[PKMN FULL] Begin Again (IC)

[gimmepie]

Clarity "Clare" James
Incoming Gym Battle
*image removed**image removed**image removed*
​

Clarity stood opposite Misty, only the pool-like battlefield between them. Tasman was now sitting in the front row of the tiered seating around the battlefield, the confusion from before sorted out and everything back on track. Although the "knowing" look Misty kept giving the two of them was a little bit weird.

"Are you ready to get this going then?" Misty called across to Clarity, who responded with a grin.
"Definitely." She felt encouraged having Tasman there; it was nice to actually have some support from someone other than a cousin that lived miles upon miles away in Sinnoh.

"Well I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to take the first move." Misty said, this surprised Tasman who had been expecting her to hand away the first move like Brock did. Obviously all the different gym leaders had their own way of doing things. "Lanturn, Signal Beam!"

The bulb dangling from the Lanturn's head shimmered before releasing a red and green beam towards Clarity's Poliwhirl.
"Poli, jump to the next platform!" the Poliwhirl did as it was told, leaping to the closest of the floating platforms in order to avoid the attack.

Even though he's a water type, Poli can't get into that water when Misty is using Lanturn. She's fire off one electric attack and fry him no matter where he is. I might as well be using a pokemon that can't swim.
"Poli, Mud Shot!" the pokemon launched a powerful torrent of mud at the Lanturn but at Misty's command it simply dived below the surface to avoid the attack.
"Why don't you join Laturn in the water?" Misty said, her tone teasing.
"Hilarious" Clarity responded, the sarcasm in her tone evident.

Clarity waited with apprehension, watching the Lanturn swimming around Poli's platform. As she watched, she frantically tried to think. It seemed as though she was caught in a hopeless situation. If Poli entered the water where he could attack more freely, he'd be electrocuted in an instant. She looked to Tasman out the corner of her eye; no doubt he was trying to work out how to solve the conundrum himself should he choose to send Gati into battle. It seemed Misty didn't like to share her pool.

Jumping on Clarity's moment of distraction, Misty called her attack.
"Discharge!"
"Not good!" Clarity exclaimed as the water around Poli lit up a bright yellow, pillars of electricity jumping out of the pool all around the Poliwhirl.
"Use Mud Shot to deflect any that get too close!"

Poli begun launching Mud Shot after Mud Shot, the attacks cancelling out any stray currents of electricity until eventually the bombardment ceased, leaving Clarity's pokemon worn out from the frantic defence.

"This is insane" Clarity heard Tasman say in awe of the display. She had practically no options left and that was making her panic, her thought clouding. She was going to have to try something really reckless.
"Jump in Poli!" the pokemon, for the first time ever, turned to her and simply looked at her like she was out of her mind.
"Trust me, I have an idea."

Hesitantly, the Poliwhirl jumped into the pool.
"Brave move" Misty noted for across the battlefield
"Not if I have a plan. Poli, fill the pool with as much mud as you can!" The Poliwhirl once again produced Mud Shot after Mud Shot, creating a large cloud in the pool. Misty watched for a while before finally catching on.
"Discharge quick!" it was too late though, Poli had realised what Clarity had in mind and immediately swum into the thick cloud of mud.

The pool once again exploded into a frenzy of electricity, however within the cloud of Mud, Poli was protected from the brunt of the attack and also concealed from view. He was taking damage sure, but if Misty wanted to finish the battle she'd have to come in close, Clarity new that the feisty gym leader was far too impatient to wait her out.

"Smart!" Misty called over, drudgingly acknowledging that she had been outdone in her own turf. "I can't just let you off for making a mess off my battlefield though. Go in after it and Take Down!"

The Lanturn launched into the cloud at its top speed, however Poli was ready for it this time.
"Hypnosis!" the Lanturn swum straight into the sleep-inducing attack; stopping in its tracks and merely floating there as it fell into a deep slumber. Clarity grinned, now she could land hits without a worry. "Poli, Double Slap!"

Poli begun unleashing a torrent of slaps against the sleeping water/electric type., each powerful swat of his large hands bringing it closer to its feet. Just as she had in her battle with Tasman, Clarity had Poli repeatedly strike her sleeping foe.

Misty watched, holding her breath as she waited for her Lanturn to awaken, her view getting gradually clearer as the cloud of mud was dispersed and thinned by the turbulence caused by the onslaught. The attack continuing until suddenly, the Lanturn's eyes snapped open. Misty didn't wait a second
"Discharge!"
"But-" Clarity began, stopping as to her horror she saw her cloud of mud was no longer thick enough to insulate against the powerful attack – definitely not at such a close range. She tried to order another Mud Shot, but it was too late. Poli was already going in for another Double Slap when the pool once again became an electrical frenzy.

Once the mayhem stopped, Poli was floating on the surface of the water unconscious.
"Poli!" Clarity exclaimed, returning her injured companion to his pokeball and congratulating him for the well-fought battle.

---

 

[SylveonStar]

Part 8: A new Day

Lilliana

Spoiler:

Badges

Spoiler:

Lilliana sat up yawning and stretched her arms as she moved out of her bedroll. After separating from Tasman she had quickly made her way out of Mt. Moon wanting to get far away from any Zubat or Golbat. Once settle Aria had cleaned her cuts and scratches before the young girl bandaged them, ate a quick meal from things she had packed in her bag and then went to sleep with both her pokemon alternating guard throughout the night.

