[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Start planning that apology, Reilly," Tuesday suggested, glaring in annoyance, "you have a lot to cover."

He chuckled. "We'll see." He tossed his pokeballs in the air. "Let's go!"

The first of Reilly's pokeballs opened with the sound of chimes dancing in the wind. Soft green light flashed, blinding Tuesday from seeing the pokemon that appeared.

"Listen up, Tiny, and I'll introduce you to your execution squad. First up on the team of your destroyer's is Princess Buttercup!"

The green light faded to reveal a green dog-like creature with yellow streaks on her head. Her pink tongue was lolling out of her mouth as she leapt from paw to paw, yipping happily, tal wagging with fervor. The red collar around her neck jingled and chimed as she moved.

Tuesday couldn't help but smile at the creature. She loved canine pokemon, and what a cute puppy. She had to remind herself that this was a battle. She'd gawk later. And then she'd sketch.

The second pokeball opened with a deep groaning sound that took only a minute for Tuesday to recognize. It was the sound that the Ents had made on Lord of the Rings, though, of course, the book had been much more informative than the movie. Still, she'd never forget the sound; it was unmistakeable.

Leaves burst into the air when the pokeball opened - crispy autumn leaves of multiple colors - and swirled around in the air, obscuring Tuesday's view.

"And allow me to introduce to you your second executioner! Welcome to the battle, Treebeard!"

Tuesday stared as the leaves began to disperse, expecting to see a massive tree before her, reminiscient of the great Ent in the book.

She was sorely disappointed.

"It's... tiny," she muttered.

"About the same size as you, actually," Reilly commented.

"I am not that small!" Tuesday yelled. "But I know just who to use against that little guy."

When it came to plants of any kind, there was one pokemon that Tuesday relied upon most of all. No matter what he came up against, he could always get the job done.

"All right, Tempest, you're on the dog. And for your... plant, Reilly, I'd like you to meet Dante, traverser of the nine circles of Hell!"

Reilly gave her a funny look. "What?" he asked.

Tuesday rolled her eyes. "Nevermind," she muttered, and tossed the pokeball.

Next to Reilly's animated pokemon entrances, the sound of Dante's pokeball phwishing open didn't seem all that grand. But the red light flashed and released the charmeleon, and that was all that mattered.

Dante leapt from foot to foot, dancing on the spot excitedly. Tempest leapt down from Tuesday's shoulder to crouch next to the charmeleon, ready to fight.

Jaima looked at the two of them, then looked at Meiko and shrugged. Raising a hand, he brought it down sharply as he had seen many referees do, and stated loudly, "Begin!"

That was all that was needed.

Tempest flew forward with obvious intent, her focus on the green dog pokemon. Dante, on the other hand, hung back, dancing lightly, awaiting orders.

For a moment, Tuesday entertained the thought of seriously getting a pokedex. She didn't know what sorts of moves her opponents would have, but now wasn't the time for wishes. It was time for action, as Tempest no doubt agreed.

"Pest, use thundershock!" she called, and heard the pikachu answer with an affirmative cry, leaping into the air and releasing an electric attack from her cheeks.

Reilly chuckled. "Buttercup, use tackle."

The dog barked soundly and leapt forward. The thundershock hit her, but didn't seem to have any effect other than to spark along her body.

Tuesday's mouth dropped open. "Wha?"

Then the dog slammed into Tempest, throwing the pikachu back with an angry cry. Tempest rolled end over end, before catching her bearings and getting back on her feet.

Reilly laughed. "You should know what you're up against before you send your pokemon to their doom," he commented snidely, "not that you ever had much of a chance to begin with." He grinned. "Princess Buttercup is an electrike, since you're obviously unaware - an electric type pokemon. Electric attacks won't have much effect on her. Better luck next time, Smallstuff."

"Stop calling me names!" Tuesday snapped. "Tempest, use quick attack. Dante, you're on the tree." The boy could be cocky all he wanted about Tempest facing his electrike, and he was right - electric attacks wouldn't have as much of an effect on another electric pokemon. However, he was out of luck when it came to his other pokemon. Dante decimated plant pokemon, and there wasn't any hope for them. "Ember, Dante!"

Dante ran forward, claws hanging at his sides as he dashed quickly across the way, head bent down. He drew a deep breath as he ran and then jumped when he reached Treebeard, raising his head and spitting out a burst of flames.

Tuesday laughed. "Gotcha!" she said.

Reilly smirked. "Really, now?"

Dante landed with a growl and a hiss, leaning to the side and grinning as the flames dissipated. To their complete surprise, the creature just blinked at them. "Bon?" it asked, as though it had expected something much more elaborate. "Bonbon ly!"

Reilly laughed outright. "You should really consider going back to school and starting your pokemon journey when you grow up!" he said. "Treebeard is a bonsly - a rock-type pokemon. Your fire attacks won't be that effective." He smirked. "You're making this real easy on me, Tiny. Don't you have anything worth my time?"

Tuesday clenched her fists in outward defiance, but Reilly's words made her wonder. Maybe this was a mistake. She hadn't ever seen either of the pokemon that he was using, and had thus been unprepared. She was putting her pokemon in danger because of her ignorance.

Jaima cleared his throat and Tuesday turned to look at him. His hands were behind his back and Officer Jenny was standing close to him, but he seemed calm. "Not all pokemon are limited by type, are they, Tuesy?"

No, Tuesday thought, they're not, but...

A pokeball on Tuesday's belt abruptly burst open, and Zorro appeared in a flash of red light. He stood next to Tuesday, gazing at the occurring battle, and grinned. He looked at Tuesday, grinned, saluted, and pulled his ballcap out of nowhere. Then, to Tuesday's complete embarrassment, he began that strange dance style that he had been doing at the contest battle, after the regular cheerleading became boring.

Tuesday stared at him for a long time, watching him dance and grin, and she couldn't help but smile. He never let anything get him down, did he? Well, she ought to take something from this, then. Zorro was standing at her side, cheering on his comrades (even if oddly) and having faith in them. The least she could do was the same.

Not all pokemon are limited by type.

Tuesday gasped suddenly. Of course!

She turned back to the battle, grinning. "Dante, use Dragon Rage!"

Dante danced from foot to foot in a circle. When he had moved in an entire circle, he threw his head up, and blue fire erupted in a twister around his body. With a snarl, he brought his head down in the same moment that he took an aggressive step forward, and the blue flames exploding forward.

The bonsly cried out in surprise, just before the flames struck and surrounded him.

Reilly snapped his teeth together, obviously not having expected that, nor liking it. "Treebeard, use low kick!" he cried, when the flames dissipated.

"Jump, Dante!" Tuesday cried.

Dante kicked off the ground, but slapped and dragged his tail against the ground, throwing up dirt. When the bonsly dashed forward with his low kick, he slid right into the dirt and it got into the creature's eyes, causing him to cry out.

Dante grinned then, a toothy smile that Tuesday didn't see often, but which always meant he had something up his proverbial sleeve.

What are you planning, Dante? she wondered.

Crouched on his hind legs, the charmeleon drew back his right arm, claws splayed. "Char," he hissed, and his claws began to glow white and seemed to lengthen.

"What is that?!" Tuesday asked.

"Meeeeeeeeeleon!" Dante clawed, and slashed his claws forward, slicing into the bonsly. Treebeard cried out as the white claws struck him, and was thrown backward with the force of the attack.

He hopped to his feet moments later, but the attack had obviously done a number on him.

Tuesday was gaping. "Dante! Since when do you know Metal Claw?" Dante turned and flashed her a triumphant grin, proud of himself, before dashing after the bonsly.

"Sounds good to me," she said. "Metal Claw again, Dante!" She turned to Tempest, finding she and the electrike circling each other like stalking luxrays. "Tempest, quick attack!"

"Chu!"

"Quick attack away, Buttercup!"

The electrike dodged expertly, then came up behind Tempest and slammed her in the back with a tackle. The pikachu landed, spinning to hiss at the canine, and quick attacked forward, this time connecting.

This is tedious, Tuesday thought. Electric attacks aren't that effective, so we've been reduced to physical attacks. I don't have a ground-type pokemon, so there's no pokemon I can call out who would have an advantage over his. But at this rate, Tempest is just going to tire herself out, and if I need her later...

Tuesday thought about the possible pokemon she could call out. Zorro was right there, dancing beside her, and the types of pokemon that he was weak to weren't out on the field, if Reilly had any flying or psychic types. But Zorro wouldn't have an advantage over the electrike, either, and she might need him later. He was fast, of course, but... she didn't know what other pokemon she would be up against.

That left one option.

"Tempest!" she called. "Get back here and take a break."

"Chu!" Tempest cried in defiance, obviously feeling like she was being replaced.

"Pest!" Tuesday said, "Tag Team!"

Tempest glanced back at her and took a moment to consider the implications. The idea of a tag team battle, however, didn't seem nearly as bad as her being replaced, so she dashed back to Tuesday and leapt up onto her shoulder. Tuesday raised the pokeball in her hand up to Tempest, and the pikachu slapped a paw against the ball.

Tossing the pokeball in the air, it burst open. Tuesday wished she had some fancy opening for her pokemon, because she was certain Wraith, who already looked brilliant upon entering, with his beautiful cream coat contrasted by his black mane and tail, would appear amazing with a musical entourage.

Still, it caused her to smile when she heard Reilly gasp at the sight of the black-flamed ponyta, rearing as he whinnied loudly, kicking out his forelegs and tossing his head.

"You're positively brilliant, Wraith," Tuesday whispered, still in awe at the beautifully-dark pokemon. Wraith whinnied, ears swivelling to hear Tuesday.

Beside her, Zorro leapt into the air with a happy cry, pleased to see Wraith again. The ball cap disappeared and was quickly replaced with his cheerleading outfit. Zorro pulled a pair of pompoms out of seemingly nowhere, and began to dance and wave them around wildly, cheering.

Wraith let out a sound much like a snicker, and Tuesday smiled. "All right, Wraith, you're on the electrike. Ember!"

Half-rearing with a whinny, Wraith leapt forward, firing off an ember attack at the electric dog. The puppy dodged with a quick attack at Reilly's command, and came back with a tackle attack.

Wraith staggered as the attack caught her in the side. Snorting angrily, she turned and fired off another ember attack, and dodged the electrike's incoming quick attack, before kicking the dog harshly when she bucked.

Tuesday turned to see Dante use Metal Claw again on the bonsly, and the rock-type pokemon that looked like a grass-type staggered as he got shakily to his feet. This looked almost to be done.

"Treebeard, use rollout!" Reilly called, sounding worried.

Rollout? Tuesday chewed her lip. "Dante, dragon rage!"

"Meeeeeeeeee!" Dante cried, throwing his arms wide as though begging for a hug. He made a sound like laughter, and Tuesday had no doubt that he knew exactly what his cry sounded like to them. Arms still spread wide, he danced in a circle again, firing off a blue twister of flames at the bonsly, causing the creature to cry out.

When the flames dissipated, the bonsly staggered for a moment, before fainting in defeat.

