Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 8 2009, 10:55 AM

The wind swung around Mount Carello like a child on a roundabout, clutching tightly to the rocks with playful hands as it screamed its excitement in the merry dance of the morning. A lone traveller hiked up those dusty orange-grey boulders, keeping himself low as not to provoke the wind's clamour and get pushed free from his handholds. A scarlet fox with many tails pranced after him without a care, keeping herself no more than a few steps behind her beautiful master.

<Are you strong enough to be on your own?> Lady taunted Darryn’s thoughts as he continued the hike towards Arasam. Since he had left Darck, the teen had made decent progress – he was far from unfit and youth helped him out more than a little while scaling some of the steeper climbs.

“Shut up, Lady.” Darryn muttered, clambering over a rock and ploughing onwards. Lady pranced after him, skipping daintily from rock to rock without even breaking a sweat. Darryn was close to putting her back in the Heal Ball but her presence was reassuring and it helped that he had someone to talk to.

*Is this what it’s like to be friends with your Pokemon?* He mused as they scrambled into the next bend.

The terrain the pair had found themselves on was extremely rocky and uneven – large boulders jutting from the stern slopes of Mount Carrelo made walking an impossibility as the trainer’s hands were almost always on the ground ahead, searching for the best handholds. Climbing was far faster than walking around the base of the mountain and following the worn trail but, as it turned out, far more tiring.

“Y’know, Lady,” Darryn panted, jumping up to the next platform, “I was thinking about naming the others. Now that you and November have proper names, it is only fair for the others to have their own, right?”

Lady gave no response. Darryn continued:

“Like, I’ve been considering a lot of options and reckon it’s probably best to name you all after a common system so that it tightens us all as a group… That’s why I’ve chosen phonetics. November was the first to get a name from that list but it’s easy enough to put yours in place – ‘Foxtrot’.”

Still no response.

“Yeah, I know it might be a bit obvious, so I’m gonna stick it in after your name already and fill out the registration forms when we get to the Pokemon Center. I think Pidgeotto’s going to be ‘Bravo’ and Jolteon’s name will be ‘Romeo’… No real reason – I just thought they sounded good and I’m sure they’ll like them, too. Oh, and I’ll get in touch with Mindy to let her know Butterfree’s new name, too. Now for her, I went with an exotic name since she’s so beautiful and decided on ‘India’.”

Lady’s silence was deafening now.

“Bravo, India, Romeo, Lady Foxtrot and November… A great bunch if you ask me… Right, Lady?” Darryn stopped and turned around only to find an empty space following him. “Lady?!” He called, peering back the way they had come. He called again, impatience ringing in his voice which rapidly turned to panic.
“Lady! Lady!?” He yelled, searching each nook and cranny below him for signs of her scarlet fur. “This isn’t funny! Come out here, now!”

The wind ruffled Darryn’s open shirt as he waited for a response. When he didn’t get any, he snatched up his Premier Ball from his bag and tossed it high into the air. “Pidgeotto, I need you!”

The flashing red light with white sparkling orbs emitted the glorious flying Pokemon in a flaring sweep of wings as he alighted on a nearby crag. His proud beak and tall pink crown feathers were primed and styled in a neat arrow-straight arrangement that the best of all Co-ordinators would be proud of.

“Please, Pidgeotto, find Lady for me. She’s been left behind somewhere and I can’t spot her.” He asked of his first Pokemon, willing the bird into motion. Apparently Darryn’s will was not strong enough as the bird simply sat still and cocked his head to the side, fixing him with an ‘aaand?’ look. Darryn palmed his forehead. “Sorry, I mean Bravo. Please can you look for her?” His Pidgeotto’s beak twisted into a tight smile and with a shrill cry, the flying type shot into the air.


After the first five minutes, Darryn knew something was wrong. A few more minutes and panic was snatching fast breaths from his lungs as desperation clawed at his heart. After the following half hour, he was down right hysterical.

*My Lady! Where is she?! What’s happened to her? Is she OK? Is she hurt? Why isn’t she calling for me?*

Tears leaked free from Darryn’s dark eyes, staining his pale blue shirt with streaks of sorrowful deep navy. He had never truly appreciated what it was like to lose something close to him and yet now Darryn felt more scared and alone than ever. First Jaima, then Mindy… even Darck had had some sort of friendship with Darryn but he had never felt responsible for them like he did for his Pokemon.

*Is this how Jaima felt when Ember got stolen? Surely not – they had been together much much longer than Lady and I have been… But doesn’t that make it worse? If Jaima felt worse than this, I should have stayed behind for him. I should have helped him find Ember rather than go after this stupid gym badge!*

Darryn leapt from his perch and began to run down the slope, launching from rock to rock and shouting Lady’s name the whole way.

“PIDGEOOOH!” Bravo’s cry echoed around the blasted landscape, its high-pitched scream seeming to come from all directions at once. Darryn searched the sky for his friend, his heart giving a surge of hope.

*He's found her!*

A flurry of ocre feathers announced Bravo’s arrival, but Darryn’s relief to see him faded rapidly. As the bird came racing from around the southern cliff, he could see the stress in the flying type’s flight and the singed feathers on his tail and wing tips. Before Darryn could call out to his Pokemon, a dashing golden figure pounced from the cliff with outstretched claws.

“A Persian?!” Darryn gasped, watching helplessly as it bore down upon its target.

“GEOH!” Bravo spotted the incoming threat and flared his wings, flapping out of the cat’s reach and sending a rain of feathers down upon the beast.

“That’s Featherdance!” Darryn couldn’t help but state the obvious, proud that his Pokemon had picked up such a move all on his own. *When did he learn that?* With the Persian out of striking distance, Bravo jetted towards Darryn but the danger wasn’t over yet.

“HAA!” A column of flame roared up the mountain, just past Darryn’s face. The heat of the fire stung Darryn’s skin and knocking him off his feet. Confusion and fear nastily injected their venom into Darryn’s bones, the new enemy closing in fast. A snarling, slavering Houndoom hurtled up the mountain, chasing a dashing red streak that shot from rock to rock, using the granite as a shield as it fled from the dark monster.

“Lady!” Darryn shouted, “Get away from her!”

With strength born from fear, Darryn threw himself into a sprint, throwing caution to the wind as he sprang downwards to reach Lady and protect her. His feet dug deep gouges in the gravelly surface of the slope and he slid towards her, anger rising in his throat. How dare these Pokemon attack his friends?!

<Move!> Lady commanded, urging Darryn to turn and run but he carried on towards her, not caring for his own well being. The Houndoom bore down on top of the small fox, gnashing teeth snapping at her glorious tails.

“I said get away!” Darryn yelled, dropping the final step and kicking out harshly. His boot caught firmly under the Houndoom’s jaw, snapping its head back and knocking it clear from its feet. Darryn didn’t stop to watch it fall. Instead, he grabbed Lady in his arms and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. A flash of gold from the corner of his eye told him the Persian was in hot pursuit but Bravo was keeping it busy while they fled the threatening Pokemon.

<Release me!> Lady growled in Darryn’s mind, her body struggling to be let free. <You will come to harm! Release me!>

“No! I won’t leave you to-”

Darryn’s sentence was never finished. His leg was burning and his face was throbbing terribly. What had happened? Lady was no longer with him and Bravo’s aerial screams had fallen silent. Had he won? Moving was so painful that Darryn’s glance towards his leg brought almost as much anguish as seeing the two-inch teeth of the Houndoom clamping onto his shin. Bravo came rocketing in from the sky, his direct Quick Attack blasting the Houndoom clear but Darryn didn’t want Bravo to go on fighting – he could get hurt! Somewhere, somehow, a Premier Ball was activated at the swift-winged Pidgeotto and he was put back in his ball. The Houndoom’s attention went elsewhere – probably to Lady – and so Darryn’s had to follow.

*I can’t let them get hurt anymore!*

Darryn didn't know where the energy came from, but somehow he managed to get up to his feet and move towards where Lady was nimbly dodging the Fury Swipes from the lithe Persian with her excellent Agility. The Houndoom, however, was closing in fast and Lady didn't see it coming.
A fresh surge of adrenaline hit Darryn as he ran towards Lady, willing himself to reach her so that his body could become her shield from these terrifying, voracious Pokemon. That was when the ground gave way. Well, not ground exactly... The surface which he fell through cracked and splintered, completely caving in and claiming the trainer's body as its first meal for decades. Darryn gasped with shock but no other sound managed to escape his lips before he plumeted into the mine. His head struck a solid surface at the bottom of his fall and immediately, Darryn Kellor's consciousness was ripped from him and replaced with eternal darkness.



<Master?!> Lady called, still managing somehow to avoid the claws and teeth of both her opponents. <Are you alright?!>

When no response came, the small Vulpix scramble towards the hole where he fell and dove towards it. If he had gone down there, then she would have to follow! Just as the darkness reached out to welcome her, she was cruelly snatched away by some unseen force from above. Iron bars were clamped around her and a needle pressed into her fur. In silent desperation, Lady fired out a thought with her mind to the south, hoping that it would somehow reach the thoughts of a Pokemon she had once spoken to...

<Sapphire Dancer! Help Master! Carel-> Her communication was cut off as the drug took effect and the Vulpix was successfully sedated.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 9 2009, 01:36 AM

Mercury did not understand.

Things had changed around her, and though a lot of it seemed in better harmony, when she'd finally been released from her pokeball, it felt as if all the disharmony that had been replaced had been instead transferred to her Trainer. When she asked, he only touched her crest and teared up, and when she tried to probe into his mind, he shied away mentally. However, and she noticed after a while, that he did not forbid her to try.

He felt shame for not. And receiving the two text messages after the trip with Celebi caused further shame. Daryn's news that Mindy had left had made Trainer Jaima feel that he'd failed her. But wose was Nurse Joy's message. She was being transferred, and she missed him, but if he didn't reply, she'd go. Well, of course he didn't. He had received thew message too late. So when they stopped at the pokecenter in Lenoilia, Trainer Jaima had looked mournfully at the nurse, handed her the pokeballs, and walked dejectedly to his room.

Mercury had, when released, asked Pikachu Tempest to show her how to release herself. She liked the pikachu, liked her protectivness and her spunk. And Tempest had a cute way of explaining things. So she learned the trick and used it that night. She stole into Trainer Jaima's room, looked into the memories he was both afraid to show her and ashamed in allowing her, and wept.

He had watched her die, in another time. He had felt so ashamed and guilty and responsible. He hurt.

Mercury sent soothing thoughts to him. The past was the past, and that had no longer happened. She was not dead, and he would not ever hurt her intentionally. She poured it all into her bond with him: her love for him, her trust, her loyalty, and all she knew about him. She found and gave to him Grondir's strength, Tsunami's gratitude, Ember's undying devotion, Fangs joy in him, and Shadow's pride in being taught by a worthy person. He found Tuesday's affection and sent it to him, and even Tempest's grudging respect. Casting further, she thought she caught a glimmer of Mr. Postman, who reminded her of his mother's love and his sister's playful loyalty, and she showed his sleeping mind that.

Finally, exhausted, she went back and released her team, her family, and showed them what she had seen.

She explained that it was important to show him they loved him, and to grow strong under him, and Shadow, brave, strong, smart Shadow also reminded them that teaching him would also show trust.

They made a pact. Trainer Jaima was the only master they would serve, ever, and they would protect him and love him until their dying days.

* * * * *

When Jaima woke, he sighed. Yes, things were not exactly working out for him, but he had to try to look at the bright side. He had a new companion, and she had grown to be like a little sister to him (an older, more sophisticated little sister). Yes, he'd missed both Mindy and Joy (and he had really enjoyed his time spent with the young nurse), but he didn't know if he could ask her to give up her life's work to follow him, and he didn't want to stay in one place; That wasn't why he'd come to Furoh in the first place. In the end, though it hurt, the right decision had been thrust upon them. And Mindy would never have been more than a friend, so it was better to leave it at that.

He did wish he could say goodbye.

The weird thing was that the hurt, the fear he'd felt since waking up again in the right time and place was almost completely gone.

Mercury popped into view, and had such a warm and welcome smile that he had to smile back. "You looked."

You never said I couldn't. In fact, I think you wanted me to.

Jaima said nothing, so Mercury touched his head. Trainer Jaima, I saw what you saw. I was not hampered by the cloud of memory that one experiences when one tries to remember their own events. You lost yourself, and I'm sorry that you hurt... and I'm sorry that you learned the lesson so harshly, but I know you, and I trust you. You would not have done that had you known what it would do to me.

She could see he was not convinced, so she pulled out her ace, her joker, her wild card. She had been reluctant to do so because it could backfire and send him deeper into depression, but now... You left Ember to someone elses care to make sure Shadow was unhurt. My Trainer Jaima, you are, sometimes, too kind for your own good.

Jaima sighed, but it was a releasing sigh. "You're right. Which reminds me... how is Shadow."

When I showed the rest of our family the events that made you so low, he was ashamed of his other self's reaction.

Jaima's brow furrowed, so Mercury continued. He left you, something he believes is a dishonorable act.

Jaima actually snorted, and the kirlia fought a giggle. "If I remember right, I thought he did the right thing."

You're both overly noble. Mercury sighed. I've come to care for you both a great deal.

Jaima smiled, and was just about to rub her crest when she gasped and pitched forward. For one wild moment, he revisited her death, which seemed like a nightmare now rather than events he had somehow lived with, but she straightened immediately, eyes wide.

Darryn's in trouble! I don't know where, but Lady said something about a Carol...

Jaima's eyes widened, and he lifted Mercury to his shoulder and dashed out, looking for Tuesday.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 9 2009, 11:28 AM

There are certain ways that a person does something that can reveal their mood.

Some people, when they are angry, stomp around like some great beast, glaring and bristling as though everything they encounter is a threat or an insult to their person. Some, who are embarrassed, duck their heads low and hide beneath long shadowing bangs.

And some, who are frightened, try to make themselves a smaller target.

This was the case of Tuesday, as she lay trapped in dreams. Memories assailed her; those that were from far away, yet close. Those that had been so cruel when they occurred, but which had never occurred at all.

By nature, Tuesday was quiet. She had gained the name Silence, as she had gained silence from the world around her. So when she dreamed, she did not cry out in fear. Nor did she kick at the covers in an attempt to escape something within her mind. Rather, like she had been at that moment in Time, she was silent, and still... watching.

She could still hear their cries.

Those of the tauros and the miltank as they ran in fear down at them. Somewhere, deep within the recesses of her mind, Tuesday knew that she needn't worry. She knew that the danger had passed and that all was well now. They had helped a small boy, and everything that they had gone through had never occurred.

Except in memory.

Oddly enough, in this night, it wasn't the image of Jaima's death that called to her. It wasn't watching Mercury falter, or even holding Tempest in her arms as she died.

It was Shadow.

She thought that it must have been more than the fear that plagued her. With Shadow, she did not understand. Why had he simply given up? They could have fixed it!

But they couldn't... could they?

She had gone back in time to try and stop it, but there was no stopping it. There was no saving Jaima. Despite the power she'd held in her hands, she had been as powerless as... as any mortal creature.

Bound by Time.

But watching... watching Shadow fall into defeat. Watching him raise his head and stare out across an ocean of raging cattle. Watching him stand there and just let them...

Tuesday woke abruptly.

Silently.

She gazed about the room, glowing softly with the light from morning, and picked out her pokemon. Dante was curled up on a chair in the corner, his tail hanging over the side so as not to scorch the furnish. Wraith was standing outside, near the window, head lowered and eyes closed in sleep. Tempest was curled up at Tuesday's back. She could feel the taut form of the Pikachu pressing against her spine. Tuesday sighed in relief at the familiar feeling.

Slowly, she uncurled from the protective ball she had wound herself into. Crawling out of bed slowly so as not to wake her companions, she looked back to find that Tempest was gazing at her in concern.

"You were awake?" Tuesday asked. She was referring to the nightmare. Tempest always seemed to know when she was having one. Tuesday thought it might have something to do with the functions of one's brain. Something about electric impulses or something...

"Pi," came her only reply. Tempest's tail twitched. It was enough. Of course she had been awake.

"Sorry," Tuesday whispered.

Tempest snorted. Tuesday looked up to catch an eye roll, before a knock came on the door.

Dante awoke with a flaring tail flame and a snap of jaws. Tempest's ears twitched, but she didn't react impulsively, so Tuesday assumed it was Jaima at the door.

Still dressed in her red and black, Growlithe-printed pajamas, Tuesday opened the door.

Jaima stood there, a face of concern, with Mercury sitting on his shoulder. Tuesday blinked. "What's wrong, Jaima?" Certainly, he hadn't heard her during her nightmare...

"A friend of mine is in trouble," he said, and the worry rushed like a river through his voice. "One of his pokemon - a Vulpix - sent a message to Mercury. Something's wrong. I need to help him. I don't... I don't even know where he is." He was looking from side to side, trying to solve a puzzle that he couldn't even fully see.

