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Versant Road, a beautiful hilly route full of scenic views and aspiring trainers. While a small crowd gathered themselves around the roller rink near the route's entrance, the open air and calm atmosphere of the rest of the route was a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of Lumiose City.
As much as a certain redheaded trainer would have loved to relax underneath a tree and enjoy the cool ocean breeze, she knew that she and her pokemon had a lot of work to do after their stop in the city of lights.
"Atta boy Skip! Hit him with one more Water Gun!"
At the sound of Kayla's command, the little Mudkip shot a burst of water towards the wild Sentret ahead of him. The attack connected dead on, knocking the Scout Pokemon unconscious.
"Way to go buddy!" Kayla shouted as she scooped up the water type into her arms. "You're doing so great! I'm sure that you'll be a big and strong Marshtomp in no time." In response to his praise, Skip cuddled up into his trainer's arms and let out a happy, "Kip!"
"Alright, well now that you've gotten a few battles in it's time for Bree to get some training." She placed Skip atop her head beside Richie who was perched on her shoulder. The Monferno gave the newest team member a fist bump as recognition for his hard work.
"Bree, it's time to shine!" Hearing her trainer call her name, the Deerling got up from where she and Sparks had been resting underneath the shade of a tree. She gave a gentle nod towards her trainer as she made her way over.
Kayla rubbed the pokemon behind the ears as she scouted out an opponent for Bree to face. There were an abundant amount of flying types gliding through the air, but their type advantage against the Deerling would be a problem. As her eyes scanned the route she stopped and almost gasped.
Underneath the shade of another tree lay a Shinx, peacefully relaxing. The trainer couldn't believe her eyes, the thunder type was one of her favorite species of pokemon and her father had even owned a Luxray that had been around the ranch as she grew up.
"Ihavetocatchit." Her words couldn't keep up with her excitement as the possibility of having a Luxray on the team buzzed through her mind. "Alright Bree, I'm counting on you. Hit her with a Leech Seed."
The Deerling shot a small barrage of seeds at the Shinx, which planted themselves onto the Flash Pokemon. Groggily having been awoken from her nap, the Shinx gave an annoyed growl and glared at her assailant.
Feeling the Leech Seed drain some energy from her body, the pokemon growled again, but this time charged forwards towards Bree, fangs bared. She leapt forward, biting the side of the Deerling's neck before hastily retreating back to its original position.
The Grass Type winced in pain, but Kayla gave her a reassuring thumbs up. "I'm sorry buddy, but just stand your ground and let the Leech Seed do its work. Be ready when he comes around again though." Bree nodded in response and straightened herself upright.
As the Leech Seed continued to drain her, the Shinx continued to get angrier. It once again charged towards the Deerling, but this time she was ready. "Double Kick!" The Deer Pokemon quickly lifted its front legs in the air, and kicked them out twice, hitting the Shinx squarely in the snout in succession.
The Wild Pokemon recoiled back in pain, but sent a Spark of lightning back towards its opponent. The shock hit Bree directly, but she stood tall, taking the hit like a champ. "Atta girl, we finally got some type advantages in our favor. Let's finish this with a Grass Whistle."
Kayla covered Skip's ears and Richie plugged his own, as the soothing tones of Bree's whistle filled the air, making the aggravated Shinx drowsier and drowsier until she finally collapsed into a deep sleep.
As she made her way over to the sleeping pokemon, Kayla pulled an empty poke-ball from her bag. She crouched before the Shinx and tapped the ball against it's body. With a red flash it was inside, and after three quick shakes the poke-ball clicked.
"Yes!" The trainer exclaimed in excitement, celebrating the new capture. "Atta girl, Bree!" Much to the Deerling's delight, Kayla gave her a thorough rub behind the ears. Richie hopped off of his trainer's shoulder to give Bree a congratulatory high-five and Skip gave an excited, "Kip!"
"I think we all deserve a short break and everyone needs quick a trip to the Poke-Center." Kayla sighed as she turned towards the route's entrance. "I guess we're headed back to Lumiose."
Bree learned Take Down!
NEW POKEMON
Sammy the Shinx ♀ Guts
Tackle | Spark | Bite | Charge | Night Slash
Kade and Lillie rushed towards the burst of electricity, filled with concern... or curiosity in Kade's case. They sprinted towards it, soon finding themselves standing on the edge of a canal, looking down into a cloud of smoke as it gradually cleared. Eventually it did so, revealing a seen of chaos below them. The area had been blacked in places by the ferocious electricity, a group of Vanillite huddled together against a wall looking terrified and a young woman sat slumped by an unconcious and injured Ambipom, smoke rising off its body in wisps. Across from the trainer stood a well-dressed man with a Rotom floating nearby - apparently the source of the electricity.
"This doesn't look very good!" Kade heard Lillie say off to his side, her voice filled with concern, "That man is going too far!"
"Is that a Rotom?" Kade said, remembering that the Pokemon could become a Flying type under the correct conditions. "Wait, did it do that to that poor Ambipom? It's trainer looks so sa - Brie?! Brie doesn't lose. That doesn't look right. What happened?!"
It took her a while for her eyes to adjust to the environment again, her body still not moving to her wishes due to the stray electricity that hit her. What does, work properly, are her other four senses, and one of them managed to let her know that other people were suddenly around, a voice being too familiar to even mistake for someone else. Great. Just greaaat.
"H-hi, Kade." She muttered, coughing slightly. "I lost a battle." Brie sighed, her hands still trembling slightly. This wasn't cute at all! First she loses, and now her rival has to see her like this? Messed up and probably looked deader than actual dead people? Definitely not cute.
"That's weird." Kade said, sounding almost as shocked by the situation as Brie was "How'd that happen?"
"Uh-Kade." Lillie said, her attention more on the man with the Rotom than on Kade and his temporarily paralysed companion. "It's uh... great that your friend is here and all... but I think we have other things to worry about... like that guy." The man in the suit was looking directly at the two new arrivals, his face a strannge mix of amusement and contempt.
"As much as I hate to break up a cheerful reunion, I'm not feeling like playing with more pests, so I'm going to have to make this quick. I'm a very busy man and I have more important things to do." The mysterious man let out a low laugh "Rotom, they're a problem. You should get rid of them. Shock Wave."
The Rotom looked at its trainer for a moment, then at Kade and Lillie, then back at its trainer before it apparently seemed to make up its mind. A small shock went up to the sky from the Rotom. Lillie immediately recognised that this attack was not something as mild as Shock Wave and tackled Kade to the side just in time for a far larger bolt of lightning to careen down from the sky and hit the ground where they used to be, leaving a crater and sending the young trainers sprawling.
"Thunder was a bit excessive." the man said, his voice business like, as though he hadn't just attacked two people. "I guess you'll need some further conditioning." The man didn't get to say any more however, as suddenly the strange Pokemon from before leapt out of Lillie's back and unleashed a powerful blast of white light from its mouth, striking the Rotom and sending it flying into the wall of the Canal.
"Nebby!" Lillie shouted in surprise as it prepared another attack, being cut off suddenly by the man returning his Rotom to a strange purple Pokeball.
"Looks like this will take a bit longer than expected if I deal with you the same way as her. So I'll be taking my leave instead. Like I said, I'm very busy." Then, again as though nothing criminal had just transpired, he turned and started walking calmly back up the canal. Kade took this as his queue, climbing down the side of the canal to the small path where Brie was.
"What was that all about?" he asked, making his way to her, "That was insane. How odd for a Pokemon owned by a trainer to attack a person. Are you okay?" Kade followed up from his previous question, painfully aware that his whole body was shaking from his near electrocution.
Brie smirked, slightly amused by Kade's own question. "Let's see..." She mumbled, attempting to move her arm but failing. She frowned, not liking the fact that it was taking a lot of effort for her to move. She looked at her fainted Roon- now an evolved Ambipom, and sighed. "We're as okay as we can be right now. Are you okay?" She asked, noticing his own quivering body. "You nearly got fried there."
"Oh, you know, a little lightning's probably nothing to worry about." Kade said, shrugging off his near shave with death "Although I am glad Lillie pushed me out the way. That probably would have hurt... destroyed ground and all. I'm just glad you're alright."
"We should still get her Pokemon checked out at the Pokemon Centre... and her by a doctor... if she doesn't mind." Lillie said, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere among the other trainers. "We should hurry. Okay?"
?Hail lord Honedge bro!? The three Scraggy all shouted as they bent the knee in praise of the floating sword Pok?mon before them.
?I will warn you not to threaten my tactician again. I have sworn a life oath to protect and serve him and will not falter in cutting you down where you stand if you mean him or our other companions any further harm.? Whisper demanded as it eyed the yellow skinned Pok?mon warily.
?Yo Dawg, we didn?t mean to do no such thing mister lord Honedge sir! We only meant to retrieve what the bastard thief took from us!? The Scraggy with the large watch exclaimed hastily.
?Yo dude, yo can?t swear before one of the fucking holy blades.? The backwards hat scraggy pointed out.
?Shut up both of you. I?ll do the talking.? The sunglasses Scraggy said as he snapped his fingers at the other two Pok?mon, who instantly stopped in their tracks before an argument erupted.
?Why do you call me a lord strange Pok?mon.? Whisper asked inquisitively.
?In our old digs at the tribe, the elders used to tell a story of an ancient sword Pok?mon who had fought in a great war that protected this land. Legends say that this dog was the strongest Pok?mon in all the land, and that with that power he cut down any foes that would threaten those less strong Pok?mon.? The Scraggy in the shades explained.
?So you think I am some sort of? Protector?? Whisper pondered curiously.
?Well see, this dog eventually grew old. Bit? rusty. So he eventually turned to us Scraggy and claimed that we reminded him of himself. He wanted to train us to become the new protectors? and he did? but before the dude could teach us the secret to true strength? he passed.? The leader Scraggy said sadly.
?I see? So you seek the secrets to true strength.? Whisper mused.
?Gee Whisper! Oh my gosh do you really know the secret to true strength? I can?t believe my friend is so awesome and cool!? A cheerful trash bag exclaimed from out of nowhere.
??Friend is a strong word.? Whisper sighed with a tinge of depression. ?However? I do know the secret to true strength. It is something our people like to hold closely.?
?Oh my gosh oh my gosh!? Rubbish exclaimed excitedly, flailing it?s arms around wildly.
??I will share this with you. However, I wish to pay my respects to this old Pok?mon?s resting place. A fallen brother deserves that much.? Whisper stated as he shook the trash droplets out of his cloth.
?Oh?? The three scraggy all began to hang their heads in shame.
?Is something the matter?? Whisper pondered.
?Well we?re kind of? banished from the tribe.? The leader scraggy mumbled. ??But maybe if you come with us they?ll change their minds!? He said quickly.
??? Whisper stared at the Scraggy for several moments. ?I will speak with them.? He said after awhile.
* * *
Chris had been following these strange Pok?mon for awhile now. He didn?t understand why, but Whisper seemed to want him to follow, gently tugging on his arm as they dragged them through the nearby trees. How far off Route 5 had they travelled? He wasn?t even sure anymore.
?I trust you Whisper.? Chris mumbled as he carried the still unconscious Yamask in his arms.
Suddenly it seemed that the three Scraggy stopped in place in a clearing before a small burrow in the side of a dirt ledge about three feet high.
?I don?t think I?m going to fit buddy?? Chris said with a worried glance at the sword Pok?mon whom let out an alarmed clanging noise. ??I?ll wait here. Rubbish can back me up if something comes after me. Go see what?s going on alright?? He continued with a smile as he gave a thumbs up.
Clang! The sword Pokemon raised its cloth in a thumbs up motion before turning to follow the Scraggy down the hole.
As soon as the metal Pok?mon disappeared into the darkness, Chris eye caught sight of a faint image carved into a nearby stone.
?What? what is that?? He muttered curiously as he began to dust off the rock.
?Dios Mio!? He gasped as the image was revealed to be of a large sword Pok?mon floating above several smaller lizardlike Pok?mon. ?Asombroso? Are there? more of these?? Chris said curiously as he began to look around the clearing.
Momentum - Part 1Current Location : Versant Road - Skate Park
"You used to skate... right bro?" Malorie asked, looking up at her brother as they passed by the Versant Skate Park on their way back towards the West Lumiose Gate where they were supposed to meet the professor whom was there to collect Malorie and take her back to his lab in the city, where she would be staying for a short while. Her arm was interlocked with her big brothers, while the other rested happily on the back of Benjamin the Mudbray, Malorie's new pok?mon whom she could rely in so as to walk without the assistance of her walker, which was currently folded away in Jackson's bag.
"Huh... guess so kiddo..." Jackson muttered, thinking back to his time as a kid at the orphanage. There was never much to do when he was a little kid, so he took to exploring Veilstone city when he could slip away from the caretakers. He wasn't fast enough to run away, so he used a pair of old streamline roller skates to get away when they chased him, it made exploring easier too once he had gotten the hang of them. "These new... retractable? I think that's it, these retractable wheels y'put on your shoes look a little too different from what I'm used to though."
"I think you'd be fine with them! I always thought you were really cool... some of my earliest memories are watching you zip about with those you know? Miss. Marie was always so frustrated... heh." As she reminisced, Jackson responded by pinching his nose and immitating a snooty, uptight voice. "Miiiiister Crane! Cease and desssist!" Malorie quickly put a hand to her mouth to stifle her burst of laughter as Benjamin looked up at them both with a sort of confused gaze.
The Mudbray liked Malorie... she reminded him of the person he'd lost. So gentle and fragile, the instinct to protect someone had burned in him once again upon their meeting, it suited his proud nature to be able to act as her guardian. Avril was plenty strong, he thought, so he knew she'd be able to protect herself. It made him feel somewhat redundant... and that had evolved into him holding some resentment to her orders. Still, even he realized how petty such an attitude was, despite their differences there was a little pain in his heart for the over-enthusiastic blonde trainer he had traveled with. Deep down, he would miss her... and he looked forward to the visit where they would meet again. He would be certain to train by himself and impress her with his prowess at that meeting.
---
Before too long the group had found their way to the skate park to watch the youth at work, the side where people went around on skates however, seemed significantly more empty than Jackson would have expected, with only a few people going back and forth over the various ramps, half-pipes and rails. A certain childish glee rekindled in Jackson as he saw the area before him. It reminded him of home, the good part of home, small as that section was for him. "Maybe I should get a pair, whatcha think kiddo?"
Malorie nodded with an excited glee and started to look around the area with frantic excitement. "Hmhmhm... but where do they sell them... they've got to be somewhere..." She mused looking around the area, certain that they'd have to have a place to purchase the various boards, bikes and skates somewhere. She stepped away from Jackson for a moment, Benjamin moving with her to keep her steady, as Jackson continued to watch the various skaters with an amused and melancholic expression.
"A-Ahhh!" His concentration was shattered as he heard Malorie cry out, turning on a dime he rushed towards his sister, whom appeared to have fallen onto rather suddenly. "M-Malorie?!" He quickly knelt down and helped her upright slowly, her brittle frame sending caution into his every movement. As he examined her, the shoulder of her dress was torn and the skin beneath bled slightly. Behind her, laying on the ground was what looked like a rather sharp pebble.
"Haha! You got her good Rails! Knocked her down and everything!" At the sound of a younger voice, jackson turned his head over his shoulder to glare. Behind him he saw three kids, one on a scooter, another on a bicycle... but in the center was a young man with a beanie, a black jacket and a sneering expression, the other two seemed to be looking at him expectantly as his foot was placed firmly upon skateboard at his feet.
"Tch... I was aiming for the pok?mon but I guess that'll do..." He muttered, to which the other two laughed and began to roll out. Their leader, Rails apparently, caught Jackson's eye for a quick moment before following after his apparent lackeys away and across the vast skate park.
Jackson helped Malorie to stand and rest on Benjamin, he could vaguely hear her try to calm him, telling him it was just a graze, that she wasn't badly hurt and that she already felt better... but the older man only saw red, his vision like a HUD displaying active targets and locking onto the skaterboy for the kill.
"Oh Arceus I am so sorry about that..." A womans voice seeped in over his anger and cut off his tunnel vision for long enough to allow him to acknowledge her. A dark skinned middle-aged woman with frizzy hair tied into a bun, she wore a pair of denim shorts and knee pads. Her feet were adorned with sneakers and the attachable skates besides. On her back was a net bag with various other pairs of the wheels filling it to the brim.
"Who were they?" Jackson asked plainly, his direct approach leaving the woman somewhat taken aback. "Well a how do you do too stranger..." She muttered before sighing. "No, I'm sorry... I understand you might be upset. I'm Rinkee, I run the skate rental around here with my daughter Rinka." She explained, to which Malorie gave a small smile, but Jackson continued with his line of questioning.
"I asked who they were, not you." The older woman bristled at his tone of voice and rude words, but given the circumstances she relented. "His name is Rodrick... but the other kids call him Rails, the other two I don't know the names of but they follow him around. Bunch of brats have been throwing rocks and causing chaos for the past couple of days..."
"Where are they going...?" Jackson asked, for some reason beginning to undo his tie and take a pok?ball from his belt. The woman seemed somewhat worried suddenly and Malorie gave an awkward smile, unable to cut through the tension her brother was creating. "P-probably down the side road to the dirt trail that circles around the forests North of the park... dangerous place for the inexperienced so they go there to avoid people who try to follow them... n-now do you have any other questions for me or are you quite finished?"
Jackson simply sneered to the woman's words, his eyes flaring with determination and a renewed flame of anger. "Yeah, actually... I'd like to rent a pair of those skates."
---
"Haha! Did you hear her scream Rails?! That was great!" The boy on the bike proclaimed as he road along the dirt trail through a canopy of trees, the young man on the skateboard in the center easily maneuvered his way around the foliage as he gave a nod in response.
"I suppose... tch, felt kind of bad though. She was just a girl." He grunted, frowning somewhat as he quickly flipped the board over a small rock and continued on without missing a beat.
"Please... who cares? They all do the same shit, so who the fuck cares?!" The foulmouthed boy on the scooter cried out as he spun the vehicle over a log as he went, before turning his head to look back along the path behind them. "Besides it's not- R-Rails...?! We got company!"
"Hm?" The leader asked, turning a pair of lazy eyes back trail behind him to see what sap was following behind, what he saw however was enough to strike fear into his heart rather swiftly.
Fang was swiftly bounding along the dirt trail, a makeshift collar formed from Jackson's tie was wrapped around his neck... and from that the half ruined remains of Jackson's fishing line was fastened tightly in a knot, the makeshift tether connected to the old rod base that Jackson gripped tightly, his features were scrunched in rage, with that uneasy sneering smile adding a creepy edge to the expression that made the now fleeing delinquents recoil. Jackson swiftly spun and dodged obstacles on his shoe fit skates, grinding along the edge of fallen logs and ramping off of smooth rocks to increases his momentum. All the while Fang got faster and faster, dragging his trainer along on a war path towards their enemies. "C'MERE YOU RATS!"
The three boys desperately put the pedal to the metal, the bike owner gaining acceleration the fastest as he turned back to his comrades. "R-run! Skate! Whatever just go!" Rails stared at Jackson with genuine shock for a moment, he had sensed something off about that shitty adult, dressed in that formal wear with those flat top shoes and crappy waistcoat. But... he was killing it, the obstacles behind them would have shredded a beginner or intermediate level rider on their own, but this guy was being tugged at high speeds by a fucking Houndoom?! What the hell was he?!
"R-Rails?!" The skater boy turned his head quickly to the scooter goer beside him, who was calling out desperately for his attention. "T-that pok?mon! The one you got from your old man! He's from Kanto right, can't it help us?! Can't you stop this guy?!" It was true Rails felt the rattling of a pok?ball in his pocket, but would it really be able to save him? Then again... was not trying even an option anymore? Gripping it in his palm he threw it backwards in a panic, activating it quickly and barely catching it as it flew back to his hand.
"P-Pidgeot! Save us!"
As Jackson skated forward he had already roughly grabbed the pok?dex from his pocket as he heard the boys talking.
Pok?dex said:
PIDGEOT, THE BIRD POK?MON
When hunting, it skims the surface of water at high speed to pick off unwary prey such as Magikarp. This Pok?mon has a dazzling plumage of beautifully glossy feathers. Many Trainers are captivated by the striking beauty of the feathers on its head, compelling them to choose Pidgeot as their Pok?mon.
"Not taking any chances with this..." Jackson muttered. "Fang! Ember!" As the pok?mon ran, he gathered flames in his open maw, firing blast after blast of flame towards the fluttering bird, aiming for it as best he could under his already strenuous circumstances. While most of the attacks did miss, Fang wasn't an inexperienced little Houndour any longer, he had fought Viola's incredibly fast pok?mon and he knew now that to hit a fast moving opponent? It wasn't a matter of aiming, but predicting. With that thought in mind, he swiftly turned his maw towards the right side as the Pidgeot began to dart left and turn, giving a roar of superiority and challenge he released a barrage of embers that struck the bird dead on as it flew directly into their trajectory. Flapping its wings quicker to dispel the sudden and intense flames, the Pidgeot almost fell from the sky, but it wasn't over just yet.
Put off by the sudden attack, it quickly began to swing his wings in sweeping arcs as he flew back and forth over the trail ahead of the two. Jackson immediately recognized the move, air cutter, as he jumped and drifted along the dirt track, desperately holding onto the rod as Fang too was forced into a serpentine to dodge the incoming attacks.
"Yeah! Get em'! Take em' down!" Rails' cried triumphantly as he skated faster still, the lack of real obstacle making it harder for Fang and Jackson to keep up.
"God damn it! Fang, we've got to move faster! Ignore the bird!" Fang nodded with a snarl, rushing down the track as fast as he could, dodging the Pidgeot's attacks by simply out-pacing them. This caused the bird to have to increase its speed slightly, stuttering in its assault slightly as it had to adjust its momentum and position to match that of its targets. Flapping its wings swiftly it pushed at the ground with flying type energy, sending gust after gust of wind into the earth below and kicking up multiple small stones and clouds of vision disabling dirt and dust which a spluttering Jackson struggled to avoid. Still they remained resolute... and once again the distance between them and the delinquents began to close.
It was then that, of its own accord, the Pidgeot quickly flapped its wings with great speed until they began to glow, Jackson was awe struck as with minimal effort it perfected the amount of speed it needed to keep pace, even while flying backwards and making an attack, it was able to adjust its own velocity during the chaos of an intense chase scene. The wind began to get rougher, to the point where Jackson had to block his eyes as he was dragged through the torrent of air behind Fang. It picked up speed until Jackson started to feel physical pain, the wind itself becoming visible as it rushed Dust and debris around Jackson in a whirlwind of speed. What kind of a move was this?!
As the Pidgeot focused itself fully it let out an intense cry, striking downwards with its glowing wings, the white energy it had gathered shot down into the vortex which nigh exploded outwards around Jackson and Fang, the white light becoming blades in the wind creating a night dust storm as Jackson and Fang both let out cries of pain, becoming lost in a storm of dust and debris.
Rails immediately stopped as Pidgeot flapped triumphantly in the air above the trainer it had presumably decimated. Rails quickly started to run back, followed by his pair of now terrified lackeys. "R-Rails... what did you do?!" One cried, suddenly turning on the boy as they approached the thick wall of floating dirt particles that obscured all vision of what was assuredly a grizzly scene. "You... You coulda killed that guy?! Y-You're insane...!"
Rails was about to turn and defend himself, accusing the others of egging him on, but a sudden shrill screech emanating from the fog stopped him.
Suddenly shooting from the mass of dust, Jackson rose up, carried by Wave who gripped his shoulders and nigh shot him towards the Pidgeot, whom looked suitably shocked as the the cut and bloodied, but otherwise completely uninjured Jackson barreled towards it.
"Shitty... fuckin'... BIRD!!!" Spinning around Jackson smashed the toe of his shoe into the side of the Pidgeot's head, sending the bird pok?mon shooting through the air and crashing into a nearby tree with a hard knock, causing several acorns to fall down and conk onto the birds dazed body as he lay injured and unconscious beneath the branches.
The three delinquents stood there, stunned, scared and honestly somewhat impressed as Jackson landed in front of them upon his knee. Standing slowly, he cracked his neck and knuckles both... the fire in his eyes replaced by an odd sort of calm and self assurance. He was a mere few feet from the fleeing punks now. Their coming back to check on his condition had placed them right where he wanted them to be.
"So... this is the part where I make y'bleed. I hope y'know a good cleaner, 'cause that nice white hoodie is gonna stain, brat."
Spoiler:
BADGE CASE:
Spoiler:
INVENTORY:
1 x Pok?dex
3 x Pok? Ball
1 x Old Rod
1 x Metal Coat
1 x Black Holocaster
1 x Cinder Uniform
Having gone his own way from Brielle and Lillie after their adventures in Lumiose, Kade found himself out on the open road again, heading up a steadily increasing incline towards the mountains in the distance. Mountains were a great place to find interesting Flying Pokemon, so Kade was eager for the change in landscape. This didn?t however, prevent him from overhearing the conversation of two young trainers nearby.
?Seriously, what was with that Pidgeot?? the first said to the other.
?I don?t even know.? came the reply ?What kind of Flying type can take out a pair of Electric Pokemon by itself? That was mad.? Naturally, Kade was intrigued by the prospect of encountering a trainer with such a powerful Flying Pokemon.
?Hear that, Stratus?? Kade said to the grey bird riding his shoulder ?Sounds like something we need to see.? As the Starly chirped the affirmative, Kade headed over to the pair of trainers. ?Excuse me, I couldn?t help but overhear you. Do you know where that trainer is now??
Twenty minutes later, Kade found himself approaching a young woman who was reclining on a thick tree branch? several feet off the ground. She had heavily tanned skin and long black hair, but most notably appeared to be wearing a white flight suit with azure accents. Attire typical of those who identified themselves as Sky Trainers - a group of people Kade admired and was very fond of. They were experts on battling with Flying types after all.
?Hello?? Kade called up, trying not to startle the woman who seemed to be dozing with her back resting up against the trunk of the tree. ?Are you awake??
?I sure hope so, otherwise I?m having a really boring dream.? she replied, opening her eyes and looking down towards Kade, perfectly balanced on the tree?s limb. ?That?s a nice looking Starly you have there.? Kade turned his head to see Stratus on his shoulder, she wasn?t making a song and dance of it, but he could tell that she was pleased with the compliment. Her eyes had lit up, and if she didn?t have a beak for a mouth, she?d probably have been smiling.
?Thanks? Kade said, also pleased with the compliment ?She works hard and is happy you can see it. My name?s Kade by the way, and my Starly is named Stratus.?
?Nice to meet you, my name is Sky - yes really - what can I do for you?? Kade grinned at that, the perfect name for a Sky Trainer.
?Actually,? he said ?I came past a pair of trainers who had battled you and said you have a really impressive Flying type. Flying Pokemon are my favourite, and my specialty, so I was hoping you?d battle me so I can see it in action.?
?Oh really?? Sky replied, now sporting a mischievous grin of her own, ?a Sky Trainer in the making maybe? How could I possibly refuse then? Let?s make this a bit more interesting though, since I?d like to see more of your team. We?ll do this as a best of three battle, and any time a Pokemon is knocked out, we both switch. For good measure, only Flying types will be allowed if you?ve got enough.?
?Sounds fine to me.? Kade agreed, not particularly bothered by the battle format ?Flying types are all I?m really planning to train.?
Kade moved back from the tree, giving Sky?s and his Pokemon a makeshift battlefield. He could feel his heart start thudding with excitement, this would be his first time battling a Flying type expert. He could hardly wait to see what she?d bring to the table. It also seemed like a good opportunity to try Nox iin battle for the first time, he?d be able to learn a lot.
?Okay Nox, let?s see how we do.? Kade tossed the Pokeball, a flash of light bursting forth before taking the shape of his Hoothoot. The Hoothoot looked from Sky and then back to Kade, a look of terror eventually appearing on his face as he realised he?d just been thrown into a battle.
?Your Hoothoot looks really young - and honestly a bit scared - has it not battle much before?? Sky asked, seeming both concerned and intrigued.
?I don?t know about in the wild, but he?s never battled before with me, not even when I caught him. I?m hoping this will be a good learning experience.? Kade said to his opponent before adding for Noc?s benefit ?Don?t worry, I?m going to take good care of you. You?ll be fine.? Shakily, the little bird turned back towards Sky, reluctantly accepting its place in the battle.
?For the sake of fairness then, I?ll use my newest Pokemon too. Buzz, come on out.? Sky tossed her own unique-looking Pokeball out, a cloudy-looking burst of light taking the form of a thin red Bug with a green head, it?s wings a blurry appearance on its back that made a faint buzzing sound. Kade hadn?t been expecting a Yanma, a Bug Pokemon seemed like a strange choice for someone who specialised in battles dominated by Flying types, but it was part Flying itself so it fit Sky?s requirements. ?Ready when you are!? she called down, her demeanour confident as she sat perched on the branch.
?Okay, Nox. Use Hypnosis!? Kade instructed, hoping to put the speedy Pokemon out of commission early before Speed Boost, could take effect. Nox?s eyes lit up a dull blue, sending a wave of sleep inducing energy out towards the Yanma. Unfortunately though, Sky wasn?t about to fall for such an easy tactic.
?Protect!? she called, a bubble of shimmering green energy instantly appearing around Buzz where the Yanma hovered. The defensive move shielding the insect from the Hypnosis attack. ?Smart move trying to neutralise Buzz?s Speed. My turn now. Buzz, use Toxic!?
Seemingly in an instant, the Yanma went from hovering in place several feet away to being directly in front of Nox. Kade called for the bird to take to the air and avoid the attack, but it was far too slow, taking a spray of noxious purple chemicals to the face as it ascended.
?Oh no.? Kade said, knowing full well that Nox had just been put on a timer, now afflicted with poison.
?Oh yes.? Sky replied, her enthusiasm for the battle seeming to grow ?Leech Life!? The Yanma pursued Nox up into the air, easily catching up to the slower Pokemon and biting down on its leg, draining its health like a vampire. In combination with Toxic, it was a highly effective strategy.
?Stop flying!? Kade instructed, Nox hesitating as Buzz continued to sap his health before finally ceasing his flapping and snapping his eyes shut as he began to plummet towards the earth. Sky opened her eyes wide, surprised by the maneuver, Buzz now caught in a game of chicken. The Yanma broke away from Nox, unwilling to risk hitting the ground. ?Now bailout!? Kade called, Nox immediately starting to flap again. Unfortunately, he wasn?t yet as strong a flier as Kade?s other Pokemon and found himself only just narrowly pulling out of the drop and avoiding a crash, struggling to regain his altitude.
?Sonic Boom!? Sky told Buzz, the Yanma unleashing a blast of sonic energy from its wings, the attack colliding with Nox and sending him crashing into the ground with a thud. Nox flapped feebly, struggling to his feet as Buzz?s poison continued to take its additional toll, before falling back over, spent before he could even land an attack on the Yanma.
?Good effort.? Kade said encouragingly as he returned the Hoothoot.
?That was a risky move you pulled earlier.? Sky acknowledged as she returned Buzz ?Effective but not something to try with a Pokemon that isn?t used to combat flying yet. It would have cost you more health, but in the long run the simpler tactic of trying to shake Buzz off would have been better. Ready for round two?? Kade nodded, appreciating the instruction, and turned to Stratus.
?Your turn.? he said to the Starly, the Pokemon taking flight between Kade and Sky.
?Sora, you too.? Sky said, her expression becoming mischievous once more as she tossed another of her Pokeballs. From the expected burst of light, a large tan bird with powerful wings and talons and a flowing orange and yellow crest emerged. The super strong Pidgeot that Kade had heard the two trainers speaking about before.
?You got the first move last round, so I think it?s our turn.? Sky said, flashing her teeth with her apparently trademark grin. ?Sora, Quick Attack!? The large bird let out a piercing battle cry and blitzed towards Stratus in a blur of movement.
?Quick Attack, under it!? Kade called in response, Stratus shooting off in the same fashion. The Starly dodged just underneath her opponents wings, fighting the turbulence created by the larger bird?s powerful wing beats. Stratus righted herself, but was suddenly slammed by another Quick Attack from the Pidgeot as she recovered, going tumbling through the air as she was forced to struggle even harder to maintain her flight.
