Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Hippowdon was lashed by the Aqua Tail, but merely seemed to scoff at Gyaralite's attempt to break her impressive defense. Even though, she admitted, the Atrocious Pokemon was definitely a worthy foe. Evan noted Gyaralite's careful gaze, which almost struck him as odd. But then again, she is one of Jenny's pokemon...... "Hippowdon, things seem to have settled down...." Evan said carefully, keeping an eye on Gyaralite's movements. "Let's relax a bit with a Slack Off!"

Bertha's Hippowdon had no problem with her master's order. She definitely saw what he was planning, and knew it could go many ways. The Heavyweight pokemon shut her eyes, and started to take a quick power nap, restoring herself to near full health. She knew she was to wait for the precise moment to strike, but wasn't sure if she could react in time. "No time to worry about that, i suppose." The Hippowdon thought.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny smiled. "Gyaralite... Hydro Pump." She chose her words carefully, as the Gyarados fired off a geyser of water at the Hippowdon once again. Gyaralite wasn't entirely certain what the use of this would be, but...

 

"Now... fight." The Gyarados' eyes seemed to change. She looked at Bertha's Hippowdon, and seemed to only be focusing on her, as she ignored the beating of the sand against her scales. Miss? Hit? It did not matter to the sea serpent for that moment. The Gyarados gave a startling Leer, and then rushed forward, trying to utilize the Hippowdon's movements against her. If she got close? She'd use Aqua Tail or Outrage. Or both. Both was good.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

When her parents left the room, Colette focused on her food once again. She was quick to eat, not seeming to care about the different taste too much. She did, however, keep quiet for the moment as she ate. Finally, she looked up with an awkward look. "Thank you... for helping me out, and not holding the food thing against us." The girl awkwardly laughed to try and raise the mood, but it seemed as if she was still a bit distracted from earlier.

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan worked on finishing his food and gave Colette a warm smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. Like I said, it was nice being able to sit at a family dinner. And I'm glad I was able to help." He scraped the last few noodles out of the bowl and looked back at Colette, noticing the girl seemed to be acting a little aloof. "Everything alright?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Bingo.

It was as she thought Evan was planning. He made her Slack Off, not only to heal her, but to draw out Gyaralite's attack. The Heavyweight braced herself against the Hydro Pump, taking it with aplomb. However, she was genuinely surprised by how fast her foe was approaching her and, even moreso when she was struck with an Outrage. Such power and ferocity was definitely worthy of her respect. Evan didn't seem surprised, though. As if he had planned this all out. The Hippowdon continued to get beat down by the Outrage-fueled strikes, not really finding an opening in them.....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

"Huh?" Colette looked up again with a blink, but then chuckled softly. "Oh, yeah. I mostly was thinking about Zoe. I didn't really think to look to see how she was taking things before I left, but given she wasn't here when we got back..." The aura wielder trailed off with a small frown. "I worry that I might have said too much, and maybe hurt her by accident somehow. I mean, she seems to think I'm flawless and untouchable, even when I'm not... so me losing my cool like that... I worry it might have damaged that image, and got her upset." She sighed, as she rubbed her arm after finishing the remaining food. "I'm not sure what to do if that happened; I think I should talk to her soon, though..."

 

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"Dragon Dance! Aqua Tail! Go!" Jenny called out commands as the Gyarados continued to spin around, thrashing in place as she alternated different strikes with different techniques. First the Dragon Dance to power up her following moves... then more strikes of the dragon attacks. Finally, Gyaralite then pulled her tail back and gathered it in water, before whipping it toward the Hippowdon, trying to make that the finishing move for this part of the fight...

[Parugi]

IC - James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Piers Ebner - Heaven's Cloud University, Professor Ebner's Office:

 

Ebner smirked. "Clever boy, never missing a chance to bend the game to his own rules . . ."

 

He spun the album around, facing it toward himself, and flipped it open. The first few pages, in addition to copies of Piers and Paris's birth certificates, were filled with pictures of the Ebner family as a whole--a small family of four, two young boys, both the same age, and their parents. In one, they were posed in front of a large, extravagant house, each well-dressed and well-groomed--too perfect, it seemed. In another, equally posed, they were seated around a fireplace. An older woman, holding the cane that Piers now owned, stood with them in the middle of the family.

 

Jumping ahead several pages, Ebner turned the book around. The two twins, Piers and Paris, stood in front of the gates to Heaven's Cloud University. They were younger--around fifteen--but still clearly the same people. Their expressions--so similar in the other pictures--had taken on a stark contrast in this one. The twin on the left, though clearly pleased with his prestigious accomplishment, bore a look of slight distraction, as if he had been deep in thought just before the picture had been taken. The one on the right, meanwhile, echoed the annoyed look that had already crossed Piers Ebner's face several times during their current meeting.

 

"This," Ebner said. "was our first day here, at Heaven's Cloud. And this--" He turned the page. The next set of documents consisted of two diplomas, as well as a photo of the twins in their graduation caps and gowns. They were nineteen now. Both looked tired, one a bit more grouchy than the other. "--was our last, as well as the last time I saw him in person, thirteen years ago." He clasped his hands together, giving them a slight shake. "So, perhaps not quite two decades since he dropped his name, on second thought. Certainly that long since he first got dragged into business with that abominable thespian, however."

 

If James had any disbelief as to how early the Ebners entered college, it did not show on his face. What piqued his interest more though, was Piers's mentioning of a 'thespian.' A fair guess he meant Ford, but he had never heard him described as an actor.

"I will need to ask you further questions about that 'thespian,' but right now we do not have the time. I can think of a large number of people in Ever Grande City that would be interested in seeing those documents and hearing what you have to say. Shall I take us all there now?"

"Hey wait, what about Claus?" Richard interjected

"We can come back for Agent Diamond after Paris Ebner," James emphasized, clearly enjoying himself, "has been removed from power. His Gym Challenge will surely take a fair amount of time," James answered dismissively. He was far too focused on Pierce right now to concern himself with leaving Claus behind for a few hours.

"Right, right..." Richard said, figuring James probably had his priorities straight. Though he was definitely gonna bug the Executive about it later.

 

"In due time." Ebner tapped his fingers against the desk again. His eyes flashed up from the album, studying James. "Before I agree to come along, I must ask--what do you intend to do with him after you've toppled his little regime?"

 

 

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City:

 

Pierce smiled, crossing his arms. His eyes lifted to the lifted bench across the field, to Goldhawk. "And what sort of thought does Team Liberty have to offer?"

