[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Stinging Bea · Mar 30, 2021

Warning: the following posts contains mentions of and displays moments of child abuse and mentions of animal cruelty!

Aeliana Kekoa

Hulbury

Chapter 8-5| Breaking Point

Aeliana's Current Party:

The sound of faint thunder rumbled overhead as Aeliana pedalled her bike as quickly as she could. She had only planned to hang out with Faye for a few minutes. Now she was running late and her mother was probably going to be very angry about that. The fourteen year old quickly pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, before immediately parking her bike in its usual spot in the rack. The teenager didn't even bother to make sure she locked it up properly, instead rushing straight up the rusty and creaky stairs towards her apartment. As she reached the door, Aeliana fumbled for the keys. She quickly realized however that she didn't actually need them once she put her hand on the knob and the door easily swung open.

"Oh… oh boy…"

She slowly walked into the apartment, shutting the door gently behind her. After kicking off her shoes, Aeliana began to make her way towards the kitchen, grocery bag in hand.

"Mom…?" Aeliana called out. "Mom, I'm home with the groceries."

She paused as she stepped inside the room. There stood Leilani, back turned to the door as she stood over the counter. Her shoulders were slumped over. A plume of smoke rising from a lit cigarette she held in her hands. The woman remained silent as Aeliana walked towards the kitchen table, gently setting the paper bags that held the groceries down before shifting her attention towards the older woman.

"Are… Are you feeling better?" Aeliana questioned. Again, silence was her only response. It suddenly felt like her throat was getting very dry. The black-haired teenager licked her lips, before swallowing as she spoke again. "I'm… I'm sorry that took so long, the lines at the store were… they were super long…"

"Liar…" Leilani finally spoke.

"What…?"

"You fucking lying piece of trash!"

Before Aeliana could muster the courage to even speak another word, the woman spun around on her heel. She tossed something into the floor, something stiff and unmoving. At first glance, it looked like some ratty, beat-up stuffed animal. However as Aeliana knelt down to examine it, the teenager immediately recoiled in disgust. Her eyes were wide, darting from the floor to her mother and back to the floor again. It was Felix.

Tears immediately began to stream down the girl's cheeks. With shaky hands and raspy breath, the girl gently reached out to take hold of the Alolan Meowth. "F-Felix…? Hey, wake up! F-Felix!"

As her daughter cried over the sight of her cherished Pokémon, Leilani made her way towards the kitchen table. The woman grabbed hold of the grocery bag, dumping its contents onto the table. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the cans of Pokémon food that fell from within the paper sack. All the while, the teenager brought the kitten to her chest, holding onto him tightly as if there was some chance that he would respond, or curl up against her just like he had done several hours ago. However despite her wants and wishes, Aeliana knew that this simply wasn't going to happen.

"Out of my brand,..? Out of stock?!" Leilani shouted, her hand shaking with anger as she held the can up for her daughter to see. "More lies?! You've been stealing my money, using it to do whatever the hell you wanted to, haven't you?!" Aeliana didn't answer however, the girl still sobbing hysterically. Without warning, the older woman stormed over towards her daughter and delivered a sharp kick to the girl's stomach. "Answer me when I'm talking to you!"

Aeliana hit the floor in a heap, the girl still sobbing as she cradled the Alolan Meowth to her chest. Through her tears, her mother hears something come from the child.

"What did you say…?"

More mumbling and tears followed.

"I said… what did you say?!"

Aeliana still mumbled through her crying. A look of absolute disdain graced Leilani's features. The woman lost what little bit of her temper she had left. Without warning, she gripped Aeliana by her hair, forcing her off of the floor and making her look her in the eyes.

"What did you say?!" Aeliana's mother screams.

"I… I said…'' Aeliana whispered, her eyes hardening… all before she finally shouted. "I HATE YOU!"

Before Aeliana can react, a fist is slammed into her face. The child fell back, reeling from the pain and shock of the blow that came. But she didn't care anymore. She didn't want to be here anymore. The teenager scrambled to her feet and started to run out of the kitchen. Her mother, blinded by rage, was right behind her. The woman grabbed Aeliana by the hair again, causing the teenager to scream in pain as she tried to pull herself free. The adrenaline pumping through the older woman is too much for the black-haired girl to fight back against, though. Within an instant, her mother tightened her grip on her and slammed into the hallway wall. Aeliana screams in pain as her body slammed into a mirror with enough force to cause the mirror to shatter against her form. The pain the teenager feels is horrendous as she feels the shards of glass begin to cut into her form, several pieces managing to lodge themselves into her bare shoulder.

In a fit of fury, Aeliana lifted her leg and managed to kick her mother in the knee. This took the woman by surprise, causing her grip to lessen on the girl. Aeliana took this chance to pry herself free of the woman's grasp, all before delivering another kick to quickly send her tumbling to the floor. Not a word was spoken. Not a moment of hesitation was in her brain. Aeliana merely charged for the door, quickly fumbling out of it and slamming it shut behind her, as if the door itself was some barrier to keep her mother trapped within the hellscape that was the apartment.

Thunder boomed overhead, mixing in with a bright flash of lightning. Dark storm clouds circled overhead, bringing with it a torrential downpour of rain. Aeliana didn't even seem to notice, however. The girl took off running down the stairs. She ran through the parking lot, not even giving a second look at the bike as her bare feet splashed through the puddles of water that formed in the lot from the constant rain storms of the day. The girl's brain was on autopilot as she ran to get away from everything that she hated. Before long, she found herself running straight for one location…

Po Town.

Nanu, who was busy reading a newspaper, happened to look up as another clap of thunder echoed out from the storm, sounding like a cannon being fired right outside of his door. His eyes widened as he spotted Aeliana running, but... something was wrong. He quickly tossed the paper aside, jumping out of his chair as he ran for the door.

"Aeliana!" the man shouted.

The girl paid him no mind however. He watched as she charged straight up the winding hill that led to the gates of Po Town. With no further delay, Nanu quickly bolted from the door and gave chase. He watched as the girl paid no mind to the two Skull members standing outside of the gate, the girl shoving the doors open and plowing her way into the abandoned town.

"Hey, Faye… isn't that…" one of the Skull members called out.

Faye, looked out of the window from the abandoned Pokémon Center. Her eyes widened as she spotted the beaten and battered form of Aeliana running through the street. She jolted forward, storming out of the doors just in time for the black-haired girl to spot her. Aeliana tackled herself into her arms, holding onto Faye with every fiber in her being. It was as if her older cousin was the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.

"Aeliana, what…" Faye began to ask.

"Please!" Aeliana sobbed. The teen fell to her knees, still clutching the form of Felix tightly in her arms. "Don't… Don't make me go back!"

Faye felt a lump in her throat. The sounds of her younger cousin's tears and screams reached her ears, and brought with them a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. She looked up, spotting Nanu had finally managed to catch up. The Kahuna was dead silent, staring at the scene before him with a look of pity on his normally stoic face.

Faye looked back down at the bundled mess of a girl in her arms. She knew she couldn't send her back. She never should have sent her back. After what felt like an eternity, the Skull leader finally spoke.

"No… No, you're staying here."

Aeliana sits silently, staring out at the water. Her eyes have a distant look to them, as if the girl is suddenly a million miles away. Her Ralts never leaves her, however. Clara sits quietly beside her, letting the bluenette be the first one to make a sound.

"...I finally joined Team Skull after tha. That last time with Mom… It left scars all over my shoulder. It was Faye's idea for the tattoo to cover it," Aeliana explains quietly. "I was so proud when I first got it. It made me feel… like I was wanted. It made me feel like I finally had people that cared for me…"

Clara feels a deep sadness begin well up inside of the blue-haired girl. She isn't sure what happened to her after that. She could probably pry if she really wanted to, but the Ralts holds herself back. She feels like Aeliana has done a great deal of soul sharing already, and all she wants is for her trainer to smile again.

Slowly, Ralts raises her hand. A faint glow is starting to envelop her hand, one that catches Aeliana by surprise. Before the trainer can question the psychic Pokémon, Clara is gently pressing her hand against Aeliana's chest. The blue-haired trainer feels a gentle warmth exuding through her body, one that feels as if all of her troubles are slowly being washed away. It's hard to put into words, but… there's a feeling of relief in the trainer.

"Clara…" Aeliana says quietly. She smiles at the Pokémon. It's a small one, and it doesn't seem to be genuinely happy. That said, the Ralts can tell that the darkness that was residing within the trainer's heart is at the very least starting to fade. "Thank you."

Clara offers her trainer a beaming smile. It's a short-lived smile, though. Before either she or Aeliana can process what happens next, a bright glowing light explodes forth from the Ralts. Aeliana stares with wide eyes, watching as the Pokémon slowly begins to grow taller. Her movements become more graceful. Her once stubby hands grew to be much more elegant, and her legs which were barely enough to support her crawling were now able to support her whole body standing. Clara gazed down at her newly evolved form in amazement.

"Oh my… Clara…" Aeliana says. "You really are--"

KERSPLOOOOOOSH!

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Dragon · Mar 30, 2021

Sidequest Start!
The Shadow Looms - Part 1
Players: Valerie, Aeliana, Melody

Press START to begin!

Somewhere in the rustic port town of Hulbury, a small, finned Pokemon was swimming in the sea waters near Hulbury. It had lived here for quite some time, but now it was on a mission. No matter what, and no matter the danger, it was seeking one important figure. Her mother.

Meanwhile, a Meowth was on the hunt for her nighttime prey. She was on the verge of catching her prey - a Goldeen that had found itself shored up from the water. The Meowth's claws were out, and she was on all fours, ready to pounce at the right moment. She was ready - she was about to leap, ready to strike with her powerful, sharp jaw.

"Heeeeeey! Ayra!" But the sounds of a familiar human interrupted her moment, and because of the sudden shout, the Goldeen slipped away back into the sea. As she angrily gritted her teeth and after a quick, annoyed growl, she turned her head briefly towards the human who greeted her with a wave. It was Valerie. "There you are, girl!" she started happily. "You always go off on your own at night! Guess you're like a late Noctowl, huh? I think I'm more of an early Sunkern myself, I think?"

Ayra the Meowth was an aloof Pokemon of Valerie's. Even after Valerie adopted her from the shelter in Motostoke, her wild instincts and distrustful nature of humans remained in her heart. She turned away from Valerie to gaze quietly at the sea. Valerie sat beside her. "You and I haven't really gotten to hang out much lately, huh sis?" Valerie said to her. "Hmm, but you prefer to be alone mostly, right? I mean that's cool too, buuut I still wanna get to know you a bit better, y'know?"

Ayra showed no interest. Instead of a response, she curled up to lay down on the ground. But Valerie couldn't resist. She reached to give Ayra a pat on the head, only for her to be shooed away by Ayra, using her paws to swat her hand away. "Ah, my bad sis, forgot you're not big on the whole petting thing," Valerie said with a chuckle. But soon, Ayra's ears perked up. In response, she quickly lifted up her head, and hastily surveyed the area. "Hm? What's up, sis?" Something was not right. Without a peep, she lifted herself from the ground, leaping and running from Valerie. Curious, Valerie decided to chase after her.

"I read that water has a lot of negative ions, and bein' around negative ions helps you chill out." Melody says as she makes her way towards the docks. Her words are met with a very confused looking Doom Noodle, who tilts his head and gives her a questioning look.

"Py?" He asks. Where would Melody learn something like that?

"... It was on Chatter. I guess I follow some nerds." Melody explains with a shrug. She never used to have any trouble sleeping. Not until the night after the contest. That was probably just excitement, right? Then why does she still lie awake staring at the ceiling for hours on end? Thinking about contests, thinking about Rosa, thinking about the gym challenge, Raphael, Valerie, Haleigh, Spikemuth, the old gang.

A soft vibration against the sand gives Melody and her thoughts pause. She looks at the ground below her as she feels Nightshot's body tense against her shoulder, beginning to shudder.

"What's up, little dude?"

The ghostly dragon looks out towards the water and hisses loudly.

"Somethin' out…" Melody's words stop mid-sentence as a familiar scent wafts towards them; a scent that immediately brings memories flooding back and makes her heart pump loudly in her chest.

Smoke. Fire.

Her eyes narrow as she looks to the opposite side of the pier. There's a soft, orange glow in the distance that's taking over the darkness and stillness of the ocean. Is that a ship? On fire?

With her eyes locked on that orange glow, Melody sprints towards the opposite end of the docks.

Aeliana stares with wide eyes at the sight before her. Everything had been so peaceful and calm just a moment ago and now she was staring at a ship that had literally just burst into flames. Clara is still by her side. The Kirlia is just as shocked as her trainer as she clings to the sleeve of Aeliana's overshirt tightly. The blue-haired girl glances down at her Pokémon. She can already tell the thoughts going through the psychic-type's head. It's quite likely that she's picking up on the fear and panic that's now rushing through the area.

"I… We need to do something!" Aeliana finally speaks, her arms wrapping around her egg tightly. She suddenly finds herself wishing that she had left it snugly wrapped up back in her hotel room. She also suddenly wishes that she had stirred Tampa and brought the Croconaw with her as well. Of course, even if she wanted to help how would she? The only water Pokémon she has on her at the moment is Fiesta. She can already hear him freaking out at the sights and smells around them. "Okay, okay… stay calm and think Aeliana… Tapu Lele, I need an idea right now…"

Quite some time has passed since Valerie chased after her Meowth. Ayra wasn't the type to run away from her as she was always the type to stand her ground. As for Ayra, her ears were sensitive. Ever since that day where she lost her homes from those humans, she always picked up on the sense… of danger. Her senses were correct this time too. "Ayra!" Valerie called after, finally able to catch up. "Sis, what's up with y--" the immediate scent of smoke filled Valerie's nostrils. That wasn't all - Valerie witnessed something truly shocking. A large burning ship. "Whaaaaaaaaaa?!?!" Valerie was witnessing a terrible scene. Rangers, and a couple of trainers around were busy with water type Pokemon, spraying the area down, but most of them were busy trying to fend off a couple of vicious looking wild Pokemon.

One such trainer had a Quagsire who was battling a bunch of Krabby. The Krabby were numerous, and with their numbers they knocked the Quagsire down. Their sights were upon the defenseless trainer next, who tripped themselves to the ground out of panic. But they were saved, by a blast of ice from another direction that froze all the wild Krabby at once. "Are you alright? Here, give me your hand," it was a woman who had saved this trainer, who was wearing a dark coat with dark glasses and dark-looking hair. Her Pokemon was a Lapras, who blew out the fog coming from her mouth after her powerful Ice Beam. The trainer lifted themselves up, grabbing the hand from the woman. She then gave them a small item: a Super Potion. "Use that to treat your Pokemon's wounds," she said. "And be careful."

The trainer nodded and turned to their Quagsire. The woman wiped the sweat coming from her forehead. "These Pokemon are not even letting us get inside, huh?"

"Hey! Missy what happened?!" the woman quickly turned to the voice that was coming from the girl who had approached her. But she internally shrieked.

Valerie?! Uh oh!

"C'mon, c'mon!" Valerie said, clenching her fists in front of her body. "Ship! On Fire! Ships don't just do that!"

The woman cleared her throat. "Um, you see," for some reason though, the woman was trying to conceal her voice? "This ship crashed into rocks near the coast line, and unfortunately it has caught on fire. Now civilians are trapped inside, and to make matters worse, the ship is collapsing. It is a matter of time before the people inside suffer..."

"That's terrible!" Valerie shrieked. "We gotta get in there!"

"That's the thing," the woman replied. She directed Valerie's attention to the wild Pokemon that were swarming. "As much as we want to, these Pokemon are keeping us at bay. A few of us can manage to get inside but the savagery of these Pokemon combined with the hazardous wreckage just made things worse. The casualties are only going to keep increasing…"

"Right then," Valerie eaglery clenched her fists. "Leave it to me!"

"But Valerie, it's much to dangerous--"

"How do you know my name?" Valerie then questioned. The woman was left speechless, then mumbled a bunch of words trying to scrounge up an answer.

"Um, no, that is--" the woman tried to think of a reply. "Well, you were on television, were you not? And uhhh!"

"And btw, that accent…" Valerie was wondering about it. "It's Kalosian, right?"

The woman was sweating bullets. "Y-Yes?"

Valerie gave her a wide grin. "It's really sexy!"

"W-What?!" the woman could only reply. "Wh-What are you--"

"And you know what else?" Valerie started again with her arms cross. "Kay, this might sound totes weird, but you kiiiiinda… sound like someone I know!"

"B-But you see!" the woman tried to explain. "I have probably… er, sound like a lot of people around here for the gym challenges, and… um…" she then had an idea. "Listen, my name is Em… Em...ily. Emily, yes. I am from Kalos, true, but, I'm just… a stranger wanting to help out!"

Valerie had her arms crossed and pondered for a moment. "Well, alrighty Em-Em!" she finally replied happily with an internal sigh of relief from the woman. "Anywaaaaaay, no worries about me, Valerie! Me and my pokemon buddies are all kinds of tough! You'll see, we'll help save those people! C'mon, Ayra!"

"W-Wait!" Emily's cries out for Valerie fell on deaf ears. Valerie with Ayra, raced headfirst into the wrecked ship. But as much as she wanted to go after her, the blazing fire and smoke stopped in her trails. Then she was greeted by another swarm of Pokemon. She turned to her Lapras. "I hope Valerie knows what she is doing…" she said. "Well, come then Julia, our work is not done yet."

Melody rushes towards the ship and sees a number of other trainers, as well as Rangers, attempting to get close enough to the ship to extinguish the flames. They're having a hell of a time getting close; however, due to a number of water Pokemon that are rising from the water and climbing ashore. Most are charging forward to take on the trainers and rangers, while a small group of Wimpod skitter inland in hopes of escaping from a rather large and rather furious looking Crawdaunt.

The large crab Pokemon reaches out and clasps one of the smaller crustaceans in his massive claws, causing the Wimpod to cry out in horror.

Melody doesn't take the time to think. She darts forward and grasps a piece of driftwood that had washed onto the docks. "HEY!" She shouts as she lunges forward to swing the branch at the dark type's head while Nightshot Quick Attack's into his claw. Upon impact, the driftwood snaps in two and Nightshot bounces off Crawdaunt's claw with barely a flinch from the dark type.

The Crawdaunt stares down at Melody and the punk teen braces for impact.

"Veeeee!"

A sharp cry sounds out as something new bounds its way onto the scene. Something-- small and pink?

Crawdaunt's focus is taken away from the puny human and her punier ghost as the bounding pink force skids to a stop mere inches from the much larger Pokemon.

"Syyyyl-veon?" The Pokemon asks with a small tilt of its head and a wave of its ribbon. It then offers a small wink as it raises its paw in greeting.

"Craw...daunt…" The larger Pokemon fumbles on its feet as its intensity and anger seem to melt away, replaced with… well… it sort of looks… flustered? It turns away from Melody to face the Sylveon completely and begins to lower its claws, the Wimpod taking the opportunity to Emergency Exit the hell away from this place. Melody also takes the Crawdaunt's distraction as a chance to grab Nightshot and back away slowly.

"Veeeeee!" The Sylveon chimes in an adorable voice, before-- in the next instant, that adorable expression is replaced with one of the most sinister sneers Melody has ever seen. The fairy type's body begins to glow before he fires a powerful Moonblast point blank into the Crawdaunt's face, sending him flying back before his body crumbles and dissolves into that familiar red mist.

"Holy ****-- you are one brutal little dude!" Melody says as Nightshot attempts to hide himself from view in his trainer's hair. Not only is that thing a fairy… it's a murderous fairy!

"Syl~" The Sylveon says with a flattered (and adorable) smile.

A loud, cracking sound echoes across the docks as a large piece of the ship breaks off and crashes into the waters below. Horrified screams can be heard from inside the inferno, signaling that there are people trapped inside. Melody grasps Annabelle's Pokeball tightly. Ready for round two? She thinks to herself before darting towards the burning ship. "Thanks for making us a path!" She calls out to the fairy fox.

Aeliana and Clara continue to barrel their way across the docks. The entire area is in utter chaos, with Aeliana and her Kirlila bumping into several people along the way. In all the commotion, it's becoming more and more difficult for the duo to even see what direction they're heading in. Aeliana looks around, standing on her toes to try and see over the heads of the various rangers and other trainers in the area. It's at that point that something, or rather someone familiar catches the bluenette's eyes.

"Is that…?" The sudden tug from Clara is all the confirmation she needs. Her Kirlia looks at her, worry evident in her face as she points in the direction that the familiar punk is seen running. "Melody!"

Aeliana's call reaches deaf ears, however. It doesn't really surprise her too much. With all the commotion going on around her, the Alolan can barely hear her own voice. Throwing caution to the wind, the duo begin to charge after Melody. Unfortunately, a minor road block comes in the form of a panicking, wild Cramorant. Without warning, the blue bird plows right into Aeliana, sending her and it tumbling over in surprise.

"Damn…" Aeliana curses, wincing as she picks herself off of her backside. Kirlia nervously looks between the two, standing ready just in case the bird Pokémon should suddenly fly into a fit of rage. Surprisingly however, the Cramorant merely stares at the duo nervously itself. It's quite clear this thing had no intention of challenging anyone to a battle, not in this situation. Aeliana merely shakes her head in response to the wild Cramorant, offering a small smile in the process. "Go on, get out of here," she says, before resuming her chase after her friend. Kirlia quickly looks over her shoulder, before giving chase after her own trainer.

The wild Cramorant stares on in shock, watching as the duo charges into the fire-engulfed vessel. Are they crazy…?

Valerie and Ayra weaved their way through the carnage. "Hey, heeeeey! Valerie called out. Anyone, hearing me? Lemme hear your cute voice! Ack--!" Valerie tripped over when the ship started suddenly rocking about. It was coming apart so much that pools of water leaked from the ground, and in some areas, the sea was in sight.

Then, Ayra's instincts kicked in. She rushed over to one of the pools of the sea, and nabbed at something with her teeth. When Valerie looked over, she saw that Ayra was holding on to and biting on a small, yellowish water-like Pokemon with blue fins. The Pokemon flopped and struggled again and again trying to break free of Ayra's grasp. Valerie took out her Pokedex for a closer inspection. "Dexter says that's called... a Feebas?" Valerie acknowledged. "C'mon, Ayra, put her down!" Ayra eventually complied, setting the Feebas down on the floor. Perhaps Ayra wanted it for a quick dinner. Either way, Valerie knelt down to greet it. "Wassap?"

But with no hesitation, the Feebas flopped over to the water again to swim away. "Darn, potential friend lost…" Valerie said, saddened. Still, she pulled herself together. "Ack! Helloooooo, Val! Gotta look for more people! Right, on we go!" Continuing on, the flames were as bright and hot as always. Almost every corner Valerie turn was a hazard - as she eventually started to cover herself to avoid breathing in the flames. Ayra seemed to be doing well herself; she even used her claws to hack and slash any debris that came in their path.

Soon they heard the sounds of crying - crying that was in the nearby room. Ayra rushed in first with her good hearing, but inside, she saw flames that engulfed the area. She couldn't slash her way through the room without being burnt by the fire. That's when Valerie came along. "Wasn't the sound coming from in here?" she had asked. Ayra growled to the flames. "Okay, Val, what beats Fire again? Thinking… thinking… thinking… ah! I know! Water! And I know juuuust the friend to help out!" she got out a Pokeball - it was her Squirtle, Shelly. When she released him from the ball, he immediately hid in his shell from the intimidating presence of Ayra.

Valerie slumped over to lightly tap on his shell. "It's cool, Shelly-bro! This is Ayra, a buddy!" she introduced to him. Shelly briefly peeped out his head. After briefly gazing towards the Meowth, he crept his full body from his shell, and gave Ayra a somewhat friendly, yet still shaky greeting of a hello as he twiddled his fingers. Ayra, not having interest, turned away. "Shelly-bro, I want you to try and dose those flames, okay?" Valerie asked him. Shelly almost missed the large gulf of flames that lie before him. With a hesitant, yet agreed nod, he took a deep breath, releasing a gush of water from his mouth. His Water Gun was becoming handy in this scenario. After the fire died down, Ayra slashed away the burnt wood that remained. "Nice one! Aight, let's go, team!"

Turns out Valerie with her pokemon found their way into the cabin room - the place where people were sleeping in. As they moved their way through the area, they eventually heard the crying getting louder. Well, it wasn't that it was getting louder - they were closer to the source. And eventually, they found it. It was a young girl - a child - huddled in the corner in a ball. She was crying to herself - probably lonely and scared. Valerie knelt down toward her, to give another friendly greeting.

"Sweetie?" Valerie said softly to her. "Are you okay?" The girl stopped crying briefly, to look at the face who had seemingly come to save her. She gave Valerie an eventual nod for an answer. "Woo, good!" Valerie cheered. "What's your name?"

"M… Marin," the girl replied sobbingly. "I came here with my Daddy… he… I... I dunno where he is…"

Valerie gave a confident smile. "Well, let's go find em'!" she suggested. She gave the child a wide smile, and stuck out her hand in front of her. "It's okay, honey! I'll help you find him." Marin was hesitant.

"I'm scared…"

"No worries, honey," Valerie reassured, giving Marin a pat on her head. "Your girl Valerie's a tough trainer! With my pokemon friends, we can get through anything! We'll keep you safe, promise! A million percent Val-enteed promise!" Marin was still worried, but eventually gave Valerie another nod. She took Valerie's hand, and the two with Ayra and Shelly following behind, came out of the small cabin.

Melody swears under her breath when she arrives on the scene. This is not going to be as easy as her last time charging into a burning building. At least last time she had a decent idea of where she needed to go to get that girl, while here-- she has no idea where to start. "Scream if you can hear me!" She yells into the void, fully aware that between the crackling of the fire and the snapping sounds of the ship breaking apart, there's a good chance she won't be heard.

She's also (as far as she knows) alone, meaning there's no one here for Annabelle to copy a water move from-- not that fire is their only problem. They need to make it through this obstacle course without getting smashed by the debris that's breaking off in chunks.

"Celeste, we need your help." The punk teen says as she reaches for the psychic type's ball. The little Lolita Pokemon appears in a flourish before taking in her surroundings and glaring at her trainer. What is the meaning of this? She did not sign up to be thrown into dangerous situations! She agreed to travel with Melody to be adored by the masses! To perform on stages and stadiums! Has her trainer lost her little mind?!

The psychic type glares up at her trainer and holds out her tiny arms, gesturing to the area around them as if to demand to know what the meaning of this is.

"Look, I know this isn't your bag, but I can't do this without you."

Celeste narrows her eyes. Surely there are other ways Melody could get out of this, she has other Pokemon! And if not, well, she should have thought of that before running into such a situation!

Melody groans at her Pokemon's expression. "There's people trapped on this ship. You want the reward for rescuing them or not?"

… Now she's speaking the 'mon's language! Melody got that pretty necklace for battling at that jewelry store. Imagine what kind of things they'll get for saving someone's life!

"Ita!" She says with a dramatic spin. The black and white Pokemon's eyes begin to glow as she casts her confusion on a large chunk of flaming… something that had blocked their path to the upstairs. She then turns to her trainer with a proud expression and waves her little arms to the staircase. "Gothita." She says proudly.

"Melody!" a familiar voice calls out from the havoc. Aeliana steps into the ship carefully, eyes widening at the blazing inferno. It's almost as if she's just now realizing what she's walking into. She carefully walks up to the punk teen, her Kirlia following close behind as she watches around cautiously in the event that she needs to pull her trainer to safety. "I'm starting to think you just have a love for running into burning things…"

Melody turns at the familiar voice. There's a mixture of relief and terror that flash one after the other in her eyes. She's not alone, that will make this easier-- Aeliana's in danger though. "-- I'm not gonna say you're wrong." She admits. She certainly doesn't hate it-- actually, she can't even say she's scared to be here. That's… probably not normal. "There's someone trapped-- somewhere."

At her feet, Celeste stares at the Kirlia with a look of both shock and annoyance. Is that the Ralts from the contest? She evolved?! Oh, no, this is unacceptable! She will not be undone by this wallflower! "Ta!" She shouts as she tugs at Melody's pant leg. Well, come on! There's people to save!

"Tapu Bulu… this is a hell of a mess…" Aeliana mumbles. The bluenette sighs, running her hands through her hair in annoyance. "We need to find them, then! But… this boat isn't just some dingy… Where would we even start?"

"I don't know-- the screaming stopped." Melody admits. The plan was to follow the sound of the screams. Nightshot squeezes his trainer's shoulder and stares at the walls. He can phase through them to see if there's anyone there! Even still… there's a lot of rooms to look through, and they don't have much time…

Vision is poor with so much smoke and there's only so much time the duo can waste. They were already putting themselves at risk as it was. Suddenly, an idea races to the blue-haired trainer's mind. She knows that it's a long shot with all this fire and smoke, but it was better than just wandering around aimlessly. Aeliana reaches into her bag and pulls out a Luxury Ball. She quickly tosses it forward, unleashing the Eevee that rests inside.

Elia takes a look around, a shocked expression quickly coming to her face. Where in the world was she and why was she here?! The Eevee turns to face her trainer, obviously displeased about the situation that she's found herself in. Didn't this foolish human realize just how important someone of her noble blood was? This is a disgrace!

"Elia! I know this isn't a good situation, but… someone's trapped on this boat!" Aeliana exclaims to the Pokémon. Elia huffs in response. Of course someone's trapped on this boat. That someone is her! "I need you to see if you pick up their scent! We need to track them down and get off of here!"

The indignity of this human! Not only is she putting her life in danger, but she's demanding that she hunt down some other silly human? Elia can't believe her ears! Does she look like some common Lillipup or something?

"Elia, please!" Aeliana shouts.

The boat begins to creak and moan as the flames grow more intense. The prissy Eevee huffs, before slowly lowering her nose to the ground. It's not like she has much of a choice at this point.

Celeste and Elia should have high-tea together when this is all over. The impatient lolita has stopped tugging on her trainer's leg now that someone of use has arrived on the scene. This Eevee looks to be of quality breeding, and despite the smoke clogging the average nose, she should be able to hurry this along.

Elia begins to sniff along the floor of the ship. Her pointy ears twitch slowly as she looks up from the ground, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth all the while. After a few moments that feels like an eternity to the trainers standing in the inferno, the Eevee lets out a yip before bounding on ahead.

"Looks like she's onto something!" Aeliana confirms. "Let's go!"

Melody charges after the tiny fox with Celeste floating along at her feet and Nightshot clamped to her shoulder. The ghostly dragon's eyes glow as he uses Lock On to scan the area for signs of life. It's only a matter of minutes before he squeezes Melody's shoulder and begins to wiggle with excitement. "Py-py-py!" He shouts out.

Melody looks to her partner Pokemon in confusion. That set of sounds is how he identifies… "What do you mean 'Valerie'?!"

Aeliana nearly trips over her own feet. "Val's here?!" A look of panic washes over the normally calm Alolan's face as she takes a step closer towards Melody, before kneeling down to look Nightshot in the eyes. "Are you sure?!"

"Py!" Nightshot says with a determined nod before beginning to float off Melody's shoulder. He points into the distance with one of his nubbed arms and cries out again, "Py-py-py!" It's hard to make out through the flames and the smoke, but there does seem to be a figure-- maybe two figures…

Aeliana narrows her eyes. Someone is definitely there. That feeling of dread begins to resurface in her stomach, knotting it with dread as she begins to think about the streamer possibly being on this boat too.

In an act of either desperation, stupidity, or foolhardy heroism, Aeliana suddenly throws all caution to the wind. The blue-haired girl suddenly charges ahead. "Val!"

As Aeliana charged in ahead, the ship started to weave and tilt - as if something made a huge crash. Then, they appeared. Packs of Corphish and Krabby had appeared in front of the trainers through multiple cracks from the ship that showed the sea. As if things couldn't make things worse, even more popped from the sides of the open walls of the ship, and more poured in from behind. They were surrounded. The flames weren't dying off either, trapping any small venue of escape.

"Ael--" Melody shouts out as she begins to chase after her fellow trainer. She didn't make it far; however, as the ship began to rock the instant she stepped forward. The punk teen fumbles forward as multiple glowing, angry crustaceans fill the holes of the ship and begin filing in towards them.

"Fan-****ing-tastic." Melody glares at the growing number of water types. ****, ****, ****, there's so many of them. Where do they even start?

One of the Krabby lunges forward, claws ready to pinch at the blue-haired trainer with a Metal Claw. Aeliana stumbles back, the trainer landing on her backside as she did so. Elia quickly bounds forward, letting out a feral growl as she attempts to protect the trainer. Aeliana looks at the mass of crab-like Pokémon, quickly taking note of their eyes.

"Look at their eyes! They're… They're like the Pumpkaboo from Route 4!" she says to Melody, climbing to her feet slowly. "Where are these things coming from?!"

The vicious Pokémon all approached forward, ready to strike with their powerful pincers and water-attacks. But as they swarmed in closer and closer to their prey… some of them at the backline got swept away. Like cherry blossoms scattered through the wind.. An abundance of leaves were scattered through the hall of the ship. That's when she came along - a Roserade, with her trainer.

"Made it in time…" the Roserade's trainer was an older-looking woman than Aeliana and Melody; in fact, it was the same woman that Valerie had met before. She took off the glasses she was wearing to assess the situation. "Are you girls okay? We're here to help out!"

"We're good!" Melody calls back. As good as a small, teenage girl trapped on a burning ship about to be mauled by dozens of homicidal crabs could be, anyway. Melody takes a step away from the remaining army of encroaching crabs. The remaining Corphish, egged on by their comrade's being whisked away, lunge towards the significantly less-intimidating trainer.

"Ta!" Celeste cries out as her eyes glow with psychic power. She holds her arms out to cast her confusion on the water-types to hold them back, yet-- before she can activate her psychic power… something beats her to the punch; the crustacean militia all freeze, suspended in mid-air before being forcefully thrown back into the water.

"Nicely done." Comes the voice of a masked man standing beside the blonde-haired woman.

"Phox!" The Pokemon cries in response. Melody turns to the source of the psychic energy. A Delphox wielding a long sycamore branch.

That's… and that would make them…

Game Paused!

LinearAxel · Mar 30, 2021

Sidequest Start!
The Shadow Looms - Part 2
Players: Valerie, Aeliana, Melody

Press START to begin!

"Do all Kalosians like to make an entrance?" Melody asks with a small smirk.

Aeliana blinked slowly, trying to process just what was going on around her. Thankfully, her Eevee comes and takes up a defensive position in front of her. Elia's fur stands on end as she lets out a feral growl, doing her best to seem intimidating to the crab Pokémon army. At the same time, Clara is already by the blue-haired trainer's side, Life Dew gently being applied to her just in case Aeliana got injured at all during that small exchange.

"Do… you know them?" Aeliana questions, stepping a bit closer to Melody as she asked.

The woman fiddled with her hair. "So much for my black wig… got totally messed up at that last scuffle," she grumbled with a sigh. She wasn't planning on making herself much known to this town, but things just don't always work out as intended.

Even more pokemon started to attack. Upon retaliation, the woman's Roserade blowing them back with her super-effective grass attacks one after another. The Roserade brought her arms together, then started to twirl. Her spin's rotation increased further and further, creating a miniature wind storm of leaves. Some of the water pokemon were caught in it, sending them around in a vicious cycle of leaves pelting and ripping them apart. For the finale, she gave a graceful bow.

"Well done, Vida!" Indeed, the woman was not Emily, but in fact, Emma, Professor of Kalos. As for the other...

"I preferred the blue one anyway." The mask-wearing man says in an incredibly fond tone. He didn't intend to make his presence known here. His wife wanted to lay low, and him being around would blow her cover in an instant. After all, Sebastian of Kalos was a name now known world wide. Things are escalating far more quickly than they anticipated, however.

"Remember when you told Aria that if we had a Team Cinder wanna-bes running around, someone would tell the Kalos champions?" Melody asks before motioning to the black-haired man standing beside the rose-wielder. That's one of them, isn't it? The purple kimono, the Delphox with the white staff.

Said Delphox's staff begins to glow as she effortlessly glides over to the Roserade. Once she's standing by her friend's side, she holds her branch out and releases a Solar Beam at the remaining water-types still attempting to storm the ship. A familiar sight to both Melody and Aeliana follows as the Pokemon dissolve into nothing but smoke.

Lavender eyes grow wide at the recognition. "You're right! That is one of them!" Aeliana had never actually seen him in person before, but the bluenette was sure that there weren't many people in the area that would go around matching that very specific style and description. As amazing as it is to see one of the Kalos champions in action, Aeliana quickly snaps back to reality. There was someone important to find and save on this ship, after all. "What about Val? We've gotta get to her still!"

"I'm sorry. I saw her go inside, but I couldn't stop or accompany her," the woman had explained curtly. She gave Aeliana a warm smile. "We will look for her with you."

Melody considers questioning why the Pokemon Professor couldn't stop the trainer from storming a burning ship alone-- though, she has spent enough time with Valerie to know that the girl is something of an unstoppable force. "Did you see where she went?"

Sebastian exchanges a glance with Selkie, the fire fox responding with a small nod before closing her eyes and twitching her ears. A split second later, her eyes shoot open. "Phox! Phox!" She calls before floating towards a set of stairs that leads to a basement. Her trainer gives another nod, purple eyes narrowing just slightly in concern as he soundlessly runs after his Pokemon.

"I don't like the sound of that 'phox.'" Melody says to Aeliana before giving chase to the champion.

"So you wanna be a trainer when you're older too?" Valerie meanwhile was carrying Marin on her back. She did her best to avoid and hop over the obstacles and creaking holes on the main hallway of the ship, with Ayra and Shelly slashing apart debris and dousing fire respectively. Meanwhile, Valerie thought it was a good idea to make some small, light conversation to keep their heads up high and away from the chaos.

"Daddy was a trainer one time too," Marin replied. "Making new friends with Pokemon looks so cool… I wanna make new friends too."

"Heck yeah! Making Pokemon friends is so rad"! Valerie replied. "That's why I became a Pokemon trainer too! This girl made like, 20 friends so far!"

"Really?!" said Marin, impressed. "That's so cool, miss!"

"Oh, boo, I forgot to tell you my name," Valerie remembered. "I'm Valerie, buuuut you can call me Val!"

"Okay Val," Marin seemed a bit more calmer. "I hope you'll make so much more!"

"Hah, you know it!" Valerie cheered with a nod. "Cause this girl is gonna make 100 friends, and someday, even make friends with Mew!"

"Mew?" Marin gave Valerie a puzzled look. It looks like 'Mew' wasn't a name she heard before.

"Yeah! Like, Mew is this super-special-awesome mega ultimate super Pokemon that can do anything!" Valerie explained, as well as only Valerie can. "It used to have loads of friends too, but lost them all." Valerie had her head slightly doward, having a softer, more calm look. "I thiiiink I can kinda relate. When I was younger, a lotta people, even my Mum and Dad didn't really like me, so I didn't really have any friends back then."

"Why didn't they like you?" Marin had asked.

"Hmmm, well," Valerie had to scramble herself for a response for Marin to even understand. She could use that berry example again, but... "I guess you can say, some people don't get that people can love whoever they want to love."

"Why not?" Marin only asked.

Valerie shook her head. "Dunno. I asked that myself," she said, heavy-hearted. "There's always gonna be people who are mean to you just because you're different. And even if you tell them why you're different, their minds can't be changed." But Valerie gave Marin a back glance with a collected grin. "But know what? That's why I wanna be there for people, who just want a friend to accept them! Val loves everyone after all, hehe!" Marin couldn't fully grasp Valerie's words, but she still gave Valerie a calming smile and a nod.

Eventually they made their way on a more open area of the ship; it looks like the main deck. Unfortunately, this looked like the most wrecked area of the ship - the wood was just barely holding together, only for the flames to burn the dead wood. Valerie looked around. "I don't see anyone…" she had said. Marin grew more worried. "Maybe there are more rooms in the ship we've missed--"

But as they started to turn back, the cracked wood in the deck started to crumble. Valerie and Mairn had found themselves stuck within the edges, as a big hole started to form. Below there were deeper floors - where if one would fall, they would drop into the ocean that was underneath. Valerie could then feel it - the ship had started to sink. Marin held onto Valerie more tightly, as the ship plunged itself backwards, but then stopped, as if there was something wedged in that kept it from toppling over completely.

"You okay?" Valerie softly asked Marin. A nod from Marin was her reply - but then Valerie saw as water started to gush out from the hole. Her feet eventually splashed the water that had formulated, and the giant hole became a deep, large pool of water. But the problems just kept increasing. Soon, they came. Carvanha who had swam from the sea nearby, up to the surface of the damaged, water-filled ship, and then there was a longer, taller Pokemon, who was at the center of them all. Valerie had recognized the Carvanha from doing the Wishiwashi show with Simon, but the larger Pokemon was an unknown. It was time for the Pokedex. "A Mi...lotic?" she tried to pronounce. "It's so pretty!"

But without warning, the Milotic started to strike with its tail. On reflection, Valerie held herself infront to protect Marin at the back, but she still collapsed upon the shallow water. "Val!" Marin hopped off of Valerie, but Valerie gave her a reassured smile, indicating she was okay. Ayra had leapt herself forward, growling at the beasts who had surrounded them.

At that same moment, Aeliana, Melody, Sebastian, and Emma arrive out into the now flooding ship. Aeliana stares at the sight before her in horror. Much like before in the ship, the blue-haired trainer throws all common sense and caution aside and starts to run towards her friend again.

"Valerie! Hold on, we're coming to help!" she cries out. Aeliana quickly skids to a halt in her path, however. One of the Carvanha suddenly lunges at her, jaws snapping viciously in an attempt to take a chomp out of the Alolan. Thankfully, a blinding light emerges from her bag at that same moment. Before the Carvanha can react, it's getting a foot to the face courtesy of one rather feisty and annoyed Tyrogue. "Jet… Good timing!"

"Aeli-sis?" Valerie had pondered, not expecting her dear friend here, upon a dangerous ship no less!

Celeste makes a sound that Melody can only assume is a Poke-curse when her Confusion fails to hold the fish Pokemon back. It must be a dark type. How annoying!

"Val!" Melody calls out as she reaches for another one of her Poke balls. "You good?" Taking a closer look, there doesn't seem to be as much as a scratch on the pink-clad trainer. Somehow… she isn't surprised.

"Heeeeey, Mel-Mel's here too!" Valerie turned cheerful and remained optimistic. Marin turned to Valerie. "Aeli and Mel-Mel! A sight for watery-eyes!"

"Val, who are they?" she had asked.

"Only some of the best buddies a Val could ask for!" Valerie responded with a lovingly wink. "They're trainers, just like me!"

Another loud cracking sound vibrates through the ship, causing it to shift to one side as water begins to pour in from a new hole created by the Carvahna. Sebastian exchanges another quick glance at Selkie, and the fire fox begins to glow with psychic power.

"Del… phox!" She calls out as the energy spreads across the ship, creating a barrier that seals the holes and the cracks.

"We don't have much time." He warns. Selkie can only keep an entire ship afloat for so long.

"AWAWAWAWAWA?! IS THAT--?!" Valerie screamed and squealed like a girl waiting for that all important kiss. Whatever that means. "The Charming Rose of Kalos!! Eeeeee! It's Sebastian!! OMG!"

"Be on guard, Valerie!" Emma came along afterwards with Vida right beside her. "Don't let those Pokemon come near you! They're dangerous - they will not hesitate to attack humans, children or no!"

"Whoaaaaaa, Emmie! You're here too!" Valerie happily grinned. That's it. She was starstrucked and she was all for it. "Ah! Yeah! Leave it to Val! But… heyyy…" Valerie had then noticed their eyes. "Y'know, I saw eyes like that before! I think it was at Route 4?"

"They really are spreading this far into Galar…" Emma grew more concerned and grim. The Carvhana started to attack. As quick as she could, Vida unleashed pale white balls of energy towards them to fend them off. Bit by bit, they disappeared like dust. Emma gritted her teeth. "But why…"

"Jet, here comes another one!" Aeliana calls out. The Tyrogue in question charges forward, delivering another Rolling Kick to one of the Carvanah. Just as expected, the fish Pokémon crumbles away. She turns her focus towards the professor for a moment. "What are these things? I've seen them several times now and they just… this isn't normal!"

"We've been calling them Shadow Pokemon. They're Pokemon who were forced to exchange their sanity for more power." Sebastian explains calmly before reaching for a Love ball hooked to his belt. Giving all of her focus to keeping the water out of the ship, Selkie was pretty defenseless against the myriad of water Pokemon. "Alois, don't let them get close."

The Sylveon appears with an excitable cry as he lunges in front of Selkie and begins firing a Moon Blast at a group of Carvahana. As the fish Pokemon dissolve into smoke, the fairy type's tail wiggles wildly.

"So we were right! Someone is making them." Melody says as she tosses Piper's Pokeball into the air. "Help Jet out with Bullet Seed!"

