Pokemon Adventures I: Kanto Saga! [2.0]

[Charizard_Man]

As the trio of trainers and their elderly companion fell into the depths of slumber, Jane, victoriously smirked and said to her companion Luther,

"Mission accomplished." Jane smirked, then jumped, startled as a blast of flame shot past her.

"Not yet it isn't." A young man appeared, scowling at the Rocket members. If looks could kill, they'd be dead.

"What the hell?!" Jane snarled, and then looked at Luther, whose face was white.

"It's him."

"Hypno, Psychic."

"Marowak, Bone Club!" Jane ordered as well, uncertainty spread across her face.

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" A sudden charged beam of yellow light spun toward Marowak and Hypno, knocking both Pokemon out and sending them flying.

"Damnit! Let's go!"

"What about-"

"Forget them! C'MON!"

The Rockets dropped everything and ran. A man with deep red hair, spiked, and a black cape stood besides the net, a large Dragonite floating in front. "Dragonite, release and wake them up if you will…." The man pointed to the net and the dragon pokemon smiled and nodded. "Hey guys. Have a nice nap?" The man smiled and offered his hand to Tai,

Tai grabbed his hand and stood up, Tai looked to the man and shot his head around quickly,

"Omigod!" Tai gasped. "Where are the Rockets?! They came in front of me and his weird guy's Hypno knocked us all out…."

"Dragonite and I chased them off."

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Tai questioned the man.

"Oh yes, how stupid of me. I'm Lance, Lance Blackthorn. I was just on my way back to Indigo Plateau when I saw you guys in trouble. The Rockets are such pains…I had to help."

"WHOA! So you're THE Lance? Lance of the Elite Four?" Tai practically burst with excitement and Charco sighed, embarrassed.

"Uh…yeah. Hah, guess I am. I really don't like to show it though. Hey look! You're friends are up!" Lance walked over and kneeled beside a groggy Nina and Edwin, inquiring if they were feeling alright. The man then helped the two trainers up and turned to the elderly Sesu who stood up by himself.

"I'm grateful towards you." The old man smiled at Lance while he picked the Kakuna up in his arms and cradled it. Charco and Gee tugged inquisitively at Dragonite's tail.

<Thank you for saving us mister!> Charco grinned. Gee nodded his head, <We highly appreciate it.> The Dragonite gave a thumbs up and winked. Lance and Tai looked at their pokemon and smiled.

The group grinned when Sesu looked on in shock as his Kakuna began glowing.

Gee grinned. <Evolution!>

<Pretty light….> Charco cooed, hypnotized. The Kakuna grew exponentially, the light faded, and there stood a giant bee with two stingers on its hands.

"Shiskssss!" Beedrill swung it's stingers around happily and Sesu whooped. "That's my boy!"

"Father! I heard the commotion and the light-Omigod! FATHER!" Yolei came running up, and seeing the Beedrill ran over and hugged her small father ecstatically.

Lance just smiled.

Tai grinned and looked at his Nina and Edwin, "Isn't it great that we decided to help. All thanks to me!" Tai grinned and puffed out his chest in victory. Charco jumped extremely high, to eye level with Tai, and pulled out a fan out of nowhere. Then proceeded to smack Tai behind the head, <Don't be cocky.> Charco stood there with arms crossed. Tai looked down,

"Sorry buddy." He chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was setting beyond the looming gates of marble as Sesu, Yolei, and our three heroes bade farewell to Lance at the Entrance to Victory Road.

"Thanks again Lance. Maybe one day I'll get to battle you?" Tai looked eagerly at Lance, holding Charmander in his arms.

"Heh. Sure. I'd like that," Lance smiled and nodded, "It would be a pleasure to battle you three. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe." Tai nodded and grinned.

"Goodbye Lance….Thank you for saving my father…." Yolei blushed madly. Lance merely kissed her hand.

"Anytime."

Yolei swooned. "Such a ladies man!" She squealed.

Sesu grinned, then gave a handshake to the dragon master. "If you ever need something in Viridian, just come ta me. I owe ya one."

Beedrill nodded in agreement at his trainer's side.

"Yeah. I will." Lance winked back at the three Pallet Town trainers and walked off, through the arches. The guards hurriedly parted for him, and once he was out of sight, Tai turned to the small group.

"ALL RIGHT OLD MAN! Time for some PAY UP for our work!" Sesu groaned good-naturedly, and the group began walking back to Viridian.

"How does dinner sound?" Yolei smiled, still blushing.

"Ooooooh, yeah! I would love some food!" Tai grinned. Charco looked at Gale and Bulbasaur, who were lagging behind.

<Hey, you think I could become a dragon one day? I mean…I know it's stupid to ask but-> The starters had a little conversation as our heroes walked into Viridian once again to get a nice meal...

 

[ShadowYashi]

"Nina wake up!"

Nina groaned in her sleep, swatting at what ever was poking her in the sides "Not now mom, just a few more minutes" Gale sighed and folded her arms, while Tat looked watched the turtle with amused eyes, wondering what she'd do to wake the girl "Okay, you asked for it Nina" Gale took a deep breath before she released it, a stream of bubble's trailing out her mouth and hitting Nina in the face, causing the girl yo jump awake "W-What?" she blinked sleepily down at Gale who grinned.

"Nice to see your awake sleepy head."

Nina was about to respond to her Squirtle's comment, but a flash of red obscured her vision, she blinked and looked up at the young man who was kneeling before her "Are you okay?" Nina squeaked, he was so close! A light flush appearing on her cheeks as she nodded afraid her voice would fail her should she speak "Good" the man smiled warmly, helping her to her feet before turning to check on Edwin.

"I'm grateful towards you." Sesu smiled at the strange red haired boy before he picked up his Kakuna "Gale... who is that guy?" she turned to her Squirtle giving the turtle a inquisitive glance "Well, Dragonite say's his name is Lance" she explained and Nina wondered why the name Lance sounded so familiar "He said they were just passing through on their way to the Elite Four when he saw us in trouble"

"Elite Four!" she gasped and looked at the red haired man who smiled in a sheepish manner "He's... He's the Pokemon League Champion!" Nina felt her face get red again "Oh dear..." Who'd of thought, of all people for them to get rescued by, it was Lance of the Elite Four, she glanced at his Dragonite, with looked so majestic, Charco and Gee said something to the Dragon, which caused it to smile and give a thumbs up and a wink.

Nina couldn't help but smile, she thought it was sweet "Aah I'm hungry" she glanced down at Tat, who was rubbing his stomach "But you just ate..." the mouse shrugged "That was nothing but a snack... I want something more filling" Nina felt a bead of sweat trail down her face, her Rattata was a gluttonous thing "Hey look Nina! Somethings happening to Kakuna!" Gale tugged at her pants leg and pointed to the Kakuna that was resting in Sesu's arms, it was glowing. The Kakuna began to grow rapidly and after a few moments, the light faded, and there stood a giant bee/wasp with two stingers on its hands.

"Shiskssss!" Beedrill swung it's stingers around happily and Sesu whooped. "That's my boy!" Nina watched amazed, she'd never seen an evolution up close before, it was amazing "Father!" It was Yolei, she was running towards the group "I heard the commotion and the light-Omigod! FATHER!" Upon seeing the Beedrill, she ran over and hugged her Sesu ecstatically.

Lance just smiled, while Tai grinned and before looking at Nina and Edwin, "Isn't it great that we decided to help. All thanks to me!" Tai grinned and puffed out his chest in victory. Nina just shook her head and rolled her eyes, smiling as Charco put his trainer in his place by jumping extremely high, to eye level with Tai and smacking Tai in the back of his head with a fan that it produced out of nowhere, before he crossed his arms in a scolding manner while Tai looked down "Sorry buddy." He chuckled.

+-+-+-+-+-+
​

The sun was setting beyond the looming gates of marble as Sesu, Yolei, and our three heroes bade farewell to Lance at the Entrance to Victory Road.

"Thanks again Lance. Maybe one day I'll get to battle you?" Tai looked eagerly at Lance, holding Charmander in his arms.

"Heh. Sure. I'd like that," Lance smiled and nodded, "It would be a pleasure to battle you three. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe." Tai nodded and grinned

"Goodbye Lance….Thank you for saving my father…" Yolei blushed madly. Lance merely kissed her hand.

"Anytime."

Yolei swooned. "Such a ladies man!" She squealed. "Uh-Huh" Nina nodded in agreement, a hint of red finding its way to her cheeks while she murmured softly "He certainly is..." Sesu grinned, then gave a handshake to the dragon master. "If you ever need something in Viridian, just come ta me. I owe ya one." Beedrill nodded in agreement at his trainer's side.

"Yeah. I will." Lance winked back at the three Pallet Town trainers and walked off, through the arches. The guards hurriedly parted for him, and once he was out of sight, Tai turned to the small group.

"ALL RIGHT OLD MAN! Time for some PAY UP for our work!" Sesu groaned good-naturedly, and the group began walking back to Viridian. "How does dinner sound?" Yolei smiled, still blushing.

"Ooooooh, yeah! I would love some food!" Tai grinned and Tat cheered, nodding in agreement "Yeah! I like this kid, he speaks my language" Nina sweat dropped again "Great minds think alike I suppose" she giggled at a thought "Or should that be great stomachs..." it went unnoticed by her that Gale was lagging behind Charco looked at Gale and Bulbasaur, who were lagging behind.

<Hey, you think I could become a dragon one day? I mean…I know it's stupid to ask but->

Gale shrugged placing her arms behind her head in a lazy fashion as she glanced at Bulbasaur and Charco, a lopsided grin on her face "I think you could... if you set your mind to it and train real hard..." The trainers were ignorant to the conversation the starters were having, with Tai and Tat a little more than anxious to get back to Viridian and get a nice meal...

 

[Cirrus]

Edwin blinked, the world flashing and distorting still. "Whaaa~?" His eyes were swimming with the effort of struggling with the hypnotic effects of Hypno, and he saw brightly coloured bubbles before him.

Yawning, he pushed himself off the ground. To see someone else entirely different before him. "Hmm...? Who... err... are you?" A man wearing a black cape inlaid with red and gravity-defying hair of the same colour. "How do you feel?" The man queried.

"I'm fine... thank you." Edwin replied, slightly uncertain. "I think..."

"I'm grateful towards you." Sesu smiled at the strange red haired man before he picked up his Kakuna. Meanwhile, Edwin quietly observed the situation. "Who is he? Bulbasaur?"

-Red hair... black cape... Professor Oak has mentioned him once or twice. Wait, just a minute...- Bulbasaur swiveled its head to listen in on Gale's conversation with Nina. -Apparently, he's Lance.-

Edwin didn't have the time to reply before he heard Nina's voice.

"Elite Four!" she gasped and looked at the red haired man who smiled in a sheepish manner.

Elite Four? So... Elite Four. Edwin nodded in recognition. He might not strive for that title, but he appreciated the degree of prestige it held. After all, Lance was one of the members that certified if one were competent enough to compete in the Indigo Plateau or not.

Edwin continued to sit there for a while longer, recovering from his daze still.

He was suddenly interrupted. A blinding white glow erupted from the Kakuna that was Sesu's, rays shooting outward brilliantly. After a few seconds, a gigantic insect Pokemon appeared in front of them.

Edwin pulled out his Pokedex.

BEEDRILL - THE POISON BEE POKEMON

It can take down any opponent with its powerful poison stingers. It sometimes attacks in swarms.
​

"Shiskssss!" Beedrill swung it's stingers around happily and Sesu whooped. "That's my boy!"

Quite interesting to see an evolution, Edwin thought to himself, his curiosity momentarily sparked. He looked back at his Bulbasaur and imagined it evolving. Bulbasaur blinked.

"Father!" It was Yolei, she was running towards the group "I heard the commotion and the light-Omigod! FATHER!" Upon seeing the Beedrill, she ran over and hugged her Sesu ecstatically.

Lance just smiled, while Tai broke out into a smile, "Isn't it great that we decided to help. All thanks to me!" Tai grinned and puffed out his chest in victory. Edwin smiled again. He seemed to be smiling a lot lately. It was probably better for him to be exploring the world rather than staying home. Apparently, it would be better for him physically as well. Now, the Charmander was smacking Tai across the back of his head with a fan. Where did he get that? Edwin wondered. Strange.

+-+-+-+-+-+
​

The sun was setting beyond the looming gates of marble as Sesu, Yolei, and our three heroes bade farewell to Lance at the Entrance to Victory Road.

"Thanks again Lance. Maybe one day I'll get to battle you?" Tai looked eagerly at Lance, holding Charmander in his arms.

"Heh. Sure. I'd like that," Lance smiled and nodded, "It would be a pleasure to battle you three. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe." Tai nodded and grinned.

"Goodbye Lance….Thank you for saving my father…" Yolei blushed madly. Lance merely kissed her hand.

"Anytime."

Yolei swooned. "Such a ladies man!" She squealed. "Charming enough, to be sure." Edwin waved calmly. I'm sure I'll meet him someday, and I'll be reinforced with companions. Nina was apparently nodding in agreement, slightly embarassed as well. Edwin brushed off his shirt, slightly dusty.

"He certainly is..." Sesu grinned, then gave a handshake to the dragon master. "If you ever need something in Viridian, just come ta me. I owe ya one." Beedrill nodded in agreement at his trainer's side.

"Yeah. I will." Lance winked back at the three Pallet Town trainers. As he prepared to leave, Edwin moved his head in a show of admiration, holding Lance's gaze calmly. Then he extended his hand as well, and the shake he received was energetic. "Nice to have met you, Lance."

Lance walked off, through the arches. The guards hurriedly parted for him, and once he was out of sight, Tai turned to the small group.

"ALL RIGHT OLD MAN! Time for some PAY UP for our work!" Sesu groaned good-naturedly, and the group began walking back to Viridian. "How does dinner sound?" Yolei smiled, still blushing.

"Ooooooh, yeah! I would love some food!" Tai grinned and Tat cheered, nodding in agreement. "Perhaps you're a little too insistent." Edwin chuckled at Tai's brusqueness. "It might be nice to show some decorum and be patient to our hosts. But never mind me..." Most of his sentence after the "insistent" part was lost on Tai, however, as Tai did not take note of what he said.

Meanwhile, the Starter Pokemon were engaged in their own conversation as well, privately. Charco spoke up, first.

-Hey, you think I could become a dragon one day? I mean…I know it's stupid to ask but- -

Gale shrugged placing her arms behind her head in a lazy fashion as she glanced at Bulbasaur and Charco, a lopsided grin on her face -I think you could... if you set your mind to it and train real hard...-

Bulbasaur looked at Charco, thinking about the question. -Perhaps. And perhaps not. A dragon... we'll see, won't we?-

The trainers were ignorant to the conversation the starters were having, with Tai and Tat a little more than anxious to get back to Viridian and get a nice meal...

 

[Charizard_Man]

Episode Three: A Bug Eat Bug World and The Second Encounter!​

Once the trio had gathered pokemon, they had departed for Viridian Forest, the indefinitely creepy forest that separated Pewter City from Viridian City. The trees were large and covered with moss, dangling in strips of grungy fuzz. The grass was knee high in some places, things shifted in the boughs of the mighty trees, their eyes glowing and seeming to taunt the travelers, daring them to walk past….

The only path through the forest was a small, thin ribbon of short, run down grass and petite flowers. It was lined with Bug Catchers, children with wide brimmed straw hats and nets, earnestly capturing the bug pokemon around these parts, battling each other, and being relative…well…kids. They didn't seem to mind the creepiness of the forest; they were probably used to it.

"Look! It's a Caterpie…." Tai looked at the worm pokemon with some interest.

"Cowyee?" The Caterpie looked up at Tai with a smile.

The three trainers looked at the worm and in return got a face full of string shot.

"SH**! GET IT OFF!" Tai clawed at his face desperately and Charco, worried, attempted to help.

<Ahh! Hold still!> Gee decided to 'help' too. Gee began to peck at Tai's face.

So now not only was he covered in bug mucus, but now was in pain "ARGH!" He stomped his foot and peeled the mask off slowly as his companions tried to remove the string from their face.

"You okay guys?" Tai asked, then spotted a small kid walking up to the group.

"Hey there big trainers!" The boy smiled jovially, the Caterpie crawling over to his side.

"Hey." Tai grinned back. "You one of those Bug Catchers?"

"Yeah, I'm Bug Catcher James….but heck, that's not why I came here. I wanted to ask you three if you'd like to battle with me and my friends, we've been watching you for a while now-"

"What are you? A stalker?!" Tai demanded, tearing off the last bit of string from his face.

"No. But I see you three are buggers….."

"What does that mean?" Tai asked.

"You're one of those people bug's instantly take a hating towards…."

"Joy. THAT'S IT KID; YOU'RE GETTING ON MY NERVES! LET'S BATTLE!" Tai pointed angrily. The Bug Catcher grinned, "Okay. Let's go blondie!" James pointed at Tai who squinted his eyes at the catcher,

"Okay, Go! Gee!" The Pidgey came out of its pokeball in a dazzle of light.

"I choose you Weedle!" Catcher James shouted, and the oh-so-familiar pokemon Weedle appeared before him. The catcher had summoned two other friends that were battling Nina and Edwin a little way off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Cool Battle Music-

Bug Catcher James, Rick, and Erick want to battle!

