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 Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:41 pm
Jade warily assessed the new worker, eyebrows slightly raising at the look he gave her. Solaris and Aquarius flanked her, and they must not have seemed that intimidating; on the contrary, she noticed that they were both small and pretty cute. Before she made any comments that would likely get them into further trouble, she noticed a small silver object hovering around; once it slowed, she recognized it as a Magnemite. She resisted laughing when it shocked the rude worker, but she couldn't hold back the small smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.
Aquarius and Solaris were much more alert than their trainer, since both seemed to have tensed as the Electric-type circled them. But it went on its merry way, and Jade watched it with mild interest until she heard Jake's voice. She turned just in time to see the blonde bolting out after the Magnemite, and she almost sighed. "Thank you," she said to the first worker, before calmly following her companion out the door, Pokemon at her heels.
"Jake?" she called lightly, not finding the blonde nor the flying magnet in immediate sight. They must've run off somewhere, but she didn't think that Magnemites were that fast. She didn't feel too keen on getting lost already, so she simply leaned against the wall of the factory, closing her eyes. But they opened again at the sound of a snapping twig, and Solaris' responding growl. The Fire-type glared at something in the nearby forest, and before Jade could order her to stop, she was charging off. There was the sound of something rustling and a small cry from the trees, and the Vulpix was charging right after it. "Solaris!" the trainer called, exchanging a look with Aquarius. After a moment, she scooped the little duck up and ran into the woods, trying to catch sight of red fur, or maybe whatever her little fox had been chasing. "Solaris!" Jade called again, still at the edges of the forest. She cursed and recalled Aquarius before she could lose her only other Pokemon. And then, casting one final glance over her shoulder at the factory and hoping she would remember the way back, Jade continued deeper into the trees, ears straining to hear any more of Solaris or whatever she had been chasing.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:11 pm
In a hurry? Keegan blinked and glanced down at Eithne, as the Puppy Pokemon was still quietly growling at Cindy. To be honest, in the past few days he'd forgotten what it was like to be challenged to a normal, regular Pokemon battle, and not be fighting for his or his friends' lives. The cut on his arm, and the one above his eye both began to throb, a kind reminder of the hardships they'd all suffered. He shook his head, and chuckled as he knelt down and petted the Growlithe on the head. "Actually, we're not in that much of a hurry," he replied, smiling. "We're heading in to Petalburg to challenge the gym. Battling with you could be a nice warm-up." The Fire-type's ears perked up at those words, and her bushy tail began to wag. It seemed she really wanted to battle.
"Oh, you're going to see Norman? He's a pretty nice guy, but please take my advice, and do not underestimate him. He is a far stronger Gym Leader than he appears to be." Cindy's polite smile faded as she spoke, but as she finished, it returned, and she inclined her head slightly. "However, a warm-up sounds fun. May I please see your Vulpix again? I wager that he has grown much stronger since last I saw him." She was now holding a neatly-polished Pokeball.
Keegan's smile faded, and he glanced at his Growlithe again before looking back up at Cindy. "I'd be happy to let you see him again, but unfortunately, he's not with me right now."
Cindy pouted. "Oh, that's too bad. Next time, I guess," she said, looking quite disappointed. She perked up a moment and threw her Pokeball, which unsurprisingly held her Linoone. "All right, how about we each battle with three Pokemon?"
"Next time," Keegan agreed. "And yeah, that sounds all right. Eithne, are you ready?" The Growlithe eagerly stepped forward and took up an offensive stance, much like the one she'd taken when Keegan first saw her at the ruined mansion. "All right, we're ready. And since I'm feeling nice today, ladies first," he said, grinning over at Cindy.
=====
"We made a pretty good team back there," Leroy commented as he and Miharu had since exited the National Park and were now making their way through the northern route that would lead them to Ecruteak City. Though he hated to admit it, the young Rocket had relied upon the green-haired girl almost fully in that last battle, and that thought made him want to take her Pokemon for himself more than ever, particularly that Metang she spoke of earlier, though it would be difficult as she didn't currently have it with her.
"Yes, we did, didn't we?" Miharu beamed at the taller boy's side, still blissfully unaware of his true intentions. The route was quiet and there were no more trainers visible ahead of them, and Miharu closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The air was rich with the scent of pine and spruce trees, and she could hear various Pokemon going about their daily lives around them - the occasional chirping of Pidgey and squawking of Spearow, the hum of Ledyba and Ledian. She opened her eyes and caught sight of a pair of Rattata darting across the path and into the underbrush, and she wondered where they were off to in such a hurry. "So, when we get to Ecruteak, did we want to just keep heading to Olivine, or should we stop and do some training?" she asked idly as they walked, their arms still linked.
"Training," the Rocket repeated, and nodded. "Well, it doesn't matter to me, honestly. It depends on whether or not you're in a hurry to get to the next gym. Unless, of course, you don't feel prepared enough."