The pumpkin appears with a nervous expression. She shudders as the glowing-red eyes of the Shadow Pokemon land on her, and she squeezes her eyes shut before firing a collection of exploding seeds in their direction.

Jet ducks under the spray of seeds, watching as one of the Carvanah gets pelted by the attack. The Tyrogue can tell that there's something amiss with the Pumpkaboo. Her attack seems to lack any real strength, like she's holding back… or scared? This isn't the time for that kind of weakness!

Jet shoots an angry glare in the ghost-pumpkin's direction, crossing his arms in a huff. "Ty! Tyrogue! Rogue!"

"Ayra!" Valerie called out. The quick Meowth jumped in with a flurry of scratches against some of the Carvanha who had viciously flied towards her. With a combination of grace and precision, she defeated her foes one after another. "Pog! Suuuper cool, Ayra!" she graced.

"Ka-boo! Pump pump!" Piper shouts back defensively.

"Hey! You're not fighting each other!" Melody calls out to the duo who are glaring each other down.

An angry Corphish takes advantage of the discourse between the pair by lunging between them and attempting a Vice Grip on the pumpkin-- though it phases right through her. In retaliation, Piper merely squeezes her eyes shut once more and floats up higher to avoid another attack. These Pokemon… they're just like her friends! If they're defeated, they're going to disappear!

One of the Carvanah makes a mad swim towards the floating ghost Pokémon. It leaps high into the air, wide jaw snapping rapidly in a bid to take a chomp out of Piper. Thankfully, help comes in the form of Aeliana's Eevee. Elia quickly charges into the battle, slamming her body into the Shadow Pokémon with a Quick Attack.

"Melody, something's really bothering Piper!" Aeliana calls out. She watches as the Carvanah her Eevee hit recovers, only to be slammed with a Rolling Kick courtesy of Jet. "I know this isn't the best time for a therapy session, but she's gonna get hurt if she keeps this up!"

****. This is a problem. Piper's her only Pokemon with a real advantage in this situation (that isn't a literal infant.) Why is she so scared? This isn't their first big fight together. Piper took on Nessa's Lanturn, and before that, the raging Vespiquen and…

The other Pumpkaboo.

"Piper! You've got to fight back!" Melody calls out. The Corphish who launched itself at the ghostly pumpkin now fires a Bubblebeam. A move that easily could have been blown back by Bullet Seeds, yet Piper chooses to dart away instead.

"Pum… kaboo!" She shouts with a shake of her head. Celeste, taking cover behind Melody's leg, launches a psyshock at the water type. As expected, the Corphish's body begins to crack as the psychic darts hit their mark, and seconds later, it begins to vanish. A relief to the lolita, but a sheer horror to the tiny pumpkin.

"Boo…" the grass type squeaks out as the mist dissolves into nothing.

"Piper…" Melody grits her teeth. "I'm sorry, but we can't save them! They're… they're already gone."

Gone? What does she mean, gone?! They're right here! They're not gone until Melody and her friends fight them and make them gone!

Aeliana can see the confusion in Piper's eyes. She debates joining in, as she doesn't want to impose into the conversation the punk trainer is having with her Pokémon, but at the same time she feels a need to give Melody some assistance.

"Piper…" she begins, pausing both to think of her words carefully and to watch her Kirlia blast one of the Corphish with a Psybeam. "I… I know how this feels, I really do! But these Pokémon… they aren't normal Pokémon! They've been hurt and warped into these things and whatever they were before has been ripped out of them! If we leave them like this, they're suffering!"

Piper looks to the other trainer with a look of confusion. Aeliana is a very sweet trainer, and Piper is very fond of her. Her words confuse her; however. These Pokemon don't look like they're suffering-- not until they attack them and they start to dissolve anyway. Before that they just look angry. Were her friends the same way? Did they have to die because they were angry?

Melody is grateful for the backup. She can tell she alone isn't getting through to the confused ghost type. "Look at their eyes, Piper! There's nothing there!"

Piper does as requested and looks down at the eyes of one of the water types. It's hard to see anything through the glowing…

"Dreepy!" Nightshot cries out. As Piper helplessly looks at the scene below her, she is completely oblivious to the Carvahna leaping at her from behind. Nightshot lunges off of Melody's shoulder (despite knowing full well she didn't want him involved in a fight with so many dark types) and shoves the tiny Pumpkin away. As the grass type is shoved to safety, the Carvahna opens its mouth wide and bites down on the timid dragon.

Nightshot cries out in pain as Carvahna descends back to the ground with the ghostly dragon still clamped against his teeth. More Carvahna begin to swarm in an attempt to get their turn at tearing the Dreepy apart.

Piper squeezes her eyes shut in hopes that she can escape the scene that way, but her friend's pained cries as well as her trainer's frantic shouts can't be drowned out. Why are these Pokemon doing this? Nightshot hasn't even been fighting them! She understands being angry, she understands wanting to hurt the Pokemon and the humans that hurt you-- but… but Nightshot didn't! No Pokemon should go after another this viciously just because he's there!

No Pokemon… No Pokemon… are these not really Pokemon anymore? That's what Aeliana said… they look like Pokemon, they sound like Pokemon, but… but they're… they're just… weapons now. Those people that took her friends… they came all the way out here and took more Pokemon… and made them weapons… weapons that don't know anything but pain and want to make others feel that pain… and now… now more of her friends are in trouble!

"Kaboo!" Nightshot! Piper cries out. She has to fight! She's tiny and not very strong… not strong at all… but everyone on this ship is giving their all! For the sake of each other, and for the sake of the Pokemon that got hurt… she has to give it her all too! She can't keep hesitating, she can't be afraid! She has to… to…

Her small body lights up as she flies down into the fray. She can feel power surging through her tiny body as it begins to grow. Is this-- Evolution? "Kaaaaa-gheist!" She cries out as the vibrant glow breaks away. The newly evolved Gourgeist vanishes into the floorboard before reappearing in the midst of the Carvahna swarm, grabbing onto Nightshot with her newly acquired arms and sailing them both to safety.

"It looks as though your Pumpkinboo friend has evolved!" Emma explained happily. "Gourgeist is sure to be an even stronger ally for you. Congratulations!"

Piper quickly floats down to Melody and holds out the weakened Doom Noodle. There's a look of sorrow in her eyes. Nightshot had to get hurt because she wouldn't fight…

"Py…" The small dragon says as he pats the pumpkin's side. No hard feelings. This is what family does for one another!

Melody gently takes the fallen dragon from Piper's prehensile hair and tucks him into her satchel. "Let's make it up to him by getting out of here fast, okay?"

"Geist!" Piper says with an enthusiastic nod. Oh… her head moves now! Without her whole body moving! That's… weird!

The last of the Carvahna were quickly dealt with, all because of Ayra's fast strikes, and the help with Sebastian and Emma's powerful Pokemon. The main threat lied just before them: the Milotic. "Looks like this is all there is left!" Valerie proclaimed. "Ready, Ayra? Iiiiit's whoop-ass ti--" SPLASH. Valerie was pelt in the face, with water. After spitting out the water and rubbing her eyes a little, she found the culprit of the sudden sneak attack.

"Fee!" It was that Feebas she had encountered before. It looks as though she had crept up from the sea water as well, and made herself hidden until the Carvanha had all disappeared. Ayra approached it and growled, but the Feebas held its ground… or in this case, remained swimming.

Valerie squeezed her pink visor-cap to rid the water that soaked it. "Heeeey, what's up with you?! A sneak attack? You scoundrel!" she demanded. "Ohh, wait, aren't you the cute little Feebas from before?" The Feebas didn't look like it was a Shadow Pokemon, though, as evident from its eyes. But more than that, it flailed its fins around. It was almost as if... it was trying to tell Valerie to not attack it. "Eh? What's wrong?"

The Feebas turned back to the Milotic. She cried out to it for Milotic's attention - it was as if, the Feebas had known this Milotic once before. "Could it be?" Emma tried to piece the ongoings together. "That this Feebas and that Milotic are related somehow?"

"Wha?" Valerie asked the professor. "What do you mean, Emmie?"

"Milotic were once Feebas before they evolve," Emma explained. "Perhaps this Feebas is the child of this Milotic? Though, that's only my assumption." she then shook her head. "But whatever the case may be, it's far too late now."

"...Too late?" As if on cue, Valerie's question to Emma's comment was addressed the moment the Milotic lifted up its tail. The wails and cries of the Feebas continued, but were on deaf ears as the Milotic slammed her tail downward, causing the Feebas to be launched upwards from the body of water, slamming upon the crumbling rails of the ship's deck near where Valerie was. Marin let out a small gasp, and Valerie knelt down to examine the Feebas.

"You okay?" The Feebas, using the remainder of her strength, glanced back at Valerie. She then fully lied on the ground. After a while, however… her tears formed. After a mixture of pleading to the mother Milotic to stop her rampage, she unhesitantly retaliated against her own daughter. The Feebas tears were an indication that Milotic was not the mother she once loved. The Milotic treaded herself towards Valerie and the Feebas again. She had her eyes upon the Feebas - a mixture of violence and anger were read in her crimson eyes. She raised her tail, about ready to strike. As for Valerie… she gritted her teeth. She stood back up, with her fists clenched. She then raised her arms and palms outward, on an attempt to protect the little ones.

"Val!" Marin cried out for her, but Valerie didn't respond. Valerie was for once, quiet. The normal cheerful, happy grin on her face… was gone.

"You're… you're supposed to be her mum, right? What kind of..." Valerie had addressed the Milotic, but her words this time were shaky, but this wasn't out of fear. "What kind of Mum would… Mum's shouldn't harm their own children!"

"Valerie, it's no use!" Emma had warned the girl. "Once a Pokemon turns that way, they just turn violent, and destructive. It won't hesitate to strike the Feebas as well."

"I don't care about that!" Valerie shouted. Her pained face told the story. It reminded her… of her own mother. "Mum's shouldn't harm their own children!"

Emma had her head down. "I know. I am a mother myself, and I'd do anything to protect my children," she said. "But once a Pokemon turns into a Shadow, it won't even remember the past relationships it might have had. They'll think nothing more than to strike at everything. To destroy everything. To kill everything…" she then shook her head. "Our only option now is to defeat it, and make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else."

"But..." Valerie started with a more sad expression. "If we beat it, then it will--!" The Feebas tried to get back up, trying to plead with everyone. It didn't understand the meaning of 'Shadow Pokemon'. It just... wanted her mother back. Emma turned away, anguished. Ayra looked after, inside filled with hate. Once again, a Pokemon was made to suffer, because of humans. Unforgivable. Humans are truly irredeemable.

"Valerie…" Aeliana calls out. Her gaze darkens a bit. "You're right, Mum's shouldn't hurt their own children, but… What they did to her, whoever they are? She's not gonna be able to come back. We can't just leave her like this… We have to help her be able to rest."

"Why…?" Valerie could only question. "Who could do something like this? To… to tear a family apart!" Valerie glanced at Aeliana, then back to the Feebas, then back to the Milotic. She had a heavy heart, and while she didn't really get the whole Shadow Pokemon thing, it was still sadder than sad.

Finally, she rested one hand upon Marin. "Can you watch that Feebas for a while?" she asked her. With a nod, Marin came on over, and scooped up the fallen Feebas with her arms. Valerie slowly closed her eyes. It's gonna hurt a ton, fighting against a mother like this, but… Aeliana was right. She can't stay like this.

With a courageous look, she took off her jacket; she was wearing her league shirt underneath - the one with the flaming pokeball. "If it's the only way, then I guess we gotta do it. Sharpen those claws, sis!" Valerie had her fists clenched, then opened them up, and gestured them like claws. Ayra's claws. Ayra's claws, like on sync, were extracted, sharp and ready to pounce. Valerie's battle cry was not one for fun - it was going to be a serious, heavy bout.

As Ayra charged in, the Milotic released a torrent of water from its mouth. She easily evades it with her speed, and with a strong leap, she had herself leaping right in front of the Milotic. Valerie had one of her claw-shaped hands raised. "Give it Ayra sis's… SCRATCH ATTACK!" with her command, she swiped her hand diagonally downwards, with Ayra doing the same notion, scratching the Milotic right on its forehead. "Do it over and over!" Valerie and Ayra repeated the same swipes consecutively. The Milotic tried shaking it off - causing Ayra to run on its long body, to leap off.

"Jet, Focus Energy!" Aeliana calls out. Jet closes his eyes before taking a deep breath. He feels a rush of energy run through, suddenly feeling quite energized. "Now go in for a Rolling Kick!"

The Tyrogue bounds towards the Milotic, eyes narrowing as he approaches. The Milotic sweeps her tail in retaliation, attempting to flick the scrappy Pokémon back with a burst of water that comes rushing out from the attack. Jet manages to hop over the tail at just the right moment, however. He launches his foot into the Shadow Pokémon's belly, but this leaves the him wide open as she slams her tail into him from a much closer range. Jet is sent flying back, but manages to stay up and fighting just the same.
"Piper! Use Razor Leaf!"

The newly evolved ghost flies back into the fray and spreads her hair-- arms? Prehensile hair out wide as she summons multiple leaves to gather around her. The leaves shoot forward and slice into the water type one after the other. Once more, Piper gives a sorrowful look to the little Feebas. She now understands why they have to do this… even if it still hurts to have to do it in front of the baby Pokemon. That Feebas is going to lose her mom just like Piper lost her friends… all she can do is make it quick so that the suffering can stop as soon as possible.

I could help power through with Vida, but with the ship about to collapse at any moment, we also don't have much time… perhaps it will be wise to give everyone a boost overall, Emma thought to herself. She had her handbag out in front of her. It was a fairly large handbag… filled with a surprise. Or two. "Al, Cel." Then, they popped out from her bag. A Plusle, and a Minun. They both were surprised by the amount of water that was gushing out, but turned their attention back to Emma all the same. "Give those two a hand, will you?" The two nodded, and leaped from her keepsake. The Plusle, Cel, made her way to Ayra who had just landed, trying to deal another attack. The Minun, Al, made his way to Jet. The two Pokemon then raised their hands, which were now beaming with light. The light then surrounded the Meowth and Tyrouge respectively, giving them power.

"Right, time for Ayra-sis's PAY DAY attack!" Valerie and Ayra held out their hands in front of them, like if they were holding some sort of sphere. In Ayra's case, light fixtures started to form. They both then made motions of an arm throwing something; when Ayra threw her attack, it took the shape of -- brilliantly enough -- coins that showered and pelted the Milotic.

"Jet! Tackle into another Rolling Kick!" Aeliana shouts. Jet lets out an echoing battle cry as he charges towards the Milotic once more. He slams into her with as much force as he can muster, seemingly starting to make her stagger back, before spinning around slamming his foot right into the Milotic's abdomen.

The Milotic roared, with a mixture of anger, and anguish. A steady whirlpool formed from its underside, which turned into a miniature twister. Everyone held on for dear life - the twister was threatening to destroy everything, as multiple parts of the ship were destroyed, and all kinds of debris and water washed in. It seemed like in it's act of desperation, it was going to take everything out.

"What's it doing?!" Valerie shouted. She held onto the rails, and held on to Marin who was also holding on to the Feebas.

"It's using its Twister attack!" Emma warned. "If it succeeds, it's going to do more than destroy this entire ship… We're going to have to destroy that water cyclone before it causes more damage!" Emma pointed out. "Focus on one single point! Aim your attacks right at the center of it!"

"Let's give it a big finish," Melody says with a small grin to her newly evolved companion, "we don't have time for encores, okay?"

"Geist!" Piper trills as she flies into the air. She opens her mouth to prepare a Bullet Seed, but the attack that begins to form takes on a different appearance: When she evolved, the move was erased in order to make room for something stronger: A ball of vibrant, green energy. "Gooooooour-geist!" She cries as the energy collecting in front of her bursts away and flies towards the single point mentioned. Celeste, not to be outdone, follows suit with a psyshock.

"Clara, Psybeam!" Aeliana orders. The Kirlia steps forward with glowing eyes. A wave of light fires out from her eyes, blasting into the Milotic. As she recoils in pain, Jet dashes forward and slams his foot into the Shadow Pokémon, delivering a critical Rolling Kick.

The Feebas flailed around more. It was crying, begging for the fighting to stop… but Valerie knew what needed to be done. "We'll use one last Pay Day," Valerie and Ayra brought their hands together to hold an invisible ball. The Feebas cried even louder. Valerie, hearing her sad cries, clenched her teeth. If there was only another way… she wanted it so badly. This was.. All she could do. Finally, with all the strength she gathered, she thrusted her arms outward as hard and as fast as she could. "Ayra-sis's… PAY DAY! NOW!!" With the coins gathered up and thrown by Ayra, all the attacks were gathered together.

With the opening and power provided by Melody and Aeliana's Pokemon, and with the precision and constant strikes of Valerie's vortex the Milotic gathered dissipated. Now, the area was quiet. Finally, with a weakened and hurtful cry, the Milotic slumped over, crashing on the ship, upon the shallow water, creating a mighty splash. The Feebas broke free of Marin's grip, hopping its way to the fallen Milotic. It made a cry, and used its fins to try and provoke a response from the Milotic. The Milotic was unresponsive, however - even with its crimson red eyes upon the Feebas, it did nothing, and cried nothing. Eventually… it started to dissolve. The Feebas watched helplessly as its mother was reduced to ashes, and scattered through the wind.

The Feebas teared up, and wailed for her lost mother. Valerie soon after, scooped it up, and held it with her arms. All she could do for it now… was just let it cry.

All of a sudden, the ship started rocking. "We've got to leave this place," Emma warned. "It's going to collapse any moment now!"

"How do we get back?" Aeliana questions. "The floor gave away when we came in!"

"We need to get to the deck," Sebastian explains calmly. "We have friends waiting outside who can take us from there."

"So it's haul ass time?" Melody asks as she cuts her gaze towards the psychic fox who had been keeping the water at bay since their battle started. "Dunno how much longer your friend can keep us alive."

Aeliana takes hold of the balls belonging to her Pokémon and recalls them one by one. She places them in her bag, before casting a lingering glance towards Valerie. The blue-haired trainer makes her way towards Valerie's side and gently puts a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" she asks the streamer.

Valerie, holding the Feebas, had a stern look. She wasn't facing Aeliana directly, but was just…. Standing there. But soon, she managed to collect herself, and she held onto Marin with one of her free hands - Marin volunteered to hang on to the Feebas herself to give it comforting pats.

The ship crumbled and rocked even more. As if on instinct, Valerie held on to Aeliana's hand. Her face was more relaxed, and as a small delayed answer to Aeliana's worry, she replied with a small smile and a nod. "Let's go, Aeli."

"Everyone get up the stairs. We're right behind you." Sebastian calls. Melody returns both Piper and Celeste to their balls before high-tailing it up the staircase. Once everyone is making their way up, Sebastian calls Alois back and casts a warm smile towards his partner Pokemon. "Thank you." He whispers as he holds out the fire fox's ball and returns the exhausted Pokemon. The instant she vanishes from the scene, water frantically begins to flood from every hole and crevice. The shinobi quickly makes his way up the staircase to join his wife and the trio of trainers.

As the group reaches the deck they quickly discover two things: One, despite there not being a cloud in the sky when they began this adventure, it is now pouring down rain. Two, the ship (or what remains of it) is no longer burning.

"Swannaaaaaaa!" Comes a cry from the sky. The elegant swan Pokemon descends from the clouds at the sight of her trainer's wife, and with her comes a small army of Frillish, Wingul… and one Cramorant.

Aeliana looked up at the Cramorant in particular. It looked… extremely nervous to say the least, its eyes darting around before landing on the form of the blue-haired trainer. With a loud squawk, the bird fluttered down, wings flapping wildly as he descended to the deck of the ship… only to completely beef the landing and almost plow right into the group of trainers.

Aeliana looked down silently at the bird and then back at Sebastian. "Is… is this your Pokémon too?"

"Ah, no, only Ksenia is mine." Sebastian says as he tugs his mask from his face. There's something of a hesitant smile on his face as he tries to stifle a laugh at the poor bird's antics.

"Na." The Swanna chimes as she glides down to gracefully land beside her trainer. She proudly crooks her neck and spreads her wings as if gesturing to everything around them. Her eyes quickly look around at the young trainers before focusing in on Emma and Sebastian, intense eyes staring into their souls as if to say Where's my praise? I charmed all of these Pokemon into helping us! I made it rain and put out the fire. Aren't I the greatest?

"Thank you, Ksenia." Sebastian says as he gently strokes the swan's neck. "We would be lost without you."

"'Nother one for high tea." Melody mumbles under her breath as she watches the diva-swan.

Emma giggled. "As graceful as always," Emma complimented. "Thank you all. You all did very well. Alright, shall we go?"

The gang all finally made their way out of the ship deck. With some careful work arounds, they all finally made their way out, and finally back to the port. It looks as though the rangers and the other pokemon trainers had worked together to finish up their ends too - they rescued a fair amount of people, and had even defeated quite a number of Shadow Pokemon. Holding Valerie's hand still, Marin looked around outside. She had hoped that her father was alright…

"...Marin? Marin!" Luckily, a relieved looking man was right on time to greet her. Marin, filled with joyous tears rushed over, and the two embraced happily.

"Daddy, I… I was scared…" Marin cried. Her father kept a happy smile.

"I'm here now dear," he said calmly. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"A couple of people rescued me and helped me out!" Marin had explained. She then turned her attention to Valerie and the rest of them. "That girl over there saw me! Her name's Val, and she's a Pokemon Trainer! They all are trainers!"

"I see," Her father said with a relieved sigh. Then, holding Marin's hand, came to address them. "I can't thank you enough for saving my daughter; if anything were to happen to her, I…"

Valerie gave them a warm smile. Marin approached Valerie closer, and Valerie knelt down to meet her sight. "Val?" Marin started. "Can… can we be friends?"

"Yeah," Valerie said softly and warmly. "And when you become a Pokemon Trainer, we'll have a battle, right?"

"Right!" Marin agreed. "See you next time, then!" Marin with her father waved them all off goodbye, and proceeded out of the port, most likely back to their home. All around the port, the rangers and some nurses from the Pokemon Center, came to help tend any injuries the trainers and Pokemon might have had during the on going.

Aeliana glances over towards Sebastian. The blue-haired girl was honestly beginning to feel like she was missing something big here. She turns to focus on the champion completely and finally asks what was on her mind.

"...These incidents… I've dealt with this sort of thing three times now," Aeliana begins. "What's actually going on? I feel like you know something about this we don't."

Sebastian glances towards Aeliana and then to Emma. His eyes soften and his lips curve into something of a sad smile. There's a sickening feeling in the pit of his chest; this is all too familiar. What should have ended long ago has found a way to return. "I do have a theory." He says softly. As much as he wanted to keep these young trainers out of it, they were already involved. They have the right to know what they're sinking into. "Putting all of those Pokemon in a confined space that was set to burn away and take the evidence with it… I believe whoever is doing this wanted to test just how many Pokemon they could control at one time." He turns his gaze to the sea and the small remnants of the once proud ship. "I would say their experiment was a success, and I expect to see them putting a follow up plan into action sooner rather than later."

"So… we're gonna have to deal with this again," Melody mutters.

"I'm afraid it's a very real possibility," Sebastian answers.

This is a lot to take in. Aeliana closes her eyes, her mind racing with thoughts on what this is really going to mean for all of them. Things… suddenly seemed like they were getting very messy very quickly.

Valerie, meanwhile, patted Feebas's head. She seemed to have calmed down… perhaps luring itself to sleep as a mechanism to cope with the shock of what had happened. "Well, who was it?" Valerie had demanded. "Who could do such things, to innocent Pokemon?"

Without a response, Emma looked down, deep in thought, and in worry. She then reached for something - something in her coat pockets. Approaching Valerie, she laid out a small disc-like object in front of her. "Here, for now, take this," she said. "You know about TRs, right? Maybe this can help you out."

Valerie took the TR from her. Without averting their eyes, Valerie and Emma exchanged looks. "Emmie, Sebbie," Valerie started. "Pokemon are supposed to be our friends, right? So, why? How can someone just do this to them?"

"I wish I could tell you," Sebastian says softly. "Before I rush forward making such grand accusations; however, there are some things I would like to look into." He has a hunch, though it's not nearly enough to accuse anyone of such a heinous crime. There's questions to ask, documentation to reference… and a call he needs to make. "For now, I beg that the three of you go forth with a great amount of caution." He knows better than to ask them not to go forward until this is settled. That's simply something someone with a trainer's heart can't do.

"We'll look both ways before we cross the street." Melody says with a small smirk. That's about all she's willing to promise. 'Aeliana adds a nod to the punk's response.

"No matter what, I..." Valerie started, turning away, still with Feebas in her arms. She looked at the starry night sky. "No matter what, I'm not gonna forgive anyone who hurts our Pokemon friends. Never, ever, ever! Not in a million, billion years!"

Melody looks at the pink-clad trainer and hesitates for a brief second before reaching out and touching her shoulder. "Don't worry, you don't have to." She says while putting on a confident smirk. "We'll track 'em down… and open up a can of whoop-ass on 'em together, yeah?"

Valerie… Emma had pondered. ...And the rest of Professor Sonia's students, huh? Hmm, that reminds me, I do need to contact her soon.

***

Once the trio of trainers depart and the scene begins to clear, Sebastian looks down to the Xtransceiver on his wrist. "Excuse me one moment," he speaks softly before giving his wife's hand a gentle squeeze. He steps away from the hustle of rangers trying to clean up as much wreckage as possible in search of a somewhat quiet place before tapping the machine's little screen. Contacts. Recent contacts. Call.

"Ah, apologies for calling so late, old friend…" The shinobi's saddened smile quickly fades into a far more somber expression. "It's just as we feared."

Fen-Fen · Mar 31, 2021

Haleigh Windsor
18 | Female | From Circhester

Corey (Male, Blaze) - Flame Charge, Double Kick, Headbutt, Agility

Coraline (Female, Weak Armor) - Tackle, Harden, Astonish, Spite, Ancient Power

Cornelius (Male, Synchronize) - Disarming Voice, Confusion, Draining Kiss, Hypnosis

Orion (Male, Snow Cloak) - Powder Snow, Tail Whip

Cerise (Female, Adaptability) - Covet, Quick Attack, Baby Doll Eyes, Growl

Reyna (Female, Torrent) - Peck, Bubble Beam, Pound, Growl

Spoiler: Memories

VS Nessa - Rematch, Part 1

Haleigh's stomach was already in knots by the time she made her way towards the stadium. Any nervousness she had felt during her previous attempt was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Her palms were sweaty, her knees were weak, her arms felt heavy and she felt like she could vomit at any time.

Corey looked up at his trainer, giving her a concerned glance and a questioning call of "Raboot?"

She exhaled, responding with, "Y-yeah, I'm a bit nervous."

After facing another incredulous look from Corey, she quickly added, "Ok fine I'm a lot nervous. Terrified."

Haleigh ran her hands through her hair, her mind racing with all that lay ahead of her. She had to do this, and do it right. She had done admirably in her battle against Achille, but that was a lower stakes practice battle with him in a secluded patch of beach. This, however, was a large stadium filled with expectant fans, the same people who had seen her fail so publicly and seen her at her most vulnerable.

In the end, she only told Melody and Achille about the date and approximate timeframe for the rematch. And even with those two, despite everything, Haleigh couldn't help but feel doubt about letting them down.

Melody skids to a stop a good twelve feet behind Haleigh in the hopes of not being heard just yet. She turns to look over her shoulder and flashes an impatient look at the muscular man trailing behind her. While Melody can easily bob and weave around crowds, Kai couldn't-- without bowling people over, which caused him to lag behind.

Once he gets to her, Melody gives a single, determined nod. Kai grins as he cups his hands around his mouth. "Hail-Storm!" He calls out.

Melody waits for Haleigh to turn around before gesturing to the skull-clad man beside her. "I found this thug on the street. Apparently, he's a fan of yours."

Haleigh is shaken out of her thoughts by the sudden appearance of none other than Melody and- "BIG MAN KAI! It's been ages mate!" She charges forward with ferocity and gives him a bear hug. "Oh Arceus, holy shit, how are you?!"

She turns to Melody and asks, "Mel, Kai is in town and you didn't tell me?! How dare you!" She tries to look indignant, but the big grin on her face and the playful tone of her words make it clear how she felt upon seeing him.

Corey takes a moment to take in the scene before walking over to his trainer. She finally lets go of Kai long enough so that he can breathe, introducing them to each other. "Corey, this is one of my old mates from Spikemuth. Kai, Corey. Corey, Kai."

Melody steps back as Haleigh darts towards the big guy. The sight of them hugging brings to mind a Bewear hugging a Sneasel, albeit, the Sneasel seems to be the one doing the death-gripping. "Hey, I have an excuse: … I didn't know. He just showed up."

"Nah, I didn't tell her. Wanted to surprise you both!" As he lets go of Haleigh, he gives the pair a thumb's up. "You two're out here given' it your all, the rest of us couldn't just be sittin' on our thumbs." Before Melody can comment, the muscular man drops into a squatting position and offers his fist to the fire type. "Nice t' meet ya, tough guy!"

Corey reciprocates the fist, giving a nod of approval at Kai. He likes the vibe of this guy: tough, but very kind.

Haleigh looks between the two, glad to see Corey likes her old friend. "Well damn, this is some amazing timing, 'cause I need all the good vibes I can get. I...it's been tough coming into Hulbury." She sighs, releasing some of the tension she had been feeling up to that point.

"Hey, if this gym challenge was easy, everyone and their brother'd be doin' it. There's a reason ya gotta prove to someone that you're tough stuff before you can even try." Kai says as he rises back up. "Someone that can't be knocked down's never gonna get to prove how strong he can be. What really tests strength is gettin' knocked down and gettin' back up!"

Melody smiles at Kai's encouragement. Lately she's been way too deep in her own head to say something so straight to the point. It's nice to have Mr. Heart Full Head Empty here to offer this perspective for Haleigh. "One li'l set back doesn't have to be the end of the road, huh?"

"Not if you're strong!" Kai encourages.

Haleigh smiles warmly at their words. She has their support, she has the support from Achille. It was a small little network so far, but more than enough for what she needs right now. "I'm so glad I have you all on my side. You're the best!"

She straightens her posture, starting to walk off towards the stadium, looks back and gives them a wave. "Cheer my name real loud out there! I wanna hear you from the bottom of that pool!"

With that, Haleigh took one final deep breath, feeling significantly more ready to face the gym head on. Corey joined her, looking similarly invigorated. Like Pokemon, like trainer, they both were going to triumph.

---------------------

Upon reaching the gym leader's pool, Haleigh set her sights on Nessa, who waited on the other end of the pool for her. There she stood, confident, imposing, fierce, thousands of people chanting her name.

The purple haired trainer, however, wasn't about to let herself be outmatched. She walked in with her head held high, her posture oozing confidence and her face etched with determination. She swallowed any of the doubts she was having, remembering who was going to be out there watching - appearing in her thoughts not as a dreadful swirling cloud of dread, but as a loud, thunderous voice of support and triumph.

Nessa chuckled, "My my, what a lovely change of pace. Looks like someone heeded my advice and is ready for another chance."

Haleigh flashed a grin and flexed a fist in front of her face. "You can bet your arse I have! I really got my head in the game this time, and I ain't about to let myself get washed away by a little bit of water!" She accentuated her point by pumping her fist in the air.

"Bold words, let's see if you can match the talk and ride it out!" Nessa brought out one of her Pokeballs, containing none other than the Pelipper that had bested Haleigh's first attempt in no time at all. As the Pelipper was being deployed, clouds gathered at the top of the stadium until they became big enough, covering the arena with a steady rainfall.

Nessa remarked with a smirk on her face, "Not a fan of the rain, eh?"

She already knew that there'd be rain coming in. That was one good thing that Haleigh could count on from the first battle: firsthand knowledge of what was coming.

Haleigh let out a small chuckle, "Eh maybe not, but I'm not about to let that dampen my spirits this time! Corey, Flame Charge, rev it up and try and jump kick 'em!"

"Pelipper, keep to the sky and hit 'em with a Water Pulse." So far, Haleigh seemed to be sticking to her guns based on that one command. However, the gym leader was not about to let her guard down - especially given the drastic shift in demeanor from her previous attempt.

The water bird Pokemon did as he was told, taking to the skies while Corey covered his body in flames and dashed around the platform. Starting off with the speed boost this time was going to be vital if the Raboot stood any chance at getting enough momentum to aim up at the Pelipper.

Before Corey could process anything further, a rush of water came barreling towards him. Haleigh shouted, "Heads up!"

Corey got the message in the nick of time, flipping to the left and reorienting himself, dashing to the edge of the platform, jumping up, and nicking the Pelipper with the flame kick. Like before, the rain and the overall type advantage made the blow not land very hard, but with what Haleigh was facing, she would take all she could get. Besides, the real purpose of the Flame Charge was to set up for later.

"Not bad, your Raboot is in better form than last time," Nessa said. "But that still isn't gonna be enough to beat me! Pelipper, get in a Twister."

Haleigh looked on as the Pelipper flapped its wings, spun around and sent forward the spiralling vortex. This time, Corey wasn't quite quick enough and despite a quick sidestep to his right, the Twister still hit him and pushed him back to the left towards the edge of the platform.

"Send him over the edge with a Water Pulse!"

Haleigh winced as Corey got ever so closer to the edge that would spell a nasty disadvantage, "Agility and get outta the way! Remember our secret little weapon."

Corey nodded. It was something that she and him were saving for that element of surprise as long as they could. In the end, he decided to just go for the straight up speed boost and gracefully dodged the second water blast.

Nessa raised an eyebrow at the mention of their "secret weapon". Wings or no wings, as long as Corey could either speed boost or speed boost and attack, her Pelipper was at a disadvantage and slowly chip away at him. Even counting on an inevitable slip up was going to be risky as her treasured rain would be on a timer as well and lose all the power it gave her water moves. As far the water gym leader could surmise, it was a battle of attrition that her opponent was aiming for, which was a far cry from the usual play she was expecting from the energetic girl. Either way, Nessa couldn't have that stand.

Confidently placing a hand on her hip, Nessa called out to Pelipper, "Use Supersonic and get in a Water Pulse!"

Haleigh's eyes widened as she started to shout, "Get out of the way!"

But it was too late. The Pelipper screeched and released its attack, assailing Corey's ears and causing him to stagger back in disorientation.

Damn it! She couldn't have him confused for long if she wanted to get into this battle with a victory. Haleigh grimaced, the first battle flashing in her mind as she watched Corey struggle with the attack. All that doubt from before was seeping into her mind, threatening to swallow her up again.

Haleigh exclaimed, her face contorted with worry, "Stay with me here, get away from the edge!"

"Blast him down with another Water Pulse," Nessa commanded.

Unfortunately, Corey couldn't get his faculties together in time and had to suffer the attack head-on, facing devastating damage from the water blast and reeling - though thankfully, not off of the platform and into the drink.

No no no, not again, she couldn't handle a second loss, not like this. She couldn't face anyone like that, she was going to remain a failure, she was-

Haleigh's spiraling thoughts were interrupted from the sight of Corey getting back up after the attack. He was very clearly winded, but more than enough fight left. If anything, the attack at the very least seemed to snap him out of his confusion. She couldn't just fall apart again, not now with Corey relying on her to be his guide in this battle.

"Let's get back in it! Now's a good a time as any, so let's do this." Haleigh pointed up towards the Pelipper and shouted at the top of her lungs, "COREY, ELECTRO BALL!!!"

Now it was the gym leader's turn to be on the ropes. With a self satisfied smirk, the Raboot quickly got into position and dashed forward with all of his might, charging an electric ball by his feet and kicking it up towards the flying Pokemon.

Nessa's eyes widened, completely taken aback by the command. "Pelipper, get out of the w-"

By the time she managed to get out those words, the electric attack was already well on its way to him, arcing through the air and hitting the Pelipper in his right wing. The impact was devastating, with Pelipper sent spiraling backwards all the way back towards Nessa. After landing by the gym leader's feet, the Pokemon made a meager attempt to get back up, but the damage was done.

The entire stadium was in an uproar, roars and cheers coming from the stands at the surprise attack, the rain petering out from the stadium. Haleigh looked on for a second, letting the scene sink in. They were...chanting her name, celebrating her knockout.

"Fuck yeah!!!" She pumped a fist in the air, a big grin covering her face from ear to ear. "Guess there is a way to play football even in the pool, eh Nessa?!"

Nessa let out a huff, returning the Pelipper to his ball with a small smile on her face. "You did well, Pelipper."

Turning her focus back on Haleigh, her lips turned up in a playful smirk that belied a fierce expression. "Now you're really asking for it. You played your card well, but I got my own counter! Lanturn, you're up!" She tossed the Lanturn out into her pool, the Pokemon sinking into the water below to lurk and wait patiently for his trainer's commands.

She wasn't out of the water yet, so to speak, but Haleigh had a path forward. It would be up to her to walk it to finish off strong.

Fen-Fen · Mar 31, 2021

Haleigh Windsor
18 | Female | From Circhester

Corey (Male, Blaze) - Flame Charge, Double Kick, Headbutt, Agility

Coraline (Female, Weak Armor) - Tackle, Harden, Astonish, Spite, Ancient Power

Cornelius (Male, Synchronize) - Disarming Voice, Confusion, Draining Kiss, Hypnosis

Orion (Male, Snow Cloak) - Powder Snow, Tail Whip

Cerise (Female, Adaptability) - Covet, Quick Attack, Baby Doll Eyes, Growl

Reyna (Female, Torrent) - Peck, Bubble Beam, Pound, Growl

Spoiler: Memories

VS Nessa - Rematch, Part 2

Haleigh looked at Nessa a bit perplexedly, surprised that she wasn't going to be playing her ace Pokemon. Her Dreadnaw was powerful, though realizing that the rain had already stopped, Corey would certainly have a devastating speed advantage on her and whip out Electro Ball after Electro Ball. On top of that, Nessa's choice straight up negated said electric attack. True to form, the gym leader wasn't about to hand Haleigh that badge on a silver platter.

The purple haired trainer looked over to Corey, saying, "I think you've earned a rest. You did amazin' out there!"

Corey huffed at his trainer, gesturing to the Lanturn in the pool. "I know mate, you're still raring to go, but I need to change up my strategy some. Trust me on this one, 'kay?"

The Raboot relented, allowing Haleigh to recall him back into his ball. In his place, Haleigh brought out Cornelius. The Ralts came out of his ball, looking in similarly high spirits as his trainer. Though he could sense the underlying jitteriness and nerves, she was decidedly more put together and invigorated.

"Now Lanturn, Bubble Beam!"

The blue and yellow Pokemon came leaping out of the water, shooting a hard blast of bubbles towards the vulnerable Ralts.

Damn it! Haleigh took a deep breath, trying to keep herself collected enough to formulate a response. For every single member of her team, she had to be there for them, through thick and thin.

"Alright, don't worry, we got this. We got this." After the Lanturn dove back into water, Haleigh tracked its movements with her finger. "Annnnnd, there! Psybeam!"

The Ralts complied, the focused beam rocketing through the water without even stopping and hitting it square in the head. "Nice shot! Let's keep it up!"

The Lanturn, forced to take the attack head on, stopped its swimming and somersaulted backwards in the water. It had taken a considerable bit of damage, but still with more than enough vitality to keep the fight going. "

"Dodge it, get in your own Psybeam!" Though not as fast as Corey, Cornelius managed to stay just shy of the opposing Pokemon's beam while managing to shoot out one of his own to match it, bending backwards as the Psybeam sailed just a bit above him. Because of the awkward angle of Cornelius' beam, it too failed to make its mark, the Lanturn swimming to the side and dodged it with relative ease.

At this point in the battle, it appeared that the two were at a bit of a stalemate. They could both take potshots at each other, play the long game and see who can keep going the longest. However, that was neither Haleigh nor Nessa's style. Someone was going to have to shake things up.

A devious smirk graced the lips of the water gym leader. She could tell Cornelius wasn't nearly as nimble on his feet, a fact she could exploit to her advantage. "Get yourself lined up for another Bubble Beam Lanturn, we're gonna blast that Ralts to kingdom come!" The bait was set; would Haleigh and Cornelius bite?

Cornelius stood at attention, with his trainer looking around and waiting for the oncoming water attack. She could see him swimming faster and faster, coming up to line up his shot. The Ralts got close to the water's edge, lining himself up to match the Lanturn's strike. "Now Cornelius, let's get him off balance with a Disarming Voice!"

Before the Ralts had anytime to open his mouth, Nessa quickly fired back and said, "Confuse Ray!"

"Oi, get out of the way-"

There was no way Cornelius could back out on a dime in the same way Corey could, so he was forced to commit to his attack. In the process, he was in the perfect position for Lanturn to fire off his Confuse Ray and leave him prone to it. The flashing lights immediately disoriented the Ralts, leaving him to stumble around. "Stay with me, listen to my voice!"

"Now get in a Bubble Beam, Lanturn," Nessa commanded. The Lanturn took the opportunity, landing another Bubble Beam on Cornelius. In his confusion, he fell, tripped over himself and tipped over into the pool.

"CORNELIUS!" She clenched a fist. "Hold on! Focus on me, ignore all the other shit, just focus on me."

The struggling Ralts, panting in exhaustion at the exertion to keep his head above water and from the damage he had been taking, did just that. He focused on her - her - with every fiber of his being, trying to pull himself out of the water and back up on the platform. In this pool, Haleigh was his anchor.

He finally managed to pull himself back up and shake off the dregs of his confusion. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. Was this going to be the end of things for the two of them? Had he let her down yet again?

To Cornelius' surprise, Haleigh wasn't feeling quite the same way as she was in the first match. He felt a swell of warmth throughout his entire body. He looked up at her. Somehow, there was a smile on the girl's face - and the emotions to correspond with it.

"I...I know it seems a bit of a rough going right now, but listen." She knelt down to meet Cornelius at eye level. "I believe in you. That's how I'm holding on through all this. And I know we're going to make it out fine, no matter what happens next."

Cornelius continued to feel the swell of positive emotions. Pride, hope, excitement, joy. She was feeling all of that for him. He felt his body start to change, accompanied with a white glow. Haleigh watched on with gleeful surprise as Cornelius started to grow taller and change shape.

He had evolved.

Nessa looked on with a mixture of surprise and dread. Haleigh was two for two for evolving Pokemon mid battle so far; given how she had performed in the battle so far, it would be something that could very well end with a victory for the girl.

The gym leader wore a calm expression that belied an intense, fiery expression in her eyes. "So it all comes down to this. Both our backs are to the wall, and it can go in any which way…"

She pointed at Haleigh, "But I'm going to do everything in my power to turn the tide back to me!"

Cornelius - now standing in the splendor of his new form - stood soaked from his little swim in the pool. Water, water, water. He closed his eyes, feeling something invigorating in the water's presence. Some of the water that had pooled on the platform from the rain and the splashing around started to glow and move towards his body.

Haleigh watched, her mouth open in awe. "W-woah! A new technique!" She could see that after that, he stood with a bit straighter, looked a bit stronger.

"Lanturn, jump up and use Electro Ball on her Kirlia!" The Lanturn charged a similar ball of electricity to that used by Corey earlier in the battle, holding it in his esca awaiting release.

Haleigh smirked, an idea popping into her head. "Cornelius, use Double Team. Try and hit 'im now!"

Cornelius nodded, pirouetting and moving gracefully across the platform to make clones of himself. The Lanturn changed its neutral, happy looking expression to one of irritation. Now which one was he supposed to hit?

Nessa scowled in irritation. Haleigh was proving to be full of surprises this round. Perhaps the first battle had also been ingrained in the gym leader's head for the wrong reasons, up until now underestimating the girl's abilities. One of Sonia's kids indeed.

"Expand the ball, hit the ones on your left side!" The water trainer reasoned that with not a lot of room and not a lot of speed, he couldn't have been able to maneuver that much further from the last clones he had put out.

As the Lanturn worked to increase the ball's range, Haleigh was busy thinking of the best thing to do while she still had an element of distraction on her side. Her racing thoughts took her into one conclusion.

"All of you, blast him to kingdom come with an all out Psybeam frenzy!" Cornelius and his various clones all coalesced to form a barrage of psychic beams to aim at it, just as the Lanturn's Electro Ball was slated to hit the copies of Cornelius, leaving only the real one and a copy.

By now, the Lanturn was looking tired from all of the damage he was taking. Nessa knew she was on the ropes, so she had to make it count.

"Here we go Lanturn. Hit 'em with Bubble Beam!" The Lanturn swam underneath the platform, rocketing towards the other side and aiming for its attack to hit the Kirlia.

"Watch your six, don't get the Psybeam up just yet!" As Cornelius stood there awaiting his trainer's commands, the Lanturn surfaced, readying to jump up and ready

Now was her chance to get him. All this time, it was potshot after potshot from the pool, but removing the fish from the water would make Nessa's tailor made environment useless. "Now Cornelius, put this little bugger to sleep and get in a Draining Kiss!"

