Welcome to Gaia! ::

The sun was setting and he was still two hours away from Virdian city. It would be to dark to travel safely and he was exhausted from the days events regardless. With a tired sigh the red headed giant sat down on a stump and pulled out his sleeping bag and the bowls for his pokemon. As quickly as his tired arms could manage he poured them all some food and called the out once more to eat.

The quartet of pokemon dug in, scarfing their meals before flopping down just as tired as their trainer. "Haha, I feel you guys. Let's just pass out and head out tomorrow. Then we'll get more training done and be read for Pewter city once we're all done." He recalled the lot of them and simply laid down on the sleeping bag and passed out.

Kasiya's eyes were still filled with stars as she repeated Digger's performance in her mind, also drawing back to the contest she'd watched on TV at the Fortree City Pokemon Center a few nights ago. She was definitely becoming more and more interested in trying them out for herself and she made a mental note to find out when the next contest was and where it would be taking place. Perhaps she'd enter and show everyone what she and her wonderful Pokemon were capable of!

While the blonde was off, getting lost in her thoughts, Digger watched closely as his opponent utilized a Rapid Spin of its own, flexing his claws slowly. His eyes narrowed as the Torkoal was suddenly rocketing toward him. The Ground-type darted off to the side, jumping and Curling into a tight, Defensive ball, able to feel the rush of heat pass by behind him. Luckily this series of short events had managed to get Kasiya's attention back on the battle, and she grinned, still clapping. Her own Pokemon were generally fairly resourceful, a fact that she was really quite grateful for.

=-=-=-=-=

Lisa only had to glance quickly at the image on Jaeshan's PokeDex to confirm it, and she sighed, nodding as she handed the device back to the blond. "Yeah, this is it," she said. "Leafeon. This is the Pokemon I saw with the kimono-wearing women last night." The blue-haired girl paused, watching Jae as he stared at the screen, face screwed up in thought. "Why? Do you think they're the ones that attacked you?" she asked, wringing her hands together nervously.

The boy sighed, and closed his PokeDex. "Maybe. I'm not sure. But I saw that Pokemon, too. Just before I lost consciousness. It's an evolved form of Eevee and those aren't exactly common so... Yeah. I think it's the same Leafeon," he said, leaning back against the pillow and sighing. His head was still pounding, but it wasn't coming close to rivaling the growing ache in his chest. He looked around the boring, white room, a frown now spreading across his face. "I've got to get out of here," he said, throwing the thin blanket off and swinging his legs over the right side of the bed before he stood up, albeit shakily. He was thankful that the nursing staff hadn't put him in one of those awful hospital gowns (and he realized he probably should have checked that first, lest he give Lisa a show), and he looked at the IV in the back of his right hand, wondering if he should try and take it out or not.

"I wouldn't," said a voice from the doorway, and Jaeshan looked up to see a man in a white doctor's coat watching him, a bit of a grin on his face. He was a middle-aged man, wisps of grey starting at his temples and speckling his otherwise dark hair. He held a clipboard under one arm, and he glanced back and forth between Jaeshan and Lisa a few times before entering the small room. He nodded to the tube extending from the boy's hand up to the saline bag. "It's more that it can be quite messy," he said, still smirking. "I'll send the nurse to take that out for you. I'm Dr Freedman, by the way."

"Does that mean I can leave now?" Jaeshan asked, unable to mask the desperation in his voice. "I mean, I'm okay, right? Just a bump on the head?"

The doctor smiled kindly. "More or less. We did several tests and scans just to be sure, and they've all come back normal - not even a concussion. You're a pretty lucky kid, Jaeshan."

The blond scoffed and exchanged a knowing look with Lisa. Some would argue that he really was quite lucky, as even he was fairly certain that his odds of survival out there in the water hadn't been great, but once again Jaeshan thought of Jade. No, he felt just the opposite of lucky right now. "Can I go now?" he asked again, his voice taking on a decidedly dejected tone. "If I'm all right, can I just leave? I hate hospitals and doctors. No offense," he added, looking Dr Freedman in the eye.

Dr Freedman laughed. "None taken. But yes, I suppose that means you can be discharged. How's your pain level? Any vision troubles? Dizziness? Nausea?"

