find an old friend of mine who's supposed to be there," she explained. "Besides, I know some of you wouldn't mind a battle after all the time that has passed since most of us had one. Only Sylvan and Ventura have battled since the Unicorn Games began."
"And Iael has battled a lot more than anyone else right before that, so I think he shouldn't count when we pick the lucky ones," Hero suggested.
"Just note that we haven't agreed to go there yet," Pidgeot reminded the Ninetales.
"That's right, but why wouldn't we?," he replied. "It's good, it's new, and I've been itching for a battle for a long time."
"Which isn't possibly longer than the time I've been waiting for one," Tsunami added.
"Oh, yeah, but you've had the race at the Eevee House. That's gotta count for something," Hero told him.
"If everyone agrees, we can roll the magical die to see who gets to battle," I suggested.
"My status die?!," queried Caledor.
"No, not your status die," I laughed. "The online die I have programmed. It has helped me with several decisions where the actual choice was not as important as the action of making one."
"Oh, great. My fate is decided by a computer program," Hero groaned. "Just how many times have you based your decisions on it?"
"I don't know, I haven't counted them. No important ones, anyway."
"So this decision isn't important?," Tsunami questioned me.
"We have to pick a random choice, don't we?," I said. "Does anyone else have a better idea?"
"I assume we've already ruled out going to the forest, right?," asked Sylvan.
"Ok, let's vote first," I let out a sigh, noticing that making a decision had turned out to be harder than it seemed. "Who wants to go to the new training facility?"
That option got the votes from Caledor, Iael, Amber and, of course, Tsunami and Hero. Half the party already, myself not counting.
"Who wants to go to the forest?"
Sylvan raised a vine, but she seemed to be alone on this.
"Who wants to go elsewhere?"
Nobody voted this time.
"All the others don't care?," I tried to confirm.
"Hmm... I think I'll add myself to the group who has voted for the first option," Ventura decided.
"Ok, that's an ample majority, then," I concluded. "Does anyone have any sensible reasons not to use the die, and can provide an alternative method?"
Since no one answered, I got back on my chair for a moment and opened the web page that contained my 'magical die'.

"Ok, how many options are there?," I asked before picking a number of faces. "Does anyone other than Amber not want to battle?"
"I think I'll pass up on this one," Sylvan decided. "I've battled a short while ago and I'd rather just watch this time."
"Fine. Anyone else?"
"I think Hero was right," Iael said. "I've battled more than anyone else lately, I should give others a chance."
"Ok, so that leaves 7 of you, right?"
"Why not go for a 2-on-2 battle?," Ventura suggested. "That way 2 of us can get the chance. You could let your die choose among the teams of Hero and Lagi, Tsunami and Water Angel, Tsunami and Pidgeot, Pidgeot and Water Angel, and Me and Caledor."
"But then Tsunami, Pidgeot and Water Angel would get 2 chances where everyone else has one," Hero pointed out.
"It's ok, I can balance the odds by giving all the other options a double chance," I responded. "It's actually a good idea."
"Thank you," Ventura replied.
There were still 7 choices (counting the double ones as 2), so I picked the 8-sided die, which was the closest option I had.
"1 or 2 is Hero and Lagi, 3 is Tsunami and Water Angel, 4 is Tsunami and Pidgeot, 5 is Pidgeot and Water Angel, 6 or 7 is Ventura and Caledor, 8 means we roll again," I announced before clicking on the 'Roll' button.
A 2 appeared inside the result field.
"I win! I win! I WIN!!," Hero just couldn't hold himself from celebrating.
"Seems I'll be getting some excercise today," Lagi commented casually.
"Alright, there we go, then. If we have time after the battle, we can still go for a walk in the forest in order to please everyone including myself."
I turned off my computer, checked my address book to make sure I knew how to get to our destination, called Water Angel into her pokeball for the journey and left the house along with the rest of my team.

<Amber's POV>

I didn't notice I'd been flying ahead of the rest until I looked back and saw the others far behind. I guess I was excited at the prospect of seeing an old friend after all this time, even if I wasn't sure of whether I was going to find him. When we reached the building, I waited until the door was open and immediately started to explore. However, there were so many doors and corridors that I desisted in my attemps at finding Eliot by myself. I finally decided to ask Gabi if she could ask about him. It didn't take long before we were greeted by a young man with bright orange hair. He introduced himself as Ian, and asked if he could do anything to help us.

"Actually, we're here for two reasons, so maybe you can help us with one or both of them," Gabi told him.
"Really? And what are they?"
"First, we're looking for a trainer named Randall. He has a Charizard named Eliot who has been at several Training Grounds, and he made friends with my Charizard, so she'd like to meet him again."
"Oh! You must mean Randy. I guess I could call him, but I don't know about his Charizard. I think he has a mate already."
I sighed and shook my head. That wasn't why I wanted to see him!
"They're just friends," Gabi explained. "It will be nice if you can call him, he doesn't have to come today if he's busy, but if Eliot knows Amber's looking for him maybe he can pay us a visit at the DT central."
"Ok, I'll tell him. What's the other thing you came for?"
"Oh. We're also here for a battle. Hero and Lagi would like to train here today, if any pokemon are willing to battle them."
"Sorry, but I don't know who Hero and Lagi are," Ian replied.
"Oops! I am sorry. I'm so used to calling them by their names... Hero's my Ninetales and Lagi's my Dragonite."
"I see..." Ian said before walking towards the challengers to take a closer look at them.
After examining them for a while, he took a pokedex or something of the sort to complete his analysis.
"Quite an interesting pair!," he exclaimed in the end. "You're lucky I was around today. You should tell us in advance next time you want to train such high level pokemon. Unless you want to battle some of the common ones, but I'd feel better if my own pokemon could confront them."
"Common ones?," asked Gabi. "Sorry, you've lost me."
"Oh. We have a group of high level pokemon who practically train themselves here. Sometimes one of us takes them for a battle, but no one in particular is registered as their trainer. But, as I said, I'd rather train my own pokemon and a chance like this one doesn't present itself everyday."
"Then I take it you have high level pokemon too?"
"I have some of the finest pokemon trained in the mountainous regions of Caledor."
"In the mountains? But I thought... Wasn't there some sort of..."
"Protective shield around them?"
Gabi nodded.
"I'm surprised you know about it," Ian told her. "Few people do. The natural conditions are so harsh that not many venture into that region anyway. But yes, there's a shield that has protected that area since the time of the wars. Only the descendants of the Caledonian warriors who fought in that was can walk through it."
"Does that mean you're one of them?"
"Indeed. I descend from Tethlis himself. Though I must admit I'm sort of a black sheep in my family. I've decided to become a pokemon trainer instead of joining the army or getting involved in politics. My parents weren't too happy with my decision, but in my defense I can say I'm good at what I do, and I don't regret it."
"That's admirable," Gabi remarked.
"What is?"
"That you've had the courage to pursue your own goals like that, regardless of what others said. I've often found that quite hard myself."
"I see. But you've done quite a good job, haven't you? You're at the top of the Dragon Tamers organization."
"I feel more like I'm at the bottom of a huge pile of work and a lot of uncertainties. You make me sound like a corporate leader, I'm nothing like that."
"You make it sound as if it were a bad thing."
"It's not my thing in any case. I'm here partly by choice and partly by chance, and I focus on working hard and doing my best in all aspects of my life. And keeping the Dragon Tamers running is a really hard task. If I were alone in it, it would have fallen apart years ago. We've had ups and downs, especially with all the attacks and all the people who have left us, but I think we're a solid group now and that's what keeps us going."
"I see. What happened to your leader?"
"Leader?"
"Scott McHenry. Wasn't he in charge? Where is he now?"
Gabi sighed deeply.
"I wish I knew. I thought you might now, since you're somehow related to him. But he was not our leader, he was one of us, like me, Amy and Karin are now. He only had the tendency to try and do everything on his own."
"I'm not directly related to him. Though there must be some common branches in our family trees if that's what you mean. I haven't heard of him since the Dragon Games."
"Neither have I."
"Then why are we talking about him?"
"You picked the subject."
"No, I mean, why are we talking about someone we haven't heard of in a year, instead of having the battle we're both looking forward to?"
"I was wondering that myself!," Hero exclaimed from behind.
"I think we should get started," Gabi agreed. "Can you lead the way, please? It's our first time here."
"I certainly will. Follow me, please."

