AGE: 17 ⟡ PRONOUNS: she/her ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto ⟡ DEVICE: PokéGear
DATE: Sunday, September 20 ⟡ TIME: evening
LOCATION: Dewford Town

Marie has no intention of getting on that boat tonight.

Not because she's afraid, or because it's expensive. Or even because she's uninterested- she actually very much is! She'll probably go tomorrow night, in fact. She's actually inconvenienced herself by doing this. Which is something she probably should have foreseen. But what's done is done- tonight, Avril and June will show up to the docks and Marie will be asleep in her rented bed.

The true question Marie should be asking herself is: is the inconvenience worth the result?

Worth the anticipated result- yes. June is easy to read and easy to manipulate; she has predictable reactions to Marie's presence and some key exploitable features. Avril, however, is passive and oblivious to all but the most overt of comments. Marie can't fix the latter on her own, but the former? She can set things in motion.

Clearly, June and Avril aren't very invested in each other. With Avril being foriegn and June being from Johto- Marie recognizes her relative lack of accent, though it's tinged with Hoennian inflection- they must have met on their journey. Which can't have been more than a week, given how untrained Avril's Pokémon are. So if they've known each other, at maximum, for a week… it makes sense that a passive type like Avril doesn't have the guts to stand up to Marie.

So she's going to change that.

The tour promises to be spooky, and people will cling to each other when scared. It's a very cliché thing, of course, but it has undeniable effects. Theoretically, Avril and June will come out of this with a more solid bond. Avril specifically will come out of this with more investment in June, and that's what Marie wants. Because today has been boring and frustrating, trying to get Avril to show any kind of resistance to her. Marie wants to be entertained.

And sometimes, she just has to create that entertainment.

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $9 500

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) - ♀ - lv. 23
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Razor Leaf, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) - ♀ - lv. 22
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1x Pokéballs
🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Various clothes and commodities

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/94097[/SPAN]

Sunday so far has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but really what they all have in common is… novelty, I'd say.

I've never felt so positive about a Pokémon battle, and yet I've given Poppy and Angie full permission to fight against each other this morning. It just felt right to try it out after being so protective of the both of them, and the smiles on their faces once they calmed down were really uplifting.

I've never battled a Gym leader, also! I don't really know what on Earth was going on in my head, jumping from my first battle against a random trainer to a Gym Leader fight, but I did it anyway. I feel like that is not even the same Avril as me, but the badge that Brawly gave me is still here. I can touch it and feel the metal on my hands.

And then, and then… Marie came back again, and it was all so weird. Not wanting to leave her be, despite how uneasy I seemed to get, and once again acting like I would've never acted before. Now that I think about it though… maybe it was because of the other girl. That's also new.

I'm… I'm just laying on the bed at the moment. I've done the usual chores, had dinner quite early, and then just came here to rest for a bit. But I'm just staying here for a short time, with all my clothes still on and the bedsheets still in their place. I can't sleep now, even if part of me really wants to: I have to go back to the docks and meet up, once again, with Marie and… J-June!

I just like her, I have feelings for her, and that is the only plausible explanation. Her blushing makes me blush just the same, her smiling makes me happy, and feeling like it's me who makes her blush and smile, well… that's just perfection. I wonder if this is how Lucas is feeling, too.

He met her girlfriend at school, but they confessed their feelings to each other just some weeks ago, so I don't really know that much about this girl and… in general, my brother hasn't told me that much about Vanessa. All that I know was that she was there when I boarded the train away from Laverre and… while I didn't pay much thought to her at first, I started to miss her slightly once I lost sight of the city. She was right up there with all of my friends, as if I wanted her to be my friend as well.

What I think about her? Lucas is just very lucky to have met her, and I'm happy for them both. I-I'm… alright, I'm fine. But maybe I should give him a call and ask him a few things. Or… hope Vanessa is there too? I feel like I need to understand how they've become so close. After all… isn't that what I should aim for, too?

Ironically, it's a phone call that interrupts my ramblings. I lift my head up, startling Poppy who was just resting beside me, and see that it's not just Lucas, but my parents as well. I happily answer the video call on my Holotch, as I finally have some very good news to share, and they get to the point right away.

"I see you're in a different room today, uh? It looks… amazing!" Dad points out.

"It really is! It's a resort in Dewford." I reply, a large smile on my face. "Oh, and the view… it's just as good. Hopefully it's not too late!"

I finally get back up, heading straight for the little piece of balcony that I have. From the last floor, the view is truly stunning, and I am so eager to share it with them…

This is not a brand new feeling, but it sure is one I've been missing for a while.

Pokémon:

⚡ Rei (Tynamo)
⚡ Hoshi (Staryu)

The breeze is just what I need to relax after spending so much time in the lower floors of this place. And I know it sounds weird, but I really need to take some time for myself and reboot the system. Or… clear my mind, in other words.

So far it's working out alright. I'm all alone on my room's balcony, so high up from ground level, just reading a few comments and encouragement messages with my headphones blaring Roxie's music into my ears. Good stuff, really lets you blow off steam. But it also prevents you from spotting other people…

I see… something undefined peek over the balcony screen. You know, the structure that keeps each room's balcony separated. It's definitely someone's hand and forearm, but the worst thing about this is that they're holding some sort of phone. A Holotch probably.

The first thing I think about is… oh, such a peasant, holding their little phone-like object instead of wearing it like the pros do. Except I'm kidding. The first thing I actually think about is… oh, I'm not alone here.

And the second thing is… well, I wonder what this person, who is almost surely the one who's staying in the room beside mine, is even doing with that device. I should probably just run inside and forget about that, but part of me just wants to take off the headphones and hear what is happening. Guess what I end up doing in the end?

⚡⚡⚡

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie!" I hear what sounds like a muffled female voice. "A badge already? You're already getting used to it, haha!" Someone else spoke, this time with a lower tone.

"T-thank you, thank you!" A much clearer and louder voice replied. Definitely, the person who talked was right there with them, and not over a call. "It was all the Gym Leader's choice though, he was winning and still let me have the badge…"

"Because he too saw your potential! Your way of bonding with Pokémon is just so special after all."

"Well, mom… I caught another Pokémon, you know? But I don't feel the same as with Poppy." The room neighbor laughed nervously. I peeked over the screen to notice a blonde girl, with an eye-catching red flower on her head. Pretty cute if you ask me.

"Just give it time, will you? You got this! And I know because I went through all of that when I was a trainer myself!" mom replied.

"Haha, those were good times…" That is probably her dad speaking, instead. "Oh, by the way, who was that… girl you are with, Avril?"

"Wasn't he a boy?" Someone else asks. That kind of confusion is music to my ears.

"Uhhh… what?" I hear, from who I can only assume is 'Avril', and I already start regretting my decisions. Just a blink of the eye later, and those two green eyes appear over the screen and lock me on.

"I-I'm sorry…" I mutter, as I run back inside my room as fast as I can, so ashamed for eavesdropping all of that family conversation and getting caught in the act. I take a couple heavy breaths and try to take it all in, trying not to give too much thought on how incredibly cute that conversation was, but focusing on the important information.

That would be, the Gym Leader in this town seems to be a piece of cake! A visit is due tomorrow morning, then - and it's definitely better to get money that way than through oddjobs, surely. I really need to try that out and…

⚡⚡⚡

Someone is knocking on my door. I open it up and guess what, it's Avril.

"Look, I-I'm very s-sorry for before, I didn't mean t-to disturb…" She starts talking, her voice way too unsteady for being just a few seconds in.

"Ok, ok, it's all good. Just come in a bit, will you?" I tell her. She nervously shakes her head, looking quite unsure, but I just grab her arm and pull her inside the room. "So, nice to meet you, room neighbor! I'm Hikaru, and you?"

Well, I already know. "A-Avril. Nice to meet you!" She replies, still looking a bit confused… I can't really blame her, she's probably much more careful than I am around new people. "Oh, and this is Poppy!"

"Who?" I mutter, as a weird whiff of air hits me right in the face. It comes from Avril's flower, specifically from - now I see it - the little smiling sprite on top of it. "Oh, uhm… that smells of Cotton Candy…"

"Cotton Candy?" The girl looks surprised. "But yes, she's my Flabébé. She's been with me for years."

"That's cool! What's brought you here then?" I ask her. "You're a trainer, right?"

"Well, yes, I'm just travelling around Hoenn. I'm still a beginner though."

"I'm one as well! That means…" I try to just follow the plan. "We can battle sometimes! I'd like to see what your Poppy can do."

I think I've made her a bit more uneasy because she really doesn't look too happy to battle. Why not, is beyond me though… didn't she just receive Brawly's badge? "Well, how did the Gym battle go then?" I ask.

