[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Foxrally · Feb 10, 2021

Simon Pearburgh
Sachiko Akabane

Spoiler: Memories

The Barnhouse

"Where is he…" Standing a short distance outside the Contest Hall, Sachi had her arms wrapped around herself as she waited for her 'date' to come. Just remembering the term had her blushing- shit, she could feel her face grow warm. Infront of her was the Contest Hall, where they were going to have dinner while watching the performances.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Simon's voice calling out to her from behind. "Hey, Sachi!" he waved as he ran up to her, "Sorry I'm late, didn't want to get these shoes di- whoa."

Simon paused as he finally got a good look at his date's dress. After meeting with the Haute Couture shopkeeper, Miss Coutelas, the woman had generously offered Simon and Sachi two perfect outfits for the event, insisting that she choose them after their "inspirational battle", but had also insisted on keeping them a surprise from each other.

"You look… gorgeous!" the boy finally said.

Sachi had been given a strapless red dress with white lining, and a black ribbon tied around the waist that ended in a bow on her mid-back. A green ribbon tied her hair into a low ponytail that was swept over her shoulder, with her usual hairpin clipped on. Pua was wrapped around her neck as well, looking at all the people passing by while the rest of her team was back at the Inn watching over the egg.

Simon had wanted to choose his suit himself, but after catching a glimpse of his abhorrent taste Madame Coutelas had insisted on picking for him. He was dressed in a classy white and gray tuxedo, with a red bowtie adding a splash of colour to the outfit. Coutelas had insisted it would match with Sachi, after speaking of her 'silk and fire' inspiration. Simon had attempted to comb his hair into a more presentable style for the event, though he'd found little success in that department.

"S-Simon! Don't worry about being l-late-" Sachi stuttered as she turned towards the boy, but once she saw his appearance, her face got redder. She quickly looked away as she placed her hands at her side, clutching the material of the dress, "Y-You look h-handsome…"

"Th-thank you!" Simon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "This isn't normally my style, but I suppose I can live without a dozen bugs clinging to me for a while." he added, laughing.

Nerves of steel, Simon. he reminded himself, taking a deep breath before offering his hand to Sachi. "Shall we then, madame?" he bowed slightly and smiled.

Sachi looked at the hand nervously, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, exhaling it seconds after. Opening her eyes, she grabbed Simon's hand hesitantly, offering the boy a small, timid smile, "We shall."

As the pair walked up to the entrance of the hall, they catch glimpses of the inside. It would have been impossible to tell this was a renovated and redesigned barn, if not for the name of the venue. The interior looked like a fancier venue than either teen had ever stepped foot in, which left them a little intimidated, but nonetheless excited. They approached a suited man at the door who had a list of the invitees.

"Good evening, madam, sir! Welcome to The Barnhouse." the man said, charmed at the sight of the young couple. "May I have your reservation name?"

"Good evening! I've got one for a table for two, under Simon Pearburgh." Simon replied, winking at Sachi.

"Fantastic, please follow my colleague here and we'll get you seated. The performances will be starting soon." the man ushered them behind him.

"Cheers." Simon grinned and allowed Sachi to go in first. "Ladies first, of course."

"A-Alright…" Sachi walked over to follow the receptionist towards the table reserved by Simon with the latter following behind.

The pair were taken to their table, which Simon had insisted on being indoors and near the stage - being a victorious league challenger did have its perks after all. As they were about to be seated, the sight of two people a few tables away caused Simon to stop and grab Sachi's hand.

"Whoa, Ruben and Raph are here!" the boy exclaimed. "C'mon, I've got to get you three introduced!" Before the girl could respond, Simon was already beginning to drag her towards the others' table.

"Hey lads!" the boy waved at them cheerfully as he walked up to them. "Fancy seeing you here!"

Ruben's face curled into a smirk as he looked Simon up and down. Here Simon was, standing in front of him with the girl he'd said so much about but told Ruben and Raph so little about. The footballer tapped Raph, as if showing the girl off to the older boy himself.

"Simo, you're not gonna keep us waiting are ya? We want to know what to call the young lady." He chuckled, teasingly. "You look amazing by the way." He smiled framing the pair with hands as though he were sizing them up for a painting.

"Oh! I-I'm Sachiko, nice to meet you, sir Ruben and sir Raph, correct?" Sachi bowed a bit as she introduced herself, nervous as hell. These are the people Simon mentioned a couple times in his stories and didn't think she'd meet them so soon! "I've heard about you from Simon."

Raph finally looked up from his phone as Sachiko started speaking. He took one look at her, noticing the fiery hair, before he turned his head towards Simon with a bemused expression. "So it was Sachiko." He stated, rather matter-of-factly, the older trainer huffing a little from his nostrils in amusement. "There weren't many people it could have been, but it's nice to know my hunch was right. Good thing you approached her yourself, giving you advice while you agonized over text messages was tiring, Si."

Simon shot Raph a pleading glare, feeling his cheeks glow red at the mention. "Ah- anyway, Sachi, this is Raphael, and this is Ruben! They also went to Wedgehurst, and we traveled together for a bit too."

"I remember you from the academy, Sachiko Akabane, right?" Raph couldn't help but smirk. He was usually laid back and not interested in this amount of effort spent. Yet he couldn't deny that the journey had been teaching him that he loved to stir the pot when the effort expended was low for him. Seeing Simon in this new light was amusing. "I was waiting to see when Simon would bring the girl he was mentioning to meet us. You know one of our first proper conversations was about you? He was very interested in my opinion on how he should approach texting you." Raph's eye glinted for a moment, breaking his lackadaisical demeanor long enough for him to shoot a glance to the footballer sitting opposite him. "I'm sure you remember that too, Ruben? It continued well past when we met at the lodge."

"Arceus yeah," Ruben smirked, taking the baton from Raph and immediately running with it, "Remember the poetry? For the flames of her hair ignited those of my heart. Oh Sachiko, how you've awakened that dormant spark." Ruben mocked as he let out a prideful snicker. "We couldn't shut him up."

"That did not happ-" Simon snapped back, now glaring at Ruben, before stopping to gauge Sachi's reaction. "...or, if it hypothetically did, it would've been something much better." he added, huffing and crossing his arms.

Sachi chuckled, "Did that really happen?" They didn't seem like bad people, in fact, they acted like two older brothers teasing their youngest. It was adorable! Hearing the poetry did make her blush though, she could feel her cheeks glowing.

Raph couldn't help but notice that, if that was all it took to make Sachi blush, then maybe Simon did have a chance. "I don't know about his poetry career, but he certainly did take a looong time deciding what to text you, Sachi." he smirked. "In fact, if I remember correctly it took us nearly dying for him to make his mind up and bite the bullet." His sneer softened into a smile at that, however. "Simon tends to put his heart into everything he does, so go easy on him, I'm sure he'll be a good boyfriend if you give him a chance." He paused. "...and don't let him read his poetry, it seems."

Even Ruben seemed to sink in his seat at the mention of that word.

"I can't really go easy on him if I don't know much about dating either." Sachi commented as she did her best to not stutter, but his last sentence messed her up. "...W-wait… B-Boyfriend?! W-we're not- I-I… H-He might n-not-" Sachi's blush worsened as she tried to speak, but was tongue tied. Boyfriend?! Is that how dates went, you become a boyfriend/girlfriend after one date?! It was confusing and embarrassing, she should have asked Seto about all this beforehand! Quickly, Sachi lifted her hands to cover her face, not wanting to face or make eye contact after her embarrassing stutter.

"Don't mind them, the lads are just messing with you." Simon hissed at the two older boys. "This is just our first date, we're just here to have fun!"

"Wait… this is your first date..?" Raph began, the natural continuation of the sentence was already forming in his head. '...but he's been talking about you for months?' Despite how much of a zinger that might have been however, Simon was suffering, Ruben was shuffling, and Raph? Well, he'd had his fun.

"My bad, been a little bit since Si and I talked about this stuff." His smile continued, before settling back into an apathetic sort of mise en place. "I hope you two have all the fun you're hoping for in that case."

The background music suddenly died down and the lights around the stage began to dim, signaling the performances were about to begin. "Oh, shoot- right, lads, glad everyone's acquainted then. Let's meet up afterwards, okay? C'mon, Sachi." Simon said as he took Sachi's hand and the pair rushed back to their table.

"Hey Raph…" Ruben's boastful voice lingered as the duo shuffled through the crowd, away from him. "She just called me sir Ruben."

The words hung in the air, like a rather depressed balloon quickly losing altitude. Raph swam through his mind to find an appropriate response that didn't sound mean, all the while suppressing offensive facial expressions.

"...nice."

--------

Not long after the two were seated once again, the first few performers began, none of which the pair knew from school, but their performances were impressive nonetheless. As the announcer introduced the next contestant, a familiar name hit their ears. "Rosa Valdès!"

"Ooh, this girl's from school!" Simon whispered to Sachi.

"You mean the academy?" Sachi questioned.

Simon only had time to nod back before the performance started. Judging by the outfit and the music, the girl was clearly drawing influence from her Johtoan background. Her movements with the music were expertly timed, which prompted him to wonder how long she'd had to practice them - and he was also glad to see her relationship with her Pokemon was stronger than ever.

"Her outfit is lovely and her Pokemon are adorable…" Sachi uttered in awe as she watched the performance. "The performance itself is amazing! I hope to meet her one day!"

--------

As the next performed was called, Simon heard another familiar name: "Aeliana Kekoa!"

"Ooh, I know this girl too! Remember the dancing girl from the academy?" he told Sachi. "I bet there's gonna be tons of that in her performance as well."

"I do remember someone dancing back in the academy… so her name is Aeliana Kekoa." Sachi trailed off as she looked at the woman closer, blinking when something came to mind,"Simon, is she by any chance from Alola?"

"Yeah, she did! That's how she greets everyone too. She-"

"Shh, it's about to start." Sachi whispered as she placed a finger over his mouth to silence the boy as she looked towards the stage.

As Sachi listened to the song playing throughout the performance, she felt a lump grow in her throat. This song… Brings back memories… As the song continued, more thoughts flooded in. Mom... Not realizing, a tear slipped from her right eye as she continued to watch the performance.

--------

The stage got darker and the lights dimmed as the next contestant was announced. "Melody Argent!"

Simon grinned, this one was gonna be good. For all her spunk and attitude, he knew that Spikemuth sis had the ability to wow an audience, and the creepy aesthetic was her best element.

...what he didn't realize was how well she could sing! That certainly destroyed the stereotype of Spikemuth girls' voices being so hoarse from the screaming. Melody had some real talent- let alone her name.

As the performance ended and the audience cheered for her, Simon leaned towards Sachi, "That was sick! The whole spooky vibe kinda reminded me of home."

"I've never seen something like that before…" Sachi commented as she leaned towards Simon as well, not realizing that Simon did the same as she was distracted by the performance and causing their shoulders to touch. The two reeled back suddenly, blushing and blurting out hushed apologies.

--------

The next performer was one Simon had been anticipating for a while: "Pia McGuire!" As the audience clapped for the sparkling green-dressed girl, Simon cheered even louder, whistling eagerly which got them a few annoyed glares from the nearby tables.

"This is the girl I was telling you about- we battled together!" he told Sachi.

Once the crowd got quieter, the spotlight shone on Pia, and Simon let out one last boisterous cheer before Sachi shushed him and he clammed up, realizing he might be distracting the performer.

They both watched with starry eyes as the girl used her Pokemon's moves on the stage to transform Pia into a veritable fairy, floating and sending sparks flying. It certainly was a flashy display - just as flashy as Simon had seen Prim and Milla.

"Woah… So that's Pia… I want to meet her!" Sachi said as the performance ended.

"You should! She's really nice- and she's the one who's dating Ruben freakin' Sancho!" Simon whispered back.

"Really?!" Sachi replied back, looking over to where Ruben was before looking back at Pia. "I didn't expect to hear that… Wait, what do you mean 'Ruben freaking' Sancho'? You're saying it as if he's someone famous?"

"Um, duh? He's the Boltund Blitz! Top scorer for- oh shoot, next one's about to start."

--------

The next name sounded familiar to Simon, though he couldn't place where he'd heard it. "Arrietty Maverick!"

"Huh… I feel like I've seen her." he mused, his eyes gazing at the girls' Pokemon then the crowd in the background. He then noticed Raph was standing at their table. "Oh, yeah! That's the girl Raph and Pia were talking about. I almost thought her and Raph were dating, heh."

"Really?" Sachi took a glance at Raph before looking back at Arrietty, whispering the last bit, not knowing that Simon could hear her, "I have to admit though, he is handsome and Arrietty is really pretty…"

Yet as the lights dimmed and the music began to play… the performer's nerves seemed to get the best of her. Simon looked away in secondhand embarrassment as the girl rushed off the stage. "Oof, that must sting." he muttered.

"Simon…!" Sachi chided, frowning at the boy, before looking over to where Arrietty rushed to. "I would have done the same too…" Sachi felt bad for Arrietty, she wished she could do something to help make her feel better.

--------

After a few more performances, there was a short break as the judges reconvened to make their decision, and the quiet murmurs of the crowd broke out into excited talking as people began chatting away about the contestants. Simon put down his glass of sparkling razz berry juice and looked at Sachi.

"Man, this whole event has been a treat so far. You ever been to anything this posh before?" he asked.

"Not really…" Sachi voiced, glancing down at her glass of water with a frown. She couldn't get her mind off Arrietty's performance, for some reason… she felt like she could sympathise with the girl. And then there were the memories of her mother… she didn't think that just one song would bring up those unwanted memories. First her aunt, now her mother's… was fate trying to bring past her past to the present?

"Everything alright, Sachi? You look a little tense." Simon spoke up, snapping her back to reality. "I know the whole fanciness can be intimidating, but it's good to just lie back and enjoy some glam, right? Especially after all the camping and traveling."

"It's not that. Just… one of their songs brought up memories of the past…" The girl trailed off as she looked down at her hand that rested on the table, clutching the table cloth. She wanted to tell Simon, but also didn't want to burden the boy with her problems. She had to handle this on her own, especially when it comes to her aunt.

"Oh, I'm sorry… would it help talking about it?" Simon asked. "My da' always says the best time to talk about your problems is over drinks, heh." He raised his glass with a smile. While he didn't want to pressure Sachi, he also didn't want her mind to be dwelling on sad thoughts on their date.

"I...I don't want to push my problems onto you." Sachi shook her head, "I'm used to handling stuff like this on my own. Sorry for mentioning it." The girl gave Simon a sad smile before glancing around, refusing eye contact, "I shouldn't have said anything." She'd been dealing with the memories for years and managed to repress them. Her problems were hers alone to deal with, and asking for help would only cause more problems. Her father had always been adamant about not telling anyone about their circumstances or past, so dealing with this was normal. She'd already slipped a few times with Simon, but she couldn't let it happen again. Hopefully, talking to Lola about the memories would help; her childhood friend was one of the few people that she could freely confide in without getting her father angry. Blinking, the girl glanced down at her bracelet, realizing that her father still hadn't contacted her. Usually, he'd be calling the house to check up when he's gone...

Taking note of her discomfort, Simon smiled before closing his eyes and taking a sip of his drink. "Ah, well, I won't insist on it then. I do like a little mystery in my women, after all." he said nonchalantly. It was a quote from a movie, but Sachi didn't need to know that. He thought of changing the subject. "Speaking of, uh, interesting people, who was that friend who approached us earlier? She didn't seem particularly fond of me."

"You mean Lola?" Sachi glanced up at Simon, "She's a childhood friend I haven't seen in years since moving to Galar. I wasn't expecting to see her ever again - she still looks almost the same, just older and more beautiful." As Pua released her hold on the flower crown, leaving the item around her trainer's neck to float and rest on Sachi's head, the girl gave Simon a confused glance, "She didn't seem fond of you? I'm sure that wasn't the case! Lola may be blunt, but she's kind and affectionate, so I'm sure it was a misunderstanding. Sorry about that…"

Simon shook his head with a smile, "Nah, don't worry about it. I know the bugs can leave a weird first impression on people sometimes. I just hope she'll warm up to me eventually." He shrugged and took another sip. Though he wasn't going to bring it up to Sachi, something about that girl was still bothering him, more than just her initial apprehension. Something about the look she'd given him then Sachiko... "Is she a trainer too?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Yes! Now that you mention it, her first pokemon was a Wimpod!" Sachi then looked up and thought, "It should have evolved by now, so probably a Golisopod instead."

"Whoa, seriously?! Catching a Wimpod is a feat itself, that's pretty cool." The bug catcher was genuinely impressed. Maybe this girl wasn't as bad as his gut told him after all. He'd met blunt individuals like Raph, and it certainly didn't mean they were bad people or even disliked him. The thought of Pokemon made him curious about the gym challenge, and more particularly, Sachi's. "By the way, are you-"

A loud notification sound from Sachi's phone suddenly cut him off. Sachi flinched at the sudden interruption, quickly fishing out her phone from her dress pocket, "I don't remember adding a ring…" Flipping it open, she wondered what caused the phone to… Lola? "When did she…?" Quickly opening the message app, she read through Lola's message.

Lola <3: Hime? Are you still with that bug trainer?
Sachiko: How did you get my number? And was that you who added the ringer?
Lola <3: Of course, we need to communicate in some way after all. Don't worry about how I got it. And if I don't add the ringer, your attention will be taken by that loser the whole time.
Sachiko: Loser? Who are you talking about?
Lola <3: ...Nevermind. When do you want to meet up so I can show you what a real date is? Last I recall, you weren't on a date after all. If not me, I can find someone to do the job?

Sachi stared down at her phone, conflicted. A real date? Wasn't that what she and Simon were on right now? Lola's were suggesting otherwise… but from what Simon told her what a date was… was his description not true…? Shaking her head, Sachi tried to clear those thoughts; Lola probably meant something else. And what did she mean by the loser? Who was she talking about? So many thoughts were running through her mind, she could feel her anxiety going up. What got to her the most, though, was the thought of going on a date with someone else… She quickly lifted her hands and lightly slapped her crimson cheeks, realizing where her thoughts were going.

"I-I'd like to excuse myself for moment, please." Sachi swiftly stood up and walked towards the open area, unknowingly leaving her phone unlocked on the table.

Having flown off her owner's head, Pua cooed as she rested beside the phone with a frown. Something on the device had caused her trainer to panic, but she didn't know what. Tora wasn't here to help, but maybe someone else could... The Pokemon turned to stare at Simon, a plan in mind.

"O-oh, okay, I'll just... be… here." Simon's voice trailed off as the noise of the audience drowned it out, and Sachi quickly got out of earshot. The young girl's silhouette quickly disappeared behind the crowd of visitors and staff. He wasn't sure what had gotten into her - was it something he'd said? Shite, maybe the movie line was a bad idea. he thought. This whole date business was not his thing; why couldn't everything just be as easy as battling? He sighed, staring at his meal for a while before shrugging and taking a bite; at least the food was good. He looked up at Sachi's Comfey that was sitting beside her plate, giving the Pokemon a smile and raising his glass.

"I guess it's you and me for now, lassie. Some champagne?" He joked half-heartedly.

Pua quickly flew towards the boy her trainer fancies and headbutted his forehead to get his attention. The only way she could think of getting his attention…

"Ouch, hey! I was just joking, I know you fairies are weak to poison." Simon replied, rubbing his head.

"Com!" Pua used Vine Whip to grab the open phone and moved it in front of Simon. If there was something on there that caused her trainer to run off, she needed someone to help. "Fey!" Lifting one of her hands, Pua flew down and tapped the phone, as if signaling to look at it.

"Whoa, I can't just do that, that's Sachi's private messages there." Simon raised an eyebrow at the Pokemon. "Besides, it's probably just locked- oh, nevermind." He stopped as he noticed the girl had left the phone open on her texts.

Pua stared at Simon for a while before pointing at where Sachi ran off to, back to the phone, then back to Sachi. "Comfey!" She couldn't speak human, but she needed some way to communicate and let the boy know that something on the phone was the cause of her trainer's reaction. She then patted the phone, "Com! Fey! Co! Fe! Comfey…!"

Simon furrowed his brow. This Pokemon was really insistent… maybe it wouldn't hurt to take just one tiny peek? Who knew, maybe Sachi was in danger or something. It's not like he was actively opening the messages anyway. Yeah! He was just taking one teeny, tiny look at the contents on the-

Lola? Simon's eyes immediately darted to the name at the top of the phone screen. Even when she wasn't here in person, this girl had somehow managed to interfere with their date again, much to the boy's frustration. And was that a heart emoji next to the name?! Wait, nevermind that- how had the girl even gotten her number on Sachi's phone after not seeing her for years?

Throwing any semblance of subtlety out the window, Simon discreetly slid his hand across the table and grabbed the phone to read the text conversation. His expression shifted from curiosity to anger as he went through. Bug Loser? Who did this girl think she was? Any thoughts he'd had about this girl's decency were long gone now as he continued down the conversation, Pua floating at his side. Was this girl asking Sachi out herself now?! He didn't know what to make of the situation. Most frustrating of all, her comments had flustered Sachi to the point she'd had to leave, tossing a wrench into his date plans. He really didn't like this girl now.

The realization of what he was doing suddenly hit him and he put down the phone, looking around to make sure Sachi hadn't returned yet. He cursed himself for even glancing at the thing and pushed it back to where it was.

"Thank you, lass, but this isn't something I can do anything about." He told the Comfey beside him. "Let's just keep this between you and me, alright?"

"Com! Fe! Fey!" Pua wanted the human to help her trainer badly, but if he couldn't, there was nothing else the Pokemon could do. Pua gave Simon one last look before floating over to lay back down beside the phone.

After a little while, Sachi returned to the table. "I'm sorry about that. Did I miss anything important?" Sachi asked as she sat back down. "I-I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly! Just a text someone sent me had me thinking for a bit.

"No, no, don't worry about it." Simon smiled, feigning ignorance. "And no, you haven't missed anything, the judges are still deciding on the winner I think."

Picking up his fork, he asked calmly, "Shall we dig into this slowpoke-tail roast then?"

Fen-Fen · Feb 10, 2021

Haleigh Windsor
17 | Female | From Circhester

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

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

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

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

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

VS Milo

As Haleigh got out onto the pitch of the stadium, she could feel her heart pounding out of her chest, all of the crowd watching her every step she took forward. Their murmurs were indistinguishable, but in Haleigh's mind, the tone they took was of intrigue and excitement, almost as if saying, "What was this girl capable of?" It had taken her quite a long time to get up here - nearly four years by this point - and she was not about to let herself get counted out.

Not when everything was on the line for her.

She jogged up to Milo, a confident smirk on her face. The gym leader offered his own friendly, easygoing smile, giving his newest challenger a wave.

"Well I'll be, you certainly know how to make an entrance Haleigh!" He gives a jovial laugh as he adds, "I can't say I know many punk rocker cowgirls."

Haleigh chuckles at the way he put her way of tackling the gym challenge. "Glad I made a great first impression. But that ain't all I got. I'm bringing my A game to this fight!"

Still cheerful as always, Milo said, "You're certainly not lacking in spirit. That's what I love to see in any aspiring trainer!" He gestures to the Scorbunny that stood by her side, looking just as spirited as his trainer. "I'm glad your friend here seems to share your enthusiasm, too."

Corey nods his head, hopping in place and stretching to contain all of the energy he had. "Scor scor!"

Haleigh exclaimed, "Alright alright, enough with the formalities. I am READY. TO. ROCK!!!" She sticks up her hand with her pinky and index fingers out in the "rock on" symbol.

The grass gym leader nodded. "Then without further ado, let us start the battle!"

Corey, already out his ball, simply jogged back with her trainer to assume his position on the battlefield while Milo went to prep his own Pokemon. He reached down onto his belt, pulling out a Pokeball and giving it an easygoing toss before the Pokemon - a Appletun - materialized right in front of him.

The Appletun, being part dragon, totally nixed the upper hand that Haleigh was going to be banking on. But no matter. That wasn't going to change the fact that with Corey, she would win against Milo.

"Well mate, what's the fun without a bit of challenge, eh?" She points to the direction of the apple dragon Pokemon. "Alright Corey, stay on your toes and start us off proper with a Flame Charge!"

The Scorbunny gave an affirmative nod, crouching his body down low and dashing towards the hovering Appletun, his body lighting up in a sea of flames. He smirked at the seemingly slow Pokemon. Maybe landing a hit on him wasn't quite the death sentence that it would have been had he not been a dragon, but with Haleigh cheering him on and leading him - and his innate speed and power - the Appletun would be no problem.

"Well, can't say your battling style isn't like your personality, huh?" He chuckled goodnaturedly. "But me and Appletun can match you toe to toe for speed. Use Rollout!" The Appletun started to tuck his head in, forming into a ball and rolling towards the Scorbunny

Haleigh's eyes widened at the callout of the rock type attack. That wasn't going to be good for Corey. She shouted to her Pokemon, "On your toes, Corey! Dodge him and look for an opening!"

He didn't have to be told twice. He changed his stance, standing back up straight to get into position to dodge the barreling apple dragon. Though starting off relatively slowly, Appleton was starting to gain a lot of momentum and speed with his Rollout. Luckily, however, the already fast Scorbunny was made even faster by the Flame Charge, giving him time to dodge the attack with enough time to stand back upright on his feet - and the crucial opening that Corey so desperately needed.

"There's your chance! Get him with an Ember barrage, Corey!" The Scorbunny took a deep breath, peppering the field with flames.

Milo shouted to his Appletun in response, "Get in another Rollout!" If he could just get in another Rollout, the little flames would roll right off him and he'd be in the right position to flatten Corey.

However, the Appletun was too late. Just as he was about to curl into a ball and roll right into Scorbunny, the Ember attacks made their mark, hitting Appletun head on.

"Hell yeah, that's what I like to see!" Haleigh cheered. "Let's go in for another Flame Charge, give him something that'll really sting!"

"Scor!" This time, he was going to make that attack hit, come hell or high water. With a determined expression on his face, he crouched down and zipped straight for the Appletun.

Milo furrowed his brow. After a while, the flames would start to take its toll on it despite the resistance it had thanks to its typing and Thick Fat ability, especially with how fast and often the Scorbunny could strike. "We gotta douse those flames. Appletun, use Apple Acid on him!"

Nimble as Corey was, he was too close and coming in too fast to easily change course. The apple dragon opened his maw, spewing forth the acid and drenching Corey in the tart liquid. It didn't do much damage in and of itself, but it certainly was enough to quench the flames and send him flying back a bit. He wrinkled his nose at the strong, tart appley scent, glaring at the Appletun; the smug grin the Pokemon was wearing was certainly not helping.

"Focus Corey. Get up and use a Quick Attack!" The Scorbunny lept up onto his feet, immediately taking off and charging at his opponent. The few seconds that he didn't have to use to prep the Flame Charge made all of the difference in being able to connect the hit before Milo could even command his Appletun to dodge it.

Despite the blow landing, it created a wide open opportunity for Milo to exploit. "Alright Appletun, get that Scorbunny with a Grass Knot!" The apple dragon complied, a series of vines growing up from the stadium and snaking their way towards Corey.

"Corey, cover yourself with-" Haleigh was about to command Corey to cover himself in flames with another Flame Charge, but she was too slow to utter the words. The vines maneuvered themselves around the dashing Scorbunny, tripping him and causing to fall face first onto the ground.

"Get in a Rollout, Appletun." Again, the apple dragon curled himself into a ball, already charged up from his previous attempt. By the time Corey was trying to get up to his feet, the Pokemon was already consuming his vision, signaling the inevitable as he got rolled over

Haleigh winced as the Appletun charged straight into Corey, with audible gasps being able to be heard from the audience. She frantically called out to her Pokemon, "Getupgetupgetup!"

The Appletun remained rolling, his power growing ever stronger as he wheeled around to try and strike the Scorbunny a second time. A gleeful smile formed on the girl's face as she realized a way that she could turn the tides against the rolling attack; it was a move the fire bunny was practically born to do. "I hope you're ready to flex those football skills of yours mate. Give that damn apple a good kick in the arse while you're on fire!"

"Appletun, don't let up just yet! Keep rolling around and look for an opening."

Corey smirked. He wasn't about to let that happen. Fast as the Appletun was now, the several times Corey had done his Flame Charges left him in a position to be able to outmaneuver it. It was a risky move, but at this point Haleigh couldn't afford to be reticent.
Corey got started dashing towards Appletun, the two of them circling each other. In that department, however, the Scorbunny won out as his fancy footwork allowed him to bait the apple dragon with a feint, starting to dive forward to the Appletun's left, only to bail at the last possible second and let him whizz by.

Now behind his opponent, with not nearly enough time for Appletun to change trajectory, Corey charged forward with lightning speed and gave the Appletun a good solid kick. The crowd let out some cheers as the Appletun rocketed down the pitch like a football, the flames dying down as Corey took a moment to revel in his accomplishment.

She pumped up a fist in the air, exclaiming, "Score one for the Scorbunny!"

Milo couldn't help but laugh with the enthusiastic girl. "Punk rocker, cowgirl, footballer, is there anything you can't do?"

The reprieve from the heat of the battle was short-lived as Milo got his head back into the battle with another command. "Alright Appletun, stop your Rollout." The apple dragon skidded to a stop, awaiting his trainer's next commands. "Hit the Scorbunny with an Energy Ball. We'll see if he can lob this ball!" His Pokemon nodded, opening his mouth as a green ball-like mass of energy around it before shooting forward with alarming speed.

The purple haired trainer barked, "Oi, get out of the way and get your flames up!" However, the Scorbunny only had time to just barely dodge out of the way, the Energy Ball whizzing by with mere inches to spare. The rapid pace at which he had to dodge made him lose balance, falling over onto the ground.

Just as Haleigh was about to urge him to get up and continue the course with her Flame Charge strategy, Milo quickly spoke another set of moves to his Pokemon. "Keep him down with a Grass Knot, then Rollout over him!"

"Hurry Corey, get up and get some Embers on him and go in for a Quick Attack!"

The fire bunny quickly sprung up, lobbing the Embers with as much speed as he could muster, and started dashing forward, sans flames. Appletun, for his part, seemed to be expecting yet another form of a dashing attack but was caught off guard by the barrage of Embers. The time he spent dodging the Embers prevented him from getting out his Grass Knot, forcing him to skip forward to the Rollout.

"You know what to do mate! Flame Charge and kick 'im!" The Scorbunny grinned with delight. This was shaping up to be a downright fun match for Pokemon and trainer alike with all of the chances he was getting to use his footballing skills and for Haleigh to guide him. The Appletun was becoming more tricky to circle and pin down as he adapted more to Corey's techniques. However, the Pokemon was still no match for Corey's sheer speed and nimbleness, being able to feint and run the Pokemon in circles until eventually, Corey found his opening when the rolling Pokemon miscalculated where the Scorbunny was headed, heading straight for the charging Pokemon.

Corey dashed forward with a blur, giving Appletun a good solid kick and launching him clear across the field.

"Hell yeah!" She jumped up in the air, giving the other Pokemon a glance. He was starting to breathe a bit heavily, looking exhausted from being kicked around like an oversized football.

Milo took a deep breath. He knew Appletun wouldn't be much longer; however, the Rollout he had managed to get in versus Corey meant he stood a good chance of being able to change the battle back in his favor.
"Alright ol' pal, just hang in there a bit longer. Maintain your position and wait for my word."

Haleigh raised her eyebrow, wondering what he was playing at. "On your toes, mate! Stick him with another Flame Charge!"

He dashed forward, the Appletun a sitting duck while he could take a free hit. What a foolish-

"Now Appletun, Protect!"

"No, change course, Corey! Abort the attack!"

But it was too late. Corey was going full speed ahead towards him and no way of stopping or turning without spinning out spectacularly. He hit the other Pokemon's Protect, flying backwards and landing on his rear.

"Go in for the Rollout!"

"No no no, get out of th-"

Haleigh's cries were in vain as the Appletun came barreling forward with his Rollout. Corey managed to avoid a full on steamroll like last time, but the grazing blow with the speed and power the Appletun had racked up knocked him back even further and into the ground.

The Scorbunny grimaced, trying to sit back up and continue the fight. He was teetering on the edge of his health. He was almost done for. His opponent was an impenetrable wall that seemed to be able to keep going despite all of the hits he had to give him. Could he...really do this? Was he going to let her trainer down when she needed him most?

"C'mon Corey, you can't give up now! I know it's looking tough right now, but I believe in you!

She was right. Now was not the time to throw in the towel. He could only do that when his body wouldn't let him, and right now, he was still conscious. Gingerly, he helped himself up back on his own two feet, a serious and determined expression etched on his face.

"Now, just give me one more Flame Charge and give it EVERYTHING YOU GOT!"

"S-scor!" Everything he had. With a deep breath and searching the very depths of his soul for the last bit of inner strength, he ran forward, the flames once again covering his body. As he did so, however, the flames were temporarily blotted out with a blinding white light. Milo and Haleigh alike were taken aback as the figure emerging from the light was bigger and taller than the small Scorbunny, his fur black on the bottom and red on top.

"C-Corey?!"

"Ra-boot!" His new form, even more powerful and nimble than before, was just the edge Haleigh needed. Before Milo could even utter a command, Corey was already right in Appletun's face and kicking its leg up for a devastating blow.

The crowd watched in awe as the Appletun sailed clean across the pitch for a third time, finally coming to rest and attempting to get back up, only to collapse into a heap as he lost consciousness.

"Now that's what I like to call a hat-trick!" The remark earned herself considerable cheers,

"Well, I may be down a Pokemon, but I'm not out of it yet!" Milo reached into his belt for the second Pokeball. "Let's do this, Eldegoss!" The cotton bloom Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, its face immediately turning to visceral anger and disgust at the sight of a fire type.

"You know what to do, Flame Charge it full force!"

Corey's face oozed with confidence. The hard part was over with a pure grass type as his opponent. He sprinted forward as he got his flames up again, looking assured in a victory in his glorious new form.

"Counter him with a Leaf Tornado!"

