[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday had taken off her headscarf and tied it around Dante's neck not far into the cave. The vulpix, who Jaima had called Lady, didn't seem to like to wait, but Dante didn't do well in cold climates and the temperature was steadily dropping. It hadn't take her long, anyway, and they were moving again.

And now, they were facing off against two members of Team Decrepit. Tuesday grinned again.

"What're you grinnin' at, ya brat?" snapped a tall, thin woman with a short bob-cut. She sneered when Tuesday remained silent. "Well, we'll scratch that grin off your face proper!" She tossed her pokeball out angrily. "Swindle! Shut that girl up!"

A persian burst out of the red light, growling low in her throat as she stalked forward. With a snarl, she launched herself at Tuesday, but Tempest leapt from Tuesday's shoulder, She landed on the ground and with a growl, twisted around and knocked Swindle's forepaws out from under her with a tail whip. The cougar pokemon reared back on her hind legs and extended her claws, slashing at Tempest with a fury swipe attack.

Tuesday cried out when three long slashes on Tempest's face started bleeding, but the pikachu wouldn't be stopped so easily. With a low growl, electricity sparked in her cheeks and she released a burst of lightning that sent the persian reeling.

"Swindle, fury swipes!" the woman commanded. "Knock that pikachu out!"

"Quick attack," Tuesday suggested softly. Tempest's sensitive ears twitched, catching her words. When the persian raised her claws to attack, the pikachu burst forward, kicking off of the ground and dashing to the right, before jerking left and slamming hard into the persian's side. The cat landed heavily, yowling in anger and surprised pain.

"Fake out!"

The persian darted forward and even Tempest wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack. She was thrown backward, flinching heavily from the harsh attack.

"Fury swipes, Swindle!"

"'Pest!"

Tempest moved quickly this time, using the speed of a quick attack to dodge out of the way. She leapt up and used her momentum to kick against the wall. Electricity charged around her body, originating from the sacs in her cheeks, and she began to glow with the force of the electricity.

"What is that?" Tuesday asked. There was no answer offered to her, as Jaima, the only person who might know, was busy with his own battle with a Houndoom.

Tempest shot off of the wall with the force of her kick, slamming into the persian with an attack that was both physical and elemental. The persian reeled back with a yowl, electricity sparking over her body and making her fur stand on end. Her movements had grown sluggish when she tried a scratch attack, and Tuesday mused that she must be suffering from paralysis due to Tempest's electric attacks.

"Chu!" Tempest cried, and bolted forward with a quick attack, sending the persian crashing back at her trainer's feet, unconscious.

With a huff, the pikachu turned and leapt back up onto Tuesday's shoulder. "Good job, 'Pest," Tuesday said quietly, nudging the pikachu with her head. She was naturally quiet around other people, but that didn't matter. Tempest knew her well enough to predict what she was going to say, anyway.

The woman taken care of, Tuesday and Tempest both turned to see how Jaima was doing.

[Living Arrow]

"How about twerps like us? Will we do?" A voice came from the other side of the two figures approaching Darryn. Only silhouettes, their faces remained hidden by shadows. Even so, Darryn's immediate danger was drawn away by these new arrivals and for that, he was thankful.

"Jaima?" Darryn gasped from down the tunnel. "Is that him?" *Can't be! He's still in Lenoilia, searching for Ember.*

"Vul!" A warm ball applied pressure to Darryn's leg, making him flinch with surprise. A crackling spark from Romeo allowed him a brief glimpse of the crimson fox nuzzling his calf.

"Lady!" Darryn reached down and picked her up. "You made it back to me!"

<Of course I did.> Lady stated primly, while pushing her face into her Prince's collar bone. <I am strong.>

"And beautiful." Darryn added, kissing the top of her head.

"Crani?" Came a goofy rasping voice from Darryn's hip. It was the wild Cranidos, looking up at Darryn with confused eyes. Darryn's shirt was gripped in its stubby little hand like a child would hold to its mother's dress. He made to reply but all of a sudden, the cave was crackling with intense flashes of light. Darryn squinted in its direction to find a Pikachu in battle with one of the so-called Team Deception's Persian.

"I think it's about time we got out of this cave..." Darryn muttered. "And a proper light would help out right about now. Come out, November." The Repeat Ball clicked open in Darryn's hands to set free the flaming Ponyta, her red and orange flames illuminating the tunnel with its warming glow.
*Cheri Berries...* Darryn mentally added the item to his growing list of products to get for his latest addition to the team. *That'll perk her flame right up...*

"CHU!" A scream rent the air, along with a bright flash of light. Darryn hurriedly raised his hand to shield his eyes to see the Pikachu launching itself into a Volt Tackle. The gnarly cat fell to its strength, but Darryn didn't need to see the rodent stumble just after landing to know that it had suffered recoil damage. Volt Tackle was amid the range of self-hamring moves that Darryn would never ask his Pokemon to execute and knowing that there was a trainer nearby who would go to such extremes didn't sit particularly well with him.

Shadows played on the walls from the various light sources moving around the cave but Darryn view of the people on the other side of Team Deception was still blocked by another Pokemon Battle that was taking place. Flames erupted from the dark periodically as the battle played out but it did nothing to help Darryn's own view. He absent-mindedly stroked Vulpix while shooing the wild Cranidos to go back into the cave and hide in the dark. It did so with a low-resonating moan and faded from view.

"Now, how about we get rid of those junk-heads?" He grinned down at Lady. Her eyes twisted nastily and he could have sworn her muzzle jerked momentarily into a sly grin. "Do your stuff, Lady."

Darryn's Vulpix pranced clearly from her trainer, her mouth already open and raining orange bullet upon the backs of the two Team Deception grunts. They yelped with surprise and set about slapping at their backs to try and douse the flames beginning to grow on their uniforms. The other battle seemed to be over as they continued their struggle, but the male still managed to recall his fallen Pokemon and both fools ran in the direction of the exit with Lady and Darryn laughing in their wake.
It was only when November moved closer to the unannounced people in the cave did Darryn's eye widen and he grinned.

"Jaima! It is you!"

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima smirked as man with the large chin pointed, sending out a snarling, slavering houndoom. Professor Elm had been contacted when the first houndour had been discovered, since people had thought it was a mutation of the vulpix, and he was something of an expert. He never tired of telling the story. As a resuly, Jaima knew a thing or two about houndour, and it's evolution, houndoom.

This one was a sad specimin. It almost made Jaima sad. To an unwary eye, the devil dog would look fine. But it's horns were short, and it's tail had not completely developed from it's stubby predecessor. It's rib guards were thin, and if the impact was right, that would kill it. It was possible to fix such weaknesses, but training it properly and feading it plenty of hard berries to fortify it's bone structures, but this one was not well cared for.

"What did you do? Force it to evolve before it was ready?" The man's face turned red, and suddenly Jaima wasn't amused anymore. "You did! That's... there's a *reason* people don't pursue that line of research!"


The man sneered. "It doesn't matter, Hoodwink is more than enough to take out your team! You don't have any fighting types with you." That was a mistake, the man would think later. Reminding Jaima of his loss only made him angry.

"Houndoom is like it's predecessor. It is a dark type... it is also a fire type. Tsunami, if you would..?" The man began to laugh, pointing, almost too amused to speak. Until a water gun attack came from behind him and caused the houndour to yelp.

"What?!"

Our from the shadows stepped a tiny four legged creature with orange gills on its cheeks. It smiled, chirped "kip!", and spit another water gun attack at the houndoom. Hoodwink yelped, then snarled, charging at the mudkip, who seemed to be trying to ready a tackle attack.

"Stay away from it's sides," called Jaima. "He'll be weak there, which is usually good, but if the bones break wrong he'll die." He glared at his human opponent. "I'd hate for that poor pokémon to pay for his master's stupidity.

"No one talks to Dane of Team Deception that way!"

"I wasn't talking to you, idiot, I was talking to Tsunami." Jaima didn't even give Dane the satisfaction of looking at him, which seemed to enrage him all the more.

"Tsunami, mudslap!" The mudkip wet the ground, then spun, striking the mud with his tail. The wet dirt hit the houndoom in a splatter, causing steaming rivulets where it hit. The houndoom was too enraged to listen to it's master, who was trying to get him to use smog.

When Hoodwink finally did use smog, it passed with the mudkip on the ground, coughing. Jaima started to worry. She had been emersed in poisons for three days. He was afraid that she had a severe weakness.

Dane laughed maniacally. "Now, Hoodwink, have a meal!"

Hoodwink roared and charge, as Jaima called for Tsunami to watch out. As the dog dove at her, mouth open wide to chomp her, she coughed, hacked, and spit a huge wad of purple goo out at it, straight into Hoodwink's mouth.

"Oh, gross," Jaima breathed, and Tsunami's face reflected the sentiment. Hoodwink gasped and choked, staggering, poisoned. He fell, panting, and finally Dane had to reclaim the houndoom.

"Don't think this is over, kid," he growled, advancing, but before he took more than two steps, a gout of fire hit him in the back. With a scream that was higher pitched than his female partner, he danced around. The pair tried to douse the flames on each other's backs, then high tailed it out of there.

"Jaima! It is you!"

Jaima smiled. "You know, if you wanted to meet up, all you had to do was text me."

[Living Arrow]

Jaima smiled. "You know, if you wanted to meet up, all you had to do was text me."

