Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny made a mock pouting face, though with a lot of a smile running through into it.

"A Togepi? Come on, I'm sure I'm at least a Togetic... lemme show you!" Jenny exclaimed, as she picked up the next ball, and focused on the target, took a deep breath, and then flung it with all her might at the target, a wide smile on her face as she did so.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

.......Which also missed, much to Evan's surprise.

 

"Well, I'm willing to agree with you on that." , Evan said playfully, "Because a Togekiss could hit that target, and they don't even have arms!"

 

Evan laughed loudly, but not in a mocking tone. He was having too much fun with this. He was glad he got to have some fun before anything heavy happened......

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny laughed at the comment too, and then thought for a moment, as she focused, and picked up the third ball.

"Well, then, hope you're ready, because here's my next try!" Jenny called out, and then took a deep breath, and flung the ball toward the target, a mischievous smile on her face, because she had a good feeling about this.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

......Which hit the target with a loud DING!

 

"YEAH, I KNEW YOU COU-BLBLBLUG!" Evan shouted and gurgled as he fell into the water.

 

Laughing in his head, Evan swam up to the surface, laughing jovially when he surfaced. Evan proceeded, with some difficulty, to exit the tank.

 

"We don't usually have people who act that happy aboout being dunked like that.", the attendant said as she produced a gaudy looking piece of paper, "So, your dunker can get a prize of her choice from any of the prize kiosks, with this."

 

"No problem, and thank you for that!", Evan said cheerfully as he handed the ticket to Jenny, "My jacket isn't exactly water proof, but it still remains comfortable!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny giggled, scratching her head as she took the ticket, as she nodded.

"That definitely seems to be the case, but good that it's still comfortable." Jenny said, amused again at how he was handling this all. "How was the water though?" The girl asked, curious about how it was, since she had never actually been in a dunk tank before, since she figured it was all freezing water and the like. As she waited for the answer, however, she walked up to the counter, and then thought about what she would pick.

"Have you made up your mind, miss?" The attendant asked with a smile, as Jenny put her fingers to her lips, scanning the different dolls on display, and then her mouth curled into a very amused smile, as she nodded and pointed to a very certain Pokedoll... A Togetic.

[Konuju]

OOC: Time to set the mood for Seven Island...

IC: Jayron
Despite the summer heat that had plagued the island for months, an unnatural chill blanketed the streets of the city. Jayron huddled in the back seat of the police car, glad he had the jacket he always wore. His hands subtly glowed as he summoned a small amount of aura to try and keep himself warm.
 
"Odd for a cold front to be coming through," George said, turning up the heat in the car. "But I can't say I'm complaining about the heat being gone. It's been one of the hottest summers yet."
 
The car heaters made Jayron feel a little better, but they offered no reprise from the overwhelming feeling of dread, which chilled him to his very core. Everything about this island felt highly unnatural. And for a world full of elemental monsters, that was saying something. To make matters worse, the Liberty executive had this terrible feeling that they were being followed. Every couple of blocks he would glance behind them. But the streets were as empty behind them as the ones ahead of them.
 
Closing his eyes, Jayron activated his aura. What he sensed made the blood drain from his face. Something was right behind them. The executive's eyes shot open and he whirled around in his seat.
 
Nothing.
 
Taking deep breaths, struggling to control his racing heart, Jayron closed his eyes again. There was definitely something there. But Jayron was shaking too hard to be able to decipher what it was. Whatever it was, it was following their every move. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Or maybe it was a warm sweat -- he couldn't tell with the heaters blasting on him.
 
He mentally reached out to Lucario to warn him of what he had sensed. While Lucario investigated, he sent a similar message to Colette. Or rather, he tried to. The moment he touched the young aura master's consciousness, she clammed up, retreating behind a mental wall of sorts. Jayron was so shocked by this that he barely noticed that Colette suddenly sat up straighter in the passenger seat, looking around suspiciously, obviously spooked.
 
"What was that?" George asked, seeing Colette's reaction. "Did you see something?"
 
Colette turned to the chief of police in surprise. "Oh, uh, I thought I did," she said quickly. "But it was just my imagination."
 
Jayron mentally berated Colette for not letting him through. He pushed against the mental wall as best he could, but found no opening. Colette had been trained well. He wondered if she had sensed the same thing he had, and that was why she reacted so defensively to his mental nudge.
 
At that moment, George pulled up next to a large laboratory set on a hill. Glass windows covered the side of one of the walls of the building, but they were too reflective to offer a glimpse inside. Jayron turned his attention back to what he had sensed earlier. Whatever it was, it was just as close as ever. George stepped out of the car, and Lucario as well. But for a long moment, the two aura wielders sat still in their seats, too terrified to move.
 
"Colette," Jayron whispered intensely. "That was me trying to contact you. I... I sensed something behind us. Whatever it is, it's still there."
 
"Are you kids coming or what?" George called. "Don't tell me you got cold feet now of all times."
 
Taking a deep breath, Jayron undid his seatbelt and opened the door. When Jayron stepped out of the car, he was surprised at how much the wind had picked up. His jacket fluttered behind him, and he had to keep a hand on his hat to stop it from blowing away.
 
"Things seem to be getting worse!" George cried over the wind. "Does your Lucario sense anything out of place?"
 
Everything is out of place, Lucario replied. Nothing is as it should be. But I think the most immediate problem, Captain, is that we're not alone. The Lucario turned his eyes to the back of the car and started to walk, his eyes betraying no emotion. He extended a hand, and the car's trunk opened with a small click.
 
George followed in surprise. Then the color drained from his face.
 
Wondering what was going on, Jayron followed, with Colette trailing close behind him.
 
A Growlithe leapt out of the trunk, nearly knocking Jayron to the ground. Before the executive had even regained his balance, the puppy turned her head toward Colette and with a joyful bark, leapt toward her, ready to land in her arms if the aura master caught her.
 
An indiscernible squeak came from the car as the tiny form of Alexa slowly crawled out of the trunk.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Konuju

[Parugi]

IC - Sonja Baron - The Alamo, Walking:

 

Sonja sighed, failing to suppress a short laugh. "You're such a dork sometimes . . ." She paused, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway. "Actually, I just remembered . . . I need to get Loki back from the storage system--he should have been sent back over by now."

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Pokémon Center, Lumiose City, Kalos:

 

"Kyle. Nice to meet you." The Liberty Agent shook Cero's hand. He gestured to the girl behind him. "This is Esen." Before he could say anything else, the nurse had arrived. He quickly hailed her, and after a few moments discussion, she had produced keys to two rooms, handing one to Kyle and one to Esen. He thanked her, and had just turned to leave when she paused him.

 

"I'm sorry--I know it's late, but would it be accurate to assume that you two are also Pokémon trainers?" she asked.

 

"I am," Kyle said, and then paused. It occurred to him that he had not yet seen any evidence of Esen actually being a trainer, despite the background that Silvermind had supplied regarding her. He looked to her.

 

"I am, too," she said after a moment. She rubbed her eyes. "Sorry--a little tired."

 

"No worries," the nurse said. "I just thought you might be interested in knowing that there's a Battle Expo going on tomorrow--it's a weekly event in this part of Lumiose." She shrugged. "You might enjoy it if you've never done it before!"

 

"It sounds interesting, but . . ." Kyle trailed off, recalling the last time he had participated in a public for-fun battle. "Well . . . We'll see. Maybe we'll check it out."

 

Esen rolled her eyes. "I'll be there," she assured the nurse. "If not to battle, then at least to watch."

 

"I guess we're going, then," Kyle said. "Alright, well, hopefully we'll see you there. And you, too," he added to Cero. With that--and a small wave--the two departed, retiring for the evening.

 

IC - Lidiya Vasilyev/Abbing/Styles/Magma Grunts - Havoc, Main Halls, Battling:

 

The wave of water slammed into the four Fire-Types, pushing them all back down the hallway and into their trainers. The Magcargo received an extra dose of damage when Dewott shot forward, slamming his blade into the slug's soft, fiery belly. Likewise, Styles's Pangoro charged, hitting the Magma Pyroar with a powerful Hammer Arm, while Vasilyev's Meowstic struck the Talonflame with a direct Charge Beam. With a quick Hydro Pump from Abbing's Seismitoad, the Magmortar, too, had been felled.

 

The Energon agents recalled their Pokémon, approaching the defeated Magma grunts with a tangible sense of ridicule. "That was disappointing," Vasilyev said. "I feel as if killing the four of you would almost be a blessing."

 

"Can we please not?" Abbing asked, clearly uncomfortable with the prospect. "They're already beat, Lieutenant. Any further is just overkill."

 

"I . . . have to concur," Styles said. "It's not like we don't already have a horde of brainwashed agents going around doing that already. Let them do it--this really shouldn't be our concern anymore."

 

Vasilyev paused, considering this. With a sigh, she lifted her weapon, taking it off of the dazed targets at her feet.

 

"You're lucky these kiddos are so compassionate," she said. She diverted her full attention as the Magma scientist scrambled to his feet, accidentally knocking over a trashcan in the process. Vasilyev approached him, much to his horror. "You. Work with us and you might live." He nodded, legs shaking the entire time. "Where's the central control platform?"

 

"I . . . I can show you," he said. "J-Just . . . don't hurt me!"

 

IC - Cyan Vero/Drake Masters/Zack Furler - Havoc, Lower Halls, Coolant Facility:

 

It was imperative that the situation get dealt with as soon as possible. But first, a little back story on the other two accompanying Team Liberty Agents.

 

The first was Drake Masters. Known throughout Team Liberty as the self-proclaimed "Dragon Lord", Drake could easily claim for himself a certain degree of mysterious presence. Mainly clad in green and black, with black hair short in the back and long enough in the front that he could sweep it over his left eye, he certainly looked like someone who could unleash a thrashing on an unsuspecting opponent. That being said, it was clear from his demeanor that he was not entirely enthused by the current mission--even in the cold of the room that they had appeared in, an uncertain sweat dotted his forehead, and he glanced about nervously as soon as he had gained his bearings in the unfamiliar setting.

 

Second was Zack Furler. Like Masters, Zack's presence was a dark one, though for a much different reason. He was a tall figure, one who bore more than a passing resemblance to the infamous Cyrus of Team Galactic; indeed, it did not take long to figure out that the two must somehow be related to each other. Unlike Cyrus, Zack's cool personality seemed to arise less from a genuine lack of emotion and more from a complete understanding of the situation at hand--immediately upon appearing in the base, he eased a Poké Ball into his grip, giving Cyan a small smile and a nod as he waited for orders. All in all, he was a quiet man, though not an unintelligent one.

 

With that done, the scene unfolded as thus:

 

At Guin's beckoning, the group vanished from the Alamo and reappeared in Havoc. It was not a smooth transition. The faulty teleportation barrier threatened to disrupt their transport every step of the way, and it was by sheer force of will alone that they managed to avoid reappearing outside of the base. When they did materialize, they found themselves in a large room filled with gigantic tanks of coolant--clearly meant to assist the base in its functions within Mt. Ember.

 

Given the importance of such a room, one might have expected to find workers on duty, maintaining the integrity of the place. There were none. The entire place appeared dead, and for good reason: At least one splatter of blood was already visible on a nearby wall. Logically, others would not be far away from it. Further evidence came in the form of a dull alarm that could be heard from somewhere in the room, suggesting that the faculties here had already been compromised in some form.

