theclaw
Haruhi Mania
- 60
- Posts
- 21
- Years
- Seen today
In this ongoing fic, I've attempted to blend together the franchise. Various background events from official sources happened in the past. Locales such as TCG Island also exist, however debatable their presence in canon might be.
Overall content level resembles the anime; ergo some chapters have comedic violence or references to revealing clothes.
Mind you, even Pokemon isn't 100% kawaii. There's sporadic references to (more or less) darker media like the movies.
Since several chapters have already been written, let's begin with larger posts.
Our story begins with... This isn't Pallet Town, it's Vaniville Town! And who's the lost girl we're looking at? Ash is nowhere to be found... Very well, let's join the platinum-haired 18-year-old and watch her adventures unfold!
"Uhhhh..." The girl coughs a little, before sitting up and brushing off grass from her captivating bikini-clad body. "My mouth tastes dry."
What a relief! The star of the show is in good health, otherwise I might be out of a job!
"Krabby! Krabby! Where are you?" Shouts the girl, calling for assistance from a Pokémon commonly found on beaches. "Oh! I think someone's coming!"
Not far from our heroine, a familiar group is about to spot her.
"What's the matter, Pikachu?" A young boy's voice shouts to his beloved yellow Pokémon. "Wait up!"
Hello there! Ash and his friends have been nearby after all! Did I forget to introduce them? Anyway... Ash Ketchum began his ongoing journey in Kanto's Pallet Town, and has faced countless challenges along the way. Currently, he is preparing to take on the Kalos region gyms, accompanied by Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
"Pika?" The curious Pikachu glances at our heroine, obviously not recognizing her. "Pikapika!"
"Pikachu? I don't have any use for weak Pokémon, sorry pal." Receving a disinterested reponse makes Pikachu sad.
"Be nice to my Pikachu!" Exclaims Ash with a glare on his face. "Wait a minute, are you with Team Rocket!?"
Apparently, the 'GR' emblem on our heroine's headband resembles the Team Rocket 'R' enough to make Ash suspicious of her. And that's no surprise! Team Rocket is a band of Pokémon thieves!
"I know all about Team Rocket!" The overconfident heroine shouts. "Dark Arbok will take care of you!"
Something very weird is going on here... In our heroine's hand is not a Poké Ball containing the venomous snake Pokémon, but a trading card depicting Arbok!
"What is that!?" Ash looks at the card in confusion, unaware of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. "I thought you were challenging me to a Pokémon battle!"
"On second thought, I was just testing you! Good bye!" Says our heroine as she tries to run away.
Suspecting Citrata of villainy, Clemont unpacks an invention from his large one-armed backpack.
"The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic gear ON!" The young inventor's catchprase is always a worrying omen, as one can never be certain how reliable his gadgets are. "The Chansey's Egg Team Rocket Catcher will grab her and put her in Chansey's pouch!"
A Chansey-shaped balloon with attached wheels and robotic claws, chases after our heroine, quickly achiving its mission.
"Whatever you are, put me down!" Shouts our heroine as she's set down into the balloon pouch. "This big bouncy toy is a bully!"
"Tell me who you are, and maybe I'll let Clemont release you." Ash makes his intentions clear.
Not again! Smoke is emitting from the overworked machine!
"We've got to get her out of there!" A panicked Clemont declares. "It's about to explode!"
"Pikachu, pop the balloon with Iron Tail!" Ash commands Pikachu to perform one of its special techniques.
Showing off marvelous agility, Pikachu leaps into the air and uses its tail to slice open the fake Chansey! Citrata manages to wiggle free before the balloon's machinery bursts!
"Enough already, I'll tell you what you want to know!" The flustered heroine is quick to accept she doesn't stand a chance defeating Pikachu with her bare hands. "My name is Citrata, from TCG Island, and I've been wandering Kalos since I failed the Team Great Rocket admission test on GR Island."
"Who's Team Great Rocket?" Confused, Ash turns to his friend for more information. "Do you know what she's talking about, Clemont?"
"A little. People on the TCG Islands don't train real Pokémon, they trade and battle Pokémon cards." Clemont starts at the basics. "But their way of life is threatened by Team GR, a new group who steals people's cards, and has disrupted the game by introducing Team Rocket-themed cards!"
"Keep her away from Team GR and she might be a keeper!" Still a small child, Bonnie interrupts the conversation to continue her habit of trying to play matchmaker for her brother. "Would you take care of my big brother?"
"Remind me in a few years." Though Citrata seems to find Clemont intriguing, the age difference is too great. "I don't have time to raise kids!"
"So, you're not with Team Rocket?" The skeptical Ash calms down enough to ask.
"Do I look like I care right now?" Citrata responds. "I'm covered in dirt, and you brats won't leave me alone!"
"Sorry." Brought back to reality, Ash sighs. "Maybe Serena can solve this fashion trouble."
"Um, Ash... My clothes aren't going to fit her." Serena clearly misses Ash's point. "She's closer to Jessie's size."
"You've met Jessie!?" Hearing the name cheers up Citrata in no time. "Back on TCG Island, nobody would trade me a lovely 'Here Comes Team Rocket!' card..."
"She's one of the bad guys!" Ash states bluntly. "Team Rocket has tried to take Pikachu so many times! Say... Where DID your clothes go?"
"The bag on my bike!" Citrata looks around to no avail. "I was catching some sun, but it must've went missing after I fell asleep."
"Pi-pika!" Sniffing its tiny nose, Pikachu dashes toward one of the town's houses.
"Slow down, Pikachu!" Ash complains as his friends and Citrata struggle to catch their breath.
If it isn't Serena's humble home! Once a Rhyhorn racer, her mother Grace now lives a peaceful life with the Pokémon.
"Something's going on outside!" Opening the door to check on the scene, Grace spots Pikachu at her feet. "Hi there, are you Ash's little pal?"
"Pika!" Pikachu confirms its identity with a smile.
"I see your friends are right behind you too." Grace is happy to notice the group. "But who's that with them?"
"Citrata. For some reason, Pikachu thinks my missing clothes are in your house." Taking a bit longer glance at Grace, Citrata can't help but flatter her in a potentially embarrassing way. "Hmm, you're much prettier than my mother."
"If the bike and its cargo are yours, it's a good thing you got here." Grace says, giggling at the other comment. "I was going to take them to Officer Jenny later."
Excited to get dressed, our heroine barges into the house and slips into her black shorts. As well as a motorcycle vest bearing a mint leaf logo on the back. Taking further inspiration from her name, the belt is topped off with an orange-shaped buckle. Excuse me if I messed this up, I'm a television narrator!
"Tutturu!" Happily pointing at herself, Citrata shouts this random word. "Rhyhorn's teeth didn't even scratch the bike's paint!"
"Your motto sure is weird..." Ash quips. "It's too cute for Team Rocket."
"Yeah, but it's a lot easier than shouting 'barrel!' wherever I go." Ash and company give Citrata a blank stare, failing to understand the conversation's direction.
Following the awkward moment of silence, Grace takes a closer look at the Rhyhorn outside and makes a shocking declaration.
"This isn't my Pokémon, it has metal skin!" Grace says as she pokes her finger at it. "Eeeek!!"
The fake Rhyhorn's eyes light up, and it walks forward to reveal a small pit underneath. Three figures then rise to the surface.
"Hahahaha, the twerps finally noticed us!" The talking Meowth boasts. "We were going to pin stealing Pikachu on poor little Rhyhorn!"
"Why'd we have to hide in such a cramped cave!?" Jessie whines, brushing her long hair. "My hair will get even with you!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash states, frustrated to see his incompetent adversaries yet again. "Haven't I told you enough times, stealing is wrong?"
"Hmph. Hand over Pikachu, or we'll..." Upon noticing Citrata, Jessie cuts off her own sentence. "James, that girl isn't one of the twerps!"
"What do you mean?" A befuddled James asks.
"She's wearing Team GR's emblem, idiot!" The ever-rude Jessie replies with a sneaky grin.
"Ohhh, those guys took our picture and didn't pay us for it!" Struggling to remember something from the past, James pouts. "Are they the ones with the pretty blue fries girl? Or was it red pies? I like the sound of that."
"Blue Eyes is a Pokémon Pincher." Citrata corrects him.
"I'll do more than pinch you if food gets in the way of our mission!" Holding out a folding fan, Jessie threatens to smack him. "Go, Arbok! Grab Pikachu and make it snappy!"
"But Jessie..." James' attempt to tell his partner why that won't work is ignored.
This time, unlike our heroine's futile attempt to call an Arbok, the result is a Poké Ball that sends out Wobbuffet!
"Wobba!" Wobbuffet pats its round head.
"You're hopeless." Citrata shrugs. "Wobbuffet won't attack if I don't!"
"Argh! I forgot we left our old Pokémon with the boss!" Realizing her mistake, Jessie orders James to help her toss Wobbuffet at the 'twerps'. "Help me lift up this thing!"
"I'm not letting you abuse your Pokémon!" The speed of Ash's favorite answer to Team Rocket's plans surprises Citrata. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's red cheeks emit a nasty shock right at Team Rocket, sending them into the sky!
"We're blasting off again!!" The humiliated trio utters their catchphrase as they disappear.
"What is this? It seems to be a remote control." Citrata picks up a device left behind by the villains.
"I can't believe Team Rocket forgot their motto." Ignoring our heroine's discovery, Serena points out her own observation.
"That's okay, prepare for Snubbull!" As she goes through a string of poses, Citrata badly scrambles Team Rocket's phrases. "And make it bubble!"
"Cut! Cut!!" Ash snaps a clapperboard in front of Citrata's face.
"Stop it, Ash! I wanna hear Citrata sing!" Bonnie objects to the interruption. "Her voice is cute!"
"Have you heard the one about building a snowman?" Citrata asks.
"Look at the time, Rhyhorn will be late for dinner!" To try and distract our heroine's singing session, Grace expresses concern for the missing Pokémon.
"Alright, I'll let you go." Handing the remote control over to Ash, Citrata begins to walk away.
"Maybe we can battle Pokémon someday!"
"Okay! Pikachu and I won't be beaten easily!" Ash pats Pikachu, then heads off to search for Rhyhorn. "Take care of yourself!"
Now that Ash and his friends have resumed their own adventure, our heroine is one step closer to the Kalos League! How will she obtain her first Pokémon? Professor Sycamore's lab is a long way away, in beautiful Lumiose City! Stay tuned!
Today, our heroine looks especially relaxed! Citrata is covered by a towel, bathing in cool pond water. The blissful moment won't last much longer though! Trouble is brewing nearby, of a nature that will forever shape her destiny!
"Have you gathered up the rocks yet?" A young man dressed in a fiery red uniform asks his subordinate. "The boss expected us back already!"
"No, sir!" The subordinate confirms. "My scanner indicates these are ordinary rocks."
"Bah!" Digging around further, the team leader eventually gives up. "Let's go, this cozy town isn't worth... On second thought..."
The shifty duo watches in awe as our heroine dries herself and gets dressed.
"I know what you're trying to do, you morons!" Citrata tosses a clump of mud at the duo.
"But my dashing prince doesn't wear tacky suits!"
"Yuuuuck!" The subordinate spits out some mud. "It tastes like dirt!"
"That's because it IS dirt." As he rubs off his uniform, the young man grabs a Poké Ball. "Team Flare won't stand for this insult! Don't let the girl get away, Growlithe!"
The Team Flare member tosses his Poké Ball onto the ground, revealing the small yet reliable canine Pokémon.
"Grrr..." Growlithe clinches its teeth, unexpectedly at something other than our heroine.
"There's nothing over there, attack her!" The young man commands his Pokémon.
"Growl-ruff!" With impressive agility, Growlithe tackles Citrata to the ground.
"Oshawott, that girl needs help!" A woman's voice can be heard from nearby bushes.
"Use your Water Gun!"
The sudden stream of water knocks Growlithe off our heroine's belly, right into the Team Flare subordinate.
"Ooooff!!" As she stumbles backward, the subordinate's wig comes loose to reveal rich brown hair.
"You... You're Hilda!" The young man now realizes his supposed ally had been spying on him all along. "Team Plasma warned us about you!"
"Red isn't my color anyway." Hilda cheerfully tosses aside the rest of her disguise. "Are you ready to finish Growlithe, Chespin?"
"Chespin!" The inexperienced grass-type nods, then sends a Razor Leaf swarm at Growlithe.
It's a marvelous finishing blow! Team Flare's Pokémon is down for the count!
"My comrades will hear about this! Really!" Picking up the fainted Growlithe, its trainer scurries away shouting incomprehensibly.
With the coast clear, Oshawott and the hidden woman emerge from their shrubbery to congratulate Hilda. Why, it's Professor Juniper! I wonder what important business has brought Unova's leading Pokémon authority to Kalos?
"How are you feeling, Chespin and Oshawott?" Professor Juniper checks the Pokémon for signs of injury. For one kind, intelligent, AND easy on the eyes, her career keeps her too busy to earn all that many admirers.
"Osh! Oshawott!" The otter-like Oshawott dances a tiny jig to express its satisfaction
"Che..." Chespin however seems concerned about the type disadvantage it had to face. "Chespin?"
"You're still learning the basics." Professor Juniper explains. "A bit more practice, and you'll be ready to join an eager new trainer on their Pokémon journey!"
"Hellooo? It's me Citrata, the finest prospect TCG Island has to offer!" Citrata's exaggeration falls flat on the level-headed professor.
"Ah! Please excuse me for neglecting you." Once she puts her Pokémon back in their Poké Balls, Professor Juniper's attention turns to Citrata. "I'm happy to say the Pokémon are in good health!"
"Professor, do you see those letters on the girl's headband?" Hilda stares at our heroine's 'GR' emblem. "She might be a criminal!"
"Did someone say 'criminal'? Never fear, ladies! Cacnea-Man is here!" A valiant-sounding voice declares.
Is it a Pidgey? No! Cacnea-Man has arrived on the scene, riding his spiky green V8 convertible: the Cacturnemobile!
"Hahaha! I bet mommy left your nightlight on again, mister!" Citrata taunts the costumed oaf. "Superheroes are a superstitious, cowardly lot."
"I'll have you know I was busting up bad guys when..." As Cacnea-Man stuggles to recall his own past, he trips over the outfit's cape. "Owww! I should've worn my glasses this morning!"
When the aging man puts glasses over his mask, a startling metamorphosis occurs and he hugs our heroine. This is no two-bit joke, Citrata has a crime-fighter for a father!
"Cici! I hardly recognized you!" Cacnea-Man's reaction to seeing the 'GR' emblem is much the same as Hilda's. "But I won't let my precious girl turn to crime!"
"Dad, you're embarrassing me!" Citrata gently pushes away her father. "I was rejected from Team GR, remember?"
"Cacnea, shred the awful logo with your Cut attack!" Disregarding that last remark, Cacnea-Man unleashes his faithful partner from its Poké Ball.
After a flurry of swipes from Cacnea's cactus arms, our heroine's face turns red with pain.
"No, Cacnea! Owowowow!!" Citrata cringes as her headband gets torn apart.
"Cacnea, return!" The Pokémon's task completed, Cacnea-Man laughs heartily. "Evildoer!
You should go home and stick to newspaper 'help wanted' ads!"
"Is this how parents on TCG Island treat their children!?" Baffled at the scene she's witnessing, Professor Juniper sighs. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Ash said Team Rocket used to own a Cacnea too."
"Team Rocket dares soil my partner's good name!?" Cacnea-Man asks, raising his arm into the air. "I shall teach them the embracing justice of Leech Seed!"
The not-so-super hero jumps back inside the Cacturnemobile, pressing its gas pedal so fast a murky smoke cloud chokes up Hilda!
"Blech! When I get a car, I'm not putting that stuff in it!" Hilda jumps up and down to dispel the stench.
"Chespin! Chespin!" The Pokémon softly nuzzles our heroine's leg.
"What's the matter with you?" Not used to affection from Pokémon, Citrata doesn't know how to respond. "My leg isn't a chew toy!"
"I think it likes you, Citrata." Professor Juniper points out.
"Aw, this'll ruin my tough-gal image..." Citrata complains, as she tries to shake off Chespin.
To lighten the mood, Hilda pats our heroine on the back. That gesture is countered by a pricelessly displeased look!
"If I can't steal Pokémon cards, I'll just steal the spotlight!" Citrata grins as she makes her grand announcement. "Men will fight glorious combat to learn my three sizes!"
"Uh-huh. I wore these shorts to the brightest cities and tallest peaks in all of Unova, do you see any hunks at my side?" Hilda's sarcastic comeback is met with silence.
"Oshawott!" Deciding to take advantage of the moment, Oshawott blows playful bubbles at Chespin. "Ossss!!"
"It seems my Pokémon have a lot of energy to spare. How would you two like to battle them?" Professor Juniper asks.
"A live Pokémon battle!?" Startled by the sudden question, Citrata hastily gives Chespin a command. "Chespin, hit Oshawott with Flamethrower!"
"Chespin?" Unable to use Flamethrower, Chespin shakes its head. "Ches! Chespin!"
"Cici, that strategy isn't very effective." The professor begins explaining Pokémon battles in earnest. "Chespin is a grass-type, and they rarely learn fire-type moves."
"It feels good to be called Cici by a nicer person." Citrata's thoughts turn to her parents again. "Dad was never the same once he tried to imitate that kooky Imakuni?"
"I think I've heard of Imakuni? somewhere..." Hilda replies, curious to know more.
"The black-suited Imakuni? is TCG Island's singing, dancing card player!" While over-enthusiastic, Citrata's answer goes right to the point. "Kids think he's a lovable clown, but grown-ups just don't get it. It's said his red copycat lurks on GR Island now."
As the professor's impromptu lecture goes on, our heroine drifts into a snooze! In a moment, we will find out how much Pokémon knowledge she absorbed! The trainers and their Pokémon are lined up, eagerly awaiting the chance to prove themselves!
"Since we have neither a commentator or referee, allow me the honor." Professor Juniper declares. "The battle between Citrata's Chespin and Hilda's Oshawott starts now!"
"Use your head, Oshawott!" Hilda kicks off the action with a basic Headbutt.
"That's too slow!" Citrata boasts. "Jump up and counter it with Vine Whip!"
Amazing! Chespin leaps into the air, then has its vines smack Oshawott from behind!
"It's a powerful direct hit!" The professor announces the obvious. "Can Oshawott turn this situation around?"
"Keep the momentum going, let's try out Leer!" Citrata makes a funny face, hoping to encourage her Pokémon.
"Cheeee!" Chespin's expression unsettles its opponent! Or does it?
"Oshawottttt!" Oshawott says something in response.
"It looks like the Pokémon are at a standstill!" Professor Juniper grabs some Pokémon food from a bag, ready to refresh them after the battle. "Tensions soar as our non-existent crowd anticipates another fierce move!"
"You have an opening, spray Sleep Powder on that runt!" Citrata points at Oshawott. "And make it count!"
"Che-che! Chchche!" A noxious cloud surrounds Chespin, numbing its foe's body.
"Ohsa?" Oshawott hardly gets to utter a word before the proverbial lights go out. "Osh... zzzzz..."
"Don't do this to me, Chespin!" Hilda implores her Pokémon to budge. "I may have been wrecked by the Unova Elite Four, but we're fighting the greenest rookie there is!"
"Elite what?" Unfamiliar with high-level trainers, Citrata doesn't think much of the comment.
"I'll tell you later, after Chespin gets its tail off the ground!" Yet the trainer's efforts are futile, Hilda can only watch in awe as Vine Whip slams Oshawott into the ring of small rocks surrounding the makeshift arena.
"Oshawott is unable to battle, the match goes to Cici and her Chespin!" Professor Juniper delivers the final result in a gym-like manner.
"Aha! I toss a mighty curve ball, don't I?" Ecstatic over this first victory, Citrata spins around while holding Chespin in front of her. "Team GR better watch out for us!"
"Yeah, that last move walloped me!" Despite the match outcome, her opponent's mood has rubbed off on Hilda.
"I didn't know you had such words in you." Citrata jokes. "Well, I should get moving soon. The Kalos League won't thrash themselves either!"
"I have a proposal, Cici." While feeding Chespin and Oshawott, Professor Juniper chimes in. "How about working together with Hilda to investigate Team Flare along the way? It'd be unfair to other trainers if I'm away from Unova too long."
"Mm, I've never bossed around a sidekick before." Citrata's laugh frustrates her friend.
"Let's go, Oshawott." Hilda grabs its Poké Ball from the professor, then walks on ahead. "Cici can tag along if she wants to, at this rate she might not survive Santalune Forest!"
"Wait! You can't chase after her alone!!" The professor shouts to stop Citrata from making a reckless mistake. "Some wild Pokémon attack people who enter their territory."
"I'll be okay, yaaaa!!!" Citrata demonstrates techniques she picked up from her father's superhero training regimen.
"Whoa, put down those feet!" Professor Juniper is slightly rattled by the martial arts. "Chespin learns different fighting-type moves than Blaziken."
"I'm not that ignorant. "Citrata's pop-culture knowledge kicks in. "Blaziken was breathtaking in the hit flick 'Barboach of the Rebellion'!"
"Now isn't the time to discuss movies." As she hands over Chespin's Poké Ball, the professor smiles. "That is, if you still intend to catch up to Hilda!"
Citrata stares in astonishment when Professor Juniper fills her travel bag with additional items! Including rations to keep she and her Pokémon fed, a Kalos region map, and a gym badge storage case. Trainers have an ever-growing variety of merchandise at their disposal!
"Ciao!" While Professor Juniper waves goodbye, Citrata returns Chespin to its Poké Ball and dashes over the horizon toward her goal. "You owe me for leaving early, jerk!"
The next stop for our heroes is Aquacorde Town. Can they set their differences aside long enough to appreciate its shopping center, or the river's romantic moonlight sparkle? We'll find out as the journey continues!
