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 Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 8:30 pm
With the subject of the Celadon Gym in her mind, Amy considered challenging Erika herself. She didn't know much, but she knew that she would probably lose... terribly. She ought to look up Kanto's gym leaders and any information on them. Maybe I could challenge one of Erika's trainers while Karrigan battled and see how I did there... but I wanted to watch the battle, too. She supposed it would have to be decided when they got there. As they sat down, Amy glanced up at her redheaded companion. Maybe a battle with Karrigan could be fun, too.
She smiled a little at Karrigan's response; she was still going for the cold weather items, even in the middle of summer. The brunette wondered what it might've been like, to be from a place like Snowpoint or any other icy towns in the mountains... The Pokemon must be beautiful, at least. "Oh, I don't know either," Amy replied with a small laugh, deciding to order a water and a chicken club sandwich when their waiter came. "I think I want a whole new outfit... something more practical, you know? It's really hard to run around in this dress all the time."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
They must know I'm gone now. As much as she would've liked to melt away into the night, her Eevee might have made some noise without her trainer around. No one had followed her on the ship here, as far as she knew. At least she had that much ground ahead of them. I could be in Kanto or Hoenn or maybe I never left. They won't find me for a while, right? And when they did, she would be stronger. And, maybe, Jake would still be with her. Maybe he would help her.
"There's nothing to talk about," Jade mumbled in response after a few moments of silence, a blush creeping up her cheeks. He knows something is up. I can't tell him. Not yet. It would be too weird. She bit her bottom lip for a moment, before she glanced at her new friend, her tone much quieter than before. "But thank you." That would have to be enough for now. The girl set her sights on the road ahead, and frowned a little when she saw what they were coming up on.
"Looks like a cave, but not a big one. Get ready, cowboy." She glanced at the blonde and grinned. "Don't want a Zubat to come and attack you, now do we?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 7:46 pm
The two girls left the cobblestone path and found a somewhat shady, secluded spot between a pair of giant trees that Kasiya suspected would someday hold tree houses, and they took their positions across from one another. "You beat me last time," Haruka smirked, "but this time, it's going to be different."
"I don't think so," retorted Kasiya, already holding up Alphonse's Pokeball. She'd never had an actual battle with the little penguin before, but she figured now was a good a time as any to jump into the fire. "I'm going to make it two wins for me, and none for you! Let's go, Al!" She let the sphere fly, and a somewhat-startled Alphonse appeared on the grassy floor, blinking in confusion. It was only natural considering he'd gone to sleep in his Pokeball back at that weird labcoat guy's house, and now he was with his trainer again.
"A Piplup? No way," said Haruka with a laugh, throwing out her own sphere. A small, round creature with a round head and large snout appeared, its two round nostrils flared. It eyed the little blue Water-type and gave a snort, sending out a puff of sand from its nostrils.
"Whoa, what's that?" Kasiya mused, PokeDex quickly in hand. She scanned the small, tan, spotted creature, giggling a bit. "Hippopotas," she read. "The Hippo Pokemon. It shuts its nostrils tight, and then travels through sand as though it were walking. They tend to form colonies in groups of ten." She smiled, putting the device back in her side pouch. "It's cute, but it's a Ground-type! Alphonse has the advantage here!"
"Pip," agreed the Piplup, planting his flippers firmly on his hips and puffing out his chest.
"Heh, if you say so," Haruka laughed. "Okay, Hippopotas, are you ready?" The little Pokemon grunted in reply and stomped all four of its feet on the ground. Sand began to pour from the small spout on its back, and it began to whirl around and pick up both speed and force, creating a fierce Sandstorm.
"Not Sandstorm already," Kasiya groaned, shielding her face.
"Nope, not Sandstorm," Haruka laughed again. "This is Sandstream, Hippopotas' ability. It summons a Sandstorm when it is called into battle. Fun, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's a real riot," Kasiya grumbled. Her Piplup whimpered in agreement. "We won't let a little bit of sand bother us, will we, Al?" the girl said, slapping on another cheerful smile. "Start off with your special move!" The Piplup had to think for a moment, but he soon realized that she meant for him to use the move he'd been born with, Agility. He hopped up and down and ran on the spot, feeling his little body lighten up, and he knew he'd be able to move much faster than before.
"Interesting," commented Haruka. "Agility, I would guess. I'm starting to wonder where you got that little fellow from. However, chitchat will have to wait until this battle is over! Hippopotas! Tackle attack! Let's go!" The little Hippo Pokemon lowered his head and snorted again before charging forward, the ground shaking slightly under his weight.
=-=-=-=-=
The waiter, a very nice-looking young man (and possibly a year or two older than either of the two girls) brought their drinks quite promptly and Karrigan made a mental note to leave a good tip. She had a small sip of her iced tea, pleased to find it to be just perfect - not too sweet and not too bitter - and she stirred the ice in her glass with a straw, enjoying the clinking sound. "A new outfit sounds nice," she agreed, realizing it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up something like that for herself as well. Her hand stung for a second as the coldness from her glass seeped through the bandage, and she eyed the strip of fabric warily. Yes, having extra clothes handy would be nice, as she was pretty lucky the outfit she wore now was still in good enough shape to wear.
It didn't take long for the girls' meals to arrive, as well, and Karrigan took a moment to study it before she dug in. Sure, it wasn't the most filling of foods, but the prospect of that gym battle had made her almost too nervous to eat. "We should probably feed our Pokemon, as well," she said after the two had made some good dents in their meals. She may have never participated in an official gym battle before, but she knew that going in on an empty stomach would be very stupid.
