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 Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:47 am
Between Portabello's agile moves, Napalm's torrent of flames, Ada's unstoppable brute force, and Beacon's moral support, the number of Rockets and opposing Pokemon on the arena quickly began to dwindle. The room itself wasn't looking too swell either, especially after Ada decided that roofs were for assholes and graced Giovanni with a brand new skylight. Mike could hear the commotion from upstairs, and was faintly able to make out a very angry Kasiya followed by the all too familiar sound of rushing flames. He giggled as he saw several Rockets making a bee line for the exit and cheerfully waved at them as they noticed him. This only served to quicken their pace. However, as they fled, Mike saw another group of Rockets sprinting towards the entryway to Giovanni's office.
More reinforcements!
"Oh no you don't!" Mike shouted, running towards his Magmortar. "Napalm!" he shouted, removing the Pokemon's attention from a smoldering pile of sludge that was once recognizable as a Grimer. "Get me up there!" he ordered, holding his hands down and shooting out a small puff of fire. Mike jumped on the Magmortar's back, holding on to his spikes.
With a deep chested grunt, Napalm lumbered forward towards the Rockets. Even with the extra weight, the Magmortar was able to attain a moderate pace, each step shaking the ground slightly. Mike's heart raced as his Pokemon raised his cannons high in the air. "Mag!" Honoring his namesake as the Blast Pokemon, Napalm threw his arms to the ground and jumped, firing out a short but powerful burst of flames accompanied by the same kind of noise those small firecrackers make that still manage to rattle the bones in your body. The two were sent soaring into the air, with Mike holding on for dear life and fighting every impulse to scream out just how awesome this was. The Rockets on the walkway had no idea what was in store for them, and stopped dead in their tracks as Napalm suddenly landed in front of them. Mike peered out from behind the flaming Pokemon's head, wearing a toothy grin.
"Oh," he said with more than a hint of musicality in his voice. "I really don't think so." he hummed a laugh, as his Magmortar raised his arm cannons at the Rockets. The distant scream of the Rocket only served to widen his smile. He knew exactly what kind of pain he was in. "Especially not when my darling is having so much fun."
"Let us through, brat!" one of the Rockets demanded, raising a Pokeball in his hand. Mike let out a curt cackle.
"You don't know how this works." he said tauntingly. "Which is fine, really. I'm not expecting everyone to get it right off that bat That would be, that would be..."
Unfair? a ghost suggested with a raise of his hand.
"Unfair!" Mike repeated with a snap of his finger, pointing at the ghost. "Exactly! That's precisely it! So because I'm so nice, let me break it down for you right now. You see, I break things. It's just what I do. I'm very good at it and I trust me, I greatly enjoy it. And sometimes-sometimes people just...get in the way!" he threw his hands out to the side and shrugged, still wearing a bright smile. "I'll admit, it is in no small part my own fault, but, because once again I am so nice, giving you a very rare option I seldom offer:" Mike looked at Napalm expectantly, and giddily watched as the Pokemon lowered his cannon and launched a fireball which blew away the path between them. He leaned forward, placing his hand on the Magmortar's shoulder and looked at the Rocket's hungrily.
"And that is to leave before I really start enjoying myself." his tone bordered on seductive, and his smile all but invited them to call what was absolutely not an empty threat. Much to the boy's disappointment, these Rockets decided to cut their losses, and turned to join the others in retreat. However, he rebounded quickly, and threw his arms around Napalm, his shoulders shaking as he giggled in satisfaction.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:00 am
It wasn't uncommon for Keegan to feel somewhat left-out while the grownups conversed, and even though he was more or less one himself, he couldn't help but distance himself from them. That, and it left him the freedom to light up a cigarette in peace as it meant no one would be screaming at him for it. He cast a sidelong glance at the Lavaridge gym, thinking that if someone had told him that the next time he'd be here, he'd be battling his own father for whatever reasons, he would have laughed in their face and told them to go to hell. Of course, that wasn't the case and he quickly finished up his smoke and stubbed it out as his mother approached him. "What's up?" he asked, trying to be nonchalant. "Did Dad change his mind about this? Because if that's the case, I'm totally okay with that. I mean, I won't hold it against him or anything, so can we leave now?"
Maggie just laughed, and shook her head. "No, no, of course not, dear. Stop being so silly." She paused. "You're not having second thoughts about this now, are you?" she asked, giving her son a knowing smile.
Keegan forced a chuckle. "Second thoughts? Nah. Third and fourth thoughts are more like it." He was quite obviously on edge, and he knew that his mother was fully aware of it. Luckily for him, however, that she wasn't the kind to blatantly point it out and make him feel even worse about it.
She continued to smile, and pulled her boy into a hug. "Just relax, sweetheart. It's all right to be nervous, but don't let it conquer you. I've spent a lot of time with your Pokemon as well, and I know that they're fully capable, just like their trainer. You're going to do just fine, Keegan, and win or lose, I'll still be very proud of you."
Hearing his mother's words was somewhat reassuring at first, but his self-doubt was strong. A part of him knew he was being ridiculous, as usual, but his luck had been less than stellar lately and he was starting to tire of tempting fate. "Does that mean you'll be cheering for me?" he asked as she pulled back, and the small group had started into the gym.
Maggie sighed. "Now, don't make me choose sides, dear, it's not very nice." Her smile, however, gave her away, but she hid it as she walked alongside her husband. "Now, now, boys," she said cheerfully, "let's make this a good battle, all right?"
"I'll do my best," Todd said, looking to Keegan. "Go see if Flannery wants to ref the match for us, would you?"
Keegan stopped walking, and frowned. "Why?" He coughed and cleared his throat before clarifying as he'd received a rather unimpressed glare. "Why me?"
"Because you're her friend, that's why you."
Keegan held back a scoff, but shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Going." He sighed, already dreading how badly this conversation could go. He noticed the lack of Flannery's trainers in the gym and assumed that she'd given them the day off. Upon arriving at her office door, he raised his fist to knock politely until he realized whom he was about to talk to. He pounded on the door several times. "Hey," he called, allowing several moments to pass while he awaited an answer. Of course, there was none. "I know you're in there, so just quit sulking and come out here already. Wanna ask you something." He leaned back on his heels, staring at the door as though his gaze could burn right through it. "By the way, not leaving until you show your face, Flannery."