Having arrived safely in Aquacorde Town, Citrata's first order of business is to locate Hilda. But our heroes must be on their guard! The impending grand ball hides an ancient secret, one certain to entice adversaries more menacing than bad haircuts!
"This has to be Aquacorde Town!" Impressed by the bustling plaza, Citrata looks around for signs for her friend. "Where am I going to find Hilda in all these shops?"
"Excuse me, ma'am." A polite boy gets her attention. "Have you seen a Pokémon Center nearby?"
"Sorry, kid." Citrata replies. "But there is a pharmacy behind us."
"Thanks!" The boy runs off soon after finishing what he has to say. "You're a nice lady!"
"Uh..." Having yet again failed to keep up her image, Citrata talks to herself about it. "Maybe he's new here too."
Oh dear, Citrata is being dramatic. The shopping bug soon proves irresistible however! Kept occupied browsing the abundance of local goods, she continues to fail to catch up to Hilda.
"I think I'm almost done." Tired from her detour, Citrata sits down on an occupied bench.
Watch who you're sitting next to! It's the orange-ponytail girl I know all too well, and she was fast asleep!
"Oooohh!" The girl erupts, berating our heroine's carelessness. "You blockhead!"
"Okay, okay!" Citrata steps back to protect her ears."
"It's not okay! A certain SOMEONE woke me up!" Once the girl's outburst ends, an apologetic frown appears on her face.
"Finally... I'm Citrata, or Cici if you like." Citrata's offer to shake hands is ignored.
"And I'm Misty, one of the Cerulean City gym leaders." Misty proudly reveals her name and rank. "Don't think we're buddies just yet!"
"Is that right? Your gym won't keep me from the Kalos League!" In a violation of trainer etiquette, Citrata calls out her Pokémon without asking. "Let's rumble, Chespin!"
"We'll see about that! Go, Staryu!" Eager to accept the challenge, Misty tosses one of her Poké Balls on the ground. "My Pokémon and I trained alongside Ash!"
"Hah, type specialists are too predictable." Citrata doesn't think much of her opponent's strategy. "I want strong Pokémon to teach Team GR a lesson! Now, try that Vine Whip we practiced earlier!"
"Chespin?" Having just been told Staryu is far better trained, Chespin objects to the battle. "Ches! Pinpin!"
It looks like we have a problem here! Nobody told our heroine how Pokémon may disobey commands that danger themselves or others. Trainers who abuse their team's trust are certain to face great hardships in life.
"Chespin! It's just a Staryu!" Citrata raises her voice a bit. "You already know how to fight water-types!"
"Ches..." The Pokémon sighs.
"Cici, how long have you owned Chespin?" Misty asks, her intuition spot-on. "I think it's not ready for a gym leader."
"Don't let her intimitate you, buddy!" Ignoring the advice, Citrata issues new orders. "Use Razor Leaf!"
"Chespinnnn!" The Pokémon emits a weak stream of leaves.
"Very well, don't say I didn't warn ya!" Misty clenches her fist. "Counter it with Rapid Spin!"
An incredible one-hit knockout! Staryu's impact sends Chespin spiraling right into its trainer!
"Uuuggh... You're a lot heavier than a football." Taking a moment to regain her strength, Citrata pets the wiped-out Pokémon. "We'll have to work on me dodging attacks too."
"Listen, pal. It's irreponsible to start fights your Pokémon aren't ready for." Misty returns Staryu to its Poké Ball. "They could get hurt!"
"I guess so, this is all new to me." Citrata has to admit. "I was a Trading Card Game player."
"You must be a long way from home, I've never met a card player before." While less surprised than Ash, Misty's reaction is still one of curiosity. "To collectors, I'm just another pretty face."
"Heh. TCG Island takes so long to adopt new cards, we don't see you often." Citrata chuckles, then shows off her latest deck. "Team GR all but forced the Team Rocket set upon us."
"I can't stand those guys!" Disgusted, Misty''s tongue sticks out. "They're always hatching stupid plots to nab Ash's Pikachu!"
"You can say that again." Citrata nods in agreement. "They looked awesome in pictures, yet..."
After listening to a rambling opinion of the Team Rocket trio, Misty sighs.
"I'd be a thief too if Team GR hadn't turned me away!" Sensing her new friend is losing interest in the conversation, Citrata asks a question the shopkeepers were little help with. "By the way. Have you seen a girl in blue shorts kinda like yours, around here?"
"Nope." Misty is swift to confirm.
"Come on, then!" Finished talking, Citrata resumes the search for Hilda. "I still have shopping to do!"
"Ooh!" Although annoyed by her friend's sudden exit, Misty decides to accept the invitation to follow her. "You're energetic!"
Meanwhile... Our other heroes, Hilda and Oshawott, are out training by the river. And they're not alone! Strange characters of a medieval sort have set up camp nearby!
"Osha! Oshosh!" Oshawott's efforts to spray enough water to ride like a wave, prove unsuccessful. "Oshawott..."
"There, there." Hilda reassures her Pokémon. "Surf is an advanced technique. It takes time to master."
*Clang!* Hearing a barrage of metallic sounds, Hilda returns Oshawott and gets herself a closer look. It appears to be a band of knights practicing swordplay! What kind of quest do they think they're on!?
"Attention, loyal Knights of Fennekin! These are dark times for our world!" The honorable captain gives a speech to his troops. "We must bravely stand up to those who threaten people and Pokémon!"
"Um, hello sir." Caught off guard by the horde of attractive men, Hilda hesitates a moment. "What's going on here?"
"Fear not, fair maiden." The captain politely responds. "You would do well to attend tonight's grand ball. My legion and I will be stationed to protect it from Team Flare's mischief!"
Startled by the noisy sword fighting on their way to the next shopping center, Citrata and Misty decide to check out the mock battle.
"Are these really knights, in armor!?" The scene has Citrata puzzled.
"Sometimes I wish Ash were more like them." Misty remarks.
"Huh? Are you talking about the same Ash?" Surprised to hear the name, Citrata presses for more detail.
"Yep, Ash Ketchum and I traveled Kanto and Johto together!" Talking about her own adventures perks Misty right up. "Good old Brock kept going without me a while, now even he's moved on."
"I've heard of him!" Citrata's memory is jogged. "My island's players don't use his cards."
"The card artists had too much fun with me." Misty sarcastically says. "What's TCG Island like anyhow?"
"It's next to GR Island, near Kanto." Happy to talk about her home, Citrata explains a little more. "But unlike the Orange Islands, nobody trains wild Pokémon."
"Aww, Pokémon are so much fun!" Finding the idea of life without Pokémon unthinkable, Misty's expression changes again. "Myself, I specialize in water-types! They're the cutest!"
"I'd rather have a strong squad to get back at Team GR." Citrata boasts. "They rejected my attempt to enlist with them!"
"You've got to be kidding!" Misty replies, upset by the comment. "Joining a bunch of Team Rocket wannabes is such a waste, don't you care how Celebi or Latios were treated!?"
"I didn't ask for preaching." Pausing to think about the news reports of Team Rocket's more heinous crimes, Citrata slumps her shoulders.
An awkward silence follows, until Misty changes the subject in an attempt to cheer her up.
"Hey, did you know the town ball is tonight!?" Misty's eyes sparkle in anticipation.
"Too bad they'll toss you out the door, dressed like one of Jessie's old biker pals!"
Before our not-so-cultured heroine can object, she's pulled by the arm to an opulent boutique.
Its shelves are packed with gowns and tuxedos fit for the sharpest aristocrats.
"What are we doing here?" Horribly out of her element, Citrata's gaze drifts all over the place. "This stuff is so... so girlish!!"
"You can handle being fixed up for one day." Misty unties her ponytail to try and break the ice. "Let me show you something."
"I don't get it, it's just hair." Citrata misses the point.
"Cici, even I accessorize once in a while!" As a demonstration, Misty steps forward and gently slides a hand through her hair.
"Hello, handsome! Would you like my phone number?" It seems a nearby young man has swiped Citrata's fancy. "I could take you out for ice cream, everybody loves extra fudge!"
Well, well, another familiar sight for this narrator. The pickup lines even less effective than Brock's are quickly interrupted by Misty, who nudges her toward a pharmacy stocked with Pokémon supplies.
"Hey, mister! Where is the Pokémon Center!?" The unfazed Citrata asks the pharmacy clerk.
"They're not accepting patients right now, the staff are probably treating too many burns." The clerk replies, concerned about his town's well-being. "There's been an outbreak of fire Pokémon attacks lately."
After buying various items to heal their teams, Citrata follows Misty back to the clothing shop.
"Do we have to look at this place again?" Mutters Citrata.
"You're NOT wearing that to the..." Misty's reply is cut short by an explosion outside.
"It's Team Flare!" A startled knight across the street shouts. "What are you kids standing around for? Get to shelter!"
"Don't worry about us." In a dazzling motion, Misty dashes toward the burning trees and tosses a Poké Ball on the ground. "Staryu, help the knights stop those flames!"
Panicked, Citrata grasps the ball holding her own Pokémon partner.
"Aw, does the poor child think they'll catch a Pokémon here?" A sarcastic member of Team Flare taunts our heroine. "We've scared them away by now."
"Fear is for the weak!" Tossing a bucket of water at the nearest fire, a slender middle-aged woman takes several leaps to make her way down from a rooftop. "Cacnea-Man told me villainy was afoot in the area!"
The flickering light from the flames causes the woman's custom made lab coat to display rarely-visible shades of silver. In ordinary conditions it appears to be the standard white.
A more prized possession is her necklace. Its baseball-shaped locket holds a tiny picture of her in uniform, meeting the undercover mascot who would later become her husband. Tending the ballpark in the offseason inspired the curious career shift to botany upon retiring from sports.
"Mom?! You always told me you weren't a superhero!" Citrata shouts at the sight of her athletic mother.
"I'm a botanist, not a caped crusader." The woman confidently replies. "The name's Dr. Mikania, to you Team Flare hoodlums!"
"A plant doctor is your backup!?" Laughing, the Team Flame grunt summons a bulky Rhydon from its ball. "Try harder next time!"
"What are you doing?" An older Team Flame member shouts to his ally. "She's the brainiac I told you about! This lady is how Cacnea-Man defeated my former gang!"
"Anybody but her!" The annoyed Team Flame grunt remembers something he heard before. "Are you still there, Charmander? Stop hiding and help us!"
A small, reptilian Pokémon emerges from underneath a group of felled trees.
"There's the rascal who must've caused the fires!" Misty has fond memories of the Charmander whom Ash once rescued and raised. "Charmander are tougher than they look!"
"Two on one isn't nice!" Wishing to protect her mother from harm, Citrata for a moment forgets she dislikes heroics and calls forth her Pokémon. "Chespin, use Bubble Beam on that giant!"
"Ches...pin?" Confused by the command to perform a water-type move, Chespin is bounced aside by a tackle attack from Rhydon.
"Quit joking around, Cici!" Misty ridicules the blunder. "Staryu and I are busy holding off Charmander's heat!"
"Such lackluster tactics dishonor your family." One of the knights states, as he distracts Rhydon using his shield.
"Everyone says that about Dad." Citraga giggles. "His effectiveness as a crime fighter is long behind him."
Now hold on a minute. This narrator doesn't tell superhero origin stories! My plate is full chronicling Citrata's journey in the world of Pokémon. How did a respected man of the law become the Cacnea-Man we know today, with a blurred separation between his costumed identity and civilian life? The mysteries of the mind are not so readily unraveled...
In the meantime, let us return to current events, where first responders have at last arrived on the scene.
"Stop!" A hurried police woman shouts. "You're under arrest for damaging our beautiful forest, and attacking innocent people and Pokémon!"
"Hello, Officer Jenny!" The familiar face catches Misty's attention.
Few people can tell apart members of this widespread yet eccentric law enforcement agency. They follow a code of always being women named 'Jenny' and, with the exception of a few adventurous individuals, their hairstyles, uniforms, and Pokémon partners are kept amazingly consistent throughout the geographical region they've been assigned to.
This particular Officer Jenny is of the Kalos variety, serving Aquacorde Town. She seems to be more approachable than her down-to-business colleagues.
"Great. If we fight her, more will show up!" The younger Team Flare grunt exclaims, as he attempts to call back Rhydon.
"That's my line." His ally retorts, then tries to follow suit. "Return, Charmander!"
"Batter up!" Citrata taunts. "You should've listened to the doctor!"
Utilizing her baseball knowledge, Citrata lobs a chunk of rubble from the fire at Team Flare's Poké Balls to disrupt them.
"I think she's bluffing!" The puzzled Team Flame members exclaim nearly simultaneously, as they scramble to retrieve their Poké Balls.
"Office Jenny, we'll be okay, take care of the flames!" Now more composed, Citrata points at her Pokémon. "Chespin and I aren't down yet! Aim Vine Whip at Rhydon's feet!"
It's a hit! A vine temporarily emerges from Chespin, tripping the rhinoceros-like creature as it attempts to charge at anyone in its path. Startled, Charmander glares over at Staryu, expecting to also be attacked imminently.
"Bulbasaur would like that." Misty cheers her friend on, as she reminisces about one of Ash's Pokémon. "We're still in this too! Staryu, use Bubble!"
The experienced starfish leaps into the air, spinning around as it emits bubbles that sharply pop upon contact with Charmander.
"Cha..." Disliking water attacks, Charmander stumbles around dizzy from the impact.
"It's no good!" The older Team Flame grunt calls back his Pokémon. "I wasn't prepared to fight a gym trainer!"
"How about you, Rhydon?" Mikania wags her finger in disapproval. "My Cici has a ball to attend, and you're not invited!"
"Accept defeat." The knight gives off a similar glare toward Team Flare. "It would be unwise to force the Knights of Fennekin to intervene in this battle."
"Hmph!" Scowling, the younger Team Flame member retreives the tripped Rhydon. "Heroes, always boasting!"
To everyone else's relief, the outnumbered Team Flare duo finally retreats to parts unknown.
"Did I hear that correctly?" Citrata semi-sarcastically inquires. "The nerve of calling me a hero!"
"Cici." Her arm raised in delight, Misty returns Staryu to its ball. "You stepped up against REAL thugs! They weren't just printed on trading cards."
"But I wanted to join Team GR." The reluctant Citrata grumbles.
"Cycas was so upset the day you darted to their doorstep." Mikania remarks coldly. For obvious reasons, she no longer takes her husband's costumed identity seriously. "He nearly quit believing he has superhuman abilities!"
Returning from summoning the fire department, Officer Jenny's expression turns to surprise upon overhearing Cycas' name.
"Hey." Officer Jenny greets Citrata and company. "Were you talking about Cycas?"
"He's my father." Citrata responds, in a disappointed tone. "At least when he's not playing superhero."
"You should be proud of him!" Gears click in the thoughts of Officer Jenny. "When I was taking the police exam, many of the other cadets told me they were inspired by the great sleuth Cycas."
"With my technical help." Mikania gently laughs. "I maintained his disguises and equipment."
"That's nice, but we'll be late for the ball if we share detective stories." Misty taps her pocketwatch.
"The ball!" Reminded of a reason she's in town, Mikania opens the clothing suitcase attached to her motor scooter. "I have something for you, Cici."
Mikania unfolds a Dustox-patterned dress she had prepared for the senior prom Citrata missed during her efforts to enlist in Team GR. The outfit has a slim, purple torso, and shifts toward green around the knees. It also includes yellow hair pieces that vaguely resemble antennae, along with detachable wings.
"Is that a dress, or a bug?!" Misty promptly complains, in her aversion to insects.
"It's..." Citrata pauses for a moment when her mother unveils the shoes. "You found the heels I misplaced! Dad gave me extra allowance to buy them too."
"Looks like everything is fine here." Officer Jenny bids the group farewell. "Behave on the dance floor!"
Citrata frowns a little. Unfortunately, dancing is not a talent our heroine possesses.
"I'm not letting bugs hog all the fun." Her competitive spirit revitalized, Misty readies herself to revisit the shopping area one final time. "We'll meet up again, in style!"
Her journey's interruption by Team Flare thwarted, for now, Citrata accepts the remarkable clothes her mother provided. As she makes her way to the reception office of the opulent building hosting the ball, where she expects to reunite with Hilda, the next chapter is about to unfold...
Arriving at the grand ballroom she's been anticipating, Citrata greets the receptionist. Our heroine had never encountered such large or enthusiastic crowds of people back home on TCG Island. Hundreds of visitors not deterred by Team Flare's recent presence are hopeful that they, and their Pokémon, will shine the brightest on the dance floor.
"Hello there." The polite receptionist replies. "I should inform you that you've arrived late, most of our guests have already begun to prepare for the festivities."
"I'll manage, thanks." Citrata's eyes glance toward a detailed map on the wall. "Huh. In this place, even the dressing rooms are a long walk."
"Aw, why did Gramps invite me here?" A frustrated teenager dusts off his case of Pokémon gym badges. "He said the world's best trainers would be itching to battle after the show, but all I've seen are a bunch of tacky dancers!"
"I'm not here for that." Citrata is a bit surprised to hear there will be more activities than just dancing.
She explains she's looking for her friends Misty and Hilda.
"Yeah, I know Misty." The young man's expression displays confusion. "But why would she be here in Kalos? She's not tagging along with that Ash Ketchum again, is she?"
"They weren't together when I met them." Citrata notices a stack of research papers next to him. "My, that's a lot of homework there."
"Homework!?" He holds back his desire to laugh. "I'll have you know I'm Gary Oak, and these are research notes on Kalos I'm collecting for the professor."
Gary tells Citrata about his grandfather, the esteemed Professor Oak, who studies Pokémon at his sprawling laboratory in the Kanto region's Pallet Town. The facility doubles as something of a nature preserve. Many new adventurers visit Professor Oak to receive their very first Pokémon partner. While more seasoned trainers who began their journeys in Kanto, often send Pokémon not on their active teams back to the lab for rest and relaxation.
Because carrying around too many Pokémon deprives them of the proper care they need, the Pokémon League limits official battles to a maximum of six Pokémon per entrant. In practice, however, full six-versus-six battling is uncommon outside major tournament events.
"I didn't get my Chespin from a lab." Citrata cradles her lone Poké Ball, almost forgetting she's in a hurry. "Whoa! I'd better get spiffy for Misty, she could've wandered anywhere in a place like this!"
Our heroine shuffles through the packed crowd, soon reaching the dressing rooms.
"Ugh, Mom didn't tell me how to put this on." Examining the dress her mother gave her, Citrata clumsily begins to change clothes. "The waist is too loose. Maybe I need to pull these strings on the back... ooof!"
Needless to say, THIS lady is not a fairy tale princess! There's no pixie dust that'll automatically conform anything she wears to her figure, no magic slippers to guide her to romance.
Several unpleasant adjustments later, Citrata's spine enjoys relief, but the antennae and wings are attached less than perfectly.
"Your attention please. The ball will commence shortly." A generic voice announces over the public address system. "All participants report to the central chamber."
"Why did I wear heels?" Citrata grumbles for a while, until she's awestruck by the luxurious ballroom. The lighting and architecture are masterfully crafted. "It's magnificent!"
On the opposite end of the room, the Team Rocket trio in disguise is spying on the event.
"Jessie!" The incognito James whines. "How are we supposed to steal Pokémon from this many people?"
"We're not after Pikachu today." Jessie motions him to quiet his voice. "We want to nab whatever treasure Team Flare is after! Why else would they stick around this boring town?"
"Maybe they're shopping for new uniforms?" James asks in an ignorant tone. "I'd look like a convict in their color!"
"Keep your voice down, or that might happen." Even though he's hidden in a vase, Meowth facepalms.
"Welcome to the Champions Pokémon Gala!" An eager emcee standing by a podium waves at the crowd.
He goes on to express his hopes that no one was injured by the fire in town, and advises people that Pokémon battles will not be permitted until the dance is over.
"Get on with it!" Elsewhere in the room, Misty is acting impatient, as she wants to show off her yukata. "I've had enough of Team Flare!"
To everyone's delight, except for those who hate classical music, a song by a world-renown late composer starts playing. It has a slow tempo to accommodate novice dancers.
"I can't dance to this!" Citrata shakes her head, preferring more upbeat genres. "I'll fall asleep!"
Our musically-bored heroine drifts around the room, turning down several potential dance partners.
"Where is Yellow?" A man wearing a sleek black tuxedo muses to himself, almost bumping into Citrata.
"Woah!" Startled, Citrata takes a step backwards. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Never mind that." The man doesn't want to tell a stranger what he's doing. "It was nice meeting you."
As the man resumes the search for his friend, he accidentally drops a black card with a silhouette resembling Braixen on it.
"What's this?" Following an unsuccessful attempt to locate the card's apparent owner, Citrata slips it into her pocket. "It looks like a Pokémon, but it's not a trading card."
"Hey, Cici!" Hilda in a white gown waves to her friend. "Why aren't you dancing?"
"It's classical music." Citrata pouts a bit. "I've been looking for you."
Our heroine shows Hilda the mysterious card.
"I think this is Braixen." Hilda examines the card further. "But it's nothing like any Pokémon card I've ever seen."
Without much better to do, Hilda leads the curious Citrata to a better spot on the dance floor. Meanwhile, the emcee introduces the next song and describes it as a "tango".
"Show some energy!" Hilda spins to try to encourage her friend. "These tunes are made for duets."
"My heels aren't helping any." Struggling with her shoes, Citrata avoids falling by leaning on the vase Meowth is hiding in. "Hilda? Did that vase just say something?"
Before our heroine can peer inside the object, a girl's voice shouts across the room. A fatigued Misty dashes over from the dressing room area.
"I'm glad I found you, Cici!" Panting, Misty gulps a bottle of water in her hand. "I was assisting the cleanup effort, and just got here!"
When Citrata introduces Hilda to Misty, something sparks in their eyes.
