Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"You bet I'm ready!" Jake replied, grabbing Squirtle's pokeball from his belt and enlarging it with the tap of a button, knowing that it was normally protocol for a ref to officially announce the battle, along with the Leader usually choosing their Pokemon first.

[Ehksidian]

IC: Arius Jacobson

After Jake headed in to begin the challenge, Arius followed Ruth to the spectator area. "So, how do you think he's going to do against the Gym Leader?"

[Konuju]

OOC: Surprised we've gone this long without this one, but here's Song 7 of the Official Dance Playlist
 
IC: Ryan
"You've got that right," Ryan said. He paused as the song came to an end, glancing over Colette's shoulder once more. They had moved closer to the snack bar, and Ryan caught sight of a head of spiky orange hair.
 
Not so tired now, are you, Ray? Ryan thought with a hint of a smile. He did a double take. Ray was talking to a girl -- but it was not Sonja. It was the blonde girl Sonja had been with earlier. As the next song started up, a swinging, flourishing waltz, one question was on Ryan's mind: where was Sonja?
 
IC: Zoe
"It's a big dance floor," Zoe shrugged. "It's not that surprising we lost them." She looked over at her sister with a smile as the next song began. "This is a good song, don't you think?" she asked Claus.
 
IC: Ellen
Ignoring the Lucario's words, Ellen smiled at each of the Pokémon, her simile faltering when Aspen introduced Aria. She turned her gaze to Zach instead. "So what have you been up to recently?" she asked.

IC: Dack
Sunlight poured through the window when Dack awoke. He wearily sat up, contemplating whether to get out of bed or sleep for another few minutes. After having been up all night in Stark Mountain, he still felt utterly exhausted. One glance at the digital clock on the nightstand shook all thoughts of sleep from his mind, however, for it was already 1:00 in the afternoon. "Darn, I didn't mean to sleep in this late," he muttered as he scrambled from the bed, ran a comb through his hair, and headed down to the hotel lobby.

Madison, Luke, and Palmer were already waiting for him in the lobby, but none of them looked like they had gotten any more rest than he did. To Dack's surprise, Luke didn't even give a snide remark on his being the last one up. The four trainers merely looked at each other, silently acknowledging their mutual exhaustion.

"Well, as much as we all needed what little sleep we got," Palmer said, "I think we can all agree that we can't afford to waste any more time." In his hands, the Frontier Brain twirled the broken handle of the pickaxe they had found in the Stark Mountain caves. "I've checked the map of the Survival Area, and the shop this pickaxe was bought from is just a few blocks away."

"I hope we learn a lot from talking to that shopkeeper," Madison said as Palmer led the group out of the hotel. "I'm in no rush to go back to Stark Mountain."

[Metal Gear Minun]

OOC: Play new song after the first paragraph for Richard, restart at Guin and Lance.

 

IC (Richard):

 

If you wanted Richard's opinion of the night thus far, it was meh. There was an audience, plus. There was dancing, plus. There was no dancing with Colette, minus, big minus. There were people constantly bothering her (in a non-endearing fashion), an even bigger minus. Claus threw the monkey at someone, really big plus. But then she started dancing with a half-decent (from the two seconds saw the guy before) guy who protected her (after a second, which during that second he had nearly thrown himself off the stage to get Hades to go help deal with both the suitor and the deserter). Opinion on that, mixed.

 

So it was welcome relief to have something he had been looking forward to all night. This song. The Blue Danube, but with a nice jazz feel to it. The Blue Danube, not as great as the Ninth Symphony but not a bad contender. He took a deep breath in and readied his bow. He had a brief respite until his violin had to come in but he wanted to be ready for this one. He smiled a bit as he started.

 

Hades watched as his trainer began to play his violin, smiling a slight smile, which for the Sableye was not a common occurrence. Generally when it comes to Sabelye, you get either no expression or a really big toothy smile, to give a content slight smile was odd. But at that moment, he did as he snapped to the beat.

 

His night was going well at the least. 

 

IC (Claus):

Claus was about to respond when he looked towards the stage and saw Richard, though the reciprocal action was not taken. He had looked a few times onto the stage, but only now did he see the bard so thoroughly absorbed in the music as he was then.

 

"Heh, it really is," he said as he sped up his dancing, trying to remember how the Jazz Age Waltz differed from a the classical one.

 

Um.... back and forth or was it side-to-side, eh I doubt Zoe will really notice slash care, so let's do both!

 

A bright smile lit up on his face as he altered the style of the waltz, just content to be dancing to the good music.

 

IC (Lancelot and Guinevere):

 

A more mischievous smile was creeping onto a Gardevoir's face across the room, Let us see how well you keep up with this...

 

The Scizor, who had lived through countless battles and the betrayal of his trainer, was in complete fear of his dance partner.

 

The Gardevoir seemed merciful however as she started them off with a slow

 

-One- two three, -Four- five six. You have gotten the gist of it, the Gardevoir encouraged.

 

That mercy lasted all of about twenty seconds when the Gardevoir span her partner out with a speed and suddenness that nearly toppled him over if not for the Psychic holding him perfectly in place and then pulling him back up.

 

Do you trust me?

 

Right now, I have no choice but to do I?

 

Indeed.

 

The Gardevoir and Scizor shifted positions, the Guinevere seemingly giving the lead to Lancelot. Seemingly, but if one looked closely they could see the Psychic aura that covering Lancelot at that moment. The two began dancing much faster at that point, but still keeping to the tempo of the song. Lancelot also seemingly became more skilled, adding in fancy twists and turns, deftly leading the pair through the sea of dancers without bumping into a single other pair.

 

Course he was not leading; he was being led by a psychic force that could use that very same power to tell exactly where everyone was. This was nearly ruined when the man leading a dance next to them, tripped and nearly fell onto the Gardevoir, only for them to disappear, and reappear five feet on the other side of fallen. And of course continue on like nothing had happened.

 

Wow... was all Lancelot can think as the force bade him forward.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Claus Von Minun the 4th

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette kept dancing, however, this time, she was lost in thought about everything that'd happened, too. Colette contemplated the idea of her finding the person after the dance and teaching the punk why what he did earlier was a bad idea... But figured that wouldn't go over well. However, as she stepped around for the dancing, because both Colette and Ryan were currently distracted, Colette stepped on Ryan's foot again.

"I-I'm sorry-!" Colette called out, but because she realized it and tried to react quickly, her foot slipped, and started to trip again. After that moment, Colette once again realized that she hated heels.

 

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"Not too much." Zach admitted, and sighed.

