[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

Eleanor · Dec 5, 2020

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $7 000

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) -♀- lv. 27
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) -♀- lv. 25
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) -♂- lv. 18
Infiltrator
Swagger, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Venus (Mawile) -♀- lv. 20 NEW!
Intimidate
Fairy Wind, Bite, Sucker Punch, Fake Tears, Taunt, Baton Pass

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

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

AVRIL'S BADGES:
🥊

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

Venus Flytrap

Tuesday, September 22^nd - about 10 a.m. - Dewford Fanclub Resort

Avril slept in, waiting until it was almost too late to get breakfast before setting foot inside the Resort's restaurant and getting something to eat. The gracefulness of her polka dot dress was offset by the red cuts all over her arms and by her clumsy steps, but some french toast was all it took to bring back the spark in her eyes.

Soon enough, the cuts were covered by a few layers of white gauze, provided by the Fanclub staff. But even then, when it came time to actually leave the fanclub and continue her journey as a trainer, Avril didn't feel like it - she just walked upstairs once again, reaching her room and laying down on the bed.

Avril could feel her head spinning, failing miserably to focus on what happened to her and process it. She eventually realized that even the people she'd met in Hoenn were all sorts of complicated… some would get her in trouble for who knows what reason, some would change appearance in no time, some she would forget about only to meet again and feel embarrassed, and really the list could go on. She needed to sort things out.

Now, nothing would stop her from having some time for herself and her Pokémon only. She was meant to enjoy this journey, while also making Poppy and the others happy - because really, they probably deserved better. Especially that one…

Avril eventually reached for that Pokéball. She still hadn't had the chance to give it to Hikaru, even though that was theirs, but a part of her really wanted to keep it for herself. And so did Poppy. Might as well...

I have to get out of bed and watch the Pokémon from further away, but at least the chair is at a safe distance. From here though, all I can see is this black, menacing mouth, full of grinding teeth, peek out from under my bed. But I don't think that under my bed there's an actual monster. Mawile must be too scared to think straight and that's… fine. I've been there literally some days ago.

I even remember how Poppy used to bump against the glass windows of my room, not knowing that there was actually glass there. Something that she quickly learned in a couple days. For Mawile, I suppose this is a similar situation - living her whole life in a cave and then being released inside a room meant for humans is truly traumatizing and, again, I should've known. Because I've been there literally some days ago.

Mawile, who I've released on top of the bed, is now under it, though, and that simply means that I can't see her actual face and talk to her normally. But… Poppy still can, and immediately disappears under the bed. From that point onwards, all I hear is a couple of chirps from both my Pokémon, as the mouth that peeks outside slowly moves, opening and closing slightly. Not a reassuring sight but…

I remember that Valerie used to have a Mawile as well. I never quite liked it - very cold and methodical in battle, but it was always praised by my parents and by Valerie herself. Poppy's smile as she comes out from under the bed though, is what gives me the confidence I need.

"So, Mawile… I'll b-be your trainer from now, and I'll do all I can to be a good one." I try to give a berry to her, slowly putting it on the floor, near her second mouth, but she just pushes it away. Bad start. It's Poppy who comes to the rescue, though, and points me towards the shutters, trying her best to explain that I need to lower them. Honestly, her gestures are still so cute even after all these years…

Only when my room turns dark, Mawile tries to come out from under the bed, running towards the cloth bag that I'd left on the floor. I see her searching in there, throwing some of the berries out of the bag but not finding what she wants. I hear her hiss angrily and immediately shudder, but I'm too far away to reach her Pokéball. I… probably know why she's behaving like this. The stone that she seemed so happy about… Hikaru still has it.

"Hey, uhm… Venus? D-do you like that name?" I mutter. "We're getting that stone back."

She runs towards me, and I brace for the impact, but as she comes close, I realize that what's on her face is actually a smile.

QueenNothing · Dec 5, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, September 21st, Afternoon

"So June, why don't you tell me something about yourself? Where are you from?"

June, accompanied by Robynn and her Beautifly roosting on her head, strolls through the streets of Petalburg, looking down while blushing as she thinks about how she got to this point. She always felt like she was the one to have to initiate conversations when talking with other girls, so having someone fill her role and play it significantly better than she ever could feels surreal.

"W-well I'm from Johto, I've lived in Goldenrod my entire life. B-but I've been to Hoenn many times, I used to visit my grandma over the summer, she actually lived in Petalburg, coincidentally enough."

Robynn's face looks a little solemn while still maintaining charisma. "I noticed you used past-tense, I'm assuming she's... y'know."

June grasps onto her pendant. "She did pass away a few years ago, but did so peacefully. I miss her, but I feel I carry on apart of her, and I want to spread her wisdom in her place."

"Those are indeed some wise words." The white haired girl gently chuckles, and then glimpses up to June, studying the Beautifly. "This is the third Pokémon of yours I've seen, noticed they're all bug-type. Got a reason for that?"

"Yes, absolutely!" The tall girl pushes up her glasses. "I think bug Pokémon are very fascinating! People think they're weak or repulsive, but that couldn't be further from the truth! Pokémon such as Heracross have the physical strength to move boulders, and so do Pinsir, Scolipede, and much more! They come in such a variety of-" June's mind catches up to her words, and she stutters out of fear she might alienate the girl right beside her. "I mean, um, I find them very interesting!"

Robynn chuckles again. "I can tell. But I think it's cute how much you know about bugs."

The brunette's face burns up. "Oh! Um, th-th-th-tha-"

"I'm just playing around." June exhales with relief as Robynn smirks at her. "But it sort of reminds me of my mother. Oh, that's right, you two met, haven't you?"

"Your mother?" June taps her lower lip, looking confused. She didn't recently talk with anyone who looked like they could be related to Robynn, and she struggles to make any connections. "Who would that be?"

"Y'know, Insecta?"

"Wh-wh-what!?"

Spoiler:

June blinks in disbelief. The two don't look or act alike at all, so the specifics of that confused her. "I-I-Insecta is your mom!?!? B-but, but…"

Robynn looks completely unphased by the other girl's reaction."Yeah I know, weird to think of us as related. She's not biologically my mother, or well, even legally technically, but she's served as a mother figure for a few years now. Couldn't be any more grateful for her."

"W-well, why don't you tell me a little more about that! If you've only known each other for a few years, how did you meet? And if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?"

"Err, we met in Castelia City when…" Robynn's expression makes her seem as if she's uncomfortable, but she tries to hide it with a smirk. "That's not important. I'd rather talk about you a little more. Beautifly is the second thing here I've had my eyes glued on, what's his name?"

It was odd to June how Robynn deflected her question, but she did raise an interesting question. "H-he doesn't actually have a name."

"Oh?" Robynn cocks an eyebrow. "Is there a reason for that? Your two other Pokémon have names, so why not this little guy?"

"I guess I just didn't think of one, but you're right. It does stand out."

"So if you were to give Beautifly a nickname, what would it be?"

June becomes consumed by her thoughts. Coming up with a name wasn't easy for her, and that was something she would swear she inherited from her dad. Kit came naturally, Einstein took some thinking, and Chip was a spur of the moment. She tries thinking about the physical characteristics of Beautifly, and something she remembers pops up in her mind.

Float like a Beautifly, sting like a Beedrill!

Insecta's saying frustrated her whenever she heard it. Beautifly are known to be aggressive, and hers could certainly attest to that. He even knows Poison Sting, and the saying implies that's an oddity when it's actually pretty common.

Suddenly it hits her. Her eyes widen, and she grins ear to ear when it hits her.

"That's it!" June declares loudly. "Sting!"

"Pardon me?" Robynn, who the brunette seemed to forget about while deep in thought, raises her eyebrow again.

"That's what I'll name Beautifly! Sting!"

The bug-type doesn't have much of a response outside of gently flapping his wings, but that was normal from him. "That's what you'll be known as from now on!"

"Is it like, because he's so aggressive? It makes sense."

June nods. "There's a misconception people have about Beautifly that they're very frail and passive, but that's simply false. They use their proboscis to-"

"Their what?"

"O-o-oh, I'm sorry." The brunette blushes in embarrassment. Her fear of suddenly unleashing her knowledge onto her peers and weirding them out might have just come true. "I may have gotten a little carried away."

"No no, don't feel sorry! I think your knowledge on the subject is interesting, and I'd love to hear more!"

"R-r-really!?" June's twinkling eyes glance at Robynn's playful smirk of approval. "As I was saying, the proboscis is the long thin mouth they have, Beautifly uses it to jab their prey and suck their fluids, usually targeting grass-types such as Gloom or Roselia because of the nectar in their flowers. And they can be especially dangerous if angered, and…"

She continues her lecture for awhile while continuing to stroll through town with the white haired girl. Even if they weren't doing very much together, June feels an incredible sense of enjoyment from discussing bug-types with someone who seems genuinely interested in the subject- Especially somebody like Robynn.

🐞June's party🐞

[PokeCommunity.com] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

22,492

Spoiler:

Juno · Dec 5, 2020

3-2: Promise

⛵ Briney Port 🕙 Sept. 21st, Evening

The sun was starting to set, but the pier was still bustling with activity. Marcella wasn't particularly keen on hanging around Briney Port, mostly because she wanted to find a nice place to stay before the night fell, but she still took in her new surroundings with mild interest as she walked through the little village. Some of the docked vessels looked surprisingly fancy for this place, reminiscent of the yacht her best friend's family owned. Smaller dinghies and sailboats littered the spaces in between.

She took in the wild chatter around her as she continued to stroll towards the larger Petalburg City in the horizon, watching people prepare to head home for the day, or set off for another expedition in their watercrafts.

"Let's go, Jimmy, we can come back tomorrow, and—"

"—saw the fattest Slowpoke at The Point earlier—"

"—check with maybe that tall lady with the Purrloin over there, could be hers."

The last bit of conversation sounded quite close. Instinctively, Marcella patted the outer pockets of her purse, and checked to see if her suitcase latch was still fastened. As she made sure she hadn't dropped anything, a second, higher-pitched voice called out from the same direction as the first.

"Hey! Hey, s'cuse me, lady!" She turned around to see a young girl, maybe 8 or 9, flying down the ramp of a medium-sized feeder vessel with her arms around a ball of fluff. Marcella was no expert on boats, but that definitely did not look like something a child belonged on. She didn't have time to ponder what a little girl was doing on a cargo ship, though, as the kid caught up and hoisted up the fluffy Pokémon. "This Wooloo yours?"

Two shiny, black eyes stared up as the creature bleated in Marcella's face. It squirmed and wriggled in the girl's grip, and the bell around its neck jingled lightly. The Pokémon was covered in pristine, white wool. All four hooves were very shiny, like they had been buffed often. Two longer sections of wool hung on either sides of its little face, braided neatly and tied at the ends with little, red bows.

It was very cute. But it was not Marcella's. She made a mental note to find some hair accessories like these for Bijou, though.

"Oh, no, sweetie, it's not mine."

The girl could barely hide her joy as she turned back towards the boat. "IT'S NOT HERS EITHER, 'PA," She hollered so loudly, Marcella grimaced a little. "CAN I KEEP HER NOW?"

"No, Ginny, just—just leave it! C'mon, we have to go!" The same gruff voice she'd first caught from the boat called back out.

The girl—apparently, Ginny—let out a frustrated sigh, and... did not do as she was told. Clutching the woolly Pokémon still, she ran back up the ramp.

Well. "Pa" is not going to be very happy about that. Marcella watched with amusement as the defiant child disappeared into the ship's cabin, before shrugging to Bijou and minding their own business.

They kept walking for a few more paces, but did not get very far. Hearing the hastily approaching footsteps behind her, she exhaled sharply as she turned back around, a little annoyed to be interrupted so many times in such a short period of time. It was Ginny once again, but towed along by a grizzled older man in a bucket hat this time.

"Uh, hello, ma'am. Sorry to bother ya again, but my granddaughter and I would really appreciate some help here." The annoyance must have shown on her face. Marcella softener her expression. "So, we got this—this thing here—what didya say it was again?"

"Wooloo, 'Pa. I thought you were a Trainer."

"Not for a while, I ain't been. So, the darn Wooloo musta climbed aboard at some point, and, well—as you can see, little Ginny here cares very much for its wellbeing. But the thing is, we gotta take off, and there're just no provisions aboard to care for it." He ignored a feeble rebuttal of 'but I can split my lunches with her' from Ginny, as he lowered his voice and leaned in. "'Sides, I'm already pushing it a little, bringing my grandkid along to work like this. We're a small freight company so rules 'n such are pretty lax—the other crewmates are nice enough about it and help me watch her, but I really shouldn't push further."

What do I want for dinner? Marcella mused as she listened half-heartedly. He was very ramble-y, and spoke so slowly that she'd zoned out a little as he was telling her all this. She could not have been less interested in his story, but flinched from the old man's sudden closeness as his sour breath hit her. "Right. I'm sorry, mister, but is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, now, you seem like a nice, young lady capable of takin' care of this Pokémon, just until you can reunite it with its own Trainer. You're a Trainer yourself, yes?"

Wow. This was... the first person who had pegged her for one. He could just be throwing out a shot in the dark, but either way, Marcella perked up. "As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I am." The little girl's eyes shone with admiration as she answered.

"Do you have a lot of other Pokémon?"

"I sure do, sweetie!" Marcella responded as she opened her purse and bent down to show its contents to Ginny.

"Are these Poke Balls? They look weird."

Her grandfather nodded. "Ayup, they're Luxury Balls, Gin. Only the finest of Trainers carry these—never used one myself, that's for sure. Way too expensive." He chuckled. "You don't invest in a bag full of Poke Balls like these until you're well into your journey, that's for sure. So you know little Woolly would be in good hands with this lady, eh?"

Marcella smiled as the old man talked her up. Sure, four of them were empty, and it had been less than a week since she left home, but they didn't need to know that.

The little girl looked contemplative. She set the Wooloo down as Marcella stood back up. It scurried around excitedly, chasing Bijou in circles until the irritated Purrloin took refuge in the space between her Trainer and her suitcase. "So... You can do it, then?"

"Hm? Do what?" Marcella responded absently, carefully snapping her purse shut again.

"Take Woolly home safely. I mean, 'Woolly's' not even her real name, I don't know what it is." Ginny said quietly. "I... really wanted to keep her, but that's not right. She has a home she probably misses a lot."

"Oh! I mean, yeah, I suppose I could, but—" I wasn't really offering to babysit. The Wooloo bleated merrily as they talked about her, still trying to get at Bijou. She sure didn't look like she missed home very much.

"Please take good care of her. Promise?"

Marcella had been so glad that someone had recognized her as a Trainer, she forgot what she was signing up for. She glanced between the ball of fluff terrorizing her Purrloin and the girl's pleading eyes, sighing. Well, I can't say no now. Besides, a Pokémon's a Pokémon. It's like a free party member I didn't even have to catch.

"Sure, dear, leave it to me. Like your grandfather said, she'll be in good hands. I promise."

Just then, a voice called out from their vessel. "Hey, Dale! You guys coming, or what?" A sinewy woman stood over the ramp with another man, looking like they were ready to yank it back up and take off.

"Ayup, be right there!" Ginny's grandfather called back out. "We have to go now, but thank you so much for taking this off our ha—uh, taking care of her. We were last docked in Littleroot, so I'm pretty sure that's where you'll find her Trainer. Goodnight! Say goodbye and thank you to the nice lady, Ginny."

"Bye, Woolly. Thank you! I hope I can be like you in a few years." She gave the fluffy Pokémon a quick hug, before taking her grandpa's hand. The two of them hurried back up the ramp of the feeder vessel, with Ginny occasionally looking back behind her shoulder, waving. Marcella waved back, until the girl was ushered back into the cabin.

"I hope I can be like you in a few years," huh? Marcella smiled. Maybe this Trainer thing won't be so bad, after all... Wait, did he say 'Littleroot'? Is that close? Is that far? Marcella tried to visualize the Hoenn map to little help. She'd lived here her whole life, but geography was never her strong suit. She shook her head.

"We'll figure it out along the way. Come on, girls. We have a promise to keep, now."

She looked down. Bijou had come back out of hiding. And she was the only one standing in front of her. "I—what? Where's the damn Wooloo?" Bijou flicked her tail unhelpfully in response. "I looked away for like, two seconds! How did those stubby little legs..."

Scanning the horizon, Marcella frantically looked for the new creature she'd literally just promised to care for. Several moments later, she finally spotted a little, whitish puff up ahead, curled up and rolling through a small puddle of muddy water.

