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 Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:44 am
Mary-Anne heard the old man coming back down, and hastily put the shipwreck newspaper back where it was, picking up the one on the table instead to mask her guilty face before Old Man River's gruffly good-natured one.
"Oy, Rosemary! Did you sleep well?" he asked, voice low but mildly anxious -- the anxiety of any host who feels his accommodations aren't quite good enough, and is slightly embarrassed. Mary-Anne pulled the newspaper down to her chest level to nod. The man noted the date on the paper, and smiled a little wistfully.
"I don't get new newspapers anymore. That thing's from last year, October 20th. That's the day my daughter got married. And I missed it, being such a slop of a father," he chuckled humorously. "Couldn't get myself to do anything after the accident until this year."
M.A. swallowed hard.
"Well, enough of the sob story," he continued cheerfully. "Here, let me doodle you a little map of where you can find the trail. I don't know much about it after that, but I figure you can ask any hikers you see, they'll know of a house up there that I bet that friend of yours is staying at -- they say it's haunted. Sorry, not much of an artist," he finished, handing the map over to Mary-Anne. She took it gratefully, and abruptly gave the old man a hug. Astonished, Old Man Rivers patted her back and gingerly returned it. "Now, now, I didn't do anything that special," he said, blushing.
"No, you were great. Ummm... Don't be too lonely, okay? I'll visit when I'm in the region," M.A. said, smiling so hard her cheeks were taut and seemed like -- or at least felt like -- they were.
"That'd be great, Rosemary," the old man said, thinking the girl was a little strange, but sweet, and he rather liked her company. Reminded him of his daughter, she did, those eyes.
Mary-Anne left shortly after, Ulani acting as a fluffy Russian hat atop her head per usual. On the fatality list of that newspaper from a year ago, July 23rd, the navigator's name had been Rosemary Rivers, age 30. She had been engaged to another man on the boat. Old Man Rivers had never asked what Mary-Anne's name was, yesterday.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:45 am
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" a younger Miyamaru shouted, laughing hard as she chased her father around his gym. Crasher Wake jogged slowly, giving his daughter a chance to catch him and they raced precariously on the thin strips of land. One misstep would send someone right into the water below. Yuuko her mother was watching by the sidelines. Her illness preventing her from jumping into the fun with her daughter and husband. "Be careful dear!" she called out fearfully to her husband, afraid their daughter would fall into the pools.
"Ahahah, Mommy!" Mia shouted, taking a left to run towards her mother. She'd traversed these panels so many times before that she practically knew them by heart. Mia leaped into her mother's arm, still laughing. Yuuko's hug were always warm and loving, something every kid could appreciate. Crasher Wake returned to his two girls, throwing one of his large arms around Yuuko's shoulder. All three were smiling carelessly, enjoying their time together. It was a picture perfect family moment.
Mia woke up to the bright sunlight shining through her window. It was a bright, new morning just waiting to be seized! Stretching her arms and limbs made her feel more alert and ready. And after a quick freshening up, all she needed was her Pokemon and a good breakfast!
"Nuuuurse Joy!" Mia sang as she rounded the corner, entering the main lobby. "Are my Pokemon all right?"
"Of course! All three are well rested and ready for that Gym battle I'm assuming you're going to take," the pink haired nurse replied, smiling gently.
"Yup! Thank you Nurse Joy!" Mia replied, taking her three Pokeballs and hooking them onto belt. It felt much, much better to have her friends close to her. It'd be even better to eat breakfast with them! Mia smiled, walking into the cafeteria. After she had three bowls of Pokefood on the table and her own breakfast of scrambled eggs with hot sauce, orange juice, and biscuits with gravy she released Rhyme the Floatzel, Jello the Tangela, and Scuttles the Skorupi. The four pals then proceeded to eat their meal with the speed of a Jolteon, well, save for Scuttles who always took his time.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:29 pm
Out of sight, out of mind. Once Mary-Anne was on the road (well, technically speaking, she was sitting on top of her lovely Donphan, who was on the road), she was solely focused on finding the beginning of the trail that might, might, hopefully would lead to Diego's master. Diego himself looked like a nervous wreck, more absent-minded than usual, and M.A. had to place him in front of her so that he wouldn't fall off Tora and simply sit there on the ground, staring off into space.
