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Posted by: Living Arrow Sep 30 2010, 05:04 PM

He didn’t realise he was staring at his reflection for quite some time. It had first started with a casual admiration of a sexy pair of loafers but had ended with his impression of a vain statue. Quickly straightening and sorting his hair with a cursory flick of his wrist, Darryn Kellor turned back to the bustling streets of Petropolis.

It had been some time since he and his friends had arrived in the city for the second time, for Tuesday it was her third, but he remembered the tang of exhaust in the air and energy of city life well. In fact, it was deeper than a memory. It was almost like a sense of belonging. Sure, Darryn liked the great outdoors like most people but you couldn’t beat a good city. His old haunts in Celadon were completely dwarfed by this gargantuan town with its many appropriately-named skyscrapers. He drank in the experience like a wonderful drug. Lady coughed.

<Prince Darryn, these fumes are sticking to my fur… It. Is… Loathsome.> Lady tentatively sniffed at her own tails, turning up her nose with distaste and frowning at her master. He laughed.

“Oh, Lady – it’s not that bad! These fumes are the smell of fame, fortune!” He assured her.

<Then it seems I have been pursuing the wrong dream. Poverty and a complete lack of recognition suit me absolutely fine.> She snorted.

“That’s not what you’ll be saying tomorrow.” He reminded her, turning to gaze across the street. “Because Ribbon number two is coming our way.” The Petropolis Contest Hall, large as a stadium and very grandly presented in sweeping cascades of glass and black iron as an unfolding rose loomed before them. That was why they had gone on that particular shopping spree – to get a closer look at where they would be competing.

<Will the Ribbon smell as much as my tails? If so, I shan’t be wearing it.>

“Oh, give over, Lady!”


It didn’t take Darryn much longer to give up on finding any other accessories for his Pokemon. True, there were plenty on offer in a city the size of Petropolis but they came with an equally increased price tag. It didn’t make sense to buy everything new so Darryn decided to go with the old favourites, only picking out a new piece for November. It was her turn to perform in the all-important Appeal, afterall.

Back at the Pokemon Center, Darryn was pleased to see that all of the others were there. Their recent adventures coming to Petropolis from Mt. Carello, flying back up Mt. Carello for a Trainers retreat only to come all the way back down again had been tiring for them all.

A lot of thing had happened and Darryn had met a lot of people. Not least, his old friend Pan Gibbs who had been at the Retreat at Castle Vonmoto. Seeing her again had allowed Darryn to relive all the fun they had back at the Pokemon Academy in Celadon City and remember the colourful history that had given them such a strong friendship before he had moved to Furoh. He hoped to see her again soon - they had contact numbers for each other now and he had an address for her employers in Petropolis should he want to write.

Then there had been the small teen named Joey. Darryn had bonded quickly with the fellow trainer but they still knew very little about each other. Meeting up with him again would be cool but who knew where in Furoh he was headed next?

Even so, after all they had done, the little squad of four were determined to brush off and move on. Darryn had Ribbons on the brain and Jaima was so fired up for his next Badge he seemed ready to erupt (the polar opposite of the Jaima who had arrived in Petropolis the first time, desperate to make sure Tuesday was going to be okay). And then there was Tuesday, still brimming with that Researcher quality that simply had to be admired. And finally there was Meiko… who was clutching a piece of paper in her hands so tightly that it was crumpling at the edges. An open and completely crazed grin was planted on her face.

Glee was washing off of her in waves and rather contentedly, Darryn lapped them up with his Empathic self. She caught sight of him as he entered, laden with bags, and immediately thrust her hand aloft.

“Pokeathlon has come to Furoh! Pokeathlon!!!!!”

“Er, whatever it is, you’ve got a week.” Darryn rolled his eyes after spotting the date on the flier.

Meiko’s grin turned to confusion as she turned the flier back to herself with wide eyes.

“Whaaaaat?!”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Oct 2 2010, 01:12 AM

"<A week, Jaima! A whole week!>*"

"Mm-hmm," Jaima answered. He was leaning against the wall, right outside of one of the girl's change rooms in the Petropolis Department Store. Meiko had, after the adventure in Mr. Vonmoto's castle, insisted that it was time for a change. A deep change. A major change.

A change of clothing.

Jaima had never liked shopping, not even when it was a necessity, and now seemed like frivolity. Of course, they had lost quite a bit in the way of clothing due to the attack in the forest, but that wasn't the reason Jaima went along. Nor was the fact that Tuesday had finally woken up, to everyone's relief. The trip to Mr. Vonmoto's castle might have been a motivator, but they'd only stayed for the day, and had been able to make themselves presentable.

No, it was because Jaima liked Meiko, and since she was there, so was he.

Meiko also took a great amount of pleasure in dressing Jaima. If his contest shirt was any indication, she'd be stealing half of these clothes. Already, he had two bags next to him. He'd had his turn, and now he was tasked with waiting for Meiko and Tuesday to pick out their outfits.

Darryn had said something about letting Meiko dress him when a very hot place became very cold.

"<I mean, we finally get to Petropolis, and we finally find a place where they're doing pokethlon's… pokethlons Jaima! And we'll probably be gone before they start!>"

Meiko's head popped up over the door. She was likely standing on the little stool they put in there to let you tie your shoes easier, Jaima thought, but the pinched look on her face distracted him.

"<Do you think I'll ever get to participate in a pokethlon, Jaima..?>"

"<Sure, you'll be in town for one someday.>"

Meiko's eyes dropped into slits, and she dropped down from the stool. "Hmph!" she snorted, and though Jaima couldn't see it, he knew she had crossed her arms.

"<What?>"

There was silence, and Jaima had to fight the urge to look over the door himself to see if she was OK. Finally her voice came out, with that deceptive calm tone that always seemed to act as a prelude to destroying a man's soul.

"<I didn't want the logical, make-sense answer, Mr. Kuonji.>" She said, almost too low for him to hear her, though that would have defeated the purpose of the dangerously calm tone. "<What I wanted was the shining speech of glory, the morale boosting, inspiring, music in the back ground, super hero pose, teeth gleaming soliloquy that would make me feel better and fire me up to pursue my goals!>"

"Ah," Jaima nodded. "<Something like...>" The song over the store's speakers changed, becoming low, orchestral piece. "<Mei-chan, of course you're going to be in a pokethlon. And you'll excel. It's what you've always wanted. It's your dream. Your goal. And all of us, Me, Tuesday, Darryn, and all of our pokémon are going to make sure that you, Omura Meiko, realize your dreams, like you've helped us realize ours.> Meiko's head had poked over the door again, wide eyed, as Jaima looked up toward the lights, smiled... and one tooth gleamed.

"<Was that what you wanted?>"

Meiko smiled. "<Yes.>"

"<Feel better?>"

"<Much,>" she said, hopping down from the stool again. "<How did you get your tooth to flare like that?>"

"<One of the tract lights is shining in my face.>" That earned him a giggle. "<Mei-chan, have you decided on one?>"

"<No.>" Jaima tried not to sigh, valiantly, but he did anyway. "<I've decided on all three.>"

She stepped out, and Jaima's mind suddenly went blank, concentrating on the girl in front of him. She was wearing a form fitting blue dress that hugged her hips and flared out slightly at the waist. Her hair, which she had pulled out of the bun, hung to her shoulders. The dress was sleeveless, and she was currently barefoot, which Jaima found cute beyond reason.

"<I was thinking about some shoes, maybe stockings... and a hat. A cute little hat! What do you think?>"

Jaima was just staring. He blinked a few times, his mouth stuck in mid response after she twirled for him, flaring the skirt out from her thighs.

"Jaima?"

Nothing. Not a sound.

"Ja-i-maaaa," Meiko chirped, smiling cutely...

"Kawaii"

Meiko's face dropped into a look of worry. "<Omigawd... I broke my boyfriend!>"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Oct 15 2010, 11:04 PM

Tuesday was not hiding. She wasn’t. She was simply enjoying the splendorous décor of her chosen seat.

That is, in the middle of a round clothing rack, where no one could see her.

“No one,” of course, referred to Meiko, who had been giggling over skirts and clothes for Jaima and the possibility of dressing Darryn and how cute Tuesday would look in a dress.

“I think you’d look pretty in that, Mei-chan,” Tuesday said, pointing at the hideous pink polka-dots on yellow behind the other girl. It wasn’t her intention to insult, she simply wanted Meiko to look the other way, and when she did, Tuesday bolted.

So, yes, she was hiding, but from something more nerve-racking than a gym battle and more dangerous than any wild pokemon.

A teenaged girl in a clothing store.

Tuesday shuddered. She hated shopping. Hated it with a passion. She had done everything that she possibly could as a child to avoid going into department stores and being forced to try on clothes. As it was, her mother either had to get to the clothing store before Tuesday could realize where they were going and object, or she would have to bribe her with a trip to the bookstore. Tuesday learned to be very observant, so she had a lot of books on the shelves back home.

“Mmph,” Tuesday moaned, leaning her cheek on her hands. She was close to the fitting rooms and so could hear Jaima and Meiko’s conversation. Some of it was beyond her, but she was picking up on Japanese surprisingly quickly, and so she didn’t have much trouble following their conversation.

Tuesday pushed a few shirts to the side so she could watch Jaima as he lounged against the wall, talking to Meiko, who poked her head up over the door a few times. Tuesday just watched them from where she was sitting, enjoying the way that they looked at each other and could read each others moods. Tuesday’s parents could do that sometimes – read what the other was thinking about and act accordingly. Jaima and Meiko looked at each other differently than Tuesday’s parents did, though. Jaima and Meiko looked so happy to just be near each other, even if Jaima clearly disliked shopping as much as Tuesday did. Tuesday’s parents spent a lot of time apart during the weeks when Russell was away challenging opponents in other regions, and though they were always happy to see each other again, they never spent a lot of time together when they were both home, except for that first night.

Tuesday didn’t really understand it, but she supposed it didn’t matter. Her parents were very different, after all, and her father was often training his pokemon while her mother was brewing potions. They each had their own agendas and they seemed content enough to be away from one another. As long as they were happy with that, Tuesday didn’t think there could be any harm in it.

When Meiko stepped out of the fitting room, dressed in a new skirt that she twirled for a dumbstruck Jaima, Tuesday crawled out of her hiding space and quickly moved out of Meiko’s sight, off toward the pants section. She always kept a spare set of clothes in her messenger bag for emergencies, since she always had that with her, but all of her other clothes had been lost or ruined when they were separated in the forest. Only having that second pair of clothes had allowed Tuesday to go to Mount Vonmoto when they received their invitations, since the clothes she had been wearing in the forest had been torn, stained, and bloodied. Tuesday remembered that she had woken up in her pajamas, but she had been too embarrassed to ask who had redressed her while she was unconscious. It was still so hard to believe that she had been unconscious.

Tuesday woke up to the sensation that she was lying on a merry-go-round and someone was spinning her as quickly as she could go. The feeling didn’t make her ill, but she was very disoriented, and when she tried to open her eyes, she found that they had been glued shut by the sticky gunk that catches in one’s eyes while they’re sleeping. Fumbling, feeling very detached and slightly numb, Tuesday had raised her arms and rubbed the gunk free from her eyes before looking around.

The room was fuzzy for a few minutes before her eyesight started to clear and her mind began to return to wakefulness, but it didn’t take Tuesday long to figure out that they were in a Pokemon Center. The rooms smelled like antiseptic – a scent from the lab behind the desk that permeated the whole building, certainly. The walls were painted with a generic white paint and the sheets, while soft and clean, still held a commercial feel to them.

Unconsciously rubbing the sheet between her fingers, loosening stiff muscles, Tuesday turned her head slowly to look around the room. She could feel a comforting weight on her legs, a warmth that reached her through the sheets but still didn’t burn. Ashleigh, she thought quietly.

She felt more than tired – there was a weariness in her limbs that made her movements stiff and her thoughts sluggish, but as she glanced around, she could feel her brain warming up, her thoughts moving faster. So when she glanced to her left and saw Shadow leaning against the wall, watching her with calm eyes, she knew that he had been waiting for her to wake up.

“Shadow?” she asked, startled by how her voice grated over her dry throat. She swallowed thickly – an action that proved to be more difficult than it should have been. Her eyes flicked open in surprise as she felt something cold against her lips and she found that Shadow was holding a mug by the handle – far easier for his paws to grip than a glass – filled with cold water.

Flexing her fingers experimentally, Tuesday took the mug in her hands and sipped at the water, grateful for the cold feeling of it running down her throat. She sighed in relief and let Shadow take the mug back from her. She’d had every intention to sitting up and figuring out why she didn’t remember arriving at the Pokemon Center.

The next thing she knew, she was waking up again, not as disoriented this time. She had better control of her limbs and her thoughts, while not on their normal level, seemed to be coming to her more quickly. This time, it was Jaima sitting in the room with her.

“I fell asleep,” she murmured, noticing that Shadow wasn’t in the room and realizing that it must have been some time ago that she had woken up before, but had failed to get up.

“You were in a coma,” Jaima said quietly, and to Tuesday’s ears, his voice sounded a little thick. She tried to look at him closely, but her eyes kept betraying her, trying to slide closed whenever she squinted to get a better look at him.

Letting them close, Tuesday spoke quietly to Jaima to assure him that she wasn’t asleep – just resting her aching eyes. She couldn’t remember what had happened. “When did we come here?” she asked.

“Three days ago,” he said, his voice still soft. Tuesday could vaguely hear him moving, the fabric of his clothes sliding against each other. “You fell unconscious after the battle in the forest. Do you remember?”

She did. Suddenly. It came at her all at once. Her pokemon, all but one defeated, attacked savagely by wild pokemon and those at the command of others. Her mind hers and not hers – a fiery burning part of her brain that was now extinguished, and Tuesday mourned that fact. She remembered the feeling of that fire dissipating when Ashleigh fainted, but she had kept battling despite a part of her mind being cold, and they had finished the battles and everyone had been okay, and then she had felt the rest of the energy leave her. All that she remembered were arms wrapped around her as she was too tired to keep her eyes open and she had fallen asleep – fallen unconscious.

“I’ve been asleep for three days?” She opened her eyes to look at him, confused.

“Unconscious, actually.” He had taken off his glasses and was polishing them on his shirt, his eyes focused on them.

“Right…” Maybe her brain wasn’t working as well as she had hoped. She opened her eyes slightly to look at him. He was a little blurry, but she could see him watching her intently – making sure that she was all right.

“Everyone’s okay?” she asked softly.

“They’re all fine.” He nodded toward the head of the bed as he polished his glasses on his shirt. Hadn’t he already done that?

Tuesday tilted her head back. She could just see Zorro crouching, balanced on the bedpost, and she could still feel Ashleigh’s warmth draped over her legs. The others wouldn’t be far.

Tuesday sighed quietly, closing her aching eyes again. “Good,” she murmured, before she was dragged back into the calm darkness of sleep.

When she woke up again, Meiko was in the room with her. She was smiling when Tuesday opened her eyes blearily and turned her head that way, remembering that that’s where everyone was sitting.

“Hey, sweety,” she said, her voice cheerful. “You had us worried. I was getting fat on jello.”

Tuesday blinked at her for a moment, confused. Then, “Sorry, Mei-chan,” she said quietly, when the older girl’s brows had just begun to furrow in concern. “I keep falling asleep.”

“That’s okay, sweety. You need to rest up.” She leaned closer and added, in stage-whisper, “Jaima’s gonna kick our butts in training to catch us up, so you might as well get some rest while you can.” She winked at Tuesday.

“Still feel bad,” Tuesday muttered, trying to keep her eyes open so that she could watch Meiko. She was so happy – it didn’t seem quite right.

“Don’t, honey, it’s okay.”

Tuesday didn’t remember if she had said anything in response before she fell asleep again.

Tuesday remembered that it had continued like that through the rest of the day and into the next. At one point, she had woken up in the middle of the night in a complete panic, unsure of where she was, her room pitch black. She had been about to panic until her pokemon had comforted her, assuring her of her safety with their presence until she fell asleep again.

Even now, late in the afternoon on the fifth day since the battle, Tuesday found that she was just slightly tired. It was nowhere near as bad as it had been and she hadn’t dozed off at all during the day, but she could tell that things were still off. She hoped that by tomorrow, she would be back to normal. She didn’t like feeling like she was wrong, somehow.

Tuesday had wandered over toward the younger boy’s section and was looking at pants when she heard someone walk up behind her and stop. She didn’t turn around until he spoke.

“Shouldn’t you be shopping in the toddler section?”

Tuesday grimaced and turned to face him, her eyes narrowed slightly. “Reilly,” she said by way of greeting.

He smirked. “Runt. Where’s your pack of dorks?” Tuesday watched as Jaima walked up behind Reilly, Meiko at his side, but she didn’t say anything. “I would have expected that the four of you are never apart, since you’re too much of a baby to be wandering around on your own and you need Sparkles to teach you and that other chick how to look decent. I guess that Blondie is— he’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

“Yep.” Jaima raised an eyebrow at the boy’s back. “Blondie?”

Posted by: Living Arrow Oct 17 2010, 04:51 PM

With the others on a shopping spree, Darryn found himself in a rather odd predicament. Should he stay or should he go? The question only really had one answer, especially if he felt tied to his dream of becoming a star Co-Ordinator and stylist. Watching his friends leave the Pokemon Center without him was diffcult (especially if Meiko was dressing them all – she had worn blue with green the other day!. Blue and green should never be seen!) but it was the right thing for him to do. Training came first. That was a fact he was coming to accept more and more.

The wind blew fitfully across the roof of the Pokemon Center, ruffling the hair and loose fitting clothes of all the people on the Training Deck. Darryn had been waiting there only for a little while, patiently watching for his turn to come around on the illuminated board at the side of the field. Nurse Joy had allocated the afternoon to Co-Ordinators since the next Contest would be taking place the following day and training spots within the city were sparse at best.

“OK, we’re up.” Darryn tooked a deep breath as he led Lady out to the field and primed November’s Pokeball in his hand. It felt awkwardly large with the added ball capsule but that would be making all the difference in the immediate presentation.

<Prince Darryn, there are spectators… I thought this was to be a secret for the Appeals round.>

“We’re only holding back on a couple of details here, Lady.” Darryn informed her as he selected the music from the automated playlist. “We still need a dress performance and this is the closest chance we are ever going to get. Trust me – it will be fine.”

<If you say so, Prince Darryn. I hope that no-one decides to copy us.>

“I doubt anyone would be able to now… This has taken us ages to get right – no-one could pull it off in less than a day.”

<Better safe than->

“We’re still doing the practice, Lady.” Darryn admonished his prized Pokemon. She fell silent and stalked to the side of the field where she sat with all the utmost poise and grace she could muster. Her master rolled his eyes then primed the Pokeball.

“OK, November! The stage is yours!”

The catapulted Pokeball set free its seals with the opening of the ball capsule, expelling stars in a circular spray that whooshed away along the ground before exploding upwards into a shower of sparks. The energy from within the Pokeball collated rapidly into the proud form of Darryn’s Rapidash, her flames curling and licking about one another like rippling silk.

The music kicked in, Darryn held the rolled up magazine to his lips in place of his microphone, and together the Pokemon and human began to dance.

Darryn panted slightly as he struck the final pose, completing the practice for his second Appeal. November looked back at him with wide eyes of excitement and pride, her knees wobbling with the sheer glee of her final performance. He nodded to her with a wide grin, hoping that his own confidence would be imparted on her.

*Of course… I could make her feel it… No! That’s not what it’s for!*

“Awesome moves, November.” Darryn reached out and accepted her long nose in his arms, kissing her soft fur over and over again. “You looked amazing!”

November stomped a dainty hoof merrily and shoved back against her trainer with a ‘well, durr!’ rocking of her head.

“Amazing is, like, one word for it…” A voice sounded from behind Darryn. “But I think fabulous is, like, more your style.”

The Co-Ordinator froze. It was impossible! She was surely back in the Hoenn region! To be out here would be…

“LYLA!” Darryn spun around and caught up his cousin in a fierce embrace, lifting her clear from the ground and twirling her around in circles where she giggled gaily and squealed with delight. Her ultra-shiny blonde hair followed her like a snapping banner of beauty over her Barbie-pink blazer.

“Hey, Cuz!” Lyla hugged Darryn’s head, pressing his face right between her breasts. Instinctively, he blew a massive raspberry into her chest and her giggle erupted into raucous laughter.

When the laughing and spinning finally ended, Darryn set the girl back on solid ground to look her up and down. She was just how he remembered. Absolutely flawless. Since they had been little, Lyla had dressed amazingly for any occasion. More meticulous than Darryn himself, Lyla had the perfect outfit for every day, every moment, and knew exactly how to keep them. Today’s selection, a matching pink blazer and skirt with smart black heels, gave her the air of a young business woman – smart yet fun. Hooked into the crook of her left elbow, a white purse with rose-coloured floral design in the corners. Her hair was held back from the face with a smart pink headband, allowing it to fall in luscious golden waves to the middle of her back. She was Lyla Moore. Cousin to Darryn Kellor and Pokemon Breeder extraordinaire.

“Woah… Dizzy…” Lyla blinked her wide hazel eyes in an attempt to steady herself. Darryn chuckled. She was a sight. True, she carried the stereotypical blonde appearance of a highschool cheerleader but Darryn knew what she was really like. Sure, she could be a bit of an airhead and had so many blonde moments he couldn’t count but she was not stupid. Straight As in anything she put her mind to, Lyla was born to be a living encyclopedia and when that failed, her notebook picked up the slack (she was always writing stuff in that little thing!). She had transferred from her home in Mauville City to the Johto region for a while and had attended the prestigious Pokemon Academy out in the Whirl Islands where she had specialised in Pokemon Breeding. Last Darryn had seen her, she had returned to Hoenn to put her newfound skills into practice at the local breeding center.

“What on Pokearth are you doing here?!” Darryn demanded, his grin not fading as he took her in. “Aren’t you working back in Mauville?!”

“Uh, like, totally.” Lyla righted herself and, seeming to be steady enough to stop blinking, began to rummage in her bag. “I’ve been sent out here to do some research and make some progress with one of our latest orders.”

“Orders?”

“Yeah, like, some dude wants a bunch of Wish Skitty to sell on the Contest track in Sootopolis City. Problem is, my little Skitty isn’t up to the Breeding Center’s Togetic’s tastes so I gotta, like, evolve her. There was something on the news about Moon Stones in a recent meteor shower over Fidona so I, like, flew down by Dragonite Bus. Those things, by the way, need to, like, slow down.” Lyla adjusted her fringe for good measure. “I mean, seriously? I had to fix this thirty seven times to get it right.”

Darryn reached out and smoothed a few hairs. “Thirty three.” He assured her. She beamed.

“So, I called your Mom – she said you had switched from Badges to Ribbons? I mean, thatis way cool and totally predictable but all the hotties are on the Trainer scene right now.” Lyla nodded sagely. “you’ll be missing o-ooout!”

“Not quite all of them.” Darryn stuck his tongue into the corner of his mouth. Lyla gawked.

“You didn’t!” She gasped.

“Uh, course I did!?”

“Who!?”

“Heard of a guy called Tr-”

“TROY OF ARASAM!?” Lyla screeched, “YOU MEANIE! HE’S MIIINE!”

“Um… I guess I’m kinda his…” Darryn frowned, thinking back to how things had played out with himself and the Contest Hall Leader. The older trainer had been the one to make all the moves. Not that Darryn minded, of course, but it had all been pretty thick and fast.

“Sooo unfaaaaiiiiir!” Lyla rocked back and forth. “You get all the luck!”

“I think this call for a proper catch-up.” Darryn declared, holding out an arm for his cousin to link into. She obliged quickly and together they left the practice field for someone else to use. Lady and November followed behind.

“Who the £$%^& does she think she is?!” Lady demanded, her tails waving angrily over her head. "Screaming like an imbecile and throwing herself all over him like that?!”

“I know! Like, she’s, like, so dumb!”

Lady raised an eyebrow back to her fire-type teammate and decided not to dignify that last with a response.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Oct 18 2010, 01:42 AM

Jaima raised a brow as Reilly turned, slowly, his arms crossed, and gave Jaima an appraising stare. There was a challenge in his eyes, as if to say, "Yeah. Blondie. So?" Jaima smiled a little. "I mean... blondie? I prefer "Ol' Yeller" or "Goldilocks if something else doesn't come to mind..."

Reilly's eyes narrowed, briefly, and he crossed his arms. A smirk crossed his features. "Old Yeller got shot and Goldilocks..." Reilly smirked, raising an eyebrow at Jaima. "Well, if you're willing to admit where you're lacking, don't expect me to join in."

"Well, it's better than Blondie... Blondie was a ... ksk," Jaima hissed, realizing that, while Blondie was a girl, so, too, was Goldilocks.

Meiko snorted and smiled at Jaima, glancing at Reilly, and Jaima put an arm around Meiko's waist. "What brings you to Petropolis, Reilly?"

Reilly studied Jaima closely for a moment, before he spoke in a careful tone. "I'm challenging the gym leader, Vega."

Jaima's eyes narrowed, though his smile didn't change. "Oh? It just so happens, I am as well..." He lifted a brow. "Maybe we should battle to see who goes first..."

Reilly looked startled, perhaps even fearful, for the briefest of moments, but his expression was almost instantly transformed into one of arrogant boredom. "I'm not sticking around," he said, his voice a little too harsh for the words he was saying. "I'll probably be gone by the time you're due to face him."

"Maybe," Jaima nodded, looking thoughtful, "but it'd be good practice. I mean, if you're willing to allow my pokémon to train with yours..."

Meiko hid a smile as Reilly's eyes narrowed for the second time.

Reilly straightened suddenly and raised his head in a manner that made it appear that he was looking down at Jaima. "My pokémon don't *need* any help from yours."

Jaima's brows raised and he looked at Meiko, who's eyes reflected his own. "Well, actually," he said, turning back to Reilly, "I was hoping for your pokémon to help mine, but I understand. You probably don't want to show me how you're going to defeat Vega... might give me ideas."

Reilly's eyes narrowed in a glare. "As if you're pokemon have a chance at beating Vega at all," he snapped harshly, even as he shifted slightly away from Jaima. "My pokemon and I are going to defeat him, easily, and then you'll see." He took a few steps back, shaking his head as his neck started to turn red. "I don't need your help," he hissed quietly, and quickly turned and left.

The three of them watched him stride away, but it was Meiko who noticed the stiff way his limbs moved. Tuesday, unseen by the other two, was scowling after Reilly, but Jaima, when Meiko looked at him, had a worried look in his eyes.

"I didn't meant to make him think he was a bad battler," he said quietly to Meiko . "He was amazing t the castle."

Meiko looked after Reilly, who was far enough by now to be barely visible... no, wait, that's someone else... and rubbed Jaima's back. "I understood, Jai-chan," she said just as softly. "It's like he was looking for an insult...

"Maybe I should go talk to him," Jaima said, moving away to walk after Reilly even as he talked. Meiko pulled him back.

"I don't have any siblings," she said apologetically, "but I can see when someone wants to be alone. He's just going to pull away harder if you keep after him."

Jaima looked at her, and his shoulders drooped. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"It's not your fault." Meiko turned Jaima's face until he looked her in the eyes. "I mean it. It's not your fault."

Jaima smiled at her, a little sadly, but at least he didn't insist. Meiko smiled back and kissed his forehead, then, without looking, snaked a hand behind her and grabbed Tuesday's shoulder lightly. "Now, Tue-chan. It's your turn!"

Tuesday's eyes widened perceptibly and she ducked low while trying to pull away. "N-No, Mei-chan. I'm fine. I have everything I need."

"Oh? You didn't lose all your clothes in the forest? You don't have a contest coming up?" Meiko smiled at her, but also tilted her head. "Haven't I seen you wearing that shirt yesterday?"

"Um... no, I - I picked some out already, Mei-chan." She pointed to a pile of neatly-folded clothes on a chair by the fitting room. "They're over there."

Meiko looked, then grinned, happily. " Let's see them!" Before Tuesday could protest, she was pulled, gently, to where the clothing was stacked. Meiko lifted a long sleeve shirt and held it up to Tuesday. "This is nice! I like how the blue brings out your eyes." She folded the shirt and set it on another chair, then lifted a second shirt. "This one makes your hair look beautiful!" She held the shirts up, one by one, praising the choice of each. When she got to the pants, Tuesday took a moment to glance up at Jaima with an incredulous look. Jaima simply shrugged back.

Meiko lifted the last pair of pants, a olive green pair of cargo pants to supplement her black and brown cargo pants, and a small package fell onto the chair. Meiko looked, only just comprehending that she had exposed a package of girls' underwear when Tuesday snatched it up, hiding it behind her back and turning to face Jaima. Tuesday's face was red, and Meiko's was growing that color.

"Don't these look good on her, Jaima," Meiko asked brightly, leaning close to the younger girl to hold the pants up in front of her. "Gomen ne, Tue-chan!" she whispered.

"Daijoubu, Mei-chan," Tuesday answered shyly, and Meiko grinned and winked at her. Then she turned to Jaima.

"What are you doing out here, mister? I picked you out some clothes, go try them on!" Jaima started, but did not move, opening his mouth to talk. Meiko stood, eyes narrowed.

"All right, all right, I'm going," he laughed, heading to another chair and picking up a pile of clothes, and heading to the men's side.

Tuesday's wide eyes were focused on Jaima, but as he moved into the fitting room, they slid to Meiko and she watched the girl silently. "You're not making me try on a dress." Immediately after she spouted the words, spoken in a staggered tone, she blinked, startled by her own boldness.

"No dress?" Meiko asked, her eyes furrowed. Tuesday's face was resolute, still wide eyed but not at all indicating she would give in at any juncture. The dress issue was decided. "OK," she nodded, shrugging, "but you might find you need one later. Maybe for the contest, a nice pantsuit?"

"D-Darryn bought me one already... I'll... I'll need a shirt and pants to go under it... I was going to wear that for the contest." Tuesday was looking at Meiko as if she were completely the opposite of what Tuesday had expected, and Meiko smiled at her.

"Oh! Good, I thought you'd lost that. I know just the thing," she nodded. "And you're going to need something to work out in. I saw a cute little tank top and some black pants over here. The Japanese use these kinds of pants to do martial arts; the fabric is lighter than these," she said, indicating the cargo pants, "but it's still nice and loose. I can't believe they even had them in a clothing store like this! You'll like them."

She was still talking as she lead Tuesday to where the more sheer clothing was sold.

* * * * *

She drifted as far as she could, as far as the tether on her body would allow her to, but she could not find the one she was looking for. The waves tossed her, but still her little boat sailed true, going only where she asked it, despite the howling wind and curling crests.

She shifted, and there she was, on a plain, with a strong wind passing over it. Unlike the sea, the plains breeze was strong, yet straight, running down the plain from behind her and blowing her skirt in front of her. She braced against it, scanning. Still nothing. She took a step to the side-

And was in a forest at night. Windless, cool, her skin made gooseflash as she looked around. She wished for a shawl, and one appeared at her shoulders, patterned in dark blue with a black wedge shape down the back. It was warm and made her happy, but she took little time before she was searching again. She used her powers to cast a light before her, and sighed when, while she found the inhabitant of this place, she did not find who she searched for.

The shuppet who was part of her network asked her to stay for tea, and she was obliged to. The ghost type, overjoyed, did not keep her long, but did extract a promise to visit again, soon.

From spot to spot Mercury jumped, at times calling in harsh environments, at others searching in silence so as not to disturb the region's master's slumber.

Finally she opened her eyes in the real world, sighing. She turned to Shadow with her eyes close to tears.

<No one's seen her, and I can't find her on my own...> He hugged her as she asked him, shakily and rhetorically, <What's happened to Cassandra?>

* * * * *

"I can't believe you came out of the dressing room wearing the green shirt and the blue pants, Jai-chan!"

Jaima looked down, abashed, and Meiko rolled her eyes, shaking her head even as she held onto his arm. Tuesday was in front of them, but only slightly, far enough ahead not to be accidentally kicked as they walked.

"But, Mei-chan, you wore blue and green together before."

Meiko huffed. "It was all I had clean, it doesn't mean it's a good idea!" She indicated her dress, which Jaima happily looked at again, and then Jaima's shirt, one of the new ones he wore with a pair of black jeans. "Blue and green do not go together, Jai-chan. I think there's even a rhyme about it!"

They walked on in silence for a bit, then Jaima piped up. "But Mei-chan, you're wearing blue."

"Yes..?"

"And I'm wearing green!"

Meiko blushed furiously. "It's OK, when it's on two different people, Jai-chan!" She looked up and saw the mischievous glint in his eye, and smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. "Honestly!"

They were passing an electronic store when the news started. "Oh, man, is it that late," Jaima said, looking at his watch, but Meiko shushed him.

On the screen on display, a serious looking man read the news. "Our own heroic Emergency Rescue Brigade nearly lost an entire team this week, during the fire in the forest between our great city and Arasam. A new development has just been found, when an officer from Arasam identified a group of teens involved as a cohesive group of young adventurers known as Team Rogue."

Jaima, Meiko, and Tuesday's jaws all dropped at once. Jenny, a young one, with a stern look, appeared on the screen. "Yes, it's them, it must be! They passed through here, and I knew they were troublemakers from the start! Team Rogue, that's who you're looking for!"

The announcer returned. "The story is further complicated by the testimony of a young nurse, who, along with her regular duties, has also run a small pokémon advice talk show, and served as a judge for the contests in Arasam."

"I know who Jenny is speaking of, and while they do travel together, those people are not trouble makers." Joy appeared with Jenny at her side. Jenny looked embarrassed and slightly abashed, but Joy was poised and betraying no sense of anger or worry. "If the team of the ERB says that they helped, I'm sure it was true."

"How well do you know Team Rogue, Nurse?" the interviewer asked, and Jaima tensed. He needn't have worried.

"Well enough to know they wouldn't do anything wrong."

The anchor came back on. "These four young teenagers have yet to be fully identified. The Emergency Rescue Brigade will not release their descriptions or names, and the two we have found have been equally mum. However, because of the word of Phineas Flynn, the commander in charge of the Emergency Rescue Brigade, these young men and women have been hailed as heroes."

Jaima looked at Meiko. Meiko looked at Jaima. Both of them looked down at Tuesday, who was looking up at them. All three of the teens had equally agape faces.

"Oh, kami-sama, that stupid name has caught on!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Nov 1 2010, 12:51 AM

I like that name, Tuesday thought, watching the news next to Jaima and Meiko. It had a certain flair to it – Team Rogue. It just… fit. But she wasn’t going to tell Jaima or Meiko that, because they didn’t like the name, and things like that were always best kept to yourself.

As they continued in their walk back toward the pokemon center, Tuesday couldn’t help but think about Reilly. The boy was always rude when they met up, and Tuesday was fine with that. Well, no – fine wasn’t the right word. Tuesday had accepted it. It was the way things were. It wasn’t new to her, people being rude toward her, though her reaction to Reilly’s particular… temperament always surprised her. No one else managed to ever make her quite so angry.

What enraged her this time, though, wasn’t the way he acted toward her, but the way he treated Jaima. He’d been a complete jerk, acting like Jaima was so much less than he was and that he was so… great…

Tuesday frowned. Something didn’t seem quite right about the way she had described Reilly, and she wondered if maybe there was something more to the way he was acting. He’s just a jerk, Tuesday thought, and she had known a lot of jerks. She crossed her arms as she walked and ducked her head, just not feeling quite… right. After a moment, she huffed sharply. I don’t want to think about him, anyway! So she didn’t.

Reilly kicked a soda can sharply, sending the empty aluminum soaring across the sidewalk as he grumbled, stalking away from the department store. “Stupid runt and her stupid friends,” he grumbled. “As if I need their help.”
He hesitated in his walking and sighed, stopping to lean his back against the brick building behind him. Who was he kidding? He was a horrendous battler and everybody knew it. He did his best, of course, but he could never win when it counted, or win what counted.

He’d tried, of course, and he’d won battles and he’d beaten some pokemon around the bush and got some trainers’ respect, but in the end, it never really mattered. It wasn’t their respect he wanted, and he didn’t want to beat them! He just wanted… he just wanted…

“Ah, forget it,” he muttered and kicked off the side of the building, stalking down the street.



Tuesday pulled on one of her new shirts over her wet hair, sliding her arms through the sleeves and then pulling on a pair of cargo pants. It felt good to get a hot shower, though Tuesday had never had someone take a shower with her before. At least, not since she had been quite capable of taking one by herself.

On the other side of the room, Zorro was dancing around, his blue and black fur dripping all over the carpet. He looked ridiculously happy and Tuesday couldn’t help but smile as she watched him. She wasn’t quite sure if he had taken the shower with her because he thought it would be fun, or because her pokemon had decided that they weren’t ever going to leave her alone. Despite his mischievous, prank-loving nature, she was fairly sure it was the latter.

Tuesday dried her hair into a damp mass of curls, before swinging the towel like a jump rope and snagging Zorro’s body. She pulled the startled riolu toward her and, laughing in a giggle-yipping sound, the riolu fought her teasingly as she tried to dry off his fur.

“You’re ridiculous,” she said, trying to sound like he was such a hassle, but he merely pushed the towel away and grinned at her. Tuesday smiled back. “Your tassles are wet.” Zorro went unusually still as Tuesday dried off the two black tassles that hung down from his head. She was aware that they were very sensitive parts of his body, so she was careful not to pull on them, and merely rubbed the towel down the fur to draw out the moisture and dry them to a dampened state. The air (and his constant dashing) would easily dry the rest.

“All done!” Tuesday said, pulling the towel back and smiling at him in satisfaction. Zorro glanced at her with wide, startled eyes, still very still, and Tuesday frowned. “Zorro, you oka-” Her mouth snapped shut when he lunged forward and hugged her tightly. Tuesday merely blinked in surprise at the tight hold his arms had around her, and then he had released her and with the slamming of the door, rushed from the room in a blur.

Tuesday stared after him in surprise. “Zorro…?”



Ashleigh kept his eye on the little blue fox for the rest of the day. His alpha appeared rather startled by the actions of her bonded pokemon, and more than a little worried that she hadn’t seem him since he’d run away from the room. A human’s senses were not nearly as keen as those of a pokemon except in excited states. Where she could not find the little blue fox, Ashleigh knew where he was, and he watched.

The houndoom did not understand why the little blue fox was acting the way he was, but even he had seen the startled look in the riolu’s eyes when his alpha had gently dried the other’s ears. There was something about that level of kindness, Ashleigh thought, that shocked the riolu into an emotionally physical outburst, which had clearly embarrassed him, or something of the sort – something to keep him from revealing himself. Ashleigh was not overly worried. His alpha was bonded with the little blue fox, and the other cared for her. He would not leave.