Tuesday raised her hands in a placating gesture, drawing his attention back to her. "Two minutes," she said, and then shut the door in his face.

She was ignoring the fact that her behavior could have been misconstrued as being rude. His friend was in danger and they needed to help them. Tuesday couldn't save the world in Growlithe-printed pajamas. Though I dunno, she thought sassily, These pajamas are pretty hot. She frowned. "Bad pun, Tuesday. Bad, bad pun."

Being the type of person who would catch sight of a pokemon and want to hurry over quick and draw it, Tuesday was accustomed to dressing quickly and being ready within mere moments. Of course, it helped that her pokemon were so used to this, and were equally helpful.

And so, when Tuesday opened the door again, Jaima was still standing there. His expression had been graced with another emotion, but that same concern still held. Dressed, her bandanna tied over her hair, with her pack slung over her shoulder, Tuesday met Jaima's eyes. Tempest leapt up onto her right shoulder, and Dante reached up and grabbed her left hand with his claws.

Tuesday offered Jaima a reassuring smile. "All right, Captain," she said, "what's our heading?"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 9 2009, 12:17 PM

When Darryn woke up he tasted blood.

"Yeurch!" He spat, immediately producing a sharp wince and a nightmarish flare of pain in his legs. He cried out, releasing the furious tension and exasperation that swirled in his mind. "LADY! LADY!" He yelled, his voice echoing around him in the immediate, cool darkness. Obviously, there was no reply but that only made him weep once more, the silence of solitude screaming into his ears.

The hole through which Darryn fell was approximately four metres overhead, filtering searing sunlight down into the cavern and illuminating the trainer's predicament. During the fall, a piece of the ceiling had broken off with the wooden covering and had landed on his leg, pinning him indefinitley to the ground. He pushed at it with both hands, begging it to move but the old saying "stubborn as a rock" rang true.

"Damn it!" Darryn cursed, lying back then regreting it as blood trickled into his throat, producing a nasty cough in the process. He wretched hard, bringing up what he could, and sat upright, fumbling for his Pokeballs. "Come on..." He muttered, feeling around his belt for November's ball - she'd be able to smash that rock no problem. When his fingers felt nothing he nearly started crying again.

He cursed colourfully, spotting his Pokeballs out of arm's reach where they had clearly been scattered from his belt due to the impact from the fall. Hanging his head in momentary defeat, Darryn began to collect his thoughts and the next plan of action...

When Lady woke up, the first thing she noticed was the cold. She moaned pitifully, slowly opening her eyes to find herself in a narrow cage with a large box on the top, blowing freezing air down onto her fur. She shivered involuntarily and pulled her legs and tails tighter to her body to conserve heat. A quick look around her was all she needed to work out what was going on. She had been stolen.

The campsite in which she found herself was simple yet excellenly organised - two tents and a fire with several pieces of unnamable machines scattered around and a large motor vehicle parked near one of the tents. Two humans were in sight, both wearing matching green uniforms decorated with a large letter 'D'. Lady strained her large pointed ears to listen to the humans, picking out most of what they had to say:

"I still think we should have found him and finished him off, Verity." The male human said, packing something into a silver briefcase.

"He fell in the mine, Dane." She replied haughtily, flicking her hair (tied into a multitude of thin braids) over one shoulder and passing her colleague a black and purple device. "There is no way he survived that and even if he did, it would take weeks to find the exit - long before he'd run out of water if he had any."

Lady gasped. Surely they couldn't mean her Master?

"Fine, let's just get this over with, shall we?" Dane grumbled, strapping some sort of metallic cuff to his wrist. "The Boss wants all of the fossil Pokemon in the Carello-Deep Mines located and captured as quickly as possible - his customers have been kept waiting long enough."

"Agreed. The faster we work, the faster we get paid." Verity mumbled. "And I have my eye on a very nice collector's piece in Petropolis with my name on it. Let's hurry and catch up to Horace - he should be in postion already - and get things underway."

With that, the two moved towards a square-shaped hole in the side of the mountain with wooden beams supporting the ceiling and walls. One of them whistled and from nowhere appeared the Persian and Houndoom that Lady had encountered before she lost Darryn. The group of four disappeared into the dark, leaving Lady to wait unguarded in the campsite. That was all she needed.

"VUL!" She spat an Ember attack at the metallic prison but was dismayed to find it fizzle out to mere sparks thanks to the cooling fan above her. Not giving in, she focused her mind and tore at the mechanics above her with Extrasensory. Again, nothing happened. Something deadened her attack almost instantly. Frowning, she cast her eys about to search for her block and found it in the form of a circle of white teeth positioned around her cage.

*Mightyena fangs?* She pondered. *They prepared for every possibility... very clever indeed.* Curling herself even tighter, Lady began to calculate the formula for escape...

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 10 2009, 10:26 AM

Jaima and Tuesday walked briskly down the hall to the front desk. The Nurse there, significantly older than the previous but less assured, wrung her hands as they approached, but they were not paying attention.

"All I have is 'Carol'. I don't know who Carol is or why Darryn'd be seeing her."

"Maybe it's a date."

Jaima winced. "It's not a date. Although I suppose Carol could be a man's name. Sometimes..."

Tuesday thought a moment, then blinked. "Oh. Oh.." She looked up, as if the ceiling had a locator map that would tell them exactly where Carol or Darryn were.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kuonji?" The nervous voice of the nurse interjected itself into the pair's conversation. "Mr. Kuonji, I... there's a problem with..." She sighed, defeated. "I think I lost one of your pokémon. The Kirlia-"

Mercury bobbed into view over Jaima's shoulder, and the woman, startled, slumped in relief.

"I meant to talk to you about that," Jaima began, sternly, but Mercury's mental voice interrupted him.

I got out on my own! Don't blame her, please, Trainer Jaima!

Jaima paused a moment, then smiled. "Mercury's learned to get out on her own. She only does so at great need, but it still startles people. I apologize for not telling you," he bowed to the Nurse, who blinked and smiled, shakily.

"It's all right. You'd be surprised how many can. Miss Berleson's pikachu can as well, but she... she didn't disappear."

Jaima smiled at her and collected his team, releasing them each before setting their pokéballs into their slot on his bandolier. They took their usual positions, except for Shadow, who stayed on the counter and bowed low.

"Shadow," Jaima started, then crooked a finger under his snout to make him look his trainer in the eye. "What's done is done. If I'd been in that position, I'd have done the same thing."

The Nurse blinked as Jaima spoke to his pokémon, finally lifting the riolu to his shoulder.

"So," Tuesday said quietly, "We need to find out who Carol is and find out why Lady stopped speaking so abruptly."

Jaima nodded, leaning against the counter. "Yeah. It could just be distance and the fact that she's not a psychic type. But Mr. Postman doesn't seem to have a problem communicating... Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Postman! Maybe he can help find Darryn!"

Tuesday thought a moment. "As 'swell' as that would be, is he around?"

Both turned to Mercury, who closed her eyes. It didn't take long for her to open them. No. I'm sorry, he's not close enough to touch my mind.

"Well... we know he was on his way to Arasam... that's a start."

"Excuse me, Mr. Kuonji? Miss Berleson?" The Nurse again, this time sounding thoughtful. "Is it possible that Carol isn't a person, but whoever you spoke with meant Mount Carello?" She pointed to a large mountain on the map behind her. "It's between here and Arasam..."

Jaima looked at the map, then at Tuesday. He slapped his fist into his other palm. "That could be it! Thank you," he said, bowing.

Tuesday had another thought. "You that Mercury said Lady sounded frantic. How are we going to get there quickly..?"

Jaima thought a moment, then smiled. "Do you think Wraith can carry both of us..?"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 10 2009, 11:34 AM

Tuesday had known Ponyta were fast, but she never realized exactly how fast, or how strong.

Wraith was perfectly capable of carrying both of them. Still young, despite his maturity, Jaima didn't weigh as much as a full-grown man would have. Tuesday, being small even for her young age, might have made up the difference.

More than that, however, Wraith was eager to prove himself.

And, oh, prove himself he did.

Tuesday had the benefit of having ridden before, both with a saddle and bareback. Of course, she had been even younger then and she wasn't allowed to take the Ponyta at a rate any faster than a trot (for a kid that wanted to ride like Zorro across the ground, or race into the horizon like Jesse James, this had been something of a disappointment). She was getting her chance now, however.

Jaima had never had the experience of riding before, so they weren't going as fast as Wraith could go, but they were still moving. Far faster than they would have gone if they had walked.

"This is awesome!" Tuesday yelled, the wind whipping into her face. Wraith's ears flicked back to better hear her and he snorted in agreement, obviously pleased at the chance to run. Tuesday supposed that he probably hadn't had this chance since he had been captured by the Gladiators.

But now, he'd have every chance that she could spare him, she promised.

Tempest had been loathe to remain in her pokeball, but after about a half hour of sitting in Tuesday's lap, the pikachu had finally decided that a little of her pride could be hurt by retreating. Obviously, she didn't enjoy this as much as Tuesday did.

Enjoy it though she did, even she had to stop.

"Ugh... my legs," she groaned, flopping down on the ground.

Jaima was in similar shape. He sat down with a moan. "Ow..."

"We could walk a little, if you wanted," Tuesday offered. She knew how he felt. She had taken riding lessons when she was little (that was how she got the experience), and they were only supposed to have her ride for one hour a day. The first time she had ridden for two hours straight, her legs had screamed at her. Saddle-sore...

"I don't think I can walk," he replied, but his voice held that layer of teasing that she had grown to pick out of his words.

She grinned, but her smile quickly faded in that face of why they were moving so quickly. "Has Mercury been able to get hold of Lady?"

Jaima shook his head. "She's been trying as we moved, but there's nothing."

Tuesday sighed. She had been going to suggest that they could take a rest and camp here, but with all of the possibilities running through their minds, there was no way that they would be able to sleep. If Lady had been as urgent as Jaima said Mercury insisted, then Tuesday doubted if it was something simple and easily procrastinated.

Translation: They had to keep moving.

To her surprise, Jaima was the first one up, already on his feet, with the same thought obviously in mind.

"Do you mind if you sit behind me this time?" he asked. "I feel like I keep sliding off of his back."

Tuesday smiled. "Sure." She refrained from telling him that such was an inevitable feeling when riding bareback.

They had been riding for hours.

Hours.

Tuesday's butt hurt.

Equals major suckage.

"Are we there yet?"

Jaima snorted. "Yes."

Tuesday leaned to her right, peering around Jaima. Sure enough, there was a giant mountain sitting right smack-dab in front of them. "Aaaand... how did I miss that?"

"I think you fell asleep."

Tuesday blinked. Did she...?

Oh well, not important.

Both she and Jaima slid off of Wraith's back. The ponyta snorted heavily and bowed her head. White foam was lathered on her skin and Tuesday grimaced. "Can we spare ten minutes, Jaima?" she asked.

He nodded, sinking to the ground. Obviously, ten minutes sounded fine.

He pulled a pokeball off of his belt and released Shadow. Tuesday stopped running the brush in her hand over Wraith's coat to look at the riolu. She swallowed, but neither he nor Jaima seemed to notice her concentration upon the pokemon.

"Shadow, can you see if you can't find Darryn? He's somewhere around here, we're sure."

Shadow bowed low in agreement. Before he could run off, however, Tuesday grabbed Dante's ball and quickly released the charmander. He looked at her expectantly.

"You're good at climbing mountains, Dante," Tuesday said, remembering back at the Old World, and that Dante had been born and lived in a mountain when he was young. "Why don't you see if you can't help Shadow?" She refrained from saying that two heads were better than one. She thought that may have been pushing it. She didn't know how the riolu would react to either the offer for help or the company, but... well, even though he wasn't her pokemon, Tuesday was worried about him going off on his own. That nightmare still lingered...

Turning back to Wraith, Tuesday continued brushing his coat, giving him time to recover from the run, and clearing off the sweat that had accumulated on his creamy fur. She wouldn't look at Jaima. She didn't know how he'd react to her assuming Shadow needed help or company, either.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 10 2009, 12:27 PM

"CRAAAP!" Darryn screamed, thumping his fists as hard as possible on the boulder pinning his legs. Nothing - NOTHING - he had tried to move the blasted piece of rock had worked and now, just to make things worse, he was even more exhausted than when he had woken up. "Stupid... bloody..." he muttered, twisting around for a better look at his surroundings.

A faint scraping noise emanated from the encompassing gloom but stopped almost as immediately as it began. Darryn froze. Had he imagined it? He strained his ears, drinking in the sound of silence to try and taste even the faintest whisper of sound. And long, dead nothing answered him until...

"CRANI?!"

"NARGH!" Darryn yelled, twisting hard with fright, a large grey face only inches from his nose. The bulky creature, startled by Darryn's protest, began to yell in unison, swaying its head from side to side with massive rolling eyes. Unlike a scared creature, however, it did not run away. It merely yelled in Darryn's face and began to hit itself in the head with stumpy, clawed hands.

Darryn's cries slowly subsided to bemused confusion and somewhat disgust as he watched the peculiar Pokemon beat itself silly while moaning like a Wailord in song. Whatever it was, the Pokemon was close enough to the descending shaft of light for Darryn to get a good clear look at it.
Two powerfully built legs supported an almost upright body with a pointed triangle of a tail that hung back to give it some sort of balance. Rough grey skin encapsulated the beast but it looked almost like pebbles - lumpy yet not sharp - apart from two sections that were shiny and blue on top of its head and its back. Short arms that barely reached the thing's nose hand narrow, stubby claws that looked far from dextrous. Lastly, its head was large and blocky - a lantern jaw framing the most plain of features topped by a crown of nicely spaced, pointed horns.

"What are you?" Darryn whispered under his breath, reaching out to touch the Pokemon. It noticed the movement and stopped wailing, standing stock-still as Darryn's fingertips grazed the side of its head. He had been right - the monster felt almost like course sandpaper but when he reached up to stroke the azure dome on top of its head, the texture became something akin to glass... warm glass.

"Niii?" The creatures shuddered with delight at Darryn's touch and pushed its head closer for him to continue rubbing.

"Easy, now!" Darryn leaned away from the mystery Pokemon and put on a wary smile. "Don't get too carried away, yeah?"

The thing looked dumbly back at him and coughed. Spittle hit Darryn right in the face. He kept still and groaned.

"Oh, fantastic..." He muttered, slowly wiping thick mucus from his eyebrows. "Something comes along and it just spits in my face. What a delightful monster you are..."

Apparently, sarcasm was lost on the thing as it began to laugh - a low, gutteral and extremely annoying braying sound that reminded Darryn of a broken car horn.

"Hate to burst a bubble or anything, but reckon you could help me out?" Darryn asked, pointing at the rock squashing his legs. "Bit stuck here..."

The grey biped looked at the rock and back at Darryn before shrugging its shoulders (rather comically) and walking off into the darkness. Darryn braced himself for the rock to be lifted free and fclutched tightly to the rocks at his sides. He tensed like that for about twenty seconds before he looked around and offered a few of his most colourful expletives before yelling:

"COME BAAACK!"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 10 2009, 03:15 PM

Jaima watched as Dante and Shadow hopped and climbed up the mountain with a deftness born of natural ability. Tuesday's instincts were good, to have the two pair. After all, what kind of wild pokémon might they find here?

Jaima thought he could hear a noise, a call, and released Mercury from her pokéball. "Anything," he asked with no preamble.

Mercury was used to this, and knew that he was used to her. There was such a feeling of warmth when she was released from his mind that it was like a greeting. She closed her eyes for a long moment, trying to find Darryn.

No, Trainer Jaima. There's a lot of people here, even though we can't see them. Mountain Climbers, tourists... some of them are very afraid, and I can't pinpoint anything... She seemed frustrated by this, her lips pressed together in annoyance. There are also a lot of dark pokémon in the area, I think. Things here are spotty, like looking through a dirty glass. I could find him if not for that...

Jaima waved a hand. "It's OK. Maybe you can help when we get closer, huh?" He smiled at her, patting his shoulder, then released Grondir, Ember, Tsunami, and Fang. "Be on the lookout, guys. We'll need you and Tempest to protect us while Wraith rests."

His team responded and fanned out, using Grondir as a central point. They each looked around warily, watching the nearby scrub bushes. Mercury continued to scan.

Shadow has found a hole, she said, amused. He says he can smell something coming from it, but it's not entirely human.

Jaima nodded and listened to her report, idly rummaging through his pack and pulling out plastic bottle, which he had gotten from the Nurse Joy, full of Gigarte Spring Water. He handed it for Tuesday and pulled a second one out as well. "I have another two, if Wraith needs some.

The Team is fine, Trainer Jaima, Grondir has engrained, and Tsunami says she is moist enough. The kirlia giggled. She has a cute mental voice!

