Pokémon: Rise Of The Rockets

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Four Island

 

Lucan looked left and right (one head each) to find the opportune angle to dodge. It was not to be however, as Jamie called out "Lucan, use Mirror Coat!"

 

The Vanilluxe gulped as he coated himself in a bright light. The cold beam didn't affect him as much as his affected the Omastar because of his typing but it still hurt. The beam then rebounded off of Lucan and back towards the Omastar.

 

Jamie's heart was slowly beginning to race. "Now add your own Ice Beam," Jamie added with a slight grin.

 

The two heads fired one combined beam that followed behind the Mirror Coat-Ice Beam. Pelleas watched both beams with interest. He was curious to know which beam was stronger.

 

They were also both very shiny which may have also grabbed the Heracross's attention.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Yellow==-

 

Yellow's eyes widened, startled at the tenacity of the timid snow Pokemon. The Omastar braced himself as the three beams slammed into him. He could likely have gotten up again for at least one more attack, however, his lower body was so totally frozen that he was unable to actually move. "Omny, return!" The woman smiled as she retrieved the frozen fossil Pokemon with her Pokeball. "Not bad; Chuchu, let's see how this goes!"

 

The Pikachu squeaked in acknowledgement, as she looked between Lucan and Pelleas, to see who her opponent would be. Yellow now kept focus, as she glanced across the field. She was interested in how Lucan could split his attacks like he had - if the ice Pokemon stayed in, she would need to use that against him.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

As the teleportation occurred, Evan felt nothing as it went seamlessly from where he and Jenny were spectating, to a Pokemon Center. The Plasma Agent realized that Jenny hadn't answered his question, but right now, he had bigger fish to fry. The Agent approached Chloe, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "What was that, Chloe?" Evan asked, making sure to contain his amazement at the girl's ability. "That definitely was powerful and interesting. But aside from that, are you ok?"

Edited August 18, 2016 by Hades

[Parugi]

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

 

A stunned silence had fallen over the entire room. Goldhawk and Bounty could not help but look at James with an expression of exasperated relief and flabbergasted incredulity, respectively--for the latter, it was clear that James Arthur had lost his mind.

 

Then there was Pierce, who could not honestly hide his surprise or irritation at the sight of the individual who had interrupted his big reveal. Nor could he quite hide his astonishment that Team Liberty's claim had been made so boldly, so publicly--and, it seemed, so assuredly as to shock many of the other persons present around him, some of whom looked at him with expressions of uncertainty.

 

He composed himself, smiling up at James Arthur. "My, my--if it isn't the scoundrel who broke into my office and assaulted my privacy." Pierce snapped his fingers, looking around for any security personnel. "Bailiff, remove this man--he has no business here."

 

"You don't even want to hear what he has to say?" Goldhawk asked. "Surely you'd like to dispute his claims?"

 

"What do I have to dispute except for the nonsense accusations of a Liberty Executive who has quite clearly lost his mind?" President Pierce responded. "They are baseless claims and nothing more. And I'm sure anyone of sound judgment would agree with that assessment."

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

"Oh, um, I'm okay... I think I just need some water..." The girl tried to smile slightly, as she shrugged. "It's not something I can really... explain, though. I basically just synchronize my thoughts with Alvis, and yeah... I might be able to do it with my other Pokemon too, but, well, I haven't exactly tried that before." Chloe giggled awkwardly, as she went to grab a glass of water like she had mentioned.

 

"What was that energy thing, though?" Jenny asked as she followed the other girl, as she seemed curious about what had happened. Chloe stared back blankly, however, and tilted her head.

 

"What energy thing?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize and Sylph

 

Xander released Sylph immediately after getting her ball back, and the two exchanged a look. Synchronizing thoughts? They were practically there already. Is there anything more to it than that? Xander asked. You're probably too worn out to demonstrate further, so we might try on our own later.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"You seemed to have some energy or something radiating from you." Evan said, curious as to why Chloe didn't notice. "You were definitely glowing. Was there something different about this time around?" The Agent wondered if the girl had somehow powered it up further, but shook it off. There would be time to think about it later. Right now, he was feeling a little tired, and as a result, let out a little yawn....
 

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Four Island

 

The Vanilluxe looked positively catatonic with fear. He had only taken two attacks, but the Hydro Pump was a testament to the power of the trainer. And unlike him, the Pikachu was at full health. His irrational fear of the Pikachu had turned into a rational one.

 

"Alright, you can rest now, Lucan," Jamie said, smiles at 75% capacity and rising.

 

Safety! Before Jamie could blink, Lucan was already behind her back.

 

Jamie almost criticized Lucan for running away that quick, but decided he didn't deserve it. "You did well, Lucan. Relax all you want," Jamie said smiling.

 

Lucan obliged.

 

"Alright Pelleas. It is time," she said punching her left fist into her right hand.

 

The Heracross flexed his wings to limber up before the fight. It hurt him to have to fight such an adorable little thing, but he was pumped from watching Lucan fight. He hoped the Pikachu was as tough as it was cute.

 

"I will take the first move if you don't mind," Jamie called to Yellow.

 

"Alright," Yellow responded with a nod.

 

"Okay, Pelleas, Megahorn!" she called to the Heracross who responded be spreading his wings and flying low towards the Pikachu, horn first.

 

 

IC: James/Miriam/Goldhawk/Bounty/Pierce - Hoenn Conference Place - Evergrande City

 

James didn't flinch, nor his smile falter at the accusations. The drama was building. The tensions rising. Very few believed him, and even they could not believe he could prove it, yet he had firmly captured everyone's attention.

 

Oh ye of little faith. No matter, I will have my converts soon enough, James thought as he looked at the incredulous faces of his allies.

 

"Executive Arthur's name was clearly listed among the participants. If you had any objections to his presence, you should have made them known before the start of this debate," Miriam objected, holding documentation proving her words.

