Roleplaying Olympics: Virus

[Aiya Quackform]

The bulging net spilled onto the deck. This was no Magikarp school. There were a couple Goldeen, but the majority was a large group of Marill with several Azumarill. They could breath in the air with ease, but their trembling and frightened eyes could easily cause mass confusion, panic, and possible violence. But what did it matter? They would soon all be dead anyway. Swallowing hard, she helped drag the net back to the stern with the other Pokemon.

"Skyla, get over here!" called her supervisor.

Walking over to him, she replied, "What do you want Sanders?"

"There's simply too much demand for these Pokemon right now," he said, shaking his head. "We don't have enough manpower! Escpecially in management positions. Most of our workers quit or demanded transfers when this virus's cure became public. The few who stayed only do so because they have no other financial choice. Even then, I would not trust them to order other people to catch water Pokemon to be disected for the cure."

"So what's that got to do with me?" Skyla asked gruffly. This man's constant stating of the obvious was enough to drive her mad. "Get to the point, Sanders!"

"I thought it was obvious, Skyla," he said sternly. His dislike for her was equally obvious. "I want you to command the USS Maiden in capturing water Pokemon. She's in the harbor with a skeleton crew and no captain."

She was staggered. "Me? Why?"

"Because you know that despite how unpleasant the facts are, humanity will not survive without the cure. Sacrifices must be made."

Skyla's eyes narrowed. "I know that. The water Pokemon must be murdered for the sake of humanity. And don't try to put it in more pleasant terms, there's nothing pleasant about this. But just the same, it's us or them, and if worse come to worst, I choose us."

"Then you'll do it?"

"Yes."

 

[praetoritevong]

Foxy stood up upon seeing Charizard glide in the night sky, gracefully soaring through the air. Foxy admired fire pokemon quite a lot, and indeed, Gary's Charizard was really something. She did have a Charizard of her own, but... One glance and she knew it was nothing compared to the might of Gary's Charizard. Of course, Foxy was hardly surprised, Gary being much more experienced a trainer than herself. He had also gotten his starting pokemon much earlier than Foxy.



One may have thought that Foxy envied Gary; and they could be forgiven for thinking so. Really, there wasn't a good reason why she should not... Except that she didn't, and she knew she was telling herself the truth. No, she respected him as her greater, as a better trainer and warrior. She knew her limits, and wasn't afraid to admit weaknesses. After all, it was acknowledging and confronting them that helped them to disappear.



She'd only fought once by his side, but that one experience was enough to last her a lifetime. The leadership qualities he had shown was exceptional. He?d always put the safety of world and of other people, especially his friends, in front of his own safety. Foxy was glad she had such a friend.



The power he wielded was amazing. Not just his magical prowess (where he was by the far the superior), but his physical and mental strength as well. Complex magic spells seemed simple when he performed them, and Gary seemed to have no shortage of them. Foxy had but caught a glimpse of the vast knowledge of silver magic that he held. His potential and his skills seemed never to end. Almost nothing was impossible for him. Foxy made a note at the almost to herself, knowing that they were both human. They would make errors. They would reach their limits, though for people such as Gary, at times it seemed their limits would never be reached. And besides, Foxy also knew that things were rarely so absolute. Impossible. Always. Nothing. These were dangerous words to use, and ones that had to be used carefully.



His courage and resolve were admirable also. He faced the armies of Pandora, and enemies such as Nemesis, but could never be found cowering, avoiding battle. He wasn?t afraid of anything. He would save the world, or die trying. As it had happened so many times, the former had prevailed. When he determined to do something, by the gods he?d do it all right. Almost nothing could stop him; such was his determination and resolve.



Those qualities in him she had experienced for herself in battle with him. Though it was but that once, she had enjoyed and learned greatly from him. They too helped strengthen her, just like everything else in her life.



Gary had once led the Crescent Mages, just as Arcinius led the Neo Crescent Mages; Foxy had studied the history of the Crescent Mages eagerly, wanting to discover more. She had only then begun to realise how much work Gary had done for the planet. Indeed it seemed that he was forever fighting for the earth against someone or other. She did not underestimate the work he had done for the Crescent Mages either, for she recognized that there was a lot of work that would have needed to be done. It was no easy job, to be sure.



Foxy sighed. When Gary had announced his ?retirement? from fighting crime and that sort of stuff, Foxy had mourned for his loss; for a time it had seemed that Gary would never fade like so many humans did; that he would always be present. But Foxy had known better, and quickly accepted his judgment.



Foxy smiled as Gary and his magnificent Charizard landed. She recognized how much trouble Gary had gone to to meet her here, and she appreciated it greatly. No doubt Gary had a lot of work to do, especially since the virus had been discovered. Her smile slowly disappeared as Gary described his situation to her; the mobs, the attacks, the poor pokemon? Of course, she wasn?t particularly surprised that the mobs were raiding, or at least trying to raid, his lab; after all, it was one of the most advanced-and historic-laboratories in the world. Many times, historic discoveries had been made there. Champions such as Gary himself and his old rival Ash Ketchum had gotten their first Pokemon at that lab. Foxy hoped that her idea could help create history there again. With any luck, it would.



One couldn?t forget the number of water pokemon Gary kept or looked after either; trainers of all ages and experiences sent pokemon for him to study and take care of. He had tens of water Pokemon running around freely, plus the shelves of the hundreds, if not more. From that perspective, it was hardly surprising Gary had had all the other pokemon that were sent to him by trainers, which easily numbered in several mobs attack his lab.



?Hey Gary, how are you?? asked Foxy cheerfully, momentarily forgetting the crisis that was in effect around the world. For her, this was a time to catch up to an old friend, one she hadn?t seen for months. ?Thanks for coming,? she said, a sincere smile on her face. When she had first met Gary that would?ve been rare from her. But since then, she had changed. Sure, she was still perhaps overly cold to strangers, but to her friends, she was much warmer, much more so than she had before.



?Now, to business. I?m sure you know what I?m talking about,? Foxy said, her face darkening a little. The smile disappeared and a frown appeared on her face. She heaved a sigh. When she looked up, tiredness was etched onto every feature of her face. ?I?ve been amongst the few going around to try and stop the fires,? she explained heavily. ?I?d always liked traveling, but visiting eleven towns in three days is more than a little ridiculous? Never mind getting rid of fires day and night,? she added wearily.



Shaking her head to clear her mind, she resumed speaking again. ?Well anyway, what I really wanted to tell was an idea I just got? Let me explain. You see, I was watching the television in Vermillion City?s Pokemon Centre. There was this guy being interviewed, who was speaking about the virus and the newfound antidote, which then was on trial. Some Professor or other in Hoenn I think he was? Anyway, so he spoke about the intestines of water pokemon. They?re used in the process of making the antidote right??



Without waiting for a response, she continued talking. ?They said that the intestines had to be removed to make the antidote? So I was wondering, and this is where I was thinking that you could help, what is it about the intestines of water pokemon that make the antidote? I mean, is it like a fluid, some special part of the intestines or something? And is it that only water pokemon have this necessary thing?? she asked.



?Because what I was thinking was, if we can discover more about the antidote, or more importantly what part of the intestines are needed for the antidote, maybe we can use that knowledge to find another source of the stuff, or something like that,? she explained quickly. ?Or, at least we may be able to find another way of using it without killing the water pokemon, or something like that,? Foxy continued. There was a sudden silence as Foxy stopped to catch her breath. She took a few deep breaths.



?The way I figure things, all you scientist fellows across the world have been under a lot of pressure to find an antidote. It may be that they were so desperate that they didn?t ask too many questions about the virus or the intestines. Who knows what we could find out about it, or even the virus? After all, there are still many unknown things about it. We could discover something about it that could help.?



Foxy was about to speak, but left her mouth hanging for a second as a new thought entered her mind. ?Or? Or, maybe we could find another cure to the virus if we knew more about it? One that doesn?t need to sacrifice anyone, human, pokemon, or otherwise,? she said hopefully.



Still, she continued talking, ignoring everything else around her. At any other time, she would have scolded herself for not paying attention to her surroundings. For not noticing anything else, for being so single-minded. Indeed, someone could have stabbed her, and she wouldn?t know it until she was hit. But then again, this was no other time. Every second counted,



?But I think most importantly, we need to calm everyone down! Everyone is under pressure. The scientists are looking for better ways, but are being pressured so much,? she commented sadly. ?Everyone who hasn?t gone insane is either scared to death, or helping to keep the peace, and the sort of stuff that I was doing. The insane are burning down houses, searching for water pokemon. It?s a blasted hellhole!? she said finally.



She stopped talking for a second to calm herself down, knowing anger wouldn?t help. It must be avoided, she knew, if there was to be any new discoveries. Pressured, angered and terrified minds could do as much as a paraplegic old woman stranded on a rapidly sinking island. Quickly, she pushed that thought out of her mind, knowing that this was not a very good time for comedy of that nature. Especially of that nature, now that lives were at stake.



?Not many people are thinking straight. We have to, and discover some way to cure this virus, without sacrificing any lives. I?ve been around to many people, Gary, day and night. Most have lost hope. That is what drives them to anger. But I guess you know that Gary,? she added quickly.



?What we need is something to cheer them up, and give them hope. Maybe then they might calm down. Hope from a discovery, a cure, anything really!? she said, raising her voice a little. ?People on such verges of insanity bred from desperation need only a tiny thing to tip them back. Or straight over the edge,? she said sadly. ?Anything, anything that we discover with even the tiniest chance of helping people and combating the virus will strike joy into many hearts, Gary.?