Cornelius gave a salute at the command, using his psychic powers and looking at the blue Pokemon that had just leaped up from the water. The Pokemon started to nod off mid jump and flopped onto the platform right in front of Cornelius.

There was no amount of shouting from Nessa that'd be able to rouse the Pokemon in time, as Cornelius leaned in and gave the Pokemon a prolonged Draining Kiss, sucking away its energy.

Because of the ambiguity between being asleep and being knocked out, there was a tense silence as they waited to see if the Pokemon would rouse. After a few agonizing minutes, one of the scanners that monitored the Pokemon was able to ascertain the difference and called the knockout.

"Gym Leader Nessa has no more Pokemon to battle with. Challenger 41 Haleigh Windsor is the victor!"

Haleigh stood stunned as she let the news sink in, the chants and cheers for her name loud and uproarious. She did it. By Arceus, she did it! The past several weeks had been one rollercoaster of a journey, and now she was going to have something to show for all those ups and downs, something to really be proud of.

Nessa walked from her platform over to Haleigh's, a smile on her face despite the loss that had been incurred at her expense. "I'll say, that was one hell of a good battle! Here." The water gym leader gave her a small metal badge, a design emblazoned on it signifying it as the Water Badge.

"For you. You've more than earned it. I had my doubts after seeing you against Milo and after how you had performed the first time around, but you've proven me wrong. You've proven yourself wrong. And that, that is something I want to see any trainer that comes up against me walking out of here feeling."

Something in the gym leader's words seemed to evoke a reaction in Haleigh, her eyes starting to water. However, these weren't the tears of desperation and despair that had marked her previous low points. They were the best kind of tears, ones that described unmeasurable joy and triumph.

And for once, Haleigh was not going to even attempt to hold them back.

Sapphire Rose · Mar 31, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho & Rosa Valdés & Haleigh Windsor
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

Pretty Little Liars

"Yeah, can I get one...Glaceon Snowball, a...Leafeon Mojito and a Sylveon Pina Colada?" Ruben grumbled, disgusted that he had to sound so ridiculous even for a second. The bar around him was frothing with an obnoxious amount of colour. From Jolteon Cosplays to Umbreon, everyone was dressed in some form of outfit themed after the evolved forms of Eevee. It was disgustingly cute. He glanced over to the two girls he'd arrived with, nattering away with the girl they'd picked up along the way. Haleigh did look the part. If he didn't know the girl already, he could've mistaken her for a poison type eeveelution cosplayer.

Haleigh was looking absolutely exuberant, seeming barely able to keep still in her seat. She had all the reason to be, given the sharp contrast with this gym battle versus her first attempt. It was as triumphant of a comeback as one could have.

She didn't originally plan on having a celebration with anyone in particular, having picked out the bar on a whim while wandering aimlessly in Hulbury's streets chatting the ears off of Melody and Achille after her victory and deciding that the bar's unique aesthetic in and of itself was worth checking out. Upon seeing Rosa and Ruben in particular, she figured sharing the celebration was a worthy cause. Though Haleigh had seen Rosa more recently, it had been several months since she had seen the footballer; Haleigh figured meeting for drinks rather than going through a haunted printing press was a nice change of pace for the two of them.

Although the trio of girls were sitting at a Flareon shaped table in the super cute eeveelution bar while Ruben was getting their drinks, Haleigh's attention was first captured by the girl that she had not been properly introduced to - though a good chunk of Galar could have recognized her instantly because of her relationship with Ruben and all of the gossip surrounding the two. With glee evident in her voice, she said to Pia, "Ooh it's so nice to finally meet you! Course there was all the news and stuff with you and Ruben, but it's a lot better to see you here in person rather than from just behind my phone screen."

"We were classmates, silly." Pia chuckled at the purple haired girl's reaction. Though she waved the laugh away. "But it's nice to meet you again too, Haleigh. It's been a while." She smirked. Pia carefully looked the girl up and down. She seemed to know Ruben when they entered. Was this one of the girl's he…?

No no no. Pia quickly shook off the thought. The situation lately had made her all paranoid but she came here for a nice drink. A nice drink with classmates… and her lying boyfriend who might have been cheating despite his apology a little earlier. She wanted to let it go… but a part of her couldn't. He never explained why he lied after all.

"Eeveeeee?" A pair of ears stuck up under the table at Pia's lap. Pia petted the Eevee's head and let her look around. Everything in this bar was about her possible future evolution after all.

Rosa listened in to the conversations going on around her. She was more than happy to have someone else there to take the spotlight off of her a little bit. With the arrival of Pia's Eevee, the duo had got into a stint of discussing some Eeveelution themed anime TV show they both loved. Rosa though, she watched Ruben as he sat up at the bar, waiting for the drinks that were supposed to be coming for them. She wondered if she should go join him, given that Pia and Haleigh were already deep into their own conversation. "I'll be right back," Rosa stated, pushing herself away from the Flareon shaped table before making her way up to the bar.

"Hey…" she said quietly, taking the seat next to Ruben. The girl looked back at the two girls she'd left behind and sighed. The guilt was absolutely eating her up inside, despite this series of events having neither been one of the worst things she'd done or even been the cause of. "I'm sorry about today… she had followed me in, and I… I didn't mean for her to get involved."

Ruben's expression bent into a scowl. It wasn't at Rosa, but before he could turn his head away from her, he didn't doubt that the girl caught a glimpse of the face he was making.

"Yeah, well, I guess these things just happen. It's real life," he said, his voice flat as a board.

Rosa flinched, catching the man's scowl as he turned away. She really hadn't meant to drag him into this again… or Pia for that matter. To be honest… that was probably what was hurting her the most about it all. If she'd wanted to drag Pia along for protection, she'd have been ready for this type of reaction from the footballer. But as things stood… she just felt awful - and she couldn't let things sit like that.

"No, Ruben… it's not like-" she pursed her lips, wondering what she could say to ease the tension between them. Her mind was struggling to keep up with itself as the ideas kept slipping away from her the second that they surfaced. "Everything that happened was my fault… I know that, and you know that, I'm sure… but Pia doesn't."

A heavy silence followed that. Ruben looked back at the girl, compelled to follow up on the tension building statement, but before he could say anything, the drinks arrived. The glaceon snowball was a sky blue with darker blue swirls and frosted tips on the glass made from sugar. It probably tasted as sweet as it looked like. The Leafeon Mojito was a see-through green with leaves of mint and sugar coated lime inside of it. The Sylveon pina colada looked... as pink as you could expect. It was a pastel pink with a darker pink syrup going through the glass and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. It was as cheesy as he could've imagined. One thing was off though. "Hey uh…"Ruben began, ignoring Rosa completely and leaning over the bar to grab the waitress. He looked down at the glasses that the other customers had. All novelty items decorated to resemble a specific eeveelution, or the iconic little fox pokemon itself. Meanwhile, they just had plain glasses. "Do we not get the special glasses?" The waitress gave an apologetic frown in response and pointed to a sign: 'Eevee themed glasses sold separately'. The statement was followed by a menu quoting pricing for the specific Eeveelutions. Clearly Umbreon, Espeon and Sylveon came at a premium. With a sigh, he glanced over to Rosa. "Would you mind bringing the drinks to the table? And finding out what glasses the other girls want." Without waiting for an answer, he returned to the waitress, readying his card to pay for another round.

Rosa stared at the glasses and then looked back at the girls who were still in the middle of their own conversation. She felt a pang in her chest - something that told her even if she felt stupid because of it, she should push just a little bit harder. She'd made things harder for him… in several ways. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? "Why don't you just get the sampler?" The girl nodded towards another sign nearby. "It says you get all the special glasses for a discount, and they have drinks already in them. Just in case someone decides later on that they want another…" she took in a deep breath, holding it for a second as she chose her next words carefully. He'd ignored her before, but… "It must be nice, not having to worry about money all the time… I'd probably have slept on the streets all through Turffield if it weren't for you, but there's nothing wrong with saving a few poke here and there."

Must be nice. Ruben grimaced as those words came out of the girl's mouth. Everyone seemed to think so. He glanced over at the menu offer she was referring to. Sure enough she was right. It worked out more expensive in total, but it would get the girls a full collection.

"Thanks." He said, offering her a weak smile.

That was it. She was done talking. Rosa stared at the bartender, losing herself in thought as she reflected on the mistake she'd just made. 'I'm just… no good.'

While Rosa had left to chat with Ruben, Haleigh continued her conversation with Pia. She smacked her own forehead, realizing she had forgotten her from their time at the academy and more recently, the opening ceremonies. "Ah, right! Sorry mate, it kinda slipped my mind there. But yeah, it has been quite a while. It's been quite fun to keep running into old classmates, see what they've been up to and all."

She paused, thinking over what else she knew about Pia apart from the obvious connection to Ruben. Her eyes lit up as she remembered something else about her. "Hey, you've met Melody before, right? She mentioned something about a race or something that you two did together on Route 3?"

"Ah yes, she's your best friend, right? I saw you a lot together at the academy." Pia said a bit reminiscent to that time, reminding herself how she always sat alone staring at the other groups that had formed. It was the first time she had ever felt peaceful at school compared to her time in Hammerlocke. "We ended up teaming up for a race at the festive market at route 3. She's a lot cooler then I thought." Pia gave an approving nod. "How did you meet Ruben though? He didn't join any of the regular classes usually." She asked curiously.

In response to the question Pia had posed at her, she said, "Funny thing is, it was also on Route 3 that I met Ruben. Well, really met him I should say, I saw him around the academy, I watched some of his games and all that. There was this kinda creepy old abandoned publishing house that we both bumped into each other at-"

Shit. She had said too much. In her haste to answer the question, she had forgotten about her little promise at the end of their ghostly adventure to not talk about it. Not only that, but there was one scene in particular that would have been awkward to explain given that Ruben and Pia were dating. She scratched her head, breaking eye contact for a second as she added, "S-Shame that it was kinda a bust though, just some old machinery and paper there."

Pia raised an eyebrow. Why was she suddenly being so nervous? Just some old machinery and paper, huh? Would it be rude to dig a little deeper?

"I see." Pia said, glancing at Ruben at the bar and wondering what was taking him so long. If she was gonna ask, she might as well do it now. "It doesn't sound like there were just old machinery and paper." Pia brought up with a grin plastered on her pink coloured lips.

Haleigh replied, "Nah mate, like I said, just some old rusty machinery and stuff. I mean maybe I was a bit scared at the time, but really, it was nothing."

"Hmmm…" Pia wasn't buying it and sipped her imaginary tea. It did seem like Haleigh wasn't going to give her any more information. Rosa was also coming back to the table. "Well, at any rate, congratulations on your win with Nessa."

A slightly more relaxed Ruben returned to the table with two bags full of Eeveelution themed plastic cups in tow. He could've sworn they were supposed to be glasses, but shrugged it off. He didn't even check back to Rosa as he returned to the table.

"Hope you guys are having better luck than we've had." He joked, hoping at the very least he'd get a chuckle out of Haleigh.

"Hey, Ruben! How did you and Haleigh meet?" Pia immediately shot through the tension in the room with a smirk on her face and leaning on her arm. You could tell she was being playful but there was a dangerous undertone in her voice.

Haleigh looked over to Ruben, her expression tense as she tried her best to signal that this topic was going to be a no go for the two of them, having already broken her promise and how Pia was not going to buy it if his lie didn't match with hers. She scratched her head, most prominently using her first three fingers. She prayed he'd at least get the hint and get the location right.

Ruben stopped in his tracks. Something wasn't right. The underlying threat in Pia's tone, the expression Haleigh gave him. He so badly wanted to ask why she didn't just ask Haleigh but he was smart enough to know Pia already knew her hand.

"At the academy…" he said, with only a touch of hesitation in his voice. "Yeah, I used to go to extra classes to catch up on what I missed and I'd see Haleigh there sometimes." The lack of reaction from the girls unnerved him. "Yeah, we didn't really talk so much until after we started the journey though." He gulped, catching himself over explaining once again. "Drinks thoughhh!" He exclaimed nervously.

Haleigh said it was at route 3 and Ruben said it was back at the academy. Two different answers on the same question and both of them were nervous as was telling from their body language. Pia sighed deeply. She had liked his honesty at the start and his directness but all he had been doing lately was avoiding everything she asked.

"Yes. Drinks." She said with a fake-ish smile and forced down one of the few shots that were on the plate Ruben brought. No more thoughts. She was absolutely done.

Rosa took her seat aside the others, having lethargically followed behind Ruben on the way back. Normally she'd have been paying attention to the attack that was going on against Ruben at the moment, saving it in the back of her mind as ammunition to use at a later date. But right now, all that she could think of was Ruben's half-assed smile. She felt completely dejected, and no longer cared about whether or not the glasses would make everyone happy or not. All that mattered to her, was what had come inside of them.

"Let's get fucking wasted," she mumbled to herself, barely parting her lips as the words seeped out. "Do we want to play a game?" The girl asked, staring at the tray of drinks in front of her. She only knew of a couple that could work - but anything that gave her a chance to take more than her fair share here. "Maybe… never have I ever?"

Well, there went that. Haleigh could tell Pia wasn't buying what either her or Ruben had to say about the encounter. Trying to smooth things over now would go even worse, so she was grateful for the subject change to the very thing the night had promised: carefree fun and drinking. Haleigh nervously chuckled, trying to regain some of the confidence she had come into the bar with, shouting, "Y-yeah, I'd be game for that!"

Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to say given the already tense atmosphere filled with deception, but Haleigh had made her bed and now had to lie in it.

"I have no complaint." Pia said, playing with the glass she was holding and rotating it around. At this point she had a similar mindset as Rosa. She just wanted to get wasted and have it take her mind of the things that happened today.

"Never have I ever?" Ruben chuckled nervously, trying to gauge Pia's response to the game choice. If she didn't know what it was, he was in the clear to divert that train crash before it did any real damage. It was a risk, but he had to play something. "Nah, never have I ever's a pretty long game. Let's go for something like...King's Cup." He shrugged.

"What is King's Cup?" Pia asked in response to Ruben's game suggestion.

"We have to have a deck of cards, for a start." Rosa interjected, looking up at the footballer. "Do you have any cards on you?"

"Good point…" A defeated Ruben responded with a sigh.

Haleigh quipped, "So never have I ever then…" She looked expectantly at the others, waiting to see who'd be willing to take the plunge first; it certainly wasn't going to be her.

"Alright, alright ummm…never have I ever...met the champion of a region?" Ruben shrugged, reasonably satisfied with his benign example question. He looked at Pia and Haleigh, both of whom seemed confused while Rosa just shrugged and shook her head. Ruben extended a hand, gesturing for the two girls to take action. "Now, if you have met a champion, you drink. It's really that simple."

Haleigh shook her head, turning to Pia. "Can't say I've done that. I'll get there though, just you all wait!"

Rosa smiled lightly, as she looked at the other girls. It didn't seem Ruben was going to be drinking, so there was no reason for her to say anything she knew he'd go down for. All that was left, was Pia and Haleigh. "Never have I ever… kissed someone."

Ruben shrugged at that. Rosa was weirdly seemed to be the most capable of depravity, yet the most innocent at the same time. Of course he knew the truth, but an uninformed bystander could've easily made the mistake.

Pia immediately took a sip of her drink without any thought. A sweet taste of creamy strawberries and a slight after taste of rum filled her mouth. It was a good drink. The other two girls not drinking wasn't all that surprising but she then glanced at Ruben. "You can join with anything non-alcoholic, right?" She asked.

"Aha, nah, I could but the game doesn't quite play the same, y'know?" Ruben chuckled, that same nervous energy radiating off of him.

"Nonsense. We can't have you buy drinks for us and not join in for the fun. At least join the game." Pia smirked once again with that dangerous undertone in her voice.

Ruben wanted to speak again, but held his tongue. He smiled back at Pia, equal amounts of dread in his as there was menace in hers. He stopped one of the waiters as they strolled past.

"Can I get a water, please?"

Haleigh scoffed. "Ah c'mon mate, where's your sense of adventure? I know you gotta maintain that figure and all, but it's just one night, no one's gotta know."

"Hales, it's not about maintaining a figure." Ruben scoffed.

"Oh, you just don't want to get shown up by the girls, huh?" Rosa joked, taking a long sip on her drink as she looked over at the boy. "Guess I'll be the first one out then, since I've got a head start on the two of you."

Ruben glanced at the girl, admittedly smirking a little at the comment. The liquor was really hitting her already. Given her size, Ruben assumed she'd be a lightweight and it didn't seem he was wrong.

"Guys...I don't have a game for another two weeks, but that doesn't mean I can just let the standards slip, y'know?"

"Guess that blowjob was for someone else then, huh?" Rosa tacked on, recalling the cinnamon cream shot from earlier on in the night. That comment earned a snort from Pia and the girls simultaneously low-fived each other.

Ruben grimaced at Rosa's comment. Even more so as he watched her and Pia exchange high fives. The waiter arrived with his water just in time for the disgruntled footballer to make his decision.

"Make it two shots. Two rounds of shots." He grumbled.

"Never have I been out of the region." Pia called out immediately after Ruben had received his drinks. A tiny smile curling up at her lips as she pressed her own lips against the glass but not to drink. After all, she never had left Galar even once.

Rosa leaned in towards her drink, taking a long sip from the straw. Haleigh joined her, remarking with a small chuckle, "Guess Rosa was gonna take that one by default. I've been to Kalos a few times." The Johtoan girl simply nodded, watching Ruben as he was finally able to join them. The footballer wasn't far behind. He eyed each girl before picking up a shot and swilling it, strategically spilling a bit out of the glass before he finally downed it. A strong shiver ran through his body, as the liquor made itself known. He looked between each girl again.

"Game on…" He grumbled.

By this point, Haleigh was already starting to feel the effects of alcohol. Her cheeks were flushed, her head light and fuzzy and her demeanor even more giggly and silly than usual - which was saying something considering how she was sober.

"Alright alright." She finished the sip from her cup, mulling over what to ask the rest of the party. "Never have I ever…smoked weed. Maybe I should try that one of these days, now that I'm a big girl now. " She giggled rather profusely for the mild amusement the statement might have garnered otherwise.

With a sigh, Ruben grabbed a shot from the table in front of him. They'd really started to accumulate. Rosa slowly reached out, trying to remember if she'd actually done it or not. She grasped one of the glasses and pulled it back towards herself, trying to think back to the time that she spent with Simon just after moving in with him. "Yeah, I think so." She whispered, raising her glass. Her and Ruben exchanged nods, Ruben's more surprised than assuring, before taking their respective sips.

Pia's glass stayed firm on the table while her own alcohol was kicking in. She once again wasn't surprised Ruben had at least smoked with Ainsley around at all, but Rosa?!

Haleigh started getting the cogs in her head moving, thinking of what else to ask. Looking between Pia and Ruben, she asked with a dopey grin on her face, "Never have I ever shagged before."

As Haleigh asked that question, her mind briefly went to Achille. They hadn't even kissed yet, let alone done that. Her cheeks reddened a bit as she pondered that thought.

"Shagged? Like," Rosa started, glancing over at Ruben who was already rolling his eyes and finishing his last shot. "Like… done it?" She'd been in Galar for a while, but some of the terms for different things were still just vaguely familiar to her.

"Don't worry about it. I know you haven't." Pia waved with her hand and leaned her head on the other. Her words slurred a little, an indication at how drunk the girl was getting from just a few cocktails. "She basically said 'Drink if you ever had sex'." Pia clarified with a watchful eye in Ruben's direction.

Rosa swayed slightly, staring at the glasses before looking over at Ruben. She felt a twang of pain in her chest as she slowly reached out, grabbing a glass of her own before fixing her eyes back on the table. The girl pursed her lips, waiting for a second before tilting the glass back. If she had thought about it, she probably could have just lied about it.

Ruben stopped midway through his own sip to do a double take on Rosa. He watched the girl finish her sip and raised a brow. Never kissed, yet has...done that. This girl was a walking contradiction, wasn't she?

She…has done it before? Even in her drunken haze, that response didn't sit right with Haleigh considering how Rosa had been the one to ask the kissing question. Haleigh gave a surprised look over to Rosa, slowly processing the information. "What, really? But you asked..."

Pia picked up on the glass slowly going to Rosa's lips. Pia picked up on the hint and immediately slammed on the table to announce the next question, interrupting Haleigh's attempt to clarify. "Never have I ever broken a promise! Never have I ever abandoned my friends! Never have I ever-!' Pia kept going and rambling, eventually the company she was with becoming quiet. "W-What…?"

"Wait, so I don't get it, you didn't build t-"

As Ruben kept on asking, Pia kicked him under the table and gave him a threatening smile.

Rosa smiled lightly at Pia, nodding her head as she set the glass down. She should have lied. She… shouldn't have let that little bit slip. They were drinking, and playing a game - it wasn't like they'd be looking at her to lie, and if she did, so what? Would they have really jumped at her expecting her to lie in that moment in particular? Of course not.

"Thank you," the girl said quietly, looking at the other two people at the table. "Who's next?" She wanted to get up and leave - just disappear with her drink and hope they got along well enough to just forget about her. But especially right now, it would have been too abrupt, too weird - she knew that Pia at least would see through her and know something else was going on. She could stay… for at least a couple more rounds.

Ruben groaned in pain, clutching his shin. He shot an annoyed glare at Pia, before scanning the table. There seemed to be a tension about the group that he'd missed until now. It was his turn. He had to say something to lighten the mood.

"Never have I ever…" He began, looking around the room for a bailout. Espeons, Umbreons, Leafeons, Glaceons...Eevee, Eevee, Eevee. All he could see. Wait! "Never have I ever watched the Eevee princess movies!" Ruben exclaimed, earning himself more than a few dirty looks from neighbouring tables.

Haleigh took her glass from the table, fumbling with it a bit as she lazily took a sip and finished off the last of her cocktail. "I looooove those movies! I always-" She suppressed a burp. "My favorite was Glaceon Princess, so cool and strong and independent, but always had space in her heart for her friends!"

Pia took a sip as well. Maybe even more than a little sip. Not only had she seen the Eevee princess movies as a child but also the Vaporeon Melody animes that were streamed on TV in which every eeveelution was a mermaid princess. Her cheeks turned rose coloured just from the thought of it. How childish it and embarrassing it was…

"Umbreon's moving castle…" Rosa whispered, taking a sip out of her glass. "My dad travelled a lot… but one time he came home with a copy of it and told me that it was a movie about him." The girl laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I remember dressing up in umbreon pajamas for a few months after that, just waiting for him to come back home." She stared at the glass in front of her, swirling around the drink inside of it before downing the rest. "I used to want to be just like him, yknow?"

"Sylveon mew mew was my favourite…" Pia said quietly on the table but loud enough for her surroundings to hear. She looked away from everyone else as she said so. Cintra, who had taken a nap on Pia's lap this whole time, opened one eye, interested in this so-called "favourite series" of her trainer.

"Wait, wait, wait...Umbreon's moving castle is a princess movie?" Ruben babbled in disbelief.

Rosa swayed back a little bit as she tapped her empty glass against the table. The girl reached out and poured herself another row of drinks and hazily looked over at Ruben. "Is-isn't it?" She stuttered, trying to remember exactly how the movie went. "It was the only one I ever got to see, but it was part of the Eevee Princess series, wasn't it?"

Ruben was hit with an embarrassing pang of realisation. He glanced over to Rosa and gestured for the girl to pass him one of her. Rosa smirked devilishly as she passed over the glass.

"To Umbreons Moving Castle," Ruben toasted to Rosa, raising his glass with his face flushing. As they both took their shot.

Rosa nodded as she tapped her glass against his, tilting her head back. The girl held the shot in her mouth for a second, the smile on her face creeping wider as the seconds passed. She choked the drink down as she burst into a fit of laughter, causing some of the liquid to spray into her sleeve as she went to block her mouth.

"I have no idea if it's actually a princess movie or not." She laughed enthusiastically, watching the footballer as he set his glass back on the table. 'Maybe it'll be fine to stick around… just a little bit longer,' she thought.

She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable here. It might have been the alcohol getting to her, or it could have just been that there was a certain weight that had been lifted off her shoulders with something she'd said or done tonight. Whatever it was, everything else from the day was quickly washed away with the redness of her face. She felt… happy.

Things carried on, and the game died down. Drinks were still had, but the need to give reason for them was gone. The group fell into a long discussion about what actually constituted an Eevee princess movie, with Haleigh and Rosa, at least, managing to comfort an embarrassed Ruben about his love for Umbreon Moving Castle. Eventually promises were made to have a 'movie night' so they could finally decide which of the movies was the best overall.

They'd each managed to polish off more than their fair share of glasses as the hours passed; the conversation moved naturally on to their respective gym challenges, the Pokemon they currently had, and eventually to their journeys as a whole thus far. Rosa gave Ruben and Pia tips, from her limited experience, on how to handle a Pokemon egg; the excitable Haleigh had found the quiet to grow drowsy and drift off to sleep, while the trio gave the girl the occasional friendly shove in an attempt to rouse her.

Soon, as the cosplayers of the little Fox and its evolutions began to clear the bar, it had become apparent that their night together was at an end. Empty glasses were rounded up, souvenirs were distributed, and the bill was tallied.

The two girls who were still awake shared an embrace, during which they built each other's egos up as they rocked from side to side, trying their best not to fall asleep where they stood. After a few moments, Ruben had returned with a smile on his face, casually trying to put himself in a position to receive a hug himself. Rosa smiled at Pia and nudged her along, letting her arms fall from the girl's back so she could embrace her boyfriend. An offer that was firmly refused.

"You gonna be alright gettin' back?" Ruben sighed to Rosa as she was gathering her things, having felt awkward watching the two embrace and whisper into each others' ears before his girlfriend shuffled away, putting Rosa between them.

"Me?" She asked, swinging her bag over her shoulder, almost taking herself with it. "For sure. Y'all gotta take Haleigh back to the Pokemon Center - it's on the other side of town from where I'm at, so don't worry about me." The girl patted her bag, a goofy smile coming over her face as she tried to turn towards him without actually turning towards him and missing the awkward chuckle that followed. "Anyone tries anything, they'll find out what I'm back-packin'."

"We should do this again sometime. It was fun." Pia's words slurred a little and she yawned, ignoring the awful pun Rosa had come up with.

Rosa nodded, "Yeah, for sure. Gotta have that movie night, right?" The girl laughed, having more or less completely blocked out everything else that had happened throughout the day. She was happy, for the time being. The Rosa of the day after, however? Most definitely not. It had been far too long since the last time she'd drank this heavily, and her body would most certainly not be used to it anymore. "Hey Ruben?" The girl called out to the footballer as he leaned in to lift Haleigh up with Pia doing her best to help.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck." Rosa gave the footballer an awkward wink as she stumbled backwards, making her way towards the door and out into the midnight air of Hulbury.

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2
Hulburry Part 2
The Hypocrites' Waltz
The Hypocrites' Waltz Part 2
Duplicity
Duplicity part 2

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock
Sun Stone
Thunderstone
Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Sapphire Rose · Mar 31, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

The words you hope to hear...

The colour of the Eeveelution bar had long since left the young couple behind; as had their two companions, Haleigh and Rosa. Stars sparkled in the night sky overhead as Ruben watched, with his hands in his pockets and Pia walked a few paces ahead of him. She swung a little, as he had expected since the moment he heard she wanted to get a drink. She was a lightweight. He had known that since the festive market on Route 3.

"Pia...you sure you're alright…?" The boy asked hesitantly with a slight bit of worry in his voice. She had gotten quite close to falling over a few times now.

"Yes, Ruben. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Pia words slurred. Those was the most she had said to him in a sentence this whole time that they had been walking. Even after the entire night had passed them by, the girl refused to say more than two words before now. The estranged boyfriend couldn't help but sigh as he watched her stumble time after time and refused any help he offered to give.

When her most recent trip sent her stumbling forward, barely able to catch herself before her face hit the floor, Ruben grumbled and caught up to the girl. He lowered himself, offering his back for the girl to climb on.

"You don't have to say anything, just get on."

Pia stopped for only a moment. She glanced down at the boy and huffed, crossing her arms as she stepped around him and continued past his half hearted attempt to brush over what he'd done.

Frustrated, Ruben laboured back to his feet. He persisted and caught up to the girl again. This time, he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her himself.

"You've made your point," he sighed. "You're unbelievably stubborn, and are able to ignore me longer than I could hope to ignore you." He joked, again showing the girl his back for her to get on.

Pia waited for a moment, seemingly in thought before she sighed and relented on her conviction. He was right. This was not the trouble and her point probably had gotten across a long time ago. She was just annoyed. Irritated. Frustrated… and she was wasted. Before she could climb on his back, he stripped out of his jacket. The girl was hesitant, but climbed upon Ruben's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Not a word was said but she let herself rest against his back, showing that she was somewhat grateful at least or wanted to show at least a little bit of affection as he slung the jacket over her.

"You were shivering." He said plainly, clearly not willing to hear a single complain or enquiry. A silence held as Pia scoffed and accepted the explanation. A silence that Ruben refused to let fester. "So umm...Rosa, huh?" Ruben said with a gulp as he started walking into the dark of Hulbury with the girl on his back.

"Yeah. Rosa…." Pia repeated quietly and with a tired voice. "I'm sorry I got you dragged into this mess with us…" She started but a deep sigh quickly followed. "But you got to understand that I really did not like seeing you covered in half-naked woman. That was awful…" Pia swung with her legs a little bit. She was tired but she felt the need to move some parts of her body at least. Such was the effect of the alcohol. The world spun around her and not even she knew the gibberish that came out of her own mouth. The alcohol had really gotten to her. Her objective therefore fulfilled.

Ruben let his gaze fall to the ground. What was he supposed to say to that? The boy took a heavy breath. The words just wouldn't follow it. Instead, he said nothing. Instead his mind just kept going back to that moment before Milla arrived in the club. If only he could go back. She called him. Yet somehow he was the bad guy. She went running into danger and when he went running in to bail her out, he was the bad guy. The weight of the situation weighed on him on top of the weight of girlfriend on his back. He hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he was hours away from admitting to Pia that he felt he was...he opened his mouth to respond. "I…" Pia started, cutting him off before he could say a word. "I… I think I love you, Ruben… S-So..." She dug her crimson face in his back. What the hell was she saying? "So please… stop breaking my heart..." She whispered.

A droplet of rain forced a blink from Ruben. Pia's words had stunned him enough to slow his stride to a stop. Even his gaze had narrowed and locked into a pained grimace before the water splashed on his nose. He nodded. He withheld a chuckle. He walked. The irony wasn't lost on him. The moment wasn't lost on him, but he just couldn't find the words. I love you too. That was all he needed to say and he just...couldn't. A droplet hit his chest and he shifted Pia's weight onto his left arm, to wipe his cheek. The silence after the words Pia said were more deafening than any loud noise could ever be.

"But… If you don't feel the same way then tell me…" Pia moved her head to the side. Her voice was cracking and she could feel a tear roll from her eye. Just one.

Again, Ruben stopped, shifting the girls weight again. He could hear her voice cracking.

"Pia…" he began, his tone cold, drowning in pure apathy. "I'm freezing cold...I'm tired...It's three AM…" as he listed off the things that were bothering him, he stared up at the stars in the sky again. "I did more squats than I can count today, so my legs are killing me...now I'm carrying you halfway through Hulbury because you wanted to celebrate the birthday of a girl that dragged you into a mafia deal. If that isn't love...tell me now, so I can drop you." He grumbled.

Pia stayed quiet but her swinging legs showed that she had at least heard him. She didn't know what to say really. Her cheeks were still red but his answer wasn't as satisfying as she had hoped. Still… She didn't want to dwell on it. Not right now. She sighed and rested her head on him while the two continued to walk in complete silence.

That silence remained for a while longer. Both of them had their own things to think about as the bright lights of the city's main strip came into view. Hordes of hungry drunkards lined up outside the various fast food chains; McDonphans and Burger Kingra. Fuck. Just one more road and they'd be at the hotel. He hunched his back and used Pia to cover as much of his head as possible. Just one more road. If he could get through without being stopped by any fans, they'd be-

"Yo! Ruben! My guy!" The familiar voice of Vinnie called through the crowd. "Yo, the mandem are bringing the girls back to the spot, come thr-" He stopped, finally seeing what it was that was on the footballer's back. "Man did not ditch the mandem to go link his girl." Vinnie gawked in disbelief. Ruben shook his head, gesturing to the girl he was carrying on his back. "Dead her fam, the tings have been asking about man, if you actually trynna get some, you need to come through. Trust me, you ain't eighteen forever."

Pia clenched Ruben's shirt between her fists but decided to remain silent. Trying to get some what? Pia knew the answer to that, it's been what this whole day had been about. She was drunk, emotional… And soon enough she tried to calm herself, her breathing becoming a bit more inconsistent and her body slightly trembling.

Ruben could feel the girl shaking on his back. He simply shook his head at Vinnie and carried on walking.

"Bro, you was about to hook up with Misha Marsha, but you dipped for her? Are you cracked?" Vinnie shouted after him, shaking his head as Shadz walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that… true, Ruben…?" Pia asked quietly, perking up just a little with a slight disappointment in her voice. She hid her head away in the jacket Ruben had given her. Still Ruben couldn't find the words, this time to even defend himself. He furrowed his brows and kept walking as a voice from behind called out to him.

"Yo, Ruben!" Shadz called, carrying the boy's belongings with him. "I figured man wasn't coming back, so…" he tossed the bag, which was a relatively easy catch despite its own significant weight and the fact Ruben was managing Pia's as well. "Don't listen to them man bro. Respect, both of you. Pia...he's rough around the edges, but you got a good one." Shadz smiled, earning a scoff from Ruben.

"Gimme a ring, I'll sort that phone out for you." Ruben smirked back.

"Oh, you got jokes now, yeah?" Shadz sneered, turning his back and waving off the duo.

Pia turned her head only slightly at what seemed like Ruben's only true friend and nodded at him shortly. So there was someone at least confirming that he hadn't been doing such things… Someone that didn't want them apart. Pia felt like she could rest easy for that moment and rested her whole body against Ruben once again, the latter feeling the weight of his girlfriend returning to his back. It was surprising how light Pia was actually.

"Keep that one…" Ruben heard Pia's voice tickle in his ear. He couldn't help but scoff at her silly comment. Keep that one, he repeated in his head. Shadz...Ruben didn't even know the guy's real name. A friend of a friend of a friend. He Ainsley's friend leave, no doubting the footballer would be seeing him again next time he had to shell out for a VIP booth on a 'mandem night out'. Keep that one…

The young couple continued the remainder of their journey, leaving Ruben's friends behind while they themselves remained in complete silence. This time less uncomfortable than and Pia unexpectedly more awake than one would give her credit for. Their day ended as well, on better terms than it had started.

The dawn of morning arrived and the rays of sun blessed the girl's young face and her sleepy eyes. Pia woke up groggily and moved around in the single bed that Ruben had reserved for her last night, his own bed at the other side of the room. She wondered if she should have mentioned that she wouldn't mind a double bed either but discarded that thought almost immediately and laid upon her back. The sleepy girl looked over to see if Ruben was still in his own bed but although the sheets looked crumbled and messed up, her boyfriend was no longer there. She sat up and rubbed in her eyes. The athlete was probably on his usual morning run. He'd come back soon, she was sure. His stuff was still here after all.

She yawned and worked herself to her feet, only wearing her shirt and underwear as her sleeping attire because she no longer had the energy to get herself properly dressed last night. Ruben had seen her half-naked in the bikini shoot she had with Nessa and Aeliana anyway so it wasn't like she had much more to hide since then. Still, if she was going to shower, now would be as good a time as any before the footballer returned and stole the bathroom for himself for the next 30 minutes.

She walked over, slowly opening the door towards the bathroom while events from yesterday replayed in her head. The brothel situation, the mafioso, the guns, the bar, the boys last night… everything slowly returned to the girl's brain and by the time she was undressed and had turned open the tap, tears streamed down her face. She whimpered and leaned her forehead against the wall while the droplets of the shower tap travelled over her back to the floor, to disappear in the shower drain along with her tears. All the emotions she had been keeping under the grasp of her control whenever she had been asked if she was "fine", all poured down her face at once. She could no longer deny it.

She was in love with this boy… and it hurt her.

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2
Hulburry Part 2
The Hypocrites' Waltz
The Hypocrites' Waltz Part 2
Duplicity
Duplicity part 2
Pretty Little Liars

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock
Sun Stone
Thunderstone
Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Sonata · Mar 31, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 6

CHAPTER 8.9 - FEAR THE BEBEGINNING PT.4

Rosa stumbled out of the bar and into the chilly world of late-night Hulbury. The town was mostly asleep, with only her fellow drunks out stumbling about. The girl swayed from side to side, pressing her hand against her bag every so often to ensure that it was in fact, still on her back. She found her way to an open bench, letting herself slump down into the hard wooden seating as she pulled her bag off of her back.

"Gotta write *hic* my notes… before I forget." the girl yawned, pulling out a notebook and her pen. "Pia… is… a fan… of Sy-l-ve-on and-" she wrote out what she could remember from what all had been revealed through the drinking game, hoping that tomorrow she could recall a little more of what had happened during the day since at the moment it was all a blur. Her vision was definitely hazy, but she was still managing well enough to stay within the lines as she put down the notes.

"Daaaark."

Rosa pulled her head up from her lap, looking around her. The lamp above her was strangely bright, blocking her view of everything around her. "What is…"

"Daaaark."

"Who's there?" The girl hollered, lethargically pushing herself up from her seat as she fumbled around for the balls in her pocket. "You wanna fuckin' go then? I may be small, but I told 'em I'm back-packin'!" Rosa giggled lightly at her own joke, thinking it was even funnier to use the second time around.

'Give it back.'

Rosa stumbled forward, feeling the pain in her head intensify. "Wh-what?" I didn't take anything from no-one that I should be havin' to give back."

'Give me back what you stole from me.'

"Listen fucker," Rosa spat, turning slowly as she pointed all around the darkness, not exactly sure where she was supposed to be looking. "I didn't steal a fuckin' thing from you. I don't even know who you are."

'Give me back my orb!'

The voice rang louder in her head, accompanied by the figure which had become so familiar to her as of late. The shadowy being stepped out from the darkness, standing silhouetted in the light of the lamp as it stared directly into the girl's eyes, holding out a wispy black hand towards her, creeping closer to her throat.

"Y-you're-" the girl quickly fumbled for her pokedex, pulling out the device alongside three pokeballs. The balls bounced off of the pavement as they fell from her hands, releasing the Pokemon trapped within as the girl proceeded to back away from the monster in front of her, fumbling to bring up its data.

"Rose!" Zorro burst free from his ball and immediately stared down the Pokemon ahead of him, getting quickly into a battling stance as he produced Worry Seeds for the other two Pokemon. 'I won't let you won't hurt her anymore!'

"Munch!" Ezra exploded out from her ball, already feeling as tired as Rosa was, given the time of night that it was. 'You might have gotten the better of Wyatt and Zorro, but you haven't had to battle me yet.'

"Runt." Yzma almost immediately formed shards of ice around her, taking in the urgency in Zorro's voice as she stared down the Pokemon ahead of her. 'I'm real sick of your shit, okay? Just let me and my friends be.'

"What are you?" Rosa whimpered as she backed away from the dark figure, taking cover as she got her pokedex open and ready for the first time since encountering the Pokemon all those weeks ago. "Get out of my head, all of you!" She cried out, slapping the device against her temple as she cowered away from the scene which was unfolding in front of her.

'Darkrai, the Pitch-Black Pokémon. Legend has it that on a moonless night, Darkrai will lure people to sleep and unleash nightmares upon them.'

The girl looked up at the sky as she listened to the pokedex read off the Darkrai's entry. Her gaze wavered as her eyelids continued to try and force themselves closed on her - but not before seeing that the sky was indeed a moon-filled one. "Oh fuck off, this pokedex is full of shit!"

"Rosa!"

A voice called out to the girl as she fell onto the nearby bench, rubbing her eyes as she shielded them from the light. "Wh-who?" She questioned, feeling her eyes growing even heavier as the light quickly began to get blocked out.

"Rosa, hold on!"

"S-Simon?" the girl's voice travelled around herself as the Dark Void surrounded her, lulling her quickly to sleep.

'Where… am I? This time… I guess.' Rosa questioned, finding herself laying still while having someone running their hands through her hair. The girl heard humming, but couldn't very well place from who or where it was coming.

"Don't worry, Rosa," a feminine voice cooed, causing a vibration on the girl's cheek.

She quickly found out where she was laying, as well as who was running their hands through her hair. A young rosa opened her eyes, looking out at a barren room from the lap of someone else.

"I'm sure they'll be able to take you with them."

"We have to take her with us," a boy's voice cut in, causing a younger Rosa to look over at its source. Simon stood in the corner of the room, looking through a box of clothes that he was in the midst of packing. "You said yourself that she can't stay here… not with the way that they're treating her."

Rosa rolled over, looking up into the face of Elena before burying her own face into the girl's sweater-covered stomach. 'I see… so this is just after that night, then…'

"Simon, that sweater there should fit her. No, no the drawer - go down a drawer, Simon."

"Your organizational skills are appalling."

Elena laughed lightly, causing Rosa to bounce on her lap. "What's the point of having a sorting system if I'm just going to wear the same three outfits every week? Sounds like a waste of time."

"Yeah, well maybe if you wore more outfits then every piece of clothing you did decide to wear wouldn't eternally reek of smoke."

"It's not like you don't do the same th-"

"No, I don't deny I do, I just actually use my wardrobe instead of just owning it to show off to the other orphans."

"Oh yeah, got a lot to prove to them all, don't I?"

Simon shook his head, smiling as he went through the girls' dressers. "You said don't get in the top drawers, right?"

"Not if you still want to be able to have my kids in the future."

Rosa stared into the void that was the folds of her friend's sweater. The girl had no idea what she was thinking at the time; to be honest, she didn't know if she even was thinking. For those first few months after the estate burned down… she had just kind of existed. She didn't do anything, she didn't say anything… she just lived to take up space from those around her.

Simon continued to go through the drawers, evident by the sound of them opening and closing as he continued to look for anything that might fit or suit Rosa. "You're sure you don't want to come too?" He questioned, turning slightly towards Elena.

The girl shook her head, leaning back a little as she continued to run her hand through Rosa's hair. "Nah, like I said before. I think I prefer being here if I'm being honest. Besides, it's already going to be cramped at your place, right? What'd your parents do if you brought in yet another girl to room with you? Sure the boys around school would think you have skills, but-"

"Hey," Simon quickly pushed a drawer close, an act which was followed with a few moments of awkward silence.

"Yeah, I know… insensitive, sorry."

Several more seconds of silence followed at the dismay of Rosa, who was hoping that her younger self could just roll over a bit so that she could see what was going on behind her. She didn't quite remember what had happened during this point in her life, so there was most definitely something to be gained by reliving it. She couldn't exactly remember anything painful going on, but…

"No, you listen to me!" A loud voice boomed from outside the room, followed by the door being pushed slightly open. "If you're going to treat her like this, I'm not going to leave her in your care."

A much milder feminine voice chimed in behind him, trying their best to calm the man down from his clearly irritated state. "Sir, we have paperwork and-"

"No, fuck you, and fuck your paperwork!" The voice boomed again, followed by the sound of the door latching shut again. "What, you gonna call the police? Go ahead, and call the Rangers while you're at it! I'll let them see all the fucked up shit y'all's little small town cult bullshit has been getting up to in here."

"Sir, we don't have to go that far, we can just-"

"I want to adopt her. I don't care what you have to say about it - fuck it, y'know what? If you won't let me legally take her, then I'll just take her."

Rosa rolled over, looking at the door. Simon's eyes were wide with fear as his gaze had also already become fixed on the door. The girl couldn't remember Simon's dad ever becoming this loud around her, but she couldn't help but feel grateful even now, knowing everything that he'd do for her in the future. He was a strong-willed man, and wasn't someone that would take no for an answer if he thought it was the wrong choice.

"Sir, we can't just let you take children from us, that's called kidnapping."

"Oh, and is that worse than neglect? You've literally been starving the poor girl and giving her the rattiest of hand-me-downs, and for what reason? Because you're all still stuck on her mom's teat? Fuck outta here with that."

"Well Mr. Dansen, child abduction would be worse than all of those things that you just mentioned - if there were even any truth to them."

"Oh that's it," Simon's father slammed the door open, picking up the box that Simon was still in the process of packing. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Sir, you can't just-" the woman followed him slightly into the room, holding her arms very close to her chest alongside the mountain of paperwork she was trying to force onto the man.

"Elena, Simon, c'mon. Help me load Rosa into the car so we can get her out of here."