"Let's battle!" An excited Hilda grabs a Poké Ball in her handbag. "Kanto gym leaders are a rare sight in these parts."
"What are you doing?" Citrata glances over at a security guard, then slyly changes the subject by showing the card she found to Misty.
"The fire-type Braixen, huh?" Misty remarks, though she isn't too knowledgeable about Kalos region Pokémon either. "It might belong to the knights."
"Oh! I thought so, they would like the next stage of Fennekin." It takes Citrata a moment to recall what she's heard about the marvel known as Pokémon evolution.
Most species of Pokémon undergo one or more drastic physiological transformations in their life cycles. Generally experiencing a significant, yet irreversible, increase in size and strength. Evolved Pokémon may even change their battle type affinity.
The greatest phenomena are temporary, however, occurring in situations such as adverse weather. The Kalos region in particular is conductive to evolution; it possesses an energy source that, when collected and channeled, has astounding effects dubbed Mega Evolution. This technique supercharges the few compatible Pokémon into brief yet powerful new forms.
"Hello again, everyone. How have your dances been?" The emcee is handed a ceremonial Poké Ball by his assistant. "I'm pleased to announce the battling will soon begin! All interested competitors, make your way to the outdoor arena at the conclusion of this last song."
"About time." Gary leans back on a bench, with a large turtle Pokémon standing beside him. "Do you think these challengers will be worth it, Blastoise?"
The Pokémon snorts, grabs the vase with Meowth inside, and inverts it to shake him out.
"Ooops." The talking Meowth has an embarrassed look. "The cat's out of the bag, er... jar."
"It's Team Rocket!" Recognizing the rascally Pokémon, Gary gets up with a determined expression. "I don't need the help of Ash or Pikachu to stop whatever you're planning!"
Sensing they've been found out, Jessie and James ditch the dancer costumes to reveal their classic Team Rocket uniforms.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love." James poses, holding a rose.
"To protect the world from devastation." Joining him, Jessie points upward.
"Something seems missing here..." Meowth grabs the remote control that fell on the ground next to him.
"Jessie!" Jessie shouts.
"James!" Not sure what Meowth means, James stares at the Pokémon. "What are you saying, Meowth? Did we blast off before the battle has even started!?"
"No, you dummy!" Meowth threatens to scratch his partner. "I think this twerp threw off our motto!"
"Who cares about your catchphrases?" Losing patience, Gary gives a command to his Pokémon. "That remote must be their secret weapon, Blastoise! Don't let him press the button!"
Blastoise lunges toward Meowth, chasing him off into another room.
"Wait for us!" The panicked Jessie and James exclaim at the same time, then run after their Pokémon, with Gary not far behind.
"And that's a wrap!" As the music fades, the emcee pretends to not notice Team Rocket. "I must now say farewell to you all."
"Ugh, do I have to battle in these shoes?" Citrata is of course still less than comfortable wearing heels.
"You'll be fine." Hilda encourages our heroine. "Lots of trainers incorporate dance into their fighting styles."
"Please don't go there." A pep talk doesn't interest Citrata right now.
Citrata, Misty, and Hilda follow the other scores of trainers outside. The battlefield has a standard configuration, various lines indicate details like where the trainers stand, or the center position for starting a battle.
Nevertheless, it's an ornate facility throughout. There's considerable lighting for nighttime use, an enclosed press box to accommodate the commentators and staff, and plentiful spectator seating.
"Ladies and gentleman, the Champions Pokémon Gala continues with the event you've all been waiting for!" A pleasant woman inside the press box introduces herself. "Trainers and Pokémon from around the world, of every skill level, have gathered today to demonstrate their abilities. For viewers at home, don't touch that dial just yet! I, DJ Mary, will be calling the action!"
"Cici, can you believe it?" Misty waves to her friends and family. "We're on TV!"
Not used to the spotlight, Citrata fiddles with her costume's difficult to attach wings and antennae.
"Isn't that normal for gym leaders?" Citrata whispers out of unease about being televised.
"At home, my sisters hog the spotlight." Misty laments.
Misty has a sizable family, mainly admired for her beautiful older sisters. The problem is they're rather shallow, caring more about their fashion and shopping than training. Sometimes they'll even basically give away gym badges to free up time to loaf around. In short, Kanto's Cerulean Gym holds a shaky reputation among followers of the Pokémon League circuit.
"Who will battle first?" DJ Mary glances around the gathering of competitors, as they scan into a row of computer terminals, their Pokédexes containing basic identification and a list of their active Pokémon.
A Pokédex is indispensable for any Pokémon enthusiast, most of all trainers adventuring to challenge the Pokémon League. The various Pokédex models offer numerous additional features. Including, but not limited to, tracking the Pokémon species a trainer has encountered or obtained. As well as encyclopedic data such as their battle types, and common habitats and behavioral traits.
"This machine isn't working." Citrata fruitlessly presses some buttons on the terminal, until a message appears on its display screen. "Ah. Dang it, I don't have a Pokédex!"
"Excuse me, young miss." A slender man in a lab coat motions for our heroine to approach him. "Are you by chance the new trainer Professor Juniper told me about?"
"I'm Citrata, Cici." Citrata ignores the amused expression on Gary's face, he has just returned from chasing Team Rocket.
"Splendid. Professor Sycamore." The kind man opens a box with a shiny new Pokédex inside. "Since we're not at my lab in Lumiose City, would you permit me to register you with the Pokémon League right away?"
Our heroine takes a moment to let sink in that the trainer's path in life has now been truly presented before her. It wasn't long ago she nearly became nothing more than a petty thief, having attempted to join the shady Team GR.
"Good riddance to bad rockets." Citrata mutters quietly to herself, then shifts to a thrilled tone. "Look out! I'm going to meet real Pokémon!"
"Registration complete." The Pokédex speaks, using a basic artificial intelligence. "My owner has been confirmed as Citrata, resident of TCG Island."
"Is that so? I've never battled a Pokémon trainer from TCG Island!" Sarcasm can be heard in Gary's voice. "Gramps will have to hear about this."
Needing few words, Citrata and Gary instinctively take their stances in the arena's marked trainer boxes.
"Folks, we have a sight in store for you right out of the gate." DJ Mary brings up the two opponents' records on her monitor. "Our first battle will pit Citrata from the faraway TCG Island, in her last-minute debut as a registered trainer, against Pallet Town's very own Gary Oak!"
"Go get him, Cici!" Hilda cheers from the spectator area.
"I hope she'll be okay." Elsewhere in the stands, Misty expresses worry. "Unlike Ash, Gary isn't going to show mercy to a newbie!"
"What's it going to be, rookie?" Gary calls forth his leading Pokémon. A bulky, doglike fire type emerges. "I choose Arcanine!"
"They call that a type advantage, don't they?" Citrata's options are limited, as she only owns her starter Pokémon. "Go for it, Chespin! Hey, are you asleep in there?"
To the crowd's astonishment, nothing happens. Chespin fails to materialize on the battlefield.
"This is highly irregular!" The scene has DJ Mary befuddled. "Citrata's Chespin appears to be refusing to fight!"
"You've got to be joking." Keeping his cool, Gary demonstrates how he activates a Poké Ball.
"I can do better than that." With a nice windup, Citrata hurls her ball at impressive speed. "Mom taught me her best stuff on the diamond."
Our heroine's baseball technique prompts a mixed response from the audience. The pitching talent is undeniable, but this is supposed to be a Pokémon battle!
"Hmph." Gary taps his foot in anticipation. "Are you satisfied yet? The referee will declare a forfeit any moment now."
"A bat please." In an unorthodox gesture, Citrata requests a baseball bat from whoever happens to have one available.
"I'll help you out of this jam!" An energetic girl watching the match pleads the referee to delay his decision, then hands a bat from her equipment bag over to Citrata. "The name's Casey, by the way!"
"Would you look at that, a generous fan has given Citrata a bat!" True to sportscaster tradition, DJ Mary hypes up the unfolding scenario for dramatic effect. "Will our daring trainer swing for the fences, or does she have other plans?"
"I usually pitch, but I'm going to slug this one for you!" Citrata tosses up a baseball signed by her mother, and hits it toward Casey set to catch it on the opposing end of the battlefield.
The batter is out! Or it would be, in any conventional baseball situation. As if responding to the crowd's reaction to the ball traveling far enough to land squarely in Casey's mitt, Chespin leaps out from its Poké Ball to celebrate.
"Ruff!" Arcanine barks a greeting to its awaited opponent.
"You have guts, or something." Gary returns to a ready position on the battlefield. "Start with Flame Wheel, Arcanine!"
"Taking the hit isn't an option!" Citrata's eyes widen at the sight of the flaming Pokémon about to collide with her partner. "Try digging to slip under it!"
Narrowing avoiding the opening attack, Chespin pops back up behind Arcanine.
"The speed startled my Pokémon!" Gary exclaims, having underestimated his foe's inexperience. "Next up is Flamethrower!"
Virtually the instant it turns around, Arcanine spews a stream of fire at Chespin. A super-effective counterattack! The marvelous agility denies its opponent the time to evade again.
"Pin…" Clinging to its senses, the severely damaged Chespin performs Leaf Blade without waiting for instructions.
"Chespin has chosen a followup attack on its own!" DJ Mary grasps her microphone in anticipation. "How will this impact Citrata's strategy!?"
"Your Pokémon can barely stand!" Gary recognizes the battle is all but finished. "Let's send it home with Body Slam, Arcanine!"
Arcanine howls, then leaps up to crash its weight on top of Chespin.
"Ches, ches!" Refusing to surrender, Chespin struggles to prop itself back into a battle stance.
"This isn't funny anymore!" Gary implores his opponent to stop the fight.
"I…" Instinctively. Citrata picks up Chespin and pets it. "No, make that we. We've had enough."
The referee raises a flag for Gary, declaring him the victor by forfeit.
"A touching ending to an unlikely battle, Citrata has thrown in the towel on Chespin's behalf!" DJ Mary applauds our heroine for protecting her Pokémon. "The victory goes to Gary Oak!"
The next several battles feature trainers far and wide. Among the more noteworthy contests include Unova's Bianca narrowly losing to Sinnoh gym leader Fantina. and Jessie and James returning in disguise to win an upset tag battle against a pair of Knights of Fennekin.
"I want in on this too!" Seeking a challenger, Misty walks out onto the battle grounds. "Meet me, Misty of Cerulean Gym!"
"The Cerulean gym leader has issued an open challenge!" DJ Mary announces enthusiastically. "Who will compete against this rising water-type specialist?"
The crowd murmurs for a while, speculating on the next competitor and their chances.
"Hey." Hilda stands up, then approaches Misty. "Would you like to test me?"
"It's not often I fight Unova trainers." Misty contemplates her options. "But I'll take you on, in Cici's place! We're both here because of her."
"Good news, folks! Misty has found her opponent!" A cheerful DJ Mary sips from a sports drink. "She'll be facing Unova favorite Hilda!"
"I'm leading off with a surprise." Misty summons a tiny yet chubby white Pokémon. "Let's show her our best, Seel!"
"A cold choice, friend." A spiral-shaped insect materializes in front of Hilda. "Whirlipede's rolling will break the ice!"
"Yuck! Bug Pokémon bug me!" Misty's face makes a disgusted expression. "Slow it down with Aurora Beam!"
A chilling blast from Seel squarely hits its target! The residual ice tends to reduce an opponent's agility.
"The water prodigy has changed up her game with an icy opening move!" DJ Mary continues to call the action. "What will be Hilda's first strike?"
"This isn't good. The tactics we went over are risky on a slick surface." Hilda momentarily pauses to revise her strategy. "Luckily, I have my own speed-cutting attack! Sleep Powder!"
Whirlipede spins around in a circle, spraying a dust that may induce brief slumber upon contact.
"A great comeback!" DJ Mary admires Hilda's quick thinking. "Seel is counting sheep!"
"Don't take a nap here, Seel!" Misty shows early signs of panic. "We'll be defenseless!"
In these situations, trainers often swap their currently-active Pokémon for another member of the team. Pokémon substitution removes certain status effects, it can also be employed in response to an unfavorable type matchup.
Nevertheless, an ill-advised switch could backfire as well! The process of changing Pokémon takes time, leaving its replacement open to attack. Bringing a previously-damaged Pokémon back into the fight is especially dangerous.
"The ice has thinned." Hilda jumps at the opportunity Seel's condition presents. "Rollout gets faster and stronger the longer it's kept going!"
Whirlipede curls up its body even further, resembling a tire, and slams into the snoozing foe.
"Seel, return!" Misty recalls her Pokémon, taking the chance it could still be asleep when needed again. "Staryu, counteract that rolling with your own Rapid Spin!"
Staryu emerges from its Poké Ball in a similar spinning motion, albeit with the intent to block Whirlipede's path. Both opponents tumble backwards, dazed by the impact.
"It's a dizzying double knockout!" DJ Mary watches the referee affirm her keen observation. "Will Seel be alright? It has to face its next opponent, while still asleep!"
"Staravia, let's finish this!" Hilda goes with a dark bird Pokémon. Despite its ordinary appearance, Staravia excels in the skies.
"Please be awake!" Due to the two-on-two battle format, Misty can't swap for another Pokémon, she has to bring out Seel in its present condition.
Yet things don't always play out as expected. Misty's carefree, disobedient Psyduck instead appears on the field! The stern referee responds by issuing a warning to its trainer.
"We are witnessing a strange turn of events! Misty has been penalized for her Psyduck's outburst!" DJ Mary explains to viewers at home. "In this contest, trainers are not permitted to substitute a third Pokémon."
The silver lining is this embarrassing delay affords Seel the rest it needed to awaken.
"All competitors, please reset to the starting lines of the battle area." The referee directs the trainers and their Pokémon to their places.
"You're looking refreshed, Seel!" Misty praises her Pokémon for being ready. "Icy Wind should ground that bird!"
A chill in the air surrounds Seel, followed by wind currents disruptive to foes who get too close.
"Staaa!" Staravia flies in a zigzag motion to keep its body warm.
"Now isn't the time to complain about the weather!" Hilda recognizes that Seel is paying more attention to its own move, than fighting. "We have our opening, it's not focused on you directly! Go, Steel Wing!"
Staravia stiffens its wings, diving toward the ground to tackle Seel.
"Slide under it!" Misty commands smartly.
"Ouch! Staravia dived too fast, only managing to kick up dirt!" DJ Mary is relieved the Pokémon avoided slamming itself into the earth.
"Blow away that nasty dust!" At the moment, Misty has difficulty seeing the precise locations of the battlers. "On my cue, use Blizzard!"
Observing the swirling dirt until its foe is visible enough, Seel looses a barrage of snow across the battlefield. The flurry crashes Staravia into the clear barrier protecting spectators from misfired Pokémon attacks. It's a frigid knockout victory!
"Staravia is unable to battle!" The referee raises the flag for Misty's side. "The winners of this match are Misty and Seel!"
"Thank you, Psyduck!" Misty hugs the scatterbrained duck's Poké Ball. "You probably don't understand, but we won!"
"Congratulating the Pokémon who gave you a penalty." Gary mocks the situation. "Ash's friends are good for a laugh sometimes."
"What was up with that?" Misty's victory surprises Jessie. "The twerp's brainless bird actually did something useful!"
"I dunno, what about your Wob…" James tries to reply, but is interrupted.
"Even Wobbuffet doesn't ask stupid questions!" Not wishing to be discovered as the battles wind down, Jessie leads James and Meowth toward the exit to flee.
"It looks like this is where we part ways." In an attempt to make wearing her dress more convincing, Citrata curtsies toward the audience. "I have a gym challenge ahead of me!"
"I'm not sure being that polite suits you." Hilda giggles a little. "Oh, did you find the owner of that card yet?"
"No dice." Citrata remains uncertain who the Braixen card belongs to.
"I don't like it." On the other hand, Misty is suspicious of the object's dark ambiance. "The card's color is spooky somehow."
Bidding farewell to the arena, and the awkwardness of dressing up for a ball, the next stop on our heroine's journey will be Santalune Forest. A woodland ideal for beginner trainers to develop the outdoor skills essential for any trainer.
Those seeking to become Pokémon experts must brave the wild, venture to inhospitable environments, to assemble the finest possible team combinations. Raising rare Pokémon to develop their talents is ultimately the most rewarding approach. Alternatively, many trainers enjoy trading or bartering to improve their lineups.
For the not-so-benevolent route, there are numerous syndicates such as Team Rocket, devoted to stealing and poaching Pokémon.
What varieties of Pokémon most interest Citrata, and where will she find them? Stay tuned!
"Ah. A good nap." In a lapse of better judgment, Citrata had slept on the bleachers. "But there's no accommodations!"
Did I mention Citrata would be heading to the forest next? Well, this narrator hasn't forgotten about the ball's tantalizing secret! Making her way back through the ballroom to take in its beauty one last time, our heroine hears an oddly mechanical voice.
"The rocks we wanted aren't in this town." The speaker lacks emotion, in the unnatural sense of the word. "Yes, our forces will be departing shortly."
Perhaps inspired by Misty's suspicion earlier, Citrata gives chase to the shadowy figure.
"I want a word with you!" More athletic than her quarry, it doesn't take long for Citrata to corner them in a supply room.
"Interference detected." The robotic-looking person looks around, as if scanning for an escape route.
Whoever this fellow is, their taste in clothing is highly irregular. They're wearing some sort of head-to-toe black battle suit. The only possible identification is their mask's large panel of electronic lights, displaying the letter "E".
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Citrata is no doubt annoyed by how the suspicious character seems to be completely ignoring her, other than wanting to get away of course.
"Alternate exit not found." The figure's tone slightly changes, as if they're processing data. "Obstruction identified as a Pokémon trainer, battle protocol initiated."
An unexpectedly adorable Pokémon materializes.
"It's a fight, huh?" Uncomfortable with computers, Citrata taps some buttons on her new Pokédex. "Come on, tell me who this cutie is?"
"Selected target is not a Pokémon." The Pokédex mistakenly attempts to scan the opposing trainer.
Expecting to be attacked before she can call upon her own Pokémon, our heroine dives under a desk with folded dance costumes piled on top of it. Instead, the diminutive feline creature seems to have taking a liking to her.
"Hm?" Despite her efforts to maintain a rebellious image, Citrata can't resist petting the Pokémon. "You want to be nice, don't you?"
"Espurr. A psychic-type Pokémon." The Pokédex proceeds to identify the critter. "It keeps its ears folded to regulate its energy."
"Error." The masked trainer's lights flicker. "Opposing Pokémon not found."
"Cut it out already!" Standing back up, Citrata slaps the mask's light panel.
Perhaps in response to the commotion, another person charges into the room.
"Why did I take this janitor job?" A man mumbles to himself. Citrata quickly recognizes him as the guy in a tuxedo she met at the dance. "It's you!"
"Hi. What happened to your tux?" Citrata is amused by the man's very different appearance.
"We'll talk later, lady." The man pushes our heroine aside. "Essentia here has been causing trouble in Lumiose City! Go, Braixen!"
A determined fox Pokémon jumps out from the man's Poké Ball, startling Espurr.
"Confusion." Regaining their composure, Essentia points at Braixen.
Disorienting psychokinetic waves surround Espurr, inducing dizziness to everyone in its vicinity.
"It's in my head!" Citrata stumbles around, unable to maintain solid footing.
"Xen…" The affliction meanwhile prompts Braxien to attack without instruction.
A sizzling Ember flings into Essentia! Although the suit's embedded armor protects them, the heat stirs something inside their consciousness.
"System malfunction." Essentia begins to shiver, tumbling to their knees.
"What now? Have we won already!?" Holding onto Chespin's Poké Ball, she prepares to summon her partner.
"It'll be fine." The relieved man pushes Citrata's hand down. "I think the fight is over."
Uncertain where they are, or what's going on, Essentia unclasps the head portion of their suit. The true face revealed is not a robot, but a teenage girl! Citrata hesitantly helps her to her feet.
"Ugh…" Essentia groans in discomfort. "Is that you, Espurr?"
Delighted her partner is safe, Essentia embraces the worried Pokémon.
"I want some answers." Impatiently, Citrata slams her fist on the desk.
"Eep!" The sound rattles Essentia. "My name is Emma! Please don't arrest me."
"I'm not my father." Citrata laughs, her thoughts turning to the all the stories of her dad compelling suspects to confess to him. "Call me Citrata, for short Cici."
"The name's Looker." The not-too-convincing janitor takes off his apron. "I've been on the trail of Team Flare, the crumbs led me to several incidents involving Essentia."
Emma explains she has little memory of her activities as Essentia. In response, Looker says he believes the mind-manipulation was a side project, likely unconnected to Team Flare's ultimate objective.
Grateful to not be taken in for whatever crimes she may have been involved with, Emma removes the rest of the tight-fitting suit.
"That's better, but you can keep the costume." Looker disconnects the device that was controlling Emma's actions, then places it into an evidence bag.
Looker bids farewell to everybody, leaving Emma puzzled why she would want to look like a machine again. With the battle settled, Espurr and Braixen are then returned to their Poké Balls.
"Wait!" As Looker walks away, Citrata unsuccessfully tries to ask him more about the conversation they had during their previous encounter. "Darn, he's gone."
"What should we do now?" Lacking any particular destination, Emma turns to her new friend.
With the enigmatic person or Pokémon named "Yellow" weighing on Citrata's mind, she suddenly experiences a moment of inspiration.
"We're not going to let the good detective outsmart us, are we?" Citrata begins turning over and studying objects around the room.
Not really understanding what our heroine means, Emma directs her to the hallway.
"You think we should investigate that hallway?" The suggestion surprises Citrata, but she follows Emma anyway.
"We might learn which direction Looker went!" Emma checks the area for recent footprints.
After a few aimless minutes, Citrata points out that hundreds of visitors attended the dance and Pokémon competition. There's far too many prints to narrow down.