Standing up Lilliana packed up her bedroll and looked ahead of her spotting Cerulean City in the distance. "Let's try to avoid battles right now, we can come back here and train but right now I think heading straight to Cerulean City and getting a good meal is the best thing to do" she spoke softly to her Pokemon her stomach growling somewhat. Plus I can call and check in with Mom, Dad, and Alexander she thought smiling as she started down the hill.

As she made her way down avoiding any trainer she saw in the distance her steps took her closer to a cliff. Catching sight of it Lilliana froze and paled as an image formed in her mind. An image of herself and Alexander at five years old playing near one of the cliffs in Lillycove. But what stood out to her in this memory wasn't the fact she was just now remembering this, but the fact that Alexander was running with her and wasn't in a wheelchair.

Shaking her head from the memory Lilliana quickened her steps. Maybe I should ask Alexander, or Mom about that she thought getting closer to her goal, Cerulean City.
​

​

 

[Zavytar]

Danica Chandler
Cerulean Cape
Training Session! Vs. Collector!
​

Some minutes had passed since Danica left Bill's Sea Cottage. She was trying to train her Pokémon some more before she headed for the Gym, but she had no success so far. With Quinn disobeying her every command, she thought about adding a new member to her team, but there were very few Pokémon that appealed to her. The only ones she could see that could be a good addition to her party would Teleport away from her before she could even engage them in battle. And Oddish, Bellsprout and Venonat were a definite no-no. She finally decided to take her chances with the three Pokémon she had, and leave Quinn as a last-resort choice. And just so that wouldn't happen, she'd have to make the other two stronger.

She reluctantly decided to engage in battle with other trainers. But, to her dismay, most people there were either already battling or on a stupid date. Ugh, stupid beautiful romantic scenery... she said to herself.

After minutes of useless loitering, she finally said enough and began her trek back to Cerulean City. She was paying little attention to the road before her and didn't see this nerdy-looking dude that was checking on some Pokémon he had recently caught. She bumped into him, and nothing serious happened. However, the dude was eager to test out his new Pokémon, and immediately challenged Danica to a battle. Danica accepted and sent out Curtis, with the other boy sending out a Slakoth.

Curtis used a Confusion attack before being hit by Scratch. Then, when the Collector ordered another Scratch, his Slakoth did nothing. It just ignored orders and scratched the top of his head. Danica took the opportunity to order a Double Team attack. The collector told Slakoth to use Scratch, and this time the lazy Pokémon listened, but it missed and was hit by a Magical Leaf attack that put him down for good. The Collector retrieved his Pokémon and sent out a Sneasel. Danica retrieved Curtis and sent out Harley. The latter began by using Leech Seed, however, the Sneasel was too agile and dodged the attack without breaking a sweat. Sneasel attacked Harley with a Faint Attack, and Harley managed to retaliate by smacking the Dark-type Pokémon with Vine Whip. It didn't do much damage, and Sneasel used Ice Fang and almost knocked him out. Harley tried to use Razor Leaf, but Sneasel striked with a Quick attack and put Harley down for the count. Danica sent Curtis back out again. Sneasel attacked with Quick Attack, and Curtis retaliated with a move that the Collector did not expect to see: Disarming Voice. It did quite some Damage to Sneasel, who then attacked with another Faint Attack. Curtis used Disarming voice again, and now both Pokémon were down to less than half their energy. Then, in what appeared to be good luck on Danica's side, Curtis began to radiate a bright aura!

Could it be... Is Curtis... evolving?

 

[Rune Alchemist]

A Poisonous Meeting​

Mt. Moon

​

"You know," Gabrielle said through gritted teeth, pushing forward through the pain of her bad leg. " someday I may look back to this day and just laugh."

Earlier when she tripped down the side-path, she fell down a steep slope, landing poorly on her feet and twisting her left foot into a bad angle. Luckily she was wearing her sturdy boots, so the sprain should be all healed up in a few days. Sooner if she applies compress on it. Her Skiddo walked beside her, worrying for his Trainer's sake. He would have carried her, but the low ceiling of the cave prevented her from doing such a thing.

That's also one of the reasons she didn't climb up the sidepath she fell through. Even if the Escape Ropes Douglas, Chansey, and herself had in their packs was useless, since there is no stable anchor on the main path to hook the rope and let Douglas climb down and back with her in tow. So instead, since there is already a path down here, she told the Hiker and Euphy that she'll follow the sidepath and see where it goes, and meet up somewhere further into the cave.

At first, Douglas was against it, but relented. Gabrielle is a Trainer, and she knew what she was doing. True enough, Gabrielle knew that the best thing to do in her situation is to sit still and wait for help. Her mother drilled such situations into her several times, being the person who teaches what to do during times of crisis and the very person who rescues them.

Yet despite all common sense and reasons, Gabrielle moved on. Not for any sense of logic, but for the feeling brewing at the pit of her stomach.

Now, had it been anybody else like say Gabrielle's mother, who is part of Kalos's First Response Team; which is the Kalos's counterpart to Kanto and Johto's Special Assault Team, and Special Response Team, this would have been the right choice to make as it would have led them to the very situation Gabrielle is in right now. But since Gabrielle is not her mother, or had a full team of well-trained Pokemon, the Pâtissière simply found herself in trouble.

A lot of trouble.

Slightly ahead of her, a group of uniformed men were scrambling around a dig site. From her position in the side tunnel, she could see a man with graying hair direct his two grunts as they lifted bags over their shoulders. Further ahead, a man with bruises is sitting tied up.