"I basically took a long break the past six months; alternating between just plain repairing my state of mind, and trying to help find Dahlia here." Zach said, and then explained about what had happened with Alistair shortly after the incident in Unova.

 

-==IC: Roark==-

 

Roark smiled, and then nodded.

"Right then; let's get this started!" Roark said, as he sent out his first Pokemon; a Geodude.

"Now then; what will you choose?" Roark inquired, waiting for the challenger to pick his first Pokemon.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan was caught off guard when Colette stepped on his foot. When she started to stumble, Ryan tried to catch her, but found himself stumbling as well. He tripped sidelong, almost into a Gardevoir and Scizor that were dancing. At the last minute the two Pokémon teleported away, leaving Ryan and Colette to fall hard on the ground.

 

"Oooowwww," Ryan groaned, painfully lifting himself up. "You alright, Colette?"

 

IC: Zoe

Zoe was lost in the music, content to watch her sister's graceful dancing. That is, until Colette tripped over her heels and tumbled to the ground, taking Ryan down with her. Face growing red from embarrassment that her sister could ever be so clumsy, Zoe quickly looked away, thankful that Claus had had his back turned at the time.

 

IC: Ellen

"Oh, wow," Ellen said with wide eyes when she heard of Dahlia's kidnapping. "That must've been scary. I was held prisoner once, too, in Castelia City, but that was only for a short while. I couldn't imagine being kidnapped for six months. I'm glad you were able to rescue Dahlia."

 

But you had a whole crew of people trying to rescue you, Duo reminded her. Poor Dahlia only had Zach, the guy who leveled half of Unova when handed Kyurem.

 

"Duo!" Ellen cried, indignant at the Duosion's blunt words. "You know that wasn't his fault!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach winced slightly, as he got the general idea of the mental conversation from what Ellen said, and took sudden interest in the ground, as it reminded him that he probably wasn't truly deserving of the fun that seemed to be going on recently.

All I deserve is stuff like what just happened a week ago in Goldenrod, don't I... Because I'm not a hero, and I'm responsible... Zach thought, trying his best to clear those thoughts out of his head, as he knew it wasn't how he should think... but wasn't it true? Zach doubted himself again, but shook his head.

"S-so, what have you been up to...?" Zach asked, as he tried his best to change the subject.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette didn't move for a few seconds, as she covered her eyes, and didn't want to look at anyone.

Oh no, they probably all think I'm crazy and should just go away... Colette thought, as she inwardly panicked that the fall had caused a huge incident on the dance floor, and didn't want to see if anyone was watching them.

All this training, and I can't keep my balance in times like this... Am I fit for it? Colette worried, as she didn't hear Ryan's question among her overwhelming thoughts.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Colette Llyan

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

Dahlia smiled towards Ellen, waving one hand. "No, don't worry, it was fine. Alistair was actually quite nice to me. I don't think I was ever really in danger after the kidnapping.... And I had people looking for me." 

All three of the siblings looked over at Ellen confusedly at the same time, only hearing her side of the conversation with Duo. Amethyst sighed, once more folding her arms. "Ellen, haven't you learned to communicate mentally when talking with psychics? And you, Duosin, perhaps you should make your words available to everyone if your trainer cannot help but respond out loud?" the Gardevoir shook her head. "If you all haven't figured it out yet, green bean was a smart aleck and got reprimanded by the little girl. Oh, and for the record, my trainer was also hard at work trying to reach her sister."
"Yes, I was." Olivia growled, annoyed that Duo did not consider the possibility of her caring for family. "I was fuming for a whole SIX MONTHS at the guy who had the nerve to touch my sister...."
"That's nothing." Aspen interjected, none too pleased with Duo either. "I saw Dahlia get kidnapped in front of my OWN EYES. For those six months, I wanted to clock the person who kidnapped her...." 

"DO NOT VILLIFY MY FORMER MASTER." Aria growled in anger, hands glowing blue with aura for a moment. "....Alistair is not the ruthless sociopath you two see him as. I thought you were both there when it was revealed that he was manipulated by a 'Gerald Hikari', whom we now know as that boy's father." Aria said while pointing towards Zach. "...He was both furious and saddened at the prospect he was forgotten and brushed off.... And it was his emotional state that made Gerald's words resonate. I know what he did made you both angry, and rightfully so.... But right or wrong, he was my master."
"If you're so loyal to Alistair, why did you stay with me?" Aspen challenged. 

"Because he gave me another task, one that I must fulfill. I am to accompany you wherever you go, and find where your potential lies." Aria responded. "Even though I may not be completely certain where your path lies, that is a promise to my former master I will keep."

 

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

Turning to Arius, Ruth thought for two seconds, then shrugged. "I don't want to say anything. Because at this point, it would just be guessing. I mean, I know Roark is a strong and skilled trainer, but he's using his weakest team likely. Jake won against me in that fight we just had, but I don't know his prior experience as a trainer." 
Ruth shook her head and looked back to the fight. "So basically, I dunno."

Edited August 2, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"Alright then, Squirtle, come on out!" Jake sent out his Squirtle. "Squirtle, remember that this is a Gym battle, so we have to give it our all!" The water type gave his trainer a thumbs up in return before turning around to check out his opponent.

 

"I guess I have the first move... so Squirtle, lets start out with Rain Dance!" Jake commanded. Squirtle began his dance, which consisted of waving his arms around, until a glowing blue sphere of energy launched into the sky, creating a rainstorm over the battlefield.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Roark==-

 

"Stealth Rock!" Roark called out, as the Geodude launched off pointy rocks around the challenger's side of the battlefield, as Roark watched with interest. That was a good idea to start off with the Rain Dance, since it will increase the power of his further moves; but will it be enough? Roark thought with a smile, as he waited for the challenger's next move.

[JiMing]

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

When Roark and Jake sent out their Pokémon, Ruth shrugged and released her entire team out from their Pokéballs.

"Alright team, we're going up against the Gym Leader Roark after Jake. I'm pretty sure that he's no joke even though you all can hit Rock types for super effective damage. So let's all watch this battle closely, so we know what to do when it's our turn...."

As Ruth finished speaking and received an affirmative nod from all three of her Pokémon, Jake's Squirtle used Rain Dance. "Gah, I didn't take an umbrella with me....." Ruth muttered as the falling water started drenching her. Fuerte cawed indignantly, shaking as his feathers became matted from the rain. Locke shook herself, rattling her keys in the process. Caliburn sighed, raising the shield over his head.