Darryn fished in his pocket and waved his mobile phone in the shadows. "No signal. Can't think why!" He added with a wink and a broad smile. "Great to see you, though! But if you're here doesn't that mean Ember..."

"Don't worry," Jaima jumped in, hearing Darryn's worry beginning to creep into his voice, "she's back with me now. See?"

A bright flame suddenly burst into light near to Jaima's feet with a shrill squeak of "Cyndaaa!" Darryn grinned and his heart gave a leap of relief. He had found her! After what had happened, Darryn's guilt for going to that run down shop had never truly lifted but at least the wrongs had been righted.

"Awesome. I'm really happy for you Jaima, seriously I am." Darryn led November closer to his friend and smoothed her nose delicately. "This is November - I caught her on the way up here. Beautiful, isn't she?" Darryn grinned. "And notice I named her? You taught me that. I'm really trying to feel what my Pokemon are feeling so I've given them names to make our bond more personal just like you did with your... with your kids, I guess!"

"She's really something, Darryn." Jaima reached forwards to stroke the Flame Horse's nose. "And it's really good to see you making an effort with Pokemon on a more personal level. Seems like a lot happened while I was away."

"Not as much as with you! How did you even get Ember back? I would've thought that old guy would have been a million miles away by now."

"He was." Jaima's eyes became slightly saddened for a moment before returning to their natural smile. "But my new friend Tuesday rescued Ember for me and brought her back from Petropolis. Without her, I'd never have found Ember again."

Darryn whistled low and smiled down at the petite girl that had entered the cave with Jaima. He had been waiting for an introduction since he had noticed the second person standing there but having such an impressive achievement on the shoulders of someone so young made Darryn want to give her a little gold star.

"Wow. You must be a pretty good Pokemon trainer to have gotten her back on your own." Darryn smiled fondly. "And it that your Pikachu? She's very cute!" He held out a finger to the electric rodent on the girl's shoulder as an offering of friendliness but the gutsy yellow ball merely sniffed at it and sat back on Tuesday's shoudler with a stout chuff of "chu..."

"...Thank you..." The girl replied with a tiny, timid voice. Darryn quirked an eyebrow. Had a girl this tame really rescued Ember on her own? It seemed proof was in the pudding after seeing her Pikachu defeat that Persian but Darryn decided to keep an open mind on the girl. After all, she was still quite young - maybe four or five years younger than himself, ayway.

"Anywho, let's get out of this stupid cave before any of us start getting rickets or those dumb Team Deception idiots come back." Darryn suggested as Lady leapt back into his arms with a 'Vul!' of delight.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Darryn was the name of Jaima's friend, she had learned. He seemed nice, though he talked really fast. Tuesday didn't mind. She was content just to listen, as was her way. She found herself unwilling to speak up in the boy's presence. Unlike with Jaima, there was no instinctive level of trust. Of course, she and Jaima had been sending letters back and forth for some time before they actually met, and then there had been no time for nervousness. Now, however, Tuesday's regular habits were back and she remained quiet as Jaima and Darryn caught up quickly.

Tuesday had to admit that she was surprised when Tempest didn't either bite or shock Darryn when he reached out to her, but it seemed that the pikachu was learning that not every trainer was cruel and vindictive. Maybe spending time around Jaima had helped her come to understand that.

Tuesday managed to offer up a soft "thank you" in response to Darryn's compliment, but otherwise remained silent. The boy seemed surprised at her manner, but Tuesday didn't offer anything else, and he turned his attention back to their position.

"Anywho, let's get out of this stupid cave before any of us start getting rickets or those dumb Team Deception idiots come back."

Jaima sighed. "Those Team Deception idiots aren't all dumb, unfortunately." He met Darryn's eyes. "They kidnapped Shadow. Along with Tuesday's ponyta."

Darryn let out a low whistle. Tuesday knew what he was thinking. If he had seen Shadow fight, he knew the riolu was no one to mess with. These goons weren't all talkers.

Tuesday looked up at Jaima as they walked back through the cave. "Where do you suppose they would have taken them?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jaima gave her a confused, somewhat concerned look, but didn't mention what was on his mind. "I don't know, Tuesy," he admitted. "They weren't around the camp where Lady was being kept." He frowned. "Maybe they went higher on the mountain."

"They could have some transport out of here," Darryn offered.

Tuesday frowned at the ground. They didn't truly know where Wraith and Shadow would have been taken, but when the thieves left, they had gone back toward the mountain, hadn't they? Ascending seemed their best bet.

She looked back up at Jaima. "So... going up?"

[Master Houndoom]

"Going wherever they took our kids, Tuesy." Jaima offered his hand back to her, looking up the mountain. He didn't notice her blush.

Despite the reuniting with Darryn, the battle had brought Shadow's status to the front of his mind. If Shadow had been around, the fight would have gone much more smoothly. Not that Tsunami didn't perform beyond expectations, but now it seemed that she was sick. It had worked out, but it had Jaima concerned.

He was also finding himself concerned about Tuesday. Ever since Wraith and Shadow had been taken, ever since the man with the feraligatr had appeared, she had been more quiet than usual. If any of her experiences had been like his since they met, they had to be weighing on her, and now this; Her past was coming back to haunt her.

She reached up and timidly took his hand.

He looked back and smiled at her, then frowned. "Are you OK? You're all red?"

Her eyes widened, and she brought a hand to her cheek. "Ah... all... all the fire. THe houndoom, and the ponyta, and Ember..."

"Of course," Jay said, smiling. "I'm pretty hot in here, too."

He followed Darryn out, but his mind was still on Tuesday and their mutual problem. "You know, Tempest did a pretty good job against that persian." He was looking forward again, looking around from time to time in a futile attempt to get his bearings. "Professor Elm says that Professor Oak studies relationships between pokemon and people. Professor Elm himself studies evolutions... I think they may have collaborated at times. After all, when it was discovered that eevee could also evolve when it's closer to its trainer, they had to get together, right? I think your Professor would be proud of how you and your pikachu are so close."

He smiled back at her, then frowned. "Wow, it's really hot in here. You're beet red!"

"It's about to get hotter," growled a voice at the entrance to the cave."

"That's them," yelled a shrill voice. "That's the punks that runined the machine!"

[Living Arrow]

"Excuse me, but I'm no punk!" Darryn stepped forward, Lady hopping lightly from his eyes and growling menacingly. The scarlet fur on her hackles rose as she waved her tails over her head, making herself seem as large as possible.

"Hey, it's that Vulpix we took!" One of the men snarled at the entrance to the cave. Black marks on his shoulders indicated that he was the guy lady had attacked before. The girl next to him had to be her partner.

"Yeah? And now she's been taken back." Darryn folded his arms and scowled. "Back. Off."

"The kid thinks he has guts, does he?" The girl sneered, looking down her proud nose at Darryn with cruel eyes. "Why don't you teach him a lesson, Boss?"

Two men that Darryn had not seen before flanked the two idiots who had been easily defeated within the cave. With the light behind them, Darryn couldnt make out too many details, but one of the men was clearly larger than the other and seemed to hold himself a little more upright. Maybe he was their senior officer for this Team Deception thing.

"Teach? That would mean you claim to know something first." Jaima stepped next to Darryn. "Like the way to treat Pokemon properly. Give Shadow back or you'll regret it."

"They took Shadow?!" Darryn gasped. "How? Shadow's... y'know... Shadow..."

"We'll be the ones taking anything back." The slightly smaller of the newcomers sneered, eyeing up Lady with beady black eyes. "Starting with your Vulpix."

Darryn glared daggers back at the man but lowered his voice for only Jaima to hear. "What is the deal with these guys? Reckon we can take them?"

Jaima looked uneasy, but Darryn could see the way he was standing. It was the same stance he had taken back at the Gigarte Gym and in the shop back in Lenoilia. He was ready for a fight.

"Is there anyone we can't take?" Jaima offered Darryn the challenge, clearly planning his first moves. "We attack head-on and get out of this cave to fight on an even, open battlefield. Watch out though, the big guy won't be so easy. We're going to have to use strength of numbers to beat these guys, I'm afraid."

"They're that strong?!" Darryn asked, fidgeting nervously. "But the other three-"

"Were just lackeys." Jaima finished for him. "Man, I wish Mindy was here."

"Me too." Darryn admitted, squeezing his hands into fists. Mindy probably had the strongest Pokemon out of the three of them but Jaima was pretty much at her level when it came to battling and his raising of Pokemon was best in their group.

*What am I good at? Can I do enough to help?* Darryn's thoughts nagged at him.

"I'll watch out for Tuesday," Jaima said, his partners collecting around his feet. "If you get the chance we need to free Shadow and Tuesday's Ponyta."

Darryn gave a start. He had completed forgotten that the little girl named Tuesday was still with them. If things got truly ugly, she'd be the most defenseless.

*That used to be me...*

"I'll do my best." Darryn gulped, chancing a look to the small blonde girl. She looked nervous. Very nervous. She was bright red and wide-eyed.

<Do not worry about the tiny female.> Lady's voice shook Darryn. <We shall watch her, also.>

November nodded to Darryn and Romeo gave a growl of agreement.

"Alright then, Jaima. Ready when you are."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday was feeling rather useless. The last time that they had been faced against these two guys, she had been frozen with fear at the sight of the man's Feraligatr; the same pokemon that had attacked her all those years ago. The same man.

Now, they were facing him for a second time that day, and he had taken Wraith, and Shadow.

Tuesday ground her teeth together.

