[Best Veteran March/May 2011] A new professor in town - Kanto Adventure PG13

Dusk was settling as Sam stepped into the giant city. The ever familiar vibe still pulsed throughout Sam's body. As hard as he tried, he couldn't place the nostalgic vibe.

"Where have I felt this before…" he whispered to himself. The feeling was almost getting annoying. He couldn't place it! While he closed his eyes and walked forward, still thinking, he suddenly crashed into something and fell over. Rubbing his head, Sam looked forward at whatever he'd crashed into.

In front of him, a man was already standing up and picking up papers. Sam remarked at how he managed to wear a lab coat even around town…he raised an eyebrow at this but stood up regardless.

"You alright?" he walked over and picked up a paper. Suddenly, the man freaked out and snatched the paper.

"Don't touch that!" he screamed, glaring at Sam. Sam sighed in response.

"Why? What on earth could you possibly do that is so important that you must both wear a lab coat around town and carry papers so classified that someone who was just trying to help and couldn't give a damn at all can't see?" Sam asked sarcastically, turning away. This really seemed to get to the man, as he suddenly stopped.

"Oh…I'm quite sorry. I'm just supposed to be handing these out to Pokémon trainers is all…" he replied, shame sounding in his voice. Sam stifled his laughter.

"Oh, well if that's all…I'll take one of these!" Sam said, grabbing one and leaving.

"Nope…just a trainer with a reason to be over. I'd like to check in…and have my guys healed up if you've got time," Sam grinned. She smiled and walked over to a computer. She typed a few words in, then handed him a key. Here's your room key…if I could take your Pokémon?" she asked. Sam smiled and handed her the three pokeballs. Walking over to a table, he pulled out that shiny new pokedex of his…

About 15 minutes later, the nurse called him over. Sam happily picked up the three Pokémon and walked out the door without another word. He had one goal in mind. Now that he knew there was a gym in this town, he'd figured out what the feeling was. Anticipation. He walked through the large city, looking for one particular building. After a bit of walking, he sighted the large building looming high above the other buildings. For some reason…it felt a lot like Pewter City here.

"I wonder if this leader is like Brock…big rock type user…" Sam joked to himself. Little did he know…

Stepping into the huge open area, he was greeted in an odd way.

"You! Hey! YOU!" a voice yelled. Sam turned to see a boy standing there, glaring at him.

"Can I…help you?" he asked, confused at what was going on.

"What are you doing here? You don't look strong enough to be a trainer! Get the hell out!" he yelled. Sam narrowed his eyes at the boy, getting annoyed now.

"That's a good one, retard. Where's the gym leader?" Sam asked, anger seeping through his voice.

"You're lookin' at him!" the boy said, pulling out a pokeball. Sam sighed.

"Look, kid. I've been to gyms before. No leader I've ever met is your age. What are you, 10?" Sam asked, looking the boy over. He definitely wasn't a leader.

"Grr…you…what do you know?! Now just fight me!" the boy yelled. Suddenly, another voice entered the scene.

"Johnny, what are you doing? Get back to cla…oh my god…" the female voice said, stepping out to where Sam could see her. She was actually somewhat tall…for a girl at least. Her hair was dark, almost down to her waist. This woman…she wasn't like the boy. She had an air of…skill around her.

"Who're you?" Sam asked, looking around. The gym was large with a rocky floor, many larger rocks jutting out. Almost like Brock's gym…

"Me? I'm Roxanne, the gym leader around here. And you? Can't say I've seen you around," she replied smartly.

"I'm Sam…" he said, leaving his last name out purposely. She looked him over.

"Sam…?" she was obviously looking for a last name. Sam sighed.

"I'd rather not give my last name…I'd prefer to keep my privacy, if you don't mind. What's a kid like him…" Sam motioned at Johnny, "…be here, in the gym?" Roxanne smiled.

"Him? He's one of my students over at the trainer school. What he's doing over here I'll never know, but whatever. Obviously you're here for a gym battle and that is one of my more important duties…therefore! Johnny, go sit over in the stands. You will watch this match. Sam, this match will be two on two. I hope you realize that I use rock type Pokémon," Sam snorted at this point, "and now, pick your first Pokémon!" Roxanne walked over to the other side of the gym. Sam sighed.

"Just my damn luck I'd get a freaking rock gym for my first gym in this region. I've got…what, one move that works? All normal, one grass…oh, this ought to be fun…" Sam whispered. Reaching for a pokeball, he quickly grabbed Spore's. If he knew anything, it was that he'd need to get at least a small lead against her first, weaker Pokémon. He'd had this disadvantage only once or twice before…and he didn't intend to lose this time. Tossing the ball, the green mushroom appeared, looking around. Sam smiled.

"Spore! This is a very important battle, this is a gym battle! They're harder than normal battles…but we can do it! Let's go!" Sam yelled, getting more and more motivated by the second. Spore didn't appear to share his enthusiasm, but went with it anyway, attempting to put on a look of confidence. Roxanne, on the other hand, appeared a bit annoyed with Sam's decision.

"A grass type? Interesting pick there…but hardly surprising. You'll find that I am quite good at dealing with them…now go! Geodude!" Sam scowled at these words. Geodude…just wonderful…a Geodude. Brock, as ironic as it seemed at the time, had also used one. Apparently, they were the definition of staple rock type.

"Well then…let's get going! Spore, use Tackle!" Sam yelled. The mushroom creature charged, crashing into Geodude with no noticeable effect. Sam had expected this, but it was still a bit annoying to actually see it.

"Wow…pathetic! Geodude, show it your Tackle!" she yelled. The living rock smashed forward, crashing hard into Spore. The mushroom flew backwards, crying out in pain when it crashed into one of the larger rocks. Sam growled, realizing that this field was absolutely horrible for what he was doing. He had to fight long range…but to do that properly he needed two Pokémon. This was set up so perfectly to make sure he failed…but he wouldn't.

"Spore, get up! Show it Absorb!" Sam yelled. The mushroom struggled to its feet, shaking its head. It quickly let loose a burst of green light, which slammed into Geodude. It cried out in pain as its energy was sucked away. Slowly but surely, Spore's injuries began to vanish.

I love this attack… Sam thought, watching Geodude squirm. The light vanished and Geodude fell to the ground, crushing a couple rocks when it hit. Roxanne had a nervous look on her face and Sam knew that she was nervous. She hadn't expected him to fight at that kind of strength.

"Well, you're certainly an interesting opponent. You from around here?" she asked, gritting her teeth. Sam couldn't suppress a grin, but held back the laugh.

"No. I'm the Kanto region…I'm here for a new challenge," Sam lied through his teeth on the last part. No one needed to know why he was here…

"I see…I'm starting to get some idea of just who you are…I'll have a better idea after this. Geodude, Rock Tomb!" she got progressively louder, yelling at the end. Sam's eyes opened wide at the name of the all too familiar attack. Rock Tomb…Steelix had known it.

Steelix… he thought, not realizing Spore was nervously looking at him for a command. He snapped back a second too late. He was captured by the rising rocks, which poked into him, causing a loud screech.

"SHROOM!" the small creature cried. Sam couldn't help be feel annoyed. Not with Spore but with himself. How could he let that memory get in the way of his current situation? He turned his attention back to the battle, where Roxanne had apparently ordered a Rock Throw, as the floating boulder had been bombarding Spore with medium sized stones.

"Spore! Escape the move! Struggle out of it or something!" Sam barked nervously. The small Pokémon looked at him with a look of sadness before shaking wildly. It managed to free itself of the sharp rocks but was still struck by a few rocks. It still avoided the majority of the move, however. Landing on top of one of the rocks, it stood, wincing in pain.

"Now…ABSORB!" he yelled, getting more and more pumped by the second. This was feeling better and better…he loved being back in the ring. The green light struck Geodude, but not before Roxanne managed to get in a command.

"Use Rock Throw again!" she yelled. Geodude threw several more rocks before being caught in the light. Its energy was drained, but the attack stopped more quickly this time, as Spore was hit by the rocks. He screeched in pain as he crashed hard into another jutting rock. Geodude got back to levitating, one eye closed. Sam knew he only had one shot at this. He would have to get the timing of this next set of moves just right if he wanted to catch Geodude with absorb as the last move to heal Spore.