Ian turned around and started walking. I thought he spoke funny, but he seemed to take pokemon training seriously. After taking some turns and leaving a considerable amount of doors behind, he stood in front of one and used a card to open it.
"Here we are," he announced. "My personal favorite. I helped with the design of this room. It's still under construction, but it already has enough features to sustain a good battle. And the scenery resembles the mountains, so you can have an idea of what they look like from a close range... Only without the volcanoes and occasional avalanches. Unless our pokemon cause one, that is."
I took a look around as soon as I walked into the room. The paintings and the sculpted walls immediately brought back old memories. Though the mountains were redder than the ones I'd grown up on, and the earth below us was dryer. It reminded me more of the placed my mother had described in the stories of her childhood. A hot and arid place, shielded from the wind but not from the striking sun. The room itself was quite hot, as the roof seemed to be made out of a magnifying glass; I was comfortable in it, but Gabi was starting to turn red. Still, she didn't back off. If she had gone pale I would have taken her out of the room, but it looked like she could handle it for now.

"Before we begin, I must tell you something about this arena," Ian spoke. "There's a 7 feet layer of earth below our feet, so all ground-type attacks are safe to use. I'm telling you this so that ignorance doesn't hinder you or your pokemon in this battle."
"What did you say before about pokemon causing an avalanche?," Gabi questioned.
"Oh. Well, breaking the walls would have a similar effect. I wanted to stick some rocks on them in a way that the right moves could release them, but we haven't got around to doing that yet. So far all we have are these rocks on the ground."
"Interesting. We could add a room like this to our next themed event, whenever that is. It feels better than the Lava Room."
"Oh, wait until we incorporate the lava pit!," Ian laughed. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Shall we battle now?"
Gabi nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Helios! Selene! Show yourselves!"

A beam of red light emerged from either side of Ian's belt. Upon contact with the earth, they changed their shapes to assume the forms of two familiar pokemon: a Houndoom and a Flareon. I shouldn't have expected to find any of the imported species; after all, Ian had mentioned his pokemon had been training in Caledor for a long time. The Flareon, however, had a rather unusual color. Instead of being reddish orange, most of his fur was golden.

"Two fire types," Lagi commented thoughtfully.
"Perfect for me," Hero replied. "They're my fevorite opponents."
"I know," she told him.
"Just be careful. If he's sending fire types against a Dragonite it means he has a trick up his sleeve."
"I know that too, but thanks for the advice," Lagi smiled.
"Are you both ready?," Gabi asked the two.
"Readier than ever!," Hero grinned. Lagi simply nodded.
"We're ready to begin," Gabi told Ian. That was the cue for all pokemon to assume combat positions.

Level 70 Dragonite and Ninetales vs. Level 70 Flareon and Houndoom

The battle began in an unusual way, with the golden Flareon smiling at Lagi and giving her a wink. Lagi's eyes opened widely for a moment, and then her face adopted a thoughtful look. Oblivious to that, Hero opted for a conventional start, and began to fill the place with clones of himself, possibly waiting to see what his opponents were capable of. Not that it helped him much, since the Houndoom saw through his trick and got to him by using a Faint Attack. Lagi shook her head and pushed forward, moving as fast as she could until she took off from the ground and started flying in circles. I'd seen Pidgeot do that before, but it was the first time I saw Lagi do it. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was strange about her, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Helios, use Toxic. Let's make this faster," Ian told the Flareon.
Helios spat out a toxic goo at Hero, who had to use all of his speed and quick reflexes to evade the attack.
"Oh, no, you won't," Hero said to the Flareon, staring at him firmly. A shadow engulfed Hero's opponent, gripping him for a moment before disappearing inside him.
"What did you just do?," asked Helios, speaking for the first time since he'd shown up.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out the hard way," Hero grinned. Then he turned to his partner. "Lagi, what are you doing up there?"
"Trying to think," she replied.
"Well, think faster. We're in the middle of a battle."
"No, you don't understand," she said. "Something isn't right. Something doesn't make sense and I can't seem to bring my heart back into the battle."
"Are you leaving me alone?"
"No. Just... Ouch!"
Before she could finish the sentence, Selene -the Houndoom- caught him by her leg and sunk her teeth into it.

"Hey, easy there!," Helios told his partner. "She can get back at you."
"I thought we were having a battle," the Houndoom pointed out, releasing her grip on Lagi. "Isn't that what you normally expect from your opponent?"
"Not always," he smiled.
"Save those smiles for your fans. I'm your half sister, remember?"
"So what? Can't I be nice to my sister?"
"You're a lost cause," she sighed. "Why hasn't she attacked yet?"
"I don't know. Maybe my charms are so powerful that she doesn't want to hurt either of us."
"Well, if Lagi doesn't want to attack, I will," Hero decided.
"Not so quickly!," Helios said, but before he could move he had been Quick-Attacked into the ground and Hero was back in his initial porition.
"Blast it!" Helios coughed out some dust. "I know what he did to me now. Still, that was too strong for a Quick-Attack."
"That was a... critical Quick-Attack!," Ian confirmed looking at his gizmo.
"There must still be something I can do!," growled Helios. "No Dig, no Toxic... at least I know what I can expect from you now. Oh, well, you get them, Selene!"

A bright light came out of Helios's chest and landed into Selene's. The Houndoom crunshed Lagi again, this time pulling her down to the ground. This was more than Lagi could take without countering, and she responded by scratching Selene's side with a Dragon Claw.
"I told you that would happen," Helios shook his head. "Well, I can still do this."
He launched himself into Hero, causing him to hit the ground below his weight.

Hero's mouth twitched in a way that looked exaggerated given the power of the attack he'd just received. His eyes closed for a moment, and when he opened them again, they were burning with rage. From their color I could have sworn the 'burning' part was not a metaphore. His few remaining copies disappeared.
"Dont you think I haven't seen the little box tied to your neck below your mane," my friend spoke in an unusually slow but firm tone.
"You have a collar. We're even," the Flareon replied.
"We were even," Hero corrected him. "But you've dared to paralyze me with a Body Slam. Now it's personal."
"This guy's crazy," Helios commented.
"No, just too proud," Lagi replied.
"What side are you on?," Hero questioned her.
"Everybody's side. But that can't do in a battle. Just let me recover from past blows and I'll be back with you."

Lagi took in some air and shook her wings to get a just a bit higher. The teeth marks on her leg were healed away.

"She knows Recover!," Ian exclaimed. "You two, bring her down quickly! Don't worry about the Ninetales for now, he's paralyzed."
I could have told him how big of a mistake he was making by neglecting Hero, but I was rooting from my friends and besides, he wouldn't have understood me anyway.
Selene tried another Crunch, while Helios hit Lagi from the distance with a Shadow Ball. Lagi let out a sigh.
"It's the only way to make things clear," she spoke mysteriously, calling for the water molecules in the air to gather around her forming a crystalline body, which subsequently advanced towards her attackers, drenching them. I looked for Hero, wanting to make sure he hadn't been hit by Lagi's Surf, but he was nowhere to be found.