Suddenly, Mercury stiffened, alert, and Jaima nearly dropped into a fighting stance by instinct. However, she relaxed. A dark type passed between me and Shadow. I couldn't 'see' him for a moment, but he's OK. He says he hears something and is going to look.

Jaima wanted to relax, but knew he couldn't sit down. His bum was so sore, he probably wouldn't be able to sit for a week!

And so they waited, Mercury giving status reports from time to time, and twitching when she couldn't feel Shadow briefly. Finally, she reported that Darryn's scent was found.

"Come on, Tuesy. Break's over," Jaima said in a pained voice. Mercury had put a mental highlight over his sight of the mountain, and the spot was pretty high up.

His thighs were going to kill him for this.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 10 2009, 03:37 PM

Waiting in the dark was not something that Darryn would want to revisit ever again. The tiniest of sounds, most often caused by his good self, made him flinch and nearly any sort of shadow around him seemed to come alive the longer he looked at it. It was only when the mystery Pokemon returned that Darryn was able to relax even a little bit.

"Doh?" The thing's voice appeared just before a large grey face emerged from the dark once more. Darryn, somehow, didn't jump at its sudden appearance. Maybe it was the desperatation, but he instead found himself immediately stroking the thing's coarse head again.

"Good boy!" He made sure to rub extra hard on the spot that made its eyes roll back in its head the furthest. "Now, please please can you try to move this big rock off me? It's super heavy and I bet a strong guy like you can lift something like this, huh?"

It seemed that compliments worked well on the simple beast as it began flexing its stumpy arm muscles with mock-bravado. It slowly moved into the gloom once more and Darryn nearly yelled at it again for leaving him but an ear-splitting "CRACK!" shattered his ear drums. He leaned to the side to see the biped smashing the boulder with the shiny blue dome on top of its head with horrifying strength. The boulder jolted back and forth but still did not move enough for Darryn to wriggle free.

"That's an awesome Headbutt!" He congratulated the thing as it continued its assault. "But I bet you have even stronger attacks, huh? Why don't you show me one of those?"

The monster came back into the light, peering at Darryn questioningly for a few moments before it gave a blink of understanding and grinned happily. It retreated into the dark again and, much to Darryn's surprise, began glowing. Two rod-like lights began to illuminate the dark and it shocked Darryn to the core to see that it was the thing's arms!!!

"Is that Hammer Arm?!" Darryn gasped as the thing threw itself upon the boulder. With an almighty swing, the attack connected and the enormous rock instantly cracked right down the middle. The pressure on Darryn's legs was immediately relieved and with a rapid surge, Darryn dragged himself clear and scooped up his Pokeballs.

"Yes! Well done, Thingy!" He clapped, smiling and dancing on the spot. "Now, lead me outta here!"

The thing gave a curt "CRANI!" of joy and waddled into the dark.

"Wait for me!" Darryn hurried after it, grabbing its tail and following it blindly into the blackness. "I really hope you know where you're going..." He muttered.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 10 2009, 11:59 PM

"You okay?" Tuesday asked, as she put away the tack she had been using.

Jaima grimaced. "Yeah," he said, "we just have to go pretty high up on the mountain."

Tuesday tilted her head back to scan said obelisk with her eyes. "Hmm," was all she offered. To be truthful, she had never had a fear of heights. Of course, people had often told her that her element was air. Something to do with her astrological sign, but she didn't precisely remember. All she knew was that being really high up didn't bother her. So long as she was a decent ways away from water, she was fine.

Her legs threw a small fit at being forced to do any sort of work, but Tuesday ignored them. She hoped that Jaima's friend was okay. Maybe they'd be lucky and Dante and Shadow had found him.

Tuesday was just contemplating how she would have to call Wraith back into his pokeball (and that she probably should have done that earlier, so he could rest while they continued on), when Tempest let out a loud, angry "PIKA!"

Tuesday winced as Tempest's ire took charge in her cheeks, the electricity sparking and causing Tuesday's hair to stand on end.

Tempest leapt from her shoulder and landed on the ground in front of her, just as a Houndour burst into view, snapping and snarling. Tempest let out a growl low in her throat - a warning that the Houndour had no intention of heeding. With a snarl, it launched forward and was immediately followed by a lanky Persian, who hissed violently.

Two men came into view, then. They scaled the scene with their eyes, and then the one said, "The ponyta looks like the only think worth keeping."

"Understood," the second said, obviously of a lower command. "I'll take care of the others." He reached down and grabbed four pokeballs, releasing his pokemon all at once. Tuesday's attention had turned to the other man, however, and she didn't see what pokemon had been released. This man was after Wraith, but he couldn't have him!

Tuesday ran forward, not really thinking. "You leave him alone!" she snapped.

The man actually smirked. "You know, you look kind of familiar. Maybe he will, too."

He tossed out a pokeball before Tuesday had a chance to respond. There were no words to match her fear, however, as a Feraligatr appeared, eyes narrowed and jaw snapping.

Tuesday staggered back a step. Of all the pokemon... of all the people... it was him.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 11 2009, 12:50 PM

Jaima went into protective big brother mode as soon as he saw the effects a feraligatr had on his adopted sister. She was frozen, shaking, terrified. Her eyes were fixed on the large waterlizard's face, the grinning, snapping jaw, and he knew if that thing charged, there would be no reaction from her.

"Aw, HELL no." He stepped forward. "Grondir, Fang, Mercury. Let's make ourselves a set of boots."

The feraligatr snorted in disgust and amusement, and Jaima had to wonder for a moment where this sudden bout of wit had come from. It was likely that he was just terrified himself, and was trying to function under duress. Either that, or he was really funny all this time and never knew it.

It didn't matter, his team, dwarfed by the lizard, stood bravely between him and Tuesday and the huge evolution. Each side waited for the attack, and Jaima looked around the battlefield. Besides this monstrosity, there was a persian, grinning at them in a catlike way. Flanking it to either side were a wartortle, grinning and slamming it's forepaws together, and a loudred, stomping on the ground in barely contained fury. Coming around, tongue out and slavering, quivering as if he'd never eaten in days and horse meat sounded really, really good was a hungry, hungry houndoom.

They were so outclassed, it wasn't funny.

Jaima was about to twitch when the man turned to him, grinning. "What is it with you and protectors, kid?" He was addressing Tuesday, but sizing Jaima up. "Last time I saw the brat, some old guy sicced an eevee on me. Now this. The Weeny brigade."

The man snorted, amused, then flicked his fingers. Jaima was ready.

"Go!"

Mentally, he'd told Mercury that they should all attack, with Grondir and her firing leaves at it, and Fang shooting bolts of electricity. She had prepared them, and when he gave the command a flurry of leaves and lightning struck out at the lizard. It was hard to see him, but when the debris fell, the lizard was still standing, panting in anger and a little pain, and glaring at him instead of Tuesday.

"See, kid, now you just pissed him off..."

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 11 2009, 03:51 PM

Tuesday didn't even react.

That just pissed Tempest off.

Not that Tuesday did nothing, but why she did nothing. Tempest knew, of course. It was that man. That cruel man who had hurt her before. Tempest remembered clearly that day. She hadn't known Tuesday for very long, but long enough that she had trusted her, loved her, wanted to protect her.

Tempest had done her best that day, but her best hadn't been good enough. She had been young, and while angry, she had been weak. The Typhlosion hadn't even been knocked out, and the Feraligatr had barely flinched at her attacks, even with the type advantage. He was just too big, too strong.

And too damn confident.

Tempest remembered the fear. The fear in her heart for Tuesday. The man had got away with all three of his pokemon, but Tempest and Dante had let him go. They hadn't been able to chase after him. They were too worried for Tuesday, too scared that she wouldn't survive.

She almost didn't. Dante didn't know that. He hadn't understood fully, and Tempest didn't have the heart to explain it to him fully. He had thought that she was fine, since she'd made it, which was true, but... but she almost hadn't.

Tempest's life had been harder than his, despite what Anika had done to him. Her previous owner had used pokemon, abused them, and she remembered some of the things she saw from those days. Some things from that time, she would never forget.

But nor would she forget standing there uselessly, watching the professor give Tuesday CPR, trying to save her life.

He had managed, sure, but barely.

Tuesday knew what had happened. After being unconscious for almost three days, Cassandra had told her what had happened when even Brone failed to be able to explain. She wouldn't say anything, though. Maybe she thought neither Tempest or Dante knew what had happened. She would have been right about the latter, but Tempest was wise in the ways of the world's cruelty, and she had seen much. Dante was still innocent.

Tempest hoped he kept that innocence.

Not even Jaima knew the full extent of the injuries Tuesday had suffered that day. Tempest was fairly sure that Tuesday was, in fact, afraid to mention it. The water frightened her. Of course it did. She still remembered the feeling of drowning, no doubt. That was why she was so fond of fire pokemon. Subconsciously, it was a rebellion against the water.

But it looked like the past had come back to haunt them.

Tempest's eyes narrowed. Then I'll make him a ghost to fit the term!

She had grown since the last time she had faced off the giant crocodile, but her anger hadn't lessened in the slightest over the years. She had a score to settle, and he wasn't going to like it. With a snarl that was less like a pikachu and more like a dog - a vicious, angry, ready-to-kill-anything-that-looks-at-me-wrong dog - Tempest lunged. She felt the charge erupt from her cheeks, electricity crackling and dancing around her, sparking and making every hair on her body stand on end. As though she was outside of herself, she could see the lightning cause her body to glow golden, as she darted forward initiating in the attack gifted her by her father.

She'd make sure the Feraligatr remembered this, too.

The distant sounds of battle called Dante's attention, alerting Shadow to danger, as well. Both of them raised their heads and, without a word to one another, headed down the mountain. Shadow was faster than Dante, bounding from one rock to the other swiftly, as the charmander crawled over the terrain. He didn't slip, for he was born to this lifestyle, but he wasn't as fast as the lithe jackal, and so he fell behind.

It might have been a good thing, that he was late arriving on the scene. He wasn't seen and therefore, not caught.

But it still made him feel guilty, to still be free, as Shadow was caught by the pokemon thieves, before they returned their attention to Wraith.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 12 2009, 10:20 AM

Shadow had heard the commotion, but at the exact moment, Mercury's mental contact had unfocused again. He could not find out what was going on, and, worse, the contact did not return after a few seconds. He had to return. They were close to the Lost One, too. But they would be able to find the place.

I believe my sensei and your sensei are in trouble, he told the FireTail. Mercury is out of contact, but there was fear in her. I will go back to them. You should follow. Would you like me to carry you?

No, the FireTail said, it will be all right. Shadow didn't wait to try to change his mind. He was little, and brave, but the FireTail had a fear that might prove a liability. Perhaps he'd have Mercury ask Sensei Jaima to ask Sensei Tuesday if he could teach FireTail Dante how to be as brave as a riolu. Helping Sensei train had given him a sense for it, and he found he liked it. And Sensei was a good student, when he wasn't worried about hurting the little pokémon.

As if that could even happen.

He dashed down, bouncing from rock to rock to outcropping to path, his feet nimble and sure. Genetic memories sprang forth, of riolus like him cresting hills and valleys in one day. His was a speedy race, and this particular race had to be speedy indeed.

When he arrived, he could see four pokémon surrounding the DarkMane, who was spinning, eyes rolling about as he tried to cover all four sides, and three of his own team facing against a large monstrosity. The three were competent fighters, and a forth, Sensei Tuesdays BoltTail, was charging, full of righteous anger and fighting spirit. He turned his attentions to the DarkMane's tormentors.

One was a Normal (enemies did not deserve names, only types) and could be stunned easily. Shadow hopped on its back and struck it in the head, long enough for it to yowl and stagger, then launched himself off to give the same treatment to the Dark. He flipped from the Dark to the other Normal, the big one with a huge mouth, and crushed it in the forehead with his foot.

He realized his mistake almost immediately. The DarkMane was most vulnerable to the Water, and couldn't help Shadow very well. He fell easily. Also, the three Shadow had attacked were far stronger than he, despite the fact that each opponent had a weakness to his skill. He'd hurt them, yes, but that did not make them wary, nor distract them long enough. He was going to fall. He was going to fail Sensei Jaima again.

He failed Mercury, and that was enough to drive hope from him as darkness claimed him.

* * * * *

"Huh," the man said, collecting the ponyta. Beside it, hidden by it's bulk, was a small riolu. "Still young. Was this what hit you, boy?" The houndoom sniffed it, then snarled, baring his teeth and preparing to tear Shadow to shred. The man grabbed the canine's horn.

"Whoa, there, Bane. This guy will fetch a pretty poké." He collected the riolu as well, then signaled to his partner, who was tormenting a kid with his Feraligatr. "Plagueis, Sidious, Maul!" He waved to the Wartortle, Persian, and Loudred, getting their attention. "Let's go!"

The man nodded and smiled. The blonde guy's hair was matted, meaning the Boss had let the Feraligatr attack the trainers directly, but a Pikachu, a shinx, a kirlia (shiny... maybe we should collect it) and a bulbasaur all still did their best to fight. The boss shook his head. "We'll be back for your little ballerina, boy. For now... we have what we came for."

The boy was standing protectively in front of a little girl, who seemed terrified. "Next time I see you," he said, trying to be tough, "Things'll be different." The Boss sneered, but the Collector thought the kid had spunk: He'd taken on a fully trained Feraligatr with a team of first tier evos, and survived. Maybe he would be a problem later. He shrugged. He'd let the boss worry about it.

The Boss recalled his feraligatr and walked away, and the boy, though he wanted to give chase, turned instead to make sure the little girl was all right.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 12 2009, 11:18 AM

"Have I mentioned yet how living in caves must be so lame?" Darryn muttered to the Pokemon leading him through the utter darkness of the mine. "Not only is it dark, but it's damp and cold down here, too... Don't you ever get bored of it?"

"Niii..." Came the reply from ahead. Darryn had no hope of telling if that was an affirmative or negative in the sightless gloom but it carried a hint of agreement.

"Well, when we get outside I'll cook you something great to eat as a thanks. That sounds good, huh?"

"NIII!" Now that was a definite affirmative.

Darryn inwardly giggled and continued his slow plod through the dark, putting all his trust in the strange monster leading him. Somehow, he didn't feel scared or worried that the Pokemon was leading him into a trap or somesuch. Instead he felt calm and relaxed. The thing hadn't made one move to harm him as yet and on the whole seemed far to basic-minded to be plotting anything. If he had shown anywhere near as much intelligence as Lady then he would have-

"Lady!" Darryn gasped, stunned that he had forgotten about her for so long. The beast gave a lurch in the dark and stopped walking. It pulled its tail free from Darryn's hand but almost immediately its big head was pushing itself under Darryn's fingertips. He stroked the smooth surface of the creature's domed head and cast his mind back to what happened just before his fall.

Lady was being attacked. Darryn was trying to help her but she wanted him to get to safety first. He fell down the hole after that Houndoom bit him... But that was it.

"Damn it!" Darryn bit his lip. "Can you get me out of here any faster? I need to..." Darryn broke off as faint noises began to echo through the dark. Instinctively he dropped low and turned his head to the side, trying to pick out whatever the sound was in the blackness.

"Doooh..."

Darryn, although not fluent in Pokemon, understood the tone with which the Pokemon spoke. It was wary of that noise and anger or aggression was leaking into its vocals, too. It reminded Darryn of the way Jaima's Riolu sometimes acted when provoked.
Listening for the sounds again, Darryn could definitely pick out the gravelly crunching of feet on pebbleswhich was soon accompanied by the dim glow of a light shining somewhere far ahead .

"Is that people?" Darryn asked himself, making to rise.

"Crani!" The Pokemon's mouth clamped softly around Darryn's elbow and pulled him back down to a croutch once more.

"What now?" Darryn rolled his eyes, rubbing the thing's head again. "We can't hang around down here - if people are around then it would be best to talk to them and find an exit."

"Niii..." Came the warning sound again, this time insistent. Darryn pursed his lips. He was stuck down a hole with no way out except for whatever was lighting the path up ahead or following the tail of a strange Pokemon that he had only just met. He rolled his options over in his head and grumbled to himself for taking the less-than-easy option.

"Fine, but I want to see what it is, 'kay? We'll take a look and then find a way around. Deal?" He asked the grey biped, scratching it just under the horns. It took a long while before the thing gave a reluctant nod (which Darryn felt in the dark) and moved on towards the light, its pacing a lot slower and quieter than before.

*Maybe he's not as dumb as he seems...* Darryn wondered as they approached the wavering light at the end of the tunnel.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Lady grumbled once more as she missed the target.

Using her tails, she had managed to scoop several small stones into her cage and toss them at the fangs which stood upright in the dusty soil around her. So far, she had managed to knock three of the four offending objects away from the cage, but the final obstacle remained.

If she could get them far enough away, she would be able to give the fan above her a quick mental-frying before literally frying the bars of her prison once she warmed up. She could practically feel the release of Dark energy as she moved the fangs away bit by bit and was certain that in a few more minutes she'd be on the road to freedom.

