Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander shrugged softly. "If I can get one, then it'll take at least a week to get right, no matter what. A few more minutes won't make a difference." He looked to Sylph, who nodded in agreement. "May as well not split up any further."

 

As they entered the department store, he looked around. It was larger than the average Pokémart, with a long desk at the other end of the room. Two clerks sat behind it, smiling in greeting. To one side of the desk was a stairway, and to the other was an elevator. An elevator in a store.

 

Why hadn't Kalos thought of that?

 

IC: Mercury

Mercury grabbed at the man's collar. The black-haired guy looked just about beaten, and Mercury had questions for him. "Alright, what are you up to that you want to keep quiet so badly?" He raised one aura-wreathed fist, the silver light casting eerie shadows. "Better start talking, fast."

 

Oggie propelled herself forward on the rain-slick gym floor, attempting to intercept the second Ice Beam launched by the Walrein. She could take the hit a lot better than the Altaria would. A beam of purple light launched from her horn, attempting to disorient and confuse the walrus pokémon.

 

IC: Alma

"I thought it fitting, considering where we are." She smiled. "And death can take you at any moment." Shadow was behind the man now. Alma made eye contact with the Gengar for just an instant. That instant was too much. She knew her mistake instantly, and as Shadow attempted to grab Drake, the girl drew her knife and lunged forward, hoping to catch him off guard despite her slip.

 

The six-inch blade flashed as it was aimed at Drake Masters' stomach.

 

IC: Belle

Belle answered her P★DA, talking around a mouthful of fries. "What's the word, Al?" she asked, eager to hear the gossip from her informant.

 

She listened for a moment, and she scowled. "What do you mean, 'gone?'" she snapped. "You were supposed to be keeping tabs on him!"

 

She growled at Al's response. "Great, alright, fine. Don't call me until you know where he's at! That machine is our ticket to the good life, y'know!" Without waiting for another word, she ended the call. With a growl of frustration, she stood and stormed out of the diner, leaving a few crumpled notes for payment.

 

She stormed through Vermilion, no longer taking in the sights. She needed to vent, and that meant going to the beach and having her team let loose where no one would get hurt.

 

The path she chose would take her past the old gym, to a secluded spot on the water's edge.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Unown Mercury

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

Evan continued to follow Jenny, making sure not to leave the others in the dust. As he walked, he saw what may have been the burger place Jenny had been talking about. It was a rather plain looking building. Above the door, there was a sign that said Lily's in a very retro style. Inside, from the windows, the Ex-Hero could see that it was almost like the old diner joints he had heard about from his father.

"This looks inviting, eh?" Evan said cheerfully. "Let's get inside and grab a booth. It seems to be a slow time for them right now."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny/Zach==-

 

"You're welcome! Though, just to mention, um, my name's Jenny... Some things happened since a few years ago, and I figured this was the best way to fuse together like both the lives I got to live? If that makes sense?" The girl scratched her head, but smiled still. "You could still call me Jessie, but it'd probably just be a bit more confusing." She said sheepishly, as she let the others walk inside. As Zach was passing by, Jenny smiled, and chuckled slightly. "That's a good look." She said with an enigmatic look.

 

Zach blinked in confusion, but he shrugged, and walked inside. He was surprised at what the inside was like, and how old styled it was. "Wow... This is pretty cool." He said with a smile, as he looked up at the menu curiously. "Seems like the menu's pretty good, too..."

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan looked over in surprise as the other Ryan explained about his being targeted by Gluttony, and was even more surprised when he said he didn't hate the black haired trainer. The Rocket smiled slightly, and nodded in response. "Makes sense. I can agree with that... In fact..." He looked around the the store as he left the thought hanging, and sighed. "You know, it's funny. Maybe in another time, we could have actually been friends or something..." Ryan dropped that thought not long after as well, and glanced around at the signs for where everything was. "Which floor is your stuff on?" As he asked about that, he walked toward the trinket counter, which had a collection of different phone charms.

 

-==IC: Ray==-

 

Ray seemed amused at Xander's awe at the different things in the store, but nodded at what he'd said. "Sounds fair to me. Easier to regroup if there's only like two groups, after all." He said, and glanced over toward Ryan. "It's too bad what happened..."

 

-==IC: Vermillion Incident==-

 

"You think I'll just tell you?" The man laughed, and gave Mercury a challenging look. "Even if we are doing something... you'd be no better than us, if you follow through on that threat. Maybe you should just let us go. Your friend over there is looking a little... unwell, after all." He said, and grinned unsettlingly.

 

The Walrein seemed surprised at the Lapras taking the blow, and quickly found himself confused, but was not wanting to just give up; however, his next effort to attack simply ended with him landing on the ground, hard.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia/Dahlia/Aspen Seaton

"Jenny... Okay uh, I'll try to keep that in mind. " Olivia replied, sighing. After hearing of all the details of how messed up and confusing Zach's life was, the red-haired trainer wasn't about to press for details. Instead, she sat down and took Zach's hand again, while flipping through the menu with one hand. 