Helios and Selene tried to attack Lagi again, but she had already set up a protective barrier.
"That's a waste of time," Selene told her. "You know we'll get you sooner or later."
"Maybe, but only one of you, in any case," Lagi sentenced.
Helios looked confused at her statement. Selene looked around quickly and seemed to notice Hero's absence, but realization came to her too little too late, as hero emerged from the now muddy ground and hit her with all his strength.
"How?!," questioned Helios. "You were..."
"Paralyzed. not beaten," Hero replied.
"I know. But you were all the way over there," Helios pointed with his head to the place where Hero had been lying. "You couldn't have possibly moved so fast."
"Well, I have, so I guess you've miscalculated."
"Selene! Are you alright?," Ian asked, but taking a look at his gear answered his question for him. "My team's down a member," he concluded. "But your two pokemon are battered. I still have a chance."
"Make that one pokemon, and not as battered as he looks," Lagi responded. "Listen, Helios, you're nice and I know you were just battling and didn't really mean to hurt my feelings, but you've been playing with something more delicate than you thought and caused me to fight myself before I could fight you while my partner felt I was leaving him alone. I would appreciate it if you didn't do that again in the future."
"What do you mean?," Hero and Helios asked in unison, causing Lagi to giggle.
"The question was the same but the answer's different for each of you," she answered. "To Hero: he used attract on me. You can imagine what a mess he's caused; you've seen most of it anyway. To Helios: I'm an empath. Messing with my feelings is not a good idea. It can even backfire since I knew the way you felt all along. And Hero, and Selene. It takes a lot of self control not to let all those mixed feelings take over."
"Really? Wow, I had no idea!," Helios replied. "Still, we're battling. Attract is a legal move, it was nothing personal. And I have nothing personal against you either," he said turning to Hero. "You just took it that way for who knows what reason."
"Messing with my speed is like messing with Lagi's feelings: a bad idea," Hero explained. "You're lucky to be still standing after doing both."
"Your speed?," Helios asked, confused. "I was being careful not to make any tactless comments about your tails, but I'd have never guessed that one."
"If you had made any tactless comments about my tails on top of it all, you wouldn't have told the tale," Hero assured.
"Oh, come on. You're tricky but you're not really that strong," Helios told him. "I'm sure I can beat you on my own. Someone who brags like you do can't possibly be able to back up his words."
"Do you know that from personal experience? I'd like to see you try and back up yours," Hero dared him.
"Pleased to serve," Helios answered, hitting Hero with another Body Slam.

"Lagi, do you think you can help with anything?," Hero asked, catching his breath.
"Only if you leave the path clear," Lagi replied.
"Hey, that's not fair!," Helios turned to Lagi. "This was a personal challenge."
"When did it become one?," Lagi asked. "It used to be 2-on-2."
"Helios, watch out!," Ian shouted out, but the Flareon was lost in the conversation.
"Let me give him one blow and then I'll be with you," he told Lagi.
"Can't say no to that," my friend accepted, though it was already too late for Helios. Hero had buried himself again.
"You distracted me!," Helios roared.
"I guess we're even now," Lagi replied.
"No, now we'll be even!"
Helios threw himself into Lagi's stomach, pinning her to the ground.
Lagi pressed her arms against the ground, trying to get up, but then let herself fall.
"How did you learn to use Body Slam like that?," she asked in a thread of voice.
"Years of practice," Helios said, getting down... only to be caught by Hero who just then emerged from the ground.

Hero caught Helios's mane in his teeth as he ascended, and let him fall against the ground at the highest speed he could muster. The blow was strong enough for the Flareon's body to give up.

Hero and Lagi won and they both grew to level 71!

Hero let out a long sigh as the end of the battle was declared.
"See? They can do anything to me and I'll still be the best," he bragged.
"The best boaster," Lagi completed his statement, getting up slowly. "That was a tough battle."
"Yes. If that's what you get from training in the mountains, I wish I could go and train there," Hero admitted. "But I guess I'll have to settle for beating the ones who train there."
"Hero, bragging so much won't do you any good," Gabi warned him.
"It's never hurt me before, has it?," he retorted.
"He needs a cold shower," Tsunami suggested. "I can gladly provide one."
"No, thanks, Tsunami. If you're going to have a brawl again at least wait until he's back in shape and not paralyzed."
"What?! You're not stopping him now?," Hero looked at Gabi in shock.
"I've just stopped him, haven't I? But I'm fed up with stopping the three of you each time you want to get at each other."
"The three of us? What have I done?," asked Caledor.
"Enough to know you were the third one," Gabi retorted.
"If you're done conversing with your pokemon, I would like to shake your hand," Ian said, approaching Gabi. "Good battle. You've trained your pokemon well; I haven't seen you give them any commands."
"I would have if it had been necessary," Gabi told him. "But Hero and Lagi normally know what to do in a battle better than I do."
"You've trained them to be independant. I like that. We should battle again some other time."
"If I have the time, I'll try. I'm normally too busy to come here. I've been wanted to come since this place was founded, and only now I've been able to."
"Well, I can wait. Shall I call Randy, then?"
"Oh, yes, please. Tell him to come to the DT central or let Eliot come by. Amber will appreciate it."
"Amber is your Charizard, right?"
"Oh, right. Sorry, I've done it again."
"It's ok. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and fill some papers now. You're not the only one with piles of work to do."
"It's alright. I have to take Hero and Lagi to the Pokemon Center now."
"I'll do the same when my pokemon are ready to get up. If you stay, I may see you there."
"Maybe," Gabi smiled.

We left the building with Lagi and Hero in ther pokeballs. As much as Hero hated to admit it, he couldn't keep up with the rest of us while he was paralyzed. And, as we soon found out, so was Lagi. Helios was good with his Body Slam.
"You know," Gabi commented to me on our way to the Pokemon Center. "When Ian started talking about the mountains, I was afraid he was going to turn out to be just like Scott. I was relieved to see he wasn't. He seems to be quite friendly after all, he just..."
"Speaks funny?," I asked.
Gabi burst into laughter.
"Yes, he does," she said. "Though who am I to say anything about him? I'm too weird to make any comments of that sort."
"You're too weird, period," said Ventura.
"Oh, Ventura, why don't you grace us with your silence once more?"
"I will if you grace us with yours," she replied.
"And you said we wanted to get at each other?," Tsunami remarked.
All in all, it was quite a normal day.