Jaeshan shook his head. "No, nothing like that," he said. "It hurts a bit, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Fair enough. I will advise you to take it easy, though. And, if you have any of the symptoms I just mentioned or any other concerns, please, don't hesitate to come back."

=-=-=-=-=

Erika felt a twinge of panic course through her as as she heard Riza give the command for a Flame Wheel, and through the smoke she could see the fire-cloaked Quilava streaking toward her dear Ivysaur. "Brace yourself, and counter with Sludge Bomb immediately," the Gym Leader called out, managing to keep her voice sounding strong despite her intense dislike of fire. Ivysaur's shrieks of pain were difficult to listen to, and she knew her Pokemon had sustained serious damage from the attack. Ivysaur wasn't through yet, however, as the bud on its back turned a sinister shade of violet before spewing a large blob of toxic sludge at the Fire-type.

Cable crashed against the ground hard, causing Kilik to throw his arms up defensively. "Hey, that was underhanded!" he barked, turning to face Dirk. He felt a massive hand on his shoulder as if to calm him and he turned to see the Electivire grinning at him. "Get 'im." Kilik nodded, swinging his arm forward. "Thunderpunch!"

Cable held his fist up into the air, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. A lightning bolt shot down from the heavens and struck his hand, which he then focused into a tangible force. As the electricity flowed around his fist, Cable dashed forward and crashed with full force into the three headed opponent, repeatedly pounding his fist into its ribs

For the first time since Kilik met him, Dirk looked shaken. He lifted his head up a little and shared his grim look with the rest of the world. "Dahdruo!" he cried out. The bird managed to struggle free from his opponents death grip and took a few steps back, panting heavily from all three heads. "Use like..." he was at a loss. This had never happened to him before. He was starting to lose his cool. He ran his fingers through his hair and held the side of his head. A single Tri-Attack was more than enough to take out mostly anyone who came by. Much less two! But...what was he going to do. His other hand found its way to his head and he grit his teeth. "Whateva! Use whateva!"

Kilik crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, shaking his head. "You don't even know his other attacks, do you?" the boy dropped his arms to his side. Cable dodged the Fury Attack with ease, slamming another Thunderpunch into the gut of the Dodrio. The bird crumpled to the ground and didn't move. The battle was over. "So you're fast. You bike fast," Kilik laughed and recalled Cable into his ball, tucking it onto his belt, "and you lose fast." He picked up his bike and hopped back on. "Maybe if you focused on your Pokemon, instead of on yourself, you could do a little bit better." He took one last look at Dirk, who had fallen off his bike and was practically foaming at the mouth, and he rode on through the checkpoint into Eterna City. The boy was almost floored with the lovely scents of the city. A bit of a ways off, he could see the statue of a very large Pokemon. A low whistle escaped him.

"There's the Gym!" he pointed as he biked past it. He couldn't wait any longer. He skid to a halt and tucked the bike back into his bag. The Pokemon he'd be using to face off against Gardenia were fully healed as it were. Stopping by the Pokemon Center would just be a distraction. Kilik clenched his fist and took a deep breath. It had been quite some time since his last Gym battle, he had almost forgotten how difficult it could end up being. The door slid open and he took a step inside. "Hello?" he called out. The Gym was positively...green. "My name is Kilik, from Verdanturf Town! I'm looking for Gardenia, the Gym Leader!" He put his hands by his sides and waited. It might be a moment.

Kilik had slid his hands into his pockets and had started aimlessly walking amongst the bushes before a girl suddenly jumped out from no where. He flinched a bit, surprised to see someone so soon. He had figured the Gyms in Sinnoh were like the ones back home - you had to battle a couple of underlings in order to get to the big prize herself. Kilik's spirits lifted when she offered to help him find Gardenia, and when the condition was to win a Pokemon battle, he nodded in agreement. "Fine by me!" He hopped back and snatched a ball from his belt, tapping the button to enlarge it. When the girl sent out her first Pokemon, he was slightly surprised by its appearance. "What in the...?" he lowered his Pokeball and stood up a little straighter, taking his Pokedex out from his pouch and holding it up to the strange plant.