"Oh, thanks Caliburn!" said Ruth, who walked underneath the raised shield, followed by Locke and Fuerte. From their cramped makeshift shelter, the trainer and her Pokémon resumed watching the battle, waiting to see what Jake's next move would be....

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen

Ellen took a step back as everyone seemed to start yelling at once. "Woah. Everyone, let's just calm down for a minute and-"

 

GREEN BEAN?!? Duo cried indignantly, allowing his thoughts to be broadcasted for all to hear. I am NOT a vegetable, you imbecile! Do I LOOK like a bean to you?

 

"Duo, stop!" Ellen cried, grabbing the Duosion out of the air before it could tackle the Gardevoir. She looked at Aria, her sudden interest in the Lucario's words overcoming her discomfort toward her unnerving gaze. "Gerald Hikari?" she pressed. "He's the one who was responsible for Zach's actions in Unova last year. If what you say is true, then this Alistair is just as innocent as Zach is." She turned to Dahlia. "Wouldn't you agree?"

 

IC: Ryan

The dancers around them gave the fallen pair a wide berth, which Ryan was thankful for. The last thing he wanted was to cause a huge pileup by someone else tripping over them while they were on the ground. When Colette didn't immediately answer, Ryan placed a concerned hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. "Colette?" he said again. "You're not hurt, are you?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette slowly looked up as she heard the question this time.

"I'm... fine." Colette mumbled, as she noticed people were giving them space, and might have been staring at them. Colette caught a glance of Zoe not looking at her, and then glanced at the ground. Except for my confidence... Colette thought, as she knew that she had to stand up... But didn't know if she wanted to, when every eye in the place was probably on her, criticizing her...

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

Cocking her head bemusedly as Ellen restrained Duo, one corner of Amethyst's lips curled upwards ever so slightly. "Oh, not a vegetable, you say?" she said wryly to Duo. "You seemed to have the intelligence of one, so it was difficult to tell."

Dahlia nodded slowly at Ellen, and sighed afterwards. "Y-Yeah.... I could tell that he was blinded by his emotions for the entire time I was with him... Completely closed off too, so I couldn't help him either. There wasn't any malice in his kidnapping of me, I'm sure it was just him lashing out in frustration at what he thought was our unfairness...." Dahlia muttered, sighing again and looking down.

"Dahlia, you have no idea what you are saying...." Olivia growled, clenching her fists. "That's just the Stockholm Syndrome speaking there.... He kidnapped you for over SIX MONTHS, and you still think it was alright for him to do?!"
"How come YOU of all people want to defend Alistair so badly?" Aspen asked incredulously. "What about when he used his Magnezone to paralyze you with Thunder Wave?!"

"What makes you think you can compare that Zach boy's predicament to that of my former master?" Aria asked Ellen, narrowing her eyes and putting a hand to her chin. "Your friend was a simple case of mind control through psychic manipulation, of COURSE it's not his fault and all the happy stuff that goes with it. As for Alistair...." the Lucario closed her eyes and sighed. "....He was manipulated emotionally, yes, but there was no direct control taken. Rather, my master had been herded into performing the heinous act through his own volition. And that makes all the difference..."

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"Crud..." Jake muttered under his breath.Stealth rock would be annoying. Showing none of his concern, he said, "Keep your distance and use Water Gun over and over!" The Tiny Turtle Pokemon instantly began blasting water in short bursts in a random pattern towards the Geodude, powered up by the rain.

[Parugi]

OOC: Forewarning that I did a bit of proofreading/rewording/rewriting for some small bits in this, so as to make the jams more cohesive and flow better.

 

IC - Gavin Braner/Jamie Arthur/Skyler/Skylark - Celadon Department Store, Stairway:

 

Getting off of Tristan's foreleg, Jamie was much less tired than her fellow Rocket, and had to feel sorry for him a bit. He didn't exactly have the metal muscles that carried her up the stairs.

"Of course he has so much energy, it's why we all like him so much, he has it because that's the best thing about him," Jamie reminding herself that despite that day's events, Ethan was her friend.

"As for being ready," she said as Tristan and Grummore made room for the tank to be brought to Jamie. "Indeed, I'm ready, shall we begin dismantling?" She looked towards the two Zephyr agents across from them.

 

Gavin nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he turned to face Skyler and Skylark again. Slowly and deliberately, he raised his hands, cracking his knuckles. "Hope you guys are ready for some payback."

 

The two Zephyr Agents looked at each other, uncertainty clearly etched into their features as they fully realized how badly the odds were stacked against them. "I, uh . . . like . . . guess it's too late to back out now?" Skyler asked, his voice cracking with the question. To his left, Skylark raised his own hands in a show of surrender, chuckling nervously.

 

"Sadly," Gavin said. He pointed to them. "Vel, get a Tailwind going for us! Kora, hit that Klingklang with Fire Fang!"

 

"Zoinks!" Skyler yelped. "Uh . . . uh . . . Velma Klinkly, Shift Gear and move out of the way! Daphne Duck, try to protect Velma Klinkly with Hurricane!"

 

"Come on, Lady-Bros, let's give our OG Skyler as much of that funky-fresh support as possible!" Skylark called. "Altaria, Sing a song of peace and everlasting love for us! Delcatty, my main girl, let's put those feline charms to good use and try to Attract our enemy gangstas into the submission of LOVE!"

 

"Oh no you won't! Lucan counter that peace song with some vengeful noise! Tristan show up and pointedly ignore that cat! Grummore, stop the gears in their cycles!"

 

Tristan, under the influence of both the Tailwind and his Bullet Punch attack, moved first in front of the Delcatty, blocking any attempts to Attract any of his allies.

 

Your puny attacks of feminine wiles can not penetrate my iron heart of MANLINESS!!! the Metagross telepathically yelled before flexing his muscles--and then, remembering that he also needed to attack, slowed down extremely as he sent a Hammer Arm towards the cat.

 

". . . What are we doing?" Jamie asked no one in particular. "We came to stop these acts of foolishness, not join in them . . ."

 

By that time Lucan was already crying at maximum output, his Uproar mainly serving to counteract the Sing, but also served the bonus purpose of sending damaging sound waves out to counterattack. At the same time Grummore analyzed the Klingklang's position, velocity, and acceleration, before activating Disable to stop it in its tracks.

 

As it happened, the Delcatty was too caught up in attempting to attract someone, anyone, that she did not realize there was a massive fist coming toward her until it struck. With a yelp of pain, she was sent flying back, slamming into the wall behind Skylark, completely dazed. Rather than risk letting her get hurt anymore, Skylark wisely chose to recall it.