 

James appreciated the sentiment, but he knew that Pierce's word no longer held the authority he thought it did. Pierce held authority over the people of Hoenn, but James held something stronger: interest.

 

"Trying to make the monster go away are we? Are you that scared of me Pierce? I would hope the leader of a nation would be more... sure of his footing," James taunted.

 

Miriam became a casualty of James's attempt to rile Pierce. It was clear that James was so assured of his victory, that he could not even bother to read the mood and take this seriously. Now his face seemed like that of an amateur comedian who was desperately trying to avoid breaking out into laughter before he told the punchline.

 

James shook his head slowly, "It matters not, however. I am mainly just here to introduce my witness, anyhow. He is much more qualified to prove your guilt than I am."

 

A witness? Miriam questioned. The fact that James had found someone both willing and able to testify against Ford's henchman, and have so much confidence in this witness that he was willing to act like this honestly surprised her.

 

James briefly (and deliberately) hid any trace of mirth from his face and stated, "Before I am escorted out, I must first invoke the 'Dole Amendment' as grounds for President 'Pierce's' immediate dismissal."

 

Miriam flipped through her notes. The Dole Amendment was a piece of legislation that made being a native of Hoenn a requirement for being President (more specifically, it said that they must be from territory belonging to the Hojohsin League, Pierce's plans for expansion implied if not directly stated). If Executive Arthur was bringing it up, then his witness would be able to prove that Pierce was from outside Hoenn.

 

Now just who did he have that could do that?

 

"My witness is a professor of religion and ethics from Heaven's Cloud University in Aspertia City, Unova. Please come forward, Professor Piers Ebner," James said stepping aside as his trump card entered the room, a bright smile back on his face.

 

Miriam had her answer.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe looked between Evan and Xander after she drank some of the water, unsure who to respond to first.  Deciding to go in reverse order, she looked to Evan first. "Umm... I don't... think I did anything really different. We seemed more determined than usual, but..." With a slight frown, the girl wondered if she had put more strength into the link without thinking consciously about it, and whether that was related to why she had such a headache. Energy, though... what could that mean...?

 

After shaking her head for a moment, she looked to Xander, an uncertain frown on her face. "That's pretty much it... basically, just focusing on the connection. I think we share power somehow too, and we can feel what the other feels... but I'm not quite sure on the actual mechanics on how." Chloe laughed awkwardly, as she frowned uncertainly. Maybe if I can figure out exactly how it happens... maybe I can replicate what happened just now.

 

-==IC: Yellow==-

 

"Quick Attack to dodge, then Thunderbolt." The woman seemed to become more serious, as Chuchu mirrored her expression. The electric mouse quickly moved to the side as the Heracross approached, leaving the Heracross to hopefully just attack thin air in the process. The Pikachu quickly charged up an electrical aura, and let it loose toward the Heracross. Chuchu landed quickly, but still seemed to be on guard, her entire body stance acting differently, as was the woman's.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize and Sylph

 

At the mention of feeling what each other felt, Xander had to groan. All that work on learning to ignore his empathy, and now it was one of the keys to synchronizing. Sylph smothered a giggle. "Look on the bright side," she said to him. "At least we don't have to completely tear down that wall again. Just open it up for me."

 

Xander nodded softly. Yeah, I guess. Still . . .  He sighed. Thanks, Chloe. You go get some rest, alright?

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan yawned as Xander mentioned resting to Chloe. After all the excitement today, he could definitely use a lot of that, considering his team could use it as well. "I think I'm gonna head back to my room, to take a nap." Evan said, as he turned to Jenny. "I'll see you at my room, if you decide to hang back."

"Don't you mean you're going back to your room to lick your wounds after the sound thrashing you got from your girlfriend?" A snarky voice echoed in everyone's heads. Evan laughed it off with a flourish of his left arm. "A loss only means I can get stronger, goofball." Evan said, smiling a bit. "And, it wasn't sound. I am pretty sure there was an equal chance of either of us winning, so ha!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe/Jenny==-

 

Chloe nodded to Xander with a small smile, as she drained the rest of the water in her cup quickly. She seemed confused about how she could hear Feral, but decided that was a question for the next day. "And with that, I'm gonna just go now." She giggled quietly, and placed the now-empty cup in the sink before she headed back to her room.

 

Not even really cluing in, Jenny didn't register Chloe's goodbye at first, as she chuckled at Evan and Feral's bickering. "Well, sounds like as good a place as any, since I missed out on the registration thing last night, and I highly doubt that I could find my way back to Colette's house again... plus, I get the feeling that having multiple stays there would get old." She gave Evan a teasing wink too, however, to indicate that she was mostly just trying to make not-working excuses for fun. However, she paused as she glanced around. "Wait, did Chloe leave already? Dang it, I forgot to say good bye..."

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

The girl sent off a quick message to Olivia to tell her where the room was, and also asked about how things had gone with Aspen. By the time she got there, however, there was no sign of the other redhead, and also no reply yet. The psychic hoped that didn't mean anything bad had happened during the talk, but flopped down on her back as she stared up to the ceiling and thought about how things had gone that day.

 

The girl wore an uncertain frown on her face as she felt the headache slowly starting to fade away. However, she was slightly troubled by the seeming ease that her and Alvis had been trapped in the psychic hold. Although Sylph had been as exhausted as she was after the final attack, she still felt like it had been simply because of the strength of the final attack. Chloe rolled over with a deep sigh as she honestly felt a little discouraged. The psychic closed her eyes, as Alvis let himself out of his Pokeball, sensing the distress from his trainer.

 

"Don't let this bother you. Xander mentioned that they had been training for a while. Besides, I should be at fault just as much... I should have gotten out of that easier than I did." The Gallade placed a hand on the girl's shoulder as he sat on the bed nearby, though the look on her face didn't change much. "If you're worried about the upcoming fights, we have time to work on that still. You don't have to lose hope, and this might be a good thing."