Tai versus Bug Catcher James:

VS.

*image removed*
Level 7
Attacks: Poison String, String Shot

Nina versus Bug Catcher Rick:

VS

*image removed*
Level 7
Attacks: Tackle, Harden

Edwin versus Bug Catcher Erick:

VS.

*image removed*
Level 7
Attacks: Tackle, String Shot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Weddle, Poison Sting it!" James shouted.

"Veevee!" Weedle let out a barrage of shiny needles from its head that were aimed at Gee.

"Gee, Gust!" Tai smirked, and with a large whirl of wind, the needles feel to the ground, ceasing to move.

"Agh! Weedle, String Shot!"

"Dodge it Gee!"

The Pidgey, with its superior speed, moved quickly and evaded the worst of it.

"Now! Sand-Attack followed up with a Gust!"

Gee kicked up a blinding shield of sand mixed with the forest floor grass, the Weedle looked around, lost in its confusion….

<Take this, bug face!> Gee whipped another large Gust that inflicted major damage on the poison pokemon, and when the sand cleared, Weedle was unconscious, swirls in its eyes.

"Alright GEE! YOU ROCKED!" Tai bounced over to his Pidgey happily and squeezed it.

<ACK! My feathers!> Gee squirmed out of her trainer's grasp and huffed. Tai chuckled and opened his eyes after the hug only to spot a menacing figure. A shadow loomed from behind one of the many moss-filled trees. It seemed feminine, with a long cape of some sort and glowing eyes. Two red and green eyes of some sort were the only thing Tai could see, besides her dark clothing.

'Team Rocket?!' Tai thought to himself and quickly motioned Pidgey to follow him as he quietly and quickly darted from tree to tree to go find out what the figure was...

 

[ShadowYashi]

"It's been a while since I was last here..." the Trio was now venturing into Viridian Forest, after leaving Sesu and Yolei, with full stomach's, they had entered the creepy forest that separated Pewter City from Viridian City. The trees were large and covered with moss, dangling in strips of grungy fuzz. The grass was knee high in some places, things shifted in the boughs of the mighty trees, their eyes glowing and seeming to taunt the travelers, daring them to walk past….

The only path through the forest was a small, thin ribbon of short, run down grass and petite flowers. It was lined with Bug Catchers, children with wide brimmed straw hats and nets, earnestly capturing the bug Pokémon around these parts, battling each other, and being relative…well…kids. They didn't seem to mind the creepiness of the forest; they were probably used to it.

"Look! It's a Caterpie…." Tai looked at the worm Pokémon with some interest. "Aww" Nina cooed looking at it as well "Its so cute"

"Cowyee?" The Caterpie looked up at Tai with a smile. The three trainers looked at the worm and in return got a face full of string shot.

"SH**! GET IT OFF!" she heard Tai shout, while trying to tug at the annoyingly sticky white goop "I take it back" she thought pulling at the string, trying to detach it from her face "That thing's the devil!" Gale sounded worried as she called out to her struggling trainer "Do you need help?" Nina nodded in distress as Gale blew a stream of bubbles at the string, causing it to soften and making it easy to rip.

Within a few short moments, Nina had found herself free off the String Shot, she gave Gale a grateful look "Thanks a lot Gale" the tiny turtle smiled and responded with a kind "No problem" It didn't take long for Tai and Edwin to clean their faces of the goop as well "You okay guys?" Tai asked, before turning and glancing at a small kid that had walked up to the group.

"Hey there big trainers!" The boy smiled jovially, the Caterpie crawling over to his side.

"Hey." Tai grinned back. "You one of those Bug Catchers?"

"Yeah, I'm Bug Catcher James….but heck, that's not why I came here. I wanted to ask you three if you'd like to battle with me and my friends, we've been watching you for a while now-"

"What are you? A stalker?!" Tai demanded, tearing off the last bit of string from his face.

"No. But I see you three are buggers….."

"What does that mean?" Tai asked.

"You're one of those people bug's instantly take a hating towards…." Nina felt herself bristle at the boy's words "Now that's not true, I happen to know a few bugs that—" she stared to say, but Tai had cut her off

"Joy. THAT'S IT KID; YOU'RE GETTING ON MY NERVES! LET'S BATTLE!" Tai pointed angrily. The Bug Catcher grinned, "Okay. Let's go Blondie!" James pointed at Tai who squinted his eyes at the catcher, "Okay, Go! Gee!" The Pidgey came out of its Pokéball in a dazzle of light. Nina sighed, Tai, all ways the impulsive one, she barely noticed that the boy had called over two other friends, that seemed to almost be called his doppelgangers, they all looked alike, yet were so different.

"Hey you! With the orange hair!" Nina blinked at the little kid who had called her out, he seemed to be dressed like his friends, except he had square framed glasses that fell on his nose and a net in his hand "You talking to me" she pointed to herself before glancing at Edwin and Tai, who were a bit preoccupied "Well duh, you're the only one here with orange hair, dumb girl" she mumbled shaking his head "W-Well, that's a mean thing to say" she muttered glaring at the boy "Whatever" he waved her off and tossed down his Pokéball "Cocky kid" she couldn't help but think with a grimace before pulling out her Pokédex to scan it.

Metapod
The Cocoon Pokémon
Even though it is encased in a sturdy shell, the body inside is tender. It can't withstand a harsh attack.​

"Metapod huh…" It looked just like Kakuna, only it was green and seemed more docile, when compared to its Bee evolving counterpart "Alright… Tat, I choose you!" Nina pulled out her Pokéball and threw it down, it snapped open with a musical pop and her gluttonous Rattata appeared "Go Tat! Show that Metapod who's boss!" Gale cheered happily from the sidelines, while Tat looked disappointed "Oh, and here I thought I was being called out for lunch" Nina had to resist the urge to palm her face, was food all that rat could think about.

Sighing, she pointed to the Metapod lying on the floor haphazardly "Okay Tat, how about this… you beat that Metapod, and I'll treat you to some food when we get out of here…" that was enough motivation for the mouse and he quickly tensed in a battle ready position "Alright! Start off with Tackle!"

Tat nodded and ran at the Metapod, throwing all its weight at the pod, rushing it with a full body tackle, however, it didn't seem to do much, the Metapod sat there unfazed "Heh, your weak Rattata won't be able to crack my Metapod's hard shell. Metapod, use Tackle!" Metapod's eyes seemed to change, going from docile to down right fierce, glaring down at Tat, who stiffened slightly at the sudden change in the Pokémon's posture "Metaaaa" then the Metapod threw itself at Tat, who cried out when he got hit and wound up skidding across the mini battlefield "Tat! Are you okay?" Nina called out worried.

"I'm fine!" he murmured brushing off the tackle and glaring at the Metapod "Okay, try another Tackle attack!" Tat nodded and rushed at the Metapod again "Heh" she boy smirked "Use Harden!" Metapod hummed briefly before a light silver sheen covered his body, Tat ignored this and rammed his head into the Metapod, only to cry out when it felt like he had slammed into a wall "Haha, I told you. Your weak little Rattata won't be able to beat my defenses!"

Nina scowled and gave her Rattata a worried stare the Rattata noticed this and gave Nina a confident stare back "I'll be fine Nina, its gonna take more than some stupid harden attack to take me down!" Tat then ran at Metapod again, ramming his head into its side, though this only had little effect once again, due to the Harden upping its defenses "Tackle Metapod!" Metapod once again threw itself at the Rattata, sending the small mouse tumbling onto its side in front of Nina "Tat!"

Tat slowly stood, wincing from the Tackle, that pod was strong "I-I'm okay" he panted glaring at the Metapod, who's eyes appeared to be smug and taunting "Grr stupid banana looking pod!" Nina couldn't help but sweat drop, even in battle, all the mouse could think of was…

Food.

"That's it! Tat, I know how you can beat the Metapod! Just think of it as food!" Tat and Gale looked at their trainer with confused stares, even the bug trainer looked perplexed "Just trust me Tat, now start nibbling!" nodding Tat leapt onto the Metapod and began gnawing harshly at various places on its body, irritating and hurting the cocoon, but it was steadily lowering the pod's defenses "Shake it off Metapod! Then use Tackle!"

Metapod nodded and began to shake itself, trying to get the rat off, but Tat had a tight grip, his gnawing becoming extremely incessant, due to the fact that Tat was fantasizing that it was one big banana in a giant Ice Cream Sundae. Gale felt some sweat slid down the side of her face as the Rattata chewed gleefully on the pod, leaving a few visible teeth marks in the hard outer shell "If he keeps this up, I really think he might chew through the center of Metapod" she murmured to Nina, who nodded in agreement, both females watched as the Metapod had no luck in getting Tat off and it was slowly becoming tired, it looked ready to drop at any given moment "Alright Tat, you've done well, now finish it with Tackle!"

Tat reluctantly pulled away, whining "Aww, but I was almost finished the Ice Cream Sundae" Gale face faulted while Nina just stared at her food loving mouse in awe "I think he needs serious help…." Never the less, Tat quickly rushed at the Metapod, throwing all his strength and body weight into this last tackle, with enough force, it managed to send the pod slamming straight into a tree, the pod then slid down seconds later with swirls in its eyes, indicating it was defeated.

"Metapod!"

The bug catcher ran over to his fallen Pokémon and Nina smiled "Great job Tat!" the mouse nodded and ran over to Nina "Yeah, sure whatever. Now where's my food, I'm hungry!" it was Nina's turn to face fault as one big drop of sweat hung on the back of her head and Gale's, all he thought about was food, he's worse than a Snorlax! "You'll have to wait until we get to Pewter City" Tat pouted, but nodded anyway "Alright" he mumbled climbing up her shoulder "But you owe me…. When we get there, could I get a burger?"

"Sure Tat, whatever"

"Yay!" the mouse cheered as she made her way towards Edwin, noticing he had finished up his battle as well, she glanced around for Tai, but noticed he had run off with Gee "Uhhh what's Tai doing?" she pointed in the direction where he had walked off to.

 

[Cirrus]

Once the trio had gathered Pokemon, they had departed for Viridian Forest, the indefinitely creepy forest that separated Pewter City from Viridian City. The trees were large and covered with moss, dangling in strips of grungy fuzz. The grass was knee high in some places, things shifted in the boughs of the mighty trees, their eyes glowing and seeming to taunt the travelers, daring them to walk past. The aura of the forest enveloped the three travelers, wrapping them in a haze of slight humidity and chirping of insect Pokemon.

The only path through the forest was a small, thin ribbon of short, run down grass and petite flowers. It was lined with Bug Catchers, children with wide brimmed straw hats and nets, earnestly capturing the bug pokemon around these parts, battling each other, and being relative…well…kids. Only three or four years younger than himself, Edwin thought. After all, they had to get a license at ten. They didn't seem to mind the creepiness of the forest; they were probably used to it. Edwin liked the silence as well; the relative peace and the close attachment with nature that the place brought. He looked at Tai, a few steps ahead of him, and noticed that Tai found something.

"Look! It's a Caterpie…." Tai looked at the worm pokemon with some interest.

"Cowyee?" The Caterpie looked up at Tai with a smile.

The three trainers looked at the worm and in return got a face full of string shot. Or at least Edwin did, though he dodged to the side and evaded half of the sticky string that the Caterpie produced. "Errr..." Edwin glanced at Nina and Tai's situations; Tai was shouting already, his face lit with fury. "SH**! GET IT OFF!" Tai clawed at his face desperately and his Pokemon, Charco and Gee, attacked his face as well with their respective sharp implements. That would have to be painful, Edwin thought to himself, suppressing a slight smile and a grimace at the same time. After all, it was the most courteous thing to do; and Edwin suddenly found that courtesy was a lot easier to handle than just nervousness lately. He would be courteous to everyone; it was common sense, and it gave him more confidence. Smiling at his own misfortune, he slowly crumbled the sticky web in his fingers, crushing the material with his fingers until it was no longer sticky. He discarded the web, no longer attached to his face.

"You okay guys?" Tai asked. Edwin nodded, amused. "I would ask the same of you, Tai. Perhaps..." He stopped speaking, having done so too much for his comfort already. He was slowly overcoming his confidence problems, but... not yet.

He noticed a Bug Catcher that walked up to Tai.

"Hey there big trainers!" The boy smiled jovially, the Caterpie crawling over to his side.

"Hey." Tai grinned back. "You one of those Bug Catchers?"

"Yeah, I'm Bug Catcher James… but heck, that's not why I came here. I wanted to ask you three if you'd like to battle with me and my friends, we've been watching you for a while now-"

"What are you? A stalker?!" Tai demanded, tearing off the last bit of string from his face.

"No. But I see you three are buggers….."

"What does that mean?" Tai asked.

"You're one of those people bug's instantly take a hating towards…."

But the words spoken by the Bug Catcher was already lost on Edwin as he was approached by his own opponent.

"Hey! You in the yellow trenchcoat!"

COOL MUZAK =D

I suppose he means me, Edwin sighed. Ah, well.

"Let's do this!" The Bug Catcher came closer, grabbing a Pokeball from within his net. "My name's Erick, if you wanted to know. I'm a world-class Bug Catcher! My Bugs are the strongest ever! You're going to be a pushover!"

Edwin remained taciturn, setting his steel violin case on the ground.

"What, you have a tommy gun in there or something?" The Bug Catcher taunted. Edwin ignored him.

"Pride is your undoing, I think." Edwin muttered at a rather medium volume, certainly enough for Erick to hear.

"Why you... Caterpie, Tackle!" The Bug Catcher was infuriated, and ordered his Caterpie to attack Edwin directly. But Edwin was waiting for that opportunity.

"Go, Bulbasaur! Vine Whip!" Edwin grinned as charmingly as possible at the Bug Catcher as Bulbasaur extended two vines from its bulb and grabbed Caterpie mid-Tackle. Edwin steadied his violin case, slightly shaking from the Caterpie's launch of the Tackle attack, and stood up again, now fuming.

"That was rather unnecessary. Learn courtesy, Erick, and you might do better. Be polite at all times." Edwin glared at Erick, so rude upon first sight. He was fed up of people being rude at him; Sesu he could understand, but now this... this kid. Then he sighed again. How many times today already? He wasn't sure. He was tired from traveling; perhaps he'll feel better later. He regained his normal composure, no longer glaring, but slight dislike still framed in his eyes.

The Bug Catcher toughened up as well. "Hmm. You're not a total wimp after all. Caterpie, String Shot!"

A mass of webs sprang onto Bulbasaur, fired by the Caterpie. Bulbasaur jumped back immediately, releasing Caterpie to drop onto the forest floor.

Edwin, by this time already back to his old self, was aware of the situation. He grabbed his Pokedex out of his pocket and scanned Caterpie, somewhat conscientious of the Bug Catcher's gaze.

CATERPIE - THE WORM POKEMON

For protection, it releases a horrible stench from the antennae on its head to drive away enemies.

"Move back, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur obeyed his trainer's command, and slowly retreated a few steps. Bug Catcher Erick was unsure of what to do next, though.

"Let's... uh... try a Tackle again, Caterpie!" He commanded.

"Vine Whip, Bulbasaur!" Success, Edwin thought. It's working well, so far. Caterpie seemed to be hurt already, and Bulbasaur has only a few minor scratches.

"Oh no you don't! Not again!" Bug Catcher Erick shouted at Edwin. "Let's do this again, Caterpie! String Shot!" The green caterpillar fired another wave of webs at Bulbasaur, who nimbly dodged out of the way but dropped Caterpie again.

Different strategy... how about that? Edwin pondered. It just might provide the edge enough to defeat Caterpie with another Vine Whip. At this rate, they were doing no real harm to each other. "Prepare for this, Bug Catcher! Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" Edwin pointed, triumphantly, at the Caterpie. In response, Bulbasaur fired a seed from its bulb. When the seed struck Caterpie, vines grew from it, restraining the green insect.

"What's happening? Caterpie, hold on in there!" Erick rushed to his Caterpie's side, but to no avail. The vines glowed a deep red, and within seconds Caterpie began to glow that color as well. "You'll pay for that! Caterpie! Tackle attack!"

Edwin, already prepared for victory, was surprised, and Bulbasaur was surprised as well. The bug flew up from the ground and struck Bulbasaur on its forehead, making Bulbasaur back up seven or eight paces. "Hmm. Very well. Let's finish this, Bulbasaur!" Edwin was determined; he hasn't been like this for a long time. But then, this was his first Pokemon battle, and he was overly excited.

"Vine Whip!" Green vines extended from the lizard's green bulb a last time, grabbing the entangled Caterpie and flinging it away into the air and onto the ground, where it was seen to be knocked out cold.

Edwin brushed a sweatdrop off his brow. That was a Pokemon battle, huh? Full of surprises, this world certainly was. It triggered in him emotions unknown. He would probably grow to like these emotions, as well; he hoped that it would benefit him overall. He nodded in acquiescence of Erick's defeat, and shook hands with the Bug Catcher, derision no longer a factor.

