[X] My Assistant

[Captain Combuske...]

Alex looked seriously at Tikal, who was visibly very upset at having Totodile K.Oed.
"Don't worry, Tikal," he said "I'm sure with more practice you'll be able to win more convincingly..." Alex wanted to say more, but at present he was too confused. What on earth had happened there? He hadn't really followed the battle, and even if he had, he was not sure that he would have been able to. Alex knew the move that had been most devastating in the battle. Magnitude. It was such a powerful move and it also relied on luck. Alex, unlike his companion Tom, was not extremely fortunate, instead needing lots of clever tactics an good moves to win a battle. It had showed when Alex had won against him. Alex was a gifted trainer. He just hoped, with all his heart, that he'd be able to win against the Fidona gym leader. He turned his thoughts to that fight now.
"Tyson, do you mind if I go to my cabin while you do your battle?"
Tyson looked slightly annoyed.
"OK then..."
"Thanks..." replied Alex. He left the training room and went back to his room on the ship.

This post has been edited by Proby: Sep 15 2010, 02:33 AM

[rt117]

(ooc: actually she won that battle. The reason she's upset is because Totodile got KOed right at the end :P)

Tikal nodded quietly in response to his comment, her eyes still cast downward. It had been a very close fight indeed, but there was still plenty of room for improvement. At least she and her Pokemon had the time to improve now before they reached their destination, and things would become more serious.

"I guess it's better to have it happen here than in a trainer battle." she replied, raising her head and trying to smile. The attempt was strained, but for their sake it was worth a try. There was no need to bother them with her mood anyways. Watching as Alex took off abruptly, Tikal began to wonder what was on his mind. Probably the upcoming battle, but it seemed rather strange to go back to the room instead of continuing to train. Maybe he just wanted some time alone. With that, she then turned to Tyson, once again still trying to keep a smile on her face.

"Now I believe it's your turn?" she asked, remembering how he was about to go before she butted in.

This post has been edited by rt117: Aug 2 2010, 09:56 AM

[Captain Combuske...]

It was the next morning on the S.S. Empress, and there were clouds on the horizon.
"Great, some lovely rain for our first day in Fidona," grumbled Alex. He hadn't slept fantastically the evening before, and he had yet to eat any breakfast. That, combined with the nervousness he felt at the gym battle today, was making his mood increasingly bad.
"Yep, Alex, and you'd better remember; Water Pokemon do well in the rain. as we found out last night..."

Alex looked at Tom. Why, oh WHY, did he have to remind Alex of yesterday evening? It was NOT a good experience. Alex really didn't want to think about it, but did so anyway.

After Tyson had triumphantly succeeded in his battle against the Trainathon2010, The group had decided to have a nice relaxing evening on deck. However, it seemed that Luck was not on Alex' side. The boat suddenly lurched to the side as Alex was looking over into the sea. Alex had then toppled over the side of the relatively small ship and into the sea.

Unfortunately for him, he landed right in the middle of a Finneon and Lumineon school, and the fish Pokemon were extremely displeased. They started attacking Alex, who, in shock, swam to the surface of the water. There, he took of his backpack, which he still had on. He took out two Pokeballs and threw them. Leo and Treecky came out and Leo started to fight the Finneon with his Electrical attacks. Treecky needed a little more convincing, but also started to attack them. It was at this point that Alex noticed it has started to rain. He put the two Pokeballs in his drenched trouser pockets and put his bag back on his back.
Alex soon noticed that the Finneon were extremely quick, and were hitting Leo and Treecky, who were both swimming, faster than either could hit them. Alex later learned that this was because of their Swift Swim ability, which boosted speed in rain.

He ordered an attack from Leo that hit the water. Within seconds, the Finneon were knocked out and sinking back down below the ocean, but so were Alex and Treecky. Luckily though, Alex, along with his Pokemon, were saved before they started to drown by the ship's crew.
Alex had then spent the rest of the evening in clothes that were both charred and soaked.

So that was why Alex was grumpy that morning, and why the rain was worrying him. Any good water Pokemon with the ability would no doubt cause him a world of trouble.

This post has been edited by Proby: Sep 15 2010, 01:35 AM

[rt117]

Unfortunately for Tikal, she had missed out on the previous day's excitement, only hearing about it later on from Tom. She had spent time training with the Trainathon2010 for the most part, only calling it a day as soon as she noticed her Pokemon were exhausted. She hated to wear them down like this, but she had wanted them to be prepared for anything that was thrown at them once they reached shore. After all, anything was possible, like with their last stop.

During the training, Tikal had put thought into the Gym challenge that Alex had been so eager about. Maybe it was worth a shot for her to attempt it. After all, what did she have to lose? Plus it would be a big boost of confidence to her and her team if she were to win. With this new frame of thought in mind, she had been more eager in battling, taking some decent photo-finishes of her Pokemon towards the end of battles.

After practice, she took her Pokemon back to their cabin, letting them rest up while she went up to the deck to get something to eat. It had been then that she was informed of Alex's mishap. While struggling to keep herself from laughing at his misfortune, Tikal managed to get a burger for herself, before a variety of cheese and crackers on a plate, which she took back down to the cabin for her Pokemon, who were more than happy when she returned with food.