Reilly stepped forward quickly and scooped the bonsly up into his arms, moving back to where he had been standing originally. He "hmphed" at Tuesday, rubbing his pokemon's back and muttering something too low for her to hear to it, before recalling the pokemon. Looking slightly put-out but unwilling to admit her success, he grabbed another pokeball. "I guess it's time to up the stakes," he said. "It's time to wash away the competition! Let's go, Boromir!"

He tossed out the pokeball and it exploded open with the sounds of a horn. The Horn of Gondor, to be precise. Tuesday gaped. Did this kid name all of his pokemon off of books, too? She'd have to ask him, once he wasn't an enemy anymore.

That meant, of course, after the battle.

The flashing likes, like multiple explosions or tiny fireworks, vanished, revealing an orange and cream colored pokemon that stood on two legs. Tuesday stared at it. It was positively adorable!

"Boromir!" Reilly cried. "Water Gun!"

Reilly:

Electrike (Buttercup) - on the field
Bonsly (Treebeard) - fainted
Boromir (Buizel) - on the field

Tuesday:

Pikachu (Tempest) - recalled
Charmeleon (Dante) - on the field
Ponyta (Wraith) - on the field
Riolu (Zorro) - cheering

[Living Arrow]

The Ribbon Award Ceremony was a whirlwind of lights, cameras, microphones and shouting onlookers in Darryn’s mind – a insane cacophony that he…. absolutely… ADORED!!! Troy stood there, smiling at him with that gorgeous grin of pearly whites while presenting him with the Metalliclaw Ribbon of Arasam. Darryn stared down at it in awe – the wickedly hooked golden claw pin framed by red ribbons with white stars. It seemed to be the ultimate testament to Troy – a flashy ribbon gripping the cruel claw that represented his harsher side of battling from his days as a trainer. It was magnificent.

Darryn’s friends collated around him, all giving their heart-felt congratulations and he accepted them all graciously, glad that he had people behind him and supporting his latest venture. He let them begin the walk back to the Pokemon Center alone and instead went to find Troy to thank him for the opportunity for the Ribbon. Troy, however had other plans.

“Now, let’s get out of here and make nice after our first falling out.” Troy said under his breath as the cameras went over to Gillian Meridian to close the show. He winked suggestively and ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Falling out?” Darryn frowned. “But we-”

“You knocked out my two favourite Pokemon, bitch. We totally need to make up!” Troy insisted, his hand insisting that Darryn follow him as it gripped his belt tightly.

Darryn gulped.

~

Anyone casually passing the men’s bathroom after the closing ceremonies would have noticed that the janitors had proclaimed it out of order and the door locked accordingly. Now, anyone passing that same door with their wits about them would have been able to hear the sounds coming from inside. Sounds that would make toes curl and hair stand to attention… Not that anything else should be standing to attention…
The door clicked unlocked and the door opened slowly, a beautifully handsome face scanning the surroundings with shining icy eyes. Troy ducked back inside quickly.

“Is anyone there?” Darryn asked, still panting slightly as he pulled up his jeans and straightened his hair. Troy sauntered over and said nothing, merely fixing Darryn with a paralysing stare of seduction before pulling his body close once more and forcing his mouth against Darryn’s.
Darryn closed his eyes and accepted the warm embrace, enjoying the feel of Troy’s hot wet mouth against his and moaning painfully as Troy pulled away and handed Darryn his shirt. Troy, somehow, had managed to get all of his own attire back on in record timing and Darryn was about to find out why.

“Go meet your adoring fans!” Troy announced, dragging a shirtless Darryn to the door and pushing him outside to a pack of screaming girls.

Darryn’s face reddened in an instant, his shirt donned faster than Romeo getting to his breakfast, trying anything to maintain even one piece of dignity that he had left. His new fans squeezed in around him, thrusting autograph books in his face and holding cameras aloft, begging for a photo with their new favourite Co-ordinator.

~

By the time Darryn managed to free himself from a set of screaming pre-teens who were convinced they were going to marry him, the redness in his cheeks had faded and all he was left with was thoughts of abusing Troy the next time he saw him. Abusing him in the fun way and the not fun way…

He got outside to find, much to his surprise, Tuesday mid-battle with some red-headed little trainer with an Electrike and a Buizel. Neither seemed very impressive. Darryn came up alongside Jaima and folded his arms.

“So, what did I miss?” He asked.

Jaima looked him up and down quickly. “Well, while you were clearly redressing yourself after your boyfriend had finished with you, Tuesday managed to get herself into a Tag Battle with this kid… You were quite quick… I hope Troy isn’t a disapp-”

“Thank you, Jaima!” Darryn stopped, that blush of embarrassment returning instantly. “But I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Jaima pointed at the label on his shirt… he was wearing it inside out… Darryn gave in.

“Not disappointing at all, actually.” He stuck his tongue out at him playfully and they turned their full attention back on the match.

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima's eyes actually rolled, but he had to grin. It was nice to see Darryn more comfortable with himself. At least one of the two of them should be.

Darryn had been stressed out before, but was now the picture of relaxation. Jaima thought it probably had a lot to do with the person Meiko insisted was Darryn's boyfriend, but also thought it had a little bit to do with the fact that he had excelled in an arena and piossibly even found where his talent lie. And that was always a good thing.

He could feel the glare of Jenny on his shoulder, but kept his attention on the battle. This Reilly boy was good (... wait, did he just say 'this reilly boy'? He was turning into his father!). Tuesday was showing herself admirably adaptive and had already knocked out the young man's (ok, stop now, you're just doing that on purpose!) bonsley, but the appearance of a water type caused her to tense up. Jaima had a brief, queasy feeling that it had nothing to do with the fact that both of her types on the field were fire types.

Jaima squirmed against the cuffs. They were starting to chafe.

* * * * *

Meiko and Joy walked, quickly, to where the battle was taking place, and Meiko could have sworn she heard a huff of, "I should have known," before the nurse moved to pass her. She came up next to Jenny and asked, very calmly, "What are you doing, Jennifer?"

Jenny's head whipped around, and she actually blinked before forcing her face to set. "He can't just get away with it."

"With what, Jennifer?"

Meiko took a look at the battle. Tuesday was sweating, and there was an electric type and a cute(!) water type on the field opposing her magnificent ponyta and her charmeleon. Bad situation, but at least Dante hadn't evolved yet, or she'd be facing a double type disadvantage. Tuesday's hands whipped to her belt, but a raised voice to the side distracted her from the battle.

"You're too forgiving, Joy! He's just like the last one! Just like Jamie!"

Jamie? Really?

Joy sighed. "Jamie was cruel and wanted me to sleep with him. He left when he couldn't. Jaima left to go and find his cyndaquil. It's too different things."

Jenny's voice roughened. "And why didn't he contact you? When you mailed him, why didn't he at least mail back and say 'nah'?"

"Because he was involved in the Team Deception attack on the mountain, and, evidently, a small matter that hurt him badly before that." Joy looked at Jenny evenly. "We've spoken, and I believe him... and," she blushed, "I'm already seeing someone else."

Jenny gaped at her. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Joy actually smiled, albeit sheepishly. "Because..."

Jenny seemed to catch something that Meiko couldn't. "No! I hate when you do that, Joy! We've known each other a week!"

"But his friend is so nice!"

Meiko rolled her eyes and turned back to the battle, sidling between Darryn and Jaima. Jaima leaned over. "Man, I thought it was going to get ugly there for a moment. I've never seen Joy get that angry..."

Meiko scowled, looked at Darryn, then burst out laughing. She leaned to the co-ordinator and whispered, "Not your boyfriend, huh?"

"Shut up!"

"Can I have your autograph, you're my favorite co-ordinator," she giggled.

Jenny cleared her throat. "Mr... Kuonji. I'm sorry for..." She sighed. "Just let me get my cuffs..."

Jaima held them out to her, smiling a bit. "Thank you, Mercury," he said, seemign to enjoy Jenny's stunned look. Jenny snatched them from his hand and snarled. "I'm still watching you, and you're little Team Rogue!"

Jaima gaped. As did Meiko. "You were the one who called us that first," she called to Jenny's retreating back.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

The water gun attack was aimed at Dante, but the attack missed when a fierce beam of red light consumed Dante, sucking him back into his pokeball at the same time that Wraith disappeared into hers. Tuesday stood with a pokeball in either hand, face pale. She knew that she was being ridiculous – a water gun attack wasn’t going to kill either Dante or Wraith, unless the otter pokemon aimed directly at the flame on Dante’s tail, and even then…

Old habits died hard, however, and water still frightened Tuesday, along with the chance of Dante specifically losing his tail flame. There had been too many close calls…

“Are you surrendering, then?”

Tuesday looked up at the voice, spotting Reilly directly across from her. He looked a bit confused, but mostly amused, a grin spread across his face.

Tuesday shook her head, but knew that showing him that she was afraid was something that she would never live down. “No,” she stated firmly. “I have someone else who will handle your water pokemon a bit better. That’s all.”

“Is it?” Reilly asked snidely.

“Shut up,” Tuesday muttered. “Tempest?”

“Chu,” the pikachu replied, bouncing out to the field.

“Didn’t we see this dance already?”

“Shut up!” Tuesday snapped. She turned to Zorro. “You up for it, Zorro?”

“Riiiiiiiiiiiiii!” Zorro cried happily and nearly leapt out of his cheerleading outfit. He bounded excitedly into the field and slid to a stop, grinning.

“Finally,” Reilly muttered, making Tuesday grit her teeth. Normally she was calm enough during a battle. What was it about this kid?

“Pest, you’re on the water pokemon-“

“He’s called a buizel,” Reilly informed her. “God, don’t you know anything?”

“I’m not from here,” Tuesday muttered.

“Neither is he.” He rolled his eyes. “Stupid kids.”

Tuesday snapped her teeth together. “Tempest, Thundershock! Zorro, use Force Palm!”

Tempest leapt forward with an angry cry and charged the buizel, leaping into the air and firing off a thundershock attack. The buizel dodged swiftly and came back with a water gun attack on command, which struck the still airbourne Tempest, but didn’t do much but toss her backward.

She landed on her feet and rushed the otter pokemon, electricity curling around her body as she sped seemingly into a quick attack. Her fur stood on end, and when she struck the buizel, it was with a physical and elemental attack. The buizel was flung back with a cry, and Tempest rolled backward as well, shaking her head dizzily as she stood.

“Tempest!” Tuesday yelled. “Stop using that move!”

“Chu,” Tempest muttered, and quick attacked the rising buizel.

Meanwhile, Zorro was dancing and dodging the attacks from the electrike, having a good ol’ time making the dog pokemon dizzy running circles around her.

“Quick attack, Zorro!”

Zorro, who had leapt over the electrike’s head to land behind her, rushed forward and slammed into the pokemon, bowling the canine paws over head. The electrike yelped loudly, but got to her feet.

Zorro stuck out his tongue and danced on the spot.

“Buttercup, use Swift!”