 

The look Pierce was giving him made Goldhawk uneasy. Nonetheless, he stood, voice steady as he addressed Pierce and the surrounding council. "Team Liberty concurs with Team Rocket," he said. "In addition to Representative Shields's points, I would like to add that Teams Liberty and Rocket have already demonstrated that our ceasefire is anything but 'tenuous.' Even prior to its induction, our agents and leadership worked together in successful efforts against the Ancient Darkrai, and ultimately proved vital in eliminating the threat. And that's without mentioning the other threats that we have culled in that time." Goldhawk seated himself again with a nod to Pierce.

 

There was much restraint at work here. The Liberty Leader very much wanted to point out Pierce's own lack of engagement in the Darkrai conflict--how he had fled rather than organize any sort of counter-movement against the Ancients. Such an action had essentially put Hoenn's fate in the hands of the other regions and the organizations that ran them, though Pierce had at no point made no mention of this fact. More importantly, there was the matter of those 'other threats.' In some ways, Goldhawk hoped that Pierce could piece together that he was primarily speaking of Ford, if only to let the Hojohsin President know that his secret wasn't concealed.

 

"Indeed," Bounty added, pulling back Goldhawk's focus. "The work put into organizing this meeting alone shows how much has happened within the past year and a half. Hojohsin, Rocket, Liberty--none of us can afford to fight one another any longer, not with the potential for other situations of the Ancients' magnitude." He glanced at Miriam and Goldhawk. "I assure you that our three organizations are hard at work putting our history behind us."

 

Pierce stared at them for a moment, silently thinking. "A most interesting perspective, all of you," he said, pressing the tips of his fingers together as he sauntered forward. The small smile on his face dissolved into a troubled frown. "Allow me to elaborate on mine." He paced back and forth. "I don't doubt that the Ancients forced the lot of you to put your differences aside. But, frankly, it is less the conflict between you that concerns me, and more the severity of the situations in which your groups tend to get involved."

 

He looked at Goldhawk. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but was it not six months ago that four Unovan cities were leveled in a conflict involving an Agent of Team Liberty? One that directly resulted in the deaths of countless individuals, including Professor Juniper? Not to mention the avalanche that destroyed Snowpoint City, again due to Team Liberty." He stopped his pacing, looking to Miriam. "And how could I forget the recent, devastating attack on Celadon City, performed by Team Rocket itself against its own civilians? The actions of a misguided extremist, certainly, but perhaps a poor reflection of the organization as a whole."

 

Pierce gestured to where Goldhawk and Bounty were seated. "A reflection compounded by the lack of true representation from Team Rocket today, I might add. You say that this is a joint effort between the Rocket main-blood, its Separatists, and Liberty, yet neither of Team Rocket's head Shadow Admins are here to support this." He crossed his arms behind his back, moving by Miriam. "Why is that, I wonder?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

When she saw the incoming Aqua Tail lashing out towards her, Hippowodon knew she was definitely outmatched. Being an Elite Four's pokemon, she had experienced many wins, and just as many losses. She always seemed, like her master, to encourage those who lost, and cheer on those who won. There was definitely no shame in losing right now, and she knew that. The Aqua Tail hit her with incredible force, knocking her away. If the Gyarados looked closely at the Hippowdon, she could swear she saw the Heavyweight winking at her. "Well done, Hippowdon!" Evan said, beaming as he recalled the elderly pokemon. "Things are looking bad for me, it seems. But I'm not going to give up!"

Evan then unholstered Lazengann's poke ball and kicked it out, revealing the Subterrene pokemon, battle ready and raring to go. "The goddess of victory will smile upon those who believe they'll win!" Evan said, still smiling. "It's not over until it's over! Lazengann, Horn Drill!" The small mole pokemon, aided by his Sand Rush, seemed to disappear from sight, and he ran towards Gyaralite, his eyes glowing with tenacity. When he felt he had gotten close enough, he leapt into the air and folded himself into a drill, and rushed towards Gyaralite, spinning furiously........

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

Ryan gave Colette a knowing look. "Being someone people look up to... it's a heavy burden." His eyes grew distant for a moment as he stared off at the corner of the table, lost in thought. A bitter smile played on his lips. "I never had any siblings," he said softly. "And, well, I guess with the way your training kept you away all the time, you and Zoe aren't exactly like regular sisters. But you still have a bond that I'll never have. The closest I have to a sister... well... that would be Ellen." He looked back at Colette, doing his best to conceal his sadness. "So in a way, I kind of understand what you're going through. You should definitely talk to Zoe. She might not be ready to hear everything you're going through... but at least let her know that you're there for her."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny frowned at the speed of the Excadrill. "Dodge, and th-" Her eyes widened, as the Gyarados was knocked back from the Horn Drill connecting faster than she had expected. She might have had the advantage, but if this kept up, she was worried about how things would go. The trainer closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus again. "Gyaralite, focus, and then do what Monstro did earlier!"

 

Gyaralite's focus came back enough from the first hit. She looked at the Excadrill in annoyance, and when she heard her trainer's command, she knew instantly what was meant, having watched the earlier fight. With a short nod, the Gyarados aimed at the ground, and let off a Hydro Pump that launched the sea serpent into the air. Twisting around, she dodged the second pass of the drilling mole... but was left wide open if Lazengann could recover before she landed.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

The aura wielder nodded quietly, as she sighed. She knew there was no easy fix, and gave a small smile as she stood up. "That's true... I should probably do that soon, and hope for the best..." The girl scratched her head, as she chuckled. "I guess you should get back soon, though; it might give some time for you to actually do some planning." Colette gave Ryan another amused smile, and thought for a moment. "I might try to work on planning things and such too, actually, so I'm fully prepared for the fight.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Lazengann cursed as he not only missed, but was losing altitude to boot. The Subterrene Pokemon tried thinking of ways to make this work in the end, but was having a trying time figuring it out. Seeing the attack miss a second time, Evan grinned confidently, having figured out how to turn this around. "Lazengann, use your spinning to your advantage, and throw a Rock Slide her way!" Evan shouted. "Show me what made you so strong!"

When he heard Evan's challenge, and his command, the Excadrill smiled. Now that he had a challenge, from his own master no less, he couldn't back down now! Unfolding himself, while still spinning, Lazengann clawed at the ground, sending chunks of rock flying up at Gyaralite. The count of rocks was immeasurable, due to Lazengann's speedy rotation, as they rained upon the Atrocious Pokemon.....

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"Yeah, I should stop putting that off, shouldn't I?" Ryan smiled sheepishly. "Sounds good, though. You can never be too prepared. I think Evan and Jenny had a bit of a practice match earlier today. I'll have to ask them how it went." The Liberty agent stood up and stretched. "Well, I should probably get going, then. Don't want to keep you from your sister. Give her my thanks for inviting me -- if you could call her dragging me by the arm an invitation." With a good-natured laugh, Ryan picked up his empty bowl and brought it into the kitchen, where he thanked Mr. and Mrs. Llyan for dinner.

