Pahrak Model ZX

Come join Po-Koro! We have rocks.

Darn I should've thought of that. *scribbles down notes for next time*

Admittedly I didn't put much thought into where we had our crops, but looking at the map...Tesara's really far downriver, so I'm still not so sure that would've worked out.

Tesara is downriver from Roxtus, though? It would've hurt Tajun and Vulcanus, since that seems to be where it lets out, though I don't know how much either used the river.

I would like to join Po-Koro, please, stats will be sent soon.

Admittedly I ran out of ideas rather quickly, which is why I kind of dropped off the face of Bara Magna...wish I'd done more to change that. Though I did consider a few possible routes for Pahrak to take after Iconox's betrayal, including having him become enraged to the point of wanting Iconox's total destruction. But, with the way I envisioned the character, he was someone who always considered himself a Lawful Good (whether he actually was is surely debatable), so I don't think he would be able to go that far. Also, after being imprisoned I was going to reveal that Pahrak was a master harmonica player, but I was cruelly denied that chance.

Oh, right, Mahri Nui. Well I loathe to say it, but I was figuring the Barraki and their armies were going to be what you went with?

Which generic Kanohi you wear.

Another Pokémon distribution is kicking off, but this one’s a little more complex than usual. A code just went up on the Pokémon website (PIKACHU20) that will allow you to download a special Pikachu wearing Ash’s cap. This Pikachu also comes with a unique Z Crystal, Pikashunium Z, letting it use its own super-exclusive Z Move, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt! But! While you can only enter the code once, when you enter it will determine which cap the Pikachu is wearing. Of course, if you have multiple games you can surely enter the code into each during different windows and get a few variants, but unless you’ve got six Gen VII games you’re gonna need to time this carefully. I won’t copy-paste the entire schedule, but it looks like each timeframe lasts only about a week, so be sure you don’t miss your chance! Myself, I definitely want the original hat being distributed now, but since I have both Sun and Moon I suppose I should pick up another variant. Hm, none of the others really have that nostalgia kick for me, but I do love the heck out of Sinnoh so I’ll probably be getting that one? Oh, yeah, there is a seventh variant wearing the hat Ash wears in the new movie, but in order to get that you need to actually go to the theater and see said movie. Check your local theaters if that interests you.

Probably this particular jazz cover of a Pokemon track. If that counts.

That’s awesome! Congratulations, and good luck with the search—though I’m sure it’ll be…easy as pie.

At that exact moment, Narmoto came down with DISCO FEVER

Just know this is your fault. I mean this is probably my greatest accomplishment in this game so I'm content.

I thought it was "for my love"? Or "Fire Mister Lawson"? "Free many lobsters"? Actually, forget my lies.

I vote Smoke Monster

*stylus hovers above a super-effective STAB move* "Don't take it personal, it's just business." *presses* "Lord Business."

I think it was previously said these were retellings, sorry. Sequels would be a lot more interesting, for sure, so hopefully that's something they're considering.

is out for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon! Key points: -The mascots are, as theorized, Necrozma having absorbed Solgaleo/Lunala. The forms are referred to as Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings, respectively, and enable usage of Solgaleo and Lunala’s signature moves. -The special Rockruff has the ability Own Tempo, and knows special moves which differ slightly between US and UM. It evolves into Dusk Lycanroc when hitting level 25 between 5 and 6 PM (that’s such a narrow window argh). There’s also an exclusive Z Move for Lycanroc—all forms too, not just Dusk—called Splintered Stormshards, which looks pretty cool. It also cancels Terrain effects! -Something that’s both unexpected and sort of expected: two brand new Pokémon were shown! Both are Ultra Beasts, currently codenamed Assembly and Burst, but that’s basically all we know about them. Well, that and that they’re exclusive. Burst is in US, Assembly is in UM. Guess I need both version after all! Hahahahaughh…I mean I was probably going to do it anyway, but it’d be nice to not need to. In related news, it’s been revealed that if you get VC Gold or Silver you’ll get a special 3DS theme and a Celebi for your Gen VII games! Sort of tempted to put that on the team now…well, actually, I guess I need an Ultra Moon team now so I can just add it to that! Makes me wonder if any other new Pokémon will be added to USUM—especially Mythicals. Gen VII might last longer than I was fearing, so that’s some good news.