"God damn it." She huffed, picking up her suitcase as she hurried to catch up.

Party

Purrloin ♀ // Bijou
Level 22

Scratch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough

Art

Clamperl ♀ // Pearly
Level 13

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense

Art

Wooloo ♀ // ???
Level 20

Tackle
Copycat
Double Kick

Dear Diary

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

2-1: M.I.A.
2-2: Footwear Filchers
2-3: Cut Off
2-4: Bijou Bootcamp
2-5: Beached
2-6: Pearly
2-7: Showtime - ft. Avril, June, Tsu, Robynn, Shuna
2-8: Natsuko vs. Marcella - ft. Tsu
2-9: The Three C's
2-10: In/Dependent
2-11: Connections - ft. Avril, Hikaru

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

3-1: Fiancé
3-2: Promise

Inventory

₱31,000

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)
Luxury Balls x 4
Silk Scarf
Contest Pass

Trainer Info

Badges

Groc · Dec 5, 2020

Natsuko Soyokaze
Monday, September 21st, midday
Dewford Town

Lucy had gone back to Slateport after lunch, and Sunny had left shortly after. Now, Tsu stands by herself at the Pokémon Center, looking at the odd jobs board. None of them pay enough to cover her sudden debt, and all she can hear is Aunt Nyamo's scolding remark. "It's all fun and games until your check bounces, and then where are you?"

Tsu sighs, lowering her head in despair. Between the fine from the Rangers and everything else she'd bought over the past few days, she'd only had about ₽500 left. With her Contest winnings, she only had ₽2000 to give to Lucy. "Just thirteen-thousand to go..."

Her sulking is interrupted by her phone ringing, and she doesn't even bother checking to see who it is. "Hello?"

"Who's your best friend in the world?" It's Sunny, and she sounds very pleased with herself.

"Uhhh... Shiny?"

"Wrong! It's me! I know a way you can make big money fast! Come meet me at the beach!"

"Wait, hang on. The beach is a big place, where are you?" Tsu grabs her bag, heading out the door.

"I'm at the Gym. It's that old martial arts looking place down here. I just talked to the Leader, he's actually here!"

"It's called a 'dojo', Sunny. Wait... what did you do? How am I going to make money at the Gym?!"

"Just get down here! ...preferably before 12:30." *click*

"Sunny? Sunny! ...that's in ten minutes!"

☆☆15 minutes later!☆☆

Tsu arrives at the Gym, out of breath from running. Sunny is standing just outside, impatiently looking at her Holotch.

"There you are! Come on, you're late."

"Late... for what?" Tsu pants, hands on her knees as she catches her breath.

"For your Gym battle! You're gonna beat Brawly, get the badge and 5,000 Poké reward, and then I'm gonna battle him!"

"What? Why... why didn't you go first?" Tsu whines as Sunny leads her inside.

"Because you needed the motivation. Look how long it took you even with it." Tsu scowls at Sunny, but it's not very effective. "You'll do great! I believe in you!"

It's actually rather plain inside the Gym. Tsu isn't sure what she expected, but a middle-aged man stick fighting a pair of preteens with brooms is certainly not it.

"Uh... excuse me?" Tsu calls out to get their attention, and the man, presumably Brawly, looks over to her. One of the kids, the girl, takes advantage of Tsu's distraction to get a free hit on Brawly's leg.

"Whoa! Nice one, Alex! That's the round." He bows to the kids, who bow back before leaving the mat.

"You cheated." The boy says, to which the girl, Alex, responds, "Did not! He dropped his guard, it was a clean hit..."

Tsu's attention is called back to Brawly as he approaches. "Hi there! I'm Brawly. You must be Tsu, right?"

"Y-yeah! I'm Natsuko, but my friends call me Tsu. ...I guess you can, too."

"Right on, right on. You've caught me at a good time! I was just helping my kids clean the Gym. You wouldn't believe how much sand gets in here."

"Uhhh..." Tsu glances at the open doors, at the piles of sand in the corners, and the dents on the broom from being used as a weapon.

Oh yeah. Definitely not what she expected.

"But enough about me! Your friend is eager to battle, but she insisted that you go first. Said you really needed this fight. She's a good friend, looking out for you like that."

"Haha... yeah. I guess she is." Tsu smiles, not at all prepared for this, but at least she's not tired anymore. "So... how do we do this? I only have three Pokémon, so..."

"Then that's what I'll use. We'll have three one-on-one fights, single knockout style!" At Tsu's confused expression, he clarifies, "That means that when one Pokémon can't fight, the winner gets called back, too."

"Oh, okay! So, I stand over there?"

"If you'd like! I don't mind. Hey, Alex! We need a ref, bud!"

The boy from before hands his broom to the girl, who looks offended as he runs over. "Hello. I'm Alex, and I'll be the referee..."

"Wait, wasn't the girl Alex? And aren't they your students?!" Tsu looks at Brawly suspiciously, but he laughs it off.

"Nah, they're both Alex! They both like the name, so who am I to call them different? But they're completely fair, don't you worry. If anything, they'd love to see me lose, right?"

Alex pouts a little at the implication. "That's not fair, Dad. I only want that because it's so rare, it has to be a good fight. I wouldn't cheapen it by cheating!"

Rare? Does he not lose often? Wait... DAD?! Tsu pulls her hat down, her head spinning.

"The official Gym Battle between Leader Brawly and Challenger Natsuko is about to begin! Please choose your first Pokémon!"

Tsu grabs Stacy's Poké Ball, deciding to start out strong. The Duchess appears in a flash of light, filling her side of the dojo as she coils around Tsu.

"Oh no! I forgot how big she is!" Tsu frets, but Brawly just whistles appreciatively.

"Whoa, mama! She's gorgeous! Not many people bring a beautiful gal like that to my Gym! Alex, give the lady some space!"

The other Alex drops her broom, and runs to the back of the dojo and into a side room. After a moment, gears start clicking and shifting as the roof opens up, letting in sunlight and giving Stacy enough room to stretch out.

"That's more like it! As for me, I'll use Machoke!" He tosses his Ball, sending out the muscular Pokémon, who takes the opportunity to flex and show off his muscles.

"You can do it, Tsu!" Sunny calls out, waving to her friend from the doorway.

"Yeah, kick his butt!" Alex encourages, coming out from the back room.

"Alright, the first Pokémon have been chosen!" Alex steps back, waving his flags. "Let the battle begin!"

"Stacy, start with Tackle!" Stacy grumbles, but ducks her head and charges at Machoke.

"Whoa, there! Machoke, Power Trick!" Machoke sharply inhales, puffing out his chest as he braces himself. Stacy crashes into him, but he is able to catch her and turn her aside.

"Got some power to her, huh?" Brawly grins, but Tsu hides her eyes under her hat.

"I'm not sure, this is the first time she's fought since she evolved."

"Hey, don't be so down! She's still the same Pokémon, she's just bigger!"

She almost ate me, what do you know?! Tsu wants to yell, but that memory gives her an idea. "Stacy, Bite him!"

"Woo, okay! Go for a Low Kick!" Stacy charges in, trying to grab Machoke in her teeth, but he manages to grab her instead. Her teeth dig into his palms as he forcibly keeps her mouth from closing, and he drops to one knee to reach out and kick her, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall. He pushes her away as she does, and her full weight hits the mat, leaving her dazed for half a second as the crash reverberates through the floor.

"Whoa!" Sunny clings to the door frame. "This place is sturdy, right?"

"Solid as steel, babe! You got nothing to worry about!" Brawly flashes a smile and a thumbs-up.

Stacy growls in frustration from the floor, glaring at Machoke. Tsu notices, and is concerned for him. "Stacy, stay calm! How about a Splash? Get some altitude!"

"This is gonna be big, Machoke! Do another Power Trick!" Machoke rolls his shoulders, cracks his knuckles and pops his neck, ready to fight for real as Stacy gets upright, hops once, then throws herself into the air. She flies up and out the open roof, her whole 21-foot long body clearing the hole before turning in mid-air and diving straight toward Machoke.

"Yes! Splash into Tackle! Just like the Contest!" Tsu claps excitedly, really hoping Stacy's glare is just how she looks now, and that she's not really angry.

Brawly stays quiet, and Machoke glances back at him. Brawly nods once, and Machoke assumes a wide stance. Stacy comes back down through the roof, crashing headfirst into Machoke and driving his feet through the tatami mat floor. He grunts with effort as he grabs her head, holding her aloft.

"Counter!"

Before gravity can assert itself, Machoke redirects the momentum of her dive and pushes her slightly, slamming her face into the mat. The rest of her body follows suit, and the whole floor shakes as the Duchess crashes to the floor. She groans softly, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Stacy!" Tsu recalls her to her Poké Ball, holding it close. "I'm sorry, we were not prepared for this..."

"Gyarados is unable to battle!" Alex lifts the blue flag on Brawly's side. "Point goes to Leader Brawly!"

"So, I'm guessing you haven't battled much with her, right?" Brawly asks gently, recalling his Machoke. "She only knows how to fight head on, not much room for strategy. It works pretty well, until you meet someone who knows how to turn that power against you."

"Yeah... truth be told, I haven't battled much at all. A few times with Stacy when she was a Magikarp, but mostly with..." Tsu smiles slightly, tossing another Ball. "Mostly with Shiny."

The little Ponyta neighs at mention of her name, looking around curiously. It's indoors, but she can see the sky overhead, and a gentle breeze comes from the open door. She trots up to Tsu, pushing her with her head.

"Oof! Hi! You like this place? Like beung outside, right? We're in a battle, okay? I need you to do your best."

Brawly sniffs, smiling as a single tear runs down his face. "Ah, the bond a Trainer has with their first Pokémon!" Over by the door, Alex gags slightly, disgusted by her father's sappy reaction.

"As for me, I think Raichu is the way to go!" Brawly tosses the Ball, and his Raichu surfs onto the mat, riding its own tail. "One round down, but this battle's just getting started! Woo!"

QueenNothing · Dec 6, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, September 20th, Afternoon

I couldn't tell you how long Robynn and I have been walking through Petalburg together. My best guess was that it was only ten minutes, but when I checked the time it turns out I'd been talking about bug-type biology for an hour! Normally I'd be paranoid that I'm being obnoxious, but I'm feeling at ease about it now- Robynn doesn't mind, and that's really all that matters.

Right now I've shifted the topic to Charjabug, and how magnetic waves in certain areas cause it to evolve into Vikavolt. I'm not even sure how I got here right now. All I do know for certain is that words about how Vikavolt will use Charjabug as a battery are leaving my mouth, and that Robynn is giving me a peculiar look. It's difficult to know for certain, and I'd hate to jump to conclusions, but if I had to guess...The way her eyes look at me suggests that she might like me.

It's certainly strange- I certainly didn't expect I'd ever meet someone like me.

I suppose I should specify what I mean by that: I've never met someone like myself, a girl, who is also attracted to other girls.

Yes, I remember it pretty clearly. I don't remember exactly how old I was, but I was pretty young, it must have been around fourth grade. I remember around this time a lot of the girls in my class would talk about boys they liked, and my parents would even occasionally bring up the possibility that I might one day like a boy as a "when you" instead of an "if you". Despite this, I never even so much as entertained the idea. I assumed that I was just too interested in bug Pokémon to care about romance, but something happened not long after this…

It was a few months after I turned eleven, and I had just gotten back to school from summer vacation, on any other school day. I dropped a pencil on the floor, and a classmate picked it up to hand it to me. On any other day I would have simply accepted it, thanked her, and went on with my day, but something felt... different. When I saw her face, I felt this foreign sensation. My heart was beating as fast as a Ninjask's wings as I noticed her long, flowing, black hair, her deep blue eyes, and the freckles dotted on her dark skinned face… I wasn't sure what had gotten into me, and my face couldn't help but flash a bright red. Unsure of what to do at that point, all I did was quickly grab my pencil back and buried my face into my desk. My classmate thought my behavior was odd, but in my mind it was better than the chance she caught on to my thoughts.

I had hoped that was a one-time occurrence, but that wasn't the case. Quite the contrary, in fact. This ended up happening with all my classmates who were girls, and I wasn't sure what was happening to me. But I just knew I couldn't tell anyone- My classmates would already derogatorily refer to me as "Bug Girl", and when I started growing taller than my peers that didn't help my social situation. Nobody I knew expressed similar feelings, and in fact I remember some voicing active disdain for the concept.

Of course, there was always one person I could talk to about anything, my grandma. I had planned to tell her about this, but well… I think it's quite obvious what happened.

Eventually after I came to accept my feelings, I did tell my parents, and they were incredibly accepting. But even with the knowledge that my parents, especially my dad, would never reject me, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous leading up to it.

Even after I came to accept who I was, I was still alone. I'd try to display my interest in some girls I knew from school, but was always rejected early on. I was starting to think I was the only one of my kind.

Well, or so I thought, until I arrived in Hoenn. So far I've met Avril, Marie, and now Robynn, all of which I suspect have some sort of interest in me, and it's nice to know I'm not alone. And Robynn, especially- Not only is she like me, but she's also interested in hearing about bug Pokémon! I couldn't ask for anything more, if I'm to be honest.

"Hey, I hate to cut you off, but what's with this place?" Robynn's words pull me back to my surroundings, interrupting me in the middle of a sentence about Joltik. She's looking at my family's conservatory, specifically the sign with my last name on it. "Enomoto Conservatory? You know about this place, June?"

I nod. "Yes actually. My uncle runs it, and he's letting me stay here while I'm in Petalburg."

"Right right, think I remember you saying that. Although now that you're here, it is pretty late, and I'm getting pretty hungry. What do you say we both head back?"

I'd hate to have to split paths right now, but she is right- Plus, I'm starting to feel peckish myself. "Yes, I agree."

Robynn gives me her recognizable smirk. "Well alrighty then. See you at tomorrow's contest!" She waves at before facing the other way, not noticing me waving back. She walks a bit, but then she stops and turns her head to make eye-contact with me. "Oh, just thought I'd let you know- I enjoyed hanging around you."

Before I can process what she says, she winks at me and immediately looks forward, continuing her trek to wherever she's staying for the night.

Something about the way she winks at me just… I don't know how to describe how I feel at the moment, but I can suddenly feel my heart beating faster, and my knees go weak. No response can leave my lips, bit I could tell you one thing for sure- I couldn't wait to see Robynn again tomorrow.

🐞June's party🐞

22,492

Spoiler:

forg · Dec 6, 2020

Slateport [Sept. 20]

With the coming of sunrise came forth a vast array of colors that lifted the sky's darker curtain to reveal brighter shades. Through the window these rays of sunlight blanketed Emilio's room, revealing a mess of clothes and snack wrappers plaguing its insides. Emilio, who had awoken an hour earlier, sat on the bed beneath the comfort of the blanket, of which was draped around his shoulders. Thanks to his back facing the window, his front was shadowed; his gaze had fallen on the pokeball he had set on his nightstand.

"God damn it, I said I'm sorry," he murmured, a finger lightly tapping his cell phone's case. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings. On the contrary, he was afraid to release her and allow the memories of a deceased relative ruin his day. Of course, thinking back on his reasoning, he realizes now that it may have been selfish of him to do so.

Very selfish.

Unable to summon the necessary courage to apologize any louder, he leaps off the bed and snatches the pokéball, ready to venture out.

To quell the guilt Emilio decided to partake in some window shopping. Normally the activity wasn't a pass time of his, but doing it alone, without the company of his family, was… a surprisingly different experience: He inspected the diversely colorful TMs, found a guilty pleasure in admiring Pokémon dolls, grew infatuated by the various scents from incenses, was entertained by the energy guru's claims, curiously listened in to the shopkeeper's knowledge on their collection of international berries, and more.

But the reality of the situation was that -in no shape or form- should he indulge in these materials just yet; he's fully aware he's in dire need of extra cash for the journey ahead.

Then again this is Emilio.

Despite the wave of shame that followed, he proceeded to enter a burger joint and ordered himself a meal for two; he planned to eat his way into Dewford.

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

The breeze was cold, yet active, on this time of day. With it being noon came the knowledge that soon he will embark into a new island. A new mini world. And perhaps, a gym that didn't require an extra companion. In the meantime, he figured why not spend it by "studying" how to train for such an event.

Sitting just outside the Ferry Terminal beneath a shady oak tree sat Emilio savoring a beef burger. His other hand held his cell, absorbing pokémon training videos of many sorts and varieties.