"Why didn't you say that first?" Emma's disappointment soon vanishes though, upon opening the door to the magnificent ballroom, which had captivated even Citrata. "It's all so, so, sparkly!"
"I get it." A security guard places his hands on his hips. "But visiting hours are over, kids."
When Citrata describes Looker to the guard, he shows her an old photograph that was dropped nearby. Our heroine's eye's widen in disbelief. The image depicts two eerily familiar men enjoying a meal together.
"They look happy." Emma smiles, yet she's oblivious to the revelation at hand.
"That's a young Looker, with my dad!" Stunned, Citrata sits down on a bench.
Our heroine proceeds to tell Emma about her father's own amnesia.
"Wow. The kooky cactus is your dad!?" While Emma has seen news reports on Cacnea-Man, she doesn't know his family.
"Pathetic, isn't it." Citrata feels she still hasn't discovered the whole story behind what scrambled Cycas' memory. "Even Mom only humors his useless secret identity."
"Heroes don't need capes and tights." The guard offers some invaluable advice. "We might not look impressive, but us common people save lives without it."
"I'm not sure clothing is the point there." Citrata pretends to shrug, yet it ever-so-slightly eases the resentment she's felt for some time.
The guard decides to shuffle off to the side, allowing Citrata and Emma to further investigate the ballroom.
"Cici, help me move this!" Emma pushes her weight against the podium the emcee was using.
"It's just a podium." Uncertain what to make of the request, Citrata inspects the object from various angles for anything unusual. "Here goes nothing."
Snap, crash! Pushing in unison, Citrata and Emma manage to detach the podium's upper portion, and it falls to the ground. Predictably, the noise alerts the guard nearby.
"I look away for a minute, and you two have already broken something?!" The guard gasps at the podium split apart. "Eh? I've never seen a podium do that!"
"Emma! You've had your fun, there's no hidden candy in there." Citrata clearly thinks she wasted her strength.
On closer examination, the top of the shaft features an unnatural-looking gap. Emma tries to insert a coin, as machines often require, but it won't fit.
"Aww. It's not a video game either." Emma pouts a little. "What else can we try?"
His interest piqued, the guard slides the photo across the slot, to no effect.
"Oh no. No way!" Her mother having retired from professional baseball, Citrata is fairly financially secure. "I'm not letting this thing eat my credit card."
"Don't be silly." Emma pats Citrata on the shoulder. "Do you see the letters A-T-M anywhere?"
"Card! That's the ticket!" With a firm grip, Citrata inserts the black Braixen card into the slot.
One of the ballroom support columns opens up, unveiling a fire pole leading down to the building's lower levels.
"This just isn't my day." The guard fears he'll be fired for not stopping Citrata and Emma.
"It's closing already!" Oblivious to any potential dangers that lurk below, Emma rushes to the pole and disappears from sight.
"Maybe it has a glitch?" Citrata makes an excuse, as she isn't used to underground spaces.
"Get going!" The guard nudges Citrata toward the hatch. "I'll fix the podium for you."
Fears or not, our heroine slides herself down the pole. Upon landing, she finds herself in a dimly-lit room lined with runes on the walls. A teenage boy in a yellow trench coat is seated at a desk, using a magnifying glass to attempt to decipher a chunk of a stone tablet.
"Is that you, Looker?" The boy swivels his chair around. "No. Pretty girls! These catacombs are playing tricks on me again."
"You must be Yellow." Amused by the coat's banana hue, Citrata speaks sarcastically.
"Yes, wait, no." Thinking for a moment, the boy's voice changes to astonishment. "How did you get in here!? That pole entrance is secret!"
Our heroine shows off the Braixen card she used.
"Very well." Getting up, the boy introduces himself. "Senna. Yellow is the color of my card."
Senna goes on to elaborate the black card belongs to his missing colleague. Looker had borrowed it, along with Braixen, to assist in the search effort.
"The tale sounds fishy to me." Emma has a sinking feeling the explanation has omitted something.
"Don't say that. It'll make me hungry." An empty wrapper in a waste basket, is the only remains of Senna's most recent snack. "We'll talk in more, er, pleasant surroundings."
Senna opens the door to a creepy tunnel. From the faint animal chatter, it's apparent nocturnal Pokémon have made themselves uninvited guests.
"This strange writing is, like, everywhere." Too bad Citrata can't read a word of the ancient script.
"It used to be." Senna draws attention to the numerous crumbled sections and caved-in rooms. "Stay sharp, the local fauna don't recognize you!"
A herd of stone-like Geodude roll past, through burrows too small for human use. Although Citrata has encountered trading cards of these widespread Pokémon, she still decides to ask her Pokédex to describe the real deal.
"Geodude." The Pokédex's display is almost too bright in this environment. "Commonly mistaken for boulders, it swings its arms to attack when stepped on."
"Yeah, let's not disturb them." Emma prefers friendlier Pokémon. "Ahh!"
The remaining Geodude hurriedly scatter upon hearing a childish roaring sound.
"Something's wrong." Senna grabs a Poké Ball from his somewhat too long belt.
A green, reptilian Pokémon falls from one of the burrows, stamping its feet in anger.
"Axew." Continuing its scan mode, the Pokédex identifies the little tyke. "It uses its tusks to crush berries. They regrow quickly if damaged."
"Save this one for me, Senna." Citrata excitedly calls upon her own partner. "Chespin is just about its size. Cool it down with Vine Whip!"
Chespin lashes its vines near Axew's feet, tripping up the unruly Pokémon. But the attack is ineffective!
"Pay closer attention, Cici!" Emma stands in front of Chespin once its vines retract. "Axew doesn't want to fight, it's having a tantrum."
Senna shines his lantern further into the burrow, where a pile of berries has been flattened by the Geodude swarm.
"I only have Espurr food." Emma sifts through her belongings.
"No, feeding it here is too dangerous." Not especially interested in green Pokémon, Senna passes an empty Poké Ball to Citrata.
"Boo, it's empty." As Citrata juggles the ball a bit, nothing happens.
"Is something the matter?" Senna shakes his head. "It's a Poké Ball, it catches Pokémon."
In reality, catching Pokémon is rarely simple or easy. Most Pokémon must be weakened in battle first, before they can be captured. Different models of Poké Ball also vary in effectiveness depending on the target's type, or other conditions.
A few Pokémon however dislike residing inside a ball; they instead travel along with their trainers. The rarity of this phenomenon has stumped researchers thus far.
Furthermore, to discourage theft, standard Poké Balls refuse to capture Pokémon already assigned to a trainer. Thieves generally must either steal the ball containing the desired Pokémon, or resort to kidnapping before somehow placing the captive into a new ball.
"Am I ready for this?" Due to the lack of trainers back home on TCG Island, Citrata has only witnessed Pokémon captures on television. She touches her cheeks to check she's not dreaming. "Okay! Poké Ball!!"
The thrown ball's trajectory is exceptional, but to the chagrin of trainers who'd like to show off, athleticism doesn't substantially improve Pokémon catching. Poké Balls have a slightly larger capture range than they appear, to correct for minor throwing errors.
"It's rattling in there!" Emma gleefully stares at the ball.
Axew continues to raise a fuss, straining the Poké Ball's activation.
"The Clovers won't lose!" Citrata performs her mother's team's old cheer, the nearest thing to a dance she can muster. "Lucky!"
"Any moment now." Concerned how long the ball has been struggling to close, Senna rests his hand on it.
Click. It's the next milestone on our heroine's journey! Citrata has caught her first wild Pokémon! Though it doesn't seem like she's celebrating much…
"That's it?" Citrata picks up the ball, let down by how Axew barely actually fought back. "Thanks, Senna."
"You're funny, Cici." Emma clasps her friend's hands, shaking them.
"What's that supposed to mean?" New to catching Pokémon, Citrata doesn't quite get why most trainers are so jubilant every time.
"It's customary to goof around after a Pokémon capture." Having a more dignified personality, Senna dismisses the idea of posing or dancing to celebrate catching a Pokémon. "I don't recommend it."
Accompanied by some laughter, the group reaches the end of the tunnel. Dilapidated ruins are all that remain of the main fortress' structure. On a positive note, it is properly lit, and kept free of wild Pokémon.
"We can rest here." Senna lays a blanket over a worn stone table.
"Camping food, how wonderful." Opening a jar of marshmallows, Citrata rubs together some sticks probably left behind by the previous visitor.
"It's not much of a fire." Emma checks the vicinity for flammable objects, but only finds a spider web and several berries.
"Don't mind the cobwebs." Happier than he's letting on, Senna holds back a chuckle. "White was training her Spinarak a few days ago."
"Is White her name this time?" Citrata giggles as she melts cocoa onto some large crackers.
"Agh. Looker has me doing it now." Using a portable press, Senna squeezes the berries into a thick juice. "Shrine maiden Heather holds the white card."
"So let me figure this out." Citrata's mouth dribbles from eating several s'mores before they cool. "You're Yellow, Heather is White. Black has gone missing. Am I forgetting someone?"
"That would be telling." Senna pours some juice for his friends. "But we had to restrict the available colors, fussy candidates asked for everything!"
"I'm getting some sleep." Emma yawns at the conversation, curling up on a rickety bed tucked away in the corner of the room.
Full and refreshed, the group proceeds outside to Santalune Forest. On the edge of the woods is a majestic castle! The architecture resembles what the tunnel and ruins may have been like, centuries ago. Statues of Fenniken and its evolved forms Braixen and Delphox line the pathway toward the moat's finely-carved drawbridge. Decorative orange and red bricks adorn key areas, such as the roof of the central keep.
"You're knights, and you have a castle." Citrata's sarcasm is palpable. "Are we going to rescue princesses from dragons next?"
"The castle isn't mine." Senna ignores the remark about a princess, for reasons that will soon become clear.
Emma darts on ahead, ecstatic to meet all the traditional figures she thinks live in castles. A king, queen, servants, horses, as if out of a storybook. Several minutes later...
"What gives? The drawbridge isn't listening to me!" Emma complains as she reappears.
"This is Senna." Senna speaks into an intercom mounted to the side of a guard station. "Akane, open the gates!"
"Sweetie, you're returned to see me!" An irritatingly-cutesy voice responds. "Akane can't pick up the phone right now."
As the drawbridge opens, trouble lurks in the bushes nearby.
"You better not have lost the remote." Jessie peeks her head up to scope out the castle.
"Yeah, yeah. I've got it." Meowth stands on top of James for a closer view.
"Oww!" Pain from the cat claws shoots across James' face. "Why did you have to climb me!?"
"Zip it." Meowth directs his gaze to Citrata and company. "The new twerp is walking right into that snazzy castle!"
"Would you tell your family to buy the place for me!?" Not-so-secretly, Jessie is jealous of the rich lifestyle James ran away from.
Meanwhile, Citrata enters the castle's audience chamber. The interior is strikingly less medieval than its outward facade. Very much the opposite, in fact, advanced technology is strewn throughout the premises. At every turn is a computer monitor or some other gadgetry our heroine has no idea of its function.
"All these computers are making me dizzy." Emma isn't sure what to focus her eyes on, until an older gentleman enters the room and sits down on one of the luxurious throne-esque chairs.
"What brings our guests here today?" The man's regal tone is firm, yet not uncaring.
"Ulp! Your majesty!" For certain, Citrata has no experience speaking to royalty. "My name is Citrata, and I'd like to return this black card to its owner."
"Sir will do." By upper-crust standards, the man settles into a more bearable mode. "I am Commander Sirius, leader of the Knights of Fennekin."
"You AREN'T a king?" Emma asks in haste.
"No, young miss." Sirius adjusts his overcoat for a clearer view. "Please observe these badges on my lapel."
Military activity and development on the Pokémon world is uncommon, yet by no means unknown. Kalos legend tells of a devastating conflict approximately 3,000 years ago. Some historians even claim the "ultimate weapon" utilized was so formidable that it brought Mega Evolution into existence.
"An army big-shot, fantastic." Citrata grumbles under her breath, as presents the card to the commander.
To our heroine's bewilderment, Sirius hands back the card and invites her to meet the rest of Senna's team in the Heptagon Hall.
The gigantic room feels like it genuinely could oversee an entire nation's armed forces, if it was equipped and staffed for the occasion. Yeah, and if it didn't have a seven-sided table in the center.
Mounted on the wall above the primary monitor screen, are seven symbols. From left to right, they represent Pink Shellos, Yellow Morpeko, White Snover, Green Flygon, Red Gloom, Blue Heracross, and Black Braixen.
"Welcome back, my Senna!" A frilly-gowned, fairy tale princess of a teenage girl hops into the room. The pink card is nestled in her sleeve. "Regina is so happy!"
An odd couple, if there is one. This loud "princess" Regina and Senna somehow are becoming attracted to each other.
"Akane." A shy dark-skinned college-age woman of few words flips her long, dyed bangs aside to greet Citrata and Emma.
"Red, as in stop talking to her." Senna tells a deadpan joke.
"I'm your support guy, Aldwin." This eccentric man approaching his thirties has a habit of wearing swimming goggles on his head anywhere, aimed in any direction, except in front of his eyes. Their location is rumored to indicate his mood. "The blue card is mine."
"Alright. Would someone please tell me who Black is?" Citrata pretends to nibble on the card.
"Just don't eat that key card!" Aldwin moves his goggles to the back.
Aldwin's brother Davy is, or I dare say was, an intellectual prodigy. He remodeled the castle, and selected five promising knights to form a task force to take on missions impractical for classical, armored peace keepers. The seven color-coded cards serve as identification to activate special equipment not provided to the standard knights.
"I don't get it." All the talking has Emma drowsy.
Having a good idea what Emma wanted to ask, Citrata explains it's weird that only seven knights would be able to access a secret passage to their own headquarters"
"Hoho. Making ID cards isn't the problem." Aldwin smiles in response. "Those Pokémon nests halted construction.
"Hello there." Soft-spoken Heather is not at all the image of a knight, though she has admirers for the miko attire celebrating her Johto lineage. "Please call me Heather."
Senna directs Citrata and Emma to a row of lockers painted his team's colors, plus several other designations not presently in use. The front panel lights of the lockers for colors such as gold, orange, or purple aren't lit.
Akane, Heather, and Regina each put on their respective trench coats waiting inside. As Aldwin and Sirius fulfill operational roles, they rarely wear the field-duty coats.
"No fair!" Emma eagerly tries on the black coat. "It's way too big!"
"My brother made it for himself." Aldwin's gaze turns to Davy's desk, a framed portrait of the missing man is on display.
"He is about my…" Although Citrata has feminine proportions, her sentence trails off as she estimates her overall frame is of similar size to Davy.
Our heroine takes the coat from Emma. To the amazement of the rest of the trench coat wearers, it fits close enough!
"I like it." Emma skips in joy.
"Uh, I'm not sure about this." Citrata makes some hard-boiled detective poses.
"It looks good." Akane sets down the book she was reading, and leaves her team in awe by speaking a complete sentence to a stranger!
"Akane likes private eyes." Aldwin points toward the book. "She's always reading these stories of cold cases and rainy cities.
Sensing an opportunity to build friendship, Citrata describes her father to Akane.
"Is this lady finally going to speak up?" The long silence has Emma fidgeting.
"I see." Akane absorbs herself back into the book. "Do not lose hope."
"Thank you for a most enlightening speech, Akane." Senna slyly makes fun of the woman's terse nature.
"You'll get used to…" Aldwin's sentence is disrupted by the facility's warning alarm system. "All units, report to your stations! Enemy activity has been detected nearby!"
Ruuummble! A ground-shaking sound outside sends the area into a frenzy. Scores of forest-dwelling wild Pokémon race toward any shelter or underground cover they can find.
To no one's astonishment, the culprit is none other than Team Rocket! The trio this time is piloting a huge mechanized Meowth.
"Hahahahaaa!" James pulls a lever that fires giant coins from a slot on the machine's forehead charm. "The knights want to be rich, they can have my money!"
"Watch where you're aiming!" Angrily, Jessie tugs her partner's arm. "You'll flatten my castle!"
"I'm trying to drive here!" The dispute nearly knocks the remote control from Meowth's grip.
"Why is this thing remote-controlled if it has such comfy seats?" James leans back, satisfied by the cockpit's design. It's located where the nose would be, as a Meowth's tiny nostrils are typically hidden by its fur.
Back at the castle, Commander Sirius has gathered the knights and company for an emergency strategy session.
"We have determined our adversary is affiliated with Team Rocket." Sirius displays a complete diagram of the castle grounds, with a blip indicating the Meowth mech's present course. "Yet the monstrous weapon they've deployed is neither person nor Pokémon. As fate would have it, our absent but not forgotten technician Davy had been preparing us for just this type of foe."
The commander carries on, describing how many experimental Team Rocket mechs have been sighted throughout the world, and that most of them fall to the determination of Ash and his Pikachu.
"My tummy won't survive another lecture." In boredom, Emma munches on a cookie.
"Those treats are for my sweetie!" Regina pretends to be upset, but takes a lollipop for herself too.
"Ramen." Even Akane, difficult to read as she is, pokes at her noodles with chopsticks.
"Pardon me, Commander." Senna whispers something to his boss.
"It is decided then." Sirius brings up schematics of a Flygon-shaped machine. "The Flygon-One shall mobilize in our time of need!"
Citrata, Emma, and their new allies enter a massive hangar packed with machinery. All throughout the space are catwalks, ladders, cranes, and other means to move objects about.
Standing in the center, is the Flygon-One. Its imposing dragon-like construction is an engineering marvel. Since the Knights of Fennekin are not in the demolition business, however, the machine's armaments are unconventional. The cannons are equipped with defense mechanisms such as nets, smoke pellets, and water.
On the top of its head is a crown reminiscent of giant robots from decades-old animated television shows. While the long, serpentine tail is flexible enough to serve as a secondary weapon.
"Cici! This is incredible!" Emma gasps at the mech towering above her.
"Yeah, but who's gonna fly it?" How something so large could possibly take flight, consumes Citrata's imagination.
"There's no time for details." Senna uses a nearby control panel to lower Flygon-One's head, down to an airport-style mobile staircase he can climb into the access hatch. Akane, Heather, and Regina quickly follow him in.
Not wanting to join the showdown without looking the part, Emma puts on the costume she wore as Essentia. She has some lingering memory of the suit being called an "expansion suit", but doesn't recall how or where she heard that.
"All systems normal." Regina checks the machine's status display as she inserts her pink card into a slot. Beneath her sugary surface, she is a gifted aviator. "Regina is ready to soar!"
"Gloom, activate." Akane is the tactician. Favoring quietly calculating an opponent's weaknesses, over brute force.
"Lend me your strength, Snover." Amounting to the team's medic, Heather's forte is more tending wounds than combat.
"I shall not hesitate." Collected Senna fights on his terms, keeping a distance for long-range attacks.
"Why did I agree to this?" Brought aboard untrained, in place of the mech's creator, Citrata is out of her element.
"These buttons look like fun." As there wasn't time to reconfigure the cockpit for a sixth operator, Emma doesn't have a set of controls. She'll back up the team.
The launch is a success! Once the hangar doors have opened, the Flygon-One enters a hover about the ground, speeding forward toward its objective. In the interest of conserving fuel, the hover mode is generally only used during takeoff or landing.
"Excuse me, Jessie. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" James pulls down a set of binoculars for a closer view.
"You hand is blocking my…" The sight of the Flygon-One sends Jessie into a panic. "What is going on here!? Nobody told me the knights wanted a fair fight!"
"It's not a fair fight, they brought a dragon!" Slightly less fazed, Meowth shifts the machine's aim toward the new target.
Bracing its feet for recoil, the Meowth mech fires an energy beam toward our heroine's machine!
"They're attacking first!" Citrata watches the scene unfold, as Emma clings to her for safety.
"We'll have to evade, fasten your seatbelts!" Regina rolls the mech's flight angle, letting the beam pass under the left wing.
"Are you listening!?" Meowth activates the short-range communication channel. "We're Team Rocket, and we're not in the mood to play nice!"
"Transmission incoming." Akane double-checks the Flygon-One's own systems.
"We hear you." Citrata replies, being the most familiar with Team Rocket. "Stop this nonsense, you're outnumbered!"
The immediate danger averted, the Flygon-One lands near its opponent.
"What does she mean by outnumbered?" James' eyes pan the area, but he doesn't spot any other enemies.
"Look at the screen, pal!" Jessie points out their sensor reads six lifeforms.
"One, two, three…" James pauses for an instant. "Six! That's no fun. Why don't we have a cabin big enough for six people?"
The Meowth mech wobbles around, as its occupants squabble among each other.
"They're acting really funny now!" Emma lets out a small laugh.
"Target confirmed." Akane aims the Flygon-One's right hand at the center of the Meowth mech.
"Fly true, rocket punch!" Heather claps her hands in a wishing gesture.
It's the legendary technique of giant robot animation! The Flygon-One stands proud, launching its fist at Team Rocket. Bam! The Meowth mech weathers the impact itself, still standing upright, but steam begins to emerge from various places on it.
"What do we do!?" James presses random buttons, trying to cool the machine down. "We're overheating!"
"Ow!" A cup of coffee splashes onto Meowth. "Dummy, that was the coffee machine!"
"Mm! It takes pretty good." James tries to drink some of the spraying liquid.
"Oh no." Jessie nudges James' eyes up toward a blinking red light.
The Team Rocket trio blasts off through their exploding mech's windshield, disappearing from sight! Another chapter in our heroine's journey has drawn to a detonation of a finale.
Some might argue the Knights of Fennekin deserve the credit today, but getting sidetracked from her quest this time was more rewarding for Citrata than she knows.
Unlike defeating Team Rocket, catching her first wild Pokémon is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The future is looking bright! New allies, lasting memories, the path to the Pokémon League continues...
Overall content level resembles the anime; ergo some chapters have comedic violence or references to revealing clothes.