 

"I know, but still..." Chloe's voice became muffled mid-sentence, as she buried her face in the pillow for a moment, as if she were about to let loose a frustrated sound. However, she just turned her head again, as she just seemed lost as to what to do. "I've barely made progress with my powers, and he just seems to keep progressing. I just don't know if I can keep up; Evan made it sound like we found some new variant of Synchronization, but if it affects me like that every time, it'd be more worth it to just use our normal abilities. I just..." The girl closed her eyes tightly, as Alvis patted her shoulder.

 

"You're worried that those six months, and the lack of any disciplined training until last week, are going to have an effect. Then train it up. Work on your powers until they -do- work and train with us as well. Open up to more than just me. What about Cyndy? What about Ren? Perhaps going back to basics will be what you need to get your confidence tempered." Alvis stood up, and looked back for a moment. "This fight sounds like it will be a difficult one. In that case, we need to make sure we're stronger than ever. We need to get stronger and stronger; all of us. And maybe with that, things will work out after all."

 

Chloe looked up uncertainly, as the Gallade tapped the button on his Pokeball and went back into it. She wasn't sure what to think at that moment, but sighed, as she knew that he had been right. Feeling sorry for herself hadn't worked the last time, and this wasn't even bad. Disheartening? A little. But she could use this to make herself stronger. It was a goal now, and the girl realized it, as a smile began to make its way onto her face. Stronger and stronger, huh...? Chloe looked over to her bag, and held out her hand. The backpack lifted slowly but surely, as it made its way over to her. She grabbed her purse with telekinesis from the bathroom, having left it in there after talking on the phone with Taylor.

 

Chloe began to sort things out in her bags, as a plan worked out in her mind. The girl set her Pokedex to the side before reorganizing the rest of the contents. Some things were simply moved around, while some things from her backpack were added to the pile that would go in her purse. After the contents were settled, she opened her bedside table's drawer, and after rummaging through it for a few minutes, pulled out some materials. She took a flexible strip of polyester fabric that had metal clasps for Pokeballs, some thread, and a sewing needle, and began to attempt to sew the makeshift Pokeball belt onto the front of her purse. An hour later or so, the girl sighed in relief, as she finished packing the purse, and gently put it down next to the bed, as she levitated her backpack back to where she had it before.

 

Chloe leaned back, as she opened the Pokedex and began to read through it. Despite having it for over nine months, and having the updated data from Professor Juniper, the psychic had never actually taken the time to really study it, but she felt now was as good a time as any. The girl curiously looked through as she got past Unova and into Kalos and beyond, however. She had seen the Pokemon around here and there, but hadn't ever actually given much thought to it, however. When she saw some of the species, she seemed genuinely surprised, but some made her squeal out in glee as she saw them. The girl glanced through until finally she just fell asleep on her back with the device still on, but the room's lights off.

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize and Sylph - Bedroom, late

 

The two had said goodbye to Evan and the others hours ago., and now they sat in meditation. How close had they been, they wondered, to Synchronization? Their battle with Aria had fully opened Xander to empathy. They might have been just a few seconds away from this technique and never even known it.

 

They had opened all channels to each other, holding nothing back in terms of thoughts and feelings. Xander had an itch, and Sylph scratched at her arm to relieve it. The two normally spoke to each other through thought in seconds. Now, they did not communicate, because there was nothing left to communicate. They shared the same thoughts as they came. And yet it felt like they were coming up short.

 

Chloe had mentioned sharing power. Sylph had supplied Xander with energy for his lessons, but perhaps that needed to go both ways now. Xander wasn't even sure how to transfer energy from himself to Sylph, and hoped that it would come naturally.

 

They breathed in sync, their chests expanding as air filled their lungs. Both flinched a bit as pain shot through Xander's ribs. He had definitely aggravated them today, with battling and teleporting and gallivanting across the island. Sylph would heal those later, they decided as one.

 

And then, for a second, they both felt something click. Xander closed his eyes and for a moment saw himself from Sylph's perspective, his hair a mess, his chest a mottle of bruises that wrapped around towards his back. His eyes snapped open and they both gasped.

 

They grinned simultaneously, and Sylph threw herself into Xander's arms. We had it, they thought. It needs work, but we had it.

 

The two settled in for more meditation.

[Dr. Hidaka]

OOC: Timeskip from this day to the next......

IC: Evan Tierra

The next day......

"Beeeeep! Beeeeep! Beeeeeeep! Wake up!"

"Huh, what?"

"Don't 'Huh, what?' me, sleepyhead. It's time to wake up. Now get a move on. Just because you are a so called Hero, does not mean you get to sleep in."

Evan stretched his arm out, letting out a huge yawn. He definitely didn't ask for an alarm, let alone one from him. But, at least he was awake, so there was that. The young man rose up, with some difficulty, and went about his morning routine. Gnip looked up curiously from the foot of the bed, as Evan stretched his arm and legs. Her master had managed to get prepared and ready for the day to come, and then looked at the other bed in the room, where her other master was laying down, most likely asleep.

