Flipz

~Jupiter's July~

Part 1

Eterna City outskirts (Route 205), July 10

Jupiter sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her sodden suit as she sauntered along the Sinnoh lakeshore. For all the years of jokes and inappropriate comments about the jumpsuits, we never did make them watertight, did we? The former Commander of Team Galactic, now a novice Gym Leader in the town of her team's demise, stood soaking wet in the lake lake just to the city's west, periodically bending down to seek something small beneath the lapping lakeshore waves. In retrospect, this outcome seemed obvious, but at the time it had seemed like a good idea...

Her struggles had started with seeking someone to surf her across the surface. Despite the numerous fishermen and their warm greetings, few seemed to possess a Pokémon capable of carrying multiple passengers, and those who did were unwilling to give up their leisurely lifestyle for a day out on the open waves. Jupiter was about to give up when an oddly-dressed woman approached her, a Fisherman behind her.

"Hiya!" The newcomer said, her voice oddly cheerful for someone wearing torn orange shorts, an overlarge face-covering straw hat, and a drab canvas poncho. Jupiter gave the woman a once-over, noting her lanky stature and well-toned musculature. "I hear you're looking for some help with surfing?"

"Yes," Jupiter replied, continuing to scrutinize the other woman. There was something about her that aroused suspicion, but as the only person so far to so much as hint at offering assistance, the Gym Leader was inclined to overlook it--at least for now. "Would you happen to have anything more suitable to transport than a mere Magikarp?"

"...Well..." the woman gestured toward the Fisherman she'd brought with her; her posture seemed apologetic, but with the straw hat covering all but her mouth it was hard to tell. Clicking the buttons on both balls, the abashed Fisherman released a pair of said Magikarp onto the docks before him.

Jupiter scoffed and made to walk away, but the mysterious woman would not let her go so easily.

"Wait!" Beneath the hat, she smiled a wry grin, but the expression was hidden from the Gym Leader. "I know they're not much, but they're closer to evolving than you might think--"

The implied challenge did not escape Jupiter's notice. "So you two want to challenge me?" Been an awful lot of that going around lately, the ex-Commander reflected ruefully. "Unfortunately, until the Gym is up and running I'm afraid that's simply not possible."

This time the woman really did smile, visibly. "You really are new to this, aren't you? I think Eterna's last Gym Leader once said, 'Out of the Gym, a Gym Leader is just another Trainer.' Out here, it's all just for fun." The woman grinned broadly, an eyebrow almost surely raised beneath the shade of straw. "Don't mind your reputation, it'll be just fine when you lose."

Jupiter knew she was being baited. But she also knew this stranger had her hooked, as surely as the Pokémon at the end of the fishermen's lines. "...fine. But be prepared for loss," she warned, sending out her Tangrowth and Toxicroak.

It was not a lengthy battle. The stranger should have been chagrined, and yet she proudly stood her ground while her friend recalled his Pokémon as they hit the ground one after the other. "I'm sorry," she said, and to Jupiter's pleasant surprise the remark had not been directed at her, but to the Trainer of the fainted fish now returned to their safe captivity.

"Your Pokémon aren't bad," Jupiter offered the man, remembering Clemont's advice, "but they're laughably weak. They're far from prepared for a challenge of my magnitude."

"They do seem to have room to grow," the stranger agreed, "but that's the joy of it." At Jupiter's curious glance, she added, "walk us to the Pokémon Center?"

With a shrug, Jupiter followed.

---------------

The Pokémon Center was, as usual, not crowded. Eterna City seemed to move at a pace slower than the rest of the world, and Jupiter for one appreciated it. She settled in to a comfortable sofa while she waited for the ragged stranger to return from the counter. The Gym Leader did not have to wait long.

"Truth be told," the stranger said, "Andrew's Magikarp have been 'almost ready to evolve' for years. But I never could resist humouring him." The strange woman giggled softly to herself. "I know they truly failed to impress you. Perhaps my own Pokémon would be more to your liking?" As her friend had on the docks, the stranger sent forth two Pokémon for Jupiter's inspection.

The first was a foreign but otherwise-common specimen, a Ludicolo Jupiter knew to be native to the Hoenn region. The other...the other she had once sought herself.

"A Roserade? Not a lot of Trainers use Roserade anymore."

"She's been with me for years. As she's grown, so has our bond."

"Let me guess. That bond is what brought you back to the city of your old Gym?"

The woman snorted. "Took you long enough to figure out," Gardenia quipped, doffing her concealing straw hat to reveal a shock of orange-and-black hair. "To think, we lived in the same town for years, but you don't even recognize your own Gym Leader?"

Jupiter shot her predecessor an annoyed glare. "I was just slightly preoccupied back in the day. And quite frankly, the League hasn't historically been at the forefront of my interests."

Gardenia crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling with interest. "So what changed?"

The new Gym Leader shrugged uncomfortably. "What else is there for me? Nova's...gone, and with it pretty much everyone I've ever known. I needed something to do, and the opening sort of just fell into my lap. End of story."

"Hmm." The Elite Four member's tone indicated scepticism.

Jupiter was thoroughly uninterested in elaborating, however. "So now what? If you're hoping to take a peek at the Gym you're welcome to it, but it's frankly a bit of a..." Jupiter trailed off, the intended expression 'disaster area' triggering rather unpleasant memories of the actual disaster site north of town. She mentally cursed the young man who'd somehow convinced her to stay in Eterna. Note to self, give Zynthic a sound thrashing, distractingly adorable Pokémon or no.

A spark of recognition flashed in Gardenia's eyes. "So that's why..." she murmured to herself.

Jupiter never liked it when someone tried to talk about her too quietly to be overheard. Nine times out of ten, they were wrong in their assumption of the strength of her hearing. Now was not an exception. "Why what?" she asked bluntly, even a little loudly, as heads began to turn.

Gardenia saw them as well, noting in particular a certain familiar reporter failing to make her eavesdropping sufficiently subtle. She retreated Roserade and jerked her head towards the door. "Why don't we discuss this out on the lake?"

With an indifferent grunt, Jupiter wheeled and marched out the door, checking only momentarily to see if her predecessor was following.

---------------

It took twenty minutes for the pair to reach the docks and surf out of earshot on Gardenia's Ludicolo. The Grass-type trainer wouldn't put it past the reporter-and-cameraman duo to have found some way to follow, but it was clear her successor saw no need to stay silent.

"Why...what?"

"Why Magma?"

To neither participant's surprise, the two words were more than enough to cut the conversation short, at least for another short while. Eventually, Jupiter found herself forced to ask. "How?"