?Which is obviously why I?ve called you,? she concluded. ?Your lab is one of the best and most advanced in the world. If anywhere, that?ll be a good place to start,? she said, a slow smile forming on her face.



?We?ll have to move quickly though,? she added to Gary. ?Every second counts. Every darn second. She nodded tiredly. She shook her head to get rid of the tiredness that now swept over her; now that she had taken some precious time to rest.



Foxy had really no doubts that Gary would help her. She knew he would not refuse. ?Your Charizard would be the fastest way of getting back to Pallet Town? Is it up for another flight with both of us? My Charizard ain?t as fast,? she admitted. She had no real need to hear the answer to her question. She knew how strong that Charizard was.



?Heh? Maybe I can catch some shuteye for once,? she said, fighting to keep tiredness and sleepiness from overcoming her just yet. She knew that there was still so much to do, so much she could offer. She closed her eyes for a second, gathering inner strength. She told herself she could not fall asleep. That she would not allow it. With determination, she re-opened her eyes.



She realised Gengar was still next to her, hovering. ?Gengar, return. Thanks, friend,? she said warmly as Gengar was engulfed by a bright red light. She clipped Gengar?s pokeball to her belt as soon as he had retreated into the pokeball. ?Let?s go,? she said quickly.



She smiled once again. Maybe? Just maybe? There was hope after all.

 

[Dr Oak]

Gary nodded. Throughout Foxy's long speech he had deliberately kept quiet and waited for her to find the solution that was cooking up in her brain. He couldn't help but agree with many of the points she brought up. He'd thought once or twice about why water Pokemon were needed but before he could think any farther the mobs had began to gather.

Walking back towards Charizard he took a step to the side to let Foxy climb up first, deliberately giving Charizard a small push on the back to persuade it to bend over a little.

"Charizard can handle the flight easily..." He said as Foxy began to climb onto his firey beast. "...Whether we can do anything to stop this madness... well, that's going to be a little harder." With Foxy onboard he flung himself around Charizard's back and adjusted himself more adequately as the Pokemon began to beat it's wings and soar up into the sky vertically.

Putting his arms around Foxy's waist and stradling Charizard's back, Gary shouted over the deafening air that was whirling around them in Charizard's ascent. "Back home, Charizard... make it as quick as possible!"

Charizard first threw it's direction north, taking it further into Pewter before it suddenly swung round with all the force that made it infamous and started to streak through the air, heading back to Pallet Town.

 

[Catriona]

In an instant, thick fingers wrapped themselves around her arms and wrenched Cat effortlessly from the thin rungs she was clinging to, lifting her unexpectedly into the air of the chamber above. Gasping in shock, she could do nothing to resist her captor, suspended almost two feet above the transparent flooring. Without warning, the hands gripping her unclenched, and she fell to the floor heavily. Before she could so much as curse at the pain emanating from one leg twisted underneath her, one of the same hands grasped her hair, yanking it back and forcing her face upwards in the process. She felt several long hairs part company with her head, and found herself staring up into the dark-skinned face of a muscular man sporting a uniform whose colour corresponded with the watery ceiling, and a thoroughly irate expression. Even ?Mon behind the glasses above and below were stopping to gaze in interest at the scene.

?What is the meaning of this?? the man barked, not loosening his hold, ?Explain yourself!?

Cat winced and screwed up her eyes at the pain caused by the pressure he was exerting upon her scalp, but did not reply. Instead, she peered at the letters carefully embroidered onto his breast pocket: ?Team Aqua Grunt?. So this was Aqua territory ... She would have kicked herself, were she in a position enabling her to do so, for not working this out herself. There were some pretty obvious clues, and she?d walked straight into trouble. She didn?t even have any Pok?mon capable of defeating a water type ?Mon, so she?d be crushed in a battle against this Grunt. Sheer stupidity.

?Well?? A tic pulsed fiercely in his cheek. ?I?d be only too glad to loosen your tongue for you ... ? His eyebrows contracted further at her continuing silence, deepening his scowl, but after a few seconds he decided to try a different approach. Forcing his face into a calm expression, he attempted to feign careless tones; ?Alright, don?t tell me anything. Like I can?t guess what you?ve been up to, what with confidential documents strewn out of place over the desk and catching you snooping around on the lower floor.? There was a pause while he thought over his next sentence. ?We?ll see how long you can keep this childish behaviour up for when an executive arrives!?

Now smirking in a positively sickening way, his grip relented and Cat fell forward, now face to face with a curious Whiscash, which promptly turned and fled out of sight. She heard the Grunt mutter indistinctly under his breath ? footsteps ? and an odd, mechanical sound. Then silence. A minute passed before she raised her head and turned on her knees. The entrance she?d used earlier was now shuttered off by metal that looked as though it would take more than an enthusiastic fire Pok?mon to weaken. She ran her fingers through her hair, and several more reddish-brown strands came away in her hands. An executive would be arriving sometime later on; Gawd knew what that would mean in terms of further trouble for her ... And to think that she?d flown here specifically to escape other humans! Sighing heavily, she lay on her back, eyes fixed unseeingly upon a miniscule patch of algae clouding the glass above. The mess she was becoming entangled in was nearly all her own doing... But what was it that that Aqua had said about the experiment papers? ?Like I can?t guess what you?ve been up to, what with confidential documents strewn out of place over the desk? ? the thing was, they?d been in that same state when she found them ? had someone else been rooting through them before she eve n reached the place? If the grunt genuinely thought she had scattered the papers, he obviously wasn?t the one at fault; the only reasonable conclusion would be that in his absence, and before Cat had arrived, someone else had been looking through them. Why? What were those experiments for anyway? Well ? she rolled her eyes ? that wasn?t too hard to figure out. In the last discarded newspaper she?d got her hands on, Aqua were pictured as protecting the water ?Mon now so highly sought after as cures for the deadly disease tearing through all 3 nations, so presumably they were also trying to develop an alternate cure, one that didn?t involve dissecting their signature Pok?s. Evidently, they hadn?t had much luck yet. She smiled in a satisfied fashion. If this was the way they treated all their guests, they deserved no less than total failure. Screw them and their bad-tempered employees. Now the only real question was, who would be interested in the results of such experiments? It wasn?t as if they could be of any constructive use to anyone else ? except perhaps those taking an active stand for Pok?mon welfare. And, quite frankly, she saw absolutely no reason for anyone to want to cause a negative effect on Aqua?s research; who?d want to encourage the death of ocean and river-dwelling Pok?mon. None of this added up.

As she watched, a small Mantine glided overhead, followed by a larger, fully-grown adult. Oh well. There was nothing left for her to do but wait...

 

[Aiya Quackform]

Leaning over the railing of the front of the ship, Skyla took the moment to breathe in some of the refreshing ocean air that whipped her hair around her. As soon as she had agreed to command the Maiden, Sanders had ordered his ship, the Raven, to head immediately back to Lilycove's port. Within a few minutes, the docks could be seen in the distance. They were packed with ships from all over Hoenn trying to dock. With the major ports of Mossdeep and Slateport quarantined due to the virus, many ships had been stranded in the ocean with few options on where to go. Luckily, vessels bringing in water Pokemon to be collected for the cure were given priority entrance. For the time being, only the most critical cases were being treated with the intestinal cure, but Skyla knew that this would soon change as the world's population was quickly becoming more and more desperate.

'You know this is necessary, Skyla,' she thought to herself. 'Even if an alternative is found at some point, this is the only hope humanity has right now. If I ever find out who started this massacre...' she was quickly becoming enraged. 'No! Stop! Do not let your emotions get the best of you again. This is the only way, you cannot possibly find the person responsible. That's what the police are for.'

The dock was fastly getting closer, and Skyla cleared her thoughts. There would soon be work to do. Vessels of various shapes and sizes were already cluttering the water, waiting for permission to dock in Lilycove's port. Raven passed a large cruise ship.

"Murderers!" a person on the deck of the luxury vessel yelled with anger at the Raven's crew. "Yeah! You wouldn't be in such a hurry to kill humans to save water Pokemon!" another person cried out.

Her eyes narrowed, but Skyla made no verbal response as they passed beyond the cruise ship. 'You wouldn't be so eager to protest if you were one of the ill...'

The Raven arrived in the port and in less than thirty minutes docked. "Skyla," called Sanders. "I'll take you to the Maiden."

Nodding, Skyla followed him as he walked along the wooden boardwalks around the other ships. There were far more people than what was safe for a port this size. Hundreds of people frantically going about their business, try to leave the port to make room for others. They sped by with shipments of food and other products, and passengers came and left. Sanders and Skyla soon came to a small fishing boat, with five crewmen waiting on deck. They stood up respectfully from their business to greet them.

"Men," Sanders said as he and Skyla walked on deck, "This is your new commander, Skyla. You will address her as 'Miss' and will give her all the respect and obedience as you would to me." Turning to Skyla he added, "Sorry for not staying long, but the Raven must leave as quickly as possible. You know where to deliver your catch, right?"

She nodded.

"OK, then, I'll be going." Giving a final nod to the crew, he left.

Looking at her new crew, Skyla barked, "What are you just standing there for? Prepare to leave port!" The five men quickly went back to their duties, and Skyla went into the navigation compartment.

