Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen
"Well, if Olivia knows where your Aunt Kiri's house is, she and Zach can always meet up with us later," Ellen said with a smile. She figured that Zach and Olivia would need some time to talk amongst themselves, and she was more than happy to give them that opportunity. "Otherwise, the rest of us can continue to explore the city. Sootopolis is one of the neatest places I've--"
 
No one asked you to listen in on our conversation. Duo said coldly. I'm only trying to look out for Ellen.
 
"Duo, be quiet!" Ellen cried. "Just stop arguing for once!"
 
Terry stepped between Ellen and Aria, uttering a soft growl as a warning. Although he knew that Duo was trying to help defend their trainer as well, the Herdier considered it his full responsibility to act as Ellen's guardian in her father's stead. Not to mention, with his split minds, Duo would likely end up doing more harm than good.

IC: Paul
"Sorry, haven't seen her." The bike shop owner shook his head as he returned the picture.

"Thanks," Paul muttered as he replaced the photo in his billfold for the umpteenth time. Discouraged, he stepped out of the bike shop and back into the streets of Mauville. He had been receiving the same answer all day. No one in the city had seen Ellen. Slipping his hands into his pockets, the blacksmith aimlessly wandered about the city. If only he'd gotten to Fortree sooner, he might have found Ellen before she had fallen into the river.

A musical tone pierced the air as Paul's Xtransceiver rang. The blacksmith answered, seeing his wife's face on the screen. "Paul... any luck?"

"No," Paul shook his head, although he was sure the anguished expression on his face had already betrayed the answer. "Scar spotted her in Fortree, but she seems to have left there. I followed her trail to Mauville, but no one here seems to have seen her."

"Don't lose hope," Anna said, forcing a smile. "I'm sure you'll find her eventually. You just need to keep looking."

"How do you do it, Anna?" Paul sighed. "How do you have so much hope?"

"Well..." Anna chuckled. "One of us has to."

"Now I can see where Ellen gets it," Paul replied with a hint of a smile.

"I think she gets her determination from you," Anna laughed. "Just keep searching... I know you'll find her."

"Thanks for the support," Paul sighed. "Maybe she didn't come to Mauville after all." Looking up from the Xtransceiver, the blacksmith saw that his wanderings had brought him to the river that ran through Route 118. "I guess the only other option is across the river. I'll let you know as soon as I find her."

"Alright, stay safe," Anna said. "Try not to push yourself too hard. I love you."

"I love you, too," Paul replied. "Hopefully we'll be home soon." Hanging up, he sent out Scar and flew across the river, combing the beach for any signs of Ellen.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Konuju

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"That sounds like a good idea." Zach said with a nod, as Ellen spoke before he had a chance to. "That okay with you, Liv?" Zach asked, as he noticed the the blush, and slightly blushed in response to it, finding it kinda cute on her. Zach looked over at Ellen with a slight frown, wondering if she'd be okay with Duo. That definitely isn't like Ellen, to have to constantly fight with her Pokemon... What's happened in the past six months...? Zach wondered, and was slightly worried, but smiled to not show that worry exactly.

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

Amethyst shook her head and folded her arms. "Alright, since we're upsetting your Trainer, I'll just say one last thing. If that's your idea of looking out for her, then you will do something you'll come to regret sooner or later...." the Gardevoir warned, before turning away and walking back next to Olivia.'

 

As Terry stepped in front of Ellen as if guarding her, Aria raised an eyebrow, and put a hand to her chin while moving her piercing gaze towards the Herdier. "Hmm, obstructing the nearest path towards your Trainer, growling in an attempt to intimidate me... Doing everything a good guardian need to." the Lucarios' eyes narrowed, and lowered her hand. "But I don't see any sign of you doing what I requested-thinking. Why? Why does no one try to think?!" she sighed in exasperation. "If you are making me into a villain, do not. I did not say those things about Ellen out of spite. Everything I do has a purpose. So why don't you use the brain you were born with to find out what my purpose is?" 

 

"Right! I haven't been here for a few years, actually, so I'm not sure what's changed. But I remember the city being really pretty, and it still is." Dahlia said, giggling slightly. "Sightseeing would be fun.

"Uh, no." Aspen spoke up, finally turning away from Zach. "It's hot and humid, pretty much nothing like Olivine. Not to mention what I'm wearing, especially this dang scarf..." he muttered, tugging at the scarf in frustration.

"Hmm... In that case, why don't we drop you off at Kiri's where there will be air conditioning, while Ellen and I figure out what to do from there?" Dahlia suggested. "You have any suggestions, Ellen?"

 

"Yep, I'll show Zach the way to Kiri's house when we're done." Olivia confirmed, turning back to Zach. "Hmm.... Where's a good place to train...." Olivia muttered to herself, attempting to walk forward, only to get yanked back due to still holding Zach's hand. "....Um, uh...." she stammered, her blush growing a bit deeper. Olivia stood in place, unsure whether to let go of his hand already or wait for him to walk with her. 

Edited August 15, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach was about to respond, when Olivia walked forward, and pulled him forward accidentally in the process. Sadly, she also was pulled back, and it was sheer luck that prevent a total crash as Zach stumbled into her, and blushed more.

"L-let's look together..." Zach said, as he rather liked his arm, and did not want momentum pulling it out. Zach walked forward, keeping a hold of Olivia's hand, and then paused, as he noticed what looked almost like a running track, which seemed unused for the day. "What about there...?" Zach asked, unsure if that was a good place to go to or not.

