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Mission Name: Why Did I Enter That Contest Again? (Special Mission for Rei)
Difficulty: 4
Objective: Congratulations! You've won an all expenses paid trip to the Lavaridge hot springs and spa resort (air fare not included)! While you're there you should do the following things (in no particular order):
- Talk to the Lavaridge Spa "Beauties" who are at least 80 years old by now. Don't let their appearances fool you, they are seasoned veterans of the Pokemon League.
- Get a map of the ruins. I think they sell them in the gift shop.
- Tour the mysterious ruins. It seems that a reward lies at the center if you have the courage. The ruins are full of booby-traps and other trainers (Ruin Maniacs, Hikers, Scientists, Mountain Pokemon, etc). Defeat and/or sneak around anyone you come across. Something about the ruins restricts the use of healing items to 1 per battles completed (every time you finish a battle you can use 1 healing item, or save it for later). I'd expect to be fighting a lot in these ruins.
- Bond with your Charmander. He may hold the key to the ruins. I don't know. He might even be the treasure in the middle of it all. He might even want to battle the Spa "Beauties!" after you clear the ruins.
- Solve the puzzle of the ruins.
- Pass the final test and prove that you should be the trainer to obtain the treasure in the ruins (test of Bravery). The treasure is either the Mega-Stone, Charmander, or both. or it could be a piece of paper and the Spa Ladies have the rewards!
- Head back to the spa ladies and get your reward (it might come at the price of a battle).
Obtainable Pokemon: Charmander (From the Lavaridge "Beauties")
Reward: Charizardite Y, grader's choice.



indentHot air blasted through the vast Hoenn desert, sand swirling from its many dunes. In the distance, a cloaked man trudged through the sands, one gauntleted hand clutching tightly to the brown, protective garment, the other clinging tightly to a colorful slip of paper with the words “Lavaridge Hot Springs Free!” printed in bold letters. The man reached the cliffs of the desert and expertly leaped over a Trapinch sand pit that was cleverly disguised at the mouth of a cavern. The Trapinch growled at the hooded figure, who gave a rude gesture in return.

indent“I missed you too, you pile of Trubbish,” the man grumbled as he safely landed on the other side. A Zubat poked its head out from the man’s hood, instantly recognizing the cavern as her old home. She shrieked with joy and zoomed from the hood, much to the man’s amusement.

indent“Nothing quite like home, eh, Countess?” Rei asked, lowering his hood and running a hand through his hair, shaking out the sand. He laughed, watching his oldest friend fly in loops around the empty cavern. Dust swirled around in the air, following the airflow from the bat, with some settling on a switch towards the roof of the cavern. The Zubat flew to the switch and activated it, setting off a chain of events somewhere unseen. Distant rumbling could be heard, and nearby, a boulder moved to the side to reveal a side passage. In a few steps, Rei and the Countess slipped into the passage right before the boulder returned to its former location. The Aquan pulled out a lantern and followed his Zubat through an underground labyrinth, the intelligent bat always knowing her way around the maze.

indentAfter all, she helped create it.

indentThey crossed a narrow natural bridge, a bottomless pit far below their feet, all in silence. Rei’s mind was elsewhere; it must have been years ago, he felt, since he last entered his old home in Hoenn. Limestone and sandstone shone from the occasional glimmer of sunlight that peeked through holes in the cavern roof, and sand collected in piles at certain spots. He climbed up a small ledge and reached the all-too-familiar stream of flowing sand. He never understood how it worked, and he never wanted to find out. It was one of the great mysteries of the desert. Rocks jutted out from this sandstream, and Rei hopped from rock to rock, landing softly on the other side. He turned left and finally reached a covered oasis, the water crystal clear, with no inhabitants save for himself and his Zubat. The walls served as natural shelves, each holding either small cups or colored glass jugs. Rays of sunlight reflected from a series of mirrors that were positioned throughout the room for illumination, creating a glimmery, almost otherworldly feel in the air.

indentRei’s living room. The Aquan smiled, glad that his home was left undisturbed. He pushed back a curtain room divider to enter his favorite spot, the library. It was here where Rei spent most of his life, researching various wonders of the galaxy and the world, one subject at a time. The walls were lined with scrolls, tomes, books, maps, and other containers of knowledge. Some were encased in glass capsules, while others were still splayed open, as if the owner never left. Rei smiled faintly and ran his hand over a nearby atlas, nostalgia creeping up at every inscription. Reaching into his faded messenger bag, Rei pulled out his latest work and placed it in the “continental theory” section. He pulled out other projects he had worked on during his time with Aqua and archived them accordingly. Satisfied, he turned to his Zubat.

indent“Well, that’s that. Let’s go redeem that prize now, Countess.” She nodded, happily sucking away at a Caterpie Candy. Rei left his home, reset the hidden door, and exited the cavern, throwing a rock down at the Trapinch at the entrance. It snapped the rock in two with its massive jaws, and threw a string of Pokémon curses at the man. He responded in kind, and the Aquan and his Zubat left the desert.

indent“I swear, Countess, that Trapinch is becoming more and more of a grouch. And I know it’s been trying to collapse my cavern. Perhaps a capture is in order.” The Zubat shook her head in disagreement, grabbing the coupon with her feet and hovering in front of his face.

indent“Oh, right. Another time, then, I suppose.” He climbed up the slopes of Mt. Chimney, setting his thoughts of a particular Trapinch aside for the moment. He took a ticket for the cable car and enjoyed the view. His thoughts lingered towards old memories, from before joining Team Aqua.

indentI really was young and foolish then. Not to say I’m much older now. Still, what in Arceus made me think the creation of a global desert was a good idea? He frowned. Archie made it all sound so easy, and so beneficial, to submerge the entire world in water. Heck, that’s why I was hired into Aqua in the first place. To basically commit mass murder under the guise of scientific breakthroughs. He shivered at the thought. It’s all too easy to make that kind of decision when you’re so detached from the rest of the world. He let out a hollow laugh. And I was so eager in my research. I really need to tell Maddy about that one day. We were in different departments, and when she took over Aqua, I don’t think she knew too much about my section. He shook his head. He came to Lavaridge to relax, not to dwell on old news. He exited the cable car and headed towards Lavaridge, treading lightly on the volcanic ground. As he carefully climbed his way down the mountain pass, the ground beneath him crumbled away, and he fell face-first into the grassy bottom, his rolling stopped by a Numel’s hump.

indent“Ouch!” Equally irritated, the Numel blew a stream of fire at Rei’s face. He rolled to the side, getting licked by the flames, but nothing severe. He pulled a ball from his belt.

indent“Come on, Menart. Take some revenge for me. Dig.” The Gabite disappeared into the ground, leaving a confused Numel to wonder where his target was. It meandered to the hole in the ground and peered in, then decided that it was too dark, and shot an Ember in the hole. A frustrated growl sounded from the hole; Menart’s nose was singed by the fire! With an angry roar, it poked out from the ground and grabbed Numel by the feet before disappearing back in the hole. Fire blasted from the hole, but Gabite eventually emerged victorious, huffing and puffing at its burnt nose in a desperate attempt to soothe the pain. Rei did his best to suppress the peals of laughter threatening to burst from within.

indent“Let’s go to the Pokémon Center, Menart. They’ll take care of your precious nose.” A sniveling Gabite followed his partner, holding its nose in its hands and whimpering the whole way. The Countess groaned, disgusted with her drama king of a partner. Menart could be such a baby. You’d think dragons would be tougher than that.

indentAt the center, Rei watched as his pathetic Gabite was babied by a couple of Chansey. The Gabite was escorted to a burns unit, returning from the room with a sloppy grin on his face and a colorful bandage on his nose. A large lollipop was in one greedy hand, a chunk bitten off. Rei’s hand met his face, and he recalled his Gabite before he further shamed the Aquan. Rei went over to the PC and swapped out Gabite for Mosca the Gyarados, figuring that at least Mosca knew when to act cute and when to “man up,” as it were.

indentRei walked over to a Nurse Joy and said his greetings before pulling out the spa ticket.

indent“Any idea where this is?” he asked the nurse. She smiled her creepy, trademark winning smile and gestured to the door to her right.

indent“Of course, sir! The hot springs are this way. They’ve expanded in the last few years, and there’s even a gift shop! You are more than welcome to enter; we’re open at all hours.” He thanked the woman and left the center, wanting to get as far away from her as possible. Something about Nurse Joys just unsettled him. Maybe it was the way their clothes were so well-pressed, Rei thought as he climbed the uneven steps. Perhaps it was their weird hair-do, or how he couldn’t tell any of them apart. His thoughts were interrupted by a large, blinking neon sign labeled “Gift Shop.”

indent“Oh. Well, why not?” he asked aloud, entering the shop. A frail old woman greeted him from behind the counter.

indent“Hello, dear. Welcome to my shop. Anything I can get you? Some food, perhaps? Or maybe a towel for the spa? A hundred percent Cottonee.” A Charmander walked over to the group, wearing an apron and a smile, offering a sample of food and a hand towel. On his apron, a name tag read “Hello, my name is Scipio.” Rei grinned back at the friendly Charmander and thanked him. It scampered back to the old woman and tugged at her sleeve, receiving a candy in return.

indent“I hope you don’t mind, I’m still teaching little Scipio here how to behave around trainers. I let him give out tours of the ruins area.”

indentRei blinked. “What? There’s a ruin here?”

indentThe woman nodded. “Of course, dear. Isn’t that why you’re here? This gift shop is the only entrance into the volcano.” Rei’s jaw dropped.