"Alright, go, Tackle!" he yelled. Spore charged, much to Sam's surprise, with no hesitation. He crashed hard into Geodude, who didn't even flinch in pain once more. Sam smiled. All was going according to plan…

"Hit it with your arm, Geodude!" Roxanne yelled, still going according to Sam's plan.

"Dodge it and follow up with another Tackle!" Sam yelled. Spore barely dodged the burly arm Geodude swung at it, landing on the large rock. He quickly leapt back up and crashed into Geodude, who much to everyone but Sam's surprise, fell down and crashed into the large rocks.

"No! Geodude!" Roxanne yelled. This was it; Sam's plan had worked perfectly.

"Great! Now end it, use Absorb!" he screamed. The green light connected, stealing energy from the rock at a rapid rate. Geodude struggled, still amazingly able to move. Sam's eyes opened quickly. He hadn't anticipated this much will power. One move…that might be all it needed…definitely wasn't a good thing at all. Roxanne grinned, realizing just what Sam had.

"Geodude, one final move! Rock Tomb!" she roared. Geodude lifted his arm, shaking. The arm crashed down and several rocks flew up, sending Spore flying. He crashed hard into the ceiling then fell to the rocks, extremely injured. Geodude, on the other hand, didn't manage to hold on. He collapsed, knocked out for sure.

"Yes…YES! I did it! Geodude's beat!" Sam celebrated. Spore managed a small smile, obviously injured. He wouldn't have survived if not for the energy he sapped using absorb.

"…good job, Sam. You've beaten my weaker Pokémon…but you haven't taken my best. Good job, Geodude. Return," Roxanne said, returning the giant rock.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Shroomish is the victor!" a referee yelled. Sam couldn't help but wonder where he had come from, but no matter. He had two members of his team to take out whatever the hell she had left…
OOC: Well, my short little post ended up being near 2000 words...oh well. Hope you enjoy part one! Expect part 2 soon :)

@.Eclipse - Nice to see you back :) Nice post, good to see Sam back in action against a Gym Leader. It's must have been months since your last Gym post! Anyways, good luck against Roxanne's Nosepass!

Congratulations Shroomish grew to Level 10 and learned Stun Spore

Warren paced up and down outside the gym, nervously flicking his Pokéballs around in his hand. Too psyched up to sleep, he'd headed to the gym to support Danny, only to find that spectators weren't allowed to enter once the match had started. Just as the wait began to seem unbearably long, the doors flew open and Danny strolled out, a confident smile on his face. Warren grinned.

"You did it then?"

"Easily. She whipped out a Graveler instead of her trademark Nosepass and it nearly took Mankey out with Explosion, but after that, all she had was one measly Geodude."

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't ask for a blow-by-blow account, Danny." The younger trainer pouted.

"Y'know, just for that, I'm gonna watch your match and laugh every time you get something wrong." Warren rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because I certainly won't hurt you for that...." Looking up, he stepped forwards into the gym, glancing over to where Roxanne, a slightly older girl was tending to a gently smouldering Graveler. Warren coughed loudly as he stepped forwards and she looked up. Instantly, Warren's demeanour changed. Roxanne was...kinda...hot, to put it crudely. Danny, fortunately, noticed Warren's gaping and elbowed him before he started dribbling, but Warren just glared at Danny, annoyed.

"What?"

"You look kinda creepy when your mouth is open wide enough to swallow your own head." Warren scowled, quickly losing that warm, happy feeling.

"Don't worry, Danny, you'll grow out of the girls are icky stage eventually." Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I thought you were too busy drooling over Liv?" Warren choked and sputtered for a second, unsure of how exactly to respond, but was thankfully spared what would have surely been an embarrassing remark when Roxanne interrupted.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, are you looking for a battle?" Warren froze, then immediately straightened up, grinning horribly.

"It would be my pleasure, Roxanne." Roxanne, looking understandably creeped-out, returned her Graveler and raised another Pokéball.

"Well, then, I'll start with Geodude."

"It's Violet for me!" the gym leader raised her eyebrows at the Ralts's nickname as the two combatants emerged onto the battlefield. Roxanne looked up at Warren.

"Ready?"

"Of course. You may make the first move." Warren gave a sanctimonious nod, at which point Danny promptly kicked him in the shins. Unleashing a torrent of expletives under his breath, Warren looked up as Roxanne's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of becoming detached from her face.

"Alright, then...Geodude, let's start with a Rock Polish!" The living rock instantly began to whirl, becoming a blur of grey-ish brown, eventually coming to a halt, looking a lot shinier than before.

"Violet, let's give it a Confusion!" The Ralts looked up at him, then sat down on one of the rocks littering the gym floor. Danny leaned over to whisper in Warren's ear as Roxanne struggled to hold back laughter.

"Y'know, I don't think this is going that well."

"Tackle it, Geodude!" Immediately, the living rock shot forwards with amazing speed, crashing bodily into Violet and sending the small Ralts flying with a loud screech. Warren groaned as Violet shook her head, standing slowly.

"Feel like fighting back now?" He yelled, annoyed. Violet shook her head moodily, crossing her arms.

"Then Tackle again!" Warren winced as Geodude flew forwards once more but, crying out, Violet threw up her arms and the rock skidded to a halt, surrounded by a purple glow. Violet gave a slight push and Geodude skidded back several metres, but suddenly, the glow faded and Violet dropped her arms. Warren frowned.

"Come on, finish it!" Violet shook her head again. Roxanne sighed.

"Time to end this farce, Geodude. Rock Tomb!" Geodude grinned and, raising an arm, smashed it into the ground. Violet stumbled and, instantly, sharp boulders erupted out of the ground, knocking the small Pokémon high into the air. Warren flinched as the Ralts hit the ceiling, then fell back down to the battlefield, smashing head first into the ground. Roxanne raised an eyebrow.

"Well that was a difficult battle."

Roxanne reached to her belt and grabbed the other pokeball. Sam's eyes narrowed. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be good by any means at all. Spore was already heavily injured…how was he going to fight at all?

"Hey weakling! You aren't going to beat Ms. Roxanne's best Pokémon. I've never seen her lose with it!" Johnny yelled from the stands. Sam sighed.

"Kid, I really wish you'd shut up. Your teacher over there may be a gym leader but I'm the freaking champion of Kanto!" Sam yelled, smashing his hands to his mouth. He'd wanted to keep a low profile…hell with that then. Roxanne's mouth dropped, as well as Johnny's.

"You're…Sam…no way. Sam Saruno has better Pokémon than a Shroomish…" Roxanne stammered. This for some reason irritated Sam. How dare she say that?

"Thus why I'm in Hoenn. My team members were STOLEN from me, if you watched the news. I'm here in Hoenn to find those guys. In the mean time, however, I figured I may as well try to take on a few gyms. You're the first. Now, let's GO!" Sam snapped back. This woman was really ticking him off now.

"Well, aren't we the patient one? But whatever. Nosepass, I hope you're ready! Go!" Roxanne yelled, tossing the red and white sphere. Sam's eyes opened wide as the light from around the Pokémon vanished. It was completely made of smooth rock with a huge red nose.

"What is this thing…?" he whispered, pulling out his pokedex. The odd opponent appeared upon the screen.


Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon
Nosepass's nose is like a magnet, as it always points north.

A lot of good that does me… Sam thought. He had hoped the small box would hold at least a shard of information on how to beat this thing. It looked as though it was fairly powerful. Johnny had even mentioned that he'd never seen Nosepass lose. Still, there was one thing he could do. Spore could heal itself during battle. Hopefully, that would be enough to beat Nosepass down but he doubted it. Spore had already taken far too much damage.

"Well, let's start this off, Spore, use Tackle!" he roared. His simple goal was to test its defenses. Spore shot forward and crashed in to Nosepass, but to even less avail than against Geodude. Nosepass was solid, far more so than Sam had expected. Roxanne could do nothing but laugh.

"Really, Sam? I thought the Kanto Champion," Roxanne's voice sounded of obvious sarcasm, "would be stronger than that! Nosepass, show him Tackle!" Nosepass slid forward, crashing hard into Spore. The mushroom flew backwards, but landed on its feet, crashing into the rocks. Sam exhaled deeply, but he knew what he had to do.