*Hurry back to me, my Prince.* She urged Darryn, flicking another stone through the bars, *I shall find you soon and then once you are safe, I shall make those thugs pay.*

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 12 2009, 12:49 PM

Tuesday was shivering.

That was the first thing that she became aware of occurring in the present.

The second was that she was cold, on the inside. It was as though someone had injected the icy water of a Water Gun attack directly into her veins.

It was funny, in a despairing kind of way; she couldn't remember anything that had happened. No, since that Feraligatr appeared, she didn't know what had occurred.

Wherever she had gone when the terror took over her mind, Tuesday came back from there now. The darkness of her sight receded, leaving in its place a view of the base of the mountain, a group of tired pokemon, and Jaima. He looked concerned, kneeling in front of her with worry and regret in his eyes.

"Jaima...?" she asked softly.

"Hey, Tuesy," he said, his concern bleeding through. "You okay?"

"I'm cold," she whispered, still not quite understanding why, as she looked down at the ground and shivered. She felt something draped over her shoulders, as Tempest came over and crawled into her arms. The pikachu nuzzled her softly, sadly.

"'Pest?" Tuesday looked up at Jaima, who still had that look of regret in his eyes, the concern fading with the realization that Tuesday was okay. "Jaima, what's wrong?"

He met her eyes and looked reluctant, but it was something he couldn't keep from her. "They took Wraith, Tuesy," he said softly, "and Shadow." He looked away. "I couldn't stop them. They were too-"

"Strong," Tuesday finished, her interruption calling Jaima's eyes back to her. "I know." She was looking past Jaima, toward where the thieves had gone, but perhaps further off than that, through time, even. "That was the man," she said softly, unaware that Jaima had already figured that out on his own. "That was the Feraligatr, and the man." She looked down. "I... didn't do anything."

Tempest let out a gentle "Kaa..." of reassurance, though it didn't make Tuesday feel much better. She tightened her arms around the pikachu, hugging her close.

"I feel completely useless, Jaima," she whispered. "I was too scared..." She felt tears slip from her eyes, but they were silently shed. She was rolling in self-pity, and somewhere, part of her was disgusted by it. There was something that they had to do. They had to find the thieves. They had to get Wraith and Shadow back.

But, wait...

"Jaima," she said, meeting his eyes, "your friend. We have to find him."

"Char."

Tuesday and Jaima both looked to see Dante walk over slowly, looking sad and remorseful. He looked at them and then turned, pointing up the mountain. "Char."

It looked like he knew where Jaima's friend was.

They'd find Wraith and Shadow, but... this came first.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 12 2009, 02:11 PM

Jaima was very happy that Tuesday was OK. He would have gladly carried her if she wasn't, but he was happy that she was. It was one less thing to worry about. He loved Tuesday, like he loved his sisters, but he really, really wanted to dwell on what he'd do to the Feraligatr Man when he saw him next.

It wasn't pretty. But it was satisfying.

"People need to stop stealing my kids," he growled lightly. Tuesday blinked at him, but evidently thought better of speaking. She was still shaken from simply seeing the man, and still, probably, ashamed of having done nothing.

Jaima struggled to think of something to say, anything to say, to help her, and finally remembered a quote that had been displayed during his martial arts classes at the gym. "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." Again, Tuesday blinked at him, then looked at the ground. She was thinking.

"I used to be scared of mankeys."

Tuesday looked at him, wide eyed, a small, fraction of a smile fighting to either show or not show on her face. He caught this out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look at her. It was pretty embarrassing. "I was a kid, but I didn't get over it for a while." He finally did look down, smiling sheepishly. "They're loud, you know? And they run at you when you tick 'em off. Just... I couldn't handle that. So I'd avoid them."

He stopped their walking and crouched next to her, despite the protest of his angry legs. "Thing is, when I worked for Professor Elm, I had to go through the woods to work, and then back to pick up the twins, and sometimes I'd do deliveries. So, Professor Elm, thinking it'd help, caught a mankey and took me to observe it. INSIDE the room."

Tuesday's eyes widened, and Jaima grinned. "It didn't go as planned. The mankey just didn't like my hair, and he attacked me. Professor Elm was mortified, but in the end, all I got was a scrape or two and my hair pulled. Punched me in the gut, but it was a small one. The ones in that forest tended to be small or caught, 'cause it was so near our lab, where the new trainers go."

He looked Tuesday in the eye. "So even though it didn't work, I learned that what I was afraid of wasn't real. And as I grew up and got better with training, I realized even the things I had a legitimate fear of weren't as scary as I was making them out to be."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I know he hurt you. But your kids are stronger now, and you're wiser now, and, most importantly, he isn't going to split us up, not like he did when you first met. We're pretty tough together. Understand?"

Tuesday thought, then nodded, living up to her nickname. He smiled at her. "Good. Time to climb."

Dante lead them to the hole in the rock, and Jaima looked into it. It was dark, and he had no pokémon with a light emitting move. Tuesday, however, had a solution: She had packed a flashlight.

"Show off," he said fondly. They were about to enter when a plume of smoke rising up distracted them. It looked like it was nearby, but something about it...

"Into the Darkness or Into the Fire? Where shall we go, lower or higher?
Shall we find our fortune in Flame, or shall we deny the Darkness it's shame?"

"Don't ask where that came from," Jaima said, pulling out his pokémon. "I have a feeling that smoke means a camp, and a camp means, likely, our thieves. It's too close to be a coincidence. What do you think, Tuesy?"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 12 2009, 02:58 PM

*Finally!* Lady watched as the final Mightyena fang clakced out of range, it's Dark energies falling short of her cage. *Let's get this ugly thing off!*

Lady Foxtrot's eyes swirled in their sockets, their deep chesnut brown darkening to black before flashing into an incandescent crimson that made her eyes seem to ignite in her head. Extrasensory waves blasted upwards into the coolant fan, shorting the circuits that drove the disgusting contraption and allowing warm air to creep into her body. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt her fire-sac come back to life and with a scream she lets loose a focused Ember attack on the roof of the cage.

Burning pellet after pellet shot free from her lips, charring and scorching the fan overhead while driving deeper and harder into the casing above. She barely paused to take breath as she focused all of her power on one spot, pouring flames into the tiny crack being forced in its structure.

*BOOM*

The top of the casing explosed in a shower of shrapnel and smoke, a thin column rising high into the air. Lady immediately sprang through it and pranced clear of the stinking smog, catching her breath after exerting herself so hard. She was about to raise a paw and run into the mine when a sound caught her ears from behind. She span and growled menacingly, the hair on her back standing on end (liek that on a conered Glameow) as she faced her what was fast approaching....

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"And then all the fossil Pokemon will be mine! Mwahahahaaa!"

"Ugh, a real life Dr Evil..." Darryn muttered as he listened to the strangely-clothed man from his hiding place in the shadows. The guy was wearing a pecuiar green-and-black uniform emblazoned with a large letter D on the front. He was short and kinda fat with frizzy yellow hair and glasses on the end of a very short and yet very hooked little nose. He looked almost like a Natu that landed on a powerline but not nearly as cute.

While Darryn had listened to the idiot blather on about his ultimate scheme in collecting all the fossil Pokemon in the mine, this strange fellow set up a compact device stood on a tripod, a small antenna sticking out from its top. There was no real way to say what it did, but it must have had something to do with the odd plan the guy was chatting about. He worked by the light of a glowing Umbreon - its yellow marking softly illuminating the tunnels around them as faintly as a couple of candles.

The unnamed Pokemon that squated at Darryn's side appeared to be getting anxious, twisting and fidgeting like a child while uttering tiny moans of discomfort.

"Don't worry," Darryn whispered, rubbing its head again, "fossil Pokemon don't exist, so this guy's gonna leave in a minute. Then we can get out once he leaves."

"And now to begin!" The man announced suddenly, flipping several switches on the machine at once. It whirred to life and began humming, a tuneful rumbling that reverberated along the walls.

"Pish. What an idiot." Darryn muttered. "It's not gonna- huh?" Darryn gasped as his new ally stood up and began to walk straight towards the man and his Pokemon. A glazed look had passed over its eyes making it seem even more slow-witted than normal. "Psst! Come back!" He whispered after it.

"It works!" The man delighted, clapping his hands as Darryn's buddy moved into the light. "A Cranidos! My, and what a large one too! Much bigger than the records say they should be! And now to catch it..."

*No way! That's a Cranidos? I had no idea! I was touching a fossil Pokemon and didn't even realise it?! That's so awesome! But they shouldn't be tricked into coming out like this... It's not right for someone to come along and disturb them with some dumb machine then just stick them in balls like any old Rattata...*

"Hold on!" Darryn came strutting out of the dark, shaking his head with disagreement. The man jumped four feet in the air with fright, squealing like a girl. "I'm sorry but there are no fossil Pokemon around here. They don't exist. Just turn that box off and go home."

"Buzz off, kid! Horace doesn't take kindly to petulant little whelps! Right, Delusion?" He spat, his Umbreon leaping forward and snarling at Darryn menacingly.

"Well shall see!" Darryn yelled, tossing his Quick Ball while running full pelt at the one named Horace. Romeo appeared in a flash of light, immediately tumbling with the Umbreon to the ground, yapping and snarling as they bit and clawed at each other in a bewildering lightshow of crackling electricity. Up close and personal, Horace was actually a lot bigger than he seemed and Darryn's well-aimed gut-punch hit a very hard wall of stomach. Horace grinned at him wickedly.

"Oh, so we're playing that way, are we?".....

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 12 2009, 10:49 PM

Jaima's words had calmed Tuesday. They made her think. Not dwell on what had happened and what she could have or should have done, but think. And she needed to think.

The fact that he quoted surprised her. Other people didn't... they didn't do that. Tuesday was the weird person that remembered random quotes from various pieces of literature and somehow managed to use them in real life situations. She'd met people that tolerated her, but never someone else that did the same thing. It was odd, and different, and... nice.

She looked down at the ground, remaining silent, a blush creeping over her face. She felt silly, and wasn't quite sure why her face was hot, but... she tried to hide a smile, but apparently wasn't making very good progress.

Jaima offered up his own story, which she listened to with rapt attention. He was a good storyteller, and he was nice.

When he made up the poem off of the top of his head, she almost laughed in delight, but for the fact that her face was all red again at her thoughts, and there were still more important things to concern themselves with. He was leaving the decision up to her.

He was right, of course; where there was smoke on this mountain, there was bound to be a campfire. It was plausible that it was the thieves, as they probably wouldn't have wanted to travel far. Tuesday wondered, though, on why they would risk allowing the smoke to be seen, considering that they knew there were at least two people still on the mountain who would undoubtedly be coming after them. Sure, they weren't uber-powerful, but... they were a force to be reckoned with. Something just didn't add up.

Sitting on Tuesday's shoulder, Tempest bristled, electricity sparking at her cheeks. Apparently, she was under a similar impression, and Tuesday couldn't doubt the pikachu's gut. Tempest was... she tended to be right.

True, Tuesday was worried about Jaima's friend. He could be hurt and in need of help. Something was telling her, though, be it her own gut or some higher power, to follow this other sign. And she couldn't rightly ignore the feeling. So, nodding more to herself than anything, she turned and began to walk toward the smoke. "Let's check this out, Jaima," she said softly.

He didn't seem at all adverse to the idea, and Tuesday wondered if he had let her make the decision, because his mind was split, as well.

He must be concerned about his friend, she mused, if I'm concerned about him, and I don't even know him. In fact, I don't even know his name. Jaima and I haven't had much time to talk about anything outside of our letters. We were... busy. She shook her head to keep it from falling back to what had happened in the past. It was bad enough that she was suffering from nightmares; she didn't need problems in the day, as well. She was also trying not to think of how Shadow had been kidnapped, when he was the source of the majority of her nightmares. We won't take very long here. We need to keep our priorities, and Jaima's friend is priority number one... right after we see exactly what this is. It could be a problem, after-

Tuesday's thought processes were cut off abruptly when they turned the corner, and the sound of a snarl was her only warning before a furry scarlet blur pelted at her with speed that not even Tempest could match. Tuesday got a decent enough glimpse that she was pretty sure it was a vulpix, and she managed to wonder what a vulpix was doing here and what she could have possibly done to piss it off, before the fox was practically on top of her.

Considering the circumstances, Wraith was fairly pleased with himself.

Sure, he had been poke-napped, along with the Sore Rider's riolu, and he hadn't managed to get many attacks in at the time. However, since the Thieves had recalled their Slaves, Wraith had a much better time relaying the message that he was NOT happy.

The one man was still clutching his stomach from when Wraith had bucked and kicked him, and he had been coughing up blood, but he looked like he would survive. Unfortunately.

Quite a few of the men had large blisters on their hands, and one man had brought his face too close. One swish of his tail and Wraith had made him the next Phantom of the Opera. The ponyta couldn't contain a whinny of glee.

Of course, not all of the men were quite so stupid, and they had managed to finally get a bridle on Wraith. Not that he made it easy for them. Let them wear fire-resistant gloves. Quite a few pairs had holes in them where Wraith had bit their fingers.

Put a bit in my mouth, indeed! He reared, whinnying loudly and kicking out with his forelegs. A few men were sent scurrying away like rattata in fear, and Wraith whinnied in triumph. Of course, he wasn't exactly winning. Apparently, the men were being picked up in a helicopter, when some others were bringing pokeballs that could override the claim that the Little Rider's pokeball had on Wraith, and that the Sore Rider's pokeball had on the riolu, Shadow. The Thieves had taken them further up the mountain, and it was cold here, dimming Wraith's fires.

His mane and tail could dim, but the fires of his spirit wouldn't. He wouldn't give up, and he wouldn't go down without a fight. Shadow was fighting, as well, kicking and hitting with quick precision. If they could make this just right, they could get free, and Shadow could even ride Wraith down the mountain and back to Sore and Little Rider.

All they had to do was keep fighting.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 13 2009, 06:31 AM

<ChromeDome!> Lady dashed past the little girl, aiming for the familiar glittering face behind her. The human child made a shocked cry but Lady ignored her. Such ugly sounds were not privy to her ears. <You came!>

<Oh, did we? Hang on... let's see if I can state the obvious in an even better->

<Don't be ugly.> Lady cut her short, their eyes meeting with something akin to mirth but Lady held herself back from showing too much emotion. As her Prince had explained a wise man had taught him - emotions were to be released in a private place lest you appear weak.

<Don't be a priss.> Mercury practically giggled back at her. Lady stuck her tongue in her cheek.

"Lady!" Jaima announced, the smaller human giving a shocked 'Oh!'. "Where's Darryn? Is he OK?"

<I don't talk to any humans but my own.> Lady told Mercury, turning her nose up at Jaima. Mercury's emotions of annoyance rebuckled on Lady in an instant but Lady wasn't completely rude. <You can tell him that I thank him for coming to aide me with this. There are strong opponents ahead and I don't know if Prince Darryn is healthy or not - these mountains restrict my thoughts. He is somewhere under our feet though and there is a cave entrance nearby. We must hurry and go inside - bad humans have entered the cave and they have cruel intentions towards the Pokemon that live here.>

Lady waited patiently as Mercury relayed the information to her master before the Kirlia nodded and held out and arm.

<Lead the way.>

<Keep up, if you can.> Lady replied, dashing back towards the camp and the black hole that undoubtedly held her Prince.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"You've got spunk, kid." Horace laughed, advancing on Darryn while cracking his knuckles. "But you're in over your head here. You've seen too much, too. I'm gonna have to finish you off now."

"What? Like your Weedle-weak Umbreon? Puh-lease!" Darryn snorted back, his false bravado ringing in his voice. Romeo had fought valiantly and defeated the thing named Delusion with speed. Still, the Jolteon had taken some damage and was not exactly in tip-top condition. Not only that, but Romeo was the only one lighting the cave now that the Umbreon was unconscious. His lightning crackled like a strobe light as the thickly-set man advanced on Darryn.

"Once all of the fossil Pokemon are mine, you'll laughing out the other side of your face!" Horace roared, rushing at Darryn with a clenched fist. Darryn dropped and rolled, using his old gymnastics class as a platform for dodging effectively. It didn't always work as his split lip and limping left leg exhibited the unsuccessful dodges that he had unfortuneately stumbled into. Nothing he had done to Horace, however, had produced a visible effect.

"Get lost!" Darryn yelled, dashing back out of the great man's reach. "Leave these Pokemon alone!"

"Whatever! Don't you have any idea how much money these things will fetch on the Black Market?"

"No, and I don't care either! Romeo! Charge Beam on that machine!" Darryn ordered. His Jolteon leapt at the device and screamed an electrical ray of white lightning upon the metal object, causing it to explode.