“Ri?” Zorro yelped loudly when the golden stars struck him despite his attempt to dodge. He hit the ground and rolled to his feet, shaking his head out and looking flustered and embarrassed. His eyes narrowed. Oh, and angry.

“Force Palm, Zorro!” Tuesday said, and the riolu threw his hand forward, blasting the electrike off of her feet.

Behind Tuesday, her trio of friends stood watching. Tuesday heard Jaima say something about her doing a good job and she smiled. She heard Darryn mutter something, and then the sound of a mechanical voice speaking as he used his pokedex.

”Riolu, the emanation pokemon. It has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves. Known attacks include Quick Attack, Foresight, Endure, Counter, Force Palm, Feint, Reversal, Bullet Punch, and Vacuum Wave.”

Tuesday blinked. She had never heard of some of those attacks before, but…

“Zorro, use Bullet Punch!”

“Olu ri!” he cried, leaping forward. His paws moved quickly, causing the electrike to yelp and try to escape, but she couldn’t.

“Buttercup, quick attack away!”

“Reversal, Zorro!”

Zorro moved quickly, twisting and thrusting both paws out together, hitting the electrike in the chest.

The dog pokemon flew back with a yelp, landing on the ground a rolling to a stop, unconscious.

Reilly growled as he recalled his fainted Buttercup. “This isn’t over, yet,” he said.

Tuesday grinned. “Good. I’m not done having fun, yet.”

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima's brow raised. Tuesday's double recall, while unexpected, was understandable. She'd told him flat out she feared water, and it made sense that she would fear it even more when it came to her fire types. Sending in Tempest was, of course, the best possible move, and he'd been eager to see how Zorro would do taking commands. Up until now, the riolu had only fought freestyle.

And danced. That riolu was dynamite!

Shadow, too, seemed eager, but not to watch Zorro. He wasn't so much bouncing as he was swaying, and watching Tuesday as if to see what she would do. His eyes were half lidded, unfocused, but Jaima didn't really worry much about that. As a riolu, he had often seemed not to be watching but still dodging blows during their training. Whatever senses he must have were probably enhanced since his evolution.

Mercury floated at his shoulder, and when he looked at her, she smiled at him. He couldn't help but smil back. He'd been worried, so worried, since Carello, but now she seemed all right. He reached out mentally, like a blind man in an empty room, and she met him half way, taking in his pride and relief that she was all right.

Grondir sat on his feet. Not at, on, but Jaima wasn't compaining. He had a feeling that it was Grondir's weight more than Jenny's lack of strength that kept him in one place, and he was happy for it. True, it was a bit of rebellion, and it was probably a bad thing to encourage, but his pokemon had been subtle and passive, despite looking liek they'd been about to attack. Officially, he should be stern with them, but he was secretly pleased.

Meiko pressed against his side, and Jaima fought a blush. He looked down at her just as she looked up. She was in his silk shirt, her arms bent over her chest, and her shoulders were hunched. Jaima hadn't sent Mercury to her room as he'd planned, mainly because Meiko hadn't asked, but also, secretly, because he enjoyed the sight of her in his shirt, and it covered her well enough, the hem of it going almost to her knees. A guilty pleasure, but she hadn't complained. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer, and when she blinked in confusion (happy confusion, he hoped he was seeing) he smiled a bit, feeling heat in his face. "You looked cold."

Meiko flushed and smiled, then nodded, turning her attention back to the battle. "Thank you."

Jaima swallowed thickly, well aware that he was snuggling a girl with his ex-girlfriend (and the friend of the ex-girlfriend who would love to see him tossed out a closed window onto sharp, pointy spikes for hurting her friend) within feet of him. He couldn't bring himself to look at Joy, both for fear that she'd be upset, and that it would look as if he were being smug. So he turned his mind to other matters.

"Tuesday's doing a really good job. Much better than I did in my first battle..."

Meiko looked up at him, then back at the match. Darryn tutted.

"She shouldn't let Tempest use a move like Volt Tackle," he muttered, "unless it's going to get her the win. It's too risky."

Jaima opened his mouth, but it was Meiko that answered. "Something tells me, Ribbonboy, that Tempest doesn't give Tuesday a choice in the matter."

The two carried their conversation too low for Tuesday to hear, and Darryn raised his pokedex, pointing it at the riolu. It seemed almost too loud when it listed off the riolu's moves, but it still peaked Jaima's interest.

"I really need to get a pokedex," he said. "Luck isn't going to win me any more badges." He looked at Darryn. "Zorro's pretty well trained. I've never heard of Vacuum Wave or Bullet Punch. Can you check Shadow for me?"

Darryn nodded absently, but made no move, intent on the battle. Finally, Shadow, smirking in good humor, stepped in front of Darryn's pokedex, which automatically took a reading.

Lucario, the Aura Pokemon. By sensing the aura of its opponents, Lucario can read their thoughts and movements. Known attacks include Force Palm, Detect, Foresight, Metal Claw, Quick Attack, Counter, Hi Jump Kick, Mind Reader, Bone Rush, and Dark Pulse.

Jaima blinked, but Shadow only nodded and stepped away.

Joy leaned in to look at Shadow. "Is that the riolu you had in Lenoilia? I had wondered, but now I'm certain: one of his parents was a medicham." She nodded. "It explains his serenity. Most riolu are... well," she giggled, "not as bad as Miss Berdison's, but fiesty nonetheless."

Jaima smiled at her, then turned back to the match. Reilly was either a tactical genius, or a little twerp, he wasn't sure, but he could tell one thing; he could get Tuesday riled up like Jaima'd never seen her before.

"Guys," whispered Meiko, just loud enough to be heard by the two boys she stood between. "Tuesday's birthday is soon... any ideas?"

"I have one," Jaima said. "It's not much, but I think she'll like it."

Meiko nodded. "I have to do some shopping tomorrow. Can we get a cake..?"

"We'll sort it out before we leave. And if it embarrasses her, that's what she gets," Jaima said, flashing a toothy grin, "for not telling us."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Reilly growled as he recalled his fainted Buttercup. “This isn’t over, yet,” he said.

Tuesday grinned. “Good. I’m not done having fun, yet.”

Reilly tossed his fourth pokeball into the air. “Come on out and let’s get ‘em, Lestat!”

Tuesday blinked. “You named your pokemon after a vampire?”

The pokeball opened to the single simple of an organ playing a deep, eerie note, and a thin, grey fog rolled out across the ground. With a pokemon named after the sadistic vampire from Anne Rice’s novels, Tuesday was expecting something massively powerful, like a Salamance or a Tyrannitar.

Not… a doduo.

“Dodo,” the bird’s one head said.

“Duo,” said the other.

Tuesday blinked. “Well, that was anti-climactic.” True, the bird was an odd coloring, no doubt caused by a similar gene defect to the one that Wraith had, but that didn’t change the fact that she had been expecting something far more… impressive.

“Don’t count us out based on looks, Tiny,” Reilly said with a grin. “Let’s go, Lestat. Use Peck on that riolu!”

“Aw, crap, flying type moves,” Tuesday said, resisting the urge to smack herself in the head. How could she have forgotten that for even a moment? “Zorro, dodge it and use Force Palm!”

“Ri riiiii!” Zorro cried, leaping backward, hitting his paws against the ground, and then leaping and flipping over the doduo. He threw his right paw downward and struck the two-headed bird with a Force Palm that knocked Lestat off his feet. Zorro twisted gracefully and landed on his feet, facing the bird as he rose again to his feet, both heads looking unhappy.

“He is fast,” Reilly commented, “but Lestat wasn’t named so just because I like the character. Lestat, be a Brave Bird for me, would you?”

Brave Bird? Tuesday wondered.

With a cry, the doduo rushed forward, his body being surrounded by flames. His speed seemed into increase as he ran straight at Zorro, and then the flames vanished to reveal the doduo surrounded by a fierce blue light.

“Dodge it, Zorro!” Tuesday said.

“Too slow,” Reilly sang, just before Lestat crushed his body into the riolu, sending Zorro flying with a pained cry.

The riolu landed on the ground and rolled to a stop. Tuesday bit her lip when he didn’t get up, but then Zorro groaned and began to push himself to his feet, looking displeased.

Tuesday sighed with relief. “We’re not through, yet, Reilly,” she said confidently.

“Not yet,” Reilly said snidely. “Lestat, Brave Bird again!”

“Tempest!” Tuesday cried. “Thundershock on the doduo! Protect Zorro!”

~*~

Protect the mutt? Tempest asked with disgust. “Lovely.”

With a sigh, she shocked the buizel once more for good measure, before leaving him to recover and rushing over to the bird pokemon flying across the ground at Zorro. Tempest leapt into the air and released electricity from the sacs in her cheeks, causing the doduo to shriek as electricity coursed through his body. He flew off course in his attempt to escape, and Tempest landed defensively in front of Zorro.

Zorro grinned. “Should you no be behind me?” he asked.

Tempest turned and gave him a confused look. “I’m protecting you, stupid.”

“Sí, but if you behind me, can look at mi butt while save it.”

Tempest’s eyes narrowed. “And why would I want to look at your ass?”

Zorro grinned. “Because I sexy and you like it.” He yelped as he dodged the thundershock sent in his direction, and then ducked under a quick attack. “You no attack me! We allies!”

“Allies!” Tempest snarled, chasing after him with electricity sparking at her cheeks. “Not friends! Now come back here so I can hit you!”

“No! I no stupid!” Zorro yelled.

“That’s a matter of opinion!”

“Tempest! Stop it!”

The concern and even fear that they could hear in Tuesday’s voice in that small proclamation caused Tempest to stop, but not soon enough to see the danger looming their way.

Lestat the doduo flew in with blue light consuming him, racing right past the startled pikachu and slamming into Zorro, sending the riolu flying.

“Lestat! Fury attack!” Reilly cried.

With a cry, the doduo raced forward and leapt into the air, pecking repeatedly at Zorro with his sharp beak. Zorro cried out as he was struck, unable to dodge with the doduo’s claws wrapped around his arms. He hit the ground and rolled, staggering to his feet weakly.

Tempest, panting, raced forward, electricity sparking at her cheeks and curling around her body as she fell into the attack that Tuesday had long since forbidden her from using. Tuesday’s attention was so focused on Zorro, however, faced up against a pokemon with a severe type advantage, that she didn’t even yell at Tempest for initiating the attack.

Not that she got to go through with it, anyway.

Tempest leapt into the air, aimed at the doduo. There was a tornado of water, however, and a cry of “BUI!,” and a cream and orange soaked blur flew into her, knocking her off of her course and sending her and her attacker rolling.

The buizel pushed itself to its feet, electricity sparking around it as it moved slowly, flinching. Tempest leapt to her paws and turned in time to see the doduo send Zorro crashing to the ground with a well-aimed peck attack.

The riolu made no smartass comment or cocky retort, and didn’t even try to get up.

The doduo snapped its beak sharply and turned away from the riolu as though it was a creature of no consequence.