Okay, she was small, even for her age. Yes, she had an irrational fear of water and water-type pokemon. Feraligatrs scared the shit out of her.

But she. Was not. Useless.

She was smart. She was young, yes, and she was hardly a genius, but nor was she stupid. She had been raised in a family of variation, learning both strategy like her brother, and fierce battling skills like her sister. She was not as good as either of them in either area, but she knew a decent bit about both.

She also knew pokemon, thanks to Professor Oak. More than that, however, she knew her[i] pokemon. And they knew her. She had trained Charmander and Tempest both, and neither of [i]them were useless.

Which meant she was not sitting out of this fight because she was young, or because she was scared. She could fight just like Jaima and Darryn. And she planned to.

Tempest, firecracker that she was, had the same thought in mind. So when the boss man called out his three pokemon; a Feraligatr, a Typhlosions, a Skarmory, and a Meganium, Tuesday turned away from him. She ignored him. She knew that he was there, and that those pokemon were there, but she would not let herself been frozen stiff by their presence. Her muscles were tense and she could feel the fear just below the surface of her consciousness, but she beat it down and, instead, turned to the boss man's partner. He called out his four pokemon; a Houndoom, a Persian, a Wartortle, and a Loudred.

Tempest and Dante didn't stand much of a chance against any of the boss man's pokemon, but Wartortle was a water-type, and Tempest had a shocking personality.

Tempest already knew what Tuesday wanted her to do. She could read it on the electric impulses of Tuesday's brain, perhaps, or maybe the two of them had some sort of deep connection. At any rate, the Pikachu dashed around the legs of people and pokemon alike, before leaping into the air with a loud cry of "PIKA!"

Both he and his trainer having expected an attack from either Jaima or Darryn's pokemon, the Wartortle hadn't been prepared for the Pikachu. At Tempest's cry, he looked up, just in time to receive a quick attack to the face.

With a shaky cry of "Tor-or-ortle," the Wartortle went rolling backward, end over end, until he managed to right himself. Standing up, he seemed to hike up his shell importantly, before taking a deep breath and releasing a fierce water gun.

Now, the speed and force of a Wartortle's water gun attack is about half again as powerful as the water gun of a Squirtle. Tuesday knew this from studying pokemon with Professor Oak. She and Tempest had trained against Squirtle, but had never faced a Wartortle. Luckily for them both, they had faced a Feraligatr before, which was even faster than a Wartortle, not to mention Tempest's ingrained speed and agility. That being said, the pikachu ducked and darted out of the way of two consecutive water gun attacks, her fur soaked with mist but otherwise untouched.

There was a twittering gasp that sounded much like a chuckle from the pikachu, before the electric rodent let lightning course around her body. She sprang at the Wartortle with that same attack she had used previously, hitting him with a tackle attack that also did damage elementally.

Unfortunately, Tempest was thrown back by the force of the attack, rolling on the ground, her wet fur gathering the dirt and making her appear to be a brown, golden-spotted pikachu.

"Tempest!" Tuesday cried, speaking louder than either of her companions had heard her since they had met up with Darryn. She moved ahead, until it was well clear that she wasn't standing in the background. "Don't use that attack anymore," she said, unhappy with how it hurt Tempest. The pikachu could use a rest, and she was unwilling to see Tempest collapse from exhaustion.

The Wartortle sucked in a breath for another water gun attack, but Tuesday quickly snapped, "Thundershock!"

Tempest moved as swiftly as Tuesday spoke, spinning and releasing a burst of electricity from the sacs in her cheeks. The lightning crackled loudly as it struck the Wartortle, sending the turtle pokemon staggering, eyes rolling.

"Lightning tornado!" Tuesday yelled excitedly.

Lightning Tornado was not an actual move. It was a maneuver that Tuesday had thought of and the two of them had practiced, sometimes with Dante. She had spent more time teaching Dante special maneuvers, but she and Tempest were both well-practiced with when to use this one. This was the first time it would be used in a real pokemon battle, and she thought that it was fitting. These guys needed to be shown their place.

Now, Lightning Tornado utilized Tempest's speed, agility, and her element. All pikachu had a particular ability commonly called "Static," which caused pokemon that came in physical contact with them to occasionally become paralyzed. That was why other trainers tended to try and hit pikachu and her evolutionary form with distanced elemental attacks.

Lightning Tornado nullified this attempt to remain far away.

All Tempest did was release static electricity out of her cheeks, making her fur stand on end. She then leapt into the air and twisted, spinning much like a tornado, usually clockwise (as, for some reason, she always had difficulty spinning in a counter-clockwise motion). Tempest would brace the muscles of her tail, as she let the appendage swing away from her body, hitting her opponent as many times as she could manage as she spun. The opposing pokemon would be struck lightly with a physical attack (though, sometimes they would be lucky and catch them in the eyes), but also with the effects of a small dose of electricity, and a veritable amount of static. This tended to result in paralysis.

In this case, the Wartortle had been hit with enough electrical attacks so far that that maneuver managed to knock him unconscious. He collapsed to the ground with a weak "tooooortle," and was angrily recalled into his pokeball.

Tempest landed back on all fours, crouched low to the ground. She released a victorious "Pika pika CHU!" before leaping forward and using quick attack on the Persian that Dante was already in a fight with, having left scorch marks on the cat's creamy fur, while receiving a few scratches in return.

Emboldened by her victory, however small, Tuesday didn't feel quite as useless as she had before, and confidentally commanded Dante to use a scratch attack, returning the Persian's claw tattoo with double payment.

[Living Arrow]

"Go!"

Jaima's call sent shivers through Darryn as the melee began. It was an ultimate free-for-all with all Pokemon going in for the battle of a lifetime. Jaima's team swarmed twoards the larger guy who Darryn has marked as the "leader", while Tuesday, young as she was, focused on his subordinate.

*Now it's my turn!*

"Scatter!" Darryn ordered, his Pokemon trained for speed scattered in each direction to cover as much support as possible. Romeo and November bolted in the direction of Tuesday's immediate foes, drawing the attention of both the Houndoom and Loudred while Lady surged towards the larger goon's squad.

*I can't micro-manage all of them, but I know they can cope! Now, everyone. Remember our special training...*

*-*-*-*-*-*

Romeo picked out his target quickly and separated from the fleet-footed equine beside him to focus all of his attention upon the 'Screamer'. As a Jolteon, he had little care to learn the names of all the Pokemon in the world but at least he knew a little about what a lot of them could do.

"Laaah!" The Loudred waddled rapidly towards Romeo, its voice booming as it wailed and hollered its audio-attack, Uproar.

"Jolt!" Romeo burst into a Quick Attack, dashing around the target as the soundwaves balsted in his wake. The foe's attack continued as Romeo ran, the Loudred's perserverence really pulling through as it blasted Uproar through its enormous mouth. Romeo kept his speed up, still circling the enemy while waiting for an opportunity.

Becoming dizzy, the Loudred staggered slightly and that is when Darryn's Jolteon pounced.

"Teee!" He spat down lighting in the form of a Charge Beam, its electrical spear-point stabbing into the Loudred's side. It screamed with pain (what an awful noise!) and staggered, before commensing another Uproar that spread in all directions at once! Normally, an Uproar focus on one spot could be used for considerable effect and so was the most common way for it to be used. It was, however, able to be sent from the body like a radiator giving off warmth. This might weaken its power, but in turn was almost impossible to dodge.

Romeo, struck by the blast, tumbled backwards ened over end before springing back to his feet.

"PIKAAA!" A Pikachu and Wartortle went flying past Romeo, the rodent crackling with electricity as it tackled down the turtle-type. Romeo dodged them easily and dashed towards the Loudred once more. Since starting the battle, Romeo had received no instructions and was proud of his own natural skill but when Darryn called to him a sense of focus was really driven into him.

"Romeo! Time to use Lightning Grove!" Came the call.

The Jolteon, barked an affirmative as he ran head-on towards the Loudred.

"DREEED!" Uproar blasted straight at Romeo, but he was already prepared. A green bubbled swam out from his body to receive the incoming blast of soundwaves, repelling them completely. The Protect shield fell and Romeo immediately executed Double Team, leaping high into the air and scattering copies of himself up above the target. The Loudred looked up at them with confusion and fear just as each Jolteon opened its mouth.

Eight beams of white light rained down upon the battlefield, clearing any chance of escape. The Loudred wailed as the real copy hit him right between the eyes and fell where he stood.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Darryn blinked rapidly, trying to clear the imprinted vision of Lightning Grove from his eyes. Everywhere he looked now had the strange blue and pink shadow that came when looking at intense light. These shadows, however, looked like he was looking into the heart of a forest made of light - thin tree trunk reaching up from the ground to spread into the spikey canopy that was Romeo's body. That was how he came up with the name: Lightning Grove.

Extremely proud of his Jolteon and confident in its abilities, Darryn could spare the time to check on how his teammates were doing. He had seen the way that Tuesday's Pikachu had used Volt Tackle again and had immediately gotten irritated in the process. Not only did the Electric Rodent get hurt when using that attack, but it used it in the *middle* of a long battle? Volt Tackle should be a move reserved to finish battles decisively - not in situations where the battle could go on for some time.

Despite his initial disappointment in the girl, he was impressed with the way she had thought up such an interesting combination with her Pikachu. The so-called 'Lightning Tornado' took advantage of the corkscrew motion that Darryn had his Pidgey use to deal more damage but somehow turned it into more of a technical move where repetition was the key... He made a mental note.