Although there were many trainers out, enjoying the warm weather, none asked M.A. to fight, most likely because her group looked like a circus. There was the roly poly elephant, a girl with a fluffy Swablu sitting on her head, and a Smeargle who kept painting absent-minded little objects into the sky, like butterflies who flitted away then burst like fireworks, or rocking chairs that randomly sat on the road until they melted into a puddle of paint. Daemyn, of course, was strolling beside Tora, sulking because he had lost that morning while they were wrestling.
After an hour or two of leisurely strolling, they came across the beginning of the forest-infested hiking path. It looked like a vigorous uphill climb, much to Mary-Anne's distress. Very vigorous. And kinda narrow. Too narrow for Tora to carry her. With a long sigh, M.A. gave the Donphan a loving pat before recalling her, but allowed her other three Pokemon to stay out; Ulani to wipe her brow, Daemyn to keep her safe, Diego because he was too anxious to stay in his Pokeball. Not usually a very physically strong Pokemon, he did not complain on the trek upwards, didn't say as much as a word.
Eventually, a fork in the path appeared. M.A. sent Ulani up above the trees to see if she could see a house anywhere. She came back down, shook her head in the negative, but reported to Diego -- who wrote the translation in the sky in Spanish, then in English, for Mary-Anne -- that she had seem some smoke ahead, maybe a chimney? They trekked in that general direction, hoping the path didn't wind too much in another direction for fear that they'd never get there. And there weren't many other hikers on the trail that morning who could help out; she saw one other person who scuttled away, apparently doing their own thing and unwilling to be interrupted.
About 3/4ths of the way up the mountain, they found the source of the smoke -- it was simply a camper who had just woken up and had snuffed his campfire. "A house?" the young man yawned. "Oh, that creepy manor on top of the hill? You wanna go up there? Eugh. Why would you wanna go there? I don't know if I believe them, but I heard the strangest things about the place... But anyways, it's not on the main trail. You gotta take one of the smaller branches, it's not very well-kept, though, so it'll be rough climbing. I know the forest well, I'll show you where the little trail begins." But he didn't make a move.
"... Thanks?" M.A. said at last, hoping to spur him into action.
"Hey, nothing's free! How 'bout a battle? Two-on-two?"
M.A. looked at her Pokemon warily. Diego was too out of it. Daemyn would start a wildfire. Which left only those other two... It could be interesting, they never worked together before. And there was just enough room in this clearing for Tora to work. "Alright, Ulani, Tora, it's up to you!"
The Donphan came roaring out of her Pokeball, trampling the embers of the campfire for a good five seconds before realizing -- hot! hot! hot! She continued to trumpet, tears in her eyes.
"Alright then," the camper-trainer laughed, amused. Let's go, Vespiqueen! Bibarel!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:09 pm
Mary-Anne cringed when she saw the Vespiqueen. It was an intense insect. She still didn't like insects. Except for Ky's Sting, he was a cutie, she supposed, but in general... they gave her the creeps. But she supposed they were stereotypical camping Pokemon, a bee and a Water-type to put out campfires should they get out of control.
But Vespiqueen was a really buggy bug-type. Subconsciously Mary-Anne made the plan to eliminate it first, to get it out of her sight.
"Ladies first!" the camping guy winked. M.A. obliged readily.
It's a Bug-type, so Flying attacks would be best, M.A. thought to herself. She was no technical genius, but she knew that much. "Ulani, Peck that Bee ('till it passes out, pleeease) and Tora, Slam that Bibarel!" She didn't really say what was put in parentheses. At least she hoped she didn't.
"Poor! Counter, Vespiqueen, with Fury Swipes! Bibarel, hop up, Water gun!"
The Bibarel nimbly jumped into the sky, letting loose a concentrated jet of water at the charging Donphan. Tora roared angrily, but to the Bibarel's surprise, did not stop her charge and broke into the sky in a ball - something that started out as a Rollout and ended as a Take Down as Tora disengaged to Slam heavily into the Bibarel. M.A. was impressed; Tora was getting better with responses in battles. Usually she was just headstrong and a little slow on the uptake.
Ulani and the Vespiqueen engaged in a flying dance of beak and needles. Given that Ulani had one beak, you'd think she'd be at the disadvantage when the Bee had two pokers, but Ulani was wily and smaller. Still, their airborne tango seemed pretty even, and the camper-guy seemed pretty impressed. "Nice Pokemon you got there! You out of this region? What's your name?" he asked, as the two trainers admired their Flying-types.
"I'm M.A. and yeah, we're from Hoenn!"