"...this is an EXP machine-"

"...remember to always check for type advantages and disadvantages-"

"...treating your Pokémon like they're your family is the key to success-"

"...but the trainer needs to be training too, not just their loyal companions-"

"...and welcome to Training 101-"

Of course, he could only take so much. Within an hour of studying he found himself heading back home, occasionally emptying trash from his bag into passing trash bins. Whether it was an old candy wrapper, scrap notes, dry cheetohs, or used napkin, without care or concern Emilio tossed them out. Half of them did not land and ended up being litter.

While waiting for 3:00 to come crawling at his door, the young man packed everything he needed into his bag as soon as he reached his destination. A good tug and push forced the contents to be zipped and sealed. Unfortunately this also meant that upon being opened, everything would spill out.

Still hiding inside the contents of their Pokéball was his dear Galarian Ponyta. Again, not a single tremble or budge was felt. At first he felt no worries, but having gone so long with such silence was finally beginning to gnaw on him.

"Hey… hey, uh… are you okay there?" he mumbled, tapping his backpack. After a minute of no response he sighed and continued on. "Fine. Don't talk to me then." Little did he know his lack for trying only worsened the small horse.

An odd wall of ice had been built between the two. And it was this fact that remained and did not allow for any other thought to conquer his mind. All except for one; as the boat departed, he noticed Koko rushing to this very same boat. Sadly she was too late, but she didn't seem to display any dismay or annoyance.

Emilio looked on curiously as Koko released her Onix and pointed at the departing ferry. Together they shared some laughs and began to exit the premises. This made him feel guilt towards his own companion once more. A yearning for company. A desire to reconnect.

After choosing a seat he set the bag between his legs and clenched the top of the bag with one hand. The other carefully unzipped a small portion that, as he feared, began to leak out clothes and items. Frustrated by the cascading objects, he rummaged into his bag and retrieved the pokéball.

He began to toss it from hand to hand.

Emilio Estéban Grácia

QueenNothing · Dec 7, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, September 20th, Evening

"Oh, hey Junko, I was just 'bout to close up for the day."

My uncle greets me as I slide open the entrance of his traditional-style house. He walks out from behind the front desk, looking a lot less bored than he did earlier in the day. I imagine it's because he's done with his work for the day. "Hello uncle. How has your day been?"

"It was fine, y'know. Got some people to visit the dome out back. But I'm done for the day, I'm gonna make some dinner. You hungry?"

I nod in response. My uncle is surprisingly good at cooking. He says it's because he was raised by my grandma, but that doesn't explain my dad…

"Alrighty then, I got some Pokémon food for your guys too. So uh, who do you go-" As he stretches his limbs, he's surprised when looking down at me, focusing on Sting who still rests on my head. "Your Silcoon evolved again?"

"Yes, his name is Sting now. I also have a Wimpod and Surskit- Blipbug, who I now call Einstein, evolved yesterday, so you don't need to worry about him. Chip, that's what I call my Wimpod, will eat just about anything, and…"

"Yeah yeah, I know." Tetsuo dismisses what I say. He probably does know, working with Pokémon all day requires him to be informed on what a Pokémon's diet requires, but I feel as if I can never be too certain with him. "But while I'm cooking, go ahead and make yourself at home."

I set my bags down in one of the many identical rooms in this house. Despite how similar these rooms look, there's a certain room I have an affinity for, and it's where I'd stay every time I visited grandma. I see my uncle had placed a futon on the tatami mat ahead of my arrival- How kind of him.

I take in the nostalgic atmosphere of this familiar house, but I'm suddenly reminded of something- I haven't called my parents since Sunday morning! Oh no, dad must be so worried.

I hurriedly scuffle through my purse to seek out my PokeGear. The second I get my hands on it, I unlock it and open the calling app before even pulling it out of my purse. I press the call button, and immediately somebody picks up.

"JUUUUUUUUUNKOOOOOO!!! OH MY GOD, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOU IN ALMOST TWO DAYS, I'VE BEEN SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU, I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP, PLEASE TELL ME YOUR ALRIGHT!!!"

I need to hold the phone away from my ear as my dad panics. I don't know why I haven't already gotten used to this. "Yes dad, I'm perfectly fine."

My dad sobs with relief. "Oh Junko, I'm so glad to hear, you don't have any idea how worried I am!" No, I think I might definitely have an idea. "Your mother always tells me that you're probably alright, but I can't help but worry! My little Junko has never traveled through a different region with no adult supervision before! Oh, I can't believe it, my little Junko is all grown up already!" He's doing his best to hold back from bawling, but he's not great at it.

"Oh, honey, has Junko called back?" On the other end of the line I can hear my mom approach my dad. "Lemme talk to her. Hi Junko! How's your adventure been going?"

"A lot has happened." I sigh. "Almost immediately after you called me yesterday, I caught a Wimpod, who I named Chip, challenged the Dewford gym leader, and won, Blipbug evolved into Dottler, I entered a contest that I didn't win, went to Petalburg and caught a Wurmple, who is now a Beautifly, and a Surskit. It's been a long two days."

"EHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!? YOU DID ALL THAT ALREADY!?!? MY DEAR JUNKO NOW HAS FOUR POKÉMON AND HER FIRST GYM BADGE, I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! There my dad goes again, sobbing from the other end. "Is Brawly still the gym leader there!?!?"

I nod out of habit, even if they can't see my face. "Yes, he is as a matter of fact."

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! MY LITTLE GIRL TOOK ON BRAWLY AND WON!!! BRAWLY HITS HARD, AND IS KNOWN TO DISCOURAGE NEW TRAINERS, SO TO BEAT HIM YOUR FIRST TRY IS A SIGN OF YOUR SKILL, AND MY OWN LITTLE JUNKO WON!!! IT TOOK ME THREE TIMES TO BEAT HIM WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER ON MY LEAGUE CHALLENGE!!!

Really? His description of Brawly as an unstoppable force who knocks rookie trainers down sounds detached from reality. "Dad, when did you win the Knuckle Badge?"

"I think it was in 2002. Why's that?"

That explains it. I'm guessing he's mellowing out as his age catches up to him. "Oh, it's nothing!"

"Junichi, let me speak with her please!" My mom sounds a little irritated at my dad, and I can understand why. "So Junko, where are you right now? Petalburg, you said?"

"Yes, that's correct. I'm staying at Uncle's house for the night."

"Tetsuo…" My dad sneers.

"Honey, don't talk about your family like that." My mom responds. "I know you're still upset with him, but you used to really get along with your brother, and I hate seeing you think of him that way."[/I] I'd have to take my mom's side here.

"Hey, we're not talking about that now!" I can just picture my father pouting as he says that. But anyways, Junko, if you're taking on the league and in Petalburg, you should fight Norman! He's tough, but if my little girl can beat Brawly, Norman should be a walk in the park!"

I'm sure this was the case over twenty years ago, but I'm not sure how this Norman character has changed since then. "Yes, I might just have to." I say, unsure how much I actually believe my own words.

I have a bitter impression of gym battles. I saw how hurt Einstein was when fighting Brawly, and if he hadn't held back, I'm not sure how much worse Einstein's condition would have been. At the same time, Brawly holding back made the results of the battle far from satisfying. I'm not sure if this sets any sort of precedent.

"So, Junko…" My mom begins, trying to fill the silence. "How'd things go with Avril?"

My face becomes flushed as she asks her lingering question. "I-I-I-I'd say they're g-g-going j-just fine!"

"Only just fine?" She tsks. "Come on Junko, you really gotta step your game up! When me and your dad first me, I had to-"

"WAAAAAHHH, MY OWN DAUGHTER IS GROWING UP SO FAST!!! IT FEELS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY I HELD YOU IN MY ARMS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND YOU ALREADY TOOK ON ONE OF HOENN'S TOUGHEST GYM LEADERS AND FOUND YOURSELF A GIRL TO SETTLE DOWN WITH!!!"

That prospect doesn't sound unappealing, but describing Avril and I'd relationship as that is seriously a stretch. "D-d-dad, it's really not like that! Um, um, um- Dinner should be ready by now! Goodbye, and I love you both!"

I immediately pull my PokeGear away from my ear and hang up. I'm glad to have gotten out of that, but I wasn't lying about dinner. Right now I should check on Uncle's progress.

"Here ya go Junko." Uncle slides a plate of curry against the short-legged table and towards me.
As he hands me a glass of water, I examine the contents of the plate- Chopped tofu, potatoes, onions, carrots and pecha berries drenched in a thick, brown sauce sided with white rice. It looks appetizing, and the tofu and pecha berries stick out to me. Unlike my uncle, I don't like meat very much, and as for the pecha berry, he usually makes spicy curry with cheri berries, but swapped them for something sweeter to accommodate my tastes. How awfully considerate of him.

"Thank you for the meal, uncle!" I let him know as I grab my spoon. I take one bite, and while not a favorite dish of mine, the chopped vegetables and sweet curry sauce are still enjoyable nonetheless.

Next to the table, Einstein, Chip, Sting, and Kit all sit on the tatami mat, all of them except Einstein having a bowl placed in front of them. Sting's bowl is filled with nectar extracted from flowers, and Kit's bowl contains water from a pond in the dome. Chip's food is just leftover curry, which he gleefully nips at.

A few minutes of silence passed as Uncle and I enjoy our dinner. At some point though, he looks up from his plate as if to break the silence.

"Hey, Junko?" He says, grabbing my attention. "So, err uh, you battle any gyms yet?"

Unable to use my words while I chew on curry, I nod, giving an answer when I swallow it. "Yes, but only the Dewford gym, where I won."

"Mmm, I see." He nods with his eyes shut. "I battled Brawly once too y'know. He gave me hell, I can say that for sure, but the gym leader here has told me about how lately he's turned soft."

"Oh, do you know Norman?"

Uncle seems a little surprised I know his name. "Yeah, I do. It just kind of comes with living here, y'know?" He eats a few more spoonfuls of curry before continuing. "Hey, speaking of which, are you gonna battle him? The gym isn't gonna be open again until Wednesday, but since you're here you might as well."

"Yes, I suppose…" I sigh, not keeping it a secret how unsure I am of what I'm actually saying.

Uncle notices this, of course. "Something wrong with that?"

"N-No, it's just that… Well, I'm not actually sure how much I want to challenge the gym. When I battled Brawly, Einstein was pushed to his limit, and even though he evolved after that, I could tell Brawly was holding back. I feel if he didn't, Einstein would have been in immense pain, and I'd feel awful if that happened to any of my Pokémon…"

"Yeah, I gotta admit, that kinda sucks. Gym battles are hard, y'know. But that's kinda the point- They're supposed to test you and help you grow, or something like that. Sometimes you need to be knocked on your feet to get back up again stronger."

He has a point, and in fact, this is actually similar to something grandma used to say. A Bagon must fall into the ground many times before evolving into a Salamence and spreading its wings were her exact words. Even Insecta has told me to practice battling, which a gym battle would help with. Everyone more experienced than me says it's a good idea, but I have my doubts. It's not like a contest where nothing is really lost, but my Pokémon could get seriously hurt! Is the payoff even worth it?

But I suppose I should do it regardless of how I feel. I'd hate to disappoint those who have high expectations for me...

"I'll do it." I announce, to which my uncle looks joyous.

"Right on! That's my Junko, taking on the Hoenn League like that!" He cheers, smiling widely. I haven't actually seen him this happy over something for awhile- Now I know I have to go through with it.

QueenNothing · Dec 8, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Morning

After a bright light, suddenly I'm out onto the grass again, right in-front of an unfamiliar pond. While it may not be the one I grew up at, a pond is still a pond.

As I crawl my way over to the body of water, I hear June behind me say something. "Alright everyone, I'm tallying up Pokémon right now, so please enjoy yourselves for the time being!" I turn around, and see the human walking away. Einstein isn't very far behind me either.

Right now my priority is to skate on the pond, and as I do that, I think of everything that's happened since June the human came into my life. I've talked with Einstein, and he's taught me a lot, like how the name of the human is June, and that he's a species of Pokémon called Dottler. I also learned about Pokeballs, battling, gym battles, Pokémon contests, among other things. Seems I've gotten into a much more complicated living situation- Gone are my days of worrying about survival first and foremost.

That's not a bad thing though, or so I'm told. Einstein has told me how much he loves and cares for this human, and Chip- A Pokémon I can only describe as silver and flat- isn't opposed to saying that. Sting, a Beautifly, and apparently one of my companions, doesn't really have any strong stances on this. When asked what he thinks of June, he simply says that her height makes for a good base for takeoff.

When I'm asked a similar question, if I care for this human, I can't really answer. That's not a feeling I've ever really experienced, in my days of living in the wild I might have had some acquaintances, but if they were eaten by a predator, that was that. I needed to worry about my own survival before even beginning to think about if I missed them. But that doesn't seem like something I'll have to worry about anymore.

I continue gleefully skating across the pond surface, but I feel an urge to stop when I notice Einstein staring at me intently. He has no active limbs to do it, but I know he's beckoning me, and I halt my activity to walk over to him.

He talks to me about how he wants me to train, which is how he describes our interaction yesterday. I'll comply, I do find skating on water fun, no matter the circumstances. And just like that, he sets up a barrier in-front of him- Apparently this is a "Light Screen"- and I shoot a Water Sport to wet the surrounding ground and create a wide puddle.

Just like yesterday, I slide to my left, and follow it up with bubbles from my antenna. This time, they're the faster moving bubbles I learned to shoot recently, and then I slide right.

Bubbles, left, bubbles, right, bubbles, left, bubbles, right… This is the drill Einstein and June want me to practice, and I feel little reason to disobey.

Bubble Beam, slide left.

I've only really practiced this once, but it's starting to get pretty easy. I feel used to this enough that my mind can drift away a bit.

Bubble Beam, slide right.

After dinner yesterday, I remember a conversation I had with Einstein about evolution. He tells me he's an evolution of a larva Pokémon called Blipbug, and how soon enough he'll evolve into a different Pokémon called Orbeetle. He's sort of like a Silcoon, starting out as a Wurmple and eventually hatching into a Beautifly.

Bubble Beam, slide left.

Einstein tells me he can't wait to evolve into an Orbeetle. He tells me of the days when he was a Blipbug, he could express as much gratitude towards June as he wanted, and could follow her around as he wished.

Bubble Beam, slide right.

But now as a Dottler, he's unable to do any of that. In his current state, his heavy shell makes moving near impossible, and he can't express any sort of emotion. He does this to preserve energy and observe his surroundings to take mental notes, but he tells me the cost it comes at pains him. He says the second he evolves and is able to freely move around, he plans at always being at June's side again.

Bubble Beam, slide left.

Sting has evolved twice in just one day. He tells me that he looked forward to flying since the day he hatched from his egg, and regrets nothing about evolving when he did. He takes joy in fighting foes, and evolution only makes that easier.

Bubble Beam, slide right.

Everyone seems to have something good to say about evolving, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it

I didn't know my parents much, but I knew one thing for sure was that they expected that one day, I might evolve into a Masquerain, and lay my eggs in the pond to keep the cycle going. While I also thought I'd go along with this, I didn't actually want to though. I loved the pond, and not once did I ever have any aspiration of evolving and flying away to find a mate. Skiing on water is something I take great joy in, and even if flying grants me new freedoms, it's in exchange for something I've grown to love.

I am free of living off of pure survival instincts, but unfortunately even June has similar expectations for me.

Bubble Beam, slide left.

This isn't something that's far away either- Soon enough, I'll be nearing the time I sprout my wings. I suppose I can try to hold back as much as I can when I evolve, although June might not be very happy with that.

As I use another Bubble Beam, I'm taken out of my mind when I hear the sound of the Light Screen shattering. Einstein congratulations me, but he wants to take it up a notch. He lets me know he's going to use the psychic attack and expects me to dodge it by sliding. Sounds simple enough.

After giving me a warning, his polka dots flash pink, setting up another Light Screen, and then suddenly shoots psychic energy towards me. He's close enough that the attack can hit me in less than a second, but I react just in time, sliding to my right to dodge it. I try to shoot more bubbles his way, but with a Confusion heading towards me, it is pretty tricky. I shoot a few less bubbles than usual before sliding left. Another Confusion comes my way, to which I slide right, again shooting minimal bubbles.

This is definitely more difficult than I'm used to, and Einstein notices this as well. We decide to give this a rest, but he has another suggestion for me now. He puts up a different force field- This one is called Reflect- and he asks me to use a Quick Attack into it.