 

[ElimN8]

I had nothing to worry about. I knew full well that reprehension would be held solely for those with the simple will to live. It was amazing, how quickly the Human race could turn on itself -- the Pok?mon as well! Those simply wanting to be cured would be looked upon with faces of scorn, and although they would have a chance of surviving the virus, they'd all meet the same fate of prosecution. The virtuous, the pious, the moralistic -- they would be the encompassing entourage in all this, circling in on the smarter ones, so dillusionally willing to die for their pathetic cause that they'd eventually turn into self-deteriorating maggots, with the only intent of feasting on those not of their own. The world would be cast to genocide...and I would have been the sole initiative.

True, they had leads on me by now, perhaps more than I was aware of, but there was no way in **** anyone could ever conceive of a way of beating me now. The cure itself, was intentional. A plant. A ploy. I had released the information myself easily, having the vast ties into the scientific world at my disposal that I did... Nor was it a faulty cure; it helped the betterment of the patient's case -- but that wasn't the point. It didn't matter how many died or survived in this altercation: in the downfall of the world, the casualty numbers meant nothing. The key, was the destruction it did. Not only in the general populus, but the inimical as well.

The neutralization of Team Aqua -- a melodious thought. With all the water pok?mon in the world on top of dissection tables, there'd be absolutely nothing for Aqua to fight with. Thus, their typically easy leverage of us would be completely destroyed, for without Pok?mon, type advantages ultimately cease to exist. The TA base would promptly be invaded, overrun with Magma, and taken as our own.

I could imagine the peril. And, as the sole proprietor of this soon-unfolding madness, I found no emotion but sheer joy. This was my time! This was my revenge! At last, the world, who had treated me so uncouthly throughout the painstaking years of my perseity, would pay...and the satisfaction would only grow.

Fulfillment of my cause could never be reached until all had been equally punished. And although I bore smiles in my surreptitious Hoenn laboratory, I did not once laugh.

Laughter was reserved for those stupid enough to try and stop me.

 

[Raichu_tamer]

Julia entered the pokemon center, giving her pokeball containing Vulpix, and her great ball containing Lapras, to a nurse across the counter, with red hair, tied up in loops. She offered Julia a seat by the coffee table in the corner, to wait for her pokemon. She slowly paced over to the seat, cuddling her tiny Marill. She looked around the room, the walls were covered in an orange paint, and the carpeting was soft, with a touch of faded red. On the wall was a map of Jhoto, which Julia observed for a long period of time.

'I can head off to Ecruteak, surf over to Mahogany, use the ice path to get to Blackthorn, then use the mountain path to get to New Bark Town… But where do I go from there?…' She thought to herself, her Marill imagining what it would be like to simply have a nice cold treat.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" The Nurse called to Julia.

"Your pokemon are fully healed," She stated, handing the pokeball and the great ball over to Julia.

"Thanks a bunch, you're so great! I'll see you later!…" Julia replied, taking the spheres from her. Going out the door, she found herself in the same area of where the tent was earlier, right by the exit of town… Only it was no longer there. Now filled with curiosity, Julia walked out the town, looking ahead of her at the many grazing Miltanks. Around her was the sweet smell of yellow grass, it was the best place to head out to for a bit of country life. The sun was beating hard upon Julia's bare shoulders, glistening onto her earrings. Marill walked ahead of her, only to observe the Miltanks surrounding them.

After a long walk, they reached a fairly odd looking barn. Like every other typical barn, it was red, with Psyducks, Miltanks, Growlithes, and herding Raichus all out in front. Julia bent over the fence, exhausted from the long walk, and desperate for something to drink. A round male walked out the barn, with an untamed beard, wearing suspenders and deep, heavy boots.

"You okay there, girl?" He asked, walking out, approaching Julia from the other side of the fence. Julia nodded in respond, shielding her eyes from the sizzling sun. He continued to look awkwardly towards Julia,

"You sure don' look fine! Why don' you come in for a bit and grab a li'l somethin' before you leave?" Julia was glad to hear an offer as such, but began to think… What would be safer? Drinking something from a total stranger? Or walking out to Ecruteak in the boiling sun.

"Where y'all head'n gal?" He asked, opening the wooden gate at the right of Julia. She entered cautiously, not knowing what to expect. 2 Raichus instantly ran up to her. Not knowing whether they were friendly or ferocious, Julia squealed, but loosened up after seeing them only sniffing Marill, as curious as she was about the virus.

"I was planning to head over Ecruteak today… Hopefully get to New Bark Town soon…"

"How you intend on getting' there?"

"Well…" Julia began to explain, just like she explained many times to herself, before.

"I was planning on going to Ecruteak, surfing over to Mahogany, taking the ice path to Blackthorn, then using the mountain path to ride down to New Bark Town!" There was a momentary pause,

"Smart li'l girl, aint'cha!" He hollered, going into the barn. He gestured Julia inside. Julia looked around to actually find a very quaint home. The walls were completely wooden, as were the floors, but the floors covered under a large, red rug. In the middle was a finely crafted wooden table, with 4 wooden chairs surrounding it. He walked over to the fridge, which was placed against the right wall, and pulled out a bottle of Miltank milk.

"This stuff ain't nothin' bu' th' best! You can take a sip of this, and run all the way to Ecruteak in a jiffy! But you stay out'a th' sun 'til the evening, it'll be easier on ya!" Julia hadn't realized it before she left, but travelling at night really would have been more convenient for her. Thanking the man, she walked out the barn, offering her farewells. It was encounter that spanned over a short period of time, but one that she had learned from, none-the-less. Now, without any other choice, Julia was forced to walk through the tall, yellow grass, accidentally stepping on the tails of many pokemon on her way. She was driven to carry Marill in her arms, the grass was getting much too thick. Julia was barely able to see the bouncy tail of her usually cheerful Marill. She ended up finally reaching Ecruteak, very close to the evening. It was now about 5:00 P.M. Julia took a small sip of the milk she had been given, and walked to the nearest pokemon center, leaving the rest of the journey for tomorrow.

She entered a pokemon center that looked almost identical to the pokemon center in Ollivine, the nurses both looked very alike, as well! She checked into a room just down the hall, which she found very convenient. Opening the door with the rusty key she was given, Julia found a dingey bed, with tattered sheets. The floor was very hard, and creaked with the soft weight of Julia's Marill, and the walls in general were a combination of many different colours which seemed to blend together. After leaving her bag there, and feeling very refreshed, now on the other side of Ollivine, she decided to do a bit of leisurely exploring.

Walking out the pokemon center, she found herself in an enchanted city, the sun was about to begin setting, the residents were riding bikes from house to house, and the town's tower was very social. The first thing that seemed to catch Julia's eye, was the school of dance…

 

[praetoritevong]

Foxy was amazed; amazed at Charizard's grace and power, and at how well Gary had trained it. Flying through the air on Charizard was not flying, Foxy reflected. No, the way Charizard flew, it was as if Foxy's feet had never left the ground. Indeed it did feel that way to Foxy, so graceful was Charizard. Foxy was floating, being carried by the winds. She could've been dropped at that moment, and she for the most part would not have noticed.

This, she knew, was quite different from her Charizard. Not ashamed to admit it, she knew that her pokemon was not as graceful, nor as sleek. She wasn't angry or worried, however, for she knew that it simply meant that both Foxy and her Charizard could improve. It was used as a stepping stone, rather than a pitfall. It was a way for Foxy to become better. Maybe even better than Gary someday. As she looked down at Charizard, however, she knew that it would not be for a while.

Foxy smiled, enjoying the wind blowing against her face. Strands of her red hair was blown about, both into her face and into Gary's. She didn't really care, however; she was experiencing nature, and she was loving every bit of it. The skill of Charizard only enhanced that wonderful feeling.

The sky was still clearing, and dark clouds were still above them, albeit gradually parting. From their position, Foxy got a much better look at the stars, being higher in the atmosphere. It still disturbed and distorted the light, but to a lesser degree. Plus, there were no lights from towns to distract her either. The stars were twinkling endlessly; those that were in the same galaxy, and those on the fringes of the ever-expanding universe.

Foxy sometimes wondered what it was like out there, on unseen planets orbiting all those bright stars. Sometimes, but not often. She preferred to look more closely at what was happening; it was in the same way that she did not often think about the if's, the possibly's or the maybe's in life. What was out there would be discovered in time, as technology and mankind developed. They would be discovered in time, she knew.

She liked to think, but not waste time in mindless contemplation. She was there mostly for things that had been, or were being. That did not mean that her thought was limited however; shge knew the importance, though perhaps less so, of the future and the chances in life. After all, they were a part of life, and Foxy would've been foolish to disregard them completely.

Foxy looked down at her surroundings. Below her, a vast, undisturbed forest was growing, and thriving. The green evergreen trees were as healthy a green as always. Happy and content after the recent rain, they were simply sitting there calmly, barely moving. Foxy could just glimpse movements in the forest below; there were several small pokemon, what she guessed would've been ratatta's and the various bugs one could catch sight of near Viridian City. Overhead, above the canopy, flocks of pidgey flew about, even considering the time.

As Charizard flew over Viridian, the bright lights of the city glowed and stood out from the otherwise dark land. Foxy could see the pokemon centre from her position; it seemed that several shops, including the Viridian City Pokemart, were still open. The door to the pokemart opened as a slightly chubby lady walked out, a plastic bag in each hand. Foxy wondered vaguely what she was doing, shopping this late at night. She also thought, albeit briefly, about how much plastic bags were damaging the environment, which Foxy was so close to.

Finally, however, Foxy gave up pretending, and acknowledged her tiredness. It was perhaps a symbol to her determination that she, in her mind, only allowed herself the time it took to get to Gary's lab to sleep; after that, she resolved to continue working.