=-=-=-=-=
Jake didn't say anything else on the matter, just smiled, nodded and continued on, though their outdoor path seemed to be coming to an abrupt end. "A cave," he murmured, recalling he and Robin's mini-trek through the Oreburgh Gate. It didn't seem to be that big, but it was definitely bigger than the only one he could ever recall traveling through. He looked up, able to see a small wooden fence bordering the top. He could also see tall grass, flowers and the tops of a few trees, and he couldn't help but wonder how one got up there. A sign was posted next to the cavern's entrance, and Jake wandered over to read it, scoffing at Jade's comment. "Zubat are nothing," he chuckled. "It's the sneak-attacking Geodude you've got to worry about. He read the words carved into the wooden plank, and looked up at the fence again. "Ravaged Path," he said, looking back at Jade again. "Sounds delightful, doesn't it?"
Deciding to make the first step over the threshold, Jake headed into the cave, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight to the dim cave light. Sure enough, as soon as he could see, a small, bat-like creature gave a frightened screech and dove down and away from the intruders, its wings making hardly any noise as it fled the area. Seeing that Zubat triggered a small, faraway memory in Jake's subconscious, and as a result, a thought occurred and he looked at his companion. "Say Jade, have you ever seen a green Zubat?" he asked, knowing it was a strange question to ask, but he wanted to know. "Or any other Pokemon of different colours? I think... I think I saw one once. But... I don't remember."
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:14 pm
Kasiya narrowed her eyes. The Hippopotas, while cute, wasn't overly fast, but Kasiya wagered that it could hit like a truck. After using Agility, however, it shouldn't have been a problem for Alphonse to dodge, so that was her very next order. "Alphonse! Dodge it," she called, slashing her hand through the air. Alphonse blinked, and puffed out his chest. She wanted him to dodge? What was she, crazy? Dodging was an act of cowardice! The young Piplup squared his shoulders and stared down the charging hippo, making sure his trainer knew that he had no intentions of moving from that spot. "Alphonse!" Kasiya shouted, making her voice louder, but the penguin simply dug in his heels and refused to move. Haruka looked on, wearing a somewhat bemused smile as her tiny tank of a Pokemon charged right into the stationary Piplup, sending the smaller (and lighter) Pokemon for quite a flight.
Alphonse landed once one the soft, grassy ground and bounced like a little blue rubber ball before coming to an actual stop. The Penguin Pokemon grimaced as he got back up, but he didn't cry out as his pride wouldn't let him. He glared angrily at Hippopotas, and once again puffed out his chest. "Alphonse!" Kasiya shouted, a frown creasing her brow. "Are you all right?" The stubborn little Piplup nodded, ignoring the fact that a vicious Sandstorm was cutting into him. "Okay, use your Water Pulse! Just like we practiced before, remember?"
The Piplup scoffed again. Of course he remembered, did she think he was stupid or something? What she didn't know, however, was that he'd learned a new move since the last time she'd seen him, so he decided that right now was a good time to show it to her. He reared back and opened his beak wide, shooting out a spray of delicate bubbles. He hopped up and down excitedly, quite proud of himself, at least until the whirling Sandstorm cut down the Bubble attack like it was nothing. "Luuuuup!" he wailed, devastated that his hard-earned move had failed him.
"Not very obedient, is he?" Haruka remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You might want to work on that."
"Yeah, I know," Kasiya called back, her voice barely audible over the raging Sandstorm. "This is our first battle, and he hasn't been with me very long." She sighed, continuing to shield her face from the stinging sands. "Al! Come on, show them your Water Pulse! I know you can do it!" Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Haruka had called for another Tackle attack. Kasiya considered switching her command to dodging again, but she already knew that her Piplup would ignore it. This time, however, he chose to comply with her first choice, and brought his flippers together, forming a small ball of water between them. He let out a cry as he flung it forward, watching it grow bigger and bigger just before it crashed into the charging Hippopotas. The attack was strong enough to stop the Hippo Pokemon in his tracks, and even knock him back some, but Kasiya knew that it would take a lot more to bring down their opponent. It was likely that the Ground-type was stronger than Alphonse, and more experienced, but she wasn't about to let that bring her down. "That was awesome, Al!" she called, clapping her hands. "You've really gotten good at Water Pulse!"
"Pip," answered the Piplup, still very happy with his attack. His beady little eyes narrowed at Hippopotas when he saw the thing get back to its feet, clumps of sand sticking to its body where the Water Pulse had drenched him. The Water-type knew that this wouldn't be as easy as he initially thought it would, but he was far too stubborn to even think about quitting. "Piiip!" he shouted, practically demanding that Kasiya give him another command.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:16 am
Riza gave a startled cry as Shiro suddenly appeared from around a corner, and she smiled, a little sad to see that he'd taken off his sparkly outfit. "Yours was nice too, even if you're too macho to admit it," she said. She looked at the floor as he spoke, not sure she was ready to hear praise from him. Their battle round was indeed fresh in her mind, as was the pang of guilt she felt over Poliwhirl. She wanted to ask how the tadpole was doing, but she felt it was probably a poor time. "Thank you, Shiro," she said finally. "That means a lot, coming from you. But if you don't mind me saying, I don't think contests are your strong point. You're a strong battler, way stronger than me. I don't mean you should stop doing contests, though. Your appeal with Froslass was incredible!" Riza was a little surprised when he stepped forward to hug her, and she hesitated for only a moment before hugging him back. There was still a lot of tension between them, but it wasn't a mystery as to why, and Riza sighed, hugging Shiro a little tighter. "I don't mind being rivals on the battlefield," she said quietly. "But off it, I'd rather us be like this." She closed her eyes and softly kissed his cheek, wondering if they would be all right, or if what had happened today was a prelude to everything falling apart.
* * * * *
"That's not what I meant," Katie objected, but Mai had already pushed past her and was heading towards the front desk. Katie sighed and followed after her, mumbling her thanks as the older woman passed her a tray for her poke balls. She carefully placed each one in a slot, pausing to think about each Pokemon as she did so. She too was very proud of her team, even though they were all still young and relatively inexperienced compared to Mai. 'I have to stop comparing myself to her,' Katie thought suddenly. 'I'll never get anywhere in life like that. I have to work harder to make myself and my Pokemon stronger, and then we'll show her that we're just as strong and confident as she is.' She was smiling as she handed her tray of Pokemon to the nurse, who by now knew her by name. Katie noticed Mai had headed off to the cafeteria, and she considered following at first, but instead waited. When both sets of Pokemon were healed, Katie took them and went looking for her new 'boss'.