I nod, and then very quickly slide across the puddle to tackle into Einstein. Well, it's more like I fling myself into Reflect and skid back from the rubber-like properties of the force field. Einstein wants me to repeat this to try to improve my ability to get away from strong melee attackers. He just wants me to do this until I get the hang of it.

Kit grew to level 20!
Einstein grew to level 24!

🐞June's party🐞

22,492

Spoiler:

Embyr · Dec 8, 2020

Kira/Shuna Granite Cave

"Group 6, we'll be beginning your tour in about five minutes! Please be sure to gather your things and be ready to leave the station before then!" A man in a short, red jacket announced.

Kira's head shot up from her Holotch, looking around the interior of the ranger station. There only seemed to be a few other people inside of the small cabin building. "Dang it, was hoping for more of a crowd…" Kira muttered under her breath.

Just beside her was Nyx, taking on the same younger Kira illusion from yesterday. Eagerly she looked around with her own bright green eyes, impatiently fidgeting on occasion.

"Calm down, you're gonna need to keep up the act for a while" Kira whispered.

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

Shuna walked into the ranger station with Argo at her heels, making in time to hear one of the ranger's announcements. The tour's in five minutes? Good thing I made it on time… She looked around, hoping to see anyone familiar, but so far, none caught her eye.

She heard a small squeak, causing her to look down at Argo, who was hiding behind her legs, once again. She looked at the crowd and noticed some people looking in her direction, pointing at her pokemon with mixed expressions. Will have to get used to seeing that alot… She kneeled down and patted Argo's head, "It's okay, most of them are harmless. Just stay close and it'll be ok." Argo nodded before moving closer, his armor skimming her ankles. Shuna smiled before standing back up, looking around.

Looking in a certain direction, she noticed a familiar teen with a younger version of herself, the latter looked excited. The blunette walked over with Argo, "Kira?"

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

Kira nearly gasped as she heard her name called, her heart rate sent skyrocketing in an instant. "H-Hey Shuna" Kira stammered out in a vain attempt at sounding natural. "I-I wasn't expecting t-to see anyone else here..."

"Damn it, the last thing I needed to see was someone I know..." Kira thought to herself as she checked on Nyx. Fortunately she was timidly hiding behind Kira's shoulder, just as planned. "At least she's got that down..."

"I don't think you two have met yet. This is my little sister Nyx." Kira lied, gesturing over her shoulder. Nyx timidly looked up at Shuna, however refused to say a single word.

"A little sister?" Shuna looked at Nyx, observing the younger teen for a few seconds before nodding. "Nice to meet you! My name is Shuna Kamado, but it used to be Momoka." The blunette whispered the last part, trusting Nyx since she was Kira's younger sister. She was thinking if she should explain why she changed her name, but she decided against it. I can't bring them into my family's mess… Just saying my old name is already dangerous…

Shuna moved those thoughts to the back of her mind, looking down at Argo who hid behind her legs, peeking up at Kira and Nyx through the small opening between her lower legs. "Oh yeah, this is Argo, a Shiny Aron I caught in this cave yesterday. He's really shy with others, but he likes to battle!"

Argo looks at the two humans, one of which his trainer recognizes. They looked nice, but for some reason, he was scared of the smaller one and they smelled different than his trainer and the other human. He peeked out from behind his trainer's legs, but when he saw the other humans in the room, he moved back and leaned on his trainer's legs, trying to hide from the prying eyes.

Nyx looked up at shuna curiously for a moment before timidly hiding further behind Kira. Choosing to silently observe the Aron as the other two talked.

"Sorry, like Argo there she's always been really timid, won't really talk to anyone outside of family." Kira explained, giving Nyx a smile before turning back to Shuna. "Anyway, what are you doing out here? I wasn't really expecting to see anyone else my age on this tour, much less someone I know."

"I came to learn a bit about the cave, this was Argo's home before. And to see what we could find inside as well." Shuna replied, giving Argo a smile before looking over at the ranger. "I heard from a...friend that we might find something during this tour." She recalled Souei telling her about the tours and what they might find, he never said what it would be though.

"You heard you might find something during the tour?" Kira asked, giving shuna a knowing smile das she spoke. "Do you happen to be talking about the stone advertised on the pamphlet, or something else? Perhaps deeper in the cave?"

"I believe so…" Shuna agreed, smiling back. "I can't wait to find it, it could be useful after all."

"You believe so?" Kira said before stepping forward towards Shuna, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We're here for the same thing." Kira whispered in Shuna's ear. "If you want a way to break away from the group with me follow our lead and do NOT touch Nyx. Got it?"

"I have a feeling I'm going to break from the group either way… But sure." Shuna smiled nervously as she returned Argo and released Inka and Finn, the former who clung to the girl the moment she appeared and the latter stood at her side. His curiosity might be the reason… "I hope you don't mind Finn and Inka. Since we're going to be in the caves, having a water-type out makes me feel better just in case something happens. And Inka doesn't like being in her pokeball for too long.."

"Do you have your own idea?" Kira asked quietly, tilting her head in confusion. "If the ranger is doing their job they're not going to let us just sneak away that easily. Even less so the more of us there is."

"I don't, but Finn is a very curious pokemon, and he tends to wander off when something catches his interest and I follow to make sure he's ok." Shuna shrugged, looking down at her pokemon who was looking at all the people curiously. "I'll just roll with what happens, so I believe your idea has a better chance."

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

"Alright! Let's begin the Granite Cave Tour!" called out the man in a short, red jacket, earning the attention of everyone. "If you'll follow me, i'll lead you to the entrance and we can truly begin!"

Kira smiled at Nyx and nodded, beckoning for her to follow along. "We can decide later while we're actually there, sound good? I always think better in the moment anyway." Kira said, turning to Shuna.

Shuna nods, "Sure." She looks towards the guide, who was already turning towards the doors, using a hand to motion the trainers and tourists to follow. "We better go before we are left behind." Inka cooed as she wrapped her two tentacles around Shuna's neck, clinging onto the female.

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

"-here we have Granite Cave!" introduced the tour guide, stopping at the entrance of said cave with the trainers and tourists behind him.

Kira took a few steps into the cave, all but tuning out the boring tour guide at this point. Ruffling through her bag for a moment she eventually pulled out an electric lantern. With a pull at the bottom, a plastic turn crank extended from the bottom. "Hey Shuna, check this out!" Kira called out as she turned the crank.

"A lantern!" Shuna awed as she observed the device, seeing how much light it produced. "I've heard of them, but it looks very useful to have."

Kira blinked, surprised that Shuna has never seen a lantern before. "N-No, I don't mean the lantern itself. I'm talking about this!" Kira said, emphasising the crank she was turning. "It charges the lantern so you don't need to plug it in to charge! Figured it might be useful considering we're gonna have to travel, plus I get to try it out here!"

"No charge? No way…" Shuna stared at the lanter in awe before blinking. "Wait, then how does the light get...re-charged?" If the lantern didn't need to charge, then how would it last so long?

"I dunno, that'd be a question for my brother Matt, he's always been into the techy stuff." Kira explained, giving the lantern a few extra cranks. "My dad had one he'd bring to go fishing with, it was way brighter than this but I figure this cant be too bad for just 2,000p."

"°Hey, back there! Don't drift too far away" The tour guide called out, beckoning the three of them over.

" Guess we shouldn't wander off quite yet." Kira said, nodding at Nyx for her to follow along.

"We might need a distraction… but that won't be for awhile…" Shuna whispered as she held Finn close to her, not wanting the pokemon to get lost due to his curiosity. She didn't have to hold Inka close since the young octopus was clinging tightly onto the female's neck.

"Way ahead of you on that one, trust me. I'm just waiting for a good spot." Kira replied with a smile. Nodding back at Nyx who was following close behind.

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

"-- and here we have…" As the tour guide explained, Shuna looked around until she noticed Finn wasn't nearby. She tensed and looked around, internally panicking. Where did Finn go?! I should have known his curiosity was gonna do something! And I even warned myself and Kira!

Just as she was going to leave the group, something grabbed her hand. She turned and saw Finn there with a small item in his other hand. The mudfish pokemon smiled before letting out a small cry, showing her what he found.

"Finn? Where did you-- what do you have?" Shuna sighed, crouching down a bit to see the item closer, but her eyes widened when she realized what her partner found. Inka leaned over a bit to see, cooing softly.

Nyx turned her attention over to Finn and Shuna, tilting her head curiously as she took a closer look herself.

"Is that an Eviolite?" The pinkette uttered, carefully grabbing the purple stone, as she looked at it closely. "I didn't know they could be found here…" She turned her eyes to her partner, "Where did you find this?"

Finn stared at Shuna for a while before cocking his head, letting out a small, confused cry.

Nyx gave a nod, recognizing the stone upon closer inspection before wandering off for a moment. "Huh, this must be why the club was giving them out back in slateport.." Kira remarked as she glanced over, lighting the stone with her lantern.

Finn let out a happy cry, seeing more of the stones he found earlier, as Shuna's eyes widened at seeing the amount of stones, "Well… they must come here often for the supply…"

Nodded, picking up one of the stones for herself, figuring a second one couldn't hurt. "If this is where they got the stones I wonder where they got the scarfs…"

The tourguide quickly looked up, his watchful gaze quickly darting towards one of the side paths. "Hey! Stay with the group! Get back here!" He called out to an oblivious Nyx as she wandered further into the dark cave.

"Dang it, I didn't tell her to... " Kira muttered under her breath, letting out an annoyed groan. "Whatever, we break away as soon as he goes to chase Nyx, got it?" Kira whispered to shuna, pocketing the stone.

"Got it!" Shuna nodded, although a bit nervous about what might occur afterwards. She quickly called Finn back to his pokeball, waiting for Kira's signal.

"Listen to me! It's dangerous down there!" He called out futally to Nyx who in return simply looked back at him smiling before continuing down further.

"Stop!" He shouted, rushing towards Nyx down the cavern. As he reached out to grab her by the shoulder her illusion disappeared at his touch. With a mischievous cackle Nyx ran further into the cave.

"Now!" Kira whispered to Shuna, slinking off towards a dark tunnel of their own.

Shuna quickly followed right after, ignoring the yelling of the tour guide behind them. Inka squeaked, but used her tentacles to keep a tight hold on her trainer's neck, no doubt leaving circular marks from the tentacles suckers.

The tour guide simply stared forward bewildered as the small grey fox ran further into the dark cave as the crowd of tourists murmured behind him.

"Was that girl a pokemon the whole time?"

"I don't know, she was rather quiet the whole time…"

"Hey, those other two are gone as well!"

Groc · Dec 9, 2020

Natsuko Soyokaze
Monday, September 21st, midday
Dewford Town, Gym

"Alright, Shiny, start with Flame Charge!" Shiny charges toward Raichu, trailing fire from her hooves.

"Ride it out, Raichu, and set up Electric Terrain!" Lightning sparks all around Raichu, even going into the floor. The lightning starts feeding back into itself, perpetuating itself and bathing the arena in a yellow glow. Shiny slams into Raichu, but it merely hops onto its tail and surfs away, gliding over the ground like it was water.

"Keep pace with it with Flame Charge!" Shiny chases after Raichu, making it work to avoid her. Shiny leaves blazing hoofprints behind her, while the Electric Terrain causes Raichu to leave a trail of lightning as it surfs.

"Ooh, hang on!" Tsu pulls out her phone, recording the two Pokémon on her camera. "That will make a great photo later!"

"Heck yeah, it will!" Brawly grins. "Raichu, Teleport!" Raichu vanishes in a flash of light and burst of sound. Shiny slows her charge to a trot, then stops to look around for her opponent.

"Oh, right. Head in the game..." Tsu looks around for Raichu, who suddenly reappears with another flash and pop, above Shiny's head as Brawly calls out for Electro Ball. Raichu glows with electricity, which condenses into an orb in its hands.

"Jump back, Agility!" Shiny uses her own Psychic power, not to teleport, but to enhance her speed, leaping backwards as the Electric orb hits the floor in front of her. Raichu glides back to the ground, surfing away from Shiny.

"Not so fast! Flame Charge again!" Raichu may be a fast surfer, but Shiny was born to run, and manages to get ahead of Raichu and knock it to the ground.

"Woo! Go, Shiny!" Tsu and Brawly both turn to look at the door, amused by Sunny's outburst. "Sorry! Ponyta is just... so cool..." She fidgets in place, unable to contain her excitement.

"Ha! You can say that again!" Brawly laughs, grinning in excitement. "So, you can match Raichu's speed. I could try to trip you up with Electroweb, but that little pony's just too quick. So... final exam time. Raichu, use Surf!"

Raichu hops back up onto its tail, surfing to the other side of the Gym. Water rises underneath it as it does, and it makes a sharp turn at the opposite side, the water rising into a massive wall that comes crashing toward Shiny.

Tsu's mind races. She could try to dodge with Flame Charge, or leap over it with Agility, but it's coming too fast. Frantically, she looks around for advice. "Uh... Sunny?! Oh! Sunny Day!"

Shiny quickly creates the shining orb, tossing it at the approaching wall of water. It bursts just before hitting the wave, actually pushing the water wall apart with its heat. Significantly diminished, the wave only hits Shiny from the knees down. She neighs in distress as her fetlock flames are doused, shaking slightly.

"Whoa, haha! Nice!" Brawly cheers. "Little Shiny has your number, Raichu! Want to try one more time?" Raichu nods, hopping back up onto its tail.

Tsu panics just a little. "Shiny, use Flame Wheel!" Shiny rushes forward, her mane and tail extending as flames wrap around her body, boosted by the light of Sunny Day. She leaps over Raichu before it can get its momentum up, bucking it with both back hooves and knocking it to the floor.

The Electric Terrain fades, and Alex lifts the red flag in his hand. "Raichu is unable to battle! Point goes to Challenger Natsuko!"

Brawly lets out a breath, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, it was worth a shot. You weren't kidding, you really know your Ponyta's moves. You keep that up, and you'll have your badges in no time!"

Shiny trots back over to Tsu, earning a hug and a kiss on the forehead for her efforts. "That was amazing! You did so good, Shiny. Take a little break, now." She returns her to her ball, grabbing her last Poké Ball. Brawly holds up a hand, waiting until the mini sun winks out before giving her the go ahead.

Tsu tosses the ball, sending out Cyrano. Rather than look around, he stands still, slowly turning until he faces north. Brawly nods as he looks the Nosepass over. "That's a nice look, the magnet nose ring. Get the right venue, and he could go far in a Contest."

Tsu breathes out nervously. "Honestly, Brawly, I'm not sure about this. I only caught him yesterday, and haven't really gotten to know him yet."

"Well, that's what I'm here for! To test your bonds with your Pokémon, see what you know and what needs work. But I've gotten to know you a little, and I think you'll do fine. Still... bad idea to bring a Rock type to a Surfing Gym."

"It's a Fighting Gym, Dad!" Alex yells from the corner where she was picking up fresh mats.

"It can be both!" Brawly complains. Tsu is once again surprised that the twins seem more mature than their father, at times. "Besides, I'm sending out Mantine! Who isn't a Fighting type."

Alex drops the mats in a huff. "Mantine? Dad, I wanted to see a fight!"

"What's wrong with Mantine?" Sunny speaks up. "Doesn't it fight?"

"Barely." Alex pouts. "It's just boring. Just sits there and heals-"

"Hey, don't give away my strategy!" Brawly whines, gesturing to Tsu. "I have a challenger here! Now she knows what I'm gonna do."

"What? No, no, I really don't." Tsu doesn't like the way they're talking about her, feeling guilty for even being nearby.

"Well, no help for it now... Mantine, Aqua Ring." Mantine flaps its wings, surrounding itself in a sphere of water that hovers above the Gym floor, Mantine floating inside it.

"Okay, uh... use Thunder Punch!" Cyrano turns to face Brawly, charging toward Mantine. His nose hums as electricity is generated, the energy flowing into his hand and sheathing it in electricity. He throws himself at the Aqua Ring, but it pushes him back, the electricity scattering harmlessly across the surface of the sphere.

"Aw, man... the direct approach again? Mantine knows how to counter that. You gotta think it through, man! Water Pulse." Mantine spits a bubble out, which floats slowly inside the sphere, then launches like a bullet once it leaves. Cyrano is staggered by the hit, arms flailing as he tries to recover his balance.

"Think... think... okay, we don't want that to happen again. But how can we stop it?" Tsu consults her Pokédex, specifically Cyrano's moveset. "Oh, okay! Try a Thunder Wave!"