Mind you, even Pokemon isn't 100% kawaii. There's sporadic references to (more or less) darker media like the movies.
Since several chapters have already been written, let's begin with larger posts.
Chapter 1: Meet Ash Ketchum!
Welcome to the world of Pokémon! Wonderous creatures, tiny fledgling and mythical giant alike, dot its thriving landscape. Though putting each other's skills to the test in battle is the most popular form of interaction between people and Pokémon, all who love Pokémon work together to pursue their dreams!Our story begins with... This isn't Pallet Town, it's Vaniville Town! And who's the lost girl we're looking at? Ash is nowhere to be found... Very well, let's join the platinum-haired 18-year-old and watch her adventures unfold!
"Uhhhh..." The girl coughs a little, before sitting up and brushing off grass from her captivating bikini-clad body. "My mouth tastes dry."
What a relief! The star of the show is in good health, otherwise I might be out of a job!
"Krabby! Krabby! Where are you?" Shouts the girl, calling for assistance from a Pokémon commonly found on beaches. "Oh! I think someone's coming!"
Not far from our heroine, a familiar group is about to spot her.
"What's the matter, Pikachu?" A young boy's voice shouts to his beloved yellow Pokémon. "Wait up!"
Hello there! Ash and his friends have been nearby after all! Did I forget to introduce them? Anyway... Ash Ketchum began his ongoing journey in Kanto's Pallet Town, and has faced countless challenges along the way. Currently, he is preparing to take on the Kalos region gyms, accompanied by Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
"Pika?" The curious Pikachu glances at our heroine, obviously not recognizing her. "Pikapika!"
"Pikachu? I don't have any use for weak Pokémon, sorry pal." Receving a disinterested reponse makes Pikachu sad.
"Be nice to my Pikachu!" Exclaims Ash with a glare on his face. "Wait a minute, are you with Team Rocket!?"
Apparently, the 'GR' emblem on our heroine's headband resembles the Team Rocket 'R' enough to make Ash suspicious of her. And that's no surprise! Team Rocket is a band of Pokémon thieves!
"I know all about Team Rocket!" The overconfident heroine shouts. "Dark Arbok will take care of you!"
Something very weird is going on here... In our heroine's hand is not a Poké Ball containing the venomous snake Pokémon, but a trading card depicting Arbok!
"What is that!?" Ash looks at the card in confusion, unaware of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. "I thought you were challenging me to a Pokémon battle!"
"On second thought, I was just testing you! Good bye!" Says our heroine as she tries to run away.
Suspecting Citrata of villainy, Clemont unpacks an invention from his large one-armed backpack.
"The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic gear ON!" The young inventor's catchprase is always a worrying omen, as one can never be certain how reliable his gadgets are. "The Chansey's Egg Team Rocket Catcher will grab her and put her in Chansey's pouch!"
A Chansey-shaped balloon with attached wheels and robotic claws, chases after our heroine, quickly achiving its mission.
"Whatever you are, put me down!" Shouts our heroine as she's set down into the balloon pouch. "This big bouncy toy is a bully!"
"Tell me who you are, and maybe I'll let Clemont release you." Ash makes his intentions clear.
Not again! Smoke is emitting from the overworked machine!
"We've got to get her out of there!" A panicked Clemont declares. "It's about to explode!"
"Pikachu, pop the balloon with Iron Tail!" Ash commands Pikachu to perform one of its special techniques.
Showing off marvelous agility, Pikachu leaps into the air and uses its tail to slice open the fake Chansey! Citrata manages to wiggle free before the balloon's machinery bursts!
"Enough already, I'll tell you what you want to know!" The flustered heroine is quick to accept she doesn't stand a chance defeating Pikachu with her bare hands. "My name is Citrata, from TCG Island, and I've been wandering Kalos since I failed the Team Great Rocket admission test on GR Island."
"Who's Team Great Rocket?" Confused, Ash turns to his friend for more information. "Do you know what she's talking about, Clemont?"
"A little. People on the TCG Islands don't train real Pokémon, they trade and battle Pokémon cards." Clemont starts at the basics. "But their way of life is threatened by Team GR, a new group who steals people's cards, and has disrupted the game by introducing Team Rocket-themed cards!"
"Keep her away from Team GR and she might be a keeper!" Still a small child, Bonnie interrupts the conversation to continue her habit of trying to play matchmaker for her brother. "Would you take care of my big brother?"
"Remind me in a few years." Though Citrata seems to find Clemont intriguing, the age difference is too great. "I don't have time to raise kids!"
"So, you're not with Team Rocket?" The skeptical Ash calms down enough to ask.
"Do I look like I care right now?" Citrata responds. "I'm covered in dirt, and you brats won't leave me alone!"
"Sorry." Brought back to reality, Ash sighs. "Maybe Serena can solve this fashion trouble."
"Um, Ash... My clothes aren't going to fit her." Serena clearly misses Ash's point. "She's closer to Jessie's size."
"You've met Jessie!?" Hearing the name cheers up Citrata in no time. "Back on TCG Island, nobody would trade me a lovely 'Here Comes Team Rocket!' card..."
"She's one of the bad guys!" Ash states bluntly. "Team Rocket has tried to take Pikachu so many times! Say... Where DID your clothes go?"
"The bag on my bike!" Citrata looks around to no avail. "I was catching some sun, but it must've went missing after I fell asleep."
"Pi-pika!" Sniffing its tiny nose, Pikachu dashes toward one of the town's houses.
"Slow down, Pikachu!" Ash complains as his friends and Citrata struggle to catch their breath.
If it isn't Serena's humble home! Once a Rhyhorn racer, her mother Grace now lives a peaceful life with the Pokémon.
"Something's going on outside!" Opening the door to check on the scene, Grace spots Pikachu at her feet. "Hi there, are you Ash's little pal?"
"Pika!" Pikachu confirms its identity with a smile.
"I see your friends are right behind you too." Grace is happy to notice the group. "But who's that with them?"
"Citrata. For some reason, Pikachu thinks my missing clothes are in your house." Taking a bit longer glance at Grace, Citrata can't help but flatter her in a potentially embarrassing way. "Hmm, you're much prettier than my mother."
"If the bike and its cargo are yours, it's a good thing you got here." Grace says, giggling at the other comment. "I was going to take them to Officer Jenny later."
Excited to get dressed, our heroine barges into the house and slips into her black shorts. As well as a motorcycle vest bearing a mint leaf logo on the back. Taking further inspiration from her name, the belt is topped off with an orange-shaped buckle. Excuse me if I messed this up, I'm a television narrator!
"Tutturu!" Happily pointing at herself, Citrata shouts this random word. "Rhyhorn's teeth didn't even scratch the bike's paint!"
"Your motto sure is weird..." Ash quips. "It's too cute for Team Rocket."
"Yeah, but it's a lot easier than shouting 'barrel!' wherever I go." Ash and company give Citrata a blank stare, failing to understand the conversation's direction.
Following the awkward moment of silence, Grace takes a closer look at the Rhyhorn outside and makes a shocking declaration.
"This isn't my Pokémon, it has metal skin!" Grace says as she pokes her finger at it. "Eeeek!!"
The fake Rhyhorn's eyes light up, and it walks forward to reveal a small pit underneath. Three figures then rise to the surface.
"Hahahaha, the twerps finally noticed us!" The talking Meowth boasts. "We were going to pin stealing Pikachu on poor little Rhyhorn!"
"Why'd we have to hide in such a cramped cave!?" Jessie whines, brushing her long hair. "My hair will get even with you!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash states, frustrated to see his incompetent adversaries yet again. "Haven't I told you enough times, stealing is wrong?"
"Hmph. Hand over Pikachu, or we'll..." Upon noticing Citrata, Jessie cuts off her own sentence. "James, that girl isn't one of the twerps!"
"What do you mean?" A befuddled James asks.
"She's wearing Team GR's emblem, idiot!" The ever-rude Jessie replies with a sneaky grin.
"Ohhh, those guys took our picture and didn't pay us for it!" Struggling to remember something from the past, James pouts. "Are they the ones with the pretty blue fries girl? Or was it red pies? I like the sound of that."
"Blue Eyes is a Pokémon Pincher." Citrata corrects him.
"I'll do more than pinch you if food gets in the way of our mission!" Holding out a folding fan, Jessie threatens to smack him. "Go, Arbok! Grab Pikachu and make it snappy!"
"But Jessie..." James' attempt to tell his partner why that won't work is ignored.
This time, unlike our heroine's futile attempt to call an Arbok, the result is a Poké Ball that sends out Wobbuffet!
"Wobba!" Wobbuffet pats its round head.
"You're hopeless." Citrata shrugs. "Wobbuffet won't attack if I don't!"
"Argh! I forgot we left our old Pokémon with the boss!" Realizing her mistake, Jessie orders James to help her toss Wobbuffet at the 'twerps'. "Help me lift up this thing!"
"I'm not letting you abuse your Pokémon!" The speed of Ash's favorite answer to Team Rocket's plans surprises Citrata. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu's red cheeks emit a nasty shock right at Team Rocket, sending them into the sky!
"We're blasting off again!!" The humiliated trio utters their catchphrase as they disappear.
"What is this? It seems to be a remote control." Citrata picks up a device left behind by the villains.
"I can't believe Team Rocket forgot their motto." Ignoring our heroine's discovery, Serena points out her own observation.
"That's okay, prepare for Snubbull!" As she goes through a string of poses, Citrata badly scrambles Team Rocket's phrases. "And make it bubble!"
"Cut! Cut!!" Ash snaps a clapperboard in front of Citrata's face.
"Stop it, Ash! I wanna hear Citrata sing!" Bonnie objects to the interruption. "Her voice is cute!"
"Have you heard the one about building a snowman?" Citrata asks.
"Look at the time, Rhyhorn will be late for dinner!" To try and distract our heroine's singing session, Grace expresses concern for the missing Pokémon.
"Alright, I'll let you go." Handing the remote control over to Ash, Citrata begins to walk away.
"Maybe we can battle Pokémon someday!"
"Okay! Pikachu and I won't be beaten easily!" Ash pats Pikachu, then heads off to search for Rhyhorn. "Take care of yourself!"
Now that Ash and his friends have resumed their own adventure, our heroine is one step closer to the Kalos League! How will she obtain her first Pokémon? Professor Sycamore's lab is a long way away, in beautiful Lumiose City! Stay tuned!
Chapter 2: Team Flare and the Over the Hill Hero
Today, our heroine looks especially relaxed! Citrata is covered by a towel, bathing in cool pond water. The blissful moment won't last much longer though! Trouble is brewing nearby, of a nature that will forever shape her destiny!
"Have you gathered up the rocks yet?" A young man dressed in a fiery red uniform asks his subordinate. "The boss expected us back already!"
"No, sir!" The subordinate confirms. "My scanner indicates these are ordinary rocks."
"Bah!" Digging around further, the team leader eventually gives up. "Let's go, this cozy town isn't worth... On second thought..."
The shifty duo watches in awe as our heroine dries herself and gets dressed.
"I know what you're trying to do, you morons!" Citrata tosses a clump of mud at the duo.
"But my dashing prince doesn't wear tacky suits!"
"Yuuuuck!" The subordinate spits out some mud. "It tastes like dirt!"
"That's because it IS dirt." As he rubs off his uniform, the young man grabs a Poké Ball. "Team Flare won't stand for this insult! Don't let the girl get away, Growlithe!"
The Team Flare member tosses his Poké Ball onto the ground, revealing the small yet reliable canine Pokémon.
"Grrr..." Growlithe clinches its teeth, unexpectedly at something other than our heroine.
"There's nothing over there, attack her!" The young man commands his Pokémon.
"Growl-ruff!" With impressive agility, Growlithe tackles Citrata to the ground.
"Oshawott, that girl needs help!" A woman's voice can be heard from nearby bushes.
"Use your Water Gun!"
The sudden stream of water knocks Growlithe off our heroine's belly, right into the Team Flare subordinate.
"Ooooff!!" As she stumbles backward, the subordinate's wig comes loose to reveal rich brown hair.
"You... You're Hilda!" The young man now realizes his supposed ally had been spying on him all along. "Team Plasma warned us about you!"
"Red isn't my color anyway." Hilda cheerfully tosses aside the rest of her disguise. "Are you ready to finish Growlithe, Chespin?"
"Chespin!" The inexperienced grass-type nods, then sends a Razor Leaf swarm at Growlithe.
It's a marvelous finishing blow! Team Flare's Pokémon is down for the count!
"My comrades will hear about this! Really!" Picking up the fainted Growlithe, its trainer scurries away shouting incomprehensibly.
With the coast clear, Oshawott and the hidden woman emerge from their shrubbery to congratulate Hilda. Why, it's Professor Juniper! I wonder what important business has brought Unova's leading Pokémon authority to Kalos?
"How are you feeling, Chespin and Oshawott?" Professor Juniper checks the Pokémon for signs of injury. For one kind, intelligent, AND easy on the eyes, her career keeps her too busy to earn all that many admirers.
"Osh! Oshawott!" The otter-like Oshawott dances a tiny jig to express its satisfaction
"Che..." Chespin however seems concerned about the type disadvantage it had to face. "Chespin?"
"You're still learning the basics." Professor Juniper explains. "A bit more practice, and you'll be ready to join an eager new trainer on their Pokémon journey!"
"Hellooo? It's me Citrata, the finest prospect TCG Island has to offer!" Citrata's exaggeration falls flat on the level-headed professor.
"Ah! Please excuse me for neglecting you." Once she puts her Pokémon back in their Poké Balls, Professor Juniper's attention turns to Citrata. "I'm happy to say the Pokémon are in good health!"
"Professor, do you see those letters on the girl's headband?" Hilda stares at our heroine's 'GR' emblem. "She might be a criminal!"
"Did someone say 'criminal'? Never fear, ladies! Cacnea-Man is here!" A valiant-sounding voice declares.
Is it a Pidgey? No! Cacnea-Man has arrived on the scene, riding his spiky green V8 convertible: the Cacturnemobile!
"Hahaha! I bet mommy left your nightlight on again, mister!" Citrata taunts the costumed oaf. "Superheroes are a superstitious, cowardly lot."
"I'll have you know I was busting up bad guys when..." As Cacnea-Man stuggles to recall his own past, he trips over the outfit's cape. "Owww! I should've worn my glasses this morning!"
When the aging man puts glasses over his mask, a startling metamorphosis occurs and he hugs our heroine. This is no two-bit joke, Citrata has a crime-fighter for a father!
"Cici! I hardly recognized you!" Cacnea-Man's reaction to seeing the 'GR' emblem is much the same as Hilda's. "But I won't let my precious girl turn to crime!"
"Dad, you're embarrassing me!" Citrata gently pushes away her father. "I was rejected from Team GR, remember?"
"Cacnea, shred the awful logo with your Cut attack!" Disregarding that last remark, Cacnea-Man unleashes his faithful partner from its Poké Ball.
After a flurry of swipes from Cacnea's cactus arms, our heroine's face turns red with pain.
"No, Cacnea! Owowowow!!" Citrata cringes as her headband gets torn apart.
"Cacnea, return!" The Pokémon's task completed, Cacnea-Man laughs heartily. "Evildoer!
You should go home and stick to newspaper 'help wanted' ads!"
"Is this how parents on TCG Island treat their children!?" Baffled at the scene she's witnessing, Professor Juniper sighs. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, Ash said Team Rocket used to own a Cacnea too."
"Team Rocket dares soil my partner's good name!?" Cacnea-Man asks, raising his arm into the air. "I shall teach them the embracing justice of Leech Seed!"
The not-so-super hero jumps back inside the Cacturnemobile, pressing its gas pedal so fast a murky smoke cloud chokes up Hilda!
"Blech! When I get a car, I'm not putting that stuff in it!" Hilda jumps up and down to dispel the stench.
"Chespin! Chespin!" The Pokémon softly nuzzles our heroine's leg.
"What's the matter with you?" Not used to affection from Pokémon, Citrata doesn't know how to respond. "My leg isn't a chew toy!"
"I think it likes you, Citrata." Professor Juniper points out.
"Aw, this'll ruin my tough-gal image..." Citrata complains, as she tries to shake off Chespin.
To lighten the mood, Hilda pats our heroine on the back. That gesture is countered by a pricelessly displeased look!
"If I can't steal Pokémon cards, I'll just steal the spotlight!" Citrata grins as she makes her grand announcement. "Men will fight glorious combat to learn my three sizes!"
"Uh-huh. I wore these shorts to the brightest cities and tallest peaks in all of Unova, do you see any hunks at my side?" Hilda's sarcastic comeback is met with silence.
"Oshawott!" Deciding to take advantage of the moment, Oshawott blows playful bubbles at Chespin. "Ossss!!"
"It seems my Pokémon have a lot of energy to spare. How would you two like to battle them?" Professor Juniper asks.
"A live Pokémon battle!?" Startled by the sudden question, Citrata hastily gives Chespin a command. "Chespin, hit Oshawott with Flamethrower!"
"Chespin?" Unable to use Flamethrower, Chespin shakes its head. "Ches! Chespin!"
"Cici, that strategy isn't very effective." The professor begins explaining Pokémon battles in earnest. "Chespin is a grass-type, and they rarely learn fire-type moves."
"It feels good to be called Cici by a nicer person." Citrata's thoughts turn to her parents again. "Dad was never the same once he tried to imitate that kooky Imakuni?"
"I think I've heard of Imakuni? somewhere..." Hilda replies, curious to know more.
"The black-suited Imakuni? is TCG Island's singing, dancing card player!" While over-enthusiastic, Citrata's answer goes right to the point. "Kids think he's a lovable clown, but grown-ups just don't get it. It's said his red copycat lurks on GR Island now."
As the professor's impromptu lecture goes on, our heroine drifts into a snooze! In a moment, we will find out how much Pokémon knowledge she absorbed! The trainers and their Pokémon are lined up, eagerly awaiting the chance to prove themselves!
"Since we have neither a commentator or referee, allow me the honor." Professor Juniper declares. "The battle between Citrata's Chespin and Hilda's Oshawott starts now!"
"Use your head, Oshawott!" Hilda kicks off the action with a basic Headbutt.
"That's too slow!" Citrata boasts. "Jump up and counter it with Vine Whip!"
Amazing! Chespin leaps into the air, then has its vines smack Oshawott from behind!
"It's a powerful direct hit!" The professor announces the obvious. "Can Oshawott turn this situation around?"
"Keep the momentum going, let's try out Leer!" Citrata makes a funny face, hoping to encourage her Pokémon.
"Cheeee!" Chespin's expression unsettles its opponent! Or does it?
"Oshawottttt!" Oshawott says something in response.
"It looks like the Pokémon are at a standstill!" Professor Juniper grabs some Pokémon food from a bag, ready to refresh them after the battle. "Tensions soar as our non-existent crowd anticipates another fierce move!"
"You have an opening, spray Sleep Powder on that runt!" Citrata points at Oshawott. "And make it count!"
"Che-che! Chchche!" A noxious cloud surrounds Chespin, numbing its foe's body.
"Ohsa?" Oshawott hardly gets to utter a word before the proverbial lights go out. "Osh... zzzzz..."
"Don't do this to me, Chespin!" Hilda implores her Pokémon to budge. "I may have been wrecked by the Unova Elite Four, but we're fighting the greenest rookie there is!"
"Elite what?" Unfamiliar with high-level trainers, Citrata doesn't think much of the comment.
"I'll tell you later, after Chespin gets its tail off the ground!" Yet the trainer's efforts are futile, Hilda can only watch in awe as Vine Whip slams Oshawott into the ring of small rocks surrounding the makeshift arena.
"Oshawott is unable to battle, the match goes to Cici and her Chespin!" Professor Juniper delivers the final result in a gym-like manner.
"Aha! I toss a mighty curve ball, don't I?" Ecstatic over this first victory, Citrata spins around while holding Chespin in front of her. "Team GR better watch out for us!"
"Yeah, that last move walloped me!" Despite the match outcome, her opponent's mood has rubbed off on Hilda.
"I didn't know you had such words in you." Citrata jokes. "Well, I should get moving soon. The Kalos League won't thrash themselves either!"
"I have a proposal, Cici." While feeding Chespin and Oshawott, Professor Juniper chimes in. "How about working together with Hilda to investigate Team Flare along the way? It'd be unfair to other trainers if I'm away from Unova too long."
"Mm, I've never bossed around a sidekick before." Citrata's laugh frustrates her friend.
"Let's go, Oshawott." Hilda grabs its Poké Ball from the professor, then walks on ahead. "Cici can tag along if she wants to, at this rate she might not survive Santalune Forest!"
"Wait! You can't chase after her alone!!" The professor shouts to stop Citrata from making a reckless mistake. "Some wild Pokémon attack people who enter their territory."
"I'll be okay, yaaaa!!!" Citrata demonstrates techniques she picked up from her father's superhero training regimen.
"Whoa, put down those feet!" Professor Juniper is slightly rattled by the martial arts. "Chespin learns different fighting-type moves than Blaziken."
"I'm not that ignorant. "Citrata's pop-culture knowledge kicks in. "Blaziken was breathtaking in the hit flick 'Barboach of the Rebellion'!"
"Now isn't the time to discuss movies." As she hands over Chespin's Poké Ball, the professor smiles. "That is, if you still intend to catch up to Hilda!"
Citrata stares in astonishment when Professor Juniper fills her travel bag with additional items! Including rations to keep she and her Pokémon fed, a Kalos region map, and a gym badge storage case. Trainers have an ever-growing variety of merchandise at their disposal!
"Ciao!" While Professor Juniper waves goodbye, Citrata returns Chespin to its Poké Ball and dashes over the horizon toward her goal. "You owe me for leaving early, jerk!"
The next stop for our heroes is Aquacorde Town. Can they set their differences aside long enough to appreciate its shopping center, or the river's romantic moonlight sparkle? We'll find out as the journey continues!
