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Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets


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IC - Kyle Eston (Mega Jaeda, Mega Kitheus)/Sonja Baron (Loki)/Emmerich Coleman (Machamp, Hitmonchan)/Gluttony/Quincy Adams - Arena, Vertrag:

 

The impact against the back of Gluttony's head sent the Sin's world into a spiral. He lost his balance on what little foothold remained, and before he could stop himself, he fell into the pool of lava surrounding his island. He screamed as the molten rock burned at his body, scorching the white and brown skin and fur into black. With much difficulty, he managed to drag himself out, panting with each movement. His eyes were wide with pain. At this point, only a small section of his head remained undamaged.

 

His bright, orange eyes shifted rapidly between his three opponents. Across the arena, he saw the damage done to Adams--multiplied with the next series of attacks, which left her form dangerously torn and bruised. For a moment, Gluttony did nothing but take in the reality of the battle. Finally, he snarled. A thick haze erupted from his mouth, enveloping the surrounding area. Jaeda charged through it, blasting flames as she did. When she emerged from the other side of the cloud, Gluttony was gone, blackened footsteps indicating that he had retreated through the stairwell.

 

Sensing this, Adams's head whipped around. She uttered a low growl before extending her good wing, releasing a bright flash of light against her own opponents. She used the short time where they were blinded to turn tail and flee, tearing her way back up the stairwell and through the base.

 

Just like that, the battle was over.

 

Sonja breathed a sigh of relief, striking a button on the control pad. The field reverted to its neutral form. Aside from the damage to the stands and the arena doors, there was no evidence that any sort of conflict had ever taken place. "They're gone . . ." she said. Unconsciously, she leaned against the control panel for support. "That was . . . way too close."

 

Near Ryan, Kyle was not so calm. He gritted his teeth as he took a step toward the stairwell, as if intending to follow after the two Instances. "You can't just run away now!" he yelled. "Get back here and . . . and . . ." He had hardly taken a second step when he fell over, suddenly overcome with the worst sense of fatigue he had ever felt. It was as if every muscle in his body had simultaneously ceased to respond. Across the way, Jaeda and Kitheus's evolved features faded. Kyle groaned, feebly trying and utterly failing to push himself back up. "What . . . What happened . . . to . . .?"

 

He fell completely still, passed out from exhaustion.

Edited by Parugi

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: ???? - Ruins of Abundance

All the explosives were in place. The detonators were ready. Tapu Bulu had still not shown up. The outsider to their group was getting impatient. The leader stood at the shrine where a statue in honor of the ‘Guardian Deity’ was placed. He reached his hand out to it. Nothing happened. Gripping it from the base, he heaved it over the side of the raised platform he was on. The statue fell to floor below, cracking and sending a piece into the sand on the level below. And after that, nothing.

“Still not mad enough. I’m almost impressed,” he remarked. He was about to give a command when he heard the voice of one of his subordinates.

“The unknown hostiles are here, sir,” the voice from the entrance said.

Which means that his other subordinate had failed to turn them back. This was bad. If Tapu Bulu showed up now, they’re intentions would be compromised. Best case scenario, he wipes all of their memories after knocking them out. Worst case, the truth gets out and they lose everything. If he had to kill them to stop them, he would.

“Everyone to positions. Perhaps the great Tapu Bulu will show up if we offer it a sacrifice.”

All five figures vanished.


-==IC: Kris Homura/Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda/James Arthur - Ruins of Abundance, Alola - [17]==-

The group reached a craggy encirclement of rocks, the opening facing them with two horned statues, presumably of the Guardian Spirit of Ula’ula. Beyond the statues was an ornate-looking wooden doorway, beyond which lied darkness. “Finally, some place that won’t blow sand in our eyes!” Evan said, before noticing something suspicious.

The jeeps that they were following had been left outside. That confirmed their quarry was here. But they couldn’t see a single sign of the occupants anywhere. Not a noise could be heard from inside.

“This screams of a trap,” James said. “If those earlier Pokemon were indeed an attack by this group, they know we are here. Do we have any options other than walk in blindly?”

“Well, we obviously can’t send our Pokémon in, due to them having weapons.” Evan said, concerned at the pickle they found themselves in. “But, do we have any armoured Pokémon?”

Lancelot raised his arm enthusiastically without the need for James to say anything. James, however, did say, “Lancelot,” whilst pointing at the Scizor.

“Mind sending him out to draw out our foe?” Evan said, smiling at the Scizor. “With him being steel-type, he should be able to deal with most of what our foes have to offer. Then, I’ll send out Monstro and Hippowdon to back him up. Kris, Jenny, what do you think of this plan?”

"Sounds good to me!" Jenny said, Kris giving a nod in agreement as well.

“Well, looks like we’ve got ourselves a plan, Executive Arthur.” Evan said, and then faced Lancelot, grinning. “Looks like it’s up to you, Sir Knight.”

James could admit that Lancelot was the logical choice, but sending Lancelot into a known trap felt like he was shooting him in the back again. He looked at the Scizor. Lancelot nodded. He knew that he was the logical choice as well.

“Very well, I am counting on you, Sir Lancelot. Draw them out, do not let yourself be overwhelmed.”

The Scizor looked towards the entrance and walked forward. He stopped right before where the moonlight cut out. He looked from side to side. He saw walls, sand, a pathway, but nothing out of the ordinary. He took one step inside. Nothing. He took another step and looked all around him. He couldn’t hear or see anything out of the, well not ordinary. This wasn’t a normal place. But he didn’t see any humans. He didn’t see any Pokemon either. There was a room on the other end. He chose to keep walking. When he entered the next room, he immediately noticed something out of place. Crates thrown about the room and a stature broken to pieces. The Scizor walked forward and looked into the nearest crate. It was virtually empty, but the indentions looked vaguely gun shaped. Human weapons. A thought occurred to Lancelot. He immediately looked around the room again to see any hiding place his quarry could be using.

Nothing.

This did not comfort Lancelot. If he had missed an opponent, then he might’ve just left James and the others defenseless. He immediately turned toward the exit and began to run.

A hand reached out of the shadows, and pressed a detonator in its grip.

*BOOM*

The blast sent Lancelot reeling. The heat was the worst of it, the force itself he could endure. He spread his wings and used them to stabilize himself. He heard two Poke Balls hit the ground. A Golurk and a heavily scarred giant pink and black fuzzball appeared. He looked towards the exit, the blast had collapsed part of the ceiling, blocking the exit. To escape he’d either have to move rocks out of the way or fly through the new hole in the ceiling. The Golurk, however seemed to have other ideas. Lancelot buzzed violently. This was not the first Golurk he’d had to beat, and he had a powerful new weapon for Ghost-Types.

----

When the explosion went off, James shouted, “Lancelot!” He was about to run forward into the ruins, when he caught himself. That sort of reckless behavior was exactly what they wanted. “The battle has started. And I cannot see Lancelot from here. They want us to rush in. We may not have any other choice,” he said pulling out Gawain’s Ultra Ball.

James would not get a response. Evan might’ve been about to respond, but a figure emerged from Evan’s shadow. The figure had a knife wreathed in shadow, and it shot forth with its knife, intending to bury in the Hero’s back.

"Behind you!" Jenny called out quickly, as she prepared a Poké Ball to throw toward the figure as well. She hoped that her warning would be in time to prevent something horrible from happening.

Evan’s eyes widened as he turned around, conjuring a Spacial Barrier with his left arm as he did so, blocking the knife. “Thanks for the save!” The man said, grinning nervously, reaching for Monstro’s Poké Ball, deploying the Mud Fish. “Monstro, headbutt, now!” Appearing in a flash of light, Monstro complied and struck his master’s would-be killer in the stomach with his head.

The assassin’s body didn’t feel solid. Monstro registered that he was indeed touching the assassin. But the momentum, the kinetic energy, simply vanished. If she was in any way affected by the headbutt, she didn’t show it. She seemed more annoyed that Evan blocked her attack with an unforeseen ability. She raised her other arm and the pistol that it held, leveling it at Kris.

The blue-haired woman looked at the assassin and held up her hand. Her eyes subtly glowed blue, as she focused on the barrel of the gun, doing her best to set up a force to stop the bullet before it could be fired. With her other hand she dropped the Poké Ball that contained her Kommo-o, which appeared in a flash of red light. Their assailant had already begun to pull the trigger of the pistol a second time when the first bullet was stopped in the chamber. The gun burst in her hand. The force barely seemed to affect, it was the heat that was the problem. Though her hand was gloved, heat still burned her hand underneath. The assassin bit her lip as she tossed the destroyed gun to the ground and ripped the glove off to let her burned hand breathe. The hand had barely seen air when skin began to grow over the burned area.

But it came out wrong. A gnarled mess of skin tissue and muscle grew over the burn, leaving the palm of her hand a worse mess than the burn had been. The assailant swore before testing her hand. She could still move it fine. Still mad, she sank into the dark ground, disappearing entirely.

“Oh no you don’t!” Evan shouted angrily at the escaping assassin. “Monstro, get her!” The Water-Type growled and rushed towards the shadow, but it was too late. The assailant had fled into the shadows, leaving Monstro to curse in his language.

“Well, that is not something I have heard of,” James said as he slammed Gawain’s Ultra Ball to the ground. The Swampert immediately shuddered upon his appearance. “If they can vanish and reappear as they please, they can ambush us again at any moment. Ms. Homura, can you use your psychic power to make a barrier? Mr. Tierra, can your barrier protect all of us?”

Evan frowned at James’s question. “My barrier is a bit small, but I could give it a shot.” The Plasma Agent said as he assumed a stance and started to try conjuring up a barrier. “If I can’t, then I’ll pass my power onto Jenny, and she’ll give it a shot.” A pink, pearlescent barrier began to rise around the trainers, it’s creator straining to keep it up. “Kris, You put up a secondary layer, just in case.” Evan grunted, pouring his willpower into the rising barrier of Spacial Power. Monstro stood by his master, ready to defend him with his life, if he had to.

Kris nodded. "I don't know if this will act the same way, but it's added protection from things at the very least." She said as she focused on creating a sphere around the group as well.

“Alright. That at least affords us some protection from firearms and explosives. If they want to attack us, they will have to come to us. We need to reunite with Lancelot.”

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-==IC: Kris Homura/Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda/James Arthur/Lancelot - Ruins of Abundance, Alola - [18]==-

Lancelot stared down the Bewear. A task that would be simpler if it wasn’t staring back with such a cutesy expression albeit one belied by the many sewn up scars that were visible underneath all the fuzziness. James hadn’t given an explicit order telling him that his earlier order of ‘no moves’ was over. However, James had told him not to let himself be overwhelmed. And James hadn’t told Lancelot explicitly to not use moves. Lancelot spread his wings. He took off, into the air. White streaks formed around him, and a golden blade began to form that one of his gauntlets grasped. With great speed, he rushed the Bewear to strike it with Aerial Ace.


Between the two of them, the Golurk seemed more shocked at the reveal of Lancelot’s powers than the Bewear did. The patchwork bear brought up an arm to defend itself. With superb deftness, it allowed the sword to roll across his hair. Some of it was cut off, but the worst of the attack was negated. The Bewear immediately slugged the Scizor. The force was dulled by Lancelot’s steel shell. He rolled with the punch. Despite the lack of power, his opponent was formidable. Lancelot considered an air battle with the Golurk. It was hovering in front of the hole in the ceiling. Beating the Bewear would take time. He had to make his way back to James and the others.


With a jump, Lancelot took off, turning towards the Golurk. He did not get far before a massive weight attached itself to him. The Bewear had jumped from standstill onto the Scizor. He tried to knock off the Bewear by using Aerial Ace with his wings. But despite the pain, the Bewear held on and the pair crashed to ground. With several knocks off his gauntlet, he managed to dislodge the Bewear. But the message was made clear. He was not leaving until the Bewear was dealt with.


The Golurk placed one arm on the ceiling. Lancelot had a guess of what it was about to do. Something similar to what James and Agravain did. The Bewear approached him. If they thought were being clever, they had another thing coming. The Bewear threw a massive punch and the Golurk threw a stone he broke off the roof at the Scizor to disorient him. Lancelot sidestepped the stone, but allowed himself to be hit by the punch. Because that gave him an opportunity to use Counter. He threw his own punch at the Bewear, landing it square in the Bewear’s face. It felt that one; as the Bewear nursed its nose, Lancelot felt joy overtake him.


The Bewear stumbled backwards to the edge of the platform. Lancelot could barely see from his position, but a figure was beginning to emerge beneath where the Bewear was about to fall. A tiny bug, a Grubbin to be exact was climbing out of the ground. Right as the massive bear fell over. Lancelot activated Bullet Punch. Beating 9.81 m/s^2 to the ground was a daunting task. One Lancelot was capable of, if only barely. He scooped the bug, right before the Bewear would’ve fallen on top of it. He got covered in sand for his trouble.


The Grubbin barely registered what just happened. He saw the Bewear and the Scizor all at once. He crawled this way to get away from conflict, and he had just ran right into it. He’d only peaked his head out to see what the noise had been. What had he just gotten himself into?


Lancelot placed the Grubbin on his shoulders. Until he could find a place for it that it would be safe, that was the best place for it. The Grubbin could only try to hold on, and spit out a bit of web to keep himself attached to the Scizor. A rock fell from above. Lancelot could’ve smashed, but out of consideration for the smaller bug on his shoulder, he dodged instead. The Golurk broke off another piece of the ceiling. The Bewear leaped back onto the central platform. So did Lancelot.


----


The group walked with bated breath through the entrance room. If nothing else, the barrier proved effective as a deterrent. Wherever their hidden enemies were, they remained patient. That lasted until both Swampert reached midway through the building. Then the explosions started. A blast occurred near the Swamperts, launching both of them, with shrapnel tearing into both of them. During the explosion, several Poke Balls were dropped onto the field.


The assailant from earlier reappeared with a large crab Pokemon and a gray coated Persian. Three more similarly clad people appeared. With them were a Marowak that wielded a bone that was on fire, a wolf that stood on its hind legs, a massive spider coated in bubbles, a great lizard, and seaweed that had an anchor. The last one floated above Monstro and attempted to drop it’s anchor onto the Swampert.


There was one person that had no Pokemon before them. That one held a submachine gun, and he immediately decided to test the durability of Evan and Kris’s shield by firing at the group.

There wasn’t enough time to worry about Monstro, not as the submachine gun unleashed a lethal torrent of bullets on the combination Spacial-Psychic Barrier. Evan’d have to hope that Monstro, as he so often had, would survive this. As his thoughts turned to the Mud Fish Pokémon, said creature was left bleeding in a few places, shrapnel embedded in his blue skin, and countless cuts on his skin. “Why does this always happen when he sends me out?” The Swampert thought as he eyed the increasing amount of enemies warily. “Guess I’ve got no choice, as usual.” He then roared for Gawain and Kris’s Kommo-O, hoping they could aid him in this desperate looking fight.

The Kommo-O growled warningly to the group's opponents. Once it was obvious that they were not at all planning to listen, the Scaly Pokémon dashed forward and swung out with her tail at the anchor. With an attempt to use momentum to her advantage, the Kommo-O used the whirling motion to attempt to punch the bubble spider in what she presumed was its face.


"Hero of space!" Kris whispered intensely. "Can you do anything about the bullets other than stopping them?" She glanced forward as she focused on the barrier. "Depending on your answer, I can do one of two things here."


Evan thought for a moment, and grinned. “I can definitely do more than stop them!” With his hand, Evan created a hole in front of the shielded group, and quickly created a hole behind their current assailant. “Have a taste of your own medicine!”

Kris nodded as she grinned. She moved her barrier further back so that the bullets would not be stopped by the psychic force, then watched to make sure everything would work out. The bullets flew into the hole and back behind the man without Pokemon. He realized too late to disappear. The first bullet speed reduced to zero when it touched the man’s back. Leaving only the smallest wounds. The others were not slowed. The bullets pierced his side, knocking him over and causing him to roar in pain.


The eldest of the group let out a soft laugh at the other man’s pain. Each of the three standing began to speak quietly. The old man and the woman who had been the first to fight disappeared again. The Dhelmise and the Araquanid reeled from the Kommo-O’s blow.  The anchor, though not the main body of the Pokemon, dragged the seaweed along with it. The water slowed down the fist that punched the spider’s face, but it still hurt. The Salazzle came to the Araquanid’s aid, and together they both attempted to sweep it’s legs. While the Kommo-O would be distracted, the remaining human opponent raised his rifle and attempted to shoot the Kommo-O.

As the Dhelmise righted itself, the Lycanroc and the Marowak approached Monstro. The Lycanroc held off a bit, looking for a chance to grab Monstro, while the Marowak took a swing at the Swampert.


Things had not been better for the other Swampert. The blast had left injuries on Gawain similar to what Monstro had suffered. The first assailant’s Crabominable was currently assailing the Swampert with massive punches that forced him onto the defensive. It took most of his might to block these punches, which the Persian took advantage of to slash its claws on the Swampert.


James said, “Mr. Tierra, take over on defense. Ms. Homura, focus on breaking their guns. I would suggest all of you send out Pokemon that are fast and physically sturdy. We need to take away their numbers advantage.”


James held up one Ultra Ball in front of him, and held one behind him. The Pokemon in the Ultra Ball wasn’t normally what one thought of as a physical fighter, but it’s physical capabilities were at least theoretically solid. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as it were. And more importantly it would distract them while he sent the other Pokemon to go find Lancelot. As Celebi came out of her Ultra Ball, even the legendary narrowed her eyes as something felt off.


“If you are not above getting your hands dirty Celebi, we could use your help.”


The time traveler whistled slightly. It had probably been centuries since the last time she’d focused on physical fighting. Maybe it only felt that way. Not living concurrently with time made it hard to keep track. But there was more punch to her punch than her appearance would suggest.

“All right, Executive Arthur.” Evan said as he raised up the Spacial Shield once more with his right arm. With his left, he threw out Landorus and Vlad’s Poké Balls. “Go help out, you two, by any means possible!” The man said, hoping these two could deal with these enemies. Landorus, rumbling with rage at the foolishness of these foes, rushed towards the Araquanid and attempted to slam both his fists down onto one of it’s legs, hoping that his immense strength could cause more damage to it while it was distracted with the Kommo-o.