Recalling Bulbasaur into its Pokeball, Edwin noticed that Tai had finished his battle early and was gone off... in that direction. Smiling at the endless energy that the fellow boy seemed to have, Edwin took up his violin case and followed after Tai, beckoning for Nina to follow. "It might be a good idea for us to stay in a group, huh?"
​

 

[Charizard_Man]

Tai quietly zipped from one tree to another, stealthily making his way towards the mysterious figure that was staring at him. His pidgey firmly perched on his shoulder, he looked behind him to see Nina and Edwin walking towards him and the three bug catchers walking away.

"I didn't expect anything less from them." Tai chuckled and he then looked at his pidgey.

"Gee, it's Team Rocket. It has to be, who else looks so gothic." Tai whispered to his tiny companion. Squinting his eyes at the figure while biting his lower lip, he analyzed the situation.

"Okay. On the count of three, we jump in front of the Rocket and you use Sand-Attack to catch them off guard." Tai poked his pidgey, the tiny bird nodded and readied his wings for the attack.

"One-" Tai clenched his fists, "Two-" The partners readied themselves.

"THREE!" Tai yelled, he dashed behind the final tree as he pointed at the figure. As Gee whiped up sand, Tai was intently observing the Rocket. It was a young girl with silver hair and the most peculiar eyes he's ever seen. The small area was engulfed in a mini sand storm,

"Okay, Gee! That's enough!" The Pidgey let down his wings and perched on Tai's shoulder again. His eyes widened, she was gone! He looked around and noticed the girl dashing away, her long black cape trailing behind her.

"Oh no you don't Rocket!" Tai gave chase and ran after the girl. He was having trouble due to all of the tall grass and the small mud puddles. He was closing in on her, so he drastically pointed his finger at the girl's direction.

"Gee! Use Gust attack to blow her away!" The tiny bird pokemon flapped its wings with much more force than usual to catch up to the Rocket girl. As soon as the bird was hovering over the girl he stiffly flapped his wings to create powerful gusts of wind. The attack piled up to create a mini hurricane, pounding against the girl. The grass blades and tree branches were being blown around all over the area.

Tai snapped his fingers, "Good work, Gee!"

 

[Yuukihime]

'I have come this far having lost everything, but I swere no matter what i have to face you've never left my heart'

The morning sun was now rising high in the sky. A ghastly was floating around and earnestly sleeping girl. Finalyl after much time of waiting he used the lick attack on her to wake her up. Shooting up out of her sleeping back and shaking intensly she then looked at her ghastly who was laughing. The girl glared at him angerly and huffed her cheeks.

"If you weren't a ghost why I'd..." The girl growled as she finally settled down and began rolling up her sleeping bag.

"You should have seen your face Iris, oh it was so priceless! Now thats something Mastercard couldn't buy!" The Ghastly laughed floating around her. Iris sighed and when the sleeping bag was neatly and tightly rolled up she looked at Ghastly.

Iris looked around looking around for her friend but the sleeping bag and campsite was completely empty. Iris sighed and mumbled "She must have gone pokemon hunting." Iris mumbled hopping to her feet. Iris looked around her red and green eyes scanning the area as she pushed her moonlight silver hair out of her face. The girl was dressed as one would say quite eerily. Whering all black is something a person would not normally see on a trainer but Iris liked the style, it always seemed to fit her. No, she wasn't gothic she enjoyed the color black just as her sister had enjoyed the color white.

Iris winced at the glimmering rays of sunlight that were gently making their way through the thick trees. Iris had always been very wary of the sun, seeing as how she got burned easily wearing light clothing or anything that could reveal large areas of skin so that was another reason why she wore such an attire.

"Well we should go find a weedle or caterpie. Gotta catch as many pokemon as we can find. And maybe get some training in." Iris smiled. She looked at her ghastly who was eagerly waiting to go exploring.

With that note they set off. Wandering through a thick forest was a tedious thing but Iris was eager to find something to catch even if it was weak. Iris continued to wander through the thickened forest unfortunetly...she had gotten lost but she didn't mind the utter silence within the forest. Wandering blindly through the forest she had come across a pond. There was a variety of pokemon in it but unfortenetly she didn't have fishing rod to catch it with.

The ghastly looked at the lake earnestly. "When are we going to catch something?!" the ghost pokemon yelled.

"When we find one ghastly..." Iris mumbled to her pokemon. She was tired of it harrassing her so she recalled it back to her pokeball and continued looking at the lake. Instinctivly she started singing. It wasn't anything extravagant just a tune she had been practicing. She hadn't perfected it. The song had no lyrics to it but it gave off a gentle feeling when sung.

"La...la...la..na..na..na.." Iris sung. The notes echoed through the air as she sung. Quite a few notes were off but it sounded beautiful either way.

As Iris stopped singing she heard noises in the distance. It sounded like several trainers. Using her delicate senses she followed the sound which led to 6 trainers. They were battling and the aurua around it seemed competitive and fierce. Iris wanted to see how a battle was done so she quickly took shelter in a neighboring tree and hid behind it. Her red and green eyes looked at the battle shyly. Iris was shy no doubt about that. Seeing these trainers battling it out was amazing. A girl, and two boys battling three 'bug catchers'. Iris had never battle a trainer before all she had ever battled was wild pokemon, she envied the three for being able to battle. No one had ever challenged her because she looked so eerily spooky. People had called her 'Bandit', 'Monster' but mainly a 'vampire'. So no one ever challenged her, so Iris envied the three for being able to battle without being called names.

Her eyes seemed to shift to the boy with the Charmander. He seemed outgoing, and fun-loving. The two others gave off a more soft feeling maybe timid like her or more calm and collective. Iris watched the boy battle with his Pidgey. She silently rooted for him behind the tree.


"Weddle, Poison Sting it!" the bug catcher shotued shouted.

"Veevee!" Weedle let out a barrage of shiny needles from its head that were aimed at the boys pidgey.

"Gee, Gust!"the earnest boy smirked, and with a large whirl of wind, the needles feel to the ground, ceasing to move.

"Agh! Weedle, String Shot!"

"Dodge it Gee!"

The Pidgey, with its superior speed, moved quickly and evaded the worst of it.

"Now! Sand-Attack followed up with a Gust!"

Gee kicked up a blinding shield of sand mixed with the forest floor grass, the Weedle looked around, lost in the confusion.

"Go you can do it." Iris rooted softly for the boy.

'Gee' whipped another large Gust that inflicted major damage on the poison pokemon, and when the sand cleared, Weedle was unconscious, swirls in its eyes.

"Right on!" Iris cheered in her head. She had not noticed that the boy had spotted her and now was darting behind the trees to confront her. Iris was to absorbed in the other battles to notice.

By the time the others were finished with their battles and Iris was smiling softly she had no idea what was about to happen but before she knew it she heard the boy she had heard who's name was 'Tai' yell...

"THREE!" Tai yelled, he dashed behind the final tree as he pointed at Iris. As Gee whiped up sand, Tai was intently observing Iris thinknig she was some sort of bandit. The small area was soon engulfed in a mini sand storm from the attack. The sand was blinding but Iris managed to find a way out of the sandstorm and run off. She was literally shaking with fear and tears in her eyes.

She had been mistaken for a bandit and was attacked. She had to find Starla but until then she had to run away from the boy who was now chasing her.

"Oh no you don't Rocket!" Tai gave yelled and ran after the Iris. He was having trouble due to all of the tall grass and the small mud puddles. He was closing in on her, so he drastically pointed his finger at the girl's direction. Iris looked behind her and grew more frantic, to the point that panicing tears were falling from her eyes.

"Gee! Use Gust attack to blow her away!" The tiny bird pokemon flapped its wings with much more force than usual to catch up to Iris. As soon as the bird was hovering over the Iris he stiffly flapped his wings to create powerful gusts of wind. The attack piled up to create a mini hurricane, pounding against the girl. The grass blades and tree branches were being blown around all over the area.

Tai snapped his fingers, "Good work, Gee!"

Iris felt herself being blown back and could feel herself skidding across the ground. She was now covered in ctus and gashes. She could smell the stench of blood on her and found that the gust that the pidgey had created had hit her leg. It had a deep gash on it and was bleeding heavily. She looked back at Tai who had a menacing glare on his face.

She found the means to get up but being covered in deep gashes and scratches she could barely stand especially with the deep cut on her leg. She managed to pull out ghastly and panting still very frightened she threw the pokeball out.

The ghastly came out and looked at her trainer and then looked at the pidgey. "What are you doing to my trainer you jerks!" The ghastly yelled. Iris could not find the means to stand anymore. Her leg was to deeply injured from the attack.. Collapsing to her knees she pointed at the pidgey and commanded that the pidgey used lick, but as ghastly was about to attack another girl stepped in. No doubt from the voice it was Starla.

"S-starla..." Iris mumbled as she held her leg. It hurt to move it.

"What do you think your doing?! You just don't go around attacking people for no reason!!!" Starla yelled.

ooc: Minor bunnying of starla if its okay Umbre-chan ^.-

 

[Umbreongirl]

This is for keeps.

And she whispered 'How can you do this to me?'


<Fade in on an imaginative character, one whose appearance might not be found the likes of anywhere save for a Goodwill bin. A touseled, uneven 'do swept up into two dysfunctional Ponytails, streaked heavily with orange, looking more like a reject Barbie doll, in handstitched clothing, and mismatched backpack more than an aspiring trainer on her way to becoming a Pokemon master. A large aspiration, you might say, for a little girl just making her debut outta' the Viridian Forest, but Starla Marengo had always dreamed big, caretaker of Starla Gym leader of Cinnabar Island Blaine says. From her reportedly first word, 'Pokeball'...>

"Please, for the love of God, Leera. This is going to be a long trip if you start doing that stupid commentary again. C'mon! What's the matter with you?! You've been lagging along behind me this whole outing! We're never going to pummel all the Pokemon we need to before Lunchtime!"

<What's so special about Lunchtime?> The Eevee, coined Leera pondered flatly, a look of pure wretchedness and respite marring her ordinarily perky features as, thoroughly disgusted, she drew back a paw dripping with glops of chunky mud. Shaking it off reproachfully, the Eevee made no efforts to speed up her advances, as she trudged feverishly behind her trainer. Had the girl, Starla Lenore Marengo, turned around, she might've noticed how far into the Forest the duo had delved. Without telling Iris, the much more timid and vulnerable component to their trio. But Starla had always been an early riser, as well as an extreme glutton. Nothing could get her going like a brilliant sunrise and a hearty meal.

"Holy Tauros! Look up ahead, Leera!" Starla cried out in glee, mouth twisting into a brilliant grin, teeth squaring to flash a toothy smile at the little Evolution Pokemon. Leera flinched uncertainly, as her trainer's eyes bulged as well, the girl obviously wrapped up in her own enthusiasm once again.

"Crikey! See that up there, mate? They call that a Pikachu. Oak didn't have any more of those Pokedex thingymajigs for us, but no matter! I know all I need to know on every Pokemon in this region, as well as every other you can throw my way. You know why?"

<Because your father is a Gym leader. Blaine. And because he's been teaching you the names of Pokemon like the alphabet since you first toddled into his Gym.>

"No." Starla continued, ignoring the Eevee's theory.

"It's because my whole life, i've been going out of my way to know Pokemon. Really know them. Not just name, and type. But evolution, type of attacks and- Oh hell's bells. Leera, look what you made me do?!?! It's getting away! Alright. We have no time now for a stealthy ambush, so right now we need to just- ATTACK! Get that Pikachu!"

Starla ordered confidently, leaping from the hideaway of weeds that had comprised her and Leera's temporary hideout. From her slow motion demeanor, as she flailed courageously, fist pumping into the air as if to signify a reckless charge, as the two were tragically outnumbered, in true Spartan spirit, the little Electrical mouse, who had innocenely been nibbling on a Cheri Berry, only blinked, at first in puzzlement, and then in alarm.

"Bigga Bigga!" It roared, instantly flinging aside the Berry, and instead, crouching down into a battle stance, the lightning bolt appendage serving as a duel tail and conductor or electricity erecting, this, and her bulbous red electrical sacs dancing with discharge, preliminary sparks telling of a whole hoarde of stockpiled energy. Leera gulped, but Starla wasn't backing down.

<Uhm, Starla? Do you not realize that this cute little creature is twice my size? She has to be like, at least level fifty?! C'mon! You know i'm not one to back down for a battle, but this is ridiculous! I'm your only Pokemon, and if she decides to make a prime Eevee barbeque out of my hide, I won't be the only one affected! She'll be whipping you the whole way back to Pallet town too!>

"Leera, I chose you!" Starla demanded, pointing toward the Pikachu's way, gesturing an assault on the Mouse-like Pokemon. Her plan of intimidation worked, and though this headstrong trainer had only a miniscule little Eevee to boast, the Pikachu's ears were already lowering submissively, and she, uncertain whether or not she wanted to chance her survival against this one, was already backing up toward the brush. Grinning at Leera, Starla only retaliated cooly.

"C'mon, Leera! Our pride is at stake. So far we we have a winning streak today of 25-0, and so we can't afford to let one little Pikachu slide out of grips. Besides, in part to you, I don't have a single other Pokemon as my partner! This sure beats the hell out of corraling up a team full of Caterpie and Weedle, right? Where's your fighting spirit? If we let this little brat show us whose boss, then we'll be the laughing stock of every Pikachu crawling through this Forest! None will ever team up with us."

The Pikachu, oblivious to all this chatter, seemingly only had her mind on making a break for it. Leera glared back uncertainly, though by the descent of her once erect tail, Starla could tell that her little companero was giving in.

<How do you know? What makes you think Pokemon care about something as trivial as a reputation? Pokemon raised in the wild don't, as a matter of fact. When you're born out in the elements, you don't spend your time philosophizing or bettering yourself. All that crosses your harebrain is eat, sleep, poo. That's it. If anything, this Pikachu doesn't deserve us to correct her heathen ways.>

Starla's eyes narrowed considerably, and dauntingly, she towered over the little Eevee.

"Leera! That's an awfully snotty thing to say! I'm sorry that every future member of my team couldn't have been hatched in a Laboratory! You know, they say that Pokemon made to survive in the wild are stronger anyhow! At heart, and at spirit. And if that's the case, a Pokemon as plucky as Pikachu would do us alot of good!" Starla hissed fiercely, having had enough of her Pokemon's attitude, gathering her up by the nape of her neck as a mechanical claw might, and tossing her lightly into the clearing. As expected, Leera landed easily on all four paws. Competitive overdrive finally kicking in, she unfurled her tiny jaws, piercing incisors grazing thin air. She smirked.

"Vee!" She called sarcastically, uttering no decipherable language as she ordinarily did, but instead, in a rare moment of sarcasm, guffawing the primal call she had so long ago tossed away with carefree abondon.

"Alright, smart aleck! If you want to give me the cold shoulder, go right ahead! No skin off my back, just as long as you cream that Pikachu! C'mon, girl! Make her taste dirt! We need that Mouse on our side!"

"Use Sand attack!" Starla ordered effectively, eyes shining with an erratic gleam, the likes of which could be ignited by nothing but battle.

"Pile it on strong, until she can't see! And then follow it up with a Tackle!" Starla commanded, to which Leera, rolling her eyes, charged the Pikachu courageously. What she hadn't accounted for was the Pikachu arising on her tail to escape the flurry of grime the little Eevee was stirring up, and after taking a moment to survey her surroundings, sparks dancing grimly on her cheeks, in a vehement vengeance charging up a Thundershock to smite the little Eevee. Unfortunately for the Pikachu, Starla had sharper eyes than she.

"Leera! That Pikachu is charging a Thundershock! Hurry up and vamos on that Tackle, before you get a nasty little zap! Easy now, watch it go!" She ordered mercilessly, vindictively plotting the final judgment, as Leera, protected partially by her Sandstorm, charged the Pikachu's tail, the sole support for the chubby little Mouse. The Pikachu was sent careening to the ground, flailing hopelessly as she made contact with the earth, the tackle only making the descent defeaniningly painful. Starla winced as the Pikachu struggled to right itself, and then collapsed again, sparks continuing to fly from her bulbous cheeks.

"Leera, once more! Finish her off with a Tackle attack, then we'll have this mouse in the bag!"

<Yes, sir!> Leera retorted, and she burrowed her head determinedly against her chest, drawing back in preparation for the final blow, the last Tackle, when Starla's ears attuned to something. Or, rather.. Someone. She froze, a familiar presence, one so bittersweet and agonizing for her, sending her into momentary paralysis as she found herself rendered useless. She moved her mouth to speak to Leera, but suddenly, she found herself speechless.

With a sad heart I say goodbye to you and wave. Kicking shadows in the street, for every mistake that I have made..

You! Starla snarled defiantly within her head, irises narrowing into slits as she struggled against the opposing force's power.

Don't come back to me crowing your bullcrap! You made an orphan of me! You killed the only living relations I had been born into this world with! In fact, it would've been a much more painless ordeal if you would've just let me burn back there! I told you to never, ever come near me again, or one of us, one or the other, would die.