 

Poké Ball in hand, Cyan approached a nearby console, sending out his Porygon-Z. The Normal-Type phased into the computer, manipulating the software to grant the Liberty agent access to the system. Seconds later, Cyan's expression was already darkening. "No way that's good," he muttered. "Not good at all." The computer beeped. Around them, a dull rumbling sounded. "And . . . it's not."

 

"What does it mean?" Zack asked. "What happened?"

 

"Whoever wiped out the technicians in here seem to have sabotaged the coolant system--months in advance, from the looks of things here," he said. "They're already breaking down, which means that once they do, this place is quickly going to burn up from the heat of the volcano. In other words . . ." He logged off of the console. "We're on a timer."

 

"Can anything be done about it?"

 

"Not at this point," Cyan said. "Which means we'd better get a move on if we're going to open up a bigger teleportation channel. It wouldn't be smart to bring anyone else in, but we can always let more people get out."

 

From the hallway, the distant sounds of battle suddenly arose, grabbing the group's attention.

 

"Guess we'd better check that out?" Drake asked.

 

IC - Joker/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall/Déoza Agent - Havoc, Lower Halls, Battling:

 

Hitmonlee suddenly found itself slowing down, as Grummore's Disable took its effect. Recognizing the futility in attempting to continue with Close Combat, the Fighting-Type bounced backward and out of the way. It was not out of the fight, however. Beheeyem recovered from its psychic backlash quickly enough to take note of the incoming assault, and upon registering this, immediately focused its psychic abilities again. In an instant, it and Hitmonlee had swapped places, with enough time for the latter to assume a defensive pose against the twin Dark Pulses. The attacks dissipated against its body, allowing it to lower its arms. As soon as it did, Chansa and Audinaga struck, knocking the Fighting-Type back and out of the way of the incoming Poison Powder. Sliding to a halt, it lunged forward, aiming to hit the two Normal-Types with Counter.

 

Beheeyem reappeared where Hitmonlee had once been, in time for Pelleas to slam into it with Aerial Ace. The Psychic-Type was knocked back, and after regaining its bearings, held its hands out, lashing at the Heracross with a Psychic attack.

 

As Palomides focused on putting the enemy Amoonguss to sleep, the Déoza agent's Trevenant suddenly reappeared in a whirlwind of darkness, raking the Ghost-Type with shadow-infused claws. Sparing no time, it soon launched into another attack, pulling energy from the nearby Grummore into itself with Horn Leech.

 

Tangrowth pushed against Claraga with as much strength as it could muster. The Dark Pulse only drove it into a further frenzy, prompting it to slam the Water-Type with another Power Whip before the second Ice Beam had struck it, knocking it backwards and out of the picture, its whole body frozen--including the vines holding onto the enemy Clawitzer.

 

Amoonguss suddenly felt the powerful sensations of sleep wash over itself. Though it raised its arms as if to attack, it did not manage to do so before falling into a deep, impenetrable slumber.

 

Abomasnow planted itself where it stood again, scanning the crowd for targets. Finding one, it gathered a ball of dark energy in its hands, launching it toward Gothy before aiming another Seed Bomb at Bedevere.

 

OOC:

 

-Beheeyem: Ally Swap w/Hitmonlee; Psychic on Pelleas.

-Hitmonlee: Counter on Chansa/Audinaga.

-Trevenant: Phantom Force on Palomides, Horn Leech on Grummore.

-Amoonguss: Sleeping.

-Tangrowth: Power Whip on Claraga, Frozen/K.O.'d.

-Abomasnow: Shadow Ball on Gothy, Seed Bomb on Bedevere.

 

 

IC - Quincy Adams/Michael Travis/Maxie - Havoc, Central Command:

 

It was a dead-end. Travis could not suppress the jolt of panic that he felt at the discovery. Where doors should clearly have been, only a metal wall stood, blocking any further advancement. But it was not just a metal wall, oh, no--he could tell just from a glance that it was a blast door, and extrapolating from that logic, the sheer defensive power of the door, its presence had to mean that he was close to somebody who could help him.

 

Whether they would help him was another question entirely.

 

He pounded on the door. "Maxie!" he yelled, hoping that, perhaps, some nearby microphone would pick up his shouts. "I know you're in there, and--###### it--let me in!" He pounded some more. No answer came. "Look--I can give you information on Ford! On the Hojohsin League! But you need to let me in, otherwise she is going to come, and she'll--!"

 

"What'll I do, Travis?"

 

The Energon leader whipped around. Adams stood at the end of the hall, Wizard floating just to her left. She approached slowly, running a hand through her wind-tussled hair. The knife she had so gleefully displayed earlier had been returned to its holster, the smile she had born now reduced to little more than a phantom of a smirk.

 

"What'll I do?" Adams repeated. "Tear you apart at the seams?" She cracked her knuckles. "Feed you to the dogs?" Her hands dropped to her sides. "Or . . . will I wrap you up in a tiny little box and set you on fire?" She stopped. "That sounds like a lot of fun, don't you think?" Her grin widened. "But first, let's bring out the rest of our playmates, shall we?"

 

She pointed. Wizard's eyes glowed as the Beheeyem focused on the blast doors. They creaked and began to pry open, gears groaning in opposition to the forceful movement. An opening appeared at the very bottom large enough for Travis to slip under, if he had wished to risk getting squashed. No; as it turned out, Wizard was dragging someone out. Amidst the shouts that sounded and were suddenly silenced with a mental crack, one voice continued to cry out, less out of fear than out of surprise. Soon enough, Maxie had emerged from the room, immobilized by psychic energy.

 

As soon as it dissipated from around it, it unleashed its hold on the blast door, which slammed shut just behind his head. Maxie scrambled to his feet, joining Travis in his stare-down against Adams.

 

"So it's come to this?" Maxie asked, his voice maintaining a smooth calm despite the heaviness of his breathing. "Fear tactics, brainwashing, and mass murder? I always thought Ford had acted with a little less brutality."

 

Adams laughed. "Well, you see, Maxie," she said. "The funny thing about that is, I'm not Ford." The Third Child brushed her hair aside. "No. I'm a whole lot worse."

Edited September 28, 2014 by Parugi

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette was caught off guard by so many things. She had been spooked when the presence had neared her mind, instinctively putting up the barriers around herself as Lucina had taught her to use in bad situations. She'd kept a look-out as they kept driving, as this atmosphere just was creeping her out. However, when they arrived, Jayron leaned over, and explained about the fact that it had been him with the mental presence.

"Oh..." Colette said quietly, but then frowned as he explained that there was still a presence back there. She stepped out of the car, and grimaced slightly as the wind blew her hair around, glad that she had changed out of the dress for sure, now. Colette watched intently as the trunk opened, and then looked down, startled, as the Growlithe leaped into her arms. Confused, she looked up, as she saw Alexa there, frowning slightly, as it seemed that Alexa had gotten the same idea about not wanting to be left behind.

Good on you, kiddo. She thought for a moment, but then realized that it was still potentially dangerous, when they had no clue what they were up against still... But she still definitely admired her spirit, and gave the young girl a reassuring smile to show that she was proud.

 

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach shot a look at Dack as he was leaving.

No, she chose the place to fight; she didn't make a total decision to destroy everything in sight... That's what we have to prevent, and you don't seem to get that. Zach thought, and then turned his attention back to Olivia and the Torchic, frowning slightly at what the breeder had said. He agreed about having to make a living, especially knowing the struggles well recently of not really having the greatest of incomes; but to force someone to pay that much for a Torchic...? That just seemed wrong, especially when the Torchic seemed to really like Olivia. Zach opened his mouth to say something, but the breeder had already vanished, and he sighed.

"Yeah, heading to the Pokemon Center is a good idea... At least there, we can actually prepare, so that if that guy shows back up, he knows where to find us." Zach explained his plan, but then thought for a moment. "Though, since we have no clue when anyone will show up, I don't really see the harm of looking around the city... Since it doesn't really sound like anyone but me has been here before." Zach said with a giggle.

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray laughed at the comment about him, and nodded in agreement, and then turned to look at Sonja when she stopped, and explained about Loki. "Oh, that's good news!" Ray said, as he thought for a moment. "He was injured pretty bad during that last fight, wasn't he?" Ray asked, a slightly worried frown on his face. "Let's hope he hasn't gotten too bored if he was sent over recently." Ray joked, as he started to think about that for a moment.

Hmm... I wonder...

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan recalled his Dewott, as he followed the others. However, when Vasilyev seemed to want to kill the Magma agents, he tensed for a moment, and then mentally sighed in relief when Abbing and Styles spoke up before he could. After all, he couldn't really speak much, since he was pretty untrusted still, and, well, Abbing and Styles probably were much more reliable to Vasilyev, and therefore more likely to be listened to. Ryan followed in silence as the group seemed to begin to move forward.

Let's hope this doesn't get worse...

 

-==IC: Lucia==-

 

Lucia frowned slightly, as things didn't seem to be going right, however, she breathed in for a moment, and then nodded to herself.

"Now, follow my commands!" Lucia said, as she rhymed off different commands for her Pokemon; some of which seemed to be surprising, considering the situation. The Chansa and Audinaga braced themselves as they launched a quick Heal Pulse diagonally backwards; behind and toward the other. Chansey quickly began to sing at the Hitmonlee, as the Audino attempted to Attract the Pokemon, even as they were slammed backwards by the Counter and taking heavy damage... And getting knocked into their respective Heal Pulses as they flew backwards.

Baya, on the other hand, quickly shot off a Heal Pulse at Claraga, who seemed rather beaten by the Tangrowth before it had fainted, and then generated a Light Screen around herself and leaped into the path of the Abomasnow's Shadow Ball, taking minor damage and protecting the Gothita in the process. When she got back up from the attack, however, she tried extending the light screen to the other Pokemon quickly, trying to help out as much as she could.

Claraga was in a pickle, that's for sure. Currently she was wrapped up in the Tangrowth's vines, which had frozen, leaving only her head to stick out. Secondly, she was on the verge of fainting herself. However, she got hit by the Heal Pulse, and a sparkle appeared in her eyes, as she focused and attempted to shoot out an Aura Sphere to break free from the ice covered vines. However, turning slightly, she fired off two more quick Dark Pulses; one at the Trevenant, and one at the ever-so-pleasant Beheeyem.

Gothy, however, was shivering slightly. She hadn't been in this chaotic a battle, and took a deep breath to focus, and then smiled, as she shot off a Confusion at the mean Abomasnow that had tried to attack her, figuring that she was helping too, as she hadn't been given instructions yet.

 

OOC:

 

Chansey: Heal Pulse(Audino), Sing(Hitmonlee)

Audino: Heal Pulse(Chansey), Attract(Hitmonlee)

Bayleef: Heal Pulse(Claraga), Light Screen(Self), Light Screen(Everyone)

Clawitzer: Aura Sphere(Vines), Dark Pulse(Trevenant), Dark Pulse(Beheeyem)

Gothita: Confusion(Abomasnow)

[JiMing]

IC: The Seatons

 

"....Okay then...?" Olivia said confusedly, not sure what just happened with the breeder. "I-I'm not sure whether to think he's a jerk or just plain stupid." she said with a chuckle, trying to get back to what they were doing beforehand. She listened on to Zach, nodding at his points. "Right, that Dack guy and his girlfriend can find us if they need to. As for us, well, exploring before the huge attack comes would be nice, and I already said I wanted to head to the Celadon Department Store. Am could use a Shadow Ball TM, after all...." she said, frowning slightly.