"There you go, try to lock it down! Sometimes you gotta come in from the side, right? Mantine, use Supersonic."

"Okay, not good for me... oh! Use Rock Throw! If it tries to use Water Pulse again, aim for the bubbles before they leave the water, maybe you can pop them!"

"Quick thinking! And since you can shake off confusion a lot faster than paralysis, if you keep up that defensive style, you'll find your opening for a Thunder Punch."

They exchange thrown rocks and water bullets, but when Cyrano starts slowing down, Tsu instructs him to use Rest. Brawly seems to approve.

"Quick top off mid-fight, not a bad idea. Mantine's been steadily healing this whole time, but you're whittling him down! With a bit of luck, you could win this!" He actually starts clapping for her.

Tsu grins at that, looking over at Sunny excitedly. As she does, she notices Alex give her dad a grumpy glare. She glances at the other Alex, who just sighs knowingly. Confused, she looks at Brawly, who is still smiling and clapping.

"Mantine, come on back. I'm calling it now."

Alex raises the red flag. "Leader Brawly has withdrawn from the match. Challenger Natsuko wins."

"Wait, hold on a minute... I won?" Tsu slowly raises Cyrano's Poké Ball, as if doubting Brawly is actually done.

"Yep! I think you're well on your way to being a great Trainer! I've seen enough that I think you deserve the Knuckle Badge, and the ₽5,000 prize money!" Brawly offers her his fist, which she hesitantly bumps, and he turns his palm up to show her the Badge.

Tsu takes it, still somewhat dazed at the thought. "I... I won my first Gym Battle. Thank you for the opportunity, Brawly sir."

"My pleasure, dude! It was fun! Feel free to come hang out anytime!"

Sunny runs over, pulling Tsu close as she puts an arm around her shoulders. "Told ya you could do it! Am I good, or what?"

Tsu laughs, smiling genuinely at the badge in her hand. "You were right, Sunny. I did need this. In more ways than one."

Sunny releases her, grinning fiercely at Brawly. "And now it's my turn! Unless you need a moment to prepare, Brawly."

"Nah, I'm good, little firecracker! Let's get this show on the road! Alex, you good to ref again?"

Tsu heads over to the doorway, taking a seat on the floor. The least she can do is stay and watch Sunny fight.

Aquacorde · Dec 13, 2020

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

AGE: 17 ⟡ PRONOUNS: she/her ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto ⟡ DEVICE: PokéGear
DATE: Monday, September 21 ⟡ TIME: afternoon
LOCATION: West Wilds

Chapter 2 #10 - Vivacious Vanessa

"North" takes them all the way to the edge of the island without running into a single Pokémon. Marie wonders aloud if Edison's SCAN is so broken that it is driving Pokémon away, which seems to upset him.

"I don't understand, I thought I fixed it! Why isn't…" he stops, lightly smacking it when it glitches again. "It wasn't scanning. The whole time, it wasn't scanning…"

"You're going to have to buy a PokéNav at this point," Marie says vaguely. The beach they've ended up on would be nice but for its rather cramped size- the forest pushes right up to only a few feet of soft sand before the rolling waves crash down to shore. To their right, the forest and beach both fight to climb the hard stone beginning to jut from the earth- the edges of Granite Cave's upper levels, if Marie's mental map is correct. It usually is.

Edison grumbles a bit, tinkering and fidgeting with his Holotch. "If this one dies completely and irreparably, maybe I'll think about it. Until then, I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong."

"Maybe the Pokémon just don't like you today." While more of a whimsical statement than a scientific one, it may be true enough. Even Cutie had shuffled away from Edison initially.

"There may be something to that, actually…" Edison finishes his tinkering as he talks. "We were using your device to SCAN, but before that, we didn't see anything. I still have a SCAN available, but maybe something else is keeping the Pokémon at bay?"

"That would be good to know, cuz I haven't had any luck, either." A new voice joins the conversation from behind them.

Who the hell is-

Oh.

Marie looks around, then down to see the newcomer, a girl around her age but almost a foot shorter than her and Edison. She's definitely dressed for the sticky weather, with her t-shirt, cropped jacket, and shorts leaving plenty of tanned skin exposed. Her messy brown hair dances in the breeze, and she raises a hand to shield her big green eyes from the sun. She has a worn out old backpack over one shoulder, and a Pikachu perched on the other.

All together, incredibly cute.

"Hello, and what might your name be?" Damn, "suave" is probably not the right way to go but she's committed now. Why is she garbage at talking to people she's actually interested in? She can put the moves on people she has no attachment to easily, but when she actually wants to get to know someone...

The girl cocks her head slightly, a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. "Hello to you, too. My name's Van, and I'm from Kanto!"

If Edison noticed Marie's shift in demeanor, he doesn't comment on it. Marie's still not quite sure which is more likely to be the case, but it's not exactly the time to be wondering about that- she's still trying to find the right words, even as Edison speaks up. "Hello there. I'm Edison, and this is Marie."

"Marie Rachelle Mocinno," Marie corrects automatically. Habits die hard- though she's not exactly trying to break that one. "From Goldenrod, Johto. What's a Kanto girl doing on a wild island in Hoenn?" Nope, still bad.

"Well… officially I'm here on business. But I'm taking a bit of a break, looking for Pokémon." She looks back at the forest with a frustrated sigh. "I've been looking for a Makuhita all morning, but haven't found a single one! Lots of Exeggcute around, though."

"Oh! Yes! We found a bunch of them too, look!" Marie clicks Cutie's ball and the Exeggcute pops out onto the sand, wiggling a divot to nest in. Maybe that endearing little behavior will distract Van from Marie's horrifically obvious eagerness to please. She can only hope.

Van actually laughs at Cutie. "Hey there, little guy! Getting warm in the sand? He's cute." Marie murmurs some kind of "thanks, I made him myself" that Van- luckily- doesn't quite pick up on as Edison nabs her attention.

"Looking for a Makuhita, you say? I might be able to help with that." Edison brings up his Holotch. "I needed something to SCAN for, why not a Makuhita?"

"Whoa, really? You guys would do that for me?"

"The real question is if it's going to work," Marie sniffs. "He's been trying all day."

Edison tenses at Marie's words, silently pressing the button on his Holotch. It vibrates more than it should, and more than is comfortable, based on his expression. He slowly turns, stopping when he faces the water. "There's one… this way?"

"That doesn't sound right…" Van frowns at that, leaning closer to Marie. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Marie leans in as well before she catches herself. "Um, ah, not actually sure. He's customized it, I think. Normal ones don't do that, though."

The Holotch suddenly stops shaking, and Edison looks at it in disappointment. Then, something bursts from the water, landing on the beach and posing dramatically.

It's a Clobbopus.

"What?!" Edison look at the Pokémon in confusion, then down at his Holotch. "But… these aren't even supposed to be here! How did I…"

Clobbopus marches up to Edison, immediately grabbing onto his leg with its strong arms. "What? Argh… not again!"

Marie isn't keen on helping, not physically, but Cutie has other ideas about the dire situation his father is in. One egg slams into the Clobbopus, then another, all six in turn- though one misses, rolling past Edison and his assailant as the other five clamor in fear. It rolls into the sea, bobbing on the waves, and Marie's heart jumps into her throat.

"Get back here-" Her long strides take her into the rolling foam, knee-deep by the time she can scoop up the little pink egg. It's gone emotionless again, but as she wades back it begins to shiver and shake in her arms, only calming down when she reunites it with the rest and shoos them away from the water.

Her shoes squelch, reminding her that she's now soaking wet from the knees down. "Ugh."

Van puts her hand on Marie's arm. "That was quick thinking! I think you just saved his life!" She grins, giving Marie a light, playful shove. Marie makes an embarrassing noise as she loses her balance, plopping down on the sand to strip her shoes and socks as if that were her intent. Saved it.

Cutie's barrage had managed to dislodge Clobbopus from Edison's leg, and he swiftly steps back from the creature. His hand instinctively goes to his Poké Balls, but he pauses, as Clobbopus and Cutie stare each other down. "Thank you. Do you… want to fight? What do you think, Marie?"

"Fight?" Marie wrings out her socks and surveys the situation. "Um, let me…"

She ungracefully wiggles out of her backpack and drags her PokéDex from where it had settled in the bottom. "Absorb, Hypnosis, Reflect, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Barrage," she recites, mostly to herself, but Cutie apparently takes them all as commands and… does them.

Clobbopus closes the distance, wrapping Cutie in its arms like it had tried to do to Edison. Cutie responds by draining some energy from it. When it tries to punch Cutie, he looks it in the eyes, his own glowing with Psychic power. It promptly falls asleep, still squeezing him. Cutie erects a barrier between his bodies and the Clobbopus, weakening its attacks, then implants several seeds to further drain its energy. Clobbopus wakes up, deliberately missing with a left hook to come in with a right jab. Cutie drains a much larger amount of energy, then finishes the fight with a second one-after-another Barrage of tackles, knocking Clobbopus back into the water.

"Um. Well then!" Marie claps her hands together. It certainly wasn't what she intended, nor a very good way to show off battle competence to someone who was clearly interested in Pokémon, but it works. "Good job, Cutie!" she praises, as the Exeggcute rolls happily into her lap.

"That was awesome!" Van cheers. "You had that whole fight planned before it even started! And Cutie was all like 'Nuh-uh, can't touch me!' And then that finish? BOOM, back in the water! Nice!"

Hm. Marie can work with that.

"Yes… a surprisingly good display of his abilities." Edison has his hand to his chin as he looks at Cutie, moving closer as two eggs bounce around his feet and the other four clamor for Marie's attention.

"Oh, yes, he knows just what to do!" Marie pets the eggs as they squeak at her. "A perfectly executed sequence. We'll take down Brawly just like that!"

"Ha! I like your style, but don't underestimate Brawly! He's a pretty chill guy, but he's still a Gym Leader, and a master of Fighting types. That Clobbopus was a small fry compared to a Pokémon who's been properly trained. Trust me, I'm kind of an expert."

"On training, Fighting types, or just Pokémon in general?" Edison gently pushes the wayward cuties back toward Marie, reforming the whole set around her. Marie focuses on them for a moment, plotting her next move- her battle prowess is nothing to brag about, especially with Van's apparently high opinion of Brawly.

"All of the above." Van preens a bit under her own praise. The airs jog a memory of young Natu all vying for her great-aunt's attention. "I'm a research assistant for a Pokémon Professor back in Kanto, so I do a lot of field work. But my favorite Pokémon are Fighting types, and I've been training my own Pokémon to fight not just competitively, but also for sport!"

Ah, there's a line she can jump on. "Do you physically train with them, then?" A lot of Fighting-type specialists do just that, and Van's athleticism speaks volumes toward that probability.

"You bet I do! I taught Pikachu here everything she knows about Fighting. She's almost as good at wrestling as I am. You wanna see some of it? I might be able to teach your Pokémon a thing or two!"

"I would very much like to see that, yes please." Edison steps forward, more excited than he's been since meeting Van. Cute. Wait, which one is that thought directed towards? Oh, doesn't matter.

"I'm definitely interested in seeing some of your moves," Marie grins up at Van, the cockiness of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Is this anything? "Can any of mine learn?"

Marie clicks her other two PokéBalls and a weight disappears from her head as Stunnie appears and wriggles into the sand. "Oh, wait-" She clicks Tuie's PokéBall again and the Natu re-situates herself in Marie's hair, clicking her beak in irritation. "Forgot, sorry. Um, Stunnie already knows Revenge, but if there's something else…?"

"Uh… I don't think so…" Van tosses her coat off as she looks over Marie's Pokémon. "Sorry."

Edison swipes his hand along his belt, triggering all four Poké Balls at once. "Well, how about mine?"

Van shakes her head as she looks at Staryu and Magnemite. "Looks like it's down to Chubby Cheeks and Scary Smiles here." She stops to strip off her shoes and socks, offering an apologetic shrug. "Gonna be honest, I'm better at teaching the ones with human-like bodies."

Edison recalls his Pokémon, except for Sableye. "Her name is Gremlin, actually. I'd be interested to see what you could teach her."

"Hmmm…" Van thinks about it, setting Pikachu down by her shoes. "Oh! It's technically a dirty trick, but how about I teach her to sweep the leg?"

Gremlin gasps, looking up at Edison and nodding excitedly. "Well… that could be interesting, and she does seem excited."

"Awesome! Come here." Van says with a smile.

Edison starts to step forward, then stops. "Pardon?"

"Get over here. I need to demonstrate the technique, so she can see how to properly do it. And for that, I need a volunteer."

"I'll gladly be your test subject," Marie's mouth says, without any input from her brain. Tuie flutters down from her head and off to the side, clearly aware of what's to come. But she doesn't have any time to rescind her dumb offer before Van is accepting it.

"Cool, thanks!" Van offers Marie her hand, pulling her to her feet with surprising ease. Cutie scatters once more, squeaking indignantly as they regroup around Tuie. "Okay, stand here, like you're gonna fight me… great. Okay, Gremlin, Ed? Are you watching? First step, get up close."

She steps forward, suddenly very close, and sets her foot between Marie's feet. "Sweep toward your other leg, out and up. You should catch the opponent here..." she catches Marie just below the ankle, lifting her foot off the ground. Marie wobbles and can't help a nervous catch in her breath, but Van reaches out to catch her before she can fall. "...putting them off balance for a follow-up. Also makes it hard to run if you kick the leg out.

"Or, you could go for the back leg. Reset." She squares up against Marie again. Ooh, her cheeks are red and she knows it. Hopefully Van thinks nothing of it; it's rather embarrassing. "Step up…" She steps beside Marie, this time hip to hip, her heel against Marie's heel. It's almost like formal dance. She grabs hold of Marie's hand, and Marie's fluttering heart jumps into her throat. "...then sweep your leg back." Again, Marie's foot is lifted from the ground, and she finds herself falling back with a gasp, held up only by Van holding her hand and waist.

"If I did this in a match, I could let my opponent fall. Or, I could follow them down." She gently lowers Marie to the ground, shifting her grip to pin Marie's wrist to the ground and entwining her leg with Marie's.

Oh.

"Get them into a pin. Of course, you probably won't do this in a Pokémon battle."

Van grins at Marie below her. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem," Marie squeaks. Fuck, she's acting like June. Shake it off, shake it off. She clears her throat. "Um, did Gremlin see that? I- I don't mind doing it again if she didn't…" Not a save. Definitely not a save. Marie glances at Edison.

….who is also on the ground, Gremlin cackling as she stands over him. "...I think she understands the basics, yes."

"Only the basics, though." Van releases Marie from the pin, sitting down next to her. Marie crosses her arms behind her head and relaxes into the sand. She's already covered in sand and seawater, so why not. Cutie bounces over, entertaining himself by repeatedly hopping over Marie's long legs. "Pika, bring me my bag!" The little Pikachu looks up from where she'd been napping, picking up the whole bag and scurrying over. "Here, this TM should teach her the rest."

"If you had that, why act it out like that?" Edison complains as he accepts the device from Van.

"Because it's fun!" She grins at Marie playfully. "I can show you some other moves, if you want?"

Is this… an invitation? Marie doesn't quite know what to do with it. She's never really gotten this far, not with anyone she's actually thought was interesting. But if Van wants to show off… "I'd love that," she decides, and she really would, "But I can't see your moves if I'm the participant, right? And Edison won't do it…"

"Yes, I think I'll pass. Thank you for the demonstration, though." Edison offers Van her TM back, taking her hand in his as she grabs it. "And thank you for the technique. I'm only sorry I couldn't be of more help finding your Pokémon."

Van pulls her hand away. "No problem. You tried, and it was fun meeting you. Both of you." She turns to Marie, pulling her phone from her pocket. "Here's my number, maybe I can show you my moves some other time. Or if you just wanna talk."

Did I just…? Marie fumbles to retrieve her phone and exchange numbers with Van. She did just get a cute girl's number, despite doing practically nothing. Which means only that this is all Van's doing, not her own, which means both that Marie is apparently endearing enough to be given a number and that she is still indeed garbage at flirting. Unless Van just gives her number to practically anyone. In which case, this is not much of a win.

She'll still take it.

⟡

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

⟡

featuring Groc as Edison Kintobor and Vanessa H. ⟡
Van art by Groc ⟡

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

QueenNothing · Dec 13, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"Alright Miss Junko Enomoto, you'll be contestant number six. Right this way, please!"