Miharu pondered Lee's words for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you're right. While I do want to win my next badge, I'm not sure if my Pokemon are quite ready yet." She looked at the ground as she walked, which was coated with a thick blanket of pine needles. Her last challenge at the Cianwood Gym hadn't exactly been a cakewalk, but at the same time she knew that if she lost at Olivine now, she could always challenge it again later. That thought made her feel better as they continued to walk in silence; Miharu occasionally glancing up at the older boy.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:53 pm
Amy immediately felt a pang of guilt when she noticed the blonde trainer's distress, though she seemed to have pushed it away easily enough. She ducked her head a little, still mostly focused on Riza and remembering the letter she had left the other girl just the night before. That must have seemed so... dramatic, she thought, biting her bottom lip. But Karrigan began to speak for the both of them and she smiled gratefully to her friend.
"Hi, Riza," she said quietly, raising a hand in a way of greeting. Seeing the other girl only brought back thoughts from the contest, and the thought of the contest filled her with a sense of despair. But she also wanted to know who had won--she never did find out, since she had run into Karrigan so early in the morning. As she thought of what she was supposed to say next, she was unaware of the sound of footsteps nearing the two of them.
"Miss Maple." Amy glanced over her shoulder to find a distinguished older man waiting a few feet away, his face grim. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "If you'll come with me, please." Amy glanced at Karrigan, and back at the man, opening her mouth to protest. "It's urgent. We can talk in the PokeCenter, if that would make you feel more at ease." He had a certain way of speaking that struck her as odd, but she ignored it. The PokeCenter was a safe place, at least, and her fingers brushed against Lee's Pokeball as she thought. The little Fighting-type would protect her if anything when awry.
"All right," she conceded hesitantly, turning away from the small group forming outside the gym. She glanced at Karrigan, smiling reassuringly. "I'm sure this will only take a moment. I'll be back." Then, she glanced back to Riza, adding, "We should talk later!" With that, she followed the older man in the direct of the PokeCenter, glad to see that he wasn't leading her through the less populated areas of the city. "Do you mind telling me exactly what this is about?" Amy asked quietly, detaching Lee's Pokeball from her belt.
The older gentleman looked at the Pokeball in the girl's hands and smiled to himself, already steering them in the direction of the red-roofed building in the distance. He remained silent for a few moments, but what he said sent a cold shock right through Amy's system. "It's about your father."
((Sorry for skipping you, Tessie! I just didn't want to leave anyone hanging!))
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:33 pm
Eris jumped back when Raichu turned around so quickly, her eyes carefully following the movements of his exceedingly, long tail and she quietly wondered what use such an appendage would have as she glanced at her own back end, which lacked a tail of any kind. For a moment she thought the electric mouse might try and shock her but he seemed to be more interested in what the golden haired girl had to say, and the Quilava pouted. She really wanted to battle!
Riza folded her arms across her chest, carefully watching Kasiya's expression as she started speaking, though as soon as she mentioned Slateport, Riza felt her blood run cold and she already had an idea of what Kasiya was going to say next. She hadn't yet noticed the two girls approaching them, as she'd momentarily flashed back to when she had been attacked, and how she would have likely lost her Pokemon to Team Rocket as well had not stepped in and protected her from the Ekans' poisoned bite. Granted, she only had two Pokemon at the time, but she couldn't imagine what she would have done if she'd lost Akima and Yula. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as well and she tried to say something, but found herself unable to. She suddenly felt quite horrible for wanting to provoke a fight with the blonde.
She opened her mouth to finally say something, but now she took notice of the brunette and redhead nearby, though it took a second longer for her to recognize the girl in the glasses, as her outfit was quite different than it had been the day before. Blinking, she managed a smile. "Amy, good to see you again," she said. Eris poked her head around Riza's legs, growling at the older gentleman that had approached Amy from behind, though she was silenced by a glare from her trainer. She nodded, not sure what else she could do as the man escorted Amy away, and she couldn't help but wonder what all that was about. She then glanced to the redhead. "Lt. Surge is currently in a battle," she said, glancing at Kasiya to make sure it was okay to give that information, though she instantly felt angry with herself for thinking that. She didn't need anyone's permission, and she closed her eyes, fingers curling into a fist at her side. She still couldn't pinpoint what it was about the blonde that made her so angry.
((It's no problem, I understand and appreciate it! <3 ))
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 3:22 am
It didn’t take too long for everyone to finish their orders. Alexis watched quietly as Hayley released her two other pokemon, a rather shy looking Nidoran named Tisyphone, and another Charmander named Cynder, though he seemed considerably calmer than Gigas. Roll excitedly waved to the two newcomers, while her trainer nodded back toward Cynder, who seemed to be somewhat excited to see another Charmander.
Alexis turned a little red when Kressen brought up Viridian Forest. She quietly slipped her backpack into her lap, digging around for a bit before retrieving a red and white sphere. “I didn’t really do anything,” she said, smiling despite herself. With a press of a button, a snoozing Abra appeared seated on the floor, his head bobbing up and down softly. After a second or two, the psi pokemon rose up a hand and rubbed his right eye, and with a long yawn, he looked around (as best one could through closed eyes, anyway). “A…bra…?” Two Charmander, a Nidoran, a giant human, and a regular sized human in a booth in some strange building? There were way too many things going on at once for the little guy. With a halfhearted wave, one for the whole group, the abra’s head hung back down. He snored quietly.