There was the familiar click and fwish of a pokeball recalling a pokemon, and Tempest saw, out of the corner of her eye, Tuesday holding Zorro’s pokeball close.

Her eyes narrowed. If Zorro hadn’t been so arrogant-

No. She was supposed to protect him. Flying pokemon were to Zorro what she was to water pokemon. Stronger, faster, better. She was supposed to protect him. Allies.

The doduo had made her a failure in that.

Tempest’s eyes narrowed and she ignored the sound of another pokeball opening and releasing a new ally, as she turned her attention to the doduo. The bird took an abrupt step back at her glare.

“You’re going to pay for that, featherbrain.”

[Master Houndoom]

Joy nibbled her thumbnail. It was a nasty habit that her mother and sisters had all suggested at one time or another that she try to stop, but nothing worked. Besides, her eldest sister Joy bounced her leg when she was nervous, and her second eldest sister Joy snorted when she laughed. So what was one little quirk?

She had no real reason to be nervous. She and Jaima, who stood to her right, had resolved any issues between them. Nevermind that he was standing right here in black pants and a tank top, with the girl who'd supposedly replaced her.

No. She should be ashamed of herself for thinking that. Jaima was a good person, but there was never really any hope of the relationship lasting, He had been distraught when he'd turned his eye to her, and like any good Joy, she had been what he needed at the time. He'd never admit it, and that's part of what made him such a good person, but he had, with her permission, used her.

The secret was, the one thing that most people didn't quite understand, was that she had used him as well, and, if she didn't know better, that he had let her do it.

But that was silly, to think that. Not many had what it took to be the comfort of a Joy on purpose. Maybe Father. Maybe.

And Reilly, when he wasn't hiding behind his bravado and proving to people that not all of the children of the Nurse Family were caregivers, would have been too, if he wasn't related. So Joy, to whom he was closest, would have to look out for him.

What were sisters for?

* * * * *

What... was the little twerp doing here?! Jenny had been so excited when she'd heard Joy was coming from Sunyshore city to help her sisters, cousins, and aunts. Just like Jenny herself had! But then she'd been stationed in Lenoilia, which was no place for a sweet, innocent prson like Joy! She'd had to work hard, and wheedle, and even throw a tantrum or two before Aunt Jennifer would talk to the head Joy and get her transferred.

She had no idea that her little bratty brother would be following along!

Jenny sighed. Maybe her sisters/cousins/aunts were right. Maybe she should pay more attention. She'd been wrong about this Jaima person (though, still, the way that OTHER girl was hanging off of him RIGHT in front of Joy set Jenny's teeth on edge), she'd been wrong about who caused the trouble on Mt. Carello, and she hadn't seen Reilly coming. Was se losing her touch?

She watched the little girl (who couldn't be more than 6) battle Reilly evenly, even a little ahead. Maybe Team Rogue wasn't such a bad set of folks after all...

* * * * *

Jaima winced as Zorro fell. He remembered watching his own pokemon fall. It didn't get easier, but watching them get up after a bit made it more bearable, at least.

Darryn had tutted again when Tempest had used Volt Tackle, but Jaima thought at that point it wasn't a bad tactic. He didn't like double edge type moves, either, but he never faulted other trainers for using them.

Ah well, Darryn was Darryn, and he cared for Tuesday in much the same way he cared for Jaima and Mindy and even Meiko now. He had his ways, and that was fine.

Meiko pulled away a bit, blinking at the doduo, eyes narrowed. She looked back and grinned. "This is a really good battle, Jaima," she whispered. "I didn't know she had it in her!"

"Yeah, evidently this kid knows how to get it out. She's pissed off."

Meiko blinked and looked at Tuesday, who was looking at Zorro's pokeball unconsciously. "You think?"

"Watch."

As they watched, Tuesday's eyes snapped across the battlefield, and her free hand whipped back, pulling her most worn and oldest pokeball to the front. If she had been anyone else, there would have been a scream of rage through clenched teeth. But there was only a cold, quivering voice.

"Dante."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday, as a general rule, did not get angry very often. There were a number of reasons for this. For one, Anika got angry a lot, and when Anika got angry, things tended to break or people got hurt. Equally so, Brone didn’t react well to high emotions, being so psychically tuned to the world. True, he wasn’t as perceptible to emotions as some other psychics, whose base power resided in emotional input, but he was still affected, especially by high levels of anger. Tuesday hadn’t so much learned to control her emotions as she simply didn’t get angry; it didn’t seem worth the time.

Except, right now, she was angry.

Tempest was supposed to protect Zorro, but for whatever reason, he had made her angry and she started attacking him, and then the doduo had gotten a free shot (a couple free shots), and Zorro was unconscious. Tuesday wasn’t mad at Tempest – disappointed in her, sure, and she had even frightened her a little, but none of Tempest’s attacks had struck Zorro and none had been particularly dangerous to him – she was pretty much pissed off at Reilly.

He kept calling her names and being extremely rude, and now his doduo had managed to knock out one of her best friends. He was about to be taught a lesson.

Tuesday reached back and grabbed her first pokeball, the one she knew by the feel of warmth coming from inside of it, by the texture of the old and worn ball itself, and by the smudge mark that never fading from when she dropped it once in oil.

Tuesday raised the ball quietly, muttering only a single word.

“Dante.”

The ball burst open and, in a red light, a charmeleon rushed out. Tuesday had always wondered if pokemon could tell what was going on from inside of their pokeballs. She thought that Dante might have just confirmed that for her, as he didn’t even wait for a command, rushing forward at the doduo.

“Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeleon!” he cried, raising a paw, his claws glowing white and lengthening. The doduo squawked and tried to dodge, as Dante brought his arm down in a Metal Claw attack, tearing some feathers loose from the grounded bird.

Tempest, who he had rushed right past, came leaping through the air, electricity sparking at her cheeks in a thundershock attack.

Once again, however, she was halted by an attack from the side.

A water gun attack whipped through the air, striking both Tempest and Dante. Tempest was bowled over, but Dante, caught in the side, made a sound of surprise and then spun, turning his tail away from the attack and ducking his head down until the water eventually stopped coming.

“Tempest, you’re on the buizel,” Tuesday said. “Let Dante handle the doduo.”

Tempest made a face, clearly not liking this plan. However, she had known Dante for as long as she had known Tuesday, and he wasn’t about to let the doduo go free.

With a sharp, angry “chu!”, she turned and raced at the buizel.

“Having your fire-type on the field at the same time as a water-type is stupidity at its finest,” Reilly called from across the way.

Tuesday made a face of annoyance at him. “The same can be said about having a water-type on the field at the same time as an electric-type. Tempest, use thunderwave!”

“Piika!” Tempest cried in agreement, electricity sparking and hitting the buizel despite his attempts to dodge.

“Boromir, quick attack!” Reilly called.

“Tempest, Lightning Tornado!”

“That’s not a move!” Reilly snapped, looking at her like she was stupid.

Tuesday grinned. “Isn’t it?”

Tempest ran straight at the buizel, who was trying to attack but had been slowed by paralysis.

Only a foot from him, she leapt into the air and twisted her body. Her fur stood on end from the electricity coursing through her body, and they could see the buizel convulse as Tempest hit him with her tail, attacking him both physically and elementally.

“Quick attack, Pest!”

“Sonic Boom!”

The buizel was faster, throwing Tempest back with the force of his attack. Tempest twisted through the air, trying to regain her equilibrium, but still hit the ground on her side.

“Boromir, aqua jet on the charmeleon!”

“Dante, smokescreen! Tempest, thundershock!”

The buizel had already surrounded itseld in a tornado of water when the smoke started billowing from Dante’s mouth, so he didn’t have time to dodge the aqua jet attack. Tempest, limping from her harsh fall, managed to use thundershock only after the buizel had slammed into Dante.

The otter pokemon dodged, the attack shooting past him and striking the doduo. The bird squawked, weak to the attack, and faltered slightly before regaining his footing.

“Dante,” Tuesday murmured, and recalled her fainted pokemon. She held his and Zorro’s pokeballs in her left hand, as she grabbed the archaic ball that contained Wraith. Swallowing, knowing that Wraith hadn’t had much time to practice battling and had already been out earlier in this battle, she hoped that she might be able to handle the doduo while Tempest took care of the buizel. It shouldn’t be too hard.

“Wraith,” Tuesday called, tossing out the pokeball, “ember attack on the doduo. Tempest, quick attack the buizel!”

Still favoring her left foreleg, Tempest dashed in as quickly as she was able, leaping at the buizel. The pokemon moved to dodge, but Tempest still managed to clip his side, spinning him.

“Boromir, ignore the rat! Water gun on the ponyta!”

Wraith was racing quickly around the doduo, firing ember attacks constantly as the bird tried to turn fast enough to keep up. The doduo’s feathers were singed and burnt in places, and the bird looked both exhausted and dizzy.

“Wraith, rear up!” Tuesday yelled.

Wraith spared but a moment to look confused, and then stopped abruptly, rearing with a whinny, her black-flaming mane whipping downward at the momentum of her movements.

The buizel’s water gun attack missed Wraith by an inch at most, flying under her kicking forelegs and striking the doduo head-on, throwing the bird backward into a pile of dirt, where it lay unconscious.

Reilly recalled the doduo and looked ready to throw a fit.

“Boromir, behind you! Fury Swipes!”

The buizel spun quickly at the command, raising his paws and slashing down repeatedly with both of them, catching the leaping Tempest in the face and throwing her back roughly.

“Now, water gun on the ponyta! Take her down!”

Boromir spun again, water jetting out of his mouth. Wraith bucked as she tried to bolt, but wasn’t fast enough. The water gun caught her in the side and caused her to stagger, unbalanced.

“Aqua Jet!”

“Thundershock, Pest!”

Tempest, however, angry and bearing claw marks on her face, gave up on thundershock and let electricity curl around her body, causing her fur to stand on end. She bolted at the buizel and slammed into him roughly, her physical attack knocking him off balance and her electrical attack sending waves of lightning coursing through his body.

Tempest was knocked backward by the recoil of her own attack. She landed on her paws, staggered, and collapsed.

“Tempest!” Tuesday cried.

“Boromir, finish it! Aqua Jet!”

Obediently, the buizel blasted off at the ponyta, hitting her hard in the side with his water-powered attack. Wraith whinnied loudly as she was knocked off of her feet, and collapsed to the side.

The buizel rolled to his feet and stumbled, but regained his balance. He looked back at Wraith as the ponyta tried to rise, but nodded in agreement when she collapsed back to the ground.

Reilly grinned as Tuesday recalled her final pokemon.

“No surprise there,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, “I win.”

Boromir mimicked his stance, nodding sharply. “Bui!”

[Living Arrow]

Tuesday's battle roared on in Darryn's eyes like a private picture show that he had been invited to as a VIP guest. Ringside seats gave him the best view of the battlefield upon which his new friend fought so diligently but diligence didn't win battles. Strategy, practice and a bit more knowledge would have been the ultimate keys to winning a battle like the one she had entered but it seemed the unfortunately for Tuesday, this Reilly kid had more experience.