And then, before she could think another venomous word, with a bit of reluctance and regret, she was released. And affronted by a new problem. The Pikachu had long since wisely scattered, and already plagued with disappointment, judging by the sun high in the sky, Starla figured it was time to mosey on back to the Campsite to rustle up some Lunch for her crew. But suddenly, before she could move a retreating muscle-

Through the trees that had once been guard to her sanctuary, the remote training grounds teeming with legions of wildlife, the Caterpie clan who had taught her to spin so beautifully, the Weedle equally productive in instructing her of how to use their toxins not only as poisons, but as ingredients to brew Potions, and of course, the rare Pikachu, graciously including her in their nightly chants, pudgy paws joining with human hands in order to chorus to the glowing entity that was the Moon, to the Trees shading them from the harsh sun, to the flowers reminding them of life's simple perfection, a ruckus crashed. Feeling obliged to protect what Starla had imagined to be her Island, her world, as this whole area had been virtually untouched by a single Human being before her, she bristled, storming urgently to the site. What she saw threw her for a loop, her best friend and soul sister Iris crawling desperately, in her fear reverted to a small child, as petrified, she struggled away from another figure chasing her.

In a last resort effort, she had tossed out her Ghastly, the mischevious little ball of gas who often sparred with Leera, an obvious challenge for Starla, as Normal type attacks failed to affect the duel Ghost/Poison type. Starla stepped forward, back straight, puffing her chest out in an attempt to make herself look larger, as she scooped Leera up in her arms, the elusive Pikachu long forgotten.

"S-Starla.." Iris mumbled, clutching pleadingly at Starla's bare leg, tugging tearfully at the hem of her dress. Starla harumphed, and fnally, caught her first glimpse of her friend's pursuer. Erratic blonde hair stood in irregular tufts atop the boy's round head, and passionate red eyes peered back at her, sizing her up similarily. They seemed just to be shades darker than the own Amber hue of her irises, and as they met gazes, as if destiny were calling them, and every action taken before this one had been leading up to this event, this monumental meeting, this chance encounter, a zap of electricity startled Starla into being caught temporarily offguard, as her heart pounded on the interior, not in a fearful preparation to flee sort of manner, which she could've done quite easily had she the desire, but in place of that desire.. Stood another one. The boy, seeming the only explanation for the various cuts and gashes, ranging in severity lacing Iris' body, was the perpetrator. He and the Pidgey minion squatting on his shoulder were definitely going down. As he moved a step closer, Starla's eyebrows shot up, and she tensed, moving instantaneously in front of Iris, arms fanning out instinctively as if to protect the girl from further bodily harm.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Starla demanded, wanting to hear the story precisely from the boy's mouth, though she could pretty much guess what he had been doing. Her tone was threatening, Starla shifting into guard dog overdrive, a fierce competitive sheen again blazing in her eyes, only this time, the stakes were higher. Her reputation was at stake. If she failed.. God knew what this boy would do to the lot of them.

"You can't just go around attacking people for no reason, especially if that so-called person happens to be the best friend of Starla Lenore Marengo!" Starla cried out, though had reason permeated her thick skull at this moment, she might've realized that this boy had no clue who she was. Then again, judging by the overly Pokemon-themed attire he wore on his body, not unlike her own, he might've been a Pokemon fan knowledgable to realize that, in fact, she was the daughter of a Gym Leader.

"You got the bright idea inyour head to assault Iris with that.. that birdbrain on your shoulder!" Starla spewed, notably aggravated, though her tone was relenting to a more competitive banter than an outright threat. More likely than not, she would've demanded this bloke battle her anyways, but now that Iris' health had been compromised, she only had more incentive to fight.

"And obviously, your brain must be not much bigger, to go around beating up on little girls! Well, this little girls going to instruct you on a lesson you'll be sure never to forget! That women are just as competent as men, if not more so in battle! In this case, you can bet that it's more so! You wanted to assault her, well you're playing with the big boys now! You have me to deal with instead." To Leera, Starla only nodded curtly as the little Eevee ascended gracefully to her left shoulder, and crouched there, caught up in a feverpitch of erratic emotion as she mentally psyched herself for the first trainer battle they would ever attempt.

"This is Leera, and she's all bite, no bark. Leera, show this boy what girls are made of!" Starla commanded, the Eevee, having already gone through her adrenaline rush, and now storing energy in order to retain her cool complex, descended, landing on the grassy ground before her in a single fluid motion, a proud grin flashed Tai's way. Starla waited expectantly, eager to meet the Pokemon he threw out. Her favorite part of the battle, secretly, was the moment the opposing Pokemon appeared before her, for it was said that a Pokemon's type was always, in some way, a reflection of the trainer.

 

[Charizard_Man]

Tai grinned as the opposing Rocket girl crawled on the damp forest floor. Her soft skin now covered in gashes caused by the uplifted tree branches from Gee's gust attack,

"Yeah! That'll show you to mess with Tai Sugimori, no Rockets are going to steal pokemon from me!" Tai grinned as Gee came flappin down onto his shoulders, pride filled his chest.

Tai's grin soon faded as a second girl appear near the Rocket, pail blonde hair in two ponytails shimmered above her head. Her nice amber eyes gazed at Tai, capturing his own eyes. Her clothing seemed similar to Tai's, she must've had connections to Pokemon as he did. As the girl gazed into Tai's eyes, something in the pit of his stomach shifted. For the first time in his life, he felt breathless. Tai inched closer a bit, to find out who this new person was only to stop due to the sudden protective movement of the girl.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The girl shouted out, causing Tai to jump a little. He didn't excpet such enthusiasm much like...well his own, from a girl like her.

'Wow. She's fierce, she must be a higher ranked Rocket member.' The boy thought, causing his fist to tighten and his teeth to clench. He was in battle mode, once again.

"You can't just go around attacking people for no reason, especially if that so-called person happens to be the best friend of Starla Lenore Marengo!"

"Well, it's your fault for being involved with the wrong type of people! You people won't get away with what you've done, or my name isn't Taichi Sugimori!" Tai' tone was similar to her's, fiery and threatening.

"You got the bright idea inyour head to assault Iris with that.. that birdbrain on your shoulder!" Both Tai and Gee were infuriated,

<What?! Bird Brain, you're the one with that fur ball!!> Gee yelled out.

"And obviously, your brain must be not much bigger, to go around beating up on little girls! Well, this little girls going to instruct you on a lesson you'll be sure never to forget! That women are just as competent as men, if not more so in battle! In this case, you can bet that it's more so! You wanted to assault her, well you're playing with the big boys now! You have me to deal with instead." Tai chuckled as the Eevee jumped on her shoulder,

'This crazy Rocket thinks she can beat us? She's insane!' Tai thought.

"This is Leera, and she's all bite, no bark. Leera, show this boy what girls are made of!" The enemie's Eevee leaped from its trainer's shoulder and landed on the forest floor. Tai and Gee both chuckled,

"Big Boys?! First of all, you're not the big yourself. Second of all, you have an Eevee! Gee is a whole lot better than that! But I'll show you not to mess with us! Go Charco-" Tai was interupted by Gee's light peck at his cheek,

<No Tai, she called me a Birdbrain! I wanna show her otherwise.> Tai nodded, "Alright then, Go Gee!!!" His tiny bird companion flew to the battle field.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rival Battle Music!​

"Alright then, Gee start off with Sand Attack!" THe bird flapped its wings with immense power to whip up all of the sand and debri from his previous gust. Now, the battlefield was surrounded by sand blowing in all different directions. Tai covered his eyes with his arm, but his Pidgey was unfazed by the Sand attack as his opponent Eevee was lost in the storm.

"Haha! Thanks to my Gee's Keen Eye ability, he isn't bothered by the Sand Attack and can attack your Eevee with no problem! Concentrate your Gust Attack on the enemies!" Gee flapped its wings yet again to create a small twister of some sort and launched it at the Eevee and its trainer.

Tai snapped his fingers, "Gotcha!"...

 

[Umbreongirl]

All this cliche motivation, it could never be enough.

"Big boys?! First of all, you're not so big yourself!" The boy taunted, and as he did so, a devilish grin sprouted up on his round face, nonchalantly measuring Starla's height about a foot from the ground. It was a mass exaggeration, but even so, Starla bristled at the childish insult. Gritting her teeth, she fumed, much to the obvious pleasure of the opposing boy, as he seemed to feed off her rage like the hot-headed little glutton she was. Narrowing her eyes at him, Starla only retorted.

"Look who's talking, Mini me! You may be a smidgeon taller than I am shorty, but look around, and count how many of these people tower over you. Pwned." A competitive grin contorted the involuntary pout Starla's mouth was usually fixated to, and beckoning to Leera, the girl made a bold manuver by moving strikingly closer to his own person.

"Second of all, you have an Eevee! Gee is a whole lot better than that!" The boy exclaimed, motioning indignantly to the common Pidgey standing beside him, the likes of which Starla had encountered a thousand times before on the outskirts of the Viridian Forest, as well as on the route leading to and from Pallet town, where Starla and Iris often revisted the Professor who had granted them their very Pokemon. Starla had become quite fond of the old man, sardonic as he was at times. Starla scoffed mockingly, a sandy eyebrow erecting as she only stared on, amused. Laughing heartily so as to infuriate the boy, Starla knelt down in a flourish, bowing her head as low as it could go, all the way down until she was actually almost sampling dirt, and then raising impish eyes only slightly, so as to address the bird.

"Oh noble Pidgey, the most rare and beautiful of all the avian in Kanto taking flight, I am so honored to meet your acquaintence. Never, never in all my numerous travels nad excursions have I ever met a creature as mighty as you, as elusive as you, even in my encounters with Mewtwo.."
At this, Starla's eyes widened considerably, and momentarily scatterbrained, she clasped a hand over her mouth.

<Why did I just say that? Freudian Slips for the win. Could it have something to do with my little run-in this morning? Now I just sound like Freddy from the Fabulous Five, in Scooby Doo. Or.. Was it the Mystery Five?>

Leera, unable to resist biting off her own little piece, leapt in front of Pidgey, bowing in the same twin manner as her trainer.

<You aren't even worth the guidance of my trainer, you worm-eating feather-coated dimwit! You will rue the day that you laid lowly claws on Iris. But even more, you will rue the day that you crossed paths with me!>

Starla's eyes widened, and growing a little sheepish, she scooped the growling Eevee up, and squeezed her close to her chest.

"Easy there, girl. Don't worry, we'll get 'em back." Leera fumed at the Pidgey's arrogance, so much matching his trainer's, and unbeknownst to her, her own and Starla's too. The Pidgey had an ego that was drastically overinflated, and deserved to be taken down a peg or two.

"But i'll show you not to mess with us!" The boy continued on, round face lighting up in determined grin, eyes failing to show any recognition of his surroundings, the backwoods of the Viridian Forest, the likes of which only Starla knew her way around, or even Starla herself, who still stood as fierce as ever, heart actually leaping, pumped by the promise of battle, and the thrill of it all. With her reputation at stake, before her companion, and the boy's own, she refused to admit defeat. In a moment of tenderness rare for herself, Starla reached down comfortingly, in a maternal manner patting Iris on the head, who, despite herself being nearly a foot taller than her friend, was still clinging with a vicegrip to the hem of Starla's dress.

"Don't be frightened, Iris. It's just another trainer come along with his head stuck in the clouds. He won't bother you anymore.." And now, she directed this part Tai's way. "Not after I whip him so hard, he scurries all the way back to Pallet town to his mommy!"

"Leera, you're in!" Starla called out, this being the signal for her little amigo to report to battle. All dsdain and disgust momentarily forgotten, the uppity Eevee charged recklessly into the battlefield, stance showing zero fear, but in actuality, had come in just as cool, in not cooler, than the Pidgey she opposed. The whole battle charge was put on for show, in an attempt to weaken the morale of the Pidgey known as Gee.

"Alright then, Gee! Start off with sand attack!" The boy ordered, and even Starla was taken aback by his extreme decisiveness. She found a throbbing blush crawl across her face, but she was unsure why. Gingerly, she attempted to veil it by turning away from the battle, and was successful, as it only appeared that she was covering her eyes from the sand attack. Leera stopped mid-charge, and stood confidently, awaiting her trainer's suggestion.

"Leera, don't let the sand attack faze you! We've operated with the same thing a thousand times before, so time to get low!" Starla called out, reminding the Eevee gently that she posed the same attack. Having practiced the attack to perfection, it being the only one of two attacks that Leera could boast yet, Starla had worked endlessly to make up for Leera's lack of being able to see through it. By squinting, and ducking low, Leera would miss the brunt of the sand until it had subsided some. Chancing a sneak peek at the battlefield, Starla noticed a thick Oak tree, not far from where her Eevee now ducked.

"Haha!" The boy laughed, seemingly in triumph, unaware of the ploy that Starla was hatching, not twenty feet away.

"Thanks to my Gee's keen eye ability, he isn't bothered by the Sand Attack and can attack your Eevee no problem! Concentrate your Gust attack on the enemies!" Gee, so high up in the air, hadn't taken note that Leera had ducked low and scampered about five feet to his right, charged a gust that would spiral around a course, missing the camoflauged Eevee by just barely, but directly in danger of hitting Starla. And that was just what the boy wanted. In concern for Iris, Starla desperately whirled around. The girl was ducked timidly behind a tree similar to the one Leera stood mere feet from. Iris would have protection, but for Starla's ambush to work, she couldn't dodge. Bravely, she stood, arms outstretched, relaxing as best as she could, closing her eyes in the final howling moments that the Gust enveloped her. The gust hurt, but not as tremendously as it could have, if the Pidgey had been a higher level.

"Gotcha!" The boy called out, and to this, Starla nodded humbly, a not-so-humble smile springing soon after to her face.

"You did." She admitted truthfully. "But guess who you forgot?"

"Leera, get up that tree and escape this Sand Storm! Once you're clear of it, show that Pidgey no mercy!" Nodding obediently, in a speed comparable to Starla's own, months of scampering up the bodies and through the limbs of these same trees paying off now, in a battle set on Starla's own turf, the Eevee was up and perched on a mighty limb, hovering a good ten feet above the Pidgey, who hadn't uncovered the whereabouts of the Eevee yet. Not that the avian could be blamed. The thicket the group of trainer now huddled in was completely surrounded by trees on all sides. Starla smiled menacingly, before she nodded at Leera.

"I want your best tackle attack! Tackle this sucker into the ground from that height, and we'll have this one in the bag!" Leera nodded intently, before taking the dive, the Pidget straight in her sights. She made contact, but through the Sand, Starla could deter little else..

 

[Charizard_Man]

The battle against the Rockets was turning out to be entertaining,


"Gotcha!" The boy called out, and to this, the girl nodded humbly, a not-so-humble smile springing soon after to her face.

"You did." She admitted truthfully. "But guess who you forgot?" Tai's eyes widened and immediately darted his head around to search for the Eevee.

"Leera, get up that tree and escape this Sand Storm! Once you're clear of it, show that Pidgey no mercy!" Tai was shocked at the girl's battling skills, almost mirroring his own.


"Come on Gee, look around. With your Keen Eye you can see perfectly in this sand-attack, where is the Eevee?"

"I want your best tackle attack! Tackle this sucker into the ground from that height, and we'll have this one in the bag!" Tai gritted his teeth as he heard parts of her speech, thanks to the sand-attack he could barely hear his opponent and he couldn't see anything in this Sand-Attack. But Gee could, Tai pulled out his pokedex.

"Alright, this Eevee is pretty strong. It's the same level as Gee. They have the same attack, but Gee is faster!" Tai grinned,

"Gee! Meet her tackle with your own Tackle, and step on it!" Tai clenched his fists as he awaited the outcome, Tai looked at his pokedex. His Pidgey had sustained damage! But so had his opponent,

"Alright Gee! No matter where you are, use a powerful Gust!!" The Pidgey happily obeyed as he eyed his tired opponent, the harsh winds started up again. Clearing all of the sand and debri, now the battlefield was in clear vision. The Pidgey and Eevee had some cuts and bruises,

'Yes! Now it's over.' Tai cheered mentally.

As the gust made its way towards the Eevee, multiple chords of white fuzz shot at both Gee and Leera. The pokemon were unable to move, Tai was shocked.


"What is this?! Another Rocket trick!! I should've known you two would pull something like this." Tai fumed, glaring at the two opposing girls. But the girls seemed to have confused faces, as confused as Tai's. Tai followed the long sticky chords that entagled the pokemon only to see a large group of bug pokemon.

"Bug Pokemon?! What do they want!" Tai yelled as he ran towards his Pidgey,

"Come on Gee! Try to squirm out! I'll help!" Tai struggled to help his buddy out of the String Shot. He stuck his fingers through the String and pulled as hard as he could, he managed to looses the String Shot. But before he could help any more, another long String Shot managed toentagle Tai's right arm. He was pulled back with great force,

"Hey! Let me go!! Guys, help!" Tai yelled for his friends, Gee was shocked and strugled even harder.

<Let! Him...GO!!> Gee yelled as he broke free of his entanglements, the bird fleww over and used a huge gust attack to blow away the bugs. But more bug pokemon came crawling from the bush,

"Where are they coming from?!" Tai yelled out. From the shadows of the trees came walking a menacing yellow mouse. Evil eyes and a jagged electric tail, its fur above his head seemed to almost match Tai's bangs.