=====
Miharu's heart came to a stop as she watched the mighty Steelix collapse and once again causing the floor to shake. The green-haired girl lost her footing and fell to her knees, and as the dust rose up around her, she was only vaguely aware of the fact that she'd allowed herself to breathe again. She stood up slowly and brushed the dirt from her knees, giving a contented sigh as Lily had plodded over to her. The Venusaur was exhausted but trying hard not to show it, and Miharu laid her hand on the Pokemon's head. "You never fail to surprise me, Lily," she said, leaning down and resting her head against the Venusaur's, happy to be taking in this moment.
She looked up as Jasmine had crossed the battlefield to meet her, almost not noticing the metallic box she held until the gym leader drew attention to it. She stood up a little straighter and smiled somewhat modestly as she accepted her winnings. "Thank you, Jasmine. That was an incredible battle. You and your Pokemon are very impressive," she said, giving a slight bow.
"I think both parties were quite impressive," Leroy said loftily from behind the two girls, having rose from his spot as a spectator to join in the congratulatory session. "Gotta say, though, I wasn't expecting for Lily to evolve."
"You, and me both," Miharu agreed, once again thanking her Venusaur before recalling her for a well-deserved rest. With her winnings in hand, she bid farewell to the gym leader, hoping that one day she would return to the Olivine gym to visit with the kind Jasmine, and perhaps battle with her again.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:54 am
The girls finished up their breakfast, where they got to know each other over some small talk. Turns out, Natalie was also a Pokemon trainer, but she had only just started a few weeks ago because she had to help out in her family's shop when her older sister died. Her parents owned a local electronic repair store out which started in their garage, but grew into its own building when they expanded their house. It was there she got her first camera. A customer came in four years back and dropped it off, but never picked it up, so her parents gave it to her. She was also a vegetarian, a fact confirmed after Sasha accused her when she refused some bacon that was offered to her.
"What makes you say that?" she asked. "I mean, it's true, but what made it obvious?"
"Because no rightful omnivore has z'he ability to turn down bacon." Sasha replied matter-of-factly. "It's science."
"I'm sorry." Natalie said with a frown. "I know it's weird."
"Don't be sorry!" Sasha scoffed. "It's not weird at all! All z'hat means is z'hat when we have breakfast, I get to have more bacon. Z'here is nothing about z'hat I don't like." Natalie smiled at the fact that more times like this were even considered as a possibility.
"So that's basically my boring life." the girl said in summary. "It's not as glamorous as yours, of course."
"I s'hink it sounds nice. Quaint." Sasha said warmly. "You'd be surprised. Sometimes glamour can be suffocating. It's fun fraternizing with the rabble, as my dad would say." The sheets shook as Natalie's phone buzzed, alerting her of a text.
"My mom." she said, sighing. "She wants to know where I am. I should probably go before she blows up my phone." she bit her lip in guilt.
"Pas de probleme, ma biche." Sasha said sweetly. "I really should go see what Bishop wants, anyway. He's been waiting for a while." She groaned. "I love him, I really do, but any time he is my father's messenger boy it is never good." Sasha turned to Natalie and pouted.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Oui, I'll be fine. I know how to deal with Bishop." She puffed out her chest and posed proudly. "Have been my whole life! Let me just freshen up a bit and we can head out." Sasha slid off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Natalie sat on the edge of the bed, kicking her feet as she waited for the pink-haired girl to come out. What a wild turn of events, she thought. No way did she imagine she would end up in a place like this when her friend Brad invited her along to the Chrome. She sure had some stories to tell. She reached behind her and grabbed a grape, popping it into her mouth.
"Allons-y, ma chere!" Sasha called out as the door to the bathroom flung open. "Here," she said, handing Natalie back her phone. "I left my number, and a little something extra just for you."
"I didn't even see you..." she looked around, wondering exactly when she had the chance to swipe the device. This girl was something else. Natalie dragged her finger across the screen to open it, and almost choked on her food at what popped up. Her face turned bright red as she looked up at Sasha, who winked in reply.
"We should do z'his again sometime." she said, holding out her hand, which Natalie accepted and the two made their way out and down the hall to the elevator.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 10:13 am
As Miharu stepped out of the Olivine City gym, Jasmine’s coveted Mineral Badge in hand, she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. That battle had been tough, though not as tough as her match with Chuck had been. Her Pokemon were all brilliant, and she knew she could never have asked for a better performance from all of them, Sparkle especially, as the Ampharos had come a long way in such a short time and she was very nearly caught up to the rest of her teammates level-wise, and she was really starting to shine. And then there was Lily, who'd changed so drastically in only a few weeks that the only thing recognizable about her was her fantastic Petal Dance technique. The smile on Miharu’s face was wide, and albeit rare, but it was genuine and she knew that she and her Pokemon truly were a force to be reckoned with. She placed the badge in her case with the others, taking a moment to admire them. She had six of Johto’s eight gym badges. There were only two to go. Two. "I can't believe it," she said, snapping the case shut and holding it against her chest. "Six gym badges."
Lee, meanwhile, had followed the green-haired girl out of the gym, also quite impressed by her victory. It had by no means been a landslide, but Miharu had definitely gone in knowing she was a contender. And now, four of her six Pokemon were drastically weakened, even with her Ivysaur's unexpected evolution, and the only two that were at full health were her Pinsir and Ponyta, neither of which was on par with the majority of Miharu’s party. Leroy knew that now was his time to strike, as it was unlikely he would get another chance like this one. "Hey, congratulations," he said, once they’d gotten a short distance from the gym. "I knew you were going to win, right from the second that we walked in there." He stepped a little closer to her, knowing that his trap was as good as set when she didn't back away at all.
Miharu smiled at him, blushing slightly as she continued to be oblivious to the pending danger. "Thank you, Lee. I admit it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but it wasn't all that easy, either. It definitely helped, knowing that you were there, cheering for me." She shifted on her feet and looked at the ground, feeling a bit nervous. At the same time, she felt happy – happier than she had ever been, really. "Really, Lee," she continued. "Thank you."
The boy smiled back at her almost awkwardly. Her gratitude was genuine and it almost made him sick to think about it, and he finally turned away. "It's not that big of a deal," he said, shrugging. "I love a good battle, after all."
The word 'battle' reminded her of something and she held up a hand. "Hold that thought, I need to send someone a message," she said, almost laughing a bit. "A long time ago I promised my cousin we'd have a battle someday and now that I have six badges, I think I can take 'im." Her smile was infectious as she clicked away at the keyboard, sending Keegan a boastful message of her latest accomplishment and something along the lines that if he was man enough, he'd meet her in Goldenrod City tomorrow so they could finally have that long-awaited battle. She hit send, and smiled up at Leroy. "Sorry about that, where were we?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 10:40 am
A chill ran down Kasiya's spine as the Rocket's scream of pain filled the room, and she felt something odd prickling in the center of her chest. She shook it off and nodded to Levi, who backed off before more of the grunt's body could be frozen. His cries faded into wild gasps and strangled sobs, and he stared at Kasiya, eyes wide with both awe and horror. "You're... you're insane!" he screeched at her between gasps.