Meanwhile, Vlad glided over to Monstro, who looked like he wasn’t doing very well against his foes. The Marowak’s swing connected with his head, leaving the Mud Fish wide open to be grabbed by the Lycanroc. To the Fang Scorp, this wouldn’t do. “I’ve gotcha, pal!” The Flying-type exclaimed in his language, as he clamped his pincers on the Rock-type’s lanky forelimbs. “Deal with that spooky looking fellow!” Monstro, a little loopy from the head trauma, shook his head, and rushed towards the Marowak, aiming to try and disarm the Bonekeeper Pokémon. He -wouldn’t- let it get another strike like that again.

Kris and Jenny nodded as they prepared themselves to go on the offensive. Jenny sent out her Emboar and Scizor to help deal with the Pokémon opponents, while Kris's eyes glowed as she set out to try to pull the exploding gun trick she had done not long before on the assailant that was trying to shoot her Kommo-o.


The two Pokémon that had just joined the fray ran forward to attack the Crabominable while Evan's two Pokémon were focused on the Marowak. The Kommo-o simply looked over in slight annoyance at the silly human who had decided to shoot her with bullets. The Bulletproof dragon ignored the silly human and instead focused on the Salazzle, as she grabbed out for the lizard's neck. The Kommo-o wasn't entirely sure the idea would work, but as she saw Landorus coming she aimed to grab the Salazzle's neck and pin the lizard to the ground in front of her.


The Crabominable backed off of Gawain and raised its massive arms to protect itself as it bided for time. This gave Gawain a more even fight against the Persian. It still managed to get a solid slash on him, but not without getting a punch to its face for the trouble. The punch was dulled by the Persian’s fur, but still it reeled from the punch.


With every other Pokemon opponent currently engaged, Celebi chose the Dhelmise to fight. She was familiar with the fact that the seaweed itself was the main body of the Pokemon. The wheel spun around, causing the anchor to start spinning. It was equal parts defense and offense. To hit the seaweed she would need to get near the anchor. Unfortunately, that meant she would need to get near the anchor. She drew the Dhelmise away from the other combatants. She needed to approach this methodically.


“Two legendaries?” the assailant with the rifle said. He was so dumbfounded that he pulled the trigger to his gun without thinking, despite having been warned about Kris’s trick. He reacted quickly when the rifle experienced a minor explosion. He escaped the explosion with only minor injuries. Pulling out a knife, he quickly disappeared. The other visible assailant, who had been shot with his own gun, stood up. He looked thoroughly cheesed off, but no worse for wear given that he had been shot with his own gun. He too quickly disappeared.


The Marowak deftly avoided Monstro’s grab. He shifted his stance and attempted to strike the Swampert’s leg. The Lycanroc began to try and bite the Gliscor that was holding onto him.


As the battle unfolded, another figure silently materialized onto the field. He pressed a button that caused a minor explosion on a wall. The blast caught James’s attention. It was odd in that the blast was nowhere near anyone. All it served to do was make a hole that let in the sand and the moonlight. The man held up one hand and what light there was from the moon began to fade away. Light began to pool into several streams circling the man’s hand. The man was the only thing visible in that moment. His eyes were closed and his hand was level with the group of trainers in the barrier. He waited. There was but the faintest crack of fire, but without any light accompanying it. His arm immediately changed direction. From the center of his arm came a great of light shooting towards apparently nothing. Nothing, until it connected in mid-air, knocking Percival from the sky.


“Percival!” James yelled as he saw the Chandelure fall to the ground.

Several things happened at once. Landorus had smashed the Araquanid’s leg and Kommo-O had pinned the Salazzle to the ground. Both were recoiling in pain when the lights dimmed. When they realized two of their human allies had appeared in the darkness near them, they both grabbed their assailants as best they could. When the lights reappeared, the old one also bent the moonlight around him. His didn’t form into a stream like the other one. It instead formed into an orb, a reflection of the moon that he threw at the Kommo-O. The female assailant on the other hand, threw a knife at Landorus. Not to damage him, but to grab his attention as her eyes turned to crimson.


The man who shot Percival out of the air was staring at the Chandelure to see if it would get up again. His ears twitched at the arrival of another figure at the entrance of the ruins.


“He’s here,” he said turning to the entrance. His sight confirmed his suspicions. “Bulu,” he spat out.


Indeed, floating in the entrance way was the guardian of Ula’Ula island. He seemed… unhappy.

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IC: Lancelot - Ruins of Abundance

 

Lancelot heard the explosions coming from the other room. He had to put aside his concern for James. The Bewear and the Golurk were not letting up. And the bug on his shoulder was proving a bigger hindrance than Lancelot could have guessed. Not the bug’s fault, but the Golurk focused on attacking that side. It tossed what rocks it could at Lancelot’s shoulder. He only had so many ways that he could dodge without endangering the Grubbin. The Bewear capitalized on Lancelot’s predicament. With swings of his massive arms, the Scizor was forced back inch by inch. Lancelot used the ethereal sword to block the attacks, but he was left without an opening to counter-attack. He only needed a single opening.

 

The Grubbin did his best to not get in Lancelot’s way. But each terrible swing of the Bewear’s arms nearly crushed the Grubbin. Not that it was intending to. Just that if crushing the Grubbin was required to crush the Scizor, then the Bewear would crush the Grubbin. Shaking, it began to produce something from its mouth. The Bewear unleashed a massive hook that Lancelot blocked. The Bewear leaned onto Lancelot, who pushed back with equal force. While the two clashed, the Grubbin crawled to the top of Lancelot’s head, and spewed a black web at the Bewear’s eyes.

 

That moment finally gave Lancelot the opportunity he needed. The Bewear recoiled slightly. Unlike his master, the Bewear needed his sight. He instinctively tried to remove the gunk from his eyes. Lancelot spread his wings and began to move. His body started glowing as he picked up speed. He channeled that power into his sword, and it took a sky-blue appearance. He slashed the Bewear as he passed him. Lancelot leaped onto the wall behind the Bewear, and kicked off it. Using the momentum to power his blow, he slashed the Bewear once more with Aerial Ace. The Bewear shouted in agony before falling over, unconscious.

 

Lancelot had no time to savor his victory however. The Golurk immediately rushed to the aid of its comrade. Without its comrade however, the tempo of battle completely changed. This Golurk was a strong example of his kind, but he’d faced both bigger and stronger. And he’d faced them when they had their powers. And this time, he had a Dark Type move again. He channeled the dark type power into his sword. Brutal Swing was a wild violent move. Thankfully, the Grubbin was at the heart of the storm. This mean Lancelot could swing his sword to his heart’s content. The Golurk immediately backpedaled to avoid the swings. But the Scizor was faster. The Golurk blocked as best he could, but Lancelot was dancing circles around him. He outpaced how quickly the Golurk could turn, and placed a devastating blow to the Golurk’s back. The dark power caused the Golurk to fall to one knee instantly. He tried to get back up, but Lancelot would not have it. With one last swing, he slashed the Golurk one more time, and it too fell to the ground.

 

Lancelot knew he had to get back to the other fight. That James was in danger. But he couldn’t help but just take it in for a moment. Seeing his opponents lying on the ground, their bodies broken by combat. It was always a pleasure. But he couldn’t enjoy it for long. He plucked the Grubbin off of his head and placed it on the ground. It was comparatively safer in this room, and it could flee at its own pace. He had to get back into the entry room. He leaped over to the wreckage. Now that he had a moment, he could take of this quickly enough. He let go of the ethereal blade, letting it levitate where it was. He needed blunt power for this.

 

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-==IC: Kris Homura/Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda/James Arthur - Ruins of Abundance, Alola - [19]==-

The Kommo-O turned suddenly at the sudden light that flung toward her. Without much time to react at all, the orb struck her hard, sending the dragon flying through the air and into the wall. Winded, the Kommo-O could only glare back at her assailant, a look of anger at how much damage the odd human did.

 

Monstro howled in pain as the Marowak’s club made its mark on the Mud Fish Pokémon Growling weakly, the Water-Type attempted to swing his left forelimb into the Bonekeeper to knock it away, only pausing for a moment when Tapu Bulu made the scene. Meanwhile, Vlad had been bitten by the Lycanroc, and shouted in pain. The Fang Scorp decided to give it a taste of it’s own medicine, and attempted to bite back right on it’s muzzle. The knife lodged itself into Landorus’s shoulder, as he turned in fury towards the thrower, and was immediately rendered drowsy by her hypnotic gaze.
 

"Tapu Bulu?" Kris could only stare in amazement at the island's guardian as they appeared. She noticed the expression on Bulu's face and felt it was only natural, considering the damage that had been dealt to the Ruins up until now. Still, she couldn't find the words to actually say anything more - and could only hope that Bulu was there to help the hapless group of trainers-turned-investigators. Jenny felt mostly the same, as she stayed quiet, keeping hope that Bulu would recognize that they were wanting to stop these desecrators too.

Evan looked on in amazement as Tapu Bulu made their appearance, and they didn’t look happy with the damage done to their shrine. In fact, the man hoped that they wouldn’t turn their anger on the group of trainers. ”I guess we’ll find out sooner than later.” The Plasma Agent thought.

The old one created another orb of light. The light span in a less controlled look than the one before, belying the man’s unchanged expression. He rushed Kommo-O a second time with the orb, intending to incapacitate the Kommo-O quickly so he could turn his attention to more important matters.

Celebi backed up slowly as the Dhelmise’s whirling anchor kept getting closer. She backed up to a wall, but the Dhelmise approached her carefully. Hoping that it would lodge itself in the wall wasn’t going to work. There was a point to effectively pinning herself against a wall, however. She would need to take a hit for this to work, but it might just force the Sea Creeper Pokemon to play by her rules. She waited until the anchor passed her once more, and then moved into the anchor’s path. When the chain came around again, she turned and shot back towards the wall. She grabbed the anchor and with her strength, altered its path. She was almost immediately knocked away by the chain, but inertia took care of the rest. With its path altered, the anchor slammed right into the wall and got stuck. It would be able to pull itself, given some time. The real prize was in order to do that, it was either gonna have to scrape the seaweed in between the wall and the anchor, or loosen the seaweed so that she could strike. The second option meant she wasn’t free to help the others, but it gave her some breathing room.

The Salazzle rubbed her neck, glad to be freed from the Kommo-O’s grasp. She decided the old one had the Kommo-O under control, so she decided to help the Crabominable. The Ice-Fighting type was warily guarding itself against Boarlite and Scizlite. The leader sent out a Drampa that also approached Boarlite and Scizlite. The Crabominable continued to wait for his allies to get closer to attack.

The assailant hypnotizing Landorus into his current state pooled a small amount of moonlight into her palm. She silently placed her palms together. The light in one hand tore through her other palm, tearing open the area that had healed wrong. And while it began to bleed again, she opened her mouth and moved near Landorus. She wanted to consume his dream to guarantee the correct healing of her hand this time.

The Araquanid quickly backed off of the legendary. As quickly as it could, considering the state of his leg. He started moving in the direction of Monstro to help Marowak. The Marowak just got smacked. His ghost typing helped, but he still got hit. He twirled his bone as he regained his footing. He then approached Monstro and attempted to hit him again.

Meanwhile, the Lycanroc was still engaged in his mouth to mouth combat with Vlad. At this point he was attempting to force Vlad’s mouth open while he continued to bite Vlad. At the same time, Gawain was trying to crush the Persian with a bear hug, while the Persian slashed at his face.

The leader stared down Tapu Bulu, who stared right back at him. The leader pulled moonlight into his hand, causing the room to briefly dim once again. He shot the light out in a beam straight at Tapu Bulu. The guardian was ready and moved out of the way.  Only the very edge of the beam managed to clip Tapu Bulu. The guardian charged his opponent. He braced himself and dug his heels in. Tapu Bulu was able to slowly push the leader back, but little else. The guardian knew that, but this was a matter of buying time. The other two assailants appeared, one struck Tapu Bulu from behind with ghastly power, while the other took a few shots at it with his submachine gun. The bullets bounced off Tapu Bulu’s body, causing some minor bruising but little else.

James was still processing what was going on. They had guessed they wanted something with Tapu Bulu. That was the reason why they chose to follow this group in the first place. But there was no attempt to capture Tapu Bulu. The implications that began to reveal themselves to James were disturbing.

The wall began to pound. It caught James’s attention. The leader frowned as he heard it. It didn’t sound like Wearbear pounding, and Frankenstein would’ve phased through the wall. That meant it had to be...

Lancelot broke through the wall and stepped into the entryway. He picked up the ethereal sword as he did so. James began to beam, though he wondered why he was carrying a small bug type on his head (as did Lancelot, but the bug refused to let Lancelot go alone). The leader cursed softly as he let Tapu Bulu go, before disappearing. If the Scizor had his power, and could beat Frankenstein, he was now the top priority.

The Kommo-o growled as she saw the light in the man's hands. She tried to dodge the orb, but was too slow in reacting. The orb smashed into the dragon, and knocked her out quickly - a beam of light shot forth from the Poké Ball in Kris's hand to make sure that the Kommo-O didn't take any more damage than she needed to. However, Kris swapped that Poké Ball for two more, deciding to send out her Pidgeot and Shuckle instead. The Pidgeot let out a loud "caw!" before attempting to divebomb the man in retaliation for the attack. The Shuckle quickly moved forward as well, though she attempted to act more as a distraction than anything here.

Jenny watched as Scizlite and Boarlite stared down their approaching opponents. She thought to give orders, but saw that the Scizor and Emboar were already running toward the Crabominable to do a tag-team attack before the reinforcements could get there. She thought about sending out a third Pokémon to help out, but Lancelot's appearance changed her mind on those plans. She grinned, as she turned to
Evan.

"I've got an idea." She said, quiet enough for only the other three to hear. "Pass."

The old one’s ear twitched. His mouth began to move softly.

Evan nodded with a grin as he got the gist of what was meant. As he focused on the barrier a little, he moved his hands to the right. Jenny felt the power of Space shift to her and figuratively leaped into action as the barrier began to fall. Motioning very slightly with her hands to not tip off the opponents to what was going on, she did her best to attempt to try something that in theory could work - creating a barrier that went through one of the opponents - specifically the one who had struck Tapu Bulu from behind.

It was not the best idea in concept, she even had to admit that, but this was past the point of dealing with good concepts. Once it had been set up, she left it there for a split second, before she sent the Power of Space back to Evan so the normal barrier could go back up again; the pink energy surrounding them once more.

The moment the man felt a thing, his entire body disappeared into the ground. The old one smiled at this. He shouldn’t be surprised they’d heard his warning, but with young ones it was always a gamble. He vanished as well, as the Pidgeot tore through the spot where he had been. Whether he needed to or not was out of the question. The group of trainers was proving to be a problem.

Evan frowned at what the old one did, but then focused his attention on the battle at hand. Tapu Bulu wasn’t a capture target, given what these assailants were using on them. They had to turn the tide, lest something awful happen to Tapu Bulu. The Hero then saw his Pokémon fighting valiantly, but focused his eyes on Landorus, with the woman who tried to stab him doing something that appeared to be very painful, then on Monstro, who, despite everything, was still on his feet, despite the duo that was ready to finish him off.”C’mon, Monstro! Show them what you can do! You’ve taken on worse than this, and I know that, despite everything, you can beat them!”

Vlad was determined not to let the Lycanroc win this duel of fangs and teeth, and so, he lashed his tail out towards the lupine Pokémon, hoping to catch them off guard with a two-pronged attack. Monstro on the other hand, was not having a good time with how much damage he had taken. His body was hurting everywhere, this accursed Marowak just would not let up, and he was going to get yet another friend to help beat up the already battered Swampert. ”It goes to show you, I’m just a punching bag, even with what I had before.” The Mud Fish thought as he recalled all the times he had been effortlessly been beaten or hadn’t done much in a fight. Be it back in that city with all the trees, or that weird egg, he just felt like he couldn’t do much of anything.. ”Why does he keep me around, when I can’t seem to do more than get beat up?”

Then he heard it.

He heard his master, no, his friend, behind his bubbly-looking shield, urging him to continue fighting. Despite all his failures, this man had kept him around. Not only that, but he adored him for all that he’d done. There was no questioning it. He could do this.

Suddenly, a sphere of blinding light encompassed the Swampert, lighting the gloomy ruins up even moreso than before. The Marowak’s strike bounced off the cocoon of light, which then broke with a sound like glass shattering. Before the Araquanid and Marowak, stood Monstro, and yet he was different. His hind legs looked more muscular, with an even-larger tail. His upper body swelled with more musculature and definition than before, arms adorned with orange swellings and power hands. His head fins had shrunken and gone down the length of his back, along with a third dorsal fin. He eyed his new form, and grinned at the feeling of immense power swelling within him. He then looked at the Marowak who had caused him so much grief, decided to test something.raising his mighty left fist, he propelled it forward, but as he did so, jets of water shot out of the swellings on his arm, adding even more speed and force to his punch. It was his time to shine and he was gonna start it off right.

The Marowak went flying clear across the field of battle. He slammed clear into the wall on the other side of the room. He wasn’t quite out yet, but even he knew another one of those and he was gone. He propped himself up with his bone. He might not have been out, but he had to switch opponents or he was gone.  The assailant who ate Landorus’s dream and one of the two assailants still clashing with Tapu Bulu immediately shifted their focus. The latter pooled moonlight into his hand and shot it at Monstro, while the other ran to get into his face so she could put him to sleep the way she had Landorus.

Edited by Dr. Hidaka
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-==IC: James Arthur/Jenny Hakuda/Kris Homura/Evan Tierra/??? - Ruins of Abundance, Alola - [20]==-


James stared at the transformed Swampert. There it was. The same ability he had been trying to achieve. Had Evan even been trying to activate it? Did he know he could do that?


“How did you do that?” James said without thinking, his eyes scanning the battlefield.


The Araquanid was not at the same type disadvantage the Marowak was. It still decided that its talents were better suited to not being immediately squished by the Swampert. It turned around and scuttled towards Vlad. The Lycanroc roared as the Vlad’s tail tore into him, causing him to stop biting the Gliscor. When he saw the Araquanid coming to help, he grabbed Vlad and attempted to run him into the leg that the Araquanid was thrusting forward.