indent“There are ruins… in the volcano?” He tried to keep the excitement coming from his voice, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. The old woman laughed.

indent"Tell you what, child, if you buy a ruins map, I'll let Scipio over here be your tour guide. He knows the area like the back of his hand, and he's been acting restless lately." She held out a laminated map, which Rei quickly bought. The woman’s face lit up like a Meowth with coin; another happy customer. She looked at the Zubat.

indent"Oh, my dear, you'd best not bring that Zubat in the ruins. Not only are the challenges inside dangerous, but the air will simply burn her delicate skin off."

indentRei blinked. "She's been living in the desert for as long as I can remember. I think she can take the heat."

indentThe shopkeeper shook her head. "It's not just the heat in the air. That volcano gives off enough sulfur to make her rather sensitive to the area. I'm sure she noticed it when you entered the hot springs in the first place." Rei turned to his Zubat.

indent"Well, my girl, what do you think? Would you rather wait for me here?" She frowned. While the old fart was wise and true, she had never sat out on adventure. She hung her head low and moved a wing, gesturing him onwards without her. Rei patted her head and pulled out a large bag of Caterpie Candies.

indent"I just don't want you getting killed because of something I do. I'll get a souvenir, ok?" She nodded and immediately dove into the bag, pulling out a large green gummy. He always knew how to cheer her up.

indentHis Zubat satisfied, Rei turned to the Charmander.

indent"Well, lead the way, little one." The Charmander nodded and ran off into a dark corridor. Rei consulted his map to get a better bearing of his surroundings, then followed the eager Charmander.

indentThe old woman chuckled as she watched the two run off.

indent"I hope that boy isn't expecting the journey to be easy, little Zubat," she said. The Countess cocked her head to the side.

indent"He's not the first trainer to enter the ruins, and he won't be the last. Everyone wants that treasure, after all." The Countess twitched; her friend wasn't aware of the dangers, but he could hold his own. Or at least, that's what she believed.

indentIn the volcanic ruins, Rei kept close to the little fire lizard.

indent"This place is huge! There must be chambers that have yet to be excavated. There's so much history here! Why would a civilization build in a volcano? Do you think people lived here? No, that's impossible, they'd die from the air or contaminated water." The Aquan rambled on and on, the Charmander beginning to lose patience with the incessant chatter. How could that Zubat stand this guy? He just wouldn't shut up about the place! Scipio the Charmander kept a good face around the shopkeeper, but that was due to obligation. She saved his life, and he tried his best to make up for that, even if it meant helping as a shopkeeper (boring), greeting customers (boring), and giving quick tours around to all the visitors (boring). Scipio yearned for adventure, excitement, action! Not leading the way for a bunch of ruin maniacs and adventurers through the same boring pit. Sure, the place was an old ruin. So what? Old means nothing changes. Old is boring. The Charmander turned around to shout at his newest tourist, only to realize that the man was no longer behind him.

indentThe nerve! Did he just take off on his own? The Charmander groaned. He already lost his tourist. He sniffed the ground, putting his fire tail in front of him to see if he could follow footsteps. Scipio retraced his steps until he found the deep impressions that only boots could make. The Charmander followed the trail, occasionally looking up. With a sudden realization, the Charmander sped up; the idiot had wandered off into the unsafe zone! He heard shouting overhead, and Scipio broke into a run.

indent"Ludicolo, what do you mean you can't focus in a volcano? Fine, just kill the damn bug and let's get out of here! I've had it with this place!"

indent"You're the one who started the fight! Yami, X-Scissor again. Go for its arm." The ruthless Scizor struck viciously at a damaged Ludicolo, almost severing its already bloody arm off. It screamed in pain, and fainted before its trainer. The woman was beside herself with white-hot anger.

indent"I hate this place! I hate YOU! I hope you die here!" She ran past the Charmander and headed towards the entrance, sobbing the whole way. Rei nodded to his Scizor and recalled it, glad to be done with the bizarre woman.

indent"Perhaps she has been in here too long. I'll keep that in mind." A cough turned his attention downwards.

indent"Oh, hello there. I was wondering where you went off to. I noticed the ruins goes further in this way. Let's go!" He ran ahead before the Charmander had the chance to rebuke him for leaving the tour guide. This man clearly had his own idea of "quick tour." The Charmander grumbled and chased after the man once more, going deeper into the hazardous area. It was much easier catching up to Rei when he was bogged down by over-eager trainers. Charmander stopped to catch his breath as he watched another battle unfold, this time against an old, portly man.

indentThe Ruin Maniac sent out a Sandslash, and his tourist responded with a Gyarados.

indentA Gyarados?? The Charmander stared in awe. He'd never seen one before. He heard Magikarp could evolve, but nobody had the patience for that. Scipio watched as the large serpent summoned water to its tail before thrashing said tail at the unfortunate Sandslash. The Sandslash bristled, but its spines couldn't catch hold on the Gyarados's scaly tail. Sandslash hardened its claws and raked away at the Gyarados, but the Charmander had to admit, the battle was clearly one-sided at this point. After a few more bashings of the Aqua Tail, the Gyarados won. Scipio grunted; of course it won, it was a huge Gyarados. The Ruin Maniac was a fool to send his Pokémon out first. And what did the old man send out next? Another Sandslash. Sighing, the Charmander turned to look at Rei, expecting the trainer to be as bored with the battle as he was.

indentTo the Charmander's surprise, however, the trainer's countenance was focused, determined. Almost as if he didn't want the Gyarados to underestimate the Sandslash, despite the clear advantage. The Charmander huffed. It was just a Sandslash. It was going to fall the same way the other did, with a blast of water. Sure enough, the second Sandslash was easily defeated, and the Ruin Maniac walked away to heal his Pokémon. Expecting the man to immediately take off, Scipio hopped off its perch and began to lead the way onwards, but stopped when he noticed something odd.

indentThe Gyarados was... mewling? What? It looked much less ferocious in its present state, rolling around on the floor with a sloppy grin plastered on its face.

indentRei patted his Gyarados lightly, opening a bottle of Fresh Water.

indent"Good job there, Mosca. I'm glad you were able to tough it out. A critical hit would've been pretty bad. Here, drink up." The Gyarados drank the bottle in one gulp and nuzzled against his trainer, pleased with the victory and his trainer's confidence in his abilities. He gave a small roar of satisfaction, and allowed himself to be returned to the Poké Ball. The Charmander shook its head in amazement. He heard Gyarados were the wrath of the sea, but that... That roar was anything but the sound of wrath. It was almost embarrassing. Rei walked over to the Charmander.

indent"Alright, let's continue on that way. Maybe this time we won't stop so quickly." The Charmander nodded, and the two strode deeper into the rocky ruins. The air was slightly thicker, and the walls were warm with volcanic heat. After thirty minutes of travel, the Charmander stopped and pointed at Rei's map. The Aquan pulled it out from his bag and smoothed it out, resting it on his knee.

indent"What? Are we going the wrong way?" The Charmander pointed to a fork in the path ahead; one way led to the old magma chambers, long devoid of molten rock, and the other led to a large opening where fresh air blew in and the newest ruins were found. Rei pondered over the options.

indent"Well, I suppose we should get a breather first. I don't know about you, little one, but I am getting a headache from these fumes. Fresh air would do me good, I think." The Charmander nodded and pointed east, where a dot of light was visible at the end of a tunnel. With a nod, Rei rose from his rock seat and followed the Charmander to the opening.

indentUpon entering the open space, Rei immediately regretted his decision. It seemed that other trainers thought the same thing he did, and the ruins was an absolute mess. Empty water bottles and old food wrappers lay discarded throughout the area, and pockets of sulfuric gas rose from various points in the walls. A horde of trainers apparently didn't care, though; they were all taking pictures of the ruins, chipping off pieces to claim as souvenirs, or battling each other. A small plaque at the opening glimmered in the sunlight, attracting Rei's attention. He picked up the Charmander and walked over to the plaque, carefully avoiding eye contact all the way. In neat letters, it read:

indentThis area is the site where Steven found the Great Inscription.

indentA picture of a young man with silver hair standing next to a large, etched rock was attached to the plaque.

indent"Prove your bravery, and you will receive Fire's might," Rei read aloud to the Charmander. "What do you suppose that means?"

indentA loud voice boomed behind him. "It means you came here to battle, you nimrod." Rei whirled around to face the sound. A disgruntled Hiker locked eyes with him, a pronounced frown on his scruffy face.

indent"Ever since that kid found that rock, everyone's been fighting in the area, proving their bravery. There's some magic in this place, I tell you. You ever try to heal your Pokémon from a fight?" Rei nodded.

indent"Sure, and I didn't notice anything by it." The man let out a low, rumbling chuckle.

indent"That's because you probably didn't have to heal much of anybody, then. These ruins, if you try to use more than one healing item, it sucks them dry. Makes 'em useless. And the only way to use another one is by battling." The man pulled out a Poké Ball.

indent"No offense, kid, but half my team's out and I need one of 'em healed. No hard feelings." Rei stared at the man.

indent"You're serious."

indent"Damn right I am, son," the hiker said, calling out his first Pokémon, a Gigalith. Rei groaned, and pulled out a Poké Ball of his own out.

indent"Leviathan, Brine. I doubt that thing's at full health. Let's see if we can't knock it down in one go." The Kingdra nodded in agreement, blasting the water at the hunk of rock. It cried in pain and chucked rocks at the Kingdra repeatedly, each rock bruising her body.

indent"Now, Gigalith, use Explosion!" The crystals on its back began to glow, and it opened its mouth to set off the blast.