With last night now behind them, Tikal quickly caught up to Alex, trying to keep her camera dry. She would hate to have it ruined, since she hadn't even had the chance to get her new photos off of it. "Shouldn't we be heading off?" Tikal asked the two, completely oblivious to the absence of Tyson. Her mind was too focused on the brewing excitement of today that she hadn't noticed that he wasn't standing next to her.

[Captain Combuske...]

Minutes later, Alex stepped off the boat, and onto the island of Fidona. It was a place full of life, even in the rain. This helped to lift his mood a little, although the nerves and his aquatic experience still lingered at the back of his mind. He had to focus today. If he didn't get this right, he was sure of both looking like a fool and doubting his ability as a Pokemon trainer. His goal was to be the Champion of Furoh. He needed to achieve that.

Presently, the group made their way under the huge trees of Fidona. The City itself was amazing; the Fidonians had created houses within trees, all of which were suspended over ground or buried underneath, aside from two buildings back to back in the middle of the city; the Pokemon Center and the Shop. These were not made like anything Alex had ever seen. They were completely made from natural resources, using wood, vines and leaves. They had the look of buildings who had a lot of care and attention put into their making.

The buildings were not the only thing that caught he eye; there were plants everywhere. Some were clearly Pokemon, who benefited well in the warm forests Fidona had to offer, such as Glooms and Vileplumes. Others were not Pokemon, but beautiful and startling all the same.

The city was a lot busier than Alex would have thought. There were tanned Fidonans training their Pokemon all over the place, or simply just going about their daily lifestyles. For the first time, Alex could see Pokemon totally suited to normal human jobs. He could see a Scizor going out into the forests with its owner, supposedly to cut down trees for firewood. It was quite a busy place. It was of course nothing like the huge Petropolis that Alex had spent a small amount of time in. There were not people everywhere, but Alex had only imagined a tiny population. It was truly amazing.
What Alex didn't see, were any pale skinned people, like him, Tikal or Tom. He was a stranger in these parts. He could see from the slight wariness on the people's faces that he wasn't so. He could tell that he was obviously a trainer to others who wanted to challenge the gym, because he knew from the stories that those who came here not doing that would receive a hostile reception.
---
Tom, who had lived most his life in Gigarte, a reasonably busy city, was completely amazed and in awe at the beauty and naturalness of the place. He fully used his senses to take in his surroundings. He smelt the fresh air, he gazed upon the beautiful scenery, he felt the well-crafted wooden buildings, and listened to the sounds of nature. He was in heaven.
---
Alex paid a quick visit to the Pokemon Center to refresh his Pokemon, and they all sat down for a meal. They were all enjoying Fidona already, but Alex had only one thing on his mind; the gym battle. He finished his meal, and they left the Pokemon Center.
Alex searched around the city, looking for the tree house that looked like it belonged to royalty. He'd researched a little on Fidona's history and the location of the gym, and it had said it was located in the Taminagi Palace, the house for the Royalty, which was just Maxi Z! at the current time. He finally thought he'd found it, the largest and grandest house high above the city. Alex sighed. It was going to be a long ascent.

This post has been edited by Proby: Oct 1 2010, 10:46 AM

[rt117]

For the most part of their disembark from the ferry, Alex seemed fairly quiet, as if not even there at all. While having later learned that with the closeness of his first gym that he was overly anxious, Tikal could not help but think that there was something more to this as well. Perhaps Alex was worried, or even doubtful of his chances?

Of course she would not dare to bring that up with him, but she had felt almost the exact same way while training with her Pokemon on the ferry. However over time she had managed to develope some form of confidence, and while not having such grand dreams that Alex had, she too was now interested in Gym battling. If not to help her with battle expertise. The training on the ferry had been fairly helpful, but it would only be during a Gym battle would she see whether or not she would taste the bittersweet fruit of endeavor.

As Alex made his way towards the Gym, Tikal quickly caught up with him with her Igglybuff in her arms. She had not noticed him take off for the Gym earlier due to his reflective silence, and it was only when she was about to ask him a question when she took notice of his disappearance. "Are you up for this?" she questioned Alex, standing beside him in front of the the seemingly endless flight of steps. At the top rested an older-looking building, Tikal's eyes fixated on the steps before them, and the fact that they had to climb every single one. "Why couldn't they just build the Gym down here..." she groaned.

This post has been edited by rt117: Nov 11 2010, 03:57 PM

[Protoman]

"Wait up," A voice called from behind them. Tyson started to rush towards them as he began to catch his breath. Fortunately, he made it before they went inside. Unfortunately, he looked as if he didn't even try to maintain a decent image before arriving. With his hair a mess and his clothes rather wrinkled, Tyson caught his breath and finally was able to speak to them both. "Sorry I'm late," he exclaimed, still completely tired from the running he had been doing. "I just had a last minute touch up in the battle simulator on the ship. Not only that, but I went to the Pokemon Center, where I found out you guys had came and left already." Tyson pulled out his three Poke Balls and stared at each of them, trying to discover what his strategy will be.