That made Kasiya laugh. "Oh, if you think I'm off my rocker, you should see my other half." She paused, a smile of adoration appearing on her face. "He puts the 'laughter' in 'slaughter' so you should be thankful that it's me here with you now, and not him. You'd be on fire, which I think is worse." Her smile faded as she once again took on her serious expression, and she looked at the Rocket's shoulder, now covered in patches of ice. "Perhaps now you'll tell me how to open that panel?" she asked. "If not, there's a theory I'd like to test. Tell me, have you ever seen Mythbusters?"
The grunt stared at her, unable to decide which reaction was appropriate to respond with.
"These two awesome guys go out of their way to prove or bust urban myths and legends, and I'm wondering about one myself. If I have Levi here punch your iced-up shoulder, would it shatter, like they do in the movies? I'm really, really interested in finding out." Behind her, a few of her Pokemon exchanged glances as they had started not to recognize the blonde girl in the room with them. Only Levi remained perfectly obedient, though that was possibly due to her severe dislike of the male population in general. The grunt didn't say anything, just squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. Kasiya sighed. "Levi, a little more ice, please."
The Swampert growled and raised her arm again, and the grunt let out a strangled shriek that somehow formed words. "Th-the ch-ch-chair! Gio-Giovanni's chair! There's a switch... on the arm," he gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Please, let me go. I told you, okay? Let me go!"
"Thank you," Kasiya said sweetly, reaching up and patting his cheek. "That wasn't so hard, now was it? You can go now." The grunt said nothing else as his voice had deteriorated into garbled sobbing, and she nodded to Hiro. The Arcanine padded over obediently, and though he was still a bit confused he used his naturally high body temperature to carefully start defrosting the man, though as soon as he was no longer stuck to the wall he ran from the room. Kasiya, meanwhile, had gone back to the desk, running her fingers along the smooth surface until she reached the chair. "Switch, switch," she mumbled to herself, poking and prodding at the arms. Nothing happened.
She picked up a heavy book from the floor and hit both sides with it, and with a satisfying click, a hidden panel popped open. There were several buttons and she studied each of them carefully before she chose the red one. After all, if movies had taught her anything, it was always the red button. She pressed it, and looked over expectantly. A pleased smile appeared on her face as the wall in question carefully slid open, revealing a row or windows that gave a nice, clear view down into the lab below. "Now we're getting somewhere!" the girl cheered.
=-=-=-=-=
Sulking was pretty much the exact word for what Flannery was currently up to. She'd arrived home very late last night and despite getting cleaned up and going to bed right away, she hadn't slept very well at all. When she did fall asleep, it had been nearly sunrise and she refused to get out of bed, not only ignoring her alarm but actually throwing it across the room. She did get out of bed eventually, mostly because of her Grandfather and had been here, in her office, ever since. She'd heard some sort of commotion going on and she couldn't care less, though having picked up some rather amazing eavesdropping skills herself from her childhood friends, she quickly learned that Mr. Summers had challenged Keegan to a battle and they were going to duke it out, three on three, right here in the gym.
That's better than them duking it out with their fists, I guess, she thought, leaning back in her seat with her feet up on her desk, with desk being the operative word. It was more or less an old kitchen table and it was so very cluttered that it hardly had room for the gym leader's lengthy legs and feet. Whatever. She didn't care enough about battles to even bother training today, which wasn't exactly a good thing as they'd just taken on a new recruit and they had yet to be shown the ropes. There's always tomorrow, Flannery thought, delicately balancing her chair on its two back legs as she closed her eyes.
Her quiet moment of reprieve wouldn't last long, however. Nearly the exact moment she began to feel calm and relaxed, having managed to push all her troubles to the back of her mind (as it seemed apparent that Lavaridge kids weren't good at dealing with their emotions or something like that), there was a rather obnoxious knocking - no, pounding at the door, and just like that, her zen was gone. Her chair toppled over backwards, taking her with it and for a moment, her legs flailed wildly as she crashed to the ground with a thud. Hearing Keegan's voice didn't make her feel any better, and she pulled herself into a cross-legged sitting position, arms folded across her lap as she pouted like a four year-old that had been told they couldn't have ice cream. "NO!" she shouted, not at all helping her cause. "Go away, Keegan." Naturally she knew that getting rid of him wouldn't be that easy, as stubbornness was another common trait among the Lavaridge youth.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:14 am
Holding true to his word, Keegan refused to move from the spot, though the deafening crash that came from behind the door was troubling. He inched closer to the door, listening for signs of life, but Flannery's shouts assured him that she hadn't knocked herself out from likely falling off her chair. "I'm not leaving until you come out and talk to me," he repeated, having started to pound on the door once again. "You can't stay in there forever."
=====
Leroy felt a stab of guilt, so painful in fact that it almost made him stagger, and he was forced to avert his eyes from Miharu and he turned his back on her, only able to nod as she mentioned sending her cousin a message. He wasn't supposed to feel guilty; he was a Rocket, after all. Okay, a part time Rocket, with heavy emphasis on the 'part' and it was really only when it served his needs. He looked back at the girl. She looked so happy and excited as she poked away at her phone, and he smirked, finding his resolve once again. She was nothing more than a target. She had some strong and rare Pokemon, and now that they were worn out from their gym battle, he was going to take them for himself.
"Yeah, you’re welcome, I guess," he mumbled once she'd finished her message, as she hadn't given him a chance to say it before. He took up his Houndoom's Ultra Ball in his hand, and steeled himself. She is a target, he told himself, deciding then that he wasn't going to allow himself to get any more attached to her than he already was. Team Rocket members stole Pokemon from those who were unworthy of having them. Pokemon were tools to be used for gaining more power, which had been about the only thing he learned from the Rocket boss, Giovanni. Miharu wasn't deserving of such strong and rare Pokemon, and he was going to take them from her. Sure, he knew she had money, and badges, and other valuables, but really, all he wanted was her Pokemon. The evolution of her Venusaur had been the deciding factor. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"Hmm?" Miharu asked, slowing her pace to a stop. "You're sorry? For what?"