She sighed, as tiredness from not sleeping and so much action in the last few days slowly began to overcome her. As she was about to close her eyes and rest, Foxy spoke. "Gary, I think I'm gonna get some rest... I can't help humankind up here, so I might as well," she said tiredly, barely containing a yawn. "Wake me when we get back to your lab though... There's so much work I could help with," Foxy said, without caring as to how much she could actually help Gary.

"Don't 'forget'," she added, placing sarcasm on that last word. She knew she was tired, and that her body needed more rest, and more time... But there wasn't more time. People out there were dying, she knew. Though she was aware of how weak those last words had sounded, considering her state, she put as put determination and grit into them as she possibly could. She hoped Gary would realise that she wanted to be woken up, despite was was good and what was bad for her body.

She sighed deeply, before relaxing backwards a little. She closed her eyelids, and quickly fell asleep. Briefly, before she did so, she wondered amusedly to herself how Gary would react to her literally sleeping in his arms, albeit unintentionally. She couldn't care less, truth be told. It was sleep, after all.

 

[Aiya Quackform]

OOC: GHPF's judge, Idelong, said he'd come today, Saturday, so he can judge Sunday. BIC:

After carefully examining maps and recent reports of water Pokemon schools, Sklya decided on their destination. She folded up her maps and reports and neatly put them in their respective cubby holes. A man she had worked with on another ship a few months ago was so messy he could never find any of the information he needed when wanted it. Inefficiency disgusted Skyla. It was so pointless, and even a small amount of efficiency was easy to maintain and helped infinitely.

Walking out of the cabin she called for the crew to assemble. "Everyone on deck!" There was a brief period of scurrying about, but the five of them soon stood in front of Skyla. "What are you names?"

"Jones." "Hathaway." "Matthews." "Jordan." "Kobin."

"Alright, then," she acknowledged them. "We are going to the sea north of Hoenn. There haven't been many ships up there recently, so there should be plenty of water Pokemon. We'll still be relatively close to Lilycove, and if it is quarantined as well or we decide to head elsewhere, we can easily head farther north into Kanto and its ports."

There was an unquestioning, but uneasy silence among the five. A few of them traded shifty glances.

Eyes narrowed, Skyla asked sternly, "What?"

"Sorry, Ma'am," said Hathaway. "We didn't mean no disrespect. We'll head out as soon as you give the order."

Nodding in approval she replied, "Good, let's go. Now." They quickly went back to their duties again, detatching the boat from the dock, and starting up the Maiden's motor. But Skyla knew what they were thinking. They did not want to harvest the water Pokemon for the cure. 'Fools.'

They were soon outside of the bustling waters of Lilycove, headed for the northern coast of the giant island of Hoenn. Skyla kept a watchful eye over their course, speed, and direction. The slightest miscalculation or negligence could cause them to drift miles off course. Such inefficiency would be unacceptable.

 

[SilverUmbreon]

OOC: Sorry I've been falling behind...if I say something that doesn't fit with what has been said so far, let me know, as there were a lot of posts since my last one and they're so long I didn't want to read them all...

IC: James finally arrived at the Shadow Pokemon Lab. From here he could search around for Dr. Henry's lab. However, it would be best for him to look about the lab itself for anything that might be useful. This in mind, James entered the lab. It was much like it had been last time he'd seen it. Then, something struck him. There was a card key here, and it may be needed to enter Henry's lab, so he swiftly snatched it up. He then decided to search deeper in the lab. He proceeded down a few elevators and through a few doors to the lab's main computer, as he figured it may have some useful info for finding Dr. Henry's lab. Much to James' surprise, however, there was someone else at it.

Upon closer inspection, it was cheif Ein! What could he have been doing at his former lab? James intended to find out, so he drew closer.

Upon reaching him, James said, "So you still haven't given up on the Shadow Pokemon plan, eh?" Surprisingly, though, Ein responded by looking at James with a serious face and saying, "Only a simple Peon would think me so foolish; I am working on an alternate cure for the disease that has been killing so many people." James didn't appreciate being called a fool, but in a way he was lucky. Ein was just the person who could help him. The question was if he would." You act as if I am a fool and you are not. We were both fools to be part of Cipher," said James, "Yet I feel that we could do great things as a team. I was looking for clues to the location of the laboratory of a certain Dr. Henry. Do you know where this is. I suspect he may have created this awful plague. I think we would both benefit from joining up." Much to his dismay, however, Ein did not seem to aggree.

"I need no help from a peon like you. I have better things to do, such as finding a cure. Take this map and leave me be. It shows the place you are looking for." James may have missed nabbing a partner, but he was one step closer to his goal.

 

[Raichu_tamer]

Julia looked at the elegant wooden building, remembering the many things she had heard about it… About the scholarships that had been given out for the dancing, about the many famous dancers and models that had come from the same dance school, and even the amount of money someone got for simply teaching at a school like that, with such a high authority. She slowly approached the building, creaking open the door. She peeked her head through, seeing many dancers dressed in bright, colorful kimonos, all dancing in synchronization. Julia walked through the door, now taking a seat by other spectators, much older than herself. The whole room was filled with neutral colours – brown, green, black, and others, which seemed to create a large contrast between the kimonos and the room itself. The soft melody played smoothly in the background, Julia was able to identify a violin and a flute, but the other instruments being played on the CD were very unique, and hard to determine. The music faded out into a different melody, nobody in the room seemed to be acknowledging anyone but the ravishing dancers. After many melodies passed by, Julia was finding the dance quite repetitive. The dancers seemed to be performing a dance that moved in perfect beat with many melodies, but she decided to leave, thinking,

'I'm only going to be doing this once in my lifetime… Why should I spend my whole evening in Ecruteak watching dancers!' She crept out the door, attempting to be as quiet as possible. Looking around, she decided to visit the Tin Tower, seeing how there was much of a commotion going on. Whether it was positive or negative, was still up to Julia to determine; she was too far away to see. Running up to the tower, she saw a huge crowd in front of it, it looked as if they were trying to get into the tower…

'But isn't it always open anyways?…' She thought to herself, in deep wonder. Immersing herself in the crowd, and pushing herself out to the front, she saw the reason people couldn't get into the tower, they were trying to get all the water pokemon out of it! But did the tower dwell water pokemon? Looking behind her, she saw that her Marill was gone! She pushed herself out back to the end of the mob, searching for her Marill.

"Marill!!" She shouted, the whole group now stared at her.

"You saw a Marill?"

"A Marill, where!?" She heard many of them murmur. Suddenly, someone shouted out from the top of the tower,

"Lever the water pokemon alone!" They yelled, fully cloaked. He dangled Julia's Marill over the edge, insuring her safety.

"Hey! How did you get my Marill!?" She shouted, thinking he probably would not be able to hear. He stared at her, then disappeared back into the tower. Julia was determined to get back her Marill, no matter who it was in the hands of. She ran to the back of the tower where not many people were.

"Merlin, come out!" She shouted, tossing a red and white orb into the air, releasing a strange looking pokemon – her Kadabra. She patted him on the head, then looked up at the tower.

"You see that big gigantic tower?" She told him, still rubbing his head.

"I need you to get us into there, okay?" She said. He nodded gleefully in response. Crouching a bit, Julia and himself both slowly began to fade into a purple glow. Within moments, the two of them had disappeared into a strange looking room with many doors. The floors were made delicately made out of wooden panels, as were the walls, some of the panels with elegant carvings engraved into them. She stared in awe for a few moments, but someone's shouting soon disturbed the peace. He threw what looked like a black and white pokeball in Julia's direction, but instead of a pokemon, a heap of steam poured out of it. Julia covered her mouth, coughing heavily. She struggled to find the pokeball of Pandora, her Beautifly. After finding it, she threw it into the air. An elegant swirl of red, bright light, revealed a beautiful butterfly pokemon, with a long, thin, curled in nose. She hummed bitterly, seeing the smog surrounded her.

"Pandora, u-" Julia was cut off by another cough,

"use gust, and blow the smog away!" She managed to say, coughing again after she finished her sentence. Pandora replied with a hum, and began to vigorously flap her wings. The smog finally cleared, and Julia looked around her, now seeing that both her Marill… AND her Kadabra were gone… Julia swiftly returned Pandora, now very concerned…

 

[Aiya Quackform]

Skyla walked through darkness. White smoke clouded the air, causing what little light there was to give off a ghostly glow. She could not see very far ahead, walking aimlessly through the mist. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she called, but was answered only by her own voice echoing back. Frightened, she quickened her pace. She went several feet in one direction, turned, walked, and changed direction again. The smoke was getting thicker. "Someone, please help me!" she choked. Collapsing to the ground, she couldn't breathe. Unconsciousness was slipping over her.

Skyla stood in the middle of a room. Dark again, but the air was clear. She was in a spotlight from an unknown source, and could not see outside of it. Whispering could be heard all around her. "W-who's there?"

The spotlight abruptly disappeared. "No! Wait!" Skyla cried helplessly. "Please! Don't take the light away!"

White light flooded the room. Clamping her eyes, Skyla was blinded. Slowly she opened her eyes, and saw. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Corpses all around her, the lifeless bodies of water Pokemon. "No!" Skyla gasped in horror. She took a step back, but screeched as she felt a corpse under her foot. Recoiling back into her own narrow space, she could do nothing other than look at the mountains of corpses. "No! This can't have happened!" Skyla bent down to look at a Mudkip next to her foot. "They can't all be dead," a tear rolled down her cheek. Extending her hand to touch the Pokemon, Skyla wanted to see that they were not dead, feel the warmth of their sleeping, but alive bodies. Her finger brushed against the cold Mudkip's face. It's eyes glowed red. Skyla jumped back, screaming. Red eyes appeared on all the dead Pokemon. "No!" she screamed in terror. "This can't be real!"