"Alright, Spore! Show it Absorb!" he roared. He expected the ever so familiar green light…but instead, Spore released a yellow powder, which fell, covering the multiple rocks. A few spores of these powders, it appeared, entered Nosepass's mouth. Suddenly, it stopped dead.

"What…was that…?" Roxanne whispered. Sam also remained speechless. Somehow, some way, Spore had managed to learn Stun Spore.

"That…that was Stun Spore…well! Don't just stand there, use Absorb!" Sam yelled, snapping out of the shock. This time, the green light did emerge, covering Nosepass. A few seconds passed as Spore began to take energy from the now powerless foe. Roxanne seemed to snap out of it as the attack connected.

"Nosepass, use Rock Tomb!" she yelled. Nosepass smashed a rocky fist into the ground, causing several large rocks to pop up. Spore didn't even stand a chance, flying up only to land hard on the rocks that sent it flying. It was down the second it hit. Sam sighed as he pulled out Spore's ball.

"Good work, buddy. You did great…" he whispered. Little did he know that Spore's crash had release a countless number of tiny spores into the air of the arena.

"Well, Sam. You're obviously in a rough position here. Unless you for some reason have another water or grass type, I'd say you're absolutely doomed here…" Roxanne mocked. Sam said nothing as he grabbed Fenrir's pokeball.

"…you're wrong. I may be without type advantage…" he whispered. Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "…but I am not going to lose. Fenrir, let's do this!" He threw the orb, releasing the grey dog into the arena.

"Yena!" it yipped. Sam smirked.

"Alright, buddy! We're taking this fool down once and for all! Are ya ready?!" he yelled, getting pumped. He got a simple nod from the small dog, confirming that it was time to go.

"Let's start this off nice! Use Howl!" he roared. Fenrir looked up at the blank ceiling, but let out the common bone chilling howl. Little did anyone know, the invisible cloud of spores was pushed forward towards Nosepass.

"Hmm…well, that won't do you any good at all! Harden" Roxanne commanded. Sam's eyes narrowed. This was no good. Roxanne was playing a hand he could match at best.

"Very well…Fenrir, get behind it!" Sam yelled. Fenrir ran as fast as the small rocks allowed, eventually sliding behind Nosepass. "Now Tackle it!" Fenrir leapt, using the rocky terrain as grip. He crashed hard into Nosepass from behind who spun around at the last second to face Fenrir. This ended up causing Fenrir to hit Nosepass in the nose, which actually caused the rock Pokémon to slip forward. Sam had to think fast if he wanted to follow up. What no one saw was that Nosepass suddenly breathed in the spores in shock.

"You're an interesting fighter, Sam, but you don't have the skill to win! Go, use Rock Throw!" Roxanne yelled. Nosepass tossed several rocks backwards, the first crashing hard into Fenrir. It was quickly followed up by two more, sending him sliding.

"Fenrir, get up!" Sam yelled. The small dog struggled to its feet, once more showing incredible will.

"Well, what are you going to do now? I've proven I can block anything you throw at me with ease. Just give up and save yourself the trouble!" Roxanne smirked, much to Sam's annoyance.

"Just this, go at it again, but jump off the rocks this time!" Sam yelled. Fenrir quickly leapt at a rock, quickly leaping back towards another. "Now hit it!" Fenrir leapt at Nosepass as the large creature spun again, hitting it hard in the head, but nothing seemed to happen this time. It shrugged it off and was ready to attack.

"Show it your Tackle!" Roxanne pointed at Fenrir and Nosepass spun to face Fenrir and slowly slid forward, crashing hard into Fenrir. The small dog was sent flying again, this time crashing hard into the rock.

"Fenrir!" Sam yelled as the dog hit the ground, unmoving. Roxanne couldn't help but laugh.

"You shouldn't have messed with me, it's that simple," she jested. Unbeknownst to all of them, Nosepass was being injured on the inside by the spores.

"No…I don't lose, alright? Fenrir, get up! I need you for this one!" Sam pleaded. The dog didn't move for a second, but then slowly stood.

"Po...ooch…yena…" it yipped quietly. Sam smiled at its will. It really wanted to keep fighting, no matter the cost.

"Good work, buddy. Good work…now let's do this again, use Howl!" Sam commanded, already forming a plan. Roxanne sighed.

"Didn't you learn last time? Use Harden, Nosepass!" Roxanne sighed. Nosepass spun to face Fenrir and a light flashed, but it didn't matter. Sam's plan had worked brilliantly. Fenrir hit Nosepass hard in the giant red nose. It screeched in pain this time, sliding back.

"What the…?" Roxanne stammered. Sam sighed.

"You didn't realize it…Nosepass's one weak point is it's nose. I noticed that immediately and used it. From there, I made sure to have one final move set up. You can't win." Sam smiled. Roxanne growled, but then smiled.

"That's where you're wrong! Use Rock Tomb!" she cried. Nosepass lifted its hand and Sam cringed. That move had finished Spore and would certainly end it against Fenrir. He closed his eyes and waited for the sound of rocks coming up from the ground. It never came. He opened them to see that Nosepass had stopped moving.

"What…what happened?" he whispered. Roxanne seemed to be in equal shock. Somehow…he had won!

"The winner…the winner is Sam!" the ref declared, raising a flag.

"I…I can't believe it. I lost…well, here. Take your damn badge and get out!" Roxanne yelled, pulling a badge out of her jacket and throwing it at Sam. He smiled before returning Fenrir and leaving an angry Roxanne and a confused Johnny in the wake. He had won, it was official. This win…would be one of the first of many here in Hoenn. He could feel it.

@You Just Lost The Game - Haha, I actually loved that post. Warren's adolescence and inability to talk to girls is always good for a laugh xD. I'm really interested to see how Warren is going to get 'Violet' to fight for him, 'cause a non-fighting Ralts isn't really any good to him. Still looks like Warren's got a LOT of work to save this Gym battle now! Good luck!

Congratulations Ralts (Violet) grew to Level 7

@.Eclipse - Nice battle... but Sam needs to learn to keep his mouth shut if he wants to keep a low profile. xD

Congratulations Sam earned a Stone Badge

Congratulations Shroomish (Spore) grew to Level 11
Congratulations Poochyena (Fenrir) grew to Level 9 and learned Sand Attack

Sam stepped out of the gym with a grin on his face. He looked down at the shiny new gym badge. It gleamed in the afternoon sun. Sam raised it up to the sky, reflecting further light off of it.

"I did it...I won!" he cheered, storing the badge in his pocket for later. When he put it in, however, he felt something; a piece of paper. He raised an eyebrow and pulled it out. When he did so, he recognized it as something he'd seen before; the flyer he'd taken from that guy he'd seen earlier.

"I wonder what this is..." he whispered, unfolding it. In full size, it appeared to be more of a letter...about eggs?

Dear Trainer,

If you are reading this, it means you have potential skill enough to take a pokemon egg out of our hands. We have been running tests on them as they've grown and they are now ready to be taken out of our lab. As such, we are looking for anyone and everyone who is capable of taking them out of our hand. We here at Devon have 10 eggs currently and are waiting for any skilled trainers who happen to possess the Rusboro Gym Badge to come relieve us of them. We will be waiting!

Sincerely,

The Devon Corporation

Sam couldn't help but sigh at how official they sounded, just like his family back home.

"Just like Silph. Well, I may as well...I've already proven egg pokemon rule anyway..." Sam whispered, walking towards whatever he thought was Devon.

An hour later, Sam had been walking around simply oblivious to the fact that Devon was in fact the giant building in the city's background. He was about to take what seemed like the millionth lap around the god forsaken city when he was stopped by a voice.

"What the hell are you doing, Sam?" it asked. Sam sighed, recognizing the voice almost immediatly. He turned to see the familiar blonde haired boy.

"Nice to see you too, Travis. What's up?" he asked, sighing again. The blonde grinned.

"Headin' off to the gym to get my first badge before you!" he declared proudly. Sam, much to Travis's dismay, burst out laughing. "What's so funny?!"

Sam wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "Nothing, nothing at all. Well, nothing except I already have my badge." He pulled the shiny piece of small metal out of his pocket. Travis's eyes opened wide before narrowing.

"Well, aren't we the skilled one? I'd take you on right now but I'm saving my energy for the gym!" he yelled, attempting to sound tough. Sam sighed.