indent"Leviathan, now! Brine again!" The Kingdra zoomed in on the crystals and blasted a salty mixture straight into the Gigalith's back, downing it before the crazy Pokémon could destroy everything around it. The Hiker's eyes gleamed.

indent"Go, Golem! Use Earthquake!" The boulder bounced from its position and rammed itself into the ground, causing a massive quake, but not before it was blasted by a cannon of water. The Golem teetered on the edge of passing out, and with a crazed shout, the Hiker commanded another Explosion.

indentRei was convinced the Hiker was mad.

indent"Leviathan, you're faster. Knock it out." She sent a Dragon Pulse the Golem's way, and safely disarmed the living bomb. The Golem passed out, a sweet release from the incessant battling caused by his trainer. The hiker was less than pleased.

indent"No! You're kidding me!" Rei frowned.

indent"You, sir, are insane. Commanding all of your Pokémon to explode is not only a bad tactic if you want to win matches, but also extremely dangerous in this area. Have some common sense!" The Hiker roared back at his new arch-enemy.

indent"Explosions are a sign of bravery!"

indent"No, given the circumstances, they're a sign of abuse and should only be used as a last resort. And there's nothing brave about endangering other people's lives." Rei glared at the man, staring him down until the hiker looked away.

indent"Don't tell me what's bravery and what's not! I've climbed dangerous mountains since before you were born! I'm braver than all these guppies here!" The hiker dropped his gaze at the Aquan and stomped away, cursing everyone in his path and kicking over a trash can as he went. Rei looked down at the Charmander.

indent"Is this healing thing true?" Scipio nodded.

indent"Wow." He pulled out a Hyper Potion and generously sprayed his Kingdra.

indent"Thanks, Leviathan. I kinda wish you blasted that knucklehead with a Hydro Pump, but I don't think it would have been worth it. Get some rest. I have a feeling you'll need all the strength you can muster before we leave this place." She agreed, trumpeted her victory, and hopped back in her ball. Rei was beginning to feel thirsty, but he knew his Pokémon would need the water more than him at this point. He surveyed the area with this new information in mind.

indentIt seemed everyone was on edge. The battles seemed frantic, the Pokémon were desperate to stop fighting, and it never seemed to end. He put the empty spray can in his bag and frowned. What was so important about receiving Fire's might, anyway? It wasn't worth the torture the Pokémon were going through, and the gradual insanity that developed in the trainers who breathed in too many noxious fumes. He shook his head sadly. I can relate to this all too well, but I learned the hard way that lusting for power will only end in misery. Perhaps this is how they learn. Rei sighed, then turned to the Charmander.

indent"Perhaps we should just leave these idiots to battle it out until they fall unconscious from exhaustion." The Charmander shrugged. Didn't the tourist want Fire's might? Who didn't want Fire's might? Scipio wanted Fire's might. The Charmander scratched its head. This trainer made no sense. Obviously, this Rei guy wanted power. You don't have a Gyarados and a Kingdra without desiring power.

indentRight?

indentRei shook his head and turned to leave the opening.

indent"Yeah, let's just leave 'em. It's one thing to be brave, and another to be stupid." The Charmander followed him out and led him to the other fork, contemplating the strange actions of the strange man.

indentSeriously, who didn't want power?

indentCharmander had always dreamed of being powerful. He knew he was destined for great things. The television told him so. Television doesn't lie. Just like the internet. Scipio knew, from deep inside his tiny gut, that there was power in the volcano. And after watching powerful Pokémon fighting, he wanted that power. The Charmander ran ahead, curious to see what lay in the old magma passages. Rei rushed to catch up to his guide, pleased to see the Charmander so interested in the ruins. The tunnels were circular, and oddly smooth. It occurred to Rei that the tunnels must have been created by old magma flow. He picked up a small rock.

indent"I wonder how structurally sound these passageways are?" he wondered. Scipio didn't really care. He knew he was onto something, he could just feel it. The path winded, and Rei began to feel a sense of apprehension. The dark passageways were getting warmer, and the floor was considerably more cracked.

indent"I think we should head back, little one. This place looks too dangerous. What if an earthquake by a battling Pokémon were to happen?" But the Charmander didn't care. He was so close!

indentAt the battlegrounds, a Scientist was battling an Ace Trainer.

indent"Magneton, quick, use Thunder Wave!" The collection of magnets sent out an electric shock that paralyzed a Typhlosion. The Ace Trainer grinned wickedly.

indent"You're gonna have to do better than that. Typhlosion, Eruption!"

indentThe earth trembled, and a spout of lava rose to meet the Magneton. The Scientist scattered away, defeated.

indentMuch more than a spout of lava met Rei and the Charmander.

indent"Scipio, what was that?" The Charmander turned its head towards the sound, but before he could say anything, the ground tremored beneath them. Deep cracks suddenly appeared on the walls, and steam began pouring into the tunnel system. Rei leaped back from the steam jets; they were blisteringly hot, and one just appeared at his feet. Rei scooped up the Charmander and bolted out of the system, dodging falling rocks from the crumbling roof and doing his best to ignore the searing pain on his leg. The system seemed to glow with sudden light further ahead, and Rei skidded to a halt. What was once his exit was now a flowing river of lava. Rocks fell onto the stream, only to melt and fuse with the molten rock. Rei looked behind him. The steam was beginning to die off, and he could see heat waves rippling from the surface. The volcano was going to be using the entire system before long, and he didn't want to be around when it was fully functioning. He looked back at the stream.

indent"There is no way I can jump across it without a platform," he muttered, his eyes quickly searching the ceiling. One large rock was hanging above the river of lava; it could work. He pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out his Kingdra once more.

indent"Leviathan, blast that rock with water. Don't get too much water on that lava. You'll just create a lot of steam, and there's no way you have enough inside you to cool this off." He kept a wary eye on the lava flow as the Kingdra began building pressure in her snout, aiming carefully with the assistance of her Zoom Lens. The Charmander blinked, confused. It as a Water type. Surely, it could cool the lava long enough to cross, right? What was wrong with a little steam? It would just make their escape that much cooler! Scipio tried relaying his logic to the Kingdra, but she stubbornly ignored the Charmander's advice. The pressure sufficient, she blasted the rock from the ceiling and was immediately recalled. The boulder toppled to the ground, but not before the watery blast touched the lava. Thick white steam rose from the spot, obscuring Rei's vision completely. The Charmander couldn't even see its own tail.

indentOh. That's why it didn't use water on the stream, Scipio thought, deflated. Rei took a few steps back to get a running start, grabbed the Charmander, and then jumped.

indentIt's just like at home, it's just like at home. Just don't fall. He hopped quickly from the sinking rock to the other side of the passageway, pain rippling over his body as he landed. The cross was successful, but his burned leg needed treatment sometime soon. As he landed, the ground beneath him crumbled and gave way.

indent"Augh!" Rei and the Charmander went toppling into a chamber below, the rocks falling into a huge pool of lava. Adrenaline kicked in hard at that point, and instincts came in. He grabbed onto the nearby rock wall, sliding down until his protected hands found a secure ledge.

indentHis gauntlets saved his life once more. A tumbling rock knocked into Rei’s spine, and he slammed into the rock wall. Ignoring the stars in his vision, he clambered onto safe ground. Through will and adrenaline's natural painkilling effects, he ignored the throbbing pain in his leg and back and began to think of a way to climb back out.

indentAt that moment, he realized the Charmander was not with him. His head snapped to attention, and he gazed along the rock wall. Close to the lava, a little orange blob was seen hanging on for dear life.

indentTrubbish.

indentRei looked up at the hole. He probably had enough energy to climb out and escape the tunnels, assuming he didn't help out the Charmander. He figured his odds of survival were significantly lower if he tried rescuing Scipio. After a moment's hesitation, he began climbing down. He did his best to not think of falling; he knew from research how bodies reacted upon falling into lava. It was not pretty. The heat became increasingly unbearable, but he knew that if he didn't save the Charmander now, it would grow fatigued and let go of its hold.

indentThe Charmander glanced down at the lava below. As a Fire type, heat never really bothered him, but even this was a bit much. Sufficiently frightened, Scipio quickly looked up at Rei, who against all reason was coming down to save him. The Charmander smiled weakly. Stupid human. They were both going to die in this pit, and he knew it. Rei extended his hand and grabbed at the little lizard, just as another rumble shook the room. Rocks fell from the ceiling once more, and a large boulder grazed Rei on the head. Dazed by the hit, his grip on the wall slackened, and the two fell into the fiery depths below. Charmander closed his eyes shut and buried his face in Rei's garment, preparing himself for the worst.

indentA winged creature swooped in low and caught the human and its passenger with its large claws.

indent"How weak. When you see death, keep your eyes open next time, and challenge it." Charmander peeked out from the garb and looked up, recognizing the voice to be a Pokémon's. A powerful Charizard smirked down at his distant relative, its powerful wings carrying Rei and Scipio up and away from the treacherous pit.

indent"I don't understand," Scipio stammered, clutching tightly to an unconscious Rei. "How were you able to save us? You must have been-"

indent"Watching you? Of course," the Charizard replied. "We watch all those who enter our home." The Charmander took a moment to let that fact settle in, and for the flutters in his stomach to subside.

indent"But then why do you allow stupid humans to ruin your home?" he asked, indignant. "I saw the trash, and I've seen the way they behave. It's monstrous." The Charizard only laughed.