She didn't know what was happening, but she sure does know that having someone tied up in a cave while other people worked around him isn't a common occurrence. Whomever these black-garbed men are, they're trouble. Gabrielle just knows, especially when she saw one of the men kick aside a Geodude minding his own business. They're probably part of the crime organization here in Kanto, more so when she saw the big bright 'R's on their shirts.

Gabrielle hates criminals. The individuals more than their organization. They are the anti-thesis to the her mother's raison d'être, and one of the reasons why her mother missed a few important moments of her life. She just didn't get why people would even join organizations like that. Do they not have lives and dreams of their own? Is it worth risking living a life of crime for their goals? Do they not have ambitions of their own?

She shook her head. Now is not the time for such contemplation. She glanced down at her shoulder strap, seeing her three Pokeballs. Though she had Euphy's Safari Ball, it's empty. Though she may use it as a bluff if worst comes to pass. Her Luxury Ball is sitting snugly on its spot, holding Sweets her Slurpuff. And of course, her Skiddo's Premier Ball. The girl made a mental note to give Skiddo a nickname later.

"Hmm..." Gabrielle grumbled, leaning against the wall of the tunnel with her hand. She tested her foot to see if she could put weight on it, and hopefully run, but the sharp pain that shot through her nerves says otherwise. Giving up on that idea, she supposed that there's nothing left but to either wait for help, or fight the criminals off.

And Gabrielle is not the type of person who stands by and let a criminal activity to happen in front of her eyes and not do something about it.

"Skiddo, you know Vine Whip, right?" She asked her Pokemon, and earned a nod from the Grass-type. With a smile, she began planning.

She sent out Sweets, hoping to bring the numbers up before she attacks. The criminals won't play fair, then so won't she.

"Skiddo, keep using growth until you can't. And Sweets, reinforce your defense with Cotton Guard." She told her Pokemon, watching as they were bathed in colored auras as their moves took effect. "Good. Now, in three, Skiddo, I want you to use Vine Whip on the grunts. If you can't restrain them, grab their sacks. I bet that's what they're after. As for you Sweets, run in the distraction and free the person they have tied up."

The two Pokemon chanted their names in affirmatives, before waiting for Gabrielle's signal.

"Three!"

"What the-" The grunt exclaimed, tripping on the vine that suddenly appeared in his path. The vine then quickly snatched the sack off his shoulder, bringing it to Gabrielle, who 'oof!'ed at the weight of the bag.

Gabrielle opened the bag, trying to see what exactly is inside the bag. There, she spotted a few rocks that look suspiciously like the Fossils she saw in the Museums of Kalos, Alto Mare, and Pewter. But there are also a few stones that have an remarkable gloss on their surface. She picked oen up, turning it in and over her hands. This texture and colour...

"Okay, now I'm sure you three are up to no good." Gabrielle said, pocketing the stone just in-case they managed to steal back the sack, which she wouldn't doubt they would try given their glares. "Fossils and Evolutionary stones?"

"Who are you, brat?" One of the grunts exclaimed, a scowl marring his otherwise flawless face. Shame that such a good looking man would be part of a criminal organization. "Better yet, do you know who you're messing with?"

"Should I?" Gabrielle doesn't often goad other people, the instances that she does is few and far inbetween. But right now, she needs a distraction to buy Sweets time to untie the prisoner. Her jibe, though unpracticed, got the desired effect of angering the three.

"We're Team Rocket, and we'll someday rule the world!" The other grunt said, while the leader facepalmed. They're not to bright, are they? Must be the reason why they're doing grunt work. Well, this makes things easier for Gabrielle, as she's assured that they don't have that strong Pokemon.

"I'm deducting your salary." The leader said, and the grunt reared back as if hit. "Now, get her."

---

Battle BGM​

The two grunts moved to do just that, and Gabrielle ordered her Skiddo to attack.

"Skiddo, Vine Whip!" The goat's thick vines slapped the two grunt's faces, and this time they reeled back because they were actually hit, not only metaphorically.

"Idiots... Use your Pokemon!" The Leader sighed.

"Oh, right. Go, Koffing!"

"Zubat!"

"Of course it's Poison-Type." Mumbled Gabrielle, looking at Skiddo. "Is it too much to ask for them to have a Dark Type instead?"

"Zubat, use Air Cutter!" The Second grunt said.

"Follow it up with Assurance, Koffing!" The first one commanded.

Okay, so they may not be too dub after all. The battle just got a whole lot tougher.

"Vine Whip on the Koffing." Gabrielle told Skiddo, and the vines shot out from the bush around Skiddo's neck and smacked the Koffing. Despite being less effective on Koffing, with it being a Grass-type move and Koffing being tough against Physical Attacks, this is countered by Skiddo's stacked up Growth. So despite the attack being a poor choice against Koffing, the Poison-Type shuddered at the power behind the hit. "Now, bring it here!"

Skiddo looked at his Trainer as if she was crazy, not being used to her battling style. But the Pâtissière simply gave her Pokemon a look of understanding. Resolving to follow his Trainer, Skiddo's vines wrapped around Koffing like a snake, plugging a couple of its holes while doing so. The vines retracted, but the Air Cutter chose that time to hit Skiddo.

Gabrielle braced herself, the winds buffeting her clothes and bag, while Skiddo took the brunt of the hit. As soon as Koffing came close enough, Skiddo used it like a shield and hid behind what few cover it could behind the Poison-type.

"Koffing, use Smog!" The grunt gave his order.

Gabrielle took a step back, nearly slipping on her bad leg, as noxious fumes poured out of the Koffing's pores. Skiddo grimaced, unable to do anything through the barrage of attacks. The Pâtissière frowned, if this kept up Skiddo won't last long.