"This is confusing," Tyson said to himself as he looked at the machine. Scratching his head, he steps inside and sets the machine to water and fighting. "I've gotta learn how to counter Blaze's weaknesses," Tyson stated plainly, seeing as how Fidona's Gym Leader was known for using Water types as well as Fighting types. After watching the news cast, Tyson knew he had to be fully prepared. A Medicham and a Lotad appeared in front of Tyson, making him more worried than before. "Aw come on," Tyson bellowed, rather upset at the fact that he had to fight TWO dual type Pokemon instead of one. Instead of griping, he dealt with it, revealing Aero and Hydro. The pair looked at each other, disgusted at what they saw, and focused more on the opponent. The Medicham's fist sparked and crackled as she looked menacingly at Hydro. The Lotad simply ducked down, gazing dully at Aero. "Aero, use Peck and then Gust, Hydro, dodge the attack and use Aqua Jet!" With a nod, both Pokemon sprung into action. With several pecks to the Lotad, a large gust of wind soon followed afterwards, knocking the Lotad backwards. Meanwhile, with a swift dodge, barely missing contact with the lightning, Hydro collided into Medicham's side, cloaked in water while doing so.

With the fight going Tyson's way so far, he began to grow pleased. It was the first time so far that Aero and Hydro were able to put aside their differences and work together...so it would seem.
"A;right guys," Tyson said, "finish up the match!" With a nod, Hydro began to move forward for the tackle, but without knowing, Hydro was pecked in the back by his partner, Aero. Throwing the Squirtle into a frenzy, Aero simply laughed at his handy work. With a quick Water Gun, Aero stopped laughing abruptly, attacking Hydro instead of his enemy. "Uh-oh," Tyson mumbled, depressed at how he was so close to getting them to work together. A swift Thunderpunch, connecting to the cheek of Hydro, sent the poor Pokemon on a one way trip to the K.O. Coral. Aero, laughing at his misfortune, soon got an Ice Punch in the stomach, putting him in the same place as Hydro. With a deep sigh, Tyson made both Pokemon return, knowing that their defeat was their own undoing.

The italicized was the battle Tyson had within the simulator on the ship.

This post has been edited by Protoman: Dec 10 2010, 11:47 AM

[Captain Combuske...]

Alex looked back in surprise.
"How... Never mind" he said. He didn't want to know how it was possible that Tyson was still here. He was just happy that he was. Tikal seemed to be looking rather happier at Tyson's appearance, as was Tom. Everyone liked him. He was a likeable guy.
Presently he looked up at the leviathan climb before him. He really didn't like heights much. He was fine with them if he didn't look down, but there had been an occasion of two when he'd thrown up. Water was fantastic. Heights? Not so keen. Begrudgingly though, he started his ascent, and couldn't help but think; what was a part water gym doing high in the sky? It just didn't make much sense. But then again, not a lot made sense in Fidona. Not to Hoenn born Alex, who'd lived in a simple coast-side town for most his life. He sighed. Ah, memories, so tender and sweet. He wanted to return to Hoenn someday. When he was successful and all. or at all. And that's how he coped with the climb. Thinking of home.
---
Tom, meanwhile, directly below Alex on the ladder, was getting annoying looking up at the boy's backside. Those shorts really didn't make it much better either, as "camouflaged" as they were. he sighed heavily. It just wasn't fair sometimes being the sidekick. That's how Tom saw himself. He didn't like it but it was true; in many ways he was Alex' pawn.
Tom started to think about his upcoming contest, as simple as it was. All he had to do was dress up a Pokemon and make it Display its beautiful, cool, cute, smart or tough moves. It wasn't hard. But he just couldn't decide. Rose was a great show Pokemon, and was very accessorizeable. Rai was immensely cute and would get some good votes. Staa gave the wow factor with its Shiny, while Tweet knew some killer move combinations... he couldn't decide. He'd probably end up randomly choosing on the spot then being very apologetic to his other Pokemon.
He sighed.
---
Finally, Alex reached the top of the ladder. Then he groaned; he's gone up the wrong one! He'd gone up the ladder to someone's house, and the gym was opposite. Right, the quick way to do things. He threw his Pokeball, and out came Stryk. She was looking cheerful as ever.
"Stryk, fly me to the other side!"

[Protoman]

With Tyson noticing Alex groaning, he followed Stryk to the other side...at least he tried to. Just before he could take too many steps, Tyson tripped a wire, making a net that was covered up rather nicely capture him.

"Huh, wha," Tyson asked, totally confused as to how this happened, "lemme outta here! I'm stuck in this net!" He kicked and squirmed, but to no prevail. He wriggled around, still not escaping the rope prison that held him. Pretty soon, he thought of a way to get out of the net. It would hurt, but it would be effective. "Aero, let's go!" Tyson said before releasing Aero to the outside.

"Pidgey," Aero squawked before noticing the major bind that his owner was in. Stifling back a laugh or two, the Pidgey flew towards the net, pecking it frantically. Tyson began to brace himself for the landing to come, soon noticing that it was taking too long to come.