"What have you done?!" Horace roared, rushing at Darryn once more. There was no way Darryn could dodge this one. Horace's fist slammed into Darryn jaw, causing him to practically backflip before slamming to the ground. "You've ruined EVERYTHING!"

Horace's boot came dashing towards his face just as...

"CRANI!" The wild Cranidos, free from the hypnotic effects of the device came flying through the dark, its head cracking into Horace's side. The fat fool crashed into the tunnel wall with a wail and fell to the ground.

"Cranidos! Thank you!" Darryn panted, struggling to get back on his feet. "Now, you get out of here before any more of those goons show up." Cranidos' face looked sad and confused. "I said get out of here!" Darryn urged it, limping after Romeo as he guided Darryn towards the exit. "You shouldn't be captured and sold like meat - it isn't right!"

"I think we'll decide that!" Came a snide voice from the dark. Into Romeo's crackling light came two more figures, each wearing the same uniform that the fallen Horace had worn. "Twerps like you shouldn't mess with Team Decpetion!"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 14 2009, 08:27 PM

Jaima's mouth hung open for the split second it took for Mercury and Lady to have their conversation. He wasn't privy to it, but he could tell by the smile on Mercury's face that it wasn't altogether unpleasant.

OK, what's going on?

I'm sure I don't know what you mean...

You're being civil. To "bad doggie". Remember? 'Eeeew'?

Oh, Trainer Jaima, things change! People change! Lady is still quite the priss, but she's not a murderous psychopath... Anymore. Before Jaima could interrupt, Mercury went on. She says that Darryn is below, but she doesn't know if he's hurt or not. I can't tell either. She knows where there's a cave entrance, and there are bad people who don't have good intentions to the native pokemon. We should really hurry, because the stuck up little priss won't wait up for you, let alone talk to you-

AH-HAH!

Hush! Mercury thought, blushing, then looked at Lady. With a yip, the vixin vulpix was off, Jaima, Tuesday, and their pokemon scrambling after.

* * * * *

It had seemed like hour, but jad to be a fraction of the time. As they went deeper, Fang and Tempest lighting the way with an arc of electricity each (Tsunami gave them a wide berth), Lady seemed to be turning more and more haphazardly, but Mercury assured Jaima that she was actually getting more an dmore sure of where she was headed. Finally, she stopped, wary, listening at a corner.

"Twerps like you shouldn't mess with Team Deception!"

"What is it with these bad guys and their teams?" Jaima muttered, getting a quiet nod from Tuesday. Silently, he laid out a plan. Mercury would sneak behind the Team Decrepit (earning a mild giggle from Tuesday) guys, and teleport Fang, Dante, and Tsunami to that side (it would have to be one by one, but it wouldn't take long, she claimed.) Tuesday, Jaima, and the remaining three would keep the bad guys' attention, and hopefully evvery thing would be OK.

Lady, Mercury informed them, would go to Darryn's side. She was quivering in anticipation of it.

Finally, when things were ready, Jaima stepped out, followed by Tuesday and their pokemon. "How about twerps like us? Will we do?"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 15 2009, 12:06 AM

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.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 15 2009, 12:02 PM

"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!"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 15 2009, 10:37 PM

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."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 16 2009, 02:55 PM

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.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 16 2009, 11:58 PM

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?"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 17 2009, 06:56 PM

"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!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 18 2009, 02:42 PM

"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."

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 21 2009, 12:20 AM

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.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 21 2009, 03:34 AM

"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!*

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 21 2009, 05:43 PM

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.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 21 2009, 10:31 PM

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.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 22 2009, 12:30 PM

<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!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 22 2009, 02:53 PM

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.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 22 2009, 02:54 PM

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.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 22 2009, 03:16 PM

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!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 23 2009, 01:44 PM

"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?"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 24 2009, 08:01 PM

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.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 25 2009, 04:27 PM

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."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 26 2009, 01:24 PM

"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!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 26 2009, 02:09 PM

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.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 26 2009, 02:54 PM

"Um, guys..."

Jaima watched as his oldest friend and one of his newest friends argued about who should capture the riolu. As much as he enjoyed seeing Meiko again, he felt she was being a bit pushy, but on the other hand, Darryn had a full team, with the addition of his cranidos, and the riolu would be sent to whatever storage system was here on the island.

Meiko's use of her pokémon, however, wasn't heavy handed, and she obviously was trying to disable the riolu before going for an all out attack. When the riolu blocked with his tail, Jaima actually smiled.

"I think he's trying to tell you something, Mei-chan."

Meiko looked over at him, her eyes narrowed in frustration. "He's willful, I'll give him that, but I can catch him!" She tossed the pokeball with a flick of her wrist, and the riolu flipped backwards, kicking it with his foot and, again, sending it right back to her hand.

Jaima chuckled, and Meiko growled at him, narrowing her eyes. Jaima raised his hands and went to stand next to Tuesday. "Obviously he has his eyes on someone else as a trainer," he muttered cryptically, but said nothing as he watched.

Soon pokeballs were littering the ground, some obviously imported from other regions, and some he recognized as Kurt specials. The riolu managed to dodge all of them and a vast majority of the noctowl's attacks, something that silently impressed Jaima.

He could understand the want to capture the riolu. They were good pokémon, as he could attest from having one on his team, and they were smart, too. Watching this little guy, who was a bit faster than Shadow, and definitely spent more time juking and diving than Shadow did, he began to miss his riolu all the more.

Finally it was hit and tumbled to the ground, kicking up a low cloud of dirt. Meiko tossed the pokéball with relish, but it fell short.

"Shimatta!" Meiko swore as the riolu dashed toward Tuesday. Jaima narrowed his eyes, ready to call Mercury out, but before he could twitch, the riolu had grinned and touched an empty pokéball on her belt. He was sucked into it, and all was still.

Darryn and Meiko gaped, and then Meiko stopmed. "That's not fair! I did all the work!"

Darryn huffed. "She really should give the pokéball to Meiko."

Something in Jaima's head seemed to break. "Are you KIDDING me?!" He hadn't realized how loud he'd spoken until the echo came back up the cave, but he was already on a rant. "You want to tell me that you're going to blame Tuesday for something she didn't even DO? The pokémon made a choice, to be captured by her, and not," he growled, pointing to Meiko, "by you!" He glared at Darryn, who was snickering. "And don't even start, Darryn, you've got a full team, wanting to catch that one is greedy!" He threw up his hands. "Except for Meiko, all of our kids need rest and aid, which we might not be able to give properly, and Shadow is in the hands of those bastards, AGAIN! So if you two want to squawk like a couple of old ladies about it, fine, but you'll have to get through ME to get that ball from her!"

Mercury floated up, tired and at Jaima's shoulder, arms crossed. Grondir and Ember stood side by side at Jaima's feet, Tsunami sitting behind them, tired but readying herself. Fang growled low, panting, sounding quite unlike his usual playful self.

Meiko glared at Jaima, then made a point of pulling out her pokéballs to recall the rest of her team. "Fine," she said, softly, obviously not happy. "I don't care." She turned on her heel and left the cave in a huff.

Darryn kicked the ground, and when it became more obvious that he wasn't going to attack either, Jaima offered Tuesday his hand and walked out with her. Though he didn't squeeze her hand, the rest of his body was tense with anger.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 26 2009, 03:15 PM

"And here I am, just doing what any other trainer would do... sheesh!" Darryn muttered under his breath as he and Meiko led the way back to the light. It bothered Darryn that Jaima thought he had been greedy. And if Jaima still thought he had a full team... "And I'm the one sending my partners away to support my friend..."

"What was that?" Meiko trudged alongside him, frowning. "You gave away a Pokemon? Why would you do that?"

Darryn gulped. He really didn't want to talk about Mindy's departure again, but there was nothing else for it. Her sudden flight from Furoh made him feel sad every time he thought about the way she had soared away, leaving him alone in the middle of nowhere. Well, technically he hadn't been alone, but it sure had felt like it!

"Well, I don't know when or if I'll see her again, but I gave away my Butterfree not long ago. Y'see, one of my best friends got news that her Vespiquen was really sick and she had to go home to care for it. It didn't sound good - the local Nurse Joy thought it was going to die. That's why I gave Mindy my India. Not to replace Queen, exactly, but to try and fill the void that would be left behind if Queen died. I still haven't heard anything from them..."

"Daijoubu, daijoubu!" Meiko patted Darryn on the arm. "It'll be fine. You'll see. If you and your Butterfree have a close bond, I'm sure she'll come back one day."

"I guess," Darryn sighed, his eyes straining as they broke into the day light, "but I don't want to call for her return for Mindy's sake, y'know?"

Meiko nodded solemnly.

"Well, Jaima's a great guy - if he'd known, he probably wouldn't have shouted at you back there. I on the other hand..."

"You didn't really do anything wrong." Darryn assured her. "It seems like you follow the Trainer Code by the book - nothing wrong with that at all. True, you did the work, but as Jaima said - that Riolu made the choice. Sucks, but it's true..."

They walked on in quiet for a little while, the muted sound of Jaima and Tuesday talking coming from behind them. Darryn didn't realise when it had happened but it felt like even after their departure from Lenoilia, Jaima had taken yet another step ahead of him on his journey. If the lack of gym badges wasn't enough, Darryn was forced to be reminded that he was lacking in comrades. Jaima was his only friend in Furoh and yet he had to share that with another two people. Things were getting more difficult by the day, it seemed.

*I used to push my Pokemon away but now I'm doing it with people... What's wrong with me?*

"Kami-sama!" Meiko cursed under her breath. "Look, you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It won't make any of us do it, so just keep your head up and move on. We all have goals and reaching is so much easier if you drop the frown and pick up a smile, 'kay?"

Darryn stared at her. Who was this girl?!.... And why hadn't he met her sooner?!?!

"Y'know Meiko, for a trainer with an overweight Ariados with one leg longer than the rest, you're not too shabby."

"Why you!"

And so Darryn's next friendship began.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 26 2009, 10:07 PM

Tuesday's right hand was gripped in Jaima's as the walked out of the cave. She held the pokeball containing the riolu in her left hand, gazing at it. She was having trouble figuring out why the riolu had... caught itself with her pokeball. She had seen it move - it could have easily run away.

But why didn't it?

She looked up at Jaima's face, seeing his clenched jaw and noting the tense air about him. He was angry, and Meiko and Darryn were walking ahead of them, keeping their distance. Tuesday looked at the ground, her shoulders falling. "I'm sorry, Jaima," she muttered.

She heard movement and felt his eyes on her a moment before he spoke. "None of that was your fault, Tuesy," he assured her. "The riolu made a choice." She looked up to see him smiling gently. "I'm pretty sure he made the right one."

Tuesday couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks, Jaima."

Her mood vastly improved after that little admittance, and their sped up their pace to walk with Meiko and Darryn. The two had been bickering fitfully the entire time, and Tuesday sighed. They sounded like Anika and Brone.

Tuesday chewed her lip thoughtfully (a rather bad habit that she had trouble breaking), and looked up at Jaima. "Do you think they took Shadow right back to where they'd had him before?"

"I wouldn't see why not," Jaima admitted with a shrug, looking pained. Tuesday recognized that he was deeply worried about his pokemon, for which she couldn't blame him. She liked Shadow, and she was worried about him, too.

"Well, Wraith should be able to find that place again," she said quietly, still speaking so only Jaima could hear. Though, since she was planning a rescue mission, she had the gall to talk more than usual around strangers. Grabbing her third pokeball, feeling the life energy within it that was strangely warm and cool at the same time, she tossed it outward and watched it release the black-maned ponyta.

"Wraith," she said, stepping forward and rubbing the ponyta's cream-colored nose, "I need you to lead us back to where they were holding you. We need to rescue Shadow."

Wraith snorted and stomped his hoof, obviously angry at the people who had captured him and still held Jaima's comrade. Tuesday couldn't blame him a bit. Nostrils flaring, the ponyta scanned the surrounding area, before snorting loudly and making his way up the mountain. Tuesday walked beside him, one hand resting against his neck, and listened as the others followed behind.

She sure hoped that they could find Shadow soon. She had a new pokemon, and Wraith was wonderful, but she felt vulnerable without Tempest and Dante by her side. As soon as this was over, she was running as fast as she could to the nearest Pokemon Centre. She wanted her team back!

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 27 2009, 10:23 PM

"Tuesday, wait," Jaima reached out and sighed. "We need a break. Just a little one." He ran his hand through his sweaty, messy hair and tried to gather his wits. "Maybe we can split up our potions or something and see if we can't give our kids a little more edge."

He looked around, now unable to meet the eyes of Meiko and Darryn. It was always like this, even when he'd yell at his sisters, even when he was right.

Meiko's words had stung him, and even though she'd apologized, he still hurt over it. Tuesday was like his little sister, and it had seemes like they were attacking her, but maybe they were right. He hadn't kept up with trainer etiquette, but he did know a pokemon making a distinct choice when he saw one.

He sat on a rock and put his head in his hands.

Twice. Twice he'd let Shadow get caught now. He'd let Ember stay caught when Shadow had been hurt. Why did he keep making the wrong decisions?!

Jaima tried to breathe deeply, to calm his frazzled nerves, but the image of Shadow getting in the way of a net meant for Mercury kept flashing in his mind. Worse, though, was rembering that he'd grabbed the next net thrown, right out of the air.

If he'd been a few moments faster, just a few moments, they might be able to get out of here and run to Arasam, where the authorities could handle all this thievery and bad guy crap.

He felt someone walk to him, but didn't raise his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and Meiko knelt in front of him, her red hair spilling into his vision to identify her.

"Jai-kun?" She was speaking low. "Jai-kun, Tuesday's right. We need to go now, while they're still at less than full strength."

"We're not exactly full strength, either, Mei-chan." Jaima hated the sound of his voice. It almost sounded like he was giving up.

She moved her head so she could see his face, and he could see hers, giving her an appearance of a curious cat twisting to see something over it's head. She smiled up at him. "You're right, too. We can split up potions, and I want your opinion on something."

That caught his attention, and he looked up. Shew pointed to a rock nearby, and he looked. Growing at the base of the rock was a long, grass like stalk, and at the tip of four of them was a pod that looked a little like the botton of a bellossom; the edges splayed out at the bottom of the three pod closures.

"You're kidding me," Jaima said, in surprised wonder.

"I'm right, aren't I," meiko said, grinning.

"I think so... Revival herb?"

The two lab assistants stood up, and Jaima called Tuesday over. Wraith seemed to be on the edge of leaving with out them, but followed Tuesday, snorting.

"Ever read about this, Tuesy," Jaima asked, and before he finished, Tuesday had gasped. She looked between Jaima and Meiko, and Jaima looked to find Meiko looking up at him expectantly.

"Wait, who made me the professor here?"

Meiko grinned cheekily. "Seniority." Tuesday nodded, and Jaima smirked.

"Fine. Pick them all. Two go to Tuesday for Tempest and Dante, and we'll send one each to Professors Elm and Oak."

Tuesday smiled at that, and Meiko approved, or at least seemed to. "Let's heal 'em up and move 'em out!"

* * * * *

Fang watched. He sat protectively next to Mercury, who was still tender from the steel wing to the head, though the potion had done it's work. Shadow was gone. Now *he*, Fang, had to protect Mercury.

But he was small, and weak, and slow. He scowled.

I can be faster.

He began to shake.

I can be stronger.

A white light blocked his vision.

I'm not too small to beat that big, metal delibird!

When the light faded, Mercury was staring at him in shock, and Jaima knelt next to him. The ground was further down, and he felt strong.

His master smiled and ruffled his newer, thicker mane.

"Congratulations, Fang. You've evolved into a luxio!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 27 2009, 11:09 PM

"Tempest! Dante!" Tuesday cried in delight. She hugged her pikachu tightly, as her charmander - er, Charmeleon, now - danced around her excitedly. Having the two back with her was one of the best things that could have happened and, noting what had brought that about, she turned to Meiko.

Still holding Tempest in her arms, unwilling to let go yet, Tuesday bowed. "Thank you, Meiko, for finding the herb. I've never seen it before outside of a text book."

Meiko looked surprised at this, and Jay grinned. "Tuesday is Professor Oak's field agent."

Tuesday blushed. "Well... sort of." Tempest twitched her tail and darted out of Tuesday's arms, to sit on her shoulder. "I'm sort of the obsessive wannabe-researcher."

Meiko smirked. "You know, I think that's the most you've said to me since we met."

Tuesday blushed bright red in embarrassment and looked down at the ground. "That's why they call me Silence," she muttered softly.

Meiko was smiling softly, so it appeared that there were no hard feelings about what had occurred. She clapped her hands together suddenly, calling everyone's attention. "All right," she said, "let's get going, now that we're all ready."

They headed off again, Tuesday walking beside Wraith, with only Dante ahead of them. She knew that the Revival Herb helped the pokemon regain consciousness after a particularly draining battle, but it didn't have enough potency to bring them back to full strength. Tempest rode on her shoulder, and Tuesday was glad that the pikachu, who still appeared as though she could use a good nap, wasn't trying to walk on her own.