Rosa's eyes peeled open slightly, being awoken from her nightmare as she laid witness to a battle going on all around her. What had at once been a peaceful street heading back towards the hotel she was staying at, had somehow turned into a forest filled with flashing lights, explosions, and cries from all directions. The girl felt at her throat, feeling as though someone had been tightly holding onto her neck.

She coughed lightly, looking at herself and then trying her best to peer through the trees. She was covered in dirt, mud, leaves, and random sticks and busted berries. But between the trees… were thirteen figures. She now recognized the Pokemon which seemed to fuse with the shadows as Darkrai, but as for the others… Zorro, Ezra, Yzma, Barry, Simon, El-elena? No… why was Elena here? Better yet… how was she here? How long had she been here already before-

The girl's headache intensified as the Darkrai's gaze met her own. The Pokemon rushed over towards her, breaking through the offensive barrier that the other Pokemon had formed around it. As Rosa leaned back against a nearby tree, she watched as two Pokemon shot out from behind the trees nearby her and struck the Dark-type in a pincer attack. Rosa quickly fumbled for her pokedex, trying to make sense of everything going on around her.

Outside of those that she knew, there was a Staravia, Gloom, Grovyle, Gurdurr, Axew, and a Combee. She wanted to look through the pokedex entries for each, and to try and figure out whether they were friend or foe… but even as Darkrai was outnumbered, it was still much stronger than any of those around it. The Pokemon reached out towards the girl, taking the brunt of a few of the Pokemons' collective attacks as it lulled her back to sleep.

"Daaaaark."

Simon's dad pulled the truck that he'd picked her up in as well as what belongings she'd been bequeathed into the garage of their house. The man sat in his seat for a few seconds before he slapped the steering wheel, staring into the rear view mirror at the nosey neighbor who was leaning around the open door to look at what had been brought back with him.

"Take Rosa and go upstairs… I think I have to deal with something."

Simon nodded, opening his door before grabbing Rosa's hand and pulling her along with him.

"Martin, what's up neighbor?" The man at the end of the garage exclaimed, his vision still locked onto the girl that was exiting the vehicle. "See the truck's a bit fuller than when you left this morning."

"Yeah, Tom, it is." Martin posted up against the back of the truck, crossing his arms as he watched Tom's eyes follow Rosa into the house. "What can I do you for? Never struck me as the baking type, so I don't assume you're here to borrow a cup of flour."

"Nooo, noo." Tom turned his head with each word, smiling and laughing as he exaggerated his movements. "Nothing like that. Though, I suppose I could go for a nice cup of tea if you're offering."

Martin stared Tom down for a few seconds longer and then ushered him in the house. "Yeah, suppose it's the neighborly thing to do."

Rosa and Simon hurriedly rushed from their listening point just behind the door, making their way up the stairs to the boy's room.

"So, Martin…" Tom started, clearly struggling with whatever it was he wanted to say. The quiet was broken by the sound of a chair being scooted against the tile floor of the kitchen.

"Why don't you take a seat, make yourself comfortable before we get it goin', yeah?"

"Oh, well I don't think there's really anything to get goin'. Just here for some friendly chatter and a bit of tea."

Silence hung between them for a few seconds before the clicking of the stove's lighter could be heard, breaking it up once again.

"Right." Martin tacked on, clearly sounding irritated already, despite nothing of note having happened.

"Soo… tell me, Martin."

"Tell ya what?"

"What's goin' on in that head of yours?"

"What're you meanin'?"

"Well… now, don't get me wrong here, I am just thinkin' out loud-"

"Thinkin's a dangerous thing to do in a neighbor's home."

"I know, I know… but just hear me out. I'm just here thinkin' for the past month or so that you've been spendin' an awful lot of time around that orphanage, yeah?"

"Yeah? And?" Martin questioned, sounding increasingly irritated as the back and forth carried on.

"And, well… talk of the town is that girl wound up there after even her own grandparents wouldn't take her in."

"Be careful where you go with this, Tom. So far, it's not soundin' very neighbourly of you."

"Calm down now and listen!" The man hissed, clearly irritated at being butted in on. "I'm just tryin' to help a friend out."

"Right… right… get on with your help then, friend."

"Well… that girl's been the talk of the town for a good while, as I'm sure you know. And just recently the person who was making her that popular just so happened to pass on… and now she's here, in your house, with your son who she'd been spending almost all of her time with before the accident and as she started going to live in that orphanage."

"What the fuck are you trying to get at, Tom?"

"Well… word is that the fire was most likely arson. A lot of people have been talking… and they think that the girl might have set it before she left home that night so she wouldn't have anyone to stop her from getting to your boy… you know about those rumors, right? And we all know that she wasn't too keen on your boy hangin' around her daughter…"

"Do you really think a little girl is capable of all that? Truly?"

Rosa stared at Simon, shaking as she squeezed his warm hand. The boy ran his hand through her hair, pulling her closer to him as they both sniffled. 'I'm sorry,' he mouthed as they listened in on the conversation happening downstairs.

"You've had to have heard the rumors yourself, haven't you? I don't think it's too far out there to assu-"

"Get the fuck out of my house."

"What?"

"You're a fucking idiot, and I want you out of my house. You can show yourself out, or I can put you out."

"We've been friends since before Simon was born, and you're going to end it just like that? Don't tell me she's already gotten her claws into you too... Her mother was a good woman, Martin, and a pillar of this community! That little girl's a demon, and if you're not careful then-"

Rosa winced, inching closer to Simon as the sound of breaking glass came from below them.

"Get the fuck out, and don't ever come around our family again!"

Rosa shook violently as she struggled to breathe. Her teeth chattered together as she cried silently into Simon's fuzzy pajamas.

"Don't worry." The boy whispered, struggling to wrap his arms around the girl. "I'm going to get big and strong so I can always protect you. I promise… I won't let anyone hurt you again. I'll be the best big brother you could have ever asked for."

Rosa wrapped her arms around the boy as she laughed in between her tears. "I'm sorry… you shouldn't have to do all of this for me... if it had just been me, then…"

"Nothing would have been different if it had been you instead, Rosa… the only thing that would have changed is that I wouldn't know what to do with myself. At least now… at least now I know I can protect you. I can hold you here, and I can fight anyone who wants to hurt you myself."

The girl buried her face deeper into Simon's pajamas, sobbing quietly as she listened in on the sound of the steps creaking as they came up to greet her.

"Hey, you two weren't listening to all that, were you?" Martin slowly pushed the door to the room open, looking at the two curled up on Simon's bed.

Simon shook his head, pursing his lips as he rubbed the girl's head. "It was hard not to…"

Martin sighed, stepping in and taking a knee by the two of them. "Listen… Rosa…" Simon's dad put his hand softly on the girl's head, patting a couple of times before pulling back. "We're all here for you. No matter what anyone else says, or how it makes us look to bring you in… we'll always protect you. We're your family now, I promise."

The girl's eyes flittered open, still finding herself in the wooded area from before. Her heart started to race, remembering all of the Pokemon which had been surrounding the Darkrai before. She listened, trying to find where the cries were coming from… but they seemed so far off now. Rosa patted the ground around her, searching for her bag before wrapping it around her arm.

She still felt incredibly tired, not to mention fighting the feeling of the shots from earlier on in the night starting to come back up on her. She got up on her hands and knees and started to crawl in the direction in which she thought that the battle had moved towards as she shoved her hand in her bag, pushing it across the ground in front of her as she dug around inside of it.

"Where is it… where is… there."

The girl retrieved it - the gift she'd gotten from Tavi on what was now most likely the day before. Rosa quickly unsheathed the knife, taking a moment to stare at the metal shining in the light of the moon as she plunged it into the dirt.

"Now I just have to… to find them." She looked around, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark of the night, but only growing more tired the longer she tried to stare between the trees. "Fuck…" she whispered. "Fuck! Simon!"

A few seconds passed with no response as the girl continued to crawl through the mud and dirt, trying her hardest to find her friends before it was too late.

"Simon!" She cried out again, the beating of her heart growing faster. "I can't… I can't lose you! Please, Simon… please…"

Rosa pushed herself up off of the ground and started sprinting as hard as she could in the direction of the distant explosions. Those Pokemon were doing battle… to protect her. The longer she stayed awake, the more that she realized that. At least some of them were Simon's and more than likely one or two had to be Elena's, though she still was uncertain about why the girl was there in the first place. After these nightmares had started to bring back these memories that she'd thought were forgotten, she realized that she still had things to lose, even if she didn't know it herself.

The friends she'd thought she's lost. The friends she'd made along the way. The friends that she was still trying to convince… Pia, Ruben, Haleigh, Melody, Aeliana, Valerie, Simon, Simon, Jasper, Achille… and everyone else from class that she'd not yet had the opportunity to meet up with since starting out on this journey. They were opportunities that could be lost… bonds, memories, and emotions that she could never get to experience if she didn't grow stronger… and yet - here she was. Crawling through the mud, crying with a ten-inch blade in her hands in hopes of fighting a Mythical Pokemon.

"Simon," the girl sputtered, rushing through the woods before finding herself in the middle of the action at last. "Simon!" She cried out again, seeing the boy on the other side of a tree, several feet away.

"Rosa, get out of the -"

The girl looked to the side, seeing Darkrai just a few feet to her right. The girl turned in the opposite direction, hoping to duck and run in the opposite direction before being caught face to face with a Fraxure whose head was lowered, ready to launch a blind attack.

"Oh."

Rosa stared at the clock on the wall, watching the minutes tick by. It had been months since she'd been in school, given that the bullying had ramped up since Simon's family had taken her in. The boy kept getting into fights and had been suspended several times, so he was usually there to pass the time with her. But when he wasn't able to make it… there was Elena.

The girl sat directly opposite from her, going through Simon's record collection as she held a bottle of whiskey by the neck, tilting it back every so often before passing it off to Rosa. "It'll make you feel better."

That was always the excuse. And no matter how shitty Rosa would feel at the end of the day or for the morning after, she always bought into it. The aroma, the empty headedness… the burn in the back of her throat… it made her feel alive. And every so often, she might even find herself with a burst of happiness amidst the monotony of watching the seconds tick by on the clock.

Elena had been expelled from school not long after Rosa had left. The girl had expected it to happen well before that, given her tendency to chase the other students around with scraps of metal in an attempt to beat some respect into them… but one day she just happened to take it a bit too far. Somehow, the girl had gotten hold of a knife… the boy's parents didn't want to press charges against her, since they knew she'd likely just run away if they did try to take her in. Instead, she was simply expelled. And now she spent nearly every day with Rosa - drinking through the Dansen family liquor cabinet, and introducing her own method of 'natural healing' as she liked to call it.

"Wanna hit?" The girl asked, rolling up a paper with her free hand before putting it in her mouth. "Promise it'll make you feel better."

Rosa slowly shook her head. Drinking was one thing, but she didn't know what she'd do if she got addicted to smoking. Elena had assured her before that this type of smoking wasn't addictive… that it just made you feel really good for as long as it lasted… but as much as she trusted the girl, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. At first it was just the thought of the cigarette, but then it turned to the fire…

As the months had gone by, she'd started to believe the stories that were being passed around about herself. Maybe she had started the fire and just didn't remember it? Maybe it was her fault that her mother was gone… maybe it was her fault that her father had died too. Maybe if it had just been her that had died, everyone else would still be alive. Simon would still be at the top of his class, and Elena would have never resorted to stabbing someone to protect her name…

"Hey, whatcha thinkin' about?" Elena asked, taking a long drag on the cigarette before letting it drop on her leg.

Rosa shook her head. "Nothing…"

Elena sighed, getting up from her seat before walking over and dropping down next to Rosa. "You say 'nothing' like every single day girl. C'mon, you can talk to me."

The girl shook her head slowly. "I don't know… I just… I'm nothing."

"Nahhhh, don't say that about yourself." Elena leaned in, putting her head on Rosa's shoulder as she looked up into her eyes. "You're beautiful, Rosa. You're a good girl who has so many people that care about you. If you're nothing, what does that make me? What does that make us, or any of the things that we feel? You can't be selfish like that, like forreal."

Rosa looked at the bottle in the girl's hand and motioned for it. Elena was all too happy to pass it along, watching as Rosa tilted the bottle back as she started to take long chugs.

"Ay, ay, ay, ay!" Elena chanted along to the chugs, taking another hit off of the cigarette as she helped to push the bottle back further for the girl. "Get it, get it, get it."

Rosa shook her head, pursing her lips as she dropped the bottle down. The girl quickly covered her mouth, coughing as she licked the residue off of her lips. "Yeah… that's good."

"Damn, girl. You got a future ahead of you there. Gotta teach me where you learned to hold your breath like that sometime."

Rosa laughed lightly, shaking her head. "No, I…"

"I'm back." Simon burst into the room, tossing his bag onto the floor just inside the door.

Rosa looked up at the clock on the wall, trying her best to read the time. "Isn't it… too early?"

"Eh, got sent home again."

Rosa let out a small and defeated sigh. 'I was destroying everything and everyone around me, wasn't I? I was an enabler… am an enabler. So many things I shouldn't have done - shouldn't have let the people around me do. But fuck… fuck me. When did it all start? When did I become this person… Why the fuck won't you show me something that will help me to change for the better instead of just fucking hurting me!'

"Wanna hit?" Elena turned towards Simon, offering up the cigarette.

"Fuck yeah. Put on my Arceus Dethroned album and let's get fucking wasted." Simon grabbed the cigarette and took a puff on it, holding his breath for a few seconds as he looked through partly closed eyes as Rosa. "You already had some?"

Rosa stared at the extended cigarette and then down at the bottle in her hand. Her heart started to race as she lifted the bottle back up to her lips, taking another large glug before closing her eyes.

Rosa's eyes peeled open, greeted first by the feeling of someone's arms beneath her. The girl looked off into the distance, seeing that she was back on the streets of Hulbury before looking over to the face of the person who was carrying her.

"Good morning," Simon said softly, not looking down at the girl.

Rosa blushed lightly, wiggling a bit as she tried to escape the boy's grasp. "S-sorry, I can walk from here, I-"

"Don't worry about it. We're almost there."

The girl slowly settled down, looking all around her at the Pokemon which were still out of their pokeballs, and noted the lack of a certain someone at the same time. "Where is… E... " was it really Elena that she'd seen with him? Or just someone that happened to run into him that looked like her? Would it be weird to bring her up now if it wasn't?

"Elena went to chase after the Darkrai," Simon added, shaking his head. "She wouldn't stop going on about how cool it would be to catch one for herself now that it's been weakened from the fight. One of the Pokemon managed to give it a nasty gash right over its eye, so it shouldn't be coming back any time soon… but you can't be too careful."

So it was Elena. But then… "How was she…"

"She's been here for a couple months." Simon cut in, shrugging a bit. "Mom and Dad called her at the orphanage when we all got up to the Motostoke Stadium. Got her to turn to the channel we were showing on and then I guess she decided to fly out and cheer us on shortly after."

Oh. It made sense, but she wondered where she found the money to come over, given that she was an orphan and most likely not in a much better situation than either her or Simon and his family. She could have easily gotten a job, but… would she really have used up all that money just to come and cheer on some people that she hadn't seen in years?

"I'm not worried about her though. She came here for us anyways, so I don't think she'll be disappearing any time soon." The boy laughed lightly, shaking his head. "I still can't get over her - er, how… yeah. Can't get over how hard-headed that girl is even after all these years."

Rosa silently stared up at the boy and then looked off down the street. They had been perfect for each other - she'd admitted that before when she finally had remembered Elena. But… she couldn't help but feel a little hurt by him being so immediately stricken with her again. There was no telling how the girl had changed over the years… there was no way her feelings had stayed the same at the very least… right? Would she… would Simon…

The girl quickly shook her head, forcibly pushing the thoughts out of her head. This motion, however, reminded her of the pain in her side. "Arceus… did I get kicked in the ribs?" the girl asked, wincing as she rubbed her side.

"Er, something like that." The boy fumbled around in his pocket for a pokeball before popping it up into the girl's lap. "That's my Fraxure, Dinotis - I'm sure she'll want to apologize for the… incident once you both get some rest."

The girl stared at the pokeball. She remembered… something. She'd looked at the Darkrai and then turned away and saw the blur of what seemed to be a Pokemon, but… it was his. "A Fraxure, huh?" She questioned, trying to think of when he might have picked it up. "So those other Pokemon that were fighting…"

"Most of them were mine and yours. The Staravia, Gloom, and Combee were Elena's." The boy nodded as he walked along. "Not exactly sure what their names are, since we didn't have a lot of time to catch up once we finally ran into each other. I've been… busy, these last few weeks. I was trying to save up money to buy you a phone for your birthday, but I ended up working right through it and then couldn't find you at all after your gym challenge."

Rosa winced as she started to remember what all she'd actually done after beating Nessa. It wasn't anything she wanted to reveal to Simon, that much was for certain. But… it wasn't all bad.

"You can let me go now, y'know?" Rosa wiggled a bit in the boy's arms, looking up at his face.

Simon shook his head. "I'm gonna take you back to your room and then stay there for a bit - just to make sure nothing else bad happens before the booking is up."

"Simon… I can take care of myself now… haven't I proven that?" The girl reached around, pulling up the sleeve of her sweater a little as she slapped her forearm playfully. "I'm strong now, see?"

Simon smiled a bit, but shook his head nonetheless. "I know you've gotten stronger, but we still have a promise."

Rosa let her arms hang down a little bit, losing the playful smile she'd had just seconds before. "Yeah… I know."

"I don't want to be made out to be the bad guy here… I'm just worried about you. I know you want to do this on your own, but I can't help but-"

"I know, alright?" The girl loudly whispered, rolling over in the boy's grasp. "You don't have to remind me… I know what happens if I fail, so just… stop, alright? This might be… all the time I have left with everyone, so let me just enjoy it the way I want to, yeah?"

Simon slowed to a stop, gingerly letting the girl down. "I'm sorry… I don't want to make you feel like I'm hovering, I just…"

"Simon, I know what you mean." Rosa sighed, crossing her arms. "I know what you mean."

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES
SNACK ATTACK!

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE
PLANNING AND CHALLENGE
VS MILO
GIRL'S NIGHT OUT
FEAR THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 7 - ROUTE 5
WORK FOR A PROMISE
WORK FOR A PROMISE PT.2
BUDDING YOUTH
BUDDING YOUTH PT.2
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.2

CHAPTER 8 - HULBURY
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.3
VS NESS
VS NESSA PT.2
THE HYPOCRITES' WALTZ
THE HYPOCRITES' WALTZ PT.2
DUPLICITY
DUPLICITY PT.2
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

He came to "rescue" me after I coerced Ruben into protecting me in the underground casino. I told him off... and then didn't apologize until much later. He came to wish me a late merry christmas after Ruben gave me his spare room. He reminded me of our promise from before our journey started, and gave me my christmas gift which was a traditional Johtoan kimono and fan - all to prepare me for the upcoming contests. He also told me I should call his mom and dad since they're so worried about us both now that we're gone, but... I'll figure it out later.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

AAAAAHHH! We did so much in Turffield, and even more just after! I still can't believe that she wont that contest and made it look so... so easy! She's just, like, wow. I still don't know what to do with all of my thoughts, but after that delivery we did together especially I just. Wowee. Jeez.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

A friend of Melody's. I intentionally ran into her after failing to catch up with Melody, due to the addition of Haleigh. We had a short battle, and then made a promise for drinks with Melody after I urged her to drag the girl along with her to the contest in Turffield. She seems quite naive, so I may be able to get some more use out of her as long as I stay true to her persona. She's battle hungry, the same as Simon, but her Pokemon are still a little lacking - that coming from someone who still has no idea what she's doing here herself. She might end up being a good sparring partner in the future since she knows a little of what I've got and we're on relatively equal footing.

Mother Priscilla

The leader of the Turffield Sisterhood. I thought at first she was just an escort, but once we got to their hideout, I slowly started to realize what she really was. She's an incredibly dangerous woman who has no trouble pulling a gun on important people or those that she may need. There's still too much I don't know about what's going on to get a good grasp on what her and Damien's goals are, but given what I've already seen I really could do without finding out.

Ruben Sancho

Truth be told, I hadn't cared for Ruben when we went to school together. I thought he was your average rich celebrity who was forced into something he didn't really want to be a part of. After getting involved with the family and finding myself in that gambling hall, and then finding Ruben there as well, I felt that my suspicions were true. I had no second thoughts about what I was going to drag him in to. But as time went on, I found myself feeling more and more regretful with each time that he said Pia's name. And then because of me, news about him and Pia got out before either of them were likely ready to go public. And after all that, Simon attacked him out of the blue... but even after all that, he still offered me a free room at the local hotel. I already apologized to him about Simon, and about lying to get him to go with me. But, I should apologize again. He's not as bad of a guy as I thought he was.

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

PastelPhoenix · Apr 3, 2021

Achille Béringer || 18 || ♂️
Location: Turffield.
Current Status: Turbulent like the sea?

Joiuse - Shadow Sneak, Slash, Autotomize, Metal Sound, Block, Aerial Ace

Proudhon - Tackle, Splash, Thrash

Alizé - Absorb, Tackle, Air Cutter, Supersonic, Double Team, Wing Attack

Ignace - Powder Snow, Tackle, Taunt, Bite, Avalanche, Work Up

Aliénor - Tackle, Tail Whip, Roar, Ancient Power, Charm, Bite

Terrot - Tackle, Growth, Razor Leaf, Tail Whip, Leech Seed, Worry Seed

The streets of Hulbury felt a little bit like home. He missed the cliffside visage of his home, it's large slopes perfect for evening rides. This was just okay. He was watching a few Pokemon from a sea-side overlook and debating whether or not it'd even be a good idea to try and invite any of them to the team when his phone vibrated inside of his pocket.

so, second match soon?

He hadn't expected a text from his sister, or that she'd even be keeping track of his progress all that closely.

Yeah, gym number two. Surprised you're keeping that close of track, honestly.

hey! I watched your last match! besides, the timeline is online.

Well, you might want to check it again because it's actually today.

it is? Merde…
Uhh… good luck?

Thank you, I don't suppose you'll catch this one too?

theres a tv in the lab, roko will be a little distracted, but i can still watch it!

Roko?

Achille looked at his phone. Who the hell was Roko? Mireille didn't secretly nab a boyfriend without telling him, right? Before he could press the issue a call came through on his phone. He silenced the phone as soon as he could reach the volume key and felt his mood plummet from the name on the caller ID alone.

What the hell did Roland want?

He let the call roll over to voicemail. Now was really not the time to be getting distracted. If he had his way, the time for this distraction would come after the League was done. The screen returned to normal, revealing the conversation with Mireille behind the call screen. Achille recollected his thoughts, catching back up on his place in the conversation before he was interrupted. A new text came in as soon as he finished.

my assistant… did i forget to actually tell you his name?

Attached was a picture of a Heliolisk carrying a small toolbox, and Achille remembered their prior conversation about her work acquiring a lot of the electric lizards. What was I expecting. It's Mireille after all.

I don't think I ever asked his name. You made me think you had some kind of secret boyfriend, but I kind of forgot about him. That would be a surprise.

and i guess you're some kind of casanova out there now, huh? i have to get back to work, sadly. otherwise I'd throw that right back at you.

He resisted the urge to retort back that he actually had a girlfriend, but settled for a smug smile at the text. He'd keep that card in the back pocket for now. He locked his phone and put it back in his pocket when he felt another text come in. I guess she isn't too busy after all.

I think it's time we actually talked.

Roland.

No, he really wasn't in the mood for this. Not before the gym, anyways.

Sorry, but I think I want to talk about it in person.

It's the middle of the Gym challenge for both of us. You know that's really not going to happen.

This is obviously an important talk, so I'm willing to wait. Make sure there's no miscommunication.

Cut out the business language. I'm asking for us to sit down and talk like adults.

We can sit down face to face.

Don't be an asshole about this. Seriously

Achille?

If I have to go up to Galar I'm kicking your ass while I'm up there.

The message remained unanswered as Achille threw his phone on silent and began the walk to the stadium.

------------------------------------------------------------

Achille stood in the waiting tunnel, water dripping from his uniform onto the concrete below. He knew of the challenge ahead of time, but still managed to underestimate it. His original plan involving Proudhon fell apart after the fish saw the actual course and decided the course was beneath him. He instead ran the entire thing with Ignace, soon realizing that sharing a pool with an ice type wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

There was a minor break before he faced Nessa, some kind of break to give the backstage crew a moment to change things around. What it mostly meant for Achille was standing in the surprisingly drafty tunnel waiting for his cue. Every so often an errant hair moved in front of his eyes, the pool long having washed out anything keeping it in place. He couldn't quite recall when his last haircut was, now that he thought about it. Keeping his hair how he wanted it was becoming an even bigger hassle too.

He caught a look at his own reflection, reflexively grimacing at what he saw. His hair was longer, but Achille's would be getting there before too long. Removing the glasses helped break the illusion, and it wasn't like Achille was going to need to read anything in the arena. In. One-two-three… out. He exhaled and refocused.

... and let's welcome our challenger back to the stage for round two. It's Mr. Six-Fifty, ACHILLE BERINGER!"

There was significantly more noise than the first gym as the Kalosian strode out of the tunnel, head held high. He didn't know if anyone he knew was in the crowd at this moment, but people were definitely watching from home. It was time to put on a show. The cheers from those he impressed and the jeers from the Hulbury fans lifted his spirit. So what the first round might have been a little embarrassing, he would beat Nessa completely drenched and, dare he say, look good doing it. Showtime.

Nessa was waiting on the other side of the pool, casually tossing a pokeball in her hand. The swimmer sized him up as he approached, no doubt aware of most of his team from the Milo battle. He hoped her knowing of Terrot kept her a bit on the defensive, because his plan was honestly pretty stupid. He was grateful for having Haleigh and Corey to help him practice with their firsthand knowledge, as awful as the circumstances that gave her that experience was. Speaking of Haleigh...

"Hello Achille." Nessa spoke confidently and self assured. Achille got the feeling she was someone who would take him seriously from the start. A no frills battle suited Achille right now anyways. "It looks like the tides turned against you in the first part. A bit of a shame since you handled my rival's challenge so well. You're from a seaside town like Hulbury too."

Achille pushed back his wet hair to where it hopefully wouldn't fall in his face mid battle. "I'm from Cyllage, and always preferred the bikes to the water there." He pulled off his first pokeball, readying it and holding it at his side. "Sorry if I don't play into the water puns either, you kind of beat my girlfriend and now I have a point to make. Hope you understand."

"I'm afraid I don't know who you are referring to." Nessa's tone didn't carry the slightest bit of shock, carrying on like a professional despite the unexpected statement. She tilted her head in thought to try and recall someone to guess, but none came to mind. "I hope she did not take the defeat too badly though."

"Don't worry, she's strong," Achille said with a smile. "I'd expect her back before too long. I'll just get my shot in before then."

"I am ready to begin when you are." Nessa caught her pokeball, raising it to point directly towards Achille.

"As am I." Achille raised his in return, and the crowd cheered.

Nessa was first to release her Pokémon, lifting her leg high in the air before tossing the ball, her signature pose. The ball flew above the pool before releasing a burst of light that materialized into a Lantern. It wasn't Achille's ideal matchup, but it wasn't worth changing plans over.

Achille tossed his pokeball over the pool as well, releasing Joiuse. The Honedge slapped the pokeball before it could fall into the pool, sending it flying back towards the trainer. The Kalosian caught the throw and snapped the pokeball back into its holster, earning a decent cheer for the trick.

"Rain Dance!" "Autotomize!"

It looks like neither trainer is going for the early aggression; both are instead taking a moment to prepare.

Lanturn dove under the water for a brief second before surfacing again with a large leap. The water in the air hung in place and bubbled, evaporating and forming a small cloud above the pool. It only took a second for the cloud to start producing rain; a small drizzle at first that soon grew into a miniaturized rainshower. Meanwhile, Joiuse hovered above the water in deep concentration. It wasn't visible while inside her sheath, but her blade was thinning in profile, becoming more aerodynamic.

"Don't let them get too comfortable," Nessa shouted, "Bubblebeam!"

"Wait for Lanturn to pop up, then use Slash!" Achille countered.

Lanturn emerged from behind Joiuse, a growing collection of bubbles in its mouth. Achille shouted for her to turn around, giving the ghost-type just enough time to turn around and begin her swing before the Lanturn launched the attack. A stream of fast moving bubbles shot from Lanturn's mouth, popping against Joiuse with a loud crack. The force of the stream wasn't enough to cause the Honedge to stray from her course, though, and a solid blow knocked Lanturn back into the water at a high speed. A deafening roar of applause came from the crowd following the first exchange of the match.

"Don't let him rest. Hit him with Electro Ball and then Confuse Ray." Nessa shouted her next command immediately, not yielding a second of advantage to Achille.

If she wanted to go fast, Achille would match every step. "You've seen how to deal with Electro Ball, dodge it and stop that Confuse Ray with a Shadow Sneak!"

A glow came from beneath the water, growing in brightness as it approached the surface. Arcs of electricity shot across the top of the water as the light neared the surface, condensing into a ball of electricity that continued its path towards Joiuse. It was almost painfully slow compared to the absolute bullets that Corey shot during training, and even Joiuse found it easy to avoid. The Honedge twirled in an approximation of Proudhon's acrobatics during training as she effortlessly dodged the sphere of electricity.

That wasn't the real attack though, and Achille knew that. Deep inside the pool there was an odd light swaying back and forth, building in power. Lanturn was just waiting for a clear shot, and there was only a brief moment of time before one opened up. The direction of Joiuse's twirls was also no mistake, and the Honedge was lining up her own shot unbeknownst to Lanturn. Joiuse's shadow moved across the bottom of the pool, distorted but still visible. The shadow crossed over the light, and Joiuse plunged downwards.

A spear of darkness erupted from the pool, waving and swaying like it was still being refracted by the water. Lanturn was knocked airborne by the attack, losing all concentration on the Confuse Ray. The crowd mirrored the water-type's surprise, gasping as the fish was pushed out of the safety of the water.

"Emergency Bubble Beam," Nessa shouted, shaking off the surprise from the attack in what felt like microseconds. "Get back into the water!" Lanturn opened its mouth once more, quickly building a reserve of bubbles inside.

"Finish it, Aerial Ace!" Achille wasn't sure they would be able to get Lanturn in the air again after revealing that trick. Fighting in the water would be painful as well. They needed to end it, fast. "Slash if that doesn't end it. No quarter!"

The beam was fired before it reached full potential, flying out with less density than before. It was enough to propel Lanturn back to the water though, getting a head start while Joiuse emerged from her sheath and lined up her attack. The point of Joiuse's blade lined up with Lanturn's trajectory just as the first bubbles reached the ghost-type. She launched herself forward, speeding towards the bubbles with a loud series of cracks as the bubbles burst upon her blade with explosive force. Lanturn hit the water first, but was quickly followed by the rocket-like form of Joiuse.

The water trembled at the surface as the battle presumably raged underwater. Both trainers and the audience waited in silence for any sign of the victor. And after that explosive start we're left in dead silence. A war is waging in the depths of the arena, and we can't see any of it!

The surface of the water grew more troubled as something approached the surface again, a shadow was rising in the water. The tension in the water surface and crowd was finally broken as Lanturn shot from the water, being pushed by Joiuse's sheath. The water-type landed on one of the pool's platforms, battered and tired. Lanturn attempted to pull itself towards the water as Joiuse emerged, singe marks arcing like electricity across her blade. The fish collapsed after a few attempts to pull itself towards the end, ceding the first round to Achille.

It looks like Honedge is the last one standing after that secret battle! Leader Nessa is now down one Pokémon in this two-on-two. Number Six-fifty, Achille, takes the lead.

Nessa recalled her Pokémon and grabbed her second pokeball. "Hold up, mind if I make a swap too?" Achille asked, grabbing Joiuse's pokeball.

"The rules say you can swap whenever," Nessa confirmed. She suddenly seemed curious about the challenger's plan, especially seeing how Joiuse was still in good fighting shape.

"Thanks." He moved to recall Joiuse, but paused. "Actually, you want to watch this too?" The Honedge gave an affirmative noise and calmly drifted to the trainer's side, using her soaked ribbon to try and clear some of the dark marks off her blade.

She grumbled about her wet cloth-hand, finding it clumsy compared to its normal weight and flexibility. Achille laughed at the unexpected grumbling, "I know, I'm still wearing my soaked uniform too."

Joiuse grumbled again, earning a bigger laugh from the Kalosian. "I know I can take them off. I'm not stripping out of wet clothes in the middle of a crowded stadium. Some gym challenger calendar isn't getting content from me for free."

"I hope you aren't trying to time out this Rain Dance by swapping." Nessa tapped her foot as Achille's laughter died down. She already had her second pokeball primed, tossing it casually into the air again.

"Sorry, just wasn't expecting that." Achille wiped a tear from his eye as he grabbed the second pokeball down on his bandolier. He pressed the central button, priming it for release, and raised it up as well. "Round two then?"

Both trainers are now ready to bring out their second Pokémon, and both are going into this with fresh Pokémon though the challenger's Honedge is still able to fight.

"Drednaw!" "Proudhon!"

Nessa's second Pokémon is, of course, her ace. Drednaw is going to enjoy a nice boost from Lanturn's earlier diligence. The challenger has chosen to react with… a Magikarp?

The crowd became a whirlwind of activity with the ballsy choice. Many seemed confused at the gamble, and several shouted heckles from the crowd. Even the announcer seemed confused at the challenger's choice in Pokémon. A small faction of the crowd still cheered though; be them genuine Magikarp fans or fans excited to see a trainer confident enough to send out a Magikarp against a gym ace.

Well, Magikarp himself is most likely getting his own Swift Swim boost from the rain. That should help even this field.

"Uneven the field then, Rock Polish." Nessa didn't flinch at a "weak" Pokémon being thrown into the fight. Her tone remained calm and collected, and from what Achille saw her strategy did not waver from his choice in Pokémon. "I don't know if you're trying to throw me off, but the wave will crash over your chances all the same."

"Stop them before they get too fast!" Drednaw spun on the side of the pool, its shell becoming smooth and sleek as it ground against the wet concrete. Proudhon took off in the water, riding the growing waves in the pool for speed. The small rainstorm over the pool showed no sign of slowing even with Lanturn out of the battle, and the pool was looking more like an uneasy sea as time passed. Dipping into a passing surge, Proudhon accelerated and made a grand leap out of the water. The fish collided with the spinning turtle, landing a nasty headbutt of a Tackle on Drednaw's jaw. The larger Pokémon was pushed away by the momentum, drifting into the side of the reinforced stands. The attack barely seemed to affect Drednaw though, who just flipped back onto its feet and stared down the now beached fish.

"Uh-oh. Splash away!" Achille shouted. Proudhon slapped the ground of the gym with his tail forcefully, launching him into the air and on a wide arc towards the pool.

"Help them back to the pool," Nessa said as soon as the Magikarp was in the air. "Dragon Tail." Drednaw bound forward in a surprise burst of speed, the spikes on its tail starting to glow with a purplish color. The turtle-like Pokémon pushed it's back legs off the ground and swung forward at the end of the charge, moving it's tail in a wide downward arc that intersected Proudhon's path. The Magikarp was caught in the side by one of the spikes, and found himself getting spiked back into the water and hitting the bottom of the pool.

A plainly one sided exchange! Drednaw is barely even hurt and Magikarp catches a brutal Dragon Tail in retaliation for this failed attempt to stop Nessa's setup!

Achille flinched at the impact, letting slip a merde and losing some faith in this plan. That Drednaw hit hard, and the wave-empowered tackle looked to have barely bruised Drednaw. "You're not going to like it, but we're going to have to hit and run this." Achille shifted gears. A straight up fight would wear down Proudhon too much. They'd burn more energy playing defensive, but it'd keep him in fighting shape longer. Proudhon huffed at the command, but started swimming a large circle and gaining speed.

"Show them you're faster, Headbutt!" Drednaw leapt into the pool, using its powerful legs to propel itself through the water. The force of its charge kicked up a large spray of water behind the creature, drenching Nessa's side of the stadium along with the trainer herself. Proudhon dodged and tried to shake the guided missile of a turtle tailing him, but post Rock Polish Drednaw had little issue making tight turns. The little time he did lose from wider turns was quickly made up through raw acceleration. An unexpected wave slowed Proudhon, and sealed his fate.

Drednaw collided with Proudhon's stomach, stunning the fish and knocking him into the air. Joiuse covered her eye with her sash, not wanting to see the coming followup to the untimely flinch. "How did our challenger put it, 'no quarter'?" Nessa said, a smirk coming to her face at the turnaround. "Razor Shell!"

Magikarp attempted to shoot some water and avoid the coming strike, but his entire water storage had been expelled with the headbutt. Drednaw gave a happy grunt then swung its head, slamming the shell-like protrusion on its head into the fish's forehead. For the second time this match, Proudhon was spiked into the bottom of the pool.

A brutal turn of events for Magikarp! The headbutt looks like it hurt, and left him completely defenceless against the follow up attack. Achille is lucky that Nessa chose Razor Shell over Jaw Lock, otherwise this round may have been over!

This time the fish didn't rise to the surface. The stadium fell to silence, save indistinct worried whispers, and even the refs looked around nervously. Achille considered recalling Proudhon, but saw bubbles rising from the water. He was conscious… just staying at the bottom of the pool.

"Is that all you've got, huh?" Achille shouted at the shape at the bottom of the pool, the action earned him a concerned look from the ref, and a few members of the crowd looked scandalized. "Giving up already? Found something stronger than the fish in your little river and now you're ready to run away? That salopard, Scar Eyes, all washed up at Nessa?"

"Achille!" Nessa shouted at the trainer, clenching her fist. "What are you doing?" Several boos from the crowd mirrored her sentiment.

"Just expressing my disappointment at finding out that even the strongest Magikarp apparently falls short of Drednaw." Achille added with a smirk. He just had to goad the fish some more, he was probably absolutely raging already. " I mean, Corey was faster than this, hit harder than this and you shrugged that off. At this rate he's going to lose to a fire-type."

"That's enough!" Nessa sounded furious. She glared daggers at the Kalosian. Some refs moved to interrupt, but she threw her arm up to stop them. "Withdraw Proudhon and continue the battle or-"
The gym leader was cut off by a faint glow coming from the bottom of the pool. She took a step back in surprise as the light grew in intensity, the crowd gasping as it became more visible. Achille's smirk only grew until he was laughing. The bastard did it. His stupid gamble paid off. The light grew in intensity, refracted by the pool until the entire body of water appeared to be a sea of light.

Then the pool exploded.

Water erupted from the pool, soaking everyone poolside and even reaching the upper sections of the stadium. The force of the exploding water was enough to dispel the rainstorm, ending the Rain Dance effect as the clouds dissipated from the small shockwave. In the center of the pool, stretching high into the sky, a Gyarados held Drednaw in its jaws. A large scar remained across the serpent's eyes, bleeding slightly from the Drednaw's Razor Shell. The crowd went ballistic.

"FUCK YEAH, PROUDHON!" Achille couldn't help but shout. He'd make it up to the newly evolved Gyarados later, but this round was finally going to plan. "Nom de dieu! You fucking beast, you!"

Our challenger may catch some flack for his choice of words, but what a sight! It looks like challenger Achille goaded his Magikarp into evolving. The wisdom in provoking an infamously irritable sea serpent is questionable, but we can't deny the results here!

Proudhon's fangs cut wounds across the Drednaw's legs as he crunched down with his newfound Bite attack. Drednaw was powerless to break free from the bite, its legs pinned by Proudhon's own powerful jaws. The Gyarados lightly tossed the turtle-pokemon into the air before lunging and biting down again. Drednaw's new position allowed it to find some leverage though, and the bulky water-type began to pry open Proudhon's jaws. Rather than let his prey escape, Proudhon whipped his body around and spiked Drednaw into the bottom of the pool.

Proudhon roared as the crowd cheered. The serpent-pokemon stared down Achille, glaring at the trainer in an accusatory manner. "Sorry, ami," Achille said sheepishly, giving a nervous smile. "I knew you had it in you, we just had to force it out. I'll buy you something delicious and a good fight, okay? Just think of how much ass you'll kick now!"

The Gyarados huffed his approval, turning back to the fight. Achille also noted to try and find some kind of Pokémon accessory for him as well. A mystic water, perhaps?.

"This isn't over yet," Nessa said, drawing attention back to the match at hand. "We still have to see if that little trick was even worth it. Drednaw, Jaw Lock this time!"

Drednaw's horn emerged from beneath the water, approaching Proudhon's tail like a shark. A great roar confirmed that Drednaw found his mark, and was now latched onto Proudhon's tail with his vice-like grip.

Proudhon tried to shake off the clinger-on, letting loose a burst of water from his mouth. The smell of salt filled the air, and Drednaw flinched as the water touched it. Achille pulled out his Pokédex to confirm what move this was, finding it identified as Brine. That salt water can't be feeling good on those cuts.

"Keep on him!" Nessa looked ready to push this to a battle of wills. The longer Drednaw hung onto Proudhon, the more pain Gyarados experienced and the more energy he'd expend trying to dislodge him.

"Just Flail until he's off. Damn conserving energy now, just end it!"

The gyarados nodded in approval, Diving into the water and raising his tail into the sky. The serpent began to flail his tail wildly, crashing Drednaw into the sides of the pool. The longer Drednaw stayed on, the faster and more frantic Proudhon's movement became. Drednaw flinched after a few hits, sliding back on Proudhon's tail a bit. It took three more hits, but Drednaw finally let go, sailing through the air and crashing next to Nessa.

The turtle gave a token effort to stand back up, but ultimately collapsed.

AND THAT ENDS IT! Gyarados has shown an unstoppable force CAN overcome an immovable object, Drednaw's jaw can hold no more! The winner of this match is number six-fifty, ACHIIIILLLE BERINGER!

Both trainers recalled their battered Pokémon and met at the end of the pool. The crowd whooped as Achille raised his arms in victory, completely ignoring the disrespect towards Proudhon. Nessa kept up her professional demeanor as she approached, but broke into a small smile as she reached the Kalosian.

"Well, you had me worried there," she admitted. "It was a risky move to insult your partner to try and get them to evolve."

"I'm sorry," Achille said bashfully, scratching the back of his head. "I suspected he had been on the verge of evolving well before he even joined with me. Needed a kick to put him over the edge, you know."

"Regardless, it paid off. Though I recommend taking extra care that you make up for it." Nessa's face softened as she talked about the raising side of Pokémon. "I'd hate to see a promising trio come apart because of something like this. But enough lectures from me." She reached over to the ref, taking a metallic shard emblazoned with three water drops from him. "As the leader of the Water Gym, I award you this badge in recognition of your victory."

Achille took the little shard and held it in his fist, feeling the coolness of the metal fade. Two down.

Team changes:

Spoiler:

Gained the Water Badge!

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Jay · Apr 4, 2021

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STAGE 9 - GALAR MINE 2

Spoiler:

Darkness and dismay! The cheery sights of the port city fall into the distance as the graduates of Wedgehurst academy find their way into the treacherous Galar Mine 2. A dark rock cave with glowing crystals, casting dulcet blue reflections across the caves, many localized pools and underground lakes.

A different atmosphere from its counterpart, while the first mine has the aura of a workers drive to dig deep, the second reflects the glistening darkness of the unknown. A factor readily represented by the people and pokémon hiding therein. The Black Suits, a mysterious conglomeration of well dressed megalomaniacs have been conducting dastardly deeds across Galar, their twisted dark balls in hand, they've captured pokémon against their will and many speculate it is their actions that have lead to the sudden surge of strange, twisted pokémon, wreathed in red and black smoke.

Now that group convenes here, in Galar Mine 2, for their biggest operation yet, with a mysterious task from a greater evil in hand, they work to fulfil their nefarious aims... only for our heroes to arrive at just the same hour.

With a clash inevitable and a resolution imminent, what dark secrets will be revealed..? And will our heroes even survive to tell them? The story of Spear continues...

WILD POKÉMON AVAILABLE THIS STAGE

Pokémon Available to those on Mission 1:

Pokémon Available to those on Mission 4:

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MISSIONS:

[JP]★ Mission:
The Black Suits are a group of villains that have been causing trouble all across the region for the passed few months. Using strange, black coloured pokéballs to capture pokémon without any battling, stripping them of their emotions and forcing them into service against their will. With connections to the strange red and black smoke wreathed pokémon also under their belt, they're extremely bad news... and they've gathered here for something big. They can't be allowed to get away with this... but getting involved is a risky business, that may end up costing more than you bargained for.
Reward: 1 x Wishing Star

NOTE:
For this mission, players signing up will be divided into groups depending on how many show interest. Each group will contain a ZM, who will control their own character as well as one of the Black Suits admins for the post.