 

"Oh, it was nothing," Mrs. Llyan said with a warm smile. "Again, I apologize that things got a little heated there. Perhaps we could make it up to you. You're welcome to come back tomorrow night if you want; that way you can experience a real Llyan dinner."

 

"You mean that dinner we just had was fake?" Mr. Llyan's mouth dropped open in mock surprise. "Well I guess we have to thank you somehow for putting up with our family drama."

 

Ryan grinned as he shook the man's hand. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Inwardly he wondered if it was a good idea to take the time for another big meal when he was already behind on his planning. At the very least he might be able to exchange tactics with Colette, but a family dinner probably wasn't the best place to plan an attack.

 

The parents showed him to the door, and as Ryan stood in the entryway he held out a hand for Colette to shake. "Good luck, Colette." The look in his eyes conveyed that he was talking not only about preparations, but about the girl's talk with her sister. "Guess I'll be seeing you around."

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Four Island

 

"Alright, let's go," Jamie said, the promise of a battle already perking the Rocket up.

 

As Jamie followed Yellow, she noticed that it was actually a pretty nice day out. She had only just noticed that.

 

Lucan breathed in and breathed out. So far, so good. He could do this. The Ice-Type distracted himself as best he could from images of his own untimely death by electric jolt and followed the Pikachu. Pelleas followed behind, pretending he didn't feel embarrassed about Lucan's irrational fear of a tiny, friendly mouse. Seriously, could they get that confidence Lucan had in Celadon back? Where had that come from?

 

The two came to a clearing in the forest. The area was nice and flat, just perfect for a Pokemon battle. Jamie and Pelleas looked around the area and smiled. Just the way they liked it.

 

"So, how many Pokemon are we going to use? I have six Pokemon with me."

 

 

IC: James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Piers Ebner - Heaven's Cloud University - Prof. Ebner's Office

 

James was getting impatient due to the goalpost being moved slightly back when it was so close. He couldn't afford to slip there, so he kept smiling and pretending that it didn't bother him.

"The intent would be to arrest him, either by our organization or by Team Rocket. He is guilty of being an accomplice to his employer's crimes, and he has information on said employer that we want." James decided to leave off the fact that 'intent' was the operative word there. Ford would not likely leave him to be either Teams' prisoner, if Havoc was any indication.

 

"I see." Ebner rubbed his chin. "And you think exposing his true name and origin will be enough to knock him off his throne?"

 

"I do." James stated. "To begin with, it damages his credentials. A foreigner, President of Hoenn? Unthinkable," he said using mock worry for that last word. "Furthermore it proves that he was actively deceiving the people of Hoenn. Why would a legitimate candidate chosen by the people need an alias? The answer: they would not. The people of Hoenn are under the delusion that they live in a democracy. Shattering that illusion is what will bring him down.

James stopped for a moment to clear his throat. "There will also be questions of his competence as a leader. If I am right, as I hope I am, whoever is there right now will be bringing up questions as to what he did when Darkrai attacked Hoenn, why he continues persecution of Team Rocket and Team Liberty members even after those groups ended up saving his country. Once questions of his competence have been raised, a direct attack to his legitimacy will be devastating."

James paused for a brief moment as he considered Ebner's earlier words, "...Though if you can provide testimony about that 'thespian' you mentioned earlier. It may also prove beneficial to our case. If we can prove that thespian is the same terrorist I mentioned earlier well, it would make my job a lot easier."

Richard kept looking between James and Piers. There was a lot of things that he hadn't known about being tossed back and forth. It occurred to him how little he actually knew about what he signed up for.

 

Ebner fell silent for a moment. "Good," he said at last. "Very good . . ."

 

Something very particular seemed to be on his mind.

 

Richard noticed before James that something was on Piers's mind and decided to speak up, "Something on your mind?"

James almost jabbed Richard again but decided against it. It was probably best to hear whatever it was, though he was really beginning to wish that Celebi would let him warp them all to Evergrande at the start of the meeting. He could ask, but he doubted that he'd get a positive answer.

 

"Yes, and I beg your pardon, but it's rather a curious point for me." Professor Ebner pushed his chair back, standing up. He paced around the room with his brow furrowed in thought, casting occasional glances to the two Liberty Agents. "So, walk through this with me, Mr. Arthur."

 

Ebner lifted a hand, counting each point on his finger. "You, your accomplices, and I testify and argue our case," he said. "James Pierce is deposed. For the sake of idealism, we'll say that any conflict that occurs is minimal, at worst. You accomplish your goal." Two fingers now. "My brother is arrested, taken into custody. Our terrorist is left without a pawn in place. You interrogate him."

 

Three.

 

 

Ebner's gaze lingered on James. "Then what? You will try to interrogate him, and learn nothing. I guarantee that--his loyalty to our mutual friend is too strong for him to betray any information of use. Such was it when he first left, so it shall be now--even stronger than before." Ebner lowered his hand, coming to a stop by the window. He turned to face the campus beyond his office. "Do you torture him? Let him rot in his cell? Ship him back here, to his proper region? Kill him, because he is of no use? What happens at that point?"

 

IC: Miriam

 

Miriam paused to contemplate only the wording of her response. The information was out there, yet it still needed to be worded in a way that did not make Team Rocket appear weak during a time when they actually were. Luckily there was always the art of misdirection.

"You should be aware, if you have kept up to date with the press releases we have sent out, that the families of Shadow Admins Sleight and Joker were recently attacked. They were innocent civilians who were targeted because they were the family of Sleight and Joker who have been the bastions of order against the chaos the perpetrator, the terrorist John Ford, seeks to instill. I am here at Shadow Admin Sleight's personal discretion. You can consider me an extension of himself."

That was about as good as she could've put it. Shift the blame while building up the Shadow Admins. Pretty much a politician's answer, through and through. That was the easy accusation out of the way. Now for the short laundry list of incidents.

"The narrative you propose is conveniently incomplete," Miriam started. "The attack on Celadon was solely the responsibility of former Executive Hannah Wright," and some incompetent idiots who I am going to kill, "who is currently awaiting justice at the hands of the legal system. Her plan involved faking a Groudon attacking Sootopolis so she could frame Team Liberty and then restart the war by means of a large-scale attack at one of our most important cities which would've deeply crippled us were it not for the timely intervention of a counter-force made of a mix of Team Liberty and Team Rocket agents. Her actions are not those of anyone sane let alone a reasonable example of our actions and attitudes."