“No surprise there -I win.” The kid announced primely.

"Greeeat. Loads of feel-good kudos to the kid with a dead Growlithe on his head. Who cut your hair, Stevie Wonder?" Darryn snorted, irritated by the brat's attitude. Tuesday wasn't paying them too much attention - she was more focused on rubbing Wraith's Pokeball in her hand methodically and glaring at the other child angrily. Jaima moved closer to her to comfort her with Meiko not far behind. "You only just won anyway, so can the attitude."

"Who asked you, ladyboy?" Reilly snapped quickly.

"Your Dad when I was spanking his-"

"Mister Kellor!" Joy protested, stopping his comeback before it went too far. Jenny also frowned at him and he blushed, embarrassed that he had begun to stoop to the child's level.

"Darryn!" Meiko stopped him again.

"What?! I was just saying he needs a lesson in manners!" Darryn protested.

"Like you need a lesson in being a man." Reilly snorted back, folding his arms defensively.

"Being and doing are just fine with me, boy. If I were you. I'd shut my pie hole before you find out how much this Skitty can scratch."

"Oh yeah, well-"

"Oh stop it, both of you." Jaima cut the pair off. He spared Darryn a 'seriously? fitting with a kid?' roll of the eyes which Meiko mimicked almost perfectly behind him. Darryn sent a 'sorry' flick of his own back to Jaima and a 'Oooo, backing up your man?!' raise of the eyebrows to Meiko. This was in turn followed by 'shut up or I kill you' and returned with 'nail. head. just give me a hammer.'.

Tuesday clearly had something to get off her chest with Reilly after that so Darryn gave the boy a final glare before leading the way back to the Pokemon Center with Lady hobbling at his side.

<I could kill him, you know?> She sent quietly, but all Darryn could do was laugh while they made arrangements for their Pokemon to be healed by Joy.

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima shook his head when it was over. For Tuesday to be mad, while it wasn't exactly expected, it came as no surprise. To lose one's first battle was hard, and Jaima knew that from experience. It didn't help that the boy, Reilly, wasn't exactly a gracious winner.

But he was having serious flashbacks of Johto hearing Darryn sniping at the boy. At first it was amusing, hearing Darryn take the lad to task. Jaima moved to Tuesday, kneeling next to her.

"You did great, Tuesy," he said softly, but she simply glared at Reilly. Jaima smiled a bit, seeing Meiko kneel on the other side.

"You really did! I can't believe that was your first battle!"

"It wasn't," Tuesday said, softly. Jaima chuckled.

"The mountain... That wasn't what I'd call a battle. That was scary, and no fun at all. But this... admit it... you enjoyed it. I mean, past... er..."

"What Jaima is trying to say," Meiko intoned with a teasing grin, "is that this was a good start, and you learned a lot!" Meiko took Tuesday's hand, pulling it away from Wriath's ball. It was enough to catch her attention. "I lost my first match."

"Me too," Jaima said, shrugging. He did share a secret, small smile with Meiko. "And my second, 'cause Grondir wouldn't hit something that was status affected.

Before Tuesday could react, Darryn's voice, which had been sparring back and forth with Reilly's, sounded. "You're Dad when I was- spanking his--"

"Oh, kami-sama," Meiko muttered, and Jaima closed his eyes.

"Mister Kellor!" Jaima felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment, and Meiko made a noise that sounded like, "che..!"

Darryn was blushing, but still spoke against the protest. "Darryn," Meiko shouted him down. Darryn tried to explain himself again, but Jaima wasn't buying it. He smirked at Tuesday and whispered in her ear. "When these two are around, I don't miss the twins so much."

Jaima caught the words "being a man", and then "being and doing," and that was all he could take. He was incredibly embarrassed. "Oh, stop it, both of you," he sighed, amused, in some small part of himself, that it was the exact tone he'd use when the twins were being extra annoying. Jaima rolled his eyes at Darryn for letting a thirteen year old goad him like that, and he could see Darryn's apologetic look, and a kind of haughty bro raise directed behind him and to the left. Jaima smirked. Behind him, to the left, with her hand on his shoulder, was Meiko. The only person who could be apologetic to one person and snide to the other... that was Darryn Kellor all over.

"Come on, guys, let's get our pokemon healed."

Joy stepped forward. "Miss Berdison, I know you worry. I happen to have a spare Full Revive on me, if you'll accept it with my apologies."

Tuesday took it, thanking the nurse with a look of surprise in her eyes. She gave a short bow, and Meiko nudged Jaima, grinning and winking. Jaima grinned back.

They had almost made it to the Pokemon center when a voice made Jaima freeze. "Hey, Crapweavile!!"

He could feel every muscle in his body tense. He knew that voice. He sighed and turned around.

The boy with the charmander, who Tuesday had admired, was standing behind him. His fists were clenching and unclenching, but he nodded, smirking. "OK, I'll give you that fight. Your Kirlia? Pretty tough. Granted. But you fought against my appeals pokemon!"

Jaima sighed. "Look, um... whoever you are. I don't want any trouble."

"Well, it's found you, and now it wants a piece!"

Meiko stepped forward. "You're obviously drunk, why don't you just go sleep it off and leave us alone."

The boy looked Meiko up and down, smirking like she was a choice steak. "How about I beat up the Karate Kid and you and me go have a little fun--"

Meiko shrunk back a little, her eyes widening in anger, but Jaima's hand was on her shoulder. She twitched, and looked up at him, swallowing thickly. She swallowed again at the look on his face.

"Get out of here," Jaima said, addressing the boy but watching Meiko, "before Mercury spins your charmander like a beanie propeller.

Again.

"Oh, I'm not using Blaze again! I call Hubert the Humongous!" He staggered as he released the ball, and out popped a hippopotas, opening it's mouth wide in a sign of aggression.

Mercury floated forward, already picking up leaves, but theother boy releases another pokemon, a red and blue round fish with a mouthful of large fangs, and a star on it's underjaw. Mercury faltered; it's mind was a total blank to her, and, despite herself, she began to tremble.

Grondir laid a vine on her head, gently. <<Don't worry, Little One. I can handle the likes of him.>>

Jaima, evidently, felt the same way. "I can take anything you throw at me, pal." The other boy sneered.

"Well, this time," he said, curling his lip as six other boys and girls joined him, "I'm not alone."

Jaima crossed his arm, eyes narrowing. Like popcorn, the small sound 'paff's of pokemon behing released sounded around him, and Meiko's voice, a little strained, sounded back.

"Neither is he."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday felt somewhat nervous... okay, really nervous, when the six other people appeared, calling out at least two pokemon each. These weren't simple first-evolutionary pokemon they were being placed up against, and nor were they simply bug or grass types, which they could have easily handled. What stood before them were a variety of pokemon, sixteen in total. Jaima's friend, the boy that Tuesday had foolishly respected, had called out two pokemon, one she recognized as a dark-type that obviously frightened the otherwise un-daunted Mercury.

Tuesday, however, found her attention drawn to an older girl who stood smirking before her. The scent of alcohol rose from her flesh as though she had bathed in it, and Tuesday grimaced as she studied the girl's two pokemon. The first was one that she had seen in a book when looking up pokemon that Dante in particular would be strong against. Glalie, the evolved form of snorunt, would be weak to Dante because it was an ice-type pokemon. Ice, of course, was weak to fire, and so Dante had the advantage there.

Unfortunately, while Dante would also have a type advantage against the Piloswine, this wouldn't mean so much when the pokemon used a ground type attack, which was one of Dante's major weaknesses.

It could be worse, Tuesday thought. She could have a water-type.

"All right, then, happy thoughts," Tuesday muttered. She had healed Dante moments ago and the charmeleon, standing next to her, was more than ready. "Let's go, Dante. Let's get rid of the piloswine first."

"Leon!" Dante snapped, and dashed forward swiftly.

"Smokescreen, Dante!" Tuesday called, when the girl cried out for her glalie to attack. Dante released a thick black smog from his mouth, blackening their area of the field and hiding them from view. Tuesday tried to listen, but couldn't hear anything to tell her which pokemon were where above the sounds of battling around her. She would have to trust Dante to handle that on his own. Of course, she had no doubt he would be brilliant.

"Ember, Dante!"

A black of orange fire erupted out of the smoke and the piloswine reared back with a cry of pain and surprise, the attack catching him close in the face.

Ice... Tuesday thought, recalling the chapter on that particular type of pokemon. "Steel," she whispered. "Dante, use Metal Claw!"

"Damnit!" the girl snarled. "Glacier, use Take Dow-"

"Mach Punch!"

A screeching wail that was half-scream, half-laugh, and entirely half-something else, despite the mathematical impossibilities, sounded just before a brown, pale, and fiery blur leapt out of nowhere. With a clenched fist of red-hot power, the pokemon punched the piloswine in the face, sending the large pokemon careening backward with a cry.

With a flip that involved a ring of fire cast by its tail, the pokemon landed gracefully next to Dante. He cracked his tail like a whip, dusted his hands off, and then winked back at someone behind Tuesday in victory.

Blinking, she turned around to see the pain walking toward her.

"Thought you could use some help," he offered, shrugging nonchalantly even while his face was decorated with a grin.

Tuesday narrowed her eyes. "What's your monkey's name?"

"He's a monferno," Reilly supplied helpfully (too helpfully, Tuesday thought), "and his name is Indiana." He smiled at her as though she were a small and stupid child. "I'm sure you're just a little too young to know who he-"

"Indiana Jones, from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and most recently, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Good choice for a name. It's a good book." She then turned back to the battle, amazingly three times as annoyed as she was when the battle started.

"It's a book?" Reilly asked, looking confused. The piloswine, however, angry, rushed toward Indiana and he was forced to get his mind back on the current situation. "Indy, Blaze Kick!"

With another loud screeching-laugh, the monferno leapt into the air and kicked the piloswine across the face with a blazing foot.

Tuesday blinked, having never seen that move before. "That's..." She bit her lip to shut herself up.

"What?" Reilly asked, grinning. He raised an eyebrow. "Impressed?"

Tuesday glared. "Your monferno needs to work on his landing!" she snapped. "Dante, Metal Claw!"

Behind her, Reilly stood flabbergasted, his mouth working. "His... His landing was perfect! We spent weeks working on perfecting it!"

"You could use more practice," Tuesday said in a sing-song voice, watching as Dante leapt into the air, firing off an ember attack before using Metal Claw as gravity pulled him back toward the earth.

Reilly huffed loudly. "I'll show you some practiced moves. Indy, double-Mach Punch!"

Screeching, the monferno leapt into the air, somersaulting until he was above the piloswine. He swung both fists downward swiftly, blazing red, and hit the piloswine on the top of the skull first with his right, then with his left fist.

The elephant-pig pokemon wailed as the monferno used his sore head as a springboard to flip backward and land next to Dante. He grinned at Tuesday... or Reilly, who was standing right next to her. The target didn't matter - it was annoying no matter what.

Tuesday turned to Reilly with a glare. "Your monferno's Indiana Jones impression could use work, too."