"Aero," Tyson said, not entirely sure he should have asked his Pidgey to try and cut him down. "The rope must be too thick, I'll just get another Pokemon to..." SNAP! With a resounding thud, Tyson hit the ground, landing on his back and rear end. "Thanks." Tyson said, holding back as many tears as he could. Finally, he got back up, and looked back at Tikal and Tom. "You guys coming?" he asked before making sure he was alright.

[rt117]

Tikal watched as the two simply headed off without them, each facing their own predicaments. While Alex's was rather humorous (almost causing Tikal to burst out into laughter), Tyson's was more concerning. Why would someone set a trap up in the trees? Didn't Gym leaders want challengers? Her thoughts turned to the idea of someone else having set it up, causing the girl to frown.

"Maybe someone else doesn't want us to compete. Then again who would do such a thing? I don't think Deception would go as far as to set up mere traps." she thought to herself, her face a mixture of puzzlement and frustration. As Tyson fell onto the steps however, she quickly shook off her state of bizarre confusion, and rushed to his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked with a look of concern, glancing from the remains of the net back to him as she held her Igglybuff a little tighter. She was half expecting a net to fall onto her, and so her attention was divided between him and the tree canopy. "Who would set up traps?" she added as her gaze moved back to him, almost hoping that he knew the answer.

[Protoman]

Tyson scratched his head a little bit, blushing a little from embarrassment. He got up, dusting himself off a little as he moved. He smiled weakly, trying to make Tikal relax a little bit.

"I'm fine," Tyson responded, still unsure of how it happened. "I'm guessing we're being tested mentally first." He scratched his head, before Aero landed on his shoulder. He looked at Tikal and worried that she might be in grave danger. "Tikal, I need for you to stay close to me, okay?" He was hoping that he made the right decision in keeping her near him. He could get caught by the traps and be alright, but could she? How would that look if she got hurt while he was supposed to be protecting her? He soon noticed her moving forward, leaving him to think to himself. Barely noticing, Tyson quickly caught up to her, hoping he wasn't too late for any more traps.

[rt117]

"Well... the sooner we get up these steps, the quicker we can get there!" Tikal smiled cheerfully, trying to brighten the mood as she then turned to rushed up the steps. Thanks to her now-strong enthusiasm, she was less fearful of what may be. Without fear for who or what set up the trap, she continued forward, oblivious to the fact that she was basically leaving Tyson behind.

With her eyes on the structure that rested up top the steps, she was unaware of what she was walking towards. As her foot came down on a lose stone, the building soon flashed from sight, replaced by a tall earthen wall.

"Wha-"

Hitting the ground hard, she was momentarily stunned as she tumbled down into a small pitfall trap, finding her knees mere inches from her face. She blinked as she tried to shelter herself from a small amount of debris which fell upon her head, suddenly realizing that her Igglybuff was nowhere to be found, and soon began to glance around frantically. She was more than afraid of the possibility that she landed on top of the poor Pokemon, until she noticed the Baby Pokemon glancing down at her with crimson eyes, at the mouth of the hole.

"...Iggly?" The Pokemon asked, a worried expression upon its face as it looked about ready to cry.

"Go get help!" Tikal called up to it, finding herself to be stuck in her current position. With wavering eyes, Igglybuff vanished from her sight, to run down the steps and grab onto Tyson's leg and gain his attention.
This was not good at all.

[Protoman]

this was a conversation between Tikal and Tyson

Tyson looked at Igglybuff, noticing the pink puff pulling on his leg. He knew things weren't right, so he followed the Pokemon as fast as he could...which meant not very, considering the fact that Igglybuff was small. Bouncing up the steps, the small Pokemon came to the pitfall its trainer had fallen down, before waving its tiny arms as if to draw him to that point. Inside, Tikal shifted uncomfortably, finding her inability to move, making her worry greatly. Tyson looked down, unsure as to how this happened. Tikal shifted again as she glanced up at the mouth of the hole, briefly catching a glimpse of a worried Tyson.

"Tikal, are you alright?" Tyson asked, hoping she didn't break anything.

"I think so... but I cant move!" she called up to him, her Pokemon sitting on the edge of the hole to keep her company.

"I have an idea, hang on," Tyson responded, searching frantically for something to use to make the dirt around Tikal looser. He thought about using Hydro, but he was afraid of drowning her. He then found a large branch, hoping it would be able to wedge Tikal out.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, unable to see what he was up to from her position. However she could hear a bit of rustling. A wave of guilt soon hit her, as she wondered if this would ruin his chance at battling the Gym leader.

"Can you move your arms," Tyson questioned his companion in trouble. He had to make sure her arms were movable before trying anything. Tikal shifted her arms, before shaking her head.

"No... they're stuck under my legs..." she whimpered to him, making Tyson sigh in frustration.

"Great," Tyson said sarcastically, throwing the branch to the side. "hang on, I think I can loosen the dirt with Water Gun..."

"Alright..." Tikal replied, trying to reach down to her pocket to fetch her Pokeballs. However she sighed in realization that her hands were incapable of reaching them. Meaning that she was completely helpless, she tried to cover her head before she could get any water in her eyes. With a flash and a snap, Hydro appeared next to the hole, inspecting the situation. With a smirk, Hydro smirked and looked at Tyson for his orders.