"Believe it or not, I used to follow them in the news back in the day. Way back, mind, before even your time. A part of me admired them, their stated goal to expand the land. But mostly? They frightened me. So I watched, and I waited, worried they might strike...and completely missed the local gang rising up under my own nose."

Jupiter shifted uncomfortably. "And then they were gone." It was unclear whether the ex-Galactic Admin referred to her own team or to Magma.

Gardenia chose to assume the latter. "Under Rocket rule, I never really had the time to monitor the other regions, but I still had the news search alerts set up. They rose back to prominence, joined with Liberty, and were wiped out again. And then the most curious thing happened...a handful of Magma members survived, and were promptly offered a place in my old Gym."

Jupiter looked up with alarm. "What, it's leaked to the press already? The Gym isn't nearly ready for that kind of publicity--"

The Grass-type Trainer chuckled, hands raised. "Peace, Jupiter. No, I have...other sources. The League may not be at the forefront of your interests, but even during the occupation, it was at the forefront of mine. I still keep in touch with my old friends, and one of them in particular handed me the tip that led to you."

"I see." Silence stretched. Then: "That still doesn't answer my question."

Gardenia gave her successor a long, hard look. "You see yourself in them."

Jupiter stared pointedly across the lake, away from the other woman.

The Elite Four member was not about to let the point go. "It's admirable. But if you're not careful, you may leave their roots impacted."

The Poison-type Gym Leader swiveled to stare at her predecessor like she had grown a second head. "Would you mind explaining that in actual words?"

Gardenia paused for a moment. "Do you happen know what became of those saplings I had stashed away in storage?"

"Wha--?"

"Indulge an old Gym Leader's curiosity. Please?"

Jupiter thought back to the extensive renovations she'd begun--renovations she really ought to have been completing, were it not for the Magma members' impending arrival. "I think they were the among the first to go. Sold them to a local collector for more than I could get online--fan of yours, perhaps? I remember because he asked me to help him re-pot, and he seemed disappointed when I mentioned I had four shipments coming in that day."

"Hmm." Gardenia made a mental note to visit her old Gym acolytes before leaving town--something told her her Poison-specializing successor had been less than helpful to the local horticulturists. "If you had to guess, how long would you say they'd been growing?"

"I don't know...a couple years?"

"Put it this way, I've had those saplings since I last remodeled the Gym, a couple years before you settled in to town. The first time."

"...what?"

"I never did get around to planting them. And so they ended up stuck in those tiny pots, watered but never given room to grow. Their roots became tangled, twisted, tied up in knots...and now, even if planted properly, they'll never reach the heights they might have."

"Look. I know there's supposed to be a metaphor here, some lesson on good Gym management, just like with the fellow from Kalos, but it's been a long day, and for the life of me I'm not seeing it."

"You're looking for Pokémon for your new Gym members. You're hoping it'll help ease their pain, give them something to strive for, help provide them a reason to stay. Am I getting warmer?"

"...warm enough."

"Like I said, you see yourself in them, and you want to help. But that's just it--that's what's helping you. There's no guarantee it will work for them."

Jupiter studied her predecessor carefully, giving the older woman a glance filled with a mixture of guilt and a hint of hidden vulnerability. "Let's...let's say you're right. I have to do something."

"Of course." Gardenia's smile was the gently warm, knowing smile of a mentor--in truth, a bit too knowing for Jupiter's comfort. She reached into a pack and pulled out a Net Ball, pressing it into the Poison specialist's hands. "But perhaps you ought to consider if you're using the right tool for the job?"

Jupiter took the proffered gift, more out of rote mechanical habit than intention. She stared at the Pokémon-capturing device, considering its function. Net Ball. Significantly more effective in capturing Pokémon that are Bug-type or-- That's when it hit her. ...Water-type. The one type no self-respecting Magma trainer would even think of training. Team Magma's rivalry with Team Aqua was legendary, even outside of Hoenn; to offer the refugees Water-types so soon after their team's demise...

"Thanks," she stated, lobbing the ball casually over her shoulder, "but no thanks. It seems my plans have changed." Jupiter regarded her predecessor with a pleased grin, hands placed confidently upon her hips--a glimmer of her old self shining through.

Gardenia beamed at the new Leader of her old Gym, confident it was now in good hands--but her joy was short-lived. Her expression--and a moment later, her counterpart's--turned to a mixture of amusement and horror as the all-too-familiar sounds of a Pokémon capture sounded several dozen yards away from the Ludicolo on which they rode. The Net Ball shook once, twice, thrice, clicked...and promptly sank beneath the surface with a splash.

---------------

Gardenia watched Jupiter search along the shore, while she herself sought the missing ball from atop her still-surfing Ludicolo. Despite the mishap, however, she wasn't worried--after a fit of swearing harsh enough to make a Sailor blush, the Poison-type specialist had dove into the water without a second thought, only afterward realizing the needlessness of the gesture. Still, she'd stuck to her choice and swam ashore, and Gardenia couldn't help but admire the tenacity. Like a rare, slow-growing flower, the seed of the Gym Leader's potential had germinated, and was now fighting its way to the surface for the light it so desperately needed to grow. Eterna City was a good place to grow--good rain, good soil, and good people. After seeing her successor in action, she knew the new Gym Leader would benefit just as much as she once had. Another successful transplant, she congratulated herself, as she saw Jupiter at last find her wayward catch.

---------------

She shouldn't have worried. With the waves washing everything wayward to the western shore, it was only a matter of time until the Pokéball showed up as well. Still, she had to admit her relief when she at last stumbled across the Net Ball--not literally, of course, but the intentionality of the act was approximately equivalent. No sooner had her hand closed around the device than its occupant emerged of its own accord--

...that may well be the smallest Tentacool I've ever seen.

With a sigh, she recalled the Pokémon to its captivity. "Well, welcome to the team I suppose," she muttered, glad that Gardenia was too far out to overhear. She glanced up to see the Grass-type specialist wave at her and then surf away atop her own Water-type. With much muttering, Jupiter began the now-sodden slog back to the Gym...and the drawing board. There was work to be done, and she wasn't about to let just one setback stop her. Time to devise a new plan...

Proposed Pokémon: Empoleon

 

Appearance: Mega Empoleon by Phatmon (Author's comment on gallery [on profile page]: "THE POKEMON ART IS FREE TO USE BUT YOU MUST CREDIT ME OR LINK MY GALLERY OR THE PICTURE THAT YOU USE THANK YOU"

 

Focus: In Mega form, Empoleon slows itself down significantly, sacrificing speed for sturdiness. Thanks to the added bulk, it can better handle the recoil of its powerful attacks, granting them added strength, while its shields allow it to deflect special attacks with relative ease, even dreaded Electric-type attacks such at Thunder and Zap Cannon. However, its Achilles Heel remains physical attacks; its shields are bulky and awkward, meaning that a well-placed physical strike can throw off both its attacks and its defenses for a significant amount of time, especially considering its slowed speed.