Haleigh shouted to Corey, "Get out of th-"

The vortex of leaves, however, were too fast even for Corey to effectively dodge while he was charging up. Most of the leaves burned away harmlessly, but lasted long enough to blind and disorient the Raboot.

"Shake it off, Corey! C'mon, try it again."

"Use Hyper Voice, Eldegoss," Milo said to his Eldegoss, covering his ears. Unfortunately for Corey, it wasn't going to be as simple as being able to burn away a sound wave. He was going to act fast if he wanted to avoid the worst of the damage. He was just starting to stop and run back towards Haleigh when the roaring started hitting him at full blast, knocking him over from the force of the shockwaves and deafening his ears.

"COREY!"

The full extent of the damage he had taken for the duration for the battle caught up to him at once. Tried as he might to push through it, his body decided he could take no more. In the final moments before being down for the count, he could only see the Eldegoss' sadistic smirk and feel the crushing humiliation of going out like that in front of all the spectating fans and worst of all, in front of Haleigh.

Despite Haleigh's attempt to maintain her cool, having her partner knocked out just as victory was in sight was leaving her shaken up. She was far from out of it, but the Eldegoss was completely untouched and she had been so focused on counting on Corey to go through Milo's team she was struggling to come up with a good plan B. Orion would be the obvious choice had Haleigh not already known how little battle experience he had. Cornelius would be way too susceptible to the Cotton Spore technique that had nearly knocked down Simon's Joltik. Cerise was still uncharted waters. That left…

With her voice strained, Haleigh said, "Coraline, you're up." Haleigh got her Pokeball and tossed her out into the field.

Noticing the shift in demeanor, Milo asked, a note of concern in his voice, "You okay, Haleigh?"

Forcing a smirk on her face, Haleigh replied, "Of course I am! This show ain't over until I leave with a victory and a Grass Badge in my hand!"

"Well, that's certainly the spirit I like to see!" His face relaxed a little bit. "I can see you have a lot of passion, but don't get so caught up in victory that you lose yourself."

Something about those words nagged at Haleigh. Don't lose herself in the victory? All she could think of to be was to be a Pokemon trainer, and strive to be a great one at that. That was a part of herself. That was the whole point of embarking on her journey. Why else would she even be here if she weren't in it to win big?

And yet…

No, this wasn't the time to be doubting herself, not when she was on the verge of turning it all around and getting that sweet victory. "I appreciate the advice mate, but I got my own way of doin' things. Let's get back to the match at hand, yeah?"

Milo looked over at the girl, a note of curiosity in his expression at her response. He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead relented and went back to the battle at hand. "Alright then. Eldegoss, use Leaf Storm!"

As the Eldegoss started to prep its cascade of razor sharp leaves, Haleigh already had a counter at the ready. "Coraline, use Harden, sneak through the storm and give her an Astonish attack."

Her Corsola nodded, using the move to give her an extra layer of ghostly coral. She wasn't the most maneuverable of Pokemon, but with her newly toughened skin and some well timed weaving, Coraline avoided the worst of the damage and was within striking range for an Astonish attack. She went up to the Eldegoss, giving her a fearsome ghostly wail that knocked her back a bit and wiped the self-assured expression she had been wearing off her face.

"Get her away with a Leaf Tornado, Eldegoss."

Instead of following the command, the cotton bloom Pokemon stood in stunned silence, giving Haleigh an opportunity to strike. "Give her some Ancient Power, Coraline!"

The Corsola concentrated, a wave of ancient rocks rising up out of the ground and striking the grass Pokemon at full force.

"Awesome, you rock Coraline!" She shouted emphatically at her. "Let's keep it up!"

The Ancient Power attack got Eldegoss back to her senses, allowing for Milo to get back in it. "Alright Eldegoss, let's see if our ghost friend here would like a good dose of Cotton Spore!"

She obliged, with bits of cotton coming out of her and starting to fly over to Coraline. Though not the fastest of Pokemon, she was able to simply float away from a lot of the spores.

"Alright, let's go back in it with a classic Tackle!" It wasn't the most sophisticated of tactics, but for a quick and easy way of getting in a hit, it was a straightforward maneuver that struck the Eldegoss. With the direct contact, however, even more cotton spewed from her, this time directly showering the Corsola with the dreaded white fluffy bits of cotton, clinging in the little nooks of her branches. She stopped floating and started sinking to the ground, no longer able to float and move around.

Milo shouted, "Get 'em while they're down Eldegoss with a Leaf Tornado." The cotton Pokemon started to gather a billowing wind with razor sharp leaves. With no way of being able to move from her position, Coraline was forced to take the blow directly.

Haleigh shouted, "Argh, c'mon, shake 'em off!" Coraline continued to struggle underneath the mass of cotton, her trainer left at a loss for how to deal with this.

Tackle, Ancient Power, Spite, Astonish…

Harden?

A lightbulb goes up off in Haleigh's head. That's it! Haleigh couldn't help but chuckle out loud, her memory of a certain bug catcher filling her mind. He had all sorts of weird workarounds for his bug Pokemon - and Haleigh could hardly afford to be picky with her battle strats at this point.

"Coraline, this might sound crazy, but I want you to use as many Hardens as you can...and wait."

From under the pile of cotton, muffled sounds of protests able to be heard from the pile. She wanted her to...wait and take an attack?!

Haleigh replied, "I know mate, this ain't my first idea for how I wanted to do it, but trust me on this one."

Milo couldn't help but give Haleigh a curious glance. She was handing Milo a free opportunity to attack and seemed very well aware of it. With hesitation, Milo said, "Well...alright then. Eldegoss, get her with another Leaf Storm!"

Coraline used Harden as hard as she could, bracing herself for the incoming attack. Goddamn it, her trainer was crazy, she should have never allowed herself to be caught in that damn bakery, she-

The cascade of razor sharp leaves interrupted her thoughts, surprisingly not feeling all that much damage. Furthermore, Coraline was finally able to see, the pile of cotton melting away as she shed some of her "skin" and the bits of cotton that were stuck on it now fell away harmlessly on the floor.

"Now Coraline, use Astonish and blast her with an Ancient Power!" Neither Milo nor Eldegoss were expecting that Coraline would be freed from her fluffy prison, much less freed and with a wide open window of attack.

Now nimbler, Coraline rushed forward and let forward another ghostly wail, hitting the Eldegoss head on. She once again was startled into immobility, letting Coraline summon more prehistoric boulders and aiming it directly at her.

Unfortunately for Haleigh, the type matchup between the attack and its target meant that Eldegoss was still up and running - this time fuming mad at the ghost type Pokemon. This wannabe rock wasn't about to spoil that sweet rush she got from knocking down that oaf of a fire bunny.

Milo exclaimed, "It's really starting to come down to the wire here, isn't it? This is where the battles get really good."

Haleigh wanted to emphatically agree, but the super high stakes were getting to her. She felt that all of Galar was watching her every move, that one false move and that victory that she wanted would be snatched from her. Even worse, that they'd see her fail and prove them right.

She gritted her teeth, forcing those thoughts back down. In response to Milo, Haleigh said, "It's indeed pretty close, but a little tight competition ain't stopped me before. It makes all the much sweeter when I'm able to reclaim victory from the jaws of defeat!"

Milo replied, "Ho ho, don't be too cocky now, wait until you see what we have next for you. Eldegoss, use Synthesis and get Coraline with a Leaf Storm barrage!"

Haleigh internally balked as some of the damage that had been done to his Eldegoss was healing right before their very eyes as it enveloped itself in a green. Coraline also seemed just as unhappy with the move, but had little time to dwell on it before being confronted with razor sharp leaves coming her way without a good amount of her ghostly coral armor. Haleigh winced as the leaves hit Coraline head on, seeming to take noticeably more damage than the last few attacks.

"C'mon, shake it off! Get in another Astonish attack and scare the hell out of 'em!" Coraline, panting at the damage that she had taken, charged forward at her opponent, a determined gleam in her expression. However, the Eldegoss also seemed to be expecting Coraline going for another Astonish, with Milo exclaiming, "Hyper Voice that attack away!"

Eldegoss opened her mouth before unleashing a Hyper Voice. The sound waves passed harmlessly through Coraline, but disarmed the attack that Coraline was going for. He surely knew that the move would be unable to harm the ghost Pokemon, but he didn't need to to get her to back off and nullify the attack.

She called out to the gym leader, "So you wanna stall me out, do ya? You chose the wrong trainer and 'Mon for that mate, I got energy for days! Coraline, use the best Spite you got, pretend that damned Eldegoss ate all of your favorite sweets!"

Coraline's eyes lit up with fury at the mere suggestion that that stuck up cotton fluff nobody would dare steal her sweets, projecting that anger into the form of ghostly energy, striking into the Eldegoss, making her seem more tired on top of all the damage she had taken and encasing her in a dark aura.

"Let's give her some more Spite, Coraline! Channel all of your anger!" The Corsola smirked with delight, sending more ghostly energy her way that the Eldegoss was ill-equipped to deal with.

"E-Eldegoss, get out of the way of those Spite attacks, use Leaf Tornado!" Milo's expression was faltering a bit at the way Coraline was deciding to wear down his Pokemon. Between all of the times she had used the two moves and the Spites that Coraline was sending her way, the cotton Pokemon was starting to have trouble mustering the energy for the attacks. The Leaf Tornado that the Pokemon produced was weaker and slower, able to be evaded with ease and granting Coraline another golden opportunity.

Haleigh exclaimed, "Easy dodge, let's take the opportunity and get in another Astonish and Ancient Power combo!" Coraline nodded, diving in and shrieking at the Eldegoss and dealing some more damage. Then, Coraline concentrated and started summoning more ancient boulders. Too tired and worn out from all of the damage that the Eldegoss had suffered at the hands of all Coraline's attacks and Spites, the cotton Pokemon took the attack directly and crashed down to the pitch.

The purple haired trainer stared at her opponent, looking for any potential out, any potential trick that Milo might have up his sleeve to somehow keep the arduous battle drawn out any further. For those agonizing seconds, the Eldegoss did not stir. Haleigh's and Coraline's anticipation started turning into exhilaration and excitement as the situation started to sink in.

"The winner of this match is challenger 41, Haleigh Windsor!"

She...won. She won!

"HELL YEAH, WE DID IT WE DID IT WE DID IT!!!" Haleigh jumped up and down, shouting at the top of her lungs.

Despite the loss, Milo seemed just as happy as Haleigh was with her victory. "I'm glad you enjoyed the battle! You've got a lot of potential, Haleigh. I really mean that." His cheery look flashed with earnestness. "But you still need to hone your skills, focus that passion of yours. If you do that, you're sure to go far!"

He walked forward, a green badge in his hand. He took the badge and clasped it into Haleigh's hands.

Haleigh examined it up close. By Arceus, she actually did it. Sure, things were a bit dicey for a second there, but in the end, she had prevailed. She closed her hand around the metal object, feeling its weight in her palms and taking in Milo's parting words. She was going to go far, far beyond all the trials and tribulations that brought her up to that point. She was going to put herself beyond it all.

Haleigh acquired the Grass Badge.

Turnip · Feb 11, 2021

So Every Time I Write Psyduck I Feel Like It's Censored That's Kinda Weird Huh
Featuring Xan the human, Kass the Abra and Jerry the Psyduck

"That's fucked... the Flapple has Sucker Punch, and the Eldegoss has Pollen Puff? Bastard didn't even see me at the opening ceremony and still has coverage prepped. Are we fucked? We might be fucked."

Kass the Abra let out a thoughtful humming noise in response to their partner's words. It seemed like this first gym battle wasn't going to be pulling any punches for any of them. Xan the, uh, human, seemed a little more agitated than usual at their current prospects. With super-effective coverage moves and a naturally frail form owing to their species, it didn't seem like Kass could afford to take many hits if any. Jerry, the Psyduck - a pure Water-type, among other disadvantages - didn't seem a great candidate for taking on the Grass gym either. And yet, that was the three of them. No other partners in sight ready to step up and take on the challenge. Just the three of them.

"Pollen Puff as visual cover..." Xan continued their commentary. "Not the worst idea for us. Port from cover to cover is feasible... losing sight of the Eldegoss could be a death sentence, though. If you lose line of sight I'll have to try to keep you updated..."

Kass sent their partner some affirmative telepathic waves of understanding. The Abra was determined - together, they would defeat this Eldegoss! Regardless of their feelings, however, as yet another Pollen Puff came in, everything went dark.

"Uh, wh-? Oh, they split it into two parts. Let me just..."

Xan clicked the mouse with a lazy psychokinetic prod. They'd all just got to Turffield yesterday, and the human of the group was absolutely fucking knackered from such an extended period of walking so they'd all just gone straight to the hotel and stayed there a solid day. Instead of tackling the gym themselves, today's activity had become watching videos of other trainers' attempts through the combined magics of an ATC, free wi-fi and Xan's laptop. The Abra and the human both sat on the bed, watching the screen between them intently - the intention had been for Jerry to watch too, but the constantly shifting lights seemed to be disorienting him today and so the other two had deemed it more of an ordeal than could be justified. They weren't going to force him; instead, the Psyduck was left to his own devices. He sat below on the floor, gently chewing on the bed-sheets because he wanted to make sure that taste still happened.

"Evasive tactics are solid, but those tornadoes are pretty wide... physical or no, neither of you can take many of those..." A few videos passed, and Xan's confidence steadily dropped. Jerry was - well, Jerry put in the effort, that was for sure, but being so new Jerry hadn't really had much opportunity to come into his own or properly sync up with either trainer or fellow Pokémon. With only two Pokémon, Xan would be forced to throw Jerry in at the deep end, which seemed a little harsh - unless they expected Kass to blaze through both of Milo's Pokémon alone. Having been Xan's only partner for a considerable amount of time, Kass was by all means a force to be reckoned with - but the match-up and the setting of the gym battle didn't particularly lend itself well to the Abra's strengths. A few tactics came to mind, but most of them would surely be considered cheating by League rules. Although, speaking of...

"What the... that's... are there hundreds of them?" Xan watched in disbelief as Joltik after Joltik descended upon the hapless Eldegoss on the computer screen. "That's allowed?"

Kass was too busy laughing and cheering to supply any kind of answer. Jerry wasn't listening; he was gazing into the middle-distance, furious. He had just realised that he hated water.

"I... apparently that's allowed..." the human breathed. Kass was clapping merrily. "I don't know if I can even credit Simon for that one. That just kind of... happened."

The Abra threw out a telepathic suggestion that made Xan snort.

"You really think if I just yell out 'Kass, use Beat Up', an army of Abras are going to come out of the woodwork? I mean if push comes to shove I guess I'll try it, but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for them to arrive."

Images swirled in Xan's mind on Kass' insistence; the Abra armada descending from the stadium's top shifted into the horde of Joltiks they'd seen before.

"The same Joltiks? Don't know about you, it seems unlikely to me that they're all just hanging out up there waiting for any old trainer to shout the magic words so they can pile on Milo's Pokémon at a moment's notice. I figure they must have had some connection to Simon's partner there."

Kass seemed to push the idea, and it drew a chuckle out of the human.

"Is it, Kass?" Xan muttered sceptically, even as they relented and began typing 'use Beat Up' into their notes. "Is it worth a shot? If you had Double Team or something, maybe I'd entertain the idea-" (Xan opted to ignore that by taking note of it, they were technically entertaining the idea) "-as some kind of... I don't know, distraction. Or psychological warfare - not sure if that's rules-legal, actually. As it stands, I don't think it does much to solve this... well, solve anything. For both your sakes, I'd rather go in with more options than 'pray for benevolent Joltik militia'."

"Abrabrabrabra..." The Psychic Pokémon faux-grumbled. The videos continued, the notes grew. Appletun was the least immediately dangerous... slow, counter by staying mobile... tanky, liable to wear out Jerry or Kass alike... Flapple could be countered by maintaining distance, evading with teleportation... but a single slip up basically spelled a knockout for either of them... Eldegoss had high defence against special attacks... stay close to dissuade the explosive nature of Pollen Puff...? Synthesis could make them as tanky a foe as Appletun...

"You know, I- actually, let me check real quick." A thought occurred to Xan, and they opened a new tab to look up the rules for the Galarian Pokémon League. "We don't... have to take on Milo first, which should mean there's only as much of a time limit on Milo as there is for the rest of the league. As long as we don't spend forever backtracking, we could just head on forward to Hulbury and try to find some kind of solution on the way. Or just delay it until your raw power is that much greater."

Kass didn't seem too enamoured with the suggestion. They folded their arms and tilted their head.

"Granted, I haven't budgeted for too many taxis..." the human continued. They tilted their head back at their partner. "Not a fan of that, eh? Well... all right, I'm telling you honestly, here, in a League setting I don't think our chances are currently great. Ultimately, though, it's you and Jerry up there; if you two are both keen, I don't see what losing costs us other than a few petty inconveniences on my part." They leaned over to address the Psyduck below them. "What do you reckon, Jerry? Grass gym? Feel like taking on Eldegoss and one of the Applin duo?"

Jerry gazed up at the two with his signature blank, wide-eyed stare. The duck Pokémon was calmer now, having sorted out his differences with water. Considering that it made up most of his being and he required it to live, the fact that it occasionally redirected bright sunlight into his eyes was a very minor slight. As the Psyduck turned his unflinching gaze to Kass, the Abra put forward a determined clenched fist and piped psychic images of the three Grass Pokémon into Jerry's mind's eye. The duck's breathing hitched and his eyes grew wider still. He dropped his gaze and stared deeply into the carpet as the mental void took him. The future was a concerning maze- the tendrils of colour behind his eyes drilled into his brain and took hold- leaves were bad- cosmic deities were laughing, probably- dizziness took him- there were rotating circles of confusion where his eyes should be and sense was a curse- Tuesday was approaching- fights were not comforting and the rapid quick-fire assault of possibility and probability and impossibility alike and also the other one hit Jerry like a speeding train and all there was was fire and the opposite of fire and branching roots and roots that hurt and the ache of a tree that formed a world of-

Kass turned to Xan and shook their head.

"... Yeah," The human nodded. They leaned over to the bedside table, donned the helmet that rested there and picked up one of the little boxes beside it. With an awkward heave they slipped off of the bed to kneel, facing Jerry and levitating the small box in front of the Psyduck's face. "Oi, Jerry, focus. Focus here."

Slowly at first, then all at once, the Psyduck's attention turned to the levitating box. Xan moved it back and forth a little, just to be sure it had Jerry's attention, then brought both hands together to clap and let out a little psychokinetic wave with it. The momentary sensory assault startled Jerry, but calm and clarity followed as the Psyduck's focus was restored. Kass slipped down to pat the Water-type on the back, eliciting an appreciative quack as though nothing had been wrong in the first place.

"Right, all good," Xan announced, rising tiredly from their kneeling position. They flinched and let out a grumble, kneeling back down and grabbing their boots. "Guess we should get something to eat soon and maybe get some training done. We can see if there's any more footage by the time we get back, but I don't know how informative it'll really be. Entertaining still, hopefully."

Jerry's responsive quack was affirmative and Kass' outstretched hand was in a very thumbs-up-like position, with one of the digits raised in a very thumb-like and very up-like way. If you previously had any doubt over whether or not Abras have thumbs, seeing Kass' outstretched hand would probably definitely convince you that they did indeed have thumbs and that said thumbs could also be up.

"Where do you two feel like going?" The human asked of their two 'research partners'. Kass silently put a hand to their chin, but Jerry was a bit more vocal.

"Psyduck! Psy-iy," said the Psyduck. The Abra beside him nodded in agreement, telepathically relaying the Water-type's suggestion with such intensity that Xan paused for a moment in tying their shoelaces.

Jerry wanted a bean burger.

Foxrally · Feb 11, 2021

Snom

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Simon's Hotel Room

This was so stupid.

Snom laid on the bed on her side, staring at the peeling wallpaper of Simon's hotel room. It was nighttime, and the clock had just struck nine. The young trainer had left just a few hours prior to go to a 'dinner party' - probably with that fire-headed girl he liked to talk so much about, blegh. He'd rounded up all of the team just before leaving, giving them the whole speech about behaving themselves in his absence and taking care of each other, yadda yadda, and had also given them the important task of watching his belongings. In return, he would allow them to stay out of their Pokeballs.

Snom didn't initially care about the trainer leaving them alone for the first time - some personal space was much needed after being cooped up so close to the other bugs all day. What she hadn't anticipated though was that the burden of playing babysitter would fall on her.

Not long after Simon had left, Burmy had quickly rounded up Spewpa and that dainty Joltik, and the three had immediately snuck out on some nighttime escapade through the open window. It wasn't the first time that grey turd-worm and the oversized hairball had sneaked out like this, but bringing the new girl along meant Snom was once again stuck with her least favourite member of the team… Caterpie. The stinking thing was duller than a shuckle's claws and lazier than an overfed Kakuna. All he did was eat, sleep and repeat. She would have preferred if he'd taken the others' offer to join them and left her alone, but he'd instead chosen to stay back again and munch on the cinnamon bun rations Simon had given them. Snom had watched the green Pokemon immediately devour his own, and had been quick to pass him her bun just to keep him occupied - anything was better than a conversation with that imbecile. If she was lucky, Caterpie would just take care of the whole babysitting business and she'd just be able to relax and fall asleep.

Yet, once again, that idea had backfired. Soon after eating up the second cinnamon bun, Caterpie had sleepily approached her saying it was her turn to watch the egg - before promptly falling asleep on the spot.

And now there she was, forced to watch some stupid bag with some stupid egg while some stupid Caterpie dozed off beside her. Part of her wondered why she even bothered to care; was it her guilty conscience? Why did this stuff have to be watched anyway? It was all so frustrating. If only things were always as exhilarating and rewarding as the feeling of battle. Now that would be a dream life. The little Snom pictured swathes of dragon-types falling to her attacks, one by one succumbing to the overwhelming power of her ultimate ice crystal, only to reign as the ultimate warrior. Crowds of humans and Pokemon alike cheering her name…

Lost in her daydream, the Pokemon failed to notice a small tink sound coming from Simon's bag, which was also on the bed. Simon had left the zipper slightly open, exposing the contents inside and leaving the top half of his incubator sticking out. The device, which Simon had been careful to keep charged and secure, housed the red and white egg which was held in place by two arms inside the glass.

Another, louder tink jolted Snom out of her trance. Rolling back up straight, she glanced over at Caterpie to check if the sleeping bug had made the noise, before yet another sound directed her attention to the backpack. It sounded like a tap on plastic, or glass. The Pokemon approached the bag warily and stood on her hind legs to take a better look inside. Pokeballs, potions, strange rock, incubator... Nothing seemed out of order, maybe she'd-

A sudden shake of the egg in the device started the Snom as she fell backwards on the bed with a squeak. What was happening?! She quickly righted herself and tipped the bag over, stepping back as the contents spilled onto the bed and the incubator slowly rolled out. There was a brief silence… then the egg inside shook again, more violently this time. A small crack appeared on the side, which then grew into a larger, singular crack and then several more as the egg continued to shake.

Snom panicked as she desperately tried to shake Caterpie awake, not knowing what to do - but to no avail. She cursed herself for not learning wake-up slap, and watched as cracks continued to form around the egg and the incubator shook more violently. After a few more seconds… it stopped.

Then, suddenly, like a Pineco using explosion, the incubator burst open, sending the lid flying across the room as flames spewed from the container. Snom closed her eyes as more fire was released, blinding the poor ice-type, scorching the wall beside it and setting the bedsheet aflame.

After a few more moments, the fire had died down, and Snom dared to open her eyes. Through the smoke and the soot, she looked into the now-open incubator, only to find it… empty? Where had the egg-

A shrill cry from above her answered her question. Snom turned around and looked at the ceiling to find the source of the noise. A pair of blue eyes belonging to a small, fuzzy-headed creature stared back at her atop the room's ceiling fan. It had several red protrusions, almost like horns sticking out of it, and as it crawled a little closer Snom noticed a distinctive brown larval body shape. The thing looked like a cross between a Spewpa and a Grubbin gone wrong; it was unlike any Pokemon she'd seen before. How had it managed to get up there anyway? She frowned at the thought of this thing being a flying-type; if it wanted a fight, she'd give it one.

The ice-type let out a loud hiss in response to the cry. A warning cry to not mess with her, lest the strange flying thing regret it. In response, the brown and white Pokemon squeaked back excitedly, before hopping off of the fan and landing on the bed beside her, barely avoiding Caterpie as it did. Startled, Snom opened her mouth to hiss out another warning, but before she could respond, the new Pokemon skittered up to her and began rubbing its face affectionately against hers.

Snom immediately reeled back at the sudden movement, but in her shock dropped her ice crystal. The red-horned Pokemon continued to follow her movement, chirping softly as it contained to snuggle up to her body. Snom was beginning to panic, she'd let go of her crystal, and this thing was attacking her now that she was weakened! She could feel a warmth emanating from its body, slowly melting her ice spikes - some dastardly fire-type move no doubt. As she tried to shake it off one more time, her assailant seemed to get the message and it backed off a little, doing a little hop as if this was some sort of twisted game for it. Snom backed up herself and looked at her right side - her icy shell had been melted to half its size; this would take days to recover! Frustrated, she let out an angry cry at the warm Pokemon.

The screech seemed to shake the little Pokemon, and it immediately stopped hopping. Snom breathed a sigh of relief, but soon noticed something was happening with it… tears were beginning to well in its blue eyes as it began to tremble.

Oh no. Suddenly, Snom realized what this creature was. The egg, the size, the affection… this was literally a newborn. And she'd been the first thing it had seen.

The stress of surrogate motherhood would be the least of her concerns, however. Without warning, the baby Pokemon's sobbing and whimpering exploded into full-blown crying and wailing as flames spewed from all five of its horns at random, the tears somehow serving as fuel for more furniture to catch on fire. Snom began to panic again, as she hurriedly blasted powder snows on the bed and wardrobe to extinguish the flames, but not quickly enough. The baby continued to spray more fire everywhere, and now even the wooden ceiling was beginning to burn.

Snom gulped, if she didn't do something quick, Simon would have very little belongings to come back to later, and that would spell the end of her battling career. Taking a deep breath, the ice-type began making soft shushing noises and coos as she slowly approached the fire-spewing Pokemon. It was okay, she communicated, she wasn't angry, there was no need to cry. The fire and crying began to gradually decrease and the baby began to calm down, sniffling a little as it let out a little squeak. Snom squeaked back a reluctant apology; anything to make sure the creature wasn't going to start burning the room down again.

And thankfully, this was enough to calm it down. The little Pokemon tried its tears in its head fluff and snuggled up against Snom again, cooing happily. Snom resisted the urge to puke and back away and just allowed the baby to show its affection. After a few more agonizing moments the ice-type squeaked at it, and motioned towards the flames that were creeping up towards the ceiling and furniture. She reared back and began spitting more snow to put it out, but without her precious ice crystal, the extinguishing was taking far longer than the fire could spread.

Then, suddenly, she felt the familiar feeling of the crystal being placed on top of her back. She looked behind her and saw the little fire-starter holding the ice, squeaking happily as it realized it was helping. Snom felt a burst of ice energy flow through her as her blasts became larger and stronger, and she made quick work of the remaining flames, saving the hotel room from being burnt. Exhausted, the ice worm laid back down on all six legs and breathed a sigh of relief.

The baby Pokemon had no shortage of energy however, as it excitedly hopped off the bed and began exploring every corner of the room, sniffing the inside of Simon's bag and pulling out a scorched cinnamon bun to snack on it. After a little more observation Snom had noticed 'it' was a male, so she knew that much about the Pokemon so far. She watched the baby eat ravenously for a while before noticing the pokedex inside the bag had turned on and paired to the new Pokemon. She glanced at the screen.

New Capture!

Larvesta ♂
Flame Body
Flame Charge - Ember - String Shot - Morning Sun

She had no idea what the strange symbols on the device meant, only that the picture on the front match the horrid little creature in front of her. Hopefully Simon would return soon and keep him far away from her, and she wouldn't have to worry about-

As he finished half of his meal, Larvesta picked up the bun with his hands and dragged it towards Snom, offering the other half to her. Snom thought of telling him off again, but quickly stopped herself; she didn't want to start yet another fire incident. Instead, she quietly thanked the Pokemon and took a bite out of the meal, realizing the taste had actually improved from the sugar on it getting slightly burnt. Maybe this annoying little thing wasn't as bad as she thought.

Letting out a long, drawn-out yawn behind them, Caterpie slowly rose to its feet as he opened his eyes and looked around, and squeaked lazily as if to ask if he'd missed anything. Snom nearly threw the cinnamon bun right in his face.

Shak · Feb 12, 2021

-Ruben Sancho

​

Greener Grass

Two boys, no older than their early teens and both in Turffield Athletic shirts, kicked a ball around an expansive luxury garden. The short, mop headed friend ran past his spiky haired friend, making a point to not trample the flower patches as he neared the goal. Their third friend stood between the goal posts, his eyes narrowed and oversized goalkeeper gloves barely staying on his hands. The boy between the sticks, Shane, stood frozen in place as the ball flew past him in a flash and the mop headed scorer ran off in celebration. The spiky haired boy, shiny golden watch around his wrist, pointed at the impromptu goalkeeper, his tone full of spite and frustration.

"Shane, youre so ****! You could've saved that!" The despondent Shane could only lower his head and admit defeat at that. Shane's was clearly the most outdated of the Turffield shirts, wearing some outdated gaming company as its sponsor. Porygaming Genesis. Both his shirt and shorts were too small, covered in dirt and his boots even had a hole where his toes were poking through. He looked up at his spiky haired friend.

"Well Mac's won, so that means you're in goal Ryder. It's only fair, me and Mac haven't even played each other yet." Shane protested. It was obvious from Ryder's expression that he wasn't about to win this argument but he stood his ground regardless.

"That's because you're **** Shane. Me and Mac have to play a series because we trade wins. Besides...my house, my rules." Ryder shrugged, turning his back to Shane as Mac rejoined them.

"Sorry to say it but he's right Shane. It's too tight to call it off one game. Just stay in for a bit." Mac added with a shrug.

"Here, take a couple hundred poke and stop whining." Ryder scoffed as he tosses a pair of coins on the floor for Shane to scramble and pick up. With that, a deflated Shane was relegated to the goalkeeper position once again. He tossed the ball out. Mac was first to it. With sheer agility alone, the diminutive mop headed boy was able to take the ball around Ryder with ease. With all his might, so much so he tumbled to the ground from the force, he took a shot…

Shane just got a hand to it. At full stretch, the goalkeeper was able to get a hand to it and tip it...not just over the goal but over the fence behind the goal aswell.

"For ****s sake Shane! You're getting that!" Ryder bellowed. As he spoke, Mac was already scaling the fence to peer over the other side.

"Bloody hell. It's a massive hill. Ball could be anywhere." The mop haired boy groaned. It was a barren woodland, filled with what seemed a never ending valley of dead trees and struggling rivers.

"Didn't your dad say there's wild Pokemon over there?" Shane fretted as he peeked an eye through a small hole in the fence.

"Shane, that's my Paddy Wainwright signed football you've just lost. Do you know how much that's worth? Stop being a ***** and go get it so we can play."

"Who?" Mac scoffed. Though, Shane wasn't quite so dismissive. The boy was on his hands and knees sniffling with fear as he peaked through a hole in the fence to get a glimpse of what he was getting thrown into. Mac put a hand on Shane's shoulder. "Shane, you don't have to go. Ry, what's on the other side of this anyway?"

"Football field. Where Turffield Under-23s play when the gym challenge is on." Both Mac and Shane glanced up at that. Unlike their season ticket holding friend, neither boy had the chance to see Turffield very often. Sure it was only the under 23s but they were still Turffield players. Probably even future Turffield first team players. Both boys salivated at the thought, Mac especially. Shane climbed to his feet, ideas rushing through him.

"Maybe we can get your dad to take us there and get someone to-"

"I'll get it!" Mac announced, earning a smirk from Ryder.

"Know what, I'll be nice, get the ball back and I'll give you my Ruben Sancho Ultimate Team form card on Pro Evo. Guy isn't playing, it's not like the card's getting more valuable." Ryder scoffed, walking away from the garden and heading back to the house.

---

Shane glanced around. Every crunching leaf and snapping twig made him jump. CRACK. SNAP. SMOOSH. The boy was panting. His head jolting around, fearful of whatever might follow the sounds.

Mac on the other hand was bounding forward. The boy had found a big stick he was using to power through and tied his jacket to his head as a makeshift bandanna. Mac poked at Combee hives and jabbed at the floors of the rivers to disturb the wishiwashi that hurried through. He was struck with a wanderlust.

While he was riddled with the fear that a Galarian Meowth could run out of the brush and attack him at any moment, Shane couldn't help but think about that Ruben Sancho Ultimate Team card. Shane didn't even care about the stats or the eighty-two rated overall of the card. Just the idea of having access to a player like that in game. Ruben Sancho. It was the only thing keeping him going now. He couldn't even imagine owning something of that value. Fathoming being present for a Turffield game was beyond even that. Sure it was only the under-23s but it would be as close as Shane had ever been. All the boy could think of was the trouble they'd get into if they were caught. He looked up at his friend's back. Mac was the kind of kid that would have no hesitation about something like that. He'd surely find the ball first and be playing online with Ruben Sancho's card in no time. Shane had to do something.

"Mac...if we find the ball, could you let me have the card?" Shane asked, barely over a whisper. The demure boy closed his eyes and braced himself for, what was in his mind, the worst possible answer. It was the exact answer he got.

"No mate. If I find it, I'm taking it." Mac responded nonchalantly without so much as looking at Mac.

"But...I'll never complain about going in goal again." Shane pleaded but his pleas earned him little more than a scoff from Mac. "I'll play in goal all the time." Again, nothing. The boy kept pace with his mop headed friend, even overtaking him once he realised he was being completely ignored. Finally Mac relented with a sigh.

"Even if you had the card, you'd be too scared to play online anyway." He sighed, with a roll of the eyes.

Shane flinched at that. He ran in front of his friend and held out a hand.

"I'm better than you at Pro Evo!"

"Oh, here we go."

"I am! I beat you last time we played!"