The Dhelmise pulled at the wall. It was choosing to risk scraping itself on the wall and not expose itself to Celebi’s attacks. It would not be stuck for long. But as it couldn’t hurt anyone for the moment, Celebi decided to shift her priorities to a target that had just opened up. The Marowak was leaning on his bone. It was a perfect chance to get in a free hit. She tackled the Marowak, but the Bonekeeper Pokemon rolled with the blow and struck Celebi with his bone. Celebi and Marowak both began to pick themselves off the ground. This physical fighting stuff was overrated, Celebi concluded. Could she have her powers back please?


Gawain was admittedly jealous of the other Swampert’s new form. First Lancelot got one, and then one of his own. The Persian was not about to give Gawain a chance to admire the other Swampert though. It slipped out of his grasp and scratched him with its hind claws. Gawain grabbed the Persian’s tail before it could slip away and tossed it over his shoulder.


The assailant who hadn’t revealed any Pokemon stood where he was cursing his allies. They were so close, but they were getting distracted from the real goal. Tapu Bulu was right in front of them. Tapu Bulu turned and glared at him. He took a step back out of instinct, but caught himself. This was their chance. He pooled moonlight into his hand. The guardian charged him. Against any other opponent, his strength would’ve been devastating. But against this assailant, it was little more than a distraction. But if these other Pokemon needed time to clear out their Pokemon at least, he could buy them that. The assailant shot the beam of light into Tapu Bulu, finally dealing some damage. A worthy price for time.


The Crabominable’s opponents came from either direction. It choose to block neither of the attacks, and focus on counter-attacking instead. Both Boarlite and Scizlite punched the Ice-Fighting type, but the Crabominable was quick to retaliate. It swung its arms around in a circle. Both the Drampa and the Salazzle began to wait until it was done, not wanting to get caught in the swing.


Lancelot had a guess where the leader was going to reappear. Just an inkling, however. He had no idea in which direction he was going to reappear. From above would not have been his first guess. The Scizor was surprised but very much on-guard. He twisted himself so that the bug on his head at least would be out of the way of the attack. The knife bounced off Lancelot, but the shadowy energy kept going and it dug into his shoulder. It left the Lunge he countered with a little less impactful that he would like, but he applied his own wound to his attacker. His attacker grimaced as the sword pierced his flesh. The wound would probably heal well, but his shoulder wouldn’t be able to move properly. Special attacks it would be.


The old one appeared behind the shielded group. Light had been pooled into his hand. He was going to test how strong this barrier really was. He slammed the hand of light onto the barrier. Evan was caught off guard by the old one’s strike on his spacial shield, which broke upon being struck by the blast. Upon getting the horrifying realization that the group was wide open to attack for the moment, Evan reared back his hand and swiped it forward, but as he did so, the tips of his fingers became coated in pinkish energy, which sharpened into “claws” as the Hero swiped forward toward the old one’s extended arm.

Vlad was just a bit too late to prevent being grabbed by the Lycanroc, and his thoughts raced as the sharp forelimb of the Araquanid made its way towards his torso. It happened so quickly that he couldn’t react in time as the forelimb impacted his chest. Thankfully, the Gliscor had a tough carapace, so while it did hurt, the damage wasn’t enough to knock him out. He attempted another tail lash at the Lycanroc, this time at its legs.

Monstro took the beam of light, realizing that he hadn’t healed off the damage he had endured earlier, as the one who put Landorus to sleep got her face in front of his, her eyes glowing red. While the allure of sleep would have been appealing to the muscular Swampert, he didn’t have time to mess around. He breathed in deeply, and out of his mouth came a pressurized geyser of water towards her. Still firing the Hydro Pump, he turned his head towards the one who fired the beam at him and hoped to hit him with the attack.


Jenny and Kris acted quickly as the barrier fell. Kris reached out with her psychic powers to the guns that the other attackers held and tried to wrench them away. As she did so, her Shuckle and Pidgeot quickly switched their targets to the Araquanid that was causing Vlad trouble. The Pidgeot aimed to grab hold of one of the spider's legs, while the Shuckle mostly was attempting to distract the Araquanid and knock it off balance.


Jenny, meanwhile, prepared a third Poké Ball to try and help, sending out her Chandelure to at least distract the Pokémon that Boarlite and Scizlite were struggling with. The redhead glanced over at the others, trying to determine if she needed to send out a fourth Pokémon, but it seemed like things were mostly under control at the moment. Still, she kept hold of her Krookodile's Poké Ball just in case.


Boarlite and Scizlite stumbled back as the Crabominable dealt a hefty set of punches. When the spinning stopped, however, the two noticed a ghostly figure rush toward the crab and try to set it aflame with what little it could do without Pokémon Power. With a nod, the Emboar and Scizor changed targets quickly to the Salazzle and Drampa respectively. Boarlite attempted to body slam the Salazzle, while the Scizor rushed forward in an attempt to quickly punch and dodge the Drampa.


Of the two opponents, they probably were not expecting the Drampa to have the quicker reaction. Not that it moved very far. Just that compared to the Salazzle who got bodied by Boarlite, moving its head away from the Scizor’s jabbing claws was a quicker reaction. The Salazzle rolled from the blow. But when she got back on her feet, she quickly got back into the action. She hopped around to try and disguise the direction she was going to come from, before leaping at Boarlite with her claws. The Drampa’s head came crashing back towards the Scizor. Meanwhile, the Crabominable backed away from the Chandelure, throwing punches at the ghost, trying to keep away from its flames. Lurelite didn’t have power sure, but the Crabominable didn’t want to take a chance with the fire.


Monstro’s second target quickly vanished to evade the Hydro Pump. He had enough time to see it coming. The first target did not. She did eventually turn intangible, but only after the force had carried her some ways away. The second one reappeared as quickly as he had vanished and tried to stab the Swampert with shadowy energy.


The Araquanid had its legs full with the Pidgeot and the Shuckle. Literally in the case of one of its legs which was being pulled on by the Pidgeot and another that the Shuckle was currently removing from the ground. Looking up at the Pidgeot, the Araquanid saw what was behind the Pidgeot and stopped trying to let go. Instead the the Araquanid tried to hold on as the recently freed Dhelmise began lining up its anchor to swing down at the Pidgeot like a pendulum.


Without the help from his ally, Lycanroc couldn’t block the tail from striking him. Annoyed and in pain, the Lycanroc decided to try and slam the Gliscor to the ground. With a running start, he pulled the Gliscor with him, leaped onto the wall, and pushed off it, putting the two on a crash course with the ground.


Celebi would’ve loved to help Pidgeot with that Dhelmise problem, but she had to finish solving this Marowak problem. It’s movements were swift and well placed, but they were nothing she hadn’t seen over many timelines. She was able to evade the Marowak’s blows despite the close range she chose to engage him in. When the Marowak made a sweeping low, she dodged low and grabbed a handful of sand. She moved inside the range of the bone and shoved the sand into the hole of the skull. It was only one eye and the Marowak would be able to blink it out. But its focus had been broken. She leaned back and grabbed onto the bone. With all her might she righted herself, shooting the bone at its owner. The hit disoriented the Marowak. Still not yet down, but Celebi could see the end was in sight for it.


The assailant fighting Tapu Bulu was about to fire his gun again, when the gun flew from his arms. He began to snarl in his anger. He pooled the moonlight into his arms, holding both of them towards Tapu Bulu. The guardian was more than ready for the telegraphed attack. This time he cleanly dodged the stream of moonlight that came from the assailant and pushed the assailant back again.


Lancelot took several heavy swings at his opponent. Despite the disadvantages of his lesser reach, the psychic force pulling at his revolver, and not being Lancelot, Lancelot’s opponent was able to dodge in between the heavy strikes. Lancelot was getting a little frustrated. This one was slippy. Considering the angry look he had, he might’ve been the trainer of that Bewear. Both trainer and Pokemon were proving to be rather annoying. He hadn’t had a chance to Roost off his wounds yet either. Lancelot saw his opponent charge up an attack in his palm. The Scizor decided he needed an attack that could cover a wide radius. He pulled back his arm and let his sword channel the power of darkness, his opponent’s eyes widened. As the sword came towards him, Lancelot’s opponent let the power in his palm fire out of his hand without aiming it, and immediately focused on disappearing. Lancelot had a moment while the figure disappeared. He was surprised… but pleased.


As the barrier went down, the old one’s body began to disappear to reposition itself. The last part of his body to disappear was the outstretched arm. Evan’s arm managed to scrape it before it could vanish. When the old one reappeared, he immediately felt a great sense of pain. He looked towards the pain where his arm once was. Once. Wherever Evan’s power had sent the portion of his arm he’d touched, it was not here anymore. The pain of losing a limb is indescribable. And yet, with nothing more than biting his lip, the old one created a ball of moonlight. Right behind James, his surprised target barely had time to turn before the old one tossed the ball of light right at him. James’s eyes widened as the ball of light hit the invisible figure before him.


“Percival…” James said shocked. The Chandelure fell before him, weakly moving. Percival had successfully been able to keep itself silent as he had been trying to make his way back to James. He had moved slowly, but he’d done it. Even the old one with his great hearing looked surprised as the Chandelure turned visible. James quickly picked up the Chandelure, cradling his main body in his arms. “Percival, are you alright?”


Jenny turned to look in surprise at the scene that unfolded. "You…" She grit her teeth as she looked at the old one. "Why are you all even doing this…" The Plasma agent watched as their Pokémon were still having trouble with their own opponents. She thought through the other Pokémon that could help, but none of them seemed truly fitting for the fight - or at least the ones that desperately needed help.


"We need something more…" Kris mumbled as she saw her Pidgeot fall to the hefty blow from the Dhelmise. She retreated her Pidgeot and sent out an orange Lycanroc to join in the fight instead, as the Shuckle attempted to bite down on the Araquanid's leg. As the wolf took off toward the Dhelmise to try and avenge her friend, Kris turned her attention to the rest of the fights in an attempt to find a good opportunity to add in a distraction.


Boarlite and Scizlite were having more trouble than would be expected from the opponents they had. Boarlite barely had time to raise her arms to block the slices, though she tried to put momentum into swatting the Salazzle away afterward. Scizlite, meanwhile, was not expecting the speed and power of the Drampa. She took the blow hard and tumbled away briefly, before rushing back to try and punch out again, frustrated at the miss before. Lurelite, on the other hand, floated out of range of the punches briefly, before she zoomed back in to try and repeat her earlier actions of trying to light the crab on fire.


Vlad knew that this move meant the Lycanroc was getting desperate. Grinning, the Fang Scorp began to bite harder at his target, aiming to do as much damage as possible before they reached the ground. Meanwhile, Landorus arose from his forced slumber, groggily surveying the battlefield. He had been caught off guard by that attack, and it had seemed that the battle was getting worse. He had to do something. Growling, the Abundance Pokémon rushed towards the Drampa, seeking to assist Scizlite in her pummeling of it.

Monstro felt the stabbing in his body, as he couldn’t dodge out of the way in time. He responded with a hefty arm swing towards the perpetrator. The assailant moved out of the way, but Monstro was ready to blast him with a Hydro Pump if he missed. The blast carried that assailant away, but his ally reappeared then and began to create her own beam of light to fire at Monstro. Meanwhile, Evan saw the damage he had managed to inflict on the old one, and how little of a reaction he had to it. Frowning, the man put up another shield, to ensure that there was something between the group and their foes, in case they tried firing at them again. The effort to put up a second barrier took much more effort for the Hero to muster, but it was worth more moments of safety.

The Lycanroc shouted in pain as Vlad chewed into him. When they reached the ground, he began to thrash and roll around to try and squish Vlad into the floor of the building. The Drampa reeled under Scizlite’s and Landorus’s attacks. The Drampa maybe just maybe have been able to handle Scizlite one on one, but Landorus was another story. The dragon focused on retaliating on Scizlite. Hopefully one of the trainers would be able to put Landorus to sleep again. Boarlite’s swat connected, causing the Salazzle to roll once again. This time however, the Salazzle ran in low to try and sweep Boarlite of his feet with her tail. The Crabominable kept making punches at Lurelite while retreating. It really wasn’t sure what to do about Lurelite.


The Dhelmise swung happily at the sight of the Pidgeot going down. When it saw the Lycanroc approaching it, it lined up another strike at the Wolf Pokemon. Meanwhile the Araquanid was trying to force its way into the Shuckle’s shell. It tried to get at the soft part of the Shuckle’s body while doing its best to ignore the pain of the Shuckle’s bite.


Celebi and the Marowak were having a tug of war over the bone. The Marowak had a bit of an advantage in that it could actually reach the ground to well ground himself. Celebi was pulling hard too. For a moment it seemed that she could wrest control of the bone when Marowak pulled especially hard, and more notably, added some torque by pressing down on the bone. At that moment, Celebi let go and Newton’s Second Law took care of the rest. The bone came crashing into the Marowak’s skull, and the Marowak fell over, hitting his head on the ground, and finally fell unconscious. Celebi paused for a moment as she took in her victory. Well that was fun, never again.

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-==IC: Kris Homura/Evan Tierra/Jenny Hakuda/James Arthur - Ruins of Abundance, Alola - [21]==-

 

The assailant fighting Tapu Bulu began to charge moonlight into his hands. Tapu Bulu charged him once more. But this time, the one fighting him was more than ready. He sidestepped the guardian and as Tapu Bulu passed, he fired the lazer right into Tapu Bulu’s side. The attacks that Tapu Bulu had shrugged off earlier were beginning to show their toll. Blood of some sort began to drip from the guardians body. The one fighting him grew a crooked grin on his face. He would finally be the one to kill Tapu Bulu.

 

The old one felt shock. The Chandelure had managed to get the drop on him. Was his hearing truly starting to go or had the ghost actually managed to remain perfectly silent. Both prospects were scary. The blood loss he was feeling did not help with that. He began to build moonlight in his right hand, when the stump where his left used to be began to throb. What was left of his arm was already in sharp pain, but the pain of losing an arm was minuscule compared to the pain getting it back. And even smaller compared to the pain the old one was about to feel. Muscle, bone, tendons, skin, nerves. All of the necessary elements for an arm began to flow forth from the cut in the old one’s arm. But the order was completely wrong. Skin got in the way of tendons. Bones grew in different directions, on the outside of the arm. Muscle pooled in a spot creating a lump. Fingers grew along the length of the mess. A total of seven along the length of it, and three more on the end where the ‘hand’ was. If you could call a circular mess of muscle on top of skin a hand. The mutant growths continued unabated despite the growth beginning to grow past the size of his original limb. The old one began to bite his lip hard enough that he nearly tore the bottom half of his mouth off. He turned his one good arm, with moonlight pooled in it, and promptly blasted his arm off.

 

James on instinct, covered Percival’s eyes. Perhaps because he was already cradling the ghost type, or because he was subconsciously reacting to his own revulsion at the sight he currently had front row seats to. If it was just about preventing Percival from seeing the gruesome sight, he needn’t have bothered. Percival was barely conscious, his eyes were shut to begin with. All he could sense at the moment was James’s arms around him.

 

The embrace was warm. Very warm.

 

It was very unlike James. He was generally more like his office. Cold, nice, but cold. Affectionate wasn’t the word he’d use to describe how James acted most of the time. He was grateful for everything Percival did but affection of this kind? This hug? This was a rare treat.

 

Percival felt warm. Not warm. Hot. He was on fire. A fire type discovering that they were on fire was like a child realizing they could breathe. And fire types only ever came to that realization, when their flames were about to burst.

 

James let go of Percival as flames began to flare up. Lancelot and his opponent both lost focus for a moment as light enveloped the group of trainers, centered on the Chandelure. His main arms began to travel up to the center of his body as they contracted into it. The sub-arms that carried his candles began to bend down and grow in size. Rather than arms, they could be better described as legs. The center of his face rearranged, his eyes each split into two. One by one the flames on each of the legs burst. Going from green to a vibrant blue. And the last transformation came on his head. The covering on his head peeled away, revealing his main body of flame. The circle that now had his smile began to grow. And when he smiled, the green flame burst into a brilliant blue, almost white color.

 

As Percival stood on his new legs, his shadow began to spread. Bits and pieces of darkness broke out of his shadow. And those pieces broke further, leaving a trail of darkness as the spread. One pierced through the old one who was nursing his severed arm. He seemed more confused than anything else, he moved out of the way of the darkness like nothing happened. But then the growing web of darkness hit the Drampa, and to the Drampa one of the strings of darkness stuck.

 

James’s surprise kept other thoughts from his mind. Such as all that time spent working with Lancelot, and a hug, -a- -hug- of all things, just made Percival explode with power without even trying. But a different thought managed to claw its way into James’s brain. They were still in danger. Details from the whole battle flowed into James’s mind. Every response these assailants made. The first time they wounded one of them. Percival and Lancelot’s abilities. Gawain’s abilities as an estimation of Monstro’s. The spacial and psychic powers. The pieces fell into place.

 

“Kris, bridge our minds.”

 

"Right." Kris nodded, then reached out with her powers to do just that. "We all should be connected now - go on."

 

Alright, this is what I have.

 

James, Kris and Jenny pulled out Poke Balls and retreated a number of Pokemon. Gawain, Boarlite, Scizlite, Lycanroc, Shuckle, Lurelite all returned to their Poke Balls. A number of their Pokemon assailants looked surprised at the sudden lack of opponents. They looked towards the the group of trainers. Their trainers looked too, caught off-guard by this action.

 

Kris, I need you to guard us one last time. Retreat any Pokemon that are stuck on the ground, all of you. Evan, have Monstro use Earthquake. Give the order as loud as possible.

 

Kris held her hands out as a sphere of psychic energy surrounded the group once again. The blue-haired woman looked even more determined than she had prior to the Chandelure's evolution. She nodded to Evan for him to do his part.

 

“Monstro, it’s time to bring down the house with a nice, big Earthquake!” Evan shouted as loud as he could to his amped up Water Pokémon, who grinned at the command. Roaring, the Mud Fish slammed his might arms on the ground and repeated the action over and over, the rumbling growing more and more intense as he did so.

 

The shaking caused cracks all over the room. Violent eruptions of earth and sand shot up in response to the waves that shook the ground. The collapsing ground reached all over the room, bouncing off of the psychic sphere that protected them. The rest of the room wasn’t so lucky. One of the assailants tried to retreat one of their Pokemon, only to find they couldn’t. The dark webbing wouldn’t allow it. The assailants had to abandon their Pokemon to the waves of earth and sand, as they vanished into the shadow. Their leader spat a curse, looking past Lancelot to the giant Swampert as he did the same. Lancelot quickly took the air, to try and minimize the damage that he would take. The Salazzle and the Lycanroc were almost immediately slammed to the ground, fainting there and then. The Persian and the Crabominable lasted longer, but when one wave of earth slammed the two together, the pair followed into unconsciousness. The Drampa barely managed to keep hold of his senses as debris buffeted into him all over. And only just barely. The Araquanid was the only Pokemon left on the ground that seemed to be at all in a condition to fight.