She had started towards the Pokemon Center, obviously with the intent of seeking treatment for her Pokemon. Lee knew that he could not let that happen, as another opportunity, like the one he’d used to get a hold of her Pidgeot, wouldn't likely happen again. The Rocket held up his Ultra Ball, and offered a half smirk. "This." He gave the sphere a toss, revealing the Dark/Fire-type. The canine growled viciously, poised in an offensive stance, ready to strike.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:51 am
Pet Shop was indeed deep in his assault, some stupid shimmering wall wasn't going to stand in his way. The Beak Pokemon continued his concentrated assault faithfully, and if a beak could smirk his would have as it started to crack. Crenu on the other hand was not in the smirking mood, he didn't lose focus at all. This wasn't a two bit back alley battle, and Exeggutor wasn't something to be taken lightly. Now Crenu wasn't from Kanto, but the neighboring Johto was so close their pokemon co mingled quite often, and Crenu considered himself to know a little about a lot, particularly about the pokemon in those regions. He was lost when he was in Hoenn, but here he felt back at home, and he was sizing up the walking tree the moment it came onto the field. As Pet Shop's beak broke through the screen, Erika was quick on her command, and her pokemon was readily lowering it's head to blast his Fearow in the face with the signature egg bomb. But Crenu was of course, ready. "Tch, naive. Fly." Pet Shop, who was feeling triumphant as his beak pierced through the barrier, heard Crenu loud and clear. As strong as Pet Shop was, his speed was even greater. As Exeggutor lowered it's head and blasted out it's orb of explosive energy, Pet Shop blasted upwards with it's powerful wings. Being at such close range it was impossible to avoid it completely, and as the ball exploded the golden Fearow caught the edge of the blast which indeed stung but it was far from a direct hit. He shot straight up like an arrow, tail feathers smoking from the attack, he was a blur. "I've already thought several steps ahead, don't lump me in with the garden variety trash that would fall for that." In reality even though he saw it coming, it was a pretty solid counter strike against Pet Shop, he'd probably have done the same thing if he were in her situation. But if there was anything that irked Crenu to no end it was people trying to outsmart him, even if it was really the farthest thing from their intent. He felt like he was being underestimated now and that didn't sit well with him at all, and his stoic expression now came with a a bit of an unpleased frown. Pet Shop, who was high above now was staring down, his keen gaze never losing sight of the dopey tree that dared to oppose him in battle. It needed to be crushed for it's insolence. The Fearow chanced a glance at his trainer, and he knew they were on the same page. With graceful speed and godly destruction, the magnificent Fearow was going to make everyone here bow before him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:53 am
At this point, all that was left to do was watch as the few remaining Rockets recalled their Pokemon and split, which Mike happily did atop his Magmortar perch. Soon the arena was empty except for him, his Pokemon and Ada, who continued to be grumpy. The boy looked over at the sound of blubbering from the hallway and right on cue, the last Rocket came flailing out, freezing at the sight of the Mike and Napalm.
"You-you're her other half?" he asked, pointing towards Mike with a shaking hand attached to a shaking body. "Th-the one she said would set me on fire?"
Mike smirked. "Whatever gave you," he took in a deep breath and threw his arms out in a looming pose, and hissed. Flames shot out from all over his body. "THAT IDEA?!" The Rocket screamed. Mike tapped Napalm on the shoulder and nodded to the other side of walkway. The Magmortar complied, and reached down, picked up the still screaming Rocket, and tossed him over to the other side. Without pausing to take a breath, the black-clad man continued his task of getting the hell out of there.
"She called me her other half." Mike said with a proud grin. "She loves me!"
A little too easy... a phantom quietly stated, following the fleeing Rocket with its eyes. One by one ghosts popped up on all areas of the room, looking around to see if anyone was left. All clear.
"Yeah." Mike said, his voice trailing off slightly as his eyes drifted from the still amusingly inflated Beacon to Portabello. Good work, P.B. I promise one day you'll get a vacation.
Worry not, Master. The Breloom replied, looking up at the boy, his beak curving into a smile. I would not dream of leaving your side, as long as I can be of assistance.
Stop being so useful and maybe it can happen! Mike said, returning the smile. Honestly, he didn't know what he would do without Portabello. The Breloom was like a security blanket, and the only one who he trusted inside his head. The thought of having him absent even for a short while caused his stomach to sink slightly, but he knew it wasn't fair to subject him to the constant torrent of voices and phantoms that lived inside his head, no matter how much he insisted on staying.
Soon. Soon he can have his reprieve. The ghost next to Mike said. Unfortunately, that time would not be now. All out of enemies to fight, but still eager to do some damage, Ada decided that the defacto alliance that bound them together was just another thing she could break, and turned towards the nearest thing, which just so happened to be Portabello, and charged. Mike jumped off of Napalm and rushed to the railing.
Portabello! a phantom on the ground floor called out, pointing towards the Tyranitar. Ada let out a deep roar and raised her arm, bringing it down on the Breloom, but her claws were stopped by a glowing green barrier as he put up a last second Protect.
Stand down, Ada! Portabello thought, straining to maintain the shield under Ada's massive weight as she continued to smash away at him. We are not your enemy! The Tyranitar snarled in reply, clearly not caring, and swing her tail into the side of the barrier, breaking it and sending Portabello skidding back. He dug his claws into the ground to stop, looking up and narrowing his eyes at Ada. I am sorry Mistress Kasiya.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:32 pm
Kasiya looked back at her party still strewn about the room. "If Shocker isn't down there, this whole place is coming down," she told them, and the group exchanged a few glances before all agreeing. If their rescue mission failed, then at least they could deal a massive blow to Giovanni, as she was certain he had a lot of his resources sunk into this place. The blonde narrowed her eyes and grabbed the chair that had just proved to be the key to the sliding panel door, and with some effort dragged it over to the window. Please let her be here, she thought, fighting back a few tears as she heaved the chair with all her might through the window, which exploded outwards into thousands of tiny glass shards. There was always something satisfying when hearing the sound of glass shattering, and as she moved toward the now wide-open window, Sirrus drifted over to her side, offering her safe passage down into the lab below which she gratefully accepted, smiling at the irony of one of her sister's strongest Pokemon helping her to rip the Rocket base a new one.