Ashleigh stayed closely on the heels of his alpha all that day. He was very glad that he had been able to do so. Once his alpha had awoken and remained awake, she had been shown the little pichu that she had caught completely on accident, and the impulsive treecko, who she remembered catching to keep from further hurting himself.

The one with hair like a charizard’s breath had shown his alpha his pokeball, which had been smashed and broken. His alpha had been very sad about this, and Ashleigh had, too. It meant that his alpha was not his alpha anymore, and he didn’t want to be alone again. But, of course, he should not have doubted her.

“And you got some presents in the post, Tuesy!” Fire-Hair had squealed, and dumped a pile of wrapped gifts on his alpha’s lap. Ashleigh had quietly sniffed at the presents from where he lay on the bed, but since finding out that his alpha was not his alpha, he hadn’t been overly happy about much of anything.

But his alpha had opened her presents – calmly, almost reverently, taking the time to cherish each gift and read each card from her family as though this moment meant more than anything to her. Ashleigh did not know, precisely, why Fire Hair had smiled a smile that was also sad, and he could not ask, and he had been confused. But then his alpha had squealed in delight when she opened a gift to find a collection of various types of pokeballs and, without hesitation, she had picked on up – a green one, he recalled – and threw it at him.

Ashleigh remembered the feeling of being sucked into his pokeball. He remembered hearing the pokeball talking to him, telling him that his alpha was great and wonderful and amazing and that she loved him, and then, flabbergasted that his pokeball would think he needed to hear any of this, he had told it quite sternly that he knew that, thank you very much, and he didn’t need telling twice.

He remembered sitting – or laying down, or floating, or whatever – inside of his pokeball for what seemed a rather unusually long amount of time, before he was suddenly thrown out of it and then his alpha tackled him, sobbing and dripping tears all over his fur that shriveled into a tiny wisp of steam and evaporated as they touched him.

It hadn’t been until later, when Tuesday had been going to meet Fire Hair and the other humans for lunch and ran into the doctor, that Ashleigh had gotten the chance to ask his fellow pokemon what had happened.

Odysseus (or Captain, as he was becoming more well-known, thanks to the little blue fox) had told him that his alpha had been distraught when she captured Ashleigh in a new pokeball and it had simply disappeared. The Guerrero, as the little blue fox called him, had explained to his alpha that she could only carry six pokemon, and as she already had six, capturing Ashleigh sent him straight to Professor Oak, all the way back in Pallet Town, where she was from.

His alpha had rushed to the computer to talk to Professor Oak and had spent just a little bit of time debating over who to send to Professor Oak for care so she could have Ashleigh with her. It had taken some time because his alpha had never sent a pokemon to live with someone else before, but she knew Professor Oak would take care of them, and so she had sent him the treecko, whom she had named Virgil, so that Professor Oak could care for him and maybe help him overcome the loss of his tree.

And then his alpha had received Ashleigh’s pokeball and had fallen over herself to hug him tightly, crying all over him because she’d been afraid she lost him, and Ashleigh got cuddled and belly rubbed and he’d loved everything but the fact that she was scared and sad and crying. So he’d licked her face until she giggled and told him he was gross, and then everything was okay again.

“I’m glad you’re feeling much better,” Doctor Caballe was saying to his alpha when he finished speaking with the captain. “You gave us all quite a scare when you fell unconscious. I was rather worried.”

His alpha blushed, looking down at the ground and wringing her hands together nervously. “Sorry, sir.”

“Ah, none of this “sir” nonsense, and it’s quite all right. You meant nothing to happen, of course, and you fought well – extraordinarily well for someone so young. You all did. I wonder if, perhaps, you’d mind keeping in contact with me, telling me about your travels? Surely with skills like yours – and from what I hear, a penchant for drawing trouble – you’re bound to have some interesting adventures. You might be able to use our help down the road, or maybe we could use yours, again. I wouldn’t mind seeing the four of you on a Rescue Squad Team someday.”

His alpha had blushed as red as the lizard’s skin and stuttered out a reply that Ashleigh didn’t catch, because he smelled roasted spearow and that was swiftly becoming one of his favorite meals. He nearly pranced in glee when his alpha left the doctor and headed toward the tables for lunch. Food was wonderful, though not quite as wonderful as belly rubs.

As Tuesday sat down with a tray of food some minutes later, the guerrero grinned across the table at her and asked, “So, Tuesy, are you ready for your gym match?”

Posted by: Living Arrow Nov 7 2010, 03:24 PM

“And how about now?” Lyla did her very hardest to keep a straight face.

“That’s not how it works, Lyla.” Darryn rolled his eyes. “You’re emotional state can’t be influenced that simply. Like, right now, you have a soft green halo – you’re being sneaky. Had it just went blue becaue you’re… disappointed? Lyla! Stop trying to test it already!”

Darryn’s cousin frowned deeply and snagged up her notebook. A pink pen with and equally pink and fluffy top went with it and in a split second, the Breeder was taking rapid notes. Darryn ignored her obsessive behaviour (that damn notebook was ALWAYS somewhere nearby!) and instead led her away from the counter at the Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy was passing back his Pokeballs, and towards where his friends were sitting.

After a cursory glance, Darryn could tell that Jaima and Tuesday were “shopped out” but from the triumphant grin Meiko shot Darryn as they approached and the collection of bags around them she was in the glorious money-spending afterglow.

“Hey, guys!” Darryn waved as he approached, sliding into the booth alongside Tuesday. The trio all smiled but gazes rapidly transferred to the blonde-haired girl who plonked herself down next to him. “I’d like you to meet my cousin, Lyla!”

“Er…” Jaima’s eyes widened. “Cousin?”

“Hello, everyone!” Lyla beamed brightly. “It’s, like, totally awesome to meet you! Daz has been, like, talking non-stop about you all day – I feel like I, like, know you guys already.”

“Really? Darryn’s never mentioned he had such a pretty cousin before.” Meiko smiled across the table. “I don’t know why that managed to slip his mind.”

“Um, sorry guys – Lyla’s only just arrived in Furoh. She’s from Hoenn but out on a work assignment with her Breeding Center. I would have said something sooner if I knew she was around but this is as much of a shock to me as it is to you!” Darryn informed the team, unsure of how to really manage the situation. It was always odd introducing a new face to such a close-knit bunch but Lyla would be loved by them - he was certain of it.

“Oh, that’s so, like, totally my fault. I tried calling ahead but there’s crappy signal all over this region.” Lyla insisted.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at Lyla and she smiled brightly back.

“Oh, er, yeah, so this is Jaima.” Darryn signalled his friend who smiled back. “He’s taking on the Furoh Gym Challenge.”

“Pleased to meet you.” He nodded to Lyla who grinned.

“Hey, Jai! I love that braid!” Lyla didn’t catch the flicker of eyes between Meiko and her boyfriend. “You’ve got to show me, like, how you get it to look so tight!”

“And this is Meiko.” Darryn indicated the redhead. Lyla elbowed Darryn.

“You never said how gorgeous she was, Daz!” She crooned. “And with amazing taste in shoes.”

Meiko’s smile lost some of its newfound hardness. Darryn scanned her. Something odd was floating through her Emotaglow. She caught him looking and blushed slightly, firing a ‘stop reading me!’ stare. He looked away sharpish.

“And this is Tuesday. She’s really smart and bound to be one of the big Professors in a few years.” Darryn leaned back so that Lyla could wave.

“O. M. G. You’re cuter than a Cleffa!” Lyla gushed.

Tuesday’s peep of a response was barely audible and her already small frame appeared to shrink back into the booth like she had perfected the Minimise technique in an instant. She’d always been shy but with an extrovert like Lyla around, Darryn noticed her timid nature even more.

“”Er, Darryn? How are you cousins?” Meiko asked from across the table. “You two look nothing alike. Blonde, brunette. Your faces aren’t all that similar, either.”

“Oh, our moms were sisters.” Lyla nodded sagely. “But our Dads are completely different – we must take after them a lot!”

“Well, I’d never have guessed it,” Meiko went on, “without you guys to say so, there’d be nothing to link you.”

“We can, like, totally prove it.” Lyla half bounced in her seat. “You know Daz is taking the Contest route? Well, we used to do this routine when we were little with cousin Cleo and-”

“No, Lyla.” Darryn glared.

“But it’s so much fun!” Lyla rocked back and forth. “Let’s put on a show, Daaaaaarryyyyyyn!”

“I’d really rather not…” Darryn’s cheeks flamed red.

“Puh-leeeeease?!” Lyla grabbed him by the hand and dragged him upright towards an open area of the cafeteria. Lady watched them with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, Darryn.” Meiko folded her arms and sat back with a big smile on her face. “Show us your routine that you practised with your sister and your cousin.”

Darryn sighed. There was no way getting out of it now. True, he loved to perform but this was just so…. Embarrassing…. He wasn’t even sure if he could remember all of the steps or the words. It had been a long time ago and…

“Come on! Show us what you got!” Meiko cheered them on. Lyla hopped with glee.

“But Cleo’s not here… How are we-”

“I’ll cover her part.” Darryn said without breaking eye contact with Meiko. “Got my rep on the line with this one so I better not disappoint.”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Nov 16 2010, 01:05 AM

"I told you the shoes would be a big hit," Meiko said, smugly, as she and Jaima walked around, simply being together, and moving, and holding hands.

"You did," Jaima agreed, amused. In truth, he hadn't argued the fact. They were, probably, quite adorable, as Meiko had pointed out when she'd picked them (and several others, but that was neither here nor there), But when he had simply looked at them and given them a slight nod, she had narrowed her eyes and smirked, extolling the wonders that were her shoes.

Jaima had been more interested in the dress. She had painstakingly selected the accompanying accessories to compliment it, and, in Jaima's mind, had succeeded, from the grey stockings to the page-boy hat that now rested on her head, in the same shade as the dress. It was, in fact, now that they were going to find a stylist (and not, as Meiko had pointed out with a hint of disgust when Jaima had made the mistake of calling it so, a "barber") to, as she had put it, "tame this mangy mop once and for all."

Jaima's snort had earned him an attempted backhanded slap to the chest, which he had thwarted by catching her hand and keeping hold of it.

Grondir, Cosette, Fang and Eggheart waddled, trotted, or rode behind the pair, close enough to react to any danger, but far enough back so as not to be accidently kicked in the chin. Grondir had learned this possibility the hard way, still not quite used to his larger form. Only Cosette looked uncomfortable, a direct contrast to Eggheart, who rode on Fang's back with as much glee as she could muster.

It didn't seem as if Meiko was in a hurry, and so Jaima didn't feel the need to rush. The sun was low in the sky, and the air was turning cool. Meiko, wearing a sleeveless dress, gave a slight shiver. Jaima dutifully put an arm around her shoulders, and she sighed.

"What are you going to do tonight, Jaima?"

"Same thing I do every night, Mei-chan--"

"Hush," she giggled, snuggling closer.

Jaima smiled down at her. "I'm going to do some special training tonight. I have an idea for my gym battle."

He hadn't noticed how Meiko's eyes had widened when he'd said training but did notice the look of relief. He raised a brow, and she blushed. "I thought, when you said special training, you meant Tue-chan and I..."

Jaima pursed his lips. "You are behind," he started, and Meiko squeaked. Rolling his eyes, he chuckled. "OK, fine. I'll just have to be extra tough when we do start again."

It was Meiko's turn to roll her eyes, and she did so, which caused her eyes to fell on the sign of the salon they sought. She pulled Jaima around to walk toward it (a prodigious feat under normal circumstances) and smiled as they walked through the door.

"Yeeeees?" said the white haired man in the bouffant hair style at the front counter. "Do you have an appoooooiiiintmeeeeeent?"

Jaima had to bite his lips, but Meiko took it in stride. "Omura Meiko, one thirty."

Jaima blinked. When had she made the appointment? She smiled prettily at the man in the white bouffant hair style, but he showed no reaction.

"Yeeeeees, Miss Meiko, You're eeeeaaaaarly... woooooonderful. If you'll just have a seeeeeeaaaat?"

Meiko pulled Jaima to the seating, then allowed herself a giggle, which, in turn, caused Jaima to chuckle.

"Jai-chan, why don't you go to the gym and set up your battle. I'll be fine here for a while..."

Jaima looked at her, then around the salon. There were, mostly, women in there, and the hair dresser population was evenly split. Two of the hairdressers were eyeing his hair, and they looked hungry.

"You know," Jaima said, swallowing, "that's not a bad idea!" Meiko giggled as Jaima walked out the door. She kept her eye on it, half wistful that Jaima had left (ah, young love), and half expecting Layla to walk through. That was how it worked in fiction!

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Nov 28 2010, 12:35 AM

“Good afternoon. Are you here to register for the contest?”

The clerk was all smiles, but Tuesday was looking at the floor. She was rolling a pokeball in between her palms, her long blonde hair hanging in her face. She nodded quickly, her head moving like she wanted to look up, but refusing to. She nodded again.

“Very well,” the woman said kindly. “And what pokemon will you be entering in the contest appeal?”

“Um… Dante,” Tuesday said, still rolling the pokeball between her hands.

The clerk waited for a few moments before saying, “Sweetie? We need to scan your pokeball.”

“Oh!” Tuesday quickly dropped the pokeball onto the scanner and glanced up to watch it work. Because of this, the clerk was able to catch her eye and smile, causing Tuesday to blush and duck her head.

“Ah, a charmeleon,” the clerk said, reading the scanner’s data on a screen. “Your appeal should be interesting to see. What category are you signing him up under?”

“Beauty,” Tuesday said, this time managing to look up at the clerk’s face shyly. Darryn had explained to her what had happened during his first contest and the categories each of the pokemon signed up under, so she knew what to expect.

“All right,” the clerk said, typing this into her records. “And what two pokemon will you be entering in the Battling Round of the contest, should you proceed that far?”

“Tempest and Zorro,” Tuesday said, returning Dante’s pokeball to her pocket and placing two others on the scanner. “They’re a pikachu and a riolu.”

It had actually taken Tuesday some time to decide what pokemon she could use in the Battling Round. She had been hoping to use Ashleigh, because she knew how well the houndoom battled and how easily he would work with either Tempest or Dante.

Tuesday wasn’t sure the entire reason as to why she picked Tempest and Zorro to battle together, but she thought part it might be because they didn’t work well together. This would not only be a challenge, but a test for the both of them. Outside of training, could they be a formidable team? Or would they be enemies even on the professional battlefield? This would be the time to tell.

“Both of them are placing under the Cool category,” Tuesday said, again watching as each of the pokeballs were scanned individually, and the clerk typed information into her computer.

“Okay, you’re all set! The contest starts at two o’clock tomorrow afternoon.” The clerk smiled as Tuesday took back her pokeballs. “Good luck!”

Tuesday smiled nervously. “Thanks,” she said quietly, and then quickly turned and disappeared past the line of people as someone else stepped up to get registered. Hands tucked into her pockets, Tuesday’s fingers brushed against each of the pokeballs in turn as she ran her plans for the contest over in her head. The next day was going to be very entertaining, for all of them.

Posted by: Living Arrow Nov 28 2010, 12:00 PM

“Looks like Tuesday has finished registering.” Darryn noted as his friend scurried away from the counter. He frowned a little and watched the girl for a few long moments. Was she really ready for something as flashy as a Contest? Darryn himself had been extremely nervous when he had gone onto the field for the first time but at least he was an extrovert. Tuesday, a complete introvert, would be far more likely to buckle under the pressure. He chewed the insides of his cheeks. Had he been too pushy in asking her to participate with him?

“Wha? Oh yeah!” Lyla looked up from her notebook. “So she’ll, like, be fighting against you?”

“No, no! That’s not how Contests work.” Darryn allowed Lyla to link arms with him as they made their way to the registration counter. “We’ll first compete with our Appeal entries. If they perform well enough, then we get to battle the Hall Leader – they’re sort of like a Gym Leader but they battle completely differently.”

“That’s, like, totally weird.” Lyla snorted. “But I guess you know what you’re doing, huh?”

“I sure hope so…” Darryn muttered, sliding his three Pokeballs up to the scanner on the desk.

“Good afternoon, Mister… Mister Kellor! I see you already have one ribbon – can I scan that in, too?” The clerk raised her hand-held reader for Darryn to pass the gleaming pin of the Metalliclaw Ribbon under it. A high-pitched tone followed and the clerk smiled. “All set! Now, who do we have here for your entries?”

“Er, my Rapidash for the Appeal round in the Beauty category and my Pidgeotto and Vulpix for the Battle round, both also entering the Beauty category.” Darryn smiled.

“Something of a Beauty maniac, then?” Lyla mused from his side. “How can a big ol’ bird like a Pidgeotto be beautiful, anyway?”

“I guess you’ll see in our battle tomorrow.” Darryn stuck out his tongue.

“If you make it that far.”

“When I make it that far.” Darryn corrected her, claiming back his Pokeballs and taking some ball capsules with him. “No-one will be a patch on November in this Appeal – we’ve worked way too hard on this to miss out on the Battle round.”

“Hmmm. I guess we’ll really find out tomorrow.” Lyla nodded, making a quick note in her diary. “Reckon your friend will get as far as you?”

Darryn looked back at Tuesday who was busying herself reading the Contest rules on a poster near the entrance. Her emotaglow showed everything that her body language confirmed. She was incredibly nervous and uncomfortable.

“I honestly don’t know.” He sighed. “She’s a great trainer, in all honesty. Her Pokemon fight really hard and her strategies are pretty sound… But she’s more cut out for the Pokemon League than the Grande Festival.”

“Hmmm… I see. Maybe some battling would cheer her up and get her feeling more, like, confident for tomorrow?” Lyla suggested.

“I suppose so… I’m sure Victor would like to battle – he’s been getting restless recently.”

“Not with you!” Lyla snorted. “I have Pokemon, too, y’know!”

“Er… no offense, Ly, but she’d wipe the floor with you.” Darryn chuckled. Lyla’s face flushed red and she pouted intently.

“Meanie!” She wailed. “ And for that you, like, totally have to buy me and Tuesday some ice cream! Right, Tuesday!?”

The little blonde near on choked as Lyla’s arm snaked around her shoulders. Her very visible flinch made it seem as though an Ekans had just wrapped itself around her. Darryn blinked.

<Ease off, Ly. She’s not ready for that, yet.>
“WAH!” Lyla exclaimed, releasing Tuesday and staring wide-eyed at Darryn. “Bu… How?”

<I can talk like this to anyone I’m emotionally linked to. I think psychic type Pokemon can hear me, too, but we haven’t been able to test that theory just yet.>

“Um… S-sure? Ice cream…” Tuesday looked between Lyla and Darryn.

“Whatever flavour you want, Tuesday.” Darryn smiled fondly and held out a hand to her. She looked at it for a moment, blinked, then slowly reached out to take it with a pink hue of embarrassment reaching her cheeks. “It’s on me.”

Posted by: Master Houndoom Dec 10 2010, 02:33 AM

'Yays, yays, welcoome," the woman behind the reception counter smiled at him. She was svelte, dressed in what amounted to a stylized leotard, though it seemed to be made of a thicker material. From what Jaima could see of her, she was rather tall and broad shouldered, but proportioned well; she did not look either too skinny for her height or too broad for her shoulder width. The word "Amazon" played in his mind, and he brushed it away, hoping he wasn't blushing.

"Hello," he said with a bow. "I'm here to register my pokémon for a gym challenge?"

"Arre yoo soor?" The woman did not give Jaima a chance to answer before she laughed, a crystal clear ringing laugh that was neither too loud nor so quiet it could not be heard. "I jook. Many come in, with the question, and it is silly, is it noot? Yoo are to challenge, or yoo are noot. Anything else is just playing, and Vega!" She said the name as if it were a sentence in and of itself, and an exciting one at that. "Vega! Does noot play!"

Jaima blinked at her, and the woman winked, smiling. Then she typed into her computer, her long fingers capped in perfectly shaped fingernails tapping on the keys. "Yays, yays, I see it. There is one spoot oopen. Is all right, is it? Or maybe yoo are noot soor after all," she finished, teasing.

Jaima smiled thinly. "That will be fine."

"Good, good, it is good that yoo are noot afraid. Vega! Respects this." She typed again, glancing at a paper on a clipboard as she did, and finally held the clipboard out to him. "Yoor signatoor please, and then we are good."

Jaima signed and handed it back, and the woman smiled. "Two o'clock tomoorow, and do noot be late, or you will have to reschedool."

Jaima bowed again. "Two o'clock. Thank you, ma'am."

As he walked out, the woman smiled at him. "Ah, what a nice one, that one." She looked down at her chest smirking. "He didn't even glance at yoo two more than twice!"

* * * * *

Meiko walked out of the salon patting down her hair for the fifth time since she'd seen it in the mirror. It wasn't bad, not at all, she thought as she slowly walked down the street. The hairdresser had seen her initial stunned look and began apologizing profusely, but it had taken minutes to register, so lost had she been in her own memories. As soon as she had been able to shake them off, she expressed her sincere pleasure in the cut. She stopped in front of a shop window, one that had been tinted and so provided a good reflection to see herself by.

It was now very short, hanging about an inch above her shoulders, and curled a little bit under, making it look slightly shorter. The red hair was highlighted by her cap, but the memories came from its shortness; while she had worn it in a bun or ponytail before, she hadn't had it truly short for a while. She had used to wear it this way all the time; as a child, it had always been short, which had been much better for her tomoyish tendencies. But when was the last time she'd worn it short..?

Oh.

Oh...

Back in Blackthorn.

She sighed, patting her hair. She instantly wanted to go back in and have it cut even shorter, or buy a weave, or something. She set her jaw and narrowed her eyes at herself. She had never been a coward before. And you're not going to start now, Omura Meiko!

She smiled, grimly, letting her eyes relax, and that's when she saw him: white t-shirt a size too small pulled over his taut chest, a pair of skinny jeans, and his black hair arranged in a messy mane around his tan face. It was as unmistakable as the smirk on his face. Toshiro was standing across the street, reflected in the glass that Meiko was looking into.

She actually whirled around, her heart pounding up in her throat, but there was no one there. She looked up and down the street, trying desperately to find the person she'd seen, but, again, could not. Staggering, she walked to the wall and leaned against it, holding her hand to her neck, gritting her teeth.

Toshiro couldn't be here, could he? No way. She had only told Mrs. Kuonji and her family that she was even coming to Furoh. Her father wouldn't have told. He seemed to understand that Toshiro was no longer favored, if not the whole story. Her mother...

Well, her mother had set them up in the first place. Meiko hadn't said why she'd left Blackthorn.

Maybe her mother would tell him.

No, no, no, she began in her head, and felt a soothing blanket of calm wrap around her fear. It did not dissipate the dread, but it did make it manageable. She could think.

Mercury?

Trainer Meiko? Are you all right? I could sense you from the pokecenter....

I'm fine, Meiko thought, and though she may have felt a sense of exasperation at the obvious lie, neither being acknowledged it. I... was startled.

There was a moment of silence, but the peace binding her fear did not go away, and the fear begn to dissapate. Shall I tell Trainer Jaima that you're ready to meet with him..? The words sent a hint of calm, like mint on a breeze, and Meiko nodded, sending her intent if not the words. He's on his way... and I'll stay with you until he gets there.

Swallowing, Meiko made her way to a bench, where by the signs a bus would stop, and put her face in her hands. "Thank you, Mercury," she said in a whisper, knowing the kirlia could hear it.

When Jaima arrived, looking puzzled, she had composed herself and acted normally. But she could not help looking over her shoulder as they walked back to the pokecenter.

Posted by: Living Arrow Dec 13 2010, 06:47 PM

It was on the way back to the Pokemon Center that Darryn felt the sensation. Despite going through the incredible brain freeze he had experienced not one hour earlier when getting ice cream for himself and the girls he knew that something else was wrong. A flicker – that was all it was. Some sort of numbing sting that appeared and vanished out of nowhere leaving no trace for him to follow nor clue for him to investigate.

<Lady? Did you feel that?> Darryn asked the Vulpix trotting at his side. She had gone quiet since the last minute training they had done – maybe nerves were finally getting to her. It would only be natural since she hadn’t been able to take part in the Contest at Arasam.

<The only thing I am feeling is the damp patch on my back.> Lady hissed back.

<Oh come on! Lyla apologised, didn’t she?>

<She did it on purpose.>

<So she timed herself tripping and falling over perfectly so that her ice cream could get on you? You seriously believe that?>

Lady’s silent reply screamed volumes.

<Oh, calm down Lady – Lyla would never have done that on purpose. Get over it and we’ll wash you down when we get back.>

<WE?!>

<You know what I meant, Lady.> Darryn moaned at her. <What is up with you today?>

“Th-thank you again, Darryn.” Tuesday smiled up at him over Lady’s head. “It was really nice of you to pay for all of us.”

“It was a pleasure.” Darryn grinned back. “We just need to have little breaks like that to keep us loose for tomorrow.”

Tuesday instantly paled. Darryn facepalmed. Why did he mention the impending bout of public scrutiny to the biggest introvert in all of Furoh?! Who knew what was going on in her little head? She probably knew more about Pokemon that Darryn did himself but she was the one fighting down the urge to vomit at the very thought of being on stage? Confidence was something that she lacked but out of everyone in the team she was probably the most knowledgeable about a lot of things – it really should have been enough to give her that little boost but there wasn’t even a spark of self belief in her eyes.

Darryn chewed his lip. He could make her confident… It wouldn’t take all that much… Just a little confidence…

No. That wasn’t how people learned. That wasn’t how people grew. He couldn’t step in every time to change peoples’ feelings every time they were low – experience like that would only make them stronger in the long run. Plus, what if they unknowingly became used to it and he wasn’t around? How would they cope?

<You still haven’t answered my question.> Darryn returned his thoughts to Lady. <That… feeling… did you get any of it?>

<No, Prince Darryn.> Lady responded, her large brown eyes turning upwards. <Was it Belladonna? I feel her presence in this city but she has not presented herself to us yet. Maybe she is trying to send a message?>

<No no. Nothing like that. I guess I just imagined it.> Darryn sighed. <All these extra gifts will just take some getting used to is all… And I can see your Emotaglow – you really don’t need to worry about me. I’m sure it’s fine.>

<I’m not worried!> Lady protested, her Emotaglow shifting again. The sickly hue of embarrassment made Darryn chuckled out loud. Lyla didn’t seem to notice (her eyes were focused on a pink skirt in a nearby window) but Tuesday cast him a sidelong glance. Those hazy blue eyes really did capture everything in a moment. Without a word, she looked away. Funnily enough, her Emotaglow mirrored Lady concerned tinge.

*Older than her years… And with all that Aura Guardian stuff sitting on top of her… A little confidence couldn’t harm her, could it?*


The evening unfolded rather smoothly. Lyla took to seeing to her Poké-babies before Jaima and Meiko got back so Darryn didn’t have to watch his friend for narrowed eyes and feel bad about his cousin’s involvement in the group. Sure, it was nice for her to be around, but that didn’t mean she would fit in with the funny little crowd that had become so close in the past few months. That would have to play out a bit more before Darryn could decide what to do with Lyla but for now she was safely tucked away upstairs.

“So, did you two get registered for the Contest?” Jaima asked over a bowl of ramen. Tuesday nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes… Although these categories will take some getting used to. I mean ‘Cool’ and ‘Tough’ could have some overlap, right?” She looked more pointedly at Darryn. “R-right?”

“It’s all still fairly new to me, too!” Darryn raised his hands. “Beauty is my forte so that’s what I’m going with…”

“Sure there’s overlap, Tuesday-chan.” Meiko re-assured her. Darryn checked out her new hair style for the fourth time. Fierce. He grinned.

“Cool. Well, then we can make our way down after my battle at the gym. The only slot they had was 2pm tomorrow and-”

“Woah, hold on.” Darryn’s eyebrows raised. “Our Contest kicks off at 1:30. With the appeals and the Hall being on the other side of town, there’s no way we can go to both.”

“You’re kidding me.” Meiko pouted. “I wanted to watch both again – Tuesday’s first Contest and Jaima’s third badge?”

“And my second Ribbon?” Darryn prompted.

“That, too… But not so much.” Meiko teased, sticking out her tongue for effect. Darryn blew her a kiss with mock affection.

Like a whip, Darryn’s emotions were lashed with ice. He shuddered and gave a short gasp but thankfully no-one commented. He regretted not having full control of the moments where emotions around him transformed in an instant but at least he had a better idea of how people were feeling without relying on facial expressions.

Gross disappointment, sadness, shock, regret, confusion and irritation from Jaima and Tuesday near flooded him but somehow the waves were held at bay. Darryn watched their Emotaglows ripple and change like the shimmering colours of oil on water but fast saw his presence in the group growing dimmer.

“Well, then I’ll just reschedule.” Jaima finally stated. Tuesday’s eyes rapidly filled.

“N-no! I-it’s OK – I can do the C-contest. Darryn will be with me and I don’t want you to miss out on this Gym opportunity… Onichan.” Tuesday used the Japanese honorific tentatively but somehow it sounded normal coming from her. It was yet another reminder to the Co-ordinator of how darn clever the girl truly was. Picking up what she had of the language in the relatively short amount of time she had spent with Meiko and Jaima was nothing short of outstanding.

“But we agreed I’d cheer you on for your first Contest.” Jaima frowned behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “I’m not going back on that.”

“This city is just one big mess after another.” Meiko moaned. “First, the Pokeathlon isn’t for a whole week and now this could set us back even further. You can give me all the salon treatment in the world but it doesn’t compare to travelling in the great outdoors.”

The four looked between each other with a degree of confusion and expectation for someone to speak. It was a difficult situation. In their own little ways, the others had made it known their feelings for cities as large and metro as Petropolis and it seemed none but Darryn wanted to stick around any longer than was really necessary. Beyond the Badge, Ribbon and Medal that the town had to offer there was nothing to hold them to the city.

*Unlike me.* Darry mused.

“Well, I could, like, totally record the Contest and play it back for Jaima when we’re all back here in the evening?” Lyla’s high-pitched merriment broke through the frustrated silence, quickly followed by the cry of a baby in her arms.

“Smoo!”

“Shhh now, Ume.” Lyla smoothed the hair on her Smoochum’s fair head. “The grown-ups are talking.”

“Y’know, that isn’t a bad idea.” Meiko commented, giving Jaima’s hand a squeeze. “I could come and support you at the Gym and tape that battle while Darryn looks out for Tuesday at the Hall with Lyla taping them. We’ll meet up right afterwards to show off our new Badges and Ribbons and how we got them… Like movie night!”

Jaima’s frown softened but didn’t fade completely. “That OK with you, Tuesy?”

*She really is a little sister to him, isn’t she?*

“It sounds like a logical plan.” Tuesday confirmed. Her voice, already quiet, seemed to diminish even further in the presence of Lyla but at least she wasn’t completely silent.

“Then I guess it’s decided?” Darryn asked. “We split up to get our Badges and Ribbons then meet back here right after.”

The others all nodded, conviction growing in their Emotaglows like rapidly blossoming flowers of courage.

After they agreed to get a good night’s sleep and make final preparations in the morning, Darryn and Lyla decided to call an early night for himself and left the other three in the sitting room of the Pokemon Center, chatting about their days and sharing battle tips for the upcoming matches. He bid his cousin goodnight at her dorm door and set himself up for sleep, Lady’s comforting warmth against his chest as welcoming as the dust of the Sandman himself.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Dec 17 2010, 05:16 PM

Jaima and Meiko had returned from the salon before Darryn, Tuesday, and Lyla had returned from their outing. To Jaima, Meiko had seemed very nervous, looking behind her and otherwise being distracted, and when he put his arm around her, she leaned in close, as if for comfort. He looked down at her, marking her furrowed brow and that she was chewing on her lower lip.

"Are you all right, Mei-chan?" he asked softly, and she looked up at him, swallowing.

"Hai, Jai-chan," she said, licking her lower lip. Jaima narrowed his eyes, and she attempted a smile. It was shaky. "Honestly. I'm just a little bit tired."

Jaima peered at her again, then lowered his head to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. Meiko blushed lightly when he pulled away, but only lost a small amount of her trepidation.

It wasn't until the pokecenter was in sight again that Meiko spoke up.

"I... I want to get Chompwater out again." She looked up at Jaima, then swallowed. "And keep her out."

Jaima looked down at her, stopping them near the front door. He looked into the pokecenter, deep in thought, and Meiko piped up again, hurriedly. "I know, I know Tue-chan is afraid of feraligatr-"

"She's afraid of water, too," he said thoughtfully, but Meiko went on as if he hadn't spoken.

"-but she's been with me as long as Ember's been with you. She was the one constant I've had, and-"

"I think you're right. It's not fair for you not to have a team choice. Especially when she means so much to you."

"-I really miss her and whaaaaat?!" Meiko looked up at him, blinking, her eyes wide as saucers between closings. Jaima smirked, seeing that the look was more social commentary than actual surprise.

"Oh, don't give me that, Mei-chan! She was afraid of typhlosion, too, but she never asked me to stop using Ember. Seeing a well trained and friendly pokémon will do her a lot of good, and I promised I'd help her." Jaima looked down at her, smiling, and she, too, was smiling, her face finally clearing a bit of the haunted look. "You could have asked earlier, you know," he said softly, pushing a bit of hair away from her face.

"You're so protective of her sometimes, and I didn't want to impose..."

"Yeah," Jaima said, "Maybe too much. The twins were different, you know? I almost went with them on their journey, but they insisted. They wanted to do it on their own, like their schoolmates." Jaima shrugged. "I still worry."

"But not as much."

Jaima shrugged again. "Or maybe Tuesday's taking the brunt of it," he sheepishly admitted.

Meiko hugged him. "Maybe. After I left home, I sometimes wished Daddy was there to tell me what to do. It took me years to train my pokémon for some of the battles, and I just kept traveling when most of the people who would have journeyed with us had gone home. I kept losing, and training new pokémon, until I won." She shrugged. "Now... well... I know, you know? I can do it, and I know a lot now, and if Daddy'd told me what to do, I may never have been able to figure it out on my own..."

Jaima looked down at her, smirking. "And you're not doing gym battles why?"

"Been there," she said, waving a hand casually, "Done that. I need something new, something now! Pokethelons are where it's at!"

"And when I'm not new and exciting anymore?"

Meiko smacked him lightly in the chest. "Oh, no. You're stuck with me, mister."

Jaima smiled, and leaned down, kissing her softly. Meiko's eyes were closed when he pulled away, but she smiled a bit as well. "OK," she said, finally, after a long pause. "I'm going to get Chompwater and let her out in my room." She began to walk away, then stopped, looking over her shoulder, bashfully. "Y-you know... we could... um... go back to the way it was... um... the first night. Before the castle..."

Jaima blushed and looked down, now chewing on his own lip. "I'd like that, Mei-chan, but..."

Meiko also looked down, memories of the night in her head. Both had been relaxed enough to sleep, being exhausted from the fire and the rescues, but the next night sleep had been nearly impossible, despite the lingering fatigue. Both her and Jaima had been tense. It had then been agreed that maybe they should go to separate rooms.

It had, actually, been her idea, after Toshiro's face had popped into her mind. She had been ashamed, but Jaima had been understanding. She still hadn't told him why these fears popped up, and he never pried.

He was right, however.

"You're right-"

"We're not read-"

They looked up at each other, then laughed. Jaima stepped toward her and hugged her. "We'll be ready. Both of us, someday."

Meiko looked up at him and smiled. "There's all the time in the world, right?"

"Right."

* * * * *

After leaving Jaima outside to train his pokémon, Meiko once again went straight to the PC.

Rockclaw, Ramhorn, Cosette, Eggheart, Desertdancer... Only five, she thought, licking her lips. At the PC she looked over her pokémon. Many of them were in Professor Elm's holding facility, being fed and allowed to wander, a system that Professor Elm had modeled after Professor Oak's own facility. He had, in fact, upgraded his "box" system, allowing people to see their pokémon real time. From the way she'd understood it, shedinja were boring to look at, but the rest were actually quite fun. He'd also set up a system in which people could send their pokémon directly home, to work with their families. Meiko had allowed some of her less battle worthy grass types to help her mother with the garden.

There was Bloodwing, flying over the outside paddock as if he were some kind of emperor. She smiled fondly, remembering how she'd found the formerly scared hoothoot fighting with an equally scared spinarak, and caught them both. Now, they were the best of friends. Like brothers, really, complete with mischievous pranks. Springheel, now evolved into an ariados, sprung from the fence and Bloodwing swooped low, landing on the majestic noctowl's back and causing him to flutter before he once again straightened, flying straight up, and then looping. The pair would make a decent contest pair, thought Meiko, if she were into contests. For good measure, she slipped Ramhorn's pokeball into the device first, sending him to Professor Elm's facility with a note that he needed rest, and that she would collect him again as soon as possible. Some time away from battles would be good for him, since he'd taken so much damage in the forest.

Flipping through the boxes, Meiko chewed her lip. There was really only one pokémon she was going to choose, and she knew it, but she still worried about little Tuesday's reaction. With a sigh, half worried and half anticipating, she clicked the interface to call Chompwater's pokéball to her.

The interface between Johto and Furoh was a long distance one, so the instant transmission she was used to wasn't possible. Her knee bounced as the computer worked, and though it seemed to take forever, soon there was a chime and Chompwater's pokéball slid from the machine's ball system with a sound clack.

Meiko took the ball and fairly ran to her room, where she released the feraligatr. Chompwater rose to her full height, blinking, and then looked down at Meiko, who pressed herself against the larger pokemon's tummy scales.

"Oh, Chompwater," she sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'm scared, and I can't..."

The large pokémon's claw came up and gently touched the top of her trainer's head, and Meiko relaxed. "A lot has changed. I didn't get to tell you, but... We're in Furoh. And I have a boyfriend again." Chompwater grunted, a deep grown in her throat. "It's Jaima!"

Meiko leaned back, regarding her first ever pokémon. "He's nice! It won't be like before." It wasn't until she saw the feraligatr's lower jaw drop open, an expression she'd learned meant the pokémon was smiling, that she relaxed. "But I thought I saw Toshiro."

The jaw snapped shut, and a truly frightening growl filled the room, but Meiko did not shrink back. Instead, she hugged the Feraligatr more tightly. "I just feel safer with you around, Chompwater..."

* * * * *

"OK, guys, this is what we've been working for."