 

The Dhelmise span on it saw the carnage. It began to move towards Monstro to try and attack the Swampert when Celebi grabbed onto the wheel. SInce she didn’t need to damage the Dhelmise, she had a much easier target to attack. She just had to distract the Dhelmise until it was all over.

 

James watched as the assailants disappeared. Phase one was down. It all came down to this.
 

Evan, Kris, if you have the ability. With that hole in space, teleportation, telekinesis or whatever else you can do. When they reappear to attack Monstro, force them together.
 

You’ve got it, sir. Evan projected as he readied himself to strike.
 

"Roger that." Kris prepared for when the attackers reappeared, her hands taking on a cyan-coloured glow as she waited patiently.

 

James looked towards Lancelot and Percival. They nodded to him. As soon as Evan and Kris played their part, it would be their show. Slowly the shadows began to reveal themselves, one by one. The eldest was first, followed by the one without Pokemon, then two more. They were all charging moonlight in their hands. James told the others to hold. There was still one missing. When he at last spotted the fifth shadow, it was above Monstro. The leader stepped out of the wall with moonlight in hand.

 

Now! James thought, his eyes growing wide.

With a mighty swipe of his right arm, Evan dragged the assailants back, catching them off guard once more. You’ve got this, Kris! Evan thought, a bold grin on his face.

Kris reached out her hands, as she pulled the five assailants together, her telekinetic grasp dragging them closer and closer together as she focused more and more. She didn't know how long she could hold onto the foes, but she was going to try her best to make sure she gave the others enough time to work.

 

The leader’s eyes began to widen as he was pulled towards his fellows. He tried to orient himself but he didn’t have the time. James pointed forward and both the transformed Chandelure and Lancelot charged forward at the mass of people.

 

“Percival, Fire Spin!”

 

The weak fire attack may have been an odd choice considering that Overheat had been an option. But Overheat was a fire that burned itself out very quickly. He didn’t just need damage, he needed them to catch on fire. He’d invest in Will-o-Wisp later. But even such a weak attack from Percival’s reinvigorated flames was enough. The brilliant blue flame covered the mass of people. The fire tore at the old one’s arm, it began to sear his the stump of his regenerating arm shut.

And that was the moment James called to Lancelot. “Lancelot, Brutal Swing!”
 

Lancelot had already managed to stop right in front of the mass of people. Percival rose up quickly to clear Lancelot’s way. He pulled the sword in his arm back and filled it with darkness. The leader tried to turn incorporeal once more, but it was too late. Lancelot’s sword cleaved into the group. Their bodies gave way like paper to Lancelot’s arm. The least damaged was the leader. His power shielded him somewhat, and he made a perfect guard with his arm. His arm was now on the opposite side of the room. The rest weren’t as lucky. Most of them still had legs to stand on. Most.

 

The leader swore in a language James didn’t know. But it was clear at this point which way the winds were blowing. He glared at Tapu Bulu, who was leaning against a wall. He swallowed and whispered something quiet. The only other member of their group who had any business still fighting, the one without Pokemon, looked like he was going to yell something when fire spin burned into the massive gash in his side.

 

The assailants pulled out Poke Balls, while the one who didn’t have any Pokemon picked up the Poke Balls that belonged to the one who currently didn’t have a lower body raised them to retreat their Poke Balls.

 

Percival made a move to pull on his shadowy web, but James stopped him. “Let them go.”

 

James could see the damage that Percival couldn’t feel at the moment. Percival couldn’t take another hit like he had from both of the assailants again. One more hit and he was out. Despite their advantage, it would be foolish to continue the fight as they were. Monstro and Lancelot were hiding their injuries as well, but they had taken a toll. And when even the woman who didn’t have a lower body was trying to get up on her own, James didn’t know how far they’d go if they were truly cornered. Not without more information.

 

But there was one thing James did forget. At least until he saw what was in the leader’s hand.

 

A detonator.

The leader kept his hand on it.

 

“If you press that, I will have Percival Shadow Ball you to oblivion,” James yelled. It was a bit of a bluff. Not that he wouldn’t do it, but he knew his allies would likely avenge the assailant’s death on Percival. And he wouldn’t allow that.

 

The leader glared for a moment. He turned to see that his allies had retreated the Pokemon, picked up their legless ally and ran towards the entrance. He scowled, but then vanished.

 

James shook his head left and right, with a slight panic. Was he running, or was he going to try and continue fighting? The answer came when he reappeared at the entrance to the other room. Lancelot immediately figured out what he was doing. There was a Bewear and a Golurk left in the other room that he needed to pick up.

 

Kris turned her head in alarm as she saw the leader head off to the other room. There were answers that she wanted - answers it didn't seem that they were going to get willingly. Kris reached out with her psychic powers to attempt to scan what she wanted out of the attacker's mind - at the very least, something that could be used to identify him… his name.

 

The man walking through the door had a flurry of emotions swirling in his mind. Rage, disappointment, frustration, sadness, fear, pain. The fact that his arm was gone meant that for a brief moment, just a brief moment, his mental guard was down. And in that slip two words flowed from his mind to Kris’s, before he could even realize what he’d done.

 

Lohe Mahina.

 

Lohe Mahina cursed as he ran through the door to retrieve his Pokemon.

 

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IC: Ryan Sanders - Arena, Vertrag

"Let them run," Ryan muttered in response to Kyle's brashness. "We've bested them, and now they know we're not to be taken ligh-- Kyle!" Although he didn't seem physically injured, the trainer suddenly collapsed on the ground. Ryan raced over to his friend. Hearing his partner's cry, Quil scampered over as well, his form shifting back to that of a normal Typhlosion.

 

"He's fainted!" Ryan called out to Sonja, Ray, and Chloe. A quick look around the battlefield showed that Emmerich, too (when had he gotten there?) had been knocked out. Ryan thought back to his Pokémon. Other than Quil they had all taken a lot of damage from to pair of Instances. He wasn't sure how the others were feeling, but as the adrenaline wore off Ryan felt mentally and emotionally exhausted. His mind kept flashing back to the vision he'd had from Adams' illusion and the incredible power both she and Gluttony had displayed. It was a lot to take in all at once.

 

"We should find a better place to recuperate," he finally said, glancing over at his three remaining companions. "You don't think the other Children would mind if we borrowed their beds for a bit, do you? It doesn't look like Kyle or Emmerich are seriously injured, but it would be far more comfortable than sleeping on the bleachers."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Jamie Arthur/Palomides/Lucan - Route 7

 

“Palomides get the Hawlucha!” Jamie yelled to Palomides.

 

The Haunter regarded the order with some annoyance. He had to set the businessman down first before he could rescue anyone else. Jamie had to admit that, yeah, that was an issue. So she turned to the other Pokemon she had out. Haunter moved to place Lionel on top of Oggie.

 

“Lucan, go get the Hawlucha from the water!” she yelled to the Vanilluxe.

 

The Vanilluxe took one look at the water. The Carvanha, the blood. All of that made him shiver. But then he saw the body in the water. Whether it was alive or dead, he couldn’t leave it there. So he dropped from the Metagross. He guided his descent towards the bloodied body and the aura sphere that scattered the Carvanha near the downed Hawlucha. He dropped right into the water next to the Hawlucha. He sank beneath the water and stuck the Hawlucha in between his two heads.

 

Leaving the Hawlucha alone long enough to make those orders guaranteed that it was was able to break its bonds. And now that she had just sent her main source of defense to go pick up the other Hawlucha, this Hawlucha had pretty much free reign of Tristan’s back. Jamie turned back towards it, just in time to it jump into the air. The Hawlucha dove at Jamie. Jamie yelled at the Hawlucha once more “Time will freeze!” At that, the Hawlucha seemed to slow down, but only for an instant. The dive connected and Jamie lost her balance.

 

Tristan felt Jamie’s weight fall of his body. He span to see the Hawlucha who hit her. He thrust his massive arm to try and catch the bird to prevent it from harming Jamie further. It flew out of his range. Tristan would’ve given chase, but he had to get to Jamie.

 

Jamie hit the water headfirst. Beneath the water, she began to thrash. Water hit her eyes, to which she instinctively closed them. She couldn’t tell which was up. She couldn’t breathe. Heroes don’t panic. But whatever heroes did do, it only caused her to thrash faster to try and get back to the surface.

 

 

IC: Buizel - Route 7

 

A Buizel walked down the forest, polishing a whistle that he wore around his neck. It was a cheap old thing, and his polishing hadn’t stopped it from rusting in places. But it was his.

 

The Buizel turned as noise hit his ears. It was coming from the river. He had seen Pokemon be on edge today. He wondered what that was about, but he hadn’t stuck his nose into it. But if it was coming from the river, it might become his business.

 

He stepped into the clearing, and immediately a human fell from the sky into the water. The human girl began to thrash in the water. This human didn’t know how to swim, and a quick glance told him that Carvanha had moved into the area.

 

He was needed. He placed the whistle in his mouth, made three blasts with it, and dove into the water towards the girl.
Edited by Metal Gear Minun

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-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-


As the battle subsided, so did the mysterious evolutions of the others - though it appeared that the evolution had almost changed something with Ally, as her appearance now looked different from what it had before. Chloe saw Kyle fall and moved to go help him; however, as she took a step forward, she clutched at her head.


"Oww…" She mumbled, breathing heavily as she suddenly felt lightheaded. "What…? Why am I feeling dizzy all of a sudden?" Chloe nearly fell from her dizziness, but Ally quickly caught her. Chloe glanced over at Ray and Ryan, who seemed completely fine in comparison to her and Kyle.


"We should move out of the arena. Maybe somewhere else has like, first aid kits or something that could help. Taking some of the rooms might be a good idea, too, maybe ones that are closer to people we know, like Ellen or Levi or so, just in case." Ray suggested, though his expression betrayed just how troubled he was about what happened in the aftermath. "We probably need to find a way to treat some of our wounds and heal up our Pokémon, anyway, and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm wiped…"


-==IC: Olivia Seaton(Jhen[Vibrava])/Colleen Llyan(Skulkraken[Magikarp], Pollyanna[Poliwag])/Lucia Zyther(Claraga[Clawitzer], Slowra[slowpoke]) - River, Kalos==-


Olivia held onto Dracos tight as the other Dragonair tried to knock them off. She faintly heard Dahlia's comment about the wild Dragonair leaving them alone, but something felt wrong. She glanced around the field, trying to see if there was something they had missed - this felt too coordinated, like they had walked straight into an ambush. She looked around, but nothing felt out of place. A flash of blue struck the water near Jared and Lachina. Her eyes followed the path back.


"... This was planned." Olivia said quietly as she stared right at an overly familiar group of Frogadier on the cliff. "I don't know if the Dragonair would let us get away without a fight. Jhen!" She raised her voice to give her Vibrava a command. "Keep that Dragonair off of us until we can get our bearings!" The redhead looked back to Dahlia with a frown. "Those Frogadier are here too, I think they might be who are in charge here, but if we're gonna get everyone across the river safely, we're gonna need to fight."


***


Colleen saw the incoming Swanna as she noticed the Scyther approaching. "Wait!" She dodged to the side as Ronin attempted to grab her with his claws - she didn't want Emily to be targeted because of having her as a passenger. As she tried to figure out what to do about the Swanna, she watched her Magikarp jump out of the water and slap the Swanna alongside Zoe's Feebas. The Swanna decided to pick on the brighter target, as it swiped out with its talons at the Magikarp, slicing off some scales in the process.


"Skulkraken--" Colleen's eyes widened as she saw her Magikarp splash back into the water, but a wave washed over her. As she focused on getting back above the surface of the water, she saw the Carvanha begin to approach. She held a hand forward as Pollyanna swam forward in an attempt to body slam the Carvanha, even as Colleen shot an Aura Sphere at the school. The girl swam back above the surface again and took a deep breath, unaware to a glow beneath the surface. The Swanna circled around as it swapped targets toward the bright green Scyther. Colleen clenched her fists, about to launch off another Aura Sphere to distract the bird.


She didn't need to, however. As the Swanna dove toward the Scyther, a golden serpent burst out of the water, snapping the Swanna by the foot. With a flick of its head, the serpent flung the bird toward the cliff where the Frogadier currently were. Afterward, the creature disappeared beneath the surface. Colleen treaded water with a stunned look on her face for a brief moment, before she was lifted out of the water. The golden serpent lifted her up, the girl able to finally get a good look at her savior.


"... Skulkraken? Did you… evolve…?" She recognized the Pokémon as a Gyarados, but… the colours were so different that it took a few moments to recognize the Pokémon as her own. The Gyarados gave an affirmative roar, however, before turning its attention to the rest of the fight. It was time to change things up.


***


Lucia groaned, as she was currently experiencing the worst headache of her life. She tried to focus, but the odd feeling prevented her from being able to think properly.


"What happened…?" She finally managed to groan, her hand gripped tight to her head.


Meanwhile, however, her Pokémon were doing their best to handle things underwater. The Clawitzer currently gripped Slowra's tail as she spun around. The two had been setting up a plan - with Claraga doing some tests to see what Slowra's reactions were like - and also the Slowpoke hadn't contributed too much to the plan, Claraga had all she needed. It was such that when the Clawitzer let go of the Slowpoke's tail, Slowra was told to open and close her mouth.


The Slowpoke was aimed directly at a Carvanha at a rather high speed. However, the improvised missile wasn't the main goal here - the goal was revealed as the Slowpoke opened her mouth right before getting to the Carvanha. The fish was surprised by the sudden movement - then even more surprised when the Slowpoke slammed her jaws shut. This prompted the fish to splash around in a panic, knocking the unbudging Slowpoke into the rest of that particular school of Carvanha as an improvised flail, while also dealing more damage to itself in the process.


OOC:


Jhen: Typeless Slam - Distraction > Dragonair

Pollyanna: Typeless Tackle > Carvanha School 1

Colleen: Aura Sphere > Carvanha School 1

Skulkraken: EVOLUTION, Typeless Crunch > Swanna > Throw to Frogadier

Claraga: Slowpoke Cannon > Carvanha School 2(Specific Target)
Slowra: Slowpoke Flail > Carvanha School 2

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IC: Jared Winters(Oggie/Raiden)/Lachina Adaon(Aolani)/Emily Lockwood(Spitfire[95%]/Ronin) - Kalos Route 7 River

 

Jared and Lachina only had a brief moment to get their bearings before Oggie was swerving again. The Lapras almost sent her riders back into the water, but Jared and Lachina managed to hold on tightly. The Frogadier that Oggie had been trying to dodge landed lightly on her back, and Jared glared up at them. It was the leader of the group and what Jared guessed to be her second in command. They were glaring down at him and, as he watched, produced more of those stone kunai.

 

There was no room for Jared and Lachina to dodge or fight, not without falling back into the water or knocking Elaine in. As the leader raised the knife, there was a soft splash, and the dark form of a Froakie jumped up, slamming into her hand and knocking the blade away. She attempted to retaliate, but the smaller frog was quick and ducked behind one of Oggie's spines, ready to strike again as needed.

 

The second, with the scar on his eye, was similarly deterred by the interference of a Talonflame. Spitfire held no real feeling towards the pair of humans who had been fished out of the drink, but Emily would care if he let them get injured. As the Frogadier squared off with him, Aolani swooped in and hit it from the side, staggering the Frogadier.

 

Ronin flew Emily up to height with Colleen, and the performer grinned. "Colleen, your team never fails to impress, dear! Let's go show these Pokémon who they're messing with!"

 

IC: Everyone

 

“What the hay, Alma?!” Belle said as she ran over. “What’s goin’ on here?”

 

Alma started to speak, but was interrupted by a bout of coughing. She put a hand to the wound on her chest and winced as she felt the blood. “Alma,” she said, turning to the healer. “Would you please patch me up?”

 

“I . . .” Alma the White Mage swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t think I’m comfortable with that.”

 

The assassin glared. “I just saved your life, and the lives of several people. You’re really going to let me bleed to death?”

 

“I . . .” The girl sighed. “No. Come here, then.” As the healing began, the healer looked up at Belle. “There was an attack by a Gallade with a gun,” she explained for Belle and company. “Alma drew his attention while Shadows--”

 

“Shadow,” Alma interrupted. “Not plural.”

 

“Sorry. While Shadow and Garnet battled his team.”

 

“I led him on a merry chase through the alleys and roads, and then Alma and I teamed up to kill him.”

 

She killed him,” the healer said bitterly. “I just stunned him long enough for her to do so.”

 

“I saved your life!” Alma said indignantly.

 

“You killed somebody!”

 

“I’ve killed a lot of people!”

 

Amelia, recalling that Alex was present, forcibly restrained herself from remarking that she’d left larger body counts.

 

Belle cleared her throat. “Alright, got it. You killed a crazy Gallade. Any clue why he was even here to begin with?”

 

“To cause trouble,” Beauty said with a sigh. “Stark’s been a problem for Rocket for a while, we just haven’t been able to get a pinpoint on ‘im ‘cause he can teleport.”

 

“Because he could teleport, y’mean,” Amelia said. Beauty snickered, and Belle shot her a glare.

 

“Yeah. So, good work on killing a mass murderer,” Beauty continued. Alma smirked triumphantly while her double rolled her eyes.

 

“So, um, change of topic,” Alex interjected. “We’re going to get out of here soon.”

 

Alma nodded. “Of course. The question is where we’re going to end up.”

 

“Home,” Alex the Green replied. “I have a spell that will find the mirror you need to go back to your own universe.”

 

“Excellent, thank you.” Alma sighed, stretching a bit. “Alma, do you perchance have a change of clothes I could borrow?”

 

“Yes, of course.” The healer smiled, then frowned, then creased her brow in frustration. “I’m still angry with you,” she said simply before flouncing off towards the cottage.