?Gotta be careful with Turbulence, Kade!? Sky said, chuckling as she advised him, ?It slows you down. Air Slash!? From her higher altitude, Sora gave a mighty flap of her wings, producing a shimmering scythe of air the flew towards Stratus. Stratus immediately rolled to the side, avoiding the attack. ?Keep ?em coming!? Sky called to her Pokemon. The Pidgeot continued flapping aggressively, each time unleashing another blade of wind.
?Quick Attack, Stratus! Kade instructed ?Dodge and attack.? Moving at high speed, Stratus begun dodging between the Air Slashes in acrobatic motions. The blades narrowly missed her, but eventually she was able to collide with her opponent?s underside send it back a few feet before it was able to right itself. ?Follow it up with Growl!? Stratus let out a loud cry, the sound carrying an effect that slightly lowered Sora?s formidable attack power. Kade smiled, he?d finally landed an attack against one of Sky?s Pokemon. He still had a long way to go though if he wanted to defeat her.
?Not bad!? Sky commended he and Stratus ?That was some fancy flying there and it paid off. Sora?s not the type to take that sitting down though. I hope you?re ready.?
?Of course.? Kade said ?I?m eager to see what you have in store.?
?Famous last words.? Sky chided ?Work Up!? A fiery, dark orange aura briefly flared to life around the Pidgeot, giving her a ferocious looking appearance before it faded away, her offensive power raised. ?Now, Hurricane!?
The Pidgeot started beating her wings hard, a powerful gust of wind beginning to blow from her location. Stratus fought hard against the mighty winds, but as it got stronger and stronger it became clear it was a losing battle. Within seconds, a gale was emanating from Stratus? foe and she was unable to fight against anymore, being launched hard into the ground below. Stratus was never the type to give up easily though. She wasn?t as fiery as Contrail or Arcus, but she was just as stubborn if not more so. With a cry, she pushed off the earth and took to the sky again.
?She?s certainly gutsy.? Sky said ?I think it?s probably time to wrap this up though. Work Up again, Sora!? Once again, the blazing orange aura formed around the Pidgeot, her already great raising to now frightening levels. Kade wasn?t sure how he was going to come out on top, but he knew Stratus wouldn?t be pleases if he even considered giving up. So instead, he reacted with his gut.
?Quick Attack! Before she can do anything!? Stratus hurtled towards Sora with a sudden burst of speed, putting in a herculean effort to reach the larger flier before she could do anything. She was tired and sore though, struggling to reach her top speed.
?Roll over the top!? Sky called out. Her Pidgeot reacted instantly, giving a single strong flap of wings she flipped over the top of Stratus, allowing her to rocket past like a rogue missile, corkscrewing to face her. Kade?s draw dropped at the skilled maneuver and before he could even begin to form another sentence, Sky was giving her next command. ?Twister!?
Sora flapped her wings, whipping up another gust of wind. This time however, the air that rushed forward started spiralling around stratus as it intensified. Soon, Stratus was caught in a whirling vortex, thrown around and around.She fought against the current, but coming off of the powered-up Pidgeot, it was far too powerful for her to escape. It was like Kade trying to take a stroll through a tornado. He wracked his brains, looking for a solution to the problem, watching as Stratus was thrown around and around as the column of wind revolved, fighting hard in her attempts to break free.
As Stratus kept up her valiant struggled, her feathers began to glow a vivid white, light shining from her body. Through the light, Kade saw her growing bigger. Her wings and tail grew wider, a long plume-like crest formed atop her head and her beak and talons extended and grew sharper. The light broke away and where Kade?s little Starly had once been, now a Staravia was flying, still fighting against the wind. Now however, Stratus was getting a better handle, riding on the currents as much as she was thrown about.
?Well, that was unexpected. Look at her go now!? Sky sad, surprisingly enthused by Stratus? sudden evolution. She was definitely an interesting one, and Kade and Stratus weren?t done surprising her yet. Inspired by Stratus, an idea had formed in Kade?s head.
?Get ready!? he yelled to his partner over the sound of the vortex, knowing she would be. He watched carefully as she flew around the twisting winds, waiting for the right moment. When he saw it, he gave his command. ?Double-Edge!?
Just as she was about to be whipped back around by the Twister, Stratus gave a mighty flap of her wings, bursting forth from Sora?s attack as an intense orange light blazed to life around her, using the momentum given to her by the Twister to add to her velocity and power up her attack. The split seconds felt like long minutes to both trainers as Stratus careened towards Sora, the larger bird?s eyes wide with surprise. In an instant, Stratus was about to make contact, but Kade experienced it in slow motion, his heart pounding with pride and excitement.
?Air Slash!? Just as Stratus hit her target, the Pidgeot flurried her wings and unleashed an enormous blade of razor air. There was an explosion in the sky and a massive gust of wind sent a ripple through the grass and shook the trees, forcing Sky to grip to branch she sat on tightly and sending Kade stumbling back. When the smoke, cleared, Stratus was laying in the dirt unconscious with a battered and bruised Sora flying above her.
?That was incredible!? Kade exclaimed, rushing across to his companion and stroking her side. ?You were great out their, now enjoy a long break.? Kade returned Stratus to her ball, giving her a well-earned rest after the intense battle.
?She really was!? Sky said, having descended from the tree and returned her own bird. ?You have a little ways to go, but you?ve got some impressive Pokemon and clearly have the mind of a Sky Trainer. You better keep practicing.?
?Of course.? Kade said smiling ?I?m hoping to be Kalos? first Flying type Gym Leader one day.?
?I see.? Sky said, ?Well hopefully this will help then. A present for making that so much fun.? She tossed him a single azure pokeball. ?flight balls are designed especially to catch aerial Pokemon. All my Pokemon are caught in them.?
With another thanks and a few more pointers, Kade parted ways with Sky. Although she did make him promise to battle her again soon.
Is there an opposite to buyer?s remorse? Maybe it?s just remorse...the point is Sebastian is quickly regretting that he didn?t buy a hat while in Lumiose City. As the sun rises higher, it seems to be making a point of shining directly into his eyes, no matter which direction he looks to as he walks.
?I?m afraid Solgaleo has forsaken us.? The teen jokes as he walks, the bipedal fox trotting beside him tilting her head in confusion.
?Braiii?? She questions. Solawhat?
?Solgaleo is...let?s see.? Sebastian reaches for his Pokedex, hoping it has some kind of picture reference for the mythical beast. The little red machine blips to life when--
?CHAAAAAAM!? A fuzzy black ball shoots from the tall grass, spiraling towards Sebastian?s head, leaving the trainer no choice but to hit the deck.
The little black ball sails right by the duo, popping out of its circular shape as it nears the ground. Two little feet hit the dirt, and the Pokemon darts off as quickly as he had appeared. Sebastian sits up and begins brushing the dirt from his shirt when the tall grass begins to tremble again, this time revealing a trainer-- a familiar trainer.
?Which way did it-- oh no!? Lillie gasps at the sight of the trainer on his knees, and she rushes over to offer a hand. ?D-did that Pancham knock you down? I?m so sorry! This is my fault, I--?
?I...sort of knocked myself down.? Sebastian speaks up, hoping to relieve the guilt-ridden look on Lillie?s face. ?I saw him charging forward and...I suppose I panicked.? He takes the offered hand and hoists himself back to his feet. Now he?s facing her completely, looking down into those green eyes? ?It?s good to see you again.? He speaks before he can stop himself.
?Have we?? Lillie?s eyes widen in realization. ?You brought me ice cream.? Her nervous expression eases into a smile. ?You changed your hair.?
?I did. I was hoping to??
Flashback
?Ready?? Sebastian asks quietly as he looks down to his Furfrou, who was currently glaring daggers at him. If it wasn?t for the closed door and the multiple people inside Friseur Furfrou that would try to stop him, he would bolt from the human without a second?s hesitation. He curls his lips upward to show his fangs, when a gentle chime stops the angered snarl.
?It?s nice, isn?t it? Why don?t you hold onto it?? Sebastian smiles as he loops his newly acquired soothe bell around a black collar, which he slips around Chance?s neck.
The canine?s eyes soften as the bell delicately swings. While he still doesn?t look happy with his current situation, he no longer seems like he wants to eat Sebastian alive, either.
?Okay.? The teen takes a chunk of Chance?s matted fur between the fingers of his left hand and readies the scissors in his right. One...two...three...snip.
As the matted fur falls to the ground, Chance leaps off the grooming table and darts for the cashier?s desk.
?Chance?? Sebastian frowns. On the bright side, he didn?t try to bite him this time. However...this is happening.
?Can you blame him??
Sebastian turns toward the voice, locking eyes with a smug looking woman. She appeared to be around his age, with spiky hair that formed a gradient: Starting off a light purple and becoming more blue as it grew away from her roots. Sitting at her side was a very content looking Furfrou.
?I mean,? She continues. ?You kind of look like you?re afraid of a haircut too.?
?I?? Sebastian chokes on his words. How does one even respond to such a statement from a total stranger?
?Max, go get him out of there.? The girl points to Chance?s hiding place, and the new Furfrou happily walks over. A moment passes before the trimmed Furfrou leads Chance out from under the table, batting her eyes at him affectionately. Had she lured him out with Attract?
?Max is female?? Sebastian questions.
?Duh. What, never heard of a girl named Max??
Sebastian is fairly certain this girl gave her Pokemon this name just to have this conversation...he nervously clears his throat. ?Thank you, miss Max.?
?Y?know, I bet we could help you two out, if you wanna step across the street.?
Sebastian is torn. While it?s clear they won?t make much progress here, he?s not entirely sure he wants to go anywhere with this woman.
?Dude.? She huffs. ?I?m offering you a free haircut to show your buddy here there?s nothing to be afraid of.?
Only then does he notice the design on the woman?s tank top: It?s the silhouette of a Furfrou?s head, which bleeds into the words Punk & Pup Salon , which was the name of the hair salon they passed on their way here. This is a terrible idea, but...maybe seeing Sebastian get some hair cut off will show Chance that scissors are not the enemy. ?You don?t have to-?
?Aw, it?s no big deal. You?d kinda be doing me a favor too, like...free advertising, y?know? If someone asks where you got your B****in? new style, point ?em my way.?
She is going to shave my head. Or at least half of it. Sebastian does everything in his power not to look completely uncomfortable, and...it must be working, because this strange woman is still smiling. ?...It?s worth a shot.?
The group of four make their way across the street to the new salon, along the way exchanging names and brief tales (Her name is Peri, she used to take part in Pokemon contests until she tired of ?all the drama?), and along the way Sebastian finds himself slightly more at ease around the girl. She?s brash but...she seems to mean no harm.
?Sooo, what did you have in mind?? Peri asks as she wraps the cape around her new client?s neck.
?For...the haircut I didn?t know I was getting?? Sebastian questions.
?Riiight, good point. Maybe we should just take a few inches off. Sound good??
Sebastian glances to Chance and Max, who are laying beside one another in a dog bed beside the door. The attract has faded, but Chance seems somewhat content to sit beside his fellow Furfrou.
?Actually?? if he?s going to do this, he might as well go all the way. He could...show Chance that scissors are not the enemy, nor is dye. ?How much would some color cost??
?Now we?re talkin?!?
End Flashback
?...And she was right. After she finished, Chance let me trim his fur.?
?I?m so glad you took him with you.? There?s obvious relief in Lillie?s voice. She had been so worried about the poor thing, and she tried to track them down after her battle was finished, though the giant city didn?t lend itself well to finding things you were blindly searching for...especially when you have a terrible habit for getting lost.
?Would you like to officially meet him?? Sebastian asks, retrieving Chance?s Pokeball from his belt loop.
Lillie?s eyes brighten, and she gives a single, excitable nod.
?Lillie, meet Chance.? The white energy bursts from the Pokeball, taking the form of the significantly less shaggy dog.
Chance looks to Sebastian with a tinge of annoyance, though nowhere near the same rage he showed the first few times Sebastian called him out; the Soothe Bell works wonders. The Furfrou?s attention slowly turns to Lillie, and he steps away from Sebastian?s side to sniff at her bag: Smells like food.
?Can he have a treat?? Lillie asks.
?Please.? Sebastian nods.
Lillie rifles through her bag to retrieve some puffins she bought for her own Pokemon, and hands one to Furfrou. The poodle Pokemon sniffs her at the treat with a look of uncertainty. He wants that treat, he doesn?t want to touch the human. After a few seconds of inner turmoil he takes the food with just the very edge of his teeth, and then darts behind Sebastian to eat it.
?Braixen?? Selkie speaks up, pointing in the direction of that fleeting Pancham, her head tilted towards Lillie.
?I...think she?s asking why you were chasing Pancham?? Sebastian asks.
?Brai!? Selkie nods.
?I...I wanted to?? Lillie?s eyes trail away from Sebastian and his Pokemon. ?Iwanttocatchim.? She says quickly, quietly. ?I?ve...been chasing him a-all morning?? She must sound so silly right now. ?There?s something...really special about him...d-does that sound strange??
?Not at all.? Sebastian shakes his head. He glances from Braixen to Chance, then back to Lillie, and offers an encouraging smile. ?Would...you like a hand tracking him down? I think Chance could track him.?
?N-no, that?s okay.? Lillie shakes her head. ?I?m sure you have better things to do.? She can?t hold him up on his journey.
Sebastian looks down to Selkie and raises his shoulders, the Braixen mimicking his movements. ?Not really.? He shrugs.
?But you?re??
?Going down this path anyway.? Sebastian chimes in.
Lillie takes a moment to debate with herself how far she?s willing to push the issue, and after a moment gives a tiny nod. ?Then...some help would be...really nice.?
Their search led them through a grove of trees. As they walked deeper into the grove, Chance alerted his trainer with a sharp back: Standing in the center of the path was Pancham, arms crossed and smirking. As soon as he locked eyes with Lillie he managed a dramatic backflip, and then once more began running.
"Pancham, wait!" Lillie called as she began to give chase, along with Chance and Sebastian. Five feet, ten feet--
THUD.
The ground beneath them gives way, and suddenly...they're in a hole.
"Ow..." Lillie frowns as she feels around the dark pit, her fingers brushing against Furfrou, who is sitting on Sebastian's chest. "A...are you two okay?"
"I've...been worse." Sebastian mumbles. At least this landing was soft, unlike his collision with the concrete the day before. "...Is this a pitfall trap?"
Chance growls. That little fuzzball led them into a trap.
Their search led them through a grove of trees. As they walked deeper into the grove, Chance alerted his trainer with a sharp back: Standing in the center of the path was Pancham, arms crossed and smirking. As soon as he locked eyes with Lillie he managed a dramatic backflip, and then once more began running.
"Pancham, wait!" Lillie called as she began to give chase, along with Chance and Sebastian. Five feet, ten feet--
THUD.
The ground beneath them gives way, and suddenly...they're in a hole.
"Ow..." Lillie frowns as she feels around the dark pit, her fingers brushing against Furfrou, who is sitting on Sebastian's chest. "A...are you two okay?"
"I've...been worse." Sebastian mumbles. At least this landing was soft, unlike his collision with the concrete the day before. "...Is this a pitfall trap?"
Chance growls. That little fuzzball led them into a trap.
With Brycen by his side, Drew took a languid stroll through route five. The nurse had said it would take a few days for the Chespin to heal, and here he was the very next day as stro...no, stronger than ever. Heck, if Drew hadnt snuck him out, the ever resolute pokemon may have still been sitting around in his hospital bed. That just wasnt him. The trainer watched his pokemon with a relieved expression on his face. He felt closer to his starter than he ever had, and he knew Brycen felt the same.
If only life were that simple though. Thanks to Nebula (a phrase the trainer never thought he'd get to say without a boatload of sarcasm), he was now in possession of a parcel so important his parents felt the need to come all the way to Lumiose to claim it. He had no idea what it was, but it didnt matter. If it had anything to do with the fossil company, he could at least postpone the process by holding on to this thing. He'd already spoken to Paige. This parcel would be the perfect thing to show her. The thought forced through a smile.
"Hey Bry...so I was thinkin..." Drew began, with a nervous smile. He chuckled anxiously as the pokemon looked up at him with a completely oblivious glance. "I think Neb has earned some time out of her ball after what she did with the parcel. Whaddaya say?" He smiled, expecting the Chespin to instantly disapprove.
Instead, the grass type glanced up at his trainer, tilting his head.
Drew paused, realising out of everything he'd filled Brycen in on, he hadnt told him that he'd caught an Eevee. One of those same Eevee that had put him on the shelf. Maybe that was best left for another time. "You're right, we can do all that stuff when we get to Camphrier." He chuckled, dismissing the issue. He watched his pokemon, trying to guage some sort of response, but he didnt seem as driven of determined as he remembered him. Something about him was calmer. It was honestly worrying him, and after such a stressful Lumiose escapade, he felt like he needed some therapy. "Hey Bry, how about we find out if this area has a lake." He said, a confident smile shining across his face.
"...it's not that I don't care, it's just a lot of hard work y'know...?" Drew rambled before coming to a rather awkward stop. While the two stauntered through the thick clusters of trees, the fledgling trainer couldnt help but notice a small black and white pokemon in the clearing just to his left. It wasnt like anything he'd ever seen before. The closest he could compare it to was a Teddiursa or a Slowpoke, but cooler than both of those two. He was instantly drawn to the thing. He had to catch it.
?Maybe if we call all our Pokemon out, they could pull us up with a rope.? Lillie suggests.
It?s...possible, although only two of his pokemon had hands. ?Do you have any rope??
Lillie?s face falls. ?No??
?That makes two of us?? He never expected a rope to do him any good, considering he didn?t have the upper body strength to climb one.
A snicker is heard from above the pit as Pancham returns, looking down at the three and smirking. The irritated look on Chance?s face causes him to burst into hysterics--
Until it became a vibrant red beam and vanished from their sight.
?...P...Pancham??? Lillie squeaks, eyes wide. Did...did someone just...catch the Pancham she had been trying to catch....all morning?
The ball wobbled. Once...Twice...Not Quite!
The Pancham burst from the ball, with an irate expression on his face. He had done so well to avoid this girl, yet somehow she still managed to throw one of those capture balls at him. He turned to the direction it came from. A Chespin and a human. Alarm bells instanly rang in his head, causing the pokemon to scramble off into the forest.
Drew began to take chase. He dashed into the forest, right after the Pancham.
Brycen however, opted to peek down the hole. He tilted his head as he saw the two humans and the Furfrou standing idly in the pit. "Ches?" He mused staring at the group. "Chespin!" He called, looking off in the direction his trainer had near disappeared to.
The familiar sound of a Pokemon being released from its ball, and then little Pancham once more scurrying past the hole. Lillie didn?t want to admit the relief she felt in her chest, maybe she would get another chance?
Footsteps could be heard darting by, and a human shadow ran right by the pit without taking notice of them. Sebastian opened his mouth to shout when he saw the little Chespin peering in. Chespin...they?re not native to this route, he must belong to the trainer. They might be saved after all. ?Chespin, can you help us??
Lillie smiles up at the little Pokemon; she?s never seen a Chespin in real life...they?re significantly cuter in person. ?Do you know vinewhip, Chespin??
Brycen folded his arm quizzically before shaking his head and lowering vines for the trio to climb up.
?Thank you!? Lillie cheers as she reaches onto the vine. She offers a hand to Sebastian, who shakes his head and steps back.
?I?ll wait until you?re up.? Best not put too much weight on the little grass type and throw him in with them. As Lillie makes her way up, Sebastian returns Chance to his Pokeball. The last thing they need is for his Furfrou to bite their help...
Brycen grimaced, slightly offended by the doubting of his strength, but continued to help the girl up regardless. Once the her weight was on his vines, the grass type quickly became thankful that the two hadnt dragged him down with their combined weight.
?Ready!? Lillie digs her feet into the soft dirt of the pit and attempts to climb up the steep incline as much as she can, in hopes it will take some weight off poor little Chespin. Once she?s up, she offers the small rodent a hand. ?I?ll help you pull him up, okay??
Brycen glanced up at Lillie for a moment, before shoving the girl's hand away. "Ches." He lowered a second vine, with a determined look on his face.
Lillie nods, giving Chespin an encouraging smile. ?You can do it~?
Sebastian clutches onto the vine tightly and attempts to pull himself up...he manages to get an inch or so off the ground, and dig his shoe into the wall as Lillie had. Once out of the damned pit he lets out a sigh of relief. ?We owe you one.?
"Pin." The Chespin saluted. He was visibly fatigued from the tough task, but wore as brave a face as he could.
?We should take him back to his trainer.? Lillie says as she goes through her bag, retrieving another puffin to give the little hero. ?Where...is your trainer??
Almost on cue, Drew came stumbling through the bushes, with tears and scratches on the cast around his injured arm. "Hey Bry, look what came in han-" He began to laugh, before noticing the two humans with his pokemon. One that he recognised, and one that he didnt. "Seb...? From the academy? And who's..." Drew paused examining what exactly was happening, and why it was confusing him so much.
Bambi?
Drew, his name is Drew. Alice called him Bambi because he was significantly younger than the majority of the students at the academy, which she claimed made him adorable. Sebastian smiles at the familiar face. Drew and Jackson were the only graduates he knew by name. Others, like Coul, were vaguely familiar, but he never would have remembered the name if Coul hadn?t re-introduced himself. ?I should have known this was your Chespin. This is Lillie. We...were in the hole.? He rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed.
Drew paused for a moment, unsure if he should address the Seb's poor choice of words, or better yet, address the embarrassing nickname that the former classmate was apparently still calling him. To Drew's memory, the only person that had ever called him that was...her. The one person at the academy scarier than Jackson. With Jackson you knew what you were getting, but with Alice...Drew was lucky he was only a kid. Being the runt of the litter came in handy every now and then. He chuckled nervously at the thought, before walking towards Seb and Lillie.
?We were looking for Pancham...and he led us into a trap...your Chespin saved us.? Lillie speaks quietly.
"Pancham, huh? You mean the one I just chased off?" Drew uttered, rather carelessly. "Well if you're chasing it you guys can come with me. I'm pretty hell bent on catching the thing, I just needed to come back and get Brycen for reinforcements, especially considering what it did to me cast." He chuckled, raising his arm to show the worn and torn cast from his encounter with the Pancham.
For a split second, Lillie looks utterly crushed.She wants that Pancham to be her friend so badly, but she doesn't want to fight over him...
No, it's not a mean spirited fight. Making rivals and competing against them is part of what being a Pokemon trainer is all about. She raises her fists upward and does her trademark little bounce. "I want to catch that Pancham too. I guess that makes us rivals, right?" She smiles.
Sebastian releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I guess that makes me the referee." The little panda doesn't appeal to him much, though he is incredibly interested in seeing how his two...friends would handle their new rivalry. He was certain he was about to see some interesting techniques.
"Mhm!" Lillie nods. "Let's get going." Now she's more eager than ever.
Drew paused for a moment before smirking. He wasnt necessarily fond of the idea, but so far, the only thing that had helped him get stronger was watching others do the same. What harm could a rival do? This girl didnt look so tough anyway. Drew was fairly confident he could catch the panda pokemon before she did. "Alright...Lillie was it? Let's put our money where our mouth is, huh? I figure this Pancham is an easy catch, and if I can just have Brycen weaken it, he's as good as mine." He scanned her person before continuing. "Considering you dont even have a pokemon, how exactly are you planning to catch this thing?" He added with a self-approving snicker.
?But I do have Pokemon.? Lillie smiles. She reaches into her bag and retrieves a Pokeball. A burst of light shoots from said Pokeball and takes the form of a tiny nebulous cloud, which she fondly scoops into her arms. ?Nebby.? She speaks, her voice filled with affection for the mysterious little creature. ?Meet Drew and Sebastian.?
The little cloud looks from trainer to trainer, a smile on its face as it waves one of its little arms. ?Peeeeew!?
Sebastian looks absolutely fascinated. He quickly kneels down to get a closer look at the tiny nebula, slowly reaching out to pet the top of its head. ?So you?re what all the fuss was about in Lumiose.?
Drew's eye twitched. He grabbed his pokedex, with a resolute expression on his face. Much to his dismay, the pokedex responded with no data on the mysterious cloud pokemon. The boy's eye twitched again. "What, so is that like Castform space form or something?" He stared the pokemon down with an intense skepticism.
Sebastian struggles to keep from smirking at Drew?s suddenly annoyed expression. Lillie might just have won this round, though the battle for Pancham remains. ?The Pokedex would recognize Castform.? He points out, biting down on his inner cheek to keep his lips in a straight line.
?Nebby?s a mystery.? Lillie doesn?t seem to notice Drew?s sudden irritation, or if she does she?s doing a significantly better job at playing it off than Sebastian is. ?I think he?s a psychic type.?
?You have a Brionne too, don?t you?? Sebastian asks, hoping to change the subject before Drew?s eye twitches out of its socket.
?Mhm.? Lillie nods. ?I have more, back home in Alola...but I wanted...to get a fresh start? and make new friends in Kalos.? Does that sound silly? It sounds sort of silly when she says it out loud.
"Yeah, super silly." Drew grumbled, glaring daggers at Lillie through the corners of his eyes. With a defeated sigh, he turned in the opposite direction of where he had chased the Pancham. "Well, you guys should probably head off then. You cant catch the Pancham standin' around here all day." In gestured invitingly for the two to head in front of him.
"Pin." Brycen shook his head, pointing in the opposite direction to where Drew had attempted to lead the duo.
?Right.? Lillie takes a step in the direction that Drew had indicated, only to stop and look to Brycen. Left? Right? ?Um...which way??
Looks like Bambi?s trying to throw Lillie off the trail, or maybe Chespin?s trying to help his trainer by being sneaky...one of them is trying to mislead their Alolan companion. ?You?re coming with us, right, Drew?? He smiles, though it?s a narrow eyed half smile that says ? I?m on to you two.
Drew chuckled nervously. He took moment to consider his options and head the way Brycen had pointed. "He's right it's this way." He sighed, hanging his head as he followed behind Seb and Lillie.
Lillie giggles. ?No worries. I get lost all the time.?
Sebastian subtly quirks a brow: Either Lillie is incredibly innocent, or she?s a very good sport about almost getting duped. He reaches for Chance?s Pokeball and calls out the Furfrou. ?Are you ready for round two??
Chance looks annoyed, though no more than usual. He looks to Sebastian, and then to Lillie. There?s probably more snacks in it for him if he continues to go along with the human girl. He walks towards her, the soothe bell around his neck giving off a delicate chime as he walks. ?Frou.? He barks, pointing down the path Brycen had previously indicated.
?Lead the way.? Lillie smiles kindly to Furfrou, happily trotting along behind the fluffy creature.
?Points deducted for poor sportsmanship.? Sebastian whispers to Drew once Lillie is a good few feet away.
Drew shoved his hands in his pocket and glanced at the girl. "Doesnt matter how many balls she puts, as long as the black ball is one of 'em. Then again, if she's as air headed as she lets on, I wont need to cheat." He smirked as the group walked on. "Honestly, I need this catch more than she does. I havent heard of either of her pokemon, and apparently neither has Proffesor Oak." He sighed, tapping the bag pocket where he stuffed his pokedex.
?Brionne is the second evolution of Popplio, the water starter from Alola.? Sebastian explains. His face hurts...it?s been a long time since he smiled this much...well over a year, anyway. ?It was one of our graduation options.? His tone is a bit teasing, perhaps he should tone it down. ?How many Pokemon have you caught so far??
"Caught?" Drew scoffed. "None. All I got is Bry, and an Eevee who hates my guts. The story of Drew Tucker as a trainer." He stuffed his hand in his bag, pulling out Nebula's pokeball.
?You have an Eevee? That?s impressive.? Although...if it hates him...Sebastian glances at the cast around Drew?s arm and holds out his left hand, which is heavily bandaged, he then nods to the Furfrou up ahead, which has stopped his sniffing in order to eat a Pokebean Lillie is feeding him. He?s beginning to question if the inside of Lillie?s bag consists of just Pokeballs and treats for Pokemon.
?Chance tackled me into the road when I first met him...and when I tried to groom him, he bit me.? He nervously rubs the back of his neck. ?An elderly woman gave me a soothe bell for him...It?s probably the only reason I?m still alive.?
The younger trainer glanced ahead, where his starter was leading the group. Behind Brycen, Lillie and Furfou walked happily together. If what Seb was saying was true, this pokemon had gone through one hell of a transformation. "Hey, you think I could use that thing? Seems to work a treat." He glanced at his starter, who was paying the his trainer no attention. It was for the better. After mouthing 'sorry Bry' he dropped Nebula's pokeball, with the fox pokemon emerging shortly after.
Looking ahead, Sebastian can?t help but notice that Chance seems significantly more at ease with Lillie than he does when they?re together...and he can?t blame him. She does have a very calm aura about her, and the NA told him the trainer that owned Chance before was also a man. Maybe he?s more comfortable around women trainers...it probably doesn?t hurt that Chance seems to associate Lillie with nice treats. Acel gave him that Puffin case, it might be a good idea to try to make some.
But...can he give up the Soothe Bell? Will Chance revert back to his old ways when he takes it off? Surely that?s not how it works, surely...they?ve bonded enough in these last few days that Chance no longer feels threatened...even if they?re not the best of friends.
Upon emerging from the ball, Nebula surveyed the area, he eyes settling on Drew. She leapt up in the air, trying to bite whatever she could, but ended up latching onto something much tougher than what she usually bit.
Drew blocked the bite, thankfully throwing his cast in the way just in time. He sighed, as Nebula tried her best to crunch through the protective material, but her jaws couldnt do any damage. "This is exactly what I'm talkin about." The Eevee stared him intently in the eyes.
There?s a split second for Sebastian to consider what a cute Pokemon Eevee is before the little beast launches herself for Drew, latching onto the cast with the same viciousness Chance showed when Sebastian first saw him in that alley.
Said Pokemon stops his stride when the scent of a feral Pokemon reaches his nostrils. He curls his lips in a snarl, prepared to fight, but when he turns and sees the little brown ball attempting to eat the young human, he settles; this is fine.
Brycen however, reacted differently. Upon seeing the brown fox attacking his trainer, Brycen charged back, tackling the Normal type to the ground. Once he was on top of him, he instantly recognised the pokemon. He leapt back, allowing the pokemon to get up, before shooting vines out of his shoulders.
Nebula barely had any time to dodge the vines, before following up with a her newly learned swift attack.
?Oh no--? Lillie gasps in horror as the two Pokemon begin to fight one another; this isn?t a friendly battle at all, they seem all too prepared to hurt each other. What can she do? This isn?t right...
Brycen was knocked back, but easily took the attack, with little damaged done. He himself responded with a pin missile...which hit Drew.
As pin missiles begin flying, Sebastian steps defiantly in front of Chance and Lillie, the normal type glancing up to his trainer with the tilt of his head. Fortunately for everyone involved, the missiles stopped shooting...
Much to the annoyance of both pokemon, Drew was now standing between the two pokemon. "Bry, Nebula's a part of the team now. So we're not fighting between each other." The young trainer spoke sternly. At least he did, before he felt the fangs of of Nebula pierce his flesh once again. "AAAARGGHHH, Dammit, the hell am I gonna do with you?!?!" He cried out in pain, bring the hanging pokemon up to eye level.
"Pin." Brycen responded, pointing to a hole in the ground.
"No, we're not gonna drop her in...wait when did that get th-ow, ow, ow, stop it." He glanced curiously at the hole, before shaking Eevee around with an exhasperated scowl.
The bite is so intense that it makes Sebastian?s own bones hurt. He cringes as Lillie looks away, eyes closed. There?s no way they?re getting the soothe bell on Nebula-- with hands, anyway. Sebastian reaches for Mothim?s Pokeball and calls the Pokemon out; the blast of energy shoots forward and immediately ventures upward-- taking form atop Sebastian?s head.
?Koroku, can you use confusion to put this bell on Eevee??
Mothim begins to glow with a pristine blue energy as the bell gently floats towards towards the swinging Eevee, the ribbon around the bell looping itself around the feral creature?s neck.
Nebula paused. The Eevee found herself sniffing curiously at the bell, but quickly lashed out as it moved itself away from her nose, letting go of Drew's arm in the process. She darted off, staring at the bell with a hostile glare.