Chapter 3: Girls Knight Out
Having arrived safely in Aquacorde Town, Citrata's first order of business is to locate Hilda. But our heroes must be on their guard! The impending grand ball hides an ancient secret, one certain to entice adversaries more menacing than bad haircuts!
"This has to be Aquacorde Town!" Impressed by the bustling plaza, Citrata looks around for signs for her friend. "Where am I going to find Hilda in all these shops?"
"Excuse me, ma'am." A polite boy gets her attention. "Have you seen a Pokémon Center nearby?"
"Sorry, kid." Citrata replies. "But there is a pharmacy behind us."
"Thanks!" The boy runs off soon after finishing what he has to say. "You're a nice lady!"
"Uh..." Having yet again failed to keep up her image, Citrata talks to herself about it. "Maybe he's new here too."
Oh dear, Citrata is being dramatic. The shopping bug soon proves irresistible however! Kept occupied browsing the abundance of local goods, she continues to fail to catch up to Hilda.
"I think I'm almost done." Tired from her detour, Citrata sits down on an occupied bench.
Watch who you're sitting next to! It's the orange-ponytail girl I know all too well, and she was fast asleep!
"Oooohh!" The girl erupts, berating our heroine's carelessness. "You blockhead!"
"Okay, okay!" Citrata steps back to protect her ears."
"It's not okay! A certain SOMEONE woke me up!" Once the girl's outburst ends, an apologetic frown appears on her face.
"Finally... I'm Citrata, or Cici if you like." Citrata's offer to shake hands is ignored.
"And I'm Misty, one of the Cerulean City gym leaders." Misty proudly reveals her name and rank. "Don't think we're buddies just yet!"
"Is that right? Your gym won't keep me from the Kalos League!" In a violation of trainer etiquette, Citrata calls out her Pokémon without asking. "Let's rumble, Chespin!"
"We'll see about that! Go, Staryu!" Eager to accept the challenge, Misty tosses one of her Poké Balls on the ground. "My Pokémon and I trained alongside Ash!"
"Hah, type specialists are too predictable." Citrata doesn't think much of her opponent's strategy. "I want strong Pokémon to teach Team GR a lesson! Now, try that Vine Whip we practiced earlier!"
"Chespin?" Having just been told Staryu is far better trained, Chespin objects to the battle. "Ches! Pinpin!"
It looks like we have a problem here! Nobody told our heroine how Pokémon may disobey commands that danger themselves or others. Trainers who abuse their team's trust are certain to face great hardships in life.
"Chespin! It's just a Staryu!" Citrata raises her voice a bit. "You already know how to fight water-types!"
"Ches..." The Pokémon sighs.
"Cici, how long have you owned Chespin?" Misty asks, her intuition spot-on. "I think it's not ready for a gym leader."
"Don't let her intimitate you, buddy!" Ignoring the advice, Citrata issues new orders. "Use Razor Leaf!"
"Chespinnnn!" The Pokémon emits a weak stream of leaves.
"Very well, don't say I didn't warn ya!" Misty clenches her fist. "Counter it with Rapid Spin!"
An incredible one-hit knockout! Staryu's impact sends Chespin spiraling right into its trainer!
"Uuuggh... You're a lot heavier than a football." Taking a moment to regain her strength, Citrata pets the wiped-out Pokémon. "We'll have to work on me dodging attacks too."
"Listen, pal. It's irreponsible to start fights your Pokémon aren't ready for." Misty returns Staryu to its Poké Ball. "They could get hurt!"
"I guess so, this is all new to me." Citrata has to admit. "I was a Trading Card Game player."
"You must be a long way from home, I've never met a card player before." While less surprised than Ash, Misty's reaction is still one of curiosity. "To collectors, I'm just another pretty face."
"Heh. TCG Island takes so long to adopt new cards, we don't see you often." Citrata chuckles, then shows off her latest deck. "Team GR all but forced the Team Rocket set upon us."
"I can't stand those guys!" Disgusted, Misty''s tongue sticks out. "They're always hatching stupid plots to nab Ash's Pikachu!"
"You can say that again." Citrata nods in agreement. "They looked awesome in pictures, yet..."
After listening to a rambling opinion of the Team Rocket trio, Misty sighs.
"I'd be a thief too if Team GR hadn't turned me away!" Sensing her new friend is losing interest in the conversation, Citrata asks a question the shopkeepers were little help with. "By the way. Have you seen a girl in blue shorts kinda like yours, around here?"
"Nope." Misty is swift to confirm.
"Come on, then!" Finished talking, Citrata resumes the search for Hilda. "I still have shopping to do!"
"Ooh!" Although annoyed by her friend's sudden exit, Misty decides to accept the invitation to follow her. "You're energetic!"
Meanwhile... Our other heroes, Hilda and Oshawott, are out training by the river. And they're not alone! Strange characters of a medieval sort have set up camp nearby!
"Osha! Oshosh!" Oshawott's efforts to spray enough water to ride like a wave, prove unsuccessful. "Oshawott..."
"There, there." Hilda reassures her Pokémon. "Surf is an advanced technique. It takes time to master."
*Clang!* Hearing a barrage of metallic sounds, Hilda returns Oshawott and gets herself a closer look. It appears to be a band of knights practicing swordplay! What kind of quest do they think they're on!?
"Attention, loyal Knights of Fennekin! These are dark times for our world!" The honorable captain gives a speech to his troops. "We must bravely stand up to those who threaten people and Pokémon!"
"Um, hello sir." Caught off guard by the horde of attractive men, Hilda hesitates a moment. "What's going on here?"
"Fear not, fair maiden." The captain politely responds. "You would do well to attend tonight's grand ball. My legion and I will be stationed to protect it from Team Flare's mischief!"
Startled by the noisy sword fighting on their way to the next shopping center, Citrata and Misty decide to check out the mock battle.
"Are these really knights, in armor!?" The scene has Citrata puzzled.
"Sometimes I wish Ash were more like them." Misty remarks.
"Huh? Are you talking about the same Ash?" Surprised to hear the name, Citrata presses for more detail.
"Yep, Ash Ketchum and I traveled Kanto and Johto together!" Talking about her own adventures perks Misty right up. "Good old Brock kept going without me a while, now even he's moved on."
"I've heard of him!" Citrata's memory is jogged. "My island's players don't use his cards."
"The card artists had too much fun with me." Misty sarcastically says. "What's TCG Island like anyhow?"
"It's next to GR Island, near Kanto." Happy to talk about her home, Citrata explains a little more. "But unlike the Orange Islands, nobody trains wild Pokémon."
"Aww, Pokémon are so much fun!" Finding the idea of life without Pokémon unthinkable, Misty's expression changes again. "Myself, I specialize in water-types! They're the cutest!"
"I'd rather have a strong squad to get back at Team GR." Citrata boasts. "They rejected my attempt to enlist with them!"
"You've got to be kidding!" Misty replies, upset by the comment. "Joining a bunch of Team Rocket wannabes is such a waste, don't you care how Celebi or Latios were treated!?"
"I didn't ask for preaching." Pausing to think about the news reports of Team Rocket's more heinous crimes, Citrata slumps her shoulders.
An awkward silence follows, until Misty changes the subject in an attempt to cheer her up.
"Hey, did you know the town ball is tonight!?" Misty's eyes sparkle in anticipation.
"Too bad they'll toss you out the door, dressed like one of Jessie's old biker pals!"
Before our not-so-cultured heroine can object, she's pulled by the arm to an opulent boutique.
Its shelves are packed with gowns and tuxedos fit for the sharpest aristocrats.
"What are we doing here?" Horribly out of her element, Citrata's gaze drifts all over the place. "This stuff is so... so girlish!!"
"You can handle being fixed up for one day." Misty unties her ponytail to try and break the ice. "Let me show you something."
"I don't get it, it's just hair." Citrata misses the point.
"Cici, even I accessorize once in a while!" As a demonstration, Misty steps forward and gently slides a hand through her hair.
"Hello, handsome! Would you like my phone number?" It seems a nearby young man has swiped Citrata's fancy. "I could take you out for ice cream, everybody loves extra fudge!"
Well, well, another familiar sight for this narrator. The pickup lines even less effective than Brock's are quickly interrupted by Misty, who nudges her toward a pharmacy stocked with Pokémon supplies.
"Hey, mister! Where is the Pokémon Center!?" The unfazed Citrata asks the pharmacy clerk.
"They're not accepting patients right now, the staff are probably treating too many burns." The clerk replies, concerned about his town's well-being. "There's been an outbreak of fire Pokémon attacks lately."
After buying various items to heal their teams, Citrata follows Misty back to the clothing shop.
"Do we have to look at this place again?" Mutters Citrata.
"You're NOT wearing that to the..." Misty's reply is cut short by an explosion outside.
"It's Team Flare!" A startled knight across the street shouts. "What are you kids standing around for? Get to shelter!"
"Don't worry about us." In a dazzling motion, Misty dashes toward the burning trees and tosses a Poké Ball on the ground. "Staryu, help the knights stop those flames!"
Panicked, Citrata grasps the ball holding her own Pokémon partner.
"Aw, does the poor child think they'll catch a Pokémon here?" A sarcastic member of Team Flare taunts our heroine. "We've scared them away by now."
"Fear is for the weak!" Tossing a bucket of water at the nearest fire, a slender middle-aged woman takes several leaps to make her way down from a rooftop. "Cacnea-Man told me villainy was afoot in the area!"
The flickering light from the flames causes the woman's custom made lab coat to display rarely-visible shades of silver. In ordinary conditions it appears to be the standard white.
A more prized possession is her necklace. Its baseball-shaped locket holds a tiny picture of her in uniform, meeting the undercover mascot who would later become her husband. Tending the ballpark in the offseason inspired the curious career shift to botany upon retiring from sports.
"Mom?! You always told me you weren't a superhero!" Citrata shouts at the sight of her athletic mother.
"I'm a botanist, not a caped crusader." The woman confidently replies. "The name's Dr. Mikania, to you Team Flare hoodlums!"
"A plant doctor is your backup!?" Laughing, the Team Flame grunt summons a bulky Rhydon from its ball. "Try harder next time!"
"What are you doing?" An older Team Flame member shouts to his ally. "She's the brainiac I told you about! This lady is how Cacnea-Man defeated my former gang!"
"Anybody but her!" The annoyed Team Flame grunt remembers something he heard before. "Are you still there, Charmander? Stop hiding and help us!"
A small, reptilian Pokémon emerges from underneath a group of felled trees.
"There's the rascal who must've caused the fires!" Misty has fond memories of the Charmander whom Ash once rescued and raised. "Charmander are tougher than they look!"
"Two on one isn't nice!" Wishing to protect her mother from harm, Citrata for a moment forgets she dislikes heroics and calls forth her Pokémon. "Chespin, use Bubble Beam on that giant!"
"Ches...pin?" Confused by the command to perform a water-type move, Chespin is bounced aside by a tackle attack from Rhydon.
"Quit joking around, Cici!" Misty ridicules the blunder. "Staryu and I are busy holding off Charmander's heat!"
"Such lackluster tactics dishonor your family." One of the knights states, as he distracts Rhydon using his shield.
"Everyone says that about Dad." Citraga giggles. "His effectiveness as a crime fighter is long behind him."
Now hold on a minute. This narrator doesn't tell superhero origin stories! My plate is full chronicling Citrata's journey in the world of Pokémon. How did a respected man of the law become the Cacnea-Man we know today, with a blurred separation between his costumed identity and civilian life? The mysteries of the mind are not so readily unraveled...
In the meantime, let us return to current events, where first responders have at last arrived on the scene.
"Stop!" A hurried police woman shouts. "You're under arrest for damaging our beautiful forest, and attacking innocent people and Pokémon!"
"Hello, Officer Jenny!" The familiar face catches Misty's attention.
Few people can tell apart members of this widespread yet eccentric law enforcement agency. They follow a code of always being women named 'Jenny' and, with the exception of a few adventurous individuals, their hairstyles, uniforms, and Pokémon partners are kept amazingly consistent throughout the geographical region they've been assigned to.
This particular Officer Jenny is of the Kalos variety, serving Aquacorde Town. She seems to be more approachable than her down-to-business colleagues.
"Great. If we fight her, more will show up!" The younger Team Flare grunt exclaims, as he attempts to call back Rhydon.
"That's my line." His ally retorts, then tries to follow suit. "Return, Charmander!"
"Batter up!" Citrata taunts. "You should've listened to the doctor!"
Utilizing her baseball knowledge, Citrata lobs a chunk of rubble from the fire at Team Flare's Poké Balls to disrupt them.
"I think she's bluffing!" The puzzled Team Flame members exclaim nearly simultaneously, as they scramble to retrieve their Poké Balls.
"Office Jenny, we'll be okay, take care of the flames!" Now more composed, Citrata points at her Pokémon. "Chespin and I aren't down yet! Aim Vine Whip at Rhydon's feet!"
It's a hit! A vine temporarily emerges from Chespin, tripping the rhinoceros-like creature as it attempts to charge at anyone in its path. Startled, Charmander glares over at Staryu, expecting to also be attacked imminently.
"Bulbasaur would like that." Misty cheers her friend on, as she reminisces about one of Ash's Pokémon. "We're still in this too! Staryu, use Bubble!"
The experienced starfish leaps into the air, spinning around as it emits bubbles that sharply pop upon contact with Charmander.
"Cha..." Disliking water attacks, Charmander stumbles around dizzy from the impact.
"It's no good!" The older Team Flame grunt calls back his Pokémon. "I wasn't prepared to fight a gym trainer!"
"How about you, Rhydon?" Mikania wags her finger in disapproval. "My Cici has a ball to attend, and you're not invited!"
"Accept defeat." The knight gives off a similar glare toward Team Flare. "It would be unwise to force the Knights of Fennekin to intervene in this battle."
"Hmph!" Scowling, the younger Team Flame member retreives the tripped Rhydon. "Heroes, always boasting!"
To everyone else's relief, the outnumbered Team Flare duo finally retreats to parts unknown.
"Did I hear that correctly?" Citrata semi-sarcastically inquires. "The nerve of calling me a hero!"
"Cici." Her arm raised in delight, Misty returns Staryu to its ball. "You stepped up against REAL thugs! They weren't just printed on trading cards."
"But I wanted to join Team GR." The reluctant Citrata grumbles.
"Cycas was so upset the day you darted to their doorstep." Mikania remarks coldly. For obvious reasons, she no longer takes her husband's costumed identity seriously. "He nearly quit believing he has superhuman abilities!"
Returning from summoning the fire department, Officer Jenny's expression turns to surprise upon overhearing Cycas' name.
"Hey." Officer Jenny greets Citrata and company. "Were you talking about Cycas?"
"He's my father." Citrata responds, in a disappointed tone. "At least when he's not playing superhero."
"You should be proud of him!" Gears click in the thoughts of Officer Jenny. "When I was taking the police exam, many of the other cadets told me they were inspired by the great sleuth Cycas."
"With my technical help." Mikania gently laughs. "I maintained his disguises and equipment."
"That's nice, but we'll be late for the ball if we share detective stories." Misty taps her pocketwatch.
"The ball!" Reminded of a reason she's in town, Mikania opens the clothing suitcase attached to her motor scooter. "I have something for you, Cici."
Mikania unfolds a Dustox-patterned dress she had prepared for the senior prom Citrata missed during her efforts to enlist in Team GR. The outfit has a slim, purple torso, and shifts toward green around the knees. It also includes yellow hair pieces that vaguely resemble antennae, along with detachable wings.
"Is that a dress, or a bug?!" Misty promptly complains, in her aversion to insects.
"It's..." Citrata pauses for a moment when her mother unveils the shoes. "You found the heels I misplaced! Dad gave me extra allowance to buy them too."
"Looks like everything is fine here." Officer Jenny bids the group farewell. "Behave on the dance floor!"
Citrata frowns a little. Unfortunately, dancing is not a talent our heroine possesses.
"I'm not letting bugs hog all the fun." Her competitive spirit revitalized, Misty readies herself to revisit the shopping area one final time. "We'll meet up again, in style!"
Her journey's interruption by Team Flare thwarted, for now, Citrata accepts the remarkable clothes her mother provided. As she makes her way to the reception office of the opulent building hosting the ball, where she expects to reunite with Hilda, the next chapter is about to unfold...
Chapter 4: Citrata's Debut! The Ballroom Arena
Arriving at the grand ballroom she's been anticipating, Citrata greets the receptionist. Our heroine had never encountered such large or enthusiastic crowds of people back home on TCG Island. Hundreds of visitors not deterred by Team Flare's recent presence are hopeful that they, and their Pokémon, will shine the brightest on the dance floor.
"Hello there." The polite receptionist replies. "I should inform you that you've arrived late, most of our guests have already begun to prepare for the festivities."
"I'll manage, thanks." Citrata's eyes glance toward a detailed map on the wall. "Huh. In this place, even the dressing rooms are a long walk."
"Aw, why did Gramps invite me here?" A frustrated teenager dusts off his case of Pokémon gym badges. "He said the world's best trainers would be itching to battle after the show, but all I've seen are a bunch of tacky dancers!"
"I'm not here for that." Citrata is a bit surprised to hear there will be more activities than just dancing.
She explains she's looking for her friends Misty and Hilda.
"Yeah, I know Misty." The young man's expression displays confusion. "But why would she be here in Kalos? She's not tagging along with that Ash Ketchum again, is she?"
"They weren't together when I met them." Citrata notices a stack of research papers next to him. "My, that's a lot of homework there."
"Homework!?" He holds back his desire to laugh. "I'll have you know I'm Gary Oak, and these are research notes on Kalos I'm collecting for the professor."
Gary tells Citrata about his grandfather, the esteemed Professor Oak, who studies Pokémon at his sprawling laboratory in the Kanto region's Pallet Town. The facility doubles as something of a nature preserve. Many new adventurers visit Professor Oak to receive their very first Pokémon partner. While more seasoned trainers who began their journeys in Kanto, often send Pokémon not on their active teams back to the lab for rest and relaxation.
Because carrying around too many Pokémon deprives them of the proper care they need, the Pokémon League limits official battles to a maximum of six Pokémon per entrant. In practice, however, full six-versus-six battling is uncommon outside major tournament events.
"I didn't get my Chespin from a lab." Citrata cradles her lone Poké Ball, almost forgetting she's in a hurry. "Whoa! I'd better get spiffy for Misty, she could've wandered anywhere in a place like this!"
Our heroine shuffles through the packed crowd, soon reaching the dressing rooms.
"Ugh, Mom didn't tell me how to put this on." Examining the dress her mother gave her, Citrata clumsily begins to change clothes. "The waist is too loose. Maybe I need to pull these strings on the back... ooof!"
Needless to say, THIS lady is not a fairy tale princess! There's no pixie dust that'll automatically conform anything she wears to her figure, no magic slippers to guide her to romance.
Several unpleasant adjustments later, Citrata's spine enjoys relief, but the antennae and wings are attached less than perfectly.
"Your attention please. The ball will commence shortly." A generic voice announces over the public address system. "All participants report to the central chamber."
"Why did I wear heels?" Citrata grumbles for a while, until she's awestruck by the luxurious ballroom. The lighting and architecture are masterfully crafted. "It's magnificent!"
On the opposite end of the room, the Team Rocket trio in disguise is spying on the event.
"Jessie!" The incognito James whines. "How are we supposed to steal Pokémon from this many people?"
"We're not after Pikachu today." Jessie motions him to quiet his voice. "We want to nab whatever treasure Team Flare is after! Why else would they stick around this boring town?"
"Maybe they're shopping for new uniforms?" James asks in an ignorant tone. "I'd look like a convict in their color!"
"Keep your voice down, or that might happen." Even though he's hidden in a vase, Meowth facepalms.
"Welcome to the Champions Pokémon Gala!" An eager emcee standing by a podium waves at the crowd.
He goes on to express his hopes that no one was injured by the fire in town, and advises people that Pokémon battles will not be permitted until the dance is over.
"Get on with it!" Elsewhere in the room, Misty is acting impatient, as she wants to show off her yukata. "I've had enough of Team Flare!"
To everyone's delight, except for those who hate classical music, a song by a world-renown late composer starts playing. It has a slow tempo to accommodate novice dancers.
"I can't dance to this!" Citrata shakes her head, preferring more upbeat genres. "I'll fall asleep!"
Our musically-bored heroine drifts around the room, turning down several potential dance partners.
"Where is Yellow?" A man wearing a sleek black tuxedo muses to himself, almost bumping into Citrata.
"Woah!" Startled, Citrata takes a step backwards. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Never mind that." The man doesn't want to tell a stranger what he's doing. "It was nice meeting you."
As the man resumes the search for his friend, he accidentally drops a black card with a silhouette resembling Braixen on it.
"What's this?" Following an unsuccessful attempt to locate the card's apparent owner, Citrata slips it into her pocket. "It looks like a Pokémon, but it's not a trading card."
"Hey, Cici!" Hilda in a white gown waves to her friend. "Why aren't you dancing?"
"It's classical music." Citrata pouts a bit. "I've been looking for you."
Our heroine shows Hilda the mysterious card.
"I think this is Braixen." Hilda examines the card further. "But it's nothing like any Pokémon card I've ever seen."
Without much better to do, Hilda leads the curious Citrata to a better spot on the dance floor. Meanwhile, the emcee introduces the next song and describes it as a "tango".
"Show some energy!" Hilda spins to try to encourage her friend. "These tunes are made for duets."
"My heels aren't helping any." Struggling with her shoes, Citrata avoids falling by leaning on the vase Meowth is hiding in. "Hilda? Did that vase just say something?"
Before our heroine can peer inside the object, a girl's voice shouts across the room. A fatigued Misty dashes over from the dressing room area.
"I'm glad I found you, Cici!" Panting, Misty gulps a bottle of water in her hand. "I was assisting the cleanup effort, and just got here!"