Evan noticed Gnip looking at Jenny's and knew exactly what to do. Whistling cheerfully, he walked near the foot of her bed, and with a cheerful ring in his voice, tried to wake up her up. "C'mon, Jenny, up and at 'em! The goofball in your head woke me up, now it's my turn to return the favor!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

A slightly protesting grumble about being woken up came from the other bed, as the girl inhabiting it sleeping sat up, and got out of bed on auto-pilot. After quickly grabbing a change of clothes, and vanishing into the bathroom, Jenny emerged with a more refreshed look, seeming to be actually awake now. "What are we even going to be doing today?" The girl asked, as she raised a skeptical eyebrow at the upbeat Hero of Space.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"Isn't it obvious, Jen-Jen?" Evan said teasingly, as Jenny's expression told him otherwise. "The same thing we do every day: Try to take over the world!" The young man had stretched out his left arm menacingly as he spoke, clearly enjoying this joke of his. He then normalized himself and gave Jenny a determined look. "We're going to be fighting Ford and those who are working with him." Evan said, sounding excited despite his expression. "From what I have seen so far, from Unova, is that they are smart and tough. So we'll have to become stronger and tougher than we are now, to beat them. What I am trying to say is......." Evan's eyes seemed to flash pink for a split second as he finished his sentence.

"We've gotta keep training. Our pokemon AND ourselves."


 

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

"Hmm... it sounds like you have something in mind." Jenny chuckled, as she finished getting ready quickly, and looked over. "So, what kind of training are you thinking of? And how will training ourselves help again?" She seemed uncertain about the last part, but guessed it was in case Ford decided to play dirty and attack them or so. She waited for Evan to answer himself, however, as she stretched with a slight yawn.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan's grin became broader as Jenny asked her question, confirming that he indeed, did have a plan. "When I came back to Unova after the defeat of the Ancient Darkrai....." Evan said, scratching his head a bit as he spoke. "They pressed me into training not only my pokemon, but myself as well. You went through the same training, right?" The Agent reflected on how rigorous the training was, especially considering that he wasn't exactly conditioned for it to begin with. He wondered if the others, at least those who would be fighting, would be able to take it. "I was thinking of getting Chloe and Xander in on this, so they could toughen up a bit too." Evan said, chuckling a bit. "Who knows, they may benefit a lot from it!"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Jenny==-

 

Jenny thought that over for a bit, but then finally nodded. "That makes sense. It might help them more, too, since most of our training was to deal with situations where we would be needed too, wasn't it?" The girl closed her eyes, as she reflected on it for a moment. "What would be focused on, though? I mean, there's a bunch of things, but would everything... work?" She paused, however, and smiled in amusement. "You know what? Surprise me...~ I want to see how it goes." Jenny giggled, as she headed out of the door until the training would be started.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan chuckled as he started to send out a message to Xander and Chloe, whom were the people that he had an interest in toughening up. The Agent made sure to mention the location and time of the meeting, as he wanted to make sure Jenny, himself, and the others had time to prepare. He checked the current time, ten-thirty or so, and accomodated for eating and prep for himself and the others.

"Meet Jenny and myself near the beach directly east of the Alamo around 12:30 PM. Be sure to get plenty to eat, and prepare yourselves!"

Evan hit "Send", and then walked out of the room, Gnip following close behind....

Edited August 21, 2016 by Hades

[MELON LORD]

IC: Kalos Duo

 

They opened their eyes and disentangled from one another. As Xander went to take care of some natural errands, Sylph picked up his holocaster and checked the message. The two frowned thoughtfully, and Sylph sent a message in reply.

 

Was going to hit the shooting range today, see if I can't learn something. What do you have in mind?

 

Xander stepped out of the bathroom and dressed quietly while they shared thoughts of breakfast. After hitting synchronization the previous night, they'd left their thoughts open. No holding back, no need to communicate, no delay. They had dreamed the same dreams the night before, had felt each other's feelings. Every now and again one of them would close their eyes and see what the other saw for a few seconds.

 

When they found themselves moving simultaneously, though, things got a bit hectic. Xander's track record for breaking stuff was two for two, now. He'd knocked over a lamp when he and Sylph had practiced movement together, and they'd decided that they needed to wait until they were outside to work on it more.

 

Now, though, they needed to eat and see what Tierra was planning for the day. The two walked out of their room, hand in hand, and started towards the cafeteria.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan had been walking, when his pokegear sounded off. He checked his Pokegear curiously, laughing to himself at Xander's message. He typed out yet another message, deciding to be more to the point. He'd already had something to eat, and needed to prepare things for what was to come.

"Gonna put you through what I was going through six months ago. That, being the training to be a Plasma Agent. It's gonna be rough, so be ready!"

Evan hit "Send" yet again, and walked up to Jenny, whistling cheerfully and sorta skipping as he walked, clearly excited for what he was going to do....

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Four Island

 

Pelleas pulled up before he would have collided with ground due to sudden lack of Pikachu. The speed with which the Pikachu evaded surprised Pelleas and he did not have time to evade the Thunderbolt. He Endured the attack but it had hurt.

 

The Pikachu was a lot stronger than her cute exterior would suggest. That was shocking.

 

Pelleas's specialties were fighting users of status and close up physical attacks. Lucan was much better suited to fighting special attackers and anyone who fought at a range. Unfortunately the Thunderbolt failed to paralyze him. That would have served him well. Pelleas wanted to go for a Close Combat then, its power and accuracy enough to maybe win in one-shot, but if he failed then it would leave wide open.

 

"Pelleas," Jamie started, gears turning in her head. "Fly evasively and use Night Slash!"

 

Trying to bait a paralysis from them was worth a shot, Pelleas figured. He spread his wings and flew from side to side to try and fake the Pikachu out, looking for an opening to attack the Pikachu with Night Slash.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Yellow==-

 

Yellow watched, as the two prepared for the incoming attack. "Run away!" The woman commanded, in a calmness that seemed utterly contradictory to the command. However, the yellow mouse indeed turned around and dashed away with Quick Attack. It appeared that there was no reason behind the command, however, the Pikachu abruptly stopped, and launched herself to the back as she spun.

 

Chuchu generated electricity around herself in the process, as her and Yellow both smiled at the surprise Volt Tackle. Yellow hoped that this might just have the effect she was looking for, but was not certain on that matter, but also knew that she needed to give it her all here.