Dahlia looked over at Jenny blinking, but sat down at the table without making much of a fuss. As she flipped through the menu however, the middle Seaton absentmindedly spoke to the Hakuda. "So how long have you and Evan been together? Seems like you two are close." she asked casually, while putting a finger to her chin. "Hmm. Maybe I'll keep it simple and order a cheeseburger."

Aspen looked over when Dahlia asked Jenny that question, and blinked at the other couple, legitimately not having noticed the things Dahlia had. However, he didn't make a fuss out of it, and nodded at Dahlia. "Sounds like a good choice. I might choose something else though, but it's not a bad choice." he said, trying to keep the conversation light after his previous conversation.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan nodded at the other Ryan's words. How many Rockets might have been friends had they not been fighting on opposite sides of a war? Might Sonja and Sophia have had a better relationship were it not for Ford? How different would the Hikaris and Hakudas be had Gerald never done anything evil? Ryan sighed as he turned his attention to the sign in front of him. "So many things could have gone better in another time," he muttered. "But it doesn't do us much good to wish things were different. We just have to make the best of what we've got." The Liberty agent scanned the list of shops in the department store, his lip curling into a wry smile. "Kinda like what we're doing now. We both messed up, but we're doing our best to make up for our mistakes. Looks like I want the fifth floor, by the way. What about you?"

 

IC: Paul

The blacksmith sat at the end of the booth next to Aspen, with Terry taking a seat on the floor at his side. Paul couldn't help but smile as he glanced at the two couples sitting at the table. They reminded him of himself and Anna back when they were younger. In fact, he distinctly remembered the time he'd taken her to a diner not unlike this one. With a nostalgic smile Paul looked down at his menu, his thoughts drifting back to happier days.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Mercury

The silver-haired trainer laughed, a short, barking sound. It took his brain a second to catch up with his mouth, and when it did, he responded. "I'm already no better than you." He brought his free hand closer to the man's face, letting the aura brush the guy's cheek. "You can either start talking now, or wait until I've left scars. It's up to you."

 

A memory had come back to him, another long one, compared to the images and vague sensations from before. It had been a one-sided battle, though he couldn't quite recall who had been fighting whom. He just knew he'd been on the winning side, and they'd taken a handful of captives. They were after information. Mercury was to do the interrogating, and to help warm up, he had punched a rock into two pieces.

 

Approaching the first man, he let his aura surround him, bathing the area in silver light and dark shadows. The man had glared coldly up at him. "You think you're fighting for good, but if you do this, can you really say you're better than us?"

 

Mercury had leaned down and grabbed the man by the jaw, digging his fingers into the sides roughly. "You guys must have us mistaken with a different group. See, we aren't worried about being better than you. On our best days, we're worse than you are on your worst." He grinned, teeth flashing in the light of his aura. "You can either talk now, or wait until I've left scars. It's up to you."

 

"My friend will manage for a few more minutes, I think. You have just a couple more seconds." 

 

Oggie glared at the Walrein and opened her mouth to start Singing again.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan flipped through the menu in front of him, not only thinking of what to eat, but of what to tell Dahlia regarding what happened to him.......and Seth. He wasn't exactly sure what to say about what could happen to her or how to bring it up. There was so much to think about, yet he felt he may not be able to tell it all easily. But he was sure he'd be able to figure it out eventually. Evan listened to Dahlia's question, but decided to let Jenny do the talking, regarding that.

"I think I'll have two cheeseburgers myself." Evan said, taking care not to give away what he was feeling. "One for me and one for Gnip....when I can feed her again."

 

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach/Jenny==-

 

Zach looked over at the menu with a smile, as he held Olivia's hand. He scanned the pages of the menu, but nothing truly stuck out to him that was considered 'fancy'. "I think I'll have a normal hamburger, myself; this says we can choose the toppings, luckily." He said with a smile, as he fell into thought about things.

 

Jenny smiled with a giggle at how cute the other couple was, but blinked as Dahlia asked her question. "Hmm..." She closed her eyes, seeming lost in thought. "Together as friends, or more?" She counter asked curiously, wondering which the other girl had meant.

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia/Olivia/Aspen Seaton

 

Dahlia looked up at Jenny curiously, and thought for a moment, before shrugging. "I guess I'm asking about both." the gardener answered, flipping through the menu once more. "You two look pretty close. Not sure if you're as close as Zach and Olivia, yet, but still."

 

Olivia was slightly listening to the conversation between Jenny and Dahlia, but was mainly looking at the menu. "Of course you of all people have been dating for a while, Jessie." she muttered, before turning to Zach. "I think I'l just take a double cheeseburger. Any idea what would be good toppings?"