*-*-*-*-*-*

November whinnied as the Houndoom clamped its teeth around her leg and pulled. Her cries went unheard by her teammates as she bucked back and forth, trying to loosen the canine's grip but she did not blame them for it - they were all in their own battles and they hardly knew her at all - why should they help?

With a hard kick, November shook the demonic creature free and pranced clear of its jaws once more, daintily stotting to the top of a large boulder befoe leaping from it and Stomping down hard at the Houndoom. Somehow, it managed to dodge the attack. her diamond-hooves cracking the ground where it had once stood. She stared with horror as the beast ran in again, leaping for her face.

"November! Hypnosis!" Darryn urged his newest Pokemon.

Hearing the command and seeing the horse's eyes begin to glow, the Houndoom looked away. This set him off-balane, allowing the Ponyta to nimbly dance clear of its attack and Tackle it from behind. The Houndoom yelped with the force of the attack but was rapidly on the offensive again - Purple Smog pouring from its maw.

"Get Clear!" Darryn called to her, but November couldn't posibly dodge the cloud that was already beginning to smother her. Within seconds, November was lost to the poison cloud. Long seconds passed without November re-emerging from that death-mist but when the mist began to glow, Darryn knew she'd be alright.

November came surging from the Smog, wrapped in a protective blanket of fire, charging straight towards a surprised Houndoom. Her Flame Wheel, though not as nimble as that of a Quilava or Chimchar, pushed her basic Tackle into a blazing collision that made realy use of her typing and speed. She collided with the Houdoom, her shoulder driving into its forehead as she landed the attack.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Darryn watched on as their Pokemon all fought bravely, wishing them all to do their best but at the same time fearing for their safety. He pushed down thoughts of being defeated and selected the Premier Ball fom his belt to send his final Pokemon in for battle.

"Bravo, do your stuff!" His Pidgeotto swept into the air, joining Lady on the other side of the battlefield.

With all of his Pokemon doing their best, Darryn turned from the battles and ran. Not away from the battles exactly, but towards his goal. If he couldn't fight, then he'd have to do what Jaima had asked: Save Shadow and Tuesday's Ponyta.

*Come on guys! I know you'll make me proud!*

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: Jun 21 2009, 01:21 PM

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima would have kicked himself, if he'd at any point in time had the concentration to do it. He'd discounted Tuesday completely. True, it was based on her reaction before to the man with the four overlarge pokémon, but it was still discounting and that had been wrong of him. He would make an attempt to apologize. Provided they survived this encounter.

Tuesday and Tempest had thrown themselves admirably into the battle with the Boss' henchman, which left the boss himself, with some scary looking high level pokémon, for Jaima to deal with.Part of him was utterly terrified. There was simply no way he'd be able to beat the man's pokémon.

Another part of him revelled in the chance to try. He flexed his fingers, and the man began to laugh.

"Looks like your buddies took the easy way," he sneered, his voice deep and gravelly. "Too bad, too. The other boy looks like he's got a tougher team than yours..."

"Looks can be deceiving," Jaima said, quietly. "You, for example, actually look frightening. Somehow, though, I'm not scared. I want Shadow back. I want Wraith back. And if I have to take out each and every one of you by myself, I'm going to be sure that happens."

"Yeah? Well, my team and I say otherwise. Do your worst, brat."

Jaima had been listening to his comrades. Tuesday's fight either wasn't going well or Tempest had gotten hurt, or worse. Daryn was using combinations he hadn't had time to show Jaima, as was Tuesday, and this put Jaima in mind of a combination of his own.

"Ember," he said, quietly, "Smoke screen. Grondir, get behind them and, as soon as they can't see us, send poison powder over that group." He stroked his fingers, then had a thought. He hated it, but strategically it was sound. "Fang, charge in, and Mercury, use double team and see if we can't distract them. Fang, once you get in there, I want your strongest electric attack to his that metal bird."

"Nx," Fang grunted, hind end up and front legs crouching, ready.

"Now," he said, quietly, and his tem swept into action.

Tsunami hated poison. She remembered how poison felt, and knew what it was because of the nurse. She hated the idea of making another creature sick. And the boy who she followed now did not ask her to make anyone sick, but he did ask the bulbback.

The other people were attacking them, though. Maybe they were bad.

She nodded. She'd do it, and she knew exactly which ones to do it to. When the cloud went up, she wretched and hocked up a purple wad, sending it where she remembered the leafhead and the burnyback being. Their followboy, however, was shouting too loudly to let her know if she'd hit.

"You're just pissing me off, kid! Skar, defog this place!"

Grondir had scampered behind and began puffing up powder from his bulb. As he did so, the great wings flapped, clearing the fog by displacing the air behind them to the front. It drive the smoke away, but it also pulled the powedr into them. The man, and three of the pokemon began to cough.

Fang, however, was holding his breath. He leapt up and cried out, sending a bolt from his tail to the bird. It squaked, fluttered, and batted him aside with it's wing.

"Son of a--" The man looked up to see three kirlia converging on his typhplosion. "Dammit, dodge!"

The three disappeared just as the typhplosion moved, and the man grew red. "Tricks. Parlor tricks! Your little poison cloud was a good one, but my team can stand it long enough to take care of you!"

Jaima knew he was right. He swallowed. They were going to need help, and fast. But the Meganium and the Typhplosion weren't looking too good.

"Tsunami, water gun on the Typhplosion!"

The battle was on, pitched, and Jaima was running out of ideas.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Dante had done a decent number on the Persian before Tempest had joined the fray, meaning that the little rodent wouldn't have to contribute as much to this fight as with the Wartortle. The cat pokemon was tired, burnt, and sore, so she wouldn't last long.

But Tempest had never been patient, and she wanted this to end now. So when Dante retreated, avoiding a scratch attack after missing with his own ember attack, Tempest surrounded her body in electricity and attacked the Persian with another of those lightning-tackle attacks. The ones that Tuesday had told her not to use anymore.

The Persian was ready for this.

When Tempest neared the cat pokemon, a large paw came out. Thick, sharp claws raked across Tempest's flesh, drawing blood, even as the electric tackle struck the feline. Nimble and lithe, the Persian rolled backward but was back on her feet almost instantly. Tempest was hit with both the scratch attack and the recoil of her own strike. She pushed herself to her feet with effort, gasping heavily for breath, before collapsing back to the ground in defeat.

"Pest!" Tuesday cried.

With a hiss, the Persian darted forward to end Tempest. Her sharp fangs were bared and her eyes were narrowed as she raised a sharp-clawed paw.

There was a ferocious hiss from the other side of Tempest, to Tuesday's left. She turned to see Dante standing there, glaring angrily at the Persian, who had stopped in surprise at the anger in the Charmander's eyes. She didn't realize the close relationship that Dante had with his pokemon partner, and so she made a grave mistake. She hissed loudly, and brought her claws down.

A white glow erupted around Dante, causing Tuesday to cry out in surprise and slight fear. Because she did not expect it, she couldn't quite understand what the glow was, until it had faded.

Suddenly, she was staring at a Charmeleon, where her Charmander had previously stood.

His scales were crimson and much darker than the reddish-orange that they had been previously. His muscles seemed to have sharpened, and his face had elongated into a snout, with a small horn protruding from the back of his cranium. His eyes were narrowed in anger and he released a snorting breath that sent a flash of fire from between fierce fangs. With a snarl, he darted forward swiftly, the larger tail flame that was his birth right glowing an enraged white-blue.

He was upon the cat pokemon before the Persian had fully realized that it should be running.

Dante's claws, now much larger and frightening than they had been, flashed out with a glint against the light. He swung them upward, dragging them across the Persian's exposed belly and causing her creamy white fur to immediately spill crimson blood, darker than his scales, over the floor of the cave. The Persian let out a loud yowl of agony, as her trainer released a cry of fear, before she was quickly recalled into her pokeball.

The momentary threat taken care of, Tuesday dashed forward and collapsed to her knees beside Tempest. With Dante standing at her side, scanning the area for any immediate danger to his trainer, she cradled the small, weak pikachu in her arms, her mind bringing back fearful memories and what-ifs. She shivered as she held the rodent in her arms, afraid to let the pokemon out of her sight.

There was a hiss beside her, a ghosting of hot breath on her cheek, and she looked to her right to see Dante standing there, staring down at the pikachu clutched in Tuesday's arms. A tingling sensation fluttered over Tuesday's body, starting at her fingers and gradually moving up to encompass her head - a feeling that was both there and not.

"Do not worry for Tempest." The voice sounded fierce, but the tone was soft and reassuring, fluttering against her mind gently - there but not. "She will be fine." Dante moved his head and their eyes met. "We must continue our fight, my General."

Tuesday blinked. "... Dante?"

A hiss. A rush of hot air. No words entered her mind again, but somehow she knew she hadn't imagined it, and she knew he was right. They had to go on.

Pulling Tempest's pokeball off of her belt, she recalled the fainted pikachu back into the ball before standing. Her eyes quickly scanned the other battles occurring simultaneously. The trainer of the Persian and Wartortle had turned his attention to the battle raging between his Loudred and Darryn's Jolteon, as well as his Houndoom and the Ponyta. They seemed to be handling themselves as decently as was possible, considering the circumstances, but Jaima was horribly outnumbered.

This doesn't look good.

Without Tempest, they didn't have their edge (however small) against the Feraligatr. Dante, as a fire type, could never stand against the fully-evolved water type pokemon.