The broken glass crunched beneath her feet as she slid down from the Flygon's back. The lab was massive but by no means abandoned, but the Rocket scientists that were there seemed to be of the non-confrontational variety and instead stared at the girl and her entourage as one by one the rest of the Pokemon dropped down. A quick glance around showed no immediate signs of her beloved electric mouse, but there was plenty of expensive-looking machinery that looked like they would be plenty of fun to destroy. She strode forward and pointed at the nearest scientist. "Where's my Raichu?" she demanded, taking a page out of Sasha's book and forgetting all about the existence of personal space.
"Your R-Raichu?" he repeated, looking confused.
"Yes. Where is she?" the girl demanded. Ariel had taken position at her side, and the normally gentle-natured Vaporeon looked as though she were eager to rip this guy's face off if he attempted to lie.
"O-of course," the scientist said, pointing a shaky finger. "Over there, you can't miss her. Pl-please don't hurt us."
Kasiya narrowed her eyes, but the harsh look didn't last and she sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you," she told him. "I just want my Pokemon back. Please leave before I change my mind." The group of scientists didn't need to be told twice and they easily fled, leaving Kasiya alone in the laboratory with only her Pokemon. She took a deep breath and began to head in the direction that the man in the lab coat had pointed. It wasn't easy to move around in here as something was always snaring her clothing or poking at her, and the tinkling of glass could be heard now and then as she allowed things to fall to the ground. She stepped around a large machine that looked like some sort of vacuum cleaner from space and she stopped dead, her breath escaping her in a silent sob.
=-=-=-=-=
Every single pound on the door seemed to echo in Flannery's ears, adding to the headache she'd suddenly been struck with. She growled and lashed out with a leg, kicking her fallen chair. "Yes I can! I said go away!" she hollered back, well aware of the fact that she was being childish, but she didn't care. It wasn't as though being an adult had served her well in the past week or so. The redhead on the other side of the door continued to assault it with his fist, and she growled again, this time jumping to her feet and practically stomping over to the door. "Why should I come out, Keegan?" she shouted, her voice oddly shrill. "What could you possibly want to talk about? Do you want to compare notes on how our hearts were torn from our chests and stomped on? Or how nothing in our lives will ever be the same again, or perhaps have a riveting discussion on how your best friend and my first love tried to kill himself?" She stopped ranting to breathe, nostrils flaring and her heart pounding. It felt good to yell, but at the same time, she knew that Keegan didn't deserve to be on the end of her anger. "Is that what you want to talk about?" she called out, still fuming. "If so, then go away. I want to be left alone."
=-=-=-=-=
It was a tad disappointing to see Exeggutor's Egg Bomb not score a direct hit, but Fearow were not known for their stamina and endurance, so Erika knew that every hit count, regardless of how small it was. Her gaze didn't drift upward with the Fearow; instead it fell across the battlefield on her challenger. His words were harsh, cruel even, but the reserved and collected gym leader didn't let it bother her. "I said no such thing, Crenu," was all she said in reply, the faintest of smiles appearing on her face, likely in response to his pun, regardless of whether it had been intentional or not. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She couldn't foresee the outcome of this battle, no, but she could already tell that Crenu was a lot more prepared than he had been last time. Fly was a tricky move, as there wasn't much one could do while their opponent was airborne. "Sunny Day," she said quietly, and the Coconut Pokemon obeyed quickly, the same sort of egg-shaped orb bursting from the top of its leaves and shooting skyward, creating a dazzling, warming light.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:52 pm
Continuing the offensive, Ada bared her massive fangs and lunged forward, only to be stopped as Portabello reached out and grabbed her mouth, holding the Tyranitar's jaws open. While Ada was easily twice his size, Portabello's strength was not to be underestimated. The Armor Pokemon squirmed in his grasp, pushing against it with all her might, moving the Breloom farther back, his toe claws leaving tracks in the floor as he held on.
What is it about this gym? the Pokemon thought, recalling the last time he was here, where he had to battle Giovanni's giant Machamp, who also towered over him. Seeing an opening, he let go with one claw and snapped it back, launching it forward with a Mach Punch so fast, that Ada didn't notice she was hit until she found herself forcibly looking backwards. Portabello took this momentary break to put some distance between them, and drew in a quick breath. His grassy fur twisted into a tight weave, Bulking him Up considerably.
Both surprised and angry that someone landed a hit on her that actually hurt, Ada jammed her claws into the ground, tearing up a section of the floor and heaving it at the mushroom Pokemon. Portabello stood his ground as the slab flew towards him, sliding his right foot back and charging up energy in his right claw. When the slab was mere feet from connecting, the Pokemon threw all of his strength into a powerful Dynamic Punch, which shattered it into tiny bits. Through the dust he could see that Ada had picked up speed, and was stomping towards him.
Portabello! Mike called out, holding out his PokeDex. That's Giga Impact! The strongest move she has! Get out of there!
No time, master. replied the Breloom, winded from his last attack. If he tried to dodge in this state, there was a chance the rampaging Pokemon would strike him in the leg or tail, severely hindering his movements.
An attack that powerful. mused a ghost. It would be a poor thing to have reflected back.
Good idea! Mike thought, snapping his fingers. P.B.! If you can't dodge, Counter! With its typing, it will inflict crazy damage!
Taking in another breath, the Breloom braced himself. She's not too much bigger than Master Kilik's Lairon... he thought in an attempt to comfort himself. Time seemed to slow down for Mike as he watched Ada throw herself at Portabello, colliding into the smaller Pokemon with terrible force. The Breloom let out a cry of intense pain, but stood his ground delivering a series of rapid punches to Ada's exposed stomach, then spinning around and delivering a powerful kick to her stomach. The attack was supremely effective, sending the now twice surprised Tyranitar flying backwards. Giving her no time to recover, Portabello ran over at a much more subdued pace, and readied himself.
Stand. Down. he said once more, his tone uncharacteristically forceful despite his clearly visible injuries. Thankfully, much to the combined relief of the room, Ada had enough, and submitted. Both Mike and his Pokemon let out the breath they had been holding in for most of the match.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:36 pm
It was hard not to laugh at Flannery's childish retort, but Keegan held it back, knowing that if he didn't, the door would swing open wide and he'd be on the receiving end of a black eye. While in theory it was a good way to lure her out of there, he'd grown tired of people hitting him recently so he opted for the passive approach. He'd opened his mouth to say something else, but then he heard more sounds from the office and couldn't help but wonder if she'd just flipped over her desk in sheer anger. The sudden rant, however, he hadn't been expecting and without even meaning to, he took several cautionary steps back. Okay then, he thought, not entirely sure what to say now. Why is everyone always yelling at me? Like I could do anything about it?!