 

Gavin sighed, equally exasperated by the Metagross's show of moxie. "Must be contagious," he muttered. "Regardless, keep up the heat, Kora! Vel, help her out!" Seconds later, he covered his ears as Lucan started screaming, drowning out the enemy Altaria's song.

 

The Vullaby cawed in response, continuing to flap her wings. Kora used the gusts of air to her advantage, running with them and--combined with her Quick Feet ability--gradually gained more and more momentum and speed. As the enemy Swanna flew forward, sending a powerful Hurricane down the center of the walkway, Kora veered to the left, and with incredible agility managed to run along the top of one of the left-hand hand rail. She jumped past the Swanna, aiming for the Disabled Klingklang.

 

And that was when a familiar white glow overtook the natural black and gray of her body. Within that light, Kora's body grew larger. Her frame elongated, teeth and fangs sharpening, head becoming flatter. Soon enough, it had faded, revealing a Mightyena where once a Poochyena had been. And just like the Poochyena, it was attacking.

 

An electronic groan, like that of a failing computer, sounded from Velma Klinkly as the Steel-Type unexpectedly found itself unable to actually move. Instead of fleeing, it instead turned toward the lunging Kora and fired off a Signal Beam. It struck dead on, dealing significant damage to the Dark-Type as she passed through it. Still, she managed to continue her attack, slamming into the Klingklang and latching on with fiery fangs.

 

She did not let go, simply biting and biting over and over again. The Klingklang groaned in anger and pain, finally managing to get the Mightyena off of itself by unleashing a Discharge attack into its immediate vicinity--unfortunately striking its Swanna and Altaria partners, as well, though they managed to remain standing, unlike Kora. Stunned, and injured from the earlier attack, the Mightyena fell to the ground.

 

"Kora, return!" Gavin held her Poké Ball forward, quickly returning her. In a flash, he had produced another one, which he lobbed into the air. Evris the Claydol emerged, immediately taking up a . . . totally neutral stance. "Evris, finish that Klingklang with--!"

 

"ZOINKS!" Skyler yelped and jumped into Skylark's arms, evidently recognizing the Psychic-Ground-Type. "L-L-Like, p-p-please, no! Not the Claydol again!"

 

"Relax, my main man," Skylark said, his voice a smooth melody of soothing goodness. "We got this. Yo, Altaria, stall the singing and show Mr. Metagross that you've got the mo-o-o-oves like Swagger!"

 

Skyler gave him an odd look. "That, like, doesn't seem very . . ." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Like, whatever. Velma Klinkly, Lock-On to the Vullaby and use Zap Cannon! Daphne Duck, use Ice Beam on the Claydol, like, pronto!"

 

If Swagger was capable of being Super-Effective against anything, Tristan was it (and Pelleas too, but he was not currently present). Jamie knew that. Fortunately she also knew what conditions made it hard to switch, and sad for Skylark, the Rocket Agent decided to take a page out of her fellow's book, returning the Metagross only to throw him back.

 

"I apologize Zephyr agents for that. I know it is extremely annoying when someone does that to you. Forgive me," she said, completely sincerely.

 

The other two problems weren't so easy to deal with. Other than the Metagross whom she had to retreat and send back out, no Pokémon on Jamie's could really take a Locked-On Zap Cannon, with the exception of Lucan. She considered whether or not she should have the Vanilluxe try and take the blast for the Vullaby when Lucan made the choice for her. Crying and screaming the entire time, the Ice Type threw itself in front of the Vullaby. Sent reeling by the powerful Electric Type attack, the Vanilluxe wasn't quite knocked out, but the paralysis also caused meant that he wouldn't be as reliable the rest of the battle.

 

Jamie was stunned though, she never thought him quite capable of such a sacrifice.

 

My calculations need to be readjusted . . . Grummore mentally agreed with his trainer, himself using his Psychic to try and divert the Ice Beam from its intended recipient.

 

If there wasn't a battle (and now the problem of the Altaria who could probably Sing freely now) to deal with, Jamie would have focused more on protecting her injured charge, but the problem had to come first. She turned to the tank of Pokémon who looked towards her.

 

"Whichever one of you used Shell Smash in the last battle, I need you to strike the Altaria. The rest of you, I need you to aid him." Or her, she added in her mind, but she somehow guessed (correctly) that he was a he.

 

Without even a need to nod, a Shellder propelled himself out of the tank, a current from Whirlpool forming beneath him and guiding him forward. As the shell of the Shellder began to lose mass as the Shellder smashed its shell, the current grew in speed as the Whirlpool began to grow in size. The Shellder using the current to propel his own increasing speed launched himself with five spears of ice towards the dragon.

 

For a brief moment, Gavin could not say anything, too stunned was he by Lucan's actions. Once he recovered, he nodded to Jamie. "Thanks for the save," he said. "Now, then, Evris, Teleport and use Earth Power!"

 

The enemy Altaria (and Skylark) only managed to show a brief look of surprise before the Dragon-Flying-Type found herself in the middle of a quadruple-whammy attack. The details of the impact could be left vague; all that was important to know was that the Shellder managed to send the Altaria flying back toward her trainer and Skyler, slamming into them and knocking them over. When the metaphorical dust had cleared, it was fainted, and the two Zephyr agents left with Doduo circling their heads.

 

As the Swanna's Ice Beam attack coursed through the air, the attack suddenly diverted, slamming into the ceiling above where Evris had been a moment before. The ceiling in that spot immediately froze over, icy crystals appearing and spreading out from the point of impact. By then, however, Evris was long gone, having already teleported away from that location. 

 

It appeared an instant later in front of the injured Klingklang. Ignoring a failed attempt by Skyler to call out an order to his Pokémon, the Claydol raised its arms, the tips of its "fingers" glowing for a second before disappearing behind a powerful burst of energy. Velma Klinkly, too, was sent flying back, slamming into Skylark and Skyler right as they managed to stumble back onto their feet.

 

That left only the Swanna, who had not taken the turn of events in passivity. With Evris directly next to it and distracted by the aftermath of its attack, Daphne Duck flapped her wings and prepared to send off one final attack--a powerful Surf that could easily have swept the entire group of Rockets back down to the bottom of the stairwell. But this was not to be, for out of the shadows emerged a much smaller bird, who slammed into the Swanna with all the force a typically non-attacking Vullaby could muster. It proved to be enough, given the previous damage from Velma Klinkly's attack. Swanna, too, fell, and shot backward toward her trainer, landing at Skyler's feet.