 

Meanwhile, Aspen didn't say much of anything. The only knowledge of couples he had was growing up with his oldest sister and Zach, so he just let the conversation continue without him interrupting.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

Ryan thought for a moment, as he considered the question. "I'm not sure." He admitted, as he looked over the phone charm he'd picked up. It wasn't fancy, and was basically just a Dunsparce, but it seemed nice to him. "This seems good, but I dunno what else to get, since this isn't really... much." The black haired trainer scratched his head more, but shrugged. "Might as well try the fifth floor first."

 

-==IC: Zach/Jenny==-

 

"Hmmm..." Zach mused over the question for a little bit. "Well, I was gonna go for ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo, and the like..." He sheepishly shrugged, as he figured that wasn't really that helpful. "Anything you don't want?"

 

Jenny nodded at that. "Well, I defintiely haven't been dating as long as the two lovebirds over there." She said with an amused smile. "We met back in Unova half a year ago, and kept in touch; but only really got together like... a week ago?" She scratched her head at that. "It's been such a wild time the past week or so, that I don't even know the exact time..."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

 

"I can't exactly pin down when we really got together, either." Evan said, nodding and smiling at the other couple. "We worked together during the repair efforts for Unova. But we only really got to know each other after some crazy things in Opelucid........"

Evan thought about what had happened on Route 4 and decided to leave that out for the time being. They didn't need to talk about that during such pleasant conversation. The brown haired Ex-Hero decided he should at least talk about what happened afterward, at least. There would be time to discuss Gerald with Zach. There had to be.

"A few days after that, we went on our first and only date so far." Evan said, blushing slightly as he scratched his head nervously. "I remember acting like such a goofball during it...."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan raised an eyebrow at the phone charm. "Dunsparce, eh? Interesting choice." The brown haired trainer glanced at the display of phone charms, but none of them really caught his eye. He wasn't one for phone accessories anyway; his Pokégear was better off without some charm dangling from it.

 

Turning from the display, Ryan led the way to the elevator. He held out an arm to keep the door from closing as he glanced around the store, wondering where Ray and Xander had disappeared to.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

"Was there, can confirm, you were." The girl piped up with an amused smirk. Other than that, she just decided to order a cheeseburger like almost everyone else.

 

-==IC: Ryan/Ray==-

 

"Yeah, I figured she'd like it, since she has a Dunsparce..." The other Ryan said with a scratch of his head. He thought about getting something for himself, but decided against it for the moment, and instead turned to face where Sanders was. As he did so, he noticed Ray approach again, and figured Xander was right behind.

 

"Right; we ready to start? I figure we'll head to the fifth floor first, maybe stop at the roof after, then head down to TMs on our way back, unless there's any objections?" Ray suggested, as he looked around the small group with a smile.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

Xander nodded. "Yeah, sounds good to me." The roof? This place had sales on the roof of the building? Xander now understood why Kalos only had shops two stories tall. Going over that apparently drove people insane. What did they do if it was raining? Worse, what if it snowed, or hailed? Did people still shop?

 

He chose not to voice these thoughts; these people were used to it and wouldn't realize the oddity. "What's on the roof?" he asked instead.

[JiMing]

IC: Dahlia/Aspen/Olivia Seaton

 

"Oh congrats then!" Dahlia replied, her mouth curving into a grin. "I just had a feeling you were together when I saw you with Evan. That's wonderful! You both seem to go well with each other!" the middle Seaton said honestly, seeming excited for the star couple.

 

Aspen raised his head, and nodded with agreement with Dahlia. "Yeah. Congrats." he said, before blinking. "I think you're the... Third couple I've been around in this week? Love must be in the air..." the youngest Seaton muttered quietly.

 

Olivia, meanwhile, was looking at Jenny with an expression of complete confusion. "The heck you talking about?? I've been dating for at most two days, and haven't been on a real-life date with Zach yet." she pointed out, looking to the friend she was holding hands with. "This dummy took 14 years to say anything to me, and even then, he confessed entirely on accident. So I don't get what you're trying to get at here, Jess-, err, Jenny."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Hm..." As Ryan Hikari walked off to pay for the phone charm, Ryan Sanders tried to remember what Pokémon Colette had. He remembered battling a Mienfoo and a Meditite, but one of them probably belonged to her sister. Regardless, looking at Colette's team would probably be a good place to start. After all, he wouldn't want to get her something random like a Magikarp doll.

 

Xander and Ray's approach pulled Ryan out of his thoughts. The Liberty agent nodded at Ray's plan. "As soon as Other Ryan's done buying his charm, we'll be ready," he said. In the back of his mind, Ryan hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for holding the elevator door open for so long, but he his his worry under a pleasant smile. "The roof's more or less a food court," he explained to Xander. "They've got tables and chairs, a few snack machines if you just want something quick, and a great view of the city. They'll sometimes have clearance sales up on the roof, but I don't think there's any going on today."