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:11 am
Kasiya grinned, mistaking his stubbornness for spirit, and she made a fist. "Keep it up, Al! Try a Pound attack next!" The words were barely out of her mouth before the Piplup was racing towards the Hippo Pokemon, his flipper reared back and ready to strike.
"Hippopotas, Sand-attack! Now!" Haruka called, her voice relatively calm. Hippopotas didn't move from the spot where he stood; he simply drew in a deep breath and exhaled, shooting out a puff of sand right into Alphonse's face as he came in swinging. Combined with the already vicious Sandstorm, it made for a very uncomfortable time for the poor Piplup and he cried out fitfully as his eyes stung and burned. "Follow up with Tackle," the older trainer commanded, and Kasiya was quickly reminded of Haruka's battle style - fast, fierce, and she never let up when she was on the offensive. The little hippo tank didn't have to move much to slam his heavy body into Alphonse, and again the poor Piplup was knocked onto his back. His little yellow feet kicked the air as he struggled to get up.
"Alphonse! Get up and give your Ice Beam a try," Kasiya shouted, worry starting to nag at the back of her mind. Perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea to send Alphonse into battle before they'd had a chance to train some more. The Piplup regained his footing and opened his beak, quickly shooting off a weak, frosty ray that fizzled out before it could even near its target. The few flakes of ice that had been created were quickly eaten up by the whirling Sandstorm, and again the Piplup wailed in frustration. Kasiya sighed, and shook her head. This wasn't going so well, not at all.
"It's time to use that new move I taught you," Haruka said, a sly smile on her face. "Go for it!" The Hippo Pokemon nodded eagerly, and spun around very quickly, disappearing in a cloud of sand. When it died down, the Hippo Pokemon was gone.
If visibility had been better, Kasiya most likely would have seen the Hippopotas-sized hole that had been left behind, but she didn't until it was too late. In fact, the naïve girl didn't even realized that Hippopotas had used Dig in the first place, and she chalked up not being able to see the Hippo Pokemon as the sandstorm's fault. "Alphonse! Water Pulse, one more time!" she shouted. Alphonse, still having difficulty seeing due to the sand in his eyes, created the small, pulsing ball of water and fired it off aimlessly. It hit nothing, but the back spray from the Water-type attack soaked him enough to clear his eyes of the irritating sand. It was then that he felt the ground trembling beneath him, and he let out a frightened squeal. In a shower of dirt and clumps of grass, Hippopotas burst from the earth, sending the terrified Piplup flying for a third, and final time.
=-=-=-=-=
Mai had managed to procure a large portion of the cafeteria to herself, and she'd set up a dozen bowls of Pokemon food by the time Katie found her. "Thank you," she said, accepting her own Pokemon before releasing them. She didn't even have to order her team to line up, as they knew the drill already. Each chose a bowl and waited patiently for Mai to give them the OK to eat, which wasn't until Katie's Pokemon had been released and were ready. Mai's Seviper eyed the new girl, his forked tongue twitching as it snaked out from between his long, red fangs. A stern glare from his mistress made him bow his head, though his bladed tail continued to twitch. Once the Pokemon had started to eat, Mai took Katie aside. "All right, there's some paperwork you'll need to complete. It sounds trivial, but it's important if you're going to be on the Team Rocket payroll. We'll also have to get you fitted for your uniform and such. Are you with me so far?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:22 am
"Al, no!" Kasiya cried, taking a few steps forward and managing to catch the tuckered-out little Penguin safely in her outstretched arms. His eyes were closed and he looked quite roughed up, but overall he was all right. "You did your best, little guy, time for a good rest," she said with a sigh, returning Alphonse to his Pokeball. She clipped it back on her belt, and eyed the Sandstorm, resisting the urge to send out Ada, as the Sandstorm would be nothing to the Pupitar. She took a second Pokeball in her hand, lips pursed as she concentrated. "This might be a little risky, but I'm going to give it a try! Let's go, Nova!" she called out finally, letting the Pokeball soar through the air. It burst open, and as always, the feisty Charmeleon appeared, her flaming tail lashing around behind her as she sized up the situation. "Your opponent can dig underground, so be careful, okay?" Nova snorted out a puff of smoke, but nodded, her eyes narrowed in focus.
"Your Charmeleon looks tough," Haruka noted. "But is it tough enough for this? Hippopotas, use Yawn!" The Hippo Pokemon's mouth gaped open, and a round, pinkish bubble popped out, drifting across the sand-strewn battlefield towards Nova.
At first Kasiya was certain it would be ripped to shreds, like Alphonse's Bubble attack had been, but it soon became apparent that it was far more resilient and it made it through in tact. Kasiya knew that if Nova were to be struck by that Yawn, she'd become drowsy and sluggish before succumbing to sleep. "Nova, you have to avoid that bubble!" she called, hoping that the Charmeleon would be a lot more obedient than Alphonse had. Nova glanced back at her trainer, and gave a sharp nod. She reared back and thrust her head forward, shooting out a narrow stream of flames that cut through the Sandstorm and smashed into the pink bubble, bursting it. The lizard lashed her tail against the ground and snorted, ignoring the sand that dug into her scaly skin. "Nice shot!" Kasiya cheered, pumping her fist. "Let's turn this around! Smokescreen, Nova! Let's go!" The Charmeleon inhaled deeply, feeling the flames churning within her. She took a step forward, a thick, acrid smoke pouring from her mouth. It swirled in with the Sandstorm, creating a sandy, smoky haze that that obscured the field.
"Clever, but Hippopotas doesn't need to see to attack," Haruka said, laughing. "Dig, again!" The Hippo Pokemon snorted happily and burrowed his way underground again, but at least this time Kasiya knew what they were up to. The smoke and sand combined for impossible visibility, but she trusted Nova to be able to navigate her way through the haze. She was a Fire-type, after all!