“This is Blues,” Alexis giggled. “He’s my dad’s. I had to bring him with me or my parents wouldn’t let me go out to do my research. And he got me and Kressen and Roll and Gigas away from a bunch of beedrill with his teleport, and that was scary, so I guess my dad was right. These two are all I have so far.”
As she spoke, Roll scuttled off the edge of the booth and over to Tisyphone. With a friendly growl, she pointed at the sleeping psychic, eager to show the Nidoran the most fun game in the history of the world. The Larvitar tiptoed over to the abra, just barely containing her giggles. Then she slapped Blues on the back as hard as she could.
Or tried anyway. Blues disappeared for a moment, reappearing beside Alex mid snore. Roll covered her mouth, snickering.
“Hey, no tag at lunch!”
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:39 pm
The dopey smile worn by Pete's Koffing was suddenly frozen in place as Paras' Stun Spore worked its magic, the paralysis affecting it to the point where it could no longer keep itself airborne and it fell to the ground, bouncing like a putrid, half-deflated beach ball. It let out a pained squeak, which came out as a small puff of greenish smog. "Is that the best you got?" Joe sneered, though Jasper wasn't sure if the Rocket was talking to him, or his partner. To be truthful, Jasper felt a little bit sorry for the Koffing, watching as it sat there on the ground, looking absolutely devastated. Paras sure didn't, as the Mushroom Pokemon had jumped down from Jasper's grasp and was glaring at the paralyzed poison type.
Totodile, meanwhile, was still grappling with Joe's Sandshrew as the two had gotten to their feet, though neither Pokemon planned to let go of the other. They were each griping the other with one arm while trying to Scratch their opponents with the other. "Come on, Totodile, you can do it," Jasper called, hoping his voice didn't betray his feelings. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if Totodile or his other Pokemon could handle this. He felt a tug on his pantleg and he glanced down to see that Ditto had assumed its usual guise of a Pikachu, and Jasper had been about to order it into the fray when he remembered that Sandshrew were ground types and that it was either immune to, or took very little damage from electric moves. "Hold that thought," he told the transformer. "You're my backup, here." Ditto-chu nodded; as he'd always have Jasper's back.
"Come on, you worthless Pokemon! Rock Smash that stupid gator!" Joe shouted. Sandshrew staggered back, growling, as it had been swiped across the face by Totodile's claws. It raised its own claws high, making a fist that began to glow brightly as it charged forward, throwing a solid punch into Totodile's middle. Totodile gasped as it was her turn to stagger back, mouth gaping open as the wind had been knocked out of her. Koffing, meanwhile, had managed to turn itself upright and was eyeballing Paras. Paras let out a fierce little shriek and rushed it, scratching Koffing right between the eyes with a claw in a downward stroke. The poison type whimpered and rolled back, now paralyzed, and in pain.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Real trouble?" Hayley repeated, looking at Cynder as he watched the other Charmander, a little less impressed with his fellow fire type than Gigas was with him. It was meal time now so Hayley's Charmander plunked himself down, waiting patiently for his food while his flaming tail waved behind him. Mya hopped down from Hayley's shoulder and positioned herself right beside her teammate, accentuating her arrival with an affectionate nuzzling of the Charmander's side. Cynder sighed, mildly annoyed and he pushed the Rattata away with a growl that seemed to say "get away from me." Mya was going nowhere, however, quite content to sit next to the fire lizard.
Hayley had noticed that Alexis had started to blush when Kressen brought up the real trouble they'd been in earlier, and the brunette's green eyes went wide when she saw that the younger blonde girl had another Pokemon! Again she withheld her intense excitement at the sight of the Abra, sleeping or not, and she looked over at the psychic type's trainer as she explained what had happened. "Oh, was it you guys that stirred up the Beedrill, then?" she asked. "A couple of other trainers, as well as myself pretty much got chased out of the forest by a swarm of them. It's kind of funny, now that you think of it," she said, giggling. Cynder glared up at his trainer, remembering well the winged, yellow and black-striped death that he and that Bulbasaur and Squirtle had faced beforehand. He could recall nothing funny about the incident and rolled his eyes. As much as he adored Hayley, sometimes he was certain the girl's elevator didn't go all the way to the top floor.
Tisyphone, meanwhile, had crept a bit closer to the Larvitar, now slightly more curious than apprehensive. Her ears perked up as she watched the rock type tiptoe over to the snoring Abra, and the female Nidoran was sure this wasn't going to end well, though for which Pokemon, she wasn't sure. Her eyes went wide when Roll attempted to smack poor Blues on the back of the head, but the Abra wasn't as helpless as he pretended to be, magically vanishing from the spot before contact could be made and reappearing a moment later, still snoozing away. Tisyphone blinked in confusion; that certainly was an odd Pokemon, able to move like that while it was sleeping!