"Name's Connor! Bibarel, get that Donphan off of you! Water Gun, stronger this time!" Tora rose about five-ten, defying gravity, as a miniature Old Faithful pushed her into the sky. The poor elephant was not enthused. What a strong Bibarel, M.A. noted appreciatively. But Ulani and Tora might have to change tango partners, here; Tora was weak to water, and was showing signs of wear already.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:10 pm
With breakfast done and the plates all washed up Mia and her ragtag team stepped out into the city. It was a fairly bland town, colored in several different hues of brown and gray. It was sullen and severely could use more color than he occasional pop of a roof or withering plant. Oreburgh was nothing like the natural hub of plants and animals and colors that Pastoria was so rich in. Mia walked along a beaten path, nothing seemed permanent in this mining city. Rough, unfriendly, and harsh noises rang from the south, where the mining no doubt took place.
The mines, however, was not the destination Mia was looking for. No, she was looking for the Gym. It was fairly easy to spot and she stepped into the doors after recalling her three Pokemon. The whole place looked as if it were carved from stone. There were several platforms and stairs that lead to the leader at the top. Mia could tell there were a few trainers ready to challenge her before she made her way to Roark. Just like most gyms, it was a puzzle. Though Mia had to admit, it was a pretty sad puzzle, especially compared to her dad's.
Mia, normally would have battled the trainers, but she had no time here. She wanted to go home but she wasn't allowed to until she got the three badges before her father's. And this hometown girl wanted to go home! Maneuvering around the gym was easy and before she knew it she was nearing the final platform. "Miyamaru Wake is here to challenge you Roark!" she called out, a battle ready smile, playing on her lips.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:24 pm
The second day of training for Team Jett had officially started. The three swiftly returned their training spot once the sun had showed his face, and Jett cheerfully told his Pokemon what they had to do today.
River, you're gonna knock down a tree with Confusion! And you, Aerosmith, are gonna practice throwing things with your String Shot! Like rocks!"
"..." River stared and stared and stared. She honestly thought Jett was joking. Then she realized he wasn't. Then she realized that he didn't mean 'You're going to one-shot a fricking tree!', but 'You're going to sharpen your Confusion skills by working at knocking down a tree all day!'. Honestly, she was hoping she could one-shot a tree, because then those rock monsters would be toast.
Then River had an inexplicable urge for toast.
Aerosmith was pondering how rocks would be effective against, y'know, Rock-types. Then he realized that he could essentially use their Rock Throws against them! ...Possibly. So he nodded and let out a gruff "Fly."
"...Right," Jett blinked, then he began to carry a series of rather large rocks into view. "Let's get to work! I'll be bringing the rocks back over here once you throw 'em, so it'll be like I'm training, too."
Not really, but Jett felt he needed a good work-out, too.
So River turned to a rather weak-looking tree and tried her best to intimidate it before she blasted its trunk with a Confusion. The tree shook a little, and the bark peeled away, but nothing else happened. She sighed. It was going to be a long day.
Aerosmith used String Shot, attatching to one of the larger rocks, and he immediately began to pull back. It didn't budge. At all. "Beautifly!"
Jett sat down and watched their progress, trying to discern how exactly his Pokemon would solve these problems.
It was going to be a long day, indeed.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:37 pm
"Ulani! Disengage, Take Down that Bibarel! Tora, Rollout, the Vespiqueen!"
Ulani gracefully evaded the Vespiqueen, scooting backwards. The prideful Pokemon, determined not to let her prey get away, was about to give chase when Tora, who if you recall was in the sky due to the Bibarel's Water Gun, suddenly rolled up in a ball and, propelled by the jet of water beneath him, slamed into the Vespiqueen in a rapidly rolling ball. It was super effective, and a dazed Vespiqueen took another hit from the ball that was Tora before knocking out. Tora hit the ground, still in her Rollout attack and unable to pull herself out; she felt distinctly that her momentum was building too much, but couldn't find a way to stop... Oh! That Bibarel. Those Bibarels. From her spinning brain, it looked like there were five Bibarels floating about, which one was she gonna try and hit?
"Bummer!" Connor said, recalling her. "Bibarel, attack that bird with --" but before he could finish his command, an out of control Tora spun dizzily inches past the Bibarel's face, crashing into a tree. Unfortunately the tree was too thin to hold Tora back, and so she tore it down. And the one after it. And the one after it. Until she was rolling completely down the hill that took M.A. four or so hours to climb thus far. The Donphan trumpeted something muffled as she disappeared in the distance, which M.A. looked to Diego to translate.