"Nova, it's time to use your special move," Kasiya called, certain that Nova would know what she meant. The Charmeleon did indeed understand what her trainer wanted, and she began to move and twirl in a mythical dance, closing her eyes and drawing in the power of dragons. An indigo hue encompassed her body, but it wasn't visible to anyone but Nova. Her attack power and speed both increased, and she focused her senses towards the ground, trying to feel even the slightest of tremors. The ground beneath her feet began to move and her eyes narrowed. The Hippopotas burst from the earth, its mouth wide open as it was ready to take a chunk out of Nova, but she was ready for him. Her powerful legs carried her backwards with a leap, though it took every bit of her willpower not to lash out with her claws and tear that Hippopotas a new one, or roast it on the spot. It felt good to battle again, and she planned to do her best for her mama.
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Melphaligal the Challama Crew
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:18 pm
"Heh, it's not like he would win if he entered." The derisive snort and comment coming from a little ways away from where Dante and the girl were standing.
Dante felt an eyebrow quirk a bit as he gave a bored glance over at what looked to be a stylish punk who was watching Apollo with mild interest but over all disdain. "Why do you say that?" He asked after a moment. He wasn't really mad just kind of curious.
The punk snorted again and gave Dante an irritated look. "Because you will just be relying on your shiny pokemon over there. You trained that pokemon for battling, not for showing off." He looked at Apollo for a moment before shaking his head. "Wasted opportunity if you ask me. Completely ruined your chance for being a top coordinator. That pokemon could have taken you to the Grand Festival if you raised it right. If you took it to an underground contest, or even one of the higher up regular ones," The kids voice held a lot of disdain for the regular contests. "They would recognize that. In contests you have to be elegant and strong. Brute force won't really get you anywhere. A pity you wasted a once in a life time pokemon on battling. It could have been legendary in the contest world."
While the other talked Dante listened with mild annoyance, one would never like to hear that you wasted a pokemon, especially one that was your first. Still the kid had a point, Apollo was trained for battles. He would always go for what did the most damage and what was most effective then what would look the best. Then again all of Dante's pokemon did that. Except for what was in his egg, who knew what personality it would hatch with. "Hm. You have a point. Isn't one of the part of contests battle though?" Dante wasn't quite sure on that, he had never really paid to much attention to pokemon contests.
This time it was the girl he had been traveling with who answered him. " Yes but you must battle in an elegant way. The way you battle is to win with your strength and abilities. You would need to win with elegance. What you need to do if you are ever to win is to learn how to battle in an graceful manor."
Dante frowned as he listened to the two of them. It was true, even if he did manage to make it into the contest there was no way he could win, especially a prize as good as what he was looking for. Besides how did he even know they were going to offer one of the items in the first place. "Well, it doesn't matter, I don't even know if they have a prize of what I need."
"Oh that isn't an issue in underground contests you win you pick the prize of your choice. That is why they are so rough and the judges are so tough." The punk chimed in. He seemed to enjoy mocking Dante. "You couldn't win even if you tried."
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 2:36 pm
Dante knew the kid was probably right, he was sure he would have said the same thing we he in the same position. Still he did have a bit of pride left, though his luck and his numerous times he had spent cross dressing had done there best to wipe it out. "I could win if I really wanted to." Dante muttered matter factually.
The punk snorted and gave Dante an indulging look. "Yeah right, look your Rapidash is impressive all right but you really don't have what it takes to win a contest. Heck it would take the help of some serious contest goers in order to get you ready. They would have to be the best of the best to give you even a chance."
"Now now, I say he has the looks to be a contest winner." The girl he had been traveling with stepped over to where the punk was standing and gave Dante a contemplating look. "It is more the attitude he has and the way he battles that would be the problem."
"Oh please, sure the kids pretty." Dante scowled at him for the pretty comment and being called kid. "He just wouldn't be able to make it, not with the look he has and the Rapidash. It is a bad combo. He would need one of the creepier pokemon or something with a sort of punk refined taste." The punk teen and the girl were now in full swing talking about contests and how Dante could possibly win.
Holding the egg in his arms a little closer Dante leaned back onto the bench a smug little smirk on his face. Well, it seemed like everything was going to work out for him. It didn't take to much thought to see that these two contest masters would take him as a challenge. Now that he had two coaches who seemed to know what they were doing on his side he was sure he had this thing in the bag. After all he was a good actor. Reaching up he brushed some of the long bangs that rested against his face away a little so he could watch them both as they argued. He should pay some attention, after all whatever they came to agreement here would probably be how he was dressed and how he would act, he did not want to end up in a dress again. Though if it was to get a rare item he was pretty sure he would do it anyway, the things he would do for his pokemon. After a about an hour of arguing, three cigarettes on Dante's part and some wiggling from his egg they seemed to come to an agreement.
"Right, so a posh punk look is what we are going to go for. That is if you have the pokemon to go with it." The punk teen seemed to be taking a bit of charge in this as the girl was busy flipping through the contacts on her phone.
"Oh? You decided to help me?" Dante teased with a smirk on his face as he eyed the teen.
It seemed like the other wanted to punch Dante in the face for the air of arrogance he was giving off at that moment. It seemed like he caught up and onto Dante's train of thought as he realized he had just been manipulated somehow into helping the other boy. "Yeah well. You can just shut up. I am taking this as a challenge. I have always wanted to help a hopeless case like you win a contest. It would just go to show how damn good at contests I am if you even place." He gave Dante an annoyed look, Dante just continued to smirk at him as he rested his hand on his egg. "Right, so let's see what you got. We can't let you use your Rapidash, it would clash with what you are going for."
"Hmm." Was all Dante said as he reached into his nearby bag and tossed out four pokeballs containing the rest of his pokemon.