It's pretty odd to June how for both contests she's been in she's always sixth in line, but it's fitting, she thinks. She enters the hallway the receptionist opens up, and enters into a large backstage area- At least large in comparison to Dewford. Changing rooms, a chest full of clothes, and a wide enough floor for contestants to practice their performances are probably standard for contest halls, but unlike Dewford, a few monitors line the walls, and they display the themes of today's contest.

Musical

Flowers

Dew

June taps her lower lip as she views the monitors. "Who selects these?" The answer to that doesn't really matter. She has a half-hour to practice her routine, and her casual green dress might not fit the mood.

She never really had any fancy clothes, and the clothes they had at the contest halls didn't super stick out to her, rather they just "looked fine". After digging through the chest for a minute, the one thing she likes the most out of everything she sees is a long, orange, off-shoulder dress, and changing into it shows it conforms to her body. Now that she's all dressed up, she pulls a Net Ball from her purse and tosses it to send out Kit.

"Hello Kit! This will be your first Pokémon Contest, and I'd thought we'd start out with…"

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome one and all to today's Pokémon Contest!"

An older man holding a mic stands on-stage to an audience that doesn't entirely fill out the theater seats, but is still a decent crowd. June watches him through the backstage monitor from a wooden bench. "Today we're having D-Rank contestants compete, so that means we'll see lots of fresh new faces show off their potential! Now without further ado, let's give it up for our first performance, contestant number one, Miss Kayla Padillia!"

A young girl June's age with pale skin enters in from the side, wearing a blinding amount of bright pink- A frilly pink dress, pink heels, pink gloves, a pink necklace, a tiny pink top hat, pink lipstick, pink hair and pink eyes. She's even followed by a small, round, pink Pokémon. June felt as if she'd get diabetes just looking at her.

"Hi everyone!" The girl greets incredibly enthusiastically, giving her arm an exercise by waving it so flippantly. "Oh my gosh, this is like, my first contest! Oh my gosh, okay like, I'm so excited to be here you guys! Okay, like, I saw the theme was like, musical, and that's perfect for my Jigglypuff here!" At the mention of her name, the Pokemon to her side casually waves to the crowd. "Okay, like, here we go! Jigglypuff, use Sing!"

Jigglypuff reaches behind her back and- Somehow- pulls out a microphone. She opens her mouth wide, closes her eyes, singing a soothing lullaby into her microphone. It's not wired to anything, but somehow the sound plays through the speakers of the stage.

"Oh my, that Pokémon has such a lovely voice…" June drowsily comments before yawning loudly. "It reminds me of how grandma would sing me lullabies when I was young… This really takes me back…" Her eyelids suddenly feel heavy, and she gives in to how relaxed she feels, slowly drifting off as the Jigglypuff's song soothes her ears.

"June! Hey, June, you're gonna be up soon, wake up! June!"

"Huh…" The brunette's eyelids open slowly, not fully processing her surroundings. "What time is i-"

When her eyes fully open, the first thing she sees is Robynn, wearing her tuxedo, kneeling down to meet her at an eye level. "Good, you're awake now! Don't start slacking now, you're up after the next guy!"

"Robynn!" June swiftly sits up from the bench, being aware just how red her face is. "O-oh, I-I'm gl-glad to see you!"

"Me too." She nonchalantly smirks. "But it looks like that girl's Jigglypuff really put you out! I mean, everyone else fell asleep too, myself included, but seems you were out longer than most people!"

"Hehehe, yeah…" June nervously chuckles. "I guess I couldn't help it."

"It's a shame you missed my act though, I'd have really blown you away with that!"

"O-oh, Robynn, I-I'm so sorry, I-"

"No need to apologise." The white haired girl dismisses. "I think it's looking good for me in the second round, and I think you can get there no problem!"

"Th-th-thanks!" June's face flashes red once again, causing Robynn to chuckle.

"Don't mention it. But now I wanna see what these other people have to show off." Robynn directs her attention to the monitor, and June tries to do the same, but she's distracted by how the girl besides her has her hands placed flat against the bench.

"Now for contestant number five! Give it up for Mr. Buck Evans!"

With the announcement, a young man walks on-stage. His skin is a deep brown, and he has his black hair kept in a flat-top. His outfit isn't very remarkable, it's a white button-up shirt with a red and blue triangle pattern, tucked into black dress pants. A colorful bird Pokémon is perched on his shoulder.

The young man stands still for a moment, grinning widely but showing nothing. There's complete silence, but Buck coughs loudly to clear his throat. "Alright, I'm gonna, uh, start now!" He looks as if he's anticipating something but needs to clear his throat again. "Chatty, that means now!"

"I've never seen that Pokémon before…" June looks away from her monitor to get a glimpse at it's Pokedex entry, learning it's named Chatot. She puts her device away to look back at the screen.

Chatot squawks. "Chatot! Chatot! Chatot!" The audience "oooooh"s and "aaaahs", cheering Buck up. "Th-This is Chatty's natural ability, Chatter! She has a human tongue so she can mimic human speech! I mean, who ever heard of a Pokemon saying it's own name before, right guys?" Mild giggling comes from him and the audience, although Buck appears somewhat nervous still. "R-Right, I'll start the thing now!"

From his pockets, he pulls out four Pokeballs, two in each hand, and tosses them in the air to start juggling. Chatty compliments the setting by whistling a tune associated with circuses. Laughter comes from the crowd, but they're far more amused by Chatty than Buck.

"It's not great, but the competition isn't very tight." Robynn comments sternly. "I can't lie, the Chatot is charming, and I guess it fits one of the themes, but the actual act could be better." June nods along to appear as if she agreed, but the singing Pokémon is very amusing to her.

"Thank you, Mr. Evans!" The MC announces as Buck wraps his performance up. "Moving on to contestant number six, we have Miss Junko Enomoto!"

June nervously stumbles onto the stage, closely followed by Kit. Before she begins, she takes a deep breath. "H-hello everybody, I-I'm here with my P-P-Pokémon, Kit! N-n-n-now let's b-begin, shall we?" She pauses to sigh. "Kit, use Water Sport!"

Kit spins her antenna around, sprinkling water in the stage to create a puddle to surround herself in. Then she slides left, and starts to skate around the outer rim of the puddle to gain momentum. This alone is amusing to some of the audience, but not enough to earn a full applause. That's fine, as June isn't finished just yet- Kit shoots slow-moving bubbles out of her antenna, and they drift to the center of the puddle. About four or five bubbles at a time are launched, all linking together rather than popping immediately. This process continues for about a minute or two, and that's just enough time for the bubbles to have formed into a large conglomerate.

"Now, use Sweet Scent!" While still circling the bubble mass, Kit swings her antenna and a thick nectar seeps out of it, creating a very strong scent. Her movements cause nectar to fling towards the bubbles, popping them one by one, and burst into a combination of the liquid from the bubbles and the nectar, resembling some kind of dew when they slowly fall to the ground. Kit repeatedly bursts individual bubbles before using Quick Attack to increase her speed and crash into them, eliminating every last individual bubble. When the view clears up from the bubble remains, June gives a curtsy to the audience, who applauds to her performance.

"Thank you, Miss Enomoto!" The MC announces while clapping. "Alrighty then, now moving on to contestant number seven…"

As she walks off-stage, June exhales. Even when stage fright clearly got to her, she still felt confident in what her results would be.

Kit grew to level 21!

🐞June's party🐞

27,492

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Dec 14, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"The judges have decided who are moving on to round 2! Here are the matchups we have scheduled for the battle round!"

The backstage monitor displays the battle round brackets, showing contestants matched up against each other. Only six coordinators would pass, so it's not long before June sees who exactly she's matched against- And to her disappointment, it isn't Robynn.

"That's a disappointment." Robynn tsks. "I'm matched up with that Kirlia guy. Was kind of hoping I'd get to battle you again."

"Y-yeah, me too…" June blushes, still focused on the display. While she won't be facing Robynn again, who she is matched against is still pretty concerning.

"Hey, who are you gonna fi- Ooooohh, I see. Buck, huh."

The brunette nods. "I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here. Some of my Pokémon can fare well against flying foes, but I'm not sure about Kit… She didn't do great against Jessie's Feathers."

"Jesus christ, he named his Murkrow-" Robynn groans, but quickly shakes it off. "Well then June, just know that I believe in you! Besides, that Buck guy isn't great with choreography, so don't expect him to be the best battler or anything."

As June thanks the white haired girl, she still feels uncertainty about the situation. Hopefully she and Kit will be able to pull through.

"Now then ladies and gentlemen, let's move onto our second battle of the day! We have Mr. Buck Evans versus Miss Junko Enomoto!"

With a modest applause, June and Kit enter in from the right, facing her opponent as he walks in from the left. Buck is as nervous as she is, just better at masking it.

"Now, without further ado, let the battle begin!"

Chatty flaps her wings to get off of Buck's shoulder while the first thing Kit does is spurt water onto the floor to create a large puddle, covering her side of the field and barely extending past it.

"Kit, Bubble Beam!"

The Surskit uses her long legs to slide back to create space between the two, shooting quick moving bubbles from her antenna. Much to her surprise however, Chatty is able to fill the gap by swiftly flying over to Kit, enduring the bubbles on her way to jam her beak into the Pond Skater Pokémon, and flies back a few feet to retreat.

June gasps as she watches her Pokémon skid back, and has her get stand up to try sliding away while using Bubble Beam again. Likewise, Chatty repeats her last move, swooping in, crashing through the bubbles as they burst against her feathers, and ramming her beak into Kit's face to knock her back while doing a u-turn to hang in the air.

June quickly catches on that her strategy isn't going to work out as she'd like, and repeating this would get her to lose points with the judges. They needed to adapt to a Pokémon this fast. "Kit, use Sweet Scent!"

As Chatty begins to charge forward, the Surskit secretes nectar while spinning her antenna around. When she stops, the nectar is released, and flings forward, splattering into Chatty's eyes in hopes to blind her. Despite the fact that thick honey got into her eyes however, the Chatot somehow still manages to jam her beak into Kit, once again knocking her back. Chatty turns around again, but this time lands on Buck's shoulder.

"That's another natural ability of Chatty's, Keen Eye!" Buck tries looking to both June and the audience while informing them about his Pokémon. "Her eyesight is just so good that even blinding her is useless!"

June's PokeGear says the same thing, albeit more verbose and in greater detail. That wouldn't be an option either, and there isn't a lot of time to improvise because Chatty is once again charging forward, beak first. There is one idea she has, and while not much, it was better than just taking the hit.

"Kit, Quick Attack!" Right before Chatty can make contact, Kit increases her speed, and with that momentum she smashes her body weight into her feathered foe. Chatty recoils a bit, and Kit uses this as an opportunity to slide back with the combined speed of her sliding on the pond and Quick Attack- An appropriate distance to shoot a Bubble Beam from, which lands successfully.

Chatty shakes off the damage and flies in, aiming in at Kit yet again. This time, her target sidesteps it with the Quick Attack and Swift Swim combo, following with more harsh bubbles at the parrot Pokémon, before speeding behind her.

Kit skis around on the outer rim of the wide puddle, but at a speed June had never seen her travel at. At her current speed, Kit is barely visible, appearing as a blur covered in pink, something the brunette girl feels the need to scan. Her PokeGear reveals she's using a move she just learned, Agility, a psychic-type technique, and grins with confidence while her Pokémon rapidly circles Chatty, barraging her with quick bubbles from every direction. But a loud beeping sound comes from the speakers, causing June to jump, completely killing her mood.

"And that's the match!" The MC announces while the crowd cheers. "While things started out weighing in Chatty's favor, by the end Kit really outdid herself with all the beautiful dodging! The judges have already decided who the winner is, and that's Miss Junko Enomoto!" June blushes in-front of the roaring crowd, happy about her victory, but the loud cheers would be something she'd have to get used to. She waves to the audience a bit, but looks to her left when she notices a tap at her shoulder.

"Uh, hey." It's Buck, who smiles meekly and holds his hand out. "That was a good match, and I liked your performance too."

"Thanks!" The brunette softly smiles, accepting the young man's hand. The adrenaline she feels from the adoration is interrupted when Chatty perches on Buck's head and starts squawking, "Buck is a loser! Buck is a loser!"

"What the- Chatty, knock it off!" He swats his hand toward her, but Chatty flies away right before she can get hit. June giggles at the affair, thinking the duo would make a good comedy pair.

Kit grew to level 22!
Kit learned Agility!

🐞June's party🐞

27,492

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Dec 15, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"Now for our third and final battle, put your hands together for Miss Robynn White and Mr. Sakamoto Sugiyama!"

Robynn waves to the audience, Moldavite levitating behind, while walking on-stage, and so does her opposition- An old man wearing a fancy burgundy suit and tie, adorning his head with a bowler hat. Someone with his appearance would be more at home at the Grand Festival than a D-Rank contest. A Kirlia gracefully follows from behind.

"Begin!"

"Moldavite, use Ominous Wind!" The Shuppet blows a chilly gust of air towards Kirlia, but Sakamoto looks oddly confident despite the frontal assault.

"You fool!" He boldly announces, pushing up his monocle. "My beautiful Kirlia can easily escape your dastardly tactics! Watch, as she escapes with a Teleport!"

Before Ominous Wind can hit, Kirlia suddenly disappears, but immediately reappears a few feet left of the attack. Robynn is caught off-guard, but simply chuckles it off.

"Two can play at that game!" Robynn smirks as Moldavite sinks into the floor, completely vanishing in an instant. Kirlia, shocked, frantically looks around to try to see where Moldavite has gone. He quickly becomes visible again, rising right behind Kirlia, wrapping himself in the dark energy, and tackles into her, causing the psychic-type to yelp in pain from super effective damage.

"Whaaaaaat!?!?" Sakamoto overdramatically gasps. "That's preposterous! Kirlia, Teleport out of there!"

The rest of the match basically is just a repeat of Kirlia warping away and being instantly tailed with a Shadow Sneak. Mr. Sugiyama clearly isn't fit for battling, but June still gets enjoyment out of the match just from spectating Robynn. She's mesmerized by the white haired girl's composure, the way she swipes her arm when giving commands is so passionate, so fierce, yet so subdued. The emotions exhibited through her actions while exhibiting such a placid expression was near artistic- Even when her strategy is as basic as her Shuppet repeatedly using Shadow Sneak on a Kirlia.

"Mr. Sakamoto Sugiyama's Kirlia is down! You saw it here first and foremost, folks! The winner of this battle is Miss Robynn White!"

When the declaration of Robynn's victory, June realizes she concentrated on the androgynous trainer more than the actual battle itself- Not that anyone could blame her for doing so. Snapping back to reality, she realizes that she doesn't have a lot of time to plan out her showcase for the final round. She looks down to Kit, who still stands next to her. She doesn't have a lot she really can do outside of skating on water, and maybe those options will expand when she evolves into Masquerain, which should be soon- But right now, she has to work with what's available to her.

Well, if she is the Pond Skater Pokémon, maybe it works to take that ability to its logical progression. Even if it wouldn't display the beauty of bugs in general, focusing on the beauty of specific bug-type Pokémon would do, and what better way to exemplify a Surskit's natural beauty than to show off its ability to slide on water?

June grabs her PokeGear, opens a video player app, and kneels down to show to Kit. "Okay Kit, I'd like our next performance to be similar to this."

"Starting off with our first performance of the final round, let's all give a good round of applause for Miss Nora Mei!"

A young, light tan-skinned teenage girl walks onto the stage, and she's dressed a bit too casually for contests. Her mid-length black hair is topped with a crimson bucket hat with a Pokeball logo that nests a pair of sunglasses, and wears a knotted red shirt that tucks into her denim shorts. Definitely not someone anybody would expect to make it this far in a contest, especially when compared to the fashion of Mr. Sakamoto.

The girl waves to the audience, and a timid orange lizard Pokémon peeks out from behind her legs. "Hey guys, I just wanted to say thanks for all the support." She even lacks any real charisma. It's a mystery to June how she made it to the final round. "I've never really been in a contest before, but it's kind of fun! Now, Char-Char and I are going to give you all a show, so here goes nothing!"

The Charmander nervously walks out from behind her trainer and takes a deep gulp of air. He opens his mouth and spits out a sudden burst of smoke. It doesn't take long for the smoke to fizzle out, revealing Char-Char being surrounded by two rings of fire that burn on the somehow-but-thankfully not flammable wooden floor, one ring orange and the other purple. Nora leaves a minute for the audience to take in the spectacle before giving a command. "Char-Char, use Belly Drum!"