"Take Down!" Skiddo charged forward, like a bull headed for a target, the vines holding Koffing whipping out forward towards the stone wall. The Koffing slammed back first into the rock, before 68 Pounds of Grass-Type pushed it deeper into the indent it made in the wall.

"Use Self-Destruct!" The Koffing replied by shining a bright white glow. Skiddo, too dedicated to his attack to escape, was caught in the blast. When the smoke cleared, a bruised and battered Skiddo stood, teetering on its legs.

"Zubat, finish it off with Wing Attack!" The other grunt ordered his Pokemon, while his partner returned his downed Koffing.

"Oh no you don't!" Gabrielle swept her hands out, a short plan forming in her mind. "Skiddo, use Leech Horn as soon as Zubat gets close!"

Skiddo's horns glowed a light green, while Zubat's a bright white. The Bat Pokemon swooped down from its position to strafe the Grass-type with its wings, but Skiddo was waiting for it. As soon as it was in range, Skiddo turned its head to the side, effectively swatting the Zubat down to the ground. A hoof descended on the flying Poison-type, preventing it from getting off the ground. Skiddo then pressed its horns down on it, sapping more of its life force and restoring more of Skiddo's.

"Use Leech Life!"

Zubat opened its mouth, exposing the tiny, but no less deadly fangs it uses to suck the life from its prey. The fangs sunk into Skiddo's Horns, and now it was a matter of who's going down first.

"I'm going to teach Skiddo Synthesis after this." She said to nobody in particular. "And something to damage Poison-Types aside from Take Down."

Thankfully for the Kalos-born girl, her Skiddo's much stronger than the Rocket Grunts', as the Zubat fainted not long after. Skiddo looked like he has seen better days, but looks like he could fight for a very short time before finally succumbing to his exhaustion.

"I can't believe you two are losing, to a brat with a disadvantaged Pokemon no less!" A woman in a lab coat came out of one of the tunnels leading out of the clearing Gabrielle and the grunts were fighting in. She had in her hand a Pokeball, and he didn't look happy at the Pâtissière interfering. "Take care of her, Klang."

A Pokemon popped out of the Pokeball resembling a trio of gears locked together. Then an orb of energy form in the middle of its two grinding gears. Dread and alarm rang through her entire body at seeing the attack, feeling the power radiating from it even from this far away.

'Th-that's Hyper Beam!' Gabrielle screamed in her mind, looking at the newcomer and the smirk on her face. 'Hasn't this woman heard of the term overkill?'

Then the Klang fired.

The beam roared towards her, and her only saving grace would be that her Skiddo tackled her tot he side. Both of them evaded the attack by the barest of margins, with Gabrielle feeling the shockwaves generated by the attack battering her even as Skiddo covered her.

"You two," The scientist addressed the grunts, who saluted at her. "Finish what you have to do. Your boss and I will take care of the interlopers."

"Pawnyard." The boss of the grunts sent out the Steel/Dark type, the metal armor glinting in what little light is available in the dimly lit cave.

"Skiddo, are you alright mon ami?" Gabrielle asked her Pokemon, a pained smile on her face. The Grass-type wearily got to its feet, staring down the two other Pokemon. Then, something caught the girl's eyes, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "Sweets, use Fairy Wind!"

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!"

Sweets the Slurpuff finally untied the prisoner from earlier, and after waking him up, managed to send out his own Pokemon into the fray. The large canine Pokemon pounced in between Gabrielle and her opponents, before releasing a large stream of fire. Both Steel-types ducked and weaved, missing them by a mile.

"This is getting tedious." The scientist said, her glasses shining in the glare of the light. She shook her head, holding out her hand in the general direction of her opponents. "What are you waiting for? Christmas? Hurry up and attack them."

"Yeah, yeah... Grumpy old witch..." The leader muttered, earning a scathing sneer from the scientist, before ordering his own Pokemon. "Use Metal Claw on that Slurpuff."

"Quick, push him away with Fairy Wind!" Gabrielle tried, Sweets spinning in place and unleashing torrents of pink-tinted winds. The Pawniard who leaped forward took the hits with its crossed arms, before retaliating with silver-colored claws. Arcanine raised its paws to bat it away when a silver blur smashed into Arcanine, throwing back the huge Fire-type away from the Pawniard.

"Arcanine!" The man said, looking back at where his Pokemon flew. Gabrielle saw the Klank engaging the Fire-type, remarkably faster than a Steel-type would suggest. "Flame Charge!"

Gabrielle wrenched her eyes away from the two battling Pokemon, focusing on her own. Sweets is being pushed back, having already sustained multiple hits from the Metal Claw, with each swipe getting stronger than the last. Skiddo tried to help it, but it was too nimble for the Vine Whip to catch.

"Sweets, Cotton Spore, close range!" A puff later, and Pawniard is covered in cotton, slowing it down enough for Skiddo to get a good hit in. "Horn Leech, Draining Kiss, now."

"Faint Attack."

Pawniard vanished in mid-air, confusing Sweets and Skiddo, who looked around wildly for their opponent. Suddenly, Skiddo let out a pained cry, Pawniard appearing from the side and jabbing its claws between his ribs. Skiddo moved to hit it with his horns, but Pawniard vanished again.

"Cotton Spore." Sweets puffed up her fur again, this time exploding out and covering both Pokemon in cottony down. Since Skiddo is a Grass-type, he wasn't hindered by the attack, but Pawniard is, and it needs to come in close to hit them.