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

As the time mentioned in the message approached, the psychic girl walked up to the area of the beach where they were all supposed to meet. Though she saw that her and Xander were listed on the message, she wasn't sure if that was all who were involved in whatever they were meeting for, or what the meeting was about in the first place. Not focusing on that, Chloe glanced around, as she figured that she was a little early. She adjusted the grip on her purse, as she nervously attempted to figure out the best way to handle the new bag while waiting.

 

Chloe wasn't waiting for long, however, as she noticed Jenny approaching with Evan. The other girl waved with a smile, as she chuckled. "So, ready for the training session?" Jenny asked with a confident smile, only to be met with some confusion from the girl with auburn hair. "I'll let Evan explain it, since he came up with the idea... but I think it will help." Chloe seemed a bit less convinced about the fact that it would be helpful, but nodded as she looked to Evan for explanation on what this was about.

Edited August 22, 2016 by Destined Blade

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan nodded and faced Chloe, giving a warm grin. "Basically, I'm gonna put you....and Xander if he gets here sooner or later...." Evan said, trailing off a bit. "The same training regimen that Jenny and I were put through." Petting Gnip on the head, the Agent continued his explanation, trying to think of how to explain it. "We're trained to not only use our pokemon, but to fight alongside them when need be." Evan said, matter of factly. "We also worked on our stamina, among other things, to ensure the safety of the Unovan populace. I'm gonna try and take it easy, but even so it won't be easy. You wanna give it a shot?"

[MELON LORD]

IC: Kalos Duo

 

The two arrived shortly, hands linked, stepping in time with one another. Xander nodded softly to the others. "Alright, Tierra, you have my interest. Jenny, Chloe, how's it going?"

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

The two girls nodded and waved to Xander as he appeared on the scene, and Chloe glanced over at Evan. "I'm in... but what will we be doing that will help with our stamina?" The psychic girl seemed uncertain and a little skeptical, as she rubbed her arm. She wanted to have hope that things would work with the stamina training, but wasn't certain how the training would work in this situation. "What will our Pokemon be doing in the mean time, as well?"

[Parugi]

IC - Kyle Eston/Esen Windred - Training Arena, The Alamo:

 

It had been . . . a while. Kyle and Esen had ended up separating themselves from the others following the Aura Tracking exercise, losing track of time in the process. Eventually, they ended up on a cliff overlooking the beach, taking a seat there and watching the ocean.

 

It had been silent for some time.

 

"So . . ." Kyle scratched the back of his head. "That . . . Aura . . . thing . . ."

 

"It was a thing."

 

"Yep . . ."

 

More silence.

 

"Two Island, huh?" he asked.

 

"Never been there?"

 

"Nope."

 

More silence.

 

"We're a mess," he said.

 

Esen nodded. "Yes, we are," she said. Pause. "How many people are we going to have to fight there?"

 

"Five, I think," Kyle said. "Unless any of our friends are fighting against us, too . . ."

 

Esen sighed. "Yeah, we're screwed . . ."

 

"That's a bit harsher than I meant it . . ."

 

"Think about it." Esen held up a hand. "We're going to need at least two people per enemy, right? You and me--one. Colette and Ryan--that's two. Evan and Jenny, three. Chloe and Dahlia is four. That leaves Aaron, Jamie, Paul, and Xander to take on Ford. Even another combination of who fights who wouldn't make those odds any better." She sighed. "I don't see this ending well . . ." 

 

They both fell silent for a few moments.

 

"But," she continued. "we still have to try." Kyle nodded. Esen looked at him. "How's that egg doing?"

 

"Good question." He opened his bag, pulling the incubator from it and then removing the egg from it. It emitted a strong warmth from its center. "I think it's doing well. But I don't know--I've only ever hatched two eggs before, and they were . . . different."

 

"How so?"

 

"One was an Axew--completely different type from this one," Kyle said. "The other was a Suicune egg, and not a . . . I guess 'natural' would be the word. Not a natural one, at that."

 

"I see."

 

"Yeah."

 

Something barked.

 

"What?"

 

"That . . . was a Pokémon, not me."

 

Something squirmed. Kyle looked down. The egg had hatched, and in its place, a small Houndour occupied his lap. Kyle exhaled slowly, shaking his head and looking at Esen.

 

"This is going to be a long, long week."

 

OOC:

 

Species: Houndour.

Nickname: Torith.

Trainer: Kyle Eston.

Appearance: The fur on Torith's paws match the color of his belly.

Personality: Torith has a lot of maturing to do, and as a result is rather rash. He has a hard time following orders due to the fact that he is still learning how to battle. 

Ability: Flash Fire.

Specialty: Torith is adept at both kinds of attacks, as opposed to purely Special Attacks. He is not very sure on his feet due to being a newborn.

Known Moves: Ember, Howl, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Nasty Plot (EM).

 

 

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/James Pierce/Piers Ebner - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City:

 

If James Arthur's arrival had elicited a stunned silence, the arrival of Piers Ebner seemed to evoke a massive, though understated outrage. Shocked murmurs spread through the stands surrounding them as he approached the arena. Hundreds of eyes--including the horrified gaze of President James "Paris Ebner" Pierce--went unacknowledged by the professor as he ascended the steps toward the equally-stunned leaders of Teams Liberty and Rocket. He finally pulled his own gaze away from Pierce when he reached their desk, offering a hand first to Goldhawk and then to Bounty and Miriam.

 

"Piers Ebner," he said. "A pleasure."

 

"Us, as well," Bounty said, unable to contain his apprehensiveness toward this development. "I hope we can trust you to turn this thing around for us."

 

"Oh, believe me," Ebner said. "I will." He clicked his cane to the ground, looking down at Pierce. "Paris, my dear brother. It's been too long."

 

Pierce couldn't immediately respond. When he did, it was through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here!?"