Keegan let out a sigh, and shrugged, even though Flannery couldn't see it through the door. "Actually," he said, leaning against the door frame quite casually, "I'm more than likely about to have my a** handed to me on a silver platter by my dad, as he challenged me to battle earlier and the grand spectacle is going to be held right here in your gym, and we kind of hoped that you'd do us the honor of serving as the referee. Since, y'know, it is your gym and all. But if you're not interested, that's fine. I'm sure there'll be other, more spectacular kickings-of-my-a** in the future for you to witness."
With that, he fell silent and waited for the door to open, a slight smirk on his face.
=====
Miharu's first reaction was curiosity rather than fear, and she stared at Leroy's Houndoom for a moment before her gaze drifted upwards to him. "Lee? What's this about?" she asked, only feeling her first pang of worry when the canine stepped forward, still snarling.
"You'll see," the Rocket said, snapping his fingers.
The Houndoom lunged, and only due to some primal, subconscious instinct to survive was Miharu able to move, and only did she just avoid discovering just how sharp and nasty a Houndoom's teeth were, though it came at the expense of falling to the ground. She scrambled back, green eyes now wide with fright as she looked from Leroy to his Houndoom. "Why are you attacking me?" she cried. "I don't understand!"
"You don't understand a lot of things," Leroy said, stepping forward. "Like, for instance, power and what it means to have it. Your Pokemon are strong, yes, but you, heh, you, Miharu, are most certainly not. Houndoom!" The canine gave a bark before spitting out a narrow stream of flames which Miharu again only just managed to avoid.
The scent of burned hair filled the air and her nose wrinkled as she realized that some of the green locks had been caught in the blaze. Vanity was the last thing on her mind right now, however, as she became aware of just how much trouble she was in. Most of her Pokemon were out of commission due to the battle, but she still had Mori and Petunia. Without a second thought, she snatched the two spheres from her belt and threw them, revealing her Ponyta and Pinsir. The timing was good, for Lee had given another command and more flames were headed Miharu's way, though a surprisingly brave Mori had stepped up to block the attack, gaining a boost in her own firepower as she eyed the canine. Neither she nor her teammate knew exactly what was going on, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:34 pm
Shocker was there, all right, but Kasiya hadn't prepared herself for what she would see. The poor Raichu was encased in some sort of glass capsule-thing, wires and monitors attached at all ends. Some of them extended down and into the tube where the currently unconscious-Shocker lay, wires attached to her cheeks. At first glance they appeared to be monitoring her electrical output, but the large, battery-like containers stashed nearby told the real story. It was quite obvious that Giovanni had been steadily draining her electricity and using it for his own nefarious purposes. This theory was confirmed when she saw a sort of schedule attached to the mouse's container that seemed to flip flop between periods of rest, nourishment and electricity drainage. Once again her rage began to build as the realization of what the horrible Rocket boss had been doing to her Raichu set in. It wasn't as gruesome as her imagination had led her to believe, but it was far worse than what she'd hoped to see. When she'd been held captive, Giovanni kept most of his captured Pokemon in cages in the basement - probably somewhere on the same level as this lab - and she had been almost certain that she'd be there. But this, this was unspeakable.
Kasiya gave a cry of hurt and anger, slamming her fists up against the glass, but to no avail. "Shocker!" she cried, continuing to pound the glass uselessly. "Shocker! Wake up! I've come to get you! You're safe now!" She looked around almost desperately for something, anything to help and she spotted a toolbox on the floor nearby one of the other machines that appeared to be undergoing repairs. Luck was on her side today as there was a rather handy crowbar lying on the floor in front of it and she picked it up, the weight of it in her hands giving her some sense of control. "I'm getting you out of here!" She was a bit hesitant to start smashing the crap out of this machine as there was a chance that she could hurt Shocker too. She bit her lip, deciding the risk was worth it and she raised the crowbar and brought it down hard on the glass capsule's end, as far away from the mouse's head she could manage. A few tiny cracks appeared on the surface but it was far from being cracked open, giving Kasiya an idea of just how strong this thing had to bee. There also wasn't a lot of room for Shocker to move around inside, which probably prevented her from being able to use her Iron Tail or Brick Break moves to try and escape, which she likely would have. Kasiya was also willing to bet that this glass was highly resistant to electricity as no doubt Shocker would have tried her hardest to blast her way out as well.
"Why won't this thing open?" she wailed, once again bashing the crowbar off the end, but since she wasn't the strongest of people, it was relatively ineffective. She sniffled, having not realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks and hit the thing again, though this strike was weaker than before. She gave a cry and slumped down to her knees. If she were more in her right mind she would have realized that she had five Pokemon at the ready, but luckily for her, they were still at the top of their game despite their trainer's frazzled emotional state. The only reason Ariel was even here was to rescue her best friend, and seeing the Raichu confined and being abused like that really set the normally affable Vaporeon off. She bounded up and onto some other piece of machinery nearby and pawed at the glass, also knowing that she couldn't break it open by sheer force alone.
She gave a cry, gaining her trainer's attention, and the blonde watched as the Vaporeon began to freeze the already-cracked section of glass with her Ice Beam. It took Kasiya a few moments to catch on to what the Bubble Jet Pokemon was doing, but when she did, the realization lit up her face like a Christmas tree. "Ariel, you're a genius," she said, jumping to her feet and once again snatching up the crowbar. She was almost hopping up and down with anticipation, and when the Vaporeon's head snapped up, she took a step back, giving an encouraging bark as her trainer swung the heavy crowbar on the frozen and very brittle glass.
=-=-=-=-=
On the other side of the door, Flannery was still fuming and she was waiting almost anxiously for whatever snarky retort she was certain Keegan would send her way. And if not a snarky retort, he'd start yelling back, and though it was something she often tried to avoid, today she'd gladly get into a screaming match with the other redhead if it meant blowing off some steam. She wasn't, however, expecting for him to answer back in a quiet, almost amused tone, and as he spoke, she felt that unmistakable burn of embarrassment start to creep into her cheeks. "Oh," was all she managed to say, closing her eyes and quietly stomping her feet to try and shake her annoyance with herself. She managed to get herself calmed down and her face returned to its almost natural colour and she clicked open the lock and opened the door.