Diego wrote into the sky, half Spanish, half English. "Ella decia: "Sorry master! I think I did it again! I'll come back shortly! Don't wait up, I'll smell you --"
M.A. covered her thin face with her hands, giving a long, long sigh.
The guy was too busy laughing to issue another command. "Jesus, your Pokemon. Let's call it your win; if she had hit Bibarel then we would've been done. You sure your Donphan'll be alright?"
"Probably," M.A. said, frowning. That Tora! And here she thought the Pokemon had learned some self-control.
"Well, I'll head down her trail of wreckage after I show you how to get to the manor, and I'll help her come back up. It might take a while, though, so... if you decide to leave the creepy place (I wouldn't blame you), here's my number, and I'll find you down the hill." Noting M.A.'s worried expression, he hastily added, "Don't worry, I'm staying on this hill another week or so, just training. Wanna take on a Gym Leader soon," he added, "hence I just challenge passer-bys."
"Thanks!" M.A. grinned sunnily, her steel blue eyes gleaming like sea-colored marbles.
Connor blushed. Anything for a pretty girl like you, he thought to himself. Maybe later, after playing the selfless hero, bringing back her Donphan and all, he'd be able to take her out on a date later? I mean, she wasn't really his type; didn't have the curves, skinny, lanky, but what wonders that smile did to her face!
"Did you say something?"
"Oh, no, come this way."
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:01 pm
"Your contest pass is ready," the woman called lazily.
Amy smiled, having checked everything out, and happily went over to retrieve her very own contest pass! "Thank you so much!"
"Would you like to register for tonight's contest?"
"Oh, not yet," Amy said with another smile. "My Pokemon's levels aren't high enough yet. I'll be back later for that! Thanks again, and have a nice day!" The girl strolled out into the beautiful Cerulean afternoon, enjoying the gentle breeze to match with the warm sun. "Flora, c'mon out and enjoy the sunshine!" she called, tossing the Pokeball into the air with a dramatic flourish.
The Leaf Pokemon emerged with a cheerful squeal, running around in circles as she took in the absolutely gorgeous weather. "Chiko!"
"Flora, we're on a mission," Amy said somewhat sternly, looking towards the shops in the distance. "We're gonna find my contest outfit, okay?"
Flora was more than happy to help Amy shop. Especially for their all important contest! She nodded happily.
"I feel bad for keeping Marshall in all the time..." Amy sighed somewhat, staring wistfully at his Pokemon. "Oh, what the heck? C'mon out, Marshall!"
"Wooopah." Marshall, too, was enjoying the sunshine. He happily walked along after Amy informed him of where they were off to, repeating his name to some certain tune.
"I need you two to be on best behavior, okay?" she told them as they neared their first shop, a quaint little thing with really unique clothing. There was a simple white sign on the door that said 'OPEN - POKEMON ALLOWED'. They entered, and the sound of a bell tinkling filled the shop. "Hello?"
"Hello, little one." An elderly woman emerged from the shadows, staring at Amy behind thick spectacles. "How may I help you...?"
"U-um," Amy stammered, shaking her head somewhat. "I'm looking for an outfit for the contest tonight...? Or for contests in general... Would you help me, please?"
"Oh, of course," the woman smiled. "You may call me Eliza, if you wish. What shall I call you?"
"I-I'm Amy Maple," Amy said, offering Eliza a kind smile.
Eliza's eyes flashed after Amy introduced herself, and she glanced away, taking a small breath. "It is a pleasure to meet you..." she said, wringing her hands. "So, you are a coordinator in need of an outfit, yes?"
"Um, yeah," Amy said, disconcerted by the woman's reaction. "A-are you all right...? You seem... afraid...?"
"It's nothing," Eliza replied softly, licking her lips. "It's just that you seem... familiar. And this is no problem. From now on, I wish to be your outfit designer, Amy!" Without waiting for answer, she seized Amy's hand and began to drag her across the store. "I know just the thing! You want to seem elegant, yes? Not too over the top, yes?"
"U-uh, yes!" Amy replied, not sure of which question she was answering. But then they stopped and she saw it. A simple kimono, an emerald green with a snow white sash was on display in a glass case. "I-is this it...?"
"Yes," Eliza answered with a smile, pleased with Amy's reaction. "I knew you would love this! You'll be as graceful and beautiful as the gym leader Erika! Magnificent! It's yours." She immediately began opening the case.
"Y-you don't want me to pay?" Amy asked, having reached for her wallet. "I can pay..."