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Melphaligal the Challama Crew
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:42 pm
Compared from the heat of the overcrowded Saffron City, it was pleasant in Celadon. It was warm, as any summer day would be in Kanto, but there was a gentle breeze that carried past the shoppers every once and a while. Amy decided she liked it here, gazing around the city's tall buildings as she took a sip of her water. It was refreshing, and she hadn't realized that she was thirsty until she had taken a drink. Amy took a longer drink this time and relaxed a little, glad to have a chance to just sit down and eat.
Amy immediately dug into her meal, grateful for the hot food. She had been very hungry as well, it seemed. She glanced up at Karrigan, noticing how nervous the girl seemed. Was it because of her gym battle? Amy wanted to tell her that she'd do great, but she didn't know that for sure. She could hardly wait to see Karrigan battle, and Erika would be a good opponent to watch. "We should," Amy agreed after a moment, broken from her thoughts of Pokemon battles. "Did you want to do it before or after shopping?" the brunette asked, her gaze drifting to the red-roofed Pokecenter in the distance. She didn't know if they were supposed to always go to the Pokecenter to feed their Pokemon or not; it was what she had always done. But Karrigan might know more about Pokemon feeding etiquette, considering she had been a trainer longer than Amy.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"It does," Jade agreed mildly, looking into the cave. They had to pass through to get to the higher road, then. She wondered how big the cave was on the inside. She glanced at Jake and dispelled those worries; they wouldn't get lost, not together. Neither of them was exactly stupid, as far as she knew, and trainers had to be going through this place all the time. They'd be fine.
As they entered, a Zubat noisily flew away and Jade flinched at the sound. I have half a mind to catch one of those things just so they'd shut up... In the darkness, there were other shapes, too. Geodudes, she knew, but then there seemed to be something else... what other kind of Pokemon could be in caves? She struggled to think. Jake's question broke her from her thoughts, and she glanced at him with raised eyebrows.
"No, I don't think I have," Jade said slowly. "If I do, I would've done my best to catch it." She frowned a little and continued on, finding a gradual ascent to the cave. "We must be getting on level with that higher part of the road, huh?" Already, she could see the light from another entrance (or exit, most likely) as they trekked forward. But in the path to their exit, Jade saw two seemingly unmovable boulders laying before them. As she opened her mouth to say something, one of them stirred. It was a slumbering Geodude, and Jade guessed that if they disturbed it, it would not be very happy at all.
"Do you wanna take this one, or shall I?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:46 pm
Keegan would most definitely be lying if he said he was thrilled about being left behind once their so-called 'mission' had been completed. Even though he hadn't really had a single good feeling about it the entire time they were in the Magma base, he felt strangely satisfied now that it was all over. That aside, he couldn't remember at exactly what point during the mission where he'd made up his mind to take the blonde aside and talk to her, as he felt he needed to come clean with her before the guilt ate him alive. He'd been hoping to rely on Kasiya's forgiving nature and inability to hold a grudge, but the fact that she hadn't even given him a chance pissed him off in more ways than one. He wasn't even sure of what had happened, all he knew was that one moment Kasiya was there, and the next, she had taken off with Winona towards Fortree City. He'd considered following them, but judging by the mood he was in, he'd probably end up starting a fight and making things worse rather than making them better.
He'd started to walk home, more out of habit than of actual need, but he stopped himself about halfway. His brown leather jacket was slung over his shoulder, as it was too warm to wear and he didn't want to mess it up with his blood. Not that he'd been badly injured or anything; it was the simple fact that the fresh knife wound on his arm from that one fight had refused to stop bleeding, but that was probably because it was itchy and he wouldn't leave it alone. He considered going to the Pokemon Center, but everyone that worked there knew him, and word would get back to his parents that he'd been in town and hadn't bothered to go and see them. It was getting into late afternoon, which wasn't surprising when considering how early they'd started things this morning. The redhead hadn't slept much in the past few days and he was feeling a little weary, but nothing he couldn't handle until tonight.
He stifled a yawn as he walked along, stopping only to withdraw a cigarette and light it. The easiest place to get to from Lavaridge would be Mauville City, especially if he just walked. He'd had enough flying around on his cranky Skarmory for one day, and he wasn't up for a bike ride just yet, so walking would due. Eh, the exercise is good for me anyway, he thought with a chuckle, though he was sure he'd probably use the bike once he was done this smoke.
=====
Miharu felt a slight hurtful pang in her chest as she watched Petunia fall, though it wasn't surprising considering the Pinsir had taken Flamethrowers from both a Houndoom and an Octillery (the fact that a Water-type could even learn Flamethrower still wowing her mind). She frowned as she held up the beetle's Park Ball and recalled her. All right then, if he likes the advantage so much, let's see how he likes it when I take it away. A light glimmer of a smile flickered across the tiny girl's features as she held up another PokeBall, and let it fly. "Sparkle, you're up! Fry that Octillery with your Thunderbolt!" The Ampharos appeared in a flash of light, immediately picking up on the tension of the battle. The Light Pokemon's tail flared and she unleashed a strong bolt of electricity that snaked through the air and struck the Octillery, easily bringing it down in one hit. Miharu smiled, but kept the celebration to herself. Lee was down two Pokemon, and she by only one, but they'd agreed to a full match. There was still a ways to go. Nearby, Mori whinnied, pleased to have Sparkle on the field with her.
Now Leroy would never admit it, not even to himself, but he wasn't a very good battler, and he knew it. He should have been giving his Banette an order, but he was too stunned by the appearance of the Ampharos and it's powerful Thunderbolt to do so. He fumbled to recall the fainted Octillery into its Net Ball, and switched it with an Ultra Ball. "You're up next," he called, and a furry white Pokemon with red zigzag patterns appeared on the field. It flexed its long, dangerous-looking claws and uttered a sharp growl. "Slash and Shadow Ball attacks," he called. The Zangoose rushed forward, a malicious glint in its eye as it reared back its claws and took a swipe at Sparkle, leaving a deep cut in her side. The Banette, meanwhile, sent a second shadowy sphere hurtling towards the Ponyta. Mori, who'd spent a turn being idle as well, gracefully dodged it with a flick of her fiery tail. For the first time since the battle's start, Lee frowned. Perhaps he'd bitten off more than he could chew, to turn a phrase.