"Oh, I wasn't doing too well, but… he said I was still a good trainer and had potential, so he ended the fight and gave me the badge." Avril explains. Looks like it's true that this Gym Leader gives away badges easily, unlike a certain other guy…

"Interesting! I should be able to get one as well then…" I think aloud, trying to put a convincing smile on my face. It's about now that Avril asks me about my bandages.

"Oh, uhm, just… a little accident, but I'm feeling better already." I reassure her, but that's not really enough to take her attention away from this topic. I roll my eyes as she just reminds me that I should get some rest, try out some berries, and be more careful. When she stands up and wishes me a good night, though, I ask her one more thing. "Isn't it pretty early for sleeping?"

She could say that I'm misunderstanding or that she really goes to sleep early. But all she does is roll her own eyes and sigh. "If only…" She mutters, before closing the door behind her and leaving me back to my own business.

Welp, guess it's comment reading time once again… inside.

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $7 000 (- 2 500)

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) - ♀ - lv. 23
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Razor Leaf, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) - ♀ - lv. 22
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1x Pokéballs
🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Various clothes and commodities

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/94097[/SPAN]

The orange light of some old lamp posts was all that Avril could use to see where she was going, and what she was walking on - in this case, the pier where she was supposed to meet up with Marie and June. This time she tried her best to arrive earlier, and succeeded, at the cost of feeling already quite tired and panting. But…

Maybe it was too early. Marie and June were nowhere to be seen, and for the time being the only people on the docks were a few Pokémon, and some older people who were minding their own business. Definitely not a reassuring sight for Avril, who was already shuddering at the first Pokémon cry she didn't recognize and trembling as the gusts of wind coming from the sea blew on the pier. At least Poppy was safely tucked under her kerchief. Or, even better, at least Poppy was there in the first place. She wasn't completely alone after all.

Off in the distance, a tall girl with glasses could be spotted slowly approaching, no doubt it was June. As she got closer and noticed Avril, she waved at the blonde girl and walked slightly faster.

"J-June? You came!" Avril blushed as she walked closer to the taller girl. "Well… h-have you seen M-Marie around?" She asked, scanning the pier with her eyes but failing to find her. "It's about time to board the boat."

June's smile disappeared as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Is she not already here?"

"Haven't seen her anywhere since today afternoon." Avril shrugged. "What should we do? It was her who wanted us to meet up here."

The brunette tapped her lip with her index finger, unable to answer. June was unable to respond to Avril's question, as her thought process was interrupted by a megaphone announcement that the boat was about to set sail, and all passengers should take a seat.

"Ahoy maties!" A man in his mid twenties wearing a pirate hat, eye-patch, and a large, black beard- Likely a prop- stood on the ship entrance, speaking through a megaphone. "Any landlubbers wantin' to set sail on Moonlight tours better head on deck, unless ye have the collywobbles!"

"Oh my, it seems there won't be any more time to wait for Marie!" In a hurry, June quickly walked her way over to the admission, beckoning her friend to follow her.

"W-well…" Avril started feeling much more nervous. "Ok, I'm coming. Let's just get in there." She muttered, grabbing her wallet and getting ready to buy her ticket.

After the girls paid for their tickets and found two empty seats next to each other, the boat was beginning to take off, with a slight vibration that could be felt under the feet of the passengers.

The blonde girl was quite conflicted, actually. She really wasn't used to nightly adventures like this one especially looked pretty scary, so having one more person to cope with would have been helpful. And, weird to say, but Marie and her confidence really made her fit the role well. But… now it was just the two of them on the boat. No annoyances, no interference, just like at the beach. Avril breathed heavily a couple times, but in the end let out a sigh of relief.

***

The boat kept sailing through pointy rocks and narrow passages, with the sea getting slightly less and less calm as the trip continued. A slight fog was also rising, for an even more ominous effect. Avril had to clear her glasses because of that, in fact.

Most people, however, were too excited by what was right underneath them. A strong light cut through the water to reveal many shipwrecks of different sizes and ages, all there on the seafloor, as the announcer kept talking about how they sunk and why they were in that area to begin with. June half-heartedly gazed at the sight below her.

"Some say the ships here were crashed by the legendary Pokemon Kyogre itself, punishing the scallywags of the sea who destroy her beauty for loot." The man in the pirate get-up used an ominous tone, and most of the guests certainly found it amusing. Not so much June though. Usually her mind would be focused on bug Pokemon, but slowly realizing that her and Avril might end up alone made her increasingly flushed.

The blonde girl also didn't find that amusing. She was actually left wondering about how utterly powerful legendary Pokémon could get - that really sounded too much for her to even understand. "Kyogre?" She whispered into her friend's ear. "Have you ever heard of it?"

"I think I have from Mr. Yamiguch- Oh, I mean a family friend of mine. According to him, he's spotted Kyogre at sea once, although he has told tall tales before, so I'm not sure if I believe it. It sounds fascinating, but the records of it are so sporadic I'm unsure if it actually exists."

"That's… still interesting!" Avril mused, looking at the sea around her with renewed interest and awe. "Y-you sure know a lot of stuff about Pokémon…" She blushed.

June once again blushed in return. "O-Oh I don't know that much."

The peace between the girls was broken when a rumbling could be felt, and something very large and round began emerging from the ocean's surface. Gasps could be heard from the crowd.

Avril shuddered, instinctively leaning on June's shoulder, to which the brunette silently gasped and widened her eyes. Soon her fear changed into amazement, however, as a large Wailord emerged from the water near the boat. She blushed even more intensely as she pointed out the Water-type to June. "Look there!"

Still flushed from earlier, June stared at the large Pokemon in awe. "Wow, it's... it's beautiful."

"Er-Yo ho ho! Would ye look at that!" Even the captain seemed surprised by the Wailord's visit, but did his best to hide his reaction. "Looks like this scallywag decided to pay a surprise visit!"

Similarly to Avril, the gasps of the crowd morphed into whimsical amusement, with most of the passengers using their phones to snap pictures of the Pokemon before it was able to submerge.

"T-that's not Kyogre, right?" Avril whispered again. It definitely wasn't, or it probably would've already summoned a storm, it seemed. "It's much better than that." She smiled.

June shook her head, pulling out her PokeGear from her purse to scan it. "It's not Kyogre, but it is a Wailord, apparently the largest Pokemon known to exist. It's still an amazing sight, but if Kyogre really did create the ocean like the legends say, I wonder how much bigger it is."

"D-Do I want to know?" Avril replied, still amazed. "I feel safer with Wailord." She attempted a laugh, as she still kept her head on June's shoulder. The contact from the blonde girl made it near impossible for June's cheeks to not flash scarlet.

June thought it was a bit upsetting how Marie was absent, but maybe things wouldn't have been so bad with just her and Avril.

"So... do we turn back?" Ed leans forward, trying to see the bottom of the chasm he and Sunny have come up to. It's dark, and even with Sputter's light he can't see that far down.

"No way! It's only like, what? Fifteen feet across? I bet we could jump it." Sunny looks forward instead of down, and she can definitely see the other side, dimly lit though it may be.

"That's quite a jump..."

"Oh, come on! You told me you were always exploring when you were a kid. I bet you climbed trees and rocks and all kinds of things."

Ed shakes his head, trying to come up with a better idea. "Hardly. You did those things, but I kept my feet on the ground. And while you were on the track team, I was in the library, hitting the books."

Sunny huffs out an annoyed breath, stepping back from the chasm. "Fine, you were a nerd, you don't even lift. I'll go first, then, and I'll catch you."

"Lift... wait, that gives me an idea! What if I catch you?"

"Huh?"

Ed sends out Neo, who scans the area curiously while Ed explains his plan. "N.D. can hover over the pit, and even support my weight for a limited time. I may not be able to leap all the way across, but if I grab onto Neo, I can use them to swing across the rest of the way!"

"That sounds awesome! But... where does catching me come into it?"

"Oh. Well, uh... Neo wouldn't be to lift you. They can't... support your weight..."

"Sorry, what?" Sunny glares at Ed, and at Neo. "He can support you, but not me?"

"Well... look at me!" Ed gestures to himself. "I'm not as strong as you, Sunny. Muscle is dense, and heavy. That's just basic-"

"Neo, can you lift Ed?"

Neo scans Ed, beeping brightly and waving back and forth a little.

"...I don't know what that means. What'd he say, Eddie?"

Ed waves his hand in the same way Neo waved. "More or less. As I said, they can support me for a limited time."

"Fine. Can you lift me?"

Neo scans Sunny, buzzing a little as their magnets droop.

"Is that a no?" Sunny frowns.

"That's a no." Ed responds with a shrug.

Sunny grumbles grumpily, turning a little red in the face.

"Besides, I'll need you to toss the bags over! I'm not strong enough, and I want to cut down on my weight if I can." Ed shrugs off his satchel, smiling brightly at Sunny.

"Fine... but if this works it was my idea."