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen

There's always Rugissement's mansion, Duo suggested.

 

No. Ellen responded firmly. We're not going back there ever again. Not if I can help it. She turned back to Dahlia with a shrug. "I don't know, we'll figure it out as we go. It keeps things interesting."

 

Terry glared at Aria. Her purpose was likely the same as his: watching over her trainer. But if she thought Aspen needed protecting from Ellen, something was very wrong in her aura-imbued head. Turning back to Ellen, he licked her hand, happy to explore more of the city by her side.

 

Ellen smiled at the gesture, scratching Terry behind the ears. Then she saw Zach and Olivia stumble into each other and giggled. "You two have fun," she said. "We'll catch up with you later."

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

Olivia looked down when Zach had nearly knocked her over in an attempt to hide her ever-growing blush. As Zach walked forward she made sure to follow his pace as best as possible, in order to prevent such a mishap again. When he pointed out the track, Olivia lifted her head and paused for a second. "....I-It seems like as good a place as any.... Gotta start somewhere." she shrugged. "What did you have planned for this training session, again?"

 

Dahlia led the way to Kiri's house, Aspen following shortly behind, as he did not memorize her house's location. "So Ellen," Dahlia began, turning her head back to the young trainer. "You said you traveled with Zach in Unova.... How was it?" 

"Yeah, what did you even do with him?" Aspen asked. "What was he like, before he started channeling his inner emo?" 

Aria followed shortly behind Aspen along with his other Pokemon, with her eyes closed as if in deep thought. However, once it became clear Ellen was being adressed, the Lucario's ears twitched ever so slightly, but otherwise everything else was the same.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"W-well, uhhh..." Zach scratched his head, as he thought for a moment. "Well, Smugleaf and Heather could battle... And maybe Blade..." Zach said, and thought for a couple seconds. "A-and maybe we could try running...?" Zach asked with a small smile, as it had been a while since the two of them had raced each other; and he wondered how fast she was now, compared to before. Zach, however, wasn't quite sure exactly what Pokemon Olivia would send out in response; however, he could guess that one would be Am; likely against Blade, because of the last battle between them.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Hmm.... So we leave our Pokemon to battle while the two of us run on the track?" Olivia confirmed, smiling slightly. "That sounds like a plan to me... And I think I'll send out.... Shade to fight Smugleaf, Toxin to fight Heather, and Amethyst to fight Blade." she decided, grinning slightly with the last matchup. She was also looking forward to the race against Zach, as Olivia spent a good deal of time during Zach's absence excersising, and she was now confident that her strength was far greater than the last time Zach saw her. "Alright guys, what do you say? Sorry about the rest of you... Maybe next time." Olivia said with a sheepish chuckle.

 

Shade, Toxin, and Amethyst all walked forth. Shade snickered with delight, Smugleaf's evolution barely doing anything to deter the Sneasel's confidence that the same result as their last battle would occur. Toxin lethargically sauntered towards Heather, his face showing no emotion whatsoever. Amethyst turned to face Blade, putting a hand to her chin with a grin. "Well now, we meet again in battle, then?" she said, amused. "Did you find out why you went wrong last time? If not, I'll be happy to teach you yet again...."

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach nodded in confirmation with a smile, as he looked down at their hands.

"Th-this is nice and all, but it'd be more fair if we let go, I bet..." Zach said with a giggle, as he really didn't mind it, but figured they couldn't really run while they were holding hands.

 

Blade looked back with an amused smile, and nodded. "I think so... I guess we'll just find out, though." Blade said with a confident smile, as he looked over at the other Pokemon. Smugleaf looked at Shade in, well, smugness, and Heather smiled happily at the Croagunk, even though the Croagunk didn't really return the favour. "So... We go in 3?" Blade asked, ready to fight finally.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

When Zach spoke up, Olivia blinked and started blankly for a few moments, before following his gaze towards their still interlocked hands. "....O-Oh, sorry!" she said sheepishly, letting go of Zach's hand at last. "Yeah, w-would probably be awkward trying to have a race like that...." Olivia admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "So, do we start running from here?"

 

Amethyst grinned, and nodded in confirmation while folding her arms. "Okay, on the count of three, -twoonego!-" the Gardevoir said extremely quickly, while firing off a Will-O-Wisp to start things off. Her smirk gave away that she knew that was bad sportsmanship, and that she didn't exactly care. Meanwhile, Shade started off with a Hone Claws, to boost his forthcoming assault. Toxin fired off a Venoshock at Heather, giving no sign of whether he would follow up on that move.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"Yeah, a bit awkward..." Zach said with a slight laugh, but seemed a bit disappointed, but shook his head, and then nodded to Olivia's question. "Yep!" Zach said with a wide smile, as he did a couple quick stretches. "Any time you're ready, then we can start!" Zach said with a nod, glad to have something nice to keep his mind off everything Aspen liked to remind him of.

 

Blade laughed as Am fired off the attack, and then jumped into the air quickly.

"Nice one." Blade said with an amused smile, as he flipped around, and tried to slash out with a Slash at the Gardevoir quickly on his way down.

Smugleaf leered at the Sneasel quickly, and then slithered rapidly toward Shade, and then attempted to use a slam, as he wondered just what the Sneasel was plotting this time. However, Smugleaf also wasn't quite as helpless as last time, and was gonna show that off this time.