"Murderer..." the Pokemon breathed in a unanimous roar.

"NO!" Skyla shot straight up from the sofa. Sweat covered her body. Disoriented, she looked around desperately. She was laying on a tattered grey sofa in a small cabin with dozens of electronic instruments and a navigation console. Outside the window all that could be seen was the blue ocean.

"It was only a dream..." she whispered in relief as she buried her head in her hands. Slowly, Skyla reappeared from her hands. "But it won't be for long." Jumping off of the sofa in the navigation cabin, Skyla reappeared on deck where the sailors under her supervision were working. Seeing her appear, they stopped and gave her their attention.

"Men," she said in a commanding tone, "We're changing our plans."

 

[Catriona]

Sorry for taking this long to reply, but I managed to get my laptop confiscated and locked out of the computer room.

*​

Several muffled Pok?mon cries sounded from the direction of the dull metal shutters stretched across the chamber?s watery entrance. Cat didn?t so much as blink. Likely as not, some of the wild ?Mon she?d already observed afloat the river leading to this cavern were scuffling behind the electronically operated doorway. She sighed and closed her eyes, resigned to the worst. What was the probability that she?d be able to talk her way out of harm? Aquas weren?t known for their understanding, or compassion. Mercy on their part these days was rare, even towards fellow members; her chances of release were looking increasingly slimmer.
A sudden flare of light shone unannounced through her closed eyelids, causing her to jolt upright abruptly, forcing them apart. Multicoloured spots erupted in front of her dazzled eyes, clouding her vision. Rendered blind by the unexpected flash that now died almost as quickly as it had appeared, she could barely make out the outline of its creator. She blinked furiously, attempting to regain the use of her eyes, but succeeded only in further provoking the patterns spiralling at random across her line of sight. An unfamiliar voice barked fiercely in her direction, ordering her to raise her hands above her head. She hastily complied with the command, not wanting to cause yet more trouble than what she?d already found herself in.

?Stay where you a? a kid?? His authoritative manner dropped as he surveyed her, and one eyebrow disappeared into his low fringe. ?What, are the Aquas taking in junior recruits?? A slight frown creased his brow. He hadn?t been trained to deal with children, and this girl didn?t look a day past fourteen. His grip tightened slightly on the creamy, close-growing fur on the neck of the Ninetales to his right. It raised its head and stared enquiringly up at him, but on gaining no response shook its tails and followed its master?s gaze to the somewhat startled girl ahead.

The colours obscuring Cat?s vision began to fade, enabling her to squint curiously at the figures before her. Several silhouettes were distinguishable; a man, and what looked like three Pok?mon surrounding him. Not a lot else was clear. She shook her head vigorously, and her vision cleared completely. The flash earlier had obviously been caused by combined fire attacks issued from the mouths of the ?Mon either side of him, Combusken and a canine whose species? name she wasn?t able to recall. He was wearing a red-black uniform ... A Magma? The third ?Mon didn?t quite seem to fit with this image, but then again, he?d have needed to surf down the underground river to reach this laboratory-of-sorts. A powerful-looking Blastoise?s gargantuan form filled the cave entrance, fearsome cannons aimed straight at her head. She shivered. First an irate grunt, now their rival team ... And she?d been found in the Aqua base, assumed an enemy team?s member by this hostile intruder. What luck. From what she could see, she wasn?t any better off with the team of earth and fire than she?d have been if confronted by an Aqua executive. Well, it wouldn?t do a lot of good to stay quiet and let him think she was there out of choice.

She sighed, moistened her lips and spoke up. ?I?m not an Aqua, as you?ll soon find if you allow me to display my Pok?mon. And I?m not a child, either.?

Her last few words carried a bite of irritation, and the man seemed to pause to take this into consideration before replying. ?So what are you doing down here if you?re not at least in league with them? What was the shouting I heard from the tunnel about?? He wasn?t convinced. There was hardly an acceptable excuse for a regular Pok?mon trainer to have been snooping around an Aqua base. Whatever reason she had, it?d better be good, else she?d have to be silenced or taken hostage.

?I travelled here from Mt. Silver, for a change of scenery, under the impression that the area was deserted. An Aqua grunt caught me checking this place out and locked me in here.? She paused to take in his reaction, but his features remained blank. ?And now he?s left to find an executive to ?deal with me?.? Her voice was more than a little scornful, as if she held the opinion that anyone attempting to ?deal with her? would have made quite an underestimation of her prowess as a trainer. The arms frozen above her head were starting to ache in protest, but she did her best to ignore the pain, unwilling to appear weak.

The Magma almost smiled at the brief streak of arrogance she?d displayed. She had by this time dispelled almost all doubt he?d had of her status, but even if she wasn?t an Aqua, there weren?t many members of the public who supported his team, mainly due to the disease many believed that their Dr. Anderson had created. Of course, someone of such high recognition within Magma as himself knew that their suspicions were not without reason; in fact, he?d met Anderson in person, but that was a couple of years before the experiments he was performing had bore fruit. Perhaps it would be wise to inspect the girl?s Pok?mon, as she?d suggested. Ninetales at his side, he drew cautiously closer. The expression adorning her rather shadowed features was that of feigned boredom, not of open hostility. She flinched slightly when he unclipped the first Pok?ball from her custom-made belt, but didn?t object. On inspecting each of the balls? contents, he found only one of the Aquas? signature water-type Pok?mon, and three others that were in fact weak to aquatic attacks.

?Alright, you can bring your hands down.? Thoroughly relieved, he recalled the last of her ?Mon and handed her back all four Pok?balls.

She flashed him a quick smile, then repositioned them on the thin belt around her waist and stood up, dusting off imaginary dirt as she did so. Well, his attitude beat the other grunt?s tactics of attacking first and asking questions later. With a start, she realised that the blue-clothed man could return any moment, possibly with another, higher-ranking Aqua. Whatever this Magma was here for, neither of them would stand a chance against the highly trained water Pok?s most Aquas sported ... She was obliged to inform him of the need to leave in haste, especially if she wanted a chance of escaping along with him.

?Uh ... ? She realised that she had no idea what the Magma?s name was. ? ... Sir, I think it might be best if we got back to the surface. Pretty sharpish. The Aqua I encountered earlier could get back here any time now, and no offence or anything, but I don?t think either of us would be strong enough to hold out against two teams of water ?Mon.?

He grimaced at being addressed as ?Sir?. Of course, lower-ranking Magmas frequently used the expression, but, well, outside of work ... ?It?s Jon.? And however little he appreciated being advised on matters by those appearing at least five years younger than himself, he had to admit she was right. It?d be foolish to hang around here. He?d taken the documents needed already, anyway, returning only out of curiosity as to the shouting that had reached him as he made his way back along the underground waterways mapping the area. The sooner he left, the better, and it wouldn?t be fair to leave the girl behind. Decided, he swiftly recalled the three ?Mon standing alongside him and deftly flicked open another Pok?ball to release a pendulum-wielding Hypno, catching hold of its arm and beckoning Cat forwards. Her face broke into a grateful smile, and she hurried over, taking hold of the psychic ?Mon?s other arm.

?On the count of three, you?re to teleport us to the surface. OK?? The Hypno nodded, and the Magma extended three bony fingers. ?One.? He folded one in on his palm. ?Two.? Another down. Cat heard a splash from the direction of the entrance. ?Three!? She turned her head just in time to see the head of a Lapras colored quite differently to her own rounding the corner, her Aqua acquaintance riding atop it alongside another, rather more curvaceous female figure.

Then all was white.

*​

 

[Raichu_tamer]

After searching the floor she was on for quite a while, footsteps were heard. She looked around, trying to find the source of them, but all she saw was the wooden panels, covering the walls and the floors. The footsteps came closer… And closer… Until it seemed as if they were right behind her. She swerved her neck behind her, and saw a cloaked male appear out of the air, along with Merlin, who seemed to have a shroud of dark mist surrounding him.

"Merlin! Are you okay!?" She shouted, embracing him. Merlin thoughtlessly shoved her to the ground. She glared up at the cloaked male, wondering who they were, and what they were doing. He put his masculine hands into his cloak, as if he were about to pull something out. Knowing it was a pokeball; Julia grabbed a pokeball from her belt. The two of them both threw out their pokeballs at the same time, revealing Julia's Marill, also immersed in a cloud of darkness, and her Beautifly, Pandora. The moment Julia saw her Marill; she knew something wrong had happened. She had been with her Marill for such a long time – she would never consider battling her. The cloaked male snickered deviously at her emotional weakness. The two looked on towards the Marill, the Kadabra, and the Beautifly. After some – what of a staring contest, Julia finally initiated a conversation.

"What are you doing here, and what is everybody else doing out there!?" She asked, now returning Pandora. The male continued to stare at her, not wanting to speak. She repeated herself once more, hoping that he would reply. A deep voice echoed throughout the room.

"I'm in here to protect the water pokemon, and everybody outside is trying to kill them for the antidote," At last, he replied. He turned away with nothing else to say, and walked up the stairs while Marill and Merlin trailed behind him.

"Hey!" Julia shouted, furiously.