 

Mega Empoleon see themselves as paragons of protection; hardened by the harshness of the war, they've strengthened themselves so as to protect both themselves and their Trainers from the hazards of modern warfare.

 

Type: Water/Steel

 

Mega Ability: Bulletproof

 

Stat Distribution: (-15 Speed, +120 to other stats)

 

-HP: 111 (+27, Compare: Nihilego (109), Excadrill (110))

 

-ATK: 86 (+0)

 

-SPA: 153 (+42, Compare: Ash- Mega Greninja (153))

 

-DEF: 104 (+16)

 

-SPD: 131 (+30, Compare: Nihilego (131), Cosmoem (131), Umbreon (130), Sylveon (130))

 

-SPE: 45 (-15)

 

yo, Flipz.

 

 

Announcements as of my last post:

• Human powers (psychics, Aura, etc.) are slowly trickling back. In-game they'll be fully restored within a day.
• Pokémon abilities/moves/powers/whatever are still deactivated for the time being.
• Mega Evolution is unlocked but undiscovered.
• Fairy-Type retcons from Gen 6 have now taken effect.
• EXP per battle is permanently increased. See chart in the first post of the RPG topic.

 

 

I had just noticed the EXP changes and was wondering then that had happened. xD

 

Question: Ash-Greninja (which, because RotR canon, wouldn't be called Ash-Greninja in-universe for obvious reasons) would function according to RotR's Mega Evolution rules, right?  Just curious, since I'm thinking of giving a Froakie to one of my characters in the not-too-distant future.

So hey, thought I'd mention I'm around again, and given that there's not really a convenient point to jump back in to the topic itself, I've been working on a short story for the short stories topic in the meantime (that's still a thing, right?).  Anyway, really enjoyed reading everything while getting caught up, and looking forward to seeing the rest of the Ford finale!

EDIT: noticed error, fixing, will repost later

-==IC: Blissie (Blissey; T:Alex Zyther)/Sylph (Eevee; T:Alex Zyther)==-

As Bliss watched the turmoil unfolding around her, she cowered helplessly. Bad enough to fight the most ruthless of foes, but now for her own allies to turn on the one she had pledged to protect in the stead of the Trainer she could not? Too much. Far too much.

 

Sylph sat in a similar situation. Unlike the earlier fighting, a fun fight against fierce foes...now Sylph stood to fight against friends, and in no friendly manner. The Eevee cowered behind Pelleas' horn and lent it his power, hoping the Heracross could halt this horror. But then, as if summoned by a Wish, a familiar face strode forward.

 

Both Blissie and Sylph leapt faithfully forward to the figure of the one Trainer they truly trusted more than Alex himself...his adoptive mother. As the battle against the Hikari patriarch resumed, the two Pokémon prepared for battle once more, awaiting Cassandra's orders.

IC: Amelia Zann (Celadon City Hospital)

Amelia had a split second in which to act. Without really thinking, she sprang forth, grabbing the comatose human and the bed he was in, in an attempt to secure them both. Only after she had done so did she realize the futility of her action, as everything in the room fell forward, being flung into empty air as the medical machines crashed through what little wall had remained from the earlier explosions. Amelia made a grab for a bent bit of rebar sticking out from the edge, but it was too little, too late.

 

The seconds she had left to live spun out into a seeming eternity. Spotting Harvey and Van following her into freefall, she pulled out two Pokéballs: one a return, one a release. From the latter, Crowe came forth, already in flight, quickly clutching the Carvanha in her claws. Go, she mentally wished. Live.

 

The angle of her fall forced Amelia to stare past her two Pokémon at the hospital itself, fires flickering orange through its upper floors, upper floors that now loomed ominously above her as the structure collapsed. Below, she felt rather than saw the heat of the explosions that were accelerating the building's demise, and heard the screams of either those watching or else those caught inside. At this point, she realized, it didn't matter which--not in the time she had left, anyway. I thought this was just the worst day of my life. Turns out it's my last.

 

A sharp squeal in her ear made her wince, as she suddenly recalled the mousy Electric-type who had inadvertently delayed her escape. To her surprise, instead of the hatred she expected to feel, she only held compassion for the poor creature, doomed along with her and its own Trainer. Little guy just got caught up in things too big for it. Like me, I guess. As visions of the life that had led her here flashed before her eyes, she braced herself for the sudden stop in both sound and life--and unexpectedly, the world warped and went white as it did.

IC: Amelia Zann

Amelia's pace finally faltered as she approached Celadon Hospital, the streams of fleeing citizens finally breaking her focus.  Up close, the building looked even worse than it did at a distance, the uppermost floors visibly askew as the ragged remains of ruined rooms perched precariously above the pavement far below.  Flammable fumes floated sinisterly skyward, seeking the sparks with which to ignite an inevitable inferno.  Still, the spy saw no sign of either of her Pokémon, so she shoved her way inside past the panicked people escaping through the emergency room entrance.

 

Flinging the fleeing left and right, Amelia forced her way behind the abandoned service desk and into the emergency room hallways.  Once inside, the atmosphere was altered entirely.  While the outside reeked of fear and panic, the interior was eerily quiet, apart from the sound of others seeking their escape through more-traveled paths a few hallways down, punctuated occasionally by the screams and sobs of those trapped who would likely not survive.  A fine mist of plaster fell from the ceiling every so often, a toxic miasma that would hardly be healthy for anyone caught in the hospital's hellish embrace, let alone for the weak and wounded who had come to be helped here.  Amelia knew she needed to find Van and get out quickly, lest she succumb and suffocate like so many others here would.  Two rights, then a left...third door...

 

She swore.  Door open, Van gone...so Harvey did make it here.  The question is, where would he have taken...?

 

As if in response, a blinding burst of light blazed forth from the stairwell in front of her, bright enough that Amelia had to blink a few times to clear her vision.  "What the...?" she muttered, before recognizing the reptilian claw marks along the floor leading to the elevator nearby.  In a renewed rush of adrenaline, she raced up the stairs, fearful of what she would find.

 

 

IC: Harvey (Larvitar; T:Amelia Zann) + Didi (Dedenne; T:Alex Zyther)

Harvey roared and rubbed his eyes, surprised and startled by the Dazzling Gleam that had been unleashed upon him.  Such a small creature, let alone an Electric-type, should surely not have posed such a potent threat--so why was he helpless to defeat it?  The creature cradled his injured eyes as he struggled to recover from the blinding blast.