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:34 pm
More than anything, Kasiya wanted to pretend that seeing Flannery throw her arms around Mike didn't sicken her to the core, and she turned away, staring at the crumpled form of Milo on the ground. Her heart was thundering away in her chest and her hands were shaking, and she jumped noticeably when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up, feeling as though another piece of her heart had broken off when she saw that Keegan was standing beside her, and though she couldn't decipher the look on his face, he didn't look angry, or even upset, and she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in his chest and cry. She wouldn't, though, as she knew in her heart that it wasn't fair to the redhead. Yes, she knew she loved him, as well, but it was different than what she felt for Mike. She didn't know how to explain it, but she just knew how it was. She drew in a shaky breath and pulled the redhead's hand down from her shoulder and curled it around her own. As always, his warmth made her skin tingle and she enjoyed it for a moment before squeezing his hand. She needed to explain things to him; she knew she owed him at least that much, and maybe now, after what they'd all been through together, he could listen to her. Maybe someday he could even forgive her.
Flannery's sobs subsided rather quickly after she was able to feel that Mike was real, warm and breathing, underneath her embrace, and for a moment, she was content to just stand there, holding him. But then, that wretched shade began to speak again, and she let go of Mike, glaring at Milo. Even after Mike had rid himself of the phantom, it tried to taunt him. The Lavaridge Gym Leader took a step forward but stopped when she saw the blackness below Milo's form spreading out. She opened her mouth to speak, but then another spirit started to rise out of the ground, holding tightly to Milo. Its words were soft and difficult to understand, and Flannery gulped, once again backing up. The thought of having to deal with more ghosts was terrifying, but it soon became clear that the only malice they held was toward Milo. Flannery watched, speechless, as Milo was ripped to shreds by the other spirits, the dismembered pieces fading like smoke in a faint breeze. It was by far the creepiest thing she'd ever seen.
Kasiya watched the new ghosts with a blank expression, seemingly unshaken by their appearance. Perhaps so much had happened already that she'd become desensitized to all the bizarre things unfolding around them, though she wore a small smile when it was apparent that Milo was gone. For good. She looked over at Portabello as he broke the long silence, and suddenly it all made sense, or at least it did to her. All of this was because of Portabello? The blonde looked around as all the ghosts started to drift out of sight, now unseen by her and the others. She looked over at Mike as Proton made a reappearance, and sighed. They were done now. She forced a weak smile as Mike had turned to Flannery to say something, but everything he'd been to seemed to all catch up to him at once. Both she and Flannery were already moving forward to catch him as he fell, their joined effort saving his poor cranium from suffering even more damage from the fall.
"Now what?" Flannery asked, supporting Mike's head and shoulders. "What do we do now?"
Kasiya brushed some of the matted, brown hair from Mike's forehead, her expression soft even with the angry, ugly scar glaring up at her from his heavily tarnished skin. She pointed over at Maxie. "Jail." She then nodded to Mike. "Hospital." And just like that, Kasiya became take-charge girl, delegating tasks to the group as though she knew what she was doing. She told Flannery and Keegan to go back in to town and get Mike's mother, Karen. With the help of Nitro and Sirrus, she and Sasha would get Mike to Lilycove hospital, where Karen was to meet them. Lastly, she left the job of delivering Maxie to jail in the hands of Kilik and Winona, as she was more than certain the two of them were strong enough to handle it. She'd sent Keegan and Flannery back in to town because the two of them were from here and would better know what to say to Mrs Kyoka (though Kasiya did have a slight, hidden agenda on that one, wanting the two redheads as far away from her and Mike as possible. Of course, she wasn't going to say that one out loud, even though anyone with a quarter of a brain could figure that one out). Once Sirrus and Nitro had been released and their passengers secured, the two dragons took to the sky, Lilycove City their destination.