Jaima sat with his pokémon, arranged in a half circle around him, for one more pep talk before the big event. He was still a little disappointed that he would miss Tuesday's contest debut, and Darryn's second contest attempt (he was far, far too wary of his own chances to assume a win for anyone before the actual event).

He looked at his pokémon. Grondir, stout and strong, sitting on one end, flanked to his left by Tsunami. Shadow and Mercury sat in the center, attentive, Shadow's knee pressing lightly on Mercury's arm. Fang sat up, straight and regal, looking at his trainer's eyes with what seemed to be a new confidence, something he had noticed had flagged somehow in the forest. Finally, Ember, also sitting up, her fore feet off the ground as she sat on her haunches.

"You've all made me very proud. Grondir, your match fighting with Mindy's team showed me how strong you are. Tsunami, you made me so proud when you helped me, and were the deciding fight, against a fully evolved Camerupt. Shadow, Mercury... you fought your very first true battles against pokémon that were much more trained than you had been, and you over came so much. Fang, your determination helped Tsunami last her longest. Ember..."

He paused, smiling at her softly. "You've come so far. I'm proud of all of you, and I know you'll continue to make me proud. And now we're not relying on luck. Together, we'll show our skill and prove, even if it's just too ourselves, that we deserve the badges we have, and all the badges we'll earn."

He drew in a breath, looking each of them in the eye. "We've got our new technique down pretty well. Tomorrow I'll choose however many I will need for the battle. Some of you may be a surprise, but I know that if I had to, each and every one of you could hold your own and make me proud."

We trust you, Trainer Jaima.

Jaima nodded to his kirlia, who had made sure that all seven of them could hear her. "And I you. So let's rest up, and let's get ourselves a badge. And if, for whatever reason, we don't, we're going to make sure that the gym leader knows that he has earned his right to hold those badges."

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jan 3 2011, 02:15 AM

Tuesday was sitting on the floor backstage the contest hall. Her legs were crossed and her eyes were closed. She held a pokeball in her hands, letting the warmth from the scuffed and worn ball flush against her palms.

She tried to let the feeling of familiarity in Dante’s pokeball ease her mind. Tried to let the force of his life, the heat of his occupancy in the ball, calm her. It did little to help her. She was rattled, her nerves on high. She had been out visiting with Darryn, getting some last minute pointers for the appeals, when the majority of the audience shuffled in. A swarm of beedrill or a herd of miltank couldn’t have made a greater noise nor filled the place so quickly. And they were all here to watch the contestants.

All here to watch her, at her point.

Tuesday felt sick, and she wanted to tell herself that she wouldn’t be sick, and she did believe it. She likely wouldn’t be sick. She was more likely to pass out, and that certainly wouldn’t be good.

I won’t have to see them, she reminded herself. I’ll be blindfolded. I won’t have to see anyone. It’ll just be the two of us. Tuesday squeezed the pokeball between her hands. Just me and Dante.

One of the consistencies in Reilly’s battle scenario was that he visit the gym hours before the time of his battle. He didn’t do a whole lot while he was there. His pokemon didn’t even come out of their pokeballs until his match began. But Reilly walked.

He walked the lines of the arena like a tightrope, hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed or unfocused. He ran the battle over in his mind, again and again, contemplating the possibilities, planning his attacks and defenses, going over again his choice of pokemon.

He would let the sensation of the gym, the newness, wash over him and then leave. When the battle began, there would be nothing to distract him from the fight. He would allow himself to be fully immersed in the battle between himself and the leader of the gym.

And he would win. Eventually, he always did.

It was while he was walking the bleachers above the arena that the entry doors to the gym opened to admit the challenger scheduled before him. Jumping down the seats to the first aisle, Reilly sat down and peered through the bars that bordered the bleachers.

“Well, I’ll be damned. It’s the blonde buffoon.” Reilly leaned forward, balancing his arms on his knees as he studied the long-braided boy. “Where’s your entourage today, Blondie, or are you running solo?” He was low enough behind the bars that he couldn’t be seen from the arena, so he sat quietly, and watched as Jaima’s battle unfold.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jan 3 2011, 06:13 AM

“Aaaand WELCOME to the Petropolis Contest Hall here in the Glamorous city of Petropolis!” A strangely familiar bold, brash voice announced loudly over the loud-speakers. Darryn frowned to himself as he tried to recall the voice but when her face flickered to life on the screen in the green room, he immediately recognised the petite woman stood in the middle of the stage, clutching a sparkling golden microphone. Tawny brown locks, a smile so wide you'd never feel down again and bright showbiz blue eyes greeted her audience with passion and warmth. Her outfit was the same as that he'd seen in Arasam - short skirt, tank top, pink and white sneakers and oh-so fashionable leg-warmers. She was back. Gillian Meridian – the Contest Announcer of Furoh.

“For all you newcomers to this amazing stadium, welcome!" She saluted the crowd that cheered back at her. "Registration took place from yesterday all the way up to only an hour ago and all of our stunning Co-ordinators have taken their places backstage but first, let’s meet our all-important judges!” With an identical setup to that in Arasam, four figures sat at a lavishly constructed desk with bright smiles and expectant eyes - patiently for the ceremony to end and the competition to begin.

“First off, we have our Pokemon Contest Director - Mr Contesta!”
“I am very happy to be here!”

“Next up is the President of the Pokemon Fan Club! Mr Sukizo!”
“Since the trip here today was so remarkable, Petropolis must have some remarkable talent!”

“And the third member of the panel is our very own Nurse Joy!”
“Please remember to have some fun and make sure all of the Pokemon enjoy themselves to!”

Darryn shrank back in his seat, tapping his foot nervously as the swells of cheering thundered down through the green room backstage, trying to summon up so control and confidence.

*Oh, why can't I control my own emotions?! Playing with other peoples? Fiiiine! My own? Nooo... Bugger.*

“And for our final Judge for the Appeals Round, it’s our very own Hall Leader. Give it up for RIIIIIOOOOOO!”

The fourth judge walked out onto the stage through two enormous sliding doors through a swirling fog of dry ice. He was dressed smartly, head to toe in a fine suit of darkest blue, a black shit announcing itself under the crisp blazer. Shiny black loafers were on his feet but there was not an accessory in sight. The only detail on this so-called Hall Leader was in the wire-framed glasses that he wore: Mirrored glass as lenses.

"Wow... That would be enough to put anyone off." Darryn muttered. Tuesday visibly flinched next to him. He grimaced. What would Jaima do in this situation to help her out with her nerves?

*I could always help her with that... Better one of us rather than neither, right?*

"-Celadon City in the Kanto region,"

"What?! I'm not up first!!!" Darryn protested.

"give it up for Shalim Lithilliq!"

The world tilted. Darryn blinked. What? Shalim? As in Celadon-Gym-Shalim? As in best-friends-with-Cleo-Shalim? His own fear was forgotten, buried and utterly discarded as he turned his rapt attention upon the screens around the waiting area to see the teenage girl from his hometown emerge out onto the stage. She hadn't changed a bit.

Shalim Lithilliq was a nice girl as Darryn remembered - obviously she specialised in Grass type Pokemon after enrolling at the Gym as an upper-tier trainer but never had Darryn heard of her going in for Contests back in Kanto... Today, her darkly cute features were maximised with a verdant green dress which split down the sides to reveal fresh teen skin and a particularly nice turn to her thigh. As usual, she was beaming with a wide smile of pearly whites and not for the first time she was carrying a pair of pom-poms out onto the stage - she was one of the main members of the Cheering Section at Celadon City Gym and new how to use them well.

"It can't be..."

Next to Darryn, Tuesday had finally raised her head and was watching the TV screen, too. She had paled drastically since entering the building and he had taken the precaution of alerting the medical teams for the Pokemon that they may have a fainter at some point through the competition. Though ill-looking, the younger trainer still held onto a scrap of stolid determination that resounded in her eyes, no matter how dim in her Emotaglow. Darryn looked back to the screen.

"Feel the beat, Roserade!" Shallim's high-pitched voice called as she tossed her Pokeball into the air, releasing her predictable Grass type onto the field in a shower of petal and line seals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0K46C82v9o However, more importantly for the contest, her Roserade kept in perfect timing and with every flick of her leafy booty came a dusting of glittering Stun Spore.

Next, when the music sped up and Shalim took her pom-poms to work, her Roserade followed as a perfect mirror-image expelling Magical Leaf into spiralling twin tornadoes at her sides that shone and sparkled through a myriad of different colours. The crowd went wild with the outstanding performance of excellent choreography and insanely accurate timing that only an experience trainer would be able to come up with.

The song even came to a slow section toward the end where Shalim moved back on the stage, leaving Roserade to dance in the center, this time using Grasswhistle to play a solo that harmonised perfectly with what the soundtrack was playing underneath her melodic tones. The music came back in force one final time, Shalim and Roserade dancing circles around each other, caught up in a localised shower of beautiful leaves and dust that erupted into a final burst on the last note in perfect tandem as trainer and Pokemon alike stuck their final pose with guts and passion, accepting the enormous applause that followed.



Tyron Jildare didn't watch the Lithilliq girl perform during the Appeal Round. He also didn't applaud for her when she exited the stage to join the other Co-Ordinators who were offering heart-felt congratualtions to their fellow competitor. What he did do was notice how she and Kellor caught each others' eye and in a flash of recognisation took each other up in a fierce embrace while he showered her with praise. Tyron watched on as the pair retrieved there ribbon cases, showing off the single pin that each held.

Kellor - the red and white ribbon of the Metalliclaw. Lithilliq - the purple and green of the Exotoxin. Tyron absent-mindedly lifted a hand to pat at the pin clipped underneath his jacket. There, he could feel the sharp outline of the Sparkflake Ribbon - his first and only achievment since arriving in Furoh. It had been so long since his first step onto Gigarte soil but since then so much had changed that it didn't surprise him to count all of those months that he had spent finding his true purpose as a trainer. And it had all started with him. Darryn Kellor.

In Gigarte, when Tyron had prepared himself to take on Chloe at the local gym, he had battled a rookie trainer by the name of Darryn Kellor. Battled and lost. Since then he had also lost three gym matches. Three. It shamed him to know that he had been recorded on each gym's list of challengers but not recorded on the corresponding list that dictated who had received badges. His losing streak, having stemmed from Kellor, made him feel so sick that it hurt but when he saw on the Channel 4 news that the little upstart had won a Pokemon Contest, Tyron was swamped with so much rage that a new vision came to the trainer. Be a Co-Ordinator. Defeat Kellor at his own game. That was only fitting, wasn't it? He, some fancy-pants Co-Ordinator beating a proper trainer like Tyron could only deserve the same treatment otherwise he'd go through life like some dream-crushing devil without anyone to put him back in his place. Oh, how Tyron longed to see that boy defeated and weeping at his loss at the Grand Festival. But that would come. First, Tyron had to ensure his own entry into the prestigious event and that meant getting a Mirrormist Ribbon.

He sat back, gritting his teeth, and waited patiently for his turn in the Appeal Round to come.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jan 7 2011, 02:07 PM

He sat back in his seat, keeping his posture straight as always. His glasses flashed in the light, but he never took his eyes off of the performances.

They passed before his eyes like scenes in a movie, as if he were flipping channels and all he could get were bad reality shows. Dancing With The Starmie, So You Think You Can Petal Dance.

Almenian Claydol. That one made him smile a bit.

The appeals round was always ridiculous to Rio. What did such showmanship do to display the beauty of a pokémon, the balance of precision and power that one could give...? Nothing. It, as Troy had explained when they began to put up halls in the cities, "put butts in the seats", which made sense. However, it was odd to see Troy defend the spectacle. Rio knew that the Arasam Hall Leader accepted the appeals round as necessary, but he, too, complained about the gaudiness, the flashiness of it all.

And then he saw it. The first break out. As ridiculous as the appeal round was, there were, in the good contests, a few who stood out, who made the appeal less about them and more about their companion. The trainer had even stepped back, allowing the pokémon to take the center stage and use a battle move to enhance the music.

Yes. This one could pass. She was not there to put on a show. She was there to show the audience her pokémon. That, and that alone, earned Rio's respect.

Not long after hers, though woefully sandwiching another mediocre act, was a young man who had allowed (and yes, after some incidents he had seen, Rio would never see it as anything other than "allowed") his pokemon to take center stage. As the boy stood in the background, holding the microphone in his hand and singing in a style that Rio rarely cared for, the pokemon's leaf waved back and forth, shooting off in intricate patterns with magical leaf, as well as reflecting the stage lights with Reflect.

At times the pokemon moved or pounded to the beat with what Rio believed was Body Slam. All the while, a sweet, almost herbal scent flowed over the stage area. The boy sang... spoke... rapped, whatever, "she whips her leaf back and forth," and seemed, at times, to be giving the commands to the pokemon through the lyrics. It was affective, and, if the audience were any indication, exciting, and almost all pokemon driven.

It would seem, Rio thought with a wry smile, that today's contestants were determined to make a liar of him.

If he had to give them a perfect 10 to compensate for the other judge's scores, he would. He'd done it before. It had, in fact, lead the people to believe that he enjoyed appeals. No matter. If the trainer focused on their pokémon enough, then Rio did enjoy the appeal.

And he would enjoy the battle, the true contest, as well.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Feb 1 2011, 03:35 AM

Tuesday had always thought that the glow of a spotlight could be synonymized with the glowing beacon of an spaceship's transporter beam - the one that shoots down from the metal underbelly of an alien craft and kidnaps whatever human or poor, unsuspecting miltank is just waiting to be anal-probed. Put simply, like Alien Kidnapping Technology, stage lights were to be avoided. Even more so, because at least Tuesday was partially named after a science fiction character*. She was not, however, named after any sort of celebrity. She might be able to argue the point that she could survive well-enough on a spacecraft full of alien life forms, but the stage was a different thing entirely.

So what the hell am I doing here?

Tuesday stood in the center of the Contest Arena, her throat tight and mouth dry. She couldn't even spit, she was so scared. She knew her eyes were wide - she could feel the lids stretching outward to better enable her eyeballs to explode from their sockets and pelt some jeering audience member in the forehead. Tuesday hoped it wouldn't be Darryn. That would be rude... and more than a little gross.

Tuesday forced herself to take a deep breath. She exhaled in a nervous shudder. She was cloaked in darkness, however, all lights extinguished except for the steady glow of Dante's tailflame, though he had curled his body around that appendage to hide the light until the right moment.

Okay... my eyeballs aren't going to fall out of my head, I'm not going to throw up, and we're going to put on an awesome show. Just like it's just the two of us. Just me and Dante - nobody else. Swallowing, Tuesday stood up straight, rolling her shoulders back. Okay, I can do this. We can do this!

She can't have been thinking as long as it seemed, because she still had to wait a few moments for the music to finally start. Tuesday listened with an ear of patience and practice as the sound of sirens split the air. She heard a slight murmur beyond the darkness, but ignored it. The sirens were part of the song, as were the abrupt spurts of gunfire that sounded, and the steady whumpwhumpwhump of a helicopter's propeller.

Swallowing, Tuesday slid her feet slightly apart to ascertain her balance and let the glass balls roll between her fingers. She and Dante had planned for this. She'd spent a month just deciding on what song to play. She'd even received a "good luck" from Brone, along with the seven glass balls she had in her hands or placed on the ground. She remembered Brone's demand that the performance be exceptional, considering she was technically planning to destroy Christmas tree ornaments that her brother had painstakingly searched for - and found - in the off-season.

All right, Brone. I'll give you a good show. "You know what to do, Dante," Tuesday whispered, just as the sirens and the gunfire and the sounds of the chopper were overcome by the rage of a guitar.

Dante, tail clutched in his claws, lifted his head in the darkness surrounding them. A hiss ripped from his mouth, gentle in its movement, but harsh in connotation. It sounded soft, but Tuesday knew the audience would be able to hear it over the sound of the guitar.

And then Dante bared his teeth, as they had planned, tail-flame still hidden, and performed his first move.

Fire Fang sent flame rushing from his throat, coating his gums and outlining his gleaming fangs like a terrifying, sadistic rendition of the Cheshire Cat's grin. A smirk of fire.

Dante hissed again, long and loud, and this time even more sharply revealed, as it did not end so much as the hiss was consumed, abruptly, by the words of the song, calling out into the shadows. Dante released his tail and the flame burst into bright crimson and gold lightly at the thrill in the charmeleon's heart. The two of them were abruptly moving.

Another mission,
The powers have called me away.
Another time,
To carry the colors again.
My motivation,
An oath I've sworn to defend.
To win the honor,
Of coming back home again.

Tuesday was wearing the outfit that Darryn had gotten her for her birthday. It was one of the few things she had managed to salvage during the attack in the forest, though she hadn't realized until later. She'd been glad, but hadn't told him. Partly because it had never come to mind, but gratefully, since it would be a complete surprise to him. She hadn't been completely changed into her uniform when she was talking to him earlier, wearing only the thin black pants and long-sleeved shirt that formed the outfit beneath the costume. Only Meiko had seen her with the outfit on, but even she didn't know what Tuesday had planned to do for the contest, and she didn't know that the last piece of the outfit was a black strip of cloth that tied just below Tuesday's high ponytail - a blindfold. None of them, save her pokemon, had even known the song. It was a complete surprise.

But Tuesday and Dante had practiced a long while for this, when no one else was around to see. They were ready.

Tuesday couldn't see Dante, but she recognized the same cues as he did in the lyrics of the song. She heard his soft hiss, the crackling-flare of fire in his mouth at the initial Fire Fang, and then the scrape of claws on the ground. Her signal.

And suddenly, she was moving, twisting her body in a lithe manner that might have appeared odd on someone so small and young, but in the darkness of the stage, her black-clad arms and legs were little more than shadows themselves, and her costume glimmered like a writhing jewel in the dancing fires of Dante's tail flame. Tuesday spun on her heel as she moved across the floor, her coat gleaming as she moved parallel to the flames, Dante matching her every move.

No explanation,
Will matter after we begin.
Another dark destroyer that's buried within,
My true vocation.
And now my unfortunate friend,
You will discover,
A war you're unable to win.

Tuesday and Dante both spun at the same time, in opposite direction, her blonde hair whipping around her head as his tail flame followed his own movements. He hissed into the air, a sound that pierced the darkness and tore through the music just as it danced with it.

The glass balls, one in each of Tuesday's hands, rolled across her palms as she moved her hands. And she tossed them into the air.

Crafted to appear like little more than giant bubbles from a distance, the glass balls actually contained minute glass designs within meant to catch and refract the light in beautiful patterns.

The flames they reflected into the darkness had a chilling effect.

I'll have you know,
That I've become...

Even more ominous was the crimson color the orbs seemed to turn mere moments before Dante's ember attack struck them both, shattering them instantly.

Shards of glass exploded. Someone in the audience let out a surprised squeak, but Tuesday couldn't even identify the sound at the moment. She was caught in the pounding of the music and the sensation of glass shards pattering down on her arms, protected beneath the black shirt. She twirled and spun in the darkness as Dante's flame reflected against the shards as easily as the orbs they once were.

It was raining little shards of fire.

Indestructible.
Determination that is incorruptible.
From the other side.
A terror to behold.
Annihilation will be unavoidable.

Tuesday's fingers clutched two more orbs, tucked as they had been in her belt. Holding one in each hand again, she continued to move, as Dante did, as well, his tail flame sending her blindfolded face into sharp relief and making his own dark eyes glimmer.

Every broken enemy will know,
That their opponent had to be invincible.
Take a last look around while you're alive,
I'm an indestructible master of waaaaaaar.

The gout of flame that Dante unleashed would have caught an enemy off-guard, as sudden as it came, unleashed at the screaming voice in the song. Tuesday felt the heat from the flames - not warmth, but a burning that rushed by her from what seemed every and no direction.

Another reason.
Another cause for me to fight.
Another fuse uncovered,
Now, for me to light.
My dedication,
To all that I've sworn to protect.
I carry out my orders,
Without a regret.

Dante was moving, too, and the steady stream of fire that rushed from his mouth in the Flamethrower moved at his command. Tuesday danced and he danced with her and against her, but she was blind, and he was in complete control. But she trusted him, and the fires never touched her.

A declaration,
Embedded deep under my skin.
A permanent reminder,
Of how it began.
No hesitation,
When I am commanded to strike.
You need to know,
That you're living the fight of your life.

The second set of glass orbs were tossed into the air, refracting fire. Dante whipped his head to the side, snarling flames, and the flamethrower attack slashed through the orbs like a whip, shattering them and sending glass shards down over Tuesday's dancing form like rain.

You will be shown,
How I've become...

Indestructible.
Determination that is incorruptible.
From the other side.
A terror to behold.

A roar from Dante's throat punctuated the singer's claim, his fangs on fire. Tuesday had two more glass balls in her hands, one left gleaming on her belt. She was spinning again, dancing all across the floor, total trust in Dante as fire formed in his throat and, suddenly, he was firing ember attacks at Tuesday, every one landing with fierce intent on the ground where she had been standing, just a moment prior.

Annihilation will be unavoidable.
Every broken enemy will know,
That their opponent had to be invincible.
Take a last look around while you're alive,
I'm an indestructible master of war.

I'm...

The glass orbs in Tuesday's hands reflected the fiery light even as she danced, spinning so her costume and the orbs gleamed and glimmered. Dante's fire attacks were fierce but, as far as Tuesday's dancing form was concerned, every one of the attacks missed their mark.

Indestructible.
Determination that is incorruptible.
From the other side.
A terror to behold.
Annihilation will be unavoidable.
Every broken enemy will know,
That their opponent had to be invincible.
Take a last look around while you're alive,
I am indestructible. (Indestructible.)

Tuesday tossed the two glass orbs into the air, dancing across the floor in wide, spinning circles as the shards shattered and rained down on her head. The flames bit at the air fiercely and, like everyone in the audience, she could smell the fire.

Ducking down, spinning in a crouched position as she kept moving, never stopping, Tuesday smiled.

Indestructible
Determination that is incorruptible.

Leaping to her feet in a spin, Tuesday twirled, glasses crunching beneath her feet. A hiss behind her and she moved to the left in a sweep that kept with the sharp pounding of the music, rhythmic and hard as it was.

From the other side.
A terror to behold.
Annihilation will be unavoidable.

A snarling hiss, like every warcry he had ever uttered rolled into one, erupted from Dante's throat, cutting across even the music. He'd moved with Tuesday, until he was standing right behind her, facing her back. His lips pulled back, fire dancing in his throat. He saw the seventh glass orb glistening in Tuesday's hand. She spun, crouching, and then rising in the same fluid, shadowing movement, as she tossed the orb straight up, above her head. It glimmered in the light of the fire, and then turned crimson when Dante let loose a Fire Spin.

Every broken enemy will know,
That their opponent had to be invincible.

The flames circled around Tuesday, who had restrained her movements to one small area rather than sweeping across the entire stage. She could feel the heat of the flames burning against her skin through the clothes she wore, but none ever touched her, and the thrill within her burned brighter than eve Dante's blue-raged flames.

Take a last look around while you're alive,

Raging upward in a tornado of flame, the fires never touched Tuesday, but reached up and shattered the final glass orb with a heated kiss, sending crimson shards raining down, glimmering like sharp, defeated tears the whole way.

I'm an indestructible master of war.

Tuesday and Dante continued to move with each other as the music continued to play, the guitar and drum hammering out a beat that cut through shadows and silence. They ended on the last note, spinning to a stop, Tuesday head ducked slightly, in either self-consciousness or deference to Dante's role in the contest, not even she would ever know. Dante ended the song as he had begun it, with a hiss and fire between his teeth, gurgling in his throat.

And then the lights flicked on.

Tuesday pulled the blindfold off to find Dante looking utterly pleased with himself, his chest puffed out that someone had just told him that he was a princling. She smiled in his direction, though his back was to her, and glanced upward.

Another thing to hate about spotlights was that they revealed some things that people would much rather not see. Such as giant crowds of people, surrounding the stage and applauding. Tuesday gave the audience a single sweeping gaze, swallowed sharply, and abruptly fainted.

That was one thing, after all, she hadn't told herself she wouldn't do.

Posted by: Living Arrow Feb 3 2011, 06:15 PM

Darryn watched on in suspended awe as Tuesday went through her Appeal on the wide view screens in the green room. Who knew she had moves like those in her arsenal?! What was more, she was wearing the gladiator outfit that he had given her for her birthday a while before. She’d improvised a little and added some leggings and sleeves under the breastplate, much to Darryn’s chargrin, and had managed to make it much more family-friendly.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Hands placed themselves squarely on Darryn’s hips and hot breath whispered up his neck. He lurched forward with shock and span about to find a disgustingly attractive face smiling suggestively back at him. The face was worthy of every magazine cover in the country – dark curls styled perfectly and ice blue eyes that simply took the breath away.

“T-troy!” Darryn suddenly felt very underdressed and exposed. That was ridiculous, of course. He was clad in black and gold – midnight waistcoat and leather pants with slightly heeled boots all decorated in fine gold embroidery that delicately exaggerated his shoulder lines and narrow waist. No shirt for this Appeal – his arms were bare from shoulder to wrist where gold-strapped gauntlets clung to him and the majority of his chest showed bare under a low-slung vneck in the waistcoat. The choice was clearly one that had come from analysing his success in Arasam. Apparently, for him, sex sold. And also, his fan base was girls in their low teens.

“What? No welcoming hug?” Troy pouted. “So mean.”

“I, uh, my friend is performing and I should be watching before I go out and-… wait… How did you even know I was here?” Darryn raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“In the great words of Miss Gaga herself,” Troy reached out to take Darryn’s hand and opened his mouth in a burst of song, “I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love meee.”

Darryn retrieved his hand quickly. “Riiight… Although it would be great to catch up and chat, I’m still going on stage in a minute so I’d better get ready.” At hearing his own words, Darryn’s heart began a hammering thunder of anxiousness that clawed up to his ears in a deafening drone.

“Oh, and I wouldn’t use the routine that you have planned.” Troy suggested lazily as he drank in Darryn and his costume with lusting eyes. “Rio’s not going to score you well with all that… flash.”

Darryn’s skin turned to ice.

“What?”

“You heard me.” Troy sunk down into Darryn’s seat and began dusting his shirt for lint. “Remember how your Appeal went with me and you’ll understand. That sort of Appeal might work on a Hall Leader like Carmen, but not Rio. Subtle is the new black and you’re so last Fall.”

“This can’t be happening.” Darryn stared blankly into space. “All this work and for what?”

“Rio may like his Appeals one way,” Troy went on, turning his attention back to Tuesday on the display screen, “but he likes his battles another. Prove you’re battle worthy and he’s sure to sway the votes.”

“Stop talking!” Darryn threw his hands up to his head where they clasped his hair in scruffy bunches. “I don’t need this right before I go out there in front of all those people!”

“Wrong again.” Troy rose fluidly and his stormcloud eyes were level with Darryn’s in a moment. “You need stress to perform well. Remember how you were feeling back in my Hall? I could see the nerves a mile away and yet that gave you the determination to pull out an amazing Appeal, if too flashy for my tastes, and a great battle, which I would have won if there wasn’t a stupid time limit. The point is, your emotion drove you and now, for some reason, I find you remarkably calm with the driest palms of everyone in this room. You’ve gotten cocky, Darryn. Far too cocky far too soon.”

“What?” Darryn was outstanded. How the hell would Troy know how he was feeling? And cocky? Cocky?!

<He has noticed the effects of your developed Empath abilities, Prince Darryn.> Lady’s voice blossomed from the corner of the room where she had taken residence to view the room with scorn. Now, her chestnut eyes were focused on her master. <Belladonna’s training to control the emotions of others has allowed you to focus your own more easily. It will not make you lifeless, but if you focus on being calm – like you have for the past thirty seven and a half hours – you will expel other emotions in small amounts to achieve it. It’s not a fast change but all that focus has brought it around.>

“I’m only saying this because I know it will help.” Troy sighed, reaching out to stroke down Darryn’s hair back behind his ears. “Take a step back on the stage and put more life into your Pokemon’s performance. Rio will only give you the chance to battle him if you prove yourself to be a true Co-Ordinator.”

Darryn slowly nodded.

<We’re going out with the same Appeal.> Darryn informed Lady after a moment. <Even if Rio doesn’t like flashy moves, we’re more than enough in a battle and I dare him to think that we’re not.>

“Thanks for your advice, Troy, but I’m sure we’ll be OK.” Darryn plucked the Heal Ball off his belt and held it out towards Lady. She bowed her head as the recall beam enveloped her and swooshed back inside without complaint. Darryn slotted the ball into a capsule and placed it at his belt. “And, for the record, I’m not cocky. In fact, I’m so scared it’s a real surprise that there isn’t pee all down my leg and I still have any of my fingernails left. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go vomit on the judges and win that bloody Ribbon.”

[Darryn Kellor to stage right! Darryn Kellor to stage right! Your Appeal is about to begin. Darryn Kellor to stage right!]

“And now, if you’ll excuse me, that’s my call.”

“Aaaand welcome back to the Pokemon Contest Hall here in Petroplis, Furoh! We’ve had some amazing Appeals today but now it’s time to see what our next contestant has to offer! Let’s hear it for, straight from Celadon City in the Kanto region, Darryn Kellor!!!” Gillian swept her arm wide, allowing the camera to pan out across the blackened stage where a single spotlight came on, illuminating the silhouette of a teen Co-Ordinator.

His head turned to the side, flicking hair across his face in a sweeping motion and revealing the microphone headset that curled around to his lips. A ball span in his hand and flew upwards with a flick of his wrist.

“November, the stages is yours!”



“And will you look at that!!?!??” Gillian’s voice, loud and clear though it was, could never be enough to distract the onlookers from the sight they were seeing. Every single flame that November had placed on the stage, still creating a tendril of steam from the water used in the dance, erupted upwards into a forest of flaming pillars that climbed skyward in an instant and exploded overhead in a shower of dazzling fireworks. Together, Co-Ordinator and Appeal entry remained unmoving in their finishing pose, sparks and embers falling all around them in a cascade of coloured light.

“Although the technique has been on Furoh soil for only a few short months, Darryn Kellor and November have mastered it to perfection! Just looks at those flames! Wow! I think the judges really have their work cut out for today’s scores. Stay tuned for more amazing Appeals here in Petropolis!”

Posted by: Tymid Mar 12 2011, 08:22 PM

Rio slowly reached up a hand, allowing his eyes to show momentarily from behind his mirror lensed glasses, as she and Dante took the field. As he gazed upon them before their act began, he took note of the blindfold that was wrapped around Tuesday's head. A tiny smile fell upon his lips, and he casually leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. This was either going to be really good, or really miserable.

As he watched the flashy, yet skillful exchange between trainer and poke'mon, Rio's head tilted slowly to the side. It was certainly a unique take on the whole process, something that he hadn't seen before. The lyrics fit well with the fluid way that Tuesday and Dante moved together, and Rio found himself being mildly impressed by the effort that the two of them had put into this routine. Somehow, even though the trainer was just as involved as the poke'mon was, the addition of the blindfold seemed to accentuate the beauty of the fire lizard. The amount of trust involved in the routine was staggering, and as the tantric dance went on, Rio found himself slowly leaning forward in his chair, the almost sensual movement causing him to be slightly enraptured in the performance.

However, like all good things, the performance ended, and the lights flashed back on. Rio moved his hand to his temple, rubbing it slightly, as though it were a mental palatte cleanser. He nodded curtly towards the stage, as though giving Tuesday and Dante a small nod of approval. His timing was unfortunate, however, as Tuesday collapsed mere moments after she removed her blindfold. As her poke'mon rushed to her aid, Rio leaned further back into his chair, his hand now stroking his chin. It was obvious that the routine had been impressive, mainly due to the amount of trust involved between trainer and poke'mon, but he couldn't help but wonder if it had only been coordinated due to the trainer's weakness? Had the whole thing been a ruse to combat stage fright? A haze of doubt crossed his mind, paired with a slight disappointment.

He shook his head. The motive of the trainer was immaterial. Both trainer and poke'mon had shown a truly breathtaking performance, and as he watched Dante following Tuesday's body being carried off by two stage hands, he smirked. This would be a challenging decision indeed.

Rio watched with a stone-faced composure as the next contestant appeared on stage; Darryn Kellor. As Rio thumbed through the papers in front of him to find Darryn's entry form, he idly looked up at the teen, who seemed to have an air of confidence about him. Confidence was admirable. As the Hall Leader peered down at Darryn's form, he saw why; this lad was already a contest winner. Rio leaned back into his chair once again, crossing his arms. In the past, he had seen previous contest winners become too cocky after a win. Then again, some took the win and ran with it. Rio was eager to see what Mr. Kellor would bring to the table.

As Darryn sent forth his Rapidash, Rio could tell by the confidence that the magnificent creature exuded that this was going to be a good performance. Right on cue, November began a flourish of beautiful and skillfull moves, that fit well with Darryn's singing and the overall mood of the dance. It was a well executed routine, and Rio nodded accordingly. However, it was very...flashy. There was almost too much movement on stage, and that certainly was a turn-off for the Hall Leader. As the performance neared its end, Rio found himself only mildly impressed. For many, the performance was immaculate, especially the final move which left the crowd roaring in approval. Looking down at his judge compatriots, they also seemed wowed. However, Rio was a bit overwhelmed by the business and forthrightness of the performance.

Darryn and November were followed offstage by the deafening cheering of the crowd, and Rio's tiny smile showed itself. The performance definitely deserved a decent grade for sheer coordination and execution, but it was up to the other judges to see if he'd make it through. It was going to be close.

A few more performances followed, and while a couple mildly stood out (namely the Appeal of a fellow named Tyson), there was no doubt in Rio's mind who he wanted to go through once the last Co-Ordinator made his exit. Looking across to the other judges, he nodded, signaling that he was ready to score.

Only a brief wait stood between a crushing defeat and hope for a ribbon. Tension was already beginning to mount in the audience; what could possibly happen?

After a short time, the judges returned to their seats, the silence of the audience following them. Rio, in particular, had a rather disgruntled look on his face, but the other three seemed eager and ready to announce the results. Rio passed a slip of paper over to Gillian, who peered at it closely for a few moments, before allowing an exaggerated look of surprise to cross her pretty face. The crowd gasped appropriately.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you are NOT going to believe this! I have never seen results like this at any contest I have ever attended, and I've attended a few! This just goes to show the calibur of competitors we have seen today, folks! Let's give them all another big round of applause!"

The crowd roared, anticipation thick in the air.

"You are not going to believe this, folks! Today, we have...not one, not two, not three, but FOUR contestants moving on to the final round! Yes, FOUR! I have never seen anything like this! You can bet that the battle for a ribbon will go down in the record books! And now, without further ado...let's hear the scores! Judges, take it away!"

The crowd roared once more, and Mr. Contesta was the first to stand, smiling and waving, trying to calm the roaring crowd.

"Yes, yes indeed, we had a very tough decision today! In all of my years of judging, I have yet to see such competitive and heartfelt competition! I shall now give my score for the first advancing contestant! My score was...9!

The crowd cheered, and as Nurse Joy rose to her feet, she waved down the commotion. "Yes, I have but to agree! The decision was quite difficult, but I also gave the first advancing contestant a 9!"

As she sat down, Mr. Suziko rose to his feet. "My, my! What a lovely show of poke'mon! My score for our first contestant is 10!"

The crowd went wild once again, but fell silent as soon as Rio rose to his feet. His intimidating appearance only caused the tension in the room to grow, and the silence to become deafening.

"10." he stated shortly, before sitting back down as the crowd both gasped and cheered at the shocking announcement.

"There you have it, folks!" Gillian cried, enciting the crowd into a fever pitch. "An amazing score of 38 for our first advancing contestant, Tyron Jildare!"

Tyron stepped forward and lifted a hand toward the roaring crowd. He shot a look to Darryn, one that was only noticable between the two of them, and returned to where he was standing amidst the competitors.

The next score was a 36 for Shalim Lithilliq, and she stepped forward and curtsied, a broad smile on her face. The crowd was obviously eager for the last two, as the deafening roar grew louder with each and every score announced. As Mr. Contesta rose to his feet to announce his score, the crowd quieted almost instantly.

"6!"

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. That usually wasn't a winning score. Nurse Joy was next.

"10!"

The crowd's murmuring grew louder. Such a vast difference...Mr. Suziko rose to his feet.

"10!"

A dull roar was growing amidst the crowd...26 was the current score. So that meant that Rio...

"9."

Rio's eyes darted to Tuesday, though it couldn't really be seen through the mirrored glasses. Despite his doubt, she had shown him something that he had rarely seen. She deserved a chance.

"With a score of 35, our next advancing contestant iiiiiiiiiiis...Tuesday Berdison!"

The crowd screamed wildly for a moment, then fell silent as soon as Mr. Contesta rose to his feet. This was the last one.

"10!"

Nurse Joy's score came next, and she cried out:

"10!"

Lastly, Mr. Suziko's score was a:

"10!"

The crowd was roaring wildly. Would this be a perfect score? Rio rose to his feet, a look of mild distaste on his face.

"5."

The room fell quiet. Rio had taken a perfect score and turned it into one that was barely advancing. As he sat back down, the room murmured quietly amongst themselves. However, as Gillian cleared her throat into the microphone, the crowd grew raptly attentive to her.

"Our last advancing contestant iiiiiiiis...Darryn Kellor! Let's give a round of applause to our fine competitors, ladies and gentlemen! Stay tuned to see who wins the prized contest ribbon!"

The crowd roared with excitement, and as Rio looked at the competitors on stage, he witnessed the sad faces of those who didn't make it. He wondered if their poke'mon could have held up in the Battle portion of the contest. Another reason why he didn't understand the Appeal process...but what was done, was done.

Posted by: Living Arrow Mar 20 2011, 02:42 PM

His brow, shimmering with a gleam of sweat that stemmed not only from November’s intense flames but also from the weight of nervousness hanging from his shoulders, was hastily wiped dry as Darryn hurried backstage. His Rapidash followed with her head head high with pride and more than just a spring in her step.

“Wow, Daz! That was awesome!” Shalim squealed, hitting him a high-five. “Cleo’s gonna be so proud of you!”

“Heh, you think?” Darryn, inspite of himself, blushed deeply. “We’ve been working on that dance for ages – since even before November evolved. I just hope the scores show that.”

“They totally will! And stop trying to fish for compliments!” Shalim slapped Darryn’s arm. “You know it was good!”

“But too flashy.” Troy was with them in an instant. His icy blue eyes were focused and hard. “You could have listened to me, but no. A flashy spectacle like that may be really ‘pretty’ and seem rather ‘showbiz’ but Rio will see right through it. Don’t get me wrong – it was perfect if Carmen was judging you and maybe even Diana but he won’t think so.”