 

The Gardevoir had been looking down at the ground, seemingly lost in thought, looking over at Blade every now and then. She perked up at Olivia mentioning getting the Shadow Ball TM, and turned around to face her trainer. "Yes, that would be very good for me." she agreed. "I mean, last time we went TM shopping, you got me Will-O-Wisp... Which is a godsend against physical attackers, yes. But seriously, what kinda Gardevoir is complete without Shadow Ball?" Amethyst said with a slight grin. "Plus.. Once that Hannah person comes... I can give her Gardevoir a taste of her own medicine." the Gardevoir muttered, smiling at that thought.

 

"Hey, to be fair, Will-O-Wisp was on sale then and I didn't have a whole lot of money on me." Olivia responded with a shrug. "Ah, whatever, before any of that can happen, we need to head to the Pokemon Center. So...." the redhead finished, looking over to Zach and holding her hand out with a smile. 

Dahlia looked around, none too pleased with the Breeder's attitude and Dack's disappearance. She saw that Aspen was already leaving for the Center, without so much as a single noise. Frowning, the middle Seaton looked around more, seeing Zach and Olivia were almost ready to head out. "Hey, uh, Luke, was it?" she called out, trying to catch the Black Belt's attention. "You coming with us to the Pokemon Center?" Dahlia asked. "And you wouldn't.... Happen to have Dack or Madison's number or contact information, would you?"

 

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

Caliburn's hilt plunged into the ground, and he struggled to pull himself out, not seeing the Cranidos charging with a Zen Headbutt. 

"Watch out!" Ruth cried, but it was far too late, and the Aegislash was hit and sent flying. Luckily, his resistance against the Psychic attack and previous Defense boosts with Iron Defense let the Royal Sword Pokemon stay standing, but his strength was quickly wearing out. Fixing his single eye onto Roark's final Pokemon, Calibrun charged towards the Cranidos, preparing another Sacred Sword attack, but he didn't seem to have the finesse or technique of his previous strikes....

[Konuju]

IC: Jayron
As Alexa crawled out of the trunk, her tiny eyes darted between the various people watching her. Jayron looked flabbergasted, trying to comprehend how he hadn't realized that the ominous presence he had sensed had been nothing more than an innocent little girl. Lucario gazed at Alexa with eyes that seemed to bore through her own and glimpse the inner reaches of her soul. The Aura Pokémon's lips curved into a frown, shocked that such a little girl could cause so much trouble. Her own father gaped in astonishment. Several times his mouth opened, but the words seemed to escape him. He simply couldn't believe his own daughter would pull such a sneaky tactic.
 
Then her eyes fell on Colette. The older girl gave her a reassuring smile, as if to say that she shouldn't feel guilty about sneaking into the car. Alexa's eyes continued to linger on Colette, full of the same timid curiosity she'd had earlier.
 
"A-Alexa!" George stammered when he finally found his voice. "What in blazes.... What are you doing here? Where's Phillip? What were you thinking?"
 
The poor girl tore her eyes away from Colette to look up at her father. The chief of police could be gentle and comforting when he wanted to. But he could also be cold and calculating. His peers always joked that he played the role of both the good cop and the bad cop. Right now, he showed no trace of his kindhearted nature. He looked down at his daughter with the authority and expectations of a sports coach who's team had just lost a crucial match. Alexa stood rooted to the ground, feeling as if she were no better than a petty criminal. Knees trembling, she tried to explain herself, but was unable to produce more than a high-pitched squeak.
 
George raised an eyebrow, patiently waiting for Alexa to go on.
 
"I... we... I... I wanted to see what you were doing..." the young girl said in a high-pitched voice. "Phillip had nothing to do with it... it was my idea. He was going to watch Amber, but she jumped in the trunk at the last minute..."
 
At the mention of her name, the Growlithe abandoned Colette and darted toward Alexa, licking the young girl's hand.
 
George buried his face in his palm in exasperation. "Alexa... no more of this sneaking around. From you or your brother. It's dangerous out here, and the last thing I want to do is lose one of you." He sighed. "Unfortunately we can't do anything about it now. Come on into the lab with us, but don't touch anything. Keep an eye on that puppy, too. This lab has some very expensive equipment, and I don't want Amber making a mess of things."
 
Alexa quietly nodded as she picked up the puppy and followed her father up the winding trail to the laboratory's front door. Jayron and Colette followed close behind, the former still trying to calm his nerves from what he had thought was a malicious force.
 
George pushed the button on the intercom to announce his presence. An instant later, the door flew open and a tall, thin, uniformed man with a mound of ginger hair that was just starting to bald greeted the captain of the police with a warm smile.
 
"George!" the officer cried jovially. "I wasn't expecting you this early." His smile faltered slightly when he caught sight of Jayron, Colette, and Alexa. "I didn't know it was Bring Your Kids to Work Day," he said. "Didn't you yourself order the city into lockdown? We don't know how harmful this interference is. Your kids should be at home, where it's safe."
 
"These aren't my kids, Jimmy," George said, motioning toward the two aura wielders. "This is Jayron and Colette, two trainers who happened to be in the area when their boat's navigation systems went haywire. They came to me looking for answers, and Jayron told me his Lucario might be able to help with its aura powers. Those don't seem to have been affected by whatever's causing this interference. Alexa's only here thanks to a little... mishap," he added, placing a hand on his daughter's head.
 
"I see," Jimmy said, eyeing the two trainers and Lucario. "Well, you'd better come inside. You're likely to catch a cold standing around in this weather. Or worse, if we're right in our radiation theory."
 
At first, Jayron felt more like he was stepping into a fancy mansion or summer home disguised as a museum, rather than a laboratory. A long hallway led to a large lobby, which housed various meteorological equipment on display, along with pictures and diagrams plastered on the wall that advertised how the lab's scientists reached out to help the community through their projects. Had the day been a little less gloomy, the room would have been filled with natural sunlight from the full-length windows that made up one of the walls. Instead, a collection of light fixtures bathed the lobby in a dull yellow glow. Alexa, for her part, took the entire scene in with wide but silent eyes.
 
Jayron was so fixated on the posters and displays that he didn't even notice the secretary's desk until Jimmy had already walked up and opened the door at the far end of the lobby, which led to the main part of the lab. The Liberty Executive had been expecting the lab to be a simple workshop, not an entire company. Jimmy led them down another hallway before they reached the lab itself.
 
Various machines and computers lined the walls, making all manner of whirrs and beeps. A scientist -- whom Jayron assumed to be Jimmy's meteorologist friend -- looked up from an ancient computer screen. "Ah, Jimmy," he said. "When you told me Captain George had arrived, you didn't tell me he was bringing his whole crew."
 
"Not just any crew, Peter," Jimmy said. "His little kid and a couple of trainers he picked off the street. They say their Lucario might be able to help."
 
"Ah, forgive me," Peter said.

 

As Peter stood up to shake their hands, Jayron was surprised to see that the meteorologist was actually much younger than he thought. He looked to be in his late-twenties at most, much younger than the two police officers. Jayron was slightly irritated at Jimmy's story of them being "picked off the street," but he managed a friendly smile as he shook Peter's hand.
 
"So aura powers, I'm assuming," the meteorologist said.
 
Jayron started, wondering for a brief instant how he had known he was an aura wielder. He relaxed when he realized that Peter was only talking about his Lucario.
 
"That's an interesting suggestion," Peter went on, turning back to the computer monitor. "We've been trying to get some data using psychic energies, but so far our evidence has been inconclusive. Which makes me wonder if there isn't some psychic interference going on alongside the electrostatic interference." Behind the meteorologist, a Magneton buzzed, its individual bolts and magnets undulating in an almost hypnotic pattern.
 
"Since we last talked, we've confirmed the presence of electromagnetic waves," Jimmy explained to George. "Big ones. Big enough that they could be affecting the weather outside."
 
"Yes, but not to this extent," Peter muttered as he typed away at the computer. "We're dealing with phenomena the likes of which we haven't seen on this island in at least a decade. Now it's possible that this is a natural storm, beefed up by the electrostatic interference, but all our data up to the point that everything went offline seem to imply otherwise. There was no storm before all this happened. And if this storm is wholly unnatural, then it has to be powered by something more than just these electromagnetic waves."
 
"It sounds like things are worse than we originally thought," George said with a frown. "It's a good thing we came when we did."
 
IC: Luke
"I do have their numbers, as a matter of fact," Luke said, pulling out his Pokétch while they walked.
 
As the black belt hastily typed out a message to his two friends, Palmer gave Dahlia a reassuring smile. "Dack may have his weak points when it comes to working with others," he said. "But I can think of no one better to try and defend the city -- especially if he's worked with this Hannah girl before. I'm sure he has a pretty good understanding of what tactics she's likely to use. When the Ancient Darkrai attacked last year, I helped Dack and Luke reach the Void Tower that was fueling the Darkrai's shadows, and together we managed to destroy the tower." The Frontier Brain gave a grin. "If you all can figure out how to work together, you'll stand more of a chance than you may think."
 
IC: Dack/Madison
Madison pushed her way through the crowded Market, struggling to catch up to Dack. The summer sun beat down on her, making her regret her choice of Snowpoint attire. The people of Celadon weren't giving her any pity, either. The skier found herself jostled back and forth by the crowd, as everyone seemed to think their own errands were more important than anyone else's.
 
She had grown so sick of being pushed around that she hardly even noticed when she walked right into Dack, who had just turned away from a tourist stand. "Dack!" she cried, taking a step back in surprise.
 
"Madison?" Dack said with a frown. "Where are the others?"
 
"They should be headed to the Pokémon Center," Madison replied. "Why did you just run off like that?"
 
"Nothing was getting done, so I took matters into my own hands," the ex-Rocket replied, holding up the brochure he had just bought.
 
"A... pamphlet?" Madison asked in disbelief. "You abandoned us for a pamphlet?"
 
"Not just any old pamphlet." Dack grinned as he unfolded the brochure to reveal a sizable map of the streets of Celadon. "Zach can go on and on about this street or that street, but without a physical map, it's hard to form a decent strategy."
 
Madison bit her lip, finding herself, surprised, delighted, and exasperated all in the same instant. "You could've at least told us where you were going," she finally said. "We can fight amongst ourselves all we want, but at the end of the day, Hannah's army is still going to come marching in. Probably before the end of the day. We have to stick together as best we can." Her voice started to waver and she blinked at Dack through watering eyes. The next thing Dack knew, Madison had thrown her arms around him. "I don't want to lose you again."
 
"I'm right here," Dack assured her.
 
"No." Still holding Dack tight, Madison shook her head. "What--what Hannah said on top of the Cave of Origin... I've already lost you once to your sense of revenge. I don't want to see that happen to you again."
 
In that moment, Dack had a greater appreciation for Madison than he'd ever felt before. He returned her embrace, smiling softly. "Those days are long gone," he said. "The ghost of a life I've cast aside. I could never put you through that kind of grief again, Madison."
 