 

At that moment, Ryan Hikari returned, swinging a small shopping bag at his side. The small group squeezed inside the elevator, which was thankfully large enough to comfortably fit all five of them.

 

As the doors closed, Ryan Sanders found himself standing next to Sylph. He glanced at the one-armed Gardevoir, his curiosity getting the better of him. "So, um, what happened to your arm, if you don't mind me asking?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Sylph

The Gardevoir looked at Ryan, eyes wide in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone aside from Xander to talk to her, let alone ask something so personal. Still, she did not mind; Ryan was friendly, and it was curiosity that drove him. When I was a Ralts, she explained, I got separated from my... my family, I suppose, is what you'd call it. While I was trying to find my way back to them, I was ambushed by a Mightyena.

 

What a Mightyena was doing on Route 4, I don't know. But all I remember is incredible pain. I suppose I screamed and that attracted Xander's attention. He was eight years old, and small for his age--

 

"Hey now," the trainer protested.

 

You were. Anyways, this child tried to scare the Mightyena away by throwing a rock at it. Of course, that just made it angry at him. If the professor hadn't been there, I'm sure we both would have been a meal.

 

Idly, she brushed her fingers along the end of the limb, feeling the smooth scar tissue there. Professor Sycamore captured me to keep me stable until he got me to a healing machine. As I understand it, they're working on limb replacement now, if the limb is not too damaged, and it has not been detached too long. After I was healed, Xander helped me cope. He took me in and... Well, the rest, as they say, is history.

 

She smiled gently. Is there anything else you'd like to know?

[Parugi]

OOC: Slight bunnying of Cero ahead, since Mangs hasn't been around for over a month.

 

 

IC - Victoire Coleman/Kyle Eston/??? - Signs Compound, Halls:

 

"Golem, hold up."

 

The Megaton Pokémon slowed to a halt and turned to his trainer, slowly approaching her. She had kneeled down, partly to catch her breath and partly to check on Kyle again. He had begun to stir again, seeming at last to be coming out of his drug-induced sleep. Victoire nudged him slightly, quietly urging him to wake up. After a few moments, however, he fell still again, head drooping down against that her shoulder.

 

Victoire sighed, steeling herself and standing up again. "Don't die on me, bud," she muttered. She raised her eyes from the floor, staring down the dark hallway in front of her. The dim, flickering light directly above her did virtually nothing to illuminate her path. Still, she was not blind, and her eyes had adjusted enough that she could see to the end of the hall, where this one's end came and it crossed with another.

 

There, a man stood, facing her. The sight sent a chill down her spine. She could not make out a single one of his facial features, only that he was wearing a hooded cloak and leaned heavily upon a short staff. There was something unnerving in his invisible gaze, a sensation that Victoire could not pin down. All she knew was that his presence made her uneasy.

 

How long had he been watching them? 

 

Just as Victoire processed what she was seeing--an action that could not have taken more than a few seconds--the man turned, disappearing down a hallway. An inkling of a compulsion crept into her mind, prompting her to go forward. Golem followed close behind. At the end of the hall, Victoire turned left, compelled by the sinking feeling in her gut--some inner foreboding--to follow in his wake.

 

And so she did.

 

 

IC - Drake Masters - Lavender Town, The Memory House:

 

Drake could read the tells enough to realize that he needed to dodge. And so he did, kicking off to the side just as Alma and her Gengar lunged at him. At the same time, he moved his hand, bringing his Poké Gear in front of him to block the knife. It did the job wonderfully, the hard metal shell deflecting the sharp knife blade--and directing it instead against Drake's fingers.

 

He landed with a heavy thud against the ground, his comm device skidding to a halt on the ground nearby. Drake grit his teeth in pain, gingerly cradling his bleeding hand against his chest, doing what he could to stem the flow of blood from his wounds for the time being. As he kicked away from Alma and Gengar, he reached down and grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt, giving little thought to which one he was sending out. A toss of the container later, and Drake's Dragalge emerged. Though the normally-aquatic Pokémon did not appear completely comfortable finding a standing position on land, she quickly acclimated, more determined than ever before to protect her trainer.

 

"Dragalge, Hydro Pump--now!" Drake yelled. Bracing herself, Dragalge drew her head back, and with a thrust back forward, unleashed a torrent of water at both Alma and Gengar.

 

 

IC - Cero/??? - Signs Compound, Halls:

 

He had done as Esen had instructed and hidden. Just as she had promised, the alarm had sounded after several minutes, following a rather loud cacophony of noise that had swiftly turned into a dead silence. Yet, despite this, no one had yet come through the hall--no guards, no White Coat, no one.

 

Cero began to ease out of his hiding place.

 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

 

The sound of footsteps drew him back in.