 

The Zephyr member stared in shock and fear at his victorious opponents. As they approached, he sunk to his knees. "Like, please don't hurt us!" he begged. "We were, like, just following orders, dude!"

 

"I believe you," Gavin said, pushing him over and quickly handcuffing him. Jamie moved over to Skylark, doing the same to the gangster-singer-musician-terrorist. "Stay put and you'll be fine." He recalled his Pokémon, and with a nod to Jamie, headed for the exit.

 

Jamie held up a finger to Gavin as he started to push through the door, "Hold up a second," she said, though she was going back whether he did or not.

 

Her Pokémon gathered near her, with the Metagross holding the Vanilluxe of the hour in his hands.

 

"That was a remarkable act of bravery, Lucan. When we get home, we shall celebrate your deeds. But for now, let us take care of the rest," she said, embracing the Ice Type.

 

The hug lasted for a moment, before Lucan disappeared in a bright red light, returning him to his Pokeball.

 

At that moment, she really wanted to refer back to her earlier taunting, but now was not the time, Jamie thought as she passed the defeated pair.

 

"Sorry for holding you up," Jamie apologized as she returned to Gavin.

 

"Not a problem," he said. "Let's go."

 

With that, the two pushed the doors, and onto the Department Store roof.

 

IC - Ethan Worth/Lucia/Skyle/Windy - Celadon Department Store, Roof:

 

If Skyle bore any true concern over the loss of his Pokémon, he was not showing it. Instead, with a nonchalant smirk that replaced an initial look of annoyance, he merely tossed two more Poké Balls into the air. Bright flashes of light emerged from the spheres, forming into a Charizard and a Pelipper. The two Flying-Types quickly shifted into combat stances, flanked by Windy's twin Rotom.

 

"Well," he said. "I guess it doesn't matter, does it? Two evolutions aren't going to do you much good, and now, I've got Windy herself for back-up." He chuckled. "You two are toast."

 

Ethan tilted his head and rubbed his chin at this. "Nah," he said after several seconds. "Usually, toast would be fine, but given the current theme, you can just call us . . . scrambled eggs."

 

A beat. An utterly baffled, bewildered beat.

 

". . . Wha--?"

 

"Kada, hit 'em with a Leaf Storm!" Ethan yelled. "Paruk, Smack Down on the Rotom!" He paused. "Uh . . . I mean, the Rotom on the left! And then the other one!" He rubbed his chin again. "Actually, try hitting them at the same time, if you're up for it!"

 

Paruk nodded. The Crustle quickly moved into action, first slamming his fist into the ground to loosen several chunks of roof, and then picking up said chunks. With the precision of a sniper, the hurled the rocks at the two Electric-Types, striking them where they floated in the air and disorienting them enough that they began to fall down to the ground. Suppressing a chuckled himself, Kada planted himself firmly on the ground, releasing a cyclonic hurricane of razor-sharp leaves at their opponents. The storm quickly engulfed their opponents, cutting at them from every angle--save for the Charizard, who responded fast enough to incinerate a majority of the projectiles headed toward it.

 

"So that's how you wanna play, huh?" Skyle growled. "Alright then . . . Charizard, take them down a notch with Inferno! Pelipper, use Hurricane!"

 

With monstrous efficiency, the two Flying-Types complied, launching a torrent of fire mixed with a powerful, shredding wind at the group of Rocket Pokémon. At the same time, the Rotom appeared to regain their composure, and joined in by launching a barrage of Shadow Ball attacks into their midst.

 

"Better act fast, Lucia!" Ethan called to his teammate. Then, to his Pokémon, "Paruk, Kada, dodge as much as you can! Kada, try to block those Shadow Ball attacks with Leaf Storm; Paruk, latch onto Kada's shell and create a barrier with Stealth Rock!"

 

"Got it!" Lucia nodded to Ethan, as she quickly assessed which moves to use in this case. "Clara, use Water Pulse and take cover! Dedenne, Dazzling Gleam!"

 

The Pokemon involved jumped into action. As the Dedenne prepared a gemstone of energy in its hands, the Clawitzer strafed to the side, and launched off a Water Pulse toward the attack itself, before she got behind Ethan's Torterra to take cover and waited for the Dedenne to unleash the Dazzling Gleam, which would hopefully hit the entire opposite side.

"Now, show them a Discharge!" Lucia called out again. The Dedenne focused again, and unleashed a brilliant burst of electricity toward the opposing side; Ethan's two Pokemon were relatively safe, as was Clara thanks to Lucia's command earlier and Ethan's Torterra blocking the attack from the Clawitzer. However, Skyle's Pokemon weren't quite so lucky, as they both were weak to the electric attack--one especially so.

 

The Dazzling Gleam exploded on the other end of the field, its effects instantly disorienting Skyle and Windy's Pokémon. The four could only hope that their attacks would manage to connect with their targets.

 

Things did not quite work out in their favor.

 

Clara's Water Pulse effectively stopped the Inferno attack in its tracks, clearing the way for Kada and Paruk to set up their own countermeasures. A shield of leaves and stones erupted around Ethan and Lucia's team, deflecting the barrage of Shadow Ball attacks from the Rotom. There was not a lot to be done about the Hurricane attack, though all four Pokémon managed to avoid any serious damage from it thanks to a combination of their defenses and offenses.

 

As luck would have it, Didi's attack did little to the Dedenne's teammates--the electricity merely glanced off of Kada's shell, causing no damage whatsoever, and as a result did not touch the Crustle and Clawitzer taking cover under it. Across the field, the two Rotom appeared almost entirely unscathed, though still bore the injuries from Paruk's earlier Smack Down attack. The Charizard and Pelipper were not so lucky--Charizard struggled to move, clearly paralyzed, and Pelipper only managed to flap its wings halfheartedly before crashing to the ground. Whether it was unconscious or also paralyzed was difficult to tell, though Skyle recalling it seconds later suggested the latter.

 

"Nice one!" Ethan said. "Alright--let's finish these three off, shall we? Kada, use Wood Hammer on one of the Rotom! Paruk, Rock Wrecker on the other!"

 

"You two had better get out of there!" Skyle yelled. "Charizard, intercept with Flare Blitz!"

 

With a mighty growl, the Continent Pokémon charged forward. Kada move surprisingly fast for his size, quickly putting himself within range of the Rotom, who barely managed to register the Grass-Type's approach before finding itself slammed into the ground via giant tree. As the bramble lifted from its fallen form, it did not move, having fainted from the attack.