Madison lifted her head, gazing up into Dack's dark, secretive eyes. They assured her that he was being sincere. "Thank you," she said, a pleasant smile forming on her lips. "You have no idea how much that means to me..."
 
BE-BEEP! BE-BEEP!
 
Both Madison's and Dack's Pokétches buzzed with an incoming message from Luke. Madison scanned the message quickly, then continued to stare at the screen for several more moments, once again regretting her choice of clothing. The summer heat was definitely not helping the color that had suddenly risen in her face. "L-looks like they're heading to the Pokémon Center," she stammered. "We... we'd better catch up to them as quick as we can."
 
"Let's go," Dack said with a nod. As they made their way out of the crowded marketplace, the ex-Rocket made a show of studying the map he had picked up. But his mind was elsewhere. He had told Madison what he believed to be the truth. After all, he had outright refused Hannah's offer to join her. But looking back, there had been that brief moment of hesitation, in which he had seriously considered accepting the executive's offer. And he couldn't forget about Heatran. The only way he had managed to convince the Lava Dome Pokémon to aid them was by tapping into its own desire for revenge by revealing his own. He shuddered at the thought, recalling how devastating Heatran's presence had been to both Snowpoint and Sootopolis.
 
True, after six months of peace, his thirst for revenge was now nothing more than a ghost. But there's one problem with ghosts.
 
They come back to haunt you.

[Dr. Hidaka]

Ic: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

"Now, I was kidding about the Togetic thing.", Evan said, grinning playfully as he spoke, "So, where to next?"

 

As he spoke, Evan's heart was beating faster and faster, and his blood seemed to get even more scalding hot. What was going on here? Evan had a sneaking suspicion on what it was, but he had to make sure that what he was thinking was true.....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny smiled with a slight giggle at the kidding thing, as she nodded, and then thought for a moment.

"Hmmm... Well, you had mentioned that ferris wheel..." Jenny said, and then rubbed the back of her head. "That might just be a good idea! I don't think I've ever been on one before, I think..." Jenny said, thinking about that for a moment, as she began to walk over to where the line for the ferris wheel was. As they approached the ticket booth for the ride the ticket master greeted them.

"Hi! Here for the ferris wheel?" The ticket master asked, as Jenny nodded.

"Yep! Two tickets please!" Jenny said happily, as the person nodded, and then thought for a moment.

"Well, just to mention, couples ride for free." The person said casually, and Jenny paused and suddenly felt very, very hot all over, and had absolutely no clue how to respond, as she looked over at Evan, looking for some help as to how exactly respond, because she just was... What? What was she even thinking right now?

Like, it isn't a bad thing... Hmm... Jenny thought as a subtle look of realization appeared on her face for a second. But... Wait... would that...?

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC; Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

"I'm game.", Evan said, smiling big, "But you've got bills to pay, right? I'll pay anyway."

 

Evan produced the money and was ushered to the seat by the attendant, his heart feeling like it was going to explode. He made a "come here" gesture to Jenny, and waited....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny was certain her face was the colour of a Haban Berry by that point, but nodded meekly, as she slowly and slightly uncertainly moved forward, her heart suddenly pounding heavily in her chest.

Did he just... Is this really... What, what is happening right now...? Jenny wondered, inwardly panicking slightly, as she nervously looked over at Evan, some doubt on her face as to what he actually meant... Was he just playing along, or...? Jenny had no clue what to think, but felt her face burning even more, as she tried to take more deep breaths, to try and get back into control of herself. She took a seat, and kinda awkwardly fanned herself slightly.

"S-s-so, uh, warm day, h-huh?" Jenny asked, slightly envious that it was Evan who had taken the plunge in the dunk tank, since she could use the cooling off at this precise moment.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

"I'd say so.", Evan said in a very calm voice, "Is there something wrong? You seem unnerved."

 

When Evan had told the attendant he was game, he had accepted what was going on. He finally had an idea what was happening to him, and he was going to go with the flow this time. Why fight it? His heart rate slowed to a more manageable rhythm and it seemed his blood had stopped burning white hot.

 

He had fallen for her. He didn't care how much of a fool he was. He wanted to be with her through thick and thin.

 

"To be honest, I was caught off guard by that offer.", Evan said, as the car they were in started to rise up higher, "But, I think it helped me realize something."

 

 Wrapping his arm around Jenny, Evan gave her a half hug, blushing like she was.

 

"I'm in love with you, Jenny Hakuda.", Evan said sincerely, "I don't know why. The more I try to understand, the more confused I get. So I've decided to put my cards on the table. If you seem doubtful as to why I would have feelings for you, I'll tell you why I feel the way I do."

 

Evan cleared his throat, and started to sing, the lyrics resonating with the swell of emotions inside him......

 

I believe the morning sun
Always gonna shine again and
I believe a pot of gold
Waits at every rainbow's end, oh
I believe in roses kissed with dew,
Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?

 

As Evan reached the pinnacle of the melody, the car the two were in reached its crest and started to descend. Evan began to sing the next set of lyrics, his face still blushing as he gazed straight into Jenny's eyes....

 

I believe in make believe,
Fairy tales and lucky charms and,
I believe in promises,
Spoken as you cross your heart, oh,
I believe in skies forever blue,
Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?

 

You may say I'm a fool,
Feelin' the way that I do
You can call me Pollyanna,
Say I'm crazy as a loon,
I believe in silver linings
And that's why I believe in you

 

The car had reached the lowest point of the wheel, and started to ascend again. Evan continued to sing, his voice getting a little louder as the car rose higher. As it did, so did Evan's confidence.

 

I believe there'll come a day,
Maybe it will be tomorrow,
When the blue bird flies away,
All we have to do is follow,
I believe a dream can still come true,
Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?

 

You may say I'm a fool,
Feelin' the way that I do,
I believe in friends and laughter
And the wonders love can do,
I believe in songs and magic
And that's why I believe in you

 

For the second time, the car reached its highest point. As it lowered, so did Evan's voice, as if he were trying to make what he was singing sound like a promise between childhood friends.

 

You may say I'm a fool,
Feelin' this way about you,
There's not much I can do,
I'm gonna be this way my life through

 

The car began to slow down, but Evan's voice rose higher and grew more triumphant and hopeful sounding as he belted the song's final lyrics.

 

'Cause I still believe in miracles
I swear I've seen a few
And the time will surely come
When you can see my point of view,
I believe in second chances
And that's why I believe in you!

 

As he finished singing, the carriage came to a stop. Evan took a deep breath. He looked back at Jenny, wondering how she was going to respond. He didn't care if anyone else heard his singing. All that mattered now, was how Jenny felt.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Hades

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny sat in her seat, unable to move or even think of anything other than how she was wrapping her head around exactly what was going on. This was what she'd been hoping for for a while, right? But now it was actually happening and here and...

Am I dreaming? Must be, after all, I fell back to sleep, right?? I must have just dreamed waking back up again. Jenny thought, as Evan began to sing. No, no, wait, I don't think this can be a dream, can it? Uhh... Jenny listened as she gazed back to Evan, her face subtly getting redder just out of a total uncertainty of what to think at that particular moment. The song was pretty good though, and she smiled as it progressed. As the carriage and song stopped, Jenny sniffed a bit, her lip quivering slightly, as tears slowly made her way down her face. She wasn't certain how they weren't evaporating in the heat of her face; however, through her now-blurry eyes, she gave Evan her emotion-filled answer in the form of a sudden kiss, emotions now taking the driver's seat. After a few seconds, she backed off with a smile and took a few deep breaths, and then sniffed again, water streaming down her face from her eyes.

"B-b-b-best r-r-ride.... E-e-ever!" Jenny said, smiling as wide as she could at that moment.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

As Jenny kissed him, Evan's mind went blank. There were no coherent thoughts in his mind, just utter surprise. He did not expect THAT to happen.

 

"I-I-I, agree!", Evan said shakily as he exited the carriage, "Let's go before we make a scene."

Edited September 28, 2014 by Hades

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny's face was still rather red, as she nodded with another sniff, drying away her tears, as she still seemed rather surprised at everything, slightly in disbelief still. As she followed Evan out of the ferris wheel, still holding the Togetic, she subtly pinched herself, and then winced.

Okay, nope, definitely not a dream, wow. Jenny thought, amazed that things had gone the way they did, as a giddy smile appeared on her face.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

Evan saw a bench nearby and sat down, moreso to keep himself from falling down. He was giddy beyond all comprehension, and he had to settle himself down.

 

"Well, that certainly happened.", Evan said, his face still quite red, "Not that I am complaining or anything. I'd say you liked the song, eh?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny giggled slightly, and then nodded.

"The song was definitely one of the highlights, yes..." She said with a blush, as she still smiled widely, and then thought for a moment, and then looked over curiously. "Though, where'd you get the idea to sing that song, anyway?" Jenny asked curiously, as she hadn't totally realized that he sang, though she had to say, his singing was pretty good.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (James and Roderick)

So not only are we the vanguard, but we are in a ticking time bomb…. Fun.

 

Do you believe you deserve better?

“I do not believe we have any better options at this point,” James said ignoring his companion’s telepathic remark.

He pulled out three Pokeballs and sent out the Pokemon contents, as well as readied the attaché case to act as his shield. When the Pokemon had materialized he said, “Follow me,” and lead the way in.

If Roderick had the time, he would have wondered why James had not sent out Gawain, but as such he did not but instead sent out the Rotom-W known as Wattling and the Beheeyem known as Harmonics, with a bit of pride on the latter. He had only recently managed to purify the former Elgyem and then subsequently evolve him into the Beheeyem. The Beheeyem appeared to be soley focused on listening to music via headphones that he had convinced Roderick to get him, but Telepathy allowed him to listen to commands loud and clear. But such musings would only waste a very small amount of time as Roderick moved to follow James.

IC: (Jamie)

Grummore felt the pain of the super-effective attack as more of his health flowed out of him. He felt extremely weak, almost as if he was about to faint and yet he knew his body could still take more. He wondered why until he heard laughing in his head. That grew louder and louder.

I think I’ll take over now… Thank you very much… NOT!... Not thanking you that is, I’m definitely taking the body.

Jamie pulled out Palomides’ Pokeball wordlessly as the Gastly was struck with the powerful attack. The ghost wasn’t exactly known for his bulk nor for his experience, so the super-effective hit was all that was required to knock him out.

“You did what we needed, we can take care of the rest from here,” she said to the Pokeball that contained the fainted ghost.

Pelleas did not enjoy the sudden switch in opponents, though to be honest he was looking forward to dealing with that Blaze Kick about as much he was now with this Psychic. Dodging wasn’t exactly in the question so he readied with arms with Night Slash and began to use Endure as a guard. He was looking for an opportunity to show off his new move for Jamie and Tristan’s sakes, but that required lasting through the Psychic onslaught first. Thankfully an opportunity arose with part of the Light Screen extending between him and the Beheeyem, reducing the power of the Psychic enough for him to charge horn first. Megahorn first, followed by a Night Slash on each arm intending to follow up once the first attack finished.