 

He watched from between the boards in front of him as a man appeared. He carried a short staff, which tapped against the ground with every step that he took. A cloak swept about his feet, ending in a hood around his head that shrouded his face in shadow. As the man passed by, largely appearing to be unaware of Cero's presence, the trainer could not help but feel as if the man's hidden eyes had swept over his position, seeing right through him.

 

Soon enough, he had passed, saying nothing to Cero and giving no indication that he intended to fight the intruder. After several minutes of waiting, just in case anyone else came through, Cero again left his hiding place, pausing for a moment to stare after the hooded man. With his mission taking precedence over his misgivings, however, he turned and proceeded down the hall, away from the garage.

 

 

 

As Cero turned a corner, he found himself face to face with a Golem. He moved to draw a Poké Ball at the sound of it growling, until the woman following after it gave a short order, drawing it back. Cero stared in surprise, wary of the stranger and she of him. Before long, however, she had eased forward, and he saw the unconscious form of Kyle supported by her arms.

 

The woman paused, glancing between Kyle and Cero. "I recognize you . . . You're his friend, right?" she asked. Cero gave a silent nod, prompting a weary smile from her. "Thank Arceus . . . Give me a hand, won't you?"

 

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Yeah, those Mightyena can be vicious," Ryan said, recalling the time he had been attacked and Quil had evolved into a Typhlosion to save him. He had to admire Xander's courage. One part of Sylph's story caught his attention though, and made him turn his head curiously. "Replacement limb?" he asked. "You mean like a mechanical arm?"

 

Before the Gardevoir could respond, the elevator doors opened, depositing the group onto the department store's fifth floor. Stores lined either side of the long hallway, although the one that caught Ryan's eye was directly in front of the elevator, a shop that seemed filled to the brim with Pokémon dolls of all different shapes and sizes. There were so many different ones to choose from, Ryan didn't even know where to begin.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Konuju

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"Really? There was nothing said? Could've fooled me! You two seemed like you were dating for years... heck, you pretty much were dating a number of times, even if you denied it then. After all, holding hands, forehead kisses, so many trips to the ice cream place..." Jenny gave a teasing smile to Olivia, as she tried to help point it out.

 

-==IC: Ryan==-

 

"So, what kinda doll are you getting, anyway?" Ryan asked, as he figured that the other Ryan had an actual idea regarding that. As he talked, however, he glanced around the room. The black haired trainer noticed rows upon rows of dolls, and a bunch of posters of different things as well. He wondered if that was even all that was there, but didn't want to actually separate from the group for the moment, especially after asking the question, as he found that kinda tacky.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

Sylph shook her head. I believe they're going to be reattaching the limb, when it becomes possible. Though, a psychic-controlled arm would be... interesting.

 

Xander looked around, curious about the multitude of shops around him. Most of them advertised items for "Secret Bases." Frankly, the less he knew about that, the better. Still, some of the items were interesting. A six-foot wall scroll with some green dragon pokémon flying across it, some floor tiles that spun people around or played notes... Nothing he would get, personally.

 

IC: Alma Mason

The girl and her Gengar both managed to jump aside, only getting wet instead of taking a powerful blast of water. Alma rolled to her feet quickly, red eyes glaring. "How inconsiderate," she said. "Why did you not just die? Shadow, that Dragalge will be a problem; take care of it!"

 

Shadow nodded, cackling as he locked eyes with the dragon type.  He raised a claw into the air before shoving it into his stomach. A look of pain crossed his face as he dug at his flesh. But the pain was necessary. A Curse required sacrifice, after all.

[JiMing]

IC: Lachina Adaon

Lachina was sweating and muttering under her breath. Zac was injured, and the other goons were still out, with Aolani of course being the one to harass them. But they were still trapped, and they had to escape fast somehow. The Ranger scanned the room... And saw what Mercury was about to do.

"No..." she muttered, running over to the trainer and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mercury... You can be better than this. Even if I don't know you much... I mean it when I say that." Lachina said, wearing a confused expression. "I can't let you kill someone on my watch, so please... I know you're not a killer."

IC: Olivia/Dahlia/Aspen Seaton

Olivia listened to Jenny's words some more, and increasingly became redder the more past events got brought up, and the more memories returned to her. "...That stuff doesn't... Really count though..." she protested, stammering nervously. "I mean, no one really told us that friends didn't do things like that usually until it was basically habit and all..."

"Y'know... It's funny, really." Dahlia said, looking at Zach and Olivia. "You two even decided to start 'dating' in elementary school. And you never really broke up, right? That means you've been dating for most of your lives." she pointed out, her older sister blushing even further, and looking down.

Aspen rubbed the back of his head at Olivia's reactions, but looked over at Jenny and Evan. "Why does bringing up this subject immediately make everything so awkward for some people...?" he asked, blinking. "I mean, you two don't seem totally embarrassed about things..."