"Water Gun," was all Tyson said to the Squirtle. Gushing from his mouth, Hydro began to fill the hole with freezing water. Feeling the icy cold water hit the back of her head, Tikal began to shiver a bit as the dirt around her started to loosen. However it didn't take long for the hole to fill up with water, giving Tyson another problem on his hands. Before she knew it, her entire world was submerged in the icy water, finding herself rather troubled. Especially as she began to run out of air as the world turned dark... "Tikal," Tyson yelled to her, deciding to dive in and pull her out. With as much stamina as he could use, he saves Tikal before clambering out of the hole himself. "Tikal, speak to me!" Slowly, she started to come to, the only thing she was able to see was the look of concern of Tyson's face.

"...I didn't drown...did I?" Tikal asked, being hugged before Tyson was relieved.

"No," Tyson said in relief, "I got to you before anything worse could happen." He was covered in water, shivering from how cold it was on the inside of the pitfall trap. "Can you stand?"

"I think so..." Tikal replied, freezing cold as well. Slowly, she steadied herself with her hands as she pushed herself lightly to her feet, wobbling slightly. At that point, Igglybuff rushed forward, clinging to Tikal's leg with a happy cry. The slight imbalance was enough to knock her over. Tyson rushed towards Tikal's side, hoping she would be alright.

"I've gotcha," Tyson told her caringly, placing her arm over his neck and bracing her while they walked. Tikal smiled weakly as Tyson held her up, leaning lightly against him as Igglybuff clambered her shoulders to sit on Tikal's shoulder.

"Going down these steps is going to be a pain..." she joked.

"Yeah," Tyson chuckled, "but since we've made it to the top, I'm guessing we're halfway there?" He kept her braced on him, pulling out Hydro's Poke Ball. "Return," he said, causing the red beam to hit the forehead of the Squirtle. He continued to help Tikal as they continued to try and catch up with Alex.

This post has been edited by Protoman: Dec 10 2010, 10:04 PM

[Captain Combuske...]

Ehm... guys... Tom followed Alex up the wrong rope ladder. You'll need to edit your posts accordingly.

Oh, and Stryk is able to fly (this is to the mods). As explained, she is a bigger Starly than most,, who learned to fly with Alex on her back and all that jazz. Obviously it's difficult for her to do so, but she can.
Oh, and Tweet, Tom's Taillow, was the one who taught her to do so so he can fly too.

The flight was not comfortable. Alex couldn't wait until Stryk evolved into a Staravia. then everything would be OK. He would have nice, smooth flights. Flying was WAY different. It didn't affect his vertigo as much, because the sensation of flying with the win in your face was exhilarating and made you completely forgot about the world below. But yeah. Alex couldn't wait till any of his Pokemon evolved. He felt a little sorry that they might never be the same afterwards, but hopefully they wouldn't change too much.
---
"Alex!" Tom exclaimed. It was really annoying being left behind all the time. But Tom knew that he'd eventually catch up. He always did. In fact he often was several steps ahead of Alex. He sighed, before throwing his own Pokeball. Out came Tweet.
"You know the drill, buddy." he said. Tweet nodded. The little bird Pokemon was used to this. He'd done it plenty of times. Tom Climbed on his back and he flew calmly over to the Gym entrance.
---
Alex was still mid flight and was having difficulties. Stryk was getting weaker. They'd never attempted a flight this long before, it was always nice short ones not too far away. Stryk was getting lower and lower in the sky. Alex was panicking.
Suddenly, her heard a sound of something moving through air. Fast. Stryk heard it to, as she stopped abruptly mid flight. Just in time. A dart coated in purple goo zoomed past.
"Poisoned darts. S***." swore Alex. "Right, old girl, you're going to have to do some energetic flying.
Then he noticed Tom Hawk on Tweet was right beside him.
"Why did you stop, Alex?"
"Poisoned darts." was all Alex needed to reply. Suddenly, Tom's expression turned to steel and both trainers got their Pokemon to start flying again. Both birds, along with their trainers, were filled with adrenaline mixed with a fleeing sensation. They were now on high alert.

Just in time, because now, the poisoned darts were coming from all over the place.
---
The next few minutes were a frantic rush. The bird Pokemon both masterfully dodged every dart like professionals. Almost every dart.
"Tay! Tay-low!" cried Tweet suddenly.
"****! He's been poisoned!" shouted Tom.
It was in this instant that the two boys made it to the other side. Both dismounted from their aerial steeds. Tweet flopped down almost immediately. Tom hurriedly rummaged through his bag.
"I got no antidote or anything!" he exclaimed.
Luckily, Alex' restock back in Port Barley had not been for nothing. He quickly opened his bag and pulled out a spray. He ran over to Tweet and pulled the trigger. Within seconds, the Taillow went from a shuddering almost purple Pokemon to a calm and navy blue bird.
"Alex, you're a life saver. Literally..." said Tom.
Normally Alex didn't do this, but the experience the two had just shared was completely insane in many ways. It was very awkward, and happened very slowly, but they slowly moved into what is known as a "man" hug.