Tuesday had thought about calling Dante back, but the mountains were his territory by nature. Besides, he always assumed that she thought he was weak if she kept him in his pokeball when it was unnecessary. She enjoyed his company, anyway.

Wraith snorted, shaking out his mane, and sped up the pace lightly, pulling away from Tuesday.

Not accustomed to climbing mountains, the young girl didn't have the energy to match the ponyta's speed, so she continued to hang back, Tempest working as her lookout.

Wraith and Dante had both just turned around a sharp bend, removing them from their sight, when an earsplitting whinny rent the air. Tempest let out a loud, agitated "Pika-CHU!" and Tuesday jumped into a run on the level path. She ignored Jaima's cries at her that they should stick together and she shouldn't run off, and she turned around the corner, skidding on dirt and loose rock.

Dante was crouched low to the ground, his fangs bared and claws prepared to attack. Wraith lay on the ground behind him, knocked unconscious, his flaming tail and mane dimmed. Tuesday quickly called Wraith back into his pokeball and turned to see their opponent, as Tempest released a low growl from her throat.

There were three men and a woman standing before them, each of them wearing a disgustingly-potent smirk. Tuesday saw that they each also held a pokeball in their hand, obviously preparing for a battle, but her attention was no riveted on them. Her eyes were glued to the creature standing between them.

It was Jaima's riolu; of that there was no doubt. The stance was the same, the form of the jackal's muscles were exact. He held the same air of disciplined power.

But there was nothing within his eyes that was Shadow, and the unfamiliarity of that presence scared Tuesday more than she thought the Feraligatr had ever managed. She knew this was Shadow, but what had they done to him?"Tempest! Dante!" Tuesday cried in delight. She hugged her pikachu tightly, as her charmander - er, Charmeleon, now - danced around her excitedly. Having the two back with her was one of the best things that could have happened and, noting what had brought that about, she turned to Meiko.

Still holding Tempest in her arms, unwilling to let go yet, Tuesday bowed. "Thank you, Meiko, for finding the herb. I've never seen it before outside of a text book."

Meiko looked surprised at this, and Jay grinned. "Tuesday is Professor Oak's field agent."

Tuesday blushed. "Well... sort of." Tempest twitched her tail and darted out of Tuesday's arms, to sit on her shoulder. "I'm sort of the obsessive wannabe-researcher."

Meiko smirked. "You know, I think that's the most you've said to me since we met."

Tuesday blushed bright red in embarrassment and looked down at the ground. "That's why they call me Silence," she muttered softly.

Meiko was smiling softly, so it appeared that there were no hard feelings about what had occurred. She clapped her hands together suddenly, calling everyone's attention. "All right," she said, "let's get going, now that we're all ready."

They headed off again, Tuesday walking beside Wraith, with only Dante ahead of them. She knew that the Revival Herb helped the pokemon regain consciousness after a particularly draining battle, but it didn't have enough potency to bring them back to full strength. Tempest rode on her shoulder, and Tuesday was glad that the pikachu, who still appeared as though she could use a good nap, wasn't trying to walk on her own.

Tuesday had thought about calling Dante back, but the mountains were his territory by nature. Besides, he always assumed that she thought he was weak if she kept him in his pokeball when it was unnecessary. She enjoyed his company, anyway.

Wraith snorted, shaking out his mane, and sped up the pace lightly, pulling away from Tuesday.

Not accustomed to climbing mountains, the young girl didn't have the energy to match the ponyta's speed, so she continued to hang back, Tempest working as her lookout.

Wraith and Dante had both just turned around a sharp bend, removing them from their sight, when an earsplitting whinny rent the air. Tempest let out a loud, agitated "Pika-CHU!" and Tuesday jumped into a run on the level path. She ignored Jaima's cries at her that they should stick together and she shouldn't run off, and she turned around the corner, skidding on dirt and loose rock.

Dante was crouched low to the ground, his fangs bared and claws prepared to attack. Wraith lay on the ground behind him, knocked unconscious, his flaming tail and mane dimmed. Tuesday quickly called Wraith back into his pokeball and turned to see their opponent, as Tempest released a low growl from her throat.

There were three men and a woman standing before them, each of them wearing a disgustingly-potent smirk. Tuesday saw that they each also held a pokeball in their hand, obviously preparing for a battle, but her attention was not riveted on them. Her eyes were glued to the creature standing between them.

Standing between them was the riolu that Tuesday recognized as Jaima's pokemon. He had the same stance, the same muscle structure, and the same aura of discipline, growing into power.

But there was nothing within his eyes that was Shadow, and the unfamiliarity of that made Tuesday want to cringe.

Oh, Shadow... what have they done to you?

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 28 2009, 04:15 AM

It relieved Darryn to have his Pokemon healed so extensively before they met with Team Deception again, especially for November. Out of all his Pokemon at the time, she was the most inexperienced and so had taken a brutal beating in the last battle. It was only thanks to the revival herb that she was able to move again and Darryn felt that the upcoming confrontation would need all the strength they had to muster.

"Well, well, if it isn't the brats." The leader of Team Deception sneered, folding his arms over his broad chest. "Come to take back the little puppy have we?"

Darryn held back from the front this time - Jaima was practically bristling with angry intent and there was no way a glamour-trainer was going to get in the way of that one-man-army.
Shadow stared back at the troupe, in his natural fighting pose, but something was terribly wrong.

"Does anyone see that?" Darryn muttered, frowning and squinting at Shadow like something was in his eyes.

"Jaima's Pokemon looks about ready to do a number on us?" Meiko offered, raising an eyebrow. "It's kinda hard to miss."

"No, no. The stuff around him... Shadow is covered by a... well, shadow." Darryn frowned. It wasn't right. The sun was high in the sky, casting only tiny pools of dark under each person or Pokemon's feet. Shadow, however, was covered in a thick cloud of murk that made his form a little hard to distinguish as the dynamic mist swirled around him.

"Er, Daz? Get your eyes tested..." Meiko muttered.

<The flower girl. This is her gift to you.> Lady sent to Darryn, stepping to the head of the group. <That Pokemon is not the same as before.>

<I see it, too!> Mercury floated next to Lady and turned back to her trainer with worry in her eyes. <Trainer Jaima! Something is wrong here - something is surrounding Shadow like a black smoke. I've never seen it before.>

Jaima's grimace became more intense.

"As you might have guessed already, your little Riolu has joined us now." The Boss laughed - a cruel chuckle that made Darryn shudder. "Thanks to the last development from the Orre region, we have closed the door to that little mongrel's heart and taken him for our own. It will make him follow the command of a new trainer and release hidden powers from within his body that wouldn't have escaped otherwise."

"That's sick!" Meiko gasped, standing up next to Jaima.

"Sick but worth it." The Boss sneered, nodding to his team who began to fan out and circle the four trainers where they stood. "That's why I've made the necessary arrangements to get rid of the lot of you for good this time."

Darryn tensed. They were surrounded by Team Deception and Each of them carried a blackened Pokeball that gave off the same dark aura that Shadow was holding.

"Prepare to die!"

Team Deception cackled as they set loose their Pokemon, forms materialising into the same four that had been so much more powerful than them back at the cave. As each one appeared, Darryn could see the black fog that had descended upon them and inwardly cried for them.

*Their hearts have been stolen... they're stronger now...*

"Don't just stand there, guys - let's take 'em." Meiko urged, grabbing her Pokeballs.

"Whoah whoah!" Darryn grabbed her arm. "We'll be slaughtered unless we use a proper strategy - don't just go running in!"

Jaima continued to grit his teeth in silence, his eyes fixed on Shadow with great intent. No doubt he and Mercury were mentaly talking again - it figured. Darryn gulped. With Jaima pretty much focused on one thing that left a lot up to him. He would have to organise everyone - something that he had normally let Jaima and Mindy do back when they travelled together.

"We'll swap Pokemon and spread our attention using the best advantages we have available - it's the only way to really have a chance of winning." Darryn said, judging the new strengths of the Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr and Skarmory that were drawing near.

"Sh- sh - shouldn't we call for help?" Little Tuesday piped up from beside Jaima, her face was worried and flustered.

"Good plan!" Darryn snapped his fingers. "Excellent thinking... Meiko?"

The female trainer nodded. "He'll need backup just in case."

"Already on it." Darryn grinned, grabbing his Premier Ball. "Can you right us a help message, Tuesday?" The smaller girl nodded fervently and scribbled on a piece of paper, hastily retrieved from her backpack.

"Bloodwing!"
"Bravo!"

The two flying types burst into the air, the Noctowl snagging the paper from Meiko. As she sent them on their way to Arasam to seek help, Darryn began to separate his Pokeballs. Each one would have to be passed to the person who was closest to the appropriate opponent. Romeo to Tuesday... Zulu to Meiko...

"Guys... leave Shadow to me..." Jaima sounded so intense, the air crackled with his words. He passed his bandolier to Darryn. "I'll leave the rest to you..."

"Right!" Darryn swung the bandolier over his head and looked down at the speciality Pokeballs. Tsunami to Meiko... Fang to Tuesday... Even as he passed the Pokeballs around, others got handed to him in return. Tuesday looked a little uneasy about giving Darryn one of her Pokeballs, but he reassured her with a smile. "Don't worry - everything will be fine..."

The potential lie tasted bad in Darryn's mouth but there was no time to talk - the opponents were really closing in. Ember waddled over to Darryn's feet and her flames ignited sharply.

*She's not wasting time... unlike her...*

"Alright everyone! Let's do it!" Darryn cried, hurling Pokeballs like grenades. "Let's teach these goons a lesson in empathy!"

*Wait... did I just use that line from the Celadon Gym!?*

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 28 2009, 11:31 PM

A lesson in empathy...

Darryn's words echoed in his mind, but rather than inspirational, they seemed more like a power source, like the revving of a poweful motor that chugged inside him. They had taken his pokemon and subjected him to treatement that was 100% against how he'd always treated his team.

His kids.

He looked at Shadow. Though there was no physical difference in his form, his eyes were blank, cold. Lifeless.

It broke Jaima's heart and filled him with rage at the same time.

"Once I deal with this," Jaima said, snarling, "I'm coming after you." His eyes flicked to Deception's Boss. He didn't take in the sneer in his lip, or his massive, rocklike body. Instead, all he saw was that this man had taken Shadow's bravery, loyalty, and kindness and twisted them.

And for that, he had to pay.

* * * * *

Ember was terrified. She would,kt deny it, even if she could. She had never seen creatures so massive and been expected to do anything with them except cower. Now, before her, stood a huge meganium. She was flanked by others, but still, she had to do her part, and what if she couldn't?

Jaima believed in her. After all, she'd insisted on staying! He believed in her, and she wouldn't let him down.

If only she were stronger. Braver.

If only she were tough, like Shadow, like Fang. Even like Grondir. Ember couldn't be that tough.

Could she?

She wantes to. She wanted to show Jaima he could count on her, she wanted it so badly, it was like extra hot fire in her core.

She began to glow.

* * * * *

Already she was in a pitched battle again. Already she was being asked to go up against a terrifying foe.

Tsunami, who had once been called Muddy, didn't see this entirely as a hardship. The one who abandoned her wouldn't let her fight. The one who took her asked her to, and trusted her.

He had named her after a powerful force. She had heard him explain to the dark haired flowery smelling girl who wasn't around anymore that Tsunami meant a huge powerful wave.

She'd live up to that.

And as she faced against the giant cyndaquil, she took the one advantage ex-Muddy's trainer had given her. As the order came to attack, she lobbed a giant purple ball at it that hit it in the head.

* * * * *

Grondir took a moment to look at his companions. Ember's glow had first attracted his attention, and he nodded approvingly. She had waited the longest for this. She would have waited forever, if it would make Jaima happy, but it was enough to see Mercury and Fang evolve. Ember loved her team and her human, and would do what it took, despite her fear.

Even Tsunami, the new one, was striking out, though she had always had the edge of distaste whenever it came to using the poison that was part of her now.

He wasn't insulted. He'd lived as a poison pokemon for a long time, and he had never hurt anyone unless it was needed. She would learn the same.

As for his evolution, it would come in time.

* * * * *

Mercury floated, behind and to the left of Jaima. He so hurt, so angry, had been through so much. That wretched dream! Ember's theft, and now this!

She wanted to protect him, but she wasn't strong enough, not yet.

But she knew other ways. She doubted she could hurt Shadow, not intentionally. But that wasn't the plan.

She mentally bombarded him with memories, feelings, good times, times where Jaima, and she, and the rest of the team showed him love.

They kept bouncing off the shadow, but she didn't stop. They claimed to have closed Shadow's heart's door. But Shadow was still in there, she knew it!

The best way to open a closed door was to keep knocking until the one inside responded.

* * * * *

Jaima didn't see Shadow move, but move he did, and Jaima tumbled to the ground. Shadow kept coming, and though he blocked and dodged and rolled as much as he could, using everything he'd ever learned, from his senseis and from Shadow himself, he didn't strike back.

That wasn't the point, to win. The point was to lose the fight so that he could win Shadow back.

A lesson in Empathy, and one he didn't expect the boss to understand.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 29 2009, 02:05 PM

"November, Dante - GO!" Darryn urged the fire types into action, their target the Shadow Meganium.

*I hope this is enough...* Darryn fought with his reluctancy to let Ember battle - Jaima often just let her rest by the sidelines - and his blunder cost him dearly. Without a third party to divide the dino-plant's attention, the Ponyta and Charmeleon were open to split attacks... Just like the Meganium's Vine Whip.

November and Dante worked in harmony, charging at their foe before splitting and circling the beast to attack from the flanks. The Meganium watched them without emotion, waiting for their first move. November leapt in first, her head lowered as she charged towards it with a ferocious scream. Dante mimicked her on the other sides, bearing razor-sharp claws as he dashed in. Suddenly, vines sprouted from the Meganium's neck to snake through the air and grab each attacker by the throat.

Darryn gulped. Things weren't going to plan and the battle had only just begun. That was when he saw it - an incandescent glow that emanated from his feet. He looked down to see Ember's tiny body shining brilliantly even as she grew and elongated into a weasel-like shape. The glow that surrounded her dimmed and darkened as her black fur emerged from the light and flames burst from two points on her back.

"QUILAVA!"

"Omigod! Ember! Jaima!" Darryn chaned a look to the Cyndaquil's... Quilava's trainer to find him defending attacks from his once-loyal Riolu.

*I can't interrupt Jaima... not now... I'll just have to wing it!*

"Ember! GO!" Darryn ordered, already clicking her Pokeball into his Pokedex and slamming the INFO key. [Quick Attack. Ember. Smokescreen. Leer.]
"Pretty decent set of moves... Go with Ember attack and then follow up with Smokescreen!"

In her new form, more agile than before, Ember rushed in towards her opponent and spat flames upon its neck. Without screaming but obviously in pain, the Meganium was forced to release November and Dante. Amid the blunder, Ember continued running right under the massive creatures body and spewed out a deep dark cloud of smoke to temporarily blind the target.

"Excellent!" Darryn snapped his fingers with conviction. "Now Ember, get out of there! November use Flame Wheel! Dante - pull back and use Dragon Dance!"

With the fire types under way and the girls calling orders around him, Darryn switched his attention to Lady and the others battling the Feraligatr.

"BulbAAA!" Grondir's Vine Whip lashed the giant water-types face harshly even as Springheel scuttled under the beast's chest and shot Poison Sting into its belly. A dashing red blu indicated Lady's path up the reptilian's back where she pranced upwards from its forehead, spinning in the air and firing down a verdant green globe into the thing's eyes.

"Whoah!" Darryn snapped Lady's Heal Ball into place under his Pokedex. Ember. Extransensory. Agility. Energy Ball.]
"Since when could you use Energy Ball?!" Darryn laughed as the three Pokemon broke away and rearranged themselves for another attack. Too slow. The Feraligatr's size allowed it to move slower but still reach its targets before they managed to get out of range. The Ariados was promptly stomped under foot while Lady was shot from the air by a Water Gun. Great, crushing claws yanked on Gronidr's vine before he could retract it and began to draw him in, a lolling tongue running over needle-teeth hungrily.

"Grondir do something!" Darryn called, not knowing how best to move with the Bulbasaur.

*How did Mindy manage it?! Back at the Gigarte Gym... That's it!*

"Grondir, Nature Power!" Darryn fidgeted nervously. Six Pokemon?! How do you manage six at once?!

"Springheel, String Shot!"
"Lady, Extrasensory!"

He whirled about.

"Dante use Scatch!"
"Ember, attack with Quick Attack!"
"November, Hypnosis!"

*This has got to end soon!*

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 29 2009, 04:32 PM

How can a metal bird even fly? I know Professor Oak explained it to me once, but it doesn't make a lot of sense. How can its wings give at all? What kind of element is steel, anyway?