"Nonsense," Eliza said nonchalantly, retrieving the kimono. She began to fold it carefully. "You, girl, you will have quite the journey before you... many do. It is nothing. I've always had this kimono and I've said to myself, 'I will give this without question to the right coordinator.' I think you are the right coordinator, yes? Yes! Take it!" She shoved the box in Amy's face. "I demand that you return here after your contest to tell me about it! Goodbye!" She ushered Amy, Flora, and Marshall out of her shop swiftly, and shut the door, returning back to her office.
"..."
"..."
"...Woopah."
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:05 pm
Sam nodded, still feeling awkward and ashamed. She had realized how horrible she had been as a child, how immature and mean and angry she had been up until she had thrown Star's egg into the ocean. She hated that. She shook her head as she entered the Pokemon Center, not wanting to get caught up in self-loathing. It could do no good now. She dropped off Devlin's Pokeball to make it easier on the Nurse, then turned and Saw Sparkle clinging to Miharu's leg. Sam smiled gently, and walked over to the Flaafy.
"You don't like crowds either huh?" she said, as she knelt down next to her. She held up a hand, hesitating. She wanted to pat Sparkle's head, as Miharu had done, but Sam knew that a frightened Electric Pokemon could shock her at any time. "I hate crowds too," she said to Sparkle, "I always have. But it's easy to ignore them. Just take a few deep breaths and focus on something soothing, like...a flower. Or waves. Try it. Don't worry, be happy," she sang softly. She laughed lightly at her pathetic attempt at helping. Sam wasn't a very good speaker, always blunt and awkward.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:07 pm
"Our last stop is Sunyshore City. I repeat, we have arrived in Sunyshore City. We hope you have had a good trip, and we hope you will choose Floatzel Ferry Services in the future."
The poor little pink-haired girl on the top deck had been awakened by this announcement, and had fallen off of her 'bed' onto her soft, cuddly Pokémon below. "Huuuuhzwhaat..oh!" Blythe jumped up as she realized what had happened. "Oh Mimi, I'm sorry!" The Snorunt huffed, but gave a curt nod of acceptance. She reached her arms up, like a child who wanted to be held, and Blythe couldn't help but give into that cute face.
After Blythe had gathered all of her belongings, including Haruka, she quickly rushed off of the boat, for she was the last one off.
"WELL!" She yelled into the sky, not at any particular ferry or anything, "That was a long ride." She stopped to take a good look at her surroundings. Sunyshore hadn't been graced by Blythe's presence in a long time, but she found that it still looked the same as before. Although it was awash in the orange brilliance of the setting sun, one could hardly tell past all the neon signs and glowing lights that adorned every stinkin' corner of the city. They definitely used those solar panels. A lot.
"Too much..light..." Blythe moaned, not able to look directly at the city. Now I remember why I don't visit this place.. Reaching into her bottomless bag of goodness, she pulled out her foldable pink bicycle, and quickly jumped on. She was eager to get out of this electricity hole, fast. With Mimi settled on top of her head, and Haruka gripping onto a handlebar for dear life, Blythe set off (quickly) on her way to Veilstone.
~~~~~
Before they knew it, the purple-clad duo had arrived in Cerulean City. The city glowed orange in the shadow of the setting sun, something that Ryka couldn't help but to stop and admire. After walking and talking for most of the day, save for a few stops here and there, the pair was undoubtedly quite tired. Fantina wasn't one to show it, however, as she continued to trudge onward at her speedy pace. Struggling to keep by her side, Ryka had to maneuver herself in a half-jogging/half-skipping motion to keep up. Although most of the chatting between them had been about contests -- with Ryka asking nearly every question in the book --- she was able to pull out one final question before the Contest Hall was in sight. They had agreed to visit the Hall before parting, since the sunset pointed out that the hall would soon close.
"I'm sorry Miss Fantina, but just one more question...is a contest primarily a battle with style? Or are there different things to do besides battling?" It seemed odd, even to Ryka, that she hadn't asked this question in the first place, but at least she fit it in at all, what with Fantina's speedwalking.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:32 pm
M.A. was incredibly glad to have found Connor at this point in time, for if it weren't for this sandy-blonde kid, she would have never found that tiny little gap in the trail that marked the side-path necessary to reach the manor on top of the hill.
Connor hadn't planned to follow her to the manor, though, having no business there. Plus the path was excruciatingly difficult for anyone of any build to creep through; there were vines and poky branches everywhere. M.A, though skinny, had the issue of her height, and so would need to proceed carefully. "Be careful, okay! If you need anything, don't hesitate to call, the mountain gets reception in some parts. I'll send your Donphan your way," he added, the last part a little necessarily. He just wanted to impress her, or something. But anywho, Tora had an excellent sense of smell, M.A. knew. Maybe the lesson would soak into her thick skull this time. That Tora. So rash and utterly stupid, M.A. thought with overpowering love, a lovely little smile on her face.