"What's wrong with his impression?!" Reilly wailed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"He pulls off more of a Han Solo look, in my opinion."

"Ha-Han Solo?!" Reilly traded looks between Indiana and Tuesday, looking insulted, hurt, and a little frightened. "Are-Are you mad?!"

"That depends on who you ask," Tuesday replied. "Dante, ember attack on the glalie!"

"Meleon!" Dante cried, leaping forward with a snarl.

Tuesday turned back to Reilly, who was staring at her in complete confusion. "Are you going to join in the battle, or are you standing there so Dante can teach you something?"

"Wha-" Reilly glared with a huff. "Fine! We'll show you how it's done! Indiana, let's give it all you got! Ember and Fury Swipes!"

Tuesday glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Try in a downward circular motion," she suggested.

Reilly looked at her, his lip curling in confusion. "What?"

"Ember and Fury Swipes," Tuesday said, "in a downward spiral, from above the glalie." She met Reilly's eyes. "Trust me."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, but turned and gave the order to his monferno. The monkey-like pokemon leapt into the air, somersaulting until he was directly above the glalie, before plummeting face-first toward the ground. He turned his weight to one side and fell into a spin, firing off an ember attack and beginning to slash at the air with his claws as he neared the pokemon. The flames which had consumed him in his freefall caused the glalie to shriek, as Indiana slammed into him and slashed with his claws.

The monferno leapt clear as the glalie snapped at him with a bite attack, but he was faster than they had realized. "Crunch!" the girl commanded.

"Fire Circlet!" Tuesday snapped.

Twisting on one leg, the other lifted off the ground, Dante released an ember attack as he spun, catching the glalie in the face with an ember attack, before both smacking and burning him with his tail, giving Indiana time to leap away from the incoming attack.

Reilly stared at Tuesday in surprise. "That was..."

"Impressive?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Flashy," he said disapprovingly. "Try to be a little less fancy. This isn't the dance floor."

Tuesday glared as he turned back to the battle. She snapped her teeth together. "See if I help you again," she muttered.

But the battle continued, with them fighting side-by-side.

[Living Arrow]

Darryn shrank back a little as the group of drunken yobs circled his own small group and tried to think of his best plan of action. Unlike the others, Darryn had taken part in two pretty large battles already that day and, as a result, his Pokemon were all exhausted or unconscious back at the Pokemon Center… well… there was one Pokemon…

Darryn’s friends all took their battle positions, spreading out to meet the vicious onslaught of opponents that were rapidly released from their Pokeballs. He chewed the inside of his cheeks nervously as he sized up the forms that materialised in glamours of dazzling white light.

<Stand back, Prince Darryn!> Lady warned, leaping forward to face a rough looking boy around Darryn’s own age who was flicking ash from a cigarette with one hand and clutching a bottle in the other. His released Pokemon was an angry-looking Electabuzz and a nasty Beedrill. He clearly had something for black-and-yellow striped Pokemon.

“Lady, get back here right now!” Darryn chided her, noting how her knees were wobbling with the shear effort to stand firm for her master.

<I shall defend you with all I have!> She retorted, drawing up her tails to wave menacingly at her foes.

<I know you would… but you’re in no condition to battle… I’m sorry I have to do this…>

Lady looked back over her shoulder with wide eyes as the light of her Heal Ball enveloped her and sucked her back to the rose-coloured orb. Darryn held it fondly for a moment before reaching for the single Pokeball in his position with a Pokemon inside that was able to battle with any certainty.

*I know you’re tired from putting on that great performance… and you’re a little out of practice for battling… but now, India, it’s up to you! I know you can do it!*

“Go, India!” Darryn called, sending his single Pokemon into a one-vs-two battle. She span out of the ball with a pink ribbon accessory twirling behind her as she had practised for the Appeal.

“What’s that? A Butterfree with a pink tie? Pretty gay Pokemon! I ain’t getting my hands dirty over no queer bug.” The guy snorted and spat in the street heavily. Darryn’s skin writhed with not only disgust but also anger.

“India! Let’s go with Ominous Wind! Show him what you’re made of!”

[Master Houndoom]

Meiko's lip curled in disgust as Jaima turned back to face the people accosting them. Jaima had looked... almost frightening when the boy had spoken, but when she figured out where Jaima's ire was focused, she was actually grateful. It meant something, right, that he was angry on her behalf and not at her?

Right..?

No, what had caused her fear in the first place was the look in the other boy's eye. The feral, almost hungry look. The look that said not only that he wanted her, but that he expected her to want him too. She'd seen that look before, and the memory was never going to be a pleasant one.

Jaima was handling him. She couldn't even hear what was being said, she just wanted to run, and it made her ashamed. And very, very angry.

So when the words, "I'm not alone," filtered through the blood rushing in her ears, Meiko rached to her belt with either arm and pulled two of her pokeballs from her belt. She released Desertdancer and Rockclaw, the two pokemon landing in front of her and brandishing claws or thumping it's thick tail. Her voice came rougher than she wanted, but she ignored it.

"Neither is he."

* * * * *

Joy did not like to battle. It felt wrong, somehow, that she cared for the cuts, scrapes, and burns of pokemon who battled, yet would willingly send her own pokemon out to get their own wounds. So she avoided it whenever possible.

This point seemed like it wasn't possible. At first, she was willing to leave the battling to those inclined to it. She did not miss Jenny gritting her teeth, itching to interfere, but similarly to Joy, Jenny felt it was unlawful to interfere in a challenge. Joy also did not miss Meiko flinching at the brute's look, nor Jaima's sudden cold anger toward the boy.

And she did not, could not, miss the six people that came from the shadows to try to harm her friends.

She sighed and released her delcatty, Peace, and her Chancy, Pride. Together, Peace, Pride, and Joy faced off against a rather large young man who was stepping forward, confused. A wingull floated near him.

"Look, Nurse, we don't want any trouble. Why don't you go back to the pokecenter, let us get this guy for our friend, huh?"

Joy did not like to fight. But that did not mean that she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, sir, but 'that guy' is my friend. Peace, please defend yourself against that Pelipper.

* * * * *

Jenny had been seething all night. First, the twepr shows up, then the tall, blonde han- the tall blonde ex boyfriend of her best friend makes a fool out of her, and then makes her actually respect him, and now some ruffians are causing trouble... and she's not on shift!

The girl across from her sneered, and Jenny's lip arched in response. This girl was a nuisance all over town. It shouldn't have surprised Jenny that Samira was involved. Next to her, sneering, was her... whatever he was, Kay, smirked next to her.

"What's up, Patrolgirl," Samira sneered. "Not going to arrest us?"

"I'm off duty," Jenny sneered. "Which means I can participate."

Two pokeballs popped at her waist, releasing her growlithe and her personal pokemon, a glameow. As they stretched and growled at the pair in front of them, Jenny smiirked.

"And since I've had a rough night, I'm actually looking forward to this!"

Samira smirked. "I'll take care of this, Kay. Get the brats!"

* * * * *

Jaima pointed. "Mercury, attack! Gondir," he said, knowing Mercury's dread for dark type pokemon. Grondir had stepped forward already and sent leaves of his own careening toward the toothy fish.

Jaima was vagueley aware of Meiko at his shoulder, turning to face a girl who'd confronted her. The boy across from him was smirking still, but Jaima could see him sweating.

And then the battle was on.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Between a mix of Metal Claw, Ember, and Mach Punch attacks, the girl's glalie was brought crashing to the ground just like her piloswine. Reilly smirked as the girl recalled her pokemon, but the arrogance flickered out when he saw her grab a third pokemon off of her belt.

"It seems I underestimated the two of you. I didn't think I would need to bring out Crash, but it looks like he'll get the workout he deserves." She tossed the pokeball up and down in her hand, grinning. "I hope you brats are ready for this. Let's go, Crash!" She chucked the pokeball forward and it slammed into the ground, spitting out a burst of red light that faded to reveal her third pokemon.

"A lizard?!" Reilly laughed. "We can handle that! Indiana, Mach Punch!"

The monferno dashed forward, leaping into the arm and twisting, coming down on the croconaw with a blazing hand. The crocodile turned his head quickly, however, released a sharp and powerful water gun attack that threw the monferno backward through the air with a chattering squeal.

Indiana twisted in the air, trying to catch his bearings, his tail whipping around him and casting shadows of fire. The ground came at him too quickly and he landed too soon, a loud CRACK announces his re-acquaintance with terra firma.

"Indiana!" Reilly cried. The monferno, reacting swiftly to his trainer's distress, staggered to his feet. His right hand cradled his left arm, the wrist limp and broken in his grasp. He released a hissing sound of pain and annoyance. A firm, angry look on his face, Reilly spun to address his partner.

"Where the hell were-" He broke off abruptly, the anger vanishing from his face. He had expected to see her watching him passively, uncaring as to whether or not Indiana was hurt. What he saw, however, was the girl with her back pressed tightly against a tree, her eyes wide and focused intently upon the croconaw. Her charmeleon crouched in front of her defensively, hissing at the (was it smirking?) blue lizard pokemon.

"Hey, ki- Tuesday!" She didn't react to his call, and somehow that worried him even more. What was it about the croconaw that bothered her? She looked... absolutely terrified.

Come to think of it, she had acted a little odd when he had battled with Boromir, calling her pokemon back so swiftly. But it had been nothing like this.

Looking behind him to see Indiana making his way toward him, Reilly quickly hurried over to Tuesday and grabbed her arm.

She jerked away from him with a cry, bringing both hands up over her face, as though to protect herself. He took a step back and, in his peripheral vision, caught sight of a blue blur.

"Indiana, mach punch!" he snapped, turning to look at his monferno.

The monkey pokemon launched himself forward, slamming his fist into the face of the charging croconaw and sending it off course. The crocodile turned back with a hiss, and Indiana landed with a stumble, whimpering and cradling his broken left wrist.

Sensing weakness, the croconaw charged, but Dante was closer. Tuesday safe in the presence of Reilly, the charmeleon lunged. He moved right into the croconaw's path and, his claws lengthening, slashed down the creature's middle using metal claw, before releasing a burst of black smoke into the croconaw's face.

The crocodile staggered back, making a choking sound as he breathed in the smokescreen. Dante took the moment to rush to Indiana, leaning against the monkey pokemon supportively and inspecting his wrist. He snorted in displeasure, and nodded toward Tuesday and Reilly.

Indiana made a loud hissing noise in disagreement, but Dante shook his head. The meaning was clear: Indiana couldn't fight with his wrist broken. This was up to Dante.

He turned to the croconaw with a snarling-hiss, stretching his claws, and then lunged.

~*~

"Tuesday?" She blinked. "Tuesday, look at me." She glanced up to see Reilly standing in front of her, concern in his eyes. She frowned. "What is it?" he asked.

"You... used my name," she whispered.

He snorted. "Stupid, that's not the problem here. What's wrong with you?!"

"I..." She gasped, her eyes widening. "The croconaw - Dante!"