Miriam would have gone on longer but anything more would only to put Team Rocket in a bad light. She did not plan on doing Pierce's job for him.

"The initial reason that the agents of Team Liberty were in Unova to begin with was to chase down a criminal. A criminal who was working for Team Energon, an organization with known ties to Ford. The mastermind behind those events was recently arrested in Celadon in an unrelated incident to the attack that occurred there. Only one of the Team Liberty agents was responsible for the incident while the rest fought to stop him. And while over there those same agents fought against an agent of Ford's who was responsible for the destruction of Castelia, managing to mitigate the damage at least somewhat."

Snowpoint there was no explanation for. It had been a casualty of reckless actions in the war. Saying that would only make things worse, so she pressed forward.

"The biggest threat to the peace of your region, President Pierce, to be concerned with is not us, but John Ford. He has shown in Unova, with his attack on the families of the Shadow Admins, that no one is off-limits to this madman. It will only be a matter of time before he attacks Hoenn, I suggest you begin preparing to fight him off when he does."

[Parugi]

IC - James Arthur/Richard Apollo/Piers Ebner - Heaven's Cloud University, Professor Ebner's Office:

 

For the first time in the conversation, James made a visible show of anything but contentment. Piers knew even more than James expected him to. How much he knew was something James would have to determine.

"He will most certainly not be released while Ford is at large," James said. "My group is not so barbaric to simply execute a prisoner of war."

Meaning, Goldhawk and Blackskull weren't going to let him, no matter the potential strategic benefits.

"I would also be willing to bet my life that Team Rocket would not simply kill him outright."

Though precautionary limb removal to make it harder for him to act as an agent should he escape is not out of the question, James thought, indulging a sadistic thought.

"After Ford is apprehended," or dead, James mentally added, "He will be turned over for a proper trial where his fate will be decided."

 

Ebner turned to look at James. The expression on his face was, surprisingly, one of disappointment, as if he were seriously questioning James's answer. He walked back to the desk, gently tapping the handle of his cane against his chin.

 

"Well, that's a shame," he said, a dissonant calm in his voice considering what he was suggesting. "I would have thought he sealed his own fate when he decided to throw his morals to the vermin. I'm sure my brother would agree with me on that account." Ebner suddenly loosened his grip on the cane, allowing its bottom end to bounce against the floor with a sharp crack. "No matter. Yes, I believe that's all the information I need to clear whatever hesitations, for lack of a better term, that I may have had about testifying."

 

Richard jumped at the sudden crack, nearly knocking off the Sableye on his head. As for James, he had to admit that Piers's response surprised him. Not unreasonable, but unexpected. He figured that relations could not have been good between the two brothers with how willing Piers was to testify. But to say what Piers had said so calmly... it almost unnerved him. Almost.

James decided not to press further, they had wasted enough time as it was. If it was important to know, he could ask when Pierce was deposed.

"Very well. In that case," James pulled out an Ultra Ball from his brief case and dropped it on the ground. From the Ultra Ball came one order of time traveler with a side helping of mock annoyance. Richard widened his eyes and Hades had to admit shock too at the seeing the legend before him.

"Whoa..." Richard whispered. Suddenly being dragged around for the sake of there being someone to be dragged around was worth it.

What am I, a taxi service? Celebi said with a false pout. You could have at least let me watch the fun part.

"Please spare us your antics. We need you to take us to Evergrande City. Preferably now, if you please," James said before asking a question he guessed he knew the answer to, "Or earlier, if you could make that work."

No way, José. Celebi responded with a grin and a shake of her head. But now's a good time, she said as they all blinked out of that time and place.

 

 

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/Miriam Shields/President James Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City:

 

Pierce smiled, prompting Goldhawk to frown. What does he have up his sleeve now?

 

"See, there I believe you're wrong, Representative." President Pierce walked forward, looking at Goldhawk and Bounty again. He dropped his gaze back down to Miriam. "This John Ford individual has done just about nothing offensive against Hoenn. It is inaction to the point where, at times, I've even doubted whether he really exists. But I suppose, since you bring him up, we'll both agree to consider him a real individual . . ." He paced back and forth for a bit, finally lifting his head. He seemed to be more interested in addressing the individuals monitoring the debate.

 

"If I understand you correctly," Pierce said. "John Ford is Hoenn's most dangerous threat because he targeted the families of Shadow Admin Sleight and Shadow Admin Joker. Yet, I don't recall any mention being made of any of their family dying in any such attacks. Did he aim to kill them?" He looked at Miriam. "Your argument falls flat whether he intended to or not. If he did and he failed, then surely his methods are not nearly as effective as one might initially think--ergo, not worth worrying about. And if he did not, then why worry at all? Certainly, he could cripple a system if he wanted to, but such a petty attack as these serve as little more than acts to weaken morale. And if no one died? Nerve-wracking, certainly, but I would hardly expect a leader like Joker or Sleight to fold under that sort of pressure."

 

He tilted his head. "On a related point, what right do the Shadow Admins have to feel sorry for themselves over this sort of personal attack? Last I checked, these are the same individuals who enacted a bloody revolution in order to take control of four regional governments." He looked at Bounty. The older man's lips had thinned, though he still managed to meet Pierce's pointed gaze with his own. "Not only that, but their families were not the ones waging war and sacrificing their lives for the Shadow Admins' cause. No; that job they gave to their legions of fanatics and their families, as well as the countless criminals they allowed to work within their system as a means of 'public service' and 'redemption.'"

 

By this point, Pierce had returned to his designated seat, picking up his mug. He looked at Goldhawk, meeting the Liberty Leader's gaze from across the field. "Which brings me to Castelia," Pierce said. "I don't suppose you're aware of the demographics regarding the people who did not escape the city during its destruction?" He took a drink.

 

Goldhawk did not let his confusion show in his face. "That information was never made available to Team Liberty."

 

"I didn't think so," Pierce said, setting the glass back down. "See, unlike you and yours, the Unovan government has remained on at least somewhat open terms with Hoenn ever since Teams Liberty and Rocket were ousted from the region. Turns out there are some benefits to not waging bloody war with another group for twelve years." He picked up a document, returning to the lower arena as he flipped through it. "It's rather miraculous, really, that the overall casualty count was so low. That, I suppose, can be afforded to your groups' intervention in warning the Castelia police in time to evacuate. For those who did not make it out, however, an interesting pattern arises. Tell me, do you recognize this?"

 

Pierce flipped the folder around. The page he displayed appeared to bear some sort of sigil, composed of a four-point compass and four circles, one at the end of each point. Indistinct shapes had been printed in each circle; Goldhawk could not make them out from his position.

 

"I can't say I do," he said.