Lady Vulpix

26th September 2004, 06:58 PM

Sorry for the triple post. Amy gets 51 stamps for her 3 posts! Great stories, especially the first one. I felt sorry about Blazer, but especially about Flare. She was left in such a tough situation! I have a few questions: does Sinopa call Aiyana 'Yama' intentionally? And how did Ringer know the Granbull was his sister, when Kovu hadn't told him where nor when it had all happened? Enjoy these! ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ ¢

AntiAsh Superstar

27th September 2004, 10:43 AM

I can only apologise for both the length of this one and also my amazing way of getting across the power of Rhi's Double Shield without making reference to her actually having one. I thought of a better idea for her. :D

-----
"Guys, guys... if I may be so bold as to say a few words..."
"Only a few? Are you feeling alright?"
"Hey, did I ask to be heckled during my big acceptance speech? No, I didn't. So ^*&% off, Ade." It had been a long time in the making. All of the hard work, all of the effort put into the Unicorn Games had finally paid off. It had been a time of changes, most certainly. From a less than auspicious start in the first round Milliardo had gone on to survive permanent disfigurement, several particularly nasty opponents, and even being upstaged by the Rocket boss Armand DiAnnio, possibly the only person in the world who loved the spotlight more than my Umbreon did. And yet he had risen above it all to be crowned the Unicorn Games champion. And whilst it was true that his skills as a fighter had improved dramatically, away from the battlefield he seemed to be twice the egotist he had been before. Hence why a simple little celebration in the back garden was fast turning into a total farce. Not that I had expected anything else off the rabble that shared my house. "Anyway... thank you, one and all, for your most generous appreciation." Here Milliardo clambered on top of Brandy's back, using the Onix as a makeshift stage, almost falling on his nose in the process. Maybe allowing Beckham to organize the party hadn't been the smartest of ideas. "Friends, family, fans, and Kass..."
"See I'm so important I get a mention on my own! Yeah!!!" Soo's unruly Charmander jumped up and down on her owner's lap excitedly, nearly wrecking Soo's denim skirt with her hind claws in the process.
"...I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your support and say how I could never have done this without you." Milliardo paused for a moment. "Not! Face it, I'm just way better than all of you losers, deal with it. Ahahaha!" At this point the Umbreon really did fall off Brandy's back, much to everyone's amusement. "Although I guess not better at balancing on top of an Onix."
"If it's any consolation I don't think any of us could have managed to plummet with such finesse, Milliardo," Pandora giggled. "Becks, more of whatever that rather tasty red stuff is that you keep filling my bowl up with, pronto."
"I really don't think that's a good idea," I protested, trying very hard to get to my feet but failing miserably. Truth be told, I had partaken in too much of the substance myself. "What would the Guild say if..."
"Guild, schmild, Ade, tasty red stuff all round!" my Wartortle yelled excitedly, producing yet another bottle mysteriously out of his shell and proceeding to top everyone's drinks up whether they wanted it or not.
"Somehow I think your Guild has more important things to worry about than whether you do anything to stop your pokémon from consuming intoxicating substances, Ade," came a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around to witness Tsuyoi, the strange demon wolf that had adopted our household as his pack, venture outside for the first time in what seemed like months, sporting a large grin that revealed razor-sharp fangs and carrying a large bottle of Chianti. Nonchalantly he sliced through the top of the bottle with the claw of one of his front paws and poured a generous measure into a glass he was holding in the other paw. "They're far too busy with their little power struggles to care."
"And I suppose you'd know more about this than you should, right?" I grumbled. This was all leading up to something, I could just tell.
"I see you've not lost your incredible knack for getting the hint, Ade," Tsuyoi smirked, making his way over to where I was sat with Soo. "There's many within the Guild that have their own little agendas, and one, or more, will be the catalyst of something terrible."
"Tsuyoi, can't this just wait? Please?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "I'm in no state to worry about the next threat to world safety just yet."
"Yeah, mate, we've more important things to discuss than the impending apocalypse. Like me." By now Milliardo had managed to clamber atop Brandy's back again. "Anyway, it's been a wonderful party and I'd like you all to now stand for our new national anthem, 'Milliardo is the most amazing pokémon ever. I hope to see you all here tomorrow when we'll be celebrating Scarygirl and her equally freaky Espeon getting another year closer to dropping dead and sparing us their weirdness."
"As you like," Tsuyoi chuckled, swirling his wine around in his glass. "All I'll say is that you'd do well to listen to your Uncle Tsuyoi, people, because I have noticed that you all do possess this alarming tendency to walk straight into trouble when I'm not giving you my full attention, and lately this is getting a more and more dangerous habit. Honestly," he added with a forced sigh, "it's like looking after a bunch of cubs. More so in some cases than in others. But still, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and call in a few favours." I made as if to ask what exactly he meant by that, but eventually thought better of it. Some things I was probably best off not knowing.

Unfortunately not every member of our household was in high spirits. In fact Rhiannon had been feeling increasingly depressed as of late. Once upon a time it had all seemed so easy. She had been able to take everything life had to throw at her and still manage to shrug it off. Losing her family had been hard, but she had learned to live with that over time. The atrocities of the Dark Cloak had meant very little to her, she had been able to shut her conscience down for the time she spent with those. Even the equally abominable retaliation, the loss off all those she had once considered her colleagues, killed purely for being in thrall to the wrong masters, she had coped with. And, of course, having to share a body with another, something that would have broken the resolve of any lesser creature, she had even grown to rather enjoy the unpredictability of it all. So why, after all this, did it feel as if her entire world had come to an end because of the loss of a single pokémon?
"Rhi? Rhi, you weirdo, what's up with you today?" The increasingly hyper Milliardo, drunk on both life and Beckham's mystery liqueur, suddenly snapped the Eevee rudely out of her contemplations. "Thought you'd have been happy that your brother's now the biggest star in Ulthuan."
"We are, Milliardo, believe us," Rhiannon smiled, favouring the Umbreon with a quick kiss on the cheek. "You really made us proud. We're sorry, though. We don't mean to be gloomy on your big day. It's just that..."
"Just what?"
"Never mind. We'll be fine. Just give us a moment or two, okay?" Without so much as waiting for an answer she summoned up one of her portals, the huge gashes between realities that gave the Eevee the freedom to roam wherever she liked. "We have something to do."
"Whatever you want, Rhi. I'm not even gonna try to understand you, you always confused me." Milliardo watched his sister as she stepped into the inky darkness, letting the void swallow her entirely. She would be all right, he was sure of it. And right now there were more pressing matters to attend to. "Hey, Megan, go tell that slacker boyfriend of yours to shift his big far arse and pour more drinks!"

During the day, Rhiannon had to confess, there was something rather scenic about the cragged deserts of Nagarythe. During those few hours where the daylight penetrated the huge, evil clouds that hung over the province in a permanent shroud that blocked out any goodness in the air, it was even possible to forget that this realm was home to some of the more unspeakable evils in Ulthuan. And as the wind whipped her face, as she felt the earth beneath her paws, somehow her heart lifted. This, she decided, was long overdue, her coming here to view the expanses of Nagarythe from the comfort of one of its highest cliffs, where she could see the bleak landscape for miles in all directions. There was something else that was long overdue, too. And she was here to fix that. Concentrating hard, the Eevee willed all of her energy into her legs, forcing herself to leap upwards as high and as far as she possibly could. She closed her eyes as she descended past the cliff's edge, enjoying the sensation of freefall. Where had it all gone so wrong? All things considered, it had all gone wrong the instant she laid eyes on the Umbreon known as Amon. Not that he had been a bad sort, far from it. But he had been the one to penetrate a heart that had normally been so carefully guarded, and therein lay Rhiannon's problem. With him gone, who was left to staunch the wound left in her emotions? She had nobody. She was nobody. And that was the way it should have been from the outset. Only now the damage had been done, and she simply couldn't go back to that lifestyle, as much as she would have liked to.
"Rhiannon, it's time," she told herself, flicking her eyes open and twisting in midair, so that she was now falling with her legs facing the rapidly approaching ground. And all of a sudden she landed, her enhanced frame easily absorbing an impact that probably would have crippled any other pokémon for life. Dubiously the Eevee cast her eyes around her, as if half expecting a sudden assault. However, when this assault never came she resigned herself to making her way through the rough terrain of Nagarythe, past hills and crags, ruined forests and evil chasms, until she finally arrived at her destination. Once upon a time this had been the grandest of towers, a huge complex large enough to house an army. Which it had done, a while ago. Back then this spot had been home to the reluctant pokémon army of the Dark Cloak, a most tainted, mercenary bunch of misfits. But a group that Rhiannon had once called her comrades. Now it had all changed, of course. Now the once proud tower was nothing but rubble, and its inhabitants were either dead or missing. As far as Rhiannon was aware only a handful had managed to survive the retaliation against their cruel masters, and out of those it was only Pandora that she could honestly say she was pleased to have learned of their escape. And that in itself hurt Rhiannon more than she cared to admit. "We're sorry we took so long to come pay our respects," the Eevee whispered as she paced around the rubble that had once been her home. "None of you deserved this. The evils of the Dark Cloak go even further than any would care to admit. It was their fault this had to happen." For several moments Rhiannon carried on in this manner, pacing about the ruins addressing those who once shared the halls with her. Until she finally conceded that she had made her peace with those who had once served so willingly under her. At which point there was only one more place left to go.