 

Didi, for her part, was livid.  A strange lime-colored Pokémon bursting into Alex's room with a Carvanha on a cart was worrisome enough, but when it went to interfere with the machines to which her Trainer was currently connected, she knew she had to defend him.  Even though the reptilian invader now seemed to be stunned, she prepared a Parabolic Charge in case company came.

 

A few minutes later, Didi's fears proved right--but at the last moment she held back her attack, as it was an unfamiliar human, not a Pokémon, who appeared in the entryway.  The Dedenne squealed as she released the attack, the bolt arcing wide and blasting through a section of wall.  "Dididi?!" the Dedenne queried, wondering why the world seemed to have suddenly gone mad.

 

"Van!" Amelia called in relief, cradling the Carvanha for a moment despite its current unconsciousness.  "Harvey!  What's going on?  Why are you even up here?"  The Larvitar moaned and rumbled something in its own tongue, pointing to the myriad machinery to which the room's primary occupant was tied.  Didi bristled with electricity, clearly prepared to prevent any further interference with the medical machinery.  Amelia held up her hands.  "Whoa, chill out, you...uh...critter...mouse...thing."  What IS that Pokémon, anyway? Where's a Pokédex when you actually need one?  "Harvey, I applaud you for getting Van out of the emergency room, but this place is not better.  We need to get out of here, now."

 

"Di dene?" Didi queried, sounding concerned.  Just then, there was the sound of a spark striking metal, a scream cut short, and the delayed sound of an explosive blast.  The room shook as the walls cracked, and the windows on the floor all simultaneously shattered.  A moment later, there was a clacking sound of strained steel, and the floor suddenly dropped six inches, tilting toward the north.  While Amelia hit the floor hard, Van's gurney began to roll right towards the empty space where the window once was, before Harvey desperately shot up a Stealth Rock to stop it.  A wintry wind blew through the room, but for the moment the spike stood.  Didi, meanwhile, clung desperately to her Trainer, wondering how she could possibly protect him from the calamity around them.

 

She wouldn't have to wonder long.  Amelia climbed to her feet, opening her mouth to offer another suggestion, when a loud boom and a blaze of heat radiated through the room from a fireball erupting just outside.  The floor pitched once more, this time far more dramatically, and this time nothing could stop their slide...

IC:Amelia Zann

Celadon City was having a bad day. Fortunately or unfortunately, Amelia was too focused on running to really notice it. Every fiber of her being was dedicated to a single purpose: a critically injured Carvanha currently housed in a hospital--a hospital that was one of several buildings in the city that now had more in common with an exotic hole-ridden cheese than anything structurally sound.

 

The spy slid swiftly beneath a battered billboard, the rooftop it had been attached to now resting ninety degrees and ninety feet from its original orientation. As she emerged on the other side, she saw something shifting the scattered detritus littering the alleyway ahead of her, a testament to the intensity of the Rockets' aerial assault on the city. Had she been in a more sound state of mind, Amelia might have made a quip about the irony of the Rockets responsible for the mess being hindered by the magnitude of their own destruction, but her focused frame of mind lent itself to a more direct approach: action.

 

The "something" she had seen was a group of three Team Rocket agents, likely stragglers from the earlier aerial attack, but this fact barely registered for Zann. In an instant she launched herself into the air, her brown boot barely coming into contact with the leader's head for the mere moment it took to launch her higher. The two Rockets in the rear fumbled for their Pokéballs, but the swift spy had already thrown two of their own. A moment later--a moment too late--the two Trainers realized that the twin orbs were not the prelude to battle, but the first blow itself.

 

Three thuds later, the trio hit the ground, their unconscious forms already left far in Amelia's fleeing wake.

You're right, my method doesn't make much sense. The strategic thing to do would be to wait until the first evolution happens, then use a reward point to jump straight to the second evolution. However, while there's nothing that says you can't do something like that, it doesn't make much sense story-wise unless it's a stone- or item- or trade-evolution, and even then it sort of feels like cheating the system.

 

Simply put, it's the journey that counts. In my opinion it's much more rewarding to make it through all those battles and enjoy the time in the earlier stages than to jump the gun and dive straight to the latter stages. I also like to time my evolutions at key points in character development (of either the Pokémon, the trainer, or both), as they do represent a milestone in physical development or power. Of course that's not to say that a fully evolved Pokémon can't continue to develop (I keep forgetting about that upgrading moves every so many EXP rule) but evolution just helps to emphasize that point. Maybe I just watched too much Digimon as a kid.

 

On a similar note, I think that's the reason I tend to shy away from using unevolving Pokémon. Out of all my characters I only have four Pokémon that don't evolve, three of which belong to characters that aren't as much of a main focus. There's Skarmory and Torkoal, which belong to Ellen's father, and the Ditto belonging to Executive Hannah Wright. Both Hannah and Ellen's father act more as foils to Dack and Ellen, respectively (Hannah to a lesser extent than Mr. Burks). Only recently have I branched out to giving a main character an unevolving Pokémon, in the form of Shannon's Dunsparce. Fun fact: I'd considered giving Ryan a Mawile but opted to give him a Misdreavus instead.

 

 

Also, for your battle, Airazor and Sandslash should each get 1 EXP. Joltik gets 2 EXP, because she fought two Pokémon. And since Blade approved Joltik's profile, you're free to go ahead and capture it.

Gotta say, I like that Shannon's two Pokémon are ones that aren't generally considered to have a lot of combat potential--and bonus points for it seeming like that was an intentional choice on her part.

If I wasn't stuck on this blasted Amelia post, I could potentially knock out two or three of those challenges at once. :-P

IC:Blissie (Blissey; T:Alex Zyther)/Sylph (Eevee; T:Alex Zyther)

Blissie closed her eyes serenely and released the breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding; though experienced in battle, in truth it never seemed to get any easier for the Happiness Pokémon. Walking closer to her master's kin--Lucia, was it?--the Blissey crooned and laid a stubby hand upon Audinaga's and Megana's Pokéballs, clearly concerned for the creatures contained within.

 

Meanwhile, Alex's other present Pokémon pounced from his perch, pacing perilously between Pelleas' and then Jamie's legs before thrice circling the group and finally leaping back up onto Pelleas' shoulder. It seemed the little creature had energy to spare from its encounter and was eager to move on to the next, apparently oblivious to the very real danger they'd all been in. The furry fluffball wrinkled its nose and then sneezed at the hint of ash on the air, but neither knew nor understood enough to make anything of it. He wiggled his tail innocently, wriggling with anticipation.

OOC: Konujam!

 

IC: Palmer/Natalie

Natalie blinked in confusion. "You mean you don't know what..."

 

As Palmer stared back at Amelia, he established his mental link with Cresselia. He pressed the Lunar Pokémon for her insight, repeating Natalie's question. Did this woman really not know what her Sneasel had done?