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Dahlia Seaton (Dracos, Marsala)/Zoe Llyan (Kammy, Eilonwy)/Alex Lockwood (Empoleon, Swampert, Aramau) - River, Kalos Route 7

Dahlia scanned the river-turned-battlefield. For the briefest of moments her mind flashed back to McKinley's Xatu and she knew she could end this battle here and now. Jared had done something similar back on Route 5, after all. An instant later she buried the thought deep in her mind, disgusted it had even crossed her mind. "Marsala, help Jhen!" she called out. "Dracos, just keep us out of danger!"

 

As Marsala continued to hurl pebbles at their attacker, Dahlia's Dragonair gave a worried cry, indicating that he couldn't possibly stay out of the line of fire forever. Nevertheless, he continued his evasive maneuvers, concentrating on keeping the Seaton sisters out of danger. Dahlia bit her lip. With any luck, the fighting would be over soon and they'd be back on their way to Cyllage City. She just hoped nobody got hurt before that happened.

 

***

 

Two fish plopped into the water. One fish came back up, followed by a giant, golden serpent. Zoe couldn't believe her eyes as her sister was elevated to a height worthy of her infallible status. "Eilonwy, do you think you can evolve, too?" The tattered Feebas scrunched her eyes as she focused all her power, but alas nothing came of it. She shook her head in disappointment, although seemed relieved when Zoe fished her out of the water and hugged her close. "Don't worry, Collie's a better trainer than I am anyway. She got her Pokémon to evolve two days in a row!"

 

From below, Kammy uttered a reassuring grunt, which Zoe took for agreement.

 

With Collie lifted into the air, the Swanna seemed to focus on the target that was invading their airspace. This left Zoe to sit down on the Blastoise's domed shell and watch from afar. "Guess we'll fight any Swanna that Collie bats down here," she said with a shrug, cradling Eilonwy in her arms. "In the meantime, we get to watch an aura master in action!"

 

***

 

"Don't try to move," Alex said, laying a firm yet gentle hand on the healer to stop her from trying to sit up. "A bunch of wild Pokémon attacked us on the river, and you fell overboard and got a concussion. At least, that's what your father thinks happened. I'm no medical expert, but the bump on your head doesn't look very promising. I've got Aramau acting as an ice pack while Empoleon tries to keep us out of danger."

 

The Amaura whined as she pushed Lucia's hand out of the way so she could better cool her head.

 

Alex peered at the girl in concern. Her eyes seemed like they could be dilated but to be honest he wasn't really sure. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "The fighting's all happening further downstream but if it reaches us we may need to make an escape."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC - Vertrag:

 

A rainbow light danced in darkness. It was a faint glow against a black backdrop, twisting and fading in and out of sight. Intermixed with each motion echoed a sing-song cascade of voices, muted and distant, muffled by some unseen blanket. A grinning, eyeless face stretched before the shadows, before morphing into a bloodied, canine skull with antlers sprouting out from the top. A small, spectral figure emerged from nothing, arms hanging at its sides and casting a soft glow all around itself.

 

It lifted a hand and snapped its fingers.

 

 

Kyle groaned.

 

His eyes drifted open. The ceiling above him drifted lazily into focus. He was lying on something that he couldn't decide was soft or not; it landed somewhere in between. The cool pillow under his head made up for any discomfort. Something was clamped down on his right index finger. As he came to, he became aware of a soft, repetitive beeping sound nearby. Kyle took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. His body ached somewhat, but that did not bother him--that much he was used to. What did bother him was how heavy everything felt. The weight was paralyzing, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to move . . .

 

"Kyle?" Someone was leaning over him. He felt a woman's hand on his forehead. "Kyle, are you awake?"

 

He opened his eyes again, trying to focus on the face in front of his. ". . . e . . . n . . . ?"

 

"Geez, that fight really took it out of you . . . Well, at least you're awake . . ." As she turned around, Kyle realized that it was Sonja. He lay still, trying to gather up the energy to move. Sonja waved to someone. "Hey--he's awake! Super out of it, but I think he'll be fine." She turned back to him. "You will be fine, right?"

 

It took a second for Kyle to respond. "I . . . think so," he said at last. "I'm just . . . exhausted."

 

"Clearly," she said. "Do you remember anything from before you passed out?"

 

"Um . . . Yeah," he said. "Those evolutions . . . and . . . Adams and Gluttony . . . They ran."

 

"So your memory isn't fried," Sonja said. "That's good."

 

With a grimace, Kyle managed to sit up. "We can't just let them get away . . ."

 

"Hey--don't overexert yourself," she said. "They're long-gone by now, anyway. We checked the entire base while you were sleeping . . . slacker."

 

"Not like I wanted to . . ." Kyle shook his head. He looked around. This place was very similar to the many, many hospitals that he had found himself in within the past year and a half. But it was clear that this was not a hospital. For one thing, there were no doctors or nurses or even patients present--discounting the rest of his team. But they were all patched up already, and were busy running each of their sets of Pokémon through the two healing machines that were present. That alone was enough to indicate that this was a med bay as opposed to a standalone facility--which meant . . . "We're still in the base?" He looked at the pulse monitor clamped around his finger. With a disgruntled frown, he pulled it off and shut off the machine.

 

"Right across from the arena, in fact," Sonja confirmed. "Tucked away beside the stairwell. Smart planning on Ford's part."

 

Kyle pressed a hand against the side of his head. "Well . . . At least it's not another freaking hospital . . ." He shut his eyes, taking a moment to orient himself. "Is everyone else alright?"

 

"Chloe's a little tuckered out, but not as badly as you were," Sonja said. "The General was pretty banged up; nothing too serious. Ryan, Ray, and I are all fine. I'm actually really surprised we did as well as we did . . ." She crossed her arms. "And the Grimoire is safe, too, as well as Bounty's cane. So we're still good to go."

 

"Good . . ." He opened his eyes. Sonja was staring very intensely at him. Kyle drew back slightly. "What?"

 

"Just thinking." She shrugged. "Are you good to walk?"

 

"Maybe?" Kyle moved to swing his feet off of the table, but then paused. "Give me a bit, actually . . . Why?"

 

Sonja tapped her fingers against her other arm. "Did you . . . see something in the arena? Something glowing above us?"

 

"A glow above us . . ." Kyle thought back to the fight. He recalled several instances where . . . something had happened--where he and the others had been healed, where their Pokémon had suddenly become stronger or faster . . . And now that he thought about it . . . "I think so? I'm really not sure, though."

 

Sonja nodded. She turned, glancing back at Emmerich. He was busy showing something to Ryan. "Emmerich said there was something he needed to show us on one of the computers upstairs. I'm wondering if it's related . . ." She shook her head. "Anyway . . . Whenever you're up for it, it'd be smart to check it out. Take as much time as you need, though--I think we're going to be here for a while, anyway." She stood up from her seat, turning to walk back to the others. She paused, looking back at Kyle. "By the way . . . When you woke up, were you saying . . ." Sonja trailed off.

 

Kyle looked away. "It's complicated . . ."

 

"With both, or just one?" Kyle didn't answer. Sonja placed her hands in her pockets. "Well . . . Let me know if you want to talk about it."

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Ryan Sanders - Vertrag

". . . you've got to make sure the lid is fully closed, like this." The healing machine expunged a soft click as Emmerich closed the glass dome over Ryan's Pokéballs. Then with the flip of a switch the machine emitted a low hum. After such a draining battle, the undulating droll was oddly soothing.

 

"It kind of makes you wish we could heal as fast as our Pokémon, doesn't it?" The corner of Ryan's lip curled into a faint smile as he stared as his Pokémon in their tiny capsules. "If only life were that simple. It's strange, though. To think that we've gone through so many advancements in technology, and yet we still don't understand the power we hold within ourselves."

 

Emmerich tilted his head. "I'm no expert on the subject, but there have been several studies that attribute psychic abilities to higher-level brain function."

 

Ryan placed a hand on the domed lid of the machine. Its faint vibrations tickled the tips of his fingers. "That's not what I mean. Those transformations Quil and the others went through. I can't explain it, but somehow I get this feeling that their power came from us. Pokémon are our friends and partners. Anyone who's been with Pokémon long enough is familiar with that mutual trust we share with them. But during that battle, I felt a connection to Quil that was deeper than anything I've ever experienced. I don't know how to describe it, it was like we were the same, yet different. Like we were operating on harmonic frequencies."

 

"You don't think you're beginning to develop psychic powers, do you?" The Rocket agent narrowed his eyes, as if he half-expected the humming glass to suddenly shatter under psionic force.

 

Ryan shook his head. "When Quil evolved into a Typhlosion, he did so in order to save me from a wild Mightyena. It's like those stories you hear about mothers being able to lift a car in order to save their child. Her love gives her the power she needs. But with me and Quil, it was like a two-way street." The trainer closed his eyes in contemplation, his mind retracing the surge of emotions he'd felt back in the arena. "I saw him doing everything in his power to protect me while I was fighting Adams' hallucination. He could have died in that fight, but it didn't matter to him as long as it meant I was safe from harm. When I saw him laying there, struggling to get up . . . in that moment I wanted nothing more than to be able to keep him safe. We both wanted the same thing for each other. And somehow that desire became a reality. Ford said the Signs' cards operate on a form of magic. Perhaps the bonds we share with our Pokémon -- and with each other -- is a kind of magic in its own right."

 

"Perhaps you're right." Emmerich glanced over at the bed where Kyle lay. "Speaking of magic, now that Mr. Eston's awake, now might be a good time to show you what I found on the computers upstairs."

 

Ryan opened his eyes. Sonja had finished talking with Kyle, who still looked a little worse for wear. Taking his hand off the humming machine, Ryan slowly approached the bed. "Hey. Sonja probably already bombarded you with the usual questions, but how are you feeling?"

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman - Med Bay, Vertrag:

 

"Ever get sick to the point where your body feels like it's made out of cement?" Kyle asked. "Kind of like that." He slid off the bed, taking a moment to balance himself. All in all, aside from a momentary dizzy spell, he seemed alright. "I'm good, though. Just wish we'd had enough time to finish them off."

 

Emmerich gave him a stern look. "Considering the damage done, I would be thankful that you all managed to even drive them off."

 

His tone was short and sharp. It was a captain scolding his troops for stepping out of line, or perhaps a father holding back from snapping at a disobedient child. Either way, Kyle had to stop himself laughing at the familiarity of it all. Under the circumstances, it felt ridiculous. Still, Emmerich had a point. By all appearances, it was pure, blind luck that had saved them.

 

"Yeah, yeah, I know . . ." Kyle sighed. He stretched, averting Emmerich's eye.

 

Sonja drummed her fingers against her knee. "So what was this thing that you wanted to show us?" she asked.

 

"Right. That'll be upstairs." Emmerich picked up his coat from the back of his seat, draping it over his arm and moving toward the door. "Follow me. You two, as well." He directed this to Chloe and Ray. Without waiting, he stepped into the hall, leading the way back upstairs.

 

 

The Command Center was just as they had left it: Quiet, completely undisturbed. If Gluttony and Adams truly had escaped through this way, they had not appeared to do anything to the computers occupying the space. Whether this was an oversight or intentional was impossible to determine. Still, there seemed to be only one computer that concerned Emmerich, and this was the console in the very center of the room.

 

He set his coat over the railing as he moved into the center of the station. The others gathered around, waiting for him to explain what was going on. For several moments, he was silent, looking at the various screens. Finally, he found the one he was looking for. "Here." He began typing. "This computer . . . Someone was messaging me."

 

The group exchanged a look. "Okay . . ." Kyle said. "That's not that unusual."

 

"The very first thing they said was, 'Are you authorized to access,'" Emmerich said, obviously annoyed yet doing his best to hide it. "Who else knows that we were here besides Bounty and Ford?" He managed to open the chat logs. "And, look--it was responding to me without me typing. It was as if the computer itself was speaking to me--it reacted to what I said and did, the expressions I made. What's more, when those two creatures broke in, something happened."

 

He described the phenomenon--the light that had surrounded him, the sensation and darkness that had encompassed his form shortly after. When he finished, the group fell silent. Finally, Sonja raised her hand from her temple, shaking her head. "That sounds like the light from the arena . . ."

 

"What light would that be?" Emmerich asked.

 

"When we were fighting Adams and Gluttony, there were these glowing lights that kept appearing in the sky," Ray explained. "Every time they did, something would happen--our Pokémon sped up or got stronger or were healed."

 

"I think one even healed us, right before those evolutions occurred," Kyle added. "That's the only explanation I have for even surviving as long as we did."

 

"Like a guardian angel watching over us," Sonja said, her voice quiet. "But how? And . . . why?"

 

Because you are trusted.

 

The strange voice caused the group to simultaneously jump in surprise, all of them spinning around to find the source. But there was no one--not at first. A glowing orb emanated from the ceiling above Emmerich, projecting downwards. As he stepped away, the light shifted in form. Before their eyes, the orb splintered into what could only be described as a miniature, outlined constellation, shifting into the shape of a spectral Jirachi.

 

The entity raised a hand. Greetings, it said. I am Vertrag.

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag

If any Pokémon were to communicate through a computer screen and project themselves in such an ethereal, holographic form, Ryan would have expected something from the Porygon family. As such the sight of a Jirachi, that mythical wish-maker, took him completely by surprise. It made sense, when he thought about it. The periodic buffs and healing they'd witnessed in the arena could be considered wishes of a sort. But what was a Pokémon like that doing in Ford's base?

 

Mirroring Vertrag's gesture, Ryan greeted the spectral Jirachi. "Thanks for your help back there. I'm Ryan Sanders, and--"

 

He froze.

 

". . . You already knew that, didn't you? No computer would be able to read our minds like those rings seemed to do when we first got here. But a psychic-type Pokémon certainly could." He glanced up at the specter for confirmation, then brought a hand to his chin. "That still doesn't explain how you're able to use your powers. Unless you underwent a transformation like some of our Pokémon did?"

 

 

IC: Jayron Aaron/Dack Majors/Madison Morrow/Luke - Jayron's Office, The Alamo

Dack would have expected to find himself in some sort of tech room speaking with the Agent Petersen that Sanders had referred them to. Instead after a frustratingly long wait he and his friends had been admitted into the office of one Executive Aaron. He imagined Sanders wouldn't like the delays, but luckily the kid had busied himself on some other mission. Loitering around an enemy base -- and trying to get a message to its leaders about the Miyu Incident -- proved boring after a certain point, and Dack was eager to get back into the action.

 

His knock on the executive's door was answered by a silent Lucario. The Aura Pokémon looked the three trainers up and down before offering a slight bow and motioning them toward a set of rigid-looking chairs in the corner of the office. The executive himself was in the middle of a heated phone conversation.

 

". . . I've already told you everything I know. Ms. Fontaine has her listed as a member of the mission group." Taking note of his three guests, Jayron held up a finger before returning his attention to the phone. "Listen, the important thing is that your daughter's safe, relatively speaking. I can assure you she's in good hands. Now I'm terribly sorry, but I've got a meeting to attend to. I'd suggest you bring this up with Ms. Fontaine herself." He nodded. "You have a good day too, Mrs. Llyan."

 

The phone might as well have weighed a hundred pounds, for the moment he set it down it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Jayron leaned back in his chair, his fedora obscuring his eyes as he pinched his nose. He exhaled slowly before turning his attention to Dack.

 

"Sorry about the wait, Mr. Majors. Now, about your request . . ." As he grabbed a red-trimmed folder, the Lucario positioned three empty chairs in front of the desk. Dack and the others quickly changed seating arrangements. Jayron looked up at him. "You've put us in a very delicate situation, Mr. Majors."

 

"It's just a missing persons case," Madison said with a frown. "How delicate can it be?"

 

"Delicate enough to warrant priority over a more urgent missing persons case." The executive's eyes flickered briefly in annoyance. "Thankfully that one seems to have resolved itself. Anyway we may have agreed to a ceasefire, but Liberty and Rocket are still very much at war. Things tend to get a little touchy when you bring privileged information from either side into the mix."

 

"Is this about Team Rocket's report on the prison break?" Dack asked. "Miriam Shields assured me that--"

 

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Jayron said slowly. "You see, both Rocket and Liberty have a particular interest in this case. Rocket's report speculated that the man who freed Mr. and Mrs. Sanders was working for Team Liberty, but they didn't have conclusive evidence. We can confirm it was the work of one of our field agents, Christopher Dunkeld."

 

"Wait a second." Luke raised a hand. "If the Sanders were rescued by Team Liberty, why doesn't their kid know about it?"

 

"Because rescuing the Sanders was never an official part of Dunkeld's mission." Jayron flipped open the folder and pushed a document toward Dack. "His assignment was to locate Brendan Ruby, another one of our agents who had gone missing after investigating an alleged Shadow Pokémon project run by Ace. We believe one of the Pokémon that was being experimented on -- a Hydreigon -- broke loose and chased Ruby as far as the Orange Islands. Dunkeld had been looking into Ruby's disappearance when he suddenly attacked a Rocket prison ship, evidently freed Jeffery and Rebecca Sanders, and went off the grid."

 

"Rocket believed Jeffery and Rebecca had been aiding Team Liberty," Dack said. "That's why they were captured in the first place. This Dunkeld guy breaking them out would support that claim, except it seems like he was acting of his own accord."

 

"The attack was troubling, yes." Jayron flipped to a different report, this one dated only a month ago. "If Ryan Sanders had never come to us asking about his parents, we'd be at a loss for why Dunkeld acted out in such a way. However, Agent Sanders was in possession of something that ties all of this together: Brendan Ruby's Pokédex. He found it in the backpack he had grabbed when Team Rocket arrested his parents."

 

Dack nodded, his mind flashing back to that day. In an ironic twist Ryan had escaped with the one piece of evidence that would have fully incriminated his parents. "Dunkeld must've known Jeffery and Rebecca had it," he said. "That's why he broke them out, he probably didn't know that Ryan took it."

 

"That's the working theory," Jayron agreed. "Which means he most likely would have headed to the Orange Islands after that to look for Ruby. Whether the Sanders are with him, we don't know, but if we find Dunkeld he can tell us where they are."

 

"So we're searching a whole archipelago for one man?" Madison asked. "That's like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

 

"Not quite." The executive's eyes flashed briefly. "You see, Sanders was prepared to set out on a similar mission to find Ruby, paired up with one of Team Liberty's aura wielders. He was sidetracked by Ford's recruitment of a number of his friends. Since the aura wielder in question is currently out on assignment, I will accompany you in her stead."

 

"Sweet." Luke flashed a grin. "Now we just need to get our hands on a few of those power suits and we'll be all set!"