[rt117]

ooc: neither of us mentioned anything about Tom though :/

With some relief of the fact that they were close to their destination, Tikal slowly made her way up the steps with the help of Tyson. "Thanks for your help." she told him with a weak smile. "My leg's a little better now. Really... I can walk on my own..." she added, trying to stand on her own. However as she began to wobble a little again, she winced and swallowed, before quickly taking hold of him once more.

"On second thought..." she started, looking to him with a grin. "Maybe I could do with more help..." she replied with a change of heart, smiling sheepishly. Of course she didn't mind the closeness at all, rather enjoying it, even though it made her blush rather noticeably. The idea of falling all the way down the steps was the part she wanted to best avoid.

At the sight of her slightly-reddened face, Tikal's Igglybuff let out a chortle, which sounded something more like a laugh. Tikal sighed and covered her face with a free hand. "Dont you start now too." she groaned, before smiling weakly and poking her Pokemon playfully. Igglybuff puffed out before grabbing her finger with tiny hands.

"Anyways, we have a Gym to, so let's try to catch up to Alex and Tom." she concluded, glancing to Tyson as she forgot her face was still red.

[Captain Combuske...]

"Finally, he got back up, and looked back at Tikal and Tom." Just delete the word "Tom" and it works. It's Protoman's post right after mine. Tiny detail, but I'm a sticker for detail.
And PLEASE put the "ooc"s in spoilers too. Neatness. Other than that, I don't want to nag too much, so yeah.
Note on previous post: Double asterisks. Yeah. Serious situations call for serious words.
Plus, "Man" hug. Oh, I enjoyed typing that!

Alex and Tom's awkward hug didn't last long. Soon they were back to standing around with their hands casually in their trouser (or shorts, in Alex's case) pockets.
"So, you think we should carry on?" said Alex after a few minutes of this.
"Umm... yeah..." replied Tom.
"Kay. Let's go."
"Uh-huh."
Alex and Tom looked towards the door. Alex got his hands out of his short pockets and took of his bag. He went in the front section and pulled out a Pokeball. He looked at the Fire emblem on the Pokeball. It was something simple, and he'd done it himself. He smiled, before throwing the ball in his hand. The ball flew through the air a a little before an echoing click was heard and it opened. Out came Blaze looking as cheerful and determined as ever. Alex hoped Blaze didn't change too much upon evolving. Blaze was the Pokemon he was closest with. They'd been through thick and thin together. He sighed. It didn't matter. Either way he'd still love Blaze and he was sure Blaze would love him back.
Alex caught the Pokeball as it rebounded from the movement of opening and being propelled back. He put it in his bag.
"Right, bud. This is IT!" he said to his partner. He looked to his right and saw that Rai was out of his Pokeball. He nodded at Tom, and felt his expression harden as he prepared himself. This was the Gym. He picked up Blaze, went up to the door and opened it. He stepped; but there was nothing there. He panicked as he felt himself falling. Oh, the cunning rascals! How DARE they do that!
---
Meanwhile, Tom and Rai were at the stop of the trap, wondering what had happened. Puzzled, Tom went over to the door. His eyes widened and he looked at Rai.
"Umm... do we follow him?" he asked.
"Pika!" replied his Pikachu. That was a "Yes".
"Ok..." he picked up Rai and went up to the door, and jumped.
---
It was a slide in the middle of a tree after a few metres, so fortunately Alex' small fall didn't hurt too much. He started to slide down. He looked back and saw Tom.
It was actually quite a pleasurable ride, and Alex and Tom gently slid down the slide. Eventually they reached the bottom. There was another door. Alex was much more wary of this one, so opened it carefully. He sighed a sigh of relief as he saw it was normal ground level Fidona outside. He looked to his right and saw Tikal, supported by Tyson, making their way up some stairs leading to the Taminagi palace, the location of the gym. Alex, still holding Blaze, ran towards them, with Tom following close behind.
Finally, he got to the same step as them and saw that Tikal was injured.
"Hey guys! What happened, Tikal?"

[Protoman]

"No time," Tyson exclaimed, "right now, we need to get to that gym." After gently scooping Tikal up, Tyson began rushing towards the large hill that faced them. He ran full speed, with Tikal in his arms and Alex and Tom right behind him. He was breathing heavily, maintaining his speed and balance as well(since now he had to carry his own weight and Tikal's as well). After about ten minutes of running, they finally made it to the Gym doors. Tyson, breathing heavily, placed Tikal gently on her feet.

"Hey guys," Tyson heaved, sweat pouring from his face like rain, "we made it here...let's go in." Almost falling completely off the hill, Tyson managed to tumble on the path they had treaded up together.

This post has been edited by Protoman: Dec 28 2010, 08:49 AM

[rt117]

"Hey wait, what are you-"

Before she could finish, she blinked and simply watched as she was carried away to the top of the hill. After a few moments of utter confusion, she immediately clung onto Tyson's shoulder for fear of the two falling back the way they came. It was a rather long ways down anyways. Fortunately her Igglybuff had the same idea, still holding onto her hair.