Naturally, Keegan was standing there, looking about as smug as can be and she frowned at him, still feeling a little stupid from her outburst. "Shut up," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "And sure, I'd love to watch you get your butt kicked." Her harsh expression faded though, and her gaze dropped to the ground. "Seriously, though, I'm, uh, sorry for that. I guess I'm still a little upset. How about we forget that happened and go to the, uh, match?" She smiled weakly.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:37 pm
Crenu said nothing, staring down at Erika who had kept her reserve quite well. He had to respect that, it seemed she was able to keep her composure better than him. This was good though, and it actually quelled Crenu a bit. He still needed a lot of work if he was to rid himself of such weakness. Instead he eyed the battlefield, which was now bright and sunny once again. However, this wasn't going to be like the last one. Pet Shop was the fastest of his higher leveled pokemon, which was important especially right now. It seemed things were about to turn into a speed battle, assuming he was correct in his predictions. This was something he was accounting for coming into a grass gym. "Pet Shop strike with everything you've got, and don't lose your target. Don't you dare get caught off guard again." The golden Fearow's gaze was locked onto his prey. He wasn't really sure what his trainer meant, but remembering the painful consequences for not paying attention he received earlier was more than enough to make him do it. His pupils focused and he eyed the dopey tree carefully as he turned his beak downwards. He flapped his wings a few times to pick up even more speed, streamlining as he rocketed downwards spreading them expertly as he neared the floor, changing the degree of his orientation ever to slightly one degree at a time. He swooped down like a golden blur, kicking up the dust and grass as he nearly trimmed the garden with his beak as he came in low.
++++++++++++++++++
"Ah so it was your Cacturne that's been messing with me, hermano. Do mom and dad know you're back? You startled me for sure hombre." Carlos gave the similarly dressed man, who was quite a bit shorter than him, a pat on the back looking between him and the grinning Cacturn. Ricardo, who had been playing in the shallow water jumping away from the waves that came in and chasing them as they retreated, came bouncing over to Carlos. The little Tympole chirped out as it looked at the two new people, bouncing in rhythm as if keeping time for a song only he could hear.
"Hahaha no no not yet little brother. Pues mira acaba de jegar aqui. I gotta relax a little first eh? Take in the fine mamasitas eh bro?" The smaller man, who wore himself a green poncho with a square sombrero resembled a Cacturn, and side by side it was actually kind of hard to tell if the two were standing still. Being the older brother he of course started the fashion, and he liked to tease Carlos about how he copied him with his Ludicolo look. But right now he was focused on the women in their bathing suits that were playing in the water several meters down the beach.
"Vasta cochino, your eyes can't be that good. I can't even tell if those are women from here. What would mom say of her precious Hector if she heard you now?" Carlos said with a grin as he placed his elbow atop his brother's head, which drove him nuts. "Olle mira, I forgot to introduce you. This is Rocardo, he's my new friend. I'll have to tell you about it later, but he's a cool little guy. Loves music too." Ricardo in the mean time, had been jumping back and forth in the same two spots, and the sand was becoming pretty compact. His body seemed to be giving off a kind of pressure, which went unnoticed by the brothers at the moment.
"Eh!? That's a weird looking Poliwag man. Are you sure it's...healthy? And get off me!" Hector waved hsi arms around in vain to get his brother's elbow off his head until he gave up and got in closer to get a better look along with his Cacturn who had been imitating his flailing the whole time. The two looked at the odd tadpole with a face jumping back and fourth, Hector's mustache twitching with unease.
"It's not a Poliwag it's a...Tympole I think. That's what sis's pokedex said anyway. It looks kinda strange sure but eh so do you man! Hahaha besides, look it keeps time and it played with us back in the house. A music fan can never be bad right? You're just misunderstood right little Ricardo?" Carlos turned his attention to the Tympole as well, the baby pokemon just smiled as it jumped higher, the two spots he'd been landing on consistently now two dents in the sand that were growing with each hop. "...que?" There was no time for a second thought though as the earth erupted below them, Ricardo giggling as he went sky high along with a large mound of sand from the unrestrained Earth Power that it had released in everyone's face!
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:47 pm
As predicted, the office door was unlocked and it swung open, revealing a somewhat-flustered looking Flannery. Keegan only continued to grin smugly at her, unable to hold back a laugh when she told him to shut up when he hadn't said a thing. It was clear that she wasn't handling her feelings over the entire situation very well either, and it was pretty safe to say that they were both still feeling the shock, disappointment and hurt from the choices made by, well, those two. Her tough facade didn't last very long and she allowed her hurt to show, just for a quick moment, and Keegan was sure he felt the wall he'd put up around his own emotions start to crack a little. "Hey, nothing to apologize for," he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's perfectly okay to not be okay right now. Trust me, I'm not doing so hot myself, but, you're right. Let's forget about it for now. Nothing like a good old-fashioned butt kicking to take your mind off things, huh?"
They headed back out into the arena and Keegan winced noticeably when he saw that their audience had grown since he'd gone to "retrieve" Flannery from her office, by at least a dozen or so people. He didn't really know any of them by name, but he thought that some of them were friends of his parents and he closed his eyes and sighed. "This isn't happening, is it?" he muttered as his mother ushered him to the unoccupied side of the battlefield. "This is a dream, a nightmare, and I'm going to wake up at any moment now and all of this will be gone." He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again, but of course, nothing had changed, other than the fact that some of the ladies from his mother's book club were possibly wondering why that redheaded boy was talking to himself.
He glanced across the field and immediately regretted doing so. His father was standing taller than ever, looking back at him with an expression that seemed to radiate confidence and superiority. Keegan felt his stomach bottom out and he looked quickly over to where Flannery was, silently begging for her to somehow get him out of this mess.
=====
The Rocket raised an eyebrow as Miharu sent out two of her Pokemon in reply, and in retrospect, about the only two she could rely on right now. He sneered. "Two against one?" he asked, waggling a finger at her. "That's hardly fair, now is it? Honestly, I thought I was the villain here."
Miharu frowned and got to her feet, feeling a little more confident now that her Pokemon stood between Leroy and her. "Siccing your Pokemon on people does make you the villain," she retorted, feeling a spark of flame ignite inside her. She was, after all, a Summers and she wouldn't go down without a fight, even if she was severely outmatched. The Ponyta looked a little wary of the situation, canting her head back and forth nervously between her teammate, the flower-loving, soft-centered bruiser of a Pinsir and her trainer. The last thing she'd known was that they were all on the same team.
"That's what you do when you hold the power," Leroy said, stepping forward and withdrawing an Ultra Ball. "And now, I'm going to take that power away from you. Call off your Pokemon, and turn them over to me. I promise I will not harm you." His words seemed genuine enough, though his Houndoom's continued snarls did little to make him appear any less threatening.