[CATCH CHANCE!][MULTI] Mission 1:
In a small alcove, to the side and out of the way of the normal path, an old pokémon sits and waits. Gastrodon has been in this mine for as long as it can remember, protecting a treasure placed there by someone it once knew well. The treasure itself is tempting enough, for the money it would fetch alone, but the call of adventure and a challenging opponent may also draw in some travelling trainers. As well as the prospect of a new ally...?
Reward: 1 x String of Pearls

[JP] Mission 2:
Galar Mine 2 is full of reflecting crystals that send light shooting across the walls and through the various lakes of water that dot the cave floor. Of these crystals one is said to be especially precious, a prismatic gem that changes colour and ability based on factors we cannot understand. When broken away, it becomes a stone with the powers it last reflected. A valuable thing for sure, popular with collectors and wild pokémon alike, will you be the one to claim this prize?
Reward: 1 x Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone or Ice Stone

[OPEN] Mission 3:
Walking about in the mine, you find someone on the ground in pain, holding their leg and taking deep breaths. You ask what's wrong and see a nasty bite along their calf. They cry bloody murder, saying a pokémon is to blame, one that hid on the ground in wait like a trap and lured him in with what he thought was a pokéball. Lies and slander, it was a devious trick, he wants to see this violent prankster brought to justice!
Reward: 1 x Ultra Ball

[CATCH CHANCE! Mission 4:
Deep within the caves, many a crossing tunnel is dug by travelling pokémon in the wild. Onix is a pokémon in Galar that rarely shows its face, preferring the dark and dank caves to the brighter outdoors. Solitary creatures, Onix rarely cross their tunnels on purpose. Though the odd unfortunate collision does occur… and that seems to be exactly what's happening a few floors below. When two Onix get tangled and start to tussle the results can be truly terrible, try to triumph over this turbulent turf war without the tables turning against you!
Reward: 1 x Hard Stone

Mission 5:
Shuckle is a strange pokémon, that's for certain. Collector Borris knows this, but it's still by far his favourite. Its offences might be weak, but its defense can't be beat! Not to mention, Shuckle has the unique ability to produce berry juice within its shell, a very nutritious treat for growing pokémon. Eager to show off his prized partner, Borris is challenging all contenders to a friendly 1v1 battle with Shuckle. Anyone who participates, win or lose, will get some pre-made berry juice for the road!
Reward: 2 x Berry Juice

Mission 6:
Rail staff guy Geoff has been downing a little too much "fermented razz juice" on the job again and is rambling about some nonsense. He swears he saw an oversized Bunnelby, not a Diggersby, handing out chocolate eggs to everyone in sight. This, obviously, can't be the case… but then, what DID he see? Might be worth looking into.
Reward: 1 x Lucky Egg

Mission 7:
The Galar Railways Conglomerate (GRC) is a booming business offering one of the most popular and affordable forms of public transport in the region and making a killing doing it. They've been trying to secure passage in Galar Mine 2 for some time since the dissolution of many of Macro Cosmos assets… but local archaeologists are vehemently opposed. They claim that the rail companies' efforts will ruin the ecosystem and could bury important historical findings from the regions passed. It's progress versus history here and someone needs to tip the scales… which side are you on?
Reward: 1 x Lifetime Rail Pass OR 1 x Explorer Kit

NOTE 2:
Due to the involved JP mission with ties to the main story, the number of other missions this stage is less than usual. This is so that players that join the ★ Mission may focus primarily on the aforementioned's progress. For players not interested in joining the ★ Mission, we hope this will not be an inconvenience and encourage you to create custom missions if none of the pre-written missions appeal to you.

gimmepie · Apr 5, 2021

Catherine Carlisle
18 | Female | From Wyndon

Indra (Male, Swift Swim) - Rain Dance, Hypnosis, Bubblebeam, Double Slap, Mud Shot, Refresh

Stampede (Male, Poison Point) - Water Gun, Smokescreen, Twister, Focus Energy, Dragon Breath, Icy Wind

Holo (Female, Lightning Rod) - Tackle, Thunder Wave, Spark, Howl, Flame Burst, Flash

Vessel (Female, Dry Skin) - Fury Cutter, Scratch, Absorb, Poison Powder, Spore

Lancer

This wasn't exactly how Catherine had planned on starting her travel through Galar Mine #2. About ten minutes into the caverns, she had caught sight of Pia and immediately ducked into a different tunnel. Past experience taught her that running into old classmates was not liable to be a good time. Especially in mines. Especially when it was someone you shared a strong mutual dislike with.

Unfortunately, this choice had resulted in her wandering through a maze of side tunnels, several of which were lacking in lighting. Thankfully, this tunnel was not one of those and seemed to be roughly angling back towards the main pathways. Sadly, this did not mean she had much of a clue where she actually was.

"Well, sometimes the 'lost in a cave' episode is a fun one," Catherine said, failing to find her present location on any maps yet again.

"Poli?" Indra asked from her feet. Naturally, the Poliwag had no idea what she was talking about. Neither did the silent Paras on her shoulder. She'd had Stampede and Holo with her before too, but some of the caverns she had passed through had proved too cramped to have her whole team join her.

"Well, in media, there's these things called tropes," Catherine began explaining, "Basically, recurring trends that start developing across different stories. Stuff like beach or festival episodes, tragic amnesiacs or idiots who are also terrifyingly strong that show up all the time in different shows."

"Poli!" Indra exclaimed.

Catherine was pretty confident he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but he seemed to appreciate the conversation regardless. That was enough for her she supposed, so she kept going as though that had been affirmation that he got it. "Well, it's not super common, but a lot of shows feature episodes where the protagonist gets stuck in a cave somewhere. Sometimes they're pretty fun.

"Pol." Indra bobbed forward in something resembling a nodding motion. He definitely didn't get it.

The group continued on like that for a while longer, with Catherine explaining various trope concepts to a stoic bug and a Poliwag that was just happy to be there. She could have done without the Pia-related detour, but it was otherwise a pretty pleasant time of things.

Thud.

She kept walking and talking.

Thud.

The noise seemed to be coming from not too far ahead of Catherine's little group and it didn't seem like there would be any offshoots before they reached its origin.

"There's always something, isn't there?" Catherine sighed. "Let's go see what it's going to be today."

The sound got progressively louder as they continued onwards, reaching its loudest as they entered a small cavern with a single old lantern illuminating it, its light reflecting off the surface of the pool and a variety of crystalline structures poking out the ground and walls. It was surprisingly atmospheric and pretty.

The source of the noise, as it turned out, was also located in that chamber. An amphibious purple Pokemon with orange cheeks and yellow eyes. The Croagunk was paying no mind to the new arrivals, focused entirely on what seemed to be a training regiment as it repeatedly drove its fists into the rocky cavern wall.

Catherine looked up at the ceiling instinctively, seeing a series of looser chunks of stone and earth that were starting to wobble.

Naturally.

"Hey," Catherine called out to the Poison type, "If you keep doing that a boulder is going to fall on your head."

The Croagunk turned to look at her for a moment and then immediately resumed what it was doing. If anything, it was hitting the wall even harder.

"Seriously?" Catherine asked.

"Poli!" Indra called over to the Croagunk. It started hitting the wall harder still. Chunks of the ceiling were definitely starting to shake and come free of each other.

"Bloody hell." Catherine groaned. She dashed forward and grabbed the Croagunk, surprising it and pulling it away from the wall as a heap of earth and stone fell over where it had been standing a moment prior.

The Toxic Mouth Pokemon struggled against her grip, elbowing her hard enough to knock all the breath from her lungs as she dropped it, staggering back and slipping into the pond with a splash.

Catherine surfaced from the shallow pool as Vessel scampered off of her to join Indra in forming a defensive barrier between her and the irritating Poison type.

Catherine groaned. She was now unexpectedly soaked, her ribs and her backside were aching and she was trying to snort out the water that had shot up her nose. "Okay, you little bastard. That hurt. So much for those injuries being healed up."

"CROA!" The Pokemon responded angrily, glaring at her as it gestured at her, then at the pile of debris.

"Would you have preferred I let you be crushed?"

"GUNK!"

"Well, that's stupid." Catherine stood up, wincing. "Some gratitude wouldn't kill you."

It didn't like that. The Croagunk shouted furiously and charged towards Catherine, apparently not caring about the two Pokemon blocking its path.

Indra shot a torrent of bubbles at it, but it ran through them completely unaffected. The tips of its fingers glowed purple as it thrust them into Indra's belly with a sharp jab that sent the Poliwag flying into the wall.

Vessel lunged at it with a Scratch, but the Croagunk lashed out with a Sucker Punch that easily flung the Bug out the way.

It turned its attention back towards Catherine, stalking towards her with fury in its eyes.

"Fine," Catherine said, "Come and get it."

It charged her and she dived out the way. Catherine hit the ground and felt the air knocked out of her yet again and she added some new bruises to her growing collection. The Croagunk hit the water, sending water flying up. It turned to face her again.

"Mud Shot!" Catherine ordered.

Focused as it was on Catherine, the Croagunk didn't realise it had landed right next to Indra. It whirled around, but not in time to avoid being hammered with the deluge of mud Indra spat at it, blasting it out of the pond away from Catherine where it landed by Vessel.

"Spore!"

The Croagunk's eyes slowly opened. It felt groggy and there was weight pressing down on it. What had happened?

It took a moment, but it soon remembered. Its training had been interrupted by that rude human and her Pokemon. She had dared to try and save him. How dare she look down on him like that!

The Croagunk tried to get up, but found the pressure holding it down increased. It was only then that it realised that each of its limbs were being held down by a different Pokemon. The Paras and Poliwag had each of its arms. Tilting its head towards its chest revealed a Seadra lying on the ground with one leg wrapped in its powerful tail while the other was held in the jaws of a young Electrike.

"I've got you figured out, you know," The girl's voice said from just out of view. "It hurt your pride that I had to save you. You don't know it, but you're a living breathing character trope."

He struggled against the Pokemon pinning him down, almost breaking free of them… but he couldn't. There were too many of them. She kept speaking to him as he continued his impossible efforts to break free.

"I'm a big weeb you see," she said, "And there's this really common character trope. This big strong guy who takes great pride in his strength. He wants to do everything himself, blindly charges into battles to prove how powerful he is and he's usually too prideful to admit when he's outmatched. Usually they play second fiddle to a much less interesting protagonist for the entire run of a show."

What was she going on about? He kept struggling.

"You're like that. You're really strong, but that's not enough. You weren't thinking and it nearly got you killed. You can't just be tough, you need to be smart too. When you're smart and strong, that's when you become really powerful."

Was she trying to say he was weak?! He struggled more, and very nearly broke free again. He couldn't quite do it.

"Well, what if I made you powerful like that?" she said, "I can teach you how to fight smart, so you don't need someone like me to rescue you ever again. Or, I can put you back to sleep and leave you to wake up in a few minutes feeling really embarrassed while I'm long gone."

A strange feeling overcame the Croagunk as the cave faded away and he was drawn into somewhere else. He thought about the offer and, maybe against his better judgement, decided to give this one a chance.

Catherine picked up the pokeball once she heard it click and smiled in spite of herself. "I told you guys the cave episode can be fun sometimes. I think we'll call our new friend Lancer. It seems appropriate."

Lancer (Male, Dry Skin) - Taunt, Revenge, Sucker Punch, Poison Jab, Swagger, Toxic

Spoiler: Inventory

Orx of Twinleaf · Apr 6, 2021

Team:

Rij

Henj

Tim T
It was dark in the mines, but Tim was used to seeing in the dark through sunglasses. The glow given off by the strange crystals here at least made it brighter than a moonless night, and it wasn't as if there were that many things to keep track of. Tim had found himself down a narrow tunnelway now, lost again.

It wasn't as if Tim were bad with directions, but not being able to see the sky seriously disoriented him. He had managed to get lost in the last leg of the Galar Mines too. But like there, Tim was sure he'd stumble upon someone eventually who could lead him to an exit. Tim wasn't worried about getting so hopelessly lost that he'd starve to death. If he really had to, he could yell for help, and he was sure his foghorn bellow would echo for at least a mile in these tunnels.

So Tim wasn't worried. Not really. Some might feel claustrophobic in such earthen surroundings, or uneasy in such dark isolation, but it didn't particularly bother Tim. Tim had worked in a mine with his father, after all. The only thing about surroundings like this that might perturb him would be the chance of a cave-in, but these tunnels had been standing open like this for years. Tim didn't find it very likely that they should suddenly decide to fall apart now, at least not without taking some damage first.

Tim shuffled unconcernedly through the tunnels. His height seemed to make what few mons he saw think better of bothering him. There was a smallish Rolycoly that seemed to be shyly tailing Tim, reappearing again after leaving for some time, but it didn't approach him, so Tim ignored it. Children on the streets would occasionally gawk at Tim, so he figured this Rolycoly was just doing the same thing. A shame, really. Such juvenile staring didn't give Tim high hopes for its managing to not get eaten some time down the line. But that was none of Tim's business. He didn't have another ball on him, and even if he did he didn't need to have to babysit such a mon.

Tim glanced at the strange crystals he walked by. There must have been some reason they hadn't been mined out already. Tim supposed maybe they stopped glowing when removed from the cave, or that they were brittler than they appeared and couldn't be reasonably moved. He wondered what made them glow. The Trainer school naturally hadn't spent much time on rocks but Tim couldn't remember anything about it from his younger schooldays either. He vaguely recalled that some places pulsed with "power," whatever that meant. Maybe these crystals glowed with the power of the earth, shone with the heartbeat of the land.

What did that mean? Tim continued onward, his heavy footsteps his only company. The Rolycoly had left again, Tim couldn't hear its wheel creeping behind him. Rolycolys could glow too when worked up, with a red light. Did they glow with some hidden power? Did Henj and Rij when they used their more flashy Moves? Tim had sometimes heard people's faces described as "aglow" or "glowing" when sufficiently passionate. Is that what those words meant? That people could glow with some vague sort of power as well?

Perhaps Tim could have described his friend as glowing. She had, after all, been the light of his life. In a way, it was no surprise Tim could so easily see through sunglasses in this dark place. His world had been pitch black ever since she had gone from it. Her memory was but a dim candlelight, with which Tim stumbled dumbly across these weeks, these months. Tim's friend had not only glowed, she had shined.

And so too could Tim see the others, his peers and fellow challengers, shine against Nessa's own light during their Gym battles. It was an imperceptible shine, nothing so apparent as what these crystals had. The light, the spark, that danced between those Trainers and their mons, it was something that eyes couldn't see, and Tim had watched it intensely. Such awesome, wondrous battles those had been. Win or lose, the battles had flashed across Tim's face through the monitors, lit up his world for the briefest moments.

And then things were that much darker afterwards for the brief glimpse of light. Tim had hoped he could throw out a light of his own as well when he challenged Nessa, but though Henj and Rij were able to stand strong in that blinding beacon of a Leader in her Gym, there was no flash in answer from Tim's side. Tim didn't know how to make such lights. It was beyond him. He had insulted Nessa by offering no flash to meet hers. He had insulted the audience by failing to create as spectacular a light show as the other contenders had. He had insulted his friend by daring to think he could ever pretend to do so with Rij the way she had.

Tim heard the quiet wheel of the Rolycoly behind him again, but in his sullenness it was entirely too loud. He spun around aggressively in time to see the little mon vanish into the darkness in panic. Tim looked after it, his eyeless face with its mouth-hiding mustache an alarming visage. Tim turned back around and continued walking. His footsteps sounded like thunderclaps to him now. In the dark he could hear the sound bounce in the confines of the tunnel. The nooks and crannies of the stone warped the noise into all sorts of strange mumbles.

Light is only so precious for the threat of the dark, Tim thought he heard in his footsteps. He saw his reflection walking along the crystals he passed, as if following him, speaking to his back. So what if you can't make the light they do? Crush it with your darkness instead, that's a perfectly reasonable way to combat it. If you can't outshine them, snuff them out.

Tim frowned. Tim wasn't going mad alone in the dark of the mine. He hadn't gone mad in such conditions before. He hadn't gone mad all these months living like a beast in the bush. He hadn't gone mad when his friend had left him and his everything had imploded. Tim wasn't going to go mad now. It was just his mind playing tricks on him. It was just the stress. That's all. This was just a way for him to cope with the stress. He rubbed his glasses as he walked, the soft hissing it made drowning out the sound of his footsteps.

But the hissing made a voice of its own. Of course you're stressed, who wouldn't be after making such an ass of himself? You'd better stay away from Hulbury for a while.

Tim stopped and took off his glasses, offended. He looked at them in the dark, and they seemed to look back. In the bluish light, Tim saw his reflection in the dark lenses. The reflection of a husk of a man, of a homeless failure, of someone who had no business with Pokémon and who didn't belong in the Gym Challenge. The glasses weren't talking, of course. Tim was imagining that, and he knew he was imagining that. But the way those dark lenses looked at him shook him badly. In that eyeless stare he saw himself. Tim couldn't help but miss his friend.

Tim glanced at a nearby crystal, and saw his reflection on its glowing surface. The reflection of a tall wildman, of someone who had punched an anchor to get away from it, of someone who had gone to Nessa's Water Gym with two Rocks and had emerged victorious. The reflection's eyes were deep and young, its jaw set with anticipation. Tim was imagining that, and he knew he was imagining that: it was the same reflection as had been in the glasses after all. But seeing it on the lighted face of the crystal made it seem different. On that strange surface he saw himself. Tim couldn't help but remind himself his friend was dead.

"You write letters?" Tim's friend had asked him all that time ago, while they sat on a hill watching her Rhyhorn, Rij, tumble and play in the field below.

"Don't really have anyone to write them to," Tim had answered candidly. And it had been true: he hadn't had much of a social circle, and what associates he had had were effectively his neighbors anyway. "Why?"

"I'm leaving next week," Tim's friend had said. "We should keep in touch."

Tim had been surprised, to say the least. On some level, he supposed he had forgotten that his friend hadn't been in Unova to stay. But that was a lie, Tim knew now. Tim had only been hoping that, by ignoring the pages of the calendar falling away, he might stave off the inevitable. "Well," Tim had said once he'd gotten over his initial shock, "we'll be able to keep in touch just fine, because I'm following you."

Tim was still surprised at himself for having made such a massive decision. His friend had always inspired him to do things that he would have never thought he'd do. He remembered the look of incredulity on his friend's face. She'd made that grin that made her scar bulge. Tim missed her smile. "Real likely," she had said chuckling. "What business would you have in Galar? Or is this some wraparound way to ask to move in with me?" She had laughed loudly at him, as she often would. "Don't you think I'm a bit old for you?"

Tim had been flustered at this, and had blushed a little. Tim didn't think he'd blushed since she'd died. He used to be so expressive. "I've signed up for that Trainers' school opening in Wedgehurst, I'll have you know," he'd said, trying to keep his composure while she laughed at his expense.

"Aren't there plenty of places like that here in Unova?" Tim's friend had asked with a raised eyebrow. Her Rhyhorn, Rij, had come back to sit with them on the hill, and had been listening with the same attentive interest he'd always listened to her with.

"None of them would be close enough to you for me to battle you once I get a starter," Tim had answered, standing up and striking his iconic pose, one fist on his hip, the other on his chest.

"Battle?" Tim's friend had said thoughtfully. She had looked at Rij as she stood up. She hadn't been much of a battler. "Battle me?"

"You might always have the upper hand on me in exploration," Tim had said, "but I could at least beat you as a Trainer! I want to be able to forge a bond as strong with a mon of my own as you've forged with Rij."

Rij had coughed happily. Tim's friend had smiled at Tim again, that uneven, graceless smile that had always made his heart flutter. "Big talk," she had said sticking her hand out. "You'll have to put your money where your mouth is once you come out of that classroom."

Tim had taken her hand and shaken it. "It's a promise!"

Now, in the dark of the mines, Tim fought down a lump in his throat.

It had been a promise.

A promise he hadn't been able to keep.

Tim put his glasses back on and started walking again. He ignored the reflections in the crystals, as his vision was clouded with memories now. He ignored the sound of his footsteps bouncing off the walls, as his ears were muffled with deep thought. He strode briskly deeper into the dark. It was the dark he had been in when the mines had collapsed all those years ago and killed his father. It was the dark he was in again now that his life had collapsed all those months ago and killed him.

A quiet grating followed shyly behind, a smallish Rolycoly, watching the strange man fall to pieces. It was but one eye of the countless hundreds, thousands even, that had looked at Tim since that day and seen the mess he'd become.

MurkMire · Apr 7, 2021

Lighthouse Shenanigans! A New Friend in a Familiar Place!

Reaching the lighthouse, Clovis slowed his pace. After parting with Achille and Clari, he felt an incredible desire to be as close to the ocean as possible. Well, ready to be alone. Shortly before, however… he went to the Pokemon Center again, and went to buy a Komala Coffee. Hopefully, it would prove a satisfactory peace offering. "Hmm… if I'm going to meet with Aneurysm again, Cortex may be helpful as well.... Cortex, I need your assistance!"

"...?" Appearing on the bench outlooking the sea, Cortex looked up at Clovis for a moment. Before Clovis even spoke, Cortex nodded at him. "I… ah, I see. I guess you already know what I'm about to ask you to help dealing with Aneurysm? Alright… thank you, my partner. Now… Aneurysm, come out!" A second Pokeball, and out came a hunched over Elekid. "Beee… Beee," he huffed, before he turned to glare at Clovis. The underhanded way he was immediately captured, and his… "name."

"....." "Bee…?" Aneurysm looked over to Cortex, giving him the stink eye, like Cortex said something that bothered Elekid. "A peace offering… here," he said, as he knelt down and held out the open drink container, a Komala Coffee. "Bee." Immediately, he swiped the drink out of his hand, and looked at the liquid inside. "...." "Bee? Bee… Bee-bee." For a moment, Aneurysm looked down. "Look. I know you want to get stronger. You want to be able to defeat opponents like those goofy Ludicolo without having to be backhanded. Like me," Clovis muttered off, silently admitting his own inadequacy to Elekid. "Also… thank you for punishing Id for me. I wasn't sure what to do in the moment, so… I want to personally welcome you to the party." For the first time, Clovis spoke softly. He may get pissed off by the Elekid, but Clovis also saw a tiny bit of himself in Aneurysm.

Clovis, Cortex and Aneurysm sat there, taking in the sounds of the ocean. Aneurysm silently reflected on Clovis' meek apology, slurping the coffee with no regard for manners. But, Clovis wasn't perturbed. He just sat there, patting Cortex as he silently stared at the sea.

Before long, Clovis felt a poke on his shoulder. "E-Excuse me, young fella. Are you a gym challenger?" A shaky voice spoke, causing Clovis to turn around. An older man, about early 30s in age seemed to be pale as a ghost. "Yes. Yes I am," Clovis confidently declared. Before he could even go on, the man fell to his knees and began to beg. Again, the man shuddered as he spoke, "T-There's an a-awful sound down in the basement of the lighthouse! I don't have any Pokemon available, and no crew to take a look! Please, you gotta help me! There's discharges of electricity down there!" The man groveled, truly frightened by the experience.

And from that show of terror, Clovis was already nervous, himself. Still, he steeled himself, adjusted his glasses and replied, "Fear not. I, Clovis Solanine, shall deal with this lighthouse fiasco." Aneurysm looked at him… not impressed. "Alright, Cortex, I'll need you to return. Aneurysm… how would you like to join me in bopping what's hiding in the dark?" Thinking back on the missed opportunity, Aneurysm nodded quickly, chugged the rest of the Komala Coffee, and tossed it to the nearby trash can.

"BEEE-URRRP," was Aneurysm's reply, as he grinned a toothy grin, and a thumbs up aimed at the heavens.

"..."
"... Alright, well, let's deal with whatever is hiding down there. Come along, Aneurysm.

The worker, leading Clovis, scratched his head and thought to himself, Isn't that name itself abusive? Eh, hooey, I don't get paid for that.

"Lemme show you d-down… come on in." Opening the door, the lighthouse interior was quite exceptional. All things considered. However… down a darker hallway, lit only by a single bulb, the worker lifted a basement door.

"Is this behavior everywhere in the basement, or in a certain area," Clovis queried. Looking down the staircase, he saw a concrete hole. Down, he could see into the basement floor. Some of the interior appeared to be damaged, with raucous electrical "accidents."

"N-no, it's pretty much everywhere down there. Me and the boys can never see hide or tail of whatever's down there." He shrugged, and looked down in terror, stepping back. "Alright… Aneurysm, let's go." Trodding behind Clovis, the Elekid raced his way down, sparks already flying from excitement. "HEY, knock it off!"

The man, standing at the mouth of the basement, shakes in anticipation, as he watched someone else deal with his own problem.

Descending down the stairs, Clovis and Aneurysm found themselves in the dark. Not a single bulb was lit. Some even seemed to be broken right where they were screwed on. "Are the lights available, sir?" Clovis sighed, as he turned his head back. Seeing the man gulp, he could tell what he was going to say next.

"W-Well… funny story. The rampant electricity knocked out the lights, too. And, some of my boys… here, a flashlight," as he tossed an impressive looking flashlight. It was black, but had a painted on Rotom face. "Try being careful, my daughter gave me that for my birthday!" No response was given, as Clovis and Aneurysm continued down the dark labyrinth(?) of the lighthouse basement.

"Wow… how incompetent can people be these days? It's a good thing I'm here, but at the same time… I feel like a wide supply of intelligence would do humanity good." Clovis continued to complain, while Aneurysm held his fingers to the sides of his head, blocking out his trainer's incessant bolstering.

zip

"Bee?"

"W-What?!" Immediately, Clovis spun in the direction of Aneurysm's curiosity. Both of them, seeing nothing behind them. Just concrete walls and various industry grade wiring. "Whew… don't scare me like that. Id already gives me enough stress." He huffed, and continued on. But Aneurysm stayed put… something didn't feel right. Oh well.

Turning around, he trotted back to Clovis' side. "You need to stick close, Aneurysm. It's already hrs enough with no lights, and only a decent flashlight. Ow!" Finishing that remark, he felt a small, but beefy, punch to his left leg. "Why?!" "Bee. Bee-Bee-Bee." Aneurysm smugly stared down Clovis, as he drew attention to his horns. With a crackle, a soft light came from them. "Well. Aren't we resourceful? Come on… we have another trouble case to deal with… and I want out of this basement."

zip

"Bee?"

"Whatever it is, it better be worth my time," he sighed as he disregarded Aneurysm, but still stopping. He just refused to turn around. "Bee? Bee, bee. Bee?"

"Kzzz… Kzzz"

Immediately. Clovis shuttered, his stomach weighing like bricks. He almost felt like he'd leave a brick.

"A-a-alright… whatever you are," a weak bravado came from Clovis. "I-It's t-time to… GET READY." Swallowing his fear, Clovis stomped down with one foot, swung his body to turn, and face what was behind them. What it was was a small, floating being, giving off crackles of electricity. "Wait… what is this? Can't be another Rotom," he mused, adjusting his glasses once more. The panic turning into curiosity allowed Clovis to see more clearly. It was definitely small, just as small as a Rotom. But, it was white, very… thin looking. It floated in the air, but seemed to be wiggling in the air. The most noticeable feature was a red mouth, and black orbs for eyes.

"... I see, so a Tynamo somehow got down here. Stuck and scared, it zapped anything and everything to get out. Ugh… alright." Rubbing his temples at how a group of lighthouse workers couldn't come together and solve this themselves. "Come on, I'll take you out." With an outstretched hand, Clovis invited the Tynamo. It shrivelled back, though. "Come now… don't you want to get out? I'll take you out of this dank basement. No funny business. I promise," he muttered, as he shot a glare at the Elekid. "Bee? Bee bee bee." Something told Clovis Aneurysm was cursing him, since he followed that mutter with a middle finger.

Tynamo, still nervous, but floated towards the young man. "Just come sit in my hand… and I will take you to the ocean. I'm sure your family may miss you." "Kzz… Kzz, Kzz." It nodded shortly, still sheepishly approaching. Crackles of electricity continued to fly, but Clovis was too busy trying not to vomit again to make any exterior reactions. With a tiny plop. Tynamo rested in Clovis' right hand. Small, black orbs looked up at him, as if pleading not to betray the trust it placed in him.

A small smile crept on his face, as he stood up. "Come along, Aneurysm. We're leaving." "Bee… Bee." Disappointed there was not even a fight to be had, Aneurysm sullenly walked behind Clovis. Silently, Clovis and Aneurysm continued on. While walking back, Clovis stared down at the little Tynamo. Curiously, Tynamo stared back."Kzzt?" "You know… I understand how you feel. Feeling trapped. Feeling scared… feeling alone."

The words echoed through the basement, a sad tone ringing out. "Kzz…" "Sorry. We'll be out soon, little one." Only steps now echoed. Clovis' mind drifted away to darker times. Times where he felt alone. Times where he felt trapped, and scared. Times where-

bonk

"OUCH… ugh… oh, uh, wall. Right." "... Kzz-Kzz-Kzz," the Tynamo began to giggle, but stifled themselves, before looking back up at Clovis. "...Eheh, that was pretty funny. I wasn't paying attention anyway." Sheepishly, Clovis smiled. For the first time, an equally soft look appeared on it's face. "Well. Enough foolishness. Let's get you out of here, yes?"

At the top of the stairs, the man still trembled, but with less anxiety. "Are you okay, down there? Everything alright?!" No response. "Hey, t-trainer! I forgot your name, but you alright?!" "Yes, yes, all is well," the young man's voice rang out. Up the stairs, Clovis climbed, shielding the small Pokemon. "W-What is it? Nevermind what it is, please, take this!" In the man's hands, there was a pale green mold. "This is Light Clay, something I'm sure would be, uh… just enough to keep this incident between us, yeah?" Sighing, Clovis took the Light Clay, Tynamo exposed.

"Well… glad to see that was dealt wi-" "KZZZT" The Tynamo crackled with fury in Clovis' hand, making the man jump and fall to the floor. "Pathetic," was the last word that left Clovis before he exited the light house. Dropping the flashlight without so much as a care.

"What a pathetic man… such a sad sight. Let me drop you off on the other side of the bay, yes? Aneurysm, you earned a rest. Please, return." Turning around, he saw the Elekid nodding. "Well… little one. It's time." Down the path Clovis walked, but not long before the Tynamo struggled in his hand.

"W-What are you doing?" Looking down, he was met with a more full view of Tynamo. It's eyes shone in it's small, black orbs. A look of… solemness. "Kzz, Kzz!" "But… don't you wish to return to your family?" It stopped it's struggle, and looked on, puzzled. "That look tells me you don't want to leave them. You're sweet, but I can't tear you away from… your family." He gulped. And continued on, surveying the surface of the water. "Tynamo, do you see where-" "Kzzz!" Again, Tynamo struggled. "Tynamo…" Clovis stifled, unsure of what he was about to do was something he could live with. Something that was scared, alone and afraid, now taken by a stranger's Pokeball?

click

"Id, I swear, if you're up to-"

"...."