"Shane, you picked Wyndon, I was Iki Town! And I was using their reserve pla…" Mac stopped himself, realising Shane was cowering before him even now. With a roll of his eyes, he dismissed the argument. "I'm not giving you the card, no. If you find the ball, it's y-" A harsh snarl stopped him in his tracks. He peeked over his shoulder, a large red pokemon bared its teeth at him. Mac was no pokemon expert, but Theivul were common pests in Turffield. This one seemed particularly bigger than the ones he'd seen in the past. "RUN!"

Both boys bolted into the woods. Neither looked back. Just peering over their shoulders would give the big bad pokemon the split second it needed to pounce. Trees waved above their heads as their screams were carried through the leaves.

Their little legs carried them far and fast as they could before they stopped. The boys were panting and keeling over out of fear and fatigue, leaning against a gate to catch their breath. As Mac gained his bearings, he peered over the gate. It was a field. A modest gathering of people stood just off the football pitch in the centre. Mac's jaw fell

"Shane, Shane, we're at the Turffield game." He dragged his friend to his feet so they could share the excitement. A groggy Shane's eyes widened as he laid eyes on the holy grail. He was really about to see a professional football match. He wouldn't know any of the players, but who cared? These guys were on the brink of playing in the Galarian First Division. This was almost as good as it got.

The boys were just in time to watch the players walk out. As they suspected, no faces stood out to them but the sheer presence of these footballers was incredible. They were barely a hundred yards away. Player by player, the two young boys tapped each other and pointed out the Turffield and Wedgehurst logos the players were wearing. The excitement soon faded...the buzz left them...they were shocked. The final player to walk out for Wedgehurst was one they recognised. One they knew all too well. Ruben ****ing Sancho.

Neither boy could even find the words.

The duo exchanged looks, hardly being able to believe their eyes. The footballer they'd seen on TV, on posters, on their video games, on MewTube compilation videos that had more views than they could hope to count in a single day. Ruben Sancho was right in front of them. He walked so lazily, with effortless swagger. It was easy to see why. He had an aura beyond anything anyone else in the vicinity could hope to replicate. Mac grabbed Shane by the shoulders.

"We have to go in." He said with a gasp. As he turned to climb the gate, Shane grabbed him.

"We can't go over. We'll get in trouble. We could get kicked out!"

"Shane, how many more chances are you gonna get to meet Ruben Sancho? C'mon." As Mac made his case, the back and forth between the boys rattled the gate behind them. They looked up and there was their pursuer. The Theivul had tracked them all this way. It seemed very settled on making prey of them. Once it readied itself to pounce, it was knocked aside by a the assured Fury Attack of a Rookidee. The Tiny Bird stood resolute as it waited for the Theivul to act again. Before it could, a surging flurry of Magical Leaf ravaged the fox pokemon. A Bounsweet stood on the other side of the gate, behind her...him. Ruben Sancho. The boys were speechless. The Theivul stood its ground.

The boys recognised the platinum haired girl that Sancho looked back to. They'd seen the picture, the videos. They didn't care much but it was just another layer to the story. They watched as she rolled her eyes while he took a bold heroic pose. He graciously offered her and her Pikachu centre stage but she refused. Even the game was completely held up for Ruben Sancho to save them. They couldn't believe it.

The fox pokemon attacked again, but Ruben's pokemon were quick to react. The Bounsweet fired a razor lead to intercept its path, while the Rookidee thrashed at it with a rush of arrogant shadowy energy.

After another assault, the pokemon tucked tail and ran. The boys breathed a sigh of relief but quickly recalled that breath when they were approached by the iconic figure. They were in trouble. Shane was right. Ruben lowered himself to meet them at eye level.

"Plenty more space on this side of the gate boys. A lot safer too." Ruben said with a smirk, offering a boost to Mac. With the help of their hero, the two boys stumbled onto the field, their jaws still hanging from the weight of the awe they carried. They had no idea how long they'd been gone for, but neither of them cared much to check. This was exactly where they wanted to be.

The game began. Turffield kicked off and were quick to keep the ball as far from Ruben Sancho as possible. Ruben barely seemed to move. The boys watched him closely. He strolled around the pitch as his teammates pressed after the ball. Naturally, their eyes drifted toward that ankle. Besides the pictures of him at the festive market, him in the mall and of course the Galarian League Challenge ceremony, their recent memory of that ankle was always with a cast around it. The footballer seemed completely unbothered by it. As his teammates won the ball back and it fell to his feet, Ruben broke into a lazy jog. With a drop of the shoulder, he effortlessly took it around the first defender who came to stop him. A single pass was all it took for the Ruben Sancho to split the Turffield defence in two. A Wedgehurst striker got on the end of it and played his shot...but the goalkeeper just trickled it wide.

Ruben stood over the corner, ready to whip the ball into the box.

"What's a bloody six foot tall striker doing over a corner? If that was one of ours, we'd have him in the box. Bunch of jokers." One of the older Turffield fans scoffed, earning him glare from the girl that was behind Ruben earlier. Shane flinched, while Mac snickered at the stammering that followed.

Ruben played the corner, the ball catching the head of one of his teammates, who knocked it just wide of the post.

Everything seemed to go through Ruben Sancho. He barely seemed to touch the ball. He wasn't going on mazy dribbles with it at his feet or running in behind the defence but when it fell to him the game seemed to come alive. Every pass he made was inch perfect, every touch he made had the ball sticking to his feet like glue. Every time he got the ball in the opposition third, he was laying something on a plate for his teammates. One would have to assume if he had better teammates, they'd be four or five up by now. The Turffield players couldn't get near him and for a moment, Mac and Shane forgot they were Turffield fans. The boys in green were exhausted by the thirty minute mark from chasing the game, while the White and Green Away shirts of Wedgehurst were comfortable in possession while they had Ruben Sancho as an option.

Again, with the same nonchalance that he'd done everything else, Ruben struck the ball toward goal from practically the halfway line. It soared over the roof of the goal, not even threatening to make the goalkeeper flinch.

Shane closed his eyes and covered his ears. The idea of Ruben getting any justified criticism too much to bear. The only thing he could hear was more snickering from Mac. He opened his eyes again. Ruben was on the pitch, smiling? Despite the mock cheers from the Turffield fans, Ruben was bantering back. Pinching his fingers together and mouthing "this close". Shane watched in amazement as the footballer laughed it off despite the heckling he was getting. It definitely wasn't that close. Shane looked at Mac, who just laughed back to him. Shane had to smile too.

On the break of half-time, the ball fell to Ruben again but he made no mistake. Just outside the box, he struck the curve of the ball and watched as it flew into the top corner of the goal. The players around him leapt over him to celebrate but the Wedgehurst first team striker barely even smiled.

The second and third followed shortly after half time, both goals assisted by Ruben himself. Turffield even got a couple of goal back, which earned exasperated cheers from the Turffield fans who were fed up of watching their team get bullied by the significantly more imposing Ruben Sancho. He'd even calmed his team down after they lost their heads in conceding the goal and once again despite only being one goal ahead at three two, Wedgehurst were in complete control. This was truly Ruben Sancho's game.

"****!" Mac blurted out. "We've still gotta get Ryder's ball." He looked to Shane but his friend didn't seem to care. He was lost in the game. That brought a smile out of Mac. He dismissed the notion completely and watched as the ball fell to Ruben on the halfway line. The position was near identical to the attempt he skied earlier.

Ruben looked at Pia before he struck the ball. He turned his back to it confidently as it soared past the diving goalkeeper and into the top corner. It was the perfect performance.

Mac and Shane watched in awe as the players left the pitch. Everybody wanted to at least talk to Ruben Sancho and it was easy to see why. Every player congratulated him for a fantastic game and even the Turffield fans gave him an…well they were already standing, but an ovation as he left the pitch. Mac looked at Shane and sighed. "Let's get back to Ryder's. If his dad knows we've been back here he'll lose his head."

"Wait…" Shane mused, barely even present as he spoke. He ran past the applauding crowd and approached Ruben, who was deep in conversation with the Platinum haired girl. Shane stopped a few feet away from him and watched him with steely eyes. "Thank you for saving us." Shane nodded with all the resolve in the world.

Ruben raised a brow. How was he even supposed to deal with this? There were plenty of people here who wanted to speak to him one to one just like this kid and if he gave every chancer the attention…

"Ruben!" A voice called out from behind him. "No autographs!" It was the under-23s Wedgehurst coach. The call earned a nod of acceptance from Ruben. The footballer looked to Shane and gave him a smirk. As the coach turned the corner, Ruben quickly flicked one of the balls out of the bag, signed it and passed it to Pia, gesturing toward Shane and Mac as he caught up to the rest of his team.

The trip back was far more peaceful than the journey there. The two boys found themselves back in Ryder's garden in no time at all, with both balls in hand. The rich boy came barrelling out of his house as he saw them, all the suspicion in the world in his tone as he spoke.

"Where have you two been? I had to tell my dad you were eating dinner at your own house. Now he's calling my mum to see if his pasta bake is really that bad." He stopped, noticing the ball in Shane's hand, particularly the 'R.SANCHO' insignia scribbled onto it. "How much?" He asked without hesitation, to the surprise of both boys. "I'll give you the Sancho card and however much you want."

"You could've came with us. And I found your ball, so the card's mine."

"Shane." Ryder spat, caring little for anything else Mac had to say.

"Sorry Ryder. It's not for sale." Shane said as he looked over the ball with a smile.

Turffield​

Sonata · Feb 13, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 5

CHAPTER 6.6 - PLANNING AND CHALLENGE

Rosa sighed as she pulled her sweater over her head. Her bag sat open on the bench, with all of her Pokemon contained within it. Despite the anxiety that she was feeling about her first gym challenge, Zorro and Dahlia had managed to stay asleep the entirety of the morning.

She'd put off training for the challenge for the most part, focusing almost solely on how she'd perform in her first contest. Her placement was still eating away at her in the back of her mind, but what's done was done.

"Just look forward." She whispered, taking a seat as she pulled off her boots. She glanced over at the gym uniform that sat next to her and picked up the shorts, running her finger over the emblazoned 242 on the hem of the skirt portion. "But what am I supposed to do?"

She tossed the shorts back over onto the pile and clasped her hands together before looking up at the screen above her. Someone was currently challenging Milo, but her turn would be soon to follow. She had an idea of what she wanted to do, but there was nothing truly concrete that she could fully believe in. She'd watched a number of other matches in between practicing her dance routine, so she knew some of what was to be expected.

Eldegoss, and a Dragon. Which dragon didn't really matter, it just ensured that she'd be taking Yzma with her. Having a type advantage over anything that the leader chose to attack with would definitely be handy, and Yzma was now one of her most experienced Pokemon. It only made sense… which meant that she'd have to bring Wyatt with her as well. She couldn't recall anyone going into this first gym without calling on their starter - probably some type of unspoken taboo that she wasn't aware of. If not for that, she'd probably try to make use of Dahlia's speed and size to play tag with whatever dragon he chose and have Yzma on cleanup.

She pulled out her dex, glossing over the moves that both of her Pokemon knew. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but recall what the miners had said about both her Snorunt, and the stone that she'd been given in the Wild Area. She pulled the stone and the ball from her open bag, staring at the two for several seconds. She'd tried so many times to get the stone to activate, or to get Yzma to accept it… or however that worked. The miners hadn't exactly been helpful with explaining the process to her, and it wasn't like she had any prior experience to base the success of it off of.

"One more time." She whispered, tapping the center of the ball and releasing Yzma onto the tile floor of the changing room.

"Runt?" The Pokemon replied, turning quickly to look around herself.

"Here," Rosa held out the rock towards the Snorunt, hoping for some kind of miracle to happen.

"Runt?" The Pokemon questioned, taking hold of the stone. Yzma looked it over for a few seconds and then pulled it into her chest, wrapping her arms around it as much as she could before closing her eyes with a sigh. "Runt."

Rosa watched patiently, her eyes scanning both the Pokemon and the stone as she looked for any kind of reaction she may have missed before. Several minutes passed by in this way, with nothing to show for it. The girl sighed, defeated.

"Here," she whispered, holding her hand back out towards Yzma before beckoning towards her. "It's not gonna happen today, I guess. Maybe it is just a rock, after all."

Yzma looked up at Rosa, and then back at the stone. The Pokemon reluctantly placed the stone back in the girl's hand and then looked up at her quizzically, unsure of what to make of the last few minutes. "R-runt?"

Rosa shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong," she muttered, staring at the stone in the palm of her hand before placing it back in the bag. "I guess it's just not time yet."

Yzma sighed, waddling over to where her trainer was sitting and then motioned for the girl to lift her up. "Runt."

Rosa smiled and nodded, "Yeah, of course." She reached down, placing both hands under the Pokemon's arms before lifting her up. She set Yzma on the bench next to her, letting the Pokemon continue to stare at the stone which had been placed back in the bag. "It's nearly time, though. I'm sorry we couldn't get it to work this time."

Yzma glanced up at her trainer, watching as she slipped out of the dress she always wore beneath the sweater and then began to dress herself in the gym outfit. "Runt…"

"Don't worry, I know you'll do great regardless." Rosa smiled and reached out, rubbing her hand gently over the Pokemon's peak. "There's plenty of time left to figure it out." She smiled, but the corners of her mouth twitched as she forced it out. She hoped there'd be plenty of time to figure it out. The promise she'd made to Simon back before the journey started lingered always in the back of her mind. She turned away from the Pokemon, slipping the battle hoodie over her head as she bit her lip.

"Don't be sad… even if our journey ends… being sad accomplishes nothing."

The girl looked up at the screen as she put her sandals on, watching as the current challenger celebrated their victory over Milo.

"I can't get lost in the uncertainty of what-ifs… what matters is now. And for now, I know we're more than strong enough to win." Rosa looked over at Yzma, a genuine smile on her face as she picked up the Pokemon's ball. "Let's do this, yeah?"

"Next up, we have challenger 242, Rosa Valdes!" A voice boomed out above her as she waited, patient yet anxious for her challenge to begin. "Challenger 242, are you ready?"

"Y-yes!" She replied back hoarsely.

"Then you may start in 3…2...1...Begin!"

Rosa released Wyatt and Yzma as soon as the buzzer blared. She couldn't see all of the Wooloo that she was supposed to be herding, but she had a plan regardless.

"Wyatt, use Echoed Voice to scare them out of hiding!"

"Lou! Dred!" The Pokemon stomped forward and inhaled deeply before directing a massive cry in the direction of the stadium. His voice echoed off of the walls and bounced back, doing exactly what Rosa had hoped it would accomplish.

The Wooloo frantically began to huddle together in groups of two or three for safety, but for the most part, they were still relatively well spread out. Rosa smiled and nodded, hopping out onto the challenge area with Yzma at her side.

"Just like we practiced," she whispered to Yzma, who crept up slowly behind one of the herds and proceeded to use Double team, surrounding the Pokemon's escape route before forming a wall of Icy Wind that ushered the Wooloo towards the goal. "Good, now we just have to do that four… five more times, and we'll be done. Easy-peasy."

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, dispersing the doubles before creeping up behind another small group of the Pokemon. "Ruuuunt!" She cried out, reforming the copies as she created the wall of wintry wind.

"Hey, get back here!" Rosa called out, catching sight of a Wooloo from the corner of her eye that was attempting to get behind them.

"Loooou!" Wyatt stomped quickly over to cut the Pokemon off and then Howled angrily towards it, scaring the Pokemon off back in the direction that it had come.

"Woo!" The Wooloo cried, not even glancing behind it as it pranced off to rejoin the group it had broken off from in its attempted escape.

"How much time is left," Rosa whispered to herself as she rushed out to scare off some Wooloo herself, growing more concerned with the notion of leaving everything to her Pokemon. She glanced around, seeing that Wyatt was doing well enough to catch any stragglers back up to their herd on his own. The strategy she'd thought up for Yzma was one that she'd come across while practicing for the contest. It wasn't meant to be damaging, so it wouldn't have been useful in an actual battle. But for this challenge in particular, it would prove to be quite the useful combo.

"Challenger 242, please be advised that 5 minutes remain! Again, this is your 5 minute warning!"

Five minutes! She should have been helping to herd from the start, but that also would have run the risk of scaring the Wooloo off with her presence and allowing them to get behind her. She was fine with losing some time at the start if it meant that she didn't have to waste time chasing one or two Wooloo all around the field. But still… Five minutes! They'd nearly finished, and Wyatt was able to drop a bit further back now that a couple of the groups had already been herded off the designated area.

But that didn't mean that something still couldn't go wrong. Especially towards the end now, as they herded the Pokemon into a bottleneck in the area and the last few began to break free of their groupings in an attempt to escape on their own.

"Ah-ah, ey, no!" Rosa called out, sidestepping a few times to stand in the way of one of the Pokemon which had tried to get around. "Gon' get!" She called out at the Pokemon, waving her hands at it frantically. But the Wooloo didn't seem to care much, given that she wasn't much of an intimidating presence.

"Woo!" The Pokemon cried out as it walked quickly around her and escaped back towards the starting line.

"Crap," she whispered, looking at how many were left to herd out. How much time did she waste dancing with that one Pokemon? And now they had to go back to the start and-

"3 minutes remaining!"

"Ah!" She quickly jogged up behind Yzma and patted her on the back. "Come on, we've got to hurry up here. One of them got away."

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied quickly, pushing the doubles forward a little quicker as they herded out the last two that were grouped together. "Runt!" She cried out again as she waddled over and looked down the run towards the last Wooloo.

Rosa picked Yzma up, taking aim herself at the Pokemon at the far end. "Yzma, use Ice Shard."

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, forming the chunk between her hands as she took aim herself. "Rrrrrunt!" She launched the frosty chunk back towards the start, crashing into the ground just short of the Wooloo.

"Woooo!" The Pokemon cried out, as it ran back and forth around the starting line, before eventually racing up the side of the marked off area as another chunk of ice landed just behind it.

Wyatt stomped over intimidatingly towards the Wooloo, before letting out a massive Howl at it which prompted the Pokemon to let out another cry and hurry up towards the exit as it tried to escape the Loudred that was screaming and stomping just behind it.

"And that's ten!" Rosa called out with a sigh as she made her way towards the holding pen for the Wooloo.

"Congratulations number 242! With 1 minute and 37 seconds remaining, your mission is a success!" The crowd burst out into a mixture of surprise and cheers.

Rosa laughed lightly as she turned to face the two Pokemon which had helped her through the challenge. "Thanks, you two. I made the right choice in bringing you both here. Now… for the real challenge," she muttered, turning back towards the exit to the stadium. "Let's go get that badge."

Rosa's Party

Memories

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

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

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

Jasper

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

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

Charles the Biker

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

Nat the Ranger

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

Budew Girl

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

Achille Béringer

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

Melody Argent

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

The Family // Damien(?)

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

Buggy Simon

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

Valerie

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

Aeliana Kekoa

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

Pia McGuire

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

Haleigh Windsor

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

Mother Priscilla

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

Ruben Sancho

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

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Stinging Bea · Feb 13, 2021

Aeliana Kekoa

Turffield

Chapter 6-3 | Gym Debut

Aeliana's Current Party:

Aeliana glances in the mirror, taking the time to run her fingers through her hair as she awaits the gym attendant that would be coming for her when it is time for her to undertake the mission of the Turffield gym. From one debut to the next, the pinkette feels like she has hardly had a moment to let the Butterfree in her stomach finally loose and relax. Once she's satisfied with her hair, the Alolan looks over at the bench where her trainer's bag and normal clothes are waiting. She spots a slightly less bouncy than usual Tampa and Mahina both waiting and watching her. Tampa lays across the bench on her belly, her tail slowly swishing in the air back and forth.

"Aw, come on you two… Buck up," the trainer says as she takes a seat beside her two Pokémon. "I mean, I would've liked to come in first, sure… But coming in third is a pretty decent way to make an entrance too!"

A small realization rushes through the trainer. She quickly realizes that she has yet to properly congratulate the winner, what with the constant coming and going. She should still have a few minutes, so Aeliana figures now would be as good a time as any to offer her congratulations to her trainer friend from Spikemuth. The pink-haired trainer reaches into her bag and pulls out her Pokégear, quickly firing up the DiZcord app. It's a good thing they exchanged user names after their impromptu run-in back on Route 4. Scrolling through the names online her friends list, the dancer smiles as she spots Melody's screen name, SilverSong#7182, taking note of the green dot to signify her being online as well.

BoogieBuneary Today at 3:57 PM
Hey! Congratz on winning! U were amazing! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

SilverSong Today at 3:59 PM
Thanks.
It was… way more fun than I thought it would be.
Your gang did great too! It was a really sweet performance. [Edited]

BoogieBuneary Today at 3:59 PM
Thnx!(⌒_⌒;)
Next time, i'll do a better dance or something!( ･ัω･ั; )
r u busy later?

SilverSong Today at 4:00 PM
You got this!
Only if something spontaneously blows up or catches on fire. If not. Totally free.

BoogieBuneary Today at 4:01 PM
We need to party up! Meet up later and hit up for some drinks or something? Maybe Val can come too! ୧⍢⃝୨

SilverSong today at 4:02 PM
HMU with a time and place!

BoogieBuneary Today at 4:02 PM
i got u! <3

The door to the locker room swings open, a female league attendant stepping inside as it does so. She's wearing the traditional employer uniform, with her dirty blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail through the back of her hat. She offers Aeliana a smile, checking a clipboard in her hand before speaking.

"Let's see… #13, Aeliana Kekoa?" she inquires.

Aeliana smiles and nods, placing her phone back into her bag. "That's me!"

"Great! Right this way, then!"

The roar of the crowds echoes out through the stadium, sending a rush of excitement through the pink-haired trainer and her Pokémon. Tampa stares on in wide-eyed excitement. She can feel her body shudder in anticipation. She glances up at Aeliana with a broad grin. Mahina seems to recoil at the shouts and cheers. There are even more people here than in the contest hall where her trainer was singing. She really didn't understand why these humans liked to cluster together like this.

"Alright folks! We're moving right along with the challenge here in Turffield! Making her long awaited debut, let's all give a warm welcome to #13! Aeliana Kekoa, come on down!" a booming voice cries out through the stadium.

The energy of the crowd becomes electrifying at this point. Aeliana beams as she steps out into the arena, waving an arm wildly over her head while keeping the other wrapped around Mahina. Tampa follows her trainer's lead, going as far as to do a small dance for the crowd before balancing on her tail.

"Now then, we'll once again explain the rules, just in case our current challenger hasn't been in the loop up until this point!" the announcer resumes. "The contestant has ten minutes to wrangle up these ten Wooloo and herd them into the center of the field! There's no limit on the number of Pokémon she can use, and any kind of strategy is allowed! That said, there's one rule to keep in mind! Making any of these Wooloo faint is an automatic disqualification, so be on guard!"

"Wooloo herding, huh…?" Aeliana muses to Mahina and Tampa. The pinkette frowns. She has yet to ever try anything like this. There were a few farms out there in Alola, but she and her family had only ever visited them. She had handled a Mudbray or two back in the day, but never anything to this extent. She glances down at Tampa, taking notice of the sharp, pointy teeth jutting out from the gator's mouth. She sighs and offers a weak smile. "Well, we got this. No problem!"

"Alright then! If the contestant is ready… three… two… one… go!"

"Tampa, you're on! Show them those chompers and chase 'em to the center!" Aeliana called out.

Tampa gurgled with glee and quickly waddled out onto the field. The Wooloo were all clustered together, munching on the grassy knolls that stretched out. They almost seem to be oblivious to the roars of the crowd and the cheering as well, something that Aeliana believes easily given how often they probably have to deal with this kind of situation. The blue gator waves at the Wooloo as she approaches, chomping down on her air with her teeth as if trying to use them as some sort of intimidation tactic. The Wooloo seem unimpressed however, most of them not even offering the Totodile a second look as they resume their grazing. Tampa tilts her head in confusion, before glancing back at her trainer curiously.

"Huh… Maybe they just need their attention to be grabbed first…" Aeliana thinks aloud. "Alright, Tampa! Give them a quick Water Gun!"

Tampa nods in agreement. She hops back onto her tail, jaws snapping open as she unleashes a quick spray of water into the herd of Wooloo. The sheep Pokémon mewl in surprise as they are doused, but one in particular seems to let out a very loud and very angry grunt. Tampa leans forward. Her eyes widening as one of the Wooloo suddenly comes charging out from the crowd with a hate-filled glare.

"Well, well! Looks like #13 is stuck dealing with the black sheep of the family, and I mean that literally!" the announcer's voice booms. "A shiny Wooloo, commonly known to the locals here as Obsidian, has been wrangled into this herd! He's known as the big bad that takes no guff from no one! Let's see how our challenger will handle this!"

"What is it with these people and shiny Pokémon…? First Rory and that Zubat and now a Wooloo…?" Aeliana questions. "Well, whatever… A Wooloo is a Wooloo! You've got this Tampa! Just use a little force to show it who's boss! Aqua Jet!"

Tampa falls back from her tail and comes to stand on her feet. She takes aim at Obsidian, before launching herself forward with a blast of water. Tampa slams her body into the black Wooloo's, causing it to stagger back from the force of the blow. If the Wooloo was angry before, then it was raging at this point. The sheep Pokémon reared up onto its back legs, letting out a bellowing bleat in the process. The rest of the Wooloo seemed to suddenly snap to attention. All of the fluffy Pokémon suddenly begin to charge at the Totodile, all of them bleating just as angrily as Obsidian. Tampa's eyes go wide before she suddenly finds herself on the backfoot. The Wooloo chase the poor gator in circles, all the while the black Wooloo seems to take on some sort of pleasure from this misfortune. The crowd seems to find it just as comical, as Aeliana is quick to pick out several people laughing from amidst the cheers and cries.

"It looks like the challenger's Totodile is in a pit of a pinch! How will the challenger overcome this? Seven minutes left, folks!" the announcer calls out.

"Okay, seven minutes… keep calm…" Aeliana mutters. If Tampa's methods weren't any good, maybe something that could be used for actual herding would be more effective. Lavender eyes light up as an idea comes to mind. "Alright, Elia! You're up!"

Aeliana tosses a poké ball forward, unleashing her Eevee out onto the field. Elia looks around, a bored expression gracing her features as she takes in the sight of Tampa running from the herd of Wooloo. She wants to say she's surprised, but this Totodile appears to always be up to some sort of clown act. Looking away from Tampa's current struggle, Elia instead comes to face the black Wooloo. She is quick to deduce that this one in particular must be some sort of leader, not on her level mind you, but a leader just the same. The Eevee walks towards Obsidian, looking down on the black Pokémon despite the obvious size difference between the two.

"Elia, give it a bite! Show it who's in charge!" Aeliana calls out.

The Eevee leaped forward, snapping her teeth onto the shiny Wooloo's braid. The Wooloo immediately bleated out in annoyance, thrashing his head about. It only takes a few seconds before Elia is suddenly sent flying. She lands roughly in the dirt, only to be hit with a follow-up in the form of a Headbutt. Satisfied with his work, the black Wooloo let out a demanding bleat before making his way towards a nearby bale of hay. The Wooloo who had been chasing Tampa around seemingly all come to a stop, moving to join their leader as they resume their grazing once more.

"Just four minutes left! We're coming down to the wire, folks!" the announcer calls out.

"Damn… what the hell is with that Wooloo…" Aeliana curses.

Tampa and Elia both make their way back to the trainer as she stares at the sheep Pokémon. She needs to figure out a way to do this. Force wasn't going to work with this situation, at least not if she didn't want that shiny Wooloo to faint. As she thinks, the pinkette begins to tap her foot to the rather catchy beat of the music playing over the sound system of the stadium. Tampa seems to be unable to resist the beat as well. The Totodile begins to hop back and forth on her feet, entertaining herself with a dance as she waits on her trainer's command.

Just then a curious bleat reaches their ears. The trainer and her Pokémon turn to see Obsidian watching Tampa intently. He seems almost captivated by her movements, even rocking back and forth as if trying to match Tampa's movements. A knowing smile came to the trainer's face.

"I think I've got this solved! We just need a little assistance…" Aeliana declared with a grin. Taking another poké ball, the pinkette unleashed another member of her team. "Let's go, Clara!"

The Ralts cried out as she stepped onto the stadium. Her eyes went wide as she noticed the vast crowd staring down at her, causing her to try and shuffle behind Elia. The Eevee merely rolled her eyes at the sight.

"Alright, Clara… I need you to use Hypnosis on the black Wooloo," Aeliana ordered. She then turned to Tampa. "Tampa, go with her. You're gonna use Dragon Dance… Dragon Dance… And did I mention Dragon Dance? You're gonna lead them into the center with it!"

Tampa nodded and led Clara by the hand towards the Wooloo. The Ralts was blushing profusely with every step, but eventually the duo came to the herd. Obsidian stared down at the Totodile and the Ralts, unimpressed with the fact that this trainer and her team clearly still hadn't learned their lesson. Tampa offered Clara a reassuring nod and the duo went to work.

Clara stared up at the shiny Wooloo, her eyes glowing eerily as she stared deeply into his soul. Obsidian couldn't bring himself to look away from the Ralts, and soon began to sway back and forth as he fell under the Pokémon's power through her Hypnosis attack. That was when Tampa went to work. The blue gator began to thrust her hips and arms back and forth. She spun around with glee, before hopping onto her tail and bouncing up and down. Obsidian began to follow Tampa's movements, his head nodding and moving from left to right with the beat. Tampa motioned for the Wooloo to follow and began to jive her way forward. A commanding bleat escaped from the Wooloo's mouth as he began to follow behind the Totodile. What followed was a train of Wooloo, all marching behind a dancing Tampa and Obsidian. Before long, the entire herd soon found themselves sitting in the center of the stadium, with the crowd going absolutely wild.

"I've seen a lot of things here today, but never did I think we'd see this! Obsidian of all Pokémon, dancing to the center of the arena?! These challengers keep managing to surprise us one after another! Regardless, Aeliana Kekoa advances with 48 seconds left on the clock! I hope you all stay tuned, because up next is the big battle with our own gym leader, Milo!"

"Gotta admit, I never thought I'd see someone herd those Wooloo by dancing. Then again, I never knew Obsidian was into that sort of thing."

Aeliana stands in the center of a massive stadium, Mahina nestled into her arms as per usual. Gone were the nails of hay and various bushes that had decorated the scenery, instead being replaced by a mass of circular bleachers that were practically filled to bursting with an even louder crowd than before.

Standing before her is none other than Milo, the leader of the Turffield gym. He's a well defined man, broad shoulders and stocky in build. The shirt to his uniform clings to his torso, almost acting as if it's some kind of second skin. Despite his tall and imposing build, his face seems genuinely friendly. A warm smile graces the gym leader's face, with his emerald-green eyes harboring a sense of innocence within them. Aeliana is a bit taken back by Milo now that she's standing so close to him. Baby face is a term she would use to describe him, though not to his face of course.

"Everyone has a rhythm inside of them," the pinkette finally responds. "Some just need a little help reaching it."

Milo laughs in response. It is a deep and hearty laugh, surprising based on his facial features. "Well said, challenger! Let's make this a good battle!"

Aeliana offers Milo a nod and the two part as they make their way towards opposite ends of the field. A rush of excitement runs through her body, only growing as the crowd begins to whoop and holler. Despite having taken part in the mission to wrangle the Wooloo just a short time ago, it hadn't really dawned on the pink-haired trainer that her attempt to challenge the Galar league was really starting here until just now. A smile tugs at her lips, her grip tightens on the poké ball resting in her hand.

"It's time to make our stand," Aeliana thinks as she turns to face Milo. "Get ready, Galar… Your future champ is here!"

"Get ready, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the moment you've all been waiting for! On this side, the challenger from Alola.. #13, Aeliana Kekoa! On the other end of the field, Turffield's one and only… Milooooooo!"

The crowd begins to chant a mix of Milo and Aeliana's names following the announcer's introduction of the two trainers.

"The rules are simple! Both trainers will use two Pokémon each! The winner will be decided by whichever trainer has the most Pokémon standing at the end! Let the battle begin!"

"Tampa! You're up!" Aeliana calls, tossing her Totodile's poké ball out onto the field.

"Eldegoss, you're up first!" Milo replies, tossing a poké ball out in kind.

Tampa appears out on the field from her ball. Her eyes shine with excitement as she takes in the size of the audience watching, immediately starting to bounce from one foot to the next. She has a lot to make up for as a result of that shiny Wooloo's bad attitude, and she's not about to let her trainer down now. She turns to face her opponent, some sort of plant looking creature with a big, white, fluffy ball on the back of its head.

She doesn't look too dangerous, so this should be no problem, right?

"Tampa, start off with Aqua Jet!" the pinkette orders.

"Eldegoss, Leaf Tornado!" Milo retorts.

Tampa gurgles with glee, kneeling forward before launching herself at Milo's Eldegoss like a missile being launched out of a submarine. The smile on Milo's face doesn't falter as the gator Pokémon approaches. He watches as the Totodile nears, all the while a swirl of leaves begin to encircle the Grass-type. The pick up in speed, forming a cyclone that then spins forward and slams into the oncoming Tampa. Tampa falls back, grunting in pain as the leaves cut into her blue, scaly body.

"Shake it off Tampa! Use Water Gun!" Aeliana orders.

"Eldegoss, Pollen Puff!" Milo calls out.

Tampa took aim at Milo's Pokémon, jaws snapping open to unleash a blast of water towards it. At that same time, The Eldegoss fires a massive ball of pollen towards Aeliana's Totodile. The Water Gun collides with the puff, causing it to stall before popping like a balloon in mid-air. Dust from the pollen fills the air, causing the vision of the trainers to diminish as a result. Still, Aeliana doesn't seem to let this slow her down.

"Tampa, Aqua Jet again!" Tampa once more propels herself forward. The gator has a clear shot at Milo's Eldegoss this time. She slams into grass Pokémon, growling with determination as she tries to stagger it back. A shower of pollen seems to fall from the top of its head, but Aeliana pays it no mind. "Now Bite it!"