"She won't be any trouble for your Venusaur, trust me. Your Tailow's in some trouble, but you'll be fine. By the way, d'you have any idea where I can find Devon Corp.?" Sam asked. This time, Travis burst out laughing.

"You're really retarded, aren't you, Sam? LOOK AT THE HUGE BUILDING OVER THERE!" Travis pointed at a large building. "That's Devon. Biggest building in town, obviously. Well, I'm out of here. See ya." Travis walked away in the direction of the gym. Sam couldn't help sighing.

"How could I miss such a freaking huge building? Am I retarded or something..." he whispered to himself. Slowly but surely, he walked towards the huge skyscraper.

Near the huge building, Sam noticed the first big part of the area; a giant fence. One metal gate was the only way in, two guards standing there.

"You, what are you doing here? No loitering!" one guard yelled, glaring at Sam. He sighed.

"I've got my reasons. Particularly, this." Sam pulled out the letter and handed it to the man. He looked it over and then did the same to Sam.

"You're a scrawny little kid...how do you ever expect to raise a baby pokemon?" he asked simply. Sam sighed.

"I've raised three so far...its not that hard. I love young pokemon. I'm a trainer through and through, I've got the badge," Sam pulled out the badge and held it up, "and I've got this, so let me through." The guard sighed and pressed a large red button.

"Get through there and don't try any funny stuff." he glared at Sam, who said nothing and walked inside.

The main Devon building was huge and well decorated. It truely was a beautiful place. Sighing as walked, he eventually made it to the reception desk. A lady sat there, smiling peacefully.

"Hello, sir. May I ask the purpose of your visit?" she asked. Sam smiled. At least she was sane...

"I'm actually here for the pokemon egg pickup. I've got my badge," he showed the badge again, "So yeah, where do I go?" She smiled and handed him a card.

"This will take you direct to the floor you need to go to. Please enter that elevator over there." the receptionist motioned to an elevator on the other side of the room. Sam thanked her and walked over. Inside the elevator, there was nothing but a place to swipe the card. Sam sighed, dragging the card through the scanner. Suddenly, the elevator started with a jolt. Before long, Sam was on whatever floor he was meant to go to. The elevator doors opened and Sam walked into a well organized room. Two scientists awaited in the middle.

"Hey, are you the ones in charge of the eggs?" Sam called. Both jumped and turned to glare at him.

"Will you quiet down?! Some of us are trying to work!" one squealed. The other simply nodded. Sam sighed, attempting to make it look like he was ashamed. The scientists eased up.

"So you're here to take one of these off our hands?" he asked. Sam looked up.

"Yep. I've got experience with eggs...so these are them?" he asked, looking them over.

"Yeah. We've been studying them but we're done now. Take your pick!" he said. Sam looked them over. One seemed to stand out.

"I pick...this one!" he grabbed the egg. The men seemed satisfied.

"Good...we assume you know how to care for the egg, so good bye. Tell your friends!" they quickly kicked Sam out.

Back outside, Sam smiled. It felt good having a baby pokemon with him again...but what would it be? He would just have to find out...

@.Eclipse -

.Eclipse said:

Back outside, Sam smiled. It felt good having a baby pokemon with him again...but what would it be? He would just have to find out...

Click to expand...

Yes... yes you will xD Shouldn't be long though!

Congratulations Sam recieved an Egg

@Everyone -

Okay guys, here's the new route! Please read my post in the OOC thread if you haven't already!

Route 115

Head north out of Rustboro City to Route 115, and you will find one of the brand new ports that have been built all over Hoenn by the 'Hoenn Ferry Service'. The company runs frequent ferry's that transport trainers to the outlying Islands of Hoenn. Professor Maple has kindly purchased a season ticket for each of you in an attempt to make your journey a little easier!

Hoenn Ferry Service

The state of the art ferry is a trainers dream.... with trading and battle facilities, as well as an on board Pokémon Center! If you want to relax there are also deck chairs set out on the deck.

Point's of Interest

On the boat there are a few trainers offering trades! Anyone interested in any of the trades make a post in the OOC thread telling me which trade you want to take up. If the pokémon you are offering meets the criteria the NPC is looking for I will let you know that the trade is fine. Trade's will operate on a first come, first served basis.

Trades on offer:

Malcolm
Wants instant results! A spoilt kid who can't be bothered to raise his own pokémon, so wants one that you have already raised...

Willing to trade:
Dunsparce

Level - 5
Gender - Female
Type - Normal
Ability - Serene Grace
Attacks - Rage, Defence Curl
Nature - Quiet


Looking for: Any pokemon above level 10

Alice
Alice comes from a rich family, and was given her first pokémon as a birthday present... only problem is she's terrified of it. She wants a pokémon that's cute and cuddly...

Willing to trade:
Skorupi

Level - 9
Gender - Male
Type - Poison/Bug
Ability - Battle Armour
Attacks - Bite, Poison Sting, Leer, knock Off
Nature - Adamant

Looking for: A 'cute' pokemon (I'll make the judgement on this)

Paula
An aspiring breeder, Paula wants a pokémon from the Ground egg group...

Willing to trade:
Corsola

Level - 9
Gender - Female
Type - Water/Rock
Ability - Natural Cure
Attacks - Tackle, Harden, Bubble
Nature - Sassy


Looking For: A pokémon from the Ground egg group.

Sam stepped out of the pokecenter. It had been several days, but he had no intent of sticking around any longer. There was no reason for him to be here anymore. He walked downstairs from the upper floors of the building and was ready to walk out the door when a voice stopped him.

"Phone call for a Sam Saruno!" the nurse yelled. Sam sighed and went to pick up the phone hoping no one heard. Much to his content, no one did. He walked over to take the call. Picking up the phone, he noticed the voice.

"Sam?" it asked. He couldn't hold back a grin.

"Professor Maple…is that you?" he asked. Her face came up on the screen in front of him.

"Yes, Sam. It's me. How have you been?" she asked with a grin.

"Not bad at all…busy, but not bad. Picked myself up an egg…should be interesting…but yeah. Why the sudden call?" he asked. She instantly looked at him with a new look.

"You need…a ferry pass to get around Hoenn. I'm willing to put it on your pokedex but it will take roughly 3 hours. Do you have time to kill?" she asked. Sam sighed. He'd need the pass to get around but…

"Yeah, I do," he lied. Today he was supposed to get out of there…but he wouldn't get far without that pass. Maple grinned widely.

"Great! Just send it through the transfer drawer." Maple's face vanished from the screen. Sam placed the metal box in the drawer and wished it adieu as the drawer flashed. It was gone now and Sam had a whole day of nothing to do. He sighed then continued out of the center. He'd just find something more fun to do. But where…perhaps he'd train on the route with the bridge.

Several minutes later, Sam stepped out on the route. He only had Fenrir's pokeball and the egg with him, along with all his supplies. He stepped out on the route looking for Pokémon.

"Well, I'll have to find something…" he whispered, looking around. He saw nothing and began to walk towards the bridge. Suddenly, he tripped over some unseen force. Cursing as he fell, he crashed, glaring at whatever the hell had gotten in his way. A small white Pokémon with a green head and two red horns stood there.

"Ralts…" it whimpered. Apparently, Sam's foot was heavy, as it was trapped under it. Sam stood. This thing would do…whatever the hell it was. He reached for his pokedex, but suddenly realized it was missing. Sighing, he grabbed Fenrir's pokeball praying that this wasn't a ghost type. The way it had just appeared had him worried.

"Fenrir, let's hit it!" he roared, throwing the ball. In a flash of light, the grey dog appeared, yipping already.

"Poochyena!" it cried. Sam smiled.

"Buddy, we're gonna do some training today. This is our first target. Let's start this off with Tackle!" Sam yelled. Fenrir nodded and charged forward at the Pokémon. He had a confident look on his face, but the look vanished…along with the opponent. Fenrir kept charging…and crashed straight into a tree. Sam raised an eyebrow. It hadn't slipped through the ground…it just teleported!

"What the hell is this?!" he cried. The thing was annoying him. A lot. It suddenly reappeared in a tree. Sam couldn't see what it was doing, but it appeared to be picking some sort of chestnut…a spiky one. Sam's eyes opened wide.