 

"Righting a wrong." Ebner took a step forward, down the staircase. "Many wrongs, actually--mainly, yours." He looked up at the officials surrounding them, raising his voice as he addressed them. "Ask me what you like, test me however you please--either way, you'll find that it is true: This man, your 'president,' isn't worthy of the title, nor eligible of holding it, and the fact that he does is a disgrace to the very system meant to prevent him from doing so."

 

"On what grounds can you support such a claim?" someone shouted.

 

Piers Ebner could only match their gaze with a look of utter disbelief. He looked at James with eyes that screamed, You have got to be kidding me, and then turned back. "As you might be able to tell, sir," he said, pointing to his face. "I happen to have a rather personal relationship with the man you know as James Pierce." Ebner began to talk a bit slower. "Tell me, do you know what a 'pseudonym' is? A pseudonym. A fake name. I am Piers Ebner. He is Paris Ebner, my twin. Is that evidence enough?" When there was no response, Ebner shook his head. "No? Heaven's Cloud University, Class of 20XX. Seventeen years ago a man by the name of Garnet approached my brother and offered to take him under his wing, in exchange for his help in some sort of operation." He pulled several envelopes from his inner coat pocket. "For a time, Paris kept me in the loop as to what he was doing. I suppose it is fortunate that I've held onto them for so long. Check the signature--they're the same; he dropped his name before he stopped writing to me. And that benefactor, as you'll find, is the same terrorist you've all been fighting for Lord knows how long." Ebner looked at Pierce. "Am I missing anything else?"

 

Pierce's hands shook with pure rage. "How . . . could you . . .!?"

 

Ebner rolled his eyes. "What a petulant question," he muttered. "Stop deluding yourself, Paris--you know well-enough why." He turned, walking back up the steps to James, and called over his shoulder: "If you people still need any sort of convincing after this, then pray that the Lord saves you from your own stupidity. Otherwise, I think we're done here."

Edited August 22, 2016 by Parugi

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan smirked as he pointed at Chloe. "You'll start by running a few laps, to get warmed up." The Agent said, seeming have figured out what to do. "Plasma had different regimens for different divisions. Jenny and I, due to being Agents, had tougher workouts. After you two are warmed up, we'll determine what you need to work on, ok?" Gnip growled encouragingly at Chloe, as if the Mach pokemon felt the girl's uncertainty. Her master pet her on the head, smiling warmly.

"Regarding your pokemon......" Evan said, a playful look in his eye. "I feel they should run alongside you! Let them run with you to their heart's content! It'd be boring for them just be cooped up in their poke balls! Go on, have some fun!" Evan then made a pointing gesture, and Gnip let out a joyful roar, to signify the start of what Evan had planned. A Pokeathlon of a sort....

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe's ear appeared to twitch slightly, as Evan explained the rules, and she seemed to be more attentive after that. "Our Pokemon too?" She asked, managing to hide the smile that was starting to appear on her face. "I like the sound of that." The girl moved very quickly as she grabbed the Pokeballs from her purse, and threw them in one smooth motion for each. Chloe had caught on to what Evan had meant pretty much as soon as he had said it, and now she couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Cyndy! Ren! Alvis, Katie, Kamina, Luke, Elsa... everyone, let's go! We need to get to work on this!" The seven gathered Pokemon nodded, some more enthusiastic about the exercise than others.

 

Chloe took a deep breath, as she stretched for a moment to prepare herself.  With a nod to herself, the girl began to run, her veritable herd of Pokemon following behind. "Kamina, don't worry about your lack of legs! Make up for it another way!" The psychic girl attempted to multi-task in the meantime, as she practiced trying to make connections with her powers to the rest of her team that she had mostly ignored. She knew that Luke was definitely possible, as she had raised him from an egg, and had connected nearly instantly. She was a bit more worried about Cyndy, but since they had been together for many years, she figured the Typhlosion would be easier to connect with. Ren she was uncertain about, and Kamina seemed hesitant but accepting of the sudden presence in his mind. Elsa and Katie, however, she felt that she might need to work on, at a time when they weren't training.

 

The girl continued to run and run, her Pokemon following behind, until she began to pant a little from the exertion on lap three. Chloe slowed down a bit, to try and catch her breath, but paused for a brief moment as she recalled Gnip's encouragement, and caught a feeling of excitement. The psychic attempted to track the feeling's source, and inhaled sharply, as she realized it was an order to chase. Not wanting to quite test the extent of that, Chloe decided that it was more worth it to try and keep running. She pushed herself further, as she tried to take breaths of air, despite her lungs screaming at her to slow down at least a little, and eventually, just gripped her side, as she slowed to a stop to catch her breath for real.

 

Well that didn't work...

Edited August 22, 2016 by Destined Blade

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander laughed a bit as he sent out his pokémon. "Alright team, let's show Tierra what we've got!" Vixen and Ellen barked eagerly as they started running alongside Xander and Sylph. The fox pokémon were surprisingly quick for creatures with such short legs. Astraea, meanwhile, had taken the lead using a toned-down version of Rapid Spin to propel itself.

 

He frowned softly, glancing over his shoulder to try and find Psyka. The Espurr was way behind everyone else, walking calmly. Xander slowed down, waving for the others to keep going. As Psyka drew closer, the trainer knelt in the sand. "You okay?" he asked, frowning slightly. Was she injured? Sick?

 

The Espurr tilted her head as she looked at the trainer. She sent a silent response and Xander was suddenly doubled over, laughing so hard that he started coughing, which only made him laugh even harder. He sat properly to catch his breath while Psyka crossed her arms indignantly.

 

Sylph appeared, frowning. What's so funny?

 

"She says," Xander gasped out. "She says she doesn't run." Just repeating the phrase had him laughing again. Sylph raised an eyebrow, glancing between Xander and their newest teammate.