"What are you doing with my pokemon, what did you do to them!?" She yelled, running up to him, and blocking the set of stairs to the next floor. He attempted to push her away, but pulled his arm away from her at the last minute.

"What do you mean, what did I do to your pokemon? They're here, and that's all… They've found a better trainer now, so I request that you leave…"

"C'mon, I'm not stupid! Why is the dark cloud surrounding them—why won't they listen to me!?" She shook him, not realising that she could barely reach his broad shoulders. He turned away, a smile painted onto his face. When Julia was least alert, he ran up the stairs, and headed towards the closest window. Julia immediately followed him, but walking up the stairs, she saw many other water pokemon, all with the same mysterious aura surrounding them.

"What's going on!?" She yelled sternly, quickly approaching the cloaked man. She grabbed onto his cloak, but by the time she managed to grasp her fingers around the thick material, he had jumped out the window, wearing a black T-shirt, and a black pair of pants, leaving behind the cloak, and a fallen pokeball. It didn't look like any other pokeball, but a dark sphere, with a hint of madness glinting out of it. She curiously opened up the pokeball, and saw that she had finally gotten her Marill back, but she still seemed to neglect her. The main door of the tower was blasted down with a loud 'THUD'. Julia heard the mob running up the stairs, getting closer and closer towards her. She leaned out the window, looking down at how steep the jump was. The cheering got louder, the charging got louder, and each stair creaked more than the last. She wrapped herself in the cloak that the stranger left behind, returned the Marill to her pokeball, and prepared to jump… The mob finally reached the highest floor, the same floor that Julia was on.

"OVER THERE! The same girl with the Marill!" They shouted, stampeding after her. After taking a deep breath, she leaned over the edge of the window, looking down. She turned back at the mob, back to the window, then suddenly jumped out of it, not knowing what to do after…

*******

"…You okay?…" Someone asked over in the other room. Julia sat up in the fairly stiff bed, looking around herself. The ground was a dirty shade of green, and the walls were seemingly made of logs. Nothing aside from the bed was in the room, nothing… A man with shaggy brown hair entered the room, wearing clothes that corresponded with the clothes that the cloaked male was wearing earlier.

"It's you!" Julia shouted, getting ready to run out the door.

"What are you doing with me!? Where am I!?" She asked confused.

"Well… You were kinda stupid, and ended up taking a dive into the ground in Ecruteak, your in Mahogany now…"

"And why? You couldn't have just left me there!?" Julia stated, not thinking about her words.

"Really, you wanted me to leave you on the ground unconscieous? I might have my cons, but I'm still a responsible person – I couldn't have left you there to rot! You should be thanking me, you need to get back home! Where do you live?" He asked, sitting on the ground.

"What's it to you?" Julia said, with a hint of attitude. She sunk back into the bed, thinking of what to do in her situation.

"Well I need to get you back to your parents before you try doing anything else stupid!" Julia began to think more deeply about her plan to save the water pokemon, he stated before that he was protecting the water pokemon… But…

"So if you were protecting the water pokemon, how come they all had that dark aura around them!?" She asked him, stepping out of the bed she was in, and out the doorway to what looked like the living room. She sat in the brown leather sofa, which sat beside a side – table with a radio atop it. The home looked very quaint, and simple. The man followed her out, sitting beside her. He was much more hesitant to respond to Julia's previous question.

"Well… That doesn't matter, there is No dark aura surrounding them, where are your parents!?" He asked again, this time expecting a solid reply.

"Well, I'm… Going on the gym Challenge, I've only got the Mineral Badge right now, and I'm heading to… Blackthorn!"

"Well I can't really bring you back home then… But you know that there's a gym here too, right? Before you go to Blackthorn, you'll want to get the badge from here!" Julia looked peeved,

'Just what I need, another 'nice' guy to make things more complicated…'

 

[Catriona]

They materialised 2 feet above the parched earth, and after a couple of seconds fell heavily to the ground, creating a small cloud of choking dust. Both Cat and the Magma coughed violently as they let go of Hypno and straightened up, brushing themselves down vigorously. The psychic Pok?mon emitted one small squeak and fell forward, enveloping itself in yet more dust. Evidently, the strain of teleporting two people at once had taken its toll. The Magma looked pityingly at his ?Mon before pulling out its Pok?ball and returning it with a flick of his thin wrist.

?Well, there goes my ticket back to the base.? He smiled wryly. ?None of my other Pok?s are capable of transporting me. Guess I?ll be walking ... ? Casually replacing Hypno?s ball in his pocket, he watched Cat?s face for her reaction. ?The closest Magma building is quite a hike away, in Kanto. And the Aquas are already on our tail; they?ll have caught up with me before I?ve gone 2 miles.?

Cat sighed. It was obvious what he was asking, but did she really want to take sides regarding the two teams of Aqua and Magma? Then again, he had rescued her ... Oh, what harm could it do? ?Alright, you?ve got yourself a ride,? she conceded, ?but only if you take off that Magma sweatshirt. I don?t want to be waylaid by a police officer. Spending a night in a jail cell isn?t my idea of fun.? She paused to flick her unruly hair out of her eyes. ?And there won?t be any funny business when we get there, OK? I?m not keen to have anything to do with your Magma friends. I?m doing this as repayment for you letting me escape with you. Anyway ... ? She took a moment to decide which ?Mon would cope better with their weight, then tossed a red-white ball into the air, releasing her majestic Arcanine.

Jon?s face broke into a broad grin. ?Thanks ? what?s your name, anyway? And don?t worry; you?re not obliged to have anything more to do with us Magmas after this. Unless you change your mind once we?ve arrived ... We?d be glad of another trainer on the team.? He pulled his maroon sweatshirt off over his head, and tied it around his waist so that the bold lettering embroidered in black on its front was hidden.

Arcanine pawed the ground impatiently as his owner replied. ?It?s Catriona. Cat, if you like.? She ran a hand through her hair, then wound it into Arcanine?s mane to help her scramble astride him as he crouched as close to the ground he could manage in assistance. The Magma had no difficulty mounting the fire ?Mon?s back behind her. She twisted around to face him side-on, still wondering how she?d managed to get roped into ferrying a potential criminal back to his effective lair.

?Uh, where exactly is this ?base? of yours located? Scintil needs a specific area.? She patted the canine?s head while waiting for a response.

The Magma?s face took on a thoughtful expression for a few moments before he replied. ?In what used to be Diglett?s Cave. You know, that area leading off just before Viridian Forest.? He scratched his clean-shaven chin absent-mindedly. ?We might need to surf some of the way, too.?

Cat frowned as she returned to face in the same direction as Arcanine. Was there a single cavern left in the country that hadn?t been converted into some sort of unlawful organisation?s refuge? ?OK, Scint, we need to get to Route 2. That?s back past Mt Silver. Go!? She kicked his sides lightly, causing him to rise to his feet and set off at a gentle pace. ?Faster! And remember to take a detour into the hills; we?ll need to skirt the lake and Blackthorn. In fact, we can take a diagonal route downhill to Silver Valley, then we?ll need to be more careful.?

Scintil nodded in recognition, then immediately sped up. Jon was caught off-guard by this sudden burst of speed, and had to quickly wrap his arms around Cat?s waist to avoid being thrown off. Cat herself had her hands firmly planted in the Pok?mon?s flowing mane, and knees gripping his body tightly, anchoring her to the canine. The landscape was a brown-green blur either side of them, Arcanine?s huge paws churning up large amounts of dust from the dry, loose ground. Cat?s thoughts immediately jumped to the clear tracks they must be leaving behind. The last thing either she or Jon needed was to be trailed back by the Aquas.

Lowering her head to almost the same level as her ?Mon?s, she shouted over the roaring wind surrounding them. ?Scint, we can?t leave footprints! You?re going to have to run on the rock paths, or grass, or ? something!? Almost immediately, the ride became more uncomfortable, and she could only presume that her Arcanine was taking a rockier route. Peering behind them, she was relieved to see that they were no longer leaving obvious pugmarks in the ground. She settled herself a little more comfortably before returning to observing the level ground ahead. Jon seemed to have steadied himself a little more; he was no longer clinging to her as if for dear life. They passed Blackthorn in a flash, the dilapidated buildings that made up the outskirts of the town flying past in an instant while Arcanine?s paws beat against the rocks relentlessly. The sun swam in and out of gathering clouds, and as the ground beneath them turned steeply downhill, disappeared entirely, rendering the skies above a dull greyish colour. They almost flew down the slope towards Mt. Silver, and in no time Arcanine?s pace was slowing as the area became grassier and other Pok?mon could be seen, either unhurriedly making their way from one patch of towering grass to another or skittering out of Scintil?s path, startled expressions imprinted on their features. Eventually they slowed completely, Arcanine practically walking as they entered the tall, thick vegetation evident throughout the entire valley. He was panting slightly, obviously tired from their rapid descent of the mountainland that formed a route leading from Blackthorn City to New Bark Town.

Cat slipped out of Jon?s grasp and off her Pok?mon?s thick-furred back to lead him, knowing the area well. As she fought through the multitude of overgrown plants, she called back to the Magma out of curiosity. ?How come you even had that Hypno and a Blastoise? I thought Magmas were only supposed to carry fire-type Pok?mon.?