Drew rubbed his now bleeding hand. "I dont think she's gonna let that happen." He sighed, with a gloomy tone to his voice.
?Ring it for her, please.? Sebastian asks, his Mothim swinging the bell a bit, causing it to release a delicate, calming chime.
It?s only as Eevee dances around, trying to avoid the bell, does Sebastian realize that she too is wearing a collar...which seems strange, how did Drew get a collar on an Eevee that is outright attempting to murder him?
?Where did that come from?? Sebastian gestures to the collar.
"Her old...trainers." Drew shuddered as he had to think back to the circumstance in which he ended up with his Eevee. "They werent the kindest of trainers, the had the Eevee in chains and leashes."
Ah...no wonder Eevee doesn?t want anything around her neck. That thing cannot hold any pleasant memories, and maybe...maybe removing it will be a sign of good faith, the same way giving Chance his collar was intended to be a sign of good faith. ?Would it be okay if Koroku takes it off??
"If he can." Drew shrugged. He glanced over at the Eevee, who was still busy slapping away the floating bell.
Mothim shudders his wings as he focuses his energy on the collar. An invisible force gives the loop a quick tug, and the cursed black leather falls to the ground.
?Is...is that better, Nebula?? Lillie peers around Sebastian to ask.
The Eevee instinctively scratched at where her collar once was, attempting to look down with a confused expression once she realised it wasnt there. There was a twinkle of relief in her eye, before she glared at the Mothim, and the bell he tried to put on her. The pokemon pawed at the collar, before kicking some dirt up over it.
"Shows what she thinks of that." Drew laughed, scratching his cheek. He then turned his attention to the hole. "So about that hole, what exactly is down there anyway?"
?Thim.? Koroku sighs, levitating the jingling bell towards Drew, and placing it on his head.
?Well...hold onto it for a bit, it might come in handy later.? Sebastian laughs nervously.
?Do you think it was supposed to be a trap?? Lillie questions, kneeling down to examine the hole more closely. ?Maybe...whatever?s making them just...didn?t have time to cover it up?? Or maybe...when she squints, she can almost make out the head of something bouncing around at the bottom. Something with white fur? ?Pancham?? Is that you???
While the humans are distracted with their hole, Chance slowly walks over to Nebula. He looks to the bell, then back to the Eevee and nods, hoping to convince her to give the object a try.
Nebula glanced at the dog that approached her. She took a defensive stance, as the pokemon got too close. She was certainly familiar with Furfou, but the ones she had encountered were far from friendly. She released a feral hiss as the dog continued to come closer. She wasnt prepared to share her space with the dangerous creature, and took off into a nearby bush.
Brycen, over by the hole, lowered a vine for the Pancham to climb up. Despite it's best efforts however, the pokemon struggled to get any sort of sustainable grip on the vine.
"Man, someone should really help him." Drew suggested, hoping they wouldnt look to him to do the 'heroic' thing.
?Is he too far down??? Lillie frowns, her eyes furrowed with worry for the poor little panda, if only for a few seconds. ?I?ll get him.? She announces, her worried expression shifting to one of determination as she sets her bag on the ground, and walks over to Brycen. ?Will you give me a lift??
Out of the three of them, Lillie?s probably the lightest, and she did manage to climb out of the first trap significantly easier than Sebastian did, so...she is by far the best bet to go back down. ?Just...be careful, Lillie.?
When Eevee darts into the bush, Chance flops down on the grass where he once stood, watching her. He has no ambition to fight, he has battled more than enough. He is surprised however, when he sees the small fox come darting back out of the grass, followed by a gang of of yellow reptillian pokemon.
Drew raised a brow as the gang of Scraggy bounded from the bushes and cornered the duo against the pit.
As the fighting types begin to encircle Chance and Nebula, the white pup hunkers down, standing over the smaller creature, baring its teeth at their attackers. The look in his eyes is not the feral one he had when they first met, nor the angered one he flashed when Sebastian tried to groom him, no, this is a look of protection; perhaps he wants to protect his fellow Normal type, or perhaps he feels a kinship due to their similar past. Whatever it is, these Scraggy won?t be getting to Nebula until they?ve taken care of Chance.
Brycen was also alert to the issue, switching his focus from gently lowering Lillie and carelessly dropping the girl. The Chespin quickly stepped forward with intent. It wasnt until the bigger orange pokemon arrived, that he became hesitant.
"Scrag." The leader stepped forward.
A sharp scream echoes from the pit as Lillie is dropped, only to be silenced by a very sudden crash to the ground below.
?Lillie!? Sebastian cringes, his eyes darting frantically between the pit and the circle of Scraggy.
?I--I?m fine!? She does not sound fine. ?What?s happening?!?
?Just stay there-- I?ll be right down.? Any sudden movements might set them off.
Chance?s eyes narrow, with the group of Scraggy all seemingly focused on Brycen, he lets out a soft rumble against Nebula?s ear, communicating something along the lines of Hold still. I?m getting you out. Another second?s hesitation and he picks up the Eevee in his mouth, making a frantic leap away from the circle, and bounding behind Sebastian.
Noticing the sudden leap of the Furfrou, the three Scraggy charged toward Brycen, Seb and Drew; the former using both of his vines to grab the two about to attack the humans and toss them back. His defense of Drew and Seb left him completely open to the heabutt of the one that attacked him. The Chespin was pushed back, but stayed on his feet.
Drew watched the exchange intently, they had three pokemon to watch out for. This wasnt too disimilar to the situation with the Eevee, but these opponents were far more competent, even if that only compensated for their lesser numbers. "Bry, stay back and use Vine Whip." Drew ordered.
Instead, Brycen charged after the middle one, who surprisingly, told the others to stay back, but they too ignored their order. Brycen curled himself into a rocky bouler, and knocked the duo back, finding himself once again faced with this singular Scraggy. Contrary to his expectations, the Scraggy held his position, and he was instead ganged up on once again by the other two. After getting knocked back by yet another headbutt, Brycen pulled himself to his feet. His curiosity grew as the Scrafty and singular Scraggy refused to fight. No problem.
The duo attempted to follow up on their previous attack, but this time Brycen was ready. The Chespin shot vines from his shoulders, grabbing and slamming the first Scraggy into the second, bouncing the second off of the floor. Before following up with a direct pin missile into the one pokemon he was still holding.
With those two downed, he shot a smirk toward the still waiting Scraggy, but of course he knew he hadnt done enough to put the first two out.
The Chespin hesitated. This was the first battle he'd had where he fully trusted his trainer, and despite his rebellion earlier, he knew that what Drew called for him to do was part of a plan. He grinned, launching the sticky seeds into the duo and tieing them together in a mess of foliage.
"Rollout."
For the second time in the battle, Brycen curled himself into a rocky boulder, and rolled toward the Scraggy, knocking both out.
Of course he was fatigued after the battle, but stood before the last Scraggy, who was finally ready to face him.
Brycen took a step, with the Scraggy matching it.
Without a moments notice, the two darted forward, matching each other for speed. The clashed fists, the two knocking each other back with matching force. Brycen swayed left, the Scraggy swayed right, each following up with the corresponding hook. Both dodged, stepping back. Brycen took initiative, attempting to sweep his opponents legs, but Scraggy was quick. The fighting type sprung into the air, slamming down into the Chespin with a Brick Break attack.
Brycen was knocked back again, tumbling across the floor a few times as he recoiled from the impact. He was visibly panting as he clambered back to his feet, but the Scraggy wouldnt let up, staying on top of his opponent with a low kick. Bad move.
Using what little momentum he had, Brycen pushed off the ground, stomping with the entirety of his weight on the Scraggy's foot. With his opponent writhed in pain, Brycen took the oppourtunity to fire a point blank pin missile. into the Scraggy's chest.
The yellow pokemon stumbled back, clutching his chest. The first pin missile was followed by two more, causing Scraggy to fall to one knee, but stay steady. He rose to his feet, glaring at Brycen.
The Chespin took stance.
Scraggy took his own.
The duo clashed again, matching each other for speed and power. As the battle drew on, so did their fatigue, but relentlessly, they charged in for one more clash. They clasped hands. Another match of strength. With this one, both pokemon put as much force as the could into the exchange. Until...
The Scraggy began to glow white. His form began to grow larger.
Brycen reciprocated the fighting types intense energy, as he himself began to glow white. Seeing his opponent's tranformation faltering, Brycen refused his own. Shrinking back into his smaller green and brown stature. With both pokemon retaining their original form, they continued to struggle against each other's will. Both pokemon grinned as their resolve matched the other's. In the moment of distraction however, Brycen took advantage. He pulled the Scraggy in, using his own force against him. Countering that momentum, he jumped, kicking the unfortunate Scraggy in the head.
The Scraggy collapsed to the ground from the impact.
?Is...it over?? Comes the quiet voice of Lillie, peering over Sebastian?s shoulder. With Brycen otherwise occupied, Koroku used its confusion to gently float Sebastian down the pitfall to help Lillie, who, despite claims of being fine, had suffered a somewhat intense ankle twist upon impact with the ground. Sebastian, who is no stranger to getting himself hurt, managed to set the ankle with the emergency splint he kept in his bag (along with his inhaler, blood clotting pills, bandages, etc). Lillie then climbed onto Sebastian?s back and the two were hoisted out of the pit by a very nervous looking Koroku, along with the infamous Pancham, who was sitting on Sebastian?s head.
Said Pancham takes a look at the defeated Scraggy?s and glares, sticking his tongue out at the fighting types and pointing an accusing finger at them. ?Cham cham!?
Drew glanced back at the duo, but said nothing. He returned his focus to the Scrafty, who had stepped forward to accept Brycen's challenge. The trainer instantly turned to his pokedex, expecting the device to let him know what made this one so different.
Scrafty, the Hoodlum Pokemon, and the evolved form of Scraggy.
It can smash concrete blocks with its kicking attacks. The one with the biggest crest is the group leader.
"Hit him with Vine Whip." Drew ordered, with an assured calm.
The evolved pokemon responded quickly though, grabbing one of the vines and pulling Brycen to him.
Brycen was sent sprawling back by the powerful Hi Jump Kick against his own momentum. The attack surely should have knocked him out, but grass type struggled to his feet, surely on his last legs. He growled as he noticed Drew reaching for his pokeball. He was going to win this.
One punch. That was all it took to completely diminish what was left of Brycen's conciousness.
The Scrafty turned his attention to Drew, who was still rather calm about the situation. He took out Brycen's pokeball, and returned his fallen pokemon.
?Pan--!? Pancham is about to leap forward to take the Chespin?s place in the battle, only for a palm to be raised in front of his face.
?This is Drew?s fight.? Sebastian says calmly.
?But...he doesn?t have any more Pokemon?? Lillie reminds. Nebula and Chance are still hiding in the bushes
?He knows what he?s doing.? Sebastian speaks calmly, seeing the calm expression on Drew?s face gives him confidence in the younger trainer.
"We lost." Drew shrugged. "I've taken more embarrasing losses than this before. Scrafty, I'm sure Brycen would want to battle you again when he's at one hundred percent. If you guys are so tough, you can at least do that for us, right?"
Before the Scrafty could respond however, the strongest of the three Scrafty staggered to his feet, staring into Drew's eyes with an intense determination. "...gy" Was all he managed to muster, but the trainer seemed to understand him perfectly. He saw the same look in Brycen's eyes when he first chose him. Even to some extent in Nebula's eyes when he finally chose to accept her as his pokemon. The desire, the hunger to get stronger. The Scraggy must have seen it in Brycen himself. Why then? Why did both pokemon reject evolution? It made perfect sense for them to take the convenient power boost, yet for some reason, they chose to keep the battle as Chespin versus Scraggy. It was that, that Drew still didnt understand.
With that, the young trainer began to walk away. He needed some time to think this whole thing over, and a good body of water would be the perfect place to do just that.
?Drew--? Lillie eases her grip from around Sebastian?s neck and slides to the ground. She attempts to hobble after him, only for Pancham to leap down from the older teen?s head and land in front of her, pointing an accusing hand. ?Pan-cham-cham!?
?I don?t think our little friend wants you running on that leg.? Sebastian offers a kind smile. ?Besides...I think he wants to be alone.?
?But...Pancham??
?Cham. Cham.? The little panda folds its arms and gives its head a slow, dramatic shake. ?Pan.? Once more he points to Lillie.
?Ah, I see.? Sebastian nods. ?I think your contest with Drew is over.?
?Wha...what??
Sebastian motions to the pit. ?You were testing us by making us run through the forest, right?? He asks the panda Pokemon.
?Cham!? The creature nods.
Sebastian turns back to Lillie. ?You proved yourself to be more than capable by chasing Pancham all morning, and then you threw caution to the wind to rescue him.? Sebastian glances towards the sky. ?There?s an old saying: A trainer must have two hearts: One strong as steel, and the other as soft as silk. I think...I think you proved you have both today, Lillie.?
A delicate pink covers Lillie?s cheeks. She tries to get rid of it by shaking her head and turning her attention down to Pancham, yet it remains. ?Pancham...if you come with me, I p-promise...I won?t let you down. We?ll get stronger...together.?
?Pan-cham!? The small panda leaps into the air, doing a small flip and landing between Lillie?s arms, where he is quickly sealed in a hug.
?Then...welcome to the family.? Lillie reaches into her bag and takes out a Pokeball. She delicately taps Pancham?s head with it, and the red energy is quickly absorbed. The ball shakes, shakes, shakes...ding.
?Congratulations, Lillie.? Sebastian offers an encouraging nod.
Lillie?s smiling from ear to ear as she calls the little creature back out. ?Thanks...for everything, Sebastian??
Silence falls between the three when a gentle rustling from the bushes grabs their attention: Chance steps from the bushes, with Nebula walking under him to remain somewhat hidden, Lillie gasps. ?Drew??
?Forgot Nebula?? Sebastian finishes.
?Cham?? Pancham smacks his forehead with his palm.
"...so he just took off after them... merde, of course he did..." Professor Sycamore sat with Malorie upon an open bench at the edge of the skate park, rubbing his temples in frustration at her description of her older brothers antics. "I suppose that's just who he is... no amount of travelling will change the basics of what makes Jackson, Jackson." Malorie said, her eyes were closed as she maintained a calm smile, petting Benjamin's head gently as she spoke on.
"He's a brat, through and through... but everything he does has every ounce of his passion... and he never acts without being certain that what he's doing is right." She said, a certain spring of pride brimming in her voice, which was almost lilting as she explained her brother to the Professor once again, for what was surely the umpteenth time. "You have the patience of a saint, Malorie..." Sycamore responded with a certain tired acceptance in his voice. "But how could a man who rushes into everything without a thought possibly be so certain of his morale standing."
Malorie's smile softened a little bit and as she looked towards a rustling in the shrubbery to the North of the park, she spoke softly. "Because he's smarter than any of you give him credit for."
Jackson trudged through the grass dragging all three of the boys behind him by their collars, Fang, Wave and Gaspar all carried their now wrecked and destroyed wheels. Each of the delinquents seemed groggy, as if recently unconscious... and each one of them seemed to be bleeding out of a broken nose. Apart from some scratches and tears in his clothing... Jackson seemed just fine.
"...heh, though I'll admit he doesn't make it easy for you."
Rinkee ran towards Jackson in a fluster as Malorie watched from afar, her expression was horrified and of course, he didn't seem to care. With a grunt he dropped the three boys on the floor in front of her and upon realizing who they were, her expression softened ever so slightly. The two seemed to talk for a few more minutes, Rinkee gesturing with an awkward smile towards Jackson's shoes, causing him to shrug but nod to her in return.
It didn't take long following this for Jackson to leave Rinkee to her business, quickly making the call to the police department and the appropriate parents as the young troublemakers were caught at last.
"Well well, looks like you found the Professor all by yourself kiddo, good job." Malorie beamed up at Jackson before shaking her head. "Actually bro, I called Augustine while you were out on your latest little adventure and-"
"Merde! Jackson the clothes! You've ruined another pair you stupid boy!" Sycamore quickly stood up and started tugging at the various gashes and tears in Jackson's outfit due to the powerful force of Razor Wind which he had barely survived thanks to Wave's swift intervention, the bat pokémon had burst from her pokéball and protected him with her wings before the attack fully connected. It had been like she could sense Jackson's very emotions, he was growing more impressed by the bond he shared with the pokémon day by day.
"Whatever old man, Arceus get off o'me!" Jackson cursed, shaking the professor off of his arms and growling at him as he stood staring with a defeated expression. "If you're gonna keep givin' me fancy clothes then of course they're gonna get ruined, dahell kind of happy little walk in the park do you think I'm travellin' on?!" Sycamore bristled but quickly held up his hands, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "You are right, this I know... it is why I did not come to see you empty-handed. I had hoped to bring these to you back at the center yes? But before I can see you, off you go! Walking about like no injuries at all, pour bienveillance, Jackson... here."
Opening his briefcase, the professor handed Jackson a plastic bag containing a familiar outfit. Outdoorsy wear, casual enough to wear just about anywhere, but rugged in design and form to allow for a bit of rough and tumble without too much damage. It was the outfit he had arrived to Kalos wearing and it brought back a pang of nostalgia as he took it out of the bag. A khaki jacket and dark beige jeans, both worn yet still rather presentable when cleaned, the once white shirt was grey from repeated washing and wear but Jackson recognized it, it felt familiar and that put a smile on his face despite everything.
However, one thing stood out, amidst the worn out clothes was a silver chain. Pulling it out from the various articles of clothing Jackson didn't recognize it. The pendant at the end resembled a curling claw, made from the same silver metal the claw had an indentation where it looked like something would fit, indeed the metal piece appeared to be positioned as if gripping something tightly, yet there was nothing there. "Some broken necklace... where'd y'get this Sycamore?"
The professor simply tapped his nose and grinned. "It is a gift, from an old friend of min oui? However I feel as if you should have it. Indeed it is missing a piece but that is for you to find my friend." Jackson rose an eyebrow and looked at Sycamore with a tired disdain. "Seriously? Another odd job thrown onto my plate, what dahell is wrong with people...? Ugh, whatever, thanks I guess."
Malorie smiled up at Jackson as he shoved the pendant into his pocket. "There's a bathroom just over there! I want to see your old look with your new hair... even though it's still weird to see you as a blonde." Jackson growled and turned to glare at Malorie. "Mal honestly, I should get going as is-"
"Go change Jackson! You look a mess, no questions! No objections" Malorie's sudden outburst caused Jackson to startle, before glaring once again... only to sigh and relent. "Ugh... whatever kiddo. You'd better be grateful for this..." He grumbled and mumbled some more as he walked towards the bathrooms, Malorie's stern expression turning into a soft smile as he moved further and further away. "Augustine... what made you give him something like that?"
Sycamore chuckled in response. "In truth... it was not me. I did not lie when I said it came form a friend. With recent news reports she seemed rather adamant in pursuing Jackson's career as a trainer. She believes he can unlock that amulets potential." He nodded gently to himself.
"I too... am starting to believe in that boy. Moreso than before... ask me a week ago if I thought Jackson Crane would ascend to this level and I would call you crazy and biased young Malorie." He paused, smiling widely at the back of his student. "It's true, I believe now, Jackson will find inherit a keystone."
---
Jackson walked out of the stall feeling fresh and more upbeat than usual, he flicked the collar of the familiar jacket as he popped a cigarette into his mouth and grinned widely. Gaspar quickly leaning in and lighting it for him with a cackle as he moved back towards a now smirking Sycamore and beaming Malorie. "That's the brother I remember!" She exclaimed and even Benjamin gave a small snort of approval as the Professor gave a quick bout of applause. "I have to admit... it does rather suit you Jackson."
"Honestly... I ain't lookin' for praise. I'm just glad to be in somethin' that feels more me. Not gonna lie, even this amulet feels a pretty at home with my look." He smirked and tossed the plastic bag towards the professor, which now contained his fancier attire, ripped and somewhat bloodied from the events of the past few days. "For what it's worth professor... I'd appreciate it if you could get a replacement to me before this evenin'. I'll most likely be in the Camphrier hotel." Sycamore rose an eyebrow as he caught the bag, befuddled by Jackson's sudden request.
"A replacement...? Why, Jackson? I could just get you more of your own clothes from Aquacorde..." Jackson sneered over and rose his head slightly, looking down at the professor with confidence. "Much as I like my own clothes... they're not exactly appropriate attire for a contest at Parfume Palace."
At those words both Malorie and Sycamore were left aghast, even Gaspar peeked up from his trainers shadow, glancing up at Jackson with a slight smirk, but not an ounce of surprise. "C-contest...?! Wait you plan on entering the one at the palace?! Are you being forced?!" Sycamore exclaimed, completely caught off guard, while Malorie started to smile wider with stars in her eyes. "I got fuckin' cheated last time... and I'm not lettin' that go until I got at least a ribbon under my belt to show for it. Plus..." He looked down as Gaspar rose up, circling around Jackson's shoulders with quiet glee. "...I'm not the only guy on this journey, I got a few friends who wanna give it one more shot, capiche?"
"Capiche!" Malorie cried out as she suddenly hugged and clung to her older brother, causing the young man to scratche the back of his head and pat her head awkwardly until she finally let go. The Professor blinked a few times, before chuckling a little under his breath. "I suppose it fits that you'd take the stage again for a vendetta... how dramatic, we'll see about attending. While I can't choose favorites amidst my students... I'm sure Malorie will be rooting for you all the way to the end."
The two men shared a knowing smile as Malorie stood by the waiting Benjamin's side once again, it was starting to move past mid-day already... Jackson would have to get a move on at last. "Well... it was good t'see ya Mal, but I gotta head on forward. The contest won't prep itself, not t'mention some schmuck is gonna want my help somewhere." Malorie smiled gently and hugged her brother one last time before breaking away. "Then you've got to make sure whoever's causing trouble gets the boot... capiche?" She winked once as she mimicked Jackson in the last word, only for him to nod in response with a sneer.
Sycamore quickly pat Jackson's shoulder and spoke in his signature lilt. "Jackson my boy, do me one favor... do not lose your momentum, you've already taken great strides from the person you were to the person you deserve to be. We're both very proud of you." Jackson froze for a moment and stared at Sycamore as he spoke, he didn't know what it was like, to have someone encourage him throughout his life. A parent, a father figure... whatever you'd call it, he'd never had one of those... and although he was loathe to admit it, Sycamore had started to become that to him, ever so slowly.
Shaking his head and turning, Jackson waved the pair off and grumbled. "Yeah yeah, keep moving forward, sterling wisdom old man, Arceus... let's see you say that when I'm champion y'hear? Lecture me then."
"I will! Haha, I look forward to it even!" The professor laughed as Jackson began to walk away, Jackson would have no idea that as he took Malorie's arm and guided her through the Lumiose city gates... he was thinking exactly the same thing as his young ward had moments ago.
Maybe this was what it was like to have a family?
---
As Jackson walked away from the skate park and down Versant Road, far from the drama of Lumiose City that had plagued his mind and body, finally a semblance of normality was creeping back into his life. Finally he'd be able to continue with the journey he'd worked so hard for, it was finally time to get back on track. As he climbed over rocky outcropping after rocky outcropping, relishing in the somewhat relaxing and monotonous pace of the uphill climb, those were the thoughts going through his head. There was nowhere else to go, nothing standing in his way anymore.
Well, except for one last thing.
"Must be nice..." A young mans quiet voice cut through the early evening air as Jackson glanced at the entrance to Camphrier town, standing in his way was a young man, no older than fifteen. He wore a black beanie and jacket, over a white hoodie with a small red stain running down the front, he carried a broken skateboard under his arm. "You're... Rails." Jackson muttered, though his voice was too quiet to receive an answer.
"Y'know people don't ask me any questions 'bout why I did nothin'." The boy continued, his voice shaking as Jackson noticed the tears in his eyes. "They don't see anythin' except a kid causing them all sorts of problems... they don't ask why or how if it doesn't concern them."
Jackson stared the boy down, but was surprised to see that he didn't once falter, despite his evident fear and upset he refused to bow to the older man's gaze.
"My Pa works for Team Cinder, he tried to hide it but he does." Jackson's eyes widened in disbelief and anger at those words, he felt ready to step forward and throttle the boy immediately for information... but his next words stopped him.
"That makes you angry right...? That's exactly what I mean." He sucked in his breath as the upset only rose further out of his control. "He did it cause we don't have no money okay? He's not a bad guy, he was tryin' to break away from all of that but he... he... last night he..." Jackson froze in his tracks as his mind drifted back to one event in particular. The image of the Magmortar flashed before his eyes.
An event he had almost entirely ignored and moved passed, the death of a man, as if by fate the aftermath of it all was staring him dead in the eyes.
"I don't care what the news says!" Rails shouted. "I don't care if people hate him! Or remember him as evil! My Pa was my hero! He did everythin' to raise me all by himself, he didn't tell them about me, he didn' even tell them about Pidgeot because he didn't want us to get hurt!" Rails took a few steps forward, his lip trembling as he pointed to Jackson with a shaky hand.
"You... you're like everyone else! Playing the hero on the nice side of reality while beatin' up villains who do what they do outta lack of choice! The kind of person who shits all over the little guy so... so I..." He paused, unable to hold the torrent back any longer. "...I..."
"You're going to fight me." The boy froze, his eyes shooting open as he hadn't expected Jackson to speak. "You're going to get stronger and prove t'me that you're worth a damn... that's what you're going to say right?"
"H-How did you...?" Rails took a step back, feeling defeated even in his words, predicted and out done, but Jackson had yet to explain.
"Because I'm you kid... I'm you after the pain, the sufferin', after findin' somethin' t'fight for..." He took a few steps forward until he was but a few feet from the boy in front of him. "If I've got to become the person you strive to outdo then so be it... I'll be that person for you, I'll be one step ahead of you for as long as you go, you'll keep comparin' yourself to me for as long as you can until it all becomes just a little bit too much to suffer through."
Rails looked at Jackson with tears streaming openly down his face. "I... I don't know what else... to do..."
"You rise above, it will hurt you, it will tear you apart... but it's the only option left. The life you wanted to lead when you confronted me here, it's a life that will tear you apart. It's a life that will make you do some of the most awful things you've ever done, things you never thought yourself capable of."
Jackson himself started to get just a little bit teary eyes, causing Rails' eyes to widen somewhat in shock as the older man whom he had come here to fight, to reject, stood sharing his pain.
The older of the two stepped forward and reached into his bag, before producing an empty pokéball and holding it out to Rails', whom looked at the capsule with confusion. Jackson smirked. "You've got a partner already right... how about instead of being my enemy you become my rival?" Rails' eyes widened as he stared at what was offered to him, a pokéball, a symbol of trainers everywhere.
"Don't dominate your life with ideas of vengeance and hatred kid... don't turn into the version of myself that I can never forgive. Not even now." He paused as Rails' moved a hand hesitantly forward. "I want you to be stronger when we next meet, I want you to be one of the strongest... then we will fight, not as enemies, as rivals... as two people with hell to give the world, hell they'll give by proving that they deserve to be a part of it all."
Rail's took the pokéball in his hand, then removed the notably older one from his pocket, the pokéball that contained his partner, his father's pokémon... Pidgeot.
"I'll do it." He said, looking up at Jackson with teary yet determined eyes. "I'll... I'll become someone my Dad can be proud of... and a rival worthy of you... ehm... you know I never got your name...?"
Jackson gripped Rails' hand in his and gave it a strong shake. "Jackson, Jackson Crane. Pleasure to meet you properly, Rails'."
The young man smiled brightly at Jackson, as he reached into his pocket. "You... can call me Rodrick. Here!" He tossed a small bluish silver disk, retrieved from said pocket, to Jackson whom caught it in his hand with a curious expression.
"It was my Dad's favorite move... I want y'to borrow it a'ight? You can give it back to me when we have our next battle." Rails'... Rodrick nodded resolutely and stepped past Jackson, patting him on his back as he clicked his retractable skates into gear and started moving back towards Lumiose city.
"I'll be the best you've ever fought, just you watch!"
Jackson sneered as he turned around and waved the kid off, his eyes filled with an odd sort of pride and satisfaction. "You'd damn well better be, pokéballs aren't cheap kid!"
He heard a small chuckle as the kid sped away down hill... and then he was gone. Jackson looked at his own reflection in the TM he had just been gifted. The blonde hair, the mature expression, even the small tears from the emotions he had fought back... while looking at a different sort of reflection.
The Professor was right... even now, he was a different man to the one whom had left Aquacorde just a few days prior... and thus, turning back towards the now unblocked entrance to Camphrier town, he too was resolved to grow even stronger still.
Spoiler:
BADGE CASE:
Spoiler:
INVENTORY:
1 x Pokédex
3 x Poké Ball
1 x Old Rod
1 x Metal Coat
1 x Black Holocaster
1 x Cinder Uniform
1 x Retractable Skates
"Do you think it's Celebi or Virizion that made the Grotto pop up?"
"You're kidding, right? There's no way this story's legit."
Two trainers sit on the Pokemon center's sofa, speaking in what they believe to be hushed whispers, though it seems their conversation has turned more than a few heads from others in the center.
"Grotto?" Sebastian questions.
"Rumor has it that Hidden Grotto appeared on Route 5." The Pokemon nurse explains with an easy going smile. "Some people are even saying it's a portal to the Unova region, although...I'm not exactly sure why."
"Interesting…" Sebastian murmurs. Hidden Grotto, portals, legendary Pokemon? This has got to be worth looking into...
Coul fetched all his four Pokemon from the Nurse Joy after she answered the other trainer beside him. From the books, he knew what hidden grottoes are. They are supposed to be clearings hidden along routes in Unova that usually hides a rare Pokemon. Sometimes, items dropped by other trainers who can manage to find the grotto can also be found. Coul himself had never been inside one but talks of legendary Pokemon appearing seemed pretty interesting.
"Excuse me, Nurse Joy," Coul interrupted the other trainer. "Do you think where exactly in Route 5 was the Grotto rumored to appear?"
"I haven't seen it for myself, but…" Joy takes out a piece of paper and begins drawing a quick scribble of the route. "One you pass the skate park, you'll come to a small pond. Everyone's saying the Grotto is on the far side of the pond, between a group of bushes." She smiles, taking note of Sebastian taking a glance at her drawing. "...If you decide to go, it might be best to use the buddy system. A lot of trainers have headed there recently...only a few have come back. Maybe they just continued on their journey, but...better safe than sorry." Coul nodded. He needed to cross the pond if that's where the grotto is. He had Lombre ready for that kind of thing but for a buddy. It sucked that he didn't take the contact details of trainer with the Poliwag or even Sam. They'd make a good buddy. "Thanks Nurse Joy. I'll take a look at it if I can but I don't think I have anyone to call for such a thing."
"Sebastian, weren't you headed that way?" Joy asks.
"Oh-- yes." Oh, he sees what she's doing, and he does want to see the Grotto…
"You and Coul should go together." She makes the jump before Sebastian can speak again, and for that he's somewhat grateful. Inviting himself along on someone else's adventure, even if he was intending to head that way…
He turns to face his fellow trainer and nods. "I'm game if you are."
Coul looked at the trainer and smiled. "Hey, all I wanted was a partner. The name's Coul Remson. You look really familiar, though."
Coul Remson....The sound of Sycamore's voice announcing that name flashes within his mind: This was one of the trainer's from the academy, one of his fellow graduates.
"You were at the academy, right?" Sebastian asks as he picks up his bag. Best to check, it could have been another Coul Remson, although the chances seem slight.
"Ah, yes. I was. That was probably why I recognized you. I'm not really good friends with most of them. There are some but I am not quite sure where they are now," Coul happily answered. It was a refreshing turn of events, having to talk to another trainer from the academy. "So, what would our game plan be? I have a Lombre who could assist in carrying us through the water."
"Seems we're in the same boat, as it were. I...didn't spend much time with the other students." Still, hearing the happy tone in his old classmate's voice makes Sebastian feel a bit at ease. "We'll have to see what's inside before we can build a plan around it." He offers an encouraging smile. "Shall we get going?" Thank goodness for Lombre; Sebastian doubts his little Ducklett could escort them both across the water.
"Yeah, let's go. I believe the gate to Route 5 is in the west of the city. Do you want to walk or shall we take a quick cab? I'm down for both really," Coul winked. "I had some gig last night that paid really well. Something about the rock band that was in town. Did you catch them?" Coul said as he lead the pair of trainers outside the Pokemon Center. It was late in the morning so the sun was already halfway through its morning climb. A few more hours and it would start to hurt their skin. "Wait, how rude of me. I forgot your name!"