 

I guess . . . you had to be there.

[Metal Gear Minun]

IC: Jamie - Four Island

 

Volt Tackle was a new one for Pelleas. Normally, physical attacks where a field day for Pelleas. But Pelleas was flying right then. Pelleas didn't have the footing to effectively Counter, and the Pikachu's speed meant he had to keep flying back to avoid getting ran over by the Volt Tackle.

 

Jamie's heart was officially racing. She didn't want to lose, but she didn't know how to deal with both Thunderbolt and Volt Tackle. She ran through her past battles commanding Pelleas in her head and came up with an idea. She swallowed before opening her mouth. She didn't like the idea, but her competitive nature took over.

 

"Pelleas... hug Chuchu."

 

Pelleas knew the stratagem Jamie had commanded. He'd done it enough on his own to insert the idea into Jamie's mind. It kind of hurt knowing that he was about to hurt himself on her orders, but he chose to embrace it as he did the Pikachu, Volt Tackle and all. He knew his strength. All he needed was the faith of his daughter to see him through.

 

The pain was intense and the Heracross became tempted to fall right there. But Lucan and Jamie were watching. He could never allow himself to show weakness so long as those two were watching. His carapace was Finally his body began locking up, but that's what he was looking for. A surge of power coursed through his body, courtesy of Guts. Leaping away from the Pikachu, he landed near a tree. A tree which he then uprooted with one mighty pull. Sparks where still jumping off of the Heracross's body. It took him a few solid moments before he could take action. Pelleas could only hope that Pikachu would be shocked by the sudden display of strength to give him enough time to attack.

 

If Pelleas could speak the words of humans, he'd say he was about to use the move 'Wood Hammer'.

 

And swing.

 

 

 

IC: James/Miriam/Goldhawk/Bounty/Piers Ebner/Pierce Paris Ebner - Hoenn Conference Place - Evergrande City

 

A twin brother. A secret twin brother that could prove everything in a neat package. How Executive Arthur managed to unearth this when no one else had baffled Miriam. Not that she was complaining. She had others to take her aggression out on.

 

"Professor Ebner has thoroughly proven that President Pierce, no, that 'President Ebner' cannot be trusted. I move that he stripped of any voice in this forum immediately." A meaningless gesture that only a bureaucrat could love at this point. If Paris had any chance at regaining support, it was lost with his angry outburst at Piers. "There will be an investigation to the nature of this 'Garnet' to confirm that he is indeed John Ford, but I would be willing to stake Team Rocket's reputation on it. Meaning, yes, this terrorist is a dangerous and present threat to the safety of Hoenn. Team Rocket offers its aid in fighting him. I suggest you take it."

 

Miriam wasn't done with the Ford Agent, "And if you're going to rely on your track record as President to exonerate you of your lack of qualifications, deceptions and loyalty to a terrorist, don't bother. When Hoenn fell under the power of the Darkrai, you fled and forced our organizations to save your nation. You're a complete failure as a leader."

 

"I think the point has been made, Representative," James said with a barely hidden sadistic glee, "I propose we immediately place 'Paris Ebner' into custody. Team Liberty, Team Rocket, Hoenn, a joint effort from all three, to be frank, I am not picky. Just that we do so quickly."

 

"Team Rocket seconds the motion," Miriam said with a satisfied smile.

 

"In summary. The man known as President James Pierce is really Paris Ebner, a man from Unova. We can prove this, and further investigation will prove your connection with John Ford."

 

James then closed his eyes, and with a grand smile he made a sweeping bow.

 

"That is all."

Edited August 22, 2016 by Valorous Angel Minun4

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Evan noticed Chloe had stopped for a moment, and then continued....only to stop for a longer while. He laughed playfully as he noticed that Gnip was trembling in place. Not in fear, but in excitement. She was definitely waiting for Evan to give the order that would set her off to have some fun. "You're going to enjoy this too much, aren't you, hero-boy?" Feral's voice rang playfully in his head. The Agent brushed it off with a laugh, and pointed his finger skyward, as Gnip started to tremble more. "Chloe, I'd suggest pushing yourself hard in the next ten seconds, because......" Evan said as he lowered his arm, pointing at Chloe. "Gnip........."


"Sic her!"

A joyful howl later, and Gnip was on the run, clearly aiming not to scare Chloe, but to encourage her to move forward. The Mach Pokemon understood the girl's uncertainty, so she wanted to help her realize just how powerful she was. After all, she too was a weakling once.

[Blessed Blade]

-==NPC: Yellow==-

 

Trainer and Pikachu were both stunned at the improvisation of the Heracross. As the Heracross began to swing, the Pikachu attempted to charge up another Thunderbolt... and was smacked out of the air, and to the ground. Chuchu slid across the ground as Yellow grabbed her right side at roughly the same place that Chuchu had been hit. The Pikachu attempted to push herself to her feet, but the sheer force behind that hit had proven too much for her, and the yellow mouse collapsed finally. The woman panted as she held out the Pikachu's Pokeball and recalled her.

 

"Good fight..." The woman said, as she smiled at the other trainer, and walked over, her right hand outstretched for Jamie to shake. "Your Vanilluxe has an interesting tactic, and your Heracross trusts you a lot, I see..." Yellow winced, as she continued to hold her other hand at her side.