 

Her confusion seems genuine, Cresselia responded. I should also note that she seems incredibly distrusting of everyone but yourself.

 

Palmer mentally expressed his thanks, before giving Amelia a kind look. "This may come as quite a shock," he said. "But your Sneasel attacked that Rocket trainer's Pokémon, as well as the Rocket herself. But... it was far more than just an ordinary attack. Your Sneasel used lethal force -- it killed those Pokémon and their trainer."

 

"It killed them in cold blood!" Natalie cried. Other people in the Pokémon Center, who were not part of Palmer's group, overheard the conversation and stared at Amelia in surprise. "And as that Sneasel's trainer, you have to answer for its actions."

IC:Amelia/Natalie/Palmer

Amelia looked down her nose at the other Trainer, her impassive gaze betraying no emotion. After a moment's pause, she spoke.

 

"So in other words, you're saying she got what was coming to her for escalating."

 

"Got what was--" Natalie bit her lip, glaring daggers at Amelia. "I don't care what she did. No one deserves that!"

 

Amelia scowled, jerking her left arm out of a Nurse's disapproving grip to tug up her bloodstained blouse and the bandages beneath, revealing the bubbling blisters and puncture wounds beneath. (One of the nurses inhaled sharply at the reversal of her hard work, but decided it was best not to complain.)

 

"No one, huh? So you're telling me that, while I'm lying on the street, half-unconscious and dying from her attempts to kill me, my Sina ain't justified in returning the favor?" Amelia snorted at the waitress' ignorance. "Lady, I don't know where you grew up, but in real life you don't tend to live too long if you let people tryin' to kill ya get in a second shot."

 

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Natalie muttered. "And I've survived well enough so far."

 

"Enough," Palmer said, stepping between the two women. "Yelling at each other isn't going to change anything. Now come on, Natalie. We have to get to the east gate."

 

The waitress turned away from Amelia in disgust.

 

Amelia crossed her arms. "And you've clearly never known what true helplessness is really like," she muttered, loud enough to be heard, but softly enough that the waitress would have to make a point of arguing if she wanted to argue. Nonetheless, the spy allowed herself to be patched up with no further objections, and the moment her Pokémon were returned to her, she sulkily followed the pair, having nothing else of note to do.

 

As soon as Amelia was outside, however, she smelled something strange. "Is that...smoke?" she asked, not sure if she could completely trust her Scald-scattered senses.

 

It hardly mattered, however.

 

No sooner had the spy stepped forth than a fresh rain of Thunderbolts fell from the sky, shooting swiftly across the Celadon skyline. Amelia's gaze followed their path in alarm--please no, please no, please don't hit--

 

Impact.

 

No!

 

Without a word, the still-weakened woman began to run full-tilt in the direction of some of the taller buildings of Celadon City, now pockmarked with gaping gashed torn clear through steel and concrete. Her destination was the one in particular that seemed to have taken the most damage...

 

...the Celadon City Hospital.

IC: Bliss/Blissey (T:Alex Zyther)

Blissie stared around the battle in confusion, sticking close to Lucia. She was no stranger to battle, of course, having been her Trainer's primary protection against wild Pokémon along his journey, but somehow this...the chaos, the confusion, the frenetic pace...all of it combined to create a very different experience.

 

The Blissey returned her attention to her temporary Trainer, Lucia, awaiting orders, but none came. First one Pokémon evolved near her, then another--this one into her own species. She didn't know why, but Blissie felt a sort of sadness wash over her...or was it doubt? Still unsure of how she could possibly contribute here, the Happiness Pokémon clapped her hands and attempted to give a Helping Hand to her counterpart's Hyper Voice, despite not feeling very happy at all.

IC: Amelia

Amelia stared blankly at the waitress, unable to assess the other woman's motives. Finally she looked away from the red-and-white sphere under her nose to address the room at large. "Anyone want to fill me in on what in blazes she's talking about?"

 

One of the nurses, a small, mousy thing, moved from wrapping Amelia's right arm to wrapping her leg, in her haste accidentally rubbing the fabric of the bandage over Amelia's burned, blistered thigh. The spy jerked away with a curse and an insult. "Watch it!" she snarled.

 

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the nurse fumbled for a filled syringe from a cart pushed over by a Chansey. "Perhaps some painkillers would--"

 

Amelia stared death into the nurse's face, the picture of hatred itself. "Put that in me, and I. Will Personally. Guarantee. You never. Work. Again. Got it?"

 

"Yes ma'am!" the frightened nursed blurted, practically running away into the back hallway as she quailed under Amelia's black gaze.

 

Amelia looked back to Palmer, her expression somewhat softened but still distrustful--though, all things considered, less so than she'd been towards anyone else in the room. "Well?" she asked expectantly.

IC: Palmer/Natalie

"You're right, you can't do anything to help that Rocket agent now," Palmer said, following a few paces behind Ryan. "But your remorse -- that shows that you're better than Hannah's army. Don't take it for granted."

 

As Ryan approached the emergency room door, the Chansey at the desk quickly moved in his way, giving him the same stern look she'd given the Furret. She motioned for him to sit back down.

 

Ryan was about to turn away when the door burst open. The Chansey cried out in surprise as Shannon pushed her aside, nearly crashing into Ryan. "Stop!" the nurse cried out. "You need to rest!"

 

"What I need to do is talk to Hannah," Shannon said, moving to push Ryan out of her way. Her shoulder had been bandaged, but she still looked a little worse for wear. "That's the only thing that will put an end to this madness!"

 

"Maybe, but overexerting yourself will rip open your bandages!" the nurse cried. "Your body needs time to heal."

 

"While the rest of Celadon gets destroyed?" Shannon shot back, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I have to do this. I'm the only one who can stop her!" She turned away from the nurse, finding herself face to face with Ryan. "Out of my way, Hikari!"

 

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan stayed quiet in reaction to Palmer's response. Even if it were the truth, Ryan didn't believe it at that moment. Palmer didn't know what he had done only six months before, after all; how could he? But, at that moment, the door opened to an annoyed and teary-eyed Shannon. Ryan waited there, as she argued with the nurse, until she turned back around to face him.

 

Ryan was about to open his mouth to agree with the nurse; Shannon looked a bit better, but definitely not in the best of conditions at that moment. However, he remembered what he had said when he convinced her to head to the Pokemon Center, and closed his eyes for a moment. "Alright then." Ryan said, as he began to step out of the way, and then fall into step alongside Shannon. "But; I'm coming with you, because I have things to discuss with Hannah as well." Ryan said, as he frowned slightly. This wasn't going to redeem him. But he was not just going to let this slide, at all.