"Oh! No, I should have told you before." Sebastian laughs nervously. "I'm Sebastian Allender." If Coul really didn't mind either way, now might be a good time to flag down a cab: The sun was already beating down, and he wasn't entirely sure he was up for another session of 'getting lost in Lumiose,' although Coul seemed to know exactly where he was going, so...perhaps it wouldn't be as painful, though it would still be quite the walk.
"I think the faster we get there, the better chance we have of seeing Virizion." There's a hint of playfulness in his tone; odds are whatever is in there, it isn't Legendary… though he's still very interested to see for himself.
"Well, whatever it is, I hope it is worth our time," Coul smiled as he hailed a passing taxi. "Route 5 gate, please."
"That'll be 710 Pokedollars," the driver said. Coul nodded and got in the back seat. He motioned for Sebastian to go inside. "Don't worry. It's my treat. I'm getting excited over a new route."
"Are you sure? I don't mind pitching in." Somehow he managed to make a decent amount of money during his time in the city, between the reward money for fighting that Steelix, and that artist just handing him and Dylan Puffin cases full of cash…
"Well, I won't really complain," Coul smiled.
Sebastian slides in beside his new companion and nods in agreement. "Whatever's out there, I have a feeling we'll be glad we saw it." Coul nodded in agreement.
"So, what do you do, Sebastian?" Coul said in an attempt of a small talk. "I'm here to see the sights for the better part of the journey and probably do some study on the relationship of an area to the Pokemon."
"When we started, all I wanted was to challenge the league." Sebastian admits. "But the farther we go...the more I see, that seems like such a closed minded goal." That being said, his reasons for wanting to challenge the league were somewhat closed minded as well. "I still plan on collecting badges, but I'd like to see what else this region has to offer...hidden grottos, for example."
Coul laughed. "Well, let's hope that the region has more hidden grottoes. It'd be a nice sight for you, I'm sure," Coul said. "Have you battled Viola already?"
"I have." Sebastian admits. He considers taking out his badge case to show the badge to his companion, though that seems a bit like showing off, and that is the last thing he wants to seem like in front of Coul. Perhaps it's best to leave it at a simple yes. "Is there a particular area you're hoping to study? Or a particular Pokemon?"
"I have battled Viola myself. That Ninjask of hers was absolutely a monster, especially when it Baton Passed," Coul recalled. It was just because of Sandy's beastly defenses that he managed to defeat Viola using only one Pokemon. "And to answer your question, at first, not really. I mean, my studies encompasses a lot of possible subjects. I just take down notes every now and then and probably choose one that amuses me the best to study when all this ends." The taxi stopped and the driver told the pair that the gate is located to their left. Coul took out 750 Pokedollars and gave it to the driver. "Keep the change."
"Baton pass is an excellent technique. I'd love to try it for myself one day." Unfortunately, none of the pokemon on his current team could learn the move. It's a shame, it could work exceptionally well with Mothom's quiver dance. "Thank you." He nods gratefully as he slides out of the taxi cab. Coul followed suit. As they begin their journey through the route, he attempts to keep the conversation going; the idea of Pokemon research is an interesting one. "Have you found a favorite yet?"
"A favorite what?" Coul absentmindedly asked. The gate to the route was pretty impressive on its own. It had the route number glowing in the sunlight, hanging by the archway. There were very few people passing through. Probably because most of them are still piss-drunk from the night's festivities. "Wow. It will be actually my first time passing through the route."
"Mine too. I...never really left the academy." Sebastian admits reluctantly. "Before I came to school, I lived in Kanto. Everything we've seen since we graduated has been a new sight for me." Does that make him sound pathetic? Yes, probably, though it also makes every second of this journey exciting. Coul nodded. "I've been to a few parts of the region but mostly the eastern side. Also, if you mean favorite study, I haven't yet. Although I have quite a few theories developing at the moment. Do you remember that pond back in Ouvert Way?"
"I remember seeing it...was there something special about it?" Sebastian questions. It seemed ordinary enough, not that he spent a great deal of time looking at it. At the time he was fairly determined to get to the next city for the gym challenge...how things have changed since then.
"Well, it was interesting for me. The pond was unusually large for something formed out of rainwater so I had a theory that underground tunnels funneled water from the river in Detourner Way towards Ouvert. The supposed presence of Dunsparce in the area, although I haven't been able to see one, could be the reason why there could be tunnels beneath the ground as Dunsparce are known to be tunneling creatures that live in the dark. Now, I needed to find a reason why the Dunsparce will do it," Coul explained. He was bouncing in his step as he reveled in the attention Sebastian is giving his study. "When I went to Detourner Way, Dunsparce could also be seen on the route as per the Pokedex. However, there was another Pokemon in the area that caught my attention: Bidoof." The two trainers passed through the gate. The guard stationed seemed a little bit sleepy still.
"The Bidoof, as we all know, are river-dwelling species. However, they create their habitats or dams in the middle of the river. Through the years of accumulation of sticks and twigs in the river, it caused the water level to rise, a little bit but significantly. This may have flooded the exisiting tunnel network for the Dunsparce forcing them to create a new series that may have lead to the creation of the pond in Ouvert Way," Coul finished explaining. He knew that there is still a lot to learn about the area but he needed a Diving Pokemon first, and some gear. "Those kinds of relationship between Pokemon and geography is what fascinates me the most. I also have a pending study about Riolu in Detourner Way and the abundance of Fairy-types in Parterre Way but I haven't gotten round to it."
"This is fascinating." Sebastian admits. Come to think of it, he remembered thinking the pond on the route was large for something landlocked, but he didn't stop to think why, or how, and he never would have made the connection between the area's Dunsparce and the large pond. He finds himself smiling all the more; Coul's passion for the Pokemon sciences kind of remind him of his mother, a Pokemon Researcher. She would have taken note of the pond, and she probably would have set off to study each of the area's Pokemon to see their connection to the pond… he really needs to give her a call.
"It is. And imagine that those relationships are all throughout the region."
As they walk, the sound of rollerblades and skateboards rolling and colliding against wooden surfaces can be heard. Sebastian raises his hand to his left collarbone without realizing, and then laughs nervously at the old habit. "My father took me to a skatepark in Saffron City when I was young." He explains, realizing how strange he must look. "I fell and broke my collarbone...we never spoke of skating again after that."
"Wow, you were from Saffron CIty? What's it like? I've never been to Kanto but the Seafoam Islands is something of a destination for myself," Coul said, completely missing the point about the roller skates. "I've never tried to roller skate. I'm more of a bike guy."
"Fuschia, actually, but we visited Saffron every few months." His mother often had business with Silph co., and when she went to meetings, his father would take him and his brother and make a day of the giant city. The skyscrapers and teleportation pads served as a severe contrast to Fuchsia's traditional, old time buildings and ancient vibe.
"Ah, Fuchsia. You have easy access to the Seafoam Islands, am I right? I'm from Sinnoh myself, but I am well-versed with the other regions. Kalos is just the first region I actually had the chance to visit."
Sebastian nods. "Seafoam island is a short boat ride away-- though I've heard getting inside the islands is a challenge." When taking boat rides to Cinnabar Island, they would pass the islands of Seafoam, and the captain of their boat would always go into great detail about how dangerous it was to get too close.
"Sometimes I regret not purchasing a bike before our journey started, though with my luck...I might have crashed it by now." Coul laughed at the remark.
"Who knows? Maybe we'll find some bike soon enough," Coul said. "Now, where was the grotto located again? Nurse Joy said that it is just past the skate park and we're here at the skate park." Coul pointed to their right. There were a lot of people on the skate park already, trying out several tricks on their blades. Coul decided that it might be worth visiting, just to see the sights. He'll retrace his steps once the issue with the grotto is done.
"She said to look for a pond, right?" Sebastian raises his hand to his forehead to block out the sun's rays as he looks ahead: In the distance he can see light glistening off a small body of water. "Over there." Coul squinted and saw the tell-tale sign of the light reflecting off of some water.
"Right, let's go." Coul jogged ahead of Sebastian, excited of seeing the supposedly anomaly. He reached the pond and stuck his hand on the water. It was freezing cold, which was weird since the sun is already up for a few hours now and it should have heated up somehow. "This is freezing water," he remarked. He took out his notebook and started writing his observations. "It's not that deep though. I think we can waddle in it safely."
"Freezing?" Sebastian repeated. He too knelt down and traced his fingertip against the water's edge. What...how? It's summer, the sun has been beating down on the shallow waters for hours. Could this have something to do with what's inside the hidden grotto? His curiosity is peeked more than ever, he turns towards Coul and nods. "Let's go." Coul nodded and, without taking his clothes off, took a step into the pond. The water is indeed freezing, more so if you're submerged in it, waist down.
"I am not a smart man," Coul simply remarked as he started to slowly traverse the water. It was a good thing he had a change of clothes in his bagpack.
Instantly Sebastian knew this was a terrible idea, and while he can now see it probably would have been in their best interest to take the extra time to walk around the pond, it...seems cruel to make Coul wade across it by himself. "Misery loves company, right?" He laughs nervously, swallowing thickly as he hoists himself into the water. Yes, yes indeed, it is cold. A shiver runs up his spine and he quickly pushes his way through the water to join up with Coul. "We should have walked around," Coul said, chuckling as Sebastian shivered. "We will get used to this."
"I don't intend to stay that long." He laughs nervously, rubbing his upper arm with his hand as they wade through.
The bushes in question was on the far side of the pond, as far as Coul could see. The bushes were in a far deeper green color compared to the other plants in the area. And, mysteriously, there seemed to be a thin blanket of white on the ground. Snow?
"I think I see something. Is that snow?" Coul pointed.
"That…" Yes, that's exactly what it is: Blowing out of the grotto's entrance are tiny flakes of snow, enough of them to begin to cloak the bushes and ground around them in a thin layer of white. Nearly forgetting the frigid waters, Sebastian pushes himself against the water faster. Soon the water began to grow more shallow, and then he was on dry land, standing in a small patch of snow. "This is...unreal…" Coul followed suit. He knelt and felt the snow on his hands.
"As far as I am concerned, snow don't fall here, even in the winter. This is very strange," Coul said as he smacked his hands together, causing a flurry of snow to fall down. The bushes also has a thin layer of snow on them. "Sebastian, thoughts?"
"I think I see why people think Celebi is involved." Sebastian rests his chin on his knuckles as he thinks aloud. "Hidden Grottos are phenomena that, to the best of my knowledge, only occur in Unova, meaning something...something powerful enough to bypass time, or dimensions...brought it here, perhaps from Snowpoint city." He drops his hand to his side, blinking back into reality. "I'm certain we'll find a Pokemon native to Snowpoint city inside this grotto."
"Hmm, but Sebastian, Snowpoint is in Sinnoh. Maybe Icirrus? But still, hidden grottos or not, this snow is certainly strange. Do you want to walk further into these bushes?"
He can feel the heat rise to his face at the mistake, well...it was about time he made a fool out of himself, this was going a bit too smoothly. "I do." As he walks closer to the Grotto's entrance he takes Selkie's Pokeball from his belt loop; if there's an ice type Pokemon in there, it might be in their best interest to have the fire type ready. He saw that Coul also had the same idea as he sent out a Houndour.
"Better have the warmth ready for whatever is inside,"Coul said as the two trainers approached the bushes. It was getting colder by the minute even with Snoop's ambient heat. Coul doesn't know what to expect to see.
"Braixen~" Selkie greets her fellow fire type with a wave of her paw.
"Stay close, Selkie. I'm not sure what we're walking in to." Sebastian warns. The Braixen nods and takes out her branch, lighting the tip on fire to act as a torch, just in case.
As the four venture in, the grassy meadow of route 5 is replaced with a snowy Tundra: The inside of the grotto is completely white, and significantly colder.
"It's...like we've stepped into an entirely new world." Sebastian remarks. Coul agreed. There was a much thicker blanket of snow on the ground and, for some mysterious reason, snow is falling. Coul took out his notebook and started writing his notes. He had no idea yet how come there's snow in the area.
While he was busy writing, a stronger flurry of snow buffets the two trainers, much to their surprise. Coul squinted in the thick snowstorm and saw a bunch of Snorunt attacking the two of them. "Snoop! Ember! The Houndour tried to summon flames from his maw but he also was distracted by the strong Ice-type attack. While it was weak, it did impede the Houndour.
Snorunt?! So they're the reason behind all this snow. The two are tag-teaming Coul's Houndour, overpowering the Pokemon's embers. "Selkie, use Fire spin!"
Braixen spins in a circle, the flame on her branch growing stronger, before the spiraling flames shoot towards the twin Snorunt, trapping them in a sea of flames and ending the powder snow-- at least for a few seconds.
"These little guys are stronger than they look." Sebastian admits. Coul issued an order for Snoop to charge towards the Snorunt while it was distracted. The FIre Spin from Sebastian's Braixen kept the Snorunt busy for a while and Snoop managed to close in on one of them and deliver a strong Thunder Fang attack. While the Snorunt was trapped in Snoop's attack, Snoop issued an Ember, burning the poor Pokemon. "Sebastian, you handle the other one!" Houndour released the Snorunt as the other one directed a Powder Snow towards Coul's Pokemon.
"Right." Sebastian nods, watching as the second Snorunt leaps out of the fire spin, launching a headbutt towards Braixen. "Selkie, Psybeam!"
The fire from Braixen's branch vanishes as she points it at the incoming Snorunt, replaced with a vibrant beam of colorful energy that smashes into the Snorunt, blowing it towards the back of the Grotto.
"I'm not sure what will happen to this place if we melt it." Sebastian thinks aloud; Selkie could probably finish the two Snorunt off with a Heat wave, though his place might just collapse in on them, depending on how much of it is truly ice.
"We don't want another Santalune Forest, don't we? Let's just keep it at a minimum," Coul shouted as Houndour wrestled with the other Snorunt. The Ice-type was too agile for its species but Houndour is keeping it in check. The Fire-type is yapping and snapping as it chased Snorunt around the area. Houndour may have the type-advantage but it wasn't enough to overpower the Snorunt. It fired another Powder Snow towards Snoop but he managed to dodge it. A thick layer of snow is added to the ground. "We need to be careful with our Fire-types move too! Ice turns to water with enough heat!" Houndour backed into the Braixen and barked. The Snorunt rushed towards Houndour with a Headbutt but Houndour promptly swiped it off with his paw. Braixen automatically turned and hit the Snorunt with the torch. "That's Beat Up!?"
"Good work, you two!" Sebastian cheers as Houndour calls Selkie in for reinforcements with its beat Up attack. "Okay, Selkie, Psybeam one more time!"
Braixen fired her mystical beam, but this time the Snorunt was prepared. She dove under the snow to hide from the blast, and while Braixen was busy trying to find out where she had vanished to, she chucked an ice shard at the Braixen, knocking her branch from her hand.
Infuriated, Braixen lets out a sharp, high pitched howl and dives for the Snorunt, pummeling her with several scratch attacks.
Coul watched as the two Fire-type engaged in close combat with the Ice-types. Snoop retaliated back with another Thunder Fang and Ember combination but Snorunt was far too sturdy. Coul realized that both Braixen and Snoop pool their strength into one Snorunt at a time. Or have Braixen use an area-wide attack. He decided to let Sebastian decide. "Snoop can't bring this Snorunt down unless we tag team onto on. Maybe we could do that. Or you can use Fire Spin or whatever attack you can and just knock both down. Houndour's Ember cannot cut it.
A tag team? Not a bad idea. The corner of Sebastian's mouth raises in a slight smirk. "Tag team it is. Selkie, use Flame Charge on the other one!"
Braixen leaves her original target and charges for the other Snorunt. She leaps up, her body becoming coated in flames as she slams into the other Snorunt, her previous Howl serving to boost her attack. Coul cheered as the attack hit the target. "Snoop! Follow up with an Ember attack!" Houndour bounded towards the target and engulfed the Snorunt in flames. He smacked the other Snorunt away as it tried to assist its partner.
The other Snorunt rushed over to defend its comrade, putting them in the perfect position for another fire spin. "Ready to finish this?" He asks Coul. THe blue-haired trainer nodded and watched as Sebastian ordered his Pokemon.
"Selkie, Fire Spin!"
With the added burst of speed from her Flame Charge, Selkie rushes over to where her branch had been blasted. She grabs it and leaps back to Houndour, smiling at her companion as she unleashes a small ring of fire from her branch, which twirls above the two Snorunts before enveloping them completely. For good measure, Houndour added in his own Ember, intensifying the flames furthermore. When the flames subsided, there was a small puddle of water on the ground and two Snorunts, obviously fainted. Coul cheered and recalled his Houndour back, afraid that the water might spook the Pokemon. "Good work! Your Braixen is well-trained!"
"Thank you. Your Houndour was remarkable." He remembered the Pokedex stating that Houndour's teamwork is an impressive sight, and watching it work together with Selkie before his own eyes was truly one to behold.
"Braixen~" Selkie leaps back to the duo, bouncing from one foot to the other in an attempt to keep from staying in the snow too long.
"You did wonderfully." Sebastian praises, returning the Pokemon to her ball. His head slowly turns to the Snorunts...where did they come from? How did they get here? There must be something so very special about them... He reaches into his bag for a Pokeball, tossing it towards the Snorunt who had blown away Selkie's branch.
Shake...Shake...Shake...Ding.
Snorunt was caught!
"And congratulations for the capture too!" Coul cheered. He started approaching the other fainted Snorunt. It was just silently laying in there. Very carefully, Coul lifted the Ice-type. It was cold to the touch but it was not as cold as he expected them to be. "I'm not sure but they seem to be warm." The Snorunt groaned and opened an eye. It looked around and frantically searched for its partner.
When it didn't find what it was looking for, it panicked and sent a Headbutt towards Coul. He groaned in pain and dropped the Pokemon to the wet ground. "Ouch!" The Snorunt cried and fled into the trees beyond the clearing.
"Hopefully whatever brought it here will come back for it…" Sebastian frowns as the second Snorunt skitters off, grimacing at the impact the little Snow hat made against Coul's chest. "Are you alright?" Well, no, clearly he isn't alright, but what level of not alright is he? Sebastian didn't hear any bones crack when Snorunt plowed into him, so...that was a plus.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Coul groaned as he massage his chest. The attack was powerful. "How's your little guy?"
"Probably better in here." Sebastian bends down to pick up the Pokeball. Apparently the Pokeball has a calming mechanism to it, and considering this little one was most likely thrown from her home with little to no warning, she needed the sensation of safety. Its when he tucks the ball into his bag that he takes note of something twinkling beneath the snow. Curiosity once more sets in as he digs out two pristine white stones, and two crown-shaped crystals. "Seems these two were burying treasure." He manages a curious smile. He handed one to Coul.
"Well, I think this solves the problem? This is an Ice Stone, a very rare stone that can evolve certain species. This one is a NeverMeltIce. As per the name suggests, it never melts. It also serves as sort of a receptacle for power for Ice-type moves," Coul said as he examined the stones. "Well, if I am going to guess. This two Snorunt might have come here to hide this stuff. Doesn't explain why they chose here, but at least we know why." Coul pocketed the two stones for himself, seeing that there was enough for both Sebastian and himself. "Want to go now? I'd like to feel warm again."
"I would appreciate feeling my feet again." Sebastian agrees as he places the stone and the icy crown in a small compartment of his bag. He walks by Coul's side as they make their way towards the grotto's entrance, once more brushing the snow-covered bushes aside. He takes a short glance at the pond before quickly turning his head towards Coul. "We walk around this time." He states with a nervous chuckle. Coul nodded in agreement. After being headbutted by an Ice-type and surviving a flurry of snow, he is not going to be diving into the water again.
"This reminds me that I need to change clothes ASAP." Coul grinned as the two of them walked around the pond. "Well, this has been a fun experience. Too bad we don't see Celebi. I actually regret not catching the Snorunt since I could study it more but I guess it's not really meant for me," Coul extended a hand. "See you soon again, I guess?"
"If I learn anything about this little one, I'll let you know." Sebastian speaks. When he gets to a Pokemon center he intends to send little Snorunt to his mother, at least for a brief time. She can scan the Snowhat to see if it has any DNA traces from legendary Pokemon. With a small smile, he takes his fellow trainer's hand in his own and offers a single shake. "We'll meet again soon, I'm certain."
Pokemon Caught!
Ukyou the Snorunt ♀
Powder Snow
Double Team
Ice Shard
Headbutt
Bite
Spikes
Ability: Ice Body
After departing from Jackson and Malorie, Avril began to make her way across Versant Road. The girl was glad that she was able to help Jackson's sister out in some way. While that did mean that she had to part ways with Benjamin, it did help to give the girl some form of closure in regards to the Mudbray. He looked as if he was truly happy during that bit of time he was under Malorie's care and if that was what the sort of care that the horse pokémon wanted, then who was Avril to stop him. Plus, as she explained to Jackson, it was better than sticking him into a PC box sooner or later for an indefinite period of time.
With Benjamin taken care of, Avril decided that it was time to begin properly training her team. While she did have some extra pokéballs and great balls thanks to her last minute shopping adventure in Lumiose City, the girl was not all that keen on catching anything new at the moment. She figured that despite not being all that close to the Mudbray, the least she could do out of respect for him is to not run off and replace him with some other pokémon as soon as possible. So rather than hunt down some fancy new or rare creature to fill in the gap on her team, Avril decided to simply use her pokémon to battle against the various wild pokémon in the meantime. For some of her partners, such as Anise, Salad, or even her newest recruit, Lulu the Shuppet, this wasn't too hard of a task. However for Marble, the training proved to be a bit more difficult. Up to this point, the only battle experience the little Mareep had was during those few seconds where she emerged from her pokéball on her own to try and fight against Volkner's Luxray. While some might have seen that as quite the valiant effort to help her teammates, especially considering how young the Mareep was, Avril saw it more as a sign to help Marble get stronger.
"Come on, Marble... You can do it! Hit that Patrat with your Signal Beam!" the trainer encouraged. Marble was eager to oblige, the little ball on the end of her tail lighting up before a bright, neon ray shot towards the wild Patrat. The wild Patrat glared at Avril's Mareep as he began to charge towards her, its sharp, sturdy teeth shining in the afternoon sun all the while. The beam managed to strike the Patrat, causing the scout pokémon to wince, but it did little to stop the rodent's oncoming attack. Not wasting a single moment, Avril quickly called in her designated backup to assist the Mareep. "Salad, stop it with a Razor Leaf!"
Salad immediately bounded forward, a flurry of jagged leaves shooting out from the bristle fur of the Leafeon. The Patrat widened its eyes, skidding to a halt as it saw the attack flying straight towards it. The leaves were too quick for the Patrat to avoid however, and they all quickly cut into the wild pokémon with ease. The Patrat stumbled backwards, falling flat on its backside as a result of the attack. It groaned weakly, trying to pick itself back off the ground, before falling down once more and fainting on the spot. Avril offered a smile at the Leafeon and Mareep as they both turned to face their trainer, clearly proud of the work they had just done.
"Not bad, you two..." Avril said, offering both Salad and Marble a gentle pat on the head. "You're both starting to get stronger... Shino better watch out, or you two are gonna end up leaving him in the dust." The pokémon both seemed to beam with glee at the compliment. Salad in particular, with his seemingly endless energy, began to chase his tail in delight. Marble on the other hand, seemed to share Avril's current state, as both the Mareep and trainer began to yawn in unison. Marble was clearly starting to get a little tired from her training session, while the previous night's lack of sleep was most likely starting to finally catch up with Avril. "I think we should take a small break, if anything just to rest our eyes for a bit, yeah?"
Spotting a nearby bench, Avril motioned for Salad and Marble to follow behind her. The girl wasted no time in settling down on the inviting bench, another yawn escaping her lips as she leaned back slightly in her seat. Marble snuggled up close to Avril, the Mareep chosing to lay next to her right foot, while Salad chose the other side fo himself. While the trainer did not want to spend too much time resting on the bench, she figured at the very least that a few minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt. It only took Avril a moment or two before her heavy eyelids fell shut and she began to breathe softly, slipping away into a dreamland.
"Aww, aren't they cute?" Victoria purrs as she stumbles upon the scene of the sleeping girl and her two Pokemon. That Leafeon is especially cute, and it would be really easy to nab while it's so defenseless...buuut it's doubtful the trainer would sleep through too much commotion. How deep a sleep can you get to on a bench?
She looks down to Torracat and Luxio, both out of their balls to help her keep an eye out for suckers-- except Luxio's not there, Luxio is trotting over to the sleeping trio, and when he reaches the innocent, sleeping Mareep, he quickly chomps down on her fleece.
It's at that very moment that Avril's exhausted eyes burst open. The sound of a wailing Mareep is quick to catch both her and Salad's attention, the former of who is quick to notice the Luxio biting down on Marble's fleece. The Leafeon is quick to slam his body right into the Luxio, knocking it off and away from Marble. After being knocked back, Avril was quick to scoop down and pick Marble off the ground. She carefully looked the Mareep over, making sure that no harm had come to her, before looking around and narrowing her eyes onto that of a girl she was definitely not too familiar with.
"...What the hell...?" Avril questioned, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the Luxio returning to the girl's side. "Is that your pokémon? Do you need to keep it on a leash or something?"
"He's mine. I didn't expect him to do that. " She looks to Lucian, the Luxio, who is shaking off the slam. "You deserve that."
Luxio hardly looks guilty, in fact he looks quite satsified with the electricity he was able to drain from Marble's fleece. He flashes a toothy grin, static zapping from his teeth as he trots back to his trainer.
Avril sighed, rubbing her forehead in annoyance. She was able to tell that the Luxio looked quite pleased with itself over what it had done. To be honest, she really wasn't all that sure that the girl was too remorseful about it either. "Whatever..."
Motioning for Salad to follow along, the blonde trainer began to walk past the stranger and her two pokémon. Her mood seemed to only be getting worse by the second, and the fact that her powernap had been so quickly interrupted was not doing her any favors at this point. She resigned herself to the fact that the only chance she was probably going to have at getting some decent sleep was going to have to wait until she reached the next town. With any luck, it wouldn't be too far off now.
"Do yourself a favor and train that Luxio a bit," Avril said, glancing over her shoulder. "A pokémon that just attacks out of the blue like that really makes the trainer look bad."
"Relax, honey, he wasn't going for bone." Sure, okay, that was hardly a smooth move, and she was going to have to work with Luxio to be more subtle about stealing energy, but damn, it wasn't as if it tried to chew her tail off. Do Mareep even have feeling in their fleece? "He was just hungry, weren't you, cutie?"
Luxio nuzzles against his trainer's leg, still grinning. Aww...how can she be mad at that? The bad trainer remark, it was probably thrown out there to get a rise out of her, which is adorable, but little miss attitude is going to have to try a lot harder than that. A Bad Trainer isn't exactly in the top ten insults that have been hurled at her...since breakfast.
Geez, is Goldilocks still glaring? "Want him to put it back? He'll put it back."
Avril shook her head. She paused, glancing over her shoulder at the strange girl and the Luxio. There was no doubt about it at this point. The girl was actually proud of her Luxio for attacking Marble on his own like that. "Forget it. It's probably got some disease or something now. I don't want my pokémon catching... whatever that thing has."
"Oh, she wounds us." Victoria remarks sarcastically, clasping her hand over her in the most over the top manner she can manage. This makes Lucian snicker, his tail wriggles mischievously as he smirks at Avril.
The thief and the lion cub seem to be enjoying Avril's insults more than they're offended by them; however, someone doesn't think it's so funny. The Torracat, who up until this moment had been quietly sitting behind Victoria, grooming his paws, steps forward and bristles his fur, letting out an angered hiss of challenge.
"Roman." Victoria purrs. "Remember what I told you about wasting your time?"
Torracat looks to its trainer only briefly, then hunkers back down into the attacking stance. He will protect his trainer's honor.
"He must not have listened to you about it, otherwise he'd probably have taken off a long time ago... I mean, between the fact that your pokémon are so poor trained that they just do whatever they want combined with the fact that their trainer wears so much blue they look like a Quagsire..." Avril replied crossing her arms over chest. "Speaking of wasting time... I'm wasting mine listening to you. So don't take offense as I promptly tell you to screw off and get on my way, okay?"
"Keep working at it, hon, you're almost there." She's just on the edge of coming up with an insult that might actually be offensive. Sixth time's a charm, right? Little Goldilocks is trying oh so hard to get a rise out of her, and it's honestly kind of cute...maybe she should give in and let her have her battle. It would make Roman happy too.
"If you really wanted to walk away, you'd walk away, instead of flicking through that phonebook of menial insults until you find one that sticks. So, if it's a fight you want, I'll play~"
Roman's ears perk up at Victoria's words, and he happily hops from side to side, eager to get going.
Avril seemed hesitant for a moment, the girl not too sure on whether or not she truly wanted to jump right into a battle against a trainer. The events that happened at Lumiose were stlll riding heavy in her mind, and she wasn't sure how her lack of proper sleep would effect her judgement and calls as a trainer in battle. The more she thought about it however, the more that starting a battle with this girl seemed like an interesting idea. At the very least, wiping her smug grin off of her face could prove to be a halfway decent stress reliever.
"You know what...? Fine, you're on," Avril replied. She took one of the balls of her bracelet and sent the stranger a smirk of her own. "Just don't say I didn't give you this warning. I happen to be pretty strong."
Is that arrogance or a healthy dose of self confidence? Hopefully this girl's battling technique is better than her ability to come up with a decent insult, though either way...this is going to be fun. Maybe she'll wipe the floor with Goldilocks, maybe she'll be pleasantly surprised. "Here, Roman." She calls to the Torracat. "We'll let her go first."
The Torracat looks displeased, but romps back to Victoria's side none the less. He can't defend her honor if he doesn't first uphold it, after all.
Avril grinned, glancing down to her side where Salad still sat. The Leafeon looked quite excited, his tail whipping back and forth with anticipation all the while. "Alright then, Salad! You'll start us off!" Without waiting a single moment, the energetic Leafeon bound forward and barked happily in response. He was pratically bouncing back and forth, his eagerness clearly getting the better of him for the time being.
Luxio exchanges a determined glance with the Torracat. It knows Roman wants to fight, but that fox interrupted its snack, and Lucian wants his chance to get back at the Leafeon. Roman nods and takes a step back, leaving Lucian to look up at Victoria with its determined eyes.
Torracat would have an easy win over Leafeon, but what fun is an easy win? Plus her Pokemon won't grow if they're not challenged, and he dooes really want to. Okay. Victoria smirks. "Let's go, Lucian."
An equally eager Luxio takes the stage, his tail swishing as he crouches into a pouncing position.
The two pokémon seemed to stare at each other intently for what seemed like an eternity. Avril too was focusing on the Luxio, as well as that of his trainer. The girl had let Avril make the first move, which normally she would have figured would have meant that the stranger would choose her Torracat as her first pokémon to secure the type advantage. Part of Avril wondered if that meant that the girl had some trick up her sleeve involving the Luxio. Just looking at the creature reminded her of Volkner's Luxray and that Ice Fang he used on Salad just the other night.
"We better play it careful for now and use speed before power..." Avril determined. With a nod and a grin, she finally began the battle. "Salad, start off with a Quick Atttack!"
The Leafeon yipped happily in response. He quickly took off running towards the Luxio, leaping high into the air with the intent of tackling right into the electric type.
"Lucian, jump and tackle!"
The Luxio jumps away from the upcoming quick attack, landing about a foot away, he pivots with his back feet and rushes back towards the grass type, throwing his full weight against Salad. Avril watched as the two pokémon crashed into each other, both growling as they more or less managed to headbutt each other in the air. The Luxio and Leafeon both seemed focused in pushing the other back, but in the end it was Lucian who managed to gain the upperhand in the attack. His Tackle had just enough force to send Salad back towards the ground, the Leafon luckily landing on his feet to keep from taking too much damage.
"Salad, use Razor Leaf now!" Avril shouted quickly. The Leafon hunched forward, his fur standing on end as a swirl of leaves quickly caught up from his body, all sailing quickly and sharply in the direction of the Luxio.
"Now use Charge!"