Reilly grabbed her before she could move or see the battle. "Tuesday." She met his eyes, reluctantly. "What are you afraid of?"

"He'll kill Dante," she whispered.

"No he won't," Reilly said, rolling her eyes at what he saw as her childishness. "He's not powerful enough to-"

"All it takes is aim," she whispered, "not power." She met his eyes, pleading. "I... he's fighting it... isn't he?"

Reilly stared at her for a long time, before suddenly moving to the side, revealing the battle.

Dante, the under-advantaged fire-type lizard was holding his own brilliantly against the croconaw, using metal claw and dragon rage mostly, and spending the rest of the time dodging water attacks and swipes of the croconaw's claws. A thin mist hung in the air, but Dante's tail was blazing blue with ire, and he fought back against the croconaw as though nothing in the world could stop him.

Perhaps nothing could.

The croconaw, finding an open moment, shot off a water gun into Dante's face, flinging the charmeleon back. The red lizard flew silently, but landed with a sharp thud.

Tuesday cried out in anguish, pushing past Reilly. She ignored the angry croconaw, focusing on Dante as the charmeleon pushed himself up, choking loudly. Dante coughed, water spilling out of his mouth, and he shook himself violently. His tail flared brilliantly, before abruptly dimming, as he staggered.

Tuesday caught him, helping him balance, and the charmeleon hissed at his opponent. He pushed against Tuesday lightly and she, surprised, released him.

He lunged at the croconaw and was joined halfway by Indiana, the monferno ignoring the injury of his paw. Neither of them waited for a comment, but joined together in attacking the arrogant crocodile.

"Are you okay?"

Tuesday looked up at nodded at Nurse Joy. "Yes," she replied softly, "I'm all right." She blinked when the nurse handed her a pokeball. "I almost forgot about it," Joy replied, "but it's the houndour you left with me last night." She smiled. "He's perfectly healed."

Tuesday smiled, gripping the ball. She had forgotten...

A cry to her right called her attention and she turned to see that Jaima's opponent had called out another pokemon. Grondir was busy with the dark-type already on the field, but a sneasel was racing toward Mercury, who, though she hadn't finished her other opponent, was frozen in place.

Tuesday took but a second to think, and two things popped into her mind. One was that her fiery charmeleon was completely loyal and had a partner to help him. The other was the name of her new houndour, and that it would be the perfect pokemon to sic on that sneasel.

Gripping the ball tightly, she held it to her lips. "I know you've never battled for me before, but I need your help now. Please." She pitched the pokeball out into the middle of the battlefield, and the houndour appeared in a burst of red light, racing forward toward the midst of Jaima's battle. "Take care of the sneasel, Ashleigh!"

[Master Houndoom]

The emotions riding throughout this battle were almost as overwhelming as the emotions that followed the events after Shadow's kidnapping. In the part of her mind that Mercury allowed to idle to process such things, she believed that what she had to go through taught her something about handling emotional onslaught. Like working a muscle, it was getting stronger.

The person who started all of this was angry, and full of lust in amounts out of proportion to what she was used to feeling. Mercury had quite a bit of recent experience with lust. Jaima lusted after Meiko, though he was inexperienced with the feeling and fought such inappropriate thoughts. Darryn felt, alternately, high amounts of lust, high amounts of embarrassment, and not a little bit of frustration. If she was forced to admit it, she had her own share of lustful feelings of late. But she was not on trial here, was she?

The boy felt lust toward Meiko, to which Jaima responded as was proper, and the boy felt anger and embarrassment toward Jaima and Mercury herself. There was specific malice toward the young kirlia, and that was why he released the second pokémon, the dark type.

She was, for now, ignoring the dark type.

The boy facing Joy was embarrassed. He liked the nurse, thought she was a nice person, and did not want to fight her. But he was also loyal to his friend, no matter how misguided he thought he might be.

The girl facing Jenny was angry, livid, full of glee that she was getting a chance to, if Mercury understood the emotion well enough, put the patrolwoman in her place. They had obviously met before.

The boy who'd been with her (and there was considerable lust between them) was full of confidence. He didn't really care why all this fighting was going on. He was going to win. He strutted toward Reilly and Tuesday. A win was a win, right?

Meiko faced a girl who wanted, badly, to impress the cocky boy who'd started all this. If he respected her, maybe he'd sleep with her, and if he slept with her, she could keep him happy and he wouldn't sleep with other girls anymore... It would be OK if he did... as long as he was happy, it would be OK, because he only really loved her. Mercury had to shake her head as she sent another barrage of glowing leaves at the small hippopotas.

The girl who'd been fighting Tuesday and Reilly was not happy. The two little brats (her words, not Mercury's. She only thought one of them was a brat). had managed to defeat her two best pokémon, and she'd had to take out one she wasn't very fond of. But it had the desired effect. The little girl was terrified.

There was a boy facing Darryn, but he was incredulous, and the incredulity was interfering with any other emotions he might have been feeling. Such people, who could not temper surprise enough to let other emotions through usually did not have emotions worth thinking of.

In contrast, each swirl of emotions around the people siding with Jaima were similar, the only differences being due to the differences in each person. Reilly and Tuesday were angry on Jaima's behalf, and annoyed with each other. There was another emotion, but more analysis would be required to figure out what it actually was. Joy was reluctant, but her loyalty to Jaima won out over her desire not to battle. Jenny was angry, at her opponent and Jaima, but her loyalty to Joy kept her in the battle. That and she really wanted to teach her opponent her a lesson. Meiko was angry. It was only her feelings for Jaima (and that needed no analysis) that spurred her beyond her mortification to battle. As usual, when such feelings were bypassed, they turned to anger. Darryn's loyalty to his friends made him battle, despite his misgivings about battling so soon after two competitions. Tuesday wanted to prove something to Reilly at first, and Reilly wanted to continue to prove his superiority. Those feelings changed when the croconaw appeared, and Mercury spared a gentle brush against her mind that she was sure wasn't felt.

Her analysis tapered off suddenly. There was an absence, like losing feeling on one side of her head. She turned and looked, seeing a little grey pokémon with sharp claws on it's hands. It grinned malevolently at her, stalking her.

She could not sense him. She couldn't tell his intentions. It was as if she had no powers.

She squeaked, releasing the hold her mind had on the hippopotas, the small part that had been running commentary on all she felt grinding to a halt. She was helpless. She was hopeless. She was doomed.

* * * * *

Grondir was true to his word. As Jaima called out his attacks, he executed them with precision and strength, keeping the fanged fish's attention firmly on himself. When the fish tried to dash to her for a bite attack, he would rein it in with a vine whip. Razor leaf kept it in check, driving it further away from her. The boy who controlled the ground type that Mercury faced and the water type that Grondir was handling seemed to get angrier and angrier, but Jaima's commands were as firm and controlled as Grondir had ever seen. So long as the dark type was not near the little psychic pokémon, everything was fine.

And then disaster struck. The boy sneered and released a sneasel, and sent it after Mercury. That would not have been too bad, except that Mercury made an odd noise, half between a scream and a squeak, and stopped fighting. Grondir's vines faltered as well. Never, since the day she was caught, had he ever seen the little psychic falter during a fight.

The hippopotas shook it's head and advanced on her, even as the carvhana started to flop toward Mercury. Grondir shot out a razor leaf at the fish and vine whipped the ground type away. Mercury needed protecting now more than ever.

* * * * *

Shadow watched, as he had not been commanded to battle, but hearing Mercury's screams caused his mind and his body two have two separate reactions. His mind filled with concern for her, and he tried to touch Mercury's mind, and he launched himself toward the sneasel, kicking it away from her.

Unlike a psychic type, Shadow could sense the aura around the dark type quite well. It was loathsome, but it was there, and visible, and trackable. That was how he felt the other dark aura, this one shot with orange as the other was with blue, and spun.

A houndour, much like the one that had attacked kohai Tuesday, was charging, toward Mercury. Shadow leapt, drawing back a fist and launching it forward as he landed, sending it to the jumping houndour.

He missed by a fraction, his paw passing under the dark pup, who sprang from it and launched himself behind Shadow. Shadow spun, prepared to make it pay for trying to hurt Mercury, and that was how he witnessed it.

The houndour intercepted the sneasel, which had almost been upon Mercury, and drove it to the ground, snarling at it with tongues of flame flickering around his teeth...

[Living Arrow]

“Fry that sissy bug with a Thunderbolt, Electabuzz!” Darryn opponent seemed to lounge back even while standing, his blatant arrogance oozing from his pores like stink from a mire. Darryn curled his lip with distaste and more than a little anger.

“India, dodge it with Spore Shield!” The Co-ordinator ordered, willing his Pokemon to act swiftly. The Butterfree span and flew upwards, scattering her golden Stun Spore wide and reining it in with her psychic Confusion attack. The hastily-formed barrier intercepted the arc of lightning stabbing towards her and slowed it sufficiently for her to spiral out of the way and bank harshly in the air.

“What?! What kind of pussy move was that?!” The yob protested as India dive-bombed the Electabuzz.

“India, Confusion!” Darryn ignored the jibes from his foe and focused on the strategy that would put him into the battle properly. The Electabuzz was slammed by an invisible force, his shoulders crushed under the weight of India’s psychic power and sent straight to his knees.

“Beedrill, use Twinneedle now!” Came the opponent’s command, the great vesper swarming in from behind the Butterfree to stab cruelly at her wings. She screamed with pain as the attack struck home but managed to pull out of her dive and glide along at ground level at the last minute.
“Get it with a Thunderbolt, Electabuzz!” The goon ordered again, making full use of his 2-on-1 advantage.

*Just what I’ve been waiting for…*

A Quick Ball had been in Darryn’s had as soon as he had seen the opponents released in front of him. A Quick Ball that held a Pokemon with a very special Ability. A Pokemon that had been in a very tough battle less than an hour before but had managed to come out on top and secure his very first ribbon.

“Go, Romeo! Intercept that attack!” Darryn’s call was met with a snigger from the idiot facing him. The Jolteon burst from the ball with glee and straight into the Thunderbolt where the attack violently shook his body with its power.

“Using another Pokemon as a shield? How stupid are you?!” The yob laughed harshly, holding his stomach as he guffawed ludicrously.

“Shocking a Jolteon?” Darryn raised an eyebrow. “How stupid are you?”

“Huh?”

“Jolteon’s Ability is Volt Absorb. In short, it takes electricity to restore its own energy. You just gave my Pokemon a free healing session and evened the playing field with one move. Man, you’re bad at battling.” Darryn chided the other boy, waiting patiently as Romeo and India came into formation near to their trainer.

“What? That’s the sort of low-life move I’d expect from a lady-boy like you!”

“Oh, shut up and battle already.” Darryn rolled his eyes. “You have the face of a slapped nancy.”

“WHAT?!” The goon’s eyes widened considerably. “Beedrill, Poison Sting the dog! Electabuzz, Thunderpunch that bug!”

*Now for one of my latest combinations!* Darryn giggled inwardly, secretly glad that the fool had given him opportunity to show off his different skills.