((Aaaand back on the horse with Keegan timeskip 1.))
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:55 pm
Mike took in a deep breath through the nose. Not to smell, but to just feel the air as it entered his nostrils. The scent of burnt cloth, skin and hair had become standard to Mike far before this whole infiltration took place, so all he felt as he inhaled was the coldness of it. His body was like a furnace. Anything less than scalding that entered his body sent chills down his spine. Mike coughed as he exhaled. "I'm like an old, busted car." he said to the puffs of black smoke that escaped with each hack. Mike shook his head, suddenly feeling light-headed. He braced himself against a wall.
Oh, you knew, hm? rang the voice in his head. That's new. Milo said, barely impressed.
"Only two more doors from here on out." Mike said, ignoring Milo and pointing down the hall. "We should expect one last r-rush of resistance, possibly an admin or two, but nothing we can't handle." He forced a smile, the twitch in his eye revealing he was not as together as his words tried to say. His head pounded, hurting more than any external injury he'd been given on this mission. Mike continued down the hall, straining to keep his eyes open from the encroaching blackness as his wounds began to catch up to him.
Soon the three made it to another large stone doorway. Mike looked to the sides of the room and then back at his companions. "Through that door is the final room before Maxie's chambers. To be honest. I'm surprised we didn't..." he trailed off, the spinning feeling in his head coming back to him. He closed his eyes for a second, grabbing his head. "Knock it off, Milo." he said through grit teeth.
Not me this time. echoed the voice in his head. Milo's voice caused his head to throb more than usual. Mike's eyes fluttered open, and were met with a blurry haze. It was like when you first wake up in the morning, but something was different. He lifted his hand, and he could make out every cut, scrape and smoke trail. Past that, he couldn't see anything clearly. "Guys?" Mike called out, nervousness present in his voice.
You're losing it, boy. said Milo. We had too much fun and now you're shutting down. Never could think things out.
"No," Mike said, blinking his eyes. "This is different, this..." he slammed them shut and opened them once more. The haze was gone, just in time for two secret panels on the wall to swing open on either side of him and two Magma grunts to pop out. They locked eyes with Flannery and Keegan, then at Mike, who was at the door that lead to Maxie. Without giving them a chance to think it out, Mike raised his hands and shot a short burst of flames towards the two grunts. By the time they had dodged out of the way and recovered, he was gone.
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Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:05 pm
"Hippopotas, follow up with a Bite attack!" Haruka shouted, realizing pretty fast that she'd underestimated the Charmeleon. It was obviously a lot tougher than Kasiya's Piplup had been. The Ground-type lunged at Nova, mouth wide open and ready to chomp down, and this time Nova didn't see it until it was too late. The Hippo Pokemon clamped down on her right arm, leaving virtually all of the limb in the opposing Pokemon's mouth. She let out a fierce growl and slashed at its face with her free arm, but the strange angle made it difficult for her to land any proper strikes.
The smoky Sandstorm was starting to disperse and slowly visibility returned to the field. Both Haruka and Kasiya could clearly see Hippopotas had a good, solid hold on the Charmeleon's arm. Kasiya grinned, and all at once Haruka knew what was coming next. "Flamethrower!" the blonde shouted, not wasting a second. Nova's tail flared and she inhaled, turning her head and grinning before she opened her mouth and released a red-hot jet of flames right into the surprised Hippo's face. He had no choice but to let go and he staggered back, crying out as he was singed and scorched from Nova's strong attack. Haruka had called out for him to do something, but Kasiya never heard it as she'd been ordering her Pokemon to follow up with a Dragon Rage. The Charmeleon stepped forward, purple flames already leaking from the corners of her mouth and she released the fiery energy, watching with satisfaction as once again, her opponent was engulfed in her flames.
As the last few purplish sparks faded away, so did the last of the Sandstorm. Hippopotas was on the ground, twitching slightly and clearly unable to continue battling. Haruka chuckled lightly and recalled the fainted Hippo to his Pokeball. "Nice work, rest now," she told the sphere before putting it away. Now able to see the small blonde girl across the field, she smiled. "Your Charmeleon is good," she said, holding up a second ball, "but can it beat this one? It's your turn, Staravia! Let's go!"
=-=-=-=-=
"Oh, definitely before, I think," Karrigan answered, pushing an olive around her plate as she didn't feel much like eating it anymore. "In case we forget." She'd eaten about three quarters of her salad before she didn't want anymore, and she stared off in the distance, thinking about her Pokemon. It had occurred to her that she hadn't even named her Vulpix and she was considering entering the new fox in a gym battle already. Now that she thought about it, it seemed like a very dumb idea. Maybe she can sit this one out, she thought, though that left her other two battling options as Aegeus and Zaira. Aegeus had a rather massive weakness against Grass-types, and Zaira's Spark attack would be resisted by them, as well. It was about that point that the Vulpix's name came to mind, and she smiled. Amber, she thought to herself. It suits her.
Once they were done and their dishes cleared away, the nice waiter brought them their bill, which Karrigan quickly noticed he'd forgotten to separate. Wordlessly she put down enough money to cover both meals and provide a nice tip, and before Amy could protest she simply smiled. "You can get it next time," she said with a little shrug as they left the restaurant behind them. "I guess we should head over to the Pokemon Center. I don't know if any restaurants here serve Pokemon or not." She did recall a Milk Maid Cafe somewhere north of Solaceon Town where she'd stopped when she'd first left on her journey. The girls there had been very nice, and offered fresh Moomoo Milk to Karrigan and Ikouma as well.