 

Its brother, however, proved far luckier, managing to recover just in time to phase out of the way of Paruk's attack. In turn, the Stone Home Pokémon was left to deal with the Charizard currently charging in his direction, wings and body wreathed in flames as it shot toward Ethan's Pokémon.

 

"This one's all yours, Clara." Lucia said. The Clawitzer aimed at the Charizard, and then quickly fired off a Water Pulse at the ailing fire lizard. Didi, on the other hand, simply waited with another Dazzling Gleam prepared for use if it was needed, as Clara turned her attention to the one Rotom that was left, and then quickly fired off a Dark Pulse at that Pokemon too, attempting to end this battle on her own--clearly wanting to make up for what happened earlier that day.

 

The flames disappeared in a large puff of steam as the water washed over Charizard, causing the Fire-Type to sputter and stall in confusion. Though it had not fainted from the attack, its distraction proved to be an ample opportunity for Paruk to finish the job. Charging forward, he shifted his weight so as to utilize his shell as a sort of battering ram. 

 

Charizard recovered for just a brief enough moment to look up, eyes widening at the sight of the incoming Rock Wrecker attack. A moment later, it fell to the ground, down for the count.

 

Meanwhile, Rotom continued feebly to try and dodge the incoming attack. However, the damage it had taken earlier was clearly taking its toll. Its impaired judgment caused it to miscalculate just how much it would need to move to avoid the Dark Pulse; as a result, the shadowy energy slammed into its head just as it banked down, sending the Electric-Type spiraling down toward the ground. It, too, had fainted.

 

Skyle could only gawk in anger and surprise at the situation. He tried several times to speak, failing at each attempt, before finally managing a sharp, "What?" His hand shook as he recalled his Charizard, eyes dead set on the Rocket agent. "How . . . How could you . . .?"

 

"Just accept that we're stronger than you," Ethan said. The sound of footsteps behind him prompted Ethan to pause. Turning, he saw Gavin and Jamie--followed by their own entourage of Pokémon--approaching. He nodded at them with an approving smile before turning again to Skyle, taking a step forward. "Now, if you'll please excuse us, we have a Windy to stop."

 

"Over my dead bod--mmph!" A burst of water had shot out from Clara's pincer, striking Skyle and knocking him to the ground before he could finish his sentence. His eyes seemed to roll in their sockets as Ethan passed over him, a victim of the same status condition that had defeated his last Pokémon.

 

"I said 'please'," Ethan said with a small shake of his head. "Regardless, thanks, Lucia. Let's get going."

 

With the group reformed, they took off again, headed for what would hopefully be the final confrontation of the Celedon Department Store Heist.

 

OOC: Kora's new profile:

 

Species: Mightyena.

Nickname: Kora.

Trainer: Gavin Braner.

Appearance: Kora's eyes are blue and white as opposed to red and yellow.

Personality: Despite her species's fierce appearance, Kora is actually a very gentle and loving Pokémon. Exceedingly loyal to her owner, Kora will only attack if she or Ethan are threatened; otherwise, she will seek endlessly for a way to be your friend. Unfortunately, her antics sometimes come across as attacks, and as such several people have mistakenly become frightened by her. Her evolution does not seem to have changed her temperament that much, if anything only seeming to make her attempts to befriend those around her all the more difficult.

Ability: Quick Feet.

Specialty: Kora specializes in speed and physical attacks, particularly those that involve biting. She is extremely fast, a trait aided by her Quick Feet ability.

Known Moves: Crunch, Take Down, Iron Tail (MT,) Howl, Ice Fang (EM,) Fire Fang (EM.)

Edited August 6, 2014 by Pears Nivans

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen
Ellen looked at Aria with a frown. "The point still stands that Gerald is the one to blame. He's the true bad guy here."
 
She was about to open her mouth to say more when Duo unleashed a scream of mental rage. What was that?!? he cried, struggling against Ellen's grip. Can a vegetable do THIS?
 
Although Ellen could hold Duo back physically, she could do nothing to stop his psychic powers from taking hold of a handful (or rather, a mindful) of the small rocks that dotted the cliff and hurling them at the Gardevoir.
 
IC: Ryan
"Well, come on, then," Ryan said, gently taking Colette's hand with his free hand. "We have a dance to finish, don't we?"

IC: Dack
The Survival Area is a remote town that doesn't get a lot of tourists. The area's main attraction, the Battleground, is an exclusive club that accepts only the most elite trainers, and most would-be visitors are instead drawn to the far more popular Battle Frontier. As such, most folks who come to the Survival Area see it as a rest stop to prepare for climbing Stark Mountain or crossing Route 228's desert. When these people aren't looking for a hotel to spend the night at, they're looking for last-minute equipment to buy before heading out on their adventure. And anyone who asks is immediately pointed in the direction of Dwayne's Climbing Emporium.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Dack asked with a frown. From the outside, Dwayne's Climbing Emporium looked like a run-down shack. The door leaned slightly off its hinges and the yellow and brown paint that covered the building was starting to peel. Dack couldn't even tell what was inside, because all of the windows had either a spider web of cracks or were covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime. Or both.

"The one and only." Palmer grinned. "I'd recognize that logo anywhere."

Sure enough, the welcome sign featured the same mark that was on the pickaxe handle: a stylized mountain with the initials D.C.E.

"Our culprit must have some pretty low standards to come to a place like this," Luke smirked.

"Or it could just be that this is the best place to buy climbing equipment," Madison said with a shrug. "Either way, we won't accomplish anything standing around outside." Taking the handle from Palmer, the skier strode in through the rickety front door.

"Madison, wait!" Dack called. He ran to catch up, and was surprised to see that the inside of the shop was much better kept than the outside. The shop had everything from pickaxes to hiking boots to backpacks. Across one wall hung ropes of every size and type, with little fact cards explaining the specs and ratings of each one. One shelf had a variety of compasses, another advertised fingerless gloves. And yet despite the organization of the merchandise, the low light fixtures and dusty floor still gave the shop a small-town feel. By the time Dack had taken all of this in, Madison was already at the register, talking with the shopkeeper, who Dack could only assume was Dwayne himself.

"Sorry, Miss. No refunds," Dwayne said when he saw the broken handle, barely looking up from the commemorative mug he was cleaning.

"Actually, I had a question for you," Madison said. "I found this handle in Stark Mountain, and it seems like someone bought it from here, probably sometime in the past couple of days."

"So what's your question?" the shopkeeper asked, still preoccupied with cleaning his mug.