Tampa's jaws snap open, sharp fangs clenching down on the side of Eldegoss' face. It lets out a wail of absolute pain, thrashing about as it tries to shake the Totodile loose. At the same time, more pollen showers out from the top of the Pokémon's head.

"Looks like it's time to get serious…" Milo mutters. "Hang in there, Eldegoss! Use Hyper Voice!"

Eldegoss immediately stops its thrashing, head leaning back as an ungodly loud shriek echoes out through the stadium. Aeliana winces, shaking her head in an attempt to block out the noise. The Clefairy by her side shudders, before covering her massive ears with her paws. Mahina has never heard a noise like this before and never wants to again.

Meanwhile, Tampa is completely taken aback by the noise. Her fangy grip on Eldegoss' face is instantly released, before she staggers back and winces in pain. Her claws cover her ears in retort, which in turn leaves the gator Pokémon open to further attack.

"Use Leech Seed!" Milo calls out.

A barrage of seeds launch out from Milo's Eldegoss. The pummel against Tampa, unleashing a string of vines that quickly wrap themselves around her.

"Tampa, use Scratch!" Aeliana commands.

Tampa shakes her head and begins to waddle towards the Eldegoss. Aeliana's eyes go wide. She takes notice that the Totodile's movements are starting to get sluggish, something made quickly apparent by the way Eldegoss manages to effortlessly dodge the oncoming swipe of Tampa's claws.

"Why is she moving slower? She can't be tired already…" the pink-haired trainer questions. Did the Wooloo herding tire her out that much?

"That's thanks to Eldegoss's ability. All that pollen that came flyin' outta of it when your Totodile hit it? It's real sticky and heavy like! It really wears ya down and makes it tough to move after a while!" Milo explains.

Aeliana was about to respond, but is quickly silenced when the vines around Tampa begin to glow. The Totodile squirms uncomfortably, pain evident on her face as a ball of energy is siphoned from the blue gator and into Milo's Pokémon.

"Tampa, take a breather!" Aeliana shouts as she recalls her Totodile.

She returns her focus back towards Milo. It looks like brute force isn't going to work in this case. If hitting with muscle won't work, then…

Aeliana eyes a pink, apricorn ball with a decorative heart painted on it. It's time to use brain over brawn.

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Stinging Bea · Feb 13, 2021

Aeliana Kekoa

Turffield

Chapter 6-4 | Mind Over Matter

Aeliana's Current Party:

"Clara, I choose you!"

Aeliana tosses a love ball out onto the field. It bounces up, opening to release the Ralts that was held within. Clara looks around cautiously, eyes squinting as a result of the bright stadium lights that were shining down onto the field.

"It looks like challenger Aeliana has chosen to use a Ralts as her second Pokémon! What an interesting combination of Pokémon to choose for this gym battle! Will she be able tip the scales in her favor?!"

Clara jumps at the sudden narration provided by the announcer. She looks up slowly, face turning a deep, crimson as she takes in the sight of just how many people are watching her. She hesitantly looks back at Aeliana, the pink-haired trainer offering her a reassuring smile.

Clara seems unsure. She feels a ball of nerves form in the pit of her stomach as she turns to face Milo and his Eldegoss.

"Eldegoss, use Pollen Puff!" Milo calls.

"Clara, Disarming Voice!" Aeliana orders.

Another massive ball of pollen forms from the top of Eldegoss' head. Meanwhile, Clara takes a deep breath before suddenly singing a sour note. The note startles Milo's Pokémon, causing it to lose focus. The puff of pollen goes sailing too far to the left missing the Ralts entirely. Milo doesn't let this deter him, however. He orders Eldegoss to use Leaf Tornado. A swirling of leaves starts to form around the grass Pokémon.

Aeliana's smile grows. "Clara, use Double Team!" The Ralts focuses her mind, seemingly splitting into several copies of herself. The copies of Clara begin to encircle the Eldegoss, making it quite difficult for it to determine just which Clara was the real one. "Now use Confusion!"

Clara's eyes begin to glow as she focuses her mind. The rest of her copies do the same, further confusing the Grass-type. Throwing caution to the wind, the Eldegoss launched its Leaf Tornado forward. The swirling leaves phase through one of the Clara copies, which leaves it wide open to a Confusion attack. The Eldegoss fumbles back, a throbbing pain rushing through its head. The Eldegoss slowly looks back up, but Milo is quick to notice that it seems dazed.

"Eldegoss, hold on! Use Leaf Tornado again!" he calls out.

Milo's Eldegoss narrows its eyes, attempting to focus on Clara as it stumbles forward. Suddenly, the Eldegoss launches a Pollen Puff into the air. The ball of pollen sails high into the air, before crashing back down onto Eldegoss. It explodes upon contact with the Grass-type's head, causing it to faint upon impact.

"Looks like the first Pokémon has fainted, folks! Milo's Eldegoss is down and out for the count, putting him at a disadvantage against the challenger! Don't count him out yet, however! Milo's only getting warmed up!"

Milo recalls his Eldegoss, offering the fainted Pokémon a small smile in the process. "Ya did good, partner… Get some rest." Milo placed the Pokémon's ball back onto his belt before pulling out another. "Just 'cause ya got one over on me doesn't mean I'm about to roll over though. I'm gettin' even more fired up now! Let's go, Appletun!"

Milo tosses the poké ball out to the field, revealing dragon-like creature not too much larger than Clara. He has droopy ears, while being a bit one portly size despite his short stature. His back reminds Aeliana of a pie. He even seems to be dripping with pie filling.

"Appletun, huh? Looks pretty slow…" Aeliana whispers. She nods, giving her Ralts a thumbs up. "Alright, Clara! Draining Kiss!"

"Appletun, Protect!" Milo orders. Clara darts towards the Appletun, lips puckered in an attempt to give the Dragon-type a smooch. Appletun digs his feet into the ground however, bracing himself as a sudden wall of light surrounds him. Clara finds herself walking straight into the barrier, unable to make her attack actually connect. "Now use Apple Acid!"

A sticky liquid fires out from Appletun's back, splattering against the Ralts. Clara is surprised and somewhat repulsed by the attack, a nauseating stench coming from the tart tasting liquid that covers her body.

"Clara, use Confusion!"

"Appletun, Protect again!"

Clara's eyes begin to glow, the Ralts focusing her gaze upon Milo's Appletun. The Pokémon seemingly remains unharmed, however, which Milo is quick to take advantage of.

"Energy Ball!" Milo shouts.

"Confusion!" Aeliana commands.

Sparkles of energy rise from the grass around Appletun's feet, forming a massive, green ball if light overhead. Meanwhile, Clara's eyes glow once again as she looks up towards Appletun's direction. The dragon staggers back, but manages to launch his attack regardless. The ball of energy slams into Clara, sending her falling onto her backside.

"Clara, hang in there! Use Double Team!" Aeliana shouts.

Milo follows suit "Appletun, Rollout!"

Clara staggers back to her feet and prepares to focus her mind. Copies begin to appear and circle around the Appletun, however the Pokémon has already began rolling in circles. Before the copies have finished surrounding Milo's Pokémon, the Appletun slams into Clara, sending her falling onto her back… and fainting on the spot.

"The challenger's Ralts is unable to battle! We're coming down to the wire, folks! Milo is down to just his Appletun, while the challenger is down to just her Totodile! She's already taken quite the beating, though! Is it all over for the challenger?!"

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Sonata · Feb 14, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 5

CHAPTER 6.7 - VS GYM LEADER MILO

"You're Rosa, right?"

Rosa looked around at the crowd which filled the stadium seats. It was similar to the gym in Motostoke, but the vibe was completely different. There were people here that legitimately expected her to be able to do something now, probably thanks in part to her performance at the contest as well as being able to get past the opening challenge. The cheers made her feel somewhat more comfortable now, but as she looked around, she couldn't help but remember back to what she'd seen on some of those screens in the underground.

They were watching her.

"Yeah, this is my first gym challenge, but I hope you won't take it easy on me!"

Milo shook his head. "No, of course not. The visage of a flower does suit you, but I've yet to find out if you've got the resilience to match it."

VS LEADER MILO - BEGIN!

"Appletun, go!" Milo bellowed out, calling on his first Pokemon. The small Grass and Dragon-type popped out of the ball with a cry and a stretch, causing the bit of apple on its head to shift down over its eyes momentarily.

Rosa smiled and nodded- this was good. Either of her Pokemon were good matchups, and she'd known that coming into this battle. The only question she had left, was what order would he go in, and which of the dragons would he choose? Now that he'd made his decision, she knew what she had to do.

"Wyatt, go on out!" She pressed the center of the ball, having recalled her Pokemon for only a few moments following her challenge so that she could walk out into the stadium on her own strength.

"Loud!" The Pokemon roared, stomping its feet and being as loud as possible in an attempt to be intimidating towards the smaller Pokemon.

Milo smiled. "Quite the energetic Pokemon you've got there. I guess since it's your first battle, I'll let him work some of that energy out and take the first attack."

Rosa nodded. "How thoughtful," she glanced over at the Appletun which seemed harmless enough from where she was standing. She'd seen Milo utilize the Dragon-type to a devastating degree in some battles over the past several days, but that wasn't about to stop her. If he was giving out free attacks, she would be more than happy to collect on the offer. "Wyatt, use Disarming Voice!"

"Protect, Appletun!"

"Ap!" The Pokemon replied, lowering itself to the ground as the apple on its head shifted down to cover its face. The directed sound of Wyatt's cry passed safely around the Pokemon as it shielded itself from the attack and took no damage, despite the type disadvantage.

"Now for a counterattack! Appletun, use Leech Seed!"

"Ap!" The Pokemon replied, quickly hopping back up as it fired several small seeds into the open mouth of the Loudred as it gasped to reclaim its breath.

"L-L-" Wyatt coughed, choking on the seeds as they went down his throat. "Loud…" the Pokemon patted at his chest and then at his stomach, before a green glow began to emanate from his stomach, causing him to wince as the energy was sapped from him and sent back to the Appletun.

An attack that gave passive recovery, and a move which protected the Pokemon from any damage… so far, as far as Rosa was concerned, this battle was going to be more irritating than she'd initially thought. She didn't have the patience for stalling out right now, especially not since her mind kept wandering to where exactly those cameras had been set up.

"Wyatt, don't worry about the seeds! All we have to do is beat them before they can take too much from us!"

"Loud!" The Pokemon replied, stomping his foot as he struck a heroic pose and motioned towards the Appletun to come at him.

"Attaboy," Milo responded with a smile and a laugh. "Appletun, use Apple Acid!"

What did Apple Acid do again? Rosa couldn't remember, but as the attack made its way towards Wyatt, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind and tried to focus on what was happening right in front of her. "Wyatt, try and stop that Acid with your Echoed Voice!"

Wyatt nodded, taking in a deep breath before turning his ears towards the oncoming attack. "Louuuu!" The Pokemon roared out, the vibrations from the attack slowed the Apple Acid as it flew through the air, causing it to fall short of its mark. The echoes continued on through the attack, causing Appletun to wince as the sound filled its ears.

"Ap-p-p-plletun." The Pokemon stood back upright, smirking as the green energy came from Wyatt's stomach again, healing the Pokemon once more.

"Don't worry about it Appletun, just bide your time. Use Protect again!"

Rosa bit her lip as she frustratedly racked her mind on what to do. They were on a timer. Wyatt could only last so long with his energy being drained like this, but even if he did land an attack it could just be stalled out with this Protect and heal strategy that Milo was using. They needed to change something, or else the battle would get too far away from them to be feasibly winnable.

"Wyatt, use Howl!"

As the Appletun sat, wasting time and protecting itself, Wyatt roared and beat his chest, building up the confidence in his own physical prowess. "Lou! Lou! Lou!"

"Like I'd let you do something so obvious!" Milo called out, pointing at the still screaming Pokemon. "Appletun, use Rollout!"

Wyatt stopped his outburst, just long enough to dodge out of the way of the rolling Appletun that was now charging him. Rosa smirked. It had been her intention to take the battle to close quarters, and Milo had definitely picked up on that. It was his only choice, of course. If he kept trying to keep his distance, he'd just give Wyatt the time necessary to build up his strength. She wasn't sure if that buildup would be enough to win this part of the battle, but regardless, it would put her in a perfect place for Yzma to come in and clean up.

"Wyatt, use Astonish before that Appletun can build up too much power!"

She glanced back over at Milo, seeing him smiling just after she'd sent out her orders… but why? From what she'd seen in his other fights, Appletun was much more useful at a range, so then why… her eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "Wyatt, wa-"

But it was too late. Appletun was charging down the Loudred once more as Wyatt dug in his feet and readied himself to take the brunt of the attack and deliver one of his own. Just as the two were about to collide, the Appletun formed a ball of green energy within his mouth and fired it at the ground, propelling him into the air above Wyatt.

"Lou?" Wyatt questioned, watching as the Pokemon flew over him.

The Appletun had clearly taken damage from its own attack, and had also lost the momentum from the buildup of its rollout. But, all that mattered was that it had the high ground now.

"Appletun, Apple Acid!"

"Wyatt, get out of there!"

The Acid dripped down in an arc, flowing from the Pokemon's mouth as it flew over the Loudred. There was nowhere to escape, as any direction that he went in the short time before the attack would land would still see him getting hit by the attack. Instead, Wyatt took matters into his own hands.

As the Pokemon neared the completion of its trajectory, Wyatt took in a deep breath. The Apple Acid splashed down onto him, causing him to wince, but not enough so to kill his determination. "Loooouuuu!" The Disarming Voice flew towards the Appletun just as it landed on the ground, giving it no time to follow up its own attack with a Protect.

The attack sent the small dragon scuttling across the turf. Several seconds passed as both Pokemon winced in pain, trying to shake off the attacks that they'd just withstood. As Wyatt was gathering himself, the Leech Seed took effect once more, sapping his energy and sending the token amount of restoration back to the heavily damaged Appletun.

"That was pretty good." Milo clapped, a genuine smile on his face. "The amount of training you've done with your Pokemon is apparent, given that it can make those types of judgement calls on its own despite still being so early on in your journeys. But, the battle isn't over yet. Appletun, use Energy Ball!"

"Thank you," Rosa replied curtly, glancing between the two damaged Pokemon. How much did Wyatt have left in him at this point? The battle had moved quite quick, all things considered. But if Milo wasn't going to go back to his turtle strategy, then these next attacks could very well be the last for the two of them. "Wyatt, use Disarming Voice!"

The two Pokemon stepped forward as they readied their ordered attacks. Wyatt took in a deep breath as Appletun formed the green orb in its mouth, the two stared each other down as a similar green glow began to form on the Loudred's stomach. Wyatt's eyes widened as he felt the energy starting to leave his body, but he wouldn't be done in just yet.

"Loooouud!" The Pokemon cried out, releasing his attack prematurely in an attempt to catch the Appletun off guard.

"Ap!" The Pokemon replied, firing off the energy ball attack just as Wyatt's disarming voice hit it.

The Appletun winced, cowering from the assault before opening its eyes just enough to see the energy ball it had fired off being forced back towards it. The Pokemon quickly tried to withdraw itself into a protective stance, but it was too little too late. The Energy Ball collided with its owner, causing a small explosion that sent Appletun tumbling towards Milo.

The Gym Leader looked at the Pokemon which lay motionless beside him. A couple of seconds passed as he crouched down, sharing some words of comfort with the dragon before recalling it with its ball.

"Well, I can't say that I'm disappointed." He said, smiling as he pulled the next ball from his belt. "When I saw you at that opening ceremony, I'd thought that you looked so meek and timid up on that stage. But… I kind of thought that I saw a bit of myself out there at the same time. That's why I didn't want to take it easy on you, especially when I didn't see you take on Kabu's open challenge. But, that's all the praise I can give you for now. You still have to get through my ace, after all. Come on out, Eldegoss!"

"Goss!" The Pokemon cried out as it burst free from the ball.

"Now, let's get this second round going! Eldegoss, use Hyper Voice!"

Rosa's eyes widened at Milo's words of encouragement. What did he mean when he said he thought he saw himself on the stage? What did they really have in common? She couldn't help but feel he was just saying whatever he thought would make her feel stronger in the moment, but she wouldn't deny that it had worked. "Wyatt, use Echoed Voice!"

The two Pokemon stared each other down as they let out their respective cries, matching their powers against each other. The stadium vibrated slightly with the clashing soundwaves, but it didn't last for long. Despite Appletun being off the field, its Leech Seed was still taking effect on Wyatt. The green energy formed in his gut, just long enough for him to wince and lose the match in power that he'd built up against the Eldegoss. In that second, the Hyper Voice overpowered his own Echoed Voice, and sent him tumbling over to Rosa.

"Wyatt!" Rosa called out, rushing over to the beaten Pokemon.

The Loudred winced, turning his head lethargically towards his trainer. "Loud." he whispered, reaching his hand out towards her, patting her knee. "Loud… Loudred." The Pokemon shaking started to push himself up off the ground, only to fall back down as his arms gave out under him.

Rosa pursed her lips and rubbed the Pokemon's back. "Hey, it's okay. Take a short rest, that's why I brought Yzma with us, right? If you feel like you can come back and we need you at the end, I promise I'll bring you back out, alright?"

Wyatt looked over at her and then nodded her head. "Loud…" the Pokemon rolled over and sat up on his own, proving that he still had the strength to battle. He looked over at the Eldegoss which had overpowered him and nodded. "Lou, Loud Loudred." He pointed at the Pokemon and then motioned towards the ground.

Rosa recalled the weakened Pokemon, pulling the next ball that she'd brought with her. "It's up to you now, Yzma. Come on out!"

"Runt!" The Pokemon cried out, shaking the frosty mist from its peak as it looked around at the stands. After a few seconds of taking it all in, the Pokemon's gaze focused on the Eldegoss across from it. "Runt?"

"Goss." The Pokemon replied with a small bow.

"Runt!" Yzma replied, clearly irritated by whatever the Eldegoss had said. The Snorunt turned to look at Rosa and then motioned towards the other Pokemon. "Runt! Runt, Snor, Runt Snorunt!"

Rosa nodded her head, pretending to understand whatever it was that the two Pokemon were conversing about. "Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? But for now, all we can do is battle it out. You're the only one left that can put it down, and I believe in you."

"Runt!" Yzma replied with a grunt, seemingly satisfied with the girl's answer as it turned back to face the Eldegoss.

"Well, now that that's settled, what do you say we get on with the last bout?" Milo called from across the stage.

"Of course, can't let the other challengers behind me wait too long." That, and there was also the note that she'd received that spurred her into action to begin with. "Yzma, use Icy Wind!"

"Eldegoss, use Cotton Spore!"

The grass type shook violently, releasing some of the spores from its back. The spores floated gently through the air, passing around the icy wind before attaching themselves softly to Yzma as the Pokemon exchanged attacks. Yzma stumbled forward, trying to shake the spores off as Eldegoss took the brunt of the breeze - allowing a thin layer of ice to build up on it as a few more spores fell off and floated back towards Yzma.

"Well, if all we're going to do is trade off layers, I suppose I should stop wasting time. Eldegoss, use Leaf Tornado!"

Rosa and Yzma watched as the wind began to pick up, funneling around the ice-type as leaves started to form and ride the wind.

"Yzma, don't let that funnel finish! Counter it with Icy Wind!"

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, watching the way in which the foliage was moving around her before sending off an icy gale in the opposite direction. "Snor!"

"Don't give it time to throw out another attack!" Rosa called out as the tornado petered out. "Use Powder Snow!"

"No more freebies here," Milo replied with a laugh. "Eldegoss, use Leaf Storm!"

"Goss!" The Pokemon replied, bobbing its head as a number of leaves began to fall from the puff on its head.

The wind began to pick up once more, but this time it was a spiraling gale towards Yzma, not one that formed around her. There was no chance to counter, and with the added obstruction of the pollen around her, there was no chance of dodging. The Pokemon stared down the funnel, seeing Eldegoss at the center. The Pokemon recalled the grass-type's taunt from the start of the battle and smirked.

"Runt! Runt, runt Snorunt!" Yzma cried out as she released a flurry of snow straight down the middle of the funnel.

Eldegoss' eyes widened as its vision was overtaken by a wall of white. However, that wouldn't be enough to stop it from finishing what it had started. "Goss!" The Pokemon cried out, blindly increasing the speed of the funnel as it blasted Yzma, sending the ice-type tumbling backwards as the leaves scraped her all over.

"Hurry, Yzma. Use Ice Shard before it can heal itself!" The girl had seen enough battles leading up to this point to know about the option Milo kept in his pocket. He didn't use it in every battle, but the way that things had been going up until now, she didn't want to chance it. She needed this battle to end, and it needed to end now. Her eyes darted up towards one of the floating cameras before looking back down at Milo. "As if they[/] had to tell me to win… It's not like I realistically have any other choice." she muttered to herself as she clenched her fist.

Yzma quickly scurried to her feet, looking around frantically for the Pokemon she was supposed to deliver the freshly created Ice Shard in her hands to. She grinned, seeing that the Eldegoss across the stage from her was still shaking the ice and snow off of itself. The spores on the Pokemon's back continued to fall freely and float towards the Snorunt, but it wasn't important. "Ruuuunt?" The Pokemon called out, mockingly as she fired the Ice Shard at the unexpecting Pokemon. "Runt!"

"G-Goss?" The grass-type replied, having finally cleared its eyes enough to see at just the moment that Yzma launched the shard. "Goss!" The Pokemon cried out, straining against the layer of ice and snow which covered its body so that it could get out of the way. But, the sheet of ice was already set. As the layers began to crack, the Eldegoss was struck by the chunk of ice and was sent tumbling back towards Milo.

"Eldegoss!" The Gym Leader called out, stepping towards the Pokemon but not fully going onto the field.

"El-de-Goss!" The Pokemon cried out as it shakily pushed itself up. As the Pokemon rose, a green glow surrounded it. As the glow subsided, the Eldegoss appeared to be in a somewhat better condition than it had been just seconds before.

Rosa bit her lip and shook her head. "Damn," she whispered, looking between the two Pokemon. If that last attack had been just a little bit stronger… "Yzma, it's time for plan b! Just like we practiced before, yeah?"

Yzma turned quickly to look at the girl. "Runt?"

Rosa nodded. "It's going to heal up regardless, we might as well make use of the seconds, right?"

"Runt!" The Pokemon exclaimed, turning back towards the Eldegoss. Yzma's eyes traced the field, looking for all the places it wanted to build up its attack. "Runt!"

Rosa smiled, watching as the Snorunt began to dance lethargically around the field. If not for the spores covering her body, Yzma would most likely look quite graceful at the moment. This was, after all, the backup routine they'd practiced, just in case they weren't able to get Zorro to cooperate.

The Ice-type danced around the field, blowing out Icy Winds which combined with Ice Shards to create small arches around her. Every so often, she'd shoot off an Icy Wind in the direction of the Eldegoss, who was switching between defensive uses of Synthesis, and destroying the arches that Yzma had created with Pollen Puff or Leaf Tornadoes.

But what Milo and Eldegoss didn't know, was that they didn't need any more than two arches. It was certainly helpful to build up extras, as it distracted them from the real plan that they were laying behind the scenes. After a few minutes of this back and forth, with both Pokemon growing progressively slower with their attacks, the stage had been set fully in advantage of the Ice-type.

"Yzma, let's finish this!" Rosa called out, watching the nearly stationary Pokemon as they now sat staring each other down. Both Pokemon's mobility had been made essentially non-existent, due to either the layers of ice or coat of pollen that covered the other. But, they were both naturally inclined to ranged attacks anyways, so it wasn't as if that were the biggest of setbacks for either of them. "Yzma, use Double Team!"

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, creating copies of itself that it pushed off towards each of the arches.

In total, they'd managed to keep up three without being taken down by the Eldegoss. And now, Milo wouldn't have to worry about what she intended to do with them, nor whether or not the amount of sculptures made any difference in the plan.

"Yzma, mix it up!"

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, closing her eyes. The main body, which had been placed unbeknownst to Eldegoss or Milo off to the side arch began to conjure up an Icy Wind. At the same time, one of the other copies mimicked her, while the last created an Ice Shard.

"Ah, I see." Milo smiled and nodded. "I think I understand where you're going with this now, but don't think that we'll let you end it with this! Eldegoss, heal when you can and take out those arches!"

"Goss!" The Pokemon replied, filling its body with a green glow as it looked to the sky.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to not do that." Rosa smiled, watching as Yzma used a small ice shard to pry off a few of the spores that were keeping her from moving. The Pokemon waddled up as quickly as she could, catching Eldegoss in the midst of healing. "Yzma, use Astonish!"

"Runt!" The Pokemon cried out as it crashed into the grass-type, biting down into the fluff on its head.

"G-Goss!" The Pokemon cried out, completely caught off guard. The green glow subsided as Eldegoss flinched and fell backwards with Yzma.

"Eldegoss! No, wait… use-"

"Ice Shard!"

Yzma quickly formed a shard of ice and held it as high above the Eldegoss as it could, given that it was now almost completely covered in cotton once more. "Ruuuuunt!"

"That was a great battle, Rosa." Milo smiled at her and held out his hand. "I'm glad I got to see what you were capable of so early on in your journey. Your Pokemon have a great deal of trust in you already, and it'll only go up from here."

Rosa smiled and took Milo's hand with both of hers, bowing slightly to him. "Thank you. You didn't make it easy on me, but I'm happy with where we're at - for the moment." She laughed lightly as she pulled her hands away from his. She looked down at her hands, taking in the sight of the badge now in her hands and nodded. This was the first step, next was Hulburry, and then…

"I was worried about you, y'know." Milo laughed as he scratched his head. "I'd said I had seen myself on that stage, and that was the truth. You seemed so meek, and timid out there amongst your fellow challengers. I wasn't sure what to make of you, to be honest. And then when your classmates went on to challenge Kabu despite still being so early in their own journeys… I got a little worried," he paused, pressing his fingers together with a smile. "Only a little. But then I saw the news for Motostoke, and saw you in a couple of the stories… and then I knew. I knew that I would be expecting you here, and that I would have nothing to worry about. I hope you can keep living by that person you showed while you were in Motostoke, and I hope you'll continue to harness the power and determination you showed here, in my own gym. I can't wait to see what you accomplish in the future." He held out his hand once more, this time without a badge in it.

Rosa smiled, placing the badge into her pocket before taking the Gym Leader's hand once more. "Thanks. I hope I don't let you down." She laughed lightly, but her smile quickly faded as she turned away from him and walked out of the stadium.

"That person you saw in the papers doesn't exist… she's just a face… a fake, a fabrication." She slipped her hand into her pocket, feeling around for the slip of paper that she'd found in her bag two days prior after changing at the contest hall. "I'm just a dancer on an empty stage… hoping that my strings aren't cut."

There's newfound interest in your success, following recent events. You'll take your gym challenge two days from now. Make it entertaining. Keep it close. But you're not allowed to lose. We'll be watching. -P

Click to expand...

She tore the paper apart and then tossed it into a nearby bin before heading back towards the changing room. "Hopefully that was good enough," she whispered with a sigh.

Rosa's Party

Memories

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE
PLANNING AND CHALLENGE

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

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

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

Jasper

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

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

Charles the Biker

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

Nat the Ranger

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

Budew Girl

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

Achille Béringer

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

Melody Argent

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

The Family // Damien(?)

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

Buggy Simon

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

Valerie

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

Aeliana Kekoa

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

Pia McGuire

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

Haleigh Windsor

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

Mother Priscilla

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

Ruben Sancho

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

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Notebook and Pen
1 Pokéballs
Galarian Pokédex V. 8
Rosa's ATC
Old Rod
Simon's Knit Wooloo Sweater
Rotom Brand Electric Bike
Dawn Stone
Wishing Piece
Fancy Metal Flower Crown - Gift for Jasper
Pokemon Styler
Mysterious Package B
Blackspear Industries Job License
Odd Incense
Lagging Tail
Revival Herb
Priscilla's Package and Letter
Kimono and Fan
Turffield Ribbon
TR Curse
Peculiar Pinwheel

Stinging Bea · Feb 14, 2021

Aeliana Kekoa

Turffield

Chapter 6-5 | Rolling With It

Aeliana's Current Party:

Aeliana stares at the Appletun before her. Her eyes are filled with worry as she recalls her fainted Ralts, handling the ball gingerly as if the tiny Psychic-type could break if she so much as shook the love ball too much when putting it aside. Knots are forming in her stomach as she slowly puts Clara's ball away before taking Tampa's back into her hand. What was she going to do? Milo's Eldegoss had already managed to do a number on the Totodile…

"Are ya ready to continue?" Milo asks. A smile is on his face, but his voice is filled with concern as his green eyes stare back into her lavender ones. "If ya don't think your up to it, we can call it here. Train up and try again later, yeah?"

For a moment, Aeliana considers it. Milo does have a point. As long as she got eight badges at some point, she could still enter the championship at the end of the season. She opens her mouth, grip on Tampa's poké ball tightening as she prepares to accept this withdrawal from the match when sudden thoughts rush to her brain. What would the word on the street say? Everyone would have a field day with it.

"This just in, Aeliana Kekoa fails her first league match!"

"I suppose this trainer wasn't one to take seriously after all, Ted. Tripped right out of the gate! Let's go back to that footage of her actually running out of the stadium!"

"She barely placed in her contest debut and then this? She's a loser…"

"Lemme get some F's in the chat!"

Her grip lightens on the ball. Images of the day she graduated from the Wedgehurst academy flashes into her mind. She's once again standing before her grandfather, stern and distant eyes drilling into her own as he doesn't even hide the fact that he'd rather be somewhere, anywhere else than with her.

"Don't screw up."

Before Aeliana can further process anything, the poké ball in her hand begins to shake violently. The pinkette snaps out of her thoughts as the ball suddenly flings from her fingers, bouncing into the grass with a solid thud before snapping open. The familiar shape of her Totodile takes form, the blue gator looking a bit battered up from her previous encounter with Milo's Eldegoss, but she wears a smile on her face regardless. Slowly, Tampa gazes back over her shoulder at her trainer. A look that Aeliana has never seen in the Pokémon's eyes takes shape. She looks determined, as if she feels it's up to her and her alone to retain Aeliana's pride and earn that approval from the said pink-haired trainer and all of Galar.

"Tampa…" Aeliana finally manages to stammer out. "You don't have to… We can sto-'' Tampa's body fully snaps around, her eyes hardening into a fierce glare. It quickly becomes apparent that the Totodile doesn't want to hear any more of that sentence. Aeliana sighs, offering Tampa a single nod. "Alright… We'll give it a shot…"

"It looks like the challenger is ready to continue, folks! Let's see who is going to come out on top!"

"Let's go, Tampa! Aqua Jet!" Aeliana commands.

"Protect, Appletun!" Milo retorts.

Tampa propels forward, a burst of water pushing her forward as she takes aim at Milo's Appletun. She seemingly stops short, slamming into an unseen wall. This leaves the Totodile wide open, something that Milo was quick to take advantage of. He orders his Appletun to follow up with Grass Knot. Blades of grass raised up from around Appletun, wrapping around Tampa's ankle. The gator wails in surprise as she was suddenly tripped up and slammed into the ground.

"Tampa, Bite!" Aeliana shouts.

"Appletun, use Apple Acid!" Milo counters.

Tampa scrambles to her feet and launches herself at the Appletun. Jaws snap open as the Totodile chomps down onto the dragon's snout. He roars in pain, thrashing wildly before suddenly shooting the scented acid all over Tampa. The blue gator Pokémon stumbles back, instantly releasing her grip on the Appletun's snout.

"Rollout, quick!" Milo calls out.

The Appletun takes a few steps forward before tucking into itself and rolling towards Tampa. The Totodile is gathering het bearings as she looks up, eyes growing wide as saucers as the Appletun slams into her and sends her reeling back in pain.

"Tampa, Water Gun!" Aeliana shouts.

Tampa picks herself back up on her feet, taking aim before firing a blast of cold water at the rolling Pokémon. The Appletun is hardly phased by the chilling, watery blast, however. He merely rolls back around before slamming into Tampa once more.

"It's all over…" Aeliana realizes. "I couldn't even beat one gym leader…"

Lavender eyes widen, a voice suddenly ringing into her head.

"What were you thinking? If you had a move like Dragon Dance, why didn't you use it at the beginning?"

Aeliana looks back at Tampa. The Totodile looks completely exhausted, yet she still seems insistent on continuing forward… A fiery look of determination filling her eyes. "Tampa, Dragon Dance!"

The gator looks surprised at the sudden change of tone in Aeliana's voice. Still, the gator begins to shuffle and boogie in place. She feels a surge of energy rush through her, but the Totodile only feels it for a moment before the Appletun slams into her again. Still, Aeliana holds strong.

"Dragon Dance again!"

Tampa climbs back onto her feet and begins to dance again. Pain is evident on her face as she booties, but she can feel her power growing. Her movements are getting quicker. Appletun rolls back around and plows into the Totodile again, despite this.

"One more time, Tampa!"

Tampa dances again. Appletun rounds and charges again. Aeliana clenches her fists as Milo's Pokémon gets closer. The crowd is on pins and needles. Aeliana feels her heart beating wildly.

"Now, Tampa! Aqua Jet!"

Tampa suddenly launches herself at the rolling Appletun. Her clawed hands are pushed out before her as she grits her teeth and braces herself. The Totodile slams into Appletun, grunting in an attempt to push Milo's Pokémon back. She manages to push the Appletun back to a halt, before a bright light begins to engulf the Totodile.

"No way…" Aeliana whispers.

Milo stares on in just as much amazement as Aeliana. Tampa slowly begins to grow in size. Her jaw grows rounder, becoming much more bulky in size. The spikes on her back shift towards the top of her head, making the gator look as though she has some sort of mohawk, but also growing much more defined despite the fact she suddenly had fewer than before. Tampa's fangs grow much sharper, with more of her pointy teeth now poking out of her mouth.

Tampa evolved into Croconaw!

"Appletun, Leech Seed!" Milp shouts, snapping out of his daze.

"Tampa, use Bite!" Aeliana commands her newly evolved Pokémon.