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Reattaching a limb years later?" Ryan asked. "Isn't it still a Ralts arm? Or did it change when you evolved?" The Liberty agent looked at the Gardevoir curiously, trying to imagine her with a Ralts-length arm. The other Ryan's question pulled him out of that odd mental image, and he frowned as he came back to the current predicament. "I didn't really have anything in particular in mind," he admitted as he led the group into the doll shop. "I figured I'd just look around, see if anything caught my eye."

 

IC: Paul

The blacksmith wasn't sure whether to feel amused at the young romance blossoming around him, or to feel like an intruder on an intimate conversation. And so as he reached a hand down to scratch behind Terry's ears, Paul pretended like he wasn't paying attention, despite hearing every word.

 

When Aspen voiced his confusion at everyone's awkwardness, Paul dropped his act of ignorance and turned to face the youngest Seaton. "One day I think you'll understand," he said with a chuckle.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"I'm not real sure how to explain." Evan said, smiling at Aspen's curiousity. "I guess I don't feel as awkward because I know how much of a goofball I was during my date, and how much of a goofball my date was as well. I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Evan then turned to Olivia and Zach, smirking slightly at Olivia's reaction. He could tell Olivia cared a lot about Zach and their relationship, just based on how she was acting. He decided to not tease her about it, because he'd probably be the same if he were in her position. One thing that bothered him slightly, was how Jenny knew everyone, barring Paul, so well. He sighed and decided to let those thoughts go for now.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander and Sylph

I think you misunderstood. My arm has been removed for far too long to be reattached or regrown. But if, say, a Rattata loses a paw, or an ear, then it could be reattached if its trainer acts quickly. She smiled. At this point, I would not know what to do with another arm.

 

Xander followed along quietly, absorbed in the plethora of things crammed onto this one floor. In Kalos, everything was fairly open, giving people plenty of room to walk around and look. Here, he felt like he might knock something over if he wasn't careful.

[JiMing]

IC: Aspen/Dahlia/Olivia Seaton

 

Aspen turned to Paul when he spoke, scratching the back of his head. "Somehow I'm not entirely sure about that..." he muttered quietly, at what Ellen's father was implying. The youngest Seaton turned back to Evan, scratching the back of his head. "You and Jes-uh, Jenny both seem pretty similar, so I can see what you mean... But hmm. Love seems so weird and confusing..."

 

Dahlia smiled at her brother. "Oh, it probably is. But I think it seems nice, too." she said, looking at the couples. "I mean, everyone got together during different circumstances, but they all want to make more memories with each other. Even if they keep being teased over and over." the gardener said, giggling lightly.

 

Olivia looked up and turned towards Zach appreciatively, even as her face was still red. The redhead began smiling, and squeezed his hand lightly. "...We already have a lot of great memories, like how he always helped me with my homework, and took me to the school dance every year, or even the time we had Pokemon battles against each other. And we'll make even more memories." she declared, before turning to Jenny and Evan. "I made fun of you two, but I gotta admit, you both seem to mesh well... So good luck. Though, if you try to tease me, don't be surprised if I fire back."

Edited October 6, 2015 by Temmie

[Parugi]

IC - Drake Masters - Lavender Town, The Memory House:

 

The Curse took. Dragalge immediately felt a sharp pang of pain, as if a nail had been driven through her midsection. Nevertheless, a thick layer of water--several inches deep--covered the floor now, and that was all she needed to gain at least a semblance of an advantage. She dove forward, her thin frame refreshed by the water, and sprawled her limbs outward as she shot toward Alma and Gengar. With a yell from Drake, she brought her tail forth. It glowed and glistened with a metallic sheen as she launched a powerful Iron Tail attack at the pair, sweeping up from in front of Alma and through the air toward the Ghost-Type.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Alma Mason

The girl took a quick step backwards to avoid being hit by the Iron Tail. The Dragalge knew that she was as much a threat as Shadow; if it tried that again, she would have to stop playing nicely.

 

Shadow stepped into the hit, wincing slightly as the iron tail struck. He would have to stay in this fight a bit longer in order to see the Dragalge's defeat, though. Twisting his arm, he attempted to pin the tail against his side while his free hand came up to launch a Shadow Ball.

 

Alma glanced down at the floor and, keeping one eye on Drake and the fight, hopped up to sit on one of the pillars, legs dangling in the air. Her free hand dipped into a pocket, where her pokeballs were clipped.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Even with all the ruckus of the crowded store, Sylph's thoughts rang clear in Ryan's head. Even if Ryan had tried to reply, he was sure his voice would be lost in the sea of conversations going on around him. Instead, the Liberty agent merely nodded and turned his attention to the plethora of dolls that lined the walls of the store and filled massive baskets advertising bargain prices.