Upon seeing both the Tangrowth stop moving, and a Seed Bomb being lobbed towards the youngest member of the team (well he assumed, he’d have to ask, but it was a fair guess, him being the newest). He activated Acid Armor and placed himself between the Shellder and blast, taking the hit for the Shellder and giving the Shellder finally an opportunity to try and counterattack. He activated Rock Blast hoping to fire all five attacks as a good Skill Linker could, but he was never very good with Rock Blast, so thus only two rocks were sent towards the Abomasnow.

Jamie surveyed the condition of her team, pleased overall, except when she looked at Grummore. Something was majorly off with him. Especially since he was making strange noises, that sounded like laughter, but from a Slowking, and something really off about it.

“Um Grummore… are you alright?”

The Slowking did not respond, but merely kept ‘laughing’ as he activated Psychic towards the Trevenant, a sadistic look crossing the Slowking’s face. The thought of slamming that good-for-letting-me-out-and-nothing-else tree into the ground repeatedly with his newfound Psychic, as he intended, was just too much a laugh for the former Shellder to keep bottled up.

 

OOC:

 

Gastly/Palomides: Fainted
Slowking/Grummore->Pellinore: Psychic on Trevenant
Heracross/Pelleas: Endure, Nightslash/Megahorn on Beheeyem
Vanilluxe/Lucan: Acid Armor
Bedevere/Shellder: Rock Blasts (Two bursts) on Abomasnow

IC: (Richard, Gawain)

For once in his life, Richard was not quite feeling so dramatic and showy. Just for a bit. He was trying to calculate how he’d even fight the Swampert, and he was never very good with math. With Oceanus or Erebus, he’d have a plan. With Dionysus he’d have a Snorlax. As it was, he had a Diglett, which while awesome was at an apparent type disadvantage… and underground somewhere. This meant he had a Whismur, and since he didn’t realize that’s what the name of his newest additions species was, that could give a fair estimate of how much he knew how to use his strengths.

But then there was the girl beside him readying up to face down the Swampert with all she had.

Well I was never one for doing sane things by anyone else’s idea of the word. I guess I can throw out my standards as well, he thought rolling his eyes as he readied his violin.

“I wouldn’t underestimate the girl, if I were you.”

Gawain on the other hand, was not impressed by the little girl’s display. Honestly he just wanted to wash them all away. It was by a slight consideration of his normal nature reminding him that that would be mean that kept the Muddy Water he was raising from being unleashed right away. He’d prefer it more if they just dropped their bravado and ran. And Richard would have preferred it if the Swampert’s anger turned towards any direction Zoe wasn’t.

So thankfully something happened just then that turned Gawain’s rage in the other direction. The Water-Ground suddenly flinched losing his hold over the water as a Fake Out hit him on the head. He turned to see a Sableye standing there looking pretty annoyed.

You can’t go five minutes without getting into trouble… the Sableye mentioned slightly irately.

“Hades! Best Buddy who I would never replace ever!” he said forgetting all thoughts of ever thinking otherwise.

Speaking of potential best friend replacements, Richard thought as he looked towards Orpheus, contradicting his apparent forgetting of those thoughts.

“Guard this with everything but your life,” the violinist said handing his violin to Zoe, before running off and scooping up the Whismur.

As Richard had it figured, the Whismur was overall the target of the Swampert’s anger, and it was also his job to keep Zoe out of danger. So if he could keep the focus of the Swampert on him/Orpheus and Hades, Zoe (and his violin) would be safe.

At the moment however, the Swampert was focused on trying to blast the ghost to pieces with Mud Bombs. Thankfully, Hades was able to Detect where each attack was going to land and dodge via his Prankster speed. However he was hoping for some reinforcements. Anytime Richard wanted to do something, he was welcome.

“Alright Orpheus, let’s go with Hyper Voice, but don’t damage your ears.”

The Whismur was a bit thankful that he wasn’t ordered to hurt himself, but also knew that meant a lackluster attack which always felt weak coming out from his diaphragm. Still it had the effect of getting the Swampert’s attention and doing same damage.

What Richard did not count on, was how well Gawain could attack all directions. Thankfully for the Diglett, Ponos chose that moment to surface and thus did not feel the double damage effect he would have, had the Earthquake been a second earlier.

Ah shoot, he thought worrying for Zoe’s safety.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Claus Von Minun the 4th

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa City

 

"My mother sang that to me when I was younger.", Evan said, still in a bit of a daze, "She would sing it whenever I felt down about how life was. Let's get going. We gotta get ready for our departure."

 

Evan stood back up, shaking a bit as he did so, walked over to Jenny and held his hand out invitingly...

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny smiled, finding that to be very nice.

"Your mother sounds pretty sweet..." Jenny said, as she took Evan's hand, standing up with a bit of a subtle shake too. However, she was slowly starting to calm down into a more amazed state of mind, just utterly amazed.

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe

Zoe stood poised for battle, narrowing her eyes at the Swampert. She wanted to take in the awesomeness of this moment. She had battled many times against Colette, and had trained with her Pokémon countless more times. But this would be her first battle on such a scale. If she managed to defeat this Swampert before it destroyed the Alamo, she could be hailed a hero on par with her sister. She could just see Collie's proud smile now, watching Zoe receive her recognition and telling everyone "That's my sister."

 

The girl was still lost in her fantasy and had not yet thrown her Pokéball when a Sableye came seemingly out of nowhere, striking the Swampert on the head.

 

"Wha-?" Zoe said, cocking her head, causing her remaining hair tuft to dangle to the side. "When did Hades get here?" She turned to the bard for an answer, but before she could open her mouth, Richard pushed his violin into her arms.

 

"Guard this with everything but your life," the violinist said.

 

"A-alright," Zoe said, awed that the magnificent bard would entrust her with his most precious possession. This was a responsibility that Richard had deemed only Colette worthy of. Zoe was honored to be given a task meant for her sister. "I... I promise I won't break it!" she called as Richard ran to scoop up his Whismur. She gazed at the instrument, entranced by the elegance of its simplicity. It was by no means a fancy instrument, and there were a few chips and scratches on the frame from its years of service to the bard. But it was clear that plenty of love had been poured into the small bundle of wood and string, and Zoe knew from experience that in Richard's hands, it could make music sweeter than any she'd heard.

 

The girl looked back up at the battle and realized that she still hadn't sent out her Pokémon. Holding the bard's violin in two hands -- or rather, one hand and one wrist -- she angled herself to properly throw the Pokéball she still held. She threw the ball just as the Swampert's earthquake hit, throwing her of balance. Merida popped out of the ball and fell promptly into the sand, dazed from the attack that had hit her as soon as she had appeared.

 

This was of no concern to Zoe, however, who suddenly found herself thrown off balance by the attack. For that instant, Zoe ignored Richard's instruction to guard his violin with everything but her life. She wrapped her arms around the instrument and bow, drawing them close to her body as she did her best to angle herself so that she took the brunt of the fall. She couldn't live with herself if an instrument capable of making such beautiful music became damaged on her watch, and she wanted to prove to Richard that she was just as capable of handling the violin as her sister.

 

Zoe hit the ground hard. Bright spots popped in front of her eyes. She was surprised the sand had been so hard. For several long moments the girl lay there, stunned, still clutching the violin against her chest. Then she slowly, painfully sat up, holding up the violin to show Richard that it was unharmed. The wind had been knocked out of her, and so for a moment she found herself unable to speak. "Merida," she gasped when her voice finally started to come back. "Bullet Punch."

 

The Meditite heard all she needed to hear. Getting a running start, Merida leapt toward the enraged Swampert, delivering a rapid series of punches in hopes of sending the monster back into the sand from whence it came.

[Parugi]

IC - Sonja Baron - The Alamo, Walking:

 

"Yeah, he was," Sonja said. "Though he should be fine now."

 

The benefit to being in the Alamo was that a computer was never far away. That held especially true for the current situation, as it did not take long for the Liberty Agent to locate one. She logged on to her account, momentarily wondering whether Loki had actually finished recovering. Sure enough, the Gurdurr came up on the screen, ready to be retrieved at the click of a button. Sonja clicked it, and in mere moments, Loki's Poké Ball had appeared in the transporter.

 

Sonja picked up the container, weighing it in her hand. It had not occurred to her until now that this was the longest she had gone without seeing the Fighting-Type for some time. Thus, she held the ball forth, releasing him. Loki appeared in a flash of light. His body no longer bore the injuries that Kane's Blaziken had inflicted upon him, though the girder that he wielded remained split in half. Upon spotting his trainer, Loki smiled, and then shifted into a pose, a cocky glint appearing in his eyes.

 

"Loki!" Sonja threw her arms around the Gurdurr's neck, her near-choke hold throwing off his concentration. After a moment in which he had to fight to breath, the Fighting-Type hugged her back, his expression softening into a more genuine one. "I'm so glad you're better!"

 

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Pokémon Center, Lumiose City:

 

Sleep had not come easily, and when it did, it was not particularly peaceful. So it was that Kyle awoke in his room feeling--although enough--less than fully rested. The sounds of bells and music and--strangely--fireworks certainly did not help, nor the general commotion that was building outside as he got ready for the day. By the time he was ready to leave the room, the noise outside had grown to monstrous levels as unseen people laughed and chattered and hollered and all other kinds of communicative verbs. 

 

The silence that followed his closing and locking the door felt almost heavenly, temporary as it was.

 

Esen was already downstairs, seated at a table with a plate of food in front of her. It took a brief moment to pick her out of the larger-than-last-night number of people in the lobby, but once he did, Kyle wasted no time in heading toward her.

 

"Good morning," he said, sliding into the seat across from her.

 

Esen did not look at him, instead focusing intently on the scrambled eggs on her plate. "Morning."

 

The shortness, and simultaneous chill of her tone caught Kyle off guard. He traced a small circle on the table with his index finger. ". . . Sleep well?" he asked after a moment.

 

"Yup."

 

Her fork dinged against her plate. A thick something hung on the air; Kyle could not quite name it.

 

"That's good . . ." Beat. " . . . Is something wrong?"

 

There was a short silence, broken only a moment later when Esen sighed, lying her fork down on her plate. "Look, Kyle," she said. She spoke slowly, as if searching very carefully for the words she wanted to use. "The thing is, I--"

 

It was at that moment that an interruption occurred.

 

IC - Cyan Vero/Drake Masters/Zack Furler - Havoc, Lower Halls:

 

Drake nodded, and after adjusting the Poké Ball in his hand, led the way outside. Cyan followed after him, and then James and Roderick, with Zack taking position at the back of the group, each of them prepared for any trouble they might happen upon . . .

 

IC - Joker/Ethan Worth/Gavin Braner/Skye Hall/Déoza Agent - Havoc, Lower Halls:

 

There was something to be said for being slammed into the ground again and again and again. Specifically, such actions were not conducive to one's health, as Trevenant was finding out. All the while that blasted Slowking's mental cackling was beginning to give the Elder Tree Pokémon a massive headache that utterly ruined any chance of a counterattack. The Dark Pulse did not help in the slightest, particularly since said Psychic prevented the Grass-Ghost-Type from dodging. Though not out from the damage, the attack did force the Elder Tree Pokémon to retreat back toward its trainer once it managed to free itself from Grummore's hold, though not before launching a final Confuse Ray at its opponents.