Luxio cried out, a swarm of electricity forming a shield around him. Several of the leaves collided with the electrical shield, becoming fried on impact, while a few more flew right passed the dancing sparks, cutting into Lucian's head and earning an irritated roar.
"Ice Fang!"
Luxio's teeth were covered with a chilling sheen as he pounced for Leafeon's back, and prepared to bite down. Avril's eyes widened as she began to have flashbacks to her battle with Volkner, immediately picturing his Luxray biting down onto her Leafeon's neck in the very same manner. "S-Salad, jump back and use Sand-Attack!"
Salad just narrowly managed to jump back and away from the attacking Luxio. Without missing a beat the Leafeon quickly dug his paws into the dirt as Avril ordered. He let out a loud, quick yip, before he kicked up a mass of dirt and grass in the Luxio's direction.
Tackle just isn't cutting it, and Thunder Fang won't do much against a grass type, even with the help of charge. It's got to be ice fang or nothing-- but that's only going to help if Lucian can hit his opponent, which will never happen if this sand attack hits.
"Tuck and roll!" She shouts, the lion cub tucking his head and rolling under the onslaught of dirt.
"Now, Ice Fang again!"
Lucian quickly uncurls and leaps for Leafeon, this time aiming for the neck.
Avril shouted for the Leafeon to attack with Razor Leaf one more time. Just like before, Salad sent out a blast of razor-sharp leaves towards his opponent. However, the attack did little to stop the Luxio's attack. The leaves cut into their target all while he snapped his icy-cold fangs around the back of Salad's neck. The Leafeon let out a pain-filled howl, causing Avril to suddenly panic at the sound. Without so much as a word in response to the scene, the girl grabbed hold of Salad's pokéball and quickly called him back inside of it.
Luxio shakes his head as Salad is returned, making sure all the leaves that cut into his face were gone for good. Once certain, he proudly bounds back to Victoria for praise.
"Score 1 to 0. How far do you want to go?" Victoria asks, kneeling to give Lucian a rub behind the ears.
Avril looked down at Salad's pokéball before returning her attention back to Victoria. There was no way that Marble would be of much use in this battle. While the Mareep was finally starting to gain some battle experience, she wasn't not ready for a trainer battle... at least, not yet. Shino also was most likely not in the condition to battle at the moment either. That only left her with two more pokémon that she could potentially battle the stranger with.
"...Best of three," Avril answered, replacing Salad's pokéball back onto her bracelet. "Why don't you send out the next one first...?"
Torracat delicately paws at his trainer's leg. Victoria smiles, but shakes her head. "Not yet." As strong as Roman is, fire types have a lot of weaknesses, and she's fairly certain her new friend is hoping to scout for her next selection. She reaches for a Pokeball and tosses it to the field.
"Ready, Marie?"
An excitable Skitty bursts from its Pokeball, wiggling its ears and waving its tail towards its opponent.
"A Skitty, huh...? Mom has one of those back home..." Avril thought with a grin. "This one should be a pretty easy win..."
Taking another pokéball off of her belt, Avril threw her next team member out onto the battlefield. After a flash of light, the Skitty soon found herself standing across from quite the imposing looking Noctowl. The owl pokémon practically towered over the cat. Her head tilted slightly to the right, as if analyzing the Skitty to see if there was something unique that stood out about it.
This one might be a little harder. Skitty wasn't exactly made for fighting, and that is a big Noctowl; however, it's the habit to underestimate her adorable kitten that has given Marie her fair share of wins. "Marie, Fake out!"
Skitty hops to the left, then immediately to the right, then hops forward and slaps the Noctowl with her tail.
It's such a fun move...shame it only works the once. "Now Zen Headbutt while it's stunned!"
Tiny legs rush towards the Noctowl with all their speed, and then the kitten hurls herself, head first, towards her playmate opponent.
"Anise, snap out of it and give her a Zen Headbutt of your own!" Avril shouted.
The Noctowl snapped back to reality, but not in time to dodge the Skitty's attack. Anise staggered back slightly, but overall she seemed to take the attack fairly well. The owl pokémon out a loud, bellowing hoot, and quickly began to flap her mighty wings, lifting herself up into the air. She circled around the Skitty from above, before suddenly diving straight at her with great force and precision.
"Get out of the way!" Victoria commanded, and Skitty tried; she scurried to the left, and then to the right, but that owl had a deadlock on her. The impact sent her flying, letting out a loud cry as she did so, though she did manage to right herself and land on her feet-- with a bit of a thud.
Okay, staying away from that thing is the name of the game. "Use Disarming Voice!"
The pained look on Skitty's face went away immediately as she opened her mouth, calling out a sweet cry, and with it rings of energy that danced towards the massive bird.
The Noctowl closed its eyes, wincing slightly as the Skitty's attack rang out through the air. Yet despite the attack, Avril didn't seem to concerned about the Skitty's attack. "Give her a taste of her own medicine, Anise! Use Echoed Voice!"
The Noctowl shook her head, quickly regaining her senses, before taking what looked to be a deep breath and flapping back higher into the air. Her head reared back, her eyes narrowed down at the Skitty... and then her beak snapped wide open. A loud, screeching, echoing hoot shot out of the Noctowl, sending a wave of mass energy and pain straight at the stranger's Skitty. Even Avril had to cover her own ears, the Noctowl's razor-sharp voice echoing away.
"Block it out with Disarming Voice!"
Again Skitty cries out, her blasts smashing into the echoed voice. Shrill shrieks combined with sweet hums burst through the air, causing Victoria to cringe. Her strategy works-- for a few seconds, but soon enough Noctowl proves to have more power, and her blasts overpower Marie's, sending the kitten once more flying through the air.
Before she can crash land, Victoria holds up her Pokeball, returning the tiny thing to her home. "1 to 1, this'll decide it~" She purrs.
Avril was busy for a moment, congratulating her Noctowl by giving the pokémon a good pat on the head. Anise seemed absolutely thrilled with the praise, flapping her wings and hooting happily, much like she had back when she was just a Hoothoot. Turning her attention back to the stranger, Avril grinned. "I should probably apologize in advance. I didn't think you were gonna go down this easy."
Lucian rolls his eyes at the obnoxious trainer. If Victoria would let him go back, he could show that big dumb bird a thing or two, but that's not the way they're fighting...for some reason.
Again Torracat paws on his trainer's leg, and this time Victoria nods. "Go get 'em." She smirks, and the fire type happily charges towards the field.
Avril called back her Noctowl, returning its ball back to her bracelet and replacing it with another. Tossing it out onto the field, the girl smiled as her newest catch, Lulu the Shuppet emerged out into battle. The ghost pokémon flew around, taking in the sights of the area around her with glee, before her eyes landed on the Torracat across from her. A mischevious glint was in her eyes as she quickly stuck her tongue out, blowing a raspberry right in the direction of the fire cat.
Huh...watching Marie fight this thing would have been way more interesting. Victoria stifles a laugh when she sees Roman sitting in the middle of their battlefield, looking like the picture of unimpressed. "Ready, Roman?"
Roman's ears twitch when he hears Victoria, and he stands, nodding.
"Okay, Heat Wave!"
The cat focuses on the floating puppet, releasing a large burst of flames from his mouth.
"Lulu, use with Feint Attack!" Avril shouted.
Quickly, Lulu charged forward as the flames seared towards her. The Shuppet giggled as she moved towards her target, seemingly disappearing for a moment before reappearing with a jump right in front of the Torracat. Lulu gave Roman a quick wink before suddenly thrashing her tongue (surprisingly hard) right against the top of the fire cat's head. Then as soon as the attack was done, Lulu flew right back to her starting place in front of Avril.
Is this thing cute or annoying? Too soon to tell. For now, it's time to go for something a little more effective. "Roman, bite!"
Now we're talking. The Torracat seems to smirk as he rushes for the puppet, his fangs popping from his mouth as he lunges for the silly ghost's wispy frills.
"Shadow Sneak, now!" Avril ordered.
Lulu merely grinned at the charging Torracat. Her body suddenly went flat against the ground as she shot forward in Roman's direction. The ghost's giggling could be heard as she slid right into the shadow of the fire type pokémon, her eyes quickly starting to glow eerily in the process. Suddenly, Roman's shadow shot out from behind him, growing in both size and shape. A set of rather monstrous looking claws formed as the shadow stretched downward and somehow began to claw at Roman without remorse.
This one she knows, it's a good move, a tricky move, but it can be outdone. Victoria waits for the puppet to take form as Roman's shadow. "Jump!"
Powerful legs shoot upwards, just barely escaping the desperate claws.
"Now, ember!"
Little flames erupted from the tiger's mouth, shooting towards the shadowed puppet. The Shuppet let out a gasp of surprise, the little spout of flames brushing against the shadow. Lulu quickly emerged from the shadow and sent out a small glare in the Torracat's direction. Yet... she did not return to Avril's side. Rather, she merely floated there... waiting to see what the Torracat would do next.
Torracat's eyes narrow on the Shuppet, the very tip of his tail twitching. This thing's sneaky, but he's certain if he can get around her tricks he can overpower her.
"Give them another Heat Wave!"
Roman's legs twitch, he wants to jump forward and bite Shuppet, but does as he's told, the powerful flames spewing from his mouth.
Avril was quick on the draw, however. Once again, she ordered the Shuppet to attack with a Shadow Sneak. Just like before, Lulu lowered herself to the ground and zipped right underneath the raging flames, making her way right into Roman's shadow. Just like before, the shadow rose from the ground and took a fearsome shape, another giggle slipping out of Lulu's mouth as she once again prepared to take a swipe at the Torracat.
"Now, Lulu! Hit it with Night Shade!" Avril suddenly shouted.
Using the element of surprise, Lulu quickly went to work. She burst out of the Torracat's shadow, her eyes glowing a deep, crimson red as she stared at Roman. Dark, unsettling beams suddenly shot out from the ghost pokémon's eyes, battering into the Torracat fiercely. Lulu giggled in delight as the attack struck Roman, clearly a sign that she was enjoying the battle quite a lot.
Roman cries out in pain and aggravation as the Night Shade hits dead on. It doesn't seem to hurt the fire type too terribly, but it does seem to drain him a bit.
Roman could really learn something from the sneaky little ghost. Victoria finds herself smirking as she plots out Roman's next move. "Follow her with Ember!"
Follow her? The Torracat roars as he releases the little flaming bits from his mouth, following Shuppet's floating movements wherever she may go.
Lulu let out a small whine of pain as the fire from the Ember attack sparked against her body. This was shortly lived however, as the ghost quickly recovered with a giggle and a wink. Roman would soon find out why, as the little ghost managed to counter the Torracat's Ember attack with her Cursed Body ability. With Ember promptly disabled, Avril decided it was time to finish off the battle once and for all.
"Lulu, finish it off with a Feint Attack!" she ordered.
Feint attack isn't something a Pokemon can dodge, but that doesn't mean she'll let Roman go down without a parting gift. "Hit it with Heat Wave when it gets to you!"
Roman's nails dig into the ground below, bracing for impact as the puppet flies towards him. A split second before the Shuppet smashes into him, he releases a powerful burst of flame. Once hit, the tiger fumbles backwards, rolling towards Victoria. Once his body skids to a stop, he struggles to stand, only for Victoria to step in front of him. "That's enough."
Torracat cries in protest, and the blonde shakes her head. "That's enough." She repeats, and Roman remains lying down.
Avril widened her eyes as the Torracat unleashed one final blow. At that close range, there was no way that Lulu was going to be able to dodge that attack. The flames of the cat's overwhelming heat quickly encased the Shuppet, causing her to scream out in pain from the fiery blast. Avril shielded her eyes, biting her lip as she waited for the blast to die down. Slowly, the flames passed to reveal her Shuppet lying on the ground. She watched as Lulu tried to lift herself back off the ground, the ghost attempting to muster up every once of strength she had, but just was unable to do so.
"No, it's fine Lulu..." Avril replied, taking the ghost's pokéball and recalling her back inside. She smiled softly at the ball. "You did an amazing job. Great work."
Victoria recalls Roman to his Pokeball and turns to her opponent. "She's adorable." She motions with her hand to Lulu's pokeball. "I guess we call this one a draw."
Lucian steps in front of Victoria and turns to stare at her, making sure his presence was known. He wants to battle that Noctowl and claim the victory.
"I see you." Victoria shakes her head. "We're calling it a draw." This girl has some serious PTSD when it comes to seeing her Pokemon get hurt, and while Victoria would rob the girl blind in an instant, seeing her so terrified wasn't any fun.
"W-Wait, we can go further," Avril replied quickly. She suddenly felt like she was being let off, as if the stranger before her felt some kind of pity. It made her feel quite uncomfortable. "I've still got Anise!"
Lucian grins up to Victoria, raising his paw and pointing it towards Avril, as if to say 'see?'
"Didn't we agree, best two out of three?" She was not in the mood to explain to a doctor how she told a Luxio to use Ice Fang on a Noctowl, and it caused a teenage girl's eyes to pop right out of her head. She had places to be-- well, not really. She's not entirely sure where she's going now that her hotel raid scheme has ended. Her smirk grows as she turns her full attention back to Avril.
"But if you want to spend more time with me, we could walk through this route together." She winks.
Avril sighed, shaking her head in response. "I guess you're right. I did say best two out of three. Oh, well..." She paused, returning Lulu's pokéball to her bracelet. "While that offer does seem nice... I mean, we don't even know each other's names. It'd be kinda awkward... right?"
"They say a Pokemon battle is the best way to get to know a trainer, right?" To be fair that really sounds like someone's bull s*** excuse they vomited out because they didn't want to admit how fun just getting out there and fighting is. Victoria brushes her hair over her shoulder before walking closer to Avril, leaving Lucian looking positively astonished.
"I'm Victoria." No harm in giving out her real name, back in Lumiose they were looking for Tiana.
Avril seemed a bit... surprised by how forward and friendly the girl was being all of a sudden. A slight blush graced her cheeks as she nodded in response. "My name's Avril... N-Nice to meet you."
"Is it? I thought I was a disease ridden Quagsire." Victoria jokes. Lucian, recovering from his confusion, trots towards its trainer and taps her leg with his head.
"Oh, right, you're disease ridden." She chuckles, obviously there's no hard feelings, but it's just so fun to tease, and it's getting such a rise out of her new friend (who is unfairly adorable).
"Look... I guess... I just got lost in the heat of the moment," Avril admitted, looking down at her feet for a moment. "I'm... sorry, alright? Really, I mean it."
"Hun, we all get a little fiery now and then, comes with the territory."
These words cause Lucian to tilt his head in confusion. Territory? Like this route? What's that got to do with anything?
"Oh, you." Victoria chuckles at the lion cub's cuteness. "Anyway, it's fine, really."
"Anyways... um... I think I'm just gonna make a beeline for Camphrier..." Avril decided. "I'm sure you've got your own stuff to do, so... maybe I'll see you around."
"Eh...not really." Probably not a good idea to explain why she had no current plan of action. Something about telling your new objective you had to leave Lumiose because the police are looking for you...not going to help. "But hey, it's a small world. I bet we'll see each other again." As she passes Avril she stops, just long enough to pop the quickest of kisses on her cheek.
Avril froze on spot from the kiss, her cheeks somehow growing even darker. She stood silently, watching as Victoria and her Luxio made their way down the road. For some reason, Avril felt really strange all of a sudden. It was a weird feeling, considering how how the two had started out just a little while ago.
Shaking the thought from her head, Avril picked up her pace and resumed her walk towards Camphrier Town. "Victoria..."
[FONT=%22Jim Nightshade"]Sebastian Allender & Dylan Graham
[/FONT]
Dark Night, Street Fight
Once more Sebastian found himself in Lumiose City. After his adventure with Drew and Lillie, he escorted the blonde girl back to the city to have her ankle looked at, when he left her with Nebula and Chance, as both seemed more comfortable in her presence. After a short detour to a hidden Grotto he returned to the city to get back his Pokemon, as well as Drew's...hopefully his path will cross with Drew's again before long. While waiting for his companion to be released, he accessed the hospital's PC and transfered Ukyou, the Snorunt, to his mother's lab back in Kanto, hoping she could find some trace of Celebi or Virizion, or...whatever Pokemon transported the Snorunts from their home. He also sent the Alolan Raichu plush Lillie had given him to his younger brother, who seemed to really adore the gift, and promised to take excellent care of it until Sebastian returned home.
"I told you not to wait for me." A voice calls as he logs out of the PC. Lillie is standing behind him, her hands on her hips.
"I know-- I needed to use the computer and--"
Lillie shakes her head, then blinks, looking Sebastian up and down. Was he wearing those clothes before?
"I...might have waded through a freezing pond while you were gone." He rubs the back of his neck, quickly attempting to change the subject. "Where's Nebula?"
"This way. She was getting a little...irritated being inside." Lillie leads Sebastian outside and points to Sebastian's Furfrou and Drew's Eevee. The larger Pokemon chomped at the air, then looked to see if Eevee would imulate.
"...I hope he's not teaching her how to bite through Drew's cast."
"I...think they're just bonding." Lillie laughs nervously. Hopefully...they're just bonding.
"Are you two ready to find Drew?" Sebastian asks. Unsurprisingly, his question is met with a cold stare from Nebula. If it wasn't for a decent ten feet between them, he had a feeling he might get lunged at, though it seems as long as he keeps his distance from the Eevee, she doesn't go out of her way to try to...rip out his jugular.
Chance looks to Sebastian, then to Nebula. He motions with his head and takes a step forward. She doesn't move. Again Chance draws closer to Sebastian and Lillie, and Nebula begins looking around. After a moment of silent contemplation she turns and reluctantly begins to follow the group. It seems she would prefer to stay with Furfrou than stay in the giant city surrounded by so many unfamiliar scents and sights, though...inot by much.
The group make their way back to Route 5, Nebula staying a good twenty feet behind the humans at all times, cautiously observing her surroundings. Chance stayed behind to help, though he also kept a good bit of distance between himself and the Eevee, for her comfort level.
As Lillie and Sebastian walk by the skate park, Sebastian's holocaster blinks to life.
After pulling the device out and touching its screen, Dylan's face sprang out of the holocaster and filled the area in front of Sebastian. "Hey!" Dylan waved, "is this working? This is the first time I'm using this thing."
"It's working." Sebastian smiles at the sight of his former companion. No one's ever called him on his holocaster-- except for Sycamore, to make sure he was still alive. "Dylan?" Lillie peers over Sebastian's shoulder and waves at the familiar face. "I didn't know you two knew each other."
"Oh! Hi Lillie!" Dylan smiled, "Seb and I have gotten into a bunch of trouble together." Dylan laughed. "We saved his comfey from a flock of pikipek, and just last night we took down a steelix to help the police catch some criminals! Although, Seb did most of the work on that last one." Dylan scrunched up his face, "Why did I call again?" He scratched his head for a moment before Rose, his newly hatched fomantis gave out a cry. "Oh! My egg hatched! I thought you might want to see her!"
"I'd love to." Sebastian's eyes brighten, he had wanted to see what would come from that egg since his first (quite literal) run in with Dylan. "Are you still in the city?"
"Can I come?" Lillie asks uncertainly. She had planned to stay with Sebastian until they returned Nebula to Drew, though she would hate to just assume she got to tag along and then find herself being some kind of third wheel.
"Of course you can come! I'm somewhere just outside the city… I think." The truth was, he really had no idea where he ended up after his chaotic morning. Dylan was trusting that his furfrou Doux knew where he was, and how to get back onto the path. "I'm sure I can find my way back to the exit of the city, all three of us could meet there?"
"We're right outside the skatepark. I...think that's close to where you are." Sebastian squints, attempting to see the background behind Dylan, in hopes that would give some clue as to where his fellow trainer had gotten to.
"If you can hear the skates, you can't be far." Lillie chimes in. The sound of skates clashing against wooden pillars and pipes was a pretty clear sound, and it really seemed to carry.
"Okay! That should be somewhere nearby. I remember seeing people on skates before I strayed from the path." He glanced around, making eye contact with his furfrou who gave him a reassuring nod. "Doux seems to know what he's doing. I should be there soon!"
Some time later, Dylan reached where Sebastian and Lillie were waiting for him, arriving on Doux's back. "Hey!" he called as he approached them.
"Hello!" Lillie waves the duo down.
"You got to keep him." Sebastian smiles, relief obvious in his tone as he looks at Dylan's Furfrou. Thank goodness, he didn't want those two to be separated from one another… it was clear Dylan had grown very fond of his Furfrou.
"Yeah! And look who else joined the team!" Dylan announced, unable to contain his excitement. He pushed a button on one of his premier balls and, with a shower of red sparks, Rose, his newly hatched fomantis sprang into the air and landed on Dylan's head. "Fo! Fomantis!" she cheered.
Lillie lets out a quiet gasp of pure delight as the little Pokemon greets the duo. "She's adorable."
"Hello, little one." Sebastian greets, stepping closer to take a look at the Alolan Pokemon. Lillie's right, she is simply precious, especially propped atop her trainer's head. "How are you?"
"Fomantis!" She replied, as if he completely understood what that meant, and danced around until she tumbled off of Dylan's head and landed in his arms.
"She's a little excitable." Dylan laughed. "I guess that's to be expected from a newly hatched pokemon. She's been stuck in that egg for a while."
"I can imagine." Sebastian chuckles, reaching out to give one of Rose' hands (er...arms, she doesn't really have hands) a delicate shake.
"She moves pretty fast on those little legs." Lillie giggles at the sheer joy coming from the infant Pokemon. They're always so happy when they're born; so cute and full of energy.
"Anna, look, a Fomantis!" A voice from the skate park's entrance shouts. Suddenly the group is set upon by a young girl...and a duplicate of that same girl.
"Oh! Twins! I almost forgot that Laurent has her twin!" Dylan fumbled with his communicator for a second and dropped it suddenly when it began beeping unexpectedly. "Oops." He looked down and saw the beep was caused by its low battery, and was followed by the screen going black. "I guess I forgot to charge it. I can give him a call later."
"His might not have hatched just yet. I think Fletchinder gave your egg a speed boost in hatching." Then again, he has no idea what kind of Pokemon this Laurent has, maybe he also has a Flame Body Pokemon.
"Can we see her?" The first twin asks.
"We've never seen a real Fomantis." The other continues.
"Of course!" Dylan turned towards the two girls, showing off the little pokemon in his arms, and looked up and grinned at the twins.
"Eep!" one of the girls stifled a scream, while the other quickly recovered from her surprised face to look sternly at the other, who covered her mouth. Dylan put his hand up to the burned side of his face, and realized in all the excitement he forgot to put his mask back on. He reached around and pulled the first mask he found in his bag out, the white one from his first contest, and covered his face with it.
"Sorry about that." he mumbled. "You two must really like pokemon if you know what a fomantis is!" he changed tone quickly, trying to distract himself from what had just happened.
"Yeah!" Hannah nods, trying to look cheerful while still keeping a stern gaze on her sister. Poor guy (guy? Sounds like a guy) couldn't help what he looked like. Quick, change the subject before it gets awkward...er. "Hey, you three are trainers, right?"
"We...are." Sebastian blinks at the sudden change in topic.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" Dylan replied. "It would be a perfect way to test my Floette's abilities to combine attacks spontaneously. It could prove useful for the upcoming contest!"
"Woooah, you do contests? That's so cool!" Hannah grins.
"Can it be a double battle?" Anna asks, two sets of eyes look expectantly at Lillie and Sebastian.
Lillie turns to look at Nebula-- she's a little more than a dot in the distance now; too many people. At least there's still a white dot beside her. She turns to look at Sebastian. "I'll keep an eye on them, you two go ahead."
Sebastian nods, Lillie took on so many battles in Lumiose, she must want a break. "A double battle it is."
"Yay!" The twins shout in unison.
"Lillie!" Dylan called, "Could you look after Rose too? I don't think she's quite ready to battle." They both laughed, Lillie reaching out to pick up the small pokemon, pure joy in her eyes.
"Sure!" She cradled Rose in her arms and looked over to make sure the eevee didn't stray too far.
"Alright," Dylan released Gracidea, his floette, and then got off of his Furfrou's back. "Ahhh, ah," he fell onto his butt, clutching his knee. "Ooof, wow, forgot I injured that." he managed to get out between sharp breaths. "Flo! Floette!" his pokemon mewed, clutching his hands as if in prayer. A bright white light glowed from within him, and a sparkling white pinprick of starlight floated down from the sky and into Dylan's leg, the wound healing exceptionally fast.
"Whoa." was all he could think to say.
"Wooooah." The twins spoke, once more in unison.
"Can your Floette do that?" Hannah asks.
"Um...I've never tried." Anna admits.
"You had me worried there." Sebastian offers his hand to Dylan, tugging him back onto his feet. Once he's certain his comrade won't collapse, he sends out Svana, who bursts from her Pokeball with a graceful bow.
"Aww!" Hannah giggles, calling her Gloom into battle. Her twin falls in line beside her and calls out her own Floette.
"Ready?" Dylan asked, stretching his knee as he waited for the battle to start.
"Ready." Sebastian nods as Svana takes to the air.
"We've got this!" Hannah encourages her sister. "Gloom, use sweet scent!"
On command the grass type released a sweet smelling spray from the top of her head, which quickly coated their battlefield.
"Svana, Air Slash, quickly!" Pokemon that breathe in a Sweet Scent become relaxed, sluggish, and so much easier to hit. He's got to keep that scent away from Dylan's Floette.
Ducklett flaps her wings, sharp air cutting through the pink spray and aiming for Gloom.
Gracidea floated swiftly behind Svana and began to chant, a series of ancient symbols floating around the two pokemon. "That will prevent any lucky hits from our opponents." Dylan informed Sebastian, although it was more of a reflex than him thinking Sebastian didn't know what was happening. The symbols seemed to catch in Svana's wind, and floated lazily around the battlefield, bobbing up and down in the air before fading.
"Lett!" Svana cheers on her comrade, she seems taken in by the Floette's grace, which excites her.
"Get them with Magical Leaf!" Anna calls to her Floette. The Fairy type twirls as glowing leaves appear around her. They seem to lock onto the location of the other Floette and Ducklett and shoot forward.
Sebastian cringes; Magical leaf can't be avoided, but...it can be detered. "Blow the leaves back with Icy Wind!"
Ducklett releases a powerful war-cry as frozen wind blows from her wings, clashing with the magical leaves and halting their progress.
Gracidea spun in a circle, a length of vine extending from his flower's stem. "Vine whip!" Dylan narrated, "He's going to try to keep the other floette from attacking and leave an opening for Svana to go on the offensive."
He seemed to nod in agreement to Dylan's narration, as the vine lassoed his target in a graceful arc which looped around the floette in a repetitive pattern, pulling the flower pokemon to the ground in a sudden jerk. The magical leaves faltered and plummeted to the ground at the interruption of the pokemon controlling them. A vine reaches from Anna's Floette's back and wraps itself around Gracidea's own, attempting to pull itself free.
"Gloom, help Floette out with Acid!"
The grass type cheers as a glob of poison shoots from her flower. While the two are distracted with Gracidea, Svana flies behind the trio.
"Good job, now use another Icy Wind!"
Svana's wings flap again, the sparkling, ice coated winds whipping through the air and colliding with both Gloom and the enemy Floette.
Gracidea let his vine go in an instant, the icy wind freezing the acid midair, while both enemy pokemon were hit with the icy attack. "Great job Svana!" Dylan called, Gracidea agreeing with a chirp before joining in Svana's attack with a fairy wind going the opposite direction. The two wind attacks met in the middle, creating an updraft of fairy wind and dragging the opposing floette into the air, while simultaneously creating a downdraft of icy wind, pinning the Gloom to the now-frozen ground.
The two winds colliding created sparkling snowflakes of pink and blue which swirled in the center of the battle.
"Let!" Svana nods to Gracidea as a means of encouragement. The blue icy wind collides with the sparkling pink aura of fairy wind. The twins seem completely awe struck, if only for a second. The twins look to one another and nod, seeing that they need to switch things up.
"Floette, hold onto Ducklett with vine whip!"
The Floette struggles against the winds, but manages to throw her vine out and hook onto Ducklett's leg.
Hannah looks a bit nervous, most of her Gloom's attacks are powder and scent based, and this duo has proven they can easily deflect such things. Time to mix it up a bit: "Gloom, Mega Drain Floette!"
Gloom focuses on Gracidea, little balls of energy floating away from the fairy type, and into Gloom's own body.
A thought suddenly occurred to Dylan, causing him to yell something to Gracidea which was almost impossible to make out over the noise of the winds. The pokemon nodded, meaning he must have understood and let loose an attack, ignoring the gloom draining his health.
Leaves were magically thrown into the air around Gracidea, being sucked into the wind, frozen, and hurtled fast at the floette, severing its vine whip and assaulting it with leaves. Gracidea continued to be drained by the gloom, who looked almost back to the strength it was when it started the battle. However, the floette appeared to be almost unable to stay aloft.
There wasn't much point in calling out over the winds, so Sebastian just glanced in Dylan's direction with a clearly impressed expression, and gave a simple nod. While not entirely certain what his comrade just commanded Gracidea to do, he is thoroughly impressed with the outcome.
"Your turn, Svana, Air Slash Gloom!"
Freed from the vine whip that was attempting to pull her down, Ducklett flies straight towards Gloom, and with a strong, outward flap of her wings she sends a sharp gust of wind towards the grass type. Unable to stop its draining attack and back out of the way quickly enough, the Pokemon is sent tumbling through the grass.
Freed from his situation of being drained by the gloom, Gracidea used wish, a faint white light growing brighter and larger until it fell from the sky into his tiny body, reinvigorating him. He twirled around and used vine whip to grasp onto the other floette, who did the same to him. Entangled once more, the two wrestled in midair, vines growing denser.
"Flo! Floette!" Gracidea called from inside the ball of growing vines.
Gracidea and the enemy Floette seem evenly matched, which gives Hannah an idea. "Gloom, use acid on Floette while it's trapped!"
"Svana, use Water Pulse on the Acid!"
Gloom shoots the glob of toxic ooze, only for it to be intercepted by the ring of water, the two attacks splashing into the ground harmlessly.
"Now, Icy Wind on Gloom!"
The gust was enough to send the grass type flying backward, leaving Gracidea and the enemy Floette to continue their struggle in peace.
The opposing floette tried to use magical leaf, but in doing so was unable to keep fighting Gracidea with vines, which allowed him to maneuver the other floette in front of him like a shield which blocked its own attack. With his opponent weakened, he took the opportunity to launch it at the gloom, where Svana could finish both off at once.
As the Pokemon collided, Sebastian knew exactly what Dylan was aiming for. "Svana, finish this with Air Slash!"
Svana does a short twirl in the air, putting a bit more power behind her wings, before sending the sharp wind crashing into her opponents. Gloom blew to one side while the enemy Floette flew to the other, and once they hit the ground...all movement stopped.
"We lost…" Hannah frowns.
"But...it was still fun." Anna flashes her sister an encouraging smile, which earns her a smile in return. Both girls lock eyes with their opponents and simultaneously offer a thumbs up.
"Good job." They say in unison.
"You girls were great!" Dylan smiled. "I think you would have had us there at the beginning if Seb hadn't reacted so quickly."
"Sweet scent-Magical Leaf is our secret strategy." Anna grins proudly.
"It's been really good, but...we'll have to think up something else to deal with flying types." Hannah looks thoughtful.
"What if you caught an Emolga?!" Anna adds.
"Oh my. That would be terrifying." Sebastian smiles. These two are already very good strategists, adding more Pokemon to their roster could make them a real force to be reckoned with.
Hannah grins widely at the idea of being terrifying. "You guys should get something for winning." She declares, opening a small clutch purse. "We found these nearby, they're super helpful with moves like Giga Drain."
In her purse are two Big Roots.
"Oh! How neat! I'm sure we can put them to good use." Dylan accepted his prize, looking over the odd root with satisfaction.
Sebastian's eyes lit at the sight of the roots; if Hakkai holds one of these, his Drain Punch will be significantly more beneficial, and with a rock type gym leader coming up, he needs his fighting type in top shape. "Thank you so much."
"These too!" Anna chimes in, opening her own purse to show two bright, shining stones.
"Sun stones!" Dylan announced, holding one up and watching the light pulse inside. "They're so pretty."