"Fenrir, look out!" he yelled a second too late. The nut had been dropped and crashed hard into Fenrir's skull.

"YENA!" it cried out in pain. This whatever-it-was-called was a real pain. Sam sighed. He'd have to come up with a legitimate plan now.

"Alright, use Howl!" he yelled. Fenrir shook off the pain and let out a bone chilling howl. His attack power was boosted now and Sam realized he would absolutely need this boost. The opponent, on the other hand, had already started picking another nut. He'd have to move fast. "Now get up in that tree!" Fenrir slammed its back feet into the ground, causing it to fly up into the air. It landed on a branch and was ready to attack. The Pokémon scowled and threw the nut. Sam cringed in fear for the worst…but it never came. The nut had gone roughly 3 feet and fallen.

"Yena!" Fenrir leapt forward and crashed hard into the Pokémon, sending it flying out of the tree. It hit the ground and began to squeal in pain.

"Wow…no defense, no strength…all it has is cuteness…" Sam sighed. "Not that it's any good against me. Fenrir, use Howl again!" Fenrir looked like he was going to lean back and howl, but instead spun around, kicking up dust. Sam grinned. Fenrir had learned a new move…Sand Attack. The opponent cried out as the sand got in its eyes.

"Ralts!" it cried. Sam grinned. This Pokémon was actually rather annoying. He'd enjoy beating the crap out of it.

"Let's do this! Use Tackle again!" he yelled. The Fenrir charged forward, hitting the thing hard.

"Ralts!" the thing cried before teleporting away suddenly. Sam growled. It had gotten away again.

"Fenrir, did you get its scent?" Sam asked. Fenrir nodded. "Then let's go!" The two ran off towards the other side of the park, Fenrir glaring as they went.

On the other side of the park, a familiar face was looking at the small Pokémon.

"Aww…what a cute little Ralts!" she smiled and rubbed its head. Sam quickly ran over with Fenrir already charging at Ralts.

"You, back away from it. I'm taking it down!" Sam yelled. The girl turned to face him, Sam's face suddenly paling.

"Sam Saruno…what the hell are you doing?" she asked. Sam looked at her nervously.

"Umm…Diane…what a surprise?" Sam couldn't think of a way out of this one…

"What are you doing to this poor Ralts?!" Diane demanded. Sam rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm fighting it. Fenrir, my Poochyena, needs training and that's what we're doing." Fenrir growled at Diane as Sam finished. Diane closed her eyes and sighed.

"You shouldn't take it out on this poor thing!" she cried. Sam grinned.

"Eh…doesn't matter. Just let me finish and maybe I won't beat it down." Diane raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Just trust me." Sam replied, looking the scene over. Diane backed up reluctantly. "Now Fenrir, use Sand Attack again!" Fenrir charged forward, sliding its feet rapidly. Dust kicked up, causing Ralts to cover its eyes. Fenrir was ready to take advantage of it, as it charged forward and hit it before Sam even gave a command.

"Poochyena!" it roared, howling at Ralts. The small Pokémon looked up at it in fury. It teleported behind Fenrir, kicking it hard in the tail. Diane couldn't do anything but laugh.

"And you're trying to beat this thing?" she asked. Sam scowled.

"Just wait. Fenrir, use Howl!" he growled. Fenrir turned to face Ralts before letting out a bone chilling howl. Ralts backed up in fear.

"Ra…ralts…" it stammered. Sam grinned.

"Now Fenrir, back it up by striking at its feet with you paws!" Sam yelled. Fenrir leapt forward, smashing its paws down at Ralts's feet. Ralts jumped back but Fenrir followed up, striking quickly. Before too long, Ralts was roughly five feet from a tree…

"Now end this! One last Tackle!" Sam yelled. Fenrir backed up and charged, hitting Ralts in the stomach. The small Pokémon flew backwards before crashing hard into a tree. It hit the ground, fatally injured. Sam took the chance right then. He grabbed something from his bag quickly… "Alright, Diane! This is for you, go pokeball!" He tossed the orb at Ralts, who was quickly sucked in. The light vanished and the orb began to shake violently…

@.Eclipse - Yep, that will do for me. Nice post. Just make sure you remember to pick up your pokedex and pokeballs in your next post lol.

.Eclipse said:

"Phone call for a Sam Saruno!" the nurse yelled. Sam sighed and went to pick up the phone hoping no one heard. Much to his content, no one did. He walked over to take the call. Picking up the phone, he noticed the voice. [/QUOTE]

I wonder how long Sam can avoid being noticed? It's only a matter of time...

Congratulations Sam caught a Level 4 Ralts

Click to expand...

The sun was starting to set slightly now, and Kliff still hadn't left Rustboro - but there was a good reason for that. Apparently the Devon company in the city were famous for their 'PokeNav' device. It was like a personal organiser - with a phone, sattelite map and all the other junk. A new black one in a shop window had caught Kliff's eye, so naturally he decided to buy it. Even though it had drained over half his savings...

He sat there on a bench near the town centre, fiddling with it and working out how it was used when it began to buzz.

"Uh-oh, what have I done?" he said to himself in panic. Please don't let his new machine be broken already. A small window opened up on the screen indicating an incoming call. Naturally, Kliff answered,

"Hello,"

"Hello Kliff?" a female voice said,

"Yup," he replied curiously,

"Oh good. hello, it's Professor Maple!" the familiar voice said. Kliff sighed in relief - at least it was someone he knew. But,

"Hey," he said trying to sound as friendly as possible, "Umm... how did you get this number?"

"Let's just say I have my sources," she said. What sources? "Anyway I have something you need,"

"Oh?"

"A ferry pass - you'll need it to travel to the different islands around Hoenn. I'll need to install the feature onto your pokedex though, so you have to send it to me via the machines in the Pokecentre."

"Sure, shouldn't be a problem," Kliff said standing up, "I'll speak to you in a few." With that he hung up and saved the Professor's number before heading off to the Pokecentre again.

Shortly after, Kliff walked into the Centre and sat down at one of the TV, phone... things. He dialed the newly aquired number, and after a few rings Maple appeared on screen,

"Hello again," Kliff said, "so what do I do?"

"Place your pokedex into the transfer drawer," she replied. Kliff found a small box hooked up to a number of wires and the like. Must be the one. He brought out his pokedex and put it inside. There was a quick flash, and the pokedex dissapeared. On screen, Maple briefly dissapeared then reappeared with the machine in hand,

"Thanks Kliff! This should only take a couple of hours at most. I'll call you when it's done!" The screen went blank.

A couple of hours?

The ball slowed to a stop and Sam grinned, picking it up. Diane simply scowled.

"I thought you were actually going to just finish it off and run..." she said quietly. Sam turned to her, still smiling.

"Well, proves how much you know. I caught it because I said I would. Anyway...what the hell do I do with this now." Sam explained. Diane shrugged.

"I'm gonna go find Travis...see ya." she left without a word. Sam stood there silently for a few seconds.

"Did she...did she just freaking ditch me?" he whispered to himself. He deicded she had and left it with that. He slowly walked back to Rustboro. He walked into the pokecenter and sighed.

"Better call Maple...I hope she's done..." he whispered, dialing Maple's number. Several rings echoed from the phone until she finally picked up.

"Hello?" she asked. Sam grinned.

"Professor, I'm back. Is my pokedex done?" he asked. Maple smiled.

"Yep. I'm sending it to you now..." she said when the drawer suddenly flashed. Sam opened it to find his pokedex waiting for him.

"Thanks..." Sam whispered. Maple smiled.

"Of course, now get out there and find those pokemon!" Maple cheered. Sam laughed.

"Of course...well...bye," Sam hung up. Sighing, he walked out of the door. He'd noticed a port during his countless trips around town and hoped that it would be able to get him out of there.

He arrived on the dock. The next boat wasn't due for 10 minutes...so he just sat down and released the small new pokemon.

"Ralts?" it growled as it appeared. Sam sighed.

"Look...you're an interesting pokemon, but we don't work out, so I'm gonna rel-" Sam was cut off by yelling.

"Hey you! Is that your Ralts?" it asked. Sam turned to see a girl...roughly his age.

"Yeah...who the hell are you?" he asked. The girl made a pouty face.