"Psycho Cut."

"Of course, why not?" The Pâtissière deadpanned, watching as the Pawniard came out of hiding and sent out a wave of Crescent formed from Psychic energy, displacing the Cotton Spore and hitting Sweets, who whirled her arms as she took the hit. "Vine Whip!"

"Iron Defense!"

A metallic sheen covered Pawniard, successfully deflecting the attack from the Grass-type. Taking advantage of the situation, the Dual Dark/Steel-type grabbed the vines before using Metal Claw to scratch at the vines.

Skiddo whined at the pain, flailing the free limb in desperation. It was no use, as Pawniard has it pinned in place. Thinking fast, Gabrielle did the only thing she could at the time.

"Take Down." The Pâtissière's voice cracked in the middle of the order, but managed to get it out. Skiddo charged headlong towards the Steel-type, who cocked its arm back for another attack. Take Down met Metal claw with a resounding smack, flinging both Pokemon away from each other.

"Sweet Scent." The Pâtissière said, running out of options. Still, Sweets has been trained by her mother to protect Gabrielle, and would take more than a Type advantage to take her out. The Pawniard backed off, distancing itself from the cloud of scent. "Take Down."

Skiddo plowed into the Pawniard, and the Grass Goat Pokemon angled his head so that when he hit his opponent, the Steel/Dark type was swept off its feet. Taking advantage of the situation, Skiddo smashed his opponent into the ground as he ran, digging groves through the limestone floor. Finally, with a flick of his head, sent the Rocket's Pokemon flying.

Not willing to let her trainer be in any more danger, Sweets attacked independently, forcing out a Fairy Wind that crashed into the free-falling Pawniard. The Steel/Dark type landed bonelessly in front of its trainer.

The Rocket Leader returned his Pokemon, fingering another ball strapped to his belt, when he smirked.

Icy cold fear ran up Gabrielle's spine, and she spun to face where the Arcanine and Klang were fighting. She could see that the battle is over, and not in her favour. Arcanine is collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to its feet. Lightning arced on its singed fur, having taken a rather powerful Electric-Type move if it was any indication.

But right now, it was the Klang that she has to worry about the most. The Pure Steel-type didn't look the least bit expended fighting the Fire-type, and Gabrielle didn't like the chances of going up against a powerful Pokemon. Of course, the Klang didn't give the young Pâtissière a choice. It shined a color ranging from all colors of the spectrum, before firing it towards the Pâtissière's Pokemon.

The Signal Beam surged towards them, quickly covering what short distance the two groups had.

And then it hit.

The blinding light was too much for Gabrielle, and she had to turn away from the sight no matter how much she wanted to make sure her Pokemon are alright. When the light cleared, the scene that greeted her made her eyes widen in disbelief.

Sweets stood before Skiddo, breathing heavily. The rock around her was cleaved into perfect arcing furrow. Sweets wobbled unsteadily, before putting a foot in front of her. And then another. The Fairy-type was slowly yet surely inching its way towards Klang.

"Hah."

The scientist scoffed, unfazed by the heated glare sent to her by the young girl at her remark, or that the Slurpuff was making her way towards her Pokemon. The Fairy-type glowed in preparation for an attack. Klang floated there, not intimidated by the Slurpuff's last-ditch attack.

Sweets raised an arm, lightly tapping the Klang on one of its gears.

What happened next amazed the onlookers. One moment, Klang was floating in place, the next, Klang flew from one side of the room to the other like it was shot out of a cannon, the wall splintering into a spiderweb of cracks at the impact, the Pure Steel-type thoroughly embedded.

The gears of Klang tried to spin, but all it did was make it fall to the floor.

The scientist whirled around to look at Sweets, who was slumped on the ground, to her trainer, Gabrielle, who had a growing smile on her face.

The Pâtissière just now realizing what happened.

Her Slurpuff used Endevour.

The scientist returned her Pokemon, and the Rocket Leader beside her was about to send out another Pokemon when she stopped him.

"No, we'll retreat for now." The woman said. "We've bought the grunts the time they needed. There's no need for us to continue to battle."

The Leader nodded, his arms relaxing at his sides.

"But meddle in our affairs again." The woman said to Gabrielle, who held her stare. "And you won't be let off as easy."

With that word of warning, the two Rocket Members disappeared down the tunnel. Gabrielle watched the corridor for a few more seconds before rushing to her Pokemon's side.

Skiddo looked better off than Sweets, who took the full brunt of the Zap Cannon attack. Taking out a Super Potion out of her pack, she sprayed the solution on the wounds and scratches on each of them. Skiddo winced at the action, not used to having artificial Medicine applied on him, but relaxed at his Trainer's ministrations.

As for Sweets, she was knocked out and didn't even feel the medicine being applied. But Gabrielle made sure she didn't have any hidden wounds from the battle. Satisfied with her work, she returned Sweets into her Ball, before turning to do the same to Skiddo.

Skiddo wouldn't have any of that though. His vines wrapped around Gabrielle's wrist, stopping her from grabbing his ball. He shook his head, saying that he wants to stay out.

"What's the matter?" She asked, worried for her Pokemon. "You'll recover better in your ball."

"I think he wants to stay out and protect you." The man with the Arcanine said, walking towards them. His Pokemon flanked his side, the Paralysis flushed from its system. "Isn't that right?"

Skiddo called out his name, nodding his head.

"Protect me, huh?" Gabrielle whispered under her breath, running her hands on Skiddo's snout. She smiled, giving him a hug. "Thanks. But you've already protected me."