Of course, Flannery was no fool and it was hard to miss the fierce glare she gave Kasiya as she was given her "orders", and even though she wanted to argue and insist that she go to the hospital with Mike instead of Kasiya, logically she knew it was the wisest choice. Not only that, but Karen would probably prefer to receive the news from two familiar faces. "Come on, Keegan, let's go," she murmured, grabbing Keegan by the sleeve. The sooner they got out of this awful place, the sooner she could be going with Mike's mom to the hospital in Lilycove.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:07 pm
Ariados had no problems setting up her webs around the arena, and as she lie in wait she felt confident and comfortable in the silk strands giving her a sense of control. She glared at the Magneton as it stared back at her and wondered what could be going on in those three metal orbs, what was it thinking now? It couldn't be good though and as Ariados watched it spark with power she shuddered not wanting to get zapped. But for now she was the hunter, she had nothing to fear. As Surge ordered his attack her eyes were locked on Magneton and she hissed as it generated a current. "Don't let it touch you, move Ariados." Crenu's eyes darted around for a moment as he looked at the set up and nodded, this was alright. He wasn't at all surprised at the call for Thunder Wave, as paralyzing was a specialty of electric types and a great way to seal an opponents movements be they fast or not. But he wasn't about to make this easy for Surge and neither was Ariados. Even though the electrical wave didn't look all that strong Ariados did as told and jumped from her web onto.a different one, the strands bouncing lightly as she landed on it while the attck missed her and fizzled out on the webs she'd just been on. "Don't slow down, keep bouncing." Ariados had been about to settle down on the web and watch Magneton some more, but instead her trainer wanted her to move more. She wasn't sure why, but she understood and easily leaped to another cluster of silk her legs anchoring her to the sticky substance and at the same time keeping her free from its glue like attributes letting her fly to the next one. With each landing the web rebounded lightly and acted as a trampoline of sorts propelling her to the next one again and again, and before she knew it Ariados was picking up speed. She launched from web to web darting around her opponent soon figuring out what Crenu wanted, and hissed menacingly at Magneton.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:14 am
"Don't be so modest Alex! If it wasn't for you and your abra Gigas and I'd probably still be running or full of holes!" He reached out a hand and gently ruffled her hair. "You and your abra are my heroes so let me pay for your lunch as a way of thanks. It's the least I can do." As he listened to Hayley he flinched a bit once she mentioned she and some other trainers had a run in with the Beedrill he and Gigas had stirred up.
"I'm sorry about that. I looked away for a second and Gigas had caught a stump full of Weedle on fire with his the flame on his tail." Gigas who was watching Cynder looked up as this story was being told and gave an apologetic bow and a nervous laugh.
In an attempt to escape the awkwardness Gigas turned his attention onto Blues. He was very interested and very jealous of the sleeping Pokemon's ability to teleport wherever he wanted. After seeing Blues get away from Roll so easily he knew he'd have no chance of catching the pokemon, so he'd refocus his attention onto Cynder. He'd waddle over to him and plop down next to him to start examining him.
Kressen was still upset by the news that other people had gotten involved with the Beedrill incident. "I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble. No one got hurt did they?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:00 am
It was a little difficult for Keegan to describe the feeling that went through him as Kasiya looked up at him. He never had been good at handling her when she cried, and seeing her like that was enough to make even his own heart ache. He was a little surprised when she took his hand and held on to it, and for a moment he enjoyed the feeling of her skin against his before he pulled her hand up and kissed it. He wanted nothing more than to pull the blonde into his arms, hold her tight, and take her away from all this, as he knew that seeing Mike hugging Flannery like that couldn't be easy for her. As far as he knew, Mike didn't feel for Kasiya the same way she felt for him, did he? Gods, he hoped not. The redhead frowned, trying to think back to all the times he'd seen them together, but he could remember nothing clearly, and he sighed, hating this as he was beginning to doubt things more than he had before, and now the only thing he truly wanted was a cigarette. Just because he understood Kasiya's situation didn't mean he had to like it. Everything Mike had done had always been for Flannery. They wouldn't all be standing here if it wasn't for Flannery. It had always been Flannery. The thought that things were no longer as they once were was quite unsettling, and a wave of nausea spread through him. Why couldn't he make Kasiya see things the way he did? The way things should be? Him and her together. Mike and Flannery together. If Mike had feelings for Kasiya, Keegan knew that he didn't stand a chance. Another round of nausea, and though he didn't want to, he let go of Kasiya's hand.
He'd been so lost in his own thoughts that he'd almost missed the appearance of new phantom-like creatures, looking a lot like Milo but much less malicious, as well Sasha now taking cover behind him. Along with a cigarette, he also wished he had a drink as the spirits turned on Milo, tearing him asunder with the same ease one might have shredding a tissue. Keegan shivered and made sure his gaze fell where the spirits were not, as he'd had enough of black shade people for a lifetime. He finally chose to just close them, which turned out to be a bad idea as his own tiredness was beginning to creep up on him now that all the adrenaline had faded. There was a thudding sound, and the redhead opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow when he saw that the spirits were gone and Mike was returning his ever-loyal Breloom to his ball. Keegan hadn't quite yet made the connection between Portabello and the visible spirits, though chances were good he'd awaken in the middle of one of the next upcoming nights with that epiphany.
It was done now; their so-called mission and infiltration. Maxie was defeated and Milo was vanquished, but what would happen now? Keegan had stuffed his hands in his still-damp pockets and had started to turn and leave, but a commotion behind him caught his attention. By the time he'd turned around again to look, Mike had collapsed and was only just being supported by Kasiya and Flannery. Considering everything the boy had been through, it was surprising he'd made it this long without collapsing. Flannery asked the question that was on all their minds, and the most surprising part of all that was when Kasiya stepped up and took charge. He wasn't surprised that they'd be taking Mike to the hospital and Maxie to jail, as those were very logical steps, but when Kasiya pointed to him and Flannery and told them to go back in to town to get Mike's mother, he felt the familiar surge of anger shoot through him. Sure, he wasn't really one for hospitals, but he felt he was more than capable of hauling Maxie off to jail as, after all, it wasn't just Mike and Flannery's life he'd destroyed, it was his too. There was no arguing with Kasiya now, though, and the redhead simply glared at her before he was led by the arm towards the exit. "She did that on purpose," he grumbled once the two Lavaridge natives had made it back outside. It wasn't much cooler than it had been inside, but it was a welcome change. "She split the group up like that on purpose."