"My NAME is Alice, and that was an awfully cute pokemon you have there! Good work!" she said. Sam looked her over. She was fairly well dressed but one thing in particular caught his eye. A single pokeball on her belt.

"I see...so you're a trainer?" Sam grinned. Alice smiled nervously.

"Um...kind of...thing is, I really really don't like my pokemon. It scares me..." she explained. Both Sam and Diane stifled laughter.

"Well, I'm out of here, Sam. I've got to go catch up with Travis...well, see ya!" Diane wiped a tear before leaving. Only Sam and Alice remained.

"...sooo...can I see this pokemon of yours?" Sam asked. Alice nodded nervouly and grabbed the pokeball on her belt.

"G...go Skorupi!" she threw the ball nervously. Sam's eyes opened wide as the pokemon appeared. A purple pokemon on 6 legs with a barbed tail stood where the ball had been thrown. Sam couldn't contain his amazement with the pokemon.

"How could you be afraid of such an amazing pokemon? I absolutly love this thing...unlike the pokemon I just captured..." Sam held up the pokeball. Alice pouted.

"But your pokemon is so cute...how could you not love it?" she demanded. Sam shrugged.

"Opinion, I guess...say. If you don't like your pokemon and I don't like mine...maybe we should trade?" Sam suggested. Alice looked at Skorupi nervously.

"Um...my parents gave me this for my birthday, though...I'm not sure they'd like it if I just traded it away..." she whispered. Sam sighed.

"They gave it to you to be happy. If you trade it away and end up happy, you're good to go, get it?" Sam asked. Alice smiled.

"Okay then! Let's go the pokecenter...that's where we should trade." Alice walked towards town and Sam smiled, following.

Inside the building, Sam and Alice walked over to a machine.

"So this is how you trade?" Alice asked. Sam grinned.

"Yep...just put it on your side and I'll put mine in mine." Sam placed the ball, then Alice did.

"Now just press the button..." Sam pressed the button on his side, then Alice did the same to hers. Suddenly, the two pokeballs were sucked into their respective tube. A picture of Ralts and a picture of Skorupi appeared on each side of the screen. They slowly moved towards eachother before reaching the other side. A pokeball popped out on each end. Each trainer took their respective pokeball.

"Thanks, Sam!" Alice smiled. Sam grinned.

"Enjoy your Ralts!" Alice nodded, then left. Sam sighed and threw out the pokeball. The scorpion pokemon apeared.

"Rupi?" he hissed. Sam smiled.

"Hey, Skorupi. I'm your new trainer, Sam. Nice to meet you!" Sam rubbed the pokemon, who smiled.

"Sko!" it looked him in the eyes.

"How pretty. I hope you realize the Ralts you traded her only knew Growl..." a voice said. Sam turned to see Diane had entered the scene. Sam smirked.

"Yep. Figured it couldn't know anything useful or it would've used it. Anyway...where's Travis?" he asked. Diane sighed.

"I dunno...couldn't find him..." she whispered. Sam sighed.

"Probably still at the gym...it's not far. Go ahead and find him." Sam smiled. Diane nodded and left, leaving Sam with Skorupi.

"Skorup..." it growled and Sam nodded.

"Yeah...she's crazy..." Sam agreed. "Anyway, yeah. Welcome to the team...anyway, back in the ball you go. It's time to go get the rest of the team..." Sam returned Skorupi and walked over to the counter to grab the rest of his team complete with Fenrir who he had left to heal during the trade. It was time to get out of there...

@Zeph. - Got to love technology xD

@Kingo! - What has Jazmine done to make her pokedex hate her so much? xD Anyway nice post.

Congratulations Jazmine caught a Level 4 Taillow

@.Eclipse - You do realise you could have made that trade on the ferry? Oh well...

Congratulations Sam recieved a Ferry Pass!

Congratulations Sam traded Ralts for a Skorupi

Kliff spent the next few hours in the Pokecentre - bored. He now had more time to fiddle with the PokeNav, and was beggining to get to grips with it. He decided to go to Dewford Town next - a small island down South, apparently home to the regions second gym. Good thing Maple was installing the ferry pass...

Just then, one of the phones began to ring. Kliff paused, however nobody seemed to answer. Slowly, he walked over to it and answered it. Professor Maple appeared on screen,

"Ah good Kiff, it's you!" she said happily,

"Hello there," he replied,

"Okay, I'm sending your Pokedex over as we speak." Suddenly there was a flash of light, and Kliff's Pokedex appeared where he had placed it earlier, "Now good luck out there!" Maple said encouragingly before hanging up.

Kliff flipped the device open to see what had been done to it. He saw a new feature in the menu and, selecting it, a pass came up with a headshot of him. How was she able to find a picture of him?

-----

Kliff stared around the docks as he arrived, looking to see which ferry to board - as there were two. Looking at a large screen with timetables on it, he gasped as he saw the boat he was about to board was leaving in three minutes. He jogged over to the right boat and arrived at the ramp to get on, just as the workers were about to bring it in. Swiftly, he ran onto the ramp and into the ferry, thankful for his luck.

The ferry itself was nothing special, however it seemed cozy. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the deck was bustling with things to do - there was even a small square for battles.

The boat began moving, and realising this could take a while, Kliff decided to scan Gella and Rokko with his Pokedex. Rokko came out first, apparently he had learned Headbutt. Not bad. He recalled Rokko and Gella was next, however before he could check her out a high pitched voice boomed over,

"Wow! That Tangela looks really strong!" it splurted. Kliff looked in the direction of the voice and saw a small boy of about ten run over to him,

"Umm, thanks." Kliff said, unsure how to respond to the situation.

"Wanna trade?" the boy asked. Kliff stopped,

"Well..." he began. Gella looked at him worriedly - she didn't want to go with this other kid, "What do you have?"

The boy released his pokemon. A small, yellow snakey thing appeared on the floor. It had very small wings on its back, a pointed tail and a big head. Kliff used the Pokedex,


Dunsparce: the Land Snake pokemon. If spotted, it escapes by burrowing with its tail. It can float just slightly using its wings.

Kliff almost laughed, but his manners prevented him from doing so, "No thanks," he said putting the machine away,

"Aww come on! Please?" he said, getting a little impatient,

"Sorry, not interested," Kliff replied once more. The kid looked angry now,

"But... it's weak!" he said pointing to the yellow pokemon, "and I want that Tangela, it looks..."

"Yeah, strong. I know," Kliff said growing tired of the conversation, "Look kid, I wasn't exactly thrilled when I saw Gella here for the first time, but I gave her a chance and, sure enough, she's proven herself." Gella seemed to light up at the compliment, "Just give your Dunsparce a chance, okay?"

"But I don't want it!" he said getting louder. A few people had started looking over now. Kliff didn't want to get involved, "How about a battle? If I win then we trade, and if I lose then..."

"Look, what's your name?" Kliff asked standing up,

"M-malcolm," he said,

"Well, Malcolm, I've given my answer - and it's no. So see if anyone else wants to trade." With that Kliff began to walk away. Malcolm clenched his fists in fury and gritted his teeth - no-one was going to tell him what to do,

"Fight me you Bastard!" he sqealed. Many of the passangers gasped at the statement, however Kliff just stopped. He turned around to face the boy,

"Do you mind? There are other people on this ferry. Fine, I'll battle you," he said sternly, motioning Gella over, "we'll go to the battle area."

-----

Both trainers stood there, with their pokemon ready to fight. Kliff stared down Malcolm. He wasn't going to go easy on him - the brat deserved all he got,

"Gella, use Absorb!" Kliff commanded. Gella shot out the small red beam, striking Dunsparce with it. The beam went green, as it always does, and Dunsparce began to lose health,

"Use Rage!" Malcolm shouted. Dunsparce began to glow a faint red and charged best it could towards Gella. Using its tail, it bounced up and struck the Tangela who stumbled backwards. Kliff sighed, this was tedious - time to end it,

"Gella, use Sleep Powder," he said calmly. Gella extended two vines and began to sprinkle the powder. But it was different. It wasn't green like Sleep Powder - it was purple? Kliff grinned. Gella had learned PoisonPowder.

"Grr! Dunsparce Rage again!" Malcolm called out. Dunsparce did the same as before - however it was slightly faster this time. It struck Gella, and she fell backwards. The Pokedex beeped,

"Rage's power increases every time it is used." It said mechanically.