 

Pierce smiled. "Then it's time for a history lesson," he said. "There's a criminal organization primarily operating out of Kalos. It is called the Signs, and this is their emblem." Bounty raised an eyebrow. "Once upon a time, they were one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in the region, to the point where they had an established empire across three different regions. One of these was Unova. In recent years, their numbers and influence have dwindled, but Plasma reported continued disturbances in Castelia up until this past December."

 

Goldhawk realized what sort of picture Pierce was trying to paint just as he touched the brush to the canvass.

 

"As it happens, the majority of those caught in the attack on Castelia were known or highly-suspected affiliates of the remaining Signs infestation in Unova," Pierce said. "One building in particular--Coeur Tower--was thought to be the epicenter of their operations." He closed the folder. "That should sound familiar, at least?"

 

"So," Goldhawk said, rising from his seat. He leaned forward, planting his hands on his desk as he stared Pierce down. "What you're suggesting is that the incident in Castelia was some sort of attempt by Ford and his Agent to target a criminal organization within Unova? To help Team Plasma by destroying another one of their cities?" He gestured to Miriam. "I would think that such a reckless plan would only reinforce the point we're trying to make--that Ford is dangerous. That he isn't concerned with putting innocents in danger if it means he can get to his actual targets. Yet, you seem to be suggesting that his actions in this case are excusable, and that this isn't something to be concerned about."

 

"Oh, far from it," Pierce said. "Destroying a city is reprehensible, no matter the reason. But I do think there were multiple intents with the attack. I'm sure you're familiar with the big one--this Agent's claims that she wished to send a message to Team Plasma, in response to your war?" He waved the folder at Goldhawk, offering a slight smile and a wink. "Despite the stated intent, however, the fact remains that this Agent targeted areas and buildings specifically affiliated with a public nuisance, and her actions allowed your Agents to get untold innocents out of the way." Pierce folded his hands behind his back. "And you still expect me to believe that Ford should be my primary concern? The way I see it, this is a man with specific targets and carefully-plotted means of attacking said targets. Not only that, Mr. Aleivy, but his attacks are focused on one thing in particular, and that is intervening in your military affairs with one another. Why should I or anyone in Hoenn be worried when it is clearly you and the scum of the Earth that he is after?"

Edited August 11, 2016 by Parugi

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

There was no avoiding that. Between the Horn Drill, the rocks, the damage she had already taken, and the sand, the Gyarados crashed into the ground, unmoving. Jenny recalled the fainted sea serpent with a wince, and thought for a moment, as she sent out Boarlite again. "Flame Charge, build up your speed." The girl watched as the Emboar charged in Lazengann's direction. She was worried about the speed of the Excadrill, and had a feeling that she would need to be very careful about how she played this fight out.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

The girl nodded with a small smile. "Yeah... good luck as well. See you tomorrow, maybe?" Colette shook Ryan's hand for a moment, and then seemed to be awkwardly lost about what to do. She didn't want to seem rude by leaving the room before he actually left, but was still worried about what happened with Zoe. As a sort of bad compromise there, the aura wielder decided that as soon as Ryan left, she would immediately head upstairs to talk to Zoe. She realized, however, that the plan was not really any compromise at all, but she didn't want to dwell on it for long.

 

-==IC: Yellow==-

 

"Two on two, single battle rules. Does that sound alright to you?" The woman smiled as she walked to the far end of the clearing and turned around. Chuchu smiled at Jamie's Pokemon and gave Lucan another happy chirp, and then dashed over to to Yellow afterward. The trainer unclipped a Pokeball from her belt, and considered it. "I think I'm going to use Chuchu and Omny, if we agree with those rules! I think this will be a fun battle." Yellow sent out the Omastar in question as she explained her plan. She was pleased that the other trainer already appeared to be feeling a bit better, and hoped that the actual battle could help with that even more.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

So now they were each down to their last two. The trainer mused about his next maneuver, trying to decide how to work with this. "So it's a contest of speed you want, huh?" Evan said, grinning at Boarlite's course of action. "Let's see how you deal with this! Lazengann, claw at Boarlite!" The Hero knew that Lazengann was in a very tricky position. Despite having a type advantage, Boarlite did as well, as well as a height and weight advantage. He had to make sure Laz left no opening for Boarlite to exploit.

Lazengann nodded, and with speed that almost reached that of a Deoxys, rushed towards Boarlite, his claws gleaming coldly. He Didn't exactly want to get close, but then again.... He didn't have to worry about anything, as long as the Mega Fire Pig didn't hit him.....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny attempted to clear her mind as the Excadrill approached rapidly. The girl slowly breathed in and out, making sure to avoid breathing in the sand, as she nodded. "Right step!" The Emboar quickly took a step to the right quickly, relying on Jenny's commands for the moment to deal with the ultra fast Lazengann. "Now, Flame Charge again; chase after him!" Boarlite roared out to begin with, to try and knock the Excadrill off his feet like she had done for Behemoth. Directly afterwards, she wrapped herself in flames once again, and ran toward Lazengann, hoping to be able to catch up before she was hit, because she felt that would not end well at all.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Not this time, Jenny!" Evan said, a very determined grin on his face. "Lazengann, turn it up, hit it and get down!" The trainer knew that Lazengann would definitely somehow understand his admittedly nonsensical commands. While he wasn't sure if they'd work, he had to have faith that Laz would at least try not go down too easily. It just wouldn't be right for him to go down without a fight....

Lazengann couldn't help but feel his trainer was just shouting nonsense. He knew he was crazy, but not this crazy. Turn what up? Hit what? Get down? The Subterrene pokemon tried to figure out what Evan had meant, while Boarlite's roaring shockwave was getting closer. He knew there had to be somethi-

Then it hit him like an Emboar.

Lazengann accelerated his running, digging into deeper reserves than before, His speed took a sharp increase and even more so after he decided to leap and fold into his drill form, right into the shock wave. The end result was enough of a boost that propelled Lazengann past it, while taking some minor damage in the process. Once he got close to his foe, he flew past Boarlite, hopefully doing some damage to her, which lead to him landing on the ground again, using his steel claws to ease his landing.

"Turn it up, hit it, and get down." Just like his friend said.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"Keep it up, keep it up! You're not done yet!" Jenny clenched her fist, as she pushed it forward. The Emboar stumbled slightly from the hit she took as the Excadrill passed by, but she planted her foot on the now-sandy ground and quickly pivoted as gracefully as an Emboar could. Boarlite grinned, obviously enjoying this match as much as her trainer, as she sped toward Lazengann once again with her third Flame Charge. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, but was certainly about to try as best as she could.