=-=-=-=-=
Jade's answer made Jake frown slightly, and he continually shifted his gaze from the ceiling to the floor, remembering well what would happen if one didn't pay attention to where they were going while traveling through a cave. Why did I suddenly think of a green Zubat? he thought, shaking his head. His inability to remember anything was definitely starting to get on his nerves, and he sighed, looking up to see about three or four Zubat clustered together. Even though they didn't appear to have eyes, Jake knew they were watching him, so he pretended to ignore him, glad to see the troupe of bats were granting him the same favor. He'd been too busy making sure he wasn't going to trip over anything to realize they'd been steadily walking on a slight incline, and it was only when Jade spoke up did he see the faint light coming from the other opening nearby. "Yeah, we'll be outta here in no time," he replied, looking back over his shoulder.
He looked back in time to see that Jade had spotted a pair of rocks, and Jake quickly realized that one of them was indeed a Geodude. It stirred slightly and eyed the two humans, as though daring them to try and cross its path. The blonde tilted his head, staring back at the rocky creature before he smiled. "I'll take it, if you don't mind. Your Vulpix doesn't fare to well against these guys." He hoped Jade wouldn't be insulted by his assumption, as he was really just trying to be nice, and he reached for Grotle's Pokeball and let it fly. "Let's make this one fast!" he called, though his eagerness came to an abrupt stop as the empty Pokeball bounced once off the ground and then off the Geodude's face before rolling to a stop, its once shiny-coating now marred by small scratches on one side.
Unimpressed, it picked itself up and pounded its fist into the ground, ripping up a large piece of rock which it then proceeded to hurl at Jake. The boy gave a startled shout and went to duck, only then hearing the familiar cry of his Grotle from behind him. A volley of leaves swept through the air, carving into the rock and breaking it into harmless fragments that clattered to the cavern floor around Jake, save for one bigger piece that skipped painfully off his forehead. Feeling utterly stupid for forgetting that Grotle was already out of his Pokeball, he sighed sheepishly and brushed the rock dust from his hair and arms. "Sorry pal," he said, hoping Grotle wasn't too angry with him. "You up for this?" Grotle's annoyed expression quickly shifted to one of eagerness and he nodded, whirling to face their rocky opponent. The Grass-type's gentle and forgiving nature haven taken over, he was ready to defend his trainer.
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thunderbolts_and_sunshine
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:26 am
Katie handed Mai the tray that contained her Pokemon, watching somewhat awkwardly as the older Rocket let them all out of their poke balls. She couldn't help but stare in awe at them all, as they all seemed to look so intimidating, especially the big snake and the Aerodactyl. The Espeon wasn't so intimidating and neither was the Misdreavus, but she knew that Serenity was strong, and Siren would be too, especially if Mai chose to evolve her into a Mismagius. Katie somewhat reluctantly released her own team of Pokemon, hoping her group wouldn't be intimidated by them. Of course, Genki and Noa were too busy squabbling over which bowl of food to eat from so neither of them seemed to notice the company, while Seraphim simply curtsied and chose a bowl. The other three Pokemon stayed grouped together, with the occasional spark flickering from Kord's prongs. Katie then smiled. Sure, they didn't look like much now, but given some time, she'd be the trainer of her own powerful team of Pokemon: Infernape and Staraptor, Roserade and Electivire, Floatzel and Lopunny. She knew there was the chance that some of her Pokemon wouldn't evolve, but she seriously hoped not. As cute as they were now, she did look forward to the boost in power. "Genki, Noa, shut up and eat," she growled finally, and the Monferno and Staravia both stared at her before ceasing their fighting. All Pokemon were now enjoying their meals, and Katie looked up at Mai as she took her aside. Paperwork? Payroll? Uniforms? The way Mai talked, it was as though she was joining some fancy, legit company, not a major crime syndicate. The thought of the uniforms got her attention though, and she took a moment to study Mai's. Certainly not all members got to run around in royal purple, and she cringed at the thought of what she'd be told to wear. "Sure," she said simply, a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. "Show me where to sign, and let's get to it."
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:18 am
Keegan felt his pulse pick up as he jogged down the hall behind Mike and Flannery. He and the gym leader had taken off like a pair of rockets, but soon Flannery's pace had slowed down enough so that Keegan could catch up to her, and now the two redheads ran side-by-side. He could hear Mike talking to them (or himself, as it was getting hard to tell nowadays) and he knew Flannery could hear him as well. The worry was reflected in her eyes, and Keegan frowned, wanting very much to reach this final chamber so that he may introduce Maxie to his fist, but he was sure Mike had other, more elaborate (and painful) plans in mind. They finally stopped again, this one at a large, stone doorway, and Keegan eyed it distastefully, wondering how many more grunts and lackeys they'd have to face before they met the boss himself. At least Giovanni shows himself instead of hiding behind his minions, Keegan thought with a small smirk, wondering if they'd have to force this heavy-looking door open. He could hear Mike telling them this was the final door, but his voice wavered and trembled, and Keegan couldn't help but wonder how he was even still conscious considering all the physical trauma he'd suffered.
He'd tossed his cigarette aside and his hand had closed around his Golem's Great Ball, ready to have Tierra smash through the stone door when two secret panels on opposite sides of the wall swung open, revealing two more Magma grunts, one staring down each of the redheads. Mike had reacted before either Keegan or Flannery could even blink, and suddenly both grunts were dodging aside in order to avoid the bursts of flame Mike had shot out at them. Keegan's green eyes narrowed when he saw that his friend had vanished, and he glanced back over his shoulder at Flannery, and grinned. He hoped she understood his meaning, otherwise this would probably not end so well for him.