"And if I fall, I'll take the blame. Don't worry."

Neo floats out a little over halfway across the chasm, watching Ed expectantly. Ed takes a deep breath, letting it out nervously as he takes a step back.

"Farther." Sunny waves him back. "You want a good running start for this."

Ed nods, backing up until Sunny gives him a thumbs-up. He prepares to run, but stops and turns back the way they'd come. "Oh, this is crazy, I'm gonna get myself killed... no, it's fine, I'm fine. The science is sound, it'll work."

He turns back, taking another breath, psyching himself up.

"Breathe, Eddie. You got this." Sunny watches, both nervous and amused.

Ed nods, then starts running. When he reaches the edge, he leaps, throwing himself forward and almost immediately starting to lose altitude. Neo drops a bit, and Ed manages to grab onto their magnets. The added weight causes Neo to drop, and they strain to rise up. Ed's momentum causes him to swing, and he lets go of Neo, sailing forward and landing at the other side. His legs give out as he lands, and he rolls as he hits the ground, coming safely to a stop.

"Whoo! Good job, Eddie!" Sunny cheers loudly, which echoes weirdly in the cavern.

Ed lays still for a moment, breathing rapidly from the adrenaline. This is certainly more adventure than he thought he'd get today, and he can't help but laugh.

It takes him a moment to compose himself, but he stands back up. "Alright, throw me my bag!"

Sunny swings Ed's satchel, building a bit of momentum, then tosses it over the pit. Ed catches it, setting it aside.

"Alright, now mine!" Sunny underhand tosses her backpack to Ed next. Neo watches it soar past them and into Ed's waiting arms. "Neo, move aside, will you? I don't want to hit you or anything."

Neo floats back over to Sunny, lowering themself to hover beside Sputter. "Oh, good idea. Don't wanna leave her alone, right?"

Sunny backs up to where she'd advised Ed to start, taking only a moment to ser herself up, then running for the edge and jumping.

Unfortunately, she'd misjudged either the distance or her own athletic ability, and it doesn't look like she'll make it. "Oh, crap!"

"Sunny!" Ed watches in terror as Sunny hits the ledge he's standing on chest first, managing to get her arms above the edge and scrabbling for purchase. He drops to his knees, grabbing onto her arms before she can slip.

"I got you, Sunny, hold on!"

"Pull me up, pull me up!"

Ed tries to lift her, helping her walk up the side of the cliff until she is on solid ground again. Like he had, she falls once she makes it up, leaning on Ed for support as she shakes slightly. "I thought... I really thought!"

"It's okay, I got you..." Ed just holds her, unsure of what else to do. "I told you I'd catch you, didn't I?"

Sunny looks up at him, and Ed can see she's shaking with restrained laughter. "I thought I could make it! Guess it was farther than I thought!"

She lays her head back on his shoulder, and Ed awkwardly puts his arm around her. He points his Poké Ball back across the chasm, recalling Neo, then searches Sunny's belt for Sputter's ball. Once he finds it, he recalls her as well, plunging the cavern into darkness again. He immediately calls her back out, and Sputter latches herself onto Sunny in relief.

"Hey, I'm fine, Sputter! I'm fine..."

After a moment, Ed stands back up, gently removing himself from Sunny's grip. He recovers his satchel and her backpack, pulling a bottle of water out and offering it to her. "Do you need a moment? This seems like as good a place as any to stop."

Sunny accepts the water, standing up herself. She frowns at her pants, noticing a few new rips in them. "I'm good. Thanks, Eddie..." She sips from the bottle, watching as Ed gets one for himself, too.

Ed looks back at the chasm as he drinks his water. The ledge they'd come from is actually higher than this one, and he doesn't like their chances of trying to jump it again. "Hopefully we can find another way out of here."

Sunny drains the rest of her water, tossing the empty bottle to the ground. "Alright! Let's keep going! There's something big up ahead, I can feel it." She leads the way forward, going into another tunnel.

Ed grabs the empty bottle, tucking it back into his satchel as he follows Sunny even deeper into Granite Cave.

Pokémon / Inventory:

HIKARU'S TEAM:
⚡ Rei (Tynamo), ♂, lv. 19
Levitate
Not much honestly

⚡ Hoshi (Staryu), lv. 17
Illuminate
Psywave, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Minimize, Confuse Ray, Harden

I couldn't really make much of the little exchange with Avril of the previous night, but as I tried to connect the dots I could only come to the conclusion that Brawly was easy. Easy enough?

Well no. This guy brought out the heavy artillery. Raichu and Poliwrath versus Staryu and Tynamo. Double battle. Oh, and that was only after he made me wait for a while outside of his gym.

It somewhat felt like battling against not one, but two of Benji's Sandslash. Do I bring out all of the frustration of these Gym Leaders maybe? Do I have such a "can't wait to get slapped in the face" attitude? Well, might as well give him what he wants.

Clearly the fastest on the field, Raichu started off with Electroweb, as Poliwrath behind it channeled Hypnosis. "Minimize and Thunder Wave!" I called out, and Rei quickly zoomed forward, his body crackling with small sparks. Hoshy stood still instead, slowly shrinking as Electroweb hit it for some fairly worrying amount of damage.

Tynamo, in the end, was put to sleep. Moving closer to Poliwrath surely wasn't a good idea, uh? But at least I got it paralyzed: its movements were surely slower now. As his eyes gave in to the tiredness, Rei still levitated over the field, moving here and there without any control.

"Ok, now it's time! Electric Terrain!" Brawly commanded, as Raichu's tail crackled with electricity. It jumped up and quickly thrusted its tail into the battlefield, before returning to its usual "surfing" stance: as it did that, jolts of electricity spread out all around the Gym floor, in a circle.

Rei was suddenly shot upwards by the electric field, his levitating abilities unable to adapt in time to the new environment, but my focus was on Hoshi to begin with. "Psywave!" I called out, as Hoshi quickly stood up and launched a multi-colored beam towards Poliwrath. It was too slow to dodge it.

I felt the adrenaline rush as Brawly looked at me with sparkling eyes, but it was very short lived. "Raichu, Surf!" He called out, as a wave of water crashed down the entire field, barely missing Tynamo but hitting Starmie and Poliwrath. "Rapid Spin!" I immediately shouted, the water giving Hoshi some more momentum to start spinning around the field. My Pokémon tried going after Raichu, who dodged with unprecedented speed, then Poliwrath, who shrugged off the hit like it was nothing, all while Brawly was trying to get my attention.

"You see what I did there?" He shouted, pointing at Poliwrath. Some electricity sparkles were still around, but the damage was all healed up thanks to Water Absorb. Or at least that's what my XT said. "Yeah." was all I said, as I started to shake.

No way I could win at this point, he really had a great strategy and I really didn't. My Pokémon were just not as good either, but that was obvious. And Avril… oh Avril, you just fooled me big time with your 'modesty and utter underestimation of your own abilities'. I'm writing that in the blog word per word… maybe.

"You should try and do the same. You have two Pokémon, right?" Brawly seemed to mock me. I could actually still feel through his tone that… he actually cared for me, but I wasn't too sure of that. "Think about the field also."

I looked up to the ceiling, noticed the relatively unharmed Rei still levitating over my head, and realized how I was focusing just on Hoshi the whole time that my other Pokémon was asleep. Where did the field come in, though, I wasn't sure. You think I know every move by memory and all that? I didn't even go to a proper school for trainers! Not to mention that even if I did, I wouldn't have been that great of a student.

The jolts of electricity coming from under me were definitely the reason why Rei was floating so high up. Yes, I'm ashamed that it took me so long to realize it, but it's better late than never… I think. "Well?" Brawly checked in as I thought. "I'll just.. Electro Ball!"

"Ok, Rapid spin up!" Hoshi executed, barely dodging the attack and spinning faster and faster all around the gym as its core flashed more and more intensely. "Bring Rei down! Water Gun!" Hoshi hit my own Pokémon after working its way up there, throwing it down to the ground. Usually Rei could react to this sort of turbulence, so to speak, but this time he just let himself fall, until the crackles coming up from the field made him open his eyes.

"Yes!" Both I and Brawly cheered, almost in unison, leaving me a bit baffled. "Psywave and Spark! All on Poliwrath!" I called out right after, now properly fired up, looking with delight as my Pokémon giving it their all. "Look at this now though!" My opponent said.

"Teleport and Electro Ball!" Brawly yelled right after, and that really didn't go well for me. Raichu teleported right to where Hoshi was and, even in spite of Minimize, hit it from point blank range. The Psywave still hit the paralyzed Poliwrath but in exchange for that, Hoshi was out. Not like it could do much else, especially with Raichu still around.