"Pika! Pikachu!!" The Pikachu yelled in a menacing voice as the whole crowd of Bug pokemon attacked. Most of them seemed to pass Tai to go attack his two friends and the two Rockets,

"Hey! You there!! I don't care if you are Rockets, you've got to help us out! Battle these pokemon!!"

~~~~~~~~~~​

*image removed*[4] *image removed*[4] *image removed*[4] *image removed*[4] *image removed*[1]​

~~~~~~~~~~​

Tai turned to find a family of bug pokemon in front of him, a Caterpie and Weedle stared him down. As a Metapod and Kakuna towared over the two worms, glaring at Tai. The Menacing Pikachu behind them,​

"Alright then. These guys are bugs, no problem!" Tai grinned as he stood up and pointed at the quartet of bugs.​

"Gust, Gee!" The bird pokemon smirked as he blew away the bug pokemon from the ground. Tai shrugged,​

"Might as well help out the professor too." He layed his bag down and pulled out a couple of pokeballs,​

"Alright. Go pokeball!" Tai yelled as he threw a capsule at each of the bug pokemon. Four clouds of smoke appeared to convert the bugs into energy and suck them inside the ball.​

"Well these guys were low level, so their health should be really low." Tai check his pokedex,​

"So this should be...," The ball stopped shifting to let out four identical 'dings!',"No problem!" Tai yelled as he picked up the pokeballs, he clipped them on his belt as he looked at his pokedex.​

"Wait, what's...this?" He looked at the pokedex to see a picture of a Pikachu. He shot up to see a fierce electric shock attack flying towards him. He leaped for the floor,​

"Woah! Gee, return!" he clipped Gee's pokeball on his belt as he picked up another.​

"You asked for it pal! Charco, let's go! Ember!!" The familiar Charmander popped out and swung its tail fiercly, launching a swarm of fireballs at the Pikachu. The yellow mouse avoided the attack and dashed towards the Charmander growling in its face. Charco covered its ears as its attack lowered,​

"Crap, alrigth then. Now that it's close, it can't dodge! Ember!!" the Charmander released the ember attack once more, this time hitting its target. The Pikachu was struck by multiple fireballs, burning its yellow coat. Patches of fur were now dark brown,​

"PikaChu!!!" The Pikachu yelled as it launched an electric bolt,​

"Pikachu's strongest attack at this level, thundershock. Be careful Charco, it could paralyze!" The Charmander leaped out of the way to avoid most of the damage, but the lighting struck Charco's tail. Leaving it a dark charred black,​

"Scratch atack!" The charmander leaped towards the Pikachu, striking it on its right cheek. Claw marks now embedded into its fur, it shakily stood up. But stood up non the less,​

"Alright Charco, Let's finish this! Ember!!" The Charmander let out a swarm of fireballs, at the same time the Pikachu let out a thundershock. The Thundershock hit dead on as did the Ember attack, with Charco's much superior level he did not sustain major damage. But Pikachu,

"Yes!!" Tai grinned as he saw Pikachu's health go to critical, "Pokeball, GO!!" The red and white capsule engulfed the mouse in a cloud of smoke.

It shuffled on the forest floor, Tai glaring at the ball with uneasiness. Ding! Pikachu was caught!

"Y-Yes!! I actually caught a Pikachu!!" Tai leaped into the air and ran over to the ball, he sat down and sighed. He looked into the transparent red top, a sleeping Pikachu inside. Charco sighed,

"Return Charco, you did a good job buddy." Tai turned around and ran towards his friends.​

 

[Umbreongirl]

We're not gonna' take it anymore.

"Gee, meet her with a tackle, and step on it!" The boy ordered vindictively, sealing Starla's fate. Eyes widening, Starla nearly doubled over, as the Pidgey, whose speed she had underestimated and assumed as lower than Leera's, retaliated, slamming mercilessly against the Eevee, who had thrown everything she had into that tackle. Blanching dramatically, Leera only faltered momentarily, before regaining self-awareness, and spinning effectively in the air so as to land harmlessly on the ground. A growl of vengeance shattered the air as the hackles on the tiny canine raised,payback already shining fiercely in dark chestnut eyes.

<I planned on taking you out quick and effectively buddy, with as little pain as possible on your sorry feathered hide, but now, I have good reason to tear you limb from limb!>

Starla's eyes widened at the tempermental little Eevee, and quietly, in a series of elaborate hand gestures gone unseen by the Eevee riveted on the Pidgey, she unsuccessfully attempted to deflect Leera's anger.

"Alright, Gee! No matter where you are, use a powerful Gust!" The boy again commanded, his tone direct, and fatal. It appeared that he was as hellbent on bagging this victory as she was. But Starla wouldn't let her first and only Pokemon be just another notch in this naive trainer's belt. He who had bumbled accidentally into her territory, into her turf, into the area in which she had instructed herself mercilessly, fingers bleeding, staining the silk she wove red, sweat pouring into these same trees surrounding the flock. Despite being raised out of the ash of the volcano on Cinnabar, Starla sensed that in actuality, this place was her home. This dark and timeless place, of which she had spent months patiently sitting, absorbing the languages of all the Pokemon, the foliage; the trees, the flowers, even the fungus here, the living, breathing energy of the whole bustling atmosphere, was her home. Eyes collapsing momentarily under all the strain, Starla took a deep breath, and then struck back. Eyes opening, only momentarily did she regard the slow, decisive gathering of the winds, and while this Pidgey reigned superior in elements of the sky, with Starla guiding her, Leera would have the whole Forest at her hand.

"Leera, that tree you just jumped from! Duck behind it! The trunk will give you all the protection you need, and if that birdbrain tries to tackle you again, you know where to hide! For now, stand by! We'll wear 'em out!" Triumphant with her own silent victory in foiling the boy's attempts to take her little Eevee out, Starla eyed him, expecting him to cower, or flinch, or at the very least slide from her overconfident gaze, but incredibly, he didn't budge in the slightest. He met her evenly, with that same smirk still smeared across his round, boyish face, a smile that wiped the own from Starla's features.

The gust had continued on toward Leera, and Starla began to stress that perhaps she had overestimated, and that, in fact, the bark of the tree might not be thick enough to sustain the Pidgey's Gust.

<Perfect.> Starla thought, mood beginning to sour, as she actually started to dread Gee's attack.

<What would be better than Leera getting blown halfway across Kanto? Her being crushed by a mammoth tree? But, before Starla could reverse orders, or even had to, multiple bondages of white gunk stretched towards the Eevee and the Pidgey, securing both Leera and Gee immediately, entrapping them.

"Another Rocket trick!! I should've known you two would pull something like this!" Tai shouted accusingly, though the shouting, at least for Starla, was unecessary. Only the constant hum of the Forest was present in the atmosphere, a sound overpowering to most, but one Starla relished as familiar, and soothing. The ambushers had attacked silently rather than announcing their presence, something not out of nature for the eery Bug types inhabiting the Viridian Forest. Half perplexed and half baffled, Starla's brow furrowed, she finally turning in a fit and glaring boldly at Tai.

"Oh yeah, because it's just so probable that an ordinary-looking gal like myself would have legions of Bug Pokemon at my command! Do you see any mind-enslaving devices anywhere in near vicinity? Do you see a remote control in my hand, or anywhere for that mater? And if I were hypothically ordering a signal from a tower, do you think I would order an attack in a place like this where no signal can be gotten? Do I look like the kind of girl who spends her days sitting around practicing the PokeFlute to draw in hordes of harmless little buggies I could squash with my bare foot in the first place?!"

She spat out, her ordinarily upbeat and optimistic personality vacant now, as the stress of it all finally got to her head. Though she had snapped at the boy, truth of the matter was that Starla thrived on pressure, and as she found her only Pokemon now completely immobile, the likelihood of emerging out of all this victorious sent her blood pumping.

<Uh, Starla? I think it's the Cyrstal Flute that summons wild Pokemon, not the PokeFlute. Isn't that for waking up-->

"Whose side are you on, Leera!" Starla hissed, realizing that again, her pride was at stake, as she was in danger of being wrong. Nimble fingers had made quick work of the binds, and in mere seconds, Leera was already free.

As Starla had reprimanded her challenger, she and he both hadn't noticed that now, they were surrounded by a particularly vicious crowd of Bug type Pokemon. Astounded, Starla scanned the area for a reason explaining the calamity, snatching up Leera protectively as the insects descended on them.

"Bug Pokemon?! What do they want?" The boy questioned, his impatience sparking Starla's own.

"Yeah. Don't you guys usually go out of your way to avoid Humans?! What's with the sudden hostility?!" She demanded, all fired up now. Many of these bugs she knew personally, had been her Senseis in the arts of sewing and weaving. Confused, and betrayed, Starla glanced behind her, checking on Iris, who had been eerily silent this whole time.

"Come on, Gee! Try to squirm out. I'll help!" The boy whispered desperately to his Pidgey, who seemed to be wearing himself thin, pecking and scratching uselessly at the thick encasement. Starla knew from experience that all this picking and pulling would only make the bind stronger, this was their natural design, and so, begrudgingly, Starla moved to the boy's side to assist.

"Don't pull it, okay?" She urged him, gently placing a delicate hand atop his own, as she removed it from the Pidgey.

"You'll rip her feathers out. Just stand back." Distrustfully, The boy crossed his arms, scowling threateningly at her, his reproachfulness and protectiveness over the bird surprising even Starla, gaining her instant approval. Rather than tug or try to tear the mess out of Gee's feathers, Starla rapidly unwound her, nimb little fingers untying in places where the string had become entangled. It seemed that just as soon as Gee had been worked free though, another of the conniving Caterpies had launched an assault, ensnaring Tai with a particularly hefty String Shot, and rapidly pulling him back. This was all before Starla had time to react, and as the Caterpie tugged Tai away from them, she snapped.

"Alright, you bunch. You asked for it!" She snarled, as Iris found her way to her side. She charged the attacking swarm of insects, alongside Leera and Gee, who flew overhead, and blew the offending bugs back with one of his infamous Gusts. Starla pumped her fist into the air in smug triumph, but this victory was short-lived as only more bugs came crawling out of the bush. A Pikachu led them all, an uncharacteristically bad-tempered looking creature, and sheepishly, Starla recognized it as the mouse she had very nearly pummeled and captured earlier today.

<See? This is what getting greedy does to you!> Leera chided, climbing effortlessly up Starla's frame to reclaim her perch on Starla's shoulder.

<I mean, you were given me, one of the rarest Pokemon in all the Kanto region, the only Pokemon able to evolve into three different types! And you go hankering for something as common as a Pikachu, and now look! It's a Bug-themed apocolypse!> Starla chose not to respond, and instead, slowly made her way up to the Electrical Mouse. Staring on, her eyes met squarely the dark irises of the Pikachu, and as she did this, the Pikachu only bristled, static electricity summoning a magnificent electrical fury, that which the bloodthristy creature desired. Because of her pigheadedness and determination to make this Pikachu her own, her nearest and dearest friend, Iris, and this similar Pallet town trainer and his friends would all suffer. In typical heroic fashion, Starla attempted to bring all the Mouse's rage onto herself. She wasn't sure what other type of Pokemon this boy had, but he sure wouldn't fare well against the likes of a speedy electrical type like Pikachu with a Pidgey.

"I was the one who attacked you, Pikachu. And I don't regret it. I'm still interested in obtaining you, if you'd give me the chance to do it the right way!" But the Pikachu only shook his head defiantly, still fuming from their earlier encounter. This rendezvous wasn't a surprise one, but had been pre-meditated, rather. The feisty creature would exact his revenge, but he didn't want her. No. He wanted to fight.. Tai? Starla shook her head, obviously puzzled as the boy drew out a different beast, a meek-looking Pokemon that Starla recognized as Charmander. Being the Fire type that Starla was accustomed to battling, a bittersweet little reminder of her true home on Cinnabar, the place where all Kanto Fire-types dwelled in the wild, Starla's heart melted.

<A magnificent and beautiful creature.. Look how passionately the flame on the tip of his tail burns! It's an indicator of how strong he is. It looks like this boy's acquired quite the powerhouse.>

<Mhm. I hear you. Now you know I don't take too kindly to other Pokemon, but that is a class A hunk.> Leera had begun to pant, and again, interrupted Starla's thoughts. Playfully, Starla socked her away.

"It's time to focus, Leera. We have our fair share of Bug-type work cut out for us, and whilst we're drooling over this Charmander, they're eating us up! Literally!" Mortified, Starla and Leera glanced down simultaneously, jaws dropping as they noticed a pair of Weedle leaning in gleefully to chomp down on Starla's leg.

"Leera, tackle attack!" Starla ordered viciously, pointing fiercely down at the segmented worms. Leera was only happy to comply.


While the other trainers, including Iris surprisingly, who had managed already to capture two Pokemon from the offending Insect swarm battled away the others, it dawned on Starla that she had been assigned to take out only two. Exhaling only temporarily in disappointment at the lack of challenge, Starla bounced back up immediately, realizing this current challenge, as well as all those past in her short adventure, as an honor and an opportunity. Besides, what with the epic battle that had just ensued, Starla wasn't all that sure that her own little Pocket Monster was up to the challenge.

"What do you think, Leera? Can we handle these last two, or would you rather try to catch them?" Starla inquired, the corners of her lips tugging upward, a hint of a Cheshire grin.

<Over my dead body!> Leera announced, obviously disgusted, her imperial attitude toward the two common bug-types, and her disdainful glare of disgust settling that matter. Starla exhaled, wondering who was at the end of the commanding leash, herself, or Leera. Not once in her entire fourteen years of existence had Starla backed down to anyone's word, tucked her tail to a single challenge, or compromised her own beliefs, not even standing at the mercy of Mewtwo, which was said to be as sparse as Ice type Pokemon on Cinnabar. That is, until Leera, delivered by the hands of fate, had been thrust into her arms at the most opportune time. Now, more out of love and tolerance than from fear and intimidation, Starla complied willingly at good-naturedly to Leera's suggestion. Besides, Starla realized, with the innate rationality of every sensible trainer, that a whole team, where each member is cooperative and supportive of one another, is just one up on an opposing broken team, where in a double battle, both members of the same side would knock each other out before the rival trainer could land their first blow. An instant win. The reasoning behind why Starla would consult her partner each and every time she desired to make a catch, anticipating each time the right one. Obviously, this one wasn't it, and so it wouldn't seem likely that Starla would leave the Viridian Forest with a new friend.

"Fine." Starla responded, recovering quickly, morale hardening in order to effectively take these bugs out.

"Leera, first off, Tackle that Caterpie into the ground! His level is pretty low, so it should only take one or two of these to get him down!"

<Aye aye, Cap'n.> Leera responded, chestnut eyes narrowing playfully as she dropped to her chest, furry chin resting on delicate paws. Haunches still sticking up in the air, in the blink of an eye and a flash of brown fur, the Eevee had already catapulted herself into the Caterpie, a harsh tackle dropping the little worm into the ground. The poor Caterpie didn't even have a chance, at first stage evolution, and already several levels lower than Leera herself. Starla focused on the Metapod, which would be more difficult. After silently witnessing his comrade's fall, the Metapod had already enacted a Harden, which passed over the smooth, olive green of his surface in a metallic sheen.

"Leera, Tail Whip! Lower that defense, and before he has time to Harden again, Tackle his brains out!" Before Starla had even finished her sentence, to her own satisfaction, Leera, or her behind rather, was already pressed just inches from the Metapod's face, and his eyes widened considerably, her shaggy tail passing rapidly before his eyes. Soon after, she delivered a Tackle, that while effective, still hadn't knocked the Metapod out. Ditching defense for direct offense, the Metapod had begun to charge for a Tackle, but Leera was quicker than that.

"Starla, use Sand attack!" Starla commanded, her tone escalating as her face broke out in an erratic grin, fist pumping into the air as elated, she watched the creature she had raised for herself succeed. Kicking up a vast amount of sand in the Metapod's face, Leera only smirked as the Metapod, momentarily blinded, careened into the ground.

"Finish him off with a Tackle attack!" She ordered, precise and short in her dialect, pointing decisively at the downed Metapod. Without a single moment's hesitation, Leera descended on the Metapod, and the battle was a match. Starla beamed, falling to her knees and gathering up Leera, who, though fatigued by the battle with the boy and his Pidgey, had just successfully taken out two Bugs, single-handedly at that.

<See? Why would you want to add one or both of those weaklings to our little menagerie?> Leera sniffed, furry face falling alongside Starla's chest.

<When you have me, who can do it all.> Starla only smiled knowingly down at Leera, shaking her head patiently, before skipping merrily over at Iris. Had the girl foreseen Starla, perhaps she would've ducked down out of harm's way, or flailed to the side rightfully, as Starla's enthusiastic bounds enabled her to pick up speed, and practically gallop over to where the other trainers were gathered around. Then again, perhaps not. Starla, a joke of nature at only 4''6', seemingly barely posed a physical threat to anyone.

"So....? Iris?" Starla inquired teasingy, yielding to curiosity as she peered eagerly at her friend.

"Spill it. Dish the dirt. What did you get? Anything good?"

 

[Yuukihime]

Embraced by the warmth of your gentle gaze

Iris watched as Starla. She had come just in the nick of time, any longer and she would have been screwed. Starla began to tease the boy and insulted his pidgey. Still on the ground her ghastly came to her aid.