If most people knew the thoughts that wandered through Tuesday's mind, they would have been outraged to know that she was musing such trivialities while in the midst of a pokemon battle. But most people didn't know Tuesday, or the way they worked. Brone would have simply grinned and told them to watch. No, Tuesday was no strategist - she lost to Brone every time they played any sort of strategical game, especially Chess. She was not a full-out fighter, as she preferred intellectual adventures over pure battles.

But Tuesday was not stupid, and she was a master at multitasking.

"Romeo, use double team and let's play ring around the rosie with this turkey!"

"Jolt!" Romeo replied in a sharp bark. "Eeeeeon!" His form split and two jolteons appeared side by side. They both dashed forward at swift speeds, one to the right of the Skarmory and the other to the left, and they ran circles opposing each other around the metal bird, screaming "Jolt! Jolt! Jolt! Jolt!"

"Fang, let's try leer! Tempest, quick attack!"

The Skarmory's attention had been focused upon Romeo, as was Tuesday's plan. She hadn't counted on, however, the creature's speed. When Fang's leer attack called the Skarmory's attention to him, he was prepared for an attack, and swung his wings out to clip Tempest in the side.

The pikachu let out a yelp as the sharp blades cut through her fur, and a thin line of blood appearing on her golden fur. She landed with a tumble, but quickly righted herself and darted out of the way of a fury attack.

"Pest, you okay?"

"Chu," Tempest muttered, obviously not happy with the circumstances. She always hated it when someone got the best of her.

"Okay, Fang, use charge. Tempest, use your agility and go in for a close thundershock. But watch it!"

"Pika!" Tempest dashed forward, darting from side to side like an escaping gazelle, as Fang held back and used charge, gathering electricity together to strengthen his next attack.

Romeo had graduated from merely running circles around the Skarmory, to dashing back and forth in front of him, releasing little bursts of electricity every few seconds. The Skarmory, for his part, was really starting to get pissed off.

I can't imagine a physical attack would do much damage, Tuesday mused, concentrating on Romeo's dancing maneuvers, even with his spikes. Against that steel skin... we'll have to stick with speed and elemental attacks. Jolteon... Jolteon... he would have learned quick attack as an eevee, and he knows double team. She bit her lip, trying to remember the attacks a Jolteon had, but it had never been a pokemon that she had paid much attention to. She was regretting that now. "Romeo, can you use an electric attack?"

Apparently, he could, and he let out a barking cry of "Jolt! Jolt! Jolt!" before skidding to a stop and kicking up a storm of dirt. There was a brilliant flash of golden light, and a blast of electricity erupted forth and struck the Skarmory in the chest, causing the bird to stagger backward.

Tuesday blinked. "Is that... Romeo, you know charge beam?"

"Jolt!"

"All right, then! Fang, use spark!"

With a cry, the luxio bounded forward and struck the skarmory right in the chest, where Romeo had hit him, sending the metallic bird staggering back with a cry as electricity rushed through his body.

"Yes!" Tuesday yelled, excited. She wasn't feeling as vulnerable to the Skarmory as she had that day so many years ago. It was nice to feel empowered. "Nice shot, Fang! Now, Tempest, quick attack! Fang, go on in for a bite attack! Romeo, double team again! Keep him occupied!"

The three pokemon obeyed, but the Skarmory seemed more susceptible to distance attacks than those of close range. Once again, he moved swiftly, attacking with a fury attack that Tempest wasn't able to dodge this time. She released a cry as she was thrown backward, into Fang, and the two tumbled end over end, before landing in a sparking heap.

The Skarmory hissed a loud, grating cry, before swiping at the dirt and sending out a sand attack that slashed into Romeo's eyes. The jolteon leapt backward with a yelp, shaking his head to try and regain his vision, as the Skarmory moved in for an attack.

"Romeo, protect!" Tuesday called, with less confidence than she normally used. She wasn't familiar with the attack, and she felt a bit bad that Romeo was forced to fight for her when she wasn't even certain of his moves. I think I should talk to Professor Oak about getting a pokedex, she mused. She had always been one for books over electronics. They always seemed more reliable to her, and you tended to read the information and learn it, rather than relying upon a piece of technology. But... maybe it would be better.

As it turned out, Romeo's protect worked to defend against the Skarmory's attack, giving the jolteon enough time to dodge out of the way of another fury swipe. Tempest and Fang were crawling to their feet, electricity sparking around them angrily, as the fourth pokeball on Tuesday's belt began to shake.

Tuesday looked down with surprise, just as the pokeball burst open and the recently-caught riolu appeared, gave one look at the skarmory, and grinned, before dashing forward.

Oh, now what? Tuesday wondered.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jun 29 2009, 10:10 PM

Meiko had trained for years to be able to battle with her pokémon. Never once had she felt so completely out of her depth. Of course she knew Chompwater's every ability; he had been her main partner for six years. But she had no understanding what Tsunami could do, and the cranidos...

She couldn't help thinking that it *could* have been hers.

"O-ok," she said, her eye on the typhplosion she had been tasked to defeat. It was huge, and though she couldn't see the smokey aura that Darryn seemed to think was around it, she could see it's eyes, and they were blank, lifeless.

She imagined Chompwater with that look in his eyes, and it made her want to cry.

Just as she pointed, as Tuesday (and her estimation of the little girl went up considerably when she saw the three electric types with her explode into almost synchronized technique) gave her first command, as Darryn took on his two (and despite the fact that he was a bit of a priss, Meiko was impressed that he could handle six pokémon on two different targets), Tsunami coughed and spat a purple glob at the Typhplosion.

At first, she lamented the fact that Jaima's pokémon seemed to be sick, but something about the attack jogged a memory. She blinked, then pulled her pokédex, and scanned the mudkip.

Mudkip: The Mudfish pokémon. Tackle. Growl. Mudslap. Water Gun. Bide. Toxic.

Meiko smiled. "Good girl, Tsunami! Chompwater, rush it! Hit it with water gun! Um... I don't know your name, I'm sorry, Cranidos, but I need you to hit it with... with..."

She scanned it with the pokedex, blinking at the moves it was capable of. "Headbutt!"

The Cranidos made no move, only blinked at her in a miltanklike fashion.

"Oh, geez. Headbutt! Go! Hit it!"

Nothing. The Cranidos made no move.

The Typhlosion was not happy with the two water types harangueing it. It made no emotional reaction, but opened it's mouth and loosed a mouthful of flames, which both Tsunami and Chompwater managed to dodge. It hit the cranidos right on the dome of it's head.

The cranidos' eyes widened, then it turned, slowly, one eye twitching. "Cran... i... DOS?!" screaming it's war cry, it charged at the typhplosion, hitting it dead center with a headbutt attack.

"OK... if that works..."

* * * * *

"Shadow, I know you're in there!" Jaima shifted his weight, taking a strike meant for his chest glancing across his back. It seared, like a heat brand, but Jaima didn't allow the pain to stop him. Instead, he reached up, grabbing the riolu's wrist, and flung him away.

"Remember that, Shadow? You taught me how to do that! You taught me most of this! Come on, buddy!"

"You're wasting your breath," growled the Boss of Team Deception, laughingly. "He doesn't care. He doesn't have any emotions left-" He cut off, his eyes snapping over Jaima's shoulder.

"Well, shit. Nice. bait and switch. 'Ey, mongrel," the Boss called. "That little ballerina's trying to take you out."

Shadow looked, then snarled. He leapt, not at Jaima, but over him, his body now flowing with a visible smokey aura. As he closed the distance between himself and Mercury, she didn't stop her mental barrage of emotions and memories.

She had been concentrating so hard that a single line of blood dripped from the corner of her eye, like a tear.

Shadow lashed out, slamming into her with the aura surrounding him, and Mercury screamed. It wasn't her species cry, it was a scream. Nearly human. She hit the ground and rolled, shaking and grabbing around her body. Jaima, for an instant, saw red.

Shadow, for an instant, felt something.

And that opening was all Mercury needed.

She rose on her arms, staring intently at Shadow, her mind giving him every bit of what she had been sending him he could handle, enough to flood through the crack in the door to his heart.

His hatching, and seeing his new Sensei.

Fighting Rosie and learning from her.

Standing next to Mercury and fighting dangerous, evolved pokemon.

Trying to help battle the pokemon who had belonged to the man stealing ember.

His love for Jay,

His love for Mercury.

He knelt, grabbing his head, trembling. "Rii.... Riiii... RIIIIII!"

Jaima stopped, eyes wide, and reached for him, but was too far away to touch him.

"RiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIII," a light began to glow around him, "OooooOOOOOOOO," he raised his head to the heavens, howling, "LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...."

The light enveloped him, blindingly, painfully so, and when it faded, instead of a riolue, there was a taller version, with a yellow fur around it's chest and waist, long bulbous growths at the back of it's head, and metal spikes portruding from it's wrists and chest. His eyes were clear, and bright, and Shadow's. They were also angry eyes, and they glared at the boss.

"-Cario."

Jaima was stunned for a split second. "I think my riolu just went super saiya-jin..."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 1 2009, 01:11 PM

"Ember! Now!" Darryn commanded, watching with impressed satisfaction as Jaima's Quilava darted in and out of the Meganiums feet before shooting out at the side and spitting embers all up its side. With that attack, Darryn saw the first sign of lasting damage - the grass-type's legs buckled ever so slightly.

"All together!" He urged the fire trio as they continued their assault. November nimbly dodged a flying Razor Leaf attack and while the attention was on her, Dante rushed in from behind the monster and leapt up to its back. 4-inch claws dug deep into the back of the Meganium's neck.

Another first came at that point in the battle. The Meganium screamed. Not with anger or the fury of frustration - it was a cry of pain. The aura around the beast's head faded ever so slightly during that moment but flared back to dark life in an instant.

*They are still in there, aren't they?* Darryn chewed his lip. Ganging up hardly seemed fair but in this case it was necessary. *If they are still able to hold onto something from before, do we have the right to attack them so cruelly like this? Isn't there another way to stop this without them getting hurt?*

"MeeeGANIUM!" It roared, lashing with snakey vines that flung Ember out from under its feet and knocked Dante clear from its back. It roared with the satisfaction of freedom but was too quick to celebrate: Dante was already rushing back in and Ember was coming in from the other side. Their paces weren't as confident as before since they were growing more tired as the battle went on, but Darryn knew how to finish it quickly now.

"Dante! Ember! Twin Smokescreen!" He called out to them, hoping that Shadow Pokemon didn't have some special ability that he didn't know about. A great grey bank of smoke flooded around the Meganium, blinding it as November walked slowly towards it.

*Timing is the key...*

From the Meganium's perspective, night blanked out the sun - a false night that stank of sulphur and ashes. With a mighty flurry of Razor Leaves, the grass type blew away the smoke in one swift movement only to reveal an elegant, cream face looking up into his eyes.

"Hypnosis!"

The deep chocolate eyes of the delicate Ponyta flashed red then blue and in an instant night returned. A night that allowed him to fall into the deepest slumber.


With the Meganium down, Darryn turned his attentions back on the ferocious Feraligatr.

"Gronidr! No!" Darryn gasped as the Bulbasaur went flying in the wrong direction - courtesy of the Feraligatr's powerful tail. Meiko's Ariados, Springheel, reacted quickly and fired out a sticky net of Spider Web between a gnarled shrub and a rock, catching Grondir neatly with its springy tension. With a relieved cry of "Bulba!", Jaima's Pokemon plopped to the ground and rushed back at the creature. Lady was already on the move.

"Vuuuul!" She cried, an Energy Ball flying out of her mouth even as her legs flashed into an Agility blur. The Feraligatr snarled angrily and rushed towards Lady, saliva dripping wetly from its mouth. The Energy Ball collided with its chest but the abomination continued its assault. Lady, however, was no longer ahead of it.

"Well done, everyone!" Tuesday was congratulating the electric team as the battle with the Shadow Skarmory ended. She didn't see the towering reptilian approaching her... SHe didn't see the long needle-like teeth. Her newly caught Riolu was at her side, also facing the wrong direction.... The Feraligatr got closer... and closer...

"NO!" Darryn's arms threw themselves around the small girls body and in a second, he was leaping clear of the snarling, slashing beast. His mirror image, Lady flew alongside him - the Riolu being dragged in her mouth by the nape of his neck.

The Feraligatr continued its assault, massive claws swinging for Darryn even as he danced out of its way with Tuesday still in his grip. It was only thanks to Darryn's dance classes that he had the sort of agility and grace that allowed him to turn and sidestep each attack as it bore down upon them. Tuesday was a dead weight in his arms as he skipped and jumped out of the thing's reach.

"LADY! GRONDIR!" He managed to shout, but the Vulpix was already ready and Grondir wasn't far behind.

Extrasensory slammed into the water Pokemon, rendering it motionless for a brief moment as Grondir flew through the air, his Vine Whip gripping the Feraligatr's neck and pulling himself in close.

"Sleep Powder!" He called, watching with enormous relief as the thick blue cloud of spores erupted from the Bulbasaur's back right into the Feraligatr's face. The great lizard sniffed and twitched once before lettting out an enormous sigh and falling to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Darryn almost collapsed with relief. His part was done. He hadn't caved in or watched from the sidelines. It was over.

*Then why are you still holding the kid?*

"Wha!" Darryn let go of Tuesday, almost dropping her completely. "Oh, you OK Tuesday? Sorry for grabbing you so suddenly... Yeah, erm... Let's help Jaima or something, 'kay?" He managed to get out, embarrassed that he had grabbed someone he barely knew so suddenly.

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jul 1 2009, 08:20 PM

It had been like having his eyes wrapped in gauze.It had been like being inside of a suit of armor, and knowing it was moving, but not being able to effect it at all. It had been like being locked in a tiny little closet and someone who looked like you doing terrible things to your loved ones.

Sensei had performed admirably. He was still slow, still allowed in hits where he shouldn't have been in the path of the strike to begin with, but he was getting better, and, after all, he wasn't a riolu.

Mercury was doing something. He could feel her warmth, her beauty, on the other side of the door, bombarding it, emersing it, but he was at a loss for what she was doing. Sensei was saying words, but he couldn't make them out. His head was wrapped in guaze.

And then he saw, not sensei, but Mercury before him, and felt his fist lash out, and he wanted to kick the door down, and he felt it crack.

Everything poured into him, and it flooded him, and the barrier broke and filled his body, and, upon finding no room, made some.

He was taller now, and he could see things he'd barely noticed or perceived before. A light around his friends. Mercry's was blue, and Sensei's was golden. The new girl was bronze. The boy was burgandy. And flickering, shining like a beacon, like a flame that wouldn't engulf, was the placid blue around the little one.

She was brilliant, and the Little Brother near her was just as brilliant and the same shade. They would be a pair. He would have to make certain that the Little Brother was properly trained to handle the little one.

But his attention turned, split second realizations turning to the one who'd started this, who's aura was as black as the shadow he forced on the pokemon who cared for him. Shadow snarled, but Sensei was gripping him.

Now was not the time for gripping. Now was the time to fight.

Sensei whispered in his ear, and Shadow was filled with joy. Sensei understood, and Sensei was planning, not gripping.

And Sensei's plan was a good plan, too.

* * * * *

Mercury saw Shadow was safe, and saw him evolve, and let herself relax. She turned her attention to the other four with shadows flowing off of them like smoke. Maybe, if she dug hard enough, and deep enough, she could do for them what she had done for Shadow.

She tried the meganium. Plant types were usually more placid, if Grondir was any indication. She scanned, and then scanned deeper. Looking for a happy memory. Anything.

Anything.

There were no happy memories in the creature's mind.

Mercury trembled, and just them, Dante sunk it's claws into the meganium's hide, causing it pain. Which in turn caused the shadow to recede.

Pain reminded it of it's master. Mercury was horrified. Suddenly, she didn't want to do anything anymore.

Her chest hurt. Trainer Jaima and Shadow would have to handle the bad man right now. All Mercury wanted to do was cry.

So she did.

* * * * *

Meiko's hand gripped her hair. The typhplosion wasn't going down, no matter what she tried. It was weakening, due to the poison in it's system, courtesy of Tsunami, but Chompater was evenly matched even with that detriment.

And the cranidos was no help. She looked down at her pokedex again. "headbutt, tackle... Take Down?"

The Cranidos moved, and Meiko snapped her head up. "No! No, we don't need you knocking yourself out! Come back here!" The Cranidos continued to run toward his target, still in the slow stage of what would be a humongous surge of speed. Meiko clenched her fist.

"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!"

The cranidos stopped suddenly, nearly toppling over. He looked back, a quizzical look on its craggy, bumpy face. "Dos?"

"Tsunami, use mudslap! Chompwater, Crunch! And YOU," she snarled, pointing at the cranidos. "We're having a difficult enough time of it without you running off half cocked and getting yourself hurt! Now you stand here and focus your energy, then hit it with a hammer arm, or I will..."