The shrine was a makeshift affair, it had to be said. It wasn't even located on the spot where the one it whose life it was commemorating had fallen. But then it would have been hard to erect a monument on the doorstep of a large Ninetales clan. As it was Rhiannon had to make do with a secluded corner where the evil in the air of Nagarythe hadn't totally warped the area. A tiny knoll just on the outskirts, surrounded by elm trees that even now were shedding their leaves in preparation for winter. Where a little stone path let to the very top of the hill. And at that top stood the best tribute a dead pokémon could have, a perfectly sculpted statue of an obviously battle-weary Umbreon with a peculiarly gentle look in his eye. Perfect in every minute detail, right down to the eye-shaped scar embedded into the pads of his front paw. As she approached Rhiannon couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She hadn't slept for two days in a row using her arcane powers to fashion that sculpture, and even now she felt it was lacking. But then again, how could a mere statue encapsulate the essence of Amon, the one who had finally taught her usually emotionless side how to feel? It was an impossible task to get it as perfect as she would have liked, even for her usually insurmountable abilities.
"We're here," Rhiannon commented as she approached her work of art. Amon's remains were lost to the sands of time now, as much as it galled the Eevee to admit it. So her sculpture would have to suffice. Sadly she dropped a single rose at the base of the stone sculpture, a flower she had taken a short diversion just to get. "We're sorry we don't visit as much as we would like. You know how it is. Life has been getting so hectic lately. Both Reaper and Abbadon seem to be making their presences felt, and whilst our Charizard friend is easy to handle provided one can weather out his spells of psychosis, Reaper and her trainer are giving us cause for worry. Amon, we don't want to burden you with all of this, but where else can we turn?" Tears came unbidden to Rhiannon's eyes. Just to gaze upon a replica of the one she held so dear hurt her more than she cared to admit. "Where are you when we need you? It hurts, Amon. It hurts having to go through all this without your counsel, without your comfort... I used to think we were strong, Amon, but we're nothing without you to guide us." At this point it all became too much for Rhiannon. Finally the grief became too much for her to bear, and the Eevee let it all out in a long, slow wail of pain and despair, all of her bottled up emotions finally rising to the surface in spite of herself. "Amon, we would do anything to bring you back to us, even if we had to walk the realm of the dead and drag you back home with us we would so gladly do that... we love you, Amon. Why is fate so cruel that it didn't even give us the chance to say goodbye?" The Eevee curled up on the ground out of instinct, still sobbing the bitter tears of regret. She missed him. She missed the way he had always looked out for her, even when the point where she actually needed it had long passed. She missed his quiet authority, the way he could silence a room filled with unruly pokémon with a few calm words. She missed the way he professed to dislike tea, in spite of the fact that he could rant for hours on the subject if given the chance. That Umbreon had been her entire world at one point. So what was she supposed to do now that she no longer had him by her side?

"Ow..." A short time later, and Rhiannon was feeling decidedly sore. Evidently she had cried herself to sleep earlier, for now the skies were beginning to darken, the cruel Nagarythe night starting to set in. Wearily she glanced up at the statue in front of her. Still the same as always. What she would have given to enchant that statue, to bring it back to life again! "Amon, sweetie, do us a favour and move us next time she thinks it’s a good idea to go to sleep on a stone floor..." the Eevee grumbled, wearily getting up and stretching her rather stiff muscles. She looked all around her, taking in the windswept scenery. Truth be told, this hardly ranked highly in her list of favourite places. "Honestly, I dunno what she sees in this place at all. I never liked Nagarythe much, it's too dark for my liking." Nimbly Rhiannon began to make her way back home. A little jump here, a sidestep there... sure, the rubble was somewhat awkward to navigate but she got by somehow. Until she reached a small clearing that was probably the ruins of a large temple, all pillars and broken idols, the stone tiling underfoot already starting to moss over. At this point Rhiannon stopped. Because all of a sudden it became apparent that she was not alone.
"I didn't think I'd find any pokémon out here. I assumed most of the life in this area had been wiped out by the carpet-bombing. Unless you've just moved here, in which case I really question your judgment, little Eevee. Nagarythe is a tainted place, surely even you must know that." The owner of this voice stepped out from behind a pillar. He was an odd one, alright! A tall, thin man sporting sunglasses and meticulously straightened long black hair dressed in black and silver, every inch of flesh apart from his pale, pointed face covered in clothing. Even down to his hands, which were obscured by a thick pair of leather cloves with silver studs around the base. If it weren't for the fact that he blatantly had a communicator, a gun holster and a row of pokéballs attached to his belt he could have quite feasibly steeped out of the most stereotypical RPG on the planet. He stepped forward with confidence, causing Rhiannon to back off cautiously. There was something about this man that set alarm bells ringing within her head. "So, that does leave the question as to why you're here, because I don't think you seem that stupid a pokémon. Why would a creature venture here, where the evils of the Dark Cloak taint the land so terribly?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rhiannon retorted, trying very hard to mask the fear in her voice. She wasn't expecting an answer, so when this strange human responded to her comment it only make her feel all the more on edge.
"Oh, I think you do, little Eevee, in fact if you happen to be the creature I think you are then you know better than most." He was still advancing all the while as he spoke. "And if you're not... well, I'm sorry for having disturbed you. And I'm sorry for this as well." In one fluid motion he pulled one of the pokéballs from off his belt and threw it to the floor, where it burst open in a flash of while light. Revealing a strange, ghostly pokémon that glowered at Rhiannon from evil-looking eyes. A Misdreavus. "Little Eevee, if you want to leave this place you will have to fight."
"Why?" Rhiannon's eyes welled up. What cruelty was this? "What have I done to you?"
"You'd be surprised, little one," came the grim response. "Now. Battle or face the consequences." Rhiannon's eyes flitted nervously between the trainer and his equally impassive pokémon, and it became quite clear that neither was joking around here.
"Well... okay. Looks like I have no choice, does it?" Nervously the Eevee swallowed her apprehension and struck as ferocious a pose as she could under the circumstances. It looked as if there was only going to be one way out of this one. And although this wasn't a path that she cared to tread, her hand had been forced. There really was no other option but to fight.

FIGHT!!! L9 Eevee v L9 Misdreavus!