The boss man, however, had a Meganium, and while it was the fully-evolved form of what began as a Chikorita, it was still a grass-type.

"Dante," she said, her voice more bold than she felt, "you're on the Meganium."

"Meeeeeeeee.... LEON!" Dante snapped, dashing forward. He slashed with both of his arms and snapped fire from his mouth in a nasty ember attack, causing the Meganium to leap back with a cry.

"Fire Circlet!" Tuesday yelled.

Like Tempest's Lightning Tornado, Fire Circlet was not a move, but a maneuver that they had practiced. Dante didn't have either Tempest's speed or agility, but he did have a flaming tail and a mouth that could spit out a copious amount of fire.

Fire Circlet involved Dante ducking forward so his tail and head were level with each other. In the same instant, he would raise his left leg off of the ground and attempt a spin on his right heel. As this occurred, the flames on his tail would light up brightly, at the same time that he blasted the largest ember attack he could manage. He couldn't manage the tornado-effect that Tempest could with her agility, but if he managed to move at least 180 degrees, he would strike fire in a complete circle around himself - hence the name circlet.

Needless to say, the Meganium didn't enjoy being smacked in the face with a blazing tail of fire, just moments before receiving a full-impact ember attack.

She cried out angrily, stomping at Dante and forcing him to dodge out of the way of her large feet.

And right into the full-force blast of a Feraligatr's water gun attack.

[Living Arrow]

<Protect my Kindle-kin!> Lady commanded Bravo as she danced across the path of a raging Typhlosion, nimbly launching herself clear of Tsunami's blasting Water Gun and pelted towards the Lightning Kitten. With their master gone, the Vulpix had taken it upon herself to try and co-ordinate the remainder of Team Kellor but not everything was going to plan. THe one named November was not faring well against the hellhound and so the spike-fur had leapt in to help her. Lady had confidence in him, so she had turned away and focused on aiding the younger battlers on the field.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Hearing Lady's call, Darryn's Pidgeotto folded his wings and banked a sharp turn, plummeting at the Meganium with a Quick Attack to the jaw. Although the monstrous dino-plant's head snapped back with the force of the blow, it seemed to shake off the impact as easily as a giant dusting off the touch of a gnat.

"GEOOOH!" Bravo screamed his encouragement to the Charmeleon below as the crimson lizard edged back from the Meganium to a safe distance. Bladed leafs shot into the air in Bravo's wake, his trim wings propelling them just out of their reach.

"QUIIIL!" Flames pelted the Meganium's side as little Ember added her two cents. Again, somehow the Meganium managed to recover from the move with incredible speed and fire a Vine Whip in the tiny fire-type's direction. Bravo span in the air and threw his wings into a windmill, feathers raining down upon the crackling vine in an attempt to weaken the attack before it hit...

*-*-*-*-*-*

<Dodge!> Lady urged Fang to get clear of the Air Cutter spiralling its way towards them, but the kitten didn't have the Agility that she did. <I said move!> Lady charged Fang and headbutted him, knocking him clear of the flying attack but in the process getting caught up in it herself. Scarlet fur was sliced clean from her back and tails by the bladed air but she was already running again as soon as her feet felt the ground once more.

"SHI!" Fang's body erupted with blue electrical energy as he released a Thundershock upon the metallic bird attacking them, but the sparks barely even made the bird flinch. It spread its wings and fell towards Fang, screaming its defiance as a Steel Wing came soaring in.

"VUUUL!" Lady dashed in from behind, spitting Ember onto its back to no effect. She skidded to a halt, trying to judge where the bird was going to next but was caught completely off guard as a focused stream of water hit her in the side. Her fire sac immediately waned in her body from its cooling blast and her bones cried out for heat almost instantly.

She tumbled ungracefully through the gravel, struggling to rise to her feet to confront the Feraligatr that was advancing upon her.

<Take this you bully!> Mercury came spinning in from the sky, a tornado of leaves swirling around her. They broke off from their orbit of her body to rain into the great lizard's head. It stumbled under the surprise pressure but looked up angrily and immediately spat water at her. <Yikes!> Mercury yelped, Teleporting a safe distance away and searching for more leaves to gather.

<You attack when my back is turned?!> Lady stalked towards the Feraligatr, her tails waving menacingly over her head and her eyes glowing red with ferocity. <You are weak. I. Am. Strong!!!> Before she even had time to realise what she was doing, Lady's focused her power into a tight spot between her lips then screamed forth a swirling ball of intense green light. The ball blasted the Feraligatr in the chest, actually making it stumbled back a few steps before it roared angrily and spat water right back.

*-*-*-*-*-*

*There!*

Darryn skidded down the hill, gravel pouring into his shoes as he reached the next ledge and sprang clear from it in a fluid motion any Glameow would be proud of.

"I'm coming, Shadow!" He called, dashing towards the site where the Riolu was clearly visible in iron shackles that chained him to the ground. A Ponyta was chained next to him, stomping its foot angrily periodically. Darryn saw the way that the horse's flamesburned black, almost consuming light rather than producing it, and instantly wanted it for his own. Such a rare colouration only brought out its natural beauty even more.

*It must be the one that belongs to the girl, Tuesday*

Darryn drew up to the chained Pokemon and was greated with a frown from Shadow.

"Oh, give over." Darryn rolled his eyes. "Is it really that bad that I came to save you?" The Riolu didn't seem altogether pleased with the idea, but reluctant gratitude was definitely in his eyes. Darryn searched for some way to release the locks imprisoning the Pokemon and finding none, resorted to violence.

"Eat rock, ya bastard!" He yelled, striking at the chain with a handy rock. Of course, the chain bounced around under the impact but otherwise came away unscathed.

"Ri!" Shaodw's warning came to late as a hefty boot whacked Darryn in the ribs. He sprawled to the ground, sucking at the air desperately for a full breath but was only rewarded with another kick. Shadow wrenched at his chains with all his might, screaming and grunting madly while the nightmarish Ponyta whinnied with a frightful howl and kicked wildy at its own bonds.

"Thought ya could just take 'em back?" Dane sneered over him. "We weren't just going to let you go, y'know?"

"Stop talking, Dane." Verity sidled up next to him. "Talking just seems to get us into trouble - finish him off right now."

"Sounds good to me." Dane produced a flick-knife from his belt. "Kids like this should just stay home..."

"CRANIII!" The wild Cranidos rocketed in from behind Dane, his head cracking with the Team Deception grunt's back. The fool went flying through the air, accompanied by his teammate as a swift Hammer Arm thudded into her back. Darryn, still straining from being kicked so visciously, grinned at the Pokemon (a grin that was stained red with blood on his teeth).

"You came back?" He managed to grunt, pushing himself to his feet. "You're such a cool Pokemon!"

Cranidos smugly smiled and patted his chest.

"Now, why don't you help me get these two free?"

A swift two Hammer Arms later and the stolen Pokemon were free, stretching their muscles and sighing with relief.

"Let's go, guys - your trainers need us!" Darryn urged them to rejoin their masters and the pair were only too willing to oblige. Shadow leapt to the dark Ponyta's back and the horses galloped up the mountain without a look back.

"Crani?" The Cranidos nudged Darryn's arm and patted its own back.

"Wha? You want me to ride you?" He asked, shocked by the thought of sitting atop such a rare fossil Pokemon. Despite his first thoughts, Cranidos repeated the motion and Darryn quickly found himself astride the beast's blue hump. "OK, Cranidos! Take me back up there!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

If Dante ever had a hope that the Feraligatr didn't remember him from their first meeting all those years ago, that hope had long since been squashed. The Feraligatr attacked the Charmeleon with more than a fervor born of wanting to defeat his opponent and do his trainer proud. The water lizard's eyes burned with hatred as he blasted off water gun after water gun at the fire lizard.

Dante moved swiftly, ducking the jets of water that, luckily for him, always shot in a straight line. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid the mist that filled the air from the lingering moisture, and it was beginning to take its toll upon his body. His tail flame had dimmed considerably and every time he dodged an attack, he ended the maneuver with an unintentional stagger in exhaustion.

"Dante!"

Tuesday's cry was one of fear. Not only was she terrified of water for herself, but this wouldn't be the first time that Dante's tail flame had dimmed. Of course she would remember those instances. Memories of fear and pain always seemed to remain clearer than those of happiness and hope.

When the Feraligatr's next attack caused bubbles to explode around Dante, soaking him thoroughly, he crashed to the ground and let out a piteous whine that made him hate himself.

He could feel vibrations against the ground, and then he could hear a familiar gait. Suddenly, warm, familiar hands reached under his chest and pulled him up into someone's lap.

"Leave him alone!" Tuesday screamed, her voice loud, angry even as it was filled with fear. But she was overcoming that fear; placing it aside in order to be brave and to protect her friends. Her family.

The Feraligatr had attacked her once before, of course. He had no qualms about doing it again.

"Mel... eon..." Dante forced himself to his feet, despite Tuesday's obvious reluctance to let him go. He was stronger now. He wasn't going to let her get hurt again. Never again.

The Feraligatr let out a shaky roar that sounded like a deep, gravelly chuckle, drawing his head back to release another water gun attack. Eyes narrowing in anger, Dante straightened, drawing himself up to a formidable size (as much as was possible in comparison to the size of a Feraligatr), and then, to both the water lizard and Tuesday's surprise, he began to dance.