Not sure I agree with your decisions, but here you go.

...wow

(I’ve begun putting together a new world concept, and this story was written to try to flesh out an individual aspect a little more. A primer on the world of Olkir can be found here.) The island was almost impossibly tiny, the vast majority of its scant surface composed of a tiled stone floor that was wedged between two statues of armor-clad warriors wielding enormous weapons. When the ship docked, four people stepped off of it and stood at the floor’s edge. One of them—a Toa with green skin and no armor—cleared his throat and called out, “Pardon our intrusion. We have journeyed here to employ the rite of Last Trial, and will do so unless the gods object.” Nothing happened. Two villagers walked onto the stone tiles, readying weapons as they did. “The courts remain divided on the fate of this criminal.” He gestured to the one who sat in chains next to him, a yellow-orange villager. “It has been agreed that the only way to break the stalemate is with Last Trial. To wear the Mask of Axonn, the Jungle Tribe has sent the warrior Vanni.” One of the villagers on the field, with green skin and a brown cloak, walked over to the statue of a warrior holding an axe. “To wear the Mask of Brutaka, the Sun Tribe has sent the warrior Jogan.” The other was a villager with black skin and yellow shoulder plates. He approached the other statue, which held a large, twin-bladed sword. “God of Retribution, God of Redemption, we ask now that you condone this trial so that we may decide her fate once and for all.” The masks the statues wore shone suddenly, transforming from rock into metal. Each detached itself from the statue and floated slowly into the hands of the warrior standing before it, who then donned it and turned to face their opponent. “Our thanks, great warriors.” The Toa bowed silently for a moment. Addressing the villagers now, he said, “If Vanni wins, then we will employ Retribution and this villager shall be executed. Should Jogan prevail, she will have the gift of Redemption. Last Trial…commence!” Jogan ducked down and ran forward as Vanni pulled back on the emerald bow she held. In moments, an arrow materialized in her grasp, and she fired it as soon as she could. Jogan rolled aside and came up in a crouch, pointing his ebony Sun Gun at her—but before he could fire, a loud sound caught him off-guard. It took him a moment to realize that the arrow had exploded when it hit the ground. That’s not normal. Those seconds cost him. Another arrow was heading for him, and he was just barely able to pull the trigger in time: a bolt of concentrated sunlight shot from his weapon’s barrel and hit the arrow perfectly, making it explode between the two warriors and form a smokescreen. Darting to the side, Jogan fired blindly as he tried to work out what he was dealing with. That’s a standard Viridian Bow, isn’t it? It uses the florate inside it to generate its arrows, so there’s no way she was able to put explosives on the arrowheads ahead of time—those arrows don’t exist until she’s just about to fire them. One such arrow shot through the smoke, narrowly missing his head. Using that to judge where Vanni was, he fired again, and heard a grunt of pain. He kept moving as he fired more shots, but another arrow soon whizzed past. The smoke was just about clear now. Vanni moved to fire but then jumped aside, getting a few holes singed in her cloak, and Jogan watched the arrow closely as it formed. That texture… He turned, catching the arrow on his shoulder plate. The explosion nearly knocked it loose, but it held, so Jogan opened fire. As Vanni dodged his shots, he finally pieced together what she was doing. “This is a Play you’ve developed, isn’t it?” he asked. Vanni chuckled, readying another arrow. “So? They’re allowed.” Jogan rolled out of the way. Vanni had more arrows ready before he could return fire, so he had to focus on dodging. “You’re using a Jungle ability to modify the arrows the Viridian Bow generates, right? These arrows look sorta like Madu fruit.” “You’ve got it. I figured this would be a fitting way to end that criminal.” At the next arrow, Jogan twisted awkwardly to dodge and counterattacked, striking Vanni in the shoulder and making her stumble back. “I’m sorry your emergency supplies were stolen, but it clearly wasn’t her! Where would she hide all that fruit so quickly, on an island she’d never been to before?” He pressed his advantage. Vanni was being pushed back, but she pulled back her bow and prepared another arrow as she moved. “You’ve got the wrong villager and you know it!” Jogan shouted as he fired wildly. “You just put the blame on her because you could get away with it—because no one would question the death of a Sun Tribe member!” Vanni flipped through the air, avoiding the bullet, and fired as she landed on the statue’s arm. The arrow struck Jogan in the chest, and the blast sent him sprawling. She called down, “Don’t get so caught up in your emotions. It’s not as if we don’t have evidence, you know. But really, we already decided there aren’t enough facts either way—that’s why we’re here. If you really want to save her life, then you know what you have to do.” Jogan gritted his teeth as he sat up. He flung himself to the side to avoid another arrow and pointed his Sun Gun. Rather than aiming at Vanni, however, he seemed to be aiming for the ground beneath her. He squeezed the— “Jogan!” The sudden shout made him turn to the prisoner. She stared at him, her wide eyes sending some silent plea. The next thing Jogan knew, he felt another explosion, and his vision darkened. When he awoke, he was back on the ship. Another member of the Sun Tribe sat next to his bed. He turned to the bunk were the prisoner had slept, only to find it empty. No… “What did you expect?” the elder asked. “You took your eyes of the opponent, and just laid there wide open.” Jogan clamped a hand over his face, refusing to answer. “You told her you weren’t going to use it. Why were you about to?” “Because if I’d used Horizon Quill, I could’ve saved her,” he whispered. The elder looked over her shoulder, and then leaned closer. “She knew that when she made you promise not to use it. She knew that no matter how this trial went, there will come a day when people’s fear of the prophecy makes them even bolder in attacking our tribe, and we’ll have to do whatever we can to defend ourselves. If one of our warriors gives away his Play so early, our enemies will have that much more time to come up with a way to counter it. She knew the consequences. She chose the Sun Tribe’s safety over her own. But you might have been able to save them both if you hadn’t gotten carried away.” Jogan remained silent. The elder turned and sighed. It was going to be a very long voyage back to the Island of Sun.