 

There were so many options, and not just Pokémon dolls. Human figures in various outfits dotted the shelves as well: anime characters with ridiculous hair, princesses with flowing ballroom gowns, and even a collection of Hoenn's Gym Leaders sat on display in plush form. "Winona might be a good option," Ryan muttered. The Fortree Gym Leader's hairstyle reminded him of Colette's 'dog ears.' But at the same time, it felt oddly selfish to get her a doll of someone from his hometown. Colette was from Kalos, so maybe he should get something related to that region. A Vivillon? No, that seemed like a typical Kalos Pokémon and would imply he hadn't put much thought into the gift. Maybe something like a Fennekin.

 

As Ryan searched for the Kalos starter, he recalled what Colette had told him about her first Pokémon. She had been practicing fishing one day and had hooked a Squirtle. And as luck would have it, right next to a mountain of Mudkips, Ryan found a small mound of Squirtle dolls. Picking one out, he had to admit the tiny turtle looked kind of cute in its plush form. Smiling to himself, Ryan made his way to the cashier, feeling hopeful that this would put Colette in a better mood.

[Parugi]

IC - Drake Masters - Lavender Town, The Memory House:

 

With her tail pinned, there was little that Dragalge to do to avoid the Shadow Ball, and so was forced to take the hit. With a roar of pain, the Mock Kelp Pokémon yanked herself forward with her tail, putting her in range to unleash a nearly-point-blank Hydro Pump against Gengar.

 

Drake, likewise, kept an eye on Alma, knowing how foolish it would be to let the murderous girl out of his sight. "So who set you up to this, huh!?" he demanded. He crawled backwards, feeling with his good hand for his lost Poké Gear, knowing full-well that the only way he was going to get out of this alive would be if he could signal for help from outside. "Was it some . . . scumbag, like Joker or Ford? Or are you just . . . just doing this for your own, twisted amusement?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Alma Mason - Lavender Town, House of Memory

Shadow took the blast of water, staggering away from the Dragalge. He could only take one more hit like that before he was out of the fight; luckily, the curse would be taking more health from his opponent every few seconds until he was gone. He floated upwards, putting distance between himself and the dragon type. His eyes seemed to glow, and then purple fire appeared in his hands. With a cackle, he launched the Hex, knowing it would hurt even more because of the curse he'd already placed on his opponent.

 

Alma smiled softly as the pool of water spread further along the floor. She idly pulled out a pokéball, rolling it in her hand. "My master speaks of Joker on occasion, and I've never heard of Ford," she replied casually. "While he respects Joker and her power, he would never do anything on her orders." She watched Drake scrambling for his Pokégear and pressed the button on the ball in her hand. "You should stop splashing around over there. Water can carry an electrical current."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach/Jenny==-

 

Zach nodded with a smile, a slight blush on his face, as she hadn't recalled the thing about being a couple. However, he didn't seem to mind much. "Yeah... To everything. Let's all do our best to make good memories!" He said with a smile, and looked between Olivia, and Evan and Jenny.

 

Jenny smiled in thanks at Olivia, and nodded, as she giggled. "Thanks~ I can agree with that for sure!" She said, as she gave a pose of her own, to respond.

 

-==IC: Ray/Ryan==-

 

Ryan nodded at the explanation of what the Liberty Trainer was looking for, and looked around for a little while. After disappearing for a little while, he reappeared with a bookmark with a picture of old Ecruteak on it. However, when he reappeared, he walked up to Ray. "I'm gonna go look at something, will catch up before you leave the shop, k?" The black haired trainer walked off before Ray could respond, having an idea in mind, after having recalled something.

 

Ray blinked at Ryan's sudden departure, but looked over to the other Ryan, as he chose a Squirtle doll. "That's an interesting choice. Hopefully she likes it." The orange haired separatist said with an amused smile, as he nodded. "So, that good, then?"

[MELON LORD]

OOC: A bit of bunnying with Blade's permission here.

 

IC: Mercury, Vermilion Incident

Mercury did not take his eyes off of his captive. "I'm not going to kill him." He slugged the man in the gut, dropping him. "The thought never even crossed my mind."  While the guy was heaving for air, the trainer kicked him in the jaw and sent him sprawling onto his back. "He attacked us, and I intend to find out why. You should get Blazer to a hospital. I'll catch up."

 

He knelt to look his victim in the eye. "So, are you going to answer me, now?"

 

The criminal, in response, spat into Mercury's face, pink saliva landing on the aura wielder's cheek. "Takes a lot more 'n a punch 'n' a kick to make me talk," he slurred.

 

Mercury shrugged. "Like I said, Lachina. I'll catch up."

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia/Dahlia/Aspen

 

Olivia couldn't help but crack a wide smile, and chuckle at the enthusiasm of Zach and Jenny, and raised an eyebrow at the latter posing. "Hey Zach? Just so you know, even if you pose, doesn't mean I will." she said in amused tone. "Jenny and Evan seem like the perfect dorks together, and I know you're a bit of a dummy yourself. Me on the other hand, I think I'll pass." the eldest Seaton explained, quickly leaning forward to kiss her friend afterwards.