Teleport as well? That was terrible. I guess Brawly really wanted to show me all his tricks, so I would really start feeling defeated. Or maybe not, because crazily enough, he didn't give me the impression that he was such a sadist. "Spark on Poliwrath!" I continued, Rei quickly obeying and charging himself up with electricity as he impacted the opposing Water type. "Well, that's all I have, you know?" I remarked, a dry smile on my face.

"I know, I know." Brawly laughed. "That's why I'm forfeiting right now."

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $7 000

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) - ♀ - lv. 24 ↑
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) - ♀ - lv. 22
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) - ♂ - lv. 15 - NEW!
Infiltrator
Swagger, Hypnosis, Wrap, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

JUNE'S TEAM:
🐞 Einstein (Dottler) - lv. 21 ↑
🐞 Chip (Wimpod) - lv. 15 ↑

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 Various clothes and commodities

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June

AVRIL'S BADGES:
🥊

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/94097[/SPAN]

"Oh no… was it here or…" Avril muttered as she wandered around the ship with June, trying to find the guide and his group once again. She probably could've been able to guess their path with a clearer mind, but she was too scared by everything else going on around her. "I'm s-sorry but I think I'm getting l-lost in here…" Avril grimaced.

"W-Well unfortunately I don't quite remember the way I came…" June said as she examined her PokeGear. "And it doesn't seem like the map is able to give us much direction…"

"Wait, is that…" Avril stopped in place, after some more aimless wandering, as she spotted some faint lights in the distance. It looked as if they were blinking and admittedly, they weren't the most pleasant thing to look at, but that was surely the best clue available to the two girls.

"Could it be the group? Should we go and check?" The blonde girl questioned, looking at June with anticipation.

"Possibly…" June had a bit of uneasiness in her voice. She didn't really want to be scolded by the five-year old again. "It's probably a good idea to follow it."

And so the girls kept walking, closer to a light that would just get farther from them everytime they checked. They followed it through an entire hall, then up some stairs, all while other ominous sounds, clacking and thudding, followed them in turn. Avril's chime could be heard above all that only very rarely, and yet… it still did its job, and helped the blonde girl from going completely crazy.

"There doesn't seem to be any ghosts in sight…That noise might just be the ship settling..." The brunette said to herself to stay sane, letting out a relieved sigh. "Good."

After countless corners turned, the girls found themselves in a dark and dusty bedroom, where some bunk beds and a desk resided. The noises from earlier seemed to fade away.

"I don't think this is where the group is…" June looked around the room, hoping to find some kind of indication of what was going on. "I don't like this…" Avril muttered right after.

Just then however, the clacking sound returned, louder and closer than before. June jumped, and hugged the wall behind her, while Avril took some quick steps back, yelping and moving around frantically as she tried to get back to the door.

"OH NO, THE GHOSTS ARE BACK, THE GHOSTS ARE BACK, THE GHOSTS ARE BACK, THE GHOSTS ARE BACK…" The brunette panicked once more, but the bright light quickly flashed across the top bunk of the bed, revealing two clam-shaped objects for a very short period.

"Wait a second...Avril, look!" June pointed to the top bunk, to which the light flashed on again. The tall girl used her PokeGear to scan the mysterious shapes, revealing them to be Pokemon.

"Those aren't ghosts! They're Pokemon, they're called Shellder, and they're water types!" A few inconsistent flashes of light showed the Pokemon clapping their shells together to make the clacking sound.

Avril looked at them warily, as she recovered from the jumpscare. She still didn't see them that clearly with all that flickering of lights, and so she trusted June's intuition. "I-if you say so…"

"I have an idea!" The brunette announced, tossing a Park Ball to send out her Dottler. Einstein's polka dots glew in the dark, creating a dim light source for the girls. "It's not as bright as I'd like, but it works!"

The weak light was still able to better expose the two Shellders, frustrating them. One of them hopped down from the top bunk onto the floor, and shot a Water Gun at Einstein.

Swiftly, Einstein set up a Light Screen, minimizing the damage of the water-type attack as the pressurized water seeped through the field.

Avril didn't even need to say anything… well, besides a well deserved "Thank you!" for Dottler. Poppy was already hitting back the Shellder who attacked with her new move, Magical Leaf. At least she seemed to be enthusiastic about the battle, unlike her trainer, who was just concerned with trying to get both she and June back to safety.

Seeing his friend cry out for help, the other Shellder jumped off the bunk to join the other water-type. The two Pokemon both shot Water Guns at Einstein and Poppy, fortunately the Light Screen was wide enough to minimize both attacks.

Einstein responded by using Super Sonic on one of the Shellders, ending with him spinning around in circles, and shooting a Water Gun at his friend.

Poppy took the chance to hit the Shellder who was confused with another Magical Leaf, but Avril's mind was elsewhere. The old, creaky door behind her had just closed with a thud, and that sent chills down her spine. "J-June, the d-door…" She whispered, still shuddering. "Look!"

June gasped, and rushed over to the door to try to open it. No luck. It was sealed tight. "It has to be a Pokemon! Try scanning the area with your device!" The brunette then turned her attention back toward the scuffle her Pokemon was in. "And Einstein, use Confusion again!" As ordered, the Dottler shot a confusion at the Shellder who wasn't confused, knocking it back a few feet.

"Uhm, ok!" Avril whispered, albeit with some urgency. A scan from her device would have definitely helped understanding what was going on around her… and which Pokémon were there! How could she not think about it? Well… she was too scared to, of course.

Back on the wall, she pulled up her Holotch and, with some hesitation, tried to find the screen that would let her scan for nearby Pokémon. The list was quite long actually, with the two Shellder right at the top of at least ten different entries.

Einstein used another Confusion to knock one Shellder into the other, leaving both of them with enough damage that they decided their best bet was to flee. The two Pokemon bounced away, escaping through a vent shaft above the bunk bed.

June sighed with relief. "Thankfully we got that out of the way. How has your scanning been going, Avril?"

"There is… no, there are so many Pokémon!" The blonde girl replied. "B-but first… shall we g-get out of this room?"

"Why, I'd love to, it's just…" June pushed against the door with all her body-weight behind her to no avail. "Seems this door won't open."

"WHAT?" Avril yelped, now getting very scared of being stuck in there. At that point, all she really wanted was to leave that place and get back to her much less frightening Resort room, not getting stuck in that room. June was there, yeah, but… oh no, why'd you think about that Avril! No use in being with June if you're both in danger! Be rational!

"O-ok, let's see…" Avril trembled, but eventually reached for Angie's Pokéball and let her out. "We need to break down this door, please… try Water Pulse, will you?"

Angie, a bit confused at first, looked around the place for a while, but as her eyes set on Avril's, quickly sprung to action, and let out a powerful Water Pulse, aimed right at the door handle.

The pressure of the water was enough to knock the door down, but to the surprise of both girls, a small floating squid-like Pokemon was spotted, looking just as surprised as June and Avril. He made short eye-contact with the two, before darting away somewhere else.

"W-What is that now?" Avril muttered, too slow to compute what that Pokémon exactly looked like.

June studied her PokeGear. "That was Inkay, a dark and psychic type… Surprisingly not a water type." The brunette pushed her glasses up. "It being a dark-type may be useful if he was on our side, as I've heard they, uh… I've heard they're effective against ghosts."

Avril stopped for a moment, touching her lips. "Dark uh? I'm not sure if we should go after it." She whispered, as the strobing lights appeared again in the distance. "Unless…" She tried to scan the area with her Holotch, trying to find the Inkay.

The blonde girl hadn't yet realized what was happening. All that her mind could do was keep thinking that the lights she was seeing were from the guided group. "Maybe it's… still b-better to follow the lights?" She doubtfully said, waiting for her friend's answer before actually running after them. June tailed after the blonde girl.

Another set of stairs, another hall, still following those weird lights. Avril was getting quite dizzy actually, her eyes more and more tired… one more reason to keep going and even fasten the pace, apparently. Her Holotch was actually still scanning however, and kept letting her know how Inkay was getting closer and closer. The two girls eventually reached the main deck of the ship and were back in the open, under the stars. And only then Avril realized one very, very important detail.

She saw lights, but didn't hear any voice. It was just her and June. "O-oh n-nooo…" She facepalmed, looking back towards June all guilty and defeated.

"Avril, what's the matter?" June asked before gently blushing. The realization that it was just the two of them was starting to sink into her mind as well, as she steadily approached the blonde girl.

"I thought the lights would bring us to safety b-but…" A strange, high pitched cry was heard not too far away. "Yeah…"

Her Holotch was now displaying some additional information about Inkay. It flashes the light-emitting spots on its body, which drains its opponent's will to fight. It takes the opportunity to scuttle away and hide.

"I-it was all I-I-Inkay!" Avril was on the brink of crying.