indent"It is clear you don't understand humans. They battle in our dumping grounds and bathrooms, all claiming to seek power. Power, in a dump! They hold up a rock, unaware it is but solidified dung, and take it home with them! The humans are foolish, but entertaining." The Charizard flew higher up to allow Scipio a better view of the ruins.

indent"Besides, are you not the Charmander who gives out tours? Are you not the one who escorts the humans in and out from our home?" The Charmander looked down ashamedly.

indent"I didn't know they were ruining the ruins."

indentThe huge Charizard gave an evil grin. "Well, we didn't challenge them simply because you invited them in. It would be rude to kill our guests." It snorted. "But maybe they have overstayed their welcome. We would be more than happy to send them off. All it takes is a little bit of fire to the sulfur." The Charmander's eyes went wide.

indent"But that's murder!" The Charizard grinned wolfishly.

indent"No, we are simply defending our home from invaders. They knew the risks they took, entering a home without permission." The Charmander gulped.

indent"But, if I invited them in, then they must have permission!" The Charizard gave his inferior a stern look.

indent"Are you to chase them out, then? You, who cannot even melt rock with your breath?" Scipio looked down at his tiny, shivering hands. He was weak, and he knew it. He knew it the day the old woman saved his life, and he knew it today, having been saved once again.

indentScipio hated being weak. He wanted to be strong. He clenched his fists, and glared right back at the Charizard.

indent"I can do it. Just watch me." The Charizard let out a bellowing laugh.

indent"Oh, I will be. We all will be." Charizard glided in close to the opening and roughly set Rei down with a thump. It flew off without another word. Scipio looked down at Rei, who was now bleeding on the head from where the rock hit him.

indent"I will be strong. And you will help me."

indentBut not right now, Scipio decided upon further inspection of Rei’s wounds. He huffed. Fine! He could scare off the trainers himself!

indentSomehow.

indentScipio looked down at the towel still in his possession. It was a little burnt on one edge, but otherwise fine. The Charmander thought for a moment. Humans were superstitious. Perhaps he could use that one trick he learned from television…

indentIt was evening at the opening, and most of the trainers had gone home, thoroughly exhausted from the battles. A few die-hard battling fanatics remained, their eyes wild with desperation and sleep deprivation.

indent”Fight on, Ursaring!”

indent”Don’t let it get you, Machoke!” Thick, heavy smoke poured into the clearing. One of the trainers looked down at his feet.

indent”What in the world?” He stopped ordering his Ursaring, which promptly passed out from a karate chop to the neck.

indent”Ha! Beat you! Drink up, Machoke, we’ve won!” The other trainer’s voice began to waver.

indent”No man, look! The ground’s all smoky!” The victorious trainer, a Black Belt, joined his opponent.

indent”You’re right!” The black belt’s face drained to the color of ash. “You don’t think this place is still an active volcano, right?”

indentThe other trainer, susceptible to suggestion, also blanched at the thought. “Oh man. This place is gonna blow? Is that what you’re saying?” His voice quivered with hysteria. “Oh man, I’m not ready to die! I feel hot! Oh no! My shoes must be melting! Lava must be everywhere!” The sulfuric vent nearest to them suddenly erupted into flame.

indent”OH ARCEUS I’M GONNA DIE!” The pair of trainers fled the ruins, screaming all the while and attracting other trainers’ attention.

indent”Did he say the mountain’s gonna explode?”

indent”Holy crap, look! That’s fire, man!”

indent”My buddy told me this place was dormant! What a liar!”

indentMore vents began to ignite, and the crazed fighters became a frantic mob, creating a mass exodus from the ruins. Scipio giggled. All it took was a lot of Smokescreen, and a few Embers at key sulfuric vents, and really tired people to pretend the mountain was alive. He didn’t even need to put on his sheet ghost costume.

indentNight settled in before Rei finally awoke, his head pounding with every heartbeat. He rubbed his head, groaning.

indent"Ugh... This isn't how I expected afterlife to feel." He shook his head in an attempt to clear his blurred vision, but it only increased the pain. He settled for leaning against a wall and pulling out a watch.

indent"Huh. So I'm not dead, then," he muttered, looking around. He was seated near a small campfire towards the foul-smelling clearing he was at earlier in the day. Rei winced as a sudden wave of pain shot through his body, and he decided now would be a good time to check his injuries. Removing his gauntlet, he gingerly poked around at his head until he felt sharp pain, then rolled up his pant sleeve to inspect his leg. The leg was raw and bloody from his recent adventure, and the nearest medical station was in Lavaridge. He sighed, then pushed the pant sleeve back over it, grinding his teeth at the pain that followed.

indent"That's gonna get infected if I linger too long," he grumbled to himself. He searched in his bag for a first aid kit, and to his relief, pulled out a bottle of painkillers, gauze, and alcohol. He once more rolled up his pant sleeve, braced himself, and poured the alcohol over his leg, wishing he had a burn treatment in the first aid kit. After washing off the grime, he quickly opened a bottle of water and poured it over the wound, put some antibiotic cream over the area, and wrapped it up with the gauze. He popped the painkillers into his mouth and took a swig from the opened bottle of water.

indent"Sorry guys," he mumbled to his belt. "Looks like I'm taking a healing item from you." He limped his way towards a rock and raised his leg in an effort to reduce the swelling. The Charmander poked his head around the rock with towel and sign in tow upon hearing Rei’s growling and grunting. Rei looked at the messy handwork. a piece of paper was drawn on with a handmade bit of charcoal, with a stick figure of Rei battling the other trainers, with Charmander at his command.

indent"You're kidding me." The Charmander shook its head.

indent"Arceus knows how we got out of that lava pit alive. I need proper medical attention at some point in the coming day. And you want me to train you against a bunch of loonies?" The Charmander nodded.

indent"You're as crazy as they are." Scipio huffed and kicked Rei's leg.

indent"AUGH! You cheeky little piece of Trubbish, once I get my hands on you I'll-" A battling duo, attracted to the outburst, went over to investigate Rei's campsite.

indent"Hey there, trainer. You're not looking so good," the younger scientist stated.

indent"You know, you're really not looking so good. Almost like this place is too much for you." Rei growled at the two.

indent"Get the hell away from me. I'm in no mood for games." The trainers grinned at each other, and pulled their Pokémon out.

indent"We're not here to play, we're here to fight. We came to inspect the volcanic eruption everyone’s been talking about. Had to sneak past a lot of Officer Jennys. But it was as we thought, this place is nowhere close to exploding.” The older scientist smirked. “Like I said, we’re here to fight. Better pull out your team." Rei groaned and looked at the Charmander.

indent"You did this on purpose." He pulled out two Poké Balls, but a scientist kicked one away.

indent"You already have one out. Cheater." Rei's voice dripped with hatred.

indent"It’s not mine, but fine. If it's a battle you want, you've got one." He sent out his Ninetails.

indent"Scipio. Set fire to my Ninetails." The Charmander blinked. Did Rei just command him to attack his ally?

indent"Just do it!" The Charmander shrugged and shot a Flame Burst at the Ninetails. The fire swirled around and became absorbed into the Ninetails's body, causing the many-tailed fox to glow. Rei smirked.

indent"Flamethrower whatever Pokémon they send out to fight you, Kyübitto, and at them if they have none left." The duo cried their anger at the demand.

indent"You can't do that! Sending a Pokémon to fight against humans is against the rules!"

indentFire began to build in Ninetails's mouth.

indent"Then you better send out a Pokémon, because I won't tell her to stop until you're out of my sight." The younger scientist muttered something about cheating and sent out his Magnezone, while his companion called forth a Bronzong. The Ninetails threw her fireball at the Magnezone, deeming it a more dangerous opponent than the Bronzong. It melted quickly from the overwhelming heat, and the trainer recalled his Pokémon, whining all the while.

indent"That's no fair, you got to start before we were ready!"

indent"You forced me to use a Pokémon that's not even mine, kicked my hand, and forced me to battle. I don't give a s**t about fair, I want you gone," Rei snarled, his painkiller not yet kicking in. The trainer pouted and sent out his second Pokémon, a Magneton. It sent a wave of paralysis at the Ninetails, but not before it blasted away the Bronzong. Scipio, enraged at everything ignoring it, threw a Flamethrower attack at the Magneton, hoping to defeat it himself. The Magneton was damaged, but not heavily, and it continued to focus on the much more deadly Ninetails.

indentThe other trainer sent out their second Pokémon, a Castform. It immediately went into Rain Dance mode, turning itself into a big rain cloud. Ninetails didn't care; she kept throwing balls of fire at the Magneton. Charmander, however, hid behind the Ninetails and did his best not to let the fire on his tail go out.

indentHow cowardly, Scipio thought as he hid behind the Ninetails. How pathetic and cowardly, to be hiding behind another fire type in a rainstorm. He forced himself away from the Ninetails just as it was attacked with a Zap Cannon-Weather Ball combo. She cried in pain and fell, defeated. Rei returned her to the Poké Ball and tossed out his Jolteon.

indent"Relampago, now, Thunder on that Castform. Scipio, summon all the fire you can from your tiny body and use Inferno on that Magneton." The Jolteon sent a powerful bolt of lightning at the Castform, who changed the weather quickly in an effort to not get shot again by the devastating move. The rain turned into snow, and hail began pounding down on the ground. Charmander's tail flame blazed with heat, and it sent a terrifying blast of fire at the Magneton. Taken aback by the sudden inferno, Magneton didn't avoid the flames in time, and was consumed by the fire. Charmander cried in victory, only to get a snowball in the face by Rei.

indent"Don't just stand there, Flamethrower the Castform!" Charmander nodded and sent a more accurate blast of fire towards the Castform. At the same moment, Jolteon sent another bolt of thunder at the Castform, defeating it as it sent a ball of ice at the Charmander. Charmander winced in pain; it had never experienced a trainer battle before, but believed it had learned much in this one battle alone.

indentThe two trainers huffed and scurried away, calling Rei a hack, a cheat, and a Trubbish. Rei sighed and pulled out one of his few remaining bottles of water.

indent"Here. Kyübitto's out for the moment, and that's my fault. But you're not even my Pokémon. That old woman would kill me if she saw you hurt. Drink up." A wave of guilt washed over Scipio. It was because of him that the Ninetails wouldn't be awake any time soon, and he was but a mere Charmander. He was far weaker than a Ninetails. It wasn't a good trade-off. He accepted the bottle sullenly, every gulp leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. The medication was finally beginning to settle in on Rei's mind, and he groggily mumbled something about cold and caves before crashing for the rest of the night. Scipio kept close to Rei, keeping him warm with his tail while the brief snowstorm passed by.