"Don't you need these?" Sebastian glances to Hannah.
"No, Gloom wants to be a Vileplume." Hannah explains, pushing the second stone into Sebastian's hand. "And they're kind of heavy to carry around."
Sebastian chuckles, placing the Sun Stone in his bag, right beside the Ice Stone he found earlier..it's been quite a day for stones. "Okay. We'll take good care of them."
"So, Seb," Dylan placed the stone into his backpack and turned towards the other trainer. "Do you want to head to Parfum Palace with me? There's a contest there. Even if you don't want to participate it would still be fun to watch, but I think you'd do great if you entered!"
"A...contest?"
"Let! Ducklett!" Svana flies down at top speed, practically crashing into Sebastian's arms. "Let, let!" She places her wings against his chest and looks at him with the most pleading eyes he has ever seen. She really, really wants to do this.
"...Okay." Sebastian smiles reluctantly. "For you."
"DUCKLETT!" Svana cheers, nuzzling into his chest.
The thought of being stared at while putting on some kind of fancy act makes his knees deeply consider buckling, and yet...after seeing Dylan perform in the last one, he must admit it...does sort of seem exciting.
With their next destination decided, the duo bid farewell to Hannah and Anna. Lillie returns, Rose in her arms, Chance and Nebula trailing some fifteen feet behind her, and offers both a victory high-five.
"Do you think Drew will come to the Palace?" She asks.
"I'll call Professor Sycamore, he should have Drew's number." Sebastian glances over Lillie's shoulder to see Nebula nibbling on a puffin. Seems Lillie's trying to earn another Pokemon's affections with her home cooked treats. "I'll tell him to meet us there."
Lillie nods, the idea of setting off for a palace suddenly filling her with excitement. "Then next stop, Parfum Palace!"
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
-Lewis Carroll
The hole descended deeper and deeper into the earth. Whisper lost all sense of depth after the first few minutes.
"Don't worry lord Honedge sword dude," The scraggy wearing the backwards cap explained assuringly. "Almost there!"
Almost as soon as he'd finished speaking, the party spilled out into an open cavern that was filled with several Scraggy as far as the eye could see. Several of them stopped what they were doing as they noticed the strangely appareled Scraggy and the sword Pokémon make their entrance.
"Look! It's the legendary sword Pokémon!" Several voices whispered.
"Those banished scraggy are walking with him! What could it mean?" Exclaimed several others.
"The elder must know!" Many of the voices seemed to agree upon.
The scraggy seemed to all gather round the new group, as they did so a loud voice could be heard calling from the far end of the cavern. "BRING FORTH THE SACRED ONE"
The group of scraggy surrounding them began chattering betwixt themselves, slowly moving forwards and dragging the group with them. Eventually the group dispersed ahead, revealing a portion of the cavern illuminated by glowing green moss, where a wrinkled looking scraggy covered in what appeared to be some form of white robe and a wearing what appeared to be a monocle sat cross legged on the rocky floor and staring forward at the sword Pokémon intently. Behind him, several jagged metal shards were hung against the wall, reflecting the light from the moss towards the center of the circle that had formed.
"A sacred sword. It has been some time since one of your kind has passed through these halls." The elderly scraggy mused, stroking its chin in thought.
"Your banished comrades have told me the story." Whisper responded simply.
"As I expect they have." The elderly scraggy responded. "Tell me then sacred Honedge, what brings you to the tribe of Zuruggu."
Whisper's gaze turned from the old Pokémon towards the metallic shards ingrained in the wall behind him.
"I see. A warrior never lets another be forgotten. A noble goal." The elderly Pokémon said with a nod.
"He also said he knows the secret to true power!" The scraggy with the golden clock necklace exclaimed before being shot death glares from dozens of eyes.
"Silence! Your crimes against Zuruggu are not forgiven… however…" The elderly scraggy turned his gaze towards Whisper, a fire burning in his eyes like nothing the sword Pokémon had seen from any before. "Legendary Honedge. I deplore you allow me to witness your true power!"
Suddenly the elderly Pokémon was stood, robe flittering in a nonexistent wind. "By the spirits of the elders who have guarded this tribe before me, I shall show you the way of the Zuruggu!" Several of the surrounding scraggy to stumble backwards in alarm as a yellow and orange aura flared to life around the Pokémon. The shadows of the room began to flicker as illusionary forms of scraggy began to flitter in and out of existence, as if the tradition of the tribe had caused the departed spirits to return to view this battle.
("What is this… aura that has flared to life around this Pokémon?!") Whisper held its blade forward in a defensive stance, preparing for whatever the old Pokémon held in store.
Leaping forward with all the agility of a nimble housecat, its foot came down upon the ground and caused several stalagmites to rise from the ground and scratch at Whisper.
("A rock type move? He must be testing me…") Whisper thought to himself as he rattled the stone skeleton that had formed around him to crack apart. "I shall humour you, old man. Engarde!" Whisper flew into the air before coming down with lightning agility as he slashed through the air across the elderly scraggy, sending the Pokémon flying backwards doing several summersaults through the air as it almost crashes into the mossy wall. At the last moment however the old Pokémon's feet landed on the back wall.
"Good show! Now get a load of this!" The old Pokémon called out as it kicked off the wall and thrust its fist forward, quickly becoming engulfed in a burning flame that smashed into Honedge.
("Fire Punch? This old Pokémon certainly isn't the usual sort. I'd best not underestimate his abilities!") Whisper thought as he brushed off the soot that the punch left behind.
The old scraggy then turned around and began running back, kicking some sand towards the sword Pokémon, which seemed to pay it no mind.
("We can finish this quickly.") An unfamiliar voice began to ring in Whisper's mind.
("What?! Who are you?!") Whisper responded mentally.
("I am you. Or I was? Or maybe I am what is yet to come… That isn't important now. For now, we must finish this battle!") The voice responded. ("Our Aerial Ace attack is the most effective thing we can do; however it is now what he will be expecting. If we can hold out against his fire type attacks for a small time longer we could use a swords dance and boost the strength of a fury cutter or perhaps even another aerial ace. Our No Guard ability will aide in ensuring the hit.")
Whisper began swinging itself around in the familiar motions that was his sword dance.
"Eh? I see you're planning something. Zu, Gu, to me!" The elderly man called out as the glasses wearing scraggy and the backward hat scraggy jumped forward.
"Yes sir!" They responded, as both Pokémon began running forward to try and strike at the sword Pokémon. Both punches connected, Whisper began ringing with pain.
("Damn! Three against one… And you aren't ready yet…") The voice echoed in the back of Whisper's mind.
A retaliating aerial slash knocked one of the new coming Pokémon doing flips through the air and crashing into the group of Scraggy.
"Yes! YES!" The elderly scraggy shouted as it began cheering and pumping up another fiery punch.
WHAM!
The second Scraggy slammed another fist into Whisper before being tossed into the crowd by another smack from the now heavily dented sword Pokémon.
WHAM! The fiery fist smashed forward. As it came crashing into the hilt of the sword, the cloth began to catch fire and burn slightly.
"U…gh…" Whisper groaned.
("No! No!") The secondary voice screamed inside Whisper's mind as he began to fade into an unconsciousness.
The smiling face of a young boy flashed into the mind of Honedge. A familiar face. The face belonging to his Tactician. The face of Chris. Along with the face, a memory of an old story the boy had once told him. About having been allegedly descended from an ancient Unovan king, one who wielded Victory itself as a weapon. A well kept story in his family apparently.
"I… must be… Victory itself." Whisper groaned, its cloth extinguishing itself as the blade began to slowly rise.
"Wh-what is this?!" The elderly Scraggy exclaimed as he began to step backwards.
"You… wanted to know the answer to what true power is?" Whisper rang, the echoing voice as strained as it seemed. "My friends are my power!"
A greenish tint filled the room as the blade landed a lightning fast aerial strike directly onto the old Pokémon, sending him flying into the back wall from the immense force. The metallic shards clattered to the floor, from behind one a small stone orb bounced down and was caught by the still seemingly unfazed hand of the elderly Scraggy.
"Enough!" The Pokémon called, Whisper sinking into the stone below and mentally panting. "You have indeed shown true power this day… Just as the ancient Aegislash of old. This stone…" The Pokemon mused, holding up the shining rock, revealing the strange pattern that seemed to be held within the glassy object. "This was left behind by Aegislash. He always claimed it was the answer to true power. I now understand what he had meant."
Whisper looked up. The stone in the Pokémon's hand glistened in the moss light.
"Here. Take it. As a reminder of what you have discovered here, and as a gift from us to you for teaching us exactly what he meant. We know know that true strength is not in ourselves, but in the people we surround ourselves with. The bonds we form. Perhaps that is why many of our kind go off with humans like I no doubt imagine you have done…" The elderly Pokémon chuckled as he tossed the stone forwards, Whisper weakly catching it in his cloth.
"As for you three." He responded, turning to the three scraggy whom had come in with Whisper. Two of them were nursing bruises and injuries that had been caused by the hits Whisper had done to them. "Perhaps this also means I can look past your prior indiscretions. If we as a tribe wish to have true power, we must unite as one."
"Thank you elder scraggy!" The three Pokémon cheered, two of them wincing.
"We truly thank you master Honedge… say… what is your name so that our tribe might remember you in the future." The elderly Pokémon asked.
"I am Whisper. My Tactician's name is Chris." Whisper responded weakly.
"Well Whisper of the army Chris. May your travels be safe, and know that you have earned the respect of the tribe of Zuruggu."
Coul watched as Sebastian walked away, with a new Pokemon. There was regret in his heart that he didn't capture the Snorunt as it would be greatly beneficial to his team and to his study. He shrugged the feeling of uneasiness off for he really didn't get into the bottom of the mystery. He decided to just focus on the route and see if there's anything that can interest him. He took out his Pokedex and scanned the list of Pokemon available in the route.
There was nothing out of the ordinary from the list, aside from the Snorunt which naturally does not show up on the list. There seemed to be a lot of Fighting-types available, much like how Parterre Way invites Fairy-types. Coul, in all his smartness, couldn't think of any connection why. He closed his Pokedex and sighed. He remembered the park from the gate to Lumiose and thought of visiting.
When he arrived at the park, he saw mostly skaters and rollerbladers around. He wasn't really interested in learning how to do that as he is more of a bike person. He glanced around and saw a bunch of them just idling by the park. Coul beamed up and approached the group.
"Slow day for bikers?" he asked as he arrived. The group of bikers glowed as Coul approached them. One of them, a boy who seemed to be older than Coul, spoke up.
"Yeah, biking is not really dominant here in Kalos. We wanted to bring it here since it is the better transportation method. It's faster and more dependable thank blades, really. Are you a biker yourself?" Coul shook his head.
"I know how to, but I left my bike back in Sinnoh when I left. I'm walking more or less from now on," Coul responded.
"Hey, we're in luck. You see, we're looking for people to ride our Mach Bikes around the area, just to get the people riled up for bikes. Maybe it'll boost the sale or something. You can race us and, if you win, you get a free bike!"
Coul grabbed the opportunity immediately. Having a bike means easier travelling for him. He'll get tired less of course and he can cover more routes in a day. "I'm game for that."
"Did you mention a free bike?" another voice entered the fray. Coul whipped around and saw a black-haired boy wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He was lugging around a huge bagpack on his back. From the looks of it, Coul saw that he was a traveler. "I'm down for that too."
The man who spoke up for the bikers and frowned. "We only have one extra Mach Bike right now, though. We can't battle you both." The black-haired trainer was the one who responded.
"Well, let us battle for it. In a race. I think it's fair. He gets to use the extra one and I can borrow one of yours. Winner gets the new one." While Coul is down for any competition, he thought that it was rude for the boy to just butt in the conversation. He had the bike already.
"Well, that's fair," the biker said and gave the other trainer his bike. "And the route is from here until Camphrier Town." Coul decided to add in another rule.
"One Pokemon, out. Both trainer and Pokemon must cross the finish line." The other trainer agreed. Some of the bikers started to ride off to the other end of the track. Coul straddled his bike while the other trainer did the same. He sent out Snoop as his Pokemon while the other trainer called out his.
"Zeus, in for battle!" A Luxio appeared. The Electric-type's fur was bristling with electricity. Houndour felt the sudden change in the air and looked at the Luxio curiously.
"At the count of three! One!" Coul tightened his grip on the handle bars. "Two!" His shoes dug into the ground, ready for push-off. "Three! Go!" He kicked the ground as hard as he can and started pedaling. Snoop was bounding behind him, capable of catching up to the bike. Coul was taken aback by the power and speed the bike provides but, as he glanced at his side, his opponent was just a few feet behind him. The Luxio was ahead of them all, on the other hand.
"Zeus! Go without me! Camphrier!" The other trainer ordered. The Luxio crackled again and disappeared into the distance. Snoop was keeping up with Coul, however. "Snoop! You go too!" The Houndour barked and bounded after the Luxio. Coul pushed himself harder to pedal.
The ground and trees were rushing from his side and the wind is starting to mess with Coul's hair. He bent his head closer to the handlebars since he read from somewhere that it would make him more streamlined and thus faster. He could hear the clanking of the other bike beside him but Coul paid no attention. The Camphrier gate is in sight and he only needs to push harder.
He was surprised when Luxio sent a Spark towards the Houndour but Houndour managed to evade the attack. In retaliation, Houndour spat an Ember towards the ground but Luxio managed to jump above it. Coul needed to ride around the flames but his opponent managed to bring his bike up and over the flames. They were now neck and neck. Luxio and Houndour are still spitting attacks at each other but nothint seemed to be hitting. Luxio tried to tackle the Houndour but Snoop just ran straight and into the finish line. Luxio came in second. Both Coul and the other Trainer started pedaling as fast since the first one who finishes wins it.
According to the bikers, Coul won the race by a mere half-feet. He gleamed as he received his new Mach Bike. Houndour was just jumping up and down in place, not sure about the festivities but certainly thrilled that so many people is cheering for him. He loved it.
Inventory
Spoiler:
1x Pokedex
2240 Pokedollars
4x Pokeballs
2x Cherish Balls
1x Potions
2x Old Rod
1x Bug Net
1x Eviolite
1 x NeverMeltIce
1x Water Stone
1x Ice Stone
1x TM Bug Bite
1x TM Dig
1 x Mach Bike
Stage 8 - Camphrier Town, Palais Lane & Parfum Palace
Time at Stage Start: 2:00 PM
After a quick and exhillerating trek up and along the bustling Versant Trail, filled with pok?mon, new experiences and wheels of many different varieties... our heroes have finally arrived at the noble and esteemed Camphrier town. This ancient town is known to many for its humble atmosphere, rich history and the quiet splashing of water type pok?mon swimming about in the still water of Shabboneau Castle's moat. Yes, you heard right... a castle, more of an ancient manor house really, but a location filled to the brim with history and a unique insight into the lives of Kalosians long since passed. For those yearning for a nostalgic feel and a taste of raw history, the rough cobbled streets, quaint housing and calming aura laced with the lives of multiple generations is the best the region has to offer.
Beyond the storied town, however, is the luxurious Parfum Palace. In complete contrast to the old relic castle, Parfum palace is bright, shiny and modern; the complete anthithesis of what one can expect to encounter in the heart of Camphrier. Said to have once been the home of Kalos' ancient king, the regal abode has been maintained and refurbished throughout the years to hold a golden sheen and pristine decoration. Throughout the halls, which are often flooded with tourists and guests, are many statues depicting ancient pok?mon of old, said to have fought in the great Kalosian war some 300 years ago. The gardens beyond are beautiful and vast... and the two statues they hold, representing legendary pok?mon, depict another ancient legend. One at home, in the Unova region.
After an incident 2 years ago, the previous hostility and rivalry between Camphrier and Parfum has died down and things seem amicable for the time being... however with the haughty nature of Parfum Palace's current owner... and a noisy contest to be held in the palace's own halls this very evening? Things could change at any moment, perhaps the actions of our stalwart trainers are once again destined to play a role in the events to come.
Indeed, it seems unavoidable when a certain organisation is lurking once again, hiding in the shadows of these two great strongholds.
Pok?mon Available (Level 23-25):
Camphrier Town:
Pok?mon available to those using a Great Ball (Level 27):
Pok?mon available to those using an Old Rod (Level 23):
Pok?mon available to those using an Good Rod & on Stage 7 Mission 5(Level 27):
Pok?mon available to those on Stage 7 Mission 11:
Pok?mon Available (Level 24-26):
Palais Lane:
Pok?mon available to those using a Great Ball (Level 27):
Missions:
[Event Battle] OPEN ? Mission 1:
Spoiler:
Hugh said:
Details:
Hugh is a trainer with a fiery personality and excited disposition. Once a serious contender for the position of Unova champion he travelled with fellow Unova trainers Rosa and Nate in order to find his sisters stolen pok?mon. He holds a deep hatred for all evil teams, Plasma in particular.
Hugh has come to Kalos to track the Unova trainers of legend, N, Black and White, said to have befirended and to travel with the legendary pok?mon of Unova. He wants to become strong enough to face them one day... thus he's taking the league challenge far from home, here in Kalos. It should be no surprise to anyone that Colress presence in the region influenced his choice of travel.
Currently, he's in the Parfum Gardens, examining the statue of Zekrom. Even when contemplating however, it's more than a little difficult for this hothead to turn down a challenge.
Details:
Just who is this mysterious and handsome man? Well the average character will have no idea of course, but we as players know him as Looker, No.1 Detective in the secret international police force present in the pok?mon world. Going on many journeys of observation and investigation, Looker played a key role in arresting estranged scientist Xerosic after the disbanding of Team Flare, the head scientist of the project had begun illegal experimentations of exosuit technology on unwilling children from the streets of Lumiose City.
At least that's what the records say.
With Team Cinder seemingly picking off where Team Flare left off, Looker is back on the case. After watching and observing the children of Sycamore's latest class on their adventures in Lumiose and beyond he's come to see more than one of them interact with the evil team on more than one occasion. Thus comes the need to question and assest these young trainers character. Wearing countless different disguises Looker prepares to put his mon where his mouth is and try to gather any information he can using a medium these kids are accustomed to as an excuse to get close... a pok?mon battle.
Venue:
The venue for this contest will be the wide open ballroom of the Parfum Palace. A luxurious golden chandelier hangs high above the polished wooden floor of this gorgeous venue, rather than traditional seating pews, the edge of the ballroom is covered in white cloth covered tables and seats. Guests will be judged based on a strict dress code and then treated to a five star meal while enjoying the contest proceedings, so getting peoples attention will be just that little bit more difficult. The borders of the stage are clearly marked with velvet ropes and going beyond this border and bothering the guests directly is an instant disqualification. Attempt to use this elegant backdrop to create a stunning performance involving you and your pok?mon!
Guest Judge:
Platinum
The Contest Queen of the Sinnoh Region, Platinum is renowned for her elegance, calm and formal demeanor in her performances and public appearances. Alongside her prized pok?mon, Froslass, she has defeated many coordinators across all fronts and risen to claim the prestige and position as the winner of the Grand Festival in Sinnoh for the past 3 years. She was also know to once participate in gym battles alongside a full team of pok?mon, making her a formidable opponent in every facet of pok?mon.
Platinum prizes elegance and ingenuity in battle. Creative uses of moves to break away from expected patterns and obvious combinations leave her impressed, especially if done in a way that flows together beautifully and naturally. Keep this in mind to gain extra points from Sinnoh's Contest Queen.
Contest Condition:
- You must use between 2 and 4 pok?mon in your performance.
- Your performance must involve at least 1 combination between two different pok?mons moves.
- A formal dress code is, more than ever, absolutely necessary.
Rewards:
1st Place: Parfum Ribbon, 1 Lifetime Pass to Parfum Gardens, 1 Evolution Stone of your choice,
TM Ice Beam.
2nd Place: Parfum Ribbon, 1 Evolution Stone of Choice, TM Ice Beam.
With the Contest upcoming, many are looking to Laurent Hessel to have another performance like he did in Santalune City. That said, competition will be much stiffer this time around, with more seasoned contestants taking part. In particular... They say a woman who has already won a contest herself will be appearing, a mysterious woman with blazing red hair... This woman has been seen skulking around the Palace for a few days prior, is she checking out the venue, or is something more sinister in the works? Perhaps you should find out.
Reward: Pok?flute
Mission 1:
Drowsee have been seen hypnotising kids and taking them away, but no one knows where they go. They dont seem to harm them in any way, and all the missing children seem to return in the night they're taken, but this is still a huge concern for parents and people would like to know where exactly they're being taken. Maybe they'd even be happy if someone just got rid of the Drowzee for good.
Reward: Dusk Stone
OPEN Mission 2:
The berry garden just off of Rivi?re Walk is home to many wild and abandoned pokemon. The gardeners try to cater for all the strays that flock to them in need, but with Rivi?re Walk cut off due to the broken bridge, it's impossible to compensate for pokemon whose natural food source have been cut off. With the hands they have, many of the pokemon will starve, but with a little help, they might be able to grow the berries to get the job done.
Reward: Sprinklotad, Cheri Berry, Chesto Berry & Oran Berry.
Mission 3:
Two relentless Heracross are fighting in the tall grass. Normally it wouldnt be an issue, but the more they continue to tear down the tall grass, the more damage they do to the ecosystem at large. It doesnt seem like battling these two would be the most efficient way to resolve the issue, but there must be a way.
Reward: Kings Rock
Mission 4:
Loveless Larry is still in pursuit of the love of his life. Thankfully, he's managed get a date with a girl in Camphrier town, who knows nothing of his notorious dating habits. He's still looking for someone to make sure the date goes perfectly, but of course, being Larry, things are bound to go wrong. Whether you're the world's most involved waiter, or just a bystander on a nearby table, make sure Larry's date goes swimmingly.
Reward: Eon Flute
Mission 5:
Relicanth have mysteriously been seen entering the moat of Shabboneau castle. There appears to be a tunnel from the moat leading through the basement and out to an acient Lake unidentifiable on the map. The amazing happening has caused Princess Allie to take notice, and lay claim to the fossil pokemon, taking them to Parfum Palace. Despite her seemingly limitless wealth, Alli cant provide the right enviroment for these pokemon to thrive. They must be returned.
Reward: Odd Keystone
OPEN Mission 6:
The Ravine south of Camphrier is home to many experienced Sky Battlers. They take their extreme hobbie to dangerous but exhilering new level. These sky battlers battle on top of their pokemon! If you're able to impress in this harsh enviroment, you'll be bestowed a very worthwile gift.
Reward: TM Sky Drop
MULTI-REWARD Mission 7:
The Camphrier Hotel is a popular holiday hotspot for people from all over the world looking to take a load off and experience some easygoing Kalosian life. A number of retired trainers come here in order to catch young trainers from the region passing by, looking for new pok?mon to take along for the journey ahead. In this way, the old timers feel as if they're passing on the metaphoric torch... and also giving some of their younger pok?mon a taste of real adventure. Right now, one trainer from each of the other 6 currently recognized regions in the global pok?mon league are staying on the second floor.
Reward:
Pichu
Bonsly
Meditite
Skorupi
Munna
Stufful
Mission 8:
Lillie has been seen hanging around the first floor of the Camphrier Hotel, flicking through the pages of a fashion magazine and making small adjustments to her hair here and there. She's been rather on edge as, from what you can see, she's been desperate to catch a specific pok?mon she had in mind for her very first contest performance this evening... but well, it's proven more difficult than she anticipated. Maybe you could help her?
Reward: Stardust + 2 Great Balls
Mission 9
The back wings of the Shabboneau castle are filled with various artefacts and pieces of the towns history. Revered and admires for years and presumably many more years to come. The problem is, they've started to go missing... and nobody knows just who the culprit is. The butler, the maid, another servant... Lord Shabboneau himself? It's a mystery... one that needs to be solved, perhaps for some sort of reward?
Reward: Relic Copper + TM Ancient Power
Mission 10:
Platinum herself has been preparing for tonights contest by making arrangements for guests to appear and watch the contest in person... Cynthia, Volkner, Sycamore... as many big names as she can get on the list, so as to make her event perfect. Still, one thing is bothering her... and its the walkway leading to the Palace on Palais Lane. A group of Spinarak lead by a menacing Ariados have been sullying the foliage with their webs. She must remove them but having someone assist in making the job go quicker for her and Froslass would be appreciated. Assist her and she'll no doubt reward you.
Reward: 1000 Pok?, 1 Free Entry to the Contest, 3 Luxury Balls
Mission 11:
After years of not knowing, an entrance to an unexplored basement are of the Shabboneau castle has been revealed, filled with pok?mon. On the wall of a distant chamber down there, lies an ancient tapestry that depicts the horrific mistake of a king 3,000 years ago. It shows the ultimate weapon, the greatest genocidal incident in all of the worlds histories. It shows the man whom did it all in the name of love. It serves to us as a warning of what can happen when our own emotions becomes trong enough to bend the natural world. As you go to view this ancient cloth yourself... you find another already there. An unbelievably tall man, his face all but covered by his hat and scarf... only a pair of sad eyes turn to look at you, peeking through strands of white hair. Whatever he says, it is not much, however he makes sure to tell you that "nothing is truly going to last forever"... before he leaves, he gives you a single gift.
Reward: "Eternal" Flower. (A black and red blossom. It never seems to wilt.)
[OPEN] Mission 12:
The Name Rater is an esteemed hypnotist and writing critic. He makes a hobby out of listening to trainers pok?mon names and giving them a rating of 1 to 10 (usually followed by a snide comment). Using his power of hypnotism however, he is able to change a pok?mons nickname permanently and alter its mind so that it responds to the new title. Harmless really, the only problem being explaining the change to everyone else!
After parting ways with the mysterious Victoria, the walk towards Camphrier Town was mostly uneventful. Salad and Lulu were both in pretty rough shape after the battle and Marble was still tired from all the training she had went through against the wild pok?mon on Versant Road. So for the remainder of her travels along the route, Avril decided it was best to keep to the main road. It wasn't so much that she thought her remaining pok?mon couldn't handle what other unexpected challenges might be waiting around the corner. Rather, it was that the girl didn't want to risk getting into a tight spot with only Anise as her truly reliable means of defense. By the girl's side, a rather annoyed Frogadier walked with his arms crossed. The usually pleasant Shino looked to be just a tad bit upset, a sight that made Avril feel slightly uneasy.
"Look, it's not that I think you're weak or anything like that!" Avril explained, trying her best to put Shino back in a better mood. "You heard the nurse back in Lumiose. I have to make sure you're back up to proper fighting strength and fully recovered. You're just gonna get yourself hurt again if you try to go in all into a battle with that wound from Gabriel not fully healed." Her eyes darkened for a moment, glancing down at the ground as they traveled. "Besides... It was my fault that you got hurt in the first place. If something happened to you again because of me making more dumb decisions..."
Shino glanced over at his trainer, giving her a somewhat apologetic look. It wasn't the Frogadier's intent to make his trainer feel bad. The frog pok?mon hopped in front of the girl, putting a somewhat goofy grin on his face in an attempt to try and cheer her up. He even went as far as to take the thick bubbles around his neck and try to make it appear that he had grown a beard somehow. It was... quite the sight to say the least. Avril admittedly did giggle slightly at the sight, causing Shino to feel slightly better about the girl's current situation.
"Heh... Thanks, Shino... I needed that," Avril replied, offering a weak smile to the water type pok?mon.
Shino offered a friendly croak in response, hopping back to walk side by side with his trainer. He took the scarf-like bubbles in his froggy hands again to prepare to make another face for the trainer, this time apparently trying to make it look as if he had flowing, long hair. However when the Frogadier turned to face the trainer, he noticed that Avril wasn't paying attention to him. Rather, it looked as if the girl was looking relentlessly for something. The pok?mon croaked curiously as he gave the blonde trainer a look as if to ask what the sudden problem was.
"I... I could've sworn I heard something," Avril explained, looking back and forth cautiously. She took a step forward, closing her eyes and losing herself in the environment for a moment. The trainer did her best to block out the sounds and scents that were in the air, making a worthwhile attempt at trying to locate the sound that she had heard. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she began to make her way towards the left. "This way... I heard it from this way, Shino!"
The teenager through caution to the wind as walked briskly towards the left. Shino was hot on her trail, the Frogadier hopping as fast as his legs could carry him to keep up with Avril in her haste. Eventually, the duo came to a lone oak tree. At first, neither trainer nor pok?mon seemed to find anything out of the ordinary. The only sounds they were able to hear belonged to the rustling leaves blowing in the afternoon wind. Avril rubbed her head with a sigh, and turned to face Shino once more.
"Sorry about that," the blonde apologized. "I guess I'm starting to hear things... This whole lack of sleep is really catching up with me."
Shino was about to respond with another croak, when suddenly the faint sound of a small chirp caught their attention. Once more the duo began to look around, Avril gasping in surprise as she quickly pointed to the ground. Lying just at the base of the tree happened to be a very exhausted and battered looking Pidgey. Normally, Avril wouldn't have thought much of it. After all, trainers had a tendency to battle against wild pok?mon all the time as a means to train their own pok?mon. What alarmed the girl the most was just how badly this wild Pidgey happened to be. It had been beaten down to the point that the tiny bird was practically bleeding. Its wing was definitely twisted in a way that Avril was fairly certain it shouldn't be. Not to mention the fact that there were several burnt feathers along its tail and backside. Seeing the pok?mon in such a state could only possibly have meant that someone did this to the bird on purpose... and it honestly made Avril's skin crawl.
"We... We need to get it to a pok?mon center!" Avril insisted. Carefully, just like she had done for Shino on that one fateful night, she took off her scarf and gently wrapped the wounded Pidgey up in it. While she could have most likely used a pok?ball to catch the wild bird pok?mon, Avril figured that it wouldn't be fair to it to suddenly force it into the life of a trainer's team at least without offering it to join or battling it first. Shino seemed to be a bit worried about Avril handling a wild pok?mon so closely, even if it was in such a terrible state. But Avril paid his worried croaks no mind. She instead climbed up to her feet quickly and began to make her way straight towards Camphrier Town once more. "Hold on, little guy... Just hold on!"
Brycen sat on the hotel bed, swinging what he could of his feet off the side. In front of him, his trainer was struggling to squeeze himself into a shirt. The familiar burgundy hoodie and brown cargo pants the pokemon associated with his trainer, were now sprawled across the floor.
?Alright, how?s it look?? Drew smiled, spinning to show off the suit.
Brycen instantly recognised it. He?d noticed the suit in his bag while he was packing to leave Santalune; the suit was the same one Felicity had bought him for the contest. The one he hadn?t ended up wearing, thankfully. Brycen wasn?t about to participate in those flaunty parades. The pokemon sat, relatively unresponsive on the bed, an eyebrow raised. The trainer?s enthusiasm quickly waned.
?What?too much??
Brycen grabbed the flyer for the contest, ripping it in two.
?Wait?this isn?t for a contest or anything. I wouldn?t be seen dead at one of those things. The only reason the first one almost happened is because of Paige.? He noticed his pokemon smirk as he mentioned that name. ?And it?s not for her either, alright?? He grumbled, blushing profusely. ?Maybe you?re right though. This could be a little much, but I dunno if I?m starting to outgrow the old hood, y?know?? He tossed the blazer aside, and himself onto the bed. A new look was long overdue, but fashion was hardly his forte. What the heck was he supposed to pull out? A blue hoodie? ?Man, I wonder how Nebula?s doing.? He mused in the hope of drifting his mind onto something other than clothes. ?Seb?s a pretty good trainer, right? Granted, we only go to see how one of his pokemon turned out, but that can?t be that bad can it?? The boy continued to ramble. ?Speaking of that, what is it with you and stopping your evolution??
His pokemon sat idly by, watching through the window as the exotic people passed in and out of the hotel. Without another word, he hopped off the bed, and headed toward the door.
?Bry?? Drew questioned before following behind.
After chasing Brycen into the hotel lobby, Drew found himself among what seemed to be some sort of convention. Lots of people all gathered around stalls with exotic foods and clothes. As he got a closer look, he noticed, each stall was meant to represent a different region. With his interest now peaked, the boy found himself slowly drifting towards the stall labelled ?Kanto Pokemon?. An elderly man, with a fisherman?s hat and a crooked smile, sat at the stall showing off the array of pokeballs on display. Drew failed to resist a smile once he saw all the pokeballs. ?So, what?s this?? The boy inquired already wearing an appreciative smile on his face. The old man opened his mouth to speak, before being interrupted.