June was able to sense the sorrow in her friend's voice. She set her hand on her shoulder in attempts to cheer her up. "W-well, maybe if one of us catches Inkay, we can use his lights to guide us back to the group." She paused to remember how the only Pokeballs she had were Net Balls and a single Premier Ball, hardly enough to guarantee a catch. "...Although my Pokeballs are all specifically for bug types… I suppose I have a Premier Ball, but only one."

"L-look, I just have o-one Pokéball. B-but I'd rather use them than your more e-expensive ones if p-possible." Avril blushed heavily, before being brought back to reality by Poppy's adorable battle cry. She was already attacking the Inkay with Magical Leaf, as her opponent tried to dodge, but in vain.

"Oh my, what a coincidence." June remarked, observing the fight Poppy got herself into. Remembering when Avril helped her with Chip, the brunette decided to return the favor, sending her Wimpod out to battle.

June studied the screen of her PokeGear to guide her through the battle. "Chip! Help out Poppy and use Struggle Bug!" As he heavily trembled, Chip spat out a small, green energy blast at Inkay, dealing super effective damage. Inkay flew back from the damage, and the Wimpod honed in with an Aqua Jet.

Avril cheered, admittedly quite impressed by Chip. That combination proved to be very effective indeed! It looked like Inkay knew that as well, though, as it smirked towards Chip, its lights shining through for a Hypnosis attack.

Chip froze in-place, snoring softly. June had little choice other than to swap the Wimpod out for Einstein.

Einstein used Super Sonic at Inkay, causing him to spin around uncontrollably midair. Poppy took advantage of the situation to use Fairy Wind, dealing some consistent damage on Inkay.

"Uhm, h-how do I throw now?" Avril smiled, albeit very nervously, towards June. She still was such a beginner when it came to catching Pokémon…

June, while still a rookie trainer, was quite experienced with throwing Pokeballs from her bug catching contests days. "Throw the Pokeball while he's still dizzy! Arch your arms as such!" The brunette demonstrated a throwing motion towards her friend.

"Ok, so… like this?" Avril mimicked her friend, before eventually walking a bit closer and throwing the Pokéball at Inkay. Luckily, it didn't miss! "I-I hope it works…" the girl whispered, as the ball shook a couple times.

And then, it stood still. "It's caught, it's caught… we did it!" Avril finally cheered, letting go of all the tension. Her cheeks were red like strawberries as she turned around, Pokéball in hand.

"You did a wonderful job!" June softly smiled, her cheeks scarlet as well. With Inkay taken care of, the brunette could feel the tension in the atmosphere decreasing.

It was just her and Avril alone- For real this time.

Pokémon / Inventory:

HIKARU'S TEAM:
⚡ Rei (Tynamo), ♂, lv. 19
Levitate
Not much honestly

⚡ Hoshi (Staryu), lv. 17
Illuminate
Psywave, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Minimize, Confuse Ray, Harden

⚡ Aruku! (Clobbopus), ♀. lv. 15
Technician
Rock Smash, Leer, Feint, Detect, Bind

I still couldn't believe I left the Gym with a Knuckle Badge and $5 000 in my hands, and I still couldn't believe that Brawly had actually praised me for my battle strategy, and for keeping a Tynamo in my party. It really felt surreal.

I finally had something interesting to write in my blog about this place and… I actually started to see things in a different light after that, too! Dewford really didn't look as bad as my mind depicted it yesterday. But the best still was yet to come…

Eventually, as I walked around Dewford, I saw it. It was that Clobbopus that destroyed my skateboard, definitely. Unless all Clobbopus really have that same behavior, size and confused stare…

I didn't wait any longer, sent out Rei, and quickly paralized it before it could run away from me. From there, it was relatively simple to go for a couple of Charge Beams and catch that pesky Pokémon. And that really was what it deserved for what it did…

A trip to the Pokémon Center was now obligatory! It still felt a bit weird to walk this much instead of just cruising, but Dewford made it easy… by hook or crook. By hook, because on that Monday morning it was just such a quaint, cozy town, with a pleasant atmosphere and beautiful scenery… by crook because of all the sand, the bumpy roads, and everything that I already learned the previous day.

I checked the Odd jobs board as my Pokémon healed up, trying to fully get back to my own plan and my own objective, and it was just in that moment that I heard someone else in the hall talking… about something quite interesting.

⚡⚡⚡

"There's gotta be a reason so many of 'em gather here, right? And we've seen so many holdin' their specific Mega Stones, the Key Stones should be here somewhere!"

"We have not yet found any evidence of a source. Look- this is how much we have mapped, and nothing points to these stones forming in Granite Cave."

"Which means someone's been bringin' 'em in! But who, and why here?"

A sigh. "I know you would like there to be evidence of ancients here, but-"

I keep listening to them. It didn't end well last time I did that, with Avril, but this time those two were asking for it. I could easily just look at the board and listen to their ramblings about… Granite Cave uh? I still didn't know enough about that location.

"Now, hang on…" Rustling of paper as a map is moved. "We found the first Stone here, in this big room. But we also found one in this little side room. I just know there's more down there, and we haven't even checked this side of the cave yet!"t!"

Stones? I don't know which stones they're talking about, but they might be valuable… right? I finally lift my eyes from the job board. "Excuse me?" I say, immediately regretting it because I don't have a surefire way to get involved. "M-may I… help you two?"

"No," is the curt answer from the man holding a map. His shaggy brown hair almost covers his stoic expression.

His shorter partner has to move the map to see who he's talking to. "We're not takin' any assistants this time, right?" She checks with him. "Sorry, kid. We're lookin' fer Mega Stones in Granite Cave, and the Rangers don't let rookie trainers down there."

"For w-what!?" I reply, flabbergasted. Now that's interesting… something that's basically non existent in Unova and that I still have some trouble believing it's entirely real. One more reason to hear more information.

"Y'know, Mega Stones? You give a Pokémon their specific Mega Stone, and then the Trainer holds a Key Stone, and if their bond is strong enough, the Pokémon can Mega Evolve! It's a temporary transformation that unlocks new powers and changes up how they operate."

"That does… that does sound pretty cool!" I grinned. "And you're telling me it's full of those in that cave uh?"

"Mega-Evolved Pokémon? No." The man traces part of his map. "The required stones, yes."

"And a surprisin' number of Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. But not without the Key Stone and a trainer bond."

"Ok, so…" I pause for a moment. "What will you do with those stones? And… well, is there anything else of note down there?"

"That's our business. And not for 'rookie trainers', as Emmeline said."

"Business you say?" By now, I think the 'can't wait to get slapped' mode is in full effect again. "I'm even more intrigued!"

The man shifts in place, bringing the map up to cover his face. "Emmeline," he mutters, exasperated. With me or with his partner? Me, probably.

"Hm? Oh!" The shorter woman looks back up. "Listen, kid… you can't come with us. You're not even allowed in the lower levels! So don't go to Granite Cave, don't look for the paths down to the lower levels, especially not near the western entrance, where there aren't as many Rangers posted, and have a nice day." She steps back behind the map and out of sight.

Understood, crystal clear. Yessir. Still very interesting. I might want to go there actually, but… if they don't want to help me out, I guess I'll have to find someone else. And I have someone in mind already.

Name: Kira Wolf || Day: Saturday, September 19 || Time: 11:30AM
Location: Dewford Town

Saturday, September 19 {12: 00pm}​

Epoch 2: Dewford City
Quick Dewford Entry! Rush to Granite Cave!​

After the small kidnapping by Souei and forced to change her hair, she left to her room and decided to stay for the rest of the day, not wanting to risk another kidnapping. She decided to save the new outfit for later use and replaced it with her everyday outfit, the same one she came to Hoenn in. The next day, she waited until it was almost time for the Ferry Terminal to leave for the next town to leave the PC, signing out of her room. She speed walked towards the terminal, looking around to see if Souei was nearby. Luckily, she reached her destination without the male popping up.

My pink hair… all gone! It was one of the few memento's I had of my parents, remembering how my mother had pink hair… but father did have midnight black hair like I do now… Shuna shook her head, clearing away the thoughts. That doesn't matter! He still didn't ask me for permission! And just because he paid for the treatment doesn't mean she'll forgive him! She wasn't a doll he could dress up whenever he wanted!
Now, she was on the ferry, on her way to Dewford!

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

Shuna walked out the docks, looking at Dewford in awe, "Amazing…" She looked around at the small, but lively town. It looked amazing and she couldn't wait to start exploring! But before she explores the town, there's one place she wants to check out first…

"Alright… time to see Granite Cave!" uttered Shuna with a determined expression, fist-pumping the air with her left arm. Beside her was Finn, who cried out in excitement at hearing his own trainers with his arms raised up, and Pidge, who was standing on her other side, lifted one of his wings, imitating Shuna.

- - - - -Granite Cave - 12:30pm - - - - -

Shuna walked through the caverns, the pathway illuminated by skylights and artificial lights placed on the cave walls. She passed a couple people every few steps, she wasn't surprised at the amount of tourists here. Granite Cave is very beautiful and doubted anyone would pass up the chance to see the wonders up close.