The grunt on his side lunged at him with a punch, but Keegan was ready for him. With both hands gripping his jacket tightly, the redhead swung the garment around, effectively blocking the grunt's attack and catching his arm in it as well. Keegan twisted it and the grunt's balance was lost, and he freed his jacket as the Magma lackey went down. The guy was persistent, at the very least, and he quickly jumped to his feet again, only to have Keegan thrust a quick jab forward, aimed at the opponent's nose. The grunt saw it coming and moved enough to avoid having his nose smashed, but not enough to evade completely. The quick punch struck his left cheekbone, which was just as unpleasant for Keegan as it was the grunt. The Magma member staggered back, glaring at Keegan, but the redhead was already on the offensive again, wanting to end this quick before Mike got too far ahead of them. This time he'd lashed out with a foot, planting a solid kick directly to the grunt's knee, which bowed inward with the force. There was a loud cracking and popping sound followed by his screams and he went down like a sack of Watmel Berries, but Keegan wasn't done with him just yet. "Shut up," he growled, already sick of the noise his opponent made, and he threw a second kick forward, this one to the side of the injured grunt's face. The blow knocked him out and silenced his screaming, and Keegan sighed, looking back to Flannery to make sure she wasn't in trouble.
=====
I'll never understand why Keegan didn't want to raise Mori, Miharu mused to herself as she watched her young Ponyta practically prance out of the way of another Shadow Ball that had been lobbed at her by Lee's Banette. She's easily spooked sometimes but she's fast, and spirited. She pointed at the Pokemon that had been attacking the Ponyta. "Mori, use Flame Wheel," she called. "It's time to fight back!" The pony gave a quiet whinny and rushed toward the Banette. Flames wrapped around her body and she streaked quickly across the battlefield before throwing her shoulder forward and into the Banette with a fiery tackle. Mori was still relatively inexperienced so it wasn't overly damaging, but the Marionette Pokemon was thrown back a bit, and by the time it recovered, Mori had distanced herself from it.
Sparkle, meanwhile, yelped in pain and stared down at the pair of twin cuts in her hip from the Zangoose's sharp claws, but it wasn't without consequence to the Normal-type. A small ripple of electricity had traveled up through the Ampharos' body and into Zangoose's arm, and as it hopped back, the ripple grew, shooting sharp shocks down the length of its spine and paralyzing it. Seeing its slowed movements gave Miharu an idea, and she pointed at the Banette. "Sparkle, slow it down too! Thunder Wave!" The Ampharos nodded, another ripple of electricity coursing over her body, though she directed this one at the Banette, which had been preoccupied with Mori.
"No!" Lee growled, clenching a fist. Both of his Pokemon were now paralyzed, and he only had two fully healthy Pokemon left. "Zangoose, use Crush Claw on that Ponyta!" he shouted. "Banette, Night Shade!" He was really starting to regret challenging this girl, as she was far tougher than she appeared, and she hadn't even used her Pidgeot yet, or two of her other Pokemon. Banette struggled to move as the Thunder Wave had made its body feel heavy and unresponsive, and it fell to the ground, bracing itself with its hands. Zangoose, meanwhile, let out a fierce roar and jumped to its feet, once again racing across the grassy ground and unleashing a terrible claw attack on Mori. The Ponyta tried to stand tall, but the attack was too strong as Zangoose was at a much higher experience level than she was. Lee sighed when the Fire Horse collapsed, feeling like the match was a little more even now, though he couldn't help but wonder what Pokemon Miharu would send out to take the Ponyta's place.
((Booya, baby.))
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:55 pm
"All right," Amy agreed pleasantly, munching on her last few fries. She had definitely been more hungry than she thought; now her plate was near-clean, save for a few fries and some spare bits and pieces of her club. The brunette's gaze wandered again, finding several shoppers to be of particular note. There was a boy with shocking green hair and a handful of bags, a girl who seemed to be itemless at the moment but headed into the department store with great purpose, someone who looked startlingly like Scarlet...
Amy paused, following the redheaded male's moves for a few more moments before he turned her direction and revealed a crooked-looking nose, not at all like Scarlet's. A slight sigh whispered through her lips--for one ludacris moment, she believed that Scarlet was actually here. But he was still back in Johto, miles and miles away, earning badges and getting stronger. While she felt like she was over in Kanto, wasting all of her time with contests and looking for her father and everything. I'll have to start thinking about that, too. But becoming stronger is what I need most now. I won't be any help to Dad if I'm weak...
She was broken from her thoughts when the waiter set the bill between them, and Amy reached to pay it, but then Karrigan was quicker than her and already putting down money. The bespectacled girl opened her mouth to speak, to politely offer that she could've covered it, but shut it with an admonished smile, nodding in agreement. She got up and brushed any spare crumbs off of her dress before heading towards the red-roofed building with Karrigan, finding a small comfort in the silence. Being friends with Karrigan was quite comfortable, Amy realized with another small smile. She quite liked it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jade eyed the Rock/Ground-type warily, knowing that it would just thrash Solaris again. And she wasn't interested in losing another battle. When Jake stepped up to the plate, she was slightly relieved and slightly indignant, despite how she had just realized how quickly her Vulpix would lose against the Rock Pokemon. She moved back to give Jake and his (empty) Pokeball some room, nearing the stony steps that led them up here. When Jake's Pokeball popped up to reveal nothing, the girl repressed a snort and turned on her heel, glancing down into the darkness of the cave. She could swear, there was something moving down there.
"What?" Jade hissed when Jake called out, seeing nothing but the rock Geodude had thrown at him. She took another slight step back, angling herself further away from any more projectile rocks. But the step she had wanted to take wasn't there, and her foot sank down onto the stone step below. Jade jolted at the feeling and tried to right herself instinctively, but somehow only managed to fall backwards with a slight yell, watching as Jake's battle disappeared behind the corner of the upper-level area. Jade rolled down a few more of the uneven steps before she brought herself to a painful stop with her hands, scraping roughly against the dirty surface. She let out a small groan, feeling the ache in her elbows and knees in particular. That was smooth... she thought as she moved to rejoin Jake, but a movement from the shadows made her pause.
"Please don't be another Geodude," Jade grumbled, already tensing as she turned towards the shape that she had seen when they first entered the cave. Her fingers traced along the release button of Solaris' Pokeball. No matter what the type, a face-full of fire wasn't going to be very pleasant. But no, much to Jade's horror, the shape that emerged in the faint light of the entrance below them was not a Geodude.
"Psy." It was a Psyduck.
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