Skiddo pushed her off, grunting in displeasure. The girl laughed, settling on simply rubbing the side of her Pokemon's face.

"Quite the Sentinel you have there." The man remarked.

"Sentinel..." The word rolled of Gabrielle's tongue, and she liked the way it sounded. "How about I nickname you Sentinel?"

Skiddo tilted its head left and right, not really opposed or liking the name. Personally, she would have named him after a herb, like Basil, or Parsley, maybe even Sage. Sage sounded good, but after what her Skiddo did for her earlier...

"Okay, you pick. Sage or Sentinel?" She asked him.

Skiddo rolled his eyes, but a slight twitch of his lips says that he's happy that his Trainer is asking for his opinion.

"So, which one? Sentinel?" Gabrielle asked. Skiddo crossed his vines, displaying a rather prominent cross mark. "Okay, Sage then. Welcome to the team."

---

"We're 'ere." Douglas said, gesturing towards the Route leading to Cerulean City. From her high vantage point, Gabrielle could clearly see the city's silhouette just beyond the fields.

"Thank you for showing me the way, monsieur Douglas. It was a pleasure to travel with you." Gabrielle turned to her companion, bowing to him.

"Aye, think noth'n of it. Such a shame tha' you met with some ghastly characters back in the cave. Should've been there with 'a." Douglas rubbed the back of his head, his eyes drifting towards the girl's Chansey, who was carrying a rather sizable backpack. Even larger than his own!

"Well, I better get going too." The man that Gabrielle rescued earlier said to the two, heading back towards the cave. "I still have a few things I need to do, and I have to make sure those villains don't find that vein again."

"Thank you again for the Stones." She said, gesturing towards the Sail Fossil in her pack. She also gained a few Evolutionary stones with it, a Shiny stone, a Dusk stone, and a Evolite if she was right.

"Oh, no problem at all. It was thanks to you that the rest of the stones in that tunnel are safe, so you deserve a little reward." The man said, waving her off.

"Aye Lass, that was a brave thing you did back there." Douglas said. "But you better get a move on now, daylight's a burnin'!"

Gabrielle nodded, leaning into the newly-nicknamed Sage as they made their way down to the Route bellow. "I hope to see you again!"​

 

[Circuit]

Zakk Steuermann | Chapter 7 | Ancient Pokémon Part 3

Zakk's current team:

Zakk stood still, breathless. Team Rocket had very quickly left, leaving Zakk and the scientists alone in the large cavern. One of them walked over to Zakk and began to thank him. Zakk turned to him, not hearing him and staring blankly through the scientist. After a few moments, the scientist tapped Zakks arm, to check if he was really okay. Zakk snapped out of his trance at the touch, but his head still spun.
"Are you alright lad?" The scientist asked, checking if Zakk had come around. Zakk nodded and blinked slowly.
"Yeah, I think so now... Thanks." He responded, not fully with it yet. The scientist gently lead him over to his group, where he sat Zakk down on a stool. There was a small hut, presumably previously erected by the group, and inside were five hammocks, a lot of papers, and some fossils. There were also some TravelBoys strewn across the floor, two of them connected via cable. They must have enjoyed playing "Animals" in their free time; a game where the objective is to capture animals based on Pokémon, and save them from evil teams such as the Poachers and Trappers. You can create a place called a Zoo for people to come in an see what you've saved, earn money and eventually release them again. You can also trade Animals between friends.

The scientist handed Zakk a glass of water and a slice of bread with some cheese. It wasn't much, the scientist apologised, but they didn't have a lot else. Zakk took both gratefully, not realising quite how hungry he was.
"Thank... You." Zakk managed to blurt out between mouthfuls. The scientist just smiled, and walked away to talk to his team for a minute, while Zakk ate. When he'd finished, Zakk sighed a little, feeling some energy returning to his body. The scientists walked over together, and one stepped forward.
"Sir, we'd like to thank you for helping the mountain and saving our research. Team Rocket would have ruined everything had they been allowed to continue to desecrate the mountain as they had been. As such, we'd like to gift you one of the fossils we've dug up here." Each scientist offered Zakk a fossil, describing the Pokémon that it once was. They also explained that there was technology being developed that would allow a fossil to be returned to life.

Zakk eventually settled upon the Dome Fossil, which once was the Pokémon Kabuto. The scientist gladly obliged, and Zakk began to make his way back to the path and out of the mountain. The route Team Rocket had taken was blocked, unsurprisingly, so Zakk made his way back up to the main path through Mt. Moon. It didn't take long to reorientate himself, and exit the mountain, onto Route 4.

The fresh air hit Zakk like a brick wall, and immediately he felt refreshed and alert. Zakk needed to get to Cerulean City fast, in order to heal Bagon and Shinx. The two were exhausted after the escapades in Mt. Moon. The trees rustled in the wind slightly, but the ground was still mostly rocky. Zakk hoped Cerulean city wouldn't be too far. There was no one on the road, which Zakk also found strange, considering it was still quite light. He thought perhaps the road had been blocked due to the avalanche he'd witnessed earlier.

Not a lot happened on the road to Cerulean city, Zakk was jumped by a wild Pokémon, but he had to flee, since neither Bagon nor Shinx were in a state to battle. It took until sundown to reach Cerulean city, but Zakk had made it and quickly rushed to the Pokémon Center to heal Bagon and Shinx. Zakk set up camp back on Route 4 a little, and settled down for the night, after having fed his Pokémon and himself.