"What do you know about the guy who bought it?" Luke asked.

Dwayne looked up from his mug to see Madison, Luke, Dack, and Palmer all crowding around the desk. "I get several customers a day, and most of them are from out of town," he said irritably. "You can't expect me to remember all their faces. And don't get me started on the pickaxes; they may be handmade, but they're pretty much indistinguishable from one another. Besides, what business is it of yours?"

"We believe whoever bought this pickaxe used it to take the Magma Stone from Stark Mountain," Palmer said.

"And what if they did?" The shopkeeper frowned. "What do you want me to do about it? I can't be held responsible for what my customers do with my merchandise after they've bought it."

Dack slammed his hand down on the desk, causing the shopkeeper to jump. "You might not care what that person wanted with the Magma Stone, but I do," he said darkly. "Your customer brought the Magma Stone to Snowpoint, my hometown, and used it to lure Heatran there to wreak havoc!" The trainer threateningly grabbed his Ultra Ball, turning it to its translucent mode to reveal the Legendary Pokemon that lay within. "So unless you want the same thing to happen to this shop of yours, I'd suggest you start talking!"

Madison started to protest, but Dack held out a hand to silence her.

"I don't know anything, I swear!" the shopkeeper cried as he cowered behind his desk.

"Really?" Dack glared. "You didn't notice anything even remotely suspicious in the past week? Think hard. We don't have all day."

"Well..." the shopkeeper stammered, looking from his hand-crafted supplies on the shelves to the Ultra Ball in Dack's hand. "Now that I think about it, there was one fellow who came in here a few days ago. He wore a hooded cloak, so I never saw his face. Came in with a Rapidash, bought a few supplies -- including a pickaxe, I think -- and left. Never said a word."

"Anything else?" Dack asked.

"That's all I've got, I promise!" the shopkeeper pleaded. "No, wait! That night, a few hours after the hooded customer came, I saw some lights on in Old Man Fern's house. That house had been abandoned for years, ever since Old Fern died. I figured it was just a couple of kids messing around." Dwayne's eyes grew wide. "But what if it was the hooded customer? That's probably where you'll find the guy you're looking for!"

"And how long ago did this happen?" Dack asked.

"Three -- no, four days ago," Dwayne stammered.

"And where is this house?"

"U-up on the cliffs, on the east side of town. You can't miss it!"

Dack relaxed, giving a small smile. "Thanks for the tip," he said. He turned to the others. "Now come on, we've got a so-called 'hooded customer' to catch!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

"Y-yeah..." Colette slowly stood up, as she was still well aware of the looks she was being given; however, she tried to ignore those as best as she could, as she still figured she had made a fool of herself just then.

 

-==IC: Roark==-

 

Roark thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Tackle!" Roark called out; seeming almost as if he were judging Jake's skills at that moment.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Colette Llyan

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan led Colette back out onto the dance floor, but he noticed that the girl seemed more hesitant than before. She was doing her best to hide her face, which was flushed with embarassment. Her steps seemed more unsure than before, so Ryan resorted to spinning slowly in place.

 

"Come on, don't let one little fall get you down," he said kindly. "You've been doing amazingly well for your first time in heels -- I never would've guessed you'd never worn them before."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette looked up in surprise, and then looked around slightly, unsure what to do.

"Th-thanks... And thanks for the dance..." Colette mumbled, slightly iffy about what he said, thinking it was just to make her feel better... But she had to admit, aside from panicking for that one moment, it had been a lot less crazy than the rest of the night had been.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Oh, don't thank me for the dance," Ryan said with a chuckle. "You should thank your sister. She's the one who set this whole thing up." He smiled. He had to admit, although he desperately wished he could've danced more with Sonja, he'd had fun dancing with Colette. It was a whole lot less nerve-wracking, that was for sure.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

"Well... Yeah; but..." Colette said, and shrugged. "I trust her judgement a lot, and, well, it turned out to help me in the end..." Colette mumbled, as she sighed. She still was not sure about what this guy was even like; but she had to admit that he helped a lot; if it wasn't for him, she might have been in a tighter spot than she already was in.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Yeah, I guess she did know what she was doing," Ryan said with a shrug. "She was pretty adamant about it. Didn't even let me finish my dance with Sonja..." he added with a grumble. He stared at the ground, then looked back up at Colette with a sigh. "Sorry. It's not that I regret dancing with you or anything, it's just... your sister interrupted me at the worst possible moment."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

"Well... True... But it was kinda fun, at least..." Colette said, not really agreeing with Ryan's comment, but didn't actually mention that, since it probably wouldn't have helped anything.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there," Ryan said with a nod. "It sure beats sitting around and just drinking punch all night." He chuckled, recalling how Colette had just been sitting glumly before Zoe had approached him with her request.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette nodded, and smiled in amusement as she recalled that one guy who had the nerve to try and give her spiked punch.

"Yeah, someone tried giving me punch and asking me to dance, and it ended up on his head." Colette said, though she didn't giggle at that, luckily. She was still annoyed at it, but... She was kinda amused at her reaction.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan stopped in his tracks, which was barely noticeable given how slow they had been dancing. "You did what?" he asked in surprise. He had just met Colette, but based on his first impressions, the quiet girl did not seem like someone who would just dump punch on anyone who asked her to dance without her sister's approval.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette noticed, luckily, and stopped as well. She seemed confused about that question, and then shrugged as best as she could.

"W-well, it was like... the fifth person to ask me, and something just... seemed off about him." Colette tried to figure out how best to explain without giving away the fact that she could read people's intentions, but... She wasn't really doing a good job at that.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan continued to stare at Colette in shock. "I mean, if he was harassing you like muscle man over there was, that's one thing. But if he was kind enough to get you a drink, you don't just dump it on his head." He started to wonder if Colette would have done the same thing to him had he not mentioned that Zoe had been the one who wanted them to dance.

 

He slowly started to dance again, shaking his head in disbelief. "Geez, remind me never to get on your bad side."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette seemed rather amused at the bad side comment, but looked around awkwardly.

"Well... The guy seemed pretty insistent, especially about the drink, and I just... Well, it's not just that guy..." Colette mumbled, as she looked around awkwardly. "I tend to not tr-" Colette's sentence was interrupted, however, as the music came to a grand finale, adding in the chime of the clock to show it was midnight. That distraction, however, was also enough to make her realize exactly what she was about to say, and she paled slightly.