“And who the hell are you, exactly?” Shalim raised an angry eyebrow and folded her arms tightly, he pom-poms swishing at her hips.

Troy’s gaze transferred so quickly to her that Darryn missed it even without blinking.

“Troy of Arasam. Hall Leader. Pleased to meet you.”

Shalim’s usually dark complexion paled rapidly.

“Um… Well, I, Um…”

“Don’t worry about it, Shar.” Darryn tried to edge a little between them. “Troy’s only looking out for me. I understand what he’s saying and I totally respect that he knows way more about all this Co-Ordinator stuff than me but I think he’ll agree that if I stopped doing what I do best, I’m bound to fall on my face.” Troy’s face softened. “And, no matter what or who I’m up against in a Hall like this, I’ll stay true to my Pokemon and myself.”

“Damn, I want to kiss your mouth.” Troy sighed.

“You want to what!?” Shalim’s eyes went wide. “You two!? Seriously?!”

Their conversation was interrupted as the crowd on the other side of the curtains began to roar with applause and cheering, Gillian Meridian’s voice ringing clear above the noise.

“...not one, not two, not three, but FOUR contestants moving on to the final round! Yes, FOUR!”

Silence hit the green room instantly and all sets of eyes turned upwards to the viewing screens showing the Contest Announcer’s beaming face as she stood motionless centrestage. The Co-Ordinators, caught up in the rapture of the tension that their host was creating all seemed to throb silently, their Emotaglows bouncing off Darryn like waves lapping quietly along a sandy shoreline. He ignored them as best he could and focused instead on the results that the judges began giving.

The first to go through was a young man called Tyron Jildare.

“I know that name…” Darryn muttered to himself as a blonde-haired kid punched the air with a massive grin on his face. The score he had received had been near perfect – clearly a talented Co-Ordinator… Darryn watched as Tyron ran out onto the stage, as was customary, and waved to the crowd, his Chikorita mimicking with her leaf. Then, rather pointedly, the boy looked back and glared at Darryn.

“Woah.” Darryn breathed, taken aback somewhat by the triumph in the Emotaglow that had been shot at him. Triumph, envy, loathing. What was that guy thinking? And who was he? Darryn knew he recognised that face but from where…

Then, it was Shalim’s turn.

“Shut! UP!” Shalim screamed, punching Darryn in the arm and launched herself at the stage, hurrying to the centre and curtseying neatly to the onlookers, her Roserade bowing deeply beside her.

Darryn chewed furiously at the inside of his cheeks. Two out of four had been announced. Halfway. He wracked his brain, trying to remember how the crowd had responded to the other contestants, how well they had performed. If any had been better than him… And then Tuesday’s name was announced. Darryn’s eyes widened.

Since passing out on stage, Tuesday had been moved gently to the side of the stage where she had been made comfortable, given water and coaxed back to consciousness. Now, she sat in silence with Dante, ever watchful, an inch away from her in case she fainted again. There was a definite sway when her name was announced and she looked absolutely ready to vomit. She had managed amazingly well, considering her naturally timid demeanour. Darryn was rather envious that she had come such a long way in the time he had known her. Had he changed similarly? Had he changed for the better?

Only one placed remained. Darryn felt sick. Contests were not like Gym Battles. If he failed now, he’d have to wait until the next one was arranged and who knew when that would be? And what was to say he’d even get to the Battle Round even after more training? His first Ribbon may have been a fluke… Or maybe Troy had deliberately thrown the match just to keep him happy? Maybe he had performed badly this time around and-

“DARRYN KELLOR!”

“YES!” Darryn clenched his fists tightly and snatched at calm and decorum, waving to the crowd as he joined Tyron and Shalim at the front of the stage (Tuesday was still too shaky to stand, let alone walk). Completely ignored, Troy was left behind the curtains backstage with a dumbfounded Magikarp expression decorating his beautiful face. The flash of a thousand cameras dazzled their eyes as they beamed at the cheering crowds, waving to the many smiling faces looking back at them.

“Daaarryyyn!” Lyla waved an arm overhead while holding her video camera steady in the other. He waved back at her pointing to the side of the stage where Tuesday sat, getting his cousin to aim the camera her way. Lyla hastily turned that way and started shouting for the smaller girl’s attention.

“We did it, huh?” Shalim squeezed Darryn’s hand as they began to walk off the stage and prepare for the next round. “But we’ve still got the best bit to come. You know why I’m here, right? In the Furoh region?”

Darryn turned to her and frowned. “Why?”

“A whole bunch of new Pokemon have come to the region from a place called Unova. I’ve been sent as an envoy to capture some new Grass-types and take them home to Erika where we can study and train them at the Gym. These Contests are… just a bit of fun for me.” Shalim explained, brandishing two Pokeballs under Darryn’s nose.

“Just a bit of fun?” Darryn’s eyebrows rose. “But you were amazing.”

“And you forget just what sort of trainer I am.” Shalim waggled a finger. “I’ve been trained professionally by a Gym Leader – it’s the Battle Round where I’m really going to shine.”

“But these battles are different.” Darryn protested. “Points are just as important as strategy and-”

“And what’s wrong with a double KO strategy?” Shalim dared him. “Twenty poké says I’ll knocked out both opponents before the end of the time limit.”

Darryn was impressed. It seemed Shalim, despite her traditional training knew more than just the basics about Co-Ordinating and it wasn’t even her chosen profession. Not only that, but she had brand new Pokemon to surprise her opponents. A Ribbon didn’t seem so out of reach for a girl like her… But for Darryn?

“You’re on.” Darryn winked. “I’m gonna prepare now and check on my friend, Tuesday. But you can count on me to be in the front row for your battle.”

“You better be.” Shalim clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re both getting Ribbons today – you’ll see.”

Darryn forced a smile back. He hoped so.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Mar 29 2011, 03:28 PM

"It feels like we've been sitting here for months!" Meiko shifted in her seat, crossing her arms in irritation. Next to her, adding to that irritation, Jaima smiled, flipping through a magazine.

"It hasn't been that long, Mei-chan," he said, not even having the decency to sound ironic. He flipped the page in the magazine, and that was the only indication to Meiko that he was nervous at all; he was flipping far too fast to be reading it, and Meiko knew that he couldn't read when he was nervous.

"I bet we could have watched that contest, no problem," she tried again. Even if he were annoyed at her, it would be worth it just so that someone was annoyed with her. He merely chuckled and didn't answer, causing Meiko to huff.

When they had entered, they had been treated to two events. The secretary from before commented on Meiko's hair and hat (a cute little hat!), and that had pleased Meiko, especially since the comment had been positive. Then Mercury had quailed a bit, subdued. Rather than surprise or concern, Jaima had nodded and engaged in what was, almost obviously, a short telepathic conversation with her. Though this seemed to calm her, even sweeter was when Shadow stepped up next to her, allowing her to lean against him.

Meiko usually wasn't impatient, but she had wanted to see the contest as well as Jaima's gym battle. She sighed, softly, and Jaima looked over at her, smiling patiently.

The jerk.

"Mei-chan, why don't you go get a soda and see if there's any news about the contest. Have a walk?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me, Jai-chan," she asked, icily, but felt a thrill of exhilaration for the chance to do something.

Jaima leaned over and kissed her nose. "Hai," he said, simply, causing her to mock gasp. "You're making the pokémon nervous." Meiko raised her brow, and Jaima smiled thinly. "And me."

"OK, Jai-chan," she said, standing up. She looked down at the poke he held out to her. "You don't have to pay me," she quipped, "I'll come back for free!"

Jaima chuckled. "I would like a soda as well."

Meiko nodded and took the cash, slipping it into her purse, then, before he could stop her, even though it had been his suggestion, she stepped out and walked down the street.

She hadn't gone far when she heard a commotion, coming from an alleyway. Cautiously, she approached, and just before she stuck her head into the corner, she heard a loud clang and saw a trash can slam into a wall. Startled, she watched a tiny black and pink pokémon totter to the smashed and upended trash receptacle and start picking through the spilled refuse. As Meiko watched, the little one found a discarded patty of some kind of breaded poultry, and, picking the breading off, begin to eat it, plopping down forlornly.

"Oh, you poor thing," she said softly.

The pokémon must have had good hearing, because it popped up and squeaked out, "gothi!"

"It's OK," Meiko said softly. "I won't hurt you..."

The little one peered up at her with her enormous sky blue eyes, then, amazingly, took what looked like a stance. Meiko had almost laughed; it looked like little more than a tiny baby girl in a black and white onesy, with bows in its short hair.

Meiko dug into her purse and let out her sandshrew, Desertdancer. "Go talk to her, please," she said. The sandshrew nodded, and approached.

<Now, little one, there's nothing to be afraid of,> he started, gesturing when he got close. He grazed it with his paw and it squeaked, loudly, and keeled over.

"Oh, no!" Meiko said, dashing toward the little pokémon who lay on the ground, moaning, shivering, and rolling on the alley floor. "She must be sick! Desertdancer, follow me! We have to get her to the pokecenter!" Meiko grabbed one of the empty pokéballs in her purse, a dusk ball she had picked up when re-supplying, and looked at it, pausing in catching the little one.

Desertdancer, from his vantage, saw what Meiko, who's vision was blocked by the ball, could not: The little pokémon opened her eyes, turned her head and winked at Desertdancer, and reached up, touching the pokéball at the control stud. With little fanfare, she was drawn into the ball, and Meiko stared at it in shock as it clicked almost instantly.

"Huh... I must have gotten too close. No time now!" She hurried toward the center, hoping that she would be able to heal this one and still be back in time to see Jaima's battle.

Desertdancer scampered behind her, chuckling to himself. <That little scamp!>

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Apr 19 2011, 06:01 PM

Tuesday tried to assure Dante that she was fine, but the moment she attempted to push herself off of her seat, the charmeleon growled softly and pushed her back with a clawed hand. So she sat next to him, sipping quietly at a cup of water, and watching as people fluttered excitedly in their seats, awaiting the results to the contest.

It wasn't that she, herself, wasn't excited about what would be announced. She couldn't wait to see what the results were, but not really for herself. She hoped that Darryn would move on to the next part of the contest. She didn't get to see his appeal, as she had been unconscious, but she knew that Darryn put a lot of effort into training his pokemon, and he was very... flashy. That was good, she thought, for this kind of thing. He was at home here, on the stage, in front of an audience.

It was pretty obvious from the way she had reacted when the lights came back on that this was not for her. Yes, training Dante for the appeal had been a lot of fun, and she had enjoyed teaching Tempest and Zorro some new combinations for use in the battle part of the contest. She had done her best to train them like they would get there, but she didn't really expect to. Tuesday knew she was a decent battler. People had been telling her that for a while, and while she didn't think she was nearly as great as some people claimed, she knew she was good enough to beat some of the trainers - even experienced ones - who had come to Pallet Town to talk to Professor Oak.

Tuesday hadn't had her first battle with a Gym Leader yet, but she was excited for it. She had more faith in herself facing off against an opponent in a battle than trying to thrill and delight a crowd of people who were all staring at her. Darryn's enthusiasm for Contests, and especially his excitement after winning the first one, had drawn her in, and she'd wanted to try it out, but really, she didn't expect much.

So when the announcement came over the intercom that she was moving onto the next round in the contest, Tuesday could only blink in stupid surprise. Until a light flashed and she realized that everyone in the hall, audience, contester, or judge, was trying to get a look at her, and her stomach dropped down somewhere around her toes. She swallowed thickly and ducked her head, her skin flushing.

I'm not gonna pass out again... not passing out not passing out not passing out... and not throwing up, please please please.

Tuesday relaxed minutely when Darryn's name was called as the final contestant moving onward and the attention moved to him. She swallowed again and shuddered, wrapping her arms around Dante's neck when the charmeleon shuffled a little closer to her.

"I guess we're moving on, Dante," she murmured quietly to him. He hissed softly in agreement. "This is... unexpected."

Posted by: Living Arrow Apr 25 2011, 01:42 PM

With the contestants arranged backstage, it was agreed that Tuesday should face Rio last so that she could get her energy back up after fainting on stage not long before. Then, between the three of them, Darryn, Shalim and Tyron all drew straws to see who would go first and decide the order of matches that were about to take place… Darryn’s was the shortest…

It was one thing to watch Shalim make an Appeal but to battle? Well, that was a whole other Pokeball game. To the shock and surprise of nearly every person in the Contest Hall, her choice of not one but two completely foreign Pokemon was one that would claim victory in almost no time at all.

Her deadly combination of Snivy and Pansage and their double Leech Seed had set the pace of the battle straight away and their excellent double Vine Whip provided an amazing defence that even Rio’s Ghost Pokemon could not breakthrough. The explosive battle was brought to a conclusion well within the time limit, both of Shalim’s opponents taken completely off guard by the unexpected strategy from two unexpected Pokemon. It was incredibly impressive – Darryn was awestruck as his friend assumed her position on the winner’s bench on the far side of the arena and Tyron took up his place in the challenger’s circle.

Unlike Shalim, it turned out that Tyron’s battle style was not intended to fight guns blazing for a KO win but instead to put on a show that would dwindle the Hall Leader’s points throughout the match.



He summoned his Pokemon – a vibrant Weezing and an off-colour, chestnut brown Vulpix to do battle and almost immediately, Darryn felt something course through his body. An uneasy feeling of worry clammed up in his throat and it took him some time to realise it was the projections of Lady within her Heal Ball that he was feeling. Could she be nervous for the upcoming battle? That was unlike her… Darryn would have to reassure her later.

With his attention back on the Contest Battle, Darryn’s eyes were held captive as Tyron utilised Weezing’s flammable gases and sludge along with his Vulpix’s fire attacks to create wow-inspiring displays that were used not only as offensive explosive but also as defensive barriers of flame that Rio had some difficulty in countering throughout the match. It was, however, a close battle as the timer ticked down to zero and everyones’ eyes turned to the score board to see who had won…

“And that’s it! The second Ribbon to be handed out in this Contest goes to Tyron Jildare!” Gillian declared, the crowd going wild with the adrenaline they had built up throughout the intense battle. Darryn, also tense as a bowstring, watched on from the green room backstage. First Shalim, now Tyron. Both had gained Contest Ribbons in the past twenty minutes and next it would be the Celadonian’s opportunity to best the Hall Leader on stage.

Darryn gulped down his nerves and clutched at the Heal and Premier Balls in his hands, surrounded by Ball Capsules and seals. This was it. Time to battle for Ribbon number two… He rose to his feet and nodded to Tuesday with a smile that said “let’s do this!” and moved to the edge of the stage to wait for his name to be called…

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Apr 26 2011, 11:25 PM

"Good luck, Darryn," Tuesday said quietly, as her friend rose from his seat and moved to take his position in the arena. Tuesday had finally convinced Dante that she wasn't going to fall over if she stood up, and she was holding both Tempest and Zorro's pokeballs in her hands, rolling them together in a nervous gesture. This was going to be completely new. She wasn't battling just to defeat her opponent - she had to make sure that her tactics were both effective and visually appealing enough to please the audience, and her opponent, himself.

While Tempest and Zorro were both competent battlers, Tuesday was well aware that the two weren't always on the best of terms with one another. Tempest was too serious, and Zorro too silly. The two of them were the opposite of each other, but Tuesday had done her best to train them for this. Whatever the outcome of the battle, she hoped they worked well together. As far as she was concerned, the learning experience they could gain from this was far more important than whether or not they won.

She hoped Zorro and Tempest would see it that way, too, no matter what happened.

Dante was riding a high. He had totally rocked the appeal, and now that Tuesday was conscious again and able to stand, he could allow himself to bask in the glory of his epic win. His part of the contest was complete, and he had done an epic job. There was no way Zorro or Tempest could hope to rock as much as he had.

The fire lizard pokemon puffed out his chest and fairly preened at the memory of the awe the audience had shown during his appeal. He hissed in delight, waving his tail back and forth, as the battle part of the contest raged on for the flashy boy they traveled with.

The pop and swish of a pokeball opening alerted him to one of his teammates appearing behind him, but he ignored their presence. None of them had bothered to watch they appeal and they had missed how totally awesome he was. He didn't need to bother with them at all.

"Yer mighty pleased wit' yerself, lad." Dante chuffed in annoyance at the sound of the buizel's voice. "I take i' the fashion show went well?"

Dante hissed angrily, turning to face the otter pokemon. "It was a contest appeal, not a fashion show!"

"Right, lad, my mistake."

Dante huffed a smoky breath and spun away from the sea otter. "What do you want?"

"Jes' checking up on things," Odysseus said casually, leaning against the wall and studying the charmeleon with a passive expression. "Ye lookin' forward to th' battle?"

Dante snorted. "And watch Pest and the fox try to kill each other? Yeah, that should be fun." He didn't see Odysseus shake his head softly. "You planning on sticking around to watch the fox, or are you going to hide back in your pokeball and not bother like you did with me?"

"Ye think a lot o' yerself, Lizard - too much, I think, t' let people close." A snort and Dante turned his head away roughly. "Of course I will watch the kit perform." He refrained from telling the charmeleon that he had been outside of his pokeball during the appeal, and had watched him, as well. Dante wasn't able to understand, yet, that other people cared for him besides the runt. When he was ready, Odysseus would let him know, but first, he had a lot to learn.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 8 2011, 12:13 AM

Dishonor. It was something like dishonor to have lost two contest matches in a row. Both Shallim and Tyron had proceeded to trounce him in his field with two very different sets of strategies. The Double KO from the foreign grass pokemon had been unexpected, and perhaps he had geared his strategy towards defending against that with Tyson. The result was a loss due to the whittling away of his points, thanks to the beautiful coordination between the Vulpix and Weezing.

Straightening his glasses, Rio gazed across the darkened field. The vibrant displays of flame from the Vulpix had lit it up so vividly. He'd almost forgotten that the bookcases themselves had been lined with grimoires and tomes about ghost pokemon and their abilities. He'd read them all, of course. Now it was time to remember his roots.

Rio turned his gaze upwards, to the 'floating' candles all above the field. For a brief moment, the pinpoint lights from the ceiling reflected off of his glasses, casting an eerie glow over his eyes.

"Darryn Kellor, please take the stage".

Darryn Kellor. He had by far the flashiest, gaudiest appeal. Of course, that made perfect sense, since Troy had claimed the boy all for himself. Troy liked shiny things, after all. However, Rio was about to show Darryn that natural synergy between pokemon was also helpful in putting on a show battle.

As Darryn approached the field, Rio took a moment to introduce himself:

"I'm the Hall Leader, Rio. Prepare yourself." It was a very brief moment of introduction. "Appear now, Exploud, Mismagius!" Both pokeballs had been fixed with smoke seals, so as they struck the ground, twin columns of smoke shot out into the air. Likewise, a constructive column spotlight of a red hue fell over the two, creating a rather scintillating and haunting effect. As the smoke faded, Rio's two pokemon stood and floated respectively in their pools of soft red light.

This was not bright and gaudy, nor was it sundry and cheap, but rather it served to highlight the darker features of his two pokemon, increasing their intimidating appearance somewhat.

"Summon your pokemon." He commanded, pushing the bridge of his glasses back up his nose.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 8 2011, 03:32 AM

Atop his podium with the crowd focusing their collective gaze on him, Darryn began to have flashbacks to http://forums.gtsplus.net/index.php?s=&showtopic=18928&view=findpost&p=487236. Still relatively new to the Contest track, Darryn was not yet used to having so much attention all on him and the weight of expectation sat heavily on his shoulders - following up from Shalim and Tyron wouldn't be easy. Rio's calm demeanour and straight-to-the-point attitude was unlike Darryn's first exposure to Gym and Hall Leaders in Arasam but it was a welcome change from the lofty formal greetings of Otis and mocking laughter of Troy.

Ghost and Normal type Pokemon were his opponents - typical selections for this Hall - so powerful combinations were bound to be in Rio's arsenal. Darryn had fought against Ghosts before but he'd not seen an Exploud on his journey yet... Would it come with unexpected surprise attacks? He'd have to wait and see.

"Summon your Pokemon."

*Well, that was blunt...*

"Lady and Bravo, the stage is yours!" Darryn announced as he threw the capsules onto the stage. Flame seals below and smoke seals above created the effect of a snorting dragon as his Vulpix stepped proudly from the fire and Pidgeotto dispelled the smoke into hair-like threads of dust that trailed in his wake as he climbed into the air, ready to battle.

"With all of our points on the board, our battlers ready and the judges set, let's get started on Contest Battle Number Three! Rio of Petropolis versus Darryn Kellor of Celadon City!" Gillian wailed into her microphone. With that, Darryn began his first attack.

"Lady, Imprison the Mismagius." He ordered first, knowing all too well that Ghost-type Pokemon had the annoying likelihood of knowing the Confuse Ray move - too many times had that been used against him. "And Bravo, use Heat Wave on Lady!" As with his Gym Battle of Arasam, Darryn planned for his Vulpix (the natural powerhouse that she had come to be) to take the lead in the battle.

Blinding ray flashed out in a scintillating swirl of blue and pink from Lady's eyes towards her opponent as her body was swamped in a column of flames that poured down from Bravo's shining wings. Her body triggered Flash Fire and her crimson fur instantly became intensely red - like that of a roaring blacksmith's forge.

<I feel the power, Prince Darryn.> Lady confirmed that the attack had done the trick.

<Good. Then let's get ready to blow the audience away.> Darryn sent back hopefully.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 8 2011, 05:17 PM

All of the Leaders, Jockeys, and notable battlers in Furoh shared information. They weren't precisely friends, but they were essentially co-workers. Darryn's use of Heat Wave in his match against Troy was something to be expect.

Nevertheless, Rio was impressed with the visual effect. Flashy, yes, but it definitely drowned out the red light effect he had on his side of the field. At the same time, Mismagius fluttered a little as the Imprison attack shut off her access to several of her moves. He watched as the points on his side fell ever so slightly.

First Blood.

Now it was time to counterattack. Without gaudiness or any unnecessary movement, he raised his hand into the air, the other remaining on the brim of his glasses.

"Mismagius, Skill Swap with the Vulpix." Mismagius' eyes glowed a vibrant purple before shooting out a brilliant pair of beams directly at Lady Foxtrot, passing through her and returning to the floating ghost. The shadows of a Vulpix and a Mismagius appeared behind the opposing pair before swapping places through the beam.

First, Lady would find herself floating in the air. For a fox pokemon, used to using her feet as propulsion, this would make her maneuvering difficult. Mismagius, on the other hand, floated much lower to the ground, but was now in possession of Lady's dangerous Flash Fire Ability.

"Exploud, Hyper Voice."

One of Exploud's most powerful moves had been commanded right off the bat, and was one of Rio's favourite combos. Hyper Voice hit every other pokemon on the field with an intense blast of sound. Exploud, the loud noise pokemon, was built like a pipe organ, and part of his body burst forth in an incredible wave of sound, so loud it was concussive.

Rio had let his guard down against the other trainers, and he certainly wasn't about to let this gaudy showman walk away with an easy win.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 9 2011, 05:15 PM

<Prince Darryn!>

Lady's immediate panic rolled off her in startled waves, stinging at her master's own fears that he wouldn't be able to counter such a well planned move. The use of Levitate to remove further power-ups from lady was impressive but to send her floating upwards and blocking off access to her speed attacks was another completely. Points fell on Darryn's side of the scoreboard. Furthermore, using the Fire-type combos that they had been planned between Vulpix and Pidgeotto were completely ruined.

<Please try to stay calm, Lady!> Darryn urged, praying that his own rising panic was not seeping out to her. How could he possibly counter now? They had been caught off guard far too early in the match!

"Exploud, Hyper Voice."

Darryn clapped his hands to his ears as the mega-voice of the Exploud ripped through the air with shockwaves that almost seemed visible. Airborne, both Lady and Bravo backflipped awkwardly as they screamed - their voices masked by the din that harmed them.

*This is impossible! Hitting them back will just be blocked by that Mismagius from a distance and Bravo's wings are too tied up to use a Gust or a Twister... His wings?*

One of their http://forums.gtsplus.net/index.php?s=&showtopic=29302&view=findpost&p=781531 would work!

"BRAVO!" Darryn yelled over the Hyper Voice. "Use Featherdance!"

"PIDGEOOOH!" The bird pokemon screamed in response, spinning into the shockwaves of sound and expelling glittering golden feathers into the air. Taken up by the Hyper Voice, these spiralled rapidly in ever-expanding rays that shone like a firework.

"And Lady, use your Extrasensory on the feathers!" Darryn caught movement on the scoreboard from the corner of his eye but did not have time to look. "Set up a Golden Highway!"

<Yes, Prince Darryn!> Lady's voice carried a hint of hopeful confidence but it wasstill shaky - being in the air concerned her.

Even as they fell, Bravo's golden feathers caught a faint blue hue and in unison, all sped to gather under Lady's dangling feet. Her eyes, glowing an equal shade of azure, narrowed slightly and all of the feathers immediately hardened and aligned themselves at her feet. Even off the ground, her feet now had support.
In a great pincer movement, a golden bird shot out in a blaznig trail of white around one side of the arena while a crimson Vulpix dashed along a road of gold feathers that miraculously built itself through the air by her command - feathers from behind her flying forwards to take their place in the lead for her dainty paws to flicker across.

"Excellent, guys!" Darryn couldn't believe it! One of their combos was being pulled off perfectly! "Now, before they can recover, Double Quick Attack on the Exploud!"

"This cannot be allowed." Belladonna hissed, her dainty finger tracing the outline of the rim of the porcelain cup in her hands. "We three must put an end to her growth - before long she shall surpass Laurel and it won't be long after before it is one of us."

On the Plane of Vul, a private realm on the Psychic Plane, three of the Seven Vulpix Sisters were in attendance. Three more were tamed beasts of Pokemon trainers. The final was... presumed dead? It had been a long time since any of them had thought about her.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Primrose retorted from her lofty throne. Golden rain glittered around her body to form her ethereal dress, barely masking the large breasts that she chose to have in her Dream form. Eldest and golden not only on the Plane but also in reality, Primrose was to be considered their leader. Belladonna did not like that fact. True, Primrose was arguably the most powerful in battle but Belladonna was the most talented psychically.

"End her connection with the boy." Campion stated cooly. Her icy cloak was apt for her real body was forever shrouded in Winter. "He is the one that has continued to fertilise her confidence and train her body and mind to strengthen itself. Without his influence, she shall wither."

"But he has a capture device for her." Primrose could not bear to bring herself to say the word 'Pokeball'. "We can never separate them."

"Maybe we do not need to..." Belladonna's black nails tapped her pursed lips thoughtfully. "Leave this with me - Camellia will be a stunted sapling before dusk."

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 9 2011, 11:28 PM

Golden Highway. It sounded vaguely sexual. Perhaps because Rio had heard almost non-stop about Troy's exploits with the young Kellor that it came across that way. Unsurprisingly, Rio figured that that was definite innuendo behind the name of the combination.

The golden bridge was giving Lady, the Vulpix, a better means of conveyance than simply levitating off the ground. Although she was limited to how well she could hold her Extrasensory move in place. She showed surprising concentration in pulling off the Quick Attack in conjunction with it, and Rio was glad to see that the pokemon were well trained.

He had very little time to react to the Quick Attack barrage, and Exploud was forced to weather the brunt of the attacks. Mismagius could've intercepted, but they would've simply passed through and struck Exploud anyway. It was time to reveal one of his own combinations.

"First Position!" Rio commanded, using the musical terminology not as a means to confuse his opponent, but rather simply to get his pokemon into their rehearsed spaces. Exploud trundled forward while Mismagius floated behind it a few paces back. "Exploud, Strength! Mismagius, Power Gem!"

Exploud reached down and slammed his massive fists into the ground, knocking up several chunks of detritus into the air towards Lady and Bravo. His partner, Mismagius, floated through him, launching several glittering gems forward into the cloud of debris. The gems ricocheted about within the storm of rocks, lancing out towards Darryn's pokemon in a beautiful array, whilst the larger chunks flew forward at a much slower rate. Hopefully, the smaller, supereffective gems would hinder Lady and Bravo's mobility whilst the bigger rocks wobbled through the air at them.

This would hopefully serve to shatter Lady's concentration, as well as sully up the pristine coats of both Lady and Bravo. Such a glitzy and glamorous duo would suffer from the dirt and debris, and it would serve to hurt the spirits of the trainer as well. At least, he hoped so.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 10 2011, 11:28 AM

"Woah..." Darryn breathed, unable to look away from the swirling storm of rocks. Not only was the attack powerful, but it looked amazing - the combination of rough boulders and glittering gems had a startling contrast that had been almost completely unexpected after Rio's initial tactician-style moves.

"PIDGEOOOH!" Bravo was struck hard in the back as he attempted to evade the move, catapulting him back towards Darryn where he managed to flare his wings just in time to skim along at ground level and burst straight up like an arrow. Lady, also attempting a dodge, gathered the hardened feathers before her to create a make-shift wall of gold to repel the incoming attack in the combo known as http://forums.gtsplus.net/index.php?s=&showtopic=14871&view=findpost&p=390763. One, two, three small and shiny rocks punched the feather shield before the final massive rock broke through. Lady was struck harshly, her feathers dispelled as she twisted and tumbled through the air.

<No, Lady! Use the effect of that attack!> Darryn willed his Vulpix to turn. She did so but her eyes searched the arena with confusion. <The feathers! Before they fall!>

<Yes, Prince Darryn!>

"Flame Burst, now!"

Lady spat a small Flame Burst back the way she had come, its exploding embers catching the fluttering feathers mid-air. As one, the golden plumes ignited and shattered into sparkling motes of dust that the crowd 'Oooh'ed and 'Aaah'ed in response to. Darryn breathed an almost-sigh of relief. His Pokemon were fast enough to respond to a dazzling attack so that his points were not the only ones to suffer. That said, Rio's Pokemon were still fighting fit but Darryn's had taken a heavy hit.

<Lady, how are you doing?>

<I am still able to battle, Prince Darryn.> Lady confirmed. <But this ridiculous Ability is preventing me from using several of the combinations that we practised.>

<That doesn't matter.> Darryn frowned across at the opponent Pokemon. <We can still use some of them even with you in the back and Bravo doing the leg work. But first, we've got to battle harder - defending won't be enough and we need to put the pressure on the Leader.>

<Yes, Prince Darryn.>

"Bravo, wrap them up with Twister!" Came Darryn's next command. From high above, the Pidgeotto swept great glittering wings down harshly, creating a swirling blue whirlwind that expanded as it touched down on the field. "And Lady, rapid fire Energy Ball into the vortex!" Caught up in the attack, the Energy Balls bounced around like pinballs but were confined to the space of the attack. "Now, Bravo! Do it!"

With a great cry, Bravo swept the Energister combo across the Hall toward the Mismagius and Exploud.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 10 2011, 01:03 PM

An Energy Ball - Twister combination. Rio was certainly impressed by the synergy put forth by the two opposing pokemon. The second Vulpix he faced, and there was a completely new set of tactics. This is why he loved coordinator battles. As the glittering cyclone approached his pokemon, Mismagius floated in close behind her comrade, Exploud.

Once the conflagration was nearly upon them, Exploud drew in a deep breath once more, already intuiting the next set of commands from his coordinator.

"Exploud, Hyper Voice. Mismagius, Ominous Wind!" Once again, the concussive sound ripped through the pipe-organ like orifices of the Loud Noise pokemon, sending out a shockwave of great intensity. Shortly in its wake, a ghostly, black wind whipped up in a sinister cyclone. The attacks passed through Exploud and Mismagius with no discernible effect, as Rio was a master of the divide between Normal and Ghost pokemon. However, the Energy Ball Twister was destroyed in a brilliant display, eliciting several Oohs and Aahs from the crowd in response. It was flashy, but that was only because the initial attack had been so terribly showy. (Albeit, effective). A few of the energy ball remains landed on Exploud and Mismagius, causing some minor irritation. Doubly so, a few of his points lowered as his pokemon took some damage.

However, the dual shockwaves of sound and ghostly wind swept across the entire battlefield. Rio knew the Ominous Wind would have no effect on Bravo, a Pidgeotto. However, unless Darryn took quick action, his Vulpix would suffer some severe damage.

He knew in his mind that somewhere, Troy was watching with great interest, and would probably congratulate him on the showiness of this particular battle. That irritated him ever so slightly.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 10 2011, 02:51 PM

Another Hyper Voice blended with an Ominous Wind?! Darryn was dumbfounded that the combination of such powerful moves worked so well together and was lost in the display for several moments, unable to focus on what he should do next. Yet again, Rio had shown that his own Pokemon were stronger and extremely well paired - their typings were perfectly synchronised to sweep the field with devastating attacks that should normally hurt their battle partner. And now, his Pokemon were going to take another hit... bringing them another step towards technical KO.

Another hit? Didn't Lady have a move that...

"Take the hit, Lady!" Darryn ordered, clutching his fists in tight balls at his sides.

<Trust me.>

<Yes... Prince Darryn...> Lady responded, lowering her head and bracing for impact. Both Vulpix and Pidgeotto tumbled and rolled through the air above the arena before slowly coming to a halt where they regrouped at Darryn's end of the field. Lady's chestnut eyes were squinting from the strain that she was exerting to keep going with the battle - she had taken some major hits already. Darryn mentally punched himself for not packing a Tank-type in this battle. Both Lady and Bravo were speed attackers - taking a few well-placed powerful moves would put them down in no time.

<We're going Gym style this round.> Darryn warned Lady as he set up the next move in his head.

"Bravo, grab Lady!" Completely obedient, the large bird snagged the Vulpix from above and shot towards the Ghost and Normal pair. "Now, focus on the Mismagius! Bravo, Wing Attack! Lady, time to show them what revenge is like! Use Payback!"

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 10 2011, 04:50 PM

Payback. That was a troublesome move. Rio placed a hand to his chin as he watched the battle continue to unfold. His powerful attacks had swept the field, but here the two dogged pokemon were mounting a dangerous counterattack. Exploud could not intercept, due to his slow speed, and his Mismagius' own lackluster agility made her an easy target for the two faster pokemon.

However, there was still a way to tip the scales back to even, especially after this sortie. Rio would never admit it to his fellow Hall Leaders, but he had a definite flair for the suspenseful and dramatic. He didn't normally wow the crowds with dazzling displays, but rather liked to let them read like a mystery novel. Darryn Kellor had drawn him into a fight of glamour, and it was paying him no heed.

He watched as Mismagius accepted both attacks, emitting a horrifying screech as she sailed through the air. She floated back up, shaking herself as if to regain her steadiness. The Wing Attack Payback combo had done a number on Rio's points, putting him at just under a third, while Darren was just over a third. It was a close match.

Rio had watched as in one move, the flow of battle shifted back to Team Kellor, and he knew that he had to now pull off one of his most dangerous gambits yet.



"Second Position! Mismagius. Perish Song!"

Mismagius and Exploud swapped places, with the Witchcraft pokemon taking full on center stage. She floated upwards for a moment, spinning slowly as she sang a haunting, eerie melody, full of tri-tones and dissonant minor sixths. Any pokemon hearing Perish Song (including those in the audience if they weren't careful), would faint after a matter of time. With only two minutes remaining, it was a good gambit to play for the double KO.

Once again, Rio had expertly played into his pokemon's complimentary natures. Exploud possessed the ability "Soundproof" making him immune to the effects of Perish Song. In the mean time, he allowed his heavy hitter to...well...continue to hit heavily.

"Exploud, Uproar!"

Continuing with his deluge of sound based attacks, Exploud began to pitch a tantrum on the field behind Mismagius, piercing the Perish Song with several loud, staccato, punctuated notes. Each blast of sound shot off like a bullet from one of his many pipes, passing cleanly through his partner and towards his foes.

Rio calmly placed his finger back onto his glasses, watching to see the effects of this next thrilling combination. With Perish Song now in effect, he effectively halved the time it took for Kellor to win. The boy had little more than a minute, despite the two minutes on the clock, to knock out both of his Pokemon if he wanted to win. He noted idly that the amount of panache each of the attacks had from earlier was dropping. Perhaps that meant Kellor was getting serious. It was time to see just how much mettle the boy had.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 10 2011, 05:18 PM

"You can not be serious!" Darryn's shoulders slumped. "Perish Song?" He'd heard of the move before but never seen it used in battle. Once, he had been told that the attack limited the amount of time left on the field that the opponent would have before automatically being knocked out. Just how long that was...? Darryn had no idea.

The Uproar of Exploud, though notably weaker than Hyper Voice, was enough to make Bravo falter in the air as the sound waves racked his body and Lady seemed to shrink as she tightened into a crimson floating ball that kicked away at the intense vibrations that rattled her bones.

<Prince Darryn...> Lady wobbled in the air. <I cannot fight for much longer...> Even her telepathy was breathless. Darryn felt sick to his stomach. Battling Ghost type Pokemon was never easy but to have such a perfect partner? This was completely different to battling Troy - that had been more like a Gym Match.

<Please, just try to hang on.> Darryn pleaded with her, summoning a ball of glowing golden confidence before his eyes and touching it mentally to the Vulpix's Emotaglow. She visibly relaxed almost immediately. <We've got to knock them out now - there's now way we have enough time to get his points to zero. We'll take out the Ghost first and then use that move to finish off the Exploud but you'll have to be quick and accurate. Keep your distance and aim well, Lady.>

<Yes, Prince Darryn.> Came the ever-faithful response.

"Lady, Extrasensory on the Mismagius! Make sure it can't get away! Bravo, finish it with a Wing Attack!"

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 10 2011, 09:57 PM

<Yes, Prince Darryn> a voice rang mockingly through the air. Mismagius was a highly intelligent pokemon, but her grasp of thought-speak was fairly limited. It had taken her the length of the battle to focus in on the frequencies, and at best she could only parrot a few words here and there. Still, it's pretty freaky when a creepy voice interrupts any conversation, telepathic or otherwise. Rio, of course, was oblivious to this.

"Lady, Extrasensory on Mismagius. Make sure it can't get away! Bravo! Finish it with Wing Attack!"


They were aiming for Mismagius, which was an odd choice. Mismagius would also faint with the Perish Song, and so Exploud would've been a better target. However, Mismagius had been severely weakened by the earlier barrage. Rio couldn't help but be amazed at how much more intense the fight had gone now that Darryn had apparently given up on the notion of showmanship and focused on the goal at hand. Rio much preferred this, because it meant that his own attacks did not have to be as showy either.