He answered without hesitation. ?Simple, really. None of my chosen ?Mon were capable of transporting me in any manner, and I was instructed to return as soon as possible, so the guy in charge of my sector got hold of those two for me to use. There was a bit of a debate over whether I?d be better off with Hypno or a flying ?Mon. Lucky I ended up with the Hipster, huh?? Grinning, he adjusted his position on Scintil?s back, just as the grass ended to reveal a large, grey concrete building. ?That?s the Elite 4?s place, right?? Cat nodded and brought Arcanine to a halt, pulling a ball from her belt. Jon hopped off the canine?s back just before bright red light enveloped Arcanine, sucking him into the ball, which his owner then fixed back around her waist.

?We?ll have to go the rest of the way on foot, I don?t want to provoke suspicion on the part of the E4 guards or Viridian?s residents. Just follow me.? She then tiptoed closer to a large wooden door painted around the same colour as the stone it was set in, placing one hand on a black handle. After checking that the coast inside was clear by pressing an ear against the peeling surface, she slowly pushed the door open far enough for her to squeeze through in a pinch. Fortunately, it?d been recently oiled and so didn?t creak as it moved. She edged carefully inside, and was joined by Jon seconds later. They were in a magnificent white marble hallway, but she wasn?t too interested in her surroundings. Finding the corridor completely deserted, she hurried a little further down it to another greying door, nudged it open and exited in an instant, tailed equally silently by the Magma. Luckily, the route they now found themselves in was also completely deserted. She almost skipped at their luck, but caught herself just in time. Wouldn?t do to make a fool of herself in front of this guy, and not when they still had some ground to cover. She ran the length of the route and turned the corner into Viridian soundlessly. She then turned to Jon as he drew up behind her. ?All we need to do now is act like regular people while we walk through Viridian, and then run the rest of the way to Diglett?s Cave.? He nodded in recognition and they both emerged together, strolling side by side through the city. The houses on this side of the area were mainly constructed in terraces of rose-pink brick. Several other people were going about their daily business, but they didn?t glance twice at the pair. Cat sighed with relief as they passed the last block of houses, and Jon, recognising the route, broke into a sprint ahead.

?We?re almost there!? he called over his shoulder. ?And a good thing too ? looks like rain.? Cat stared apprehensively up at the grey rain clouds above as she ran, and felt two large drops of water hit her face. He was right, she thought, as they drew up in front of a thick clump of bushes lining the path, and Jon fumbled in his ample pocket for something. He pulled out a yellow great ball, which he then threw to reveal a fiery Magmar. The flames licking the Pok?mon?s head hissed angrily as the rain became heavier, dampening all three of them. ?Burn us a hole, Meg, we?re in a hurry.? ?Meg? obliged without hesitation, and soon a hole big enough for both of them to fit through was smoking, burnt right through the thick leaves of the hedge. Jon pushed Cat through it roughly, then followed himself, returning Magmar as he did so. Vivid green grass covered the ground that Jon strode easily across to a metallic keypad embedded in the rock wall opposite. He punched in a combination code, and an earth-covered trapdoor nearby opened, which he promptly disappeared into, beckoning Cat to follow. She needed no more persuasion than the raindrops now beating heavily down all around to follow.

 

[Raichu_tamer]

Julia grinned with a hint of slyness,

"Oh really?" She asked the shady man, already assuming what he would respond with.

"Yes, really. The Gym trains ice pokemon, you should go check it out and see if you think you're ready!" Julia barely paid any attention to the statement that the male had just made. She quivered her head, trying to recall the last few words he said.

"Yeah, I don't think I am at all, that's why I wanted to go to Blackthorn! I was going to go to the gym there, then battle the Gym Leaders in the other cities so I-" She quickly noticed that the man had a disturbed look on her face. She knew right then and there that she definitely said something that would completely give her away.

"… You realize that the Gym in Blackthorn has the most authority in Jhoto, right? You should be going to Blackthorn last! And you said you only have the Mineral badge, why didn't you go to the other gyms first?" Julia looked down at the ground, hoping her glazed, blue hair would cover her face.

"You should've done more research! It's going to take you a while to get back to Ollivine. From there, you could've gotten the badges from Ecruteak, Goldenrod, and even Violet if you take a shortcut, it's too bad kids as young as yourself try to train pokemon without learning anything first, hehe…" Julia seemed angered by this, lots of people her age had trained pokemon successfully! But then again… there are the few trainers that don't train pokemon that well, too… She decided to attempt to turn the tables.

"Well what about you?? You claim to be saving the water pokemon, but they all look evil now—look at what you did to my Marill! She doesn't even listen to me anymore!" The man leaned back in the sofa, as he continued to listen.

"So tell me, what were you really doing up there!?" The male seemed to have a lot of experience with conversations like the one he was having. He could just as easily turn the odds against Julia,

"And what about you? What were you doing up in the tower? Trying to capture the water pokemon, I bet…"

"What!? I was going to help the water pokemon escape from the tower without getting caught, an-" The man finally realized something, Julia seemed more interested in the water pokemon than collecting the badges, he was beginning to catch on…

"Y'know… Somehow I don't really think you even have the Mineral badge, this is all just a cover-up for something isn't it!" But of course, Julia was no better than the male.

"Why are you so suspicious all of a sudden!? Are YOU hiding something!? What happened to Merlin!? Give him back you bully!" After hearing herself, Julia remembered her childhood, whining always for one thing or another. A tad embarrassed, she turned away, crossing her arms. The male became furious,

"I save your life and you treat me like this!? I could have easily left you on the streets, but nooo, I decided not to! And now you accuse me of having something to do with the antidote that was found for the virus!?" Julia started to piece things together,

"I didn't accuse you of any of that! I just asked you why those pokemon were all evil, and what that dark aura around them was! AND WHERE IS MY MERLIN!?!?" Her childhood continued to pass by her. She jumped out of the sofa, and began to search the house for the pokeball containing Merlin, but nothing could be found at a glance, everything was neatly tucked away. The two sat in silence, they were both very alike. The male walked into his room, gesturing Julia into it.

"Come here, I want to show you something…" He said, holding the door open for her. Julia fixed her hair into pony-tail, then walked into the room, looking around. She saw many of the dark pokeballs her Marill was in, and on the bed was a cipher uniform. Julia wasn't very surprised. At some extent, she was expecting it. She twisted around to face the male, then glared up at him.

"So what do you want from me then!? You're right, you could have saved me, so what do you want from me?…" A sudden hush fell over the room. After a few seconds, the male began to speak.

"Well… You can see the aura around the dark pokemon, we can't really let you out on the streets alone… And it's obvious you're out here for a reason other than to collect badges, am I right?" Julia nodded hesitantly.

"Listen, the reason I was in the tower with the water pokemon was so I could turn them into dark pokemon, I really was saving them…" Julia was confused,

"How is turning them evil saving them? Doesn't that just make the water pokemon suffer more!?"

"Well… There is a possibility that dark water pokemon can alter the affects of the antidote, and if people see that it doesn't work, then they'll stop using the water pokemon for the antidote, right?" Julia began to loosen up to the male, feeling a bit more comfortable with him.

"Right… But what if it doesn't work? And how many dark water pokemon will it take for people to see that it doesn't work? What if dark pokemon just makes the antidote more powerful!?" This brought Julia quite a bit of attention from the male whom she now recently discovered was actually a Cipher.

"And what do I have to do with the water pokemon?" Julia asked him.

"Well nothing… But since you can see the aura of the dark pokemon… We can't risk you turning the dark pokemon into pure pokemon again, It would ruin our plans… And as for the water pokemon, we can't decide yet whether or not the dark pokemon will alter the antidote, if it doesn't then it doesn't… Really this is an individual project I've been planning, nothing the Ciphers as a whole have been working on… But like I said, now that you know what my plans are, and you know why we can't let you go… Well, I can't do much but keep you with me!" Julia was very alert of her surroundings now. If she were to tell him that she was collecting the badges, then she could have been able to leave him and go to Blackthorn! But what if she helped him succeed in his personal mission? They both had similar goals… Like he said, the water pokemon turning into dark pokemon is not a Cipher organized project, something he's working on, on his own…

"…What if I helped you turn the water pokemon into dark pokemon?…" Julia looked up at the Cipher, her deep, sea-blue eyes lush with hope.

 

[RAziken]

OOC: Its weird how all the chars here has quite a lot of trouble with their past, namely their parents, isn't it? Well my character does too, meh...
Charecter Bio:
Name (Required): Sindi Chang
Gender (Required): Female
Age: 12
Personality: [see history first] Although she has lived a cruel and unfair life, she demostrates will and unbroken spirit by being the kind and gentle person she is. She does not steal, and comforts herself with love for her Kirlia.
Physical Description: 3'7 feet tall and 48 lbs, she is quite small for her age because of lack of food and proper nutrition. She has bright cyan eyes and almost reddish coffee colored hair. She is usually in rags, as that is all she can afford, with most of her money going to buy food.
Pokemon: Kirlia
History: Sindi is the fourth and last child of Thomas and Elizabeth Chang. Thomas was a business tycoon and one of the greatest executives his corporation has ever known. However, when Sindi was 3, Elizabeth divorced over a series of disagreements and left with the two middle children. Thomas retained Sindi and her older brother, Samuel. After the divorce, Thomas became acholholic and lost his business and most of his fortune gambling. While Samuel became Thomas' pet by doing some random jobs after school to give his father for his nightlife, Sindi was pushed out of favor as a "useless daughter" and was mistreated and beat by her father. Samuel, looking for his father's favor, in turn helped him. At the young age of 9, Sindi decided enough was enough and left with what was with her baby Ralts at that time. She ran away from the estate at Celadon and eventually wound up on the streets of Vermillion. She did random oddjobs for little bits of money. Although she barely passes by with scraps of food, it gave her pride on being self-dependent. She had prevented herself from her father and brother's cruelty, and was away from an almost nightly routine of begging her brother for scraps of food while he laughed sadistically.
Other: Her feelings about the virus are mixed, as she does not believe sacrificing one to suffice the other.
Forum: Gengar and Haunter's Pokemon Forums. (GHPF)

 

[Aiya Quackform]

The five crewmen looked at Sklya with blank expressions.