Out of the Pokeball, Morphe appeared, giving Clovis a start. "N-Not you too?! What is-" Ignoring the scolding, Morphe floated around and to in front of their trainer. It looked down at the small Tynamo, a small tear in it's eye. Looking back up at Clovis, Morphe stared with an intensity. "M-Morphe… I see. Fine… you win," he said in defeat. But, Morphe seemed to relax, and gave the Tynamo a warm look, before returning to it's Pokeball. "What have I gotten myself into with these Pokemon… well. Whatever. Welcome to the team… Synapse." "Kzz! Kzz!" A small warmth welled within Clovis. He couldn't help but smile, and unknowingly shed a tear. "Alright, Synapse… welcome to the party. Pokeball… do your thing." With his last vacant Pokeball that was clipped to his belt, Clovis made his sixth capture. And in that moment, he gained a good friend in Synapse.

~~~

Genius and Spirit Clash! Waves of New Intensity!

It was time. After the episodes of insanity and intrigue, Clovis had finally made preparations to battle Nessa at the Hulbury Gym. Sure. It was… a few days. Clovis spent a few days afterward being sick in his room that he had been using at the local Pokemon Center. Again, he prayed to the porcelain deities that he had come to know since the start of his journey.

While he did so, Synapse and Aneurysm was properly introduced to the party. However… during his moments of freedom, Clovis had to break up squabbles between Id and Aneurysm, after the incident with the Hulbury Spectre. "L-Look, you. As much as you were brilliant in that battle, you almost killed a man! Aneurysm, you need to stop as well! What happened has happened. Id, I refuse for you to attack any people unless it's an emergency. Do you understand?" The long winded scolding made Clovis' knees buckle, but he remained standing tall. But, Id merely shrugged. Floating to a nearby pillow, he blew a raspberry at the Elekid before laying on it's side, giving a half-hearted salute. "Beeeeeee-" "Don't you dare." "Bee." Defeated, Aneurysm pouted, and crossed it's arms. "Good. Now… if you'll excuse me-"

But that was all over last night! Clovis strode down Hulbury… noticing little trainers around. Damnit. I'm extremely behind. Curse my weakness… weaknesses. But, it doesn't matter. Today is the day that I, CLOVIS SOLANINE, WILL BE VICTORIOUS, AND RETURN TO MY RIGHTFUL PLACE! "HAHAHA!" Without even realizing, he began to laugh a confident laugh, as he walked into the Hulbury Gym lobby, eyes on the young man. "HA… Ha… ha. Ugh, sorry. Funny joke I just heard." Some shrugs, some prolonged stares, and one giggle later, everyone returned to their own devices. Damnit. Let's just get this over with.

A quick run to the changing room, Clovis donned his Gym Uniform once more. He sighed happily, glad to know that no dirt would sully his uniform. After all, it was his uniform. "Alright. Let's get busy!" "Well, aren't we full of spirit today!" A bubbly, cheerful attendant met Clovis at the door that led to the gym. "So, are you ready for your challenge then? You must be Clovis!" Her smile was big, her eyes shone, she seemed to radiate an aura of cheerfulness. Something Clovis was unfamiliar with. "Y-Yes… that's me. Ready for anything." "Excellent! Well, let me show you in…."

Stepping inside… was water. Everywhere. A track could be seen, four lanes. Every so often, a heavy stream of water will shoot down a lane, with dummies being seen knocked down. Clearly, to show that the water pressure was fairly strong, but not enough to actually hurt someone. Just make Clovis' day more difficult. Why did I think this would be easy? "Al-RIGHT!" So, here's how the rules go! You will try to reach the end of the track, avoiding the jets of water OR using your strength to endure them! Your partner can even be your eyes, if they're a Flying-type! Think of it as a trust exercise! With water! Oh, and a timer of course! Ten minutes!" She finished her explanation with another gleaming smile. Clovis began to feel ill once more. "Oh… I see. Clearly, a test of skill, between both Pokemon and trainer… how quaint," he puffed in a weak show of bravado.

The attendant giggled, and called out to the chamber, "Alright guys, another challenger is here! Retrieve the dummies, and LET'S GET READY TO MAKE IT RAIN!" She danced off to the side, a remote held in hand. "Let's see… ah, of course! Morphe, I choose you!" "...." Without a word in edgewise, Morphe floated before Clovis, and nodded in understanding. "Alright, Morphe, let's go. I'll be trusting you!" Floating upwards, Morphe hung from above the track, it's three eyes seeming to inspect the room before resting on the jets that would shoot down the tracks. "Alright, trainer, get ready!"

Slowly, he stepped. A new, enhanced form of nausea began to awaken. Physical activity… his least advanced skill. "On your mark!" Stiltedly, Clovis made a sort of "stance" akin to runners, but looked barely at all like it. "Get set!" His head began to drift, only his eyes began to set on the jets, nervousness rising. "GO!" An air horn went off, and Clovis began to run as much as his weirdly developed legs could carry him while still battling anxiety. A short distance, Clovis paid no mind to the jets, just the staircase at the end. "...." A heavy force weighed on Clovis mind, but he continued to ignore.

PSSSHH "OOOFBLLBBLLB" Smack in the face, a stream of cold water struck Clovis, knocking him to his back. "...." The force weighed even heavier. "Urgh… damnit. I will NOT be made a fool of!" Struggling he stood up. "Seven minutes left!"

PSSSHH "BLUBLUBLUB" Like a target at a carnival, Clovis was knocked back down. Morphe continued to hang above him, trying to urge him on, but could feel that his will had already been shattered, nearly completely. "...." "Five minutes left!"

"Ugh.. at least they're not using salt water…" he muttered, rising to see large jets spraying down opposing sides. "This is over. Alright Morph, use your psychic power on the left or right side of my body to give me a signal!" Nodding, Morphe continued their gaze. "Ugh… alright." "...!" A tug on his left urged Clovis to fall left, barely dodging another heavy stream. "Woah, that was… close. Clearly, a foolproof plan. Let's continue!" "Four minutes left!" Hopping to his feet, Clovis ran. The jets seemed to be more intense, as they fire with more jets in succession. But, Morphe continued to tug on Clovis mind left or right, eventually leading their trainer to the stairs, and meeting him at the top! "Congratulations! Your spirit and teamwork with your Pokemon has earned you the right to face Nessa!"

"Huff… huff… huff… now I'm all wet. Should've known. Morphe, good work… return," he weakly thanked, as he returned his Sigilyph. Clipping the ball, Clovis stood there, sopping wet. His mossy green hair, now hung over his face and over his eyes. His ascot drooped sadly, his shorts and shirt were plastered to his skin, and his socks… well, were waterlogged as well. "This is… this is f-fine. I am a trainer. Ready for anythi- GET OUT OF MY FACE," he spat to himself, spreading his mossy green locks out of his glasses. The door was slowly opening, the roar of a crowd began to flood into the chamber, drawing Clovis away from the memory of the physical challenge. "Excuse me!" The bubbly voice called, drawing his attention to the same attendant from before. "You won't need to go battling like that. We have a separate area, like a small spa, to help dry you off and help you prepare for the battle!" "Oh, thank Arceus… let me in," he gasped, ready to fall over. Thankfully, Clovis was given the chance to have his outfit dried out, and himself, with industry grade equipment before the stadium could be filled and ready for the next bout. After that… with his uniform pristine (again), he stepped out with renewed vigor.

"Lllllladies and gentlemen! We have another battle for you, up and coming! Some of you may be familiar if you watched the Turffield battles! This is Clovis Solanine, coming ashore after his victorious battle with Milo! Now, let's see if he can keep the wind in his sails, or will Nessa, the Raging Wave, and her Water-type Pokemon wash him away from the challenge?! Leeeeet's GO!" Again, the crowd roared in excitement. On the other end of the field, Nessa stood in waiting. Well. Not so much "field" as an olympic swimming pool, a large body of water that is dotted with platforms across. All of which are arranged in an even pattern, clearly for any Pokemon not skilled in swimming. A true, home field advantage for Water-types.
"But of course, before we begin the battle, our trainers will meet beside the field before taking their positions!" Nessa, hopping off the platform, reaching the middle and eyed Clovis expectantly, Clovis fully nervous now. "Show me your drive as a trainer. Milo was soft on you, but now, the real challenge begins," she cautioned, before turning around and whipping her hair, walking back to her platform. "Hmph… such a haughty trainer. Only the better once I am victorious."

Both trainers, now at their platforms. The crowd, having grown more and more anxious, hushed in contained excitement. Suddenly, the music began. The voice called out, signalling the start of the battle.

"Pelipper! I choose you!"
"Morphe! I need you once more!"

Both Pokemon made their appearances, Pelipper flapping proudly as the crowd roared and cheered. Shortly, rain began to fall over the battle field. Drizzle, of course. Setting up the perfect environment for her Pokemon… this will be annoying. Not to mention… I'M GETTING WET AGAIN. "Morphe! Use Psybeam!" "Fly out of the way!" Nessa commanded Pelipper with no pause, her form standing proud with her arms crossed. Out of Morphe's eyestalk, Psybeam fired, but Pelipper flew up and above. "Morphe, use Cosmic Power! We're about to get in a real mess!" "Pelipper, stop them!" Sigilyph seemed to float aimlessly, letting the cosmos hold them in place as brilliant lights shone off of Morphe. Pelipper, however, still managed to divebomd Sigilyph, knocking it away.

"Morphe! Use Hypnosis!" "Nice try, but that won't work. Twister!" What?! Before Morphe's hypnotic pattern could reach, Pelipper violent whipped up a true twister, whipping up both wind and water, flying towards Morphe and striking with the ferocity of dragons. However… Morphe shook off the attack. "A Dragon-type attack on a Pelipper? You'd do better with Hurricane, but that's just my educated opinion." "Don't get full of yourself just yet. Pelipper, Tailwind!" From behind Pelipper, a mighty wind whipped up and around. "Morphe, Air Cutter!" "Go in close, and Water Pulse!" As Morphe's wingtips grew sharp and pointed, Pelipper already zipped across the battlefield, once again above and beak agape. "Morphe, fall back and fire!" Floating downwards, Morphe rotated their body to face the above threat, blades of air whipping forth before being hit square center, a heavy Water Pulse forcing it down to a platform. "Come on, challenger. If you have time to be a smart-ass, you have time to pay attention. Pelipper, Whirlpool!"

Sigilyph struggled, but began to float once more. Flying above a platform away, Pelipper flapped again, a vortex of water spinning and spinning, until it began to spiral towards the Sigilyph. "Morphe, before it connects, Psybeam!" Another Psybeam fired from Morphe's eyestalk, phasing through the water and striking Pelipper, sending it to the ground. "Pelipper, get ready for another Fly attack!" Once more, Pelipper rose high above as Morphe was consumed by the raging vortex of water. However… Clovis gave no command. Morphe only continued to float. "Ah… you must feel so smug. Wonder Guard won't save you. Pelipper, Fly!" "Morphe, Gravity!" All three of Morphe's eyes began to shine, an intense gravity began to take hold of the battlefield. With that, Pelipper was forcibly downed from it's height in the air, landing two platforms away and struggling to get back in the air. A wince, and Nessa looked up at Clovis, a small grin on his face. "Clever… you knew after I'd hit you with Whirlpool, I'd go for finishing you with another Fly? Hate to say it, but… somewhat impressive. Just not enough. Pelipper, forget the air and use Supersonic!" "Morphe, Hypnosis!" The soundwaves rung through, the hypnotic pattern circled about the air. Both Pokemon, afflicted. "Pe… pellipp-puh…" Pelipper, now laid out by force and by it's own will, it slept as rain pelted down. Morphe struggled to regain focus, the Supersonic causing it's vision to double and triple.

"Morphe! Psybeam!" Clovis called out, unsure of whether this would work. Inside the vortex, he could see Morphe trying to regain it's senses, but fired a Psybeam straight up. A shower of brilliant lights burst forth from the failed attack, eliciting a smirk from Nessa. Just wait for it…. Another Psybeam here and there, until it fired, and struck Pelipper, knocking it out, as it flew into the pool. It floated on the surface, clearly out for the count.

"Pelipper is unable to battle! Sigilyph wins!" The crowd boomed in amazement, such interesting moves and strategies in play! Cheers erupted, as Nessa gracefully returned her Pelipper in defeat, before a sharp glare cut it's way through the pelting rain and forced Clovis to look at her. Seeing her, she exhumed an aura of… true determination. A look that told Clovis she was getting sick of his shit.

"Drednaw, the stage is yours!" She tossed the ball high, releasing an impressive sized Drednaw, as it landed into the water. From Clovis' point of view, he could still see a gust of wind trailing Drednaw. "Oh… oh no. This isn't good. Morphe!" Before the Sigilyph could react, Nessa called out, "Jaw Lock!" That attack command stoked more cheers, the drums beginning to beat as the song kept about. Drednaw ripped out of the water, clamping with unrelenting force at Morphe's tail, an unintelligible sound rung out as it was dragged back down to the platform with Drednaw. Seeming to chew, Drednaw looked back at Clovis, staring daggers at him, before his terrible teeth crunched and gnawed. The ringing persisted, causing Nessa to raise a hand. "Challenger, do you wish to continue with your Sigilyph?" She calmly asked as Drednaw loosened his jaw. "... No. Sigilyph, you were fine. Please, return."

A hush overcame the audience. The music continued to play, but she nodded, and looked at Clovis' expression. Worry. Concern. "A trainer that understands their Pokemon's situation should be recognized. Send out your next Pokemon." "Alright, here goes… Pariet, a promise is a promise. I choose you!"

Out on the platform with Drednaw, Pariet appeared. Happy and pleased, Pariet hopped. "Oh my, what a happy little Shellder! Still, this is a battle. Drednaw, Rock Polish!" The shell began to shine with a great sheen, the rain helping to accentuate Drednaw's carefully polished shell. "Pariet, I really need you for this one! Use Withdraw!" "Headbutt!" A heavy thud could be heard across the stadium, Pariet taking a beating before tucking itself in it's shell. "You seem to be more defensive, and more strategic than what I normally see. Can it handle our assault, I wonder?" Her voice rang out, the crowd cheering in response as they called Drednaw's name. "Drrrrrrrrreed!" The Bite Pokemon snapped it's impressive jaws in display, before turning it's attention back to the tucked in Shellder. "Withdraw! Again!" "This is just going to get boring, fast… Drednaw, Jaw Lock!" Tucking even harder, Pariet readied itself as it was scooped off the platform, and into the jaws of death. Well, jaws of Drednaw, but pretty close. Unrelenting strength came from Drednaw, his will unwavering, even from the sturdy shell. "A test of defense versus strength… let's go, challenger!" "Pariet, Ice Shard!" As the rain finally stopped, shards of ice appeared, and struck Drednaw, but did little damage. Still, Drednaw kept it's jaw locked onto Pariet. "Water Gun! Straight into it's gullet!" "Drr?" "What?"

"Shell-DER!" From the small opening, a high pressure Water Gun fired, forcing Drednaw free, and knocking it away, onto the edge of the next platform. "Drednaw, Dragon Tail!" "Pariet, use Water Gun to dodge!" Whipping around, Drednaw prepared to strike with it's tail, but… Pariet fired from it's mouth, propelling itself away and spraying Drednaw. "Cheeky little thing, but we're not done! Drednaw, Razor Shell!" Diving down, Drednaw cut through the water before resurfacing below, side swiping the Shellder with it's shell. But, Pariet remained steadfast. "Pariet, Water Gun!" "You use Water Gun, too!" Streams of water burst forth, causing it to crash and make it rain across the field, hitting both trainers with sprays of water. Clovis, his mind enraptured by the thrill of battle, his internal cogs churning with greater force. His heartbeat, elevating as the bass picked up, the music even catching up to him, as he tapped his right foot. Seeing this, Nessa smirked once more. "Drednaw, Jaw Lock!" "Drrrrrr-AA" Wildly, Drednaw clambered towards Pariet, crunching into it once more, slamming it into the platform. "That's enough of that! Pariet! Ice Shard on it's face!" Chunks of ice again pelted Drednaw, but still doing little favors as Drednaw slammed Pariet to the platform, as if trying to break open it's shell in an act of predatory rage.

"This is where it ends! Water Gun!"
"This is where it ends! Water Gun!"

An explosion of water erupted from Drednaw's mouth, causing Clovis to shield his eyes. "What happened?! Did Shellder manage to stump the jaws of death, or did Drednaw crunch the competition?!" Again, silence fell. The music continued to rage, but no one dared move, nor utter a sound. "Shell-der! Shell-der!"

"Wha… well, look at that," Nessa muttered to herself, as she saw the Shellder dancing happily just outside the hanging jaws of her Pokemon. "I don't believe it! Drednaw is unable to battle! Shellder wins! That means the victory goes to Clovis Solanine once again, ladies and gentleman! What an odd, but exciting battle! Let's hear it for the latest challenger's victory!" Raucous cheer erupted one last time, as Clovis was awash with awe. He fell to his knees, and held his arms open as Pariet hopped into them. Immediately, he licked at Clovis' face, never before so happy. Even moreso that Clovis didn't mind it. Oh well. He earned it. "You were incredible, Pariet… thank you." "Good job out there, challenger. Didn't think you had it in you," Nessa's voice called. Looking up, he saw Nessa standing over him, a smirk on her face. "You have a bit more character in you than what I thought. Good battle. Please, take this badge," she enthusiastically held out the Water Badge. "T-Thank you… I think?" Taking the badge, he instead was hoisted up, and had his arm raised as Nessa joined him. "Clovis Solanine, ladies and gentleman, with badge number TWO! Keep following our gym challengers, more exciting battles to come!"

Again, Clovis was awash… but not with awe. He felt… not sick. Something in him stirred, but he couldn't tell what it was. Maybe it was because Pariet still happily licked him, or the sounds of the victorious music echoed in his mind, but he was truly lost in the moment for the first time. And, he didn't care.

Clovis caught a Tynamo!

Stinging Bea · Apr 8, 2021

Aeliana & Haleigh

Spelunking In The Mines

[h2][/h2]The afternoon sun is high in the sky as Aeliana and her team siat at the small market located in Hulbury. The blue-haired trainer had all but collapsed from exhaustion by the time she finally made it back to her hotel room, and now they were enjoying a small bite to eat before they were to finally set off from the harbor town and head for the nearby mines. Aeliana watches with amusement at the sight before her. Elia, her Eevee, stares with a mix of confusion and regret at her new teammate, the very Cramorant that seemed to have a knack for plowing into Aeliana from the previous night. The bird Pokémon, whom Aeliana decided to dub "Scuttle" is currently gulping down as many fish Pokémon that he could cram down his blue gullet. Tampa is seated by his side, the Croconaw currently trying to keep up with his pace as she feeds herself. The eating contest seems to make her Eevee shudder in repulsion. She isn't sure why her human decided to add this… abomination to their traveling party, but the sooner he makes himself scarce, the better in her book.

"I guess we should get going," Aeliana muses. "We've got a good ways to go through this mine before we make it back to Motostoke…" That said, the trainer is a bit nervous to head back to the big city. It has been so long since the group had taken part in the opening ceremony and subsequently set out from the big city. In a sense, it's sort of like a grand homecoming. That said, she knew that when they made it back to Motostoke, it would be time to take on Kabu. The bluenette knows that Kabu was said to be the first, true obstacle for those partaking in the league challenges. Many of them end up dropping the whole thing all together once they battle him. "I wonder if my team has improved enough since then to handle him…?"

Aeliana glances at her Pokémon in question. When they first left Motostoke, she only had three of them, four if one was to count Mahina. Not only that, but they were all in their first forms as well. They have had their share of challenges along the way of course, several battles with wild Pokémon, shadow Pokémon, Nessa and Milo, and several trainers. Is that really enough, however?

Before Aeliana can think the matter over any further, the familiar ringing of her phone catches her off guard. She fishes the device out of her bag, recognizing the number on the screen almost instantly.

"Alola!" Aeliana answers.

"Kekoa, long time no talk," that familiar voice of her employer, one Boris Wells. "I've got another job for ya, one that's gonna pay you pretty well if I say so myself. You're still in Hulbury, right?"

Aeliana raises an eyebrow. It has been quite some time since she received a call from Blackspear Industries. She was starting to think they had just cut ties with her after the previous debacle with Rory back in the mineshaft on Route 3.

"Sure, I'm getting ready to head for the mines leading to Motostoke, though," Aeliana answers.

"Excellent! Your next gig is located in the mines. We're lookin' to harvest and sell some evolution stones. The demand for them is startin' to go through the roof and we're having trouble keepin' up with the supply," Boris explains. "That kid you teamed up with for the Zubat infestation, Rory, is already headin' down to help out with this. Partner up with him when you get there and collect as many as you can, got it?"

Aeliana shudders at the mention of the boy in question. She still had yet to get over her previous interactions with Rory. The last thing she really wants to do is be forced to work with him again. For just a moment, Aeliana contemplates turning down the job. However, the loud squawking of her new Cramorant quickly catches her attention. Lavender eyes shoot up in the direction of her Pokémon, wherein they quickly focus on Jet stomping his foot in irritation. It seems like Scuttle had ended up swiping some of his lunch, and was now on the run in a panic as the Tyrogue chased him in a circle. The Clefairy in her lap giggles at the sight, clapping her hands in amusement at her friends' antics.

"Kekoa? Are you still there?!"

Boris' voice snaps the girl back to reality. As much as she really wants to turn the call down, the number of mouths to feed on her team make her quickly realize that that's going to be impossible. Scuttle alone seems to be able to eat the amount of three Pokémon alone.

"Galar Mines, yeah… I'll head there right now," Aeliana relents.

After a month spent in Hulbury, it was time for Haleigh to move onwards in her journey. To say that her time in the port city had been tumultuous would have been an understatement, given all that had transpired just in that one fateful battle alone. All of that confidence she wore around herself so tightly to keep the doubts, insecurities and unpleasant feelings at bay was blasted to shreds in such a public fashion. However, with the help from Melody, Achille, Kai and even a disgruntled Catherine, Haleigh had rebuilt herself, stronger than ever and managing to give a performance that surprised even herself.

The purple haired trainer found herself walking out of Hulbury, heading up towards Galar Mine No. 2. Walking to the right of her was the prim and proper Cornelius, walking with a dignified gait that complimented his new form. On the other side of her, Orion was cheerfully scampering about and exploring his surroundings. There was a contentment on the girl's expression as she watched them, but there was something else gleaming behind it.

Cornelius, ever observant to the nuances of his trainer's emotional state, picked up on it from not only her face, but the sensation he got. If he were to describe it, it would be similar to a small tug at his chest. He slowed his walking speed a bit, looking up at her with an expectant gaze.

Haleigh noticed that her Kirlia was looking up at her. She let out a small sigh, remarking to him, "Yeah...just got a lot on my mind after all that happened, y'know?" The girl didn't want to just clam up and hold back on her team, but even so…

No, Cornelius deserved better than that. Haleigh's own words to Achille back during their meetup at the cafe in Hulbury played back in her mind. They all deserve the best version of me. The best version of herself...could she really say she had been at her best when she can't even trust her own Pokemon to share in her own struggles, when they fight with her side by side?

She relented, adding, "I mean, what else is there to say? I got the badge and all, and I feel like I've gotten better, everything should be happy ever after but...I don't know, I guess a part of me is still a bit shaken up by that first one. It's the sort of thing that sticks."

Cornelius gave a polite, dignified nod, still intently listening to her words. "Like, it kinda makes me think, what am I really doing out here."

Before the purple haired girl could further ponder the matter any further, there was another older girl that was walking with a Clefairy in her arms and a Cramorant waddling by her side. She was a fair bit taller than Haleigh, with bronzed skin and strikingly blue shoulder length hair. Had Haleigh seen this woman before? Upon getting a closer look at her face, Haleigh's own lit up in recognition as she recognized the figure.

Haleigh called out, "Oi, Aeliana! How's it goin' mate, I didn't recognize you at first 'cause of the hair!"

Aeliana turns at the sound of the girl's voice and call of her name. She smiles at the shorter girl coming towards her, quickly recognizing her as Haleigh. With that purple hair, it was hard to mistake her for anyone else, after all.

"Alola, Haleigh!" Aeliana greets as walks towards the younger girl. The Clefairy looks at the girl cautiously. Aeliana is smiling so that must mean she's a friend, right? Mahina gently waves in greeting as well, trying her best to mimic the blue-haired girl's smile. "I haven't seen you since the opening ceremony! What's up?"

"A looooot. I reckon I ought to write a book about some of the shit I've been up to!" She chuckled a bit, scratching her head. "But as of late, it's been a bit more lowkey, just focusing on the gym challenge."

The purple haired girl brings out the case that held her two badges, opening it up and taking out her Water Badge. "Got myself one of these. I tell you, Nessa does not make it easy, 'specially when you got a fire type to work with."

"I can imagine! I went up against her with two water types and still barely managed to etch out a win," Aeliana replies. She proudly pulls out her own badge case and shows off her own winnings. "Looks like we're dead-even for the time being. I wonder if we'll both manage to be so lucky when we go up against Kabu. I hear he's the big hurdle that a bunch of the challengers just quit against."

Haleigh looked away from the other girl's gaze for a second. "Yeah, I've heard as much as well…"

She looked back over to Aeliana, exclaiming, "But I got a 'Mon who'd gonna quench Kabu's fire. Hell, even my fire is a hundred times what he can put out! I've been gettin' real good these last few months, nothing like a good kick in the arse to do that to you."

"Yeah, you look like you've been putting in some work!" Aeliana responds in kind. Her gaze drifts down to the Kirlia by the smaller girl's side. An idea quickly pops into Aeliana's head. Going to meet Rory alone is not something she's really looking forward to. That said, maybe if she were to bring along another person with her. "But would that be the right thing to do? It's not like Haleigh needs to meet him either." Aeliana begins to wish that Melody was here. The punk in question had no problem in dealing with Rory before. In the end, Aeliana resigns. It's either this or go it alone. With any luck, Tapu Lele would forgive her later. "Say… Touchy subject, I know. But… how's your money situation these days? It seems like I'm always tight, even with battling trainers like Milo and Nessa."

Haleigh let out a nervous chuckle, "Eh, it could definitely be better, I'm always just barely gettin' by from battling people and I don't have any other real means for money. Why, you have somethin' in mind?"

Her smile grows. "As a matter of fact, yes! Back in Motostoke, Simon and me got side jobs for Blackspear Industries. It's nothing major, just things like delivering, pick-ups, and taking care of other little things like wild Pokémon issues. I know it's kinda spur of the moment and I doubt they could pay you for it, but I've gotta go meet this guy in the mines to help gather some evolution stones. Since we're both going the same direction anyway, why not tag along with me? I'll give you a cut of what they pay me."

Haleigh scratches her chin, mulling over the offer. Blackspear, they were the new guys in town after Macro Cosmos fell from grace for being associated with Rose. While she was all good for seeing them having bitten the dust to the new guys, that didn't suddenly make them trustworthy in Haleigh's eyes. However, given that Aeliana had been doing these sorts of jobs, it made her more inclined to trust them. From what she remembered of her from the academy, Aeliana had been an easygoing, friendly face; Haleigh couldn't see the other girl as trying to swindle her or doing anything extremely shady.

The purple haired girl exclaimed, "Sure! Like you said, we gotta go down there anyways, and I could go for some new clothes now that spring is here and all."

"Cool! Then let's get this show on the road!" Aeliana replies with excitement evident in her voice.

With the plan of action now decided, both girls begin to make their way towards the mine. As they walk, Aeliana and Haleigh exchange various bits and pieces about their journey up to this point, taking it as a chance to catch up and just make small-talk in general. While it isn't too far of a trek to the mines from where they met up, the blue-haired girl seems to thoroughly enjoy this small bit of conversation.

"So, after that the ghost girl just seemed to disappear. Next thing I knew, me, Val, Pia, and Rosa were all back outside on Route 3. Pretty crazy, right?" Aeliana recounts.

"Yeah! Ghost Pokemon can do some mad crazy stuff. I'd have loved to have been there, it sounded like a hell of a lot of fun! I got Coraline, so ghosts don't really bother me as much, the most she can do is steal sweets. She did tear up that bakery in Wedgehurst, you should have seen the chaos." Haleigh giggled as she remembered her first encounter with the coral Pokemon way back when her journey had started. "That feels like so long ago when we were still in school itching to get our way out there."

Aeliana looks up from the shorter girl, the fun conversations quickly coming to an end as she notices the mine entrance coming into view. Everything seems to look pretty peaceful and calm, something that quite frankly rubs the Alolan the wrong way. While she does prefer it this way, her fellow colleague has a way of just… making her uncomfortable by sight alone. That uncomfortableness is nowhere to be found, however… mainly on account of Rory not being anywhere in sight. Maybe he decided not to show up?

"Hmm… That's weird…" Aeliana muses as she reaches into her bag to pull out her pokégear. The trainer flips through her messages, spotting the one sent to her by Boris earlier that afternoon. Sure enough, the man's message said that Rory is supposed to be waiting outside of the mines. "He's supposed to be waiting out here for me… Maybe we got here early?"

Haleigh asked, "Who is the guy anyways, just some other trainer doing a job? Maybe he found a wild Pokemon or something and wanted to catch it. It sounds like something I'd do if I was getting bored of waiting."

Haleigh had a point. Aeliana wouldn't have put it past Rory to do something like that. That said, she was aware that the boy had a certain… taste in Pokémon. He had abandoned Jet and that Linoone back on Route 3, as well as the fact that he only bothered to catch that one Zubat because it was shiny…

Aeliana sighs. "Let's just say… He's headstrong and not… exactly the easiest to get along with. That said, you're probably right. I doubt he's one to wait around for too long. Let's head in and see if we can track him down."

"Alright! What's the guy look like?" Haleigh started walking deeper into the mine, looking for anyone else that would be there. She figured that he'd be one of only a few people down in there with them, but knowing what he looked like couldn't hurt.

"He's blonde, about my height… give him an inch or two. He wears his hair in a spiky mess and has dark blue eyes…" Aeliana recounts. She debates listing his personality to the girl, but quickly decides against it. "Last few times I saw him, he was wearing a blue jacket and dark-colored jeans, with a chain hanging out of the pocket."

Haleigh nodded in response. As the two of them kept going ever deeper in the mine, Haleigh's eye is caught by a source of shimmering light in the distance. The girl remarked, "That's quite a pretty sight there, all those glittering-"

She cut herself off, finding herself hearing a series of sounds off in the distance. From what she could make out, it sounded like there was some Pokemon in distress, along with very human sounding stomping around. Haleigh's started to furrow her brow, her face serious. "Oi, you hear that Aeliana?"

She does hear the noise the punk is hearing. And almost instantly, the blue-haired trainer can feel a knot form in the pit of her stomach. "Sounds… like something crying," Aeliana responds, her throat suddenly feeling very dry as she speaks. A small shift in her arms, grabs her attention. Mahina can clearly hear it as well. The Clefairy's grip is tightening as she looks up into Aeliana's eyes. "Come on, let's follow the noise."

Aeliana leads the way deeper into the mines. With every step she and Haeligh take, the crying sound gets louder, to the point where it's echoing out through the caves. It's a winding path, but eventually the duo and their Pokémon come to a small, grotto-like room within the winding mines. It seems unrefined compared to the rest of the mine, no sign of tracks or mine carts to be seen. There is a distinct sparkle in several spots along the way and while they are enticing to look at, neither trainer gets a chance to pay them much attention. Instead, their focus pulled away at the spectacle that lies before them. Aeliana clenches her fists at the sight she sees.

As she feared, it's none other than Rory Correl. A harsh glare rests upon his facial features as he stares on ahead. His hands are stuffed in his pockets, mouth resting in a bored frown. The boy in question is busy watching a Nuzleaf, who in turn is busy pummeling what looks to be a very weakened Scrafty. Battered and bruised, the weakened Pokémon stares up at her attackers silently, gritting her teeth as a sharp, swift chop is driven down into the creature's head. Not far away, cowering behind a jagged, twisting stalagmite, a lone Scraggy watches on in horror. Tears are streaming down the tiny Pokémon's face as he watches helplessly, his mother taking another Brick Break to the head.

"Is this really the best you could do? When I saw you down here, I was hoping you were gonna be a challenge to battle, maybe even being worth joining my team," Rory sneers. "You're just trash though, a waste of time. Kumadori, hurry up and finish this garbage excuse of a Pokémon off so we can get to gathering these stones."

Haleigh's blood ran cold at the horrendous sight she was witnessing. This was the teen that Aeliana had described to her. When the other girl had described him as disagreeable, she had pictured someone like a certain gray haired boy from the academy, but she knew that Jasper wouldn't be this cruel and callous - certainly not to Pokemon.

She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she was clenching them. Cornelius could feel very viscerally how enraged Haleigh was with the sight in front of her; it was a deep disgust he shared at seeing such savage behavior. The fact that someone would pick on the innocent like that went against everything he knew.

Through gritted teeth, Haleigh commanded, "Cornelius, go over to that baby Scraggy, right now!" Though her words were spat with venom, it was clear to the Kirlia that it was righteous anger directed at the person in front of them. He gave Haleigh a hasty bow and dashed over to the young Pokemon.

Haleigh started barreling towards Rory, the only color she could see a deep, deep red. In an instant she was right in the teen's face, looking like she was a hair trigger away from knocking his lights out. "Oi prick! What the fuck is some scrawny pissant like you skulking about, beating up on those poor Pokemon?!"

Rory glances over his shoulder at the girl. He wasn't sure who this tiny girl was, but honestly he couldn't bring himself to care too much either. The blond imagined that in her world this may have been somewhat intimidating, but… he felt about as threatened as Machamp in a stuffed Teddiursa factory.

"...Who the hell are you?" he finally asks, turning to give the girl at least a passing bit of attention.

Haleigh narrowed her eyes at the nonchalant attitude he was displaying towards the whole thing. That was by far the worst part about it all: that sickening bored look on his face as he seems totally unremorseful about any of this. "Doesn't matter to you, not unless you want me to smack you upside your stupid gob!"

While Haleigh was busy confronting Rory, Cornelius focused his efforts on the young Pokemon. Though clearly very distraught, he was uninjured - and the Kirlia wanted to keep it that way. His stance was protective, holding out his arm as though he were brandishing a blade of some kind.

"Damn, you're annoying… Would you go piss off and bother someone else?" Rory questions. He reaches down to his belt, taking hold of a poké ball before holding it out in a threatening manner. "You're getting in over your head, runt."

Similarly unfazed, Haleigh spat back, "And what makes me think some fuckin' shithead like you scares me?" The punk girl reaches into her jacket pocket, brandishing her own Pokeball. "I got some mad powerful Pokemon that could knock your sorry arse back to your mummy crying, and I got the badges to prove it!"

Rory doesn't bother waiting. He presses the button in the center of the ball, causing it to snap open and reveal an Electabuzz that's been waiting inside. The electric Pokémon lets out a boisterous yell, flexing his arms in anger as a bright sparking forms around his left fist. Without warning, the Electabuzz immediately brings his fist down towards Haleigh, only to stop suddenly when a hand grabs hold of his own. Standing between the purple-haired trainer and the Electabuzz is none other than Tampa. The Croconaw winces as she's struggling to hold back the attack, the sparks of electricity clearly causing her pain. Despite this she manages to hold off Rory's Pokémon all the same.

The male trainer stares at the intrusion in silence, slowly peeling his eyes away from the Croconaw towards the figure of a blue-haired trainer. He narrows his eyes, clearly trying to put a face to a name, but he's soon able to deduce just who she is.

"Kekoa? What the hell are you doing?" Rory demands to know. "I've been waiting for you to show up. Hurry up and start gathering stones. Leave the trash duty to me and get your Croconaw out of the way."

Aeliana seems hesitant to respond. She looks to Rory and his Electabuzz, then to Haleigh and Tampa, and then to the boy's Nuzleaf and the Scrafty. Instantly, thoughts of their first encounter on Route 3 play in her mind. She's able to picture the sight of the boy outright kicking and cursing at Jet, who in turn simply took it in an attempt to try and win the boy's favor before being abandoned.

After what feels like hours, Aeliana finally responds in a shaky voice. "N-No…" The Clefairy in Aeliana's arms gasps, looking up at her trainer in surprise and horror. This boy is scary. Why are they still here? "No, I won't move."

Haleigh looked over, in shock at how close she had come to being struck herself had it not been for Aeliana's intervention. Quickly shaking it off at seeing Tampa struggle with the electric type Pokemon, Haleigh used the distraction to bring out her own Pokemon. "Corey! Get over to that Electabuzz and give him a solid kicking Flame Charge, on the double!"

Corey instinctively ran over to the other Pokemon, the basics of the situation barely registering in his mind as he lit up his body with flames and sped over to the Pokemon like a bullet, giving the Electabuzz a powerful flame kick to his torso.

The Electabuzz staggers back, catching his breath from the sudden attack. As soon as he catches his breath, he is joined by the Nuzleaf from before. Rory smirked as he looked at both of his Pokémon. "Fine. If you want a double battle… I'm happy to stomp you both into the dirt."

Haleigh looked over at the injured Scrafty. This was the one time she didn't want to delay things for the sake of a battle, but Rory was giving them little choice. Time was of the essence if she wanted to get Rory to get out of here and attend to the mother Pokemon's wounds. She was going to have to be at her best; there was no telling what dirty and sordid tricks he'd try and pull. "We're doing this for the Pokemon, not to give you your sick idea of 'fun.'"

She looked over to Aeliana, exclaiming, "You ready to pummel this wanker to the ground?"

A moment of hesitation passes. Aeliana could again feel the grip from her Clefairy tighten. Now images of the night she met Mahina were vividly playing through her head. She wasn't strong enough that night either, and as a result Mahina lost her family. Could she pull it off here? Had she gotten strong enough to defend another pair of creatures in the same situation. Lavender eyes drift over to the baby Scraggy, cowering behind the rock formation.

"Yeah… Yeah, let's do it," Aeliana answers. She doesn't have a choice. She has to give it everything she has now.

Haleigh wasted no more time getting into battle mode. All she could see in front of her was those battered Pokemon, that boy, her own Pokemon, the sights of them all jumbling together yet somehow forming one cohesive thread: take that motherfucker down.

The punk trainer commanded, "Corey, get in another Flame Charge against that Nuzleaf, give 'em a low sweeping blow!"

The Raboot went all in at his trainer's words, crouching low to the ground and sweeping the ground in arc with a flaming kick.

"Sucker Punch, Kumadori!" Rory shouts out. "Zeus, follow it up with a Thunder Punch!"

The Nuzleaf runs straight towards Corey, caution being thrown to the wind as the Raboot is sending a flaming kick straight to the grass Pokémon in question. The Nuzleaf manages to send the punch into Corey's gut, though as expected this leaves him wide open to the sweeping blow. Luckily for him, Rory's Electabuzz is right on his heels. The familiar, sparking fist comes slamming down towards Haleigh's Raboot, only for Tampa to interrupt as Aeliana calls for the Croconaw to use Aqua Jet. Tampa's body slams into Zeus with as much force as she can muster, water propelling her forward all the while.

Corey grunted as he took the punch dead on, the flames on his body dying down once his concentration was broken. It seemed that the blond boy was all about getting his hits in as hard and fast as possible, much like Haleigh was bound to do. However, the purple haired trainer wasn't going to let that bastard one up her on her own tactics.

"Corey, Double Kick the Electabuzz, aim for the torso!" The Raboot started dashing towards the Electabuzz, thinking he was going for another straightforward attack to get the yellow Pokemon further away from Aeliana's Croconaw.

The Electabuzz stood at the ready, his trainer shouting, "Don't just stand there, get another Thunder Punch ready! Kumadori, back him up with a Razor Leaf."

Haleigh watched as the electric type Pokemon started cranking his arm back to prepare the elemental punch. With a smirk on her lips, Haleigh exclaimed, "Dive right, Flame Charge the Nuzleaf!"

Corey was no match for either Pokemon in speed. The fire Pokemon feinted the Electabuzz, letting his electric attack hit thin air while the Nuzleaf took another head on Flame Charge.

"Zeus, use Discharge! Zap them both! Kumadori, Brick Break on that Croconaw!" Rory shouts.

"Tampa, Dragon Dance!" Aeliana counters.

The Croconaw in question begins to groove and shuffle about, using her dance moves to just narrowly dodge the oncoming chop from Rory's Nuzleaf. All the while, the Electabuzz let out an angry roar. Sparks began to fly about his head, before a wave of electrical energy flows out of his round, yellow body, zapping all three Pokémon within the vicinity. Tampa lets out a pain-filled growl, the blue gator wincing as her body was rocked by the attack.

"Another Thunder Punch, Zeus!"

"Ice Fang, Tampa!"

Rory's Electabuzz takes aim at Tampa. He charges forward, preparing to slam his static-filled fist right into the Croconaw's face. Tampa darts forward at that same moment. Frosty breath begins to exit out of the gator's mouth, her teeth quickly becoming coated with ice as she chomps right down onto Zeus' fist. The Electabuzz grunts in pain, arm shaking as he tries to pry his fist free of the glacial grip that Tampa has on him.

Haleigh quickly glanced over at the battered Pokemon. Cornelius was still guarding the baby Scraggy with a look of determination. The Scraggy stood looking so terrified, with his mother so close to him and yet so far from help while the two girls tried to get Rory to piss off. Seeing them like that gave her another roiling flash of rage. The gall to be entertaining this loathsome boy in a battle while those poor Pokemon were stuck waiting for help. She needed this battle to end now.

She pointed at the Nuzleaf, yelling to Corey, "Flick some Embers at 'im, he's bound to be on his last legs with all those Flame Charges."

Corey opened his mouth, starting up some flames to lob at the grass Pokemon. Haleigh looked over to Cornelius, shouting, "And you Cornelius, aim a Psybeam right to his head!"

The Kirlia complied, aiming a wave of psychic energy that rocketed straight towards the Nuzeleaf with no warning being able to be given in time by its trainer to dodge both the Embers and the Psybeam.

Rory is indeed speechless at the sudden tactic pulled by Haleigh. So much so, that he's left his Electabuzz completely wide open. Aeliana quickly follows the purple-haired trainer's lead, calling for her Croconaw to attack the vulnerable Electabuzz with a Bite attack. Tampa does so, releasing her grip on the electric Pokémon's fist before following up by taking a chomp onto Zeus' shoulder. The Electabuzz howls in pain, snapping Rory's focus back towards his other Pokémon. It's too late however, as both Pokémon topple over in defeat.

"You… What kind of shit was that?!" Rory snaps at the shorter of the two girls, his eyes narrowing into a frigid glare.

Despite the situation, Haleigh found herself with a smug smirk on her face, pleased with how he had stuck it to him. "I don't play fair with arseholes like you. You certainly weren't playing fair when you beat up those Pokemon, so why should I have done the same with you?"

With a more serious expression back on her face, she added, "Now how about you piss off with your tail between your legs, you weak little bitch."

Rory doesn't respond to the girl's taunt. He merely recalls both of his fallen Pokémon, muttering a curse under his breath as he begins to storm out of the cavern. He pauses, glaring towards Haleigh one last time, before shifting his gaze towards Aeliana. The blue-haired trainer can feel Mahina cowering under the hate-filled look. In truth, she can feel herself wanting to do the same. It's a very familiar look, one that makes the trainer want to hide away and just be somewhere, anywhere else in general.

"This isn't over…" Rory states bluntly, venom in his voice before he makes his exit and leaves the two girls and their Pokémon on their own.

Haleigh watched as the defeated trainer made his exit. With the threat gone now, she was free to tend to the stricken Pokemon and attend to some of her wounds. The girl turned to Aeliana, stating, "Let's take care of that Scrafty."

The punk trainer looked at Aeliana's face, seeing that she was still shaken up by the whole thing. "You alright mate?"

Aeliana snaps her attention back to Haleigh. Her eyes make her look like a Deerling caught in headlights, but the girl eventually returns the shorter girl's concern with her usual smile. "Everything's just fine, don't worry about a thing. We should check on Scraggy and his mom, right?" Aeliana quickly brushes past the girl, heading towards the Scrafty that's laying on the ground. "She's in rough shape… Why don't you see how our smaller friend is?"

Haleigh nodded and started walking over towards Cornelius, who had been dutifully guarding the young Pokemon for the duration of the battle. He appeared a bit less afraid now that the thoroughly unpleasant teen had been, but still looked very worried, constantly glancing over at his mother. Although he had been thoroughly shaken up, the Scraggy was uninjured.

The girl put out a hand tentatively to see if the young Pokemon would be receptive to a pat on the head. Though hesitant, the fact that it had been those two humans that saved him from the other bad one made him relent and allowed Haleigh to give him a pat. She called over to the other girl, "Little one's all fine, not a scratch on 'im. He's still pretty shaken up though, the poor lad."

Meanwhile, Aeliana is making herself busy by tending to Scrafty. The mother Pokémon isn't as lucky as her son was. Deep gashes and bruises cover her body, making Aeliana wonder if there was a chance that the older Pokémon had been forced to fight off both Rory's Electabuzz and Nuzleaf at the same time.

Mahina looks up towards the blue-haired trainer. There's a nervous look in her eyes, as if asking the human if the Scrafty was going to pull through. To be honest, the Alolan isn't sure. That said however, she intends to do everything she can to help her.

"She's going to be fine," Aeliana assures Mahina as she reaches into her bag. The trainer pulls out a Love Ball, quickly releasing the Kirlia that awaits inside. "Clara, I need you to use Life Dew on the Scrafty."

Clara's eyes widen at the sight of the Pokémon in question before her. With only a single nod, the Psychic type goes to work. A glowing aura radiates from her body, before she suddenly begins to splash a strange water around the wounded Scrafty.

As the purple-haired girl looked over to them, Haleigh realized that she too had a Pokemon who knew Life Dew. She wasn't exactly sure by how much it would help, but they certainly could use every little bit of help. "Join her Kirlia with a Life Dew as well, I'll keep the little one company."

The male Kirlia walked over hastily to the scene, joining his female counterpart and sprinkling more glowing water onto the stricken Scrafty.

Slowly, the joint effects of the Kirlia double team start to have some effect. The wild Scrafty begins to stir, some of her wounds fading away due to the effect of the Life Dews. The Clefairy in Aeliana's arms smiles in relief as the Scrafty slowly pulls herself up into a seating position. She seems slightly defensive at first, but this changes when she realizes that Rory and his Pokémon in particular are nowhere to be seen.

As soon as the Scrafty stirred, Haleigh walked over towards them with the Scraggy next to her. Haleigh let the baby Pokemon rush over to his mother, all of his worries melting away as he saw that she had woken up.

"Scraggy!" The smaller Pokemon had given the mother Pokemon a big hug, which was reciprocated with gusto. In that moment, any apprehension they were feeling about humans didn't seem to matter, with the two of them reunited and safe.

Haleigh cooed, "Aww, it warms the heart, doesn't it Aeliana?"

"Yeah… it really does," Aeliana replies with a smile. She really is happy that the two Pokémon managed to pull through and everything seems to have worked out. That said, the bluenette feels a small twinge of jealousy at watching the two together. Still she pushes that feeling aside. This isn't the time to ruin this little moment. She kneels down to the Scraggy, gently patting him on the head with the hand that wasn't holding onto Mahina. "I'm glad everything worked out for you two. You guys gonna be okay?"

The Scrafty looked down at her son, who was still holding onto her tightly. She smiled and nodded. As long as he was safe, that was all that mattered. Though the two had seen just how cruel humans could be, they were also seeing some of the good exemplified by the two humans right in front of them.

Haleigh looked over to Aeliana and said, "Well, it looks like we really saved the day there, eh mate? Seein' them all happy and safe is a great reward and all, but why don't we help ourselves to a stone or two on the way out? I think we really put in the work to earn some!"

Aeliana gives a nod in return. "Yeah, that's the main reason we came after all."

The duo make their way further into the cavern, Scrafty and Scraggy bidding the duo farewell shortly beforehand. Aeliana doesn't really blame them for not wanting to hang around. The cavern held an abundance of evolution stones, many of them lodged in the walls and various rock formations along the ground. It would have taken the two girls hours to extract them on their own. However, aid came in the form of their various Pokémon. Corey and Jet were able to break several of them loose with their strong kicks, while Tampa and Fiesta were able to use their water attacks and the former's claws to pry some free as well.

Aeliana picks up one of the Water Stones that had been pried from the wall and tucks it away safely into her bag. "Is there any you've got your eye on in particular, Haleigh?"

Haleigh looks at the multicolored stones all around her, searching until she found one that struck her fancy. "This one's pretty cool! I think it's an Ice Stone." Indeed, the stone she held in her hands was a teal color, almost seeming to emanate a bit of a chilly aura that reminded Haleigh of home - or rather, her original home.

"Alright then… I guess all that's left to do is get these other stones turned in," Aeliana says. She's been storing the stones she plans to turn into Blackspear Industries in a large pouch that's attached to trainer's bag. She really didn't have any other way to carry them, but it should be mostly okay. Turning face the purple-haired girl by her side, Aeliana comes up with an idea. "Wanna just tag along at least to Motostoke? I doubt you'll be able to come into their building with me since you're not an actual employee, but we could do a transfer later on for what I owe ya."

Haleigh replied, "Sure, why not? We're headed out there anyways and I reckon you'd be a fun traveling partner!"

With that, the two girls started heading away from the glittering cavern, their satchels full of stones and their heads filled from the dramatic events of their encounter with Rory. Though Haleigh was always raring to go for another adventure, Aeliana hoped that this would be the most eventful part of their journey into Motostoke.

Shak · Apr 11, 2021

-Ruben Sancho

​

Own It

The camera panned to Ruben Sancho. An innocently yawning little bounsweet was just about the only thing that softened the rapture of boos the boy's image provoked. From the neck down, he was covered in the Wedgehurst colour. He had on the club tracksuit. On his head though, a black beanie pulled down to leave just enough space between it and his black snood for his eyes to watch the football match through.

Watching was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now. A quick glance at the screen told the full story. Wedgehurst nil, Honeycalm one. Honeycalm had just been promoted from division two. This was as easy a game as Galar's premier division had, yet Wedgehurst still found a way to throw even a single point down the drain.

Ruben's eyes fell upon an absolutely incensed Coach Mills. His water bottle had gone flying across the touchline, which was never a good sign. The man had been bold enough to bring both him and Curtis back into the team after the Ballonlea incident. While they were only on the bench, Ruben was certain some of the ire he and his pantomime villain partner had earned from the fans was rubbing off on the head coach. The man had put his trust in Ruben, the young striker felt he needed to earn it.

Ruben hunched over, keeping himself suspended with his hands and knees. Every few seconds, he would slowly elevate himself using just his ankles. Again and again. As the muscle ache slowly started to build, so quickly did his frustration. The boy collapsed, letting himself fall onto his side in a frustrated heap.

"This is dumb." He mumbled to himself, pausing the Mewtube video he was following along with. For a few moments, he just lay there staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. Slowly, a head brought itself into his vision until the face of Daija was hovering over his. "What are you doing?" He asked with a sigh.

"Are these the exercises Pia said you had to do?" She asked, clasping her hands behind her back and swinging from side to side to present as much innocence as possible.

"How do you know?" Ruben frowned in response, seeing right through the facade. With a sigh, he repositioned himself to start a set of crunches instead, when the girl's smirk made him realise something. "Have you been talki- how did you even get her number?" Again, his question was met with the sugarsweet innocence his younger sister seemed convinced would get her out of the situation without a scolding.