 

As the flaming pig closed the distance, Jenny smiled. "When you're close enough... use that move!" The Emboar's eyes lit up, as she grinned savagely at the much smaller Excadrill. Boarlite attempted to push herself to go faster still, as she gathered more and more flames for her next move, anticipating when she could use Heat Crash in this match finally.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Laz, look out!" Evan shouted, while laughing on the inside at what he knew was going to happen. Lazengann turned around, and froze in horror as he saw Boarlite closing in at an alarming speed. He saw her become cloaked in flames, melting the sand blowing around her. The Subterrene pokemon knew he could try to escape from her, but also knew she would only get faster and hit him with even more force. As she leapt up, and fell upon him, the Excadrill could only think of one thing at that moment in time.

"Mother."
 

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Boarlite got up off the poor Excadrill with an apologetic, yet smug, look on her face. That would be one less speedy rodent spinning around causing trouble. The Emboar walked away from Lazengann brushing the dust off her hands, also going a bit slowly back to her side. She wanted to take her time after that over-exertion of a race; both to recover her stamina, and to half rub it in to Lazengann that he was a bit too slow.

 

"Now, now Boarlite, play nice!" Jenny laughed, but felt nervous butterflies in her stomach. She could hardly believe that she had already taken down Evan's team to Gnip. She frowned, however, as she knew Gnip's strength for herself, and wasn't certain exactly how the fight would be handled. "Now, prepare yourself! Gnip's about to make her grand reappearance, but we can't underestimate her!"

[Konuju]

IC: Ryan

"We'll see." Ryan smiled again. "Well, goodnight, then." With a small wave, the Liberty agent turned around and headed out the door, starting the long walk back to the Alamo.

 

Togie and Orihime swooped over to accompany him. The Togekiss were both pleased at how things seemed to have gone well -- they hadn't been able to listen in on the conversation, but they could still sense the distress in Colette's aura had eased somewhat. Ryan, too, felt much more relaxed than he had in the past several days. As he left Vier Village, however, his thoughts drifted back to Ford and Two Island. Tomorrow he'd have to meet with Jayron.

 

IC: Zoe

Zoe's spirits had been rekindled... and so had her carpet.

 

When Colette had stormed out of the house, their parents had made Zoe finish her food and head up to her room. Zoe, in a fit of stubbornness not unlike the one her sister had just put on, refused on both ends; the former, because seeing her mom and sister fight had caused her to lose her appetite; the latter, because parents only send their children to their rooms when they've done something wrong. And Zoe felt she had done nothing wrong... outside of disobeying those two rather disagreeable demands, of course.

 

Which, in her parents' eyes, was reason enough to enforce the latter command.

 

And so it was with multipurpose tears that Zoe found herself racing up the stairs. As she passed by her sister's room, a blue tadpole leapt into her arms, crooning worriedly. Zoe was too upset to take any notice of her sister's newest Pokémon. When she made it to her room she tossed the Poliwag aside and threw herself down on her bed, crying into her pillow.

 

Getting treated like a ragdoll did nothing to deter Pollyanna. The tadpole leapt onto the bed and nudged herself against Zoe to get her attention. When at last Zoe looked up, the Poliwag opened her tiny mouth and blew forth a stream of bubbles. In her dejected state, Zoe barely managed a melancholy smile as the bubbles dispersed throughout her room.

 

While Merida tried to catch as many bubbles as she could, Esmeralda trotted over to the foot of the bed and gave Zoe a concerned bark. The girl wiped her tears on her sleeve. "I-I'll be alright..." she muttered. It was a boldfaced lie.

 

Seeing the Esmeralda was just as worried as her trainer, Pollyanna decided her expertise was needed. She hopped down from the bed and began to blow therapeutic bubbles in the fox's face. Esmeralda promptly sneezed, blowing embers across the floor and lighting the carpet ablaze.

 

And that was how Zoe found her spirits lifted from complete hopelessness to frantic panic. Sure, it wasn't much of an improvement, but at least it got her out of bed. Luckily the embers were small and easily put out. Pollyanna, Merida, and Esmeralda also helped to douse the flames. Zoe was still in the middle of stamping out the last bit when Colette opened the door.

 

Zoe quickly stopped her stamping and turned to face her sister with an innocent smile. "Hiya, Collie!" she said with a fake cheeriness. Merida echoed her trainer's smile while Esmeralda hid herself under the bed. Pollyanna, catching sight of her trainer, crooned happily and leapt into Colette's arms.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

As Colette opened the door and saw the furiously stomping Zoe, she had to wonder if this was a bad time, or if she should ask what that was all about. With a shake of her head, the aura wielder shook her head, and decided to simply walk into the room and close the door behind her.

 

"Hiya..." Colette stayed quiet for a moment, as she seemed to once again be lost for words. She looked over to Zoe and bit her lip, as she sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier..." The girl trailed off there, both due to feeling guilty about the situation, and because she suddenly noticed that Pollyanna was in the room, and wondered just what she had missed in the time since Zoe had gone upstairs. To try and find an answer, she looked to her younger sister with a quizzical look.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Good show, Lazengann!" Evan said as he returned his friend to his poke ball. "You did your best and I could ask for no less. Now it's time for you to rest." Evan then turned to Gnip, who had been watching all the battles with a gaze of ferocious joy. She had been watching her fellow pokemon perform so many incredible tricks and attacks. Evan could feel the anticipation radiating from the Mach pokemon's body. He smiled and then faced forward. "Gnip, go out and play!" Evan said, smiling joyfully. "Do be sure to clean things up first, huh?"

Gnip flashed Evan her species' equivalent of a grin, before making her way towards the center of the battlefield with her trademark playfulness. The Garchomp glanced at the whirling sands flying about, and took a deep breath. She knew what Evan meant by cleaning things up, and she was going to make sure of that. Evan's prized pokemon took a slow, deep breath, making sure to do this just right.....

Then she roared.

The roar shook the ground and air alike. Evan even had to cover his ears to deal with how loud it was. No sooner had it been unleashed, when all the sand was blown away by the shock wave created her impressive roar. She then looked at Boarlite, and gave her a very confident look that basically said.......

"Show me what you are made of."

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize and Sylph

 

The two watched the battle in silence, gauging the potential difficulties of each combatant. It was a fun game, deciding if they could come up with a winning strategy or not; unsurprisingly, they couldn't for most of the pokémon the two heroes sent out.

 

And then came Gnip. As the Garchomp roared, both trainer and Gardevoir flinched. Xander grinned. Think you could take Gnip in a fight?

 

Perhaps, she replied, if I could stay far, far away and hit her with nothing but Moon Blast and Dazzling Gleam. In all likelihood, however, she would eat me for lunch.

 

Xander nodded lightly. Fair enough. Hopefully we never have to seriously fight her.