Zakk, got up after a good nights sleep, stretched, and packed his things away. Upon returning to Cerulean City, he found that the Gym leader, Misty, wasn't there. Apparently she had gone up to Cerulean Cape for some alone time and to train. So Zakk also began to head up there, if not to find Misty then he at least wanted to see what was up there. Zakk headed north towards the Nugget Bridge. He passed several stores on the way, and many houses. Zakk also recalled seeing a bike store, something he'd take a look at later.

Zakk began to walk over the bridge, but was interrupted as a kid swaggered up to him. He had a bug net and wore shorts and a yellow t-shirt, with a silhouetted Caterpie as the design.
"Hey, you! It costs $500 to cross this bridge, unless you can beat all five of us in battle! What do you think, are you strong enough, or are you going to wuss out?" The kid arrogantly shouted. Zakk looked down at the kid, who seemed awfully confident. It would be a risk.

"You're on!" Zakk told the kid, releasing Bagon and preparing for battle.

 

[jombii]

Alaine Deschamps

Mt. Moon

The Nurse at the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center seemed friendly enough when Alaine took Erwann back. Even if he is not battling, he takes great care of his Pokemon, ensuring to visit a Pokemon Center as often as he can. Erwann seemed to like the attention too so it's a win-win situation for the duo. Most of the people on the Center were travelers like him, although most of them are trainers unlike him. There were youngsters who probably have just begun their journey and a few veteran-looking ones. All of them looked like locals.

"Hello there," Alaine said as he approached a man approximately the same age as him. There were five Pokeballs hanging from his belt and a look in his eyes that he is not a new traveler. "I'm new to the Kanto region. Is it right that Mt. Moon is the only way from Pewter City to Cerulean City?" The man nodded, not taking his eyes of Alaine.

"It's the safest path. You can climb the mountain and try to cross it but it seems better if you just take the path through it," the man said. "Just be careful as there are a lot of trainers inside and you don't seem to look like the battler." The man took a piece of paper from his pockets. "It's a little tricky inside so here's a map I made to help you." Alaine shook his head.

"Thanks but it's no use to me," Alaine giggled. "I'm a sucker for maps and my geographical sense is not really good."

The man looked surprised as Alaine refused. "Well, I hope you find your way out from the inside. Best of luck, traveler."

-

"I should not be too rash in refusing that map," Alaine said to himself as he wandered inside the cavernous mountain. His Slowbro is lagging behind, his Shellder tail scraping the ground as the pair walked. "Where are we?" There were no other people in the place after Alaine went down a make-shift ladder. "I should not be going down ladders in caves." Alaine sighed. There were a couple of Paras around but Alaine made no move to catch them. He's seen one before and he knew it's not really an easy-to-train Pokemon. Without a trainer instinct, raising a Paras is troublesome for the tourist.

"I guess we just need to go deeper. We'll find the way out sooner or later," Alaine whispered, comforting himself. He saw another ladder and decided to climb it as it seemed to go to the level he was before. He recalled Erwann and started climbing the ladder, one rung at a time. Once he was on the new level, he called Erwann out as his Pokemon could not stand the thought of being inside the Pokeball. There were a few people mingling about so, naturally, Alaine decided to talk to one of them.

"Good day, miss," Alaine approached a black-haired woman, wearing a hard hat. She is holding a pickaxe in one hand and an oddly-shaped stone in the other. "Where is the exit?" The woman merely pointed to her left. Alaine's eyes followed and saw a bend in the cave path. "Thank you very much. Out of curiosity, what's that in your hand?"

"This is the root fossil. We're bringing back fossil samples to the Pewter Museum," the woman noncommittally replied. She put the fossil back into her bag. "We are looking for an Old Amber but it seemed everything is gone." She looked at Alaine from head to toe. "You seem interested. Here, take a pickaxe!" She gave a pickaxe to Alaine and a bag. "You can excavate with us if you want!"

"This is nice, thanks!" Alaine replied. He considered for a moment. Finding a fossil is a good experience. Plus, he heard that it can be resurrected with a current technology. Having a fossil Pokemon with minimal effort in catching is great. "Alright, I will dig with you!"

 

[Circuit]

Zakk Steuermann | Chapter 8 | Battle! The Nugget Bridge Adversaries!

Zakk's current team:

The first boy dropped to his knees upon seeing Rattata faint. He cried out in anguish at having lost so easily to Zakk. He'd underestimated this traveller.