She stopped when she heard a faint, high pitched squeak from nearby, trying to listen closely with all the tourists talking and shutter of cameras. She slowly walked over to where the sound was coming from, but she couldn't see an opening to looking into. She placed her hand on the wall and felt around, then noticed a medium sized hole at the bottom of the wall, big enough for a small pokemon to fit.

She kneeled down and placed her head close to the hole, looking with the available light. She saw a glint of silver and two ruby red orbs, but it was too dark to see anything else. She got her last Oran Berry and placed it at the entrance of the hole after she sat up, waiting for whatever was inside to come out. After a few minutes, nothing came out, but Shuna continued to wait. When it reached the 30 minute mark, Pidge was beside her, leaning on her as he rested while Finn was sitting beside her, looking at the tourists walking by. He would wave once in a while, either earning strange looks or waves back.

Shuna was bored, but she was determined to wait. She heard a faint, high-pitched squeak and turned to the hole, seeing a young Aron poking it's head out, looking at the oran berry. It poked the berry with it's armored head, looking at Shuna, before moving backwards into the whole quickly.

"It's ok… I won't hurt you." Shuna assured the pokemon, she could see it's ruby red eyes and it's silver armor slightly. They hesitated before slowly poking out, grabbing the oran berry and moving back inside. She heard munching, guessing that the pokemon was eating the berry. She brought out her Holotch and held it in her left hand, waiting for the pokemon to appear again. It took about five more minutes before they poked their head out, looking at Shuna with slight fear and curiosity. "Hello there. My name is Shuna," Shuna then motioned to Pidge and Finn, who were both on each side of her, "and these two are my friends, Pidge and Finn." Finn waved at the pokemon while Pidge cooed.

Before she could say more, her Holotch lit up, showing the information on the pokemon. Shuna read and smiled, looking down at the pokemon, now Aron. "An Aron? But it's different from the color the pokedex shows…" She looked at the picture the Holotch provided, then at Aron. She was about to look back at the pokedex when she noticed something wrapped around Aron's upper left leg. She slowly lowered the Holotch back into her pouch, leaning a bit closer to Aron to get a better look. Aron noticed and started to walk backwards, but stopped, as if waiting. Shuna noticed a leather strap with a small device attached wrapped around Aron's leg, it looked awfully tight.

"Aron, is it ok if i take that device off? It looks awfully right and like it might hurt…" Shuna asked, not wanting to frighten the pokemon. Aron looked at Shuna, confused for a second before looking down at the device on it's leg. It flinched, looking up at Shuna with hope, nodding its head without hesitation.
Shuna turned to Finn, "Can you hold up Aron?" Finn chirped as he nodded, grabbing Aron and raising him up a bit. Said pokemon panicked for a sec, but stopped when he noticed Shuna grabbing the leather around his leg. The teen tried to unlatch the device, but she couldn't find the latch or how to take it off. If she just pulled it off, it could hurt Aron… if only she had some scissors...

"Is everything ok?" a voice asked. Shuna looked up and saw a woman with navy blue hair tied into a ponytail, blue eyes, and wearing a pokemon ranger outfit.

"Ah… Miss, I think Aron is hurt…" Shuna replied as she motioned her head towards Aron's leg. The ranger kneeled down and looked at the leather closely, but when she noticed the device attached to the leather, her eyes narrowed.

"I see... " She grabbed some scissors from her pocket and carefully cut the leather as Shuna brought out two potions. The ranger returned the scissors as Finn placed Aron down, allowing Shuna to spray the potions so help the pokemon heal. Once the potions were emptied, she placed them in her hip pocket to throw them away later, looking back at Aron.

Aron looked at it's foot, moving it for a bit before letting out a happy, high-pitched squeal, trundling in a circle. The ranger chuckled before standing up, holding the leather with the device, "Thanks for informing me, young lady."

"No problem. And thanks for helping Aron," Shuna bowed as she stood up, "I should get going though. I have to check in at the PC before I come back here for the tour." Shuna turned towards the direction of the entrance, followed by Finn and the ranger, telling the ranger of how she found Aron. She didn't notice someone else following them.

*Minutes later - Granite Cave Entrance*

"Thank you again, lady. Good thing you informed me." thanked the ranger, standing at the entrance with Shuna a foot behind her, watching as tourists came into the cave and some left. She turned around to Shuna, but chuckled when she looked behind the girl, "I see he took a liking to you."

Shuna was confused at the rangers' words. At first, she thought the ranger meant Finn, but the mudfish Pokemon was beside her, not behind her, and Pidge was returned to his Pokeball. She turned and saw Aron behind her, trundling as some tourists ignored him and others took pictures, pointing at the pokemon. "Aron?"

Said pokemon looked up and saw Shuna looking at him, letting out a high-pitched squeak. He hastened his walk until he was right beside the girl, rubbing his head on her leg.

"Do you plan on catching him?" Shuna turned to the ranger, surprised at the question. "The pokemon here are usually friendly, but Aron must have been a bit afraid of humans after that tracker was placed on him forcefully and hid away from others. I believe that you were the only human who actually took the time to wait for him and didn't try to force yourself on him. That got you some brownie points. And the big points were after taking off the tracker."

Aron made another squeak, nodding as he cuddled up. Shun kneeled down, causing Aron to move a bit as she placed her hand on his head. Aron pushed his head further into her hand, trying to grasp for more warmth. "Do you want to come with me?" Aron stared at Shuna for a bit before nodding as fast as he could.

She grabbed a pokeball from her pouch, placing it beside the Aron. "If you wish to come, you just have to touch the white button in the middle. I won't force you, it's your choice." Shuna watched as Aron stared between her and the pokeball, before turning and pressing his head to the white button. The pokeball opened and a red aura surrounded Aron, absorbing the pokemon inside before closing, the button beeped and flashed red three times, then stopped, letting out a 'ding'.

Welcome to the team, Agro the Aron. Shuna smiled as she grabbed the pokeball, standing back up.

"Shuna, right?" Said teen turned, seeing the ranger was standing behind her with a smile, holding the tracker in her palm. "Can I ask you a favor?"

*Outside Granite Cave*

Two males stood outside the cave, one was working on a computer while the other was looking at a phone. Computer man had long blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, steel-grey eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, had pale skin, and wore a white dress shirt with navy blue jeans. The other was a young male with brown hair, steel-blue eyes, tan skin, wore a blue artist hat, a brown dress shirt, a black vest, black fingerless gloves, blue jeans, and light brown scarf. The blonde looked to be in his early twenties while the other was a young teen.

"Sir," called the blonde male, looking at the teen at his side.

"It seems that the tracker has moved, Acier." commented the teen, looking down at the phone. "I want you to go and follow whoever has the tracker. I'll look in the cave for awhile."

"Yes sir." the blonde, Acier, bowed before standing straight, walking towards town with his own phone out. The teen watched as the blonde walked away, and once he was out of sight, he looked towards the cave.

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

Enter Agro the Aron!


Current Team:


Inventory:

The southwest corner of the mainland is sheltered by rocky coasts and trees galore, quite unlike the urbanized peninsula of Slateport or the flattened shores of Dewford Island. The weather near the sea is primarily breezy, though occasional still fogs roll through some mornings. It's much warmer further inland, where the wind has trouble reaching- not quite the sticky heat famous in the tropics, but definitely cutting it close.

AREAS
Route 104 South & Petalburg City

POKEMON
Chewtle, Corphish, Dewpider, Meowth, Poliwag,
Skwovet, Slakoth, Slowpoke, Surskit, Teddiursa,
Totodile, Wurmple, Zigzagoon, Galarian Zigzagoon

Trainer Route #104 South is also known as the Petalburg Coast. The route is undeveloped and left to nature, with three exceptions- the Ranger Station at the border of Petalburg Forest, the small collection of docks and homes on the southern peninsula, and the paved trucking road between that and Petalburg City. The coastline's rocky beaches are much less swimmer-friendly than those in Dewford or Slateport, but you're likely to find an abundance of hikers and fisherpeople in their place!


Briney Port
The southern peninsula is technically its own small town, known as Briney Port. It is the Petalburg area's only true port, something which has caused tension between the port village and the city in the past. The villagers are very adamant about their own identity, and any implication that they are citizens of Petalburg is taken with great offense. Otherwise, they are amicable- they have to be, as they are the faces of the area! Anything that isn't shipped directly to Littleroot makes its way through here, including travelling trainers.

Breezy Seas, therefore, operates ferries out of Briney Port. Service from Dewford to Briney Port runs at 12pm and 4pm and from Briney Port to Dewford at 11am and 3pm; a one-way trip is two hours long.