Miharu's fear had flip-flopped to anger, and then back to fear, and now to defiance. "No, you can't have them," she said, her little hands balled into fists. "I don't care who you think you are, but you're not getting my Pokemon! Mori, Double Kick, now!" It was quite rare for Miharu to lose her cool, but a fire flashed in her eye as her hesitant Ponyta raced into action, closing in on the canine quickly. She did a quick pivot before kicking out hard with her back legs, landing not one but two solid, super-effective strikes to the Dark and Fire-type's side.
It gave a whimper and slumped to the ground, still trying to snarl at Miharu as it was recalled. "Big deal. I'm down one Pokemon, you're down three. Well, four, if you consider just how tired your Ivysaur - whoops, I'm sorry, your Venusaur is. You might as well give up, Miharu. Make it easier on yourself. Team Rocket always wins."
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:39 am
After Anna had calmed herself down, Nina approached her sisters, followed closely by her companion. "I'm sorry about the wait, you two." Whitney waved a dismissive hand; "You don't have anything to apologize for!" she exclaimed. "Don't even worry about it. I'm not mad. Sabrina's not mad. Right, Sabrina?" The elder psychic nodded a little. "Correct. My concern, however, is directed towards Anna; are you feeling better now?" The Ghost Pokemon took a moment to respond, as if she was actually contemplating her answer. "Yes," she replied, "I-I'm fine now. I just... it took me by surprise. I guess that I just never really expected to be faced with that question, let alone without any warning or indication. But-- but I don't mean that to sound negatively!" The Pokemon noticed that her Trainer looked a bit ashamed. "Nina, you didn't do anything wrong! I just-- I'm not ready to evolve yet. Maybe someday, maybe when I'm feeling brave enough, maybe when I feel less afraid of what could potentially happen... but, I'm just not ready for that right now. I can't." Nina shook her head, smiling ever so slightly. "It's okay, Anna," she said. "There's no rush on it or anything, so I don't want you to feel pressured into feeling like it's something that you need to do right away, because you can take as long as you need in order to prepare yourself for it. I don't care if I've gotta wait a day, a month, a year, ten years, whatever-- I will not ask you to evolve until you are a hundred and ten percent certain that it's what you want to do. After all, it's going to be you who's changing for the rest of your life, not me."
Anna nodded, a smile returning to her face. "Thank you, Nina. This means a lot to me." With a roll of her eyes, the girl sighed exaggeratedly. "Of course, stupid. I might be a hard-a** b***h sometimes, but I'm not an unreasonable hard-a** b***h. In fact, I'm pretty cool." Whitney laughed a bit; "Cool?" she asked. "I don't think I'd go that far." Whitney's banter was becoming more and more commonplace with every word she spoke, but now it was getting to the point that Nina appreciated the girl's lighthearted and (relatively) harmless sense of humor. Rolling her eyes again, this time at her sister, Nina chuckled, and ran her hand along Anna's head, ruffling up a bit of the Ghost's locks of almost-hair. "So, no evolution for now, and not until you're ready. Putting that aside, though, what do you say that you and I go kick some Gym Leader butt? I'm counting on you." Anna nodded and grinned smugly. "Of course you are-- I'm the best Pokemon on your team, so naturally you're going to be relying on me!" This little retort elicited a grin from the girl; "I'm glad to see you're feeling better!" she said with a bit of a laugh. "Now then, let's head out and get some badges! Brock's in Pewter, but I wanna stop at Viridian Forest for a bit so that we can get Courtney trained up too!" Reaching for her belt, Nina unclipped an Ultra Ball; a familiar Pokemon erupted from within it, gracefully floating around and letting out a majestic cooooo. Krystal loomed over her Trainer and friends, seeming to smile down upon them. Tilting her head a little as she looked up to her Dragonair, Nina felt a sense of renewed happiness. "My dear Krystal," she began, "would you be so kind as to take us to Viridian City? It's time that I started to collect some badges for myself." Responding with another coo, Krystal lowered herself down to the ground, allowing Nina and Sabrina to climb onto her back. There was, however, one party member that didn't get on.
"Whitney, aren't you coming?" With a quick nod, the girl replied, "Of course I am! But, I've got a different method of transportation." With a grin, the girl removed a Pokeball from her own belt, releasing the Pokemon that was being held within. Rio appeared before his Trainer, each of its three heads squawking a few times; it clawed its feet into the dirt. Sabrina stared on curiously; "Wouldn't you rather ride on Krystal?" she asked. "There's certainly no shortage of room." Whitney was scratching Joy Rio's head; "No, that's okay!" she replied. "I haven't used Rio in some time, so I think that I should give him a bit of exercise!" She paused for a moment and stopped scratching Joy Rio; stepping back, she examined her Pokemon for a moment. "You know, I think that I should give Rio a different nickname! I mean, all of its heads operate independently and think for themselves, so they should have their own identities! Rio can be the collective nickname for the heads, but I need something more... personal. Don't you guys think so?" Despite the fact that Whitney was addressing Nina and Sabrina, Rio's heads squawked in agreement. "Joy, anger, and sorrow..." The girl continued to study her Pokemon, oblivious to the fact that her companions were ready to leave. She shifted her gaze from one head to the next, remaining quiet for a few moments. "Joy!" she exclaimed, looking to the head which represented joy, "From now on, I'm gonna call you Fuzzy, since whenever I get joyous, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, so that's perfect for you!" She clasped her hands in front of herself as Fuzzy silently approved of his name; she turned her attention to the head of anger. "I'm gonna call you Smashy, because whenever I get really really mad, I just feel like smashing things!" Smashy let out a very throaty and powerful squawk, while Whitney silently contemplated the nickname she'd be bestowing upon the head of sorrow. "I'm going to name you... Taco. Whenever I'm feeling sad, tacos are one thing that can almost always cheer me up!" The girl clapped for herself a little and turned to look to Nina and Sabrina, both of whom looked at the girl with confusion plastered on their faces. "I'm ready to go!" she said, bounding over to her newly-identified Pokemon. "But... how--" Before Sabrina finished her question, Whitney watched as Fuzzy, Smashy, and Taco twisted their heads around one another; after a moment or two, their heads began spinning akin to that of helicopter blades and the Pokemon slowly started rising into the air. Grabbing onto his legs with both hands, Whitney bore a large grin as she lifted up into the air. "I'll see you guys in Viridian!" she called out, not long before disappearing into the distance. Nina sat there in stunned silence for a moment, while Sabrina blinked a few times, her lips pursed. "Um... Krystal. Bring us to Viridian, please."
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