"Iris you okay?" Ghastly asked. Nudging her with her ghastly body.

"Yea....I think so..." Iris mumbled as she let go of Starla and began addressing her leg wound. It wasn't as deep as she thought it was. Grabbing a potion that she had kept with her just in case she sprayed it on the wound. It stung like alchohol.

'Blowing on it will make it less sting.' A voice echoed in her head. It was her sisters. Yes, the memory of her missing sister, her sister and her had been through so much. Iris Blanche had taught Iris Noire a lot. So as Iris snapped to her senses she began to blow on the wound. It felt cold but it didn't sting. Obviously Starla and the boy named tai were battling.

Iris could only watch. Not wanting to exert any force on her injured leg, and with a sharp pain echoing through her check the last thing she wanted to do was put pressure on her body. Frail appearances were always a part of Iris and as she grew older iris grew weaker in health as well know one knew why. It had been that way since birth. She always weaker then her sister. She had managed to keep her health a secret from Starla. Which was good. Starla had so much else she had to worry about, Iris didn't want Starla to worry about her any further.

"S-starla.." Iris muttered as she watched Starla with her fierce, tough (yet little) Eevee attack the pidgey.

'My child, you will be mine, forever and always. I whisper on the wind and you will answer me. You will lie, die, and cry for me. I will whisper on the wind when the time is right my child'

Iris could here the voice of a man, Iris had always been in tune with the paranormal but that was just freaky.

The sharp pain in her chest slowly subsided as the battle came to a stalemate when several large gooey, silky, white strings webbed over the entire arena.

"E-eh...?" Iris stuttered as she began to stand up. The potion had took effect so Iris could stand again varely but she could manage to stand. Irises red and green gaze survyed the area to see what was going on. The sticky, white strands engulf the pokemon. Iris squeeked a little bit as teh stick white strands tried to grap ghastly but being a gas pokemon so it phased right through the ghost pokemon.

"Another Rocket trick!! I should've known you two would pull something like this!" Tai shouted accusingly.

"E-eh? Team Rocket...?" Iris stuttered. Being part of a higher up family some of her family members were politicians she heard the name Team Rocket a few times when she was forced to sit in on the meetings. She WAS the soul heir to the fortune of the Yorihisa clan and when her parents passed on Iris would be a very wealthy girl. That is if..she lived that long.

"Oh yeah, because it's just so probably that an ordinary-looking gal like myself would have legions of Bug Pokemon at my command! Do you see any mind-enslaving devices anywhere in near vicinity? Do you see a remote control in my hand, or anywhere for that mater? And if I were hypothically ordering a signal from a tower, do you think I would order an attack in a place like this where no signal can be gotten? Do I look like the kind of girl who spends her days sitting around practicing the PokeFlute to draw in hordes of harmless little buggies I could squash with my bare foot in the first place?!" Starla spat at the boy.

Iris squeeked. Starla had always been spunky and tough. Starla protected Iris like a younger sister and like how Iris Blanche did for her. Invisible tears filled irises eyes, she could swear that she saw her sister in Starla. Choking back tears she snapped to it when a stick strand of string hit her hand.

"Iris!" Ghastly yelled.

"I'll..be fine...I think...this is the time you've been waiting for. the time to catch some pokemon." Iris said a tiny hint of excitement in her voice.

"Alright!" Ghastly shouted.

Iris observed the area. She wanted a Butterfree for the next contest so more then likely she would catch a weedle,caterpie, kakuna or a metapod..

"A metapod and a weedle will do just fine!" Iris smiled grabbing two pokeballs out of her pocket. "Metapods, are immobile and their defense is nearly impenatrable...We'll try a different tactic style then...heh.. HYPNOSIS!" Iris yelled getting caught up in the battle. The ghost pokemon nodded and floated up too the cacoon pokemon. Its eyes glowing slowly the metapod gently fell asleep.

"Go Pokeball!" Iris yelled she through the tiny sphere. It hit the sleeping cacoon and the pokeball shuffled slightly and with a tiny 'ding' it settled. But that wasn't the end of Irises troubles. A weedle was quickly shuffling her way horn ready. "Ghastly use lick!" Iris pointed at the weedle.

Rushing at the tiny bug pokemon ghastly gave a huge slobbery lick to the weedle. The weedle froze it was shuddering slightly.

"Again!" Iris commanded.

The ghost pokemon licked the weedle again and with that Iris tossed the other pokeball. The sphere hit the bug on the head and shuffled slightly. this was exciting she could feel her heart racing. It settled quietly.

Iris picked up the second pokebal and smiled. "Look...like we got two new members Ghastly." The gastly smiled. Nodded and licked her happily. Iris smiled.

"Thanks Gastly you were awesome." Iris giggled at her pokemon as it smiled happily back her.


"So....? Iris?" Starla inquired teasingy, yielding to curiosity as she peered eagerly at her friend.

"Spill it. Dish the dirt. What did you get? Anything good?"

"Oh, I caught a metapod and a weedle, I would enjoy using them for contests in their fully evolved forums." Iris said looking back at Starla. "I'm sure they'll be great additions to my team as well."

 

[Cirrus]

OOC: I'm remastering my trainer sprite to look less like Rich Boy Winston. He looks too... rich... and... arrogant. Yeah... arrogant.

"This is ridiculous." Edwin looked at the battle between the girl named Starla and Tai. Gee and the Eevee... what was its name now? Ah, yes. Leera. It staved against its opponent, a Pidgey. Both sides were battling fiercely, but Edwin could not see the purpose for it. "What precisely are they doing, anyway? They have nothing to resolve between them; the penalty for knocking another person down..."

-External monologues again?- Bulbasaur smiled, an indication of a smirk on its visage. -Just the right thing to do for a main character.-

"Oh... and what would you be then? A sidekick?" A sign of humor was appearing on Edwin's own.

-A sidekick is in his own way a main character as well.- Bulbasaur said proudly. -And anyway I'm fine with being just a sidekick. We don't have to do as much "character development" as you main characters do. Trust me, Professor Oak watches all kinds of shows and psychological analyses of characters in a story is certainly not outside that domain.-

"So... you mean we're in a story of some kind?" Edwin began to scan the brush around them for possible cameras. Seeing nothing but the other girl and Nina (not to mention Tai and Starla's battleground), he wheeled back in on Bulbasaur, who shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure we're not in a story, Bulbasaur." Edwin remarked dryly to the plant-animal hybrid Pokemon.

-Who said we were? I blame my speculation on Professor Oak. Or Tai's paranoia. Whichever suits you.-

His thoughts wandered over to the other girl that he'd seen a moment earlier, mistaken at first to be a Rocket by Tai. He glanced at where she fell down on the forest floor, but pulled back his gaze, as much in fear of making eye contact as perhaps his wariness of the Ghost-type Pokemon that she happened to possess, though not before he saw the elegant person that was Iris.

Such fragility... Tai is indeed not an artist. An artist knows that someone like her would either be crushingly evil- which I don't think is the case here- or not so at all. Tai is too judgemental on someone's clothing and not enough on the actual person. Still, I'm probably making the same mistake, aren't I? Edwin chuckled to himself. A person to acquaint with indeed, if Tai hasn't ruined our two parties' prospects of meeting on friendly terms already.

But what was this? The battle seemed to be progressing quite evenly, Gee matching against Starla's Eevee Leera quite well. Maybe they would gain respect for each other, and in the process goodwill. I certainly hope so.

Before he finished that thought on his calligraphical paper in his mind, however, webs descended upon them with a vengeance. Sticky, white webs, thick with the power of a Pokemon attack, entrapped them all.

"What is this?! Another Rocket trick!! I should've known you two would pull something like this." He vaguely heard Tai shout something above the insectile sounds that enveloped the surroundings around them. This obviously incited Starla's rage, and she roared something back at Tai.

"Oh yeah, because it's just so probable that an ordinary-looking gal like myself would have legions of Bug Pokemon at my command! Do you see any mind-enslaving devices anywhere in near vicinity? Do you see a remote control in my hand, or anywhere for that mater? And if I were hypothically ordering a signal from a tower, do you think I would order an attack in a place like this where no signal can be gotten? Do I look like the kind of girl who spends her days sitting around practicing the PokeFlute to draw in hordes of harmless little buggies I could squash with my bare foot in the first place?!"

Edwin grimaced. So much sarcasm and attrition today; their conflict was still unresolved, it seems. A friendly rivalry might appear of it, though he had no time to continue to ponder the matter as he was dragged into a Pokemon battle of his own.

MOOSIQ

The ground was covered with those webs, hampering movement, and trapping them. "So; Let's go, Bulbasaur! We have enough experience with bugs. Vine Whip!"

Four vines whipped out from Fushigidane's bulb, wrapping around the four bugs that surrounded Edwin's group. Taking his Pokedex from his pocket, Edwin scanned the green pod-shaped Bug Pokemon that was the only one he hadn't collected information on yet.

METAPOD. The Cocoon Pokemon.
It prepares for evolution by hardening its shell as much as possible to protect its soft body.​

The aforementioned green cocoon and the identical cocoon beside it, both equipped with eyes, were easily grabbed by Fushigidane's vines - but catching the little buggers that could actually move were more of a problem, Edwin thought. After all, it was still annoying as ever and having fought a Caterpie a moment ago stood to consolidate that opinion. Yes, bugs were still bugs. He would deposit the insect Pokemon the first thing when they reached Pewter City.

He cast two red-and-white spheres at the immobile green cocoon Pokemon, the moving ones out of his current reach. They engulfed their targets in a fwoosh of energy.

Meanwhile, Bulbasaur continued its struggle against Caterpie and Weedle, who were tackling Bulbasaur furiously but to no avail. Unfortunately, so also were Fushigidane's efforts mostly useless; Edwin glanced at his Pokedex, flicking to the combat statistics pane, filled with weird characters of some obscure language that he couldn't hope to understand.

"What?" Edwin stared at the device in puzzlement. "Ah. Oops." In his hurry, he had accidentally slid the language filter to some other setting. He slid it back and the scramble of symbols corrected themselves into an understandable language. "There we are."

OOC: I assume these Pokedexes are like the ones in Pokemon Special... right? Right? Also, I'm late because I had too much instant hyperness from Pokemon Special. Along with too much MSG.

BULBASAUR:
LEVEL 12
TYPE 1/GRASS
TYPE 2/POISON
ATTACKS:
TACKLE
GROWL
LEECH SEED
VINE WHIP

ENEMY POKEMON:
CATERPIE:
LEVEL 6
TYPE 1/BUG
ATTACKS:
TACKLE
STRING SHOT

WEEDLE:
LEVEL 5
TYPE 1/BUG
ATTACKS:
POISON STING
STRING SHOT

"Tch... Bug types." Edwin had studied the elemental matchup tables for a long time; but even an imbecile could have expected that Bug wins against Grass. And Grass attacks were no doubt uneffective. Hmm.

"Let's give this a try. Hold on there, Bulbasaur. Yes, for just a minute." Edwin snatched the second Pokeball on his belt.

-I hope you know what you're doing, Edwin. I'm immune to Weedle's poisonous attacks, but no such luck against Caterpie.- Bulbasaur looked back at its trainer, still waiting for him to give it a command. -Give me something to fight back with.-

"I know, I know.. I'm trying my best. I'm still new at this. Ah... here we are." The statistics for Edwin's Pidgey appeared on-screen.

PIDGEY:
LEVEL 6
TYPE 1/NORMAL
TYPE 2/FLYING

No surprises there.

ATTACKS:
TACKLE
SAND-ATTACK

"No Gust, huh?" Edwin stared at the Pokedex for a while longer, then returned to the combat. "Alright. We'll just have to do our best, Bulbasaur. Vine Whip!"

-Finally. Took you long enough.- Bulbasaur growled back, somewhat chidingly. -Take less time next time; other trainers won't wait for you.- All four vines retracted, then fired themselves simultaneously at Weedle, who had no time at all to even blink, never mind dodge. It was knocked unconscious as Edwin threw his second last Pokeball; the sphere rolled once, twice, then stopped.

"Just the Caterpie left, then." Bulbasaur nodded reassuringly. "You're low on energy. Let's finish this off now! Use Leech Seed!"

But it wasn't a seed that popped out of Fushigidane's bulb; it was a grey powder, permeating the air around the Caterpie. The silver dust gleamed in the air for a few seconds, then settled onto the surrounding areas of Caterpie before disappearing from view entirely, leaving behind a somewhat sooty Caterpie, snoring away on the grass.

"Hmm? That's a new trick." Edwin grinned with excitement.

-Indeed. I had no idea that I had this ability until now.- Bulbasaur nodded in agreement and acknoledgement. -You might want to... maybe... check your green device-thing.-

Edwin brought up his Pokedex to eye level again. The display of Bulbasaur's statistics pane changed. It now read like this:

BULBASAUR:
LEVEL 13
TYPE 1/GRASS
TYPE 2/POISON
ATTACKS:
POISONPOWDER
SLEEP POWDER
LEECH SEED
VINE WHIP

"Very nice." Edwin bent down to pick up the Pokeballs that he had thrown, the captured Bug Pokemon inside. "I'm definitely ditching the Pokemon in my box when we get to Pewter, though." He looked in the direction of their company, and began to walk.

An interesting day it has been.

 

[Charizard_Man]

Nina watched as the battle between Tai and the opposing girl raged on, they seemed very much like each other. Gee faced off against her Eevee, the pokemon seemed evenly matched.

'Hmm. I wonder who's gonna win-' Her thought was cut short as a barrage of sticky strings enveloped the Pidgey and Eevee. Nina gasped as the pokemon struggled to get out,

"What is this?! Another Rocket trick!! I should've known you two would pull something like this." She shook her head as Tai, brash as ever, yelled at the girls.

"Oh yeah, because it's just so probable that an ordinary-looking gal like myself would have legions of Bug Pokemon at my command! Do you see any mind-enslaving devices anywhere in near vicinity? Do you see a remote control in my hand, or anywhere for that mater? And if I were hypothically ordering a signal from a tower, do you think I would order an attack in a place like this where no signal can be gotten? Do I look like the kind of girl who spends her days sitting around practicing the PokeFlute to draw in hordes of harmless little buggies I could squash with my bare foot in the first place?!"

Nina was amused as the girl matched up with Tai's loudness, she ran over to aid her friend. Only to halted to a stop by a wall of bug pokemon, Nina gasped as the pokemon stared her down.

"Tat! Gale!!" She yelled out, the chubby purple rodent dropping the near by berry it found and coming to his trainer's aid. Squirtle quickly assuming a battle stance, the Rattata assumed the same stance, facing off against four different bugs.

"Bubble. Bite!"

The girl commanded effectively, the tiny turtle releasing a storm of solid bubbles that both knocked the pokemon back, and blinded them temporarily. This gave Tat an oppening to effectively bit the shells of the Kakuna and Metapod.

The pods fell to the floor with a thud, swirls in their eyes, the two worms let out deep breaths. They seemed to be tired already,

"Bubble!" Nina yelled with passion, the Squirtle quickly letting out a stream of bubbles that quickly devoured the bugs.

"Pokeball!!" Nina threw a capsule at the green worm, quickly sucking it inside.

After a few moments of agonizing wait, the ball finally clicked. Nina clasped her hands together and smiled, she caught another pokemon!