Heather was glad that this opponent was not Dune. Quickly leading off with Agility, the Pikachu launched herself into the air, and then focused, as she let off a Thunderbolt at the Croagunk, before landing past the venoshock, and then trying to use Quick Attack to dash froward, and then turn that into a Volt Tackle once close.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia looked back with a smile, starting off with a few stretches. "Alright that should be enough for now... Ready on the count of three." she told Zach, getting into running position. "One.... Two.... Three!" she cried, propelling herself forward along the track, soon finding a fast and steady pace. Zach would need to pass her to see it, but Olivia had a confident smile on her face, feeling in her element. "Who knows? This might be the one thing I'm better at than Zach..."

 

As Blade came rushing forth at Amethyst, she simply stood her ground in anticipation. As he drew close though, the Gardevoir quickly raised her arms and unleashed a Psychic blast as a sort of counter. "Like I would let you!" she taunted.

Shade watched Smugleaf attempt to Slam into him, and quickly used Agility to dash to the side, leaving the Servine to tackle nothing. While his opponent would be left slightly disoriented for a moment, Shade used another Hone Claws to further boost his Attack and Accuracy.

Toxin did not realize there was a Thunderbolt crashing down on his head until it was too late, and the Croagunk was struck. Once he recovered, a Mud Bomb was lobbed at the charging Heather in order to disrupt its path.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach looked surprised, as the two of them started running, and Olivia quickly got a large lead.

Wow... She's really improved... Zach said in awe, as he smiled widely, and tried to push his limits, panting heavily in the process, but still not actually catching up or passing the girl. She's so fast... I can't believe it... Zach thought, having expected to hold back slightly to help her out... But now, it was like the exact opposite. She's so amazing... Zach thought, as he began to slow down with a sad look on his face, as he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up this pace... However, despite that, he still continued to push himself, as he forced himself to go faster, though he definitely was feeling the strain of running past his limits.

 

Blade was knocked off target with a smile, as he teleported quickly, and sent off a sheet of Magical Leaves at his rival quickly, though something from the last fight crossed his mind again for a second. Was that really the only reason she hates Gallades so much...?

Smugleaf frowned, as he spun and tried to unleash a Leaf Tornado on Shade quickly, frustrated that he missed the attack.

Heather seemed surprised at the Mud Bomb, and was clipped by it as she tried to dodge the attack; however, she was only slowed slightly, and continued to run quickly toward the Croagunk, unleashing a normal Quick Attack in the process.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia kept on running, pushing herself in fear that Zach would soon catch up like old times. However, contrary to her fears, she didn't see Zach coming into view out of the corner of her eye, and was puzzled for a second. "Am I.... Outrunning him?" Olivia thought, puzzled. "Have I really improved that much?" She knew that over several years, her physical condition improved, but she didn't recognize the full extent until that very moment, where it seemed Zach was lagging behind. Her confident smile becoming a wide grin, Olivia pressed on quickly, completely amazed at the current situation.

 

Amethyst raised an arm as the Magical Leaves shot towards her, preparing a Will-O-Wisp, looking like she was to revisit a strategy from their first fight. However, she instead teleported behind Blade, and only then did she fire off the Will-O-Wisp.

Shade narrowed his eyes at the Leaf Tornado, and kicked up an Icy Wind to disrupt the attack, and if lucky, strike the Servine and leave it slowed.

Toxin saw that the Mud Bomb only slowed down Heather ever so slightly, and quickly rushed forth with a Sucker Punch to meet the Pikachu head on.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach was also shocked, but smiled a lot, as he continued to press his limits... However, as he continued to run, he forgot to uncross his feet, and his left foot got caught on his right, with no chance to stop himself.

Oh no. Was all Zach had time to even think about, as his eyes widened, and he felt like it was in slow motion, as he tripped, and fell to the ground, rolling along for a little while, until he finally slid to a stop with a slight groan.

 

Blade's eyes widened, as he whirled around and took a Will-O-Wisp to the face. "... Good move..." Blade panted, as he smirked. "Think of that specifically for defence against the Gallade you hate?" Blade asked jokingly, meaning himself there, since he knew Am's reaction of him from the last time they fought, and from when they teamed up.

Smugleaf's eyes widened, as the Icy Wind struck, and the Servine rolled backwards, taking a few moments to get up. He leered at Shade again, but knew this likely wasn't going to end well.

The Pikachu looked in surprise, as the Sucker Punch struck; however, Heather quickly righted herself, and launched back at the Croagunk with a Quick Attack/Volt Tackle combo, aiming to damage it heavily in response, with a smile.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

As Zach tripped over his feet and slammed hard into the ground, Olivia was already in the zone, and as such did not even notice Zach's mishap. It was not until she finally registered the fact that the sound of feet kicking up dust was absent that she realized something was wrong. Slowly coming to a halt, Olivia turned around to find Zach spread out across the ground in pain. "Zach!" she cried out, quickly running back towards him, kneeling once she was close. "What happened?! Are you alright?! Do you need help?!"

Amethyst held up her hand and blew out the leftover ghostly flames on her fingers, smirking. "Well, no matter how hard I try to be less squishy, physical attacks I cannot stop from hitting hard. Really, it's a utility move for general situations in which I go up against a primarily physical battler." she explained, though the smirk only grew larger. "I won't deny it is especially satisfying to use on Gallades, though...." the Gardevoir said, quickly firing off her own Magical Leaves.
Shade cackled with delight, as right now, it seemed like he had Smugleaf exactly where he wanted him. Running towards the Servine, Shade prepared an Ice Punch to send Smugleaf to the next day.
Toxin had only barely enough time to register that Heather was charging towards him until he was struck, and sent flying far back, his attempted use of Revenge failing. Once the Croagunk landed, he simply lay there for a few moments, appearing to be knocked out. Just as it seemed Heather had secured herself a victory, a sudden flash of light drew attention to the source, none other than Toxin. Getting up, he lumbered towards the Pikachu as slowly as ever, yet his body still glowed. As the light continued to intensify, Toxin became quicker and quicker, his physique also becoming taller and more slender. Once nearing Heather and going at a speed unthinkable coming from such a slow and bored Pokemon, the light dissipated to reveal a fast, sharp Toxicroak. With a cry, Toxin sent an arm forward, aiming to strike Heather with a speedy Bullet Punch.