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe

The girl's smile faded as she remembered she was supposed to be sad and angry. "What... what even happened there?" she asked hesitantly. "I thought you were gonna run away and I'd never see you again. Then mom sent me up to my room like it was all my fault or something. What's going on, Collie?"

 

Esmeralda hadn't been present for the dinner argument, but now that she realized that it was more or less Collie's fault that Zoe was so sad, the fiery fox crawled out from under the bed to give the aura wielder a reprimanding bark.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Boarlite rushed forward at the challenge, as Jenny ran through strategies in her mind. "Start off with Smog!" The trainer knew that she needed to deal more damage; she wasn't certain how it would go if Scizlite went into the fight as it was, but Boarlite still had a chance to help with that part of the fight. The Emboar launched off the poisonous substance toward Gnip, and then prepared herself for the next few moments. This was a key time that she could not afford to be caught off guard.

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

The girl stayed quiet for a few moments as she listened to Zoe's words over and over in her head. Hesitantly, Colette slowly began to explain what had happened in the dining room from her perspective. After that, she paused and bit her lip for a moment, before taking a deep breath. Knowing that keeping secrets from her sister would just result in more of these situations popping up, the aura wielder began to explain her side of what happened in Kalos. She still emphasized that she overall liked her powers, but wanted to reveal her secret struggles with her friends and the other things like her issues as well.

 

Colette rubbed her arm as she wondered if it was a good idea to explain about all that stuff, but knew that it was needed if she was going to keep things from falling apart. She went on to explain about how things had turned out after the talk in the dining room after she returned, but seemed melancholic still because of the effect all the stuff had on Zoe and her parents.

 

"I'm sorry... I should have mentioned a lot of this sooner, but I... I didn't feel like it was a good idea. You were happy, and looked up to me so much; how could I talk about how I had things I was struggling with...?" Colette closed her eyes, as she sighed. "All I can do is apologize; I feel like I've been a bad sister to you, especially tonight..."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Hit her hard, and hit her fast!" Evan said, his confidence not wavering in the least. "Show us all what you can do, Gnip!" Growling fiercely, the Mach pokemon rushed towards the Smog attack. her eyes burning with determination. She rushed towards Boarlite, and aimed to slice at her with her right fin but missed due to Boarlite's earlier speed boosts. Snarling due to the poison afflicting her, Gnip unleashed an Earthquake-inducing roar, aiming to trip up her foe to make it easier to hit her.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny frowned slightly, as Boarlite was tripped up by the earth shaking from the second roar. The Emboar was knocked away by a follow-up attack, and struggled to get up after, seeming a bit uneasy on her feet. The trainer nodded as she noticed the Garchomp was poisoned, however. "Keep up the pressure as long as you can! You're doing great!" Boarlite ran forward once again, as she felt inspired by the compliments. Gnip was certainly fast, but Boarlite preferred this pace to Lazengann's speed.

 

The Emboar wrapped flames around herself once again, as she tried to punch out at Gnip; she knew it wouldn't deal much damage overall thanks to the tough dragon-hide that the Garchomp had, but she was certainly going to give it her all before she had to tag out. Boarlite bellowed afterward, as she attempted to slam into the Garchomp after with a mighty Super Power, placing all her faith into this attack.

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe

It was too much to take in. Zoe didn't want to believe it. It was as if her perfect little world had shattered. For several long moments the girl stood there in silence, trying to wrap her head around this new reality her sister had proposed. And the more she thought about it, the less she liked it.

 

Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw her arms around Zoe, giving her the tightest hug she could muster. "You're not a bad sister," she said, her words muffled through her tight embrace. "You're the bestest sister in the world. You have tons of friends: the True Hero, the Space Princess, the Kalos Friend, Ryan, Executive Aura, Misters Spoony and Bard... Y-you're the unstoppable Aura Princess! All that matters is that you're here and that you and Mom are friends again..."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Gnip crossed her forelimbs in front of her, getting knocked back quite a ways away, but still standing. "Don't lose heart, Gnip!" Evan said encouragingly, giving Gnip a thumbs up. "Dragon Claw barrage, and don't let up, not even for a second!" Gnip nodded at Evan and then rushed towards Boarlite, claws gleaming. As soon as she drew close, she started clawing at her foe ferociously. Despite her condition, she looked like she was having the time of her life, especially since she didn't have to hold back for once.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

The Emboar attempted to dodge around the Dragon Claw swipes as Gnip attacked. She ducked and weaved, and it looked like the enhanced speed from the Flame Charges would help her out enough to win. However, just as she was getting ready to attack again, the Garchomp swiped out once again, catching Boarlite completely off guard. The Emboar was hit and sent flying backwards, landing hard on the sandy ground. Jenny frowned, as she noticed that Boarlite had been knocked out by the attack.

 

She used the lowered defense from the Superpower to her own advantage... Jenny nodded, as she recalled the fainted Pokemon, and pulled her final Pokemon off her belt and looked at the Scizor inside. Silently, they had a conversation with their eyes, and then they both nodded. The trainer threw the capsule forward, and the Scizor appeared in a flash of red light, the red bug quickly assuming a battle position. "Scizlite, let's go!"
 

Without waiting for commands, the Scizor flew forward, her right pincer glowing with energy, as she attempted a Bullet Punch off the bat. However, as she grew closer to Gnip, she planted her feet on the ground, and then pushed off from the ground to jump up. The Scizor attempted to use that momentum to carry her over the powerful Garchomp, planning to slash out with Aerial Ace as she passed by overhead. Scizlite was here to fight, and to prove herself.

[Konuju]

IC: Shannon
"Well, psychic powers is a bit better than I can do at the moment." Shannon smiled wryly as she took another shaky step to demonstrate. She managed to catch herself on the footboard of her bed before she fell flat on her face, and opted to forego her exercise for the time being and merely sit for a moment to chat. It was obvious her muscles had weakened from her extended bedrest; the simple walk to the foot of her bed had taken her breath away, and she spent several moments panting before looking back at Guinevere.
 
"I, too, feel like I'm being held a prisoner." She shuddered for a moment, then tried to change the subject. "So... um... y-you said you jumped in front of an explosion? What happened?"

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

The Aerial Ace struck Gnip hard, yet Gnip responded in kind with a Flamethrower, aiming to at least singe the Scissors Pokemon as she passed overhead. She knew that this pokemon was a foe not to be trifled with, especially in her current state. Gnip also quickly lashed her tail out to where Scizlite was possibly going to land. "Keep it up, Gnip!" Evan cheered. "You're doing fine! Win, lose, whatever!" Gnip nodded to her master's words, agreeing with his sentiment. She really was enjoying this entire fight. Even if she lost, she was still satisfied.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Hades

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Scizlite attempted to use her wings to mitigate the fire; but she still felt her abdomen get singed a bit by the flames. The Scizor spotted the tail, however, and flew forward further, just barely staying over the tail as she landed and spun around. The Flamethrower was troublesome, but she wasn't about to give up and stay back, especially since she needed to be close to attack. The Scizor took a deep breath, and then flew forward once again, the Quick Attack fueling her speed.