PROMPT: wily wooloo


The Point (Fishing Spot)
IC: The Point, a collection of natural rock formations to the north and west of Briny Port, is open to fishing from September to December and March to May. Many fisherpeople are willing to lend a pole to a wandering trainer for the low cost of a few hours' company.
OOC: Roll once. 30% chance of Poliwag, 30% chance of Slowpoke, 10% chance of Totodile, 30% chance of an item. This roll does not count toward your 3 rolls for Route 104 South. You may catch what you pull regardless of if you've caught other Pokémon in Route 104 South. You may not SCAN here but you may use your guarantee.


Petalburg Forest Outskirts
Petalburg Forest is currently closed to humans and guarded by well-equipped Rangers. Shroomish hatching season creates spore clouds in massive quantities; you can see them blooming on the horizon. Other species that normally live in the forest are sheltering on the outskirts, many gathering around the Ranger Station itself. Yes, this is annual. Nature be like that. Does this sound familiar? Maybe. Regardless, trainers are currently barred from taking the forest path to Rustboro.



Ranger Station
The local Ranger Station is a beautiful old house situated just south of the forest's treeline. Normally, only four rangers stay here at a time. However, beginning in mid to late September, they have to call in a lot more help.

PROMPT: census-taker

Petalburg City is a fairly large settlement, though of course nowhere near the size of Slateport. Its southern edge is technically the somewhat cliffy seaside, but most buildings are further inland. The coastal winds cool the shady neighborhoods and the smell of the sea is evident even when it can't easily be seen. The city is home to the usual amenities- a Pokémon Center on the west side, a Contest Hall in the northwest near a large lake, a gym, and a wide variety of shops. It's a calm city, and most places are closed by 8pm.




Petalburg Gym
Petalburg's gym is in the north central area. It is a rather nondescript building, more functional than fancy. The official gym leader is a down-to-earth older man by the name of Norman, but he hasn't fought his own battles in several months- he's been handing them off to his intended successor in an attempt to get the man used to the position.

Wally Greene, then, has been doing his best to find his footing. He may be an extremely strategic and flexible trainer- he'd have to be, to have his name in Hoenn's Hall of Fame!- but studying the way of a gym leader is a much different process than he's been used to. Right now, he is emulating Norman even to the point of having a normal-type team, but this seems to be causing him to trip up in various ways…

Wally accepts challengers from 8am to 11am and 2pm to 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Challengers may choose singles or doubles, and may use two to four Pokémon. Wally will use an equal amount. The first trainer to have all their Pokémon deemed unable to battle loses. Wally's preferred doubles team is Indeedee + Indeedee but will also use Vigoroth + Kecleon to accommodate 4v4 doubles.

To anyone that defeats him, Wally will hand out the Balance Badge, some prize money, and a nervous apology for being a poor gym leader. Norman dislikes the last offering, and will offer kind but firm criticism of both parties in its place. Victors will also receive a TM copy of any one status move that Wally's team members know.



Contest Hall
Lessons and stage practises can be done whenever contests are not actively in session.

Monday: C-Rank Doubles, 2pm
Tuesday: D-Rank Singles, 3pm
Wednesday: C-Rank Singles, 2pm
Thursday: D-Rank Doubles, 3pm
Friday: C-Rank Doubles, 2pm. B-Rank Doubles, 6pm.
Saturday: D-Rank Singles, 11am. B-Rank Singles, 3pm.
Sunday: D-Rank Doubles, 11am. A-Rank Singles [second Sunday] and A-Rank Doubles [fourth Sunday], 3pm.


Enomoto Pokémon Conservatory
The large, glass-domed conservatory lies in the south of Petalburg and is run by June's uncle, Tetsuo Enomoto. He's inherited the conservatory due to pressure from his family, being the only young adult with a license and no children or other responsibilities to take care of in the Enomoto family. Tetsuo has always been more interested in battling than conservatory work and he struggles to keep the place afloat. To that end, he has started charging an admission fee for visitors to the conservatory. Petalburg locals and the rest of the family were revolted by the decision, but the point stands that the conservatory has grown in popularity as a tourist destination, even to the point of hosting a small gift shop with rather basic merchandise. There is a large field behind the conservatory for those species that need to run, and a small, traditional home is attached to the building itself but is not open to visitors- Tetsuo lives here.

During weekdays, visitors may pay the small admission fee to walk a designated route through the conservatory, denoted by paved paths and fencing in certain areas. All kinds of Pokémon can be seen here, many not native to Hoenn. Catching Pokémon inside the conservatory is strictly forbidden, as many of the Pokémon belong to members of the Enomoto family personally.


Lake Petalburg (Fishing Spot)
IC: In the northeast corner of the city, a large freshwater lake and surrounding park grounds invite locals and visitors alike to enjoy its beauty. The sports center near the park entrance rents out things such as kayaks, life jackets, and fishing rods to those who don't own their own.
OOC: Roll once. 50% chance of Corphish, 20% chance of Chewtle, 10% chance of Dewpider, and 20% chance of nothing. This roll does not count toward your 3 rolls for Petalburg City. You may catch what you pull regardless of if you've caught other Pokémon in Petalburg City. You may not SCAN here but you may use your guarantee.

PROMPT: sailing away

...but your head gets dumb?

Traveling this far into the caves is starting to exhaust both trainers. The ever-present darkness makes them jump at every sound, the air is stale and unmoving, which makes it feel hot and stuffy despite the cool temperatures, and a general sense of uneasiness is settling in due to not being sure where or even when they are. They've been going through a particular tunnel for a few minutes now.

"How long have we been down here, Eddie?" Sunny had turned off her Holotch light to preserve her dwindling battery, so she and Ed both stick close to Sputter.

Ed again instinctively checks his wrist, before remembering he removed the broken device. "Why are you asking me?" He grumbles, grabbing her wrist to point her Holotch toward himself.

"Sorry, I'm just used to you having the answers. You're always the one with the ideas and information, I just figured you had a good internal clock or whatever..."

Ed scoffs humorlessly. "Well, as you can see, I'm as fallible as anyone else. I'm not as smart as you need me to be, I'm just quick on the draw with my tech. ...it's a little after 4. Our tour started at 10, so we've been in this cave for six hours, these lower tunnels for about four, and probably lost for the past hour."

Sunny frowns at Ed, pulling her arm away. "Don't get short with me, Eddie. And stop beating yourself up. That's my job."

Ed sighs in frustration, taking a moment to clear his head. "Sorry. I just... feel useless. I guess I've always been 'the smart one', and I've based a lot of my identity- and apparently worth- on my intelligence, and losing even a little of it is making me doubt myself."

"Wow. That's… a lot." Sunny leans against a wall, trying to catch her breath. "But, if it makes you feel better, you didn't lose anything. You just can't take shortcuts right now, so you have to work harder to show how smart you are. But you aren't smart just because you have or can easily find the answers. You're smart because you're willing to look for them in the first place."

Ed smiles at her. "Thank you. I needed that pep talk. You're a good friend, Sunny."

He takes the lead, stopping when they reach a branch in the tunnel. The two paths seem identical in size, implying they were formed by the same source. He checks both tunnels, deciding to take the left path. "Let's go this way. The air doesn't smell as stale. Maybe there's an exit this way, letting some air in."

Sunny grins as she pats his shoulder. "See? So smart."

After a while, the tunnel opens into a natural cave. The walls glitter as Sputter's light reflects off crystals embedded in the rock. A large stalagmite rising from the floor sits almost perfectly in the middle of the chamber, which is otherwise empty save for a massive pool on the left side. Ed is somewhat dismayed that the room appears to be a dead end, positive that they would find some way out.

Sunny turns her light back on to better see in the cave, and points to the ceiling over the pool. "Well, you were partially right. That's where the air is coming in." A narrow chimney leads through the ceiling and likely to the surface, possibly the source of the water.

Though disappointed, the fresh air in this cave is refreshing, and Ed sends out his Pokémon to look at the pool. He keeps an eye on Gremlin and Aster in particular, but they all happily approach and drink from the pool. Sunny sends her other two out as well, and they decide to take a short rest here.

Ed heads to the pool himself, looking it over and drinking some of the water. It's cold, and surprisingly crisp. "Fascinating… look here, the sandstone must act as a sort of natural filter…"

"Hey Eddie, check out these rocks!" Sunny waves him over to the stalagmite. Five feet in diameter at its base, the pillar is broken roughly four feet up, forming a sort of table in the center of the room, the top of which is slightly bowl shaped. Sitting in the center of the "table" are three round stones, which shimmer with many colors and possess a sort of marbled pattern in the center.

"₽500 says these are those Key Stones that Tsu heard about!" Sunny gleefully picks one up to see it better in the light, and it seems to shine as she holds it.

"Quite possibly. Probably, even." Ed picks up one for himself, noting how small it is. His also shines slightly, although he isn't close enough to the Holotch light to make it do so...