Mama Mia! What a mission! I'll admit I was a bit worried that the mission brief was either too open ended or too convoluted, but you managed to pull out a wonderful mission regardless. Great mix of exposition/battles. Overall, it has everything I would expect a level 4 mission to have and then some. It might have been a tad on the long side, but I did say battle/sneak past all of the other trainers/pokemon...

- Curse you nurse joy and your super pressed clothes and lifeless stare -

Now for nitpick corner:
- I've lost it now, but towards the end I think you typed Rei but meant the lady with the mega-stone.
- Also, your Pokemon count might be odd. During the volcano I counted 6 + Charmander + the Countess (gift shop). It sounds like Rei has 7 Pokemon with him before he enters the volcano? Again, nitpicking, you only used 6 of your Pokemon during the volcano so no worries.
- I might have missed it but did you ever say what the Mega Stone was?

Rewards:
- 5,000 PD
- Mega-Stone Charizardite Y
- Double Evo Point Voucher x2 (allows a Pokemon to receive twice as many Evo points from a mission. Single use item)
- Heat Rock
- RANK UP! Welcome to Tier 4 Level 3 (if that's wrong, let me know and I'll actually update the rank list.)

Mission Name: Cycle of Business
Difficulty: 1
Objective: Any Team Aqua member is asked to convince Rydel's Cycles to supply Team Aqua with Aqua Bike DXes.
The best way to convince Rydel is with a quick 1-on-1 battle.
Obtainable Pokemon: None
Reward: 800 PD

Pokémon used:

Charmander - Amulet Coin
Whirlipede - Exp Share
Zubat - Black Sludge
Scyther

Using item: Double Evo Pts. Voucher for Charmander




indentAll the ocean breezes in Kalos would never compare to Hoenn, Rei decided. There was something about the eastern winds of Slateport that just captivated him. Perhaps it was the smell of the sea mixing with the delicious aromas coming from the beach’s concession stands. Or the fact that Rei was a native of Hoenn. In any case, Slateport’s winds were never more welcome for the Aquan than at that moment.

indentHis flying companion did not agree. She hated Slateport with a passion, including its confusing winds. Sometimes it would just come from the south. Other times from the southeast. And even from the southwest! And no matter which way you turn, there were Pokémon everywhere. Pokémon asking for a bite. Just a little bite.

indentRei always denied her the pleasure.

indent”Countess, I swear, it’s as if you want the old stereotypes to have truth to them,” he would say. She would only cry in his ear in reply. Who was he to talk about stereotypes? He still wore a cloak that should have stayed in the desert.

indentThe pair walked past the piers and onto more solid ground, into the heart of the city. Slateport’s open market called to the Aquan, and he rummaged through the wares. Only by the sound of a screech in his ear was Rei reminded as to why he was there for the day; Team Aqua needed collapsible bikes, and Rydel was the man to talk to. He sighed, gave the marketplace a final, longing look, and dragged his feet to Route 110. It was late afternoon, and the bike trail that arched over the overgrown, grassy path was mocking Rei. He shrugged and continued on his way through the underpass; soon enough, he reminded himself, he’d be able to take the exciting shortcut. He almost made it encounter-free when a curious Poochyena poked its head out of the tall grass and faced Rei. He sighed; he didn’t have time for this.

indent“Genmei, make quick work of this pup,” he called out, sending forth his Scyther. She glared at the pooch and revealed her wicked scythes. The Poochyena, now only a little terrified, whimpered and slowly backed into the grass from whence it came. Genmei saw this as cowardly, and so struck first, slashing the unfortunate Pokémon with an X-pattern. In truth, the pup stood no chance against the seasoned veteran, and it fell quickly. Rei recalled his Scyther, shaking his head in disgust.

indent“You didn’t have to be so harsh, you know. I bet he would’ve just run away if you gave him a False Swipe,” he muttered as he lay the Poochyena in the deep grass, hoping it would recover on its own. He knew his proud Scyther was getting more than a little irked over the fact that she hadn’t caught her adversary yet. Rei made a mental note to scold her (with the help of Yami, the Scizor) later; for now, he had a mission to do.

indentThe sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Rei made it into the heart of Mauville City. The light show was spectacular, as most cities which revolve their income around gambling tend to be. Neon Bulbasaur swung back and forth on a pivot designed to look like vines on one side of the street, and a very disturbing model of Jynx was lit up for all the world to see. Rei quickly shuffled off to the much more low-key area he was looking for, past the glimmering Ghastly signs. At last, he was rewarded with a relatively normal looking shop with a painting of a cyclist and his Doduo. A banner above read: Rydel’s Cycles. Rei pushed open the weather-beaten door, and a chime sounded as the door closed behind him.

indent“Hey there,” a man from the counter said, his face full of grease and happiness. “Welcome to my shop. What do you need?” Rei smiled in return, trying to reflect the man’s enthusiasm.

indent“Well, I have an employer who’s interested in purchasing a few collapsible bikes from you,” Rei began, keeping his tone light. His Zubat fidgeted in his cloak; she wanted to be outside, away from the bright fluorescent lights of the shop and into the night, where unwitting Caterpie lay sleeping!

indent“An employer, eh?” Rydel pulled out a calculator. “How many are we talking about?” Rei pulled out a slip of paper from his messenger bag and handed it to the mechanic.

indent“Hmm. Alright. I suppose I could take this order…” The man’s eyes gleamed. “But I’m not quite sure who this ‘Maddy’ person is. I can’t make bikes for a group without knowing what kind of group they are. It’s bad for publicity if my gear becomes associated with… well…” His voice trailed off. Rei knew where this was going.

indent“I take it this possibility has happened to you before?” he asked, deadpan. Rydel frowned, but nodded.

indent“A bit of a while ago, I had a similar order for collapsible bikes based off of both my Acro and Mach Bike lines,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I was happy to make the bikes. My creation was a beauty.” His eyes watered for a bit, and the man coughed. “Of course, how was I to know they’d be Team Magma?” He shook his head sadly, and he gestured around the shop.

indent“As you can see, business has faltered somewhat since people found out I was the one who sold the gear to them. I’m running on pretty low funds right now. Heck, it’s thanks to Wattson’s generosity that I’m still in business to begin with.” The mechanic folded his arms and looked Rei in the eyes.

indent“This deal you’re offering me could save my company, but I’m not selling in bulk to anyone I don’t know anything about anymore.” With that, he pulled out a Poké Ball. Rei blinked.

indent“You want me to battle you?” he asked, confusion splayed on his face.

indent“Sure. Wattson and I have always held this notion that you can tell a person by how they battle. So let’s see what you’re made of, kid.” The Poké Ball in Rydel’s hand quivered and released a Doduo, the two-headed Pokémon looking from trainer to trainer. Rei scratched his head.

indent“Well, alright then,” he muttered, determined to seal the deal on the bikes. He sent out his Charmander and hoped luck was on his side.

indent“Scipio, we need to get those bikes. Don’t fail me now! Inferno!” Scipio assumed his battle stance, nodded, and blasted out a jet of flame. The Doduo easily dodged the blast and ran straight up to the little fire lizard, one head cawing, the other pecking furiously at Charmander’s head.

indentCharmander, thoroughly embarrassed at the attack, cried in anger and swiped at the heads, only to attack thin air. The lightning-fast Doduo was already behind the Charmander, kicking and biting at his backside.

indent“Scipio, don’t let their antics enrage you! Scary Face!” The Charmander put a puff of smoke in the air and locked eyes with the Doduo, gave them a frightening glance, and sounded its battle cry before sending out another blast of flame. The Doduo, its conflicted minds unable to interpret how the scene was meant to be frightening, decided cackling was the best response, and were too crippled with peals of laughter to respond appropriately to the attack. The flames burnt the skin of the bird and set the feathers aflame. With a squawk, Doduo tried to put the flames out, but to no avail. The smell of chicken filled the air, and Doduo was in a panic. Rei decided it was best to put the bird out of its misery and ordered a final Flamethrower attack, seeing how Inferno may have been overkill. In all honesty, he didn’t expect the inaccurate attack to land at all. He returned his Charmander and called off the match, the Doduo now resembling a piece of chicken nugget more than a Pokémon. At Rei's belt, a ball wiggled in satisfaction; EXP. Share working its wonders once more, this time with Whirlipede.

indentRydel sighed in defeat and returned his Doduo. “Well, kid, looks like you beat me good this time.” He extended his arm, and Rei returned the gesture. A firm handshake was exchanged between the two, and Rydel pulled out an order slip.

indent“So, how many of the bikes do you need again?”

indentHours later, a red bike sped down Route 110’s cycling pass. Rei loved the rush of the wind, the tight, quick turns, and even the paint job on the bike. The only way it could have been any greater was if it was a motorcycle instead. In hot pursuit, a Zubat chased the rider, eventually securing itself on the billowing cloak. All too soon, the path opened up to short grass, slowing his ride.

indent“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” he commented before jumping off the bike. With a press of a button, it collapsed into a short, thick metal rod that fit in Rei’s messenger bag. Rei was always impressed with technology’s more recent advances. Capsules for living creatures, shrinkable solids; Rei even heard of a home that could fit in a person’s pocket! It wasn’t commonplace, and it was probably expensive, but Rei thought it was awesome. His adrenaline rush gone, Rei felt the tendrils of sleep slowly taking hold on his mind. He looked around, found the nearest inn, and fell asleep the second his face hit the pillow on his rented bed.

indentHe awoke far too early to the sounds of cargo ships docking and unloading. Groggily, he shuffled over to the receptionist, returned the room key, and made his way to the docks. He took a ferry to Kalos, typing out his message of success to the boss of Team Aqua on his TADS as the waves lapped against the sides of the ship.