 

As she approached, she attempted to weave through the air in a semi-unpredictable pattern. It had a wide-open flaw, but Scizlite hoped that Gnip would be unable to see through it enough to target her with a Flamethrower before she collided. Her thought was that she would follow through with the Quick Attack, and then attempt to use Bug Bite while still close; it was risky, but she didn't have any other ideas, and Jenny was staying quiet for the moment.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan noted Scizlite's plan, thinking about how to deal with her evasiveness. He grinned at the fact  that she took a page out of Vlad's book with her last action, but frowned at Gnip's situation. Not only was she poisoned, but she was also damaged in her bout with Gyaralite. The Hero had to think of a way to end this quickly, before it was lights out for the Mach pokemon. "Gnip, when she draws close, use Dragon Claw!" Evan said, his face turning a little concerned. "The end is drawing to a close, so let's prepare for the Grand Finale!"

Gnip let out a short roar, as she tried to predict where Scizlite was going to strike. Suddenly, Scizlite dart towards her, and unleashed a Bug Bite on the Garchomp. Gnip responded in kind with yet another Dragon Claw, aiming to chip away at her foe's vitality. She had come this far, and she would see this through to the end.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Scizlite watched as the Garchomp charged up her Dragon Claws. The Scizor quickly prepared to use Aerial Ace to parry the blows, but they ended up breaking through anyway. The Scizor skidded back for a moment, but returned to the offensive, lashing out with Aerial Ace once again in attempt to keep the pressure up.

 

"Scizlite, over here for a moment." The bug paused in the middle of her attack long enough to jump back, so she could look back to Jenny, confused at the command. Jenny beckoned Scizlite to come closer, and the Pokemon reluctantly agreed. After the trainer whispered details on why she had called the bug over, however, Scizlite suddenly understood things a little better. Jenny made a few motions that were subtle enough to not be able to be seen from the opposite side of the field, and Scizlite nodded, turning back to Gnip and Evan afterward, a confident smile on her face.

 

Jenny watched as the Scizor headed back toward the fight, a matching look on her own face. She wasn't sure if this would work, but a good chunk of her strategy was to stay in the game as long as possible. And if her idea worked...

 

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette didn't know what to say. She bit her lip, as she returned the hug a bit, conflicted as she considered her options. Going along with what Zoe said didn't seem like it would work well enough; but neither did lying and saying everything was alright. She could agree that things were getting better, but covering up the rest just seemed unfair to the younger girl, in her opinion. With a small sigh, she managed a weak smile.

 

"Things are getting better... but everything isn't totally alright. If you still think I'm a good sister, that's great. I want to be good, and help you and everything, but..." Colette sighed, as the look on her face turned sad, as she just trailed off there, having a sinking feeling this wouldn't end well.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan and Gnip

As Scizlite came back to the battlefield, Evan whistled to Gnip and ushered her over to where he was. The Garchomp wearily reached him, clearly feeling a little exhausted, due to everything that had happened in the battle. When she got close, Evan gave her a loving pat on the head, beaming proudly at his friend. "You've done so well, Gnip!" Evan said happily. "You are a far cry from the Gible you once were, yet you are also just like back then. I want you to know, girl, that even if you lose, I'll still be happy you gave it your all. Now get out there and finish this!"

Gnip's eyes seemed to sparkle with glee and newfound energy as she walked back to the arena, clearly very encouraged by her master's kind and honest words. The Mach pokemon slapped her tail onto the ground and let out a challenging roar to Scizlite, feeling a wonderful sense of finality in these moments. Evan smiled and prepared to let loose the final attack command to Gnip for this battle.

"Grand Finale: Heaven and Earth!"

At the command of her master and friend, Gnip raised her head to let out a roar. It sounded mighty and savage, yet at the same time seemed to carry a gentle and kind note to it. The roar carried up into the skies above, and deep into the ground below. In reply, a great Earthquake shook the island, and an innumerable amount of Draco Meteors fell from the sky. This was her final trump card; an attack that utilized both Earthquake and Draco Meteor in a dangerous all out attack. The Garchomp continued to roar, putting her all into it.....

[Blessed Blade]

 

Jenny and Scizlite were surprised by the sheer power exuded by the move that was being used. The two smiled, however, even as the meteors began to fall.

 

"Now... Go!" The Scizor nodded, as she took flight. Scizlite flew forward, as she dodged around the falling rocks and flew above the fragments of rock that were raised like a pillar. The bug-type faltered as a Draco Meteor hit her directly... however, she passed through the resulting smoke, still flying through the air, as lines of wind trailed behind her, Quick Attack active. Jenny had given Scizlite a very odd attack combination, and she was very intent on testing it, hoping that she could match up to her trainer's expectations and succeed.

 

The Scizor kept flying, the obstacles slowly getting thicker and thicker as she approached. She barely managed to avoid two Draco Meteors that hit where she had been moments earlier, and noticed the path clearing out a bit as she got close enough to Gnip. With a confident smile, Scizite figured that this was the best place to begin, as she noticed the wind beginning to pick up.

 

Scizlite's eyes briefly flashed in understanding, as she crossed her arms together, gathering a light green glow of energy around her pincers. The glow of the X-Scissor faded briefly as she 'slashed' her arms to the side while still moving forward. However, the glow took on a steely tone, as she closed the pincer and punched forward once in range, the energy from both attacks intermixing into one powerful combination aimed directly at the roaring dragon's chest. The Scizor felt her energy drain from the previous attacks and this, however, so she needed to hope this would work, one way or the other...

[Konuju]

IC: Zoe

Zoe looked up at her sister. "But you'll make everything alright... won't you, Collie? Just like you did in Seven Island. Just like you always do..." She wiped her tears on her sleeve and sniffled. She seemed to be feeling a little better, at least.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Colette==-

 

Colette seemed a bit awkward at that, but nodded. "I-I'll try my best..." She smiled slightly at her sister, and then paused, as she finally recalled the fact that Zoe had been stamping on the floor when she walked into the room.

 

"... So, um, what was with you stomping at the floor earlier?" The girl raised an eyebrow at her younger sister, a slightly skeptical look on her face as she realized that it more than likely was unrelated to the fact that Zoe was upstairs.