As she was set back down onto solid ground once more, Tikal reached out to try and steady Tyson, though not so stable herself. "That wasn't entirely necessary... but thanks..." she smiled. It would have been much easier for him to simply act as a support, but that worked as well. Plus it meant they were up top now, so long as there weren't any more surprises to come their way. Smiling lightly, she asked:

"Ready?"

[Captain Combuske...]

"Oh, I'm ready!" shouted Alex.
With one mighty shove, he opened the doors to the Taminagi palace.
"Whoa... this place is pretty impressive." he remarked.
"Uh-huh. Hopefully there won't be any-" a spear suddenly flew past right in front of Alex eyes.
"Traps" finished Tom. "Right, Alex, we have to be careful."
"You're telling me!" exclaimed Alex. This was... not good. Not good in the slightest. He hated it when things happened out of the blue, well, if these things were dangerous anyway. He hated that feeling of the hairs on your back standing on end. Funnily enough, he was getting that feeling now.

He looked down to his left where he saw Blaze, who was still out of his Pokaball. No matter the circumstances his little Torchic was always cheerful and determined at the same time. He had that fighter's look in his eyes. That look of "You stop me from doing what I want to do and I WILL destroy you". Alex liked that look.

So with Blaze by his side, Alex was less afraid of the dangers they faced in this gym. He picked his starter Pokemon up, and held him at arms width, facing him.
"We are gonna do this, right here, and right now. Nod if ya understand."
Blaze nodded, and cried out a sharp, quick "Tor!"
"Well then, the time for Dilly-dallying is over. Let's kick some aquatic and fighting BUTT!"
And with that, Alex picked up a large flat piece of wood hanging on the wall. That was all he needed; a shield. Other than that, Blaze and pure determination were the key.
With that, he held the shield in front of his eyes and charged down the narrow corridor in front of him.
---
Tom sighed. Alex was just being a fool... again. They were the same age, as Tom repeated to himself frequently, but for some reason, whatever reason, Alex was just a little kid in terms of maturity. Maybe it was because he hadn't experienced the tough, harsh things life can throw at you, or maybe it was the opposite; maybe this was Alex's way of battling them. Tom would never know. But then, he also knew that some people have extreme mature moments but also relax a lot. It was a common occurrence in men. They were very mature at work and other occasions, but at home completely relaxed and became quite childish.

He looked at Rai, his Pikachu, on his shoulder, who, like Blaze, was still out of his Pokeball from the earlier slide.
"Well, I guess we should probably follow him."
"Pika..." agreed Rai.
---
The headlong charging proved not to be a bad idea. Alex winced at he heard the spears flying across the room behind him.He was running too fast for them to hit him quick enough. He sighed as he reached the end of the corridor. There was a door at the end. He opened the door. Quickly, he remembered the traps and put his shield above his head; just in time. Moments later, hot gloop fell down onto his shield.

"This place is a health and safety hazard..." he muttered.

The next room was tiny. Inside there was an Amazonian woman.
"Hehe..." she said "You've just charged mindlessly into a dead end. Unless you beat me at a Pokemon battle, you're in for a rough time..."

Alex sighed, and shuddered. He didn't know what a "rough time" would be, but he didn't plan on finding out.

"Go, Machop!" shouted the Amazonian woman.

"Machop eh? Well, may as well train up Swamps a little seeing as he won't be much use in the fight..." Alex muttered to himself, before shouting "GO SWAMPS!"

Out came his Mudkip looking as happy as ever. It was getting far too common that his Pokemon were just cheerful. Alex sighed. Evolution again. Why did that keep cropping up like some annoying little ant? He had NO doubts!

"Machop, Karate chop!" ordered Alex's opponent. The Machop ran towards Swamps.
Alex knew what to do. He simply started humming "It's Raining Men" and Swamps nodded. He dodged the Karate Chop and used the Machop's momentum as he ran past to fire water at his back, making the Pokemon pound into the wall. Alex had different approaches for different Pokemon. For Blaze, all he needed to do was clap his hands or stomp his feet. Swamps and Leo's strategies involved humming music, whilst Stryk and Treecky just followed spoken words, in Stryk's case weird words that didn't mean anything, in Treecky's case just the attack name. "It's Raining Men" meant "Dodge and Water Gun combo!" There were countless different tunes and stomps/claps/words for each Pokemon, but Alex and each Pokemon knew them all.

The Machop was knocked out as soon as it hit the hall. Its trainer was visibly shocked.
"OK, you got away with it this time..." she said, and fell to her knees. Alex knew that she was probably one of the weakest trainers though, and Swamps was one of his strongest Pokemon anyway. He knew he'd need to do much more to find and beat Maxi Z!. He turned round and left the room.