OOC: Toxin evolved to Toxicroak, Revenge replaced with Bullet Punch and Venoshock with Sludge Bomb.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach groaned again, as he flipped over and Olivia could see that he was rather cut up and not really looking that good.

"I think I... went too fast..." Zach groaned with a wince, as he just laid on his back for a few minutes, trying to breathe through the pain.

 

Blade quickly teleported away, staggering upon appearing behind Amethyst again. "Heh... Though... Why do you hate Gallades anyway?" Blade finally asked, as he frowned slightly. "I mean, I get what you were talking about last time, but... I don't hate Gardevoirs..." Blade said, as he thought this seemed more than jealousy.

The Ice Punch struck the still-recovering Servine, as Smugleaf fell backwards, and landed, fainted for the third fight in a row.

Heather, on the other hand, was rather surprised, as she was sent flying backward from the Bullet Punch. However, as she flew through the air, she quickly focused and launched a Thunderbolt back at the Toxicroak quickly with a smile.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia kept kneeling next to Zach as he lay on the ground, attempting to help him get through the pain. After some time passed though, Olivia tried to lift Zach up onto his feet, and wrap his arm around her shoulder for support. "Come on, just staying on the ground wont do any good.... We gotta get you patched up." she said, wondering where the nearest Pokemon Center was.

 

Amethyst turned around to face Blade when he teleported, her smirk quickly melting into a scowl as her eyes narrowed. "....I've already told you exactly why I hate Gallades.... There's nothing more to it than that." the Gardevoir replied dismissively, turning around and folding her arms. Hidden from Blade was Amethyst closing her eyes as she frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Looking over his fainted opponent, Shade doubled over with laughter, as Smugleaf still did not put up much of a fight, even with the Servine's evolution. Shade swaggered past his fainted opponent, looking for a nice spot to sit down and relax, while also still being able to see Smugleaf lie fainted.

Toxin, in sharp contrast to his older self had already began running at breakneck pace towards Heather. Before the Thunderbolt could crash down on his head, the Toxicroak rolled to the side, the Thunderbolt missing him by a small margin. Once his eyes found Heather again, Toxin launched over a Mud Bomb, while resuming his pursuit of the Pikachu.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"Y-yeah..." Zach said, breathing heavily, as he sighed. "Sorry that I ruined this thing too..." he said quietly, as he leaned against Olivia for support, trying to take deep breaths to get through this.

 

Blade was utterly confused by her reaction. If it really was nothing, then why did she react that way...? Blade wondered, and tried to reach out to get her attention, partially to apologize, and partially since right now she seemed to be ignoring him.

Heather leaped over the Mud Bomb in shock, amazed that the evolution had just that much capability. Smiling, the Pikachu launched off a Discharge quickly, and then ran toward the Toxicroak in response, charging up yet another Volt Tackle for use against it.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Nah, don't worry about it, Zach...." Olivia said with a smile, leading Zach away from the track. "Hmm...." she muttered, looking around for the Pokemon Center in question.

 

As Blade reached out psychically, he was struck with a vivid image of a snowy forest, the trees appearing to tower over whoever was bearing witness to them. Yet the center of focus was a Gallade in the middle of a clearing who radiated strength. Yet his eyes were cold, devoid of any compassion, if not outright malicious. Those eyes looked down with disdain, and quickly rushed forward to strike. Before the hit could connect though, the image faded away and Blade soon found himself face to face with an enraged Amethyst. "What do you think you're doing?!" she fumed. "Stay out of my head OR ELSE."

Toxin leaped quickly as the Discharge approached, landing after the electric wave passed. Seeing that Heather was gathering power, the Toxicroak leapt forward, trying to catch her off guard with another Sucker punch.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"You sure...?" Zach asked, his voice a little quieter from trying to focus on anything but the pain, but still kinda shocked at Olivia's reaction. Zach smiled weakly, however, as he pointed to a red building off in the distance.

 

What the...!? Blade stepped back in shock from both the memory, and Am's reaction. "... I was just trying to mentally nudge you..." Blade said, and frowned, as he looked at Am in a sad kind of curious way. "... Am...?" Blade tentatively started to ask, but then stopped himself, as he figured that she didn't want to talk about it... But that memory made him wonder. Was that why she hates people like that...? Who was that even...? Blade overall seemed rather concerned, and definitely confused.

Heather, however, smiled, as she spun around in circles, instead upgrading her speed with Agility again; nimbly jumping on the Toxicroak's arm as he tried for the Sucker Punch. As she landed, however, she leaped forward, and attempted the Volt tackle right there.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia gave Zach an affirmative nod and smile, as she led Zach towards the Center. "It's not really a big deal, and you could always make it up later.... And besides was nice running with you again like the old days, even if it wasn't for very long..." she said with a quiet chuckle, pushing open the door to the Center.