Mismagius was now held in place by the Extrasensory, which seemed to be the move that was saving Darryn's team. The poor ghost, for all her taunts, was now on the brink of fading completely. As Bravo flashed forward, Rio uttered a command:

"Mismagius, Skill Swap with Exploud". Mismagius would faint, of course. At least this way she would pass on her Fire Immunity to her partner, further hindering the Vulpix's flame arsenal's effectiveness. Mismagius inherited the now moot Soundproof ability, but it didn't matter. The shattering blow from Bravo's glowing wings struck dead on as she was unable to move. Mismagius fell to the ground with another piercing shriek. However, even in her fading consciousness, she muttered once more: <Y-yes...Prince...D-Darryn.>

Rio proudly recalled his Mismagius, noting just how much of a hullabaloo she had seeded amongst the enemy ranks. She was definitely one of the trickiest of his pokemon, and it definitely showed in this battle, even if Lady Foxtrot had shut off most of her abilities.

Meanwhile, Rio did not need to command Exploud. Uproar was a move that lasted several turns, and was functioning as a simultaneous offense and defense. The bullets of sound continued to shoot around wildly, almost haphazardly, as there was very little way to aim the concentrated din. In the meantime, though, Both Rio's and Darryn's points dropped further, leaving them with just about a quarter set each. Time was still ticking down, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Rio heard "Perish Count has fallen to two."

Two more turns, and both Vulpix and Pidgeotto would be out.

How will you deal with that, Kellor? Rio sneered inwardly, retaining his veneer of calm outside.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 14 2011, 05:33 PM

From Lyla’s position in the audience, she had a clear view of the stage and the wonderful display that her and the other spectators were being treated to. How her dear cousin had come so far with his training was one thing but his relationship with Pokemon was another entirely. She brought the camera back into focus and passed it across the view of the combatants and back to their masters, capturing the essence of the harmony that was Co-Ordination.

“Great job, Dar,” Lyla whispered to herself, taking mental note to scribble down all that she had learned so far, “but don’t let that Rio get to you… The scoreboard is in your favour.”

“Plus, pluh!” Kaki, Lyla’s partner Plusle, waved and cheered from the empty seat next to her… In the front row.

Lyla couldn’t believe her luck when she had been ushered to the immediate row of seats at the start of the performance as one of Darryn’s “cheering section” but to prevent them from realising the mistake, she had Kaki do his stuff. Oh, and her other Pokemon: Ume (a Smoochum), Anzu (a Magby) and Suika (an Azuril). Beside her, the cheering force of the four Pokemon was more than enough to support Darryn… Well, along with the other banners and screaming fans in the audience. For nowhere, her cousin had developed a fan base that she doubted even he was aware of. One banner in particular, held by three hysterical girls, read “I am the next Mrs Kellor”… Lyla decided to save that nugget for him later.

The battle unfolded as an eye-opener for Lyla as she had never sat through a Contest before but her eyes were certainly wide with admiration. Such beautiful moves, skilled timing and genius combination were a wonderful way for her to witness just what her cousin had decided to do with her life and she couldn’t think of anything that suited him better. Sadly for him, however, he was starting to lose. After all that work to lower Rio’s score and now he was cornered…

“Oh no…” Lyla whispered under her breath as the Exploud’s Uproar weakened Darryn’s Pokemon even as they were counting down the seconds before Persih Song would claim the match. Such a tactic was undoubtedly one that he wouldn’t be forgetting in a hurry – his face said it all. “How can he win, now?”

“Pluh!” Kaki wailed with delight, rocking back and forth like a loon. Lyla tutted. The Plusle’s unending uproar was enough to-

“Darryn!” Lyla squealed, jumping up from her seat and waving her arms overhead. “Darryn! Uproar doesn’t end right away! Darryn! You’re close on points! You’re close on points!”

Darryn caught a flash of fast-moving pink from the corner of his eye and chanced a glance. His cousin Lyla was waving at him manically, the camcorder in her hand completely forgotten. A bunch of baby Pokemon at her side all bounced along with her, laughing and singing like a row of clowns.

“Uproar doesn’t end right away! You’re close on points!!!!”

“I- Wha-?” Darryn frowned. He was equal on points with Rio but not very many remained… and Uproar? “Yes!” Exploud’s Uproar, though strong enough to perform and all-directional attack and defense, was completely wild. Rio was certainly not gaining ground on points anymore with a chaotic move like that – maybe that would be enough for Darryn to close off the rest of his points!

<Lady! We can win now! He’s stuck in Uproar so can’t defend against our combos like before – get ready to pull off a finisher!> Darryn sent to his Vulpix desperately. She panted and heaved as she floated nearby.

<But… I cannot battle for much longer…> She gasped. If thought-speak was getting tiring for her, she must be at her limit.

<That’s OK, Lady.> Darryn replied eagerly. <Just one move and Bravo can finish it. One move and you can take a rest.>
There was a long pause.

<Yes… Prince Darryn.>
“Bravo, get above Exploud and use Featherdance one more time!” Darryn commanded, suddenly confident that the bird Pokemon would have what was needed to finish of Rio’s points before Perish Song could claim him from the field. Was it Lyla’s emotion that was reaching him? Or maybe Lady was right – he felt fear less if he just concentrated hard enough… Who knew? Right now, he had to have faith in his Pokemon and what they were capable of. Before his eyes only, a strong gold Emotaglow lanced out to connect him with both fox and bird. Their postures improved immediately and Bravo began the attack.

“PIDGEOOOH!”

High above Exploud, Bravo drew back his wings and beat down a flurry of swirling, glittering golden feathers. Step one. <Lady, get ready.> Exploud’s Uproar let loose again, Bravo’s feathers getting caught up in the streams of pressurised air that were randomly blasting here, there and everywhere over the stage. Scattered like rapidly spinning stars, Darryn ordered Lady’s last move.

“Bursting Flame, fast!”

“VUUUL!” Lady screamed the attack high over the field, a brilliant ball of scarlet flame shooting from her mouth to hang poised over everything like a demonic glitter ball before exploding in a rain of fire that hit the swirling stars and shattered them into motes of gold dust like a sky of fireworks.

<Prince Dar-!>
Lady was cut off as the Uproar swept through her, slamming her down to the ground where her tails flicked once before lying still. She had fallen before Perish Song had taken her… That’s didn’t leave Bravo much time to seal the deal on this Contest. Darryn just hoped that he could use the final move well enough to impress the judges. Two had given him perfect 10s in the Appeal round but would all three be sufficiently amazed to take enough points from Rio?

“Lady, return!” Darryn swept the Heal Ball back under his belt as soon as she was successfully recalled. “And Bravo, wrap this up with Twister! Use that dust to full effect!”

“PI-PI-PIDGEOOOH!”

After taking his own glancing blow from Uproar, Bravo unleashed a storm of swirling blue that descended upon the Exploud from above. Dispersed by the randomly firing Uproar, swathes of blue and silver shot out to fire through the curtain of gold all over the arena. Shooting stars of gold, followed by trailing tails of silver and royal blue, dashed all over the audience in rays like a shower of comets that fizzled to tiny sparks that winked out like stars saying goodbye while morning approached.

It was done. Darryn’s eyes shot to the score screen. It was now or never. Either he would have won or Bravo was about to fall to Perish Song and the Contest was a failure. It was down to the wire.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 14 2011, 07:02 PM

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a fat lady was singing. Rio gently shrugged that off as Exploud's Uproar finally subsided. However, Kellor's team was now unleashing its limit break move. The boy's Vulpix fell to Exploud's powerful Uproar, and a set of X's appeared on the judges panels, indicating her defeat.

It was down to Pidgeotto and Exploud. It appeared, at least, that Kellor was using another twister combo. The Loud noise Pokemon wasn't taking any damage from the flaming feathers, due to inheriting Lady Foxtrot's Flash Fire skill, and seemed to be shrugging off the effects of the twister admirably.

"Exploud, Thunder Fang!" Exploud burst forth from the twister, leaving a blazing trail in his wake. His newfound Flash Fire Ability gave him an unearthly, flaming glow, while the feather/flames trailed out behind him. With a mighty leap, he hurtled through the air, electrified maw aimed at the Pidgeotto.

Several things happened all at once. Just before Exploud reached Bravo with his attack, the buzzer sounded, indicating the end of the match. Exloud landed on the ground, screeching to a halt. Rio snapped his head over to the scoreboard to see what was going on.

As everyone looked up to the scoreboard, the final count of the Perish Song had taken effect, rendering Pidgeotto unconscious. However, the scoreboard clearly showed that there was still time remaining, and that Rio's part of the scoreboard was clearly depleted, whilst Darryn's showed just a mere fraction of the total wheel.

After a moment, the crowd burst into applause as Darryn's image came up on the screen, indicating that he'd won the match.

Rio recalled his confused pokemon to the pokeball, nodding his head at Darryn with a small smile of approval. The fight had been flashy, but it was the spectacle that had won Darryn the contest.

Posted by: Living Arrow May 15 2011, 04:45 PM

“We did it…” Darryn half-moaned as he collapsed to his knees and the crowd went wild. “We did it…” The battle had been incredibly difficult and to be honest, Darryn was convinced that the result was going to swing the other way, but somehow his naturally flashy appeals shone through. The glitz and glamour of bright lights and awe-inspiring moves had snagged the win in the nick of time, despite what Troy had warned him for both rounds. He had won it his way.

“PIGEOOOH!” Bravo slammed the deck in a puff of yellow feathers.

“Oh, Bravo! Return!” Darryn flashed the Premier Ball and reclaimed his worn out Pokemon. “You were amazing out there.”

“Yes, Darryn! Yes!” Lyla screamed from the side of the stage, her following of babies screaming their support. He grinned and waved to her, shrugging his shoulders in a ‘I don’t know how we did it’ gesture.

Backstage, Darryn laid a hand on Tuesday’s shoulder. Even from that slight touch he could feel she was shaking. Those bright eyes that had drawn down in focused frowns when they battled hooligans in the Arapet Forest were filled with worry and apprehension. It didn’t matter that she wore the outfit of a gladiator about to do battle – she was more like a Buneary in the headlights.

“It’ll be alright, Tuesday,” he reassured her, “we all believe in you and Tempest and Zorro…”

*Tempest and Zorro?! Really? Couldn’t she have picked Ashleigh to go with one of them? Or Odysseus? I hope she knows what she’s doing…*

“Mhmm…” Tuesday made a grunting sort of sound of acknowledgement.

“It really will be alright.” Darryn insisted as they stared into each others’ eyes. In a flash, Darryn dived simultaneously into the back of his Empathic space and into the back of Tuesday’s mind. After he had broken through the walls of the woman who had tried to kill them in the Arapet Forest, this was marginally easier as Tuesday’s defences were not up around him. Passing into the dark void between them did, however, take some focus as her natural abilities held a sort of thick wool around the small girl which made Darryn’s Empath senses a little more dull than usual. Passing through, however, was simple enough – especially since they had physical contact.

Whirling a ball of pure white and gold and shining green, Darryn extracted the seething masses of sickly brown, red and grey and replaced them with his collated courage and joy. Rather annoyingly, they were soon crushed under swathes of native emotion as soon as he inserted them. He tried again twice, thrice. Four times. Nothing. Only a very slight glow of his own work sparked in the fearful emotion of his friend. Whatever her natural abilities were, they were stronger than his and came with an in-built security system that he had not expected. He could do nothing more than give her a tiny spark.

“Darryn.” Tuesday’s voice in the dark caused him to start, flashing out of the Empath space and back into the present. “I’ll..I…” She blinked and breathed heavily, looking past Darryn toward the stage. “I’ll be alright…. Thank you, though.” She cracked a wobbly smile.

“Head up and keep smiling.” Darryn nodded. “I’ll be right here at the side of the stage if you decide to faint again.” He joked, trying to set her at ease.

“Mhmm.”

*Damn… She’s worse than I was at my first Contest.*

“Tuesday Berdison, please take the stage.” Gillian Meridian’s excited tones rang on the speakers.

“Go for it, Tuesday.” Darryn patted her again on the shoulder. As she turned away, however, he had to run a concerned hand back through his hair and send out a prayer that ‘Silence’ wouldn’t stay true to her namesake when she made it out onto the stage.

Posted by: Master Houndoom May 15 2011, 05:27 PM

It was a typical Shadow Council, and the man standing before it fought the urge to roll his eyes at the display. A bright beam of light shone down on him, effectively isolating him without barriers. The shadows of men and women on the raised arena seating around him held no concern for him.

He flicked his gaze to the right and left of him. In smaller, similar pools of light stood a large, imposing man, standing casually with his hands in the pockets of his long leather coat, and a smaller man, leaning slightly against a construct that looked like a court's witness box, looking unconcernedly through round glasses at the man in the center. These two did concern him, because the council seemed to trust them, and they were a higher unit than he was, but an order of ten at least.

"You are called," came the oddly soft voice from the center of the shadowy figures, "to answer for the events that occurred on the Petropolis side of the Arapet Forest. You stand accused of gross negligence, incompetence, and losing an important asset. What have you to say for this?"

Despite his confidence, the man swallowed thickly. For all of its high drama, the shadow council had powers beyond the norm, and often those judged by faced consequences much, much worse than simply being expelled from the Team.

"Sirs and Madams," he started, inwardly cursing at his wording. He was more afraid than he even let himself acknowledge, if he was using such formal words. "I can only point out that this... group... has already faced many of our most specialized units and, through virtue, skill, or plain fortune, won the day."

Another voice from the shadows, a woman's voice, throaty with a slow drawl, sounded. "Let's dispense with the formalities, fellows. There are specific problems we would like to discuss." The sound of shuffling papers and clearing throats wafted toward the man in the middle, but the new voice won the day. "One of your... charges in this new, supposedly elite unit, was lost to us, given much the same treatments as we give to failures, without our hand in it. How," she said, leaning forward, but still out of the light, "did this happen?"

The man pulled lightly at his collar. "Yes. She... broke from the group relatively early as the ERB intervened."

"Broke from the group," sounded a deep, rumbling bass voice. The so called accused, for that is how he began to see himself, could practically hear the eyebrow raising.

"Yes, sir. I, myself, chose the "Break and Scatter" method of egress should something go wrong. She was one of the first to break after the backups from the ERB arrived. One of the Targets took off after her."

"And this target," said a nasal voice, its owners gender indiscernible, "was it the blonde boy with the reportedly powerful kirlia?"

"No, s-... ma-... no, it wasn't." The man's eyes narrowed, but he did not allow himself to look abashed. These people responded to weakness. "It was the coordinator."

"So how did she end up in the state she is in?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know."

There was a general murmuring, but no further questions on that matter followed. A new voice, soft and high, like a little girl's, asked the next question. "Who's idea was it to scatter the Targets?"

"I would like to point out that, at the time of the mission, there was one Target."

"The girl, yes," giggled the child-like voice, "But there was also the re-acquisition of the kirlia, and the riolu who managed to defeat the shadow process..."

"They were the Collector's mission, ma'am, not mine. I had one Target, and the Collector had the kirlia and riolu... who has since evolved into a lucario."

"Fair enough," the voice sighed offhandedly. "Who's idea was it to scatter the group?"

"Mine, ma'am. Separating the Target from the rest seemed wise. My second was to handle the implementation, but didn't account for the... randomness of the method." He stopped and ground his teeth: He was still speaking too formally, giving them strength!

"Mm," the little girl responded. "He has been punished?"

"Of course."

"I'm satisfied!" The voice giggled again, and a new voice took over.

"You used a gun." The voice was brusque, out and out accusing, and the man in the center of the room bristled.

"I beg to differ."

"You'll beg, all righ-"

"That's enough," the deep voice boomed. "Let him explain."

The man pulled his shirt taut, then raised his brows. "With your permission, Council?"

A back-gloved hand extended into the pool of light and waved assent, disappearing into the shadows again right after. The man reached behind him and pulled out his gun, eliciting a scream, which he would have believed to be from the girlish sounding voice had that same voice not expressed immediate disdain.

"Oh, GAWD,"

"Sorry," the nasal-toned voice whispered, abashed.

The slip gave the man more confidence. He held the gun up, pointed it to the side, well away from the council or the two lit witnesses, and pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times, each one ending in a loud yet impotent "click!"

"It's not loaded. It's not even functional." He held the gun up in on hand, flat across his palm, as he continued. "The firing pin's been removed. The clip is full of aluminum to give it the right feel in someone else's hands. It is the least dangerous thing I carry."

"Then why carry it?"

"When a person is faced with a pokémon, their instinct is to fight. These four are especially prone to this, being trainers in their own lands even before they came here. Pokémon are equal until proven better in the eyes of any trainer. But when faced with a gun, they freeze. Television has shown them that guns are dangerous, and too fast to be countered by a command. And if that person is some kind of hero, they still won't act if they have someone they care about nearby. That's the problem with heroes: They can't allow people to get hurt because of them." The accused grinned. "That's power, in my hands, from what amounts to a heavy, broken machine.

Another murmur sounded from the council, and this sounded more positive. The man in the middle light thought he caught an approving nod from the witness in the trench coat.

"Very well," the first voice from the shadows called, quieting the din. "You have answered all of the charges save for one..." The voice dropped, a chill flowing through it enough to make the Collector's eyes narrow in surprise. "These... children," he spat icily, "know the Name."

The man in the middle swallowed, but straightened. "Before my time, sir. None of us used the Name. Not one."

"Sir," The Collector spoke, softly, "Unit Eighty Four used the name in front of the Coordinator when he was first... ah... caught."

"Yes," the man said, impatiently, "But they're a low Unit. Fools, all of them. No one should have taken that seriously."

"And they came running right to me," said the man in the trench coat, "leading him and his twerp friends to us. I tested the Shadow pokémon, but they stalled me long enough to get the police there."

Silence reigned, until the gruff voiced one swore loudly, and the nasal androgynous voice squeaked again. "Ah," the central man said, finally, "I remember."

"Steps have been taken to make sure that the name is treated as it always has been. Including the Joy and Jenny in our hire working to keep it from being taken seriously."

"Is it working?"

"Yes."

"Then we are satisfied. You two may have him."

There was no motion from the shadows, but the man was too nervous. The Trench Coat and the Collector stepped into his pool of light, and he swallowed. But the Trench Coat smiled.

"Welcome Unit Twenty One," he said, the Collector giving him a once over with no exchange of expression.

"Wait, what," the man said, his heart pounding in relief.

"You're in the big leagues now, kid. The game changes. Again." The Trench Coat smirked. "First, Unit Tetra is gone. It was an experiment, and it failed. One person passed the test, and that was you."

"That was a TEST?!"

"It's all a test," the Collector said coolly. "The Testing doesn't end."

The man looked down and nodded. "So the council..?"

"Yeah," the Trench Coated man chuckled. "Real enough, but you did pass their test, too. You didn't fold. You were fooled, but, really, I think that's just 'cause he gets off on it."

"He..?"

The Collector lifted a remote and pressed the single button, illuminating the entire chamber in light. The seating where the "council" had stood was full of eerie burlap dolls, life size, in vague shapes matching what the man had matched to each voice; a pig tailed little girl in one chair, a tall, slender frame in another, a bulky, broad "shouldered" one in yet another, and so on. Only one chair, in the direct center, was empty.

"But--"

"It's better not to think of it." Guiding him to the door, the larger of his two new unit-mates squeezed his shoulder, just hard enough for the man to sense the power in his frame. "So, you're going to be called the Gentleman." The man did not find any reason why not, and wouldn't have argued if he had. "You know the Collector..."

"Yes, but what call you?"

The man in the trench coat turned and grinned at him. "Boss."

"Right," The Gentleman said, swallowing. "So when do we go after the Target again?"

"We give them time," intoned the Collector, "while you get training. You learn to work with us, they let their guard down... then we get the Target, and anyone else we need."

"Anyone else?"

"Yeah. They've all got talents," the Boss said. "It's just a matter of them realizing they want to use it for us."

"And if they don't?"

The Boss shook his head. "Accidents happen."

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 16 2011, 12:39 AM

Despite her own concerns about her impending contest battle, Tuesday had made certain to watch Darryn's to the fullest. It wasn't merely because he was her friend and she was excited to see him win it, as she was certain he would, but she'd had some small hope that watching his might give her some ideas about her own. Despite her training and planning for the contest, now that her battle was almost upon her, she felt completely unprepared. She had once heard someone in school describe their preparation for tests as being utterly futile, as no matter how much they studied, once the exams were upon them, they sat poised over the paper with no recollection of any of the material. Tuesday had never felt that way in school and hadn't understood the girl's predicament at the time, but she had a fair comprehension of it now. Couldn't she maybe have, say, another week?

Tuesday crossed her arms over her chest and shuffled her feet a little, trying to find a comfortable position as she watched Darryn recall Bravo. The battle had been... extraordinary. Gym battles Tuesday had seen. She had been watching them long before coming to Furoh, and though the participants and tactics changed, most everything else remained the same. Predictable.

Contest battles were not like gym battles. She had known that. Darryn had explained that to her when she asked. Contest battles judged on visual effect and effectiveness, and all under a time limit. It wasn't like a gym battle, where all you had to do was knock out the opposing pokemon. As Darryn and Rio's battle had clearly demonstrated, it was the points for flashiness as much as anything that could lead to a victory.

Tempest isn't flashy in the least. The little pikachu was a stubborn, hot-tempered firecracker. Zorro may well have succeeded in his flashiness, what with his love of costumes and visual effects, but combining him with Tempest...

No. No, it had been a good idea, and Tuesday was glad that she had done it. Tempest and Zorro might not get along at the best of times, but the two had a determination that matched the other, and fighting styles that were complimentary. They would do well together, and Tuesday wasn't going to back down now, even if running did sound like a stunning idea.

Still... it would be interesting to see, wouldn't it? Not only her own contest battle, once they were all back together and could take the time to watch Lyla's recording, but also whatever Rio came up with to contradict her styles. It would be a miracle if she could defeat him. She was good at combinations for pokemon battles, but restrictions on available moves and flashiness? It was... impossible.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." Tuesday closed her eyes and tried to laugh around the lump of nervousness in her throat. Thank you, Walt Disney. She swallowed. Well, Darryn's battle had been a joy to watch. More than that, as close as the score had remained, as unpredictable as the outcome had been, it had been like reading a ridiculously good book - unable to put it down, for then the words would stop moving through one's mind and the ending would remain so far away. Tuesday had been drawn into watching, and though she did love to observe and to read and live in the worlds her mind created for her, it was becoming increasingly apparent to her that participating could be just as interesting - perhaps even moreso.

Yes... this will be fun.

Still, she was horribly nervous and she couldn't shake that sensation, even as she was excited. The nervousness remained paramount within her. Everyone would be looking at her, after all - at least for a time. They would become concentrated upon her pokemon, once she released them, but she would still call out combinations for Zorro and Tempest, despite their knowledge of battles and what she had trained them to accomplish. Her voice would draw the eyes of the audience back to her, and she just hoped she wouldn't pass out again.

At least not until it's all over.

Tuesday recalled Dante as Darryn made his way off the stage and headed backstage and out of sight of the audience. It was nice of him to stop and reassure Tuesday, and the warmth of his hand on her shoulder had a way of grounding her in the moment. Her mind wanted very much to float off and be somewhere else, but his steady hand called her back, and she was grateful for it. She wasn't sure he would understand what she meant if she mentioned it, though, so she said nothing.

“It really will be alright.”

Tuesday met the older boy's gaze. Perhaps it was because she rarely met people's eyes, but Darryn seemed to have such strange eyes. They were dark brown, but there was an strange glimmer in them that wasn't quite there, and yet she was sure she could see it. How odd...

And there was such a strangeness inside of her. She was terrified of standing in front of all of those people. Horrified by the possibility that she might faint again in full view of an audience and who knows how many cameras. Nervous to the point of nausea about pitting two of her most-trusted pokemon against the champion of a type of battle she had never before participated in.

But beneath there, buried within that, somewhere where also dwelt the small flecks of excitement, something stirred. A calmness that she had never felt before facing a crowd of people. And truly, that was the real opponent here. Rio she could face easily enough. She might lose, yes, but she could face him with little hassle and much trust in her pokemon. The true enemy of her at the moment were the crowds of people waiting to settle their eyes on her, burdening her with their gazes. She still, despite the fear that roiled within her at that prospect, she felt something else fighting for calm before the storm of her unease, and it wasn't hers, and it didn't want to remain within her, this alien emotion that did not fit, and-

Oh. Is that...?

“Darryn,” Tuesday said quietly. She blinked her eyes, surprised to find that she had been staring unblinkingly into Darryn dark brown eyes the whole time her emotions had been warring. She shook her head lightly as his eyes came back into focus upon her. "I'll... I..." She swallowed thickly and blinked her eyes a couple of times, trying to catch her breath. Please, she wasn't going to have a panic attack, was she? She'd rather faint.

She met his gaze again. “I’ll be alright… Thank you, though.” She tried to smile at him. It might have ended up as more of a grimace, though.

"Head up and keep smiling." He offered her a grin that she just couldn't bring herself to return. His faith in her was touching, though - all of theirs was, and she knew the others would be certain she knew of their encouragement and trust, were they backstage with her as well. And if her brother were there, Brone would be certain to be huffy about her self-doubt. What was it he always said?

"Faith in oneself is the best and safest course." He had always enjoyed the fact that he could quote a painter to her. Michaelangelo. He was right, too, of course, but she couldn't help but doubt. She had never had a contest battle before, and she was facing a champion. Still, she trusted her pokemon, they had trained well, and they were two of the best she had.

At the very least, I will have fun.

“Tuesday Berdison, please take the stage.”

“Go for it, Tuesday," Darryn said, as he patted her on the shoulder one final time. She drew a deep breath as she stepped away from him.

Funny, though, how her mind worked, as she wondered about him. Her nervousness faded a little as she wondered on Darryn Kellor. He didn't seem concerned at all, and she was curious that he didn't realize that he had given himself away. Emotional manipulation? She appreciated the effort he had made, but her mind had always been too stubborn. It was likely that stubbornness, less than his touch, which had revealed him.

And as she stepped onto the stage, she didn't even notice the crowds around her, as her mind mused over the idea that she would keep solely to herself, wrapped up in her silence. Empathy, Darryn? What secrets you have hidden in your strange eyes?

Posted by: Living Arrow May 16 2011, 04:26 PM

Assuming his place on the winner’s bench alongside Shalim and Tyron, Darryn settled himself to watch Tuesday’s battle. Butterfree still jostled each other in his gut but the tension in his shoulders was finally starting to drift away only to be replaced with exhaustion and extreme relief. The Mirrormist Ribbon was his.

“Oh. Em. Gee, Darryn!” Shalim stretched across the front of Tyron to pat her friend’s brother’s leg. “That was so cool! Your Pidgeotto’s Featherdance is unlike any that I’ve seen before and that Vulpix is just the cutest little thing!”

“Uh, thanks!” Darryn blushed for the first time after winning. “I raised them all the way.”

“That Vulpix,” Tyron spoke up, “where did you catch it?”

Darryn blinked. What an odd thing to ask.

“Just outside Lenoilia.” Darryn admitted, recalling the way Lady had led a bunch of angry Ghost and Psychic-type Pokemon to attack himself and his fellow travellers in the middle of the night. “She was a difficult capture and didn’t gel with the team right away but she’s doing great now.”

“Is that right?” Tyron mused. “Not as strong as my Laurel, though.” Darryn arched an eyebrow. Laurel must be that chestnut-furred Vulpix that Tyron had used in his own battle.

“I didn’t see yours using Energy Ball.” Shalim cut in angrily. “Darryn’s must be really talented to use a grass-type attack.”

“Just because she didn’t use it, doesn’t mean she can’t.” Tyron lifted his nose.

“You mean yours can?” Darryn’s eyes widened. He thought Lady was extremely rare to have been able to learn the attack.

“Of course, Laurel can.” Tyron snorted. “And a whole bunch of other attacks that I bet that Lady of yours couldn’t even dream of.”

“Wha- but…” Darryn was at a loss for words. Why was this guy so hostile towards him and Lady?

“What the heck is your problem?” Shalim demanded. “We all got through so why not just pass on congratulations like any other normal kid would?”

“Huh. You want to know why?” Tyron turned on Darryn, his face pinched together angrily. His Emotaglow burned a fiery red and dark green in Darryn’s eyes – not an attractive combination. “Because this Darryn Kellor is so stuck up and self obsessed that he doesn’t even recognise someone that he has battled before not even that long ago. Someone who he deliberately prevented from having a Gym Match just because it wasn’t in keeping with his schedule. Someone that he humiliated without a second thought.”

“Ooohhh…” Darryn breathed.

“What? You know what he’s jabbering on about, Darryn?”

“Um, yeah.” Darryn sighed. “I think Tyron is the first trainer I met on my Pokemon journey. We battled in Gigarte to settle who was going to have a Gym match first – him or my friends. I’ve not seen him since.”

“No, but I’ve seen you.” Tyron hissed. He was not a happy Lopunny. “You swan around, defeating real Pokemon Trainers with your poncey moves and suck up all the false praise and admiration that the media exude on you like a giant Swalot. You don’t care about anything else other than pleasing the papers and looking good while you’re at it.”

“Now, hold on a second-” Darryn started.

“No. I won’t.” Tyron was adamant to get this off his chest now. His face was red and sweaty, eyes boring holes into Darryn’s skull. “People like you need to be taught that even behind glitz and fame, real trainers still come out on top. That’s why, Darryn Kellor, I decided to become a Pokemon Co-Ordinator. To beat people like you at their own game and show that anyone can achieve their dreams without flaunting a disgraceful lifestyle before cameras like a fame-hungry idiot. We’re rivals from now on and you better not forget it.”

Darryn’s jaw hung wide open, his brown eyes wide. Did he hear all of that right?

“OooooOOOooooo.” Shalim held her hands to her face in mock horror. “Whatever will Darryn do now that you’re his, wait for it, rival?!” Tyron rounded on Shalim like an Arbok on Ratatta.

“Butt out, PIGtails.”

“Oh no, you di’ent!” Shalim raised a hand.

“Guys! Calm down!” Darryn hushed them, waving a hand to get their attention. “Whatever issues we have can be sorted later – we should be respecting Tuesday and Rio and watching them perform right now.”

“Ugh. He even calls a battle a ‘performance’.” Tyron groaned.

Both Darryn and Shalim ignored that utterance and turned back to the stage to see Tuesday and the Hall Leader assuming their positions either side of the Contest field. The fourth and final battle for a Mirrormist Ribbon was about to begin…

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 18 2011, 02:34 AM

Three losses in a row. This was not in the least acceptable to Rio, who now felt that his pride as a Hall Leader had been sorely wounded. Three different sets of tactics had been used effectively on him, and he'd now handed out Three Mirrormist Ribbons.

The last contender, however, was the one who had fainted after her appeal. Part of Rio hoped that his pokemon would scare her back into unconsciousness. The more sane part of him hushed the first part.

"Tuesday Berdison" was all he needed to hear. Now he knew her name, and was for no reason at all reminded of Wednesday Addams. At least this girl had a much nicer face that the other girl with a day for a name.

But nevertheless, it was time to command the stage once more. His Mismagius/Exploud team had been defeated. Now it was time to take yet another approach, once again synchronizing the various strengths of his pokemon. He was almost tempted to try his fairly new Castform/Froslass team, but he decided that he really wanted to strike for a win. It was slightly different from his usual strategies. He had seen Tuesday's registered pokemon to be strong on the offensive, but weak defensively. (This was, at least, as far as a Pikachu and Riolu go.) He decided to meet their offense head on with what would hopefully be an even stronger one. Perhaps this was a war of attrition. Either way, it would hopefully have the audience in the grip of his palm, as great mystery novels tended to do.

"Banette. Zangoose."

The pokeballs popped open on the field, bursting forth their eager charges. As the two pokemon took their place on the stage, spotlights from underneath shot up in their faces, illuminating them in a way that a camper tells a scary story with a flashlight.

Rio adjusted his glasses once more, sweeping his hand in a wide gesture so as to indicate that Tuesday had received the rights of the first move.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 26 2011, 09:35 PM

Tuesday blinked at the pokemon that Rio had chosen for their battle. The zangoose didn't give her much interest. She had never found them to be particularly intriguing, beyond their curious antagonistic relationship with the seviper species. The banette, however, was a far more interesting pokemon to consider. The marionette pokemon had always been one of her favorite ghost-type pokemon, second only to mismagius. She thought it had something to do with being doll-like, but she tried not to humor that thought too far along. Briefly, she recalled the pokemon's weaknesses and resistances in her mind, hiding a grimace when she recalled that fighting type attacks did no affect. Zorro would be facing the zangoose, then, primarily.

Pity I never liked them enough to remember much about them. Were they a normal type? She failed in hiding her grimace entirely, but bit back on her disappointment. She wasn't here to watch. She was here to participate. And have fun. Must remember that.

She rolled the two pokeballs she held in her hands, drew a deep breath, and tossed one high into the air, while she rolled the other to the ground under it. Both opened at the same time, and Tuesday was glad that Meiko had helped her to program both pokeballs with seals a few days prior, giving the two pokemon time to get used to the new addition to their entrances. It added an effect she, unfortunately, wouldn't have for her other pokemon until she could adjust their pokeballs.

Tuesday had tossed Zorro's pokeball high, so when the pokeball opened, it unleashed a cloud of thick black smoke that looked like a thundercloud. It went perfectly with the loud crack of thunder that came from the pokeball she had unleashed upon the floor, and the bright flash that looked like lightning as the pikachu emerged and landed on the stage, crouched low to the ground in a position preparatory for attack. A dark blue and black blur trailed smoke as Zorro let gravity yank him down from where his pokeball had opened in midair. He landed in a crouch beside Tempest, and then fell into a defensive position like Jaima had shown Tuesday to do, before starting her katas.

"All right," Tuesday whispered under her breath, watching as Tempest's ears twitched at the sound of her voice, and Zorro cocked his head just slightly to the right. "You remember this." Louder, she called out, "Ring Around the Riolu!"

Tuesday kept her hands lax, even though she wanted to clench them into nervous fists as she chanted the mantra in her head, Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip, don't trip. It had taken them hours to finally get this combination to work without Zorro getting dizzy or Tempest not moving fast enough and tripping the riolu, but the two had gotten it down as well as they could in the limited time they'd had to practice.

After she called out the combination name, Tempest immediately performed her double team attack, and two pikachus ran around the riolu in a wide circle. Zorro, for his part, completely ignored the dashing rodent, while he bolted forward in a quick attack, dashing speedily across the stage, right for the zangoose. Tempest kept pace with him, and when he grew close to the opposing pokemon, she dashed right around them and circled all three, while Zorro rushed in for his attack.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 27 2011, 02:10 PM

Rio nodded at Tuesday's opening display. The reveal of her pokemon was very nicely...(he sighed at this thought)...coordinated. He did find it rather odd that the two pokemon took fairly defensive positions as they landed on the ground. He wondered briefly if those were the stances that they would be utilizing during this match. If so, it would be fairly difficult. Zangoose and Banette were a bit larger than the Pikachu and Riolu, and the fact that the two smaller pokemon were decreasing their openings made it even harder.

Tuesday threw him off guard with her opening move. It was not the 'code word' strategy that threw him off, of course. He'd seen so many of those, and as an avid reader and analyst, he knew quite well how to decipher them. What threw him off was the defensive stance into an offensive move. The girl was already misdirecting him at the outset of the battle, which meant that this would most likely be a fun match, full of subtlety and planned ahead moves.

The first thing he noted was that there were now two Tempests, meaning that Double Team had been initiated. Banette, however, had a special remedy for this.

"Banette, Snatch."

Banette's eyes glowed a sinister red, enveloping Tempest briefly and immediately nullifying her double team technique as he 'snatched' it for himself. Suddenly, double images of Banette appeared in front of the speeding Riolu. It served no purpose except to distract that Aura pokemon, since Quick Attack did no damage to Banette at all. However, the disorientation would hopefully serve to throw Riolu off course.

"Zangoose, Accept. Taunt on Pikachu."

The disorientation had little effect on Zorro. Perhaps his speed and trajectory were too focused, and the attack hit Zangoose. She merely brushed this off though, having grounded herself to weather the attack. In return though, she sought out Tempest. With one claw raised in a beckoning position, she made a most horrible face, jeering and leering at the yellow rodent in an attempt to make her lose her cool.

A small fraction of points disappeared on Rio's wheel, but Tuesday's suffered a larger amount, as her combination had been easily broken by some quick, thoughtful moves.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 27 2011, 10:52 PM

Oh crap, Taunt - Tempest won't keep her cool with the zangoose jeering at her like that.

The hot-headed pikachu could barely keep her cool at the best of times, so it was hardly a stretch to assume she would take the bait of that attack instantly. She would have the zangoose in her sights, instead of focusing on the banette like Tuesday had wanted.

Were this a gym battle, Tuesday would have simply called Zorro to use foresight and then sicked him on the banette with a fervor she knew the riolu would match with his enthusiasm.

However, this was a contest battle, and the rules were different. Tuesday was just going to have to improvise. She just hoped Tempest wasn't so angry that she wouldn't listen to her. Stubborn and hot-blooded as she was, though, Tempest was loyal.

"Mirror Storm!" Tuesday called out the name of another combination.

Unfortunately, Tempest had been hot-headed a lot longer than she had been loyal.

The pikachu dashed forward in a maneuver that was becoming increasingly (ominously) familiar. The pikachu's fur lit up as it stood on end, crackling with electricity as she raced at the zangoose, anger in her eyes.

Unfortunately, the combination Mirror Storm called for Tempest to use Thunderbolt and Zorro to use Copycat, so while Zorro followed through spectacularly on time, Tempest didn't as she was supposed to. Zorro's blue and black fur puffed up wildly and crackled with static running through the strands of hair.

Both pokemon raced toward their opponents, perfectly in tandem, but as Tempest lunged toward the zangoose with Volt Tackle sparking in her blood, Zorro flew at the banette with the same attack.. and continued to fly on through him. There was a crackling flash of lightning as the electricity hit the banette, but Zorro's physical body took no hold on the ghost pokemon, and he hit the ground on the other side of the marionette with a surprised bark of pain.

Clenching her fists briefly, Tuesday bit her lip. This wasn't going anything like she had planned...

And she so hated that move.

Posted by: Kamaitachi May 28 2011, 02:00 AM

"Zangoose, counter!" Tempest struck Zangoose head on, dealing some considerable damag from both the rushing tackle and the electricity. However, Rio had recognized the move as Volt Tackle immediately (an unfortunately popular move), and had acted accordingly. Not only had the Pikachu dealt great damage, she had most likely received some severe recoil as well. Now Zangoose would deal double the damage back in return. She leapt back at the Pikachu, her clasing flashing menacingly as she moved to strike back in full force.