Char-Char stretches his arms out to his side, and slaps his belly with one hand, following up with another palm to his gut. He continues this in quick succession, and a simple rhythm starts to play. Char-Char looks more confident with each note he plays, and Nora nods her head to the beat.

This continues for another minute or so, and every hit of Char-Char's Belly Drum grows more intense than the last. The audience notices this and starts clapping along, and even June taps her foot to the beat backstage.

"Okay Char-Char, let's wrap this up!" With Nora's order, her Charmander drastically speeds up his drum beating, creating a drum roll sound, building up anticipation in the audience. All eyes on him, Char-Char moves his hands to the air, tilts his head back, and unleashes a large, majestic, purple flame that flashes from his jaw, dissipating almost immediately after appearing. Despite its brief appearance, the crowd is impressed, and gives Nora a round of applause.

"Thank you for your show, Miss Nora Mei! Let's see how our next contestant can follow that up, so let's give a warm welcome to Miss Robynn White!"

In a typical fashion of her, Robynn enters the stage waving at the audience, even winking directly at some individuals watching. She wears the same tuxedo as before, but with a few minor modifications- A top hat that's the same color as her jacket loosely sits atop her head, and with white gloves she holds a magician's wand.

"Good afternoon, folks! How is everyone doing?" She waits for the audience's response before carrying on her act. "Good to hear from you all! Now what are we waiting for? Let's begin!" Robynn gestures towards Moldavite, who casually floats in the air. "I'm sure by now you all know my good pal, Moldavite! We go way back, and if he suddenly just disappeared, I'm not sure what I'd do!" Robynn shrugs in a very exaggerated fashion, quickly tossing her arms up to her shoulders, but the speed at which she swings them causes her to lose grip of her wand, which flies out of her hand into the floor. "Oh my, I dropped my wand! I wouldn't want to lose any props, now would I?"

While she slowly bends over to pick up the wand, Moldavite chuckles, kicks up an Ominous Wind to wrap himself in, and sinks into his own shadow. When Robynn stands back up, she looks surprised when her Shuppet is nowhere in sight. "Moldavite! Oh no, my dear friend has disappeared! What ever shall I do?" She puts an index finger and thumb up to her chin for a moment and then snaps. "Of course! It's so obvious! I'll use my magic wand to cast a spell to bring my dear Moldavite back to me!" Robynn then grabs her hat from her head, holding it upside down.

"Now let's just say the magic words! If you need a hint, the magic words are the names of a psychic-type Pokémon line that starts out only knowing Teleport! Supposedly, saying it channels the psychic energy of the Pokémon, and why not have our lovely audience say it! On the count of three, one, two…"

"Abra Kadabra, Alakazam!" Is chanted in unison from the audience, and Robynn gently waves her wand before she taps it against the rim of the hat. The hat vibrates a bit, and in an instant, Moldavite pops out of the center of the hat. "Moldavite! There you are, little guy!" The second he's greeted, Moldavite sinks into the center of the hat, and then reappears from behind Robynn, exiting from her shadow.

Cheers comes from the audience, and Robynn bows elegantly before them. Moldavite tries doing the same, even if all he really can do is float down and nod his head.

From backstage, June claps as well, but then takes a nervous deep breath. She's next, and she really hopes that what she has planned can capture the admiration of the crowd like the two contestants before her could. Hopefully, she and Kit could show off the beauty of Surskit.

🐞June's party🐞

27,492

Spoiler:

Groc · Dec 16, 2020

Sunny Dey
Monday, September 21st, midday
Dewford Town, Gym

Sunny casually tosses a Poké Ball in her hand, taking her spot across from Brawly. "I think I know how you fight, Brawly. I have three Pokémon, so use whatever rules you like."

Brawly grins in sudden understanding. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

Sunny nods, showing off the badge pinned to the inside of her jacket. "And I'm gunning for badge number two, so bring your A-game, Brawly!"

The twins exchange a look with each other, Alex quietly coming to stand by her brother as he raises his flags.

"Leader Brawly vs Challenger Sunny, three Pokémon each, standard League rules! Trainers ready? Begin!"

Sunny sends out Sputter, while Brawly starts with Hariyama. Sunny grins at that. "Oh, we got this. Sputter, use Minimize!"

"A solid plan..." Brawly nods, "Ghost types can't be hit by Fighting moves, but you're still trying to make your Litwick harder to hit. Guess all I can do is Bulk Up to defend."

Sunny frowns at that. "Standard rules means you can recall your Pokémon once per fight. You have a trick up your sleeve, surfer boy, I can tell. Minimize again!"

"Aw, man! Missed my window. I guess there's no tricking you, firecracker. Bulk yourself Up, bro!"

Tsu quietly comes over to the twins during the banter. "What are they doing?"

"Making themselves stronger, technically." Alex whispers back. "And seeing which one cracks first. Smart money says Red attacks first."

"Dad always has a plan, even if he doesn't look like it." Her brother agrees.

"Fine! Sputter, use Ember!" Sputter launches a purple spark at Hariyama, who barely even reacts.

Before Tsu can even ask, Alex explains. "Hariyama's Ability is Thick Fat, making it resistant to temperature of both extremes. Coupled with its natural toughness, its bulk makes it very difficult to harm."

Tsu stares at him blankly, so his sister clarifies, "Your friend messed up, and can't actually hurt Hariyama."

"Alright Hariyama, use Foresight!"

Alex sighs in disgust. "And now it can't evade him either. This is gonna be a sweep..."

Sunny seems to have a similar concern, calling out for a Confuse Ray. Hariyama pushes through the confusion, eyes glowing white as it smacks Sputter with a Force Palm. Sunny's arrogance evaporates, and she calls for Will-o-Wisp.

"Another solid move! Weaken Hariyama and deal steady damage. Not bad. Use Surf!" Hariyama raises its arms, conjuring a wave of water that crashes down on it and rolls over Sputter. It remains calm and unaffected by the wave, while Sputter is swept up and left waterlogged.

"Litwick is unable to battle!" Alex raises the blue flag on Brawly's side.

Sunny recalls Sputter, tossing out Striker next. The shiny Aron lets out a ~~tiny squeak~~ fierce battle cry, ready to fight. "Striker, get in close with Reversal!"

"Time for Force Palm, dude!" Striker charges in, while Hariyama takes a stance. It moves up, thrusting one oversized hand directly at Striker, hitting him in the face. Striker takes the hit without flinching, a bright orange aura surrounding him as he leans back, then lunges forward, actually knocking Hariyama off its feet.

"Ooh, dang! Nice hit!" Brawly grins over at Alex, nodding toward Tsu.

"Oh! Um... Aron must have the Sturdy Ability, letting it survive a knockout blow. And Reversal gets stronger as the user sustains damage, so Sunny was able to maximize it's efficiency with one punch."

"We get it, your boy's smart. Can we get on with the match, please?" Sunny grits her teeth in an almost smile, but her eyes burn with determination.

"Sure thing, dude, but I think Hariyama needs a break. Little metal dude just about knocked him out." Hariyama rolls its eyes before dramatically falling over and playing dead.

"Hariyama has been declared unable to battle." Alex lifts the red flag for Sunny.

"What? You're not making this very fun!" Sunny crosses her arms in annoyance, a sentiment shared by Brawly's daughter.

"I'm not? Isn't this what you wanted? A high energy battle with a Gym Leader? I'm having fun!" He sends in his next Pokémon, Meditite.

"What I wanted was a chance to test my skills against a strong opponent, to show off my Pokémon! Their strength, their skill, the results of our training! You're just playing with me. So please, take this seriously!"

Brawly looks at Sunny, paying a little closer attention to her now. "Alright, if that's what you want, then prepare for High Jump Kick!"

Meditite leaps into the air, does a flip at the apex of its jump, and dives down with one leg extended...

"Striker, Protect!"

...and crashes into the translucent silver barrier Striker erects in front of himself. Meditite crashes to the floor, wincing as it holds its leg in pain.

Sunny laughs in delight, applauding Striker. "That worked! I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but it worked!"

Brawly shrugs as Meditite hops back to its square. "Yeah, what can I say? Your speech really got to me. You ready to play for real, now?"

"Yeah, let's go! Use Headbutt!"

"Psycho Cut."

Striker charges in, but before he can close the distance, Meditite conjures a blade of purple psionic energy from its hand. With a quick swipe, the blade slaps into Striker, knocking him down and out.

"Aron is unable to battle." Alex lifts the blue flag, and both twins are now watching intently.

Sunny sends out her last Pokémon, Flare. "I'm not holding anything back, Brawly. I'm like a fire, I always give it my all! I'm pretty sure the ocean is the same way, so show me what you can do! Show me what I can do!"

Meditite starts with Recover, sitting down and focusing inwards. A green aura surrounds it as it heals the injury dealt by its failed attack on Striker. Flare charges in with Fire Fang, grinning with flaming teeth that wouldn't look out of place on his evolved form. Meditite counters with Psycho Cut, but Flare catches the blade in his teeth, then chomps on Meditite's hand, burning it.

"Fall back, then use High Jump Kick!"

"Counter with Incinerate!"

Meditite comes down with a dive kick, while Flare inhales deeply. He belches out a wide cone of fire that completely engulfs Meditite. It emerges from the fire, kicking Flare in the chest and bouncing off. Flare is knocked down, but struggles back to his feet. Meditite stumbles as it lands, falling to one knee. The fire and the burn have taken their toll, and it collapses from the heat.

"Meditite is unable to battle!" Alex lifts the red flag.

"Hey, she did it!" Tsu cheers, but Alex shakes her head.

"Dad still has one Pokémon. And Daruma is hurting from Meditite's attacks, even weakened. This battle's over."

"Good job, little dude. Come on back." Brawly returns Meditite, sending out Poliwrath in its place. Flare turns to look at Sunny, not smiling anymore. She shakes her head, her fist clenched in determination.

"We can do this, Flare! Use Rock Smash!" Flare throws himself at Poliwrath, who responds with Hypnosis, the odd spiral on his stomach swirling. Flare trips as he runs, already snoring as he hits the floor.

"Poliwrath, prep a Water Pulse." Poliwrath holds his hands in front of himself, water swirling between them and forming into a sphere. He points the sphere at Flare, while Brawly looks straight at Sunny. "How's your fire now, Sunny?"

"Nngh... hah." Sunny struggles, visibly distressed at the scenario, then deflates, her shoulders hunched in dejection. "...burned out. I'm not going to win this fight."

"And I'm glad you can admit that. Takes strength to admit when you've hit your limits. Next step is pushing past those limits and getting even stronger." He recalls Poliwrath before the Water Pulse can be thrown.

"Oh, come on!" Alex throws her hands in the air, storming off to the side of the dojo. Alex stays professional, lifting the red flag. "Leader Brawly has forfeit the match. Challenger Sunny wins." After that, he sets down the flags and goes to join his sister.

"What." Sunny stares at Brawly, brows furrowed in annoyed confusion.

"Sunny, you won!" Tsu runs over to her, but Sunny puts up a hand to stop her.

"I didn't win. You quit. I haven't earned a Badge."

"Sunny, just take the win. You fought hard!"

"Hey, are you sure? You still put up a good fight..." Brawly offers, but Sunny shakes her head.

"Yes, I'm sure. Instead, I will accept this loss, and grow. Thank you for showing me where I stand, Leader Brawly." She recalls Flare to his ball, bowing her head stiffly to Brawly and heading for the door.

Tsu glances between Brawly and Sunny before bowing as well. "Thank you for the battle." She hurries after Sunny, almost running into her when she stops at the door.

"Hey, Brawly? Are you still gonna be here in the morning? Because I think my friend Eddie should have a battle with you, too..."

QueenNothing · Dec 17, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"Last and certainly not least, let's give it up for our third and final showcase of the afternoon! Give it up for Miss Junko Enomoto!"

I hear loud noises from the sea of humans that sits in front of me as I walk on-stage. I can't say I understand why so many humans gather like this, but I am not here to question that. Right now, I wait for June the human to timidly wave at the unnaturally large crowd of humans.

"H-hello everyone, thank you all for supporting me and I-I don't know what I'd do without the praise. Now, I would love to show you all my final performance for today- The Beauty of Surskit! K-Kit, let's begin!"

There's my cue. I spray water out in-front of me, and slide forward on that, sprinkling more water as I move to expand my puddle. After creating a large enough puddle, I skid back to the center of it and secrete nectar from my antenna, then swing it around to surround the pond in my nectar, releasing a sweet aroma into the air. With my stage set, I begin to skate around the edge of this pond.

Before this, June had me pay attention to some small rectangle with a moving picture- I imagine this is a natural ability humans have. The picture she showed me was a different human who, like me, was skating along the surface of a body of water. It had some kind of blades on its feet, which I imagine is another natural human ability, and uses them to slide across the water, but unlike me, this human has some very strange movements. It moved its arms in a bizarre fashion, which I couldn't understand why it would, and occasionally spins around, sometimes even jumping. I was confused by all this, but June said she wanted me to mimic this and had me practice.

After skating a bit, I do a sudden leap, spinning around while midair before landing back on my legs, which creates a loud noise from the humans watching. I slide for a few more seconds before jumping and spinning again, which further excites the humans. I have to admit, these movements get my adrenaline pumping. I spin and jump a few more times at a normal speed, and plan to continue what I rehearsed with June- Wait, what's happening?

Something is surging through my body, and it's slowing me down! And this blinding light is coming from me, what's going on!?

Don't tell me- I'm evolving already!? But it's so soon, I- No! This can't be happening! I won't allow it!

My attempts might be fruitless, but I'm going to try holding it back and use Agility to increase my sliding speed, continuing as planned. I can hear gasps from the humans and even June.

"Kit, are you evolving already!?"

Sorry to disappoint you June, but I'm not going to allow that to happen. While still glowing, I shoot bubbles above me, leaving them to float in the air, and return back to skating. I'll jump up to try popping whatever bubbles are in my way, but for some reason I find it the most difficult to fight against the sensation of something growing from my antenna.

It feels like bad luck that right as June shows me there's more fun in pond skating to be had, my ability to do just that is threatened by nature. I can't understand why any other Surskit would ever want to evolve and lose that skill. While flying seems more practical, it doesn't look like there's as much fun, or even beauty, as I think humans describe it. It's so fundamentally different, it doesn't even make sense how something like me sprouts wings! Right now, rain is harmless to me, you could even say it's beneficial, but if I evolve, my wings would be soaked and I wouldn't be able to fly. Plus, the only interactions I'd even have with ponds that I find so cozy would be to lay eggs in them. Why would anyone make that trade-off???

Now that I've crashed into every bubble I've shot into the air, I'm going to finish this off. I slow down and slide to the center, still fighting against nature. June's plan was to have me use Water Sport as some kind of fountain, but I have an idea that might intrigue everyone.

I'm able to manipulate the evolution energy flowing through me into an orb that I pop out of my antenna that shoots directly above me. Everyone seems surprised by this, June especially. The ball falls straight down, but I counter it with a Water Sport, which keeps it afloat for a few seconds, before the orb bursts into sparkles that flow through the stream of water from my antenna, and crash to the surrounding ground. I see the humans watching smacking their hands together- I think that means they're pleased. It looks like it hurts to do that. Why do humans hurt themselves to display pleasure?

"Kit, I- What happened?" June, even if I had a mouth, I'm not sure how I'd explain that to you. All I would be able to say is that I'm not evolving. Not now, not ever!

"And there you have it folks! That was Miss Junko Enomoto's act! Let's give our contestants time to breathe before we move on to the award ceremony!" I assume that's our cue that I can relax now. A red laser hits me, and while I'm not quite used to returning to my Pokeball, I don't mind currently. I could use the rest.

Kit grew to level 23!

🐞June's party🐞

27,492

Spoiler:

Eleanor · Dec 18, 2020

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $15 000 (+8 000)

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabebe) -♀- lv. 28 ↑
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Lucky Chant, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) -♀- lv. 26 ↑
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) -♂- lv. 20 ↑
Infiltrator
Swagger, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Venus (Mawile) -♀- lv. 22 ↑
Intimidate
Fairy Wind, Feint Attack, Sucker Punch, Fake Tears, Taunt, Baton Pass

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

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

AVRIL'S BADGES:
🥊

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

Venus Strategy

Tuesday, September 22^nd - about 11 a.m. - Dewford Beach

Hikaru still held something that belonged to her, but she also had some of their items. The sooner she would have rid herself of them, the better - or at least, that's what she thought - and luckily, she knew exactly where to go.