Connor thought the smile was for him. He blushed. "N-no need for thanks," he said hastily before taking his leave.
It looked like the forest itself was telling her to turn around. Sharp, jagged branches and vines twisted every which way, obstructing her way; she winced every time something caught on her arms, her hair, her clothes, and red marks appeared all over her skin. But no matter. Diego's matter was close by, wasn't he? And this was important to him. M.A.'s limited sense of empathy connected Diego's master's importance with, say, the importance she gave her own father, so she could see how serious this mission was.
We'll cut the last bit of her trip short. At the top of the hill, suddenly the brush gave way to a large opening, though sporadically there were still great trees whose expansive, dense greenery forbid sunlight easy access to the grass. There, in front of them, was the manor. It must have been grand in its prime, with its sweeping patio, its Victorian windows, its pillars. But now the shingles were black with moldew, and bricks were crumbling, and the whole effect was that of a grand dream grown decrepit and somewhat dilapidated. It didn't look like anyone was living there, though...
Mary-Anne's feet silently squashed the woodsy grass, occasionally cracking a wayward stick and sending shivers up her spine as the sound broke the silence. The patio steps creaked angrily beneath her weight, and she stopped at the door for a moment, Diego and Daemyn at both sides of her, before she pressed the doorbell, wondering if it'd work.
It did. A gloomy clock tower-esque sound rang through the house, and the birds around, who had been quietly chirping before, were now silent. It reverberated through the shingled house, through M.A.'s slightly frightened brain, through her thin, wily body.
The door creaked open, but nobody was there...
Oh, just kidding. A little girl, dressed in something that looked like a blend of a school girl's uniform and a Victorian maid's outfit, had opened the door. "What is your business?" she asked primly in a small, but serious voice.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 5:27 pm
Zolin aimed, and threw the his bone as hard as he could. This time, it hit it's mark, jabbing the Magnemite in the eye. It still didn't change it's expression, but Eztli could see it was hovering a little lower, wobbling a bit.
"Better, Zolin. Hurry and pick it up now." Zolin nodded, dashing forward to pick up his fallen club. Suddenly the Magnemite began to hum, emitting slow-moving glowing blue circles. Eztli thought they looked familiar, but she wasn't sure on what it was. It wasn't until Zolin stumbled, and swayed on the spot did Eztli realize it was Supersonic. 'Confusion....It could be worse. At least Zolin still has a chance to hit the Magnemite. If it had been Hypnosis, he would have been out of comission for a few turns.' Zolin's vision was warped and hazy, he could barely see his foe.
"Cuuu....bone?"
"I know it's hard Zolin, but try another Bone Club." Zolin glanced down at the bone in his hand. Without realizing what he was doing, he brought it down on his own head, wondering if it would clear his vision. Of course, it didn't do anything except make his head hurt, and the skull on it rattle. Eztli bit back a sigh.
"Eztli...Should I catch it now?"
"Did you bring a Pokeball, Scott?"
"Oh um...." he searched through his tiny backpack. He brought out a few empty Pokeballs.
"Good. Wait a few more minutes, then try." Eztli's voice was more encouraging then she wanted it to be. She still had to maintain her cover of cool and distant, a lone Trainer. Eztli frowned, an uncomfortable expression for her, then turned back to the battle. The Magnemite had suddenly swooped low, intending to Tackle Zolin. "Zolin, move out of the way!" Zolin looked at the Magnemite. He saw it coming for him.
'Oh hey...That looks really close...Like really clo-' Zolin thought before the Magnemite hit him. He didn't make a sound, a bit dazed. Eztli meditated for a moment on a strategy. She couldn't come up with one beyond what she already had.
"Once more, Zolin. Bone Club." Zolin, momentarily lucid, threw the Bone Club quickly before he descended into a confused state once more. Eztli prayed for it hit, and her prayers were answered. The bone hit the middle of Magnemite's eye once more, and it blinked. Eztli blinked in return, surprised the Magnemite had reacted. It must be getting weaker. "Now." Scott fumbled for one of his Pokeballs before throwing it towards the Magnemite, pressing the center button as he did. It opened, enveloping the Magnemite in a bright light. The Magnemite disappeared into the ball, which fell to the ground, twitching. It twitched this way, then that, before finally falling still. Eztli recalled Zolin into his Pokeball without a word.