 

Hitmonlee fell to the Sing attack, rendering the simultaneous Attract pointless, and leaving the Fighting-Type defenseless. Even so, there were no further attacks aimed at it, and so the Déoza Agent's Beheeyem held no qualms with using Ally Switch again, leaving the Kicking Pokémon to take the Megahorn and Night Slash from Pelleas.

 

Likewise, Abomasnow managed to remain standing even after the Confusion attack, and remained coherent enough to snipe the Rock Blasts out of the air with Ice Beam, rendering said blasts of rock inconsequential to the Ice-Grass-Type's health.

 

And in the long run, none of this appeared to matter to the Déoza Agent. With half of his team taken out--a half which he quickly recalled into their Poké Balls--there was little hope of winning this battle at this point. It was lucky, then, that winning was not a priority. While his Pokémon had taken on the task of attacking and defending, he had put the final touches on the bomb at his feet. A green light on the device tellingly signaled that it was armed.

 

"Enough!" he said. "Beheeyem, our work is done--let's move!"

 

He recalled his Abomasnow and Trevenant, his Beheeyem floating backwards to join him above the bomb. Joker lunged forward, and fired off a psychic burst alongside Jamie and Lucia's teams. The enemy Beheeyem merely deployed another Protect, blocking the attacks as it enveloped itself, its trainer, and the bomb in a teleportation field. Within seconds, they were gone, off to attach the bomb to a different segment of Havoc's support structure.

 

"Great," Gavin said. "Why does it not surprise me that they would pull something like that?"

 

"Um . . . Friends . . ." Skye said.

 

"Forget it," Joker said. "Surprise or not, he's gone, and we need to decide what to do. If he sets off that bomb while we're inside, then we're all dead."

 

"But we can't let Adams escape, right?" Gavin asked. "That's why we came here to begin with."

 

". . . Guys . . ."

 

"You know," Ethan said, rubbing his chin. "I'm still really curious about what he meant by 'the Hol-'."

 

"I knew it!"

 

They all turned to the source of the voice.

 

IC - Cyan Vero/Drake Masters/Zack Furler - Havoc, Lower Halls:

 

The scene was not what they had expected.

 

It was a T-intersection that they had happened upon. As they turned the corner, the first thing they saw was the group of almost a dozen dead Magma grunts in front of them, either killed before they could even defend themselves or murdered after having recalled their Pokémon, judging from the Poké Balls in their hands. Past them, a group of six people stood, four women and two men, as well as a large number of Pokémon. They were busy arguing amongst themselves, and from the tired expressions of the Pokémon, they appeared to have just finished a battle.

 

It took exactly two seconds for Drake Masters to put two and two together. It took even less time to notice that Joker was present, and that--with the exception of the youngest-looking girl--he had seen the others before, back during--

 

"I knew it!" Drake spat, surprising both the group of Rockets and his own teammates. He clicked the button on his Goodra's Poké Ball, enlarging the container. "We should've known that you had a hand in this!" He raised a hand, preparing to throw the ball.

 

Zack stopped him just in time, grabbing his wrist and forcing his hand down. "Stop."

 

"What are you--?" Drake growled, wresting his arm free. "There's no way they weren't part of this, Furler!"

 

"Maybe," Zack said. "Doesn't mean they were the cause of it." He looked at the Rockets, eyes settling on Joker. "What are you doing here?"

 

IC - Jackson Sang/Eileen Alaric - Alaric Estate, Forest:

 

The forest was quiet. Peaceful. Perhaps not orderly--that would be giving it too much credit--but walking through it, following along the vague trail that had been cut into it over time, Eileen could see why Levi enjoyed the place so much. The typical distractions of civilized life were minimized or else nonexistent in this place. There were no phone calls to make and none to receive, no letters to write or directions to give. Here, one did not have to worry about nation-wide war, or the fallout from others' actions taken overseas, or the implications of some ill-conceived action.

 

The forest was quiet. And it pained Eileen to think about what it had taken for her to finally visit the one place where Levi had insisted on spending his time. Even after--

 

Sang's sudden stop cut off Eileen's train of thought. She slowed down behind him, looking around. The freelancer did, as well. After a moment of this, Eileen sighed. "Mr. Sang," she said. "I hope you didn't come with the expectation that Levi would be here."

 

"Not at all," Sang said. "If he was, you'd probably know already, right?"

 

"I would think so," she said. "So what, exactly, are we looking for?"

 

"Something important," Sang said. 

 

If nothing else about this situation annoyed Eileen, then that statement did. She was truly beginning to question now just how seriously her associate was taking this case. Either he actually knew what he was looking for and simply was not telling her, or else he did not know and was therefore useless. Or perhaps it was so mind-mindbogglingly important that he did know and simply could not comprehend what it was, therefore rendering him unable to tell her what it was and, likewise, indicating that he was utterly useless. So many options . . .

 

It was strange how quickly one could ruin the sanctity of peace with the application of two words.

 

Eileen took a deep breath, steadying herself. Truly, this wasn't her normal self. The circumstances were dire; otherwise, then something like this might come off as humorous. But she could not help it. In Levi's lifetime, it could have been said that mother and son held a kindred soul, one that manifested beyond simple familial bonds. Eileen had at least thought of herself as the one person that Levi had been able to go to for support, and in those times of emotional hardship, she had understood him in ways that she had never been able to with anyone else, not even Elijah. It had seemed almost as if his happiness was her happiness, his pain was her pain, and likewise with a plethora of other feelings.

 

So they were close--very close. And right now--stupid and obvious as it may have been to say it--it was clear that Levi was afraid. And so, too, was Eileen. Call it an otherworldly bond; call it common sense. Whichever it was, it was the simple fact of the matter.

 

"Sang," Eileen said, her voice a sharp knife. The freelancer turned to look at her. "I shouldn't have to tell you to take this seriously. Now, please, tell me what we're doing here."

 

Sang surveyed her for a moment. Once or twice he opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it with a frustrated breath, as if debating what to say. Finally, he shook his head, reaching into his pocket and walking toward Eileen. Stopping in front of her, he pulled a folded set of drawings from his pocket, which he held out to the woman. "I . . . am very sorry, ma'am. I wasn't trying to lie to you."

 

She stared at him in confusion, slowly taking the pictures from him. "What are--?"

 

A strange noise sounded behind her. Sang looked past her, and then--expression widening with surprise, alarm, and excitement all at once--pushed past her, grabbing Walker's Poké Ball from his belt. "Gotta take this!" he called, running after a small, blue alien of some sort. 

 

Eileen blinked. She paid little heed to the fight that was now unfolding, choosing to flip through the pages in her hand.

 

It did not take long for her eyes to widen in surprise at what she found. None of it fully registered to her on the first look-through.

 

Eileen tore her eyes away from the pictures. When she looked up, a peculiar sight met her eyes. Try as they might to hit the Elgyem, they could not touch it, due to the fact that it kept on teleporting short distances. Never once, however, did it shoot an attack back at them. Instead it appeared content with simply watching them, as if it, too, was puzzling out what was happening.

 

Why isn't it defending itself? Eileen frowned, quietly folding the papers and slipping them into her pocket while she observed the battle. It quickly dawned on her what might be happening. Don't tell me . . . "Sang!" she called. "Hit it while it's teleporting!"

 

Aside from a raised eyebrow, this advice elicited no complaints from Sang. He whistled to Walker, and pointed the Grovyle in the Elgyem's direction. The Grass-Type fell back, waiting for Sang to run forward. This he did, aiming a lightning-fast kick at the Psychic-Type. As expected, it teleported. This time, however, Walker was ready. As soon as he began to hear the disturbance in the wind that signaled the Elgyem's reappearance, he rushed forward with Quick Attack, slamming into the wild Pokémon's belly and knocking it back. At the same time, he sang softly, the Grasswhistle attack quickly lulling the Elgyem into a deep sleep.

 

Seeing his chance, Sang pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket, and in one, clean motion had enlarged and then thrown it. It flew, striking the sleeping Psychic-Type and drawing it in before landing on the ground. There it sat, shaking once, then twice, and then a third and final time. In mere moments, the Poké Ball had clicked, signaling his capture. Sang smiled at Walker as he recalled the Grovyle to his Poké Ball, the look immediately disappearing from his face as he approached the capsule.

 

"Would I be right in guessing that it only knows Teleport?" Eileen asked, dusting off her coat.

 

"I sincerely hope not," Sang said.  Picking it up, he leveled the Poké Ball with his PokéGear, scanning the newly-acquired Elgyem.

 

And then he read the results.

 

"Oh, dear . . ." Sang sighed. "Welp, Felix," he said. "Looks like we've got a lot of training to do . . ."

 

"That's unfortunate," Eileen said quietly. Reaching into her pocket, she produced the pictures Sang had given her. Eileen unfolded them, peering at the drawings. "Where did you get these . . .?"

 

"From Levi's room," Sang said. "I figured you didn't want anyone in there since the door was locked, but, I mean . . . I had to look, you know?"

 

Eileen nodded. "That makes sense . . ." She stared at the pictures for a long while, saying nothing else. Finally, she looked up. "I'm sorry to say that these . . . really aren't related to anything recent, but . . . I'm guessing you'll want to know what happened, regardless?"

 

OOC: 

 

Species: Elgyem.

Nickname: Felix.

Trainer: Jackson Sang.

Appearance: Felix's eyes are purple.

Personality: Felix comes off as an incredibly timid Pokémon. He does not appear to be very sure of himself, and tends to second-guess pretty much anything he does at any given moment. Obviously, for Sang, this has proven quite frustrating, particularly since he needs this Elgyem to evolve in order to unlock his memory.

Ability: Telepathy.

Specialty: Felix, thus far, does not appear to have any particular strengths. This is so much the case that Jackson has taken it upon himself to train Elgyem as quickly as possible in order to find a way to make use of it.

Known Moves: Teleport.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Apears

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Roark==-

 

"Pursuit!" Roark finally called out, as the Cranidos attempted one last all out attack as well, trying to at least faint this opponent before going down.

 

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach nodded at what Olivia said, as he thought about that.

"Hmm, some TMs might be useful, yeah..." Zach agreed, as he wondered who he could get them for, however. Even still, Zach took Olivia's hand, as he began to walk toward the Pokemon Centre.

What was up with that one guy, anyway? Well... It's too bad, maybe I should search for a Torchic later too... Zach thought, since Olivia had seemed to like it.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

"Hmm..." Colette examined the look of the computer monitor, and thought for a moment. "So, then, what kinda of storm is it? An unnatural storm isn't exactly something that tends to happen often, after all..." Colette said, as she wondered if there might be an answer by scanning the clouds themselves too...

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray smiled, as Loki seemed to be totally fine now. The girder still being broken was kinda too bad, though, but... Something seemed familiar about that sort of stance. Ray thought about that for a moment, and his eyes widened.

Wait, that looks like a Conkeldurr's pose might, almost... Ray realized, and then made one other connection, and then paused for a moment. But... Would it really be a good idea? Ray wondered, and scratched his head, not speaking for a couple minutes so as to give Sonja some much needed time with Loki.

"Say, Sonja...? How close do you think Loki is to evolving, anyway?" Ray as he tried to choose his words carefully, still wondering if this was even a good plan or not.

 

-==IC: Lucia==-

 

Lucia frowned, as she turned around, surprised at the way that guy was acting.