The berries that Avril and Hikaru gathered the previous day were still there, either in or near those two cloth bags, sitting beside the bed, but they were supposed to be in the hands of that café owner as soon as possible. Their quality would have worsened over time, especially in the eyes of someone like Avril… so she had to act.

With bandages still there on her arms, the Kalosian girl slowly made her way to the bar she'd visited the previous day with Hikaru. It was quite a long walk and she soon found herself breathing heavily, the struggles from her cave adventure still taking a toll on her… but she made it to her destination before 11. That was great, actually! By the time she would have returned to the Resort, she could find the restaurant open for lunch.

Not like she would have wanted to stay there any longer than necessary. The plan was simple: hand in the berries and get the reward that the owner had offered. She repeated all the lines she had to say in her head as she got close and finally spotted the man working behind the counter - she brought him what he needed, how bad could it go?

"S-sir? I finally brought the berries."

"Oh, thank you very much! B-but… what happened to you? And your friend? Are you alright?" The man…

should've said. Ugh.

Instead of looking worried, the barman seemed annoyed and detached. No empathy. "It's about time, I lost profit yesterday evening. Just hand those over and…"

Avril almost did as told, but stopped in her tracks and decided to speak up instead. Like Hikaru would have done. "W-what about the reward? I-I know you've got less money from yesterday but I and my friend s-still need it…"

"Just hand those over, I said…" He replied, visibly angry.

"G-guess I'll call the rangers then!" The girl turned around, pouting but failing to look even remotely threatening to anyone. Her words were a bit less reassuring for the owner though. Not a good idea to deny Avril her reward in front of a team of rangers. This is why…

As the girl tried to turn around and walk away, a large shadow blocked her path. The air became chilling, and soon Avril found herself surrounded by ice spikes. "I can't let you do that!" The man called out.

The blonde trainer's heartbeat went from slow to frantic, to the point that her own blood couldn't keep up. As if she hadn't had enough of the cold, the pain, the tiredness… she now had to deal with this! For some reason.

In those situations, Hikaru would definitely roll with the punches and fight back. She obviously wouldn't, but she didn't have that many other options, and to be fair she didn't even have enough lucidity anymore. Everything that mattered to her was getting even just a bit of what she had struggled so much for. And so, it was time to turn around, pull out all of her Pokéballs, and unleash her whole team against that weird Pokémon. Glalie, she heard the bar owner say.

Poppy and Wisteria floated up and away, but immediately had trouble doing so because of the Ice-type's chilling moves. Icy Wind slowed both of them down as Poppy tried in vain to dispel it with Magical Leaf and Inkay failed to use Hypnosis. From below, however, came a Fake Tears from Venus and a Mud Sport from Angie.

The situation was very complicated, so much so that Avril mainly let her Pokémon free judgment on what to do and only yelled a few commands here and there. Staying focused was hard enough not just for her, but also for the two levitating Pokémon, who were getting slowed down more and more as they tried to hit Glalie. Their attacks really didn't deal much damage, Glalie was just too much. The only thing that seemed to put a dent on it was actually the barrage of Water Pulse attacks from below!

"You don't know what we're going through to keep this place afloat!" The owner shouted, trying to be heard above the Pokémon cries. "Freeze-dry now!"

It took literally one hit, one single hit, of that strange looking ice to petrify Angie and knock her out. The mud she was sliding on turned into some hard, brittle terrain as well. At least, Wisteria could use that chance to fire off another Hypnosis and finally get Glalie to feel at least a bit dizzy. Poppy threw in a Magical Leaf as well for good measure, but Mawile kept using Fake Tears and refusing to attack. Sure enough, the Dewford Sun was causing her trouble.

Avril focused on Venus for a bit, trying to watch her moves and her reactions, as the other two Pokémon kept hitting the Glalie with their attacks. She really didn't seem interested in fighting, and was doing either the bare minimum - as far as dodging and crippling the opponent was concerned - or just watching the other three Pokémon… possibly hoping they'd do all the work for her.

Too bad, though. After many Icy Wind attacks, Poppy's flower was full of small ice crystals and therefore, much heavier. In that condition, it was braindead easy for Glalie to strike her down with an Iron Head, and then another one… she was knocked out in no time. And Inkay?

Wisteria was able to hit more Psybeams than Flabébé's Magical Leaves, and the Fake Tears actually helped him deal even more damage to Glalie. By the time Poppy was down, Glalie was already showing the first signs of weakness, and looked rather confused. But it didn't matter too much, because all it had to do was blow some cold air around the battlefield and damage Inkay that way!

The battle soon turned into Glalie versus Inkay, with Mawile seemingly running away to hide under a beach umbrella. But it seemed to be still at Avril's reach! Glalie was struggling, its Icy Wind or Freeze-dry attacks were going all over the place, while Wisteria was hitting Psybeam every time. Then… as soon as he got close enough, attempting another Hypnosis, Glalie lunged forward. Just as its trainer ordered, it used Crunch and left Inkay barely standing.

As the inevitable Icy Wind that came after knocked Wisteria out for good, Avril felt hopeless. She had been doing this for what seemed an eternity, keeping her eyes on that menacing Ice-type face, only to see all of her Pokémon down. Only Venus was left, but she just was uninterested about the battle. Giving up after all this though, felt even more wrong.

The way that Glalie mercilessly knocked out all her Pokémon reminded her of the Aggron inside of Granite Cave - the obvious problem was that this Pokémon was someone's, and that someone was clearly in the wrong there. She couldn't give up now!

Her fired up mind now crafted another plan, a very simple one actually. "Hey Venus!" She called.

"Well? I enjoyed the battle so far but it's not getting anywhere." The owner remarked… so much talking for someone who battled probably just as bad as her. He was just lucky to have a strong Pokémon.

"Venus? Beat this Pokémon if you want your stone back!"

That was too easy, way too easy. A loud hissing noise announced Venus's Taunt, which immediately drew Glalie's attention upon her. Its Icy Wind and her Fairy Wind collided soon after, before the two Pokémon would get even closer and start trading Crunches and Bites.

Mawile was actually extremely nimble, jumping around and dodging every attack despite her inability to levitate. Her second mouth was definitely something that even Glalie had to watch out for as it lunged at her with Iron Head, and what Avril's Pokédex revealed to be Sucker Punch gave Venus an even larger agility boost. That vicious bite was nearly impossible to dodge for Glalie. Not to mention, Venus could use Fairy Wind in a similar way to Poppy to jump even higher up!

A last-ditch effort Freeze-dry was fired off by Glalie right as Venus was in front of it, freezing her body as she jumped up. A smirk appeared on the bar owner's face, as Venus took the hit and grinded her teeth. But… she then pierced those teeth right into one of Glalie's spikes. She used her horn-mouth to bring it down, twirling in the air. In the blink of an eye, Glalie was half buried in the sand, specifically in the frozen Mud Sport that Angie had left behind.

"L-looks like we deserve that reward now. You know, even my f-f-friend who got severely hurt…" Avril declared, somewhat timidly. At least Venus's cry - or hiss - of victory made up for that and showed that she meant business.

QueenNothing · Dec 19, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"Before we announce today's winner, I think we should give our final three contestants a round of applause, letting them all know just how well they've done for getting so far!"

Stage fright is a difficult thing for me to keep under control. Even when I'm not supposed to be performing, the onlookers clapping their hands together is quite overwhelming. I tightly grasp my pendant and remind myself that after this I'll have all eyes off of me.

I feel confident about how I did in the third round, much better than I did at Dewford I think. But both Nora and Robynn did very well, in my opinion. I think it's going to be a close call.

"Starting off, in third place, we have Miss Nora Mei for her very vocal performance! As a reward, she'll receive one thousand Pokedollars!"

I feel a knot in my stomach. I'm nervous, yet excited about the possibility of what the announcer may say. I'm glad I already know I've made it further than I did in Dewford, but the chance of losing is what makes me nervous. Obviously, I'll be glad for Robynn, as I truly do think she deserves a ribbon...but I'd still like one for myself.

"And in second place, who will be walking away with 2,500 Pokedollars, give it up for…"

I anxiously gulp. The build up the MC creates feels longer than how little time actually passes.

"...Miss Robynn White, and the majestic show she put on for us!"

The crowd roars, and my heartbeat speeds up. I notice in the corner of my eyes that Robynn seems to be focusing more on me than the MC who shakes her hand. Good to see she's a good sport, although that seems pretty expected of her.

"And now for our grand prize winner, in first place is Miss Junko Enomoto, who really showed us all the beauty of Surskit!"

It's apparent to everyone I'm the winner, so it's hard to imagine anyone is surprised. The announcer walks up to me, holding a case that holds two green ribbons, one for me, and one for Kit. I have to admit, I'm feeling very overjoyed looking down at my award, and I can tell I'm grinning widely. I take both ribbons with my left hand, and examine both in awe as they rest in my hand, experiencing a unique euphoria I haven't quite felt before.

I'm taken out of this when I feel someone place their hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch. I look over to find out it's Robynn's doing, giving me her usual collected smirk that I could blush at even just thinking about. "Don't just stand there, June! Gotta thank your crowd!"

Of course! How foolish of me to forget. Bashfully, I wave at the onlooking crowd, meekly thanking everyone for giving me support. While I am glad I've won my first contest, I can't get rid of a feeling of disappointment that resides in my thoughts. It may be a minor detail in the greater scope, but I'm very curious...

Why didn't Kit evolve?

🐞June's party🐞

32,492

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Dec 20, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

"Hey, June!"

The instant I walk out the backstage changing room, I hear Robynn's attempt at making me notice her. When I see where she stands, she starts to jog up to me. She's also changed back into her casual outfit, I pick up on. It's almost identical to yesterday, with the difference of her blue and white plaid jeans. "Congrats on the ribbon!"

"R-Robynn, hello there, I-I-I really enjoyed your performances! H-honestly I think you deserved the ribbon!"

She shakes her head while still grinning and then takes a drink from a plastic water bottle. "You won fair and square, and for good reason! Kit killed it out there!" She tightens the cap on her bottle and tosses it at me. I flail my arms in an attempt to catch it, and I'm fortunate that I don't let the plastic bottle drop on the ground. "You're probably thirsty after all that. Take a swig."

It seems a bit unsanitary, but I don't want to put up a fight, so I take a sip myself before handing the bottle back. "Thanks…"

"So what are your plans now that the contest is over? I was thinking maybe we could hang out again, y'know, if you had nothing else going on."

"Y-yes, I'd ve-very much like that!" There's no use in hiding just how bright red my face is. "I was ju-jst about to go to my uncle's home, a-and maybe help out w-with the Pokémon!"

"Sounds like a plan!" I simply can't get over her calm smile. "So what are you waiting for, let's go!"

"Yo, what's up Junko."

Uncle Tetsuo plainly greets me and Robynn from behind his desk as I enter the traditional house. As expected, his face is crammed into a black clamshell device he holds with both hands.

"This your place?" Robynn examines the interior of the house. "I like it!"

Uncle looks up from his device, staring at the girl who accompanies me, blinking in disbelief. "Oh, this, err uhh, a friend of yours?"

"Um, err, um…" My cheeks go red and Robynn chuckles. Thankfully she decides to speak where I should answer. "I guess you can say that. Names Robynn, by the way!"

Tetsuo switches his glance between both me and the white haired girl before his eyes light up and a sly grin forms on his face. "Ohhhhh, I see. Since you're both here, why don't you girls take a walk through the dome or something."

"That's what I was told I was here for." Both Robynn and Uncle chuckle in unison before the brown haired man slides open a door behind his desk. "Well then, go along you two! Let your Pokémon out so they can run around or something while you're at it!"

"Good idea!" Robynn casually walks out to the exit, but it takes me a second to pull myself together before following suit. Right before I'm able to step outside, Uncle gives me a "pssst!" to seize my attention.

"You got this, girl!" Looking slightly more energetic, Uncle winks and gives me a thumbs up. I squeak in embarrassment and jolt my head forward, feigning he never gave me such a gesture. I then quickly fill the gap between my accompanying trainer and I, and it's only a few feet before the dome entrance.

"S-so here it is- The conservatory my grandma left for us."

🐞June's party🐞

32,492

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Dec 21, 2020

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, September 21st, Afternoon

Once again I've lost track of time while I take a stroll alongside Robynn. I remember Robynn and I sent our Pokémon out to play, she asked me about her Snom, which she has sitting on her shoulder, and I've been lost in my own words since then. I'm just glad I already know she doesn't mind my lectures.

She looks calm and collected as usual, but somewhere when I start explaining the function of a Heracross' horn, Robynn suddenly looks aghast. I've never seen her like this, and now I can't help but be paranoid that something I said upset her.

"R-Robynn, what's wrong?"

She ignores me and just looks straight ahead. "That Pokémon is!" is all she says, and she dashes forward. I focus on her destination, and see a river I'm very familiar with. Something about it sticks out- Literally, I can see something I don't recognize sticking what I assume is its head out of the river. It's head is round and white, and it has a small horn sticking out of the forehead. Most concerning, and probably what drove Robynn to suddenly rush out, is a very upset expression it displays with its round black eyes and a maw that forms into a heavy frown. Well, I said most concerning, but aside from a sad face it has, personally I can't say I'm incredibly worried.

The white haired girl knees over to make eye contact with the Pokémon, and I decide to walk over to her. "Hey there, what's the matter boy?" She asks the white Pokémon, reaching out to pet it's head. Curious about this specimen, I reach for my Pokedex to scan it.

"So this is a Seel. A male, and it says he's able to heal himself in extremely cold temperatures."

"Mmhm." Robynn nods. "Which explains this guy's mood. Seel should be swimming in cooler parts of the ocean. What is he doing here?"

"That's a good question…" I have no recollection of marking any off yesterday or the day before. I didn't think the one day I didn't take attendance that such a drastically out of place Pokémon would be here. "We should ask Uncle."

Robynn nods again, and gently hauls Seel out of the river by his flippers. "Yeah. I'm not even sure why a Seel would be in Hoenn in the first place." As soon as she lets go of the Pokémon, Seel looks adoringly at the shorter girl with his beady eyes, and sticks his tongue out from his no longer frowning maw.

"Damn, did you just really not like that river?" She chuckles while kneeling over again to scratch his chin. The sea lion Pokémon purrs before rolling onto his back, and Robynn scratches his chest. "Hey June, why don't you try?"

"O-oh, sure." We really should currently be asking Uncle about the situation at hand, but I must admit- Seel is cute. Maybe not as endearing as a Kriketune or an Araquanid, but he still has an undeniable charm. I rest on my knees so I can rub his belly, and he purrs at me. I can't help but giggle at the sight.

Robynn stands up then slightly backs away, pulling a small rectangular box from her pocket. She holds her free hand below it and shakes the box, which drops a few pellets into her palm- That must be Pokémon food. "Alright boy, let's see what you can do!"

Seeing the treat she holds in her hand, Seel instantly rolls back onto his abdomen, claps his flippers together, and cheerfully barks. Robynn flicks a pellet at Seel's face, who catches it with his tongue that quickly retracts into his maw. "Good job! Now let's try this again!" She aims a pellet a few inches left of Seel, who jerks himself in that direction to nab it with his mouth. One pellet remains in her hand, which Robynn prepares to toss, but aims higher than she previously did, throwing it above Seel's head. He's able to react quickly, and he uses his back flipper to leap into the air to catch the final pellet. "Good boy!"

While I enjoy viewing how compatible these two appear, I think Robynn forgot something. "Umm, aren't we supposed to inform Uncle about-"

"Oh yeah, that." She casually interrupts. "Sure, we can get to that. I just wanted to have fun with the little guy first, y'know? Let's go!" Robynn strolls forward and beckons me, to which I follow. Neither of us mind that Seel attempts to pursue us by frantically dragging his round body across the grass with his flippers.

We all silently walk to Uncle's house together, but a sudden crackling noise alarms me. It's followed with a hissing noise I'm very familiar with.

"Oh no, what's happening with my Pokémon!?"

🐞June's party🐞

32,492

Spoiler:

[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

More options

Eleanor

Perish Song?

QueenNothing

Juno

3-2: Promise

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

Groc

QueenNothing

forg

birds aren't real - & you know it

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

Embyr

Groc

Aquacorde

♫ following where my arrow goes ♫

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

Groc

QueenNothing

Eleanor

Perish Song?

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

QueenNothing