?Outta the way kid!? Before the old man could respond, Drew and a few members of the crowd around him, were knocked to the ground. After being clattered to the floor, Drew looked up to see a rather flabby looking man. Getting a good look at the guy, Drew honestly couldn?t help but feel sorry for the old man whose face the guy was currently staring into. ?Alright old man, how cute are your pokemon? The guys representing Sinnoh and Hoenn had pure ****, so you?d better have something cute!? The rather rude man continued.
The old man opened his mouth to speak, but found himself interrupted once again.
?Hey, what the hec?Larry?? A familiar voice called from one of the stalls. From one of the stalls Drew was yet to get to, Paige emerged on the scene, seemingly intent on putting a stop to this man?s tirade. ?Larry, get out of here and stop causing a scene.? Paige sighed.
Larry spat on the ground beside him, prompting a few of the grounded bystanders to quickly dodge the glob of phlegm like it was a bullet. ?Piss off kid, I got a date, and I don?t need you ruining it for me?again.?
Paige grimaced, both at the remark and at the man?s disgusting lack of decorum. It was the remark that truly offended her though. As if he had the nerve to question her matchmaking skills. ?First off, you flunked that date yourself, Georgia was a delight, and secondly?? She paused before scanning the room, realising the second part may not be appropriate for the current setting, especially coming from a fifteen year old. Upon scanning the room though, she noticed a familiar face. ?Drew?? She smiled, calming down. ?So you finally made it, huh??
***
?So who?s the fat kid in the suit?? The man Paige had earlier addressed as Larry asked, pointing at Drew, who recoiled in embarrassment. Now that they had left the hotel, Paige seemed a lot more at ease, but even she was taken aback by Larry?s choice of how he addressed her new friend. Drew himself, cringed at the hypocrisy, looking the practically obese Larry up and down.
?This is Drew, he?s just a friend.? Paige sighed. ?Surprised to see him wearing a suit actually? She added with a giggle.
?Just a friend, huh?? Larry snickered, licking his lips suggestively.
?Still fifteen.? Paige responded sharply, rolling her eyes. ?What are you doing here anyway, and why are you terrorising old people in hotels??
Larry stopped walking, his expression turning far more serious. He took his finger, and planted it up his nose. Both Drew and Paige simultaneously raised a brow, but neither said a word. ?Well if you must know?? He began, shoving that same finger in his mouth, prompting both of the younger two to quietly heave. ?I got a date.? Once again Drew and Paige responded in unison, with both stunned in amazement that such a man had found himself a date. ?Problem is, I used a fake profile, so if I show up without some really valuable gift, she leave.? Larry finished with a sigh.
?Ohhh, online dating.? Paige finally responded. ?So you Magikarp?d her essentially.? She added with a sigh. Larry responded with a confused expression. ?Never mind.? Paige sighed.
?I opened an ad, yesterday saying I?d give away some pokemon if people helped me get a date, but?nothing.? He grumbled. ?Granted, it wasn?t anything fancy, just some ugly fish. Here kid, this?ll suit you.? He sighed, tossing the pokeball to Drew as he turned away. ?Paige, you think you can help me?? He asked, that same finger now deep in his ear.
?That?s a tough ask.? Paige mumbled, just low enough so he couldn?t hear. She glanced over at Drew, who was now trying to wipe the remnants of bogey off of the pokeball he?d caught. ?You up for helping Drew?? She asked, the softest of smiles on her face.
The boy glanced at the back of Larry?s head. The guy was an asshole, why should he help him? Why should anybody help him? Then again?he had just given him a pokemon. Even if he had called him ugly. That wasn?t enough to convince him though. He glanced at Paige, who was almost pleading at this point. As much as he was still in denial of it, he did want to impress Paige. He looked down at the pokeball. After getting the ball to a satisfactory level of cleanliness, he tossed it to the ground, and the fish emerged. Straight away he got what Larry was saying. This thing was ugly. The light brown fish, littered with dark brown spots flopped on the ground in a pathetic mess. The trainer drew for his pokeball.
Feebas, The Fish Pokemon
It eats anything, so it can even live in polluted streams and lakes. No one pays any attention to it.
He glanced back up at Paige, whose smile fell to what could only be described as a pity grin. His will instantly left him. ?Maybe this thing does suit me.? He sighed, before shrugging and following behind Larry and Paige.
"It looks like you got it here just in time... A bit longer, and I don't think the little guy would have made it."
Avril sighed in relief as the nurse behind the counter let her know that the Pidgey she brought into the pok?mon center was going to pull through. Despite the haste that the trainer had made in getting the bird to the center, she had her doubts on whether or not it was actually going to pull through. Still, the relief in knowing that the Pidgey was going to pull through wasn't really enough to make the trainer or the nurse feel better.
"So... you said that you just found the poor thing laying on the route in such a state?" the nurse asked.
Avril nodded. "On my way into town, yeah... I wouldn't have even found it if my Frogadier and I had overheard it's chirping. I'm surprised it was even still alive after taking that much of a beating."
The nurse sighed, rubbing her forehead slowly. "I guess it's just a sign of the times we live in. Forest fires being set and an increase in violence related to pok?mon... I want to say that I've gotten used to it, but when I think to how trainers seem to constantly be going further and further these days when battling..." She paused, clearly not wanting to go into a full-blown rant over the subject. "Anyways... I think letting the Pidgey rest overnight will probably be the best thing for the time being. I know that you came to our town with dire circumstances, but there's nothing more I can tell you other than to be patient and wait. Maybe you could kill some time with a bit of sight-seeing? The next pok?mon contest is going to be held soon... and our very own Shabboneau Castle has become quite the tourist attraction even since that basement was opened up."
Avril frowned as she listened to the nurse try to sell her on the prospect of taking a tour of the town and its various attractions. Truth be told, the blonde trainer really didn't feel like exploring all that much. Her mind was still on the Pidgey that she had brought in, plus there was also the desire to resume training her team again. The last thing Avril wanted was for the events in Lumiose to happen to her pok?mon again, whether it be similar to the gunshot Shino suffered or the humiliating defeat at the hands of Volkner. Then again, her team had been working incredibly hard on their training ever since she departed from Lumiose City. With that thought in mind, Avril figured that it probably would not look too good on her as a trainer to continue pushing them like that... at least for today.
"Shabboneau Castle, huh...?" Avril mused, faking a mild interest in the location. "Sounds intriguing... How do I get there?"
The nurse offered Avril a smile. "It's not too hard, just take a right after leaving the pok?mon center and keep going straight. You can't miss it!"
Avril thanked the woman for her advice and made her way out of the pok?mon center. No sooner had the girl stepped out of the building, did one of her pok?balls fall off of her bracelet and snap open. In a flash of light, the familiar shape of Lulu the Shuppet came flying to her side. A curious look was in the ghost pok?mon's eyes as she giggled, hovering circles around her with glee.
"I dunno what you're so excited about," Avril said, giving the Shuppet a small grin. "All we're gonna do is look at some dusty old castle, but... whatever floats your boat. If you wanna see it with me, then come on."
Together, the duo made their way towards Shabboneau Castle. Upon entering the castle, they were greeted by a older man who was serving as the castle tour guide. He offered to escort them around on a personal tour, but Avril declined. The girl felt that she was more than capable of taking a look at the various trinkets and antiques that the castle would have on display. Plus to be perfectly honest, the girl never really was all that interested in history. Back when she was in school, the class was always one of her weakest subjects. She never really could get interested in the events involving a bunch of dead guys.
For the most part, her tour of the castle was pretty disappointing. Outside of some furniture, there didn't appear to be much to look at in the slightest bit. Oddly enough, there were some stands and columns that looked as if they were supposed to hold some valuable jewel or decoration... But every time that Avril and her Shuppet passed one, they found it to be quite bare.
"What kind of historical castle is this where's there is literally nothing to see...?" Avril questioned, putting a hand on her hip with a sigh. Even if this was an unwelcome diversion, it was pretty disappointing to see that there was nothing here to get her mind off the Pidgey she had brought in from Versant Road. "I'm starting to get the feeling this place was robbed or something."
"Well... I suppose you could say that," a voice replied, gaining the attention of the duo. Avril and Lulu both turned to see the tour guide who had offered to escort them around earlier. "Truth is, most of the items that used to be on display here over the years have made their way over to Parfum Palace. The family which used to own this castle ended up running up quite the debt, so many of its treasures had to be sent over there to help foot the bill."
The blonde trainer gazed over at her Shuppet for a moment before returning her attention to the guide. "Then why is this place even open? I mean, you could make a much more interesting tour by just telling people about the outside of this place. At the very least it would save them from some disappointment."
"Well... normally I'd agree with you. However we recently managed to get a section of the castle's basement open to the public," the guide explained. "We managed to unearth some pretty interesting looking exhibits down there. Of course, it's not exactly as well polished and maintained down there as it is up here, but..."
"It's worth a look anyways," Avril replied quickly.
She hurriedly turned and began to make her way down towards the basement with her Shuppet right behind her. Sure enough, the guide was correct in the fact that the basement was a bit more interesting than the rest of the castle. There were some old statues, which all though they weren't in exactly the best of shape, did look to be quite impressive. Most of them appeared to be in the shapes of various pok?mon, but time had not been kind and it was a bit difficult to make out what all of them were supposed to be. Some suits of armor were also on display down below, but a several of them were covered with rust and falling apart. Avril wasn't exactly sure as to whether they were being left in this state to preserve their historical integrity or if the groundskeepers merely haven't had the chance to polish it all up. Regardless, it wasn't the armor or the statues that truly captured the girl's interest. Rather, that honor would go to the lone, large tapestry that was hanging up on a wall in the back of the basement.
Avril had never seen anything quite like the tapestry. It had been clearly worn down by the years, with frayed edges and some of the colors being faded out. Yet somehow despite the damage dealt by time, the blonde trainer was able to make out the image it displayed. In the center of the work of art was a man who looked to be some sort of king. Beneath him, a strange and powerful looking device was displayed. Avril had never really seen anything like this sort of thing before, but the longer she looked at the device shown on the tapestry, the more it made her feel increasingly uneasy. The device looked as if it was supposed to be shooting something, giving the girl the impression that perhaps it may have been used as some sort of cannon... Surrounding it all, were faint images that seemed to take on the shape of what Avril assumed to be various people and pok?mon alike. This was the part of the image that made the girl feel the most uncomfortable. As she took a step closer, she noticed that the people and pok?mon in the tapestry all looked to be devoid of life. That is to say that they weren't laying in some sort of lifeless heap or anything like that. Rather, it was shown in their eyes. They all appeared to look somewhat hollow... as if their very souls had somehow been pulled out from their bodies. Surrounding the entire scene, was a vast amount of orange and red, as if to show that the world around the device and king was literally on fire at that very moment.
"...This is... pretty unnerving," Avril eventually mused. She took a step back from the tapestry, tilting her head slightly to the right as if trying to get a better look at it from an angle. "I guess it had to do with the times or something like that. But... even if it is art, I don't think I'd ever find the courage to display a work that's so... disturbing looking."
"Not all art is for display..." A low, gravelly voice called out from the corner of the room and as Avril turned to look towards the source, she would see a tall, ragged old man, the majority of his face obscured by tangled white hair, an old hat and a scarf wrapped tightly around his chin and neck. "...some serve as omen. As warning. As lessons... This is one such piece."
Avril turned back to the tapestry for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the piece of art for maybe something she would have missed. Lulu floated over closer to the tapestry as well, the little Shuppet trying to help her trainer out in any way she could. "I... I don't really get what lesson this is trying to teach, sir... I mean, I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, but... why is kept way down here, almost out of sight if there's something important to learn...?"
"A lesson... Yes, a lesson..." He began to mumbles, softly running his hand over the cloth and brushing away a layer of dust. "The lesson was a cruel one you see... Double edged blade... This man here..." He slowly gestured a boney finger towards the image of the king, standing astride his implement of catastrophe. "He was given this so that he might learn. He might see the pain caused... While also..." He trailed off, his voice slowly fading as pain trickled into his eyes.
"While also facing a reality, yes." He paused, shutting his eyelids wearily and turning away. "The reality that nothing is eternal, all is destined to fade. His actions parodied his torment... And thus the reason it is sealed here, is because it's student has already been taught everything this simple fabric can offer..."
Avril gave the man a curious glance as he spoke. His voice seemed to be... pained, as if he had been personally effected by this piece in some way. Listening to him talk about it, about how nothing is eternal... It was a feeling she knew all to well, such as the night when she almost lost Shino. Her eyes darkened as she glanced down at the Frogadier's pok?ball on her bracelet, slowly bringing her other hand to rest over top of it.
"I know that nothing lasts forever, but... Doesn't that mean you just have to fight to keep something alive and with you for as long as possible, no matter what it costs?" Avril inquired.
The man froze at Avril's words, for a moment nigh visibly shaken, before collecting himself slowly and responding in a voice that was a little softer than before. "No... That isn't correct." He said plainly. "When something must leave you... It must leave you. It is gone and trying to prolong inevitability is... Wrong. What matters most young one..." He turned to her, stepping away from the wall to tower above Avril, his gargantuan height suddenly in perspective. "... Is to nurture that which you have before it is gone forever."
He took her hand gently in his, his touch warm and comforting... As he softly placed a single object in her hand, before moving to step passed her. "A gift for you..." He muttered slowly. "A reminder I once held, a sacrifice I once made." With these final words he stepped passed her into the darkness, moving with sluggish movements yet a surprisingly swift pace.
Before the girl could turn to question him further, he was gone... As if he had never truly been there at all.
Dahlia frowned at the news as he looked at it through his Holo Caster, while Caroline was sleeping right at his side. He wasn?t interested in the contest, believe it or not. He was more interested at the ?blond young man? talked about in the news...the one that the reporters and many others speculated was the apprentice of Cynthia...but Dahlia knew better. He didn?t even need to see his face to know that it was...him.
<Hmm...I wonder what you and the others did after I left, Jackson Crane?> He smiled sinisterly.
<Leaving me out of the loop will only make me want to be a part of it more and more?>
_______________________________ In Route 5...
_______________________________
Fondre decided to obviously not follow Lillie after their short talk with each other, even though the banging deep within her skull kept telling her that she should have. She is now regretting that decision, since as soon as she entered the gate, her hand was suddenly pulled by someone, leading her to immediately enter Versant Road.
Said someone was a man who was about as tall as Fondre, but seemed to acted a bit more like an adult (emphasize on ?acted?). He had long blond hair, but unlike Dahlia, he actually looked like a legit male. He was wearing black and white pants with a grid-like pattern. His half-buttoned lab coat flowed in the air as he examined Fondre very closely, with his white boots sometimes clacking together in the process. Underneath said coat was a white shirt, with some sort of design on it. Fondre could only see part of the word ?PRIDE? on it?s bottom.
The man was currently wearing glasses and was writing things down on a clipboard. He was running around Fondre in a circle and it was almost as if he was skating on ice. An Alolan Vulpix was watching the whole scene from afar. It was quite clear that this was the man?s Pok?mon. Fondre was getting more and more agitated as the man kept examining her like some sort of lab rat. He was even asking her questions about herself. ?Hmm...Would you consider yourself a major or minor part of your friend?s life, if you had any?? ?First of all, bub, I do have a friend and he?s a big pansy. Second of all...I guess I would consider myself a major part of his life. Or at least, I think I am.? ?Hmm...Interesting.?
After a few minutes, he stopped circling around Fondre and looked at the notes he wrote on his clipboard. ?Yes, I guess this will do?? Fondre just looked at the man with anger and started to crack her knuckles. ?You have 12 seconds to explain who the hell you are and why the psyduck you?re just looking at me like a pervert and asking questions like you?re my goddamn psychiatrist.? The man sighed and scowled at Fondre. ?My name is Vex, age 20. I consider myself a very major individual in many people?s lives.? He pointed at the Alolan Vulpix with the pen in his hand. ?And this is my assistant, Chilly. Sooner or later, she might just become a Chilly Academic like yours truly.? Fondre snickered at Vex?s introduction (while also showing that she has calmed down a bit). ?Oh boy, an obviously egotistical scientist. And I seriously thought Dahlia was the bottom of the barrel...? ?Hmph. Go ahead and mock me all you want. To be honest, you and the rest of your Aquacorde ?graduates? were already the bottom of the barrel to begin with...At least, that?s what I thought at first.? Fondre immediately glared at Vex for that statement. ?You knew about me and the others this whole entire time?! Then why??!?
?...To collect data and information, of course. I don?t have access to any of the students? information except for your names and images of your public...image. Missing an opportunity to collect invaluable data on Aquacorde students like yourself...Is an opportunity I cannot miss! You didn?t seem to be truly interesting when I first heard about all before through...sources. But then I saw the news talking about a few of you all...And I even saw a few of the students at that slogfest you call a contest. It seems as though a majority of you have been involved within the recent events happening around Kalos in some way, shape or form.? Fondre raised a brow. ?Er...it could just be some coincidences...? And you honestly shouldn?t even know this stuff! How do you even know this stuff?? Vex scowled. ?Didn?t I just told you?? Aside from the usual news broadcasts, I also make sure to research any sort of information that I believe is vital, even if it?s just a single tidbit of mostly nothing. And like I said, certain people may give me said information. Said people shall not be named, of course.?
Fondre was just scratching her head now. <If I go and keep arguing with this idiot for even a few more seconds, I might just burst.> She annoyingly sighed. ?Ugh, whatever...So, can I leave now?? Vex just shook his head and took off his (obviously just for show) eye-glasses. ?No...I believe you might be of use to me, even with your...aggressive behavior.? He took out his own Pok?dex and showed a picture of some lizard Pok?mon with bag pants. ?This is Scraggy. I actually would like someone to catch one for me so I can do some...testing of sorts.? ?...What kind of tests?? Vex looked at Chilly and pointed her towards a blue messenger bag with an icy-blue snowflake sticker on the front of it. She nodded and ran towards it, getting something out of the bag.
She came back with a collar of sorts. The only thing connected to the collar was a target, with its thin middle inner circle colored black, while the outer circle was colored white. The only truly remarkable thing of note about the target was a single snowflake sticker (?) plastered on the middle of the target. Vex picked up the target from Chilly?s mouth, while Fondre just tilted her head. ?Er...I don?t get what you?re trying to say to me, man.? Vex simply growled in response. ?I thought you were a graduate from Aquacorde, not some mindless trainer who doesn?t even know what a Ring Target is!? ?Well sorry for not being around your level of intelligence. Can you, at the very least, explain to me what it even does??
?Humph. Fine, since you asked oh so nicely...Simply put, this item will stripe away a Pok?mon?s type immunities when held, with certain exceptions. This is a special modification I made myself. It?s not much, really. It just allows me to analyze any battle data gained and seen by any Pok?mon wearing the target.? ?There?s gotta be a catch to this little feature.? ?Unfortunately, yes. There are two small requirements for this to work...For one, the Pok?mon needs to be captured. And I need to have the owner?s Holo Caster number if I am not the owner of said Pok?mon. So, you can probably already guess what I need you to do, right??
?Yeah, yeah, I think I got it...Catch a Scraggy, give it the dumb target, do battles with it, get some information on it and then...something else that might happen in the future. But, look man...I?m not interested in a Scraggy. I just ain?t. Unless you wanna ask some young naive kid to do it.? Vex was looking away from Fondre and was looking at someone else. He grinned sinisterly. ?Like Caroline C. Adoraci?n, I presume?? ?Yeah! That kid!...Hey, wait a minute?!? She looked at the direction that Vex was pointing towards and saw a very familiar girl, who was looking down at a dog-like Pok?mon with a red hat, while an oddly placed mushroom (?) watched with drowsiness and a candle (?) watched with curiosity. The girl was holding a hoop made of cheap tubes taped together, possibly made by the girl herself, beckoning the dog to jump through the hoop. But the dog was quite clearly not interested.
?Aw, come on! At least try to jump through the hoop! Please, for me?? ?...Frou.? Pudoru jumps through the hoop with elegance. ?Yay!? Candle and Caroline clapped, while Nathan just yawned. ?Competing in the contest, I presume?? Caroline looked at the person who said that and saw a blond haired man in a lab coat. Right next to him was Fondue and a fox-like Pok?mon. Caroline gasped at the sight of it and hugged it immediately. ?Aw, you?re so cute~!? The man suddenly tapped his feet on the ground very loudly, which made Caroline look up to see his deadly glare. ?If I were you, I would ask the question in hand before acting like a child.? Caroline got up and made a pouty face at the man. ?Hey, I am not a child! I am a teenager and yes, I am going to compete in the contest!?
Fondre snickered. ?Actually, you?re a preteen?? The man just sighed. ?...Right. So, I actually want to ask you a few questions about yourself.? Caroline tilted her head. ?...Questions? Are they gonna be hard to answer?? ?...I?ll make sure they?re simple for you to answer.? ?Okay!? The process only took a few minutes, with Caroline sometimes getting a bit confused during a few parts. Aside from that, it was done exactly the same way as Fondre?s own examination. ?...Hmm, interesting.? ?...Uh, can I at least know your name?? Fondue sighed annoyingly. ?This dude?s name is Vex and that?s his Vulpix, Chilly. Just met him today and he?s a scientist...I think.? Vex scowled. ?I guess you could say that...Anyways, I?m here to make a request.? He held up an odd collar with a target in his hand. ?I would like you to catch a Scraggy and give it this. I need some...battle data.? ?A Scraggy?? He showed the image of a Pok?mon from his Pok?dex.
?This one. If you accept my request, then you must give me your contact information from your Holo Caster.? Caroline kept looking at the image shown on the Pok?dex and at the target with much curiosity. She tilted her head. ?But...what will happen when I put it on the Scraggy?? Vex closed his eyes and smiled slyly. ?...It?s a surprise.? Caroline snatched the target collar from Vex and just nodded with a smile. She withdrew Candle and Pudoru and picked up Nathan from the ground. ?Okay! Besides, that Scraggy looks cute!? She gave Vex her Holo Caster information and immediately ran off further into Versant Road. Fondue?s eyes widened and immediately followed Caroline. ?Hey! At least wait for me, kid!? Caroline pulled a raspberry at Fondre in response, which led to her running in a faster pace. Vex and Chilly looked at the two of them running in the distance.
Vex just smiled sinisterly. ?...Heh. That was too easy.?
_______________________________
~Flashback~ Lumiose Pok?mon Center (South)
_______________________________
?Go alone? But why?!? Dahlia looked at Sakura, who was trying to wake Nathan up. He sighed and looked back at Caroline. ?I?m not sure if I told you this before, but I can?t be here for you all the time. Consider this...a test of sorts. Just get to Camphrier Town before me. If you get scared and come running back to me, you?ll fail this test. Oh, and you must use Nathan in a battle or in the next contest. That?s an optional bit, but I honestly believe that Morelull has been sleeping in that ball of his for way too long.?
Caroline looked down. ?...Did something happened?? Dahlia tilted his head. ?...Huh?? Caroline looked back up at Dahlia. ?...I mean, did something happened while you were saving Haku from the bad people? Did it convince you to say something like this?? He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. ?...I?m not sure. Even I don?t understand why I?m making this choice...I guess I have been thinking about...things. Or maybe it?s because I believe that you need to grow up a bit more.? Caroline?s eyes widened. She was about to say something, but Dahlia just covered her mouth.
?I know what you?re going to say. But, for this moment...it?s the truth. Awful things have been happening within this region...I honestly thought the events involving Team Dim Sun in Almia was bad, but it seems I was proven wrong. Kalos is getting more and more dangerous as the days go by. I don?t want you to get caught in the crossfire, but I also don?t want you to be defenseless when you are in danger.? Caroline?s mouth was still covered. Even if it wasn?t, she still would have been speechless.
?...We were given these Pok?mon for a reason. Even if said reason is unclear, even if we actually have our own goals to accomplish...We must also make sure that we change who we are during the journey.? Caroline tears started to water. She took her brother?s hand out of her mouth and made a sad smile. She really didn?t wanted to admit it, but he was right. ?...Do you understand what I?m trying to say to you, Caroline?? ?...I think so.?
Dahlia yawned and suddenly went to sleep. Caroline immediately stopped crying and made a pouty face. ?Darn it, Dahlia! You just wanted to hear yourself make some epic speech before you went to sleep!? She picked up Nathan and went out of the doors. Sakura looked at her sleeping trainer and tried to push him awake. His eyes snapped open and just patted Sakura with a smile. ?Oh, I wasn?t trying to go to sleep. I was just trying to convince her to leave without me.? ?Cherubi??
?...Don?t you know? Ah yes, you don?t since I caught you a while back.? He got up from his sleeping position. ?There?s going to be a contest soon and we?re going to make sure we?re ready for it.? His smile became a evil grin. ?Yes...ready to crush a certain someone in the contest to the point where he?ll possibly be nothing more than a weeping wreck on the floor.? He laughed maniacally. Sakura didn?t really understand, but it was quite clear that he was really happy to compete in this contest. ?Cherubi~!?
?Wait, so the dude thought you were too much of a kid and decided to leave you alone in the hopes of you actually getting good?! Man, he must have tried to find a strain of hay in the needlestack if he?s doing this to ya.? ?I think I heard him laughing like a cartoon villain while I was leaving the Center.? Fondre just blinked. ?...Oh yeah, I think the man has secretly lost a major bit of his sanity after losing to Mr. Pansy the 2nd in contest number Uno.?
Caroline puffed her cheeks with anger and tightened her grip on Nathan. ?Well, I?m gonna make sure that he doesn?t win contest number Dos!? ?Morelull?? Fondre snorted. ?Yeah, well I?m hoping Dahlia makes a fancy dress for me to wear, cause apparently this is gonna be a fancy fest.? She sneered. ?All because the guest judge is some girl who?s fancy as all heck. At least Liza was cool and bubbly. From what I heard, this Platinum chick is gonna be a bit of a challenge to impress.?
Caroline looked left and right around the grass for a Scraggy, but she wasn?t able to. ?Fondue, can you help me find a Scraggy?? ?Help yourself, kid. That?s why you have your own Pok?mon: So they can do all the hard work you don?t wanna do.? ?...So mean!? She started to crawl in the purple flower field in the hopes of finding a Scraggy there, with Nathan on top of her head. ?Man, I hope Vex wasn?t lying to us when he said there were Scraggy here. If he did, then he?s got another thing coming for him.? ?Is it a punch to the face?? ?...What else??
Suddenly, Caroline?s head bumped into something. ?Oh? I think we got something.? She moved the flowers a little to see what she bumped into...only to get hit by what felt like a small missile. She tumbled out of the flower field and bumps into a tree. Nathan was still on her head, defying the laws of tumbling physics. ?Ow, ow ow~! That really hurt!? Nathan just yawned. A Scraggy came out of the field and was suddenly heading straight towards Fondre, with it?s forehead glowing blue...but Fondre just moved out of the way with ease, which lead into the Scraggy headbutting another tree, which made a few apples fall on it?s head. ?Seriously? Is that supposed to be a Headbutt?? ?Scraggy?? Caroline just held up her Pok?dex at the Scraggy while still in her current position. ?Scraggy, the Shedding Pok?mon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with a headbutt.? ?Well, I guess that means it wants a battle.? While Fondre was trying to talk and during the Pok?dex?s explanation, she was easily dodging the many headbutts the Scraggy was doing.
?Yo, Caroline! Seriously, help me out here!? Caroline shakes her head multiple times to get her mind straight and got up from her tree position. She got Nathan out of her hair and put him on the ground. ?Okay, Nathan! Let?s start off with Flash! Oh, you should close your eyes, Fondue.? Fondre just nodded and closed her eyes, but she also made sure to dodge one more attack from the Scraggy before Nathan did his thing. Nathan?s mushrooms glows brightly while he was yawning, blinding the Scraggy in the process. The Scraggy puts its hands on its eyes for a moment before immediately doing another headbutt aimed towards Nathan. Nathan just hided under the ground, with only his mushrooms still exposed to the upper ground.
Scraggy tripped on the mushrooms, tumbling towards yet another tree. Fondre opened her eyes, looked at the aftermath of the Scraggy?s failed attempt and laughed. ?Kya ha ha! Is this thing some sort of joke?! It keeps headbutting trees like a Tauros!? Nathan got back up and looked at his opponent with sleepiness. Scraggy got up and immediately dashed forward. ?Make sure to dodge...whatever it?s about to do, Nathan!? Scraggy swiped its leg low and tried to trip over Nathan...only for Nathan to do the exact same maneuver it did before, making the poor Scraggy lose its balance and fall down on the ground. Fondre just yawned. ?At this point, we may as well be bullying the poor thing.?
The Scraggy was about to do something...until it was suddenly down for the count, when small sparks started to jolt around it. Nathan just yawned at the sight of this and was starting to get drowsy. Caroline decided that this was the perfect opportunity to use her one Heal Ball. ?Really hoping this works?!? She throws the pink and cream colored ball at the Scraggy, encapsulating it inside the ball. One shake...two shakes...three. Ding.
?Yay, I caught it!? Fondre woke up from her small half nap and walked towards Caroline, who withdrew Nathan after he went to sleep after the job was done. ?So, are you gonna name it something or what?? Caroline nodded. She thrown the ball, with her new Scraggy coming out...and immediately headbutting her on the head, leading to Caroline tumbling down towards (what do ya know) yet another tree, which made Fondre laugh out loud. ?Ow...At the very least, you should thank me for healing you?? ?Scraggy, Scraggy!? Scraggy glared at Caroline, while Caroline just made a pouty face. ?I?m sorry for catching you, okay? I?ll try to make it up to you! Honest!? Scraggy just sighed and nodded in agreement, but he seems to not be happy with his new partner.
?Oh! Right...Uh, Zuruggu?...You don?t mind me calling you Zuruggu, right?? She got Vex?s target collar out of her bag and held it up in her hand. ?...I promised someone that I gave you this collar. I don?t know what it does, but he told me that it?s a surprise! So, uh?? Zuruggu wasted no time and put the collar around his neck.
Caroline waited for the collar to do something...but it wasn?t doing anything. She scratched her head. ?D-Did I do something wrong???
_______________________________
Vex?s Holo Caster started to beep like a Charjabug, which led to him immediately picking it up from his pockets. He saw the text message on the device?s screen:
RingTarget-V: ?TARGET IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD. READY TO ACTIVATE LOCK.? RingTarget-V: ?ACTIVATE LOCK? Y/N?
He smirked and looked at the person he has been talking to before the message. ?It seems your sister has completed the task at hand. Shall we pay her a visit?? The pink-haired man he was talking to just smiled, with the Cherubi right next to him smiling as well, obviously not understanding what in the world they were rambling on about. As long as her trainer was happy, she was happy too.
?Yes, I believe we shall. Oh, and I should thank you for letting my sister be a part of your little...experiment. I believe she might learn a lot with a Pok?mon that is forcibly handicapped by a sort of item.? ?Cherubi!? Vex just nodded in response. ?I should also thank you for giving me so much data on the many Aquacorde graduates, including yourself. Yes, this is certainly some invaluable data...Truly, you and Fondre Tonnerre are quite the miracle makers when it comes to finding information. It?s quite a shame that you?re performance in the Santalune contest was trumped by Laurent Hessel??
Immediately, Dahlia pulled Vex?s lab coat, which made them get a bit uncomfortably close. He glared at the blond-haired man with deadly intents. ?I thought we made an agreement to not speak of that man in front of my face. But it seems you?ve forgotten almost as soon as I told you.? Vex slowly shook his head. ?Oh no, I haven?t forgotten. I was just trying to tell you that I can understand how you feel. I remember feeling something like this before. Don?t worry, I won?t make a mistake like that again.? Dahlia?s glare softened and he lost his grip on Vex. He started to walk towards the area his sister was at, with Sakura following suit.
Chilly looked at Vex with worry, in the hopes that he wasn?t hurt badly. Vex just dusted off the dirt on his coat, scowling. He just took out his Holo Caster and wrote a text to his Ring Target bot.