... Is he crazy or something? Lucia thought, confused at his random outburst of knowing things. However, she inwardly paused for a moment, realizing this wasn't exactly the best scene, and slightly tensed for a moment as Drake prepared to throw a Pokeball, but then relaxed more as Zack stopped him, and then asked what they were doing.

"We're after a fugitive and known Ford agent known as 'Quincy Adams'. We were just attacked by someone who very likely is sympathetic to her." Lucia explained, though hoped that someone else could explain better if it was needed.

[Makuta of Time]

OOC: Finally get to introduce myself formally.

 

IC: Dandy

 

The boat rocked back and forth on the waves of the seas. The crew on deck were scrabbling about to get everything in order so they can surpass the storm. on board the boat on the lower deck was Maximus 'Dandy' Sarukai and his Pokemon. Dandy was bot feeling so well with the tumblong of the boat on the rough seas.

 

"Eeh. I don't feel so good." Dandy then grabbed a bucket and proceeded to vomit into it. The purple mutated Joltik on his shoulder gave several clicks into Dandy's ear. "I know it's rough but I can't hold it in. Who knows what will happen to my body."

 

The captain of the boat soon saw that it was hopeless to keep on sailing, but there was no where to dock or to another vessel out. The crew will soon crash onto Seven Isles but how long till then? The further the boat went I to the water towards Seven Isles, the more treacherous the journey was.

 

The captain grabbed his radio and turned it on to an open channel, "May day may day, this Captain Eisenhower. We've been caught into a storm off the coast of Seven Isles. Requesting a search party for survivors of this ship upon arrival. We may not make it out alive." Soon the boat neared a rocky shore of Seven Isles and the ship soon collided with it.

 

The crew was threw in various directions depending on where they were moving towards to. Dandy was thrown forward towards the sandy shore along wih his Pokemon. He became unconscious for a moment and his Barbarcle, Razorface, had to drag him further in land so as to nit be dragging by the waves iut to sea. His Vulpix, Sun Hound, cuddled around him to try to warm him up from the chilling water. Click, the Jultik, just made clicking noises to try to see if Dandy wouldhear his calls.

 

Soon Dandy woke up and looked at his Pokemon. "Thanks guys, I don't know what I would've done without ya." Sun Hound gave him several licks on the cheek and soon went to his side to await him. "Ok guys. Let's find a way out of here before what else happens."

 

To Dandy's bad luck, a Feraligatr poinced from behind a bush at him. "Ah! Great now I'm about to be lunch for a croc. Can this get any worse." Razorfave leapt in front of Dandy and readied himself for combat against the Feraligatr. 

[Konuju]

IC: Jayron

Peter gave Colette an amused look at her question. "Strictly speaking, it's not the storm itself that's unnatural," the meteorologist said. "It's the storm's cause that we think is unnatural. Any storm, at its core, is just a low pressure zone surrounded by a high pressure system. It's the added variables like humidity, temperature, and atmospheric stability that make it a thunderstorm or snowstorm or what-have-you. Magneton, care to demonstrate?"

 

The Magneton that had been buzzing in the background focused its attention on the center of the room, where a sudden updraft of wind had formed. The humidity in the room slowly condensed on the spot, creating a miniature storm cloud.

 

"Magneton has the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic fields in its vicinity in such a way that it mimics the high and low pressure systems that occur during a natural storm," Peter explained. "From a trainer's point of view, it's the move Rain Dance. But when you look at it with a scientist's mind, the possibilities are so much greater."

 

"So how do we know it isn't your Magneton causing all this?" Jayron asked with a frown as the miniature storm dissipated.

 

"You're a trainer, right?" Peter asked. "Think about it. When a Magneton uses Rain Dance, it only affects the surrounding battlefield. This entire island is affected by this storm. You just don't get that kind of power from a single Magneton. Even if you had a whole group of them, to create a storm on this scale using only electromagnetic waves... the resulting radiation from a field that strong would have killed us all by now."

 

"Hence why you think there's some psychic energy involved," Jayron said.

 

"Exactly." Peter nodded and turned back to his computer. "A psychic field that's powerful enough to cause electromagnetic interference. Of course, our attempts to use psychic energy to detect such a field have proven unsuccessful, which would suggest that if it is a psychic field, it's more powerful than our Kadabra. If your Lucario's aura can help, it might succeed where psychic powers have failed."

 

The meteorologist beckoned the group to follow him into an adjoining room, where a Kadabra stood still, eyes closed in concentration, dozens of sensors attached to its forehead running to the computer mainframe. The Kadabra peeked an eye open at the new presence; it was clear that the Psychic-Type felt exhausted.

 

"Time for a break, Kadabra," Peter said, pulling the sensors off its forehead. "Go rest up. We're going to see if we have better luck using aura." He turned around to face the Lucario, then looked at Jayron. "If you'll permit me..."

 

Jayron frowned, but nodded. "I take it that's a way to record what Lucario senses with his aura?"

 

"Exactly," Peter said as he quickly started attaching the sensors to Lucario. "Of couse, I'll have to calibrate it to recognize the aura field rather than a psychic field, so we may have to run a few tests before the sensors are fully functional." The meteorologist hurried back into the lab to grab some notes.

 

I feel like a lab rat, Lucario muttered in distaste. I don't see why I couldn't just use my aura myself and tell them were the source is when I locate it.

 

"Lighten up a bit," Jayron said with a grin. "If they can see the aura you read, with their knowledge of storms and such, they could probably interpret it better than we can. Besides," he added with a frown. "This was the only way we could convince them to let us in here so search for answers." While Jayron knew they didn't have much of a choice in the matter, he was inwardly glad that it was Lucario and not himself or Colette that was stuck with all the forehead sensors. The Liberty executive turned to Colette and talked in a low voice. "While Lucario's busy doing that, we need to be using our own aura. I know the distress signal we picked up came from the southern half of the island, and if the source of this storm is there too, it'll be pretty hard to sense it this far north. But maybe we'll get a hint of some sort. We can use all the help we can get."

[JiMing]

IC: Ruth Fishers

 

Caliburn's Sacred Sword collided with Crabidos' Pursuit, the Royal Sword Pokemon finally fainting. "Great job, Caliburn!" Ruth cried excitedly, recalling her fainted Pokemon. "Okay then... Who wants to go up next?" she asked, looking back to the other two Pokemon behind her. Locke was sleeping, evidently not finding the battle too exciting. Fuerte was tapping his foot impatiently, until he saw that the Aegislash had fainted, and his trainer now needed someone else to take on Roark's Cranidos. He called out with energy, ready to battle. "Okay then, it's your turn Fuerte!"

 

That was all the Hawlucha needed to hear, and he leaped up in the air, flipping around in a corkscrew. The Wrestling Pokemon landed gracefully on the battlefield, crouching on one knee with his head facing downwards and arms crossed in front. Fuerte held this pose for a second, not only to increase tension for his grand entrance, but also to sneak in a Hone Claws. Finally, he stood up, spreading his arms out to the side, his battle cry ringing out through the entire gym, as if there was a crowd cheering the theatrical Hawlucha on. Fuerte eyed his opponent, and gave a confident look, telling the Cranidos to make the first move.

 

IC: The Seatons

 

"Figuring out how to work together.... Well, that's just the problem." Dahlia sighed. "I mean, almost everyone here seems to be, well... Very, very strong willed. Like, take Zach and Dack. Both of them are really experienced with these sort of situations, which is definitely useful. But they seem to annoy each other a lot, because even though they're experienced, they've got different ideas on what do do." the gardener said to Palmer. "They might have similar backgrounds, but they are too different for comfort. And even my siblings aren't really getting along with everyone...." she lamented. "They've both got a pretty bad temper and don't like people like Dack. I-I want to get everyone to stop and help figure out what to do... But it feels like I'm just about useless here."

 

Meanwhile, Aspen walked along quickly. He could vaguely hear Dahlia conversing with Palmer, but his mind was elsewhere. First, the boy grabbed Aria's Pokeball, thinking back to the battle against Hannah's pseudo-Groudon. She was so powerful.... the boy thought. Just how long was she traveling with Alistair, anyways...? And why was it so easy to beat her last time? Could... Could she have been going easy on me or something...

Next, Aspen grabbed Saya's Pokeball. ....It was so scared during the attack... Both of the destruction, and us. he remembered with a frown. Ellen seems like she has a natural ability to befriend Pokemon, so how come this Eevee was so scared of her? ....And how will it react once it finds out I've captured it? the trainer worried, before rushing into the Pokemon Center.

 

Olivia smiled and began walking towards the Pokemon Center once Zach took her hand. However, she looked away for a moment, thinking back to the Breeder and the Torchic.

What was wrong with that guy anyways...? she wondered. He couldn't keep an eye on that Torchic, and his prices were ridiculous... Doesn't seem like he's cut out for that job. the redhead concluded.

Poor Torchic too.... The only person who could afford prices like that would be some snooty, rich jerk who carries around Pokemon as an accessory, instead of actually treating them with love... she lamented. It's too bad... She was really nice and happy a Pokemon...

"Say, Zach...?" Olivia began, trying to take her mind off the Torchic. "Now that we're pretty much boyfriend and girlfriend... Maybe exploring around Celadon could be our first o-official date or something?" she asked with a blush. "Of course, that Hannah person is gonna arrive shortly, and she'll destroy everything..... This isn't gonna be a pattern, is it?" the trainer asked, giggling slightly while they approached the Pokemon Center's doors.

[Konuju]

IC: Luke/Palmer

"You're not useless, Dahlia," Palmer said seriously. "You're anything but. Out of your siblings, you alone seem to grasp the concept that you all need to put aside your differences for the moment. Madison and Luke can talk some sense into Dack. But you're the one who will have to convince your siblings and your friend Zach that you need to work together with Dack. They're more likely to listen to you than a handful of trainers they've just met."

 

I can definitely see where your friend and siblings are coming from, Cresselia chimed in telepathically from the Ultra Ball on Palmer's belt. The Lunar Pokémon gave a soft chuckle. When Dack first came to me looking to save his friends from the Ancient Darkrai, his arrogant attitude made me refuse to help him. But Palmer convinced me that with the entire region covered in shadows, we needed all the help we could get. And Sinnoh couldn't have been saved without all of us working together.

 

"Madison and Dack say they're on their way," Luke reported. As Zach and Olivia seemed to have paused at the Pokémon Center's doors, the black belt pushed his way inside. "Hey Zach," he said as he held the door open for the others. "Know any good places to eat around here? I haven't eaten since last night, and I'm starving!"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

"Let's get going then.", Evan said as he walked with Jenny, "We've got to pack and think of how to get to Four Island. I mean, I have my Garchomp to help us fly there, but I am not sure if she can take two people."

 

As the two were walking, one last thing caught Evan's eye: a photo booth. With a big silly grin on his face, Evan turned to Jenny and nodded towards the photo booth.

 

"Wanna take a picture to remember this by?" Evan asked her.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette nodded, as that was a good point.

"Yeah, good idea." Colette agreed, shaking her head as she seemed distracted thinking about everything that was going on, but knew this was a time to focus now. Colette subtly shifted, as she focused on scanning the surrounding area... And then frowned in confusion, as there was an odd emotion just nearby.... And a few other auras too. Curious, she investigated the one deeper, And found it of the 'fight or flight' variety for some reason, but yet she still couldn't tell if it was fear, or unfounded bravery.