Tampa charges forward as Appletun fires off a barrage of seeds in the gator's direction. The Croconaw effortlessly sidesteps the barrage, her massive jaw snapping open as she reaches her opponent. Appletun's eyes grow wide as he sees a frosty, chilling breath begins to file out from Tampa's mouth. A thick coating of ice coats her fangs as she chomps down onto Appletun, causing the Pokémon to screech in response. Tampa had apparently chosen to learn Ice Fang as well!

"Scratch! Finish him off!" Aeliana jumps and shouts.

Tampa's jaws never let up as she rears back her left hand. The Appletun thrashes wildly desperately trying to pry himself free from Tampa's jaw, but it's too little too late. The Croconaw slams her now thicker claws into the Appletun, before finally releasing her grip and tossing the dragon Pokémon across the field like a sack of apples himself.

Milo lowers the brim of his hat as he picks up Appletun's poké ball. He doesn't even need the announcer's voice to tell him this result as the sounds of the roaring crowd cheering a certain pinkette's name reaches his ears. Still, a smile is worn on his lips as he congratulates Aeliana on her amazing, turnaround victory.

"We won…?" Aeliana questions, her voice filled with uncertainty. She looks around, ears taking the shouts and chants of her name. She glances down to Tampa. A tired smile graces the Croconaw's facial features as she suddenly turns and runs towards her trainer with arms open. "We won!"

Aeliana runs forward and embraces her Pokémon. Her smile is wide as the two celebrate. The pink-haired trainer couldn't believe it, but they had somehow managed to pull it off. They were finally on their way to becoming champions.

Aeliana got the Grass Badge!

TM Case:

Spoiler:

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Fen-Fen · Feb 14, 2021

Haleigh Windsor, Melody Argent and Rosa Valdes

Girls' Night at the Barn

Haleigh walked into the refurbished barn, positively brimming with energy as usual. Instead of her usual attire, Haleigh was dressed up in a pair of black slacks, a white dress shirt and a dark purple blazer. It wasn't very flashy, but for Haleigh, it was more than fancy enough. She was super excited to spectate the contest; even someone as out of the loop as her was pretty psyched to see a big shot contest star like Ruby make an appearance. Even more importantly for Haleigh, Rosa and Melody were going to be performing tonight! She had promised Rosa to meet up with Melody and hang out together after the contest - though Haleigh decided in the end not to attend as a performer herself. It was only fair that beforehand, she'd actually sit down, watch them live and support her friends.

She took a seat by herself, occasionally getting up to help herself to some of the refreshments that were on display for the guests until it was time for the opening remarks by Ruby, speaking of bringing out the personality of the trainers themselves and their Pokemon.

Haleigh mused to herself what sort of performance Melody would be doing. Knowing her, it'd be something that was either loud, edgy or both. Perhaps something gothic and spooky given her ghostly team (even if she personally found her team as cute as a button). Rosa, on the other hand, she had no clue about. She didn't get to ask Rosa ahead of time what she'd be doing, but Haleigh supposed it might have something to do with the region she came from: Johto. Her impressions of the region were on par for the average Galarian: traditional, girls in kimonos, houses with rice paper.

Her musings were interrupted with the conclusion of Ruby's remarks, the lights dimming as the contestants lined up backstage. The contest was set to begin.

Haleigh waited with bated breath as Rosa walked up on stage. She was awestruck by the get up that the blonde had gotten herself into - a blindingly white kimono adorned with flowers, an elegant fan with a rose garden and Celebi. Rosa looked like a totally different person with those clothes, looking so poised and confident rather than the meeker girl Haleigh had encountered on Route 4.

She watched as traditional Johtonian music played in the background and Rosa stepped forward and a Pokemon - a pink Cutiefly - came out of the girl's kimono. The scenes shifted with various dustings and combinations of the three Pokemon that were on stage with her, Rosa's graceful movements punctuated with the trills of the music. The elegant performance kept Haleigh transfixed the entire time, feeling afraid to even breathe too loudly lest she disturb the serenity of the scene.

When it finally ended and she walked off stage, Haleigh got up out of her seat, let out a cheer for Rosa and raucously applauded.

Rosa left the stage, letting Zorro climb up on her shoulder so as to not let it wander off. She'd already sighted Haleigh from before she started her performance, and after finishing the show she'd been fixated on coming out towards her. There were a number of reasons to involve herself with Haleigh at the moment - there was first and foremost, the promise that they'd made earlier on involving Melody and the contest. Other than that… it just made sense to occupy herself with someone that she knew and not run the risk of running into someone "new" while she didn't have her notes to reflect on.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling and raising her hand up to the girl as the next participant transitioned to the stage. There was a relative quiet that surrounded them; no cheers, no applause, just the regular chatter of those who were attending the contest. She looked around, a certain thought sitting just at the front of her mind. "Is that what you're performing in?"

"Nah. I didn't end up having enough time to make a routine, so I'm just watching the contest, here to give my support to you two!" She gave the other girl a wide, cheery smile and a thumbs up. "You did amazing out there! I couldn't keep my eyes off of the stage. All of those movements and the way your Pokemon used those moves like that...it was all so pretty!"

Rosa smiled and nodded. "Thanks, we've been practicing pretty hard to pull off the moves elegantly. I even put off taking my gym challenge so we could work on it the last week or so." So, Melody was performing after all. She was happy that Haleigh had been able to talk her into it, since it ensured that they'd be able to meet up again after so long. It was unfortunate that Haleigh herself wasn't performing, but it wasn't her place to question her on it. "It's been a while since I performed on stage, so I hope it didn't look too awkward." She laughed softly, turning her gaze slightly back towards the stage, wondering who would be coming up next.

The other girl scoffed. "Awkward? Psh, nah mate, you looked so cool and confident out there. You looked like one of those really pretty shrine maidens. I know you said you practiced just before the contest, but you looked like a pro doing all that stuff! Have you done this before?"

"Yeah," she replied, absentmindedly as she watched Aeliana step up onto the stage. There was a twang of guilt in her chest as she watched the dancer take her spot under the lights. She just remembered she was supposed to meet up with her before the contest. "I used to be in training for that, but I had to quit. Then we moved here," she turned away from the stage, trying to remember if there were any other promises she'd made since Motostoke that she might have been forgetting now. She'd been so focused on Melody that… she shook her head. Had she promised Jasper anything? And off the top of her head, there was that thing with Achille... "Shrine maidens aren't exactly a thing here, y'know? Kind of hard to keep up with it after that."

Haleigh chuckled, "Yeah, can't say those are very common around here." So that explains her skill level she exhibited at the performance. It was a bit curious how her trajectory shifted from shrine maiden to trainer, but there were far more strange career paths to take. "But y'know what? Who's that gym leader from Kanto? The grass one...she kinda does both I think. I reckon you might be able to do both if you really wanted to."

Rosa smiled and nodded. "Yeah," a Kanto gym leader that was also a shrine maiden? She couldn't say that she could remember one, then again, she never really heard much about Kanto outside of the stories told by the monks that would go on pilgrimage there. "Anything is possible if you know what you want to do and can set your mind to it." But what was there that she could really do that she actually wanted to as well? Right now, the only thing that she wanted to really do was make it past Kabu… if she could just get through that, then-

"In the beginning, under the backlight
we touched each other with just our fingers"

Rosa was torn from her thoughts as a chill ran down her spine. Her attention turned to the stage, her gaze transfixed on the girl who was just starting to sing. Aeliana's Pokemon danced around her, accompanied by the dancer's vocals. The voice, the visuals, the imagery that it brought to Rosa's own mind as it all played out… brought the stinging of tears to her eyes as she pursed her lips.

"Wow." she whispered, it was the only word that Rosa could get out to describe the performance before the crowd erupted into applause.

Haleigh joined in the applause. It was such a touching song, and Aeliana's sweeping and graceful movements really added to the emotion of it all. From the passion alone, she could tell that it came from a deep part of her. It was the same sort of passion she'd get in the heat of a battle or encountering a new Pokemon friend.

"What a beautiful song and dance." She looked over, seeing that the performance had made Rosa go teary-eyed. "You okay?"

The girl looked over at Haleigh and then back at the stage with a smile. "Yeah, she just has a pretty singing voice." She laughed a little uncomfortably as she wiped away the tears forming at her eyes. "Just surprised me a little when she started singing. I would have thought she'd go for a straight up dance routine."

"Yeah, I seem to remember dance being her main thing. She's mad talented to be able to do both at the same time." Haleigh focused her gaze back to the stage, waiting for the next performance.

Rosa nodded, looking back towards the stage before feeling a poke at her legs. "What?" She whispered, looking down at Yzma who was gently pressing an Ice Shard into her leg to get her attention.

"Runt." She pointed towards a table off in the distance which was covered in food.

"Oh, you're hungry?" She whispered, glancing back up at the stage again. Another contestant was making their way up, but it wasn't anybody that she knew, so she could take the opportunity to get some snacks. "Hey, Haleigh?" She whispered, tapping on the girl's shoulder to get her attention.

"Yeah?" Haleigh turned her head over and looked back towards Rosa.

"Snacks?" She whispered, bending her head towards the table over yonder. "Melody's not up yet, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to step away."

"Oh, sure! I'm running a bit low myself, so that'd be doin' myself a favor too." Haleigh got up out of her seat, heading off towards the refreshment table to get herself and Rosa some snacks.

The girls walked over, finding the buffet that had been set out for them. There were some sounds from the stage behind them, indicating that whoever was up had started their performance. But now. Now there was only one thing on her mind. "That cake… looks so good," she whispered as she picked up a plate and walked over towards the desert table. She'd barely eaten anything all day, but with this many options for sweets, she never stood a chance. "Carrot cake, chocolate cake, moon cakes, a chocolate fountain, wow… I don't know if this plate will be able to hold everything."

Haleigh giggled at how much Rosa was getting. "Woah, someone's got quite the sweet tooth. But I can't talk much either, look at how much pie I have!" Indeed, the other girl opted for a smorgasbord of different pie slices, ranging from chocolate to key lime to coconut to lemon meringue.

"Sweets are the best." she said, taking a bite out of one of the slices on her plate. "I still can't believe Pia doesn't snack. Absolutely crazy if you ask me. So many good things to try, and you don't even have to fill yourself up on them." She dug her fork into the end of another piece, taking a sizable bite out of the coconut frosted slice.

Getting down a bite of the key lime pie slice, Haleigh exclaimed, "What, really? She's missing out on sooooo much!"

Rosa nodded as she cut into the mooncakes that lined the edge of her plate, looking inside to see what filling each one had. "I know, right? She barely even finished a single crepe at the winter festival. I felt so bad for the girl, I wanted to show her so many more treats but…"

"Oh come on, crepes are so delicious! I swear, me and you have got to sort that out with her."

Rosa nodded in agreement. She smiled as she bit into another of the cakes, thinking about the potential of forcing their favorite sweet treats onto the petite girl. "Definitely. But for now," she glanced back at the stage and then back down at her plate. "I'm going to fill up a little more and then head back, just in case."

"Alright, I'll go ahead and-" Just as Haleigh was about to get back up and join Rosa in getting in her snacks, the lights once again started to dim and another performance was about to start. Walking up to the stage was none other than Melody, wearing a gothic black dress.
"Holy shit, that's Mel!"

Rosa turned quickly, almost dropping the slice of cake she was taking from the table. "Oh shit," she whispered, seeing the girl up on stage for the first time. She didn't really know what to expect, given that Melody had previously said she didn't have any interest in joining the contests. But now that she was here and getting ready to perform, Rosa couldn't help but feel that the sight fit. She took several steps forward, meeting back up with Haleigh before they rushed to the seats that Rosa's Pokemon had managed to save for them. "Thanks guys," she whispered to Yzma and Zorro as she took one of the mooncakes and placed the plate on the floor.

The music began to cue with a plucking of strings until Melody took a deep breath and started singing in a sweet yet haunting voice. She always knew that Melody was a damn good singer, but hearing her sing about taking children into a garden of shadows gave Haleigh a chill down her spine. That, in combination with her Pokemon, really added to the haunting atmosphere.

Rosa didn't really know what to expect when Melody started. She'd told her that she didn't really fit the vibe of contests, but here she was, fitting in perfectly as she went into performer mode. As the Pumpkaboo went across the stage, she couldn't help but be reminded of her stint in the Wild Area and Pumpkaboo she'd run across there which presumably held the spirit of the missing Ranger. A chill ran down her spine as she instinctively felt for the styler that she'd been keeping in her pockets the last couple of months.

"Come little children,
I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment,
Come little children,
The time's come to play,
Here in my garden of shadows."

The girl couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity with the song. It was different from the Hypno's lullaby that Melody had sung to her back in Motostoke, but it possessed a similar eeriness which was amplified by the identical starting line. There were parallels throughout the song, to be sure, but as the girl continued on through the performance, the music slowly drowned itself out as she became entranced with both the performer and her Pokemon.

Haleigh continued watching as entranced as Rosa was, with Melody's Pokemon starting to float up towards the stage and cast all sorts of ghostly apparitions. Even she was a bit taken aback by how well Melody was performing as the elegant yet creepy ghost lady, but on the other hand, it fit very well with her Pokemon and her love for dark and gothic things. The horror movies the two had spent watching together back at Melody's nan's place probably gave Melody ample inspiration to draw from.

Follow sweet children
I'll show thee the way,
Through all the pain
And the sorrows,

Haleigh gasped as Melody started rising above the stage with her Gothita's Confusion. She couldn't believe her eyes at the sight of Melody levitating in the air, looking as much of an apparition as her Pokemon.

"Weep not poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and passions"

Rosa reached out from their place in the crowd, touching the tip of her finger against one of the Fake Tears which had made its way out towards them. It was like those music videos that Simon used to show her - she was at a concert right now. She reached out from the crowd, imitating what so many had done before her, searching for a way to connect with that star on the stage. A fitting thought, given that the girl began to glow just seconds after it crossed her mind.

The scenes continued to play out, with Haleigh on the edge of her seat the entire time. The parts that stuck out to her were Annabelle's fitting new Mismagius costume, the singing dropping out and being replaced with ghostly chanting, Melody once again being hoisted by her ghost Pokemon as if she weighed nothing at all and Piper using her Trick-Or-Treat attack as another ghostly spectacle. The purple haired girl knew Melody must be enjoying herself here, and despite the chilling ambience, she smiled widely at seeing her best friend putting her all into this performance.

As the performance neared what seemed to be its end, and the girl made a circle with the ghosts around her, the lights cut out. Rosa quickly looked around, wondering if there'd been some sort of malfunction before noticing the soft glow that illuminated Melody's face on stage. The performer looks up, and Rosa's heart skips a beat.

"Come little children,
I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment…"
Come little children,
The time's come to play...
...Here in my garden of shadows."

The lights trickle on, revealing more and more of the stage and its participants as a few in the crowd started to stand early and began to clap prematurely. Rosa looked around hastily, watching as more and more people began to rise to their feet at the same time that Melody began to head off the stage. She looked over at Haleigh, and then at the Pokemon by her feet.

Rosa leaned over to her chaperone, leaning in to talk into her ear so that she wouldn't be lost in the applause. "That was amazing! Do you think we should go see her?"

Haleigh stood and cheered, being among the loudest voices in enthusiastic support. "Yeah Mel, you killed it out there!" She chuckled upon realizing the unintentional wordplay she had done.

After Rosa suggested that they would go off and see her, Haleigh exclaimed, "Hell yeah we're gonna see her! It wouldn't be right to not give her some congratulations personally. Let's go!" Haleigh bolted up from her chair, waiting for Rosa to follow.

The two girls left their seats, disregarding the performance that was set to come after as they headed backstage to the changing rooms. Rosa looked down the hall, hoping to catch sight of their target before she disappeared into a room and slipped out her dress. She couldn't help but feel that if she missed seeing her up close in it now, it'll be a long time before the opportunity presented itself again.

Upon reaching the dressing rooms, Haleigh managed to catch a glimpse of Melody coming fresh off stage, all of her companions in tow. She called out to her, "Hey Mel! Over here!"

Melody and her three Pokemon make their way off the stage. Once she catches her breath, she'll go find Rosa in the crowd and congratulate her for her performance. From what she could see from peering out from backstage, the smaller girl absolutely killed her performance. She will have to watch the recorded performance once this is over, since it's got to be even better not viewed at an angle and not obscured by a curtain.

"Did you guys have fun?"

"Ta…!" Celeste says, obviously exhausted from levitating Melody, but looking rather pleased. This was very different from the performances she's done on the street, and if nothing else, everyone there will remember them for how strange their performance was!

"Kyyyu!" Annabelle says, giving an even higher hop that usual. It was so fun! She got to dance and show off two costumes in front of an audience!

"Ka… boo." Piper too gives out a sigh. That was incredibly stressful, and she's glad it's over, but she did have fun. It's hard not to enjoy yourself when everyone around you is having such a good time.

Melody bends down to pick up the exhausted Celeste. "Ready to watch Haleigh?" She asks, earning a nod from Annabelle and Piper while getting a confused stare from Celeste. What's a Haleigh?

Before Melody can explain, a very familiar voice answers her question for her. She glances up and is surprised to see Haleigh and Rosa together. "Hey!" She calls out, quickly jogging towards the pair, Piper and Annabelle following along behind.

'What do you say to her?' Rosa wondered, watching in what seemed like slow motion as Melody jogged towards her. 'What do you want out of her?' She slowly turned her head towards Haleigh who was still waving towards her friend. 'What's safe to bring up in front of both of them?' She slowly turned her gaze back towards Melody and smiled, closing her eyes for a second as she imagined what the perfect conversation would look like. 'Show time.'

"Wow, Melody you sounded great and you look amazing!" Rosa called out as the girl grew nearer. "I can't believe you actually decided to perform, but I'm super glad you did. You looked like you were having fun out there."

"Yeah mate, I was feelin' some real chills there! You bloody floated in the air too, that was so awesome!" She reached in to give her friend a hug. "Congrats on your first performance."

Celeste lets out an indignant huff as she is squished between Haleigh and Melody. She squirms between the pair before floating to perch behind her trainer's head.

Melody returns the hug by her best friend and peers over Haleigh's shoulder to set her eyes on Rosa. "These girls really wanted to give it a try, and… it was way more fun than I thought." Melody parts from the hug and glances between the pair with a sincere expression. "Thanks for convincing me to do it." She's not sure how well her performance went over with anyone else, but that didn't diminish how much fun she and her team had. Performing… is kind of great.

Rosa nodded, looking between the Pokemon that she'd brought with her to compete. "You all did great. With how much everyone was clapping after you performed, there's no doubt that you'll place." She glanced back over at Haleigh, who had decided not to go through with it at the last moment. "I'm sure if you'd participated Haleigh, you'd have done amazingly too, just going off of how you handled yourself in our battle."

The purple haired girl scratched her head. "Yeah, it's a shame I didn't have enough time to throw something together. I was so focused on the gym challenge it kinda got away from me. But there's always next time!"

"You're not gonna do it?" Note to self: Give Haleigh a lot of grief next time there is a need to… give Haleigh a lot of grief. For now, though, Melody only gives a little shrug. "I get that. You'll kill it next time." Melody says as the Mimikyu standing behind her hops excitedly in agreement.

The punk teen's hand then reaches up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear at Rosa's compliment. "You think?" That's such big praise coming from someone so elegant and who must have knocked the socks off the judges. Sure, so far Melody has only seen two performances, but if Rosa doesn't win, she's going to declare the whole thing rigged. She's such a natural on stage. "You were really beautiful out there." Wait-- that didn't come out quite right. Her performance was beautiful-- wait, no… she's sticking with what she said.

Haleigh immediately picked up on Melody's flustered demeanor. She was trying to play it cool, but her tic of brushing her hair back and her choice of words gave Haleigh a golden opportunity. She had given her hell about Achille, so it was time to repay the favor.

"Yeah, her performance was quite elegant, wasn't it Mel?" She gave the girl a teasing grin and a wink. "Especially in that pretty kimono and all."

Her attempt to not stammer over herself and say I mean the performance was beautiful was just destroyed by one soon-to-be-dead best friend. In an attempt to not look like too much of an idiot, Melody gives a small grin and nudges into Haleigh. "That too. It was all great."

Rosa blushed slightly and turned away. "Th-thanks." She muttered, quietly glancing out of the corner of her eye at Melody's current getup. "You look quite beautiful in a dress as well." She'd mentioned it earlier, but given that there was emphasis on her own attire now, it seemed like a good chance to bring it back up. "The way you moved around in it was… stunning. And you managed to do so much in it… and..." her eyes darted back up to meet Melody's gaze and then turned back to their Pokemon that were wandering around and greeting one another.

Melody is almost grateful that Annabelle's happy trilling sound snapped the trainer's attention from one another and down to them. The ragdoll Pokemon is guiding Piper around by her ghostly hand, introducing the bashful pumpkin to the Pokemon that had accompanied their guests. A tug on a strand of hair then causes Melody to give her attention to the lolita Pokemon sitting on her shoulders like a child. She can't see her face, but from what she's learned about her newest catch, she has a feeling she knows what she wants. "What's the food situation like out there?" She asks, feeling the heat from her face beginning to die down now that they're not talking about how pretty Rosa is.

Rosa's eyes widened as she took in a deep breath. "There's so much! So many sweets to snack on!" She rubbed her stomach, checking to see if she had any space to fit in a few more slices of cake before they called it a night. "And I think there's other foods too… but we got distracted and didn't take the time to check."

Haleigh's eyes lit up at the mention of all the food that was supplied to them. "Oooh yeah Mel, there's so much you're gonna like. Sooooo many snacks! I helped myself to all this pie, but I wanna try some other stuff too."

"You girls hungry?" Melody asks the ghostly pair. Annabelle looks up and gives a very dramatic nod, while Piper only gives a hopeful glance. Melody gives the pair a thumbs up before looking back to her favorite pair of trainers. "Lead the way?"

Rosa nodded, turning on her heels and happy to get away from the awkward moment that they'd all taken part in creating. Snacks were great for getting through social interactions. You can't make uncomfortable small talk if your mouth is full after all. She was all too happy to head back out and forget for tonight at least, that they'd had that literally confession.

"Snacks!" She whispered towards the Pokemon at her feet. Yzma and Zorro let out little cries as they waddled just ahead of her, just as interested as the rest of them to see what else the buffet had still to offer.

Haleigh followed the other girls back towards the buffet, getting her share of salty stuff such as popcorn, pretzels and crisps. She remarked to Melody and Rosa, "Can't have the sweet snacks without having some salt as well."

"As long as you don't put the pretzels on top of the cake, we're good. The world's not ready for that level of chronic weirdness." She flashes her best friend a playful grin before studying the spread herself. Time to play this smart: Things like pretzels and crisps are pretty easy to come by. Baked goods are expensive and can really only be obtained while in a city. There aren't many bakeries across the routes. Melody finds an assortment of multicolored cupcakes and quickly grabs a plate, taking one of each color and taking what appear to be oatmeal Greppa berry cookies for her Pokemon. "Totally worth it." She expresses happily. Whether she places or not, they have free cupcakes.

Rosa looked back over the tables, thoroughly satisfied with the variety of cakes now that she'd gone through two plates of samples. She walked down the line, looking at the pies, gelatins, and assorted fruits and other small sweet treats. "What do you kiddos want?" She asked softly, lifting up Zorro onto her shoulder and holding Yzma on her hip as she walked back and forth in front of the tables, picking up whatever the two of them pointed out.

The girls made their way back to their table, satisfied with the hoard of food they had amassed. Their insatiable appetite for snacks was interrupted, however, with Ruby coming in and getting ready to read out the results. Haleigh bounced up and down in her seat, saying to Melody and Rosa, saying, "Oh man, I'm so excited! I hope one it's one of you!"

Rosa nodded her head as the Pokemon helped themselves to the plate of snacks they'd had her prepare for them. "I hope so too." There were five ribbons being given out this time, which would most definitely increase her chances of placing. If it were up to her, just going off the performances they had seen then Melody should take first.

If her own performance had been a little more involving of her Pokemon, she could see herself taking second. But since she'd been so focused on herself then… she pinched herself lightly. The real threat was going to be if there was anyone that had done as well as Melody. They hadn't seen all of the performances, but even still she didn't recall hearing as loud of an applause for any other participant.

Melody glances over to see Rosa pinching herself and (after a couple of seconds of hesitation) reaches over and delicately touches the smaller girl's arm. "You've got this." She whispers while flashing an encouraging smile. She hadn't seen all the performances, and, in all honesty, only really paid attention to Rosa and Pia's (she would have to watch Aeliana's later, since she was stuck in her dressing room during that performance), yet she remained convinced no one moved across that stage as elegantly and skillfully as Rosa and her favorite Fairy Princess. As Ruby crosses to center stage, she catches Haleigh's eye and lifts the hand not currently attached to Rosa's arm, crossing her fingers. She doesn't want to see Rosa make that disappointed look that comes from working so hard and failing.

Haleigh was going to open her mouth to tease Melody and Rosa some more, but the nervousness that Rosa had shown made her stop in her tracks. She wasn't about to ruin the good vibes that Melody wanted to send to her, instead opting for an encouraging smile of her own and saying, "Yeah mate, no matter what, you're walking out of here a winner in my book."

"Thanks, Haleigh." She smiled, before looking down at the hand now resting on her arm, feeling the warmth of the girl's skin cutting through the nervous claminess of her own. It was reassuring, especially when coupled with her words. "Yeah. I believe… in both of us." She stopped pinching herself and slowly moved the hand on top of Melody's, cupping her fingers around it as they watched in anticipation for the results to be announced.

"Me too." Melody whispers as her fingers intertwine with Rosa's. It… feels like the right thing to do. It's a show of encouragement, right? She's new to this.

"Thank you so much everyone for your patience, and to all of our contestants for their wonderful performances!" Ruby glanced out from where he was standing, not locking gazes with anyone in particular but nodding and focusing on a few of the contestants he had managed to see. "Without further ado, let's get right into things! In fifth place," he paused, once more for dramatic effect. "We have contestant X!"

One spot down. Rosa held her breath, waiting patiently for the next name to be called. There were five ribbons to be given out this time around, but the last two were really just-

"Hold your applause," Ruby motioned towards the audience in an attempt to calm them down. "And now, in fourth place…" he looked out over the audience, pausing once more for dramatics. "Rosa Valdes!"

Rosa's heart skipped a beat and she closed her hand tighter around Melody's. She hadn't been expecting to win, but if she had to place, she would have hoped to have come in a little higher. If this had been a regular contest, she wouldn't have placed at all. Her mind raced over the course of the seconds that followed, running through not only the performance that she'd given, but all those that she had seen tonight. What did she do that others didn't? What did others do that she hadn't? Where would she need to improve to move up that one place and-

Her hand was growing consistently tighter around Mel's as she grew more and more lost in thought. It wasn't until she realized how clammy she was that she immediately pulled it away. "Ah… ha… s-sorry." She whispered, wiping her hand on her dress as the applause died down.

As someone who doesn't know much about the contest world, nor the fact that generally, three ribbons are awarded instead of five, Melody is thrilled for her friend. Everyone who places gets a ribbon, and all the ribbons are qualifiers for the grand festival. A win is a win, right? It doesn't matter if you win fifth or first, the reward is the same.

That's her thought-- until she turns to meet Rosa's eyes and feels Rosa's hand release her own. She looks… not sad, exactly, but far from happy. She looks pale, and… a little green? Damn it… this is exactly what she didn't want. This is why she approaches everything so apathetically: You can't be disappointed in a loss if you never think you have a hope of winning. "This contest stuff is… a lot harder than it looks." Normally when Melody is faced with someone who is upset, she either finds an excuse to leave or a way to change the subject. She's not a very comforting presence and she knows it… but damn it, she's going to try.

Rosa nodded and smiled, the color slowly returning to her face. "Yeah, it is." She laughed quietly as she turned to match Melody's gaze. "I'm sure you're one of the last spots remaining though. Nobody got nearly as much applause as you did. As long as one of us does well, that's cause enough to celebrate, isn't it?"

She got applause? Like-- real applause? Not the it's our social obligation to applause applause? "Yeah." She says with a (forced) confident nod. She had spent so much time telling both herself and her Pokemon that their routine probably wasn't going to go over well that she didn't even consider the possibility of placing. Hell, she thought there was a possibility of getting disqualified for sending ghosts into the audience-- fake ghosts, but still.

"Moving right along," Ruby looked out, moving his finger down the card to reveal the next name that was listed. "In third place, we have Aeliana Kekoa!"

Rosa furrowed her brow and thought back to the girl's performance. It wasn't that it was bad, but she couldn't help but feel bitter. Her voice was beautiful, and the scene she'd painted seemed very personal and heartfelt - but was her performance really worthy of third place? Maybe it was just that her own traditional style of performance was that far out over here. She clapped regardless, not wanting to seem out of place among her peers.

Melody claps politely at the announcement of Aeliana's victory, Annabelle and Piper crying out soft cheers of congratulations for a trainer they had both battled alongside. While the punk teen hadn't seen Aeliana's performance, there was no doubt in her mind but that she would place. The girl probably dances in her sleep, after all, and all the Pokemon she's seen Aeliana use lend themselves so well to her skillset.

Haleigh also gave some polite applause. There was no way that if Melody wasn't placing towards the bottom positions, that she did so badly as to not place. Maybe Melody would be second, or even...

"Next up, taking the ribbon and placing second… Pia McGuire!"

Pia had performed? Rosa must have missed it when they went to meet up with Melody backstage. She couldn't really think of what type of performance the girl may have put on, but then again, she couldn't really imagine the girl having any stage presence at all. That being said, the way Melody had felt about contests the first time she brought them up didn't seem like she had much confidence either, and yet she completely destroyed it up there.

Again, Melody finds herself clapping politely. She's fairly certain anything more than a polite clap would not go over well in this well-dressed crowd, so she strays away from letting out any woops or excited stomps of excitement. It's a contest hall-- not a mosh pit. She is incredibly proud of Pia, though. Much like Rosa, Pia always struck her as someone who had a natural elegance and really belonged on this kind of stage.

By this point, Haleigh was positively on the edge of her seat. Was Melody going to actually do it?! Was she going to claim a win for a contest on her first attempt?!

"And finally, in first place, and taking home the final ribbon for this opening contest…" Ruby glanced out at the audience and then smiled, locking his gaze onto the trio of girls that were waiting with bated breath. "Melody Argent!"

The crowd went wild, as everyone had been expecting this result, Rosa included. Her performance was so much better than anything else she'd seen tonight, so it was to be expected that she would take first place. "See, I told you you killed it out there." She just wished she could have at least been properly just behind her.

Upon hearing Melody's name as the winner of the contest, Haleigh was absolutely alight with joy. She couldn't believe it! The purple haired girl bolted out of her seat, ambushing Melody with a tight hug and exclaimed, "Melody, HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT I am sooooooooo happy for you! Congrats on the win!"

Melody will be grateful for the ambush-tackle later on, as it spared her from looking absolutely dumbfounded. Her eyes were wide and her expression shaken for maybe a fifth of a second before the slightly smaller teen thwomped into her. Her arms automatically clasp around Haleigh as three cries of delight are heard from Melody's chair. Annabelle lunges up from the seat and throws her shadowy arms around both trainers and buries her face in Melody's shoulder.

"Kyu kyu!" The ghostly fairy calls out, little tears of joy swelling underneath her disguise.

Rosa smiled as she watched the two girls embrace. Melody had won. At least one of them had done well enough to earn a celebration, and the embrace that the two were sharing was taking away enough of their attention from her to let her think. She hadn't spent much time around the Turffield, but in her week of training, she had overheard some talk about sights to see as well as the night life. She had an idea of how to celebrate, but she'd wait for things to die down a little bit before throwing out the suggestion. It'd be weird for her to jump right into the celebration and somber it up with something so lighthearted.

"And with that, the contest results are over!" Ruby crossed the stage, waving towards the audience as he looked out over them. "Those contestants who've placed, please make your way to the judge's booth to receive your ribbons. And for everyone else, we hope to see you again!"

"You're gonna get that first place ribbon and all too! I'm sooooo proud of you!" Haleigh continued the embrace, practically suffocating the other girl before finally relenting and adding, "World class trainer, world class contest star, is there anything ya can't do?"

Melody's mind is trying to branch out into a dozen different directions, and now isn't the time to focus on any of them. She should try to enjoy the moment, right? The punk teen puts on a grin and offers her best friend the V for victory sign. "Maybe we should get two badges or ribbons before we call ourselves world class, yeah?" She says with a playful wink. She gives Haleigh one last hug before turning her attention to Rosa, extending her hand to the smallest of their trio. "Ready to head back up?"

Rosa smiled and nodded. "Yeah, let's go get what we've won. We can celebrate after, yeah? I've heard about some interesting things we could check out, and a secret snack place we could check out too!"

"Right on!" Haleigh got up out of her seat, the other two girls following close behind. They made their way over to the judge's booth, Haleigh sticking to behind them while they claimed their ribbons.

Upon seeing the ribbons and being reminded of how well the two did, Haleigh said, "I really gotta get myself in one of these. I promise, next contest I'll join in. I ain't gonna take it easy just cause you all are my friends though, y'hear?" The last part of her remark was accented with a teasing grin.

"You've never taken anything easy in your entire life." Melody teases right back. She gives her best friend a very light, playful punch to the arm before glancing over her shoulder back to Rosa. "Secret snacks, huh? Now I'm deeply intrigued."

Rosa nodded as her face lit up. There was always time and room for snacks, especially secret ones. "Yeah, I just hope they're still out by the time we get there."

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!" Haleigh, Rosa and Melody all took off from the contest hall. The purple haired girl in particular was feeling the celebratory spirit between her recent gym victory and Melody's contest victory. Things were great, and nothing could stop her from feeling that way.