 

Dahlia looked over at both couples, her attention perked by Olivia giving a smooch to Zach. In the blink of an eye, the gardener took out her Pokegear, and snapped a photo. "Hmm... Could have been a better picture. Oh well, at least we really know you two are going out." she said, grinning widely. Afterwards, Dahlia began to subtly eye Evan and Jenny, seeing if they were about to do anything that would require a picture.

 

Aspen rubbed the back of his head, looking around for a bit. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to what was happening around him, so the youngest Seaton shrugged and smiled slightly. "...Uhh, congrats to everyone, seems like your futures will be bright..." he said, unsure what else to do besides that.

 

IC: Lachina Adaon

 

For some reason, Lachina didn't readily believe Mercury's promise. What if he did kill the criminal? How would that affect her standing as a Ranger...?

 

However, she looked behind her, and Zac Blazer was definitely not in a good condition. The Ranger bit her lip, and sighed. "If I'm not a Ranger anymore because you did something stupid..." she muttered, before turning around and going to get Zac, and run out of the Gym as soon as possible.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan smiled down at the doll. "Let's hope this works, I really don't want to have to come all the way back here to return it." Moving to a less crowded portion of the shop, the Liberty agent slipped his backpack off his shoulders and carefully placed his new purchase inside. With the plush Squirtle safely secured, Ryan nodded at Ray and began heading towards the shop's entrance. "That's all I needed to do here. Where did Xander and other Ryan go? Were we supposed to meet them up on the roof, or did they just get lost in the crowd or something?"

 

IC: Paul

Once again, Paul felt incredibly out of place at this table of siblings, friends, and couples. There was kissing and blushing and giggling... enough to make him wish he was sitting at a separate table, or in a separate restaurant entirely. Did Anna and I really act that embarrassing when we were dating? He balked at the thought, and instead tried to focus on the clock mounted on the wall, slowly counting down the time until the ferry would arrive.

 

Because that's why they were here, wasn't it? They were supposed to find this Liberty aura wielder to help locate Ellen. He knew they couldn't do anything until the boat arrived, but seeing everyone compare love lives with no apparent concern for Ellen's situation made Paul grow anxious. They should be discussing battle strategies against McKinley's Xatu and any other Ford Agents they had faced before, not taking pictures of couples kissing.

 

Of course, who was he to decide what they should and shouldn't do? He was starting to sound like a grumpy old man.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

In reply to Jenny's pose, Evan brought his right hand and balled it into a fist. He then held it over his chest, smiling broadly. He decided to imitate his one of his favorite TV heroes.....

"Garcha!" Evan exclaimed softly. "Yes, good luck to everyone!"

OOC: Doing a slight timeskip here.

After the group had finished eating, Evan looked over at Zach. He almost felt that there was something he had to do, but could not put his finger on it. Then he remembered something he said back in Unova. Something, that while not exactly malicious, could have had some lasting effects. Evan stood up and faced Zach.

"Zach, you mind going for a walk with me?" Evan said, smiling. "I was thinking we need a little air. Wanna go to the park with me?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

The trainer in question blinked, as he looked over in surprise at Evan. "Huh? Me? Alright." Zach said with a smile, as he stood up. "Be right back." He said to the others, and began to slowly get out of the booth. He wondered what Evan wanted him for, but was fine with finding out as they were walking. Besides, Evan had seemed a little odd earlier that day, so he was a bit curious about what that was all about too.

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

Olivia blinked when she saw Zach suddenly got up to leave with Evan, and sat there for a few minutes, the hand she had used to hold Zach's swinging loosely by her side. More than a bit annoyed, she got out of her seat wordlessly, and ran out of the restaurant.

 

"Hey, get back here!!" she exclaimed, quickly catching up to Evan and Zach. "What the heck?? Why'd you just h-have to run off with Zach like that??" the eldest Seaton asked confusedly. "And you, Zach. Have you forgotten how long it's been?? Four years, that's how much... C-can't you at least be less sudden about running off again..??! Cause... Cause something might happen a-and..."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Zach==-

 

Zach stopped, and looked back in slight surprise. "Nothing's going to happen, Liv... It's alright..." The auburn haired trainer said with a smile. He stepped toward his best friend, and put his hands on her shoulders. "I get you're worried... but I'm just going to be a little bit, k? I'll be right back... and if we get lost again, then we'll just meet back in Olivine. Every time we get lost."

[JiMing]

IC: Olivia Seaton

 

The red-haired trainer breathed in and out while looking at Zach, before sighing, wrapping her arms around him. "Just... I could use more of a heads up than that next time... Okay?" she said, letting go. Olivia then gave her friend a solid punch to the shoulder. "...S-see you soon, dummy."