"Dante... wha-" Tuesday cut off her speech in surprise when a blue smoky fire suddenly rose up from the ground, surrounding Dante. The fire seemed to move in four separate lines, twisting and curling around the Charmeleon, as he danced from foot to foot and spun in circles.

Suddenly, Dante stopped moving. The Feraligatr, who had paused in his attack to watch the strange dance, abruptly found himself on the receiving end of a blast of blue fire from the mouth of a Charmeleon.

Tuesday gaped. "That's Dragon Rage!" she said, recognizing the move. "Dante, when did you learn that?" He looked back and gave her a toothy grin, obviously pleased at her reaction.

Then, abruptly, his eyes closed and he fainted to the ground.

"Dante!"

Tuesday mimicked her position from before, but this time with an unconscious Charmeleon in her lap. She held his tail aloft, not letting it touch the mud and puddles that surrounded them. The Feraligatr, now very unhappy with the Charmeleon and the girl, snarled out his name and advanced.

Tuesday's teeth had begun to chatter, and she knew that it was cold down here in the cavern and she was wet, but she was pretty sure that she was shivering out of fear. She wondered if she actually would die this time.

That would suck.

The Feraligatr sucked in a breath from a water gun attack, and Tuesday shut her eyes, turning her face away. She was ready to hear the roar of water, and was sorely disappointed.

"Riiii!"

Tuesday looked back in surprise to see a blue and black blur leap onto the Feraligatr's head. The Riolu, as that was what she realized it was when the creature slowed down, slapped the fin on the Feraligatr's head back and forth a few times. When the water lizard reached up to swat the pokemon, the puppy leapt from the Feraligatr's head and landed on the end of its snout. Then, to Tuesday's complete shock, he stuck his paws in his ears and made a face at the raging water lizard.

The Feraligatr roared and the Riolu leapt from his head, bounding away. Enraged at the puppy pokemon who dared to insult him, the water lizard chased after the Riolu as it bound and ducked in a retreat, leading the Feraligatr away from Tuesday.

Kissing her unconscious Charmeleon on the nose, she recalled Dante into his pokeball, before rising to her feet and staring after the Riolu.

"That was not Shadow," she murmured, half wishing it had been, but also... amused. How could she not be? The Riolu was such a trickster!

Spotting Jaima in the direction that the Riolu had gone, Tuesday headed toward him, but her eyes found the Riolu again. The puppy pokemon was darting back and forth, dodging water guns and bubble attacks from the Feraligatr and trying to get one of his misses to hit the Typhlosion he was near. It was a good plan, but Tuesday didn't think it was going to work all that well.

With Tempest and Dante unconscious, and Wraith still kidnapped, Tuesday was effectively back in the useless bin. She sure hoped Jaima and Darryn's pokemon were having better luck, but she was pretty sure that they were in trouble.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

If Dante ever had a hope that the Feraligatr didn't remember him from their first meeting all those years ago, that hope had long since been squashed. The Feraligatr attacked the Charmeleon with more than a fervor born of wanting to defeat his opponent and do his trainer proud. The water lizard's eyes burned with hatred as he blasted off water gun after water gun at the fire lizard.

Dante moved swiftly, ducking the jets of water that, luckily for him, always shot in a straight line. Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid the mist that filled the air from the lingering moisture, and it was beginning to take its toll upon his body. His tail flame had dimmed considerably and every time he dodged an attack, he ended the maneuver with an unintentional stagger in exhaustion.

"Dante!"

Tuesday's cry was one of fear. Not only was she terrified of water for herself, but this wouldn't be the first time that Dante's tail flame had dimmed. Of course she would remember those instances. Memories of fear and pain always seemed to remain clearer than those of happiness and hope.

When the Feraligatr's next attack caused bubbles to explode around Dante, soaking him thoroughly, he crashed to the ground and let out a piteous whine that made him hate himself.

He could feel vibrations against the ground, and then he could hear a familiar gait. Suddenly, warm, familiar hands reached under his chest and pulled him up into someone's lap.

"Leave him alone!" Tuesday screamed, her voice loud, angry even as it was filled with fear. But she was overcoming that fear; placing it aside in order to be brave and to protect her friends. Her family.

The Feraligatr had attacked her once before, of course. He had no qualms about doing it again.

"Mel... eon..." Dante forced himself to his feet, despite Tuesday's obvious reluctance to let him go. He was stronger now. He wasn't going to let her get hurt again. Never again.

The Feraligatr let out a shaky roar that sounded like a deep, gravelly chuckle, drawing his head back to release another water gun attack. Eyes narrowing in anger, Dante straightened, drawing himself up to a formidable size (as much as was possible in comparison to the size of a Feraligatr), and then, to both the water lizard and Tuesday's surprise, he began to dance.

"Dante... wha-" Tuesday cut off her speech in surprise when a blue smoky fire suddenly rose up from the ground, surrounding Dante. The fire seemed to move in four separate lines, twisting and curling around the Charmeleon, as he danced from foot to foot and spun in circles.

Suddenly, Dante stopped moving. The Feraligatr, who had paused in his attack to watch the strange dance, abruptly found himself on the receiving end of a blast of blue fire from the mouth of a Charmeleon.

Tuesday gaped. "That's Dragon Rage!" she said, recognizing the move. "Dante, when did you learn that?" He looked back and gave her a toothy grin, obviously pleased at her reaction.

Then, abruptly, his eyes closed and he fainted to the ground.

"Dante!"

Tuesday mimicked her position from before, but this time with an unconscious Charmeleon in her lap. She held his tail aloft, not letting it touch the mud and puddles that surrounded them. The Feraligatr, now very unhappy with the Charmeleon and the girl, snarled out his name and advanced.

Tuesday's teeth had begun to chatter, and she knew that it was cold down here in the cavern and she was wet, but she was pretty sure that she was shivering out of fear. She wondered if she actually would die this time.

That would suck.

The Feraligatr sucked in a breath from a water gun attack, and Tuesday shut her eyes, turning her face away. She was ready to hear the roar of water, and was sorely disappointed.

"Riiii!"

Tuesday looked back in surprise to see a blue and black blur leap onto the Feraligatr's head. The Riolu, as that was what she realized it was when the creature slowed down, slapped the fin on the Feraligatr's head back and forth a few times. When the water lizard reached up to swat the pokemon, the puppy leapt from the Feraligatr's head and landed on the end of its snout. Then, to Tuesday's complete shock, he stuck his paws in his ears and made a face at the raging water lizard.

The Feraligatr roared and the Riolu leapt from his head, bounding away. Enraged at the puppy pokemon who dared to insult him, the water lizard chased after the Riolu as it bound and ducked in a retreat, leading the Feraligatr away from Tuesday.

Kissing her unconscious Charmeleon on the nose, she recalled Dante into his pokeball, before rising to her feet and staring after the Riolu.

"That was not Shadow," she murmured, half wishing it had been, but also... amused. How could she not be? The Riolu was such a trickster!

Spotting Jaima in the direction that the Riolu had gone, Tuesday headed toward him, but her eyes found the Riolu again. The puppy pokemon was darting back and forth, dodging water guns and bubble attacks from the Feraligatr and trying to get one of his misses to hit the Typhlosion he was near. It was a good plan, but Tuesday didn't think it was going to work all that well.

With Tempest and Dante unconscious, and Wraith still kidnapped, Tuesday was effectively back in the useless bin. She sure hoped Jaima and Darryn's pokemon were having better luck, but she was pretty sure that they were in trouble.

[Master Houndoom]

It wasn't going well. Not at all.

Mercury was trying to help everyone at once, sine there were no opponents for her that was at a type advantage. being the most evolved of his pokémon, Jaima supported the move, and her presence in the back of his mind was comforting. She would send a wave of confusion at the typhplosion, then 'port to one side and try to distract the meganium. The only pokémon she had trouble with was the skarmory, and Fang and Lady were trying to do as much damage as they could.

"Geeeooooohhh," the haunting cry came from above, and as Darryn's pidgeotto swooped down over the meganium, a shape on his back shook out embers, raining over the top of it, interrupting it as it reached for Dante.

"Yes! Ember Storm!" He pumped his fist, then flinched as the meganium began charging a solar beam. "Get out of there!!" The pidgeotto rose, but the meganium tracked them, and Jaima had to look away as Lady and Grondir tried to keep the feraligatr at bay. Lady had hit it with some green energy, and Grondir, having had a chance to concentrate, had caused rocks to cascade down toward the feraligatr. It's water hit Lady with a glancing blow, it's aim thrown off for having to brace against the rocks.

"BUL!" cried Grondir, sending whips of it's own to strike at the water type. The Feraligatr growled menacingly, advancing despite the whips.

"Blind it with a leaf blizzard!" called Jaima, and both Mercury and Grondir sent flying leaves, Mercury catching some as they passed the beast to whirl around it's head.

She didn't see the skarmory's wing as it hit her just between the horns.

"Mercury!" Jaima stepped forward, but a neighing, "taaa!" caught his attention. A shadow leapt from the back of a shiny ponyta, slamming both feet into the back of the houndoom, sending it to the ground.

Not *a* shadow. The Shadow!

The riolu leapt from the houndoom and pulled it's horns down, glaring at it in the eye. The ponyta kicked it in the ribguards, causing it to yel, and, in despration, it flicked out a belch of flame from it's mouth. Shadow had been twisting it's head, so it hit the meganium, who snarled at it's trainer's ally.