Hoping to ensure a very early head start, Rio turned his attention to his Banette.

"Banette, Shadow Sneak!" As Zangoose charged towards Tempest with her claws at ready, the Banette suddenly appeared through Zangoose's chest, bursting out and slapping at the Pikachu with surprising speed. As soon as the Banette's attack had lashed out, he appeared to disappear back into the Zangoose. The mongoose pokemon charged through her comrade, slashing both sets of her claws downwards in a ferocious strike.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas May 29 2011, 11:44 PM

Tuesday's mind was trying to flicker in six different directions at once, but she needed to focus. She watched as Tempest staggered drunkenly to her feet after the zangoose's attack, clearly dazed and nearing the last of her strength. A thousand titles flashed through Tuesday's head, bringing with them quotes to mark the occasion. She settled on something short, simple, and perfectly fitting for the occasion.

Crap.

Was this situation even salvageable? Tempest was on her last leg and they'd only successfully completed one combination. The pikachu had botched the second, which got her a recoil and two attacks for her stubbornness, and Zorro a face-full of stage floor.

Tuesday hated being pessimistic about a situation... or even realistic, sometimes, but this was definitely not going as she had planned, and she didn't know if she could command Tempest to perform a move, or if the stubborn rat would just do that stupid, foolish, hated, disgusting, self-damning move again.

I really need to figure out what that move is and somehow... vanish it. She shook her head lightly. Complications for another time, Tuesday. Your mind mustn't wander - not here. You need to be here, now.

If she'd allowed her mind to wander a little bit, she may have stumbled upon the thought that she always seemed to do better when she wasn't entirely focused, because when she wasn't entirely focused, somehow she was. But she didn't let her mind wander, so she didn't consider it, and so she focused, and forewent the combinations for individual attacks.

"Tempest, Thunderbolt! Zorro, Force Palm!"

Tempest seemed to think that Thunderbolt was an acceptably powerful attack (that, or even she realized she was on her last ounce of strength, though that had never stopped her before), because all of her fur abruptly stood on end and she let out a shrieking cry as she both summoned the lightning to her and set it loose. The attack was wildly aimed, no doubt called forth in the same rage as the pikachu had done that loathsome attack prior, and so the blinding bolt of lightning streaked past the zangoose and toward the banette.

Zorro, for his part, dodged the electricity with his usually gleeful grace. He raced across the stage floor, paws in front of him, as though he intended to run full-on into the zangoose and Force Palm the great beast right in the chest. Tuesday knew better, of course, and could not stall a small smile as the fox abruptly jumped, flipped in the air, and came down on top of the zangoose's head, forepaws settled right in the center of the creature's cranium. The Force Palm lit under his paws with a blue flash of light, and then the riolu pushed off, flipped through the air again, and landed on the ground.

Tuesday rolled her eyes as he flashed a fanged grin and abruptly gave a bow to the audience. She resisted the urge to berate his carelessness and merely settled for groaning softly. Zorro was such a show-off.

Posted by: Kamaitachi Jun 4 2011, 01:31 AM

Rio made no move to issue commands as his pokemon found themselves under assault. He easily could've played it defensively, but with one pokemon nearly down, it was time to take things on the offensive. While the Riolu would be providing super effective hits on his Zangoose, he really wanted to remove the Pikachu from the field. She had shown that she was capable of devastating attacks. The Riolu was more of a showman, and he was definitely dwindling points down from Rio's score.

Zangoose moved to block the attack aimed at her by crossing her arms in front of her chest. However, Zorro's feint had been a successful one, and she found herself reeling backwards from the Force Palm. Rio monitered her closely, looking for any signs of paralysis, but there appeared to be none at this rate. He was lucky; the next time it would definitely go sour. Murphy's law demanded it.

On the other end, Banette received the thunderbolt, and seemed quite...well...shocked. Rio calculated that his Banette could only receive one or two more of the Pikachu's attacks at best, which meant the Pikachu had to be removed.

"Double Shadow Claw on the Pikachu!" the command slipped easily from Rio's mouth as he re-adjusted his glasses once more. It wasn't a necessity, really. He could see just fine over and through them, but it definitely had the effect of reflecting the dim stage-lights, which gave him a much cooler veneer than he normally possessed.

Banette and Zangoose rushed forward, all four of their arms glowing with a sinister dark energy. Shadow Claw was a powerful attack, prone to critical hits, and Tempest was about to receive a double dosage. Once in range, the due slashed in tandem, leaving shadowy trails in the wake of their claws as their attacks honed in on the yellow mouse. Once again, points dwindled from Tuesday's meter.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 7 2011, 01:10 PM

When the zangoose and banette moved to perform a double-attack, Tuesday had a brief idea that could possibly avoid Tempest receiving the full hit.

"Zorro, copycat the banette!" she said quickly. "Tempest, dodge to the left!"

She knew, of course, that dodging to the left would not remove the pikachu from the entirety of the attack, but would avoid the banette's attack and place the rodent into full line of the zangoose's attack. She would have been hit, of course, but not nearly as bad, and it might have worked as well as she had hoped.

If she had spoken the command in time.

Unfortunately, the zangoose and banette were faster, and Tempest didn't move quickly enough out of the way. The duo struck with their Shadow Claw attack, slashing viciously at the pikachu and sending her sprawling backward onto the stage floor with a pained squeak.

Tuesday sighed shakily and bit her lip as she gripped Tempest's pokeball at her belt. Tempest, however, was nothing if not stubborn.

"Chuuuu..." the pikachu growled, ears quivering as she pushed herself to her feet shakily.

"You sure, Pest?" Tuesday asked quietly - nothing more than a mere murmur that the rodent would hear.

"Kaaa..."

Tuesday could imagine the eyeroll, and so she sighed and removed her hand from the pokeball. "All right." Frankly, she was stunned that Tempest hadn't been knocked out completely, with Shadow Claw being a powerful attack. However, it was a ghost-type move and Tempest wouldn't have been super-effected by it. Foolish sometimes she might be with her stubborn bravado, the pikachu wasn't weak.

Tuesday's eyes flicked to Zorro just as the riolu, paws glowing with black claws from the copied attack, grabbed the banette from behind. Black shadow claws sinking into the creature's shoulder, Zorro fell back and dragged the creature with it.

"Tempest, thunderbolt!" Tuesday snapped, realizing what Zorro was about to do from having seen him do it before. Tempest seemed to realize, as well, for she hesitated just a moment before letting her fur stand on end as electricity crackled through it.

That moment was enough for the riolu to land on his back on the ground and slash hard with the remainder of the single shadow claw attack, momentum sending the banette spinning back over his head. The thunderbolt that Tempest released arced right over Zorro as the riolu turned his face into the floor of the stage to protect it, and crackled right for the banette.

Tuesday watched Zorro roll lithely to his feet once the thunderbolt has passed him for its target and leap over to stand in front of Tempest, who staggered drunkenly to the side before barely catching herself on her paws. Tuesday grimaced and hoped that would be enough to finish the banette. Once Tempest was done, there was no way that Zorro could defeat the zangoose and the banette without the use of foresight.

Posted by: Kamaitachi Jun 9 2011, 04:38 PM

Rio blinked at the combination of moves. This appeared almost more like a gym battle than a contest battle, and it showed. The points were dwindling at a fairly slow pace on both sides, though at current, Rio's combinations had inflicted more damage to Tuesday's points.

Either way, he had to make this a little more interesting. At this point, the taunt would wear off fairly soon, and the Pikachu would have her full range of abilities back. The Riolu seemed to be in fairly good standing at the moment. On the other hand, his Banette, after receiving the Copycat-Shadow Claw into a Thunderbolt, was teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. The doll-like ghost creature stood there, just barely maintaining his upright position. It appeared that Tuesday's pokemon had aimed to finish him off, but he was in there for at least one more round. Perhaps it was enough for a suicide gambit.

"Banette, grudge." Banette turned to Zorro and flashed forward, appearing before him wrapping his arms around the fox-like pokemon in a sort of hug. His eyes glowed a bright red for a moment, then he simply fainted, falling off of the Riolu onto the ground.

A loud buzzing sound occurred, and the Judges indicated that the Banette had been beaten. Although the effects were fairly unseen, Banette had completely depowered Zorro's Copycat maneuver, essentially disallowing its use for the remainder of the battle.

"Zangoose, X-Scissor on Pikachu!" Zangoose nodded, charing forward. Her claws once more glowed with energy as she unleashed them in a ferocious dual cross slash, leaving a glowing trail in the form of an X. Tempest had taken quite the beating through this contest, and hopefully that would be enough to knock her out completely. Rio did not fancy his chances of a 2 on 1.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 10 2011, 06:03 PM

Tuesday bit her lip hard as the zangoose unleashed an attack on Tempest. She dared to hope for only a moment that Tempest could withstand the attack, but then the pikachu was knocked backward and to the ground, unconscious.

Tuesday recalled Tempest quickly and held the pokeball between her hands, frowning over it. She was glad that whatever the attack Grudge had been that Rio had commanded his banette to perform, it had clearly failed before the pokemon fainted. With the banette down, even with Tempest out of the game, she still had a small chance to win.

She had used up a couple of her faux pas maneuvers, and Tuesday knew better than to use the same trick more than once in the same battle. She did have another one, though. They hadn't practiced it for very long, more because it had been a brief idea that passed quickly, but still...

"Zorro, polar bear the zangoose!"

Eyes narrowed, clearly angry, the riolu rushed forward. They had practiced the trick only a few times, but it wasn't a difficult one to remember. Zorro, however, seemed to have forgotten what he was supposed to do.

Never slowing down, the riolu ran headlong at the zangoose with a sharp, angry cry, paws glowing in a force palm attack that he held out in front of him, intent on slamming the white and red pokemon right in the chest.

It occurred to Tuesday, as she watched Zorro perform the attack, that her pokemon had begun to grow accustomed to fighting people who meant them harm, and defending and avenging each other against opponents that had no sense of honor. That was something, she decided, they would have to work on, and maybe once her pokemon understood that not everyone was out to destroy them, they would listen a little better.

Of course, considering that her choices here had been hotheaded Tempest and foolhardy Zorro... maybe not.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 11 2011, 05:21 PM

"Come on, Tuesday..." Darryn whispered to himself, uncertain of what was really going on in the heads of either trainer. To his own eyes, this Contest battle was nothing of the sort - it appeared to be more like a doubles Gym match. Two Pokemon were down but both sides still had more than half of their total points left - leaving a lot of room for the match to go in either the direction of a double KO or a technical win via posts/timeout - and yet it appeared neither side had any attention for their scoreboards.

*If Tuesday doesn't think of better moves to please the judges, Rio will take her out despite the type advantage she has...* Darryn looked over at the three pairs of eyes scrutinising each Pokemon left on the stage. *A Force Palm is still only a Force Palm even if she did give it a flashy name... *

He chewed his lip and watched on, unable to to change a thing... Unless... Could he bring himself to alter the course of battle? Make that Zangoose feel what real fear was like? Sew the seeds of uncertainty into her heart and fertilise them until that blossomed into monstrous flowers of despair? How far would he go for one of his friends to feel good, for him to watch them smile, for him to feel good too...?

*No. That's not why I learned how to do that. That's for protection, only.* He remembered the look on the woman's face in the Arapet Forest - the blank innocence of a child that he had taken the adult emotions from completely. He felt sick. *Protection, only.*

Belladonna settled herself in the midnight fur of her Waking Form and rested patiently in the shadow of the Contest Hall, her eyes and ears alert. It would only be a matter of time now. Once Camellia was freed from that capture device once more and her guard was down, Belladonna would make one simple cut and watch the house of cards tumble down. Yes, little Camellia would regret making fools of her sisters and learn her place within The Seven once more.

Posted by: Kamaitachi Jun 12 2011, 12:11 AM

The Riolu, Zorro, began attacking with a newfound intensity. The moves lacked the panache they held earlier, as if the defeat of his partner had roused a primal sense of vengeance within him. Rio placed his finger on the bridge of his glasses once more, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Zangoose, Aerial Ace." The Cat-Ferret pokemon crossed her arms in front of her, waiting for the Riolu to get within range. As he thrusted forward with his glowing palm, she dropped into a crouch and slashed upwards with both of her claws, catching the Riolu from underneath and tossing him skywards. Before he could even regain a sense of what was going on, Rio's Zangoose sprang from her crouch upwards, slashing at Riolu as she passed on the upwards, then once again as she passed falling on the other side of him. It was a brutal series of claw-attacks, and a surprisingly beautiful one at that, showing an agility that the Zangoose Species often lacked.

Not only did Tuesday's points suffer terribly, but it was most likely a super-effective sort of hit.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 12 2011, 12:05 PM

"Oh..." Tuesday bit her lip as Zorro landed with a heavy thud on the ground after the ferocious attack from the zangoose. She watched with worried eyes as he pushed himself to his feet, staggering back and forth as he tried to right himself. Finally, however, he regained his equilibrium and stood facing the zangoose.

And abruptly fainted.

He seemed to do that a lot, for some reason. His sense of determination was much greater than his stamina, for the moment, it seemed. Tuesday sighed softly as she grasped his pokeball and recalled him, cradling his pokeball in her hands.

She had been surprised to make it past the appeal round and into the battle, so it did not overly shock her that she had lost. She had a feeling that she had done more than a few things wrong, but it had been... interesting, at least. She hoped she hadn't made too much of a fool of herself, though. She was the last of the contestants that had been set to battle Rio, and the only one who lost.

Chasing her frown away, Tuesday offered Rio an appreciative smile. Maybe it wasn't the right way to do things - this wasn't a gym battle, after all - but she meant it, just the same. "Thank you for the opportunity," she said quietly, as she hooked Zorro's pokeball to her belt, and did her level best to ignore the audience.

Posted by: Kamaitachi Jun 19 2011, 07:43 PM

The air was tense in the arena. The audience seemed to be on the edges of their seats as the Riolu hit the ground. This was potentially the end of the match.

Slowly, painstakingly, the little fox pokemon stood up. It was shaky, and he appeared to be at the end of his stamina. Rio knew that if that hadn't been the last move, he had one more Aerial Ace prepared, and that would surely end the match.

As the command began to form on his lips, he drew back, watching as Zorro tumbled to the ground, out of the match. A trio of X's appeared on the Judges' panels, and the match was over. Rio breathed a heavy sigh of relief; he'd won at least one of the four matches. Even still, 25% of the day's matches were won, which meant he still had a lot of work to do.

"Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're welcome." Rio hadn't exactly been sure as to what to say, so that seemed like an appropriate response. Either way, the matches for the day were over. That meant it was time to rest, regroup then begin his training once again. He'd have to work out a few new moves for the Zangoose/Banette combination.

He turned to the Winner's booth and gave them a small nod. He made his way over, with long, stalking strides, then stepped up into it. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a small case and opened it, presenting the highly coveted Mirrormist Ribbons.

"With my congratulations." He said, handing one to Tyron, Shalim and Darryn. With a slow turn, he faced the audience, and raised one arm, indicating the three winners. Their names and headshots appeared up on the big screen, with "WINNERS" written in large, gaudy letters. Rio hated that display. He'd have to have a word about changing it to fit the timbre of his arena.

With no further words, Rio left the stadium. Decorum really wasn't his thing.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jun 19 2011, 08:04 PM

Tuesday had made a quick exit from the stage after she had thanked Rio, and she waited behind it for Darryn and the two other winners to receive their ribbons. Once they had done so, she quickly joined her friend and Lyla in the audience, smiling at the boy who was quickly proving himself to be an incredible coordinator.

"Congratulations, Darryn," she said softly, smiling up at him. She shied away a little as members of the audience began to rise and leave.

"Jaima should be done with his gym battle by now," Tuesday said. "Meiko was going to record that, too, so we can watch." She reached into her pockets and touched Tempest and Zorro's pokeballs. "

Darryn smiled at her. "We should head back to the pokemon centre and see how his battle went."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 20 2011, 11:45 AM

That was it. Tuesday's Riolu, Zorro, collapsed to the deck, triggering the technical KO and end of match buzzer. The crowd, split in their support, grew to a frenzy of cheers and mock boo-ing for Rio and camera bulbs flashed like striking lightning. Darryn could feel Tuesday's disappointment and relief from where he sat but rapidly pushed them and the rest of the Emotaglows on stage out of his vision and to the back of his mind. With the uproar and fuss of the end of the four matches, Darryn was able to take his place on the winner's podium with Shalim and Tyron without too much hassle, and was awarded the Mirrormist Ribbon that he had coveted for so long.

"Ribbon number two..." He whispered to himself, stroking the black and silver bow and fastening the pin to the lapel of his shirt. Its surface glistened like an actual looking glass but underneath the surface, strange shadows swirled and shimmered like a gathering fog. It was simply beautiful. "I could definitely get used to this..."

He said a swift goodbye to Shalim and wished her luck for her final Ribbon and she hugged him close, reassuring him that Cleo would be the proudest big sister in all of Kanto. He hoped she was right. Tyron glared at them and stalked away before Darryn could catch him but Shalim dismissed his absence quickly and lost herself in the gathering crowds, asking for autographs.

Back with Lyla and Tuesday, Darryn could finally allow himself to cool down a little and take some time to plan his next move for Ribbon number three... Well, after they had caught up with Jaima and Meiko. Heading toward the Pokemon Center, the trio left the Contest Hall with one Mirrormist Ribbon in hand.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 20 2011, 03:34 PM

MEANWHILE...

Jaima looked up as Meiko entered the gym at a run. He had just stood up in order to go down to the arena, and the look of pure relief on his face took away the worry lines that he'd had on them before. "What happened?"

"Sorry, sorry," Meiko said softly, hugging Jaima before checking to be sure that the camera was in position. "Crap," she muttered, "this is running... Anyway, I went to gt a drink and found a poor sick pokemon, so I caught her to take to the pokecenter. I didn't think I'd be as long as I was..."

Jaima nodded. "Well, I guess I can forgive you... saving a pokemon and all." He winked at her as she smiled.

"I'll introduce you after your battle. You'll love her. She's a new kind of pokemon from that region that's so popular now. I'm naming her Nightwish!"

Meiko reached for the recorder, but Jaima stopped her. "Keep that. Tuesday might be interested to see that battle," he said enigmatically. Meiko blinked, but nodded, and to his surprise, reached up and gave him a kiss before she sat down.

"For luck," she said, winking, then shooed him down to the arena.

The pokemon that Jaima had elected not to use in this battle sat near her, with Mercury in the seat Jaima had been in, her arms crossed. The look on the kirlia's face was stormy. This would be the second time she was left out of a gym battle, and though she implored, Trainer Jaima's response each time had been patient and well reasoned (much to her dismay). "One, Merc, you are a psychic type and have no advantage over anything in this gym. Two, while I admire you for being willing to stand up to the dark type this gym is known for, there's no reason to put you through that..."

So it is my phobia--

"Partially. You fought admirably against Chloe's cacturne. You handled the dark types in those battles in the forest beautifully. I have no doubt you would make me proud this time. But the first time we had no idea what we were facing, and the other times were out of necessity. There is no reason to make you do what you fear this time."

Mercury had sat and pouted then, and Shadow, in sympathy, put a paw on her crest. There is no dishonor in fighting from a position of strength, Mercury...

For a full second, it seemed, to the unique perception of the lucario, that Mercury would snap at him. Then the turmoil in her aura faded like a storm quelling, and she slumped.

I just feel so useless...

That simply isn't true...

Now, she sat, arms crossed, feeling cross and grumpy. Meiko paid her little attention, but that was fine with the kirlia: she had been subtly sending waves of "don't bother me" to anyone around her. Unfortunately, the pokemon Meiko had caught still enthralled the girl, causing Meiko to release the gothita, and just as unfortunately, gothita is a psychic type pokemon.

Oooo, Someone's cwanky!

Mercury looked over, narrowed her eyes, and looked back toward the arena. Hush.

The little gothita looked at Mercury, then up at her trainer. Neither of them saw the spread of a tiny, evil grin over the gothic-baby's small features, but Mercury felt a sudden surge in psychic power and turned just as the little one began wailing and crying huge tears.

"Oh!" Meiko looked down at the gothita and patted her back. "What's wrong? Are you hungry? I think I have some berries in my pack!"

The gothita blinked, having been put over Meiko's shoulder like a real baby, looking confusedly at Mercury. What de heww? I'm sending obvious signaws dat you psychicawwy hit me, and she tinks I'm hungwy?!

Mercury's eyes narrowed. It isn't nice to mess with your trainer that way..! Let alone blame other pokemon for things they didn't do!

It isn't nice to mess wiff youw twainew that way..! Wet awone bwame othew pokemon for tings dey didn't do! the gothita mocked with a sneer. Why isn't she weading my psychic signaws? she wondered with a scowl, more or less rhetorically.

Mercury chose to answer anyway. Probably because she isn't a psychic, she said with a look and feeling of smug satisfaction. The gothita gaped at her, then slumped against the girl's shoulder.

Weww cwap! She perked up, however, when Meiko offered her an aspear berry. Oh weww, fwee food!

Mercury regarded the Nightwish with a look of barely concealed contempt. You're evil...

Not eviw! I just wike to get my way!

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 20 2011, 04:36 PM

"Well, well!" Vega of Petropolis held his hands wide to welcome his latest challenger, a wide smile on his face to greet them. Another battle for the Twilight badge was about to begin and his excitement was not to be controlled - not with such a challenger coming to his door. The other Gym Leaders had talked about this one - the one with the golden braid who battled with belief in his Pokemon rather than a strategy in his mind. It was an extraordinary thing to see in the flesh, according to his contemporaries, but now it was the turn of the Petropolis leader to face the boy.

"Master Kuonji!" Vega clapped his hands together warmly and trotted down the back steps of the hall to come to his place in the Gym Leader's box of the arena. "Or can I call you Jaima? Well, Jaima, I have heard that you defeated not only Chloe in Gigarte but also Otis atop Mount Carello in Arasam. That makes you a skilled trainer, indeed, but I have been wondering how you will fare against myself for a while - I do watch the Channel 4 News, after all."

He swept his arms to the ceiling, his gesture acknowledged by a flurry of midnight wings and a great black crow Pokemon swooped low to perch on a wooden beam next to the Gym Leader.

"My name is Vega and I am the Petropolis Gym Leader." He tilted his head. "I dare say you've probably researched this Gym and my specialities but I feel reading about them is nothing like experiencing them for yourself, no? I warn you though - a calm mind is needed when fighting with the shadows but dealing with both is no easy feat. So, without wasting any more time with the formalities, I'll introduce you to the rules of my Gym."
Two Pokeballs flourished in his palms and maximised at a touch.

"We shall begin with a simple double battle. The combatants that are remaining on the winning side once one side's pair is defeated shall remain on the field and face Raptor here, or indeed your third selection of Pokemon." He signalled the Honchkrow at his shoulder. "But be warned - Raptor is a fierce defender of his precious Twilight Badges. Right, Raptor?"
The Honchkrow gave a shrill scream and spread its wings, displaying tiny glittering pins amid the midnight pinions.

"If everything is clear, then we shall begin!" Vega tossed his two Pokeballs. "Venus and Pluto!"

Amid a flash of white energy, two lithe shapes stepped onto the field. One, a bright spark with a split tail raised her nose loftily and eyed Jaima lazily. She was Venus, a beautiful Espeon whose power was not to be underestimated after seeing her dainty form. The other, a shadow amid the gloomy gym, rings of energy on his form glowing softly with each beat of his steadfast heart. He was Pluto, a focused Umbreon with eyes that saw everything and ears that twitched with every sound to pick out anything that he could not see. Both were ready.

"You have the first move!"

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 21 2011, 03:54 PM

Jaima licked his lips as Vega spoke, keeping his attention on the gym leader even as he put the pokeball of the three pokemon he had chosen onto the podium. Of the three, only Shadow was out of his pokeball, sizing up the competition as well.

In comparison to his first two battles, this Leader seemed to be a bit more laid back and a bit less... condescending. Jaima liked him immediately, and had to stuff the emotion into the back of his mind. Like or not, respect or not, this was going to be his toughest battle yet.

Briefly, he thought of his training. He'd understood that he'd been lucky in his first two battles. Against Chloe of Gigarte, he'd not taken into account all of the possibilities, revealing, possibly resulting in Mercury's abject terror of dark types. In Arasam, Otis had only fallen due to Tsunami's revelation of a move he didn't realize she had had and sheer unadulterated luck. This time, Jaima had taken time to train his pokemon, both to strengthen their weaknesses and accentuate their prowess. For Mercury, he'd concentrated on her psychic abilities as well as having her physical defenses worked on. Grondir, too, took some defenses against attacks that relied on more energy than brute strength. Fang worked on his speed and attack, and Tsunami on her defenses. Shadow enhanced his ability to strike up close, and Ember worked on special abilities, both enduring them and using them. Further, he had learned what his pokemon could do and tried to work out tactics that would help him defend against the most combinations.

His master work, or at least the one that gave him the most pleasure, wasn't the strangest tactic in his arsenal. It had fail points, and could be figured out given enough time, but it would be a surprise, and it might mean the difference in a win and a loss.

He had wanted to rely on Mercury's psychic abilities to communicate silently with his pokemon, sending commands through her, but that had two drawbacks. There would be a delay, ever so slight, in when the command was sent, and when it was relayed to the pokemon who was to execute it. Further, Jaima felt that if Mercury were not on the field, battling, that it would be cheating to have her relay messages. It would be just as bad, to him, as sending one extra pokemon on the field than the combat stipulations called for. Meiko had reminded him, unaware of his intent, that he had a second option simply by asking him what he wanted for breakfast.

As Vega finished, Jaima bowed, lifted Ember's pokeball, and called her out. She stood in line with the umbreon while Shadow took his place across from the espeon. "I, Kuonji Jaima of Cherrygrove City, accept your terms. Venus, Pluto, your opponents shall be Shadow and Ember. I hope that our battle does all of us honor."

Then, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Shadow! Hakkei! Migi! Ember! Midare Hikkaki! Hidari!" Pointing, he gave the final command. "Ossu!"

As Jaima finished vocalizing, Shadow charge toward the umbreon to the right, and Ember toward the espeon to the left.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 21 2011, 04:24 PM

*Masking play behind a different language?! Nice! He's certainly done his research, after all. Pairing a Fighting-type with characteristics of a Steel-type against Pluto means defences from Venus won't be as effective as they should be.*

"Good move!" Vega's energy was going through the roof. A fierce battle was about to get underway and the opponents both looked strong but Vega had strengths of his own. Being a Gym Leader meant that you not only raised powerful Pokemon but excellent strategies, too. While Pluto and Venus did not have all-round powerhouse moves like Earthquake and Surf under their belts, they did have moves that would sting at first and result and loads of damage later. All he needed to do was set up and stall for the big moments.
A fighting-type attack landed on Pluto would mean serious damage so that meant it was Pluto's turn to dodge fire.

"Pluto, protect yourself with a Substitution and get away! Venus, keep an eye on that Quilava but use Future Sight on the Lucario!"

The Umbreon faded out of existence, melting into the far shadows of the room and leaving an odd dead-eyed copy of himself where he had been standing. Still in her original position, the Espeon rose lightly to all fours and glared at the incoming Quilava for a moment before her eyes glittered darkly and a breeze swept ominously around the room - no other sign of her attack was to be seen.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 23 2011, 03:03 PM

Jaima chewed his lower lip, his eyes narrowing. So far, the espeon, Venus, had taken Ember's Fury Swipes attack in favor of setting off a delayed attack at Shadow, which was, in Jaima's opinion, brilliant. The umbreon, Pluto, had used a substitute to block Shadow's attack, which was a bit more risky: Force Palm should break the substitute reasonably well, but making one weakened the pokemon who did so. The trade off was probably better, as the dark type didn't fare well against fighting moves unless it was paired with another type.

The delayed tactic of Future Sight meant that his pokemon were, currently, still unscathed, and also meant that a big attack was coming. Jaima wasn't worried overly about the attack being super effective, but Shadow was an attacker more than a defender. He hadn't wanted to play the gambit on his mind so early, but it was beginning to look like the better tactic was to keep his enemy off guard. With a nod, he cleared his throat.

"Kaware! Shadow, eifie o aku no hadou! Ember, blacky o nidogeri!"

The pair had trained for this, learning their attack names in Japanese as well as in English, and they performed the command without a hitch, Shadow sliding to a stop and spinning toward Venus, thrusting out a flat, upraised palm and shooting a circular pulse of dark energy at the espeon, while Ember dashed past Shadow to strike the umbreon with a double kick. The substitute buckled after the force palm and first kick, allowing Ember to hit the umbreon with the second.

Now it was time to mitigate some of the damage. Jaima, regretfully, couldn't stop the future sight attack; only a miss would allow that. But he could try to keep other attacks from hitting as well.

"Ember, enmaku! Shadow, miyaburu!"

Ember, standing after the double kick, began shaking her shoulders and rump, sending billowss of smoke up around her and Shadow. It left her open to an attack, Jaima knew, but Shadow had taught him, in his daily training session, that sometimes one must take a hit to open up a more devastating counter strike. Jaima had made sure his pokemon knew this, and even timid Ember knew the risks. In the mean time, just before vision was blocked, Shadow's eyes briefly flashed an electric blue.


* * * * *

Mercury shut her eyes before her comrades on the field switched opponents. Keeping tabs on her trainer was second nature now, even with the dark type so close to him. It was not between her and Jaima, so she was not blocked from it, and she suspected she would be able to work through that block even if it were present.

Because of this link, she knew what Jaima would order almost as soon as he did, and she hated it. Not that it was bad, tactically speaking, but that Shadow, her-- friend, would be asked to use a move she feared, and he would do so without question. It frightened her, and she knew that it frightened her irrationally. There was nothing to do about it but avoid it.

Leaving a portion of her consciousness with her trainer, she fell into the Psychic Plane. She was worried about Cassandra still, unable to find her through the network that the kadabra had help her create. Briefly touching on those minds that she had, with Cassandra's permission, absorbed into her network from Cassandra's own (it was, after all, no detriment to either to share the connection, and they, in turn, were part of that pokemon's network), she then cast away from it, searching the areas the network allowed her to access. She did spend more time with Monty, as he, too, was especially worried about "Mama Cass", but broke off as soon as it was polite to do so.

Instead, however, of free floating around the general area that Monty had opened to her, Mercury found herself drawn in, pulled, inexplicably, toward a place that, in the mindscape, looked like a fortress; blocky, black, yet the bricks were just beginning to crumble. Mercury landed on the roof, the part of her left to monitor Jaima manifesting like a trailing rope, keeping her from being completely pulled in. She knelt and looked through the manifestation of a skylight.

Through it, she saw a very familiar image. She had seen the pokemon before, in chains, bedraggled, and, seemingly, very tired. Now she looked as if she had been beaten severely and left. The chains that bound her had somehow grown spikes, and her hair, otherwise identical to Mercury's on the Plane, hung limp. Her face was not visible from this angle, but, with the pull and Mercury's will to go there, Mercury then found herself inside, facing the girl-kirlia.

She had bruises on her face, and her lip was split, but her eyes shone with ferocity and determination. She saw Mercury, and the eyes flashed. Mercury crossed her arms, blocking the attack.

Then, oddly, the girl gasped. Tears ran down her face. "No," she whispered, a rasping, choking sound. "No," she said, stronger and clearer now. "No, Artemis, they got you, too..."

Mercury looked around, then stepped toward the girl. "My name isn't Artemis. And no one has me against my will. I am Mercury."

The girl swallowed, thickly, but a smile began to form. "You... have a trainer...?"

Mercury nodded, solemnly, and the girl sobbed. "Thank arceus... I felt mother die, and I thought you were caught for sure..."

Mercury gasped, but there was a noise outside the building and the girl jerked her head up. "You have to go. They'll find you, and they'll take you. Please, Artemis, go..!"

"Who are you..?"

"No time, go! GO NOW!"

Like before, there was a surge of power, and Mercury was sent flying. The connection to Jaima snapped her clearly out of the Psychic Plane, and she straightened, gasping as if she had been holding her breath.

It was, luckily, silent enough that it did not distract Meiko, but Nightwish's round face was suddenly there. What awe you invowved in, kiwia? she hissed mentally. Mercury could feel the intrusive power from the gothita, like an oily snake trying to get past her defenses, and she slammed a mental shield down hard enough to make Nightwish stagger back physically.

"Oh, Nightwish, don't bother Mercury," Meiko said, pulling the gothita away. Nightwish narrowed her eyes.

I wiww fine out!

For your sake, I hope you don't, Mercury thought back, still shaken by her encounter. Suddenly, Shadow's dark attack wasn't the worst thing she could think of.

The other kirlia... as she expelled Mercury, she left a definite impression.

The chains that held her in place weren't put there to keep her from leaving. They were there to keep her from being taken.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 25 2011, 03:59 PM

"Excellent!" Vega hissed, his unblinking eyes were wide with enthralment and a broad grin split his face. This challenger, a boy from the news, had developed a method of communication with his Pokemon that was designed to throw off an opponent. Though technically not against the rules of the Furoh league, some gym leaders frowned upon blatant trickery as it did not show off training skill but to Vega it absolutely did. How many trainers managed to work such strategies into their major battles and keep their cool? Not many, that was for sure.

Pluto's substitute faded after a beating and he took some damage from the Quilava but his strengths were always in his defence so Vega did not spend time to worry about him just yet. They had stalled - that was the important thing. But that Lucario... What a troublesome foe, indeed. Not that the Quilava was any less of a threat - her Fury Swipes had taken Venus in a barrage of scratches that she had no time to dodge after sending out the Future Sight move. Even so, the Espeon had managed to put some distance between the fire-type after breaking free of the move and now faced the Lucario's attack.

"That's a Dark Pulse!" Vega clenched his fists. "Venus, Double Team now!"

"Spee!" Venus lowered her head toward the incoming ray and shimmered for a moment. Two copies appeared either side of her and... Swoosh. The central clone was scattered into flickering dust. Vega whistled through his teeth. That was a close one! To think, he was on the ropes in such a short space of time! This Kuonji had two badges for a reason and he was showing it... but every badge had to be fought for. Across the field, the Quilava began to let free a billowing cloud of sight-obstructing smoke. Vega raised an eyebrow. Trying to trick a psychic-user with blocking his vision? Maybe Jaima did have a bit more to learn after all.

"Pluto use Dig and Venus, Swift, let's go!"

"Bree!" Pluto's black from dove at the dusty arena floor, sending sand and debris flying as he disappeared below the surface. The two copies of Venus waved their tails menacingly before each released a stream of spinning stars towards each of the Lucario and Quilava.

*With both pinned down and no way to tell where Pluto will come up, how will he defend? Impress me, Master Kuonji!*

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jun 27 2011, 03:29 PM

Thoughts whirred in Jaima's head. The Future Sight move would hit soon unless it missed, and that was hardly likely. The umbreon had used Dig, which was powerful against both of the pokemon currently on the field. Shadow seemed to be looking about, not quickly, or panicked, but slowly, as if tracking, or trying to track, the umbreon. The target of the attack was still up in the air (unfortunately, not literally, which would have saved a lot of trouble); on one hand, Ember was a wild card and a credible threat. On the other, Shadow had shown himself to have super effective attacks for both of the Gym Leader's players. The Future Sight attack seemed to be aimed at Shadow, and that was wise. Concentrating on one attacker was best, as it would then open the second up for double teaming. Jaima should have done that, as well, but his strategy had relied on both pokemon being a danger to his opponents, Shadow with his super effective attacks and Ember by virtue of her sheer power.

The good news was that Vega did not seem to know Japanese, giving Jaima the slight edge he'd hoped for when he employed the tactic in the first place. But taking advantage of weaknesses relied very little on knowing what came next.

What had seemed, to Jaima, to take almost 48 hours had actually taken only a few seconds. He had to deal with the now and hope for the future later. There was Swift on the table. That had to go first.

"Ember," he called quickly, snapping his attack. "Supiido Sutaa o Supiido Sutaa no eifie!" Calling the attack to strike that attack would, he hoped, negate both. "Shadow," he said, more deliberately, "Kokoro no Me!" Shadow looked confused, but complied, his eyes glowing slightly.

It was a major risk, but Jaima had to try it. It may end up hurting Shadow, it might even knock him out entirely if the Future Sight attack him, but it would have the same repercussions for the already weakened umbreon.

"Blacky o Tobehazigeri! Ember, eifie o Kaen Gurama!"

Shadow dropped deep, crouching stance, ready to launch himself when the Umbreon surfaced, the Mind Reader technique guaranteeing a hit. He briefly wondered if he shouldn't have had Shadow protect himself, but dismissed the idea. He could have had both protect themselves to an extent, but then one or the other would have wasted an opportunity to attack. Besides, the commands were given, and there was no sense in second guessing himself now.

If he lost, at least he would learn from it, and that was one of the lessons he'd always tried to instill in his sisters: A loss isn't a loss, it's a chance to get better.

He'd always left off the part where it still hurt like hell.

* * * * *

"What is he doing," Meiko muttered to herself. He was attacking when his pokemon were in serious danger. Shadow was the obvious target for the Dig attack, and yet neither one of them was set to protect the other. "That's suicide, Jai-chan," she said sadly.

For some reason, it seemed as if he was not only losing his match, but failing her personally. She didn't like the feeling, didn't know where it had come from, but it was there and it sucked.

He's faiwing, just wike aww boys do! Nightwish pressed her thick lips together. The stupid bluehead was distracted by what ever happened in the Plane, so the gothita had a window in which to get her new "trainer" under her thrall. Even so, it was not a pleasant task, to prey on insecurities so deeply set. It could lead to the girl convinced that only her pokemon were reliable, but it could also lead to any numbers of drastic actions by the girl. Nightwish (she had to admit, she liked the new name) had even heard of one boy who had taken his pokemon to a rooftop and jumped, convinced that he was being spoken to by demons.

She was being subtle, though, and the girl was coming around, slowly... and then, suddenly, there was a shield, interference, and the girl sighed and shook her head.

Jaima's not failing you, silly girl, he's just taking a risk. It could pay off!

Bwoody heww!

It wouldn't have worked anyway, came the grating voice of the pokemon next to her. Trainer Jaima has proven himself to her.

Nightwish snorted and crossed her arms. Fine. I don't wike that tactic anyway...