The snowflake symbol in front of the target blinked a light and automatically locked the collar up. ?Scraggy?? ?Eh? What happened?? Fondre noticed two people walking towards them, and immediately knew who they were. She had a sly smile on her face. ?Oh, I get it now! You two were in cahoots with each other this entire time, weren?t you?!? Vex scowled, while Dahlia shook his head. ?If I knew about this man, then I would have mentioned him to you before, Fondue.? Vex looked at Caroline with a sinister smile on his face. ?Do you love the present I gave you, Caroline?? ?...Present?? Fondre just snickered. ?The surprise is that you?ve been tricked by a possibly mad scientist to do all his dirty work.?
Vex cleared his throat before speaking. ?That is a customized version of the Ring Target made by me, Vex ?Even? Prince. When held by a Pok?mon, it disables any type immunities it had, with a few exceptions. You can say that it?s a...handicap of sorts.? Zuruggu looked at the collar in curiosity. ?For example, with the Ring Target on, Psychic type attacks aimed towards Scraggy would actually hit instead of missing completely due to being a Dark type.? Caroline just tilted her head. ?But...what?s the point? In fact, why does a item like this even exist in the first place?!?
?I was about to get to that...Basically, my Ring Target allows me to obtain data seen and gained from battles. I like to see how a Pok?mon can adapt to certain situations when given certain handicaps. How would one go about in a situation where they must only use one move and one move only? What would they do when they?re forced to hold an item that affects them negatively? And most importantly...how would their own trainer adapt to any of these situations? Would they use the same strategy, or think up of a completely new one on the fly? What if they?re unable to switch out? What if they?re against a opponent they?re now weak against due to holding a certain item? Questions like these need to be analyzed in a very thorough matter.?
Dahlia looked at Caroline with a serious look on his face. ?And that?s why I?m allowing Vex to use you as a little test bunny. In order for you to grow up to become a beautiful rose like me, you need to face certain challenges and hardships. You are understanding all of this, right?? Caroline tilted her head. ?I...think so?? Vex just blinked before sighing. ?Close enough.? He and Chilly started to walk towards the gate to Camphrier Town. ?If for whatever reason you need me in some capacity, I?ll probably be around Palais Lane. But for now??
He turned around to face the three trainers, with the shirt under his lab coat actually not being obscured by it, due to the top button of the coat being unbuttoned. It was a white shirt, with a crystal colored icy blue taking the middle half of the shirt, with a few twinkles around it. There were two words written in big letters, with one on the top and the other on the bottom. Together, it was read as ?FROZEN PRIDE?.
?I bid you all farewell!? And with that, he was off.
Only Sakura was confused about what in the world was going on. She tilted her head with a dopey look on her face. ?Cherubi??
NEW POK?MON:
Spoiler:
TWIN INVENTORY/POK?MON:
Spoiler:
*Ring Target modified by Vex* (Note: Any item held by a Pok?mon DO NOT appear in the actual inventory.)
Camphrier town was certainly a calmer place than Lumiose, considering how relatively close the two locations were it was incredible to see just how different things were here when compared to the big city of lights and love. A lot had happened, that was for certain... from climbing towers and battling dragons, to finding weapons with hated rivals, to once again finding himself in the midst of the mess that was Team Cinder and their psychotic plans.He tutted as he lit a cigarette on Gaspar's flaming hand, reaching up on instinct from his trainers shadow once he removed the white stick from his bag. Teddy was sitting on his trainers shoulders and surveying the town with wide eyes as Wave did the same from her birds eye view. Standing dilligently by his side and sniffing the air as they walked, Fang also padded along beside his trainer, occasionally stepping away to smell something... but overall not letting the others out of his sight.
He had gotten a call on his holocaster from Sycamore mere moments before. Apparently his contest outfit had been delivered to 'his room in the Camphrier Hotel' which, of course, Augustine had booked for him already. He appreciated the Professor's efforts, but deep down jackson was somewhat looking forward to moving out of the mans sphere of influence and getting the chance to act without his guidance somewhat.
The worn brown stone and tufts of grass peeking through certainly gave this old town the nostalgic feel Jackson had heard so much about. However even that was only part of the general aura of the location. Every building oozed character and age, as if each was a wild old elder giving lessons to those that passed on by, every stone brick had a story, every crack had a lesson. "Tch... dahell did I start thinkin' poetically."
Eventually he found the building he was looking for, an old hotel that stood out from the other locations due to its large stone patio and gently bubbling fountain at the entrance. The windows were larger as well, consisting of a unique arched design compared to elsewhere in the town. It certainly stood out... however at the same time it fit the mood of the town perfectly. The sign above the door confirmed he was in the right place. "Hotel Camphrier... looks like we're in business guys, y'all should probably get in your balls, Fang, Wave." The two larger pokémon stood in front of their trainer, Wave perched on the Houndoom's back as they both voiced their displeasure at that notion with some grumbles and growls.
"Don't gimme this ****... Ted is tiny and Gaspar can just hide out in my shade, capiche? No objections, return." The two pouted in response, but made no attempt to resist the red beams drawing them back to their respective pokéballs in turn.
---
The interior of the hotel was... very homely, Jackson noted, as he approached with an excited Teddy holding his head and sitting firmly on his shoulders.
The small bear had gotten to see so many places already thanks to Jackson but this one was certainly one of his favorites. It was cozy and quaint and there were so many places that looked like he could snuggle up in for hours! Ten out of ten would snuggle again... and again and again no doubt. Creepy old Gaspar was still sitting in Jackson's shadow and watching things as they passed by. What was it like to be a ghost anyway? Teddy thought. What kind of things did you think about? What did you aspire to? Huh, maybe things you didn't get done in life. Did Gaspar remember being alive? Wait. What if he had been a Teddiursa too?! It was possible right? Damn, that was wild.
It was then that a girl caught Teddie's eye. She had pretty hair and a pretty dress... she looked a little like Malmal... but like, not? Whoa, humans were weird. Like it was super easy to tell Teddiursa's apart, they all had slightly different shades of orange... and the nose shape was way different every time. Humans though? Nah, all looked the same. Wait. Oh crap the girl caught his gaze! She smiled! Did she laught at him?! Was he weird?! Oh Arceus he was weird wasn't he?! "Ursa, ursa, ursa..." He muttered, smacking himself on the nose lightly.
"Yeah... hat's right, Sycamore's student. Room... 14? End of the first floor. The outfit's already there, thanks a million ma'am." Jackson finished talking with the hotel receptionist over the old mahogany counter when he felt Teddy wobbling behind him, peeking up and over Jackson noticed him smacking his nose repeatedly. "Dahell you doin' Ted...?"
Teddy froze. Sweat rapidly dripping down his brow as Jackson saw him smacking himself. Oh no, oh my, oh bother now he looked even worse. This was too much, this was way too much. He didn't sign up for this, now Jackson was going to release him and he'd starve and he'd die and be Vullaby food and and and...
Teddy began to cry.
Jackson rose an eyebrow and took him off of his shoulders, holding him out to examine him for any injuries. "Didja hit yourself on the way in or somethin' what dahell has gotten into you...?" Eventually Teddy just hung there defeated, not crying anymore and just staring at the floor as he sat limply in Jackson's arms. "...okay." Jackson muttered... as he proceeded to shrug and dump Teddy in his bag.
"U-Um... e-excuse me!"
The sudden voice of a girl caught Jackson off guard as he turned his head and looked down at the petite form now calling up to him. The girl who stood before him looked rather familiar, her long blonde hair was tied into a pony tail that swayed slightly as she looked up at Jackson, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly as she did so. Her white, sporty outfit started to ring a few more bells for Jackson as he stood there with a curious expression and no answer to her statement. As the silence prolonged, the girl seemed to have a steadily growing flush, noticing that she was being examined and most likely getting many a wrong idea.
"Ehm... I-I'm-"
"Lillie, I remember now!" Jackson said with a sudden outburst, causing the girl to nearly jump out of her skin with a squeak. "Arceus, my bad... that was a pretty intense night, a lot of the details are still fuzzy." As Jackson exclaimed that, a number of other guests at the hotel began to give Jackson and Lillie very odd looks, causing the girl to nearly glow red with embrrassment and quickly wave her hands in front of Jackson's face. "No, no don't say it like that! It's not like that!" Jackson tilted his head, somewhat confused, before shrugging dismissively. "Alright, well, whatever you say Ponytail."
"P-Po-? Oh, my hair... haha, yes." She said, smiling a little awkwardly once more. "I-I'm glad to see you well! Mr. Crane, I had to rush here for the contest so I couldn't stay at the hospital but..." Jackson waved flippantly to stop her before sighing. "No, no it's alright. I wasn't doing it to save you anyway, Garchomp and I were already involved, you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Lillie flushed further at his words, so dismissive of her presence at the encounter... but she didn't make a big deal out of it, he had still saved her life after all. She owed him a lot. "Ah, well... even still I wanted to thank you personally. If not for you, I wouldn't be here right now."
"It's no problem, honestly don't worry so much about it. Just did what I had to do." He nodded assuredly, before raising a curious eyebrow. "You mentioned a contest, the one at Parfum Palace right?" He asked, only for her disposition to soften and grow just a little bit brighter. "Yes! It's my first one, I've been very excited for it, hehe." She giggled a little and gave a big smile, suddenly a lot more confident in herself. "I battled through the Kanto league once y'know? So I've experienced gyms before. Neither Kanto nor Alola, my home region, have a grand festival though, as a result I had to give contests a try."
Jackson sneered, giving a small thumbs up as he replied. "I guess that makes us rivals then!" Lillie's features dropped as she waved her hands in a fluster once more. "W-what?! You're doing a contest?!" She paused, realizing she might be sounding rude. "But... you really don't... look the type, I suppose? I don't mean it badly but..." Jackson swiftly interrupted her. "No, no, you're right it's not usually my gig y'get me? But my sister, girl about your age, likes to watch em and I got roped into one in Santalune. I got disqualified for some bull**** technicality and it pissed me off though, so I'm back in Parfum for round two." Lille nodded resolutely at his words, seemingly inspired further by having a rival she knew.
"Fuuu... exciting! We've both got to do our best okay!..." She trailed off. "Assuming I can get started at all, bother..."
"That sounds like a thinly veiled cry for help Ponytail..." Jackson sighed, causing Lillie to once again flush red. "N-No! I didn't mean to, I'd never imply that I-" She waved her hands again on instinct, trying to hurry away the implication, but ultimately she fell flat. "...I need help it's true, this have proven more difficult thus far than I can handle."
---
After practically crawling through Lumiose City, with its towering buildings and giant population, it was nice to see a place that felt more like home. It's funny the little things that peek out at you that make you feel at ease; grass growing through chipped bricks, the way the sun reflected off the white fences, this place simply has a...comfortable feel to it.
Sebastian had made it this far with Lillie and Dylan, though the trio had decided to split up upon arrival. Something had caught Lillie's eye, and she didn't want to go to the palace until she had found it...whatever it was, and Sebastian was fairly certain Dylan wanted to get to the palace as quickly as possible, so he could practice his techniques for the upcoming contest. Sebastian, on the other hand, needed to make a pitstop by the local Pokemon center.
"I couldn't find any traces of another Pokemon. Whatever brought her to you didn't make physical contact." A soft, calm voice speaks from the PC's telephone system. A woman with long black hair and Sebastian's same purple eyes can be seen on the screen, cradling Sebastian's newly caught Snorunt.
"I suppose that makes sense, but I...wanted to know for certain."
"It was definitely worth looking into." Sahara smiles warmly. "Will you be taking her back now?"
"I'd like to." It seems cruel to catch the little snowhat only to leave her in another country. Given, she will be his seventh, which is...not typical, but it will be alright for a bit.
"I'll send her over." The woman gives the little ice type a hug. "I'll miss you. Take good care of my Bassy, okay?"
Sebastian's face grew the color of his newly dyed hair. "Mother…"
"Call me again soon, okay?" Ukyou vanishes in a red light, and seconds later a pokeball appears beside the PC.
" 'Bassy' will do his best." He speaks in a half defeated, yet somehow affectionate tone.
"Wonderful. I love you~" Sahara waves before the pc screen blinks off.
"Brai, Braixen!" Selkie cheers as Sebastian turns around.
"And she loves you too." Sebastian chuckles. His mother was so very taken with his chosen starter, Selkie had spent a good portion of graduation day in his mother's arms, or buried in Tanna, his mother's Ninetales, tails. "Shall we get going?"
"Brai!"
"Thim." A quiet cry peeps up from his head. Koroku had been so quiet Sebastian had almost forgotten that the bug type was attempting to disguise itself as a hat.
The group steps outside, where Chance the Furfrou and Nebula the...borrowed Eevee were waiting. He could not convince Drew's Eevee to step into the Pokemon center, and he couldn't convince Chance to leave her. She's made for an...interesting companion. "Ready to go?"
Chance nods, and Nebula stares, causing Sebastian to back away. Once he was about ten feet down the cobblestone path she began to follow. They walk in silence for a time, only the sound of padded paws on cobblestone, and the gentle jingling of Chance's soothe bell could be heard-- until the bell stopped chiming, causing Sebastian to stop. "Chance?"
Chance had stopped walking in front of the hotel, his front leg raised and pointed towards the door.
"What…" Sebastian turns back to see what's caught Chance's attention, and stifles a laugh when he looks through the glass door: It's Lillie, and where there's a Lillie, there's poketreats.
---
"So... you want a bell?" Jackson asked, raising his eyebrow nigh sky high at the notion of it. Lillie pouted in response, picking up the magazine on the table in front of the soft sofa they both sat upon and holding it up to Jackson in both hands, practically shoving it in its face. "No no, Mr. Crane look here you see...? It has little hands and feet and a face, its name is Chingling and it has this amazing sound... it would be perfect for my performance tonight!" She frowned as she shook the magazine in frustration and Jackson put a singer atop it, slowly pulling it down to meet her gaze.
"Right... okay, first, I'm Jackson... not Mr. Crane, Jackson." He sighed and shook his head with an irritated expression. "Why can't you just do another performance and catch thing 'Chingling' thing later?" Lille awkwardly pulled back, scrunching up her lips, looking aside and twirling her pony tail in her fingers awkwardly. "Because... I really like this idea and now I can't think of anything else." Jackson's expression dropped into a defeated stance as he tried to think of what to say next.
A short distance away, over by a mantlepiece, Nebby poofed and puffed along the wooden surface, feeling the smooth table top rub against him as he rolled along it like an awkward wheel... only to suddenly stop against something very cold. His eyes slowly drifted upwards until he saw what had held him still, a jagged purple hand, one of two that floated around a rather sinister floating head. "M-mog?!" He cried as he suddenly jumped in fright and Gaspar let out an uproar of cackling laughter. He stared at Nebby for a few moments and Nebby stared back, almost as if they were assessing one another momentarily.
And then they both burst out laughing again, a pair of floaty pranksters glad to make one anothers acquaintance.
"So... you know it's somewhere on Route 6... but the exact specifics aren't know? Y'ain't makin' this easy Ponytail..." He sighed and looked across the room, only to see a pokémon rather rapidly approaching them both. Four legs, fluffy white fur, a hungry expression. Probably not good. "Hey, ehm... Lillie?" The girl looked up from the magazine as she set it down on the table, only to notice the pokémon coming towards her with surprise. "Eh...? E-Eh?! Ahh!" She quickly put up her hands to shield herself, not recognizing the Furfrou before her for a split second.
"O-oh?! Chance?! Haha! Oh my, where on earth is your trainer hm?"
Mere inches from Lillie, Chance comes to a stop and lies on the floor, his tail raised curiously towards the female trainer. Lillie's distribution of poffins, as well as her kind treatment towards his feral Eevee friend, had won the blonde girl a lot of points in the untrusting Furfrou's favor. While still weary, he was willing to admit that Lillie and Sebastian were at least decent people. He peers up at Lillie's bag with an unwavering determination.
"I...guess I should have been more specific when I said 'let's go say hello.'" Sebastian remarks from the entrance to the hotel. Maybe something along the lines of 'let's go say hello, but don't go running up to her like you're going to attack, let's just walk calmly.' Would have suited better. He rubs his hand against the back of his neck nervously; Chance has come a long way since Lumiose, though they still have a long way to go.
"Xen brai!" Selkie holds her hand up in greeting to Lillie, though she remains at Sebastian's side. Nebula chose to accompany Sebastian into the building this time, though she remained behind him, sitting with her back pressed against the wall and surveying the area carefully.
"Sebastian!" Lillie said with a warm smile, quickly petting behind Chance's ears as she reached for a poffin from her bag. Jackson watched with moderate curiosity, he vaguely recognized the face of this fellow. Sebastian... Ale vendor? All bender? Crack dealer? Wait, no, that was Brandon. Whoever this guy was he had never stood out much to him, but hey! If he knew Lillie this made things all the easier. He leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes, positioning his hands behind his head. Hopefully those two would go off on Lillie's bell hunt and just forget that he was there.
"What brings you to the hotel? Have you finished your business at the center?" Lillie continued, a clear sense of relief and comfortability overcoming her disposition as another person she knew decently well had arrived.
"I did." Sebastian nods, reaching to his waist and taking out a Pokeball. He calls his newest capture into his arm, the little snow hat nestling against the warmth of her trainer's chest. His mother claimed this one had a strange habit for trying to hide in warm places, though, considering how Snorunts in the wild always seem to be shivering, perhaps it's not so odd...even if this little one is an ice type, which should offer cold immunity? Maybe? Pokemon are so fascinating. "Lillie, meet Ukyou."
"Snow." Ukyou waves pleasantly. This girl looks nice too. Sebastian knows so many nice people. Is the man in the chair nice too? And what's that in his bag? Ukyou wriggles in Selkie's direction and then points to the little orange ear sticking out of the man's bag.
"Brai…?" Selkie looks to the bag, then Sebastian. He's talking to Lillie, and Lillie makes him so much more comfortable, she doesn't want to interrupt. The curious little fox wanders towards the bag, peering in to find...a Teddiursa! Is it okay? Is it stuck?! She quickly slides her newly evolved arms into the bag to rescue the poor Teddiursa.
"Oi." Jackson mutters, causing the small fire type to look up from her prysing position, only to receive a hard, firm flick between her eyes. "**** off, he's had a rough day."
"Brai!" Selkie huffs, swatting at the flicking hand with her branch. Of course he's having a rough day, he's stuffed in a bag!
Recognizing the tone in Selkie's voice, Sebastian quickly looks over to see what she's gotten herself into. Upon seeing the man Selkie is standing beside, his body immediately tenses. Suddenly he's incredibly aware that there is no comfortable place in his mouth for his tongue, and that the hotel must not have paid its air conditioning bill, because it's incredibly hot in the lobby. If it's possible for his body to grow any more pale, it's going for it. That's Jackson...
"Haaaaunnnt...." As Selkie lashes out at Jackson, who gives little reaction besides a soft gaze over his knuckles, Gaspar hovers maenacingly in the Braixen's shadow. His piercing eyes glare daggers into her as a light black fog begins to emanate from the darkness. A warning, a promise, a sign that she should heavily consider backing off lest Gaspar himself get involved, a seasoned evolved pokémon with a deep understanding of death and decay, of exactly how to end someone's life as his had already been taken. "Do not hurt my trainer..." The subtle gesture seemed to say. "Lest you never hurt again."
Jackson sighed at Gaspar, not wanting to cause a scene. "Listen... I dunno what you think you're doin' with your neon twig, but I happen to know what Ted likes quite a bit better than you do scruffball. Followin' that, I hope you get the picture, he likes sleepin' in the bag, there's a blanket in there. How's about you mind your own business and back off?" He turned his gaze slowly to Sebastian, as the awkward Lillie seemed to be waiting for the best place to resolve the suddenl;y tense conversation.
"This one yours... Sebastian...?"
Sebastian can feel Chance's fur begin to stand on end as the ghost Pokemon makes itself known. He opens his mouth to speak, yet no words come out, in fact, nothing is coming out. Frantically he reaches for Selkie's Pokeball, returning the curious fox, and then taking his inhaler from his pocket. Gripping the small object tightly in his hand he presses it to his mouth, a soft hissing can be heard, followed by a weak cough as air once more fills his desperate lungs. He wants to speak again, to apologize for Selkie's actions, and explain she just wants to help; that she likes to help, a little too much, and doesn't seem to realize that her help isn't always needed. Yes, those would all be good things to say, but as he opens his eyes and sees those pitying green eyes staring at him, he loses any will to speak up.
What would Alice think if she saw him now? His Pokemon wandering off without his permission, getting sick over a social situation that could so easily be resolved with words? Had he really changed at all from the pathetic boy that professed his love for her in the garden of white roses over a year ago?
Gently petting Chance's fur down, he does as he always had when he and Jackson ended up in the same room: He tucks his head and turns to the door. "I'm sorry." He murmurs as he pushes the door opened. Nebula quickly scurries out, more than pleased to get away from the threatening ghost and the tense situation.
"Seba…" Lillie pouts, looking between the redheaded trainer and the blond. Selkie just wanted to help Teddy, Gaspar just wanted to protect his trainer, this was just a misunderstanding...nobody needed to be so sad...
"...hold it right ****in' there." Jackson stared at Sebastian with the greatest amount of disbelief he could muster. He stood up and walked over to Sebastian slowly, causing Lillie to quickly stand and reach for his arm. "Mr. Cr- J-Jackson wait he didn't..." However the older trainer just shook her off, moving to stand in front of Sebastian with an eyebrow raised in genuine bafflement. He waved his hand in front of the younger mans face with a raised eyebrow, before putting his hands on his hips.
"Dahell is wrong with you two...?" He muttered, in almost totaly disbelief. "You're a bunch of magikarp... deerling caught in the headlights. You'd think the world just up and ended Arceus save me ****in' now, honestly dahell?" He sighed and placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, turning him back towards the couches and walking with him slowly towards a Lillie, whom was trying a smile but her trepidition about the whole situation left her rather unnerved still. "I remember you now, you're Sebastian... Allender right?" He paused, looking the boy now under his metaphorical wing up and down. "Yeah, you don't exactly have the most... stand-offish look y'know? The new hair threw me off too but I can hardly talk about that huh?" He did his best to give a grin, but his rather scary face, so used to angry expressions, made it somewhat difficult to manifest properly.
Chance trots along behind the escaping Nebula, as always, keeping an eye on their flighty friend. He did not realize until he was several feet from the hotel that his trainer's footsteps weren't dragging along behind him, which causes him to turn. The big guy is blocking the door, hands on his hips. While Chance had grown slightly more used to people (Sebastian has been dealing with a lot of them ) he remembered that body language usually came with yelling. Grumbling, he quietly woofs to Nebula and returns to watch the door of the hotel.
Sebastian's head remains bowed as he's told off, or...what he's sure is leading to him being told off, so one can imagine his surprise when Jackson starts leading him away from the door. As he's escorted (with no resistance what so ever) back to Lillie, he earns himself a tiny arm pat from the female trainer. She's obviously uncomfortable, though she's trying to put on a happy face to lighten the mood...she's so sweet.
Jackson remembers him? That in and of itself earns him a look of confusion. Jackson tries to grin, and it comes out...a little off, though it's easy to see he's trying to be friendly...he just has about as much experience with being friendly as Sebastian has with being social. "...It looks good on you." He manages to speak when Jackson mentions his hair. To be honest when he first saw the other male he didn't notice; Jackson's posture and expression are both significantly memorable, he didn't need the black hair to be immediately recognizable.
"Hell yeah, y'think?" Jackson quickly replies, taking his hand away to scratch the back of his head. "Honestly nobody has really mentioned it yet so I was gettin' a little paranoid since I liked it..." He paused, catching himself as he trailed off and shaking his head gently. "Enough about me though, as I was sayin' I ain't never seen someone freeze up so fast before... am I that scary? Or is this just a common thing for you?"
Sebastian finds himself smiling at that tiny, subtle showing that Jackson didn't eat small children for breakfast. It's kind of a shame when he catches himself and changes the subject. As for his question...there is no good answer. Sebastian raises his hand to his mouth and coughs quietly, unsure if he's about to have another attack or it's just his body's way of buying his brain more time to come up with a good answer. "It's...common." I am indeed that pathetic.
"Right..." Jackson mumbles, stroking his chin and turning to look Sebastian slowly up and down, Lillie, still seated on the couch watches the two boys, Jackson in particular with great interest. He was an odd person to be sure, in some ways he reminded her of her brother Gladion, whom was back home in Alola running a reformed Aether Foundation... yet the differences between them were still very clear to see. As with Gladion, however, Lillie could tell there was somehting more beneath the rough edges. She just couldn't tell what that was.
Jackson himself was equally as perplexed by Sebastian, he seemed so meek... it wasn't unusual to meet weak willed people, he realized, but this one in particular ticked him off slightly. Perhaps... it had been the boys pining after Alice, a rather irritating young woman that Jackson had encountered once or twice in trainer school. She was an aggressive little runt who had a pretty rude mouth on her, she'd sit with this... twig of a boy... and have little inside jokes and conversations outside of the main social groups. Two peas in a pretty unbalanced pod, she seemed to have a personal problem with Jackson though he had never had any trouble with Sebastian per say. Still, he could only imagine what she might say to Sebastian if she was irritated with him instead. Jackson was more than capable of shrugging off some mongrel puppies growls, however someone like Sebastian definitely was not.
It dawns on him that Lillie might think he's lying about how often he freezes. They have now spent well over twenty-four hours together, and this is the first time she's seen him respond this way. Given, if their first encounter had been a bit longer lived it easily could have happened then. When they met up with Drew, and later when they met up with Dylan...well, most importantly, Selkie didn't come seconds away from burning down a hotel. If he hadn't returned her to her ball when he had, he doubts she would have taken Gaspar's intimidating facade quietly...he really should explain that she just wanted to give that Teddiursa a hug.
"...your little friend always seemed pretty mouthy." Jackson began, testing the waters of the subject carefully. "I'm surprised you wouldn't have any of that in you, is she around right now?"
Little friend...that's right, he and Alice didn't exactly see eye to eye. Sebastian would never admit to Alice that it was because they were so alike that they were always snarling at each other, though now it's even more obvious, with Jackson's now dyed hair, and his chosen starter being a ghost. Something about Alice attracted ghosts to the point where it was almost comical. Whenever they would take trips into town there was this Duskull that would appear and follow behind them. On campus, for a short period of time, there was a Rotom that would possess their computers, it too liked to pop out of whatever it was possessing and buzz around Alice, it was adorable, really.
...He misses her terribly. "We haven't spoken recently." He answers. Honestly she could be close by, he hasn't gotten up the nerve to call her, despite having her number in his holocaster...and considering it on several occasions.
Jackson understood rather quickly at that comment. As always, his knowledge of people was the one thing he was able to rely on... Sebastian wasn't exactly making it hard to see either, that sudden dip in tone and body language, sad over scared, and the curt answer. Jackson furrowed his brow. This was... pathetic honestly. He'd talked to this guy for only a few moments, they didn't know each other at all and already this guy was folding like a wet towel in front of him. Jackson could blow this guys remaining confidence and strength away with a weak breath in his direction. No, this wouldn't do. "Listen, Lillie... I'm gonna be honest." Jackson turned away from Sebastian and gestured for the girl to come closer. She was hesitant, but her subtle intrigue to the whole situation made her comply as she stepped to stand beside him. "I don't think this sort of job is for me, I'm not part of the happy little friend group that licks each others wounds and covers for their failures and insecurities."
Jackson dropped the subject of Alice and turned his attention back to Lillie, which caused Sebastian to breathe in a soft sigh of relief. While he didn't have a problem with Jackson, if he said anything else that insulted Alice...he would have to say something. It would be uncomfortable, and he would likely regret it later, but she had always been the line he wouldn't allow people to cross. When people insulted her he would go to her defense...and she would flash those same concerned, worried eyes that Lillie kept giving him. Luckily no such thing happened, these two seemed to continue their conversation Chance had interrupted, so he should excuse himself and start heading for the Palace.
He turns his head towards the door, suppressing a small chuckle at the sight of Chance standing in front of it, watching him intently. It's hard to tell if the poodle Pokemon is watching because he wants to protect Sebastian, or just wants to protect his food supply...which Sebastian happens to have. He takes a step towards the door when Jackson says something about weakness and licking each other's wounds, causing him pause.
She cringed slightly, was her inability to catch a Chingling a sign of her weakness? Even with her previous successes, this would be the second time she was relying on... brand new trainers really... for assistance. "The truth is..." Jackson continued. "What happened at Lumiose Tower could have ended your life if I wasn't there, you understand that? This world is quickly going to hell for the umpteenth time and if y'can't do anything to defend against that then it's going to beat you into the ground without remorse." At Jackson's words, she looked at the floor. It was... brutal, but he was right in a way, even now she had ended up relying on others for everything. On Sebastian, even on Jackson, back at the tower... and now as well. She... couldn't keep letting that be the case. After her departure from Alola, after promisiong Gladion, Sun and Moon that she would get stronger. Was Jackson able to help her to find that path? She didn't know yet but there was still a chance.
"Then... don't help me, teach me." She retorted, her stutter gone as she forced herself to look into Jackson's eyes. "I... don't know what it is that hurt you to the point that you shrug all of this off like it was nothing, Jackson." She winced. "But I've been through things too! I don't want to keep being a victim!" She scrunches her fists and looks at the ground, shivering slightly at the weight of her own words. "We're taught early on that as long as we have pokémon to protect us it'll be okay, but that's wrong isn't it? I can tell by the loyalty and care you show each other, by the desperation of your Golbat on Lumiose Tower, it's not a case of protection but mutual respect, you become each others shields. Not tools, partners. It's a lesson we're not often taught but it's true. It's one of the only things I've really come to understand by myself these past few years."
Jackson's expression had darkened to the point where his gaze was filled with a melancholic sort of angst, he stared at Lillie with a certain mix of confusion and irritation and she winced under his eyes. "I want you to show me... please, Jackson. I want to be strong enough to stand alone and to help others."
What did he walk in on? Sebastian frowns as Lillie starts putting herself down, Lillie, who had so bravely decided to go into that pitfall trap by herself to rescue Pancham, she wasn't the bravest, but he could see that she was trying, and she was improving by leaps and bounds. There's a nagging feeling in his mind, a desire to step forward and remind Lillie that she's not as pathetic as she's currently saying she is, a desire to tell Sebastian about their previous adventure, and yet this isn't his fight….again. In the same light that it wasn't his fight when those Scraggy attacked, that was something Drew needed to do himself.
...Was it common to be such a minor character in your own life? He should really get out of here before he starts wandering too far down the familiar road of self-loathing. He'll just bid Lillie good luck on her adventure and excuse himself.
Jackson waited a moment, before chuckling low under his breath... and eventually bursting into an uproar of laughter. "Ha! Dahell is with you kids and your over-dramatic bull****?! Honestly!" Lillie flushed rather heavily but stood her ground, puffing her cheeks slightly and returning Jackson's gaze with her own. "...and yet, you seem serious right Ponytail?" He paused and sighed. "My luck recently has been ****... how do I keep getting roped into this kinda stuff?" He looked Lillie up and down once more, guaging her posture and resolve with a glance. "...but alright, I suppose I can try." He turned his eyes back to Sebastian, whom he gave the same cold stare, as if he was waiting to see what he could produce. "And you... skin and bones? What do you think of Lillie's little request?"
Oh, wait, Jackson asked him a question. Answer the question, wish Lillie luck, then leave. "I think Lillie is fully capable of doing whatever she sets her mind to." He explains quietly, flashing the blonde girl a weak but encouraging smile.
She smiled back a little, before standing up tall and nodding a little in response. "It's true I've improved a lot since I started... but I can understand where Jackson is coming from too." She nodded resolutely towards the eldest of the three. "So I want to become even more capable, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to be stronger." Jackson smirked. "No, I don't think there is either." He stated plainly. "It's all well and good to look at our improvements with pride... but at the end of the day, we've all got improvements to make... and we can start with this Chingling, right?"
Lillie nodded confidently. "Right! Sebastian... you'll come too won't you?"
Oh, Arceus, those eyes. Now she looks so happy, and if he's the reason she becomes sad again...that's just not acceptable. The Palace can wait, they have a lot of time before the contest begins-- and somehow he doubts Jackson will let this little adventure hold him up. Sebastian raises his hand to the back of his neck and rubs, his smile still weak but encouraging, his eyes filled with a warm fondness. "Right behind you, Lillie."