The houndoom snarled in return, but not at the meganium. With a flick of it's head, it sent Shadow sailing. Whether he was expecting it or simply taking advantage of a bad situation, he twisted in the air, striking a foot at the skarmory near Mercury.

The skarmory fluttered, squawking in surprise, and landed next to mercury. He stood still with his arms crossed, and a net wrapped around him, binding him. He was caught again.

"Dammit," Jaima said, dashing to where the riolu had been. Shadow looked back as Jaima reached out, and shouted a muffled "lu!"

A second net was arcing toward Mercury, and Jaima, having to once more make a bad decision, shouted out in frustration as he caught the cable, pulling the net short.

The Collector's eyebrows rose, and he pulled, But Jaima was pulling back, his face a mask of fury, his body in a low, even stance that wouldn't be pulled off balance.

"Look, kid," the group's boss said. "Give it up. You can't win."

"It's not the size of the growlithe in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the growlithe," Jaima spat back. He was losing this particular fight, though.

"CHOMPWATER, SIC 'EM!"

The high, clear voice came from a ridge above them, and Jaima spared a look. There was a girl on the ridge, silhouetted by the sun, and a large feraligatr charging down the mountain, straight toward the typhplosion. As it stopped next to Tuesday, blocking a stray stream of fire, it was followed by a floating noctowl and an ariados.

"Bloodwing, get that meganium! Springheel, Spider Web on anything that isn't tiny!"

The girl's commands were clear, and full of anger, and the boss sighed. "Shit. Let's get out of here."

The order was taken like one, with pokémon being recalled and a hasty retreat made by the humans. Jaima watched them go, too tired from holding the net at bay to give chase, and not entirely sure he didn't have another fight on his hands. He lifted Mercury and watched as the girl made her way down the mountan.

She shifted long red hair from in front of her face, and then gave a brilliant smile. "No WAY! Jaima?!"

Jaima blinked, then grinned to match. "Oh arceus! Meiko!"

[Living Arrow]

"November, return!" Darryn called back his fallen Ponyta even as he jumped from the wild Cranidos' back. She had ben lying limply on the ground for goodness knew how long and in what condition.

*I should have been here.*

"Geooh..." Bravo plopped to the ground at Darryn's knees, a handful of feathers expelling from his body. A small black and tan ball rolled from his back and blinked weakly up at him with a tired "Cynda?".

"Oh guys!" Darryn hastily recalled Bravo and picked up Ember, cradling her tiny body in the crook of one arm while recalling a limping Romeo. Lady came walking towards him - a slight dip in her usually confident stride - but otherwise managed to hold herself erect. "You can get in the ball, too." Darryn offered, reaching for the Heal Ball but her eyes narrowed hastily.

<I am strong. I walk.>

"Fair enough." Darryn was in no mood to argue with Lady - she'd just end up getting her own way, anyway.

"Oh Arceus! Meiko!"

Darryn's ears pricked up at the sound of Jaima's voice. He made his way over to the blonde with Ember, passing her gently to him where he held her fondly. With Jaima stood a red-haired girl with several strong-looking Pokemon with her. None of them caught Darryn's eye particularly - they were all fairly standard looking. Certainly not the sorts that he had poured over magasines to look at each week in PokeGlam.

"What are you doing h-"

The new girl's question went unfinished as her eyes descended on the Cranidos following Darryn. "Oh my God! A Cranidos! I am so going to catch it! Chompwater?"

Her towering Feraligatr rolled his tongue in his massive maw and began to move forward. The girl, Tuesday, made the faintest squeak but Darryn ignored it. Kids would be kids.

"Uh, no you won't?" Darryn moved to block the Feraligatr's path. "This Cranidos it going home and being left in peace. It would even be out of these caves if it weren't for Team Deception, anyway."

The girl shrugged. "Fair enough. I just thought it would be a pretty sweet capture is all - those things are uber rare."

Cranidos gently nudged Darryn's hand with his muzzle.

"No, Cranidos - go home." He said softly to the rock type. It shook its head and snorted, pushing against his arm again.

"Looks like it wants to go with you." The redhead suggested, folding her arms over her pert chest. "It must like you a lot to choose to be caught."

"Huh?" Darryn gawped down at the large blunt face staring up at him. "You do?"

"Crani! Cranidos!"

*Does this mean I have empathy with my Pokemon like Kat said? Have I found what I've been lacking?*

"If you're sure?" Darryn held out his final Pokeball - a Luxury Ball - and allowed the rocktype to activate it with a touch of his nose. With a sparkling flash, the fossil Pokemon disappeared inside. "I guess I just caught a Cranidos?"

"With all that sorted, why don't you start the introductions, Jaima?" The girl giggled, even going so far as to bounce slightly on the spot with unforced mirth. "Or are you going to leave me to start that ahead of you, too?"

This post has been edited by Living Arrow: Jun 25 2009, 03:58 PM

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima looked at his childhood friend, the happy surprise and relief beginning to melt at her words. Her face slowly mirrored his own as each expression changed, jaima trying to fight off his embarrassment and Meiko slowly realizing the impact of her words.

"You should put Chompwater away." He turned away from her, looking at Tuesday, who in turn was beginning to realize the gravity of what had happened.

"What if they come back, Jaima? We're going to need Chompwater's powe-"

Jaima sighed, and Meiko stopped abruptly, her lips pressed together. "Please, Mei-chan, just put him up for now?"

The fight went out of her posture, at least a little bit. She pulled the pokeball off of her belt and recalled the feraligatr.

Meiko crossed her arms and sighed. First she gets denied a glorious catch by the scruffy guy, who goes on to catch him for himself (and practically has to be forced into it by the pokemon itself!), then she insults the guy she was hoping to come out and see, then he's being all mopey and tragic and telling her to put her strongest battler away!

I should have stayed in Johto...

She watched as Jaima knelt in front of the littke girl and whispered to her, speaking to her with pride and tenderness, and sighed. He was such a big brother. A good big brother, to hear his mother, and Professor Elm, and Natsume and Mariko talk. She'd hoped to come out and see him, and maybe figure out how shw felt.

She'd done that all right. She still really, really liked him.

"Meiko no baka*," she hissed.

Jaima stood, walking to her and she bowed, low. "Sumimasen*, Jai-kun."

"Daijoubu, Mei-chan. Demo*..." He swallowed and shook his head as of to clear it. "We're kind of being rude."

Meiko blushed hard. "Dammit!" She looked at Tuesday and opened her mouth to apologize for swearing but Jaima just grinned and waved a hand. "I'm sure she's heard worse from me." He indicated his companions. "That's Tuesday. She helped me recover Ember when someone took her." The event was obviously still hard on him.

"The Prof told me about that. You got her back?"

"She got her back. Long story. This is Darryn. We've been travelling together for weeks. He's brilliant with beautification and health."

Meiko smiled and bowed, relieved that Jaima wasn't overly hurt. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Meiko Omura."

* * * * *

Shadow was not a happy pokémon, and that fact was, unfortunately, exactly what his captors wanted.

"You sure about this?" One of the men was peering at the riolu, and Shadow snarled at him, commiting his face to memory. It would be quite satisfactory to punch his face in. Shadow knew, instinctively, twelve different ways to strike this man that would result in lasting, agonizing pain.

If only there were no chains to bind him, no bars to hold him back.

"We have to see if this thing works somewhere. Might as well be here."

The 'thing' was a small machine, with wires or tubes or both, Shadow couldn't tell, leading to the cage. Whatever they were, he didn't like the looks of them, and he hated the small machine.

It looked like a clamperl, but black. The center of it seemed to glow, but how could something glow black? It seemed to draw something from him, and it wasn't that close. The tubes, wires, conduites... tentacles, that's what they looked like, snaked from the device to the top and bottom of his cage.



He felt fear, and that he hated worst of all.

"He could be valuable, you know." The man stood up, his prominent chin in striking distance if only the riolu's arms weren't bound!

"Shut up, Dane, and step back. If this works, we're going to have a formidable army, starting with this guy and including the ones in that cave."

The man reached down to the black clamperl's heart, the meaty, head and eyes that wasn't actually there, was actually machinery with a dark crystal in its center, and turned a dial.

Shadow's world sucked into itself, violently, and he saw his life, from the moment he'd hatched to his best friend, the kirlia called Mercury. He remembered his first combat with Rosie, who'd taken time to teach him.

He lost that fight.

He remembered fighting the large cacnea he'd battled to protect Mercury.

He nearly failed, had failed, because Mercury had fainted.

He remembered his adventure in Lenoilia.

Ember had been taken because he'd been too weak to not get injured.

He was weak, pathetic, they'd caught him, he had caused misery to his Sensei, he'd failed, he'd failed, he'd failed.

His Sensei, Mercury, all of them hated him, because he was weak. Worthless.

Something inside him slammed shut, locked, and it didn't matter. He'd make them pay.

"Holy shit," the Chinman said. "Look at his eyes.

"I'll be damned," the man who'd flipped the switch muttered. "It worked. We closed the door to his heart..."

They looked at each other, then grinned, slowly.

Shadow didn't care.

I have taken the liberty to translate the Japanese phrases using Acronym, as done by Bill Nye for his character in Uprising, Seymour. Hover over the phrases with asterisks by them to see the translation.