Kliff paused, "Oh. You can... speak?"

"Professor Maple took the liberty of installing this feature aswell as the pass," it said,

"...Okaaay..." Kliff said before turning his attention back to the battle. Dunsparce was growing weak with the Poison affect. Time to end it,

"Gella, use Constrict!" Kliff said. Gella reached out to the opposing land snake with three vines,

"No! Um, use... Defense Curl!" Malcolm spat. Dunsparce curled up into a tight ball, shielding itself from too much damage. Kliff smirked - it would be useless. Gella grabbed the ball and began to squeeze it. Tighter and tighter until Dunsparce gave up and uncurled itself,

"Now use Absorb!" Kliff called out. Gella began to drain Dunsparce's health, not letting up with Constrict. Kliff could see the Poison hurting the yellow creature too. There was no chance for Malcolm. Just then, Dunsparce turned red and dissapeared. Malcolm had returned Dunsparce to his pokeball and ran off. Kliff looked at Gella,

"Good work." he said as he returned her.

He decided to find a spare room - he was exhausted.

(OOC: That battle was very short o.o Ah well, it's only lv.5 :P)

@Zeph. - Wow, that kid has a real attitude problem!
Nah that's fine, as you say the Dunsparce was quite weak...

Congratulations Kliff recieved a Ferry Pass!

Congratulations Tangela (Gella) grew to Level 16

@Kingo! - I see it didn't take long for Sam and Jazmine to meet up... I look forward to seeing if they can finish Gina and Mia off :)

@Kingo! -
Congratulations Surskit grew to Level 7 and learned Quick Attack

@.Eclipse -
Congratulations Poochyena (Fenrir) grew to Level 11

@Kingo! - Wow, Sam and Jazmine are certainly developing an... erm... interesting relationship. With Jazmine (and her pokedex) grilling him now, how long can Sam keep the fact that he is the Kanto League Champion to himself? xD

@Kingo! -
Congratulations Taillow grew to Level 6

@.Eclipse -
Congratulations Skorupi (Skorp) grew to Level 11

n.b. I'll add Skorp's nickname to the OOC thread :)

Sam stepped back into town cursing under his breath. That had been an absolute waste of his valuable time. Sighing, he remembered the fight. In and of its self, it hadn't been too bad but meeting that girl, well, that hadn't been horrible either. Still, the only thing had been that cursed pokedex of hers.

"Of all the people in the world I could meet, I would find the one with the psychotic pokedex…" he whispered. If it really did know who he was, he could be found out any minute of any day. Still, it hadn't been a total waste of time. He'd done his training with Fenrir and doing a little bit as well with Skorp hadn't been bad either. Sighing, he walked towards the port at the end of town. It wouldn't be long before he took off anyways. Reaching the pokecenter, he was met by a familiar voice.

"You, Sam!" it yelled. Sam turned to see his 'favorite' people: Diane and Travis. Smiling as best he could, he walked over.

"What's up, guys?" he asked. Travis grinned and pulled out a badge. Diane sighed and did the same. Sam's eyes opened wide.

"We both got one, what with the extra time. What've you been doing?" Travis stashed the badge in his pocket. Sam shrugged.

"Killin' time. Say, you two have ferry passes?" he asked. Diane pulled out her pokedex and opened up a screen similar to the one Maple had put on his pokedex. Travis produced a similar screen on his own.

"What of it?" Diane asked, putting her pokedex back in her bag. Sam shrugged again.

"Just curious. Since you both have your badges, why don't you join me?" he asked casually. Travis grinned immediately but Diane took a second to think it over.

"Sure, I guess. We have to get to Dewford Island though…" she said quietly. This time it was Sam's turn to grin.

"I may have some problems but I don't fail at finding a ferry. Besides, I think it's a one way line up here," he explained. Diane smiled.

"Well then, Travis, let's go. We've got a boat to catch." she declared.

"Yeah…I'm in. A boat ride with my rival could be fun. Professor Oak did say that there was a battlefield on the ferry. Hope you're ready to go down, Sam. I'm beating you this time!" he yelled. Sam couldn't help but smile.

And to think just about a month ago we hated each other's guts… he thought. When they'd first met, he and Travis had hardly been the friendly people they were now. Still, he had his doubts about beating Travis without his team…

"…Sam? Hello?" a voice snapped him out of the trance. Sam shook his head, recognizing Diane's voice.

"What? What did you say?" he asked. Diane huffed.

"I was saying we'd better get moving, you know?" she asked. Sam did nothing for a second, but then nodded.

"Yeah…I ought to get moving…" he said, walking forward. Travis and Diane looked at him for a second, then each other, then followed him forward.

In the port, the boat was just pulling in. Sam grinned at the fact that he'd made it on time this time around. He walked towards the boat, but was quickly stopped by a sailor.

"Hey kid, I'm gonna need to see some kind of pass if I'm going to let you board…" he said. Sam pulled out his pokedex and flipped through to the pass. He flashed it and the sailor stepped aside. He stepped through, but then moved back to block Diane and Travis. Sam sighed and kept walking. He knew they'd catch up before long. Walking onto the large, elegant ferry, he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"Wait up!" Travis yelled. Sam couldn't help but sigh.

"I wasn't gonna get far. Come on, let's go." Sam kept walking towards the main lobby on the boat. Travis and Diane followed him in. The receptionist looked at him with a smile.

"Welcome to the Rustford Ferry! How may I help you?" she asked. Sam couldn't help but laugh a bit at the name. It was ridiculous in his eyes, but that didn't matter.

"I'm here to check in. Room for one, please." The lady started clicking the keys on her computer and smiled at him.

"Of course, here you are, sir." She handed him a key card. Sam thanked her and left for the pokecenter. He hadn't dropped off his team on his way through Rustboro…he needed them healed. Walking over, he dropped off his team and headed up to the room. Maybe he'd finally get some relaxation time.

Sam laid down on the soft bed in his room, marveling at the amazing sensation.

"Wow…all the traveling has really done a job on me. This feels amazing…" he whispered, relaxing. He was about to take a short nap when a loud knock echoed on the door.

"Sam, get out here! There's a battlefield and I wanna have my shot at you!" a voice yelled through it. Sam sighed, standing up. He'd just have to get his rest later.

"On my way, Travis." He opened the door and walked outside. Travis was waiting. Sam quickly noticed his rival had also dropped his Pokémon off somewhere. "Where's Diane?"

"Sleep, I think. She said she didn't want to deal with you or me for at least a good three hours." Sam sighed.

"Whatever…let's just get moving." Both trainers made their way towards the pokecenter. The nurse handed over their Pokémon with a smile before the two made their way to the arena. No one was around at the moment, perfect for Sam and Travis to have their match.

"Well, my friend. What do you say to this? 3 on 3, no Venusaur for you!" Sam yelled. Travis pouted a bit.

"No Venusaur? Is it your goal to make me have no fun? Fine…no Venusaur, but I hope you're ready, Sam. You're going down this time!" he yelled, grabbing a pokeball. Sam grinned, pulling out Cleff's pokeball. The pink creature hadn't had too much battle practice lately. He wanted to fix that.

"Let's…" Sam started.

"Do this!" Travis finished. Both threw their pokeballs at the field. Sam's revealed Cleff, but Travis's revealed a brown creature with a zigzag pattern of lighter stripes on it.

"The hell is that?" Sam asked, pulling out his pokedex.



Zigzagoon, the Tinyracoon Pokémon. It runs rapidly in zigzag lines, confusing it's opponents.

Sam sighed at the pokedex's info. It hadn't been much good at all.

"Let's get this started! Cleff, use Sing!" Sam yelled, recalling some information he'd gleaned from his pokedex previously. Cleff closed its eyes and began to sing. It let out several beautiful sounding notes and it took all of Sam's effort not to give into the temptation to fall asleep right then and there.

"Zigzagoon, don't give in!" he yelled, but it was too late. The raccoon was swaying back and forth and suddenly fell to the ground asleep. Sam grinned.

"Now get in there, Pound!" Cleff leapt forward and swung a small fist forward, sending Zigzagoon flying. The creature opened its eyes in midair, which was just enough time to land properly. It landed much more softly than Sam had hoped, growling at him.