"Well, we spoke about the kitchen situation, she said sorry...and we got to talking, I guess?" The girl shrugged, investigating more about the task her brother had been assigned. Ruben just watched for a moment, unsure what to say to that.

♪ "Hol' up, wait a minute
Let me put some slick **** in it
Greatest when? Coldest how?
Best of all time? You ain't the greatest right now."♪

"****." Ruben grumbled down the phone, putting a stop to the music. He looked out over the Wedgehurst training ground, where his teammates were running El Rondo drills. He watched the piggy in the middle style game of keep ball with envy as he waited for Ainsley to finish bothering him with nonsense.

"You a hater bro." Ainsley grumbled back. Ruben rolled his eyes and glanced down at the ice pack around his ankle. He'd already been told off by both Stitch and Coach Mills for missing his Hulbury appointment, so the most recent visit was an awkward one. The Coach had made it clear at the start of the season, he'd be on the fringes of the team until he was fit, so the fact he'd been caught out playing on a bad ankle didn't bode well for his future at the club. Making Ruben attend and watch the training sessions was as sadistic a punishment as the teenager could imagine.

That said, he had been kept around the first team scene despite his actions in Ballonlea, so it was only a matter of time before he had his hands around what he'd wanted all season. Ruben still hoped the coach still believed in him, but that nagging feeling in the back of his mind..or maybe that nagging feeling was just Ainsley... "Fam, if you can't appreciate Datso G, I can't help you. Separate the man from his art ennit. This about to be a sick rap beef. Man are dissin E double D."

"Ains, Big Mike, literally robbed me. He could have my little brother on the hook, I'm not putting any more money in the prick's pocket." Ruben snapped. If that didn't make his point, nothing would. A pregnant silence held after he said that. "Ains...you still there?"

♪ Come here little man, let me speak with you
You better read up on who you're speakin to
I don't get involved in rap beefs or fueds
I just roll up when there's beef to cool
And put a spark to your cheek like Pikachu♪

Ruben hung up the phone.

As he looked up, the footballer noticed the training drills had stopped. A man in a suit stood in front of the players, all just out of reach for Ruben to eavesdrop. He stood up, limping forward on the aggravated ankle to listen in to the conversation.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news boys, but that's the situation. We'll try to keep you updated as soon as things change, but-"

"Wait, what happened?" Ruben whispered, stumbling amongst the crowd of players. A relatively short, boyish looking lad, Benny Smith, who barely reached Ruben's shoulder caught him before his ankle could give out under him.

"Millsy's out." Benny whispered back. "They've got a couple of replacements in mind, but…" The twenty-one year old's expression dropped. "I guess that means no one's stopping you from training with us mate." He joked instead.

"We've got a game in two days!" Ruben gasped under his breath, but just loud enough for Benny to hear. "Who's taking the Stow-on-side game?" The younger of the two followed up, only earning a shrug from his teammate.

"Until then…" The man continued, grabbing the attention of the two young players among their teammates. "...we're announcing the caretaker manager. I'm sure you're all familiar with him. He's been earning his badges for a while. Since he's not able to play, we're going to be asking Paul Duncan to step up and coach the side out of our current situation. He's an inspirationa…"

The rest of his words disappeared among the murmuring of the players. Paul Duncan? Wedgehurst fan favourite and possibly future legend? Yes. Domestic abuser? Allegedly. PR disaster waiting to happen? Absolutely. Just about everybody present had something to say at that moment. Were the club really going to...Ruben could only dread the frenzy Tania was in right now.

The laptop sat on the table, just above where Ruben was pretending to do the poses he was supposed to be following along with. He even added a few grunts in to make it just a tad more convincing. While Pia had suggested he do these exercises to earn his spot back in the team, the change in manager had left him wondering if he was even a fixture at the club at all any more.

"Ruben, I hear that fake grunting." His girlfriend's voice called over, from thelaptop on the table. Ruben couldn't see her, but it didn't take much for the boy to imagine what kind of face she was making. The boy groaned. He was halfway through another performed gasp for air when he just let himself collapse to the ground, and knelt up to reach the laptop at eye level. Just as he imagined, Pia was scowling into the webcam.

"It was enhanced breathi-" Ruben stopped himself, the glare in Pia's eyes enough to make him realise he wasn't pulling wool right now. He cleared his throat and sighed. "Look Pia, these pilates are great and all but...they're easy, for someone like me." He lied. "I just...I've been doing this for a long time, I'm seasoned. I should be doing something more intense, right?"

"If you stopped treating your leg raises like a hundred metre sprint, you might actually feel it." Pia sighed and crossed her arms. Although the two were on speaking terms again, it was clear that not everything was suddenly okay since the drinking night in Hulburry with Rosa and Haleigh. With injection of fear her recent revelation had given her, it only frustrated the girl more that she struggled to maintain her stoicism in the face of Ruben's constant self jeopardy. She took a deep breath and started again. "They're supposed to strengthen and warm up your legs or at least the injured ankle but when you rush them like that, you're going to feel any of the weight behind the motion. You're seasoned. You should know that." She grumbled, adding in that last dig to make it clear she didn't appreciate those comments.

Again, Pia moved on to the next pose and waited for Ruben to copy but the boy just sat there for a moment. He looked around for a moment and finally broke the silence with…

"Oh, the egg's really been moving lately." He announced, his growing discomfort clear to see.

"Ruben." Pia's disgruntled voice spat through the room. "I'm trying to help you. I can just hang up if you're not going to take this seriously." She threatened with another glare.

"No, it has for real." The boy pleaded, jumping out of frame to collect the egg in question. As he brought it into shot of the webcam, he scanned the shell until he revealed a single crack for Pia to see. "It's been a real slow burn, but I think he's finally starting to break through a little...or she?" He stumbled, catching himself in his excitement. "He's been moving a lot since Hulbury, but...with everything that went down, I guess I never got the chance to…" With a sigh he lowered the egg and straightened himself into the centre of the frame. "Pia, it's weird how it all turned out, but I wish I hadn't lied to you about being in Hulbury." The boy started, catching the girl's attention. Pia peered over to the device she was calling on but withheld her reaction. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the things I let myself get talked into and, well, I can't really keep blaming other people for that. I broke into Hulbury Stadium, I stole the egg from where it was hidden...and I started this relationship." He finished with a gulp, waiting for some sort of reaction from the girl. She held her reaction just long enough to provoke the boy into continuing but the uneasiness she felt about the situation was obvious from her stature as she was rubbing her arms. "I guess that's what our new manager meant when he said 'own it'. I think back to what I said to Arrietty, to wagering my league challenge on a single battle, to hiding from the idea of starting a relationship...I guess I should start with sorry?"

Pia was quiet for a moment, perhaps she wasn't expecting an apology. Or maybe she did… or hoped for but did not expect one of this scale. She should give him more credit for that than she did previously. Here that honesty was that she had fallen for. The directness that she liked so much. It made her sigh… and feel uneasy. Especially knowing what she was hiding away herself. The thing Rosa found out while Ruben was supposed to be the first to know if anyone had to find out.

"Apologizing will go a long way." Her words cut through the silence that had befallen them after the words of "sorry" had left Ruben's mouth. Even Pia knew how rare those words were.

Ruben nodded, moving the laptop so that Pia could see him even as he lay down. There was so much more he wanted to say, but how could he? No 'I forgive you' or 'I understand Ruben'. How could he expect Pia to understand? His job security, his life goals were hanging in the balance. If he stopped just for a moment, even as fast as he was, the race of time would catch him. Ruben stared at the ceiling again. She couldn't understand, he thought to himself, the thought externalising itself in a sigh.

"So, ankle raises next, right?" He asked with a smile.

"Ah yes…" Pia reacted again after Ruben had initiated another silence. "Ruben…?" Her voice reached out to him.

"Yeah?" He responded, feigning the smile a bit longer.

"Ah… uh…" Pia struggled for words and her own thoughts. She wanted to tell him. She really wanted to tell him that one thing she had been keeping from. That one thing Rosa found out before him…

… But she couldn't.

"... Don't forget to keep doing those exercises even after we're done with the call." Pia ultimately sighed. She seemed like she wanted to say something important for a moment so what she eventually said was a bit...anticlimactic? The boy shrugged and followed along with the exercise.

A misty rain wafted through the thick of the Wedgehurst air. Yet another home loss. New manager, same result. Wedgehurst were two nil down to Stow-on-side with twenty five minutes left to play. Ruben was on the bench, wrapped up again in his snood and beanie, a watchful eye lingering over his new head coach. He hadn't so much as spoken directly to the man since the harassment seminar. This man was now a conductor in Ruben's career, and he hadn't spoken to him since the time he snuck into the toilets behind him. The teenager cringed at the thought.

It almost seemed as though fate summoned some form of connection between the two. The moment Ruben's thoughts recalled that moment, so it was that the very same elusive head coach was now gesturing for him to come down to the touchline. The young striker was almost in disbelief. He hadn't so much as played since the Ballonlea game and before that he'd have to look to the season prior to recall the last minutes he recorded for Wedgehurst.

Ruben leapt out of his seat, practically launching Lesca out of his lap as he hurried down to the touchline and approached his new coach.

"Ruben. Are you fit?" Duncan's deep voice rumbled beneath the deafening boos from the home fans. The young striker looked to his manager, the silhouettes of the duo probably striking to the fans sat high up in the nosebleeds of the stadium.

Ruben looked onto pitch, watching as the game took place before him. The team needed him now more than ever and he had to prove that. If it wasn't the Ballonlea game, this would be the moment.

"Yeah." The boy nodded, already pulling his snood, beanie and tracksuit off. As he tossed his jacket on the floor, he noticed the outstretched hand of Big Dunc.

"Hop on the spot for me. Left leg." Duncan said coldly, his eyes still locked on the football and not on Ruben. The boy, in response, had nothing. What was he supposed to say to that. He looked up at the howling, devastated crowd as another goal went in for Stow-on-Side.

As Ruben looked up to Duncan again, the new manager was looking right at him, expecting.

"I-I'm not fi-"

"Sit back down." Duncan said dismissively, pacing back up the touchline as if Ruben was never there. With no chance to explain or defend himself, Ruben sighed and walked back up onto the players bench without a word, braving the sarcastic cheers of the annoyed fans.

Wedgehurst​

gimmepie · Apr 11, 2021

Catherine Carlisle and Pia McGuire

Teeth-Clenched Teamwork

A humid evening in yet another cave. Yet another cave in which Pia had already been walking quite a few circles. Probably. Her mind was somewhere else than on the road ahead and Milla, who was beside her, was sure they had passed this particular rock to the side at least 2 times now already. All Pia did was stare at the blue gym badge she had received from Nessa in Hulburry. Hulburry… what a mess that was. She still couldn't fathom the events that had happened. It was still all a bit much. The girl sighed. Hulburry was a mess… but she somehow felt like it was about to get worse.

Cintra also walked behind the trainer and Pikachu duo. Her steps were gentle and her posture was elegant. She was a proud Eevee but even she was occasionally distracted with wherever they were going. The moment she turned her face to a side, however, Milla jumped over her and pushed her a tiny bit in a playful manner. The Eevee caught herself on time, huffed a little and continued her elegant walk. Her pride wasn't allowing her to play. Turffield was a one time only thing because her trainer allowed it.

Milla wouldn't have it though. As The small group kept on walking, Milla occasionally jumped around over Cintra. She'd bend down in front of her to taunt her and would run in circles and then away from her to lure her in but for the longest of time, Cintra wouldn't have it. Milla was determined to bring out Cintra's playful side but Cintra wanted to be more like her older sister. Serious, elegant and quiet.

Though… Even Cintra couldn't deny the urge she felt to show this Pikachu who was boss. Once Pia finally reached a new corner in the cave rather than going towards the one they had already passed a few times, Cintra and Milla ran ahead. Cintra following the Pikachu that had been annoying her. Pia could only smirk at the cute bunch.

Cintra and Milla kept having some kind of tag battle until a Pokéball from Pia's belt opened up and a Swablu materialized in front of them. Of course the curious Prim had to join this particular game of Milla's and opened up her wings wide to challenge both the Eevee and the Pikachu. Milla and Cintra nodded at each other and both gave off a smirk, then tried to catch the Swablu as she flew around the cave road they had been travelling on just as she had planned. There was never a dull moment with this team.

"This team" but without Soma… Pia clicked his Pokéball from her belt and had a worried expression on her usually amused face. Ever since the battle of Hulburry, he hadn't tried breaking out of his ball similarly to what Prim had. He was quiet during meals and didn't try to engage much… It was truly worrisome. She sighed again. Raph had told her to trust her Pokémon more but… this was difficult. She knew the Cottonee wasn't strong enough to take the Lanturn head on but… maybe she could have been less obvious about it. She just didn't know how to fix this now.

While Pia was distracted with the whole Soma ordeal, the three other Pokémon stood around a big boulder that Milla had chosen to showcase her strength. Cintra and Swablu sat around her in excitement while Milla was readying her fist. Thunder sparks welled up around that very fist and soon enough it pummeled the boulder as an attempt for Milla to show off. Except… that the boulder didn't break?

Pia heard something moving in the cave and her attention was brought back to the trio and the large stone tail that was now hovering over Milla's head with Cintra and Prim slowly getting back. It was obvious the latter two were in panic while Milla didn't understand what was going on.

"Milla!!!" Pia didn't think for a second more and immediately launched herself to the reckless Pikachu, took her in her arms and head rolled away from the stone tail that crashed into the ground behind them. It only missed the duo by a hair and Pia had to catch her breath for a second while adrenaline coursed through her veins. She had no time to grab her Pokédex but it was quite obvious what creature dense little Milla had angered…

"ONNNNNIIIIIIIXXXXX!!"' It screeched through the caves, causing a small earthquake just from its voice. The roof wasn't caving in yet but you wouldn't think that from the amount of rocks that started tumbling down. Cintra and Prim ran over to Pia. The girl got up with the Pikachu still in her arms and ran off as fast as she could in any direction she could find that would not lead to their ultimate demise.

"I said I'm sorry! Okay?!"

Catherine's question was answered only by the earthshaking roar of the Onix rampaging behind her, the cave ceiling above her shaking ominously as tiny stones and dirt shook loose and fell like rain and hail.

At her side Indra attempted to Bubblebeam the Rock type, striking it with a severely damaging attack. It roared in pain and redoubled its efforts to flatter Catherine and her party. The cave shook more alarmingly still.

"Don't try to fight, just run! That's how we got into this mess and if you keep trying it, this thing will bring the whole damn cave down!" Catherine shouted over the sound of falling detritus and tremors.

Ahead of her, Holo barked what Catherine was hoping was an affirmative. She had already done so to Stampede and Lancer. Their power would have made dealing with the Onix much easier, but it was too likely that fighting it would just bury them in a cave-in… besides, Lancer attacking the Onix was what got them into their current predicament to begin with. She still had Vessel on her shoulder should an emergency Spore be needed… but in an enclosed cave that seemed like a risky idea.

"Poli! Indra called after Holo as the Electrike suddenly barked louder and more energetically, stopping at the end of the tunnel to wait for Catherine. There was an opening into a larger chamber ahead, with multiple offshoots. Maybe she could use that to her advantage and get away if she was quick enough.

With her lungs burning, Catherine pushed herself to try and catch up to Holo sooner, but the rumbling only seemed to be getting louder. Wait… was that screaming too?

It took a second for Catherine to process what was coming towards her in the opposite direction. She was quick to recognise Pia, she had been trying to avoid her after all. It was the sheer unlikelihood of the other massive Onix that gave her brain a moment of pause. What were the chances of running into the person she had specifically gone out of her way to avoid being chased by a rampaging Onix, while she herself was also being chased by a furious Onix.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Catherine yelled as the two of them and their teams closed in on the tunnel between them. Pia also seemed unpleasantly surprised but was quick to shift her glance to the other Onix that was closing in.

"MOOVEEE!!" Pia yelled at Catherine whom the latter jumped aside as Pia did the same, causing the two Onix's to collide with each other. She was followed by Prim and Cintra who were quick to destroy any rock that would be in danger to hit Pia and in this case, also Catherine. Any leftover rock that the other two couldn't destroy was left to Milla's thunder fists. She still got to show that off.

Holo and Indra joined Pia's Pokemon in attempting to ward off any falling stones as with a thundering crash the two titanic Pokemon crashed into each other, unable to stop their momentum thanks to their enormous mass.

The Onix roared at each other in blind fury as they reeled back from the impact. Catherine's pursuer was the first to attack in the aftermath, lashing out with its tail in a powerful Slam attack that swept across the tiny cavern forcing Catherine, Pia and their teams to duck down to avoid being caught up in the attack.

The second Onix was thrown back into the wall, causing the chamber to shake and rumble as tiny chunks of the ceiling began to rain down upon all those gathered. Pia's Onix roared again, throwing itself back into the fray as it dived in low then smashed the first Onix into the top of the mine with an upward swing of its head.

The two humans and their Pokemon were forced to scatter as more and more debris started falling. Too much for Indra, Holo, Milla, Prim and Cintra to destroy easily. All they could do was dodge.

The top Onix flung itself downwards onto the one that was still beneath it, forcing Cathering to grab a wide-eyed Holo by the leg and drag the terrified Electrike out the way with a desperate roll to the side with a too-calm Vessel clinging to her as the two behemoths slammed into the ground. A moment later, they were crashing into the ceiling again, Pia, Cintra and Indra having to run straight through the battlefield to the other side with Catherine and Holo to avoid being crushed by a particularly large boulder dropping from above like a meteor. That left Prim and Milla on one side with the trainers and the remaining Pokemon on the other as the two Onix's continued to demolish the cavern as they fought.

Catherine pointed to a narrow tunnel not far from her. "Let them fight and run for it!"

Without waiting to see what happened next, she sprinted into the incapacious passage with Vessel on her shoulder and Indra and Holo at her heels.z

"C'mon! We are cancelling the apocalypse today!" Pia called out to Prim and Milla who were waiting for what to do next. The Pikachu jumped on the Swablu's back and although it was very dangerous to cross the caving-in battlefield, they made it unscathed and flew straight inside the narrow tunnel that Catherine had gone through. Pia and Cintra followed everyone else from behind and were just in time before the tunnel was closed off by another big boulder.

Suddenly, the girls and their Pokemon were left in total darkness, tightly confined in the tunnel they had dashed into and breathing heavily. Behind them, the muffled sounds of the two Onix clashing continued. Holo whimpered slightly.

"It's alright, you'll be safe in here." Catherine returned the young Pokemon before reaching for her phone and using it to peer into the cavern's depths. "Un-fucking-believable. I was trying to avoid you not barrel into you with an Onix behind each of us. Looks like we ran into a natural tunnel not one the miners made. I hope there's an exit and we're not stuck in here together until death."

"Poli?!"

"Don't worry," Catherine replied to her Poliwag, "Even we can't be that unlucky."

"It's not like I wanted to be stuck here with you." Pia only smirked and shrugged at the girl in front of her. Her three companions beside her only looked at each other and their trainer in confusion. Especially Milla. Those two were not friends then?

If Indra had shoulders, he may have shrugged dejectedly at Pia's Pokemon across from him. Instead he settled for a feeble sigh. Vessel remained as expressionless as ever, the only one in the cave immune to the tension.

"At last, something we can agree on," Catherine replied and started moving down the cavern with her phone held aloft in front of her. The Onix' confrontation was still thundering behind them and it was time to get moving. "I'm going to look for an exit. Feel free to stay behind with the Onix if you've got a problem with me."

"Nah. I never said I had a problem with you. It's actually quite the opposite. You seem to have a problem with everyone around you." Pia looked down her own phone as the words escaped her lips, not particularly caring if it would anger her or not. She had hoped for her phone to emit some more light but the old screen didn't do much. Besides, it was cracked in all places. It was a wonder that it was still working the way it did. She could have Milla become the night lamp that she sometimes was or tease Catherine a little by following her around. The latter seemed a lot more fun. It was as if Prim could read her mind because as soon as the blonde haired girl made up her mind about following Catherine around, the Swablu decided to sit on the darker haired girl's head and make a hat of herself.

"You're not wrong," Catherine said, ignoring the Swablu on her head. That wasn't anything to be concerned about. The fact the tunnel seemed to continue endlessly into the abyss was maybe more concerning, but at least that made it seem more likely that it went somewhere.

Pia laughed at the Swablu occupying Catherine's head, it was quite a sight for the grumpier of the two girls to have a cotton-like hat. It looked as silly as it sounded like and she couldn't be taken seriously anymore with such a cute sight on her head.

"Well, why is that?" Pia couldn't help but let the curiosity take over. Normally she'd say it's none of her business. Cintra and Milla each occupied one of Pia's shoulders as they continued to walk.

"Because people are terrible," Catherine said simply, "They're selfish, they don't do anything if it's not for personal gain, they lie, manipulate and use each other. That's all humanity does and I don't want anything to do with it."

"Don't you think that's measuring everything by the same yardstick?" Pia commented on Catherine's supposed explanation with a raised eyebrow.

"Everyone should be measured by the same yardstick. Nobody is special, no matter how much they think they are." Catherine shot Pia a glare at that.

"I very much disagree." Pia only sighed. "But you do you I suppose." she gave another shrug. Her way of thinking was jarring but nothing that Pia should pay any mind to. There was something else that piqued her interest. "Why was that Onix following you actually?"

"I suppose you would," Catherine said without looking back. "My Croagunk, Lancer, decided to pick a fight with it. He's new and has some adjusting to do."

"Lancer…?" Pia repeated the name of the Croagunk. That reminded her of some of the other names she had heard Catherine call out before. "By any chance, did you choose that name because of Fate and his colour scheme?" Pia asked, tapping a finger against her chin.

"No. I named him after the character archety- what did you say?"

"Ah uh… Don't worry about it." Pia insisted and sighed again. "I suppose the same happened to us. Milla, Cintra and Prim were playing and Milla wanted to show off. That didn't go well. Never wake up a sleeping wild Pokémon and all that stuff."

Catherine went over the names in her head for a minute. "Never before have I questioned my own taste in media so strongly. I guess even you and I are bound to have at least one thing in common, no matter how little I like that."

"Poli?" Indra asked in his now expected questioning tone.

"Her team all have pop culture names too."

The Poliwag made a noise that Catherine was quickly learning meant something along the lines of "I don't get it, but okay."

"Imagine hating someone so much that it makes you reconsider your own likes." Pia waved her hand away dismissively with a smirk. "I actually find it amusing someone has the same interest and has been naming their Pokémon accordingly." She teased.

"Imagine not understanding hyperbole then thinking you had grounds to mock me because of it." Catherine kept moving forward without turning back to see Pia. The cave was starting to open out more and she hoped that it meant she could be rid of Pia soon. "If it wasn't clear before, it's certainly clear now that your brains aren't what Ruben is after."

"What a miserable attempt of trying to offend me. Nothing I've said indicates that I do not have some intelligence in me." The shorter girl of the two chuckled. Milla and Cintra, however, despite not knowing exactly what was going on were not amused by the growing hostility they had been feeling from Catherine. Pia scratched their ears to calm them down as to tell them it was all okay. It wasn't like she took any of Catherine's words seriously after what happened in Turffield. Though, there was some truth to Catherine's words. What did Ruben like about her? The conversation she had with the footballer the day before this was supposed to clear some things up and while it did, she still felt like something was off about all the things that happened in Hulburry. Like there was a missing piece. The girl's smile disappeared after a short session of thinking and she no longer looked at Catherine directly but at the walls next to her as she kept thinking some more.

"I don't care about you enough to try and offend you," Catherine said, "I thought I already made that clear. I don't want anything to do with you, or anyone else. We're just stuck together by circumstance."

"I don't think I ever said anything that states otherwise. It's pretty hard going into a different direction when we're walking through the same tunnel with only one end point so quit trying to pick a fight." Pia sighed upon her thought process being interrupted by the rude words of her temporary companion.

"Not doing that either." Catherine sighed and kept walking, not bothering to say anything further. She didn't understand this girl, did she just go around assuming everyone she met had some sort of personal grudge against her? That was a special sort of conceitedness. Catherine wasn't blind to the fact that she hadn't been polite, but what was the point in false pleasantries? They both knew damn well they couldn't stand each other. That was just manipulation really.

So it was that the two of them continued on in a tense silence. Occasionally their Pokemon would chatter at each other (Vessel excluded), but the trainers themselves didn't say another word to each other for a long time. They merely stewed in their mutual dislike.

The tunnel continued to open out, it started getting brighter within as a dim source of light faintly illuminated the space ahead. It was a little while longer before they reached the lightsource itself, but what they saw on arrival gave both reason to pause.

It was a smaller natural cavern, stalagmites hanging from the ceiling. All around it, covering the walls and jutting out from many places on the floor and ceiling were numerous different crystals. They came in many different shapes and sizes and represented a vast array of colours. Each of them was glowing ever so slightly, for reasons unknown. In the centre of the chamber was a small pristine pool, reflecting not only the light of the crystals but also what seemed to be moonlight from a tiny hole above it. The water in the pond was rendered luminous by the lights around it, dyed a million different colours all at once. It was an unquestionably beautiful location.

Pia turned circles as she stared at all the majestic lights that were illuminating the open space of the cave. With an open mouth she was captivated by the location. So were her other three little companions. Cintra and Milla jumped off her shoulders and looked around for themselves, taking slow steps in this relaxed atmosphere now that they no longer heard the angry cries of the Onix's behind them.

"This is absolutely mesmerizing…" Pia whispered. She wished she could take photos with her phone but it was in no state to capture the beauty of this location.

"You're actually right." Catherine immediately shifted her phone to its camera function. This was something that had to be captured in a photo and preserved. Even being there with Pia couldn't spoil this.

While the sparkling lights reflecting in the eyes of both Milla and Cintra while Prim still sat on Catherine's head and enjoyed the view from up above, Pia sat down near her Pokémon. With her legs crossed, Milla and Cintra cuddled up to her and sat in her lap. Soon all three of them were looking at the beautiful scenery all together. The view of a trainer and Pokémon that loved her to bits. Who knew that even something as hideous as a cave could have a beautiful part hidden away.
Catherine also sat down, there was no real exit to be seen and that was something they were going to have to deal with and soon, but for just a moment, there was nothing wrong with appreciating what was in front of them.

"Huh?" Pia's voice suddenly sounded and cut through the silence they had been enjoying so far. "What is that?" She pointed at something glinstering in the pool. It was the only object emitting such a strong sparkle. Even from a distance it was obvious it was unlike any of the other gems in this open space.

Catherine leaned forward, peering into the pool. Sure enough, there was something down the bottom of the pond that was refracting the light. She may have missed it if Pia hadn't pointed it out.

"Let's find out," she said, "Indra, can you see what that is?"

The Poliwag gladly agreed and dived into the pool, easily swimming down and scooping the objects up with his mouth. A moment later, he resurfaced, spitting out two glittering blue star-shaped gems.

"Poli!"

Pia came closer and picked up one of the objects, holding it in anything that remotely gave off light. It was star pieced except that it only had four points instead of five. It looked like a gem but it really wasn't. Whatever it was, it was immensely pretty. Just like the rest of this cave.

"This looks like it could be worth something." Pia spoke, leaving the other one on the ground for Catherine to pick up.

Catherine picked up the other gem, turning it over in her hand. It was cool and smooth to the touch, but it didn't feel fragile. It had a texture to it not unlike diamond. "Probably."

"You can keep them." Catherine extended her arm, palm outstretched with the gem sitting on top of it. She didn't like the idea of giving someone as irritating as Pia something that looked so valuable, but she couldn't be better than her if she wasn't prepared to give it up. Her ideals demanded that she sacrifice the gem to Pia's ownership. Pia, however, unexpectedly held her arms up and shook her head.

"No way." She declared. "I refuse to take it. That one is yours." Pia stood up and brushed off her clothes. Why was Catherine offering that shard to her anyway? In Turffield too… She just had Pia take the evolution stone meant for her as well. How stupid. Was she trying to guilt her?

No? What did she mean no? What the hell was Pia up to. Did she think that she could get something else out of her by playing that game. Was she really stupid enough to think that would work? She narrowed her eyes at her. "Last chance. Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. No doubt." Pia put her own shard away in her backpack. The egg she got on Route 5 was also in there but tucked away in blankets. Pia wanted to make sure it was comfortable, despite being an egg and tucked it away a bit more. She suddenly realised she hadn't shown Ruben the egg or told Arrietty about it.

"Don't say I didn't offer."

At that moment, Indra chimed in again to get their attention. He jumped back into the water and seemingly vanished.

Catherine looked more closely, watching as Indra popped back into view exiting from a roughly person-sized hole in the side that had been made difficult to see from above because of the light on the water. "It looks like there's a way out down there. Can you swim?"

"Yeah I can swim… but is the tunnel short enough for us to get through it without suffocating to death?" Pia asked. She grabbed her Pokéballs and returned her Pokémon back to their Pokéballs just in case. Couldn't risk them drowning.

"I hope not since it's the only way out." Catherine returned Vessel then jumped into the pool to follow Indra. Pia took a deep breath and joined as well. They were really gonna do this, huh?

Sonata · Apr 11, 2021

Poké:

2220 ♦ Pokemon: 6

CHAPTER 9 - CIRCLING THE ANSWER

Rosa peeled her eyes open slowly, awaking to the feeling of Elena's fingertips running through her hair. After all the dreams she'd been having, it felt nostalgic, more than anything else. If not for the Darkrai that had been following her, she probably would have considered even more of a stranger than most of the people she went to the trainer academy with that she still hadn't been able to meet up with since their graduation.

"Hey," Elena whispered, leaning over to kiss the side of Rosa's head. "Guess you're awake now, huh sleepy head?"

Rosa turned slightly, feeling the chill of the girl's piercings as they pressed into her cheek. "H-hey," she said softly. It had been years since she'd actually seen the girl… and they'd left Johto so abruptly that she didn't really know what she should say… if anything at all.

Elena smiled and continued to run her fingers through the girl's hair. "You're just a magnet for trouble, ain'tcha?"

Rosa winced, letting her eyes roam around the room. It was the room she'd been staying in, but it looked like both Simon and Elena had taken the luxury of moving all of their things in with hers. It made sense, of course… given how they'd found her leaving the bar. She seriously doubted Simon would let her go off on her own any more until he was sure that the Darkrai wouldn't be coming back… for a time, at least.

"Wh-" Rosa started, biting her tongue before the words could slip out.

Elena let out a small laugh as she leaned back against the wall. "Mrs. Dansen called up the orphanage a while back to gloat about the two of you, y'know? Such a sweet lady… always worrying about everyone and everything. It just made sense for me to come over at that point, y'know? I've been working on my DJ-ing here lately too as I searched the two of you out. Actually, truth be told I just had a gig yesterday at some weird club… as luck would have it, I ran into Simon just after that flopped." The girl let out another slightly louder laugh as she rubbed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

Rosa nodded slightly, grasping at the girl's skinny jeans, failing to find any fabric to bunch up in her hands. "I'm glad you went back to the pink," she whispered.

"Yeah, we had some time to catch up and more than enough to talk about. I think we were just heading out of a bar on the other side of town when we spotted you taking a load off on that bench, just before everything went to shit." Elena tensed up a little, causing Rosa to turn and look up at the girl's face which had turned somewhat pale.

"I'm sorry…"

Elena giggled, the color returning to her face. "Hey, don't worry about it. Actually, if I'm being honest, it was rather exciting. Course, I'm not much of a trainer myself so I wasn't of much help… but it was super exciting either way. Of course you were clocked out for most of it I'd assume, but watching Simon battle was something else. Boy's really grown since y'all left Johto."

Rosa swallowed hard. She knew that Simon had been putting in much more work than she had… probably more than most of the other graduates if she was to wager a guess. Barry had evolved so early on, and even the other Pokemon that she had managed to catch a glimpse of the night before seemed to be stronger than what she'd seen televised of the other challengers. "If you… if you don't mind… can you-"

"Oh shit, yeah. Fuck yeah." Elena nodded, looking towards the door. "Simon went out to grab some stuff from the Mart so you don't have to head out 'til your stay's up, so I think we'll have plenty of time for me to regale with the tale of bravery that the two of us went on for you."

Rosa sat up against the wall, listening to Elena as she retold all of what happened after she'd passed out. Her own Pokemon had fainted in fending off the Darkrai from getting to her as Zorro passed out Worry Seeds to keep the other Pokemon from falling asleep as well. Simon had released everything he had on him, and Elena had done the same before she healed Rosa's Pokemon back up.

The Darkrai was incredibly powerful, but up against the sheer numbers that the three of them combined provided was a little more than it had been wanting to handle apparently. The Pokemon had shrunk into the shadows before snatching Rosa up and fled towards the prior route. The other two trainers gave chase, of course, giving their Pokemon orders on what to do if they were able to catch up first.

It seemed the Dark-type wanted something that she had on her person, since it tossed her aside and immediately started to shuffle through her bag before being cut off by Elena's Pokemon. The Mythical Pokemon kept creating Dark Voids around itself, trying to catch any of the unsuspecting Pokemon that had gathered to take it down as it fled deeper into the forest. Zorro's Worry Seed had worked for the most part, but every so often one of the Pokemon still fell to sleep as they gave chase.

They had a massive battle, that had it occurred in the streets of the city would have most definitely caught the attention of someone. The battle went on for what seemed like hours, moving all through the forest until eventually Rosa found her way back to the battlefield before getting knocked unconscious once more by Simon's Pokemon.

The impact had knocked her bag away from her, letting its contents spill out. The Darkrai seemed to immediately recognize what it had been searching for as it rolled out of her bag and immediately lunged for the orb, only being stopped by Simon as he leaped out to use himself as a shield. The boy grabbed the orb and lobbed it at his Grovyle, hoping that it was something useful since Darkrai was so intent on retrieving it.

"Apparently… it's called a Life Orb." Elena mutterd, glancing over at the orb sitting on the table. "Simon went out a while ago to look through some books before hitting the Mart and he sent me a text that explained -"

Elena carried on, describing what exactly a life orb was supposed to do as well as her own theories as to why the Pokemon had been toting it along before and why it wanted it so badly. But the thing that stuck in Rosa's mind the most, was that Simon had a phone. His family… their family had been in no way financially stable since coming to Galar. Mr. Dansen had almost immediately lost his job after the move which had almost completely depleted what savings they had. Even now he was only making ends meet by taking on odd jobs around town… but Simon had a phone? How? And why hadn't he told her about it yet?

If she'd known… maybe she would have taken on a few more jobs of her own. She'd been so focused on everything else in her life these past few months… she just moved from town to town hoping that she'd be able to survive once she got there. Motostoke had been simple enough, but Turffield was all thanks to Ruben… and then Hulbury was only accommodated by their parents because it was her birthday. She wondered momentarily if maybe…

"That life orb is really powerful though." Elena coughed, shaking her head. "His Grovyle passed out after using it, but somehow it managed to land its Leaf Blade attack on the Darkrai and - get this - actually managed to leave a scar on the Pokemon."

"A scar?" Rosa whispered, raising her gaze to meet Elena's.

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I don't know if it was just tired from the fighting up to that point or what, but the attack grazed past its… hair, I guess and then cut right down its face and into that red collar it has. After how long it had taken just to get to that point, I wasn't sure that we'd have been able to do anything at all to it, but after his Grovyle landed that hit - Darkrai just… ran."

Rosa clasped her hands together, her eyes lingering on the orb on the other side of the room. "It left a scar…" she whispered, wondering if maybe that orb would be able to give one of her Pokemon a similar boost. It took the energy of the Pokemon using it, but if she could give it to someone like Dahlia or Zorro who could heal themselves… maybe she could stand a chance against Kabu after all.

"I guess I kinda got carried away after that though. I grabbed the orb and chased after Darkrai. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was hella worried about you," the girl leaned across the bed, placing both of her hands on Rosa's as she gazed up into the girl's eyes. "Hella worried. But think about it. How fucking cool would it be to have a Darkrai on my team? Think of the branding I could do for my DJing if there was a mythical Pokemon hanging out behind me all the time. It'd be hella dope."

"I'm back." Simon stated bluntly as he kicked the door closed behind him. "Hope you don't mind, I went through your bag and saw you were lacking a few things so I took your card with me."

Rosa's eyes drifted over to the numerous bags on the boy's arm, wondering just what all he'd bought in her stead. She knew she'd run out of balls a while back, but she didn't intend to pick up anything else if she could help it. After all… if her journey was about to end, it would just be terrible of her to force something else to accompany her this close to quitting. "What all did you buy?"

"Well," Simon grunted as he placed the bags on the bed, letting the loops slide off of his arms before giving a quick stretch. "After seeing what you had in your account, not much."

Rosa winced, but nodded knowingly. "Yeah… I signed up with Blackspear, but haven't really…" the girl reached for the pendant around her neck, remembering back to the only job she'd taken thus far. "Haven't really had the energy to do anything else."

Simon nodded. "Yeah, I figured." The boy stated bluntly once more before picking up two of the bags and moving them a little closer to Rosa. "Those two are yours. These others are a gift from me, to you. I saw your meal prep was getting a little low, so I bought some stuff you could use. We've still got a few days, so I thought maybe we could all cook together."

"Simon," Rosa whispered, looking through the bags as she shook her head. "You don't have to do all this for me."

"I know," the boy replied, pulling a chair up to the end of the bed as he looked at the bags. "But I want to. Besides, it's not like I'm going to just leave you here to wait for that Pokemon to come back. We can do some training over the next few days and catch up with Elena on everything that's happened over the years." Simon glanced over at Elena and then let her eyes rest on Rosa as his smile slowly turned. "I… I want you to be able to go on, Rosa. I really do… but I don't want to see you get hurt anymore. I'll do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen, even if that means hurting you myself."

Rosa held Simon's gaze, taking in the way that he was looking at her. Her own eyes searched his face, looking for something that she couldn't explain… "I'll get stronger… whatever it takes."

Rosa sighed, letting the styler in her hand fall to her waist. It had already been a few days since she'd been on the road following her stay in Hulbury. Simon had given her an intense training regiment those last few days, and now it felt like both her as well as all of her Pokemon were exhausted.

"He really has been working hard," she muttered as she stared at the Scraggy in front of her which was taunting her as she tried to ensnare it with the capture disc. "Why can't I get the hang of this? It's been so long, and still there's… just, nothing."

"Scrrrra!" The Pokemon cried out, pulling its skin up as it fell back down around its ankles.

It wasn't as troublesome as the last fighting type she'd tried to practice against, but she was still struggling regardless. The Scraggy wasn't so much choosing its moves as it was just flailing about at the device spinning around it. They were both just…

"Again," Rosa whispered, trying her best to get herself back to basics. There was no reason trying to emphasize her feelings with flowy or dancy movements if she couldn't even imprint upon the Pokemon to begin with. The girl quickly flicked her wrist about, trying desperately to enter the mines with any kind of hope for practice in the future.

The girl winced as the capture disc breezed past her face, having been kicked up by a well-timed strike by the Scraggy. The Pokemon snorted triumphantly and then kicked at the dirt before making its way off into the grass, sure that she wouldn't be coming after it now that she had to go and dig around for the device it had hit away.

Rosa tilted her head back, staring at the sky as she let out an aggravated sigh. The girl's eyes focused on the clouds for a few seconds before a pink speck zipped across her field of vision. "Dahlia?" She asked softly, tilting her head off to the side as she watched the Pokemon flutter deeper into the woods. "Yeah," she whispered, nodding lazily as she pocketed the styler. "You're right. We shouldn't be wasting time like this when we could actually be getting stronger." She sighed once more, following the pink bug in the direction that the capture disc had flown.

"Cu!" She called out, hovering over a patch of grass a short ways away. "Cu, cu, cu!"

"Yeah, I got it." She smiled, holding out her finger so that the tiny fairy could brush up against it. "Thanks, Dahl."

Rosa reached down and brushed away the dirt from the device, tapping it against her boots a couple of times before pocketing it. She knew that the dirt wasn't going to hurt it, of course - given that she'd found it embedded and busted within a crevice in the wild area… But every time that she saw it dirtied she couldn't help but remember both how she got it and why it now worked.

The girl paused for a moment, staring at the small indention in the earth where the device had just been planted. "I wonder how that Ranger is doing…" she whispered, turning her gaze slowly towards Dahlia as she fluttered off towards the mine's entrance. "I can't help but wonder if maybe we should wait out here for someone else to show up… just in case, y'know? It might be nice to run into… well…"

She grasped at the pendants hanging around her neck, wondering who exactly it was she wanted to see. Melody was an obvious choice, of course… but would she be equally as happy to run into any of the others she'd managed to catch up with since graduation? Or was Mel… special? Rosa quickly shook her head, letting her hand drop back down to her side. "It's not like I…"

The girl stared at her boots as she walked, taking her time to go into the mines - just in case. Maybe she wanted to see her again… even if there was the risk that she could get in trouble by being with her. It wasn't like she'd had the chance to use her like she did everyone else… and now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember if the thought had even crossed her mind to begin with. Maybe…

"Cu?"

Rosa looked up at Dahlia, seeing the Pokemon sitting just in front of her face. The girl smiled lightly, prompting the Pokemon to bump into the tip of her nose gently. "Thank you." She paused, taking another hesitant step forward. "I guess we'll just send it then."

"Cu!" The Pokemon replied, floating off into the cave ahead of Rosa.

"Hey, don't go off on your own!" Rosa called out, chasing after the Pokemon into the darkness.

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES
SNACK ATTACK!

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE
PLANNING AND CHALLENGE
VS MILO
GIRL'S NIGHT OUT
FEAR THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 7 - ROUTE 5
WORK FOR A PROMISE
WORK FOR A PROMISE PT.2
BUDDING YOUTH
BUDDING YOUTH PT.2
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.2

CHAPTER 8 - HULBURY
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.3
VS NESS
VS NESSA PT.2
THE HYPOCRITES' WALTZ
THE HYPOCRITES' WALTZ PT.2
DUPLICITY
DUPLICITY PT.2
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.4

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

He came to "rescue" me after I coerced Ruben into protecting me in the underground casino. I told him off... and then didn't apologize until much later. He came to wish me a late merry christmas after Ruben gave me his spare room. He reminded me of our promise from before our journey started, and gave me my christmas gift which was a traditional Johtoan kimono and fan - all to prepare me for the upcoming contests. He also told me I should call his mom and dad since they're so worried about us both now that we're gone, but... I'll figure it out later.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

AAAAAHHH! We did so much in Turffield, and even more just after! I still can't believe that she wont that contest and made it look so... so easy! She's just, like, wow. I still don't know what to do with all of my thoughts, but after that delivery we did together especially I just. Wowee. Jeez.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

A friend of Melody's. I intentionally ran into her after failing to catch up with Melody, due to the addition of Haleigh. We had a short battle, and then made a promise for drinks with Melody after I urged her to drag the girl along with her to the contest in Turffield. She seems quite naive, so I may be able to get some more use out of her as long as I stay true to her persona. She's battle hungry, the same as Simon, but her Pokemon are still a little lacking - that coming from someone who still has no idea what she's doing here herself. She might end up being a good sparring partner in the future since she knows a little of what I've got and we're on relatively equal footing.

Mother Priscilla

The leader of the Turffield Sisterhood. I thought at first she was just an escort, but once we got to their hideout, I slowly started to realize what she really was. She's an incredibly dangerous woman who has no trouble pulling a gun on important people or those that she may need. There's still too much I don't know about what's going on to get a good grasp on what her and Damien's goals are, but given what I've already seen I really could do without finding out.

Ruben Sancho

Truth be told, I hadn't cared for Ruben when we went to school together. I thought he was your average rich celebrity who was forced into something he didn't really want to be a part of. After getting involved with the family and finding myself in that gambling hall, and then finding Ruben there as well, I felt that my suspicions were true. I had no second thoughts about what I was going to drag him in to. But as time went on, I found myself feeling more and more regretful with each time that he said Pia's name. And then because of me, news about him and Pia got out before either of them were likely ready to go public. And after all that, Simon attacked him out of the blue... but even after all that, he still offered me a free room at the local hotel. I already apologized to him about Simon, and about lying to get him to go with me. But, I should apologize again. He's not as bad of a guy as I thought he was.

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

PastelPhoenix · Apr 12, 2021

Achille Béringer || 18 || ♂️
Location: Galar Mines no. 2
Dragon's Peak: Part 1

Joiuse - Shadow Sneak, Slash, Autotomize, Metal Sound, Block, Aerial Ace

Proudhon - Tackle, Splash, Thrash, Bite, Brine

Alizé - Absorb, Tackle, Air Cutter, Supersonic, Double Team, Wing Attack

Ignace - Powder Snow, Tackle, Taunt, Bite, Avalanche, Work Up

Aliénor - Tackle, Tail Whip, Roar, Ancient Power, Charm, Bite

Terrot - Tackle, Growth, Razor Leaf, Tail Whip, Leech Seed, Worry Seed

Deep inside the caves outside the human city of Motostoke, a Gastrodon slowly moved around a stagnant pool. Mud and sludge covered the area surrounding the pool now, something that irked the ground-type in the past, but cleaning it was a fool errand now. It always came back, no matter how many times he cleared it. There was one place that needed attention though, and the pink mollusc stopped at a small stone pillar. Purplish slime and dried mud stuck to the stone edifice's nook and crannies, and the Gastrodon grunted unhappily at how often he was having to clean it nowadays. He produced a small stream of water from his mouth, blasting off the worst of the muck.

There was an unhappy croak behind Gastrodon, the running water apparently having flowed onto a Croagunk. The poison frog Pokemon leapt away from Gastrodon, not a fan of its sudden landing on the other side of the room and lying down next to a clutch of eggs. The Croagunk gave a small glare, but went back to sleeping without any conflict. Gastrodon just found the interaction amusing; the young residents of the pool always overreacted to minor discontents.

After confirming he wouldn't disturb anyone else with his cleaning, Gastrodon went back to removing the accumulated filth from the pillar. In the past he could get this nigh-sparking with a properly powered hydro-pump. Now he just settled for being able to see the stone underneath. Soon the proper color of the stone shone through, a brilliant white with streaks of gray. This cleaning was going easier than others, and in no time Gastrodon was putting the finishing touches on the silverish plaque at the front.

The gunk had a way of working into the etched human words, but Gastrodon wasn't going to leave this part at just good enough. He had no idea what the human words even meant, but he'd spent decades keeping the memory of this place alive, and those words were part of it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

There was something about caves that Achille just could not navigate. The tunnels all looked the same and not having the sun to reference was wrecking his sense of direction. Not to mention how the cave went from pitch black to sensory overload from chamber to chamber. The luminescent crystals seemed to be good guide markers at first, but there were so damn many of them that some of the tunnels still managed to look similar.

It was such a similarity that caused him to take a wrong turn somewhere and not even realize it until he realized he somehow ended up in a big loop. Now he sat next to one of the glowing crystals reading the poorly defined, muttering swears under his breath at the revelation he was somehow off the map entirely. The first set of mines had been so thoroughly explored and exploited that the map felt almost like the blueprint. This map, on the other hand, seemed like it was drawn entirely from memory rather than actual surveying. The amount of information for anything besides the main path alone was abysmal. The warning that straying from the main travel paths was discouraged for non-trainers really undersold how much of a maze this place was.

His companions for the hike weren't exactly expert navigators either. Aliénor amused herself by poking around the cave, but not straying too far after her snooze-inducing altercation with Catherine's Paras. Achille had wondered if the Tyrunt was capable of eating minerals like other rock-types, and the crunching of luminescent crystals in her jaws confirmed that. Only the pink ones though. Achille didn't know the difference between them and the yellow or blue crystals, but Aliénor didn't find them very much to her liking.

Aliénor was also being escorted by Terrot and Alizé after her little prank outside of Hulbury, both of whom looked at the feasting Tyrunt with some level of concern. The Noibat just floated above, watching the gluttonous dinosaur but not moving to stop it. Size difference alone made physical engagement a bad idea. Terrot was much larger though, and tried to push Aliénor away from the minerals with all his strength. The rock-type weighed significantly more than the grassy goat, though, and Aliénor didn't even budge an inch when pushed from the side. Not wanting to give up, the grass-type resorted to pulling the Tyrunt's tail with his teeth while looking back at Achille for support.