“Ominous Beam!”

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday sighed in relief when Shadow's attack missed. She wouldn't normally have been grateful for such a thing, but she certainly didn't want Ashleigh hurt, and nor did she wish for Mercury to be placed at the hands of a dark type's mercy. Thankfully, the houndour was capable of using Shadow's outstretched arm as a springboard, and he leapt over the lucario's head, crashing into the sneasel with a snarl, driving the weasel-esque pokemon into the dirt and cutting off its attack on Mercury.

Tuesday watched as flames licked against the sneasel's flesh, bursting forth from the houndour's mouth as he pinned the creature to the ground with his forelegs. The sneasel, however, writhed beneath his form and managed to slip free, rolling away from the flames and rising swiftly to her feet. She crouched low, hissing, claws at the ready. Then, without any warning, bolted forward.

She moved, faster than Tuesday had expected, darting with silently swiftness between the small area that separated them. She brought her claws raking down across the houndour's face, blood leaping from the cuts. The sneasel chittered, a laugh that caused shivers to run down Tuesday's spine.

"Ashleigh, use ember!" she said, ignoring the cold fear that danced up her arms in the form of goosebumps. The houndour darted forward, dashing in a zig-zag fashion and leaping at the sneasel, fire exploding from his mouth. The sneasel ducked and dashed forward, but the flames still caught her across the back. She hissed in pain, but slashed with both sets of claws in a fury swipes attack, catching Ashleigh across the face three times before the houndour managed to leap away.

Tuesday, watching the battle, felt a wave of dizziness pass over her and her eyelids fell as her body went abruptly lax, nearly causing her to topple over. She regained full consciousness barely a second later, snapping back into a tense position, her eyes opening wide with sudden shock. "Ashleigh, jump!"

Obeying without hesitating to wonder why, Ashleigh leapt into the air just as the sneasel's claws on her right hand lit up a white blue color and she punched forward with a move that Tuesday had never seen before.

"Ember!"

Ashleigh threw his head downward, crashing into the sneasel and releasing an ember attack into the weasel's face. The sneasel cried out in pain, and crashed to the ground, taking one too many attacks to keep standing. She was recalled swiftly, and her trainer narrowed a glare at Tuesday.

"You've joined a battle you can't possibly win, you little brat! We're far from through, yet!"

"A word of advice?" Tuesday suggested, meeting the eyes of the sneasel's trainer. "'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."

Reilly, who had finished his battle with Dante's help against the croconaw, walked to her side and stared at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Tuesday blinked at him. "Abraham Lincoln said that."

Reilly rolled his eyes and then turned to the sneasel's trainer. "Shh! Let me tell you a little story about a man named Shh! Shh! Even before you start. That was a preemptive Shh. Just know I have a whole bag of Shh with your name on it." He raised an eyebrow at Tuesday. "That's how you tell someone to shut up."

Tuesday glared at him. "From a movie?"

"Yes."

"Movies suck."

"Do not."

"Books are better."

"Books suck."

The two glared daggers at each other as the trainer stared at them in complete confusion. Shaking his head, he sent his other two pokemon back into stark battle. This wasn't over, yet.

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Sep 29 2009, 11:13 AM

[Master Houndoom]

Meiko backed up, bumping against someone. A look over her shoulder brought a glimpse of blonde hair, and she felt herself relax despite the battle. The girl she was facing was fierce, fighting as if she had something to prove.

"Sprinkles, water gun!" The girl's Azumarill sent a stream of water at Desertdancer, and Meiko swore under her breath. She was at a severe disadvantage concerning types in this battle, and from what she was hearing behind her, Jaima wasn't facing much better.

"Desertdancer, sand-attack!" She clenched her jaw and pointed at the other. "Rockclaw," She said, glancing down to make sure the corphish was where he was supposed to be, "knock down that swablu with bubble beam! Ramhorn, tackle the pachirisu!" Her commands were crisp, and all would have gone well except for one thing that she noticed when rockclaw went after the pachirisu instead of the swablu: the pachirisu was holding a berry.

"Ha!" The girl crowed. "Your pokémon don't listen very well, do they! Shimmer, use spark on that shrimp!" She giggled maliciously. "Mopsy, peck the big bug!" A nasty sneer crossed the girl's otherwise pretty face. "You were dumb to think that you could beat me!"

Jaima stepped back a bit, putting more pressure on Meiko's back, and leaned. "Mercury's in trouble, Mei-chan. I think we can solve each other's problems."

Meiko peeked over Jaima's shoulder, at the same time that Jaima peeked over hers. They circled, remaining back to back but presenting their sides to their opponents.

"OK," Meiko said, loud enough for Jaima to hear her, "follow my lead."

* * * * *

Little Mercury?

The voice was warm, calm, and steady. There was also a note of genuine concern. It called for her, penetrating, slowly, through the cold fog of fear.

Little Mercury, it's all right now. Grondir is keeping the sea demon at bay, and the ice-demon has been dealt with.

There are three, she heard herself whisper, embarrassed by the tremor in her mental voice. Shadow's voice was still calm, but there was a hint of chagrin and amusement in his own voice.

I thought the same, but the demon dog is owned by Kohai Tuesday and is no threat to us. It was he who saved you from the ice demon.

Mercury found herself blinking at that, the fog around her thinning with the news. He helped us..?

He helped you. I nearly struck him down, but fortune was on our side.

Mercury absorbed the information, the fog thinning more. Suddenly it receeded. She gasped. Grondir!

He is all right. Grondir is very powerful, and has held his own against both the sand beast and the sea demon. However, Sensei Jaima is joining forces with Sensei Meiko. You should be a part of this.

I'm so embarrassed, Mercury thought, pulling into herself. I've failed.

Shadow's presence followed her. You've only failed so long as you stop trying. Please, join up, Little Mercury. To confront your fears is to defeat them.

Mercury, slowly, allowed her mental presence to come forward again. OK, she said, still mortified at her fear, what's the plan..?

* * * * *

"Now!"

Meiko pointed to Jaima's opponent. "Ramhorn, go after that carvhana with brick break!

Jaima, similarly, pointed to the girl. "Grondir! Nature Power on the bird!"

"Rockclaw, bubble beam on the hippopotas!"

"Shadow, go after the carvhana as well with force palm!"

"Desertdancer, fury swipes on the pachirisu!"

Jaima paused, his brow furrowing, but before he could call Shadow back, a voice, sounding determined, sounded in his and Meiko's minds.

I've got it, Trainer Jaima!

Jaima nearly cheered. "Then use magical leaf!"

Taken by surprised by the sudden changes, the girl wailed as the boy, his fists clenched, snarled at her. "You should have been faster," he growled, reaching for one last pokéball.

It was not a good idea. The hippopotas was defeated, having been severely weakened by Grondir. Grondir's Nature Power turned into Tri-Attack, bringing the swablu close to fainting. Double teamed and damaged by Grondir, the carvhana had also fallen. The girl recalled her swablu, afraid to let it faint, and the azumarill, tired from attempting to dodge the magical leave attack, ran into the pachirisu and ended up not only shocked, but barraged by the attack anyway. The pachirisu was stunned from the sudden collision, though she had managed to dodge the fury swipes. Her counter attack had no effect on Desertdancer.

"Firedash! Come out and--"

"Bubblebeam!"

"Confusion!"

"Horn Attack!"

"Nature Power!"

The charmander stood no chance, and fainted quickly. His trainer stood there, mouth gaping, fists clenching and unclenching, before he finally looked up, his face contorting in rage. He took a step forward.

"Try it," Jaima said, calmly, raising a brow. The calm reaction seemed to startle the other boy, and Meiko's cross armed glare didn't help.

"You forgot his routine, didn't you," Meiko said dryly. The boy stepped back, and Jaima, rolling his eyes, motioned for his pokémon to rejoin him.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

The calm had begun to return to the area where they stood outside of the pokemon center. The drunker group of kids had been utterly defeated, and those that weren't whining pitifully were either sulking in silence or, in one case, puking into the bushes. Tuesday scanned the area, but all of the offending pokemon had been recalled. Darryn was moving towards them, having just finished his battle, and Jaima was checking over Mercury, Grondir, and Shadow with a cursory glance, the latter standing close to Mercury.

Sighing in relief at finally having some peace, Tuesday found Dante with her eyes, as the charmeleon danced over to her, a monferno following not far behind. Dante flashed her a grin and a thumbs-up, which gained a smile in return.

"Good to see things went well, Dante," she said, reaching down with her left hand. As was so often a habit that he had apparently not out-grown, Dante reached up and gripped her hand lightly with his claws, like a small child holding the hand of their mother as they cross the street. "That was some tough battling, Dante. I'm glad Nurse Joy had that Full Revive on her. I'm not sure I could have handled that with just Ashleigh." She blinked. "Speaking of which..."

Tuesday and Dante both turned, seeking out the houndour. They found him, in a position that Tuesday had least expected.

The dark canine had pinned Mercury to the ground and was licking her face profusely with a long, wet tongue.

Breaking their hand-hold, Tuesday moved quickly over to then, pretty sure that Mercury wasn't appreciating the attention being given to her. "Ashleigh!" she called.

The houndour stopped his unplanned bathing of the kirlia and raised his head. Upon seeing Tuesday, his stub of a tail started wagging bag and forth and he bolted over immediately. Tuesday grunted in surprise as he leapt up, his forepaws striking her in the chest as he tried desperately to cover her face in drooling kisses. He managed her neck and chin, which tickled and was mildly gross.

I need a bath. "Okay, okay," Tuesday said, pushing the houndour off. He dropped to the ground, tail still wagging, and Tuesday bent down to scratch his ears. She saw the skull-plate on his head and noticed that it was peeling terribly. She frowned, but recalled Ashleigh into his pokeball, deciding that she would take care of that at another time. Right now, they had a lot of fainted or injured pokemon, and the yard was full of a lot of drunken people, one hurling into the bushes.

Correction, two hurling into the bushes. Nice.

Biting her lip, Tuesday made her way over to where Jaima was standing and touched his elbow, gathering his attention. "Um, Jaima... do you think we could get 'Pest, Zorro, and Wraith healed now?" she asked, her voice too low of a whisper to be heard above the other talking. She didn't want to sound like a baby, but she really wanted her pokemon in top shape again, and she liked having Zorro around and conscious.

Besides, the wind was blowing toward them and fresh puke was not an appetizing odor.

[Master Houndoom]

As Darryn finished his battle, a young man with spiky hair and squinty eyes came between the two factions. He looked around as all battling stopped, then pointed at Jaima, pulling out a microphone.

"Jaima Kuonji, I'm happy for you. I'ma let you finish... but Ash Ketchum had the BEST pokemon battle of ALL TIME!"

With that, he dropped the mic, held out his hands as if to say, "What?" and walked away.

Meiko blinked. "What the hell was that?"



LA: OMG I'm dying!!!
MH: Removed from the main topic, and set invisible. Didn't have the heart to delete it! And it's back, because Doc liked it so!