To further expand upon the world of Olkir, I’ve posted The Twins of Justice in short stories! It’s about the same length as the last one, and centers around an idea that…might not make an appearance in the final story, but I think it’s a neat concept with potential so I wanted to do at least one small thing with it. It also shows two elemental weapons in action: the Sun Gun I’ve mentioned a few times before, and a Jungle weapon named the Viridian Bow, which is actually something that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for years now. (The one here doesn’t do everything I had planned, though, so expect to see this again.) There’s also brief mention of the special abilities the people of Olkir can develop, but more detailed information on that is going to have to wait. You know, I think I’m just about ready to ask for guest stars. If you’re interested, keep an eye out!

(I’ve begun putting together a new world concept, and this story was written to try to flesh out an individual aspect a little more. A primer on the world of Olkir can be found here.) Roughly two dozen students stood on the dirt-covered plateau at the volcano’s base. Most were young, though some had a few more years on them, but all were outfitted identically: a sleeveless red robe, and shoulder plates of the same color that each rose into three curved points. Conversations came to a close as someone approached the gathering, an older villager with red skin who wore the same style of robe and shoulder armor, though hers were colored pale blue. She carried what appeared to be a metal rod in her hand, but did not use it as a walking stick. When she reached the plateau, she stopped, faced the group, and glanced them over silently. “Well then,” she finally said. “I am Master Riiun. You are all here because my former pupils have deemed you to have the potential to learn Kardata, but as you have surely suspected, their judgment is not final. If I find you lacking, you will be sent away. I advise you take these studies seriously.” She sat down. After a moment, she looked up at the students, and hastily gestured for them to do the same. “Kardata is a sacred art that has become renowned as the pride of the Fire Tribe. When mortals were born, Torch the Fire Slizer reached down to this island with his flaming palm, and planted one tiny ember within each of our souls, a flame that is passed from parent to child on throughout the generations. To use Kardata, we call upon this primordial gift, and learn to wield the flame given to us by Torch at the dawn of time.” Riiun closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “The flame burns within us all. Look deep within yourself, and you can feel it flickering.” She looked from one student to the next. “This is where your training begins: you must learn to feel the flame you bear, be able to reach into it at a moment’s notice, without even thinking. But for now, simply learn to find it.” An orange-skinned student gave her a puzzled look. “That’s all we’re doing? What comes next?” Riiun stared at him. “…Next, you will learn to stoke that fire—to let it leap high in a blaze of passion. Then, you will learn to contain that prominence. After that, you will learn to direct it, as well as basic forms. Once you have mastered all of this, we will move on to weapons.” “What if we already know how to use elemental weapons?” “Then you should have no problem with this phase of the training. Now, focus.” The student sighed. “I thought the point of Kardata was using elemental weapons. Can’t you just teach me about that?” Riiun’s eyes were growing narrower. “You will follow the training I have just detailed. Focus.” Shaking his head, the student muttered, “What a waste of time…” Exhaling sharply, Riiun rose to her feet. “Do you have a weapon?” The student produced a short sword. “Come.” Eagerly, he ran to the front of the clearing. Riiun remained where she stood, holding her staff behind her, and the student readied his sword. “Begin.” The student started