"I did it....I did it! I mean," Scott said, throwing a frantic and frightened glance in Eztli's direction, "I mean you did it! I just kinda sat back...Thanks!" He ran forward and picked up the Pokeball. "My own Pokemon....Is it okay....Is it okay if I name it Eztli?"
"Why?"
"Because you helped me! I would have never gotten a Pokemon without you. I would have never become a Trainer."
"You could have just gone to Pallet Town, to see Professor Oak. Or asked any other authority figure for help, like Erika. She's Celadon's Gym leader right?"
"But even so...You are the one who helped me." Eztli tried hard to hide a smile, honored that the kid would want to name his first Pokemon after her. Her heart ached as she realized she would have to dive deep into her cover to hide her intentions.
'I should probably get a hair cut...and an outfit change. Dye my hair possibly...' Eztli shuddered at the thought of putting that poisonous substance in her hair. 'Why me?' she thought, before snapping out of it. She had a very good life, she should not be complaining. She finally looked Scott in the eye, trying to convey through her eyes what she couldn't say. "I don't care if you want to name it Eztli." She turned on her heel, and walked back to Vermillion, fully intending to leave Scott behind and jump on the ferry to Cinnabar, then on to Canalave. Scott walked along behind her, elated about having a Pokemon. Eztli quickly entered Vermillion's city limits once again, heading to the harbor. The ferry was to depart soon. She proceeded to the ticket vendor, where she bought her ticket to Cinnabar. She turned around, and found Scott standing right in front of her.
"Hey, can I come with you? I...I'm afra- I don't want to go back to Celadon. There's nothing for me," he said, his voice uncertain and unhappy. Eztli crossed her arms.
"Are you seriously afraid of your own family?"
"No! I'm...afraid of their punishment. They aren't the nicest people."
"Trust me, running away is not the answer. Having a family who may be cruel sometimes is better then not having a family at all." Eztli passed through the gate, leaving Scott to find his own way back to Celadon. Eztli felt a deep sadness at her own cruelty towards the young boy, but she didn't have a choice. She waited on the docks for the ferry to arrive, shivering.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:16 pm
It didn't take very long for Jake to release Turtwig from his Pokeball, as the boy started to feel pretty lonely. Save for Turtwig, and Professor Rowan, he was pretty much all alone in the world right now, and at the moment that bothered him more than his inability to remember anything about his other life. That's a fitting name, my 'other life' seeing as it seems like a lifetime away from me, Jake thought somewhat bitterly. What was even more infuriating was that every time he delved back into the depths of his mind, the blackness seemed to grow darker and his memories seemed just that much more out of reach. Turtwig walked along beside his trainer, occasionally looking up at the boy with a worried expression, as every now and then Jake would mutter or grumble something, and he sounded a bit angry. Neither of them had really noticed when the path they'd been following was suddenly overcome by tall grass until Jake realized that Turtwig had suddenly vanished from sight, yet again.
"Turtwig?" he asked, looking down into the mess of green at his feet, specifically for the two little leaves atop Turtwig's head. This proved to be useless as the grass was also filled with small plants that of course, were covered in tiny leaves, much like Turtwig's. Now either Turtwig had kept on going, unaware of the fact that his trainer had lost sight of him, or the Tiny Leaf Pokemon was just as confused and lost as he was. "Turtwig?" he called again, shuffling forward through the grass, wary of his steps as he didn't want to accidentally trod on his leafy little partner.
"Turtwig!" he called again, not sure if he was more annoyed or worried about this disappearing act. Turtwig had taken off once they'd gotten back to the laboratory, but that had been simply to go off and find a pen. Now, he had no idea where the Pokemon was, and he felt slightly uneasy now that he was alone and defenseless. What if this was the grass that had all the vicious Pokemon hiding in it, as the grassy areas of Route 201 had been virtually devoid of life and this route felt the need to compensate? Jake stiffened up a little from the sudden awareness of being alone. "Turtwig... where are you?" he whispered harshly, his hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides. "Great... just great..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:45 pm
The loud yelling in his gym was something Roark was not to happy to hear. He had been up late last night in the mines trying to catch up on some of his work down there. Rolling out of his bed Roark groaned as he hit the ground. Pushing himself up he blinked his sleepy eyes and wondered why everything was so blurry before he realized that he didn't have his glasses on. Grabbing them from his night stand he slipped them on and looked around his small room that was located in the back of the gym. "Why is there a challenger here so early." He groaned before picking himself up and heading out of the room in his Cranidos PJ's. Looking around for the challenger, who wasn't to hard to find. "Urg, a little early aren't you?" Covering his mouth Roark let out a jaw cracking yawn as he looked down at the girl. "Mm, ok, ok a gym challenge. Let me go change, give me five minutes ok?" Not even waiting for her to respond Roark headed back into his room.