Dragon · Feb 14, 2021

Valerie's Quest for 100 Friends
Poké:

1000 ♦ Friends: 17

vs. ??? part 1

"The Barnham Bakery… eyyy, so this is it, huh?" Valerie and Flame, after a quick visit to the local Pokemon Center to heal and rest, have finally made their way to a single lone building in town: the Barnham Bakery. The strange old man that Valerie had encountered from Route 4 had told her to come visit here, leaving Valerie to try and figure out why. But, no answers, so, she with her usual plan with all things new, decided to YOLO it and step inside.

Once Valerie had stepped inside, her nose was greeted with the delightful smell of sweets; ones ranging from cupcakes to danishes, all presented neatly within the glass panels at the front counter of the bakery. The place was also kept neat and tidy, with a nice handful of galar-scene posters all around the place. "So, you came." Valerie eventually met up with him - the old man from before. He was sitting on one of the tables, reading the local papers. He didn't look away from reading them, even after he knew Valerie had come by.

"Suuup, old timer!" Valerie greeted. "Dude, I loooove bakeries, this place smells like a Munchlax's heaven!"

"Right then. First off, you may call me Barnham. Baker Barnham," the old man had sternly said to Valerie. "And this is my bakery, as you might have known from the name, yes?"

"Cool Exu-beans, Mr. Barnie!" Valerie beamed. "So ah, why did ya' want me to come by here, anyway?"

Mr. Barnham folded and rested the newspaper on the table he was sitting to.He gave Valerie a serious look. "Go in that kitchen, and cook me your best pastry."

Valerie blinked with a smile plastered on her face. "...Say what?"

"Go in that kitchen," he then repeated, slowly. "And cook me your best pastry. You and your pokemon."

"Pause and rewind!" Valerie had asked to inquire, showing a more perplexed look. "Why am I doing that?"

"I want to see the type of trainer that you are," Barnham explained, rubbing his fuzzy white beard. "For me, the trainer is defined on how he or she bakes. Understand."

"Nope, not at all," Valerie swiftly replied, but still retained her friendly smile. "Buuuut, if you asked for it, no problem at all, gramps! Valerie and friends' Berry Pies will knock. Your. Socks. Off. BAM! One hit KO, all your base are belong to us!"

"Off you go then," Barnham signalled her. "You'll find my granddaughter in the back, who will help you with what you need." With a nod, Valerie happily skipped her way to the back of the bakery - and to the kitchen. Whatever is going on in Valerie's noggin, he was sure to find out.

---

Inside, the kitchen was well - what you would have expected from a kitchen. There were all sorts of cutterware, plates, baking utensils everywhere. When Valerie came along, she noticed that there were three separate pokemon, along with a young woman - seemingly her age - seemingly working. Eventually though, she noticed Valerie coming in, greeting her with a quick nod.

"Oh, hello," she welcomed her warmly. She and her three pokemon greeted her with friendly waves. "I suppose you're the person grandpa was talking about?"

"Errr, I guess?" Valerie pondered. "Old man said to come by here aaaaand as soon as I knew it, it's pie makin' time!"

"I see, I see," the woman acknowledged. "My name is Caroline, and these are my three pokemon, Pansage, Panpour, and Pansear." Each of the three pokemon gave their own introductory cry. They seem to be fellow workers - that is, bakers - in this building. "Well, if you're going to start baking, I better show you around here… aprons are hung on the wall there, you've got your utensils, around the counters here, the pots, bowls, and trays you need are hanging all around here. And lastly… you've got our stone oven--"

"Eh? Stone oven?" Valerie repeated. She then looked around - until she quickly found a fairly large contraption of sorts… it was all neatly structured made out of brick, with the inside of it looking like it has a bunch of wood. "This thingy?"

Caroline nodded. "Our stoneware oven is the basis of our bakery for quite sometime now," Caroline explained. "Grandpa insists on using it. I never understood it back then, but, he always said that making goods within this stone oven represents the connection between partners." Caroline went over to the oven to inspect it. "Though, this one is a bit different from most. To use it, you'll need firewood to set it up, and a Fire-type pokemon to heat it up to cook in it."

Valerie gave the stoneware a perplexed look, but then nodded. "Awww, how hard could it be?" she finally accepted, turning to Flame, perched on her shoulder. "After all, Flame's the best Fire-type around!" Flame was slow to respond. He turned his gaze to the stone oven, giving it a once over. Operating it seems simple… all they needed was his flames, but…

"Awwwrighty! Time to get this goin'!" Valerie's shouts got Flame to snap from his after thoughts. He leapt out of Valerie's shoulder, right on the counter. She quickly got one of the hung aprons to tie around her waist. "Help me get our ingredients, buddy!"

With a nod, Flame and Valerie got to work. From peeling the apples, to sprinkling all of the dry ingredients, and adding the wet ingredients, both Valerie and Flame did it all together. Luckily for Valerie, her granny taught her how to make things like apple pies when they both did them together back at home - but this is the first time Valerie made one… with an oven like that. She turned to Flame once again. "Let's light it up, buddy! Go, go with your fire pwnage!"

Flame seemed unsure. He turned back to Valerie, but all Valerie had was her regular friendly smile on her face. He thought back - how his fire-attacks went up against his past opponents, but, there was still no reason why he couldn't succeed here. Eventually, he gave Valerie a nod as he turned back to the oven. With a quick inhale, he let out a small flame, brilliantly giving the oven a distinct glow as the fire lit up on the firewood inside. The fire quickly spreaded, warming the stoneware inside.

"Awesomeeeee! Let's put her in!" Setting the pie crust on top, Valerie, using one of the large wooden spatulas for the oven, carefully placed the pie inside the oven. Flame looked on as she did it; baking goods with a fire-type's fire moves was an interesting motion… but a lingering thought kept creeping up in his mind.

Is it enough?

Sometime later, the pie was finally done, and cooled off. Valerie made a square shape using her index fingers and thumbs on each of her hands. In her mind, the pie was done right. "Looks too good to eat, bro!" she complimented Flame. "Buuuut, we're gonna have to eat it! First, gonna show ol'Barnie." Flame climbed on back to her shoulder, as Valerie, with oven mitts, picked up the warm pie, making their way out of the kitchen.

Mr. Barnham in the meanwhile, once again kept to reading his papers. Though the sound of the kitchen door being open, alerted him that Valerie was nearby. "Time to eat up, gramps!" Valerie declared, placing the pie right in front of him. "You're looking at the combo of Flame plus Valerie, which equals Valame… the Yappy Apple Pie!"

"Hmmm…" Despite the name, Mr. Barnham carefully inspected the pie with a furrowed brow. Valerie happily and confidently looked on, but the silence was making Flame nervous. Barnham, using a knife, carefully cut open a slice of the pie, and with a fork, ate a portion of it. With a sigh, he placed back the fork and knife on the table.

"Disgusting."

"....Whaaaaa?"

"Disgusting," Barnham repeated sharply. "The apples are crunchy, the crust is soft, and… it looks like Yappy, took a crappy, in this pie." Barnham then looked at Valerie with his regular serious expression. "It's raw."

"A-Are you mad?! There's no way!" Valerie, pouting, crossed her arms. "Cause' we did everything perfect, old timer! The ingredients, the steps, aaaand the cooking time! And, raw? There's nothing raw about it! Unless you mean raw-ing good! Cause we--"

"It's your fire." Flame expression soured, and the pit of his stomach tightened. Barnham stood up. "It's far too weak."

My… fire? Flame was unsettled. The thoughts… were coming back. One of doubt.

Valerie gave Barnham a serious look. "What do you mean, it's too weak?" she inquired. "How do you know that? And… How can fire be weak? I mean it's... fire, gramps, y'know?"

"A flame from a pokemon that's too weak can't burn hot enough," the old baker explained in a huff. "You cooked the stone oven, yes? That's how I knew. It's little wonder how you as a trainer came this far with a weak flame."

I knew it… That was it. That was when Flame had enough. He lept off Valerie's arm, and ran off the door, before Valerie could get a chance to react. "F-Flame! Hey!!" Valerie tried to call out, but it was too late. Flame was already out, leaving Valerie behind. "Bro, where are you going?! Heeeeey!!"

Flame didn't care where he was running to. He just… wanted to escape. To escape… to escape… He ran past each horde of people with their pokemon. They were all smiles - some of them wanted to show off how strong their partners were, and some were just glad that they were around. But because of Flame's now damaged confidence… he felt like he didn't belong anywhere.

He could only watch because he was too weak to protect his old family. And now, he let down his only partner left, Valerie. No matter how hard he ran, his past always caught up to him.

Now, wait here, okay? You're still young and haven't gotten the strength to ignite your fire to protect yourself yet.

All the thoughts. All the doubts. All the pain. They all came rushing back. It was overwhelming.

Uuugh, not again! This useless pokemon--

Professor! I don't want this pokemon anymore, it's too weak! Can't I practice with something different, please?

But soon, Flame's thoughts were all interrupted--as he slammed into something without looking. No, it was… someone? On closer inspection, it was definitely a pokemon. It was a pokemon who had features of roses and masquerade attire. It has hair made of white rose petals, and a leafy, green cape with a yellow, collar-like bangle on its neck. A Roserade. The Roserade turned back towards the Cyndaquil with concern. The Cyndaquil backed off a little bit, somewhat intimidated and apologetic for bumping into the pokemon, but the Roserade greeted it with a friendly smile and warm cry.

"What is the matter?" there was then, a voice of a person right nearby, a woman. Flame didn't recognize her, but she seemed to be Roserade's partner trainer. The Roserade turned to her, then turned back at Flame; in her own way, trying to communicate what was going on. The woman turned to Flame.

"A Cyndaquil huh?"

To be continued…

P1 Valerie's Party

Journal

STAGE 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
vs. Zigzagoon pt.1
vs. Cyndaquil
vs. Zigzagoon pt.2

STAGE 2 - THE WILD AREA
vs. Morpeko
vs. Zangoose & Seviper
vs. Nidoran

STAGE 3 - WEDGEHURST
Opening Ceremony Pt. 1
Opening Ceremony Pt. 2
Opening Ceremony Pt. 3
vs. Swirlix
vs. Meowth

STAGE 4 - ROUTE 3
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 1
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 2
vs. Cherubi

STAGE 5 - GALAR MINE NO. 1 / ROUTE 4
vs. Dugtrio
vs. Vespiquen

Current Location

Route 4

A road dotted with wheat fields, long dirt paths and rolling hills, Route 4 is where most of the crop focused farms of Galar find a home, as opposed to the livestock trade of Wedgehurst and surrounding regions. Route 4 is the heart of this cultivation, the source of food, hard work and life across Galar. A bright and happy place to contrast the gloomy overcast of the mine before it, the hopeful atmosphere is known to attract some species of rarer, popular pokémon, making this place popular for trainers as well.

Trainer ID

Valerie (Val) Amity

Her main goal for her journey is to seek at least 100 friends - humans, or pokemon. So, she seeks to meet and obtain as much pokemon as she can for friends. She also seeks a successful endeavor within her Gym Battle challenge in Galar, in the hopes of one day, becoming champion, like many other trainers who have the same dream.

Items

Pokeball x1

Greatball x1

Moomoo Milk x3
Sweet Apple

--

TR: Rock Tomb x1
TM: Dig

Badges

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Galarian Pokédex V. 8

#032: Nidoran♂
#035: Clefairy
#172: Pichu
#155: Cyndaquil
#158: Totodile
#246: Larvitar
#255: Torchic
#263: Zigzagoon
#270: Lotad
#293: Whismur
#335: Zangoose
#336: Seviper
#384: Rayquaza
#416: Vespiquen
#420: Cherubi
#532: Timburr
#546: Cottonee
#582: Vanillite
#684: Swirlix
#778: Mimikyu
#821: Rookidee
#824: Blipbug
#867: Runerigus
#885: Dreepy
#887: Morpeko

Remember: Val loves you! ♡♡♡
Struggle: Valentine ♡ Chatter: @WillUBMyVALentine? ♡ Dizcord: Valentine#1196

Sonata · Feb 15, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 5

CHAPTER 6.9 - FEAR OF THE BEGINNING
Trigger Warning

"Tomorrow."

Tomorrow was the day that she would move on from Turffield. She was sure that by now she'd overstayed her welcome in the room that Ruben had provided her with, and it was nearly that time anyways. Rosa looked out the window, her room awash in the orange glow of the setting sun.

"Miss Valdẽs?" The voice was quickly followed by a knocking at the door.

The girl turned over in bed, looking at the clock on the nightstand before looking down at the door to her room. Ever since she had to deal with the Family finding their way into her room unbeknownst to her a number of times in Motostoke, she'd paid extra attention to each and every lock in the room - even going so far as to bolt the locks on the door leading to Ruben's room.

"Miss… Miss Valdẽs?" The voice questioned again, knocking two more times. "Guess she's out…" the voice trailed off, followed by the muffled shuffling of paper. A few seconds passed, and then was followed by a scraping sound at the bottom of the door. "Come on… just… Get. In… There. Finally," the voice huffed before the footsteps trailed down the hall outside her room.

Rosa watched the door for a few seconds longer, not wanting to get up out of bed and alert whoever it was to the fact that she was indeed in, but just not up for socializing. There was also the chance that it was someone with the Sisterhood, or the Family. Her eyes lingered for a few moments longer, as the orange that had washed over the room slowly turned to dark.

"Oh well," she whispered to herself. "I can always check it out in the morning, no big deal."

The girl wiggled her way back under the covers which had shifted away from her shoulders in her mild panic. Her Pokemon lay quietly around her, already sleeping peacefully. Rosa smiled, and sighed contentedly as she stared at the ceiling. She was anxious about what lay ahead, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel… good. She'd won her battle against Milo, she'd placed in the contest - albeit somewhat cheapened by the fact that her ribbon wouldn't have normally existed - and most of all, she was finding out more and more about the people around her.

If things kept up like this… she might be able to protect herself. If she kept up like this, she might end up with enough "friends" to surround herself with, so she'd never have to feel afraid or alone again. If things kept up like this… she yawned, instantly exhausted as all the things from the past few weeks finally set in on her. She was in a comfy bed, surrounded by Pokemon that cared about her, and at the end of her bed was a crimson smile. Things couldn't get any better than this. The girl took another deep, yawning breath as she closed her eyes.

No. Her eyes quickly peeled back open, focusing on the smile at the foot of her bed. What… what was that? She squinted, trying to focus on anything around the red outline. But… there was nothing. Nothing, except for the sudden chill that filled the room.

"N-no," she whispered, weakly as her eyes slowly forced themselves shut. "I can't… please…" Two blue slits appeared, glowing in the darkness just above that crimson smile as she was forcibly put to sleep. "No… not the smoke," she whispered, watching as the darkness drew closer.

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

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

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

"Get the fuck out of my house."

"What?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rosa fell to her knees. The sky was brightly illuminated with the light of the fire. "No… why?" She choked the words out, feeling the heat of the flames as the wind carried the embers and lashed them across her skin.

"Rosa, I'm sorry!" Simon cried out, sitting on his heels just in front of her. "I didn't know that… I didn't know! I don't know what to do… I'm so sorry… Rosa, please!"

The girl's face twisted and contorted as she struggled to fight the pit that had formed in her chest. Her shoulders inched towards each other as she trembled, rubbing her hands across her cheeks as she tried to figure out what to do with herself.

"Look, it's that demon girl."

"Did she start the fire?"

"With her mother still inside?"

"I wouldn't put it past the little slut. She has been getting closer with the Dansen boy since her father passed, after all."

"Oh, you don't think… somebody should warn Martin - just in case he doesn't know. I'm surprised her mother didn't say anything."

"Shut up…" Simon whispered, gritting his teeth as he clenched his fists. "Shut up! What do you know! She's not like that!"

"Tch, poor kid. If I was getting that kind of treatment when I was his age, I wouldn't know what to do with myself either."

Rosa clenched at her chest, feeling the pit within it grow heavier. "If it had just been…" she choked on the smoke as it rose, covering her mouth with her other hand as she leaned over and planted her forehead against the ground. "If it had just been me, then…"

"Mrs. Valdẽs?"

Rosa leaned around her mom, looking at the Ranger just on the other side of the door. She felt the pit in her chest ease up a little bit as she looked the man over, making sure that it wasn't her father. She'd seen the truck pull up from her bedroom window, and had put on his favorite dress, just to be safe.

"Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?"

The Ranger looked at Rosa's mother, and then down at the girl. "Ma'am, it may be better if you step outside for this." The man nodded towards Rosa as he pulled his hat off and rolled it between his hands.

Her mom shook her head without even glancing back at her daughter. "I'm sure whatever you have to say will be perfectly fine for us both to hear. She is a young woman after all. I'm sure she'll be able to handle it, if it's regarding her father."

The young girl's heart dropped as the pit returned, spurned on by the spite that was dripping from her mother's words. The girl winced, doing her best to keep her mouth steady so as to not show the pain that was hidden beneath her natural smile. She looked up at the Ranger, who was clearly having difficulty grasping the dynamic that her mother had just created.

"Well… it is in regards to your husband, but if you're certain that it's fine, I can't stop you." The man glanced back at Rosa and then at someone else who was just outside of view from where the young girl was standing. "I'm afraid that your husband, Ranger Rey Valdẽs, was killed in action this past week."

"And?"

Rosa's eyes widened as she looked up at her mother, who's demeanor had yet to change with the news. Meanwhile, the young girl was doing everything in her power not to break down crying. What did she mean And?

Her mother turned to face her, wrapping her fingers around the girl's throat as she and the Ranger loomed over her, laughing and spitting at her. "And it should have been you."

Rosa shot up in her bed, gasping for breath as she flopped her hands over themselves as they reached for her throat. "What the fuck?" She choked out, almost crying as her voice took on an unnatural raspiness.

She felt weak, completely drenched in sweat and uncertain of where she was at the moment. She turned quickly, looking out the window before she scrambled towards it, falling off the edge of the mattress as she flung the curtains open. She shook her head slowly, taking a few lethargic steps back before falling onto the bed. She was still in Turffield, and still in the room that Ruben had gifted her. The orange light of the setting sun filled the room, just as it had the day before.

"There's… but why… why?" She questioned, placing her hands over her eyes as she started to cry. "How long was I out? How much of that was real, and… Why now… I don't understand…" Her memories were hazy, and her head felt like someone had just hit her with a hammer.

She gasped for breath, reeling as she whimpered. Her whole body was shaking as she felt several spots of warmth begin to form over her body. She slowly uncovered her eyes, wiping the tears away with her palms as she switched between sharp sniffles and gasps for breath.

"Runt." "Munch." "Lou." "Cu!" "Buuuud!"

The girl struggled to smile, laughing as she looked at her Pokemon which had come to embrace her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sniffing as she pet Zorro's head and rubbed Wyatt's back. "You don't have to worry about me… I'm sorry… I'm-" she started again, trying to regain her composure, but failing after only just a few seconds. "I'm sorry I'm so weak… I'm sorry… everyone would be better off now, if it had just been me instead."

Rosa finished packing her things, picking up the balls from the table as she stepped towards the door. "Oh yeah," she muttered, picking up the envelope that had been shoved under her door the night before. "Wonder what this is?" She whispered, turning the card over to reveal a black stamp.

'Blackspear Industries'

"Is this… a job offer?" She shrugged, almost having forgotten that she'd applied for a license back in Motostoke. Given everything else that had happened, it was almost an afterthought. She was getting quite lucky with these complimentary room and board deals after all. "Wonder what it's about…"

You've been invited to participate.

Blackspear Industries is offering limited availability for a delivery job this holiday season to select individuals within the Turffield area. Should you choose to accept, a package will be waiting for you at the reception desk upon checkout. You'll be tasked with delivering a rare stone to the Carbink Jewelers location on the outskirts of Turffield.

Reward: 500 Poke

"Well… if I'm already heading that direction, I don't see why not." The girl turned, giving one last look at the room that she'd torn through like a tornado in the last few hours. She felt bad that this would probably leave a bad review for Ruben as a customer, but after she'd calmed down, she couldn't stop thinking about that smile… everything was locked, just as she'd left it, so how did that… whatever it was, get in?

Rosa's Party

Memories

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE
PLANNING AND CHALLENGE
VS Milo
Girl's Night Out

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

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

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

Jasper

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

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

Charles the Biker

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

Nat the Ranger

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

Budew Girl

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

Achille Béringer

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

Melody Argent

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

The Family // Damien(?)

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

Buggy Simon

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

Valerie

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

Aeliana Kekoa

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

Pia McGuire

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

Haleigh Windsor

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

Mother Priscilla

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

Ruben Sancho

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

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Jay · Feb 15, 2021

.

STAGE 7 - ROUTE 5

Spoiler:

Another step complete on their journey, our heroes step forth from Turffield and back onto the road to victory. With gym badges and contest ribbons freshly earned for some and some much opportunities for introspective gained by others, the road continues ever onwards towards the Wyndon Leage Tourney and the eventual Grand Festival.

A cavalcade of new events and activities arrive to grip these young trainers as they step onto the verdant paths of Route 5. Connecting two major hubs of trade for the Galar Region, the route is more populated than most. The odd building or countryside home dots the road, the pokémon daycare center is situated dead center between the two connecting cities, the magnificent Lilypad Bridge coasts over the central wild area below and the Hulbury Channel river perpetuates the route in its entirety, a clear indicator that travelling trainers are a but a blue thread to follow away from the bustling port city of Hulbury.

With new wild pokémon to catch, new locations to explore, new experiences to have... and Valentine's day just around the corner... who knows what experiences the coming days will bring to the graduating class of Wedgehurst Academy!

WILD POKÉMON AVAILABLE THIS STAGE

Pokémon Available to those with an Old Rod:

Pokémon Available to those on Mission 1:

Pokémon Available to those on Mission 7:

.

MISSIONS:

[CATCH CHANCE!][MULTI] Mission 1:
An illegal shipping operation was recently rooted by the local ranger corps. Rare pokémon from other regions were being moved using the Hulbury Channel. Most of the imported pokémon in question were retrieved, but the most valuable cargo, pokémon used as starter pokémon in other regions, were lost to the river, their pokéballs shattered in the process. At this point, their safety is what's most important, local trainers are being recruited to join in the search.
Reward:
- Mystic Water (Chance to catch Mudkip)
- Mystic Water (Chance to catch Squirtle)
- Mystic Water (Chance to catch Piplup)

[JP] Mission 2:
Valentine's day is approaching and locals at the Pokémon Nursery are very excited. As a place that focuses on the love between pokémon and the rearing of eggs and baby pokémon born of such unions, the staff are very excited to put on something of a show. With the location decorated to the walls with fancy heart shaped designs, special chocolates being sold and a crowd gathering from both Turffield and Hulbury... a small couples tournament is being hosted to celebrate the day! Sign up with a partner you trust and win a special prize if you succeed!
Reward: 2 x Destiny Knot

[OPEN] Mission 3:
With the Valentines energy in the air, there's romance everywhere one looks, floating in the breeze and drifting through the trees. This is the day for confessing to that special someone and putting your heart on the line, or appreciating the person you already have. Enjoy a riverside walk, a shared piece of chocolate or a night looking up at the stars... or spend it alone. The choice is yours!
Reward: Valentine's Chocolate (Yes, that's it, take your free shipping scenario and be satisfied.)

Mission 4:
Love isn't quite in the air for everyone this Valentine's day. Youngster Johnny is down on his luck. The girl he likes, Lass Jenny, won't give him the time of day. She won't even acknowledge that he exists and he's struggling to get her attention. He really wants a chance with this girl, but his chances are looking worse by the second. Help this loveless little lightweight leave a lasting impression!
Reward: 1 x TR Attract

Mission 5:
Old Man McMiller, owner of the nursery, has a problem. Of all the pokémon he's ever found a mate for, his own partner Chimeco has stumped him. Twenty-four years he's had this pokémon at his side and not once has he taken a liking to any who come his way... until now? He woke up one day to find his Chimeco in the fields with two eggs... but no mate in sight?! Of all the pokémon at the nursery (and there are many) who did Chimeco finally settle for?! Help Mr. McMiller find the truth and a reward from him and maybe even Chimeco is certain!
Reward: 1 x Pokémon Egg (Contains a pokémon from the Amorphous Egg Group who may be born with 2 Egg Moves.)

Mission 6:
The Lilypad Bridge is so named for its connecting to both the towns where a gym of grass and a gym of water are present. A marrying of the two concepts was key, but current events are taking the joke a little too far to say the least. A pair of spinning and dancing deviants have taken center stage and are blocking people from passing until their irritatingly long act has come to its conclusion. That's right, two Ludicolo are blocking the way forward... and interesting enough, they can't be caught. People have tried. Could they already belong to another trainer..? But nobody who could pass for these pokémons owner is in sight?
Wait, is that a card in the Ludicolo's rain dish?
Reward: 1 x Mirror B's League Card + 500 Poké

[CATCH CHANCE] Mission 7:
The central wild area sits just below the Lilypad Bridge, while most of the pokémon in the area are terrestrial, sometimes one comes along with the changing weather that can fly up to the bridge above and cause trouble for passers by. It is advised that travelers keep an eye out and travel with pokémon if possible, even in with clear skies. Thank you and stay safe. - Blackspear Industries Public Safety Announcement
Reward: 1 x Sharp Beak

Mission 8:
Down by the riverside a small opening leading into a dripping and drenched cave. An offshoot of the river has been working its way through solid rock for quite a number of years and drip dropping echoes reach out to the entryway all the time. Water type pokémon seem drawn to this cave and according to locals, often gather to it for fun and games. At least... that's what usually happens. Today, the cave seems all but abandoned. Why could that be?
Reward: 1 x Water Stone

Mission 9:
Galarian Farfetch'd are proud pokémon who fight with dignity and bravery as self proclaimed warriors. The thicker, tougher stalks of Galar are said to have lead to this sub-species of the Kantonian Pokémon, as Farfetch'd adapted to using the heavier, more disciplined weapons(?) in battle. Their desire to prove themselves in combat however, can have dangerous results for the surrounding environment. Two rival Farfetch'd, each with a scar over the opposite eye, have met for a final battle... they've already been at it for hours and their recklessness is threatening to destroy other pokémons nests and homes. Someone needs to put a stop to this.
Reward: 1 x Leek

Mission 10:
A little off the beaten track, hidden behind a glade of trees, is an old and abandoned manor home once said to belong to a kindly Pokémon Breeder. People say the breeder himself disappeared some years ago and the large house has been left alone ever since. More than a little spooky and avoided by pretty much everyone who knows better, the place is a beacon for local pokémon of a more sinister nature. Yet, if you're feeling particularly brave, stupid or both... they do say the breeder's old supplies are most likely still inside those abandoned halls...
Reward: 4 x Luxury Balls

Dragon · Feb 15, 2021

Valerie's Quest for 100 Friends
Poké:

1000 ♦ Friends: 17

vs. ??? Part 2

Valerie slammed her hands on the table. "What do you mean, leave him alone?! I gotta find him!" she protested to Mr. Barnham. He sat on a chair with his arms also crossed. He and Valerie both looked at each other in the eyes.

"I told you, you and your Pokémon aren't in sync," he explained. "So what's the point of searching for him now, when he ran out on you?"

"Cause he's my friend, duh!" Valerie explained. "That's why, btw, your not-in-sync baloney is utter rubbish!"

Barnham shook his head. "Friendship is not teamwork. Even if you guys met with the most arrogant person who doesn't value friendship as much as you do, they'd still be more connected with your pokemon." Valerie gritted her teeth from his words. "Just cause you called it 'friendship', it isn't enough to be called a connection. I told you, didn't I? A Pokémon partner's strength is proportionate to its trainer's power. When I told you two to cook a basic pie for me, I was testing both of your power and your ability to be in sync with each other."

He then leaned back, his eyes covered. "If your Pokémon trotted off, perhaps it's because it doesn't trust in your power and in your judgments. Call it a friend as much you like - you still failed, as its trainer."

Without a word in response, Valerie turned her back from Barnham, facing the door. "...I'm going to look for Flame." she then walked away, as Barnham could only watch her do so.

He then sighed, as the door to the kitchen pushed open. It was his granddaughter Caroline, and her three Pokémon, her Pansage, Panpour, and Pansear. She slowly and carefully made her way from out the kitchen, towards the main hall, shutting the door behind her. She faced her grandfather. "Aren't you being too critical?" she then said to him.

No response from him, however. Just a firm grunt. Caroline sat near the table he sat towards. "Grandpa."

"Becoming a trainer is not a joke Caroline, you know that." Barnham explained. "And besides, I--"

"I get it. Is that why you wanted that girl to come by here?" Caroline had then asked. "Because when you saw her, you saw a part of you? You don't want her to become like you?"

Barnham made a defeated sigh, as he stood up. "When a trainer loses the ability to communicate with their pokemon… that is despair. Despair that one might not realize it exists until it is too late."

"Grandpa…" with the last of his speech, Barnham headed back into the kitchen, leaving his granddaughter to look after him, with a heavy heart.

Meanwhile, Flame was in the local Pokemon Center, being fed with an assortment of berries, and nutritious Pokémon food. The blond woman who had found him sat across with him with a warm smile, and her Roserade having an equally warm smile too.

"There is not much Cyndaquil around this part of Galar," the woman examined. "So, is it fair to say that you belong to a trainer?" Flame stopped eating, and turned away, with a heavy head. The woman, now concerned, patted him on his head with a gentle touch. It felt warm… and motherly, like she has been interacting with Pokémon for quite some time. "You poor thing. Are you lost?"

Flame looked up at her, but then turned away. Not a very forward response. It's not that he was really lost, he just chose… to run from Valerie without a second thought. Now, he doesn't know what to do.

"Ro," The Roserade tried to comfort the young Cyndaquil. Not having around the people you like must be tough. Flame did agree with this; after all, through his young life, he always kept losing the people he cared about, and his lack of strength kept him from gaining new friends.

His mother died, protecting him from some territorial Pokémon that roamed around the area where they lived. When he was adopted by Ninetales and some other members of her family, they all also died, protecting their homeland from human poachers. Eventually, Professor Sonia had found him to take him in, only for him to be rejected constantly from every new trainer that had even approached and battled with him.

"Do you not want to find your trainer?" the woman had then asked. "They must be worried sick…"

Valerie...

"FLAAAAAAAME! Come on out, buddy!" Valerie meanwhile was scouring through the town, looking for Flame. Shouting as loud and as frequent as she could, weaving her way through the townspeople, she tried doing everything she could. "Where are you, bro?!"

"I told you, you and your Pokémon aren't in sync. So what's the point of searching for him now, when he ran out on you?"

"Flaaaaaamey! Heeeeey!" The words of Mr. Barnham was still fresh in her mind. While she considered her Pokémon as friends… did they think about her the same way? Valerie was always a free spirit, always looking ahead to the next friends she had made, while trying to keep the ones she made already…

Just cause you called it 'friendship', it isn't enough to be called a connection.

To have the desire to make 100 cherished friends is a beautiful mindset. But, are you ready for the responsibility and pain that it will cause you?

Connections… The reason why she became a trainer in the first place was to meet with Mew: to make friends, and experience a lot of amazing memories with them. But, what does it really mean to establish a connection? For Valerie, what does it really mean to be a trainer? She wasn't very used to deep thoughts like that, but…

Did I really let Flame down? Valerie started. As a trainer? Oh, Flame-bro…

At the Pokémon Center, Flame was now reminded of his memories with Valerie. Back when, he couldn't even muster igniting the flames on his back.

****

"I'm sorry about your loss the other day, Cynda-bro, buuuuut... I still think you're one amazing lil'guy!"

"Cynda."
But I'm not amazing at all, because I…

"Nooooo you dummy, I'm not just sayin' that! It's cause you're working hard to get strong and make all sorts of new buddies, right? That's just like me!"

"Cynda, Cyndaquil..."
But no matter how hard I try, it all seems so pointless…

"I totes get what you're saying, Cynda-bro, and y'know, I'm kinda the same way! And Heeeey, you know something, flame-bro? I'm a failure too, y'know. But no probs, no probs! We can graduate from failure academy together!"

But is that true Valerie? I wonder… I used to think so. I used to think, if I trained myself two or three times harder than anyone, then I can be strong enough, but… now I'm not so sure.

"I think there are a lot of cool things we should learn about the world of pokemon. And y'know something? I think I'm gonna learn all I can, and graduate from the academy!"

I…I dunno if I can really take it.

"After all, I can't just let you one up me, right?"

Everything I do… just seems so pointless. I'm… weak. And… I'm always going to be weak. You don't want that either, don't you? You want a strong Pokemon. A Pokemon who you can be proud to walk by your side.

"Then, are you scared, bro? Are you scared about what the future will bring for you?"

Yeah… I'm scared… I'm obviously scared of being alone again…

"Flame-bro… you've had it wrong this whole time!" Valerie faced Flame with a serious look.

I… had it wrong?

"Having strength or talent isn't never the goal. Cuz, there's something much more important than whether or not you're strong, right?" she faced Flame with an open smile. "What's important is that you believe in yourself. If you can't do that, no matter how much strength you have, you'll never be confident in yourself."

Valerie, you…

"I don't care if my first Pokémon is strong, or weak, I just want a Pokémon who can be confident enough to walk with me. To share memories with me, and is unafraid to try new things with me. Flame-bro is someone who did all of that, and more. So, it's gonna be alright. I think it's time you have confidence in yourself."

Valerie continued in her thoughts. Why did I become a pokemon trainer? Was it just because I wanted to make friends and memories? Sure Val, but… helloooo, wasn't there a more important reason?

***

Valerie remembered the first few times she was streaming. She's someone who is Bi and came from a place where people didn't accept her for who she was. Inspired by a friend of hers, she created her Valentine's stream, a stream dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, or anyone else that needs a helping hand, or some support. On one such day...

"Wooo, gengar25, thanks for the donation! Hmm… Valerie, I'm deciding to come out to my parents. Should I? What should I do?" Valerie leaned back to her chair, her arms stretched outwards. "You totally should. Like, you should start being more confident in who you are, you know? Start surrounding yourself with people who accept that about you too. But I know buddy - it can be a pretty difficult thing to do, y'know? What if people around you don't accept you as you are? I've been there, my man. But, that's what we Val-uables are here for! To help you out whenever you need us! We all love you, and if things don't work out, I promise to do everything I can to help you out, okay?"