 

"The power suits are currently undergoing repairs and maintenance." Jayron shot Luke a quick glare, but any lecture he might have had was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Ah, perfect timing." The executive gave a brief nod to his Lucario, who stood up to answer the door. "Like I mentioned earlier, the ceasefire is surrounded by tricky legislation. Simply put, there was some concern over having a Rocket majority on a Liberty-sanctioned mission."

 

"Luke and I aren't with Rocket," Madison said quickly.

 

"Technically, yes." Jayron nodded apologetically. "But you're still avid Rocket supporters. The higher-ups requested that we even the playing field a bit, so another Liberty agent will be joining us. He tells me he's an old friend of yours."

 

The blood drained from Dack's face quicker than a Kecleon in an art house. The door opened behind them and a set of jaunty footsteps sauntered into the room. Luke swore loudly as a hand clapped down on Dack's shoulder, pinning him to his chair.

 

"Well if it isn't the whole gang." Adam Shaw's sneer practically seeped into his snide voice. "What a touching reunion!"

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag:


 


The Jirachi did not appear capable of displaying any particular emotion--its holographic avatar, advanced as it was, maintained a stoic expression at all times. Yet one nonetheless got the distinct impression that it was smiling, perhaps even chuckling, at Ryan's queries. As it floated before them, it brought its hands in front of its belly, folding them together.


 


Not quite. The evolution that transpired today is quite unique--unlike anything I have ever witnessed, Vertrag said. Though, it would appear that these are not the first that you have encountered.


 


"Which you know from those initial scans," Sonja said.


 


Indeed, it said. Our contract is based on the pursuit, exchange, and evolution of knowledge. My master directs my gaze, and I observe and collect. But there are some subjects which can only be studied through the eyes of the expert. And with my master gone for the time being, I was lacking in information regarding the present conditions beyond these walls. If it pleases you, then I will apologize for the intrusion.


 


Kyle slipped his hands into his coat pockets. "Seems a little disingenuous to only apologize if we ask."


 


Noted. I will not apologize.


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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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-==IC: James Arthur/Evan Tierra/Kris Homura/Jenny Hakuda - Haina Desert, Alola - [21]==-



The group waited for their enemies to be long gone before they left. Percival and Monstro reverted to their normal forms. The Chandelure promptly collapsed. Ghost chandeliers don’t have adrenaline, but whatever they do have ran out. James reminded himself to shower the Chandelure with affection when he had a free moment. Find out what he likes and bury him in it. For now, he was content to retreat Percival while saying a quiet “Well done.”


Evan promptly gave Monstro a thumbs up, who upon reverting, fell down in a satisfied heap on the ground.”I knew you had it in you!” Evan said, as he recalled the Mud Fish to his Poké Ball.


When the group stepped out of the ruins and into the sandy wastes, all three cars were long gone. James was almost a little impressed they had actually managed to get their bodies together long enough actually drive all three cars. It was a shame though, he’d been hoping to rummage through one of them for evidence. Or even just use it to drive back to civilization. Now they’d have to walk back again. James was about to take a step when something caught his eye. The remains of the first assailant’s gun was by his feet. He pulled a plastic bag from his briefcase. He’d rather not have it on him for long, but it’d be preserved until he could have it analyzed.


All the while, Kris had stayed quiet, thinking back to her finding back at the end of the battle. "I managed to get something earlier." The blue-haired woman spoke up, as she looked at the rest of the group. "I was trying to find the name of the man who ran the opposite way from the others, and I succeeded. His name was Lohe Mahina."


“Lohe…..Mahina?” Evan inquired, recalling the appearance of the man who told them about Alola. “Jenny and I know a Lohe Mahina, but……….he didn’t look like that man.” Jenny nodded to confirm what Evan said.


James pondered the name for a moment. “Where did you meet this ‘Lohe Mahina’?” James asked.

“On Four Island.” Evan said. “He’s the one who told us about Z-Moves and about Alola.”

“He is on Four Island?” James said, parroting the words back. “I understand. I will inquire about him. The name may be a coincidence. But it also might not be.” James began to scratch his chin. “Just trying to confirm this but have any of you heard of a power set quite like that one before?”

“I’ve seen a lot in my time, but nothing like -that-.” Evan said, recalling the numerous powered foes he had fought in the past. “Moonlight, beams of light, appearing from shadows, maybe, but regeneration? That’s something I haven’t exactly heard of in people…..”
Kris and Jenny both shook their heads too, to confirm that neither of them had heard of such a type of power either. "It was super weird, too, like how were they able to just regrow their limbs so quickly?" Jenny wondered, as she frowned in contemplation. "Plus, how they kept shrugging off things like those bullets that were sent back to them…"


“I thought as much,” James said. “That is something else I will have to look into.” Without knowledge of what exactly it was that they were dealing with, it would make things more difficult to report to the Alolan authorities. Such abilities weren’t so beyond the pale as to be unbelievable, but it would strengthen their claims if they knew what they were.


“And lastly, there is Tapu Bulu,” James said, turning around. Tapu Bulu was observing the damage that had been dealt to his shrine. “I cannot say that these assailants will not return to attack Tapu Bulu again. If they have allies, or even if their regeneration allows them to heal all of their wounds, they might try again. I think we need to have a talk with Tapu Bulu.”

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-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-


Chloe thought about what she thought about the scans, but eventually shook her head.


"I don't think you need to apologize really. It was surprising, but I think I get it with that explanation." The psychic girl gave the holographic Jirachi a smile. "Though, what about the rest of Ryan's question? How can you use your powers?"


"I think that's a tough question to answer." Ray spoke up, as he glanced back from his current self-imposed job of looking at the console of computers. "The answer is related to magic in some way, isn't it? There must be a reason why you're appearing as a holographic image right now, right? Plus, the rest of this place has the same sorta unexplainable magic sorta technology…"


The Separatist took a moment to pause. "Plus, if I had to guess, there's a reason why you're named Vertrag - the same as the base - isn't there?"


-==IC: Olivia Seaton/Colleen Llyan/Lucia Zyther - River, Kalos==-


Jhen buzzed around the opposing Dragonair, as he continued to pelt the serpentine Pokémon with attacks in between attacks from Marsala. The Vibrava was having a difficult time, but was determined to help out. As a last-ditch attack, Jhen wrapped his legs around the Dragonair and began to dive toward the water, intending to drop the Dragonair into it before flying out of the way himself.


However, the struggling Dragonair was proving to be a problem as they neared the water. Still, the Vibrava held on, only releasing the serpent when his legs brushed the surface of the river. It was a tough job to pull out of the dive, but thankfully Jhen didn't get his wings wet in the process.


Olivia glanced toward the cliff where the Frogadier had been - three were gone, but she still saw two there. She wasn't sure exactly where the other three had gone, but the Frogadier were quickly turning into the biggest threat in general. But the redhead wasn't sure how to drag them into the general fight, and Dahlia seemed to be focused on getting away from the fight. She considered the Pokémon she had on hand, but nothing seemed to fit any of the fights.


***


Colleen gave Emily a grin as she nodded. "Yeah!" The aura wielder summoned up an Aura Sphere to fire off at the Frogadier who hadn't abandoned their post on the cliff, given that they were more actively hostile than the first time the group encountered them.


Her Poliwag, meanwhile, continued to engage the enemies under the waves. Pollyanna swam tactically to try and avoid the majority of the Carvanha around, as she tried to launch chip damage-esque tackles at the fish. As she tried, however, one of the Carvanha managed to bite down on her tail. With a startled yelp, the Poliwag attempted to free herself, even as the other Carvanha approached slowly.


***


"Right…" Well, that explained why her clothes were drenched. Still, Lucia was not exactly keen on just laying there while everyone else was in danger - although she wasn't too certain what she could do. Her head continue to bug her as she did her best to focus.


The young woman scanned the water, trying to piece together something among the pain. That's when she saw the splashing. A second later, she realized Jamie was not on Tristan.


"Let me up." Lucia said firmly the second she made the connection. Alex seemed to be refusing to listen to her, and the Amaura didn't seem that helpful in that respect either. "I need…. I need to help, let me up."

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-==IC: James Arthur/Evan Tierra/Kris Homura/Jenny Hakuda - [Route 13] - [22]==-

 

James stepped out of Kris’s trailer and stretched his back. It hadn’t been a great night’s sleep. He wasn’t going to tell his host that, however. There had been two couches and a bed in a back room - and James had been given sole usage of one of the couches. After the night they had experienced, the group immediately crashed as soon as they entered Kris’s trailer. James hadn’t explicitly asked for a couch by himself, but was glad for it. It was much worse than the bed Liberty provided him as an Executive, and he didn’t particularly want to share his bed with any of the others. Still after a night like what they had, the couch had felt fit for a king. Now that he had woken up, however, his body reminded him of the comfort he was generally used to.

 

Lancelot was practicing his swordsmanship behind the trailer. He didn’t want to deal with humans being shocked at him using moves, so he used the relative cover of the trailer to hide away from prying eyes as he practiced his stance with the ethereal blade. The Grubbin from the night prior was watching him.

 

“I think you have a fan, Lancelot,” James said as he looked at the Grubbin. The bug’s face was inscrutable. In truth, the bug wasn’t as impressed with the swordplay as much as the dedication to it. “You could join us, if you want,” James said bending his knees to talk to the little bug.

 

The bug twisted his head a little. It didn’t seem quite sure. James smiled at the bug. It looked back. No hint of refusal, but neither of acceptance.

 

“Well the offer will be open until I leave, I suppose,” James said. “We cannot stay long. We have our meeting with Colress later today, and I will need to get back to the hotel to make myself presentable. Speaking of…” he said as he pulled out Percival’s Ultra Ball. “I will need to speak with you and Percival again in a bit. After I have spoken with Mr. Tierra.”

 

Lancelot nodded. James seemed to be putting things into place. There wasn’t any need for him to worry about it for now. Back to sword practice.

 

James stepped back around to the front of the trailer.

 

Jenny yawned as she sleepily walked out of the trailer, rubbing her eyes while squinting because of the sun. The sound of James walking up to the front of where they were staying caught her attention, however.

 

"Morning…" Jenny said, though it was punctuated with a yawn.

 

James nodded and replied with “Good morning, Miss Hakuda.”

Evan yawned heartily as he marched out of the trailer, momentarily closing his eyes due to the brightness of the desert. “Good morning, everyone!” The Plasma Agent said to his girlfriend and the Liberty Executive. “Hopefully you both had a good rest?”

"Yep!" Jenny said cheerfully as she turned to Evan, already starting to snap herself awake.

 

“I have no complaints,” James said as he looked towards Evan. “And where is our host?”

 

"Right here." Kris said with a smile, looking a lot more awake than the others except James. "Good morning to all of you."

 

“Good morning, Kris! Glad to see you had a good rest. How about Tapu Bulu?” Evan asked the Psychic woman. “Did they have a good rest?”

Kris nodded with a smile. "I'd say so; they seemed to take a little bit to actually settle down, but I think they're appreciating the rest. They're still inside, I didn't think I should wake them up yet."

 

James silently agreed. Best let the capricious deity have its rest. He frankly didn’t feel like dealing with a mad god first thing in the morning. “Mr. Tierra,” James said to Evan. “May I have a minute of your time?”

“I don’t see why not, Executive Arthur.” Evan said, a curious look on his face. “What can I do for you, sir?”

“I just wanted to talk about those transformations our Pokemon underwent last night,” James said. He hadn’t tried to make Lancelot or Percival transform that morning. He felt more confident that he would be able to. But he wanted to get his thoughts in order about it before he tried. “How you and Monstro felt when it happened, and anything you might have noticed about it.”

Evan recalled the events of last night, thinking of how he and Monstro felt. “It felt like……Monstro and I were on the same wavelength.” The man spoke, trying to think more. “Monstro has always been a part of my team, but he’s experienced quite a few cruel losses in battle. Nevertheless, I cheered him on, and then he transformed. Could it be related to the bond we share?”

 

“The bond between trainer and Pokemon,” James said. He considered the instances he’d seen this ability. Monstro and Percival had been badly damaged, but Lancelot had evaded such damage due to the speed his transformation had given (and had carried the two so far away they actually got lost. A rather embarrassing predicament). So damage being the catalyst was out. Lancelot and Monstro had been in danger during their transformations, but Percival was arguably not. He had been hurt, but no there was no incoming attack during his transformation. Meaning the incoming danger was also not the catalyst. Which left Evan’s suggestion. With Lancelot, James’s life had been in danger. With Percival he, perhaps unintentionally, had been hugging Percival. These would support Evan’s hypothesis, which meant, so far, it was the leading hypothesis.

 

“I was afraid of that,” James muttered quietly.

"Afraid of what?" Jenny asked curiously, having heard what James muttered.

 

James shook his head. “Nevermind, thank you for the insight, Mr. Tierra. I have a meeting later today that I will have to prepare for. My team and I will be leaving shortly.”

“Well, I wish you the best of luck with your meeting, Executive Arthur.” Evan said, holding out his hand. “Hopefully it’ll all work out in your favor, sir.”

James grasped Evan’s hand. “I will return for the battle you all promised,” he said before releasing Evan’s hand. “It should be easier to get the people of Alola on board when you have Tapu Bulu with you. Do you know where the battle will take?”

 

"Royal Avenue on Akala; it's in the Royal Dome there, you can't miss it." Kris explained with a smile.

 

“Understood, I will be there,” James said, nodding to Kris. “Until then, farewell.”

 

James went around the back of the trailer. Lancelot had overheard parts of James’s conversation with the others. The sword in his gauntlet disappeared, and he turned to face James. The trainer’s faced down for a moment, before he shook his head.

 

“The bond between trainer and Pokemon, eh?” James said. To have to let someone else in, even in the name of power. The idea of it scared James a little.

 

James and Lancelot stared at each other for a little bit. Lancelot could see the unease in James’s face, and decided to wait patiently for it to pass. James opened his mouth. He was about to ask “Lancelot, do you trust me?” but he stopped himself. After a moment more of waiting, James started to laugh. Lancelot was only slightly confused by this.

 

“I am an idiot, if I have to ask now,” James said, covering his face in his hand. He pictured Lancelot in his mind. He pictured Lancelot’s evolved form. He began to sweat as he made himself recall the fear of the Leopyred’s fire. But most of all, he recalled Lancelot’s determination to save him.

 

Lancelot began to glow. Oh, this, Lancelot thought, as if this was perfectly normal. As if they hadn’t been working on this to no avail only two days ago. The Scizor had much more time to savor the transformation. The power that flowed through him; how much lighter that Lancelot felt despite the added weight. When he finally took form, he pulled out a sword once more. The power that flowed through him raised a much greater sword than he had in his normal form.

 

James smiled. He’d over-thought it. He'd let scientists such as Colress make a better judgement on how the mechanics of this power worked. All that mattered right now was that he trusted Lancelot and Lancelot trusted him.

 

“Let us go, Lancelot. We have a meeting to make.”

 

The Grubbin that had been watching Lancelot, recoiled a bit just watching Lancelot transform. Starstruck as he was, the moment James moved to leave, the Grubbin grabbed the hem of James’s pants.

 

“Oh, you have decided you want to go with us after all?” James said as he looked down at the little bug.

 

The bug nodded vigorously.

 

“Alright, we will get you a nice Poke Ball later,” James said offering his hand to the bug. The Grubbin readily climbed up James’s arm to his shoulder. “Now, let us go going for real this time.”

 

As they began to walk off, James looked at the bug on his shoulder. He took one look at how the bug was still marveling at Lancelot’s changed form. “I think I will dub you, Sir Gareth.”

 

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IC: Dahlia Seaton (Dracos, Marsala)/Zoe Llyan (Kammy, Eilonwy)/Alex Lockwood (Empoleon, Swampert, Aramau) - River, Kalos Route 7

"Bad idea." Alex preemptively squeezed the girl's shoulder to keep her from trying to sit up. A struggle on the crowded Empoleon would likely end with one or both of them in the water. "Listen, I know it sucks not being able to do anything but watch your friends fight for their lives. Trust me, I've been there. But if you go in there now, you'll only make things worse for yourself. Concussions aren't just something you can walk off."

 

Aramau gave a small whine of agreement and pressed her cool neck against Lucia's head to discourage any problematic behavior. The dull fire refused to leave the girl's eyes. Alex didn't know her too well, but see seemed to be equal parts worried and frustrated.

 

The Liberty agent let out a sigh as he relaxed his grip on her shoulder. "You need to lay low," he insisted. "But tell me what you need me to do and I'll do the fighting for you. I was a pretty good field agent in Team Liberty, after all. Not to mention, I was on the Sunyshore Middle School swim team. You can trust me on this."

 

"Go get 'em, Collie!" Zoe cheered as her older sister took on a Frogadier that had been crouching on the nearby cliffs. Her moral support went unheard over the din of battle, which deflated the young girl faster than a Drifloon in a windstorm. She hugged her Feebas close as she looked at the fighting all around her. "They all look so cool," she muttered, a hint of pining in her voice.

 

A screech shook Zoe out of her melancholy. She looked up just in time to see a Swanna divebombing toward her. With a shriek, Zoe leapt out of the way -- at the same time, Kammy reared back to swipe at the feral bird. The combined actions sent Zoe and Eilonwy tumbling off of the Blastoise's back. The world spun around as Zoe felt a momentary weightlessness. Then she hit the water with a resounding splash.

 

Her clothes and bag quickly filled with water, weighing her down and making her movements sluggish. In her crazed frenzy to stay afloat she had inadvertently flung Eilonwy from her arms; the Feebas resurfaced further downstream and began swimming as fast as she could toward her trainer. Unfortunately, the tattered fish wasn't the only thing to rise to the depths.

 

The Dragonair that Jhen had so valiantly tossed into the river emerged in a foul mood. Spotting the struggling Zoe, the serpentine Pokémon started to swim in narrowing circles around her. Surprise turned into full-fledged panic as Zoe heard a sinister hiss escape the dragon's maw. "Um . . . Collie?" Her sister remained further upstream, too focused on fighting the Frogadier to notice. The Dragonair drew closer. "Help!"