"Well, here goes nothing..." Rhiannon swallowed hard, before leaping for her opponent with as much force as she could muster. Unfortunately for her the Ghost type was able to avoid the attack easily, turning to her with a superior smirk upon its face as it nimbly moved out of the way of whatever attack the little Eevee had been attempting, leaving her to crash nose first into the rubble surrounding her latest battlefield. "Ow!"
"What were you thinking? I'm beginning to think I'm wasting my time here!" her opponent's trainer barked as if he had been expecting something far more spectacular. "It seems we'll have to force your hand further. If you'd be so kind, my good Misdreavus..."
"I'm one step ahead of you, sir," the levitating pokémon smirked, turning its red-eyed gaze towards Rhiannon. The Eevee braced herself, prepared for all kinds of horrors. And her opponent certainly didn't disappoint. Its eyes began to glow a horrible crimson colour, the colour of blood filling Rhiannon's vision. "A curse on you, little Eevee, you will not leave this battle intact!" Something about the Ghost-type's words seemed to jar with Rhiannon, and all of a sudden she found her strength suddenly leave her. Gasping, she buckled as a sharp, stabbing pain passed throughout her entire body. What manner of cruelty was this?
"It's Curse," the strange man who had instigated this battle explained. "Leave this battle for too long and it will do the job for my pokémon without her having to so much as lift a metaphorical finger. So it's really up to you. Continue this façade and lose, or show me exactly what you're capable of."
"It that's what you want..." Rhiannon concentrated hard. What was she supposed to do? Quickly she cast her mind out, trying hard to think as to what those she considered to be the best fighters she knew would have done. And although she knew absolutely none of Katnip's techniques, her other option, using Milliardo's tactics, seemed like a rather good course of action. The little Eevee concentrated hard, tapping into an energy that normally lay dormant within her. "Then that's what you get!" All of a sudden the ground around her seemed to erupt, huge vines suddenly bursting out from the ground all around her and whipping violently at her opponent. There was practically nothing that the Misdreavus could hope to do to avoid the constantly thrashing tendrils, and it was struck hard several times before it could reach a relatively safe point. By which time the Ghost type was looking decidedly worse for wear. "There, how does that grab you, huh?" Rhiannon yelled over, her confidence suddenly boosted now that she had her Hidden Power to hide behind. All this got her by way of a response, however, was an angry growl from her opponent, who darted forward once again in an attempt to reach her, only to be tossed away by the Eevee's vines.
"Hmph. You're rather skilled. But this is still not what I was hoping for. Time we upped the stakes even further. Misdreavus, use Pain Split." Silently Rhiannon's opponent once again made a mad dash for her, once again being struck by a multitude of vines. Only this time something went very wrong in Rhiannon's game plan. All of a sudden another sharp spasm of pain shot through her body, the Curse still in effect and still playing havoc with her insides. It was enough to remove her focus entirely; as the pain whipped its way through her she forgot entirely about her Hidden Power, hence giving the Misdreavus the opening it had been waiting for. Without a moment's hesitation it shot forward, passing so close to Rhiannon that it brushed the tip of her nose. And it was this single moment's contact that proved to be the Eevee's undoing. As the Ghost type touched her a fresh wave of agony swept through her body, actual physical wounds opening up all over her as if she had been the one who had just been caught in the vicious forest of vines. She couldn't help but scream. It was all simply too much for her to be able to keep her emotions bottled up inside. "Good. Now use Psychic." Before Rhiannon could so much as recover from this latest onslaught she suddenly found herself thrown backwards by an unseen force that knocked her into a large rocky patch of rubble. There was an audible snap as the Eevee landed awkwardly, a sudden jarring bolt of pain shooting up through her leg to add to her already numerous aches and pains. She sobbed bitterly. Why should it have ended like this?
"It seems almost a shame to finish her off. She's quite cute." The Misdreavus commented, looking almost sorry for the whimpering Eevee in front of it.
"She is also quite dangerous, so if you don't mind taking advantage of her incapacity I'd appreciate it," its trainer snapped impatiently. "Finish her off, and we can finish what we came here for. Another Psychic, now."
"But..."
"Do as I say! I will not tolerate insubordination!" The Misdreavus returned its attentions to Rhiannon, looking almost sorrowful as it regarded her twisted and broken form.
"Sorry," it sighed. "Nothing personal. You've no idea what'll happen to me if I don't do as I'm told, though." All of a sudden the pokémon's eyes began to glow the same unearthly red as that which had filled Rhiannon's gaze before the Curse that had stricken her so had been lain upon her. The Eevee could feel her body being lifted up in the air, could feel a terrible vice being placed upon her mind, squeezing and squeezing until she cried out in pain. It wasn't meant to end like this!
"Amon..." she wept, the pain from all her injuries too much for her to bear. It was as much as she could do to stop herself from blacking out completely. "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment!"
"You never disappointed me once, Rhiannon. You weren't to know this was going to happen. But... if they want to play rough, so can we. Let me ease that burden of yours a little. Let me fight with you, like we used to do." An all too familiar voice filled Rhiannon's head, blotting out the pain - and everything else - in an instant. For that moment the entire world was totally lost to the Eevee. All she could focus upon was her little statue of her lost love. And watch as a peculiar mist began to creep out from the stone, only to converge upon a spot directly in front of the statue, taking the form of a ghostly Umbreon with a particularly angry look upon its face. "You DARE take advantage of her like this???" The Misdreavus and its trainer seemed speechless for once. "The last time I felt this angry one of my supposed friends had just plunged his fist through my side. And that isn't a pleasant feeling, I can assure you, but it's nothing compared to what I'll do to you!" With this the Umbreon gave a terrifying roar of fury, and several grayish bolts of power shot out of his skin, being sent hurtling towards Rhiannon's adversaries. The first whizzed past the human's cheek, missing by a matter on inches. The second glanced off his Misdreavus, fetching it a blow that was enough to stun it temporarily in spite of doing little actual damage owing to its own ghost-like form. And the third struck the odd man squarely in the face, sending him toppling backwards to land hard on his back. "Rhiannon..."[I] Rhiannon found herself being gently lowered to the floor to rest comfortably upon the soft soil. A worried, semi-transparent face looked down at her battered form before bending down to gently lick her cheek. Rhiannon found herself mildly surprised; she had heard that the touch of a ghost would have been deathly cold, but this was anything but. It brought with it a warmth the likes of which she hadn't felt in a long time. [I]"Why do you do this to yourself, huh? I mean, I turn my back for ten seconds and look what happens. You get yourself all beaten up needlessly. I always did say that too much tea was bad for you." The ghost looked like it was about to cry.
"Amon..." Rhiannon smiled up at her companion, drinking in his image, even if he was merely a shadow of his physical form. "It's been far, far too long. Won't you stay with us for just a little while? To catch up?"
"You know I can't," came the sorrowful response. "I don't belong here. It's only my desire to see you this one more time that allows me even this. But you know if I could, you know I would. I never wanted to leave you, you know."
"We know that, truly we do." Rhiannon blinked away a tear. "But we can't deny that it hurts, Amon. We miss having you around. If there was some way... just some way that we could be together once more. We would do whatever it took."
"Please, don't cry, my beautiful Lady...[I] Rhiannon couldn't help it. She was just so glad to see him again, yet at the same so sad that their encounter was going to be so brief. It broke through all her usual walls just to see his face again, even in this surreal manner. [I]Believe me, if there was any way possible that I could stay with you..."
"Fools. You sit there, two beings from totally opposing planes of existence talking together, and you speak of things being impossible? Ha!" The two looked up to see another misty figure staring down at them, this one a Sandslash sporting a most curious expression upon his face. Nimbly he hopped down from his perch on top of one of the few remaining pillars left standing in the area.
"Khism?" Rhiannon said weakly. This was an unexpected development! The Sandslash had been a good friend to her in his time, certainly, but he was the last creature she expected to see here. Evidently the ruins of her former home contained more restless souls than she had originally thought. "What are you doing here?"
"Reminding you that your opponent is just about ready to wake up, Lady Rhiannon," came the curt reply. "And reminding you, Amon, that you have defied the laws of nature enough just to get here. Why stop now? A solution is rather obvious." Here the Sandslash turned to Rhiannon. "You wouldn't happen to know of a suitable alternate reality that could house a pair of rogue spirits, would you?"
"In here." A coy smile began to form at the edges of Rhiannon's mouth. "It may be a little crowded with the both of us as well, but you're both welcome to stay as long as you like. You've both been in our heart for so long that we fail to see how being in our head can hurt any."
"Say no more, my love." As one, Amon and Khism nodded, letting their ghostly bodies return to the mist that they had been originally, a silver substance that wisped over to Rhiannon and, as one, was absorbed into her very skin. Rhiannon closed her eyes, a sudden feeling of the most indescribable warmth washing over her. She would keep them both inside her inner sanctuary, she decided. At least that way she would know that she always had her guardian spirits close to her.