=====
Having passed this way more than a few times now, Miharu knew they were well past the halfway point, and she chose to break the silence then, looking up at Leroy curiously. "What about you, Lee?" she asked. "You said you were interested in earning badges too, so are you planning on taking the Johto League challenge?"
Lee frowned, as he was not a big fan of talking about himself, but if he wanted to continue to gain the girl's trust, it was something he'd have to do anyway. "I'm not sure yet," he answered, somewhat honestly. "I lost my fourth gym challenge back in Hoenn, in that Lavaridge place, and it wasn't close, either. Since then I haven't really felt like challenging gyms." Okay, so that last part wasn't entirely true, as he fully planned to go back there and take on the big-haired gym leader and beat her, once he had stronger Pokemon.
Miharu looked up at the older boy, and nudged his arm. "There's no law that says you can't train, too, you know," she told him playfully. "In fact, it'd probably be more fun training with someone else rather than on my own."
Lee chuckled. "Yeah, I know. And you're probably right, though I've never really had a training partner before. It will be fun."
"When we get to Ecruteak, we'll go to the Pokemon Center. They've got a battlefield out back and we can do some practice battling." Miharu looked straight ahead as she spoke.
The Rocket looked down at the girl, wanting not to smile, but he couldn't help it. "All right. If you say so." The trees were starting to thin out now, the telltale sign that the route was drawing to an end and their destination just ahead. Leroy smiled. Having a practice battle with the girl would also help him to pinpoint her weaknesses so he could better take advantage of them.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:53 am
Kasiya was a bit surprised by the effect her little tale had on Riza, and she wondered what sort of things the dark-haired girl had gone through at Slateport, if any. Riza had always been kind of distant and cold, and she'd never been afraid to say what was on her mind. Admittedly, Kasiya kind of envied her for that, now looking back at the two girls again. The girl in the glasses knew Riza by name, and Riza knew that her name was Amy. Kasiya had been about to ask her if they'd met before when the older man appeared behind them, and just like that, was escorting Amy away. . When the man called her "Miss Maple" Kasiya put the two names together and realized that this girl had been in last night's contest with Crenu and Riza - she was the coordinator with the sweet Bayleef! Kasiya blinked a few times and looked at the redhead, who looked just as bewildered as she did at the girl's sudden departure, but there wasn't much they could do now. She'd also been about to answer the question of where the gym leader was, but Riza beat her to it, and for no particular reason, Kasiya felt a twinge of annoyance. She also saw the look Riza had thrown her way, and she growled slightly, feeling her own anger rise. What is that girl's problem? she thought, refraining from shouting out loud as the redheaded girl was still standing there, green eyes wide with apprehension, and though she wanted nothing more than to smack that haughty look off Riza's face, she calmed herself and smiled at Karrigan. "Yeah, he's battling right now. Is there anything we - err, I can help you with in the meantime? This is my dad's gym," she added, shooting a slight glare in Riza's direction.
=-=-=-=-=
Somewhere behind him, Jake thought he heard Jade calling his name, but it also could have been a trick of his mind, as he was far more focused on following the Magnemite. He didn't know why, but he really wanted to capture it and he already had an empty Pokeball ready, even though logically he knew he'd have to weaken it first. "Hey Magnemite, come back!" he called, not even questioning how he knew what it was, but he'd fallen quite far behind it and he slowed his run to a walk, as his feet, still sore from wearing those blasted sandals, were screaming at him to stop. He sighed and stopped walking, putting his hands on his hips and looking back over his shoulder. He'd forgotten how tall he was and how far his long legs could carry him in a short time and he chuckled lightly, more than certain he'd get a chewing out from Jade for running off on her once they met up again.
He was just about to turn around and head back to the factory when he heard the droning of the Magnemite again, and he looked to the right and sure enough, the Magnemite was there, hovering around a flower and jabbing it with one of the magnetic protrusions on its body. "Hey, there you are," he said.
For an instant, the Pokemon's eye flickered to the human boy, but it didn't stay interested long and instead focused back on the flower. "Maagneee," it droned, suddenly unleashing a small blast of electricity on the unsuspecting flower. Jake looked on curiously as Magnemite then went back to studying the flower, once again poking it with a magnet.