"Just let her be for the moment," Achille said to the Skiddo, looking up from the map for a moment. "We'll be headed out in a second. We'll get her to move then." He looked back to the map, finally finding the poorly drawn section that corresponded to the cavern they were in. The previous turn was the wrong direction and the cavern seemed twice as big on the map, but it was the only thing that fit. There was a rest stop up ahead that he could get better directions at, assuming one this deep was in use and the map was actually correct on this one.

"Okay, I think there's a place up ahead we can stop at." Achille folded up the map and placed it back in his bag, grabbing the attention of all the Pokémon present. Alizé and Terrot turned their attention to Achille immediately, the Skiddo dropping Aliénor's tail. The Tyrunt herself grabbed one more of the large pink minerals before turning around, crunching away. She only maintained this attention for a second before looking longingly at another crystal, though.

"We'll stop for lunch there, okay?" Aliénor perked up at that suggestion, running up to Achille and nuzzling his leg.

The group continued down the path, Achille swearing at his map all the while. The path slowly sloped further into the earth, giving the distinct feeling that this was most certainly not the way out. Still, he pressed forward, hopeful the camp was still there and in use.

It took less than a half-hour to find the site, which was about the first thing all-trip that went right. It wasn't a particularly large rest site, a few tables and chairs alongside a small emergency radio. The size of it didn't matter as much in the moment as the people there, and Achille was happy to see three people gathered at a table there. One of the strangers at the table waved the trainer over as soon as they saw him, and Achille walked up and grabbed a seat.

"Don't think I've ever seen you around," one of the strangers said, greeting the Kalosian. "First time in the cave?" Achille didn't know many hobbyist spelunkers, but this guy would be what Achille described if you asked him. The man looked to be in his thirties, and while not especially large, Achille could tell the man was an adept athlete. He sat even at the table in his dusty cover-alls and a torch-equipped helmet, currently powered off.

"Ah, yes." Achille set his bag on the table. Unclipping it as he gave his answer. "On my way back from-"

"Hulbury, right?" One of the other strangers, a woman who appeared about the same age as the first man, said. She smiled at the trainer's confusion, crossing her arm while he tried to place where he might have met her before. "Sorry, couldn't resist it. Don't think too hard on it, you're on TV. You're Achille, coming back from the second gym, right?"

Oh, right. He always knew his matches were public, but getting recognized immediately in Galar felt weird. "Yeah, that's me. I guess it's pretty obvious with some of my Pokémon here."

"Jenn," the woman introduced herself. "That's Benji," she pointed at the one who first spoke to Achille, "and my father, Howard." She finally introduced an older man, bald with a large white beard. "Trust me, I hear so much about the league trainers, especially the academy graduates. My daughter always has to take over the telly during matches."

"Oh, does she?" Achille might as well check his image while he's at it. "Does she have a favorite?"

Jenn snickered. "Sorry to dampen your spirits, but she always talks about the Bug Boy."

Achille must have looked more surprised than he realized, because Benji broke out in laughter as soon as he saw the trainer's face. "Sorry lad, you just looked so surprised at that," the man explained, fighting off a few chuckles. "Well, sounds like you're on the way back to Motostoke? Any reason why you're this far in? Motostoke is a ways off from here."

Merde, was he really that far from the goal? Well, there wasn't any reason to try and downplay how lost he was now. "Well, one reason was stopping for lunch." Aliénor hopped onto his lap as if she was called, cooing slightly as she stared at the trainer. Alizé landed with a slight bump on his shoulder, nuzzling up to Achille. Aliénor pressed her weight against Achille in a nuzzle of her own, nearly shoving the Kalosian off his chair. He cleared his throat, causing both Pokémon to stop. Achille reached over and patted the patient Terrot while he continued. "Okay, that, and I honestly got lost following this awful map."

"Map?" Jenn's interest piqued at the word. "This mine is a lot less mapped than the other one, but I didn't think a map would mislead you this far."

"Mind if I take a look?" The old man, Howard, spoke up for the first time. His gruff voice surprised Achille, he had almost started considering the man as scenery until then. The trainer retrieved the map from his pocket, tossing it onto the table between all four of them.

"Dad's a bit of a local expert," Jenn explained as the bushy-bearded man grabbed the map and carefully unfolded it. "He helped officially chart some of the tunnels once amateur spelunkers took interest in it." A huge wave of pressure crashed over the scene. This surely wasn't that map, right? He mentally reviewed all his complaints with this map now that he had a surprisingly fit face to tie them to. Nah, he'd keep those to himself.

The old man's face scrunched up in annoyance when finished unfolding the map. "Might as well throw this in the bin with the rest of the rubbish," Howard said, throwing the map onto the table with a scoff. "Didn't know anyone was still selling the bloody Huddleston map."

"Isn't that the one with the Landslide Corridor unmarked?" Benji turned the map around and started looking it over himself. A single 'yep' came from Howard in reply. "Glad you stopped in at this camp then," Benji added.

"Huddleson map? Landslide Corridor?" Achille asked, leaning forward for a one handed hug for Aliénor while scritching Alizé on her head.

"Old map," Benji said as Howard reached for his own large canvas bag. "Made before we started trying to make an accurate map. Huddleson was an old mine manager who drew a lot of the side branches from memory. It was only used for the mining company, but when people exploring this for fun heard about it they managed to convince the company to give them copies. Some of them sold copies of those, and they've stuck around even after better maps came out."

Howard found whatever he was looking for, placing a plastic case on Achille's side of the table. "Take my map. I'm in familiar territory and close to calling it a day anyways. I can just get a new one from the shop anyways."

Achille thanked the man and opened the case, retrieving the folded paper map inside and unfolding it. The difference between the map he was using and this one was like night and day. Tunnels were labeled and names were given to caverns. Depths and warning for caverns were also included, and Achille soon found the so-called "Landslide Corridor" marked with a bright red and three different warnings. Sure enough he would be only a few minutes away from it, the tunnel itself splitting from the one that lead to the surface again. "You mentioned this Landslide Corridor, what is it?"

"Dangerous tunnel. What it sounds like." Howard answered bluntly.

"Give him a little more information than that," Jenn protested. "Yes, the area is called as such because mudflows frequently block it off. Just saying it like that makes the tunnel sound unstable, but it's actually a Pokémon doing it. The tunnel is uphill, and a Gastrodon floods the entire tunnel with Muddy Water when someone tries to climb it. Normally putting up a sign would be enough, but people keep trying to climb the hill even though Gastrodon has been there before I was even born, so we've had to mark every map with warning that, no, you will get hurt climbing this."

"Why would anyone try to climb a hill with an angry Pokémon at the top?"

Jenn sighed, seeming to expect the question coming. "Supposedly there's treasure at the top of the hill. That's why Gastrodon defends the tunnel so aggressively. The Dragon of Motostoke, exploring the mines for riches and taking it back to the nest atop the Landslide Corridor."

"Don't go to Landslide Corridor," Howard added in a stern voice. "Rangers don't even try to remove the Pokémon anymore. The shape of the tunnel prevents even them from approaching safely. Gastrodon doesn't cause issues unless you cause trouble for it, so just leave it alone."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it." The story interested Achille, but getting caught in a landslide wasn't very high on his to do list. "At this point I see my way out, and just want to go to a hotel for the night." A tense silence followed as Howard stared Achille down with his cold, gray eyes. He eventually nodded, relenting.

The Tyrunt on his lap announced her presence loudly. The talk of stories and caves had gone on far too long for her liking. It had been far too long since the topic of lunch.

"Alright, alright. I'll get you something to eat." Achille said as he ruffled the featherlike mane on her neck.

"We've actually got some curry left if you guys want some," Benji added. The mention of curry elicited excitement from Aliénor, the Tyrunt snapping her jaws with a loud click.

Galarian and their damned curry.

"Sure." Achille relented.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

A commotion began on the other side of the pool, croaks and splashes making a racket so loud that Gastrodon could not ignore. The Barboach emerged from their muddy holes, darting back and forth in the pool in a panic. The cause of the commotion was obscured by Croagunks, swarming whatever it was that brought them into a tizzy, but in a way that Gastrodon could not detect any aggression from. Only anxiety.

Three Whiscash emerged from their deep mud burrows, the ones who lead the local Barboach. One spit a glob of mud near the Croagunks, scattering them and revealing a Toxicroak at the center of the group. The smaller one, the male. He often checked the tunnels now that Gastrodon was getting too old to make the rounds. The mollusc Pokémon made his way towards the Toxicroak. It had to be serious.

Thankfully for his old muscles, Toxicroak met his gaze, shooed off the Croagunks, and made his way over to Gastrodon. The Whishcash swam to the edge of the pool and joined them, shooing off their own Barboaches. The final member of their little circle arrived from the ruins she claimed as a nest, the scout's large mate and defender of their nest.

The scout Toxicroak croaked anxiously, scraping his venomous barb against the ground. When he finished there was a rough shape with two legs, two arms, and holding a circle. A trainer in the area. The three Whishcash gasped loudly, swimming around the pool in nervous circles. The scout croaked loudly, drawing their attention and refocusing their aquatic pondmates.

His mate croaked aggressively, a suggestion to fight. She always did, not that Gastrodon could blame her. Her nest was here after all, and she was wild born. The scout croaked uncertainty, looking back towards Gastrodon for guidance. Unlike her, Scout had spent some time with a trainer like Gastrodon had. Somehow he found being with a human changed your way of thinking to be more like them, less instinctive. Gastrodon very much enjoyed having someone who recognized the value of that line of thinking here too.

Gastrodon let out a short whine, letting everyone know that he would deal with it. The Mother stared him down for a few seconds, but relented. She wouldn't want to really leave the nest anyways. The Whiscash popped large bubbles in approval, then slunk back to the safety of their burrows.

Scout gave him a look of worry, but Gastrodon dismissed his concerns. The Shellos may be long gone from this pool, but this was still his job.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

It was following a Toxicroak that Achille first caught sight of Landslide Corridor. The steep incline split off from a crossroads, and several signs, both rusted and pristine, warned about sliding debris and territorial pokemon on the slope ahead. Achille had crossed the fighting frog Pokémon returning to the surface from the camp, and the chance to fight and potentially recruit such a Pokémon to his team proved irresistible. It wasn't long before he stumbled across the crossroads, and his gut instinct told him the Toxicroak went up the slope.

Achille didn't quite know why he did it, but he began the climb.

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Turnip · Apr 13, 2021

This Is Legitimately The Closest Xan Has Been To A Pool Since School Where They Were Made To Learn To Swim
Featuring Xan, Kass and Jerry VS Nessa (and the team members that she chooses woah)

It was a little weird, Xan had to admit, to have seen this situation play out so many times on video and now be living it. The lights, the crowd, the platforms, the pool... and Nessa herself, on the other end of it. They weren't entirely sure how this was going to go. The gym environment and Nessa's Pokémon were, if anything, the least uncertain part of what was to come considering the afternoons of challenge-watching much like they'd done with Milo. Xan's uncertainty instead came from their own Pokémon companions; they'd been in battle before, but would the Gym be a different experience for them? Only one way to find out.

"Gym battle coming up," Xan murmured into their two Pokéballs as they approached the stage. "Remember, no pressure. It's not life-or-death. But that doesn't just mean you can get complacent, it means you can safely go all-out, which is nice I suppose. If you want to try risky strategies, now's the time. I'll be doing what I can from the sidelines. Information and the like. Best of luck, you two."

"Oh, hey! You're Xan, yeah?" Came Nessa's voice form the other side of the pool, carrying a lilt of recognition. Xan looked up to meet her gaze, mildly surprised to have been called on like this, and the Gym Leader seemed to take that as a 'yes'. Her gaze seemed a little intense, but as far as Xan was concerned that was just par for the course in her occupation. "Gotta say, love, you've got quite a bit to answer for, you know that?"

Oh. Great. Was this about the obstacle course?

"Do I?" Xan huffed tiredly.

"You think I don't know you're one of Sonia's?" The Gym Leader threw back, and Xan got the impression she may have thought that this would somehow matter greatly to them. "You skipped the opening ceremony!"

The challenger tilted their head, their eyes trailing over the crowd. "Yeah, I felt like staying home that day, actually," they murmured, though Nessa continued with little care for their response.

"You skipped Milo-"

"That day too."

"-and now you show up to the League Circuit like this? First thing you do is try to cheat my obstacle course, barely in uniform, and you don't think for a second how she'd feel about all that? You're letting the side down!"

The psychic shook their head and sighed, "If Professor Sonia, or anyone else for that matter, has a problem with me operating within the rules I've been given - I'm within the law, I'm not hurting anyone - that's their problem. The written regulation did not disallow-"

"You know? I don't want to hear it-"

"Of course not," Xan murmured in irritation.

"-You really don't have anything better to say for yourself? It's disrespect, is what it is. It's disrespect of the League and it's disrespect of your teacher-"

"-The term is 'self-respect'-"

Nessa rolled her eyes and shook her head, "-Looks like I'm not going to get through to you with conversation! Ready your Pokémon, Xan."

Xan rolled their eyes in kind, hidden though they were, "If you have genuine concern then there are far better times and places to bring up a conversation."

"I don't think that'll be necessary," said the Gym Leader, her intense expression turning sly as she struck a dynamic pose. "And I'm not saying I'm going to let this just be water under the bridge! I'm going to show you exactly where disrespect gets you! Right! Now!"

The psychic winced, muttering under their breath, "Vapid fucking posturing-"

"Go! Lanturn!"

"-Okay fine, Kass, you're up."

Just like that, the battle began. Kass the Abra popped out onto the floating platform in front of Xan, and Nessa's Lanturn appeared in the water in front of her. Xan had been hoping they'd see Lanturn pop up. By all means, the evidence they'd gathered suggested that Lanturn was a more difficult opponent for Kass and Jerry both compared to Pelipper. Both of them were pretty neutral as far as match-ups went for Kass, but the Light Pokémon had Electric moves against Jerry and, in general, was a bit more resistant to Special Attacks. It even had access to Eerie Impulse to further that advantage. Xan wasn't enticed by the prospect of Lanturn being a greater challenge for their team - rather, they had latched onto one aspect of the Pokémon. It had demonstrated interesting usage of what was, apparently, Psybeam. Xan wanted to see it in person. That was all there was to it.

"You know the deal Kass! Lanturn is Water/Electric," the psychic began calling out to their Abra partner. "Not that slow but you're faster, tanky type, prefers special attacks and resists them better-"

"Start us off with a Bubblebeam, Lanturn!" The Gym Leader announced as Xan was still rattling off information. Kass didn't have to be told to dodge the attack that came in, nor did they have to be told to retaliate. One one hand they flipped to another platform, avoiding the bubbles, and with the other they launched a bolt of psychokinetic energy at their opponent. At Nessa's command to dodge, the Lanturn dove underwater and the Confusion attack splashed harmlessly on the surface above the Water-type.

"-Than physical! Could use Confuse Ray so be prepared to cut off the senses!" Xan continued, unperturbed by recent developments. "Counter hit-and-run with better hit and better run-"

"Give us some rain!" Was Nessa's next command. She was giving Xan an amused glance, but they weren't looking. They were still talking. As Lanturn began swimming cyclically to summon rain, Kass launched another psychic projectile - it hit near the surface of the water and the Lanturn winced, but the liquid seemed to have soaked up a portion of the attack's force before it could impact the Light Pokémon.

"Reminder: PK is impacted by material it travels through!" Xan advised. "Key threats are rain-boosted Bubblebeam for damage and Eerie Impulse! Deals no damage but neuters yours - evasion prio!"

"Scared of a little Eerie Impulse, yeah?" Nessa taunted. "Let's scare 'em, Lanturn!"

Lanturn leapt out from the water, the fin ray at its head glowing with electricity. Kass followed their opponent's movements, and as it threw its head forward to launch a barrage of shocking rings the Abra dived back toward their first platform, their movement almost entirely horizontal; the rings went too high and dissipated. Kass landed, and Xan felt a prodding in their mind. Kass was sending them... a request. Talking... and water? Xan wasn't sure what Kass meant, so they went back to regular advice.

"You can PK through all air or through all water for consistent velocity, or you can gauge the difference and adapt for it! Potential for mix-up, unpredictable missile velocity and direction!"

"Dodge to the sides all you want, the waves crash on the whole length of the beach!" Nessa cried. "Spread the bubblebeam wide, Lanturn! And keep an eye out - get ready to see where the Abra goes!"

Kass paused a moment to look to Xan, pointing at Nessa and sending over a telepathic affirmative. Oh... Kass wanted them to start making water-based analogies? Were they for real? Xan returned a telepathic denial as the stream of bubbles, vigorously moistened with potency by the rainfall, shot forth in a wide arc. With a thrum of power, Kass was launched on a cushion of psychokinetic force - not sideways, but upward - and as they rose they flung another Psychic projectile straight down at the Lanturn below, the recoil pushing them higher. Nessa watched on, still confident even as Lanturn recoiled. She had expected a Teleport, but she was still prepared for this.

"Psybeam, Lanturn! Catch 'em out of the sky!"

The thought of using a Psychic-type move against a Psychic-type Pokémon brought to mind Nessa's earlier comments about disrespect, but Xan's interest outweighed their urge to retort. This was that peculiar method of Psybeam that had cropped up in some of the videos before; an impromptu psychic lasso. Seeing it on a screen was a world away - being present to deconstruct the nature of the move was an entirely a different experience, and in one triumphant moment all became clear.

"It's compressive force and a conjured construct!" Xan shouted. "Pull-force can destabilize the outer kinesis and shatter the core!"

Just as the Psybeam-lasso almost nicked Kass' leg, the Abra followed through on this new information. With a yank of their arm, they sprang back and the structure of the attack coming their way crumbled into dissolving purplish pieces. The Psi Pokémon turned their momentum into a backflip - after one rotation they thrust both arms forward and a wave of force shot out from them. Kass landed back on the platform, now free of bubbles, and a concussive wave filled with the debris of what once was a Psybeam came crashing down upon the Lanturn from above.

"Impressive!" Complimented the Gym Leader, though her intensity didn't waver. "Seems you know your Psychic stuff, huh? That was a nice little window into your world - but don't forget you're still in mine! Lanturn! Hit and run with those Bubblebeams! Put on the pressure!"

The Lanturn obeyed, showing off just how at home it was in the water. The Light Pokémon easily leapt from the water for as much time as was necessary only to dip back in afterwards with barely a splash. Kass was on the move, jumping and flipping, taking a few glancing blows but returning some Confusion attacks of their own. They made as much use of the environment as they could, even flipping up some of the floating platforms to shield themselves from the onslaught of bubbles.

Nessa was quick to spot that, "Let's see you keep that up - weave in an Eerie Impulse from below!"

Unfortunately for Kass, even when they weren't in the water the platforms were still slick with moisture all over - a perfect conduit for electricity - and the Abra was still holding onto them for stability. With a crackle, a shock met the surface and spread across and behind it, arcing into the Psychic-type. The electric attack didn't cause Kass harm, but it left them shaken and jittery. Their offence was stunted, but their defence was just fine and as the battle continued Xan found themselves realising just how experienced a fighter Kass was becoming. Of course they knew Kass was good, but seeing them in a situation that Xan had analysed so thoroughly was putting everything into perspective. Kass had taken a few glancing bubbles, but their movements were agile and precise and Teleport bailed them out just when they needed it to. Eerie Impulses and Electro Balls were foiled by a disconnected telekinetic hand to hold improvised platform-shields. Even with Eerie Impulse weakening the Abra's barrage, Kass was hitting more reliably as they got a grasp of the dynamics of the way the water influenced the trajectory of their psychic projectiles. The Confusion attacks that found their mark were building up on the Lanturn. Nessa seemed to realise this - she commanded Lanturn to Rain Dance once more before a red light enveloped it and she pulled out another Pokéball.

"You're quick, I'll give you that," the Gym Leader commented. "But let's try something a little faster!"

"Okay, I'd rather not," Xan murmured, likewise preparing to switch. They'd seen the previous battles. They knew what was coming. As Drednaw crashed out of its Pokéball and into the pool, Kass laughed, waved, and dissolved into light. On the platform in front of Xan, out popped Jerry the Great, whose mere presence banished the dastardly rainfall that would empower the Drednaw so. Armed with the mighty relic known as 'odd incense', he stood focused with grim determination.

"Okay Jerry, your opponent is Drednaw, just like we talked about," Xan welcomed the Psyduck, whose eyes locked onto the Bite Pokémon fiercely. "Water/Rock-"

"Cloud Nine, huh?" Nessa mused. "Clever. Drednaw, get up there and-"

Jerry was already attacking, so suddenly that both trainers were caught off-guard for a moment. Furiously, with a fervour Xan had never seen - a concussive psychokinetic pulse emanated from the Psyduck's forehead and crashed into Drednaw, who flipped once in the water from the force.

"-Charge in with a headbutt, Drednaw!" Nessa finished.

"Physical attacks inadvisable," Xan continued, over the initial shock. "Psychic or Water types are solid choices..."

Drednaw closed the distance, leaping at Jerry who stared intently, unblinkingly at his foe. Another potent pulse shot from the Psyduck, hitting Drednaw into a backspin - the experienced snapping turtle used the new direction of movement, transitioning into a dive down and around Jerry's platform before coming up on the other side and catapulting its own body into the smaller Water-type. Jerry was flung out into the pool, but his focus was uncanny. Even as he flipped end over end and plummeted into the waters, his eyes remained fixated on the Drednaw.

"Are they...?" Xan trailed off, concerned. The odd incense was supposed to give Jerry focus - was it possible it could have focused him too much? Jerry evidently wasn't used to this... the Psyduck was tunnel-visioning.

"They're on our turf, let's make 'em stay there - Jaw Lock!" Nessa's command rang out across the stadium, but her Pokémon seemed to be having trouble following it. Lanturn had been lucky to have not ended up confused by Kass' barrages - that luck seemed to have been stolen from Drednaw, who had no such fortune and had started wobbling from Jerry's surprisingly vehement onslaught after landing from the Headbutt manoeuvre. The Bite Pokémon charged in erratically, and another impulse from Jerry sent it off-course and into the side of the pool with a hearty clonk. With a confused ace and a lack of rain, Nessa made the choice to switch out yet again.

"Come back, Drednaw," said the Gym Leader, eyeing Xan who was already reaching for their own Pokéballs. "You're back in, Lanturn!"

"Back in against Lanturn, Kass," the psychic murmured into one ball, the other spewing out a beam of light to return Jerry. The Abra's ball popped open, but while the Psychic-type was still materialising Nessa made her next command.

"Lanturn, Confuse Ray!"

Kass arrived on the field and as they swivelled their head around to locate Lanturn the attack struck, a coruscating beam of light that overloaded the Abra's senses. The Psi Pokémon wobbled, putting one hand to their head. In an attempt to focus as the Lanturn swam towards them they put one hand to their head. Kass attempted to pull off something tricky like Xan had mentioned earlier - a missile of force shot from their hand to the water and changed direction. It didn't go toward the Abra's opponent, and their head burned with overexertion.

"Get the rain back up! After that, it's time for Bubblebeam, Lanturn!" Nessa called out. "Force 'em off the platforms!"

Lanturn leapt through the water, a barrage of bubbles being sent Kass' way. Disoriented, Kass took a glancing blow as they leapt to the platform on their right, landing roughly with no time to retaliate. The Light Pokémon flew over the platform they'd just left, and a second volley of bubbles sent Kass rolling off their new ground and into the pool. Being in the water against a Water-type gym leader seemed like a bad thing, but... the shock of going under was bracing... refreshing? In a moment, the Abra became aware of a few things at once. The stinging in their limbs from the bubbles, the ripples of water from the raindrops on the pool's surface, the platform floating above them and lastly, behind them, the slight pulling sensation of displaced water. The Lanturn had leapt up again - it was above them. It was going to be coming down. PK is impacted by the material it travels through. If they wanted to try a risky strategy, now was the time.

Water was denser than air. A body of water tended to require more force to move than the same volume of air, but that meant that it carried that force better, too. On the surface, Xan watched as Lanturn crested its jump and the water it was heading toward began to glow. The Pokémon's unfortunate fishy face arced downwards and rammed directly into an erupting geyser of water, air and pure force - behind it, Kass was rocketing upwards triumphantly, one arm raised as though performing not a Confusion technique but Sky Uppercut. They flipped once and landed back on the platform they'd just left. Lanturn crashed beside them, incapacitated by the critical attack. Kass puffed out a large breath of air before turning to their opponent and giving a small nod and a bow, but the Lanturn was already disintegrating into red light.

"Some commendable tenacity, right there," hummed the Gym Leader, recalling her defeated Pokémon. "But you've still got to deal with: Drednaw!"

Nessa's ace once more returned to the field. Xan was considering switching out again - the rain was still here, after all. But they weren't sure what exactly was going on with Jerry, either. The Psyduck had done pretty decently but there was no telling how long that could hold up, and playing around with unknown variables didn't seem like a fantastic idea.

"Kass," Xan called on their partner. "How are you holding up?"

The Abra gave a thumbs up: raring to go!

"You good to wait out the rain? Should be over before long."

Kass doubled down on the affirmative thumb action. Well, if Kass was for it then it was as simple as that. Xan groaned as a telepathic message prodded at their brain; along with their affirmative, the Abra had sent across another request. Nessa... two Pokémon... a small fish... a larger fish? They meant... for fuck's sake. There's always a bigger fish? Telepathic negative. Xan was not for the life of them going to engage in water puns. While the two had been conversing, Nessa had had Drednaw use Rock Polish. The Bite Pokémon was gearing up to be frighteningly fast, but luckily no matter how quick a Pokémon could get they would never be as fast as traversing a considerable distance instantaneously. At the Leader's behest Drednaw rocketed forward with an Aqua Shell - Kass Teleported to the other side of the pool to avoid the physical attack. The Abra jumped high over the Water Gun follow up, and as a Jaw Lock came in to catch them out they teleported mid-air to the other side of the pool again.

As Kass landed back on one of the floating platforms, the rain above their head eased into a drizzle and quickly sputtered out entirely. With the rain gone, Drednaw was made slower again; as the Bite Pokémon turned to meet the Abra's gaze, Kass raised one hand and launched a bolt of psychokinetic energy. It met the water's surface and curved up, like a skipping stone beneath the liquid, a straight shot toward Nessa's Ace. In no time at all it crashed against Drednaw's jaw - no time at all indeed. The rain was over, but Drednaw wasn't slow. Rock Polish was still doing work. Drednaw was fast, a bullet in the water - and a bullet out, breaking surface tension into spray and tearing a path directly towards the Psi Pokémon, mouth open wide and poised to strike. There was no time, no time even to gather the will to teleport - a thunderous snap rang out across the stadium as Drednaw's jaw clamped shut upon Kass' frail torso. This was bad, Xan knew. They knew what Jaw Lock did; Kass was basically out for the count at this point. Still, though the concentration required for Teleport would be too great, it might be possible to muster enough for some Confusion.

"Every little bit of damage counts, Kass!" Was all Xan could think to shout into the fray. They could just about make out their partner weakly acknowledge it, or perhaps they were just attacking anyway without having heard Xan's input - the Abra put one hand to the Drednaw's temple and the ace didn't seem to be enjoying it. It shook its head violently and Kass was thrashed about like a chew-toy. Xan was finding it hard to look at. Thank goodness there was no real chance of lasting injury or-

The psychic almost physically flinched as they realised that Drednaw's grip would even stop them from recalling Kass to their Pokéball. There was no way, right? Never an incident they'd heard of, for sure, but they weren't sure how reassuring that was. Abra's defence was significantly low... Surely something that terrible couldn't happen in a gym, where they were specifically disallowed from doing anything to stop it? Like hell it wouldn't.

Drednaw dropped Kass, who was unconscious. Xan blinked, releasing their psychokinetic grip on an overhead speaker. They turned their thoughts inward: recall Kass, right. One breath - consider what just happened. Drednaw is entitled to fight their opponent until the opponent can no longer fight. League rules maintained. Had they been about to potentially attack an opponent's Pokémon in defence of their own? Decidedly, yes. Would the attack have even worked? They weren't sure, actually - the grip seemed pretty tight - but really it was the act itself that would have been important, not its effectiveness. They hadn't actually gone through with it, thankfully - and the sound fixture had scarcely even moved, it moved more in the breeze - the question was, would it be justified? In this moment still, they figured that it would have been if it had continued much longer. The preparation at least seemed reasonable. Perhaps their perspective would change upon review later, but for now it seemed an appropriate precaution. Removing the ability to recall seemed like a foray a little too far into tempting fate. No control, no safety. Why not turn off rally drivers' brakes during a straight-away if they aren't going to use them? In retrospect, maybe don't use that analogy - they realised they weren't sure they knew that much about cars. Note it for later. For now, no time. Kass is currently fine, so all is well. Drednaw is a respectable and well-enough adjusted being, entirely innocent of bloodlust in this situation. Good for them. Forget it, for now. Jerry is up.

"Kass is down, Jerry. You're up," were the first words Xan spoke to the Psyduck as he materialised from thin air. The psychic expected a similar performance from Jerry as the last time the Duck Pokémon was on the field - unblinking eyes on Drednaw and Confusion spam still had a chance to win the day, likely though it was that Nessa had a plan for it now - but that wasn't what Xan got. Instead, Jerry put both hands to his temples, stared down at the floor and began to shake. The Water-type was immobile, still unblinking, but he sure wasn't staring at his opponent this time. "Jerry?" Xan called, but there was no answer.

"Drednaw, serpentine approach," came Nessa's voice from the other side of the pool. "Throw out a Water Gun and follow up with Headbutt!"

Xan could only watch in trepidation as the Gym Leader's Ace approached - the Drednaw leapt from the water, one of its legs caught a floating platform and the Bite Pokémon skidded, slipped and rammed head-first into the side of the pool. It floated to the surface.

Oh.

"Nessa's Drednaw is unable to continue the battle! What an unusual climax! Challenger seven seven five is the victor!"

For once, Xan didn't tune out the voice of the commentator. Still, they didn't dwell on it; they knelt down to Jerry's level and tried to grab his attention. A telepathic hail, a telekinetic prod. Jerry stopped shaking. Telepathic message: victory. Jerry looked up at that, and Xan figured that meant that the Psyduck was fine so they immediately returned him to his Pokéball. Another thing to review later. For now, battle over - time to leave. Nessa had made her way over by the time the challenger stood.

"You know, Xan," the Gym Leader said. "I'm honestly still not sure what to make of you."

"Then don't make anything of me," Xan shrugged, turning to leave.

"Your badge?" Nessa called after the psychic, who flinched and turned back on their heel while muttering a quick apology. They raised a hand to take the offered badge, but Nessa must have been more reluctant to hand it over than her reminder made it seem as she didn't actually present it for Xan to take. "Really, I don't get it. Not a single verbal command that entire battle - was there a telepathic thing going on?"

Xan shrugged again, "I considered commanding Kass to stop telling me to join in the water-wordplay, but other than that no telepathy."

"It is kind of my job to make something of you, you know. You don't make it easy for me like that, but I guess you got some results today." Nessa folded her arms and put a hand to her chin, "I won't lie, I'm hesitant to hand this badge over. I'm not sure how far you can get like this. You've obviously bonded with your Abra, but I don't think you'll be making many more bonds with that level of communication - something to work on maybe."

"I'll consider it," the challenger said with a nod, which was their way of saying that they would ignore her input and do what they wanted. "The badge isn't really for me, anyway - these two do the heavy lifting." They brought out Kass' Pokéball along with Jerry's to tap them lightly before returning them to their pocket. "I'm just keeping it warm for them."

The Gym leader laughed - apparently she appreciated that take, either that or she thought it was a joke, or maybe she was simply relieved somehow, "That's an interesting way of putting it."

Xan paused for a moment before deciding to ask, "Incidentally, that Psybeam - very complex use of kinesis and conjuration in concert for a non-Psychic-type Pokémon. Was there anything specific that led to the development of that technique, or...?"

"Just battle experience encouraging creativity. All there is to it," Nessa answered proudly with a shake of her head. Xan reached for the badge again and the Gym leader handed it over. "There you are, then. Think on what I said, yeah? Maybe check in with Sonia. And make sure your Psyduck is doing all right, yeah?"

Turning to leave, Xan assured her, "I'll definitely do at least one of those things."

Foxrally · Apr 23, 2021

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Galar Mine 2

"Sector C reporting, no issues here." the earpiece in Simon's ear crackled before turning back off.

Simon tossed the small, gray Pokéball in his hand absentmindedly as he stood guard at his designated spot. In front of him was a tall chain link fence, stretching out for a few kilometers in both directions, through the entrance of the mine and deeper into the tunnels. Within its perimeter and behind him was a sort of construction site- though it wasn't what he'd been tasked to watch. On the other side of the fence, a small group of protestors, young and old, were standing at a gate entrance, holding signs such at 'No More Railways', 'History over Travel' and 'Progress at What Cost'. Several more had begun a chant about 'Saving our Archaeology'. These people were opposed to the construction of whatever was behind him, he'd been told, but Simon didn't know much else. He had managed to mostly tune them out, but having an angry mob on the other side of the fence was still unnerving.

The construction site itself seemed mostly underused and in its beginning stages, though a massive, metallic box not far from where Simon was standing was active and whirring with electricity. Even such a short distance from the cave opening, light was dim in the mines, more so than the Eastern ones, and the generator was one of the few consistent light sources in the area. The air was thick and filled with soot and dust from the excavation work, and every so often a breeze from one of the entrances would blow though the site, sending dust and gravel skittering across the various pools both inside and outside the fence.

"Careful with that, Pearburgh. It's delicate tech." Aurora scolded as Simon tossed his Pokeball again, catching it in midair. She was clad in a black suit and shades as well, the Blackspear Industries logo emblazoned on her sleeve. The uniform had been given to him by Blackspear a few days prior - tailor-made, according to Zelkova. Three other similarly-dressed security guards were stationed near the gate beside them, each more stoic and faceless than the next, staring down the activists.

"Yeah, like I'll even get to use it." Simon rolled his eyes and sighed as he took the gray ball back, eyeing it more closely. He felt the black grooves on the side with his thumb; it still felt unfamiliar to hold… but he couldn't expect any regular Pokéball to contain the power inside, after all. This device contained the strongest Pokemon he'd ever laid eyes on. As he continued to look at the device, his mind wandered back to that day… the day he had received it.

-----

"Ah, Simon! Thank you for answering my call on such short notice yesterday. Please, take a seat." Flynn Zelkova welcomed him with a smile as Simon entered the Blackspear Hulbury office. The building was again almost identical to the other two he'd been at, save for any mention of 'Eastern Galar' being replaced with 'Western Galar'.

Simon took a seat, but did not return Zelkova's smile, instead looking away from the suited man shamefully. "No worries, the call was actually perfectly timed, sir."

Zelkova turned towards Simon, motioning for his secretary to close the door. "You mentioned wanting to meet with me while I was in Hulbury- and I couldn't resist catching up with my favourite new hire, after all. Is there anything you need?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, stroking the Nincada beside him lovingly. "I hope everything is alright. You seem less enthused than usual."

Simon paused for a second, remembering Aurora's words after his battle against Jasper.

"Blackspear could help you too, Simon. You wouldn't be weak anymore. If you just ask for help."

Taking a deep breath, the boy spoke up, "I… heard that Blackspear can help trainers."

"Hm?" Zelkova raised his eyebrows, feigning ignorance at the statement. "What do you mean?"

Simon looked away again, choking on his words as he breathed deeply again. "As in… you- you can help them get stronger."

"Oh!" Zelkova responded innocently, nodding to himself. "Yes, we've been known to reward our trainers with a little battle assistance of our own in the past. A way to show our gratitude for all the thankless work they do."

Simon steeled himself and looked the man in the eye. "I want to... ask for this help. I'm…" Endless voices in his mind finished that sentence for him. 'A loser.' was what they were saying.

"...not strong enough yet." Simon said, clenching his fists. "And I want to be."

An imperceptible glint grew in Zelkova's eyes. The blonde-haired man smiled and nodded at his protege. "Ah, I've seen that look on a trainer before. I felt the same after losing to Kabu with my dear Illumise... You've been let down by the world, haven't you?"

Simon felt a ball grow in his throat. He wasn't wrong. "Yes. And I want to prove them wrong." he said shakily.

"Well trust me, my dear boy, Blackspear will not. With us, you can shine to your truest potential." his boss replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If it's Blackspear's help you seek… we will gladly provide."

Simon looked up, his face lighting up before Zelkova finished his sentence. "...for a price."

The boy paused, unsure what he meant, "I don't really have any money to-"

"No, no, my boy. We don't ask for money, Blackspear has plenty of that. We just want to know that you will remain… loyal to us in the future. We scratch your back, you scratch ours, hm?" Zelkova said with a chuckle as he leaned back and scratched his Nincada's chin.

Simon nodded eagerly, "O-of course! I'll do anything, sir!" he said, hoping that Aurora had vouched for him from their previous job. "Blackspear can always count on me!"

"Very well then." The admin rose from his chair and motioned for Simon to follow him, leading him to a large, locked filing cabinet at the back of his office. He entered a code on the panel and pulled out a drawer. Rows of carefully-stored Pokeballs were inside… though they looked unlike regular market ones Simon had seen before. They were gray and black, with a button at the top of the device rather than the side. There were very few of them in the drawer as well; clearly these were valuable, Simon thought. Zelkova ran his fingers over several before mouthing an 'ah' and retrieving one from the back.

"Here. From one bug lover to another." the man said, gently dropping the ball into Simon's palm.

"Wha- is it a Pokemon?" Simon asked, surprised by the weight of the ball and carefully turning it around. He noticed a number printed on the side: 84.

Zelkova smirked. "A favourite of mine."

New Capture

"Consider it a little power boost." Zelkova chuckled as he closed the cabinet. "A token of my appreciation in the hopes of our… continued work."

Simon looked at the Pokeball in his hand with awe. FInally, this was his ticket. This was what he'd needed all along. He was no longer going to be weak.

-----

The scene shifted back to Simon staring at the ball in his hand. That day had been nearly a week ago, and Simon hadn't gotten the courage to use it yet. Was he ready to handle a Pokemon of this strength? He'd doubled down on training with the rest of his Pokemon to compensate, but he knew none of them would compare to the one he was holding right now. When he'd received the message from Blackspear about a security job, he'd decided not to take the rest of his team - as a way to force himself to learn this new Pokemon.

A call from Aurora brought him back to reality. "Oi, eyes up. Bosses are coming through."

Simon straightened up and hastily pocketed the ball. In the distance, he spotted a car pulling up in their direction, the windows tinted black but the logo on the side displaying that of the Galar Rail Conglomerate. The car stopped in front of the fence, and the crowd of protestors booed as two suited older men exited the vehicle. One wrinkled his nose at the sight and smell of the construction site, while the other seemed mostly unfazed by the whole situation.

One of the Blackspear security guards stepped up to the men and opened the gate for them, careful not to let the others through. "Glad to have you on site, mister Davies." he said.

The latter of the suited men dismissed the guard with a wave. "Mhm, yes, yes. Just making some rounds, this shouldn't take long."

The other man let out an exaggerated cough and waved the air in front of him. "Blegh! Damn it, Davies, why do you insist on visiting every wretched construction site in our books?" he complained, his Unovan accent in stark contrast to his partner's more posh voice.

"Pardon my friend here." Mr. Davies said to the security guard as he ignored the man. "He misses the cushy seats of Trevall Energy's office."

Simon tensed up, Trevall Energy? This man was related to Tristan then. Shitty attitude ran in the company, he supposed.

"Pfah, just get on with it!" the angry man grumbled as he lit a cigarette.

Mr. Davies said nothing and made his way to the generator, calmly peering at the readings before looking back at the large, mostly empty site. "All seems good, I suppose." he said plainly.

"So this is the 'commotion' you were telling me about?" the other businessman complained, motioning towards the rather small group of protestors. "We upped security for this?"

To Simon's surprise, Aurora spoke up. "Not to be rude, sir, but there have been reports of activists becoming more violent recently, especially after a coordinated vandalism attack by a league challenger-"

"Yeah, and where is he now?" the man interrupted, "I swear, we pay you Blackspear goons for nothing. Half of you don't even look like you could handle a rogue Patrat, let alone an actual trainer." he spat.

"Anyways, we shall be off. Keep up the good work." the calmer of the two businessmen said as he turned around and began walking to his car.

"NOW!"

Suddenly, the sound of a released Pokemon and steel ripping echoed from the small group of protestors, as a cloud of smoke billowed from behind them. Simon covered his face as bits of rock and gravel were sent flying forward by the force of whatever had just attacked, and as the dust settled, a large, purple Pokemon emerged from the smoke, taking a thunderous step that rumbled through the caves.

The Pokemon roared as several others stepped up beside it. "NIDOKING!"

"All units, take out your Pokemon! Breach on sector B!" the head security guard called out, speaking into his earpiece. The two businessmen beside him, who had been knocked down by the blast, quickly scrambled to their feet and rushed to hide behind the man as he stood guard.

Simon panicked as he looked at Aurora, who still looked calm despite the pressure. "Looks like you're gonna have a chance to show off your new toy now." she said with a smirk, releasing her Elgyem and Minior.

Simon looked at the intruders, still hesitant. Several Pokemon and trainers had begun making their way through the broken gate, their chants now even louder. One of them, who stood beside the towering Nidoking, pointed at the security team. "Aim for the generator!" the young man commanded. "Your reign of terror is over, GRC! Just like Jasper showed you, we're not going to stand by while you destroy centuries of our history!" the young man proclaimed, targeting the giant metal box behind them.

Simon's eye twitched. Jasper. Just the mention of the name was enough to get on his nerves. If these people were supposed to represent Jasper… he was going to make an example out of them.

"Go, Scolipede!"

The massive bug-type Pokemon burst forth from the gray ball, landing on the floor with a crash that shook even the massive Nidoking. It slowly raised its head, looking blankly at its enemies with soulless, gray eyes.

Simon looked at the closest approaching trainer, a girl with her Poliwrath. The Pokemon was charging towards the generator, evading the other guards' Pokemon. "Steamroller on the Poliwrath!" he commanded. Without missing a beat, Scolipede's body curled up into a ball and it charged forward at immense speed, sending rocks and Pokemon alike flying in its path. Before the Poliwrath's trainer could even react, the massive purple creature slammed into it at full speed, sending it flying backwards and over the fence. Scolipede kept rolling, making a large turn back towards Simon as it awaited orders.

"Cross Poison!" The Scolipede unfurled itself before firing out an X-shaped poison projectile at the water-type, which exploded into purple smoke as it hit its mark in midair, throwing the Pokemon even further back.

Several of the rogue activists released their Pokemon in turn, surrounding the Scolipede. "Rush him!" One of them cried out, as several smaller Pokemon began leaping on top of the bug's body.

Simon reacted quickly, "Smart strike, then Megahorn!" He ordered. The horns and stinger on Scolipede's body began glowing a steely white and it spun around in place, slashing and shaking off the Pokemon on top of it before following up with a direct attack with its horns. The Pokemon were all thrown backwards violently by the impact, scattering them across the site.

But Simon wasn't done. He looked at the trainer with the Nidoking, who was still approaching them, unaffected by the attacks of the other guards' Pokemon. This guy had to be their leader. Although... he wasn't targeting the generator or guards like the others. Simon noticed the trainer was looking straight at the two businessmen in the back, and both him and his Pokemon were rapidly approaching them.

"If you suits aren't going to listen to us," the male trainer began, "then we'll have to make you listen!" He threatened. The guard protecting the two men was desperately trying to fend the massive Nidoking off with his Scraggy, but to no avail.

Realizing what was about to happen, Simon whistled for his Pokemon, "Scolipede, go in with High Horsepower!" he commanded, pointing at the Nidoking as he began running forward. The Scolipede whirled around and charged towards its target, its hooves and rings glowing with energy as it galloped, ignoring all other Pokemon in its path. As it ran past him, Simon grabbed hold of its body and hopped on its back, charging into battle, hoping he'd make it in time.

The male trainer grabbed Mr. Davies by the collar and pulled him up close as his Nidoking swatted the guard away. "Now, you're going to call off your goons before you-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, both trainer and Nidoking were slammed into by Simon and his Scolipede. Simon had leaped off of his Pokemon and tackled the young man to the ground, sending both of them tumbling across the dirt from the momentum of the impact.

Stunned, the trainer yelled out as he struggled under Simon's weight, "Gah! Nidoking, help-"

Simon grabbed the man's head and pinned it against the ground. "Scolipede, high horsepower again!" he called out before turning to the two businessmen, "Get away from the fence, now!"

Not giving any time for its knocked down opponent to recover, the bug-type screeched as it's hooves glowed again and it delivered a kick with its back legs. The Pokemon roared in pain as it was pushed back even further, attempting to retaliate with a swipe of its claw but missing entirely in its panic.

"Nidoking!" The rogue trainer struggled helplessly as Simon kept him pinned down.

"Finish it, Scolipede!" Simon barked out. "Earthquake!"

"No!"

Scolipede raised its entire body in the air for a moment… before bringing its legs crashing down onto the Nidoking. The ground rumbled and cracked open as fissures burst underneath its body, violently erupting with energy and spreading to all the surrounding Pokemon unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius. The impact of the slam was followed by an explosion from the ground, that sent the massive poison-type flying backwards and crashing into the fence, completely KO-ed.

"I'll close off the breach!" Aurora called out, commanding her Elgyem to wall off the broken sections of the fence.

At the sight of their leader being taken down and their escape being cut off, the other rogue activists quickly began to realize their operation was breaking down. Several of them recalled their Pokemon and rushed to make it through the fence or climb over it, while others surrendered themselves to the guards in defeat.

The Nidoking trainer began to struggle even harder. "No! What are you all doing?!" he yelled out, "Don't give up, just like Jasp-"

"Shut up." Simon snarled as he slammed the man's head back down.

He looked at the Scolipede, which was now standing silently as it awaited orders, its eyes still blank and soulless. Simon had seen this look on a Pokemon before- but he couldn't place where. It didn't matter though. The sheer power of this beast was amazing; it had taken down several Pokemon all on its own and done so without a scratch. And all that power was his to control.

"I've got it from here, kid." the head guard grunted as he tapped Simon's shoulder, clearly indignated that he'd been taken out so easily. Simon nodded and got off the trainer, handing him over to the man before dusting himself off and going back to his Scolipede.

Aurora walked up to him, raising her eyebrows at the blank-eyed Pokemon. "I knew this thing would be strong… but holy shit." she mouthed. Elgyem was at her side, maintaining the invisible barrier.

"Well, I followed your advice." Simon replied, smirking confidently as he pat the giant Pokemon's neck. "I asked for help."

As he finished his sentence, a voice from the back of the construction site called out to him. "Young man!" Simon recognized it as Mr. Davies'.

The shaken businessman quickly ran up to him, his less-than-enthusiastic TrevallCorp associate walking behind him. "I must thank you myself!" Davies exclaimed, grabbing Simon's hand eagerly. "If not for your heroic charge, goodness knows what would have happened - you may very well have saved our lives!"

Simon resisted the urge to grin and gave a curt nod. "Just doing my job, sir."

"No, no! What you did was above and beyond, my boy." Davies shook his head, still holding on to Simon's hand.

"Those bastards thought they could intimidate us into changing course? Pathetic." The other businessman scoffed, sneering at the trainers that were now being taken away.

"If not for you, we may very well have lost the generator and the entire project too." Davies' added. "Please take this- it's the least I can do to repay you."

He handed Simon a golden plastic card, similar to one he'd seen before at the Wedgehurst train station. It was a rail pass, but rather than the typical single-trip format and information on the card, it read the words 'VIP' and 'unlimited'. Simon's eyes lit up under his shades, and he shook the man's hand again eagerly with a grin. "Th-thank you, sir!" He said, before realizing his enthusiasm was a little unprofessional. "I mean, ahem, thank you sir. It's an honour to receive this from you."

"Keep it up, son." Mr. Davies patted him on the shoulder and turned towards the head guard. "Call the authorities on these ruffians and assess any damages. We are already off-schedule, so me and my associate shall be off."

The other businessman shook his head as he grumbled a curse and made his way back to the car, casting Simon one last look before getting in. Davies soon followed, escorted by another security guard, and the car drove off.

"Way to make a good first impression." Aurora winked at Simon as they recalled their Pokemon. "You thinking of giving it a name?"

Simon looked at Scolipede's ball in his hand, glancing again at the number on its side. "Nah. Not like it matters."

[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

lover of milotics

That Dream...Make it Come True!

Me but more fabulous

VS Nessa - Rematch, Part 1

Me but more fabulous

VS Nessa - Rematch, Part 2

[I]Only thorns left on this rose.[/I]

[I]Only thorns left on this rose.[/I]

Don't let me disappear

How did this even happen?

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

Lancer

Branch into Psyche

[font=special elite][color=#FF3399]Toxic Terror[/c

Spelunking In The Mines​

Teeth-Clenched Teamwork

Don't let me disappear

How did this even happen?

Magnificent Turnip

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Spelunking In The Mines