"What was that all about, huh?" All of a sudden the Eevee heard the voice of the Misdreavus she was supposed to have been fighting. Evidently it had finally recovered from Amon's blow. "Nice last ditch attempt at winning the battle, but it isn't gonna happen. You seem beaten already, and any minute now that Curse is gonna finish you off completely."
"We sincerely doubt that," Rhiannon snarled, reaching deep within herself to pull herself upright in spite of the fact that her every muscle ached, her left leg was almost certainly broken and the waves of energy-sapping pain that constituted her opponent's Curse were growing all the more frequent. Yet there was something deep within her, something rooted within some long-forgotten corner of her personality that was telling her not to give in just yet. After all that had just happened, to lose would have ruined what had been the most momentous moment of her life. "We stop playing games right now!" Teeth bared, the Eevee concentrated all the energy she had available to her, the air around her becoming thick with a tangible energy. Her opponent watched in awe as the Eevee's small body began to mend itself before its very eyes, her various cuts and bruises fading away in mere seconds. And although there was very little that could be done about the constant pain of the Curse, something like that could be easily ignored for as long as it took to finish the battle.
"Whoa, whoa, what just happened there?" the Misdreavus gasped, clearly shaken by this unnatural occurrence. "What did you just do?"
"Used Recover. It's a handy little skill, don't you think?" Rhiannon began to advance upon her opponent, who began to back away nervously. Now the tables were turned. Now Rhiannon had the advantage. And they both knew it.
"Eevees aren't supposed to be able to do that!" the Ghost type whined, an edge of panic beginning to creep into its voice.
"Well there's a lot of things that we can do that most Eevees couldn't," came the calm response, Rhiannon advancing all the while as she talked. "Luckily for you, you only get to see a brief snatch of what we could do to you if we so chose." Suddenly her eyes flashed ever so briefly, and the ground around her erupted in a mass of writhing vines once again, this time shooting forward to strike her opponent with such accuracy that it stood no chance of escaping the frenzied tentacles. Once... twice... three times Rhiannon's Hidden Power caught the Misdreavus, and still there was no respite for the Ghost type. It was caught in a maelstrom of plant life that struck it from all directions until there finally came a point where the constant barrage of blows was simply too much for the poor pokémon to take. It collapsed to the ground, too drained by the battle to so much as find the energy to stay airborne. Rhiannon exhaled deeply as the constant pain of her Curse finally lifted. The battle was over. She had won.

Rhiannon wins!
Rhiannon grew to L10!
Rhiannon learned Reflect as her free TM!

A sudden shark click from behind her jolted Rhiannon's attention back to her current predicament. Cautiously she turned around to find herself staring into the muzzle of a particularly nasty-looking pistol.
"You've confirmed my suspicions, Eevee," snarled the trainer she had just battled against, pointing his weapon directly at her head. "You're coming with me. Creatures like yourself are far too dangerous to be allowed to walk the lands of Ulthuan freely."
"We have no idea what you're talking about. And, for that matter, we don't especially care." Rhiannon turned her head away with disinterest. One little pistol was hardly cause for worry!
"Suit yourself," came the response, her adversary's eyes narrowing angrily from behind his sunglasses. "I was put in charge of this operation, however, and I intend on seeing it through. Now come with me! This stun pistol contains enough charge to knock out a Rhydon, and I've no qualms about using it if need be."
"Interesting..." Rhiannon's eyes narrowed. "If you want my cooperation, explain yourself. What 'operation' are you referring to, exactly?"
"One Charizard. One Salamence. One Scizor. And one Eevee. The last remnants of the threat to world safety known as the Dark Cloak. Oh, most people consider everything to do with the organization that once stood upon these grounds completely dealt with, but we know better, don't we? Since Team Rocket brought the one known as Reaper to our attention, my organization has decided that now is as good a time as any to tie up a few loose ends. And so I, Lord Absol, have been given the honour of hunting you and your friends down. Simple, really. Now, are you going to come quietly or do I have to use force?" The man jabbed the air with his gun for emphasis.
"Well, let us see..." Rhiannon mused, deciding to put her worries to the back of her mind for now. Whether this man knew about her past or not was irrelevant until she put some distance between him and herself! Cautiously she began to tap into her supernatural powers. It was likely to be her only chance of escape. "As our brother would no doubt say... %%&^* you." Suddenly Rhiannon exposed the jewel that had been embedded within her forehead. And the entire area was consumed in a gigantic flash of bright green.

"Lord Absol... come in, Lord Absol! Sir, do you read me? Come in Lord..."
"I'm here." The man sat up and wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of a black glove. He groaned, holding his head in his hands. The last time he had been struck that hard, he had... come to think of it, he had never been struck that hard. Evidently his people had seriously underestimated the strength of their targets.
"Sir, please report on your status."
"Alive and well, as much as that's going to disappoint a lot of Guild members." Wearily he stood up and gave his succinct summary of what had just gone on, explaining carefully into his communicator to the faceless minion on the other end. "We have seriously underestimated the power the Dark Cloak gave these pokémon. Our research indicated that the Eevee was supposed to be the most physically weak of the group, but even she is more deadly than we could have hoped to imagine."
"Your plan, sir?" asked the tinny voice coming from Lord Absol's communicator.
"Regroup. We need a new plan of action. But I can assure you we're not done here. Not by a long shot."

"Great. Now... what... do... we... do?" Rhiannon found herself panting. After her altercation with the disturbing Lord Absol, the little Eevee had just ran and ran, until she was so far away from anywhere that not a single landmark could be made out upon the horizon. A place as isolated as she needed in order to put her own thoughts in order. "He knows about us, doesn't he?"
"Hush now," she told herself sharply, the words coming as if they were from a totally different creature. Which, given Rhiannon's complex mental problems, they probably were. "It's true that his arrival has caused us unnecessary complications..."
"Unnecessary? You heard him, he's gonna capture us! Just when everything's been going so well he's gonna stir up all that evil again and I don't know if I can take it!"
"Then leave the dealing with him to me. We can make it through this." Again her voice took on the same, emotionless tone. "The first thing to do is to make it harder for him to spot us again."
"Oh yeah? And how do you intend on doing that, then? Changing our species altogether?" As soon as the younger half of Rhiannon's persona spoke up she regretted it. Because she already knew the answer to that question.
"More or less." Suddenly a passionate gleam appeared in the Eevee's eyes. Of course, it was all so simple! She had pretty much taken it for granted that one day she would want to evolve. The body of an Eevee simply wasn't sufficient to house her true strength. She had known that from the start. Ever since that fateful day she had been forced into being a test subject for the Dark Cloak's satanic science she had felt a distinct pulling on her psyche, a tiny feeling within her mind trying to seduce her into the path of an evolved pokémon. The trouble up until this point had simply been that the natural evolution paths of an Eevee were not forms that appealed to Rhiannon. She knew exactly what she wanted to be when she finally decided to evolve. I always had you down as making a fine Jolteon some day. That's what Amon had told her a long time ago, when she was first enlisted in the dark army she eventually came to know as friends. And whether he had meant it or not, that comment had been held close to Rhiannon's heart ever since. "It's a good thing, I feel, that we at least now have an excuse to stop putting it off."
"I guess." The second Rhiannon's voice suddenly brightened. "Hey, Jolteons are supposed to be real fast, aren't they? We could so cream Milliardo's butt in tag if we did evolve, couldn't we?"
"Not quite the reasoning I would prefer we used to justify our choice, but true enough." A thin smile formed at Rhiannon's lips, her forehead parting at almost the exact same time the air in front of her split to reveal one of her pitch-black portals. "Come now. We do know where Ade keeps all of his pokémon related items, don't we?"
"Are you suggesting we steal one of his Thunder Stones?"
"No, not steal. More like use it prematurely. He has one set aside for us just in case we want it, so there's really no harm in us taking advantage of that fact. Come on, when have I ever led us wrong?"
"Well how about the time you agreed to join the army of an evil cult? Or the time you volunteered us for magical enhancements? Or countless times you've ended up getting our butt kicked just because you'll quite happily walk on a broken leg or something stupid? Face it, most of the really stupid moves we've made have been your fault." Rhiannon sounded quite angry at this point, but eventually her voice softened. "But... I guess I kinda agree with you this time. Okay, let's go. I'm ready."