After a while, Alex came to the end of the gym. There was a a door outside. He looked behind and saw his fellow adventurers there and ready.
"Ok guys... let's try to get some badges!" he exclaimed, with fire in his eyes.
---
As the trainers exited the palace, they faced a stone stairway leading down to a private beach area. Sand stretched from the base of the staircase to the shores of a large tidal pool. Palm trees dotted the landscape, with a refreshment stand being attended by an Amazon. This would have made for a beautiful vacation spot…had it not been for the buckets of water pouring down from the sky. The rain was thick, hiding the vast ocean that stood as the backdrop of the outdoor arena. Even in this weather, Amazon guards stood watch on the cliff sides overlooking the area. Though the role was entirely ceremonial, the guards stood defiant to the water, standing still without complaint.

As the challengers walked further into the beach, they could see the source of the violent weather. An azumarill was prancing on top of a large wooden platform, practicing its Rain Dance technique. Next to her was a tall, muscular man, who circled the pokemon as he watched her maneuver. His voice thundered through the giant rainstorm.

“Right! Left! Up! Down! Bring the rain!”

The man looked over to see that his guests had arrived. Immediately, he told the azumarill to cease. The rain slowed to a drizzle, while the clouds faded into a light gray color. As the weather cleared, so did the surroundings. The beach had two cliffs on the left and right, keeping it from prying eyes on the other side. These cliffs stretched into the ocean, forming a safe harbor for various water pokemon. Cutting into the shoreline was a large tidal pool, big enough to fit 50 people comfortably for a pool party. Within the pool, a coral reef lined the sandy bottom, perfect for providing hiding places. Even at ten feet below the surface, the reef’s features were easily seen through the crystal clear seawater. Small waves licked the beach, not even reaching the lounge chairs along the shore.

Finally, more of the host’s details came into view. He shared the skin tone of the other Amazons, though his long black hair was a bit of a mess. He quickly dived into the tidal pool along with his azumarill, swimming ashore to greet his guests. As he walked up the beach, he reached out a hand to Alex, Tom, Tyson, and Tikal.

“All hail King Maxi!”

Several Amazons quickly kneeled at his presence. The man quickly raised his hand to release them. He seemed a bit annoyed at the royal treatment. As he watched his Azumarill sit down upon the unused throne in the back, he refocused his attention on the challengers.
“Greetings challengers. I am Maxi, Gym Leader of Fidona. May I ask who has come all this way for a battle?”
---
Alex could only gawp. This place was just... amazing. Once he finally managed to draw his eyes away from the gym battlefield, he looked at Maxi, answering his question.
"Umm... Hi. You're Maxi, right? Umm... I'm Alex, and this is Tom, Tyson and Tikal. I'm kinda new to this, but... I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!"

The piece of text from Maxi Z!'s point of view was written by 2gamers.

[Protoman]

After the door opened and Tyson saw the spears flying at a rapid rate, he already knew that this would be much trouble for him. He simply dodged each spear barely, one of them taking his bandanna and the other knocking his rubber band apart from his hair. Both of which caused Tyson to swear under his breath. No longer concerned about it, Tyson knew that the worst case scenario here would be for him to get one of his headaches while dodging a spear. After he reached the doorway, he automatically dove inside, dodging the magma colored liquid by the rubber on his shoes.

"Phew," Tyson breathed in relief, "that could have been very bad." After Alex had left, an Amazon stood before him, carrying a Poke Ball.

"If you want to pass," the woman stated, "you'll have to defeat me in battle."

"Okay," Tyson said, not nervous in the least bit.

"Go, Poliwag," she yelled before releasing the sphere from her grasp. It opened up, revealing the small, tadpole like Pokemon. Tyson reached back and pulled out a Poke Ball, tossing it into the air as well.

"Hydro," Tyson stated calmly, "clear the path!" Hydro, bursting out of his Poke Ball, bounced around happily before getting serious.

"Hmph," the Amazon scoffed at Tyson's choice of Pokemon, "you do realize that they are on even grounds, right?"

"Maybe so," Tyson stated calmly, but he smiled, almost to say that he knows he made the right choice. "Hydro, use Tackle!" Without another moment of hesitation, the Squirtle charged towards Poliwag, tackling it immediately.

"Double-slap," she yelled, causing Poliwag to start smacking Hydro around a lot. Tyson thought about his next move, unsure as to whether or not he should do this.

"Withdraw," he stated calmly, making Hydro go into his shell. The Poliwag simply looked in confusion, unsure as to how this was a strategy. "Now face me!" Hydro, also slightly bewildered, simply followed instructions.

"Double-slap again," the Amazon yelled, making Poliwag go back towards Hydro and start smacking his shell. Tyson simply smiled, knowing he had the upper hand now.

"Now use Water Gun to get Poliwag off of you," Tyson said, hoping Hydro would use Water Gun towards him. When the Squirtle did so, he was sent colliding into Poliwag, shell first. Poliwag went tumbling into the wall, K.O.ed. The Amazon simply returned Poliwag and stepped to the side, allowing Tyson to pass by. Tyson rushed in, right behind Alex, noticing the amazing scenery surrounding them. A low whistle escaped from Tyson's lips as he stared in astonishment around them. He then heard Alex challenge the gym leader. With the Gym Leader's physique, he almost started to take back his challenge. However, he decided to tap Alex on his shoulder lightly.

"Lemme go first, buddy," Tyson said smiling, hoping Alex would agree.