Yeah, that's right Val! You want to be a trainer to not only make cool memories and make friends, but to also spread a bit of hope. It doesn't matter who you are, what you're like, or where you came from, anyone can reach their dreams. You wanted to come... A champion. Not just for yourself, but for the friends you made along the way! That's why for Flame...

Confidence, huh… Flame was still left lying on one of the tables in the Pokemon Center, under watch by the blond woman and her Roserade who found him. Valerie, I…want to continue travelling with you. But still, I'm sorry for disappointing you. I've let you down in battle many times. But, now…

Flame stood back up, to the surprise of his company. If you let me be your partner again, I… as your friend, I swear that I will never let you down again. Until I become... the strongest Fire-type in the world. So that's why, for you Valerie…

***

That's why…
That's why…!
I want to become the strongest partner for you!

"STAMPEEEEDE!" then came a shout from outside. Without a moment to react, Valerie felt the ground rumbling. As soon as she knew it, a mob started to come. A mob, full of tall, horned Pokémon. Valerie opened her Pokedex. 'Tauros' was the name read on the screen - they were all charging through the town, seemingly angry and in a frenzy. The street was soon full of them, with most the townspeople clearing out. "Everyone move! Clear outta here!"

There was a lone man, who looked like a farmer from nearby. "My Tauros… my pride and joys!"

"Hey!" Valerie spotted him, and approached him. "What's goin' on here, Mister?"

"We were all in the yard, mindin' our own business and such, until… there was this other Tauros and…" the farmer paused, trying to catch his breath. Soon, the Tauros started to slow down, and.. Appeared to have opened a path. A path opening for another Tauros - one that seemed much larger than the rest. It had a scar, raked across his right eye, and scratches that showed all over his horns. It seemed stronger than the rest, and more battle experienced. He waltzed his way to the farmer and Valerie, dragging one of his hooves back and forth. It was an obvious sign - he wanted to beat down stuff, and destroy everything in his path.

Even still, Valerie walked in his sights, holding out a pokeball. "...I need to look for my friend. Get outta my way!"

To be continued…

P1 Valerie's Party

Journal

STAGE 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
vs. Zigzagoon pt.1
vs. Cyndaquil
vs. Zigzagoon pt.2

STAGE 2 - THE WILD AREA
vs. Morpeko
vs. Zangoose & Seviper
vs. Nidoran

STAGE 3 - WEDGEHURST
Opening Ceremony Pt. 1
Opening Ceremony Pt. 2
Opening Ceremony Pt. 3
vs. Swirlix
vs. Meowth

STAGE 4 - ROUTE 3
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 1
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 2
vs. Cherubi

STAGE 5 - GALAR MINE NO. 1 / ROUTE 4
vs. Dugtrio
vs. Vespiquen

Current Location

Turffield

Turffield (Japanese: ターフタウン Turf Town) is a small town located in central Galar. It is home to the Galar region's Grass-type Gym, Turffield Stadium. To the south is Route 4 and to the east is Route 5.
.

Trainer ID

Valerie (Val) Amity

Her main goal for her journey is to seek at least 100 friends - humans, or pokemon. So, she seeks to meet and obtain as much pokemon as she can for friends. She also seeks a successful endeavor within her Gym Battle challenge in Galar, in the hopes of one day, becoming champion, like many other trainers who have the same dream.

Items

Pokeball x1

Greatball x1

Moomoo Milk x3
Sweet Apple

--

TR: Rock Tomb x1
TM: Dig

Badges

---

Galarian Pokédex V. 8

#032: Nidoran♂
#035: Clefairy
#172: Pichu
#155: Cyndaquil
#158: Totodile
#246: Larvitar
#255: Torchic
#263: Zigzagoon
#270: Lotad
#293: Whismur
#335: Zangoose
#336: Seviper
#384: Rayquaza
#416: Vespiquen
#420: Cherubi
#532: Timburr
#546: Cottonee
#582: Vanillite
#684: Swirlix
#778: Mimikyu
#821: Rookidee
#824: Blipbug
#867: Runerigus
#885: Dreepy
#887: Morpeko

Remember: Val loves you! ♡♡♡
Struggle: Valentine ♡ Chatter: @WillUBMyVALentine? ♡ Dizcord: Valentine#1196

Dragon · Feb 15, 2021

Valerie's Quest for 100 Friends
Poké:

1000 ♦ Friends: 17

vs. Tauros - Part 3

"Let's do it, Flora!" Valerie released one of her Pokémon, her Cherubi, to do battle against the supposed leader of the Tauros pack. While the ongoing Tauros crisis was a thing, the only thing on Valerie's mind was to find her good buddy, Flame. And this big thing was the obstacle in her way. Wasting no time, it was time for her to get busy. "Show em' who's the real boss! Tackle, then a Leaf-age attack!!"

Flora rushed in as fast as she could, in an attempt to tackle the beast. The Tauros huffed, galloping forwards to counter with a tackle of his own, easily overpowering the little grass-type, sending her flying backwards. The Cherubi managed to stand her ground upon landing however, sending a barrage of leaves towards the Tauros in retaliation. The Tauros blocked it with his horns as he continued to charge forward to the Cherubi. He managed to send the Cherubi upwards with his horns, sending her cashing to the ground.

"Hang in there, Flora!" Valerie grabbed another pokeball. "Go, Drill!" Next she sent out her Nidoran, his horn proudly sticking out, and his battle growls to indicate his pride in battle. He faced the Tauros, awaiting his command. "Use Poison Sting!" The Nidoran let loose a barrage of poisonous needles to its target, only to be blocked once again by the Tauros's horns. "Then let's go for a duo-attack! Drill, Fury Attack! Flora, Tackle!"

Flora managed to stand back up, and with Valerie's command, the two Pokémon charged in together, combining their respective attacks. To respond in kind, the Tauros charged in, horns first. Valerie could only await the incoming clash.

Meanwhile, the other Tauros were on a rampage throughout the town. Flame, alongside the blond-haired woman, and her Roserade, stepped outside the Center. All they saw were chaos. "Are these Tauros from the farms in Route 4?" the woman wondered. Her Roserade looked up at her. "Right, we should help do something… first to make sure everyone is safe, and..."

Valerie! Flame meanwhile, wanted to get to the heart of the matter right away. Somewhere within this town, Valerie was sure to be there, looking for him. Before the woman knew it, Flame started to run off. "Hey! Hold on, wait!" But Flame did not falter or looked back. He tried his best, weaving around the panicked crowd of the town, trying to find his friend.

"Ro!" the woman's Roserade gave her a more determined look. The woman knew that look. No time to second guess. They both gave each other an understanding nod.

The Tauros rammed head first against Valerie's two Pokémon, and upon impact, sending them crashing to the ground. "Hang in there, buddies!" Valerie's cheers and cries for them got them back on their feet, but it was clear - this Tauros was powerful. Maybe too strong… "But we're not giving up yet!"

With a mighty roar, the Tauros's body started to shake. His body vibrated, and what it appeared to be like smoke, steaming from his snout like a tea kettle boiling water. With his change of appearance and condition, he stormed and bashed the two Pokémon over and over. Valerie - frantic on what to do next, simply ordered the next move that came to mind. "Poison Sting!" But the order was blocked, with the relentless attacks of the Tauros.

The two Pokémon rolled on over, injured all over their bodies. But the Tauros was not done, as he continued charging forward. "Come on… Leaf-age!" But even with Valerie's command, the Pokémon were exhausted. The Tauros continued to charge, but his attack never connected. He was stopped at his tracks, by the sudden barrage of flames. Valerie widened her eyes. That strong of fire-attacks were all too familiar: it was Flame, who leapt from Tauros to Tauros who charged in and about all over the place, making his way to Valerie's location.

"Flamey!! Ohhh man, am I ever glad to see you!" Valerie cried, starry-eyed. Drill and Flora gave him a happy greeting cry as Flame went over to assuage the two of them. He then turned to Valerie. Valerie knew this look well - the 'leave it to me, look'. With a nod, she recalled Drill and Flora back inside their pokeballs, turning her attention to Flame.

"Alllrighty! Maaan, look at us, Val and Bro once again, about to have a hell of a fight! Okay… let's pelt em' with an Ember!" Flame's showers of fire scattered through the area, hitting their mark against the Tauros. The Tauros was taken aback a bit, but he didn't seem to have suffered much damage. He charged in with his usual aggressive manner, attempting to strike the Cyndaquil. Flame manages to dodge out of the way, releasing a burst of smoke screen in the area. "Oooooh, I like this! Cool idea, Flame-bro! We'll use the smoke to grind them down!"

The Tauros surveyed the area where the smoke gathered. Unknowingly to him, Flame was quick to strike, pelting him with an shower of flames. The Tauros was annoyed now, and Valerie could only hope that Flame could keep up the hit and run tactic. With the end of another quick spitfire attack, the Tauros charged right to the direction it came from, only to crash right into a light pole.

He roared in genuine anger now, charging all over the area, thrusting his horns upwards upwards. Flame was left with no time to release his attack as all he could do was dodge his new aggressive tactics. Eventually, the black smoke started to clear, letting the Tauros have a clear view of Flame. Done playing around, he thrusted his horns for a fierce attack. "Quick Attack!" Valerie then shouted, instructing the Cyndaquil to kick from his hind legs, running fast enough to jump out of the Tauros's path. The Tauros couldn't stop himself, as his body rammed clear to another lamppost.

Nice! Valerie thought, relieved that her quick thinking stopped Flame from getting a savage blow. Flame landed himself in front of Valerie, watching the Tauros shake off the collision. Flame geared himself up for another go. The Tauros let out another fierce roar, this time raising both of his legs in frustration, stomping on the ground with a mighty thud as a result.

But this was not a battle cry - this was a declaration. Tauros around the town grew more agitated and angry. There were soon many more Tauros following under him, running suit towards Valerie and Flame. Valerie gritted her teeth, but accepted the situation. It doesn't matter how many there are, we'll defeat you all! Her determination with Flame sought her sights on fighting as many Tauros as she could, but interrupted with a swarm of cotton. "Cotton? But hey! That's…"

"Woo, managed to get here in time it seems!" the attack came from Milo, the local Gym Leader. He was with another pokemon, who created a barrier of cotton, all thanks to her cotton spore. Even to Milo, it was really amazing how much she can pile on at once at a short amount of time - the cotton managed to slow the Tauros, even calming some of them down to their tracks. It was Milo's ace, Eldegoss.

Flame and Eldegoss exchanged looks. Flame had a serious, on guard look, while Eldegoss had a disgusted, hateful look in turn. "Whoa, Wind-Mil!" Valerie waved to him. "Good save!"

"Nice to see you're well, Valerie!" Milo responded with a smile. "We'll help things out here, don't you worry!" His Eldegoss, still radiating hatred for Flame, eventually turned away from him. She let loose more of her cotton like moves, slowing even more of the rampaging Tauros.

But to Valerie's surprise, there were even more coming, from multiple directions. Even after Flame committed his spit fire attack, it only stopped a few of them as more of them were in coming. Valerie and Flame were prepared for battle, until a fierce wind stirred up. Valerie held on to her hat on instinct, observing the whirlwind of leaves that twisted and cycloned - colliding with many more Tauros that were in coming. Flame was shocked, yet delighted to see the one responsible: the same Roserade he had met before. And not far behind…

"Good work." It was the blond woman's trainer. She slowly took off the glass she was wearing, and spun them around with her fingers. Valerie had a good look at her. She was a woman who had an air of maturity, confidence, yet seemed kind and approachable.

"Hold on a second..." Milo had a good look at the woman as well. It took him a hot minute, but there was definitely something familiar about her. "It's you! The... Professor of Kalos, right?" The woman gave a sincere smile to Valerie, and back at Milo. "Professor Kuzuonha…"

"Just call me Emma." the woman, Emma, wore back on her glasses. "I just stopped by on pure coincidence… but it looks like it was a good thing I did." Her name was definitely familiar to Valerie as well. Emma turned back at Valerie. "My partner Vida and I will take care of things here. You just worry about the front line, and, I will take care of the back, protecting the townspeople. I promise." Valerie gave a quick giggle and an excitable grin.

"Maaaan, this is sooo sick! Prof. Emmie? In the flesh?!" Valerie squealed. "You sure know how to make an entrance, girl! Allllrighty Prof. Emmie, leave it to me!"

"Emmie, huh? Hehe."

Vida, Emma's Roserade hopped nearby Flame, sticking out one of her bouquet… hands. Flame in turn, made his stubby hands into a fist, lightly bopping against Vida's own. A Poke-fist bump. Vida and Emma turned to the back of them, while Valerie and Flame were left facing the leader of the Tauros pack.

"Ready, Flame-bro? Time for seconds!" Valerie declared. "This feast ain't over, till it's OVER!" The Tauros started to charge in again. Flame charged in as well, attempting to tackle it, but the Tauros still managed to knock it back, overpowering it. Landing on his feet, Flame decided to try again. "Hit it with a Double Kick!" Valerie encouraged, having Flame roll once, meeting the Tauros's head with his hind legs. It served more as a distraction in the first blow, having the second blow strike right on the side of his head.

"Keep at it!" Valerie cheered. As Flame charged in once more before the Tauros could recover, he instinctively started to roll. Then to Valerie's amazement, his body became wrapped in flames, until Flame was completely encased in fire, that swirled around and around in a circle. He then striked the Tauros, with a blow that seemed much stronger than a tackle or a quick attack. Valerie, unsure of what had happened, then noticed her Pokedex started to vibrate. When she opened it up, it was a sight to see. "This is… Flame Wheel? never had this attack before? Then… Pokemon can learn new moves?! Hype!"

Flame landed on his feet, but the Tauros hadn't given in just yet. With no hesitation, the Tauros reared up his horns for another attack. "Do another Flame Wheel! Let's push him back, Flame-bro!" Flame with Valerie's backing, rolled around in flames to deliver another strike. The two blows collided, with the Tauros, once again pushing the Cyndaquil back. "Come on…!" But Flame was not backing down, as his attack roared and burned brightly. He turned brighter. Then brighter… than almost too bright, to Valerie's surprise.

"Whoa… what's going on, Flame-bro?!" the sharp light around Flame glowed brilliantly. The Tauros was not worried, until he realized that he started to be pushed back. The flames grew hotter, brighter, and bigger. Soon the Tauros was completely overwhelmed, being pushed back to the ground. The emotions of anger, and shock were washed to his face as he witnessed a brilliant sight: the fire started to cascade into a small tornado. It was hard to see, but to him, he saw that his opponent seemed to be getting bigger. His body stretched longer, his fire was hotter, and more importantly, he could tell the Cyndaquil was growing more powerful.

Quickly the fire erupted and burst into specks of light that gracefully fell to the ground, like snowflakes. The smell of smoke cascaded to the Tauros's nose as he then witnessed his opponent suddenly have changed. This seemingly new opponent, let loose a fiercer battle cry.

"F-Flame-bro?!" Valerie was left shocked at this development. His friend had changed shape. He was bigger, longer, and his cry was different. Flame was no longer a Cyndaquil, but something else entirely. Valerie quickly looked at her Pokedex as soon as it buzzed. "An evolution of Cyndaquil? Quil...lava… Quilava? Ooooh, so, you evolved, Flame-bro?!" Flame turned to Valerie and nodded, accepting his new form. Valerie clenched her fists, and popped up excitingly in the air. "Yaaaaas QUEEN! YOU GO!"

Flame, not only changed his form, but now… has an air of something that he needed. His own confidence. He turned back to his opponent, the fierce leader of the Tauros who had steadily galloped his left hoof, now more anxious to get a crack at this new Pokemon.

Valerie, now more calmly, directed her gaze towards the Tauros. She slowly closed her eyes. "To be connected with your Pokemon… I get it now. If you're gonna evolve Flame-bro, then your sis is gonna evolve as a trainer with you." she then reached for the shoulder of her jacket. Then as soon as she flew opened her eyes, she took off her jacket, sending it flying to the ground. Underneath, she had a t-shirt: her league shirt, with a distinct flaming pokeball design on it. She pounded the palm of her left hand with her right fist. The air around her was different. "This time, Val's gonna fight alongside you. Ready?"

The Tauros roared. It wasn't about to wait anymore, as he charged, horns first. With the air now charged with even more of the heat of battle, Valerie knew it was time. "Iiiiiit's WHOOP-ASS TIME!"

Flame's back ignited differently, but burned even hotter and stronger. He charged in the fray. The two Pokemon ran towards each other, and the incoming collision was imminent. But then, Valerie started to do something different: she raised up her right shoulder, then as soon as she moved it sideways, she gave her command, "TACKLE!"

The most peculiar part was when Flame did the command, it was almost as if… it moved exactly as Valerie did. It used it's stronger arm to push the Tauros's head and his horns away at the last second, causing it to briefly lose its balance. Valerie then clasped both her arms. "Give it a QUICK ATTACK!" and as quickly swiped her arms downwards. Flame jumped upwards as the Tauros staggered, and upon Valerie's command, he performed the same motion, using his arms to strike downward at the Tauros, using the force of his legs for his quick attack.

Tauros was brought to the ground, but it was not out. With all the strength it could muster, he thrusted his horns upwards, delivering a sudden strike against Flame while he was mid-air. Upon impact, Flame rolled to the ground, but managed to recover. "Oh! This is what we wanna do next!" Valerie tilted her head to the side, "Use EMBER!" then threw her head forward upon her command. Like they were reading their minds, Flame tilted his head forward from charging his move sideways, releasing a stronger barrage of flames than how he released him before as a Cyndaquil.

The flames stuck the Tauros, like miniature meteors. The barrage was enough to bring the best to his knees. "Alright! Time to wrap this up!" with the declaration from Valerie, she raised both arms in the air. Flame started as quickly as he could, running up to the Tauros. He then raised his arms as Valerie did so as well. "Get him with your FLAME WHEEL!" Valerie and Flame quickly both rushed their arms downwards. In Flame's case, he used the power of the motion to create a large, swirling fire to cloak himself in. He rushed to the Tauros, striking him with the burst of flames, causing the Tauros to slump down on the ground.

Valerie then had an idea. She quickly got out a Great Ball from her possessions. "Now!" she yelled, throwing the Great Ball right towards the Tauros. The Tauros was sucked inside, leaving the ball on the ground. The pair then watched as the Great Ball wiggled a few times. Eventually, it stopped, with its familiar 'PING'! Of success. "WOO! Awesome!" Valerie jumped in the air in eagerness. The Tauros was captured, and another potential friend got!

Meanwhile, the other Tauros, seeing their leader defeated, didn't know how to operate without him. They soon turned more docile, in confusion of what to do next. The farmer, who hid nearby, finally came out. He smiled happily, upon seeing his Tauros had all calmed down, ready to be rounded up. "Thank you… Gosh darn it, thank you!" He thanked Valerie wholeheartedly, grabbing her hand to shake it repeatedly. "When that Tauros came around, it started making a ruckus cause it wanted to fight everythin' it came across… all of a sudden, my own Tauros started following him, and darn it, everythin' became a mess. Oh! Here! Take this!" He got out something that he had kept in his big overall pockets. "This here is a Macho Brace. It can help you grow your Pokemon!"

"Thanks, mister!" Valerie happily accepted the item. She then went to retrieve the captured Tauros she caught in the Great Ball. Meanwhile, Milo and Eldegoss, wrapping things up on their end, turned their sights upon the victorious Valerie and Flame.

"Looks like you've won!" Milo smiled. Eldegoss was not as celebratory, nor impressed by the feats of a fire-type Pokemon. Valerie nodded, but then shared glimpses with Flame. With a new, serious understanding with one another, they both turned back to Milo.

"Hey, Wind-Mil? I want to have another battle with you," Valerie then said with a serious expression. But it turned into a determined smile. "I wanna grow stronger with Flame, and become a better trainer too. And you know what!? This time, things are gonna be different!"

Milo gave her a grin. "I like your tune!" he followed up. "Alright. This time, I'll see you in the Gym Stadium. Eldegoss and I will be waiting.

Eldegoss and Flame exchanged serious, fierce looks. Eldegoss was still hateful towards Flame… but now, even more disgusted. Flame however, was more calm, but still serious and ready.

The woman known as Emma looked at the activity, hidden with Vida in secret. With the chaos dying down, it was time to make her leave. But she turned back to Valerie briefly. "Good luck out there. You're gonna do great."

Obtained a Macho brace!
Used x1 Great Ball

Caught a Tauros!

Flame evolved into Quilava!
Learned: Flame Wheel!

P1 Valerie's Party

Journal

STAGE 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
vs. Zigzagoon pt.1
vs. Cyndaquil
vs. Zigzagoon pt.2

STAGE 2 - THE WILD AREA
vs. Morpeko
vs. Zangoose & Seviper
vs. Nidoran

STAGE 3 - WEDGEHURST
Opening Ceremony Pt. 1
Opening Ceremony Pt. 2
Opening Ceremony Pt. 3
vs. Swirlix
vs. Meowth

STAGE 4 - ROUTE 3
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 1
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 2
vs. Cherubi

STAGE 5 - GALAR MINE NO. 1 / ROUTE 4
vs. Dugtrio
vs. Vespiquen

Current Location

Route 4

A road dotted with wheat fields, long dirt paths and rolling hills, Route 4 is where most of the crop focused farms of Galar find a home, as opposed to the livestock trade of Wedgehurst and surrounding regions. Route 4 is the heart of this cultivation, the source of food, hard work and life across Galar. A bright and happy place to contrast the gloomy overcast of the mine before it, the hopeful atmosphere is known to attract some species of rarer, popular pokémon, making this place popular for trainers as well.

Trainer ID

Valerie (Val) Amity

Her main goal for her journey is to seek at least 100 friends - humans, or pokemon. So, she seeks to meet and obtain as much pokemon as she can for friends. She also seeks a successful endeavor within her Gym Battle challenge in Galar, in the hopes of one day, becoming champion, like many other trainers who have the same dream.

Items

Pokeball x1

Greatball x1

Moomoo Milk x3
Sweet Apple

--

TR: Rock Tomb x1
TM: Dig

Badges

---

Galarian Pokédex V. 8

#032: Nidoran♂
#035: Clefairy
#172: Pichu
#155: Cyndaquil
#158: Totodile
#246: Larvitar
#255: Torchic
#263: Zigzagoon
#270: Lotad
#293: Whismur
#335: Zangoose
#336: Seviper
#384: Rayquaza
#416: Vespiquen
#420: Cherubi
#532: Timburr
#546: Cottonee
#582: Vanillite
#684: Swirlix
#778: Mimikyu
#821: Rookidee
#824: Blipbug
#867: Runerigus
#885: Dreepy
#887: Morpeko

Remember: Val loves you! ♡♡♡
Struggle: Valentine ♡ Chatter: @WillUBMyVALentine? ♡ Dizcord: Valentine#1196

Jay · Feb 15, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Route 5 - West Side
> Mood: Relaxed
> Your Biggest Fan - Part 1

..

....

Raphael looked down at the screen of his phone with a small frown. It was his message log with Arrietty. He hadn't seen her since that night in Turffield city, where she had fled after freezing at the beginning of her contest performance. After a while of searching for her, he had failed to find where she had run that night… and he hadn't spoken to anyone from the contest hall since. Ruben, Pia… even Simon or Sachiko, he'd avoided any and all contact with them since that time.

The only contact he'd had with classmates since was the message from Arrietty displaying on his screen.

She wanted to speak with him, that was something. Still, finding her was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. If nothing else he'd probably find her at the nursery eventually, it was a pretty popular pit stop for trainers travelling Route 5. If possible however, he'd have preferred to meet with her somewhere more private. In retrospect, he doubted she wanted to be around many people right now.

He thought back to his battle against Kabu, how he had felt in that moment. Right now, he understood how Arrietty was feeling better than anyone, he thought.

Droplets of water fell upon the screen that Raph wiped away with mild annoyance using his thumb, though as more and more droplets fell it seemed like a fruitless effort. "Rain…" He mumbled gently to himself, turning his gaze skyward. The water picked up quickly, slicking his hair downward until it was a soggy mess upon his head. A sudden and intense downpour for certain. Still, he didn't mind, Raph felt calm and collected in the rain, it settled his heart and mind. So this sort of weather wasn't a problem for him at all. Travelling so much, the sun would dry him eventually… and what self respecting trainer didn't carry a waterproof travel bag?

With that in mind, he slips his phone into the aforementioned, but as he does so, his fingers brush against the pokéballs stored therein. A good point raised by the hands of faith, he knew two pokémon that would enjoy this weather as much as he did. Well, one, Vito had rolled into a tree a few hundred times earlier that day and was well and truly exhausted.

Moving a little off the beaten track, Raphael steps through a marshy segment of grass and onto a gravel bank, where he can walk easily alongside the Hulbury channel. Wordlessly, he tosses a pokéball skywards until it opens with a flash of light… and a familiar fish flops down into the cold water below.

Carmen is thrilled by the change of locale, sudden as it was. With swiftness, she leaped from the water and glanced towards her trainer before splashing back down. Curiously she eyed him from below the surface, prompting him to squat by the riverside to face her in turn. "You know it's funny, I've seen a lot of you since we started." Raphael began, rubbing his chin a little as he considered the thought. "Magikarp I mean, I've seen them all my life but never really learned much about them. People don't talk about you guys much, humans kind of just accept you're there"

Carmen's idle glance shifted into a short glare as she furrowed her scaled brow at her trainers comments. She knew that, of course, her kind were common as much. Usually unwanted by trainers. Still, it was surprisingly unlike Raphael to call out something like that. The sudden remark almost stung. Almost.

"Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If you guys are so prevalent why aren't you more frequently caught? I've not met another trainer with a Magikarp in tow." Raph scratched his chin idly as the words echoed passed his lips. He was mumbling half to himself and half to Carmen, verbalizing his line of thought. Carmen on the other hand, let her irate glare settle into confusion. Was he being serious? Sarcastic? What was his game, making these comments she wondered? The answer to her was obvious. It was rare, the Magikarp that reached its final form of Gyarados. It was the goal that Carmen had aimed for all her life, long before meeting Raphael. She had struggled tirelessly in that pond by Wedgehurst, alongside other Magikarp like her, to become stronger. To evolve. Then, she would gain notice and power enough to break free of her shallow home and her shallow existence.

Furthering that goal had been why she let Raphael catch her. A fact he often got confused.

"If Magikarp are so strong, I don't see why anyone would skip out. Maybe you're just a special case or something, Carmen."

At this point, she could only blink incredulously at his words. Of course she was a special case, Magikarp were classically weak, puny and pathetic. That was the life she had been born and consigned to. Surely Raphael knew that? Was this some sort of joke? Some cruel prank he was subjecting her too? Or worse… a misguided attempt to improve her confidence? He showed no signs of any of that in his bemused expression, as he stood up in the rain. "Well, regardless, I thought you might appreciate the opportunity to swim for a bit. Stretch your fins out. It's raining too, if you hadn't noticed. So let's get moving."

She had in fact noticed. Even if this boy, her trainer, was strange and difficult to read, he at least thought of her in matters such as this. With her ability kicking in, Carmen rushed swiftly and elegantly through the water, following the spiralling stream down the route and into a glade of trees, before rushing back to Raphael against the current and letting it take her again when she reached his position. Together, the pair would move in tandem forward down the route for some time, following the river well off the beaten trail and into the wetlands and woodlands of the route's wilderness.

The pair continued apace down the river for quite some time. The rain eventually slowed to a trickle, then faded away into a brisk breeze accompanied by gentle sunlight. The beginning of Spring was even more evident here than it had been in Turffield. Still, as Raphael walked, he couldn't help but feel an ominous presence at his back, like someone, or something had been watching him for some time.

His fears were not unfounded.

As he approached a larger clearing, he froze on the spot and quickly turned 180. Facing the opposite direction and looking directly behind him. While he didn't see anything, he heard an audible eep and the rustling of leaves as his pursuer darted out of the way.

"Oi." He states tiredly, Carmen slowly bubbling to the riverbank with curiosity as well. "How long do you plan on following me without making yourself known? You with those black suit guys or something? I'm used to tripping you up when you bumble out in front of me, not the stealth routine."

There's a moment of silence as Raph waits quietly, no words are spoken, but eventually he sees the brim of a baseball cap peek out from behind a tree, followed by a pair of narrowed green eyes. "H-How…" A small mumble escapes from the semi-hidden position. It's the voice of a girl in her late teens, though it's dripping with a thick Johtoan twang. Galarian was not this girl's first language.

Raph continues to stare and wait quietly until bashfully, the figure steps out into the clearing before him.

She wore a black baseball cap, the same brand as his gloves. A royal blue jacket, the same brand as his own. A pair of comfy looking black trousers, same brand and make, almost identical to his own. Her shoes were… well they were his shoes, just smaller and more suited to a girls feet. Her long blonde hair was tied into a long ponytail trailing behind her back, peeking through the back of her cap in turn.

This girls aesthetic looked eerily familiar to Raph.

"Um… hi, why were you-"

"Y-You're!" The girl exclaimed, cutting him off, but her sentence immediately ended. She looked somewhat stunned by her own outburst and embarrassed at having interrupted him, but Raph returned to waiting patiently, the same tired look in his eyes. Eventually she forced out more words and took a few more hasty paces forward. "I-I'm really sorry butyou'reheartosanright?!"

The last few words blended together and Raph cocked his head quizzically, causing the girl to tense a little more, her facial expression clenching in a small self caused cringe. "H-H-Hearto-san… that's you isn't it?"

Raphael's confusion only grew. "Hearto… san?" Johtoan honorifics sounded more natural coming from this girl's mouth but Raph had no idea what she meant. "I don't think I am, no." He mumbles, more than a little off put by this situation.

"But you have to be! You look just-" The girl exclaims, her expression darkening before she grits her teeth and calms herself, bowing in apology. "I-I'm sorry but I'm sure you are, Heart-san from the gym challenge of Galar! Oh, um… number 810?!"

Raph's expression darkened to one of horror for the briefest of moments. The pun. The fucking pun he put in his number. 810. Hearto. That's what she was talking about. She followed him out here knowing who he was… and with the way she was dressed… Arceus no. No no no. This wasn't real right? It couldn't have been.

"Um… n-nope." Raph eventually settled on, causing the girls expression to darken to the same one he bore but a moment before. "I don't know who you mean. I'm just a traveller."

"T-That's not true! You even have Carmen… and you're wearing your signature jacket. Please forgive my following of you Hearto-san but I know it's you." She bowed again… and again. She was like one of those swanna toys on office workers desks with the bobbing heads. Raph rubbed the back of his head, at this point just wanting to stop all this… motion.

"Yes, alright, yes. That's me. I'm Raphael, number 810. Stop all the swivelling please."

With the brightest of expression she shot back up to a standing pose and took a few more paces forward, almost getting uncomfortably close were it not for him taking a quick backpedal. "A-Ah… Heart-san, this is… are you real? I…" She pauses and takes a deep breath, before exhaling swiftly. "Y-you're really popular on Johtoan message boards right now and I'm here in Galar on a gap year so I reallywantedtomeetyouI'myour-" She gasps for air, her cheeks flushing red. "I'm your BIGGEST fan!"

Those were the words he didn't want to hear. Those horrifying four words. Was this what Ruben felt like. His right eye was twitching as the girl smiled so brightly the sunlight reflected and was threatening to blind him then and there. Still even with his uncomfortable state she wasn't perturbed in the slightest. She stepped closer to him, shuffling quickly like an eager Eiscue. She got close enough that he got a whiff of her perfume and once more took a few steps back. "Look, I'm flattered, but I, um…" He could barely speak under her overeager gaze. "M-My name is, um, it's…" She mumbled, enraptured by what was right in front of her. "...I'm, that is, um, right! Himari Sato! At your service!"

Himari eyed him excitedly, she looked like she'd just unwrapped a new games console under the Christmas Tree, it was that level of glee. Reaching into her pocket, she produced and tightly grasped a black permanent marker in her hand. Raph could feel her eyes tracing his jawline, very specifically his jawline. It was weird. She was weird. This was weird. He was leaving.

"I really should get goin-"

But before he could even respond, the young Johtoan lady closed the last of the distance and was grasping his wrist. "W-Wait, Hearto-san! Will you… will you sign me?!"

"..."

"...what?"

The request utterly stumped him, he stared at her completely baffled. "S-Sign you?! What do you mean? Where?" As he questioned her motives she flushed a little and her gaze turned embarrassed, despite suddenly feeling bashful she still brazenly continued. "W-Well… closest to where my heart is, of cou-"

"Nope. No. Not happening." It was his turn for the cut her off as he yanked his hand free, his cringe coated face hidden from her no longer. "You want me to sign your breasts? That's trashy at best and illegal at worst. What self respecting gym trainer would do something that crass?"

Somewhere else on the route, Ruben Sancho's ears started burning.

"I-I'm sorry!" She immediately fell to her knees, her head touching the floor in a deep bow. Raph instinctively looked around, making sure nobody was near. Fuck this was awkward. "...please stand up. Arceus above stop doing that. Himari right? You're freaking me out, get off the floor." Before he finished speaking she scrambled to her feet and stared at her with unfounded levels of awe. "Y-you called me… Himari…"

That was right. She was Johtoan.

"Um… yeah look, sure, that's just how things go in Galar. Can you rela-" Immediately she stepped forward and grasped his hand in both of hers, causing his entire body to tense in concern. He was used to girls following him, or staring at him, even confessing to him… but THIS?! What the hell WAS this girl? "R-Raphael-kun…" She mumbles, her cheeks glowing redder than Groudon's polished back. "I'm honoured. I will cherish this moment fore-"

"H-Hey?! Is someone there! We need some help!"

Blessed fate. Someone was crying out for help. For once in his life, the possibility of being plunged into a dangerous situation was a positive thing. Heart failure was better than this. He quickly pulled his hand away, nearly causing Himari to stumble forward into the mud.

"As I said, gotta go! People in trouble, Pokemon trainer, you know how it is right? Of course you do, you know me, haha, bye bye, sayonara, konbanwa, doki doki done with you right now kiddo, places to be." He moved unusually fast for Raphael as he progressed further down the river, away from the girl and towards the sound of conflict. Slightly amused at the situation, Carmen silently followed… and someone else not so silently did the same.