 

Dahlia's relief at having finally disposed of the Dragonair turned into sickly knot in the pit of her stomach the moment she saw the wild Pokémon target Zoe. She had been so focused on keeping herself and Olivia out of danger that she had neglected everything else. She had been treating the Dragonair as their sole opponent, one of several fights that spanned the river. But the feral Pokémon did not observe such formalities as rules of engagement; they would fight anyone and everyone they came across. This wasn't several smaller fights, but one big one. And in her selfish desire to avoid direct combat, Dahlia had merely given her problems to someone else. Someone ill equipped to handle them.

 

To run from a fight like this was to neglect her duty as a hero. "Better hold on tight, Liv." The gardener leaned forward and wrapped one arm around Dracos' serpentine body, extending the other towards her fallen foe. There wasn't enough time to try something as flashy as reversing the Dragonair's momentum, and if she accidentally hit Zoe the kid could drown when her efforts to stay afloat turned against her. All she had to do was disrupt her opponent's senses enough to slow it down. The moment she felt the power rise within her, Dahlia cried out. "Dracos! Take us down there, now!"

 

Twisting in midair, Dracos aimed himself at the enemy Dragonair and dove as fast as he could. At their current trajectory they'd reach their opponent before it could attack Zoe. But if Dahlia and Olivia weren't careful, they could very well end up in the same predicament as the younger girl. Dracos didn't allow himself to worry about that possibility. Worrying meant hesitation, and with even a moment's hesitation they wouldn't reach Zoe in time. He would just have to trust in his trainer's conviction.

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC: Jamie Arthur - Route 7

 

Jamie’s thrashing attracted the notice of a Carvanha. It rushed Jamie to take a bite out of her. As it approached her, Jamie opened her eyes. She was not going to become fish food. She glared at the fish and stuck her hand at it. The Carvanha gladly darted towards the extended dish.

 

*Blub* *Blub* *Bluuub*

 

The fish’s jaw stopped mid-bite. Jamie slipped her hand out of the Carvanha’s jaw. Before she could even comprehend that she had nearly lost her hand or that her power actually worked for once, a second Carvanha rushed at her. It never reached Jamie. A Buizel crashed into the Carvanha sending it reeling. The Buizel turned to Jamie and grabbed onto her from below, and began to push her up.

 

As the Buizel grabbed hold of her, she got a good look at it. One thought flooded through Jamie’s mind as it pulled her to the surface.

 

So… hero…

 

When Jamie broke the surface, she immediately began to spit out water. Coughing for breath, she held onto the Buizel for support. His air sac began to fill up, increasing his buoyancy and making for a decent flotation device.

 

Tristan made a visible display of relief. He would wait for Jamie to stop coughing and then place her on his back again. He made an utterance of gratitude to the Buizel for rescuing her.

 

Lucan gently laid the body of the Hawlucha on the riverside. Well as gently as someone without very tiny excuses for arms could. There wasn’t much more he could do for the Hawlucha, so he returned to Jamie. Palomides let Lionel off on Oggie and returned as well.

 

Jamie snarled once all the water was out. She remembered what the objective was once she had a moment to calm down. Beat them all up with letting them fall into the water. She had three floaty boys, and one floaty buoy. The Buizel looked around to see if anyone else needed his help. Jamie closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath to calm herself.

 

“I need your help to save people,” Jamie told the Buizel. “Will you help me?”

 

The Buizel looked to the shoal of Carvanha and then to the humans. He had to admit, this was a problem. Carvanha generally didn’t come to these waters. If he knew how, he’d redirect them back to their own waters. If she had any ideas on how they could chase the Carvanha away, he’d hear them.

 

Jamie glared at the Carvanha in the water. That was the biggest source of impending danger. If she could get them out of the picture, everyone else would be much safer.

 

“We will get the Carvanha to focus on us. Once they are focusing on us, everyone else will be able to escape.”

 

Jamie eyed the Hawlucha. It saw Lucan gently place its fellow on the ground. The Hawlucha She decided that she would live and let live as long the Hawlucha didn’t come after her friends, for now. After they dealt with the fish, they would have to fight any of the flying opponents that still bothered to chase them. Along with the Frogadier, again. You’d think they’d learn their lesson after one battle.

 

“If you had to carry me, could you still outswim the Carvanha?” Jamie asked the Buizel.

The Buizel looked a bit concerned at that question. But he was confident about his speed. Especially in these waters. The human was rather big compared to him though. He’d have to hold her just right. He nodded, slowly.

 

“Tristan, you will be our forward shield, and our sword. Toss every fish you can get your hands on out of this river.”

 

Tristan would’ve rather put Jamie on his back to protect her. But if she insisted on doing something foolish for the sake of fulfilling her duties as a hero, then all Tristan could do was place himself in front of Jamie and the Buizel. To match their speed and protect them as best he could.

 

He was gonna need to have a talk with this Dialga though.

 

“Palomides, you will be in charge of tossing any fish that slips around Tristan up to him. Use me as a shield to protect yourself.”

 

Palomides turned incorporeal and placed himself over Jamie and the Buizel. If she wanted to risk herself, go ahead.  

“Lucan, you will have the most dangerous job.” That description did not do any favors for the Vanilluxe. “I will need to you to guard our flanks. This means you’ll be the one most exposed to the Carvanha. Will you do it?”

The Vanilluxe really didn’t want to. He felt that he had barely made it out of their grasp when he saved the Hawlucha. There had to be a better way than this. But his eyes met the Buizel’s. The Buizel seemed ready to try and help Jamie’s plan. This wild Pokemon that owed Jamie nothing was willing to give this a try. Lucan was stronger than him. If anything, the Buizel should be the one scared and uncooperative. Lucan turned to see Dahlia fighting to rescue Zoe. If there was anything he could do to help Jamie make things easier for these people, it was his job to try.

 

He took a deep breath with each of his mouths. He exhaled a cold fog and sank into the water. He could try this.

 

“Alright,” Jamie said, as she shifted positions at the Buizel’s directing. She had just met this Buizel, but he was putting his trust in her. She would trust him in turn. “Charge!”

 

The Buizel’s tails began to spin in rapid circles. As one giant, weirdly shaped and oddly put together unit, they began to charge straight towards the mass of fish with very sharp teeth ahead.

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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag:

 

 

-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-


Chloe thought about what she thought about the scans, but eventually shook her head.


"I don't think you need to apologize really. It was surprising, but I think I get it with that explanation." The psychic girl gave the holographic Jirachi a smile. "Though, what about the rest of Ryan's question? How can you use your powers?"


"I think that's a tough question to answer." Ray spoke up, as he glanced back from his current self-imposed job of looking at the console of computers. "The answer is related to magic in some way, isn't it? There must be a reason why you're appearing as a holographic image right now, right? Plus, the rest of this place has the same sorta unexplainable magic sorta technology…"


The Separatist took a moment to pause. "Plus, if I had to guess, there's a reason why you're named Vertrag - the same as the base - isn't there?"

"Wait, it is?" Kyle said, double-taking between Ray and the Jirachi. "You never mentioned that name before." He pointed at Sonja, noticing the sheepish expression on her face. "You knew, too?"

 

"I mean . . . There wasn't much point in bringing it up, was there?" she said. "Not like we could have asked anyone if they knew the way to Vertrag. I didn't think it meant anything."

 

The Jirachi elicited a light chuckle. To any but my master, the name would mean nothing of value. Between us, however, there is a vast history--our arrangement.

 

"Of course," Emmerich said. "You said you had a contract with him? My German is a bit rusty, but 'contract' is the literal translation of 'vertrag.'" He lowered his hand from his chin. "Your name comes from the conditions through which you met. Is that it?"

 

You are correct, Vertrag answered. The answer ties in with Mr. Sanders's question. As does Mr. Hakuda's assumptions. The Jirachi folded its arms behind its back. My master operates on an even balance of the technological and the magical. This facility is no exception. Yet the answer as to what it is, and how my powers remain functional, lies perfectly in neither realm. The simplest means of understanding lies in the mythology of Hoenn. There exists a species of Pokémon called Jirachi, which are capable of granting wishes. You know of this. What you may not be aware of is that they are functionally immortal--their lifespans far exceed many other species. Their powers reach an apex for one week every one-thousand years. Yet, they do have a limit. I was one such specimen.

 

A pair of miniature holograms projected in front of Vertrag, in the same style of constellation-like lights as the speaker itself. One took the form of a prone Jirachi, lying on its back. The other was a man, simplified in appearance, and yet--purely from its movements--it perfectly captured the essence of John Ford.

 

My master found me at the end of my life, Vertrag continued. Simultaneously, I was at the peak of my final week of fully-realized power. My master brought me to the original form of this facility. There, he made a proposal: Through a combination of his magic and my powers, I would inhabit and transform this facility. I would live on, and this place would become the epicenter of my power--a dimension of its own, which he would utilize and I would maintain. In exchange, I would assist him in seeking and collecting knowledge. I accepted, granting his wish and creating what we now call Vertrag, in honor of our contract.

 

"So you're not just an AI that Ford created," Sonja said. "You are literally a mind transformed into a massive computer system."

 

I would dare to call myself the ultimate culmination of magic, technology, and nature itself.

 

"And you're okay with that?" Sonja asked. "Don't you ever get sick of being trapped in here?"

 

Trapped? I do not see it that way. As long as I have a purpose, I am content. Before Vertrag, my purpose was granting wishes. This facility immortalized me and gave me a new purpose: To watch over this world and assist in its protection.

 

 

 

IC - Black Horse Manor, Laverre City:

An otherwise-unassuming part of town bustled with activity. It was a darkened street where the growls of trucks drowned out the whispers of the lake, where the clinking of firearms against armor scared away any curious passerby. Perhaps it was better that way. Haunted houses always attracted attention; inevitably brave souls seeking a cheap thrill would sneak in and poke their heads around, basking in the knowledge that whatever lay within wouldn't really hurt them. But the decrepit, dying manor to the north of Laverre, where rain had broken through more than one section of roof and mold had taken hold of entire sections of the first floor? Only someone with nothing left to lose would ever dream of stepping foot on that land.

 

That, or someone with a death wish.

 

Ask any of the perimeter guards, and you'd find that the answer was roughly half and half.

 

Tucked deeper within the manor--past the high walls and gate, along the broken concrete lane and in the foyer--that was where the proverbial stew boiled. A dozen cargo trucks lined the way. Men and women moved, hard at work stacking heavy crates inside the manor. A woman shouted orders from a balcony above, directing the workers with the authority and profanity of a drill sergeant. She hardly batted an eye when a group stumbled, sending the heavy container that they were supporting toppling over onto one of their own. The screams of pain and panic annoyed her more than anything, and it was without a hint of hesitation that she gave a sharp hand signal. A responsive bang brought those same screams to an unceremonious end.

 

"Get that cargo in place now!" she yelled. "No more ****ing around!"

 

"Easy with the henchies, Piet."

 

The smooth, familiar voice rolled from behind her. She almost dropped her clipboard in alarm, even before she turned around to confirm who it was. "My apologies, sir," she said, forcing herself to keep her tone even. "That's the second accident today. Neither should have happened."

 

"Oh, I don't care about that," the man said. Every word fell like a light, carefree wind--one that threatened to become something much, much more dangerous. He draped an arm over her shoulder, tapping the head of the cane in his hand against her head. "I'm talking about the morale! Just remember, whatever happens here doesn't. Really. MatterPrep work is prep work; people wanna do it badly, let 'em. In a couple of days, it's not like they'll be around to regret it, anyway, right?"

 

"I understand, sir."

 

"Good!" He slipped his arm back, tapping the cane against the ground. "So, what've we got? Are we good to go?"

 

"Pretty much," Piet said. "We've got enough powder, masks, and ammunition for a small army. And these." She pulled a card out of her pocket. The man held a hand out; she placed it in his palm, stepping back as he held it up and observed it. "We've been mass-charging them as we go. Pollux advised against it, but so far we've had a . . . high enough success rate."

 

"Twenty percent burn-backs?"

 

"Thirty, unfortunately."

 

"Close enough." The man pocketed it. "We're all gonna die anyway, right?" Shift grinned. "Might as well have some fun while we're at it."

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-


Chloe and Ray both seemed surprised by the explanations given by the Jirachi; Ray in particular looked at the Jirachi in awe. Chloe was the first of the two to speak up.

 

"I think that's a very cool purpose, honestly." She said with a smile. The purpose seemed much like their own - was that another reason that Ford had sent them here without telling them about this? "Um, thank you for helping with that, then."

 

"What… what kind of things can be done?" Ray finally spoke up, as he scratched the side of his face awkwardly a moment after asking his question. "Well, um, what I mean is like… Magic seems to be capable of so much - much more than I ever expected - so like… what kind of things are you capable of doing?"

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IC: Ryan Sanders – Control Room, Vertrag
Ryan's head spun from the explanation. Magic, nature, and technology . . . as the spectral Jirachi had said, Vertrag was a perfect melding of all three. It was something he wouldn't have thought possible in his wildest dreams, and yet here Vertrag was, right in front of him. Or all around him. He was still getting used to the idea that Ford's base was actually alive.

Ray's question pulled Ryan out of his own thoughts. "Well, we already saw how Vertrag helped us in battle. Although . . . forgive me for being frank, but it seems like you can't attack directly. You needed us to fight off Adams and Alb- I mean Gluttony." The Liberty agent rubbed his chin as he pondered that fact. "Those two were also able to get through the front door relatively easily, it seems." He balked when he realized what he'd just said. "Not that I'm doubting your abilities, Vertrag. Although if Adams and Gluttony do decide to come back for round two, we should probably be better prepared."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag:

 

Correct, Vertrag said. I am not meant for battle. I am only accessible to those deemed worthy by my master, or by extension, his prodigies. This was enough of a safeguard for the past twenty or so years. Until today, I had never encountered a situation where I deemed myself in jeopardy. Yet, with the arrival of this new menace . . .

 

"Missing Zero," Sonja said. "It seems as if you should have known it was coming, but . . . Even you probably weren't able to breach the pact of silence."

 

I could not discern the difference between the Third Child and the creature that has overtaken her form, until they had already descended into the depths of this facility. If Vertrag was confirming what she was saying, it did not indicate so outright. This is most unusual for me. Thus, yes, I required assistance. I am most pleased with the outcome of your engagement. In the future, it would seem prudent to relocate so as to dissuade the Third Child from attempting re-entry into this facility, until such a time that my master can revoke her access privileges.

 

"That may be a while . . ." Kyle muttered. "You probably already gathered that he's in prison right now?"

 

A most unfortunate situation.

 

Emmerich diverted his gaze to one of the blank monitors.  "I'll refrain from commenting."

 

You are free to hold your own opinion, Vertrag stated simply. I will refrain from referring to it as garbage.

 

"So, Ray's question," Sonja quickly cut in. "What else can you do? As Ryan said, you helped us in battle--you healed us and our teams, buffed our Pokémon, and did whatever you did to hide the General. I think we pretty much collectively agreed that you've been adding rooms for each additional Child that Ford recruited. And you just said something about relocating the entrance, so it doesn't seem like you're stationary."

 

Correct. Vertrag sounded pleased with itself. This facility is, for all intents and purposes, a mobile pocket dimension, one whose spacial and structural attributes I completely control. Therefore I can add, remove, and reconfigure rooms as I see fit, and possess near-unlimited access to all objects within my realm of influence.

 

"I take it you can summon things, since you're a Jirachi?" Kyle asked. "That would explain why there are toys and pictures and things in everyone's rooms."

 

Correct.

 

"And those bedrooms are based off of our memories?" Sonja asked. "I always wondered that. It seemed like the room I was staying in just . . . knew what made me feel comfortable."

 

They are based off of the memories gleaned from your entry scan, the Jirachi confirmed. My aim has always been to provide comfort.

 

"And you're not stationary." Emmerich looked squarely at the Jirachi. "Vertrag can move. That's probably helped Ford evade capture more than once."

 

IndeedI can relocate this facility through mass teleportation. It requires a significant portion of energy; however, I am typically ready for a second teleportation within a matter of days.

 

"When was the last time you moved?"

 

July 30th of this year. I was relocated from Two Island.

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag

"So let me get this straight." Ryan started counting on his fingers. "You're a teleporting secret base that runs on magic, you can deny entry to anyone outside of Ford's Children, you're a wealth of information Ford's gathered over the years, and you can create personalized rooms for your occupants." A wide grin broke out on his face as he looked around at his companions. "Is anyone else here thinking we should make Vertrag our base of operations for the time being? I mean, if we go back to the Alamo, Silvermind and the others will confiscate the Grimoire in a heartbeat. But with Vertrag on our side, we can carry out Ford's mission in his stead."

 

He realized how crazy his words sounded the moment they were out of his mouth. Up until a few days ago he'd considered Ford to be one of the most evil men in the world. Now here he was not only defending The Shadowed Man, but volunteering to fulfill his mission for him. He bit his lip, scanning the room for everyone's reactions. Emmerich in particular he felt wouldn't like his idea of going rogue.

 

"I mean, Sonja and Ray, you're technically still Ford Agents, right?" he added in an attempt to justify his thoughts. "It'd be like a second chance to do what you'd tried to do on Two Island. Only this time you aren't bound by some pact of secrecy or whatever. Kyle, Chloe, what do you think?"

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-

 

Chloe looked over in surprise at the suggestion for a moment, then got a thoughtful look on her face. "I mean, it doesn't really have to be completely Ford's mission either - I think a lot of people share it by now, and... honestly, he's the one with the most knowledge of the situation from the sounds of it." She bit her lip as she considered everything. "Plus, we seem to know more about some things than even he did - like those Sin things that keep popping up, and such."

 

"That's fine and all, but... will this actually work? I mean, it's a good idea, but... I think Vertrag would need to agree to this too." Ray frowned slightly as he thought about it a bit more. "But... in theory it could work. I mean, as it is, we're not really a group of any one team anyway. We've got Liberty agents, Rockets, Separatists, Plasma agents... it would be fitting in a way. I dunno if I like the idea of taking on the name of "Ford's agents" or anything like that, but..."

"Hm." Chloe thought for a moment, as she chuckled. "Well, it is almost like we're like the front guard here... so like, maybe Vanguard or something like that?" Something was on her mind, however; she couldn't quite place it, but she thought it was related to something she had mentioned, or that Vertrag had.

 

She froze as she realized what it was. "How can you revoke permission, again? Because Adams isn't the only person who would be needed to be revoked - McKinley needs to be revoked too at the very least..." A shudder went down her spine as she realized something else. "Pierce too, right? Wasn't he killed at the egg too when he was helping Ford?"