=-=-=-=-=
A momentary look of panic overcame Karrigan as suddenly Amy was leaving her all alone with two girls that she didn't know, and the redheaded girl glanced around almost frantically as if looking for a way out. It quickly became apparent that there was some sort of tension between the black-haired girl and the blonde, though they both stated that the gym leader was currently battling another challenger. She drew in a deep, quiet breath and calmed herself, nodding at the blonde. Amy had called the black-haired girl by name, though - Riza - so that meant they knew each other, and that made Karrigan feel a little better. She looked over at the blonde girl, head tilted slightly. Lt. Surge was her father? That was something she hadn't been expecting. "My friend wishes to challenge Surge to a gym match," she said, still unable to make eye-contact with either girl. "And I was hoping to challenge him later, as well, though I was hoping he could offer some insight on handling Electric-type Pokemon. I'm having trouble with one of my own," she added, gently touching Zaira's Pokeball.
=-=-=-=-=
Surge gave a mild nod of approval as he watched Ariados leap from web to web with all the grace of a professional tightrope walker. Not only was her balance excellent, but so was her speed. She was definitely a difficult target to hit, but Surge was not concerned. He was a gym leader and ex-military (and also ex-Team Rocket, but he didn't go around boasting about that one) and he had many different strategies up his proverbial sleeves. He rubbed his hands against his dirty grey tank top, the grin never wavering from his face. He had noticed that Kasiya and Riza had gone outside, as well as Raichu, presumably for girl-talk, though he had no idea why his Raichu had followed. Perhaps seeing the battle he couldn't participate in was upsetting him. Regardless of where their spectators had gone, they still had a battle going, and Surge wasn't about to stop putting on a show because of that! He glanced at Magneton, still grinning. "Awrite, Magneton! Let's give 'em a bit of a jolt! Use Shock Wave!" Magneton droned quietly, magnets still slowly spinning but when the command was given, they began to spin quicker, quickly generating a burst of electricity that seemed to flare off in all directions before they all converged into one solid arc that chased down Ariados.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:17 am
Sasha peered out from behind Keegan once the theoretical dust had settled and silence swept over the group. Even if it was only for a few moments, it was unsettling. The past few hours had been constant explosions, screaming, laughter and battle. It would take a bit to get used to things being, well, normal and not a war-zone. Even Mike's uncharacteristically soft spoken words made her jump. But even that was short-lived, as the boy's body just turned off and he fell to the ground. Before Sasha could even react, both Kasiya and Flannery had practically teleported over to save him, both shooting each other those secretive glares that girls do when they think no one's looking. Sasha sucked in her lips and averted her eyes for a moment, the room feeling suddenly feeling a bit stuffy.
Kasiya, apparently, was even more done than she was, and suddenly began ordering everyone around. While the majority of Sasha was ecstatic to finally be free, she felt that the fighting was far from over. Z'here is going to be a lot of yelling soon. the girl thought, looking at the visibly irritated Keegan and Flannery walking away to go get Mike's mom. "Here, let me help you." Sasha said, hurrying over to hold onto Mike as Kasiya dug through his bag to find Nitro's Pokeball. Sasha looked down at the boy. "He looks so peaceful." she said softly, her lips and eyebrows curling upward. "I'm amazed he lasted z'his long." With Nitro's help, the two girls settled Mike on to the dragon's back, Kasiya urging him to be careful. "You can ride wi'hz h'eem." Sasha said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I'll take Sirrus." The pink haired girl climbed onto the Flygon and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Follow z'hat Charizard, Sirrus. And please don't fly too fast. Pas rapide." Moments later, after waving goodbye to everyone else, both girls were in the air through Mt. Chimeny's new sunroof, the small smoke trail from their smoldering cargo blowing away in the wind.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:10 pm
Admittedly, Kasiya had been more than a little nervous when she'd released Nitro, as the dragon never did like seeing his master unconscious. The girl quickly explained what had happened though, and the agreeable Charizard was as eager as she was to get Mike some help. With little trouble they got the unconscious boy settled, and Kasiya could only smile wordlessly and nod as Sasha gave her the go ahead to ride with Mike and Nitro. Her borrowed Flygon had no issues with letting the pretty pink-haired girl ride with him, and he'd gently patted the top of her head with his tail. Carefully Kasiya settled herself on the Charizard's back, and she leaned forward slightly. "I trust you know where Lilycove is?" she asked, and the Charizard's reply was a single flap of his powerful wings to carry them up and through the gaping hole in the roof of Mt. Chimney. Kasiya looked down as her friends became tiny dots, all off to take care of the tasks she had asked of them, eyeing the two redheads in particular. Please don't be mad, Keegan, she thought, looking over as Sirrus fell into pace alongside Nitro. The pair of dragons weren't flying too high, and Lilycove wasn't a terribly long distance from here so they also weren't flying as fast as they could. Kasiya's expression was grim as she held on to Nitro and Mike, hoping that the boy's injuries looked a lot worse than they actually were.