"Yeah, let's show them Headbutt!" Travis pointed at Cleff and Zigzagoon charged, lowering its head.

"Get out of the way!" Sam yelled. Cleff managed to jump over the main attack, but her leg was still caught, sending Cleff crashing into the ground in a spiral. She laid on the ground unmoving as Sam's eyes opened wide. "Cleff, please, get up!" Cleff struggled slowly, proving she was alright, but still injured. Travis was obviously giving him no down time this time around.

"Go for it, Zigzagoon! Take out that Cleffa! Use Tackle!" he yelled. Sam growled at this. Only one thing he could do.

"Go, use Encore!" he yelled. If nothing else, he was going to limit that more powerful Headbutt. If it had taken Cleff to the ground with a glancing blow, he could only imagine full power. Travis raised an eyebrow, but Cleff looked up with an odd look in her eyes. Zigzagoon's opened wide and dilated. Zigzagoon kept charging, a bit more enthusiasm this time. Sam grinned. Cleff certainly was a charmer…

Zigzagoon hit Cleff hard, but Cleff was already down so he didn't get much damage. Sam grinned.

"Come on, Cleff! Get up!" he yelled. Cleff stood up slowly. Sam could clearly see she was wincing in pain and he couldn't honestly blame her. If he'd been sent flying in a spiral and crashed like she did, he'd be in pain too. "Now go, Covet!" Cleff looked Zigzagoon over before charging at him, crashing hard into her opponent. Zigzagoon slid back, but was otherwise good to go.

"Use Headbutt!" Travis yelled. Zigzagoon turned to stare at him, igniting Travis's temper. "Go!" Sam sighed.

"Y'know, there was a reason for me using Encore. It makes it so you can only use the move you used last, which in this case was Tackle. Well, go! Pound it again!" Cleff leapt forward at Zigzagoon, batting it hard with a fist. The larger raccoon slid back, growing this time.

I can keep talking big, but this thing has Cleff beat. My only hope is that Encore just keeps effect… Sam thought to himself. Still, deep within his mind, he knew it wouldn't.

"…fine then. Zigzagoon, use Tackle!" Travis barked out the command as the small brown Pokémon backed up slowly before charging at Cleff. Sam grinned.

"Yeah, now let's go! Jump over it and Pound!" Cleff leapt into the air and spun quickly, bringing the attack down hard on her opponent's skull. Zigzagoon leapt back in pain and shook its head. Suddenly, its eyes went back to normal, signaling the end of Encore.

…and there goes my advantage Sam sighed before starting planning his next move. Travis obviously noticed this too, as he grinned visibly.

"Yeah, go for it, use Headbutt!" he roared. Zigzagoon charged, anger on its face. Cleff tried to sidestep, but she was caught head on by the powerful blow.

"CLEFF!" Sam cried as the pink Pokémon flew across the room, crashing hard into a wall.

"Clef…fa…" she whispered, eyes closing. Sam was about to pull out her pokeball and return her when she suddenly stood up.

"Cleff…what are you…?" Sam whispered. The small creature was standing there in complete pain. She wasn't going to last much longer at this rate.

"You just don't give up, do you? Okay then! Finish it off with Headbutt!" Travis roared. Sam cringed. Cleff wouldn't be able to take that shot…but maybe…

"Cleff, listen to me! Full power, Covet!" he yelled in a last ditch attempt to take Zigzagoon. Cleff nodded before ducking her head and charging forward at her opponent.

The two collided in the middle of the field, flying backwards to their respective corners. Both slid back, breathing heavily. They stood, glaring at each other for a second, trying to stare their opponent down. Suddenly, Zigzagoon collapsed to the ground. Sam took a deep breath.

"That's one down, Travis. You still so sure you're gonna win?" Sam asked, just a touch of a mocking tone in his voice. Travis replied with a grin.

"You didn't exactly leave yourself in a great position, y'know. Your little Cleffa won't take much more than one attack at this rate," he replied. Sam sighed.

"You're right, of course. Return, girl." He pulled out the ever familiar pokeball and returned Cleff to it. "I'll need you later…" With that, he grabbed a new pokeball.

"Well, you're obviously ready to go…" Travis returned his own Pokémon before whipping out a pokeball of his own.

"Yeah, let's do it!" both boys tossed their pokeball, revealing two ever familiar Pokémon: Fenrir and Taillow.

"You make the first move, Sam. I have my own plan in mind…" Travis said, grinning. Sam had an idea of what this plan would be; the same plan Jazmine had used.

"Don't count your chickens just, Travis. I have a pretty good idea of your plan. Let's go, use Howl, Fenrir!" Sam decided to setup an offense for later. Travis sighed.

"You done? Okay, time to do this, Focus Energy!" Travis confirmed Sam's suspicions of using the traditional critical offense that Jazmine had previously used. Sam sighed, trying to think of an intelligent way to deal with the predicament. Taillow became covered in orange energy, sharpening with it's body. Sam growled, knowing he would have a much harder time.

"Okay then…let's try another way! Use Sand Attack!" he yelled. Fenrir spun around, kicking a huge cloud of sand. It stayed in the air, covering the area. Sam grinned. This was too perfect. "Now use Howl again!" Fenrir let out another chilling howl as Travis made his first real move.

"Alright, Taillow, use Quick Attack!" he yelled. Taillow shot forward at top speed through the cloud of dust. Sam could see Travis's look of confidence slip away when Taillow shot through with no hits obviously connecting. He scowled. "Try again!"

Taillow shot through the sand again, missing once more, but Sam grinned. Time for his move.

"Fenrir, get in there! Use Tackle!" he roared. Fenrir leapt out of the sand at the large bird, brining it easily to the ground.

"Taillow! Don't just sit there, use Peck!" Travis yelled. Taillow stabbed forward with it's beak, striking Fenrir hard and sending him flying. Sam scowled, realizing that Taillow had pulled off a critical hit. Fenrir flew back, growling angrily.

"…don't just stand there! Get back in it with Sand Attack!" he roared. Fenrir kicked up another cloud of sand, but Travis grinned at this one.

Taillow, don't just tand there, use Quick Attack!" he roared. Taillow flew forward at top speed, crashing hard into Fenrir. He looked over at Sam, expecting to see fear or annoyance. Instead, he got a look of amusement.

"Very good, Travis. You've done exactly what I wanted you to do. Fenrir, get a grip on it using your teeth!" he yelled. Fenrir bit down on, much to the small bird's dismay, it's wing.

"Tai!" Taillow squawked in pain. Sam grinned.

"Now throw it!" he ordered. Fenrir spun hard, letting the bird go. Taillow flew backwards, nearly crashing into the wall before regaining it's balance. "Now go get it!" Fenrir charged forward, crashing into Taillow again.

"You little…go for it, Taillow! Peck Barrage!" he roared. Sam cringed. He knew what was next. Taillow smashed it's beak into Fenrir's sides and even face rapidly. Fenrir slid back, obviously injured. Sam looked at the small dog, concerned.

"Buddy, I know you haven't got much energy left, but I need you to take one last shot, can you do it?" he asked. Fenrir nodded. "Great, use Howl once more!" Meanwhile Travis was talking to his Taillow.

"Okay then. Focus Energy once more!" he yelled. Sam narrowed his eyes. So Travis wanted to end this fight with one final attack. That was fine.

"Well, let's end this, Travis! Full power, Tackle!" Fenrir charged forward at full speed, set to take out Taillow.

"Go for it, Quick Attack!" he yelled. Taillow shot forward like a bullet. Both Pokémon flew forward to each other. With a leap by Fenrir and a small dive by Taillow, they collided. Both flew backwards, sliding backwards. Fenrir was growling and Taillow was glaring at him. For a second, nothing happened. Then suddenly, both fell at the same time.

"Fenrir!" Sam cried. Travis didn't say anything, just looked shocked.

"…well. Certainly interesting…" he whispered. Sam looked at him, then nodded.

"Definitely. Well…return." He returned Fenrir to the ball just as Travis did with Taillow.

This is getting intense… Sam drew Cleff's pokeball. The pink Pokémon would have to fight once more to prepare the way for the final Pokémon, but what would it be…?


OOC: 9 and then some! I'm back, baby! Hope you enjoyed it!