"Carnivine, the Bug Catcher Pokemon. Using its tentacles to lash itself to trees, it lies in wait for prey, luring it close with sweet-smelling drool. It can take a whole day to devour its prey."

He then took note that it had the ability Levitate. How bizarre. Putting the red device away, he changed his mind on his Pokemon choice. Using Monferno would give me the type advantage...but I'm not quite sure how this Pokemon fights. I'd better play it safe and use someone a little stronger. "What an interesting Pokemon, Georgia!" he replied, "My name is Kilik, but Tall-Guy is an acceptable nickname!" He threw the ball forward and revealed his newly acquired Exeggcute.

The seeds emerged in the familiar flash of white. The center egg stood tall with the other five floating around him like some sort of protective barrier. I have arrived to do battle with you, the Overlord Brain spoke to his fellow Grass-type. Kilik, what is your order?

"Let's start things off with...!" he paused and scratched the back of his head. He had only gone over his Exeggcute's moves once. A quick flash study of his Pokedex revealed everything he needed to know. "Hypnosis!"

And with that, the Overlord Brain's eyes began to glow bright blue, along with the eyes of all his fellow seeds. Slumber awaits you, my brother. Fall in...slowly...let sleep take hold... he whispered into the Carnivine's mind as blue waves began to fly towards his opponent.

I hope this was a good idea, Kilik thought, looking up at Georgia.

-*-

Giovanni arrived at his Viridian Gym, scowling at the damage done. Although the video Kasiya had left him certainly didn't phase him, seeing the true scale of the damage did. He clenched his fist and grit his teeth. A seething hatred began to boil in his stomach. It didn't matter much. The girl, and all of her friends, would eventually pay for what they'd done. To his base, to his organization, and to his glorious ego. He had sent a clean up crew ahead of him on his way back from Sinnoh to repair most of the damages but it was all still very unfinished. The Gym was closed off to all challengers. Those looking to receive their 8th badge would have to look elsewhere, though it was very rare for Giovanni to receive any challenges. Many trainers opted out of the Earth Badge. His reputation as a Gym Leader was very well known in Kanto, and none of it was very good. Ruthless, he would be called. Relentless, some would say. Getting an Earth Badge was incredibly difficult, regardless of the amount of training you would undergo beforehand.

"Tell me," Giovanni asked as he explored the wreckage, "They never made it into THAT room, did they?" The Grunts around him shook their heads, mostly because they were blissfully unaware of which room he was talking about. They figured it was the room Giovanni would keep under lock, key, keypad, combination lock, computer password, and two fire-proof reinforced doors. The scientists who developed the doors used the Rocket Boss' own Tyranitar to test its strength against Earthquakes. The doors were impenetrable. "Good." A Grunt handed him a report. It was from Leo, who had been sent to Hoenn to try and track down the final Relic. As he scanned the page, he eventually crushed the paper in his fist.

"The final piece continues to elude me!" He roared, shoving the paper into the grunt's chest. "If it's not in the Cave of Origin or Mt. Pyre then where!? Those are where Hoenn is said to have been created. It is the most logical place!" He kicked the door open that led to his office. His chair, luckily, was still in one piece.

"Perhaps you must throw logic to the wind, sir." A grunt said simply. "There's...the Mirage Island. It always shows up near Pacifidlog. Maybe it's there?"

"What?" Giovanni growled, looking up. "The island hasn't been seen in centuries, you fool. Why would---" he paused, leaning back. The man tapped his finger on his desk, which had been also been replaced. "I can't waste resources on chasing a myth. But the possibility that it is there..." It was genius. Whoever the Original One was, who created the Relics, tucked them away in hopes that nobody would find them. And what better place than a disappearing island? There was one other possibility that popped into his mind as well. He immediately contacted Leo, as Mai was busy with her duties in Sinnoh. "Make camp in Pacifidlog Town. You will send teams to the east to examine two places. The Sky Pillar and the Mirage Island. I don't care how long it takes. You will find my prize."