When Citrata introduces Hilda to Misty, something sparks in their eyes.
"Let's battle!" An excited Hilda grabs a Poké Ball in her handbag. "Kanto gym leaders are a rare sight in these parts."
"What are you doing?" Citrata glances over at a security guard, then slyly changes the subject by showing the card she found to Misty.
"The fire-type Braixen, huh?" Misty remarks, though she isn't too knowledgeable about Kalos region Pokémon either. "It might belong to the knights."
"Oh! I thought so, they would like the next stage of Fennekin." It takes Citrata a moment to recall what she's heard about the marvel known as Pokémon evolution.
Most species of Pokémon undergo one or more drastic physiological transformations in their life cycles. Generally experiencing a significant, yet irreversible, increase in size and strength. Evolved Pokémon may even change their battle type affinity.
The greatest phenomena are temporary, however, occurring in situations such as adverse weather. The Kalos region in particular is conductive to evolution; it possesses an energy source that, when collected and channeled, has astounding effects dubbed Mega Evolution. This technique supercharges the few compatible Pokémon into brief yet powerful new forms.
"Hello again, everyone. How have your dances been?" The emcee is handed a ceremonial Poké Ball by his assistant. "I'm pleased to announce the battling will soon begin! All interested competitors, make your way to the outdoor arena at the conclusion of this last song."
"About time." Gary leans back on a bench, with a large turtle Pokémon standing beside him. "Do you think these challengers will be worth it, Blastoise?"
The Pokémon snorts, grabs the vase with Meowth inside, and inverts it to shake him out.
"Ooops." The talking Meowth has an embarrassed look. "The cat's out of the bag, er... jar."
"It's Team Rocket!" Recognizing the rascally Pokémon, Gary gets up with a determined expression. "I don't need the help of Ash or Pikachu to stop whatever you're planning!"
Sensing they've been found out, Jessie and James ditch the dancer costumes to reveal their classic Team Rocket uniforms.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love." James poses, holding a rose.
"To protect the world from devastation." Joining him, Jessie points upward.
"Something seems missing here..." Meowth grabs the remote control that fell on the ground next to him.
"Jessie!" Jessie shouts.
"James!" Not sure what Meowth means, James stares at the Pokémon. "What are you saying, Meowth? Did we blast off before the battle has even started!?"
"No, you dummy!" Meowth threatens to scratch his partner. "I think this twerp threw off our motto!"
"Who cares about your catchphrases?" Losing patience, Gary gives a command to his Pokémon. "That remote must be their secret weapon, Blastoise! Don't let him press the button!"
Blastoise lunges toward Meowth, chasing him off into another room.
"Wait for us!" The panicked Jessie and James exclaim at the same time, then run after their Pokémon, with Gary not far behind.
"And that's a wrap!" As the music fades, the emcee pretends to not notice Team Rocket. "I must now say farewell to you all."
"Ugh, do I have to battle in these shoes?" Citrata is of course still less than comfortable wearing heels.
"You'll be fine." Hilda encourages our heroine. "Lots of trainers incorporate dance into their fighting styles."
"Please don't go there." A pep talk doesn't interest Citrata right now.
Citrata, Misty, and Hilda follow the other scores of trainers outside. The battlefield has a standard configuration, various lines indicate details like where the trainers stand, or the center position for starting a battle.
Nevertheless, it's an ornate facility throughout. There's considerable lighting for nighttime use, an enclosed press box to accommodate the commentators and staff, and plentiful spectator seating.
"Ladies and gentleman, the Champions Pokémon Gala continues with the event you've all been waiting for!" A pleasant woman inside the press box introduces herself. "Trainers and Pokémon from around the world, of every skill level, have gathered today to demonstrate their abilities. For viewers at home, don't touch that dial just yet! I, DJ Mary, will be calling the action!"
"Cici, can you believe it?" Misty waves to her friends and family. "We're on TV!"
Not used to the spotlight, Citrata fiddles with her costume's difficult to attach wings and antennae.
"Isn't that normal for gym leaders?" Citrata whispers out of unease about being televised.
"At home, my sisters hog the spotlight." Misty laments.
Misty has a sizable family, mainly admired for her beautiful older sisters. The problem is they're rather shallow, caring more about their fashion and shopping than training. Sometimes they'll even basically give away gym badges to free up time to loaf around. In short, Kanto's Cerulean Gym holds a shaky reputation among followers of the Pokémon League circuit.
"Who will battle first?" DJ Mary glances around the gathering of competitors, as they scan into a row of computer terminals, their Pokédexes containing basic identification and a list of their active Pokémon.
A Pokédex is indispensable for any Pokémon enthusiast, most of all trainers adventuring to challenge the Pokémon League. The various Pokédex models offer numerous additional features. Including, but not limited to, tracking the Pokémon species a trainer has encountered or obtained. As well as encyclopedic data such as their battle types, and common habitats and behavioral traits.
"This machine isn't working." Citrata fruitlessly presses some buttons on the terminal, until a message appears on its display screen. "Ah. Dang it, I don't have a Pokédex!"
"Excuse me, young miss." A slender man in a lab coat motions for our heroine to approach him. "Are you by chance the new trainer Professor Juniper told me about?"
"I'm Citrata, Cici." Citrata ignores the amused expression on Gary's face, he has just returned from chasing Team Rocket.
"Splendid. Professor Sycamore." The kind man opens a box with a shiny new Pokédex inside. "Since we're not at my lab in Lumiose City, would you permit me to register you with the Pokémon League right away?"
Our heroine takes a moment to let sink in that the trainer's path in life has now been truly presented before her. It wasn't long ago she nearly became nothing more than a petty thief, having attempted to join the shady Team GR.
"Good riddance to bad rockets." Citrata mutters quietly to herself, then shifts to a thrilled tone. "Look out! I'm going to meet real Pokémon!"
"Registration complete." The Pokédex speaks, using a basic artificial intelligence. "My owner has been confirmed as Citrata, resident of TCG Island."
"Is that so? I've never battled a Pokémon trainer from TCG Island!" Sarcasm can be heard in Gary's voice. "Gramps will have to hear about this."
Needing few words, Citrata and Gary instinctively take their stances in the arena's marked trainer boxes.
"Folks, we have a sight in store for you right out of the gate." DJ Mary brings up the two opponents' records on her monitor. "Our first battle will pit Citrata from the faraway TCG Island, in her last-minute debut as a registered trainer, against Pallet Town's very own Gary Oak!"
"Go get him, Cici!" Hilda cheers from the spectator area.
"I hope she'll be okay." Elsewhere in the stands, Misty expresses worry. "Unlike Ash, Gary isn't going to show mercy to a newbie!"
"What's it going to be, rookie?" Gary calls forth his leading Pokémon. A bulky, doglike fire type emerges. "I choose Arcanine!"
"They call that a type advantage, don't they?" Citrata's options are limited, as she only owns her starter Pokémon. "Go for it, Chespin! Hey, are you asleep in there?"
To the crowd's astonishment, nothing happens. Chespin fails to materialize on the battlefield.
"This is highly irregular!" The scene has DJ Mary befuddled. "Citrata's Chespin appears to be refusing to fight!"
"You've got to be joking." Keeping his cool, Gary demonstrates how he activates a Poké Ball.
"I can do better than that." With a nice windup, Citrata hurls her ball at impressive speed. "Mom taught me her best stuff on the diamond."
Our heroine's baseball technique prompts a mixed response from the audience. The pitching talent is undeniable, but this is supposed to be a Pokémon battle!
"Hmph." Gary taps his foot in anticipation. "Are you satisfied yet? The referee will declare a forfeit any moment now."
"A bat please." In an unorthodox gesture, Citrata requests a baseball bat from whoever happens to have one available.
"I'll help you out of this jam!" An energetic girl watching the match pleads the referee to delay his decision, then hands a bat from her equipment bag over to Citrata. "The name's Casey, by the way!"
"Would you look at that, a generous fan has given Citrata a bat!" True to sportscaster tradition, DJ Mary hypes up the unfolding scenario for dramatic effect. "Will our daring trainer swing for the fences, or does she have other plans?"
"I usually pitch, but I'm going to slug this one for you!" Citrata tosses up a baseball signed by her mother, and hits it toward Casey set to catch it on the opposing end of the battlefield.
The batter is out! Or it would be, in any conventional baseball situation. As if responding to the crowd's reaction to the ball traveling far enough to land squarely in Casey's mitt, Chespin leaps out from its Poké Ball to celebrate.
"Ruff!" Arcanine barks a greeting to its awaited opponent.
"You have guts, or something." Gary returns to a ready position on the battlefield. "Start with Flame Wheel, Arcanine!"
"Taking the hit isn't an option!" Citrata's eyes widen at the sight of the flaming Pokémon about to collide with her partner. "Try digging to slip under it!"
Narrowing avoiding the opening attack, Chespin pops back up behind Arcanine.
"The speed startled my Pokémon!" Gary exclaims, having underestimated his foe's inexperience. "Next up is Flamethrower!"
Virtually the instant it turns around, Arcanine spews a stream of fire at Chespin. A super-effective counterattack! The marvelous agility denies its opponent the time to evade again.
"Pin…" Clinging to its senses, the severely damaged Chespin performs Leaf Blade without waiting for instructions.
"Chespin has chosen a followup attack on its own!" DJ Mary grasps her microphone in anticipation. "How will this impact Citrata's strategy!?"
"Your Pokémon can barely stand!" Gary recognizes the battle is all but finished. "Let's send it home with Body Slam, Arcanine!"
Arcanine howls, then leaps up to crash its weight on top of Chespin.
"Ches, ches!" Refusing to surrender, Chespin struggles to prop itself back into a battle stance.
"This isn't funny anymore!" Gary implores his opponent to stop the fight.
"I…" Instinctively. Citrata picks up Chespin and pets it. "No, make that we. We've had enough."
The referee raises a flag for Gary, declaring him the victor by forfeit.
"A touching ending to an unlikely battle, Citrata has thrown in the towel on Chespin's behalf!" DJ Mary applauds our heroine for protecting her Pokémon. "The victory goes to Gary Oak!"
The next several battles feature trainers far and wide. Among the more noteworthy contests include Unova's Bianca narrowly losing to Sinnoh gym leader Fantina. and Jessie and James returning in disguise to win an upset tag battle against a pair of Knights of Fennekin.
"I want in on this too!" Seeking a challenger, Misty walks out onto the battle grounds. "Meet me, Misty of Cerulean Gym!"
"The Cerulean gym leader has issued an open challenge!" DJ Mary announces enthusiastically. "Who will compete against this rising water-type specialist?"
The crowd murmurs for a while, speculating on the next competitor and their chances.
"Hey." Hilda stands up, then approaches Misty. "Would you like to test me?"
"It's not often I fight Unova trainers." Misty contemplates her options. "But I'll take you on, in Cici's place! We're both here because of her."
"Good news, folks! Misty has found her opponent!" A cheerful DJ Mary sips from a sports drink. "She'll be facing Unova favorite Hilda!"
"I'm leading off with a surprise." Misty summons a tiny yet chubby white Pokémon. "Let's show her our best, Seel!"
"A cold choice, friend." A spiral-shaped insect materializes in front of Hilda. "Whirlipede's rolling will break the ice!"
"Yuck! Bug Pokémon bug me!" Misty's face makes a disgusted expression. "Slow it down with Aurora Beam!"
A chilling blast from Seel squarely hits its target! The residual ice tends to reduce an opponent's agility.
"The water prodigy has changed up her game with an icy opening move!" DJ Mary continues to call the action. "What will be Hilda's first strike?"
"This isn't good. The tactics we went over are risky on a slick surface." Hilda momentarily pauses to revise her strategy. "Luckily, I have my own speed-cutting attack! Sleep Powder!"
Whirlipede spins around in a circle, spraying a dust that may induce brief slumber upon contact.
"A great comeback!" DJ Mary admires Hilda's quick thinking. "Seel is counting sheep!"
"Don't take a nap here, Seel!" Misty shows early signs of panic. "We'll be defenseless!"
In these situations, trainers often swap their currently-active Pokémon for another member of the team. Pokémon substitution removes certain status effects, it can also be employed in response to an unfavorable type matchup.
Nevertheless, an ill-advised switch could backfire as well! The process of changing Pokémon takes time, leaving its replacement open to attack. Bringing a previously-damaged Pokémon back into the fight is especially dangerous.
"The ice has thinned." Hilda jumps at the opportunity Seel's condition presents. "Rollout gets faster and stronger the longer it's kept going!"
Whirlipede curls up its body even further, resembling a tire, and slams into the snoozing foe.
"Seel, return!" Misty recalls her Pokémon, taking the chance it could still be asleep when needed again. "Staryu, counteract that rolling with your own Rapid Spin!"
Staryu emerges from its Poké Ball in a similar spinning motion, albeit with the intent to block Whirlipede's path. Both opponents tumble backwards, dazed by the impact.
"It's a dizzying double knockout!" DJ Mary watches the referee affirm her keen observation. "Will Seel be alright? It has to face its next opponent, while still asleep!"
"Staravia, let's finish this!" Hilda goes with a dark bird Pokémon. Despite its ordinary appearance, Staravia excels in the skies.
"Please be awake!" Due to the two-on-two battle format, Misty can't swap for another Pokémon, she has to bring out Seel in its present condition.
Yet things don't always play out as expected. Misty's carefree, disobedient Psyduck instead appears on the field! The stern referee responds by issuing a warning to its trainer.
"We are witnessing a strange turn of events! Misty has been penalized for her Psyduck's outburst!" DJ Mary explains to viewers at home. "In this contest, trainers are not permitted to substitute a third Pokémon."
The silver lining is this embarrassing delay affords Seel the rest it needed to awaken.
"All competitors, please reset to the starting lines of the battle area." The referee directs the trainers and their Pokémon to their places.
"You're looking refreshed, Seel!" Misty praises her Pokémon for being ready. "Icy Wind should ground that bird!"
A chill in the air surrounds Seel, followed by wind currents disruptive to foes who get too close.
"Staaa!" Staravia flies in a zigzag motion to keep its body warm.
"Now isn't the time to complain about the weather!" Hilda recognizes that Seel is paying more attention to its own move, than fighting. "We have our opening, it's not focused on you directly! Go, Steel Wing!"
Staravia stiffens its wings, diving toward the ground to tackle Seel.
"Slide under it!" Misty commands smartly.
"Ouch! Staravia dived too fast, only managing to kick up dirt!" DJ Mary is relieved the Pokémon avoided slamming itself into the earth.
"Blow away that nasty dust!" At the moment, Misty has difficulty seeing the precise locations of the battlers. "On my cue, use Blizzard!"
Observing the swirling dirt until its foe is visible enough, Seel looses a barrage of snow across the battlefield. The flurry crashes Staravia into the clear barrier protecting spectators from misfired Pokémon attacks. It's a frigid knockout victory!
"Staravia is unable to battle!" The referee raises the flag for Misty's side. "The winners of this match are Misty and Seel!"
"Thank you, Psyduck!" Misty hugs the scatterbrained duck's Poké Ball. "You probably don't understand, but we won!"
"Congratulating the Pokémon who gave you a penalty." Gary mocks the situation. "Ash's friends are good for a laugh sometimes."
"What was up with that?" Misty's victory surprises Jessie. "The twerp's brainless bird actually did something useful!"
"I dunno, what about your Wob…" James tries to reply, but is interrupted.
"Even Wobbuffet doesn't ask stupid questions!" Not wishing to be discovered as the battles wind down, Jessie leads James and Meowth toward the exit to flee.
"It looks like this is where we part ways." In an attempt to make wearing her dress more convincing, Citrata curtsies toward the audience. "I have a gym challenge ahead of me!"
"I'm not sure being that polite suits you." Hilda giggles a little. "Oh, did you find the owner of that card yet?"
"No dice." Citrata remains uncertain who the Braixen card belongs to.
"I don't like it." On the other hand, Misty is suspicious of the object's dark ambiance. "The card's color is spooky somehow."
Bidding farewell to the arena, and the awkwardness of dressing up for a ball, the next stop on our heroine's journey will be Santalune Forest. A woodland ideal for beginner trainers to develop the outdoor skills essential for any trainer.
Those seeking to become Pokémon experts must brave the wild, venture to inhospitable environments, to assemble the finest possible team combinations. Raising rare Pokémon to develop their talents is ultimately the most rewarding approach. Alternatively, many trainers enjoy trading or bartering to improve their lineups.
For the not-so-benevolent route, there are numerous syndicates such as Team Rocket, devoted to stealing and poaching Pokémon.
What varieties of Pokémon most interest Citrata, and where will she find them? Stay tuned!
Chapter 5: Little Dragon, Awakened Dragon
"Ah. A good nap." In a lapse of better judgment, Citrata had slept on the bleachers. "But there's no accommodations!"
Did I mention Citrata would be heading to the forest next? Well, this narrator hasn't forgotten about the ball's tantalizing secret! Making her way back through the ballroom to take in its beauty one last time, our heroine hears an oddly mechanical voice.
"The rocks we wanted aren't in this town." The speaker lacks emotion, in the unnatural sense of the word. "Yes, our forces will be departing shortly."
Perhaps inspired by Misty's suspicion earlier, Citrata gives chase to the shadowy figure.
"I want a word with you!" More athletic than her quarry, it doesn't take long for Citrata to corner them in a supply room.
"Interference detected." The robotic-looking person looks around, as if scanning for an escape route.
Whoever this fellow is, their taste in clothing is highly irregular. They're wearing some sort of head-to-toe black battle suit. The only possible identification is their mask's large panel of electronic lights, displaying the letter "E".
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Citrata is no doubt annoyed by how the suspicious character seems to be completely ignoring her, other than wanting to get away of course.
"Alternate exit not found." The figure's tone slightly changes, as if they're processing data. "Obstruction identified as a Pokémon trainer, battle protocol initiated."
An unexpectedly adorable Pokémon materializes.
"It's a fight, huh?" Uncomfortable with computers, Citrata taps some buttons on her new Pokédex. "Come on, tell me who this cutie is?"
"Selected target is not a Pokémon." The Pokédex mistakenly attempts to scan the opposing trainer.
Expecting to be attacked before she can call upon her own Pokémon, our heroine dives under a desk with folded dance costumes piled on top of it. Instead, the diminutive feline creature seems to have taking a liking to her.
"Hm?" Despite her efforts to maintain a rebellious image, Citrata can't resist petting the Pokémon. "You want to be nice, don't you?"
"Espurr. A psychic-type Pokémon." The Pokédex proceeds to identify the critter. "It keeps its ears folded to regulate its energy."
"Error." The masked trainer's lights flicker. "Opposing Pokémon not found."
"Cut it out already!" Standing back up, Citrata slaps the mask's light panel.
Perhaps in response to the commotion, another person charges into the room.
"Why did I take this janitor job?" A man mumbles to himself. Citrata quickly recognizes him as the guy in a tuxedo she met at the dance. "It's you!"
"Hi. What happened to your tux?" Citrata is amused by the man's very different appearance.
"We'll talk later, lady." The man pushes our heroine aside. "Essentia here has been causing trouble in Lumiose City! Go, Braixen!"
A determined fox Pokémon jumps out from the man's Poké Ball, startling Espurr.
"Confusion." Regaining their composure, Essentia points at Braixen.
Disorienting psychokinetic waves surround Espurr, inducing dizziness to everyone in its vicinity.
"It's in my head!" Citrata stumbles around, unable to maintain solid footing.
"Xen…" The affliction meanwhile prompts Braxien to attack without instruction.
A sizzling Ember flings into Essentia! Although the suit's embedded armor protects them, the heat stirs something inside their consciousness.
"System malfunction." Essentia begins to shiver, tumbling to their knees.
"What now? Have we won already!?" Holding onto Chespin's Poké Ball, she prepares to summon her partner.
"It'll be fine." The relieved man pushes Citrata's hand down. "I think the fight is over."
Uncertain where they are, or what's going on, Essentia unclasps the head portion of their suit. The true face revealed is not a robot, but a teenage girl! Citrata hesitantly helps her to her feet.
"Ugh…" Essentia groans in discomfort. "Is that you, Espurr?"
Delighted her partner is safe, Essentia embraces the worried Pokémon.
"I want some answers." Impatiently, Citrata slams her fist on the desk.
"Eep!" The sound rattles Essentia. "My name is Emma! Please don't arrest me."
"I'm not my father." Citrata laughs, her thoughts turning to the all the stories of her dad compelling suspects to confess to him. "Call me Citrata, for short Cici."
"The name's Looker." The not-too-convincing janitor takes off his apron. "I've been on the trail of Team Flare, the crumbs led me to several incidents involving Essentia."
Emma explains she has little memory of her activities as Essentia. In response, Looker says he believes the mind-manipulation was a side project, likely unconnected to Team Flare's ultimate objective.
Grateful to not be taken in for whatever crimes she may have been involved with, Emma removes the rest of the tight-fitting suit.
"That's better, but you can keep the costume." Looker disconnects the device that was controlling Emma's actions, then places it into an evidence bag.
Looker bids farewell to everybody, leaving Emma puzzled why she would want to look like a machine again. With the battle settled, Espurr and Braixen are then returned to their Poké Balls.
"Wait!" As Looker walks away, Citrata unsuccessfully tries to ask him more about the conversation they had during their previous encounter. "Darn, he's gone."
"What should we do now?" Lacking any particular destination, Emma turns to her new friend.
With the enigmatic person or Pokémon named "Yellow" weighing on Citrata's mind, she suddenly experiences a moment of inspiration.
"We're not going to let the good detective outsmart us, are we?" Citrata begins turning over and studying objects around the room.
Not really understanding what our heroine means, Emma directs her to the hallway.
"You think we should investigate that hallway?" The suggestion surprises Citrata, but she follows Emma anyway.
"We might learn which direction Looker went!" Emma checks the area for recent footprints.