"W-Wait… Hearto-san! Raph! I need to see you in action! Can I record you? My blog would go nuts! Please wait! This is destiny!" She started pursuing, faster than he had anticipated. She was actually chasing him. This girl was insane.

Raphael started to run.

PastelPhoenix · Feb 15, 2021

Achille Béringer || 18 || ♂️
Location: Turffield.
Current Status: Taking a first step.

Joiuse - Shadow Sneak, Fury Cutter, Autotomize, Metal Sound, Block, Aerial Ace

Proudhon - Tackle, Splash, Thrash

Alizé - Absorb, Tackle, Gust, Supersonic, Double Team, Wing Attack

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

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

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

Rumbles echoed through the entrance tunnels of the stadium from the sheer noise of the crowd ahead. The emcee was hyping up the crowd while the qualifier challenge was set up, leaving Achille to wait in the tunnel for the cue to enter. He scoped out the gym ahead of time, even getting the urge to watch Haleigh's attempt for some reason. She seemed to have the same idea he did, if some minor differences.

There was a bit of time before his cue, and there were still some last minute preparations to make. He pulled the small, grooved disk Ignace had stolen from the suited man in the wild area out of his pocket and loaded it into his Pokedex. He heard the disk tray inside spin up and the TR name appear on the screen. All that was left to do was transfer the move before the disk broke. He called over the Tyrunt poking around under a bench in the tunnel, pointing the Pokedex at her and starting the program.

There was a beam of light for a brief second, and then a beeping sound from the device. He heard the disk begin to slow as Aliénor blinked, taking in all the information that just flooded in. "Think you got that?" Achille asked, getting a confident clack of teeth in return. The disk ejected from the Pokedex, still warm to the touch and much more fragile than before. The trainer pocketed it again, making a note to dispose of it later now that it was effectively blank.

He patted Terrot and hopped on the Skiddo, not leaning forward to ride just yet. He leaned forward in a position for quick riding, rustling the soft leaves on the Pokemon's back before grabbing onto the Pokemon's horns. He felt something land on his shoulder around the same time as a tug on his pants. He did a quick check of both of them, seeing Alizé and Aliénor both staring expectantly. Arceus help me if I show affection to someone other than them. He rolled his eyes and reached out to scritch both of them, Alizé on her head and Aliénor on the large feathers around her neck. He was spared from having his arms turn numb from having to indulge the two's jealousy by what he recognized as the start to his introduction.

"... And now then, let's finally welcome to the stage NUMBER SIX-FIFTY!"

Achille leaned forward again, grabbing Terrot's horns and squeezing. The grass-type then took off at full speed down the tunnel, the sound of his hooves nearly drowned out by the crowd. He gave a quick look behind him before the tunnel ended, confirming that the other two were following.

Then he shot out of the tunnel. He was glad he had the foresight to put his sunglasses on inside the tunnel, as the stadium lights were nearly overwhelming even with them on. His entrance only caused the crowd to scream even louder, kicking his heart into overdrive. He knew it was general excitement over seeing a professional battle and that he would have to work towards building his own fan base. Still, the attention was ecstatic.

"Six-fifty exploding onto the field here! Our Kalosian native seems to have chosen a Kalosian ranch Pokemon himself, Skiddo!"

Achille took off towards the sides of the Wooloo, startling the fluffy Pokemon and causing them to roll towards the center of the field. "Alié, close those gaps with that new move." Achille shouted at the top of his lungs, fighting the crowd and startled Wooloo to be heard. "Alizé, keep them in line with Gust."

The two Pokemon jumped into action. The Noibat flew up in the air, hovering above the central point of the herd. While Achille rounded up the few errant Wooloo that remained, the tiny bat sent a burst of air in the front of any of the sheep who tried to leave. The air proved to be a good deterrent for the passive Pokemon, most didn't need more than a Gust or two before they decided to stay with the others.

The Tyrunt, meanwhile, took off towards the nearest boulder in the arena. The rock-type chomped into the rock, slightly cutting into it with her incredible jaw force, before flinging the previously decorative boulder to a new area of the arena. She didn't even pause to watch the large rock land and break into large pieces over a small area before she ran off to the next one and repeated the process. By the time Achille finished rounding up the last Wooloo, broken rocks formed a rough funnel shape to the corral. The Wooloo would have a much harder time finding somewhere to run with all the Rock Tombs all over the field.

"Okay," Achille shouted, circling the herd once more, "Time to bring them in. Aliénor, drive them forward. I take right, Alizé left. Go!" The announcer said something, but Achille paid no mind. No mistakes could be afforded at this stage.

Aliénor ran behind the herd and stopped. She straightened herself straight out, her head pointed high, before lowering her head and letting out a massive Roar. The Wooloo predictably took off, running full speed towards the goal while the Tyrunt followed. The trainer slowed down the Skiddo for the first time the challenge, hearing the goat panting after the hard workout. "Nearly there, ami." He pulled to the right of the herd, matching their speed. The gust from Alizé picked up, becoming a powerful torrent that followed just outside the herd.

The Rock Tomb did most of the work, alongside herd dynamics. With a presumably hungry Tyrunt following them, none of the herd seemed to think breaking from the others was a good idea. Especially not into a field of large, hard to navigate rocks. The first Wooloo crossed the goal line, and it was only a few seconds before Aliénor shoved the last one through with her head. Achille hopped off Terrot and slammed the gate closed, letting the exhausted Skiddo lie down again.

And that's time! Six-fifty has qualified for the Turffield Gym Challenge! Go on through the other side and prepare for your real challenge, Challenger!"

Achille gave some praise to all of his Pokemon before recalling them to their poke balls. The teen climbed the stairs to the waiting room for Milo to get ready, turning to the cheering crowd one last time. He pulled off his sunglasses and did an exaggerated bow. Never too early or late to play to the crowd a bit. With one final cheer, he stepped through the door.

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

Achille found himself waiting in a tunnel again, the noise of the crowd shaking the very foundations of the building. The crowd seemed large for a town such as Turffield, but this was the first stop of the challenger season. All the more reason to make a good show, then. He was alone this time, the rest of the team currently waiting inside the poke ball.

... and now, please welcome back to the stage miiiiiiister SIX-FIFTY!

Achille strode out of the tunnel for the second time, still thankful that his sunglasses protected him from the stadium lights. His head was held high as he made his way towards the field and his eyes never wandered from his objective. He could hear cheering mixed in with some taunts from those who seemed to remember he was Kalosian, but didn't turn to acknowledge either of them just yet.

Finally, here's our hometown hero. Leader and star of the Grass Gym, the Fighting Farmer himself, iiiiiiiiiiit's MILO!

The gentle giant strode in from the other side of the stadium, getting an ear shattering cheer from the crowd. He immediately drew to mind comparisons to a cartoon character Achille enjoyed growing up. Brawny, calm, friendly, the love of grass types. If his hair were a little longer he'd be a dead ringer for the Shamin Knight from Mythic Nights. He brushed aside his daydreaming once the gym leader reached the opposite side of center-field.

"Well, Mr. Achille," The gym leader said, placing his hand on his hips. "I have to admit you've got me looking forward to this. I'm a little disappointed to see you don't have your Honedge besides you, but I take it you want to save that for the champion."

"Sorry, I'm not trying to be a one trick ponyta out here." Achille pulled one of the poke balls from the holder across his chest with a small click. He expanded the device to its full size and began to toss the ball in the air and catch it again. "Have to keep it fresh for the crowd, you know?"

"I guess in that case you want to get right to it?"

Achille caught the poke ball and held it out in front of him. "Of course."

Milo smiled at the challenge, pushing his hat up. "Well, let's see how you're growing as a trainer then."

The two turned and walked to their end of the field to thunderous applause. The gym leader plucked one of the poke balls from his hip holster and tossed it out onto the field. After a brief flash of light, a worm-like Pokemon stared up from large chunks of apple. The odd pokemon let out a croaking like sound before flapping the "sides'' of the apple, taking off in flight. "I think I'll start off with Flapple then!" Milo announced.

That wasn't the one he used against Haleigh. It didn't throw off Achille's plans too much, thankfully. The fruit-like Pokemon was the counterpart to Appletun, and he vaguely recalled it had the same type as it's sibling evolution. Merde, I really should learn the Galar native Pokemon better. "Let's go Ignace!" He announced to the crowd, tossing the poke ball he grabbed earlier. Out popped the icy little monkey, who looked around curiously at the stadium before spotting Flapple. The Darumaka gave a brief wave to the flying apple-dragon before slapping his chest with the same hand and pumping himself up.

"Well, I do have to admit you have me on the back foot a bit here," Milo said. "I expected you to lead with the Noibat from the qualifier. I hope you don't mind me taking the initiative here." The farmer raised two fingers to his mouth, giving a sharp whistle that alerted the circling Flapple. "Start us off with a Dragon Claw!"

The winged worm did a mid-air backflip before breaking into a dive towards the Darumaka. The jagged tips of the back of the apple wing glowed with a primal energy as the Flapple dove, leaving a streak of blackish-purple light behind it. Before the dragon-type hit the ground, it broke the dive and flew towards the monkey. The worm closed the apple around Ignace, slamming the glowing jagged points into the ice-type as the crowd exploded with cheers. The announcer shouted something about a vicious first attack, but Achille's mind was too focused on finding a good counter as quick as possible.

"Get him off you, Bite!" The Darumaka jumped at the challenger's orders, blinking away the pain and biting onto the tail flap. A sour taste filled the monkey's mouth as juices spilled from the apple-flesh, almost causing him to recoil. The Flapple did recoil from the bite though, releasing Ignace from it's grip after flinching. Ignace tossed the Flapple aside, spitting out the sour liquid and rubbing his tongue on his snowy-white fur. Flapple retreated into its apple shell and rolled along the grassy field for a meter or two before slowing to a stop. Like that the challenger frees his Pokemon from Flapple's death grip!"

"Get some distance, go airborne," Milo shouted. The Flapple scrambled to reorient itself, finally ending up on its tail again and taking to air once more. One stable, it began to rapidly ascend.

"If he wants to keep distance, use the time to get ready!" Ignace began to beat his chest, at first slow, then picking up in speed. By the end of the Work Up the little monkey was shouting and hopping in place.

Milo laughed. "You really are in a hurry to end this quick, aren't you? In that case, Flapple, let's Grav Apple!"

The Dragon-worm made a hiss of approval, gracefully breaking off from its ascent. It went for another dive-bomb without any fancy flying, this time aimed straight at Ignace. "Merde, get out of that thing's way, try to counter it with Powder Snow!"

Ignace attempted to run from the dragon, but the creature just adjusted to ensure impact. Seeing he seemingly wasn't able to outrun it, Ignace turned and fired a volley of thick snow at the creature. Doing so required the Darumaka to stand still for a moment, however.

Rather than deterring the Flapple, it just pulled it's wings in. The snow bounced helplessly off the thick fruit-flesh of the wings, but sealing its course. "Flapple's Protect completely blocks the challenger's move! Impact is imminent!"

Just as the announcer said, the apple Pokemon collided with Ignace, sending both of the round pokemon rolling through the grass. Ignace was first to get to his feet, but looked shaken badly from the attack. It was only a few more moments before Flapple got back to its "feet" and looked ready to go a few more rounds.

"Turn this around with an-" Achille shouted.

"Don't let them, Sucker Punch!" Milo interrupted.

"Avalanche!" Milo's eyebrows rose in shock at the command, obviously aware of the trainer's advantage in the exchange.

He was powerless to stop it though, the Flapple jumped at the command, taking off quickly towards it's foe. Darumaka didn't brace for impact. Instead the ice-type spit thick snow on his hand, gathering a large pile of tightly packed snow. Flapple's head collided with the stomach of Ignace, but Ignace brought down the pile of snow right on top of the Dragon.

The ensuing explosion of frost took several seconds to clear, revealing both Pokemon collapsed in a heap. "Darumaka goes down to Sucker Punch, but Flapple's four-times weakness brings him down too!" A short gasp of shock from the crowd was soon overcome with cheers at the double knockout.

Achille recalled the defeated Ignace to his poke ball. There was some relief that the gambit paid off, but that battle was far too close for his comfort. Went to show how skill and evolutionary advantages could potentially overcome a massive set-back. Milo recalled the Flapple as Achille returned Ignace's poke ball to his bandolier-like holster and nabbed the one next to it. Milo pulled a second poke ball as well.

"That was a good first round!" The gym leader shouted.

"What can I say, the crowd loves a double-knockout." Achille shrugged. Expanding the poke ball and tossing it. The flash of light solidified into a small Noibat, who had to adjust to the bright light for a few seconds before taking off.

"I see you've got me on the type back-foot again," Milo sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I guess we'll have to show them that we're not all bark, Eldegoss!" He tossed his own poke ball, revealing the cotton-bud like Pokemon. The white puff of cotton reminded Achille of the lump of snow atop Darmanitan, and now he felt kind of glad Ignace didn't see it and be reminded of his dad.

"I hope you don't mind me starting off with a gust!" Achille shouted, prompting Alizé to beat her wings and generate a strong air-current. Milo didn't even need to issue a command for Eldegoss to dodge the attack with an elegant swirl. "Try that again!"

"Counter it with Leaf Storm." Milo said calmly. Eldegoss swirled in place again, launching several leaves from her leafy cloak toward the Noibat in a loose spiral. Alizé had to drop the attack to dodge the leaves, barely making it out of the way herself. "Mr. Achille, I am the Grass Gym leader." Milo said, sounding a bit disappointed. "I didn't get this far by letting every flying-type that knows Gust uproot my entire strategy."

The crowd laughed. Achille just shrugged. "I had to try."

"Well, allow me to show you what a real Special Attack barrage looks like!" Disappointment was replaced with determination in Milo's voice. On cue Eldegoss let loose a shrill cry that echoed around the stadium. Achille and other members of the audience were forced to cover their ears from the assault. Alizé did not fare better, the tiny bat being knocked away from the sheer force of the noise.

"Stop her from doing that," Achille commanded once the bat stabilized herself again. "Supersonic!" He grit his teeth and clenched his fist. He was not going out in the first stage.

Alizé took a deep breath and released a different high-pitched squeal through her speaker-like ears. The sudden sound seemed to shock Eldegoss silly, and the cotton Pokemon seemed unstable on her feet. A single step nearly sent her to the ground as she stumbled. Her sense of spatial awareness seemed shot. The crowd gasped at the sudden stumbling of the grass-type.

"Take advantage of that opening, Wing Attack!" Alizé took off like a jet towards Eldegoss, taking a wide arc around the Pokemon. The disoriented cottonball tried to follow, but moving her head too quickly seemed to make her even dizzier. Once behind her prey, Alizé shot forwards with her wings outstretched, clotheslining the other combatant. The collision sent Eldegoss flying, but clumps of cotton remained stuck to Alizé's wings. The little bat struggled to keep airborne with the newfound weight.

"Sorry," Milo said, "but Eldegoss' cotton can get stuck to you like sap when you hit her directly like that." The grin on his face told Achille he wasn't really sorry. "Let's keep them from doing that again, another Hyper Voice!"

Eldegoss tried to get back to her feet, managing to stand up for a brief second before the world spinning caused her to fall back onto her face. The grass-type seemed completely oblivious to the gym leader's commands. "Eldegoss?" Milo said, his brows raising in surprise. "It seems Eldegoss is having more problems with that Supersonic than it first seemed!

"Another gust, while they're distracted!" Achille wagered Eldegoss couldn't even aim a proper leaf storm in her current state. Alizé pulled back, beating her wings as fast as they could with the cotton weighing her down. A gale of wind soon formed at the dragon-type's wings, speeding towards the Eldegoss and pushing her back.

"Break it with a Leaf Tornado!"

Eldegoss heard this command, beginning to spin rapidly in place despite her confusion. Leaves from her cloak got caught in the building whirlwind, creating a barrier of razor sharp leaves. The Gust couldn't penetrate through the storm, though.

Achille clicked his tongue in annoyance. "They can't keep that up forever, especially while confused. Double-team and keep up the Gust!"

Alizé paused the assault and took off in a large circle around the tornado. She pushed to go faster and faster despite the restrictive cotton, eventually ending up with several clones of herself surrounding Eldegoss. "Just like we did with Darmanitan, keep Gusting!"

A new flurry of wind emerged from the Noibat, untraceable to a single version of her. It was still only a gust, and still incapable of penetrating the Leaf Tornado. It was just stalling for time.

At least until the wind from Alizé began to swirl even more violently. The gust was changing into something else, and with a final flap of her wings with all her effort, the swirling wind became a flurry of razor sharp crescents. The crescent shaped wind cut right through the leaves protecting Eldegoss, kicking up a flurry of dust as the Leaf Tornado dropped and the new attack impacted the ground. Achille threw his arm in front of his eyes to keep any dust from flying in.

Ladies and gentlemen, that wasn't a gust, looks like Noibat picked up Air Cutter in a pinch there. We're waiting for the dust to settle… and… it looks like ELDEGOSS IS OUT! NUMBER SIX-FIFTY, ACHILLE BÉRINGER WINS HIS FIRST BADGE!"

Sure enough, as Achille looked up to see the grass-type lying on the ground, cotton spores spread around her. Milo shook his head and withdrew the Pokemon, smiling all the while still. Alizé took back off towards Achille, diving inside his jacket collar and laying down, exhausted. A deafening roar came from the stadium, although some people wearing Turffield colors seemed upset.

The two trainers walked back towards center field, Achille picking the stuck cotton off of Alizé on the way up. The two shook hands (Achille feeling like his might break if the man had the inkling to squeeze with his full strength.

"Well, what can I say?" Milo wiped some of the sweat from his brow with the towel tied around his neck. "You certainly lived up to expectations. Here," he reached into his pocket, retrieving a piece of a golden plate with a leaf symbol etched into it. "Consider the Grass Badge your first step towards the finals.

Achille reached for the badge, feeling a lightness in his chest as he took the metallic piece. Some reporter shouted at him for a picture, and he turned to oblige.

Team changes:

Spoiler:

Gained the Grass Badge!

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Foxrally · Feb 17, 2021

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Route 5

It was 5 AM once more as Simon stepped foot on the grassy path of route 5 with the wind at his back at the sunrise in his face. The previous night's contest event wrapped up his time in Turffield, and the bug catcher was on the road again - but with one more member than he'd come into town with.

Much to his surprise, once he'd returned home the previous night (a little buzzed after he'd stolen a bottle of champagne from the bar - which Ruben had promptly taken away from him) he'd found his sheets both soaked in snow and scorched with burn marks, and the furniture around the room equally as damaged. On his bed, beside shards of broken egg and incubator, was a Larvesta! One of the rarest and most powerful bug-type Pokemon; the kind of creature that inspired legends about its origins; and one that would grow to become an absolute powerhouse in due time. Most shocking of all, the newborn Pokemon had somehow bonded with Snom immediately, and refused to leave her side even after he'd gotten acquainted with Simon.

The little thing sure had a ton of energy. As Simon walked along the path Larvesta would alternate between clinging to his shoulder, flying circles around him erratically or flying a few feet away to explore every new tree it came across. Using the lowest two horns on its head, the bug would propel itself like a little jetpack by spewing fire through them. This resulted in a rather imprecise flight pattern however, and Simon had found himself repeatedly dodging the fire-type after it crashed into a tree then charged back at him.

"Oi, fuzzy-" Simon began as he ducked again to avoid the Larvesta's charge, "Don't go too far!" he called out. He pulled out his net, determined to catch the bug on its next go-around.

Sensing that a game was afoot, Larvesta whirled around midair as he noticed the net and barreled towards him once more. Simon held his ground, holding his weapon up like a swordsman ready to strike. Just as Larvesta got close enough, he swung it to the side… and missed completely, as the Pokemon flew upwards at the last second, taking his hat with it.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play?" Simon muttered, a smirk creeping up his face. "Alright, everyone off! I'm gonna need all my concentration for this." he called out to the five other bugs clinging to his coat. On command, they all crawled off. Simon could definitely feel the weight of the Pokemon lift off his shoulders; perhaps the gym membership was going to be useful after all.

"Come at me!" he yelled out to the baby fire-type, who'd perched itself on a tree with his hat in its hands. Its blue eyes sparkled with glee at the challenge and it blasted off towards him again.

The rest of Simon's team watched in amusement as Burmy squeaked something to the rest of them, causing the other bugs to snicker collectively at their trainer.

Simon glared at the Pokemon, "Oi, are you mocking me- oof!" A hard tackle from Larvesta cut him off as the bug slammed into him, clinging to his coat briefly before flying off again. Simon staggered backwards and snarled, "Alright, that does it! You're gonna feel the wrath of a bug catcher now!"

He rushed towards the Larvesta as it flew back towards another tree, swinging helplessly while trying to catch up. All the while Larvesta squeaked in delight, twirling mid-flight and holding Simon's hat just out of reach. The bug catcher's spirit was unrelenting however, and he continued to swing his net wildly at every turn the Larvesta took.

Then, suddenly, the bug crashed into an invisible wall, stopping it midair- and so did Simon. Both trainer and Pokemon fell back to the ground as they looked around, dazed.

"Should I even be asking what you're doing, Pearburgh?" a familiar female voice asked behind him.

"Aurora?" Simon looked behind him and noticed the young woman walking up, her Elgyem quietly floating by her side as it lowered a glowing hand. He hadn't seen or heard the girl coming at all- probably just teleported here like she always did. "Surprised to see you here!" he said, standing up and dusting himself off.

"Early bird gets the worm. I'm glad you understand that, at least." the neatly-dressed young woman replied.

Simon paused for a second to consider if he should take that a compliment or insult. "Where are you headed to then? I thought we were meeting at the lab- don't you normally just do your little teleport-away shtick?" he asked, picking up Larvesta and putting it on his shoulder.

"Elgyem has its limits." Aurora replied calmly, stopping to look at her phone. "Besides, the lab's a few days' walk. I thought it would be good to get to know each other on the way."

The way she'd spoken matter-of-factly confused Simon- he had no idea whether the statement was genuine or loaded with sarcasm. Regardless, he was glad to have someone on the road with him, even if it was for a little while. "Yeah, sure! I guess getting to know your colleagues is pretty good for, uh, office politics, or something like that. I'm already friends with Aeliana, so that's a plus, right?"

"Kekoa? I heard about that girl from Wells. Got paired up with Correl; talk about shitty luck." the girl shook her head. "You're lucky Wells pawned you off to Zelkova."

"Wait, what?" Simon was now incredibly confused by the barrage of names the girl had thrown at him. "I'm sorry, you've lost me."

"Like you said, just office politics." Aurora said, and began walking down the route again. Simon quickly motioned for his bugs to hop back on and caught up to her.

"So do you do any battling?" he asked, looking at the silent floating Elgyem. "In general, I mean."

"Not often enough that it's my primary concern, no." Aurora put her hand on psychic-type's head. "But I make sure my team is battle-ready. When you work in a field like mine, you're bound to need them eventually." Noticing Simon's raised eyebrow, the girl added, "Also, it's Blackspear policy for trainers."

Once again, Simon wasn't too sure what to make of that; but every answer piqued his curiosity even more. "You sound like you've been with Blackspear forever." he said, hoping the girl would divulge a few more details.

"Just a couple years, actually." she replied. "Joined after I dropped out of the challenge."

"Oh wow, you were a challenger too?!" Simon exclaimed. "How far'd you get?"

"Stopped at Kabu. I got close to beating his Centiskorch, but the old man would always get the upper hand in the end." Aurora closed her eyes for a moment. "Besides, I learned the whole challenge wasn't for me. Blackspear's a lot more welcoming to people with my skillset."

Simon shrugged, "Well I'm just in this for the cash. Being the top dog at the office sounds great and all, but it's nothing compared to the glory of being champion." He pointed at himself confidently.

"You're really adamant on that outcome, aren't you?" Aurora responded, though to Simon's surprise, her tone was neither mocking or dismissive. Instead, she'd asked the question like she was actually taking the possibility seriously, almost encouragingly.

"Yeah! And there isn't anything out there that'll stop me and my team." the boy nodded. "Hard work is all I need to make it to the top!"

"Hm, poetic." Aurora smiled politely as they continued down the path together. "For what it's worth, I hope that holds true."

Orx of Twinleaf · Feb 18, 2021

Team:

Rij

Henj

Tim T
Tim sat in the grass of the clearing, watching his Rhyhorn graze. Rij didn't even seem to care that his Trainer was there. These last weeks, Tim had tried to get Rij to train, but the most the Rhyhorn would do was occasionally break into a charge, and only rarely on command. It wasn't so much that Rij disrespected Tim—at least as far as Tim could tell—as it was that Rij just didn't care to try. Tim had thought that, perhaps, Rij just needed another mon for companionship, but Rij paid even less mind to Henj the Stonjourner, caught only a few days ago outside Turffield. Well, caught was a strong term, Henj had allowed himself to be taken by Tim, apparently out of either pity or amusement. It had been a good thing Tim had pulled that empty Pokéball out of the garbage after all. Sure the red coloring on the top half had been scratched off a little along the edge, but it still worked fine. Henj was presently standing at the other side of the clearing, staring into the sky. He didn't seem particularly concerned with Tim's presence either. Tim supposed he deserved as much: neither Rij nor Henj were mons that had any place in the middle of town so they had to spend much of the day in their balls and only got to walk around out in the wilderness. It made sense they'd want to spend their time doing whatever made them comfortable rather than interact with Tim of all people.

Tim sighed. This wouldn't do at all. These Pokémon needed someone to rally them, but Tim just didn't have it in him. He had wanted to maybe speak to one of the other Trainers, the other graduates, but he had so far either never gotten the chance or found himself getting cold feet. The hustle and bustle at Wedgehurst in the wake of the ceremony had precluded any chance Tim might have had of approaching someone privately, and then the freak cold across much of the Wild Area they crossed took up Tim's attention to deal with, given he had sold his tent to buy some treats from some sort of traveling merchant. Wasted effort: Rij hardly even chewed them before gulping them down and carrying on as if nothing had happened. Tim wouldn't have used the tent anyway, Rij wouldn't fit in it and Tim wouldn't have felt right making him sleep outside by himself. Leaving him in his ball overnight was out of the question. Nighttime was one of the only times Rij got to consistently relax outside the ball. And besides, having the Rhyhorn nearby went a long way to making Tim feel safer out in the woods at night.

And then Motostoke! Tim hadn't managed to weasel out of the ceremony the way he'd ducked having to attend the graduation in person, and it had been a long series of forms and phone calls as of course no one in their right mind would have sponsored someone like him. Luckily he'd managed to at least get his step-dad to agree to put his name down as benefactor. It was merely a formality anyway, Tim had no intention of making use of his status as a participant to secure lodging or food, his step-dad would likely be paying little more than filing fees, and Tim would make sure to dip into his own unfortunately-finite funds to pay that back. The whole ordeal and its fallout once his harpy of a mother caught wind of it ate up most of Tim's free time there, with the rest spent either scavenging or watching the Gym matches of his fellows.

And what matches those had been! That they had been losses did not weigh with Tim. It took a lot of nerve and a lot of guts to stand up to someone with Kabu's reputation fresh out of the starting gate. Tim had sorely wanted to meet with the people that had gone up there, Simon, Sachiko, and especially Raphael, but Route 3 wasn't having it. Tim didn't have the right clothes to bed in such a cold area comfortably, and with the snow cover he'd had to range out far with Rij to get the Rhyhorn enough to eat. This of course was followed by getting turned about in the mine, much to Tim's chagrin given how easy the place was supposed to be to navigate. He'd had to spend an uncomfortable night on that rock floor that left him so cramped up he took all the next day to get out, even after running into someone to point him to the exit. And Rij had nearly caused a cave-in when something spooked him into ramming the walls in one of the older passages. Needless to say, Tim had been unable to meet up with anyone.

Turffield came up out of nowhere, and then there was a Gym and a Contest to attend, and Tim couldn't bring himself to distract anyone from such activities. He hadn't been allowed in to watch the Contest, but at least he'd gotten to watch the Gym challenges. And so many had challenged the Gym! Milo was of course known to be an approachable Gym Leader, and a good first hurdle, and from what Tim had seen he agreed. Sure Milo might feel like he had to be so supportive, but he seemed like a genuinely nice fellow, and Tim couldn't help but think Milo truly meant what he'd said to the challengers. And that's why Tim hadn't challenged Milo. Tim thought there was a slim but real chance he might have managed the Wooloo round-up with or without Rij's assistance, but there would have been no beating Milo. Even after Tim had gotten Henj to at least be able to make a proper 2v2, there was no doubt in Tim's mind that the only way he'd beat Milo at this stage would be with sheer, blind luck. And then Milo would say those supportive, encouraging things, and Tim would have to hear them knowing they weren't deserved, that they had been stolen by mere chance. Even if Tim had lost, Milo probably would have said something reassuring. Tim didn't want to hear it. He didn't deserve to hear it yet. He'd come back some day, Arceus willing, and then he could earn such kind words. But that wouldn't be for a long time.

Rij snorted placidly and eyed Tim a moment, perhaps perceiving Tim's heavy state of mind but more likely merely checking to see whether or not Tim had moved yet. Tim waved. "I'm alright, Rij." The Rhyhorn blinked unconcernedly and went back to grazing.

At least Route 5 was more pleasant. No blasted snowstorms or wretched caves, thank Arceus. There was enough for Rij to eat and Tim had had no trouble scrounging up some dandelions and other various things for himself. There had even been a handful of waste baskets along the road that no one had been watching too closely. So Tim at least didn't have to put all his efforts to maintenance here. This clearing he was in was pleasant, and the whole area seemed to be so, so finding somewhere to bed down if necessary would be easy. Tim looked at Henj, who was still scanning the sky for something only he could fathom. Tim wasn't too sure what Stonjourners needed in terms of sustenance. It was a damn shame he'd managed to get his Pokédex smashed back in the mine, Tim would have liked its input on the matter. Getting a new one wasn't an option though: Tim was quite certain a replacement would have a hefty price tag, and even if it didn't he didn't want to let it be known he'd been so careless with such a meaningful piece of equipment. Besides, learning Moves and Abilities had been one of Tim's favorite parts of Trainer school, back when he had favorite things about anything, so he was rather sure he'd managed to work out what Henj was doing when he was asked to show off his Moves.

If only Tim had been so engrossed in Pokémon anatomy and physiology! Tim was sure Henj would probably eat fruits or plant matter, but he also dimly recalled that most mons would, and that some mons needed only extremely little material sustenance but would still eat if offered food. Tim hadn't seen Henj eat yet in the days since he'd caught him. He supposed he must absorb energy from the atmosphere somehow, or else only ate very infrequently. Tim hoped that, in the event Henj started showing signs of hunger, he'd be able to secure whatever it was Stonjourners ate. He supposed he could take Henj to a Pokémon Center and ask someone there about it, but he'd been getting increasingly-nasty looks for going into public buildings these days. He could only imagine the looks he'd get if he walked in and asked what might end up being a very stupid question. He'd only worked up the nerve to sit and watch the Gym challenges because the lobbies were big enough for him to sit alone and not feel like he was hogging space to himself.

Tim stood up, his legs cracking audibly. Tim hissed through his mustache and rubbed his knees a moment. He brushed off his filthy clothes and adjusted his sunglasses. The movement had caught the momentary attention of both Rij and Henj. Tim regarded them and said in his deep voice, "This is it, boys. I'm gonna find someone out here to battle." It had been one thing for Rij to ignore orders when asked to attack the air, maybe he'd be up to cooperate against another mon. And Henj seemed to mind Tim well enough, maybe he could manage to connect with him. If Tim were better he'd train them against each other, but he doubted that would amount to much at present if they both decided to refuse orders to spar each other.

Rij issued what Tim unhappily felt to be a snort of derision and went back to grazing. Henj looked Tim up and down a moment and then cast his gaze back skyward. Seemed as if they had both ignored him. But that was alright, Tim had said it more for himself to hear it. He sighed and looked up into the sky where Henj was looking. There was a peculiar cloud. Tim couldn't know what Henj saw in it, Tim didn't usually see anything in the lumpy, vaporous shapes of clouds. But he couldn't help but think this one looked like a thumbs-up. Tim didn't know why he thought that as strongly as he did: it was a cloud after all. He remembered his friend had always assigned special meaning to clouds though.

Tim looked back at Rij and Henj uncertainly. They were large mons, but size wasn't everything in a fight. If brute strength and sheer mass were all that mattered among Pokémon, there would be no place for mons as small as Milo's. But Milo's mons were strong, and more than that their bond with Milo was strong as well. That's what a Trainer was supposed to do, make mons stronger. It was more than just being the brains calling the shots, Tim didn't think anyone would meaningfully provide such a role for something like an Alakazam anyway. The school had taught that there was something else, something unseeable but very real, that a Trainer provided for Pokémon. Tim didn't have it. But, maybe, he could have it someday. Tim nodded to himself and looked back at the cloud.

In the time Tim had been looking away from it, the wind had shifted it and turned the thumb down.

[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

More options

Foxrally

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Fen-Fen

Me but more fabulous

VS Milo

Turnip

Magnificent Turnip

Foxrally

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Shak

Sonata

Don't let me disappear

Stinging Bea

Stinging Bea

Sonata

Don't let me disappear

Stinging Bea

Fen-Fen

Me but more fabulous

Girls' Night at the Barn

Dragon

lover of milotics

Sonata

Don't let me disappear

Jay

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

Dragon

lover of milotics

Dragon

lover of milotics

Jay

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

PastelPhoenix

How did this even happen?

Foxrally

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Orx of Twinleaf

Branch into Psyche

[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Me but more fabulous

VS Milo

Magnificent Turnip

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Don't let me disappear

Don't let me disappear

Me but more fabulous

Girls' Night at the Barn​

lover of milotics

Don't let me disappear

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

lover of milotics

lover of milotics

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

How did this even happen?

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

Branch into Psyche

Girls' Night at the Barn