Such a nice day outside, all bright and sunny as it was. Caleb seemed unfazed by the wonderful weather as he lay down under the tree he had seemed to deem his favorite in Maddy’s backyard. He scanned through the text on his TADS, looking bored. It had been a dull, uneventful morning for him. Besides packing, he pretty much hadn’t done much else at all. He flipped through news articles until one in particular caught his attention. It seemed that pokémon thought to have become extinct were now starting to appear in a well-known cave in Kanto. That sounded like something worth seeing for sure. Caleb couldn’t help being a bit curious as to why these ancient pokémon were suddenly appearing. He knew of the Ambrette lab reviving old fossils into living pokémon, but these appearing without the help of science.

“You up for a trip…?” Caleb called to his Marshtomp.

The silly water type was curled up in a ball, rolling around in the grass. He skidded to a halt once Caleb mentioned the possibility of an adventure. Going on a trip to encounter something new and exciting? Count him in! Marshtomp uncurled himself before jumping up and grinning.

“Sounds like a yes to me…” Caleb rolled his eyes and smirked.

The two of them packed up Caleb’s bag for the trip. Snacks, drinks and poké balls for that just-in-case chance that a new teammate might appear. Of course the necessities for any trip were tossed in as well. A compass, flashlight, matches, and so on. Not too much though. Caleb didn’t want to be loaded down with unnecessary items. Caleb gave Marshtomp a look as he tried stuffing a beach ball and umbrella into Caleb’s backpack.

“Not that kind of trip this time…” Caleb warned him as he took those items out and replaced them with rope and other climbing gear. Marshtomp couldn’t help but pout a little. He thought they were going to the beach! Not like there wouldn’t be another beach opportunity though. Caleb double checked his bag, making sure he was satisfied with the contents before closing it and putting it on.

“Well we’re ready…but is our ride ready?” Caleb muttered to himself, checking his TADS. Marshtomp blinked, looking confused. Noticing the confused look on his companion’s face, “we’re flying there…” Marshtomp’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. He thought they were going to use the submarine, since it seemed like the most common transport that Team Aqua used. Without Maddy though to control the submarine, Caleb decided to look into other means of transportation. There was no way he was going to request her taking him all the way to Kanto in the submarine. Flying was definitely the way to go!

“Ahh…yep! He’s waiting for us! Better hurry before he takes off without us!” Caleb warned before rushing out the house. Oi! Marshtomp didn’t want to be left behind either. He bounded after Caleb as fast as his little legs would let him.

The Lumiose airport was bustling with activity as usual. Caleb carefully made his way along the runway, Marshtomp staying close beside him.

“There he is…” Caleb grinned; gesturing to a man circling around a small plane as he did checks to make sure it ran properly. Another man sat in the cockpit, making sure everything was working fine on the inside. “Marcus!” Caleb called, cupping his hand around his mouth so he could be heard. Marshtomp was confused again.

The man circling stopped and turned to see Caleb and Marshtomp. “Hein? Oh! Caleb my camarade! Long time no see!”

Caleb walked over and did a fist bump with the guy. “It has,” he agreed. “You’re flying another plane? Did you finally wreck the other one?” Caleb joking? Marshtomp felt like he was dreaming!
The man laughed, shaking his head. “Non, non. This one is just better suited for the trip. Mon conpain insisted he’d help out as well when he heard. Caleb meet Richard. Et vice versa!” The man in the cockpit waved.

Caleb nodded, “thanks for helping out!”

Richard burst out laughing, “Marcus already promised he’d introduce me to some of those fine Kanto ladies and a nice bottle of liquor. We’re good.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he felt like he’d already met someone very similar to this Richard guy.

Marcus insisted that Caleb take his seat inside the plane. They were just finishing up looking over the plane. Caleb couldn’t help but be impressed by the interior of the plane as well. He admired the craftsmanship of the plane as he climbed in and got fastened in. Marshtomp was just overwhelmed to be frank. His mouth hung open as he stared at all the control panel of the plane. So many shiny buttons! He sat patiently in his seat as Caleb and Richard helped get him strapped in.

After exchanging a thumb up with the pilots, the plane’s engine roared as it started up. The propellers spun fast enough to barely even be seen. Marshtomp flinched as they suddenly started moving down the runway. Caleb patted his arm in reassurance. Marshtomp definitely wasn’t in his element. The airplane picked up speed. Marshtomp closed his eyes as they started running out of runway. Then lift off. Marshtomp opened one of his eyes to see the plane going over the fence of the airport and continuing to gain altitude. Caleb laughed as Marshtomp pressed against the back of his seat, looking a few shades lighter blue.

Once Caleb had managed to get his pokémon to calm down, he coaxed Marshtomp into looking out the window. Marshtomp didn’t see anything but a deep blue. They were over the ocean, Kalos being far behind them now. Well there wasn’t much else to see at the moment besides sky and clouds. The view of the horizon was pretty impressive though. Caleb decided a nap was in order, since there would be more to see later. Marshtomp followed suit, not being able to do much at the moment anyways.

“WAKE UP CALEB WE’RE GOING DOWN!” shouted Marcus.

Caleb and Marshtomp abruptly woke up. “WHAT? I closed my eyes for five mi-“ Caleb scrambled to get out of his seatbelt. Marshtomp flailed all over the place.

Marcus and Richard suddenly burst out laughing, making Caleb stiffen up.“Détendez-vous…relax man. We just wanted to get your attention so we could inform you that we’ll be landing soon.”

“Really? It’d be nice if didn’t attempt to wake up your passengers in such a….unique way,” Caleb huffed. Marshtomp looked white as a sheet.

“Eh bien excusez-moi princesse. We thought maybe you’d like to get a look of the view outside before we landed!” Marcus teased.

Caleb rolled his eyes. That’s one way to wake someone up. It worked pretty well too. Shaking his head he glanced out the window. Well at least the view was worth it.

“Look outside Marshtomp…” he said, looking out the window again as well. Marshtomp squished his face against the window, clearly impressed by the view. Cinnabar and the Seafoam Islands could just be made out on the horizon. Some of Fuchsia’s buildings peeked up over the trees that made up the Safari Zone. To their right, the mountains that contained Rock Tunnel. Lavender Tower was easy to spot. Caleb turned and looked ahead as they neared Saffron’s airport. The large city was quite impressive indeed. Probably the next largest city he had ever seen compared to Lumiose. Those buildings had nothing on the Lumiose Tower though!

The plane circled over the airport until Marcus had confirmed with the watchtower that it was safe for them to land.

“We thank our passengers today for riding with us. Please remain seated until we have fully landed,” Marcus said in the most serious monotone voice he could muster. The plane was eerily silent for a moment until laughter from everyone echoed off the plane walls.

Caleb and Marshtomp climbed out after the plane had safely landed and come to a complete stop. Marcus and Richard joined them shortly after once the plane was motionless.

“We’ll meet you at the Pokémon Center in after you’ve taken care of your business in the mountains. C'est bien avec vous?” Marcus asked.

Caleb nodded, “shouldn’t take long...probably be back just in time for dinner.”

Marcus laughed, “Nous allons voir mon ami.”

“Indeed we shall…” Caleb smirked. He unfolded his Aqua Bike DX. Marshtomp pushed down the little stand on the back of the bike, meant for luggage. Well now it was meant for pokémon too! He climbed up whether Caleb liked it or not. Caleb mounted the bike as well and together they were off, making quick work getting through the city thanks to the bike. Saffron thankfully didn’t have confusing alleyways like Lumiose, and the signs were quite helpful as well.

Caleb avoided going to Cerulean City and took the path of the fork that headed straight to Mt. Moon. Wasn’t difficult to tell which path that was, the mountains practically loomed over him. It was clear that there had been a lot of recent activity in the area. Footprints from humans and pokémon alike were everywhere. The occasional broken poké ball, an empty potion bottle or two. Some people just didn’t know how to pick up after themselves. As they got closer to the cave entrance, the road became bumpier until the rockiness of the path made it impossible to ride the bike anymore. Reluctantly Caleb and Marshtomp climbed down before folding the bike up and putting it away.

“At least it’s not too far away now…” Caleb announced. The cave entrance was easily seen now. Ten yards give or take. Caleb and his mudfish friend hurried and made their way into the cave. He squinted into the darkness before taking out his Rotom’s ball and let it out. Electric types were so handy to have.