 

Amethyst looked at Blade with anger for a few moments, but her expression soon faltered. The Gardevoir quickly turned away from Blade, crossing her arms yet again, completely silent for almost a minute. "....You asked for the real reason I hated Gallades?" she said at last. "Well you wouldn't understand, even if I did tell you..." Amethyst continued, her voice flat. Despite that, a tear trickled down her cheek, which she attempted to keep hidden from Blade.

Toxin once more could not react as Heather slammed right into him with a Volt Tackle, and was sent spiraling through the air once more. This time, the Toxicroak shakily got up, putting a hand om the ground to keep steady. Yet almost right after, he collapsed onto the ground face-first, knocked out and unable to battle.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"True... It was very nice..." Zach said with a smile, as they walked in. "You've definitely gotten faster, too..." Zach added, even as he put his head down from the pain; trying not to pass out.

 

"You sure...?" Blade asked, as he stood there awkwardly, not sure what to actually do. Still, something seemed to get am so unnerved, and it seemed unlike her to do so... So Blade couldn't help but wonder just what it was all about.

Heather smiled, and walked up to the fainted Toxicroak, and simply laid down next to him, trying to cheer him up,as the Pikachu passed the Toxicroak an Oran Berry.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia chuckled at Zach's compliment, but became alarmed when he put his head down, obviously straining. Walking up to the front desk, Olivia had a look of concern. "Hi, my friend fell pretty badly, and got real cut up. Could you help us?"

 

Amethyst shook her head sadly. "...Even if you could understand..... The memories you've dug up are...... Just too painful." she said ".....I cant tell you what happened, I really cant."

Toxin munched on the Oran Berry, and slowly got up to face Heather. Out of all the things that had changed, his flat expression remained. The Toxicroak extended an arm however, waiting for the Pikachu to shake his hand.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Phoenix Zero

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach didn't look up, trying to focus on something other than the pain, but heard the receptionist confirm that they could help, and then helped Zach to a part of the Pokemon Center when they helped with the injuries, and then bandaged him up. A little while later, Zach opened his eyes.

"...Huh?" Zach seemed confused as to where he was, since it wasn't the room he last recalled being in.

 

Blade sighed, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry to hear that... Does it have to do with that thing I accidentally saw...?" Blade asked, to at least confirm that.

Heather smiled widely, and the Pikachu took Toxin's hand, and then shook it happily, and squeaked out, to try and say that the Toxicroak had fought well... And then promptly fell down, finally taking notice of the recoil damage from that Volt Tackle.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Hey." Olivia said when Zach came to. "You kinda got conked out for a bit. But they managed to bandage you up. You alright now?" she asked with a smile.

 

Amethyst did not react, continuing to look away from Blade. "....What do you think....." the Gardevoir said at last. She turned around to face Blade, sniffling while also wiping a tear. "....But do you actually think you could help.....?" Amethyst asked with disdain.

Toxin watched as Heather fell over, staring at the downed Pikachu. He was unsure of what to do, and so decided to keep watching her until their Trainers returned.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"I... think so... Not as sore, anyway." Zach said with a slight giggle, and winced slightly, as he stood up. "Hopefully the rest of the pain goes away eventually, but I probably might need to keep these bandages on for a bit..." Zach said, and smiled back. "Though, maybe we should wait for any more races, until I get better..." Zach said with a slightly teasing smile.

 

Blade paused as he saw Amethyst's face, but sighed. "I can't be certain of that... But I'd want to try. You seem nice, after all, and whatever happened obviously wasn't something you deserve." Blade said, willing to at least try to help out.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Nah, no races for a bit. They weren't fair before, but with you in bandages, they'f be even more so." Olivia teased with a grin. "But the bandages work. They give you a sorta rougher look, know what I mean?" she said.

 

Amethyst looked over at Blade with curiosity, not expecting those words for him. "....You want to try? ....Could you really be different?" she replied, still looking at the Gallade suspiciously. "....I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't tell you what happened. But... That doesn't mean I couldn't show you..." Amethyst muttered, looking at Blade to see if that was a good idea.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach paused, and eyed the bandages, wondering if that was really true. "O-oh yeah?" Zach asked, unsure about that, but giggled slightly and a bit nervously. "I-I guess I could see that." Zach said, and thought for a moment. "So, should we gather our Pokemon, and then start to head back, anyway?" Zach asked with a slight smile.

 

Blade seemed intrigued by the idea, and nodded. "If you're fine for that, then that might be the best way..." Blade said, as he hoped she would be okay by doing that.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

"Sure thing, Zach." Olivia said, getting up and grinning. "Do you still need some help walking or will you be fine?" she asked.

 

"I suppose you'll know the pain best if you experience it...." Amethyst pondered, looking Blade directly in the eyes. "In that case..... Get ready." she said, eyes glowing purple as she transmitted her memories over to Blade...

 

Once more did the surroundings shift to that of a forest with a blanket of snow. Blade was clearly watching from the perspective of Amethyst as a Ralts, since everything seemed to tower over her. Soon after, the sound of footsteps sloshing through the snow rung out, with Amethyst quickly turning her head. The same Gallade from the previous memory walked in, looking extremely annoyed.

"Urgh, the nerve of those pathetic humans! Catching ME? Turning me into some subservient slave?!" the Gallade grumbled, but chuckled with satisfaction afterwards. "Well I showed that human and his excuse of a Pokemon what happens of you trifle with me."

"Mm-hm, that's nice..." another voice called out, Am's perspective shifting to the side. A Gardevoir who bore a striking resemblance to Am herself was standing close by, and subtly sighed at the appearance of the Gallade.