"I... Thanks..." Colette said, as she attempted to let go, and then, her mind whirling, began to make her way through the crowd quickly; not knowing what exactly got into her. She tripped, however, and just left the shoes there... It was easier to run without them anyway, and Colette just needed some way to clear her mind and figure out what just happened.

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

"The 'true bad guy', you say?" Aria mused, averting her cold gaze from Ellen for a moment. "I don't believe 'the capability to read auras' is on your list of accomplishments.... So what makes you believe you can accurately judge the moralities of others?"

 

Amethyst sighed, eyes glowing purple as she quickly throwing up a psychic barrier to vaporize the rocks. Looking over at the Duosin struggling against the grip of his Trainer, the Gardevoir's lips once more curled into a smirk. "I believe the proper phrase here is, 'you fail.'"

 

"G-Guys.... Can we just calm down?" Dahlia muttered meekly, unhappy at the turn of events that were happening.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach looked at the ground, and subtly shook.

"I..." Zach tried to start to say, and then shook his head, and then turned around and ran away, as he closed his eyes, unable to think of anything else. He wanted the subject changed so something like this would hopefully be avoided, but it wasn't. Why were people being blamed for things that were his fault? If he hadn't been around, then this probably wouldn't have happened... But he was, and they did...

[Konuju]

OOC: Ellen IC to come later.

 

IC: Ryan

Dong

 

As the dull bell rung to indicate it was midnight, Colette made her hasty departure. "I... Thanks..." she said as she suddenly walked off.

 

Dong

 

Ryan stood rooted to the ground, confused as to what had just happened. Why had Colette just left so suddenly?

 

Dong

 

As Ryan's eyes followed Colette, he saw her stumble, losing both her shoes in the process.

 

Dong

 

Ryan started forward, kneeling down to pick up the heels. "Hey, Colette, you forgot your--"

 

Dong

 

"...shoes." Ryan quickly scanned the crowd, but Colette had already vanished. He stood there for a moment, both heels in his hand.

 

Dong

 

He sighed. Was it something he said? If so, he couldn't imagine what. It was like the chime of the bell had flipped a switch -- the quiet but sweet girl had suddenly turned cold and distant.

 

Dong

 

Ryan shook his head. "I just seem to be having terrible luck with girls tonight, huh?" he muttered to himself with a slight chuckle.

 

Dong

 

He scanned the crowd again, but by now he had lost sight of both Zoe and Colette. He didn't even see Ray, not to mention Sonja.

 

Dong

 

He glanced back down at the shoes in his hand. Part of him -- specifically his feet, which were still aching from the pain they had suffered at the hands of Colette's footwear -- wanted to just leave the shoes there. After all, Colette would get them in the lost and found later, right?

 

Dong

 

But Ryan couldn't just leave them there. He had to at least make an effort to return the shoes to their rightful owner.

 

Dong

 

He gave an irritated sigh. Put him up against an Ancient Darkrai or a Spacial Horror and he could manage well enough. But what went on in the minds of girls seemed to be something else entirely. Having made his decision, Ryan walked toward the nearest exit, following the path he thought Colette had likely taken. He was out of the ballroom by the final bell chime.

 

Dong

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"Keep using Water Gun, but when Geodude gets close hit him away with Aqua Tail!" Jake called out to his Pokemon. Although the water type continued his attack, Geodude was able to close on Squirtle. The second his opponent got too close, Squirtle stopped his barrage and jumped towards the Rock-type, tail coated in water as he swung it at Geodude in a powerful sideways arc.

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen

"You're right, I have no right to judge Alistair, right or wrong, as I haven't even met the guy," Ellen said heatedly. "But Dahlia seems to trust him, and I know Gerald was to blame for Zach's actions. But I agree with Dahlia here, we need to stop arguing."

 

Argh! Duo yelled. Let me at her! Let me at her!

 

"Duo!" Ellen said sternly. "Do I need to return you to your Pokeball?"

 

No... The Duosion stopped struggling, looking suddenly guilty, like a child who had been caught stealing candy.

 

"We just met," Ellen said in desperation. "Why can't we at least try to be friends?" She looked at the Seatons, then suddenly noticed Zach was gone. "Wait a minute, where's Zach?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Roark==-

 

Roark nodded with an intrigued look, as the Geodude was batted away. It slowly stood up, as it seemed to get more serious, and looked at Roark, who shook his head. Sighing, the Geodude turned back, and then made a fist, and slugged out with a Mega Punch at the Squirtle.

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray yawned slightly, and paused as he side-stepped out of the way as Ryan nearly dashed into him; grabbing Ryan by the shoulder as he passed so that he didn't crash into someone else.

"Yo, what's the hurry?" Ray asked, slightly confused, as he tilted his head. Ray noticed the shoes in Ryan's hands, which didn't help the confusion, but waited for Ryan to explain what was going on.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Ray!" Ryan said in surprise as the spiky-haired Separatist grabbed him by the shoulder. "Oh, I was just, um..." he looked down at the shoes in his hand, suddenly realizing how odd this must have seemed to Ray. "Remember that girl we battled earlier? Colette? Well, she sort of just ran off, and she left her shoes, so I thought I should find her and return them." He sighed. "Hopefully that made sense, because I'm just as confused about it as you are."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray raised an eyebrow in surprise at him looking for Colette, but nodded.

"That makes sense. Don't ask me why she ran off, but let's at least look." Ray said with a shrug.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Right," Ryan nodded, accepting Ray's help. He glanced around the hallways, still crowded with people meandering back to their dorms. "You know, I don't even know if she has a dorm here, or where she's staying. If we can't find her, the lost-and-found will probably be the best place for these shoes."

 

Not spotting the girl at all in the crowd, Ryan stepped out into a small courtyard in the middle of the Alamo. As soon as the door closed behind him, the noise of indistinct chatter died down. The moon shone brightly in the sky above, and the only sound besides the wind rustling softly through the trees was the quiet murmur of the few couples that had decided the courtyard would be a better place to hang out than the ballroom.

 

"Colette?" Ryan said, not too loudly, as to not disturb the couples. He shrugged at Ray and began to wander down the small path in the middle of the courtyard.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette, meanwhile, was curled up in a ball near the pond.

I nearly told him my greatest secret... Why? Colette shook her head, as she tried to clear her mind and calm down; but... What if she had finished saying that she didn't trust people? It would have been a nightmare, and she was really glad that the clock had interrupted then. The best thing, was for her to keep quiet, and keep it to herself, but it didn't seem like she could even do that... She hugged her legs closer, not hearing anything among her thoughts, trying to calm down enough so that she could actually leave and find Zoe.