IC: Amelia

With Shannon having already forced her way out of the nurses' clutches, the similarly-stubborn Amelia fared far worse now that the nurses could focus their attention onto a single patient...not to mention the severity of her injuries keeping her weakened. Still, unlike Shannon, the spy had already been in peak physical condition prior to the battle, and it was perhaps this strength that allowed the bandage-laden woman to force her way to the front...just in time to watch Ryan and Shannon leave. Amelia swore.

 

"Oh-for-two..." she muttered darkly, glancing around the crowded Center for a few moments before spotting Sina, still unhealed. The Trainer dropped a hand to her belt pouch to find Crowe's Pokéball still there as well, similarly untouched. She scowled. "Any of you want to tell me why my Pokémon aren't healed already?" she complained loudly, retreating Sina and slamming both her and Crowe's balls onto a tray. "I would like to get back to the fight some time this century." Perhaps having realized the futility of forcing Amelia into the back again, one of the nurses quickly took the tray, while two more focused on properly fastening the bandages that now wrapped the woman's arms and legs. The spy sighed, but grudgingly allowed the medics to continue their work, even as one of them slathered celadon-green Rawst paste upon her burn-blistered cheek and nose.

Sorry for the recent lack of Amelia, folks; I'll try to get something up for her once I'm feeling better.

IC: Sina

Sina was, in every way, the perfect opposite to Ryan and his Pokémon: they a longstanding team war-forged through experience, she a singularity somewhat new to battle; they shining juggernauts of power and strength, she a speedy, shadowy sneak; they rumbling in wrathful rage, she still and silent, cool as the Ice defining her Type.

 

As the Dewott leaped into the air, and two new allies joined the fight, the calculating creature counted the seconds as numerous massive attacks pounded their opponents into submission. One...two...the Remoraid went down. Three...four...now the Gliscor pinned down. Five...six...

 

Now.

 

Three Ice Shards--one, two, three. One for the Salamence, writhing in pain--a Shard to the throat meant it wouldn't again. Two for the Gliscor, strained hard to get free--one more to the chest made sure that would not be. Three for the Trainer, once swelled up with pride--now trapped under ice, and doomed to the Rock Slide.

 

But Tango's full payment was not quite complete...the Sneasel still had to make everything neat. So laying a finger aside of her neck, a faint-feeling pulse the Dark-type did detect.

 

A swift, sharp, slice, a splash of red--a moment more, the woman was dead.

 

Before anything else could interfere, Sina sped back to her master, knowing her mission had been a success.

 

Few people alive could say that Amelia Zann found them important. The late Ashley Tango had made herself so...too important for the spy to allow her to remain alive.

 

Sina was, in every way, the perfect opposite of Ryan and his Pokémon: where they had found within the will to hold back...Sina, like her master, had learnt the opposite.

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan seemed amused at the Furret's attempts to get them to notice her, and then looked up, frowning slightly, as he noticed less Pokemon in the air; and mostly only one Gligar. "Tyranitar, you know what to do."

 

The Dewott tumbled through the air, as she noticed the Mantyke about to Bounce back up into the air. She was not impressed at that possibility, however, and summoned up a geyser of water, as she launched herself rapidly toward the Mantyke; spinning through the air with a Night Slash, as she tried to finish the thing off quickly. Meanwhile, the Tyranitar roared out, and lifted the stones it had been using as a barrier; and launched them off toward the Gligar powerfully, as he wanted to make sure it went down. Quickly.

 

Ryan, meanwhile, took a moment to glance backwards, and seemed surprised, as his Porygon-Z was fainted on the ground. Ryan recalled the virtual Pokemon, as he looked over at Amelia, having not heard everything that she had said. "Pokemon Center's not far over this way, let's get a move on." Ryan said, as he carefully wrapped an arm around Shannon to support her without jostling her injured shoulder, as Ryan began to walk in the opposite direction of the fight, as even with what he'd heard, he was positive the Pokemon Center was in fact closer to where they currently were.

 

OOC:

 

Dewott: Aqua Jet into Night Slash -> Mantyke

Tyranitar: Stone Edge -> Gligar

IC: Ashley Tango/Amelia Zann

The Dewott's trajectory took it up in the air, its Spinning Jet Slash gross overkill for the job; however, the Mantyke's momentum still sent the Dewott spinning wildly in the air.

 

Meanwhile, a series of serrated stones shot forward into Gliscor, the giant gravel grinding away at its defenses; however, the Ground-type grinned as it unfolded its wings, revealing an orb of pure poison clutched in its claws. First the orb, then it began to glow a ghastly purple, its injuries slowly but surely beginning to close. Internally, however, the Pokémon knew it would not want to take too much more of this abuse, and so turned to Counter the attack upon its aggressor: Ryan's Tyranitar.

 

Seeing this, the Rocket agent sent out her last Pokémon: "Go, Salamence! Dragon Rush!" The Intimidating Dragon-type began to glow blue even as it exited its Pokéball, and immediately charged towards Tyranitaur with overwhelming speed. Ashley crossed her arms, sticking her nose in the air at her opponents' ignorance. "And now, fashionless fools, prepare to face the full force of your forgotten foe. Remoraid! Use Water Spout!"

 

The Water-type complied, spitting a torrent of water that rained down upon the combatants like tiny waterborne bullets. This included both Amelia and Sina, who shuddered before the onslaught. The spy struggled to stay conscious, and it was this that finally convinced the Sneasel to act. She sped her way to Ryan's Dewott, doing her best to provide a safe spot for the water samurai to land. The moment the creature came down, Sina whined a plan to the Water-type, charging up an Ice Shard to launch at whichever foe she chose...

 

OOC:

Gliscor: Counter -> Tyranitar

Mantyke: (KO'd)

Remoraid: Water Spout -> enemies (Tyranitar, Sina, Dewott?, Furret, Amelia, Shannon, Ryan)

Salamence: Intimidate + Dragon Rush -> Tyranitar

Wait, why are you trying to do as much as possible on the last 3-day cycle? Does that affect anything in the game?

Nope, it's solely for roleplaying purposes; I know that theoretically I can start a 3-day cycle and skip straight to the final boss without helping anyone, but I want Link to embody the spirit of heroism on the pass-through that ends up being what actually happens.

OOC: Auto-hit and Porygon-Z actions granted by Blade.

 

IC: Shannon

Shannon grimaced as she leaned against the Tyranitar for support. She opened her mouth to argue, but she couldn't concentrate with the waves of pain flowing from her shoulder. She closed her eyes in defeat, realizing she was too weak to refuse Ryan's help.