This post has been edited by Hungry Hungry Houndoom: Jun 25 2009, 01:35 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday had stood up against her fears, ignored the dangers her heart warned her about the Feraligatr, and they had defeated two pokemon and helped to weaken a third. Dante had evolved, but both he and Tempest had fainted. Now, her two best friends were unconscious in their pokeballs, and the adrenaline that had driven Tuesday was fading. It left her feeling empty and weak, and the fear came back ten fold at the presence of the girl's Feraligatr. It wasn't the Feraligatr that had attacked her - their were subtle differences that she could see - but it was still the same kind of pokemon, and still the same kind of fear.

Luckily, Tuesday had been adopted by one of the best big brothers in the world.

She couldn't really hear what he said to the girl. He didn't know her name. She was pretty sure Jaima had said her name, but Tuesday wasn't really there, where they were talking. She would fade off sometimes, half of her mind going somewhere else. She would be focused on one of her many literary loves.

This was not one of those times. This time, fear had taken hold of her and pulled more than half of her away. She wasn't in that calm place her mind often went to. Here, the world was foggy. Here, the world was cold. The fear caused by the presence of the Feraligatr circled around, stalking her heart as a Houndoom would stalk a Buneary. It was slowly growing, like a mushroom, from fear to terror, escalating to horror. When that came, of course, she knew she would slip into a full-out panic attack. She was lucky in that, at the moment, she was too dazed to start hyperventilating. The potential was there, though, and she could feel the fear rising in her like bile.

But Jaima was protective of her, as was obvious from their past experiences. He quickly had his friend call back her Feraligatr, and then he came over and began to speak to Tuesday.

She didn't know what he said.

She was still in that far off place, surrounded by fog. She could see him, though he appeared almost blurry, her eyes not really focused. She knew he was speaking to her and could hear his voice, but his meaning, his words, were muffled by her mind's distance. She blinked, slowly, as he continued talking, and felt a minor shift in the level of her consciousness. She could hear the gentle tone of his words, feel his attempt to comfort and reassure her. As his words washed over her, however muffled, she began to relax and felt the fog slip away, receding into the background.

He must have been able to see the change, the glaze leaving her eyes, because he smiled at her. It was a kind, understanding smile, and he didn't speak anymore. He didn't have to, of course. Tuesday offered a tentative smile back, though it wasn't as strong as usual. He understood, and turned back to his friend, leaving Tuesday to collect herself.

She listened to them speak to each other in another tongue. She blinked away the lingering fog, shook her head to cast it aside, and listened closely.

She wasn't a linguist, by any means. Languages, no matter their origin, fascinated her, but she hadn't the talent necessary to learn them to a fluent degree. Still, she managed to pick up a few words here and there, and while the only one she could confidently say she knew was baka (because it was a necessity in any language to know how to call someone an idiot), she recognized the language as Japanese. That, in itself, knowing something about this girl without having to be told it, made her feel more in control. Perhaps it was a slightly vain thought, or even extremely immature, but it made her feel better, and drove the fog back completely.

She rose to her feet, then, no longer chained by the fear, and listened as Jaima and his friend came back to English, and listened to her introduce herself. Meiko.

Tuesday, ever the quiet scholar that she narcissistically considered herself, didn't say anything. She did, however, meet the girl's eyes and bow in return. It was meant as a polite acknowledgment of the girl, matching the manner of her culture, in absence of Tuesday's less-than-frequent words.

She heard a loud snort, felt a rush of hot air against her neck, and turned to see Wraith standing next to her. Darryn had already seen the ponyta, but Meiko had not, and she heard the girl suck in a sharp breath at the vision before her. Tuesday looked at her surprised face, the look of maybe awe in her eyes. She still said nothing, but reached up and rubbed her hand down the ponyta's nose. It was the closest she would come to "saying" that the ponyta was not wild and up for being caught.

Wraith leaned some of his weight against Tuesday, perhaps trying to reassure her. Tuesday felt that it helped, and she sighed softly. They weren't done, yet.

She turned and looked at Jaima. She was worried, with only Wraith left of her pokemon. "How are we going to find Shadow?" she asked, her voice soft and probably only audible because of the silence of the cave.

There was a soft thump behind Tuesday as something hit the ground, and they all turned to see the riolu that had attacked and drawn off the Feraligatr. He gave them all a cursory glance, before locking eyes with Tuesday. "Ri."

[Living Arrow]

"Hey, there he-" Darryn stopped himself. "Isn't?"

The Riolu that had found them was certainly not the brooding creature that Jaima had been training. FOr one, this Riolu had thinner arms and legs. It probably lacked the sort of strength that Shadow was capable of but by the looks of things, it had a more delicate frame that would give it better agility than most.

*All of my Pokemon are built for speed... Maybe I should get this one, too?* Darryn chewed his lip. *But I'm out of Pokeballs...

"Hey, Jaima? Lend me a Pokeball?" Darryn asked, readying Lady with a nod. "That Riolu looks perfect for me to train!"

"Hold on a second!" Meiko raised a hand and looked around the group. "He literally just caught something - it should be my turn next!"

"Now, come on guys," Jaima looked between the both of them, "I'm sure we can work out a fair way of doing this."

"Fair is me catching it!" Meiko protested, her hand already straying to a Pokeball. "Besides, my Pokemon are the only ones in any condition to be battling right now so I win by default, right Bloodwing? Springheel?"

Meiko's Pokemon readied themselves.

"Go!"

Darryn sighed. It looked like the Riolu wasn't going to be his after all. He inwardly shrugged and motioned for Lady to back down. She really was in no condition to be fighting right then, anyway. True, she was probably faster and stronger than the little guy, but pushing her to battle so much would probably make her resent Darryn as a trainer.

Meiko commanded her Ariados to attack first, aiming to tangle and trap the Riolu with String Shot and Spiderweb. The nimble fighter managed to dodge each projectile and so kept out of harm's way for the most part. Realising that her Ariados couldn't do much without immobilising the wild Pokemon from a distance, Meiko switched to using the more direct attacks of her Noctowl. A combination of Confusion and Hypnosis was used on the offensive, the psychic attack managing to hurl the Riolu into the air with a cry of surprise, followed by a whine as he was hit by an Air Slash.

"Excellent! Now, let's go with a Pokeball!"

She toss the bal with flare but the Riolu had other plans. With a smart flick of his tail, the capture device was sent spinning back to Meiko's hand. She groaned and pulled back her arm for another throw.

"Well, that was lame... Let's try again!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday wanted to object.

She had never caught a pokemon by defeating it. She had received Dante from her sister, and Tempest when the Pikachu attacked her. Wraith had been given to her by Jaima, who had received him from Professor Elm. Fate and Luck seemed to work together well in their plans to give Tuesday pokemon that became great and loyal companions, so she saw no need to try and beat a pokemon into submission. Perhaps she was just odd, but it seemed cruel to her.

On another note, however, Tuesday was incredibly fond of the riolu. It was probably more or less because he had arrived in time to protect her (and Dante) from the Feraligatr, and led it away so it wouldn't be a threat to them anymore. There seemed to be something else, but Tuesday could precisely place it. She simply felt drawn to the creature, and it was probably selfish and completely rude of her, but she didn't want Meiko to capture him.

Of course, it seemed like the riolu didn't want to be captured, either.

Meiko had a variety of types of pokeballs on her person - regular, great, luxury, and fast, Tuesday recognized. The riolu dodged nimbly out of the way of some, and hit others back with his tail or paws. He also did his level best to dodge the attacks shot forth by the Noctowl. The great owl pokemon had an advantage in attacks, as well as the fact that he was a sure flier. The riolu was, however, holding up well, considering.

Tuesday bit her lip. It would be rude to say something, but... but... she hunched her shoulders, feeling ridiculous. The girl - Meiko - had essentially saved them. They were all in her debt and Tuesday was grateful. Meiko deserved to catch the riolu. Tuesday... she wouldn't interfere, however much she wanted to. She walked over to stand next to Jaima, feeling out of place.

"Riiii!" Tuesday was pulled from her thoughts abruptly when a psychic attack from the Noctowl sent the riolu arcing past her in a blur of black and blue. He hit the ground and skidded, sending up a cloud of dirt as he rolled end over end. When his momentum finally slowed, Meiko had a grin on her face and a pokeball in her hand.

"All right!" she cried triumphantly. "Let's go! You're mine, Riolu!"

The pokeball flashed out with her throw, and Tuesday mentally noted that the girl could have been a first class pitcher. There was a shuffle from where the riolu had landed and Tuesday saw his head rise and take in the closing pokeball. He seemed to twitch, take in the surroundings, and lock eyes with her, before he moved.

The pokeball hit the floor of the cave with an audible click, and Tuesday heard Meiko say something in her native tongue, and from the tone, she didn't imagine it was all that polite. Her attention, however, was riveted more upon the riolu, who had dashed out of the way of the pokeball and darted over to her.

Tuesday took a step back when the riolu stood right in front of her and stared into her eyes. She swallowed convulsively at the intelligent gleam in the jackal's irises.

The riolu seemed to consider her for a moment, perhaps staring into her soul, before he nodded, as though assuring himself of something. That done, he flashed her a grin, displaying a quite worrisome amount of fangs. He reached out to her and Tuesday flinched back.

She heard a familiar click and looked down in time to see the riolu sucked into the pokeball he had activated on her belt. The pokeball twitched momentarily, before going still and dimming. Tuesday blinked and looked up at the others, a look of confusion on her young face.

"Ummm..."

For probably the first time in her life, she was without a quote.

Caught: Level 13, male

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Jun 26 2009, 02:12 PM