“Kekekeke!” it shrieked, lighting up enough to brighten the area up a bit more.

“Try not to give away our position and stay close…” Caleb warned it. Rustling could be heard as pokémon went to hide, clearly trying to avoid the light that Rotom was radiating. Deeper and deeper they trekked into the cave that seemed to go on for miles. Caleb was grateful that he had a watch with him to keep track of time. It felt like they had been in the cave forever, when they’d only been in for an hour or so. No prehistoric pokémon whatsoever. Caleb wondered if the news report had been another hoax.

Marshtomp reached an arm out in front of Caleb. He heard voices up ahead that his human hadn’t picked up yet. Rotom seemed wary as well. Carefully the three made their way closer to investigate, hiding behind a rock formation as a couple of men came into view. The first looked somewhat cleaner, dressed in camo and leather. A large feather adorned his brown fedora. His companion looked like he could use a bath. Greasy hair, pimply face and terrible posture. Some sunshine also looked like it could do the man some good. He looked white almost as white as a ghost.

“This lot is quite the haul! Imagine how well they’d sell…!” the fedora man grinned.

His hunched over, greasy companion snickered, “what a waste to sell ‘em...I’d keep ‘em all for myself!”

His cleaned up friend chortled, “or better yet...we hold on to them for a little while and increase their value…”

The small group of Kabuto and Omanyte they had trapped in a corner sat huddled up together. The ancient pokémon shook in fear at the men. Caleb clenched his fists. It was one thing to catch rare pokémon, but to talk about them as if they were mere items to add to a collection or put up for sale. It was infuriating.

The men spun around as Caleb stepped forward with his Marshtomp.

“Well what do we have ‘ere? Someone else looking for a piece of history to take home with ‘em!” the pimple face spoke up.

“You’ll have to find your own though...we found these little fellas first,” Mister Fedora adjusted his hat.

Suddenly both men had a face full of mud.

“Sorry...I don’t think my friend here wants to negotiate…” Caleb said, adjusting his glasses. Marshtomp punched his fists together, ready to fight.

“...then we...ugh...have a bit of a problem…” he answered, trying to clean off his face. After not accomplishing much, he took out a poké ball. “My friend and I don’t like to share…” His friend snickered and pulled out poké balls as well.

Before Caleb could issue a command, Marshtomp caught a rock…
...with his face.

The Golem laughed as Marshtomp staggered backwards before felling over.

“Still want to keep going?” Caleb asked. Marshtomp threw the rock to the side, looking ready to give that Golem something to really laugh about. He suddenly jumped out of the way as rocks came raining down from the ceiling. Caleb looked up to see that the ceiling was looking right back at them. The Onix climbed down before moving in front of the other two trainers.

“Two versus one? How about we even those odds…” Caleb offered, sending out his Whimsicott.

“Cotton Spore….” Caleb instructed Whimsicott. She shook her fluff, cotton flying at the enemy trainers and their pokemon. “Now Muddy Water…” Caleb grinned at his Marshtomp. Marshtomp got down on all fours, pressing at the ground until murky brown water rose up from the earth. Enough for a small wave to roll over the opposing team.

The trainers sputtered as they tried to get the mud and water out of their mouths.

Onix rushed right at Marshtomp, nailing the water type with its massive head. Whimsicott hopped out of the way as Golem hurled a rock at her.

“Mega Drain!” Caleb shouted. Onix roared in pain as energy was drained from it. Whimsicott stretched and smiled, feeling better than ever. Marshtomp didn’t look so hot at the moment though. He stumbled over as he came back to Caleb. Before Caleb could even ask, Marshtomp gave him a thumbs up.

“Like hell you are...you look awful…” Caleb pointed out, digging through his bag. He pulled out a Fresh Water and handed it to Marshtomp. Marshtomp started drinking from the bottle before pausing for a moment before he started dumping the rest of the water on himself. He swilled the remains in his mouth for a moment before gulping the water down. Almost as if he had regurgitated it, he shot water at Golem from his mouth. The boulder pokémon rolled back from the force of the water, smacking into the wall.

Clearly the men weren’t giving up just yet, sending out Rhyhorn and Larvitar to replace the defeated.

Caleb recalled Whimsicott for the moment.

“You stay back for now too Marshtomp…” Caleb warned. Marshtomp huffed and folded his arms. Fennekin and Axew were sent out. The men looked over Caleb’s new battlers before laughing heartily. Marshtomp had an ‘I-told-you-so’ look on his face.

“We’re not joking around kid...quit messing around,” Mister Fedora warned. His associate wiped tears from his eyes.

“I never said I wasn’t being serious…you shouldn’t just assume things like that,” Caleb replied.

“Tch! What a smart-mouthed punk you are! If you had any common sense...you’d be a little more on your toes-” the man was cut off as Caleb interrupted him.

“Will-O-Wisp….” Caleb shrugged. Fennekin shot a bluish white flame at Rhyhorn.

Not only was the stone rhinoceros frightened by the ghostly flame, but left with quite a burn on its face. Not only was it in pain, but it was quite upset now as well. It charged forward without warning.

“Protect!” Caleb called out. A translucent glowing shield came up in front of Fennekin, blocking the Rhyhorns Take Down. “Now Psychic,” Caleb instructed as he checked his watch.

Fennekin’s eyes took on a bright blue glow. The same glow surrounded Rhyhorn as it was lifted into the air. Slowly it started to spin around and then picked up speed before being launched into a nearby stalagmite. Dizzily the Rhyhorn rose back up on its feet before rushing Fennekin again. Fennekin just barely managed to move out of the way as one as the Rhyhorn’s feet came crashing down. Her tail however was not nearly so lucky. The fox looked at her flattened tail before looking back to the rhinoceros, a furious look plastered on her face. An intense fire blast errupted from her mouth, engulfing her rude opponent. The fire dissipated, leaving a charcoal Rhyhorn. It flopped over, having had enough of the little vulpine pokémon.

Axew and Larvitar seemed to be having with just their claws and teeth. Axew gained the upperhand for only a moment, holding back her opponents face. Larvitar managed to shake her hand away before clamping down on one of Axew’s tusks.

“I just can’t leave you unsupervised can I?” Caleb muttered. Marshtomp stared at Caleb before putting a hand over his face.

The men looked flabberghasted. “T-this isn’t a joke kid! Get serious!” Mister Fedora shouted.

Calebs mouth spread into a wide grin. “Fine then…Axew!” Axew spun around to look at Caleb. Larvitar went along for the ride, still holding onto her tusk. “Dragon Pulse.” Axew opened her mouth, forming a turquoise blue ball of energy at the opening of her throat. Larvitar swung its little arms around in panic. Axew fired the ball right at Larvitar without hesitation. The close range Dragon Pulse sent it flying across the room. Larvitar skidded across the ground before scooting right back over to its dragon foe. Payback is a b***h. Axew was hit hard, knocking it backward. The force of the attack made it slide against the floor.

Caleb sighed and took out her poké ball.

“Well you did better than expecte-”

“Xew!” Axew grunted as she got up on her feet and dusted herself off. She gave Caleb a ‘don’t-you-dare’ look.

“Y’sure?” Caleb asked. He shook his head as he received a nod back. He made a mental note that both Axew and Larvitar were already quite scuffed up. He could only imagine how much either of them would last if the battle continued for much longer. “Finish it then...Giga Impact!” With every ounce of power that the little tusked dragon could muster, she charged at Larvitar, barreling into it. After the scuffle had ended after their collision and the dust had cleared, Axew lay on the ground panting. Larvitar was out cold.

Mister Fedora ripped his hat off his head and threw it on the ground.

“I won’t accept this loss! There’s two of us and one of you! You best just sit there quietly while we-”

Suddenly the flames from their gas lamps flicked out, leaving everyone in complete darkness. Then an eerie blue light appeared behind Caleb, making him a shadowed silhouette with a blue outline. His glasses reflected the light, making them give the appearance that they were glowing as well. Last but not least, the wings made of electricity that appeared behind Caleb.

“While you what?” Caleb asked, mocking curiosity.

Now it was time for Mister Fedora and his friend to cower and tremble in fear.

“While w-we just gather our things and quietly leave!”

“Y-ye-yeah! What he said! Just gonna grab our things and be on our merry little way!”

Marshtomp scooted over before they could argue and picked up the feathered fedora, examining it before putting it on. He strolled back to Caleb.

“K-keep it! I have many just like it at home!” Mister No-hat practically shrieked. The two men gathered what little was left on the ground before running off faster than what seemed physically possible.

“Kekekeke!” Rotom cackled, flying circles around Caleb. It switched from the blue glow to the golden light it had been producing earlier.

“My thoughts exactly…” Caleb said with a grin. “Good work everyone!” he said, calling Fennekin and Axew back for the time being.

The Omanyte and Kabuto eyed Caleb nervously, wondering what he would do next. They shook in anticipation as he took his TADS and….took a picture of them?

“Well that’s all I wanted...make sure you run and hide the next time you see strange men like that…” Caleb called to the wild fossil pokémon. He put his TADS away. Marshtomp looked at Caleb in disbelief. They had flown all the way to Kanto in that metal death trap to take pictures?! Such a waste…

Caleb turned to leave when he heard a scuttling sound. The hair on his neck stood on end as something climbed up his legs and clung to his back. With Marshtomp’s help, Caleb managed to see just what it was. The Kabuto wiggled its legs, blinking in confusion at being picked up.