 

The Furret, meanwhile, decided that the flying Pokémon up above were a greater threat than Ryan at the moment. She quickly scampered up the Tyranitar's back, coming to a halt at its shoulders. Looking toward the sky, the Furret opened her mouth and unleashed a Hyper Voice at the aerial combatants. Of course, the one caveat with the Furret's attack was that she did not distinguish friend from foe...

 

OOC:

Furret: Hyper Voice -> Porygon-Z, Crowe, Fletchinder, and possibly Sigilyph

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan frowned with a twinge of guilt at Shannon not countering his claim, as he guessed the reason for it, and didn't like the fact that it was a pretty hollow reason to win an argument. Ryan looked up at the sky battle once more for the moment, a grim look on his face. "Tyranitar, send Dewott up to help; she can help for a mome-" Ryan said, but was surprised when the Furret launched off a powerful Hyper Voice, that nearly sent Porygon-Z to the ground as well. "Wow." Ryan was shocked, but shook his head with a frown, as he sent out his Dewott; the otter landing in the Tyranitar's hand, as the lizard wound up, making sure to be careful of Shannon, and launched the Dewott into the air, as the otter spun with its shell blades in a circle toward the Fletchinder, wondering what happened to the Mantyke.

 

"Listen, I'm sorry if I've been rough on you; and this day's just been ugh." Ryan said, as he seemed a bit unsure of what to do. "I'm not sure how well of a support Tyranitar is, though; mind if I help you there? It'll probably be faster." Ryan explained, as he quickly scanned his mind. Where was the Pokemon Center? Which direction were they facing now? There was no time to check a map, and he was not in the mood for more attacks, especially at this moment. "... Also, sorry about roping you into all this; I just figured it better before, than in the middle of all this chaos, by them." Ryan mumbled, as he wasn't even sure how awake Shannon was, after the last non-response. However, he glared back up toward the aerial fight, wincing for a moment at the snowflake that fell near his eye, as he wished that he had some way to keep the weather away. However, he noticed his Porygon-Z launch off a Signal Beam toward the Sigilyph; the bug type move would likely be pretty helpful, though he wasn't quite sure how much so.

 

OOC:

 

Porygon-Z: Signal Beam > Sigilyph

Dewott: Shell Blade > Fletchinder

IC: Amelia Zann/Ashley Tango (+Sina/Sneasel, T:Amelia Zann; +Crowe/Murkrow, T:Amelia Zann; +Mantyke, T:Ashley Tango; +Fletchinder, T:Ashley Tango; +Sigilyph, T:Ashley Tango)

Sina's blood sang as the Sigilyph dropped its defense. The shiny Sneasel whined in frustration as multiple foes weak to her powers revealed themselves, but she suppressed the song of battle and continued tending to her Trainer, knowing the slightest slip-up could have disastrous consequences: too little ice would fail to suppress the burn, while too much would cause permanent injury.

 

It was only thanks to Sina's ministrations that the spy was even capable of recognizing the danger of the Furret's Hyper Voice. She gasped. "Crowe, Quick Attack Sigilyph, now!" Suddenly snapping forth in a burst of speed, the Murkrow barely dodged the first bouncing energy orb, striking the Sigilyph just in time for a second to slam into both of them, knocking the Dark-type out instantly. A moment later the Porygon-Z's Signal Beam struck, the boosted attack more than enough to finish the Psychic-and-Flying-type.

 

Though now freed from the effects of Psychic, it came a moment too late, as Fletchinder's furious flying Acrobatics slashed past, the gem-boosted move landing with tremendous force. The stunned Normal-type released an instinctive Discharge in disbelief of what had just happened, before finally fainting from the combined damage, its defenses just barely inadequate to keep it conscious. A moment later, the Fletchinder, too, fell, the Hyper Voice, shell blades, and Discharge serving as severe overkill for the already-damaged Pokémon.

 

In an ironic twist of fate, the Mantyke reappeared just as Ryan's Dewott wondered where it had gone. Seeing Sigilyph fainted and its own Trainer falling fast, the Kite Pokémon deliberately dashed its attack, barely blundering its Bounce in a last-ditch effort to save its Trainer. Sheer devotion to its master kept it conscious through the Discharge, but even after catching the flailing fashionista, it flew her to the ground, knowing that it would not last much longer at all.

 

Ashley scowled at her opponents, her fashionable facade flustered by her near-death experience. "How DARE you?!" she screeched angrily. "You fashionless fools nearly ruined everything! Well, I'll show you frustration in my own fabulous fashion! Remoraid and Gliscor, come out!" As the Rocket retreated two of her forces, she summoned forth two more, stepping off of Mantyke even as it prepared a last Bounce to last a little longer...

 

Amelia gritted her teeth, nearly whiting out from the pain of her injuries. She heard one of the men saying...something...it didn't matter. She tried her best to both focus on the conversation occurring past the Stone Edge still shielding the two other Trainers. "Dunno where the Pokémon Center is, but I can take you to the hospital. Might be best if we head there anyway, my other two Pokémon are there as well, though one of them is--" she hissed in pain as Sina struck a particularly sensitive scalded spot. "It's our best bet for now, and not far from here, either. You're going to have to deal with most of the defense on your own, though...Ryan, was your name, I think? Otherwise you're going to have to carry two wounded women instead of one." The spy gritted her teeth, both from the pain and from having to admit her moment of weakness to another, but it couldn't be helped; even Sina's care would not properly heal her injuries. Note to self, get a healer on the team, she thought to herself irritably.

 

OOC:

Sina: Ice Shard (non-combat) -> Amelia

Crowe: KO'd

Sigilyph: KO'd

Fletchinder: KO'd

Mantyke: Bounce -> ??? (at 1 HP)

Remoraid: summoned, awaiting actions

Gliscor: summoned, awaiting actions

 

So I apparently do sprites now. I'll try animating Amelia's sprite sometime tomorrow (today?) or the day after, but for now, have a heavily expanded wiki page!

 

EDIT: ...not sure why that came out so big, but I guess it's okay.

IC: Shannon

"No!" Shannon cried fiercely when Ryan started to lead her away. She tried to wrest herself out of his grasp, then cried out in pain as the action sent a spike of pain through her shoulder. She gritted her teeth. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until I've had a chance to talk with Hannah! That's why you brought me here, isn't it? Or am I just another one of your little citizen soldiers?"

 

Upon seeing her trainer's predicament, the Furret squeaked furiously, scampering about in a panic before Slamming all her weight against Ryan, hoping to make him let go.