After a few aimless minutes, Citrata points out that hundreds of visitors attended the dance and Pokémon competition. There's far too many prints to narrow down.
"Why didn't you say that first?" Emma's disappointment soon vanishes though, upon opening the door to the magnificent ballroom, which had captivated even Citrata. "It's all so, so, sparkly!"
"I get it." A security guard places his hands on his hips. "But visiting hours are over, kids."
When Citrata describes Looker to the guard, he shows her an old photograph that was dropped nearby. Our heroine's eye's widen in disbelief. The image depicts two eerily familiar men enjoying a meal together.
"They look happy." Emma smiles, yet she's oblivious to the revelation at hand.
"That's a young Looker, with my dad!" Stunned, Citrata sits down on a bench.
Our heroine proceeds to tell Emma about her father's own amnesia.
"Wow. The kooky cactus is your dad!?" While Emma has seen news reports on Cacnea-Man, she doesn't know his family.
"Pathetic, isn't it." Citrata feels she still hasn't discovered the whole story behind what scrambled Cycas' memory. "Even Mom only humors his useless secret identity."
"Heroes don't need capes and tights." The guard offers some invaluable advice. "We might not look impressive, but us common people save lives without it."
"I'm not sure clothing is the point there." Citrata pretends to shrug, yet it ever-so-slightly eases the resentment she's felt for some time.
The guard decides to shuffle off to the side, allowing Citrata and Emma to further investigate the ballroom.
"Cici, help me move this!" Emma pushes her weight against the podium the emcee was using.
"It's just a podium." Uncertain what to make of the request, Citrata inspects the object from various angles for anything unusual. "Here goes nothing."
Snap, crash! Pushing in unison, Citrata and Emma manage to detach the podium's upper portion, and it falls to the ground. Predictably, the noise alerts the guard nearby.
"I look away for a minute, and you two have already broken something?!" The guard gasps at the podium split apart. "Eh? I've never seen a podium do that!"
"Emma! You've had your fun, there's no hidden candy in there." Citrata clearly thinks she wasted her strength.
On closer examination, the top of the shaft features an unnatural-looking gap. Emma tries to insert a coin, as machines often require, but it won't fit.
"Aww. It's not a video game either." Emma pouts a little. "What else can we try?"
His interest piqued, the guard slides the photo across the slot, to no effect.
"Oh no. No way!" Her mother having retired from professional baseball, Citrata is fairly financially secure. "I'm not letting this thing eat my credit card."
"Don't be silly." Emma pats Citrata on the shoulder. "Do you see the letters A-T-M anywhere?"
"Card! That's the ticket!" With a firm grip, Citrata inserts the black Braixen card into the slot.
One of the ballroom support columns opens up, unveiling a fire pole leading down to the building's lower levels.
"This just isn't my day." The guard fears he'll be fired for not stopping Citrata and Emma.
"It's closing already!" Oblivious to any potential dangers that lurk below, Emma rushes to the pole and disappears from sight.
"Maybe it has a glitch?" Citrata makes an excuse, as she isn't used to underground spaces.
"Get going!" The guard nudges Citrata toward the hatch. "I'll fix the podium for you."
Fears or not, our heroine slides herself down the pole. Upon landing, she finds herself in a dimly-lit room lined with runes on the walls. A teenage boy in a yellow trench coat is seated at a desk, using a magnifying glass to attempt to decipher a chunk of a stone tablet.
"Is that you, Looker?" The boy swivels his chair around. "No. Pretty girls! These catacombs are playing tricks on me again."
"You must be Yellow." Amused by the coat's banana hue, Citrata speaks sarcastically.
"Yes, wait, no." Thinking for a moment, the boy's voice changes to astonishment. "How did you get in here!? That pole entrance is secret!"
Our heroine shows off the Braixen card she used.
"Very well." Getting up, the boy introduces himself. "Senna. Yellow is the color of my card."
Senna goes on to elaborate the black card belongs to his missing colleague. Looker had borrowed it, along with Braixen, to assist in the search effort.
"The tale sounds fishy to me." Emma has a sinking feeling the explanation has omitted something.
"Don't say that. It'll make me hungry." An empty wrapper in a waste basket, is the only remains of Senna's most recent snack. "We'll talk in more, er, pleasant surroundings."
Senna opens the door to a creepy tunnel. From the faint animal chatter, it's apparent nocturnal Pokémon have made themselves uninvited guests.
"This strange writing is, like, everywhere." Too bad Citrata can't read a word of the ancient script.
"It used to be." Senna draws attention to the numerous crumbled sections and caved-in rooms. "Stay sharp, the local fauna don't recognize you!"
A herd of stone-like Geodude roll past, through burrows too small for human use. Although Citrata has encountered trading cards of these widespread Pokémon, she still decides to ask her Pokédex to describe the real deal.
"Geodude." The Pokédex's display is almost too bright in this environment. "Commonly mistaken for boulders, it swings its arms to attack when stepped on."
"Yeah, let's not disturb them." Emma prefers friendlier Pokémon. "Ahh!"
The remaining Geodude hurriedly scatter upon hearing a childish roaring sound.
"Something's wrong." Senna grabs a Poké Ball from his somewhat too long belt.
A green, reptilian Pokémon falls from one of the burrows, stamping its feet in anger.
"Axew." Continuing its scan mode, the Pokédex identifies the little tyke. "It uses its tusks to crush berries. They regrow quickly if damaged."
"Save this one for me, Senna." Citrata excitedly calls upon her own partner. "Chespin is just about its size. Cool it down with Vine Whip!"
Chespin lashes its vines near Axew's feet, tripping up the unruly Pokémon. But the attack is ineffective!
"Pay closer attention, Cici!" Emma stands in front of Chespin once its vines retract. "Axew doesn't want to fight, it's having a tantrum."
Senna shines his lantern further into the burrow, where a pile of berries has been flattened by the Geodude swarm.
"I only have Espurr food." Emma sifts through her belongings.
"No, feeding it here is too dangerous." Not especially interested in green Pokémon, Senna passes an empty Poké Ball to Citrata.
"Boo, it's empty." As Citrata juggles the ball a bit, nothing happens.
"Is something the matter?" Senna shakes his head. "It's a Poké Ball, it catches Pokémon."
In reality, catching Pokémon is rarely simple or easy. Most Pokémon must be weakened in battle first, before they can be captured. Different models of Poké Ball also vary in effectiveness depending on the target's type, or other conditions.
A few Pokémon however dislike residing inside a ball; they instead travel along with their trainers. The rarity of this phenomenon has stumped researchers thus far.
Furthermore, to discourage theft, standard Poké Balls refuse to capture Pokémon already assigned to a trainer. Thieves generally must either steal the ball containing the desired Pokémon, or resort to kidnapping before somehow placing the captive into a new ball.
"Am I ready for this?" Due to the lack of trainers back home on TCG Island, Citrata has only witnessed Pokémon captures on television. She touches her cheeks to check she's not dreaming. "Okay! Poké Ball!!"
The thrown ball's trajectory is exceptional, but to the chagrin of trainers who'd like to show off, athleticism doesn't substantially improve Pokémon catching. Poké Balls have a slightly larger capture range than they appear, to correct for minor throwing errors.
"It's rattling in there!" Emma gleefully stares at the ball.
Axew continues to raise a fuss, straining the Poké Ball's activation.
"The Clovers won't lose!" Citrata performs her mother's team's old cheer, the nearest thing to a dance she can muster. "Lucky!"
"Any moment now." Concerned how long the ball has been struggling to close, Senna rests his hand on it.
Click. It's the next milestone on our heroine's journey! Citrata has caught her first wild Pokémon! Though it doesn't seem like she's celebrating much…
"That's it?" Citrata picks up the ball, let down by how Axew barely actually fought back. "Thanks, Senna."
"You're funny, Cici." Emma clasps her friend's hands, shaking them.
"What's that supposed to mean?" New to catching Pokémon, Citrata doesn't quite get why most trainers are so jubilant every time.
"It's customary to goof around after a Pokémon capture." Having a more dignified personality, Senna dismisses the idea of posing or dancing to celebrate catching a Pokémon. "I don't recommend it."
Accompanied by some laughter, the group reaches the end of the tunnel. Dilapidated ruins are all that remain of the main fortress' structure. On a positive note, it is properly lit, and kept free of wild Pokémon.
"We can rest here." Senna lays a blanket over a worn stone table.
"Camping food, how wonderful." Opening a jar of marshmallows, Citrata rubs together some sticks probably left behind by the previous visitor.
"It's not much of a fire." Emma checks the vicinity for flammable objects, but only finds a spider web and several berries.
"Don't mind the cobwebs." Happier than he's letting on, Senna holds back a chuckle. "White was training her Spinarak a few days ago."
"Is White her name this time?" Citrata giggles as she melts cocoa onto some large crackers.
"Agh. Looker has me doing it now." Using a portable press, Senna squeezes the berries into a thick juice. "Shrine maiden Heather holds the white card."
"So let me figure this out." Citrata's mouth dribbles from eating several s'mores before they cool. "You're Yellow, Heather is White. Black has gone missing. Am I forgetting someone?"
"That would be telling." Senna pours some juice for his friends. "But we had to restrict the available colors, fussy candidates asked for everything!"
"I'm getting some sleep." Emma yawns at the conversation, curling up on a rickety bed tucked away in the corner of the room.
Full and refreshed, the group proceeds outside to Santalune Forest. On the edge of the woods is a majestic castle! The architecture resembles what the tunnel and ruins may have been like, centuries ago. Statues of Fenniken and its evolved forms Braixen and Delphox line the pathway toward the moat's finely-carved drawbridge. Decorative orange and red bricks adorn key areas, such as the roof of the central keep.
"You're knights, and you have a castle." Citrata's sarcasm is palpable. "Are we going to rescue princesses from dragons next?"
"The castle isn't mine." Senna ignores the remark about a princess, for reasons that will soon become clear.
Emma darts on ahead, ecstatic to meet all the traditional figures she thinks live in castles. A king, queen, servants, horses, as if out of a storybook. Several minutes later...
"What gives? The drawbridge isn't listening to me!" Emma complains as she reappears.
"This is Senna." Senna speaks into an intercom mounted to the side of a guard station. "Akane, open the gates!"
"Sweetie, you're returned to see me!" An irritatingly-cutesy voice responds. "Akane can't pick up the phone right now."
As the drawbridge opens, trouble lurks in the bushes nearby.
"You better not have lost the remote." Jessie peeks her head up to scope out the castle.
"Yeah, yeah. I've got it." Meowth stands on top of James for a closer view.
"Oww!" Pain from the cat claws shoots across James' face. "Why did you have to climb me!?"
"Zip it." Meowth directs his gaze to Citrata and company. "The new twerp is walking right into that snazzy castle!"
"Would you tell your family to buy the place for me!?" Not-so-secretly, Jessie is jealous of the rich lifestyle James ran away from.
Meanwhile, Citrata enters the castle's audience chamber. The interior is strikingly less medieval than its outward facade. Very much the opposite, in fact, advanced technology is strewn throughout the premises. At every turn is a computer monitor or some other gadgetry our heroine has no idea of its function.
"All these computers are making me dizzy." Emma isn't sure what to focus her eyes on, until an older gentleman enters the room and sits down on one of the luxurious throne-esque chairs.
"What brings our guests here today?" The man's regal tone is firm, yet not uncaring.
"Ulp! Your majesty!" For certain, Citrata has no experience speaking to royalty. "My name is Citrata, and I'd like to return this black card to its owner."
"Sir will do." By upper-crust standards, the man settles into a more bearable mode. "I am Commander Sirius, leader of the Knights of Fennekin."
"You AREN'T a king?" Emma asks in haste.
"No, young miss." Sirius adjusts his overcoat for a clearer view. "Please observe these badges on my lapel."
Military activity and development on the Pokémon world is uncommon, yet by no means unknown. Kalos legend tells of a devastating conflict approximately 3,000 years ago. Some historians even claim the "ultimate weapon" utilized was so formidable that it brought Mega Evolution into existence.
"An army big-shot, fantastic." Citrata grumbles under her breath, as presents the card to the commander.
To our heroine's bewilderment, Sirius hands back the card and invites her to meet the rest of Senna's team in the Heptagon Hall.
The gigantic room feels like it genuinely could oversee an entire nation's armed forces, if it was equipped and staffed for the occasion. Yeah, and if it didn't have a seven-sided table in the center.
Mounted on the wall above the primary monitor screen, are seven symbols. From left to right, they represent Pink Shellos, Yellow Morpeko, White Snover, Green Flygon, Red Gloom, Blue Heracross, and Black Braixen.
"Welcome back, my Senna!" A frilly-gowned, fairy tale princess of a teenage girl hops into the room. The pink card is nestled in her sleeve. "Regina is so happy!"
An odd couple, if there is one. This loud "princess" Regina and Senna somehow are becoming attracted to each other.
"Akane." A shy dark-skinned college-age woman of few words flips her long, dyed bangs aside to greet Citrata and Emma.
"Red, as in stop talking to her." Senna tells a deadpan joke.
"I'm your support guy, Aldwin." This eccentric man approaching his thirties has a habit of wearing swimming goggles on his head anywhere, aimed in any direction, except in front of his eyes. Their location is rumored to indicate his mood. "The blue card is mine."
"Alright. Would someone please tell me who Black is?" Citrata pretends to nibble on the card.
"Just don't eat that key card!" Aldwin moves his goggles to the back.
Aldwin's brother Davy is, or I dare say was, an intellectual prodigy. He remodeled the castle, and selected five promising knights to form a task force to take on missions impractical for classical, armored peace keepers. The seven color-coded cards serve as identification to activate special equipment not provided to the standard knights.
"I don't get it." All the talking has Emma drowsy.
Having a good idea what Emma wanted to ask, Citrata explains it's weird that only seven knights would be able to access a secret passage to their own headquarters"
"Hoho. Making ID cards isn't the problem." Aldwin smiles in response. "Those Pokémon nests halted construction.
"Hello there." Soft-spoken Heather is not at all the image of a knight, though she has admirers for the miko attire celebrating her Johto lineage. "Please call me Heather."
Senna directs Citrata and Emma to a row of lockers painted his team's colors, plus several other designations not presently in use. The front panel lights of the lockers for colors such as gold, orange, or purple aren't lit.
Akane, Heather, and Regina each put on their respective trench coats waiting inside. As Aldwin and Sirius fulfill operational roles, they rarely wear the field-duty coats.
"No fair!" Emma eagerly tries on the black coat. "It's way too big!"
"My brother made it for himself." Aldwin's gaze turns to Davy's desk, a framed portrait of the missing man is on display.
"He is about my…" Although Citrata has feminine proportions, her sentence trails off as she estimates her overall frame is of similar size to Davy.
Our heroine takes the coat from Emma. To the amazement of the rest of the trench coat wearers, it fits close enough!
"I like it." Emma skips in joy.
"Uh, I'm not sure about this." Citrata makes some hard-boiled detective poses.
"It looks good." Akane sets down the book she was reading, and leaves her team in awe by speaking a complete sentence to a stranger!
"Akane likes private eyes." Aldwin points toward the book. "She's always reading these stories of cold cases and rainy cities.
Sensing an opportunity to build friendship, Citrata describes her father to Akane.
"Is this lady finally going to speak up?" The long silence has Emma fidgeting.
"I see." Akane absorbs herself back into the book. "Do not lose hope."
"Thank you for a most enlightening speech, Akane." Senna slyly makes fun of the woman's terse nature.
"You'll get used to…" Aldwin's sentence is disrupted by the facility's warning alarm system. "All units, report to your stations! Enemy activity has been detected nearby!"
Ruuummble! A ground-shaking sound outside sends the area into a frenzy. Scores of forest-dwelling wild Pokémon race toward any shelter or underground cover they can find.
To no one's astonishment, the culprit is none other than Team Rocket! The trio this time is piloting a huge mechanized Meowth.
"Hahahahaaa!" James pulls a lever that fires giant coins from a slot on the machine's forehead charm. "The knights want to be rich, they can have my money!"
"Watch where you're aiming!" Angrily, Jessie tugs her partner's arm. "You'll flatten my castle!"
"I'm trying to drive here!" The dispute nearly knocks the remote control from Meowth's grip.
"Why is this thing remote-controlled if it has such comfy seats?" James leans back, satisfied by the cockpit's design. It's located where the nose would be, as a Meowth's tiny nostrils are typically hidden by its fur.
Back at the castle, Commander Sirius has gathered the knights and company for an emergency strategy session.
"We have determined our adversary is affiliated with Team Rocket." Sirius displays a complete diagram of the castle grounds, with a blip indicating the Meowth mech's present course. "Yet the monstrous weapon they've deployed is neither person nor Pokémon. As fate would have it, our absent but not forgotten technician Davy had been preparing us for just this type of foe."
The commander carries on, describing how many experimental Team Rocket mechs have been sighted throughout the world, and that most of them fall to the determination of Ash and his Pikachu.
"My tummy won't survive another lecture." In boredom, Emma munches on a cookie.
"Those treats are for my sweetie!" Regina pretends to be upset, but takes a lollipop for herself too.
"Ramen." Even Akane, difficult to read as she is, pokes at her noodles with chopsticks.
"Pardon me, Commander." Senna whispers something to his boss.
"It is decided then." Sirius brings up schematics of a Flygon-shaped machine. "The Flygon-One shall mobilize in our time of need!"
Citrata, Emma, and their new allies enter a massive hangar packed with machinery. All throughout the space are catwalks, ladders, cranes, and other means to move objects about.
Standing in the center, is the Flygon-One. Its imposing dragon-like construction is an engineering marvel. Since the Knights of Fennekin are not in the demolition business, however, the machine's armaments are unconventional. The cannons are equipped with defense mechanisms such as nets, smoke pellets, and water.
On the top of its head is a crown reminiscent of giant robots from decades-old animated television shows. While the long, serpentine tail is flexible enough to serve as a secondary weapon.
"Cici! This is incredible!" Emma gasps at the mech towering above her.
"Yeah, but who's gonna fly it?" How something so large could possibly take flight, consumes Citrata's imagination.
"There's no time for details." Senna uses a nearby control panel to lower Flygon-One's head, down to an airport-style mobile staircase he can climb into the access hatch. Akane, Heather, and Regina quickly follow him in.
Not wanting to join the showdown without looking the part, Emma puts on the costume she wore as Essentia. She has some lingering memory of the suit being called an "expansion suit", but doesn't recall how or where she heard that.
"All systems normal." Regina checks the machine's status display as she inserts her pink card into a slot. Beneath her sugary surface, she is a gifted aviator. "Regina is ready to soar!"
"Gloom, activate." Akane is the tactician. Favoring quietly calculating an opponent's weaknesses, over brute force.
"Lend me your strength, Snover." Amounting to the team's medic, Heather's forte is more tending wounds than combat.
"I shall not hesitate." Collected Senna fights on his terms, keeping a distance for long-range attacks.
"Why did I agree to this?" Brought aboard untrained, in place of the mech's creator, Citrata is out of her element.
"These buttons look like fun." As there wasn't time to reconfigure the cockpit for a sixth operator, Emma doesn't have a set of controls. She'll back up the team.
The launch is a success! Once the hangar doors have opened, the Flygon-One enters a hover about the ground, speeding forward toward its objective. In the interest of conserving fuel, the hover mode is generally only used during takeoff or landing.
"Excuse me, Jessie. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" James pulls down a set of binoculars for a closer view.
"You hand is blocking my…" The sight of the Flygon-One sends Jessie into a panic. "What is going on here!? Nobody told me the knights wanted a fair fight!"
"It's not a fair fight, they brought a dragon!" Slightly less fazed, Meowth shifts the machine's aim toward the new target.
Bracing its feet for recoil, the Meowth mech fires an energy beam toward our heroine's machine!
"They're attacking first!" Citrata watches the scene unfold, as Emma clings to her for safety.
"We'll have to evade, fasten your seatbelts!" Regina rolls the mech's flight angle, letting the beam pass under the left wing.
"Are you listening!?" Meowth activates the short-range communication channel. "We're Team Rocket, and we're not in the mood to play nice!"
"Transmission incoming." Akane double-checks the Flygon-One's own systems.
"We hear you." Citrata replies, being the most familiar with Team Rocket. "Stop this nonsense, you're outnumbered!"
The immediate danger averted, the Flygon-One lands near its opponent.
"What does she mean by outnumbered?" James' eyes pan the area, but he doesn't spot any other enemies.
"Look at the screen, pal!" Jessie points out their sensor reads six lifeforms.
"One, two, three…" James pauses for an instant. "Six! That's no fun. Why don't we have a cabin big enough for six people?"
The Meowth mech wobbles around, as its occupants squabble among each other.
"They're acting really funny now!" Emma lets out a small laugh.
"Target confirmed." Akane aims the Flygon-One's right hand at the center of the Meowth mech.
"Fly true, rocket punch!" Heather claps her hands in a wishing gesture.
It's the legendary technique of giant robot animation! The Flygon-One stands proud, launching its fist at Team Rocket. Bam! The Meowth mech weathers the impact itself, still standing upright, but steam begins to emerge from various places on it.
"What do we do!?" James presses random buttons, trying to cool the machine down. "We're overheating!"
"Ow!" A cup of coffee splashes onto Meowth. "Dummy, that was the coffee machine!"
"Mm! It takes pretty good." James tries to drink some of the spraying liquid.
"Oh no." Jessie nudges James' eyes up toward a blinking red light.
The Team Rocket trio blasts off through their exploding mech's windshield, disappearing from sight! Another chapter in our heroine's journey has drawn to a detonation of a finale.
Some might argue the Knights of Fennekin deserve the credit today, but getting sidetracked from her quest this time was more rewarding for Citrata than she knows.
Unlike defeating Team Rocket, catching her first wild Pokémon is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The future is looking bright! New allies, lasting memories, the path to the Pokémon League continues...