Sighing, the Gallade suddenly turned sullen. "Grah.... Am I really the only one with true strength here?!" he growled, with the Gardevoir looking over in fearful anticipation. "What a burden.... If only I could build up a Gallade as powerful as I...."

"W-Wait...." the Gardevoir said, holding an arm out, but she could not stop what was to come.

"And I WOULD have had the perfect student, had you not messed up and had a female Ralts!" the Gallade shouted, first looking at Am's mother, before turning his hateful gaze down at Amethyst.

"Please, please dont start this again..." begged Am's mother, though her look showed she knew he wouldn't listen.

"You useless waste of space! You had ONE job-giving me a boy, and you couldn't do a task as simple as that!" Am's father screamed with rage. "What am I to do with a female Ralts?! Now I'll NEVER be able to make the perfect Gallade!"

Amethyst herself quickly picked herself off the ground, and tried to sneak away from her father's wrath. It failed though, as he saw her moving out of the corner of his eyes, and his rage boiled further.

"And you! You worthless piece of trash! The only thing you will EVER be useful for is target practice!" her father declared. "Now scram! Get outta my sight!"

Amethyst froze for a second, then quickly shuffled along the snow, trying to get away from her father as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for her, Am tripped over herself and facevaulted into the snow. She got up dazed, and her father snapped once more.

"I said to GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!" he howled, leaping at Amethyst and striking her with a Night Slash from behind.

Amethyst took the full force of the strike, and went flying forward with a cry. Once landing, she found that she was unable to get up again, or move period. Before her father could lash out again, Am's mother rushed over, gingerly picking her up.

"I cant stand the both of you! Both of you! Leave at once, OR ELSE!"

With that, Amethyst's mother started walking away silently. Still in excrutiating pain, Am weakly tried to call out. Her mother then held the injured Ralts closer, her warm embrace calming Amethyst, who could not help but start crying anyways.

"Shhh.... It'll be alright, we're far away from Daddy now...." Am's mother said reassuringly. "Everything will be just fine soon, Mommy promises.... You don't have to cry anymore.... Mommy's there for you....."

Amethyst eventually stopped crying, and weakly looked up at her mother. Both of them wanted things to be better, yet weren't sure if that was possible when her father was still around. In her mother's warm embrace, Amethyst rolled off to sleep, fearing what the next day would bring....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"I think I'll be okay..." Zach said, as he tested his legs, but paused, and gingerly held his hand out to Olivia. "Th-though, it would be nice, if..." Zach said, a slight blush on his face, as he couldn't actually finish the sentence at that moment.

 

Blade's eyes widened, as he saw what happened, and was totally shocked, and then seemed just plain disgusted with the fact that someone could even do that. But then, how did she get from there to where Olivia could have found her...?

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia took Zach's hand with no hesitation, though her cheeks were slightly tinted with a rosy color. After leading him outside of the Center, Olivia looked over curiously at Zach. "....It would be nice if...?" she asked, wondering if he would finish his sentence. 

Amethyst cut off the memory there, and it was clear from the tears running down her cheeks that reliving that moment was extremely painful for her to do. "....W-Well? That's why. That's why I hate Gallades...." Amethyst said to Blade, quickly wiping the tears away and sniffling. "....And you know what? ...He was going easy on me, then.... I mean, he only hit me once.... Other times? Well...." she began with a wince. ".....He wasn't making idle threats when he mentioned using me for target practice..." the Gardevoir said at last, sniffling again. "...But Mommy.... She kept her promise that night. And that was when things finally started looking up...." Amethyst said, her eyes glowing purple once more as the memory resumed.

 

Amethyst slowly woke up due to being shook gently by her mother. Blinking, the young Ralts looked at her surroundings and gasped. They were in a dark room that seemed to shake and turn rhythmically. "M-Mommy?!" Amethyst began. "....Where are we?"

"Don't worry, everything is fine..." Am's mother began in a soothing voice. "You're safe from your Daddy now... Or, at least you will be soon."

"Huh?" Amethyst responded, still looking around the room. "...How am I safe here?"
"Let me finish, child." her mother said with a warm smile. "First of all.... I would like to apologize. I should have taken you away from your father sooner...." she mused, sighing sadly. "I was afraid of his rage, but.... Now I know that was selfish of me to care for my own well-being. You mean the world to me...." Am's mother declared, hugging her daughter as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's okay, Mommy...." Amethyst responded, wrapping her arms over her mother. "But... Where will you be taking me?"

"I'm not sure." Am's mother replied. "But wherever it is this boat will take you, you will be away from your father, and that will be an improvement no matter what.... Oh, and I'm sorry, but...." she began, looking down sadly. "I will not be going with you."
"What?!" Amethyst cried out. "Why, Mommy?! What will I do without you?!" 

"I am so, so sorry.... If I could stay with you, I would." Am's mother sighed, holding her child closer once more. "...But you know how your father is.... I can't afford to let him harm others like he did to you.... Or worse, gaining a child who whom he can corrupt." she explained, looking down at Amethyst sadly. "I need to make up for my inaction with you..."
"B-But Mommy....." Amethyst protested. "You've been with me forever, and always helped me when Daddy hurt me... I can't make it without you! I can't!"