Here's an idea. Why don't you gain her trust like normal pokemon do. Or I'll tell her what you're up to.

Nightwish giggled. Oh, dat's pwecious! You know what she'ww say if you teww? 'Oh, poow Mercuwy, she's jeawous because she's not de onwy psychic anymowe.' Pwease, I've been doing dis for wonger dan you can wemembew."

Mercury stared, but lessened the psychic intimidation she was trying to put on the gothita. It was, unfortunately, true. Meiko had no reason to trust her over the littler pokemon, and likely wouldn't. She leaned back, instead, watching the little wench as closely as she could, but saying nothing more.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jun 30 2011, 02:35 PM

*He's trying to defend and still using that Japanese trick to delay my responses...* Vega's eyes glittered. Blood thrummed an exciting beat in his mind that resounded over and over, over and over. The drumbeat of his very lifeforce was driven by his passion for battle - slamming a state of ultimate drive and compassion into his bones. Any more and it would be activated...

"Supiido sutaa!"

"What's this?!" Vega edged restlessly between both feet, watching how the Quilava unleashed its own Swift to knock down the star-shaped rays that Venus had sent out to attack with. One by one the multitude of stars collided into a shower of dust that injured not a single combatant. Then the Lucario remained still, his stance shifting calmly... In preparation? Had Kuonji anticipated the move!? This was excllent. Excellent!

Thrum. THUM. THRUM. THRUMTHRUMTHRUMTHRUM.

Something inside Vega popped. There wasn't any other description to explained the feeling he got when compassion took over the thoughts of his Pokemon entered his mind. It was just... there. Like a wave of ecstacy, the minds of Pluto and Venus were with his - resonating in his head. Venus shone to one side while Pluto darkened the other. Like sun and moon, both brightened Vega's vision and cleared his thoughts. His smile broadened even further.

{Change.}

The command was said not in words but in a a connection of urges that passed through the very ground itself. Instantly, Pluto changed course and exploded from the ground right under the Quilava. In a flash of blue and black, the Lucario named Shadow was ontop of the Umbreon, kicking upwards in a disastrous arc.

"Bree!" Pluto's side was slammed hard, his black form cartwheeling through the air to land with a solid thud on the far side of the arena. The yellow rings around his body pulsed weakly as he struggled to rise.
A flaming dart shot past him, the Quilava had been faster to recover than expected! In sudden burst of speed it descended towards Venus like a mini comet. The Espeon, however, was ready.

{The Other.}

"Spee." Venus nodded upon feeling the intentions of her master, ignoring the Quilava and turning her attention on the Lucario. She grinned and glared. Future Sight came in alongside her own Psyshock in a double-whammy just as she was crushed to the ground under a spinning ball of flame.
Vega's head screamed an alarm from all sides - sun and moon were waning. It was time to set up the field.

{Final Defense.}

Shaking at the knees, Venus and Pluto gatthered the rest of their power and their central eyes glittered as one. Shimmering lights danced around them both momentarily in a double wall of fields before, together, the lights went out. Sun was gone. Moon was gone. The drums had stopped and Twilight had arrived.

"Venus, Pluto, return!" Vega swept both Pokeballs out, his fallen duo recalled in unison. He smiled down at the balls fondly. "You made me proud... Right, Jaima! You know what this means, don't you? Two versus one and you still have one Pokemon in reserve. If both of your Lucario and Quilava are unable to battle, your final Pokemon takes the field. I should remind you, though, Raven goes hunting at Twilight and I think he's pretty hungry. Raven?!"

"KRAAAAAAOOOW!"

A clamour of midnight wings and the Honchkrow took to the arena, soaring above the heads of his opponents ominously. His eyes glared daggers down at the duo and his claws flexed in anticipation.

"Twister!"

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 5 2011, 02:02 PM

Jaima's heart began to pound as the gym leader fell silent. The intensity in his eyes had increased, and his pokémon had responded accordingly. Trembling, Jaima held in a tight grin. He should have anticipated something like this, with a psychic type on the field.

Shadow tracked as the umbreon shifted direction, and sprinted toward Ember as Pluto erupted from the ground. Pluto would have only been in the air for a brief second, except that Shadow's extended foot impacted with him just as he reached the zenith of his eruption from the ground. Ember twisted as she, too, was pushed into the air, landing on the ground and darting toward Venus, rolling on top of her in a Flame Wheel. However, the espeon had had time to attack, and, coupled with the Future Sight attack, the psybolt struck Shadow like a pincer maneuver, hitting him on both sides. He snarled and fell to the ground on his hands and knees, panting.

He didn't have much left. He could take one more hit. Maybe two.

Ember, for her part, was panting but seemed much better off. Her fires, however, showed the truth of it. She, too, was diminished.

Venus and Pluto, however, were on their last legs, it seemed. With a final move that seemed to do nothing, Vega called them back, the smile on his face wide. Jaima, however, had seen one of those moves before, and could imagine what the other was; Light Screen, and, proving that the Gym Leader was not bluffing in having watched Channel 4, likely its counterpart, Reflect. He made a mental note, once again, to find out if there was a counter to that particular move set.

Jaima swallowed. He'd gotten through the first part of the challenge, and he was proud, but he knew from past experience that the first part was a warm up. Vega had taken Jay's measure and knew his tactics, and would be anticipating them. Jaima bit his lip as Vega introduced Raptor, a humongous flying type that looked like an evolved murkrow. It gave out an eerie cry, and Jaima saw Ember shudder, but her resolve seemed to strengthen soon after.

Jaima nodded acknowledgement at Vega, his mouth too dry to speak for a moment. Briefly, he struggled with the thought of recalling Shadow and Ember, and sending out his third, but he remembered the short lecture he'd given to Grondir shortly after his http://forums.gtsplus.net/index.php?showtopic=4189&view=findpost&p=52272, when the bulbasaur refused to attack a sleeping opponent. Just like a status ailment, having two pokémon to Vega's one was part of the fight, and he needed to press that advantage as long as he could.

"Shadow, sakidori! Ember, supiida sutaa!" Ember pitched forward on her forelegs, once again releasing the star shaped Swift attack toward the bird, and Shadow rushed forward, a glint in his eye. His success would depend on being faster than the flyer, which, truth be told, looked close. He would take the hit, yes, but he would also send that same attack back at the flyer half again as strong as it was sent.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Jul 6 2011, 08:28 PM

He's really good.

Reilly Coons was sitting in the very top of the stands surrounding the arena on which stood Jaima Kuonji and the Gym Leader, Vega. He was hiding in the back so that he would be out of view of the red-headed girl who was the blonde's only current companion. Reilly didn't know where Shorty was, or the show-off that made a habit of traveling with them, but he wasn't too concerned about that. He wasn't even too bothered about the fact that the kirlia who was Jaima's constant pokemon companion probably knew that he was there. His attention was focused almost exclusively upon the battle that raged onward, and and the fact that the blonde-haired boy was a better battler than he had ever claimed.

Better than me, by far, he thought to himself, watching at the lucario and quilava on the field battled both together and apart to send the espeon and umbreon back into their pokeballs.

He wondered what Jaima's third pokemon was, and whether or not he would even have to call the creature out onto the field. As things were going, with Vega on his last pokemon, it didn't look likely, but Reilly knew from his own experience that battles could and would change abruptly. They wouldn't really know how this would end until it was over, and though Reilly really wanted to hate Jaima even more for being an incredible battler, he couldn't help but be as fascinated as he was jealous; as enthralled as he was annoyed.

Curled up in her trainer's arms, Morgan L'Faye ran her paws down the length of her ears and puffed her cheeks for him to admire. "I'm so much prettier than all of the pokemon there, aren't I, ReiRei?"

Reilly patted the buneary's head without looking down at her. "Not right now, Morgan. I want to see this battle."

Morgan crossed her furry arms. "Well, fine!" she pouted heavily. "But I know I'm more beautiful than all of them."

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 11 2011, 03:33 PM

"That's Swift..." Vega predicted the Quilava's move after hearing it previously and was pleased to see his judgement and memory were not addled by the impressive battling skills of young Kuonji. The Lucario's attack, however, was not something he had heard before in the match...

*With the way things are right now, Raptor will need to make the most of Light Screen and Reflect... And the only way to really know how to counter is to draw the battle on for longer and learn the rest of the moves Kuonji uses... So, instead, let's just take them out with one hit!*

"Raptor, maintain your distance and use Nasty Plot!" Vega ordered, watching as Swift stars shattered against the instantly-appearing barrier of Light Screen. Barely feeling the hit, Raptor's body took on a dark aura for a moment and a viscious glint shone in his eyes. The Lucario's move, however, was still coming.

*What's he got up his sleeve?*

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 13 2011, 10:28 PM

Jaima chewed his lip as Vega commanded his honchkrow to hold back. He was gearing up for something. Some great attack that would be devastating.

With Light Screen and Reflect still in play, attacking was nearly futile. It would take a long time to take down the krow, time Jaima was sure he didn't have. Swift had done hardly anything, and even the returned and powerful Twister had been weakened, while it had hit his team at full strength. It wouldn't be long now.

He wanted to recall them, make sure they didn't faint, but he couldn't afford to hold back. Shadow, in his own way, kept a steady stream of encouragement, telling him through thoughts like impulses, that he and Ember could handle it, that they were ready to do what it took to win, to do him honor.

Jaima chewed his lip and sighed.

"Shadow, Kinzokuon! Ember, Niramitsukeru! Ossu!"

Shadow raised both paws and pointed the spikes on the outside of his wrists to the honchkrow. Spreading his arms, he struck them together with a loud ring. At the same time, Ember, from Shadow's feet, leered at Raptor. A visible shudder went through the bird, but that was the only indication that anything had happened.

The next attack would likely be the last for this team. Jaima crossed his arms and waited.

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 20 2011, 04:35 PM

With Nasty Plot in place and a twin barrier of Reflect and Light Screen, Vega's setup for Raptor was almost complete. Soon his sweeper would be let loose and not even a trainer with all the luck of Jaima Kuonji would be able to pull a win out of the bag. Well, at least that was how Vega saw it. Yes, he had come up against other trainers that had bested him with impressively tricky strategies, but he had learned each time and trained his team to form amazing counters for what they faced.

Jaima commanded two move attacks - another set of moves that Vega had not yet seen in the battle, called out in Japanese. That was getting to be really annoying, now. Since there was little else to do but watch and see the effects of the attacks, he allowed Raptor to continue circling overhead while he analysed the motions of both Lucario and Quilava.

*What's this? Metal Sound? Leer?* Vega's eyes narrowed as he confirmed the twin stat-reducing selection and tapped a finger to his collar bone in thought. *That can only mean a Special-Attacker will be his final choice. He has realised Raptor will be able to defeat both Pokemon on the field and is preparing... just like I did... How very clever of him! Excellent!*

"Raptor, time to take them out! Air Cutter on the Lucario and then follow it up with Dark Pulse on the Quilava!"

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 21 2011, 10:40 PM

This is a great battle! I can't believe what a great battle this is!

Jaima was not usually one to compliment himself, or even take credit when it is due him. It had, at least once, been a small point of discontent between him and his girlfriend, who was in the stands now thinking smug thoughts in between the times she was worrying about Jaima's strategy. Even now, he wasn't complementing himself, but the battle in general.

If Mercury, who was inside herself more both due to the event that had happened on the psychic plane, and her fear of Dark types, or Meiko had understood his train of thought (or even heard it, for that matter), they would have rolled their eyes.

And gossiped about it behind his back, but that has nothing to do with the matter at hand.

Jaima's blood sang. This was the most exciting battle he'd ever had, discounting the times he was fighting for his and his friends lives, and he could feel it all as if it had lit his very veins on fire. The training he'd put in to prepare for this, even beyond the tricks and gimmicks, were well worth it, win or lose.

Right now, his chances of winning were very hard to determine. Vega's honchkrow was powerful, and still protected by the final maneuver of his first two pokémon. Jaima believed that his last pokémon could still win the day, but it would be better if there was something he could do to get rid of the two screens. If only he had time.

Time... of COURSE!

"Shadow! Mikiri!. Ember! Funen deaigashira!!"

It wasn't much, but Jaima still had to smile as Shadow closed his eyes, leaping and spinning over the Air Cutter attack. As Raptor passed overhead, Ember hunched into herself, giving out a mighty cry. Her flames, against the ground, heated the arena floor, sending plumes of molten material straight at him. Shadow kicked up and back, flipping over those that came his way as well, his detect ability still enabled.

Light Screen blocked a good portion of it, but Jaima wasn't looking to knock out the bird in one shot. It would make Vega nervous, he hoped. Ember's flames were naturally strong, and her species' flames tended to get stronger as they fought, the more stress they were put under from battling. With luck, and it seemed it might be so with the ferocity that Raptor struck Ember with the Dark Pulse, even through the screen, Raptor was feeling the attack.

It was only a matter of time, and Jaima had an idea that might increase the time he had.

He didn't think it would do much, but it would be... frustrating, Jaima thought, if Shadow got one more attack in. Though he regretted letting Ember fight to fainting, he knew, deep down, that his once-timid girl wouldn't have had it any other way. As he held up the ball decorated with clay flames, he gave Shadow one more command.

"Shadow! Denkou Seka! Oss!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Jul 26 2011, 01:50 PM

Vega hadn't been a match like this for a while. Raptor was taking a not insignificant beating even with Reflect and Light Screen defence but any trainer watching would know that it would be the Lucario to fall first.

The Quilava had fought valiantly for sure, but even her unexpectedly powerful Lava Plume had not the lustre of a Pokemon that fought with her whole heart. Vega had met similar Pokemon like that in his own travels and admired any trainer that stuck with them and did not give up their training for a more battle-hungry partner. Training the timid was a skill, indeed, and it seemed Kuonji had plenty of that to showcase in this match.

Down the Quilava went and... up came the Lucario!

Raptor's eyes widened as the fighting and steel Pokemon came streaking up towards him and seemingly did not notice the red hue that tingled around his body as the recall beam from Jaima rescued the Quilava. Luckily for Raptor, his master was taking absolutely everything in - including the Honchkrow's natural Ability.

"Raptor! Strike back with Wing Attack!" Vega ordered, knowing full well that Moxie had just taken effect.

Lucario met Honchkrow and a hard collision, the Steel type's shoulder ramming up into the down-swinging wing of the black bird with a force that echoed loudly around the Gym. They remained poised motionless in mid-air for a moment, nothing seeming to disturb them... Until... Raptor's wing continued its assault, crushing down the opposition in a dark swoop that catapulted Shadow straight at the ground.

"BAM!"

A second red hue shimmered over Raptor and this time, the Dark bird noticed it and his eyes brightened. Swooping down low, the Honchkrow landed on the ground and swept a wing up to his bill. Something hidden within the dark feathers made a cruching sound and the crow swallowed. The gold and green barriers that he previously protected Raptor glimmered and faded - Reflect and Light Screen had worn off.

Vega smiled. Everything was now in place.

"Use Roost, Raptor."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Jul 27 2011, 06:01 PM

Jaima hissed softly through his grin. Shadow had been valiant, had always been a testament of what strong truly is, and it almost seemed a shame to watch him fall, almost, on a visceral level, a mark of dishonor on the part of the viewer.

Biggest battle of your gym career, and you're waxing poetic… he chastised him, nearly rolling his eyes. Instead, he let Shadow's pokéball, decorated in patterns that called the imagery of his former form, a riolu. Then he picked up another, a darker blue with black, spiked ridges and a golden four-point star molded in resin across the front, nearly obscuring but not obstructing the release button.

"Then it's down to this," Jaima said, feeling the weight of ceremony, either because he felt it was a traditional necessity, or because Vega himself was just such a showman. "One to one, warrior against warrior, and may the best one win..." In his mind, his imagination briefly swept down the path of imagery his words invoked, of two samurai facing each other, battling for the honor of their Lords...

He mentally shook himself, though the pause was less than the span of a blink, and smiled. "I call forth Fang!"

A white beam of light emitted from the mechanics of the open ball, and coalesced into a powerful leonine form. Fang looked up at the bird, smirking, let out a mighty growl. His natural ability to intimidate barely showed in the bird's stance, but Jaima's tactic, risky at best and devastating at worst, would negate that at any rate.

"Fang, Ibaru !"

Fang began to strut, back and forth. <Oh, man, are you in for it now!> he called, showing his fangs with every intonation of the syllables of his species name. < You may be up there all puffed up thinking I'm an easy meal, but you're dealing with Fang now. And Fang? Is awesome.> He suddenly jolted, a different type of grin, one that had a growing sense of ecstasy attached to it, breeched his feline features. <Want to know just how awesome I am?> he said, as a bright light began to emanate from him. The light enveloped him, obscuring him from the vision of anyone watching, then faded, revealing a larger, more muscled, and much more intimidating visage. No smile was on his face now. There didn't need to be one.

Fang was the Prince of all Luxray once again.

<This is how awesome I am.>

Posted by: Living Arrow Aug 9 2011, 02:31 PM

"Spontaneous evolution!" Vega literally punched one hand into the palm of his other. "What an amazing entrance! Training a Pokemon to brink of evolving and tipping it over in such a way really does show an excellent level of training but will your Luxray have adapted to its new form so quickly, I wonder? Let's find out!"

"Honch..." Raptor dropped the remnants of his berry - a small collection of short green barbs - to the arena floor and lowered his head. IN a hunched position, he watched the Electric-type warily and flexed his talons on the ground in anticipation. Roost had brought back some of his lost strength and power from his earlier battles still coursed through his hollow bones. Vega smiled.

"Raptor, go!"

In a burst of black feathers, the large crow was on the move and, in a dark flash, flanking Fang from the left. "Dark Pulse!"

Vega had no idea how the challenger would defend against Salac Berry speed coupled with a double Moxie effect and a Nasty Plot boost on his beloved Honchkrow but it was doubtful that Kuonji would just roll over and take the attacks one by one without using his Japanese-language approach. No, some sort of preparation was bound to be in place... THat's why they wouldn't let him get a word in edgeways.

"Do it, Raptor! Rapid fire!"

Still grounded from Roost and zipping in a ring around the Luxray, the speedy Honchkrow fired off blast after blast of Dark energy from his razor-sharp bill.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Aug 10 2011, 05:41 PM

Jaima bounced on his toes. He had no idea that Fang was so close to evolution, but he was proud and glad it had happened. The murkrow was a tough opponent, and Fang would need every advantage he could get, including the type advantage that he held. He looked at Fang now, standing tall, almost regally, so different from the wild, cocky luxio that he had been that Jaima almost believed that it was a different pokémon down in the arena all together. There was absolutely no trace of the shy, playful shinx anymore, and only bare resemblances to the previous evolution.

Still, Vega had brought up a good point. Could Fang get used to his new body? None of his other pokémon had had any trouble, but, then, it had been either dire circumstances or a time of rest when they evolved. Mercury had evolved in Lenoilia, but that, again, was under threat. She had initiated the attacks she had made, however, and did seem a lot more stable as a kirlia than she had as a ralts. Shadow had evolved on Mt. Carello, having just had an experimental procedure reversed. Ember, too, had evolved in that battle, as did Tsunami. All three of them had had to fight right after, but if there had been any mistakes or stumbling, Jaima didn't see it. Fang and Grondir had evolved in a lull between the battle and afterward, respectively, and they had seemed relatively quick to adapt.

There was one way to find out. Raptor was charging, on the ground, and readying a Dark Pulse attack. Jaima grit his teeth, then, at the last second, called out to Fang, "Jump!"

It had been pure reflex to call it out in English, and Jaima fought back a blush. It was bad enough Meiko had heard him, but if his mother had found out that he'd switched from Japanese to English in a time of stress, he'd never hear the end of it!

Fang smirked and crouched, timing his own leap to let the attack strike the ground while he was in the air. Unfortunately, he timed a little too slow, the dark pulse striking him in the feet and flipping him over in mid air. He fell, backwards, then, with a growl, twisted and landed on his feet, his head down, feet splayed wide to give himself the best balance. Jaima nodded. A little compensation, then, but he had confidence Fang would learn quickly

Fang's head came up, suddenly, and the look of sheer rage on his face was frightening, even from this position. He opened his mouth, baring his teeth and fangs, rocking back on his hind legs in preparation for a spring. Jaima took a split second to calculate. The honchkrow had performed a move that had raised his special attack. Shadow had lowered the dark crow's special defense and Ember his defense. The crow's special ability caused his attack to raise when he caused an opponent to faint, and he'd managed to do that twice. Fang's own ability lowered attack through intimidation, but the swagger had raised it again even more. Jaima worried about that. The confusion he'd hoped to take advantage of didn't seem to be there, and that would be costly if Fang wasn't fast enough.

The berry was a mystery. Jaima had studied berries as Professor Elm's aide, but had concentrated more on the ones that had healing properties. Therefore he only vaguely recognized what the honchkrow had had as a berry, and wasn't sure what it even did. If it was a healer, then that with roost would have given back a majority of the health he had lost. Jaima didn't think it was. But what if it guarded against conditions like confusion? Then Jaima had gambled and lost, and cost himself and Fang an advantage. Or what if it boosted one of the pokémon's strengths even more?

He almost wished he had Mercury to help him, but he'd told her in no uncertain terms to not help him, not to even 'path to him while he was in the arena. To do so, to accept help in battle from a secret source would be just as bad as having Meiko telling him how to battle through a microphone and a speaker in his ear. He was sure that other trainers had tried such tactics, but he would not. Not unless Mercury was on the field. That, he felt, was a different matter altogether.

Still, Jaima did remember a small tidbit before he ordered the attack: strength increasing berries generally waited until the pokémon was nearly fainted to kick in, relying on adrenaline to act as a catalyst, or something to that effect.

All of these thoughts passed through Jaima's mind even as he opened his mouth to give the command. He called out, getting Fang's attention through the haze of battle-anger, and called out, "Kouri no Kiba!"

Fang sneered at the bird, leaping in a graceful arc toward the still downed crow and opening his mouth, his teeth beginning to glimmer as ice crystals formed over them. That was when Jaima noticed the slight waver in the honchkrow's stance. The confusion possibly did affect him. It wasn't a guarantee that he'd miss or hit himself, but it was an advantage, and Jaima allowed himself a moment of relief.

* * * * *

Trainer Meiko's face may never fully recover, thought Mercury, looking at the girl next to her. She had her fingers curled at her cheeks, digging her nails into the flesh of her cheek, nowhere near the point where she'd break skin, but in one interval when she'd let go long enough to take a drink of soda in which the ice had long sense melted, Mercury could see the half-moon impressions the girls nails had left.

Trainer Jaima was doing excellently, in the kirlia's opinion. He had ordered her (it wasn't truly an order, of course; that was not his way at all, but he had made it very clear) not to even speak to him. She would have refused, however, if he had insisted she not keep her mind in touch with his. It would be remiss in her duty as his pokémon for her to do so.

So she could feel his self-confidence, something which had been sorely missing in the gym battle at Arasam, and something she did not remember feeling in Gigarte, either, though, for her, that seemed to be very long ago. Along with that, however, was an undercurrent of real fear. Not dread, almost anticipation, excitement, but also the acknowledgement that he could fail, and he even might fail, and that thrummed like the electricity charging in the muscles of Fang's forelegs.

She peeked, as it wasn't her place to look at all, now that Trainer Meiko had her own psychic pokémon, but she peeked at the girl as well. Meiko was like a storm of emotion, and Mercury was glad that she wasn't in the middle of it briefly. She liked the girl. Even loved her, but her emotions were unchecked so often, a major difference from Trainer Jaima, who rarely reacted without some forethought.

And Trainer Meiko, like Trainer Jaima, was a lightning storm of fears. Unlike Jaima, it wasn't a vague fear, but one simple thought that she was trying to ignore from her own mind:

He's tried so hard... if he loses this battle, he'll be crushed!

Mercury smiled inwardly. She had more faith in Trainer Jaima's ability to take a loss, but it was very, very touching that Trainer Meiko cared that much.

Posted by: Living Arrow Aug 25 2011, 01:44 PM

Vega tutted to himself. It was sheer dumb-luck that Raptor had come up against not only an Electric-type but also one with natural feline reflexes. While the Luxray had taken some damage from the Dark Pulse, it was clear to Vega that glancing blows would not be enough to finish this match - he'd need at least three direct hits to take down that static monstrosity but he knew in the back of his mind that Raptor had less strength left than was needed to end this without aid. Thankfully for Raptor, Vega had given him a crafty edge that could pull the match back into his own favour...

"Raptor! Dodge it!" Vega called out, spying the beginnings of the Ice Fang later than an english command would have given him notice. His Honchkrow blinked, somehow in a daze, and step once to the left and stopped. Blinked again. And thrust a wing into his own face!

*So that move had been Swagger! No wonder Raptor's confused!*

"I said, DODGE IT!"

A black blur, Raptor vanished.

"RAY!" Icy teeth snapped down on the spot where the Dark-type bird had been, clamping around a handful of feathers that had been left behind by their owner. The Luxray snarled angrily and raised his head.

"Night Slash!"

From above, Raptor's wing swung down in a tight and powerful arc to connect powerfully with the Electric Pokemon's forehead. Before the foe could even take time to work out what had happened, Raptor vanished again and appeared on the otherside of the arena, his feet and wings giving off a faint green hue. Vega grinned.

"Salac Berry." He explained to Jaima as the Luxray recovered from the attack. "You've managed to weaken my Honchkrow to the point where this was necessary but it's not quite over. Do you know what a Salac Berry is capable of? It gives a weakened Pokemon a biological speed boost - allowing my Honchkrow to run rings around your Luxray even on the ground. Now, let's end this match Master Kuonji and make sure you give it everything you've got!"

Raptor fluttered haphazardly at himself, that confusion taking its toll once more. His legs visibly shaking, Raptor shook his head fitfully from side to side and when it came back up, clarity reigned in his eyes.

"Raptor, Foul Play! Let's go!"

Posted by: Master Houndoom Aug 29 2011, 03:50 PM

Jaima bit his lip as hard as he could without drawing blood. He didn't even feel the pain of his teeth digging into his lip. His mind was distracted by the information that he had been given regarding the Salac berry.

A speed boost at this point in the game definitely gave the honchkrow an advantage: Before, Fang had been slightly faster than the honchkrow, but the boost had altered that. But an idea was forming. A speed boost on a pokémon who was not used to moving that fast normally could be as much of a detriment as a benefit. Jaima's eyes flickered back and forth, his mind reeling out the possibilities.

With a nod, he opened his mouth to give his next, and possibly final, commands.

* * * * *

Meiko's lip hurt.

She was sitting forward, literally on the edge of her seat, and watching the battle with rapt attention. It had been amazing, and Meiko, not for the first time, had wondered why Jaima had considered himself lucky. He was calm, he was clever, and he was, more than many trainers on even their third badge attempt, in control. Jaima may not be the best, or most perfect. He had a tendency to use the same team of pokémon when many switched out for pokémon that better matched his opponents. But that worked for him, and Meiko found herself admiring it.

Honestly, he had a well balanced team. Shadow had been a perfect fit, his typing negating the usual advantage an espeon would have over him, and doubling his protection against the dark attacks that would also be expected in this arena. Ember, too, had at least been a neutral choice, having no glaring disadvantages to the gyms types. Even the use of attacks that were strong against those two pokémon had been countered, and countered well.

The choice of Fang had momentarily caused Meiko to wonder if Mercury had given Jaima a tip, but Meiko didn't think so, after a little bit of thought. Grondir wasn't a viable choice, as he was weak to psychic attacks. Mercury herself, despite her complaints, would have fallen quickly to dark attacks, and her phobia to the type would have done her no favors. Tsunami and Fang had, therefore, been the logical choices, and Jaima had picked well. Tsunami would have had half of her attacks, including her strongest attack, Mud Shot, would have been useless against the flying type that had been chosen by the Gym Leader. Fang was a good, lucky choice.

The thoughts had taken a split second, and so Meiko, unused to owning a psychic type, was not aware that her thoughts were being actively listened to. Her attention on the battle, she did not see her adorable new acquisition give a slow, wicked little smile. The knowledge that Mercury was actually afraid of the Dark was music to the little gothita's ears.

* * * * *

"Fang! Hoeru!"

Jaima didn't see Meiko slap her forehead, but he wouldn't have blamed her if he had. Ordinarily a pokémon would run away, even recall itself at the sound of a fierce Roar, but gym leader pokémon were made of sterner stuff, and, being the last, running was usually not an option. Jaima was not relying on the roar forcing the honchkrow to flee the battle.

He was counting on it faltering in the face of the sudden, fierce sound, and giving Fang a split second that he wouldn't have had otherwise. A split second he would easily take advantage of. Especially since there was an attack he'd been saving for just such a moment, which had a chance, even with the advantage, of giving the speed advantage back to Fang, if it could paralyze his opponent.

"Kaminari no Kiba!" Thunder Fang. It all rested on that attack.

Posted by: Living Arrow Aug 29 2011, 04:57 PM

When Kuonji’s Luxray used its Roar attack, Vega was not surprised to see Raptor falter – it was only natural. Heck, even the Gym Leader himself found his breath caught in his throat and his knees tremble under the onslaught of that terrifying cry so he could forgive the Dark crow his momentary lapse in concentration. Sadly for the Leader and his Pokemon, however, it cost them the match.

Although still extremely speedy with the use of his Salac Berry, Raptor had been directed to use a frontal assault which would not allow for a dodge. Rushing in, coupled with a reduction in speed as he approached, caused the Honchkrow’s wing beats of Foul Play to swing in nowhere near the speed that had been anticipated. In an crossing over of feathers, Raptor slammed his mark on the Electric type.

“KROW!” Raptor screamed as his right wing was caught up in the crackling fangs of the foe Luxray. Lightning surged through his body and the Dark type shook violently, he strength waning with every second that the teeth held to his flesh. With a mighty beat of his free wing, Raptor slammed the side of Fang’s head and neck in the remaining motion of his Foul Play attack but it simply was not enough to dislodge the thunderous lion.

With a final shock and a mighty toss of his maned head, Fang sent Raptor back into the air where he peaked momentarily and dropped in an unconscious heap to the ground.

“Honchkrow is unable to battle! The winner of this round and the match is Jaima Kuonji of Cherrygrove City!”

Vega bowed his head as the referee spoke, a soft smile open across his face.

“Congratulations, Jaima!” He recalled Raptor quickly and hurried across the stadium to shake hands with his successful challenger. “That was an excellent battle – one that I won’t forget in a hurry! The way you used a different language to throw me off was a clever tactic and your Pokemon are excellently trained. It gives me pleasure to give you this to commemorate this victory – the Twilight Badge.”

Vega passed the glittering moon-shaped pin to the young man and shook his hand once more.

“It really was a great battle. You’ve given me some brilliant training ideas which I’d better start planning before any more challengers try the same tricks. Good luck with your final Gym Battle, Jaima. I’ll be sure to let Maxi Z! know that you’re on your way to Fidona!”

With that, Vega left the stadium and the challenger to move on with his training.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Aug 30 2011, 05:45 PM

Jaima's knees were still trembling as Vega recalled his murkrow and stepped forward to award him the badge and shake his hand. The end of the battle replayed in his mind; Fang's roar, louder and more frightening than he could have hoped; Raptor's indignant cry as Thunder Fang connected and pulsed through him, weakening him to fainting despite the ongoing attack; Fang tossing the bird almost triumphantly into the air, exulting in the victory he knew he had but that Jaima hadn't yet confirmed; and finally, the unabashed, screaming cheer from the stands where Meiko sat with Mercury, Grondir, and Tsunami, a sound that had begun to fill Jaima with elation as Vega stepped up to offer congratulations.

Jaima shook his hand firmly, his mind reeling even while he received the badge, nodded his thanks, and watched Vega leave, presumably to prepare for others, to train, as he'd said. Jaima could only exult: He had come in, for the first time, prepared, and the preparation had paid off!

A joyous cry from behind him alerted him to the intercontinental ballistic missile that was his girlfriend, charging at him, and he was able to catch her as she impacted his chest, twirl her around, and laugh. She deafened him with a triumphant yell, but it didn't matter. This, her joy, her pride, was worth it.

So he kissed her. With no nerves to get in the way, none of the hesitation that she had shown or the timidity he had, the kiss was fiery, intense, and lasted for longer than may have been decent had anyone been waiting in the wings.

When she pulled away, it was with a flushed face and a grin, slightly out of breath. She pulled him to her, linking her arm around his back and making sure his found its place around hers, and looked up at him, unable to school her features into anything less than elation. "Come on," she said, guiding him up the stairs, a good thing since he was still shell shocked, "let's go show the others!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Sep 2 2011, 08:56 PM

Three-thirty was generally a lull time for pokemon centres, so when Tuesday, Darryn, and Lyla stepped into the building, Tuesday was able to hurry right up to the counter and hand her pokemon over to the Nurse Joy to be healed. She was a little embarrassed that Zorro and Tempest had both been fainted in the contest battle, while Darryn's pokemon were perfectly fine.

It was no wonder she hadn't won. She'd not treated it like a contest.

Perhaps I'm just better at regular battles, she mused, sitting on a chair in the waiting area and swinging her legs above the floor. It was fun to try something new, and she was able to learn of a new thing she could do with pokemon, and while she had her fun, she didn't think contests really suited her. She'd studied battling and the trainers who had passed through Pallet Town when she was younger were all so hyped up on that, it's what she became used to. Maybe she'd try contests again, but battling... well, she hadn't really battled any gym leaders, yet. She'd faced those Team Deception gyus that had been hounding them, in seemed, constantly, and she'd battled Jaima, and Reilly, and she'd battled Brone before she left home, of course.

She was excited for her gym battle the following day, although the nervousness hadn't hit, yet, and that worried her a little. Would she wake up the next morning ready to pass out again out of fear? Would she be able to handle facing off against a real, professional opponent? Would she do well at all in a real battle? Would she-

"Miss Berdison, your pokemon are fully healed."

And just in time to halt my rising mental monologue. Tuesday hopped off of her seat and trotted over to the service desk to take back her pokeballs. She offered the nurse a smile but little else. Now that she was thinking about being nervous about the gym battle tomorrow, her stomach was starting to feel a little queasy.

The door to the pokemon centre shooshed open automatically and admitted two humans and a couple pokemon. Tuesday couldn't help but grin at seeing them. "Jaima! Meiko!" She rushed over to greet them and nearly tackled Jaima in a hug. A distant glance along the way, however, showed her that the two were holding hands, and considering how the two had been acting recently, she figured Jaima would probably prefer to keep his hands where they were. She settled for bouncing on her heels in front of him with a big grin on her face. "Did you win? Who'd you battle with? What's the gym leader like? Can I see your badge - 'cause I knew you'd win. You're an awesome battler."

"Tuesy, hush," Meiko said, laughing. "I thought you were supposed to be the quiet one?" Tuesday closed her mouth, blushing.

Meiko brought out her video recorder and popped open the side of it, revealing the tiny chip that stored all that she had recorded of the match. "Why don't we watch the battle, instead of ruining the surprise?" She winked at Tuesday. "And there's an extra video on here, too, that Jaima thinks you might enjoy."

Tuesday cocked her head to the side cutely, curious. "What else did you record?"

"I'm not ruining the surprise!" Meiko stuck out her tongue. "You go find us a room with a television, I'll go find us some popcorn, and Jaima can go heal his pokemon." She made a shooing motion at the both of them.

"What do you, like, want us to do?" Lyla asked, dragging Darryn over by her grip on his wrist.

"You can get drinks," Meiko told Lyla, and then glanced at the last member of their team. "Darryn, you just stand there and look pretty."

"At least give me a challenge!"

Posted by: Living Arrow Sep 4 2011, 10:05 AM

“Thanks, guys – see you at the Fidona Contest Hall!” Darryn waved off the latest batch of fans that had cornered him in the Pokemon Center. With his latest win slowly sinking in, it was difficult not to wear an enormous smile with every fan that came his way. Whether it was screaming girls, kindly OAPs or even fellow Co-Ordinators who had not made the grade during the Appeals round, he stood by patiently and allowed the flash of camera bulbs blind his eyes at the Reception desk of the Pokemon Center without complaint.

Finally, when the lights dimmed in his eyes, Darryn found himself staring into the gaze of none other than Elliot Weathers.

“Er…”

“You must be Darryn Kellor,” The Pokemon Stylist said, nudging his thick-rimmed glasses to the top of his nose. Darryn could see that the lenses were flat, proving them to be a mere accessory – nothing less from The Great Elliot Weathers. Just being in the global designer’s presence made Darryn feel weak. The joy from his Contest win were forgotten as almighty awe took over. “The young man who just won the Mirrormist Ribbon?”

“Yuh-yessir.” Darryn blinked. Elliot Weathers was talking to him! Him!

For all of those trainers who were not aware, Darryn could have spent hours talking about Mr. Weathers’ achievements, fashion tips and television appearances but for now the rest of the world was forgotten.
Clad in a perfect Indigo suit with lavender pinstripe made by his own fashion label (WtW – Whatever the Weather) and polished black leather loafers, matching spectacles and styled-to-look-messy hair, Elliot Weathers clearly didn’t take any days off from his profession. His smile was clean and bright, skin flawless and eyes lazily hooded even when creased at the corners in a smile. If Darryn had been fifteen or twenty years older, he’d probably try to get a phone number off of the stylist but he wasn’t dumb enough to try (Elliot was probably older than his own Dad!).

“Well, then,” Elliot Weather went on, “it gives me some pleasure to inform you that our talent scouts that reported you as a rising star in Arasam have now confirmed your status as a competent Co-Ordinator and we’d like to sponsor you through a style-development program.”

“Buh…”

“The 4-week course comprises much of what you will have been doing in your training already but you’ll also be giving lectures to local aspiring young Co-Ordinators in Petropolis. You’ll have access to advice from all of our top-level stylists and beauticians throughout the sponsorship and we would, of course, foot the bill for your living expenses throughout.” Elliot Weathers went on. Whether or not he noticed that Darryn had phased out onto a plane of pure cool leaving his face in a state of pure shock, he didn’t let on. “Is this something that you’d like to get involved with?”

Darryn blinked. It was un. real. Did Elliot Weathers just invite him to join a stylist development program?! All expenses paid?!

“Uh, yu-huh.” Was all Darryn could get out. Later on he’d have to yell at himself for being such a yokel in front of Elliot Weathers but right now he was riding the wave.

“Good!” Mr. Weathers passed a stylish leather shoulder-bag to Darryn and nodded firmly. “In here you will find all of your enrolment material for the course and dates for when you are to give talks at a variety of Pokemon schools within the city. At the end of your course a certificate will be passed on to you via carrier-Pidgey in five-to-ten working days and we’ll give you a call for an informal feedback session.”