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan was about to open his mouth to respond, when two things happened; he saw an attack flying toward them, and the Furret decided to slam him away. Ryan let go, for fear that him holding onto Shannon's arm while getting pushed the other way would just injure her further. "Stone Edge!" Ryan called out quickly, inwardly annoyed that the worst chance was chosen for this to happen. The Tyranitar summoned a wall of stones around the two trainers and their Pokemon to block the attack, as Ryan glanced to the skies, and noticed two suspect Pokemon. Ryan reached to his belt and grabbed a Pokeball while still laying on the ground, and sent out his Porygon-Z quickly. The Porygon-Z looked up quickly and got a bead on the opponents, as the digital Pokemon launched off a Discharge in the direction of the Pokemon in question.

 

"You think I don't get that?" Ryan asked, as he pushed himself up, looking at Shannon with a frown. "I'm not trying to drag you away from your chance to talk sense into Hannah, as I want to do that just as much. But you can't do that, if you're out cold." Ryan said, a hint of worry on his face, as he left the rest of his thoughts on that part unspoken. "Listen, I just want you to quickly get your shoulder looked at, then we'll get right back here, alright? Zach's smart; he'll know better than to let Dack do anything stupid if they get back before this." Ryan said, as he looked back to the skies. "But I'm not just going to sit back and watch as you play down how bad that injury's affecting you. Now come on, or they will get back before we're back..." Ryan said, as he looked down toward Shannon, hoping that made sense.

IC: Amelia Zann/Ashley Tango (+Sina/Sneasel, T:Amelia Zann; +Crowe/Murkrow, T:Amelia Zann; +Mantyke, T:Ashley Tango; +Fletchinder, T:Ashley Tango; +Sigilyph, T:Ashley Tango)

Amelia frowned. "Talking's hard to do if you've bled--" at that moment, the Furret Slammed against Ryan, cutting off her train of thought. A moment later, a shield of Stone Edge cut her off physically from the two Trainers, the Mantyke's Scald splashing out in all directions upon impact. The two Dark-types took off to avoid the attack, but Amelia, as the closest to the stone shield, was forced to bear its brunt; the boiling water blast forced her to bite her tongue to the point of bleeding to prevent herself from crying out. She could feel the skin of her arm and legs beginning to blister in response to the heat, and knew the team was now two Trainers partly down. "S-Sina," she called softly, not wanting either of the Trainers beneath the dome to overhear. "Ice Shard. Gently. Please."

 

Sina screeched at the opposing Pokémon who had dared to harm her partner, contemplating disobeying her orders to retaliate against her attacker. A few moments' thought calmed her bloodlust, however, and she soon complied with Amelia's command, gently using her ice powers to soothe the spy's scalded skin.

 

This left just Crowe and a Porygon-Z against the three opponents, and Agent Tango was intent on continuing her onslaught. "Bounce!" she shrieked to her Mantyke, the Water-type barely managing to Bounce out of reach before the Tailwind-boosted Discharge hit home. Her Fletchinder, however, was not as lucky, the Flying-and-Fire-type nearly felled by the powerful electrical attack. "Don't just stand there like some fashionless fool, Fletchinder! Acrobatics!" The Pokémon screeched its acknowledgement, before launching what would likely be its last attack if hit...though its target was difficult to tell.

 

Ashley sniffed disdainfully at how quickly she had effectively eliminated her opponents. "This was not the dangerous mission Executive Wright promised us at all, is it? Come on, Sigilyph, let us ensure our utter victory: Psychic!" Dropping her protective shield, Ashley directed the Pokémon she rode to extend a Psychic grip towards the Porygon-Z, seeming to be attempting to throw it at the Dark-type accompanying it.

 

Crowe, left without a command and unused to a battle of such magnitide, flew back and forth confusedly for a few moments, belatedly choosing to repeat its Tailwind to benefit the team at least once more before she fell...

 

OOC:

Sina: Ice Shard -> Amelia (non-combat)

Mantyke: Bounce -> ??? (out of reach)

Fletchinder: Acrobatics -> ??? (either Ryan's Porygon-Z or Crowe)

Sigilyph: Psychic -> Porygon-Z

Crowe: Tailwind -> team

I'm starting to get to the point in MM3D where I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do with my final pass-through (I'm getting ready to start the Great Bay Temple, meaning I just have it, Ikana Canyon, and the Anju-Kafeki sidequest to go, plus some misc. Heart Pieces I'll deal with once I have the first two things complete). Here's my current plan--any suggestions on more things I can fit in? I want to help as many people as I can before going up to face Skull Kid again.

 

Things I'm Definitely Doing:

1.) Save the Deku Princess (re-fight Woodfall Temple boss)

2.) Bring Spring back to the Gorons (fight Snowhead Temple boss)

3.) Save/hatch the Zora Eggs

4.) fix the problems with the Great Bay Temple

5.) fix whatever problems are going on in Ikana Canyon (only been to the graveyard so far, so IDK what's fixed by beating the boss there, and I don't want spoilers!)

6.) Save the Old Woman from the Thief (night 1)

7.) Save Romani from the Others. (night 1)

8.) Protect Cremia from the milk raiders (night 2)

 

Things I'd like to do, but I'm not sure if I'll have time:

*Save Koume/Kotake (whichever one's in the Mysterious Woods)

*Save the man in the Swamp Skulltulla House

*Help the Golden Seahorse save its mate

*Anju-Kafeki??? (Not sure if I'd be able to slip all the steps into the process of doing everything else.)

*Lay the spirit of the Stalchild Captain to rest

*Play the songs in the Milk Bar for Gorman?

*Raise the chicks at Romani Ranch with the Bremen Mask

*ensure the dancer dude's spirit is laid to rest by teaching the dancing sisters his dance

 

Things I wish I could do, but definitely don't have time for:

*reassemble all of the Great Fairies

*assemble Don Gero's orchestra

 

Like I said, I want to save/help as many people as I can, particularly if it's fixing a problem that Skull Kid caused (thus why Koume/Kotake are on the list even though I don't particularly like them). Any advice/suggestions on maximizing my helpfulness for the final pass? (Keeping spoilers to a minimum, please!)

My favorite song instrumental! I've been wanting to do an updated (and a little more detailed retrospective for ages. Maybe I will now.

 

Ooh, are we talking stop-motion or more along the lines of the retrospective we already got (i.e. clips from the movies/commercials/etc.)?

 

I loved 2008, although I do understand the hate. But you can't go wrong with the Makuta sets, Icarax and those huge technic vehicles.

Huh...for me, it was the huge Technic vehicles (well, okay, and also the huge Technic vehicle prices ) that ended up turning me off of most of the 2008 sets. I think I got the Av-Matoran and Toa from the first wave and then gave up on it after seeing the vehicles and their prices (though I did get Toa Ignika because Mask of Life ).

 

And just like that, I'm transported seven years in the past...

*nods* Did you end up singing the words on reflex the first time you listened too?