Zakk observed the queer boy, and moved on. However Zakk didn't get far before he was interrupted again. This time, a girl approached Zakk. She had a smug grin on her face. Zakk knew what was coming, but didn't say anything.
"So you're not paying the toll? Then prepare to face defeat!" She cried and threw the Pokéball she was holding into the air. It spun fast, before stopping and releasing the small Caterpie kept inside. Zakk sent forward Shinx this time, who's fur bristled with static electricity. Zakk looked down and nodded, Shinx crouching low understanding the signal.
"Use Spark, Shinx." And she did so, charging the Caterpie head on. The battle didn't last long, as one more well placed Swift fainted the Caterpie. The girl called back her Pokémon, replacing it with a slightly stronger looking Pidgeotto. Zakk kept Shinx out, knowing the type advantage Shinx had.
"Pidgeotto, use gust!" The girl cried. Pidgeotto began to rapidly flap its wings and with a cry, buffeted Shinx with a strong gust of wind. It barely had an effect however, since Shinx resisted this kind of damage. Zakk felt confident in his partner at this point, and knew she could come out on top.
"Shinx use Swift." He said calmly. Shinx did so, hitting the Pidgeotto hard with a barrage of stars. Whilst Pidgeotto recovered, Shinx got in close to use Tail Whip. Before Shinx could finish Pidgeotto off however, it knocked Shinx back with a Steel Wing attack, which hit Shinx considerably harder than the Gust had before. But Shinx recovered quickly, and finished the battle with a Spark attack. Zakk received money from his opponent and healed up Shinx, before moving on.
Zakk's third opponent was no trouble. Bagon and Shinx together made short work of this opponent, who sported a Geodude and Zubat.
Zakk's fourth opponent had him on the ropes after their Graveler managed to faint Shinx. Zakk had Bagon finish it off with a Hydro Pump, before reviving Shinx with a revive he'd been given by his opponent.
Zakks fifth opponent walked up to him.
"I see you're strong. And you think you wont have to pay the toll, am I right?" Zakk looked at the stranger with a snake-like voice and was unsure how to respond. In the end, he simply nodded. "Well then, young trainer, we'll see just how good you really are." And the battle was on, just like that. The mysterious man sent out a Seviper to start, a Pokémon Zakk remembered seeing a lot in Hoenn. Zakk knew it was a fairly strong Pokémon, and prepared for a tough battle. Zakk sent forward Bagon first, since it had a greater resistance to Seviper than Shinx would. The battle began tough, with Seviper dishing out a lot of damage with Poison Tail and bite, while Bagon readied himself for a massive blow. That blow eventually came, knocking Seviper out very quickly with a combination of Ember and Headbutt. But Bagon didn't have a lot of energy left, so Zakk switched him out for Shinx. This time, Shinx fought against a Zangoose. This was likely to be hard as well. Zakk adopted a different with Shinx.
"Shinx Tail Whip!" Zakk cried, causing the Zangoose to become a little weaker. Though Zangoose retaliated with Slash, damaging Shinx majorly. After a quick moment to think, Zakk positioned Shinx on the bridge hand rail. In order to get close enough to battle, Zangoose had to follow. The battle grew tense, and both sides exchanged a few light blows, while trying to figure out what to do. Then Zakk noticed a sign Shinx could jump on. Zakk carefully told Shinx to move backwards, without giving away his plan.
"Shinx, use Swift and jump backwards!" And so the battle went, with Zangoose desperately trying to cover ground. Shinx stood by the post, and when Zangoose attempted to attack, Zakk quickly relayed instructions.
"Shinx, use the pole to attack with Tackle!" Zakk shouted. The stranger's face became surprised, and Shinx quickly moved. The attack backfired however, as Shinx knocked Zangoose off the bridge Shinx went with it. Zakk ran to the edge, pulling out his Pokéball and returning her before she drifted too far away. That was a close one. Zakk pulled out a blanket, released Shinx again and began to dry her. The mysterious man ran off chasing after his Zangoose which had quickly drifted down the river.
Zakk finished drying off Shinx and made his way down the river, following it towards Cerulean Cape. The man with the Zangoose crossed their path once more, not long past the bridge. he said nothing only handed Zakk a small golden nugget, before walking off again. Zakk looked at it for a moment, before smiling and walking onwards. That was very valuable.
The road to the Cape was filled with couples making a romantic trip to admire the sea. Zakk thought it all rather cliché and decided not to pay it much heed. Instead, he headed further to the Cape, passing a lone house as he neared the Cape.
At the top of the Cape Zakk saw a girl with bright orange hair standing holding a boy's hand. He flushed a little at the sight, but continued onwards anyway. As he neared the girl he tentatively began to speak.

"Excuse me, are- are you Misty?" Zakk asked. She turned to him, and her face quickly became red with anger.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO INTERRUPT A GIRL ON A DATE?!" Misty yelled. Zakk's first meeting with this Gym Leader was off to a good start.

 

[Zavytar]

Danica Chandler
Cerulean Cape
First Evolution! Vs. Collector!
​

When the bright light faded away, a fancier, taller form of Curtis stood in his place. Danica was no ignorant about that matter. She knew that Curtis, her Ralts, had evolved into Kirlia, and that it was a common thing Pokémon did. But looking as her own Pokémon evolved... It was truly a majestic sight to behold, and it filled her with pride, happiness and confidence. It truly felt like her unlucky moments had been swept under the rug. History. She felt that she could overcome anything, and could not wait until her Pokémon evolved again. With this newfound drive, Danica shouted her next command,

"Curtis, Disarming Voice!"

Before the Collector's Sneasel could make a move, Curtis' attack put him out of commission. Danica had won the battle. But the Collector wasn't sad about it. He retrieved his fallen Pokémon with a smile on his face, and adjusted his glasses.

"Oh, my! I-I never thought I'd see that through my very own eyes!" he said, excitement coursing through his veins, "Evolution, such a moment to behold! It is truly fantastic!"

"..." Danica stared blankly at the dude, wondering if he had some kind of brain injury.

"I'm so very glad I got to see your Pokémon battle!"

"...Right. Well, I have to go." Danica said coldly, and left at a fast pace before the Collector could say anything. The chubby boy with glasses did not take it personally, and instead hurried in the opposite direction to have his Pokémon healed up.

Danica continued her trek back to Cerulean City. She walked past the bridge and was lucky enough not to have encountered any of those pesky kids who called themselves the Nugget Bridge Gang. She found herself thinking about their apparent ringleader, and shuddered at the memory. Forcing her brain back to the post-evolution joy that Trainers experience, she entered the red-roofed building to replenish her Pokémon's health.

Next stop... Cerulean Gym. I'm ready. Second Badge, here I come.