=-=-=-=-=
Though she'd started to head out of the ruined room they stood in, Flannery paused in the doorway and watched as Nitro and Kasiya's Flygon flew off through the hole Mike's Pokemon had blasted in the roof, and when they were out of sight she resumed her angry marching toward the exit. It wouldn't be terribly difficult to retrace their steps and get out of here, as all they had to do was follow the trail of destruction and still-unconscious or just-waking-up Magma grunts they found along the way. "Of course it was on purpose. What are you, stupid?" she snapped in response to Keegan's statement as she stepped over a bloodied grunt, though as soon as she realized what she said, she regretted it, and she sighed, her shoulders and hair slumping. "I-I'm sorry, Keegan, I shouldn't have said that. I know you're not stupid. I'm upset and angry and I shouldn't be taking it out on you. I'm sorry."
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:55 pm
Being still somewhat new to flying, Sasha's stomach clenched as the Flygon took to the air. Thankfully, the dragon was highly trained in ferrying passengers, and after a few moments, they had reached coasting altitude and Sasha felt just like she was in a sports car with the top down. She let out a deep sigh as the cold wind whipped her face, her free hand holding on to her beret. It felt incredibly refreshing, and for a moment, she let herself enjoy the weather before the sight of her worried friend snapped her back to reality. More than worried, actually; Kasiya looked scared as she held onto Mike. She really does love him. Sasha thought, her heart aching for the girl, even though she knew Kasiya's was aching plenty already. She wished she could say something to make her feel better, but the wind would just drown it out, and shouting wouldn't calm her down. All she could do was keep watch as the tell-tale skyscrapers of Lilycove rose from the horizon. It was strange seeing it intact, after hearing so much about its destruction in the past few days. A brightly lit, giant 'H' revealed the helipad to the hospital. Sasha commanded Sirrus to descend, making sure that the way was clear for Nitro to land. "D'urgence!" she shouted, before shaking her head and repeating in a tongue people could actually understand. "Emergency!" Sirrus touched down, the sight of the pink-haired girl shouting from atop a dragon causing a few passers by to look.
Nitro spread his wings and began slowly spiraling downward, soon landing next to Sirrus and lowering himself to the ground so that both Kasiya and Mike could have an easier time off his back.
Sasha hopped off of Sirrus's back, hitting the ground with less grace than she expected. A sharp pain shot up her legs as her body reminded her she had also had a rough day. She yelped, but rushed to her feet and to her friends, helping pull Mike down as the paramedics rushed out from the main doors.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:51 am
Keegan had stuck around long enough to make sure that Nitro wasn't going to try and devour Kasiya and Sasha once he saw the state his trainer was in (though it wasn't like he'd be able to do much to stop the Charizard if he went off rampaging anyway) and he followed along after Flannery, refusing to look back. He hardly paid attention to their surroundings as they made their way back through the destruction and bodies, though he did note that some of the Magma grunts were starting to come to. When Flannery snapped at him, it cut him surprisingly deep and he even recoiled a bit, slowing his steps and allowing her to go ahead of him. She apologized quickly and he gave a small, rueful laugh. "No, no, you're absolutely right," he said, shrugging. "I am pretty stupid." However true or untrue it may be, he certainly felt stupid, once again able to hear Mike and Mai's words ringing in his ears from the Slateport incident. He shook his head, refusing to let those things get to him again and he remained silent until they had once again made it outside.
"You did say you were sorry twice," the redhead said finally, hoping to at least lessen the tension a bit as he removed his jacket and double and triple-checked the pockets. "But don't worry about it. You've called me far worse things than stupid over the years. It takes more than that to hurt my feelings." He laughed again and scratched at his eyebrow, flecks of dried blood coming free and drifting down like maroon snowflakes. "Should we clean up a bit before we see Mrs Kyoka? We don't need to freak her out more than we have to."
=====
The path that the two trainers had been following gradually grew wider and wider until the packed earth became gravel, and then the gravel became asphalt. Miharu and Leroy had arrived safely in Ecruteak City, which didn't look any different from how it had the last time Miharu had been here. In the distance she could see the Tin Tower, and her mind's eye allowed her to imagine what the Burned Tower had once looked like. She wasn't one for legends and history but most kids growing up Johto knew the legend of the Burned Tower and she shivered, wondering if three Pokemon really had once perished in there, and if Ho-oh really did return to the roof of the Tin Tower to roost now and again. Miharu was vaguely aware of Lee asking her something and she blinked. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," she said, giving a sheepish smile. "You said something?"
Lee shook his head. "Nothing too important. I just asked if you knew the way to the Pokemon Center, is all. I haven't been here before." That much was true, as he hadn't ever set foot north of the National Park before now. He'd never really had a reason to until today.
"Oh, yes, it's this way," Miharu answered, motioning with her arm. Ecruteak seemed significantly smaller when compared to Goldenrod, at least population-wise, and it was much quieter, as well. Miharu closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze as it tossed her green hair around, able to hear the gentle ringing of wind chimes somewhere off in the distance. The two trainers were able to make their way along the streets without any incidents, save for a few elderly people walking along. Miharu's legs were aching slightly by the time they reached the red-roofed Pokemon Center, and Miharu quickly handed her Ampharos' PokeBall to the nurse before she found somewhere to sit down. Leroy turned over his Zangoose and Houndoom for treatment before he joined the younger girl on the couch to wait.
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