"I... might have found something, but not related to this..." Colette whispered to Jayron, and explained what she'd found.

 

-==IC: Roark==-

 

The Cranidos made a few tempting moves forward, and then fell to the floor, defeated from the previous fight against the Aegislash.

 

-==IC: Zach==-

 

"Hopefully it won't be a pattern, no." Zach said with a sigh, as he giggled, and thought. "That might be a good idea, though..." Zach continued with a nod, as Luke approached. Zach thought for a moment about where places might be. "Well, I can't guarantee anything, since the last time we were here, we were kinda quick about exploring, and basically just went to the Gym, but..." Zach thought again, and motioned further down the street.

"I think there might be a good restaurant over there, if things haven't changed since the last time I was actually here." Zach pointed, and then realized something that made him smile in amusement, but hid the smile, as he tried to keep it a surprise for the moment.

 

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea!" Jenny said happily, as she nodded in agreement. She forgot about the fact that they still needed to pack, since they hadn't been planning to actually return when they started the day. But, the thought of the picture was something that she didn't want to pass up right then.

[sonyaxe]

IC: Jake

 

Jake raised his eyebrows at the double K.O.. Those were exceedingly rare in his experience. Speaking of rare things...

 

The trainer glared at his Pikachu, who was sitting a few feet away and still refused to give back his hat. Currently, the electric-type had it balanced on the tip of his tail, and was still shaking with laughter at its continued possession of the green hat. Jake sighed and rose and applauded Ruth for her great match, still carefully watching Pikachu for a chance to get his hat back.

[Konuju]

IC: Jayron

Jayron's eyes widened with surprise as he looked from Colette to the officers and meteorologist huddled around the computer. "Do you have any idea what it all means?" he whispered.

 

Closing his eyes, Jayron extended his own aura. He felt fear and worry. But it was an anxious fear, coming from the people huddled up within their homes, waiting for the storm to pass. The Liberty executive continued searching, until he stumbled back, suddenly hit with the raw emotion coming from whatever Colette had found. Jayron tried to investigate further, but couldn't make out anything other than the 'fight or flight' emotion Colette had described and the general direction it was coming from. Establishing a mental link with Lucario, Jayron informed his partner of Colette's findings. Lucario's eyes narrowed as he, too, investigated the strange finding.

 

Suddenly, Lucario's eyes shot open. We have a situation, he said urgently to all present. He ripped the sensors from his forehead, causing a high-pitched whining to come from the computer.

 

"What the-?" the meteorologist cried. "What are you doing?"

 

"Lucario's sensed something," Jayron explained, glancing at Colette, wondering if the girl had sensed anything new.

 

"Is it whatever's responsible for this interference?" Jimmy asked.

 

Lucario shook his head. Someone's in danger, he said. But I think I've found a victim, rather than the culprit.

 

"Lead us there," George said. "Maybe we can find some clue as to who or what this culprit is."

 

As Lucario led the way out of the building, Jayron motioned for Colette to follow close behind the aura Pokémon. "See anything new?" he muttered under his breath as they walked.

 

When they exited the meteorology lab, Jayron was taken aback by how dark it had become. The monochrome sky was only lit up by the dull orange glow on the horizon caused by the setting sun. Jayron couldn't believe it was already sunset. As much as he hated to admit it, they might not have time to explore the southern half of the island that day. Of course, with the overcast clouds as thick as they were, it didn't really make that much of a difference whether it was day or night.

 

The wind had picked up considerably, its fluctuating whistle accompanied by the crash of the surf against the rocky shore as Lucario led them closer and closer to the edge of the island. Jayron let a hand rest on his Absol's Pokéball. He had a horrible feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Or maybe it already had. He couldn't be sure what they would find when they reached the beach.

 

"You shouldn't have brought her."

 

Jayron turned around to see Peter talking to George, casting an annoyed look at Alexa and the shivering Growlithe she held in her arms.

 

"What was I supposed to do, let her wander around the lab alone?" George said. He glared at the meteorologist, then turned an eye to the trainers in front of him. "Colette," he said, calling the blue jacketed trainer over to him. "We don't know what the situation will look like, but chances are it'll be dangerous. Do you think you can protect my daughter while the rest of us take care of whatever's out there?"

 

Hugging Amber close to her chest, Alexa stared up at Colette with those wide eyes. But her former curiosity was gone, replaced by a silent fear.

 

Jayron gave Colette an apologetic smile. "Didn't think your first mission would amount to babysitting," he muttered.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette had been focusing for a little bit, and then opened her eyes when they started walking.

"I sense another emotion... Confused anger, almost?" Colette whispered back, equally confused... What could be happening down there? However, when they stopped, and the situation regarding Alexa was explained, Colette thought for a moment, and then smiled at Alexa, confident in her decision after seeing the look on her face.

"Alright. Alexa, you're with me, let's go deal with this together." Colette said, as she placed a reassuring hand on Alexa's shoulder, to help show that everything would be alright.

[Konuju]

IC: Jayron

Alexa gave a small nod. For the duration of the journey, the young girl clung to Colette like a moth to a flame. All the while, her eyes continued to dart around her, as if something might leap out at them at any moment. Colette was her only source of comfort, her only protection from the danger that lurked just beyond the shadows. Even Amber felt uneasy. The small Growlithe was not her usual playful self, and instead gave only a small whimper.

 

As they got closer to the shoreline, the auras Jayron was sensing became clearer. He picked up the confused anger, as well as a sense of both pain and panic, coupled with a feeling of fierce determination. It took Jayron a moment to realize that these were three separate auras. Just what is going on here? he wondered.

 

Before Jayron could question Colette again, Lucario signaled for them to halt. They had reached the edge of a rocky cliff. The path ahead was a steep drop of roughly ten feet or so down to a small beach. And down by the shore, Jayron saw a trainer with a Barbaracle fighting a ferocious Feraligatr. The blue lizard-like Pokémon seemed larger than usual, not to mention angrier than usual. It didn't take someone with aura powers to guess that it was the electromagnetic interference that was causing this Feraligatr to go berserk. The Liberty Executive grabbed his Absol's Pokéball, beginning to wish he'd brought his Sceptile with him. He glanced at the others, trying to decide whether they should attack from above or make their way down to the beach.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa City Amusement Park

 

"Well, let's go!", Evan said as he rushed over to the Photo Booth, "I think we should, together, take four pictures. One alone for each of us alone, and two of the two of us together. Whaddya think?"

 

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"That sounds like a neat idea!" Jenny said with a nod, agreeing with that idea. "Wanna go first, then?" Jenny asked, unsure whether he wanted her to get her solo picture first, or if he'd get his first.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra, Nimbasa Amusement Park

 

"I'll go first, then.", Evan said gladly, "Then you go, and then we'll take the last two photos together."

 

Evan stepped in and inserted the money for one photo. Evan then struck a bold, dynamic pose, with his left hand over the right side of his face. The camera flashed upon Evan. A photo came out of a slot, with Evan's pose immortalized upon it.

 

"All right, your turn!", Evan said, as he handed his photo to Jenny, "This is for you."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: (James, Jamie, Roderick)

 

“Known Ford agent? I haven’t heard of Quincy Adams. James, do you know who she’s talking about. Is she someone who showed up while I was away?”

 

James was silent for a moment. No, he had not heard of a ‘Quincy Adams’ either, though if the Rocket was telling the truth, it would neatly explain the motive and execution of the current attack. If anyone could find a way to pull this off, Ford could. It was very neat.

 

Almost too neat.

 

But thankfully he had more… trustworthy witnesses.

 

Both Tristan and Pelleas swear to the honesty of ‘Lucia’s’ words, apparently she was the woman that also caused the events in Goldenrod… Guinevere’s voice in James’ head said. They also mentioned something about there being bodies here from Team Energon.

 

Those last two words caught James’ attention, though he hid that fact. It would do well for him to hide the fact that he was having telekinetic conversation with one of Joker’s subordinate’s Pokémon from Joker. It would spare Pelleas and Tristan trouble at the least.

 

Jamie… his mind turned to her, his eyes only briefly betraying his thoughts, as he thought those last thoughts. But only briefly as personal business needed to come later.

 

Team Energon… There is no way that Tristan and Pelleas know that only Team Energon and Team Rocket are known to have the ability to block teleportation, especially on the scale we have now… Guinevere relay this information to Mr. Vero.

 

In a moment Guinevere responded, Agent Vero is in agreement with you. He agrees that Energon is likely to have a hand in this, and that if they are, the Rockets are not the cause.

 

In the moments that James was considering Lucia’s word, Jamie decided to retreat select members, or rather member, of her team as a way to avoid eye contact. The select member was Grummore who she knew had sustained a lot of damage during the battle and would appreciate the chance to rest and let Regenerator take its course. This, unbeknownst to her, was an extremely lucky play. The aforementioned Slowking, though really the Shellder, was stunned in a rage that his prey got away as neatly as it did. He had half a mind to start tearing apart the nearest the Pokémon or person he saw. Which he was going to when suddenly he was pulled back into his Pokeball.

 

Inside the mind of the Slowking, the real Grummore sighed with relief.

 

“As much as we all implicitly trust Team Rocket,” said with a little unexpected (at least by Roderick who had not heard James use it before) dry sarcasm, and to Guinevere, irony, “I am inclined to believe her.”

 

IC: (Richard/Gawain)

Gawain nearly didn’t care about the Bullet Punches hitting him in the arm. The power of the move were cut by a factor of 4. Add that to Gawain’s natural bulk and his experience and you get a Pokémon who wasn’t really taking any damage at all from the Meditite. If it had been any day before the events that transpired at the Research and Development Department, he would have just laughed and let the young fighting type wear itself out before he did anything to stop it. But if it had been a day before R&D, he wouldn’t have picked the fight in the first place.

 

Thankfully Hades carried Confuse Ray, which the sudden confusion made him trip over himself when he made to grab the Meditite, allowing Merida to get away.

 

Unfortunately, even with Confuse Ray, Gawain still knew very well how to stomp the earth enough to make it quake, so he lashed with his power again. Ponos did not take it well, and Richard himself felt a little sick. Hades began to use Recover to mitigate the attack, but it still hurt due to his relative closeness. When the attack subsided, the heavily damaged Ponos charged with Reversal, but found the Swampert quite capable of taking his hit.

 

Okay overpowering this guy isn’t going to happen. Even with Hades here, I don’t think we can match him for strength.

 

On the plus side however, he now had a new Pokemon in his hands. One he knew capable of singing.

 

“Do you know how to sing lullabies?” he said softly.

 

The Whismur in his arms shook his head, no.

 

“Then let me teach you. Hades! Ponos! Keep the Swampert distracted. Zoe if you can help him, we’ll stand a much better chance of making this work.”

 

The Sableye said nothing as he watched Richard move over to a sturdy looking rock, seemingly hiding behind it, talking to the Whismur.

 

What are you planning? he thought as he Detected Mud Bombs being launched hap-hazardly, moving extremely quickly to evade, as the Diglett buried underground, planning to strike from below before it attacked with Earthquake again.

 

“Alright Singing 101,” he whispered, before he explained his plan, softly into the Whismur’s ear.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Claus Von Minun the 4th