_______________________________________​

The horde of bug pokemon quickly disbanded as soon as Tai had succefully captured the Pikachu, who was now struggling to get out of the pokeball on Tai's waist.​

"Yow!" Tai was shocked slightly as sparks flew out of the pokbeall on his waist, Tai sighed. The boy quickly walked over to the group of four trainers, the girl in black now limping.​

'Oh man. Looks like I've got some explaining to do.' Tai sweatdropped as he walked over to the group. The blonde girl immediately started to yell,​

"WAIT!!! I'm sorry! I thought you guys were part of Team Rocket! We were just attacked by them yesterday you see, so that's why I thought you were part of it." Tai apoligized, Charco sighed.​

The girls understood and decided it was best to just become friends, Tai was relieved. The girls left soon afterwards, leaving our heroes in the forest.​

"So why didn't we leave with them?" Nina questioned the boy, who simply smiled.​

"Well it's gonna turn night soon, we should just camp out here tonight. The blonde girl named Starla showed me a good place to camp out." The other trainers nodded, Tai grinning and began walking backwards….only to fall on a waist-high tree.​

<What's that?> Charco sniffed it curiously. <It smells sweet….>​

Nina bent and examined the tree "It's a berry tree." She picked the pink berry from the tree to examine it.​

"WHOO! TREASURE! GIMME!" Tai lunged for the berry, but Nina held it up out of his reach.​

"Wait. I say we split the berries, there's an entire patch of trees here." Nina said. ​

Tai nodded. "Good point." The three trainers looked at the trees, the tallest tree was green with a large stem and red berries on them. Besides that tree was an equally tall tree with pink leaves and blue berries on it, a stout tree with large leaves and pink berries, a short bush with brown leaves and blue berries, and a tall triangular tree with red leaves and yellow berries.​

Tai grinned. "Let's pick them all!!" The boy grinned as he ran over to the trees.​

"We each get two of each berry, Tai." Nina gave chase after the boy, Edwin following.​

x2 x2 x2 x2 x2​

"So what do these do?" Tai carefully examined the berries before placing them in a small brown pouch he had in his bag. ​

"They have different effect on Pokemon, such as healing negative status conditions." Nina pointed out. Tai rasied an eyebrow,​

"Oh. But I remember Prof. Oak's assistant saying something else besides that." Tai placed his hand on his chin,​

"You mean, Daisy?" Nina inquired, Tai nodded. The trainers decided to just let it be and stood up,​

<Look! The exit!> Charco grinned.​

"Finally! Out of this forest!" Tai grinned, the trainers began to walk towards the light.​

Now Tai usually didn't have feelings. Normally he didn't have premonitions, or any kind of spiritual enlightenment. He never predicted anything. But something, this one time, in the gut of his stomach, squirmed inside him. As if guided by someone, his head moved to look back.​

There stood a tall, imposing figure. It was bulky, as if covered in armor….Its eyes glowed a piercing blue through the slits in its mask…​

As if in slow motion, it raised its three fingered hand, and shot a giant purple, cackling beam of energy at their backs. And as if in more slow motion, Tai's eyes widened, he grabbed his friends and shoved them down on the ground. The beam whizzed narrowly over their heads, and the three of them turned around to look at their attacker.​

Time seemed to resume.​

"W-what is that?" Nina stuttered slightly.​

Tai shivered. "It's that thing I saw….on my first day…"​

Whatever it was, it was telekinetic. ​

"Humans shouldn't interfere." Its voice came from their minds, their pokemon were paralyzed in horror. The voice was cool, drastically so. It sent a sense of foreboding up and down their spines….​

"Especially you, boy in red. Take this as a warning. Take it, and I'll spare you." ​

Nina and Edwin both looked at Tai, the boy was staring intently ahead at the thing, his face fixed.​

"….Whatever you are, I won't take your warning." He said in a clear voice. Despite the calmness of his voice, they knew he was feeling the exact opposite of what he sounded. His heartbeat was practically audible to the world, and it had the consistency of a butterfly's wing.​

"Stay away from me and my friends. If you attempt to harm them, I WILL make you pay." His eyes narrowed.​

"…………….why is it that humans must insist on weaving the pattern of fate themselves?"​

Nina continued to glare at the thing….and it seemed, somehow….like it knew more than they did, like it knew what the future was…​

It seemed….lonely.​

"My warning stands." Its voice trailed off, and in a blink of an eye, it was gone.​

The pokemon were snapped out of their shock. The boy, on the other hand was on the verge of breaking down, his head in his hands, his breath shallow and quick, as is he had been over exerted. Charco seemed to have regained physical motion again, along with the other starters, and he stroked his trainers back with his chubby arms slowly.​

Gale looked back at the spot where it had stood. <What was that thing?>​

Nina shook his head. "I don't know….It felt horrible though, when it looked at us, I felt so heavy, like he was wishing…."​

"For….for you to die." Tai said, muffled.​

"Yeah….look; lets just get out of here. We'll get to the PokemonCenter in Pewter and call the Professor, maybe he'll know something."​

Tai nodded, stood up, brushing her jeans off. He helped Nina and Edwin up, and patted Charco's head. The pokemon was shivering violently…​

They exited the forest, passing the tollhouse in silence. The people within it didn't seem to know what had happened, they were chatting merrily, some waved.

Tai ignored them and continued out to the exit. The trip through the forest had taken all day, and the sun was dimming behind the mountain range beyond Pewter, the crisp air cool and light. Long shadows were thrown on every little pebble and tree, every leaf and blade of grass. Faded stars littered the canopy above, growing brighter with each second. A small field of grass to the side and a fence on the other beckoned and bent inward to the newest town, the City of Graying Stone….

At the sign that read: Welcome to PewterCity, Tai cleared his throat and swallowed the threat of tears. He wasn't going to cry, he hasn't cried since the day father died. He wasn't on planning to do that now.


'He told me they weren't my friend, that they could care less about me. He's wrong...right?' Tai thought to himself. He looked up at the sign and grinned,


"Well you guys, we should just camp out here. Tomorrow we'll enter the city and talk to Prof. Oak, he'll want to know about this." Tai grinned as he began to set up his sleeping bag in the field of grass that was on the outskirts of Pewter. He quickly changed into his pair of white shorts and looked at the pokeballs at his side,


"Nigh guys." The pokemon inside the pokeballs grinned. Tai smiled as he saw the pokemon quickly falling asleep in their pokeballs. He sighed and looked up at the sky, the cold winds beating against his naked chest.


"What are you?" Was the last think Tai let out before falling asleep...

 

[Yuukihime]

My love is just waiting..to turn your tears to roses.


As the bug mob finally died down. Iris breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her to catches. She wanted to started nicknaming her pokemon. "Kay so.. Hachi for weedle..and Choucho for Metapod.." Iris smiled as she clutched the two pokeballs in her hand.

<Hey, hey what about me?> Gastly glared at Iris.

"I'll call you Shinyo." Iris responded to the newly nicknmed Gastly. The gastly eagerly embraced the name and licked her. Iris had become so accustomed to the licks that it no longer gave her a paralyzed status. Starla was glaring at Tai angerly and started to shout.

"Uhm...Its okay..It'll be fine... the cuts I mean they aren't very deep... I'll be fine.." Iris said and bowed to the three trainers. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble, I just wanted to see your battles." Iris muttered.

"WAIT!!! I'm sorry! I thought you guys were part of Team Rocket! We were just attacked by them yesterday you see, so that's why I thought you were part of it." Tai apoligized, Charco sighed.

"Uhm, well if its not to mush trouble..." Iris sad and walked up to the group. Reaching into her bag she each handed them a pecha berry. "They are really sweet and can be used for contests.. I found alot in the forest so you can have some spares..." Iris said hoping the peace offering would create neautrality between the two groups.

After sometime of talking they all decided to be friends. But unfortunetly they had to leave their new friends. Iris could unfortunetly only travel lnog distances at night because of her skin. It had certainly been an interesting day though.

"I hope we meet again. It was nice meeting new people...even though we didn't exactly start out on good terms.." Iris gave a small nervous giggle and ran to catch up to Starla.

_____________________________​

The forest was earily quiet tonight. Like time had stopped for eternity, it felt as if something heavily evil was looming in the forest. "Starla do ou feel something evil in the forest?" Iris asked. Starla responded with a nervous giggled and shook her head. Iris nodded and thought it was just her imagination.

She just could't shake the feeling however. It was evil...and familiar. Like something was following Iris particurly. Iris could feel the sharp pain in her chest returning and her heart rate going up. She was nervous.

As they exited the clearing the came across a large bulky character. It seemed humanoid. It was covered in armor and was glowing with a fierce hatred, and agony at the same time. Starla had stopped dead in her tracks.

Under the twilight..I mark you. You are my chosen one. May you live to protect me and serve me. And you will kill whoever I instruct you too. Iris froze and stared at the buly figure. He raised his 3 fingered and shot a small shadow ball at the two girls. Starla ducked and told Iris too as well but to no avail. Iris was frozen. The shadowball hit her full force in the chest knocking her to the ground. Iris could feel the skin on her chest beginning to burn, like someone had set her chest on fire.

"Iris!" Starla yelled and ran to her friend. Her chest began to cool and she looked at Iris wincing in pain a little bit. Iris nodded and told starla she was okay. her friend was most obviously worried about her but Iris insisted that she was fine so the two continued on into Pewter City. Little did Iris know something was going to happen, something was stirring inside of her. Something..evil.

ooc: Sorry about the bunnying Umbre-chan >____<;

Anyway creepy post is it not? I wonder what will happen~

 

[Umbreongirl]

Headstrong to take on anyone.

Though the fleeting moment in which Starla had saved Tai's Pidgey's life, or at least a few of her precious feathers had passed only mere moments ago, the first true momentous occaision in which Starla's grudge had budged, if only slightly, in order for her to shift her focus on his endangered Pokemon instead, a situation, to no matter what she had been doing beforehand, she always felt obliged to fulfill, her momentary compassion hardened into mistrust as the drama subsided, and Tai, satiated with his capture of a new Pokemon, the Pikachu that was supposed to have been Starla's prize, rapidly approached she and Iris.


Staring on at him, eyes wide in what had become a bewildered expression due to Tai ecstatic half-skipping half-dancing jive he had come up with on the spot, it seemed, with how eccentric it looked, supposedly trying to lighten the mood with his light-hearted gestures. As he approached though, Starla opened her mouth to call out a warning, sure that this boisterous character hadn't had enough, and was coming back for more, and secretly hoping that intimidation on him would work, since after doing a quick assessment of Leera, Starla was sure that her Eevee couldn't take one more pounding from Tai's Pidgey. Gee would reign as the obvious victor, which Starla refused to let happen, out of unfairness for Leera, who had actually had to fight the bug swarm, whereas Gee had been relieved by the Charmander Starla and Leera had been drooling over.


"Then again, why should I be taking up for you?" Starla inquired with false bitterness to her sheepish Eevee, who, at the brink of unconsciousness, was too preoccupied with standing, and remaining that way, on four paws to counter Starla with any of her usual outspoken banter.


"If I do recall, you're the one who turns your nose up at any potential partner we cross paths with. I would be perfectly justified in fighting you against 'Gee' again. You're the one who constantly reminds me that you're the only one I need, and has since kept me from expanding our menagerie!" Starla grumbled, gingerly lifting her little Pokemon, and despite her sterm words, pressing her soothingly against her own bosom. Too sacked to even muster up a response as simple as "Bite me", which would've been customary for Leera, she only promply curled up into Starla's arms, furry brown face instanly nestling against her wrists, both of which were crossed protectively over the Eevee. In the seconds it took Tai to bridge the distance between his own group and Starla's, Leera was sound asleep.


"Wait!" Tai announced desperately, to which Starla paused, relenting. She was listening.. though in order to deflect the recent surge of adrenaline that had come just from Tai approaching her, had to ball her hands into fists, fingernails too short to do much damage to the flesh there.


"I'm sorry!" He continued, and to this, Starla allowed herself to relax, unballing her fists, her former rage toward the boy softening into respect, at the very least, for being the first to submit and admit his error. Had Starla been in the same situation, it would've been more likely for her to reach seven feet tall than to openly admit, to a stranger at that, that she had been mistaken, at least to the extent to apologize for her actions. Realizing this, and this epiphany humbling her in the boy's courage, Starla only bowed her head, a new person emerging as she met Tai with an enchanted grin.


"I thought you guys were part of Team Rocket! We were just attacked by them yesterday, you see, so that's why I thought you were part of it." Tai explained sheepishly, to which Starla only laughed heartily, not quite the reserved giggle you would expect from such an Elfish child as she, but a hearty laugh that was charming nevertheless.


"Team Rocket? I can understand that. Back when I called Cinnabar my home, they would comb the same volcanoe bases I would, looking for a trace of Moltres, or otherwise attempting to ransack the Laboratory for a cheap supply of fossils. Along with their endeavors, trying to sneak Leera away from me became a common practice. I don't take too well to their kind either." Starla explained brightly, traces of that friendly laugh she had expended out of good will moments ago still present in her voice.


"Either way, don't worry that pretty little head about it." Starla continued along lightly.


"The fact of the matter is, you gave me the battle of a lifetime, the best i've had until this day. You see.." At this, Starla flushed a bit, as if embarrassed by the nature of the secret she was about to divulge.


"You're the first actual trainer i've battled on this whole crazy trip, with Leera, I mean. And Blaine's right. It's going to take alot of work, and experimenting to build up my own team. I just hope that when we meet again.." And now, Starla's face had twisted into an expression that reflected playful malice, gentle determination. A spark in her eye, she met the crimson irises of Tai's sincerely hoping that it wouldn't be the last time that she stared into those deep Ruby eyes.


"There won't be any doubt to who wins! I'll find a way to foil your Gee, and that Charmander of yours too! Like you mentioned earlier, everyone underestimates an Eevee the same way they do a Skitty, and that's something I need to work on.." Starla pondered aloud, gesturing down to the little Eevee snoozing in her embrace.


"Without evolving her, or before evolving her at least, it's my new mission to make her the single most dreaded Pokemon in the entire Kanto region." Starla confided to Tai, a contagious grin sprouting to her lips once she realized how far-fetched that aspiration was, but really not caring. For Leera, she would train her into a force to be reckoned with at least, so Eevee, Flareon, Jolteon, whatever, she would never be looked over by a fellow trainer again.


"Until then.." Starla wasn't entirely sure why, but she was beginning to feel it was time that they had taken their leave. While evident that their new comrades would spend the night slumbering in the Forest, Starla, for a different reason entirely, one regarding Iris which she felt would best remain unspoken to the three other trainers, about the necessity to travel at night, would truck onward, carrying a dozing Leera in her arms while she and Iris made the best of the lack of sunlight in the foreboding forest, guided only by the light of the moon, and the cool night breeze pulling them from the sanctuary of the timeless trees, and out onto the open road. For a stretch that seemed like hours to Starla, but in reality was only a span of several minutes, she let her gaze fall on the round face of Tai's, appraising his features, attempting to commit them to memory, so however many days, and weeks, and months even they would both go without seeing one another, she could easily draw his image up, and reflect on the bold character, so like herself, that she had been lucky enough to have a chance encounter with. Saying no more, only clutching Leera as she reluctantly retired from the scene, Starla set her face into a loose grin that was traditional for herself, and turned away as if this action hardly mattered.


As if. Starla thought sadly, growing strangely morose, an occurance that was uncommon for her normally rash and happy go lucky character. Puzzle by her sudden depression, Starla trooped onward, aware that each footstep she let fall only carried her that much farther away from the new friend she had made. She and Iris, not really sticking to any one chosen path, but more or less weaving through the varying thickness of the trunks of trees they encountered, falling back on Starla's familiarity with the Forest itself, so as to take the most efficient route out of the Viridian Forest, to cover the most ground during these night hours, fell into companionable silence, each registering the events of the day in her own mind as they picked their own path carefully over the intertwined roots of the ancient trees. At night, this particular forest could seem ominous to some, for the general lack of chatter and avtivity of the sleeping Pokemon. As far as Starla knew, none of these Pokemon were particularly nocturnal, and so to travel at night was even eerier than during the day to some, but to Starla, the peace was alluring. Closing her eyes, and drawing in an appreciative breath of steamy Summer air, Starla's eyes were forced open as suddenly, the surrounding air dropped drastically, the air chilling until it was practically icy in Starla's lungs. An eyebrow raising in suspicion, Starla exhibited no obvious fear as she faltered in her footsteps, so as to better examine the dark nooks and crannies that had before been a just simple mystery to her, and now, every unknown orifice seemed to spew evil.


Whereas the average character would've been running, so as not to scare herself, Starla loudly approached the hollow of a tree for inspection, so whatever might be lurking there might first be intimidated by her. Or at least fly out and attack her. Anything was better than lengthy suspense. However, when Starla's search only resulted in leaving her more baffled and vulnerable than before, as now, she hadn't a single clue to where the foreboding aura might be emanating from, she stuck close to Iris.


"Do you feel something evil in the Forest?" Iris questioned Starla, and Starla, goosebumps sprouting up all along her back quickly shook her head, had Iris been paying careful attention, a little too quick and jerky for someone noticing nothing, as she really didn't want to alarm Iris. The truth of the matter was, something very evil had cloaked itself with the Forest, and, like the Predator it was, waited patiently for its prey, in these circumstances the two girls, to fall into his lap. They had started across a clearing, which Starla regarded as a too-welcome relief, thankful for any change of scenery than the chilly thicket where it had all begun. If Starla had thought this was the end of their supernatural encounter, and their days of being stalked, she was wrong. For as they slowly plodded across the thicket, listening for any disruptions in the still night air, they were unaware that with each footstep, as they became further from Tai, they became closer to the Beast who stood at the end of the line, silently, dispassionately, in still waiting, bulky arms folded as he anticipated the girls, two little blind girls stumbling through the darkness, and just what exactly he could do to them.


Under the twilight I mark you. You are my chosen one.. A rasping voice hissed, and as Starla had been concentrating so intensely on distinguishing anything out of the ordinary of what surrounded them, the thought hadn't crossed her mind that maybe this being was better than that, far more advanced than that, and was a part of their surroundings. As fate would have it, he had cloaked himself with the night. And suddenly, Starla wasn't even the slightest bit daunted anymore. Eyes widening in recognition, and hjust as suddenly narrowing in reproachfulness, she boldly stepped before Iris, glowering at the hulking structure towering a good three feet above her.


Because you're a legendary, a synthetic sack of spare parts, you think that that somehow gives you the divine power and right to stand around uttering things to scare little girls?! You are a Class A creep, Mewtwo. Moreso than I originally thought. When I told you I wanted you out of my life, I meant it. She growled, careful not to communicate these thoughts aloud, for her dealing with Mewtwo were extremely private ones, ones nobody, as far as she knew, were aware of. Everyone who had known of their oddball friendship were dead, just as she had died the night he had destroyed the Lab. He was as dead to her as she felt towards him.