"What plans, ma'am?" Jones asked.

"I don't think any one of you wants to send water Pokemon to their death," she said to catch their full attention. It worked. All five of them stood up straighter, unnerved by her bluntness. "Unfortunately, right now, it doesn't seem like there are any alternatives." Pausing again, she looked Harrison in the eye. Unable to disagree with her, he shifted his gaze. "So, we are going to find that alternative. I know someone I can contact," she said the last in a lower tone. She had promised herself she would never go back to him for help. But this wasn't just about her anymore. "We are going to Vermillion City," Skyla continued with forced confidence. "He isn't the most trustworthy person, but he knows his business, and his business is knowing everything. If someone actually did create this virus, he would know about it. If we could find the person who made it, he may also have a cure. Are you with me?'

There was a silence among the men when she finished. They didn't respond at all at first, but soon exchanged uneasy glances among themselves.

"Ma'am," said Harrison, "My sister is in Celadon, one of the infected cities. She also loves water Pokemon. Wants to be a water Pokemon breeder. If I can save her and her dreams, I'll do it."

Skyla smiled, the first step had been taken. The other four soon agreed as well. "Well, then, let's get going! It'll take several hours to get there, and time means lives!"

"Yes ma'am!" they said unanimously and quickly got to work. Skyla returned to the cabin to establish their new course, and they were soon speeding along the waves to Vermillion.

 

[RAziken]

Sindi slowly strolled down a deserted alleyway through western Vermillion. It was so quiet these days, Sindi thought. Although the mayor had not placed quarentines on the city yet, there was a curfew time of 8:00 PM now and most people tried not to go outside of they could help it.

Unfortunately for her, she had no place to go, to be safe from the virus. Although she knew it would really have been safer if she hadn't run away, she wasn't going back. Not to the abuse, to the cruelty, to her brother's crooked, twisted, smile. As the thoughts descended on her mind, she stopped walking in a small, shadowey, area. From a small pocket in her worn, raggedy, jacket, she pulled out a piece of hard, crusty bread. Judging from the sun's position, Sindi figured it would be about three hours or so before she would have to hide in some area because of the curfew time.

After finishing the rocky bread, Sindi stood up. It was a beautiful sunset, one that glimmered and shone with a reddish orange light. If only the real world was that peaceful, she thought. From reading torn bits of newspapers, Sindi had discovered that the virus was manmade. How evil!

Suddenly, her pokeball glowed red. Kirlia. Kirlia had sensed movement. What was it? Sindi took two baby steps to the side, and-

"MMMMFFMFGGGGGGGGUDDD!!!!"

Two burly looking Aqua grunts glared at her while they cupped her mouth. Sindi looked at them in astonishment. There was a recent rumor that it was said that Team Aqua was so desperate for a cure, they were trying random concoctions on people nabbed from the street. Small wonder that people were afraid of going out.

In an instant, her faithful Kirlia popped out of her pokeball. A length blast of confusion tossed the Aqua Grunts effortlessly to the ground. Sindi stood back upright and dusted herself off. She was shaken, but she was alright.

"You know what to do, Kirlia," She said, feeling her body to make sure there wasn't anything broken. Kirlia launched a sweeping magical leaf attack at the beaten down grunts. They were knocked out.

"Good job," Sindi looked around breathlessly. "That was close. Kirlia, I think you better stay out of your pokeball. Who knows what they might think of next..."

 

[Raichu_tamer]

The Cipher's pasty brown eyes widened in astonishment.

"To be a girl is to be innocent, I could never take away your innocence like that—only a mere child you are, you could not be much use to me at all…" He walked over to the kitchen which wasn't separate from the living room in anyway, fixing himself a cup of coffee. Julia felt a bit intimidated, but easily thought of a statement to fight back with.

"So you would be willing to kidnap me for being able to see weird stuff around pokemon, but not to let me help you save the water pokemon!? Why don't you think I could help you? I have experience with pokemon, and I DID get the Mineral Badge, after all…" She lifted the strap around her neck which kept the shirt up, with her thumb, showing the badge pinned on it to the Cipher. He looked closer,

"So you do have the badge?… Heh, I thought that was just something put on the shirt to make it look fancy!" He came out from around the counter of the Kitchen, and leaned against it.

"Ok, so even if I allowed you to help me, how? You can't just go around turning the water pokemon into dark pokemon, just enough so that after a few antidotes, everyone will realize that it doesn't work! You would be like… Back-up! Yeah, that's it, you'd just be there when I need you to be…"

"Maybe I could turn a few water pokemon into dark pokemon?" She suggested, pulling up her shoulders into a shy stance. He relaxed his eyes a bit more, smirking at her ambition.

"You're one tough cookie, ain't ya?" He snickered, watching her simply nod with a grin across her face. He grabbed a long black Jacket, and walked out the door. Julia stayed inside, confused, until she heard the Cipher yell,

"You said you wanted to help, right? Well come on out here!" Julia's grin got bigger as she ran out the door, jumping beside him…

*

The two of them were in a pokemon center, the typical pokemon center, looking like every other pokemon center Julia had been in… The red-Orange carpeting, the red-haired nurse, the vibrantly colored walls… Nothing seemed to be different, it even smelled like all the others – the aroma of freshly baked goods filled the air… Where did that come from though? Julia rested her head upon a hand, staring up at the Cipher.

"So… What are we going to do first?" She asked him, excited. He looked around to make sure no one was within a close distance, then leaned in towards Julia, and began to whisper.

"Well… I was thinking that first… We should get out of Jhoto, we won't find anything here, right? If Team Magma created the Virus like everyone is saying, then… Well, we'll have to go to Hoenn! But if we want to infect the water pokemon that those pirates—as I like to call them, are going to kill, then we will have to find out where the closest ship is going to go… And I can easily find that out by contacting one of the other Ciphers at the HQ, and get them to look up the condition of the ships…" At that moment, the TV was switched to the evening news,

"Even the scientists are baffled, unable to find a more humane cure. There only real discovery is that the virus was man-made. Now, there is a hunt to discover who created the disease. After days of research, the governments determined that only two people could have manufactured the virus: Dr. Henry, a former member of Team Snagem or Dr. Anderson, a member of Team Magma. If they could locate the one who created the virus, they might also find a cure. Unfortunately for the government, both of which are in hiding."

Julia continued to look up at the Cipher, full of excitement.

"Alright then, so what are we waiting for!? Let's go to Blackthorn!" The Cipher looked deviously towards Julia.

"…I have a better idea…" He walked over to the PC, and logged into his e-mail. He scrolled through his contacts, none of which had names – they were all numbered. He clicked on the number 42, and began to type with the subject "Urgent".

42, I need to ask you a huge favor that needs to be done As Soon As Possible, okay? What I need you to do, is go into the control panel, and click on 'conditions', then go to vehicles. Over there, you should see the numbers of the hovercrafts that are on Oore. Scroll to the very bottom of the page, and you should see 3 buttons. 'Previous', 'Next', and 'Other'. Click on other, and there you will see various codes, a letter and a number. The boats that are catching the water pokemon for the antidote should have the letters '*SB**C*V**'. I need you to find out what times each of the ships and boats are going to reach where, okay? Thanks a lot!

He pressed 'Send' with a sense of satisfaction. After checking the standings for the trainers in the Hoenn Gym Challenge, he refreshed his inbox, and saw a new e-mail. He quickly opened it,

What do you need it for? Julia smacked the Cipher's shoulder,

"Some pretty bright friends you have there, don't ya think!?" She said with a touch of sarcasm. The Cipher sweat-dropped. (let's add a bit of humor to loosen up the atmosphere! This rp has been so serious, y'know? Kinda intense…) He clicked on 'reply', and began to type furiously.

You know why now stop asking stupid questions and give me the information! XD he typed, immediately clicking 'send' soon after. Instead of going on the internet, he simply tapped his finger against the desk repeatedly, then clicked 'refresh' after a few minutes.

ok ok, here are the results I found for the '*SB**C*V**' conditions;

*SB**C*V**28*90*1
Status: Quarantine
Location: Celadon
Next stop:

*SB**C*V**729*99
Status: Quarantine
Location: Goldenrod
Next Stop:

*SB**C*V**82*176**392
Status: Quarantine
Location: Valencia
Next Stop:

*SB**C*V**4812*192
Status: OK
Location:
Next Stop: Vermillion

'*SB**C*V**43*1223*
Status:
Location:
Next Stop:

I hope that does it for you, good luck!
Julia looked over to the Cipher.

"So I guess we're going to go to Vermillion? What time will it get there though!? We can't just aimlessly travel there… Can we?"

"Yes we can, it will probably be there within the next day or 2 if all goes well, let's get going! We can rent a boat from Ollivine, and head out to Vermillion from there! It might take a little while… But hey! We'll get to… Er… Know each other better…?" He tried to force a smile onto his face, but knowing that he was going to spend many hours on a boat with a girl was just too much for him! He wasn't very used to children… Julia on the other hand, was very excited, she always loved the sea! But going back to Ollivine was not too pleasing for her to hear…