Quickly changing into a clean version of his mining outfit Roark headed into his bathroom. Removing his glasses he splashed some water on his face to help him wake up. Urg, it was way to early, that or he had been up way to late last night. Rubbing his eyes he looked in the mirror for a second before brushing his teeth and heading out feeling a lot more awake. "All right, sorry about that. I don't usually have gym challenges this early. What did you say your name was again?"
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Melphaligal the Challama Crew
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:42 pm
"We're here to see, um, a Mr. Stephanides? Mr. Milton Stephanides?" M.A. said uncertainly, actually feeling uncomfortable beneath the little girl's blank gaze. There was no welcoming there, no hostility, no curiousity, just vague acknowledgement. For her little Victorian outfit and her lifeless eyes, she looked exactly like a moving doll.
"Is that so. Come in," the little maid-girl said, opening the heavy oak door to allow them passage. She shut the door behind them. "Please wait here," she said, curtsied, and disappeared up the grand staircase that opened before the entrance.
But the past grandeur of the place, the sweeping balconies, dingy red carpet, and the misshapen chandelier were not the prominent feature of the manor. Rather, M.A. found her eyes glued to the walls, walls that were covered in near entirety. Paintings had been nailed up haphazardly in every which direction, some square, some rectangle, some trapezoidal, some circular, some large, some small, some with frames, some without, and some painted directly on the wall itself. Staring at one wall, her eyes were simply overwhelmed by the cacophony of art.
There were all sorts of styles up on the walls, from impressionism to postmodernism. Up close, Mary-Anne realized that each work, in its own right, was a masterpiece. The scenes were ravishing; the swirls emotional. Sure, she was the average layman. But she had never seen anything more beautiful, more intricate, more moving.
Diego suddenly gave a cry and ran partway up the staircase, embracing the man who knelt to accept the embrace. "Diego! Diego, it is you," the man said, his voice a trembling tenor. "I thought you'd have abandoned me," the man said. "I thought... You should have, it's been so long. I've made you wait so long."
Diego shook his head furiously. Tears were forming in the Smeargles' eyes. "My friend, my dear friend, it is so good to see you, alive, alive! And well. I'm sorry for not coming back for you. I tried, my old friend, I have. You must believe me," the man's voice suddenly cracked, as if he would be condemned forever if Diego did not believe him. Diego did. "But the sea, that devilish mistress - my body has not forgotten her possessive grip as she entombed our ship, her kisses of brine, and upon my stepping aboard any ship, my body feigns near death. Maybe that is my own mental weakness. Forgive me, old friend, I am weak."
And weak he was. Although tall, he was even scrawnier than M.A., and the girl felt as though she herself could snap him in half. He wore a dull, sateen shirt that hung from his frail frame, black pants dinged with paint, oxford shoes. Half of his face was obscured by his long, unkempt bangs -- the rest of his hair was slightly shorter, ending just above his shoulders, but was just as messy -- although when he shifted, M.A. could see that he wore half of an iron mask over that half of his face, as well. Tortured skin descended down from that half of a mask like a trickling stream down his neck, to his chest which could not be seen. It was then he looked at Mary-Anne, gave a weak half-smile.
Daemyn growled, and it took a sharp gaze from M.A. to shut him up. "Forgive him," she said, politely. "My name is Mary-Anne. I accompanied Diego here."
"Is that so?" Milton the artist said. His right eye twinkled warmly. "I must thank you then. How can I repay you? My dear friend, by my side at last," he said, patting Diego's shoulder. Mary-Anne had never seen Diego look happier. "I thought I'd never see him again."
"No payment needed," Mary-Anne answered, chipper, but had to glance away from the man's expectant face, feeling the discomfort of a too-quiet conversation in a too-large room. She turned her gaze to one of the paintings on the wall.
"Well, would you like a tour of my work, and some tea? My place is a little messy, but, you know... stereotype of an artist. Diego used to clean after me," Milton chucked a bit. When M.A. looked afraid to trouble him, he added, "It's the least I can do. A friend of Diego's is a friend of mine."
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