 

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

Chloe squeaked out at the warning from Evan, and attempted to scramble away. She could hear the land shark behind her, sounding like she was catching up. However, the girl wasn't sure how much more she could take, and after a few more seconds, collapsed to her knees again, as she tried to catch her breath once again. She tried to make a T sign with her hands to call a time-out, unable to run for sure for the moment. Chloe closed her eyes, as she wished that she could keep up her stamina, and not be winded so quickly.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

Seeing Chloe collapse, Gnip halted as soon as she drew close to her, and waited for the psychic to catch her breath. It wasn't fun for her if the person she was chasing couldn't run any more. The Mach pokemon looked at Chloe, looking a touch concerned for her. Meanwhile, her trainer shared the same concern. He noted that while Chloe was able to withstand three laps before getting out of breath, that was her limit. "It was also like that during the battle with Xander." The Hero thought. "She overexerted herself, then as well. It's only hypothetical, though. I only know so much about psychic abilities anyway, only what I have read." Nevertheless, the young man had a feeling he was onto something. Maybe Synchronization is not just connected to the mind, but the body as well.......

[MELON LORD]

IC: Xander Cruize

 

Xander had started running again, but had to stop before even finishing the first lap as his ribs protested. As he walked with Psyka, however, he urged the rest of his team to keep going. Sylph cast worried looks his way, but he waved her off.

 

Taking slow, deep breaths, he continued making his way around the course. After the first walk around he stopped and shook his head. "There's no point to me just walking, and I'm physically unable to run. Sorry, Evan." He frowned softly, disappointed in himself and feeling that he'd disappointed the Hero as well. "Got anything else planned, or should I just sit it out?"

[Parugi]

IC - Goldhawk/Bounty/James Pierce/Piers Ebner - Hoenn Conference Place, Ever Grande City:

 

It took several moments, but eventually the guards nearby appeared to agree with Miriam's assessment. They approached Pierce, hands resting on the handles of their weapons. "Sir, we're going to need you to come with us."

 

Though he still radiated anger, Pierce nonetheless appeared to have somewhat regained his calm. As the head security guard brought his hands behind his back, the Hojohsin Agent cast a cold, sweeping gaze over his opponents. He paid no mind to the cautiously triumphant expressions on the faces of Bounty and Goldhawk--in fact he took a certain amount of pleasure in them, knowing just how well-reasoned their hesitance to celebrate was. Instead, he focused on Professor Ebner, the only person whose disappointed scowl could match his own in intensity, and James Arthur.

 

Miriam didn't make eye-contact with Pierce. He was beneath her now, just a footnote in the meeting notes. But James seemed deep in thought. As his eyes met Pierce's some words came to mind.  He had one last thing to say before he could put his anger at Pierce behind him. "Before you take him away, may I have a moment to speak with Mr. Ebner?" James asked the guards.

 

They gave him a confused look, but nonetheless paused in their attempts to pull him out of the room. Pierce merely maintained his eye contact with Arthur.

 

"Do you want to know why you lost today?" James asked rhetorically. What Pierce wanted didn't matter.  "It's simple." James could not hide his grin during the pause. "I know how you Ford agents think. I have seen it plenty of times. You underestimated my abilities, Mr. Ebner."

 

Pierce's eyes narrowed.

 

James's grin widened. "You probably thought I was just some run of the mill executive. I would provide a bit of a challenge, but in the end, I would be wiped away just the same. Right?"

 

An expression of very, very unpleased and unamused familiarity manifested in the former President's expression. Were it not for the guards surrounding him, he might have taken a step toward Arthur.

 

James paused. Not out of fear or surprise at his defeated foe's change in expression.  No, he paused so he could savor the moment.  Pierce knew what he was talking about. And that knowledge was the sweetest nectar he could think to taste. However, all good things must come to end. It was time to lay the coup de grâce. "But the fact of the matter is... you have bitten off more than you can chew here. I am out of your league."

 

Pierce slowly shook his head, straining his handcuffs. "Enjoy your moment of fame," he spat, looking at Ebner. "Both of you. It won't last."

 

"That's enough," Goldhawk said. He motioned to the guards, who began to lead Pierce away. Once he was out of sight, the Liberty Leader turned to James. "Excellent work, Executive."

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Evan Tierra

"You can call it quits if you feel unable to run, Xander." Evan said, laughing heartily. "To be honest, I don't think any of what I have planned would work for you...." As he trailed off, Gnip barked at her trainer to get over to where she was. The Agent walked over to where Chloe was, chuckling slightly. "She managed to work a bit more distance out of you, but then this...." he remarked, scratching his head. "Catch your breath, then run with Gnip. I think, since she seems to be able to run so long, without running of breath.....that she may know what to do."

Evan then furrowed his brow and spoke again. "It could be breathing, or lack of conservation of energy, if you ask me. Gnip, run with Chloe. See if you can help her out." Gnip growled in agreement, and looked at Chloe, a supportive glint in her eye. She wanted to help her friend in any way she could, and she would give it her all to do so.

[Blessed Blade]

-==IC: Chloe==-

 

The girl panted for a little longer with a nod, but then pushed herself to her feet. Chloe was determined to get this to work, as she felt that this might help with her overall stamina. She got ready and nodded to Gnip, before she began to run again. She wondered what might be the cause of Gnip being able to run so long, and thought that it might just be how the land shark was built, that it might be because of the fact that she needed speed. But as she glanced over at the Garchomp, Chloe began to wonder if it were something else. The girl began to feel herself running out of breath, and slowed down for a brief moment, as she continued to look at Gnip, watching for any sign of something that she could do differently.

[Dr. Hidaka]

IC: Gnip

"Show her how it's done, Gnip!"

At her friend's command, the Garchomp ran alongside Chloe, making sure to not outrun her. She slowed herself to match the girl's, so that she didn't miss what made her, and other Garchomp for that matter, able to withstand all the running they do. The Mach pokemon decided to make her breathing apparent to Chloe, making sure she could hear the intervals she was breathing at. As long as she kept to a rhythm of breathing, she could run longer. The Land Shark hoped that her running partner could grasp it.

Evan nodded as Gnip ran alongside Chloe, wondering if the girl could indeed get the idea behind how the Mach pokemon's technique worked. He admitted to himself that it may work, and that it also may not work. "We'll have to see what happens."