"Then this is perfect! We can give her the third one when we get out of here!" Sunny reaches for the third, but stops as a deafening roar echoes through the cave, along with a crashing of water.

Their Pokémon run away from the water's edge as a massive serpent rises from the depths. It glares at the humans with red eyes, it's mouth is full of large, flat teeth, and its skin shines like polished steel.

Ed fumbles with his satchel, retrieving his Pokédex. "It's a… Steelix?!" The Ranger database doesn't say anything about Steelix in this area. "Where did this come from?"

"And why was it underwater?" Sunny backs up a step in concern. "I thought Ground types hate the water!"

"Well, logically, Onix are doubly weak against Water attacks as they are both Rock and Ground type. But Steel types are neutral to the Water type, so Steelix aren't as weak to it as Onix are. Maybe after it evolved it relishes in its relative resistance?" Ed rambles as he backs up alongside Sunny, terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought so he defaults to logic and reason to try and cope.

Steelix roars again as it emerges fully from the water, as if trying to impress upon the young trainers that yes, they are being menaced by a 30-foot long iron snake and will you please take this seriously.

Sunny's Pokémon stand their ground between her and the Steelix. "Well if it's a Steel type, we can melt it down as easily as we do Neo! Sputter, hit it with Ember! Flare, use Fire Fang!"

Ed pulls Neo back, knowing there isn't much they can do against this foe. "Quickly, Gremlin, baffle it with Confuse Ray! Aster, aim a Water Gun at it!"

Gremlin shines an eerie light in its eyes, while Aster hits it with a stream of water. Sputter's purple flame impacts its metal body, while Flare leaps at it with a mouthful of fire.

Steelix seems unfazed by any of it, and waits until they're done to attack, smashing it's massive tail on top of Gremlin. After that one hit, she's knocked out cold.

"I don't think our attacks are doing anything to it…" Ed returns Gremlin, sending Addie in her place. "Try a Metronome, maybe we'll get lucky."

"I think we're just not hitting it hard enough! Keep it up, everyone! Striker, get in there with Reversal!"

Water Gun, Ember, Fire Fang, and Reversal all hit, without even slowing Steelix. It slams its tail into the ground, and a pillar of stone rises up to strike Flare, knocking him out. Addie's Metronome results in Ally Switch, and he teleports over to Flare, swapping places with the Darumaka and getting him out of the fight.

"I have an idea, Eddie. Aim your Water Gun at Striker. If we can weaken her, Reversal becomes stronger! It's a desperate tactic, but I think it will work."

"It's as good a plan as any… Aster, Water Gun on Striker! Addie, Metronome!"

Aster blasts Striker with water, and her orange aura flares up as she charges in. Steelix shrugs off another Ember, and its head starts spinning 360 degrees like a drill, crashing onto Addie with a Double Edge before he can complete his Metronome.

Striker crashes into Steelix, actually managing to push it back! Only by an inch or two, but it gets the Iron Snake's attention.

"Sunny, this isn't working! I think we need to leave. Now!" Ed tries to pull her away, but she resists.

"Just let me grab that Key Stone!"

Steelix turns to look at Sunny, eyes narrowing. It dives straight down into the rocky floor, somehow filling in the tunnel behind itself. It then bursts from the floor in the center of the room, coiling protectively around the stalagmite table.

"Sunny, please! It didn't come out until we found those Key Stones. It's protecting them! If we leave, it probably won't follow us!"

"Unless it wants the other ones back!"

Steelix glances at the table, then back at Sunny. It roars furiously, exhaling a stream of cobalt blue gas that washes over Striker and knocks her out.

"Why did you say that?! Return the Stones and let's get out of here!" Ed pulls out the Key Stone he'd taken, and Steelix turns to him. Neo and Aster put themselves between him and the Steelix.

"Rampardos, go! Hit 'em with Brick Break!" A new voice calls out, and Ed is startled when an actual dinosaur rushes past, running headfirst into the Steelix. Steelix recoils from the hit, cracking the stalagmite it's wrapped around.

"Howdy, kids! We doin' alright?" A short blonde woman in a cowboy hat, the owner of the Rampardos, stops to check on Ed and Sunny.

Two smaller Pokémon, both fluffy and glowing, bound ahead of the human arrivals to flank the Steelix and Rampardos, looking expectantly to the other adult making his way into the cave. The man's shaggy brown hair falls into his eyes as he nods to Edison and Sunny.

"Summarize," he says, stoic and clear even over the Steelix thrashing in the background.

"We fell in a hole and we followed a tunnel." Sunny offers, while Ed shows his Key Stone. "Steelix came out of the water after we took the Stones from the table."

"Hang on, lemme see that!" The woman tries to grab it from Ed, but he instinctively moves it out of her reach. "Dang it! Harper, he's too tall!"

"Ask him, then." A flash of light reveals a pink Jellicent who immediately sets to drawing water from the pool into a whirling vortex. The Steelix hisses as the whirlpool grabs at its tail.

"Oh, fine… will you please lemme see that Stone?" She holds her hand out expectantly.

Ed glances over to Sunny, who discreetly slips her hand into her jacket pocket and nods at him. "Of course." He offers it to her, but she becomes distracted by a low rumble coming from Steelix.

Sand starts swirling around Steelix, whipping up into a Sandstorm. But it hardly has time to get going before Harper says simply: "Sunny Day."

Sunny flinches at his words. "What? Wait… how do you know my name?"

It's Flareon that springs into action, summoning a ball of light that pushes through and disperses the vortex of sand.

"Oh, you meant… right."

The water drags at Steelix, inching further and further up its long tail and it turns on Jellicent, exhaling a blue beam that punches Jellicent back toward the wall of the cave. "Save!" Harper yells, and Umbreon jumps between Jellicent and the wall to let a summoned translucent shield take the impact and send Jellicent spinning back toward Steelix. Jellicent redoubles its efforts with Whirlpool while Harper snaps, "Emmeline! Collateral!"

"Huh? Oh, shoot, that's right!" Emmeline grabs another Poké Ball, sending out a Bronzong. "Put 'em to sleep with Hypnosis!" Bronzong floats over to Steelix, a steady gong sounding from within its body.

Steelix recoils from the sound, but it can't escape the whirlpool. Its eyelids sink low, and its head droops before crashing to the floor, snoring softly.

"Sorry, Harper… I forgot…" Emmeline lowers her hat, covering her eyes as she looks at the ground. "You know how I get around these Stones an' the like…"

Harper strides to her as Jellicent carefully puts all the water back into the pool. Stopping in front of her, he takes just his first two fingers and tilts her hat back up. "I know," he murmurs. She looks into his eyes and smiles.

"I'm going for the Stone!" Sunny whispers to Ed while the adults are distracted. She creeps forward, but Steelix snorts in its sleep, making her jump.

"Oh, hol' up…" Emmeline looks away from Harper, tossing a Heavy Ball at Steelix. The massive serpent is pulled inside, the ball clicking shut after a moment. "There we go, he won't be givin' us any trouble now. So, uh… about that Stone?"

"Right. The Stone." Ed looks over at Sunny. "It's right here." He offers Emmeline the Key Stone, casually standing between her and the stalagmite table. Sunny takes the opportunity to try and grab the other Stone.

Emmeline looks it over, pulling out a journal from her back pocket. "Looks like a Key Stone, alright! But this one's much deeper in… if y'don't mind, we'll be keepin' this."

"I… suppose that's fair… You did rescue us. Does that sound fair, Sunny?"

"Yep!" She casually leans against the stalagmite, grinning in faux innocence. "Sounds good to me! There's nothing left for us in this cave, so… we'll just be going!"

Ed shakes his head, trying to warn her not to oversell the bit. "Actually, we're just a bit lost…"

"Don't lean on that." Harper says to Sunny. "Go up the tunnel, take the other path."

"The… other path…" Ed sighs. "Of course… thank you. For all you've done."

Emmeline is busy sketching the room in her journal, so barely notices them leave. Harper nods once and watches them go- specifically, Sunny, as if making sure she doesn't lean on any more cave formations.

The two follow his directions, taking the tunnel back. Once the two adults are out of sight, Sunny proudly pulls both Key Stones from her pocket. "One for you, one for me! Shame we couldn't get one for Tsu, though."

Ed accepts the Stone, again noticing the faint shine it emits in his hand. "Yes… a shame. I hope she's alright."

Sunny shrugs, putting her Stone back in her pocket. "She's probably waiting for us at the Station. That's how those two Rangers found us. She told them what happened to us."

"Then let's hurry back. No need to make her worry any longer than she has to." Harper's directions are spot on, and soon the cave is lit by the late afternoon sun and a few strands of light. They emerge outside near a Ranger Station, where they get a guide to take them safely back to town.