"Yes you can, child." Am's mother said, smiling reassuringly. "I know you are strong, if you have survived your father's torment. You just haven't realized your potential.... Promise to me that you will be strong, alright?"
Just then, Am's mother expression became troubled, closing her eyes as well. "....I feel your father's presence nearby. He will not be happy with what I have done...." she muttered, then noticed Amethyst's panicked expression. "...I have done nothing for too long. Today, I will not let him touch you...."
"...Mom?" Amethyst asked, as her mother suddenly became focused on something else. "...What are you gonna do?"
"I just said it, I am holding your father off. Child, I need you to promise to me that you will find the strength inside you." Am's mother said, kneeling down in front of her child. 
".....I-I promise, Mommy..." Amethyst said tentatively. "I promise."

Smiling, Amethyst looked over her child one last time. "I know you can do it. Don't forget your promise, child. I love you...." she said somberly, turning around and then teleported outside of the boat. 

".....Mommy?" Amethyst muttered curiously, alone inside a compartment of the ship. "....Hello? Will you return?"

After a while of Amethyst talking to nothing, the ship's engine rumbled. "H-Huh? It's moving?!" she thought. "....Where am I even gonna end up? And what about Mommy...?" the Ralts wondered. After the boat had been chugging along for a while, Amethyst eventually huddled back into a dark corner, eventually rolling off to sleep once more.

 

Amethyst groggily awoke, the ship still moving along. "...I-Is it morning yet?" the Ralts wondered, but still didn't move from her corner. "...Mommy isn't here.... She really is leaving me alone?" she wondered. "...I guess so..... But what do I do now then....?"

Silently sitting in the dark, the Ralts perked up when she felt the boat come to a stop. The Ralts looked over as a door opened, and started panicking in her corner, running to find cover. Several men walked into the room, and started hauling away the cargo inside, while Amethyst looked on silently, hoping that nobody looked around at the object she was hiding behind. Thankfully, there was no one on board who was specifically searching for a stowaway Ralts, and so Amethyst was left undiscovered. 
"...Where am I?" the Ralts wondered yet again. After some time passed, Amethyst mustered up the courage to slowly tiptoe to the opening of the door, which had not been fully closed. Slowly pushing it away, she peeked her head out ever so slightly to see outside. Most people on deck were large adults who were massive in comparison to the tiny Ralts. However, there was a little girl with red hair and green eyes who stood next to a man clearly working on the ship. Her eyes darted around curiously, and she appeared amazed with everything on board. Her gaze then stopped, looking straight in Amethyst's direction. Panicking, the Ralts pulled her head away from the opening and retreated back into the room, but not before the little girl started running after her. 

"Helloooooooo?" the girl called out after pushing the door open. Amethyst had already ducked behind her previous cover. However, the Ralts knew that the only reason that location had worked before was because no one had been looking for her before. In contrast, this little girl snooped around the entire room, checking every nook and cranny. After some time passed, the inevitable occurred and Amethyst was discovered.

"There you are!" the little girl said with a giggle, looking over at the Ralts. "Hi!"
Amethyst looked back up at the girl fearfully, unsure of what would happen next. The girl noticed her fear, and frowned.

"....What's wrong?" she asked. "...Why are you so scared? Are you scared of me....?" 

Amethyst did not respond, which made the girl sigh.
"Hey.... It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you.... I promise." she said reassuringly. "My name's Olivia! And you are... A Ralts, right?"

Amethyst looked up upon the mention of her species name, which prompted a smile from Olivia. 
"Haha! I remembered right from that book I had!" the red haired girl giggled. "So.... How you doing?" she asked with a smile. 

The Ralts didn't respond to the question, for she looked down and put a hand over her abdomen, suddenly feeling quite hungry.

"Hm?" Olivia noticed, slowly piecing things together. "You're feeling a little hungry, right?" she asked, getting a glance from the Ralts as a response. "Wait a minute....." the girl said, taking off her backpack and searching through it, taking out a bag with a sandwich in response. "Mommy packed this for me in case I got hungry, but looks like you're the one who's hungry!" she said happily, taking out the sandwich and breaking it in half, holding one in front of Amethyst expectantly. 

The Ralts blinked while looking at the sandwich, and hesitantly grabbed it. Looking it over, Amethyst began nibbling at it.

"Go on! It's peanut butter and honey." Olivia said, smiling at the Ralts beginning to eat. "I hope you like it!"
With that, Amethyst began to take larger bites out of the sandwich, a smile forming on her face. After finishing her food, the Ralts looked back up at Olivia with the a happy expression. 
Giggling, the red haired girl handed Amethyst the second half of the sandwich, returning the happy smile. "You're still hungry, right? Then eat some more!" she encouraged, patting the Ralts on the back.

Amethyst did just that, looking up at Olivia happily with a mouthful of sandwich. 'Mommy may not be around anymore but this human is so nice to me!' she thought happily. 'Maybe things will be okay after all......'

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach blushed slightly, and scratched his head.

"O-oh, well, I-I had meant if you would take my hand..." Zach said, but then smiled, as he sighed. "Have I ever said how good a friend you are...?" Zach asked, as he slightly laughed. "You helped me there... And, well, you've been one of the only ones who hasn't seemed totally upset with what happened..." Zach said, and giggled slightly. "And you've always been a good friend! Like the times we raced, and when I used to visit so much..." Zach continued, as they approached the track again.

 

Blade closed his eyes and put his head down, as the second part of the flashback ended.