"I don't get it," Pearl commented, pacing around the house restlessly, as was her wont when she had other people's problems on her mind. Every now and then she would trip over Celeste, who was scampering around by her paws, but soon she would upright herself, nuzzle her daughter fondly and then resume her strolling. "What was wrong with her? Where did she disappear to? And why..."
"And why did I agree to listen to Becks when he offered me that last bowl of that red stuff?" Milliardo groaned from underneath a large blanket. He poked his head out for a moment, wincing at the artificial light of the home in the evening. "Pearl, stop worrying. She's Rhi. We can't get rid of her that easily, more's the pity." The Umbreon noticed a rather nasty glare being thrown at him. "What? She's a pain in the butt."
"You should try being a little nicer to your sister, Milliardo," the Ninetales commented. "What would you do if she suddenly vanished?"
"Wait for her to reappear, because I'd never be that lucky," came the derisive reply. Evidently, however, Pearl's words had struck a nerve; the Umbreon finally sighed deeply. "Okay, okay, I'll go have a look for her, is that what you're all waiting for me to say? I'll probably be gone for ages, none of you know the half of how difficult it is to track that girl down..." Milliardo rolled his eyes. Apparently nobody was going to let him suffer his hangover in peace. "Fine, whatever..." Still grumbling to himself, Milliardo staggered out of the lounge before sitting down to think. How on earth was he supposed to track down a creature such as Rhiannon? She could have been at any point in any reality she chose. Maybe if he knew her reasons for leaving so suddenly in the first place then he would have had an idea of where to look. But no. His own sister was as great an enigma to him as she was to everybody else. "Okay, Milliardo, let's try this one." Closing his eyes, the Umbreon tried his best to focus on his sister and his sister alone. On her scent, her voice, anything that was unmistakably hers. Well, if Detect could help avoid moves in battle it should have been of help in searching for a missing Eevee! For a while nothing seemed to come of it; in fact Milliardo was close to giving up entirely on this tactic when he finally heard her voice. Or rather, voices. It sounded to him very much like his sister was arguing with herself upstairs. Which, it had to be said, was never a good sign. Quickly he raced up the wooden stairs that led to the bedrooms, racing round corners and nearly upsetting plant pots as he scrambled to reach the source of the noise, his finally honed senses pinpointing Rhiannon with remarkable accuracy. "Ah ha! There you... are." Milliardo finally reached his destination, the spare bedroom where most of the training items in the house had been stored for safe keeping. What he saw there made him do a double take. Rhiannon was stood there staring intently at a small yellow stone that was lay at her feet. There was no mistaking what it was. His sister had got her paws on a Thunder Stone. "Rhi, what the %&^* do you think you're doing? Do you know what'll happen if you touch that stone? You'll turn into a Jolteon."
"Really?" Rhiannon's voice was totally deadpan. "We were rather hoping to become a Golbat. Thanks for warning us."
"Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to come up with lines like that, stop muscling in on my territory!" Milliardo complained. "So what are you doing, other than about to make a totally life-altering decision?"
"They're onto us," came the sorrowful response. "They force our hand."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Rhi, you're making less sense than you usually do, and that's really quite impressive. Back up a bit. Who's forcing your hand?"
"We have to change, Milliardo. To be honest we've always had to, our body was never meant to hold the power it does. Only events mean we've had to stop putting evolution off." Suddenly the Eevee looked over at her brother, her eyes softening. "Milliardo, does it hurt? You'd know, you must have evolved to become an Umbreon. What's it like?"
"Yeah, Rhi, it hurts like hell. You try having your entire body reshaped within about thirty seconds and tell me you don't feel a slight twinge. But if you really want to do it then it doesn't matter, it's all a good pain in the end because you know you'll get something good out of it in the end. In the end it's all up to you, just remember you can't go back once you've changed, so you have to be sure." Milliardo frowned suddenly. "Wait. Didn't I have this exact same conversation with Thingy a few months ago? Why does everyone think I'm the authority on evolution?"
"I thought you were the authority on everything," Rhiannon responded with an innocent smile upon her face. "She's right, though. I reckon this is probably for the best." The Eevee chuckled to herself. "Hey, that's a first, we agree on something!"
"I guess that's a good sign that it's the right thing to do... still, have fun explaining to Ade why you didn't tell him before doing this." The Umbreon stepped back, giving his sister enough room to prepare herself. He knew from experience that it took a good deal of preparation before you were mentally ready for evolution.
"Eh, I'll just pull my cutest face and say 'but Ade, I really wanted to do this!' and bat my eyelashes a few times for good measure. Trust me, humans are suckers for a cute face." Rhiannon grinned almost evilly. "Oh well. Wish us luck, huh? Although the way my life goes this is gonna be a painted Leaf Stone or something." Taking a deep breath, Rhiannon took a step forward and placed her front left paw on top of the stone. The effect was instantaneous. All of a sudden her entire body was consumed by a burning sensation that coursed through every fibre of her being. It felt quite unlike anything she had ever experienced before, so intense that it made her want to cry out. Yet she didn't. She simply remained silent, concentration on the strange sensation as her body reshaped itself to its new form. Her limbs and muzzle began to elongate, her tail shortening in proportion to their growth. Her fur began to spike out, suddenly charged with a static electricity that would provide many hours of grooming nightmares in the future. Every inch of her body reshaped itself to accommodate her new glands and body structure, until finally the burning sensation passed and she stood there, a Jolteon that seemed perfectly formed if it wasn't for the small emerald gemstone set in her forehead.
"How do we look?" Rhiannon asked, exhaling deeply as she sealed up the source of her powers once again. Milliardo seemed, for once, lost for words.
"You... wow, Rhi, if we ignore the fact that your stone clashes with your fur colour now you look bloody fantastic! Look over there!" The Umbreon gestured over to a mirror on the far side of the room, where Rhiannon caught sight of her brother sat just behind a petite, slim, graceful yellow creature with incredibly intelligent eyes and fur that stuck out in rather strange points. Amon had been right. She did make a rather fine Jolteon after all.
"That will serve us nicely," she smiled, trying very hard to stop a tear from forming in the corner of her eye. "We had thought that today was going to be a trial. But you know something? We think it's turned out to be one of the happiest days we've had in a very long time."