“Mmhmm.” Darryn grunted through his broad grin.

“Right. Well, welcome to the team, Master Kellor.” Elliot Weathers held out a hand for Darryn to shake. He took it quickly and rejoiced in the smooth firmness of the celebrity’s palm while vowing never to wash that hand ever ever again. “I have a couple of extra meetings to make this afternoon so I must dash. Please prepare for your course this weekend – your first lecture is Monday afternoon.” And with that, the man out of fashion stardom clip-clopped in his expensive shoes out of the Pokemon Center.

“Next Monday?!” Darryn blinked after the man like a startled Hoothoot.

“Oh, Dar! Look it’s Jaima and Meiko! They look, lik, totally psyched so I bet he won! Let’s go see how he did!” Lyla dragged her cousin enthusiastically by the arm.

The video of Jaima's battle went by in front of Darryn's eyes slowly as he relived the past minutes of his life again and again. Being head hunted by someone like Elliot Weathers was not something he should take lightly or without massive gratitude. When Darryn had begun his journey he had been a regular Pokemon Trainer like Jaima and after only a short while he had come to be involved with and love Pokemon Contests. Yes, it was a natural transition given his background and interests but had he seen it coming? Not in a million years.

And now, after getting only his second Ribbon, Darryn was being given another opportunity. One that he could not turn down.

*I'm going to have to leave them.* Darryn told himself slightly as Lyla whooped at the television screen - the Gym Leader's Espeon and Umbreon falling together. *But I've been with them for so long now that I don't know how to travel without them... They've supported me so much and I'm, what? Turning my back on them? Is that how they would see it? No. They'd still tell me to do whatever it took to make my dream come true but I don't want to see them go...*

"Go on! Like, punch him in the face! Yeah, Shadow! Woo!" Lyla rocked at Darryn's side, completely engrossed in the video.

*But I wouldn't be alone. Lyla would be with me until she has to move on with her own work... BUt then, I could stay with her - we both need to go to Fidona soon. It's hard, but there's nothing for it, really... I'll tell them all tomorrow. Darryn Kellor's going it alone.*

Posted by: Master Houndoom Sep 9 2011, 06:29 PM

Jaima smiled and kissed Meiko's cheek as she returned with her camera. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, raising her brows as she looked up at him, pulling back. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, half amused, half mischievous. Jaima nodded.

The Pokémon Center in Petropolis was humongous, easily rivaling those from Goldenrod or Fuchsia, almost as big as the one in Castelia City in Unova. In a land sprinkled here and there with townships and villages, a sprawling metropolis was almost out of place. With the larger space came more amenities, and Jaima had managed to secure them a sort of private screening room, added on for just such an occasion. It was here, a cozy space with open doorways that allowed bystanders to come in, if they so desired, that Team Rogue (plus Lyla) gathered to watch the video.

Unfortunately, the room was not large enough for all of the pokémon to be out, especially since many had doubled in size since the beginning of the journey. Jaima's problem wasn't so bad: Ember, Shadow, and Fang were still being cared for. Mercury floated at his shoulder, as usual, and Grondir at his feet, making himself voluntarily useful by bringing, and holding, a cool fruit smoothie in the bulb on his back. Tsunami had decided to go soak (literally), as she had seen the battles from the stands.

Meiko had giggled, but brought Cosette out, who trotted and sat next to Grondir. Nightwish soon popped out of her ball, earning a wary glance from Mercury.

Why, I'm surprised to see you out of your ball, Mercury sent with a cool feel to the mental communication. I would have thought it was time for your nap.

Nightwish sneered slightly, but that was the only indication of her ire. I am onwy hewe in the intewest of equaw wepwesentation fow my twainews team. Jewk. the gothita sent haughtily.

Mercury's eyes hooded. It's not a competition, dearie. We all trust each other.

So you say, Nightwish cooed with condescending cheerfulness, but she has doubts. Wots of dem.

Mercury gave no answer, but stewed in her own mind. The gothita had hit the mark earlier: If not for her, Mercury could have looked to find what kind of doubts Meiko might have, and help assuage them. But it would be rude to do that to another pokémon's trainer. This wouldn't be nearly so bad; with a pokémon like Cassandra, Mercury could trust that pokémon to take care of things. With someone more like her, she could either offer to help or wait for the other to discuss the issue. Nightwish..?

Nightwish was evil.

Jaima stood as Meiko went to hook the camera to the television, smiling at the group. "Folks, I do want to show you my battle. It was my best one so far, and I'm proud of it. But I have a rare treat. Ladies and Us, Darryn... I present to you Reilly Coons!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Sep 13 2011, 12:33 AM

"If you can defeat my first two pokemon, you will then face Buzzard." The bitter cry of the mandibuzz seemed to frazzle through the air as the vulture pokemon perched upon the rafters. Fierce red eyes sought out the forms of the two pokemon who stood on either side of Reilly, as though she were already waiting for the two of them to fall. Mandibuzz were, after all, scavengers; the idea that she was merely anticipating their doom sent shivers racing down Phoenix's spine, and Indiana clutched his tail just a little closer.

"If you're ready, then, Master Coons." Despite Vega's cheerful demeanor, and his clear excitement for the coming battle, the air in the gym seemed darker now than it had been. Reilly swallowed thickly and, unable to speak, merely nodded sharply. He had been through many battles before, winning and losing, but why did it seem like this was the most important one? He has defeated the Sinnoh League completely; this new region was nothing to be concerned about.

The gym leader's pokeballs burst open to reveal his first two opponents. "Indiana, you're on the sneasel! Phoenix, take the slowbro!"

That had been his first mistake.

It had been hours since his battle had completed, but Reilly was still beating himself up about it. There were so many things he could have done better. He should have sent Indiana against the slowbro. The pokemon would still have had a type advantage against the monferno with his water attacks, yes, but he was at least a secondary evolutionary pokemon. Phoenix might not have been fainted so early in the game if he had given a thought to placing her against the sneasel. Her fire-attacks would have done wonders against the partial ice-type, even without being a partial fighting-type, like Indiana.

Reilly ran a hand through his hair, making the crimson locks stand up even more than usual. Buttercup had really salvaged the match with her electric attacks, once the mandibuzz took the field, but Reilly was still mad about how the match ended.

The sound of a voice calling out an attack - "Fury Swipes, and keep away from his claws!" - sounded eerily familiar, like hearing an echo of his own voice down a long hallway. Reilly turned to see where his voice had come calling from and saw a group of some-familiar faces regarding a television in one of the group rooms in the pokemon center.

Reilly moved over to the room, the sound of a pokemon battle getting louder the closer he got. He saw a few familiar people plopped down on a couch - there was Jaima, and the redheaded loudmouth he travelled with. The fancy kid, Davin or whatever his name was - bloody show-off. And there was the runt. There was another girl sitting on the couch, practically laying on Davin, who seemed to be a part of their group. There were other people there, too, who didn't look like they were there to be with Jaima's group, but just to watch what was on the television. The were sitting in armchairs or standing behind the couch. One lanky dark-haired kid was balanced on the arm of the couch, his eyes glued to the television.

Reilly slipped quietly into the room and into a back corner, out of the way of the other people in the room, but somewhere were he could see what was showing on the television. And as he regarded the screen, he saw himself (a surprise, despite his expecting it) standing on one side of a pokemon arena, facing off against Vega.

As he watched, Indiana ducked the fury swipes attack from the sneasel and backflipped, smacking his opponent in the chin with his tail as he moved out of the way of another attack.

"Fire Spin, Indy!"

"What the hell's the kid doing just using fire attacks on a sneasel?"

Reilyl jumped at the commentary and turned to see one of the kids standing behind the couch was sneering at the television screen. A few of the others, including some of those from Jaima's group, seemed to have been drawn to the boy by the question. "The sneasel's a dark-type. He should be using fighting attacks. Any half-assed trainer knows dark is weak to fighting!"

"And anyone with enough sense to think before acting knows that sneasel is part ice-type, and ice is weak to fire."

Jaima, who had kept his eyes on the screen while the boy was talking, glanced back to make his point. "Their trainer is thinking before he acts, and conserving energy for the greater battle with the third pokemon. It's a wise decision."

The boy quieted down for a moment, before muttering, "I would have just used fighting attacks. The battle would have ended faster."

"Arrogance diminishes wisdom," Tuesday murmured under her breath, without turning from the battle on the screen. She had been engrossed from the beginning of it. Back in Pallet Town, she loved it when the trainers came through to visit Professor Oak, because many of them would challenge each other to battles and she would be able to watch. It was one of the ways that she learned so much about pokemon (what she didn't read in books, at least), and it taught her to be prepared for the strangest of combinations from your opponent.

She hadn't ever been concerned about berries before from of the trainers passing through town had given their pokemon some to use during a battle. After one particular battle that had been close the whole way through had been won by the weaker opponent due to the use of a berry, Tuesday had taken to researching the different types of berries and uses.

Tuesday watched Indiana's fire spin send the sneasel flying backward into unconsciousness. The pokemon had eaten a chople berry, which, honestly, probably wouldn't have been enough to save it from fainting even if the monferno had been commanded to use only fighting-type attacks. However, it would have been enough to allow the sneasel to cause more damage, and that was what won matches - not fanciness or a single attack, but the combination of attacks and accumulation of damage over time.

"It was smart of Reilly to have Indiana use fire attacks."

"I agree."

Tuesday blinked. She hadn't realized she'd said her thoughts aloud until Jaima agreed with her. She glanced over at him and he smiled at her, making Tuesday grin. She turned back in time to see Indiana got pummeled into the ground with a psychic attack, and see Reilly's third pokemon take the field.

"Electrike's a good choice for this match," Jaima said, sounding cheerful. He leaned forward eagerly, and Tuesday couldn't quell her own excitement. The electrike could probably easily handle the slowbro - he had been receiving damage from both the monferno and the growlithe, before fainting them both. But the mandibuzz... that was going to be an interesting battle to see.

Posted by: Living Arrow Sep 18 2011, 09:59 AM

Darryn watched in relative quiet as the Gym Battle between Reilly (the brat) Coons and the local Leader, Vega, took place. It was pretty straight forward in Darryn's eyes. One attack called, then another, and another - nothing like his own venture in the Petropolis Contest Hall. Yet again he was reminded of how far he had come since starting out as a Trainer in Gigarte. Being a Co-Ordinator had meant not only a shift in battle tactic but also style, basic Pokemon health and the sacrifice of power to maximise on poise and precision. Did that make his Pokemon weaker than if he had trained them to fight Gym matches? He wanted to say 'no' but his experience in Arasam taught him otherwise.

"Hey, Dar..." Lyla elbowed her cousin back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"Are what these guys saying, like, true? Fighting types totally beating down dark types? Conserving energy? I, like, don't get it..." She mumbled, unable to truly remove her gaze from the screen as he eyes flickered between Darryn and the ongoing battle.

"Uh, you know that, Lyla." Darryn rolled his eyes. "You went to the Pokemon Academy and I doubt you'd forget simple match-ups like those."

"Oh, yeah..." Lyla blushed quickly, her face matching her pink-infused Emotaglow of embarrassment.

<You and I both know you're not some dumb blonde, Lyla.> Darryn sent to her silently as they continued to watch the battle. <And we both also know that you're not a complete beginner when it comes to battling. So, why try and show yourself off as someone who doesn't know the basics?>

Lyla's face flushed deeper. Darryn peered into the depths of her Emotaglow but found not one trace of deceit in there... He blinked.

<You did pass battling 1-0-1, didn't you?>

Lyla's eyes tore from the screen, locking with her cousin's in a wide-eyed glare that not only sang with fear but also anger and more than a little desperation. Darryn's jaw dropped. Lyla was unable to send messages back to him but he didn't need to hear her to know she was begging him to stay quiet. She had studied at the Johto Pokemon Academy - a school for people who excelled in certain fields of Pokemon training - and battling had been only one of the basic classes she would have been enrolled for.

<You didn't pass?! You flunked it!? But your mom and dad... OH MY GOD! You haven't told them! That's why you're working now! You dropped out, didn't you!?>

What came out of Lyla's mouth at that point sounded less like "excse me, I need to go to the bathroom" and more like the sound a Rattata makes when you step on its tail... Darryn chuckled to himself as his red-faced cousin dashed off in search of respite and settled in to watch the end of Reilly's battle. Travelling with his cousin was going to be more eventful than he had first thought.

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Sep 19 2011, 09:16 PM

Reilly was growing increasing uncomfortable the closer they got to the end of the battle.

It was by nothing more than luck that his third choice of a pokemon was one that would have an advantage against Vega's. He'd no idea that the gym leader would have a fully-evolved flying type as his final battle monster, but that in itself seemed to prophesize his doom. He was pitting his small, amateur electrike against a fully grown mandibuzz. There was no way that Buttercup could win...

But the electrike proved to be a great deal more resourceful than Reilly had planned. Even when he felt that all was lost and he was staring his opponent's final, finishing move in the face, Buttercup moved on her own instinct to thwart the buzzard's attempts to take her down. In the end, her stubbornness won Reilly the battle, but she, too, lost the fight with unconsiousness. Only the fact that the mandibuzz fainted first won Reilly the badge, and he still wasn't sure he deserved it.

"That was a really close battle."

"Yeah, Vega had him cornered the entire time. I'd win all my battles too if I was that lucky!" The laughter that followed this sharp comment nearly caused Reilly to flinch. As it was, he stepped back into a corner of the and ducked his head as some of the people took their leave. He didn't want anyone to recognize him.

Jaima and his group didn't leave, though, and some of the other people remained, or others stepped into the room as the second battle on the recording played. Reilly watched Jaima's battle against Vega with rapt attention. The blonde-haired boy was an incredibly good battler... Reilly sighed. So much way better than him.

"Are Shadow and Ember okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine." Jaima called out the two pokemon in question, as well as Fang, who had battled Vega, as well. Pleased to see that the lucario and quilava were well, Tuesday grinned down at the luxray.

"Fang, you were amazing!" The luxray raised its head proudly, as though this should be obvious to anyone, and Tuesday startled the pokemon by hugging him soundly around the neck. "I wish I had been there to see it," she said, and released the lion pokemon, only to rub her palms down his mane. "You're so beautiful, Fang," she murmured, thinking about getting a chance to draw a picture of the luxray later. She'd always liked Fang, who truly was an incredible pokemon, and how amazing was it that he seemed to have changed so much from one evolution? Perhaps she could do some recordings on that...

"Oh." Tuesday folded her hands behind her back as she turned, somewhat embarrassed, to look at Shadow and Ember. "You two did a great job, too. It was an incredible battle." She grinned at Jaima. "I want to learn Japanese even faster now. Next time, I'll get to watch you battle, and I want to know what attacks you're using, when the gym leader doesn't."

Reilly kicked his foot against the wall, propelling himself forward, as he strutted out of the room. His loud display called all of their attention to him, and he turned his nose up as he made he way out the door. "Some would call such a technique cheating," he muttered, loud enough for them all to hear.

Though... it really was a great idea... He tried to ignore his thoughts as he left the room and headed toward his rented room for the night. I wish I'd thought of it...

Posted by: Living Arrow Sep 20 2011, 04:01 PM

The end of Reilly's battle was an unpredictable one for Darryn. In his eyes, Vega had the battle won long before the the Mandibuzz had been summoned to take on like Buttercup the Electrike but somehow that tiny green Pokemon had won through. True, it was shear belligerence that had won the day for the challenger, but if Darryn had learned anything from travelling with his friends and watching his own Pokemon battle it was that personality and guts went a long way - sometimes even further than training itself. Heck! look at Zulu! That lazy beast barely lifted a finger in training but his mood swings made him a pretty effective battler when he got angry.

The battle ended and the surrounding groups of kids began to give their opinions on the battle. Darryn pursed his lips. Sure, the Coons kid was a complete brat but dissing him so openly after he won the match was just stupid. How many of those kids had the local Gym Badge? One? Maybe two at best?

It was all shrugged off. Reilly wasn't what Darryn was interested in - Jaima's battle had been the focus of his evening.

In the entire time that he had known the teen from Johto, Darryn had gained a lot from watching his friend train and battle. At first, it had been the way to treat your Pokemon like companions rather than pets. Then it had moved on to training with your own Pokemon after watching Jaima and Shadow spar almost every morning to keep both of their bodies and wits as sharp as possible. Later it had been guidance in the way individual Pokemon required personal traiing to suit their individual styles and needs. But throughout all that Darryn had never been the one to ask Jaima for strategy tips...

It was an odd thing. Strategy and combinations had always been one of Darryn's strengths and were absolutely vital for his new found profession as a Co-Ordinator so seeking advice from his friend had never really seemed necessary and yet here they were and Darryn was learning once again something new from the leader of their little group.

*Is there anything he can't do?*

Darryn watched as Tuesday and Jaima congratulated his combatants through thoughtful eyes. Jaima's strategy to dupe his opponent with a mask to cover his plan of attack was not only inspired but incredibly effective. If Darryn had been the one on the receiving end of that form of battling there would have been no way for him to counter any attacks effectively, let alone win. Then again, Jaima's plan had a flaw. It was incredibly minor but it was there. What if Vega had been able to speak Japanese? Would Jaima have been able to treat the Gym match the same way? Would the result have been the same? There would be no way to tell now but it did leave Darryn thinking that there must always be a backup plan to throw an opponent off even in a situation where your initial plan didn't go so well. After all, half the battle was between the two trainers rather than the Pokemon. It would take some thought, but with a great idea laid on the table he'd expand on it and come up with a developed plan for his next Ribbon...

*And now he's even teaching me how to battle. It's like he's getting stronger and stronger all the time and I'm... I'm what? A flashy brain-rapist? It's even more clear now. I have to find my way as a Co-Ordinator and as a Trainer to be able to get as strong as Jaima - sitting in the background isn't going to cut it anymore.*

There was a curt 'bang!' from the back of the room. Everyone's eyes flicked up and Darryn swiveled in his chair to see the fiery-haired Coons kid stalking from the room (his Emotaglow was matching his mane perfectly).

"Some would call such a technique cheating."

Darryn rolled his eyes. The brat had a lot to learn - listening to your audience's critique and not taking everything to heart was just one lesson coming to him.

"Whatever," Darryn sighed, turning back to face his friends, "I think that strategy was absolutely amazing - there was not only a language barrier to support the battle but your team didn't even have a delay to work out what you were asking them to do. That sort of training isn't just effective - it's super effective! Trust me, Jaima - we could all learn a thing or two after seeing a battle like that." He looked to Meiko and Tuesday then back to Jaima. "It doesn't matter how experienced we are or what training we've already done - that was an incredible match. The combinations were spot on, defences and offences completely balanced, and you kept your cool way better than I would have. You really do deserve to wear that third Badge no matter what anyone says about that strategy."

"Woah, chick-flick moment!" Meiko giggled.

"I'm totally serious!" Darryn laughed back. "I've got some serious training to do of my own now that I've seen that! But first, I'm gonna hit the sack and sleep this fame off - it's starting to reek of 'rising star' in here!"

There was a collective mock-groan as Darryn got up and made his way to the front desk to collect his healed Pokemon.

<You are sad, Prince Darryn?> Lady waited patiently by his tray of Pokeballs, her large chestnut eyes searching his calmly.

"I can always count on you to know how I feel, can't I?" Darryn sighed, slowly clipping the balls back onto his belt. He could subconsciously feel the weight of the MirrorMist Ribbon in his Ribbon Case weighing down the bag hanging off his shoulder. "Let's get to our room and I'll tell you all about it."

Posted by: Master Houndoom Sep 25 2011, 11:35 PM

Jaima felt his face heating up, first at Reilly's off handed snap about something being considered "cheating", and then at Darryn's praise. He had considered that he might have been cheating, but if he had, wouldn't Vega had called him on it? No, he didn't think so. There was no harm in using natural resources such as the fact that he was bilingual, so long as he commanded his pokemon properly. The battle in a gym wasn't just a battle for a badge, it wasn't just about how well the pokemon fought. It wasn't even about how well the trainer commanded them. The battle in a gym, in any sanctioned battle, was about both the trainer and the pokemon, and Jaima, for once, was proud that he had proven that he and his pokemon were a well oiled machine.

Meiko, however, was still looking angrily after Reilly, who had left in what sounded like a huff. Jaima, at first, felt the same, but noticed, perhaps (and he couldn't be sure one way or another anymore) with Mercury's help, certain clues about Reilly when he'd left.

He was speaking loudly and clearly, a sign that he had planned to say something he possibly didn't believe.

He had called attention to himself before leaving, to make sure he was heard.

His ears were red.

His fists were clenched.

All of those together screamed embarrassment, and, remembering how his previous battle with Otis had gone, he sort of felt the same way. He had been distracted from dwelling on the results by Tuesday's disappearance, and in the end, by the time all of that was done with, he hadn't paid attention to any feelings he might have after. His "sister" was safe, he'd won a badge, and everything seemed to be all right again.

But if he'd had time? He would have been embarrassed that, in the end, only that Tsunami had known Endeavor had saved him from a loss.

"What a little tool," Meiko mumbled. He sighed and squeezed her hand, and she looked at him, a mix of pride and defiance etched in her features.

"Go easy on him, Mei-chan," Jaima whispered to her. "I got my second badge in a similar manner."

Meiko blinked at him, then looked back in the direction Reilly had gone. When she looked back at Jaima, her lips were firmly pressed together. "That doesn't give him the right to be a little jerk."

"Nah, you're right," he said, causing a lot of the tension to go out of her posture. "He's got some issues to deal with, I think. But, hey, not everyone can be as awesome as me." He flipped his hair dramatically. Meiko responded how he'd hoped; with a smirk, a puff of air, and a light smack to his chest.

"Really, though, I'd love to see his next gym battle. I will lay you odds that he trains with his pokemon and learns more of what they can do." Jaima nodded.

Meiko raised a brow. "Oh? And why do you think he'll do that?"

Jaima winked at her. "I did."

He had to smile at Tuesday's enthusiasm. She wanted to learn learn learn, and he could tell she wanted to study Fang a bit as well. He'd give her the opportunity, of course. Just not right now.

He was tired. And he wanted to spend some alone time with Meiko.

As he, arm in arm with Meiko, walked back to their room, Tuesday still chattering (quietly, but it was still more than normal. Had they really ever called her "Silence"?) about learning Japanese, and Meiko happily giving her a demonstration of some choice phrases (Jaima'd nudged her once when something suggestive was implied, grinning at her, and Meiko had stuck out her tongue. Unknown to him, he'd just given a clear signal that the phrase was suggestive...) they said good night to the younger girl at her room and sauntered off together.

When they got to Meiko's room, however, she became nervous. Jaima looked at her, confused and a little concerned, but she smiled it off. "Um... I..."

She paled, looking over his shoulder, down the hall way. Jaima saw her expression change, and looked, but there was nothing there. When he turned back, Meiko was gritting her teeth. Jaima peered at her until her eyes met his, and then she put a hand on his chest.

"Trick of the light. I thought..." She shook her head. "I must be coming down off of an adrenaline high!" She laughed, a little too forcefully, but when Jaima opened his mouth to comment, she leaned up and kissed him. "I'm OK. I promise..."

Jaima looked at her, then took her hand. "OK. Do... do you want to..." he sighed, biting his lip. "Watch a movie?"

She looked at him, blushing and then, to her own surprise, nodding. "OK." She opened to door to her room and held it open for him, and he stepped in. As he did, she peered down the hall, then shook her head, as if to clear it.

There was no way Toshiro was here. She was just being stupid...

right..?

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Oct 2 2011, 08:08 PM

There was a strange smell here.

Ashleigh sniffed the floor at the end of the hallway. Something had smelled last night, but his alpha had wanted him inside her room, and he hadn't wanted to leave her alone when there was a strange smell. He had curled up with her the previous night, protectively determined to keep her safe.

Now, however, it was morning. His alpha was getting dressed, and Ashleigh had slipped out of the room to find the strange scent that he had smelled the previous night. It was here, at the end of the hallway, that a scent lingered, though he could not place it. But it was here, close to his alpha, and could be a danger, so he would not forget it.

And if he smelled it again, he would know.

Tuesday pushed the eggs on her plate around and around with a fork. Spearing a piece of greasy bacon, she nibbled on the crunchy parts and discarded the, unfortunately more frequent, chewy parts with a sigh.

"You okay, Tuesy?"

She glanced up at Jaima, putting a shaky smile on her face. "I'm just not hungry."

Jaima studied her face for a moment, clearly not believing her, but it was Meiko who leaned over and patted Tuesday on the hand. "I know you're nervous, honey, but you need to eat something. You're going to do fine on your battle today."

The admission served to remind Jaima of what was happening today, and make Tuesday sink lower in her seat. "I think I might forfeit," she mumbled, considering sliding below the table.

"None of that, Tue-chan," Meiko admonished with a smile and a waggling finger. "You know better than to up and quit. You'll be fine. We've seen you battle and you're great."

Tuesday merely whimpered in response, but she said nothing more about quitting. She held a pokeball tightly in her hands, trying to squeeze it to ward off the sick feeling in her stomach. She was so, so worried, but today was the day. Today, she had her first gym battle.

And she was so not ready.

Posted by: Living Arrow Oct 3 2011, 04:48 PM

Darryn took a deep breath. This was it.

“They'll, like, totally get it.” Lyla rubbed Darryn's arm for comfort. “I can tell they really love you, Daz. All of them would, like, want you do go if it was what you wanted to do – that's, like, what friends are for.”

“Yeah...” Darryn whispered more to himself than to Lyla. He needed more convincing than his cousin could supply but there was no way around it. Logic would always win through as long as he was young and had a growing career. Friends would be friends forever but opportunities like these just wouldn't show themselves again in his lifetime.

“Here goes...”

And it was there, in the cafeteria of the Pokemon Center in Petropolis, Darryn told his friends that he would be leaving them and why. There was shock. Sadness. A mix of positive encouragement with hidden remorse. Everything that he could have really expected. Naturally, they were saddened that he had to leave right there and then to make it out to the first day of the course and would be missing not only Meiko's Pokeathlon debut but also Tuesday's first Gym battle.

“You'd better keep filming these things.” Darryn insisted to Meiko as he hugged her goodbye. “I'm going to watch every tape when we meet up next.”

“And anything the camera misses, I'll want to hear about in full detail from you, Tuesday.” Darryn chanced the hug and was relieved that the smallest member of the group didn't shy away. He had grown closer to her the the time they had travelled than he had expected that he would. Spending time with someone that much younger than him wasn't something he had done in forever and even so he didn't notice that he was her senior half the time.

“And you.” Darryn locked eyes with Jaima. Behind those thin-framed glasses, Darryn saw a completely different trainer to the one he had met in Gigarte. He was stronger, more decisive, reliable, kind and thoughtful about those around him. He was their leader in every sense of the word. “You keep getting stronger, Jaima.” Darryn grabbed him by the hand in a handshake but they embraced around their clasped hands all the same. In that grip, the Co-Ordinator grinned at his friend. “Because next time we meet up, we're going to have a rematch!”

Lyla watched on from what she called a 'safe distance' as Darryn said his goodbyes. Her cousin was really lucky to have found such an awesome group to travel with but Lyla considered herself even luckier. Yes, Darryn was her cousin but he was also one of her closest friends and to have him with her was literally the best situation that Lyla could think of.
To her, Darryn was not only a talented friend but a supreme confident and someone she could trust completely - there wasn't a safer pair of hands that could look after her in all of Furoh!

Slowly, Darryn's goodbyes were finished with the group and he made his way back to her – his eyes brimming with tears. Lyla waved politely over his shoulder and nodded to the group of trainers that she had met the day before with a smile that she hoped read 'I'll make sure you find him one piece' before she linked arms with her cousin and they left the Pokemon Center doors.

A single tear ran clear down Darryn's face as they made their way to the bus stop.

“Oh, great!” Lyla threw her arms up and planted them square on her hips.

“What?” Darryn wiped the tear away and stared back at her with wide eyes.

“I forgot you were a perfect crier! Can't you, like, do something without looking good at the same time?!” Lyla complained loudly. Darryn laughed and threw an arm around his cousin's shoulders.

“Nope, just the way I am!” He laughed, rubbing his eyes one last time and together they embarked on a new adventure.

Posted by: Master Houndoom Oct 7 2011, 05:43 PM

Meiko found Jaima staring out of a window in the large lobby of the pokécenter. Darryn and Lyla had already left, and the group had briefly gone their separate ways, both to deal with the emotions such a sudden parting had brought out and to see to their pokémon. Though none of her pokémon had seen much action that day, Meiko still had them checked over, a habit she had picked up early in her Journey: If she were at a pokécenter, she asked the Nurse to give her team a look.

Of course, Jaima had sent his pokémon in after his Gym Battle, even the three that had only watched. They had been released long before Shadow, Ember, and Fang, of course, and the Petropolis Pokécenter (East) was very efficient, allowing Mercury, Tsunami, and Grondir to be released while the other three were still undergoing some therapy.

She walked up behind him, stopping a few feet away. She had to talk to him, as well, but wasn't sure if he could take much more. A Gym Battle, watching a Contest, and now his best friend leaving was quite a lot to deal with.

She couldn't see his face, but she could see his shoulders, and they were tensed. She walked to him, slowly, and stopped only when he spoke.

"Heya, Mei-chan..."

She blinked a few times, and he must have noticed her confusion in the same way he noticed her presence. "Saw your reflection in the window," he said, before turning. Yes, there it was, as expected, that deep, sad look in his eyes. He was hiding it, and well, but she knew it from a few experiences with it. He had told her, once about a dream he'd had in which Tuesday had died and he had tried to go back in time to save her, only to end up killing Mercury as well from the repeated psychic backlash of the death. Even he had admitted the dream didn't make a lot of sense, but it had haunted him all the same. When they had arrived at Tuesday's Uncle's house and...

Well, it had been a hard time for them both.

It was there now, but not as deep as the last time, closer to when he had described the dream than when she had slapped him (bah, she thought, I was trying not to remember that part). She gave him a smile, trying not to notice that hers was much dimmed from usual. She, too, would miss Darryn.

"You OK, Jai-chan?" She reached for him at the same time he reached for her, and that caused both of their smiles to brighten considerably.

"Yeah. Just kind of sucks. You?" Meiko tried to give him a quizzical look, but it fell flat immediately.

"I'll miss him, that's all. All of them." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Even Lyla."

Jaima wrapped his arms around her, and spoke, softly. "Not the first time, you know. That we've parted ways, I mean. Back in Lenoilia, I stayed behind while him and a girl named Mindy left with another travel partner named Darck. Mindy ended up going back home, and I haven't heard from Darck in a long time, but, as you know, we met up with Darryn again." He smiled. His next musings, however, were interrupted by the cry from a Swellow.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Mr. Postman?"

Meiko and Jaima looked at each other and grimaced, but shrugged, deciding to let it go. Just as they turned toward the door, it opened, and Mr. Postman, Jaima's family postal pokémon, soared through it to land in the lobby. He looked like a shiny swallow with a green vest that had gold stripes along the bottom, but it was actually more complicated than that. Jaima's mother had pictures to prove it, of a taillow's body with a spherical head. His mother had rescued this one from a lab in Japan shortly after a young trainer had broken up the team of villains that had funded it.

Apparently, the story was not that uncommon.

Hail and well met, Son of my Owner! I have news from the family! Meiko started, and blinking, looked at Jaima.

"Long story," he said, gently, keeping hold of her hand. She raised her brows expectantly. "Short version, he's half natu and has some psychic ability as a result... so... not that long a story."

Mr. Postman bowed to Meiko, but kept his attention on Jaima. An unfortunate accident over the ocean caused me to lose the mail I carried, he said, his mental voice sounding upset, however, he straightened. This is the reason I read the mails that are sent to me. Jaima blushed, and oddly, so did Meiko, but if the bird noticed, he didn't make comment. Your mother and sisters will be at the PokéCon in Furoh this year, and wish you to know and make plans to attend. Jaima blinked, and looked at Meiko, who also looked surprised.

A pair of thin, metallic tickets fluttered up and, almost uncontrolled, fluttered against Meiko as if blown by the wind. "ZUBATS!" she cried, backing away and swatting. "ZUBATS on my face!" She stopped, as suddenly as she started, narrowing her eyes and swiping the tickets from the air flushed bright red. "Don't DO that!"

My apologies, Mr. Postman did sound apologetic. I can sometimes cause the wind to move, but haven't the fine control of a true psychic.

From the corridor, out of sight from Jaima and Meiko by virtue of being mostly dark colored and floating near the ceiling, a single mental voice bore into Mr. Postman's consciousness. Stay away fwon hew! She mine!

Mr. Postman looked up, and, seemingly, surprised her when he sent his own single-target voice at her, more like a bludgeon than an ice pick, but almost as effective. I have n ointention of taking her. Nightwish scowled down at him, and, briefly, Mr. Postman allowed a smile behind his beak. Oh, you're going to be trouble...

Stay out of my deawings and you wiww nevew find out how wight you awe, came the mentally growled reply.

Meiko looked at the tickets, all three of them, and then looked up and grinned. "What do you say, Jai-chan? PokéCon? It's pretty soon!"

Jaima looked at the tickets, then reached into his pocket, tossing a aspear berry to Mr. Postman, who snapped it from the air, saluted, and lifted off, out the door. "Sounds like a good idea!"

Posted by: Umbrae Calamitas Oct 8 2011, 06:42 AM

“Good morning, Tuesday.”

Sitting at the computer terminal, Tuesday smiled at her shalafi, her mentor. It had been too long since she had spoken to him, considering that before she had begun her journey, she’d seen him almost everyday. It was strange, to have separated herself from the people she once rarely left the company of. Perhaps she was growing up…

“Morning, Professor Oak,” she said quietly. Although her voice was slightly more subdued than when she usually spoke to him, she truly was happy to see him. Regardless, he still picked up on her mood.

“What’s bothering you, my very young apprentice?”

The obvious, and surprisingly rather adept, reference made her smile brighten a little, but there was a lingering sadness in her eyes. “A friend of mine that we were traveling with had to leave,” she said quietly. “I’m going to miss him, that’s all.”

It really was more than he just had to leave, though. Darryn had needed to leave so suddenly, and there had been no warning to his departure other than the one he gave right before he and his cousin walked out of the pokemon center. Tuesday wished they had known a few days ahead of time, or even a few hours, so they could have given him a better farewell or, as her uncle would have put it, a proper send-off.

Of course, DeBrody was always looking for more reasons to jump off of Voodoo’s back.

“Ah.” Professor Oak nodded sagely, calling Tuesday back into the here and now and out of the world of wishes and what-ifs. “Yes, I can understand that. Perhaps you can dampen that with letters, in the meantime.” He smiled at her. “You’ll reunite with him in the future, I imagine.”

Tuesday grinned at him. Of course they would! “That’s a good idea.” He smiled back at her, pleased.

“Now, not that your friend’s leaving isn’t worth focus, but I called to ask you something.”

“Hm?”

“You may have heard, or perhaps not, depending on how well you’ve been keeping up on the news, but there were a number of pokemon discovered on a new region. A number of these pokemon were being transported manually to various facilities on the four original regions, but unfortunately, the transport was compromised, and the pokemon escaped. No doubt they’ve been making themselves comfortable wherever they’ve found homes, and I’m not sad if that’s the case. However, a couple of the pokemon were set to be transported to my lab, and while I can manage well enough for some time without the majority, I was rather looking forward to one in particular.”

Tuesday was intrigued at this point, her normally cloud-like blue eyes clear and focused on the screen, immersed in the seeming-tale she was being told by the professor.

“I have some connections with some of the people who were trying to capture the escaped pokemon, and while they were unable to capture the one I had wanted, they did manage to tell me where he fled to. As it appears, he’s not all that far from where you are, and I was hoping you might be interested in performing a little field work for me, if you’ve the time.”

Tuesday sat up straighter. “Field work, sir?”

When she had left Pallet Town, with much reluctance, the professor had told her to consider the journey as performing work as a researcher in the field. Although his words were kind, she had always assumed that he’d intended only to placate her so that she would leave on her way. Although she was later, and now, grateful to him for his insistence, she had never thought any different, despite not contradicting people, like Jaima, when they introduced her to other people as a research assistant under Professor Oak. However, if he was honestly asking her now to perform field work…

“Yes, Tuesday. You see, I happen to have one of these pokemon on hand at the moment – a female. I had been planning on breeding her with her male counterpart, to record the differences between domestic and wild pokemon. However, being as this pokemon has managed to escape and immerse himself into a new region, that plan is likely to be void. The data will not be fixed, since he’s suffered a transportation process, malfunction, and lived in two separate regions.

“Instead, if you’re willing, I’d like you to go and find one of these pokemon for me – a male. It need not being the one I was having transferred to me. I would be surprised if you’d manage to capture the exact one. Instead of sending him directly to me, would you be willing to train them? It would be interesting, for the moment, to record data on the differences between the domestic pokemon, and one trained by someone on their journey.”

Tuesday’s grin was clearly apparent, for the professor was nearly laughing at the end of his speech, amusement and happiness glimmering in his kind eyes. All traces of sadness were forgotten in the wake of Tuesday’s utter excitement. This would be so much fun! It would be so interesting, to finally do some field work, to capture a new pokemon – a brand new pokemon from a new region!

“What pokemon is it, Professor?” she asked, nearly bouncing in her seat but trying to retain some semblance of professionalism.

“Your friend Jaima’s swallow, Mr. Postman, stopped by my office not long along, and offered to take the information to you. He should have a file with him containing everything you need.”

“Oh, he may be here, then,” Tuesday said, looking toward the door to her room. “Jaima and Meiko are still in the lobby, I think.”

“Very good,” Professor Oak said. “One more thing, before you go, Tuesday.”

The young girl looked back at the man she considered everything from a teacher to a grandfather. “Professor?”

“Since you’ll be performing field work under my instruction, I would like to suggest that you officially take on the title of Research Assistant. I’m sure you’ll perform this job well for me, and I have no doubt that I may need your help again in the future, should you agree.” He smiled at Tuesday’s emphatic nod.

“Wonderful! Now, I know you have a gym battle today, so I don’t expect you to begin your search until after it’s completed.” Tuesday blushed, not expecting him to have heard of it, though of course Brone would have told him after he’d heard about it in her letters. “You should call if you need anything or if you’re having difficulty, and good luck, Tuesday.”

“Thanks, Professor,” she said, grinning at him excitedly. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know. That’s why I asked you.”