The cranidos began to glow, blinking at her sheepishly. Meiko blinked back, then turned to the battle, grinning.

Just in time to see the typhplosion's foot coming down at Tsunami.

DAMMIT! Her eyes moved back and forth. She couldn't stop the attack, but maybe...

"Tsunami, use Bide!"

The mudkip began to glow as the typhplosion's foot came down, once, twice, three times. Tsunami staggered, finally getting out of the fire pokémon's reach.

"Chompwater, Water Gun now! Cranidos, go use Hammer Arm! Tsunami, release!"

Chompwater's attack hit hard, and the Cranidos managed to hit the pokémon in the chest. Tsunami's glow didn't subside. When it did, the energy coming from her was released by a larger pokémon.

"MARSHTOMP!"

She was shaking, and she seemed wobbly, but marshtomp looked determined, oening it's mouth again and sending a stream of mud from its mouth to the typhplosion.

The large creature withstood the attack, but was weaving, like a large tree about to fall. Finally, it did.

"Finally," sighed Meiko, then squeaked as Tsunami also flopped over. "Eep! Jaima's going to kill me!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 1 2009, 11:39 PM

"Hey, what're you doing?" Tuesday called after the riolu. The jackal-like pokemon turned his head and grinned back at her, before dashing forward and springing into the air. He flipped midair and came down on the skarmory's head with his forepaws. The bird squawked a grating cry, staggering under his weight, as the riolu rolled with the movement and landed on the ground gracefully. Sparing but a moment to stick his tongue out at the bird pokemon, he turned and dashed off again.

Tuesday let out a yell and leapt, barely avoiding a swift attack sent her way by the metal bird. Apparently, the creature blamed her for the arrival of the riolu, but he had appeared on his own!

No matter. Tuesday didn't even have to call the three pokemon to attack. Tempest was already royally pissed off that anyone had dared to attack her trainer, much less a pokemon. The pikachu, electricity ripping around her body and making her fur stand on end, came flying out of seemingly nowhere with a screaming cry, before slamming into the bird with an electrical tackle attack.

The skarmory staggered back, cawing awkwardly, as Tempest was flung backward by the force of her own attack and landed on the ground in a heap, sparks flying weakly around her.

"Romeo!" she called. "Double Team and Quick attack it in a circle. Fang, Spark, Charge, and Spark!"

The two pokemon jumping into action at her commands, Tuesday slid down next to Tempest and pulled the pikachu into her arms. "You silly mouse," she scolded lightly, "I told you not to use that attack anymore. I don't even know what it is, and you keep hurting yourself. So stop it, okay?"

"Kaa," Tempest moaned, like an exasperated teenager.

Tuesday sighed, a soft smile on her face. "You rest. I don't want you wearing yourself out." Calling Tempest back into her pokeball, Tuesday turned her attention back to the skarmory. It might not have been a smart idea to lower her attacking force to two pokemon, but she liked the idea of calling Tempest back before she was knocking unconscious. She could get hurt worse if Tuesday let her wear herself down completely. And if the need did arise, Tempest would at least have had a chance to rest a little.

Romeo's quick attack had been met with a fury swipes attack, and now blood was running down the jolteon's side from multiple cuts. Fang's first spark attack had hit, but after the time taken to charge up, the second had missed its target. The two pokemon were still standing, however, and Tuesday had to give them that. They were tough. Jaima and Darryn were good trainers. Tuesday hoped, someday, she could be as great.

"All right, guys! Romeo, quick attack! Fang, let's try spark again!"

"Jolt!" the electric dog cried, bounding forward. The skarmory turned its great, ugly metal head toward the jolteon and spread its wings to unleash an attack, before he suddenly reared back in agony. Jolteon took this moment of weakness as Fang's spark attack swept through the skarmory, to strike with a quick attack that sent the bird pokemon staggering.

He righted himself quicker than any of them had expected, and sent a swift attack at Fang in retaliation.

"Romeo, defend and protect!" Tuesday snapped.

"Jolt!" Romeo cried, leaping forward and landing in front of Fang. "Eeeeon!" he screamed, as a white shield erupted in front of him. The swift attack struck the shield and dissipated, causing the skarmory to squawk angrily as Tuesday grinned. "Double Team, Romeo! Fang, try to get in there and tell me how a metal chicken tastes!"

"Lux," Fang said, running forward, as Romeo, split into four separate versions of himself, flanked Fang with two of his illusions, and raced around the skarmory with the others, drawing his attention.

"Quick attack, Romeo!"

"Jolt!" the jolteon cried. One of the jolteon's racing circles around the skarmory slid to a stop. The illusions dissipated just as the jolteon leapt, slamming his shoulder into the skarmory, and Fang leapt forward and sank his teeth into the metal bird's flesh.

The skarmory let loose a shriek of anger and pain and began to try throwing the lion-like pokemon from his back. Tuesday bit her lip. She didn't want to use charge beam and have Romeo accidentally strike Fang.

"Fang, use spark!" she cried. The Luxio obeyed, and the skarmory cried out as the electricity flowed through metallic veins. "Quick attack, Romeo!"

The pokeball on Tuesday's belt burst open and Tempest appeared, running forward, eager to join the battle again.

"All right! Romeo, quick attack! Fang, sink your teeth into that bird one more time! Tempest, thundershock!"

The three pokemon obeyed, Romeo slamming his body into the skarmory and sending the bird staggering back. Tempest let loose with a crackling burst of electricity. Fang opened his mouth wide and, instead, of clamping his jaws down on the skarmory in a bite attack like she had planned, his mouth suddenly filled with flames, and he sank fire-coated teeth into the skarmory's thick flesh.

"That's... fire fang," Tuesday muttered, awed. She shook herself out of researcher mode, suddenly having an epiphany. "Fang, hang on tight! We're going to use you as a lightning rod and give that rooster a shock he won't soon forget!"

She thought she could see Fang tighten the grip of his jaws, and she turned to the two waiting pokemon. "Romeo, Tempest, you heard me. Use Fang as a channel and let's cook this turkey!"

"Jolt!"

"Pika!"

The two pokemon turned and abruptly unleashed a fury of electricity, centering it on Fang. The luxio hunkered down and sank his teeth even harder into the skarmory's flesh, as the lightning passed through his body and directly into the skarmory's veins.

The bird let out a screeching cry that grated on Tuesday's ears, but she refrained from clamping her hands tight over them. Instead, spots dancing in front of her eyes when the lightning faded, she watched the skarmory collapse unconscious and roasted to the ground, and Fang slide gratefully down, his sides a little crisp.

Tuesday grinned widely. "You guys were great!" she cried, resisting the urge to dance like Dante. "We did it, and you guys were awesome!"

Tempest chuffed and looked away, as though asking if Tuesday had ever doubted such a claim. The jolteon seemed to take the compliment in stride. Tuesday wasn't his trainer and he hadn't known her long enough for her words to mean much of anything when she wasn't commanding him, for which Darryn had said to listen. Fang seemed to appreciate the praise, however, and Tuesday rubbed the luxio's head affectionately. She didn't know him as well as her pokemon, or as Grondir, who she had helped raise, but they were more used to each others companionship, since Jaima and Tuesday had been traveling together.

"You guys are wonderful," Tuesday said, listening to Fang purr softly. Her attention was called away with a yelp, and she turned to see the riolu sliding through the dirt after being backhanded away by one of the pokemon he had been making fun of. She moved over to him, crouching down beside him as he rose into a sitting position, covered in dirt.

"You're sure a prankster, aren't you?" she asked. He cocked his head at her, before grinning toothily. She stared back at him, admiring the black mask over his eyes. She grinned suddenly, coming up with a name for him. He was such a trickster, outfoxing everyone as best he could, and the black mask reminded her so perfectly of that TV show she had loved as a kid, and then the movies. "Zorro," she said, and the riolu's ears perked up. "I'm going to call you Zorro, you trickster." She reached out a hand and he took it, seeming surprised, and she pulled him to his feet. "You're certainly going to be interesting to have around." She smiled, and then looked up at the three electric type pokemon watching her. "Well done, everyone."

"NO!"

Tuesday gasped, as arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind and she felt herself abruptly jerked away. She tensed up in fear at being manhandled, but then caught sight of the Feraligatr out of her peripheral vision and went still. The boy holding her - it must have been Darryn, because she'd caught sight of Meiko and Jaima, both still battling - danced and dodged out of the way of the Feraligatr's flashing claws, and Tuesday was distantly happy that she was small and light, because she couldn't dance.

The vulpix, who had dragged Zorro out of the way - thank Goddess - leapt forward with a psychic attack. Between her and Grondir, they knocked the giant lizard down and out, and Tuesday finally felt that she could breathe again.

She hated that pokemon so much.

"Wha!" With Darryn's cry, she felt his arms loosen abruptly, and she nearly fell flat on her bum. He managed to hold on long enough for her to gain her footing, before letting go of her and backing up. "Oh, you okay, Tuesday? Sorry for grabbing you so suddenly... Yeah, erm... Let's help Jaima or something, 'kay?"

He seemed nervous, rubbing the back of his head. Tuesday looked at him for a long moment, before nodding. "Thank you, Darryn," she said softly, probably speaking directly to him for the first time since they'd met. She was grateful to him, however. That Feraligatr probably would have killed her if he hadn't intervened.

Tuesday turned to see the Typhlosion fall. The Meganium and Feraligatr that Darryn had been facing were now also unconscious. The Skarmory was knocked out, and she could see Shadow...

He evolved, Tuesday thought with awe. It's... Shadow... he's a Lucario.

Tuesday had never seen a Lucario outside of books, and she found herself awed by the mere presence of one. It was Shadow, yes, but he was... different. He seemed to realize it, too, as he scanned the area, his senses taking everything in. When he turned to her, Tuesday's eyes locked to his and she felt as though she was suddenly bared before him. He seemed thoughtful as he gazed upon her, and then upon Zorro.

His attention was called away suddenly, his head snapping to face the leader of the pack of thieves, and only Jaima's restraining hand kept Shadow from leaping forward and claiming vengeance for all that had been wronged. Jaima was whispering to Shadow too softly for Tuesday to hear as she walked over. Tempest was sitting on her left shoulder and Dante was walking behind her, scanning the area. Romeo was back with Darryn, and Zorro was at Tuesday's right side, seeking for the next victim of some piece of mischief. Tuesday hoped he held off until they knew what Jaima was planning. He had the right to decide their next move this time, but Tuesday wanted comeuppance for what had happened to Wraith. Whatever Jaima chose, this quartet of demons was going to pay.

She stopped beside her adopted big brother, but her eyes (and the eyes of her pokemon) were focused on the enemy. "So, what's the plan, Jaima?"

Posted by: Hungry Hungry Houndoom Jul 2 2009, 01:20 AM

"The plan, Tuesday," Jaima said, not taking his eyes off of the boss, "is to teach this guy..." He paused and pulled off his glasses, handing them to Meiko. "A lesson."

The boss had been looking at his fallen pokémon, his eye twitching. His fists were clenching and unclenching. He grit his teeth and snarled. "You'll pay for this, you little brats!"

Jaima pointed. "You're the one that's going to pay." His voice was still as angry as when they started. "And I'm the one that's going to make you, just like I promised!"

Ignoring the protests of his friends, he charged the man, who turned and faced the charge head on, bringing a fist back to launch it at the charging boy.

His back being to them, they all they could see of the situation was the look of intense fury on the Boss' face, the large, powerful frame coiling to attack, to pummel, the reddened, deathly anger in his eyes.

They couldn't see the sly grin that developed on Jaima's face.

They could, however, see something the man couldn't, so perhaps they weren't too ill at ease.

The man launched a fist at Jaima, but he had stopped and crouched, allowing the lucario, who had followed closely behind him, to jump off his back and launch a high kick at the man's chin, hitting him directly. Jaima stood and stepped forward, bringing his rear foot forward to kick the man in the chest.

He snarled as he staggered, then surged forward himself, back handing Jaima away. Shadow yipped and launched himself at the man and sent several spinning kicks at him, glancing off of the larger man's forearms. The blocks did nothing to deter the lucario, but the man's fist slamming into the pokémon's ribs from the side sent him sprawling.

Unfortunately for the Boss, he didn't get a chance to breathe, as Jaima was instantly there, sending a series of punches into the man's ribs. The muscles of his chest were more than enough to keep him from feeling the pain overly, but he was getting tired of the constant interruptions.

"You're a nuisance," he snarled. "What makes you think any of this is going to matter? Your little pet blonde girl never learned the lesson, but I thought you would be old enough to figure it out."

Jaima had evidently stopped listening, his mouth twisting. He sent fists up into the man's chin, managing to actually make contact. "That's for Shadow!" He connected with another fist. "And that's for Tuesday!" He nearly hit with another, but the man caught it. Shadow was leaping at him, but the man swung Jaima at him and knocked him away.

"What exactly is it that you hoped to accomplish," he snarled, pulling Jaima closer, pulling a fist back to end his fight.

Jaima was grinning. "I was hoping to keep you occupied."

"FREEZE, perp!"

The man dropped Jaima and spun, facing a group of policemen, led by a tall woman with blue hair. An arcanine snarled next to her, and the rest of the officers released several pokémon, mostly canids, but with a little variety as well.

Jaima limped back to his group, supported by Shadow. The rest of the group looked at him, blinking, and Jaima grinned, raising a finger. "Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance."

"Overconfidence is the downfall of all mortals," Tuesday said with a smile.

"Are you all right, Jaima?" Meiko looked truly worried, but Jaima sat, looking at her with a soft smile.

He sent Shadow to go pick up Mercury, and the lucario cradled the kirlia gently as he brough her back to him. "Yeah, I'm ok. Just hurt in one part of my body."

"Where's that," Darryn asked.

Jaima accepted Mercury and held her in his lap before goraning pitifully. "The whole thing...."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 2 2009, 01:20 PM

Boss Deception edged nervously away from Jenny and the other officers, watching them with wary eyes. The other four goons also searched for possible routes of escape but the police had done their job well - there was no way out.

"Yeah, go get 'em Jen!" Darryn grinned. "Has this made it 100 this year yet?"

Officer Jenny flickered a glance to Darryn and frowned with impatience. "Who are you?"

"Durr, Mr Big-Shot trainer. There are loads of Officer Jennys and they all look the same." Meiko snorted under her breath.

"They actually have some minor differences." Tuesday piped up from next to Jaima.

Jenny ignored the kids as they chatted among themselves and gave the signal for the other members of her squad to move in and apprehend the Team Deception members. They closed in with their dog Pokemon, brandishing batons and handcuffs as they drew closer and closer.

"You honestly think you can stop me?" Boss Deception laughed, his arm reaching into his shirt. "I never go unprepared."

"Get him!" Jenny cried, already moving herself to stop whatever the goon had planned. She was too slow.

From his pocket, the man produced a small green ball with a yellow beak and beady black eyes. It blinked quickly in the harsh sunlight and looked up at his master with wonder. Darryn focused his attention on the little bird and could immediately see that this Pokemon was not exhibiting the blackened aura of a Shadow Pokemon. In fact, it was positively shining.

"Nattie, please use Flash?" Boss Deception asked the bird and it proceeded to shine brighter than the sun, its piercing white light blinding all all the scene. "Good, and now Teleport, please." The man and bird zipped out of existence and reappeared next to the Vice Captain of the team where he laid a hand on his shoulder. "And if it isn't too much to ask, once more?" The tiny bird, panting and puffing from fatigue quivvered once and nodded, it and the two men all disappeared with a shower of blue and gold sparks.

Everyone stood dumbfounded, still rubbing the dazzle from their eyes as Jenny and the Officers reigned in the final three Deception grunts. The process was quick and very well organised - Verity, Dane and Horace all being locked in chains and herded to where Drifblim were waiting for their escort back to Arasam.


"Pidgeoh!!!" Bravo screamed his welcome as he spiraled lower and landed on Darryn's outstreched arm. The bird was tired but obviously very proud of himself for returning so quickly - a speck in the air showed Meiko's Noctowl still winging its way back towards them from the nearby town.

"Bravo, Bravo!" Darryn fondly rubbed his face against the great avian's head and and held up the Premier Ball. "You take a long rest."

*He's faster than ever... What have I been feeding him?!*

The debriefing from Jenny involved many questions, all conducted at the Police Station in Arasam. Darryn told all he could, much as he was sure the others did, but he had plenty of questions that he wanted to be answered that Jenny couldn't supply answers for. Who were Team Deception? What was their aim? Who was that Boss guy? Where did he go? What about the mine - would it be closed off? Are there any laws for capturing fossil Pokemon?

That last one have given him a strange look but Darryn shrugged it off - what did he know about captuing laws?!

It took several long hours before the group reached the local Pokemon Center and there, the next chapter of their story began...

Battle for the Emberwing Badge