"Your father..." Blade started to say, and shook his head slightly, as he looked at Am sadly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that... That, on top of what you had mentioned last battle..." Blade sighed, and walked up to Am, as he tried to find a way to comfort the Gardevoir. Anything he did, though, would have been awkward, since he had never tried that before. "Your father sounds despicable... And I'm sorry that you had to go through that... At least you found a loving trainer, though." Blade said, knowing it wasn't worth having to go through all that, but knowing there was at least a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Konuju]

IC: Ellen

"Well you've known Zach longer than I have," Ellen shrugged. "But it was pretty neat. It was my first time really exploring Unova outside of Village Bridge and Accumula Town -- it was a great adventure just getting to see the world of my home region. We were tracking down a criminal known as Black, who turned out to be Zach's own brother. Then we met this 'bruja' in Castelia who tried to blow up the city. For a moment there we actually thought Zach was dead. I'll admit I was a little scared, but it was okay because I knew the others would come and save me. Then it turned out Zach wasn't dead, but after that he sort of split from the group -- I think I remember him saying something about battling gyms or something... and I know he really wanted to get to Dragonspiral Tower."

 

Which everyone ended up going to eventually anyway, Duo reminded her.

 

"Yeah, everyone else met up with him at Dragonspiral Tower, and I tried to join them, but then Palkia teleported us all to Black City. From there, Gerald fused Zekrom and Kyurem, and... well, I think you know the rest." Ellen's voice trailed off, and she was quiet for several minutes. "After that, he mostly kept to himself," she added, almost as an afterthought. "I think this was the first time I've actually seen him since that day."

 

By then, Dahlia had turned the corner and was walking toward a quaint little home by the shore of the lake. Ellen couldn't help but smile, finding the home's appearance very refreshing after the absurdly large mansion of Rugissement.

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

"Well then, Machop, step out of the way and use Karate Chop!" When the Onix attempted to slam him, Machop jumped sideways out of the way, bringing a glowing hand around for a Karate Chop on the Rock-type.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Roark==-

 

Roark was surprised when the Onix was sent crashing to the ground from the attack, but nodded.

"Bind!" Roark called out, as the Onix attempted to quickly wrap itself around the Machop, and bind it in place.

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia/Aspen Seaton

 

As the three of them approached Kiri's house, Aspen looked over at Ellen. ".....Well, that sounds like an eventful adventure...." he said. "Being around Zach probably helped.... Stick around him, seems like you're bound to get into trouble eventually...."

"Conflict is the essence of life, isn't it?" Aria muttered, glancing down at Ellen as well. "At least, so I've heard. What would you say, child? How has that little journey of yours changed you?" she asked Ellen, looking over curiously. "Old perceptions shattered, replaced with new ones...? Maybe discovering a dimension to yourself that you were blind to before....?"

Dahlia quickly shot the two a frustrated glance, before sighing and going in front of the door. She pressed the doorbell and knocked on the door, putting on her largest smile. "Hellooooo? Aunt Kiri? It's me, Dahlia!" 

 

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia blushed when Zach clarified what he wanted to say, rubbing the back of her head with her free hand. When he called her a good friend, and began to reminisce about their childhood, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah..... Those were good times, huh?" she said with a chuckle. "How much stuff did we even do.....?" she wondered, blushing slightly again. ".....Hmm, feels like just about everything we did together....." Olivia concluded, chuckling again. Once reaching the track, Olivia looked over at the results of their battles.

 

Amethyst turned away from Blade, remaining silent as he attempted to comfort her. .....That was the first time I've told someone about my past..... Not even Olivia knows.... Amethyst realized, her eyes widening. ....Was that a good idea, even....? He seems to be nicer than my father, at least..... But should I really have trusted him with those memories...? the Gardevoir wondered, still wary of Blade. "....It's all in the past now...." Amethyst finally replied. "But I pray I never have to see my father again...."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"Yeah... I miss those days, you know?" Zach said, as he smiled over at Olivia, and then stopped, as he saw the results as well.

 

"If you need to, then I hope that I'm able to be of help." Blade said, as he sighed. "You were right last time, you know... at least I had a choice for my life..." Blade said awkwardly, and noticed that Zach and Olivia were back.

 

Zach blinked, as he scratched his head, seeing both Heather and Smugleaf fainted, and Toxin evolved... And Blade and Am... doing whatever they were doing.

"Well, uh, you... win again, I guess." Zach giggled, as he smiled and recalled his three Pokemon, though he noticed Blade seemed a bit upset about it. "S-so..." Zach said, as he turned to Olivia again. "Those times were pretty fun, huh? I remember when I used to seem to have such a large lead, then you'd come from nowhere to just overtake me, and we'd both be equally surprised..." Zach said with a smile, as he tried and failed to organize his thoughts right, as he waited for Olivia to recall her Pokemon.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Amethyst was silent when Blade responded, though turned around when she heard the footsteps of their Trainers. At least he understands that part..... the Gardevoir thought.

 

Olivia turned to Zach once she saw the result of their battles. "Seems like Heather gave Toxin a run for his money, even with that evolution of his...." she said with a chuckle. "Smugleaf didn't seem to touch Shade all that much, though....." Olivia mentioned with a grin, as she recalled all of her Pokemon. She frowned, as Amethyst and Blade seemed to be in the middle of something.... But she wasn't sure what. Ignoring that feeling, Olivia chuckled at Zach's words, nodding in agreement. "S-So, we go and heal our Pokemon, and then head to Kiri's house?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"I could probably quickly heal them..." Zach said, as he pulled out a few healing supplies, and then paused, as he thought for a moment, and healed the Pokemon. As he did that, he nodded, and smiled at Olivia, as they began to walk. "That was a fun time, though... Painful, but fun." Zach said with a giggle, as he looked over at Olivia, once again awed by her, even just walking alongside him.