Don't forget who created you. That's right. Humans. Us. We made you, and without us, you would still be a hunk of rock festering around a cave somewhere. I know you stil lharbor alot of hate towards us, but get over it. You got what you wanted in the end, and for being your friend, because I was a human, you made sure I would never, ever have the only thing a little girl could ever have wanted: my parents!


That's not true! Mewtwo snarled, teeming with rage as his emotions became unstable, overflowing at the mere mentioning that he had not been looking out for Starla's best interests. He knew she knew it, but out of spite for him, she would deal as many low blows, tell him as many lies as it would take to reach his heart. Lavender irises swimming with crystalline tears, out of agony, he distractedly flung a Shadow Ball, Starla's eyes widening as she realized the disaster course it was taking. ..Iris.


"Iris, get down!" Starla shouted, but she had spoken far too late. Only just realizing that she was directly in the hazardous path of the growing by second mass of dark matter, Iris was blown away by the Shadow Ball, and in surprise, leaving behind an aftertaste of regret, for perhaps driving the only human being he really cared for even further away, Mewtwo disappeared just as suddenly as he had made his unseen entrance. Paying no mind to him, Starla only rushed to her friend, who, despite not even crying out, was wincing in untold pain. Helping her to her feet, Starla only sighed.


"Are you feeling okay to walk? You took a pretty nasty hit to your chest.." Starla muttered, fussing over Iris, who only stood blankly, bewildered by all the attention Starla was showering on her. Starla couldn't rightfully be blamed, though. Starla, Iris' self-designated guardian, had already let her be flogged by a Pidgey and ambushed by Mewtwo, and now, feeling a sense of failure, only wanted to make everything better, no matter how obtrusive that made her seem.


"I'm fine, okay?" Iris insisted, managing a brave smile. Starla nodded, understanding Iris' cry for space.


"Okay. But as soon as we find that Pokemon Center, we're stopping. I'm ravenous, anyways. Nearly kicking that boy's derriere left me with a hankering for Cake." Starla proclaimed flatly, trudging onward with Iris in tow, a spring in her step now that there was the promise of food involved.

 

[Cirrus]

Within moments, the combined assault on their band by a troupe of bug Pokemon was over. Edwin bent to the forest floor, picking up Pokeballs. "Okay... that makes a full complement of six. However... there is that matter." He looked at the Pokedex and saw a listing of the relevant Pokemon that he had registered. "I'll have to leave Metapod, Kakuna, and Weedle at the next Pokemon centre. But otherwise..." He turned around, rejoining the group in time to see Tai's apology. Not that he would have missed it anyway, Edwin thought. Tai was certainly being loud today - not that he had known otherwise in the few days since he had met the other two of his company. Tai was courageous, though, in a way that would embarrass himself if he attempted to do it. There were still things to be learned, and accomplished, down the road.

But for now, the most important thing would be to seize the moment. Edwin brought himself forcibly back into focus of the world.

"WAIT!!! I'm sorry! I thought you guys were part of Team Rocket! We were just attacked by them yesterday you see, so that's why I thought you were part of it." That was Tai's apology. Very concise, as one would have it. Edwin did a slight mental facepalm, but exhibited nothing of this on the outside. He tried to calm. He might have succeeded, but he probably didn't.

"Uhm, well if its not to mush trouble..." Iris sad and walked up to the group. Reaching into her bag she offered each of them a Pecha berry. Edwin carefully extracted it from her outstretched palm. The rose-coloured fruit was soft to the touch, almost squishy; its pleasant aroma filled the air. "They are really sweet and can be used for contests.. I found a lot in the forest so you can have some spares..."

"Thank you, Iris." Edwin nodded graciously, and smiled. He withdrew a pouch from one of the many pockets on his cargo pants, depositing the berry inside. "A parting gift to be valued." On an impulse, he reached out for Iris's hand and, bowing forward, brushed it lightly with his lips. "It is, after all, customary in society for a gentleman to thank a lady properly for a gift. A negligible service, but that is all I... can do for you at the moment."

Spoiler:

(OOC: I've tried to make it so there's no bunnying involved - I have not cut out any of GhostPrincess's relevant parts. Also, a note regarding Edwin's behaviour - perhaps I've been watching too much Rozen Maiden. What with all the desu and stuff, as well as a few similarities between some of the characters and him. Also, wtfwaaaaai, I have no idea how I managed to write that bit. I'll probably be angry you guys for that, Peach Pit... D=)

"I hope we meet again. It was nice meeting new people...even though we didn't exactly start out on good terms.." Iris gave a small nervous giggle and ran to catch up to Starla.

-Edwin, think carefully about what you just did, for Arceus's sake. - Bulbasaur sighed. -That might have been a good idea, or it might have not. I suppose only time will tell.-

"Ah..." Edwin cycled that argument through his head twice for comfort. Then he blushed, the full implications settling in. "Maybe that was rather too... abrupt." For a first meeting and modern society.

Then he stared at his berry pouch. And began to drift among his thoughts again.

I wonder.

His conscious mind, the part devoted to observation, reported that Nina and Tai were discussing what to do next. Something to do with berries, as well.

-Edwin.- Bulbasaur nudged his ankle. -There is a grove of berry trees here. I think you would appreciate it if you took some, as well. - The green reptile with a bulb on its back grinned. -And I would, most of all. -

Bulbasaur was right, Edwin saw as he scanned their surroundings. It appeared that Tai was dusting himself off from a fall on one of the roots of a tree. Nina was looking at the tree closely.

"It's a berry tree." Nina deduced, picking a pink berry from the branches. It was a Pecha berry, like the ones Iris had given them. Tai was excited as always, reaching for the berry that Nina held in her hand. "WHOO! TREASURE! GIMME!" Edwin grinned. Tai was ever so predictable.

"Wait. I say we split the berries, there's an entire patch of trees here." Nina said. ​

Tai nodded. "Good point." The three trainers looked at the trees, the tallest tree was green with a large stem and red berries on them. Besides that tree was an equally tall tree with pink leaves and blue berries on it, a stout tree with large leaves and pink berries, a short bush with brown leaves and blue berries, and a tall triangular tree with red leaves and yellow berries. The wonders of nature were truly endless, Edwin decided as he touched one of the leaves of the bush.
​

Tai grinned. "Let's pick them all!!" The boy grinned as he ran over to the trees. As hyperactive as he ever was, with Nina behind him acting as a voice of reason. "We each get two of each berry, Tai." Edwin followed after them at a leisurely pace.
​

"So what do these do?" Tai carefully examined the berries before placing them in a small brown pouch he had in his bag. ​

"They have different effect on Pokemon, such as healing negative status conditions." Nina pointed out. Tai raised an eyebrow.​

"Oh. But I remember Prof. Oak's assistant saying something else besides that." Tai placed his hand on his chin,​

"You mean, Daisy?" Nina inquired, Tai nodded.

"We could phone Professor Oak later, when we reach Pewter City." Edwin pointed out. "But there's nothing we can do about that now."

A shaft of light descended upon the three trainers, as the sun evidently peeked out from the clouds from beyond the leaves of the forest. The exit was in sight.
​

"Finally! Out of this forest!" Tai grinned. They began to march towards the exit, still a few steps off.

A whirlwind ruptured through the forest. An aura of cold surrounded Edwin's mind, and his hair threatened to defy gravity, deviating from its usual well-combed self. A presence was in the forest. Powerful, too.

"W-what is that?" Nina stuttered slightly.​

Tai shivered. "It's that thing I saw….on my first day…"

Edwin said nothing. Merely nodded.
​

"Humans shouldn't interfere." Its voice came from their minds, their pokemon were paralyzed in horror. The voice was cool, drastically so. It sent a sense of foreboding up and down their spines.​

"Especially you, boy in red. Take this as a warning. Take it, and I'll spare you."​

Nina and Edwin both looked at Tai, the boy was staring intently ahead at the thing, his face fixed.​

"….Whatever you are, I won't take your warning." He said in a clear voice. Despite the calmness of his voice, they knew he was feeling the exact opposite of what he sounded. His heartbeat was practically audible to the world, and it had the consistency of a butterfly's wing.​

"Stay away from me and my friends. If you attempt to harm them, I WILL make you pay." His eyes narrowed.​

"…………….why is it that humans must insist on weaving the pattern of fate themselves?"​

"Because as the pattern of fate weaves, what is it that does the weaving? So as the Weaver at his loom, it is only humanity that weaves fate." A philosophical argument, he projected it towards the armored creature.

"You cannot argue with me using that point, boy. You understand the futility of humanity's existence; the mortality of it, you have learned with your mother's passing. You cannot believe that to be true." The cold voice was disbelieving, scoffing at the feeble attempt.

"But not just that, wise one. The beautiful side of humanity as well, the brilliance that is in all of them, from the smallest to the greatest. And the knowledge that it can be accomplished even in the most common individual. That we can work together, and live in harmony. This is what civilization is." The oft-repeated argument suddenly found new life, Edwin found, taking sustenance from his experiences these past days. From the dry pages of history, he thought, this theory has taken root in me.

"My warning stands." Its voice trailed off. "To both of you." It added as an afterthought to Edwin. In a blink of an eye, it was gone. Whisked away on the winds of time and space.
​

The pokemon were snapped out of their shock. Tai, on the other hand, was on the verge of breaking down, his head in his hands, his breath shallow and quick, as is he had been over exerted. Charco was trying to comfort its trainer, patting Tai on the back.
​

Nina shook his head. "I don't know….It felt horrible though, when it looked at us, I felt so heavy, like he was wishing…."​

"For….for you to die." Tai said, muffled.

"But the loneliness was terrible." Edwin acquiesced.
​

"Yeah….look; lets just get out of here. We'll get to the Pokemon Center in Pewter and call the Professor, maybe he'll know something." Nina suggested.

This is certainly... something new to think about, Edwin mulled, shaken. He glanced at Bulbasaur, who had been paralyzed. He pressed a reassuring palm upon Fushigidane.

​

They exited the forest, passing the tollhouse in silence. The people within it didn't seem to know what had happened, they were chatting merrily, some waved.

The beautiful sunset showed itself, slightly obscured by the silhouette of Mount Moon and its surrounding peaks. It only served to heighten the beauty, Edwin thought. It was autumn. A thin patchwork of orange leaves littered the area outside the forest, shading the world various shades of yellow and red. It was hardly believable, Edwin thought, that they had encountered something just back there. Following Tai's suggestion, he took out his sleeping bag as well; he was hardly overprepared for the wilderness, but he had the necessities. As well as a box of matches, Edwin chuckled wryly. He rummaged in his pockets for something. "It should be here... somewhere. Ah, here we are." He smiled in triumph, drawing a half-collapsed stick of wax.

-What in the name of Arceus is that lump of white stuff?- Bulbasaur snickered when Edwin explained to him that it was a candle. "Very funny, indeed." Edwin attempted to light it, but failed, and sighed, keeping himself awake inside his sleeping bag. He mumbled a "Good night." non-commitently to the other two trainers, and waited until they were asleep. Bulbasaur was already withdraw inside his Pokeball, as were the other two starters. He took out his violin from its case, slung on his back during the day.

He played, bow sliding effortlessly across the strings, over two of them sometimes simultaneously, always interweaving between the notes, spinning music. It was Legende, Wieniawski's showpiece, composed in his youth as a gift. To a certain someone, Edwin remembered.

And after that spontaneous performance, he changed into his pajamas as well, and fell asleep, events of the day still looming in his mind.
​

 

[ShadowYashi]

Nina pocketed her recently captured Caterpie and grinned, picking up Tat who was nibbling on something else he had found in the forest. "He's so greedy" she thought with a grin, while Gale trudged over to her side.

"WAIT!!! I'm sorry! I thought you guys were part of Team Rocket! We were just attacked by them yesterday you see, so that's why I thought you were part of it." Nina blinked and mentally began to compare the outfits the Rockets wore to Iris' clothing. . . a large question mark fluttered over her head "How in the world did he manage to confuse. . ." she trailed off and decided it was best not to even ask that question "But at least we've made some friends. . . or acquaintances" Nina had this feeling that it might not be the last time they saw those two.

It wasn't long before they all said their goodbyes and Nina couldn't help but wonder "why didn't we leave with them?" Tai grinned "Well it's gonna turn night soon, we should just camp out here tonight. The blonde girl named Starla showed me a good place to camp out." Nina pouted slightly, she was hoping to sleep in a bed, but whatever she sighed and nodded, he was their unofficial leader after all.

"Hey Nina…"

The orange haired girl blinked and glanced down at her Squirtle, who had a smile on her face "Yeah?" her eyes twinkled "What are the chances of Tai slipping and falling on a tree that comes up to his waist?"

"Umm I'm not sure. . . I was never the best in math" she replied scratching her head slightly in confusion "Why do you ask?" Gale just snickered and pointed to Tai, who was on his back in a bush that did come up to his waist, she walked towards the bush and examined it, picking up a pink berry "It's a berry tree."

"WHOO! TREASURE! GIMME!" Tai lunged for the berry, but she held it up out of his reach. "Wait. I say we split the berries, there's an entire patch of trees here." Tai nodded. "Good point." They all looked at the trees, the tallest tree was green with a large stem and red berries on them. Besides that tree was an equally tall tree with pink leaves and blue berries on it, a stout tree with large leaves and pink berries, a short bush with brown leaves and blue berries, and a tall triangular tree with red leaves and yellow berries.

"Let's pick them all!!" Tai exclaimed with a grin and Nina shook her head "We each get two of each berry, Tai." Tat was also helping himself to a nearby bush and Gale sighed "typical Tat" Tai looked at the berries curiously before placing them in his pouch "So what do these do?"

"They have different effect on Pokémon, such as healing negative status conditions."

"Oh. But I remember Prof. Oak's assistant saying something else besides that."

"You mean, Daisy?" Tai nodded and the three stood, they walked for a while until Charco alerted them that the exit was up ahead "Finally! Out of this forest!" Nina smiled softly, looking to glance at her Pokémon, who suddenly stiffened and at the same time so did Tai "What's wrong?" she asked before slowly turning to glance back.

There stood a tall, imposing figure. It was bulky, as if covered in armor….Its eyes glowed a piercing blue through the slits in its mask… Time seemed to slow down for them, the figure raised its three fingered hand, and shot a giant purple, cackling beam of energy at their backs. And Tai's eyes widened, he grabbed Nina and Edwin and shoved them down on the ground, the beam whizzing narrowly pass their heads, and they turned around to look at their attacker.

"W-what is that?" Nina stammered out, bringing a hand to her chest, trying to slow her heart "It's that thing I saw….on my first day…" Thing!? Why is the thing trying to kill us? Nina gasped when she felt a sharp pang in her head "Humans shouldn't interfere."

He was telekinetic! A Psychic Pokémon!

"Especially you, boy in red. Take this as a warning. Take it, and I'll spare you." His voice was cool, cold as ice, Nina felt herself shiver, his words were so harsh and foreboding, Nina glanced at Tai "What's Tai gotta do with this thing? And what doesn't it want us to interfere in. . ." Nina bit her lip thoughtfully and Tai spoke up "….Whatever you are, I won't take your warning."

"Stay away from me and my friends. If you attempt to harm them, I WILL make you pay." His eyes narrowed.

The weird pokemon spoke again ". . . . . why is it that humans must insist on weaving the pattern of fate themselves?"
"Pattern of fate? What's this guy going on about? And why does it sound so sad?" Nina continued to stare at the armor clad being and it spoke again "My warning stands." Its voice trailed off, and in a blink of an eye, it was gone.
Once it was gone, they all snapped out of their shock and Tai looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown "He's just as afraid as the rest of us, maybe even more. . ." she looked at him sadly, watching as Charco comforted his trainer "What. . . What was that?" Gale asked and Nina shook her head "I don't know Gale, It felt horrible though. . . when it looked at us, I felt so heavy, like he was wishing…."

"For . . . for you to die."

"Ye-Yeah. . .look; lets just get out of here. We'll get to the Pokémon Center in Pewter and call the Professor, maybe he'll know something." She watched as Tai nodded and brushed himself off before helping them up and patting Charco briefly on the head. As they trekked towards the exit, Nina couldn't help but notice how ignorant the other inhabitants of the forest were to the whole ordeal, didn't they see the big evil guy in bulking armor?

The trip through the forest had taken all day, and the sun was dimming behind the mountain range beyond Pewter, the crisp air cool and light. Long shadows were thrown on every little pebble and tree, every leaf and blade of grass. Faded stars littered the canopy above, growing brighter with each second. A small field of grass to the side and a fence on the other beckoned and bent inward to the newest town, the City of Graying Stone . . .

"Well you guys, we should just camp out here. Tomorrow we'll enter the city and talk to Prof. Oak, he'll want to know about this." Tai grinned as he began to set up his sleeping bag in the field of grass that was on the outskirts of Pewter. Nina sighed and nodded slightly before doing the same, going out a bit of a ways from their camp to change into her night clothes "He's going to catch a cold sleeping without a shirt on" Nina thought as she glanced briefly at Tai, then at Edwin, before climbing into her sleeping bag and lying on her stomach, Tat curled into a ball on her stomach and Gale was propped up on her side, they three soon drifted into a deep sleep.