Edited by Blessed Blade
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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag:

 

In all honesty, Kyle was a little taken aback by Ryan's suggestion. As many problems as he had had with Team Liberty's leadership, he had grown up in the organization. To abandon them outright . . . He really wasn't sure how he felt about that suggestion. But Ryan did have a point--if they returned with the Grimoire, or really anything else of significance to Ford, they'd be all but guaranteed to lose possession of it. And if the Grimoire in particular was as important to stopping Missing Zero as Ford seemed to suggest . . . The thought made him shudder.

 

Equally as unnerving: What Chloe had just said.

 

"Yeah . . ." Sonja breathed. "If Adams came back as one of Missing Zero's things . . . I'd bet that Pierce will, too." She turned a concerned eye to the Jirachi. "But you can't revoke access privileges, can you? You said Ford had to do that."

 

Vertrag nodded. Correct. My master must be returned to this facility before those adjustments can be made.

 

"Figures . . ." Kyle sighed. "But you can move the base?"

 

Correct.

 

"That's a weird set of rules."

 

They are the terms of our contract.

 

"Anyway . . ." Kyle leaned against the railing around the center control console. "Vanguard, huh?" He fell silent for a moment. "What do you think, Sonja?"

 

"I don't know . . . It would be nice to operate a bit more outside of the rules . . ." Sonja said. "And it's not like we don't already do that . . ." She crossed her arms, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I don't think it's smart to burn bridges with the other groups . . . But I'm also not sure that there's a way of using what we have here without inadvertently doing that." With a sigh, she looked at the Jirachi. "If we did decide to use this base as our own, would you let us?"

 

My master trusts you, Vertrag said. Therefore I trust you.

 

"Okay," Sonja said. "Thank you." She looked at everyone else. "Then . . . I say we go for it, if for no other reason than the danger of letting Vertrag fall under M0's control."

 

"I hadn't even thought about that," Kyle admitted. "I've been too preoccupied thinking about what Silvermind would do if she had access here." That was almost enough to make him shudder again. "I agree with Chloe that I don't feel comfortable calling myself a Ford Agent, but . . . Yeah; if you guys are set on this, then I'll join the Vanguard, too." He turned his head. "What about you?"

 

The group looked at Emmerich. He chewed his lip, his eyes jumping almost nervously from one face to the next. He took a deep breath, folding his hands in his lap. "I cannot give any sort of official condonement towards what would effectively be treason," he said carefully. "That being said, a base capable of moving on its own and denying access to those it deems untrustworthy isn't exactly the base of a group that can be effectively brought to justice. So . . ." The General shrugged. "Make of that what you will."

 

"Every vigilante group needs a good guy in the government to give his unspoken backing," Kyle said, grinning.

 

Emmerich shook his head, betraying the slightest--slightest--hint of a smile. "If you're calling yourselves the 'Vanguard,' you might consider 'Vorhut.' Maintain the German tradition with Vertrag." He looked away. "Not that I have an opinion on the matter . . ."

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Ryan Sanders - Command Center, Vertrag

"Vorhut." The name rolled nicely off his tongue. "I like it. Certainly gives a better impression than associating us with Ford, even if we are using his base. We're more like a spiritual successor to Ford, like how Ford's group was a spiritual successor of sorts to the Signs."

 

A smile crossed Ryan's face as he looked at each of his teammates in turn. Aside from Emmerich each person here he considered an invaluable friend. They had fought together through countless battles, and aside from a few missing people he honestly couldn't think of a better group to act as the front line of defense against Missing Zero.

 

"Now, speaking of Ford . . ." Ryan looked back up at the Jirachi, his face deep in thought. "You said Ford is the only one who can change access privileges to the base. But you can move the base anywhere in the world. This might sound crazy, but do you think you could move the base to Ford's cell in the Alamo? I think our top priority should be making sure no more of Missing Zero's puppets masquerading as Ford agents get in here."

Konuju: Kopaka and Nuju meet the Spear of Fusion

 

Quotes from throughout the years:

 

2001: "Your past is forgotten, and your future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer." --Nokama

2002: "Mata Nui faces perhaps its greatest challenge -- one that will test our courage, our strength, and our belief in each other." --Tahu

2003: "So... it has begun, my brother. But soon, it will also end..." --Makuta

2004: "Your journey must end." "By the will of the Great Spirit, it has just begun!" --Makuta and Vakama

2005: "Our destinies are not written in stone, set in place. They are something we have to find for ourselves." --Vakama

2006: "Don't you realize you're fighting for a lost cause?" "Maybe. But don't you realize those are the only ones worth fighting for?" --Axonn and Brutaka

2007: "Sometimes a hero has to do something else besides beat the villains and come home covered in glory." --Hahli

2008: "Dive into the darkness, Ignite the flame within. Now, there is no turning back. Make the future... begin." --Narrator, The Final Battle Animation

2009: "It is said that all endings are merely beginnings waiting to be born." --Mata Nui

2010: "All journeys must come to an end, but this time, there is a new beginning as well. ... All that has gone before, my friends, has only served to give birth to this new day. Let unity, duty and destiny be your guides." --Mata Nui

2011: "Not dead. Just frozen. They’ll thaw out … eventually. I’m tired of villains spouting gibberish." --Kopaka

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-==IC: Chloe Hikari/Ray Hakuda - Vertrag==-

 

"So..." Chloe put a finger to her lip curiously at Ryan's suggestion. "We burn all our bridges to get to Ford, risking someone noticing us, before our mission is done, while we're trying to not cause anyone in any of the groups to hate us?" The psychic girl shook her head. "I agree that we should deal with the access stuff ASAP, but... I think right now we might be better off focusing on the Signs instead... right?"

 

She thought for a moment. "That said, the idea itself isn't the worst, just... in a different way. Vertrag, do you think that you could take us to Kalos?" Chloe turned to Kyle. "Ummm, do you know where we'd be best to head?"

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IC - Kyle Eston/Sonja Baron/Emmerich Coleman/Vertrag - Command Center, Vertrag:

 

"Well . . ." Kyle rubbed the back of his head as he thought back to his experience with the Signs. "I couldn't tell you exactly where off the top of my head, but Dendemille Town would probably be a good place to start. That's where I first ran into Shift, and the warehouse they took me to afterward shouldn't be that far off from there. I'm sure we'd find something there."

 

"Well, let's make sure we're ready before we go," Sonja said. "The last thing we want is them getting the jump on us like they did with you." With a nod to Ryan, she continued, "As for Ford, I agree with Chloe--let's hold off on that for a bit. It would be problematic if they sent out a task force to hunt him down while we're getting all of this sorted out."

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~ Rise of the Rockets (I II)/Discussion Topic/Side Stories ~

 

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IC: Flint Conley - Blackthorn City, Johto

 

Flint was in a bad mood, so the two agents -- siblings, if he remembered right. Dave and Rachel Roberts, or something like that. Grunts rotated out of his roster too quickly to remember their names. -- who had accompanied him for the check-in were alternating between keeping their distance and trying to ease his temper. He followed quietly behind one of the nurses, drumming his fingers testily against his thigh as he walked. As the redhead moved, he felt the weight of the twin dao swords slung across his back. The nurse was still rambling, trying to explain her failure. The swords could shut her up pretty quickly.

 

Flint sighed and shook his head. The swords weren't meant to kill random incompetent nurses; they were supposed to protect things. Sure, losing over 30 eggs was a sign of idiocy, but it wasn't malicious, and it didn't make the nurse a threat to Flint's ideals. He glanced at Ozai who walked beside him. The Blaziken had his arms crossed, equally unimpressed with the woman's rambling.

 

Finally, they stopped walking, and the nurse shut up and looked at him as if expecting a response. He scowled as he realized he had been tuning out her inane rambling while he weighed her life. "Repeat yourself," the Team Rocket Executive ordered. "Just the last part, not the rest of it."

 

"I asked," she replied -- slowly, as if talking to a child. Flint scowled at the thought. "if you wanted to look at the successful hatches we've had. Fifteen Bagon, thirteen Gible, a dozen Jangmo-o, and two Dratini, all perfectly healthy."

 

"No." Flint waved a hand dismissively. "Why haven't they already been sent for distribution?"

 

"They're still young, sir. The last of them only hatched two days ago, and the rest have been over the course of three weeks. We don't clear them for distro until a month at least."

 

Flint growled at the woman's insubordinate tone. "You don't think I know that?! Who are you talking to?" He stepped closer to her, and the woman shrank back.

 

"I-- My apologies, Executive. Is there... anything else I can do for you today?"

 

Flint sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, just... Be sure to send those Pokémon out as soon as they're ready. I have to go fill out a report due to your lab's gross negligence of its responsibilities." He turned, glaring at the agents lurking behind him. "Let's go, you two. I need a cup of tea."

 

"Yes sir," the siblings chorused as Flint walked past them, Ozai in tow.

Edited by MELON LORD

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Yu Changgong - Blackthorn City

 

A lone figure kneeled in front of a large gravestone, eyes closed and in prayer, with a Pansear and Jangmo-o accompanying the solemn scene. A bundle of incense sticks burned in front of him, the gentle breeze taking the trails of smoke upwards. The gravestone listed several names in descending order.

 

Jia Changgong.

 

Bai Changgong.

 

Yu Changgong.

 

The man remained in front of the slab of stone until the last of the incense burned away. He slowly stood up to gather the container of the incense, noticing an old woman out of the corner of his eye approaching him.

 

"I haven't seen you around here before," the proprietor of the cemetery said, a small smile strewn on her face. "Would you happen to be an extended family member come to pay some respects?"

 

"...No." the man replied after some careful deliberation. "I merely thought that they could use someone to pray for their peace."

 

"You aren't wrong. That accident over fourteen years ago was so sudden..." the old woman muttered sadly, closing her eyes and sighing. "A freak snowslide that came out of nowhere and claimed the lives of a loving couple and their child... Thank you, sir. I'm sure your prayers will reach them."

 

"Thank you." The figure finally moved to dispose of the spent sticks of incense and walked briskly out of the small graveyard. Huo and Yinyue hopped onto his shoulders as Yu Changgong walked the streets. He leaned his head down slightly, obscuring his eyes to most who traveled by.

 

"Farewell, young boy," Yu thought, his past weighing heavily on his mind. "May you rest well."

 

Yu Changgong recalled those he had lost before he found the resolve to walk his current path. In essence, he had died twice thus far, once he was reborn as a disciple of Master Zhang, and again as a wandering blade of justice. Only through living by the ideals he inherited from those he held dear would he be able to honor their legacies.

 

The swordsman wandered the streets of Blackthorn City and took in the sights of the place he called home long ago. His travels had gone well, but something compelled him to return to this place once more. He stopped in front of a small tea shop and smiled. "A cup of tea to reinvigorate the senses sounds lovely." He walked inside, Pokemon in tow.

Edited by JiMing

Haven't seen one of these in a long time...

 

 

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Flint Conley - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City

 

Sipping at a nice cup of chai tea was exactly what Flint needed to focus -- sure, it was less 'traditional' than other teas on the menu, but he enjoyed the slight cinnamon-hinted kick. It calmed his nerves, and after that disaster of a lab inspection, he needed it. He looked around a bit and smiled. Nobody here was casting odd looks at the Rocket Agents, or even at the guy with sword. That was what he loved about Johto compared to other regions; people carried swords all the time here, so it wasn't worth gawking over.

 

He began to set things up for his report while Dan and Raeann -- nope, that wasn't right. He'd need to look into personnel files later. -- bickered about whether coffee was better than tea. With a soft sigh of resignation, Flint began writing up his report, detailing the circumstances to which the lab had lost thirty valuable dragon-type eggs.

 

As he wrote about the lab's supposedly-faulty humidity regulator and the malfunction with the automatic heating lamps, Flint felt pressure building up behind his eyes. Sure, the lab would get in trouble, but he would likely have to listen to his superiors gripe about the situation. Thirty eggs was a lot to lose, and just the thought of it gave him a headache.

 

He needed more tea. With a sigh, Flint stood and made his way up to the counter again.

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Yu Changgong - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City

 

Yu gingerly held the cup of tea with one hand and supported its base with the other while he drank his green tea. Simple, yes, but reliable and hearty. Sometimes traditional was the way to go, after all. The atmosphere inside the teahouse was warm and inviting, exactly what he needed... At least until a pair of Rocket agents started bickering within earshot.

"Listen sis, coffee makin's an art." said Draco Roberts, running his hand through his reddish-brown hair for emphasis. "Any ol' bozo can soak a buncha leaves in some boiling water. But coffee? Ya gotta find the right coffee beans, grind them just right, then pair, uh, percolate them for the right amount of time, and only then do you end up with coffee that is not too watery, not too concentrated, but just right. It takes skill."

"That sounds like way too much work." responded Rebecca, yawning as she twirled one of her twintails with her index finger. "I don't have the time for that nonsense in the morning. All I need to do is dunk a tea bag in some water and get my caffeine rush in a hurry."

Draco snorted. "Honestly, could you be any less cultured?" The Rocket agent turned around to find someone to back him up, and chose the man with the sword and wide-brimmed conical hat that obscured his eyes. "You there! Samurai-ʷᵃᶦᵗ ʷᵃˢ ᶦᵗ ˢʰᵒᵍᵘⁿ-shogun lookin' person! You get all that?" Draco cried incredulously. "Your kind care about art and all that jazz, right?? Then isn't my sister here a real birdbrain?"

Yu Changgong sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when he confirmed that yes, this loud and very persistent man was trying to talk to him. "Any kind of activity can be considered an artform depending on your drive to perfect the craft." he said firmly. "For example, I meditate often and carefully control my breathing, whereas most do not give the action a second thought. You may spend hours crafting the perfect cup of coffee, while others will go to the nearest Sawsbucks across the street and be content. Insisting that any one activity is an objectively better artform and that others are lesser for not participating in them is an exercise in futility. That is all I have to say on the matter." 

Draco had not expected that response from Yu and blinked a few times in confusion. The corners of Rebecca's mouth curled into a smirk. "TL;DR, you just got owned, bro." 

The swordsman shook his head and tuned out the renewed bickering between the two. He looked across the teahouse at the other patrons to take his mind off the dysfunctional siblings. It looked like most of them had elected to ignore the pair as he had. His eyes stopped when he looked at the red-haired man at the front of the counter. "The hilt designs on those swords... They're just like mine." thought Yu. He couldn't see the man's face yet, but something about this... No. It couldn't be. "This must be some big misunderstanding..." 

Edited by JiMing

Haven't seen one of these in a long time...

 

 

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IC: Flint Conley - Lazy Pidgey Café, Blackthorn City

 

Flint received his tea and turned to go back to his table. As he turned, he locked eyes with a man across the café, sitting near the table Flint himself had taken. The intensity of the look told Flint that the man had been watching him for a few seconds at the very least. Something was familiar about him, but Flint couldn't quite place it.

 

The sword, however, was more than enough information for him. Drawing from the back wasn't the most efficient way, but Flint still reached up to grab the handle of one of his swords. In the future, he would wear them on his hip, social customs be darned. The Rocket Executive slowly made his way towards the table. He sat after loosening the sword for a bit quicker of a draw.

 

"Are you two bothering people?" Flint asked, electing to try and ignore the man's gaze for now. "We're representing the government here, so at least try and be mature." The man was still looking at him. Flint glanced back over at him. "I apologize if my subordinates bothered you, sir." Definitely familiar. Who was he?

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Yu Changgong - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City

 

Yu Changgong made a mental note of the man having a hand on one of his swords. "Properly slacked his sword out of the sheath for easy drawing. Most likely trained, won't hesitate to defend himself if he feels threatened." he thought. The swordsman made a mental note of the possible path he could lead a fight out of the building, were one to break out, while keeping one hand firmly on the hilt of his sword at his side.

 

"I have no quarrel with your agents, I just ask that they not interrupt my tea-drinking again." he replied tersely. Now that Yu had a good look at the man's eyes, he was more unnerved than ever. Between his appearance and the hilt design on his swords, could it be...?

 

"I noticed you have quite intricate dao blades on you. I haven't seen anyone but myself carry those designs." he said, tilting his head up so that his face was more clearly visible against his hat. "Where did you get those from?"

 

Draco looked over to see his superior talking to the swordsman from earlier. "Hey sis, you think they're gonna get into one of those big fights from those wushu films or somethin'?"

 

"Quiet." the girl said in a hushed tone, elbowing her brother. "Keep that mouth running and next thing you know we'll be the ones he ends up carving up with those things."

Edited by JiMing

Haven't seen one of these in a long time...

 

 

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IC: Flint Conley - Lazy Pidgey Café, Blackthorn City

 

Flint frowned and took a sip of his tea to stall and try to calm his nerves. With one hand he aligned the papers making up his report. "They were given to me by my instructor in their use. May I ask where you received yours?" Dread was filling Flint. Team Rocket had killed every non-Rocket in the dojo on that day two years ago.

 

However, not everyone who had learned from Master Zhang had been present on that day. Plenty of people had left to pursue further study, or to lead lives augmented by the Qigong. This man -- Flint's own age, he realized, though his face was far more solemn -- could very well have been a former pupil of Zhang's.

 

He was definitely wearing his swords at his dies from now on.

"So Alku, happy 'was that a firecracker or shotgun?' day!"

"Hard mode: I'm in the south."

 

"Planning was never Zac Blazer's forte." - Blade, mastering the art of the understatement.

 

"We'll have to change the initials of the RPG from RotR to PTSD." - Me, discussing Rise of the Rockets.

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IC: Yu Changgong - Lazy Pidgey Cafe, Blackthorn City

 

Yu closed his eyes and took a long sip of his tea. "I too received my blade from my mentor. They are among the only things he has left me, aside from his wisdom." The swordsman kept his gaze steely, not daring to show the doubts and curiosity that were building inside of him. He saw that the executive was becoming rattled, if ever so slightly. If his hunch was correct... The swordsman took a deep breath.

"I don't suppose the name Master Zhang means anything to you?" 

Huo and Yinyue, who had been comfortably sitting on the floor enjoying some pastries instantly stopped in their tracks at the mention of the name of Yu's former master. They looked up at their trainer, surprised to hear him bring up his former master's name at this time and place. The tension in the air thickened, and the two Pokemon prepared for the worst...

Haven't seen one of these in a long time...

 

 

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