“What’s up? You should go back to your friends…” Caleb pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

“Kaaaa….” the Kabuto replied. It was obvious that it wanted something.

Caleb pondered before taking out some of their drinks and snacks. “Food?”

Kabuto was silent.

Perhaps it or a friend had been hurt by those jerks. Caleb held up a Fresh Water.

Silence once more.

A poké ball slipped out of his bag as Caleb put the water away.

“Kaaaaaa!” Kabuto flailed its little legs again.

Caleb picked up the ball and held it up close enough for Kabuto to look at. Kabuto blinked at it for a second before reaching out and tapping the button on the ball. A flash of red light and a couple shakes later, the ball clicked as it locked shut. Well that happened. Caleb rubbed the back of his head, looking back to the remaining Omanyte and Kabuto.

“Hope you don’t mind me taking your friend along with me…” he called.

Well it was in better hands with him at least. They made no movement to retrieve their captured friend. Caleb and Marshtomp exchanged waves with them before heading back out of the cave. “Looks like we should make it back to Cerulean just in time for dinner….” Caleb said, looking to his watch again. Marshtomp cheered.

Mission Name - Slaking Off On The Job

Difficulty Level - 3

Objective
A HUGE Slaking is blocking a route and people are complaining about having to walk all the way around it. Your mission is to go and move it. (You must battle it and then it will move; obviously it is tougher than your average Slaking.)

Pokemon Available
Slakoth

Reward
400 PD

Current Pokémon Team
Oshen ( Oshawott / 1 ) and Flower ( Flabébé / 1 )

Inventory
5 Pokéballs, Aqua Bike DX, Backpack, TADS

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Today is her first day. And Cookie was really excited to do her first ever mission! But there is one thing that was completely wrong that made her frown, she was not dressed and her hair’s a fiasco! She quickly ran to the bathroom and took a quick hot shower. After it, she got out of the bathroom and to the bathroom sink. She grabbed the comb and combed her hair. She even hummed a little because of her happiness. She ran to her wardrobe after combing her hair and went to wear a blue scarf with a white pokeball mark on it. She inhaled and exhaled and went outside his house.

She was waiting for her mission and suddenly her TADS sounded weird and someone appeared on the screen. It was expected that the person will give her a mission. “Hello Ms. Flames. I know that you are excited for your first mission and guess what is your first mission?” The man on the screen says excitedly. He even drum rolled, which builds up her nervousness. “I hope it is a good mission.” She said putting her nails on her mouth, biting it off nervously. “It is a Slaking problem! There has been a report that a Slaking was blocking Route 16 which connects Lumiose City to Laverre City and people complains because they have to go through it. It is your job to take out that Slaking! Good luck on your first mission!” And that, the screen turns off.

Cookie went on to her garage from her house and took out her Aqua Bike. She gets on it and rode towards Lumiose City. The travel wasn’t that far because she lives in Santalune City. She encountered some pokemons along the way.

She finally arrived at Lumiose City and looked around the place. It was amazing! “I heard that this city has a gym that specializes in electric-types. Hmm, I bet he must really love them, but unfortunately I love fairy-types!” She exclaimed awkwardly at the crowd. People stopped and looked at her for a moment. She attracted some attentions which made her to look down and continued riding her bike.

Within any minutes, she arrived at Route 16. She was stunned to see a huge Slaking which was sleeping. It was snoring loudly and it irritates her. Cookie parked her bike under the tree that was near her and looked at the Slaking who was blocking the road. “Yo Slaking! Mind if you move your body so that people can get through easily?” She shouted at the Slaking. But there wasn’t any response. She got insulted which made her to say it again. “Yo Slaking!!! Mind if you move your darn body so that people can get through easily?!!!” She was furious. Her voice was so loud that made some of the Pidove flying off the tree. She quickly shut her mouth and waited for the Slaking’s response. But it didn’t responded.

Her day broke because of this huge Slaking not listening to her. A Slakoth walked out from a tree and to Cookie. Cookie looked at the cute pokemon as it walked towards her. “Hmm? Does my voice disturbed your sleep?” She said blushingly and quite embarrassed. But the Slakoth shook it head, and said its name three times. It pointed to the Slaking sleeping and made an angry expression. ‘I guess this Slakoth was mad at this Slaking because it got to see some people complaining upon walking on their trees and disturbed its sleep.’ She smiled. “I guess I can help you with that.” She quickly draw out a pokeball. She threw it in the air while saying, “I choose you Flower!” The pokeball opened and a red silhouette appeared on the ground. The light dimmed, which showed a small little Flabébé.

The Pokemon flew into the air and into the head of Cookie. It rested there and smiled at the Slakoth. The Slakoth smiled back. “This is Flower by the way, my fairy type pokemon.” She smiled. Slakoth nodded its head. She also picked out another pokeball and threw it in the air. “Go Oshen!” She exclaimed. Oshen came out of the pokeball. It looked up to its trainer and smiled. Cookie picked it up and hugged it lightly in her arms. “This is my first pokemon, Oshen.” Slakoth nodded again.

After some talking, Cookie felt some earthquake on earth. She got scared and looked at the Slaking. It was the one who moved and because of its weight, it made the route to shake. It stopped when the Slaking stopped. Slakoth got enraged and walked forward. It said its name angrily to the Slaking. ‘Hmm, I think I was wrong. I think this is the reason why that Slakoth got mad. The Slaking made some earthquakes when it moved when sleeping. And that disturbs the Slakoth’s sleeping.’ She smiled to her theory. Slaking woke up when the Slakoth started talking and moved to raise its body up, causing another earthquake. Slakoth talked again and in this tone it was much angrier. Slaking got mad too and sent a punch to the Slakoth. But my Oshawott instinctively jumped on the ground and pushed the Slakoth, which made it to receive such damage and pain to its body.

Cookie felt mixed emotions when she saw her pokemon getting hit by that critical blow. Oshen was in deep pain and was suffering from it. Cookie let her otter pokemon back inside the pokeball. Her emotion changed to a strong one and her expression became an expression which gives fear to anyone. Slakoth saw how Oshen took the attack and felt deep sorrow. Slakoth looked at Cookie’s face and become motivated to fight alongside her. Flower flew in the air and awaited for her trainer’s command. “Flabébé! Flabébé!” It motivated itself too which made her much stronger and more confident than before.

“Because you hurt my Oshen you big Slaking! You’re gonna get fight. Flower use Razor Leaf on that Slaking. And Slakoth use Faint Attack!” She commanded. First, Flower throw four green boomerang-like leaves to Slaking. Then followed it up by Slakoth quickly appeared at the Slaking’s head and punched the head with full force. The razor leaf hit Slaking’s stomach. Unfortunately, it doesn’t add any damage on Slaking it’s big and strong. Slakoth fell down on the earth and Flower went back to Cookie’s head. Slakoth seems to can’t use another attack because of its Ability. It was Slaking’s turn to attack them. It sharply raised it claws ( Scratch) and headed for Flower. Cookie was shocked but quickly regained confidence back. “Flower dodge it fast and use Vine Whip to stop the attack. Now!” Flower flew in the air and sent out two vines from the flower to Slaking’s hands, entangling the vines to its arms. But Slaking was too strong and the attack got through Flower.

Flower fell down on the ground and the Slaking puts it arms back to its side and yawned. Cookie almost cried when she saw that her pokemon was beaten up. Her Flabébé flew back to her head and was still willing to fight. “Alright use Wish first. Then use Magical Leaf!” She commanded. Flower closed its eyes and a bright and sparkly aura flowed into her and stars appeared too. This healed some of her injuries. Flower smiled and jumped in the air again and sent boomerang-like leaves. But this time, each leaves have different colors and Flower sent it to Slaking. The attack went through and the Slaking showed pain in its expression. Cookie fist pumped in the air because of the first attack that got through the Slaking. “But it wasn’t enough yet. Use Fairy Wind, follow it up by another Magical Leaf!” She said happily. Flower jumped in the air again and sent out a strong gust of sparkly wind to the huge Slaking and threw another colorful leaves to the enemy. The attack went through and Slaking was badly hit by the attack. She smiled and because of its ability it cannot hit back. Cookie grabbed the chance and commanded, “This time Flower use Razor Leaf and Magical Leaf. Let’s make this show more lively and beautiful!” Flower nodded and sent green curved leaves and colorful leaves to the opponent. However, Slaking used its hands to fend off the attack, but the leaves got through fast because Slaking’s hands were slow.

After getting numerous of attack from Flower, Slaking left the route and Slakoth quickly left Cookie and headed towards its tree and there he slept again. Cookie smiled and jumped in the air happily. “We did it Flower! We did it!” She said happily and her Flabébé was also happy. The two went to Laverre City using her bike and rested for a bit and then sent a report through TADS.

End Mission.

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Didn't knew that I was gonna have a 3 level difficulty. sweatdrop

I hate to do this to a new member, but I have to fail you.

It was mostly your battle to blame. Not only did it seem a bit unfair of an advantage for you but it's an unlikely win and not done creatively enough. An Oshawat and Flabebe couldn't defeat a Slaking, let alone an above average Slaking.

BUT, you do add a good amount of detail and I can see the effort involved. I would recommend lower level missions to start out with. Get some more guys and some evolutions and try the mission again.

I'll pass this, though I would've preferred there to be more sneaking and less hitting people in the face before they realize you're there.

It's a pass. I didn't see any issues with it, other than I think you should tone down the killing and violence just a wee bit. You should also try reading over what you write some more, as there were a few grammar errors. Enjoy your Scraggy and the 2000 PD razz