Train hovered away from the house for a moment, feeling a little awkward. She knew that plenty of trainers stopped in to random houses along their travels, and a lot of people were very open and inviting to the travelers. But, still, it felt…rude. Or something. Her stomach growled again, and the girl sighed; with Saffron not even in sight yet, and her food completely gone, it would be absolutely idiotic not to at least knock and say hello. Well, hello, and, "Can you please feed me?"

She trudged forward, her feet now killing her after having stopped again, and headed to the front of the house. The dirty-blonde-haired trainer raised her hand and knocked a little firmly on the door, stomach twisting and growling as she did so. It was less than a minute before an older girl answered the door, looking down at Train. She appeared kind enough, and did not seem particularly surprised. "Can I help you?"


Good. The Hypnosis had actually been successful. That move could be a bit of a gamble. Though the Machop was asleep now, that didn't change the fact that Ghos' move pool was still pretty limited. But at least now Leon had some time to whittle down the Superpower Pokémon's hit points before it came to. Plus, the Machop's own move pool had been opened right up with its Foresight from earlier.

"Alright. Night Shade."

Ghos' became surrounded by a strong, crimson aura, and his eyes darkened to black before an equally dark beam shot out from them, heading directly for his snoozing opponent.

"Thanks, Kilik!" Georgia called back brightly. "Your Exeggcute's pretty interesting, too!" Being an acolyte of a Grass-type gym, she'd studied many different species, though she'd never had the pleasure of seeing an Exeggcute in person, as they were native to Kanto and Johto. The auburn-haired girl grinned as Kilik appeared to be unsure of how to start, but once he'd picked it, she frowned slightly. "Okay Carnivine! Fight it as best you can, and get in there and Bind 'em!" Georgia hoped she could at least get some passive damage on the weird egg Pokemon once hers had succumbed to sleep. The Bug Catcher Pokemon's long, leg-like vines extended out from under him as he approached Exeggcute, all stretching out to ensnare each seed and hold it tight. The Grass-type wouldn't know if he was successful or not, however, as they Hypnosis finally got to him and he fell asleep.

=-=-=-=-=

Jaeshan stood in that same spot for about five minutes, staring off in the direction Lisa had gone. His anger had long since dissipated, replaced by guilt and shame over losing his temper. Lisa had only been trying to lighten the mood and he sighed, now looking down at his hand. He'd managed a few small, shallow cuts, all of which were stinging something fierce, and luckily enough, no giant shards of glass were sticking out of his skin so he wouldn't have to make an awkward return-trip to the hospital for even more stitches. With a heavy sigh and some difficulty, he ripped a large strip from the bottom of his white shirt and carefully wrapped it around his injured hand, mentally scolding himself yet again for his stupid overreacting. Dangerously low on friends, he thought bitterly, hating how true the statement actually was. While he was sure he had plenty of friends out there somewhere, he might as well only have a few, considering the fact that he couldn't remember anything more than a blur of faces.

It was late in the morning by the time he found his way to the Pokemon Center, and Jaeshan paid no attention to the odd looks that were sent his way as he shuffled to the front desk and turned over his four Pokemon. He was a rather sorry sight indeed with his messy, matted hair and bloodstained, torn shirt, dried blood covering both hands, though he did marvel at the fact that he'd managed to avoid getting any on his white pants and aviator jacket. With his Pokemon being looked after, he trudged slowly to the restrooms and stripped, wrapping a towel around himself before throwing all of his clothing into the washing machine, and the rest of his meager belongings into a locker.

He'd started off with the water hot as he could stand it, hoping to relax his aching body, but the heat quickly sent sharp pains through the wound on his head and he was forced to reduce the temperature rather drastically. The cooler water wound up providing better pain relief anyway, and he carefully washed his hair, frowning as he thought of the attractive scar that would be left on the back of his head. After drying himself off, he tossed his wet clothes into the dryer, leaning up against the wall as he waited for the cycle to finish. It felt good to change into warm, clean clothes and he'd fished out a different shirt from a few days ago when he'd raided the lost-and-found bin back in Floaroma Town. The memories made him smile, at least until he realized the t-shirt he'd chosen had been the one he'd lent to Jade after she'd taken her accidental swim in the river and it took all of his willpower not to break down right there in the hallway.