forward, but before he could make it two steps, Riiun thrust her staff in the direction of his feet. When it stopped moving, a sharp tongue of flame emerged from the end of it, leaving a scorch mark in the dirt and making the student jump back. Riiun used several more such thrusts to push him back, until he charged at her from the side. She twirled, pulled back the weapon, and sent the short sword flying; before the student even realized what was happening, the master had struck the side of his head and sent him sprawling, raising her weapon after to illustrate the opening for a finishing blow. Riiun turned and took a few paces away, saying, “Retrieve it.” Stunned, it took the student a moment to gather his bearings. When he did go to reclaim his weapon, Riiun held hers up and faced the class. “This is known as the Scorching Pike. It is a weapon made with volcanore that is used exclusively by Kardata practitioners, because we are the only ones who have been able to master its use. Perhaps one day some of you will be able to master it.” When the student returned, he muttered, “You should’ve said that earlier.” “You assumed it wasn’t an elemental weapon?” Riiun asked. “That is your fault.” “…Okay, don’t make assumptions. Now that I know that—“ “Is that all you learned?” “…Yes?” Riiun planted the pike in the ground, and then came to face the student. “Begin.” “You’re unarmed.” “Begin.” The frustrated student made a wide swing. Riiun ducked and darted in, knocking his sword arm back with her elbow, and uppercut his jaw. As he was sent sprawling, he dropped his sword once again. “Every tribe has elemental weapons,” Riiun explained as she went back to her pike. “If you ever leave this island, or if anyone comes here to challenge you, you will most certainly fight someone wielding one of them. But villagers are not like the Coronet or Toa. We may be able to manipulate the elements using these weapons, but we have no innate ability to conjure them. A sunslinger without their Sun Gun is but a simple villager. In a battle between elemental weapon users, being disarmed means death.” Looking over her shoulder, she continued, “Kardata is best known for its use of volcanore weapons. But what sets it apart is that even if we lose those weapons, we can still win the fight. We may utilize these weapons, but we are not bound to them like other tribes. We are weapons. Do you understand?” The student sat up, rubbing his jaw. “…Yes, Master.” “Good. Please rejoin the class.” As he sulked back to his spot, Riiun uprooted her pike and sat back down. “We’ll have silence now, everyone. You must learn to focus.”

I wanted to do at least a few more short things fleshing out certain ideas relevant to the Olkir project, and one of the first things that came to mind was Kardata. Since the martial arts style is basically the Fire Tribe’s sole claim to fame, it’s going to turn up a lot even if it isn’t strictly plot relevant, so I definitely should hammer out basics before I get much deeper. I was originally going to post it here in this blog, but then I thought putting it in short stories and then continuing to advertise here would help give Olkir some more exposure, so… The Principles of Flame can be read over in short stories! It’s roughly 1000 words long, and shows a Kardata Master explaining some of the basics to a new group of students, plus gives an idea of Kardata uniforms and ranks. (Still figuring out how exactly to word the description of the robe to get the image I have in my head, so the one presented here might seem a bit vague.) I have another idea in mind too. I’ve got a concept I think you’ll find very interesting, involving masks, some 06 characters, and an excuse to show more elemental weapons in use. Stay tuned!

Tekulo’s back!! : D *sends up fireworks packed with confetti to celebrate, which unfortunately results in a rain of flaming confetti, I didn’t think that through* Anyway, glad to hear some good things have been happening, and wishing that such things continue to happen!